Copyright 2004 Roadracing Publishing Inc.

Brainerd International Raceway’s (BIR) tentative status on the 2005 AMA Superbike schedule is not so tentative. AMA Pro Racing has been in contact with Brainerd International Raceway and the only sticking point right now is whether or not the Superbike race weekend will be a two-day or three-day event.

According to BIR President Bill Singleterry, “It’s just whether we’re gonna have a Friday, Saturday, Sunday event like we normally always have or just have a Saturday and a Sunday event. That’s why that is put in there as tentative.

“When you break with tradition, How will that affect the fans? That’s the only point of discussion right now. Would it be detrimental to the fans, or to us, or to AMA if we just schedule it for Saturday and Sunday? We’re a lot different up here than most tracks. Most tracks you go to a hotel room and then you go out to the races. Here we have camping and everything.”

Singleterry went onto say, “There’s nothing like a big secret or something that’s going on. It’s just the fact will we do it Friday-Saturday-Sunday or will we just do it Saturday-Sunday?”

The current AMA Superbike Championship schedule has the event at BIR being held on June 25-26, as a two-day event. The 2004 AMA Superbike event at BIR was a three-day event.

From a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:

NAKANO HEADS FOR BIRMINGHAM AND THE INTERNATIONAL MOTORBIKE SHOW

Shinya Nakano and his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR are set to be the stars of the Kawasaki stand at this year’s International Motorbike Show at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre.

The Ninja ZX-RR that Nakano took to third place in this year’s Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, and tenth place in the 2004 MotoGP World Championship standings, will be displayed on the Kawasaki stand for the duration of the show, which opens its doors to the public from 5-15 November.

A busy winter test schedule means that Nakano’s visit to the largest powered two wheeler show in the UK will be limited to just two days; press and trade day on Thursday 4th November and the public preview day on Friday 5th November.

The 27-year-old Fuchs Kawasaki rider will be making regular appearances on both days, with autograph sessions scheduled on the Fuchs Silkolene and Arlen Ness stands in hall 19, the Kawasaki K-Care stand in hall 7 and the main Kawasaki stand in hall 18.

This will be Nakano’s first visit to the International Motorbike Show, and the Japanese ace is looking forward to meeting again the race fans who gave him such a warm welcome at the British Grand Prix earlier in the year.

“I’ve never been to a motorcycle show in the UK before, but I was really impressed with the knowledge and enthusiasm of everyone I talked to at Donington Park this year and I’m looking forward to meeting the British race fans again in Birmingham,” declared Nakano.

Nakano finished the 2004 MotoGP World Championship season in fine style at Valencia on Sunday, bringing his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR home in seventh place in the race to secure tenth position in the final championship standings.

Nakano will return to Japan for a well earned break after appearing at the International Motorbike Show, before heading to the Jerez and Paul Ricard circuits at the end of November, where he’ll be joined by team-mate Alex Hofmann for further development tests aboard the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR.

From a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:

JIM REDMAN JOINS KAWASAKI JOURNALIST TEST DAY AT VALENCIA

Six times World Champion, Jim Redman MBE, joined journalists from all over the world at Valencia today, for a test ride aboard the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR MotoGP machines of Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann.

The annual end of season test provided journalists with the opportunity to find out what Nakano and Hofmann experience each race weekend, as they put the Ninja ZX-RR through its paces around the circuit on which Nakano secured tenth place in the 2004 MotoGP Championship standings just 24 hours previously.

And while many of the journalists testing the Kawasaki today were well known former racers, none could match the achievements of Redman, who notched up four 350cc and two 250cc world titles on a variety of factory Hondas. To this day, nobody has won more world titles for Honda than Redman.

At the height of his career, Redman achieved a unique triple win at the 1964 Dutch TT, where he took victory in the 125cc, 250cc and 350cc Grand Prix races in a single day – a feat that is unlikely ever to be matched in the modern era!

And if further proof of his versatility were needed, Redman also notched up six Isle of Man TT wins during his distinguished racing career.

Now living in South Africa, 73-year-old Redman still has a racer’s blood running through his veins. The former factory Honda rider is a regular competitor at classic events throughout the world and, to a man, his rivals claim he hasn’t lost the competitive streak that made him so successful on the Grand Prix circuit.

“It was absolutely fantastic, but I think I’d need at least a couple of ten lap sessions to do the bike justice,” said the six times World Champion of his ride on the Ninja ZX-RR. “The power the bike produces makes it difficult to open the throttle because the front wheel just keeps coming up; even in between corners the front wheel just wants to come up all the time. I was trying to dig my heels in to put more weight on the front, but it just wants to take off.”

“I guess at the age of 73 you can’t expect to ride a bike like this the way you used to, but I’d love to give it another go. It really was fantastic,” continued Redman.

But while Redman’s list of achievements was the most impressive, he wasn’t the only former World Champion to throw a leg over the Ninja ZX-RR at Valencia. Jorge ‘Aspar’ Martinez won three 80cc and one 125cc world titles, while Olivier Jacque narrowly beat current Fuchs Kawasaki rider, Shinya Nakano, to the 250cc crown in 2000. Between them Redman, Martinez and Jacque won a total of eleven World Championship titles between 1962 and 2000.

In total, 20 journalists from 11 countries rode the Ninja ZX-RR at Valencia, including ex-racers Randy Mamola, Didier De Radigues and Steve Parrish. Their thoughts on Kawasaki’s fast improving MotoGP machine will be read in magazines on six continents, and featured on major television sports programmes in Europe and Japan.

But while the annual journalist test day is over, the work continues for the Kawasaki Racing Team. A three day test at Jerez at the end of November will be followed by a two day wet tyre test at Paul Ricard, before the winter test ban commences on 1st December.

From a press release issued by Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.:

TOMMY HAYDEN TO CONTINUE HIS CHAMPIONSHIP RACING WITH KAWASAKI

Tommy Hayden, who just clinched the 2004 AMA Supersport crown, has inked a contract to remain with the Team Kawasaki effort that helped him win his first major national title. Bruce Stjernstrom, director of professional racing at Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A., (KMC) made the announcement today.

Hayden, who with his younger brother Roger, virtually dominated the recent AMA Supersport season, will ride in a class that has yet to be determined by Team Kawasaki.

“We are proud of Tommy and really pleased that he recognizes the value of continuing his relationship with Kawasaki. It has been a collective effort that has proved to be very successful for everyone involved,” said Stjernstrom.

This past season marked the culmination of Hayden’s drive towards a championship, with each successive year on the AMA circuit since the 26-year-old started professional roadracing in 1996 having shown significant improvement.

The oldest of three professional racers produced by the Owensboro, Ky. family, Hayden began racing at the age of three and has, according to Team Manager Michael Preston, truly come into his own this past season.

“Without a doubt, Tommy showed the type of mental sharpness and racing perseverance that makes champions stand apart from others on the circuit. We’re sure that this is just the beginning of what will continue to be an outstanding championship-winning career,” said Preston.

From a press release issued by MS Aprilia:

McWilliams ends 2004 campaign in points

MS Aprilia Racing’s Jeremy McWilliams ended the 2004 MotoGP world championship with a determined ride to 13th position this afternoon at the Valencia circuit.

In front of a bumper capacity crowd of over 120,000 fans, McWilliams overcame rear grip problems with his Cube three-cylinder machine to register a top 15 finish for the ninth time in the last eleven races.

The 30-lap race though proved to be a tough encounter for the experienced British rider, who had qualified in 14th position on the grid. Fifteenth at the end of a typically chaotic first lap at the 4km venue, McWilliams dropped out of the points before clawing his way back into contention shortly before the midway stage.

McWilliams, who finished the 2004 world championship in 19th position with 26-points, said: “It was a hard race. My rear tyre looked like being the wrong choice because the track was just too cold. When the surface temperature is down we struggle for grip. It has something to do with the fact that we always have to run a stiff chassis setting. I had a lot of fun spinning the rear tyre and playing around but that doesn’t help you go forward. The bike was off the rev limiter all the time. I got three points but it is hard to get too fired up about and I wanted to finish the season better. But when you look at people like Hopkins in 12th and Capirossi just in the top ten, it shows how tough it is out there.”

McWilliams also had some rear brake problems during the season’s finale as he tried to alleviate some of the wheelspin generated from the rear tyre. “I lost the rear brake for a few laps before it came back. I was using it so much to stop me getting high-sided and when it went away I had to slow right down, “he added.

Stand-in team-mate Garry McCoy finished his brief sojourn with the Noale manufacturer with a gritty ride to 16th position. Still suffering the effects of a flu bug picked up on Thursday, McCoy managed to fend off Suzuki substitute rider Gregorio Lavilla.

The Australian said: “I was very tired after the race because of the problems I have had with the flu all weekend. I was catching Jeremy for a while but when I started to suffer grip problems towards the end of the race I couldn’t stay with the group min front. Part of that was my physical condition because I’ve not been perfect since I arrived in Valencia. I decided to make my own pace just to make sure I finished the race.”

McCoy added: “I’d just want to say thanks to Aprilia for giving me this opportunity to join them for the last three races. I just wish I could have signed off with some points.”


More, from a press release issued by d’Antin Ducati:

HODGSON AND XAUS GIVE THEIR ALL IN VALENCIA

The d´Antin MotoGP riders today tried to finish the championship on a high note, although only Neil Hodgson managed to finish the race, with Rubén Xaus crashing out of thirteenth position.

The British rider finished fifteenth, and in seventeenth position overall in the standings, whilst Xaus, after his crash, was unable to hang on to tenth place in the championship and concluded his first MotoGP season in eleventh, satisfied with his Rookie of the Year Trophy.

RUBEN XAUS : “It’s a shame I crashed because I wanted to give the fans a good result. They are the most important and they deserved it. Racing here at home and seeing what the place was like today, full to the brim, I had to go for it. I was excited about finishing in the top ten in the championship and although I didn’t get a good start, I pushed forward trying to catch Melandri and pass him, because he was my main rival in the standings. I crashed though, and he crashed a bit after me, but Nakano leapfrogged us both with today’s race. To finish eleventh isn’t that bad, and of course it’s my favourite number too!

We’ve done good races throughout the season, and I think that I have to be satisfied because it has been a really tough year, and we have all worked hard. I hope to have won myself a spot in this championship.”

NEIL HODGSON : “I managed to finish, and score points, which is something I hadn’t done for three races now. I’m not satisfied, of course, because I would have liked to have enjoyed this last race, but I couldn’t get a set-up which allowed me to be comfortable. There were thousands of race fans there today, and on the lap of honour I wanted to celebrate the end of the season with them, because this has honestly been a tough year for me. “

LUIS D´ANTIN: “We’ve reached the end of a difficult year, because we had to gel well and it was our first season with Ducati. It was a shame because Rubén lost tenth position in the championship, but the important thing is that he tried and whatever the outcome, we are happy because he picked up the Rookie of the Year trophy. Neil meanwhile moved up a place in the standings and finished the race, but already we are thinking of the 2005 season which begins tomorrow. We have to begin our work for next season already.”


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

HOPPER CONTINUES POINTS HAUL
Team Suzuki Press Office, Valencia, Spain – October 31, 2004.

Team Suzuki MotoGP rider John Hopkins overcame grip problems to finish 12th in today’s Valencia GP, the last race of the 2004 season, adding another four to his score of points at a track that did not favour the Suzuki GSV-R.

Temporary team-mate Gregorio Lavilla missed out on points by two places, finally finishing 17th after earlier running 15th. The same problem meant he got the worst of a four-bike battle for the final points. The Spanish rider was substituting for Kenny Roberts Jr., who withdrew after the first free training session, in his come-back ride after missing four races through injury.

Hopkins had run strongly in practice to qualify seventh, leading the third row of the starting grid. But the problems were not unexpected. He finished the first lap tenth, and though he did all he could, he was unable to avoid losing two positions as the race wore on. After a best result this year of sixth, he was bitterly disappointed not to have finished the season more strongly – not least because it was team manager Garry Taylor’s last race.

Lavilla had been trying to catch up all weekend after missing the first hour of practice, when Roberts set fastest time before deciding his left elbow was not strong enough to complete the race. He qualified 19th, started well to finish the first lap 16th, and moved up to 15th before half distance. But he too suffered similar problems, and towards the end found himself in a torrid four-rider battle, dropping to 17th.

Hopkins’s four points secured 16th place overall in a year when bad luck and injuries have spoiled his overall chances. But he and the team can look back on a steady overall improvement during the season, especially in handling, engine response and “rider friendliness”, as well as the new-this-season Bridgestone tyres. The 21-year-old Anglo-American rider signed a contract this weekend to stay with Suzuki next year and was eager to continue the programme and to keep moving forward.

Work has already begun in Japan on an improved new engine for the GSV-R, with the aim of continuing the improvement next year, to regain a position where Suzuki can challenge for race wins and the championship.

This was the last race for team manager Garry Taylor, after 29 years with the Suzuki team. His first GP was at the end of 1976, when Barry Sheene won the first of two Suzuki World Championships. This was his 378th race, and Taylor has clocked up 57 GP wins, 154 podium finishes and 56 pole positions, plus two more World Championships with Kevin Schwantz and Kenny Roberts Jr. in his racing career.

JOHN HOPKINS – 12th Position:

“I just struggled all through the race, and didn’t get where I wanted to be. Not much to say about that. I do want to say farewell to Garry Taylor. Unfortunately we couldn’t close the year with the good result I hoped to give him. The crew has worked hard all year long and done a great job. Suzuki has improved the bike tremendously and the Bridgestones also. I can’t wait to have a better combination next year and to have a hell of a year.”

GREGORIO LAVILLA – 17th Position:

“It was a hard race. We’ve had the same problem during practice. I got a good start but obviously I couldn’t keep the right pace. I was suffering especially from grip at the rear and this track is all about having good edge grip. With more time in practice we could have got it a little better but not to make too much difference. Other Bridgestone tyre riders had better races. I want to thank the team for all their work and Suzuki for the chances they have given me this year.”

GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager:

“I’d have liked a better result for my last race. Both riders gave it everything, but a rider can only do what the bike is capable of. There is a lot of work to be done over the winter. We’ve made massive improvements in our chassis performance and in the Bridgestone tyres this year and the factory will be concentrating on engine performance over the winter. I’ve already thanked all the team and the riders personally – there is nobody who hasn’t given anything but their best for this team this year.”

RESULTS (Round 16, Valencia): 1. Valentino Rossi ITA (Yamaha) 47’16.145, 2. Max Biaggi ITA (Honda), +0.425, 3. Troy Bayliss AUS (Ducati) +3.133, 4. Sete Gibernau SPA (Honda) +6.128, 5. Makoto Tamada JPN (Honda) + 7.768, 6. Alex Barros BRA (Honda) +14.675, 7. Shinya Nakano JPN (Kawasaki) +23.315, 8. Colin Edwards USA (Honda) +27.441, 9. Loris Capirossi ITA (Ducati) +29.403, 10. Norick Abe JPN (Yamaha) +31.537, 11. Alex Hofmann GER (Kawasaki) +40.951, 12. John Hopkins USA (Suzuki) +1’02.014, 13. Jeremy McWilliams ITA (Aprilia) +1’04.637, 14. Carlos Checa SPA (Yamaha) + 1’08.042, 15. Neil Hodgson GBR (Ducati) + 1’09.364, 17. Gregorio Lavilla SPA (Suzuki) +1’15.274.

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (After 16 rounds): 1 Rossi 304, 2 Gibernau 257, 3 Biaggi 217, 4 Barros 165, 5 Edwards 157, 6 Tamada 150, 7 Checa 117, 8 Hayden 117, 9 Capirossi 117, 10 Nakano 83, 11 Xaus 77, 12 Melandri 75, 13 Abe 71, 14 Bayliss 71, 15 Hofmann 51, 16 Hopkins 45, 18 Roberts 37.

NEXT ROUND: April 10, 2005 – Jerez, Spain.

From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI MARLBORO MEN COMMENCE WINTER TESTS

Valencia, Monday November 1, 2004: Just one day after the end of the 2004 MotoGP World Championship, the Ducati Marlboro Team returned to the Valencia circuit to commence its winter testing programme with Loris Capirossi and new signing Carlos Checa.

Checa tried the Desmosedici GP4 for the first time this afternoon, clocking a best lap time of 1:34.0. Capirossi rode 41 laps, working to find the traction that he had lacked during the weekend. His best lap time was 1:34.4.

Both riders will continue testing on Wednesday and Thursday.

From a press release:

Roehr Motorcycle Company looks to put America on the Sports Bike map.



The Roehr Motorcycle Company is pleased to announce completion of the Rv1000 prototype and is currently seeking financing for production of the first 50 units.



Designed by company founder Walter Roehrich, the Rv1000’s beautiful, smooth flowing, sensual lines produce a emotionally striking design that is both elegant and aggressive.



The Rv1000 is powered by a 120 HP, 936cc, liquid cooled 60deg. V-twin with DOHC 4-valve cylinder heads. At 100lbs. this engine is the lightest and most compact large displacement twin cylinder engine in the industry. This engine is the key ingredient to the character and overall light weight of the 335 lb. Rv1000.



The Rv1000 features the finest quality cycle components in the industry. Suspension from Ohlins, brakes from Brembo and wheels from Marchesini.



Engine:

– 936cc liquid cooled DOHC 8 valve 60deg. V-twin
– 95mm x 66mm Bore x Stroke
– Nikasil lined aluminum cylinders
– 6 speed transmission with multi-plate wet clutch
– Combination chain/gear driven camshafts for ultra compact shim under bucket design cylinder head design
– Separate straight shot intake ports per intake valve
– Electronic engine management system with spark plug top coils
– 4 x 32mm throttle bodies with one injector per intake valve


Chassis:

– Chrome-moly steel tube trellis frame with rubber mounted semi stressed engine
– Swingarm pivoting through rear of engine case
– 23 deg. Rake 89mm trail
– 54 inch wheelbase
– Lightweight Marchesini forged aluminum wheels. 3.5×17 frt. 5.5×17 rear
– 43mm Ohlins upside down titanium nitride coated front forks
– 2 x 320mm Brembo front brake rotors with 2 x 4 piston Brembo front calipers


Unique design features:

– An under-engine fuel tank for better mass centralization and less effect on weight balance with varying fuel loads. This also allows more space for a suitably sized airbox for optimized engine performance.
– Single link-less rear suspension unit saves weight and takes advantage of the superior dampening capabilities of the Ohlins rear shock.
– Digital dash display provides an analog tachometer with multi-function display and lap timing capabilities.
– A ram air system with a centrally located intake duct in the leading edge of the nose provides cool high pressure air for maximum performance.
– Carbon Fiber body work


The Roehr Motorcycle Company is passionately committed to producing beautifully designed high performance Sport Bikes made in the USA.

The Rv1000 is the first in a line of machines from Roehr Motorcycles that will feature unique design solutions to advance the state of the art and deliver superior performance, beauty, and lasting value.

The Roehr Rv1000 prototype is currently undergoing final development and testing for a planned release in early 2006 with a targeted retail price of $22,995, providing the necessary financing can be obtained.

Interested parties can contact the Roehr Motorcycle Company at: [email protected] or visit www.roehrmotorcycles.com

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP Results
GP Marlboro Comunitat Valencia
Valencia, Spain
October 31, 2004

1. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, 30 laps, 47:16.145
2. Max Biaggi, Honda, -0.425 second
3. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, -3.133
4. Sete Gibernau, Honda, -6.128
5. Makoto Tamada, Honda, -7.768
6. Alex Barros, Honda, -14.675
7. Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki, -23.315
8. Colin Edwards, Honda, -27.441
9. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, -29.403
10. Norick Abe, Yamaha, -31.537
11. Alex Hofmann, Kawasaki, -40.951
12. John Hopkins, Suzuki, -62.014
13. Jeremy McWilliams, Aprilia, -64.637
14. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, -68.042
15. Neil Hodgson, Ducati, -69.354
16. Garry McCoy, Aprilia, -75.022
17. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki, -75.274
18. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton, -1 lap
19. James Ellison, Harris WCM, -1 lap
20. Olivier Jacque, Moriwaki Honda, -6 laps, DNF, retired
21. Nicky Hayden, Honda, -8 laps, DNF, crashed
22. Chris Burns, Harris WCM, -19 laps, DNF, crashed
23. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, -20 laps, DNF, crashed
24. Ruben Xaus, Ducati, -20 laps, DNF, crashed
25. Kurtis Roberts, Proton, -30 laps, DNS



250cc GP Results
Valencia, Spain
October 31, 2004

1. Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, 27 laps, 44.10.176
2. Toni Elias, Honda, – 8.086 seconds
3. Randy de Puniet, Aprilia, -27.412
4. Franco Battaini, Aprilia, -31.620
5. Chaz Davies, Aprilia, -34.059
6. Fonsi Nieto, Aprilia, -34.784
7. Roberto Rolfo, Honda, -40.352
8. Naoki Matsudo, Yamaha, -46.761
9. Hector Faubel, Aprilia, -46.770
10. Alex Baldolini, Aprilia, -58.235



125cc GP Results
Valencia, Spain
October 31, 2004

1. Hector Barbera, Aprilia, 24 laps, 40:45.283
2. Andrea Dovizioso, Honda, -0.761 second
3. Alvaro Bautista, Aprilia, -0.979
4. Pablo Nieto, Aprilia, -1.285
5. Sergio Gadea, Aprilia, -1.338
6. Roberto Locatelli, Aprilia, -3.708
7. Gino Borsoi, Aprilia, -8.782
8. Simone Corsi, Honda, -12.425
9. Gabor Talmacsi, Malaguti, -12.515
10. Steve Jenkner, Aprilia, -16.655



(Press releases posted in order of receipt.)


More, from a press release issued by Hopper Racing:

HOPKINS ENDS SEASON WITH A 12TH AT VALENCIA

VALENCIA, Spain (October 31, 2004) – John Hopkins rode his Suzuki GSV-R to a 12th-place finish in the final MotoGP of 2004. It was a below par day for the young Californian as he fought to find traction with his race set up, but ultimately Hopkins was encouraged by the positive strides Suzuki and Bridgestone made during the latter stages of the season.

“Obviously I was disappointed with the result today,” Hopkins said. “I struggled finding grip in the race. Even though it’s been tough at times this season the thing I’m taking away from this year is the improvement that was made on all fronts with the team during the second half of the year.”

Hopkins qualified seventh, indicative of the superb qualifying tires Bridgestone made available. It was a different matter in the race however. Hopkins fell to 15th by lap five before he was able to stabilize his position. As the race wore on attrition helped Hopkins move up to 12th at the checkered flag. He finished just ahead of a late-race charge by Jeremy McWilliams.

“I don’t think I passed a single rider today,” Hopkins added. “It was just one of those days where you ride as best you can and take whatever finish that gives you. There was really nothing more I could do. In the end my goal was simply to finish.”

The season comes to a close with the 21-year-old Hopkins finishing 16th in the world championship standings. He scored 45 points on the year, a major improvement over 2003. This year also witnessed Hopkins earning a career high in qualifying second in Japan and taking his highest MotoGP finish ever with a sixth in Portugal.

“I want to give a special thanks to Garry Taylor who is leaving after so many successful years with Suzuki,” Hopkins concluded. “I’m very happy about coming back with Suzuki next year. We’ve made so many strides and I feel we’re going to keep moving in the right direction.”



More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
GRAN PREMIO MARLBORO DE LA COMUNITAT VALENCIANA
31ST OCTOBER 2004 – MOTOGP RACE RESULT

SUPER SHINYA SECURES TENTH PLACE FOR FUCHS KAWASAKI

Japanese ace Shinya Nakano finished his debut season with the Fuchs Kawasaki Racing Team by securing tenth place in the MotoGP World Championship standings in today’s Valencia Grand Prix.

Nakano was in superb form and rode his Ninja ZX-RR into seventh place in the race to leap-frog from 12th to 10th position in the final points standings. In the process the Fuchs Kawasaki rider moved ahead of Ruben Xaus and Marco Melandri.

A top ten championship position was the stated goal of Nakano and the Fuchs Kawasaki squad when they joined forces for the 2004 season.

Nakano’s team-mate Alex Hofmann finished 11th after making a horror start and dropping to 18th on the first lap. Despite a charging ride through the pack Hofmann had conceded too much time and this clearly cost him a chance of a top ten race finish.

On the way to 11th place Hofmann pulled off a series of brilliant overtaking moves on factory rivals Jeremy McWilliams and John Hopkins. Over the final laps Hofmann raced at a similar pace to Nakano and finished just 17 seconds behind his more experienced team-mate.

Hofmann finished 15th in the championship standings and second in the Rookie of the Year points in his first full MotoGP season.

Nakano made a lightning start from tenth on the third row to be seventh on the opening lap. He dropped to eighth in a mid-race battle with Alex Barros, before holding seventh against a late charge from Colin Edwards.

The Valencia Grand Prix result reflects the huge step forward taken by the Bridgestone-shod Ninja ZX-RR over the past 12 months. Nakano’s race time today was over 60 seconds faster, a massive two seconds per lap, than the best Kawasaki in the 2003 race.

The 16 race MotoGP season finished on a high note with a three day attendance of 211,468 spectators and a full-house race day crowd of 122,034.

While the race season has concluded there is still work to do for the Fuchs Kawasaki squad. On Monday there is media ride day on the Ninja ZX-RR, followed by an afternoon tyre test session.

Later in November the development program for the 2005 season kicks-off at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain, with a three day test before a seven week winter test ban.

Shinya Nakano: 7th
“My target was top ten in the championship and a strong result in the final race, so I’m happy to achieve both of those today. I made a really good start, I was seventh in turn two, and was able to hold a place in the top ten even after a battle with Alex Barros. I couldn’t run at the frontrunner’s pace, but this is an excellent result for the ZX-RR. We have learnt a lot this season, so my thanks to Kawasaki and Bridgestone. I know that next year we will make even more progress in the MotoGP World Championship.”

Alex Hofmann: 11th
“That was the worst start of my life, and it cost me a chance of a top ten result today; that makes me unhappy. I don’t know what went wrong; I either had too many revs going or not enough. For sure this is something I have to work on for next season. For us it is not easy to pass on the straights, so I had to look for other opportunities and, once I got going, I was able to overtake McWilliams and Hopkins and get some real racing experience, which is what I have been missing for the past couple of years. This is a good base for my 2005 season.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“I’m delighted that we achieved tenth in the championship with Shinya, which was a realistic goal for the Ninja ZX-RR this season. And the race performance today demonstrates all the hard work of everyone at Kawasaki and Bridgestone in what has been, at times, a difficult year. We had some mid-season tyre and engine problems, but everyone worked together to overcome those issues. Our aim next year is to move another step forward with our two contracted riders Shinya and Alex, who despite a poor start again showed his fighting spirit today. We will concentrate on two riders, but we are discussing the possibility of entering a third ZX-RR in the championship. If this can be organised and budgeted for, and a good rider is available, then three ZX-RR machines on the grid remains a possibility in 2005.”

MOTOGP RACE RESULT
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 47’16.145; 2. Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel Honda Team +0.425; 3. Troy Bayliss (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team +3.133; 4. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar Honda +6.128; 5. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Camel Honda Team +7.768; 6. Alex Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda +14.675; 7. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +23.315; 8. Colin Edwards (USA) Telefonica Movistar Honda +27.441; 9. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +29.403; 10. Norick Abe (JPN) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha +31.537; 11. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki Racing Team +40.951; 12. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki Grand Prix Team +1’02.014; 13. Jeremy McWilliams (GBR) Proton Team KR +1’04.637

FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS 2004:
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 304; 2. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar Honda 257; 3. Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel Honda Team 217; 4. Alex Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda 165; 5. Colin Edwards (USA) Telefonica Movistar Honda 157; 6. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Camel Honda Team 150; 7. Carlos Checa (SPA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 117; 8. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda 117; 9. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team 117; 10. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team 83; 11. Ruben Xaus (SPA) dAntin Ducati Team 77; 12. Marco Melandri (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 75; 15. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki Racing Team 51



More, from a press release issued by Proton Team KR:

LONE PROTON KR RIDER AOKI 18th AT VALENCIA

Round 16: Valencia GP, Ricardo Tormo Circuit Race: Sunday, October 31, 2004

Nobuatsu Aoki: 18th

Proton Team KR rider Nobuatsu Aoki ran another trouble-free race for the last round of the 2004 GP season at Valencia, finishing three places out of the points after a lonely ride.

The finale to a thrilling 2004 season was run in bright sunshine in front of a capacity crowd of more than 122,000 Spanish fans, packing the grandstands and hillsides of the tight 4.005km Ricardo Tormo circuit outside Valencia.

Aoki had qualified 21st, got a good start, and circulated steadily after the early-laps sorting out, running consistent lap times, although alone for most of the 30 laps. The last race of the season demonstrated that in spite of a difficult year, the rider has never given up trying, and the team likewise. The 990cc Proton KR V5 machine didn’t skip a beat, and Aoki reported improvements also in the latest Dunlop tyres.

Team-mate Kurtis Roberts, back after missing six races through injury, had withdrawn from the race on the second day, his injured left wrist still not strong enough for the fearsome demands of a 200-plus horsepower 990cc MotoGP machine.

The season has been difficult for the England-based team, the only fully independent manufacturer in the top class of racing. Development of new second version of their V5 engine had steadily improved through the end of the season.

An exciting race was won by 2004 champion Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), less than half-a-second ahead of Honda-mounted Max Biaggi and Troy Bayliss’s Ducati.

NOBUATSU AOKI
Another steady race. The machine was okay, and pretty good all weekend, with no major trouble. That meant I could really concentrate on riding, and I appreciate the work my guys did for that. Dunlop have also improved little by little. I picked a new Japanese rear, and it worked pretty well, with no big drop in lap times over the race. It is probably the last race for this bike, and it makes me happy and sad, because I’ve been involved with the KR V5 project from the beginning. It was a hard couple of years, but now I have many good memories of all the work we have done. I want to thank Proton and all the guys in the team.

KENNY ROBERTS: Team Principal
The bike ran good, but we were short of grip. I’ve been happy with the machine performance over the last races. It’s got reliable, but we’re just not on the pace … though we were first Dunlop finishers again. I’m looking forward to putting together a better package for next year, if possible.



More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Marlboro Valencia Grand Prix, Valencia
Race Day
Sunday October 31 2004

DUCATI MARLBORO MEN SCORE SECOND PODIUM IN A ROW

Troy Bayliss gave the Ducati Marlboro Team the best possible leaving present this afternoon, scoring a storming podium finish in the season-ending Marlboro Valencia Grand Prix. Watched by 122,000 noisy fans the hard-riding Australian enjoyed his best race of the season, charging through the pack to challenge Max Biaggi for second place. He eventually finished third, just 3.133 seconds down on winner Valentino Rossi. Team-mate Loris Capirossi, who took third place in Australia two weeks ago, had a more difficult day, finishing ninth.

“It’s really great to finish the season with podium performances at the last two races,” said Ducati Marlboro Team director Livio Suppo. “And I’m really happy for Troy, it’s a nice way for him to finish his time with us. We offer him our best wishes for the future, I’m sure he’ll be a tough competitor next year! Tomorrow we begin our winter development programme, working towards producing a great motorcycle for 2005 with Loris and our new signing Carlos (Checa). They will evaluate the new frame that we tried for the first time during our Phillip Island tests, running back-to-back tests with the existing unit. This has been a tough season for us but we’ve finished on a positive note. Finally, my thanks to everyone in the team and at the factory, plus our sponsors and our technical partners Michelin and Shell Advance.”

LAST HURRAH FOR BAYLISS
Troy Bayliss rode his best race of the year today. The Ducati Marlboro Team man started from the second row, ended lap one in fourth, slipped to sixth, then began a long and determined fight back. The Aussie came on strong around half distance, lapping faster than anyone else on track as he hunted down Makoto Tamada and Nick Hayden. With nine laps to go he was up to third and chasing Biaggi, finally easing his pace to make sure of his first top-three finish of 2004.

“You probably haven’t seen me smile like this for a while,” beamed Bayliss after the race. “It’s been a tough year for me and everyone at Ducati but the bike has come good in the second half of the season. And after we tested some new stuff at Phillip Island it’s felt like a new bike for me. I was a little cautious at the start, because it’s not been my year, so I was a little cautious while Sete (Gibernau) and Tamada were up the inside like crazy. After that it was a really good race. I really wanted to have a go at Max but in the end I thought third was better than putting it in the dirt. I’ve had some great years with Ducati, with some great times together, so it’s nice to leave on a happy note. I wish them all the best for the future, I know they’re going to have a strong bike in 2005.”

CAPIROSSI BATTLES TO NINTH
Third in Australia a fortnight back, Loris Capirossi had a tough weekend at Valencia, finishing in ninth place. The Ducati Marlboro Team rider started from the fifth row of the grid after a troubled two days of qualifying and rode a dogged race, passing rivals where he could around this most tortuous of circuits.

“It’s been a difficult weekend because we started with a front-end set-up problem,” explained the Italian. “Finally we fixed that this morning but the rear-end traction problems we’d had in practice were still there. I could feel that from the second lap, so all I could do was try to finish the race and get some points. Troy’s podium result demonstrates that our bike has improved and that we have the potential to run up front. It’s very important that we stay here to test and work towards 2005.”