During round three of MotoAmerica – North America’s new road-racing series spearheaded by three-time GP Champion Wayne Rainey – at Virginia International Raceway, Doug Polen will return to the track.
The two-time World SBK Champion will participate Sunday in the Dunlop Tires Lap of Honor. The Michigan native will pilot Dunlop’s Yamaha YZF-R6, and will also be present at the Dunlop truck greeting fans and signing autographs.
Polen rose through the amateur ranks, winning races across the country before turning pro. He competed in AMA races before focusing on the World Superbike Championship, which he dominated in both 1991 and 1992 on a Fast By Ferracci Ducati.
In the 1991 title chase, he set fastest lap at 13 different tracks, a single-season record that remains to this day. In 1992, he not only won the World Superbike Championship, he also competed in enough rounds of the AMA Superbike championship to finish third. In 1993, he was back in the U.S. full time, and won the AMA Superbike championship.
In 1995, he won the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours with teammate Aaron Slight on Honda’s RC45. In 1997, he set his sights on the World Endurance Championship, and won it. Polen won extensively on Dunlop tires, and was known as one of the best development riders in the paddock. He worked closely with Dunlop to develop race tires throughout his professional career.
Polen will be on hand Sunday to sign autographs during and after the fan walk from 10:15 to 11 a.m. He will then ride the Dunlop Tires Lap of Honor at 11:30 a.m. on Dunlop’s test bike. He will also be the official trophy presenter on Sunday for the MotoAmerica Superbike race.
For additional information, visit MotoAmerica.
