COFFEE, DONUTS, SATURDAY & SUPERBIKES SATURDAY, MARCH 10TH @ 8:00 A.M. COME JOIN US IN WATCHING THE RACE BIG SCREEN HD PLASMA BROUGHT TO YOU BY OUR FRIENDS AT AMA SB: 2007 Season Preview The long racing off-season has passed and Daytona Bike Week is now upon us, which means the AMA Superbike season is ready to get underway with the running of the storied Daytona 200. AMA SB fans have been awaiting with anticipation the championship rematch of Yoshimura Suzuki Superbike aces Ben Spies and Mat Mladin, not to mention plenty of exciting action in the three support classes. Since this is MotorcycleUSA, we'd be real slackers if we didn't devote a season preview for AMA SB, just like we did for MotoGP and World Superbike. For those of you who haven't been following the off-season intrigue, it will be an opportunity to catch up with who's gone where. For those who are unfamiliar, or altogether new to the sport, we hope this primer gives you a solid base from which to enjoy a season of exciting racing. Representing America's top professional road-racing series, AMA SB is one of the most, if not the most, prestigious national Superbike series in the world (with British Superbike also at a high level of competition). It includes four classes of competition: Superbike, Superstock, Supersport, and Formula Xtreme. For you rookies out there, we understand these divisions can be confusing, so we'll try and break it down for you. Superbike The Superbike class is the premier class in AMA SB. This is where the big boys come to play. Most American riders of international fame have AMA titles on their resumes, the most recent example being the reigning MotoGP champion, Nicky Hayden, who has an AMA Superbike championship to his credit. The Superbike class features modified 1000cc four-stroke bikes. While on the surface Superbikes are the same machines a rider can go in and purchase off the showroom floor, AMA Superbikes are modified and fine-tuned for maximum performance. New for 2007 is the return of Yamaha to the Superbike class. Gone from 2007 competition is the Ducati team, which closed shop feeling its title chances were unreachable under the current rules. (If you follow WSB, or read our WSB Season Preview, you know that the 1000cc Twins run at a horsepower disadvantage compared to 1000cc Inline-Four rivals. Ducati is lobbying hard for a displacement advantage up to 1200cc for Twins in WSB, a ruling which may filter down into the national Superbike series.) In 2007 Superbikes will be able to utilize traction control, which had been outlawed until midway through the 2006 season when the AMA reversed their previous prohibition. That makes 2007 the first full season of legal traction control. An interesting sub-plot for '07 will be whether the gap between the dominating Yoshimura Suzuki bikes (which were reputed to have a rudimentary form of traction control before the TC ban was lifted) and the remaining contenders is shortened at all. Superstock The Superstock class is a support class which utilizes the same 1000cc machinery as its Superbike sibling. The difference being Superstock bikes are allowed fewer modifications, thus the "stock" in the class designation. The races are shorter in Superstock, with Superbike races usually 100 kilometers (62 miles) and the other three support classes featuring contests of about 60 kilometers (37 miles). In theory the Superstock class is an opportunity for privateer riders (riders without factory support) to get a more level playing field. In reality the factory-supported teams dominate this class. Supersport Supersport is similar to the Superstock class, except instead of literbikes (1000cc) it utilizes Supersports (600cc). Like Superstock, the modifications allowed are limited, and also like Superstock, the factory-supported teams dominate. In Supersport, the win-on-Sunday-sell-on-Monday philosophy is paramount, and a manufacturer does everything in its power to get its 600 up on the top of the rostrum. Since Supersports are some of the top-selling street bikes around, you find a lot of premier talent waging war for the title. You also find a lot of incredible racing. Formula Xtreme Sick of keeping track of all those Supers? Well, perhaps Formula Xtreme, or FX if you want to shorten it further, is the class for you. Sort of a grab bag series, out of the four AMA SB classes FX features the most variety in machinery. The most competitive bikes are souped up Supersport machines, with the displacement cap on four-cylinders set at 600cc. There are special allowances for Twins, however, and last season there was much ado about the 1338cc Buell XBRR, which was homologated for FX under the objections of Honda. This year the AMA has widened the door further by allowing the Twin-powered Ducati 749S and Triple-configured Triumph Daytona 675 into competition. At one point the AMA wanted to have FX be the featured class of the AMA roadracing series, with the FX bikes modified 1000cc monsters. After evolving into a 600cc class the featured series concept has since petered out, although FX still gets a lot of attention as the AMA roadracing class which runs in the prestigious season-opening Daytona 200. While the upcoming season figures to be a shootout between the Erion Hondas and factory Yamahas, it will be very interesting to see if upstart privateers, like Larry Pegram on the Ducati 749, can make any noise. As a whole AMA roadracing series has some good things and bad things going for it. The class structure can be confusing, with factory supported teams dominating almost all the classes. The point system sucks, big time, with points awarded in a very Nascar-like fashion (the winner gets 36 points, while 20th-place gets 11 points, effectively ruining the title hopes of any rider who DNFs even once). The positive thing going for the AMA, however, is great racing action on the track. The '07 season promises to be an exciting one, here are the manufacturer and rider profiles to get you up to speed. Suzuki As far as the AMA Superbike class in concerned, it's a Suzuki world. With a new GSX-R1000 for '07, the Zooks figure to be just as strong this time around. But it's not all about the bike. Suzuki's Gixxer Thou is up front, in large part, because they have the two fastest riders in all of creation: Yoshimura Suzuki teammates Ben Spies and Mat Mladin. But there is something about the bike, because the top privateer team in the paddocks, M4 EMGO Suzuki and NBA legend Michael Jordan's Jordan Motorsport Suzuki, also run the GSX-R1000. Suzuki's Superport machine, the GSX-R600 will also be in contention, with riders campaigning the little Gixxer in Supersport and FX. Ben Spies - Yoshimura Suzuki - Superbike Champion: It was a banner year for the young rider from Texas, who broke out of his shell for the Superbike title. In fact, it wasn't so much a break out as an eruption. Spies is far from a lock as repeat champ, however, as his teammate Mladin showed signs of getting back on the pace at the end of 2006. Still, Spies has a decent chance at Superbike title number two, with the 22-year-old looking to get a couple more AMA titles under his belt before a potential oceanic leap into MotoGP. To that end, Spies will be the favorite to win not just Superbike, but Superstock as well. The Texan pulled double-duty last year in Supersport, but running in two classes, the potential problem will be Spies getting injured and compromising his Superbike ambitions. Mat Mladin - Yoshimura Suzuki- 2nd Superbike: A six-time Superbike champ, last season began with everyone expecting Mladin to dominate and earn number seven. At Daytona, the 35-year-old Aussie put a last-lap move on Spies for the win that had everyone muttering "here we go again..." It was like a coup de grace, but Spies didn't fall limp and lifeless. Instead, Spies rebounded and turned the tables on the master. Watching Spies beat the seemingly unbeatable Mladin was the story in the AMA last season. Mladin tried just about everything to get the upper hand back, including some head games, but nothing worked. The cagey vet will be on the gas and ready to rumble in '07, having lost his routine title. It will be a treat to see the Aussie back at it with perhaps a little more fire in the belly after getting bested by his younger teammate. Watching Mladin lose was kind of like seeing a kid beat his dad for the first time in a wrestling match. The upcoming season should be good, because the only thing better than watching Junior get the better of dad is watching the old man come back and slap his youngin' around to show him he ain't quite finished yet. At this point, if we were BookieUSA.com we'd call the title a 50/50 toss up between the two Yosh aces. Tommy Hayden - Yoshimura Suzuki - 6th Superbike: Last season Tommy Hayden was teamed with little bro, Roger Lee, on the ZX-10R, headlining Kawasaki's re-entry to Superbike. This year Hayden is partnered up with the dominating Yoshimura Suzuki squad. Whether the Kentuckian's fortunes improve as he casts his lot with Yoshimura remains to be seen. On the one hand Hayden gets what has to be considered the top machinery (as far as the results are concerned), but on the other hand, now he is third on the pecking order of his own team. The eldest of the Hayden racing clan (other little bro, Nicky, you may have heard something about), does figure to improve on his sixth-place overall from last season. If Aaron Yates (whose spot Hayden took over) is any indication, however, Hayden should expect some better results, but eclipsing his teammates will be problematic. Hayden's better title shot may be in Supersport, where as a former champ he will be riding the Gixxer 600. Aaron Yates - Jordan Suzuki - 4th Superbike: After a solid '06 campaign, Yates got dropped off the Yoshimura roster and picked up by Michael Jordan for his privateer team. Yates doesn't seem like the kind of fella to take a demotion sitting down, so expect the Georgia native to be a fearless competitor on the Gixxer Thou in both Superbike and Superstock. Yates might not be a legit title contender in Superbike, but he figures to give former teammate Spies a run for the money in Superstock. Regaining his Superstock crown is an attainable goal, but Yates should also be shooting for podium finishes in Superbike as well. Danny Eslick - Matsushima Performance Suzuki - 6th Superstock & 10th Formula Xtreme: A rising star in AMA SB, Eslick gets a shot at the GSX-R1000 in Superstock, having campaigned 2006 aboard the 600 in both Formula Xtreme (10th overall) and Supersport (6th overall). The 20-year-old from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, has come up through the flat-track ranks and was impressive enough in 2006 to earn a one-time ride on Ben Spies' Yoshimura 600 during the season finale at Mid-Ohio. With some solid placings this season in Superstock and Supersport, he just may be able to secure an '08 ride in the premier class. Geoff May - M4 EMGO Suzuki - 2nd Supersport & 4th Superstock: May had a stellar 2006, with top-five results in both Supersport and Superstock on the M4 EMGO Suzuki. Mr. Consistent in '06, May never managed a win but many podiums. Sticking with M4 EMGO, May will try and shake the winless moniker and also vie for the same titles in 2007. Honda Honda arrives at Daytona with the same CBR1000R Superbike, but with an all-new and impressive CBR600RR Supersport. The factory-supported American Honda duo of Miguel Duhamel and Jake Zemke will utilize the 600 for a one-off ride in the Daytona 200, with Zemke last year's winner and Duhamel a five-time winner of the prestigious event. Afterward, the American Hondas will focus on Superbike, while the 600 will get campaigned by the Erion Honda team in Supersport and Formula Xtreme. There will also be a handful of intriguing privateers utilizing the Honda Superbike, including three-time Superbike champion Doug Chandler. Miguel Duhamel - American Honda - 3rd Superbike: Duhamel is the ageless wonder of AMA SB. Everyone keeps expecting the 39-year-old to start pulling up lame and letting the youngsters take over, but Miggy keeps on truckin. Duhamel got his 2006 season off to a raucous start when he crashed out of the Daytona 200 lead and, even though he landed on his head, finished the race in the top-5 with his scuffed up Honda. Duhamel followed up that courageous result with a host of podiums, playing third fiddle to the Yoshimura duo of Spies and Mladin in the overall results. Maybe 2007 will be the season that Duhamel starts slowing down, but we're not betting on it. With all of his experience, you can pencil in the Honda vet for at least a couple '07 podiums. Duhamel is also a favorite for the Daytona 200. Jake Zemke - American Honda - 7th Superbike: Zemke's claim to fame in '06 was the fact that he was the lone '06 race winner not to sport the last name of Spies or Mladin. Jake the Snake snagged a win at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah, but didn't excel much beyond. The Honda rider regressed somewhat, and was the second rider in the Honda paddock next to Duhamel. The fan favorite will have to lobby hard for a title, so expect Zemke to try and step it up in '07. The high point of 2006 for Zemke may have been his victory in the Daytona 200. If Zemke can pull off consecutive Daytona 200 wins, it might just be the momentum he needs to get his Superbike season off on a positive track. Josh Hayes - Erion Honda - FX Champion & 5th Superstock: Hayes was a cool cucumber heading down the final stretch of the down-to-the-wire FX championship hunt. The Erion Honda ace was consistent all season long and took the title when he claimed the checkers at the season finale, besting the winningest FX rider ever, Eric Bostrom. This season Hayes will defend that title and switches from Superstock to Supersport, so the Mississippi native will get mighty familiar with the new CBR600RR. Aaron Gobert - Erion Honda - 4th Formula Xtreme & 10th Superstock: One of the three Gobert racing brothers (one of whom, Alex, has been an MCUSA test ringer and article contributor), Aaron is the only Gobert racing in the AMA and the former Superstock champ is looking to get his career back on track with the Erion Honda team. Gobert had a decent 2006, but will be looking to improve in '07. Like his teammate, Hayes, the Australian rider will be exclusive to the CBR600RR in Supersport and Formula Xtreme. James Ellison - Corona Extra Honda - 18th MotoGP: Ellison heads for American shores after disappointment in MotoGP. Contesting Superbike for the Corona Extra Honda team, it will be interesting to see if America turns out to be the land of opportunity. Ellison's brief MotoGP stint, aboard the Tech 3 Yamaha, was an exercise in futility, as the bike was never able to match its competitors. If anything, at least the British rider will be vying for single-digit finishes in the AMA, something the Tech 3 never did. Doug Chandler - NFS Racing: What business does the 41-year-old Chandler have contesting the AMA Superbike series? Well he's a three-time AMA SB champion and is one of four men to earn the AMA "Grand Slam" by taking a victory in four different racing disciplines (TT, short track, half mile and mile, as well as road racing). In 2007 Chandler has a simple goal for NFS, take a podium with No Factory Support - thus the team's moniker. We wish Chandler the best and, even though it's a long shot, we hope our one-time trackday teacher shows those youngsters what's what and puts the NFS Honda up on the steps. Kurtis Roberts - NFS Racing: The red-headed offspring of racing legend Kenny Roberts, Kurtis will be teamed with the legendary Chandler on the NFS squad. Last season Roberts subbed on the M4 EMGO Suzuki in Formula Xtreme and managed a podium. With a full year, presuming NFS is a full-time effort, Roberts will get plenty opportunities to play spoiler. Yamaha The tuning fork brand re-enters the Superbike class in 2007 with the new R1. Yamaha opted to sit out '06 in the premier class and focus on the support classes, snagging the Superstock and Supersport titles courtesy of Jamie Hacking, and almost hauling in the FX title with Eric Bostrom. Now Hacking is gone, and the boys in blue will campaign all four series. Eric Bostrom - Factory Yamaha - 2nd Formula Xtreme & 6th Superstock: The ace up Yamaha's sleeve, E-Boz returns to Superbike after a year toiling in the support classes. Bostrom made the most of his year, however, and almost claimed the title in Formula Xtreme. Mechanical problems knocked him out of Superstock title contention, but Bostrom was able to get back to regular podium status in both classes, winning an entire slew of FX races. Provided the new R1 delivers, Bostrom's '06 success could help vault the 30-year-old into his first-ever Superbike title. Jason DiSalvo - Factory Yamaha - 3rd Superstock & 3rd Formula Xtreme: DiSalvo goes into the 2007 season with a lot to prove. Known as a top qualifier, DiSalvo has had trouble turning pole positions into wins. That said, the 23-year-old has snared the checkers on more than one occasion. This season the Yamaha rider steps up into the Superbike class. As the Yamaha and DiSalvo are an unknown commodity at the premier level at this point, it's anyone's guess where in the standings the young rider will find himself at season's end. The fact that he blew a championship lead in the '06 FX title chase doesn't bode well for Superbike title aspirations, but 2007 will be a telling one and all eyes will be watching to see if DiSalvo takes a step forward or backward in his development. Ben Bostrom - Graves Yamaha - 9th Superbike: Instead of trying to scrape something together overseas, Ben Bostrom decided to stick with his brother and business partner, Eric, and campaign on the Yamaha R1 in Superstock (a similar position his brother found himself in for 2006). Left out in the cold when Ducati bolted from Superbike, Bostrom figures to be a major player in Superstock. If Bostrom soars in the support class, while DiSalvo falters in Superbikes, DiSalvo will start to feel the pressure clamping down, because a Boz-Bro Yamaha Superbike team sounds so right it almost hurts our ears. Josh Herrin - Graves Yamaha - 10th AMA Supersport: Herrin jumped onto the AMA SB radar with his surprising third-place Supersport podium at Miller. After that the 16-year-old had some growing pains, but the youngster has Yamaha support and a half season under his belt. The good news is that now that he is 16 he's legal to race the Daytona opener! One of the brightest young stars in the AMA paddock, Herrin's name will be one to watch in the years to come. Kawasaki Team Green's 2007 roster got shaken up in the off-season. Gone is the all-Hayden lineup, with Tommy bolting for Suzuki. The Japanese marque will try to recover from the loss with replacement Jamie Hacking. Bringing in the defending Superstock and Supersport champion, Kawasaki not only adds a viable competitor for the Superbike class but gets an ace to campaign its new-for-2007 ZX-6R in the coveted Supersport championship. Jamie Hacking - Monster Energy Kawasaki - Superstock Champion & Supersport Champion: Hacking returns to Superbike aboard the Kawasaki ZX-10R. The British-born rider's desire to compete in the premier class was the impetus of his move from longtime employer Yamaha. Hacking is sort of an unknown quantity in Superbike, but enters the mix with the momentum of a spectacular 2006 campaign, where he claimed both the Superstock and Supersport titles for Yamaha. A double title will be a lot to ask for Kawasaki, but they're putting Hacking on double duty, racing the all-new ZX-6R in Supersport. Hacking will run the number-2 plate on the little Zixxer and alongside Hayden, the Kawasaki duo will be a formidable team. Roger Lee Hayden - Monster Energy Kawasaki - 5th Supersport & 17th Superbike: Hacking gets a lot of ink as the '06 Supersport champ, but Roger Lee Hayden was the front-runner for that title before a crash in Superbike ruined his 2006 season. The crash left the youngest of the Hayden racing clan with a broken leg. Presuming he is healthy, Hayden showed he had the speed to run up with big bro Tommy in Superbike and in Supersport, Roger Lee is right there with Hacking as the pre-season favorite. The key for Roger Lee will be keeping the rubber on the road and the crutches stowed away in long-term storage. Ben Attard - Attack Kawasaki - 4th Supersport & 11th Superstock: Attard had a solid '06 season for the Attack Kawasaki team, finishing fourth in Supersport. For 2007, the 26-year-old Australian will focus on the new ZX-6R, campaigning in both Supersport and Formula Xtreme. A multi-podium finisher in '06, Attard will try to make the jump up to title contender for '07. Steve Rapp - Attack Kawasaki - 7th Superstock & 11th Superbike: Rapp joins Attard on the Attack Kawasaki team for 2007 after leaving the Jordan Suzuki team. Like his teammate, Rapp will focus on the 600, racing in both Supersport and FX. This will be a change from '06, as the 36-year-old was riding the 1000cc Suzuki in Superstock and Superbike. Maybe the change of displacement will jumpstart the veteran rider's career. Ducati The Italian marque is gone from Superbike, but Ducati North America has stepped up to keep some presence in the AMA by helping out privateer rider Larry Pegram in Formula Xtreme. Equipped with a Ducati 749R, Pegram will be allowed to up displacement on his ride to 850cc under new '07 FX rules. It may not be what loyal Ducatisti want most, but rooting for Pegram in Formula Xtreme is something. Pegram was 10th in Superbike as a privateer Honda rider, so the 33-year-old knows how to race. He will be an intriguing addition to the FX paddock. MV Agusta While Ducati packed up shop, another sexy Italian brand, MV Agusta, moved into the Superbike absence. Fast by Ferracci owner, Eraldo Ferracci, returns to AMA SB with the Italian marque, owning the prestige of two championships in both AMA SB and WSB during the '90s with Ducati. Can Eraldo transfer that success with the one-time racing powerhouse, MV Agusta? American Matt Lynn and Italian Luca Scassa will be the ones to make it happen, or not, on the new Fast by Ferracci MV Agusta team. Buell Last season Buell's effort in AMA Formula Xtreme was little more than a novelty. Clutch meltdowns during the lengthy Daytona 200 didn't get things off to a great start, and the controversial XBRR didn't prove to be a contender. With Buell's top hired guns, Steve Crevier and Jeremy McWilliams, heading off to Canadian Superbike and MotoGP, who knows which Buell rider will pop up to carry the American manufacturer torch. The AMA SB season gets underway this week at Daytona and features live coverage from Speed Channel. The televised Bike Week racing schedule is as follows, courtesy of Speed and the AMA: Thursday, March 8 - 2:30 p.m. (EST) - 3.5 hours of coverage, including Daytona 200 qualifying, Supersport and AMA Superstock racing (Live) Friday, March 9 - 9:30 p.m. (EST) - Daytona Supercross Saturday, March 10 - 11 a.m. (EST) - AMA Superbike (Live) - 12:30 p.m. (EST) - AMA Grand National Flat Track racing - 1:30 p.m. (EST) - Daytona 200 (Live) Eastside Moto Sports 13029 NE 20th St. Bellevue, WA 98005-2002 www.eastsidemotosports.com Click here for store hours and map. To subscribe to this newsletter, click here.

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