Pro Racing has issued the following statement from Roy Janson, AMA Pro Racing vice president of competition, regarding the disqualification of Mat Mladin, riding the No. 6 Suzuki, from the Superbike races at Virginia International Raceway on August 16-17, 2008, and the denial of the subsequent appeal of that disqualification:
AMA Superbike and Superstock Champion Ben Spies has been nominated for the prestigious AMA Pro Racing SPEED Athlete of the Year award. The Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 rider, who retained his SBK title this year after a season-long battle with team-mate Mat Mladin, is amongst five hopefuls in line for the award, which will be presented this Sunday at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino.