AMA SuperSport: Road America

Attack Kawasaki Steve Rapp disqualified

(AMA Pro Racing Release) Upon inspection during today's AMA Supersport Championship race, it was confirmed by AMA Pro Racing that the rear tire on the #15 Attack Kawasaki ridden by Steve Rapp was illegally modified.

As per page 42 of the 2008 AMA Superbike Championship rulebook, section 4, equipment standard 4.16, section d1 regarding Supersport tires, it is stated that any modification of tires is not permitted.

Considering this rule violation, Rapp has been disqualified from the race. All other finishers move up one position.

Attack Kawasaki's Steve Rapp backed up this morning's pole in the wet by claiming the Pro Honda Oils Supersport victory on a drying, fog covered Road America circuit this afternoon.

Just after Rapp worked up to first on the race's 3rd lap, a red flag was issued due to a fallen rider, pushing Rapp back to second on the grid for the restart. The Californian quickly picked up where he left off, however, building up a massive lead while teammate Chaz Davies kept a freight train of six tightly-packed contenders at bay behind him for a handful of laps.

Ultimately, Davies' help proved invaluable when title contenders Ben Bostrom, on the Graves Motorsports Yamaha, and Jake Zemke, on the Erion Honda, made a late charge on Rapp, who held a four-second advantage when he took the white flag. Bostrom and Zemke quickly closed the gap, however, and drew to almost within a second of Rapp at the checkered flag who just held on for his first-career class victory.

Bostrom's runner-up result breaks the tie for the title lead with third-place finisher Zemke.

Second Erion runner Josh Hayes took fourth, with Superstock winner Blake Young rounding out the top five after starting outside the top 20 (Young actually led briefly before getting in to deep in 5 and running off course). Young's teammate, Cory West, backed up last week's third with a sixth-place run in Elkhart Lake.

Front-row qualifier Garret Carter took seventh for Matsushima Performance while Davies and FX winner Aaron Gobert finished eighth and ninth, respectively. Safety First Suzuki's Gabor Rizmayer completed the top 10.