Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Friday’s Provisional AMA Superbike Qualfiying Results:

1. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:26.073
2. Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:26.287
3. Ben Bostrom, Honda RC51, 1:26.744
4. Giovanni Bussei, Ducati 998RS, 1:26.771
5. Kurtis Roberts, Honda RC51, 1:26.900
6. Miguel Duhamel, Honda RC51, 1:26.976
7. Shawn Higbee, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:28.498
8. Chris Caylor, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:28.975
9. Steve Rapp, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:29.032
10. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:29.283
11. Tom Kipp, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:29.306
12. Geoff May, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:29.506
13. Michael Barnes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:29.567
14. Jordan Szoke, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:29.722
15. Mike Ciccotto, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:29.920
16. John Haner, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:30.027
17. Brian Stokes, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:30.135
18. Eric Wood, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:30.148
19. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:30.669
20. Jeremy Toye, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:30.873
21. Michael Sanchez, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:30.916
22. Scott Jensen, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:31.125
23. John Jacobi, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:31.218
24. C.R. Gittere, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:31.349
25. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:31.415
26. Mike Sullivan, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:31.451
27. Robert Christman, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:31.490
28. Tom Wertman, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:31.674
29. Marco Martinez, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:31.694
30. Dean Mizdal, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:31.818
31. Reuben Frankenfield, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:31.866
32. Chris Voelker, Ducati 996, 1:32.050
33. Kevin Hanson, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:32.156
34. Mark Ledesma, Honda CBR929RR, 1:32.289
35. Monte Nichols, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:32.438
36. Byron Barbour, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:32.448
37. Scott Carpenter, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:32.450
38. Troy Green, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:32.572
39. Andy Deatherage, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:32.578
40. Shawn Conrad, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:32.635
41. John McGarity, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:32.791
42. James Kerker, Honda CBR929RR, 1:32.825
43. Chuck Ivey, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:32.848
44. Chris Greer, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:33.073
45. David Bell, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:33.168
46. Rick Narup, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:33.174
47. Kevin Lehman, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:33.232
48. Doug Duane, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:33.507
49. Jason Knupp, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:34.735
50. Brian Boyd, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:34.898
51. Scott Van Scoik, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:35.052
52. R. Todd Keesee, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:37.768


More, from a press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports:

MLADIN MAINTAINS THE PRESSURE DURING QUALIFYING FOR AMERICAN SUPERBIKE FINALE

Birmingham, Alabama, USA (Friday, 19 September) – Qualifying for the final round of this year’s AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship commenced today with Australian Mat Mladin emerging with the second fastest time around the Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama.

Chasing an unprecedented fourth American Superbike Championship this weekend, Mladin and his Yoshimura Suzuki team continued to work methodically through their pre-race program as they chase the optimum race set up for their Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike.

The championship point’s leader was the fastest rider during the morning’s opening practice session and was narrowly edged out of the top position for the afternoon’s opening qualifying session by teammate and main championship rival Aaron Yates.

Yates posted a best time of 1:26.073 around the 16-turn, 3.70km (2.3 miles) circuit, which has been bathed in sunshine throughout the day, while Mladin stopped the clocks with a 1:26.287. The provisional front row of the grid is occupied by Ben Bostrom (American Honda, 1:26.744) and Italian Giovanni Bussei (Ducati Austin, 1:26.771).

“It’s been a good day for us today,” said a relaxed Mladin. “Dunlop have brought out a few new tyres for us to try and we’ve just been sorting our way through them, with the hope of finding a race tyre that will be good for the weekend. The new tyres came about after we tested here a few weeks ago, so again it’s a positive sign that Dunlop are trying their best to give us a tyre that will do the job.”

“We just messed around with race set up and weren’t keeping too much of an eye on the clock and what the other guys were doing. Being such a new track, it’s very abrasive and hard on the tyres, especially the front, so we are just concentrating on getting a good package together.”

“I finished the afternoon session with about five minutes to go and wasn’t real sure where everyone finished. A few guys did say that they had used a softer tyre during the session, but for us we were happy with the work that we have done today.”

Thirty-one-year-old Mladin arrives at the final round of the year holding a 37-point lead in the championship over Yates. With two Superbike nationals left to run over the weekend, Mladin will be keeping an extra close eye on the performance of his teammate who he needs to maintain a points advantage over if he wants to become the first rider in AMA Superbike to win a fourth crown.

Qualifying for this weekend’s final double-header round concludes tomorrow morning, before the first of the two 28-lap races takes place later in the afternoon. The eighteenth and final AMA Superbike race of the season will then take place on Sunday afternoon.