Intrigue surrounding Mat Mladin's is-it-or-isn't-it? crank problems continues unabated at Road Atlanta after the Australian either won, or didn't, his seventh straight AMA Superbike race. If he is disqualified from the VIR results from two weeks ago, then team-mate Ben Spies is champion. If he isn't, then he isn't.

What's weird is that all three of the Rockstar Suzuki bikes were subject to a technical inspection after first qualifying at Road Atlanta, and Mladin and Hayden were slung out because their cranks were illegal. But Ben Spies' crank was within the homologation rules...

AMA Pro Racing's at-track boss Bill Syfan attempted to clear the situation up yesterday afternoon, taking great pains to point out that none of this was political but looked like it. Mladin, who is obviously at odds with new AMA series boss Roger Edmonson, reportedly said: ""All I've said is that Roger Edmondson can take away my wins, he can take away whatever he likes. He'll never be able to take away my family, my fans or my heart. He can do whatever he pleases but he'll never stop Mat Mladin being who he is."

Huh?

At a press conference, Syfan said that after the VIR race, all three Rockstar Suzukis were taken for a routine technical inspection and intake and exhaust valves, plus a crank from the race winning number six (Mladin's) bike be supplied too.

On initial inspection, there were big differences between the control/homologation crank taken from a 2007 GSX-R1000 road bike and Mladin's crank and they included date of manufacture marking system, the difference in how the journal bearing codes were engraved, the crankshaft journal oil holes and the surface texture and the darkness of the crank.

Mladin's crank and the control unit were then shipped to the AMA's tech department and six additional crankshafts, two from each of American Suzuki’s three parts warehouses, were requested to be shipped as well.

And here's where it gets a bit odd. The following Wednesday, two cranks appeared at the AMA tech department. When team manager Don Sakaura was asked where the others were, is it reported he misunderstood the amounts required...

After the shipped cranks were inspected next to the control cranks, the only differences found were the dates of manufacture because they are 2008 cranks, the control unit being a 2007. Which is odd anyway.

Then, all four cranks were inspected together and the following was found:

• The number six Suzuki crankshaft has no manufacture date etched into the far right hand number four connecting rod counterweight, as evident on the other three control parts. It contains only the number 242, that’s ‘no. 242’ stamped in ink on the counterweight in the same basic location. The bearing codes are laser etched on a different weight than the three control parts, which are mechanically etched on the three control parts.
• On the control part and two additional sample parts all have consistent significant chamfering on the oil delivery holes. The number six Suzuki crankshaft had no chamfering on any of the crank bearing or rod bearing oil delivery holes.
• The crankshaft from the number six Suzuki was much darker in colour than the three control parts with a smoothness and texture not found on the other three. The consistent sharp edges found on the three control crankshafts are smooth on the number six Suzuki crankshaft.

A unanimous decision by all seven inspectors deemed Mladin's race crank differed significantly from the control unit and Mladin was disqualified.

On Friday, all three Rockstar Suzukis underwent inspection and Mladin and Hayden's cranks were once again deemed illegal but Ben Spies' was legal. It is thought that Spies' crew chief put a stock crank from a roadbike in the engine just to make sure...

The inspection panel noted the following:

• The crankshaft on Mladin's Suzuki matches the non-homologated parts in every way listed above with the exception of the bearing codes are hand-engraved. And they weren’t done by a machine. They were done by hand.
• The crankshaft on Hayden's Suzuki matches the non-homologated part in every way with the exception that it has no bearing codes whatsoever. If this is a production part as claimed it would be extremely difficult for a dealer receiving this crankshaft to put in a customer’s bike without the bearing codes.

When questioned yesterday, Syfan said that all three bikes had homologation cranks in after second qualifying as the the left-hand engine cover was pulled off and the manufacture dates and crank colour matched the control homologation unit.

There has also been some rumour that one of Mladin's pit crew was involved in some sort of fracas with an AMA scrutineer at Laguna Seca. When asked about it, Mladin said he didn't know what was meant and knew nothing about it, while looking at the floor and shaking his head several times, like he had forgotten his homework...