Ben Bostrom (#155 Yamaha Racing, winner):

Q Ben, this is your first 600 Supersport win in ten years?

A Yeah.

Q Road Atlanta?

A Yeah.

Q It's been a long time, on that little bike. The last time we'd ridden one was '04 at Laguna, on the little bike. I'd forgot how fun they are. They just keep getting better. The R6 is unbelievable. Just racing with these two guys up at the front is a really great feeling. Everyone's bike, you can see the small adjustment each person has to make for each bike. It felt like you're riding a little Superbike in a way, just a lot less horsepower. It's fantastic. I think the season's going to go like this. It's going to be great.

Q When did you know you had it won?

A I didn't know I had the thing won, at all. Josh and I had a fantastic plan going into it, but you know how a plan doesn't really pan out all the time. At one point we had it first and second. I gave him thumbs up and said "Let's do it." Josh was an amazing teammate. We worked together really well. Rog was just right there, hanging on. He caught back up and passed us, and I said, "Oh, no, there goes our plan." Then we got put together with a few lappers. We got a little bit of distance on the big green bike there. That was pretty much all it was. Yamaha took off from there. It was a streak of blue, come down to the start/finish line, and I didn't really know we had it won. I said, no matter what I'm going to go low, and if Josh goes high, he's just going to beat me anyway. So I think fortunately - I could feel his wind - I think Josh meant to go low as well. So I guess I turned the right way. It's only a 50-50 chance. The kid could've won it as easy as I could've, and I'd have been just as happy.

Q You were really, really strong going into One on the brakes.

A That was Josh letting me by, actually. It's funny. When you're in a paceline on your bicycle, your friend always gives you this little finger. "I'm tired." And then it's your turn to take the front and pull. Every time we'd come up on the stripe, Josh would give me the finger and let me by. We looked spectacular, obviously. But it really wasn't that spectacular.

Q Did you guys bump coming to the finish line?

HERRIN: Yeah, I think I - I think I accidentally hit him with - I can't remember what I hit him with. But I was coming, and the draft kind of sucked me in a little bit harder than I expected. I don't know, I think I almost took both of us out, to be honest.

Q Ben, did you feel that?

BOSTROM: I felt a lot of wind, and I said, "Whooo! Josh just tried something." I was like, fortunately, I think he went low, and so did I. That's all I figured. I was just waiting to see this flash of a 46 go racing by there, and it didn't happen until right at the end. I think, like, "Man, maybe he did get me!" I couldn't really tell, honestly, when we were there, because he was coming by with some speed. I looked up on the board and I saw 55 and I still wasn't sure if that was it or not. Josh and I were both a little bit confused.

Josh Herrin (#46 Yamaha Racing, second place):

Q Josh, what were you thinking out there, racing with Ben Bostrom, pulling on him and going into One with him?

A That was actually a really good feeling. It takes me straight back to Laguna. It's just some feeling that you can't even describe. I was just really happy that our plan ended up working out. I asked Jamie at the beginning of the race, "You got any advice?" And he told me, "Just stay calm and be patient." That's exactly what I did. Me and Ben worked together really good as a team, and ended up pulling away and getting the Yamaha 1-2.

Q That was really the plan, to just be calm?

A Yeah. Pretty much going into it, I just wanted to be really patient and not take the lead too early. It just ended up working out exactly as we planned.

Q Where do you think you were stronger on the track than Ben?

A It's hard to say. When you've got as good of bikes and tires as we've got, it's really hard to find a spot on the track that you can really tell. But I think going into One, if I would've tried really hard, I think I had really good control of the bike, and I could get in there really hard. But he was definitely getting me on the drives. But I've always been a really good braker. And definitely on the banking, because I'm a little bit lighter than him. Our Yamahas are about the same speed.

Q Anything else you want to tell us about the race?

A I just want to let everybody know that I think that's what to look forward to for the rest of the year, is to see those blue bikes up in front.

Roger Lee Hayden (#1 Kawasaki Racing, third place):

Q Rog, you were coming up through the pack really nicely.

A Thanks. [Laughter]

Q You were actually, after the start, you were coming up. What happened on the start?

A Actually, I got a pretty good start. I was on Row 2. I think I was like fifth. So I was pretty happy with that. Maybe I got shuffled back on the banking one time, a few spots, but all in all, I felt like my start was pretty good. Those guys just had a little bit of a gap on me. And then a few guys I was kind of racing with, and once I broke that, I kind of caught up and could just stay in their draft. Not really get closer ?til the last couple of laps, and then I caught up to them and was kind of just sitting there.

Q The lappers, obviously, in this race were a big factor. Do you want to talk a little about that?

A Yeah. Well, it's just - everybody has their problems with lappers, and I guess today was my day. You never know whenever it's going to happen. But the one guy scooted over for these two, and then I think he tried to get a draft off of them, and I had to follow him for a couple of corners. Then we got on the straightaway, and he started pulling me to the chicane, and I had to follow him through the chicane. Once I got by him, it was kind of a lonely race after that. I was just hoping that those two would try to race a little more and slow each other up, but it didn't happen. I'm pretty happy with third. It's a good start to the season. These guys are definitely both riding really good. Even in the test, I knew they were going to be strong coming in here. Our bike's working really good.

Q What's it like riding with the new Yamahas?

A Seems pretty good.

BOSTROM: Yeah, what's it like, Rog? What's it like? [Laughter]

HAYDEN: Yeah. It was so dark out there, they just blended in with the - I could hardly even see them. No, both these guys were riding good, and their bike seems to be good. But I think the Kawasaki's just as good. It's going to be a very competitive, long year. Supersport, I think, this year is the deepest class there is. First through eighth is so close, if you're having a bad weekend, you're going to have a bad result.

Q Rog, what happened in Superbike with your crash? You said you broke your hand.

A Coming through, I guess, Turn 1, that fast left-hander, I highsided. I hit my hand, my elbow. I fractured some, or tore a ligament, and knocked some bone off my wrist. I just kind of taped it for the race. But when the green flag dropped, I didn't even really - I didn't notice it. It wasn't really a problem. I guess the worst thing is my elbow. It's pretty swelled up. Nothing too crazy. I didn't even really notice it until I stopped, and then, oh, man, it hurts. So once - I guess the adrenaline rush is the best pain medicine there is.

Q Rog, was there ever a concern that you wouldn't make the start?

A When I picked myself off the ground today, I thought, "Boy, this weekend's done." And then once I got out of my leathers and I looked at myself, I thought my elbow was a lot worse than it was. But they X-rayed it, and Dr. Kieffer taped it up for me, and the swelling went down in my elbow pretty fast. After the first hour, I thought it would be possible. The worst part of the crash was just - they've got so many cones going down from Pit Row, when I was sliding down there, I don't know how fast I was going, but I was just cleaning them out. Each time I'd hit one, I'd feel like someone was punting me, just another punch.

Q Rog, you're riding with the #1 plate for the first time. Does that have any effect on how you approached the race today?

A No, I think I'm a lot more relaxed now. I don't feel like I have to win the title, or this or that. But having the #1 plate really doesn't change anything. I want to win every race, or try to. It's going to be tough. The Supersport class is just so fun. You're going to have a battle every weekend. Nothing really changes, but I think it's more competitive this year.

Q Ben, on the last lap, you looked back quite a few times at Josh. Tell me what you were thinking then - and then, on the run from the chicane to the stripe, you went high all the way to the wall, you came below the stripe. Have you ever had to make a run like that to the line before? It kind of reminded me of the Harley Sportster days.

BOSTROM: That's exactly right, Dave. Exactly right. I was looking back because I was thinking, "Man, that kid's got me beat today. I'm leading." So I just figured there was no way to win, and Josh was going to win. I was just as happy for him, because I was basically winning. It's nice to see a plan come together with the two Yamahas up front. Especially since Roger's riding phenomenal, and we had got a little break in traffic there. I think, "All right, well, I guess not too bad, but we'll try something. And it seemed to work. It really reminded me of the Harley days as well. I haven't done that since the Harley. I used to go right against the wall and come down, and actually just ride the apron to the finish. I was going to try that on the 600, and thought I might highside my brains out there. It's a bit dirty down there. So I ended up just going straight back, in a line like that. I didn't know where Josh was. I was thinking, "Man, if Josh is coming around high like that, we're going to collide." I wasn't sure what was going to happen. It worked out. I didn't think I was going to win, honestly. I thought Josh had me snookered.

Q Josh, did you think you had him?

HERRIN: You know, I think the whole last four laps, I was like, "All right, I'm just going to listen to what everybody said. I'm not going to lead the last lap, and I'm going to get it." And what do you know, I don't get it. I'm in second. So I think from now on I'm just going to take my own advice on the last lap. I appreciate everybody's help. But this time it didn't end up happening. I guess it was just Ben's day. But it was a good race overall, and I'm more than happy with second.

Q Roger, in the closing laps there, when you passed them both going into Turn One, what was your plan of action? Were you trying to get in there and just make a breakaway, or were you just trying to hang with that front group so you'd be in the hunt for a drafting battle towards the end?

HAYDEN: I just wanted to stay in the hunt and stay close. I actually, at that time, we were getting in so many lappers, I wanted to be the first guy through, because it seems like he always gets the break. The last two years here I've caught a break in the lappers toward the end, so that's all I was really trying to do. And I wanted to see if I could actually get past them on the stripe, because there was like five or six laps left at that time.

BOSTROM: I want to say thanks. I was up here about six hours ago, and they had the presentation for the Merlyn Plumlee Memorial Fund, for the scholarship. I was really impressed with the check that was donated. So for everyone who's donated leathers and gear and stuff to get this thing going for the MMI fund, it's pretty cool. I just want to say thanks to everyone for that. It was pretty cool, and thanks to Honda for donating another check on the spot. It's really cool. Thank you.