Fred Merkel leads Tom Kipp in their epic 1995 Daytona 750 Supersport battle. The race came down to the final lap. Merkel used lapped traffic to perfection to slip away from Kipp and win by half-a-second. (Dunlop press kit photo)
The 1995 AMA 750 Supersport turned out to be an epic battle between defending series champ Tom Kipp and Fred Merkel. Kipp was factory Yamaha mounted, while Merkel raced with Yoshimura Suzuki.
The Daytona season opener was a thriller with Kipp and Merkel battling for 15 dramatic laps. The duo drafted each other on the banking and took turns outbraking one another in the turns. In general it was a knock-down, drag-out fight for the race win.
On the last lap Merkel caught the break he needed when the two came upon lapped traffic. Merkel, by then a multiple-time AMA and World Superbike Champion, called on his considerable experience to get by the lappers in a place where he knew Kipp would get stuck. It worked and Merkel got his biggest lead of the day and took the victory by half-a-second over Kipp.
“I knew traffic was going to bite one of us,” Merkel said on the podium. “I’m just glad it wasn’t me.”
While Merkel won the opening battle of the season and went on to win the most races in the series, it was Kipp who was the more consistent and needed only a decent finish in the season finale at Firebird Raceway in Phoenix, to win the championship. Unfortunately, what might have been a great last-race battle for the title ended when Merkel crashed into a concrete retaining wall, ending his bid for the championship and ultimately costing him even more by suffering career-ending injuries.
For most of the ’95 season the Kipp/Merkel battle was one of the best in the history of 750cc Supersport.
Rider Files 
Heavily treaded rubber. Were those DOT tires in 95 or was it raining?
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Steve
Good eye. DOTs have gotten a lot more slick-like in the past 15 years. I think this is what the DOTs looked like then.
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Check this out Larry:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Suzuki-GSX-R-Racebike-Fred-Merkel-Suzuki-1995-GSX-R-Superbike-/200492252657?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_motorcycles&hash=item2eae44fdf1
Same bike ???
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Scott. I think it’s the Superbike he’s selling.
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I was just wondering how much Merkel’s crash at Firebird in ’95 may have affected AMA Superbike history. If that hadn’t have happened do you think Yoshimura would’ve hired Mladin in ’96?
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That’s a good observation. Merkel was still a contender in Superbike. He was one of the five contenders for the championship that year. Had he kept racing Yoshimura may have not looked elsewhere.
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i have tom kipp 1995 daytona champion t-shirt still in plastic never opend and championship t-shirt autographed by tom kipp and dame i cant remember the name of the other world champ from same race 1995 daytona superbike. signed shirt in stained condition .make offer. i can send pics if you want
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i think other autograpgh is fred merkel
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I worked the saftey crew back in 1995 when merkel and kipp won the 750 super bike. I have 1 tom kipp national champion t-shirt still in the plastic for sale. i can send you a pic if interested. price is $75.00 obo on the upside.
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