Mat Mladin Overcomes Spies to Take Superbike Victory at Infineon Raceway
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Sonoma, Calif.
May 20, 2007
Stephen Scharf
Six-time AMA Superbike champion Mat Mladin dominated at Infineon Raceway on Saturday to take the victory in the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Supercuts.
The victory intensified the points battle as Mladin now trails teammate and defending AMA Superbike champion, Ben Spies, by just five points (206-201). Spies, who started on the pole, finished second in the 28-lap main event.
The battle continues on Sunday as the two Suzuki riders compete in the second Superbike feature of the weekend. Miguel Duhamel (Honda), Jason DiSalvo (Yamaha) and San Francisco native Jake Zemke (Honda) completed the top five.
Mladin put on a clinic on Saturday, taking the checkered flag more than 19 seconds ahead of Spies. It was the largest margin of victory in six AMA Superbike races this season.
“It was a good race for us. We got a good start and just put our head down and tried to go as quick as possible, “ said Mladin, who notched his 55th career Superbike win, an ongoing AMA record. “I just tried to put in some good laps and keep it as clean as possible. It got breezy there around halfway through the race. I lost a little bit of rhythm, but it seems like everybody did the same. It was a good day for us and hopefully we’ll get another win tomorrow. “
Mladin, who was also inducted into the raceway’s Wall of Fame on Saturday, is certainly on a mission this season after losing the title to Spies in 2006. Spies didn’t help himself, riding off track on the second lap, enabling Mladin to build a cushion.
“I ran off the track on the second lap and tried to get as many points as I could today, “ Spies said. “There was no way I could run that pace today and I knew that at the start. I’m not disappointed at all, actually. I ran as hard as I could. “
Honda’s Josh Hayes claimed the victory in the 17-lap Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme main event. Hayes started from the pole and battled with Honda’s Aaron Gobert, who placed second. Lafayette native Steve Rapp (Kawasaki) finished third. It was Hayes’ third-consecutive win of the season and sixth of his career, moving him into eighth place all-time for Formula Xtreme.
Hayes maintains the Formula Xtreme points lead (139), with Rapp second (120) and Gobert third (96).
Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking captured the pole for Pro Honda Oils Supersport with a track-record time of 1:37.707.
