Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin won AMA Superbike race one Saturday at California Speedway in Fontana, California on the new 2003 Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Mladin passed his teammate Aaron Yates and early leader Anthony Gobert on lap two of the race before pulling away to win the 28-lap event by nearly 15 seconds.

The victory is the 15th AMA Superbike win of Mladin’s career, making him tied for fifth on the all-time win list with Freddie Spencer.

The win was also Mladin’s first AMA Superbike race win since July 21, 2001 at Mid-Ohio.

Yates finished second in front of a Bostrom versus Bostrom battle. Eric Bostrom passed Ben Bostrom late in the race and took the checkered flag in third, but Eric Bostrom was penalized 10 seconds after the race for cutting a chicane during the race. In an interview with SPEED immediately following the race, Eric Bostrom admitted to cutting the turn one chicane but said that he did so to avoid a collision with a lapped rider, adding that he did not gain an advantage and that his brother Ben also cut a chicane during their battle. Ben Bostrom, however, was not given a penalty.

Anthony Gobert DNF when he felt something come loose at the back of his Austin Ducati 998RS Superbike and pulled in near the halfway point.

AMA Superbike Race One Results (revised Sunday at 9:45 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time):

1. Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 28 laps
2. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -14.965 seconds
3. Ben Bostrom, Honda RC51, -16.639 seconds
4. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, -26.351 seconds
5. Miguel Duhamel, Honda RC51, -33.211 seconds
6. Kurtis Roberts, Honda RC51, -39.193 seconds
7. Larry Pegram, Ducati 998RS, -60.924 seconds
8. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -82.151 seconds
9. Steve Crevier, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
10. Shawn Higbee, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
11. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki GSX-R750, -1 lap
12. Andy Deatherage, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
13. Francis Martin, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
14. Michael Barnes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap (penalized 10 seconds)
15. John Dugan, Suzuki GSX-R750, -1 lap
16. Brian Livengood, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
17. Scott Jensen, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
18. Jeremy Toye, Suzuki GSX-R750, -1 lap
19. Jack Pfeifer, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
20. Clint McBain, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
21. Thomas Montano, Suzuki GSX-R750, -1 lap
22. Mike Ciccotto, Suzuki GSX-R750, -1 lap
23. Alan Schmidt, Suzuki GSX-R750, -1 lap
24. Dean Mizdal, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
25. Robert Christman, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
26. Marco Martinez, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
27. Rich Conicelli, Suzuki GSX-R750, -1 lap
28. Jeff Williams, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
29. James Compton, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
30. Jordan Szoke, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -2 laps
31. Troy Green, Yamaha YZF-R1, -2 laps
32. Kim Nakashima, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -4 laps
33. James Randolph, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -11 laps
34. Geoff May, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -14 laps
35. Anthony Gobert, Ducati 998RS, -15 laps
36. Jacob Holden, Suzuki GSX-R750, -23 laps

Unofficial AMA Superbike Point Standings:

1. Mladin/Duhamel TIE, 63 points
3. Ben Bostrom, 62 points
4. Yates, 59 points
5. Roberts, 54 points
6. Eric Bostrom, 53 points
7. Pridmore, 45 points
8. Pegram, 43 points
9. Higbee, 42 points
10. Barnes, 40 points