Superbike, FormulaXtreme

What kind of man races a motorcycle at 200 miles per hour, separated from the asphalt by nothing more than leathers and a helmet? “I’m really laid back,” says Jake Zemke. “I’m pretty much your average, normal guy.” Folks in the small town where Zemke lives with his wife and kids have been shocked to learn that their friendly neighbor is one of the top contenders in AMA Superbike, the premier series in U.S. motorcycle road racing. Zemke is one of a stellar “graduating class” of American dirt bike athletes who have made it big in road racing. And like many competitors, Zemke has usually raced two series each year, accumulating individual wins and series podiums in Supersport, Formula Xtreme, and Superbike classes. With the blessing of Team Honda, however, in 2006 Zemke launched a new strategy: he’s concentrating exclusively on Superbike with an aim to win the overall series title.

Dirt Racing to Road Racing

Born in San Francisco in 1975, Zemke entered his first race around age 6 and spent most weekends of his formative years on dirt tracks, competing against – and befriending – riders including the Bostroms and the Haydens. “They’re such cool people,” Zemke states. “And it’s cool to see us all being successful now. Road racers come from all over, so it’s rare as a pro to be able to run into people you grew up with.”

Zemke incurred a knee injury at age 17 and stepped away from racing for a year and a half. “When I returned to competition, I raced speedway in southern California in 1995 and 1996,” he remembers. “I was working as a parts manager at a motorcycle dealership when I saw a Cycle News with Ben Bostrom on the cover.” As Zemke read the magazine, something clicked. If his old buddy could have a professional career, he knew he could, too.

Thus as a 21-year-old in 1997, Zemke made his debut as a full-time professional road racer. He finished his inaugural season taking third place in AMA Harley-Davidson SuperTwins and spent the following years competing in multiple classes to learn the ins and outs of the sport. Zemke took second overall in 750 Superstock in 1999 and in Formula Xtreme in 2000, including a win at Laguna Seca. In 2002 he tied for first in Formula Xtreme points, although he was awarded runner-up status based on the tie-breaker – individual wins. He stood on the Formula Xtreme series podium for the next three years, until he decided to concentrate on Superbike in 2006.

Bridging the Gap

To Zemke, the decision to focus on a single series was a no-brainer. “Most riders used to compete in two classes, splitting training and testing time between two bikes,” he explains. “But in the meantime, Mat Mladin concentrated just on Superbike, and he’s earned six titles. Now everybody is stepping up and trying to bridge that gap.”

Zemke did take time to race one Formula Xtreme contest in 2006 – the Daytona 200 – and he made it count. In 2005 he had been clocked as the fastest rider on the Daytona track with a speed of 198.89mph, but he had never won the overall race. In 2006, he flew across the finish line 1.562 seconds ahead of Josh Hayes for his first win in that showcase event.

There was little time to celebrate, as Zemke honed in on Superbike. To prepare himself for the rigors of racing, the 5’6” athlete spends every possible moment on a motorcycle. And when it comes to his #98 machine, Zemke is intent on testing, refining, and testing some more to make it the best it can be.

“Honda used to give us race-ready bikes from Japan, but in 2005 we took Superbike in-house with Hondas solely from America,” he notes. “We struggled in the standings while we were in development, but ultimately it has allowed us to more easily address immediate goals – and we’ve been taking podiums.”

Besides building excitement around his own career, Zemke hopes to build excitement around his sport in general. He comments, “Two hundred miles an hour is awfully fast to go without much protection – and that’s the cool thing about motorcycle road racing. But when you see it on TV, you just can’t pick up on the speed. If I could tell people one thing, it would be that they have to come out to the track.”

Those who do come out will certainly be treated to Zemke’s mastery of the sport, because this is one “normal guy” who doesn’t expect to change his gameplan anytime soon. “I’m really fortunate to be making a living riding a motorcycle,” he says simply. “I see myself riding Superbike for a long time.”