Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Racer Chris Peris found himself at the center of a controversy during last weekend’s Suzuki World Cup Finals at Road Atlanta when his tuner-for-the-event Max McAllister removed the forks from the GSX-R750 issued to Peris, took them to his Traxxion Dynamics trailer, and worked on them, installing what Suzuki officials said were non-standard parts. Machines ridden by participants in the World Cup Finals are supplied by Suzuki and are supposed to be identical, with stock suspension. Changing fork springs and fork oil levels is allowed by Suzuki World Cup rules, however.

But the determination of whether or not the forks were actually legal was clouded by the use of one of McAllister’s competitors to examine the forks in question and the fact that the same competitor later declared a second, replacement set of forks actually used by Peris in the World Cup races to be illegal, then reversed himself and said that shim stacks in those 2004-model forks had been compared to the shim stacks in 2003 GSX-R750 forks in error and were in fact legal.

Sorting out what actually happened has proven difficult due to conflicting stories, changing stories and the refusal of some key participants to comment.

Whatever the case, the allegedly illegal forks were detected and replaced prior to the start of practice and were never used on the racetrack.

Peris’ participation in the event in the first place was somewhat unusual, since he did not qualify to participate under American Suzuki guidelines and he has spent most of the 2004 season racing in the U.S. with Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki under a one-year (2004 AMA season) contract. Told Chris Peris wasn’t eligible to ride at the Suzuki Cup Finals because he rode for a U.S. support team sponsored by Suzuki, Chris Peris’ father Fernando Peris wrangled him a ride as part of the Suzuki Canada team for the Suzuki World Cup, based on the few 2004 Canadian races Chris Peris participated in.

Chris Peris attended the races at Road Atlanta with his father, who hired McAllister as Chris Peris’ designated mechanic for the World Cup event.

This year’s Suzuki World Cup event was hosted by American Suzuki and was held in conjunction with the annual WERA Grand National Finals. WERA officials ran the races.

After World Cup official Cliff Nobles said he saw McAllister sliding the forks under the side of one of the big circus tents World Cup participants were pitted under (prior to the actual races), the forks were confiscated by Suzuki officials, dis-assembled by Kent Soignier of G.M.D. Computrack (a Traxxion Dynamics competitor) and declared to contain non-stock parts. At that point, Peris was issued a new set of unmodified forks, which McAllister installed. Suzuki officials later said that McAllister had attempted to modify the bike’s stock shock, but had damaged it while trying to take it apart, and replaced it with a stock shock he borrowed off a Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School instructor’s bike after telling school officials he needed it to replace a damaged customer’s shock, without revealing that it was for a Suzuki World Cup rider. (Stock shocks are not designed to be dis-assembled for service, and the shock in question actually belonged to a European rider whose mechanic brought it to the Traxxion trailer for revalving without revealing it was for a World Cup bike until after it was broken.) McAllister’s World Cup mechanic’s pass was subsequently confiscated, in effect banning him from the World Cup section of the paddock. Peris used the second set of issued forks installed by McAllister in the actual Suzuki World Cup races.

(A week before the World Cup event, McAllister left a phone message for the manager of an AMA team, seeking to buy a set of stock 2004 GSX-R750 forks. The team didn’t have any forks for sale, and McAllister subsequently bought a set from a salvage yard. But those forks were for a project unrelated to the GSX-R World Cup Final and are now installed on a Buell racebike.)

After Peris crashed out of the first Suzuki World Cup race and DNF the second, American Suzuki officials sent out the replacement forks and shock from Peris’ bike for inspection by G.M.D. Computrack’s Kent Soignier, who told Roadracingworld.com Thursday morning that the second set of forks had been revalved (each leg using the stock piston but a modified shim stack) and that the shock had been opened and the oil replaced, modifications that are illegal under Suzuki World Cup rules. Soignier called back Thursday afternoon–after the original version of this post appeared–and said that he had been in error, that the shim stack had been compared to a 2003 stack by mistake, and that in fact the cartridges in the 2004 forks used by Peris had been taken apart but had not been modified in any way.

Chris Peris denied knowing that McAllister made illegal modifications. “He told us that what he wanted to do to the forks was legal,” Peris told Roadracingworld.com, “and that he had to take them to his trailer because that’s where he was set up with all his tools.”

Pat Alexander, Manager of the American Suzuki Motor Corp. Sports Promotion Department, declined to make any official comment on the incident.

Contacted by Roadracingworld.com, McAllister initially replied via e-mail, “American Suzuki’s comment is ‘no comment,’ and I have been told, so is mine. I ain’t getting into this mess. It will go nowhere.”

McAllister later issued the following statement, via e-mail:

Official Statement:

The scrutineering at the World Cup was as strict as you can imagine. The racing on Sunday demonstrated that no one had a performance advantage. Hats off to the Chief Inspector.

There was some question about a set of forks I built, and they were confiscated by the officials. The World Cup Officials did not DQ Peris and they did not move him back on the grid. I think that demonstrates the magnitude of this “ordeal”. To eliminate any further doubt, they offered Peris the chance to remove the next set of components I built on his bike as a form of amnesty. He refused, in spite of guaranteed teardowns on Sunday.

Chris Peris’ integrity should not be called into question in this matter, as he is completely unaware of anything technical about how motorcycles are prepped to race. He only knows how to ride the wheels off of them. He is a fine young man with a bright future as a racer, and I hope none of my actions cast any shadow over him.

My apologies to the Suzuki Motor Corp for bringing any question about sportsmanship to such a great event.

Sincerely,

Max McAllister


WERA officials say they will no longer do business with McAllister and that he will not be allowed to set up as a vendor in the WERA paddock, but that he has not personally been banned from the WERA paddock. “We’re just not going to take any money from him to vend at our races, and the same thing for the rulebook ad,” said WERA Operations Manager Sean Clarke. “If somebody wants to hire him to work on their forks at one of our races, that’s another thing. But we’re not going to do any type of business deal with him at all.”

From a press release:

Count the Days with Your Favorite Road Racer in 2005

San Francisco, CA – Here comes your first ever 2005 American Speed Calendar, packed with pictures and information about the next thrilling season. Get up close and personal with top racers such as Miguel Duhamel, Aaron Gobert, Jake Zemke, Ben Bostrom and Eric Bostrom, just to name a few.

This calendar has everything: great, vibrant photos of your favorite riders, the 2005 race schedule, trivia dates, and all the info you need to make the races come to life. So guys, if you want your significant other to have motorcycles on her mind when Christmas time rolls around, you cannot go wrong with this calendar. And ladies, if you thought going to a race wouldn’t be entertaining, just wait till you see these guys.

Lisa Keating is based in San Francisco. She has an impressive clientele of actors, musicians and professional motorcycle racers. Her work has been published in many magazines such as Rolling Stone, Vibe, SF Weekly/Chronicle and others. Lisa, who also rides, has established herself within the AMA, enabling her to offer a more personal side of racing. Her fashion skills combined with her ability to talk the talk with racers on and off the track brings them to life in a way that is truly unique. Brian J. Nelson, the top action photographer for road racing, helped her capture all the great racing images.

To order your calendar in time for Christmas, log onto www.roadracing05.com .

Should you have any questions regarding the calendar, please contact Lisa Keating at (415) 777-4918 or visit her site at www.lisakeatingphotograhy.com.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Provisional 2005 FIM Endurance World Championship Schedule:

March 28, 500 kilometers, Assen, Holland

April 10, TBA

May 28-29, 12 hours, Albacete, Spain

June 19, TBA

July 31, 8 hours, Suzuka, Japan

August 13-14, 24 hours, Oschersleben, Germany

October 2, 200 miles, Vallelunga, Italy

From a revised press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports:


MAT MLADIN – 2004 American Superbike Champion

Nine years is a long time for any sportsman to remain at the higher echelons of a particular championship or series of their chosen sport.

For Australian Mat Mladin, the nine seasons he has spent racing in the highly competitive American AMA Superbike Championship has brought with it considerable success.

Since making the move to the AMA series in 1996, Mladin has been associated with the factory Yoshimura Suzuki team for all bar one of those seasons.

In this period he has emerged as one of the most decorated riders in the sport. Five AMA Superbike Championships, 32 career race wins (including
three Daytona 200’s) and 37 career pole positions, rates him as the best in the business.

Mladin and his tight knit crew have become the yardstick of the American Superbike Championship. His rivals see him as the man to beat rather than
the motorcycle and team he rides for. He has many fans as well as detractors, but that does not distract him from the task at hand, winning
championships.

Fresh from his most recent championship success at Virginia International Raceway, Mladin took time to answer a number of questions, relating to his season and his time spent racing in the grueling AMA series.

Q: With 5 AMA Superbike crowns to your credit, how do you rate this year’s title win?

A: This year was a tough championship. We were up against it, especially over the first two-thirds of the year. The motorcycle was a little behind due to the rule changes imposed after last season. As far as how hard it was, it definitely was hard. As far as how satisfying it was, it was the most satisfying by far.

Q: You went into 2004 as the defending champion, but were not rated as the pre-season favourite to take the title. How did that sit with you?

A: You are probably right and all that was based on one off-season tyre test at Daytona when the Honda guys came out and went really fast. They put a good spin on the publicity there and that seemed to blow a lot of things out of proportion for what could of happened.

Q: You won the Daytona 200 for the third time this year and with the rule changes proposed by the AMA for 2005 (it will run as a Formula Extreme 600cc class) it could well be the last, what are your thoughts on that decision?

A: I’d hate to say that it would be the last time that Superbikes race the Daytona 200, because who knows what they are going to have for the future and are they going to have to turn that decision around. Is it really going to be the last Superbike Daytona 200, I’m not really certain of that.

It’s very highly thought of by the manufacturers. Myself as a non-American racer, I don’t place as much importance on it as an American would. For me it’s the first race of the championship and I don’t want to do anything silly there that would leave me catching up a whole heap of points.

Q: Was there a particular high point for you this year?

A: The two wins at the penultimate round at Road Atlanta were huge for us. That was a weekend where the championship could have either tightened way up for the final two races at Virginia, or we could essentially clinch it, even though mathematically we couldn’t clinch it, we could put all of the competitors away at that race and that’s what happened. It made it extra special because there was that tension and pressure that was growing between Miguel (DuHamel) and myself and we came away with a maximum pointscore after taking pole, and leading most laps in each race on the way to the two wins. It was a nice way to leave there.

Q: Was it a turning point in the season, even though it was quite late?

A: I don’t think it was a turning point as we led the whole season. Laguna Seca really stopped the bleeding for us after the few fast racetracks where we lost points to our rivals. Laguna stopped that for us and then we got a win at the following round at Mid-Ohio where we started to stretch the points out again. Then at Atlanta, we put it to bed.

Q: When did you feel that the championship was yours to win?

A: After Atlanta. We felt pretty comfortable and had over a race in points in the lead of the championship, so it would have taken a big mess up for us to lose it after that.

Q: Has there been any one particular facet that would be the key to your success in America?

A: The biggest thing was learning six or seven years ago that I needed a strong team to be able to win championships. It’s something that I really woke up to in 1997. You can’t win titles, especially consistently, without having a solid team who do the same things every weekend.

Q: How important has it been to have such a dedicated group of guys around you that form the nucleus of your team?

A: My long time crew chief Peter Doyle and mechanic Reg O’Rourke have been joined by other members, Johnny Asher, Manny and Henry, but the key is they are a really solid group that works extremely well together.

They all know what to do. At the track we get the job done and if we win we go out and have dinner and some fun, but if we don’t we still go out have dinner and some fun. That’s what it is all about. You win together you lose together.

Q: How enjoyable has it been over the past two years where you have been able to race 1000cc multi-cylinder Superbikes?

A: Last year the Suzuki GSX-R1000 was the best motorcycle on the racetrack, or at least as competitive as any other motorcycle on the track. Something we didn’t have the luxury of having racing the Twins on a 750. Last year we won a lot of races reasonably comfortably and it was good to have won that fourth championship, but it certainly wasn’t near as hard as this year. This year I’ve spoken about the motorcycle not being fast enough, but again it all goes back to the rule changes that were implemented very late last year, so the motorcycle just wasn’t up to the same spec as the others we were racing against this year. Next year it will be, so we’ll see how it goes then.


Q: How do rate the next crop of riders emerging in the US?

A: There are a few guys over here doing very well. The Hayden brothers, Tommy and Roger Lee at Kawasaki, Tommy won the Supersport Championship, while there’s also a couple of younger guys over at Yamaha. Aaron Gobert did well in winning the Superstock championship, while Jason Disalvo seems to be pretty fast, while in my Yoshimura Suzuki team, Ben Spies will be stepping up to Superbike next year so we’ll see how he goes there.

Q: Do you still have that desire for either GP or World Superbike, or will you conclude you career in America?

A: I’d imagine that I’d finish my racing career here in the US. The GP thing has always interested me since I was there in ’93, but certainly even less the more years that we go along, because it is one of those things where you really do need the right package, bike and team, or else you are wasting your time. There are only so many factory bikes to go around and the unfortunate thing is that I’m unlikely to get one. Honda have already stated that they will only have two official factory bikes in MotoGP and the rest will be the next step down.

As for World Superbike, it just doesn’t interest me, full stop. The level of racing I don’t think is that high. To have to travel around the world to say that you race in World Superbike does not appeal to me. I see it as a huge step backwards to what I’m doing here in America. The rules between SWC and the AMA may be slightly different, but the teams here still get the very latest equipment from the factories, so on that score this series is very strong.

To give you an idea, we had factory rider Regis Laconi race here at the final round last weekend, straight after being a title contender in the SWC a week earlier and he couldn’t get within a second of our times. The AMA is not an easy series by any stretch of the imagination.

Q: You’ve spent nine year’s racing in America, you must enjoy the way of life you have created for yourself there.

A: I love it here. There are so many things that I’ve been able to do because of my time here. My Import company is directly attributed to the people I have been fortunate to deal with over here such as Yoshimura and Joe Rocket. My success over here with racing has led to some successful business ventures.

Not only that, but you do tend to live a fairly normal lifestyle where you live in your own house, go and race, then come back to it where you do normal type things. Things like that that I do enjoy.

I got my pilot licence this year and plan on expanding that into the future and may chase that career one day when I get home to Australia. It also is something that my daughter can be involved in if she chooses. To be a young person and get to travel the world as a pilot would be pretty cool.

Q: Many may perceive your over-confidence to verge on arrogance. How do you read this with the positive nature it takes for anyone to win a championship title. Where is the fine line?

A: Personally I see it as a minority that would see it like that. You always have your detractors no matter who you are. Overall I think it is a minority. Some people see me that way, but I do have a lot of fans in America. I enjoy racing, I have a passion for it and finishing second doesn’ t sit well with me. So when I lose, it’s annoying until I get to the next racetrack and make amends for it. I like to perform at my best whatever it is.

Q: You are very vocal regarding track safety in America. Do you feel that you are being heard by those who make the decisions?

A: When it comes to track safety, there’s never enough that can be done. You certainly like to see more done, but unfortunately it’s one of those areas that you keep pushing for and make more improvements, but things never seem to be quick enough. Certainly America doesn’t seem to have track safety as high a priority as the European countries are, especially the World Championship circuits.

However, a few have made steady changes over the years which is great, but there are still a couple of places where the whole circuit is still terrible. I don’t know why we still race there, especially the speeds carried by the current crop of motorcycles.

Q: What do you see in the future direction of Superbike?

The current 1000cc Superbike is an excellent platform. I think they will always have a platform, as they are different to GP bikes. Horsepower figures are not that different between them. The current Superbikes are putting out well over 205hp, while the lead MotoGP machines are around 230 to 240hp.

There will always be a place for them as they are the bikes that people buy and therefore a huge marketing tool for the manufacturers, which is also the reason why they are all getting back into World Superbike next year.

Q: What lies ahead contract wise for you?

A: I’m done for 2005. I’ll be back to defend the title and see if we can make it six, but after that we have to see what happens. As long as I’m still enjoying it and have that fire in my belly I’d like to keep winning and I guess I’ll be doing it for a few more years yet.

Mat Mladin – Statistics

Date of birth: 10 March 1972
Lives at: Camden, NSW, Australia
Marital Status: Married to Janine, daughter Emily

Racing Achievements
1990
Began racing in the Australian 250cc Production championship (Suzuki RGV 250)

1991
Australian 250cc Production Champion (Suzuki RGV 250)

1992
Australian Superbike Champion (Kawasaki ZX-R750)

1993
World 500cc Grand Prix Championship (Cagiva 500)

1994
3rd Australian Superbike Championship (Kawasaki ZX-R750)

1995
2nd, Australian Superbike Championship (Kawasaki ZX-R750)

1996
4th, AMA US Superbike Championship (Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R750)

1997
3rd, AMA US Superbike Championship (Fast By Ferracci Ducati 955)

1998
3rd, AMA US Superbike Championship (Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R750)

1999
AMA US Superbike Champion (Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R750)

2000
AMA US Superbike Champion (Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R750)
Won Daytona 200 by Arai (First Australian to do so)
Voted 2000 AMA Pro Racing Athlete of the Year, by his peers

2001
AMA US Superbike Champion (Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R750)
Won four races (Daytona 200 by Arai, Road Atlanta, Road America, Mid-Ohio)
Set new pole position records; 8 consecutive and a total of 9 for the season

2002
7th AMA US Superbike Championship (Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R750)

2003
AMA US Superbike Champion (Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000)
First rider to win four AMA Superbike Championships
Equalled All-time AMA Superbike race wins for a season with 10 wins (24 career victories)

2004
AMA US Superbike Champion (Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000)
All time AMA Superbike race win record holder with 32 career race wins
Won eight races – Daytona 200, California Raceway (2), Infinieon Raceway, Barber Motorsports Park, Mid-Ohio, Road Atlanta (2)
All time AMA Superbike Pole Position record holder with 37.


AMA Career Superbike Race Wins – 32 (All time AMA Superbike record)

2004
04/09/04 Road Atlanta Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000
04/09/04 Road Atlanta Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000
24/07/04 Mid-Ohio Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000
15/05/04 Barber M’Sports Pk Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000
01/05/04 Infineon Raceway Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000
04/04/03 California Speedway Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000
03/04/04 California Speedway Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000
06/03/04 Daytona 200 Mile Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000

AMA Career Superbike Pole Positions – 37 (All time AMA Superbike record)
2004
04/09/04 Road Atlanta 1:22.065 Yoshimura
Suzuki GSX-R1000
15/05/04 Barber M’Sports Pk 1:25.251 Yoshimura Suzuki
GSX-R1000
01/05/04 Infineon Raceway 1:36.916 Yoshimura Suzuki
GSX-R1000
03/04/04 California Speedway 1:24.759 Yoshimura Suzuki
GSX-R1000

From a press release issued by FGSport:

26 February – Qatar Doha, Losail

3 April – Australia, Phillip Island

24 April – Spain, Valencia

8 May – Italy, Monza

29 May – Great Britain, Silverstone

12 June – Czech Republic, Brno

26 June – San Marino, Misano

7 August – Great Britain, Brands Hatch

4 September – Netherlands, Assen

11 September – Germany, Lausitzring

25 September – Italy, Imola

9 October – France, Magny-Cours

Reserve dates (4 events)

20/03 or 01/05 : tba

03/07 or 17/07 : tba

14/08 or 21/08 : tba

16/10 or 23/10 : tba

From a press release issued by Ducati:

DUCATI DESIGNER PIERRE TERBLANCHE PRESENTS: “THE ART AND DESIGN OF AN ITALIAN MOTORCYCLE”

Renowned motorcycle designer Pierre Terblanche will speak at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum on November 19th, 2004, Brookline, Massachusetts.

October 20th, 2004 – Cupertino, CA – World famous designer Pierre Terblanche will make a U.S. appearance on November 19th, 2004 at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, Massachusetts. Terblanche is the Director of Design for Ducati in Bologna, Italy and is recognized as a preeminent designer who leads the design team whose innovations keep Ducati at the forefront of motorcycle design.

US DESMO, an official Ducati Owners Club of the United States, has organized the event and is honored to welcome Pierre Terblanche for this special presentation. Pierre will speak on the company’s rich heritage and the unique role of style for the machines he has personally designed such as the 900SS, MH900e, as well as the companies latest, the Multi-Strada and the 999. Mr. Terblanche will address motorcycle design from identified market needs to new product development. His presentation integrates Ducati’s real world practicality toward engineering and manufacturing to useful design for a wide range of riders and riding styles.

Ducati motorcycles are considered works of art by people around the world and are the sexiest bikes on the planet. Fine examples can been seen in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Art of the Motorcycle at the Guggenheim, and other museums worldwide. The bikes combine emotion, form, and function in an overall package unlike any other manufacturer. Together with proven dominance on the racetrack, a Ducati motorcycle is a cultural, artistic, and performance statement.

Selected Ducati motorcycles will be exhibited at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum and a special edition Ducati will be signed by Pierre Terblanche.

The VIP cocktail reception and book signing by Pierre will be a catered affair with a wonderful assortment of passed hors d’oeuvres and catered by one of Boston’s premiere caterers. The VIP reception begins at 5:00 p.m. and tickets are $50. General Admission is at 7:00 p.m and tickets are $9.

For reservations and directions, contact: Sheldon Steele, Larz Anderson Auto Museum 15 Newton St. Brookline MA 02445, 617-522-6547 ext.19. Or visit: www.mot.org.

The event is sponsored by Eastern Cycle Ducati in Beverly, Massachusetts with support from US Desmo, BCM Motorsports, the Society of Automotive Engineers, North American Warhorse, and Moto Italia.

Founded in 1926, Ducati builds racing-inspired motorcycles characterized by unique engine features, innovative design, advanced engineering and overall technical excellence. Ducati has won eleven of the last thirteen World Superbike Championship titles and more individual victories than the competition put together. The Company produces motorcycles in five market segments which vary in their technical and design features and intended customers: Superbike, Supersport; Monster, Sport Touring and Multistrada. The Company’s motorcycles are sold in more than 40 countries worldwide, with a primary focus in the Western European and North American markets. For more information about the Company, please visit our web site athttp://www.ducati.com.