Foremost Insurance Pegram Ducati’s Larry Pegram earned fourth in the final AMA Pro American Superbike race of 2009, capping off an excellent season that saw Larry win three races and finish fourth in the series points standings while mounted on Ducati’s 1098R.
On Sunday, Pegram and the top American Superbike stars put on an excellent show for the New Jersey fans with a tight 23-lap contest. Pegram’s race was the opposite of Saturday’s as the Ohio native was strongest in the final laps. Pegram and the Ducati 1098R were a close seventh at the halfway point but Larry climbed to fourth by the race’s end.
"We had a real chance to do even better but I couldn’t get by Neil (Hodgson) and Blake (Young). The only real place to pass here is the main straightaway," said Pegram. "Once I got past those two, I started catching back up with the leaders. It was a little too late for today, though. I feel good about our season and think we accomplished a lot."
Pegram’s season consisted of numerous highlights. At Daytona, Larry and the Ducati 1098R went through the speed trap at an impressive 199 miles per hour. In the race, Larry finished a close fourth. Fontana saw Larry injured in a first-lap pileup and it took several races for him to fully recover his health. By Infineon, Pegram had earned the podium and the team’s momentum grew. At Road America, Larry won a duel with seven-time AMA Superbike champ Mat Mladin that saw numerous lead changes and was perhaps the most exciting AMA Superbike battle in years.
Pegram bettered the Elkhart weekend with his Topeka event, however. Larry won pole and emerged victorious in both races at Heartland Park, dominating the best in American Superbike. In addition to pure speed, Pegram and Ducati showed remarkable consistency, finishing every race in the points except for the aforementioned first Fontana race.
"We won three races and we ran competitive lap times at every track. I’m happy with where we are at right now. I think we could contend for a championship next year and I am really looking forward to 2010," said Pegram.
