New scene in Superbike

There's a whole lot of new in the premier AMA Superbike class this year.

Probably the prettiest new bikes on pit row are the MVs, fielded by the Fast by Ferracci team of Luca Scassa and Matt Lynn. The bikes are F1-1000Rs and add an Italian flare to a line-up otherwise dominated by the Japanese teams.

Speaking of the Japanese, all four major manufacturers are represented this year.

Yamaha is back in AMA Superbike with full-factory effort, running Eric Bostrom and Jason Disalvo on YZF-R1s. Also on a Yamaha Superbike is Eric's brother Ben, who's riding under the Graves Yamaha tent. E-Boz was the fastest Yamaha, with a 1:40.090.

Last year's double Superstock/Supersport champion Jamie Hacking is a familiar face on a new bike. Hacking, who raced Yamahas in '07, looked comfortable on his new Monster Energy Kawasaki laying down a time of 1:40.045.

Another new rider on green is Akira Yanagawa. The former World Superbike rider is riding a Kawasaki ZX-10R this year in AMA Superbike. His fastest time was a 1:42.275.

Tommy Hayden made the move to Yoshimura Suzuki, and got up to speed on his new GSX-R1000, running a 1:40.853.

Although he's not technically a new face on a new Superbike team this year, Tommy's brother Roger Lee missed much of last year due to an injury he suffered at the Barber round. Consider him totally healed, however. Roger Lee posted a 1:39.382, the fourth fastest time this morning behind Yoshimura Suzuki riders Mat Mladin and Ben Spies and Honda's Jake Zemke.

Although Miguel Duhamel and Zemke are carrying the factory banner for Honda, there are a couple old faces riding red this year. The No Factory Support Racing team of Doug Chandler and Kurtis Roberts were doing their best to keep pace on CBR1000RRs. Chandler was 23rd fastest with a 1:44.253, while Roberts was right behind with a 1:44.263.

Riders and teams aren't the only new things at Daytona. New at the Speedway is a pit lane speed limit of 50 mph. Factory pilots appear to be using electronic rev limiters to keep their speed below the cutoff. Most appeared to have an extra switch on the left handlebar to control the rev limiter.


Jamie Hacking comes to terms with his new Kawasaki Superbike.


Also riding Superbike for Kawasaki at Daytona is former World Superbike star Akira Yanagawa.


Yeah, sometimes you have to obey a speed limit even in racing.


Eraldo Ferracci is back, now with a Superbike effort for the MV Agusta factory.


There's a new number 1 in town on the Ben Spies Suzuki.


Jason DiSalvo celebrated Yamaha's return to Superbike with a new haircut.


Eric Bostrom settles in on his new Yamaha machine.


Tommy Hayden shifts from Kawasaki to Yoshimura Suzuki.

© 2007, American Motorcyclist Association