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Premium Seating, Camping Renewals For 2006 U.S. Grand Prix At Laguna Seca Are In The Mail

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Premium Seating, Camping Renewals For 2006 U.S. Grand Prix At Laguna Seca Are In The Mail

MONTEREY, Calif. (July 21, 2005) Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has distributed applications for renewals on all premium seating locations for the 2006 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix July 21-23, 2006. The deadline for all renewal applications is August 20, 2005. Ticket packages available for renewal are all Premier Pit Row Suites, Turn 3 Paddock Suites, Turn 2 Suites, Flagroom, and Laguna Club. Premier and Reserved Camping locations are also renewable purchases. All remaining tickets, including general admission, paddock passes, remaining grandstand seats and remaining camping go on sale September 1. Renewal opportunities for the 2005 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, marking the return of the MotoGP series to the United States, were offered to previous World Superbike Championship event ticket holders. This year’s event sold out of Saturday and Sunday tickets one week in advance of the event, drawing an announced crowd of 153,653 during three days of activity. Due to the quantity of orders for the 2006 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, there will be no exceptions to renewal applications received after the August 20 deadline. Renewal orders are accepted by mail or walk-up only. More information on the ticket process is available by calling (800) 327-SECA or logging on to www.laguna-seca.com. Information on the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix is also available at www.RedBullUSGrandPrix.com.

Pedrosa To Ride On Factory Honda MotoGP Team In 2006

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Pedrosa To Ride On Factory Honda MotoGP Team In 2006

Day of Champions brings MotoGP paddock back together at Donington Park The entire Grand Prix paddock was reunited today with riders from the MotoGP, 250cc and 125cc World Championships teaming up with the British public to make their annual contribution to improving medical aid services in Africa as the Riders for Health charity held their biggest and most impressive Day of Champions yet at Donington Park. On the eve of the betandwin.com British Grand Prix some 3,000 fans poured into an open paddock for a day of festivities that ranged from a pit-lane walk to stunt shows, sidecar rides, live music, a circuit ride-in and the afternoon’s main event, the rider memorabilia auction. Despite preparing to sell his leathers off to the highest bidder in the auction, MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi was in anything but charitable mood as he prepares to defend a 79-point lead at the top of the championship. The Italian won his first MotoGP race at this track in 2000 and is hoping for a similar result in front of a vast army of local support. “For sure this is one of my favourite tracks, it’s near my home and I like it a lot,” said Rossi. “It is technical and difficult but always a great pleasure. It is incredible because I see from 2000 every year there have been more people following me and all the riders. It has been a fantastic year for me so far and now we’re at the turning point for the second part of the season. It will be difficult but our target is to arrive on the podium every race and try to make a lot of victories. The bike is going well and we’ll see what happens.” The Italian discovered yesterday that he will have a new rival next season as 250cc World Champion Dani Pedrosa confirmed at a promotional event in London that he has signed a deal with Honda to ride as part of their official team in the MotoGP class from 2006. The Spanish youngster, who won the quarter-litre title at the first attempt last season and currently leads the series by 37 points, tested the Japanese factory’s V5 machine at Valencia last November and expressed his delight at the deal. “As soon as Honda made the offer we accepted,” said Pedrosa. “Both Alberto [Puig, Pedrosa’s manager] and I were very clear we wanted the best bike more than we wanted the money. When I tested Honda’s MotoGP bike at Valencia I could tell that it was a bit big for me and my body isn’t quite ready for a bike like that so I will have to train very hard. I am not scared of anybody in MotoGP, just a little worried about my size.” Whilst Pedrosa will be looking to challenge Rossi for the title next season, the Italian’s nearest current challenger is Marco Melandri, who is looking forward to racing at a circuit just two kilometres from his Derbyshire home after crashing out of the race in the USA two weeks ago. “It’s a good feeling to be back in Europe after the experience of Laguna Seca,” said Melandri. “It was a tough weekend for us and I want to get back on the good run of results we’ve had so far in the championship. I also want to get over what happened at Donington last season, when I fell, broke my thumb, had to have an operation and suffered with the injury for the rest of the season.” Nicky Hayden is also hungry for success after getting his first taste of the winners’ champagne at his home round. The American rider is flying high on the confidence of his debut victory and is promising plenty more to come. “A repeat performance of Laguna will be a very long shot but I come here with a new spring in my step knowing that we have the capability to shock and that is what I want to do again,” said Hayden. “It took me a while to win races back home in AMA but when I did they seemed to come. I now know I can do it at this level and I won’t be happy till we can do it again.” With Melandri and Alex Barros all escaping unhurt from their race crashes at Laguna Seca there are no injury worries going into tomorrow’s first day of action, particularly with the 250cc and 125cc riders having benefited from an extra two weeks’ rest since their last Grand Prix at Assen. Australian rider Casey Stoner lies second to Pedrosa in the quarter-litre class and is hoping to close the gap this weekend at the circuit where he made his debut as a wildcard four seasons ago. “A lot will depend on how we can set the Aprilia up because the Honda is very strong at this circuit and Dani had it all his own way last year,” said Stoner. “Andrea Dovizioso is also good at this track so it will be a tough race but I’m looking forward to trying to beat them both and consolidate second in the championship.” Meanwhile, Gabor Talmacsi says he has enjoyed plenty of limelight in his native Hungary over the past four weeks after becoming the first rider from the nation to lead the 125cc World Championship but admits there is still plenty of hard work to be done with eight rounds of the season still remaining. “The people in Hungary are giving me a lot of support and I hope to stay on top of the championship on Sunday,” said Talmacsi, who is currently level on points with Mattia Pasini. “125cc racing is very unpredictable and there is a long way to go but so far the season is going very well for me.”

The Latest On Injured Racer Jack Pfeifer

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The Latest On Injured Racer Jack Pfeifer

FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: The good news is: Jack is able to walk and walked for the first time today with a walker and two nurses, down the hall and back. They also removed his IV for now and he drank with help for the first time. The bad news is: Jack has 3 other discs bulging and three broken ribs to add to his injury list. Today they also discovered he’s got pneumonia from not being able to use the full capacity of his lungs due to the back and rib injuries. Coughing is the last thing he wants to do but now he’s doing a lot of it. Dr. Canale(ex WSMC racer) is working with the neurologist in Chico via the internet and telephone and he said the pneumonia was expected and should be cured with lots of antibiotics. Jack will be in Chico, California, longer than expected, until he is stable enough to be transported to Las Vegas. He may be in Chico for another week. Jack will be in a back brace for 3 to 6 months or more. As for right now they don’t plan on doing any surgery. His right arm and wrist were also casted without need for surgery. On a lighter note, I spoke to Jack yesterday afternoon before he got worse today. He’s very morphined up right now but he still sounded like good old Jack. I told him about all the e-mails he had recieved. I could hear him smile and say, “that’s cool, man, who emailed me”? He had over 75 emails in one day thanks to Roadracingworld.com. He closed our conversation with, “TBone, I’m really hurting, man.” Jack is still at the ~http://www.enloe.org/welcome_to_enloe/how_to_find_us.asp~ in room #301. I promised to read every e-mail he has received to him when I see him and he’s coherent. These e-mails will help him deal with the long van ride home to Vegas and his recovery process to come. Jack and the Pfeifer Family thank everyone for sending the e-mails with your thoughts and prayers. I’m sure Jack will reply to all of you his own personnal way in the next few weeks. The Pfeifers also were very concerned about the other riders involved and hope everyone recovers from that dramatic accident. Please feel free to use this e-mail address, [email protected], for questions or e-mails to Jack and I will keep you posted on his status. Thank You All, Travis Ryan

The Wegman Benefit Fund Will Be On-site This Weekend At Mid-Ohio

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The Wegman Benefit Fund Will Be On-site This Weekend At Mid-Ohio

Wegman Benefit Fund representatives Gordon and Laurel Lunde will be at the AMA Superbike event at Mid-Ohio this coming weekend. The Lundes will have their trailer in the paddock with apparel, stickers, etc. available for a donation to the general fund for injured racers. We will also accept donations for injured racer Vincent Haskovec and we have a limited number of Czecher #3 stickers available. The 19th Annual Wegman Fund auction will be held August 27th at Blackhawk Farms Raceway and we are also looking for donations for that auction. If anyone can drop by, racers or fans, with an item it would really be appreciated.

Triumph: Global Sales Up 29% In 2005

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Triumph: Global Sales Up 29% In 2005

TRIUMPH ANNOUNCES 2005 FINANCIAL YEAR RESULTS ANOTHER TRIUMPHANT YEAR! Triumph Motorcycles today announced strong sales and continued positive growth for the 2005 financial year (July 04 to June 05). The statistics speak for themselves, with global sales up 29% on 2004. UK sales have risen 10% in a static market, North America sales increased by 40%, both France and Switzerland saw rises of 43%, Japan rose 34%, Italy 25% and Germany is up 18%. Triumph has grown by 25% per year for the last two years, proving the brand turnaround initiated after the factory fire in 2002 is on track. Tue Mantoni, Commercial Director at Triumph comments: “A significant contribution to our growth in sales stems from the successful launch of new products and the work we have done with our dealers. These are the most important areas to the consumer and it’s through these two crucial touch-points that we communicate the brand and make the change in our business visible”. With the launch of several new models over the last year, including the Speed Triple and Sprint ST, the model range is significantly more focused and comprises distinctively designed machines with lots of character. A concrete change is that all new bikes going forward will have either the parallel twin or the iconic triple engine, something that’s unique for Triumph in the motorcycle market. Mantoni comments: “Triumph is all about individuality and riding something that not everyone else has. We have worked hard to define Triumph’s identity and the success of our latest models is evidence that the consumers like what we have done”. In several markets, the demand has outstripped the supply of the new models and there are long waiting lists if you want to get your hands on models like the Speed Triple and the Sprint ST. Mantoni comments: “The fact that you have to wait for your bike makes the ownership experience more rewarding for the people who actually got their hands on one of the first bikes”. Triumph has also worked hard to create a unique retail experience that reflects the Triumph brand, including the launch of a new corporate store design. This bespoke design emphasises the lifestyle aspect of motorcycling by integrating the display of clothing, accessories, merchandise and the motorcycles themselves. The store design is currently being rolled out to dealers across the globe. Mantoni clarifies: “For the majority of our customers, the dealership is their primary contact with the Triumph brand. The signals that we send through our dealers and the service that the customer receives define the brand in many ways”. “Our growth demonstrates to dealers and customers that we can run a successful and profitable business. This builds confidence in the future for the people who dedicate their lives to Triumph either through their business our through their own lifestyle.” “The focus on launching distinctive new products and enhancing the retail experience will therefore remain core to our strategy going forward.” Triumph’s financial results will be published in full in September.

Another Preview Of This Weekend’s AMA Races At Mid-Ohio

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Another Preview Of This Weekend’s AMA Races At Mid-Ohio

The AMA Superbike Championship returns to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course during the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire, July 22-26. The July motorcycle racing classic will run at Mid-Ohio for the 23rd time, making it the longest-running series on the track’s 2005 schedule. “We’re pleased to welcome the AMA back to Mid-Ohio and are looking forward to more of the incredible 170-mile-per-hour action that has made this event one of best and most popular on the calendar,” said TrueSports President Michelle Trueman Gajoch. “Some of the best riders in the world will be here showing fans just why Mid-Ohio is America’s most competitive road course.” The competition is tight entering this year’s event, with Superbike rookie Ben Spies trailing defending champion Mat Mladin by just 31 points. Because Mid-Ohio’s Wiseco Superbike 100 doubleheader represents rounds 12 and 13 of just 17 races on the AMA schedule, the Mid-Ohio stop should have an enormous impact on the season championship. Aaron Yates is third in the Superbike points chase with seven podium finishes this year. Eric Bostrom and Neil Hodgson round out the top five. Bostrom has two wins and Hodgson has one win this season. Though the Superbike class highlights the weekend, the AMA’s field of support races will prove to be just as exciting. Formula Extreme, Superstock, and Supersport series round out the schedule. Jake Zemke leads Miguel Duhamel by seven points in the chase for the Formula Extreme championship. The two Honda riders have combined to win every Formula Extreme race this season. With three races left on the schedule, Danny Elsick, Alex Gobert, and Ben Attard round out the top five. Aaron Yates has won three of the last four Superstock races and now leads Jason Disalvo by 10 points. Steve Rapp and Tommy Hayden hold down the third and fourth position in the points standing and are separated by only nine points. The Supersport standings are led by Tommy Hayden and his brother Roger Lee Hayden. The brothers from Owensboro, Ky., have combined to win four of the seven rounds so far. Jason Disalvo is third in Superstock points followed by Ben Spies and Aaron Gobert. Spies and Gobert are separated by just one point with three rounds to go. Spectators and fans wanting to get up close and personal with their favorite AMA riders also will enjoy the all-series autograph session Saturday, July 23, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the infield patio. Tickets and information for the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire are available by calling 1-800-MID-OHIO or visiting www.midohio.com. Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a 2.4-mile, 15-turn permanent road racing circuit in Lexington, Ohio. Located 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland near Mansfield, the track has been called the most competitive in the U.S. and annually hosts a diversity of locally, regionally and nationally sanctioned racing events for amateur, club and professional riders and drivers. The remainder of Mid-Ohio’s six-event 2005 schedule includes the EMCO Gears Classic (August 26-28) featuring the Unlimited Audio and Accessories Triple Crown Tuner Challenge, and the SCCA National Championship Runoffs® presented by Kohler (September 19-25). Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, TrueSports, Inc. is a privately held motorsports entertainment enterprise. The company owns and operates Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and The Mid-Ohio School, and promotes a wide variety of motor racing, driver instruction, corporate, and family entertainment events throughout the year.

Updated Post: WERA National Beat CMRA In AMA Sports’ Club Challenge Championship At Mid-Ohio

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Updated Post: WERA National Beat CMRA In AMA Sports’ Club Challenge Championship At Mid-Ohio

CMRA RIDERS RACE TO SUCCESS IN AMA GRAND CHAMPIONSHIPS AT MID-OHIO Riders from the CMRA (Central Motorcyle Roadracing Association) garnered awards, filled the podiums and represented the club well at the 2005 AMA Sport Road Race Grand Championships at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, July 18, 19 & 20. A total of 17 CMRA members, up from nine in 2004, raced in a variety of classes against riders from regional organizations across the United States. The designated CMRA three-rider team of Ty Howard, Bryan West and Logan Young (2004 Horizon Award winner) finished second in this year’s AMA Sports Road Race Club Challenge Championship, just behind the WERA National team of Ryan Elleby, Ben Thompson (co-winner of last year’s award as a CMRA rider) and David Weber. New for 2005 was the Top Novice Award, and the CMRA’s own Cory Burleson won the award by dominating the Novice classes, winning every one of the nine classes that he entered. Cory, 24, from Harrison, Arkansas, set a blistering pace, his “closest” win being over two seconds ahead of the second place rider. “I was ecstatic that the CMRA chose me to represent them for the Top Novice Award,” said Burleson. “When we showed up, I had no idea. I knew the competition was going to be stiff. I had no idea that I was going to be able to win this award. The track was real difficult to learn. If you messed up one spot, you messed up three or four corners, but it came along pretty good.” Congratulations to all of the CMRA riders that made it to Mid-Ohio for the 2005 AMA Sport Grand Championships, including Ryan Andrews, Cory Burleson, James Compton, Amanda Cornelius, Jeff Duke, Shea Fouchek, Will Gruy, Ty Howard, Randall Kienast, Philip Lawlis, Tyler McDonald, Heath Small, Brandon Spradling, Ben Thompson, Bryan West, Cathy White and Logan Young. For more information on CMRA, please visit www.cmraracing.com. More, via e-mail: FIRST PERSON/OPINION: Ryan Elleby was NOT part of the WERA National Team, Ryan was representing CCS. The WERA National team was composed of: Keith Marshall Ben Thompson David Weber Keith D. Marshall

125cc GP World Champion Dovizioso Still Looking For First Win In 250cc Class

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125cc GP World Champion Dovizioso Still Looking For First Win In 250cc Class

Reigning 125 Champion Dovizioso chases maiden 250 GP win at British Grand Prix Reigning 125c World Champion Andrea Dovizioso arrives at Donington Park with his mind focussed on nothing les than a podium finish in Sundays British 250cc Grand Prix. Dovizioso, 19 years old from Forli in Northern Italy ran away with the 125cc title last season with a display of speed, consistency and tactical skills that left his rivals trailing. Andrea and his Kopron Scot RS125RW Honda was the combination to beat last season and is proving to be a difficult proposition for all but the very best in the 250cc class of 2005. He has yet to win a race since he moved up to contest the quarter litre class but has consistently featured in the lead group contesting the win. However, he has already scored two second and two third places from the seven grands prix raced this season, and now holds third place in the 16 round world championship. Dovizioso is four points off second placed held by Australian Casey Stoner (Aprilia) but is a massive 41 points behind points leader Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, the reigning 250 World Champion. Many have been surprised how quickly he has adapted to the factory RS250RW factory Honda but not Dovizioso. He said. “I adapted quickly to the 250 but I expected to. Now I have the same feeling with the 250 that I had with the 125.” Dovizioso is modest and laid-back character by nature, with a wry sense of humour, described by a close friend as a ‘Cool dude.’ Calm and quietly confident Dovizioso looks to take the maximum number of points possible out of every race he contest. If he is able to run away from his rivals he will build a time cushion over his pursuers to work from. If circumstances deny him the opportunity he waste no mental or physical energy in pursuit of the impossible and sits in the lead group saving his tyres deciding his tactics and race strategy for the run in to the flag. He is not at all surprised to be racing at the front of the field with the fastest men in the 250cc class. Quite the contrary, he would have been disappointed with anything less than his present performances. “No, I’m not surprised at all even racing with Pedrosa. Dani is a very good rider but he has one year more experience than me. But that’s only for this year!” He said with a smile. Working with his vastly experienced technical crew at the Scot Honda Team Dovizioso has quickly found a good base set up to work from at each race track. The RS250RW calls for different solutions to problems similar to those posed by a 125 machine. “Our secret is that we work hard in practice and qualifying, the whole team. The more work we can do on Friday and Saturday the less problems we will have in the race. There are some things a little less easy to sort out on the 250 than the 125. Chassis and suspension set up has to be very good to get the best out of the tyres at the end of the race.” The youngster said. “We had a front-end problem at Mugello and Barcelona, the front end turning in too fast, but we improved a lot before the race at Barcelona and at Assen it was a lot better. I’m sure we will quickly find a good set up for Donington.” Dovizioso’s performance at Donington Park last year was typical of his title-winning season. The young Italian started the race from pole position and shot away from the start to take a comfortable victory, easing up. He has a special affinity with the 4.023km circuit and lists the East Midlands venue among his favourite tracks. “I love racing at Donington Park because it has a good mix of fast and slow corners. I understand the track and where I can be really fast. I particularly like the section after the first corner, the next four corners are my favourites. That sweeping downhill section is very special. McLean’s and Coppice are good to ride, they are quite fast and you can make time there. Everything flows so good on the fast sections at Donington Park.” Said the quietly confident Italian. Even the slow corners at Donington are viewed as potential passing places. “Most riders have a fixed line in the slow corners but me and Pedrosa can take other lines at slow corners when we need to and are much faster.” Fitness is Dovizioso’s only concern. He recently underwent an operation to relieve muscle pump up in his right forearm. The problem was so severe at the last round at Assen that Dovizioso fell back from a potential podium place finish to cross the line in seventh. The injury, common among top-flight motorcycle racers, restricts the flow of blood to the hands resulting in numbed fingers and a lack of feel and grip. Not an ideal situation when racing a lightweight 100bhp plus motorcycle at over 250km/h on a Sunday afternoon! The operation was a success and Dovizioso has been doing light exercises to rebuild strength in his forearm. He is also carrying a lingering shoulder injury the legacy of a high-speed crash in qualifying for the Catalan GP but feels Donington Park is not physically demanding enough to aggravate the injury. Now returned to full fitness and ready to race on one of his favourite tracks Dovizioso has the best chance yet of scoring his maiden 250cc GP victory on Sunday. If he does the quiet unassuming Dovizioso will be the calmest man on the podium.

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

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

Team Velocity Racing Wins 2nd Consecutive WERA Endurance Race BELDING, Mich. Team Velocity Racing won their second consecutive WERA National Endurance Series race on Saturday during the six-hour event at Michigan’s Grattan Raceway, taking the victory after a thrilling late-race battle for the lead. Team Velocity Racing’s overall win is their second this season, and it marks their fifth Heavyweight Superstock class win this year in only six races. Chuck Ivey, Reuben Frankenfield and Mark Crozier rode the Yamaha YZF-R1 in a race that was largely won by strategy and teamwork. Crozier started the race, swapping for the lead in the opening laps with Vesrah Suzuki, the team that had gone undefeated all season until Team Velocity Racing’s overall victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last month. Crozier eventually settled into second place, where the team remained for most of the race. Ivey took the second stint, followed by Frankenfield. Crozier and Frankenfield shared the riding for the second half of the race. In the final hour, Frankenfield was riding when it began to rain. He had taken over the race lead when Vesrah made a pit stop, but he was forced to stop as well when rain began to fall on the back half of the track. Team Velocity Racing was again in second. “They showed I was in P1 on the board,” said Frankenfield. “The gap was at +25, then it grew to 38. Then it started to rain, and Vesrah caught up quick. Some of our success is luck, as it always is in endurance racing, but everyone on the team did their job. We didn’t make a lot of mistakes on the track and things went well in the pits.” When Frankenfield pitted to hand the Yamaha over to Crozier, the DOT front stayed on, while a rain tire went on the rear. It proved to be the right combination, especially since the track began to dry in the final laps. Crozier was able to get past Vesrah to put Team Velocity Racing back in the lead. “I looked up and everybody’s arms were in the air, then I saw the checkered flag,” said Crozier, who celebrated the win with a wheelie down the front straight. “The team did an awesome job in the pits. I couldn’t believe how well the Pirelli DOT front worked in the wet.” Ivey said that “this win probably means more than the others because we were all out there on the track racing in a fair fight. It made the race a lot more exciting. I’m glad to see the competition so close. It’s nerve-wracking, but fun. Jody, Erik and James really worked hard this weekend as our crew; we wouldn’t be winning if they weren’t at the track every weekend with us.” Team Velocity Racing has now extended their lead in the Heavyweight Superstock points championship, and they narrowed the gap between their second-place standing in the overall championship and the lead. The team’s next chance for victory will be the six-hour WERA National Endurance Series round at Summit Point Raceway, where the team earned their first overall career win in 2004. The race will be held on Saturday, August 6. More, from a press release issued by the CRA: Road racing got heated up in Minnesota with the top racers from across the Midwest battling for the CRA Championship. In the Unlimited expert classes, Robert Jensen put up a fight, but could not stop Shawn Conrad to his three victories. In the Heavyweight expert classes, Jensen and Conrad again fought fierce battles, each taking a victory to one another. Long-time CRA racer, Boyd Whiteoak took the checkered in Middleweight Expert Grand Prix, while Shane Fletcher dominated the Middleweight Expert Supersport and Superbike. After taking a break from racing this summer, Todd Hoekstra came back on top in the Lightweight expert classes, although he was unable to stop Jeff Japs from taking the checkered in the Grand Prix class. On Sunday, top finishers from all classes (all sizes) battled in the annual Framstad Cup. This event was named in honor of Don Framstad, who was one of the original members of the CRA. The gridding for this event is handicapped to give the smaller bikes an equal playing field, with the large classes providing a close and exciting finish. Coming from the last row, Robert Jensen finished second to Jeff Japs. In the novice ranks, Brad Johannes, Nick Olsen, and Matthew Losen finished on top. In addition to the races, the CRA hosted a benefit on Saturday night filled with food, fun, pitbike and 3-wheeler races, all to benefit the American Cancer Society. In the pitbike race, “Team Jenspeed” raised the most of any team at $500, but could not take the win from “Team Old Fat Farts.” Last of the festivities, a comical race of the CRA Board of Directors and Stewards aboard children’s 3-wheelers. Jessica Zalusky showed her stamina and aggressiveness, but could not stop fellow board member, Karl Rehphol to his victory. In all, the CRA raised $2036 to benefit the American Cancer Society. Join the CRA for the fifth round of racing at Brainerd Intl Raceway, August 19-21. On August 21, the CRA will debut with their first ever “Formula 40.” CRA licensed racers, who are at least 40 years of age, will battle for bragging rights on the racetrack. CRA would also like to thank our volunteers, who were able to provide a safe racing environment, despite the extreme heat. If you would like more information about becoming a CRA licensed racer, a New Rider, a volunteer, or a member, visit www.cra-mn.com. Overall Points for Experts as of July 18, 2005 1. Eric Haugo 2. Shawn Conrad 3. Jay Bryant 4. Anthony Gallagher 5. Boyd Whiteoak 6. Willie Broten 7. Larry Denning 8. Chad Bakkene 9. Corey Schweich 10. Jessica Zalusky Overall Points for Novices as of July 18, 2005 1. Matthew Losen 2. Nick Olsen 3. Jesse Smasal 4. Steve Reuscher 5. Brad Johannes 6. Jason Lanigan 7. Tony Day 8. Jason Thorson 9. Anthony Mahto 10. James Phillips Official Results from July 15-17, 2005 – Brainerd Intl Raceway Framstad Cup 1 Jeff Japs (YAM TZ 250) 2 Robert Jensen (SUZ GSXR 750) 3 Shane Fletcher (YAM R6) 4 Mark Nelson (SUZ GSXR 600) 5 Glen Paggett (YAM R6) 6 Chuck Dahlheimer (SUZ SV 650) Unlimited Gran Prix 1 Shawn Conrad (SUZ GSXR 1000) 2 Robert Jensen (SUZ GSXR 750) 3 Wesley Good (SUZ GSXR 750) 4 Brian Boyd (SUZ GSXR 1000) 5 Willie Broten (SUZ GSXR1000) 6 Jessica Zalusky (KAW ZX10R ) Unlimited Superbike 1 Shawn Conrad (SUZ GSXR 1000) 2 Wesley Good (YAM R 1) 3 Mark Vandal (HON CBR 1000RR) 4 Brian Boyd (SUZ GSXR 1000) 5 Boyd Whiteoak (YAM R6) 6 Paul Heinen (YAM R1) Unlimited Supersport 1 Shawn Conrad (SUZ GSXR 1000) 2 Robert Jensen (SUZ GSXR 750) 3 Mark Vandal (HON CBR 1000RR) 4 Wesley Good (SUZ GSXR 750) 5 Corey Schweich (SUZ GSXR 750) 6 Jessica Zalusky (KAW ZX10R ) Heavyweight Gran Prix Expert 1 Corey Schweich (SUZ GSXR 750) 2 Kevin Gordon (SUX GSXR 750) 3 Boyd Whiteoak (YAM R6) 4 Michael Sundstrom (YAM R6) 5 Igor Frolov (YAM R6) 6 Jessica Zalusky (KAW ZX-6RR) Heavyweight Gran Prix Novice 1 Matthew Losen (HON CBR 600) 2 Steve Reuscher (HON CBR600RR) 3 Bryan Kihne (SUZ GSXR 600) 4 Tony Day (HON CBR 600RR) 5 James Visser (SUZ GSXR 600) 6 Joseph Sauro (SUZ GSXR 750) Heavyweight Superbike Expert 1 Shawn Conrad (SUZ GSXR 750) 2 Wesley Good (SUZ GSXR 750) 3 Corey Schweich (SUZ GSXR 750) 4 Kevin Gordon (SUX GSXR 750) 5 Boyd Whiteoak (YAM R6) 6 Michael Sundstrom (YAM R6) Heavyweight Superbike Novice 1 Matthew Losen (HON CBR 600) 2 Steve Reuscher (HON CBR600RR) 3 Bryan Kihne (SUZ GSXR 600) 4 Anthony Mahto (YAM R6) 5 James Visser (SUZ GSXR 600) 6 Eric Josephsen (YAM R6) Heavyweight Supersport Expert 1 Robert Jensen (SUZ GSXR 750) 2 Shawn Conrad (SUZ GSXR 750) 3 Wesley Good (SUZ GSXR 750) 4 Corey Schweich (SUZ GSXR 750) 5 Boyd Whiteoak (YAM R6) 6 Kurt Schuschke (HON RC 51) Heavyweight Supersport Novice 1 Matthew Losen (HON CBR 600) 2 Tristan Johnson (YAM R6) 3 Bryan Kihne (SUZ GSXR 600) 4 Jesse Smasal (HON CBR 600RR) 5 Tony Day (HON CBR 600RR) 6 James Visser (SUZ GSXR 600) Middleweight Gran Prix Expert 1 Boyd Whiteoak (YAM R6) 2 Michael Sundstrom (YAM R6) 3 Mark Nelson (SUZ GSXR 600) 4 Jessica Zalusky (KAW ZX-6RR) 5 Chad Bakkene (YAM R6) 6 Brian Hebeisen (YAM R6) Middleweight Gran Prix Novice 1 Steve Reuscher (HON CBR600RR) 2 Matthew Losen (HON CBR 600) 3 Anthony Mahto (YAM R6) 4 Tony Day (HON CBR 600RR) 5 Bryan Kihne (SUZ GSXR 600) 6 James Visser (SUZ GSXR 600) Middleweight Superbike Expert 1 Shane Fletcher (YAM R6) 2 Boyd Whiteoak (YAM R6) 3 Mark Nelson (SUZ GSXR 600) 4 Igor Frolov (YAM R6) 5 Jessica Zalusky (KAW ZX-6RR) 6 Chad Bakkene (YAM R6) Middleweight Superbike Novice 1 Matthew Losen (HON CBR 600) 2 Steve Reuscher (HON CBR600RR) 3 Anthony Mahto (YAM R6) 4 Jesse Smasal (HON CBR 600RR) 5 Bryan Kihne (SUZ GSXR 600) 6 Andrew Fabbrini (HON CBR 600RR) Middleweight Supersport Expert 1 Shane Fletcher (YAM R6) 2 Boyd Whiteoak (YAM R6) 3 Mark Nelson (SUZ GSXR 600) 4 Michael Sundstrom (YAM R6) 5 Igor Frolov (YAM R6) 6 Chad Bakkene (YAM R6) Middleweight Supersport Novice 1 Matthew Losen (HON CBR 600) 2 Steve Reuscher (HON CBR600RR) 3 Bryan Kihne (SUZ GSXR 600) 4 Tony Day (HON CBR 600RR) 5 Anthony Mahto (YAM R6) 6 James Visser (SUZ GSXR 600) Lightweight Gran Prix Expert 1 Jeff Japs (YAM TZ 250) 2 Todd Hoekstra (SUZ SV 650) 3 Jace Porter (SUZ SV 650) 4 Kurt Proctor (SUZ SV 650) 5 Brent Juusola (SUZ SV 650) 6 Tate Guckin (SUZ SV 650) Lightweight Gran Prix Novice 1 Brad Johannes (SUZ SV 650) 2 Pat Udenberg (SUZ SV 650) 3 Ted Fieldseth (SUZ SV 650) 4 Dan Bowden (SUZ SV650) 5 Jacob Jonnes (SUZ SV 650) 6 Jason Lanigan (KAW EX 500) Lightweight Superbike Expert 1 Todd Hoekstra (SUZ SV 650) 2 Jace Porter (SUZ SV 650) 3 Kurt Proctor (SUZ SV 650) 4 Brent Juusola (SUZ SV 650) 5 Brian Hebeisen (YAM FZR 400) 6 Mark Holden (SUZ SV 650) Lightweight Superbike Novice 1 Brad Johannes (SUZ SV 650) 2 Jesse Smasal (SUZ SV 650) 3 Louis Yender (SUZ SV 650) 4 Dan Bowden (SUZ SV650) 5 Jacob Jonnes (SUZ SV 650) 6 Ted Fieldseth (SUZ SV 650) Lightweight Supersport Expert 1 Todd Hoekstra (SUZ SV 650) 2 Matthew Lex (SUZ SV 650) 3 Jace Porter (SUZ SV 650) 4 Brent Juusola (SUZ SV 650) 5 Brian Hebeisen (YAM FZR 400) 6 David Johnson (SUZ SV 650) Lightweight Supersport Novice 1 Brad Johannes (SUZ SV 650) 2 Chuck Dahlheimer (SUZ SV 650) 3 Robert Miller (SUZ SV650) 4 Ted Fieldseth (SUZ SV 650) 5 Louis Yender (SUZ SV 650) 6 Jesse Smasal (SUZ SV 650) Sportsman Lightweight Expert 1 Brian Hebeisen (YAM FZR 400) 2 Joshua Pangier (YAM FZR 560) 3 Shane Larson (HON RS 125) 4 Jennelle LeBlanc (HON RS 125) Sportsman Lightweight Novice 1 Shawn Alexander (YAM FZR 400) 2 Bradley LeBlanc (HON RS 125) 3 Brett Kuttner (YAM FZR 400) Sportsman Ultralight Expert 1 Karl Rehpohl (SUZ GS 500) Sportsman Ultralight Novice 1 Nick Olsen (SUZ GS 500) 2 James Phillipps (SUZ GS 500) 3 Pat Udenberg (HON XR650R) 4 Thomas Manley (DUC MON 620) 5 Daniel Peters (SUZ GS 500) 6 Steve Scherping (HON CRF450R) Super Twins Expert 1 Kurt Schuschke (HON RC 51) 2 Todd Hoekstra (SUZ SV 650) 3 Jace Porter (SUZ SV 650) 4 Kurt Proctor (SUZ SV 650) 5 Brent Juusola (SUZ SV 650) 6 Mark Miller (SUZ SV 650) Super Twins Novice 1 Allen Hoover (HON RC51) 2 Jesse Smasal (SUZ SV 650) 3 Robert Miller (SUZ SV650) 4 Brad Johannes (SUZ SV 650) 5 Louis Yender (SUZ SV 650) 6 Dan Bowden (SUZ SV650) Ultralight Gran Prix Expert 1 Shane Larson (HON RS 125) 2 Jay Bryant (HON RS 125) 3 Jennelle LeBlanc (HON RS 125) Ultralight Gran Prix Novice 1 Nick Olsen (SUZ GS 500) 2 Jason Lanigan (KAW EX 500) 3 James Phillipps (SUZ GS 500) 4 Pat Udenberg (HON XR650R) 5 Steve Scherping (HON CRF450R) 6 Christopher Rhoades (DUC MON 620) Ultralight Superbike Novice 1 James Phillipps (SUZ GS 500) 2 Nick Olsen (SUZ GS 500) 3 Jason Lanigan (KAW EX 500) 4 Thomas Manley (DUC MON 620) 5 Pat Udenberg (HON XR650R) 6 Daniel Peters (SUZ GS 500) Ultralight Supersport Novice 1 Nick Olsen (SUZ GS 500) 2 Daniel Peters (SUZ GS 500) 3 Christopher Rhoades (DUC MON 620) 4 John Gateley (SUZ GS500) 5 Thomas Manley (DUC MON 620) 6 David Engler (SUZ GS 500) Trophy Dash 3 Expert (Overall) HWSSE 1 Robert Jensen (SUZ GSXR 750) UNLGP 2 Mark Vandal (HON CBR 1000RR) UNLGP 3 Paul Heinen (YAM R1) UNLGP 4 Jessica Zalusky (KAW ZX10R ) UNLGP 5 Willie Broten (SUZ GSXR1000) HWGPE 6 Kurt Schuschke (HON RC 51) Trophy Dash 3 Novice (Overall) HWGPN 1 Anthony Mahto (YAM R6) HWGPN 2 Jason Davenport (HON 600RR) HWGPN 3 Cary Tankson (SUZ GSXR 750) HWSSN 4 Allen Hoover (SUZ GSXR 750) HWGPN 5 Chris Lewis (HON F4) Trophy Dash 2 Expert (Overall) MWSSE 1 Shane Fletcher (YAM R6) MWSSE 2 Chad Bakkene (YAM R6) MWSSE 3 Igor Frolov (YAM R6) MWSSE 4 Paul Ellman (SUZ GSXR 600) MWSSE 5 Karl Rehpohl (HON CBR600RR) MWSSE 6 Patrick Gill (YAM R 6) Trophy Dash 2 Novice (Overall) MWSSN 1 Matthew Losen (HON CBR 600) MWSSN 2 Jesse Smasal (HON CBR 600RR) MWGPN 3 Tony Day (HON CBR 600RR) MWSSN 4 Eric Josephsen (YAM R6) MWSSN 5 John Heinen (YAM R6 ) MWGPN 6 Christian Schmidt (YAM R6) Trophy Dash 1 Expert (Overall) LWSSE 1 Kurt Proctor (SUZ SV 650) LWSSE 2 Jace Porter (SUZ SV 650) LWSSE 3 Anthony Gallagher (SUZ SV 650) LWSSE 4 Brian Hebeisen (YAM FZR 400) LWSSE 5 Mark Holden (SUZ SV 650) LWSSE 6 Matthew Lex (SUZ SV 650) Trophy Dash 1 Novice (Overall) LWSSN 1 Chuck Dahlheimer (SUZ SV 650) LWSSN 2 Brad Johannes (SUZ SV 650) LWSSN 3 Louis Yender (SUZ SV 650) LWSSN 4 Jacob Jonnes (SUZ SV 650) LWSSN 5 Dennis Zajac (SUZ SV 650) LWSSN 6 Jeff Touhey (SUZ SV 650) 125 Gran Prix 1 Shane Larson (HON RS 125) 2 Jay Bryant (HON RS 125) 3 Bradley LeBlanc (HON RS 125) 4 Jennelle LeBlanc (HON RS 125) 250 Gran Prix 1 Jeff Japs (YAM TZ 250) 2 Jay Bryant (HON RS 125) More, from a press release issued by Team Morse Racing: Team Morse Racing wins at La Junta Raceway! With temperatures reaching 105 degrees, last weekend’s MRA round held at La Junta Raceway in La Junta Colorado once again strained man and machine. Even with the tough conditions, Team Morse Racing riders came home with two class wins, four podium finishes, and five hard fought top-ten finishes. Saturday afternoon’s temperatures were over 100 degrees by the time Dave Gallant and Mike Applehans took their starting positions for the Lightweight Endurance race. La Junta raceway sports the fastest turn one in Colorado, and from the very first lap the Team Morse Racing riders put it to good use to extend a lead lap after lap over the rest of the field. Dave and Mike spent much of the first half of the race trading places at the front using the draft on their Suzuki SV650s to pass each other into the fast turn one. With 10 laps to go, Mike Applehan’s SV650 started showing signs vapor lock due to the high temperatures and forced him to short-shift to cool the motor. With this small advantage, Dave was able to gap Mike slightly and take home the class win. “The heat out here makes things really tough, but the bikes worked well and the Pirelli tires didn’t once grease up on me. The track surface is well over 150 degrees by now, and if this track can’t make a tire grease up, nothing will. I have to thank the team for this weekend as well. It is 109 degrees under the canopy right now, but without their help getting everything ready there is no way Mike and I could do as well as we have already done this weekend” commented Dave Gallant about the endurance race. Twenty minutes after the Lightweight Endurance race, Mike Applehans mounted his RacerSupply.com GSXR750 to race the Heavyweight Endurance race. In typical form, Mike stormed his way to the front of the pack to finish in a strong second place overall. “Riding the GSXR out here is a lot different than the SV, and after the lightweight race I told myself I would take things easy and not work myself to hard in this heat. When the race started however, I felt really comfortable and settled into a fast pace right away which allowed me to move up through the grid. I put in a new set of EBC pads before this race as well, and I think the added stopping power for turn three made it easier for me to get by other heavyweight bikes” said Mike Applehans of Team Morse Racing. Sunday came complete with higher temperatures, but Mike Applehans was ready for the first race of the day, Lightweight Grand Prix. Dave and Mike streaked through turn one nose-to-tail, but by turn two Mike had taken the lead. The two riders worked together to distance themselves from fast TZ250s on their supersport-legal Suzuki SV650s, and when the checkered flag flew it was Mike Applehans with the class win. “Turn one really makes or breaks your entire lap time out here. Even though we are down on horsepower compared to some of the other bikes in this class, if we can nail turn one lap after lap we can inch away a little bit every lap. The bike worked flawlessly today, and I can’t believe how well the tires are working even in these hot temperatures” stateed Mike about his class win. Next up for Dave Gallant was Middleweight Supersport. As in most clubs around the country, Middleweight Supersport tends to have the stiffest competition and this weekend was no exception. With a bad start Dave made his job that much harder, and he ended up dicing through turn one way down in 12th position. Although clearly down on top-end-speed as compared to some of the other competitor’s machinery, Dave used his lightweight bike experience to pass multiple bikes going into turn one by using the draft. One by one Dave worked his way up through the grid, almost passing for 4th place at the finish line. “That was the hardest 5th place I have ever earned, but it feels good to be able to real the lead pack back in like that. The leader had checked out on most of us, but I could see second place for the entire race and was matching his times as best I could. I know I am down quite a few MPH against these bikes, but Joe from The Racer Supply helped me figure out the 600 a little bit better this weekend. A few little changes translated into me being able to draft pass into turn one at will. Overall, I am happy with this performance – now it is just time to get up to challenge for the win where we should be. Another big help this weekend was the addition of a new Dynojet Quickshifter to the GSXR 600. Dynojet really bent over backwards to get me a replacement part in time for this weekend’s race, and I can’t thank them enough for their commitment to roadracing and racers in general” commented Dave Gallant of Team Morse Racing. Both Mike and Dave continued to ride hard through the heat of the day to bring home more podium positions and make sure the race announcers were always announcing their names and sponsors. Scott Morse, owner of Morse Racing Products/GP Composites Bodywork had this to say regarding the weekend’s events: “I really don’t know how Dave and Mike ride as hard as they do in these temperatures, but their determination is contagious and keeps the whole team moving forward. Unfortunately for some racer’s this weekend, the heat proved too much and we had long delays due to red flags. From a product standpoint however, those things I see at the track and the R&D the team does for me is invaluable. The next generation products are being developed to solve these real-race-world problems, and after race weekends like this I literally can’t wait to get back to the shop and develop the ideas further” Team Morse Racing will compete next in round six of the MRA series at Pueblo Motorsports Park on August 13th & 14th. More, from a press release issued by WERA: Denning and Batey Dominate WERA National Series at Grattan BELDING, Mich. Larry Denning and Tray Batey were the riders to beat during the Michelin National Challenge Series sprint races at Grattan Raceway this past weekend, while Team Velocity Racing won the Dunlop National Endurance race in the series’ closest finish of the season. Round six of the WERA National Series started on Saturday, July 16 with the six-hour endurance race. Vesrah Suzuki and Team Velocity Racing traded for the lead throughout the race. In the final hour, rain on the back portion of the track made strategy a key factor as teams gambled on what tire combination to use. At the finish line, Team Velocity was only half a minute ahead of Vesrah, taking the overall and Heavyweight Superstock win with Chuck Ivey, Reuben Frankenfield and Mark Crozier at the helm. Vesrah Suzuki’s Tray Batey and John Jacobi finished second overall, winning the Heavyweight Superbike class. Red Star finished fourth overall, taking the Mediumweight Superbike victory with Ben Thompson, William Lindsay and Brett Champagne. The Mediumweight Superstock win went to Brian Dalke, Josh Smith-Moore and Keith Marshall of Dalke Motor Sports. The Notorious P.I.G. won the Lightweight Superbike class with riders Melissa Berkoff, Bruce Stanford and Derek Keyes. Sunday’s racing featured ten-lap National Challenge Series sprint races. Local hot shoe Larry Denning and series veteran Tray Batey took the most wins in the expert division with three each. Denning was victorious in 600 Superbike, 600 Superstock and Open Superstock. Batey was dominant as usual in 750 Superstock, Formula 1 and Heavyweight Twins Superstock. Keith Marshall took his first 750 Superbike win of the year, Chris Parrish won Lightweight Twins Superstock and Kendrick Morrison won Formula 2. In the novice division, Brian Moore led the way with wins in 600 Superstock, 750 Superstock and Open Superstock. Local rider Brian VanDerBrouck won 600 and 750 Superbike, the only other novice to score multiple wins. David Johnson won Heavyweight Twins Superstock, while the Lightweight Twins Superstock win went to Allan Burley. Richard Harris won Formula 2. Round seven of the WERA National Series will be held August 6-7 at West Virginia’s Summit Point Raceway. More information can be found online at www.WERA.com. More, from a press release issued by the Can-Am Challenge Series: CAN-AM CHALLENGE SERIES SPONSORED BY INFINITY GP RACING RACE REPORT MOSPORT, ROUND 2 JULY 16-17, 2005 125 GP The second round of the Can-Am Challenge Series saw the 125s battle it out for valuable championship points at Mosport International Speedway this past weekend. Registration would prove to result in a smaller than expected grid, with a total of 13 riders, but it has been said that it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog! Friday’s practice day had the 125s taking to the track at 12:45pm, allowing the riders to take their time in the morning to prepare their bikes. John Dempsey, the current points leader, and Matt Cooper, third in points, had taken advantage of three Mosport track days earlier in the week to hone their skills on the 3.9 km track; Cooper set the pace by topping that practice with a 1:35.007, followed by John Hjelm of Colorado with a 1:35.256, and Dempsey rounding out the top three with a 1:36.040. Alex Welsh, who was second in points before this weekend, would post a top time of 1:38.664 with the TZ for that session. The afternoon practice session took place at the end of the day, and would have Hjelm clocking the fastest time with a 1:35.070, followed by Dempsey with 1:35.534, and Cooper with a 1:35.553. Mark White and Joe Melchionda would finish out the top 5 for that session. Saturday: Saturday’s morning practice saw Dempsey, Cooper and Hjelm once again set the pace; Cooper lead the session by dropping a second off his fast time from the previous day, turning a 1:34.320. Dempsey suffered a cracked exhaust pipe and pulled off in corner three, yet still managed to stay put in second with a 1:35.142. Hjelm posted a 1:35.592. John-Ross MacRae of Calgary went from a 1:42.007 on Friday, to 1:39.802 on Saturday morning. Saturday would see the much anticipated arrival to the Can-Am Challenge series of the 250F powered four stroke of Jean Francois Trudel; his labour of love would have Mark Rabo as its pilot, a rider making his return to racing after a 2 year absence. Rabo would post a time of 1:42.756 in an effort to get the 4 stroke dialed in. Angela Hiba, still suffering from a broken collarbone sustained in the first round, mounted her 125 this weekend only to face more disaster by losing control of her Honda as she was entering the track to practice with another class; she reportedly got tangled with the bike, and her foot was caught between the swing arm and wheel, causing serious damage to her ankle and foot. The Can-Am sends their best wishes to Angela, and hopes for a speedy recovery. Saturday qualifying would have 12 bikes out on the track; the top riders would drop yet another second off their times with Cooper grabbing the pole position with a 1:33.123. Hjelm, Dempsey and Welsh joined him on the front row with 1:33.838, 1:33.841 and 1:35.420 respectively. Row 2: Mark White 1:36.754, Joe Melchionda 1:36.897, John-Ross MacRae 1:39.690. Row 3: Mark Rabo 1:42.099, Dane Walther 1:43.869, Don Murfin 1:45.310, Jim Bergey 1:46.498. Row 4: Craig Johnston 1:48.182. Sunday: Sunday morning had the riders looking to the skies, the possibility of getting the rain tires out increasing as the practice session neared its time. A dry front straight misled everyone into thinking the rest of the track was in the same condition, but in true Mosport fashion, this was not to be the case. Within two laps, there were reports from officials that corners four, five and six were indeed starting to get drizzled on. With all riders on slicks, the organizer’s made the decision to red flag the session to avoid the loss of any riders from the final grid. All riders would have liked to have gotten their laps in, but most likely none so much as Welsh, who had finally gotten hold of an Infinity Honda RS125, but had to concede to the red flag and hope that the bike would be tuned and ready for the final. Heavy rain continued to plague the day and looked as if it might continue through to the end of the 125 final, scheduled as the last race of the day. However, the precipitation did move out of the vicinity of the track, and slowly but surely, the track dried out despite the heavy humidity. Infinity GP Racing graciously sponsored the filming of this Round Two event, so as the cameras took position, so did the 125s onto their grid positions, however, much later in the day then expected. Cooper, sitting in pole position, had problems getting his RS125 off the line, and was shuffled back into the pack going into corner one. Dempsey, Hjelm and Welsh all launched cleanly, and the rest of the field followed suit. Cooper made quick work of getting back up front by the time the front of the field got to Moss’s Corner; the first lap had Hjelm, Dempsey and Cooper crossing the line in first, second and third respectively. Dempsey would lead though laps two to five, but this is not to say that it was easy work; in true 125 action Dempsey, Hjelm and Cooper were glued together throughout those laps, creating a commentating frenzy between announcers Pat Gonsalves, Frank Woods and Eric Tryko. Hjelm and Cooper fought tooth and nail for second place through laps 2 and 5, with both riders finally getting by Dempsey through corners two and three. Lap 6 had Hjelm up in front, Cooper charging hard right behind him, Dempsey bringing up the rear of this freight train of furious two strokes gunning for first place. In the third lap, Welsh had ridden off the race track to discover a broken chain. Melchionda held steady in fourth, followed by a group of riders not far behind: White, MacRae, Rabo, Bergey, Walther and Murfin; Craig Johnston rounded out the field. Lap 7 had Cooper, make a pass on the veteran rider Hjelm and make it stick for first place. The commentating was probably the most excited and animated for any race ran that weekend, the speakers practically buzzing right off their poles. Hjelm would return the favour to Cooper by passing him on the back straight, giving Dempsey, still very much in a position to jump into the fray between the two riders in front of him, a show to watch. Not only was the race amazing to watch with this group of three, but Cooper, in attempting to lead Hjelm on lap 8, lost his front end going into Moss’s 5a corner, burying himself and his bike into the hay bales. Reports have it that the fans in Moss’s were on their feet, at the fence, yelling their appreciation for a race well run. Hjelm finished off the remaining two laps in front with Dempsey in a safe second place behind him,; Melchionda remained steadfast in his newly acquired third place. Dempsey and Cooper will be looking to race together this weekend July 22-23 at Shannonville Motorsport Park for rounds 3 and 4 of the Can-Am Challenge Series with Cooper looking to take a bite out of Dempsey’s lead. Results 1. 130 John Hjelm 10 laps 2. 63 John Dempsey 10 laps 3. 330 Joe Melchionda 10 laps 4. 60 Mark White 10 laps 5. 27 John-Ross MacRae 10 laps 6. 71 Mark Rabo 10 laps 7. 20 Jim Bergey 9 laps 8. 342 Dane Walther 9 laps 9. 59 Don Murfin 9 laps 10. 179 Craig Johnston 9 laps DNF 96 Matt Cooper 8 laps DNF 801 Alex Welsh 2 laps DNS 31 Angela Hiba Current Points after round 2 of 6 rounds Dempsey 94, Melchionda 64, White 55, MacRae 54, Hjelm 53, Walther 44, Welsh 43, Cooper 41, Johnston 38, Harrington 32, Bulmann 29, Rabo 27, Bergey 25, Murfin 21, MacPhail 17.

Mid-Ohio P.R. Highlights Local Riders

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Mid-Ohio P.R. Highlights Local Riders

LOCAL RIDERS ENJOY HOME TRACK ADVANTAGE AT MID-OHIO DUBLIN, Ohio (July 20, 2005) Several Ohio-based riders will be looking to utilize their “hometown” advantage this weekend, as the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire returns to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the 23rd time, July 22-24. Five riders will come home to the Buckeye State with the hopes of racing well on the 2.4-mile, 15-turn course in front of friends and family. Two of the five will be pulling double duty, too, as they compete in multiple classes during a weekend that includes rounds 12 and 13 of the AMA Superbike Championship. Larry Pegram, the patriarch of the Ohio contingent, is currently competing in the Superbike class. Pegram is racing a full schedule riding the Hotbodies Racing Honda. With a pair of season-high 8th-place finishes in the 6th and 9th rounds, Pegram is looking forward to racing in front of a home crowd. “It is nice to race at home where all of your family and friends can come out and watch you,” said Pegram. “I tend to put a little more pressure on myself when I come to Mid-Ohio because I want to do well here.” Currently ranked 12th in Superbike series points, Pegram is looking to jump up in the rankings with a good showing in front of a sizable and supportive crowd at Mid-Ohio. “Mid-Ohio is one of the largest stops we make in terms of spectators and it is a crowd that has a lot of fun,” Pegram added. “The show on the track is always fantastic, and it makes it a great weekend for everyone involved.” Other riders from the Buckeye State competing during the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire include Andrew Deatherage (Cleveland) Superbike; James Kerker (Marysville) Superbike, Superstock and Formula Extreme; Mark Kittel (Marysville) Supersport; and Mark Hatten (Delaware) – Formula Xtreme. They will put their considerable skills to the test on America’s most competitive road course against the likes of Honda factory riders Miguel Duhamel and Jake Zemke, and fellow title contenders Mat Mladin, Ben Spies, Aaron Yates, Eric Bostrom and Neil Hodgson. Tickets for the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire are available by calling 1-800-MID-OHIO or visiting www.midohio.com. Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a 2.4-mile, 15-turn permanent road racing circuit in Lexington, Ohio. Located 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland near Mansfield, the track has been called the most competitive in the U.S. and annually hosts a diversity of locally, regionally and nationally sanctioned racing events for amateur, club and professional riders and drivers. The remainder of Mid-Ohio’s 2005 schedule includes the EMCO Gears Classic (August 26-28) featuring the Unlimited Audio and Accessories Triple Crown Tuner Challenge, and the SCCA National Championship Runoffs® presented by Kohler (September 19-25).

Premium Seating, Camping Renewals For 2006 U.S. Grand Prix At Laguna Seca Are In The Mail

MONTEREY, Calif. (July 21, 2005) Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has distributed applications for renewals on all premium seating locations for the 2006 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix July 21-23, 2006. The deadline for all renewal applications is August 20, 2005. Ticket packages available for renewal are all Premier Pit Row Suites, Turn 3 Paddock Suites, Turn 2 Suites, Flagroom, and Laguna Club. Premier and Reserved Camping locations are also renewable purchases. All remaining tickets, including general admission, paddock passes, remaining grandstand seats and remaining camping go on sale September 1. Renewal opportunities for the 2005 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, marking the return of the MotoGP series to the United States, were offered to previous World Superbike Championship event ticket holders. This year’s event sold out of Saturday and Sunday tickets one week in advance of the event, drawing an announced crowd of 153,653 during three days of activity. Due to the quantity of orders for the 2006 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, there will be no exceptions to renewal applications received after the August 20 deadline. Renewal orders are accepted by mail or walk-up only. More information on the ticket process is available by calling (800) 327-SECA or logging on to www.laguna-seca.com. Information on the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix is also available at www.RedBullUSGrandPrix.com.

Pedrosa To Ride On Factory Honda MotoGP Team In 2006

Day of Champions brings MotoGP paddock back together at Donington Park The entire Grand Prix paddock was reunited today with riders from the MotoGP, 250cc and 125cc World Championships teaming up with the British public to make their annual contribution to improving medical aid services in Africa as the Riders for Health charity held their biggest and most impressive Day of Champions yet at Donington Park. On the eve of the betandwin.com British Grand Prix some 3,000 fans poured into an open paddock for a day of festivities that ranged from a pit-lane walk to stunt shows, sidecar rides, live music, a circuit ride-in and the afternoon’s main event, the rider memorabilia auction. Despite preparing to sell his leathers off to the highest bidder in the auction, MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi was in anything but charitable mood as he prepares to defend a 79-point lead at the top of the championship. The Italian won his first MotoGP race at this track in 2000 and is hoping for a similar result in front of a vast army of local support. “For sure this is one of my favourite tracks, it’s near my home and I like it a lot,” said Rossi. “It is technical and difficult but always a great pleasure. It is incredible because I see from 2000 every year there have been more people following me and all the riders. It has been a fantastic year for me so far and now we’re at the turning point for the second part of the season. It will be difficult but our target is to arrive on the podium every race and try to make a lot of victories. The bike is going well and we’ll see what happens.” The Italian discovered yesterday that he will have a new rival next season as 250cc World Champion Dani Pedrosa confirmed at a promotional event in London that he has signed a deal with Honda to ride as part of their official team in the MotoGP class from 2006. The Spanish youngster, who won the quarter-litre title at the first attempt last season and currently leads the series by 37 points, tested the Japanese factory’s V5 machine at Valencia last November and expressed his delight at the deal. “As soon as Honda made the offer we accepted,” said Pedrosa. “Both Alberto [Puig, Pedrosa’s manager] and I were very clear we wanted the best bike more than we wanted the money. When I tested Honda’s MotoGP bike at Valencia I could tell that it was a bit big for me and my body isn’t quite ready for a bike like that so I will have to train very hard. I am not scared of anybody in MotoGP, just a little worried about my size.” Whilst Pedrosa will be looking to challenge Rossi for the title next season, the Italian’s nearest current challenger is Marco Melandri, who is looking forward to racing at a circuit just two kilometres from his Derbyshire home after crashing out of the race in the USA two weeks ago. “It’s a good feeling to be back in Europe after the experience of Laguna Seca,” said Melandri. “It was a tough weekend for us and I want to get back on the good run of results we’ve had so far in the championship. I also want to get over what happened at Donington last season, when I fell, broke my thumb, had to have an operation and suffered with the injury for the rest of the season.” Nicky Hayden is also hungry for success after getting his first taste of the winners’ champagne at his home round. The American rider is flying high on the confidence of his debut victory and is promising plenty more to come. “A repeat performance of Laguna will be a very long shot but I come here with a new spring in my step knowing that we have the capability to shock and that is what I want to do again,” said Hayden. “It took me a while to win races back home in AMA but when I did they seemed to come. I now know I can do it at this level and I won’t be happy till we can do it again.” With Melandri and Alex Barros all escaping unhurt from their race crashes at Laguna Seca there are no injury worries going into tomorrow’s first day of action, particularly with the 250cc and 125cc riders having benefited from an extra two weeks’ rest since their last Grand Prix at Assen. Australian rider Casey Stoner lies second to Pedrosa in the quarter-litre class and is hoping to close the gap this weekend at the circuit where he made his debut as a wildcard four seasons ago. “A lot will depend on how we can set the Aprilia up because the Honda is very strong at this circuit and Dani had it all his own way last year,” said Stoner. “Andrea Dovizioso is also good at this track so it will be a tough race but I’m looking forward to trying to beat them both and consolidate second in the championship.” Meanwhile, Gabor Talmacsi says he has enjoyed plenty of limelight in his native Hungary over the past four weeks after becoming the first rider from the nation to lead the 125cc World Championship but admits there is still plenty of hard work to be done with eight rounds of the season still remaining. “The people in Hungary are giving me a lot of support and I hope to stay on top of the championship on Sunday,” said Talmacsi, who is currently level on points with Mattia Pasini. “125cc racing is very unpredictable and there is a long way to go but so far the season is going very well for me.”

The Latest On Injured Racer Jack Pfeifer

FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: The good news is: Jack is able to walk and walked for the first time today with a walker and two nurses, down the hall and back. They also removed his IV for now and he drank with help for the first time. The bad news is: Jack has 3 other discs bulging and three broken ribs to add to his injury list. Today they also discovered he’s got pneumonia from not being able to use the full capacity of his lungs due to the back and rib injuries. Coughing is the last thing he wants to do but now he’s doing a lot of it. Dr. Canale(ex WSMC racer) is working with the neurologist in Chico via the internet and telephone and he said the pneumonia was expected and should be cured with lots of antibiotics. Jack will be in Chico, California, longer than expected, until he is stable enough to be transported to Las Vegas. He may be in Chico for another week. Jack will be in a back brace for 3 to 6 months or more. As for right now they don’t plan on doing any surgery. His right arm and wrist were also casted without need for surgery. On a lighter note, I spoke to Jack yesterday afternoon before he got worse today. He’s very morphined up right now but he still sounded like good old Jack. I told him about all the e-mails he had recieved. I could hear him smile and say, “that’s cool, man, who emailed me”? He had over 75 emails in one day thanks to Roadracingworld.com. He closed our conversation with, “TBone, I’m really hurting, man.” Jack is still at the ~http://www.enloe.org/welcome_to_enloe/how_to_find_us.asp~ in room #301. I promised to read every e-mail he has received to him when I see him and he’s coherent. These e-mails will help him deal with the long van ride home to Vegas and his recovery process to come. Jack and the Pfeifer Family thank everyone for sending the e-mails with your thoughts and prayers. I’m sure Jack will reply to all of you his own personnal way in the next few weeks. The Pfeifers also were very concerned about the other riders involved and hope everyone recovers from that dramatic accident. Please feel free to use this e-mail address, [email protected], for questions or e-mails to Jack and I will keep you posted on his status. Thank You All, Travis Ryan

The Wegman Benefit Fund Will Be On-site This Weekend At Mid-Ohio

Wegman Benefit Fund representatives Gordon and Laurel Lunde will be at the AMA Superbike event at Mid-Ohio this coming weekend. The Lundes will have their trailer in the paddock with apparel, stickers, etc. available for a donation to the general fund for injured racers. We will also accept donations for injured racer Vincent Haskovec and we have a limited number of Czecher #3 stickers available. The 19th Annual Wegman Fund auction will be held August 27th at Blackhawk Farms Raceway and we are also looking for donations for that auction. If anyone can drop by, racers or fans, with an item it would really be appreciated.

Triumph: Global Sales Up 29% In 2005

TRIUMPH ANNOUNCES 2005 FINANCIAL YEAR RESULTS ANOTHER TRIUMPHANT YEAR! Triumph Motorcycles today announced strong sales and continued positive growth for the 2005 financial year (July 04 to June 05). The statistics speak for themselves, with global sales up 29% on 2004. UK sales have risen 10% in a static market, North America sales increased by 40%, both France and Switzerland saw rises of 43%, Japan rose 34%, Italy 25% and Germany is up 18%. Triumph has grown by 25% per year for the last two years, proving the brand turnaround initiated after the factory fire in 2002 is on track. Tue Mantoni, Commercial Director at Triumph comments: “A significant contribution to our growth in sales stems from the successful launch of new products and the work we have done with our dealers. These are the most important areas to the consumer and it’s through these two crucial touch-points that we communicate the brand and make the change in our business visible”. With the launch of several new models over the last year, including the Speed Triple and Sprint ST, the model range is significantly more focused and comprises distinctively designed machines with lots of character. A concrete change is that all new bikes going forward will have either the parallel twin or the iconic triple engine, something that’s unique for Triumph in the motorcycle market. Mantoni comments: “Triumph is all about individuality and riding something that not everyone else has. We have worked hard to define Triumph’s identity and the success of our latest models is evidence that the consumers like what we have done”. In several markets, the demand has outstripped the supply of the new models and there are long waiting lists if you want to get your hands on models like the Speed Triple and the Sprint ST. Mantoni comments: “The fact that you have to wait for your bike makes the ownership experience more rewarding for the people who actually got their hands on one of the first bikes”. Triumph has also worked hard to create a unique retail experience that reflects the Triumph brand, including the launch of a new corporate store design. This bespoke design emphasises the lifestyle aspect of motorcycling by integrating the display of clothing, accessories, merchandise and the motorcycles themselves. The store design is currently being rolled out to dealers across the globe. Mantoni clarifies: “For the majority of our customers, the dealership is their primary contact with the Triumph brand. The signals that we send through our dealers and the service that the customer receives define the brand in many ways”. “Our growth demonstrates to dealers and customers that we can run a successful and profitable business. This builds confidence in the future for the people who dedicate their lives to Triumph either through their business our through their own lifestyle.” “The focus on launching distinctive new products and enhancing the retail experience will therefore remain core to our strategy going forward.” Triumph’s financial results will be published in full in September.

Another Preview Of This Weekend’s AMA Races At Mid-Ohio

The AMA Superbike Championship returns to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course during the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire, July 22-26. The July motorcycle racing classic will run at Mid-Ohio for the 23rd time, making it the longest-running series on the track’s 2005 schedule. “We’re pleased to welcome the AMA back to Mid-Ohio and are looking forward to more of the incredible 170-mile-per-hour action that has made this event one of best and most popular on the calendar,” said TrueSports President Michelle Trueman Gajoch. “Some of the best riders in the world will be here showing fans just why Mid-Ohio is America’s most competitive road course.” The competition is tight entering this year’s event, with Superbike rookie Ben Spies trailing defending champion Mat Mladin by just 31 points. Because Mid-Ohio’s Wiseco Superbike 100 doubleheader represents rounds 12 and 13 of just 17 races on the AMA schedule, the Mid-Ohio stop should have an enormous impact on the season championship. Aaron Yates is third in the Superbike points chase with seven podium finishes this year. Eric Bostrom and Neil Hodgson round out the top five. Bostrom has two wins and Hodgson has one win this season. Though the Superbike class highlights the weekend, the AMA’s field of support races will prove to be just as exciting. Formula Extreme, Superstock, and Supersport series round out the schedule. Jake Zemke leads Miguel Duhamel by seven points in the chase for the Formula Extreme championship. The two Honda riders have combined to win every Formula Extreme race this season. With three races left on the schedule, Danny Elsick, Alex Gobert, and Ben Attard round out the top five. Aaron Yates has won three of the last four Superstock races and now leads Jason Disalvo by 10 points. Steve Rapp and Tommy Hayden hold down the third and fourth position in the points standing and are separated by only nine points. The Supersport standings are led by Tommy Hayden and his brother Roger Lee Hayden. The brothers from Owensboro, Ky., have combined to win four of the seven rounds so far. Jason Disalvo is third in Superstock points followed by Ben Spies and Aaron Gobert. Spies and Gobert are separated by just one point with three rounds to go. Spectators and fans wanting to get up close and personal with their favorite AMA riders also will enjoy the all-series autograph session Saturday, July 23, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the infield patio. Tickets and information for the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire are available by calling 1-800-MID-OHIO or visiting www.midohio.com. Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a 2.4-mile, 15-turn permanent road racing circuit in Lexington, Ohio. Located 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland near Mansfield, the track has been called the most competitive in the U.S. and annually hosts a diversity of locally, regionally and nationally sanctioned racing events for amateur, club and professional riders and drivers. The remainder of Mid-Ohio’s six-event 2005 schedule includes the EMCO Gears Classic (August 26-28) featuring the Unlimited Audio and Accessories Triple Crown Tuner Challenge, and the SCCA National Championship Runoffs® presented by Kohler (September 19-25). Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, TrueSports, Inc. is a privately held motorsports entertainment enterprise. The company owns and operates Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and The Mid-Ohio School, and promotes a wide variety of motor racing, driver instruction, corporate, and family entertainment events throughout the year.

Updated Post: WERA National Beat CMRA In AMA Sports’ Club Challenge Championship At Mid-Ohio

CMRA RIDERS RACE TO SUCCESS IN AMA GRAND CHAMPIONSHIPS AT MID-OHIO Riders from the CMRA (Central Motorcyle Roadracing Association) garnered awards, filled the podiums and represented the club well at the 2005 AMA Sport Road Race Grand Championships at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, July 18, 19 & 20. A total of 17 CMRA members, up from nine in 2004, raced in a variety of classes against riders from regional organizations across the United States. The designated CMRA three-rider team of Ty Howard, Bryan West and Logan Young (2004 Horizon Award winner) finished second in this year’s AMA Sports Road Race Club Challenge Championship, just behind the WERA National team of Ryan Elleby, Ben Thompson (co-winner of last year’s award as a CMRA rider) and David Weber. New for 2005 was the Top Novice Award, and the CMRA’s own Cory Burleson won the award by dominating the Novice classes, winning every one of the nine classes that he entered. Cory, 24, from Harrison, Arkansas, set a blistering pace, his “closest” win being over two seconds ahead of the second place rider. “I was ecstatic that the CMRA chose me to represent them for the Top Novice Award,” said Burleson. “When we showed up, I had no idea. I knew the competition was going to be stiff. I had no idea that I was going to be able to win this award. The track was real difficult to learn. If you messed up one spot, you messed up three or four corners, but it came along pretty good.” Congratulations to all of the CMRA riders that made it to Mid-Ohio for the 2005 AMA Sport Grand Championships, including Ryan Andrews, Cory Burleson, James Compton, Amanda Cornelius, Jeff Duke, Shea Fouchek, Will Gruy, Ty Howard, Randall Kienast, Philip Lawlis, Tyler McDonald, Heath Small, Brandon Spradling, Ben Thompson, Bryan West, Cathy White and Logan Young. For more information on CMRA, please visit www.cmraracing.com. More, via e-mail: FIRST PERSON/OPINION: Ryan Elleby was NOT part of the WERA National Team, Ryan was representing CCS. The WERA National team was composed of: Keith Marshall Ben Thompson David Weber Keith D. Marshall

125cc GP World Champion Dovizioso Still Looking For First Win In 250cc Class

Reigning 125 Champion Dovizioso chases maiden 250 GP win at British Grand Prix Reigning 125c World Champion Andrea Dovizioso arrives at Donington Park with his mind focussed on nothing les than a podium finish in Sundays British 250cc Grand Prix. Dovizioso, 19 years old from Forli in Northern Italy ran away with the 125cc title last season with a display of speed, consistency and tactical skills that left his rivals trailing. Andrea and his Kopron Scot RS125RW Honda was the combination to beat last season and is proving to be a difficult proposition for all but the very best in the 250cc class of 2005. He has yet to win a race since he moved up to contest the quarter litre class but has consistently featured in the lead group contesting the win. However, he has already scored two second and two third places from the seven grands prix raced this season, and now holds third place in the 16 round world championship. Dovizioso is four points off second placed held by Australian Casey Stoner (Aprilia) but is a massive 41 points behind points leader Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, the reigning 250 World Champion. Many have been surprised how quickly he has adapted to the factory RS250RW factory Honda but not Dovizioso. He said. “I adapted quickly to the 250 but I expected to. Now I have the same feeling with the 250 that I had with the 125.” Dovizioso is modest and laid-back character by nature, with a wry sense of humour, described by a close friend as a ‘Cool dude.’ Calm and quietly confident Dovizioso looks to take the maximum number of points possible out of every race he contest. If he is able to run away from his rivals he will build a time cushion over his pursuers to work from. If circumstances deny him the opportunity he waste no mental or physical energy in pursuit of the impossible and sits in the lead group saving his tyres deciding his tactics and race strategy for the run in to the flag. He is not at all surprised to be racing at the front of the field with the fastest men in the 250cc class. Quite the contrary, he would have been disappointed with anything less than his present performances. “No, I’m not surprised at all even racing with Pedrosa. Dani is a very good rider but he has one year more experience than me. But that’s only for this year!” He said with a smile. Working with his vastly experienced technical crew at the Scot Honda Team Dovizioso has quickly found a good base set up to work from at each race track. The RS250RW calls for different solutions to problems similar to those posed by a 125 machine. “Our secret is that we work hard in practice and qualifying, the whole team. The more work we can do on Friday and Saturday the less problems we will have in the race. There are some things a little less easy to sort out on the 250 than the 125. Chassis and suspension set up has to be very good to get the best out of the tyres at the end of the race.” The youngster said. “We had a front-end problem at Mugello and Barcelona, the front end turning in too fast, but we improved a lot before the race at Barcelona and at Assen it was a lot better. I’m sure we will quickly find a good set up for Donington.” Dovizioso’s performance at Donington Park last year was typical of his title-winning season. The young Italian started the race from pole position and shot away from the start to take a comfortable victory, easing up. He has a special affinity with the 4.023km circuit and lists the East Midlands venue among his favourite tracks. “I love racing at Donington Park because it has a good mix of fast and slow corners. I understand the track and where I can be really fast. I particularly like the section after the first corner, the next four corners are my favourites. That sweeping downhill section is very special. McLean’s and Coppice are good to ride, they are quite fast and you can make time there. Everything flows so good on the fast sections at Donington Park.” Said the quietly confident Italian. Even the slow corners at Donington are viewed as potential passing places. “Most riders have a fixed line in the slow corners but me and Pedrosa can take other lines at slow corners when we need to and are much faster.” Fitness is Dovizioso’s only concern. He recently underwent an operation to relieve muscle pump up in his right forearm. The problem was so severe at the last round at Assen that Dovizioso fell back from a potential podium place finish to cross the line in seventh. The injury, common among top-flight motorcycle racers, restricts the flow of blood to the hands resulting in numbed fingers and a lack of feel and grip. Not an ideal situation when racing a lightweight 100bhp plus motorcycle at over 250km/h on a Sunday afternoon! The operation was a success and Dovizioso has been doing light exercises to rebuild strength in his forearm. He is also carrying a lingering shoulder injury the legacy of a high-speed crash in qualifying for the Catalan GP but feels Donington Park is not physically demanding enough to aggravate the injury. Now returned to full fitness and ready to race on one of his favourite tracks Dovizioso has the best chance yet of scoring his maiden 250cc GP victory on Sunday. If he does the quiet unassuming Dovizioso will be the calmest man on the podium.

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

Team Velocity Racing Wins 2nd Consecutive WERA Endurance Race BELDING, Mich. Team Velocity Racing won their second consecutive WERA National Endurance Series race on Saturday during the six-hour event at Michigan’s Grattan Raceway, taking the victory after a thrilling late-race battle for the lead. Team Velocity Racing’s overall win is their second this season, and it marks their fifth Heavyweight Superstock class win this year in only six races. Chuck Ivey, Reuben Frankenfield and Mark Crozier rode the Yamaha YZF-R1 in a race that was largely won by strategy and teamwork. Crozier started the race, swapping for the lead in the opening laps with Vesrah Suzuki, the team that had gone undefeated all season until Team Velocity Racing’s overall victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last month. Crozier eventually settled into second place, where the team remained for most of the race. Ivey took the second stint, followed by Frankenfield. Crozier and Frankenfield shared the riding for the second half of the race. In the final hour, Frankenfield was riding when it began to rain. He had taken over the race lead when Vesrah made a pit stop, but he was forced to stop as well when rain began to fall on the back half of the track. Team Velocity Racing was again in second. “They showed I was in P1 on the board,” said Frankenfield. “The gap was at +25, then it grew to 38. Then it started to rain, and Vesrah caught up quick. Some of our success is luck, as it always is in endurance racing, but everyone on the team did their job. We didn’t make a lot of mistakes on the track and things went well in the pits.” When Frankenfield pitted to hand the Yamaha over to Crozier, the DOT front stayed on, while a rain tire went on the rear. It proved to be the right combination, especially since the track began to dry in the final laps. Crozier was able to get past Vesrah to put Team Velocity Racing back in the lead. “I looked up and everybody’s arms were in the air, then I saw the checkered flag,” said Crozier, who celebrated the win with a wheelie down the front straight. “The team did an awesome job in the pits. I couldn’t believe how well the Pirelli DOT front worked in the wet.” Ivey said that “this win probably means more than the others because we were all out there on the track racing in a fair fight. It made the race a lot more exciting. I’m glad to see the competition so close. It’s nerve-wracking, but fun. Jody, Erik and James really worked hard this weekend as our crew; we wouldn’t be winning if they weren’t at the track every weekend with us.” Team Velocity Racing has now extended their lead in the Heavyweight Superstock points championship, and they narrowed the gap between their second-place standing in the overall championship and the lead. The team’s next chance for victory will be the six-hour WERA National Endurance Series round at Summit Point Raceway, where the team earned their first overall career win in 2004. The race will be held on Saturday, August 6. More, from a press release issued by the CRA: Road racing got heated up in Minnesota with the top racers from across the Midwest battling for the CRA Championship. In the Unlimited expert classes, Robert Jensen put up a fight, but could not stop Shawn Conrad to his three victories. In the Heavyweight expert classes, Jensen and Conrad again fought fierce battles, each taking a victory to one another. Long-time CRA racer, Boyd Whiteoak took the checkered in Middleweight Expert Grand Prix, while Shane Fletcher dominated the Middleweight Expert Supersport and Superbike. After taking a break from racing this summer, Todd Hoekstra came back on top in the Lightweight expert classes, although he was unable to stop Jeff Japs from taking the checkered in the Grand Prix class. On Sunday, top finishers from all classes (all sizes) battled in the annual Framstad Cup. This event was named in honor of Don Framstad, who was one of the original members of the CRA. The gridding for this event is handicapped to give the smaller bikes an equal playing field, with the large classes providing a close and exciting finish. Coming from the last row, Robert Jensen finished second to Jeff Japs. In the novice ranks, Brad Johannes, Nick Olsen, and Matthew Losen finished on top. In addition to the races, the CRA hosted a benefit on Saturday night filled with food, fun, pitbike and 3-wheeler races, all to benefit the American Cancer Society. In the pitbike race, “Team Jenspeed” raised the most of any team at $500, but could not take the win from “Team Old Fat Farts.” Last of the festivities, a comical race of the CRA Board of Directors and Stewards aboard children’s 3-wheelers. Jessica Zalusky showed her stamina and aggressiveness, but could not stop fellow board member, Karl Rehphol to his victory. In all, the CRA raised $2036 to benefit the American Cancer Society. Join the CRA for the fifth round of racing at Brainerd Intl Raceway, August 19-21. On August 21, the CRA will debut with their first ever “Formula 40.” CRA licensed racers, who are at least 40 years of age, will battle for bragging rights on the racetrack. CRA would also like to thank our volunteers, who were able to provide a safe racing environment, despite the extreme heat. If you would like more information about becoming a CRA licensed racer, a New Rider, a volunteer, or a member, visit www.cra-mn.com. Overall Points for Experts as of July 18, 2005 1. Eric Haugo 2. Shawn Conrad 3. Jay Bryant 4. Anthony Gallagher 5. Boyd Whiteoak 6. Willie Broten 7. Larry Denning 8. Chad Bakkene 9. Corey Schweich 10. Jessica Zalusky Overall Points for Novices as of July 18, 2005 1. Matthew Losen 2. Nick Olsen 3. Jesse Smasal 4. Steve Reuscher 5. Brad Johannes 6. Jason Lanigan 7. Tony Day 8. Jason Thorson 9. Anthony Mahto 10. James Phillips Official Results from July 15-17, 2005 – Brainerd Intl Raceway Framstad Cup 1 Jeff Japs (YAM TZ 250) 2 Robert Jensen (SUZ GSXR 750) 3 Shane Fletcher (YAM R6) 4 Mark Nelson (SUZ GSXR 600) 5 Glen Paggett (YAM R6) 6 Chuck Dahlheimer (SUZ SV 650) Unlimited Gran Prix 1 Shawn Conrad (SUZ GSXR 1000) 2 Robert Jensen (SUZ GSXR 750) 3 Wesley Good (SUZ GSXR 750) 4 Brian Boyd (SUZ GSXR 1000) 5 Willie Broten (SUZ GSXR1000) 6 Jessica Zalusky (KAW ZX10R ) Unlimited Superbike 1 Shawn Conrad (SUZ GSXR 1000) 2 Wesley Good (YAM R 1) 3 Mark Vandal (HON CBR 1000RR) 4 Brian Boyd (SUZ GSXR 1000) 5 Boyd Whiteoak (YAM R6) 6 Paul Heinen (YAM R1) Unlimited Supersport 1 Shawn Conrad (SUZ GSXR 1000) 2 Robert Jensen (SUZ GSXR 750) 3 Mark Vandal (HON CBR 1000RR) 4 Wesley Good (SUZ GSXR 750) 5 Corey Schweich (SUZ GSXR 750) 6 Jessica Zalusky (KAW ZX10R ) Heavyweight Gran Prix Expert 1 Corey Schweich (SUZ GSXR 750) 2 Kevin Gordon (SUX GSXR 750) 3 Boyd Whiteoak (YAM R6) 4 Michael Sundstrom (YAM R6) 5 Igor Frolov (YAM R6) 6 Jessica Zalusky (KAW ZX-6RR) Heavyweight Gran Prix Novice 1 Matthew Losen (HON CBR 600) 2 Steve Reuscher (HON CBR600RR) 3 Bryan Kihne (SUZ GSXR 600) 4 Tony Day (HON CBR 600RR) 5 James Visser (SUZ GSXR 600) 6 Joseph Sauro (SUZ GSXR 750) Heavyweight Superbike Expert 1 Shawn Conrad (SUZ GSXR 750) 2 Wesley Good (SUZ GSXR 750) 3 Corey Schweich (SUZ GSXR 750) 4 Kevin Gordon (SUX GSXR 750) 5 Boyd Whiteoak (YAM R6) 6 Michael Sundstrom (YAM R6) Heavyweight Superbike Novice 1 Matthew Losen (HON CBR 600) 2 Steve Reuscher (HON CBR600RR) 3 Bryan Kihne (SUZ GSXR 600) 4 Anthony Mahto (YAM R6) 5 James Visser (SUZ GSXR 600) 6 Eric Josephsen (YAM R6) Heavyweight Supersport Expert 1 Robert Jensen (SUZ GSXR 750) 2 Shawn Conrad (SUZ GSXR 750) 3 Wesley Good (SUZ GSXR 750) 4 Corey Schweich (SUZ GSXR 750) 5 Boyd Whiteoak (YAM R6) 6 Kurt Schuschke (HON RC 51) Heavyweight Supersport Novice 1 Matthew Losen (HON CBR 600) 2 Tristan Johnson (YAM R6) 3 Bryan Kihne (SUZ GSXR 600) 4 Jesse Smasal (HON CBR 600RR) 5 Tony Day (HON CBR 600RR) 6 James Visser (SUZ GSXR 600) Middleweight Gran Prix Expert 1 Boyd Whiteoak (YAM R6) 2 Michael Sundstrom (YAM R6) 3 Mark Nelson (SUZ GSXR 600) 4 Jessica Zalusky (KAW ZX-6RR) 5 Chad Bakkene (YAM R6) 6 Brian Hebeisen (YAM R6) Middleweight Gran Prix Novice 1 Steve Reuscher (HON CBR600RR) 2 Matthew Losen (HON CBR 600) 3 Anthony Mahto (YAM R6) 4 Tony Day (HON CBR 600RR) 5 Bryan Kihne (SUZ GSXR 600) 6 James Visser (SUZ GSXR 600) Middleweight Superbike Expert 1 Shane Fletcher (YAM R6) 2 Boyd Whiteoak (YAM R6) 3 Mark Nelson (SUZ GSXR 600) 4 Igor Frolov (YAM R6) 5 Jessica Zalusky (KAW ZX-6RR) 6 Chad Bakkene (YAM R6) Middleweight Superbike Novice 1 Matthew Losen (HON CBR 600) 2 Steve Reuscher (HON CBR600RR) 3 Anthony Mahto (YAM R6) 4 Jesse Smasal (HON CBR 600RR) 5 Bryan Kihne (SUZ GSXR 600) 6 Andrew Fabbrini (HON CBR 600RR) Middleweight Supersport Expert 1 Shane Fletcher (YAM R6) 2 Boyd Whiteoak (YAM R6) 3 Mark Nelson (SUZ GSXR 600) 4 Michael Sundstrom (YAM R6) 5 Igor Frolov (YAM R6) 6 Chad Bakkene (YAM R6) Middleweight Supersport Novice 1 Matthew Losen (HON CBR 600) 2 Steve Reuscher (HON CBR600RR) 3 Bryan Kihne (SUZ GSXR 600) 4 Tony Day (HON CBR 600RR) 5 Anthony Mahto (YAM R6) 6 James Visser (SUZ GSXR 600) Lightweight Gran Prix Expert 1 Jeff Japs (YAM TZ 250) 2 Todd Hoekstra (SUZ SV 650) 3 Jace Porter (SUZ SV 650) 4 Kurt Proctor (SUZ SV 650) 5 Brent Juusola (SUZ SV 650) 6 Tate Guckin (SUZ SV 650) Lightweight Gran Prix Novice 1 Brad Johannes (SUZ SV 650) 2 Pat Udenberg (SUZ SV 650) 3 Ted Fieldseth (SUZ SV 650) 4 Dan Bowden (SUZ SV650) 5 Jacob Jonnes (SUZ SV 650) 6 Jason Lanigan (KAW EX 500) Lightweight Superbike Expert 1 Todd Hoekstra (SUZ SV 650) 2 Jace Porter (SUZ SV 650) 3 Kurt Proctor (SUZ SV 650) 4 Brent Juusola (SUZ SV 650) 5 Brian Hebeisen (YAM FZR 400) 6 Mark Holden (SUZ SV 650) Lightweight Superbike Novice 1 Brad Johannes (SUZ SV 650) 2 Jesse Smasal (SUZ SV 650) 3 Louis Yender (SUZ SV 650) 4 Dan Bowden (SUZ SV650) 5 Jacob Jonnes (SUZ SV 650) 6 Ted Fieldseth (SUZ SV 650) Lightweight Supersport Expert 1 Todd Hoekstra (SUZ SV 650) 2 Matthew Lex (SUZ SV 650) 3 Jace Porter (SUZ SV 650) 4 Brent Juusola (SUZ SV 650) 5 Brian Hebeisen (YAM FZR 400) 6 David Johnson (SUZ SV 650) Lightweight Supersport Novice 1 Brad Johannes (SUZ SV 650) 2 Chuck Dahlheimer (SUZ SV 650) 3 Robert Miller (SUZ SV650) 4 Ted Fieldseth (SUZ SV 650) 5 Louis Yender (SUZ SV 650) 6 Jesse Smasal (SUZ SV 650) Sportsman Lightweight Expert 1 Brian Hebeisen (YAM FZR 400) 2 Joshua Pangier (YAM FZR 560) 3 Shane Larson (HON RS 125) 4 Jennelle LeBlanc (HON RS 125) Sportsman Lightweight Novice 1 Shawn Alexander (YAM FZR 400) 2 Bradley LeBlanc (HON RS 125) 3 Brett Kuttner (YAM FZR 400) Sportsman Ultralight Expert 1 Karl Rehpohl (SUZ GS 500) Sportsman Ultralight Novice 1 Nick Olsen (SUZ GS 500) 2 James Phillipps (SUZ GS 500) 3 Pat Udenberg (HON XR650R) 4 Thomas Manley (DUC MON 620) 5 Daniel Peters (SUZ GS 500) 6 Steve Scherping (HON CRF450R) Super Twins Expert 1 Kurt Schuschke (HON RC 51) 2 Todd Hoekstra (SUZ SV 650) 3 Jace Porter (SUZ SV 650) 4 Kurt Proctor (SUZ SV 650) 5 Brent Juusola (SUZ SV 650) 6 Mark Miller (SUZ SV 650) Super Twins Novice 1 Allen Hoover (HON RC51) 2 Jesse Smasal (SUZ SV 650) 3 Robert Miller (SUZ SV650) 4 Brad Johannes (SUZ SV 650) 5 Louis Yender (SUZ SV 650) 6 Dan Bowden (SUZ SV650) Ultralight Gran Prix Expert 1 Shane Larson (HON RS 125) 2 Jay Bryant (HON RS 125) 3 Jennelle LeBlanc (HON RS 125) Ultralight Gran Prix Novice 1 Nick Olsen (SUZ GS 500) 2 Jason Lanigan (KAW EX 500) 3 James Phillipps (SUZ GS 500) 4 Pat Udenberg (HON XR650R) 5 Steve Scherping (HON CRF450R) 6 Christopher Rhoades (DUC MON 620) Ultralight Superbike Novice 1 James Phillipps (SUZ GS 500) 2 Nick Olsen (SUZ GS 500) 3 Jason Lanigan (KAW EX 500) 4 Thomas Manley (DUC MON 620) 5 Pat Udenberg (HON XR650R) 6 Daniel Peters (SUZ GS 500) Ultralight Supersport Novice 1 Nick Olsen (SUZ GS 500) 2 Daniel Peters (SUZ GS 500) 3 Christopher Rhoades (DUC MON 620) 4 John Gateley (SUZ GS500) 5 Thomas Manley (DUC MON 620) 6 David Engler (SUZ GS 500) Trophy Dash 3 Expert (Overall) HWSSE 1 Robert Jensen (SUZ GSXR 750) UNLGP 2 Mark Vandal (HON CBR 1000RR) UNLGP 3 Paul Heinen (YAM R1) UNLGP 4 Jessica Zalusky (KAW ZX10R ) UNLGP 5 Willie Broten (SUZ GSXR1000) HWGPE 6 Kurt Schuschke (HON RC 51) Trophy Dash 3 Novice (Overall) HWGPN 1 Anthony Mahto (YAM R6) HWGPN 2 Jason Davenport (HON 600RR) HWGPN 3 Cary Tankson (SUZ GSXR 750) HWSSN 4 Allen Hoover (SUZ GSXR 750) HWGPN 5 Chris Lewis (HON F4) Trophy Dash 2 Expert (Overall) MWSSE 1 Shane Fletcher (YAM R6) MWSSE 2 Chad Bakkene (YAM R6) MWSSE 3 Igor Frolov (YAM R6) MWSSE 4 Paul Ellman (SUZ GSXR 600) MWSSE 5 Karl Rehpohl (HON CBR600RR) MWSSE 6 Patrick Gill (YAM R 6) Trophy Dash 2 Novice (Overall) MWSSN 1 Matthew Losen (HON CBR 600) MWSSN 2 Jesse Smasal (HON CBR 600RR) MWGPN 3 Tony Day (HON CBR 600RR) MWSSN 4 Eric Josephsen (YAM R6) MWSSN 5 John Heinen (YAM R6 ) MWGPN 6 Christian Schmidt (YAM R6) Trophy Dash 1 Expert (Overall) LWSSE 1 Kurt Proctor (SUZ SV 650) LWSSE 2 Jace Porter (SUZ SV 650) LWSSE 3 Anthony Gallagher (SUZ SV 650) LWSSE 4 Brian Hebeisen (YAM FZR 400) LWSSE 5 Mark Holden (SUZ SV 650) LWSSE 6 Matthew Lex (SUZ SV 650) Trophy Dash 1 Novice (Overall) LWSSN 1 Chuck Dahlheimer (SUZ SV 650) LWSSN 2 Brad Johannes (SUZ SV 650) LWSSN 3 Louis Yender (SUZ SV 650) LWSSN 4 Jacob Jonnes (SUZ SV 650) LWSSN 5 Dennis Zajac (SUZ SV 650) LWSSN 6 Jeff Touhey (SUZ SV 650) 125 Gran Prix 1 Shane Larson (HON RS 125) 2 Jay Bryant (HON RS 125) 3 Bradley LeBlanc (HON RS 125) 4 Jennelle LeBlanc (HON RS 125) 250 Gran Prix 1 Jeff Japs (YAM TZ 250) 2 Jay Bryant (HON RS 125) More, from a press release issued by Team Morse Racing: Team Morse Racing wins at La Junta Raceway! With temperatures reaching 105 degrees, last weekend’s MRA round held at La Junta Raceway in La Junta Colorado once again strained man and machine. Even with the tough conditions, Team Morse Racing riders came home with two class wins, four podium finishes, and five hard fought top-ten finishes. Saturday afternoon’s temperatures were over 100 degrees by the time Dave Gallant and Mike Applehans took their starting positions for the Lightweight Endurance race. La Junta raceway sports the fastest turn one in Colorado, and from the very first lap the Team Morse Racing riders put it to good use to extend a lead lap after lap over the rest of the field. Dave and Mike spent much of the first half of the race trading places at the front using the draft on their Suzuki SV650s to pass each other into the fast turn one. With 10 laps to go, Mike Applehan’s SV650 started showing signs vapor lock due to the high temperatures and forced him to short-shift to cool the motor. With this small advantage, Dave was able to gap Mike slightly and take home the class win. “The heat out here makes things really tough, but the bikes worked well and the Pirelli tires didn’t once grease up on me. The track surface is well over 150 degrees by now, and if this track can’t make a tire grease up, nothing will. I have to thank the team for this weekend as well. It is 109 degrees under the canopy right now, but without their help getting everything ready there is no way Mike and I could do as well as we have already done this weekend” commented Dave Gallant about the endurance race. Twenty minutes after the Lightweight Endurance race, Mike Applehans mounted his RacerSupply.com GSXR750 to race the Heavyweight Endurance race. In typical form, Mike stormed his way to the front of the pack to finish in a strong second place overall. “Riding the GSXR out here is a lot different than the SV, and after the lightweight race I told myself I would take things easy and not work myself to hard in this heat. When the race started however, I felt really comfortable and settled into a fast pace right away which allowed me to move up through the grid. I put in a new set of EBC pads before this race as well, and I think the added stopping power for turn three made it easier for me to get by other heavyweight bikes” said Mike Applehans of Team Morse Racing. Sunday came complete with higher temperatures, but Mike Applehans was ready for the first race of the day, Lightweight Grand Prix. Dave and Mike streaked through turn one nose-to-tail, but by turn two Mike had taken the lead. The two riders worked together to distance themselves from fast TZ250s on their supersport-legal Suzuki SV650s, and when the checkered flag flew it was Mike Applehans with the class win. “Turn one really makes or breaks your entire lap time out here. Even though we are down on horsepower compared to some of the other bikes in this class, if we can nail turn one lap after lap we can inch away a little bit every lap. The bike worked flawlessly today, and I can’t believe how well the tires are working even in these hot temperatures” stateed Mike about his class win. Next up for Dave Gallant was Middleweight Supersport. As in most clubs around the country, Middleweight Supersport tends to have the stiffest competition and this weekend was no exception. With a bad start Dave made his job that much harder, and he ended up dicing through turn one way down in 12th position. Although clearly down on top-end-speed as compared to some of the other competitor’s machinery, Dave used his lightweight bike experience to pass multiple bikes going into turn one by using the draft. One by one Dave worked his way up through the grid, almost passing for 4th place at the finish line. “That was the hardest 5th place I have ever earned, but it feels good to be able to real the lead pack back in like that. The leader had checked out on most of us, but I could see second place for the entire race and was matching his times as best I could. I know I am down quite a few MPH against these bikes, but Joe from The Racer Supply helped me figure out the 600 a little bit better this weekend. A few little changes translated into me being able to draft pass into turn one at will. Overall, I am happy with this performance – now it is just time to get up to challenge for the win where we should be. Another big help this weekend was the addition of a new Dynojet Quickshifter to the GSXR 600. Dynojet really bent over backwards to get me a replacement part in time for this weekend’s race, and I can’t thank them enough for their commitment to roadracing and racers in general” commented Dave Gallant of Team Morse Racing. Both Mike and Dave continued to ride hard through the heat of the day to bring home more podium positions and make sure the race announcers were always announcing their names and sponsors. Scott Morse, owner of Morse Racing Products/GP Composites Bodywork had this to say regarding the weekend’s events: “I really don’t know how Dave and Mike ride as hard as they do in these temperatures, but their determination is contagious and keeps the whole team moving forward. Unfortunately for some racer’s this weekend, the heat proved too much and we had long delays due to red flags. From a product standpoint however, those things I see at the track and the R&D the team does for me is invaluable. The next generation products are being developed to solve these real-race-world problems, and after race weekends like this I literally can’t wait to get back to the shop and develop the ideas further” Team Morse Racing will compete next in round six of the MRA series at Pueblo Motorsports Park on August 13th & 14th. More, from a press release issued by WERA: Denning and Batey Dominate WERA National Series at Grattan BELDING, Mich. Larry Denning and Tray Batey were the riders to beat during the Michelin National Challenge Series sprint races at Grattan Raceway this past weekend, while Team Velocity Racing won the Dunlop National Endurance race in the series’ closest finish of the season. Round six of the WERA National Series started on Saturday, July 16 with the six-hour endurance race. Vesrah Suzuki and Team Velocity Racing traded for the lead throughout the race. In the final hour, rain on the back portion of the track made strategy a key factor as teams gambled on what tire combination to use. At the finish line, Team Velocity was only half a minute ahead of Vesrah, taking the overall and Heavyweight Superstock win with Chuck Ivey, Reuben Frankenfield and Mark Crozier at the helm. Vesrah Suzuki’s Tray Batey and John Jacobi finished second overall, winning the Heavyweight Superbike class. Red Star finished fourth overall, taking the Mediumweight Superbike victory with Ben Thompson, William Lindsay and Brett Champagne. The Mediumweight Superstock win went to Brian Dalke, Josh Smith-Moore and Keith Marshall of Dalke Motor Sports. The Notorious P.I.G. won the Lightweight Superbike class with riders Melissa Berkoff, Bruce Stanford and Derek Keyes. Sunday’s racing featured ten-lap National Challenge Series sprint races. Local hot shoe Larry Denning and series veteran Tray Batey took the most wins in the expert division with three each. Denning was victorious in 600 Superbike, 600 Superstock and Open Superstock. Batey was dominant as usual in 750 Superstock, Formula 1 and Heavyweight Twins Superstock. Keith Marshall took his first 750 Superbike win of the year, Chris Parrish won Lightweight Twins Superstock and Kendrick Morrison won Formula 2. In the novice division, Brian Moore led the way with wins in 600 Superstock, 750 Superstock and Open Superstock. Local rider Brian VanDerBrouck won 600 and 750 Superbike, the only other novice to score multiple wins. David Johnson won Heavyweight Twins Superstock, while the Lightweight Twins Superstock win went to Allan Burley. Richard Harris won Formula 2. Round seven of the WERA National Series will be held August 6-7 at West Virginia’s Summit Point Raceway. More information can be found online at www.WERA.com. More, from a press release issued by the Can-Am Challenge Series: CAN-AM CHALLENGE SERIES SPONSORED BY INFINITY GP RACING RACE REPORT MOSPORT, ROUND 2 JULY 16-17, 2005 125 GP The second round of the Can-Am Challenge Series saw the 125s battle it out for valuable championship points at Mosport International Speedway this past weekend. Registration would prove to result in a smaller than expected grid, with a total of 13 riders, but it has been said that it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog! Friday’s practice day had the 125s taking to the track at 12:45pm, allowing the riders to take their time in the morning to prepare their bikes. John Dempsey, the current points leader, and Matt Cooper, third in points, had taken advantage of three Mosport track days earlier in the week to hone their skills on the 3.9 km track; Cooper set the pace by topping that practice with a 1:35.007, followed by John Hjelm of Colorado with a 1:35.256, and Dempsey rounding out the top three with a 1:36.040. Alex Welsh, who was second in points before this weekend, would post a top time of 1:38.664 with the TZ for that session. The afternoon practice session took place at the end of the day, and would have Hjelm clocking the fastest time with a 1:35.070, followed by Dempsey with 1:35.534, and Cooper with a 1:35.553. Mark White and Joe Melchionda would finish out the top 5 for that session. Saturday: Saturday’s morning practice saw Dempsey, Cooper and Hjelm once again set the pace; Cooper lead the session by dropping a second off his fast time from the previous day, turning a 1:34.320. Dempsey suffered a cracked exhaust pipe and pulled off in corner three, yet still managed to stay put in second with a 1:35.142. Hjelm posted a 1:35.592. John-Ross MacRae of Calgary went from a 1:42.007 on Friday, to 1:39.802 on Saturday morning. Saturday would see the much anticipated arrival to the Can-Am Challenge series of the 250F powered four stroke of Jean Francois Trudel; his labour of love would have Mark Rabo as its pilot, a rider making his return to racing after a 2 year absence. Rabo would post a time of 1:42.756 in an effort to get the 4 stroke dialed in. Angela Hiba, still suffering from a broken collarbone sustained in the first round, mounted her 125 this weekend only to face more disaster by losing control of her Honda as she was entering the track to practice with another class; she reportedly got tangled with the bike, and her foot was caught between the swing arm and wheel, causing serious damage to her ankle and foot. The Can-Am sends their best wishes to Angela, and hopes for a speedy recovery. Saturday qualifying would have 12 bikes out on the track; the top riders would drop yet another second off their times with Cooper grabbing the pole position with a 1:33.123. Hjelm, Dempsey and Welsh joined him on the front row with 1:33.838, 1:33.841 and 1:35.420 respectively. Row 2: Mark White 1:36.754, Joe Melchionda 1:36.897, John-Ross MacRae 1:39.690. Row 3: Mark Rabo 1:42.099, Dane Walther 1:43.869, Don Murfin 1:45.310, Jim Bergey 1:46.498. Row 4: Craig Johnston 1:48.182. Sunday: Sunday morning had the riders looking to the skies, the possibility of getting the rain tires out increasing as the practice session neared its time. A dry front straight misled everyone into thinking the rest of the track was in the same condition, but in true Mosport fashion, this was not to be the case. Within two laps, there were reports from officials that corners four, five and six were indeed starting to get drizzled on. With all riders on slicks, the organizer’s made the decision to red flag the session to avoid the loss of any riders from the final grid. All riders would have liked to have gotten their laps in, but most likely none so much as Welsh, who had finally gotten hold of an Infinity Honda RS125, but had to concede to the red flag and hope that the bike would be tuned and ready for the final. Heavy rain continued to plague the day and looked as if it might continue through to the end of the 125 final, scheduled as the last race of the day. However, the precipitation did move out of the vicinity of the track, and slowly but surely, the track dried out despite the heavy humidity. Infinity GP Racing graciously sponsored the filming of this Round Two event, so as the cameras took position, so did the 125s onto their grid positions, however, much later in the day then expected. Cooper, sitting in pole position, had problems getting his RS125 off the line, and was shuffled back into the pack going into corner one. Dempsey, Hjelm and Welsh all launched cleanly, and the rest of the field followed suit. Cooper made quick work of getting back up front by the time the front of the field got to Moss’s Corner; the first lap had Hjelm, Dempsey and Cooper crossing the line in first, second and third respectively. Dempsey would lead though laps two to five, but this is not to say that it was easy work; in true 125 action Dempsey, Hjelm and Cooper were glued together throughout those laps, creating a commentating frenzy between announcers Pat Gonsalves, Frank Woods and Eric Tryko. Hjelm and Cooper fought tooth and nail for second place through laps 2 and 5, with both riders finally getting by Dempsey through corners two and three. Lap 6 had Hjelm up in front, Cooper charging hard right behind him, Dempsey bringing up the rear of this freight train of furious two strokes gunning for first place. In the third lap, Welsh had ridden off the race track to discover a broken chain. Melchionda held steady in fourth, followed by a group of riders not far behind: White, MacRae, Rabo, Bergey, Walther and Murfin; Craig Johnston rounded out the field. Lap 7 had Cooper, make a pass on the veteran rider Hjelm and make it stick for first place. The commentating was probably the most excited and animated for any race ran that weekend, the speakers practically buzzing right off their poles. Hjelm would return the favour to Cooper by passing him on the back straight, giving Dempsey, still very much in a position to jump into the fray between the two riders in front of him, a show to watch. Not only was the race amazing to watch with this group of three, but Cooper, in attempting to lead Hjelm on lap 8, lost his front end going into Moss’s 5a corner, burying himself and his bike into the hay bales. Reports have it that the fans in Moss’s were on their feet, at the fence, yelling their appreciation for a race well run. Hjelm finished off the remaining two laps in front with Dempsey in a safe second place behind him,; Melchionda remained steadfast in his newly acquired third place. Dempsey and Cooper will be looking to race together this weekend July 22-23 at Shannonville Motorsport Park for rounds 3 and 4 of the Can-Am Challenge Series with Cooper looking to take a bite out of Dempsey’s lead. Results 1. 130 John Hjelm 10 laps 2. 63 John Dempsey 10 laps 3. 330 Joe Melchionda 10 laps 4. 60 Mark White 10 laps 5. 27 John-Ross MacRae 10 laps 6. 71 Mark Rabo 10 laps 7. 20 Jim Bergey 9 laps 8. 342 Dane Walther 9 laps 9. 59 Don Murfin 9 laps 10. 179 Craig Johnston 9 laps DNF 96 Matt Cooper 8 laps DNF 801 Alex Welsh 2 laps DNS 31 Angela Hiba Current Points after round 2 of 6 rounds Dempsey 94, Melchionda 64, White 55, MacRae 54, Hjelm 53, Walther 44, Welsh 43, Cooper 41, Johnston 38, Harrington 32, Bulmann 29, Rabo 27, Bergey 25, Murfin 21, MacPhail 17.

Mid-Ohio P.R. Highlights Local Riders

LOCAL RIDERS ENJOY HOME TRACK ADVANTAGE AT MID-OHIO DUBLIN, Ohio (July 20, 2005) Several Ohio-based riders will be looking to utilize their “hometown” advantage this weekend, as the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire returns to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the 23rd time, July 22-24. Five riders will come home to the Buckeye State with the hopes of racing well on the 2.4-mile, 15-turn course in front of friends and family. Two of the five will be pulling double duty, too, as they compete in multiple classes during a weekend that includes rounds 12 and 13 of the AMA Superbike Championship. Larry Pegram, the patriarch of the Ohio contingent, is currently competing in the Superbike class. Pegram is racing a full schedule riding the Hotbodies Racing Honda. With a pair of season-high 8th-place finishes in the 6th and 9th rounds, Pegram is looking forward to racing in front of a home crowd. “It is nice to race at home where all of your family and friends can come out and watch you,” said Pegram. “I tend to put a little more pressure on myself when I come to Mid-Ohio because I want to do well here.” Currently ranked 12th in Superbike series points, Pegram is looking to jump up in the rankings with a good showing in front of a sizable and supportive crowd at Mid-Ohio. “Mid-Ohio is one of the largest stops we make in terms of spectators and it is a crowd that has a lot of fun,” Pegram added. “The show on the track is always fantastic, and it makes it a great weekend for everyone involved.” Other riders from the Buckeye State competing during the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire include Andrew Deatherage (Cleveland) Superbike; James Kerker (Marysville) Superbike, Superstock and Formula Extreme; Mark Kittel (Marysville) Supersport; and Mark Hatten (Delaware) – Formula Xtreme. They will put their considerable skills to the test on America’s most competitive road course against the likes of Honda factory riders Miguel Duhamel and Jake Zemke, and fellow title contenders Mat Mladin, Ben Spies, Aaron Yates, Eric Bostrom and Neil Hodgson. Tickets for the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire are available by calling 1-800-MID-OHIO or visiting www.midohio.com. Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a 2.4-mile, 15-turn permanent road racing circuit in Lexington, Ohio. Located 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland near Mansfield, the track has been called the most competitive in the U.S. and annually hosts a diversity of locally, regionally and nationally sanctioned racing events for amateur, club and professional riders and drivers. The remainder of Mid-Ohio’s 2005 schedule includes the EMCO Gears Classic (August 26-28) featuring the Unlimited Audio and Accessories Triple Crown Tuner Challenge, and the SCCA National Championship Runoffs® presented by Kohler (September 19-25).

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