Home Blog Page 6039

Updated Post: May Fastest On First Morning Of Pirelli Tire Test At Daytona

0

Team M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Geoff May turned the fastest lap time Thursday morning at the onset of a two-day Pirelli tire test at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida. Riding his AMA Superstock GSX-R1000, May turned a 1:41.371 while testing different rear tire compounds. “We were running single-compounds, hard stuff, to figure out what compound works best for the banking,” said May. “So I had to go easy in the infield. The right-handers were especially scary. I have to ride the track like it’s half-wet/half-dry.” May’s teammate Michael Barnes was second-fastest with a 1:43.752 while “feeling out the track” on his GSX-R600 Formula Xtreme machine. Barnes said he had a lot of work to do on his Formula Xtreme bike, which he hoped to get dialed in on 16.5-inch rubber during the test, before moving onto his Supersport bike. Michael Beck, the new, third rider on Team M4 EMGO Suzuki, was seventh-quick overall with a 1:46.102 on his GSX-R600, but Beck crashed in the new west horseshoe late in the morning session and was transported to Halifax Medical Center. Beck’s condition was not known at post time. The Fast By Ferracci MV Agusta squad also suffered some misfortune Monday morning. Matt Lynn quickly discovered he had the wrong gearing when he started hitting the rev-limiter in top gear halfway around the east banking. A sprocket change helped, but Lynn’s efforts were severely limited by the incorrect gearing, resulting in a best time of 1:53.179. Lynn’s teammate Italian Superstock Champion Luca Scassa went faster, turning a 1:45.743, but the engine of Scassa’s F4-1000R Superbike blew up during the session. Lynn said Scassa was also severely undergeared. After the engine failure, Scassa’s crew started transferring his hand and foot controls and his suspension over to the spare bike that he and Lynn share. Justin Marm, a WERA National Endurance competitor who will be supported by Fast By Ferracci MV Agusta in 2007, crashed his new F4-1000R late in the morning session. Marm suffered a suspected shoulder injury, according to a team member, and was also transported to the local hospital. Originally, Tony Meiring was listed as having done a 1:44.677 on a Moto Uno Racing Kawasaki ZX-6RR Supersport bike. When Roadracingworld.com questioned the lap time, Meiring claimed that it was a legitimate lap. Upon further review of the individual lap times and segment times for each rider, it was determined that in spite of what Meiring said he did cut the course in the infield section of the track. His next-fastest time on the first morning was a 1:47.670. Pirelli Tire Test Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida December 7, 2006 Thursday Morning Test Times (as provided by AMA Pro Racing timing & scoring): 1. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:41.371, Superstock 2. Michael Barnes (Suz GSX-R600), 1:43.752, Formula Xtreme 3. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:44.441, Superstock 4. Steve Rapp (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:45.111, Supersport 5. Luca Scassa (MV Agusta F4-1000R), 1:45.743, Superbike 6. Ben Attard (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:46.073, Formula Xtreme 7. Michael Beck (Suz GSX-R600), 1:46.102, Supersport 8. Cory West (Yam YZF-R6), 1:46.112, Supersport 9. Barrett Long (Yam YZF-R6), 1:46.321, Supersport 10. Tony Meiring (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:47.670, Supersport 11. Gustavo Laya (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:49.330, Supersport 12. Justin Marm (MV Agusta F4-1000R), 1:49.863, Superbike 13. Taylor Knapp (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:52.405, Supersport 14. Matt Lynn (MV Agusta F4-1000R), 1:53.179, Superbike

European Union Launches Multi-million Dollar Motorcycle, Motorcyclist Safety Research Project

At the invitation of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) to which the FIM has been a member since 1994, John Chatterton-Ross (CMT Vice-President and President of the UEM Commission for Road Safety & Mobility) was appointed as member of the Advisory Board for this new project. He attended on 10 November 2006 in Brussels the first meeting of this Advisory Board which includes representatives of ACEM, FEMA & London University. This project will run for the next 4 years and is fully funded by the European Union as part of the Marie Curie Actions programme. The purpose is to identify and recruit ten “early stage researchers” who will then work with the consortium in the following areas of research: accident dynamics, integrated safety, biomechanics and personal protective equipment (PPE), including helmets. This will stimulate co-operation between five universities, three research institutes and the industrial partners including the well-known clothing company, Dainese. For more information and details concerning the recruitment for this project, visit the website www.mymosa.eu. The budget set aside by the EU authorities shows the value and importance they place on this project. It exceeds that devoted to the MAIDS research project which was funded by the EU, the industry and the FIM.

More On Attack Kawasaki Adding Rapp, Pirelli Tires

0

ATTACK PERFORMANCE KAWASAKI TO CONTEST AMA SUPERSPORT AND FORMULA XTREME CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 2007 Rapp joins Attard on the all-new Ninja® ZX™-6R Kawasaki’s factory roadracing effort will be supplemented by the Attack Performance Kawasaki satellite team in the 2007 AMA Supersport and Formula Xtreme seasons. Featuring riders Ben Attard and Steve Rapp, the Richard Stanboli managed squad will race all-new Kawasaki Ninja® ZX™-6R sportbikes on Pirelli tires. Last season, Ben Attard made the podium twice in Supersport with third-place finishes at Mid-Ohio and Road Atlanta. Attard also posted third-place finishes at Infineon Raceway and Pikes Peak in Formula Xtreme. He closed-out his season with a runner-up finish in Formula Xtreme at Road Atlanta. New-addition Steve Rapp joins Attack Performance, after several successful seasons of AMA Superbike and Superstock competition. His new team manager says: “Rapp is a true professional. He rides hard every lap and has a wealth of knowledge from racing various classes on several different motorcycles and tires. His feedback will be quite useful, as we develop setups for our new ZX-6Rs and Pirelli tires.” Team Manager Richard Stanboli is excited about Attack’s prospects in 2007, saying: “We’re really pumped about our program next year. Focusing exclusively on the 600 classes will help the team and riders develop more-consistent setups and the new bike is proving to be very quick in testing.” Stanboli added: “Attard is ready to step-up his game and fight for a championship, while Rapp has always been fast and consistent, I really am excited about this whole team.” Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) markets and distributes Kawasaki motorcycles, ATVs, personal watercraft and utility vehicles through a network of more than 1,500 independent retailers, with an additional 7,700 retailers specializing in power products and general purpose engines. KMC and its affiliates employ nearly 2,400 people in the United States, with 400 of them located at the Irvine, California headquarters. Kawasaki’s tagline, “Let the good times roll.™”, is recognized worldwide and the brand has become synonymous with powerful, stylish motorcycles for over four decades. Information about Kawasaki’s complete line of recreational products and Kawasaki affiliates can be found on the Internet at www.kawasaki.com.

Updated Post: Two-day Pirelli Tire Test Opens Today At Daytona

0

Pirelli’s two-day tire test opens today at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida. Teams and riders present include: Team M4 EMGO Suzuki with rider Geoff May, Michael Barnes and Michael Beck; Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki’s Chris Ulrich; Fast By Ferracci MV Agusta’s Luca Scassa, Matt Lynn and Justin Marm; Attack Kawasaki’s Ben Attard and Steve Rapp; Moto Uno’s Tony Meiring, Taylor Knapp and Gustavo Laya; Hotbodies/Cory West Racing’s Cory West; and Hotbodies/Longevity Racing’s Barrett Long. Team M4 EMGO Suzuki and Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki will be treating the event strictly as a tire test and have only brought 2006-spec machinery. Barnes will ride AMA Formula Xtreme and Supersport GSX-R600s, May will test Supersport and Superstock machines, Beck will ride a Supersport-spec GSX-R600 and Ulrich will ride a GSX-R1000 Superstock bike. Fast By Ferracci MV Agusta has a trio of F4-1000R Superbikes, in a very mild state of tune, for Scassa and Lynn. The bikes are not yet fitted with any type of traction control electronics. Justin Marm, a Fast By Ferracci MV Agusta-supported rider planning to compete in the 2007 WERA National Endurance series, has his own F4-1000R. Attack Kawasaki has one 2007 ZX-6R in Formula Xtreme tune and one 2006 ZX-6RR Supersport bike. The Richard Stanboli-owned team plans to shake down its Formula Xtreme bike while it tests tires on its Supersport machine. Ben Attard, who will be working with veteran race mechanic Joey Lombardo in 2007, will ride the FX bike on Thursday, before handing it off to Rapp on Friday. Moto Uno Racing will be testing tires on its pair of 2006 Kawasaki ZX-6RR Supersport bikes, which will be shared by Laya, Knapp and Meiring. Moto Uno hopes to finalize a support deal with Kawasaki during the Daytona test so it can expand its program to race in AMA Supersport and Superstock in 2007. Laya, Knapp (who is riding with a seven-week-old broken femur) and Meiring do not have contracts with Moto Uno for 2007. Long time Pirelli rider Cory West will be riding his new Yamaha YZF-R6 Supersport bike, which will wear a host of new Team KR parts during the 2007 season. AMA regular Long trucked his Yamaha YZF-R6 Supersport bike up from his home in Miami to particpate in the test. The first bikes went out on track at approximately 9:40 a.m.

Updated Again: Spies Fastest As Dunlop Tire Test Concludes At Daytona

0

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies closed out the annual Dunlop tire test at Daytona International Speedway by posting the fastest time after only a handful of laps on his 2006-spec GSX-R1000 Superbike Wednesday. In spite of spending most of the test successfully testing his 2007 GSX-R1000 Superstock racer, Spies used what he called a “softer race tire” to turn a lap of 1:37.823 around the 2.95-mile road course late on Wednesday to lead all riders at the test. “We went back to last year’s set-up and last year’s gearbox,” Spies told reporters Wednesday evening. “I went 1:38.2 right out of the gate, immediately, and that was good. I went back out on a softer tire. They said it was kind of a race tire. Then I did a 1:37.9 or something. “Then I told them I wanted to do a little bit of a stint on the new tire, because that was the first of the new generation tires that I had seen, and it was definitely better. So I told them to give me a new race tire, and we went out and did 11 laps. The tires definitely got better this year, for sure. I did 11 laps faster than anyone else’s fastest lap. So that was good. I think my fastest lap of the race last year was a 1:38.0, and then it dropped into the high-1:38s. [Today] I did a high-1:37 and the rest of the nine laps were faster than a 1:38.4, so that was really encouraging.” Spies’ fastest time, however, was actually slower than his fastest time during the last Dunlop tire test at Daytona in December 2005. Then Spies turned a 1:37.308 on his 2006 GSX-R1000. Spies was also the fastest man in the Superstock category, turning a 1:38.750 on the newest GSX-R1000, which was under the AMA Superstock lap record for Daytona, 1:39.185. American Honda’s Jake Zemke posted his fastest lap time, and the second-fastest lap time overall, a 1:38.653, near the end of the test. Zemke felt he could have gone faster, but his CBR1000RR quit running in the last hour of testing Wednesday. Zemke’s teammate Miguel Duhamel turned the ninth-fastest Superbike time of 1:39.726 (just behind the 1:39.62 Josh Hayes turned during a guest test of Zemke’s Superbike Wednesday) while testing three different Superbikes equipped with three different engine management systems. In his limited time on a shared 2007 CBR600RR, Duhamel was credited with the top Formula Xtreme test time, a 1:40.067. Third-fastest Superbike, and overall, rider was Jason DiSalvo, who recorded a 1:38.711 on his Yamaha YZF-R1, which isn’t a full-fledged Superbike at the moment. The YZF-R1 Superbikes of DiSalvo and teammate Eric Bostrom (sixth-fastest Superbike rider with a 1:39.161) still wore stock swingarms, stock fuel tanks, stock radiators and were only equipped with mildly-tuned engines at Daytona. Six-time AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin’s best time of 1:39.067 (turned Wednesday morning during Mladin’s last stint during the test) held up for the fourth-fastest Superbike time. Mladin left the test early when it became apparent that Yoshimura Suzuki’s 2007 Superbikes would not make it to Daytona. In his first true test of his new Kawasaki ZX-10R Superbike, 2006 double AMA Champion Jamie Hacking put up the fifth-fastest Superbike test time, a 1:39.141, just faster than teammate Roger Hayden’s seventh-fastest 1:39.404. Hacking also posted the fastest lap time among the four Supersport testers at Daytona, a 1:42.613 on his all-new Kawasaki ZX-6R. Former Grand Prix racer Chaz Davies recorded an impressive Supersport time of 1:43.140 even though he was using a stock, back-up engine in his Celtic Racing Yamaha YZF-R6. Hayden was a tick behind Davies in the Supersport order with a 1:43.191. Pirelli will open its two-day tire test at Daytona Thursday morning. Dunlop Tire Test Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida December 6, 2006 Wednesday Afternoon Test Times (as supplied by AMA Pro Racing timing & scoring): 1. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:37.823, Superbike 2. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:38.653, Superbike 3. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1), 1:38.711, Superbike 4. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:38.750, Superstock 5. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:39.141, Superbike 6. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.161, Superbike 7. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:39.608, Superbike 8. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:39.726, Superbike 9. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.912, Superstock 10. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.038, Superbike 11. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:40.534, Superbike 12. Akira Yanagawa (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:40.564, Superbike 13. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.746, Superstock 14. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:41.283, Superbike 15. Ryan Andrews (Hon CBR600RR), 1:42.616, Formula Xtreme 16. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR600RR), 1:42.968, Formula Xtreme 17. Chaz Davies (Yam YZF-R6), 1:43.140, Supersport 18. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.415, Formula Xtreme 19. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:43.739, Supersport 20. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), 1:44.202, Supersport 21. Gary Mason (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:44.324,Superbike 22. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR), 1:45.138, Formula Xtreme Fastest Overall Times, By Class, Of The Test: Superbike: 1. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:37.823 2. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:38.653 3. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1), 1:38.711 4. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.067 5. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:39.141 6. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.161 7. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:39.404 8. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:39.62* 9. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:39.726 10. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.007 11. Akira Yanagawa (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:40.461 12. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:41.283 13. Gary Mason (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:44.007 Superstock: 1. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:38.750 2. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.912 3. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.304 Formula Xtreme: 1. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R6), 1:41.980 2. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR600RR), 1:42.099 3. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR600RR), 1:42.141 4. Ryan Andrews (Hon CBR600RR), 1:42.616 5. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.333 6. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR600RR), 1:44.10* 7. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR), 1:45.158 Supersport: 1. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:42.182 2. Chaz Davies (Yam YZF-R6), 1:43.140 3. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:43.191 4. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), 1:44.202 * time supplied by rider’s team (Editorial Note: The list of best overall test times listed above may appear differently than the times posted by other media outlets. This is due to AMA Pro Racing timing & scoring posting and distributing lap times that included laps where riders cut the course. Roadracingworld.com confirmed that all of the lap times listed above are legitimate by ensuring riders hit all four timing loops and/or by asking the rider directly if their best lap time was accurate.) More, from a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway: Dunlop Tire Testing Day 3: Testing Wraps Up DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. The three-day Dunlop tire testing at historic Daytona International Speedway wrapped up on Wednesday. The weather has been perfect throughout the test and teams have been using their extensive track time to prepare for Daytona 200 Week By Honda on March 1-10. But teams and riders always want more and 2006 Daytona 200 By Honda champion Jake Zemke says while the test has been successful, he would be willing to spend more days at DIS testing if he could. “Sure, a fourth day, a fifth, a sixth, we can test all week,” Zemke said with a laugh. “That’d be fine by me. Until we’re perfectly happy with everything, which as a racer I don’t think anybody is perfectly happy, we always want more time. It’s good and we’ve got plenty of tests outside of here before we come back. We have plenty of more time to look at a lot more stuff and get things dialed in.” Zemke, who’ll defend his Daytona 200 By Honda win on Saturday, March 10, says the majority of his time during the test has been spent on Honda’s new traction control system. “That’s where 80 percent of our efforts are going right now,” Zemke said. “To get up to speed with this stuff and to make it an effective tool, it takes a lot of time. Unless we’re not out on the track, we’re not able to figure out what we need from the traction control system.” The Dunlop tire test is the second visit to DIS for the American Honda team, which held a private test at “The World Center of Racing” in October following Fall Cycle Scene. During that test, Zemke revisited his 2006 Daytona 200 By Honda win. “As a kid growing up, I always looked at all the names of people that won this race,” Zemke said. “Historically, the Daytona 200 is the biggest race we have in America. It means an awful lot to put my name up there with some of the legends of motorcycle racing.” While the victory was an important piece to Zemke’s career, the triumph was also important to Honda. The manufacturer puts a tremendous amount of effort into the race and hopes the victory translates into motorcycles sales. “To win the Daytona 200, it’s huge for the manufacturer because it’s the start of spring,” Zemke said. “It’s March when all the sport bikes are coming out. It creates a lot of press and a lot of publicity for the manufacturers that win the race. It’s definitely a great way to sell motorcycles. That’s the whole reason why we do race. It’s an advertising tool to the public to showcase the attributes of the bike. It definitely shows what the bikes are capable of doing. It feeds the fans to go out and ride.” While the Dunlop tire test has concluded, Pirelli and Michelin tire testing are scheduled for the next two days at DIS and the sessions are free and open to the public with access to the Oldfield Grandstand available through DAYTONA USA. Tickets for Daytona 200 Week By Honda are available online at ~http://www.racetickets.com~ or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

Zemke Quickest Wednesday Morning At The Dunlop Tire Test At Daytona

0

American Honda’s Jake Zemke posted the fastest time so far in the three-day Dunlop tire test during Wednesday morning’s session at Daytona International Speedway. After spending the first two days of the test focusing on dialing in his new suspension and engine management electronics, Zemke was testing tires Wednesday morning when he recorded a 1:38.975 around the 2.95-mile infield road course. “I had 16 laps on that tire when I did that lap,” Zemke told Roadracingworld.com Wednesday. “As I was progressing through the new tires it was like, this one is a little bit better, this one is a little bit better. But here at the end this morning, I came back to an old tire to see where we were at, and the new stuff Dunlop brought is definitely better than last year.” Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies was the second-fastest rider, with a 1:39.125, as he continued to ride his 2007 GSX-R1000 Superstock bike. Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki’s Aaron Yates got his first taste of his 2007 GSX-R1000 Superstock machine and reported that the bike came off the corners well and had good power for being a very stock motorcycle. Jamie Hacking got into the 1:39s Wednesday morning, signifying the progress he has made adapting to his new factory Kawasaki ZX-10R Superbike. 2006 AMA Formula Xtreme Champion Josh Hayes did not ride anymore Wednesday morning after suffering a big crash exiting the infield portion of the course on the American Honda CBR600RR. Hayes was on his out lap on the machine when, “I went from being tucked in to sliding down the pavement in a blink of an eye,” said Hayes, who was not injured. Hayes said it was confirmed that a mechanical problem caused the crash. Dunlop Tire Test Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida December 6, 2007 Wednesday Morning Test Times (as provided by AMA Pro Racing timing & scoring): 1. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:38.975, Superbike 2. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.125, Superstock 3. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.472, Superbike 4. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.553, Superbike 5. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:39.671, Superbike 6. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.067, Superbike 7. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:40.282, Superstock 8. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:40.396, Superbike 9. Akira Yanagawa (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:41.057, Superbike 10. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:42.089, Superbike 11. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:42.613, Supersport 12. Ryan Andrews (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.704, Formula Xtreme 13. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:43.180, Superstock 14. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:43.191, Supersport 15. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.333, Formula Xtreme 16. Gary Mason (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:44.369, Superbike 17. Chaz Davies (Yam YZF-R6), 1:44.405, Supersport 18. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR), 1:45.927, Formula Xtreme 19. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), 1:46.263, Supersport

Tire Testing Halted Wednesday Morning At Daytona Due To Hayes’ Crash

0

Activities were halted Wednesday morning, day three of the Dunlop tire test at Daytona International Speedway, due to a crash involving Erion Honda’s Josh Hayes. Hayes was on his out-lap on the American Honda CBR600RR Formula Xtreme bike when he crashed exiting the infield portion of the road course. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies was the first rider to come upon the accident scene and speculated from the location of the crash that Hayes highsided. Spies said Hayes was “jumping up and down and waving his arms” to warn his fellow riders that his bike was lying in a shaded portion of the racetrack. The track was shut down temporarily while crash debris was cleaned up, the track inspected and Hayes transported back to the paddock.

Pegram To Race Ducati North America-backed 749Rs On Dunlops In 2007 AMA Formula Xtreme Championship

0

Former AMA Superbike race winner Larry Pegram will race Ducati 749Rs on Dunlops in the 2007 AMA Formula Xtreme Championship. The machines will feature Ducati Corse race-kitted engines modified to take advantage of the AMA technical rule allowing water-cooled V-Twins an 850cc displacement limit, and the effort will be backed by Ducati North America. Pegram planned to be at the Dunlop tire test at Daytona International Speedway, but his bikes were delayed in U.S. Customs. “We just picked them up [Monday] night in Chicago,” Pegram told Roadracingworld.com. “The earliest we could’ve been in Daytona was Wednesday morning, and that’s if we drove straight through. Plus, we need to get to work on the engines.”

Washington State Task Force Recommends Ways To Stem Increase In Motorcycle Fatalities

Motorcycle Task Force Provides Recommendations Olympia State efforts to reduce motorcycle fatalities and serious injuries should focus on rider skill and behavior, according to the Department of Licensing’s Motorcycle Task Force. “I appreciate the efforts of the Department of Licensing to address many different views on motorcycle safety,” said Governor Chris Gregoire. “They’ve presented a strong set of recommendations that will improve safety on Washington roads for motorcyclists as well as other drivers.” The task force included members of motorcycle rider groups, motorcycle dealers and representatives from the Departments of Licensing, Transportation, and Health, State Patrol, and the Traffic Safety Commission. Their recommendations included: o Increased training opportunities for riders o Improvements to the current curriculum, including evaluation and possible adoption of different curriculum o Increase public awareness of the requirement for all motorcyclists to have a motorcycle endorsement o Promote motorcycle safety statewide through public information campaigns in partnership with law enforcement and other state agencies. “I am pleased we could get together with the motorcycle community and work toward the common goal of improving motorcycle safety,” said Liz Luce, Director of the Department of Licensing. “Some of the recommendations they put forth will be included in legislative proposals next session.” The Motorcycle Task Force was created to look into the steady increase of motorcycle fatalities and injuries, and come up with recommendations on how to reduce them. After meeting for several months, the task force concluded that, while there are multiple contributions to motorcycle crashes that result in fatalities or serious injuries, it appears that the most important factors are within control of the rider. They found that: o More than 80 percent of fatalities occur between April and September prime months for motorcycling. o Half of fatal crashes were single vehicle occurrences; no other vehicle was involved other than the motorcycles. o The most common contributing factors to motorcycle fatalities, based on law enforcement on-scene reports are lane error, speeding, alcohol, and inattention. o One third of fatalities were motorcyclists who did not have a valid motorcycle endorsement. The Motorcycle Task Force was formed at Governor Gregoire’s direction after she received information during a Government Management Accountability and Performance (GMAP) forum that motorcycle fatalities had increased significantly during a time when overall traffic deaths were declining. To view the complete report, visit the Department of Licensing’s website at www.dol.wa.gov.

Updated: Spies’ First Superbike Laps Make Him Fastest Tuesday At The Daytona Tire Test

0

2006 AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies’ first laps on his 2006 Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike put him at the top of the time sheets Tuesday afternoon at the Dunlop tire test at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida. Spies spent most of the first two days of the test working on his brand new 2007 GSX-R1000 Superstock machine, which he had never touched before coming to the test in Florida. Then at the end of Tuesday’s program, Spies jumped on his 2006 Championship-winning Superbike to make sure it was ready to go for tire testing Wednesday. Within three flying laps, Spies set the fastest time of the test, a 1:39.016, which was marginally faster than the 1:39.067 turned by Mat Mladin Tuesday morning and the 1:39.061 Spies turned on his Superstock machine Tuesday afternoon. “It was good today,” Spies told Roadracingworld.com. “I spent most of my time on my Superstock bike. We started working toward a baseline set-up on that bike, made little changes, little changes and now it’s good. On race tires I’m consistently faster than what they did here at last year’s race. “My Superbike, I didn’t race with this gearbox at all last year, and it was upside-down and backwards all through the infield. I was never in the right gear, banging off the rev-limiter, coming out of corners at 4000 rpm, having to shift down into first gear. It was my idea to put the gearbox in, and I’ll admit it was wrong. But to do a 1:39.0 on a bike I hadn’t touched the whole test, totally wrong gearing, the track was cooling off and I was using a baseline tire I couldn’t be happier.” The second-fastest rider Tuesday afternoon was Superbike rookie Jason DiSalvo with a 1:39.274 on his new Yamaha YZF-R1. DiSalvo said he spent most of his day riding a consistent pace to evaluate brakes, Brembos versus Nissins, and clutches. Then at the end of the day he was given the green light to go fast on one of Dunlop’s test tires, resulting in his fast time. Roger Hayden posted the third-fastest Superbike time, a 1:39.404, on his factory Kawasaki ZX-10R while testing engine management electronics, shock settings and tires for Dunlop. Hayden’s day ended with a heart-stopping moment, however. With about 30 minutes left in the day, Hayden suddenly pulled his smoking ZX-10R onto pit lane. After cleaning his oil-soaked leathers, Hayden later said, “I was scared to death. I was up there [on the banking] between [NASCAR] turns three and four and Kaboom!” Hayden’s crew did not know exactly what happened to Hayden’s engine before leaving the garages Tuesday evening. The second day of the test included an interesting surprise. Erion Honda’s Josh Hayes was given the opportunity to ride one of Jake Zemke’s American Honda CBR1000RR Superbikes for most of the afternoon. Using only two tires over 20 laps and while riding on Zemke’s set-up, Hayes turned a 1:39.62, which was just off Zemke’s best time of the day, a 1:39.467, and better than Miguel Duhamel’s best time, a 1:40.067. Hayes’ ride on the Superbike was partly a reward for him winning the 2006 AMA Formula Xtreme Championship for Honda and partly as a means for American Honda to get fresh feedback on some of the mechanical issues it is working on. Hayes, who impressed everyone including himself with his performance on the bike, may ride the Superbike more on Wednesday. Dunlop Tire Test Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida December 5, 2006 Tuesday Afternoon Times (as provided by AMA Pro Racing timing & scoring): 1. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.016, Superbike 2. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.061, Superstock 3. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.274, Superbike 4. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:39.404, Superbike 5. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:39.467, Superbike 6. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:39.62, Superbike* 7. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:40.067, Superbike 8. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:40.080, Superbike 9. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.304, Superstock 10. Akira Yanagawa (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:40.461, Superbike 11. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:41.339, Superbike 12. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:41.639, Superbike 13. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:41.775, Superstock 14. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:42.603, Superbike 15. Ryan Andrews (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.481, Formula Xtreme 16. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:43.720, Supersport 17. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.804, Supersport 18. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.870, Formula Xtreme 19. Gary Mason (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:44.007, Superbike 20. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR600RR), 1:44.186, Formula Xtreme 21. Chaz Davies (Yam YZF-R6), 1:44.565, Supersport 22. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), 1:44.76, Supersport* 23. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR), no time, Formula Xtreme *lap time supplied by rider’s team

Updated Post: May Fastest On First Morning Of Pirelli Tire Test At Daytona

Team M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Geoff May turned the fastest lap time Thursday morning at the onset of a two-day Pirelli tire test at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida. Riding his AMA Superstock GSX-R1000, May turned a 1:41.371 while testing different rear tire compounds. “We were running single-compounds, hard stuff, to figure out what compound works best for the banking,” said May. “So I had to go easy in the infield. The right-handers were especially scary. I have to ride the track like it’s half-wet/half-dry.” May’s teammate Michael Barnes was second-fastest with a 1:43.752 while “feeling out the track” on his GSX-R600 Formula Xtreme machine. Barnes said he had a lot of work to do on his Formula Xtreme bike, which he hoped to get dialed in on 16.5-inch rubber during the test, before moving onto his Supersport bike. Michael Beck, the new, third rider on Team M4 EMGO Suzuki, was seventh-quick overall with a 1:46.102 on his GSX-R600, but Beck crashed in the new west horseshoe late in the morning session and was transported to Halifax Medical Center. Beck’s condition was not known at post time. The Fast By Ferracci MV Agusta squad also suffered some misfortune Monday morning. Matt Lynn quickly discovered he had the wrong gearing when he started hitting the rev-limiter in top gear halfway around the east banking. A sprocket change helped, but Lynn’s efforts were severely limited by the incorrect gearing, resulting in a best time of 1:53.179. Lynn’s teammate Italian Superstock Champion Luca Scassa went faster, turning a 1:45.743, but the engine of Scassa’s F4-1000R Superbike blew up during the session. Lynn said Scassa was also severely undergeared. After the engine failure, Scassa’s crew started transferring his hand and foot controls and his suspension over to the spare bike that he and Lynn share. Justin Marm, a WERA National Endurance competitor who will be supported by Fast By Ferracci MV Agusta in 2007, crashed his new F4-1000R late in the morning session. Marm suffered a suspected shoulder injury, according to a team member, and was also transported to the local hospital. Originally, Tony Meiring was listed as having done a 1:44.677 on a Moto Uno Racing Kawasaki ZX-6RR Supersport bike. When Roadracingworld.com questioned the lap time, Meiring claimed that it was a legitimate lap. Upon further review of the individual lap times and segment times for each rider, it was determined that in spite of what Meiring said he did cut the course in the infield section of the track. His next-fastest time on the first morning was a 1:47.670. Pirelli Tire Test Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida December 7, 2006 Thursday Morning Test Times (as provided by AMA Pro Racing timing & scoring): 1. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:41.371, Superstock 2. Michael Barnes (Suz GSX-R600), 1:43.752, Formula Xtreme 3. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:44.441, Superstock 4. Steve Rapp (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:45.111, Supersport 5. Luca Scassa (MV Agusta F4-1000R), 1:45.743, Superbike 6. Ben Attard (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:46.073, Formula Xtreme 7. Michael Beck (Suz GSX-R600), 1:46.102, Supersport 8. Cory West (Yam YZF-R6), 1:46.112, Supersport 9. Barrett Long (Yam YZF-R6), 1:46.321, Supersport 10. Tony Meiring (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:47.670, Supersport 11. Gustavo Laya (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:49.330, Supersport 12. Justin Marm (MV Agusta F4-1000R), 1:49.863, Superbike 13. Taylor Knapp (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:52.405, Supersport 14. Matt Lynn (MV Agusta F4-1000R), 1:53.179, Superbike

European Union Launches Multi-million Dollar Motorcycle, Motorcyclist Safety Research Project

At the invitation of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) to which the FIM has been a member since 1994, John Chatterton-Ross (CMT Vice-President and President of the UEM Commission for Road Safety & Mobility) was appointed as member of the Advisory Board for this new project. He attended on 10 November 2006 in Brussels the first meeting of this Advisory Board which includes representatives of ACEM, FEMA & London University. This project will run for the next 4 years and is fully funded by the European Union as part of the Marie Curie Actions programme. The purpose is to identify and recruit ten “early stage researchers” who will then work with the consortium in the following areas of research: accident dynamics, integrated safety, biomechanics and personal protective equipment (PPE), including helmets. This will stimulate co-operation between five universities, three research institutes and the industrial partners including the well-known clothing company, Dainese. For more information and details concerning the recruitment for this project, visit the website www.mymosa.eu. The budget set aside by the EU authorities shows the value and importance they place on this project. It exceeds that devoted to the MAIDS research project which was funded by the EU, the industry and the FIM.

More On Attack Kawasaki Adding Rapp, Pirelli Tires

ATTACK PERFORMANCE KAWASAKI TO CONTEST AMA SUPERSPORT AND FORMULA XTREME CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 2007 Rapp joins Attard on the all-new Ninja® ZX™-6R Kawasaki’s factory roadracing effort will be supplemented by the Attack Performance Kawasaki satellite team in the 2007 AMA Supersport and Formula Xtreme seasons. Featuring riders Ben Attard and Steve Rapp, the Richard Stanboli managed squad will race all-new Kawasaki Ninja® ZX™-6R sportbikes on Pirelli tires. Last season, Ben Attard made the podium twice in Supersport with third-place finishes at Mid-Ohio and Road Atlanta. Attard also posted third-place finishes at Infineon Raceway and Pikes Peak in Formula Xtreme. He closed-out his season with a runner-up finish in Formula Xtreme at Road Atlanta. New-addition Steve Rapp joins Attack Performance, after several successful seasons of AMA Superbike and Superstock competition. His new team manager says: “Rapp is a true professional. He rides hard every lap and has a wealth of knowledge from racing various classes on several different motorcycles and tires. His feedback will be quite useful, as we develop setups for our new ZX-6Rs and Pirelli tires.” Team Manager Richard Stanboli is excited about Attack’s prospects in 2007, saying: “We’re really pumped about our program next year. Focusing exclusively on the 600 classes will help the team and riders develop more-consistent setups and the new bike is proving to be very quick in testing.” Stanboli added: “Attard is ready to step-up his game and fight for a championship, while Rapp has always been fast and consistent, I really am excited about this whole team.” Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) markets and distributes Kawasaki motorcycles, ATVs, personal watercraft and utility vehicles through a network of more than 1,500 independent retailers, with an additional 7,700 retailers specializing in power products and general purpose engines. KMC and its affiliates employ nearly 2,400 people in the United States, with 400 of them located at the Irvine, California headquarters. Kawasaki’s tagline, “Let the good times roll.™”, is recognized worldwide and the brand has become synonymous with powerful, stylish motorcycles for over four decades. Information about Kawasaki’s complete line of recreational products and Kawasaki affiliates can be found on the Internet at www.kawasaki.com.

Updated Post: Two-day Pirelli Tire Test Opens Today At Daytona

Pirelli’s two-day tire test opens today at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida. Teams and riders present include: Team M4 EMGO Suzuki with rider Geoff May, Michael Barnes and Michael Beck; Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki’s Chris Ulrich; Fast By Ferracci MV Agusta’s Luca Scassa, Matt Lynn and Justin Marm; Attack Kawasaki’s Ben Attard and Steve Rapp; Moto Uno’s Tony Meiring, Taylor Knapp and Gustavo Laya; Hotbodies/Cory West Racing’s Cory West; and Hotbodies/Longevity Racing’s Barrett Long. Team M4 EMGO Suzuki and Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki will be treating the event strictly as a tire test and have only brought 2006-spec machinery. Barnes will ride AMA Formula Xtreme and Supersport GSX-R600s, May will test Supersport and Superstock machines, Beck will ride a Supersport-spec GSX-R600 and Ulrich will ride a GSX-R1000 Superstock bike. Fast By Ferracci MV Agusta has a trio of F4-1000R Superbikes, in a very mild state of tune, for Scassa and Lynn. The bikes are not yet fitted with any type of traction control electronics. Justin Marm, a Fast By Ferracci MV Agusta-supported rider planning to compete in the 2007 WERA National Endurance series, has his own F4-1000R. Attack Kawasaki has one 2007 ZX-6R in Formula Xtreme tune and one 2006 ZX-6RR Supersport bike. The Richard Stanboli-owned team plans to shake down its Formula Xtreme bike while it tests tires on its Supersport machine. Ben Attard, who will be working with veteran race mechanic Joey Lombardo in 2007, will ride the FX bike on Thursday, before handing it off to Rapp on Friday. Moto Uno Racing will be testing tires on its pair of 2006 Kawasaki ZX-6RR Supersport bikes, which will be shared by Laya, Knapp and Meiring. Moto Uno hopes to finalize a support deal with Kawasaki during the Daytona test so it can expand its program to race in AMA Supersport and Superstock in 2007. Laya, Knapp (who is riding with a seven-week-old broken femur) and Meiring do not have contracts with Moto Uno for 2007. Long time Pirelli rider Cory West will be riding his new Yamaha YZF-R6 Supersport bike, which will wear a host of new Team KR parts during the 2007 season. AMA regular Long trucked his Yamaha YZF-R6 Supersport bike up from his home in Miami to particpate in the test. The first bikes went out on track at approximately 9:40 a.m.

Updated Again: Spies Fastest As Dunlop Tire Test Concludes At Daytona

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies closed out the annual Dunlop tire test at Daytona International Speedway by posting the fastest time after only a handful of laps on his 2006-spec GSX-R1000 Superbike Wednesday. In spite of spending most of the test successfully testing his 2007 GSX-R1000 Superstock racer, Spies used what he called a “softer race tire” to turn a lap of 1:37.823 around the 2.95-mile road course late on Wednesday to lead all riders at the test. “We went back to last year’s set-up and last year’s gearbox,” Spies told reporters Wednesday evening. “I went 1:38.2 right out of the gate, immediately, and that was good. I went back out on a softer tire. They said it was kind of a race tire. Then I did a 1:37.9 or something. “Then I told them I wanted to do a little bit of a stint on the new tire, because that was the first of the new generation tires that I had seen, and it was definitely better. So I told them to give me a new race tire, and we went out and did 11 laps. The tires definitely got better this year, for sure. I did 11 laps faster than anyone else’s fastest lap. So that was good. I think my fastest lap of the race last year was a 1:38.0, and then it dropped into the high-1:38s. [Today] I did a high-1:37 and the rest of the nine laps were faster than a 1:38.4, so that was really encouraging.” Spies’ fastest time, however, was actually slower than his fastest time during the last Dunlop tire test at Daytona in December 2005. Then Spies turned a 1:37.308 on his 2006 GSX-R1000. Spies was also the fastest man in the Superstock category, turning a 1:38.750 on the newest GSX-R1000, which was under the AMA Superstock lap record for Daytona, 1:39.185. American Honda’s Jake Zemke posted his fastest lap time, and the second-fastest lap time overall, a 1:38.653, near the end of the test. Zemke felt he could have gone faster, but his CBR1000RR quit running in the last hour of testing Wednesday. Zemke’s teammate Miguel Duhamel turned the ninth-fastest Superbike time of 1:39.726 (just behind the 1:39.62 Josh Hayes turned during a guest test of Zemke’s Superbike Wednesday) while testing three different Superbikes equipped with three different engine management systems. In his limited time on a shared 2007 CBR600RR, Duhamel was credited with the top Formula Xtreme test time, a 1:40.067. Third-fastest Superbike, and overall, rider was Jason DiSalvo, who recorded a 1:38.711 on his Yamaha YZF-R1, which isn’t a full-fledged Superbike at the moment. The YZF-R1 Superbikes of DiSalvo and teammate Eric Bostrom (sixth-fastest Superbike rider with a 1:39.161) still wore stock swingarms, stock fuel tanks, stock radiators and were only equipped with mildly-tuned engines at Daytona. Six-time AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin’s best time of 1:39.067 (turned Wednesday morning during Mladin’s last stint during the test) held up for the fourth-fastest Superbike time. Mladin left the test early when it became apparent that Yoshimura Suzuki’s 2007 Superbikes would not make it to Daytona. In his first true test of his new Kawasaki ZX-10R Superbike, 2006 double AMA Champion Jamie Hacking put up the fifth-fastest Superbike test time, a 1:39.141, just faster than teammate Roger Hayden’s seventh-fastest 1:39.404. Hacking also posted the fastest lap time among the four Supersport testers at Daytona, a 1:42.613 on his all-new Kawasaki ZX-6R. Former Grand Prix racer Chaz Davies recorded an impressive Supersport time of 1:43.140 even though he was using a stock, back-up engine in his Celtic Racing Yamaha YZF-R6. Hayden was a tick behind Davies in the Supersport order with a 1:43.191. Pirelli will open its two-day tire test at Daytona Thursday morning. Dunlop Tire Test Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida December 6, 2006 Wednesday Afternoon Test Times (as supplied by AMA Pro Racing timing & scoring): 1. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:37.823, Superbike 2. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:38.653, Superbike 3. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1), 1:38.711, Superbike 4. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:38.750, Superstock 5. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:39.141, Superbike 6. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.161, Superbike 7. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:39.608, Superbike 8. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:39.726, Superbike 9. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.912, Superstock 10. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.038, Superbike 11. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:40.534, Superbike 12. Akira Yanagawa (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:40.564, Superbike 13. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.746, Superstock 14. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:41.283, Superbike 15. Ryan Andrews (Hon CBR600RR), 1:42.616, Formula Xtreme 16. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR600RR), 1:42.968, Formula Xtreme 17. Chaz Davies (Yam YZF-R6), 1:43.140, Supersport 18. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.415, Formula Xtreme 19. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:43.739, Supersport 20. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), 1:44.202, Supersport 21. Gary Mason (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:44.324,Superbike 22. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR), 1:45.138, Formula Xtreme Fastest Overall Times, By Class, Of The Test: Superbike: 1. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:37.823 2. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:38.653 3. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1), 1:38.711 4. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.067 5. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:39.141 6. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.161 7. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:39.404 8. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:39.62* 9. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:39.726 10. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.007 11. Akira Yanagawa (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:40.461 12. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:41.283 13. Gary Mason (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:44.007 Superstock: 1. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:38.750 2. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.912 3. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.304 Formula Xtreme: 1. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R6), 1:41.980 2. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR600RR), 1:42.099 3. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR600RR), 1:42.141 4. Ryan Andrews (Hon CBR600RR), 1:42.616 5. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.333 6. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR600RR), 1:44.10* 7. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR), 1:45.158 Supersport: 1. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:42.182 2. Chaz Davies (Yam YZF-R6), 1:43.140 3. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:43.191 4. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), 1:44.202 * time supplied by rider’s team (Editorial Note: The list of best overall test times listed above may appear differently than the times posted by other media outlets. This is due to AMA Pro Racing timing & scoring posting and distributing lap times that included laps where riders cut the course. Roadracingworld.com confirmed that all of the lap times listed above are legitimate by ensuring riders hit all four timing loops and/or by asking the rider directly if their best lap time was accurate.) More, from a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway: Dunlop Tire Testing Day 3: Testing Wraps Up DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. The three-day Dunlop tire testing at historic Daytona International Speedway wrapped up on Wednesday. The weather has been perfect throughout the test and teams have been using their extensive track time to prepare for Daytona 200 Week By Honda on March 1-10. But teams and riders always want more and 2006 Daytona 200 By Honda champion Jake Zemke says while the test has been successful, he would be willing to spend more days at DIS testing if he could. “Sure, a fourth day, a fifth, a sixth, we can test all week,” Zemke said with a laugh. “That’d be fine by me. Until we’re perfectly happy with everything, which as a racer I don’t think anybody is perfectly happy, we always want more time. It’s good and we’ve got plenty of tests outside of here before we come back. We have plenty of more time to look at a lot more stuff and get things dialed in.” Zemke, who’ll defend his Daytona 200 By Honda win on Saturday, March 10, says the majority of his time during the test has been spent on Honda’s new traction control system. “That’s where 80 percent of our efforts are going right now,” Zemke said. “To get up to speed with this stuff and to make it an effective tool, it takes a lot of time. Unless we’re not out on the track, we’re not able to figure out what we need from the traction control system.” The Dunlop tire test is the second visit to DIS for the American Honda team, which held a private test at “The World Center of Racing” in October following Fall Cycle Scene. During that test, Zemke revisited his 2006 Daytona 200 By Honda win. “As a kid growing up, I always looked at all the names of people that won this race,” Zemke said. “Historically, the Daytona 200 is the biggest race we have in America. It means an awful lot to put my name up there with some of the legends of motorcycle racing.” While the victory was an important piece to Zemke’s career, the triumph was also important to Honda. The manufacturer puts a tremendous amount of effort into the race and hopes the victory translates into motorcycles sales. “To win the Daytona 200, it’s huge for the manufacturer because it’s the start of spring,” Zemke said. “It’s March when all the sport bikes are coming out. It creates a lot of press and a lot of publicity for the manufacturers that win the race. It’s definitely a great way to sell motorcycles. That’s the whole reason why we do race. It’s an advertising tool to the public to showcase the attributes of the bike. It definitely shows what the bikes are capable of doing. It feeds the fans to go out and ride.” While the Dunlop tire test has concluded, Pirelli and Michelin tire testing are scheduled for the next two days at DIS and the sessions are free and open to the public with access to the Oldfield Grandstand available through DAYTONA USA. Tickets for Daytona 200 Week By Honda are available online at ~http://www.racetickets.com~ or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

Zemke Quickest Wednesday Morning At The Dunlop Tire Test At Daytona

American Honda’s Jake Zemke posted the fastest time so far in the three-day Dunlop tire test during Wednesday morning’s session at Daytona International Speedway. After spending the first two days of the test focusing on dialing in his new suspension and engine management electronics, Zemke was testing tires Wednesday morning when he recorded a 1:38.975 around the 2.95-mile infield road course. “I had 16 laps on that tire when I did that lap,” Zemke told Roadracingworld.com Wednesday. “As I was progressing through the new tires it was like, this one is a little bit better, this one is a little bit better. But here at the end this morning, I came back to an old tire to see where we were at, and the new stuff Dunlop brought is definitely better than last year.” Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies was the second-fastest rider, with a 1:39.125, as he continued to ride his 2007 GSX-R1000 Superstock bike. Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki’s Aaron Yates got his first taste of his 2007 GSX-R1000 Superstock machine and reported that the bike came off the corners well and had good power for being a very stock motorcycle. Jamie Hacking got into the 1:39s Wednesday morning, signifying the progress he has made adapting to his new factory Kawasaki ZX-10R Superbike. 2006 AMA Formula Xtreme Champion Josh Hayes did not ride anymore Wednesday morning after suffering a big crash exiting the infield portion of the course on the American Honda CBR600RR. Hayes was on his out lap on the machine when, “I went from being tucked in to sliding down the pavement in a blink of an eye,” said Hayes, who was not injured. Hayes said it was confirmed that a mechanical problem caused the crash. Dunlop Tire Test Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida December 6, 2007 Wednesday Morning Test Times (as provided by AMA Pro Racing timing & scoring): 1. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:38.975, Superbike 2. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.125, Superstock 3. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.472, Superbike 4. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.553, Superbike 5. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:39.671, Superbike 6. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.067, Superbike 7. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:40.282, Superstock 8. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:40.396, Superbike 9. Akira Yanagawa (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:41.057, Superbike 10. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:42.089, Superbike 11. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:42.613, Supersport 12. Ryan Andrews (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.704, Formula Xtreme 13. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:43.180, Superstock 14. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:43.191, Supersport 15. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.333, Formula Xtreme 16. Gary Mason (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:44.369, Superbike 17. Chaz Davies (Yam YZF-R6), 1:44.405, Supersport 18. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR), 1:45.927, Formula Xtreme 19. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), 1:46.263, Supersport

Tire Testing Halted Wednesday Morning At Daytona Due To Hayes’ Crash

Activities were halted Wednesday morning, day three of the Dunlop tire test at Daytona International Speedway, due to a crash involving Erion Honda’s Josh Hayes. Hayes was on his out-lap on the American Honda CBR600RR Formula Xtreme bike when he crashed exiting the infield portion of the road course. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies was the first rider to come upon the accident scene and speculated from the location of the crash that Hayes highsided. Spies said Hayes was “jumping up and down and waving his arms” to warn his fellow riders that his bike was lying in a shaded portion of the racetrack. The track was shut down temporarily while crash debris was cleaned up, the track inspected and Hayes transported back to the paddock.

Pegram To Race Ducati North America-backed 749Rs On Dunlops In 2007 AMA Formula Xtreme Championship

Former AMA Superbike race winner Larry Pegram will race Ducati 749Rs on Dunlops in the 2007 AMA Formula Xtreme Championship. The machines will feature Ducati Corse race-kitted engines modified to take advantage of the AMA technical rule allowing water-cooled V-Twins an 850cc displacement limit, and the effort will be backed by Ducati North America. Pegram planned to be at the Dunlop tire test at Daytona International Speedway, but his bikes were delayed in U.S. Customs. “We just picked them up [Monday] night in Chicago,” Pegram told Roadracingworld.com. “The earliest we could’ve been in Daytona was Wednesday morning, and that’s if we drove straight through. Plus, we need to get to work on the engines.”

Washington State Task Force Recommends Ways To Stem Increase In Motorcycle Fatalities

Motorcycle Task Force Provides Recommendations Olympia State efforts to reduce motorcycle fatalities and serious injuries should focus on rider skill and behavior, according to the Department of Licensing’s Motorcycle Task Force. “I appreciate the efforts of the Department of Licensing to address many different views on motorcycle safety,” said Governor Chris Gregoire. “They’ve presented a strong set of recommendations that will improve safety on Washington roads for motorcyclists as well as other drivers.” The task force included members of motorcycle rider groups, motorcycle dealers and representatives from the Departments of Licensing, Transportation, and Health, State Patrol, and the Traffic Safety Commission. Their recommendations included: o Increased training opportunities for riders o Improvements to the current curriculum, including evaluation and possible adoption of different curriculum o Increase public awareness of the requirement for all motorcyclists to have a motorcycle endorsement o Promote motorcycle safety statewide through public information campaigns in partnership with law enforcement and other state agencies. “I am pleased we could get together with the motorcycle community and work toward the common goal of improving motorcycle safety,” said Liz Luce, Director of the Department of Licensing. “Some of the recommendations they put forth will be included in legislative proposals next session.” The Motorcycle Task Force was created to look into the steady increase of motorcycle fatalities and injuries, and come up with recommendations on how to reduce them. After meeting for several months, the task force concluded that, while there are multiple contributions to motorcycle crashes that result in fatalities or serious injuries, it appears that the most important factors are within control of the rider. They found that: o More than 80 percent of fatalities occur between April and September prime months for motorcycling. o Half of fatal crashes were single vehicle occurrences; no other vehicle was involved other than the motorcycles. o The most common contributing factors to motorcycle fatalities, based on law enforcement on-scene reports are lane error, speeding, alcohol, and inattention. o One third of fatalities were motorcyclists who did not have a valid motorcycle endorsement. The Motorcycle Task Force was formed at Governor Gregoire’s direction after she received information during a Government Management Accountability and Performance (GMAP) forum that motorcycle fatalities had increased significantly during a time when overall traffic deaths were declining. To view the complete report, visit the Department of Licensing’s website at www.dol.wa.gov.

Updated: Spies’ First Superbike Laps Make Him Fastest Tuesday At The Daytona Tire Test

2006 AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies’ first laps on his 2006 Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike put him at the top of the time sheets Tuesday afternoon at the Dunlop tire test at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida. Spies spent most of the first two days of the test working on his brand new 2007 GSX-R1000 Superstock machine, which he had never touched before coming to the test in Florida. Then at the end of Tuesday’s program, Spies jumped on his 2006 Championship-winning Superbike to make sure it was ready to go for tire testing Wednesday. Within three flying laps, Spies set the fastest time of the test, a 1:39.016, which was marginally faster than the 1:39.067 turned by Mat Mladin Tuesday morning and the 1:39.061 Spies turned on his Superstock machine Tuesday afternoon. “It was good today,” Spies told Roadracingworld.com. “I spent most of my time on my Superstock bike. We started working toward a baseline set-up on that bike, made little changes, little changes and now it’s good. On race tires I’m consistently faster than what they did here at last year’s race. “My Superbike, I didn’t race with this gearbox at all last year, and it was upside-down and backwards all through the infield. I was never in the right gear, banging off the rev-limiter, coming out of corners at 4000 rpm, having to shift down into first gear. It was my idea to put the gearbox in, and I’ll admit it was wrong. But to do a 1:39.0 on a bike I hadn’t touched the whole test, totally wrong gearing, the track was cooling off and I was using a baseline tire I couldn’t be happier.” The second-fastest rider Tuesday afternoon was Superbike rookie Jason DiSalvo with a 1:39.274 on his new Yamaha YZF-R1. DiSalvo said he spent most of his day riding a consistent pace to evaluate brakes, Brembos versus Nissins, and clutches. Then at the end of the day he was given the green light to go fast on one of Dunlop’s test tires, resulting in his fast time. Roger Hayden posted the third-fastest Superbike time, a 1:39.404, on his factory Kawasaki ZX-10R while testing engine management electronics, shock settings and tires for Dunlop. Hayden’s day ended with a heart-stopping moment, however. With about 30 minutes left in the day, Hayden suddenly pulled his smoking ZX-10R onto pit lane. After cleaning his oil-soaked leathers, Hayden later said, “I was scared to death. I was up there [on the banking] between [NASCAR] turns three and four and Kaboom!” Hayden’s crew did not know exactly what happened to Hayden’s engine before leaving the garages Tuesday evening. The second day of the test included an interesting surprise. Erion Honda’s Josh Hayes was given the opportunity to ride one of Jake Zemke’s American Honda CBR1000RR Superbikes for most of the afternoon. Using only two tires over 20 laps and while riding on Zemke’s set-up, Hayes turned a 1:39.62, which was just off Zemke’s best time of the day, a 1:39.467, and better than Miguel Duhamel’s best time, a 1:40.067. Hayes’ ride on the Superbike was partly a reward for him winning the 2006 AMA Formula Xtreme Championship for Honda and partly as a means for American Honda to get fresh feedback on some of the mechanical issues it is working on. Hayes, who impressed everyone including himself with his performance on the bike, may ride the Superbike more on Wednesday. Dunlop Tire Test Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida December 5, 2006 Tuesday Afternoon Times (as provided by AMA Pro Racing timing & scoring): 1. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.016, Superbike 2. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.061, Superstock 3. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.274, Superbike 4. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:39.404, Superbike 5. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:39.467, Superbike 6. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:39.62, Superbike* 7. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:40.067, Superbike 8. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:40.080, Superbike 9. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.304, Superstock 10. Akira Yanagawa (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:40.461, Superbike 11. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:41.339, Superbike 12. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:41.639, Superbike 13. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:41.775, Superstock 14. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:42.603, Superbike 15. Ryan Andrews (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.481, Formula Xtreme 16. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:43.720, Supersport 17. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.804, Supersport 18. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.870, Formula Xtreme 19. Gary Mason (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:44.007, Superbike 20. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR600RR), 1:44.186, Formula Xtreme 21. Chaz Davies (Yam YZF-R6), 1:44.565, Supersport 22. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), 1:44.76, Supersport* 23. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR), no time, Formula Xtreme *lap time supplied by rider’s team