Larry Pegram to Race BMW S1000RR in AMA Superbike for 2011 Season

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Larry Pegram looks for the wet line in the turn 11 area at Road America during practice for the AMA Formula Xtreme Series in June of 2008. With a drying track, while running on race-rain slicks, the #72 Pegram Racing/Foremost Insurance Group/Leo Vince-sponsored Ducati 848 pilot tries to get the best set-up for the Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader presented by Rockstar Energy Drink weekend's event in the AMA Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme presented by HMR Series.

This was Larry's second year being associated with Ducati, after campaigning Honda CBR1000RR's in the '05-'06 seasons in the AMA Superbike Championship Series class while running his own team along with HotBodies sponsorship. Pegram finished fourth in the year-end standings in the Formula Xtreme Series class for both the '07-'08 seasons, before moving back into the premier AMA Superbike class in '09-'10 with Ducati and running their 1098/1198-based platforms and winning several events along the way. Pegram's first win in the AMA Superbike Championship Series came at Willow Springs back in '99 while riding a Ducati for the legendary Eraldo Ferracci's FBF Ducati team.

Pegram had announced last week his split with Ducati, and today made the announcement that he would be campaigning the BMW for the 2011 season. With the improvements seen in the World Superbike Championship over the course of the last two seasons with the BMW, this could prove to be a great career change for Pegram. And this can only be good for the Bavarian Motor Werks company, as well, adding a top-flight rider to their fairly new machines in the premier class in the U.S. series.

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After announcing his split last week from Ducati after four good years in the AMA Formula Xtreme and AMA Superbike Series, Larry Pegram made it official today he will be riding the BMW S1000RR for the 2011 season. The last time Pegram was NOT associated with Ducati was in the '05-'06 seasons when he campaigned Honda CBR1000RR's in the premier class, with so-so results.

Pegram's pairing with the BMW marque's inline four superbike should be a great move for all, and especially the fans. Getting a top-notch rider of Larry's capabilities on the third-year machine should help elevate it's stature in the AMA Superbike Championship, and also give fans a great chance to see the Bimmer run up towards, or hopefully AT the front of the premier class series in the United States. Former '94 AMA Superbike Champion Troy Corser, who will be returning to the WSBK BMW team for his third year in 2011, has helped to develop the bike into a front-runner in the World Class series, and would have probably gotten even closer in the 2010 season if not for mid-to-late season injuries.

Pegram has been racing in the AMA Road Racing Series since the early '90s, and is not only well-known to fans throughout the world, but is also a very popular sort himself around the track. This should be a great move all around and we can't wait to see them hit the track together 'officially' at Daytona in March 2011!

You can read the press release here from Pegram Racing, courtesy of the uber-cool SuperBikePlanet.com:

http://superbikeplanet.com/2010/Nov/101124mw.htm

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Everyone have a VERY Happy and Safe Thanksgiving, and thanks to YOU for spending your time with us here at Stu's Shots!

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