In the Deep End
This weekend's AMA Superbike field is one of the deepest the series has ever seen. Even with the absence of Kawasaki ace Roger Hayden, who is spending the weekend turning heads in MotoGP, the AMA grid is no joke, strong twenty-some deep.
The lack of a Superstock race this weekend has allowed a number of support class standouts to focus on the premier class this weekend, and a couple of international icons -- Doug Chandler and Neil Hodgson, have rejoined the fray as well.
While the AMA Superbike series has always been extremely tough at the very top, it has faced criticism due to a less stout mid-pack in the past. Those concerns have been addressed in part in recent seasons as manufacturers Kawasaki and Yamaha came back to play and basketball luminary Michael Jordan started up his own squad.
This weekend's field could be viewed as a preview of what's to come starting in 2009, when Superbike and Superstock are merged together with the goal of creating tighter racing and lowered barriers of entry for potential contending Superbike teams.
At Laguna Seca there are ten true factory
entries from Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda, and MV Agusta. In addition, there are an equal number of solid satellite efforts, which includes the likes of former world championship stars Hodgson, Ben Bostrom, and James Ellison, as well as proven talents such as Aaron Yates, Geoff May, and Jake Holden.
The depth of the field might best be measured by a glance at Friday's practice results. Noted Laguna masters Eric and Ben Bostrom both fell outside the top ten, while Superbike race winner Jake Zemke just managed to break into the top 15. Former Tech 3 Yamaha pilot Ellison was 17th and MV Agusta's former World Superstock ace Luca Scassa was another spot down the order. The reigning Latin American Superbike champ, Robertino Pietri, was 23rd coming off his most impressive fourth-place run in the Miller Motorsports Park Superstock final.
It's easy to forget that before the four-stroke revolution revitalized the sport, Grand Prix racing suffered from a similar top-heavy reputation. It certainly appears that the AMA Superbike Championship is enjoying a similar renaissance in terms of mid-pack depth. The trend should only pick up thanks to the forthcoming rules revision.
