Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin earned pole position for the AMA Superbike season-opening race during qualifying Thursday at Daytona International Speedway. Mladin rode his Dunlop-shod GSX-R1000 around the 2.9-mile infield road course in 1:35.760 (which is a new lap record for the revised course), earning the 53rd AMA Superbike pole position of his career, the most all-time, and the first point in the Championship. “It was a good morning for us,” Mladin told reporters. “We have a motorcycle that is very consistent and very nice to ride. Hopefully, we’ll get a descent start and get away there and see what happens. It’s a good day for us and nice to get pole.” Mladin set the pace during most of the 40-minute session and put in a string of high-1:35 laps at the end. Ben Spies, the two-time and defending AMA Superbike Champion and Mladin’s teammate, had some problems with his GSX-R1000 during the session, including an oil leak, but he ended up second on the grid with a best time of 1:35.760. “I tried 100% and couldn’t get it done today,” said Spies. “That’s about it.” Tommy Hayden, the third Rockstar Makita Yoshimura Suzuki rider, continued his strong run Thursday and claimed the third spot on the grid with a 1:36.061. Tommy Hayden did his fastest time while chasing Spies around the track. “Our bike has been working really good since we got here,” said Tommy Hayden. “I haven’t really changed a lot. I’ve been steadily going a little faster and a little faster.” The final spot on the front row went to Jason DiSalvo, who lapped the course in 1:36.341 on his factory Yamaha YZF-R1. DiSalvo’s teammate Eric Bostrom qualified next in the order, fifth, with a 1:36.611. Roger Hayden qualified seventh with a 1:36.886, but on the very next lap he highsided his Monster Energy Kawasaki ZX-10R in Turn Two. Roger Hayden returned to the pits after the crash but did not go back out in the session. Instead, he went to get X-rays on a suspected arm injury, according to his team. Roger Hayden’s teammate Jamie Hacking was sixth-fastest with a 1:36.785. American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel (1:37.682) and Neil Hodgson (1:38.424) qualified ninth and 10th, respectively. AMA Superbike Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida March 6, 2008 Provisional Qualifying Results: 1. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 1:35.759 2. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 1:35.967 3. Tommy Hayden (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 1:36.061 4. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop, 1:36.341 5. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop, 1:36.611 6. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-10R), Dunlop, 1:36.785 7. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), Dunlop, 1:36.886, crash 8. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 1:37.553 9. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, 1:37.682 10. Neil Hodgson (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, 1:38.424 11. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 1:38.634* 12. Akira Yanagawa (Kaw ZX-10R), Dunlop, 1:38.790 13. Blake Young (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, 1:38.887* 14. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, 1:39.346* 15. Robertino Pietri (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, 1:39.594* 16. Chris Peris (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 1:39.754* 17. Matt Lynn (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, 1:40.080 18. Scott Jensen (Suz GSX-R0100), Pirelli, 1:40.379 19. Ben Thompson (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 1:40.379 20. Keith Marshall (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.385 21. Scott Russell (Yam YZF-R1), Michelin, 1:41.773 22. Brian McCormack (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 1:41.897 23. Horst Saiger (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, 1:42.365 24. Dean Mizdal (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:42.407 25. James McBride (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:42.668 26. Santiago Villa (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, 1:43.030 27. Johnny Rock Page (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop, 1:43.222 108% of Fast Time: 1:43.420 Did Not Qualifying: 28. Reno Karimian (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:44.400 29. Scotty Van Hawk (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:45.462 30. Scott Young (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:45.562 31. Jake Holden (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, no time recorded* 32. Michael Barnes (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, no time recorded* 33. C.R. Gittere (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, no time recorded* 34. Eric Haugo (Suz GSX-R1000), no time recorded 35. David Anthony (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, no time recorded * = Known to be on a Superstock-spec motorcycle More, from a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway: Mat Mladin Takes Pole For AMA Superbike Opening Round DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Yoshimura Suzuki swept the top three starting spots for Saturday’s AMA Superbike Opening Round at Daytona International Speedway. Mat Mladin, a six-time AMA Superbike champion, captured the pole and the one championship point with a fast lap of 110.903 mph, 1 minute, 35.760 seconds. “It was a good morning for us,” Mladin said. “I got a chance to try a couple of tires. One we confirmed that was our favorite yesterday was certainly the one we liked again today. We’re looking forward to the race. “We have a motorcycle that is very consistent and very nice to ride. Hopefully we’ll get a decent start and get away there and see what happens. It’s a good day for us and nice to get the pole.” Spies, who swept both the pole and the win in last year’s Daytona Superbike round, will start second with a speed of 110.663 mph, 1:35.967. He is gunning for his third straight AMA Superbike championship. “At the end, we put on a tire that seems to be everybody’s favorite and ours too,” Spies said of the qualifying session. “I started sliding around quite a bit. I rode a 100 percent. I came in and the motor was leaking quite a bit of oil but I don’t even think we had the pace to do it either way. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll get some stuff fixed and try to get me faster in a couple of areas of the track where I’m slow at.” Completing the Suzuki sweep of the top three starting spots was Tommy Hayden while Jason DiSalvo rounded out the podium. “Our bike has been working really good since we got here. I haven’t really changed a lot. I’ve been steadily getting a little faster and a little faster. I was able to get in a quick lap. I’m pretty happy with my bike, my race tires.” The Opening Round of the AMA Superbike is set for Saturday, 11:15 a.m. Tickets are available online at www.racetickets.com, 1-800-PITSHOP or at the gate.