MOTO-ST Motorcycle Endurance Series to be Part of 2007 VIR 400 Weekend Alton, Va. (September 22) When the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal rolls into VIRginia International Raceway for the 2007 VIR 400 over the weekend of April 27-29, they will be accompanied by the brand-new MOTO-ST motorcycle endurance racing series. MOTO-ST (which stands for “Moto Sport Twins”), will specialize in long-distance team racing, and its inaugural race will be an eight-hour enduro on the traditional road course at Daytona International Speedway over the weekend of October 20-22. The 2007 season will kick off with a three-hour race at Daytona March 3-4 and the VIR round, the second race of the season, is scheduled for 500 kilometers. Other events scheduled thus far for 2007 include a three-hour race at the new Iowa Speedway July 12-13 and a season-ending eight-hour enduro at Daytona, October 19-20. MOTO-ST will consist of three classes, Super Sport Twins (SST), Grand Sport Twins (GST) and Sport Twins (ST). Motorcycles homologated for competition will be powered by twin-cylinder, four-stroke engines. Each machine will have its own list of specifications, including maximum horsepower and minimum weight. The 2007 National Championship schedule for MOTO-ST will consist of up to six points-paying endurance races. Event purses will be substantial and will feature lap prizes for the class leaders. Pirelli has been named as the sole supplier of MOTO-ST tires and all competitors will use Sunoco GT unleaded fuel. Horsepower limits will be enforced by a Dynojet chassis dynamometer. Due to the long-distance nature of the events, each team will be allowed to use as many as three riders per race. Timed practice will determine the starting grid, which will be set up in rows of two with separate rolling starts for each class. Safety car procedures will be in place for full-course caution periods, and the highest-placed lapped motorcycles in both classes will be allowed to make up one lap during any full-course caution. Scoring will be handled by transponders, giving teams on pit road with instant and complete information on their status. Two-way radio communication between riders and their crews will be allowed and encouraged. The series and its race events will be sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) of Pickerington, Ohio and organized by Professional Motorsports Productions of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Daytona Beach-based Grand American Road Racing Association will assist the series with administrative and commercial support. “Virginia International Raceway has an amazing history with motorcycle racing, and we are thrilled to add to that with our inaugural MOTO-ST event at VIR next spring,” said MOTO-ST Director of Competition Colin Fraser. “VIR joins an impressive list of venues that have already signed-on to host MOTO-ST and we are still nearly a month away from turning a wheel in competition. That speaks volumes and we will definitely repay VIR and the other race tracks for their confidence by putting an exciting and unique brand of motorcycle racing on the track next year and for years to come.” “We are very pleased to be part of the inaugural season for the MOTO-ST series,” said VIR general manager Josh Lief. “Motorcycle racing is an integral part of what we do at VIR, and our fans will be ecstatic to have another new event on our schedule. We look forward to a long and successful relationship with the MOTO-ST organization and its teams.” VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Virginia, just north of historic Milton, North Carolina. In addition to its 3.27 mile natural-terrain road racing circuit, VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America’s first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park; the VIR Gallery, a sales showroom for high-end collector and racing cars; Plantation Valley Kart Track, a 5/8 mile paved karting circuit; The Lodge at VIR, a 27-room trackside hotel; the new VIR Paddock Suites and Garages, with 18 dual-purpose hospitality/lodging units and garages; and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse. For more information, visit the track’s Web site at www.virclub.com or contact VIR at 434-822-7700. For more information on MOTO-ST, visit their website at www.moto-st.com. For more information on the Grand American Road Racing Association, visit their website at www.grandamerican.com.