From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

Mladin earns 2004 AMA Pro Racing SPEED Channel Athlete of the Year nomination

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Oct. 22, 2004) — Mathew Mladin, the newly crowned AMA Superbike Champion, has been nominated for the 2004 AMA Pro Racing SPEED Channel Athlete of the Year Award. This marks the fifth time the 32-year-old Australian has been nominated for the prestigious award. Mladin was named Athlete of the Year in 2000.

Mladin recently completed a record setting season in AMA Superbike. He not only earned a record fifth AMA Superbike Championship, but scored eight wins in 2004 and became the all-time wins co-leader in the history of the series, sharing that honor with Miguel Duhamel, each with 32-career AMA Superbike victories. Mladin also earned four pole positions this season and extended his lead in the record books in that category.

“This was a difficult title to win,” Mladin said. “I credit our team for working hard and ultimately giving me a very competitive motorcycle.”

Mladin started the season by claiming a third victory in the Daytona 200 on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000. He went on to establish a solid early lead in the series with four-straight wins by following up his Daytona victory with wins at California Speedway (sweeping the doubleheader in Fontana) and Infineon Raceway. After winning a round of the Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama in mid-May, Mladin went through a six-race drought before rallying to score a win at Mid-Ohio and then sweeping the Road Atlanta doubleheader to put a vice-like grip on the series standings.

Mladin’s 2004 championship gave Suzuki its eighth AMA Superbike title.

Mladin came to the U.S. in 1996 after winning his home Australian Superbike Series in 1992 and later suffering an ill-fated campaign in the 500cc World Championship Grand Prix on the Cagiva squad. He said he’s found a second home here in America and looks forward to many more seasons of success.

“I enjoy living in the States and have a lot of fans over here,” Mladin said. “I most certainly do not believe you have to be world champion to be successful. I have a good shot at winning more races and championships and winning keeps me excited and motivated.”

The AMA Pro Racing SPEED Channel Athlete of the Year Award is the highest honor that can be bestowed on an AMA racer. The list of past winners is a who’s who of motorcycle racing with former recipients such as Bob Hannah, Kenny Roberts, Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Scott Parker, Jeremy McGrath and Ricky Carmichael to name a few.

The 2004 AMA Pro Racing SPEED Channel Athlete of the Year will be announced at the 30th annual AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet to be held at the Paris Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, on Sunday, Nov. 14. Contact Cyndi Freeze-Cain at (614) 856-1900, ext. 1232 for more information on the banquet.