Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Four of the six AMA Superbike Championship series class titles are still up for grabs this weekend at Virginia International Raceway. Advanced Motor Sports Ducati’s Kirk McCarthy clinched the AMA Pro Thunder Championship at the fifth and final round of that series at Laguna Seca, and Team Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates wrapped up his first AMA (600cc) Supersport Championship two weeks ago at Mid-Ohio. But the winners of the AMA’s Superbike, Formula Xtreme, Superstock and 250cc Grand Prix classes will be decided in the next three days.

In Superbike, American Honda’s Nicky Hayden comes to VIR with a 35-point lead over Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom. Since there are only 37 points available in Sunday’s race, if Hayden can gain two points on Bostrom in Saturday’s race, Hayden will clinch his first AMA Superbike Championship.

In the unlikely event of a tie in points between Hayden and Bostrom at the end of the weekend, Hayden will win the title by virtue of his higher number of race wins.

In AMA Superstock, three riders have a mathematical chance of winning the class crown, but Corona Extra Suzuki’s Jimmy Moore holds his fate in his own hands. With a 26-point lead over his closest rival, Arclight Suzuki’s Lee Acree, Moore only needs to finish 19th or better in Saturday’s Superstock final to clinch his second consecutive title. Trailing by 36 points, Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden has a very remote chance of winning the 750cc class Championship on his 600cc racebike, feat never before accomplished.

Three racers also hold a theoretical chance of winning the MBNA 250cc Grand Prix number one plate. Team America Grand Prix Racing’s 18-year-old Jason DiSalvo is third, 34 points behind the class leader. Meanwhile, Team Oliver Yamaha’s Perry Melneciuc is second, 31 points out of first. Class leader Chuck Sorensen has only to finish 24th or better in Sunday’s race to finish out his third Championship in the 250cc class.

The possible scenarios for potential title winners in the Formula Xtreme category are far too many to document. Four racers backed by three different manufacturers could become Champion. Graves Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster leads the Formula Xtreme standings by two points over Bruce Transportation Group Honda’s Jake Zemke. Attack Suzuki’s Jason Pridmore lies third in the standings, five points behind Buckmaster, and Erion Honda’s Mike Hale has a mathematical chance at the title, 36 points behind the leader.

Including a bonus point for fastest qualifier and another bonus point for the leader, a total of 38 points are available in every AMA class except Superbike, where a grand total of 75 points are up for grabs, due to there being two races on the weekend.

Race winners receive 36 points, second-place finishers get 32 points, third gets 29, fourth gets 27, fifth gets 26, sixth gets 25, and so on down to the 30th finisher receiving one single point, provided they complete at least half of the race distance.