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The AMA Superbike Championship was created in 1976 to provide an affordable, level playing fields for professional race teams, and as a platform for motorcycle manufactureres to showcase their production sport-performance models. The model was internationally adopted by the FIM and subsequently implemented around the world.

Californian Steve Mc Laughlin won the first-ever US Superbike National at Daytona in March of '76 riding a BMW. Kawasaki was the first of the Japanese manufacturers to win a US Superbike National in 1977, and Japanese machines (especially Honda and Kawasaki) would go on to dominate the National series until Doug Polen finally broke their stranglehold in 1992 riding a Ducati.

In 1986 the road racing program was seperated from the overall Grand National Championship. Prior to this racers accumulated points across a variety of race formates, dirt, oval, TT etc. 1986 also saw the end of Formula One (primarily 500cc two-strokes) which the Superbike series previously played 2nd fiddle to.

The AMA Superbike Championship now tours with the support classes of Supersport and Formula Xtreme.

From 1989 onwards Kawasaki's AMA Superbike Results included numerous single event victories, overall championship wins by Doug Chandler in 1990, 1996 and 1997, an overall win by Scott Russell in 1992, and more recently a 2nd overall by Eric Bostrom in 2002.

Wayne Rainey owns the longest winning streak in US Superbike racing history with six consecutive victories for Kawasaki in 1983.

In 1999 Aaron Yates spent a season racing for team Muzzy Kawasaki (with Doug Chandler) in what would be Muzzy's last year as nominated official factory supported team.

AMA United States Superbike Champions

year	 rider	 bike
2003	 Mat Mladin AUS	 Suzuki
2002	 Nicky Hayden USA	 Honda
2001	 Mat Mladin AUS	 Suzuki
2000	 Mat Mladin AUS	 Suzuki
1999	 Mat Mladin AUS	 Suzuki
1998	 Ben Bostrom USA	 Honda
1997	 Doug Chandler USA	 Kawasaki
1996	 Doug Chandler USA	 Kawasaki
1995	 Miguel DuHamel CAN	 Honda
1994	 Troy Corser AUS	 Ducati
1993	 Doug Polen USA	 Ducati
1992	 Scott Russell USA	 Kawasaki
1991	 Thomas Stevens USA	 Yamaha
1990	 Doug Chandler USA	 Kawasaki
1989	 Jamie James USA	 Suzuki
1988	 Bubba Shobert USA	 Honda
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See Also: K Index | World Superbikes | British Superbikes | Australian Superbikes | Moto GP | Race Calendar 2004

 


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