From a press release:

AiM Sports, LLC Looking Forward to Greater Success in 2005

(Lake Elsinore, CA ­ 26-Jan-2005) AiM Sports, LLC is still in business.

Some confusion has arisen due to a recent news item about a business called “Aim Racing Products” from Lynnwood, WA that is going out of business. This business has no connection to AiM Sports, LLC, makers of the MyChron3, MXL and TG lines of digital displays, timers and data loggers.

AiM Sports, LLC, with locations in Lake Elsinore, CA and Roanoke, VA, is still in business and expects to continue as a leading provider of electronic instrumentation to the performance motor sports industry.

“2004 was a very successful year for AiM Sports and we are looking forward to continuing our growth in 2005. We’ve recently introduced the compact MyChron TG Log data logger, as well as the advanced DaVid video and data logging system,” said Michael Jaynes, President of AiM Sports. “These products are perfect examples of AiM’s commitment to innovation and to delivering products that fit our customers’ needs.”

As a further indication of our commitment to our customers, AiM Sports customers can look forward to a new and improved website going live this week at www.aimsports.com.

From a press release:

AMA Flat Track Multi-Time Champion Chris Carr Set To Appear At Chicago Stop Of The 2005 Cycle World International Motorcycle Shows® Presented By Toyota

Carr will hang out with fans and sign autographs on Friday and Saturday at Chicago’s Donald Stephen’s Convention Center

Santa Ana, CA – Advanstar Powersports Group announced today that six-time AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr will attend the Chicago round of the 2005 Cycle World International Motorcycle Shows, presented by Toyota.

Carr, the most winning active racer on the AMA Flat Track Championship series, is already a legend in the sport and a highly popular figure in the Illinois flat track racing scene. No less than five different venues host AMA flat track events in the State of Illinois, including Route 66 Raceway (Joliet), Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield), Tri-City Speedway (Granite City), Peoria – home of the legendary “Peoria TT,” and the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds (DuQuoin).

“The great State of Illinois is the epicenter for the AMA Flat Track Championships,” said Advanstar’s Director of Business Development, Mike Kidd – himself a former AMA Grand National Champion. “Chris Carr is very well known throughout this part of the country and the Chicago IMS will give his legion of fans an opportunity to meet with Chris, get an autograph and talk about the upcoming AMA flat track season.”

The 2003 Speed Channel Athlete of the Year and nominee for the 2002 AMA Athlete of the Year and “Cycle News” Rider of the Year, the Ford Quality Checked/Lancaster Harley Davison-sponsored Carr was excited about the opportunity to be part of the Chicago IMS and looking forward to meeting with his fans from the Midwest.

“The sport of flat track racing is huge in Illinois and the Ford Quality Checked team has an outstanding fan base here in the Chicago area and around the rest of the state,” said Carr. “I’m looking forward to meeting with the fans and spending some time talking racing. The Chicago IMS will provide and excellent forum for this, especially considering I don’t have a race to run. Just kick back, sign some autographs, take some pictures and hang with the fans. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Carr will make several apperances Friday, February 11th, from 4pm-9pm, Saturday, February 12th, from 9am-9pm and Sunday, February 13th 9:30am-6:00pm.

Traveling to 12 major cities across the country, the Cycle World International Motorcycle Shows presented by Toyota Trucks is an unparalleled opportunity for bike buffs along with casual enthusiasts to experience the cutting-edge of powersports vehicles, products, and services. Expected to be among the 2004 line-up include BMW, Buell, Cagiva, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Husquvarna, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Triumph, Victory and Yamaha. Representatives from local dealerships will be available to answer questions and help enthusiasts determine the perfect ride for their size and experience level.

Show attendees looking for in-depth information on motorcycle parts and accessories can visit expert staff in “The Factory,” a showcase of the latest aftermarket products and essential riding gear where motorheads can compare and discuss everything from performance parts to the latest communications hardware with manufacturer representatives. We are pleased to have the following companies participating in the Factory: Arai Helmets, Autocom, Avon Tyres, Baehr, Bell Powersports, Bub Enterprises, Chatterbox!, Cobra, Dowco, Dunlop, European Motorcycle Accessories, HJC, K&N, Kendon, Metzeler, Odyssey, Ozbike, Pirelli, Pro Circuit, Progressive Suspension, Repsol, River Road, Saddlemen, Shoei, T-Bags, Tomahawk, Travelcade, Troy Lee Designs, Tucker Rocky and Ventura.

Progressive Insurance has recently signed on as official product sponsor of the Cycle World International Motorcycle Shows presented by Toyota Trucks. Progressive’s sponsorship includes the Series’ new web based e-ticketing program where attendees can purchase tickets on the web site, print them from home and avoid waiting in line at the show. This gives enthusiasts and families less wait-time and more time to enjoy the show. Visit: www.motorcycleshows.com to purchase your e-tickets and skip the lines.

The Cycle World International Motorcycle Shows® presented by Toyota Trucks kicked off in San Francisco, with later stops including Dallas, Southern California, Seattle and Denver. The show will continue with stops in Washington D.C, New York, Ohio, Minneapolis, Chicago and Detroit.

Tickets are available in advance at www.motorcycleshows.com and on-site at the box office. Members of the American Motorcyclist Association who show their membership cards when purchasing tickets at the box office on-site are eligible for a $1 rebate coupon redeemable at the AMA booth inside the show. Discount coupons are also available at participating local dealers. Visit www.motorcycleshows.com for a complete list of participating dealerships. Only one discount will be granted per ticket; no discount offers may be combined.

Copyright 2005, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION:

Via e-mail:

Aim Racing Products will be closing business as of Jan 31, 2005. I would like to thank all customers and I will be honoring any remaining warranties on oxygen sensor kits and lap timers. The parent company AIM Inc will continue to operate from the same location and I can be reached at 888-323-5100 or 425-771-5100.

Sincerely,
Steve Dahlstrom
AIM INC
Lynnwood, WA

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

AMA PRO RACING HOSTS TIMING AND SCORING SUMMIT PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Jan. 26, 2005) – AMA Pro Racing recently hosted a unique timing and scoring conference with officials from the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, Indy Racing League (IRL) and Champ Car World Series at its headquarters in Pickerington, Ohio, on January 13.

The conference, proposed by AMA Pro Racing Director of Timing and Scoring Ken Rogers to bring together each North American sanctioning body currently using the AMB-i.t. Timegear timing and scoring system, was held to discuss operational challenges and share best practices of each group.

Joining Rogers at the first-ever summit were NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Director of Timing & Scoring Steve Lowery, Indy Racing League Director of Timing & Scoring Jon Koskey and Champ Car World Series Director of Timing & Scoring Bill Skibbe. AMB-i.t. based in The Netherlands, was represented by Boris Nagels, the chief software designer of the innovative Timegear software.

“Every motorsports sanctioning body faces smilar challenges,”Rogers said. “After discussing our idea with NASCAR, Champ Car and the IRL, we all felt this conference would be a very productive way to explore solutions that can be used by each of our organizations.”

Among the items discussed were hardware set-up, software applications, staffing issues and the evolution of traditional timing and scoring functions into comprehensive mobile information technology services. Group members also compared notes on how they transmit information using the Timegear system. While there are commonalities among the various sanctioning bodies, each organization approaches timing and scoring functions a little differently.

“The Champ Car Series and IRL each rely on the individual tracks’ wiring infrastructures to transmit information, and NASCAR uses a portable fiber optic network,” Rogers said. “AMA Pro Racing is really the only series that uses wireless connectivity to relay information from each remote timing point.”

As these four organizations are the primary sanctioning bodies in the world using the Timegear multi-point timing software, Rogers said the collective feedback shared by all four organizations will be used by Nagels and his team to generate updated software releases. Additionally, all four groups have initiated plans to expand the conference into an annual multi-discipline event.

About AMA Pro Racing

AMA Pro Racing is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its properties include the THQ AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Motocross Championship, the AMA Superbike Championship, the AMA Flat Track Championship and the AMA Supermoto Championship. For more information about AMA Pro Racing, visit www.amaproracing.com

From a press release issued by Sidi importer Motonation:

Scott Greenwood signs with Sidi boots.

Scott Greenwood, one of New England’s most prolific road racers recently signed an agreement with Motonation in which he will wear Sidi boots in the 2005 season. Scott plans on riding the Formula USA series in both the
Sportbike and Superbike classes as well as in select AMA Nation rounds when the schedules do not conflict.

Motonation is proud to have Scott join the Sidi team of riders and is looking forward to working with him for many, many years to come.

From a press release issued by the CMRA:

Christopher and Stephen Corder and Marianna Essing have agreed to move their existing sponsorship to the “Mr. Corder Racing Fast Lap”. They will pay $150 to the rider setting the fastest transponder-recorded lap, (regardless of
bike size or class) during Sunday’s sprint races (not practice) at all ten CMRA events. The winning rider will be announced following the event, with a post on the CMRA message board and the rider’s name and lap time posted underneath the Mr. Corder Racing logo on the home page, where it will stay until the following race.

Thanks to Mr. Corder racing for their continued support!

From a press release issued by California Superbike School:

“A Twist of the Wrist” in Estonian?

Marching along with the translations of Keith Code’s “A Twist of the Wrist” books into other languages is the completed Estonian version.

A proof copy of the translation has already been submitted and adopted as recommended reading by the Estonian DMV and plans to open a California Superbike School are in progress. Estonians will be off to a good start, using the “A Twist of the Wrist” books, as we did here in America, for their rider improvement bibles.

Estonia, ever heard of this tiny country slightly smaller than Vermont and New Hampshire combined? Its on the Baltic Sea south of Finland and north of Latvia right next to Russia. It’s 1.3 million population has 98 FIM licensed racers and about 3,000 people who own modern street bikes.

If America had this same enthusiasm per capita we would have over 20,000 internationally licensed racers! Top all that off with three race tracks and you have a picture of Estonian enthusiasm.

Races typically draw around 150 competitors, again, very healthy numbers for the size of the country. But check out the attendance figures: races average 20,000 people per event. Can you imagine 20,000 people showing up for a WERA, CCS, AFM or any other non national event?


From another press release issued by California Superbike School:

Color Media to Publish Keith Code’s “A Twist of the Wrist” books in France

French publisher Color Media and Keith Code have completed the translation and inked a publishing and distribution contract for Code’s ground breaking and ever popular “A Twist of the Wrist” book. Color Media publishes “Sport Bikes” magazine in France among other titles.

Sport Bikes editor in chief, Diane de Salve, met with Code and 2002 125cc World Champion Arnaud Vincent at a track day in southern France this October held at Ales, a small circuit north of Marseilles, France.

Vincent and Code spent the entire day going over the “A Twist of the Wrist” material with Vincent recording his notes which will appear in the margins of the French translation along with Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey’s comments and observations on the book material.

“Arnaud was really surprised by the whole experience. First off, he had never ridden a street bike before in his life and second, no one had ever asked him specific questions about his skills. After I’d already asked him two dozen questions on his riding he asked me if there were any more and I said ‘lots more’, he grinned and wanted to continue.”

Depending on the success of the first book, Color Media has interest in the other two of Code’s books, “A Twist of the Wrist, Volume II” and “The Soft Science of Roadracing Motorcycles”. The first book is set for Spring release and will feature new photography and upgraded graphics, the text will remain the same as the original but in French of course.

Another notch up in our continuing process of educating riders around the world.

Twist Of The Wrist

From a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist:

GOOD TEST FOR TROY!

After a really relaxing but fun time with my family and friends over Christmas and New Year, it was good to get back in the saddle again. And what a good test it was for us! After three days and nearly 190 laps, I left Phillip Island with the feeling that I could’ve raced the Alstare Suzuki GSXR1000 the very next day! It was good because the bike was as good at the start of the test as it had been at the end of the previous test, so we had a good base to start working. Over the three days, I never felt that I was having to push hard, but my laps times were good and very consistent. I did a race simulation on the final day and we were all very pleased with the time we achieved.

During the tests, we tried many different changes and loads of tyres and tried to get a good base set-up. Phillip Island is a good track for testing, because it has a great variety of corners and if you can find a good set-up for your bike there, it’s going to work pretty well almost any other circuit.

As usual, I had a bit of a problem with the Phillip Island wildlife! Because there was only me and my team mate Yukio on the track, the local birdlife didn’t have heaps of bikes charging round to scare them off the track, so they were a constant threat. The stupid things would just stand there in the middle of the track usually on the racing line for some reason ­and only get out of the way (or not!) at the last moment. In three days, I hit three of them (all plovers I think) and ended up with one smashed screen and a cracked front mudguard. Twice I had to wipe blood of my leathers after a collision, but at least I didn’t crash like Yukio. Mind you he didn’t hit a bird, he hit a hare! And really, he didn’t crash when he hit it, he just tipped off in the gravel trap after he went off the track.

The team is gelling really well and the new members have all slotted in almost perfectly. Of course, the Alstare Suzuki is still very new and there’s heaps of work to be done, but at this stage things are looking good. Yukio did pretty good at the test and because he is such an aggressive rider, he’s gonna keep my on my toes for sure. It’s good having a strong team mate, and once he understands the limits of the Pirellis he’s going to be a real threat. At the moment, I think we have a great package and certainly I’ll be going for the title right from the start. With all the strong riders and new teams coming into the series, it’s going to be a tremendous year for World Superbike fans.

It’s great riding a fast bike again and after years of looking at the back of other riders, I’m looking forward to them seeing my back!

See ya.

Troy

From a press release issued by Pine Run Motorsports Park:

New race track planned for Pine County

Investment group introduces new club membership concept to the Upper Midwest

FOREST LAKE, Minn. ­ A motorsports facility with multiple race tracks is in the development stage in Pine County.

The project, named Pine Run Motorsports Park, will offer a variety of racing, featuring a 3.9-mile road course, a quarter-mile championship dragstrip, a go-cart track, a clubhouse with lounge, locker room and observation deck, and a “vehicle dynamics area.”

Pine Run will also offer a number of spectator events involving sanctioned professional motorsports racing as well as other events such as snowmobile grass drags and snowcross races.

For day-to-day use, Pine Run will feature club racing where sports car owners can buy an annual membership and then race their car on designated days. It¹s a concept that’s growing rapidly in other parts of the country because owners of high-performance sports cars want a safe facility in which to drive their cars fast.

The proposed track configuration is four tracks in one, with a tri-oval track (three turns and three straightaways) wrapped around two short road courses that can be connected to make one four-mile road course. A road course involves both right and left turns, unlike an oval track that features all left turns.

The vehicle dynamics area will be used for driving instruction, and to test vehicles in varying road conditions. It’s basically a large, open paved area used to train drivers in skid recovery, slalom, evasive and defensive driving, braking, etc.

Pine Run is being developed by Forest Lake-based JD Investments on a 500-acre parcel about 10 miles west of Pine City, Minn., near the town of Henriette. JD Investments is currently working with Pokegama Township and Pine County to acquire approval for the project.

“We’ve very excited to start working with local governments and neighbors to move our project forward,” said Jed Copham, JD Investments CEO. “As a recreation destination, we believe Pine Run will be a fantastic asset for Pine County as it brings business to this area, creates jobs and generates significant taxes for the county.

Those who use Pine Run are expected to come from the Twin Cities, Duluth and central Minnesota, Copham said. But the facility could host drivers and car clubs from throughout the country. And its spectator events could bring competitive and professional racers from around the globe.


Editorial Note: Pine City, Minnesota is located approximately halfway between the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and Duluth, one hour from each, just off Interstate 35.

From a press release issued by the FIM:

Endurance World Championship

2005 Permanent Teams

2, Suzuki Castrol Team, FRA, Suz GSX-R1000, Vincent Philippe, FRA, Matthieu Lagrive, FRA, Keiichi Kitagawa, JPN

3, Yamaha Phase One Endurance, GBR, Yam YZF-R1, Andi Notman, GBR, Damian Cudlin, AUS, Dean Ellison, GBR

4, Benelli X – One, ITA, Ben Tornado TRE 900, Paolo Tessari, ITA, Riccardo Ricci, ITA, tba, tba

5, Bridgestone Bikers Profi Team, GER, Suz GSX-R1000, Tim Roethig, GER, Thomas Cziborra, GER, Stefan Strauch, GER, Ame Tode, GER

6, Shell Endurance Academy, GBR, Yam YZF-R1, Henry Ficher, GBR, Marko Rohtlaan, EST, Alek Buseski, POL

7, Yamaha Austria Racing Team, AUT, Yam YZF-R1, Horst Saiger, AUT, Igor Jerman, SLO, Gwen Giabbani, FRA, Thomas Hinterreiter, AUT

8, Bolliger Team Switzerland, SUI, Kaw ZX-10R, Marcel Kellenberger, SUI, David Morillon, FRA, tba, tba

10, Ducati Spring Team, ITA, Ducati 999, Matteo Colombo, ITA, Lorenzo Mauri, ITA, tba

11, MV Agusta Burger King Lust Racing, GER, MV Agusta F4 1000, Gerd P. Meyer, GER, Stefan Meyer, GER, tba

14, Maco Moto Racing Team, SLK, Yam YZF-R1, Martin Kuzma, SLK, Milos Cihak, CZE, Marek Svoboda, CZE

15, Team Innodrom Racing, GER, Suz GSX-R1000, Niggi Schmassmann, SUI, Lars Albrecht, GER, tba

18, Suzuki Eurosport Benelux, NED, Suz GSX-R1000, tba, tba, tba

21, Kawasaki Endurance Germany, GER, Kaw ZX-10R, Mark Bruning, GER, Thomas Roth, GER, tba

44, No Limits & R.T. Motor Team, ITA, Suz GSX-R1000, Roberto Ruozi, ITA, Moreno Codeluppi, ITA, Andrea Giachino, ITA

51, Suzuki Fabi Corse, ITA, Suz GSX-R1000, Patrizio Fabi, ITA, tba, tba

68, Team Power Bike, FRA, Yam YZF-R1, David Barrot, FRA, Patrick Viera, FRA, tba

76, Suzuki Austria Team 76, AUT, Suz GSX-R1000, Gerhard Klein, AUT, Sandor Bitter, HUN, Marjan Malec, SLO

666, Kawasaki Diablo 666, GBR, James Hutchins, GBR, Kevin Falcke, GBR, Steve Mizera, GER, Mike Edwards, GBR