Posted: Friday, 5th February, 2010 : 9:50 AM - - 463 Reads

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These new efforts, coupled with our 13 year relationship with the championship-winning Graves Motorsports team, bring a renewed energy into the AMA Pro Road Racing Championship.

The new season will see our long established partner, Graves Motorsports, assuming an expanded role as the # 4 R1 Superbike of Josh Hayes as well as the championship proven R6's of #6 Tommy Aquino and #8 Josh Herrin will race under the Graves Motorsports banner.

Hayes captured 7 wins in the 2009 AMA American Superbike class on the World Championship winning crossplane crankshaft R1 enroute to second in the Championship and has spent the off season preparing to be on the top step of the podium.

Herrin returns as the veteran of the Graves team having narrowly missed the AMA Daytona Sportbike Championship via his 4 wins. Returning teammate Tommy Aquino proved he belongs at the top level of AMA racing last season with his near wins and 4 podium appearances.

New to the Yamaha Motorsports Family and with a warm welcome is the Pat Clark Motorsports Team which will be home to the 2008 AMA Daytona Sportbike Champion Ben Bostrom and the 2008 AMA Horizon Award winner Chris Clark. One of the most popular riders in the paddock, Ben begins his fourth season for Yamaha and as reigning Champion of the Daytona 200, the most prestigious race on the AMA Tour. Ben will compete in the American Superbike Class on the # 155 R1 prepared by Pat Clark Motorsports.

Joining Ben on the R1 will be the # 48 of Superbike Rookie Chris Clark whose past experience combined with Ben's guidance will make for an exciting combination. The team will be managed by racing veteran Ron Heben.

The new Project 1 Atlanta Team will field Dane Westby and South African rider Clinton Seller in the AMA Daytona Sportbike class on the championship proven Graves Motorsports prepared R6. Oklahoma rider Dane Westby returns following 4 top ten finishes in the class last season while Clinton Seller scored a top ten finish last season in his only appearance in the series. The team will be managed by Perry Melneciuc who brings his own AMA top level racing experience plus the technical support and winning attitude of Chuck Graves to the team.

Also returning with an expanded program is history making racer Melissa Paris. As the highest placing female rider ever in the Daytona 200 and the first woman to qualify for an FIM World Championship Supersport round, her results continue to improve with experience. Competing on the newly formed MPH Racing Team, Melissa will compete in the AMA Daytona Sportbike class with support from Yamaha and GYTR.

"I couldn't be more excited for our effort this year," said Keith McCarty, Division Manager for Yamaha's Racing Department. "All of our associated teams will receive direct support from our in house management and our factory technicians, and this should give us the competitive edge to win!"

Speaking of GYTR, all of our associated teams have chosen to outfit their race bikes with Yamaha's exclusive line of GYTR (Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing) performance and functional products. Yamalube and its range of high performance lubricants will be used by Graves Motorsports, Pat Clark Motorsports and Team Project 1 Atlanta.

Look for all of the 2010 AMA Pro Road Racing Series action to kick off at the Daytona Beach, Florida opening round of the series on March 3 - 5.

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