From a press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports:

Rd 12 – 2003 AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship and Rd 8 – Superbike World Championship
Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, California, USA
Event Preview

WORLD SUPERBIKE ENTRY FOR MLADIN AT LAGUNA SECA

Monterey, California, USA (Tuesday, 8 July) – The number of Australian’s competing in this weekend’s eighth round of the Superbike World Championship at California’s Laguna Seca Raceway increases to three as Mat Mladin has been granted a ‘wild card’ entry that will see him line up alongside SWC regulars Steve Martin and Troy Corser.

It will be a busy weekend for the three times American AMA Superbike champion as he juggles competing in the two-race World Championship event with racing in the AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship which is held in conjunction with the international event.

Mladin will be one of three riders who will compete in both championship events over the weekend, joining Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Aaron Yates and Team Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom. The three are currently locked in battle at the top of the AMA Championship where Bostrom holds a slender three-point lead in the 18-race series over Mladin, with Yates a further five points in arrears.

The weekend will present itself with a number of challenges for Mladin. While trying to enjoy the opportunity to compete against the world’s best Superbike riders, he will be concentrating his attentions on the AMA Superbike race which will take place on Saturday afternoon.

His team will also be busy as their Suzuki GSX-R1000s come under different rules for each championship. The rule differences are minor, but do affect the performance of the bike which in turn affects the final set-up of each machine. Tyres have also been a key point for Mladin this season. He has suffered a number of tyre failures this season and is confident that Dunlop, the team’s tyre supplier, can respond to the demands of the rider and machine to produce a tyre combination that can tolerate a full race distance.

“I do look forward to the opportunity of racing in the World Superbike round here at Laguna, but it is always hard as the AMA race is the one that we really need to focus on, especially this year,” said Mladin. “It would be nice to go to a SWC round and just have that race to concentrate on. This weekend though, things are different and as we are close in the championship and it will be important for us to aim for a win in the AMA on Saturday. Other things also come into it. We have to prepare two different motorcycles, with different tyres and settings and then there’s the swapping and changing of practice and qualifying sessions. There is a lot to one of these weekends and sometimes you can do without having that much of a distraction.

“For the SWC race it is encouraging to have seen a number of other Suzuki GSX-R1000 riders being in a position to challenge for the win. It is a good sign that the bike is close to what it needs to be. For sure it would be nice to be on the podium, or even take a race win, but I would still trade two SWC race wins for a win in the AMA on Saturday, that’s how important it is.

“As for tyres, yes we’ve had more than our fair share of problems. The team have been working closely with Dunlop in recent weeks and they are trying to find a tyre that suits my style. They flew in some tyres for the last round at Brainerd, but they still weren’t quite right. I guess we’ll know when we’ve got a good tyre when I can go a race distance without have to ease off to preserve the tyre. I’m confident we’ll get to that position.”

Mladin’s hectic schedule commences on Thursday with qualifying for the AMA Superbike race which in turn takes place on Saturday afternoon with a 28-lap journey of the Monterey layout. World Superbike qualifying commences on Friday, followed by Superpole on Saturday afternoon and then the two 28-lap races on Sunday.

LAGUNA SECA RACEWAY – AMA FAST FACTS

Circuit length: 3.610km (2.2miles)
2002 Pole position: Eric Bostrom (Team Kawasaki) 1:25.716 mins
2002 Results:
1. Eric Bostrom (Team Kawasaki)
2. Nicky Hayden (American Honda)
3. Doug Chandler (HMC Ducati)
Lap Record: Anthony Gobert (Ducati) 1:25.507 (1999)

2003 AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship (points after 11 of 18
rounds) 1. E Bostrom (321); 2. M Mladin (318); 3. A Yates (313); 4. K Roberts (301); 5. b Bostrom (293); 6. M DuHamel (278); 7. S Higbee (229); 8. J Pridmore (225); 9. L Pegram (211); 10. V Haskovec (180).

LAGUNA SECA RACEWAY – SWC FAST FACTS

2002 Superpole: Colin Edwards (Honda) 1:24.888

2002 Results:

Race 1
1. Troy Bayliss (Infostrada Ducati)
2. Ruben Xaus (Infostrada Ducati)
3. Colin Edwards (Castrol Honda)

Race 2
1. Colin Edwards (Castrol Honda)
2. Troy Bayliss (Infostrada Ducati)
3. Neil Hodgson (HM Plant Ducati)

Lap Record: Anthony Gobert (Ducati) 1:25.185 (1999)