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AMA SBK: Mladin Conquers Wet and Cold Road America
Written by: Chris Martin   
06/06/2009
Elkhart Lake, WI
 
Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki's Mat Mladin (Photo: Brian J Nelson) ยป More Photos

It's often said that wet weather is a great equalizer in motorcycle roadracing, allowing riders to show their true ability with machinery advantages largely thrown out the window. If that's the case then Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki's Mat Mladin only proved once again that there is nothing equal about him and his competition, as the Australian ran away with his ninth AMA Pro American Superbike victory in ten attempts this season today at Road America.

Mladin picked up career win #81 by the AMA count, #83 by his, despite a light yet steady and cold rainfall that persisted throughout the contest and slowed lap times by about twenty seconds around the four-mile course compared with the dry qualifying times. The six-time champ lost an early two seconds at the start to a jack-rabbiting Larry Pegram on the Foremost Insurance-backed Ducati 1198R, but tracked him down
in short order, ducking underneath to wrestle away control of the lead on the opening of lap 3 of 13.

Mladin then quickly assembled a multi-second padding of his own, pulling free at the front as Pegram came under fire by new pursuers.

While Mladin expertly negotiated the tricky conditions, Celtic Racing's Michael Laverty was equally impressive, the Irishman guiding his private Suzuki GSX-R1000 up through the field and into the runner-up position.

Once there the former British Supersport champ took fall advantage of his BSB-earned wet-weather experience and kept within a relatively constant margin of Mladin as they powered away from the rest of the field. Laverty even made up some time late to claim the checkered flag just over four seconds off the win, while Mladin's factory rivals were all more than twenty seconds back.


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