AMA AND MAZDA RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA CONSIDERING ADDITIONAL AMA SUPERBIKE EVENT, FEWER CLASSES AT RED BULL U.S. GRAND PRIX

The 2007 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix featuring the MotoGP World Championship and AMA Superbike Championship will be held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on July 20-22, 2007.

Kerry Graeber, AMA Pro Racing Vice President, Director of Communications said the conversations are very preliminary at this point but that the AMA and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca would like to see both initiatives happen.

“We’re excited about the possibility of adding a stand-alone AMA Superbike event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca,” said Graeber. I also think everybody agrees that trying to run all four AMA classes at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix is overly optimistic. Featuring two classes instead of four is better from a logistics standpoint and will result in a better overall show. It will also benefit our competitors with increased track time for practice and qualifying sessions.”

Gill Campbell, CEO/General Manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca echoed Graeber’s thoughts. “We want to continue showcasing AMA road racing alongside the MotoGP World Championship while simultaneously creating a new AMA weekend for later in the season. We see this as the best of both worlds for competitors participating in the AMA Superbike Championship.”

No date for the separate AMA event has been determined but Campbell confirmed that the companies are looking at September. “There are a couple of weekends in September that work from our perspective,” said Campbell. “The AMA is finalizing its 2007 schedule right now and determining how those two options work overall.” A final decision on both issues is expected within the next two weeks.

About Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and SCRAMP: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca was built in 1957 and has been operated since its inception by the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP). The world-renowned 2.238-mile, 11-turn permanent road course has seen many of the all-time greats in motorsports grace its technically challenging layout that includes the spectacular signature Corkscrew (Turns 8 and 8A). Among the many who have raced here are the likes of Mario Andretti, Wayne Rainey, Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson, Michael Andretti, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Jackie Stewart and on and on through a virtual who’s who of automobile and motorcycle racing. SCRAMP is a not-for-profit corporation that donates net proceeds from each race season to the volunteer organizations that help put on the events at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

About AMA Pro Racing

AMA Pro Racing is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its properties include the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship and the AMA Supermoto Championship.

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