Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
By David Swarts
1995 Australian Superbike Champion and former Suzuki World Superbike rider Kirk McCarthy will race a Ducati 748RS for Jeff Nash’s Advanced Motor Sports Ducati in Pro Thunder at Daytona.
After retiring from racing due to crash-induced post-concussion symptoms, Nash, a New Zealand native, said, “I was looking for a rider, someone fast of course, but I wanted someone who brought something more to the table, a bit more flavor.”
After considering now-retired Mike Smith, Nash was put in touch with 136-pound McCarthy through Sherri Russell, former World Superbike Champion Scott Russell’s sister (and Smith’s sister-in-law), and McCarthy arrived at Daytona less than a week later. McCarthy raced at Daytona once before in 1996 as a warm-up for his World Championship Superbike season with the Harris Suzuki team.
The 32-year-old Aussie beat three-time AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin, Marty Craggill, Steve Martin and Scott Doohan on a Honda RC45 to win the 1995 Australian Championship. He spent the last two years racing in the British 600cc Supersport Championship on a Castrol Honda run out of the same race shop as Colin Edwards’ World Superbike team. McCarthy finished second each year, but is without a full-time ride for 2002.
Nash says that he would like to hire McCarthy for the year and has all of the equipment in place to run a full AMA Pro Thunder and Formula USA season, but is looking for a sponsor. Although he has a line on a serious sponsor, Nash says, “You don’t have a sponsor until the money’s in your pocket.”
Nash is also aiding WSMC regular Ricky Lundgren in Pro Thunder. Lundgren will ride now-retired Dr. David Kieffer’s Duc 748 with Nash’s suspension. Lundgren will also be taking advantage of a relationship he has with the Director of Marketing of Yahoo Sports and will serve as a test bed for their expanding two-wheel sponsorship program.
“They saw Bud Light go with Jeremy McGrath,” revealed Lundgren. “So they thought they should have a look at two-wheel sports.”
Lundgren will be wearing Z Custom leathers and a custom-painted helmet featuring Yahoo’s tag line, “Do you Yahoo?”