We've received a great many questions from readers and the like on Mat Mladin's recent disqualification for the VIR round of the AMA Superbike series. We will try to answer some of them here.

No one involved is talking on the record so actually verifiable information is scant.

Question 1. What does Mat say?

Answer: Nothing but silence from Mr. Mladin, thus far. We asked him if he has any comment. There has been no comment.

Question 2. Why did the AMA disqualify Mladin from the Saturday race if they tore down the engine in his Superbike on Sunday?

Answer: Interesting question. From the AMA rule book and press release: Any motorcycle found to be in violation of equipment rules may be assumed to have been in violation for the entire race meet.

Question 3. Is there any information on exactly what was found to be in non-compliance on Mladin's crankshaft?

Answer: Not really, but reading the AMA's press release on the matter seems to indicate that the crank either had material removed from it, or had a surface treatment that the AMA has deemed illegal.

Known good sources contend that the crankshaft that was in Mat Mladin's Superbike was "visually and dimensionally different" than all three of the production crankshafts it was checked against. Meanwhile, Suzuki sources contend the crank is legal.

Question 4. Why would a team so dominant that they could probably win Superbike races with a Superstock motor, cheat?

Answer: It's highly doubtful that there was a bona fide, outlined, plan to cheat (like most of the factories did in early '80s AMA Superbike racing). Modern Superbike teams are vast organizations with many employees, departments, budgets and the like. Within that complexity, sometimes, shall we say, issues arise.

Question 5: Suzuki has filed an appeal. Won't this just be overturned on appeal like so many infractions in the last ten years of AMA roadracing.

Answer: Possibly. But this isn't the old AMA simply because the AMA no longer owns AMA Pro Racing, DMG does. To coin a popular phrase, 'There's a new sheriff in town'. From an analytical standpoint, NASCAR hasn't spent a great deal of time in the last two decades arguing technical points with series participants. Will this become AMA/DMG's modus operandi as well? Maybe.

It seems very possible that Mat Mladin's DQ was only the first shoe to drop. The AMA press release mentioned fines and suspensions.

Question 6: Given the conflict between DMG and the Suzuki factory, isn't this just a counter-move by DMG for Suzuki not supporting the new series and possibly starting their own series?

Answer: DMG sources say that they hope this won't be interpreted that way because it is not their intent. They point out disqualifications of the Erion Honda at Daytona, and the Attack Kawasaki machines earlier in the season--all on technical grounds--as support for their contention that they are serious about upholding their own rule book.

Question 7: What of Spies and Tommy Hayden's bikes? Were they not torn down? Why weren't they found to be illegal.

Answer: Sources tell us that Mladin's bike was the only one to be torn down to the crankshaft. The top end of Spies and Tom Haydens' bikes were checked and some parts taken back to Ohio, but thus far they have not met with any issues.