Ben Spies Ends Mat Mladin’s Long Time Domination By Earning AMA Superbike Championship
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Pickerington, Ohio
May 11, 2007
Infineonraceway
In 2006 young Texan Ben Spies ended veteran Mat Mladin’s long-time domination by earning the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited title. Mladin, while giving credit to his Yoshimura Suzuki teammate, claimed that one reason he lost the title was complacency on his part. The result is that Mladin, the six-time AMA Superbike Champion from Australia, trained harder than ever and is determined to take back the Superbike crown from Spies who is now entering the prime of his racing career.
The battle between Spies and Mladin so far this season has led many racing pundits to call the rivalry the greatest in the series since the classic Wayne Rainey/Kevin Schwantz clashes 20 years ago. The Spies/Mladin rivalry comes to Sonoma, California’s Infineon Raceway on May 18-20 for the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown. It is a doubleheader (rounds six and seven of 19 races) for the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited.
This year marks the 30th Anniversary for Infineon (formerly known as Sears Point Raceway) hosting AMA Superbike races. The series first visited the scenic track in 1977, one year after it was founded. Local hero Paul Ritter won the inaugural Sears Point Superbike race on a Ducati in 1977.
