Transcript of Mat Mladin Teleconference
Contact: John Cardinale 707-933-3907 The following is a transcript of a teleconference on Wednesday, April 7, with four-time AMA Chevrolet Superbike Champion Mat Mladin (Yoshimura Suzuki) and media members from the San Francisco Bay Area. The teleconference was held in advance of the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, which will be held at Infineon Raceway April 30-May 2. The weekend is presented by Cycle Gear and features Sunday's (May 2) Supercuts Superbike Challenge: What are your thoughts on the season thus far? You've had three races and three wins at Daytona and Fontana; that has to be a good start in your quest for a fifth AMA Chevrolet Superbike championship. MM: I think out of all the possible points this year, we've only left one point on the track, which was the one for pole position at Daytona. So, you really couldn't ask for a better start to the season. The wins record (27) is certainly important, but the guy I overtook is still currently racing (Honda's Miguel Duhamel). You've got to put it in perspective and realize that you're here to win the championship. And to win that fifth championship would be very important for me. How well suited is the Suzuki GSX-R1000 for Infineon Raceway? MM: I enjoy the Infineon Raceway layout, simply because it's a technical circuit. They've obviously made some changes there, and the new paving has made the race track a little smoother and a little safer. The track is certainly in better shape than it was 12 months ago. We took the doubleheader wins there last year, and we're certainly looking for nothing less that that this year. Do you think that your 27 career Superbike wins give you a psychological advantage or an edge over your competitors? MM: I've always gone into every race feeling confident and feeling that we can win. Certainly it has a psychological advantage over your competitor, so I'm sure some of them are hoping what happened last year doesn't happen again this year, as far as our dominance. I certainly believe we're in the run for the championship and I'll believe that for the rest of the season. You describe Infineon Raceway as technical. What does that mean? MM: Typically a lot of circuits have some decent-length straightaways, which allows the guys with the faster motorcycles to sometimes get involved with a race for the lead, and at Infineon that might not happen. At Infineon Raceway you don't need the fastest bike, you need the best setup. You also need to be physically fit because there's no time to rest. Typically, if you get it all right, you can usually win the race by a fair margin. Handling is at a premium. Do you think your main competition at Infineon Raceway will come from Honda, which swept the doubleheader weekend behind Nicky Hayden in 2002? MM: I'm not sure about their new bike, and so far it really hasn't shown a great deal on the racetrack as far as wins go. Previously they had a motorcycle and a rules advantage, but this year it probably doesn't allow them as much since they're running the same engine setup as ours. The Suzukis seemed to be the fastest in the testing at Infineon Raceway, even though some people thought the Hondas would be faster. Did you learn anything during the test at Infineon Raceway that will help you during the race weekend, April 30-May 2? MM: We learned a little bit of stuff. Suzuki and our suspension company have come up with some new linking systems for our bike, which have made things a little easier on the rider and on tires. This also allows us to go faster around the racetrack, and the first place we really tested it was at Infineon Raceway. It was a good, successful test, and one we were very happy with. We'll implement a lot of what we learned in the race. How was your adjustment to Superbikes in America coming from Australia? MM: Honestly, I've always been a rider who sees a track as a bunch of corners connected by a bunch of straights. A track is a track. So, the guy who gets around it fastest is the guy who's going to win. I've never paid much attention to being concerned with a race track I've never seen. Other than that, the cultures are pretty different. It was a fairly easy adjustment. I love living in the states and these days; it's just as comfortable here as it is at home. What do you think about the changes that have been made to Infineon Raceway? MM: They've done a great job with the racetrack. As I've told the guys at Infineon Raceway, Turn 1 has become a lot safer, but there are still some areas that need to be worked on before we race there in the rain. You slide a lot farther in the rain. Typically when you repave the track, you have to move the walls back just because the speeds are going to be so much higher. I wouldn't say that we have a "great" racetrack on our hands, we've got a racetrack with a lot of potential. How important is qualifying position at Infineon Raceway as compared to some other tracks? MM: Qualifying is always important because it offers a single point. Obviously if you qualify on the pole throughout the season, that is a lot of extra points. Qualifying is very important at Infineon Raceway, particularly more so than a track like Daytona. Starting in front gives you a chance to build up a good lead in front of the other riders. So, usually if you start on the second row at Infineon Raceway you need to be extra aggressive to not let the leaders get away. Do you think some of the changes to the facility will allow for more passing? MM: Now that Infineon's moved some of the walls out of the way, I think it allows the opportunity to believe that if you do pass there, you're not going to hurt yourself. Again, the corners are pretty much the same, but feeling that you have more room may give you the confidence to make a pass where you wouldn't before. Has your career unfolded the way you thought it would when you first started racing? MM: When I first started road racing in 1991, within two years I was racing Grand Prix, so I certainly was mentally brainwashed by the motorcycle media to think that if you don't go racing at the highest level you haven't succeeded. Fortunately, after some time I realized that there are many different ways to succeed and make a living. Racing here has allowed me to make a very comfortable living and have a good time. I enjoy my life here with my wife and my daughter. But, did it go where I expected it to go? No. But is it now going where I want it to go? Yes. You have a fair amount of time off between races, where do you live? What do you do in your free time? MM: I split my time between Las Vegas and Southern California. We also spend about three months a year in our motor coach. Instead of flying home, we usually do the motor home thing and get a good look at the country. America is so vast and there are so many things to see and we've really had a chance to do many different things. Can you tell us about how physically demanding it is to ride a Superbike for 30 laps? MM: I guess the first thing to say is that everyone's effort level on the motorcycle is different. For myself, I have a very high effort level to get the lap times that I need to be able to win races. At a place like Infineon Raceway, especially if it's warm, typically I have a heart rate about 165-175 beats per minute for the 45 minutes and probably lose three to five pounds in water weight. So, it's very physical. You're riding around basically wrapped in a cow, you know, so it's certainly very physical. Physical training is certainly something I've focused on the last few years and being in the shape to last through the season and be good at the last race. What is your training regimen like? MM: Typically I do a lot of bicycle riding. I probably almost did too much last year towards the end of the year. Last year I was doing 250-300 miles per week on the bike and some gym work. Bicycling was my main form of training last year. This year, bicycling has been eased up and I'm doing a lot more gym work and I play some tennis. Every year is an evolution and you have to change to keep up with the evolution. You had your first child several months ago, how has having a child changed you? MM: Everyone says a child changes your life dramatically, and I guess in one way it does. I guess the feelings are different than they used to be because you have so much responsibility. But, as far as the racing goes, the first race that my daughter was at was last weekend in Fontana I have to admit, the feelings I had when I saw here there for the first time were really strong. When I was on the podium and I saw her there, it was pretty amazing. It motivates me more than I was already motivated, which some people didn't think was possible. It's really intensified my thinking about racing and at this particular time we're really enjoying it. --------------------------- John Cardinale VP of Media/Community Relations Infineon Raceway Highways 37 &121, Sonoma, CA 95476 wk: 707-933-3907 cell: 707-334-9805