AMA Pro Racing has announced a change in the minimum weight requirements for both the Daytona SportBike and SuperSport classes, biasing the weights to be more of a disadvantage for two-cylinder machines, i.e. Ducati 848 Superbikes. Decreasing both the four and three-cylinder minimum weights by 5 lbs (to 355 lbs & 365 lbs respectively), two-cylinder machines conversely get a 5 lbs increase (to 385 lbs), thus making the spread from four to two cylinders now a total of 30 lbs (it was a 20 lbs difference before this rule change).
The move is presumably to reel in the Ducati 848 race bikes that shocked the paddock with their speed early-on in the season at the Dunlop Test, though in terms of race results, the change in rules seems to be due more because of the domination by Jason DiSalvo, than anything else. The Team Latus Motors Racing racer has won every race thus far this season, with a close finish at the Daytona 200, and a blow-out double at Infineon Raceway.
Confounding though, Ducati’s results in the SuperSport class have been less impressive, with the 8th and 13th being the finishes for the Italian brand at Infineon.
While DiSalvo was the lone Top 10 Ducati at the Daytona 200 (winning by only three tenths of a second), his victories at Infineon were substantial, with a 7.6 second margin in Race 1, and a 4.5 second margin in Race 2. Infineon was clearly a Ducati track, as the Italian brand claimed first, second, and fourth place positions in Race 1 for Daytona SportBike, nearly making it an all Ducati podium. While in Race 2, PJ Jacobsen took a fourth place finish, thus putting two Ducatis in the Top 5.
For comparison, World Supersport minimum weight restrictions are pegged at 355 lbs across the board for two, three, and four cylinder bikes in the 2011 season, though other restrictions are in place to help balance the performance between the machines, i.e. intake restrictors. Full technical bulletin from AMA Pro Racing below:
AMA Pro Road Racing Technical Bulletin #2011-04
To: All AMA Pro Road Racing Competitors
Date: 5/23/2011
Effective Date: Immediately
Subject: Daytona SportBike and SuperSport Minimum Weights
5.2 Weight
A. Minimum weight in the exact condition the machine finishes any competition activity (qualifying or race) without the addition of fluids or other items of any kind:
- 4 cylinders 360 355 pounds
- 3 cylinders 370 365 pounds
- 2 cylinders 380 385 pounds
6.2 Weight
A. Minimum weight in the exact condition the machine finishes any competition activity (qualifying or race) without the addition of fluids or other items of any kind:
- 4 cylinders 360 355 pounds
- 3 cylinders 370 365 pounds
- 2 cylinders 380 385 pounds
Source: AMA Pro Racing
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