Elkhart Lake, Wis. – Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki’s Leandro Mercado swept the AMA SuperSport weekend by claiming the pole position and winning the race at Road America. Mercado was confident on the four-mile course considering the track was the location of his first win in America during the AMA Rookies Cup race last year. In the AMA Daytona SportBike race, both Jamie Hacking and Roger Hayden improved on their starting positions to finish ninth and 11th, respectively.

The win for Mercado didn’t come easy, but it was exactly the race that fans came to see. With a great start, Mercado jumped out to the lead early, but was challenged by the recent winner of the race at Infineon Raceway. The two riders switched positions all the way to the final lap when Mercado put together his fastest lap of the 10-lap race to come across the finish with his second professional win.

“It was a really hard race,” said Mercado. “Ricky (Parker) was riding really fast and I just tried to be consistent and keep pushing. It was also a very fun race battling back and forth.”

The Road America track is sentimental to Mercado since it was the place of his first win in the United States. Mercado has made a name for himself in his home country of Argentina, but now he has his sights set on raising his profile in the states. With his win total increasing, Mercado has moved into the points lead for the AMA SuperSport East championship.

“I really like this track,” said Mercado. “It’s fast and pretty technical. That race felt a little bit like the one from last year because I battled right to the end of the race. I had a great time and I am very happy that I took over the points lead.”

Hacking’s qualifying didn’t go the way he wanted and had to start in the 12th position for the rolling start. With the long start straight at Road America, Hacking moved up in the early laps. The long 13-lap race saw Hacking move around the position chart, eventually finishing inside the top-10 in ninth.

“This weekend didn’t really go my way,” said Hacking. “We are going to Mid-Ohio this week for the test and hopefully we can get the bike dialed in for the next race at Laguna Seca. I like that track a lot and I really hope to go after my first win of the season.”

Hayden came into Sunday’s race with a podium finish from Saturday’s rain-stricken race. Qualifying also didn’t go great for Hayden, who started 18th for both races, but managed to make his way up the leader board to 11th.

“Starting from mid-pack is never easy,” said Hayden. “I just did my best to get as good of a start as possible. When starting back, my strategy is to try and get in a good first lap because I don’t want to get behind people that might slow me up. Also, I try to be aggressive early, which is easier said than done. This weekend was a lot better than the last couple of races. I feel like I’m getting the hang of these rolling starts so I just need to keep improving and keep getting better at it.”

The rain held up on Sunday, but the temperatures were still unseasonably low for the area. The riders dealt with the cold and were happy that, unlike Saturday’s race, the skies were clear.

The next venue on the schedule is a favorite among the Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki riders. Each rider has had success at the Northern California track. Hacking has earned five wins, Hayden has earned two wins along with a good ride at the end of 2007 for his first championship, and Mercado has taken a win as well in the AMA Rookies Cup.

“I’m actually really excited to go to Laguna Seca,” said Hayden. “This weekend was good for me and I’m anxious to get back to a track that I really love.”

AMA Pro Road Racing Series
Road America – Elkhart Lake, Wis.
June 7, 2009

AMA Pro SuperSport Results
1.    LEANDRO MERCADO, LODI, CALIF., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI
2.    Ricky Parker, Mansfield, La., Yamaha
3.    Josh Day, Orlando, Fla., Yamaha
4.    James Rispoli, Atica, N.Y., Suzuki
5.    Russ Wikle, Huntsville, Ala., Suzuki
6.    Bryce Prince, Bakersfield, Calif., Yamaha
7.    Tyler Odom, Torrance, Calif., Honda
8.    ROBERT TINAGERO, SANTA ROSA, CALIF., KAWASAKI
9.    Clint Shobert, Wolfforth, Texas, Honda
10.    Lloyd Worrell, Heath, Texas, Yamaha

AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Results
1.    Martin Cardenas, Miami, Fla., Suzuki
2.    Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda
3.    Jason DiSalvo, Las Vegas, Nev., Suzuki
4.    Chris Peris, Calgary, Canada, Honda
5.    Daniel Eslick, Broken Arrow, Okla., Buell
6.    Taylor Knapp, Lapeer, Mich., Buell
7.    Michael Barnes, Boca Raton, Fla., Buell
8.    Chaz Davies, Carlsbad, Calif., Aprilla
9.    JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI
10.    Chris Fillmore Oxford, Mich., Yamaha
11.    ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI

AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Point Standings
1.    Martin Cardenas, Miami, Fla., Suzuki, 255
2.    JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI, 204
3.    Daniel Eslick, Broken Arrow, Okla., Buell, 199
4.    Jason DiSalvo, Las Vegas, Nev., Suzuki, 179
5.    Josh Herrin, Clovis Calif., Yamaha, 152
6.    Chris Peris, Calgary, Canada, Honda, 141
7.    Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 128
8.    Chaz Davies, Carlsbad, Calif., Aprilla, 121
9.    Steve Rapp, Hawthorne, Calif., Yamaha, 112
10.    Tommy Aquino, Saugus, Calif., Yamaha, 104
13. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI, 79
20. LEANDRO MERCADO, LODI, CALIF., MONSTER ENERGY ATTACK KAWASAKI, 39