Spies claims provisional pole

From AMA Superbike.com

Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki's Ben Spies registered a convincing performance in Friday's provisional AMA Superbike qualifying session at Miller Motorsports Park, holding an advantage of nearly a second over second and third-ranked Mat Mladin and Jamie Hacking. The Texan established a new (and first) lap record for the 4.5-mile MMP configuration with a best time of 2:45.568.

Aussie Mladin bumped Monster Energy Kawasaki ace Hacking from second at the very end of the session with a 2:46.382 time to outpace the British-born rider's 2:46.497. Jordan Suzuki's Aaron Yates, who completed the provisional front row, was the only other rider to break into the '46s with a quick time of 2:46.901.

"I just put some new tires on it and threw down a pretty good lap," Spies said. "I mainly worked on race set-up; we were pretty quick on race tires and that was about it. It was a pretty simple session -- just went out and did a bunch of laps on the race tire. Got going pretty good and came in and put a rear on it and went for it and got a pretty lap out of it. Then we put the old tire back on and only managed to get one lap in.

"The race tires are working really well and the bike's working really well. There are a couple areas we're still finding some time in and can get it better. Hopefully we'll get a couple more tenths out of it for tomorrow..."

Earlier in the day Spies was an interested spectator, watching the World Superbike stars practice around the three-mile configuration the AMA Superbike series used in 2006 and 2007.

Asked if he wished both championships were running the same track so that they could better measure up, Spies remarked, "You'd like to, but it's too many different possibilities. Obviously we're going faster every time we've been to a track this year than we did last year. Our bike's 10 horsepower up on what is was last year and their bikes are about 6mph up on what my bike is this year.

"Their bikes are definitely faster and they do have qualifiers. There's no way really to compare. The track record the way it was set, the bikes were way slower than what they're going. But you never know whose tires work better. Ours might work better. You can't compare. I think that's why the 'Qs were brought here -- to throw down in the first and third split to compare but they threw in another little loop so you can't really do that."

Even though it's no longer a possibility, Spies admits he wishes it was still like the old days when the national stars were able to compete as wild cards. "Yeah, you'd like to. I watch them go around the track and they're still learning, but I know we'd be competitive for sure. Just like if we went over to one of those tracks they'd have a little bit of an edge on us. But the fact is, by the end of that session, those guys know that track now. The short track is very easy to learn. The long track takes a little bit because it's five days long. It's a little bit harder. Those guys are getting comfortable."

Outwardly Spies appears to be fully up to speed again following offseason and post-Daytona surgery, riding a four-race win streak into MMP. But the two-time AMA Superbike champ claims he's still in the process of working his way all the way back to 100% fitness, a scary prospect for his rivals.

"I think we're getting a little faster every weekend. My fitness is definitely getting better every week. You kind of plateau at some time of the season and you just try to keep that, but now we're basically going to be building al the way through the year and keep getting better. It's good. I feel great on the bike now. Barber was the last week we didn't feel too good. At Fontana I wasn't 100% but you know, but it was nothing that was going to hold me back. And now when I'm on the bike, like at the last race, I don't have anything that's bugging me at all. Everything is getting better."