Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

2001-2003 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Approved For 2003 AMA Superbike Competition

By Michael Hannas

AMA Pro Racing National Technical Director Rob King said today that 2001-2002 GSX-R1000 models as well as the 2003 model Suzuki GSX-R1000 will be approved for competition in the 2003 AMA Superbike Championship Series.

Many teams and competitors planning on racing in the 2003 series may have assumed this to already be fact, but it wasn’t.

Only approved and homologated motorcycles may be used in AMA Superbike competition. AMA Pro Racing homologation policy allows only one model year of any given motorcycle to be homologated for Superbike racing per season. Once a motorcycle has been homologated, it remains legal for competition until new rules or regulations deem it illegal.

American Suzuki is planning on racing the 2003 GSX-R1000 with Team Yoshimura Suzuki, and only applied for homologation for the 2003 GSX-R1000, which met the requirements and was thus homologated. But the 2003 model isn’t expected to be available at dealers until sometime around Daytona, way too late for effective race preparation.

The 2001-2002 models were not legal for the AMA’s pre-2003 750cc-Four/1000cc Twin Superbike formula, and didn’t need to be homologated for AMA Formula Xtreme, where GSX-R1000 models had been racing; FX rules only require that motorcycles be produced for U.S. street use and be available through U.S. dealers. Which meant that the 2001-2002 model GSX-R1000s currently available were illegal for AMA Superbike, prior to today.

According to King, AMA Pro Racing officials realized this situation would keep many racers out of the season-opening Daytona 200, and so they decided to also allow the 2001-2002 model Suzuki GSX-R1000.

King noted that this went against the normal policy of allowing only one model per season to be homologated, but added that it was in the best interest of fair competition to make the change, given that Superbike rules changed to 1000cc for all engine configurations in 2003.

King said racers should expect AMA Pro Racing to issue a list of approved motorcycles for 2003 AMA Superbike competition shortly.