From a press release issued by FG Sport Group:

2004 Superbike World Championship
Organizer of the Year Award goes to: Monza

FGSPORT is delighted to announce that Monza Circuit has been awarded for the second time the “2004 Organizer of the Year Award”, as a confirmation of the success already achieved in 1999.

The management team at FGSPORT and the Championship’s top teams carefully analysed each event from an organizational, promotional and sporting point of view and appointed Monza as the best circuit of the year.

Paolo Flammini declared: “We hope that this well-deserved success will be seen as reward for some of the investments and development already undertaken at the circuit. We send our warmest congratulations to all the Monza staff and wish them the very best in 2005.”

Next year’s round of the Superbike World Championship at Monza, Italy will take place from 06 – 08 May 2005.

From a press release:

Resigned – Kerry Bryant – Vice President of Jardine Performance Products/Doug Thorley Headers effective October 29th, 2004 to pursue other business interests.

Opened – “Area P” – An Engineering, Design, R&D, Fabrication and Manufacturing facility in Anaheim, CA, operated by Team Bryant. For more information: Ph – 714-630-2386
E-Mail – [email protected] , or www.areapnolimits.com

Statement – “After 25 + years in the industry of working for and growing great companies like SuperTrapp, Kerker, White Brothers, and Jardine, it’s long overdue that I venture off on my own. It’s a dream come true working with my wife Jenny, and sons Kenny (24) and Kelly (19). Team Bryant will set a different standard in the industry. The most appealing aspect is – the buck starts and stops with me. When a project is committed to and the deadline approaches, the clock goes 24/7 and the job gets done.”


Thank you!

Kerry Bryant, CEO
Area P
1240 Simon Circle, Unit G/H
Anaheim, CA 92806
Ph/Fx – 714-630-2386
EM – [email protected]

From a press release issued by Ducati:

DUCATI MOTOR HOLDING REORGANIZES MANAGEMENT TEAM TO MEET NEW OPPORTUNITIES.

Cupertino, CA – October 29th , 2004 – In recognition of the new opportunities for Ducati in Asia, Mirko Bordiga, formerly Commercial Director of Sales, has accepted the assignment to lead business development for the company in that region.

Mr. Bordiga will relocate to Tokyo, and additionally assist Mr. Fabrizio Cazzoli, Ducati Japan Country Manager. Mr. Cazzoli, who just recently assumed responsibilities for the management of Ducati Japan, will continue to be directly responsible for the company’s operation in this very important market.

The new Commercial Director will be Cristiano Silei, formerly Director of Strategic Planning and Product Development. Mr. Silei, a member of the original management team from the company’s IPO days, has a wide range of experience and a deep understanding of all markets in which Ducati competes.

Claudio Domenicali, while retaining his role as CEO of Ducati Corse, will also take over the position of Director of Strategic Planning and Product Development at DMH.

“Claudio retains control of Corse and his appointment to strategic planning will help cement the link between race technology and street bike development,” said Federico Minoli, CEO of DMH. “This is at the core of who we are and with a new MotoGP replica coming in 06, and many other exciting new projects to follow, Claudio’s involvement should ensure we stay at the front of the pack.”

All changes are effectively immediately.

From a press release issued by Dorna Sports:

MotoGP paddock reconvenes at windy Valencia

The MotoGP World Championship set up camp for the final time this season at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, Spain, today with strong winds already testing the strength of the hospitality marquees and awnings ahead of the Gran Premio Marlboro de la Comunitat Valenciana. Track action gets underway tomorrow and the riders may be happy to see the weather stay as it is, with bright sunshine and dry conditions prevailing over the rainstorms which hit the paddock yesterday.

For today at least the conditions proved perfect for MotoGP stars Loris Capirossi, Colin Edwards, Alex Hofmann and Makoto Tamada, who were invited to the Club Náutico of Valencia for a trip on the BMW Oracle sailing boat, which recently took part in the second and third Acts of the America’s Cup.

Valentino Rossi arrived in jovial mood after taking the last ten days to soak up the reality of his achievements at Phillip Island in the penultimate round of the season, when he was crowned MotoGP World Champion for the fourth successive year. It is almost one year to the day that the Italian announced his sensational switch from Honda to Yamaha and today he admitted that he didn’t expect to have made such progress in such a short time.

“Now it feels like a long time, more than one year, but it was the right choice,” said Rossi, who became only the second man in history to win the title with two different manufacturers in successive seasons. “It’s hard to understand 100% what has happened. It was a great win but, anyway, now we have one more race to concentrate on before I can really stop and think about it.”

Rossi was one of several riders to donate memorabilia to the Riders for Health auction at the circuit today, part of the annual Day of Champions held at Valencia in aid of the MotoGP charity. Thousands of fans turned up to enjoy the day and were given the opportunity to visit pit-lane, where they met some of their heroes and took home autographs and memorabilia, as well as being entertained by a stunt show, riders interviews and a MotoGP Scalextric competition.

One of the most hunted autographs was that of Daniel Pedrosa, who will celebrate his 250cc World Championship success in front of over 120,000 home fans on Sunday. After winning his second title in successive seasons Pedrosa has extra reason to be excited this weekend, with confirmation coming from Honda that they will allow him to test the RC211V MotoGP prototype in a private session here on Monday.

“I’m almost as excited about the test as I am about the race!” admitted Pedrosa this afternoon. “It will be a new experience for me and I’m looking forward to seeing how close I am to the current MotoGP riders. The first thing I have to concentrate on though is the Grand Prix. I want to celebrate my season with a good result in the last race and that is my main focus.”

125cc World Champion Andrea Dovizioso will also get to try the Honda RC211V at the start of a week of tests at the Spanish circuit, where various new rider and team combinations will work together for the first time. The only confirmed switch so far is that of Colin Edwards from Honda to Yamaha and the American rider today said that he is “99% certain” to ride the M1 on Wednesday or Thursday pending the resolution of contractual issues.



More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
GRAN PREMIO MARLBORO DE LA COMUNITAT VALENCIANA
28TH OCTOBER 2004 – EVENT PREVIEW

SUPER SHINYA ON TRACK FOR TOP TEN FINISH

Fuchs Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano comes to the Valencia Grand Prix aiming to secure a top ten place in the MotoGP World Championship standings in the final race of the season.

The accomplished Japanese rider is just three points out of tenth place in a tight battle with rivals Ruben Xaus and Marco Melandri.

For Nakano, 27, the Valencia circuit is an ideal venue for the end of season showdown. He likes the stadium layout of the 4 km Valencia track, on which he won the 250cc Grand Prix in 2000.

In his first season aboard the evolution version of the Ninja ZX-RR, Nakano has scored a total of six top ten finishes, including a superb third-place podium at the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi.

And without the setback of a 300 kph crash at the Italian GP, triggered by a rear tyre failure, and a mechanical retirement while in third place at Qatar then Nakano would already be secure in the top ten of the points standings.

While Nakano is focussed on his pre-season target his Fuchs Kawasaki team-mate, Alex Hofmann, is also set to complete his first full season of factory MotoGP racing on a strong note.

The 24-year-old German rookie is 15th in the standings, ahead of Suzuki factory rivals John Hopkins and Kenny Roberts Jr. and the Aprilia pairing of Jeremy McWilliams and Shane Byrne.

This race marks the first anniversary of the public track debut of the second evolution of the Ninja ZX-RR using Bridgestone tyres, which first appeared in last November’s post-Valencia GP test session.

The past 12 months has seen constant development of the bike that recently saw the addition of the latest Magneti Marelli electronics system, which has improved power delivery and throttle feel.

The Valencia circuit is a demanding physical challenge with a non-stop sequence of 14 turns that places high demands on chassis balance, agility and rider concentration. Unusually in GP racing the track features just one straight and, at 880 metres, it is one of the shortest on the calendar.

After the race the Kawasaki team will stay on in Valencia on Monday for a MotoGP media ride day and an afternoon test session with tyre partner Bridgestone.

Shinya Nakano: #56
“My target is the top ten in the championship, so I’m looking forward to that challenge against Marco and Ruben, who are close to me in the points. I’ve always liked the Valencia track, even when I was racing in the 250cc class. It is very technical with 14 turns and only one straight, so hopefully that will suit the ZX-RR chassis, which is our strong point. Since Qatar the latest engine electronics package has improved throttle feeling and power delivery, which is also critical at this track. It is my first time here on the ZX-RR, so I expect to have a lot of set-up work to do in practice and qualifying.”

Alex Hofmann: #66
“I first rode the new ZX-RR on Bridgestone tyres here one year ago, so it will be interesting to be back at Valencia. The bike and tyre package has made many positive steps forward over the past year, so this will be an opportunity to measure our progress. The stadium-style layout with the constant flow of corners should work in favour of the ZX-RR chassis and I’m aiming to finish the season with a strong result in the points. I’ve finished top ten in two of the past four races and another result like that in Valencia would be the perfect end to the season.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“It is one year since we unveiled the current evolution model of the Ninja ZX-RR in testing at Valencia, and I’m sure our performance this weekend will reflect the progress we have made with the bike. We started the season aiming for a top ten finish and this weekend with Shinya that remains our goal. At recent races Alex has shown he has the speed to finish in the top ten and, as usual, we will be working towards the best possible team result with both riders. Overall I’m happy with our development program this year, but already we are well advanced with planning for 2005 – there is still a lot to do, and I don’t see any lessening in the intensity of the competition in MotoGP.”

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP refugee and 2003 Superbike World Champion Neil Hodgson is a candidate to become Eric Bostrom’s teammate on the Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin AMA Superbike team in 2005.

Ducati Corse Superbike Racing Director Paolo Ciabatti confirmed that Hodgson was being considered for the ride in an e-mail to Roadracingworld.com Thursday. A final announcement regarding the second rider could be made as early as mid-November, he wrote.

Hodgson, who will be 31 on November 20, was born in England and currently lives on the Isle of Man. The son of a club racer, he won the 1992 British 125cc Grand Prix Championship and went into the 125cc World Championship the following year. He made his 500cc Grand Prix debut in 1994 on a Harris Yamaha YZR500 and campaigned the entire 1995 500cc GP World Championship on a WCM ROC-Yamaha YZR500, finishing 11th in the points with a best race finish of seventh.

In 1996, Hodgson started a long Superbike racing career, spending most of his time on Ducatis in World Superbike with a best result of fourth in the 1999 World Superbike Championship. In 2000, he came back to the British Superbike series and won the title with GSE Racing. Hodgson then went back to World Superbike, finishing fifth in 2001, third in 2002 and, as a factory Ducati rider, winning the Championship in 2003 with 13 wins and 20 podium finishes in 24 races. He has 16 wins and 41 podiums in his 147 career World Superbike starts.

Hodgson returned to the premier class of motorcycle road racing this year with d’Antin Ducati. The veteran struggled with six DNFs during the season and has only finished in the points seven times, his best finish of eighth coming at Motegi, where six riders were taken out in a first-corner melee.

From a press release issued by Infineon Raceway:

State of California Recognizes Infineon Raceway for Recycling Efforts

SONOMA, Calif. (IMMEDIATE RELEASE) – Infineon Raceway has become one of the first motor sports facilities in the country to be recognized by a state governmental agency for its recycling efforts.

The State of California Department of Conservation, Division of Recycling, recognized Infineon Raceway’s recycling efforts for its 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events.

During the NASCAR and NHRA events in 2004, Infineon Raceway collected 12,260 pounds of plastic bottles, 2,900 pounds of aluminum cans and 1,800 pounds of glass.

George Mutter, vice president of operations for Environmental Event Management Group, which oversaw the recycling efforts at Infineon Raceway, said this was the first motor sports facility in California to receive such an honor by the state.

“This was an outstanding effort by Infineon Raceway, especially for the first time,” Mutter said. “This was the right thing to do for the environment and I hope to see more tracks take the initiative to implement such programs in the future.”

Infineon Raceway received the recognition from the state by James D. Ferguson, assistant director, Division of Recycling.

From a press release issued by Clear Channel Entertainment — Motor Sports:

The Maxxis U.S. Open will re-air in its entirety on NBC December 12th at 2:30-4:00 p.m. (EST).

The original airing of the Maxxis U.S. Open was condensed due to the length of the Subway 500 NASCAR race from Martinsville. After reviewing overwhelming response of the viewers, NBC made the decision to re-air the Maxxis U.S. Open in its entirety.

From a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

ALLERTON JOINS SUPERBIKE SQUAD

Supersport rider Glenn Allerton has been drafted into the Australian Suzuki Superbike squad to race alongside three-times Champion Shawn Giles next year.

The 23-year-old privateer, who finished second in this year’s Supersport series with two round wins and 13 podium finishes, is excited about his racing prospects aboard Suzuki’s legendary GSX-R1000 Superbike and the opportunity to regain the title.

“Moving up to the Superbike class is a great step for me but the chance to ride with Team Suzuki is awesome. This is such a fantastic opportunity,” said Allerton.

“Team Suzuki has an incredible track record and Shawn is one of the most experienced riders in the country. I hope to learn a lot from everyone in the team. I want to win races with Team Suzuki and be as consistent as possible and I’d like to be in the top three at the end of next year.”

Team Suzuki Team Manager Phil Tainton believes Allerton’s self-imposed goals for the season will be challenging but totally achievable.

“Glenn is a very impressive young racer and we’re very pleased to welcome him into the team.

“Putting Shawn, with all of his talent and experience, alongside Glenn will give us a very strong rider combination. We will be out testing prior to Christmas with both riders before launching into an intensive testing and development period in the New Year.

“Team Suzuki conceded the title for the first time in four years and we’ll be out in force to reclaim the crown in 2005,” added Tainton.

TEAM SUZUKI AUSTRALIAN SUPERBIKE WINS:

2003: Australian Superbike Championship – Craig Coxhell.
2002: Australian Superbike Championship – Shawn Giles.
2001: Australian Superbike Championship – Shawn Giles.
2000: Australian Superbike Championship – Shawn Giles.
1996: Australian Superbike Championship – Peter Goddard.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Despite the fact that AMA Pro Racing has issued a 2005 Superbike Series schedule showing a race at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) on September 17-18, no deal is in place and whether or not there will be a race at VIR is up in the air.

That’s what VIR co-owner Connie Nyholm told Roadracingworld.com when she returned a phone call on Thursday, October 28.

“AMA has not been in contact with me at all,” said Nyholm. Asked about the date seen on the 2005 AMA schedule, Nyholm said, “We have an option for a race next year. I believe it is their intention to have a race here next year, but they have not contacted me regarding any specific date.”

The VIR date is marked as “tentative” on the 2005 schedule released by AMA Pro Racing recently.