Mladin Extends Points Lead At Mixed-Weather Road America JUNE 8, 2009 - Chino, Calif. - It was another exciting weekend of racing for the Rockstar Makita Suzuki team, this time in the mixed conditions at Road America in scenic Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Championship points leader Mat Mladin (#7) added another victory to the record books and extended his points lead, while Blake Young (#79) made a strong return to racing. Second place in the championship hunt, Tommy Hayden (#22), struggled throughout the weekend but still managed consistent top ten finishes. As usual, Mladin started from the pole for Saturday’s race (count 'em 61 total career pole positions). Mladin was steady and focused in the beginning stages of the race before making his move into the lead, where he proceeded at a strong pace. The race was wet at the start after a downpour of rain. The track began to dry as the race wore on. In the final laps, however, it began to rain again, but it didn’t deter Mladin, who rode on to take his 81st career AMA Superbike victory. Teammate Blake Young, in his first race back after injury, finished an impressive fifth, while Tommy Hayden crossed the line in ninth. "We had a bit of a problem in the warm up so we didn't get to do any laps,” said race winner Mladin. “So the first lap, lap and a half, of the race I was trying to get the feel of the racetrack because I didn't know how it was going to be. It worked out good for us, though. After that first lap, I got a bit of a feel for it and the Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 felt good. I decided to have a go at it... I just kept trying to go." At the start of Sunday’s race, the weather was almost the polar opposite of the day before. The racing, however, was just as great. Mladin, who again started from the pole, was able to make a strong start and found himself in a four-rider duel - including teammate Blake Young - for the lead. The battle lasted right down to the final lap, and while Mladin’s masterful riding kept him at the front, he was unable to make a pass stick. He would cross the line in second place, a result he described as “frustrating.” Young, while battling for third place, fell on the final lap after a race long battle with Jordan Suzuki rider Aaron Yates. Miraculously, Young was able to remount and finish in eighth. Tommy Hayden improved his Saturday result, crossing the line in seventh. The next round of the AMA Superbike Championship will take place on July 5th at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in beautiful Salinas, California, as part of the Red Bull US Grand Prix. Saturday’s Results: 1. Mat Mladin, Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki, Suzuki GSX-R1000 2. Michael Laverty, Suzuki 3. Ben Bostrom, Yamaha 4. Larry Pegram, Ducati 5. Blake Young, Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki, Suzuki GSX-R1000 Sunday’s Results: 1. Larry Pegram, Ducati 2. Mat Mladin, Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki, Suzuki GSX-R1000 3. Aaron Yates, Suzuki 4. Geoff May, Suzuki 5. Ben Bostrom, Yamaha Word Document Download