Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

o o o o o o o 8 o o o o o o 8 o o o o o o o 8 o o o o o o 8 o o It started with a press release that was posted on our Web site, cyclenews.com., on April 18 in regard to last week's Road Atlanta test. Mat MJadin's public relations man issued the release and it said, in part, that MJadin "emerged with the fastest lap time on set of 'race' tires at the test... After being the fastest on day two with a 1:24.1 lap, he [MJadin] bettered that time to end the test with a 1:23.5. A number of other riders were close to that mark at the end, but were using softer-compound qualifying tires to set their times." "I believe that I was the quickest out there on race tires, so I'm very happy with that; MJadin said in the release. "A few other guys went out on qualifiers, but I didn't even bother. I'm not really here for that." Then came a phone call from an upset Anthony Gobert on April 19. "I totally disagree," Gobert said. "I've kind of sat back and listened to him talk a lot of crap about me all year and I'm tired of it. It even goes back to Fontana where he was always a second slower than me. Then he jumps up to within a couple of IOths of me and it's obvious that he cut the chicane. Then he tells all the press that I cut the chicane - when I'd been fast there sin<:e we ever tumed a wheel in testing. I'm sick of him writing in and saying that I'm nothing and I have never done anything. He even said that, in '94, I only beat him [in the Australian Superbike Championshipl because he broke his back - that's not true at all. He had some puny little fracture, a whisker, which was nothing, really. And that was only for one round and he didn't even miss a race. Meanwhile, he's on a semi-factory Kawasaki and I'm on an anyone-can·buy RC45 - and it broke a couple of times. "Everything he has to say about me 1In't true and I've had enough of it. At Atlanta, he never even looked like being the quickest. It's pathetic that he has to make up stories when he's just not c:uttlng the c:heeu. I think Nicky (Hayden] did a 23.7 on a race tire and 1 did a 23.9 on a race tire. Jim Allen wiD be able to teI1 you the exact time he got for Mat. It's pathetIc that he has to continually lie. We, me and Yamaha, go to each test and race to make Yamaha at the top. When you are the quickest and guys like MJadin lie to make himlIeIf and Suzuki look better, It's just pathetic. ". keep to myself and I'm friends with everybody - even (Jamie) Hacking and I have put our problems behind us - in the paddock. I don't trash anybody unless they trash me. He [MJadin) trashes me continually because he knows I'm a better rider than him everybody knows I'm a better rider than him." The next written punch came from Mladin via an email later that day. That emall is as follows: "Whoal All this over a few test times. I've read slightly diffen!nt venions of Anthony's (herein referred to as 'My Hero') story on different Web sites, so I win try to cover all. bases. J turned my phone on as I got off the plane to the tune of a full voice mailbox. I called one of the people back and he ran me through a few things that were said. , erupted in laughter and said I would go home and take a look and email my thoughts. Here they are. Fact 1: 'My Hero' did win the 1994 Australian Superblke Championship. Halfway through the sea· son, at the West Australian round of our championship, I visited the local hospital in an ambulance where they did a few X-rays of my back and said everything was okay. After getting the good news, I was lifted into the team's rental car by my then team manager and now crew chief Peter Doyle where I spent most of the night in the hot tub trying to limber up for Sunday's race. It was raining on Sunday moming, which was great relief to me because racing in the rain is no where near as physical as racing in dry conditions. The first race was run on a damp· but-drying track. I was lifted onto my bike for both races by Pete and my then crew chief Wayne Smith, and 6nished sixth in the first race. I was very happy with that, especially with how I felt. I got lucky in the second race as it rained heaVily and was a completely wet track. I then got lucky for a second time, won the second race, and beat 'My Hero.' I mean It's the only way I could ever beat him. I had just bought a house and was living by myself and wasn't able to walk for the next two weeks, let alone leave the house, when one day after I had passed out on the bathroom floor after haVing a bath, I managed liO get to the phone and call my now wife, Janine, to come and help me because something was wrong with my back. Not to make the story too long, I had some CT 2 MAY 1, 2002' cue • _ n __ so Scans done of my back and they showed Thoracic number 6 through 10 were fractured severely and wedging occurred of Thoracic 6, 7 and 8. They said that if I had tumbled at the race again I would have more than likely now been in a wheelchair. The next few months were a little hard, but I continued to race with a very big safety margin and ended up sec· ond in the championship behind who else but "My Hero." Fact 2: I've been hard on 'My Hero' because he has won the 1994 Aus· trallan Superbike Champi. onship. Congrats. After I won my 6rst championship in 1999, I somehow recaD 'My Hero' saying how easy it was over in the U.S. and how fat he was and stili winning races. Not that easy on an inlirle. hey big boy? Fact 3: I would have to say that 'My Hero' is teDing little lies (didn't your mummy, or mommy in the U.S., teI1 you not to tie?), as he had factory supported bikes in 1994, the same as me. Fact 4: After Honda busted their butts to help 'My Hero' win the championship, he defected the very next week to race for Kawasaki in the World Supers round at PlliJJlp IsIancI, whilst contracted to Honda. Fact 5: I'm not sure what I've said bad about 'My Hero' all year, but something has obvi· ousIy upset him. I don't recall saying anything about 'My Aero' that wasn't true. Fact 6: Jim Allen (Dunlop tires) gave us two qualifying tires to test because a few of US riders complained about them at Fontana. Jim wanted to give us the chance to make sure they were okay, and if not, Dunlop wiD look at getting something different. From our team's perspective on lap times, everybody found time on the Os except Jamie (Hacking). He didn't seem to like his, which I can fully understand because our race tires are getting very good. We thought NJcky went 23.5 on his Q and 23.7 on his race tire, I think we were pretty close. You can only judge on how many laps are being done in a stint, and if I remember rightly, I saw a 23.5 and then a 24.something and he was in. So we guessed that was his Q, but you never really know. Aaron (Yates] found a little time, but not much. We felt 'My Hero' found more time than anyone on the Q - 23.5 compared to a best lap of 24.3 on race rubber . again just a guess from our team's watches. Now to me being 'full of s·&"t' (don't Uke those three words, got me in a lot of trouble once). J also had two Os to use at the end of the day, but if you read the press release where I saki I only tested for two and a half hours on the last day because of my elbow playing up - it was true. Anybody who has kept an eye on qualifying over the last few years knows that I don't leave much on the table once they bolt a Q in the back of the big Suzi. My elbow was the reason I didn't want to do the test Jim asked us to do, as I wouldn't have been able to give 100 percent. I apologized to Jim for not getting it done and he said he fully understood the situation. The bottom line being, Aaron got one of my Os and I think Jamie got the other one after I said I wasn't going to use them. Fact 7: I have called Jim and left a message for him to caD into you guys and to put 'My Hero's' mind at rest to tell you which tire I used to go 23.5. Hint: The same one I used last year to go 22.7 and get the pole in Atlanta, but now in a bigger profile. Now that's really going to upset him. Fact 8: Anyone who knows Nicky [Haydenl and the team of guys he has working with him, knows they wouldn't waste five Os at a test. Merlin [Nicky's crew chief) has been around a long time and knows how handy they can be. Fact 9: Obviously, my press guy is going to need to be clearer and spell things out better just so 'My Hero' doesn't get his panties in a knot In the future. Fact 10: Oh, I almost forgot. You are not only a better rider than me; you are "My Hero." Any proof 'My Hero' needs of my CT scans from '94, lap times or anything else, he can come to my dealership in Australia • Mat MJadin Motorcycles - he knows where it is, the same place that j sold him a 2002 Suzuki RM250 at cost price late last year. I didn't have to do it at cost, but I thought for a racer and all, I would look after him. Stupid me. Yes, It's the truth." To which the rest of us say, "Bring on Sears Point." Paul Carruthers - - - - - - - Continued on page 134

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