With points leader Mat Mladin (Suzuki) crashing out of the race on the first lap (he was unhurt), Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom had a tremendous opportunity to close the points gap in the AMA Superbike championship race. While Bostrom finished fifth in the race, gaining valuable points on Mladin (he cut Mladin’s points lead to 20), it was Honda’s day at Brainerd. Nicky Hayden made a daring pass on Kurtis Roberts to take the victory, with Roberts second and Miguel Duhamel third — all on Hondas, of course.
The race featured a tight battle between the top six riders, but the horsepower advantage of the Honda v-twins ruled the day down Brainerd’s extra-long front straight.
Final Results (Top 10)
1. Nicky Hayden #69 Honda 2. Kurtis Roberts #80 Honda 3. Miguel Duhamel #17 Honda 4. Jamie Hacking #92 Suzuki 5. Eric Bostrom #32 Kawasaki 6. Steve Rapp #82 Ducati 7. Doug Chandler #10 Kawasaki 8. Andreas Meklau #103 Ducati 9. Larry Pegram #72 Ducati 10. Tommy Hayden #22 Yamaha
Championship Points Standings (Top 10)
1. Mat Mladin #1 Suzuki 332 pts. 2. Eric Bostrom #32 Kawasaki 312 pts. 3. Nicky Hayden #69 Honda 265 pts. 4. Doug Chandler #10 Kawasaki 263 pts. 5. Miguel Duhamel #17 Honda 251 pts. 6. Tommy Hayden #22 Yamaha 249 pts. 7. Jamie Hacking #92 Suzuki 243 pts. 8. Steve Rapp #82 Ducati 220 pts. 9. Kurtis Roberts #80 Honda 199 pts. 10. Andreas Meklau #103 Ducati 193 pts.
