Mat Mladin powers his #66 Yoshimura American Suzuki GSX-R750 through a turn at Mid Ohio during a qualifying session as part of the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire round of the AMA Superbike Championship in July of '98. The all-time winner in championships and wins in the series (7-Time AMA Superbike Champion & 82 series wins) retired after the '09 season after clinching his seventh and final championship, and literally walked away from the series after re-writing the record books for over a decade. Reportedly he is thinking about returning to U.S. soil in 2012 to again compete in the AMA Superbike Championship.
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With AMA Road Racing and the AMA Superbike Championship slowly but surely trying to rebuild credibility into the series as well as lure the crowds back to the track after the debacle that was in the 2009 season with Roger E behind the charge (or near demise as it were), the series HAS and is seeing a better version of ownership and leadership since the arrival of the DMG folks and the subsequent take over of the AMA Pro Racing rights to the series. But with the failed economy hitting home about the same time the rug was pulled out from under everyone, it is taking much longer to rebuild the trust in the fans, and taking longer for the one's that are trusting to return due to economic hardships as a result of the fall-out. But the series is progressing, albeit slowly, just like the economic turnaround, or recovery as it should be.
One thing that definitely couldn't hurt the credibility of the series, however, are reports that retired 7-Time AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin is considering a return to the series in 2012, at the ripe young age of 40 years old. Could this REALLY be a possibility, or is this just another pipe dream of hope?
Here's the story by Henny Ray Abrams at the new CycleNews.com digital edition on the possibility of 7-Time AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin making a comeback in the AMA Superbike Championship in 2012:
http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews/20110419?sub_id=aFXCj9dZpNMZ#pg88
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Posts
Its not the same with matt, i was sad when he left...but he is enjoying life without racing i guess. Hopefully the itch will hit him and he makes a comeback...but trust me its not the same with matt gone...i guess competition was a factor..he was ripping the track by himself.
ReplyDeleteI agree Bird. But it looks like he is going to stay retired. Thanks for coming by and taking the time to comment!
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