Home Blog Page 5826

McBain Has Canadian Superbike Win Reinstated On Appeal, Moves Into Second In Championship

newspaper
-
0
McBain Has Canadian Superbike Win Reinstated On Appeal, Moves Into Second In Championship

SHUBENACADIE, NS – Clint McBain has been reinstated as the winner of the fourth round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship following a ruling from a series tribunal Friday evening. The Suzuki Acceleration Racing team rider had been the leader of the July 15 race at Mosport International Raceway when it was declared official after 13 of a scheduled 14 laps due to a red flag. But he was penalized four positions for a jump start and dropped to fifth in the official finishing order. Jordan Szoke of the Canadian Kawasaki Motors factory team was declared the race winner. Series officials deemed that McBain moved after the grid had come under starters’ orders. But the Cochrane, Alta. rider had his prize money and points reinstated by the tribunal after it had heard evidence from McBain and series organizer Professional Motorsports Productions. In the view of the tribunal the official start procedure had not been adequately reviewed before the race and it was not clear when the field had come under starters’ orders. In addition to regaining his race win McBain also received the two-point bonus for leading the most laps in the race. The decision has a significant impact on the Parts Canada Superbike Championship point standings, which are led by Szoke coming into this weekend’s penultimate round at Atlantic Motorsport Park. McBain now moves into second place with 186 points, 40 behind Szoke. Steve Crevier, who had been second in the standings before the tribunal’s decision, now falls to third with 183 points. Crevier, from Maple Ridge, B.C., had been originally classified second at Mosport on the Team Toyota Yamaha / Fast Company Yamaha but now moves to third in the results. Granby, Que.’s Kevin Lacombe, meanwhile, drops from eighth to ninth in the revised results. The Team Toyota Yamaha / Brooklin Cycle Yamaha rider had crossed the finish line fifth, moved up to fourth with McBain’s penalty, but was also called for a jump start and dropped four positions. McBain’s reinstatement as the race winner, however, moves Lacombe back to fifth in the results before his penalty is assessed. Lacombe is now fourth in the Parts Canada Superbike point standings with 165 points. The tribunal decision also means Crevier is once again the sole leader in all-time Canadian Superbike wins with 24, while Szoke drops back to second with 23.

Special Porsche To Be Pace Car At VIR AMA Superbike Event

newspaper
-
0
Special Porsche To Be Pace Car At VIR AMA Superbike Event

Club Ferdinand Provides Pace Car for AMA Superbike Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals VALLE CRUCIS, N.C. – Club Ferdinand, the first Exotic Car Sharing, or “Fleet-Sharing Club ~http://www.clubferdinand.us/~”, in the world, is supplying the pace car for next weekend’s AMA Superbike races at VIRginia International Raceway. The AMA Superbike Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals, presented by Dunlop and ROCKSTAR Energy Drink, is the culmination of VIR’s summer racing season. Bringing in star riders and bikes from around the world, AMA Superbike racing is the pinnacle of American motorcycle competition. The pace car for the weekend, a Porsche Carrera 4 Techart, is the product of German tuning firm TechArt Automobildesign. Techart starts with a production Porsche and modifies it for enhanced performance and comfort. The Porsche provided by Club Ferdinand is one of the most potent cars in the firm’s lineup, with performance figures over 10pct better than the stock car. That stock car is already one of the best-performing cars on the market. With the Techart-modifications to the engine and suspension, plus uprated wheels and tires, the Carrera 4 is capable of pacing any field of any race vehicles that use a pace car. Henri Deschamps, owner of both Mast Farm Inn and Club Ferdinand, says VIR “is the neatest thing I’ve ever seen. It’s great fun.” He adds that he wanted to do something both to promote the Inn and the track and that this seemed the way to go about it. “We’re thrilled to be able to use the new Porsche,” said promoter Cameron Gray. “Porsches have always represented the same automotive culture of performance that today’s superbikes represent in the motorcycle world and this just brings the two worlds together.” Club Ferdinand’s fleet is exclusively composed of the legendary Porsches. Read more about the Club at www.clubferdinand.us. Three membership options ~http://www.clubferdinand.us/cf-membership.htm~ , plus a variety of part time and trial memberships enable members to benefit from the use of the club’s “Luxury Sports Car Fleet” of new Porsches, at any time available, for one day to one week at a time, between 45-60 days a year, using a reservation and points system assuring equitable-share usage of the fleet by all club members. VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Virginia. Reopened in 2000, VIR hosts a wide range professional and amateur auto and motorcycle racing and track events, and is well established as “America’s Motorsport Resort.” In addition to its historic 3.27 mile natural-terrain road racing circuit, VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America’s first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park and Motorsports Technology Park, which includes the Virginia Institute for Performance Engineering and Research (“VIPER”); the Plantation Valley Kart Track, a 5/8 mile paved natural terrain karting circuit; an expanding variety of on-site lodging (including 45 hotel rooms and the trackside Villas which are for sale); Camp Motorsport for enthusiasts of all ages; and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse. VIR’s next major event is the August 17-19 Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals AMA Superbike races. The racing is only a small part of the weekend’s planned festivities, so make arrangements now to attend. Tickets are available online at the promoter’s web site, www.moto1usa.com ~http://www.virclub.com/~ , or by calling the promoter’s ticket sales at 770-965-4565 or 770-965-4566. For information on the track and other event schedules, call 434-822-7700 or check our web site at www.virclub.com.

More From The 24-hour World Endurance Race In Germany

newspaper
-
0
More From The 24-hour World Endurance Race In Germany

BMW Motorrad Motorsport news 2007 QMMF Endurance FIM World Championship Round 4, Oschersleben, August 11/12 Circuit: 3.667 kms. Saturday 11th August QUALIFYING AND PRE-RACE NEWS. Final qualifying on Friday was blighted by drizzle and overcast conditions, but generally the track was never either fully dry or wet, so riders had to exercise caution during their thirty minute sessions. Because of the varying conditions, riders were unable to improve on their previous best qualifying times. BMW Motorrad Motorsport’s two teams qualified in thirteenth and twenty-fifth places respectively for the Oschersleben 24 hour race. The regular trio of Thomas Hinterreiter, Rico Penzkofer and Marcus Barth set an average laptime of 1:32.756, with Penzkofer marginally quicker then his team mates. The second bike ridden by Jose-Luis Nion, Richard Cooper and Peter Ottl averaged 1:33.977, with Cooper the fastest of the trio. For the race, which starts at 15.00 today, Rico Penzkofer will make the start on bike number 17 and Cooper will do the same on bike number 71. Kawasaki France (Steve Plater, Gwen Giabbani, Julian Mazuecos) took pole position, with an average time of 1:28.881, with the Suzuki of SERT (Matthieu Lagrive, Vincent Philippe, Julien da Costa) just a tenth of a second behind. Third quickest is Yamaha Austria (Steve Martin, Igor Jerman, Damian Cudlin), with Yamaha Moto Endurance 38 (Erwan Nigon, Julien Millet, Hugo Marchand, Joao Contente) fourth. BMW WELCOMES BACK STEPHANE A very welcome visitor to the Oschersleben 24 hour race was Belgian Stephane Mertens. Stephane has been riding for BMW for some years now, but suffered a nasty crash in a preseason test and has only recently become more mobile. Since then, he has been working hard on his physiotherapy and is now able to sprint round the paddock very speedily on a pair of high-tech crutches. His presence in Oschersleben is a big boost to the already good atmosphere in the BMW encampment and within moments he was talking freely with riders and mechanics alike – just like old times. Although, Stephane could physically get on a motorcycle at the moment, he wants to continue his rehabilitation and get completely fit before going out onto the track. Whether or not that will be at the Bol d’Or or anytime this season is up to Stephane himself. In the meantime, BMW have told Stephane that when he is ready to ride, there will be a place for him in the team. Team manager – Berti Hauser It’s good to see Stephane back at the track and talking so positively about the future. When he came into the pitbox, he was talking to everybody as if he’d never been away. We talked a little about his return to racing, but we will not put any pressure on him to come back before he is ready. It is entirely up to him. When he wants to come back, we would be very happy to have him on one of our bikes again. Stephane Mertens Coming to racetrack again brings back so many good memories and once I’m in the paddock of course I start thinking about when I can race again. It’s a special feeling and one that is hard to give up, but if I decide that the time is right to stop then I will stop. I have been working hard to get my body in good condition again and things are going very well. I’m happy that BMW want me and I’m happy that they aren’t pushing me to come back before I’m ready. The Bol d’Or could be a possibility, but I do not want to take somebody else’s place and not do a good job. So probably I will continue at working getting fully fit before we make a decision as to where and when I get on a bike again.

Schedule Changes For The 2007 AMA Supermoto Championship

newspaper
-
0
Schedule Changes For The 2007 AMA Supermoto Championship

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — AMA Racing announced today that the AMA Supermoto Championship round scheduled for Sept. 9, at the Oklahoma Motorsports Complex in Oklahoma City, Okla., has been removed from the schedule and the Sept. 15, round at the Pacific Grand Prix in Seattle, Wash., will move to a new venue in Redmond, Ore., on Sept. 29. In making the announcement, AMA Racing Vice President, Doug Neubauer noted that there will still be six rounds remaining on the schedule and combined with the four that have already run, the final event will become a double header keeping it a solid ten round championship. Neubauer added that important news regarding the Troy Lee Designs-produced championship finale scheduled for Nov. 10 & 11, will be released in the next few days. Neubauer acknowledged the challenges facing the young championship and confirmed the AMA’s commitment to the series, now in its fifth year. “There’s no doubt we continue to face many hurdles with professional Supermoto racing,” commented Neubauer. “However, in no way does that diminish our belief and support of the discipline. Our focus is to continue to seek quality promotional partners that have the ability to conduct an AMA Supermoto event with the support and presentation it deserves. We expect that and our teams and riders demand it.” Neubauer pointed to a number of recent organizational changes as an example of the moves the AMA is making to improve its management of racing. “AMA Racing has just completed an extensive reorganization including a number of personnel changes,” said Neubauer. “As we have stated all along, these changes were made with the explicit goal of improving racing overall. For Supermoto specifically, we are looking at a number of possible changes for the 2008 season. Again, we are absolutely committed to the championship and we are exploring a number of different business models to keep it viable. In the short term, though, our primary objective is the successful conclusion of the current season.” The AMA Supermoto series resumes after a brief seven-week hiatus on Aug. 25. at Stafford Motor Speedway in Hartford, Conn. Mark Burkhart leads the points chase in the premier AMA Red Bull Supermoto class with David Pingree and Ben Carlson leading AMA Hot Wheels Supermoto Lites and AMA PPG Supermoto Unlimited presented by M&R Products, respectively. About AMA Racing AMA Racing is the competition arm of the American Motorcyclist Association and is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its professional properties include the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship, the AMA Supermoto Championship and the AMA Pro ATV Championship. In amateur and pro-am competition, AMA Racing sanctions over 4000 events in 24 different disciplines and supports over 110 thousand active members. For more information about professional racing, visit www.amaproracing.com.

McBain Leads Canadian Superbike Practice Friday At Atlantic Motorsports Park

newspaper
-
0
McBain Leads Canadian Superbike Practice Friday At Atlantic Motorsports Park

SHUBENACADIE, NS – Clint McBain of Cochrane, Alta. led the way on the opening day of practice for the sixth round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Atlantic Motorsport Park Friday. Riding the Suzuki Acceleration Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000, McBain turned a lap at one minute, 8.368 seconds around the 2.56km (1.6-mile), 11-turn circuit late in the afternoon session. Steve Crevier of Maple Ridge, B.C. was second-fastest with a time of 1:08.494 on the Team Toyota Yamaha / Fast Company Yamaha YZF-R1 and Parts Canada Superbike Championship points leader Jordan Szoke of Brantford, Ont. placed third with a 1:09.284 aboard the Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R. “We tried a different rear shock for the last five minutes and it felt OK,” said McBain, who has been competing in the AMCRA regional events at AMP this summer. “We were here last weekend racing and it was good. We found a lot of little things. We put them on the bike this morning and we’ve basically made no changes since.” Szoke comes into this weekend’s penultimate round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship with a 48-point lead over Crevier in the standings, 236-188. “We’re just trying to get a race set-up,” said Szoke, the defending Superbike champion. “We’ve been dialing in the suspension and it seems pretty close. I think we’re in good shape for the race.” A race win is worth 50 points, and there will be four points up for grabs for the fastest qualifier in Saturday’s battle for the Inside Motorcycles Pole Position Award. Points are also awarded to the second, third and fourth fastest qualifiers, who will complete the front row for Sunday’s 22-lap race. Crevier set the second fastest time on Friday despite nursing a sore back after a heavy fall in Pro 600 Sport Bike practice session on Friday morning. Kevin Lacombe of Granby, Que, the winner of last year’s Superbike national at AMP, set the fourth-fastest time Friday with a 1:09.304 on his Team Toyota Yamaha / Brooklin Cycle Yamaha YZF-R1. Lacombe is only four points clear of McBain, 167-163, in third place in the point standings. Sherbrooke, Que.’s Francis Martin placed fifth with a 1:09.356 riding the Team Suzuki / Blackfoot / Picotte Performance Suzuki GSX-R1000. In other action at AMP, Crevier was fastest in practice for the Yoshimura Pro 600 Sport Bike race, setting a best time of 1:09.010 on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Points leader Szoke placed second at 1:09.302 on his Kawasaki ZX-6R and Martin set the third best time of 1:09.883 aboard a Suzuki GSX-R600. Truro, NS racer Brian Blaauwendraat led the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike field with a time of 1:13.380 on his Honda CBR600RR. Paul Glenn of Keene, ON, the series points leader was second riding a Suzuki GSX-R600. Toronto’s Michael Taylor led practice for the Thunder twins class with a time of 1:11.789 on his BMW R1200S and points leader Martin Grande of Montreal was quickest in Suzuki SV650 National Cup with a fastest lap of 1:14.804. Qualifying for all five national classes will take place on Saturday afternoon, with practice sessions starting at 9:00 a.m. Feature races will go Sunday.

HMC Fielding KTM Super Duke In This Weekend’s Road Races At Miller Motorsports Park

newspaper
-
0
HMC Fielding KTM Super Duke In This Weekend’s Road Races At Miller Motorsports Park

TOOELE VALLEY, UTAH (August 10, 2007) KTM, long a fixture in off-road and Supermoto racing, is dipping a preliminary toe into the deep waters of Superbike racing this weekend at Miller Motorsports Park in the fifth round of the Honda Presents the Plaza Cycle Masters of the Mountains series.

The Austrian company, founded in 1953, introduced its first sportbike for the street, the Super Duke 990, earlier this year. It utilizes a 999cc, 75-degree V-Twin engine designed by KTM and based on the 60cc-smaller unit of the 950 Adventure enduro bike, the factory’s first twin.

The factory’s Wisconsin-based American racing arm, HMC Racing, has spent the week at the track preparing for this weekend’s event with two of its Supermoto riders, Troy Herfoss and Johnny Lewis. The two rode the bike in a recent track-day event at Road America and posted good times, and this weekend’s Masters of the Mountains event will be the first road race for the bike and both riders.

According to Mitch Hansen, the owner of HMC Racing, this weekend’s race is the first step on the long road that will eventually lead them to Superbike racing.

“KTM has been an off-road company for a long time,” he said, “and then they kind of bridged the gap with Supermoto and did a little bit of pavement racing that way in the last few years, both in Europe and in the United States. Now they’re becoming a successful road-bike company, and their goal is continue down that path, develop that market and eventually get into Superbike racing.”

As for timelines, Hansen says not to expect a KTM team in Superbike racing for a couple of years.

“I would think the earliest would be in 2010,” he said. “There may be some form of Superbike testing or whatnot next year, but that’s just a guess.”

After this weekend at Miller Motorsports Park, the development program for the Super Duke is dependent upon HMC’s Supermoto schedule.

“We’re going to look at our Supermoto schedule and whenever we can we might do a bit of CCS racing in the Midwest,” Hansen said. “We have a lot of racetracks there like Road America, Gingerman and Blackhawk Farms, so we have some places that we can go and race to develop the Super Duke.”

The next step in the process will be the development of the RC8, which will be the bike that will go Superbike racing. According to Hansen, it will be a full-fairing bike with a V-Twin motor approaching 1200cc, and will target the same market currently occupied by the Ducati 1098.

“Hopefully, in another six to eight months we’ll have the RC8,” Hansen said, “and eventually we’ll get to ride that in Superstock form.”

Hansen said that Miller Motorsports Park is an ideal venue for the Super Duke 990’s competitive debut.

“It’s a beautiful place,” he said. “Where Road America is more of a point-and-shoot circuit, here you have a lot more flowing turns. We’re on the East Track, and the riders really like it. It’s good practice for them, and it’s good to get the cornering speeds up where they need to be. It’s a great place to shake these things out.”

Both Lewis and Herfoss are not only having to come to grips with the road course at Miller Motorsports Park, but also sharpening their road racing chops while trying to develop a brand new bike.

For Herfoss, who hails from Australia and counts himself as a lifelong Mat Mladin fan, road racing has always been the goal. Now that the goal is in sight, he is approaching his first road racing weekend with mixed emotions.

“It’s scary,” he said, “but it’s fun. It’s scary because it’s my first time and the speeds are so high. This track is just so fast, but the bike flows through it really good. I’m still learning road racing, and I’m having a lot of fun doing it.”

Herfoss has set some realistic goals for this first outing, however.

“I’m not looking to win anything this weekend,” he said. “I just want to do well, stay on the bike and learn as much as possible.”

His teammate is just as new at road racing, but confident that the bike will do well.

“The bike is really race-ready,” Lewis said. “The first time we rode it, it had the stock handlebars flipped around and we went out and rode around Road America. Our times were good enough to qualify in the top 10 in the MOTO-ST race, with a bone-stock bike on stock tires. Now we’ve got some new Dunlop DOT tires and some Vortex clip-ons and stuff, and the bike should be really good this weekend.”

The Honda Presents the Plaza Cycle Masters of the Mountains series is a seven-race motorcycle road racing series developed by Miller Motorsports Park, run by the Utah Sportbike Association (USBA) and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) to encourage and develop fun and competitive road racing at the club and regional levels. The series features class structures that make it easy for competitors from multiple sanctioning groups and areas to compete, and race-day schedules that recognize that some competitors will travel long distances to compete, as well as a growing contingency program.

For more information on Miller Motorsports Park, call the track at (435) 277-RACE or visit the website at www.millermotorsportspark.com. For more information on the Utah Sportbike Association, visit their website at www.utahsba.com.

Updated: Recent Births

newspaper
-
0
Updated: Recent Births

Former racer Grant Lopez and wife Heather had a daughter, Lauren Brooke Lopez, July 31 in Pensacola, Florida. Texas MiniGP racer Stuart Fulton and wife Julie had a son, Isaac Claterbaugh Fulton, August 8 in Houston, Texas.

Rea Fastest In British Superbike Practice Friday At Croft Circuit

newspaper
-
0
Rea Fastest In British Superbike Practice Friday At Croft Circuit

Rizla Suzuki’s Cal Crutchlow finished today’s practice sessions in sixth place, a mere 0.367secs behind the fastest rider at Croft in North Yorkshire, in preparation for Sunday’s 10th round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship. Last time out at Mallory Park three weeks ago, he recorded a career-best-equalling fifth place and he has kept that momentum going. He said: “When it is sunny and dry it is much more enjoyable riding a Superbike and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on track today. “We had a plan to change nothing on my bike from the way it was set-up at Mallory Park and we stuck to it. We tried a couple of Dunlop different tyres and I concentrated on putting together fast consistent laps and it worked for us. We now have a favoured tyre for the race and we will fine tune the bike tomorrow for more speed – I’m confident.” Rizla Suzuki’s Chris ‘Stalker’ Walker ended the day 11th after softening his GSX-R1000 throughout the day. “After a couple of laps we decided to soften the bike off to give more confidence through the corners and we followed that direction through the day,” said Stalker. “I think we went too far and will go back closer to our initial settings tomorrow morning. “I completed a fair number of laps and now know the circuit well. There’s a lot more to come from my Rizla Suzuki and myself.” The 2.13-mile long Croft circuit near Darlington in North Yorkshire is flat and twisty with plenty of fast and slow turns that allow the riders to make the most of the agile and powerful Rizla Suzuki Superbikes. Honda’s Jonathan Rea was quickest today. Rizla Suzuki Team Manager Simon Buckmaster said: “I am impressed by Cal’s mature approach and performance. Without doubt he has had his best practice day performance of the year and we are optimistic he can carry that through for the rest of the weekend. “Chris followed a plan to set-up his bike and it didn’t quite work as planned. He is completely focussed and easily capable of improving; he is champing at the bit to be racing at the sharp end of the time sheets.” Practice Times: 1: Jonathan Rea (Honda) 1:20.110 2: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +0.115 3: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +0.248 4: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.294 5: Tom Sykes (Honda) +0.301 6: Cal Crutchlow (Rizla Suzuki) +0.367 7: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +0.373 8: Shane Byrne (Honda) +0.476 9: Leon Camier (Honda) +0.605 10: Karl Harris (Honda) +1.404 11: Chris Walker (Rizla Suzuki) +1.454

AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet To Be Held In Las Vegas Again In 2007

newspaper
-
0
AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet To Be Held In Las Vegas Again In 2007

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (August 10, 2007) The 33rd Annual AMA Pro Racing Championship Awards Banquet will be held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino on Sunday evening, Nov. 18. The celebration held each year wraps up AMA Racing’s professional championship season honoring the top riders in American motorcycle racing. Stars from AMA Motocross, Superbike, Flat Track, Supercross, Supermoto and Hillclimb will be honored. New for 2007, the evening will also see the recognition of the top riders from AMA Pro ATV Racing. As has become tradition, the evening will conclude with the presentation of the AMA Pro Racing SPEED Athlete of the Year Award. Last year Motocross/Supercross star Ricky Carmichael became the first rider in AMA history to win the award for the fifth time. The AMA Pro Racing Championship Banquet gives fans the opportunity to see their favorite riders in an up close and personal atmosphere and has become known for its festive presentation. In addition to the 33rd Annual AMA Pro Racing Championship Banquet, the Rio will also host the 5th Annual AMA Sports Banquet on Friday, Nov. 16. The AMA Sports Banquet recognizes the top amateur racers from around the country. Everyone will also have the opportunity to watch the exciting Maxxis EnduroCross at the Orleans Arena on Saturday, Nov. 17. The three events combined make for a weekend filled with AMA-oriented activities. The public is encouraged to attend the Pro Banquet. For ticket information visit www.amaproracing.com/banquet or call (614) 856-1900, ext. 1232. About AMA Racing AMA Racing is the competition arm of the American Motorcyclist Association and is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its professional properties include the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship, the AMA Supermoto Championship and the AMA Pro ATV Championship. In amateur and pro-am competition, AMA Racing sanctions over 4000 events in 24 different disciplines and supports over 110 thousand active members. For more information about professional racing, visit www.amaproracing.com.

Updated: Kawasaki France On Pole Position For Oschersleben 24-hour World Endurance Race

newspaper
-
0
Updated: Kawasaki France On Pole Position For Oschersleben 24-hour World Endurance Race

Team Kawasaki France to start on pole at Oschersleben 24 Hours The tone has been set at the qualifying rounds at Oschersleben. On the German track the struggle began on Thursday afternoon in the first qualifying session between the two favorites Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and Team Kawasaki France. A close-fought battle for the front of the grid saw Kawasaki France and SERT separated by only a tenth of a second. In the second session this morning Kawasaki France took pole position just ahead of SERT, who had initially taken a very small lead from the first qualifying session on Thursday afternoon. On Saturday at 3:00 p.m. the battle will recommence between the Kawasaki France riders Steve Plater, Gwen Giabbani and Julian Mazeucos, and those on the Suzuki of SERT Vincent Philippe, Matthieu Lagrive and Julien Da Costa. Baring falls or mechanical failure, it looks likely that the winner will be come from either the green of Kawasaki or the blue of Suzuki. Making the most of the hazards of the 24 Hours track, Yamaha Austria Racing Team is also in a good position to challenge for victory. YART took an impressive third place in qualifying, less than a second behind the two leaders. The Austrian team was forced to call on Australian Steve Martin to replace Frenchman Sébastien Scarnato, who is still recovering and will be a replacement rider at Oschersleben. The recall for Martin saw the Australian impress and record the fastest time for his team of Igor Jerman and Damian Cudlin. The leading machine in the Superproduction class, the Yamaha Moto Endurance 38 of Erwan Nigon, Julien Millet, Hugo Marchand and Joao Contente, recorded a superb fourth fastest time. The Kawasakis of Qatar Endurance Racing Team and Bolliger Switzerland took fifth and sixth places respectively, just ahead of the Yamahas of Phase One Endurance, Zone Rouge Belgique and Amadeus X-One. One of the two R1200Ss entered in the Open category by BMW Motorrad finished inside the top 15 during the qualifiers. Both machines will also be racing at the forthcoming Bol d’Or. The most unpredictable element of this tenth edition of the Oschersleben 24 Hours is the weather. On Friday morning the second qualifying session took place under a light drizzle which has often short-circuited the timers. The local weather forecast is predicting thunderstorms for the weekend at Oschersleben. The 10th edition of the Oschersleben 24 Hours will start at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Provisional Qualifying Results (based on average times among teams’ three riders): 1. Team Kawasaki France (Steve Plater 1:29.242/Gwen Giabbani 1:28.830/Julian Mazuecos 1:28.572), Kaw ZX-10R, 1:28.881 2. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) 1 (Vincent Philippe 1:28.637/Matthieu Lagrive 1:29.089/Julian da Costa 1:29.236), Suz GSX-R1000, 1:28.987 3. Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) (Igor Jerman 1:30.377/Steve Martin 1:29.008/Damien Cudlin 1:29.222), Yam YZF-R1, 1:29.536 4. Endurance Moto 38 (Erwan Nigon 1:29.517/Julien Millet 1:30.208/Joao Contente Fernandes 1:29.766), Yam YZF-R1, 1:29.830 5. Qatar Endurance Racing Team (QERT) (Ivan Silva Alberoia 1:28.745/Jordi Almeda 1:31.256/MArshal Mohammaed Al Na 1:30.368), Kaw ZX-10R, 1:30.368 6. Bolliger Switzerland (David Morillon 130.670/Patric Muff 1:29.359/Horst Saiger 1:31.157) Kaw ZX-10R, 1:30.395 7. Phase One Endurance (Warwick Nowland 1:30.489/Jakub Smrz 1:32.828/Stefan Nebel 1:30.238) Yam YZF-R1, 1:31.185 8. Zone Rouge Yamaha Belgique (Olivier Depooryter 1:30.681/Serge Fischer 1:32.643/Patrick Marey 1:32.071) Yam YZF-R1, 1:31.798 9. La Fortezza Amadeus X-one (Paolo Tessari 1:32.086/Riccardo Ricci 1:32.138/Mauro Lucchiari 1:31.236) Yam YZF-R1, 1:31.820 10. Diablo 666 Bolliger (James Hutchins 1:30.636/Alexander Cudlin 1:32.433/Olivier Ulman 1:33.412) Kaw ZX-10R, 1:32.160 More, from a press release issued by Amadeus X-one: Amadeus X One 8th on Prov’ Oschersleben Grid Fight for Top Three Positions Between SERT Suzuki, Kawasaki France, Yamaha Austria The full results of today’s second qualifying sessions for the Oschersleben 24 Hour round of the QMMF Endurance FIM World Championship have been delayed for technical reasons, but with this morning’s track time plagued by bad weather, most of the times set yesterday are expected to stand. The qualifying positions are based on the average times set by each teams three riders. SERT Suzuki were quickest yesterday, with an average time of 1:29.251. Team Kawasaki France were second, on 1:29.351, and Yamaha Austria were third on 1:29.536. Amadeus X One have provisionally qualified in a very impressive eighth place, on an average time of 1:31.820. Paolo Tessari lapped in 1:32.138, Riccardo Ricci in 1:32.086 and Mauro Lucchiari in 1:31.236. The team are very happy with the performance, putting the improvement over previous races down to the gradual developments they have been able to make to the bike. The Oschersleben 24 Hour race starts at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday 11th August, and finishes at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday the 12th. More, from a press release issued by Steve Plater’s publicist: STEVE PLATER’S QUALIFYING RESULTS FROM OSCHERSLEBEN Steve Plater has qualified in pole position for the start of the World Endurance 24-hour race at Oschersleben in Germany, which sets off at 3pm (2pm British time) on Saturday. A close-fought battle for the front of the grid saw Kawasaki France and the Suzuki Endurance Race Team (SERT) separated by only a tenth of a second. In the second session on Friday Kawasaki France took pole position just ahead of SERT, who had initially taken a very small lead from the first qualifying session on Thursday afternoon. Steve arrived at Berlin airport early Tuesday morning and, despite being absolutely shattered because of the lack of sleep, met up with his Spanish teammate Julian Mazuecos and drove to the circuit to join French teammate Gwen Giabbani and prepare for the practise and qualifying periods of Thursday and Friday. Steve was apprehensive of how he would fare as despite the intensive treatment he had to his injuries he was uncertain on how his shoulder and damaged ribs would stand up to the pressure of racing a motorcycle. “First practice was all day Wednesday, obviously it’s a three man team plus a reserve, but being the most experienced and good with feedback I had the job of testing most settings on the Kawasaki France ZX10,” explained Steve. “My injuries were not a problem and I managed 78 laps by end of the sessions with a good set-up and fastest with a smile on my face!” Thursday was a little different with qualifying in the afternoon before compulsory night practice going on until 11pm. The weather had been awesome all week but as they took to the track it began to rain, not heavily enough to wet the track but enough to make it slippery. Steve decided to pit for 10 minutes while the drizzle stopped and a softer race tyre was fitted, which made all the difference as he immediately went faster. “I had a little coming together with a slower rider which didn’t really affect me but he went down. Shortly afterwards another high-sided rider caused by now two sets of waved yellow flags and an ambulance parked on the side of the track” said Steve. “The problem was that the two crash sites were the best two places for passing, if you were lucky enough to get a clear lap a fast time was possible, but with my qualifying tyres I was stuck behind slow guys every lap dropping me to fifth in my session.” “The weather then changed back to beautiful sunshine with 40 degrees track temperature and both my team mates sessions were perfect, both fastest but still leaving us one tenth behind Suzuki for the grid. “Despite the fact that my slower time was not really my fault, it really annoyed me as my time restricted us to a provisional second place on the grid but at least we had Friday morning to make amends if the weather stayed fine. “Sure enough Friday morning was dry but very cloudy as my last qualifying session started. I went out on circuit with a soft race tyre putting in a mega time, I’d been fastest in our team all practice on race tyres so was confident of improving my times. “The team fitted some qualifiers but again enough drizzle meant I couldn’t cash in on the extra grip they gave. But with the grid set up from an average of all three riders fastest times it turns out that we have taken pole position for tomorrows race, pole is mega but it’s the race that counts!” The local forecast is predicting thunderstorms for the weekend at Oschersleben so the outcome of the 24-hour race will be dependant on track conditions and the skill and ability of the riders to overcome the difficulties that may await them on Saturday. With just 25 points separating the SERT team who hold the series lead and Kawasaki France the scene is set for some fast and competitive racing with 35 points up for grabs to the winners of the Oschersleben round of the World Endurance series.

McBain Has Canadian Superbike Win Reinstated On Appeal, Moves Into Second In Championship

SHUBENACADIE, NS – Clint McBain has been reinstated as the winner of the fourth round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship following a ruling from a series tribunal Friday evening. The Suzuki Acceleration Racing team rider had been the leader of the July 15 race at Mosport International Raceway when it was declared official after 13 of a scheduled 14 laps due to a red flag. But he was penalized four positions for a jump start and dropped to fifth in the official finishing order. Jordan Szoke of the Canadian Kawasaki Motors factory team was declared the race winner. Series officials deemed that McBain moved after the grid had come under starters’ orders. But the Cochrane, Alta. rider had his prize money and points reinstated by the tribunal after it had heard evidence from McBain and series organizer Professional Motorsports Productions. In the view of the tribunal the official start procedure had not been adequately reviewed before the race and it was not clear when the field had come under starters’ orders. In addition to regaining his race win McBain also received the two-point bonus for leading the most laps in the race. The decision has a significant impact on the Parts Canada Superbike Championship point standings, which are led by Szoke coming into this weekend’s penultimate round at Atlantic Motorsport Park. McBain now moves into second place with 186 points, 40 behind Szoke. Steve Crevier, who had been second in the standings before the tribunal’s decision, now falls to third with 183 points. Crevier, from Maple Ridge, B.C., had been originally classified second at Mosport on the Team Toyota Yamaha / Fast Company Yamaha but now moves to third in the results. Granby, Que.’s Kevin Lacombe, meanwhile, drops from eighth to ninth in the revised results. The Team Toyota Yamaha / Brooklin Cycle Yamaha rider had crossed the finish line fifth, moved up to fourth with McBain’s penalty, but was also called for a jump start and dropped four positions. McBain’s reinstatement as the race winner, however, moves Lacombe back to fifth in the results before his penalty is assessed. Lacombe is now fourth in the Parts Canada Superbike point standings with 165 points. The tribunal decision also means Crevier is once again the sole leader in all-time Canadian Superbike wins with 24, while Szoke drops back to second with 23.

Special Porsche To Be Pace Car At VIR AMA Superbike Event

Club Ferdinand Provides Pace Car for AMA Superbike Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals VALLE CRUCIS, N.C. – Club Ferdinand, the first Exotic Car Sharing, or “Fleet-Sharing Club ~http://www.clubferdinand.us/~”, in the world, is supplying the pace car for next weekend’s AMA Superbike races at VIRginia International Raceway. The AMA Superbike Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals, presented by Dunlop and ROCKSTAR Energy Drink, is the culmination of VIR’s summer racing season. Bringing in star riders and bikes from around the world, AMA Superbike racing is the pinnacle of American motorcycle competition. The pace car for the weekend, a Porsche Carrera 4 Techart, is the product of German tuning firm TechArt Automobildesign. Techart starts with a production Porsche and modifies it for enhanced performance and comfort. The Porsche provided by Club Ferdinand is one of the most potent cars in the firm’s lineup, with performance figures over 10pct better than the stock car. That stock car is already one of the best-performing cars on the market. With the Techart-modifications to the engine and suspension, plus uprated wheels and tires, the Carrera 4 is capable of pacing any field of any race vehicles that use a pace car. Henri Deschamps, owner of both Mast Farm Inn and Club Ferdinand, says VIR “is the neatest thing I’ve ever seen. It’s great fun.” He adds that he wanted to do something both to promote the Inn and the track and that this seemed the way to go about it. “We’re thrilled to be able to use the new Porsche,” said promoter Cameron Gray. “Porsches have always represented the same automotive culture of performance that today’s superbikes represent in the motorcycle world and this just brings the two worlds together.” Club Ferdinand’s fleet is exclusively composed of the legendary Porsches. Read more about the Club at www.clubferdinand.us. Three membership options ~http://www.clubferdinand.us/cf-membership.htm~ , plus a variety of part time and trial memberships enable members to benefit from the use of the club’s “Luxury Sports Car Fleet” of new Porsches, at any time available, for one day to one week at a time, between 45-60 days a year, using a reservation and points system assuring equitable-share usage of the fleet by all club members. VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Virginia. Reopened in 2000, VIR hosts a wide range professional and amateur auto and motorcycle racing and track events, and is well established as “America’s Motorsport Resort.” In addition to its historic 3.27 mile natural-terrain road racing circuit, VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America’s first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park and Motorsports Technology Park, which includes the Virginia Institute for Performance Engineering and Research (“VIPER”); the Plantation Valley Kart Track, a 5/8 mile paved natural terrain karting circuit; an expanding variety of on-site lodging (including 45 hotel rooms and the trackside Villas which are for sale); Camp Motorsport for enthusiasts of all ages; and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse. VIR’s next major event is the August 17-19 Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals AMA Superbike races. The racing is only a small part of the weekend’s planned festivities, so make arrangements now to attend. Tickets are available online at the promoter’s web site, www.moto1usa.com ~http://www.virclub.com/~ , or by calling the promoter’s ticket sales at 770-965-4565 or 770-965-4566. For information on the track and other event schedules, call 434-822-7700 or check our web site at www.virclub.com.

More From The 24-hour World Endurance Race In Germany

BMW Motorrad Motorsport news 2007 QMMF Endurance FIM World Championship Round 4, Oschersleben, August 11/12 Circuit: 3.667 kms. Saturday 11th August QUALIFYING AND PRE-RACE NEWS. Final qualifying on Friday was blighted by drizzle and overcast conditions, but generally the track was never either fully dry or wet, so riders had to exercise caution during their thirty minute sessions. Because of the varying conditions, riders were unable to improve on their previous best qualifying times. BMW Motorrad Motorsport’s two teams qualified in thirteenth and twenty-fifth places respectively for the Oschersleben 24 hour race. The regular trio of Thomas Hinterreiter, Rico Penzkofer and Marcus Barth set an average laptime of 1:32.756, with Penzkofer marginally quicker then his team mates. The second bike ridden by Jose-Luis Nion, Richard Cooper and Peter Ottl averaged 1:33.977, with Cooper the fastest of the trio. For the race, which starts at 15.00 today, Rico Penzkofer will make the start on bike number 17 and Cooper will do the same on bike number 71. Kawasaki France (Steve Plater, Gwen Giabbani, Julian Mazuecos) took pole position, with an average time of 1:28.881, with the Suzuki of SERT (Matthieu Lagrive, Vincent Philippe, Julien da Costa) just a tenth of a second behind. Third quickest is Yamaha Austria (Steve Martin, Igor Jerman, Damian Cudlin), with Yamaha Moto Endurance 38 (Erwan Nigon, Julien Millet, Hugo Marchand, Joao Contente) fourth. BMW WELCOMES BACK STEPHANE A very welcome visitor to the Oschersleben 24 hour race was Belgian Stephane Mertens. Stephane has been riding for BMW for some years now, but suffered a nasty crash in a preseason test and has only recently become more mobile. Since then, he has been working hard on his physiotherapy and is now able to sprint round the paddock very speedily on a pair of high-tech crutches. His presence in Oschersleben is a big boost to the already good atmosphere in the BMW encampment and within moments he was talking freely with riders and mechanics alike – just like old times. Although, Stephane could physically get on a motorcycle at the moment, he wants to continue his rehabilitation and get completely fit before going out onto the track. Whether or not that will be at the Bol d’Or or anytime this season is up to Stephane himself. In the meantime, BMW have told Stephane that when he is ready to ride, there will be a place for him in the team. Team manager – Berti Hauser It’s good to see Stephane back at the track and talking so positively about the future. When he came into the pitbox, he was talking to everybody as if he’d never been away. We talked a little about his return to racing, but we will not put any pressure on him to come back before he is ready. It is entirely up to him. When he wants to come back, we would be very happy to have him on one of our bikes again. Stephane Mertens Coming to racetrack again brings back so many good memories and once I’m in the paddock of course I start thinking about when I can race again. It’s a special feeling and one that is hard to give up, but if I decide that the time is right to stop then I will stop. I have been working hard to get my body in good condition again and things are going very well. I’m happy that BMW want me and I’m happy that they aren’t pushing me to come back before I’m ready. The Bol d’Or could be a possibility, but I do not want to take somebody else’s place and not do a good job. So probably I will continue at working getting fully fit before we make a decision as to where and when I get on a bike again.

Schedule Changes For The 2007 AMA Supermoto Championship

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — AMA Racing announced today that the AMA Supermoto Championship round scheduled for Sept. 9, at the Oklahoma Motorsports Complex in Oklahoma City, Okla., has been removed from the schedule and the Sept. 15, round at the Pacific Grand Prix in Seattle, Wash., will move to a new venue in Redmond, Ore., on Sept. 29. In making the announcement, AMA Racing Vice President, Doug Neubauer noted that there will still be six rounds remaining on the schedule and combined with the four that have already run, the final event will become a double header keeping it a solid ten round championship. Neubauer added that important news regarding the Troy Lee Designs-produced championship finale scheduled for Nov. 10 & 11, will be released in the next few days. Neubauer acknowledged the challenges facing the young championship and confirmed the AMA’s commitment to the series, now in its fifth year. “There’s no doubt we continue to face many hurdles with professional Supermoto racing,” commented Neubauer. “However, in no way does that diminish our belief and support of the discipline. Our focus is to continue to seek quality promotional partners that have the ability to conduct an AMA Supermoto event with the support and presentation it deserves. We expect that and our teams and riders demand it.” Neubauer pointed to a number of recent organizational changes as an example of the moves the AMA is making to improve its management of racing. “AMA Racing has just completed an extensive reorganization including a number of personnel changes,” said Neubauer. “As we have stated all along, these changes were made with the explicit goal of improving racing overall. For Supermoto specifically, we are looking at a number of possible changes for the 2008 season. Again, we are absolutely committed to the championship and we are exploring a number of different business models to keep it viable. In the short term, though, our primary objective is the successful conclusion of the current season.” The AMA Supermoto series resumes after a brief seven-week hiatus on Aug. 25. at Stafford Motor Speedway in Hartford, Conn. Mark Burkhart leads the points chase in the premier AMA Red Bull Supermoto class with David Pingree and Ben Carlson leading AMA Hot Wheels Supermoto Lites and AMA PPG Supermoto Unlimited presented by M&R Products, respectively. About AMA Racing AMA Racing is the competition arm of the American Motorcyclist Association and is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its professional properties include the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship, the AMA Supermoto Championship and the AMA Pro ATV Championship. In amateur and pro-am competition, AMA Racing sanctions over 4000 events in 24 different disciplines and supports over 110 thousand active members. For more information about professional racing, visit www.amaproracing.com.

McBain Leads Canadian Superbike Practice Friday At Atlantic Motorsports Park

SHUBENACADIE, NS – Clint McBain of Cochrane, Alta. led the way on the opening day of practice for the sixth round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Atlantic Motorsport Park Friday. Riding the Suzuki Acceleration Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000, McBain turned a lap at one minute, 8.368 seconds around the 2.56km (1.6-mile), 11-turn circuit late in the afternoon session. Steve Crevier of Maple Ridge, B.C. was second-fastest with a time of 1:08.494 on the Team Toyota Yamaha / Fast Company Yamaha YZF-R1 and Parts Canada Superbike Championship points leader Jordan Szoke of Brantford, Ont. placed third with a 1:09.284 aboard the Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R. “We tried a different rear shock for the last five minutes and it felt OK,” said McBain, who has been competing in the AMCRA regional events at AMP this summer. “We were here last weekend racing and it was good. We found a lot of little things. We put them on the bike this morning and we’ve basically made no changes since.” Szoke comes into this weekend’s penultimate round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship with a 48-point lead over Crevier in the standings, 236-188. “We’re just trying to get a race set-up,” said Szoke, the defending Superbike champion. “We’ve been dialing in the suspension and it seems pretty close. I think we’re in good shape for the race.” A race win is worth 50 points, and there will be four points up for grabs for the fastest qualifier in Saturday’s battle for the Inside Motorcycles Pole Position Award. Points are also awarded to the second, third and fourth fastest qualifiers, who will complete the front row for Sunday’s 22-lap race. Crevier set the second fastest time on Friday despite nursing a sore back after a heavy fall in Pro 600 Sport Bike practice session on Friday morning. Kevin Lacombe of Granby, Que, the winner of last year’s Superbike national at AMP, set the fourth-fastest time Friday with a 1:09.304 on his Team Toyota Yamaha / Brooklin Cycle Yamaha YZF-R1. Lacombe is only four points clear of McBain, 167-163, in third place in the point standings. Sherbrooke, Que.’s Francis Martin placed fifth with a 1:09.356 riding the Team Suzuki / Blackfoot / Picotte Performance Suzuki GSX-R1000. In other action at AMP, Crevier was fastest in practice for the Yoshimura Pro 600 Sport Bike race, setting a best time of 1:09.010 on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Points leader Szoke placed second at 1:09.302 on his Kawasaki ZX-6R and Martin set the third best time of 1:09.883 aboard a Suzuki GSX-R600. Truro, NS racer Brian Blaauwendraat led the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike field with a time of 1:13.380 on his Honda CBR600RR. Paul Glenn of Keene, ON, the series points leader was second riding a Suzuki GSX-R600. Toronto’s Michael Taylor led practice for the Thunder twins class with a time of 1:11.789 on his BMW R1200S and points leader Martin Grande of Montreal was quickest in Suzuki SV650 National Cup with a fastest lap of 1:14.804. Qualifying for all five national classes will take place on Saturday afternoon, with practice sessions starting at 9:00 a.m. Feature races will go Sunday.

HMC Fielding KTM Super Duke In This Weekend’s Road Races At Miller Motorsports Park

TOOELE VALLEY, UTAH (August 10, 2007) KTM, long a fixture in off-road and Supermoto racing, is dipping a preliminary toe into the deep waters of Superbike racing this weekend at Miller Motorsports Park in the fifth round of the Honda Presents the Plaza Cycle Masters of the Mountains series.

The Austrian company, founded in 1953, introduced its first sportbike for the street, the Super Duke 990, earlier this year. It utilizes a 999cc, 75-degree V-Twin engine designed by KTM and based on the 60cc-smaller unit of the 950 Adventure enduro bike, the factory’s first twin.

The factory’s Wisconsin-based American racing arm, HMC Racing, has spent the week at the track preparing for this weekend’s event with two of its Supermoto riders, Troy Herfoss and Johnny Lewis. The two rode the bike in a recent track-day event at Road America and posted good times, and this weekend’s Masters of the Mountains event will be the first road race for the bike and both riders.

According to Mitch Hansen, the owner of HMC Racing, this weekend’s race is the first step on the long road that will eventually lead them to Superbike racing.

“KTM has been an off-road company for a long time,” he said, “and then they kind of bridged the gap with Supermoto and did a little bit of pavement racing that way in the last few years, both in Europe and in the United States. Now they’re becoming a successful road-bike company, and their goal is continue down that path, develop that market and eventually get into Superbike racing.”

As for timelines, Hansen says not to expect a KTM team in Superbike racing for a couple of years.

“I would think the earliest would be in 2010,” he said. “There may be some form of Superbike testing or whatnot next year, but that’s just a guess.”

After this weekend at Miller Motorsports Park, the development program for the Super Duke is dependent upon HMC’s Supermoto schedule.

“We’re going to look at our Supermoto schedule and whenever we can we might do a bit of CCS racing in the Midwest,” Hansen said. “We have a lot of racetracks there like Road America, Gingerman and Blackhawk Farms, so we have some places that we can go and race to develop the Super Duke.”

The next step in the process will be the development of the RC8, which will be the bike that will go Superbike racing. According to Hansen, it will be a full-fairing bike with a V-Twin motor approaching 1200cc, and will target the same market currently occupied by the Ducati 1098.

“Hopefully, in another six to eight months we’ll have the RC8,” Hansen said, “and eventually we’ll get to ride that in Superstock form.”

Hansen said that Miller Motorsports Park is an ideal venue for the Super Duke 990’s competitive debut.

“It’s a beautiful place,” he said. “Where Road America is more of a point-and-shoot circuit, here you have a lot more flowing turns. We’re on the East Track, and the riders really like it. It’s good practice for them, and it’s good to get the cornering speeds up where they need to be. It’s a great place to shake these things out.”

Both Lewis and Herfoss are not only having to come to grips with the road course at Miller Motorsports Park, but also sharpening their road racing chops while trying to develop a brand new bike.

For Herfoss, who hails from Australia and counts himself as a lifelong Mat Mladin fan, road racing has always been the goal. Now that the goal is in sight, he is approaching his first road racing weekend with mixed emotions.

“It’s scary,” he said, “but it’s fun. It’s scary because it’s my first time and the speeds are so high. This track is just so fast, but the bike flows through it really good. I’m still learning road racing, and I’m having a lot of fun doing it.”

Herfoss has set some realistic goals for this first outing, however.

“I’m not looking to win anything this weekend,” he said. “I just want to do well, stay on the bike and learn as much as possible.”

His teammate is just as new at road racing, but confident that the bike will do well.

“The bike is really race-ready,” Lewis said. “The first time we rode it, it had the stock handlebars flipped around and we went out and rode around Road America. Our times were good enough to qualify in the top 10 in the MOTO-ST race, with a bone-stock bike on stock tires. Now we’ve got some new Dunlop DOT tires and some Vortex clip-ons and stuff, and the bike should be really good this weekend.”

The Honda Presents the Plaza Cycle Masters of the Mountains series is a seven-race motorcycle road racing series developed by Miller Motorsports Park, run by the Utah Sportbike Association (USBA) and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) to encourage and develop fun and competitive road racing at the club and regional levels. The series features class structures that make it easy for competitors from multiple sanctioning groups and areas to compete, and race-day schedules that recognize that some competitors will travel long distances to compete, as well as a growing contingency program.

For more information on Miller Motorsports Park, call the track at (435) 277-RACE or visit the website at www.millermotorsportspark.com. For more information on the Utah Sportbike Association, visit their website at www.utahsba.com.

Updated: Recent Births

Former racer Grant Lopez and wife Heather had a daughter, Lauren Brooke Lopez, July 31 in Pensacola, Florida. Texas MiniGP racer Stuart Fulton and wife Julie had a son, Isaac Claterbaugh Fulton, August 8 in Houston, Texas.

Rea Fastest In British Superbike Practice Friday At Croft Circuit

Rizla Suzuki’s Cal Crutchlow finished today’s practice sessions in sixth place, a mere 0.367secs behind the fastest rider at Croft in North Yorkshire, in preparation for Sunday’s 10th round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship. Last time out at Mallory Park three weeks ago, he recorded a career-best-equalling fifth place and he has kept that momentum going. He said: “When it is sunny and dry it is much more enjoyable riding a Superbike and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on track today. “We had a plan to change nothing on my bike from the way it was set-up at Mallory Park and we stuck to it. We tried a couple of Dunlop different tyres and I concentrated on putting together fast consistent laps and it worked for us. We now have a favoured tyre for the race and we will fine tune the bike tomorrow for more speed – I’m confident.” Rizla Suzuki’s Chris ‘Stalker’ Walker ended the day 11th after softening his GSX-R1000 throughout the day. “After a couple of laps we decided to soften the bike off to give more confidence through the corners and we followed that direction through the day,” said Stalker. “I think we went too far and will go back closer to our initial settings tomorrow morning. “I completed a fair number of laps and now know the circuit well. There’s a lot more to come from my Rizla Suzuki and myself.” The 2.13-mile long Croft circuit near Darlington in North Yorkshire is flat and twisty with plenty of fast and slow turns that allow the riders to make the most of the agile and powerful Rizla Suzuki Superbikes. Honda’s Jonathan Rea was quickest today. Rizla Suzuki Team Manager Simon Buckmaster said: “I am impressed by Cal’s mature approach and performance. Without doubt he has had his best practice day performance of the year and we are optimistic he can carry that through for the rest of the weekend. “Chris followed a plan to set-up his bike and it didn’t quite work as planned. He is completely focussed and easily capable of improving; he is champing at the bit to be racing at the sharp end of the time sheets.” Practice Times: 1: Jonathan Rea (Honda) 1:20.110 2: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +0.115 3: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +0.248 4: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.294 5: Tom Sykes (Honda) +0.301 6: Cal Crutchlow (Rizla Suzuki) +0.367 7: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +0.373 8: Shane Byrne (Honda) +0.476 9: Leon Camier (Honda) +0.605 10: Karl Harris (Honda) +1.404 11: Chris Walker (Rizla Suzuki) +1.454

AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet To Be Held In Las Vegas Again In 2007

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (August 10, 2007) The 33rd Annual AMA Pro Racing Championship Awards Banquet will be held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino on Sunday evening, Nov. 18. The celebration held each year wraps up AMA Racing’s professional championship season honoring the top riders in American motorcycle racing. Stars from AMA Motocross, Superbike, Flat Track, Supercross, Supermoto and Hillclimb will be honored. New for 2007, the evening will also see the recognition of the top riders from AMA Pro ATV Racing. As has become tradition, the evening will conclude with the presentation of the AMA Pro Racing SPEED Athlete of the Year Award. Last year Motocross/Supercross star Ricky Carmichael became the first rider in AMA history to win the award for the fifth time. The AMA Pro Racing Championship Banquet gives fans the opportunity to see their favorite riders in an up close and personal atmosphere and has become known for its festive presentation. In addition to the 33rd Annual AMA Pro Racing Championship Banquet, the Rio will also host the 5th Annual AMA Sports Banquet on Friday, Nov. 16. The AMA Sports Banquet recognizes the top amateur racers from around the country. Everyone will also have the opportunity to watch the exciting Maxxis EnduroCross at the Orleans Arena on Saturday, Nov. 17. The three events combined make for a weekend filled with AMA-oriented activities. The public is encouraged to attend the Pro Banquet. For ticket information visit www.amaproracing.com/banquet or call (614) 856-1900, ext. 1232. About AMA Racing AMA Racing is the competition arm of the American Motorcyclist Association and is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its professional properties include the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship, the AMA Supermoto Championship and the AMA Pro ATV Championship. In amateur and pro-am competition, AMA Racing sanctions over 4000 events in 24 different disciplines and supports over 110 thousand active members. For more information about professional racing, visit www.amaproracing.com.

Updated: Kawasaki France On Pole Position For Oschersleben 24-hour World Endurance Race

Team Kawasaki France to start on pole at Oschersleben 24 Hours The tone has been set at the qualifying rounds at Oschersleben. On the German track the struggle began on Thursday afternoon in the first qualifying session between the two favorites Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and Team Kawasaki France. A close-fought battle for the front of the grid saw Kawasaki France and SERT separated by only a tenth of a second. In the second session this morning Kawasaki France took pole position just ahead of SERT, who had initially taken a very small lead from the first qualifying session on Thursday afternoon. On Saturday at 3:00 p.m. the battle will recommence between the Kawasaki France riders Steve Plater, Gwen Giabbani and Julian Mazeucos, and those on the Suzuki of SERT Vincent Philippe, Matthieu Lagrive and Julien Da Costa. Baring falls or mechanical failure, it looks likely that the winner will be come from either the green of Kawasaki or the blue of Suzuki. Making the most of the hazards of the 24 Hours track, Yamaha Austria Racing Team is also in a good position to challenge for victory. YART took an impressive third place in qualifying, less than a second behind the two leaders. The Austrian team was forced to call on Australian Steve Martin to replace Frenchman Sébastien Scarnato, who is still recovering and will be a replacement rider at Oschersleben. The recall for Martin saw the Australian impress and record the fastest time for his team of Igor Jerman and Damian Cudlin. The leading machine in the Superproduction class, the Yamaha Moto Endurance 38 of Erwan Nigon, Julien Millet, Hugo Marchand and Joao Contente, recorded a superb fourth fastest time. The Kawasakis of Qatar Endurance Racing Team and Bolliger Switzerland took fifth and sixth places respectively, just ahead of the Yamahas of Phase One Endurance, Zone Rouge Belgique and Amadeus X-One. One of the two R1200Ss entered in the Open category by BMW Motorrad finished inside the top 15 during the qualifiers. Both machines will also be racing at the forthcoming Bol d’Or. The most unpredictable element of this tenth edition of the Oschersleben 24 Hours is the weather. On Friday morning the second qualifying session took place under a light drizzle which has often short-circuited the timers. The local weather forecast is predicting thunderstorms for the weekend at Oschersleben. The 10th edition of the Oschersleben 24 Hours will start at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Provisional Qualifying Results (based on average times among teams’ three riders): 1. Team Kawasaki France (Steve Plater 1:29.242/Gwen Giabbani 1:28.830/Julian Mazuecos 1:28.572), Kaw ZX-10R, 1:28.881 2. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) 1 (Vincent Philippe 1:28.637/Matthieu Lagrive 1:29.089/Julian da Costa 1:29.236), Suz GSX-R1000, 1:28.987 3. Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) (Igor Jerman 1:30.377/Steve Martin 1:29.008/Damien Cudlin 1:29.222), Yam YZF-R1, 1:29.536 4. Endurance Moto 38 (Erwan Nigon 1:29.517/Julien Millet 1:30.208/Joao Contente Fernandes 1:29.766), Yam YZF-R1, 1:29.830 5. Qatar Endurance Racing Team (QERT) (Ivan Silva Alberoia 1:28.745/Jordi Almeda 1:31.256/MArshal Mohammaed Al Na 1:30.368), Kaw ZX-10R, 1:30.368 6. Bolliger Switzerland (David Morillon 130.670/Patric Muff 1:29.359/Horst Saiger 1:31.157) Kaw ZX-10R, 1:30.395 7. Phase One Endurance (Warwick Nowland 1:30.489/Jakub Smrz 1:32.828/Stefan Nebel 1:30.238) Yam YZF-R1, 1:31.185 8. Zone Rouge Yamaha Belgique (Olivier Depooryter 1:30.681/Serge Fischer 1:32.643/Patrick Marey 1:32.071) Yam YZF-R1, 1:31.798 9. La Fortezza Amadeus X-one (Paolo Tessari 1:32.086/Riccardo Ricci 1:32.138/Mauro Lucchiari 1:31.236) Yam YZF-R1, 1:31.820 10. Diablo 666 Bolliger (James Hutchins 1:30.636/Alexander Cudlin 1:32.433/Olivier Ulman 1:33.412) Kaw ZX-10R, 1:32.160 More, from a press release issued by Amadeus X-one: Amadeus X One 8th on Prov’ Oschersleben Grid Fight for Top Three Positions Between SERT Suzuki, Kawasaki France, Yamaha Austria The full results of today’s second qualifying sessions for the Oschersleben 24 Hour round of the QMMF Endurance FIM World Championship have been delayed for technical reasons, but with this morning’s track time plagued by bad weather, most of the times set yesterday are expected to stand. The qualifying positions are based on the average times set by each teams three riders. SERT Suzuki were quickest yesterday, with an average time of 1:29.251. Team Kawasaki France were second, on 1:29.351, and Yamaha Austria were third on 1:29.536. Amadeus X One have provisionally qualified in a very impressive eighth place, on an average time of 1:31.820. Paolo Tessari lapped in 1:32.138, Riccardo Ricci in 1:32.086 and Mauro Lucchiari in 1:31.236. The team are very happy with the performance, putting the improvement over previous races down to the gradual developments they have been able to make to the bike. The Oschersleben 24 Hour race starts at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday 11th August, and finishes at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday the 12th. More, from a press release issued by Steve Plater’s publicist: STEVE PLATER’S QUALIFYING RESULTS FROM OSCHERSLEBEN Steve Plater has qualified in pole position for the start of the World Endurance 24-hour race at Oschersleben in Germany, which sets off at 3pm (2pm British time) on Saturday. A close-fought battle for the front of the grid saw Kawasaki France and the Suzuki Endurance Race Team (SERT) separated by only a tenth of a second. In the second session on Friday Kawasaki France took pole position just ahead of SERT, who had initially taken a very small lead from the first qualifying session on Thursday afternoon. Steve arrived at Berlin airport early Tuesday morning and, despite being absolutely shattered because of the lack of sleep, met up with his Spanish teammate Julian Mazuecos and drove to the circuit to join French teammate Gwen Giabbani and prepare for the practise and qualifying periods of Thursday and Friday. Steve was apprehensive of how he would fare as despite the intensive treatment he had to his injuries he was uncertain on how his shoulder and damaged ribs would stand up to the pressure of racing a motorcycle. “First practice was all day Wednesday, obviously it’s a three man team plus a reserve, but being the most experienced and good with feedback I had the job of testing most settings on the Kawasaki France ZX10,” explained Steve. “My injuries were not a problem and I managed 78 laps by end of the sessions with a good set-up and fastest with a smile on my face!” Thursday was a little different with qualifying in the afternoon before compulsory night practice going on until 11pm. The weather had been awesome all week but as they took to the track it began to rain, not heavily enough to wet the track but enough to make it slippery. Steve decided to pit for 10 minutes while the drizzle stopped and a softer race tyre was fitted, which made all the difference as he immediately went faster. “I had a little coming together with a slower rider which didn’t really affect me but he went down. Shortly afterwards another high-sided rider caused by now two sets of waved yellow flags and an ambulance parked on the side of the track” said Steve. “The problem was that the two crash sites were the best two places for passing, if you were lucky enough to get a clear lap a fast time was possible, but with my qualifying tyres I was stuck behind slow guys every lap dropping me to fifth in my session.” “The weather then changed back to beautiful sunshine with 40 degrees track temperature and both my team mates sessions were perfect, both fastest but still leaving us one tenth behind Suzuki for the grid. “Despite the fact that my slower time was not really my fault, it really annoyed me as my time restricted us to a provisional second place on the grid but at least we had Friday morning to make amends if the weather stayed fine. “Sure enough Friday morning was dry but very cloudy as my last qualifying session started. I went out on circuit with a soft race tyre putting in a mega time, I’d been fastest in our team all practice on race tyres so was confident of improving my times. “The team fitted some qualifiers but again enough drizzle meant I couldn’t cash in on the extra grip they gave. But with the grid set up from an average of all three riders fastest times it turns out that we have taken pole position for tomorrows race, pole is mega but it’s the race that counts!” The local forecast is predicting thunderstorms for the weekend at Oschersleben so the outcome of the 24-hour race will be dependant on track conditions and the skill and ability of the riders to overcome the difficulties that may await them on Saturday. With just 25 points separating the SERT team who hold the series lead and Kawasaki France the scene is set for some fast and competitive racing with 35 points up for grabs to the winners of the Oschersleben round of the World Endurance series.

1...5,8255,8265,827...7,721Page 5,826 of 7,721

Follow us

43,094FansLike
19,223FollowersFollow
16,430FollowersFollow
1,200SubscribersSubscribe

Menu

Information

© , Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

AUTHOR LOGIN