From a press release issued by Mat Mladin’s publicist, before AMA Pro Racing disallowed Mladin’s Saturday qualifying time due to a timing & scoring problem:

2003 AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship
Round 8 – Pikes Peak International Raceway, Colorado, USA
Final Qualifying Session Report

MLADIN TAKES SUPERBIKE POLE POSITION AT PIKES PEAK

Fountain, Colorado, USA (Saturday, 31 May) – Mat Mladin will start tomorrow’s eighth round of the AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship from pole position after his time set during yesterday’s opening session was unable to be surpassed today at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado.

Mladin’s best time of 53.780 seconds set during yesterday’s hot conditions kept him at the top of the time sheets today and allowed he and his Yoshimura Suzuki team to concentrate on preparing their Suzuki GSX-R1000 for tomorrow’s Superbike national.

“Having set a good time yesterday, it gave us the opportunity to concentrate on race set up today,” said three-times American Superbike champion Mladin. “The track and ambient temperature was a lot cooler today than it was yesterday which was good. Tyre wear is going to be the critical factor tomorrow.”

“We were able top do a couple of long runs during the session so that we could arrive at a set up with the bike that will give us the best tyre wear for the 48-lap race. After that, we have a couple of different tyre choices available to us, so we’ll see what the weather provides for us then. Unfortunately it looks as though the race will be run in a similar style to Daytona where you will be out there trying to conserve a tyre rather than riding at your optimum for the entire race distance. I like to race, not ride around and conserve tyres.”

Lining up alongside Mladin will be teammate Aaron Yates who posted a best time of 54.079 secs, pushing Anthony Gobert (Ducati Austin) to third with his time of 54.166, while Erion Honda’s Kurtis Roberts completes the front row of the grid with a time of 54.214 secs.

Mladin heads into tomorrow’s eighth round of the championship trailing teammate Yates by just one point after claiming a championship point for pole and will be looking at leaving the Colorado circuit holding the championship points lead.

Yates was the fastest rider in today’s second qualifying session, with Mladin just four one hundredths of a second in arrears.

Mladin is looking to win an unprecedented fourth AMA Superbike crown this year and has started the year in blazing form aboard the new Suzuki GSX-R1000 having won five of the seven races held this year and further increased his all time AMA Pole position record to 28 after scoring his third pole of the season.

QUALIFYING, Saturday.(Top 10)
1. Mat Mladin (Yoshimura Suzuki), 53.780 Seconds
2. Aaron Yates (Yoshimura Suzuki), 54.079
3. Anthony Gobert (Ducati Austin), 54.166
4. Kurtis Roberts (Erion Honda), 54.214
5. Eric Bostrom (Team Kawasaki), 54.690
6. Ben Bostrom (American Honda), 54.690
7. Miguel DuHamel (American Honda), 54.814
8. Larry Pegram (Dream Team Ducati), 55.146
9. Jason Pridmore (Attack Suzuki), 55.332
10. Jordan Szoke (Corona Extra Suzuki), 55.437


More, from a press release issued by Dream Team Ducati:

Dream Team Racing Ducati’s Larry Pegram is qualified in 8th position for Sunday’s AMA Superbike Race at Pikes Peak. Pegram who is currently 7th overall in the series is hoping to finish in the top 5 tomorrow, which would help him close in on 6th placed, Miguel Duhamel. Larry, is the top placing Ducati rider in AMA Superbike and is also the highest placing privateer in the series.



More, from a press release issued by Marietta Motorsports:

1-888-FASTLAP’S CAYLOR AND STOKES QUALIFY 11TH AND 13TH FOR SUPERSTOCK AT PIKES PEAK

FOUNTAIN, Co.- 1-888-FASTLAP riders Opie Caylor and Brian Stokes qualified 11th and 13th for Sunday’s AMA Pro Racing Superstock race at Pikes Peak International Raceway.

Caylor and Stokes were among seven riders who all qualified within one second of each other. Caylor’s fast time of 56.678 seconds (83.524 mph) put him in the 11th spot on the 1-888-FASTLAP/Team EMGO Taiwan Suzuki GSX-R750.

1-888-FASTLAP’s Stokes, who is racing at Pikes Peak for the first time, qualified 13th with his time of 57.018 seconds (83.026 mph). He rides the Team Embry Suzuki GSX-R750.

“Qualifying went okay,” commented Stokes. “I got hooked up with Mike Ciccotto during the last part of the session. It was tough. The top seven guys or so had qualifying tires on–we don’t have qualifiers. The people up front ran 55’s on a qualifier, so they’re going to be a second slower tomorrow. If I get a good start tomorrow and get to the front I should do well. My goal tomorrow is to be in the top ten. With the close competition, I’ll be happy with that.”

Both Caylor and Stokes plan to race in the Superbike race being held tomorrow, as well. When they are finished with the 29-lap Superstock race, they will have a brief rest before beginning the 48-lap Superbike event.

Caylor qualified 26th for the Superbike race with a time of 56.678 (83.524 mph). Stokes will start the race from the 30th spot after setting a qualifying time of 56.674 (82.082 mph).

The Superstock race will get underway on Sunday, June 1, following the Supersport and 250 GP races. Supersport begins at noon. The Superbike race starts at 3:00 pm and will be broadcast live on SPEED.

More information about Caylor, Stokes and 1-888-FASTLAP can be found on the web at www.1888FASTLAP.com.



More, from a press release issued by Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki:

Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Steve Rapp came away from a drama-filled Formula Xtreme race at Pikes Peak International Raceway on Saturday with yet another top-10 finish. Adding to Rapp’s result, teammate Chris Ulrich gave the squad a second top-15 finish. Both riders struggled to find a set-up to maximize grip and acceleration off the tight corners of the twisty Pikes Peak bullring.

Rapp was forced to overcome a very late alteration to the starting grid–caused by a problem with AMA timing & scoring–that pushed him off the front row as well a twice red-flagged race. The 30-year-old worked his way up through the field on his Michelin-shod machine to score an eventual eighth place. Rapp is now sixth in Formula Xtreme points.

“It was a tough race,” Rapp admitted. “I thought I was doing better — qualifying on the front row — and the change kind of threw me off. I didn’t get great starts and it’s a tough place to pass. Nevertheless, I finished eighth and passed a few guys like (Jamie) Hacking and (Roger Lee) Hayden, which is all right. I’m not satisfied, but you have to hang in there and get through the places where you don’t do as well and move on to the tracks that you do.”

Ulrich decided his time would be best spent focusing on a single race machine after running into some difficulties dialing in his bikes on Friday. Chris went up against the fire-breathing Formula Xtreme machines on his Superstock-class GSX-R750 and picked up a 15th and a great deal of knowledge.

“We struggled with the 1000 so I rode the 750 today,” Ulrich explained. “We made some adjustments to the front and at the restart we were right there with the guys. I was kind of wishing we had the extra horsepower, but I’m really pleased with what I accomplished on the 750. It was good for my confidence to concentrate on one bike, and we found some things that will really help tomorrow. We’re going to try to do the same thing — get a good start and let it rip.”

Ulrich is now 10th in Formula Xtreme points.

Sunday will see the Valvoline EMGO Suzuki team battling in the 29-lap Superstock final. Rapp will start on the outside of row two with his younger teammate one row back in 12th as a result of their qualifying Saturday performances.