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AMA Pro Racing announces class
structure for 2009 season
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- AMA Pro Racing announced today its class
structure and weekend event package for the 2009 motorcycle road
racing season.
American Superbike will be the new premier class for AMA Pro Racing,
and will showcase the traditional 1,000cc machines that competed in
the former AMA Superbike class in the past. The new rules for the
class are based on rules that were adopted by a committee comprised of
the AMA staff, representatives of the various manufacturers, as well
as experienced personnel from the American road racing infrastructure.
Much of the new class structure has been architected with the
participation and counsel of the major motorcycle manufacturers.
The class will adopt a spec tire and spec fuel and features changes
that were made as a means to promote parity and to address the
ever-escalating costs of competing in professional motorsports
programs. American Superbike will compete in two feature races of 50
miles each at most events.
Also featured at all AMA Pro Racing weekends will be a new
middleweight class to be known as Daytona SportBike. This class has
been designed to include a broad range of competition equipment that
formerly competed in AMA Supersport and AMA Formula Xtreme, as well as
two- and three-cylinder machines not normally featured in AMA
Professional events. This class will make its competition debut in the
2009 Daytona 200 By Honda, America's most prestigious motorcycle
event. The green flag will drop on the field for the first time under
the lights at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, March 6.
AMA Pro Racing will include a third class, newly created for 2009,
known as SuperSport. This category is designed as an entry-level class
for professionally licensed riders aged 16-21, competing on 600cc
production motorcycles with minimal modifications. Riders will be
limited to three years of competition in the new class. SuperSport
competition will provide young riders an affordable opportunity to
hone their skills at AMA National events and create a clear path to
advance to the higher levels of professional road racing.
Many 2009 race weekends will also include the popular Red Bull AMA
U.S. Rookies Cup. This class showcases future road racing stars aged
14-16 that have been selected for the Series through Red Bull's
national competition program.
In addition, the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series is being revamped to include
600cc four-cylinder machines. The structure will go from three classes
to two (GT1 and GT2) and will compete at select events, concluding
with the 8 Hours At Daytona during Biketoberfest. The revamped
program will be renamed SunTrust MOTO-GT.
AMA Pro Racing will review the specific lineup for each event weekend
with the event promoters, who will announce their own weekend event
schedules.
"The class structure we are announcing today bears little
resemblance to that which we proposed several months ago, however I
believe it will accomplish our goals of increased safety, parity and
cost containment," said Roger Edmondson, President of AMA Pro
Racing. "The program we have worked out with input from the
industry will provide for participation by a wide variety of brands,
and should provide a showcase for the best riders in American racing,
with the added benefit of running at the best venues in the United
States. We were fortunate to have the assistance of many stakeholders
in the creation of the program, including the Motorcycle Industry
Council (MIC)."
AMA Pro Racing has already released a 12-event schedule for 2009. In
addition to its traditional events, pending safety committee input,
American Superbikes and the AMA Pro Racing Program will return July
31-August 2 to Heartland Park in Topeka, Kansas, for the first time in
several years, and make their first visit to New Jersey Motorsports
Park in Millville, N.J., September 4-6.
The class rules are posted on the internet at www.amasuperbike.com.
The complete rulebook will be finalized on November 20th, 2008. If you
have questions or comments, please email them to proinfo@amaproracing.com
attention: Roy Janson.
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