Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

An American Suzuki official announced details of the company’s 2004 road race contingency and World GSX-R Cup Finals program today during a riders’ meeting for CCS/Formula USA races at Daytona International Speedway.

According to Sports Promotion Senior On-road Specialist Morgan Broadhead, American Suzuki has expanded its contingency program, paying $2000 for each race win in four different classes at each of 61 designated events.

Classes with Suzuki contingency available will be 600cc/Middleweight Supersport, 750cc/Heavyweight Supersport, 1000cc/Open Supersport and Formula One/Unlimited Grand Prix.

New for 2004, American Suzuki will allow racers to “bump up” one class on their motorcycles, allowing, for instance, a GSX-R600 racer to race and collect contingency in a Middleweight and Heavyweight class. The new program will allow GSX-R600 and GSX-R1000 racers to potentially earn $4000 with two wins on one motorcycle and GSX-R750 racers to collect $6000 with three wins on one motorcycle.

“There’s more money on the table than ever before so come and get it,” Broadhead told the CCS/F-USA racers.

In addition, the 2004 Suzuki World GSX-R Cup finals, which pits Suzuki racers from 15 different countries against each other on identical GSX-R750s, will be held at Road Atlanta in October in conjunction with the American Suzuki Cup Finals and the WERA Grand National Finals (GNF).

In the past, American Suzuki appointed winners of special qualifying races as its three World Cup Final team members, but a new qualification program will be used in 2004. This season the top eligible rider in the Formula USA Formula Sportbike class standings after the Barber Motorsports Park round will earn a spot on the team, the top eligible Suzuki “privateer” in the AMA Superstock standings after the Road Atlanta round will earn a spot on the team, and the third team member will be earn their spot at a to-be-announced qualifying race.

Broadhead defined “privateer” as a rider who doesn’t have a contract with Suzuki.

As in the past, the top-finishing American in the Suzuki World Cup Finals will earn a Team Suzuki support ride in the following season (2005), which this year will include the use of a 2005 Suzuki and a parts allowance.

For more information, go to www.suzuki.com.