So, the tire test just completed at Daytona has led AMA Pro Racing to announce that the Daytona 200 road race will occur with no changes from its traditional format (200 miles — number of pit stops to be at the discretion of each team). The big question unanswered is whether four-time AMA Superbike champ Mat Mladin, and his Yoshimura Suzuki superbike, will compete in the Daytona 200.
You may recall that Mladin indicated he would not compete in the Daytona 200, due to the danger associated with the race, including, particularly, tire durability. The Daytona 200, of course, is a points paying race in the AMA Superbike series — a series Yoshimura Suzuki undoubtedly wants to win (yet again), and Mat Mladin is the team’s star rider. It will be interesting to see whether Mladin ultimately decides to race the Daytona 200, and seek an unprecedented fifth AMA Superbike championship without the added burden of digging out of a points hole that will result from missing this prestigious event.
