Hodgson took exception to Mladin's riding advice, witnesses say shoving followed

The fireworks started with just a few minutes to go in Superbike qualifying. Mat Mladin had his GSX-R1000 on a fast lap, but came up on Ducati's Neil Hodgson at the end of the lap. Mladin eventually came by, by gave Hodgson a hand gesture and the two traded positions and disapproving motions as they rode through the pits. Mat stopped in his pit area, but Hodgson took back to the track.

"There's not really much to say," said Mladin. "In the last ten minutes of a Superbike session, people need to look over their shoulders. Coming into the pits ... it's amazing to me that a guy that's come from Europe and been a World Champion hasn't got it figured out," Mladin said. Mat felt since he couldn't even see Hodgson at the start finish line as the lap began, Neil's pace could be categorized as "cruising".

Mladin added: "Because I waved, he got a bit funny about it and tried to run me into the fence on the way into the pits ... and all the rest of it. I don't know if it's normal to mess people's fast laps up and then expect nobody to say anything, but unfortunately over here that's not the way it works."

Neil's response? "I was on a fast lap, and I aborted it. I wasn't riding around really slow and I wasn't sure if I was even coming into the pits," said Hodgson from the Parts Unlimited Ducati truck. "He came past me and started waving his hand all crazy like he's done three or four times before."

It wasn't over. After the session, Mladin came down to the Ducati pits. Observers say Hodgson got out of his chair, shoved Mladin, and the two exchanged a few choice phrases. It is also said that someone photgraphed the whole thing.

"He came over trying to tell me the rules and I find that quite insulting," said Hodgson, known as a gentleman racer throughout his career. "I've been racing a lot of years. I'm not going to have anybody tell me what the rules are or what should be done. You've got to have mutual respect out there (for other riders) and I have, all my career."

Mladin said he was more worried about Spies than Hodgson. "Hodgson's sort of in another race," he said.