AMA Superbike 101

The AMA Superbike Championship traces its roots back to 1934, when the AMA first organized motorcycle road racing in the United States. Over the years, the AMA has organized many different road race series to accommodate the continuously evolving technology of motorcycles.

The AMA Superbike Championship was created in 1976 to provide an affordable, level playing field for professional race teams, and as a platform for motorcycle manufacturers to showcase their production sport-performance models. The success of the AMA Superbike formula led to international adoption by FIM and subsequent implementation in virtually every developed country in the world.

A major change occurred in 1986, when the AMA's professional road-racing program diversified from the overall Grand National Championship program. Prior to 1986, riders accumulated points in a variety of race formats including road racing, dirt oval, short-track and Tourist-Trophy events. While separate road-racing championships were awarded, points collected from the various race formats could be combined and applied toward a single elite goal: the coveted AMA Grand National Championship title. Since 1986, the AMA Superbike Series, road race support classes and Grand National Championship have existed as independent championship series.

Today, the AMA Superbike Championship stands as the world's premier national Superbike series, and tours with the AMA Supersport Championship and three additional top-caliber bike classes: AMA Superstock and the Formula Xtreme series. The AMA Superbike Championship and support classes are defined by some of the closest and most heated competition in motorsports. Each season, increases in rider talent and motorcycle technology redefine the limits of personal performance and push the laws of physics to the very edge.

To better reflect motorcycle market changes and create a more level playing field, in 2003 AMA Pro Racing announced several rule-changes for the AMA Superbike Championship.

Starting in 2003, the AMA Superbike Championship is open to competitors using 1000cc multi-cylinder machines with specific restrictions on weight and engine modifications. Given these restrictions, it is expected that 750cc four-cylinder and 1000cc twin-cylinder machines will remain competitive in the series.

Since 1976, the AMA Superbike Championship has enjoyed steady growth in teams, events and audiences, which have risen alongside the popularity of street sport bikes and increased television broadcasts. The world's top motorcycle manufacturers develop and showcase their leading-edge technology at AMA Superbike races. The adage, "Race on Sunday, sell on Monday," still holds true. These elite championship teams attract an international field of top-caliber racers from every corner of the globe.

The AMA Superbike Championship and support classes are followed by millions of fans around the world, at race events, on television broadcasts and via the Internet.

Now that you know a bit about the history of the championship, here’s a detailed look at the points payout structure and more details about each class.

Championship points payout

Points are awarded to the top-30 finishers in all classes according to the following schedule:

Riders who qualify for a final event must participate in the race and complete 50 percent of the race laps run in order to receive championship points. However, riders will receive purse money for their earned grid positions if there are purse-paying positions beyond the number of riders listed in the results. But there are other ways to earn additional points.

Pole Position point:

A bonus point will be paid to the fastest qualifier or pole position winner in all classes.

Lap Leader point:

One bonus point will be paid to the rider leading the most laps in each final event. In the event of a tie for most laps led, the rider in the lead position last will be awarded the bonus point.

Believe it or not, the need for championship tie-breakers is large. There have been a number of championships decided by a tie-breaker. In the event that there is a tie for a championship, that tie will be broken based on the number of wins in the series. If that does not break a tie, the number of second-place finishes will be compared, then thirds, fourths, etc. until the tie is broken. If a tie remains, the best finish in the last race will determine the champion. Ties will be broken as they occur as well as at the end of the year.

AMA Superbike Championship

The headliner in U.S. motorcycle road racing is the highly competitive AMA Superbike Championship. Superbikes are racing motorcycles that are modified versions of machines originally sold for street use. The concept of Superbike racing is similar to that of championship stock car racing—to have machines that visually resemble production models, while allowing freedom to the tuner to improve the power and handling characteristics of the machine.

Superbike class rules apply to 1000cc motorcycles. For details on these rules, refer to the AMA Pro Racing Rulebook’s Equipment Standards section available from amaproracing.com's Rulebook & Bulletins section

Final AMA Superbike races are normally 100 kilometers in length, except at the Daytona 200, where the race is 200 miles.
Timed qualifying is used for AMA Superbike races. For times qualifying events, a rider’s best lap time must be within 110% of the fastest qualifying rider’s best lap time in order to pre-qualify for one of the available grid positions in the final.

Riders currently, or at the end of the previous season, listed in the top ten in points in one or more classes, will be permitted one provisional start per season in each of those classes. Such riders will be placed on the back row of the grid should they not qualify through the normal procedure. Riders eligible for provisional starts must notify the race manager in writing of their intent to use a provisional start within one hour of the conclusion of qualifying for each class they are requesting the provisional for.

AMA Supersport Championship

AMA Supersport, along with AMA Superstock, is the closest motorcycles to showroom stock in the AMA Superbike Championship, and is based on production four-stroke street motorcycles. The motorcycles in this class generally provide some of the closest racing around the racetrack, and use the following engine displacements:

• 0-600cc 4-stroke four- and twin-cylinders

Race length for AMA Supersport final events is 60 kilometers.

Timed qualifying is also used in these two classes. For timed qualifying sessions, a rider's best lap time must be within 112% of the fastest qualifying rider's best lap time in order to pre-qualify for one of the available grid positions in the final race.
Riders currently, or at the end of the previous season, listed in the top 10 in points in one or more classes, will be permitted one provisional start per season in each of those classes. Such riders will be placed on the back row of the grid should they not qualify through the normal procedure.

AMA Formula Xtreme Series

AMA Formula Xtreme are allowed the largest displacement engines in the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship and are based on production four-stroke street motorcycles. The motorcycles in this class must have the following engine displacements:

• 450cc-600cc multi-cylinder
• 595cc-750cc liquid-cooled twin-cylinder
• 850cc-1350cc air-cooled twin-cylinder

AMA Formula Xtreme final races are normally 60 kilometers in length

Timed qualifying is used in AMA Formula Xtreme. For timed qualifying events, a rider’s best lap time must be within 112% of the fastest qualifying rider’s best lap time in order to pre-qualify for one of the available grid positions in the final.

Riders currently, or at the end of the previous season, listed in the top ten in points in one or more classes, will be permitted one provisional start per season in each of those classes. Such riders will be placed on the back row of the grid should they not qualify through the normal procedure. Riders eligible for provisional starts must notify the race manager in writing of their intent to use a provisional start within one hour of the conclusion of qualifying for each class they are requesting the provisional for.

AMA Superstock Series

AMA Superstock, along with AMA Supersport, is the closest motorcycles to showroom stock in the AMA Superbike Championship, and is based on production four-stroke street motorcycles. The motorcycles in this class generally provide some of the closest racing around the racetrack, and use the following engine displacements:

• 745cc-1000cc multi-cylinders

The final race for both classes is normally 60 kilometers in length.

Timed qualifying is used in AMA Supersport and Superstock. For timed qualifying events, a rider’s best lap time must be within 112% of the fastest qualifying rider’s best lap time in order to pre-qualify for one of the available grid positions in the final.

Riders currently, or at the end of the previous season, listed in the top ten in points in one or more classes, will be permitted one provisional start per season in each of those classes. Such riders will be placed on the back row of the grid should they not qualify through the normal procedure. Riders eligible for provisional starts must notify the race manager in writing of their intent to use a provisional start within one hour of the conclusion of qualifying for each class they are requesting the provisional for.

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