Mladin Looks for More Success at BMP

With the AMA Superbike season opening on the high banks of Daytona six weeks ago, Barber Motorsports Park is the first traditional road course on the schedule and the first of eight Superbike doubleheader weekends.

Six-time AMA Superbike champion Mat Mladin is coming off a dominant performance in Daytona, where he increased his all-time records, taking both poles and wins at the season opener. Coming into this weekend, the Yoshimura Suzuki rider has picked up 53 poles and 64 victories. Mladin has had success at Barber, sweeping both races the last time the series traveled here.

Not only has the factory Suzuki team won the last six races in Alabama, but it is also riding a 28-race AMA Superbike win. The current generation GSX-R1000, which was introduced before the start of the 2007 season, is still undefeated in AMA competition. It swept every race in 2007 and won the 2008 openers in Superbike and Superstock in Daytona.

In the AMA Formula Xtreme Series, Erion Racings Josh Haynes has had his appeal overturned and his disqualification from the Daytona 200 stands. Haynes, who crossed the finish line in first, was disqualified after a post-race inspection revealed the crankshaft on his Honda CBR600RR was polished, the surface treated and metal was removed from it.

The AMA rulebook states that a Category 1 equipment offense is defined as an equipment violation that could potentially or effectively enhance the performance of a motorcycle used in competition, says Bryan Cohn, senior director of AMA Racing.

After a complete review of the appeal information provided by Erion Racing and a thorough investigation of the process applied to the crankshaft in question, it was our judgment that the process applied to the crankshaft of the #1 machine of Josh Hayes resulted in the enhancement of performance found in the form of increased lubricity, reduced friction and enhanced durability.

With Hayes disqualified, Attack Kawasakis Chaz Davies claimed the victory, while teammate Steve Rapp finished second. It was the second consecutive 1-2 finish at the Daytona 200 for Attack Kawasaki. The race was the first for Davis as a member of the California-based team.

Jordan Suzukis Aaron Yates is looking like the early favorite in the Superstock class. He earned the pole and the victory at Dayton and has claimed the past two Superstock victories at the Barber circuit.

Both rounds of the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited from Birmingham will be telecast nationally on SPEED. The races will be shown back to back on Sunday, April 20 starting with Saturdays race at 3:00 pm Eastern followed by Sundays race broadcast at 5:00 pm.