From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

LIVENGOOD NAMED AMA CHEVY TRUCKS U.S. SUPERBIKE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

PICKERINGTON, Ohio–Brian Livengood, 30, of Snellville, Ga., has been named the 2002 AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Rookie of the Year. Livengood finished the season ranked ninth in the final AMA Superbike point standings. That marks the highest finish for a privateer in the final standings since Paul Harrell also finished ninth in 1997. Livengood’s 2002 racing campaign was backed by HAS, SDI, Penske, EBC Brakes, RRR, GMD, M4, Silkolene, Bakers and Dunlop Tires. He rode a Suzuki GSX-R750.

Livengood started the year off with a bang earning a surprising eighth-place finish in the prestigious Daytona 200 by Arai.

“My goal was to get a few top-15 finishes this season,” Livengood recalled. “When I took eighth in the Daytona 200 that really gave me a big boost in confidence and I had a new outlook on the season from that point.”

In all, Livengood scored top-10 finishes 11 times with a season-best sixth in the Saturday Superbike race at Virginia International Raceway on Aug. 10. He was a consistent finisher, earning points in 14 of the 16 rounds. Livengood ran as high as fourth in the series standings after round three at California Speedway. Livengood considered his strong finishes at the California tracks as a highlight of his season.

“I’d never raced on any of those tracks before,” Livengood explained. “And tracks like Sears Point have a lot of fast local riders and I was able to finish as the top privateer there and beat all of the local specialists.”

Livengood began racing in 1995, but this was his first full season in the AMA Superbike Series. He hopes to find a ride with an established team for the 2003 season and plans to return to the Superbike ranks. Livengood is the 21st rider to earn the AMA Superbike Rookie of the Year Award.

Others who have won the title previously include AMA Superbike champions Doug Chandler (1983), Scott Russell (1988), Thomas Stevens (1990), three-time AMA Grand National Flat Track Champion, Chris Carr (1995) and the late Randy Renfrow (1984).