BY PAUL CARRUTHERS
PHOTOS BY HENNY RAY ABRAMS
W
ith five races to go in the
19-round AMA Superbike
Championship, it might
be a tad early to start call-
ing Ben Spies the champi-
on-elect, but based on the sheer domination
the young Texan has shown over the course
of the season, you'd be hard pressed to find
someone willing to bet against him.
In what may well be his most dominating
performance to date, Spies and his Yoshimura
Suzuki GSX-R1000 annihilated the competi-
tion not once but twice at the Mid-Ohio
Sports Car Course - the first race more so, as
at least two of the others seemed to be closer
in the second race, but the outcome was the
same: another Spies win. Another Spies double.
The Mid-Ohio sweep was the fourth time this
season that Spies has gone out and done the dou-
ble, the two wins here being the ninth and 10th of
his nearly immaculate season. One more victory
will tie him with Mat Mladin for the most victories
in a season, and any wins beyond that will only
distance himself in the record book. His win on
Sunday was the 12th of his AMA Superbike
career, and it moved him into a tie with Anthony
Gobert for 12th on the all-time list.
Saturday's performance was the more impres-
sive of the two because of the speed in which he
opened a gap over his pursuers. How's this for a
quick dose of reality for those giving chase - 2.3
seconds on the opening lap of a 26-lap race? And
4.1 seconds after just two laps. Those two laps
put him out front, and he never looked back,
eventually taking victory by 5.7 seconds in the
red-flag-interrupted race. If not for that red flag,
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Lexington, OH
Rounds 13-14
August 5-6, 2006
AUGUST 16, 2006 • C Y C L E N E W S
16
AMA Superbike Championship
BEN SPIES is beginning to look a lot like the
AMA Superbike Champion
SPIES
DOUBLES
Ben Spies (11) leads the field into turn one at the start of race one.
Mat Mladin (1) and Miguel Duhamel (17)
batted for second best in both races.
