Steve Rapp: Versatile Veteran

Steve Rapp knows the fast way around race tracks in the U.S., no matter what he's riding. He proved that this year, riding a variety of motorcycles--including an electric one--without skipping a beat.

That's really no surprise, considering that Rapp made his pro racing debut in 1996. Since that time, his list of accomplishments in AMA Pro Racing has grown to include a long list of podium finishes. Rapp is perhaps best known as the winner of the 2007 Daytona 200, the most coveted honor in American roadracing.

Rapp really proved his versatility in 2011, riding a number of motorcycles en route to finishing second in the XR1200 championship and ninth in the Superbike championship.

For Rapp, the 2011 SuperBike season began at the West Coast Moto Jam at Infineon Raceway, several hours north of his home in Manhattan Beach, California. Rapp earned sixth and fourth aboard a BMW S1000RR during the double-header weekend. He went on to earn a total of seven top-ten finishes on the BMW.

For the SuperBike season finale at Mid-Ohio, Rapp jumped on an Attack Performance Kawasaki ZX-10 and immediately scored a finish of sixth. "Riding the Kawasaki superbike was great: getting back to a competitive superbike and working with the best guys in the paddock," Rapp says. "We set the fastest lap of the race. It was great to show what the bike and I, and the team, are capable of."

Racing under the Attack Performance banner is nothing new to Rapp, who spent the 2007 and 2008 seasons with the team. In fact, his 2007 Daytona 200 win was on board an Attack Kawasaki ZX-6R. That same year, Rapp took four podium finishes in Formula Xtreme and finished second in the championship. He also found time to earn two podium finishes in SuperSport.

With so many years—and so much success—in the sport, Rapp is quick to weigh in on the sweeping rules changes in AMA Pro Racing during recent years. "I think the rules are more fair; it's more of a level playing field than before," he says. "That's why I feel so confident now. Now it's some of the closest racing it's ever ben, costs are down for building a competitive bike, the tires are all the same, and the fuel is all the same. It's a perfect time to be competitive at a fraction of the cost it used to be."

Rapp also competed in AMA Pro Racing's XR1200 Series this year, earning two victories and second in the championship. The series concluded at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Rapp finished second in both races. "I'd never even been to Indy. As a race fan and a rider, it's cool to experience Indy. When you think of big American tracks, it's Daytona and Indy. I've won at Daytona, so to go to Indy and get on the podium was a cool feeling," Rapp says.

Now that the off-season has arrived, Rapp will stay sharp with a mix of road cycling and instructing at Jason Pridmore's STAR Motorcycle School. He will also indulge in his other love: flying.

"Cycling and flying are what I spend most of my time doing, when I'm not trying to make money," Steve says with a laugh. In truth, though, flying has become more than a hobby: it's Rapp's way of beating the Los Angeles area traffic. He says he flies everywhere he can, and vastly prefers the cockpit to a car.

Rapp's plans for the 2012 season are still in the works, but he hopes he turned some heads this year with all of his wins and podiums, as well as his ability to score top finishes on a variety of motorcycles.

"As a racer you're always being judged, no matter what you've done in the past. No matter what the bike is, I can ride it and be competitive. I'm not a one-hit wonder. I needed to do something to shake things up a little bit," Rapp says. "My main purpose of the year was to show people that we can win."

Mission accomplished.

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