Honda’s Nicky Hayden passed Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin in turn one of the last lap to take a thrilling victory in AMA Chevy Trucks Superbike race number two.

Mladin took another run at Hayden but his bike suffered a suspected dropped valve in the Keyhole turn, and Mladin nursed it around for a secure second place and an increased points lead–Mladin’s only realistic Championship challenger, Eric Bostrom, was already back in 13th place after pitting to replace a chunked rear Dunlop tire.

Bostrom’s lead mechanic, Al Ludington, had been seen in a heated discussion with Dunlop reps prior to the race, leading several race observers to raise an eyebrow when Bostrom then suffered tire problems. Ludington declined to comment other than to say “The tire stopped working.”


Miguel Duhamel and Kurtis Roberts swapped third back and forth on the final lap with the veteran Duhamel hanging on to the final podium position.

AMA Chevy Trucks Superbike Race Two Results From Mid-Ohio:

1. Nicky Hayden, Honda RC51
2. Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R750
3. Miguel Duhamel, Honda RC51
4. Kurtis Roberts, Honda RC51
5. Doug Chandler, Kawasaki ZX-7RR
6. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki GSX-R750
7. Steve Rapp, Ducati 996
8. Larry Pegram, Ducati 996
9. Tommy Hayden, Yamaha YZF-R7
10. Andreas Meklau, Ducati 996
11. Michael Smith, H-D VR1000
12. Jordan Szoke, H-D VR1000
13. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki ZX-7RR
14. Andrew Deatherage, Suzuki GSX-R750
15. Tony Meiring, Suzuki GSX-R750
16. Dean Mizdal, Suzuki GSX-R750
17. Douglas Duane, Suzuki GSX-R750
18. Greg Fryer, Yamaha YZF-R7
19. Scotty Van Scoik, Suzuki GSX-R750
20. Scott Hermersmann, Suzuki GSX-R750

Unofficial AMA Chevy Trucks Superbike Point Standings After Mid-Ohio Race Two:

1. Mladin, 332 points
2. Bostrom, 286 points
3. Chandler, 239 points
4. TIE Tommy Hayden/Nicky Hayden, 228 points
6. Duhamel, 222 points

Sunday Morning 600cc Warm-Up Times From Mid-Ohio

1. Kurtis Roberts, Honda, 1:31.102
2. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki, 1:31.194
3. Tommy Hayden, Yamaha, 1:31.456
4. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki, 1:31.569
5. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 1:31.751
6. Anthony Gobert, Yamaha, 1:31.841
7. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 1:32.194
8. Roger Lee Hayden, Honda, 1:32.252
9. Josh Hayes, Honda, 1:32.277
10. Jake Zemke, Honda, 1:32.661

600cc Supersport Final Results:

1. Miguel Duhamel, Honda CBR600F4i
2. Tommy Hayden, Yamaha YZF-R6
3. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki ZX-6R
4. Kurtis Roberts, Honda CBR600F4i
5. Anthony Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R6
6. Josh Hayes, Honda CBR600F4i
7. John Hopkins, Suzuki GSX-R600
8. Jake Zemke, Honda CBR600F4i
9. Grant Lopez, Suzuki GSX-R600
10. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R6
11. Joseph Temperato, Suzuki GSX-R600
12. Daigoro Suzuki, Kawasaki ZX-6R
13. Shawn Conrad, Suzuki GSX-R600
14. Steve Patterson, Suzuki GSX-R600
15. Monte Nichols, Yamaha YZF-R6

Crashers included:
Jamie Hacking, Suzuki GSX-R600, lap 2, (while leading)
Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki GSX-R600, lap 4, (re-joined then retired on lap 9)
Roger Lee Hayden, Honda CBR600F4i, lap 14

Unofficial Pro Honda Oils 600cc Supersport Point Standings:
1. Bostrom, 192 points
2. Gobert, 168 points
3. Duhamel, 167 points

John Hopkins ran as high as second across the line–and led briefly at one point between two corners–before being rammed multiple times from behind by Kurtis Roberts, finally being plowed off line and passed by four riders late in the race, then running off the track while trying to catch back up. Hopkins then ran as far back as ninth but finished seventh-and-gaining on Josh Hayes.

After the race AMA officials reviewed videotape and said they would be sanctioning Roberts in some way. Officials also revealed that Roberts had been put on secret probation for two races immediately following Elkhart Lake, which is when Roberts went in for surgery on both arms to relieve compartment syndrome.

At Mid-Ohio, Roberts said it was not his fault that he collided with Hopkins in impacts that left marks on the tailsection of Hopkins’ bike. Slow-motion replays seen on the Speedvision video feed seemed to indicate, however, that Hopkins had nothing to do with the collisions, other than being in front of Roberts.

Aaron Yates, still recovering from surgery on the forearm broken at Laguna Seca, did not race at Mid-Ohio.

Saturday Morning 600cc Supersport Practice Times From Mid-Ohio:

1. Kurtis Roberts, Honda, 1:30.982
2. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki, 1:31.450
3. Josh Hayes, Honda, 1:31.793
4. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki, 1:31.935
5. Tommy Hayden, Yamaha, 1:31.977
6. Roger Lee Hayden, Honda, 1:32.087
7. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 1:32.266
8. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 1:32.446
9. Anthony Gobert, Yamaha, 1:32.537
10. Jake Zemke, Honda, 1:32.711
11. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 1:33.478
12. Grant Lopez, Suzuki, 1:33.807
13. Shawn Conrad, Suzuki, 1:34.646
14. Steve Patterson, Suzuki,1:35.825
15. Jeff Muskopf, Suzuki, 1:36.048
16. Tyler Wadsworth, Yamaha, 1:36.048
17. Daigoro Suzuk, Kawasaki, 1:36.299
18. Monte Nichols, Yamaha, 1:36.332
19. Joseph Temperato, Suzuki, 1:36.493
20. David Ortega, Suzuki, 1:36.730

Josh Hayes crashed at the end of the 600cc Supersport practice session. There was no word on his condition.

The unofficial word from AMA sources is that Anthony Gobert will be fined $2500 for intentionally attempting to knock down Jamie Hacking following the 600cc Supersport race at Laguna Seca, trading blows on the cool-off lap, and then admitting it on TV.

The fine contrasts with the $5000 fine and a lost point assessed against Mat Mladin for allegedly criticizing an AMA official, a racetrack and fellow riders during a press conference at Loudon.

Apparently AMA Pro Racing Director Of Competition Merrill Vanderslice thinks talking is more dangerous–and should carry a heavier penalty–than attempting to ram or fighting on track.

Final 250cc Grand Prix Qualifying From Germany:

1. Tetsuya Harada, Aprilia, 1:26.906
2. Marco Melandri, Aprilia, 1:27.064
3. Daijiro Katoh, Honda, 1:27.374
4. Jeremy McWilliams, Aprilia, 1:27.593
5. Fonsi Nieto, Aprilia, 1:27.642
6. Sebastian Porto, Yamaha, 1:27.868
7. Roberto Rolfo, Aprilia, 1:27.882
8. Randy De Puniet, Aprilia, 1:27.943
9. Emilio Alzamora, Honda, 1:27.982
10. Alex Debon, Aprilia, 1:28.079

33. Katja Poensgen, Aprilia, 1:31.998

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin took his first AMA Superbike race win in seven attempts at Mid-Ohio on Saturday, July 21. Mladin was third at the start, passed Jamie Hacking and Eric Bostrom by lap three, extended his lead to as much as four seconds through heavy traffic, and won by 1.864 seconds over Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom and American Honda’s Nicky Hayden.

AMA Chevy Trucks Superbike Race One Final Results:

1. Mat Mladin, Suzuki
2. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki
3. Nicky Hayden, Honda
4. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki
5. Kurtis Roberts, Honda
6. Miguel Duhamel, Honda
7. Doug Chandler, Kawasaki
8. Steve Rapp, Ducati
9. Tommy Hayden, Yamaha
10. Andreas Meklau, Ducati
11. Mike Smith, H-D
12. Pascal Picotte, H-D
13. Jordan Szoke, H-D
14. Eric Wood, Suzuki
15. Rich Conicelli, Suzuki
16. Andrew Deatherage, Suzuki
17. Tony Meiring, Suzuki
18. Anthony Lupo, Suzuki
19. Douglas Duane, Suzuki
20. Scott Hermersmann, Suzuki

Unofficial AMA Superbike Point Standings Following Race One At Mid-Ohio:

1. Mladin, 298 points
2. Bostrom, 268 points
3. Chandler, 213 points
4. Tommy Hayden, 206 points
5. Duhamel, 193 points

Yamaha’s Anthony Gobert has been fined $2500 and put on probation until the end of the 2001 season for his actions against Yoshimura Suzuki’s Jamie Hacking on the cool-down lap after the Laguna Seca 600cc Supersport race.

In an on-camera interview with Speedvision, Gobert said that he tried to knock Hacking down in retaliation for what he viewed as Hacking’s rough riding in various AMA 600cc Supersport races.

Asked why Gobert’s penalty was less severe than the $5000-and-a-point penalty assessed against Mat Mladin for his comments at a press conference during the Loudon AMA weekend, AMA Pro Racing’s Ron Barrick said, “What most people don’t realize is that with Mladin this has been an on-going thing for years. He’s been good for the last year or so, but we’ve been fighting with him over this stuff for years. With Gobert, it’s his first offense.”

Gobert was suspended from three races in 1998 by the AMA, after failing a drug test.

Mladin has been an outspoken critic of the AMA over several issues.

Final 600cc Qualifying Results From Mid-Ohio:

1. Tommy Hayden, Yamaha, 1:30.419
2. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki, 1:30.591
3. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 1:30.639
4. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki, 1:30.705
5. Kurtis Roberts, Honda, 1:30.836
6. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 1:31.300
7. Anthony Gobert, Yamaha, 1:31.484
8. Josh Hayes, Honda, 1:31.937
9. Roger Lee Hayden, Honda, 1:31.945
10. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki, 1:32.343
11. Jake Zemke, Honda, 1:32.446
12. Grant Lopez, Suzuki, 1:32.732
13. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 1:33.071
14. Shawn Conrad, Suzuki, 1:34.272
15. Joseph Temperato, Suzuki, 1:34.305
16. Daigoro Suzuki, Kawasaki, 1:34.744
17. Jeff Muskopf, Suzuki, 1:34.800
18. Steve Patterson, Suzuki, 1:35.020
19. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki, 1:35.125
20. Travis King, Suzuki, 1:35.292

Tommy Hayden’s time beats his own 600cc Supersport track record of 1:30.891 from 1999. The top five 600 qualifiers were under Hayden’s old mark.

Kurtis Roberts lowsided his Honda CBR600F4i in turn 11 immediately after setting his fast time. Roberts appeared to be unhurt as he picked up his Honda and rode it back into the pits.