AMA racebike mechanic Evan Steel has opened Evan Steel Performance (ESP) at 3442 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Tucson, AZ 85701, (520) 444-5125, [email protected] . Steel worked with Chris Peris during the 2004 AMA season and has also worked with Jeremy Toye.
CCS/Florida to Pay Double Bonus for “Muffler-less” Unlimited GP Race* In recognition of the upcoming “muffler-less” MOTOGP at Laguna Seca, CCS/Florida will be paying double bonus cash to the top 10 finishers without mufflers in the Expert Unlimited class at Moroso Motorsports Park on July 23-24. “We are doing the same thing that the GP’s are doing (just on a smaller scale) and that is making our main event not just something to be seen but giving it the sound that will add to the drama of road racing. Since implementing this feature to our races this year the fan response has been very positive. When that race starts all attention is on the track. And for those that don’t think that we draw spectators, I suggest they attend any Homestead or Moroso event. And to those that think this will hurt our sport, please be advised that NASCAR, IRL, NHRA and others do just fine racing without mufflers. Just take a look at the grandstands!”
RALLYE STOPS ANNOUNCED ALONG ROAD TO RED BULL U.S. GRAND PRIX “Fueling Stations” Provide Energy Boosts To Motorcyclists Monterey, Calif. (July 1, 2005) – Tens of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts will converge onto Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for next week’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, July 8-10 in Monterey, Calif. While some will travel by air, many will hit the road via motorcycle or automobile. To help keep those who travel by land fueled on their way to Monterey, Red Bull has organized the “Rallye,” a collection of over 20 Red Bull Energy Stops across the country for MotoGP enthusiasts to visit en route to the world famous, 11-turn, 2.238-mile circuit. With Rallye stops located as far east as Oberlin, Penn., as far south as Odessa, Fla. and as far north as Portland, Ore., travelers can get off the asphalt, grab a cold Red Bull, and swap riding stories before hitting the road again. Visit the Rallye section at www.redbullusgrandprix.com for more information, including an interactive map of the U.S. that highlights Rallye locations, addresses, directions, GPS coordinates, dates and times of operation. The 2005 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix marks the return of the MotoGP World Championship to the United States for the first time since 1994. Support events include the AMA Superbike, Superstock and Supersport races, as well as the Yamaha & GE-sponsored Superstars of Super Karts featuring Grand Prix motorcycle legends Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson and Kevin Schwantz. More event information is available at www.laguna-seca.com. More information on the MotoGP World Championship is available at www.motogp.com.
AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMS ON WORLD STAGE AT MAZDA RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA PICKERINGTON, Ohio (July 1, 2005) The motorcycle racing world is coming to scenic Monterey, Calif., for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on July 8-10. Round 11 of the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited will be a featured part of the weekend and it will be an opportunity for America’s best motorcycle road racers to compete in front of an international crowd expected to exceed 100,000. AMA Superbike record setter Mat Mladin leads the championship coming into this weekend’s event. The Suzuki ace from Australia is on pace to win his sixth AMA Superbike title. He scored a Superbike victory at Laguna in 2003 and, even though Mladin doesn’t consider the circuit one where he shows his best, he is still a favorite to take the top spot on the podium in the upcoming round. “It’s a very flowing racetrack,” Mladin said of Laguna. “There’s no stop/start sections on the track except for the last turn. It’s certainly a racetrack where my lap times over the past couple years have been really good, and in any of the Superbike fields that I’ve been with there, we’ve been pretty much the fastest for the last two years. But in saying that, if I had to match up and race against somebody, I certainly wouldn’t be doing it at that racetrack. It certainly wouldn’t be one that I’d pick.” Britain’s Neil Hodgson returns to Mazda Laguna Seca for the first time since his days in World Superbike. Now riding for Austin Ducati in the AMA series Hodgson looks forward to racing at one of only two tracks in the U.S. that he’s raced before. Hodgson’s enthusiasm for Laguna Seca stands in marked contrast to that of Mladin’s. “Definitely [I’m better prepared for this race because of having raced at Laguna before],” Hodgson said. “I’ve got to say this is the race I’ve been looking forward to all year. Obviously, I know the track very well. I approach all the races the same, obviously hoping to do your best. But I’ve been really excited about this event.” Hodgson recently scored his first AMA Superbike victory at a wet Road America in Wisconsin. Eric Bostrom and Miguel Duhamel join Mladin as past Superbike winners at Laguna Seca. Additionally, Bostrom has a victory in hand this year, scoring the No. 1 spot at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado in May on his Ducati Austin machine. Bostrom could tie the legendary Freddie Spencer to become the only other rider to score three AMA Superbike victories at Laguna. Duhamel, who won this race in 1998, is having a disappointing season and is looking to earn his first podium finish of the season on his factory Honda. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies is the fourth rider to have won a race this season. The Superbike rookie from Texas has been outstanding in his first full season in the premier class coming into Laguna second to Mladin. He is certain to try impressing the worldwide audience with a strong showing at Laguna. It’s been the season of Suzuki so far in AMA Superbike. Mladin and Spies’ veteran teammate Aaron Yates stands third in the points. Yates has an impressive six podium finishes this year including five runner-up results. He’s hoping to score his first win at Laguna this week. Jake Zemke has shown improvement in recent races on his factory Honda, scoring his first podium of the year at Road America. “Hopefully [we can win at Laguna],” Zemke said. “That’s what we plan every time we go to the racetrack. Unfortunately, developing the bike here in America, the problem we’ve run into is part of our racing schedule, the races so far up to this point have been so packed together that we haven’t had any time to test between the races.” Marty Craggill is the top privateer in the series so far this season. The Aussie, who rides for Mat Mladin Motorsports Suzuki, has scored seven top ten finishes putting him in a tie with Zemke for seventh in the standings. The AMA Superbike Championship race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will run on Saturday, July 9, and will be televised nationally on SPEED Channel, Sunday, July 10 beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern. For additional information on the big combined Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix/AMA Superbike weekend contact (800) 327-SECA or visit the website www.laguna-seca.com.
To help promote Speed TV’s live telecast of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, Nicky Hayden will be interviewed live this Sunday, July 3 on Speed TV’s Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain, which airs Sunday nights at 9 pm ET.
Yamaha Factory Racing Preview US Grand Prix Laguna Seca, USA 8th, 9th, 10th July 2005 YAMAHA READY FOR 50TH BIRTHDAY PARTY AT LAGUNA SECA The MotoGP World Championship returns to North America for the first time in eleven years this weekend as the USGP marks the focal point of Yamaha’s 50th Anniversary celebrations at Laguna Seca. The eighth round of the 2005 season falls just ten days after the official half-century of the Yamaha Motor Company, marking 50 years since Yamaha’s victorious race debut in the 1955 Mount Fuji Ascent race in Japan. Yamaha Factory Racing is hoping to help celebrate in fitting style. The team will again be launching a two-pronged assault on the MotoGP podium, with Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards both looking to build on impressive performances in the last round at Assen. Rossi’s sixth win in seven races so far this season was also his tenth consecutive podium finish – the longest run by a Yamaha rider since Wayne Rainey scored fifteen straight top three finishes between 1989 and 1990. It also made him the first Yamaha rider ever to score five wins in a row in the premier-class. Rossi’s victory at the Dutch TT also extended his advantage at the top of the standings to 63 points, whilst a return to the podium in third place gave Edwards the ideal springboard ahead of his home Grand Prix. The Italian and the American are two of only five riders in the MotoGP class to have scored points at all seven races this year, helping them establish a significant advantage for Yamaha Factory Racing in the teams’ standings and consolidate Yamaha’s position as the leading manufacturer. Whilst Grand Prix has not visited the Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca in over a decade, Edwards is one of only ten current MotoGP riders to have previous experience of the track. Special provisions have been made in the interest of the safety for the other eleven, with the first free practice on Friday morning extended to two hours, allowing them extra time to learn the layout of the track and adapt the MotoGP machines to its unique demands. Other changes to this weekend’s schedule include the absence of the 250cc and 125cc Grand Prix classes, which have been replaced on the timetable by a round of the AMA Superbike series and a mouth-watering Superstars of Super Karts race, featuring Yamaha legends such as Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey. Lawson, who won the first ever 500cc race at Laguna Seca for Yamaha in 1988, will be officially inducted into the MotoGP Legends Hall of Fame on Saturday lunchtime. VALENTINO ROSSI: A FRESH CHALLENGE After sweeping all before him so far this season, Valentino Rossi is looking forward to the challenge of competing at a racetrack he has only previously seen on television and video games. It is the World Champion’s first visit to California and he admits it is a trip he has been looking forward to ever since the calendar was announced. “We’ve all been waiting for this race,” says Rossi. “Usually the new races we go to are in strange places but to go to California is a real pleasure! I’ve been in the U.S. five or six years ago but only for one week. For sure California is a very good place and a lot of people say that the number of MotoGP fans have become more and more over the last few years in the U.S, so I’m expecting a lot of fans for the race. I’m also very happy to go to California for the sun and beautiful girls – I think it’s a good place! “I’ve never been to California or Laguna, but I know it’s a strange track with a difficult first section and it will be hard. I know it only from television but I have been practising with the Playstation and more or less I know the layout. I think the track is difficult because it goes up and down a lot and it’s also quite technical with some very difficult points, such as the first left after the straight and the corkscrew especially. For sure with the MotoGP bike it will be interesting. “Usually I like a lot the more technical and difficult tracks. I like a track to be quite fast but also if it is more technical, more difficult, I’m happy. The important thing is the condition of the surface; It’s important that the grip is good and that there are not too many bumps, because now the bikes are very, very fast. I hope to have a good surface and then I don’t think the layout of the track will be a problem.” Luckily for Rossi, the ideal person to help him learn the track is in the same pit garage. However, according to the World Champion, former Laguna Seca winner Colin Edwards could prove to be more of a hindrance than a help to his chances of victory on Sunday, particularly after his return to podium form at the Dutch TT last week. “Assen was great preparation for Colin’s big race and I think he’s going to be strong there,” he says. “There are some really fast American riders and people like Colin and Nicky Hayden know the track really well, so they have an advantage. Colin is always very fast at Laguna and for sure he has an extra motivation for his home grand prix. So we hope to fight together to arrive on the podium! MotoGP is always great and I hope that we can give the Americans a big show. They will like it I’m sure!” COLIN EDWARDS: CALIFORNIA KNOWS HOW TO PARTY In addition to his early racing exploits in the AMA 250cc and Superbike series’, Gauloises Yamaha rider Colin Edwards also competed in fourteen World Superbike races at Laguna Seca over eight seasons, including a victory in his last appearance there in 2002, before switching to MotoGP. The Texan is now targeting a repeat performance in motorcycle racing’s elite category as he chases his first Grand Prix victory on board the YZR-M1. “Everybody I know is coming to this race and I want to win, that’s the only thing I am thinking of,” says the 31 year old. “If anybody else wants to win they have to beat me on my own turf.” Edwards is hoping to make his home advantage count and is confident that the riders who have no previous experience of the Laguna Seca layout will find it difficult to make up the difference even with the additional hour of free practice on Friday morning. “I’m putting in a protest about the extra practice!” he jokes. “Actually, I’m not so worried about losing my advantage, it took me three or four years to learn the layout well and to figure out all the bumps. The track has the corkscrew in turn six up the hills, a little jump down the back straight and turn one, they’re the most difficult sections. “There are a few secret lines, which I won’t be sharing with anyone just yet! They take experience; you don’t just learn them overnight. I think it will be difficult for a couple of the riders and I think the guys who have ridden the track in the past will definitely have an advantage. It’s a special place and I can’t wait to go there feeling really strong. “I think the Yamaha is going to work really good there. The last bike that I rode there was a Superbike and to get a Grand Prix bike going well there is definitely going to be difficult in some areas. It’s not a real horsepower track – any bike on the grid is going to have too much power for the track, so there is no issue with power. It is just a matter of getting the setting on the bike right. You get the suspension right and get the balance working and you never know who will be up top.” The former World Superbike Champion is also expecting a party atmosphere at the eagerly anticipated event and says Laguna Seca is the ideal venue for Yamaha’s 50th birthday celebration. “It’s going to be awesome,” he promises. “The atmosphere there is just incredible, and there are so many high-profile VIPs coming. It’s going to be a real spectacle and I’ve been counting the days. Laguna is the Hollywood of motorcycling. It has really good people, good food, good atmosphere”¦ the place is unbelievable. Racing belongs there, especially MotoGP. It’s been missed for long enough and I couldn’t be more excited about going back.” DAVIDE BRIVIO: UNDER PRESSURE Yamaha Factory Racing’s Team Director Davide Brivio is equally excited about the prospects of this weekend’s Grand Prix but says that he is also conscious of the weight of expectation around his team. With a rider line-up featuring the reigning World Champion and one of the home favourites, Brivio admits the pressure will be on to make sure Yamaha’s anniversary celebrations end on a high. “We’re feeling the pressure a little bit because a lot of our Yamaha colleagues in the USA have worked very hard to bring MotoGP back to Laguna Seca and they are very excited about having us, so we want to reward them with the best possible result,” says Brivio. “We are going there after seven fantastic races and it is the perfect way to arrive for Yamaha’s 50th Anniversary celebration. “We’re still leading the teams’ and manufacturers’ standings, Valentino is on top of the championship and Colin had one of his best races of the season so far at Assen, so this is the best possible situation. Personally I am very interested to see Colin at his home race and also Valentino at a completely new venue for him. Of course we are always confident but, as I say, there is some pressure there too.” Brivio also highlighted the importance of the extra hour of practice, which will be crucial for the team as they aim to find an ideal set-up for the YZR-M1 machines at another new circuit. “The additional hour was requested by the riders and everybody agreed that it was a good idea,” he explains. “We will just go there with our base set-up and use the extra time to test as many solutions as possible, starting with the gear box and then working from there. In two hours you can do a lot. Hopefully the trend will continue from the last few races, where the bike has worked more or less straight out of the box.” BLAST FROM THE PAST CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF YAMAHA GLORY Yamaha’s Grand Prix record at the Laguna Seca racetrack is unrivalled, with no fewer than five of the six 500cc races held there having been won by riders on the YZR500. Eddie Lawson’s victory in the inaugural round in 1988 set the tone, followed by a hat-trick for Wayne Rainey between 1989 and 1991. A lone win for John Kocinski on the Cagiva the following season ended the factory’s dominance but upheld local supremacy, with all three Laguna Seca winners representing the USA. As Valentino Rossi aims to overturn the home favourites this weekend, he knows that only one other rider has managed to do so in the past. Fellow Italian Yamaha rider Luca Cadalora won the final encounter at Laguna Seca in 1994, overcoming Kocinski and Australia’s Mick Doohan to become the only non-American to win at the Monterey circuit in the history of the premier class. “I remember it was very funny because the weekend before the race we did a promotional spot on American television and they said only American riders can win at Laguna, so I was extra pleased to prove them wrong!” recalls Cadalora. “It was great, I always liked Laguna Seca. I had already won there on a 250 in 1991 but to win on the 500 was very special. I had a big fight with John Kocinski on the Cagiva and Mick Doohan on the Honda – the bikes were sideways around most of the track and it was so much fun.” “It will be so nice to see the four-strokes racing there. It is not a fast track but there are some really good corners like the one before the corkscrew and the last downhill section. It will be great to watch from these points and they will also be very important to the lap time. From what I can see of the M1, It is the type of track that will suit the way it handles. Also, Yamaha’s engineers and the whole team have done a wonderful job to create a bike that can be set up quickly at new tracks so I think both Valentino and Colin will be on the pace. “I am sure Valentino will like the track and the Grand Prix in general. Monterey is a great place. It was somewhere I always enjoyed to visit as a racer and it was always a great pleasure to ride there in front of the fans at a track like Laguna Seca.” VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION Age: 26 Lives: London, UK Bike: Yamaha Factory Racing YZR-M1 GP victories: 74 (35 X MotoGP, 13 X 500cc, 14 X 250cc, 12 X 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 147 (55 x MotoGP, 32 x 500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 39 World Championships 6 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 3 x MotoGP) COLIN EDWARDS: INFORMATION Age: 31 Lives: Conroe, Texas Bike: Yamaha Factory Racing YZR-M1 First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP) GP starts: 39 World Championships – 2 World Superbike More, from a press release issued by Suzuki: Team SUZUKI MotoGP racers help out tsunami appeal Kenny Roberts Jr and John Hopkins have both donated racing suits to a charity auction to support the victims of the Asian tsunami. Bidding for these items will take place in a unique auction of motorcycle memorabilia that is the brainchild of Dutch racing star, Jurgen van den Goorbergh. Van den Goorbergh has contacted many racing greats with the request for them to supply items for the auction. They have responded in numbers and alongside the leathers provided by the Suzuki racers will be: a signed Valentino Rossi shirt, a signed Freddie Spencer, Kenny Roberts and Erv Kanemoto photo, helmets by Loris Capirossi, Carlos Checa, Colin Edwards and Stefan Everts, plus paddock and VIP-passes for Grand Prix and Superbike events. The items can be viewed on www.driversaid.net and bidding has already started. More items will be added to the auction so make sure to check in often and get those bids in. The aim of DriversAid will be to support a housing project in Sri Lanka. This venture will give hundreds of people a new roof over their heads. All the money made with www.driversaid.net will go directly to that project. Van den Goorbergh said: “We wanted to do things right. Not just an auction, but something really special. We will be supporting a project in Sri Lanka where they are rebuilding houses, an absolute necessity when rebuilding your life.” Visit www.driversaid.net to register your bids and help build a better life through Suzuki and motorcycling.
An interesting look at how the general media views professional racing: ~http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20050629/1065963.asp~
Correction: USGPRU VIR Race Results Odenton, MD. – June 30, 2005 – The USGPRU powered by AlwaysOnline.net retracts the press release issued on June 29, 2005 claiming race results for the VIR round. Qualifying times were published in error. The correct final race results are below. A complete race report is available on the USGPRU website at www.usgpru.net. 125GP Results 1. Brian Kcraget (Hon RS125), 12 laps 2. Nobi Iso (Apr RS125), -1.878 seconds 3. Garrett Carter (Apr RS125) 4. Josh Day (Hon RS125) 5. David Celento (Hon RS125) 6. Ryan Clay (Apr RS125) 7. John Hjelm (Hon RS125) 8. Matthew Cooper (Hon RS125) 9. Joanne Sawyer (Hon RS125) 10. Merel Eschman (Hon RS125) 11. Michael Santelia (Hon RS125) 12. John Klaras (Hon RS125) 13. Steve Gorrell (Hon RS125) 14. Joseph Melchionda (Hon RS125) 15. Glen Pison (Hon RS125) 16. Dennis Woods (Hon RS125) 17. Chris Marshall (Hon RS125) 18. Paul Hoyt Nelson (Hon RS125), -1 lap 19. Richie Kjar (Hon RS125), -1 lap 20. Andre Esser (Hon RS125), -1 lap 21. Rebecca Henn (Hon RS125), -1 lap 22. Bill Clery (Hon RS125), -1 lap 23. Duane Hixon (Hon RS125), -1 lap 24. Shellie Matthews (Hon RS125), -1 lap 25. Dane Walther (Hon RS125), -1 lap 26. James Bergey (Hon RS125), -1 lap 27. Darrin Kuebler (Hon RS125), -1 lap 28. Kyurim Rhee (Hon RS125), -1 lap 29. Alessandro Acquisti (Yam TZ125), -2 laps 30. Chris Vest (Hon RS125), -3 laps 31. Brian Burton (Hon RS125), -4 laps 32. Lee Hollimon (Hon RS125), -7 laps 250GP 1. Brian Kcraget (Hon RS250), 12 laps 2. Sean Wray (Yam TZ250), -1.508 seconds 3. Bill Himmelsbach (Yam TZ250) 4. Josh Day (Yam TZ250) 5. Kory Gill (Yam TZ250) 6. Jim Bonner (Yam TZ250) 7. Joseph Melchionda (Yam TZ250) 8. Turu Illgen (Yam TZ250) 9. Paul Hoyt Nelson (Hon RS250) 10. David Matthews (Yam TZ250) 11. Dennis Woods (Hon RS125) 12. John Klara (Hon RS125) 13. J. Pat Bartlett (Yam TZ250), -1 lap penalty (start line infraction) 14. Ryan Clay (Apr RS125), -1 lap 15. Darrin Kuebler (Hon RS125), -1 lap 16. Shellie Matthews (Hon RS125), -1 lap 17. Nobi Iso (Yam TZ250), -2 laps, DNF, crash 18. James Whitaker (Hon RS250), -11 laps, DNF
AMA/Ford Quality Checked Series Points Leader Chris Carr Heads To Michigan With The Ford QC Team To Run Lake Odessa Half Mile Coolbeth and Kopp close margin a bit on Carr’s points lead last week in Lima, Ohio FLEETWOOD, Pa., AMA/Ford Quality Checked Certified Pre-owned Flat Track Championship series points leader and defending series champion Chris Carr along with the Ford Quality Checked Team – will be in Lake Odessa, Michigan’s I-96 Speedway this weekend for round seven of the legendary motorcycle racing series. Carr’s closest rivals thus far this year, Kenny Coolbeth and Joe Kopp, closed the margin on Carr’s overall lead in the points standings to 22 and 21 points, respectively. “I go into each and every race with the idea that I have a better-than-average chance to win,” said Carr. “We feel our Ford Quality Checked Certified Pre-owned team, with our bikes and staff, gives us that advantage. Lake Odessa will be no different. If we do our jobs as a team, we’ll be capable of winning.” Carr continued: “I look at the top five guys and those next four are the guys I have to beat every week. Other guys jump up now and then, but I’m especially focused on the next two. Kenny Coolbeth and Joe Kopp are the guys I’ve got to beat this week as far as I’m concerned.” All signs point finally towards some descent racing weather this weekend at Lake Odessa. With what Carr calls “a drought-buster series this year,” the AMA/Ford Quality Checked Certified Pre-owned Flat Track Championship has been effected by rain by one way or another at each of the seven rounds. This past weekend in Limo, Ohio, was no different as the AMA and promoters had to scramble to even get the race in. “We had a nice little shower right after practice and forced the program to be modified, eliminating the qualifiers,” said Carr of the Lima race. Carr said that the adjustment didn’t affect the Ford Quality Checked team in the least bit. “We finished second to Jared Mees in our heat race and he’d go on to win the main,” added Carr. With a second row starting position, Carr was able to launch his XR 750 out to fifth place start off the second row. “We worked hard to run up from there and I was able to get up front and pass one of the guys to get into fourth,” said Carr. “Overall we felt fortunate and looked forward to moving on to the next race.” Carr hasn’t raced Lake Odessa since 1998, where he was on the podium in third place. “It’s been a while since I’ve raced there, remember it being a racy little track,” said Carr of the smallish half mile, clay surface track. “I understand they’ve dolled-up the facility so I’m looking forward to going back there and seeing what the hubub’s about, flick our XRs around a little bit.” Carr continued: “The younger guys haven’t raced there that much. It’s not a big horsepower track, nothing tricky, so it should be a very competitive race.” The current AMA Flat Track champion, winningest active racer in the sport with 70 wins and six AMA Flat Track championship titles, the Chris Carr legend continues. For more information on Chris Carr, visit his website at www.chriscarr.com
BMW K1200R: True Confessions The Return Of Army Of Darkness Kawasaki ZX6-RR Project Formula Xtreme Finale Quick Look: Ducati 999 Cribs: Steve Crevier Keith Code: The 48 Parts Of Riding MotoGP At Estoril MotoGP At Shanghai MotoGP At LeMans AMA At Barber AMA At California Speedway AMA At Infineon World Superbike At Valencia World Superbike At Monza F-USA At Road America WERA At Autobahn Country Club CCS At Road America CMRA At Texas World Letters To The Editor Inside Info 10 Years Ago Numbers MotoGP Trivia MotoGP Mutterings, On China MotoGP Mutterings, On Speed The Crash Page Road Racing & School Calendar Guide To Road Racing Organizations High-Performance Parts & Services Club Champion: Mike Sullivan New Products Want Ads Advertisers Index And Directory Chris Ulrich: Adventures Of A Racer On The Front Cover: Five-time Champion Mat Mladin continues to dominate the AMA Superbike Series, running away from the competition at will—except for one time when his bike quit. Here, Mladin wheelies his GSX-R1000 at Infineon Raceway. Photo by Riles&Nelson.
AMA racebike mechanic Evan Steel has opened Evan Steel Performance (ESP) at 3442 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Tucson, AZ 85701, (520) 444-5125, [email protected] . Steel worked with Chris Peris during the 2004 AMA season and has also worked with Jeremy Toye.
CCS/Florida to Pay Double Bonus for “Muffler-less” Unlimited GP Race* In recognition of the upcoming “muffler-less” MOTOGP at Laguna Seca, CCS/Florida will be paying double bonus cash to the top 10 finishers without mufflers in the Expert Unlimited class at Moroso Motorsports Park on July 23-24. “We are doing the same thing that the GP’s are doing (just on a smaller scale) and that is making our main event not just something to be seen but giving it the sound that will add to the drama of road racing. Since implementing this feature to our races this year the fan response has been very positive. When that race starts all attention is on the track. And for those that don’t think that we draw spectators, I suggest they attend any Homestead or Moroso event. And to those that think this will hurt our sport, please be advised that NASCAR, IRL, NHRA and others do just fine racing without mufflers. Just take a look at the grandstands!”
RALLYE STOPS ANNOUNCED ALONG ROAD TO RED BULL U.S. GRAND PRIX “Fueling Stations” Provide Energy Boosts To Motorcyclists Monterey, Calif. (July 1, 2005) – Tens of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts will converge onto Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for next week’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, July 8-10 in Monterey, Calif. While some will travel by air, many will hit the road via motorcycle or automobile. To help keep those who travel by land fueled on their way to Monterey, Red Bull has organized the “Rallye,” a collection of over 20 Red Bull Energy Stops across the country for MotoGP enthusiasts to visit en route to the world famous, 11-turn, 2.238-mile circuit. With Rallye stops located as far east as Oberlin, Penn., as far south as Odessa, Fla. and as far north as Portland, Ore., travelers can get off the asphalt, grab a cold Red Bull, and swap riding stories before hitting the road again. Visit the Rallye section at www.redbullusgrandprix.com for more information, including an interactive map of the U.S. that highlights Rallye locations, addresses, directions, GPS coordinates, dates and times of operation. The 2005 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix marks the return of the MotoGP World Championship to the United States for the first time since 1994. Support events include the AMA Superbike, Superstock and Supersport races, as well as the Yamaha & GE-sponsored Superstars of Super Karts featuring Grand Prix motorcycle legends Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson and Kevin Schwantz. More event information is available at www.laguna-seca.com. More information on the MotoGP World Championship is available at www.motogp.com.
AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMS ON WORLD STAGE AT MAZDA RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA PICKERINGTON, Ohio (July 1, 2005) The motorcycle racing world is coming to scenic Monterey, Calif., for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on July 8-10. Round 11 of the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited will be a featured part of the weekend and it will be an opportunity for America’s best motorcycle road racers to compete in front of an international crowd expected to exceed 100,000. AMA Superbike record setter Mat Mladin leads the championship coming into this weekend’s event. The Suzuki ace from Australia is on pace to win his sixth AMA Superbike title. He scored a Superbike victory at Laguna in 2003 and, even though Mladin doesn’t consider the circuit one where he shows his best, he is still a favorite to take the top spot on the podium in the upcoming round. “It’s a very flowing racetrack,” Mladin said of Laguna. “There’s no stop/start sections on the track except for the last turn. It’s certainly a racetrack where my lap times over the past couple years have been really good, and in any of the Superbike fields that I’ve been with there, we’ve been pretty much the fastest for the last two years. But in saying that, if I had to match up and race against somebody, I certainly wouldn’t be doing it at that racetrack. It certainly wouldn’t be one that I’d pick.” Britain’s Neil Hodgson returns to Mazda Laguna Seca for the first time since his days in World Superbike. Now riding for Austin Ducati in the AMA series Hodgson looks forward to racing at one of only two tracks in the U.S. that he’s raced before. Hodgson’s enthusiasm for Laguna Seca stands in marked contrast to that of Mladin’s. “Definitely [I’m better prepared for this race because of having raced at Laguna before],” Hodgson said. “I’ve got to say this is the race I’ve been looking forward to all year. Obviously, I know the track very well. I approach all the races the same, obviously hoping to do your best. But I’ve been really excited about this event.” Hodgson recently scored his first AMA Superbike victory at a wet Road America in Wisconsin. Eric Bostrom and Miguel Duhamel join Mladin as past Superbike winners at Laguna Seca. Additionally, Bostrom has a victory in hand this year, scoring the No. 1 spot at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado in May on his Ducati Austin machine. Bostrom could tie the legendary Freddie Spencer to become the only other rider to score three AMA Superbike victories at Laguna. Duhamel, who won this race in 1998, is having a disappointing season and is looking to earn his first podium finish of the season on his factory Honda. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies is the fourth rider to have won a race this season. The Superbike rookie from Texas has been outstanding in his first full season in the premier class coming into Laguna second to Mladin. He is certain to try impressing the worldwide audience with a strong showing at Laguna. It’s been the season of Suzuki so far in AMA Superbike. Mladin and Spies’ veteran teammate Aaron Yates stands third in the points. Yates has an impressive six podium finishes this year including five runner-up results. He’s hoping to score his first win at Laguna this week. Jake Zemke has shown improvement in recent races on his factory Honda, scoring his first podium of the year at Road America. “Hopefully [we can win at Laguna],” Zemke said. “That’s what we plan every time we go to the racetrack. Unfortunately, developing the bike here in America, the problem we’ve run into is part of our racing schedule, the races so far up to this point have been so packed together that we haven’t had any time to test between the races.” Marty Craggill is the top privateer in the series so far this season. The Aussie, who rides for Mat Mladin Motorsports Suzuki, has scored seven top ten finishes putting him in a tie with Zemke for seventh in the standings. The AMA Superbike Championship race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will run on Saturday, July 9, and will be televised nationally on SPEED Channel, Sunday, July 10 beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern. For additional information on the big combined Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix/AMA Superbike weekend contact (800) 327-SECA or visit the website www.laguna-seca.com.
To help promote Speed TV’s live telecast of the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, Nicky Hayden will be interviewed live this Sunday, July 3 on Speed TV’s Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain, which airs Sunday nights at 9 pm ET.
Yamaha Factory Racing Preview US Grand Prix Laguna Seca, USA 8th, 9th, 10th July 2005 YAMAHA READY FOR 50TH BIRTHDAY PARTY AT LAGUNA SECA The MotoGP World Championship returns to North America for the first time in eleven years this weekend as the USGP marks the focal point of Yamaha’s 50th Anniversary celebrations at Laguna Seca. The eighth round of the 2005 season falls just ten days after the official half-century of the Yamaha Motor Company, marking 50 years since Yamaha’s victorious race debut in the 1955 Mount Fuji Ascent race in Japan. Yamaha Factory Racing is hoping to help celebrate in fitting style. The team will again be launching a two-pronged assault on the MotoGP podium, with Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards both looking to build on impressive performances in the last round at Assen. Rossi’s sixth win in seven races so far this season was also his tenth consecutive podium finish – the longest run by a Yamaha rider since Wayne Rainey scored fifteen straight top three finishes between 1989 and 1990. It also made him the first Yamaha rider ever to score five wins in a row in the premier-class. Rossi’s victory at the Dutch TT also extended his advantage at the top of the standings to 63 points, whilst a return to the podium in third place gave Edwards the ideal springboard ahead of his home Grand Prix. The Italian and the American are two of only five riders in the MotoGP class to have scored points at all seven races this year, helping them establish a significant advantage for Yamaha Factory Racing in the teams’ standings and consolidate Yamaha’s position as the leading manufacturer. Whilst Grand Prix has not visited the Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca in over a decade, Edwards is one of only ten current MotoGP riders to have previous experience of the track. Special provisions have been made in the interest of the safety for the other eleven, with the first free practice on Friday morning extended to two hours, allowing them extra time to learn the layout of the track and adapt the MotoGP machines to its unique demands. Other changes to this weekend’s schedule include the absence of the 250cc and 125cc Grand Prix classes, which have been replaced on the timetable by a round of the AMA Superbike series and a mouth-watering Superstars of Super Karts race, featuring Yamaha legends such as Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey. Lawson, who won the first ever 500cc race at Laguna Seca for Yamaha in 1988, will be officially inducted into the MotoGP Legends Hall of Fame on Saturday lunchtime. VALENTINO ROSSI: A FRESH CHALLENGE After sweeping all before him so far this season, Valentino Rossi is looking forward to the challenge of competing at a racetrack he has only previously seen on television and video games. It is the World Champion’s first visit to California and he admits it is a trip he has been looking forward to ever since the calendar was announced. “We’ve all been waiting for this race,” says Rossi. “Usually the new races we go to are in strange places but to go to California is a real pleasure! I’ve been in the U.S. five or six years ago but only for one week. For sure California is a very good place and a lot of people say that the number of MotoGP fans have become more and more over the last few years in the U.S, so I’m expecting a lot of fans for the race. I’m also very happy to go to California for the sun and beautiful girls – I think it’s a good place! “I’ve never been to California or Laguna, but I know it’s a strange track with a difficult first section and it will be hard. I know it only from television but I have been practising with the Playstation and more or less I know the layout. I think the track is difficult because it goes up and down a lot and it’s also quite technical with some very difficult points, such as the first left after the straight and the corkscrew especially. For sure with the MotoGP bike it will be interesting. “Usually I like a lot the more technical and difficult tracks. I like a track to be quite fast but also if it is more technical, more difficult, I’m happy. The important thing is the condition of the surface; It’s important that the grip is good and that there are not too many bumps, because now the bikes are very, very fast. I hope to have a good surface and then I don’t think the layout of the track will be a problem.” Luckily for Rossi, the ideal person to help him learn the track is in the same pit garage. However, according to the World Champion, former Laguna Seca winner Colin Edwards could prove to be more of a hindrance than a help to his chances of victory on Sunday, particularly after his return to podium form at the Dutch TT last week. “Assen was great preparation for Colin’s big race and I think he’s going to be strong there,” he says. “There are some really fast American riders and people like Colin and Nicky Hayden know the track really well, so they have an advantage. Colin is always very fast at Laguna and for sure he has an extra motivation for his home grand prix. So we hope to fight together to arrive on the podium! MotoGP is always great and I hope that we can give the Americans a big show. They will like it I’m sure!” COLIN EDWARDS: CALIFORNIA KNOWS HOW TO PARTY In addition to his early racing exploits in the AMA 250cc and Superbike series’, Gauloises Yamaha rider Colin Edwards also competed in fourteen World Superbike races at Laguna Seca over eight seasons, including a victory in his last appearance there in 2002, before switching to MotoGP. The Texan is now targeting a repeat performance in motorcycle racing’s elite category as he chases his first Grand Prix victory on board the YZR-M1. “Everybody I know is coming to this race and I want to win, that’s the only thing I am thinking of,” says the 31 year old. “If anybody else wants to win they have to beat me on my own turf.” Edwards is hoping to make his home advantage count and is confident that the riders who have no previous experience of the Laguna Seca layout will find it difficult to make up the difference even with the additional hour of free practice on Friday morning. “I’m putting in a protest about the extra practice!” he jokes. “Actually, I’m not so worried about losing my advantage, it took me three or four years to learn the layout well and to figure out all the bumps. The track has the corkscrew in turn six up the hills, a little jump down the back straight and turn one, they’re the most difficult sections. “There are a few secret lines, which I won’t be sharing with anyone just yet! They take experience; you don’t just learn them overnight. I think it will be difficult for a couple of the riders and I think the guys who have ridden the track in the past will definitely have an advantage. It’s a special place and I can’t wait to go there feeling really strong. “I think the Yamaha is going to work really good there. The last bike that I rode there was a Superbike and to get a Grand Prix bike going well there is definitely going to be difficult in some areas. It’s not a real horsepower track – any bike on the grid is going to have too much power for the track, so there is no issue with power. It is just a matter of getting the setting on the bike right. You get the suspension right and get the balance working and you never know who will be up top.” The former World Superbike Champion is also expecting a party atmosphere at the eagerly anticipated event and says Laguna Seca is the ideal venue for Yamaha’s 50th birthday celebration. “It’s going to be awesome,” he promises. “The atmosphere there is just incredible, and there are so many high-profile VIPs coming. It’s going to be a real spectacle and I’ve been counting the days. Laguna is the Hollywood of motorcycling. It has really good people, good food, good atmosphere”¦ the place is unbelievable. Racing belongs there, especially MotoGP. It’s been missed for long enough and I couldn’t be more excited about going back.” DAVIDE BRIVIO: UNDER PRESSURE Yamaha Factory Racing’s Team Director Davide Brivio is equally excited about the prospects of this weekend’s Grand Prix but says that he is also conscious of the weight of expectation around his team. With a rider line-up featuring the reigning World Champion and one of the home favourites, Brivio admits the pressure will be on to make sure Yamaha’s anniversary celebrations end on a high. “We’re feeling the pressure a little bit because a lot of our Yamaha colleagues in the USA have worked very hard to bring MotoGP back to Laguna Seca and they are very excited about having us, so we want to reward them with the best possible result,” says Brivio. “We are going there after seven fantastic races and it is the perfect way to arrive for Yamaha’s 50th Anniversary celebration. “We’re still leading the teams’ and manufacturers’ standings, Valentino is on top of the championship and Colin had one of his best races of the season so far at Assen, so this is the best possible situation. Personally I am very interested to see Colin at his home race and also Valentino at a completely new venue for him. Of course we are always confident but, as I say, there is some pressure there too.” Brivio also highlighted the importance of the extra hour of practice, which will be crucial for the team as they aim to find an ideal set-up for the YZR-M1 machines at another new circuit. “The additional hour was requested by the riders and everybody agreed that it was a good idea,” he explains. “We will just go there with our base set-up and use the extra time to test as many solutions as possible, starting with the gear box and then working from there. In two hours you can do a lot. Hopefully the trend will continue from the last few races, where the bike has worked more or less straight out of the box.” BLAST FROM THE PAST CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF YAMAHA GLORY Yamaha’s Grand Prix record at the Laguna Seca racetrack is unrivalled, with no fewer than five of the six 500cc races held there having been won by riders on the YZR500. Eddie Lawson’s victory in the inaugural round in 1988 set the tone, followed by a hat-trick for Wayne Rainey between 1989 and 1991. A lone win for John Kocinski on the Cagiva the following season ended the factory’s dominance but upheld local supremacy, with all three Laguna Seca winners representing the USA. As Valentino Rossi aims to overturn the home favourites this weekend, he knows that only one other rider has managed to do so in the past. Fellow Italian Yamaha rider Luca Cadalora won the final encounter at Laguna Seca in 1994, overcoming Kocinski and Australia’s Mick Doohan to become the only non-American to win at the Monterey circuit in the history of the premier class. “I remember it was very funny because the weekend before the race we did a promotional spot on American television and they said only American riders can win at Laguna, so I was extra pleased to prove them wrong!” recalls Cadalora. “It was great, I always liked Laguna Seca. I had already won there on a 250 in 1991 but to win on the 500 was very special. I had a big fight with John Kocinski on the Cagiva and Mick Doohan on the Honda – the bikes were sideways around most of the track and it was so much fun.” “It will be so nice to see the four-strokes racing there. It is not a fast track but there are some really good corners like the one before the corkscrew and the last downhill section. It will be great to watch from these points and they will also be very important to the lap time. From what I can see of the M1, It is the type of track that will suit the way it handles. Also, Yamaha’s engineers and the whole team have done a wonderful job to create a bike that can be set up quickly at new tracks so I think both Valentino and Colin will be on the pace. “I am sure Valentino will like the track and the Grand Prix in general. Monterey is a great place. It was somewhere I always enjoyed to visit as a racer and it was always a great pleasure to ride there in front of the fans at a track like Laguna Seca.” VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION Age: 26 Lives: London, UK Bike: Yamaha Factory Racing YZR-M1 GP victories: 74 (35 X MotoGP, 13 X 500cc, 14 X 250cc, 12 X 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 147 (55 x MotoGP, 32 x 500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 39 World Championships 6 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 3 x MotoGP) COLIN EDWARDS: INFORMATION Age: 31 Lives: Conroe, Texas Bike: Yamaha Factory Racing YZR-M1 First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP) GP starts: 39 World Championships – 2 World Superbike More, from a press release issued by Suzuki: Team SUZUKI MotoGP racers help out tsunami appeal Kenny Roberts Jr and John Hopkins have both donated racing suits to a charity auction to support the victims of the Asian tsunami. Bidding for these items will take place in a unique auction of motorcycle memorabilia that is the brainchild of Dutch racing star, Jurgen van den Goorbergh. Van den Goorbergh has contacted many racing greats with the request for them to supply items for the auction. They have responded in numbers and alongside the leathers provided by the Suzuki racers will be: a signed Valentino Rossi shirt, a signed Freddie Spencer, Kenny Roberts and Erv Kanemoto photo, helmets by Loris Capirossi, Carlos Checa, Colin Edwards and Stefan Everts, plus paddock and VIP-passes for Grand Prix and Superbike events. The items can be viewed on www.driversaid.net and bidding has already started. More items will be added to the auction so make sure to check in often and get those bids in. The aim of DriversAid will be to support a housing project in Sri Lanka. This venture will give hundreds of people a new roof over their heads. All the money made with www.driversaid.net will go directly to that project. Van den Goorbergh said: “We wanted to do things right. Not just an auction, but something really special. We will be supporting a project in Sri Lanka where they are rebuilding houses, an absolute necessity when rebuilding your life.” Visit www.driversaid.net to register your bids and help build a better life through Suzuki and motorcycling.
An interesting look at how the general media views professional racing: ~http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20050629/1065963.asp~
Correction: USGPRU VIR Race Results Odenton, MD. – June 30, 2005 – The USGPRU powered by AlwaysOnline.net retracts the press release issued on June 29, 2005 claiming race results for the VIR round. Qualifying times were published in error. The correct final race results are below. A complete race report is available on the USGPRU website at www.usgpru.net. 125GP Results 1. Brian Kcraget (Hon RS125), 12 laps 2. Nobi Iso (Apr RS125), -1.878 seconds 3. Garrett Carter (Apr RS125) 4. Josh Day (Hon RS125) 5. David Celento (Hon RS125) 6. Ryan Clay (Apr RS125) 7. John Hjelm (Hon RS125) 8. Matthew Cooper (Hon RS125) 9. Joanne Sawyer (Hon RS125) 10. Merel Eschman (Hon RS125) 11. Michael Santelia (Hon RS125) 12. John Klaras (Hon RS125) 13. Steve Gorrell (Hon RS125) 14. Joseph Melchionda (Hon RS125) 15. Glen Pison (Hon RS125) 16. Dennis Woods (Hon RS125) 17. Chris Marshall (Hon RS125) 18. Paul Hoyt Nelson (Hon RS125), -1 lap 19. Richie Kjar (Hon RS125), -1 lap 20. Andre Esser (Hon RS125), -1 lap 21. Rebecca Henn (Hon RS125), -1 lap 22. Bill Clery (Hon RS125), -1 lap 23. Duane Hixon (Hon RS125), -1 lap 24. Shellie Matthews (Hon RS125), -1 lap 25. Dane Walther (Hon RS125), -1 lap 26. James Bergey (Hon RS125), -1 lap 27. Darrin Kuebler (Hon RS125), -1 lap 28. Kyurim Rhee (Hon RS125), -1 lap 29. Alessandro Acquisti (Yam TZ125), -2 laps 30. Chris Vest (Hon RS125), -3 laps 31. Brian Burton (Hon RS125), -4 laps 32. Lee Hollimon (Hon RS125), -7 laps 250GP 1. Brian Kcraget (Hon RS250), 12 laps 2. Sean Wray (Yam TZ250), -1.508 seconds 3. Bill Himmelsbach (Yam TZ250) 4. Josh Day (Yam TZ250) 5. Kory Gill (Yam TZ250) 6. Jim Bonner (Yam TZ250) 7. Joseph Melchionda (Yam TZ250) 8. Turu Illgen (Yam TZ250) 9. Paul Hoyt Nelson (Hon RS250) 10. David Matthews (Yam TZ250) 11. Dennis Woods (Hon RS125) 12. John Klara (Hon RS125) 13. J. Pat Bartlett (Yam TZ250), -1 lap penalty (start line infraction) 14. Ryan Clay (Apr RS125), -1 lap 15. Darrin Kuebler (Hon RS125), -1 lap 16. Shellie Matthews (Hon RS125), -1 lap 17. Nobi Iso (Yam TZ250), -2 laps, DNF, crash 18. James Whitaker (Hon RS250), -11 laps, DNF
AMA/Ford Quality Checked Series Points Leader Chris Carr Heads To Michigan With The Ford QC Team To Run Lake Odessa Half Mile Coolbeth and Kopp close margin a bit on Carr’s points lead last week in Lima, Ohio FLEETWOOD, Pa., AMA/Ford Quality Checked Certified Pre-owned Flat Track Championship series points leader and defending series champion Chris Carr along with the Ford Quality Checked Team – will be in Lake Odessa, Michigan’s I-96 Speedway this weekend for round seven of the legendary motorcycle racing series. Carr’s closest rivals thus far this year, Kenny Coolbeth and Joe Kopp, closed the margin on Carr’s overall lead in the points standings to 22 and 21 points, respectively. “I go into each and every race with the idea that I have a better-than-average chance to win,” said Carr. “We feel our Ford Quality Checked Certified Pre-owned team, with our bikes and staff, gives us that advantage. Lake Odessa will be no different. If we do our jobs as a team, we’ll be capable of winning.” Carr continued: “I look at the top five guys and those next four are the guys I have to beat every week. Other guys jump up now and then, but I’m especially focused on the next two. Kenny Coolbeth and Joe Kopp are the guys I’ve got to beat this week as far as I’m concerned.” All signs point finally towards some descent racing weather this weekend at Lake Odessa. With what Carr calls “a drought-buster series this year,” the AMA/Ford Quality Checked Certified Pre-owned Flat Track Championship has been effected by rain by one way or another at each of the seven rounds. This past weekend in Limo, Ohio, was no different as the AMA and promoters had to scramble to even get the race in. “We had a nice little shower right after practice and forced the program to be modified, eliminating the qualifiers,” said Carr of the Lima race. Carr said that the adjustment didn’t affect the Ford Quality Checked team in the least bit. “We finished second to Jared Mees in our heat race and he’d go on to win the main,” added Carr. With a second row starting position, Carr was able to launch his XR 750 out to fifth place start off the second row. “We worked hard to run up from there and I was able to get up front and pass one of the guys to get into fourth,” said Carr. “Overall we felt fortunate and looked forward to moving on to the next race.” Carr hasn’t raced Lake Odessa since 1998, where he was on the podium in third place. “It’s been a while since I’ve raced there, remember it being a racy little track,” said Carr of the smallish half mile, clay surface track. “I understand they’ve dolled-up the facility so I’m looking forward to going back there and seeing what the hubub’s about, flick our XRs around a little bit.” Carr continued: “The younger guys haven’t raced there that much. It’s not a big horsepower track, nothing tricky, so it should be a very competitive race.” The current AMA Flat Track champion, winningest active racer in the sport with 70 wins and six AMA Flat Track championship titles, the Chris Carr legend continues. For more information on Chris Carr, visit his website at www.chriscarr.com
BMW K1200R: True Confessions The Return Of Army Of Darkness Kawasaki ZX6-RR Project Formula Xtreme Finale Quick Look: Ducati 999 Cribs: Steve Crevier Keith Code: The 48 Parts Of Riding MotoGP At Estoril MotoGP At Shanghai MotoGP At LeMans AMA At Barber AMA At California Speedway AMA At Infineon World Superbike At Valencia World Superbike At Monza F-USA At Road America WERA At Autobahn Country Club CCS At Road America CMRA At Texas World Letters To The Editor Inside Info 10 Years Ago Numbers MotoGP Trivia MotoGP Mutterings, On China MotoGP Mutterings, On Speed The Crash Page Road Racing & School Calendar Guide To Road Racing Organizations High-Performance Parts & Services Club Champion: Mike Sullivan New Products Want Ads Advertisers Index And Directory Chris Ulrich: Adventures Of A Racer On The Front Cover: Five-time Champion Mat Mladin continues to dominate the AMA Superbike Series, running away from the competition at will—except for one time when his bike quit. Here, Mladin wheelies his GSX-R1000 at Infineon Raceway. Photo by Riles&Nelson.
