According to an interview with 4-time AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin conducted by Roadracing World and published on Roadracing World’s web site, Mladin has changed his mind about racing the Daytona 200 road race in March.
You may recall that following the failure of the Dunlop tire on Jason Disalvo’s Yamaha during tire testing at Daytona late last year, Mladin stated he would not race in the Daytona 200, citing safety concerns. Since the Daytona 200 is a points-paying race in the AMA Superbike series (it is the opening round of that series), this would put Mladin, and his employer Yoshimura Suzuki, at a great disadvantage in this year’s championship battle. According to Roadracing World, Mladin has stated he has changed his mind and will race. Mladin indicates in his statements to Roadracing World that his pace will be dictated by his intention to remain safe on the Daytona Circuit.