Suzuki Domination?

Ben Spies is gone, but Yoshimura Suzuki continues to win.

By Matthew Miles

April 2009

"When does one era end and another begin?" CW Technical Editor Kevin Cameron posed this question in "Wars of the Succession" (September, 2006), his profile of Yoshimura Suzuki teammates Mat Mladin and Ben Spies. At the time, the 21-year-old Spies had defeated the veteran Mladin six times in six starts. The Texan went on to win three AMA Superbike titles (with Mladin thrice runner-up) before successfully moving this season to Yamaha and World Superbike. Here in the U.S., the 37-year-old Mladin remains a powerful force, having won the newly instituted AMA Pro Racing American Superbike class at every round of the 2009 series to date—Daytona, Auto Club Speedway and Road Atlanta, five races in all.

In May of 2008, during the AMA weekend at Infineon Raceway, I asked Mladin about Yoshimura Suzuki's dominance of Superbike racing. "Back in the day, when Honda was winning everything, it was 'domination,'" he scoffed. "When Kawasaki won some championships, it was 'domination.' Give me a break, already. If you stick with something long enough, you will succeed. It's only a matter of time." Furthermore, he added, "Nothing lasts forever."

Mladin correctly pointed out during the podium press conference held earlier that day that he won just one race en route to his first AMA Superbike title in 1999. He won four races in 2000 and 2001, also championship years—hardly domination. "Suzuki's domination in this series came into being when Ben came into Superbike, not even in the first year, but in the second year," he said. "The level was lifted, no doubt about it. Did our level of equipment lift? No. I'd say one rider's skill helped lift the competition."

This season, year-old Suzukis—2009 models will debut at Barber Motorsports Park in early May—were first and third at Daytona and swept the podium at Auto Club Speedway and Road Atlanta. At the latter rounds, Jordan Suzuki's Geoff May broke into the top three. Is this parity under new series rules or, again, Suzuki domination? AMA Pro Racing says it has no plans to penalize the Suzukis in an effort to close up the field. Good thing: 14 of the 22 finishers at Road Atlanta—64 percent of the field—were riding GSX-R1000s. "Suzuki makes a good motorbike," said Mladin.

Spies' "replacement" at Yoshimura Suzuki is Blake Young (top photo). Mentored, like Spies, by 1993 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz, the 21-year-old Wisconsin native is visibly "angry." Mladin has recognized this trait, too, and told others Young reminds him of himself. At Road Atlanta, Mladin let Young follow him during practice. On Sunday, Young finished second, his best result in the class.

Domination? Earned.