Mat Mladin (7) continues the GSX-R1000 domination in the American Superbike series, notching his second-consecutive victory of the 2009 season - just besting teammate Tommy Hayden (22).
So close, yet so far away. Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden led teammate Mat Mladin until late in the stages of today’s American Superbike Race at Fontana, California, but the cagey veteran would reel in Hayden on Lap 18 to deny Hayden his first American Superbike win.
Hayden kept Mladin honest early in the race, keeping the pressure on the Australian rider and passing him by Lap 9. Hayden would push his edge to 0.420-seconds after posting his fastest lap of 1:24.222 on Lap 16, but two laps later Mladin would edge by and take the checkers by 0.068-seconds.
Jordan Suzuki’s Aaron Yates and Geoff May shot out to strong starts and held the third and fourth positions after Lap 1, a lap that saw Team Foremost Pegram Racing Ducati’s Larry Pegram crash out. Yates would eventually
Tommy Hayden made the first double header of the American Superbike season interesting, giving his dominating teammate a real challenge in Race 1.
close the gap on Mladin to 1.321 seconds on Lap 10 before taking a spill as well. Yates would return to the race but finished back in 15th place.
May would hold his position and finished on the podium in third place. Blake Young just missed making it an all-Rockstar Makita Suzuki affair, finishing just behind May in fourth. Corona Extra Honda’s Jake Holden broke the Suzuki stranglehold on the top positions and grabbed the final spot in the top five. Josh Hayes was the top Yamaha rider, leading teammate Ben Bostrom by a small margin.
American Superbike Fontana Race 1 Results:
1. M. Mladin (Suzuki)
2. T. Hayden (Suzuki) - 0.068
3. G. May (Suzuki) - 13.542
4. B. Young (Suzuki) - 18.869
5. J. Holden (Honda) - 21.725
For Ducati's Larry Pegram, the first American Superbike race at Fontana ended earlier than expected.
6. J. Hayes (Yamaha) - 22.753
7. B. Bostrom (Yamaha) - 22.530
8. D. Anthony (Suzuki) - 50.204
9. T. Knapp (Suzuki) - 51.031
10. A. Gobert (Honda) - 51.476
11. C. Ulrich (Suzuki)
12. J. Toye (Honda)
13. H. Mazzota (Suzuki)
14. J. Tigert (Honda)
15. A. Yates (Suzuki)
American Superbike Championship Points:
1. Mat Mladin 63
2. Tommy Hayden 47
3. Blake Young 34
4. Geoff May 32
5. Ben Bostrom 29
6. Josh Hayes 28
7. Neil Hodgson 25
8. Aaron Yates 20
9. Aaron Gobert 20
10. Larry Pegram 18
American Superbike Rider Quotes:
Mat Mladin - Rockstar Makita Suzuki - 1st:
“If there’s anybody up here in this field that I’d like to see win one, it’s Tommy, but I’m not going to
give him one. I’m going to push him hard and he’s had a rough time the last couple of years and he’s
starting to show how good he can ride a motorbike and I’m sure we’re going to see more of him in
the future. We’ll go out tomorrow and have another good race. I’ve got to thank my Rockstar Makita
Suzuki crew, and it’s great to see the two Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s up here and Geoff on another
Suzuki -- we’ve swept the podium again.”
Tommy Hayden - Rockstar Makita Suzuki - 2nd:
“The Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 was a great motorcycle today and the bike is definitely
capable of winning. The last lap didn’t work out for me, but hats off to Mat, he’s a tough guy to beat
but we’ll keep trying and it’s good to have a guy like that to chase. We’ll come back tomorrow and try
and do a little better and hopefully close it out and finally get a win.”
Geoff May - National Guard Jordan Suzuki - 3rd:
“I’ve got to give this one to the National Guard Jordan Suzuki team for giving me one of
the best rides in the paddock. Second weekend out on the GSX-R1000 and we got on the box!”
Blake Young - Rockstar Makita Suzuki - 4th:
“I got a good start on the re-start and was working my way through the field. The Rockstar Makita
Suzuki GSX-R1000 ran great and we’ll try and improve on today and hopefully put it on the box
tomorrow.”
