Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Honda may enter a CBR954RR in the AMA Superbike series in 2003. That possibility was not ruled out Wednesday in conversations with key players on the Erion Honda and American Honda road racing programs.

Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke, usually a pretty straight-forward guy, seemed slightly uneasy with the question of if he would be riding a CBR954RR in Superbike in 2003, saying, “You’d have to talk to Kevin (Erion). As far as I know, no. That’s not really my call to make, so I don’t know. I just ride what they tell me to, but I don’t think that’s really in our plans. We’re gonna have our hands full with (Formula) Xtreme and 600 (Supersport). I don’t think we’re going to try three classes. We’d have to have a whole ‘nother (extra) crew to do that, I think.”

When we asked American Honda’s Chuck Miller, Racing Manager for all of American Honda’s racing teams, if a CBR954RR would be raced by one of his support teams in AMA Superbike in 2003, he said, “That’s up to the teams. It’s not a plan, no. That’s a question for each individual team on what their plans are.

“Our support with those teams is for the 600 class and then Formula Xtreme class. Some of them have discussed they might, they might not, they don’t know. But they have limited resources through American Honda and to do that they would have to gain additional resources, obviously, to try and support that. And, who can ride three classes at all of these events. It might be very difficult. Again, that’s up to those individual teams on what their plans are.”

Both Zemke and Miller pointed out how difficult it would be but didn’t exactly slam the door shut on the possibility. So Roadracingworld.com called Erion Honda team owner Kevin Erion and asked him if he would field a CBR954RR in the 2003 AMA Superbike series. Erion said, “We’ll just have to wait and see. I think at Daytona our focus will be on 600s. At the remaining races, it’s yet to be determined.”

No Limits Motorsports Honda’s Doug Chandler has mentioned in published reports that he is considering riding a CBR954RR in AMA Superbike, in addition to his Supersport and Formula Xtreme duties.