Full-Course Cautions Suspended For Mid-Ohio as Safety Bike Program Readies for Topeka Debut Changes for Mid-Ohio Result From Consultation with Top Riders Following Laguna Seca Races DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 14, 2009) – After productive and constructive discussions with several top riders following the recent event weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, AMA Pro Road Racing Officials announced today that the full-course yellow flag procedure used to date this season will be suspended for this weekend’s Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tires at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The one-race hiatus will allow AMA Pro Road Racing to continue to work with competitors in developing policies and procedures around the new AMA Pro Safety Bike Program that will debut one event from now at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kansas, July 31 – August 2. A safety vehicle will only be used at Mid-Ohio in practice sessions, initial race starts and race restarts for AMA Pro Daytona SportBike presented by AMSOIL and AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT. Each of AMA Pro Road Racing’s four divisions will be competing at Mid-Ohio and all riders will be given the same set of instructions. All restarts will be single file with the exception being the rule-book mandated requirement for a repeat clutch start in the event of a red flag within the first two laps of AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike presented by Parts Unlimited and AMA Pro SuperSport presented by Shoei races. Full standard operating procedures will be released in the near future regarding the policies of the new AMA Pro Safety Bike Program that will launch at the Tornado Nationals presented by BriggsAuto.com at Heartland Park at the end of the month. This weekend’s Honda Super Cycle Weekend features dual American Superbike and Daytona SportBike finals on Saturday and Sunday. Also on the schedule is the AMA Pro SuperSport East race and AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT. AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. From its Daytona Beach headquarters, the organization operates and manages AMA Pro Road Racing, which includes AMA Pro American Superbike, AMA Pro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro SuperSport and AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT. AMA Pro Racing also manages and works closely with the day-to-day operational organizations of the AMA Pro Flat Track Championship and the AMA Pro Supermoto Championship Series in addition to other two-wheel and ATV series. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com. More, from a Technical Bulletin issued by AMA Pro Racing: Technical Bulletin #2009-12 To: All AMA Pro Road Racing Competitors Date: July 14, 2009 Effective Date: Immediately Subject: Changes and Additions to the AMA Pro Road Racing Rule Book 7.22 Red Flag Stops and Restarts a. In circumstances where a local caution flag is not sufficient to ensure safe and orderly continuation of competition, the red flag will be displayed at all flagging stations. b. All riders will stop racing (NO OVERTAKING), safely reduce speed and proceed with caution in their current running order to the pit lane. c. Upon entering the hot pit area, riders must maintain current running order and take a position to the rear of the preceding motorcycle and adjacent to the pit wall, on the opposite side of the pit lane from the pit boxes. d. Riders may not approach or ride to their pit box unless specifically directed to do so by an AMA Pro Official. e. Any race intervention will be at least five minutes in duration. f. Engines must be shut off. i. At this time two (2) mechanics for each motorcycle may assist the rider with the following: 1. Bikes may be raised on support stands. 2. Tires may be wrapped with tire warmers but not changed. Portable generators are allowed. 3. Refueling is not permitted. 4. All riders and crew must return to their pit boxes until further instructions from AMA Pro staff. 5. Adjustments to suspension and gearing are not allowed. 6. Computers may not be attached to the motorcycle. g. No motorcycles may be serviced without permission and supervision from AMA Pro staff. h. If a motorcycle is approved for service, the bike must be rolled to the rider’s pit box, where mechanics may visually inspect the motorcycle for safety issues. All safety issues should be brought to the attention of AMA Pro Racing. Mechanics will be directed as to how to proceed by AMA Pro staff. i. All machines brought to a pit box for service and approved for the restart will start behind all other machines that did not require service. j. If repairs are not completed in time for the bikes to be placed in their assigned restart positions, these machines will start the race from the hot pit lane exit under the direction of AMA Pro Racing. k. Any machine taken behind the pit wall will be disqualified from the race. l. Any race or restart will be considered an official part of the event even if the start or restart does not result in a lap being completed by the leader and any action requiring a penalty will be considered to have taken place during competition. m. In the case of a restart, any rider that did not complete an assessed penalty will still be required to comply with the penalty after the restart. n. When a race is stopped with three or more laps completed by the leader, it will be restarted with the riders in single file, in the running order on the track on the lap preceding the red-flagged lap. o. Prior to the restart, all riders staged on the pit lane ahead of the leader will be led around the track for one lap in single file in running order behind the Safety Vehicle, returning to take their position at the back of the line of riders on hot pit road. This will set the field for the restart. p. For the restart, the Safety Vehicle will lead the entire field from the pits in single file for one lap before releasing the field for the start. Corner stations will show waving yellow flags and Safety Vehicle signs. When the Safety Vehicle with lights off has pulled into the pit lane, riders must maintain their speed and may not pass until they cross the start/finish line after the track goes green. q. When a race is stopped with two laps or less completed by the leader, it will be restarted at the beginning of lap one using original starting positions. Riders must return safely to hot pit lane and park in their original designated two-by-two rolling start pre-grid location on hot pit lane for Daytona SportBike and MotoGT classes, or to their original pre-grid location on hot pit lane for American Superbike or SuperSport. Riders restarting the race on a back-up bike will be placed at the rear of the grid. r. Riders unable to restart will be listed in the results relative to the order in which they dropped out. s. Riders determined by AMA Pro Racing to be intentionally responsible for stopping a race will be disqualified. t. Should a race be stopped in which 50% or more of the total laps have been completed by the leader, the race may be considered complete at the discretion of AMA Pro Racing. u. Should a race be stopped in which 80% or more of the total laps have been completed by the leader, the race will be considered complete and there will be no restart. v. Riders who are not present at the starting grid for the original start of a race are barred from any subsequent restarts. i. Riders who are present at the grid but are unable to start due to a stalled motorcycle may join the race from the pit road or starting grid until the time the race leader completes the first lap. ii. Riders who are unable to join the race by this procedure are barred from any subsequent restarts occurring with more than two laps completed by the leader. w. Should a race intervention require an extended period of time before a restart may take place, the race may be shortened. If a change in race length is announced, the remaining number of laps will be posted at pit exit prior to the display of the 3 minute sign. x. If refueling is permitted by AMA Pro Racing prior to a restart, motorcycles may only be refueled with supervision from AMA Pro staff in a designated area.