Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

The Dunlop tire test, scheduled to start today at Daytona International Speedway and run through Wednesday, December 11, is currently on hold due to rain.

Teams and riders in attendance for the test but currently sitting in the garages include:

American Honda: Miguel Duhamel, Ben Bostrom

Erion Honda: Kurtis Roberts, Jake Zemke, Roger Lee Hayden, Alex Gobert

Bruce Transportation Group Honda: Marty Craggill

Yamaha: Damon Buckmaster, Jamie Hacking, Aaron Gobert, Jason DiSalvo

Kawasaki: Eric Bostrom, Tommy Hayden, Tony Meiring

Team Yoshimura Suzuki: Mat Mladin, Aaron Yates, Ben Spies

Attack Suzuki: Jason Pridmore, Josh Hayes

Ducati Austin Racing: Anthony Gobert

The annual test is traditionally the first appearance of most of the following season’s AMA factory and factory-supported road racing teams. This year’s test was more important than in years past as Dunlop technicians needed to gather data from Superbikes running the revised chicane layout of the 3.56-mile infield road course.

In its race debut during the Formula USA/CCS event in October, the new chicane layout resulted in higher speeds on the east banking and much faster lap times, two seconds or more faster per lap. The higher speeds on the banking also led to tire problems for several racers in October, including Dunlop racers.

“Yeah, for sure there’s some concern there,” said Dunlop National Road Race Manager Jim Allen. “Everyone was having a harder time than normal this past October. So we were looking forward to learning as much as we can.”

AMA Pro Racing Superbike Operations Manager Ron Barrick told Roadracingworld.com that the new chicane layout and deciding how AMA Pro Racing would handle the new chicane was part of the reason he came to the tire test.

“Obviously, we need the guys’ feedback to figure out what to do, and we can’t do that with it raining,” said Barrick. “It is something that we have to look at. Whether we need to alter the chicane a little bit to slow their exit speed while still keeping the exit more parallel with the speedway remains to be seen, but the people from the Speedway seem to be willing to help accommodate us.” Barrick is also in Daytona to have his regular meetings with speedway officials to plan the March AMA Superbike race event.

In the past, Dunlop has had a fourth day available as a rain date, but not this year. “That’s how it’s been in the past,” said Allen, “but the track is completely booked. We would like to, but these days the track has the Richard Petty Driving Experience and the Skip Barber schools. So they’re booked up.”

Rain is forecast through Tuesday but not on Wednesday.

In the meantime, riders are killing time by getting acquainted with their new crew members, taking publicity photographs, sorting out their new riding gear, doing media interviews and watching their teams put the finishing touches on their new racebikes.

Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha teams all have new 600cc Supersport machines; Yoshimura Suzuki has its new 1000cc Superbikes; and Ducati Austin Racing has its 2003-model Ducati 998RS Superbikes. Kawasaki also has its new 636cc ZX-6RRs, identifiable by the lack of swingarm pivot adjustability and black fuel tanks. The 600cc Kawasakis have adjustable swingarm pivots and green fuel tanks.