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Hawk Kawasaki Previews This Weekend’s British Superbike Test At Snetterton

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Hawk Kawasaki Previews This Weekend’s British Superbike Test At Snetterton

As the new race season approaches Hawk Kawasaki will be out in force this weekend at Snetterton Circuit, Norfolk (23rd 25th March). At the official British Superbike pre season test the four Kawasaki riders are eager to get some vital track time under their belt. New signing Scott Smart is keen to get back out on the ZX10 and will be working hard with the team to get the bike set up for the first race at Brands Hatch on Easter weekend. Peter Hickman who this year will be running number 150 joins him in the Hawk British Superbike team, Hicky will be running the 150 plate as main sponsor Andrews Sykes are celebrating 150 years in business. The two Superbike riders will be testing a number of new elements including chassis and engine parts plus some new electronics throughout the weekend. Making their debut appearance will be 20-year-old David Hallett and 18-year-old Jak Wright on board the brand new Superstock and Supersport Hawk Kawasaki’s. The two youngsters who are running under the Hawk Kawasaki Junior Team banner, are apprehensive yet excited about the big jump they are making into British Championship level racing. It will be an intensive three-day test for the four riders at one of the fastest circuits in the country. It will be a good opportunity for the team to gain a good idea and knowledge as to how the season will pan out.

AMA Championship To Slim Down To Three Road Race Classes In 2009, Superbike Rules To Be Revised

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AMA Championship To Slim Down To Three Road Race Classes In 2009, Superbike Rules To Be Revised

AMA TO ROLL OUT NEW SUPERBIKE CLASS STRUCTURE IN 2009 PICKERINGTON, Ohio (March 21, 2007) – AMA Racing announced today that it will implement a new class structure for the AMA Superbike Championship beginning with the 2009 season. The new class structure will feature three championship classes with accommodations in place to run developmental/support classes as part of the overall series. The new championship classes are as follows: “¢ AMA Superbike “¢ AMA Supersport “¢ AMA Formula Xtreme AMA Superbike will remain the series’ leading class and continue to be based primarily on 1000cc equipment. In its new iteration, AMA Superbike pulls from existing Superbike and Superstock rules resulting in an all-new premier class. Supersport and Formula Xtreme will remain similar to their existing structure but will also be refined. In making the announcement AMA President, Rob Dingman, acknowledged the dynamic nature of motorcycle development as well as the motorcycle marketplace. “We’re seeing unprecedented gains in the levels of performance by modern motorcycles,” said Dingman. “Also, as motorcycle sales have remained robust, the manufacturers have sought to accelerate their competitive advantages, not to mention market share, by improving key products even more.” Dingman added that AMA Racing’s objective is to recognize and respond to these changes while considering such factors as rider safety, quality of competition, cost, and the overall health and growth of motorcycle road racing, among other criteria. In developing its new class structure, AMA Racing officials looked outward. “We considered the class structure and rules packages of other leading sanctioning bodies worldwide as part of this process,” said Dingman. “Ultimately, we need to do what is in the best interest of the riders, teams, manufacturers and sponsors competing in the United States but, at the same time, this cannot be done in a vacuum.” Dingman said World Superbike as well as leading national series like British Superbike, German Superbike and Australian Superbike were examined. In 2006 AMA Racing adopted new procedures for rules development. In addition to a Racing Committee whose role is to determine and set strategic direction for all AMA Racing properties, separate rules committees were developed for each racing discipline. The new Superbike class structure was presented to the Road Race Rules Committee on March 21 at a meeting at AMA offices in California. Feedback provided by the committee will be used in determining final class structure details. Specific equipment standards and technical rules remain under development and will be finalized in the near future. Additionally, AMA Racing is evaluating several options for developmental/support classes. A main objective for these classes is to create an improved process for the growth of younger riders and their ability to compete at the national level. As always, AMA Racing will continually monitor its class structure and rules packages and modify as necessary. Dingman stated that strengthening the AMA Superbike Championship overall is at the core of these changes. “We see great opportunity for AMA Superbike to continue to expand,” said Dingman. “Throughout 2006 and early 2007 we have made a number of changes to our organization and staff all in the name of improvement. We see this new class structure as part of that evolution. 2007 will be an important year as we prepare for our future.” 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.

Nicky Hayden: I’m Aiming To Fight Back Strongly After Qatar

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Nicky Hayden: I’m Aiming To Fight Back Strongly After Qatar

HOMEBOY DANI READY TO CHALLENGE RIVAL STONER

As round two of what is shaping up to be a red-hot MotoGP World Championship hits Jerez in southern Spain this weekend, a 250,000 crowd is expected. This horde will largely be there to will on Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V), the main Spanish hope for the 2007 World Championship.

Dani scored a third place in the opening race in Qatar and now that the series has returned to Europe, he will be looking for nothing less than a win at his ‘home’ race. There used to be a theory that it was only when the series came to Europe that the ‘real’ racing began. But things have changed.

With an 18-race series, and with six of those races outside Europe at key stages of the Championship, no competitor can afford to write off any race as an aberration either in terms of rider form or the result. Which makes Casey Stoner’s win for Ducati in Losail significant and another victory for the red bike here would signal trouble for his rivals.

Dani, Casey’s great rival from their 250 days, must be among the favourites to score a win here, especially after his second place here in 2006 in his debut MotoGP race. He was fast in testing here at this demanding 4.423km track and with the crowd behind him too great things are expected. He will also be buoyed by breaking Rossi’s record of being the youngest rider to take 50 podiums with his third at Losail.

The circuit presents a challenge on two fronts; rider rhythm is vital and front tyre grip at a premium. Laid out among natural contours, Jerez was built in 1986 and hosted its first Grand Prix the following year. It has never been off the Grand Prix calendar since a measure of the quality of racing it provides.

Jerez makes demands in all areas of machine set-up with short, medium and long straights, uphill and downhill braking areas, and two second-gear hairpins. But the biggest test is whether a rider can make a series of consistent, flowing laps in race conditions when the ideal lines through turns on this 11m wide circuit may be occupied by rivals.

Bikes have to be stable to cope with bumps on the entries to key turns. Under hard braking, the undulations into turn one at the end of the start/finish straight can pose problems and another tight right-hander at the end of the back straight is a challenge too especially as these are recognised ‘passing places’. The longest straight is only 600m making a high top speed less of a requirement than at other tracks. But the speed shown by Stoner’s Ducati in Qatar will still be a factor.

Jerez also boasts one of the most spectacular run-ins to the finish line two 100mph right turns, with rear wheels spinning-up, and then desperate braking into the final tight left where many a race has been won and lost, often amid fierce controversy.

Dani said, “The result in Qatar was quite good and I was happy to get on the podium at the first race of the year now we must really push and try to improve so we can fight at the front until the end. The tyre choice for Jerez is going to be really important in order to achieve consistency in the race and we must work hard to get quicker because some of the other teams are going really fast now.”

His team-mate Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V) said, “I’m definitely looking forward to the race at Jerez this weekend. The Spanish crowd, the atmosphere everything about Jerez is fun and the passion the fans show is amazing. The last test there went quite well for me and I’m looking forward to getting out on track, trying to get a good feeling with the bike and having some fun. It’s round two and I’m aiming to fight back strongly after Qatar.”

Marco Melandri (Gresini Honda RC212V) said, “There’s a lot of expectation for this first race in Europe and it’s sure to be a great show. Jerez is a circuit I like a lot because it is so technical and complete. To ride fast there you need to have a well-balanced bike. The track is characterised by long corners that require a stable front-end that gives you plenty of confidence. There isn’t a long straight like in Qatar, so that is an advantage for us at the moment. I feel good and can’t wait to get back on track.”

“I can’t wait to ride in front of my home fans,” said Marco’s Spanish team-mate Toni Elias (Gresini Honda RC212V). “Racing here is always an incredible emotion, especially when you enter the stadium section. You can feel the heat of the fans it’s really amazing. We took a major step forward at the test here with the Bridgestone tyres and in Qatar we made more progress, qualifying fourth fastest, although we need to work on the durability of the tyres. We are working to find a good base set-up, which is particularly important for Jerez, which combines fast and slow corners.”

Shinya Nakano (Konica Minolta Honda RC212V) said, “We learned a lot about the bike at Qatar, but we didn’t get a good start, and this is so important at Jerez. Everyone tells me I have a classic smooth 250cc style and hopefully as we progress this will suit the new 800cc bike. I’ve tried changing my style in the past, to try to be more aggressive on the brakes, but then I crash, so I believe in my riding style! Jerez always gives me a very special feeling as it’s a pleasure to ride in front of so many fans and I’m also very excited that my father is flying in from Japan to watch! My parents have flown in a few times to Europe to watch races, but never Jerez. With its unique atmosphere I wanted to show him the Spanish GP at Jerez. I think he will love it!”

Another Spanish star riding alongside Dani and Toni is Carlos Checa (LCR Honda RC212V). He said, “I always feel very emotional at Jerez because this is my ‘home’ race and for sure I will have a lot of fans around me, which is always a great feeling. But I need to concentrate on the race because I do not want to repeat the mistakes of Qatar. I know the Jerez track and I’m aiming for a good result on Sunday. I’ve spoken with Ramon Forcada and we have some ideas to improve the front-end feeling of the bike.”

Kenny Roberts (Roberts KR212V) will be aiming for a far better result than his disappointing 13th in Qatar. He said, “We’re just working at getting ourselves into a better position than we were at Losail. We’ll be taking it bit by bit and making sure we have a better package than we did for the first race. This race is where we have to get our season going forward.”

In the 250cc class Honda men will be trying to ensure reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo (Aprilia) is denied the chance to win his ‘home’ race. And no one will riding harder than 2006 series runner-up Andrea Dovizioso (Scot Honda RS250RW). His team has now reverted to running under the Team Scot banner again after its stint as Humangest last season.

He said, “Despite the improvements made to the factory Honda, I still suffered from the Aprilia’s better top speed in Qatar. My team is working hard, we have the capacity and in Jerez I’ll make my best efforts to get ahead because I won’t be satisfied with another fifth position. The tests we did in February were good, I set third fastest time here, and because of that I’m confident of doing well here.”

Julian Simon (Repsol Honda RS250RW) said, “I’d love to be at the front in this Grand Prix, because I’ve already shown that I can be fast during the tests. We still have to work a bit on the bike and I think that we’ll have an advantage in Jerez that we didn’t have in Qatar, where the Aprilia machines worked well and were fast. But I think we’ll be able to do a good job here in Jerez.”

Shuhei Aoyama (Repsol Honda RS250RW) said, “We’ve already been to Jerez before and I like it, so I’ll have the chance to make up for Qatar. We’ll have to give our best, because we cannot repeat the result of the first race.”

Rookie Ratthapark Wilairot (Stop And Go Racing Honda RS250RW) said, “Taking 14th in Qatar was a good result, it proved that we’re doing a good job efforts always get rewarded. This will be the third time I’ve ridden at Jerez circuit and even if I couldn’t work as much as I wanted on the two previous occasions because of bad weather, I already know the track. It’s is much more complicated than Losail and we’ll have to work hard.”

In the 125cc class home hopes will be riding with Esteve Rabat (Repsol Honda RS125R) who managed eighth place in the opening race. He said, “I’m really looking forward to it, but I’ll take it easy, focussing on learning from the team and from the quicker, more experienced riders. The only real aim will be to learn the result matters less. But racing at home makes the excitement almost even bigger than being in the World Championships.”

His team-mate Bradley Smith (Repsol Honda RS125R) said, “I know Jerez quite well, I’ve already lapped a lot there in the dry and the wet. So it shouldn’t be a big problem, since we have a lot of data regardless of the conditions. This is very positive, so I only want to get onto the track and do the best I can.”

Mike di Meglio (Scot Honda RS125R), 14th in Qatar said, “We have solved the problems that slowed me in Qatar and so I’m quite easy about this week-end. The track is difficult but it’s one of my favourites and I hope to have a good race.”

More On New LRRS Spec Fuel, Contingency Deal With VP

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More On New LRRS Spec Fuel, Contingency Deal With VP

LRRS Implements Spec Fuel Program; VP Racing Fuels Chosen to Perform NEWARK, DE (March 20, 2007) VP Racing Fuels has been chosen by the Loudon Road Racing Series (LRRS) at New Hampshire International Speedway to provide spec fuel products and service for the 2007 season. LRRS, citing rising fuel costs and a desire to provide a more level playing field with the mandatory use of a spec fuel, chose VP over all other proposals to provide race fuel, on site dispensing and technical support. In addition, VP will be providing for LRRS riders an exclusive contingency program that will replace the CCS contingency posted in previous years. The first LRRS race of the season is scheduled April 28-29. Additional information can be obtained by calling VP’s regional office in Delaware at 302-368-1500, visiting vpracingfuels.com or lrrsracing.com. Over its 32-year history, VP Racing has fueled champions in virtually every racing category and class — from drag racing, road racing and circle track to motocross, off road and off shore. VP has earned a reputation for producing high quality racing fuels with superior power and consistency — as illustrated by its sweep of all AMA Pro Racing Championships in Superbike, Supercross, Motocross and Supermoto for the last three years. VP also is the official, spec fuel and/or contingency sponsor of AMA Supercross, AMA Motocross, Prostar AMA, NHRA, SKUSA, Stars of Karting, Rmax Challenge and numerous other sanctioning bodies.

Racer Gonzales Chases, Recovers His Stolen Streetbike

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Racer Gonzales Chases, Recovers His Stolen Streetbike

WERA/CMRA racer Frank “Speedy Gonzales” Gonzales made the local news in Springfield, Missouri when he spotted someone riding his stolen Honda CBR600 streetbike, chased the man in his Ford Explorer and recovered his bike. In an e-mail to Roadracingworld.com, Gonzales stated that he has had four motorcycles stolen in the last year, “and after being ignored by Police, I was upset.” Read more here: ~http://springfieldnews-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070320/NEWS01/703200368~

The Last Round Of Press Releases Regarding Last Weekend’s Various Races

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The Last Round Of Press Releases Regarding Last Weekend’s Various Races

Team EMGO USA kicks off 2007 with strong showing at Roebling Road Team EMGO USA’s Opie Caylor got off to a quick start at Roebling Road Raceway in Savannah, Georgia this past weekend by qualifying on the front row’s of each of the four classes that Opie is racing in this year. Using a 2006 Suzuki GSXR 750, Opie qualified in second position in Formula One and took pole in both the 750 and 1000 Superstock classes. He then rode his 2006 Suzuki GSXR 600 to third place on the grid for the 600 Superstock race. After qualifying Caylor had this to say; “I’m pretty happy with our qualifying results. Pole in all four would have been great, but as long as we are on the front row, then we’ll be okay! As far as the 600 goes, I’m pretty happy with third on the grid. The forks on the bike are completely stock right now! Thermosman is building the forks with those real good 25mm Ohlins cartridges, so once those are done, we’ll be going a lot faster!” Saturdays are always endurance day during a WERA/AMA National Challenge weekend and Team EMGO USA uses those Saturdays as a workday. Team EMGO USA’s newest member, mechanic Shane Giguere, spent all afternoon prepping the teams bikes for Sundays sprint races, including the installation of the Thermosman built forks and fresh new Dunlop tires. On Sunday, Opie got a great start and stormed into the lead as the green flag dropped for the 1000 Superstock race and was passed by only one of the faster GSXR 1000’s, ridden by Tray Batey. The two began to separate themselves from the rest of the field. Opie didn’t know it at the time, but Canadian factory rider Clint McBain was stalking him. McBain got around Opie on the long front straight but Opie held onto the back of McBains faster GSXR1000. On the last lap, in the second to the last corner, the two came up on a slower rider. McBain stayed behind the slower rider and Opie swept to the outside and passed both of them! Opie got a great run through the last corner and held onto second position. The 600 Superstock race was next. Caylor didn’t get that same good start as in the 1000 race but quickly went to work on passing as many riders as he could. As he approached a pack of riders directly behind the leaders, Opie started looking for a way past. Opie committed to his line and leaned in while another rider slid up underneath the rider Opie was going around. When that happened, the rider in the middle stood up and left Opie no where to go. Opie tucked the front and slid off the edge of the track. “I picked the bike back up and tried to get back in it but the left clip-on broke off so it is was game-over.” Luckily for Caylor, he was wearing Komodo’s latest version of their excellent FX-series leathers. Without even a bump or bruise, Caylor hopped back on the 750 and started that race from pole. Two hole-shots and two red flags later, the race was finally under way. On the third start, Opie got into turn one in fourth and settled in for the five-bike battle royale! At the halfway point, Caylor decided that it was time to go. He moved past Jacobi and Jensen into third position. Two turns later, the leader Lee Acree and second place rider James Chance collided, which sent both riders off the track. The remaining three went back and forth for the rest of the race with Team EMGO USA’s Caylor taking third. ” Man, that was a really fun race! I hate that Lee and James got together over there in five. I hope that both of them are okay! I tipped over there a little while ago. But after they went out, I still had my hands full with Robby and Jacobi! We were going back and forth that was the funnest race I had in a long time!” One tenth of a second covered the top three riders at the finish. The last race for Caylor and Team EMGO USA on the day, was the last race of the day, Formula One. Again, on his 750, Caylor got a great start. Jensen, Batey and Opie separated themselves from the rest of the field. Turning nearly identical fastest laps, each riders best lap time was a 1:12.0. Jensen and Batey swapped the lead several times with Jensen coming home first, Batey second and Team EMGO USA’s Opie Caylor finishing third. “I knew that riding the 750 against the 1000’s here would be tough. But overall, I am really pleased with how things turned out. In F1, I could turn the lap times I just couldn’t get past them and have any chance of leading at the finish line. What was keeping me doing the times though were the Dunlop tires. The new DBG front that Dunlop has come out with is awesome. That and the motors that Grant Matsushima at MPT Racing has built me!” More, from a press release issued on behalf of American Suzuki: Vesrah Suzuki Captures Milestone 50th WERA Endurance Victory BREA, Calif., (March 21, 2007) American Suzuki Motor Corp. (ASMC) congratulates the Vesrah Suzuki Racing Team for its 50th Bridgestone/WERA National Endurance win in the series’ season-opening round at Roebling Road Raceway in Faulkville, Ga., on Saturday, March 17, 2007. The five-man Vesrah Suzuki team, which raced a GSX-R1000 to this landmark victory, includes Mark Junge, Tray Batey, John Jacobi, Lee Acree and Chris Ulrich. Founded in 2000 by team owner and rider Junge, the 2006 Bridgestone/WERA National Endurance Championship-winning Vesrah Suzuki Racing Team has five WERA National Endurance titles and is currently working toward its sixth. “I think that getting 50 wins is certainly a milestone,” said Junge. “It’s an accomplishment that I wasn’t expecting to get when I started endurance racing. I have to give credit for these wins to the team and to Suzuki. It’s a combination of a quality bike in the Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R1000 and a strong sense of team work. Now, we’re just looking to be consistent for the rest of the season and to make sure that our main focus is winning another championship.” The Bridgestone/WERA National Endurance Series is co-sanctioned by the AMA and is the premier class of WERA Motorcycle Roadracing, Inc. The series is the longest-running endurance series in the world, with races ranging from four to 24 hours. This team sport incorporates pit stops and rider changes. Team Vesrah Suzuki will return for round two of the Bridgestone/WERA National Endurance Series on May 5, 2007, at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Al. More, from a press release: PETER LENZ ROLLS WITH THE PUNCHES AND TAKES 4 WINS IN SMRRC SEASON OPENER When you add up one highside, a trashed Arai helmet, a completely roached rear tire, and 126 race laps what do you get? You get a very busy and eventful weekend that resulted in 4 wins, a 2nd, a 3rd and an 8th for Metrakit Canada (www.metrakit.ca) backed Peter Lenz (www.peterlenz.com) at the SMRRC season opener this past weekend. Having first turned a wheel at the Stockton, California track Saturday afternoon, Peter was instantly on pace at the Bay Area’s mini hotbed, home to both AFM regulars and Hopper Racing’s junior rider Vision Hayes. The track was cold at the start of Sunday morning and Peter’s warm-up was finished before he completed his first lap. Peter highsided his Metrakit 80 on his out lap landing squarely on his Arai Helmet. “I want to thank Bruce (Porter) of Arai, he gave me a really good helmet. When I crashed I put it to really good use and I think we did a really good job (destroying the helmet) this time. I highsided and hit my head and now (the helmet) is all gone but at least I saved my head,” explained Peter after the crash. After taking a break and being looked over by the trackside medical staff, Peter headed out in the last warm-up session of the morning looking no worse for wear. Though the same thing couldn’t be said of his Z Leathers or the retired Arai Helmet. When the green flag dropped you couldn’t tell he had been tossed across the track just an hour earlier. Peter jumped out front in his first heat race and took his first win of the morning securing a straightaway lead by the end of the eight lap heat. He followed that up with several other performances that saw him move through traffic resulting in him securing front row starts in all seven of his classes. After winning both the Formula 50 and Super 50 classes by a good margin, Peter had a difficult time in the 80 class. This wasn’t the result of an aftershock of highsiding the bike earlier, but rather because he found himself at the back end of the pack after a poor start. He worked himself up to fourth position only to find himself in seventh after having his front wheel chopped as he drove underneath a rider that didn’t expect him to be there. He recovered and began again to work his way up into fifth when Peter again had a close encounter that saw him drop back to ninth, this time behind a torquey supermoto. Having never raced against a fast supermoto rider while on a MiniGP racer, Peter spent the next five laps figuring out how to pass someone that was three times as wide going into the corner (due to being sideways) and had 4-stroke torque coming out. Peter finally got underneath him on the last corner to take a hard fought eighth place finish. The closest race for a win came when Peter and ex-AMA Pro Racer, Bryan Edginton, slugged it out in the Expert Trophy Dash. “I was stuck behind him and couldn’t get by. He kept changing his lines and I couldn’t fit. I rode on the grass a couple times when I tried to pass him on the outside. And when I went underneath, he would pinch me off. He gave me a real good race, I want to come back again and race him,” explained Peter. Peter was fired up after that close race and put his head down and won the Junior Stars race by a whopping 18 seconds. Next up was the Formula Extreme race. After taking the holeshot, Peter fell off the pace when the very abrasive surface of the Stockton track took Peter out of the running. His flat track grooved rear tire shredded causing massive rear chatter resulting in Peter dropping three seconds off his pace from earlier. “I couldn’t keep the gas on, the rear was bouncing all over. Whenever I turned the throttle and leaned over the rear would start hopping. It started to hurt (my bottom) it was bouncing so much,” commented Peter. He conceded his lead and let both Bryan Edginton and Hopper Racing rider Vision Hayes go by for a comfortable third finish while D+W Images supported junior rider Josh Serne brought his Kawasaki motard home fourth after spending most of his practice learning his new Metrakit MiniGP 50. The last race of the day was the NSR Cup. Peter grabbed the early lead, pulled a gap, and maintained the gap as necessary based on what was communicated to him. “I rode hard until I had a three second lead then backed off. Then I just watched what my dad showed me my gap was. If he showed me two fingers (showing a two second lead) then I would turn a quick lap to get it back up to three fingers,” explained Peter. Having never rode the track prior to Saturday afternoon Peter was happy with the results: four wins, a challenging second, an effortful eighth and a tire induced third for the day. Peter remarked on the day, “I think we did good. I’m glad my Grandma and Grandpa where there to see me race. My dad had to fix Phil’s (Phil Gaze of Metrakit Canada) 80, I hope he doesn’t get mad that I crashed it. I am going to put my Arai in my room and take it to school to show them that it was a big crash and it saved my brain. I want to come back!” Peter is scheduled to race next in Vancouer, BC for the Canadian national mini road race series season opener April 15th. You can keep up with Peter via his website: ~http://www.PeterLenz.com~

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Starts This Weekend At Jerez; After Three Tests American Beaubier Considered Podium Contender By KTM

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Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Starts This Weekend At Jerez; After Three Tests American Beaubier Considered Podium Contender By KTM

Programme “3 plus” in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 2007 23 rookies will compete in the first European round in Jerez 2007. On March 25th, Round 1 of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 2007 gets under way at Jerez de la Frontera in Spain: The biggest talent search in motorcyle racing history will start its first race. Originally, after the Selection Event at the “Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo” on 28 August 2006, the best twenty riders were selected and nominated for the Rookies Cup. Under the auspices of Spanish motorcycling legend Alberto Puig and KTM’s Race Director Harald Bartol, several additional reserve riders were chosen and also invited to further test sessions, run at Adria Raceway in Italy at the end of October, where the talent scouts were positively surprised, so that the level of performance, but also the quality of the young riders led to a change of mind. In a “3 plus” programme, three additional riders were selected for the Rookies Cup 2007, so now a total of 23 riders from ten nations will participate in the biggest talent search in international motorcyle racing so far, powered by Dorna and Red Bull. These young talents come from Germany, Italy, Norway, Great Britain, the USA, the Czech Republic, France, Sweden, Hungary and Spain. Over the past two weeks three further test sessions were held at Jerez and Valencia to prime the 23 riders for the start of the season at the end of March (see list). Several riders were already able to put themselves in the limelight as possible podium contenders e.g. American Cameron Beaubier, Johann Zarco (FRA), Lorenzo Savadori (ITA), Jamie Mossey (GB) and Cristian Trabalon Laso (ESP) among others. The sole lady in the field, Lucy Gloeckner from Germany, ran consistently in the top eight. Harald Bartol: “It was a pleasant problem for us to suddenly have 23 almost level young riders at our disposal. We wanted to guarantee the highest quality possible and therefore decided to expand our Cup accordingly! The fact that ten riders should be good for podium positions is especially gratifying.” The seven races of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 2007: 25 March 2007 Jerez/ESP 2 June 2007 Mugello/ITA 24 June 2007 Donington/GB 30 June 2007 Assen/NL 15 July 2007 Sachsenring/GER 19 Aug 2007 Brno/CZ 4 Nov 2007 Valencia/ESP

KTM 250cc Rider Hiroshi Aoyama To Sit Out Jerez With Hand Injury

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KTM 250cc Rider Hiroshi Aoyama To Sit Out Jerez With Hand Injury

Aoyama to miss first European Grand Prix in Jerez Due to the injury that he suffered at the Qatar Grand Prix, Red Bull KTM 250 rider Hiroshi Aoyama will not take part at the first European round in Jerez next week. After his unlucky crash, which left him with considerable damage to skin and tendons of the little finger of his right hand, he flew straight back to Barcelona and underwent immediate surgery in the famous Clinica Santiago Dexeus. Dr. Xavier Mir, a popular microsurgeon who has helped numerous athletes and motorcycle racers in the past, reconstructed the tendons and immobilised the finger with a pin for the initial healing period. As the treatment has been a full success, Aoyama is recovering very quickly. But he will still follow his doctor’s recommendation to give his finger additional rest and time, especially for the lost skin to grow back. In the meantime, Red Bull KTM Technical Director Harald Bartol worked overtime in his Austrian workshop to solve the chattering problems that hampered all three Red Bull KTM 125 riders at the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix last week. Thorough bench tests with current and with previous carburation systems confirmed that the engine set-up of Qatar had caused the trouble, and the problem was fixed for the upcoming round in Jerez. Hiroshi Aoyama (Red Bull KTM 250) “žMy finger injury was not that serious, but I still spent two days in the hospital, because there was a lot of sand in the wound, and I had to undergo a thorough antibiotic treatment to avoid a possible infection. The operation itself went very well, Dr. Xavier Mir re-joined the tendon with artificial material and put a pin into my finger to keep it still. I can’t move it and I have to keep it straight for a total of ten days, then the pin will come out again. After that, I will still need some time, because I lost a lot of skin, and before the wound hasn’t healed up, it’s easy to cause more damage or to get an infection. Of course I would like to race in Jerez, at least for some points, but I respect my doctor’s recommendations. Xavi has done a fantastic job with the operation, I am very happy in fact, the finger looks better now than before!” Harald Bartol (Technical Director) “žIt’s unfortunate for Hiroshi and for our team that he most likely won’t be able to start in Jerez, but we have a long season ahead of us, and it is better to treat this injury without taking any risks. As far as our technical progress goes, we keep working on the rideability of our 125 cc machines. We have been able to confirm that the chattering in Qatar was caused by the engine, which wasn’t running smoothly in a partly open throttle position. It looks as if our new carburettors need some more fine-tuning in terms of needle position and other details, because when I made engine tests with last year’s carburettor, the problem was gone completely!”

Mladin, Spies Fastest As Two-day, Multi-team Tests Concludes At Barber Motorsports Park

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Mladin, Spies Fastest As Two-day, Multi-team Tests Concludes At Barber Motorsports Park

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin and Ben Spies were unofficially the fastest two riders during a two-day, multi-team test that concluded today at Barber Motorsports Park, in Birmingham, Alabama. No official times were available, but according to several sources at the test Mladin and Spies both recorded lap times in the 1:24.6 range (while using race tires on their GSX-R1000s), which is 0.8 second quicker than the fastest race lap time from 2006 and even quicker than Spies’ 2006 pole position/lap record time of 1:24.830. “It went good,” Spies told Roadracingworld.com via cell phone. “The bike was working pretty good from the get-go. One of the big problems I’ve had with the bike has been backing in. We did something to the bike and pretty much eliminated that. Now I can brake as deep as I have talent to. (laughs) “I’ll admit Barber and those types of tracks are kind of my weaker tracks that I’ve been working on and getting better on. Obviously, last year we had a good weekend at Barber, but still it’s not my strongest track. Last year in testing we were a bit off from Mat [Mladin], then at the race we closed it up. This year, at least, we were pretty much dead-even in testing. The test couldn’t have gone any better for us, really.” Spies said he also did a 1:26.3 (0.7 second faster than the fastest race lap time from 2006) during the limited laps he made on his Superstock GSX-R1000. Few Superstock lap times were available, but Ben Bostrom reported doing a 1:26.4 during a very productive test of his YZF-R1. Several Superbike riders did laps in the low-1:26 range, including Yoshimura Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden and American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel and Jake Zemke. A little further down the order, were Yamaha’s Eric Bostrom, who said he did a 1:26.3, and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking, who reported doing a 1:26.5, about the same as his teammate Roger Hayden. Eric Bostrom said he did not know what time his teammate Jason DiSalvo did, but he did know that DiSalvo was ill at the test and only rode a limited number of laps. Zemke and Team M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Michael Barnes also said they were under the weather at the test. Barnes was one of three riders known to have crashed. Graves Yamaha’s Josh Herrin crashed in turn 11, the fast left at the end of the back straightaway, and Fast By Ferracci MV Agusta’s Matt Lynn had a big get-off coming over the blind right-hand crest at turn three. According to several riders, Lynn would have hit the same Armco barrier that Roger Hayden slid into and broke his leg last year if the barrier had not been moved during the off-season. Spies said he thinks the barrier is still too close, however. Members of the new Rider Safety Council for Road Racing, along with AMA Racing Road Race Manager Morgan Broadhead met with Barber Motorsports Park management Monday evening. According to Zemke, a member of the Council, the track has made several improvements that riders asked for last year and were very receptive to their new requests for more, minor changes, like new curbs and gravel traps. The test was attended by Celtic Racing, American Honda, Corona Extra Honda, Monster Energy Kawasaki, Attack Kawasaki, Fast By Ferracci MV Agusta, Yoshimura Suzuki, Team M4 EMGO Suzuki, Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki, Blackfoot Picotte Performance Suzuki, Yamaha, Graves Yamaha and Erion Honda’s Josh Hayes, who rode his personal CBR600RR. Weather for the test was very good except for some high winds on Monday. Ambient temperatures were in the mid-70s F, and track temperatures were reported to have exceeded 40 C, which one Crew Chief described as “toasty.”

Martin Let Go By DFX Honda Due To Lack Of Finances

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Martin Let Go By DFX Honda Due To Lack Of Finances

Steve Martin Unexpectedly Left Without A Ride for Remainder of the WSBK Season Steve Martin was today unexpectedly informed that his ride with the DFX Honda World Superbike team was no longer available, due to lack of finances for the Italian squad. Just days before being due to leave his home in Switzerland for the next round of the championship at Donington in the UK, the vastly experienced Aussie rider was clearly disappointed and bemused by the news, commenting, “I’m absolutely gutted. Not just for me but also my whole bike crew. “Just before the start of the season I was reassured by DFX that they definitely had sufficient money to run both me and Fabrizio for the whole year, and on that basis I decided to continue with the team, despite still having other options of rides at that time. So to now be told, just two races into the season, that the team doesn’t actually have enough budget is unbelievable and puts me in a position that could have been avoided. “It’s also so disappointing after how much progress we’ve made with the bike during testing over the off-season, to now not be able to progress with that and turn it into some good results. “But most of all I’m a racer and just want to race, as I know I’m as capable and competitive as ever to run with the front of the field. “I’ve obviously spent the day on the phone talking to everyone to try and secure funding or avenues for another ride, but as expected, so early into the season is not the time of the year to be trying to find either of those.” The DFX team will continue to run with team-mate Fabrizio in the 2007 Superbike World Championship as he is a Honda Europe rider, and therefore financed from that source. Steve will still be at Donington for the third round of the championship on 30/31 March – 1 April, and plans to remain in Europe for the remainder of the racing season, rather than return to his native Australia, in order to try and secure sponsorship or an alternative place on the World Superbike grid.

Hawk Kawasaki Previews This Weekend’s British Superbike Test At Snetterton

As the new race season approaches Hawk Kawasaki will be out in force this weekend at Snetterton Circuit, Norfolk (23rd 25th March). At the official British Superbike pre season test the four Kawasaki riders are eager to get some vital track time under their belt. New signing Scott Smart is keen to get back out on the ZX10 and will be working hard with the team to get the bike set up for the first race at Brands Hatch on Easter weekend. Peter Hickman who this year will be running number 150 joins him in the Hawk British Superbike team, Hicky will be running the 150 plate as main sponsor Andrews Sykes are celebrating 150 years in business. The two Superbike riders will be testing a number of new elements including chassis and engine parts plus some new electronics throughout the weekend. Making their debut appearance will be 20-year-old David Hallett and 18-year-old Jak Wright on board the brand new Superstock and Supersport Hawk Kawasaki’s. The two youngsters who are running under the Hawk Kawasaki Junior Team banner, are apprehensive yet excited about the big jump they are making into British Championship level racing. It will be an intensive three-day test for the four riders at one of the fastest circuits in the country. It will be a good opportunity for the team to gain a good idea and knowledge as to how the season will pan out.

AMA Championship To Slim Down To Three Road Race Classes In 2009, Superbike Rules To Be Revised

AMA TO ROLL OUT NEW SUPERBIKE CLASS STRUCTURE IN 2009 PICKERINGTON, Ohio (March 21, 2007) – AMA Racing announced today that it will implement a new class structure for the AMA Superbike Championship beginning with the 2009 season. The new class structure will feature three championship classes with accommodations in place to run developmental/support classes as part of the overall series. The new championship classes are as follows: “¢ AMA Superbike “¢ AMA Supersport “¢ AMA Formula Xtreme AMA Superbike will remain the series’ leading class and continue to be based primarily on 1000cc equipment. In its new iteration, AMA Superbike pulls from existing Superbike and Superstock rules resulting in an all-new premier class. Supersport and Formula Xtreme will remain similar to their existing structure but will also be refined. In making the announcement AMA President, Rob Dingman, acknowledged the dynamic nature of motorcycle development as well as the motorcycle marketplace. “We’re seeing unprecedented gains in the levels of performance by modern motorcycles,” said Dingman. “Also, as motorcycle sales have remained robust, the manufacturers have sought to accelerate their competitive advantages, not to mention market share, by improving key products even more.” Dingman added that AMA Racing’s objective is to recognize and respond to these changes while considering such factors as rider safety, quality of competition, cost, and the overall health and growth of motorcycle road racing, among other criteria. In developing its new class structure, AMA Racing officials looked outward. “We considered the class structure and rules packages of other leading sanctioning bodies worldwide as part of this process,” said Dingman. “Ultimately, we need to do what is in the best interest of the riders, teams, manufacturers and sponsors competing in the United States but, at the same time, this cannot be done in a vacuum.” Dingman said World Superbike as well as leading national series like British Superbike, German Superbike and Australian Superbike were examined. In 2006 AMA Racing adopted new procedures for rules development. In addition to a Racing Committee whose role is to determine and set strategic direction for all AMA Racing properties, separate rules committees were developed for each racing discipline. The new Superbike class structure was presented to the Road Race Rules Committee on March 21 at a meeting at AMA offices in California. Feedback provided by the committee will be used in determining final class structure details. Specific equipment standards and technical rules remain under development and will be finalized in the near future. Additionally, AMA Racing is evaluating several options for developmental/support classes. A main objective for these classes is to create an improved process for the growth of younger riders and their ability to compete at the national level. As always, AMA Racing will continually monitor its class structure and rules packages and modify as necessary. Dingman stated that strengthening the AMA Superbike Championship overall is at the core of these changes. “We see great opportunity for AMA Superbike to continue to expand,” said Dingman. “Throughout 2006 and early 2007 we have made a number of changes to our organization and staff all in the name of improvement. We see this new class structure as part of that evolution. 2007 will be an important year as we prepare for our future.” 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.

Nicky Hayden: I’m Aiming To Fight Back Strongly After Qatar

HOMEBOY DANI READY TO CHALLENGE RIVAL STONER

As round two of what is shaping up to be a red-hot MotoGP World Championship hits Jerez in southern Spain this weekend, a 250,000 crowd is expected. This horde will largely be there to will on Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V), the main Spanish hope for the 2007 World Championship.

Dani scored a third place in the opening race in Qatar and now that the series has returned to Europe, he will be looking for nothing less than a win at his ‘home’ race. There used to be a theory that it was only when the series came to Europe that the ‘real’ racing began. But things have changed.

With an 18-race series, and with six of those races outside Europe at key stages of the Championship, no competitor can afford to write off any race as an aberration either in terms of rider form or the result. Which makes Casey Stoner’s win for Ducati in Losail significant and another victory for the red bike here would signal trouble for his rivals.

Dani, Casey’s great rival from their 250 days, must be among the favourites to score a win here, especially after his second place here in 2006 in his debut MotoGP race. He was fast in testing here at this demanding 4.423km track and with the crowd behind him too great things are expected. He will also be buoyed by breaking Rossi’s record of being the youngest rider to take 50 podiums with his third at Losail.

The circuit presents a challenge on two fronts; rider rhythm is vital and front tyre grip at a premium. Laid out among natural contours, Jerez was built in 1986 and hosted its first Grand Prix the following year. It has never been off the Grand Prix calendar since a measure of the quality of racing it provides.

Jerez makes demands in all areas of machine set-up with short, medium and long straights, uphill and downhill braking areas, and two second-gear hairpins. But the biggest test is whether a rider can make a series of consistent, flowing laps in race conditions when the ideal lines through turns on this 11m wide circuit may be occupied by rivals.

Bikes have to be stable to cope with bumps on the entries to key turns. Under hard braking, the undulations into turn one at the end of the start/finish straight can pose problems and another tight right-hander at the end of the back straight is a challenge too especially as these are recognised ‘passing places’. The longest straight is only 600m making a high top speed less of a requirement than at other tracks. But the speed shown by Stoner’s Ducati in Qatar will still be a factor.

Jerez also boasts one of the most spectacular run-ins to the finish line two 100mph right turns, with rear wheels spinning-up, and then desperate braking into the final tight left where many a race has been won and lost, often amid fierce controversy.

Dani said, “The result in Qatar was quite good and I was happy to get on the podium at the first race of the year now we must really push and try to improve so we can fight at the front until the end. The tyre choice for Jerez is going to be really important in order to achieve consistency in the race and we must work hard to get quicker because some of the other teams are going really fast now.”

His team-mate Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V) said, “I’m definitely looking forward to the race at Jerez this weekend. The Spanish crowd, the atmosphere everything about Jerez is fun and the passion the fans show is amazing. The last test there went quite well for me and I’m looking forward to getting out on track, trying to get a good feeling with the bike and having some fun. It’s round two and I’m aiming to fight back strongly after Qatar.”

Marco Melandri (Gresini Honda RC212V) said, “There’s a lot of expectation for this first race in Europe and it’s sure to be a great show. Jerez is a circuit I like a lot because it is so technical and complete. To ride fast there you need to have a well-balanced bike. The track is characterised by long corners that require a stable front-end that gives you plenty of confidence. There isn’t a long straight like in Qatar, so that is an advantage for us at the moment. I feel good and can’t wait to get back on track.”

“I can’t wait to ride in front of my home fans,” said Marco’s Spanish team-mate Toni Elias (Gresini Honda RC212V). “Racing here is always an incredible emotion, especially when you enter the stadium section. You can feel the heat of the fans it’s really amazing. We took a major step forward at the test here with the Bridgestone tyres and in Qatar we made more progress, qualifying fourth fastest, although we need to work on the durability of the tyres. We are working to find a good base set-up, which is particularly important for Jerez, which combines fast and slow corners.”

Shinya Nakano (Konica Minolta Honda RC212V) said, “We learned a lot about the bike at Qatar, but we didn’t get a good start, and this is so important at Jerez. Everyone tells me I have a classic smooth 250cc style and hopefully as we progress this will suit the new 800cc bike. I’ve tried changing my style in the past, to try to be more aggressive on the brakes, but then I crash, so I believe in my riding style! Jerez always gives me a very special feeling as it’s a pleasure to ride in front of so many fans and I’m also very excited that my father is flying in from Japan to watch! My parents have flown in a few times to Europe to watch races, but never Jerez. With its unique atmosphere I wanted to show him the Spanish GP at Jerez. I think he will love it!”

Another Spanish star riding alongside Dani and Toni is Carlos Checa (LCR Honda RC212V). He said, “I always feel very emotional at Jerez because this is my ‘home’ race and for sure I will have a lot of fans around me, which is always a great feeling. But I need to concentrate on the race because I do not want to repeat the mistakes of Qatar. I know the Jerez track and I’m aiming for a good result on Sunday. I’ve spoken with Ramon Forcada and we have some ideas to improve the front-end feeling of the bike.”

Kenny Roberts (Roberts KR212V) will be aiming for a far better result than his disappointing 13th in Qatar. He said, “We’re just working at getting ourselves into a better position than we were at Losail. We’ll be taking it bit by bit and making sure we have a better package than we did for the first race. This race is where we have to get our season going forward.”

In the 250cc class Honda men will be trying to ensure reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo (Aprilia) is denied the chance to win his ‘home’ race. And no one will riding harder than 2006 series runner-up Andrea Dovizioso (Scot Honda RS250RW). His team has now reverted to running under the Team Scot banner again after its stint as Humangest last season.

He said, “Despite the improvements made to the factory Honda, I still suffered from the Aprilia’s better top speed in Qatar. My team is working hard, we have the capacity and in Jerez I’ll make my best efforts to get ahead because I won’t be satisfied with another fifth position. The tests we did in February were good, I set third fastest time here, and because of that I’m confident of doing well here.”

Julian Simon (Repsol Honda RS250RW) said, “I’d love to be at the front in this Grand Prix, because I’ve already shown that I can be fast during the tests. We still have to work a bit on the bike and I think that we’ll have an advantage in Jerez that we didn’t have in Qatar, where the Aprilia machines worked well and were fast. But I think we’ll be able to do a good job here in Jerez.”

Shuhei Aoyama (Repsol Honda RS250RW) said, “We’ve already been to Jerez before and I like it, so I’ll have the chance to make up for Qatar. We’ll have to give our best, because we cannot repeat the result of the first race.”

Rookie Ratthapark Wilairot (Stop And Go Racing Honda RS250RW) said, “Taking 14th in Qatar was a good result, it proved that we’re doing a good job efforts always get rewarded. This will be the third time I’ve ridden at Jerez circuit and even if I couldn’t work as much as I wanted on the two previous occasions because of bad weather, I already know the track. It’s is much more complicated than Losail and we’ll have to work hard.”

In the 125cc class home hopes will be riding with Esteve Rabat (Repsol Honda RS125R) who managed eighth place in the opening race. He said, “I’m really looking forward to it, but I’ll take it easy, focussing on learning from the team and from the quicker, more experienced riders. The only real aim will be to learn the result matters less. But racing at home makes the excitement almost even bigger than being in the World Championships.”

His team-mate Bradley Smith (Repsol Honda RS125R) said, “I know Jerez quite well, I’ve already lapped a lot there in the dry and the wet. So it shouldn’t be a big problem, since we have a lot of data regardless of the conditions. This is very positive, so I only want to get onto the track and do the best I can.”

Mike di Meglio (Scot Honda RS125R), 14th in Qatar said, “We have solved the problems that slowed me in Qatar and so I’m quite easy about this week-end. The track is difficult but it’s one of my favourites and I hope to have a good race.”

More On New LRRS Spec Fuel, Contingency Deal With VP

LRRS Implements Spec Fuel Program; VP Racing Fuels Chosen to Perform NEWARK, DE (March 20, 2007) VP Racing Fuels has been chosen by the Loudon Road Racing Series (LRRS) at New Hampshire International Speedway to provide spec fuel products and service for the 2007 season. LRRS, citing rising fuel costs and a desire to provide a more level playing field with the mandatory use of a spec fuel, chose VP over all other proposals to provide race fuel, on site dispensing and technical support. In addition, VP will be providing for LRRS riders an exclusive contingency program that will replace the CCS contingency posted in previous years. The first LRRS race of the season is scheduled April 28-29. Additional information can be obtained by calling VP’s regional office in Delaware at 302-368-1500, visiting vpracingfuels.com or lrrsracing.com. Over its 32-year history, VP Racing has fueled champions in virtually every racing category and class — from drag racing, road racing and circle track to motocross, off road and off shore. VP has earned a reputation for producing high quality racing fuels with superior power and consistency — as illustrated by its sweep of all AMA Pro Racing Championships in Superbike, Supercross, Motocross and Supermoto for the last three years. VP also is the official, spec fuel and/or contingency sponsor of AMA Supercross, AMA Motocross, Prostar AMA, NHRA, SKUSA, Stars of Karting, Rmax Challenge and numerous other sanctioning bodies.

Racer Gonzales Chases, Recovers His Stolen Streetbike

WERA/CMRA racer Frank “Speedy Gonzales” Gonzales made the local news in Springfield, Missouri when he spotted someone riding his stolen Honda CBR600 streetbike, chased the man in his Ford Explorer and recovered his bike. In an e-mail to Roadracingworld.com, Gonzales stated that he has had four motorcycles stolen in the last year, “and after being ignored by Police, I was upset.” Read more here: ~http://springfieldnews-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070320/NEWS01/703200368~

The Last Round Of Press Releases Regarding Last Weekend’s Various Races

Team EMGO USA kicks off 2007 with strong showing at Roebling Road Team EMGO USA’s Opie Caylor got off to a quick start at Roebling Road Raceway in Savannah, Georgia this past weekend by qualifying on the front row’s of each of the four classes that Opie is racing in this year. Using a 2006 Suzuki GSXR 750, Opie qualified in second position in Formula One and took pole in both the 750 and 1000 Superstock classes. He then rode his 2006 Suzuki GSXR 600 to third place on the grid for the 600 Superstock race. After qualifying Caylor had this to say; “I’m pretty happy with our qualifying results. Pole in all four would have been great, but as long as we are on the front row, then we’ll be okay! As far as the 600 goes, I’m pretty happy with third on the grid. The forks on the bike are completely stock right now! Thermosman is building the forks with those real good 25mm Ohlins cartridges, so once those are done, we’ll be going a lot faster!” Saturdays are always endurance day during a WERA/AMA National Challenge weekend and Team EMGO USA uses those Saturdays as a workday. Team EMGO USA’s newest member, mechanic Shane Giguere, spent all afternoon prepping the teams bikes for Sundays sprint races, including the installation of the Thermosman built forks and fresh new Dunlop tires. On Sunday, Opie got a great start and stormed into the lead as the green flag dropped for the 1000 Superstock race and was passed by only one of the faster GSXR 1000’s, ridden by Tray Batey. The two began to separate themselves from the rest of the field. Opie didn’t know it at the time, but Canadian factory rider Clint McBain was stalking him. McBain got around Opie on the long front straight but Opie held onto the back of McBains faster GSXR1000. On the last lap, in the second to the last corner, the two came up on a slower rider. McBain stayed behind the slower rider and Opie swept to the outside and passed both of them! Opie got a great run through the last corner and held onto second position. The 600 Superstock race was next. Caylor didn’t get that same good start as in the 1000 race but quickly went to work on passing as many riders as he could. As he approached a pack of riders directly behind the leaders, Opie started looking for a way past. Opie committed to his line and leaned in while another rider slid up underneath the rider Opie was going around. When that happened, the rider in the middle stood up and left Opie no where to go. Opie tucked the front and slid off the edge of the track. “I picked the bike back up and tried to get back in it but the left clip-on broke off so it is was game-over.” Luckily for Caylor, he was wearing Komodo’s latest version of their excellent FX-series leathers. Without even a bump or bruise, Caylor hopped back on the 750 and started that race from pole. Two hole-shots and two red flags later, the race was finally under way. On the third start, Opie got into turn one in fourth and settled in for the five-bike battle royale! At the halfway point, Caylor decided that it was time to go. He moved past Jacobi and Jensen into third position. Two turns later, the leader Lee Acree and second place rider James Chance collided, which sent both riders off the track. The remaining three went back and forth for the rest of the race with Team EMGO USA’s Caylor taking third. ” Man, that was a really fun race! I hate that Lee and James got together over there in five. I hope that both of them are okay! I tipped over there a little while ago. But after they went out, I still had my hands full with Robby and Jacobi! We were going back and forth that was the funnest race I had in a long time!” One tenth of a second covered the top three riders at the finish. The last race for Caylor and Team EMGO USA on the day, was the last race of the day, Formula One. Again, on his 750, Caylor got a great start. Jensen, Batey and Opie separated themselves from the rest of the field. Turning nearly identical fastest laps, each riders best lap time was a 1:12.0. Jensen and Batey swapped the lead several times with Jensen coming home first, Batey second and Team EMGO USA’s Opie Caylor finishing third. “I knew that riding the 750 against the 1000’s here would be tough. But overall, I am really pleased with how things turned out. In F1, I could turn the lap times I just couldn’t get past them and have any chance of leading at the finish line. What was keeping me doing the times though were the Dunlop tires. The new DBG front that Dunlop has come out with is awesome. That and the motors that Grant Matsushima at MPT Racing has built me!” More, from a press release issued on behalf of American Suzuki: Vesrah Suzuki Captures Milestone 50th WERA Endurance Victory BREA, Calif., (March 21, 2007) American Suzuki Motor Corp. (ASMC) congratulates the Vesrah Suzuki Racing Team for its 50th Bridgestone/WERA National Endurance win in the series’ season-opening round at Roebling Road Raceway in Faulkville, Ga., on Saturday, March 17, 2007. The five-man Vesrah Suzuki team, which raced a GSX-R1000 to this landmark victory, includes Mark Junge, Tray Batey, John Jacobi, Lee Acree and Chris Ulrich. Founded in 2000 by team owner and rider Junge, the 2006 Bridgestone/WERA National Endurance Championship-winning Vesrah Suzuki Racing Team has five WERA National Endurance titles and is currently working toward its sixth. “I think that getting 50 wins is certainly a milestone,” said Junge. “It’s an accomplishment that I wasn’t expecting to get when I started endurance racing. I have to give credit for these wins to the team and to Suzuki. It’s a combination of a quality bike in the Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R1000 and a strong sense of team work. Now, we’re just looking to be consistent for the rest of the season and to make sure that our main focus is winning another championship.” The Bridgestone/WERA National Endurance Series is co-sanctioned by the AMA and is the premier class of WERA Motorcycle Roadracing, Inc. The series is the longest-running endurance series in the world, with races ranging from four to 24 hours. This team sport incorporates pit stops and rider changes. Team Vesrah Suzuki will return for round two of the Bridgestone/WERA National Endurance Series on May 5, 2007, at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Al. More, from a press release: PETER LENZ ROLLS WITH THE PUNCHES AND TAKES 4 WINS IN SMRRC SEASON OPENER When you add up one highside, a trashed Arai helmet, a completely roached rear tire, and 126 race laps what do you get? You get a very busy and eventful weekend that resulted in 4 wins, a 2nd, a 3rd and an 8th for Metrakit Canada (www.metrakit.ca) backed Peter Lenz (www.peterlenz.com) at the SMRRC season opener this past weekend. Having first turned a wheel at the Stockton, California track Saturday afternoon, Peter was instantly on pace at the Bay Area’s mini hotbed, home to both AFM regulars and Hopper Racing’s junior rider Vision Hayes. The track was cold at the start of Sunday morning and Peter’s warm-up was finished before he completed his first lap. Peter highsided his Metrakit 80 on his out lap landing squarely on his Arai Helmet. “I want to thank Bruce (Porter) of Arai, he gave me a really good helmet. When I crashed I put it to really good use and I think we did a really good job (destroying the helmet) this time. I highsided and hit my head and now (the helmet) is all gone but at least I saved my head,” explained Peter after the crash. After taking a break and being looked over by the trackside medical staff, Peter headed out in the last warm-up session of the morning looking no worse for wear. Though the same thing couldn’t be said of his Z Leathers or the retired Arai Helmet. When the green flag dropped you couldn’t tell he had been tossed across the track just an hour earlier. Peter jumped out front in his first heat race and took his first win of the morning securing a straightaway lead by the end of the eight lap heat. He followed that up with several other performances that saw him move through traffic resulting in him securing front row starts in all seven of his classes. After winning both the Formula 50 and Super 50 classes by a good margin, Peter had a difficult time in the 80 class. This wasn’t the result of an aftershock of highsiding the bike earlier, but rather because he found himself at the back end of the pack after a poor start. He worked himself up to fourth position only to find himself in seventh after having his front wheel chopped as he drove underneath a rider that didn’t expect him to be there. He recovered and began again to work his way up into fifth when Peter again had a close encounter that saw him drop back to ninth, this time behind a torquey supermoto. Having never raced against a fast supermoto rider while on a MiniGP racer, Peter spent the next five laps figuring out how to pass someone that was three times as wide going into the corner (due to being sideways) and had 4-stroke torque coming out. Peter finally got underneath him on the last corner to take a hard fought eighth place finish. The closest race for a win came when Peter and ex-AMA Pro Racer, Bryan Edginton, slugged it out in the Expert Trophy Dash. “I was stuck behind him and couldn’t get by. He kept changing his lines and I couldn’t fit. I rode on the grass a couple times when I tried to pass him on the outside. And when I went underneath, he would pinch me off. He gave me a real good race, I want to come back again and race him,” explained Peter. Peter was fired up after that close race and put his head down and won the Junior Stars race by a whopping 18 seconds. Next up was the Formula Extreme race. After taking the holeshot, Peter fell off the pace when the very abrasive surface of the Stockton track took Peter out of the running. His flat track grooved rear tire shredded causing massive rear chatter resulting in Peter dropping three seconds off his pace from earlier. “I couldn’t keep the gas on, the rear was bouncing all over. Whenever I turned the throttle and leaned over the rear would start hopping. It started to hurt (my bottom) it was bouncing so much,” commented Peter. He conceded his lead and let both Bryan Edginton and Hopper Racing rider Vision Hayes go by for a comfortable third finish while D+W Images supported junior rider Josh Serne brought his Kawasaki motard home fourth after spending most of his practice learning his new Metrakit MiniGP 50. The last race of the day was the NSR Cup. Peter grabbed the early lead, pulled a gap, and maintained the gap as necessary based on what was communicated to him. “I rode hard until I had a three second lead then backed off. Then I just watched what my dad showed me my gap was. If he showed me two fingers (showing a two second lead) then I would turn a quick lap to get it back up to three fingers,” explained Peter. Having never rode the track prior to Saturday afternoon Peter was happy with the results: four wins, a challenging second, an effortful eighth and a tire induced third for the day. Peter remarked on the day, “I think we did good. I’m glad my Grandma and Grandpa where there to see me race. My dad had to fix Phil’s (Phil Gaze of Metrakit Canada) 80, I hope he doesn’t get mad that I crashed it. I am going to put my Arai in my room and take it to school to show them that it was a big crash and it saved my brain. I want to come back!” Peter is scheduled to race next in Vancouer, BC for the Canadian national mini road race series season opener April 15th. You can keep up with Peter via his website: ~http://www.PeterLenz.com~

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Starts This Weekend At Jerez; After Three Tests American Beaubier Considered Podium Contender By KTM

Programme “3 plus” in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 2007 23 rookies will compete in the first European round in Jerez 2007. On March 25th, Round 1 of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 2007 gets under way at Jerez de la Frontera in Spain: The biggest talent search in motorcyle racing history will start its first race. Originally, after the Selection Event at the “Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo” on 28 August 2006, the best twenty riders were selected and nominated for the Rookies Cup. Under the auspices of Spanish motorcycling legend Alberto Puig and KTM’s Race Director Harald Bartol, several additional reserve riders were chosen and also invited to further test sessions, run at Adria Raceway in Italy at the end of October, where the talent scouts were positively surprised, so that the level of performance, but also the quality of the young riders led to a change of mind. In a “3 plus” programme, three additional riders were selected for the Rookies Cup 2007, so now a total of 23 riders from ten nations will participate in the biggest talent search in international motorcyle racing so far, powered by Dorna and Red Bull. These young talents come from Germany, Italy, Norway, Great Britain, the USA, the Czech Republic, France, Sweden, Hungary and Spain. Over the past two weeks three further test sessions were held at Jerez and Valencia to prime the 23 riders for the start of the season at the end of March (see list). Several riders were already able to put themselves in the limelight as possible podium contenders e.g. American Cameron Beaubier, Johann Zarco (FRA), Lorenzo Savadori (ITA), Jamie Mossey (GB) and Cristian Trabalon Laso (ESP) among others. The sole lady in the field, Lucy Gloeckner from Germany, ran consistently in the top eight. Harald Bartol: “It was a pleasant problem for us to suddenly have 23 almost level young riders at our disposal. We wanted to guarantee the highest quality possible and therefore decided to expand our Cup accordingly! The fact that ten riders should be good for podium positions is especially gratifying.” The seven races of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 2007: 25 March 2007 Jerez/ESP 2 June 2007 Mugello/ITA 24 June 2007 Donington/GB 30 June 2007 Assen/NL 15 July 2007 Sachsenring/GER 19 Aug 2007 Brno/CZ 4 Nov 2007 Valencia/ESP

KTM 250cc Rider Hiroshi Aoyama To Sit Out Jerez With Hand Injury

Aoyama to miss first European Grand Prix in Jerez Due to the injury that he suffered at the Qatar Grand Prix, Red Bull KTM 250 rider Hiroshi Aoyama will not take part at the first European round in Jerez next week. After his unlucky crash, which left him with considerable damage to skin and tendons of the little finger of his right hand, he flew straight back to Barcelona and underwent immediate surgery in the famous Clinica Santiago Dexeus. Dr. Xavier Mir, a popular microsurgeon who has helped numerous athletes and motorcycle racers in the past, reconstructed the tendons and immobilised the finger with a pin for the initial healing period. As the treatment has been a full success, Aoyama is recovering very quickly. But he will still follow his doctor’s recommendation to give his finger additional rest and time, especially for the lost skin to grow back. In the meantime, Red Bull KTM Technical Director Harald Bartol worked overtime in his Austrian workshop to solve the chattering problems that hampered all three Red Bull KTM 125 riders at the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix last week. Thorough bench tests with current and with previous carburation systems confirmed that the engine set-up of Qatar had caused the trouble, and the problem was fixed for the upcoming round in Jerez. Hiroshi Aoyama (Red Bull KTM 250) “žMy finger injury was not that serious, but I still spent two days in the hospital, because there was a lot of sand in the wound, and I had to undergo a thorough antibiotic treatment to avoid a possible infection. The operation itself went very well, Dr. Xavier Mir re-joined the tendon with artificial material and put a pin into my finger to keep it still. I can’t move it and I have to keep it straight for a total of ten days, then the pin will come out again. After that, I will still need some time, because I lost a lot of skin, and before the wound hasn’t healed up, it’s easy to cause more damage or to get an infection. Of course I would like to race in Jerez, at least for some points, but I respect my doctor’s recommendations. Xavi has done a fantastic job with the operation, I am very happy in fact, the finger looks better now than before!” Harald Bartol (Technical Director) “žIt’s unfortunate for Hiroshi and for our team that he most likely won’t be able to start in Jerez, but we have a long season ahead of us, and it is better to treat this injury without taking any risks. As far as our technical progress goes, we keep working on the rideability of our 125 cc machines. We have been able to confirm that the chattering in Qatar was caused by the engine, which wasn’t running smoothly in a partly open throttle position. It looks as if our new carburettors need some more fine-tuning in terms of needle position and other details, because when I made engine tests with last year’s carburettor, the problem was gone completely!”

Mladin, Spies Fastest As Two-day, Multi-team Tests Concludes At Barber Motorsports Park

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin and Ben Spies were unofficially the fastest two riders during a two-day, multi-team test that concluded today at Barber Motorsports Park, in Birmingham, Alabama. No official times were available, but according to several sources at the test Mladin and Spies both recorded lap times in the 1:24.6 range (while using race tires on their GSX-R1000s), which is 0.8 second quicker than the fastest race lap time from 2006 and even quicker than Spies’ 2006 pole position/lap record time of 1:24.830. “It went good,” Spies told Roadracingworld.com via cell phone. “The bike was working pretty good from the get-go. One of the big problems I’ve had with the bike has been backing in. We did something to the bike and pretty much eliminated that. Now I can brake as deep as I have talent to. (laughs) “I’ll admit Barber and those types of tracks are kind of my weaker tracks that I’ve been working on and getting better on. Obviously, last year we had a good weekend at Barber, but still it’s not my strongest track. Last year in testing we were a bit off from Mat [Mladin], then at the race we closed it up. This year, at least, we were pretty much dead-even in testing. The test couldn’t have gone any better for us, really.” Spies said he also did a 1:26.3 (0.7 second faster than the fastest race lap time from 2006) during the limited laps he made on his Superstock GSX-R1000. Few Superstock lap times were available, but Ben Bostrom reported doing a 1:26.4 during a very productive test of his YZF-R1. Several Superbike riders did laps in the low-1:26 range, including Yoshimura Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden and American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel and Jake Zemke. A little further down the order, were Yamaha’s Eric Bostrom, who said he did a 1:26.3, and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking, who reported doing a 1:26.5, about the same as his teammate Roger Hayden. Eric Bostrom said he did not know what time his teammate Jason DiSalvo did, but he did know that DiSalvo was ill at the test and only rode a limited number of laps. Zemke and Team M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Michael Barnes also said they were under the weather at the test. Barnes was one of three riders known to have crashed. Graves Yamaha’s Josh Herrin crashed in turn 11, the fast left at the end of the back straightaway, and Fast By Ferracci MV Agusta’s Matt Lynn had a big get-off coming over the blind right-hand crest at turn three. According to several riders, Lynn would have hit the same Armco barrier that Roger Hayden slid into and broke his leg last year if the barrier had not been moved during the off-season. Spies said he thinks the barrier is still too close, however. Members of the new Rider Safety Council for Road Racing, along with AMA Racing Road Race Manager Morgan Broadhead met with Barber Motorsports Park management Monday evening. According to Zemke, a member of the Council, the track has made several improvements that riders asked for last year and were very receptive to their new requests for more, minor changes, like new curbs and gravel traps. The test was attended by Celtic Racing, American Honda, Corona Extra Honda, Monster Energy Kawasaki, Attack Kawasaki, Fast By Ferracci MV Agusta, Yoshimura Suzuki, Team M4 EMGO Suzuki, Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki, Blackfoot Picotte Performance Suzuki, Yamaha, Graves Yamaha and Erion Honda’s Josh Hayes, who rode his personal CBR600RR. Weather for the test was very good except for some high winds on Monday. Ambient temperatures were in the mid-70s F, and track temperatures were reported to have exceeded 40 C, which one Crew Chief described as “toasty.”

Martin Let Go By DFX Honda Due To Lack Of Finances

Steve Martin Unexpectedly Left Without A Ride for Remainder of the WSBK Season Steve Martin was today unexpectedly informed that his ride with the DFX Honda World Superbike team was no longer available, due to lack of finances for the Italian squad. Just days before being due to leave his home in Switzerland for the next round of the championship at Donington in the UK, the vastly experienced Aussie rider was clearly disappointed and bemused by the news, commenting, “I’m absolutely gutted. Not just for me but also my whole bike crew. “Just before the start of the season I was reassured by DFX that they definitely had sufficient money to run both me and Fabrizio for the whole year, and on that basis I decided to continue with the team, despite still having other options of rides at that time. So to now be told, just two races into the season, that the team doesn’t actually have enough budget is unbelievable and puts me in a position that could have been avoided. “It’s also so disappointing after how much progress we’ve made with the bike during testing over the off-season, to now not be able to progress with that and turn it into some good results. “But most of all I’m a racer and just want to race, as I know I’m as capable and competitive as ever to run with the front of the field. “I’ve obviously spent the day on the phone talking to everyone to try and secure funding or avenues for another ride, but as expected, so early into the season is not the time of the year to be trying to find either of those.” The DFX team will continue to run with team-mate Fabrizio in the 2007 Superbike World Championship as he is a Honda Europe rider, and therefore financed from that source. Steve will still be at Donington for the third round of the championship on 30/31 March – 1 April, and plans to remain in Europe for the remainder of the racing season, rather than return to his native Australia, in order to try and secure sponsorship or an alternative place on the World Superbike grid.

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