East Troy, Wis. (March 20, 2009) Shawn Higbee’s inspiring privateer run to a top five finish in last month’s Daytona 200 was the highlight of Buell’s results at the AMA season opener, but it also marked an important milestone in Higbee’s career as the race came on his last day as an employee of Buell Motorcycle Company. Today, Higbee kicks off his re-entry into AMA Pro racing as a full-time privateer as AMA Pro Racing competition begins at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Higbee, a veteran of the Macau GP and the 2001 Formula USA Unlimited Superbike champion, is no stranger to racing in the AMA or as a privateer. His best season in AMA Superbike competition came in 2003 when he finished 6th in the final championship standings and earned that season’s Top Privateer Award. He finished 11th in the 2004 Superbike standings before being sidelined for two seasons with a hand injury. Higbee returned to racing in 2007 and 2008 with Richie Morris Racing in the SunTrust MOTO-ST series GST and SST classes. For the 2009 season, Higbee will focus on the AMA Daytona SportBike and American Superbike classes in addition to chasing contingency money at Willow Springs Motorcycle Club events in California with the assistance of his longtime sponsor Bartels’ Harley-Davidson/Buell. Employed at Buell since 1998 first as a test rider and later into the expanded role of an R&D test technician, Higbee played an instrumental role in the development of the liquid-cooled 1125R for street and racing use as well as a number of the air-cooled models that proceeded it. “I was fortunate to have been hired at Buell and it was amazing to see how it’s grown,” Higbee said. “When I started at Buell, I didn’t really understand the engineering behind building a motorcycle, but I took what I knew from racing and shared it with the engineers at Buell, and in return I learned the ‘how and why’ that helped me understand what parts were supposed to be doing.” “I’m really excited about the future of Buell racing and I’m anxious to continue helping any I can. I think the 1125R has real potential. My goals for the year are to be on the podium a couple of times in the SportBike class and continue developing the Superbike. Just to be in the top 5 [at Daytona] was an accomplishment.” Higbee’s fifth place finish was all the more remarkable for the fact that his crew consisted solely of family, friends, and volunteers. Privateer racing tests a rider in many more ways than just on the track. Higbee will skip the AMA’s Road Atlanta round to focus on securing sponsorship to complete the remaining rounds. “I’ve definitely got myself in a position where it’s going to be difficult,” Higbee admitted. “We’ll probably be running on used tires for the second races [of the weekend] to save money, and until I can get the parts and money for a backup bike, I’ve got to be frugal on the track to keep the bike up. But I can visualize myself winning on the Buell, which is the first step. Now I just need to put all the pieces together.” Founded by visionary motorcycle designer and former privateer racer Erik Buell in 1983, Buell Motorcycle Company, a subsidiary of Harley-Davidson, Inc., produces sport motorcycles, motorcycle parts, accessories and apparel, including the 1125R superbike and air-cooled XB-series Ulysses, Firebolt, and Lightning. To learn more about Buell motorcycles, or to locate the dealer nearest you, log onto www.buell.com.