Tooele (Utah) 17 June 2006: Parts Unlimited Ducati's Ben Bostrom finished third in Saturday's Superbike race at Miller Motorsports Park. Bostrom fought with a four-rider pack for the win through most of the 21-lap race, the first-ever AMA Superbike event at the track. Racing his Ducati 999, Ben showed both his aggressiveness and a veteran's talent for tire conservation to finish on the podium for the first time in 2006. His teammate Neil Hodgson finished right behind Bostrom in fourth place.
Bostrom, who qualified on the front row, was a key factor in the exciting scrap for the lead at the 3.048-mile circuit. He moved up to third spot on lap 15 and never relented the position, despite a challenge by Jake Zemke.
"It feels good to get back on the box," said Bostrom, the 1998 series champion. "It has been a while since I've been up here and to do it in an exciting race like this one means even more. The pace was really fast. My plan was to stay with the lead pack and wait until the last five laps and then move to the front. We didn't quite get to there, but it's great to get back on the podium for Ducati. I can't wait for tomorrow and the rest of the season."
Neil's finish helped solidify his fourth place rank in the current AMA Superbike points standings.
"We were fourth today despite a few problems," said Hodgson. "I would have liked to have been up there with Ben today and his performance was encouraging for the team. Still, we got a good finish. Tomorrow, we'll make some changes and look forward to racing again."
"Ben rode a great race and stuck with the leaders nearly the whole time," said team owner Terry Gregoricka. "We needed a boost and Ben gave it to us. He had a good shot at the win and really tried hard. Neil was fourth and managed to earn the next spot for the team, so it was a good day."
Saturday Results: 1. Ben Spies, Suzuki 2. Mat Mladin, Suzuki 3. Ben Bostrom, Parts Unlimited Ducati 4. Neil Hodgson, Parts Unlimited Ducati 5. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki 6. Aaron Yates, Suzuki 7. Miguel Duhamel, Honda 8. Jake Zemke, Honda 9. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki 10. Jake Holden, Suzuki
AMA Superbike points (after 10 rounds): 1. Ben Spies, Suzuki 358
2. Mat Mladin, Suzuki 334
3. Miguel Duhamel 275
4. Neil Hodgson, Parts Unlimited Ducati 263
5. Aaron Yates, Suzuki 254
6. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki 246
7. Ben Bostrom, Parts Unlimited Ducati 244
8. Jake Zemke, Honda 237
9. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki 214
10. Larry Pegram, Honda 189
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