Ben Spies captured his second AMA Superbike Championship in a row after winning the final round of the series at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday afternoon. Newly crowned Spies' victory also belongs to the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, which won all 19 AMA Superbike races this year -- the first time a manufacturer has accomplished this feat.

"We came into 2007 looking to win two championships," said 23-year-old Spies, who also won the 2007 AMA Superstock title. "I told myself that I wouldn't be satisfied with anything less than that. I'd like to thank Yoshimura Suzuki and my crew for working hard all year and for giving me a great bike to race in the GSX-R1000. With this win, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. At the beginning of the race, I thought about the fact that we only had 45 minutes left in the season. I knew it was time to get it done."

Spies definitely got it done by riding his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 to his seventh AMA Superbike victory this season and taking the title by one point. In his quest for the title, Spies also won the season-opening round at Daytona International Speedway, as well as rounds at California Speedway, Road America, Miller Motorsports Park and at the July round at Laguna Seca. Prior to this, he also won the 2003 AMA Formula Xtreme championship in his rookie season riding for the factory-supported Yoshimura Suzuki team.

"This is truly a great day for Suzuki," said Mel Harris, American Suzuki Vice President of the Motorcycle/ATV Division. "It wasn't enough that Ben won the AMA Superstock title at the last race. Now he's won his second championship in the premier AMA Superbike class. On top of all this, Suzuki is the first manufacturer to win every AMA Superbike race in a single season. Congratulations to Ben and to Yoshimura Suzuki -- I can't say enough about Ben's ability and talent or about the superiority of the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000. We couldn't have asked for a better race season."