Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin won a wild AMA Superbike race Saturday in extremely hot conditions at Virginia International Raceway.
Mladin was sixth, nearly nine seconds behind the early leaders at one point, but came on strong late in the race. Mladin took the lead on lap 25 of 28 by passing both Miguel Duhamel and Giovanni Bussei on the brakes for turn one. From there, Mladin pulled away to take his 10th win of the season, tying the AMA single-season win record.
Bussei and Duhamel battled for the entire race, but Bussei apparently thought the white flag was the checkered flag, slowed, let Duhamel get away and was overtaken for third on the last lap by Ben Bostrom.
Duhamel finished second, 10 seconds in front of Bostrom.
Bussei realized his mistake before losing any more positions and came home fourth.
Kurtis Roberts led every lap and was still pulling away late in the race when his rear tire chunked. Roberts slowed, pitted for a new rear tire and finished 13th, one lap down.
Corona Extra Suzuki’s Jordan Szoke took his second consecutive fifth place result, matching his season-best result.
Mladin’s teammate Aaron Yates was slowed by clutch problems but still managed to collect 25 points for sixth place plus one bonus point for pole position.
Attack Suzuki’s Jason Pridmore stalled his motorcycle on the grid, started late and crashed on the first lap.
Provisional AMA Superbike Race Results:
1. Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 28 laps
2. Miguel Duhamel, Honda RC51, -2.094 seconds
3. Ben Bostrom, Honda RC51, -12.343 seconds
4. Giovanni Bussei, Ducati 998Rs, -16.133 seconds
5. Jordan Szoke, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -54.955 seconds
6. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -60.904 seconds
7. Shawn Higbee, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -66.818 seconds
8. Geoff May, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -71.207 seconds
9. Jake Holden, Suzuki GSX-R750, -72.469 seconds
10. Mike Ciccotto, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -89.664 seconds
11. Jeremy Toye, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
12. Andy Deatherage, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
13. Kurtis Roberts, Honda RC51, -1 lap
14. Doug Duane, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
15. Scott Jensen, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
16. Byron Barbour, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
17. Robert Chritsman, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
18. Dean Mizdal, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
19. Scott Carpenter, Suzuki GSX-R1000
20. Kevin Lehman, Yamaha YZF-R1
Provisional AMA Superbike Point Standings:
1. Mladin, 467 points
2. Yates, 423 points
3. Ben Bostrom, 405 points
4. Roberts, 368 points
5. Duhamel, 364 points
6. Eric Bostrom, 350 points
7. Higbee, 323 points
8. Pridmore, 315 points
9. Szoke, 238 points
10. Vincent Haskovec, 221 points
11. Geoff May, 217 points
12. Larry Pegram, 211 points
13. Mike Ciccotto, 196 points
14. Michael Barnes, 183 points
15. Scott Jensen, 182 points
More, from a press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports:
Saturday, 30 August 2003
Rd’s 15 & 16 – 2003 AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship
Virginia International Raceway, Alton, Virginia, USA
Final Qualifying and Rd 15 Race Report
MLADIN EXTENDS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD WITH TENTH AMERICAN SUPERBIKE RACE WIN FOR THE SEASON
Alton, Virginia, USA – Mat Mladin’s victory in today’s fifteenth round of the AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship gave the Australian a total of ten race wins for the year, equalling a long standing record of race wins in a single season of the American championship held by former World and American Superbike champion Fred Merkel.
More importantly for the Yoshimura Suzuki rider, his race win has seen him further increase his points advantage at the top of the championship table to 43 over teammate Aaron Yates who finished sixth in today’s 28-lap race held at Virginia International Raceway.
In contrast to many of his race wins this season, Mladin made a steady start to the race and was placed sixth in the early stages before making his way forward at the latter end of the race. He took the race lead on lap 25, passing lead pair Miguel DuHamel (American Honda) and Italian Giovanni Bussei (Ducati Austin) at Turn One before easing away to win by 2.093 seconds from DuHamel. Bussei made a mistake on the final lap and was passed by Ben Bostrom (American Honda) for third.
“It was definitely an important win for us,” said Mladin, who now has a career total of 24 American Superbike race wins. “I started the race off with a plan of watching where Aaron (Yates) was in the race and my plan was to finish ahead of him. That situation changed shortly after the start of the race when we realised that Aaron had a problem. As the race progressed, the gap between the lead group and myself began to come down and that’s when I started to push a lot harder and make a move for the front. It all worked out well, we’ve got a few extra points lead in the championship, but there is still another race to go tomorrow that we need to do well in.”
Earlier in the day Mladin appeared to have secured yet another pole position for the weekend’s double-header round, but his chance of further adding to that tally failed as teammate Aaron Yates snatched pole position with a final lap burst. Yates posted a best of 1:25.071 to edge out Mladin’s 1:25.304, with the Hondas of Kurtis Roberts (1:25.702) and DuHamel (1:25.925) completing the front row of the grid.
“Qualifying went well for us this morning and we’ve found a good balance with the bike. Aaron set a fast lap at the end to get pole, but we’re not too concerned over that as it is just as important to be on the front row of the grid.”
The second of the weekend’s 28-lap AMA Superbike nationals takes place tomorrow afternoon.
More, from a press release issued by Corona Extra Suzuki:
CORONA EXTRA SUZUKI GRABS TWO FIFTHS AT RAIN DRENCHED VIRGINIA
The weather Gods that have tormented the 2003 AMA season returned with a vengeance this past weekend, delaying the final Superbike race until today, Memorial Day. In between torrential rain and 60 MPH gales, Corona Extra Suzuki riders Jordan Szoke and Adam Fergusson both garnered fifth places in their classes.
In the Superbike class Szoke started on the second row, 8th, his best qualifying position of the season so far. In the race he got a good start and quickly settled down to a solid sixth position. Towards the end of the race, when fifth place rider went out he inherited the spot, holding it to the finish. Jordan now has two fine fifth places to his credit this season against very tough opposition.
In the Superstock event, Fergusson, who qualified in third, got a good start and was holding down second when a vicious high side had him waaaay out of the saddle. Adam saved it but unbeknownst to everyone had aggravated an old injury – dislocating his hip. He was able to finish the race but lost three positions, ending up with fifth, an amazing feat considering the pain he must have been in. The joint went back after the race but Adam was unable to make the Formula Extreme event. Fergusson is 4th in the Suzuki Genuine Accessories Superstock championship. Jimmy Moore got back on his bike at VIR but found that his left arm, broken at the Brainerd round, did not have enough strength under breaking so opted not to race. Moore is 12th in the championship.
Torrential rain and gale force winds late Saturday afternoon which came seemingly from nowhere, nearly destroyed the Corona Suzuki Team Canopy and damaged a number of the team’s hospitality tents. Afterwards the paddock looked as if a tornado had gone through it! The rains continued through Sunday forcing the second Superbike race to be run on Monday. Jordan started again form the second row and put his head down in a very fast paced race. He was holding down eighth right up until the end when he slowed for a yellow flag and was passed. Track officials did not see or penalize the other rider, leaving Jordan with ninth. This weekends results puts Szoke 9th in the Superbike championship.
Both Fergusson and Moore were unable to start the Formula Extreme race. Fergusson holds 5th in the Championship with Moore 12th.