MLADIN RETIRES

[heerball1]

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2009/Jul/e/n090731e.htm

[ChrisM]

wow.

i would have loved to see him do one season of wsbk but respect. he's a great racer and an interesting personality.  brought some color to a series that seems somewhat dry at times.

as ali g would say,  respek.

[n10sive]

he really looks like he is not enjoying himself in the AMA this year. It probably has taken all the fun out of racing for him. I suspect he'll be back after he has a chance to clear his head.

I agree though...would be nice to see him try WSBK next year.

[zipbyu]

     D.M.G. enough said?  No!  I love watching ben and matt mix in up untill the dmg pick on matt(for what ever reason) in the mid season last year.  It drove him out.  Matt would of won as easy as Ben is doing this year in WSB. It shows what the world class racing is in the US, but not the orgination of the dmg ama holes.
     Rock Page has his story too.  Hacking also.  That is a chick flick.  Too much drama this year and last.
     WSK thats where it is at.   

[Justin]

I always dreamed of retiring in New Jersey... You go, Matt!

[Justin]

"""After so many great years of racing in the USA, I will retire from AMA racing at the end of the 2009 racing season in New Jersey."""
If I was an attorney, I'd say his statement does not preclude him from racing abroad, outside of the AMA.
It would be better for his daughters if he left the USA also...  We'll see him next year on the world stage

[ChrisM]

i hope that's true.  good point.

[A DRAGON]

I've a Mladin fan since I first saw him at Infineon when he first started with Suzuki. I've told some of you the story. For the rest of you here it is.

They used to start the race by dropping a flag. When Mat first came out. The man that drops the flag, had to push start Mat. So he ended up starting the race dead last. After lap one he had 3 bikes behind him. Lap 2 he had 7. When I saw that I said to my self. " Anybody that can ride that hard is a guy I'd pull for all the time". They ended up red flagging the race and Mat had worked his self up to 15th. ( 3rd row on the restart ) He got the Hole shot on the restart and finished 2nd to Aaron Yates. I'll always remember that race. It was the best race I'd ever seen up till then. That's why I'm a Mat Mladin fan. Go Mat win them all you deserve it. 

I also believe after the way Ben Spies is tearing it up in World. Mat knows he can do well. I think he'll be there next year for sure. I'm not ready to let him go yet. 7 AMA titles are cool but who wouldn't want a World Title to. I hope he rides with aprilia next year. 

[D1NO]

Hope you guys are right and he'll step up on the world stage.... maybe not on an Aprilia though

[jlavallee]

Supposedly Spies has it in his contract that if he wins WSB this year he's moving on to MotoGP with Yamaha, if not he will likely be in WSB one more year. I suspect Mat might of been tempted to run against his old rival but that wouldn't likely happen.

Also, consider he has young kids so being stable is probably a good idea rather than another couple of years at most of going around the WSB calandar. Probably better for his family and Matt seems to have a good business head so I'm sure he doesn't need the money. He's proved he can race with the best.

Hopefully we'll get to see him race again, I have always been a Mladin fan and met him in Brainerd back in 03 and he seemed like a really good guy. We all know he is a bad ass racer. I wish him all the best. With some luck we'll see him race again and DMG go the way of the Dodo.

[Justin]

I'd prefer to show my kids the world for two years. 
"Hey! We're in Kentucky, again!"

[jlavallee]

I'd prefer to show my kids the world for two years. 
"Hey! We're in Kentucky, again!"

Not sure how much travel you've done but I've done my share and someone else's and it gets pretty old quickly. I've been to lots of countries where I didn't even take a picture and the only record I have is a stamp in the passport. Besides, Matt has the cash and now has the time so they can travel on their schedule when they want to now.

[Justin]

Me?
Never been out of Reno.

[jlavallee]

Me?
Never been out of Reno.

Ha, ha. Just saying that not everyone enjoys travel when you have to do it.

[Justin]

  I hear you. Curse this maladaptive coping mechanism called 'transference.' I suppose I would love for my kid to travel around the world for a season.  It's just something I can't offer him.