Fontana: Ducati race two report

HODGSON EARNS FIFTH PLACE IN FONTANA SHOWDOWN

Fontana (California) 30 April 2006: Parts Unlimited Ducati's Neil Hodgson and Ben Bostrom saw their Sunday fortunes at Californian Speedway mirror Saturday's results. Neil earned fifth place on his Ducati 999 and Ben was seventh after the 28-lap race. Both riders battled in a pack that saw four factory riders trade positions around the 21-turn circuit.

Neil got a better start on Sunday and was able to fight for position from the beginning. "It was a tough race today. I enjoyed it, concentrating on my riding and trying to get the best result we could while racing some other factory bikes," said Hodgson, third quickest in the morning warm-up. "The race went by rather quickly for me. We would rather be racing for first place, that's no secret. Ducati have been working hard and we have been making progress. Infineon Raceway is one of my favorite tracks and we're looking forward to racing there."

Hodgson leaves Fontana fourth in AMA Superbike points and has finished in the top six each race this year.

Ben Bostrom was seventh on the day. "I feel like I am riding well and the bike is fantastic. I think we can improve our setup and that's where we will work," said Bostrom. "We learned some things today and I'm ready to get back on the track as soon as possible."

The next race for Parts Unlimited Ducati team is May 19-21 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.

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