AMA Road Racing: Superbike Planet.com Saturday Cinema Takes Us Back to the '93 AMA Superbike Charlotte Round

One of the Commonwealth Racing Honda RC30s sits in the pit area at Road America during the AMA/Coca-Cola Super Cycle Classic over the June 26-28, 1992 weekend.  Being shared by riders Mike Smith #68 and Tom Kipp #16, the American Honda/Camel/HRC/Dunlop-sponsored team was sharing resources at the annual running of the Elkhart Lake, WI. event held at the 4.0 mile track located about an hour north of Milwaukee.

The AMA Superbike Championship paid a visit to the Charlotte Motor Speedway during the next season in what was a mostly-failed attempt to construct a road racing course inside a high-speed Nascar-type oval.  At least as far as the then-150hp+ bikes were concerned.  Think Daytona with pylons and hay bales.

Much like events such as Pomona and Phoenix held back in the early '90s (although those events were mostly held in parking lots), Charlotte consisted of a high-speed section that was part of the banking where track promoters and AMA Pro Road Racing constructed a chicane with road construction orange cones in order to slow the bikes down.  

During the race itself, Kipp, riding a Commonwealth Honda RC30 similar to the one above from the '92 season, was involved in a wicked accident along with Miguel Duhamel and Doug Polen, that effectively ended the Ohio native's year, suffering from a severely broken leg.  It was just by great fortune no one else was injured, or worse and AMA Pro Road Racing never returned to the track.  Thank the lord safety for the riders is more tantamount today.

Dean Adams from Superbike Planet.com has put together the television video from that event that was shown by the now-defunct Prime Network back in the day.  In spite of the way the track was put together, some of the racing held at Charlotte was excellent, with names like Colin Edwards, Pascal Picotte, Dale Quarterley and Jamie James going for it throughout the day's race.  

Check it out below, and thanks to Dean for all the work!

A big thanks to Dean Adams at Superbike Planet.com for this video of the '93 AMA Pro Road Racing round of the AMA Superbike Championship from the Charlotte Motor Speedway.  Sit back, pop the top on your favorite beverage and enjoy the races!

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 Pro Road Racing Set for 2-Day Test at Miller Motorsports Park on May 2-3

Mike Smith's #68 Fast By Ferracci/SBS/Pro Grip/Michelin-sponsored Ducati 916/955 sits in the Ferracci pit area during the St. Louis Superbike Challenge Weekend at the Gateway International Raceway stop on the AMA Superbike Championship Series tour in August of 1995.  Eraldo Ferracci can just be seen behind the bike trying to cool off in what was to this day undoubtedly the hottest weekend ever attended by the AMA Road Racing Series ever.  The poorly-attended race was a blip on the radar to the series after showing up at a track that was at the very least 'sketchy' in terms of safety concerns, not to mention the landfill that sat across the street whose aromas permeated the air throughout the weekend.  Needless to say, the series never returned to the track dubbed 'The Dump' by several fans and insiders.
The weekend was so hot, humid and hazy that the view of the St. Louis Arch, which is normally very clear from the track just across the Mighty Mississippi River, was all but obscured due to the haze (and aromas) that hung in the air, with the triple-digit temperatures making for a very long and unpleasant weekend for sponsors, racers, team owners and fans alike.  We spent over half the weekend in the air-conditioned comfort of our car it was so bad!
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          AMA Pro Road Racing Back in Action at MMP Test

 

                         Two-Day Test at Miller Motorsports Park, May 2-3, Fans Welcome!

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (April 27, 2011) - The AMA Pro Road Racing Championship returns to asphalt May 2-3 at next week's official, two-day test at Miller Motorsports Park in Toole, Utah. Located just outside Salt Lake City, the beautiful MMP circuit will play host to the majority of AMA Pro's top competitors as they prep for both Round 2 at Infineon Raceway (May 13-15) and for MMP's BigM Weekend presented by Lucas Oil, which will see AMA Pro Road Racing's Round 3 run alongside Round 5 of the World Superbike Championship, May 28-30.

Heading up the field in AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike testing will be reigning SuperBike champion Josh Hayes (Monster Energy Graves Yamaha) and current points leader Blake Young (Rockstar Makita Suzuki). Hayes will be joined by fellow Yamaha SuperBiker Chris Clark (Y.E.S./Pat Clark/Graves Motorsports), while Blake will have teammate Tommy Hayden and Suzuki's Australian Superbike star, Josh Waters, for brand-centric company.

Team M4 Suzuki's Round 1 standout (and reigning Daytona SportBike champ) Martin Cardenas will likewise be honing his skills at MMP in the new-to-him class, joined by veteran teammate Chris Ulrich. The Michael Jordan Motorsports effort will be out in force with riders Ben Bostrom (Jordan Suzuki) and National Guard-sponsored Roger Hayden.

Foremost Insurance Pegram Racing's Larry Pegram will represent just one of a trio of BMW S1000Rs testing at the MMP facility, with Iron Horse BMW fielding both Chris Peris and Tony Kasper. In all, a total of fourteen AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike riders are currently registered for the test.

The AMA Pro Daytona SportBike class will see at least twenty-two of its riders take to the track at Miller, a field that includes Ducati riders Jason DiSalvo on his Daytona 200-winning Team Latus Motors Racing machine, P.J. Jacobson (Celtic Racing), and Jake Holden (DNA Roberson Motorsports), plus a slew of ferocious Yamaha and Suzuki riders.
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Image courtesy Miller Motorsports Park
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No fewer than eight Yamaha R6's, in fact, will be running at Miller, led by Monster Energy Graves Yamaha's Josh Herrin. He'll be joined by Tommy Aquino (Y.E.S./Pat Clark/Graves Motorsports), Melissa Paris (HT Moto Yamaha), and a trio of AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport graduates: LTD Racing/Y.E.S. Yamaha's Huntley Nash, Cameron Beaubier, and 2010 Top Gun Champion Tyler O'Hara.

On the Suzuki side, 2009 Daytona SportBike Champion Danny Eslick (Richie Morris Racing/GEICO Powersports) will lead the Suzuki delegation to Utah, joined by M4 Suzuki's talented Dane Westby; Westby's teammate, Santiago Villa; and Vesrah Suzuki's highly capable Taylor Knapp and Cory West, among others. A trio of SuperSport Kawasakis will be headed up by Fernando Amantini, while Honda pilot Tyler Odom will likewise put his machinery through its paces.

Thirteen AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport riders are slated to begin testing on Monday, the sessions serving as a preview of the highly anticipated Larry H. Miller SuperSport Challenge event, which will take place during the BigM Weekend and be broadcast live on SPEED2 Sunday, May 29, at 3:05 p.m. PST. Along with the BigM Weekend's AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 race, the Larry H. Miller SuperSport Challenge will also be included in an AMA Pro Road Racing Special that will air Monday, May 30, at 9 p.m. PST.

The Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport group will be led by Daytona winners Tomas Puerta and Daniel Gaviria on their Team LTD/Y.E.S. Yamahas. SuzukiScoopFans Racing's Elena Myers was also scheduled to attend the test, but having broken her arm in a Supermoto accident last Monday, she'll be forced to sit out the test and focus instead on healing in time for a possible return at Round 2. Corey Alexander, however, will be present to represent for Suzuki, while standout young-gun Benny Solis (Team Roadracingworld.com) will lay down laps on his Honda.

The above riders will be joined by Ducati pilots Brad Graham, Jose Flores, and Nicholas Hayman; newcomer Shelina Moreda (Triple Crown Industries Yamaha); and many more.

AMA Pro's Vance & Hines XR1200 riders are prepping for their first-ever appearance at MMP, and a minimum of eight of the big-twin pilots will be testing May 2-3. They'll also be preparing for the aforementioned expanded television coverage on SPEED and SPEED2 during the Memorial Day weekend, comprising a live broadcast on SPEED2 (Monday, May 30, at 12:20 p.m. PST) and inclusion in SPEED's AMA Pro Road Racing Special (Monday, May 30, at 9 p.m. PST).

Daytona winner Kyle Wyman will lead the XR1200 testing group on his RMR Bruce Rossmeyer/Daytona Racing machine, joined by teammates Chris Fillmore and Michael Corbino. AMA Pro Flat Track multi-time champion Joe Kopp (Team Latus Motors) will also be on track, as will SuperSport Top Gun champ Tyler O'Hara and a handful of other Harley-Davidson XR1200 pilots.

The two-day test will begin with team move-in Sunday night, and on-track activities will run 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days, the schedule comprising five morning sessions and seven afternoon sessions. AMA Pro National Guard SuperBikes will share the track with AMA Pro Daytona SportBikes, while Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport riders will run jointly with AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 pilots.

Fans are welcome to attend the test, free of charge, and are encouraged to come out and cheer for their favorites. For directions and information, visit http://www.millermotorsportspark.com/ or call 435-277-RACE (7223). For additional information about the BigM Weekend presented by Lucas Oil, visit www.BigMweekend.com. For information or tickets to AMA Pro Road Racing's upcoming Round 2, May 13-15 at Infineon Raceway, visit http://www.infineonraceway.com./

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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Something For All The Honda VFR750R/RC30 Fans: AMA Superbike Retro & Hat's Off to RC30 in Canada

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The Commonwealth Camel Honda AMA Superbike team of #16 Tom Kipp and #68 Mike Smith can be seen in the hotpit lane at Mid Ohio in the summer of 1992. Armed with the Honda VFR750R RC30 machines, the Martin Adams' owned/run team was one of two teams in those days representing Honda/HRC in the AMA Superbike Championship Series, Two Brothers Racing with riders Freddie Spencer and Steve Crevier also campaigning Honda RC30s.
Kipp can be seen speaking with his head wrench while Smith, sitting on the pitlane wall/armco railing is talking with someone else just behind Kipp. Eventual '92 AMA Superbike Champion and '93 World Superbike Champion Scott 'The Screaming Chief' Russell can be seen walking along the right side of the shot with his head tuner, the late Merlyn Plumlee (who would later work for Honda beginning with the move to the RC45 and Smokin Joe's as the team's sponsor moniker.)
Kipp and Smith both won multiple championships in WERA, Formula USA and the top-dog AMA Road Racing Series, but never stood on the top spot of the podium in the premier AMA Superbike Championship. Both made numerous appearances on the box, taking a handful of 2nd and 3rd places, and both scored AMA 600 Supersport and 750 Supersport wins (and championships in Kipp's case) throughout their years in the series.
To this day I still feel that both of these gentlemen were the best of the best to NEVER win an AMA Superbike event, having graced the series for years on top-level machinery as well as top-notch talent. Let alone all-around nice guys and great reps of the sport.
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A gentleman out of Canada by the name of Rick sent me an e-mail a couple of weeks ago who had seen a couple of my Steve Crevier and Freddie Spencer shots, with them on the Two Brothers Racing Honda RC30s from back in the early '90s. Turns out Rick runs a VERY cool site that has an abundance of general and specific information on the Honda VFR750R/RC30, the machine that is probably best known to U.S. readers as the bike that took '84-'86 AMA Superbike Champion Fred Merkel to the initial '88 World Superbike Championship and the '89 WSBK Championship while riding for Team Rumi out of Italy.

The Honda VFR750R/RC30 was well represented on U.S. shores by Martin Adams' Commonwealth and Camel Honda teams, as well as the Erion brothers with their Two Brothers Racing team in the AMA Superbike Series. It is well-known that '95 AMA Superbike Champion Miguel Duhamel won his and Commonwealth/Camel's first Daytona 200 as a 'fill-in' on the Camel team for injured rider, the late Randy Renfrow. Probably one of Two Brothers/Spencer's most memorable wins to some AMA Superbike fans was the Miami street race, which was televised on CBS Sports back in the day. Spencer won out in the debacle that was, and usually is street racing in the United States.

Rick has put together a great site that pretty much covers it all on the V4/RC30 World Championship-winning machine. And he has been kind enough to post a few of my shots on his site as well. You can check it out here, but you better bring a towel to wipe off all that drool that is about to start flowing from your mouth:

http://rc30.yolasite.com/

Thanks to Rick at RC30 up north for posting some of my shots! You can check those out here along with some other very cool pics of RC30's in action and up close:

http://rc30.yolasite.com/pictures---rc30-race-bikes.php
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I just threw this link in for good measure. Dean Adams at the bitchin SuperBikePlanet.com has these shots in Monza at a rally of RC30 enthusiasts in 2007. Worth the look!

http://superbikeplanet.com/image/archive/rc30monza2007/
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Honda Japan/HRC has this promotional video of about 8 minutes of one of their RC30's being assembled and then presumably being made race-worthy on the track:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO9YVYg4FyU
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And just for sh..s and giggles, this great video of multiple Isle of Man Winner Steve Hislop taking you for a spin on the 37 3/4 mile Isle of Man course on a Honda VFR750R/RC30. Hang on tight:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUF5jHROVjQ
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Troy Corser Gets BMW World Superbike Team Best Result Yet at Valencia

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Colin Edwards on the #45 Vance and Hines Yamaha leads Troy Corser on the #19 Ferracci Ducati in the carousel turn at Mid Ohio during the AMA Superbike final in summer of 1994. Dale Quarterley on the #32 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Kawasaki follows, with Tom Kipp on the #16 Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R750 in pursuit, Jamie James (partially hidden) on the #2 Vance and Hines Yamaha, Tiger Sohwa on the Team Muzzy #41 ZX7, Thomas Stevens on the #11 Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R750, Mike Smith on the Smokin' Joe's #68 Honda RC45 and Fred Merkel on the #27 Team Muzzy Kawasaki ZX7 all vying for position. This shot was early in the final and Miguel Duhamel is already through on the soon-to-break Harley Davidson VR1000. Edwards went on to win his first AMA Superbike final later in the race and Corser went on to win the 1994 AMA Superbike Championship at the season finale at Road Atlanta a little over two months later. He then vaulted to World Superbikes, won his first WSBK Championship while riding for Ducati in '96 and bagging his second in '05 while riding for Suzuki. Let's hope he can make it a hat trick and get one for BMW before he retires. Corser did a great job over this last weekend by just missing the box in race one at Valencia in World Superbike competition. The BMW team is getting closer thanks to one of the masters of bike set up and testing. We can't wait to see him not only on the box but on TOP as well!
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One of the stories that missed being front and center over the weekend was Troy Corser taking the #11 BMW Motorrad Motorsport S1000RR to a fourth place finish in World Superbike race one at Valencia. Of course, fourth doesn't seem like a great accomplishment for a former multi-time champ and multi-race winner like Corser, but for the second year World Superbike BMW team it is quite the accomplishment. After a slow, crash-filled first round race weekend in Australia for the team, Corser running within less then 4.5 seconds of winner Carlos Checa just three rounds into the season is a pretty big leap. Coupled with the addition of David Tardozzi, his former crew chief at Ducati, Corser and team are very steadily getting the handle on the second year mount.
Bravo to Troy and Team Motorrad Motorsport BMW for this great stride, and we'll be looking to see more out of this great team as the year progresses. And with six different manufacturers in the top six in race one at Valencia, the competition is fierce in the series, but we know Troy and company are up to it. Bravo and go get 'em, mate!
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Here's Troy's official take on the weekend outing at Valencia thanks to the folks at Crash.net across the pond. Great job Troy and we can't wait to see you ON the podium soon with the BMW team!
http://www.crash.net/world+superbikes/news/158665/1/best_yet_for_bmw_as_corser_closes_on_podium.html
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