FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  
PICKERINGTON, Ohio (July 14, 2008) -- Welcome to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix and round seven of the 2008 AMA Superbike Championship. Thank you for joining us for this exciting weekend and helping make the AMA Superbike Championship the world's most prestigious, most watched and most successful national stage for Superbike competition.
 
America's national road race series' roots go back to 1934, when the AMA began organizing motorcycle competition in the United States. Except for a hiatus during World War II, the AMA has promoted and nurtured professional racing-on pavement and dirt-ever since. In these 74 years, the AMA has organized many different race series to accommodate motorcycles' continuously evolving technology.
 
The U.S. Superbike Championship was created in 1976 to provide a level playing field for motorcycle manufacturers to demonstrate the hard-won engineering achievements incorporated on their state-of-the-art production bikes.
 
Road racing was part of a multi-discipline AMA Grand National Championship from '76 to '86. To earn this championship of championships, racers had to accumulate points in road racing events and a variety of other dirt-specific motorcycle racing genres, including mile, half-mile, short-track and TT events. While separate road-racing championships were awarded, points collected from all of the disciplines were combined and applied toward the coveted AMA Grand National Championship title. Since 1986, the road race-based AMA Superbike Series and dirt track-based AMA Grand National Championship have existed as separate series that crown national champions in multiple classes, instead of a single, multi-discipline champion.
 
In the past 31 years, 15 racers have graduated from our domestic AMA Superbike Championship ranks to score 30 FIM world titles in the global arena; including seven in the premier MotoGP and 500 Grand Prix classes and four others in the Superbike World Championship, which was launched in 1988.
 
Today, the AMA Superbike Championship, which travels from coast to coast, has enjoyed steady growth in the number and sophistication of teams and events, audience size and media coverage it receives. The world's top motorcycle manufacturers, tire companies and associated businesses showcase their leading-edge technology at each of the eleven race venues. The adage, "Race on Sunday, sell on Monday," holds true as rider talent and motorcycle technology push the laws of physics to the very edge while redefining the limits of performance.
 
AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSES
In 2008, the AMA Superbike Championship features four distinct classes; two for highly modified machines-Superbike and Formula Xtreme-and two for near-production versions of these bikes-Supersport and Superstock.
 
AMA Superbike Presented by Parts Unlimited
The concept of Superbike racing is similar to that of championship stock car racing. Both feature vehicles that resemble production models, but allow teams to boost the power and improve the bikes' handling characteristics.Superbikes are based on each manufacturer's most powerful and modern "race-replica" sportbikes. They have either 901-1000cc, four-stroke, multi-cylinder engines or 1000-1200cc twin-cylinder powerplants. All must endure 100-kilometer races.
 
AMA Formula Xtreme
These "mini Superbikes" are on the wild side. Most Formula Xtreme machines are hopped-up versions of Supersport bikes. In the sportbike category, these four-cylinder 600s are the most popular. In addition to 600s, class rules allow the biggest displacement and most diverse engine configurations: from 550cc liquid-cooled, four-valve, four-cylinders to 1350cc air- or oil-cooled two-valve twin-cylinder powerplants. Formula Xtreme, Superstock and Supersport races are normally run 60 kilometers. Only the Daytona 200, which uses Formula Xtreme bikes, is longer.
 
AMA Superstock Presented by Dynojet
Superstock bikes are based on production, 745-1000cc multi-cylinder, four-stroke street motorcycles, mostly the 1000cc sportbikes that make up the Superbike class. True to their "stock" moniker, limited engine and chassis modifications are allowed, as are super sticky slick tires. Superstock machines may look similar to Superbikes, but aren't as fast or sophisticated as their more exotic brethren.
 
AMA Pro Honda Oils Supersport Presented by Shoei
Mostly built on the same platform as Formula Xtreme machines, Supersport bikes are closely related to those in dealer showrooms. Supersport rules mandate 0-600cc four-stroke four- and twin-cylinder engines. Set apart from the other classes, 'Sports run treaded, instead of slick, DOT-approved tires. Nonetheless, due to their parity, these bikes provide great racetrack action.