AMA Press Release: Suberbikes Head to Sears Point

08/14/96

R96113			Contact: Larry Lawrence
August 7, 1996		Phone: (614) 891-2425
For Immediate Release	Fax: (614) 891-7368

INTENSE AMA SUPERBIKE SERIES MOVES TO SEARS POINT


WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- The battle for the 1996 AMA Superbike
Championship, one of the most competitive in the 20-year history of
the nation's premier motorcycle road racing series, will visit Sears
Point Raceway in Sonoma, California, on August 23-25. The top three
riders in the series--defending champion Miguel Duhamel, past champ
Doug Chandler and first-time hopeful Tom Kipp--are within 15 points of
one another with only two races remaining on the '96 schedule.

Although attention focuses on the lead trio, no less than six riders
still have a mathematical shot at the title. Four different riders
have won so far this season, including Italian upstart Alessandro
Gramigni, a veteran grand prix campaigner who has scored two wins in
his first season aboard a Ducati Superbike. Duhamel has four Superbike
wins this season and is hoping to nail down his fifth at Sears Point,
where the Smokin' Joe's Honda rider is a two-time winner. He edged out
Doug Polen by a wheel length in 1993 and won a record-setting sixth
consecutive Superbike race at Sears Point last August.  Duhamel has to
be considered the favorite again this year, but it figures to be a
tough battle for the Los Angeles-based Canadian.

Doug Chandler seemed to have a solid hold on the title until the most
recent race in the series, July 14 at Brainerd (Minnesota)
International Raceway. While running second, just ahead of Duhamel,
Chandler's Team Muzzy Kawasaki blew a cooling hose and
overheated. Chandler was forced to retire from the race and
surrendered the series lead to Duhamel. But the 1990 AMA Superbike
Champion from Salinas, California, is still very much in the hunt for
the title, standing just 10 points behind Duhamel. He'll try to cut
away at that lead by scoring his first-ever win at Sears Point.

Quietly working his way into contention this year is Chardon, Ohio's
Tom Kipp. Although winless, the Vance & Hines Yamaha rider has
finished consistently all season, including podium finishes in each of
the last three events. A nine-year Superbike veteran, Kipp is long
overdue for his first AMA Superbike victory, and if he scores it at
Sears Point he'll put a lot of heat on Duhamel and Chandler.

The wildcard in the series this year is affable Italian Alessandro
Gramigni, the 1992 125cc World Champion who has adapted quickly to his
Fast by Ferracci Ducatis with two wins in four starts.

Another interesting aspect to consider for the Sears Point Superbike
National is the rumored return of two-time World Superbike and former
AMA Superbike Champion Doug Polen. The 1988 Sears Point Superbike
winner returned to AMA competition at Wisconsin's Road America in June
and rode to an easy SuperTeams victory aboard an Ebsco Industries
Suzuki with teammate Dale Quarterley. Since then Polen has looked
strong in races overseas and could make a strong showing at Sears.

In the AMA 250cc Grand Prix Series, Rich Oliver of Fresno, California,
is closing in on an unprecedented perfect season. Already the leading
AMA 250 GP winner in the history of the series, Oliver hopes to add
yet another record to his collection by sweeping all 10 races on the
'96 calendar. Oliver is a two-time Sears Point 250 Grand Prix winner.
With six wins already in '96, Duhamel has a solid lead in the Pro
Honda Oils 600cc SuperSport Series coming into Sears. Team Kinko's
Kawasaki rider Thomas Stevens hasn't given up though. After a slew of
seconds Stevens is determined stand atop the podium before the season
is over.

Aaron Yates finished second to a factory rider in the Teamline 750cc
SuperSport race at Sears Point last year as a privateer. The Georgian
is now himself a factory rider for the Yoshimura Suzuki team and is
hoping to move up one spot this year. He will need to in order to
close in on the championship lead of Pascal Picotte, who leads Yates
by six points.

A couple of young Californians, Matt Wait of Lodi and Ben Bostrom of
Redondo Beach, are locked in a great battle for the Progressive
Insurance Harley-Davidson SuperTwins Series title. The duo are seldom
far apart on the track. As rookies last year, Wait finished fifth and
Bostrom was sixth in the final series standings, and their rivalry
continues in '96.

Erion Racing is trying to wrest the Performance Machine SuperTeams
title from Ebsco Industries Suzuki, and a mere point separates the
teams. Standing in the wings waiting for either team to falter is Moto
Liberty Honda, which is third in the points race. The Sears Point
SuperTeams race, which Team Ebsco won last year under the name of
Cycle Motion, will go a long way in determining the eventual
champions.