Mladin, True to Form, Is Front and Center in Qualifying

Australian Mat Mladin continued his relentless drive toward a sixth AMA Superbike championship Friday by winning the No. 1 starting position for today’s Suzuki Challenge, a 100-kilometer race around California Speedway’s infield course.

Mladin, who has earned every point available in this year’s series, bettered his year-old track record by tooling his blue Suzuki 98.356 mph through 2.3 miles of turns, bends and a run along the front straightaway of the big oval. The course has been altered slightly from last year when Mladin won the pole at 97.689. One kink on an infield section was eliminated Friday morning for safety reasons.

“It’s much quicker,” said the 33-year-old Mladin, who has homes in Rancho Cucamonga and Henderson, Nev. “It’s got to be a half-second quicker.”

Another qualifying session will be held today at 9:50 a.m., but it is unlikely that any rider could knock him from his spot. His first session speed was faster than teammate Aaron Yates, who did 98.189. Today’s qualifying will also set the grid for Sunday’s 100-kilometer race.

In three races, Mladin has won three poles, three races and led the most laps each time. He has also won the last four superbike races at Fontana.

Ben Spies, a superbike rookie from Longview, Texas, put another Suzuki in the third spot at 97.740.

Two Ducatis, ridden by Eric Bostrom of Cary, N.C., and 2003 world superbike champion Neil Hodgson of England, are fourth and fifth.

Jake Zemke, a Honda rider from Paso Robles, won the pole for today’s Formula Xtreme race with a 96.236 mph lap. Veteran Miguel Duhamel, defending race and series champion from Canada, is next at 95.099, also on a Honda. Duhamel, 36, also qualified sixth on his superbike after surviving a nasty spill.

“That could have been a little big quicker, but I got bogged down in a few spots by a couple of guys,” Zemke said. “I never count [Miguel] out, though. I’m sure he’ll be there in the race.”

Ben Allard of Murrieta qualified third at 94.345, but he and his Kawasaki were disqualified because the bike proved to be too light.

Jeremiah Johnson of Orange was injured in a high-speed spill and was transferred to Loma Linda University Medical Center. Track officials said he had non-life threatening chest and extremities injuries.

Two championship races are scheduled for today, the Suzuki Dealers 100k (28 laps) for superbikes, and the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme (17 laps).