You'd be forgiven if you didn't recognize James Rispoli's name right away. I mean, sure, he's only been racing since he was 6 years old, but still. He's won championships in 80, 250, 450 and 505 ccs and is the youngest rider (at 16) to win at the Daytona International Speedway. After running Flat Track for a while, Rispoli switched to Pro SuperSport and became the only rider to date to win both East and West Coast Pro SuperSport Championships back-to-back.

Oh - and he holds two records at the Bonneville Salt Flats, too.

Rispoli has been racing in England since 2014, tearing up British Superbike's (BSB) Supersport series on the other side of the pond to the tune of seven podium finishes in the 2018 season. However, due to the super competitive nature of British Supersport, he finds himself without a spot on the track in 2019. As a way to hopefully attract some sponsors back in the good old USA, he'll be heading to Daytona in March to challenge the anticipated frontrunners for a win on the famous TT track there.

Kieran Clarke, himself a former pro racer and now a Hollywood stuntman, will be backing Rispoli's Daytona ride. Clarke said, "We are building a bike to win, and at the end of the day racing has to be all about the racer being able to fulfill their talent & potential. In the end we are aiming for the top step." With that kind of attitude, it will be exciting to see how Clarke and Rispoli fare on the ground in Daytona - it's sure to be exciting!

For more information, check out AFT's website at AmericanFlatTrack.com. Note: The New York Short Track (Weedsport, NY) previously scheduled for 6 July 2019 has been moved to 13 July. Additionally, the date for the Meadowlands Mile (East Rutherford, NJ) has been set for 28 September.