From a Suzuki press release:

ALSTARE’S DOUBLE ASSAULT IN 2002

2002 World Superbike Championship – November 29.

Team Alstare Suzuki is happy to announce that it will continue to contest both the Superbike and Supersport World Championships in 2002 as Suzuki support team.

Alstare is happy to reveal its new plans and rider line-ups for the 2002 race season.

The Superbike challenge will be spearheaded by Spaniard Gregorio Lavilla, who will ride a GSX-R750, that will undergo continuous development with Team Alstare Suzuki. Twenty-eight-year-old Lavilla has vast experience in the Superbike World Championship and is already looking forward to the team’s first tests. He will be Team Alstare Suzuki’s sole rider, but the team feels that the knowledge and experience it gained in 2001 will allow the Spaniard to feel right at home from day one.

Team Alstare Suzuki’s Supersport title attack will once again be taken up by Japanese rider Katsuaki Fujiwara aboard the 2002 Suzuki GSX-R600. His teammate will be Frenchman Stephane Chambon. Fujiwara had the unluckiest season of his career in 2001 and is eager to show his true worth in 2002.

His teammate Stephane Chambon had a hard year on the Superbike in 2001 and is happy to return to the class in which he won the Supersport World Series title in 1999. The combination of Fujiwara and Chambon will make Team Alstare Suzuki Supersport a force to be reckoned with in 2002.

Both teams will be testing before Christmas and further information will be made available when all plans will be finalized.

Rider Profiles

Gregorio Lavilla
Date of Birth: 29 September 1973
Nationality: Spaniard

Career Highlights

2nd in Spanish 125cc Championship – 1992

Spanish 600cc Champion,Spanish 750cc Champion – 1994

12th in World Superbike Championship – 1998

8th in World Superbike Championship – 1999

10th in World Superbike Championship – 2000

10th in World Superbike Championship – 2001


Katsuaki Fujiwara
Date of birth: 27th March 1975
Nationality: Japanese

Career highlights:

1st in Suzuka 4 hr race -1992

3rd in All-Japan 250cc Championship – 1994

3rd in All-Japan 250cc Championship – 1995

5th in All-Japan Superbike Championship – 1996

2nd in All-Japan Superbike Championship – 1997

9th in All-Japan Superbike Championship – 1999

9th in Superbike World Championship – 2000

12th in World Supersport Championship – 2001

Stephane Chambon
Date of birth: 10th August 1965
Nationality: French

Career highlights:

French 250cc Motocross Champion Three times winner of the “Guidon d’Or”

Five Supermotard titles

1st in 125cc French Promosport Championship

1st in French Superbike Championship – 1996

1st in French Supersport Championship – 1996

4th in Supersport World Series – 1997

3rd in Supersport World Series – 1998

1st in Supersport World Championship – 1999

3rd in Supersport World Championship – 2000

12th in World Superbike Championship – 2001