CMRA racer Eric Kancir married Shannon Markham, July 23 in Dallas, Texas.

Ten Lucky Fans Set to Race Karts with Superbike Stars at VIR’s Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals Alton, Va. Ten lucky fans will enjoy the opportunity of a lifetime at VIRginia International Raceway on Thursday, August 25, as they will be competing with and against some of the world’s top motorcycle racers in karts. As part of this weekend’s Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals at VIR, new race promoters Race Promotion Management (RPM) created a promotion in which fans who purchased advance tickets by August 12 were entered into a lottery from which 10 names would be drawn to compete in the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals Superstars Kart Enduro Challenge, a karting enduro to be held at VIR’s Plantation Valley Kart Track. The event will feature 10 teams with four drivers per team. Each team will be comprised of one Superbike racer, one media celebrity, one staff member from VIR, AMA, RPM or a sponsor, and one fan. Each driver will get 10 laps of the 5/8-mile, 24-foot-wide road racing kart circuit, and then pit for a driver change to one of their teammates. At the end of 40 laps, the team with the lowest cumulative time is declared the winner. Following the race there will be a reception for all the participants, where trophies will be presented and fan participants will receive a CD of photographs taken during the race. The Superbike stars committed to compete include Miguel Duhamel, Eric Bostrom, Roger Lee Hayden, Aaron Yates, Neil Hodgson, Ben Spies, Aaron Gobert, Kevin Schwantz and Larry Pegram. Jamie Hacking was originally scheduled to race, but had to withdraw for medical reasons. A replacement will be named on Thursday. Media celebrities competing include Greg White, Speed Channel pit-lane reporter and host of the popular “2 Wheel Tuesday” program; television producer Chet Burks, whose company will produce the weekend’s races for Speed Channel; David Swarts, associate editor of Roadracing World magazine; Paul Carruthers, editor of Cycle News; Chris Jonnum, editor of Road Racer X; Mark Mitchell, editor of speedtv.com; Rebecca Bowling, of WAKG-FM radio in Danville, Va.; and David Jones, of WBRG-AM radio in Lynchburg, Va.. The lucky fans who will get to compete are: Lincoln Hurd, of Knoxville, Tenn.; Mike Hummel, of Greensboro, N.C.; Dale McFaddin, of Callands, Va.; Tom Krysiak, of Madison, N.C.; Tom Wynn, of Pearisburg, Va.; Paul Guiomor, of Long Branch, N.J.; Cathy Lardieri, of Wayne, N.J.; Jason Pelcman, of Brick, N.J.; Matt Boike, of Charlotte, N.C.; and Paul Thorpe, of Sicklerville, N.J. “We’re really excited about the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals Superstars Kart Enduro Challenge,” said RPM vice president Cameron Gray. “This is the best possible kind of promotion, when you can offer a race fan something that is unobtainable at any price. In this case, 10 average race fans are going to not only be able to meet and hang out with some of their Superbike heroes, they’re actually going to be able to race with and against them. We think this is unprecedented, and look forward to making it an annual event.” The deadline for advance ticket sales has passed, but there are still tickets available at designated ticket outlets throughout Virginia and the Carolinas. Tickets available through the ticket outlets will be limited to three-day passes priced at $55 and single-day tickets for Saturday and Sunday priced at $45 each. For a list of ticket outlets, visit www.virclub.com, click on the “Ticket Info” button, scroll down to the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals section and then click on the link that says “Ticket Outlets.” At the gate, ticket availability will be limited to three-day passes for $60, single-day tickets (Friday only) for $10 and pit walk passes for $40. The event schedule for the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals will include three days of racing action, including two feature races for the headlining AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited as well as feature races for the supporting classes including the Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei, AMA Repsol Lubricants Superstock Series and Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series. VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Va., and just north of historic Milton, N.C. In addition to its 3.27-mile natural-terrain road racing circuit (designed to be operated as two autonomous, full-service courses), VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America’s first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park; the VIR Gallery, which is a sales showroom for high-end collector and racing cars; the VIR Safety and Security Institute, which provides specialized training for U.S. Government and military groups; The Lodge at VIR, a 27-room hotel overlooking the track; and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse. VIR made history from 1957 to 1974 and is doing so again. The 2.25-mile VIR North Course circuit on which the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals will take place has 17 challenging turns and 130 feet of elevation change. In addition to spectator events, the track is also available to rent for testing, driving schools and club days. For more information on VIRginia International Raceway, visit the track’s website at www.virclub.com or contact VIR at 434-822-7700. For more information on Race Promotion Management, visit their website at www.rpmcolorado.com or contact them via telephone at 303-377-3278. For more information on the AMA Superbike Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited, visit their website at www.amasuperbike.com.

2003 AMA Supersport Champion Jamie Hacking will not race in the final two events of the 2005 AMA Season, at Virginia International Raceway or Road Atlanta, due to elbow injuries he suffered in a training accident in May. Instead, he will continue re-habilitation work to regain full fitness in preparation for racing for Yamaha in 2006. Hacking suffered fractures, soft tissue damage and dislocations of both his elbows when he crashed his road bicycle while training in Colorado in May. He had surgery performed by Dr. Arthur Ting soon after and immediately began an aggressive re-hab program. Hacking, who was second in AMA Supersport points and leading in the Superstock Championship at the time of his accident, originally hoped to come back at Laguna Seca or Mid-Ohio but could not. And after testing (on his YZF-R6 only) at Road Atlanta last week, it appears that Hacking will not race again in 2005. “I rode at the (Road) Atlanta test (last week),” Hacking told Roadracingworld.com in a telephone interview Tuesday. “Coming back from all this re-hab, I told Yamaha that if I was 100% for these last two races that I would do them. After riding and evaluating everything, I was nowhere near 100%. In re-hab, I thought I was good to go, but it’s always different on a bike. “(Yamaha) just want me to get 100% for next year. So the both of us just decided it’s not the best for us to go out there (because) we’ve got nothing to accomplish.” Because he is out of Championship contention, only winning at VIR or Road Atlanta would have benefited Yamaha or Hacking, who said winning one of the races would have been “a good booster going into the off-season, but I don’t need that. I didn’t get hurt on my bike, I got injured on my pedal bike. I don’t need to come back to get my confidence back up.” Hacking said he would much rather finish his re-habilitation and be ready physically for the aggressive testing program Yamaha has scheduled for the off-season, which may begin as early as October. Does that mean Hacking will be with Yamaha in 2006? “Hell, yeah!” said Hacking. “We should have the deal finalized either tomorrow or Thursday.”

ZEMKE AND DUHAMEL BRING BATTLE FOR AMA FORMULA XTREME TITLE AT VIR It’s Yates and DiSalvo to the wire in AMA Superstock PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Aug. 23, 2005) — For the second year in a row the battle for the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series title is coming down to the last few races and at Virginia International Raceway on Aug. 26-28, Honda teammates Jake Zemke and Miguel Duhamel will write another chapter of their great 2005 season-long battle. While the Honda mates go toe-to-toe in Xtreme, it’s a battle between experience and youth in the Repsol Lubricants Superstock Series. There veteran Aaron Yates is trying to win back the championship he vacated in 1996 and young Jason DiSalvo is trying to chase down his older rival to score his first AMA title. Zemke and Duhamel have been trading wins all season long on their factory Hondas. Last year it was Duhamel taking the victory at VIR and going on to win the Formula Xtreme No. 1 plate. This year the tables have turned and it’s Zemke leading and Duhamel chasing. Zemke leads by 11 points with just two rounds remaining and is trying to reach the finish line and for the first time take home the top prize. Zemke has been agonizingly close to championships five times in his career and the former flat tracker isn’t breathing easy yet. “Anytime you have someone of Miguel’s stature chasing you for the championship it’s going to be tough,” said Zemke, who has been runner up in Formula Xtreme three times before. “Even though we’re teammates he’s not going to give me an inch and I’ll have to earn this championship one lap at a time.” Duhamel will go down in the record books as one of the best road racers in the history of AMA racing he already has seven AMA road racing titles to his name, but the 37-year-old Montreal native is not ready to rest on his laurels just yet. “Obviously the pressure is on,” Duhamel said. “For both of us it’s going to be tight, right down to the last lap. Jake has ridden really well this season, but I don’t want to go down without really making him earn it. VIR will not lack for excitement, that’s for sure.” While Zemke and Duhamel are focusing on the championship, a few other riders would like to break the Honda stranglehold on the series. The two most likely candidates to break the monopoly at VIR are Attack Kawasaki’s Ben Attard and Michael Barnes, of M4 EMGO Suzuki. Attard has scored two podium finishes in the series and seems to be coming into his own in recent rounds. Barnes joined his team as a mid-season replacement rider and the veteran has been impressive. Barnes would love to add a Formula Xtreme win trophy to his trophy case. Aaron Yates is heading up the Repsol Lubricants Superstock Series coming into VIR. The Yoshimura Suzuki rider has found a home in the series and a string of three consecutive wins has given the Georgian racing veteran a 14-point lead over Jason DiSalvo. If Yates makes it four in a row at VIR he would become the first to run up a streak like that in the series since Tom Kipp clicked off five straight in the former 750 Supersport Series in 1999. “It’s good to be on a winning streak,” Yates said. “but the championship is still too close for comfort. With just two races to go there’s not a lot of strategy left. I’m going out there to try to keep winning. That’s about it.” Former race winner Lee Acree will also be in the lineup for the VIR Superstock race. Acree’s win here in 2001 was one of the biggest upset wins in the history of the series. The AMA Lockhart Phillips USA formula Xtreme Series race will be televised nationally on SPEED Channel at 1 p.m. (Eastern), Tuesday, Aug. 30. You can also follow the race via live timing and scoring on www.amasuperbike.com. For additional information on the race call (434) 822-7700 or visit www.virclub.com.

Jensen and Smith Shake Things Up in WERA National at Talladega OXFORD, Ala. Round eight of the WERA National Series featured some of the toughest battles of the season during last weekend’s racing at Talladega Gran Prix Raceway. Team Velocity Racing took their third overall and seventh Heavyweight Superstock class win of the year during Saturday’s four-hour WERA Dunlop National Endurance Series race. Chuck Ivey, Reuben Frankenfield and Mark Crozier have now taken over the championship points lead. Red Star’s William Lindsay, Brett Champagne and Ben Thompson finished second, earning the Mediumweight Superbike win. Army of Darkness took third with Ben Walters, Scott Fisher and Scott Brown riding. Mark Edwards and Billy Etheridge finished fourth overall, giving Team Xtreme/Maxxis the Heavyweight Superbike win. Dalke Motorsports was victorious in Mediumweight Superstock with Josh Smith-Moore, Giovanni Rojas, Keith Marshall and Wrenn Smith at the helm. Blue Ridge Performance riders Martin Musil and Chris Stevenson rode to the Lightweight Superbike class win. Mike Smith and kneedraggers.com’s Robert Jensen dominated the expert ranks during the WERA Michelin National Challenge Series sprint races on Sunday, battling each other and the series regulars in temperatures that soared over 100 degrees. Smith won 750 Superstock and Formula 1, setting the quickest lap time of the day in the latter race with a 0:58.177. Jensen won 600 Superstock and Open Superstock, taking the lead into turn one each time despite having to start from mid-pack on the grid. Team Herrin’s Josh Herrin won 600 Superbike by over 13 seconds, and Keith Marshall took off from the 750 Superbike field to win that race. Ross Ryals won Heavyweight Twins Superstock, and Kris Wall won a red-flag shortened Lightweight Twins Superstock. Roadracingworld.com’s John Ulrich came from fourth to first in the closest Formula 2 race of the season. In the novice division, three riders came away with two wins each. Tony Palarie won 750 Superstock and Superbike, while the 600 Superstock and Superbike wins went to Larry Dulaney. James Johnson dominated Heavyweight Twins Superstock and Lightweight Twins Superstock. In the other novice divisions, J.B. Layman won Open Superstock and Paul Stevens won Formula 2. The WERA National Series has a three-week break before heading north to Nelson Ledges for round nine from September 10-11. More information about WERA, including updated championship points, can be found at www.WERA.com.

The Brno Circuit is one of the most famous venues in World Championship racing that made the successful transition from the original road circuit to a permanent circuit, that has hosted the Championship since 1987, apart from one year in 1992. In spite of the number of curves and esses, which would lead one to think that this was a slow circuit, Brno is the sixth fastest in the World Championship with an average speed of 163.7 Km /h. The winding nature of the circuit is balanced by the great width of the track. The distance of 15 metres from one side of the track to the other allows the riders to take a racing line which makes the corners more open than they actually are. In addition there is relative parity between left and right-handed corners, six and eight respectively, so the tyres to be used are manufactured symmetrically and perform evenly throughout the lap. A crucial aspect to racing at this circuit, with eight esses around the track, is setting the suspension and chassis so that the bike is light and nimble. To enable this, it is important to set the bike up with as lower centre of gravity as possible, and with steering settings with short play to change direction quickly. Furthermore, since there are no excessively fast corners it is not necessary to find a big degree of stability in the front end of the bike. Suspension settings are not a particular problem since there are no real bumps on the track surface. Given the many esses, five of the eight of which are practically fast chicanes, stiff springs are used to withstand the forces that the bike is put under in these changes of direction. In the front suspension, we must pay particular attention to corner number ten as it comes after a sharp descent of five per cent and will be the point where there is most movement in the front. This corner is at the lowest part of the circuit. The engine settings are critical at this circuit. On the one hand the engine must give a smooth power delivery from 0% to 15% throttle. The corners are very long and the throttle is opened early on in the corner with the bike leaning, so the smoothness of the delivery is crucial to ensure a high speed on the following straight. However, on the other hand, this smooth delivery must not prejudice maximum power delivery since the sharp climbs (there is nearly one kilometre of continued ascent with an inclination of seven and a half per cent) mean that the engine must deliver full power to achieve high speeds during this climb. In normal circumstances the gearbox uses five gears where the first is only used for the race start. All other gears are used and must be set so that the engine revolutions are situated in the maximum power delivery zone. We must pay special attention to the second gear since, with the exception of the first and last corners which are taken in third gear, all other corners are taken in second. The importance of the second gear is underlined by the fact that 60% of the lap is taken in this gear. Since this is a balanced circuit, with the same number of left and right-sided corners, the tyres used are symmetrical and do not tend to cause too many problems. Only in years when it has been excessively hot have there been problems with the temperature in the rear, and on certain occasions, in corners like number one where there is a lot of bike lean, has chattering arisen.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — Tommy Hayden comes to Virginia International Raceway on the weekend of Aug. 26-28, closing in on a rare feat in AMA road racing. The oldest of the three racing Hayden brothers could wrap up his second straight Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei title. Winning back-to-back Supersport championships would be a major accomplishment that only two riders Doug Polen and Miguel Duhamel have been able to accomplish in the history of the series. Hayden’s path to the number one ranking in the series has been one of speed and gritty determination. The Owensboro, Ky., native won three of the first six rounds and when he wasn’t winning he finished runner up. But then he suffered a crash in the Repsol Superstock race at Laguna Seca and broke his right hand. It looked doubtful that he would be able to race that weekend’s Supersport round, but Hayden’s crew fabricated a special throttle grip out of fiberglass and foam, with a palm rest so he wouldn’t have to bend his wrist as much and he was able to manage a sixth-place finish. The day after Laguna Seca, Hayden had surgery on the hand. He returned to Mid-Ohio last month and despite still riding with a modified throttle and racing glove, Hayden battled for the lead and ultimately finished second to his brother and Kawasaki teammate Roger Lee Hayden. On the winners’ rostrum after the race Hayden’s hand was shaking from the exertion. It was one of the gutsiest performances of the season and helped preserve his lead in the championship. “I was fortunate to have a bike that was so good that I could run up front at Mid-Ohio even without being 100 percent,” Hayden said. “Hopefully at VIR my hand will be healed enough that I can ride to my full potential. I’d still like to win another one of these things before the season is over.” Even though the top five in the series – the Haydens, Yamaha’s Jason DiSalvo, Suzuki’s Ben Spies and Aaron Gobert, also of Yamaha – all still have a mathematical chance to win the title, realistically it’s down to the two Hayden brothers. Roger Lee is 36-points behind his older brother in the series. He knows his outlook for the title is not very good, but he would like to close out the season on a roll. “I had some bad luck early in the year that cost me any real shot at the championship,” Roger Lee said. “I’m happy I’ve been able to charge all the way back to second behind Tommy in the standings. Kawasaki is one-two, so that shows you what kind of bike they have. Even though it looks like Tommy’s going to win the championship, if I could go out winning the last two rounds I’d still be pretty happy.” Jason DiSalvo became the fourth rider to win a Supersport race this year with his victory at Laguna Seca. The young Yamaha rider from New York State has nothing to lose from his distant third in the standings. He promises to go all out to win at VIR. “I won the race last year and it would be nice to win it again,” he said. Damon Buckmaster is another former winner in the lineup for VIR. The likable Australian never seemed to fully recover from a hard pre-season crash and comes into this year’s race ranked 10th in the points. He’s looking for a ride for next season, so watch for Buckmaster to lay it all on the line this race. Jamie Hacking, the 2003 AMA Supersport champ from Denver, N.C., is expected to make his return to racing at VIR. Hacking, who rides for Yamaha, has been unable to race since May after a bicycling accident resulted in two dislocated elbows. It’s contract time and a lot of riders will be looking to impress at VIR. Attack Kawasaki’s Ben Attard is coming on strong of late. The Australian scored his first Supersport podium at Mid-Ohio. Chris Peris and Robert Jensen are two other privateers hoping to move to a factory, or factory support squad next year and could sneak up with a podium finish at VIR. The AMA Pro Honda Oils Supersport Champioship presented by Shoei will be televised nationally on SPEED Channel, Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 12 p.m. Eastern. You can also follow the race via live timing and scoring on www.amasuperbike.com. For additional information on the race call (434) 822-7700 or visit www.virclub.com. About AMA Pro Racing AMA Pro Racing is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its properties include the THQ AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Motocross Championship, the AMA Superbike Championship, the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship and the AMA Supermoto Championship. For more information about AMA Pro Racing, visit www.amaproracing.com.

BACK TO WORK FOR KAWASAKI AT BRNO The Kawasaki Racing Team returns to work after a four week summer holiday, with factory riders Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann fully refreshed for this weekend’s Czech Republic Grand Prix. The race, at the classic and fast 5.4 km Brno circuit, is the 11th round of the MotoGP World Championship. It is the first of a hectic schedule of races that will see seven events conducted in 11 weeks to close the season at Valencia on November 6. Motivation is high in the Kawasaki squad, with Nakano eager to back-up his outstanding sixth place finish at last months German Grand Prix. For Hofmann, the restart of the season is an opportunity to show his full potential after a run of misfortune. Both riders spent time with family and friends during the holiday break, a rare opportunity given the unrelenting travel demands of the MotoGP season. Hofmann spilt his time between his home in Switzerland and chasing the summer sun by visiting his father who lives on the Costa Blanca in Spain. And that meant an opportunity to keep up his fitness with regular outings on his high-performance Kawasaki jet ski – an 800c powered stand-up model. Nakano was keen to maximise his three week holiday, and a welcome break away from racing, with time at home in Japan. He flew from Tokyo directly back into Prague enroute to Brno for this week’s race. Nakano is in a positive frame of mind, upbeat about continuing his string of impressive results – eight top ten positions out of ten races. The 27-year-old Japanese rider believes that his recent sixth place at the Sachsenring, and the response of Bridgestone to his tyre requests, can be the platform for a strong second half of the season. Nakano is targeting a visit to the podium before the final race at Valencia in November. The Brno circuit, critical on front-end tyre and chassis performance with its fast chicanes and downhill curves, has a lap average speed of 163 kph (101 mph), making it a classic riders circuit. Shinya Nakano: #56 “Brno is more a classic style of track, long and fast, not a computer model and I like it very much – it’s very challenging for a rider. With the right set-up a rider can make a difference at Brno, I learnt this from my 250cc days, and the latest ZX-RR specification gives me a lot of confidence. Also Bridgestone made a strong step forward at the German GP especially with race distance tyre life. After the holidays it is like a new start and my aim is some more top five results, even the podium. Why not? I started the season with fifth at Jerez and I know the potential of the ZX-RR and the Bridgestone tyres are improving so that is my goal.” Alex Hofmann: #66 “I’m already in training for 2007 and the 800cc rules, that was my excuse for spending so much time on the jet ski! I also did a lot of mountain biking in Switzerland, so I’m ready to go for the final part of the season. My aims are simple; to show the full potential of myself and the ZX-RR and take it to the maximum. I had some strong expectations at the beginning of the season, but a lot of things happened that were out of my control. It’s a fresh start now, I’m hungry for some better luck and strong results.” Harald Eckl: Team Manager “Brno is the start of a very busy period for the Kawasaki Racing Team and we are ready for the challenge of maintaining our third place in the Constructors’ Championship. After the race the team will test for two days with the latest development parts from Japan and with our tyre partners Bridgestone. So that’s a heavy, five day work load for our riders and technicians. While Shinya continues to show he is one of the fastest riders in the championship I’m hoping that the bad luck for Alex is now over, and he can show what he is capable of.”