Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

The MBNA AMA 250cc Grand Prix class may, or may not, get its first official lap record today when, or if, competitors take to the high banks of Daytona International Speedway for their 30-minute qualifying session, the first official timed qualifying session for the class at Daytona.

Official AMA lap records can only be set during timed qualifying sessions, and from 1977 to 2002 the AMA 250cc GP class has set its grid through a pair of five-lap heat races, according to 250cc class veteran Bruce Lind.

The fastest time from Friday’s 250cc GP qualifying session will, therefore, be the first official 250cc GP lap record for Daytona International Speedway. Ironically, the first 250cc lap record for Daytona may also be its last if, as previously announced, the oldest AMA professional road racing class is dropped from the AMA road racing schedule in 2004.

Then again, if Friday’s schedule of racing and qualifying gets rained out (it was raining at post time) and the AMA 250cc GP grid is set by a combination of 2002 Championship points, pre-entry and post-entry order, the AMA 250cc GP class may go into the history books without any official lap record for Daytona International Speedway.

After an unofficial check of Roadracingworld.com records, Team Oliver Yamaha’s Rich Oliver’s (1:54.858) and Team Stargel Aprilia’s Chuck Sorensen’s (1:54.307) practice lap times from Friday morning are as fast or faster than any recorded AMA 250cc GP lap times at Daytona International Speedway.