Please keep an eye out for “2 Wheel Tuesday” this week because Matsushima Performance Suzuki’s Danny Eslick will be featured on the show this Tuesday, June 13. “2 Wheel Tuesday” is scheduled to air at 8:00 p.m. EST on SpeedTV on Tuesday night!
Successful second place for Nicky Wimbauer at Eurospeedway – Yamaha R6-Cup The 18-year-old rider, Nicky Wimbauer of Team Zweirad Stadler/ProTech showed his potential at the third race of the Yamaha R6-Cup on the Eurospeedway, Germany. Both qualifying sessions and the race were held under unusual hot temperatures and Nicky was able to achieve a third place starting position. Immediately after the start, Pascal Eckhardt and Nicky Wimbauer (#39) were taking off and building up a gap of over seven seconds within 10 laps to the rest of the field. “I was able to follow Pascal’s pace pretty good and studied him in the process. All of a sudden, I had a huge rear end slide and an almost highsider which cost me about two seconds,” commented Wimbauer, who missed the podium by a 10th of a second during the last race in Oschersleben due to a off-track excursion. “This time, I wanted to be on the safe side and bring home second place without taking a big risk by catching up again. I am happy about the result and look forward to the next race,” added little Nicky. The American Young Gun is now in his third year of racing in Europe and finds himself in fifth position of the Yamaha R6-Cup Championship. This was the third round of the 8-race series within the International German Championship. Wimbauer had an unfortunate DNF during the first round in Hockenheim and took a fourth place finish during the second round in Oschersleben. More details are available at www.nickywimbauer.com
CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM PREVIEW Catalan Grand Prix Montmelo, Catalunya 16, 17, 18 June 2006 CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM AIM TO CONTINUE REVIVAL AT CATALUNYA Next weekend the Circuit de Catalunya hosts the MotoGP World Championship for the fifteenth successive season since opening to coincide with the Olympic Games in 1992 and sees the Camel Yamaha Team looking to strike gold for the second consecutive race. Following on from Valentino Rossi’s epic victory at his home Grand Prix in Italy less than two weeks ago, and backed up by encouraging data from a subsequent day of testing at the Mugello circuit, confidence could not be higher for a repeat result as the team look to close down the points gap to joint series leaders Loris Capirossi (Ducati) and Nicky Hayden (Honda). Rossi travels to Barcelona, one of his favourite cities in the world, having reached several milestones thanks to his 55th career MotoGP victory at Mugello. As well as taking him above Mick Doohan to second place in the all-time winners list behind Giacomo Agostini, it was also his 22nd success with Yamaha – the same number achieved by Kenny Roberts and bettered only by Wayne Rainey and Eddie Lawson and it made Rossi the second highest points-scorer of all time behind Doohan. He will join the Australian as one of only two riders ever to pass 2000 career points if he finishes first or second at Catalunya. Rossi’s team-mate Colin Edwards has also been making his mark in the history books despite not yet hitting his best form this season. Despite running into the gravel early in the race at Mugello, the Texan managed to fight his way back to finish in twelfth place to extend his run of successive points scoring finishes to 27. Only Mick Doohan, Wayne Gardner, Eddie Lawson and Valentino Rossi himself have ever put together a longer run. Edwards’ target this weekend is to celebrate number 28 on the podium. Virtually 57 years to the day since the first ever World Championship Grand Prix at the Isle of Man TT in 1949, this weekend’s event will provide the latest chapter in one of the most exciting and unpredictable eras in the history of the sport. After six rounds there are just 34 points covering the top six riders. VALENTINO ROSSI: LUCKY SEVEN? Catalunya is one of Valentino Rossi’s most successful events, being one of three circuits where he has already stood on the top step of the podium on seven occasions the others being Donington and Phillip Island. For the past two seasons he has taken victory for Yamaha and he is hopeful of repeating that feat as he aims to reduce a 34-point deficit to the championship summit. “Barcelona is always a great race for me and I’ve won there the last two years with Yamaha, so hopefully we can do it again,” says Rossi. “Last year Gibernau set a fast pace and I tried 100% to follow him. Then I set the fastest lap three laps from the end, which at a track like Catalunya is amazing. Hopefully we can get this level of performance out of the bike and tyres again. Also I get a really good reception in Spain and it is always a pleasure to ride there. “I am looking forward to this weekend because now I think we have finally arrived where we should be with the bike. It worked really well at the Mugello test and now I think we’ve really shown that we can fight at the front again and win. From a technical point of view, since the new chassis has been available we’ve been able to ride like in the past. Now we’re very fast but it’s still hard to win races! This championship is very balanced between Ducati and Honda and Yamaha and the other riders are at a great level so it was very important for us to win at Mugello. Now we have an eleven race championship and we have to be on the podium at every round.” COLIN EDWARDS: DOUBLE CHASSIS BONUS After a week’s break with his family on the beaches near Barcelona, Colin Edwards tackles the seventh round of the campaign in refreshed and determined mood following an indifferent run of early season results. The American has been hindered by a series of unfortunate incidents in recent races but the news that two units of the updated YZR-M1 chassis, which he tested with positive results at Mugello, will be at his disposal from the opening practice of the Spanish round has given him a vital boost. “I’ve been run into the gravel for the last two rounds but we’ve come out of them both in the points so I have to use that as springboard to better things over the next few races,” admits Edwards. “There is no use lamenting about what could have been I have never done that and I won’t start now. The positive thing to come out of Mugello was the performance of the new chassis and I’m really looking forward to adapting the setting even more at Barcelona. It’s another fast circuit so hopefully the bike adapts quickly and we can be on the pace from the start.” Like Rossi, Edwards has positive memories of the Catalunya circuit thanks to his performance there in the official pre-season tests, when he drove home in a new car as a prize for setting the fastest time. “That seems a long time ago now but it’s true that we went well there with an early version of this year’s bike. We’ve made progress since then but the conditions will be very different so we’ll have to wait and see.” DAVIDE BRIVIO: TRIPLE TARGET Camel Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio is targeting a three-pronged attack on the MotoGP World Championship this weekend as he leads a continued revival for his team following a mixed start to the season. As well as building on positive recent development with the YZR-M1 machines, the Italian is hoping for another maximum points return from Valentino Rossi and a second podium of the season for Colin Edwards. “Before Mugello I said that our mission for the next few races was to recover points for Valentino and we had the perfect start to that with the victory,” says Brivio. “Now we have an extremely important run at Barcelona, Assen and Donington where we must continue with this job and try to win every race. Valentino likes all three tracks and this is another reason why he was still so upbeat and optimistic after the disappointments in China and Le Mans. “For Colin this is also an important weekend because he found a good way with the new chassis at Mugello and we have high hopes that he can make a lot of progress with it in Barcelona. Both riders will be on the same specification bikes, with two units of the new chassis each, so we are starting from a good point. Continuing evolution with the bike, recovering more points for Valentino and getting Colin back on the podium; these are our three targets for Catalunya.” TECHNICALLY SPEAKING: CATALUNYA ACCORDING TO NICOLAS GOUBERT The Circuit de Catalunya offers a main straight capable of encouraging speeds exceeding 335kmh, and is completed by a sequence of long radius, medium/high speed sweepers and two tight left-hand hairpins. The combination of long radius corners riddled with a variety of cambers makes it demanding on chassis balance and means front-end feel is a key concern for every rider. These characteristics also mean that tyre life is a key topic in many pit box discussions between riders, crew chiefs and tyre technicians. “Catalunya can be very demanding on the front because there are a lot of downhill corner entries,” explains Nicolas Goubert, Michelin’s chief of motorcycle competition. “For the rain we’ve got only one specification, one profile with different programs depending on the conditions we have. For the slicks it is much more interesting because we have two different profiles. One has a smaller width, which means that the tyre is lighter and it’s easier to tilt the bike from one side to the other. We have also started to work with a bigger size but the Yamaha riders prefer the small one. The reason is because they want to keep the character of having durability for the bike. For them it is an advantage and it is suited to their needs on their bike. “We are quite confident with both types of tyre from last year because we had very good results at Catalunya. It was the first time ever that the surface was new, the lap time was really good and Valentino set a new lap record at the very end of the race with a time that would have put him tenth on the grid. It was the first time ever that this happened so we are very happy with that and we just hope that our Yamaha riders will be as fast or faster this year.” VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION Age: 27 Lives: London, UK Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 GP victories: 81 (55 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 163 (103 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 40 World Championships 7 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 4 x MotoGP) COLIN EDWARDS: INFORMATION Age: 32 Lives: Conroe, Texas Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP) GP starts: 54 x MotoGP World Championships – 2 World Superbike Montmelo Lap Record: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2005 1’43.195 Mugello Best Lap: Sete Gibernau (Honda) 2005 1’42.337 2005 Results 1. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Yamaha, 43’16.487 2. Sete Gibernau (ESP) Honda, +1.094 3. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda, +7.810 7. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Yamaha, +18.762 More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP head for Catalunya in positive mood Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will be in Catalunya this weekend for the first of a hectic three weekends that will see it race in Spain, Holland and Great Britain. The first port-of-call is the Montmelo circuit near Barcelona in Spain, for the Gran Premi Cinzano de Catalunya. This modern circuit is a great test of machinery and tyres alike, and both Suzuki and Bridgestone will be working intensely to get the best set-up for the Suzuki GSV-R. This weekend will also give Rizla Suzuki a good indication of how far the GSV-R has come since the pre-season testing, in very different conditions, in March. John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen both performed well in those pre-season tests and will be eager to continue from where they left off. Hopkins topped the time-sheets during final day’s dry session whilst Vermeulen narrowly missed out on winning a BMW car during the Official MotoGP Test timed session held in very wet conditions. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will take to the Montmelo circuit on Friday for two free practice sessions. The riders will then have a further practice session on Saturday morning before Hopkins and Vermeulen will be going all out to secure the best qualifying places during the afternoon timed session. Round seven of the MotoGP World Championship will get underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00GMT) on Sunday 18th June. Paul Denning Team Manager: “We are heading to Barcelona in a positive mood following recent good performances from both riders and after the promising results from the Mugello test “This is the first circuit in four races where Chris has been before and he doesn’t have the added responsibility of having to learn his way round, so he should be on the pace right from the start and be looking to get up amongst the action. John had a good test here earlier in the year and enjoys this circuit – he is very hungry and looking for a good result. “The factory and the team are working as hard as they possibly can to turn the promising performances into strong results and all sponsors and fans can be assured that we will continue to make steps and aim to perform to the maximum of our potential!”
Rave Yamaha Racing’s Jason Perez, Shane Turpin and Jay Tanner rode a YZF-R1 to a 4.791-second margin of victory over Vesrah Suzuki in round four of the Bridgestone/WERA National Endurance, a 6-hour event held Sunday at Miller Motorsports Park, in Tooele, Utah. The race was run on the same course configuration as will be used during next weekend’s AMA Superbike National.
Although Vesrah Suzuki’s Tray Batey, Lee Acree and John Jacobi had longer range and slightly faster pit stops, Rave Yamaha Racing was faster on the racetrack.
Rave Yamaha Racing was close to lapping Vesrah Suzuki in the fourth hour when the second, and final, red flag of the race came out, erasing Rave Yamaha Racing’s large lead.
Vesrah Suzuki gained a significant advantage when Rave Yamaha Racing had to pit immediately after the restart, but the race would be decided by the final pit stops and riders.
Perez, Rave Yamaha Racing’s final rider, started turning the fastest laps of the race. But even with Perez’s pace, Vesrah Suzuki still looked like it would be able to hold its lead to the finish line as long as its final pit stop was clean and quick. It wasn’t. Rave Yamaha Racing passed Vesrah Suzuki in the final 10 minutes and held on to win.
One of the more interesting things about Rave Yamaha Racing’s effort was that the team used both Dunlop and Michelin tires during the race. Perez and Tanner rode on Dunlop slicks, while Turpin, a contracted Michelin rider, used Michelins during his stint.
Vesrah Suzuki used Pirelli slicks on its Suzuki GSX-R1000.
ARNCHU Racing’s Randy Sherman, Nathan Dressman and Troy Meikle came back from a crash early in the race to finish third overall and first in Heavyweight Superstock on a Michelin-equipped Suzuki GSX-R1000.
Fourth overall and first in Mediumweight Superbike went to Matsushima Performance Suzuki with riders Danny Eslick, Blake Young, Kim Nakashima, Garry Combs and Liko Miles, the team using three sets of Dunlop scrub tires on its GSX-R600 during the race.
L.O.C. Endurance’s Joe Hayes, James Van Der Haar and Dan Carr) rode on one set of Bridgestone DOT-labeled tires en route to the Mediumweight Superstock class win and 11th overall.
Neighbor of the Beast’s Melissa Berkoff, Scott Fisher and Bruce Stanford) took their second Lightweight Superbike class win of the season (and 13th overall) on a Michelin-slick-equipped Suzuki SV650.
40 teams entered the race, but only 39 took the start. Yamaha factory rider Jason DiSalvo opted to sit the race out at the last minute. DiSalvo had planned to ride his personal Yamaha in the race.
A call for donations to help pay for a recent large shipment of Airfence soft barriers brought immediate response from racers, friends and family members in the racing community, including pledges from AMA Superbike Points Leader Ben Spies and his mother, Mary Spies, to match donations up to $10,000 and $5000 respectively, and race photographer Vicki Sulpy, who donated $1000 “To keep our friends safe.”
An auction held on the WERA.com BBS has brought in a total of $2470 so far. Participants included Brad Wilson, $1500; Adrienne C. Eckhart, $275; Steve Brunton, $250; Graves Yamaha/WERA BBS, $215; Darrin Talbott, $100; John W. Butler, $80; and Lori Kobayashi, $50.
Darrin Talbott is probably the Roadracing World Action Fund’s most frequent contributor, with nine separate donations made with various dedications or for the WERA BBS auction. No matter the occasion, Talbott finds a good excuse to donate to the Fund. His latest donation of $50, was because “Rossi finally won a race.” Past dedications include: “The 2005 World Champion White Sox and The Legion of Bling,” “Carl Anderson,” “Jeff,” ” bmfgsxr,” and “Dave K ” Including two separate WERA BBS auction contributions totaling $100, Talbott’s overall total now stands at $535.
Other repeat contributors include Scott Willock, $500 for a total of $1500; David A. Pierce, $500, for an overall total of $1000; Chad Bakkene, $175, for a total of $275; Ed Sorbo, $100, for a total of $250; Peter Rollins, $100, for a total of $150; Charles Helming/In Honor of Vincent Haskovec, $100, for a total of $150; Greg Avello, $100, for a total of $150; Peter Hively, $100, for a total of $500; Bob & Sherrie Young, $100, for a total of $300; Logan Young, $100, for a total of $300; Christopher Slay, $100, for a total of $300; Randy Sinisi, $50, for a total of $175; Eric Linderwell, $50, for a total of $100; Jim Race, $50, for a total of $100; Ryan Nelson, $50, for a total of $75; Mark Anzalone/In Honor of Vincent Haskovec, $50, for a total of $100; Corey Mann, $25, for a total of $50; Eric Robinson, $25, for a total of $50; Papa Thiam, $25, for a total of $225.
Michael Arenella ($30.50) and Christopher Brown ($150) have made contributions to the Action Fund through payroll deductions pledged through Chevron’s annual “People Make A Difference” campaign.
The donations total $7792.50 and with matching funds from Ben and Mary Spies bring the total raised recently to $15,585.
Summary of Recently Posted Contributions
(Contributor comments and dedications are included below with their listing.)
Road Race Contributions Matching Funds from Ben and Mary Spies $7792.50 Brad Wilson/WERA BBS Auction ’06 $1500 Valerie H. Sulpy $1000 “To keep our friends safe.” Scott Willock $500 “Stay safe, racers!” David A. Pierce $500 Adrienne Eckhart/WERA BBS Auction ’06 $275 Steve Brunton/WERA BBS Auction ’06 $250 Graves Yamaha/WERA BBS $215 Stanford Crane $200 “Lion Racing salutes those who live life in pursuit of their dreams.” Joseph B. Wilson $200 “Mad Brad, for Chad Bakkene.” Chad Bakkene $175 Christopher Brown $150 Peter Rollins $100 “Thank you for making tracks safer.” Erin Kibbee $100 Chris Irwin $100 Bob & Sherrie Young $100 Logan Young $100 Greg Melka $100 Ed Sorbo $100 Scott Moore/Fast Finish $100 Alessandro Assanti $100 “To Ms. Spies and Ben Spies for stepping up and supporting the Action Fund. Ben’s character and performance have been an inspiration – Alex at bike911.com.” Charles Helming $100 “In honor of and with best wishes to Vincent Haskovec.” Greg Avello/BadgerMotorsports.com $100 Peter Hively $100 “Thanks for helping save Chris Siglin’s and Danny Eslick’s butts on Sunday!” Christopher Slay $100 Darrin Talbott $100 WERA BBS Auction ’06 Garth A. Cloyd $97 “In Memory of Wade Van Fleet.” John W. Butler/WERA BBS Auction ’06 $80 Chris Lowitz $75 “For all of those who know no boundaries.” Paul Rogers $75 “Thanks for your efforts on this important track feature.” Theresa Fitzgerald/ WERA BBS Auction ’06 $75 Ryan Nelson/29DreamsRacing.com $50 Jim Race $50 Richard Busby $50 “I’ve crashed and it hurts.” Benny Bryant $50 Lori Kobayashi/WERA BBS Auction ’06 $50 Steven Kohlscheen $50 Eric Linderwell $50 Darrin Talbott $50 “Rossi finally won a race.” Randy Sinisi $50 Doug Mc Cracken/Team Hayes Racing $50 Mark Anzalone/In Honor of Vincent Haskovec $50 Carlos A. Gonzalez-Mier $50 Tom Tracey $50 “For all who race and risk.” Laura Couch $50 “I bought 10 of your (arm) bands and am an avid believer in rider safety. ” Richard Calderwood $40 “Ben Spies – Your matching donations are even cooler than your matching race wins.” Michael Arenella $30.50 Jason K. Michelson $30 Andrew Aucoin $30 Lee S. Block $25 “Dedicated to racing safety in the USA!” Margaret Devlin $25 John Russell $25 Corey Mann $25 Eric Allison $25 Kent Sheldon $25 Papa Thiam $25 “For Brad Wilson, expert fact checker.” Margaret Devlin $25 Chad Trank $25 Eric C. Robinson $20
Dirt Track Eric C. Robinson $5 Lee S. Block $25 “Dedicated to racing safety in the USA!”
June 10,2006
Accounting Details to Date Road Racing Expenditure Details
Direct purchase of soft barriers: $263,570 Shipping/Customs: $20,442.83 Bank Fees: $384.05 Air Fence* Deployment Crew Training: $700 Transportation & Installation: $5577.78 Corporation/Business Fees: $982 Online Auction Fees: $221.99 Printing Education Materials – $346.42 Misc Supplies: $39.59 Initial Donation to AMA Pro Racing for Air Fence: $104,104
Total Spent: $398,911.54 Total Donations Collected $405,068.14 Income $118.31
Cash on hand: $6274.91
Dirt Track Expenditure Details
Direct purchase of soft barriers: $34,500 Shipping/Customs: $2717.72 Transportation & Installation $2174.77
Total Spent: $39,392.49
Total collected: $41,944
Cash on hand: $2551.51
All administrative costs, including the percentage taken by credit card companies on credit card donations, have been absorbed by Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
*Trademark of Airfence Safety Systems Australia.
Miller Motorsports Park (MMP) CEO, General Manager and designer Alan Wilson will make flexible pylons–like those used at Laguna Seca–available for AMA Pro Racing to install at pit out during the next weekend’s AMA Superbike National at the Tooele, Utah racetrack. “We’ve got them,” Wilson told Roadracingworld.com during the WERA National event at MMP. “If the AMA wants to put them up, they will put them up. I talked to (AMA Pro Racing Road Race Series Manager) Ron Barrick last week and told him it is entirely up to them.” Following team tests at the new racetrack, AMA riders called for modifications to the way MMP’s pit lane exits onto the racing line halfway down the 3500-foot main straightaway. Wide red and white paint stripes have already been added to better differentiate the pit-out acceleration/blend lane from the racing line. Riders asked for the modifications to help avoid collisions between riders accelerating out of pit lane and riders already at full speed on the front straightaway. Orange traffic cones were used during the WERA National weekend, and “We’ve had no problems at all,” Wilson said.
Suzuka 300km Race “Road to 8 hours” Suzuka, Japan 2006.6.11 Ryuichi Kyonari and Yuki Takahashi win Suzuka 300 km race for Honda “Road to 8 hours”-Suzuka 300km Race was held at Suzuka on June 11,2006. Ryuichi Kiyonari and Yuki Takahashi riding Seven Star Honda CBR1000RRW won the race with Yoshiteru Konishi and Tsuyoshi Yasuda (Toy story RT/Honda CBR1000RR) finishing second. The Suzuka 300km race is not included in the All Japan Championship Series but is a preliminary event for the prestigious Suzuka 8 hrs Endurance race. The classes allowed for the race are: Superbike(SB), Superproduction (SPP), Stockstports (SST), XX Formula (XXF1) and JSB1000 (JSB). The manufacturers had been racing Superbike machines in the past but the organizer, Suzuka Circuit, requested the factories to use the JSB machines, which is more technically restricted than SB, the factories agreed. Either one or two riders can ride the machine for the 300km race. Many teams use this occasion to practice and test the rider combination and pit work. HRC has entered the BSB boy Ryuichi Kiyonari and WGP 250cc rider Yuki Takahashi riding the CBR1000RRW (Seven Stars Honda/JSB/ Michelin) for the race. HRC has announced that they will enter two factory CBR1000RRWs in the Suzuka 8 hours race but the name of the riders for two teams has not been released yet. However, Kiyonari and Takahashi are likely to race together Qualify on Saturday was held in dry condition in spite of rainy season in Japan. Yoshiteru Konishi (Toy Story RT JSB Bridgestone/ co-rider Tsuyoshi Yasuda) set a time of 2’08″966 and grabbed pole position. Ryuichi Kiyonari was the third fastest with 2’09″514. Shinichi Ito(F.C.C.TSR/SB/ BS/ Takeshi Tsujimura) qualified fourth with 2’09″515. The biggest surprise of the event was Yoshimura switching tyre from Dunlop to Bridgestone. Yoshimura Suzuki rider Atsushi Watanabe (Yoshimura Suzuki with JOMO/JSB/BS/ Nobuatsu Aoki) was seventh fastest. It rained just before the start of the race so almost all the riders lined up with rain tyre fitted to their machines. Polesitter Konishi took the hole-shot while Kiyonari was third at the end of the opening lap. The track condition was tricky with the track drying quickly. Kiyonari had to pit after the 19th lap to change the tyre from rain to slick. HRC test rider Konishi led the race from the start to 23rd lap then changed to Yasuda. Yoshimura’s Watanabe was the next leader leading the race from lap 24 to 40. Watanabe handed the Suzuki GSX-R1000 to former GP rider Nobuatsu Aoki. Then it was Yusuke Tejima(F.C.C TSR/CBR1000RR) briefly leading the race. Tejima was then passed by Shinichi Ito who was setting fast lap times of 2’11″s. Kiyonari switched to Takahashi at the end of 34th lap. Takahashi moved to second during the lap 49 passing both Tejima and Aoki. Then Takahashi marked the fastest lap time of the day 2’11″051 on lap 50. Ito was leading the race comfortably with almost 14 second advantage to Takahashi when he stopped at the Degner Curve with his CBR1000RR running out of fuel. Both Kiyonari and Takahashi were delighted to win the race. They were to ride together for the 2004 Suzuka 8 hrs Race but Takahashi crashed during free practice on Thursday and broke his left ankle. So finally they won a race together. Ryuichi Kiyonari 1st). “I don’t dislike wet race at Suzuka but today’s condition was very difficult. Race pace was not very fast at the beginning and when the pace was up track was dried. Top riders did not come in to the pit so I was wondering when to change the tyre. Yuki did really good job and I think that was the reason we won today.” Yuki Takahashi (1st). “Kiyonari-san was trying very hard so my part was shorter than it was planned. I was passed by Ito san soon after I went out to the track. His riding was so smooth and I learnt a lot following him. I wanted to ride with Kiyonari san two years a go for the Suzuka 8hrs race but it didn’t happen as I crashed. So I am happy to win today’s race with him. I want to win this year’s 8hrs race for Honda. If we win, it will be Honda’s 10th win in a row.” Yoshiteru Konishi (2nd). “I knew the track would dry up before the start. The team manager said I can dash till the lap 5 then it was up to me to decide when to come in to the pit. I was watching other teams’ move and was trying to delay the pit stop as much as possible. May be I was a little too late to come in. Anyway, Yasuda did good job and I am happy to finish second.” Tsuyoshi Yasuda (2nd). “It took time for me to analyze the track condition after I went out to the track. My tactics was to try my best at the right timing so when I was battling with Aoki, I did not hesitate to pass him. I am happy to finish in front of him. I learnt a lot during the race so I must use what I gained during the coming 8 hrs race.” Katsutoni Suzuki- team manager Seven Star Honda Team. “It was difficult to decide when to let Kiyonari in to the pit. I had told him that if this kind of situation occurs, he must continue to ride. He rode really well under the difficult condition. Also Takahashi rode a great race. However, today’s race brought out the problems as well, including pit work. There are many things we have to improve before the 8 hrs race. This race was a simulation to the coming 8 hrs race so it was good to find out problems before the 8 hrs race. Also we must say we were really lucky today to win the race.” Race results. 1. Ryuichi Kiyonari/Yuki Takahashi Seven Star Honda 2:01’39″219 Honda CBR1000RRW 2. Yoshiteru Konishi/Tsuyoshi Yasuda Toy story RT 2:01’42″124 Honda CBR1000RR 3. Atsushi Watanabe/Nobuatsu Yoshimura with JOMO 2:01’42″446 Suzuki GSX-R1000 4. Katsuyuki Nakasuga YSP&Presto RT 2:02’00″118 Yamaha YZF-R1 5. Norihiko Fujiwara/Nobuyuki Osaki Team Challenger 2:02’44″138 Yamaha YZF-R1 6. Yusuke Tejima/Manabu Kamada F.C.C.TSR 2:02’46″940 Honda CBR1000RR
Robert Jensen won the most WERA National Challenge Series sprint races at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah Saturday, walking away with three victories. An inverted schedule has a WERA National Endurance Series 6-hour scheduled for Sunday. The new track hosts the AMA Superbike Series next weekend and WERA is using the full AMA course this weekend, drawing several AMA regulars for practice. A sudden downpour with lightning ended Friday afternoon’s qualifying sessions with only the 600cc Superstock session completed, so gridding for most of the races was based on points. That had many faster riders fighting through traffic from the rear of the grid, including Jensen, but he didn’t seem to have a problem. The first race was Open Superstock, and Jensen set the fastest lap of the day around the 3.06-mile track, turning a 1:54.487 on his Suzuki GSX-R1000, beating Jason Perez and his Yamaha YZF-R1 by 8.497 seconds. After qualifying fifth in 600cc Superstock and botching his start on a Yamaha YZF-R6, Perez was able to catch front-runner Danny Eslick and overtake him on lap three of the six-lap race. According to Perez, once he caught up to former dirt tracker Eslick, “every time we’d get into a tight corner, he’d back it in.” But Perez was able to drop into the 1:56s and win, saying afterwards “It was a real privilege to race with him (Eslick) again.” The Formula Two race saw Zoran Vujasinovic on his Twin Works Factory Suzuki SV650 and Jeff Walker on his BEI Racing SV650 run away from the field, crossing the finish line just 0.349-second apart but a full 14 seconds ahead of third place in the 27-rider field, the pair turning best laps of 2:06.096 and 2:05.869 respectively. Jensen took his second win of the day in 750cc Superstock by 4.230 seconds ahead of Mark Junge, who had an equal gap on Lee Acree, all three on Suzuki GSX-R750s. The 125cc GP race saw a battle between young guns Elena Myers and Bryce Prince. Myers took the holeshot in the four-lap race but was quickly passed by Prince in turn one. The fastest lap turned by 12-year-old Myers was a 2:08.728 as she repassed Prince on the second lap, but teenager Prince answered with a 2:08.321 and a last-lap repass for the victory. Jensen’s virtually uncontested Formula 1 win gave him his hat trick, with Lee Acree second and Tray Batey third, all three on GSX-R1000 Suzukis.
MCBA ’06: A Great Place To Start, Grow Or Monetize A Motorcycle Collection Just because the bidding soared past a half-million dollars for one bike at last year’s Monterey Classic Bike Auction doesn’t mean you need the net worth of a small country to win a beautiful piece of machinery at this year’s MCBA. “Every collector has to start somewhere,” says Gavin Trippe, impresario of the MCBA event. “Our goal is to take the complexity and mystery out of bidding for or auctioning off a motorcycle with a respectable pedigree. So whether you’re a veteran museum curator or just a bike lover who wants to look at a work of art every day, MCBA has something to offer.” Not all bikes are gaveled away for tens of thousands of dollars. As über-collector Alan Wilzig said in a recent Cycle World interview about one of his first acquisitions, “For $2,400 there was no painting I could buy that gives me as much pleasure to look at as that [bike].” As for owners who hope to hit a juicy number for one of their prized possessions, Trippe notes that even if they name a “reserve” (or minimum sale price), they can always waive it in the heat of the bidding if the price gets “close enough” and they want to avoid a regrettable “no sale”. Historically, though, the most active bidding occurs on items with “no reserve”, meaning they will absolutely be sold to the highest bidder. “The ‘no reserve’ bikes are where it really gets fun,” says Trippe. “That’s when everybody wins.” Trippe’s advice to collectors, be they green or seasoned: peruse the 2006 inventory on the MCBA website (www.montereyclassicbikeauction.com), do a little research on the bikes you like, and determine a maximum price you’re willing to bid. Then stick to your plan. Even a wannabe collector has nothing to lose by registering as a bidder/buyer for this year’s MCBA in a timely fashion: registration is free until June 23rd. Also, state-of-the-art “Simulcast Auction” software will again enable collectors who are unable to attend the auction in person to bid online from anywhere in the world in “real time” using only a personal computer and a broadband connection. Registration forms for buyers and sellers are available now at www.montereyclassicbikeauction.com . The website also offers extensive information about this year’s auction, which takes place July 20-22 at the Portola Plaza Hotel in Monterey during MotoGP week at Laguna Seca. Information: www.montereyclassicbikeauction.com Email: [email protected]
OMRRA racer and Cascade Tracktime owner Tyson Silva and wife Gina had a son, Kaden Isaac Silva, June 9th, 2006 in Tualatin, Oregon. CCS racer Johnny Petta and wife Jessie had a son, Stone Jason Petta, June 9th, 2006 in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
Please keep an eye out for “2 Wheel Tuesday” this week because Matsushima Performance Suzuki’s Danny Eslick will be featured on the show this Tuesday, June 13. “2 Wheel Tuesday” is scheduled to air at 8:00 p.m. EST on SpeedTV on Tuesday night!
Successful second place for Nicky Wimbauer at Eurospeedway – Yamaha R6-Cup The 18-year-old rider, Nicky Wimbauer of Team Zweirad Stadler/ProTech showed his potential at the third race of the Yamaha R6-Cup on the Eurospeedway, Germany. Both qualifying sessions and the race were held under unusual hot temperatures and Nicky was able to achieve a third place starting position. Immediately after the start, Pascal Eckhardt and Nicky Wimbauer (#39) were taking off and building up a gap of over seven seconds within 10 laps to the rest of the field. “I was able to follow Pascal’s pace pretty good and studied him in the process. All of a sudden, I had a huge rear end slide and an almost highsider which cost me about two seconds,” commented Wimbauer, who missed the podium by a 10th of a second during the last race in Oschersleben due to a off-track excursion. “This time, I wanted to be on the safe side and bring home second place without taking a big risk by catching up again. I am happy about the result and look forward to the next race,” added little Nicky. The American Young Gun is now in his third year of racing in Europe and finds himself in fifth position of the Yamaha R6-Cup Championship. This was the third round of the 8-race series within the International German Championship. Wimbauer had an unfortunate DNF during the first round in Hockenheim and took a fourth place finish during the second round in Oschersleben. More details are available at www.nickywimbauer.com
CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM PREVIEW Catalan Grand Prix Montmelo, Catalunya 16, 17, 18 June 2006 CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM AIM TO CONTINUE REVIVAL AT CATALUNYA Next weekend the Circuit de Catalunya hosts the MotoGP World Championship for the fifteenth successive season since opening to coincide with the Olympic Games in 1992 and sees the Camel Yamaha Team looking to strike gold for the second consecutive race. Following on from Valentino Rossi’s epic victory at his home Grand Prix in Italy less than two weeks ago, and backed up by encouraging data from a subsequent day of testing at the Mugello circuit, confidence could not be higher for a repeat result as the team look to close down the points gap to joint series leaders Loris Capirossi (Ducati) and Nicky Hayden (Honda). Rossi travels to Barcelona, one of his favourite cities in the world, having reached several milestones thanks to his 55th career MotoGP victory at Mugello. As well as taking him above Mick Doohan to second place in the all-time winners list behind Giacomo Agostini, it was also his 22nd success with Yamaha – the same number achieved by Kenny Roberts and bettered only by Wayne Rainey and Eddie Lawson and it made Rossi the second highest points-scorer of all time behind Doohan. He will join the Australian as one of only two riders ever to pass 2000 career points if he finishes first or second at Catalunya. Rossi’s team-mate Colin Edwards has also been making his mark in the history books despite not yet hitting his best form this season. Despite running into the gravel early in the race at Mugello, the Texan managed to fight his way back to finish in twelfth place to extend his run of successive points scoring finishes to 27. Only Mick Doohan, Wayne Gardner, Eddie Lawson and Valentino Rossi himself have ever put together a longer run. Edwards’ target this weekend is to celebrate number 28 on the podium. Virtually 57 years to the day since the first ever World Championship Grand Prix at the Isle of Man TT in 1949, this weekend’s event will provide the latest chapter in one of the most exciting and unpredictable eras in the history of the sport. After six rounds there are just 34 points covering the top six riders. VALENTINO ROSSI: LUCKY SEVEN? Catalunya is one of Valentino Rossi’s most successful events, being one of three circuits where he has already stood on the top step of the podium on seven occasions the others being Donington and Phillip Island. For the past two seasons he has taken victory for Yamaha and he is hopeful of repeating that feat as he aims to reduce a 34-point deficit to the championship summit. “Barcelona is always a great race for me and I’ve won there the last two years with Yamaha, so hopefully we can do it again,” says Rossi. “Last year Gibernau set a fast pace and I tried 100% to follow him. Then I set the fastest lap three laps from the end, which at a track like Catalunya is amazing. Hopefully we can get this level of performance out of the bike and tyres again. Also I get a really good reception in Spain and it is always a pleasure to ride there. “I am looking forward to this weekend because now I think we have finally arrived where we should be with the bike. It worked really well at the Mugello test and now I think we’ve really shown that we can fight at the front again and win. From a technical point of view, since the new chassis has been available we’ve been able to ride like in the past. Now we’re very fast but it’s still hard to win races! This championship is very balanced between Ducati and Honda and Yamaha and the other riders are at a great level so it was very important for us to win at Mugello. Now we have an eleven race championship and we have to be on the podium at every round.” COLIN EDWARDS: DOUBLE CHASSIS BONUS After a week’s break with his family on the beaches near Barcelona, Colin Edwards tackles the seventh round of the campaign in refreshed and determined mood following an indifferent run of early season results. The American has been hindered by a series of unfortunate incidents in recent races but the news that two units of the updated YZR-M1 chassis, which he tested with positive results at Mugello, will be at his disposal from the opening practice of the Spanish round has given him a vital boost. “I’ve been run into the gravel for the last two rounds but we’ve come out of them both in the points so I have to use that as springboard to better things over the next few races,” admits Edwards. “There is no use lamenting about what could have been I have never done that and I won’t start now. The positive thing to come out of Mugello was the performance of the new chassis and I’m really looking forward to adapting the setting even more at Barcelona. It’s another fast circuit so hopefully the bike adapts quickly and we can be on the pace from the start.” Like Rossi, Edwards has positive memories of the Catalunya circuit thanks to his performance there in the official pre-season tests, when he drove home in a new car as a prize for setting the fastest time. “That seems a long time ago now but it’s true that we went well there with an early version of this year’s bike. We’ve made progress since then but the conditions will be very different so we’ll have to wait and see.” DAVIDE BRIVIO: TRIPLE TARGET Camel Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio is targeting a three-pronged attack on the MotoGP World Championship this weekend as he leads a continued revival for his team following a mixed start to the season. As well as building on positive recent development with the YZR-M1 machines, the Italian is hoping for another maximum points return from Valentino Rossi and a second podium of the season for Colin Edwards. “Before Mugello I said that our mission for the next few races was to recover points for Valentino and we had the perfect start to that with the victory,” says Brivio. “Now we have an extremely important run at Barcelona, Assen and Donington where we must continue with this job and try to win every race. Valentino likes all three tracks and this is another reason why he was still so upbeat and optimistic after the disappointments in China and Le Mans. “For Colin this is also an important weekend because he found a good way with the new chassis at Mugello and we have high hopes that he can make a lot of progress with it in Barcelona. Both riders will be on the same specification bikes, with two units of the new chassis each, so we are starting from a good point. Continuing evolution with the bike, recovering more points for Valentino and getting Colin back on the podium; these are our three targets for Catalunya.” TECHNICALLY SPEAKING: CATALUNYA ACCORDING TO NICOLAS GOUBERT The Circuit de Catalunya offers a main straight capable of encouraging speeds exceeding 335kmh, and is completed by a sequence of long radius, medium/high speed sweepers and two tight left-hand hairpins. The combination of long radius corners riddled with a variety of cambers makes it demanding on chassis balance and means front-end feel is a key concern for every rider. These characteristics also mean that tyre life is a key topic in many pit box discussions between riders, crew chiefs and tyre technicians. “Catalunya can be very demanding on the front because there are a lot of downhill corner entries,” explains Nicolas Goubert, Michelin’s chief of motorcycle competition. “For the rain we’ve got only one specification, one profile with different programs depending on the conditions we have. For the slicks it is much more interesting because we have two different profiles. One has a smaller width, which means that the tyre is lighter and it’s easier to tilt the bike from one side to the other. We have also started to work with a bigger size but the Yamaha riders prefer the small one. The reason is because they want to keep the character of having durability for the bike. For them it is an advantage and it is suited to their needs on their bike. “We are quite confident with both types of tyre from last year because we had very good results at Catalunya. It was the first time ever that the surface was new, the lap time was really good and Valentino set a new lap record at the very end of the race with a time that would have put him tenth on the grid. It was the first time ever that this happened so we are very happy with that and we just hope that our Yamaha riders will be as fast or faster this year.” VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION Age: 27 Lives: London, UK Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 GP victories: 81 (55 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 163 (103 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 40 World Championships 7 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 4 x MotoGP) COLIN EDWARDS: INFORMATION Age: 32 Lives: Conroe, Texas Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP) GP starts: 54 x MotoGP World Championships – 2 World Superbike Montmelo Lap Record: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2005 1’43.195 Mugello Best Lap: Sete Gibernau (Honda) 2005 1’42.337 2005 Results 1. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Yamaha, 43’16.487 2. Sete Gibernau (ESP) Honda, +1.094 3. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda, +7.810 7. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Yamaha, +18.762 More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP head for Catalunya in positive mood Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will be in Catalunya this weekend for the first of a hectic three weekends that will see it race in Spain, Holland and Great Britain. The first port-of-call is the Montmelo circuit near Barcelona in Spain, for the Gran Premi Cinzano de Catalunya. This modern circuit is a great test of machinery and tyres alike, and both Suzuki and Bridgestone will be working intensely to get the best set-up for the Suzuki GSV-R. This weekend will also give Rizla Suzuki a good indication of how far the GSV-R has come since the pre-season testing, in very different conditions, in March. John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen both performed well in those pre-season tests and will be eager to continue from where they left off. Hopkins topped the time-sheets during final day’s dry session whilst Vermeulen narrowly missed out on winning a BMW car during the Official MotoGP Test timed session held in very wet conditions. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will take to the Montmelo circuit on Friday for two free practice sessions. The riders will then have a further practice session on Saturday morning before Hopkins and Vermeulen will be going all out to secure the best qualifying places during the afternoon timed session. Round seven of the MotoGP World Championship will get underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00GMT) on Sunday 18th June. Paul Denning Team Manager: “We are heading to Barcelona in a positive mood following recent good performances from both riders and after the promising results from the Mugello test “This is the first circuit in four races where Chris has been before and he doesn’t have the added responsibility of having to learn his way round, so he should be on the pace right from the start and be looking to get up amongst the action. John had a good test here earlier in the year and enjoys this circuit – he is very hungry and looking for a good result. “The factory and the team are working as hard as they possibly can to turn the promising performances into strong results and all sponsors and fans can be assured that we will continue to make steps and aim to perform to the maximum of our potential!”
Rave Yamaha Racing’s Jason Perez, Shane Turpin and Jay Tanner rode a YZF-R1 to a 4.791-second margin of victory over Vesrah Suzuki in round four of the Bridgestone/WERA National Endurance, a 6-hour event held Sunday at Miller Motorsports Park, in Tooele, Utah. The race was run on the same course configuration as will be used during next weekend’s AMA Superbike National.
Although Vesrah Suzuki’s Tray Batey, Lee Acree and John Jacobi had longer range and slightly faster pit stops, Rave Yamaha Racing was faster on the racetrack.
Rave Yamaha Racing was close to lapping Vesrah Suzuki in the fourth hour when the second, and final, red flag of the race came out, erasing Rave Yamaha Racing’s large lead.
Vesrah Suzuki gained a significant advantage when Rave Yamaha Racing had to pit immediately after the restart, but the race would be decided by the final pit stops and riders.
Perez, Rave Yamaha Racing’s final rider, started turning the fastest laps of the race. But even with Perez’s pace, Vesrah Suzuki still looked like it would be able to hold its lead to the finish line as long as its final pit stop was clean and quick. It wasn’t. Rave Yamaha Racing passed Vesrah Suzuki in the final 10 minutes and held on to win.
One of the more interesting things about Rave Yamaha Racing’s effort was that the team used both Dunlop and Michelin tires during the race. Perez and Tanner rode on Dunlop slicks, while Turpin, a contracted Michelin rider, used Michelins during his stint.
Vesrah Suzuki used Pirelli slicks on its Suzuki GSX-R1000.
ARNCHU Racing’s Randy Sherman, Nathan Dressman and Troy Meikle came back from a crash early in the race to finish third overall and first in Heavyweight Superstock on a Michelin-equipped Suzuki GSX-R1000.
Fourth overall and first in Mediumweight Superbike went to Matsushima Performance Suzuki with riders Danny Eslick, Blake Young, Kim Nakashima, Garry Combs and Liko Miles, the team using three sets of Dunlop scrub tires on its GSX-R600 during the race.
L.O.C. Endurance’s Joe Hayes, James Van Der Haar and Dan Carr) rode on one set of Bridgestone DOT-labeled tires en route to the Mediumweight Superstock class win and 11th overall.
Neighbor of the Beast’s Melissa Berkoff, Scott Fisher and Bruce Stanford) took their second Lightweight Superbike class win of the season (and 13th overall) on a Michelin-slick-equipped Suzuki SV650.
40 teams entered the race, but only 39 took the start. Yamaha factory rider Jason DiSalvo opted to sit the race out at the last minute. DiSalvo had planned to ride his personal Yamaha in the race.
A call for donations to help pay for a recent large shipment of Airfence soft barriers brought immediate response from racers, friends and family members in the racing community, including pledges from AMA Superbike Points Leader Ben Spies and his mother, Mary Spies, to match donations up to $10,000 and $5000 respectively, and race photographer Vicki Sulpy, who donated $1000 “To keep our friends safe.”
An auction held on the WERA.com BBS has brought in a total of $2470 so far. Participants included Brad Wilson, $1500; Adrienne C. Eckhart, $275; Steve Brunton, $250; Graves Yamaha/WERA BBS, $215; Darrin Talbott, $100; John W. Butler, $80; and Lori Kobayashi, $50.
Darrin Talbott is probably the Roadracing World Action Fund’s most frequent contributor, with nine separate donations made with various dedications or for the WERA BBS auction. No matter the occasion, Talbott finds a good excuse to donate to the Fund. His latest donation of $50, was because “Rossi finally won a race.” Past dedications include: “The 2005 World Champion White Sox and The Legion of Bling,” “Carl Anderson,” “Jeff,” ” bmfgsxr,” and “Dave K ” Including two separate WERA BBS auction contributions totaling $100, Talbott’s overall total now stands at $535.
Other repeat contributors include Scott Willock, $500 for a total of $1500; David A. Pierce, $500, for an overall total of $1000; Chad Bakkene, $175, for a total of $275; Ed Sorbo, $100, for a total of $250; Peter Rollins, $100, for a total of $150; Charles Helming/In Honor of Vincent Haskovec, $100, for a total of $150; Greg Avello, $100, for a total of $150; Peter Hively, $100, for a total of $500; Bob & Sherrie Young, $100, for a total of $300; Logan Young, $100, for a total of $300; Christopher Slay, $100, for a total of $300; Randy Sinisi, $50, for a total of $175; Eric Linderwell, $50, for a total of $100; Jim Race, $50, for a total of $100; Ryan Nelson, $50, for a total of $75; Mark Anzalone/In Honor of Vincent Haskovec, $50, for a total of $100; Corey Mann, $25, for a total of $50; Eric Robinson, $25, for a total of $50; Papa Thiam, $25, for a total of $225.
Michael Arenella ($30.50) and Christopher Brown ($150) have made contributions to the Action Fund through payroll deductions pledged through Chevron’s annual “People Make A Difference” campaign.
The donations total $7792.50 and with matching funds from Ben and Mary Spies bring the total raised recently to $15,585.
Summary of Recently Posted Contributions
(Contributor comments and dedications are included below with their listing.)
Road Race Contributions Matching Funds from Ben and Mary Spies $7792.50 Brad Wilson/WERA BBS Auction ’06 $1500 Valerie H. Sulpy $1000 “To keep our friends safe.” Scott Willock $500 “Stay safe, racers!” David A. Pierce $500 Adrienne Eckhart/WERA BBS Auction ’06 $275 Steve Brunton/WERA BBS Auction ’06 $250 Graves Yamaha/WERA BBS $215 Stanford Crane $200 “Lion Racing salutes those who live life in pursuit of their dreams.” Joseph B. Wilson $200 “Mad Brad, for Chad Bakkene.” Chad Bakkene $175 Christopher Brown $150 Peter Rollins $100 “Thank you for making tracks safer.” Erin Kibbee $100 Chris Irwin $100 Bob & Sherrie Young $100 Logan Young $100 Greg Melka $100 Ed Sorbo $100 Scott Moore/Fast Finish $100 Alessandro Assanti $100 “To Ms. Spies and Ben Spies for stepping up and supporting the Action Fund. Ben’s character and performance have been an inspiration – Alex at bike911.com.” Charles Helming $100 “In honor of and with best wishes to Vincent Haskovec.” Greg Avello/BadgerMotorsports.com $100 Peter Hively $100 “Thanks for helping save Chris Siglin’s and Danny Eslick’s butts on Sunday!” Christopher Slay $100 Darrin Talbott $100 WERA BBS Auction ’06 Garth A. Cloyd $97 “In Memory of Wade Van Fleet.” John W. Butler/WERA BBS Auction ’06 $80 Chris Lowitz $75 “For all of those who know no boundaries.” Paul Rogers $75 “Thanks for your efforts on this important track feature.” Theresa Fitzgerald/ WERA BBS Auction ’06 $75 Ryan Nelson/29DreamsRacing.com $50 Jim Race $50 Richard Busby $50 “I’ve crashed and it hurts.” Benny Bryant $50 Lori Kobayashi/WERA BBS Auction ’06 $50 Steven Kohlscheen $50 Eric Linderwell $50 Darrin Talbott $50 “Rossi finally won a race.” Randy Sinisi $50 Doug Mc Cracken/Team Hayes Racing $50 Mark Anzalone/In Honor of Vincent Haskovec $50 Carlos A. Gonzalez-Mier $50 Tom Tracey $50 “For all who race and risk.” Laura Couch $50 “I bought 10 of your (arm) bands and am an avid believer in rider safety. ” Richard Calderwood $40 “Ben Spies – Your matching donations are even cooler than your matching race wins.” Michael Arenella $30.50 Jason K. Michelson $30 Andrew Aucoin $30 Lee S. Block $25 “Dedicated to racing safety in the USA!” Margaret Devlin $25 John Russell $25 Corey Mann $25 Eric Allison $25 Kent Sheldon $25 Papa Thiam $25 “For Brad Wilson, expert fact checker.” Margaret Devlin $25 Chad Trank $25 Eric C. Robinson $20
Dirt Track Eric C. Robinson $5 Lee S. Block $25 “Dedicated to racing safety in the USA!”
June 10,2006
Accounting Details to Date Road Racing Expenditure Details
Direct purchase of soft barriers: $263,570 Shipping/Customs: $20,442.83 Bank Fees: $384.05 Air Fence* Deployment Crew Training: $700 Transportation & Installation: $5577.78 Corporation/Business Fees: $982 Online Auction Fees: $221.99 Printing Education Materials – $346.42 Misc Supplies: $39.59 Initial Donation to AMA Pro Racing for Air Fence: $104,104
Total Spent: $398,911.54 Total Donations Collected $405,068.14 Income $118.31
Cash on hand: $6274.91
Dirt Track Expenditure Details
Direct purchase of soft barriers: $34,500 Shipping/Customs: $2717.72 Transportation & Installation $2174.77
Total Spent: $39,392.49
Total collected: $41,944
Cash on hand: $2551.51
All administrative costs, including the percentage taken by credit card companies on credit card donations, have been absorbed by Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
*Trademark of Airfence Safety Systems Australia.
Miller Motorsports Park (MMP) CEO, General Manager and designer Alan Wilson will make flexible pylons–like those used at Laguna Seca–available for AMA Pro Racing to install at pit out during the next weekend’s AMA Superbike National at the Tooele, Utah racetrack. “We’ve got them,” Wilson told Roadracingworld.com during the WERA National event at MMP. “If the AMA wants to put them up, they will put them up. I talked to (AMA Pro Racing Road Race Series Manager) Ron Barrick last week and told him it is entirely up to them.” Following team tests at the new racetrack, AMA riders called for modifications to the way MMP’s pit lane exits onto the racing line halfway down the 3500-foot main straightaway. Wide red and white paint stripes have already been added to better differentiate the pit-out acceleration/blend lane from the racing line. Riders asked for the modifications to help avoid collisions between riders accelerating out of pit lane and riders already at full speed on the front straightaway. Orange traffic cones were used during the WERA National weekend, and “We’ve had no problems at all,” Wilson said.
Suzuka 300km Race “Road to 8 hours” Suzuka, Japan 2006.6.11 Ryuichi Kyonari and Yuki Takahashi win Suzuka 300 km race for Honda “Road to 8 hours”-Suzuka 300km Race was held at Suzuka on June 11,2006. Ryuichi Kiyonari and Yuki Takahashi riding Seven Star Honda CBR1000RRW won the race with Yoshiteru Konishi and Tsuyoshi Yasuda (Toy story RT/Honda CBR1000RR) finishing second. The Suzuka 300km race is not included in the All Japan Championship Series but is a preliminary event for the prestigious Suzuka 8 hrs Endurance race. The classes allowed for the race are: Superbike(SB), Superproduction (SPP), Stockstports (SST), XX Formula (XXF1) and JSB1000 (JSB). The manufacturers had been racing Superbike machines in the past but the organizer, Suzuka Circuit, requested the factories to use the JSB machines, which is more technically restricted than SB, the factories agreed. Either one or two riders can ride the machine for the 300km race. Many teams use this occasion to practice and test the rider combination and pit work. HRC has entered the BSB boy Ryuichi Kiyonari and WGP 250cc rider Yuki Takahashi riding the CBR1000RRW (Seven Stars Honda/JSB/ Michelin) for the race. HRC has announced that they will enter two factory CBR1000RRWs in the Suzuka 8 hours race but the name of the riders for two teams has not been released yet. However, Kiyonari and Takahashi are likely to race together Qualify on Saturday was held in dry condition in spite of rainy season in Japan. Yoshiteru Konishi (Toy Story RT JSB Bridgestone/ co-rider Tsuyoshi Yasuda) set a time of 2’08″966 and grabbed pole position. Ryuichi Kiyonari was the third fastest with 2’09″514. Shinichi Ito(F.C.C.TSR/SB/ BS/ Takeshi Tsujimura) qualified fourth with 2’09″515. The biggest surprise of the event was Yoshimura switching tyre from Dunlop to Bridgestone. Yoshimura Suzuki rider Atsushi Watanabe (Yoshimura Suzuki with JOMO/JSB/BS/ Nobuatsu Aoki) was seventh fastest. It rained just before the start of the race so almost all the riders lined up with rain tyre fitted to their machines. Polesitter Konishi took the hole-shot while Kiyonari was third at the end of the opening lap. The track condition was tricky with the track drying quickly. Kiyonari had to pit after the 19th lap to change the tyre from rain to slick. HRC test rider Konishi led the race from the start to 23rd lap then changed to Yasuda. Yoshimura’s Watanabe was the next leader leading the race from lap 24 to 40. Watanabe handed the Suzuki GSX-R1000 to former GP rider Nobuatsu Aoki. Then it was Yusuke Tejima(F.C.C TSR/CBR1000RR) briefly leading the race. Tejima was then passed by Shinichi Ito who was setting fast lap times of 2’11″s. Kiyonari switched to Takahashi at the end of 34th lap. Takahashi moved to second during the lap 49 passing both Tejima and Aoki. Then Takahashi marked the fastest lap time of the day 2’11″051 on lap 50. Ito was leading the race comfortably with almost 14 second advantage to Takahashi when he stopped at the Degner Curve with his CBR1000RR running out of fuel. Both Kiyonari and Takahashi were delighted to win the race. They were to ride together for the 2004 Suzuka 8 hrs Race but Takahashi crashed during free practice on Thursday and broke his left ankle. So finally they won a race together. Ryuichi Kiyonari 1st). “I don’t dislike wet race at Suzuka but today’s condition was very difficult. Race pace was not very fast at the beginning and when the pace was up track was dried. Top riders did not come in to the pit so I was wondering when to change the tyre. Yuki did really good job and I think that was the reason we won today.” Yuki Takahashi (1st). “Kiyonari-san was trying very hard so my part was shorter than it was planned. I was passed by Ito san soon after I went out to the track. His riding was so smooth and I learnt a lot following him. I wanted to ride with Kiyonari san two years a go for the Suzuka 8hrs race but it didn’t happen as I crashed. So I am happy to win today’s race with him. I want to win this year’s 8hrs race for Honda. If we win, it will be Honda’s 10th win in a row.” Yoshiteru Konishi (2nd). “I knew the track would dry up before the start. The team manager said I can dash till the lap 5 then it was up to me to decide when to come in to the pit. I was watching other teams’ move and was trying to delay the pit stop as much as possible. May be I was a little too late to come in. Anyway, Yasuda did good job and I am happy to finish second.” Tsuyoshi Yasuda (2nd). “It took time for me to analyze the track condition after I went out to the track. My tactics was to try my best at the right timing so when I was battling with Aoki, I did not hesitate to pass him. I am happy to finish in front of him. I learnt a lot during the race so I must use what I gained during the coming 8 hrs race.” Katsutoni Suzuki- team manager Seven Star Honda Team. “It was difficult to decide when to let Kiyonari in to the pit. I had told him that if this kind of situation occurs, he must continue to ride. He rode really well under the difficult condition. Also Takahashi rode a great race. However, today’s race brought out the problems as well, including pit work. There are many things we have to improve before the 8 hrs race. This race was a simulation to the coming 8 hrs race so it was good to find out problems before the 8 hrs race. Also we must say we were really lucky today to win the race.” Race results. 1. Ryuichi Kiyonari/Yuki Takahashi Seven Star Honda 2:01’39″219 Honda CBR1000RRW 2. Yoshiteru Konishi/Tsuyoshi Yasuda Toy story RT 2:01’42″124 Honda CBR1000RR 3. Atsushi Watanabe/Nobuatsu Yoshimura with JOMO 2:01’42″446 Suzuki GSX-R1000 4. Katsuyuki Nakasuga YSP&Presto RT 2:02’00″118 Yamaha YZF-R1 5. Norihiko Fujiwara/Nobuyuki Osaki Team Challenger 2:02’44″138 Yamaha YZF-R1 6. Yusuke Tejima/Manabu Kamada F.C.C.TSR 2:02’46″940 Honda CBR1000RR
Robert Jensen won the most WERA National Challenge Series sprint races at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah Saturday, walking away with three victories. An inverted schedule has a WERA National Endurance Series 6-hour scheduled for Sunday. The new track hosts the AMA Superbike Series next weekend and WERA is using the full AMA course this weekend, drawing several AMA regulars for practice. A sudden downpour with lightning ended Friday afternoon’s qualifying sessions with only the 600cc Superstock session completed, so gridding for most of the races was based on points. That had many faster riders fighting through traffic from the rear of the grid, including Jensen, but he didn’t seem to have a problem. The first race was Open Superstock, and Jensen set the fastest lap of the day around the 3.06-mile track, turning a 1:54.487 on his Suzuki GSX-R1000, beating Jason Perez and his Yamaha YZF-R1 by 8.497 seconds. After qualifying fifth in 600cc Superstock and botching his start on a Yamaha YZF-R6, Perez was able to catch front-runner Danny Eslick and overtake him on lap three of the six-lap race. According to Perez, once he caught up to former dirt tracker Eslick, “every time we’d get into a tight corner, he’d back it in.” But Perez was able to drop into the 1:56s and win, saying afterwards “It was a real privilege to race with him (Eslick) again.” The Formula Two race saw Zoran Vujasinovic on his Twin Works Factory Suzuki SV650 and Jeff Walker on his BEI Racing SV650 run away from the field, crossing the finish line just 0.349-second apart but a full 14 seconds ahead of third place in the 27-rider field, the pair turning best laps of 2:06.096 and 2:05.869 respectively. Jensen took his second win of the day in 750cc Superstock by 4.230 seconds ahead of Mark Junge, who had an equal gap on Lee Acree, all three on Suzuki GSX-R750s. The 125cc GP race saw a battle between young guns Elena Myers and Bryce Prince. Myers took the holeshot in the four-lap race but was quickly passed by Prince in turn one. The fastest lap turned by 12-year-old Myers was a 2:08.728 as she repassed Prince on the second lap, but teenager Prince answered with a 2:08.321 and a last-lap repass for the victory. Jensen’s virtually uncontested Formula 1 win gave him his hat trick, with Lee Acree second and Tray Batey third, all three on GSX-R1000 Suzukis.
MCBA ’06: A Great Place To Start, Grow Or Monetize A Motorcycle Collection Just because the bidding soared past a half-million dollars for one bike at last year’s Monterey Classic Bike Auction doesn’t mean you need the net worth of a small country to win a beautiful piece of machinery at this year’s MCBA. “Every collector has to start somewhere,” says Gavin Trippe, impresario of the MCBA event. “Our goal is to take the complexity and mystery out of bidding for or auctioning off a motorcycle with a respectable pedigree. So whether you’re a veteran museum curator or just a bike lover who wants to look at a work of art every day, MCBA has something to offer.” Not all bikes are gaveled away for tens of thousands of dollars. As über-collector Alan Wilzig said in a recent Cycle World interview about one of his first acquisitions, “For $2,400 there was no painting I could buy that gives me as much pleasure to look at as that [bike].” As for owners who hope to hit a juicy number for one of their prized possessions, Trippe notes that even if they name a “reserve” (or minimum sale price), they can always waive it in the heat of the bidding if the price gets “close enough” and they want to avoid a regrettable “no sale”. Historically, though, the most active bidding occurs on items with “no reserve”, meaning they will absolutely be sold to the highest bidder. “The ‘no reserve’ bikes are where it really gets fun,” says Trippe. “That’s when everybody wins.” Trippe’s advice to collectors, be they green or seasoned: peruse the 2006 inventory on the MCBA website (www.montereyclassicbikeauction.com), do a little research on the bikes you like, and determine a maximum price you’re willing to bid. Then stick to your plan. Even a wannabe collector has nothing to lose by registering as a bidder/buyer for this year’s MCBA in a timely fashion: registration is free until June 23rd. Also, state-of-the-art “Simulcast Auction” software will again enable collectors who are unable to attend the auction in person to bid online from anywhere in the world in “real time” using only a personal computer and a broadband connection. Registration forms for buyers and sellers are available now at www.montereyclassicbikeauction.com . The website also offers extensive information about this year’s auction, which takes place July 20-22 at the Portola Plaza Hotel in Monterey during MotoGP week at Laguna Seca. Information: www.montereyclassicbikeauction.com Email: [email protected]
OMRRA racer and Cascade Tracktime owner Tyson Silva and wife Gina had a son, Kaden Isaac Silva, June 9th, 2006 in Tualatin, Oregon. CCS racer Johnny Petta and wife Jessie had a son, Stone Jason Petta, June 9th, 2006 in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
