Mat Mladin's third season with Team Suzuki was the charm. In 1999, after a tantalizingly close second-place finish at the Daytona season opener, Mladin sped to the top of the point standings in Phoenix. From there, he left the rest of the field chasing behind for the prestigious AMA Superbike title. They never caught him or his GSX-R750.

"To get the No. 1 plate was a big achievement," Mladin said. "It was the overall package that did it. Obviously, I had to put my little bit in, but my crew deserves so much more credit than what they get. You read a lot about who's got the best crew, and my crew doesn't get acknowledged and it sort of peeves me off. I've got the best team in the paddock and it's as simple as that. They work hard, work long, they really think about what they are doing, and that's how we won the championship."

Mladin's rise to No. 1 truly began in 1998. That season, Mladin and the GSX-R proved to be a formidable combination, turning the fastest qualifying lap and claiming pole position in the AMA Superbike series in seven out of 13 races. The pairing also was extremely consistent, finishing on the podium seven times. This, and a win in the last race of the year in Las Vegas, gave Mladin third-place overall in the Superbike standings. On top of the podium in Las Vegas, Mladin announced that he had signed a long-term contract to race Suzukis in AMA Superbike.

Consistency was the key to Mladin's 1999 season. He and Team Yoshimura Suzuki manager Don Sakakura had looked at every race on the calendar, judging their strengths against that of the competition and forecasting where they would have to finish at each track in order to win the title. Race wins would be sacrificed if needed to guarantee all-important championship points. The strategy led to Suzuki's fourth AMA Superbike crown, and the first for the new GSX-R750, introduced in 1996. Mladin will carry the No. 1 plate on the white and blue Suzuki for the 2000 season. Suzuki has unveiled an all-new GSX-R for the new millennium-smaller, lighter, narrower, more aerodynamic and with the potential for even more power. But the next-generation GSX-R will be developed mid-season before being brought to battle. Until then, Mladin will carry on with the tried and true 1999 GSX-R.

"It would be nice to win some more races this season," Mladin said. "There were a few times last year where we ended up coming in second or third where we could have won if we didn't have to worry about winning the championship. But we're here to win a championship. With the AMA points structure, you can't afford to miss a race or any points. I want to defend the title, so we're not going to go about things too differently."
Height: 6 ft.

Weight: 155 lbs.

Classes of Racing Entered: AMA Superbike Series

His Motorcycle: Look for the white and blue #1 Suzuki GSX-R750

Personal Items: Born March 10, 1972. A native of Australia, Mat splits time between his home in Australia and a home in Chino, Calif. He likes motocross riding, swimming, golf and weight training. Married to Janine.

Noted Accomplishments: 1999 Champion - AMA Superbike Series, 1998 Third overall, AMA Superbike Series
1997 Third overall, AMA Superbike Series, with four wins,1996 Fourth overall, AMA Superbike Series, with three second-place finishes, 1995 Second overall, Australian Superbike Series, despite missing several races, 1994 Champion Australian Superbike Series

Racing History: Mat began racing in 1990 on 250cc production bikes. He captured the Australian Superbike Championship in 1992 and raced in the 500cc Grand Prix Series in 1993. He first raced in AMA Superbike in 1996, joining Team Suzuki that year.
After one year away, Aaron Yates has returned to Suzuki for the 2000 season. Yates first rode for Team Suzuki in 1996, when a brand new GSX-R750 made its debut, and he stayed with the team through 1998 when he won two Superbike races. But he joined another team for 1999, and that season saw the well-developed Suzuki win the coveted AMA Superbike Championship with Mat Mladin riding.

"I'm pretty happy about returning," Yates said. "I watched Suzuki have a lot of success last year and I was pretty sad I wasn't there. The Suzuki GSX-R750 has made so much progress since I left, it's like a whole new bike. The bike really runs a lot better. It has power that really keeps coming, the chassis is better, just everything is different."

While the No. 1 plate will ride on Mladin's Suzuki this season, Yates is widely known as a hard-charger who is capable of winning on any given weekend. During his three previous seasons with Suzuki, Yates delivered with several well-deserved wins. He also knows about winning titles, having taken the 1996 AMA 750cc SuperSport Championship while on board the GSX-R. "My goal for 2000 is to make up for '99," said Yates, who will contest the Superbike and 600cc SuperSport Series. "I want to be in the spotlight and win some races for sure. The Suzuki is a bike that's obviously capable of winning the Superbike championship, so I'd like to enjoy some success and be there in the points at the end of the year. A championship comes from a good package. I've got confidence in my guys, the GSX-R has the number one plate on it, and I'm looking forward to the challenge.".

Known for an aggressive, dramatic riding style, Yates will often thrill race fans with outrageous slides going into, and out of the corners. "That's not really always the fast way," Yates added. "Sometimes I think that if you aren't sliding, you aren't going fast enough. But really, if you are sliding too much, your bike isn't set up right, you aren't going forward as much and you are over-working the tire. I'm trying to get myself out of that, but if you are going fast, that's what you are going to be doing once in awhile. Sliding around is comfortable to me and it works, sometimes. You have to be comfortable out there at the pace we're going."
Height: 6 ft.

Weight: 180 lbs.

Classes of Racing Entered: AMA Superbike Series, AMA 600cc SuperSport Series

His Motorcycle: Look for the white and blue #20 Suzuki GSX-R750 and GSX-R600.

Personal Items: Born Dec. 13, 1973. Lives in Milledgeville, Ga. Married to Heather and father of a baby boy. He likes dirt-bike riding, personal watercraft, working on his house and drag racing his Dodge Darts.

Noted Accomplishments: 1999 Eighth overall AMA Superbike Series, Fifth overall AMA 600cc SuperSport Series with one win, 1998 Fifth overall AMA Superbike Series with two wins, 10th overall, AMA 600cc SuperSport Series with two wins, 1997 Fifth overall, AMA Superbike Series, Third overall, AMA 600cc SuperSport Series, 1996 Champion - AMA 750cc SuperSport Series, Sixth overall, AMA Superbike Series, 1995 Champion - AMA SuperTeams Series

Racing History: Aaron began riding at age five and started amateur motocross racing at age 11. Yates switched to road racing in his early 20s and won his first road race in 1992. He joined Team Suzuki in 1996, raced for another manufacturer in 1999, and returned for the 2000 season.