James Rispoli

James Rispoli is one of the brightest of current crop of up-and-coming young American road racers. Flat track aficionados have known about Rispoli for years. The 19-year-old New Hampshire native who now calls Attica, New York, home, has been one of the top AMA Grand National Pro Singles riders for the last couple of years. He won one of the Daytona Short Track Pro Singles races in 2009 en route to finishing runner-up in that year’s championship.

Such is Rispoli’s talent on the dirt, he easily could have settled into a career on AMA Grand National Championship racing. “Flat track is in my blood,” Rispoli says. But the young rider nicknamed “The Rocket” has larger horizons in mind. His ambition is to become a World Superbike Champion someday, following he says in the footsteps of a rider he greatly admires, Ben Spies. Rispoli already knows the style of riding he’d like to establish in road racing and his description is priceless.

“I want to have the smooth riding style of Martin Cardenas,” Rispoli explains. “But be able to break out my inner Danny Eslick when I need to."

Look for Rispoli going full guns at trying to win the 2011 AMA SuperSport East title. He’d also love to fulfill another dream and that would be to actually race against Chris Carr in a Grand National. “I’ve practiced with him before, but hopefully at the Daytona Short Track I can finally be on the track in an actually national with Chris,” Rispoli said. “That would be a real honor. Maybe I’ll stick a wheel in on him or something.”