Former professional flat tracker and road racer Rich Arnaiz died September 6 in Sacramento, California.

Arnaiz grew up racing flat track in central California and became a top competitor in the AMA Grand National Championship.

He later transitioned into road racing and is best known for winning the AMA Superbike race at Road America in 1989 when he was running third on his privateer Yamaha and Yoshimura Suzuki teammates Jamie James and Scott Russell took each other out while battling for the lead.

Arnaiz finished third in the 1989 AMA Superbike Championship.

In 1990, Arnaiz then went to Europe and won the European Superbike Championship, according to journalist and road racing historian Larry Lawrence. Arnaiz came home to race a factory Honda RC30 in the 1991 AMA Superbike Championship, in which he placed fifth in spite of suffering a serious injury to his hand.

The following season, 1992, Arnaiz competed in the FIM Superbike World Championship, before retiring from the sport.

We will post more information as it becomes available.