2011 AMA Pro Road Racing Season Preview

In the midst of thousands of motorcyclists flocking to the 70th annual Daytona Bike Week festival, the 2011 AMA Pro Road Racing series is prepping for its much-anticipated season opening round and the prestigious Daytona 200. Daytona International Speedway will host the first round of the American SuperBike and Daytona SportBike Championships, as well as Motorcycle-Superstore.com’s SuperSport Championship. As the clock ticks down to the fireworks, MCUSA is here to provide a look at AMA Pro Racing’s revamped field before it makes its way to the high banks of Daytona.
 
American SuperBike

Josh Hayes returns with Graves Yamaha to defend his American SuperBike title. Hayes bested rival Tommy Hayden for the 2010 crown via seven wins and another seven podiums. This year the Mississippi native and his Yamaha squad enjoy the backing of Monster Energy sponsorship, entering the 2011 campaign the presumptive favorite. The 36-year-old posted the quickest lap during Daytona’s Dunlop tire test, with Hayes looking for his first-ever Superbike victory at DIS.
 
Tommy Hayden will renew his position as lead foil to Hayes’ title quest. Once again campaigning under the Yoshimura Rockstar Makita Suzuki banner, Hayden managed five wins and 10 podiums of his own in 2010. The eldest of the Hayden boys, Tommy was only 0.3 seconds adrift of Hayes at the preseason Daytona test and figures to be a prime contender in 2011. Joining Hayden again at Yoshimura is 23-year-old Blake Young. Despite missing three rounds from the 2010 series due to back injury, Young finished sixth overall after a double victory at Road Atlanta, a win during the final round at Barber and two more podiums. The Wisconsin native now holds top-six finishes in the last two seasons of SuperBike and looks primed to progress into full contender status for 2011.
 
The Yosh squad headlines another strong contingent of Suzukis in the premier AMA class. The National Guard-sponsored Michael Jordan Motorsports may just outshine their rivals with the addition of heavy hitters Ben Bostom and Roger Hayden. Bostrom took fifth overall last season riding for the Pat Clark Yamaha squad, with a total of eight podiums and a win at Laguna Sec. The elder Bostrom also nailed down back-to-back second-place finishes at Infineon. Meanwhile Roger Hayden is rebounding from a lackluster stint with the Pedercini Kawasaki outfit in World Superbike. The prodigal son returns to his AMA home where has a total of 14 race wins and 38 podiums, as well as a Supersport title. Roger Lee never quite got things clicking in Superbikes during his previous AMA tenure, where he rode a Kawasaki. Maybe this second go ‘round will be different.
 
"I'm so excited to be a part of Team Jordan," said Hayden. "These guys have a great crew and I'm excited to get on the bike as soon as possible. I'm ready to show what I'm made of... It's also good to be home, there's no place like home."
 
M4 Suzuki is yet another two-man Suzuki squad that should call the Superbike top-10 home. While the familiar face of Chris Ulrich returns for another campaign on the GSX-R1000, Colombian Martin Cardenas has answered to call and moved up to the big bike. Cardenas enters the Superbike fray with two impressive seasons in the Daytona SportBike ranks, claiming the 2010 DSB crown. Should Cardenas make a seamless adaptation to the literbike, his name could become a visitor to the ASB podium.
 
Hayes may be the favorite with Yamaha, and Suzuki may hold the most talent-packed arsenal, but Kawasaki and BMW have seen their fortunes raise in 2011 as well. Kawasaki will attempt to reignite its efforts in the AMA paddock with veteran rider, Eric Bostrom, riding the Team Cycle World Attack Performance ZX-10R in both SuperBike races at Daytona. Kawasaki has to be keen about getting the completely redesigned ZX-10R in the AMA mix, and fans will be happy to catch a glimpse of one of the more popular riders on the circuit as he attempts to find a full-time sponsor.
 
In the BMW camp, long-time Ducati rider Larry Pegram has tapped the S1000RR as the Foremost Insurance/Pegram Racing weapon for 2011. The 37-year-old Ohioan scored unexpected victories in 2010 and 2009 with Ducati and looks to establish the S1000RR as a winner in 2011. Adding more motivation to the 2011 season, the Pegram clan’s racing efforts will be the subject of a new reality television show “Superbike Family.” Also racing the BMW in 2011 will be vet rider Jeremy Toye, who have managed to get the Beemer up on the road racing steps, taking third at the Macau Grand Prix this past November.
 
One final notable entrant in the 2011 American SuperBike season is Geoff May, who will keep the Buell name alive in AMA racing. The former M4 and Jordan Suzuki rider will campaign Erik Buell Racing machinery, with EBR inking a three-year deal will AMSOIL earlier this off-season. May will begin the season aboard an EBR 1125R, with plans to race the recently revealed 1190RS by Round 2 at Infineon.
 
Breaking with the traditional one-race Superbike opener at Daytona, the American SuperBike class will run two races on the new Daytona surface. The first ASB race will cap off Friday’s racing festivities, with the second 15-lap ASB affair warming up the crowds before Saturday’s Daytona 200.