Mladin wins AMA

[elephino]

Pre race talk revolved around the fact that tyre choice will probably decide who wins here this weekend. Of
course Mat Mladin only needs to finish 12th in order for him to wrap up his second AMA SuperBike Championship
in succession. Nicky Hayden is the only man that can prevent Mat from lifting the title. Nicky qualified 4th,
Mladin 5th.

Ben Bostrom led them into turn one followed by Nicky Hayden but Ben Bostrom immediately started pulling
ground over the Honda rider. Kocinski goes past Mladin.

Ben Bostrom, Hayden, Rapp, Du Hamel was the race order as they commenced lap 2. Eric Bostrom moves up into
4th during lap 2. Picotte into the dirt.

8 tenths separate Ben Bostrom and Nicky Hayden who has opened a bit of a gap over Rapp who was starting to
be challenged by Eric Bostrom who in turn is being attacked by Hacking.

21 laps to go and Ben Bostrom's lead is now 9 tenths over Nicky Hayden who in turn has a couple of seconds over
Rapp. Bostrom down and in the dirt so Nicky Hayden is now the race leader, which is exactly where he needs to
be in order for him to have a chance for the title. Mladin is currently cruising in 7th and only needs to finish 12th
or higher to lift the title again.

Hayden out front and still pushing hard. Hacking and Yates are fighting hard for 4th and look as though they will
be in front of the 3rd placed Rapp before too long. Kocinski had taken Rapp for 2nd a lap earlier but the gap to
Nicky Hayden is over 3 seconds.

Hacking into 3rd from Rapp, Yates also through on Rapp. Eric Bostrom, Doug Chandler, Mat Mladin and Jason
Pridmore are in their own group fighting for 6th. Nicky Hayden is maintaining a 3.4 second lead over Kocinski.

Lap 10 - Rapp has picked up the pace again and pushed back past Hacking and Yates to 3rd but not for long as
they go back past him again. Hayden still holds the lead and has 3.2 seconds over Kocinski.

Lap 12 - Rapp into 3rd again. Chandler out of the race. Pridmore 7th, Mladin 8th, Tommy Hayden right with him.

Lap 15 - Kocinski is now 3 seconds behind race-leader Nicky Hayden. Rapp in 3rd followed by Hacking and
Yates. Not any more, Hacking down and out of the race after trying to get past Steve Rapp. Hayden's lead now
down to 2.7 seconds over Kocinski who has quite a gap over the 3rd placed Rapp. 4th is Yates, 5th-Eric Bostrom,
6th-Pridmore, 7th-Mladin. Seven laps to go and Nicky Hayden is now coming up on lapped traffic but gets
through them cleanly.

Pridmore through on Eric Bostrom for 5th with 5 laps to run. Kocinski continues to close on Nicky Hayden, the
gap now down to 2 seconds. Tommy Hayden through on Mladin for 7th. Rapp and Yates continue to battle hard
for 3rd.

3 laps to run - Nicky Hayden has stretched his lead back out to 2.7 seconds over John Kocinski.

Final lap - Nicky Hayden, Kocinski, Rapp, Yates, Pridmore, E Bostrom, Tommy Hayden, Mat Mladin.

And Mladin wins the championship again after doing exactly what he needed to do.

1.N Hayden
2.Kocinski
3.Rapp
4.Yates
5.E Bostrom
6.Pridmore
7.T Hayden
8.Mladin
9.Pegram
10.Moore
11.Russell

[gomick]

go mat, fantastic racing all year and thoroughly deserved win in the championship....aussie aussie aussie oi oi oi


MAT MLADIN : AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPION - 1999 & 2000, yeah baby!

[Lazy Boy]

Too bad Bostrom crashed.... would've been fun to see what happened at the end if he'd stayed on two wheels.