Suzuki Report

Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies and Mat Mladin raced their GSX-R1000s to a one-two victory at today’s Barber AMA Superbike Championship second round in Alabama.

Spies - who now ties for the series lead with Mladin - led the field and set the pace until Mladin moved ahead on the fifth lap and stayed out front until the 16th lap when he was held up by a lapped rider, allowing Spies to take the lead back.

After posting a race-fastest time of 1:25.568 on the second of 28 laps, Spies pulled ahead until a mistake on the fifth lap allowed Mladin to catch up. But in the closing stages, the six-time AMA Champion was forced off the track by a lapped rider: He kept the machine upright but lost valuable time, eventually finishing 10 seconds behind.

Said Spies: “This is an actual win. I know he ran off the track, but I ran with him the whole race.”

Mladin said: “It was pretty hairy when I went off in the grass. It reminded me of my motocross days 20 years ago...”

Third Yoshimura team rider Aaron Yates finished in eighth position as Jordan Suzuki’s Jason Pridmore rounded out the top 10.

Spies and Mladin go head-to-head again tomorrow (Sunday) for the second race of the double-header.

Barber 1st Superbike Event:

1. Ben Spies (Suzuki)
2. Mat Mladin (Suzuki)
3. Jake Zemke (Honda)
4. Miguel Duhamel (Honda)
5. Tommy Hayden (Kawasaki)
6. Neil Hodgson (Ducati)
7. Aaron Yates (Suzuki)
8. John Haner (Suzuki)
9. Ben Bostrom (Ducati)
10. Jason Pridmore (Suzuki)