Seven-time American Superbike Champion Mat Mladin put one of his final entries into the AMA Pro Road Racing record book Friday at New Jersey Motorsports Park when he claimed his record-extending 63nd pole position of his career. Mladin won the single-lap Superpole shootout with a time of 1:21.558 on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000, giving him a total of seven Superpole wins and eight pole positions on the season. Josh Hayes bounced back from a crash in Basic Qualifying to place second in Superpole with a lap of 1:21.872 on his factory Yamaha YZF-R1. Jordan Suzuki’s Aaron Yates turned in one of his best Superpole performances of the year, doing the third-fastest time of 1:22.069 on his GSX-R1000. Hayes’ teammate Ben Bostrom said he may have been too aggressive with his YZF-R1 on his Superpole lap, which was a 1:22.076, but he was happy to qualify fourth and on the front row. Mladin’s teammate Tommy Hayden will start both of this weekend’s races from the lead position on the second row, thanks to the fifth-best time of 1:22.104. Larry Pegram said he made some mistakes while riding his Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing Ducati 1098R in Superpole, resulting in a sixth-quickest 1:22.142. Neil Hodgson was quick throughout practice on his Corona Extra Racing Honda CBR1000RR, but his 1:22.383 in Superpole was only good enough for seventh best. The former Superbike World Champion said New Jersey Motorsports Park’s Thunderbolt Course is unbalanced with more right-hand turns than left-hand turns, which makes his injured left shoulder less of a hindrance than it has been at some tracks this season. Cory West, a former AMA Superbike Rookie of the Year riding in his first AMA Superbike event of 2009, was eighth in Superpole with a time of 1:22.648 on his factory Buell 1125RR. Taylor Knapp said he had trouble adapting from his Daytona SportBike Buell 1125R to his American Superbike 1125RR and his Superpole time, 1:22.867, and position, ninth, suffered. Damian Cudlin finished last in Superpole with a time of 1:23.127, but he was extremely happy to make it into the contest considering it was only his second day riding his new Celtic Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000 and that he outperformed factory Suzuki rider Blake Young and National Guard Suzuki’s Geoff May, both of whom failed to make it into the Superpole contest. AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike Presented by Parts Unlimited New Jersey Motorsports Park Millville, New Jersey September 4, 2009 Superpole Results (all on Dunlop tires): 1. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:21.558 2. Josh Hayes (Yam YZF-R1), 1:21.872 3. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:22.069 4. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:22.076 5. Tommy Hayden (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:22.104 6. Larry Pegram (Duc 1098R), 1:22.142 7. Neil Hodgson (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:22.383 8. Cory West (Buell 1125RR), 1:22.648 9. Taylor Knapp (Buell 1125RR), 1:22.867 10. Damian Cudlin (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:23.127 More, from a press release issued by Pegram Racing: Second Row Start For Pegram In New Jersey Millville, New Jersey (September 4, 2009) Foremost Insurance Pegram Ducati’s Larry Pegram qualified sixth for this weekend’s AMA Pro American Superbike races at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Larry’s flying lap time nearly landed him a spot on the front row at the circuit’s first-ever Superbike races. Larry’s Superpole lap 1:22.142 was just 0.3 seconds from third for the Ducati 1098R-mounted racer “It went okay but it was one of those deals,” said Ohio native Pegram, winner of three 2009 AMA Pro Superbike races. “We were just fractions of a second away from second place but that was good for sixth today because the field is so tight. I made a couple of slight mistakes we could see on the data but it was a good lap. I think we’re good for the race but I have some questions about how easy it’s going to be to pass here. We’ll see tomorrow. The plan is to get a good start and get goin’.” The Saturday Superbike race begins at 3:00PM local time. For more information on Team Foremost Pegram Racing please visit www.pegramracing.com. To learn more about Ducati’s line of racing inspired motorcycles and the 1098R that Larry piloted to victory at Road America and Kansas, please visit www.ducatiusa.com.