Vance & Hines' Byron Hines Elected to 2014 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame

The seventh and final member of the 2014 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame class was announced today, and mega-tuner Byron Hines of Vance & Hines Racing fame will join the class that will be inducted at the ceremonies to be held in Orlando, FL. on October 17. Hines joins another super-wrench, Rob Muzzy, that was announced a couple of days ago, in the 2014 class.

Probably best known for his and his partner's (Terry Vance) drag racing prowess and winning ways, Hines and his partner also fielded a very successful AMA Pro Road Racing team in the AMA Superbike Championship Series starting in the late '80s and going on for the better part of the next 13-14 years. The team first fielded '90 Daytona '200' winner Dave Sadowski aboard Suzuki GSX-R750s in the late '80s before turning their focus into the Yamaha factory team at the start of the 1990 season. The team won their first race with Sadowski at the helm of one of their potent Yamaha 750s, and along with team mate Thomas Stevens also competed in the AMA 600 Supersport Series.

In '91, the team picked up '89 AMA Superbike Champion Jamie James to take over Sadowski's seat, and James took his first win for the team at Road America in June '91, with team mate Stevens winning the Mid-Ohio round in late July/early August to help seal the deal in his winning the '91 AMA Superbike Championship for the team. Stevens off-season signing with Muzzy Kawasaki for the '92 season was somewhat of a letdown for the team in not being able to carry the #1 plate on the front of their immaculately prepared Yamahas. The team added the late Larry Schwartzbach to their 600 Supersport and Superbike efforts in late '91 and for the '92 season, but Schwartzbach was critically injured during the running of the Mid-Ohio round in late July/early August and was taken off life support just shy of two days after the gut wrenching accident that occurred on the front straight at the Lexington, OH. facility.

The team then added '92 250GP Champion & future 2-Time World Superbike Champion Colin Edwards to the squad for the '93-'94 seasons, which saw Edwards catch fire at the Mid-Ohio round in mid '94 by winning it and two other races to close out the season. Edwards then moved on to helm Yamaha's World Superbike efforts for the '95 season.

In the shot above, James wheelies his #2 Vance & Hines/Dunlop/Bell/Bel-Ray Yamaha 750OWO1 during his victory lap after taking the win in the AMA Superbike round at the Coca-Cola Super Cycle Classic at Road America on June 30, 1991. James repeated the win for the team the next year at the 4.0 mile long facility located outside Elkhart Lake, WI. James also won a handful of races on the V&H 600 Supersport machine to claim the #1 title for them in the '94 season, and narrowly missed re-taking the Superbike crown at the season-finale round at Road Atlanta when a mechanical problem caused him to lose the championship by just a couple of points to rookie sensation & Australian, and future multi-time World Superbike Champion Troy Corser on one of the Fast by Ferracci Ducatis.

The team stepped away from the AMA Superbike Championship with Yamaha after the '94 season as Yamaha took their program back in-house, but the powerhouse duo of Terry Vance and Byron Hines kept on with their drag racing program in the NHRA. The duo has won multiple drag racing crowns over the decades dating back to the '80s when Vance was still the team's rider.

V&H returned to the AMA Superbike Championship in the mid-late '90s, this time fielding a team as the U.S. factory reps for the Italian marque Ducati, with Stevens and Australian Anthony Gobert as the team's lead pilots. Gobert caught fire and won a couple of races for the team, notably the '98 Road America round, before substance abuse demons caused him to lose his ride with the team during the '99 season. '98 AMA Superbike Champion Ben Bostrom, who had captured the crown via a very consistent season riding the factory Honda RC45s, and doing so without winning a single race, then signed with V&H for the '99 season, thus allowing the Vance & Hines team to finally be able to carry that coveted #1 on the front of their premier class machines.

With the class of 2014 now complete, Hines closes out what will be a stellar year of elected motorcycle racing folks to this year's honors. You can check out the full press release below courtesy of the folks from the AMA Motorcycle HOF, and we send a huge congratulations out to Byron Hines, another of the men who have dotted the history-making timeline of the AMA Superbike Championship along with Rob Muzzy who was just announced the other day. Congrats Byron and thanks for all of the great memories!

Tuner, innovator, entrepreneur Byron Hines elected to AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- July 10, 2014 -- Byron Hines, one of the most successful engine builders in motorcycle racing, has been elected to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

"One mark of exceptional talent is the ability to forge success regardless of your circumstances," said Ken Ford, a member of the Hall of Fame executive committee and treasurer of the AMA board of directors. "As a tuner, Byron Hines has won in the 1970s, '80s, '90s and 2000s. He has won in drag racing and road racing. He has won on brands as different from each other as Yamaha, Ducati and Harley-Davidson. Few understand the ingredients to long-term success in motorcycle racing as well as he, and it's my pleasure to welcome Byron Hines to the 2014 class of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame." 

Hines, who was elected to the Design/Engineering category, will be inducted at the 2014 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Oct. 17, in Orlando, Fla. The induction ceremony is part of the AMA National Convention being held in conjunction with the American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo) Oct. 16-19. Tickets for the convention and the induction ceremony go on sale soon. Check back at www.motorcyclemuseum.org for updates.

"Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a huge honor, but it feels a little odd because I'm not done yet," Hines said. "Being in a competitive arena, it seems like you're never done. You're going to keep doing what your doing and striving to be the best at what you do."

Hines is the seventh and final member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2014 to be announced. He joins motocross pioneer Pierre Karsmakers; Tom White, acclaimed racer and founder of White Brothers Cycle Specialties; George Barber, founder of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum and the Barber Motorsports Park; national off-road racing champion Scott Summers; AMA motocross champion Mike LaRocco; and legendary tuner and team owner Rob Muzzy.

Hines said his attraction to motorcycles came at an early age.

"I just always liked the physical size of the motorcycle," he said. "Cars were too hard to work on and a lot of times you had to have someone with you to move stuff around. Also, I had this perception of motorcycles as being capable of a higher state of tune, and it was easier to make them go fast. To me, motorcycles just represented a more technologically advanced and capable package."

Hines took full advantage of those capabilities, as well as his ability to unlock them. He found early success as a young tuner in the 1970s when he joined forces with motorcycle drag racer and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Terry Vance. The pair earned national drag-racing championships into the 1980s, along the way leveraging their on-track achievements into the successful aftermarket company Vance & Hines. The company branched into road racing in the 1980s, becoming one of the top AMA Pro Superbike teams, winning individual races as well as class titles, including the 1990 AMA SuperSport Championship with rider David Sadowski. In the late 1990s, they switched to Ducati and experienced further success with Anthony Gobert and Ben Bostrom at the controls. Today they compete in, and sponsor, the AMA Pro Racing Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Racing Series, part of the AMA Pro Road Racing program.

Hines said that one element of his lasting success across disciplines and motorcycle brands has been an appreciation for the fundamentals of motorcycle tuning.  "There are principles of engine performance and operation that will always be there -- basic cam timing, compression ratios, cylinder head porting, the basic concept of how engines are put together," Hines said. "It's part of the same foundation that we all build upon. There's a certain set of rules, and you can't break those rules. As soon as you go outside those boundaries, your performance is going to suffer."

Vance & Hines, based in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., remains competitive in professional racing and continues to develop and sell aftermarket products for a wide range of motorcycles today. Hines is directly involved in all aspects of the business. "What have been most important to me are the people I've run into, the acquaintances I've made and the relationships I've maintained," Hines said. "I'm thankful to work someplace where everything just clicks, meeting the right people and having enough staying power to work out the kinks and have an opportunity to achieve what I want to achieve."

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers are selected through a nomination and voting procedure that includes ballots cast by living Hall of Fame members, members of the American Motorcyclist Association and AMHF boards of directors, and members of, and advisers to, the Hall of Fame category committees.

To nominate a future Hall of Famer, visit: www.motorcyclemuseum.org/induction.

About the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation

Founded in 1990 by the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, the goal of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is to tell the stories and preserve the history of motorcycling. Located on the campus of the American Motorcyclist Association in Pickerington, Ohio, the Museum's three major exhibition halls feature the machines and memorabilia of those who have contributed notably to the sport. The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to motorcycling, including those known for their contributions to road riding, off-road riding and all categories of racing, as well as those who have excelled in business, history, design and engineering.

More information can be found at www.motorcyclemuseum.org.  

Contact: James Holter
Phone: (614) 856-1900, ext. 1280
E-mail: jholter@ama-cycle.org 

Read About one of AMA Pro Road Racing's Greatest Seasons in the 600 Supersport Series as Cycle News' Larry Lawrence Remembers the '94 Daytona Thriller

In the late '80s, AMA Pro Road Racing introduced what would be one of the most competitive classes in professional road racing when it rolled out the 600 Supersport Series, a class that was designed to help support the race weekends, the factory as well as the privateer racers, and the ability for the manufacturers to 'race on Sunday and sell on Monday.'

Although the class was virtually dominated for decades with the factory racers and bikes, an occasional privateer would sneak through to take the win over the high-dollar factory efforts.

In what was arguably the most competitive of those seasons was the always-remember '94 year when Yamaha's Vance & Hines fielded '89 AMA Superbike Champion Jamie James on what was at the time considered somewhat of an underdog on the YZF600, against the ultra-dominating Honda CBR600s of the two Mikes, Mike Hale and Mike Smith, and the factory Kawasaki effort of multi-time Canadian Superbike Champion Steve Crevier.

But by virtue of his consistency, and by also winning four of the ten races on the series' calendar along the way (Pomona, Elkhart Lake, Mid-Ohio, Sonoma), James added to his championship tally by taking the crown as the '94 AMA 600 Supersport Champion over Smokin' Joe's Honda's Smith, who won the remaining six rounds, 315 points-294 points. Kawasaki's Crevier finished 3rd in the championship standings with a tally of 287 points.

In the shot above, James' eventual-championship winning #11 Vance & Hines Yamaha/Dunlop/Bel-Ray/Bell-sponsored YZF600 sits under the Vance & Hines hauler's awning at the Mid-Ohio Super Cycle Honda Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire round in July '94.

But the season started a little rough for James at the annual season-opener at Daytona, as the Yamaha was visibly down on 'legs' on the banking against the might of the Big H.

Cycle News' Larry Lawrence, who at the very least should be considered the 'unofficial' historian of AMA Pro Road Racing, penned a great article in this week's issue of CN that chronicles that start to what was a stellar year of racing in America's second-tier pro racing class. And whether you were there to witness part of that season or not as I was, or if you are just a follower of AMA Pro Road Racing's history, this one is a must-read.

Check it out here to take your time capsule ride back 20 seasons to the heyday of American professional road racing. And as always, thanks to Double L for taking us back to the glory days of AMA Pro Road Racing!

AMA Road Racing: CN Archives' Larry Lawrence Talks History of Tricky Turn 5 at Road America

Riders come down the Moraine Sweep and set-up for turn 5 at Road America during the sighting lap for the AMA Superbike Championship Series in June 1991.  In this shot you can really tell the way the riders have to set-up and brake after hitting speeds of over 160 mph in order to be ready for the first gear left-hand turn at the four-mile track located just outside of Elkhart Lake, WI., and the drop-off of elevation mentioned in LL's story is evident from this angle.

The Coca-Cola Super Cycle Classic held at Road America had at the time been (and still is) an annual stop on the AMA Superbike Championship Series calendar since the 1980 season.  In it's first few years on the schedule, the events were held in mid-late May, which if you know how the weather can be in south central Wisconsin that time of year, can be dicey.  The powers that be then moved the event further back on the calendar to mid-late June, the '91 event actually taking place over June 28-30.  The partial 2012 schedule just released last month has the event scheduled for June 1-3.

Leading the group in this shot are Scott Russell on the #22 Muzzy Kawasaki/Dunlop/SBS/NGK-sponsored ZX-7R alongside Miguel Duhamel on the #97 Honda Commonwealth/American Honda/Honda Oils & Products/Dunlop-backed RC30.  Following just behind is Jamie James on the #2 Vance & Hines/Yamaha/Dunlop/Bell-sponsored YZF750OW01.  Russell would go on to win the '92 AMA Superbike Championship and the '93 WSBK Championship, while Duhamel would win the '95 AMA Superbike Championship and a handful of AMA 600 Supersport and FX Championships throughout his career.  These two men alone have five-each Daytona 200 victories on thier resumes over the years.

James would go on to win the race by .880 seconds over team mate Thomas Stevens (behind James) on the #11 like-sponsored V&H OW, but Stevens would win the war at the end of the season by winning the '91 AMA Superbike Championship.  James had won the '89 AMA Superbike Championship over then-team mate Russell while riding for the Yoshimura Suzuki team.  Eventual 4th place finisher Jacques Guenette on the #39 Kawasaki USA/Dunlop/Muzzy R&D/NGK-sponsored ZX-7R is directly behind James.

Freddie Spencer on the #19 Two Brothers Racing/American Honda/HP-4 Oil/Hondaline-sponsored RC30 is just behind Guenette, with eventual 3rd place finisher Rich Arnaiz on the #20 Commonwealth Racing/American Honda/HRC/Hondaline-backed RC30.  Although Spencer would never win the AMA Superbike Championship, he did win the '83 and '85 500CC World GP Championship, as well as the '85 250CC GP World Championship.  Spencer, Russell and Duhamel would all DNF on the day.

Tommy Lynch on the #30 Suzuki/Yoshimura/AGV/Michelin-sponsored GSX-R750 is next coming into turn 5, with Tom Kipp on the #16 Wiseco/Bell/Klotz/Bridgestone-backed Yamaha.  Kipp would finish 7th on the day with Lynch in 8th place.

Some other notables in this shot include, among others, Canadian Linley Clarke on the #126 Fast Riding School/Sunoco/Yamaha Canada-sponsored Yamaha OW01 (5th place finish), fellow Canadian Pascal Picotte on the #34 Ducati (no sponsor listed, 9th place), Dale Quarterley on the #32 The Boys/Penguin School/Vanson/Air Tech-backed Honda RC30 (10th place), and another Canadian, Rueben McMurter on the #24 Honda Canada/Action Access/Shoei/RK-sponsored RC30 (6th place).  Picotte and McMurter are both former and future Canadian Superbike Champions.
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Long before he was covering AMA Pro Flat Track events and penning his great column 'Archives' for www.CycleNews.com, and putting his own stash of great stuff out on the web from over the years on his bitchin' website, www.TheRiderFiles.com, Larry Lawrence was THE man in charge for all-things AMA Pro Road Racing in terms of the media coverage.  Traversing the continent in search of the perfect shot and story, LL led the AMA's charge to put road racing out to the masses by setting up interviews and local news coverage of AMA Pro Road Racing events across the nation, working with local news outlets and the riders of the day to get the coverage out to the general public. 

Also working with the AMA out of their Ohio offices, LL wrote and maintained biographies for the Hall of Fame, covered WERA events for CN and the former American Roadracing Magazine, and eventually became what is today a virtual walking/talking historian of the sport.  Make no mistake, this man knows his history, and not just in racing, either.

Besides trying to do a stellar job of blowing smoke up the skirt of one of the nice guys in the sport (and a true and great friend of Stu's Shots), I enjoy getting to read his takes on whatever it is he may be writing (or shooting) about around the sport.  And due to our similar ages, related friends and upbringing in the great city of Indy, most everything is of interest to me especially if penned by one Mr. Lawrence.

So I get especially giddy when he puts out a great story (like any of them aren't?!) about the history of the sport that involves a track or place that I hold near and dear, like an old, long-lost friend.

This week's 'Archives' column hit a home run (again!) with LL's history of turn five at Road America, and what significance and history it holds in the great sport of AMA Pro Road Racing and the AMA Superbike Championship.

So sit back, strap in and hang on as Cycle News' own Larry Lawrence digs into the 'Archives' to talk about one of the most daunting turns in AMA Road Racing's great history:


http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews/20111129#pg79
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AMA Road Racing: Mid Ohio Back on the Schedule Making for 8 Confirmed Rounds for 2012 Season

Jamie James on the #2 Vance & Hines/Yamaha/Dunlop/Bel-Ray-sponsored YZF-750 OW01 leads the riders off the grid for the sighting lap just before the start of the AMA Superbike Championship Series Wiseco Superbike 100 at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course in August '92.  James was judged to have jumped the start several minutes later in the main event of the Camel Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop, and was shown the meat ball flag by AMA Pro Road Racing officials, negating a roll-through penalty for the V&H teamster.

Unfortunately, several laps into the event, Larry Schwarzbach on the #64 like-sponsored V&H Yamaha (directly behind James) crashed hard coming out of the last turn onto the main straight and was critically injured, causing a red flag delay.  Schwarzbach had just earlier in the day won his very first AMA 600 Supersort Series event, and passed away just over two days laters.

As a result of the red flag delay and restart, James was able to work his way through the deep field and finished 4th on the day behind winner Doug Polen, runner-up Thomas Stevens and 3rd-placed rider Tom Kipp.

Others in this shot include Pascal Picotte on the #34 Fast By Ferracci/Ducati/Arai/Dunlop-sponsored Ducati 888 (in what I believe was his second year of racing in the U.S. in what would be a long career in AMA Superbike racing in the States, 7th-place finish), Scott Gray on the #18 self-sponsored (not listed) Kawasaki ZX-7R (6th-place finish), winner Polen on the #23 Ducati/Mechanica SPA/Dunlop/AGV-backed Ducati 888 (on a break from the WSBK schedule, in which he would win his 2nd World Superbike Championship at the end of the season), 2nd-place finisher Thomas Stevens on the #1 Kawasaki Motor Corp. USA/Muzzy/Bieffe/Nanki-sponsored ZX-7R (just behind Polen), Scott Russell on the #17 Kawasaki/Dunlop/SBS/Muzzy's-backed ZX-7R (DNF), and 3-Time World Champion Freddie Spencer on the #19 Two Brothers Racing/Honda Motor Co/Michelin/Arai-sponsored Honda RC30 (DNF).

Also seen in this shot: long-time AMA Superbike privateer (and '93 Mid Ohio winner) Dale Quarterley on the #32 Team Mirage/Valley Motorsports/Vanson/Bieffe-sponsored Kawasaki ZX-7R (partially obscured/just behind Gray's left elbow), who would round out the top-5 for the day, Canadian rider Jacques Quenette on the #39 D.L.G.L. Software/Action Accessories-sponsored Yamaha YZF750 (11th-place finish), and 3rd-place finisher Tom Kipp on the #16 American Honda/Camel/Commonwealth Racing/HRC-sponsored Honda RC30 (directly behind Russell in yellow leathers.)


Mid Ohio has been hosting a round of the AMA Pro Road Racing Series since the early '80s, and has historically been one of the best-attended events on the schedule, almost since their first year of hosting the event.  Located in Lexington, OH., the track is one of the most fan-friendly tracks on the schedule due to it's various viewing areas around the 2.5+ mile course. 

This is great news seeing the track return to the schedule for the 2012 season in what will be it's fourth decade in the series.
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AMA Pro Racing Confirms 2012 Date for Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course as Part of 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing Schedule

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (November 23, 2011) - AMA Pro Racing officials announced Wednesday the addition of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course to the list of renewals for the 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing calendar. The event is scheduled for the weekend of July 13 - 15, 2012 and will mark the 30th consecutive year that the series has raced at the 2.4-mile natural road course nestled in the scenic rolling hills of Lexington, Ohio.

In last year's contest, the Rockstar/Makita/Suzuki team dominated the AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike weekend, Blake Young taking pole position and the Saturday race victory, followed by Tommy Hayden taking the checkers in Sunday's final. As in 2011, fans will experience the excitement of the full complement of AMA Pro Road Racing classes, which includes AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike, AMA Pro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport and the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series.
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AMA Pro Road Racing at the Mid Ohio round in July '11 shows AMA Superbike Championship Series bikes lined up in the pitlane.  AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson.
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With the addition of the event at Mid-Ohio, AMA Pro Racing has now announced eight contract renewals for the 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing season. AMA Pro Racing will be working in conjunction with M1 Powersports for promotion of three additional events. Details about those three new events, which will complete the 2012 schedule, will be released shortly. The partial schedule is as follows:

March 15 - 17, 2012

Daytona 200

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona Beach, Fla.

May 4 - 6, 2012

Infineon Raceway

Sonoma, Calif.

May 26 - 28, 2012

Miller Motorsports Park

Tooele, Utah

June 1 - 3, 2012

Road America

Elkhart Lake, Wis.

June 22 - 24, 2012

Barber Motorsports Park

Birmingham, Ala.

July 13 - 15, 2012

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

Lexington, Ohio

July 27 - 29, 2012

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Monterey, Calif.

September 7 - 9, 2012

New Jersey Motorsports Park

Millville, N.J.

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com. For additional information contact: AMA Pro Racing Communications, (386) 492-1014, communications@amaproracing.com

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Cycle News.com's Larry Lawrence Talks Exciting Finishes to AMA Superbike Championship Over the Years

The Coca-Cola Super Cycle Classic Weekend at Road America in June 1994 witnessed one of the most controversial race finishes in the history of the AMA Superbike Championship Series, to go along with some of the best on-track action that the riders and machines had put on in front of the crowds at the sprawling Elkhart Lake, WI. facility since the series first hit the scene north of Milwaukee in the early '80s. 

Eventual '94 series champion Troy Corser is shown leading the pack on the first lap of the AMA Superbike Championship main event at the end of lap one coming out of turn 14 for the run up the hill on his #19 Ducati Motorcycles/Pro Grip/Dunlop/Fast By Ferracci Racing Products-backed Ducati 955 as team mate Pascal Picotte on his #21 Ducati/Fast By Ferracci/Pro Grip/Dunlop-sponsored 955 gives chase.  Jamie James on the #2 Vance & Hines/Yamaha/Dunlop/Bell-sponsored YZF750 follows, along with Mike Smith on his #68 American Honda/Smokin' Joe's Racing/Dunlop/Pro Honda Oils-backed RC45, 3-Time AMA Superbike Champion Fred Merkel on the #27 Muzzy Kawasaki/Dunlop/Motul/SBS-sponsored ZX-7R, Dave Sadowski on the #25 Desmo/FBF/Dunlop/RK-sponsored Ducati 955 and Thomas Stevens on his #11 American Suzuki/Yoshimura Racing/Dunlop/NGK-backed GSX-R750.  Also keeping things close are Kevin Magee on the #23 American Honda/Smokin' Joe's Racing/Dunlop/Pro Honda Oils-sponsored RC45, Tiger Sohwa on the #41 Muzzy Kawasaki/Dunlop/Motul/SBS-backed ZX-7R and Colin Edwards on the #45 Vance & Hines/Yamaha/Arai/Dunlop-backed YZF750.

In what would come down to James' losing the series title to Corser at the season finale by mere points due to a mechanical, pundits could point to the outcome of this race as being the true culprit in James' failure to secure his second premier championship after having won the title riding for Yoshimura Suzuki in the '89 season.  With a handful of laps to go, James' team mate Edwards threw it away on the outside of 14, with the battle having whittled down to the two Yamaha and two Ducati factory pilots, with Merkel trying his best to keep them honest.  With the waving yellow being presented on the lap after the crash for the field, leader Picotte was passed by James coming out of 14 for the run up the hill.  But the AMA officials ruled that since no passing is allowed under those conditions, James pass was voided and his failure to meet the black flag for a stop-and-go meant he was eventually relegated down the field in the final results.

Eventually at the season-ender at Road Atlanta, a mechanical having to do with the power valve on James' Yamaha caused the machine to slow with the laps winding down in the season finale, and gave Corser the edge he needed to finish enough ahead of his title rival to clinch the championship by just a few points.  James at least got the consolation, as earlier in the day he had clinched the '94 AMA 600 Supersport Championship, but his second premier title in the over-four decades old Superbike Series was not to come. 
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With the great finale in the 2011 version of the AMA Superbike Championship coming down to the final event of the year at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Cycle News.com's Larry Lawrence talks about some of the other close finishes in the premier road racing series in America over the years in this week's 'Archives' column in the Digital Edition of CN.  Read on as one of the best in the sport takes us for a trip down memory lane as he talks some of the closest finishes over the years in the AMA Superbike Championship Series:

http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews/20110920#pg97
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AMA Road Racing: Check Out Vance & Hines Yamaha's Promo Video with Jamie James from '92 AMA Superbike Season

Jamie James on the #2 Vance & Hines/Dunlop/Bell/Bel-Ray-sponsored Yamaha YZF750 is shown after coming out of the old Billy Mitchell Bridge and making the run into the final turn 14 at Road America on his way to romping the field in the June '91 edition of the Coca-Cola Super Cycle Classic round of the AMA Superbike Championship Series.  James led team mate Thomas Stevens and Rich Arnaiz on a Commonwealth Honda home on the day at the four mile track located just outside of Elkhart Lake, WI.  It was James' first of two in a row at Road America, as he won the '92 event over Scott Russell on a Muzzy Kawasaki and Freddie Spencer on an Erion Racing Honda.

The likeable Louisiana resident was one of the main-stays in AMA Superbike racing from the late '80s into the late '90s.  Winning the '89 Superbike Championship over team mate Russell while riding for the Yoshimura Suzuki team, James headed over to ride one of Eraldo Ferracci Ducs for the '90 season.  James never seemed to come to terms with the Italian v-twin power, and jumped ship to the Vance & Hines Yamaha team in the '91 season as a team mate to eventual '91 Champ, Thomas Stevens.

Known for his great set-up capabilities with his machines and in testing, James was as much of a down-to-earth mellow guy off the track as he was a steely-eyed monster on-the-track.  In spite of his southern drawl, the man knew how to man a potent superbike racer and was able to compete with the best of the series contenders for several years.  And he always seemed to have that smile on his face that looked like it stretched back to Louisiana.
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Yamaha and Vance & Hines were THE big factory team in the early-mid '90s in AMA Superbike Championship Series racing.  Starting off with Dave Sadowski winning the '90 edition of the Daytona 200 in the team's first full year with Yamaha, they then went on to win several other National events with riders Jamie James #2 , Thomas Stevens #11 and Colin Edwards #45.  Edwards would go on to win his first National road race event riding for the team at Mid Ohio in '94, and would end up bolting to the World Superbike Championship Series (WSBK) for the '95 season.

Even the late Larry Schwartzbach had just won his breakout 600 Supersport race at Mid Ohio in July of '92 before he was tragically injured later that day in the Superbike final, only to succumb to his injuries some two days later.  Schwartzbach was just getting ready to make that next big step in the Superbike Series with the team in getting regular podiums before his Mid Ohio crash.

Thomas Stevens won the magenta and gold-colored team it's first AMA Superbike Championship in the '91 season, after having won his one and only event at that same year's round at Mid Ohio.  Stevens would leave the team after the end of the season and carry his knewly earned #1 plate on a Muzzy Kawasaki for the '92 season.  James won two Road America rounds in a row in '91-'92, along with several other races, and also won the '94 600 Supersport Championship while riding for Terry Vance and Byron Hines in a championship run that went down to the wire at the final round at Road Atlanta in September of '94. 

James was also in serious contention for the '94 AMA Superbike Championship when his quest was thwarted with just a few laps to go and the bike went sour on three cylinders.  He would lose the championship to 'rookie' Troy Corser on a Ferracci Ducati by mere points.  (Some to this day say James would have won the '94 title if not for a yellow flag pass executed earlier in the season at the Road America round, when ironically, team mate Edwards crashed out of the final coming onto the main straight out of turn 14 in a battle that involved James, Edwards, Corser and Pascal Picotte on another Ferracci Duc.  James was penalized for passing Picotte for the 'race win', and was credited much further back in the field then he actually finished as a result.

The  team had super success in the series over the course of it's six or seven years running the Tuning Fork brand, after having campaigned Suzuki's in the series during the '89 season with somewhat lackluster results.  After Yamaha took the team back in house, V&H regrouped and came back with their powerhouse Ducati squads during the late '90s to early '00s, and again set the bar in the AMA Superbike Championship Series.

Here's a great little promo video featuring James, Edwards and Schwartzbach that was filmed during the team's '92 season, that someone posted over on YouTube.com.  It mentions Edwards in the title, but he has no track time and very little camera time in the short, 2 1/2 minute cut.  But it's a great ride down memory lane nonetheless!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLaVea-9lhE
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AMA Pro Road Racing Previews the AMA/WSBK Weekend at Miller Motorsports Park, May 28-30

The Wiseco Superbike 100 main event of the Camel Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop gets off to a re-start on August 2, 1992 at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course, after a red flag caused by a crash involving Vance & Hines Yamaha rider Larry Schwarzbach on the front straight delayed the race for close to an hour.  Unfortunately, Schwarzbach succumbed to his injuries less then 48 hours later, and as with all things in life, the racing did go on that day as the front row of the premier AMA Superbike Championship Series contenders roar away from the starting line. 

With a field of riders representing several U.S. and World Championships entered for the weekend's events, the races were filled with an air of international flair that weekend with current, present and former campaigners of the AMA Superbike Championship, the Canadian Superbike Championship,the World Superbike Championship and the World Championship GPs on hand at the 2.5 mile track outside the village of Lexington, OH. 

(L-R) Canadian Pascal Picotte on the #34 Fast by Ferracci/Arai/Bel Ray/SBS-sponsored Ducati 851 gets some air coming off of the front row restart.  This was the former multi-time Canadian Superbike Champion's first full year racing the AMA Series as a factory pilot, in what would see him spending over a decade running in the AMA Superbike Championship Series for Suzuki, H-D and Michael Jordan Motorsports before returning to his native Canada to finish out his career in the saddle in his native Canadian Superbike Championship Series.

Behind him on the #2 Vance & Hines/Bel Ray/Bell/Bates-backed Yamaha YZF-750, Jamie James tries to make up for the meat ball flag he had just served several laps before the red flag for getting what AMA officials deemed a 'pretty good jump' on the original restart.  Of note--notice the front brake shrouds on the '89 AMA Superbike Champion's bike.  Factory teams in those days were using carbon fiber brakes, which take an intense amount of heat built up into them in order to operate efficiently, thusly the covers on the #2 machine.  The extra costs for running the carbon fiber stoppers in those days was reported to be in the 'thousands of dollars' area.  In other words for us plain city and country folk, unobtanium.

Freddie Spencer appears to be 'gliding' off the line on his #19 Two Brothers Racing/Honda Motor Co/Michelin-sponsored RC-30, which of course would look that way coming from a former 3-Time World GP Champion.  Spencer would win several races for the Erion Brothers team before finishing out his career running Ducatis for Eraldo Ferracci in the AMA Superbike Championship Series after returning from Europe and winning, most notably, the '83 World 500CC Grand Prix Championship and the '85 250CC and 500CC World Grand Prix Championships.  Spencer was the youngest man at the time to ever win the premier 500CC Championship, and last man to have won two championships in different classes during one year.

Just behind Fast Freddie, partially blocked, is the #23 FBF/Ducati Mechanica/SPA/AGV-sponsored Ducati 888 of Doug Polen, who won the '91-'92 World Superbike Championships before returning to the U.S. full-time in the '93 season to win the AMA Superbike Championship, as well.  Polen would go on to lead runner-up Thomas Stevens ('91 AMA Superbike Champion) on the #1 Muzzy Kawasaki and 3rd place finisher Tom Kipp on the #16 Commonwealth Camel Honda to the event win.  Also to note, it was just announced in the last day or two that Polen will be enshrined in the AMA Hall of Fame this November.  Bravo, as it's been a long time coming! 

And finally, The Screamin Chief himself, Scott Russell on the #17 Muzzy Kawasaki/SBS/Ohlins/
Motul-sponsored ZX-7R launches his machine as if he could do it with his eyes closed (and looking closely, they almost are!)  The eventual '92 AMA Superbike Champion and '93 World Superbike Champion would go on to have his name pressed into minds across the globe forever, if not for his U.S. and World Championships, but for his 5-Time winning of the Daytona 200 in the glory days when Daytona was a full-fledged 200 mile Superbike race.  The Chief is scheduled to be on-hand in Utah this weekend fulfilling his duties as announcer for the AMA Pro Road Racing television coverage for Speed TV, and rumors have it he may actually don the leathers to take a few laps of some sort over the weekend in the mountains of Utah. 
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AMA Pro Road Racing Joins WSBK for BigM Memorial Day Weekend


DAYTONA BEACH, FL (May 23, 2011) - Hot on the heels of a great weekend of racing at Infineon Raceway's May 13-15 West Coast Moto Jam, the AMA Pro Road Racing paddock is ready to celebrate Memorial Day with some international friends. May 28 through 30, AMA Pro will join the FIM World Superbike Championship for the BigM Weekend Presented by Lucas Oil, hosted by the spectacular Miller Motorsports Park facility in Tooele, Utah.

AMA Pro returns to MMP following a two-season hiatus, but the series' official test at the circuit in early May proved the field is more than ready to work the flowing 3.048-mile track. That's especially true of reigning AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike Champion Josh Hayes (Monster Energy Graves Yamaha), who was dominant in both days of MMP testing and is coming off a Race 1 win at Infineon's Round 2.

Hayes won't have it easy, though; having split Infineon wins with Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Tommy Hayden, Hayes enters MMP Round 3 with a slim 6-point lead in the standings. Hayden himself has more to worry about than just the rider ahead, however; teammate Blake Young sits just two points behind in third overall, and despite a difficult Race 2 at Infineon, M4 Suzuki's Martin Cardenas remains fourth overall, the reigning AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion having proven he's a SuperBike contender by notching his first podium-finish (a third) in last round's Race 1.

With a total of twenty-eight National Guard SuperBike riders entered thus far, the riders listed above will have more than their fair share of competition, and the same can be said for the infamously intense AMA Pro Daytona SportBike class, currently boasting forty-one entries.
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Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah.  AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson.
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Though the depth of talent in the Daytona SportBike field is almost as incredible as the class' tendency toward ten-deep lead changes that at times run four-wide, one rider has been unquestionably dominant in the results thus far: Team Latus Motors Racing's Jason DiSalvo, who's gone three-for-three in the series' opening rounds. Infineon, however, saw him regularly challenged by Monster Energy Graves Yamaha's Josh Herrin, GEICO Powersports/RMR Suzuki's Danny Eslick, and then-privateer Jake Holden. With the latter having since picked up season sponsorship from RidersDiscount.com, DiSalvo's sure to have his hands full at MMP.


The AMA Pro Motorycle-Superstore.com SuperSport class will also see its ranks swell at Round 3, as the BigM Weekend's edition of the rising-star class, the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport Larry H. Miller Challenge, will feature a host of top local talent, all vying for a piece of the purse that's been doubled for this special event. Taking on all newcomers will be top series regulars like Roadracingworld.com's Benny Solis, Y.E.S./LTD Racing's Tomas Puerta and David Gaviria, Vesrah Suzuki's Corey Alexander, and more.

MMP fans will also be treated to the sights and V-twin sounds of AMA Pro Road Racing's newest class, the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 division. These handlebar-to-handlebar, footpeg-dragging monsters are in their first full season of AMA Pro competition, and the already-packed field through which riders like Chris Fillmore, Kyle Wyman, Steve Rapp, and Michael Barnes barrel will see the return of reigning class champion Danny Eslick (joining RMR/Bruce Rossmeyer Daytona Racing teammates Fillmore and Wyman) aboard the #1 machine.

SPEED TV will highlight all of Round 3's AMA Pro races via an AMA Pro Road Racing Special set to air Monday, May 30, at 9 p.m. PST/midnight EST, and will broadcast the Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport and Vance & Hines XR1200 contests live on SPEED2. There won't be any substitute, however, for being there in person, as MMP has planned a big lineup of weekend concerts. Saturday night will feature country superstar Dierks Bentley, supported by Sawyer Brown and Reckless Kelly, while Blue Oyster Cult and Creedence Clearwater Revisited will take the stage on Sunday night. Whether you're a die-hard road race fan or just an admirer of all things wheeled, MMP is the place to be this Memorial Day Weekend.

For event-specific tickets and information, visit www.BigMweekend.com or call (435) 277-RACE. For general information about Miller Motorsports Park, visit www.millermotorsportspark.com.


To learn more and be a part of AMA Pro Racing, please visit www.amaproracing.com and join us via facebook.com/AMAProRoadRacing, twitter.com/AMAProSBK, and twitter.com/AMAProLIVE. 

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.

For additional information contact:
AMA Pro Racing Communications, (386) 492-1014, communications@amaproracing.com
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Round 3 of the 2011 AMA Pro Road Racing Series , the BIGM Weekend presented by Lucas Oil, from Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah will kick off on Saturday, May 28.  Event info can be found here:

http://amaproracing.com/rr/events/event.cfm?eid=2011011115

Here is the link to the most recent event schedule (as of this writing on 5/25/11):

http://amaproracing.com/assets/2011_MMP_AMAP_schedule.pdf

Here is the event info link for all of the classes and PDF files that will be available throughout the weekend:

http://live.amaproracing.com/live/results/pdfresults/rr/2011/R1115/default.aspx

And here is the link to AMA Pro Road Racing's Live Timing so you can keep up with all of the sessions throughout the weekend:

http://live.amaproracing.com/rr/

Tooele, Utah weather courtesy of The Weather Underground:

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=84074
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AMA Pro Road Racing Discusses the Debates & Debacles That Were the Daytona 200 in 2011

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Jamie James' spare #11 Yamaha YZF600 sits behind the pit wall at Road America during a practice session for the AMA HP4 600 Supersport Series round at the Coca-Cola Super Cycle Classic annual event at Elkhart Lake, WI. in June of 1994. The Vance & Hines/Yamaha/Dunlop/Bel-Ray-sponsored machines were piloted
by 'The Rajun Cajun' to the '94 AMA 600 Supersport Championship, including wins at Road America and Road Atlanta. James beat out title rival Mike Smith on the #68 Smokin' Joe's Honda CBR600 to win the championship at the final round at Road Atlanta in September of '94.
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AMA Pro Racing Addresses Issues and Problems Seen at Daytona 200 Opening Round

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (March 16, 2011) - The opening round of the 2011 AMA Pro Road Racing season featured some of the most intense, unforgettable action the series has seen yet. It also featured difficult decisions, outright failures, and confusion and dismay among fans and participants, out of respect for whom AMA Pro Racing pens this lengthy release. The decisions made last weekend will be explained here in detail; the failures that occurred will be acknowledged and addressed. As is common knowledge at this point, AMA Pro Racing's spec-tire partner, Dunlop, saw evidence of front-tire overheating in the aftermath of many Daytona 200 riders' first pit stops. Once a conclusion was reached, they immediately notified AMA Pro officials that in the interests of rider safety, the Daytona 200 would need to be stopped long enough to allow all participating riders to mount a fresh front tire, and the red flag was thrown within ten seconds of that communication. The length of the downtime that followed has led to significant speculation about several aspects of the day's events; the actual facts are detailed below. Additional background: Initially, Dunlop advised AMA Pro that riders would need to swap their current fronts for fresh versions of the same tire before continuing the 200, and the paddock was instructed to do so. Once riders were pitted under the red flag, however, Dunlop reassessed the situation and decided, again in the interests of safety, that all riders would need to be fitted with entirely new-spec backup fronts then stored in Dunlop's garages. The execution of both Dunlop decisions were complicated (and lengthened) by the fact that many teams had neither extra fronts (relating to the first set of instructions), nor extra rims. LENGTH OF THE RED-FLAG HOLD: The length of the downtime that followed the first red flag was wholly and solely dictated by the amount of time it took to get each of the thirty-eight Daytona 200 competitors re-fitted with new-spec tires that were warmed long enough to be safely raced on. The downtime included the paddock's attempts to comply with original instructions, the communication to the paddock of Dunlop's revised assessment, the process of getting the entire field's front rims re-fitted with new-spec rubber, and the time it took to safely warm new tires. Dunlop's new-spec re-fitment process was non-stop. During this period, AMA Pro re-set the Daytona 200 re-start time several times based on communication with Dunlop about their progress. LTD Racing's Huntley Nash was the last rider in the class to receive a new tire, and in consultation with Nash's crew chief, Gary Medley, it was decided that 20 minutes was the minimum amount of time his tire needed to warm. The 3-minute board for the race's re-start was set for 20 minutes from that time. TEAM LATUS RACING/JASON DISALVO: Because Team Latus Racing used the significant red-flag downtime to repair eventual race-winner Jason DiSalvo's Ducati machine, speculation has given rise to two rumors that will be addressed here: 1) That the red-flag hold was extended to give Latus time to re-enter the race; 2) That the Latus machine was out of AMA Pro's control at points during said downtime. 1) The most straightforward response to Item 1 can be found in the above paragraphs detailing how the red flag and restart occurred and were handled. In short, the length of the red flag was solely dictated by the time it took to safely address the tire problem. To that fact, AMA Pro would simply add that we are fiercely dedicated to treating all of our participating teams and manufacturers equally and fairly, and further, that the matter of our dwindling live TV time---- the importance of putting our series in front of a live, prime-time audience---- was also of great importance. There was no benefit to AMA Pro in a red track; only in a green one. 2) Once pitted, Latus staff asked AMA Pro officials the approximate length of the red flag. As the extent of the tire problem was not clear at that point, they were told 10 minutes. AMA Pro grid official Mike Lagenfeld asked the Latus team to move DiSalvo's machine from pit lane to behind the wall, as it was deemed to be in an unsafe position for the then-impending restart. From that point on, the Latus machine was at no time out of Mr. Lagenfeld's sight; Lagenfeld also periodically monitored both team and machine for 3- to 5-minute intervals. When Lagenfeld informed the Latus team that the delay would be a lengthy one, they requested clarity on the rules and were told that as long as the original frame was used, the rules permitted them to regrid. With an AMA Pro staff member on-site the entire time, Latus made all necessary repairs and were gridded and inspected by tech staff, who also confirmed that proper procedure for removal from pit lane and AMA Pro custody had been followed. Related rules: 2011 AMA Pro Road Racing Rule Book, pages 25 (2.23.c.iii) and 27 (2.23.h). TIMING & SCORING: AMA Pro Racing deeply regrets that some of our online Timing & Scoring operations were not representative of AMA Pro standards last weekend, and that our at-track operations briefly listed an incorrect finishing order for the Daytona 200 itself. This---- and the effect it had on our competitors and fans---- is entirely unacceptable to AMA Pro, and internal measures will be taken to ensure future rounds are unmarred by repeats of such. Due to the last-lap red flag triggered by Dane Westby's and Taylor Knapp's crashes, an incident in which Josh Herrin was also involved, some confusion exists about how Daytona 200 finishers were scored. The explanation, as per AMA Pro rules, follows: Because the first five riders crossed the finish line prior to the red flag, their race was ruled complete. Once the red flag was thrown, however, the results of those remaining riders reverted to the previous lap. The exception to this is riders involved in a red flag, if fault is not then assigned. Those riders are moved to the back of their respective lap-groups, which put Herrin behind the four who'd already crossed the line, and put Knapp and Westby behind a group that had not yet taken the checkers (but in front of everyone a lap down). Related rules: 2011 AMA Pro Road Racing Rule Book, pages 27 (2.23q) and 28 (2.25.a and 2.25.d). RIDER CONDUCT: AMA Pro Racing has carefully reviewed footage of the closing stages of the Daytona 200, together with other pertinent information, and has regrettably found one rider's on-track actions to have been unacceptably dangerous to other riders. Notification and explanation of penalty will be mailed to the rider in question; once received, the details of that ruling will be shared publicly by AMA Pro. Related rules: 2011 AMA Pro Road Racing Rule Book, page 83 (A2.3.p) (A2.3.u). CONCLUSION OF THE 200/15-LAP SPRINT: The decision to restart and conclude the Daytona 200 as a 15-lap sprint was influenced by two factors: 1) All involved parties were entirely confident the new-spec tires could safely do 15 laps under DIS' unique conditions; 2) Several of the teams' and riders' strategies involved running the entire race on a single front tire, and thus many participants were absent the back-up rims required for a pit stop tire-change. Keeping both the competitors' and the tires' capabilities in mind, AMA Pro officials strongly felt a 15-lap race was the only acceptable conclusion relative to rider safety. Thank you for reading. This type of detailed release represents a departure from traditional operations but is in line with AMA Pro Racing's commitment to running a fair, transparent series that participants and fans can be proud of. We welcome your feedback at communications@amaproracing.com. A copy of the 2011 AMA Pro Road Racing rulebook can be downloaded at http://amaproracing.com/assets/AMAPro-RR-2011-Rulebook.pdf.

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com. For additional information contact: AMA Pro Racing Communications, (386) 492-1014, communications@amaproracing.com

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AMA Pro Road Racing Announces Purse Structure for Daytona

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Jamie James on the #2 Vance & Hines Yamaha leads Scott Russell on the #17 Muzzy Kawasaki, Freddie Spencer on the #19 Two Brothers Racing Honda and Thomas Stevens on the #1 Muzzy Kawasaki going into turn one at Road America in June of 1992. In what was one of THE classic AMA Superbike Championship races in the early '90s, James held off Russell and Spencer at the line after 16 fast and furious laps, with Stevens just a short distance behind.
All but Spencer in this group held claim to an AMA Superbike Championship. James, the '89 Champ while riding for Team Yoshimura Suzuki, Russell winning his championship later in the year after this shot was taken, and Stevens being the defending '91 AMA Superbike Champion from the previous year while riding for the Vance & Hines Yamaha team while a team mate to Jamie. Spencer, however, probably holds the heaviest of laurels when it comes to championships, winning his first 500CC World Championship in '83 while riding for Team Honda, and then repeating again in '85 and bagging the 250CC World Championship that year as well.

Road racing in the AMA Series has changed dramatically in the 19 seasons since this shot was taken. In the last few years, the series has seen many changes due to the global economic climate and the turnover of racing ownership to the Daytona Motorsports Group. Still putting the series back together again after the damages created by the Roger E era of '08-'09 and the economic disasters felt around the world the last few years, most riders are racing for lower purses and less up-front money (if any at all) to ride these 190+ HP machines. The days of six-figure salaries and bonuses are long gone, and a rider has to work even harder today to score personal sponsors to help line his (or her) pockets.

The 2011 AMA Superbike Championship kicks off next Thursday, March 10 when bikes hit the track for their first practice session at 1015 EST. Round one races kick off on Friday, March 11 at 1630 EST and Saturday, March 12 at 1115 EST. Both races will be shown tape delayed on Speed TV (DirecTV Channel 607) on Saturday, March 12 at 2300 EST, and the Daytona 200 will be shown live on Speed TV on Saturday from 1300-1530 EST. You can check out the link to AMA Pro Road Racing's event link after the press release below to also access the week's schedule.
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AMA Pro Racing Announces $235K Purse for Daytona 200 Round

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (March 4, 2011) - Traditionally the richest round on the AMA Pro Road Racing schedule, this year's Daytona 200 season-kickoff event is no exception. A total of $235,500 will be up for grabs when the series returns to Daytona International Speedway, the purse spread throughout the AMA Pro National Guard Superbike, Daytona SportBike, Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport, and Vance & Hines XR1200 classes. The 70th running of the legendary Daytona 200, which reverts to its traditional Saturday-afternoon start this year, will offer a bristling field of Daytona SportBike riders 57 laps to fight for a $20,000 winner's purse. The event's second- and third-place finishers will claim $15,000 and $10,000, respectively, with the remaining $64,500 paying down through 20th position. Each of the two 15-lap AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike races will award a $51,000 purse, for a double-header total of $102,000. SuperBike race-winners will take home $10,000 per victory, with the remaining $41,000 paying through 15th position. The Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport class---- for which Daytona serves as a combination East/West Division event---- will vie for a total of $7,000 per 10-lap race, each winner claiming a $1,500 purse and the remaining prize money paying through tenth position. The Vance & Hines XR1200 class, making its inaugural appearance at Daytona International Speedway and boasting the largest field the division's seen yet, will race for $10,000 in prize money. The first big V-twin to tear across the line will take home $3,750, with the remainder paying through tenth position. The stakes are high for AMA Pro's road race stars, and fans who emerge from Daytona International Speedway's tunnels into the legendary infield for the March 12 event will experience a full slate of pit-stops, autograph sessions, fan walks, vendors and exhibitors, live entertainment, and more. For ticket and event information, visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com; for complete AMA Pro Racing information, visit www.amaproracing.com. For a detailed breakdown of the purse payouts listed above, please consult Competition Bulletin #2011-06.

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com. For additional information contact: AMA Pro Racing Communications, (386) 492-1014, communications@amaproracing.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can follow the action from Daytona here via the AMA Pro Road Racing site. Once the bikes hit the track for first practice at the World Center of Speed on Thursday, March 11 at 1015 EST for the first AMA Superbike practice, the AMA will also have a link posted for Live Timing and Scoring: http://amaproracing.com/rr/events/event.cfm?year=2011&eid=2011011105 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------