Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

American Honda’s Nicky Hayden drew one point closer to the 2002 AMA Superbike Championship by claiming pole position for the AMA Superbike races at Mid-Ohio.

Riding his Honda RC51, Hayden stood at the top of the time sheets with a best lap of 1:27.130 as rain began to fall with 18 minutes remaining in Saturday morning’s final Superbike qualifying session. The track remained wet for the closing moments of the qualifying period and Hayden’s time stood for his third pole position of the 2002 season.

Team Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin bettered his time, from Friday’s 1:28.567 to a second-fastest 1:27.820, on his GSX-R750 Saturday morning.

Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom, third-fastest with a 1:27.894, destroyed his A-bike in a crash in turn two Saturday morning. Although reports Bostrom escaped serious injury, Bostrom’s ZX-7RR was destroyed in the incident.

Friday’s provisional pole sitter, Aaron Yates, slid to fourth-fastest Saturday morning but remained on the front row with a slightly faster 1:28.012 on his GSX-R750.

AMA Superbike Qualifying Results:

1. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 1:27.130
2. Mat Mladin, Suzuki, 1:27.820
3. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki, 1:27.894
4. Aaron Yates, Suzuki, 1:28.012
5. Doug Chandler, Ducati, 1:28.156
6. Anthony Gobert, Yamaha, 1:28.407
7. Kurtis Roberts, Honda, 1:28.442
8. Pascal Picotte, Ducati, 1:28.653
9. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 1:28.709
10. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki, 1:29.201
11. Jason DiSalvo, Suzuki, 1:31.021
12. Chris Caylor, Suzuki, 1:31.946
13. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki, 1:31.988
14. Robert Jensen, Suzuki, 1:32.029
15. Ty Howard, Suzuki, 1:32.107
16. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki, 1:32.246
17. John Haner, Suzuki, 1:32.385
18. Brian Livengood, Suzuki, 1:32.542
19. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki, 1:32.726
20. Brian Parriott, Suzuki, 1:32.744
21. Craig Connell, Suzuki, 1:32.922
22. Adam Fergusson, Suzuki, 1:33.014
23. Rich Conicelli, Suzuki, 1:33.125
24. Lee Acree, Suzuki, 1:33.197
25. Michael Himmelsbach, Aprilia, 1:33.214
26. Christopher Rankin, Suzuki, 1:33.409
27. Dean Mizdal, Suzuki, 1:33.416
28. John Jacobi, Suzuki, 1:33.576
29. Shane Clarke, Suzuki, 1:33.701
30. Andrew Deatherage, Suzuki, 1:33.739
31. James Compton, Suzuki, 1:34.044
32. Alan Schmidt, Suzuki, 1:34.156
33. Scott Jensen, Suzuki, 1:34.230
34. Douglas Duane, Suzuki, 1:34.294
35. Justin Blake, Suzuki, 1:34.436
36. Eric Spector, Suzuki, 1:34.586
37. Jacob Holden, Suzuki, 1:34.771
38. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki, 1:35.299
39. Anthony Fania, Jr., Suzuki, 1:35.428
40. James Doerfler, Suzuki, 1:35.431
41. Scott Carpenter, Suzuki, 1:35.526
42. Scotty Van Scoik, Suzuki, 1:36.075
43. Robert Chrsitman, Suzuki, 1:36.152
44. Marco Martinez, Suzuki, 1:36.293
45. David Ebben, Suzuki, 1:36.469
46. Mike Walsh, Suzuki, 1:36.667
47. Scott Hermersmann, Suzuki, 1:36.987
48. Eric Haugo, Suzuki, 1:37.095
49. Todd Snyder, Suzuki, 1:37.428

112% of fast time: 1:37.586

DNQ. Leo Venega, Ducati, 1:37.930
DNQ. Michael Hanley, Suzuki, 1:39.736
DNQ. Anthony Ruggiero, Suzuki, 1:42.393