All season long, Suzuki Superbike rider and reigning AMA Superbike champion Mat Mladin has said the championship isn't his immediate goal this year, winning races is.
With two races remaining, and with Mladin leading the championship, one might expect him to start cruising for cash, as it is called.

Nope.

"Our strategy is to win, and then or at least beat Nicky if we can't. The strategy is that we have to try to win. If we can do that, it makes things a lot easier. We have a lot better shot here than at Brainerd, I'll tell you that," Mladin said this morning.

Tires are still round black things as far as the Australian is concerned. The dual compound is what he'll probably use.

"There are only a couple here really. We are using the dual compounds. The race winner last year used a single compound tire, but we weren't in the position last year to do that, and we knew with the dual compound tire we could either still win it or do what it took to win the championship. This weekend could be a bit of a gamble. If someone is struggling, they decide to go for it, it may pay off, or it may not. Its good in that way because there is really 5 tires you can use, but there are only two you know are gonna be safe. If you want to try to win and take a gamble ... I guarantee if you put a single compound tire on, you are gonna go a lot faster. But for the whole race? It's a long race."

The outside temp is warm at PPIR and looks to be getting warmer as the weekend progresses. "It's going to be a hot tough race, in the 90s. But it doesn't bother me. That's why we train," said Mladin.