Virginia (VIR) II: Jimmy Moore race summary

Moore defends genuine Suzuki accessories Superstock Championship.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio ? It took Jimmy Moore seven years of trying to finally win his first AMA championship, but he didn't waste any time earning his second. Moore, 34, of Eugene, Ore., won his second straight Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Series title Sunday by finishing a conservative 12th in the season finale at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Va. Moore came into VIR with a 26-point lead in the standings and needed only an 18th-place finish or better to secure the title.

The championship was sweet for Moore and the Corona Suzuki squad, especially considering he faced a major challenge this year from Arclight Suzuki's Lee Acree and the factory Kawasaki team with Tommy Hayden. Moore won three rounds of the 10-race series and was on the podium a total of five times.

"I think this year was tougher than last," said Moore, who just completed his eighth season as a pro. "Last year I felt there were maybe three or four guys I needed to contend with to win races and this year it seemed there were a larger number. The talent and the field were definitely deeper. It made it tougher. Maybe I didn't go for the win as much as some riders would have, but I did what I thought would be the right thing and it paid off."

The series was very competitive this year with five riders, Moore, Hayden, Acree, Chris Ulrich and first-time winner Jason DiSalvo taking Superstock victories this year.

Moore became the first rider to win back-to-back AMA Superstock titles since Tom Kipp accomplished the feat in 1995 when the class was known as 750 Supersport. Suzuki has now won 11 AMA Superstock Championships (seven straight) dating back to the inception of the series in 1988. Moore joins Scott Russell and Tom Kipp (who each won three championships in the class) as the only riders to have earned multiple championships in AMA Superstock. He is tied with Texans Doug Polen and Britt Turkington for fifth on the all-time AMA Superstock wins list with six-career victories.

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