Welcome to coverage of the MBNA Superbike Tour. MBNA Superbike Tour events are three-day affairs, with practice and qualifying on Fridays and Saturdays, and racing on Saturdays and Sundays (refer to the tentative Weekend Event Schedule for more details). It is our goal to post various news throughout the weekend in Daily News & Notes. With Daily Results we hope to upload unofficial results as they come in from AMA Pro Racing Timing & Scoring during the weekend. Overall Results will be posted no later than Monday and will include finish positions and updated point standings for each of the Tour's six classes.

NOTE: We'll try to upload this info as quickly as possible, but at this time, the information will not be "live." As the season goes on, we hope to streamline this proccess. Until then, please bear with us, and enjoy the races!

Daily News & Notes

• Sunday, April 19
• Saturday, April 18
• Friday, April 17

Weekend event schedule

Daily results (unofficial)

Overall results (official)

DUHAMEL WINS MBNA SUPERBIKE RACE
Honda's Miguel Duhamel reappeared at the forefront of the MBNA Superbike series today, taking his first win of the season at Laguna Seca. Duhamel took the hole shot and led all 28 laps on the 2.2 mile road course. "This was no "gimme," said Duhamel. Doug put out a great effort and put a lot of pressure on me, obviously that showed."

Muzzy Kawasaki rider Doug Chandler tailed Duhamel throughout the race, at times closing the gap to a bike length. Chandler's second-place finish still earned him enough points to move into into series first place. "It was a little frustrating but a good effort," said Chandler. "I kept my head down and tried to keep my times consistent. I wasn't just going to give it to him (Duhamel)."

Yoshimura Suzuki's Mat Mladin finished third, and will take third-place in series points as well. "We're right behind Doug now in the championship, so there's not really much pressure, and I'm looking forward to Willow," said Mladin.

LOCAL HERO WINS PRO HONDA OILS 600 SUPERSPORT RACE
Doug Chandler won today's Pro Honda Oils 600 SuperSport race by a 5.469 second margin of victory. The victory is Chandler's third straight win in the series. "It was fun, going back and forth with Miguel like that on the first few laps," said Chandler. The Muzzy Kawasaki rider brought his son Jett and daughters Rainee and Quincee to the podium at the post-race press conference, and they patiently sat on their father's lap while he was being interviewed. The Chandler's live just a few miles up the road from Laguna Seca in nearby Salinas, Calif.

Honda's Miguel Duhamel took second-place at today's Pro Honda Oils 600 SuperSport race. Duhamel led laps two and three of the 18-lap race. "I had some problems with some lap riders out there," said Duhamel. During the press conference, third-place finisher Nicky Hayden remarked that he sometimes gets a little nervous while racing because he doesn't want to wreck into other riders. "That's good," Duhamel interjected.

HyperCycle Suzuki pilot Nicky Hayden was on the podium for the second time this weekend, having won the Teamline 750 SuperSport race yesterday. " The whole weekend, the whole year, has been going really good," said Hayden. "I'm so happy I don't know what to say."

ELF RACE FUELS & LUBRICANTS GRAND PRIX
La Palma, Calif., resident Roland Sands must feel satisfied. He commented yesterday that he was hungry for a win, and that's what he got. The Performance Machine Yamaha rider won with over a 12-second margin of victory. "I feel pretty darn good right now," said Sands. "My comfort level has risen these past few races, and it just keps getting better. I'm trying to stay consistent and not ride over my head."

Modesto, Calif., native Kurtis Roberts took his Erion Racing Honda to second-place honors at today's Elf Race Fuels and Lubricants Grand Prix race, and another Performance Machine Yamaha rider, Mark Foster, of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., took third.

PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE PRO THUNDER
Orange County Triumph rider Curtis Adams won the Progressive Insurance Pro Thunder race at Laguna Seca by a margin of 8.97 seconds, and brought Triumph it's first AMA National win at Laguna Seca. Adams, of Whittier, Calif., also won the last Progressive Insurance Pro Thunder round at Daytona.

Paul Harrell placed his Team Attack Triumph in the runner-up slot at today's race. Harrell, of Canyon Country, Calif., did the same at the season opener in Phoenix.

Team Corbin/Motorcycle Online rider Mark Miller took his Buell to the podium for the second time this season. Miller, of Long beach, Calif., took third-place at the Progressive Insurance Pro Thunder race season opener in Phoenix.

TEAM HYPERCYCLE SUZUKI FINED FOR TECHNICAL VIOLATIONS
WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- Team HyperCycle Suzuki has been fined and placed on probation for illegal engine modifications which were discovered by AMA Pro Racing technical inspectors following the March 6, Teamline 750 SuperSport race at Daytona International Speedway.

"A technical violation doesn't just hurt the team that's committed the foul, it hurts the credibility of the sport as a whole," said Merrill Vanderslice, director of competition for AMA Pro Racing. "As the sanctioning body, we have a fundamental responsibility to the riders and teams, they must have complete trust in our ability to guarantee a level playing field. AMA Pro Racing will not tolerate indifference to the rules of fair competition."

The Team HyperCycle Suzukis -- which finished first and second at the Daytona Teamline 750 SuperSport race -- were immediately impounded following the race along with the third-place motorcycle, in accordance with regular AMA Pro Racing practices. During the post-race technical inspection, the HyperCycle Suzukis appeared to have illegal modifications to the motors. The engine cases of the two HyperCycle Suzukis were impounded for further examination.

On Wednesday, March 11, the technical investigation of the HyperCycle Suzukis were completed. It was determined that the engine modifications were in fact illegal. Team HyperCycle Suzuki principals Carry Andrew and Lance Holst were fined a total of $8,000 for technical violations on both motorcycles, and Team HyperCycle Suzuki was placed on probation for the remainder of the 1998 race season. Any further violations of AMA Pro Racing rules during this probation period will result in suspension from participation in AMA Pro Racing events.

As a result of the technical violations, Team HyperCycle Suzuki riders Jason Pridmore and Nicky Hayden were disqualified and forfeited all points and purse money from the Daytona race.

Technical equipment violations are appealable as outlined in the AMA Pro Racing rulebook. Team HyperCycle Suzuki notified AMA Pro Racing of their intent to appeal the technical violations, and an appeal hearing was scheduled for Friday, April 17, at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, Calif. A three-member appeal board reviewed the evidence, and upheld the technical violation ruling.

Notes & Quotes from Saturday's MBNA Superbike Tour at the Honda Challenge of Laguna Seca. Sunday's MBNA Superbike race will be broadcast live on Speedvision at 2pm local time.

MBNA SUPERBIKE
Yoshimura Suzuki's Mat Mladin took the pole for Sunday's MBNA Superbike round at Laguna Seca with a time of 1:25.600 and an average speed of 94.121 mph. "It was a little windier today than yesterday," Mladin said later in regard to his qualifying run. "In turn nine it was kind of pushing. But things went well and we should have a great race tomorrow." This is Mladin's second pole this season, he also took the pole at the season opener in Phoenix.

Muzzy Kawasaki rider Doug Chandler is second on the grid for tomorrow's race. Chandler qualified with a time of 1:26.202 and an average speed of 93.936 mph on the 2.2 mile Laguna Seca road course. "I'm pretty happy with what we did," said Chandler.

Anthony Gobert put the Vance & Hines Ducati in the number three spot with a time of 1:26.159 an average speed 93.511 mph. "Mat is strong, but we're both trying extra hard and it's going to be an interesting race," said Gobert.

PRO HONDA OILS 600 SUPERSPORT
Doug Chandler took the pole for tomorrow's Pro Honda Oils 600 SuperSport race with a time of 1:31.002 and an average speed of 88.534 mph. "I stayed out there thinking I could get a couple of laps to myself, waiting for a clear track," said Chandler. "I think I could've done a 30 (a lap in the one-minute, thirty-second range), but even still we're running nearly a second faster than the 600's were running here last year."

Honda's Miguel Duhamel is second on the grid for tomorrow's race, qualifying with a time of 1:31.263. "I'm real happy with the way my Honda is running," said Duhamel. "I thought we could take the pole today, but I needed that perfect lap. At least I gave Doug something to think about tonight."

Erion Racing's Eric Bostrom is third on the grid. " I was really riding the wheels of the Honda, doing the best I could out there," said a smiling Bostrom. "The team has really gone a long way to support me, and hopefully we'll be fighting for the lead with Doug and Miguel out there tomorrow. "

TEAMLINE 750 SUPERSPORT
HyperCycle Suzuki's Nicky Hayden took his first Teamline 750 SuperSport win at Laguna Seca today. "I got a good start, and it seemed like the race went by just like that," said Hayden. "I was pushing pretty hard,and sliding around a little bit." Hayden was riding with an wrist injury incurred during this morning's practice session. "It didn't bother me much while I was out there, and right now I don't even feel it," the obviously overjoyed 17-year Hayden said.

Hayden's HyperCycle teammate, Jason Pridmore, was also riding with injuries from a crash at the Daytona MBNA Superbike race, but managed to take second-place at today's race. " It's good for the team to come back this way after what we've been through over the past month," said Pridmore. Pridmore and Hayden lost their pionts and prize money from the Daytona race due to illegal engine modifications to the team's bikes.

Privateer James Randolph took his Suzuki to third-place at today's race. Randolph felt he could have done better at today's race. "I got off to a late start, said Randolph. "I got behind some guys and things got a little erratic out there."

ELF RACE FUELS AND LUBRICANTS GRAND PRIX
Performance Machine Yamaha rider Roland Sands captured his first pole of the season by winning the first heat race in the Elf Race Fuels and Lubricants Grand Prix series. "I've been concentrating on finishing on the podium this year, but now I feel like I'm hungry for a win," said Sands.

Grand Prix veteran and Erion Racing Honda pilot Randy Renfrow is second on the Grid for tomorrow's race. "I'd like to say I feel good but I'm in for a dogfight tomorrow," said Renfrow. "But we'll work on the bike tonight and see if we can go faster tomorrow."

World Sports Imports Yamaha rider Chuck Sorensen is thrid on the tomorrow's Elf Race Fuels and Lubricants Grand Prix race grid.

PIRELLI FORMULA XTREME
Tripp Nobles continues Erion Racing's tradition of high visibility in the Pirelli Formula Xtreme series. Nobles won today's race by an eight-second margin of victory. Dirt track veteran Chris Carr took his Muzzy Kawasaki to second-place, and Tray Batey finished in third-place for Team Valvoline Emgo Suzuki.

Notes & Quotes from Friday afternoon's MBNA Superbike Qualifying session at the Honda Challenge of Laguna Seca.

Conditions for Friday's qualifying session were pleasant, with clear skies, temperatures in the mid-70s and an occasional gust of wind.

Even though he was riding while recovering from a flu bug, Muzzy's Kawasaki rider Doug Chandler was today's top qualifier with a time of 1:25.769 and an average speed of 93.936 mph on the 2.2 mile Laguna Seca road course. Chandler set a new MBNA Superbike track record today at Laguna Seca, beating his own 1997 record of 1:26.851. Chandler's time approaches John Kocinski's 1996 World Superbike track record of 1:25.71. "The competition this year really adds to the series," said Chandler, regarding today's other top qualifiers -- Mat Mladin, Miguel Duhamel and Anthony Gobert. "If we can make our series as competitive as World Superbike, then we'll beat those guys when they come here." The 1998 US World Superbike round will be held at Laguna Seca, July 10 -12.

Yoshimura Suzuki's Mat Mladin was second fastest during today's MBNA Superbike qualifying session with a time of 1:26.535. "Everything went well today, but we'll put on a new qualifying tire and I think I can go reasonably faster tomorrow," said Mladin.

"Doug was doing well today, he's always had good results here, but we'll be there on Sunday having a good race."

Honda's Miguel Duhamel was third fastest with a time of 1:27.034. "We can go faster," said Duhamel. "The bike feels good and I just need to be more on line. My bike requires preciseness, and it's hard to be precise on all 11 corners at the speeds we're going. But when everyone is on regular tires it should be a lot closer, none of us are quitters so it should be a great race. We've got the whole weekend to get set, and things should be even more interesting when World Superbike comes around."

Vance & Hines Ducati rider Anthony Gobert spent less time on track than any of his competitors, but still managed today's fourth-fastest time of 1:27.081. Gobert was on track briefly in the first half of the hour-long qualifying session, then pulled into the pits. He returned in the last 15 minutes and began climbing up through the roster, finally settling at fourth as the clock ticked off the last few remaining seconds of the session.

MBNA Superbike qualifying resumes tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. local time.

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