Mat Mladin could wrap up his seventh AMA American Superbike Championship during this weekend’s Tornado Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka (HPT), but it is looking unlikely that he will. That’s because Mladin may choose not to race at the 2.5-mile road course due to concerns about the track’s safety. “At this point it’s unlikely,” that Mladin will race, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Team Manager Don Sakakura told Roadracingworld.com Thursday morning in the paddock at HPT. “He feels that there are several spots where there is inadequate run-off room with too many solid objects to hit, but I haven’t been officially notified by him whether he will ride or not.” Mladin rode his GSX-R1000 for a handful of laps in the first American Superbike session during Thursday’s promoter practice day and then parked his bike and changed into street clothes. When Roadracingworld.com asked him about the situation, Mladin declined to make any comment. “It’s disappointing to come to a new venue like this and it’s in the condition it is for a National caliber event,” added Sakakura. The area causing the greatest concern is the wall-lined left-right kink at the end of the front straightaway, according to several riders, including Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki’s Aaron Yates, who rode in both American Superbike sessions Thursday morning. “It’s sixth gear, man. It’s gotta be 160 mph. It’s pretty scary through there,” said Yates. “Other parts of the track are pretty rough and beat up, but that’s just how it is. I kind of like that. There’s a seam over here that when you hit it it’s almost like bending the rim or something. The last section is really slow coming onto the front straight, and there’s another area back there that’s kind of fun, just you’ve got to really pay attention to the racetrack because it’s beat up pretty good. “But the biggest deal is this [Turn One Alpha] area deal down here. It’s fast, it’s got those couple of kinks in it that make it single file. Mat [Mladin] actually flew by me this morning there and I had to stand it up. Shit, then there’s no where to go and you’re in the grass and you’ll be going faster in the grass than you are on the asphalt, then there’s a big drop-off over there and into the wall.” Asked if he had made any decisions whether he will race or not, Yates, said, “I’m going to go out there today and ride, test some stuff, do some work with the bike. I’m just going to be paying attention going through that [Turn One Alpha] area. I don’t think I’m going to be going through there full stick any time. It’s gonna be tough for a race situation.”