AMA Pro Racing Round 1 – Daytona International Speedway
Schedule

Wednesday March 3
8:30am Garages Open
9:00am – 12:00pm Rider Head Shots in Media Center – Mandatory
12:00pm Post Entry Deadline for SuperSport Top Guns Only
12:30pm – 1:00pm Free Practice Daytona SportBike (LC)
1:30pm – 2:00pm Free Practice American SuperBike (SC)
2:10pm – 2:40pm Free Practice SuperSport (SC)
2:40pm – 3:40pm Mid-day Break
3:45pm – 4:45pm Free Practice American SuperBike (SC)
5:00pm – 6:00pm Free Practice SuperSport (SC)
6:30pm – 8:00pm Free Practice Daytona SportBike (LC)
9:00pm Garages Close

Thursday March 4
8:00am Garages Open
9:00am – 9:20am Qualifying Practice Daytona SportBike Group A (LC)
9:25am – 9:45am Qualifying Practice Daytona SportBike Group B (LC)
10:15am – 10:45am Qualifying Practice American SuperBike (SC)
11:00am – 11:30am Final Qualifying SuperSport (SC)
11:45am – 12:30pm Final Qualifying American SuperBike (SC)
12:30pm – 1:30pm Mid-day Break
12:45pm – 1:30pm Mandatory Autograph Session- American SuperBike,
Daytona SportBike, SuperSport
1:30pm Opening Ceremonies – SuperSport
2:00pm SuperSport (12 laps) 35 Mile Race
3:00pm Opening Ceremonies – American SuperBike
3:30pm American SuperBike (15 laps) 44 Mile Race
5:00pm – 6:30pm Evening Break/Fan Track Rides
6:30pm -7:00pm Final Qualifying Daytona SportBike Group A (LC)
7:00pm -7:30pm Final Qualifying Daytona SportBike Group B (LC)
8:30pm Garages Close

Friday March 5
9:30am Garages Open (DAYTONA 200 Pit Assignments Posted at Tech)
11:30am – 12:00pm Warm-up SuperSport (SC)
12:15pm – 12:45pm Warm-up American SuperBike (SC)
1:30pm – 2:00pm Warm-up Daytona SportBike (LC)
2:00pm – 3:00pm Mid-day break
3:00pm SuperSport (12 laps) 35 Mile Race
4:00pm American SuperBike (15 laps) 44 Mile Race
7:15pm Opening Ceremonies-DAYTONA 200
8:00pm DAYTONA 200 (57 laps)
12:00am Garage area move-out

TIME CERTAIN SCHEDULE – All Sessions to start and finish as shown
(SC) = Short Course-4.67km, 2.9 miles (LC) = Long Course-5.65km, 3.51 miles

Daytona 200 TV Coverage:
Friday, March 5
AMA Pro Road Racing – Daytona 200
Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL, USA
SPEED
9:00pm-11:30pm (Live)

AMA Pro Racing officials announced today that the overall purse for the March 26-28 road racing event at Auto Club Speedway will feature added financial benefits for riders in the AMA Pro National Guard American SuperBike class.

The top three finishers in AMA Pro National Guard American SuperBike will now receive additional money and prize money that will be paid down to 15th place.

“We are pleased to add to the AMA Pro National Guard American SuperBike prize fund,” said David Atlas, Chief Operating Officer of AMA Pro Racing, “the competition this year is extremely close and with the added financial incentives, the racing will be better than ever.”

This year’s National Guard American SuperBike field is lead by Josh Hayes (Team Graves Yamaha), Tommy Hayden (Rockstar Makita Suzuki), Larry Pegram (Foremost Insurance Ducati), Ben Bostrom (Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha) and AMA Pro Racing returnee John Hopkins (M4 Monster Energy Suzuki).  Joining Hayes, Bostrom and Hayden as former winners at Auto Club Speedway are Aaron Yates (Jordan Motorsports Suzuki), Jake Zemke (National Guard Suzuki), making this one of the most competitive fields in years.

The purse structures for the AMA Pro Racing Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL and the AMA Pro SuperSport classes will remain as announced with Daytona SportBike prize monies being paid from 1st to 20th places and SuperSport paying 1st through 10th  places.

For tickets and track information, please check www.autoclubspeedway.com .  Also  visit www.amaproracing.com for the latest AMA Pro Racing results and information.

AMA Pro Racing announced today that the AMA Pro SuperSport Top Guns division will begin accepting pre-entries for the 2010 AMA Pro Road Racing season following the opening round of competition during the Daytona 200 event week, March 3rd -5th at the world famous Daytona International Speedway.  Entries for the Daytona round will be accepted at Registration March 2nd (11 a.m. – 5 p.m.) and March 3rd (7 a.m. – 12 Noon).

The new class within a class, AMA Pro SuperSport Top Guns will feature riders with a current Expert License from a recognized motorcycle road racing organization and enables regional competitors to race alongside the SuperSport Young Guns, which are young riders aged 16 to 21 that compete for an East and West Regional Championships, culminating with a season-ending Young Guns Shootout.

It is anticipated that many local riders will enjoy the ability to race and showcase their talents during an AMA Pro Racing weekend and this will add more local interest to the events during the ten race AMA Pro Road Racing season.  The SuperSport Top Gun riders compete for individual event prize monies and will be invited to participate in their own season-ending Top Guns Shootout.

Any interested riders must have a current AMA Pro Basic Membership, show proof of a current Expert status license with an approved Road Racing organization and present a Photo ID to registration at each and every event.  Interested minors must have the minor’s release section signed by both parents.

Rules packages, entry forms, eligible equipment lists and additional important procedural information on the entry and registration process can be accessed via the AMA Pro Racing website, www.amaproracing.com under the AMA Pro Road Racing Competitor Information Section.

AMA Pro Racing is proud to announce that longtime motorcycle racing veteran David McGrath has joined the Daytona Beach organization as Race Director and as a key member of its competition department.

McGrath has an extensive 25 year career in virtually every aspect of motorcycle roadracing and enjoyed a successful stint as a rider.  McGrath then progressed into a management role as crew chief for many successful riders and racing programs, which then led to key positions with a number of top motorcycle organizations and manufacturers including Dunlop, Vance & Hines, Buell and American Honda.  McGrath’s responsibilities have included crew chief, head of research and development departments and overall race and support department management.

“I have had the opportunity to work with some really talented people during my career” said McGrath, “and I’ve done just about every job in the four corners of the paddock.  I am excited to be a part of making AMA Pro Racing as good as it can be and if we can get the motorcycling community all pushing in the same direction, I feel we can see this sport achieve the success it so richly deserves.”

David Atlas, COO and Managing Member of AMA Pro Racing welcomed McGrath to the Company, “I am delighted to be adding David to our excellent staff.  He will bring a wealth of experience to the sport and he fits in perfectly with the very capable group that we have assembled for this season starting at Daytona and beyond.”

McGrath is married and is the father of triplets.  He is now in the process of relocating to Florida and will be operating full time out of the Daytona Beach headquarters of AMA Pro Racing.

McGrath doesn’t hide his love of the sport, “You could say I have an obsession with this sport and it is a dream come true for me to be a part of a group of people who are as devoted to motorcycle racing as I am.”

AMA Pro Racing has announced the hiring of Steve Morehead as AMA Pro Flat Track Operations Manager.

During a successful racing career, Morehead was known as the “Findlay Flyer,” and was one of the leading AMA Pro Grand National Championship racers from the mid-1970s through the 1990s. In all, Morehead won a total of 23 AMA Nationals during his 26-year professional racing career. He finished ranked in the top-10 17 times. Morehead was a fan favorite and was one of the oldest riders on the AMA Pro circuit when he retired.

At the beginning of the 2000 season, Morehead accepted a position as Professional Flat Track Operations Manager for the American Motorcycle Association.  Morehead’s expertise on and off the race track has helped bring dirt-track racing to an even higher level. During the 2009 season, Morehead worked part time as the AMA Pro Racing Flat Track referee.

“Steve’s full-time employment and his 35 years of flat track experience will be a huge asset in the continued growth and development of AMA Pro Flat Track,” said Mike Kidd, AMA Pro Racing Director of Flat Track.

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.

Tacoma, Washington’s Jake Holden has been an AMA pro racer for ten years.  He’s raced for Michael Jordan Motorsports and Corona Honda in the SuperStock and Superbike classes, and is an extremely capable Supermoto rider as well.  This past weekend, Jake added another impressive finish to his racing resume. As a privateer competitor, he raced at the Phillip Island round of the Woodstock Bourbon Australian Superbike Championship. Riding a privateer Honda CBR1000, Jake finished fourth overall and first in the Privateer Cup riding a track he had never visited until last week.  Motourage caught up with Jake after he returned from his trip, and asked him a few questions about racing and life in general.

Jake Holden talks racing at the Corona Honda meet & greet during the Big Kahuna Nationals weekend at Virginia International Raceway

M: Pretty impressive showing at Phillip Island.  What was it like trying to quickly adjust to a track you’ve never seen, much less raced on?
JH: Phillip Island is on one of my Video games, so I tried to do some laps on the video game before I went over, and it did help me a little bit.  But, when you’re actually going 180mph on the track everything changes.

M: How did the atmosphere at the track and in the paddock differ from what we see here in the States?
JH: In the pits over there it was run pretty close to what AMA does when they run here with MotoGP.  [The ASBK guys] get pushed to the back of the pits and run on a limited time frame due to MotoGP, but I thought everything ran really smooth.

M: Do the fans in Australia know as little about American road racing as most of the U.S. fans know about the ASBK, or did you find you had your fair share of followers over there?
JH: Yeah, I had never really followed the ASBK series until I was getting ready to fly over.  I did a little homework to find out who I was racing against – I had recognized some of the names, but only like two.  I got over there and not one person on the team knew who I was, so I didn’t feel a lot of pressure.

M: In the past year, we’ve seen an increase in the number of AMA riders who are expanding their racing horizons – everything from WSBK and MotoGP wild card rides to full-time WSBK and – now – Moto2 contracts. Do you think AMA competitors are getting more respect than you’ve had in the few years prior?
JH: Ben Spies has shown that the AMA racers can go overseas and ride, which is pretty cool. So yeah I think we are getting a little more respect.

M: It has been a few months since we last caught up with you during the Big Kahuna Nationals at VIR.  Overall, what are your thoughts on the 2009 season in general, and specifically, your performance and the effects of the changes in the AMA rules?
JH: My 2009 season performance was ok for me, but I was on my own personal bike that I paid for and I only had one bike – if I had crashed it I had to pay to fix it.  I funded my season by myself so it was a tough year, but I did have a couple of good finishes, and I do have the track record at the new track in Topeka.  The rule changes made for better racing; I don’t mind the changes for the Superbike class, but I hope that they don’t push the factory teams out of racing.

Jake finished 10th in the AMA Pro Superbike standings in 09 despite minimal financial backing from Honda and Corona Racing

M: Besides racing in Australia, what have you been up to since the end of the AMA season?
JH: Not much just getting ready to do a supermoto and shifter kart trip down to Louisiana and Arizona, so I’m looking forward to leaving Washington.  It’s too cold up here!

M: We know you’re an avid supermoto rider, but what else do you do to stay focused on racing and keep in shape when you’re not racing superbikes?
JH: I’ve been into bicycling, so I keep up with that, and I plan on training down in Arizona over the winter, so it should be good for next year.  I’m ready to come back stronger than ever.

M: Last month, Honda announced it was removing all support for AMA Pro Road Racing for 2010, but you’re no stranger to doing things on your own and getting some pretty good results from your efforts.  Can you give us the inside scoop on any details about what’s in the works for next year?
JH: Yeah, I saw that Honda pulled out, but there are still a lot of teams up in the air for next year.  I haven’t heard much for next year as far as rides or teams signing racers, so it will be a silly season for sure.

M: One of Motourage’s goals is to help bring more fans into the sport of American motorcycle racing.  In your opinion, what sets racing apart from other sports in the ways that it’s more accessible to fans?
JH: My dad is a huge sports fan – like basketball, baseball and football – and I could care less about those sports, so I told him that all those sports only use one ball and to do my sport you need two.  But really why is NASCAR bigger than motorcycle racing?  It’s because everybody has a car in the United States but not everybody has motorcycles.  I believe that is why Europe is different.  I’m sure outside-industry sponsorship would help too, so in order for that we would need better TV time for racing.  DMG – which is a part of NASCAR – owns our series now, so why can’t we get a race or do a demonstration for the NASCAR fans?  I think something like that would grab the attention of more racing fans.  That’s just an idea from a motorcycle racer; I’m sure there are a lot of smart people out there who could come up with a better idea.  I just hope I can race in 2010 without going broke.

Much thanks to Jake for taking the time to answer a few questions for us.  The team at Motourage and all his fans in the U.S. – and around the world – wish him the best of luck in 2010 and beyond.

Barrett Long Wins GT2 Pole for KRM Racing by Motocorse in Team Debut

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 16, 2009) – Josh Hayes was a late addition to the No. 13 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 team for this weekend’s AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT 8 Hours At Daytona but that didn’t stop the top AMA Pro American Superbike rider from winning the overall and GT1 class pole Friday for tomorrow’s eight-hour endurance race.  Hayes, who will co-ride the No. 13 with Jeff Wood and regular team riders Dane Westby and Dustin Meador, turned a top qualifying lap time of 1:53.367 (112.731 mph) just minutes before a heavy rain shower forced an early end to the scheduled two hour session just past the one hour mark.

“I am glad I was kind of able to do my job for the Westby Racing team,” said Hayes, who won seven AMA Pro American Superbike races this year riding a Yamaha R1 for Yamaha Motor Corp. USA. “Whenever they ask me to come ride, I want to do a good job for them. If I can put down a good time and get a top position on the grid, that’s one step and one part of my job.”

Hayes was added to the Westby team just this week but he had been planning on being in Daytona for the Fall Cycle Scene to support his wife and fellow racer Melissa Paris. Paris is racing for the first time this weekend in Championship Cup Series (CCS) competition since sustaining a fractured right tibia/fibula injury in the AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in mid August.

“It was kind of a last minute deal,” Hayes said. “The guys called me up and they knew I would be here with Melissa anyway, and they know how much I enjoy riding. Melissa is riding well too considering she is only about eight weeks out of a broken leg. She finished fifth in today’s GTU race and is riding pretty well around this track, so it is good to finish on a high note.”

Read more…

To: AMA Pro Road Racing Community
Date: September 6, 2009
Subject: AMA Pro American Superbike Rider Johnny Rock Page Suspended IndefinitelyAMA Pro American Superbike rider Johnny Rock Page has been suspended indefinitely by AMA Pro Racing Officials following the Saturday, Sept. 5, American Superbike race at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Rock Page has been suspended for violating rule A2.3 i. of the AMA Pro Road Racing Rule Book, which addresses “Engaging in any unfair practice, misbehavior or action detrimental to the sport of motorcycling in general, whether or not related to a specific competition.”

Rock Page’s suspension is immediate and he will not be participating in today’s AMA Pro Road Racing activity at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Melissa Paris

Motourage presents our exclusive interview with AMA Pro Road Racing’s Melissa Paris. The Daytona Sportbike competitor dished about the good, the bad and the ugly on racing, crashing, life and the origin of her lucky number 13.

Race two proved to be even more ominous, not only for Melissa, but for many Sportbike competitors. Immediately following the start, something went horribly wrong for a group rounding out of turn one on that first lap. A couple of riders didn’t quite make the turn. When Melissa’s attempt to split two of the riders and avoid the wreck failed, she hit the brakes and tried to stop her 300 pounds of bike before it rammed into the fallen riders. Unfortunately, she took a direct hit to the leg from another oncoming bike, breaking both her tibia and fibula. Rumor was, you could hear her shouting expletives of pain for miles around. Turn one was too far for us to see what was going on, so we waited with fear and anticipation as we watched the ambulances, firetrucks and other rescue vehicles make the run back and forth to turn one. By the time we heard Melissa had a broken leg, I think we were all just thankful it wasn’t worse. Looking back at race two, only 38 of the original 46 entries made it to the grid. Out of the 38 that started, only 23 finished. Five of the DNFs were due to the crash on the first lap. It certainly proved to be a miserable weekend for Melissa and many other riders.

Melissa gets a ride from Josh

In happier news, we were able to catch Melissa while she was house-ridden with her broken leg (that only lasted a few days). She’s already back up-and-at-em and planning to rally for her 250 GP race, less than two weeks away.  She’s just a few points away from leading the Eastern and National USGPRU 250 divisions – we wish her luck and a speedy recovery!

Motourage: You compete in a variety of series, including AMA, WERA and USGPRU. Which series do you find the most challenging and which are the series you compete in for fun or to gain practice time?

Melissa: I do compete in a lot of different series! A big part of that is because I still have so much to learn, that I try to take advantage of any chance to ride. Obviously, the field in AMA is so deep… there are so many really fast people out there, that I always learn a lot, and it seems like I always take big steps at those event. But club racing with CCS and WERA is challenging too, probably because I expect a lot more out of myself. USGPRU… well, that’s so much fun, because I LOVE riding my 250 but I put a lot of pressure on myself at those races, because I know I’m capable of winning!! I’m six points out of the 250GP championship right now, so I’ll be trying to race at our next round despite the broken leg. I want that championship more than you can even imagine.

Meli playing in the dirt

Motourage: What’s in your garage? Based on all the divisions you’ve raced in, just in 2009, there are quite a diverse set of bikes involved. What bikes would we find if we peeked in your garage and if you’re racing others on occasion, where do those come from?

Melissa: Sadly, you wouldn’t find many roadrace bike in my garage!!! My R6’s and 250 stay on our truck on the road most of the time. Between Josh and I, our garage is packed with Yamaha motocross bikes though! I really love riding my 250 motocrosser SO much. It’s the most fun way to train for roadracing definitely. We also have a ton of bicycles (road, mountain, bmx) skateboards and a LOT of other fun stuff.

Motourage: You’ve mentioned you like to ride motocross for fun. Have you competed in motocross?

Melissa: I’ve done 2 motocross races I think… The first time I actually crashed and separated my shoulder, which sucked. The second time went a little better.. I won the girls class and I think I got second in the beginner class. It was so weird to me that they had a woman’s class… there are a lot more girls doing that than roadracing right now. And there are some STUPID fast girls racing mx too. So impressive!

Motourage: Over your lifetime, you’ve been involved in so many different sports; baseball, track, swimming, BMX and now motorsports. Looking back on your experiences, which do you think help prepare you most for your professional race career; either athletically or mentally?

Melissa: My parents always encouraged me to be involved in sports. I’m REALLY glad that I got try so many different things. I think my parents understood that you need to try to find your “thing.” For me, as a kid, that was baseball. I have four older brothers, but the one closest to me, Chris, used to practice with me for hours…  and I remember him practicing at BMX for hours as well. I think he taught me a lot about what it means to be dedicated and work hard at something!

Melissa's red hot number 13 Yamaha

Motourage: Looking at your race schedule, I wonder how you find time for anything else! What does a normal week look like for you, in terms of practices, workouts and racing?

Melissa: A normal week? Haha.. what’s that? I’m just off of a seven week straight run of racing where I didn’t get to come home at all. I loved it. Usually though, when we are at home, we try to either ride bicycles or motocross every day. It’s really rare that we don’t do anything at all. Chaz Davies stays with us right now, so its really good because when one of us is feeling unmotivated, there is always someone else to prod you along.

Motourage: After leaving SDSU, it appears you moved directly into the world of motorcycle racing. Did you have any other regular jobs before taking on motorsport?

Melissa: While I was going to school I was working full time in the accounting field (I have a degree in accounting). I started racing my third year of school, so I was REALLY busy; working, school, racing. When I graduated I took a really great job offer, but after a day I knew something wasn’t right. I remember calling my Dad and telling, him, “this isn’t me Dad.. I want to race.” He was so supportive. He told me to move home with him, while I figured out how I was going to get a job that would pay for me to race… then josh and I got engaged, haha!

Motourage: If you had not started a career in racing, what would have been your profession of choice and why?

Melissa: Its so hard to say. Even though I had a degree in accounting, I knew that wasn’t what I wanted to do. Knowing what I know now, I think I’d prefer a job where I felt like I impacted people’s lives more. Doctors, nurses, teachers.. those are real heroes…  I tell Josh that after all I’ve learned about training and fitness I’d like to be trainer when I’m done racing. I think so many people have the wrong idea about what it takes to be fit!

Melissa and Josh at VIR

Motourage: Everyone probably knows you’re married to AMA Superbike rider Josh Hayes. Rumors are that you routinely give him a run for his money on practice days. Is this true?

Melissa: It depends what we’re practicing at! If we’re in go-karts.. yeah I might have a chance… I don’t think I’ll ever touch him on a mx bike.. He’s an animal. Swimming and roadracing, he doesn’t have a chance! I’m sure most would laugh, but I sure do PLAN on beating him on a road race bike one of these days!

Motourage: With the volume of travel required for your job I imagine finding time together as a couple can be difficult. What are some of your favorite things to do together as a couple?

Melissa: It is nearly impossible! Honestly, we really enjoy training together.. also, going to the beach is good!

Motourage: You describe yourself as a potential beach bum. You’ve lived and traveled all over – what’s your favorite beach area?

Melissa: Sadly, I haven’t gotten to see too many different beaches… But even so, I think I love my beach right here in Oceanside pretty well. My favorite frozen yogurt place, Red Cup, is right here, there’s a cool pier, and lots of really cool, laid back people.

Motourage: Being of a competitive nature as you are, I imagine one of the worst things for you is not being able to finish a race. What thoughts go through your head in those situation?

Melissa: I probably shouldn’t repeat what goes through my head… I can’t deny that I’m very emotional. I put everything I have into racing, so when I have a mechanical or crash or whatever, it just burns me up inside. It’s indescribable.

Xray on left, recovery riding on right!

Motourage: One of those situations happened recently in Virginia, when you rolled away with a broken leg. Everyone wants to know how you’ve been getting along since that pile up at VIR and when you expect to be back in the saddle?

Melissa: Yeah, that wasn’t too fun. I broke my tibia and fibula. I flew straight back to CA and Dr. Ting put a rod in it. The first week was no fun at all, but its starting to get better bit by bit. I’m trying to do my PT and work really hard, because I am in the 250 championship still. I need to be able to ride in 13 days if I’m going to try to make it  happen… It’s a long shot, but I have to try!

Motourage: You’re a beautiful young woman in a traditionally boys’ sport. I’m sure occasionally people who don’t know who you make a few wrong assumptions and underestimate your ability. Do you have any good stories?

Melissa: You know, for the most part, people are really cool. Within the sport I think people understand that girls aren’t at any disadvantage really. I think when I was just doing track days and stuff.. especially when I would take my 125 to track days I’d have more funny experiences. One time this guy was asking me about my bike and actually called it “cute.” Passing him was enjoyable.

Motourage: Many people might say number 13 is unlucky. How did you decide on your number and why?

Melissa: Even when I was playing other sports when I was little I used 13… If its unlucky for everyone else, its lucky for me!

Motourage: You rode in this year’s Daytona 200 to raise money for the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation, an organization working extensively on breast cancer research. Is there a personal story or motivation behind your support of the Love Foundation?

Melissa: When I was putting my program together at the beginning of the year, my Dad suggested that I should pick a charity to raise money for. Our sport can be really selfish, the way you have to dedicate yourself to it. That way I can try to contribute too! A girlfriend of mine hooked me up with the Women’s Motorcyclist Foundation who were already involved with the Dr. Susan Love foundation. It just seemed like the perfect fit!

The team at Motourage would like to thank Melissa for taking the time to speak with us.  We wish her a quick recovery and the best of luck throughout her racing career and in life in general.

Didn’t get enough of Melissa? You can find more information online:

• Melissa’s Official Racing Site
• Melissa’s page on AMA Road Racing

ALTON, Va. (August 11, 2009) – The 10th Anniversary Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals will feature all four of AMA Pro Road Racing’s divisions in a jam-packed schedule highlighted by six different races this weekend, August 14 – 16, at Virginia International Raceway (VIR).

At least two 2009 titles could be decided and several more championship scenarios could begin taking final shape at the Big Kahuna, the next to last event weekend on the 2009 schedule for AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike presented by Parts Unlimited, AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL and the East division of AMA Pro SuperSport presented by Shoei.  The three-day event also includes a two-hour AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT event to kick off the weekend’s racing schedule on Saturday at 11 a.m.

The action begins with practice, qualifying and Superpole qualifying on Friday, August 14, and continues straight into the weekend with three races each day on Saturday and Sunday. The SunTrust Moto-GT enduro on Saturday, August 15, will be followed by the first finals for American Superbike at 3 p.m. and Daytona SportBike at 4:10 p.m.  Sunday, August 16, will see Daytona SportBike roll off first at 2 p.m., SuperSport following at 3:10 p.m. and American Superbike closing the weekend at 4:20 p.m.  The American Superbike and Daytona SportBike races are each 23 laps for 50 miles on the 2.25-mile VIR circuit while the SuperSport race is an 18-lap distance for 40 miles.

The Big Kahuna will be featured in a pair of same-day telecasts on SPEED.  Saturday’s American Superbike and Daytona SportBike finals will be shown that night in a two-hour show at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) while Sunday’s premier class races and other highlights will air in a two-hour show that evening at Midnight ET (9 p.m. PT).

A decade ago, the Big Kahuna was the first event to feature a dual-final American Superbike race format that has now become the standard at the majority of AMA Pro Road Racing event weekends.  Even better, most AMA Pro Road Racing weekend’s feature dual finals for not only American Superbike but the Daytona SportBike division as well. The rider in either division earning the most total event points at VIR this weekend will be crowned the 2009 Big Kahuna at the conclusion of the event on Sunday.

Championship points leader Mat Mladin (No. 7 Rockstar/Makita Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000) is a likely lock to win the 2009 AMA Pro American Superbike title and he could do just that at VIR.  The tough Australian has an unmatched record of 10 wins so far this season, including a streak of seven in a row to open the year.  He has been AMA Pro Road Racing’s top rider in 2009 winning all but six races and capturing seven of nine pole positions.

Mladin – who announced his retirement on the same weekend he opted not to race in the Tornado Nationals presented by BriggsAuto.com at Heartland Park Topeka two weeks ago – leads the American Superbike class in every possible statistical category, and all tiebreaker scenarios favor Suzuki’s only winning 2009 American Superbike rider. He has a comfortable 83-point championship lead, 390 – 307, over Yoshimura Suzuki teammate and nearest challenger Tommy Hayden (No. 22 Rockstar/Makita Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000) and could seal a record-extending seventh AMA Pro American Superbike title as early as the Saturday final if he beats Hayden by more than 11 points.  Mladin’s No. 7 Suzuki GSX-R1000 winning mount would also give the Rockstar/Makita Yoshimura team the 2009 American Superbike Team Championship while Suzuki would all but seal the class Manufacturer Championship if Mladin turns in a championship-clinching run this weekend.

Mladin’s teammates Hayden and Blake Young (No. 79 Rockstar/Makita Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000) have been among the handful of riders that have challenged the American Superbike leader this year.  Hayden is still winless in his American Superbike career but he has finished in the top three in half of the year’s 16 races.  That run includes the Sunday final one race ago in the Tornado Nationals in Topeka where Hayden finished second to that weekend’s double winner Larry Pegram (No. 72 Foremost Insurance/Pegram Racing Ducati 1098R).  The Kansas runner-up placing was Hayden’s fifth of the year and he also took second in the Saturday finals at Road Atlanta and Infineon Raceway and both rounds last March at Auto Club Speedway in California.

Young has overcome severe injuries to his left pinkie and ring finger in a Sunday final accident at Barber Motorsports Park to remain a threat for his first American Superbike win at every race.  His best run of the year came in the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on July 4th weekend where he led the most laps for the first time this season before finishing second to Mladin.  That finish matched two other runner-up showings in the last two races before his accident which were the Saturday final at Barber, the day before his spill, and Race 2 at Road Atlanta in early April.  He most recently hit the podium with a third-place showing in the Saturday final at Topeka.

Pegram dominated the Tornado Nationals and led every lap in both finals from the Superpole for the biggest weekend of his American Superbike career.  Earlier this season, Pegram out-raced Mladin and the rest of the field at Road America for his first win in 10 years.  The top Ducati rider in American Superbike has finished in the top seven in eight of the last nine races in a competitive run that began with a third-place showing in the Saturday final at Infineon.  He cracked the podium for the first time this season with a third-place finish in Race 2 at Auto Club Speedway.  His stellar weekend in Topeka saw him jump from fifth to third in the championship standings with 286 points.

Along with Hayden and Pegram, the only other riders who have a very slim yet mathematical chance of catching Mladin make up the rest of the top five in the championship standings.  Yamaha’s American Superbike riders Josh Hayes (No. 4 Yamaha Motor Corp. USA Yamaha R1) and Ben Bostrom (No. 2 Yamaha Motor Corp. USA Yamaha R1) rank fourth and fifth, respectively, heading to the Big Kahuna.  Hayes joins Pegram as a three time 2009 winner and, like the Ducati rider, turned in a dominating weekend sweep of his own two events ago at Mid-Ohio.  He became the first rider other than Mladin this season to earn the top spot in Superpole qualifying on Friday and then went out and won both Mid-Ohio weekend races.  Hayes also put a stop to Mladin’s 2009 race win streak, and Suzuki’s multi-year lock on the American Superbike division, with a breakout victory in Race 1 at Infineon in May, where he also led the most race laps.  He heads to VIR fourth in the championship standings with 281 points.  Bostrom earned his second straight runner-up finish in the Saturday final at Topeka one race after following Hayes across the finish line in Race 2 at Mid-Ohio.  He also finished second in the Sunday final at Infineon in May.  Bostrom was riding a streak of six consecutive top-five showings after the first Topeka final only to retire with mechanical problems late in Race 2 the next day.  He is fifth in the championship with 273 points.

Aaron Yates (No. 23 Brand Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000) and his Jordan Motorsports teammate Geoff May (No. 54 National Guard Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000) rank seventh and eighth, respectively, in the American Superbike standings.  Both riders are looking to rebound at the Big Kahuna after each walked away from separate Turn 8 lowside incidents in the Sunday final at Topeka.  Yates did qualify second in Superpole qualifying in Kansas, however, and has similar strong performances recently.  His second-place finishes in the Sunday final at Barber and two events ago at Mid-Ohio in Race 1 on Saturday are the best showings of the year for the Jordan team.  Yates backed those podium placings up with back-to-back third-place showings in Race 2 at Road America and at Laguna Seca.  May’s best finishes were three third-place showings within the year’s first five races, including both rounds at Road Atlanta in April.

Two riders coming off career-best American Superbike weekends complete the top 10 championship standings.  Jake Holden (No. 59 Holden Racing Honda CBR1000RR) has been racing his own Honda under Corona Extra colors at the last few events and scored a career-high fourth place finish in the Sunday final at Topeka.  He also qualified an impressive third in Topeka Superpole after setting the fastest overall lap of the weekend earlier on Friday in the group qualifying session, two more career milestones for Holden.  He is tenth in the championship standings, one spot behind Taylor Knapp (No. 44 Taylor Knapp Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000), who Holden led across the finish line on Sunday at Topeka.  Knapp’s fifth-place Kansas finish was the best of his career and is part of a steady run of nine top-10 finishes this season.

Holden first returned to the Corona Extra team when he filled in capably for Neil Hodgson (No. 100 Corona Extra Honda CBR1000RR) earlier in the season.  Hodgson has recovered from a post-Daytona motocross training injury to score sixth-place finishes at Laguna Seca and in the Sunday finals at Topeka and Road America.  The results were the former World Superbike Champion’s best showings since taking second in the Daytona opener.  He has made just 10 race starts this season.

Other riders to keep an eye on at VIR include Road America Race 1 runner-up Michael Laverty (No. 8 Celtic Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000), Chris Ulrich (No. 18 Roadracingworld.com Suzuki GSX-R1000) and Scott Jensen (No. 61 Moto Garage Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000).  A total of 32 American Superbikes are entered for the Big Kahuna.

Daytona SportBike Tight Title Run

While Mladin, Rockstar/Makita Yoshimura and Suzuki have all but sealed the American Superbike championships, the title battles in AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL have never been closer.  Martin Cardenas (No. 36 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600) scored a class-leading seventh win of the season on Sunday at Topeka a day after chief championship rival Danny Eslick (No. 9 GEICO Powersports/RMR Buell 1125R) won his sixth race of the year in the Saturday final.  The duo and their teams are now tied at 318 points in both the Daytona SportBike Rider and Team championships with just the Big Kahuna and one more double-header weekend of racing left this season.

Cardenas and Eslick have each turned in respective streaks of domination in 2009 to fuel their title bids.  Cardenas has amassed a class-leading run of 10 podium finishes this year, including four wins in row, which he did by sweeping both the Infineon and Barber weekends.  The Colombian rider’s victory in Race 1 at Road Atlanta was the first Daytona SportBike victory of his career, and he also won the Sunday final at Road America, in addition the most recent race at Topeka.

Eslick has also doubled up on weekend sweeps and first gave notice he would be a challenger for the Daytona SportBike crown when he went two-for-two at Auto Club Speedway in March.  He also muscled his way to a sweep of last month’s races at Mid-Ohio in addition to his recent victory in Kansas and a Sunday final victory at Road Atlanta in April. In total, the young Oklahoma rider has finished eighth or better in 14 of 16 races this year.

Josh Herrin (No. 8 Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6) is third in the championship with 261 points on the strength of a recent run of three second-place finishes in the last four races, including both Topeka finals. Herrin also finished second on Saturday at Mid-Ohio and has additional runner-up showings this season in the Daytona 200 and Race 2 at Road Atlanta.  He has also has third-place finishes at Laguna Seca and the Sunday race at Infineon. Herrin’s teammate Tommy Aquino (No. 6 Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6) hit the podium for the first time this year at Mid-Ohio, finishing one spot behind Herrin on Saturday, and backed it up with another third in Race 1 at Topeka.  He also crossed the finish line just behind his teammate at Infineon and Laguna Seca for then season-best fourth-place finishes.

Jamie Hacking (No. 88 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) is fourth in the championship with 241 points.  Although still looking for a 2009 win, Hacking may be one of the most consistent riders in AMA Pro Road Racing.  He has finished out of the top five just six times in 14 races this season, out of the top-10 just twice and his best results have been five second-place showings, including most recently in the Sunday final at Mid-Ohio. Hacking’s teammate Roger Hayden (No. 95 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) finished fifth in the same Mid-Ohio race for his best result since posting a pair of seconds in the Saturday finals at Road Atlanta and Road America.

Joining Cardenas and Eslick as 2009 race winners are Bostrom, who has gone a perfect two for two in Daytona SportBike cameos on his No. 1s Team Graves Yamaha YZF-R6, and Canadian rider Chris Peris (No. 10 Erion Racing Honda CBR600RR).  Bostrom won both the season-opening Daytona 200 and at Laguna Seca in his only scheduled Daytona SportBike races of the season.  Peris won Race 1 in the rain at Road America and also has a third-place finish at Road Atlanta to his credit.

Peris is teammates with veteran Honda rider Jake Zemke (No. 1x Erion Racing Honda CBR600RR) who also factored into Erion’s strong Road America weekend with a season-high finish of second in the Sunday final.  It was Zemke’s first podium finish of the season but he also showed well at Mid-Ohio with his second fourth-place finish of the year on Saturday.  Zemke also finished fourth in the Saturday final at Road Atlanta.

Cardenas partners with the equally quick Jason DiSalvo (No. 40 Team M4 Suzuki GSX-R600) who has five podium finishes and a series-leading five poles so far in 2009.  DiSalvo finished third in the Daytona 200, Race 1 at Auto Club and in the Sunday final at Road America, in addition to season-high second-place finishes behind Cardenas in the Saturday final at Barber and the Sunday race at Infineon.  DiSalvo rounds out the top five in the championship with 235 points.

Chaz Davies (No. 57 Factory Aprilia Millennium Technologies Team Aprilia RSV1000R) is the main Aprilia threat and scored a season-high finish of second at Laguna Seca.   The British rider also has fourth-place showings at Barber, Infineon and Race 1 at Topeka that have helped keep the former Daytona 200 winner in the top-10 championship standings all season.  His fourth-place finish on Saturday at Topeka was his sixth top-five result of the year.  Steve Rapp (No. 48 Bazzaz/Pat Clark Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6) is another past Daytona 200 winner who has turned in some solid performances this season.  He scored his first podium of the year at Infineon with a third-place finish in the Saturday final, in addition to four sixth-place finishes this season.

Other Daytona SportBike riders to watch at the Big Kahuna include Eslick’s teammate Michael Barnes (No. 34 GEICO Powersports/RMR Buell 1125R), Knapp (No. 54 Latus Motors Racing Buell 1125R) and Melissa Paris (No. 13 Markbilt Racing Yamaha YZF-R6).  Barnes has a season-best showing of fifth in the Sunday final at Barber, Knapp scored his third fourth-place finish of 2009 two races ago on Sunday at Mid-Ohio and Paris, who is married to factory Yamaha rider Hayes, is prepping for her fifth event weekend of the season.  A total of 54 Daytona SportBikes are entered for the Big Kahuna.

SuperSport Title Battle

Ricky Parker (No. 96 RPR Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) clinched the AMA Pro SuperSport presented by Shoei West division championship one race ago at Topeka and another young rider could take a major step toward a title of his own in Sunday’s East division race.  Josh Day (No. 4 Team E.S.P. Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) extended his SuperSport East points lead with his second-consecutive victory at the Tornado Nationals and a third-straight win this weekend would seal the crown one race before the end of the season.

Day’s apparent run to the title received a big boost when fellow two-time race winner and former SuperSport East points leader Leandro Mercado (No. 92 Monster Energy Attack Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) missed the Topeka event.  Day’s 45-point lead over Mercado, 126 – 81, equates to more than a full-race lead and guarantees he will leave the Big Kahuna on top of the standings even if he fails to clinch the crown.  Even if Mercado scores all 32 available points at VIR, Day only needs to finish third or better to leave Virginia with the East title.

Russ Wikle (No. 5 Roadracingworld.com Suzuki GSX-R600), Joey Pascarella (No. 25 LTD Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) and Huntley Nash (No. 15 LTD Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) are winless this season but round out the top five in the East division championship standings.  Although none of the three riders has a realistic chance at the title, each has made at least one podium appearance this season and all are capable of playing a spoiler role in the year’s final two rounds.

Two more East-division riders do not factor into the championship but do when it comes to race wins. Dustin Dominguez (No. 44 House of Kawasaki/Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) joined the West division race last March at Auto Club and scored a dominating victory.  He also finished second to Day one race ago in Topeka.  Garrett Carter (No. 31 Ridersdiscount.com/Woodcraft Yamaha YZF-R6) won in the rain at Barber in May and also finished third at Mid-Ohio.

Other riders to watch this weekend include Parker, who is racing at VIR in preparation for a possible run in October’s SuperSport National Championship Shootout at Daytona.  The season-opening event was also at Daytona and that race’s winner Tyler Odom (No. 46 Erion Racing/Pro Honda Oils & Chemicals Honda CBR600RR) is entered at VIR.  J.D. Beach (No. 73 Rockwall Performance Yamaha YZF-R6) finished a season-best third at Topeka and will be looking for more at VIR while current AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT top gun Corey Rech (No. 7 AB1 Motorsports Suzuki GSX-R600) will be making his first SuperSport start in the Big Kahuna.  A total of 23 entries are set for Sunday’s SuperSport final.

SunTrust Moto-GT Youth Movement

While AMA Pro SuperSport presented by Shoei is AMA Pro Road Racing’s designated proving ground for young rider talent, the youth movement is also alive and well in AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT.  The series will be making its third straight appearance at VIR and features two classes of motorcycles racing at the same time for overall and class honors.  The faster GT1 class is home to a diverse line-up of motorcycles that includes the Buell and other big-bore bikes from Aprilia, Triumph, Ducati, Kawasaki and Suzuki.  The slightly smaller GT2 class features bikes from Kawasaki, Buell, Suzuki and Ducati.

Two new pairings of riders in their teens or early 20s have swept the last two SunTrust Moto-GT races in both classes.  The No. 13 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 of Dane Westby and Dustin Meador won in its debut at Mid-Ohio and was victorious again one race later in Topeka.  They are more than capable of going a perfect three for three at the Big Kahuna.

While Westby and Meador were shaking things up overall and in GT1, the teenage duo of Nash and Rech also seemingly came out of nowhere to win its first two races at Mid-Ohio and Topeka in the GT2 class. Riding for Touring Sport Ducshop Ducati, the new teammates won on the No. 38 Ducati PS1000LE in Ohio before being asked to step up to the GT2 class leading No. 77 Ducati PS1000LE at Topeka.

The No. 14 Crozier Motorsports Triumph Daytona 675 and lead rider Mark Crozier finished second to Westby Racing in each of the last two races in addition to winning at Barber in May.  The No. 14, which has seen both Phil Caudill and Dave Estok share the bike with Crozier this year, took the championship lead for the first time after Topeka with 109 points.  That is just five points clear of the No. 41 Liberty Waves Racing Buell 1125R of Eric Pinson and Eric Haugo and only nine markers ahead of the No. 69 TeamHurtByAccident.com Suzuki GSX-R600 and lead rider Rodolfo Ramirez, who has shared the bike this year with both Armando Ferrer and Santiago Villa. The No. 69 team won at Road Atlanta in April.

Other GT1 teams expected to be in the hunt at VIR include the No. 37 Old Pros Racing Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R of Paul Schwemmer and Brett Ray, the Daytona-winning No. 20 El Rey Beer for Kings Ducati 848 of Ben Carlson, David Ebben and Calvin Martinez and the Road America winning No. 70 James Gang/Hoban Bros. Racing Buell 1125R of Paul James and Jeff Johnson.  Day won the pole at Topeka on the No. 27 Four Feathers Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 and could return with co-rider Bryce Prince or Scotty Van Hawk at VIR.

Regardless of who is riding it, the GT2 class is all about the No. 77 Touring Sport Ducshop Ducati PS1000LE. The bike has the distinction of having the best finishing record in AMA Pro Road Racing with three wins and three second-place finishes in six starts this season.  While Rech and Nash rode the No. 77 to its most recent win, Frank Shockley and Ryan Elleby scored the other victories at Road Atlanta and Road America.  The win in Elkhart Lake was a history maker as the No. 77 also scored the overall victory, the first time a GT2 class bike beat the faster GT1 machines in a race.

The No. 77 Ducshop Ducati team has 171 points to lead the GT2 standings but is still under heavy pressure from the No. 9 Pair-A-Nines Kawasaki EX650 of Hall of Fame rider Jay Springsteen and Scott Ryan.  Springsteen won the Daytona opener on the No. 9 with then co-rider Nick Cummings, who is recovering from injuries, and that result and four more podium finishes have kept the No. 9 a close second in the GT2 championship with 140 points.  Third place in the championship with 99 points belongs to the Barber-winning No. 64 TeamHurtByAccident.com Ducati PS1000LE of John Linder and Robert Fisher. 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.  From its Daytona Beach headquarters, the organization operates and manages AMA Pro Road Racing, which includes AMA Pro American Superbike, AMA Pro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro SuperSport and AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT.  AMA Pro Racing also manages and works closely with the day-to-day operational organizations of the AMA Pro Flat Track Championship and the AMA Pro Supermoto Championship Series in addition to other two-wheel and ATV series.  Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.