AMA: Daytona International Raceway

By Gina Taylor
March 5, 2009

The 15 lap, Honda sponsored, American Superbike had its debut in sunny Dayton, Florida in front of race fans from every nation.  The starting quartet Mathew Mladin #7 and Tommy Hayden #22 on their Suzuki GSX-R1000’s with Larry Pegram #72 on the Ducati 1098R and Neil Hodgson #100 on the Honda CBR-1000-RR respectively were looking intense but confident under the Daytona sun.  

First time American Superbike rider, Celtic Race Team sponsored Irishman Michael Laverty #8 on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 placed 8th in the starting line-up.

With a race time just shy of 25 minutes, it was an exciting run between Mladin, Hodgson, Pegram and Hayden, while Bostrom and Blake were in a tight battle for 5th.  Hodgson took the lead in the 6th only to have it taken away two laps later by Mladin who held on to the finish.

Pegram on his Ducati 1098 was riding at speeds in excess of 200mph leading in laps 3 through 5. In the press conference after the race Mladin referred to the Ducati as “quite speedy”.

It became a battle for second as Mladin was in the lead for 10 of the 15 laps between Hodgson and Hayden with a photo finish at the white flag.  Hodgson who thought he was in the number 3 spot moved to number 2 after a 1/100th of a second photo finish.  Initially the transponder on his motorcycle put him third however the front of his machine was in second.

Hodgson said in the press conference that if “Hayden had not been slowed up by a back marker on the last lap I would have not got second place off him on the line”.

Tommy had the support of his brother Nicky in pit lane just before Nicky’s start of the MotoGP title challenge in April.

It was a strong win for the Suzuki and Mladin.

Race Result:
1-Mathew Mladin
2-Neil Hodgson
3-Tommy Hayden