A $65,000 spread in negotiations killed any chance of AMA classes being involved in the combined World Superbike/World Supersport event at Miller Motorsports Park. The track’s move to include World Supersport for 2009 reduced the amount of track time available for AMA classes and led to the AMA Pro Racing decision to bring just two of the four AMA Pro classes. That’s the word from sources close to the negotiations, which broke down last week. AMA Pro Racing wanted $250,000 from the track to include AMA Daytona SportBike and SupertSport classes in the program and bring officials needed to run an FIM World Championship event, and the track offered $150,000. The purse payout for the two AMA classes would have exceeded $100,000 and other expenses associated with the event would have made it a loser for AMA Pro Racing, sources said. The track declined an AMA Pro Racing 2009-only counter-offer of $215,000, leaving the two parties $65,000 apart. The track paid a sanction fee of more than $250,000 to bring all four AMA classes in 2008, but knowledgeable sources said the track also paid a percentage of spectator ticket sale revenue. No percentage of the spectator gate was included in 2009 negotiations. Track sources say that the reduced payment offered for AMA participation is justified because there is no live TV in 2009 and because only two AMA classes were included. AMA Pro Racing sources say the lack of available track time made it impossible to provide adequate practice time for competitors in more than two classes. Miller Motorsports Park is believed to be paying the series promoter, InFront Motor Sports, about $1 million to bring the World Superbike and World Supersport classes to the event. The track has never operated at a profit and is expected to lose money again in 2009. The loss of a lucrative sponsorship deal with American Honda has increased financial pressure on the track, located near Salt Lake City, in Tooele, Utah. More information will be posted as it becomes available.