From a press release issued by FGSPort:

2004 FIM WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP

11th round Magny Cours, 1-3 October 2004

CORSER TURNS 30 AGAIN AFTER SUPERB SUPERPOLE

CORSER BEST OF ALL: Having been fourth fastest in regulation qualifying, Foggy Petronas FP-1 rider Troy Corser did not seem a likely candidate to secure the Superpole win. A small error on his own behalf led to a peculiar line on the approach to the last series of corners before the final chicane at Magny Cours. This small error proved a stroke of good fortune, allowing Corser to swing through the final section at a higher pace than normal, taking his 30th career pole in SBK with a 1’41.547. It is his second pole of this season, the first coming at Oschersleben.

FOUR SQUARE: Such is the competitive nature of the 2004 championship and the diversity of homologated machinery in SBK in general, that no fewer than four different manufacturers were represented on the post Superpole front row. For the first time since 2001, there was only one Ducati in the first four places.

HONDA HOMING IN: Chris Vermeulen looked to have won Superpole but for Corser’s outstanding lap time. Nonetheless the Aussie rider on the Ten Kate Honda is in good starting position as he goes for the championship win. Fourteen points behind leading rider Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila) Vermeulen was in trouble in the early practice sessions, could only finish seventh fastest in regulation, but took second in Superpole. His Imola injuries are not hampering his performance too much and the Superbike rookie enters the final round with a fighting chance of the overall title.

DUCATIS TO DUKE IT OUT: In the internal battle between series leader Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila 999F04) and his team-mate James Toseland, round one at Magny Cours went to Toseland, who secured third place and a front row start. Laconi’s ragged Superpole lap put him fifth fastest, on the second row, a fact which will make both his races tougher than desired in front of his vociferous home crowd.

LOCAL HERO: The front row was blessed by the presence of a Yamaha privateer, the current World Endurance Champion Sebastien Gimbert, on a Yamaha France R1. Fastest in both regulation qualifying sessions, Gimbert is no stranger to the Pirellis used in World Superbike, running the Italian rubber in domestic and World Endurance competitions. His pace electrified the local crowd, in what was a dry but overcast day.

ROW TWO: Behind the front row hierarchy Laconi leads the charge of three private Ducati runners on the second row after Superpole. Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati) slotted himself into the sixth grid spot, ahead of Steve Martin (DFX Ducati Sterilgarda) and Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati 999RS). The latter still has a mathematical chance of overall victory, but realistically he is racing to add to his 2004 win total of five.

BRITISH BULLDOGS: Leon Haslam (Renegade Ducati 999) and Chris Walker (Foggy Petronas) ended their last Superpole competitions of the season in ninth and tenth places respectively.

ITALIAN FAIR FLAIR: Italian privateer Giovanni Bussei (De Cecco Ducati) could not complete his Superpole lap, but nonetheless he was awarded a momento for gentlemanly conduct at the last Imola race, when he was given a ride-through penalty for giving the stricken Chris Vermeulen a lift back to pitlane, allowing Vermeulen to race on his second bike and keep his championship challenge alive.

WORLD SUPERSPORT: Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda) finally secured pole position for his Ten Kate Honda team, after a qualifying session full of accident and incident. A crash from second fastest rider Michel Fabrizio (Team Italia Megabike Honda) halted the session with just over ten minutes remaining, making for some frantic moments as the clock counted down.
Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda) secured third best time and with newly crowned World Champion Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda) fourth fastest, the front was an all-Honda domain. Kevin Curtain, a faller in the session, was fifth fastest for the Yamaha Motor Germany team. Lorenzo Lanzi (Breil Ducati) was the top twin-cylinder rider to qualify for Sunday’s 23-lap race.

EUROPEAN SUPERSTOCK: Lorenzo Alfonsi (Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni Yamaha R1) took a narrow advantage in qualifying for the European Superstock race. The final event is finely balanced. Injured championship leader Gianluca Vizziello has been ruled out by the broken wrist and arm he picked up pre-race at the preceding round in Imola, and his team-mate Alfonsi can take the title if he finishes second or batter. Any other result will see Vizziello crowned champion, despite being unable to race in the last two rounds.



More, from a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

2004 World Superbike Championship
Round 11, Magny Cours (France) , Saturday 2nd October, Final Qualifying
Circuit: 4.411kms, Weather: dry, cloudy 19°C

SUPERTROY!
Troy stunned everybody at Magny-Cours today by blasting his Petronas FP1 to a superb Superpole win by an almost comfortable three tenths of a second. It was Troy’s second Superpole win of the season and his thirtieth pole position of his World Superbike career. Troy was down on the first two splits, but recovered magnificently to push fellow countryman Chris Vermeulen (Honda) off the top spot. Third quickest in Superpole today is James Toseland (Ducati), with ‘wild card’ Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha) completing the front row of the grid.

TROY – 1st, 1:41.547
Well, it’s been a bit of a time coming, but I really wanted to get my 30th pole before the end of the season and now I’ve done it. I was down in the first two timed sections, but I got back the time in the final part – though that might have been down to a little mistake really! I braked a bit late, but I still managed to stay on the track and not suffer at all. It wasn’t luck, but it was not far off! I am happy because the team have worked their socks off and it’s thanks to them and our new specification engines that I was able to put the Petronas on pole. In Superpole, you can either gain a little or lose a lot and the key is to not make mistakes or try too hard. This weekend my times on race rubber have been very consistent, so now I need a good start. I am definitely going for a podium, but hopefully a race win.

Final qualifying
1 TROY CORSER (AUS-PETRONAS FP1) 1:41.547, 2 Vermeulen (Aus-Honda) 1:41.845, 3 Toseland (GB-Ducati) 1:41.856, 4 Gimbert (F-Yamaha) 1:412.946, 5 Laconi (I-Ducati) 1:41.969, 6 Chili (I-Ducati) 1:41.977, 7 Martin (Aus-Ducati) 1:42.242, 8 Haga (J-Ducati) 1:42.358, 9 Haslam (GB-Ducati) 1:42.705, 10 Walker (GB-Petronas FP1) 1:42.718



More, from a press release issued by Ten Kate Honda:

Vermeulen Narrowly Misses Superpole Win

Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) looked to have clinched his first Superpole after setting an impressive time of 1’41.845, but a superb final split for the last rider away, Troy Corser (Petronas) secured him his 30th career pole position in Superbike.

Chris nonetheless has an important front row start, in what is destined to be the championship decider. The two races on Sunday will determine which of the three top riders in contention, Chris, plus Ducati factory riders James Toseland and Regis Laconi will be champion, with all three separated by only 14 points at present. Significantly, Laconi could not join Toseland and Vermeulen on the front row after the pressurised Superpole competition.

Four different manufacturers were represented on the front row of the grid, with the Honda, Petronas and Ducati riders joined by the private wild card Yamaha of Sebastien Gimbert.

Vermeulen, returning to the pit box with a seemingly unassailable time to his credit, was surprised to see Corser overtake his position at the head of the time sheets. “I came into my pitbox and looked up at the screen, leading by 0.2 seconds or so. Then I looked down, looked back up again and Troy was pole! I was like, ‘what did he do there?’ Congratulations to Troy and it’s nice to see so many different manufacturers in the front row. We struggled here yesterday and we got faster and faster. It will be close races and we just have to get into the first group and then be first across the line. But I will be giving it my best shot for sure.”

Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate was happy with the improvements the team had wrought in the CBR1000RR since the first qualifying session. “I think the line that Troy took into the last corner before the chicane was the difference. All the other boys are taking it tighter but Troy really took it wide and then threw it in. He was good, and maybe his bike allows such a line. We are not disappointed to not score a pole this year, and after yesterday I can only be satisfied with the result we had today. We are back on track. I think we’ve got the bike dialled in for the race, Chris is getting more and more in his rhythm, and his body is letting him move around more. A lot of people yesterday must have thought we were down and out but here we are on the front row. I think Tory rode very well, congratulations to him on 30 pole positions. It shown how great a rider he is. I hope he can help us by putting himself between us and the opposition.”

World Superbike Championship
Round 11 Magny Cours – France
1 – 3 October 2004
1. T. Corser, AUS, Petronas FP1, 1’41.547
2. C. Vermeulen, AUS, Ten Kae Honda CBR1000RR, 1’41.845
3. J. Toseland, GBR, Ducati 999 F04, 1’41.856
4. S. Gimbert, FRA, Yamaha YZF R1, 1’41.946
5. R. Laconi, FRA, Ducati 999 F04, 1’41.969
6. P. Chili, ITA, Ducati 998 RS, 1’41.977
7. S. Martin, AUS, Ducati 999 RS, 1’42.242
8. N. Haga, JPN, Ducati 999 RS, 1’42.358
9. L. Haslam, GBR, Ducati 999 RS, 1’42.705
10. C. Walker, GBR, Petronas FP1, 1’42.718

Parkes Takes Pole with Muggeridge on Front Row

Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) did what he had threatened to do on many previous occasions and took pole position in World Supersport, his time of 1’43.825s being set in the final session of the pre race qualifying sessions. Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) secured a front row start with a time of 1’43.953s, despite being under the pole time on various first and second split times.

The front row for Sunday’s race was an all Honda affair, with Michel Fabrizio and Sebastien Charpentier going second and third respectively. The first non-Honda proved to be the Yamaha of Kevin Curtain, in fifth.

Parkes, delighted with his first pole for the Ten Kate team, stated, “I’ve come close a few times this year but I don’t know what made the difference this time. It wasn’t exactly the kind of lap that you would expect to have pole from, because I got held up a bit in traffic, especially in the second corner. I thought I had lost too much time, because that’s about the fastest corner here. We were in good shape after Imola and we didn’t make too many changes here. The bike works pretty well round Magny Cours.”

Muggeridge was incensed at the action of some of his fellow riders, feeling that he lost a clean shot at pole on two separate occasions. “I was trying to have a go to make pole but I got held up with traffic. There is just continuous traffic out there and I don’t know what some of them are thinking about. We have tried hard to get the bike working with a race set-up and we still need to get it working a little better for the race.”

Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate said, “We worked out all the issues we had on day one, about how the bike is riding the bumps and so on and we have selected race tyres. Or should I say we have two tyres to choose from, and we will decide after warm up. The boys are well up to speed. That was an excellent pole from Broc and he worked hard all weekend with his bike and crew. Karl could have maybe got pole a couple of times as well, but he got held up by other riders.”

World Supersport Championship
Round 10 / Magny Cours, France
1 – 3 October 2004
1. B. Parkes, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR, 1’43.825
2. M. Fabrizio, ITA, Honda CBR600RR, 1’43.840
3. S. Charpentier, FRA, Honda CBR600RR, 1’43.858
4. K. Muggeridge, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR, 1’43.953
5. K. Curtain, AUS, Yamaha YZF R 6, 1’44.199
6. J. vd. Goorbergh, NED, Yamaha YZF R6, 1’44.273
7. A. Pitt, AUS, Yamaha YZF R6, 1’44.288
8. F. Foret, FRA, Yamaha YZF R6, 1’44.406
9. L. Lanzi, ITA, Ducati 749 R, 1’44.768
10. M. Baiocco, ITA, Yamaa YZF R6, 1’45.100



More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Italia Racing:

Yamaha Racing
Yamaha Italia World Supersport Team
Date: Friday, 1st October 2004
Circuit: Magny Cours, m. 4.411
Final Qualifying
Weather: dry, mostly cloudy Temperature: air 19° C, track 28° C
Crowd: 15.000

SECOND ROW FOR THE TRIO.
Yamaha Racing Italia’s three riders will line up alongside each on the second row of the grid for the final round of the Supersport World Championship at Magny Cours tomorrow. All three were held up by slower riders on their fast laps, but all are confident of finishing with podiums in the 23-lapper – the last race of the year. Aussie Broc Parkes took pole position today, with fellow Honda riders Michel Fabrizio, Sebastien Charpentier and Karl Muggeridge completing the front row.

JURGEN VAN DEN GOORBERGH – 6th, 1’44.273
I am a little bit angry because I was confident of keeping my front row grid spot. But, on my fast lap, Fabrizio crashed right in front of me and I lost the opportunity to keep that place. I was third last year here at Magny-Cours and I feel sure that I can be on the podium again this time.

ANDREW PITT – 7th, 1’44.288
My set-up is good and I think that this place suits the Yamaha very well. I am confident of a good result tomorrow and the only problems I had today were with slow riders and lots of traffic in the way.

FABIEN FORET – 8th, 1’44.406
I found a really good set-up, but I didn’t pick the right moment to do my quick lap. There was lots of traffic on the track today and I had to overtake two slow riders on my fast lap and that cost me quite a bit of time.

MATTEO BAIOCCO continued his good run of form by posting the tenth fastest time in final qualifying today – very close to the front runners. The Lorenzini by Leoni rider finished tenth in the Supersport World Championship round at Imola last week and is looking for a strong finish in tomorrow’s 23-lapper.

Final qualifying
1 Parkes (Aus-Honda) 1’43.825, 2 Fabrizio (I-Honda) 1’43.840, 3 Charpentier (F-Honda) 1’43.840, 4 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda) 1’43.953, 5 Curtain (Aus-Yamaha) 1’44.199, 6 VD GOORBERGH (NL-YAMAHA RACING ITALIA) 1’44.273, 7 PITT (AUS-YAMAHA RACING ITALIA) 1’44.288, 8 FORET (F-YAMAHA RACING ITALIA) 1’44.406, 9 Lanzi (I-Ducati) 1’44.768, 10 BAIOCCO (I-LORENZINI BY LEONI YAMAHA) 1’45.100



More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

WORLD SUPERBIKE SET FOR FINAL SHOWDOWN AS TOSELAND AND LACONI (DUCATI FILA) QUALIFY 3RD AND 5TH AT MAGNY-COURS

Magny-Cours (France), 2 October 2004: The final round of the World Superbike championship at Magny-Cours is set to be a thriller as all three championship contenders, James Toseland and Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila), together with outsider Chris Vermeulen (Honda), qualified within one tenth of a second of each other for tomorrow’s two races.

B setting third quickest time of 1’41.856 in Superpole behind eventual poleman Corser (Petronas) and Vermeulen, Toseland has a slight advantage over his team-mate Laconi (with a time of 1’41.969) in fifth place on row 2, but both riders are confident that they have the right package for tomorrow’s two 23-lap races.

“Although I didn’t feel my Superpole lap was anything special, we did a really good job today so a big thanks to the team” declared Toseland. “I’ve just been trying to get every problem out of the way, be precise with the changes on the bike and spend as much time out there on the track as possible this weekend.

“We’re third on the grid, which is perfect for me. It’s a front row start, that’s what I wanted because it gives us the best chance tomorrow. We ‘ve been consistently quick on race tyres all through the weekend and I’m looking forward to the challenge” concluded James.

“I’m quite happy to make this time, because the first part of my Superpole lap was not good” explained Laconi. “We have really worked hard for the race, we have found the right choice of tyre and I am confident about the feeling of the bike for the race tomorrow.

“I did a lot of laps in 42.8/9s with the race tyre, I think that will be the pace for the race. You never know, you have to see at the start but for me the second row is not a big problem. It’s just important to make sure everything is right for the race, get off to a good start and ride well tomorrow. There’s not much between me, James and Chris and I feel sure it will be a fantastic battle tomorrow”.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

An article written by Mike Salisbury, the famed designer behind the new AMA logo, was published in the Fall 2004 edition of Forbes FYI, a quarterly supplement to Forbes magazine.

The article, headlined “Hey Johnny, What Are You Rebelling Against” with a subhead that reads “Fifty years ago bad boy Brando starred in The Wild One–and the motorcycle jacket roared into fashion history,” is about leather jackets in motorcycle culture, with a featured selection of current leather jackets.

The article appears on pages 92-97 of the magazine.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Hal’s Harley-Davidson/Buell Crew Chief Terry Galagan tells us that he and rider Mike Ciccotto will appear on Greg’s Garage on SPEED TV Tuesday, October 12.

The pair will have one of the team’s Formula Xtreme racebikes with them and will discuss Greg White’s failure to qualify for the FX race at Road Atlanta, which, given the speed of the Buell in question, is nothing short of a sad commentary on his so-called riding skills. However, since he is a capable TV show host, we won’t mention that.

(Note to outraged readers reaching for the keyboard: It’s humor. Get it? Funny? Joke? Ha Ha? And it’s our joke, don’t blame Galagan, OK?)

In short, watch it on SPEED!

(We now return to our regular website programming.)

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

250cc GP Results
1. Sebastian Porto, Aprilia
2. Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, -1.614 seconds
3. Hiroshi Aoyama, Honda, -43.312
4. Franco Battaini, Aprilia, -45.127
5. Fonsi Nieto, Aprilia, -47.182
6. Toni Elias, Honda, -59.471
7. Roberto Rolfo, Honda, -71.413
8. Alex Debon, Honda, -82.120
9. Hugo Marchand, Aprilia, -82.162
10. Joan Olive, Aprilia, -89.038


125cc GP Results
1. Jorge Lorenzo, Derbi, 39:11.620
2. Andrea Dovizioso, Honda, 39:11.620
3. Alvaro Bautista, Aprilia, -4.018 seconds
4. Mike Kallio, KTM, -18.753
5. Fabrizio Lai, Gilera, -35.458
6. Pablo Nieto, Aprilia, -37.890
7. Julian Simon, -39.023
8. Gino Borsoi, Aprilia, -39.409
9. Mattia Pasini, Aprilia, -42.901
10. Mirko Giansanti, Aprilia, -42.918

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Race Results

1. Sete Gibernau, Honda
2. Colin Edwards, Honda, -1.315 seconds
3. Ruben Xaus, Ducati, -23.844
4. Alex Barros, Honda, -25.458
5. Nicky Hayden, Honda, -31.417
6. Max Biaggi, Honda, -39.209
7. Norick Abe, Yamaha, -53.373
8. John Hopkins, Suzuki, -58.006
9. Alex Hofmann, Kawasaki, -64.320
10. Makoto Tamada, Honda, -78.518
11. Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, -109.438
12. James Haydon, Proton, -112.158
13. James Ellison, WCM, -113.900
14. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, -3 laps, DNF, retired
15. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, -9 laps, DNF, retired
16. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, -9 laps, DNF, retired
17. Jeremy McWilliams, Aprilia, -10 laps, DNF, retired
18. Neil Hodgson, Ducati, -12 laps, DNF, retired
19. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton, -16 laps, DNF, crashed
20. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, -17 laps, DNF, crashed
21. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, -17 laps, DNF, retired
22. Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki, -19 laps, DNF, retired



More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
GRAND PRIX OF QATAR – LOSAIL INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT
2ND OCTOBER 2004 – MOTOGP RACE RESULT

HOFMANN FINISHES A FAST NINTH IN QATAR HEAT WAVE

Fuchs Kawasaki rider Alex Hofmann scored his best result of the season so far, with a determined ride to ninth place in today’s inaugural Qatar Grand Prix at the Losail International Circuit on the outskirts of Doha.

But while Hofmann celebrated, his team-mate Shinya Nakano saw a potential podium finish snatched away when his Ninja ZX-RR suffered a mechanical failure on lap four.

The retirement was a huge disappointment for the Japanese speed merchant who had made a brilliant start from fifth on the grid to move into third place behind eventual race winner Sete Gibernau, and Carlos Checa on lap two.

It was an impressive turn of speed by Nakano aboard his Bridgestone-shod Kawasaki, and he had high hopes of repeating his third place podium result at last week’s Japanese Grand Prix.

Today’s 22-lap race was run in heat wave conditions with track temperatures of over 50 degrees C, which tested the endurance of both riders and bikes to the limit.

Starting 18th on the grid Hofmann’s task was made more difficult on the sand-blown Losail Circuit, which had a narrow racing line that limited overtaking opportunities.

But the German young gun rode with patience and skill to be 13th on lap nine, and then position himself for a late race charge into ninth.

Hofmann had lost ground with a poor start from his grid position on the dirty side of the circuit, with his ZX-RR spinning and sliding all the way to turn one.

It was lap six before the 24-year-old Fuchs Kawasaki pilot had settled into 15th and raced at the same pace as the group in front, which included John Hopkins and Norick Abe.

The Qatar race broke new ground for MotoGP, opening up a new market in the Middle East and providing riders and teams with many new challenges from the dusty but fast circuit, and the stifling and exhausting tropical temperatures.

Alex Hofmann: 9th
“That was a really tough race, but I’m really happy because it’s my best result of the season after starting so far back. But it could have been even better, because towards the end of the race I could run at the same pace as Hopkins and Abe, but I was just too far behind. The start was a big problem from the dirtiest part of the track on the inside; I was just spinning and sliding and lost too much time in the early laps. In the final laps I was just riding smoothly and shifting gear early.”

Shinya Nakano: DNF
“I had bad luck today, but that’s racing. Last race I was on the podium but today an engine problem meant a disappointing end to the race while running in third place. My start was very good, but there were a lot of riders bumping into each other, so there was a big chance of crashing. Obviously Kawasaki have to work hard to understand our engine problems, but despite this result, I’m very confident for the future after qualifying fifth and racing in third place.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“It is disappointing to know that the ZX-RR has the performance potential that Shinya again showed today, only to have some engine problems rule him out of the race. It is clear that we have to work harder to keep our motors alive and that is our priority now. Shinya did a fantastic job this weekend, so I understand completely how he feels today. Alex also performed strongly for his best result of the season, and if he can qualify better and make stronger starts then his performances will only improve.”

MOTOGP RACE RESULT
1. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar Honda 44’01.741; 2. Colin Edwards (USA) Telefonica Movistar Honda +1.315; 3. Ruben Xaus (SPA) dAntin Ducati Team +23.844; 4. Alex Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda +25.458; 5. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda +31.417; 6. Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel Honda Team +39.209; 7. Norick Abe (JPN) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha +53.373; 8. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki Grand Prix Team +58.006; 9. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki Racing Team +1’04.320; 10. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Camel Honda Team +1’18.518



More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati:

Marlboro Qatar Grand Prix, Losail
Race Day
Saturday October 2 2004

DUCATI MARLBORO MEN OUT OF LUCK AT LOSAIL
Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss endured a disappointing Marlboro Qatar Grand Prix at Losail today, neither rider finishing the incident-packed GP. In pitilessly hot conditions, with ambient temperatures nudging 40 degrees C, both men had high hopes for the race after qualifying on the second and third rows of the grid. But Bayliss made his exit in the early stages, while Capirossi retired just after halfway through the 22-lap event. The race was won by Sete Gibernau, while World Championship leader Valentino Rossi crashed out.

“That was a disappointing race for us,” commented Ducati Marlboro Team director Livio Suppo. “We had a chance of a good result here, but it didn’t happen. Loris was going well and he was able to keep a very good pace, but he had some unbelievable luck when he ran off the track after touching a piece of Rossi’s broken windscreen that was lying on the track. After that he had some problem with his bike which forced him to pull into the pits. We are investigating what went wrong. Troy meanwhile had a rear problem which we are looking into with Michelin. I never like to talk about bad luck but for sure we’ve been unlucky today. Finally, I would like to offer my congratulations to Ruben Xaus and the whole D’Antin Ducati team for scoring their first podium today”.

CAPIROSSI FAST BUT FAILS TO FINISH
Loris Capirossi ran well in the early stages of today’s Marlboro Qatar Grand Prix, working his way up to fifth place on lap four, but then his luck ran out. First the Ducati Marlboro Team rider ran off the track on lap five after straying off the narrow grippy line around this super-slippery racetrack, without losing too much time. Then, two laps later, he took a longer excursion into the gravel after touching a fragment of Rossi’s screen. Finally he was forced into the pits with engine gremlins. While he was on track Capirossi was one of the fastest men out there, his best lap just 0.5 seconds off the lap record.

“Today was a difficult day even though it started quite well for me,” said Capirossi who rode in some pain from the foot he broke two weeks ago at the Japanese GP. “Considering I started from the second row I got a good start and was making progress. The first time I ran off the track I only lost a couple of places, but the next time I lost another six places, so I was way down in 13th. After that I was fighting back, my tyres were working really well, I felt comfortable and I was running a good pace until I had to stop.”

BAYLISS MAKES EARLY EXIT IN QATAR
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss was in the thick of the action during the first few laps of this afternoon’s race but soon realised that he couldn’t continue to ride. On lap six he pulled into the pits, suspecting a rear problem.

“Something didn’t feel quite right pretty much from the first lap,” said the Australian. “So in the end I had to pull into the pits so the guys could take a look together with the Michelin guys. It’s a pity but it is something that can happen”.



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

HAYDON TAKES FIRST MOTOGP POINTS ON PROTON KR

Round 13: Qatar GP, Doha
Race: Saturday, October 2, 2004

James Haydon: 12th
Nobuatsu Aoki: Did Not Finish – crash

Proton Team KR substitute rider James Haydon preserved the team’s record of finishing in the points for four races in a row in a race of attrition at the new 5.380km Losail circuit in today’s inaugural Qatar GP, bringing the England-built bike home 12th, regaining the position after getting the better of his almost race-long rival James Ellison.

Team regular Nobuatsu Aoki missed out, however, one of only two riders to crash on a track that was slippery and treacherous in baking 40-degree heat. Aoki was chasing one of the factory Suzukis at the time, and the tumble spoiled the chances of an otherwise impressive reliability record for the Proton KR V5, in a race where conditions tested machine integrity to the utmost, and seven failed.

Haydon was riding for one race in place of injured team regular Kurtis Roberts, who will make his racing return at next weekend’s Malaysian GP, home race for the Proton sponsors. It is eight years since the English rider last raced in GPs – he has been racing in World and British Superbike series since then.

The Proton riders were lapping together for the early part of the race, with Aoki drawing ahead when he crashed out, victim of a freak corner-entry crash. After the race, the team were still investigating data to try to pin down the reason; the rider escaped injury.

Haydon was by then already involved with fellow British Superbike series racer James Ellison, and the pair scrapped for the rest of the 22-lap race, with Haydon saving his best to sweep past his rival on the last lap, and finish almost two seconds clear.

The first ever GP in the Middle East was run in front of a small crowd, and won by Sete Gibernau.

JAMES HAYDON
I was too quick on the clutch at the start and went sideways on the line, so I was basically last into Turn One, though I nipped past Ellison under braking on the second corner. I was behind Nobu and pushing, then I lost the front big style twice on two consecutive laps. Then I saw Nobu crash, so I backed off a little and I was back with Ellison. I let him lead for a while … he wasn’t going to get away, and I got a good rhythm, but when I passed him he came back by me again, so I thought I should save my energy and hope for a clear last lap … and it worked out. I want to say a massive thank you to Proton Team KR and Dunlop, first for the opportunity and second for the excellent job they did getting the bike how I like it. My aim was to finish in the points, and though the attrition helped, you still have to be there at the end.

NOBUATSU AOKI
I knew it was going to be a race of survival, and I wanted to try to ride steadily … but when I saw Yukio Kagayama’s Suzuki ahead I felt I had the chance of catching him for a good race. Honestly I wasn’t pushing, and the grip was better than in the morning, though still not enough to really go hard. I thought I had everything under control, then suddenly the back end lost grip and I was high-sided. It was on the way into the corner with the throttle closed, which was weird. They’re trying to find out now if there was something wrong.

CHUCK AKSLAND – Team Manager
James had a good weekend. Step by step and session by session he worked on set up and feeling, and meshed really well with everybody. His points were well deserved. From the first Nobu said it would be a race of survival, and unfortunately he didn’t survive. But we kept up our points record over recent races, and all the bikes were reliable all weekend in really tough conditions. It’s put us in a good mood for Sepang next weekend, in front of our sponsors Proton.



More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:

DIRE DAY FOR GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM

Carlos Checa (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha) was forced to retire from third position with only two laps remaining of today’s inaugural Qatar Grand Prix. The 31-year-old Spaniard took the hole-shot from pole position on his YZR-M1 machine and led the first lap. He was edged out of contention by race-winner Sete Gibernau (Honda) on lap two and then by second-placed Colin Edwards (Honda) six laps later. Checa’s retirement, which was due to a fuel problem, allowed fellow Spaniard Ruben Xaus (Ducati) to record his first ever MotoGP podium.

Valentino Rossi’s race started in controversy, contained sheer magical brilliance but ended in disaster on lap six. The Italian World Championship leader was forced to start from the back of the grid when Race Direction ruled that his team had infringed the rules by making a mark on the track at his third-row starting grid position. The crew had intended that the five-time World Champion could use the mark during the morning warm-up session to develop a good line into the first corner from his original third row grid position. Within one lap Rossi had scythed through the field to eighth and continued his scintillating progress until he caught the edge of the track with his rear wheel coming out of the second last turn on lap six and was thrown from his bike. The bad end to his day was further compounded by Gibernau’s win which narrows Rossi’s points lead to just 14 with three races remaining.

The MotoGP circus leaves Qatar for the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang next Sunday. It then moves to Phillip Island in Australia the following week and back to Europe for the season finale at Valencia in Spain on 31st October.

CARLOS CHECA (DNF – RETIRED LAP 20)
“I want to think in a positive way. My team did a really good job and I really appreciate it – especially Yamaha. This is not a nice day for us or for Yamaha. But I did some good work this weekend. I was pleased with my pole position and I was riding well in the race. I was under control in third place but I couldn’t keep the pace and had some problems with rear stability but then with three or four laps to go I started feeling a throttle connection problem. I was praying and thinking “only three laps to go” but the problem got worse and the bike finally stopped.”

VALENTINO ROSSI (DNF – FELL LAP 6)
“Firstly I have to say I was amazed and very disappointed by the decision to make me start at the back of the grid. I don’t think there is any consistency in some of the decisions made. At other races people have cleaned their grid places and nothing has happened. In fact, my crew were doing something they used to do with Doohan when the track was dirty. I didn’t know about it until after it had happened.

“Finally in the race I made a mistake. I had really pushed in the first few laps and could see that Colin was in slightly better shape than me when I was behind him. I ran wide in the second last turn and just clipped the grass. They were looking strong but I did think I could have made the podium. Fortunately I’m not hurt. I was worried about my finger but it is not serious.”

DAVIDE BRIVIO – GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR
“It has been a bad weekend. We’ll go away with Qatar with no result and no points but that’s racing. Valentino is still leading the Championship by fourteen points and now we will react and fight until the end of the Championship. In Brazil we were in the same situation and we fought back strongly. We have got three races to go and anything can happen.

“It’s such a shame for Carlos. He was riding a very good race to follow up his pole. He is really disappointed as he fully deserved a podium. He was suffering with the problem during the race and eventually it stopped.”

Please find below today’s correct results from the Qatar Grand Prix and the current MotoGP World Championship standings:

RESULTS
1.. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar HONDA 44’01.741
2.. Colin Edwards (USA) Telefonica Movistar HONDA +1.315
3.. Ruben Xaus (SPA) D’Antin Ducati MotoGP +23.844
4.. Alex Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda Team +25.458
5.. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +31.417
6.. Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel Honda Pons +39.209
7.. Norick Abe (JPN) Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3 Yamaha +53.373
8.. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +58.006
9.. Alex Hoffmann (GER) Kawasaki Racing Team +1’04.320
10.. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Camel Honda 1’18.518

CARLOS CHECA (SPA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha retired lap 20
VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha fell lap 6

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1.. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) 229
2.. Sete Gibernau (SPA) 215
3.. Max Biaggi (ITA) 168
4.. Colin Edwards (USA) 131
5.. Alex Barros (BRA) 128
6.. Makoto Tamada (JPN) 120
7.. CARLOS CHECA (SPA) 102
8.. Nicky Hayden (USA) 94
9.. Loris Capirossi (ITA) 84
10.. Marco Melandri (ITA) 75




More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda:

Great fightback from Max at Losail, finishing sixth after starting from the back row, Makoto Tamada in the top ten

On the back row on the starting grid after the penalty inflicted by the race direction, Max Biaggi fought back in today’s race, making it up to sixth position as he passed the chequered flag. A slight blip on the final lap where he ran off track meant he couldn’t hang on to fifth place, which had been fruit of some great determination up until that moment. Makoto Tamada ended up in the top ten having to deal with a lack of feeling on the front, the same which had perturbed him all weekend. The championship continues next weekend in Malaysia, at a similar temperature than in Qatar, but undoubtedly easier without the sand and dust which have been the main focus of attention in this first Middle Eastern GP.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“Max started this race from the back of the grid for a penalty which I feel was too severe. The team has done what you do to a new track and where the presence of sand was more than evident. To clean the position where the rider is starting from is a process which is simply for the safety of the rider a the start, a preventative measure which the organisation should have dealt with especially in the area of the starting grid. I repeat, our intervention was only trying to guarantee the safety of the rider on the track. Penalised with his grid position, Max fought back hard during the race and came up close to the front runners. It’s a shame about that off-track excursion on the last lap which lost him a place.”

Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin Tyres) – 6th – 44’40.950
“I started in last place, because of the penalty put upon my team. What can I say about that… It was the result of a complaint made by our rivals. Whatever, for the third race in a row things were tough from the start. However I wasn’t disheartened, not even when I got an awful start, with the rear tyre slipping on the sand, which was present in industrial proportions down there at the back. Rossi meanwhile was in the middle line of the straight, the cleanest bit, and he got a great start. I tried not to lose my desire and I got down to business. It was tough, very tough, because the area we had to work in was tight. But I wanted to get as far up the order as possible. On the last lap I got on Barros’ tail to try and snatch fourth place, but my front let me down, and the steering folded and I went straight on. Hayden also profited from it, but I don’t regret having tried it. All that’s happened over the last three races has been practically unbelievable.”

Giulio Bernardelle – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada’s Technical Director)
“We tried lots of things to try and improve Makoto’s confidence in the front, but evidently we didn’t get the ideal solution. We had this problem for the entire weekend, to which a loss of grip was added during the complicated conditions for this race. Now we will analyse the data we collected to try to understand if the problems are only linked to this type of asphalt or if it is something that we will need to solve by working in another way, and it could even just be something to do with this track. We will be in similar conditions in Sepang, it’s a similar climate, but we have more experience and data there, both in the settings and with the tyres.”

Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone Tyres) – 10th – 45’20.259
“The main difficulty today was with the lack of confidence in the front end of the bike, so it was hard to turn the bike into the corners with the necessary aggression. In some corners I couldn’t lean the bike properly. I’m not worried, here there wasn’t much grip whereas in Sepang things will clearly be different.”



More, from a press release issued by Dorna Sports:

Gibernau takes win as Rossi crashes in Qatar

Sete Gibernau took victory in a dramatic inaugural race at the Losail International Circuit, where Valentino Rossi was controversially forced to start from the back of the grid and then crashed out as he made his way through the field. Rossi’s Yamaha team were penalised for cleaning his starting position on the grid, as were Max Biaggi’s Honda crew, and both riders were docked six seconds from their qualifying times.

It meant the Italian pair would have to start from the back row, giving Gibernau fresh confidence as he looked to close down Rossi’s gap at the top of the championship. Gibernau started from third and gave chase to early leader Carlos Checa, passing him on the first lap. At the same time Rossi made up fourteen places in an incredible start, making up another four positions on the next three laps to move fourth behind Colin Edwards.

However, two laps later the Italian drifted slightly wide onto the artificial grass which surrounds the track and spectacularly lost control of his machine, escaping unhurt but unable to return to the track. On the ninth lap Edwards passed Checa and gave chase to his team-mate at the front, exerting pressure on Gibernau but not pulling close enough to challenge for victory in an intense finish.

“We’ve taken a big step forward with the best possible result of a high-pressure weekend,” said Gibernau, who moves to within fourteen points of Rossi at the top of the championship. “Once again my team knew how to manage it and I am delighted. We gave maximum concentration to the job because I know that if we focus all our energy we are capable of progressing. I’m happy for the 25 points and for the great race but I don’t want to get carried away. We are back at our best and that is important. The advantage has been reduced but I’m looking at the next round in Malaysia as just another race.”

MotoGP rookie Ruben Xaus clinched his first ever podium in third place after taking advantage of a fuel problem for Carlos Checa three laps from the end. Alex Barros came through to take fourth after fighting back from a double whammy on the fourth lap, when he was pushed wide by Rossi and then got caught behind Shinya Nakano just as the Japanese rider experienced engine problems, blowing smoke into the face of the Brazilian and forcing him to run off track, returning down in 18th place.

Nicky Hayden completed the top five whilst Max Biaggi made continual progress through the field to take sixth as Checa, Nakano, Troy Bayliss, Loris Capirossi, Neil Hodgson and Marco Melandri all retired and Jeremy McWilliams and Nobuatsu Aoki crashed. The historic race was enjoyed by the Royal Family of Qatar and other national dignitaries, as well as top international sportsmen currently plying their trade in the Middle East including footballers Gabriel Batistuta, Frank and Ronald de Boer, Frank Lebeouf and Josep Guardiola.

Sebastián Porto completed a perfect weekend for him in the 250cc class, taking an authoritative victory after dominating every single practice and qualifying session. Dani Pedrosa and Alex de Angelis gave chase to the Argentinean but only Pedrosa could keep pace, eventually consolidating his lead at the top of the championship with second place. De Angelis suffered heartbreak two laps from the end, retiring form a comfortable third place with a mechanical problem and allowing Hiroshi Aoyama to pick up his second podium in as many races after a close battle with Franco Battaini. A crash for Randy de Puniet leaves him virtually out of the chase for the title, with Porto moving up to second and trailing Pedrosa by 43 points. This means that Pedrosa can win the title by scoring eight points more than Porto in the next round at Sepang.

The opening race of the day and the first ever Grand Prix in Qatar saw the closest ever finish in the history of the sport, with Jorge Lorenzo taking 125cc victory by less than a thousandth of a second over Andrea Dovizioso. Lorenzo started from pole position but got involved in a four rider battle for victory which was reduced to three when Casey Stoner retired on the ninth lap. Alvaro Bautista then led the way but himself suffered from a technical problem near the end of the race and had to settle for third, leaving an historic head-to-head between Lorenzo and Dovizioso. With Hector Barberá struggling to twelfth place and Roberto Locatelli back in twentieth, Dovizioso can now secure the title with third place in Malaysia next week.



More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

HONDA RACING INFORMATION

Grand Prix of Qatar, Losail, September 30, October 1, 2, 2004

Race Day October 2

SETE SETS HIS SIGHTS ON TITLE AS ROSSI FALTERS

In one of the most riveting MotoGP showdowns of the season sensational Sete Gibernau (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) put his title challenge back on track with a resounding win in searing heat here in Qatar. His team-mate Colin Edwards (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) was second and Ruben Xaus (Ducati) third.

In front of a modest crowd of nearly three thousand people at Qatar’s inaugural race, Gibernau and Edwards showed their rivals precisely how to master 22-laps of this sinuous 5.4km track. World Championship title race points leader Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) showed how to gift 25 points to a rival by falling on lap six as Gibernau stamped his authority on the contest.

Today was packed with drama – on and off the track. Before the race began Honda lodged a protest against Rossi’s crew for tampering with his grid slot by burning rubber from a paddock scooter onto the tarmac to enhance grip at the start.

Yamaha then made a tit-for-tat protest about Biaggi’s crew who had swept his grid slot clean. Both were upheld and Rossi and Max Biaggi (Camel Honda RC211V) were each given a six second time penalty before the start. This relegated them to the back of the grid.

Carlos Checa (Yamaha) got a lightning take-off and led into turn one with Gibernau in hot pursuit. Sete then made short work of his Spanish rival and led across the line after lap one. Ruben Xaus was third with Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) in the hunt in fourth. Rossi was already eighth and was holding nothing back in his bid to get on terms near the front.

Edwards was lying sixth in the opening laps but the Texan was getting into a rapid rhythm and began to close down the front runners. First he took care of Xaus and Alex Barros (Repsol Honda RC211V) on lap two for fourth place, then he inherited third on the next lap when Nakano’s engine expired.

Rossi was now through to fourth but his bid to snatch an unlikely victory in adversity foundered when he made one of his customary wide exits on a fast left-hand turn before the final corner onto the straight. On grass he might have got away with it, but the Astroturf laid trackside here to counter drifting sand caught him out and he fell heavily.

Gibernau was now in total control out front by four seconds and Edwards was working on depriving Checa of second place. He made his move on lap eight and then had his team-mate as a target. Try as he might Edwards could not catch Gibernau and although he reduced the gap to 1.6 seconds in the closing stages, Gibernau ran out an easy winner in a hard, hard race.

“When is a win ever easy?” said an exhausted but buoyant Sete. “Sometimes it’s hard just to finish sixth like in Japan two weeks ago. This was difficult and the team did a great job. They gave me a great bike and I really enjoyed riding it here today. I’ve got the best team and factory in the business behind me and it showed here today.”

Edwards was generous to his team-mate and said, “After the first three laps Sete was away and gone. I got past Carlos but that was as much as I could manage. That was an awesome race and it’s great for Sete to get maximum points. As far as any team efforts go – this is as good as it gets.”

Barros finished fourth. “I got a bad start,” said the Brazilian. “I passed Xaus and then Valentino touched me and I went off line into the dirty section of the track and lost a few places. Then I was right behind the smoking Kawasaki and I had to brake and ran off track. I had a chance to fight with Sete today and we missed the opportunity.”

His team-mate Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) was fifth and said, “My first few laps were so slow it was embarrassing. When the front tyre got more scrubbed in I got back into a decent rhythm and if I try to look positively at this we got a top five finish. And this is the first time we’ve scored any points since Donington in July.”

Max was sixth. “What can I say about the starting penalty?” he said. “The result of it is that for the third race in a row our plans have been ruined. But I don’t ever give up and even though the rear tyre was sliding in the dirty part of the track I finished the race. Rossi was in the cleaner part of the track at the start and got away better than me. But I’ll be riding as hard as ever in Sepang.”

Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda RC211V), riding on Bridgestone tyres, had a troubled weekend and finished tenth. “The trouble was a lack of feel at the front-end and I just couldn’t be as aggressive as I needed to be in the turns. I’m not worried too much about Sepang next weekend because although the conditions might be similar we have a lot more data from there.”

The World Championship points reckoning has now tightened considerably. Rossi still leads with 229 points from 13 races. But Gibernau is back in business with 215, with three races and 75 points still up for grabs. Max lies third with 168.

The 250cc race followed almost the same pattern as the earlier 125cc race where three riders made a break and pulled away from a field that just couldn’t make the same progress. Sebastian Porto (Aprilia) won from Dani Pedrosa (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS250RW) with Hiroshi Aoyama (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS250RW) third.

Dani got the holeshot but Porto edged ahead on lap two to dominate the race from the front while Pedrosa and Alex de Angelis tried all they could to reel him in. Title hopeful Randy de Puniet (

From a press release issued by Dorna Sports:

Losail, 2nd October 2004
STATISTICS 2004
Marlboro Grand Prix of Qatar ROUND 13
Official statistics compiled by Dr. Martin Raines

SATURDAY GUIDE

MotoGP

· With less than six tenths of a second covering the top ten riders, this is the closest grid of the year in the MotoGP class.

· Carlos Checa starts from pole for the third time in his career and for the first time since 2002 at Estoril. Checa is the top Yamaha rider on the grid for the second time this year, the other being at Le Mans in May.

· Alex Barros starts from the front row for just the second time this year, his other being at Brno. For the first time in 2004 Barros is the top Honda rider on the grid.

· Sete Gibernau, who starts from the front row for the tenth time this year, finished on the podium at the first six races of 2004 but has had just two podium finishes in the last six races.

· For the third time this year Shinya Nakano starts from fifth place on the grid. Nakano’s third place finish in Japan was the first podium for a Kawasaki rider since Kork Ballington finished third at Imatra in Finland in 1981 riding the square-four two-stoke machine.

· For the eighth time this year Loris Capirossi is the top Ducati rider on the grid.

· Seventh place on the grid equals Ruben Xaus’ best qualifying result of the year, which he achieved at Catalunya.

· If Valentino Rossi wins the Grand Prix of Qatar it will be his seventh win of the year. This would equal the record for most wins in a season in the premier-class by a Yamaha rider, previously achieved by Eddie Lawson in 1986 and 1988, and by Wayne Rainey in 1990.

· Rossi’s eighth place on the grid equals his worst qualifying of the year at Rio. This is only the third time in 2004 that Rossi has not qualified on the front row.

· Following his victory at Motegi, if Makoto Tamada wins in Qatar he will become the first Japanese rider ever to take back-to-back wins in the premier-class.

· Qatar becomes the 27th country to hold a round of the MotoGP World Championship in its 55-year history

· Nicky Hayden has not scored any points since Donington Park in July.



250cc

· Sebastian Porto starts from pole position for the seventh time in 2004. The only GP at which Porto has not started on the front row was the last race at Motegi.

· Dani Pedrosa has finished on the podium ten times from the twelve races in 2004, his debut year in the 250cc class.

· Alex De Angelis has already had nine top six finishes in his first year in the 250cc class.

· Randy De Puniet is the only rider in all three classes to have scored points at each of the first twelve races of 2004.

· Hiroshi Aoyama, who has now scored points in ten consecutive races, scored his first podium of the year at Motegi.


125cc

· For the first time this year there are four different manufactures represented on the front row of the grid.

· Jorge Lorenzo starts from pole for the second time this year and for the third time in his career. Lorenzo has not won from any of his previous pole starts.

· Andrea Dovizioso, who starts from the front row for the eighth consecutive race, has finished in the top four in eleven of the twelve races this year.

· Following his victory at Motegi, if Andrea Dovizioso wins the 125cc race in Qatar he will end a record sequence of thirty-five races without a rider taking back to back victories since Arnaud Vincent won at Donington and then Sachsenring in 2002.

· Steve Jenkner starts from the front row for the first time since his home race in Germany.

· Casey Stoner has not scored any points since he finished second at the Rio Grand Prix in early July.

From a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

GARRY TAYLOR TO STEP DOWN


Suzuki MotoGP Team Manager Garry Taylor, the most experienced and longest serving team manager in the GP paddock, is to step down at the end of the 2004 season after almost 30 years with the Suzuki factory GP team.

Taylor (55) will be bringing to an end an illustrious career with the team. He first worked with them in the mid-Seventies when Barry Sheene won two consecutive 500cc World Championships. During more than 20 years as team manager, the Englishman has guided the Suzuki Team to two more individual world titles – with Kevin Schwantz in 1993 and Kenny Roberts Jr. in 2000 – and to 40 individual race wins.

“Being team manager for Suzuki has been the greatest job in the world and I have enjoyed practically every day of it. It’s been a privilege to work with some of the world’s greatest riders, not only the title winners, and I would like to thank Suzuki for such an enjoyable career with them.

“I had always planned to step down at 55 and the factory was aware of that,” said Taylor. “I’ve decided to do so now and to take a less active role, for several reasons.

“Firstly, with the pressures of the job increasing year by year, along with the popularity of MotoGP, I find I am spending more and more time on the road … next year’s schedule, including testing, would have meant more than 200 days away. I have an eight-year-old daughter, Phoebe, and I have already missed too many landmarks in her life. I have never been home for her birthday, for example, or indeed for any of my wife’s birthdays.

“Secondly, my health has been deteriorating, and while there is nothing that cannot be fixed, I need to stand still long enough to be able to give the doctors the time they need.

“With the Suzuki GSV-R coming to the end of its current development stage, the factory and I decided that the end of this year would be the right time to step down. I believe I will be able to hand on to my successor a well-established and highly motivated team, as can be seen from our improving results during this season.” said Taylor.

Suzuki racing manager Masahito Imada said: “Suzuki would like to thank Garry for his long and dedicated service to our racing efforts. Together we have achieved some great things. Now we start a new era determined to continue the improvement in our results.”

At the same time, Suzuki announced that Paul Denning will take over the position of team manager from the beginning of 2005. Denning is the owner of the UK-based Crescent Suzuki team that has secured the 2004 British Superbike title. In addition to Paul’s new assignment, Crescent Suzuki intends to defend the 2005 British Superbike championship on the new GSX-R1000.

“Garry has done a fantastic job for Suzuki.” said Paul, “We aim to carry on building on the continuing improvements and success of the team and the GSV-R. Suzuki has a high quality, consistent team in place and it is thanks to Garry’s efforts that we are inheriting a team with such high potential. It’s a great opportunity and an honour for us to be entrusted with the next stage in the GSV-R development programme and we are looking forward to the challenges ahead.”

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

Suzuki Lightning Nationals doubleheader at VIR to close 2004 AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship

Mladin poised to win his fifth championship

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Oct. 1, 2004) — Virginia International Raceway will host the final two rounds of the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship on Oct. 9-10 in Alton, Va. The event, originally scheduled for Sept. 17-19, was postponed due to complications from Hurricane Ivan. The 2004 AMA Superbike Championship is up for grabs and four-time champ Mat Mladin, the Yoshimura Suzuki ace, is hoping to once again take home the championship trophy.

Three riders, Mladin along with Honda riders Jake Zemke and Miguel Duhamel, are still in the hunt for this year’s AMA Superbike Championship, but it is Mladin who is clearly in control. A win in race one of the weekend’s doubleheader would clinch the title for Mladin and give him an unprecedented fifth AMA Superbike Championship. Mladin can already lay claim to being the only rider in the history of the series to win four championships and is also the all-times wins leader.

Mladin has praised his Yoshimura Suzuki team for making late-season improvements on his GSX-R1000 that gave him the edge over the newer-generation Hondas of Zemke and Duhamel. Those improvements added up to a Mladin sweep at the last event; the doubleheader at Road Atlanta in September. Those victories boosted his series lead from 19 points to a solid 42 coming into the final event of the year. Mladin was also reportedly happy with the results of a recent test session at VIR and is confident coming in the event.

Mladin has one more incentive at VIR. A pair of wins would give him 10 victories on the season. That would tie the long-standing record held by Motorcycle Hall of Famer Fred Merkel, who won 10 rounds in 1984 while riding for Honda.

Zemke comes into Virginia happy about his performance in his first full year of AMA Superbike racing.

“Things probably have gone about like I expected,” said the former flat track racer. “Of course, I would have been a little happier if I were leading the series, but realistically it’s been a good first season and I’ll give it everything I have at VIR. The chances [of winning the championship] are slim, but unexpected things are known to happen in racing so I’m going in with a positive outlook.”

1995 AMA Superbike Champion Miguel Duhamel was squarely in the title chase until a crash at Mid-Ohio in July dropped him to third. Duhamel would still like to put a couple of victories in the books at VIR so he could end the season tied with Mladin on the all-time AMA Superbike wins list. Mladin has 32-career AMA Superbike victories to Duhamel’s 30.

Ducati will add a taste of international flare to VIR by entering World Superbike Series leader Regis Laconi and Lorenzo Lanzi to race alongside Eric Bostrom in the season finale. Had the race been run as originally scheduled, Bostrom would have been absent due to injury. The postponement gave him extra time to recuperate. With three bikes entered, Ducati is obviously looking to make a statement at VIR.

Last year’s AMA Superbike Rookie of the Year Geoff May is on track to earn the highest year-end ranking in AMA Superbike by a privateer rider since Dale Quarterley finished fifth in 1995. May has tallied 13 top-10 finishes this year on his Team Prieto Racing Suzuki, including a season best fifth at California Speedway in April.

VIR’s Suzuki Lightning Nationals doubleheader AMA Superbike races will be shown back-to-back on SPEED Channel starting at 12 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, Oct. 19, as part of the network’s Two Wheel Tuesday lineup. For additional information on the event contact VIR at (434) 822-7700 of visit the website www.virclub.com .

Schedule of Events

AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship

Presented by Parts Unlimited

Suzuki Lightning Nationals

Virginia International Raceway – October 9-10, 2004



Friday, Oct. 8

3:00 – 7:00 – Registration: Riders, Crew, Sponsors & Guests

6:30 – Post-entry Closed for all Classes

3:00 – 7:00 – Tech Inspection

Saturday, Oct. 9

7:30 – 3:00 – Registration: Crew, Sponsors & Guests

8:00 – 5:00 – Tech Inspection

8:00 – 8:30 – AMA Repsol Superstock Practice

8:35 – 9:05 – Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Helmets Practice

9:10 – 9:40 – Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Practice

9:45 – 10:15 – Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Practice

10:20 – 10:50 – AMA Repsol Superstock Practice

10:55 – 11:25 – Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Helmets Practice

11:30 – 12:00 – Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Practice

12:05 – 12:35 – Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Practice

12:35 – 1:25 – Lunch Break

12:45 – Rider Briefing

1:25 – 1:50 – AMA Repsol Superstock Qualifying Group 1

1:55 – 2:20 – AMA Repsol Superstock Qualifying Group 2

2:25 – 2:50 – Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Helmets Qualifying Group 1

2:55 – 3:20 – Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Helmets Qualifying Group 2

3:25 – 3:50 – Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Qualifying Group 1

3:55 – 4:20 – Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Qualifying Group 2

4:35 – AMA Repsol Superstock Race (60k – 17 laps)

Sunday, Oct. 10

8:30 – 12:00 – Registration: Crew, Sponsors & Guests

9:00 – Tech Inspection Opens

9:00 – 9:20 – Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Practice

9:25 – 9:45 – Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Helmets Practice

9:55 – 10:25 – Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Qualifying Group 1

10:30 – 11:00 – Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Qualifying Group 2

11:00 – 12:00 – Lunch Break

11:20 – Nondenominational Chapel Service

12:00 – Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Race 1 (100K – 28 laps)

1:15 – Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Helmets (60k – 17 laps)

2:30 – Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Race 2 (100k – 28 laps)

3:45 – Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Race (60k – 17 laps)