Troy discusses the preseason tests and his adaptation to the Camel Honda team

Troy Bayliss is generally recognised as a friendly, easy-going character in the paddock and an aggressive and determined competitor on the track, a true warrior who gets the most out of his talent in a race, more than in qualifying or testing. Last year, at the end of a difficult season which saw himself and his team-mate Loris Capirossi struggle with a bike which had been taken down a less-than-perfect path of development, the former World Superbike Champion signed off with a superb podium at Valencia, demonstrating the tenacity he had needed to gradually improve the set-up of his Ducati.

Having moved from SBK to MotoGP two years ago, the switch to Camel Honda at the end of 2004 signals another decisive point in his career, which for Troy is another major source of motivation:

“For me the switch from Ducati to Honda is a bigger change than coming from Superbikes to MotoGP”, commented the Australian before departing for Qatar, where he will begin three days of tests tomorrow. “But it is a challenge which I am ready to take on and it gives me a lot of motivation.”

“Occasionally it’s still a bit of a strange feeling because at the end of the day Honda has been the rival bike for such a long time,” he continued. “But the team is fantastic and we’re already getting a good rapport going. There’s a really good team spirit not just with Sito, Santi, Ramon and my mechanics but also with Alex and his team. It’s incredible how hard everybody is working to help me find a better feeling with the bike, which is still a fast machine capable of winning races, as the lap times of my factory colleagues have shown and the times I set myself in Spain at the end of 2004. The first stage of our preseason preparations has definitely had high and low points, with great results at Jerez and a few too many difficulties at Sepang. But Malaysia has never been one of my favourite tracks and things went a lot better the following week at Phillip Island.”

Troy admits that he has to improve several areas of the set-up of the bike but he is ready to work with the team with the objective of being ready for the first race of the season and remains positive as he continues his learning period.

“At the end of the day the season starts at Jerez, where we looked strong, whilst Malaysia is towards the end of the season and we will have had a lot of time to get ready for that race,” he smiles.

The Camel Honda team will be back on track at the Losail circuit in Qatar alongside several other top MotoGP teams for three days of tests starting tomorrow.

“I can’t wait,” says Bayliss. “I want to complete as many kilometres as possible and continue the work we started in Australia. We won’t make major changes to the set-up but we’ll just keep going step by step, trying to find a good rhythm and improving the feeling, working on the electronic management system and the suspension. Qatar is a strange circuit where I haven’t ridden much and where we have very few references. The Superbikes have just raced there so the track might not be too dirty but you never know, it only takes a bit of wind to blow sand onto the track. Anyway, it’s good to be able to test there.”

Finally, Troy commented on the new rules in MotoGP, which will see quite a few changes next season.
“I’m not convinced by the new flag-to flag rule in case of rain but, as far as I’m concerned, I think it’s a good idea to just have one qualifying session on a Saturday afternoon.  That way on a Friday we can concentrate solely on finding a good set-up for the bike and there’ll be more time for testing, without worrying about lap times”.

After the Qatar test and before the first IRTA sessions in Spain, Troy Bayliss, Alex Barros and the rest of the Camel Honda team will be in Italy on the 16th March for the official team presentation in Milan.

Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Jay Leno raised $800,100 for tsunami relief efforts through the eBay auction of a 2005 Road King, signed by Tonight Show guests. For the past several weeks, the motorcycle was on the set of The Tonight Show, and more than 60 celebrity guests signed it. A total of 219 bids were received for the motorcycle on eBay. David P. Steiner, CEO of Waste Management, Inc., was the winning bidder at $800,100 and all of the proceeds will go to support tsunami relief efforts.

Harley-Davidson donated the 2005 white Road King motorcycle as part of the Harley-Davidson Foundation Tsunami Relief Fund Effort, which will continue throughout 2005. Harley-Davidson has set a goal to raise $1 million, which will be donated to those relief agencies targeting the areas most heavily affected by the disaster.

The Foundation will match monies contributed to the fund by employees, dealers, suppliers and customers on a dollar-for-dollar basis, up to a total Foundation donation of $500,000. The Fund is being administered through U.S. Bank in Milwaukee, Wis. All contributions in excess of $250 will be acknowledged in writing by the Harley-Davidson Foundation for personal accounting/tax receipt purposes.

For more information, visit www.harley-davidson.com and click on the relief effort box.

ODENTON, MD. – The United States Grand Prix Riders Union
(USGPRU) released the calendar of events for the 2005 National Series.  As
with previous years, the 2005 Series is comprised of five East Coast and
five West Coast Regional races, with a final National Championship race. The
USGPRU will run both the 125GP and 250GP classes again in 2005.  Race and
event formats consist of timed qualifying sessions, 50 km GP-length races,
points to 25th place, and cash purses.

Racers will choose a home region to race in, and have the option of applying
one of their best out of region race points to the overall championship
series.

East Coast
Mar. 3-4                        Jennings GP - WERA (non points event)
Apr. 2-3                         Jennings GP - CCS Florida
June 24-26                    VIR - F-USA
July 19-21                     Mid Ohio - AMA Sports
Aug. 12-14                    Barber - F-USA
Sep. 10-11                    Autobahn South - FUSA

West Coast
Apr. 30 - May 1 Vegas Classic - CCS
June 25-26                    Portland - OMRRA
July 16-17                     Thunder Hill - AFM
Aug. 13-14                    Vegas Speedway Infield - WERA West
Sep. 24-25                    California Speedway Infield - WERA West

National Championship Finale
Oct. 1-2                        Texas World Speedway - CMRA

About USGPRU

The USGPRU is the officially recognized Motorcycle 125 Grand Prix National
Championship and 250 Grand Prix National Championship series.  The
USGPRU emulates true World MotoGP racing experience and serves to attract
young riders to gain experience in a professional environment and provide a
path to world-class motorcycle racing.  The USGPRU structures events with
extended length grand prix racing exclusive to the GP machines, timed
qualifying and strong contingency and sponsor support.  For additional
details, visit www.USGPRU.net

GPR STABILIZER TO PARTNER WITH TEAM M4 EMGO SUZUKI IN 2005

GPR Stabilizer is proud to announce their sponsorship and technical
partnership with Team M4 EMGO Suzuki for the 2005 road race season.  GPR
Stabilizer will provide their high-performance steering dampers while
working with the team’s riders and crew to develop and refine new products
for the sportbike market.

Team Hammer, Inc., racing in 2005 as Team M4 EMGO Suzuki, is a multi-time
championship-winning team in AMA Pro, Formula USA and WERA road racing,
celebrating its 25th year of professional motorcycle racing.  Riders Vincent
Haskovec and Geoff May will participate in the 2005 AMA U.S. Superbike
Series, with Vincent competing for the Superstock and Formula Xtreme
championships, while Geoff will compete for the Superstock and Supersport
titles.

“We’re excited to be involved with such a great team, with great riders,”
said Jeff Norman of GPR Stabilizer.  “With all of the championships and
experience that Team M4 EMGO Suzuki has, they’re the perfect team for us to
partner with on product development.  We’ve supported Vincent in the past,
and we’re looking forward to working with him and the rest of the team.”

With their background in aerospace design and machining, GPR Stabilizer
manufactures and sells the world’s finest steering dampers and accessories.
All design, machining, laser engraving, packaging and shipping of the
finished kits is done in-house in San Diego, California.  GPR Stabilizer
kits are available through local dealers, and are distributed in the U.S. by
Lockhart Phillips USA, Parts Unlimited, Tucker Rocky and White Brothers.
For more information, please call (619) 422-5771 or visit
www.gprstabilizer.com.  In the U.K. and Europe, please call GPR Stabilizer
U.K. at 44-01945-58-58-42.

For more information on Team Hammer, Inc. please visit www.teamhammer.com.

Kansas City Final Assembly Plant Celebrates Production of 50,000th V-Rod

On the afternoon of February 8, 2005, the VRSC and Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO) lines reached an important milestone when the 50,000th VRSC motorcycle was produced. The two-tone Electric Orange and Black VRSCSE Screamin’ Eagle V-Rod was built and shipped to a Harley-Davidson dealership where some lucky owner will take delivery of this cool motorcycle with a place in VRSC history.

New to the line-up for the 2005 model year, these CVO Screamin’ Eagle V-Rods are produced through a joint effort between the VRSC and CVO lines.

Also produced on this line is the newest member of the VRSC family, the VRSCR Street Rod.  A combination of muscular style and agile performance, the Street Rod is decidedly more aggressive with its upright riding position, inverted front forks, 40-degree lean angle, 1130cc Revolution V-Twin engine and tuned suspension.    

NO LUCK FOR SCUDERIA CARACCHI IN QATAR

Not a lucky day today for the riders of Scuderia Caracchi in Qatar, as well everybody scored some point for the championship on Losail track, showed by the rain today too.

Which got more has been Fonsi Nieto, very fast during the wet warm up in the morning. The Spanish rider ended twice in 13th position the two races scheduled for Superbike event.

In Race-1 Fonsi started as lightning, ending the first lap in 8th position and running seventh a couple of lap later, but the front tyre stopped working and Fonsi must yield some position; at the moment that the race has been stopped by red flag he was in 11th position.

At the second start all the space before him have been closed and he wasn’t able to repeat the first holeshoot, so someone has been able to overtook him in the final aggregate classification. Also at Race-2 start Fonsi couldn’t find any free space to pass, and he remained locked in the group; more during the third lap an hard braking action by Muggas forced him to lose moro positions, sending him in 19th position. From that moment on Fonsi made a good progression with several overtaking that gave him the final 13th position under the chequered flag.

“I should be satisfied, but I’m only partially”. – commented his performance Fonsi Nieto. “During Race-1 it has been fantastic to stay with the best for a few laps, then some trouble on the front slowed me. For the second heat we made a dry set up, but the track was still wet in several points, more I’ve been looked into the group at the start, while some rider which were behind me when the race stopped find the way free and have been able to recover their delay, so I lost some position. Also in Race-2 at the start I didn’t find any space, then after a few laps an Honda has been close to send me out and I must push hardly to get some position.”

After the yesterday free practice session Lorenzo Lanzi was confident to get their trouble solution, but after the warm up things were differently. During Race-1, in the wet heat, Lorenzo wasn’t fast, then at the new start things were better as long as somebody send him in the gravel, in a three bike crash with him, Gimbert and Neukirchner.

In Race-2 Lanzi had a better start and rode all the 18 lap race just behind the group fighting for the fourth place: he could see his rivals before him, but without be able to cacth them, and ended in 12th position.

“During Race-1 everything has been wrong, from the set up to the crash at a few laps to finish.”. – said Lorenzo Lanzi. “I don’t know exactly who shooted me, but I felt a big shot and I found myself in the gravel together two riders. I felt a bad pain in my right leg, but by luck nothing important, only pain and no fracture! During Race-2 I started at the shoulder of a big group engaged in a close figt, but I’ve been not able to catch them. At the end that was frustrating and I close the throttle, looking to finish the race.”

Race without emotions for Gianluca Nannelli in Supersport. Also for the Tuscany native rider the warm up didn’t give any positive result. At the start Gianluca had a splendid holeshot, moving aside Fujiwara stopped in the front row because his hesitancy engine. At half of the first lap Nannelli was about sixth-seventh placed when,  Fujiwara, just him, engaged in a wild recovering, in practice did send him out, forcing him to slow to remain in the track and to lose several positions.

“I was hoping more and more, but the rain during the warm up didn’t allow us to select a good set up, on the contrary we made a more safe setting, but losing some speed”. – said an disappointed Gianluca Nannelli. “I made a very good start, but in the middle of the first lap Fujiwara overtook me very hard in the internal side and I must use a largest line, so I lost several places. Then I could only to look for finish the race and score some important point for the championship.”

MATSUSHIMA PERFORMANCE SUZUKI is pleased to announce their AMA roadrace team, which will compete as MPTRacing.com /JC Baldwin Suzuki in the 2005 American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) U.S. Superbike Championship. Riders Danny Eslick and Jeremiah Johnson will compete on Pirelli shod Suzuki GSX-R600 Motorcycle Roadrace equipment. Both riders will be focusing on the
AMA Pro Honda Oils Supersport and AMA Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme classes.

Primary sponsorship for the MPTRacing.com /JC Baldwin Suzuki team will come from the JC Baldwin Construction Company from Carlsbad, CA. MPTRacing.com /JC Baldwin Suzuki is happy to welcome back major team sponsors including Suzuki Motor Company, Leo Vince Exhaust Systems, Pirelli Tires, Vortex and NASTI Motorsports. 

Danny joins the team in ’05. Jeremiah moved up in the team after racing with Pirelli tires on MATSUSHIMA PERFORMANCE Racing’s satellite team in ’04. Building and tuning the team’s Suzuki GSX-R600 motorcycles will be Crew Chief and Engine Builder Grant “Yasuji” Matsushima of Matsushima Performance and Tuning in Montclair, CA.  Assisting Grant at the races will be crewmembers Danny Chili and Brandon Emmons (team mgr.), with Kelly
Matsushima as team coordinator.

Racing on Pirelli tires will be new to Danny, he tested the new Pirelli race compounds for the first time during a test at California Speedway this month and felt that they really suited his riding style well. During the test Danny stated, “I’m really happy to be working with Grant, it is great to be working with someone who wants to work with me as much as I want to work with him. The Pirellis were different then what I was used to, but I couldn’t feel anything wrong with the front (tire), and I really liked the rear (tire).”

At the end of testing at the California Speedway course, Jeremiah stated, “I’m really happy with the way Grant has these bikes set up, best bikes I have ever ridden on. Even after coming off the Superbikes from last year, this MPTRacing.com/JC Baldwin Suzuki GSX-R600 still feels like a very fast bike. I’m surprised at how well it accelerates for a 600.”

Matsushima Performance and Tuning is an official Leo Vince distributor. In support of Leo Vince’s new contingency program in all of the AMA Roadracing classes, MPTRacing.com/JC Baldwin Suzuki will be exhibiting a Leo Vince Exhaust System display and providing track side support for all Leo Vince customers at each of the AMA U.S. Superbike Championship rounds in 2005.

Look for the MPT Racing.Com/JC Baldwin Suzuki team at Daytona International Speedway during the AMA Superbike/Daytona 200 race weekend in March. Stop by the pits and see the MPT Original Street Rod.

For more information, contact MPT Racing at (909) 624-2020 or visit their website at www.mptracing.com.

DUCSHOP’S DAYTONA PARTY
 
Ducshop Performance Center will be watching the AMA Superbike season opener on Saturday March 12 at Mazzy’s Sports Bar & Grill at 2217 Roswell Road, Marietta, Georgia. The bar will open at 11am ready for the race at 11:15am.
 
To raise money for the Tibet Fund they have arranged a sweepstake and for just $10 you could win:

First Prize: Two General Admission tickets to the US MotoGP at Laguna Seca, which include a tour of the Hot Pits. You will also receive two official Yamaha GP caps.

Second Prize: A $100 gift certificate from Cycle Cat

Third Prize: An Alpinestars Gearbag valued at $60.
 
Please visit www.ducshop.com/pr13.jsp for more information.
 
Ducshop would like to express a big thank you to Brad Haynes for donating the GP tickets and to Alfred at Cycle Cat for the gift certificate.

ROUND 1 DOHA, QATAR – 26th February 2005
Race Report

26th February 2005, Doha (Qatar) After a two day test in the run up to race weekend, and an intervening spell of hot dry weather, the inaugural Losail race weekend was punctuated by frequent bouts of wet weather, highly uncharacteristic for this normally arid region. This made the work of tyre selection, and many of Pirelli’s pre-race plans, a game finally played by intuition and reaction to change despite extensive preparations. With only one of each Superbike and Supersport qualifying sessions held in dry conditions, the Superpole competition proved dry-wet-dry, meaning that many big names were caught out by conditions and failed to make the Superpole cut.

 

Race 1

TRACK CONDITION Dry AIR HUMIDITY 84%
TRACK TEMPERATURE 23° AIR TEMPERATURE 22°

With all riders on the hardest front tyres and the softest rears, the first race was a predictable triumph for the Alstare Suzuki riders, who proved to be fast in both sessions of what was a halted and re-started event, due to rain after ten laps. The aggregate race showed the same top three as race one ending on top, with Troy Corser winning from Yukio Kagayama and Ducati rider Regis Laconi.

Race Standings:

 Rider Bike Team Race time
1 Corser Suzuki GSXR Alstare Suzuki 37’10.394
2 Kagayama Suzuki GXR Alstare Suzuki +3.065
3 Laconi Ducati 999 Ducati Xerox   +3.496

 
Race 2

TRACK CONDITION Dry AIR HUMIDITY 75%
TRACK TEMPERATURE 29° AIR TEMPERATURE 22°

An uninterrupted run of all 18-laps of the 5.380km Losail circuit in race two saw some riders make better use of their tyre selections than others. Front tyre wear was a significant factor for those with less set-up and testing time in pre-season, and thus the Suzuki duo were once more to the fore, with Kagayama winning on a hard front and a hard rear, Troy Corser ruing his choice of a “medium” rear as he finished third behind Laconi’s Ducati.

Pirelli Racing Manager Giorgio Barbier, stated, “We have had a very hard time here and the first two days were particulary difficult. But at the finish we have good results from the Superbike product. The first race was stopped early due to rain, so we do not have much evidence of tyre endurance, but in the second race there were a lot of riders on a good lap times, even at the end of the race. For sure the front tyre is our first priority for the future at this track. It appears that day by day the track has improved, even race by race, the track has improved.

Standings:

 Rider Bike Team Race time
1 Kagayama Suzuki GXR Alstare Suzuki 37’00.062
2 Laconi Ducati 999 Ducati Xerox +2.454
3 Corser Suzuki GSXR Alstare Suzuki +5.959

World Championship Standings:

 Rider Bike Team Points
1 Kagayama Suzuki GXR Alstare Suzuki 45
2 Corser Suzuki GSXR Alstare Suzuki 41
3 Laconi Ducati 999 Ducati Xerox 36

 
 

TRACK CONDITION Dry AIR HUMIDITY 84%
TRACK TEMPERATURE 23° AIR TEMPERATURE 23°

Front tyre wear, on this peculiar circuit, was of concern to all WSS runners, but with many riders opting for the softer option after long runs in training, the top two trophies were won by riders with identical tyre choices. Winston Ten Kate runner Katsuaki Fujiwara reeled in his team-mate Sebastien Charpentier in the later stages of the race, with another Honda rider, Michel Fabrizio in third.

Pirelli Racing Manager, Giorgio Barbier, stated, “The only problem we have experienced on track was during the Supersport race. This track was quite hard on the front and in the end the riders who won proved to be those who had their bike set-up in the best condition after practice. We did not get so much time to work on the set-up of the bikes, because of the rains coming and going. The rain actually cleans the track so this morning it was in a worse condition than it is now.

Race Standings:

 Rider Bike Team Race time
1 Fujiwara Honda CBR Winston Ten Kate 37’54.414
2 Charpentier Honda CBR Winston Ten Kate 5.462
3 Fabrizio Honda CBR Italia Megabike 13.970

World Championship Standings:

 Rider Bike Team Points
1 Fujiwara Honda CBR Winston Ten Kate 25
2 Charpentier Honda CBR Winston Ten Kate 20
3 Fabrizio Honda CBR Italia Megabike   18