AMA American Superbike Laguna Seca Results

Sunday, July 05, 2009

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The Rockstar Suzukis of Mat Mladin and Blake Young went at it during the American Superbike race. Mladin ended up winning by almost 2 seconds.

Rockstar Suzuki's Mat Mladin won his 10th Superbike race at Laguna over teammate Blake Young.

Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mat Mladin won a hazardous and confusing American Superbike race at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway. Second place went to Mladin’s teammate Blake Young. Jordan Suzuki’s Aaron Yates finished in third.

Rockstar Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden jumped the start of the race, leaving the rest of the field behind. This necessitated another warm-up lap for the entire field. The race was then restarted but Yamaha’s Ben Bostrom would crash in Turn 2 collecting Corona Honda’s Neil Hodgson and Foremost Pegram Racing’s Larry Pegram, however, the race would continue.

On the second lap, the Laguna Seca safety minivan came out on track for an unknown reason which almost caused some of the riders to crash into it. The race was restarted and then within seconds it was red flagged.

“We got a yellow flag I think,” said Mladin after the race. “I don’t even know. We came up the front staright up by the checkered flag and the pace car was parked over the side of the hill. Umm, yeah, it could have been very ugly. I’m not sure what it’s going to take to understand that the pace car doesn’t belong in motorcycle racing. This isn’t NASCAR we’re not having a cup of tea in the race car. [The] Pace car doesn’t belong on the racetrack and certainly shouldn’t be deployed in such an inadequate fashion.”

Ben Bostrom - American Superbike Laguna Seca

Ben Bostrom followed by Blake Young, Tommy Hayden, and Josh Hayes shortly after the American Superbike restart.

On the restart it was Bostrom with the holeshot followed by Hayden, Young, Hayes, Yates, Mladin and Hodgson. Right away Young tried to find a way past Bostrom and finally found it coming into Turn 5. Meanwhile, a determined Mladin moved his GSX-R1000 into third. While his teammate Hayden was putting pressure on Young.

While running in second place, Hayden pulled into the pits on Lap 6 for a ride through penalty. Mladin slowly crept up on Young and on Lap 12 he slipped past coming into the last corner. Immediately he began opening up a gap eventually taking the win by almost 2-seconds.

“It went okay,” said third place finisher, Yates. “We had a really nice start in the first get-go. We had a little issue with the pace car that was pretty hectic. Second start didn’t get off as good as I wanted. I kinda fell into a pace and couldn’t get going any faster. The bike didn’t feel like it did in the morning warm-up. I was kind of stuck in a groove. I just couldn’t close up any ground.”

American Superbike Race Results:
1. Mat Mladin - Suzuki GSX-R1000 - 18 laps
2. Blake Young - Suzuki GSX-R1000 -1.641 seconds
3. Aaron Yates - Suzuki GSX-R1000 - 4.587
4. Josh Hayes - Yamaha YZF-R1 - 4.686
5. Ben Bostrom - Yamaha YZF-R1 - 8.516
6. Neil Hodgson - Honda CBR1000RR - 8.774
7. Jake Holden - Honda CBR1000RR - 10.918
8. Tommy Hayden - Suzuki GSX-R1000 - 11.863
9. Geoff May - Suzuki GSX-R1000 - 13,789
10. Larry Pegram - Ducati 1098R - 31.443
11. Taylor Knapp - Suzuki GSX-R1000 - 35.423
12. Chris Ulrich - Suzuki GSX-R1000 - 51.310
13. Hawk Mazzotta - Suzuki GSX-R1000 - 56.037
14. Aaron Gobert - Honda CBR1000RR - 1:10.694
15. Ricky Corey - Yamaha R1 - 1:11.810

American Superbike Points Standings:
1. Mat Mladin - 355
2. Tommy Hayden - 228
3. Ben Bostrom - 203
4. Larry Pegram - 191
5. Josh Hayes - 182
6. Aaron Yates - 173
7. Geoff May - 173
8. Blake Young - 169
9. David Anthony - 120
10. Taylor Knapp - 107

AMA Pro Racing Laguna Seca Gallery

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Mat Mladin Bio

During the past decade, Mat Mladin has been the most dominant rider in the modern era of AMA Superbike racing.

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Comments

Exwracer - Cut AMA some slack July 12, 2009 10:57 AM
To those who bemoan the "good ol' days" of AMA superbike racing, the absolutely predictable domination of Mladin and Spies (in the Good ol' Daze) made for some fairly predictable (yaawn) results which did not draw spectators any better than now. The cost for teams who were trying to match the unobtainable parts hiding inside the top engines, was driving out teams, especially in this down economy. Pace Cars: yup, they look odd to me also, but as to the matter of them "not able to keep a safe pace with the bikes", that is pretty irfrelevant. Didja ever watch F1? Didja notice that their pace car, going as fast as it can, is a total roadblock for the F1 cars behind, trying to keep their tire temperatures up?

R1boogeyman - What a joke! July 9, 2009 08:15 PM
As much as i could see the point of restricting mods on the new "superbike" class for economic reasons and for smaller funded teams. That is what i thought superstock was for??? when i watch SUPERBIKE racing i want to see some highly modified crotch rockets with sick a$$ parts on them, power sliding out of turns and screaming down straightaways and hitting breaks points at some insane short distances!!! Im not gonna lie ive watch two AMA races this whole year and i dont plan on watching anymore. To back up KIMO, YES THANK GOD FOR WORLD SUPERBIKE AND MOTO GP......oh and THANK GOD FOR BEN SPIES ON THE R1!!!!!!!!

Sk - Note to Josh. July 6, 2009 09:39 PM
Uh the last time I saw a PACE CAR at a Supercross race ("They use pace cars in every other motorsport") was uhhh, oh hold on, let me think, oh yeah. NEVER! Pace car is without a doubt stupid. A car CANNOT keep a safe pace for the bikes. I was there and the car is a dangerous addition. DMG is ruining the sport. As far a Kimo stated, ("AMA management took over by a bunch of incompetent idiots with "Red Neck" rules"), DMG is not from Alabama, or Arkansas so Red Neck is inaccurate but Hick is.

mashew monshero - AMA Super Bike July 6, 2009 08:48 PM
I've also noticed how slow the AMA Sbk has become as well. I remember when Mat and Ben use to go at it for the last two years, their best lap times would be around in the mid to high 23's at Laguna. As I saw on speed Mat and Tommy Hayden did the fastest lap at flat 25. A HUGE step backward as far as motorcyle progress. The new rules hasn't change a thing as far as dominance and grid positions through out the season, it just made the bike slower. They should not call it superbike anymore, superstock is more like it.

SocalMoe - Pace Car July 6, 2009 07:10 PM
I was there on Sunday, It was the local race control the messed up. Laguna has its own staff, its not the AMA'e fault. However, AMA should learn from GP, I bet 75% of th fans were there for Moto GP, as soon as the Moto GP events were done, the stands cleared. AMA cannot pull that number of fans on its own. PS, to those who run AMA racing, please return my beloved sport back to what it was 2 years ago!!!!

KIMO - AMA goof up yet again... July 6, 2009 06:51 PM
...and put the beloved sport of motorcycle racing in front of the world to see and laugh at AMA. This is precisely the reason, and as it was predicted from the begining when new AMA management took over by a bunch of incompetent idiots with "Red Neck" rules, and will eventually bring this sport to a non exsistent in american television. This is another example of NASCAR influence in an attempt to make money rather than explore the sport of motorcycle racing. Not to take anything away from bunch of telented fINE riders in AMA, BTW they should ALL race over seas and leave AMA dry. Thank god for WSBK and Moto GP to watch. AMA racing rules and management is pure garbage.

mashew monshero - AMA Super Bike July 6, 2009 11:03 AM
What a shame!! Now the world has seen how organized AMA has been....

indy racer - ama July 6, 2009 11:01 AM
Look at Moto GP or WSBK neither of them ever use a pace car or a rolling starts. What works with NASCAR doesnt work on bikes. That is the second time we have seen it. 3rd time is going to be nasty. If we just followed WSBK rules all this NASCAR want a B bs would stop and we would see real racing again in the US.

Josh - For an unknown reason? July 6, 2009 10:40 AM
What are you talking about? Is it possible that the pace car came out because three riders crashed on the corkscrew due to a massive pile of gravel? They use pace cars in every other motorsport, and I don't understand why this group is having such a hard time figuring it out.

El Chango - Way to Show the Rest of the World How We Do Things Here in America! July 5, 2009 09:19 PM
So this is how DMG is showing off the Americanized version of the sport? With a farking Pace Car that nearly causes accidents? With a single-file restart of the 600/whatever-the-hell-someone-can-bribe-them-to-stick-in-the-class other race? With generally sloppy race control and no idea about how a motorcycle race should be run is there any wonder why the racers don't like it? With Nascar starts and ridiculous "classes" that make no sense to anyone who isn't receiving the bribes is there any wonder why the fans don't like it?

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