From a press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports:

2004 American AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship
Round 2 – California Speedway, Fontana, California, USA
Event Preview

HECTIC TESTING PROGRAM HAS MLADIN READY FOR CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY SUPERBIKE ROUND

Victory at the opening round of the 2004 American AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship at Daytona on March 6 has not left defending series champion Mat Mladin and his Yoshimura Suzuki team sitting in any sort of comfort zone, having just completed two, two-day test sessions as the second round of the championship looms close next weekend, April 3 & 4.

In the past two weeks, Mladin and his crew have tested their Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike at Infineon Raceway at Sonoma, California and more recently have just completed a test at Monterey’s Laguna Seca Raceway.

Mladin was very happy with the results and information gathered by his team at both venues, but his trip to Laguna was met with a minor incident on the opening day that left the four times American Superbike champion slightly winded.

“I ran a little wide on the first right-hander and the front tucked under as it hit the white line, I got it back together, but I ran out of space with the wall being so close and was forced to jump off the bike before it impacted the wall,” said Mladin in reference to his opening day crash. “I followed the bike in and when it rebounded I caught the rear wheel in the chest and it knocked me about a bit. I managed to get out of it without any injury and the guys were able to get the bike back together ready for that afternoon.

“The test went very well aside from that. It was very productive for us. We worked through the disruption of the first day and then today, we started and made the most of perfect conditions until just after lunch when the wind picked up. Any time when you have a crash and your body ploughs into something, you are battered and bruised and I was feeling some effects of it today. We learned a lot of stuff from this test and I think it’s got us in good shape for next weeks race at Fontana.”

A week earlier Mladin had posted the fastest time of the contingent of Superbike riders who tested at Infineon. His best time was a reported 1:37.4.

“The test there went really well. The lap time s were promising, but we are struggling a bit with acceleration and speed, but I enjoy tracks like Infineon because you don’t need a lot of that to go fast, it’s all about getting the bike set up as best you can. The resurfaced track has made it very smooth, making it a lot safer than what it was 12 months ago and I think everyone is looking forward to heading back there for the race. Also if the circuit continues to work on some of the track safety issues, I feel it can develop into a very good and enjoyable race track.”

With testing complete for the interim, Mladin and his Yoshimura team will prepare for next weekend’s round at California Speedway.

Mladin was a dominant force at the corresponding round last year, taking both race wins which followed a lap record breaking run to take pole position.

With his Daytona win now behind him, Mladin arrives at California holding a five-point lead over Jake Zemke (37 – 32), with Miguel DuHamel third with 29.

FAST FACTS – California Speedway

Circuit Length: 3.70km / 2.30 miles
2003 Pole position: Mat Mladin (Team Yoshimura Suzuki) 1:25.123
2003 Race results:

Race 1
1. Mat Mladin (Team Yoshimura Suzuki)
2. Aaron Yates (Team Yoshimura Suzuki)
3. Ben Bostrom (American Honda)

Race 2
1. Mat Mladin (Team Yoshimura Suzuki)
2. Eric Bostrom (Team Kawasaki)
3. Miguel DuHamel (American Honda)

Superbike lap record: Mat Mladin (Team Yoshimura Suzuki) 1:25.123 (2003)

2004 AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship (Points after 1 of 18 rounds)
1. Mat Mladin (37); 2. Jake Zemke (32); 3. Miguel DuHamel (29); 4. Jack Pfeifer (27); 5. Lee Acree (26); 6. Rick Orlando (25); 7. Pascal Picotte (24); 8. Chris Caylor (23); 9. Scott Jensen (22); 10. Eric Wood (21).