Parts Unlimited Dominates Superbike and Formula Xtreme
10/11/2006
Janesville, WI — Parts Unlimited sponsored riders come away with championships during the season finale at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, OH.
Parts Unlimited rider, Ben Spies topped off a record setting season with his first AMA Superbike Championship at Mid-Ohio. Spies tied Miguel Duhamel's six race winning streak by winning races from the second round at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL. to Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA.
Late in the season, Spies broke his hand during qualifying at Virginia International Raceway in mid-August. Showing determination and grit, Spies rode through the pain to podium in three of the next four races and salvaged enough points to hold on to the championship points lead coming into the last round. All Spies had to do was finish 13th or better and he would win his first Superbike title. At the end of the day, Spies would take the safe route and finish in seventh, claiming the 2006 AMA Superbike title.
As for the rest of the Parts Unlimited sponsored riders, Ben Bostrom finished out the season in ninth place, while Jake Zemke finished seventh and Neil Hodgson in fifth.
Josh Hayes earned the 2006 Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series title with a dramatic victory over Eric Bostrom. Coming into the final round at Mid-Ohio, Hayes, Bostrom and Jason DiSalvo all had a legitimate chance at the title but it was Hayes who turned in one of his best races of his career to secure his second AMA title, his first title came in 2003 when he won the AMA Superstock Championship. At the end of the day only seven points separated first and second place in the championship.
Team Erion and Hayes did a remarkable job staying in the hunt this season as the Honda factory squad pulled out after Jake Zemke's win in Daytona earlier in the season. With the championship left up to the support squad, Hayes fought all year against the Factory Yamaha team and Ben Bostrom to come away with his second AMA title. Although Bostrom may have won more races, Hayes stayed consistent and won races at the right time. Hayes' teammate Aaron Gobert finished out the season in fourth.