Earlier in this week a local Mansfield reporter took the AMA Superbike series to task for being lackluster and still having the same rider faces as it did ten years ago. He also said that Ben Spies has the personality of a potted plant.
Jamie Hacking found the reporter who wrote that after today's post-qualifying press conference and took him to task.

"In World Superbike you have Biaggi, you have Checa, Haga, Corser ... you have a lot of older guys that are still performing. They are still doing the job," Hacking said.

"If there are younger guys out there who want these jobs, come and take them. I thought it was out of the question for you to propose something like that."

Hacking then lit into the writer for his critical comments about Spies. "And then to talk about Spies like that ... The kid just came out of the hospital and he comes out here and puts his bike on pole. If that's not compelling I don't know what is."

"To sit here and say that our series is boring after ten years ... I'm 37 years old and I'm running up front. I can't believe that you said some things like that. Our series is actually pretty damn good."

The writer seemed to be agreeing with each of Hacking's points.