MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is excited to announce that the winningest racer in AMA Superbike history, Mat Mladin, will serve as the Grand Marshal for the MotoAmerica Championship finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park, September 27-29.
Ironically, it was 15 years ago at NJMP that Mladin raced for the final time, ending a career that saw him win seven AMA Superbike Championships and 82 AMA Superbike races – both of which are AMA records. Mladin is inarguably the most successful racer in AMA Superbike history.
“I’m honored that Wayne (Rainey) called me to ask if I wanted to be Grand Marshal at the final round of the MotoAmerica series at New Jersey Motorsports Park,” Mladin said. “NJMP was the site of my retirement race exactly 15 years ago. I’m sure it will stir some emotions when I arrive there in a few weeks. I was stoked to learn that the race weekend coincided with us being in the USA for my induction into the AMA Hall of Fame. I’m really looking forward to catching up with some of the old faces and fans, handing out some trophies, and signing a few autographs. We spent 14 awesome years in this great country, and I really do miss the USA.”
The New Jersey round will mark the completion of the 2024 MotoAmerica Championship with series finales in Steel Commander Superbike, Mission King Of The Baggers, Supersport, Stock 1000 and Junior Cup.
“It’s great that Mat will be the Grand Marshal at the MotoAmerica round at New Jersey Motorsports Park, and that he gets to award the trophy to the 2024 Superbike Champion,” MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey said. “Mat’s a legend in AMA Superbike racing and I’m sure his friends and fans will be excited to see him during his first visit to the MotoAmerica paddock. MotoAmerica and I also want to congratulate Mat on his induction into the AMA Hall of Fame.”
In a 10-year span from 1999 to 2009, Mat Mladin notched seven AMA Superbike titles and won 82 AMA Superbike Nationals. Mladin also won the legendary Daytona 200 three times during that period, which puts him tied for third all-time behind AMA Hall of Famers and multi-time Daytona 200 winners Scott Russell (five) and Miguel Duhamel (four).
Mladin’s battles with Ben Spies in the 2000s are legendary with the two Yoshimura Suzuki teammates battling both on and off the track. The two are now friends and the pair will be reunited at NJMP as Spies is now the team principal for the Rahal Ducati Moto team in the MotoAmerica Supersport series.
Fittingly, Mladin will get the opportunity to see the 2024 MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Championship decided in New Jersey with Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducat’s Josh Herrin on the verge of wrapping up his second AMA Superbike title.
In addition, two championship titles are going down to the wire at NJMP with Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman just two points ahead of S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss in a winner-take-all Mission King Of The Baggers finale. Ditto for Stock 1000 where Real Steel Motorsports’ Hayden Gillim and OrangeCat Racing’s Jayson Uribe will slug it out with Gillim just seven points ahead.
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