From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing and posted here just the way we got it:

Duhamel could tie AMA Formula Xtreme record at VIR

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Oct. 5, 2004) — A victory in the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series finale at Virginia International Raceway on Saturday, Oct. 9, could tie Miguel Duhamel with Eric Bostrom for the single-season record number of wins in the Formula Xtreme class. Bostrom won eight Formula Xtreme races en route to the 1998 championship. Duhamel has won seven races so far in the series and has already clinched the 2004 title on his Honda CBR600RR-based machine. It could also mark Duhamel’s 80th-career AMA road racing victory.

Additionally, a win at VIR would push Duhamel into a tie for third on the all-time AMA Formula Xtreme wins list after only one season of competing in the series. The 2004 Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme season finale is part of the Suzuki Lightning Nationals on Oct. 9 and 10.

Duhamel rode in Formula Xtreme for the first time this year and stormed to his seventh AMA road racing championship; his first in seven years. With the title now secure Duhamel can concentrate on tying the single-season win mark.

While Duhamel looks at the VIR finale to add his name to another section of the AMA record books, others such as Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke hope to end the season on a high note. Zemke challenged Duhamel most of the year for the championship until a crash at Mid-Ohio in July gave the upper hand top Duhamel.

Others hoping to break into the Formula Xtreme win column at VIR are riders such as Alex Gobert, Vincent Haskovec, Larry Pegram, Jason Pridmore and Doug Chandler. All have shown signs of being able to run up front in the revamped series and each would like to add their name to those being considered possible winners of Daytona.


Repsol Superstock Series goes down to the wire

The 2004 Repsol Superstock Series will go down as one of the most competitive AMA road racing series in years. Coming into the last race at VIR this weekend a total of six riders still have a shot to win the Superstock title. Further indication of the competitiveness of the series is the fact that five of those riders have earned victories in the series this year.

Graves Yamaha’s Aaron Gobert leads the series coming into Virginia. Gobert, the 23-year-old middle brother of the three racing Goberts of Australia, won the season opener at Daytona and scored five additional podium finishes in the 10 rounds leading up to this weekend’s race. Gobert would love to bookend the season with a second victory, which would guarantee his first AMA championship. Gobert is in his fourth season of racing in America.

Just five points behind Gobert are AMA racing veterans Jamie Hacking and Tommy Hayden.

Hacking, Yamaha teammate to Gobert, is bravely staying in the title hunt after injuring his shoulder in a July test at Mid-Ohio and re-injuring the same shoulder in a race at Mid-Ohio a few weeks later. Hacking is trying to win his second straight AMA title, following up on his Supersport championship last year.

Tommy Hayden will have a full plate at VIR. The Kentuckian is in contention to win two championships at VIR. In addition to being tied for second in the Superstock class, Hayden also leads the AMA Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship. Hayden might be considered the pre-race favorite at VIR since he’s the defending and two-time VIR Superstock winner.

Should the top three slip up at VIR another trio of riders are poised to take advantage. Jason DiSalvo, Roger Hayden and Ben Spies are still in a position to steal the title in the last race. Spies, the top Suzuki rider in Superstock, is the hottest rider in the series. The Texan was runner-up at Mid-Ohio in July and followed that up with a victory over the Labor Day weekend at Road Atlanta.

For additional information on the Suzuki Lightning Nationals call (434) 822-7700 or visit the website www.virclub.com

From a press release issued by Henry DeGouw:

U.S. Team Set for 51st Macau GP

Three riders from the United States have been selected to compete in this year’s 51st Macau GP.

Geoff May of West Palm Beach, Florida will ride a Suzuki GSX-R1000 sponsored by Hot Bodies Racing.

Jeremy Toye of San Diego, California will ride a Yamaha YZF-R1 sponsored by Roadracingworld.com .

And Josh Hayes of Gulfport, Mississippi will ride a Kawasaki ZX-10R sponsored by Attack Kawasaki.

The team leaves for Hong Kong on November 13th.

The 60-mile through-the-streets event will be run on Saturday, November 20th. After the race, the team will be treated to an eight-night paid vacation in Pattaya, Thailand.

From a press release issued by Bill St. John:

Project Monza strikes the tent

After a 30-year motorcycle racing career Bill St. John calls it a day.

The adventure known as Project Monza started in 1996 and took us to many of the great racetracks across the US and Europe, going out with a win in the WERA National Series at Barber Motorsports Park last month.

People we have met and friends made have been the highlight of our years racing. Special props to Michael “Taco Boy” Long, ace mechanic, and to the amazing Bruce Meyers, unparalleled Ducati wizard, without whom none of our battles would have been won. Sincere thanks to everyone who has helped us along the way and especially to our long-time sponsors: BCM Ducati, Atlanta Triumph-Ducati, Red Line Oil, and EBC.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Road America has issued its 2005 season schedule, including a CCS Regional road race on April 22-24 and an AMA National road race on June 2-5.

From a press release issued by Coolskunk Promotions:

Coolskunk Promotions announces the formation of the Coolskunk KyDs Road Race Development Team for 2005. The team consists of three young dirt trackers ages 12, 13 and 14 years old who have shown their riding skill on the track, their aptitude in the classroom and their positive attitude in the paddock. The rider group is lead by 14 year old Shane Narbonne of Massachusetts; a long time Coolskunk Dirt Track Rider and Multi AMA Amateur National Title holder, 13 year old James Rispoli, of Western New York; a former AMA Amateur Grand Champion and Multi National Title holder and 12 year old Ricky Boley of Ohio; Multi-Ohio and National Title holder who is an up and coming hot shoe specializing in dazzling fans by riding wide open on pea gravel cushion race tracks. The team will ride Honda RS 125 GP bikes that will carry the Coolskunk paint and logo scheme.

The intent of the rider development team is to provide an avenue for accomplished young dirt trackers to learn the skills and techniques necessary to become quality road racers. Coolskunk Promotions, the parent organization will provide marketing expertise, sponsorship proposal development and some rider support in order to kick off the new team to the industry.

Coolskunk Promotions has already begun the search for additional companies to represent in 2005 and welcomes product sponsorship and/or race discounts as well as financial support for the Flat Track and Road Race teams.

For more information contact Philip Rispoli, Coolskunk Promotions telephone: 603 479 1259 or email at [email protected] check us out on the web at www.coolskunk.com

About Coolskunk KyDs Racing

CoolSkunk KyDs is a sports promotion organization that has formed a racing club dedicated to the pursuit of life learning values in competitive youth motor sports. Our vision includes helping to bring out the passion, flexibility, excitement and demonstrated appetite for success and adventure, waiting to be exposed in our youth.

From a press release issued by Mary Miskovic:

$2000 REWARD for Stolen Race bike.

WERA, CCS and Fasttrax racer Ed Rusnak’s fully race prepped 2003 Yamaha R6 was stolen from his gome in the Cleveland, Ohio suburbs on September 30/October 1. It is blue with orange flames with #322 on white plates. Be on the look-out for person selling Ohlins shock, stabilizer, Akraprovic slip on-exhaust, Aim lap timer, Woodcraft rearsets. Thieves most likely did not even know they were stealing a race bike and may be looking for stuff to convert back to street, i.e. kickstand, lights etc.

Vin # JYARJ06E43A004571

Please contact Ed or Mary at 440-327-0794 or 440-670-1522 or Mary via e-mail, [email protected].

From a press release issued by Camel Honda:

Sepang GP – MotoGP

CAMEL HONDA TEAM PREPARES FOR SECOND LEG OF INTERCONTINENTAL TOUR

The Camel Honda team is ready to tackle the second stage of the tour which sees the championship visit three continents in three weeks. From the intense heat of Qatar they move on to the similarly intense Malaysian climate, where it seems a tropical downpour is always on the horizon. In the Middle East the team had a challenging weekend but both riders stood up to the test in the race, overcoming the difficulties and getting the best result possible. In Sepang, the aim is to be at the very top once more.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“Sepang is a circuit we know well after the complete unknown of Qatar. The Malaysian track is sand and dust free for starters, and that made life hard in Qatar. I also hope not to have any unwanted surprises like the penalty last weekend which sent Max to the back of the starting grid. Sepang’s climate will be similar, with extreme heat, although we did well in the pre-season tests there earlier this year. I’m sure the team will find the right track once more, and we will be big protagonists in the final three races of the season.”

Max Biaggi #3: (Michelin Tyres)
“They say ‘bad luck comes in threes’, and we’ve had three really unlucky races from whichever way you look at it. They’re done with now and I now hope to turn the page over on all that. I actually think I did that already in Qatar, when I came sixth after a particularly difficult race. Sepang is a track I like, I’ve won there twice and I was on the podium in 2003. The tests there went well too, even if the RCV back then was different. Everything is set-up for us, so we hope to achieve something, not only for me, but for my team as well and for Honda, who are pushing themselves to the limit to get a good finish to this season.”

Giulio Bernardelle – Camel Honda (Makoto Tamada’s Technical Director)
“In Malaysia last year we had some problems with tyre endurance on the rear but since then Bridgestone has manufactured some completely new material, so from that point of view, on paper we should be ready. In Qatar the problem that stopped Makoto was a lack of feeling in the front tyre, but it’s possible that it was more about the type of track and the precarious grip levels of the track. We hope that’s the case, because if it is, Makoto has already shown that he is well capable of fighting with the best and coming out on top.”

Makoto Tamada #6: (Bridgestone Tyres)
“It was disappointing in Qatar, and even harder because it came after the great race in Motegi. Above all I didn’t feel confident in the front end of the bike, a nasty sensation for any rider. I hope therefore that in Malaysia this problem doesn’t repeat itself because I want to fight for the win. Not really for the championship, because if I can’t fight for the title the most important thing is to win the race, seeing as I have shown that I’m more than able to do so.”

From a press release issued by Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca:

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca General Manager/CEO Gill Campbell to Appear Tuesday on SPEED Channel’s 2-Wheel Tuesday, hosted by Greg White

MONTEREY, Calif. (Oct. 4, 2004) – Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca general manager/CEO Gill Campbell is scheduled to appear Tuesday, Oct. 5, on 2-Wheel Tuesday, a nationally televised weekly motorcycle racing program on SPEED Channel. The one-hour program airs at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. PDT, and is hosted by Greg White.

Campell will discuss the return of the MotoGP World Championship to the USA at next year’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix (July 10-12, 2005), including details on the track improvements required to accommodate the series.

Tickets to the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, July 10-12, 2005, are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets or get additional information by calling 1-800-327-SECA (7322) during normal West Coast business hours or online at www.laguna-seca.com/tickets.