Between the Races: John Cardinale
May 10, 2006
By CJ
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The AMA Superbike series hits its second of three California races next weekend, at Infineon Raceway in the heart of wine country. As has become traditional over the past several years, track officials have made several improvements to the circuit, and they have big plans for the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown. The action on the track has been particularly hot over the first several rounds as well, so the May 20-21 race promises to be a good one. We checked in with John Cardinale, the track’s media representative, for the following email interview.

John Cardinale has reason to smile as the weather looks good and ticket sales are up for next weekend's race. Photo courtesy of John Cardinale

RRX : Hi, John. How's everything going in the lead-up to your AMA Superbike race?
John Cardinale: Things couldn’t be better, and it appears the weather is going to cooperate, so we should have blue skies and warm weather next weekend. Our advance ticket sales are also ahead of 2005, so that’s a great sign.

Ben Spies has been on a roll, but Mat Mladin won both races at Infineon last year. What do you expect this time around?
We hosted a teleconference with Mat Mladin last week for Northern California media members, and he sounds very hungry. I think it’s great that we’ve got such an intense battle for the Superbike points lead entering our Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown. It should make for great drama in both Superbike features between Ben and Mat. Mat actually swept the doubleheader here last year and has won five of the last six Superbike features here. I must also add that it’s nice to see Kawasaki back in the Superbike picture with Tommy Hayden, as well as the return of Ben Bostrom (Ducati) to the AMA.

As you mentioned, Kawasaki sponsors your race. What do you think their chances are?
Tommy Hayden is certainly no stranger to our track, having won our Superstock race in 2003 and our Supersport race in 2005. I think Kawasaki will certainly be strong here, and we’re hopeful Roger Hayden will get to race. Our track does not feature any long straights; it is very technical with elevation changes and very tight corners. The track can be a great equalizer.

In addition to the normal racing activities, what else should fans be aware of this year?
We have added two exciting elements to our race weekend to give it more of a “festival-type” atmosphere: Supermoto and Street Freestyle. A three-day Supermoto event (Supermoto USA) will take place behind Turn 7, and a three-day Street Freestyle event will take place on the island between start-finish and Turn 10. Both should be good additions.

We’re also very honored to be inducting Rich Oliver and Honda’s Miguel Duhamel into our Wall of Fame. They’ll become the first two AMA riders to be inducted into our Wall, which was created in 2005. They will join NASCAR’s Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin and the NHRA’s Warren Johnson in the Wall.

We will also have a motorcycle art show, charity auction, and quite a few other elements to keep the race fans busy!

Ben Spies is hoping for his fifth- and sixth-consecutive Superbike victories at Infineon. Andrew Northcott photo

I know Infineon has a strong reputation for making safety-oriented track changes, but last year’s Infineon race is where Vincent Haskovec had his tragic accident. What additional improvements have been made since then?
We have certainly been known as a progressive track when it comes to safety over the last five years, and this year is no different. The raceway will supply an additional 102 pieces of Airfence around the road course, up from 20 pieces in 2005 (not including what the AMA provided last year). The AFM actually owns the Airfence as the result of a $70,000 interest-free loan we gave them, and we get to use the Airfence at our AMA weekend. It should also be noted that the Roadracing World Action Fund donated 10 of the 102 pieces. While a track is never 100-percent safe, we feel we have taken great strides in increasing safety.

Moreover, we met with riders Mat Mladin, Ben Spies, Jamie Hacking, and Jake Zemke during our test session in March and came up with these additional enhancements:

The berm at the exit of Turn 1 will be reconfigured, with the pavement behind the berm being extended by approximately one foot.

An additional 40 feet of runoff has been created at Turn 3.

The protective wall and tire pack in Turn 6 (Carousel) has been moved to the top of the slope and away from runoff.

The protective wall on rider’s left at the approach to Turn 7 will be moved back an additional 10 feet.

We hope this further demonstrates our commitment to rider safety. One thing I can guarantee is that we always have an open-door policy and will always listen to what the riders have to say.

How big is the AMA race compared to the other events on your calendar?
NASCAR is obviously the biggest event we host each year, but AMA is one of our fastest-growing events, and I think that is a direct result of just how hard everyone works here. We have a number of motorcycle enthusiasts on staff, and for them, this is their favorite event. This is also a tremendous area (Northern California) for bike sales and riding because of the great roads and weather (most of the year!).

Have you seen a consistent increase in spectator attendance at this event over the years? If so, do you expect that to continue?
We have seen growth over the years for this event, and judging by advance ticket sales, and if the weather cooperates, 2006 should be no different.

The Kawasakis are running strong in their debut Superbike effort, with Tommy Hayden shooting for a podium finish at Sears Point—er, Infineon Raceway. Andrew Northcott photo

Are you generally pleased with the series and your relationship with the AMA?
From a pure press perspective, it would be nice to see the AMA become more mainstream. It would be nice to pick up a paper every weekend and see AMA results and features, but I am a realist. I know that will take time. Heck, it took NASCAR more than 50 years to break the mold. I believe 100-percent in the product and think the racing is unbelievably exciting, plus the riders are both fan-friendly and media-friendly. I see great things for this series in the future.

What unique strength do you feel is Infineon Raceway has to offer, as compared to some of the other tracks on the circuit?
I believe we feature the total package. We have transformed this facility into one of the premier road racing venues in the country. We’re located in the beautiful Sonoma Valley wine country, and just 40 minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco. It just doesn’t get any better than that.

Are there any future plans for Infineon Raceway that you can tell us about?
We have spent in excess of $70 million since 2000 improving the facility and are just about done. I can’t think of any outstanding projects that are left.

Do you ever slip up and refer to the track as Sears Point?
It took some time when we made the change in 2002, but I haven’t slipped up in a while.