Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Jake Zemke will be riding for the American Honda factory team in the 2005 AMA Superbike Championship.

“Yeah, it was announced at the (Honda dealer) show (September 8, in Nashville, Tennessee) that I would be with Honda again next year,” Zemke said in a telephone call to Roadracingworld.com today, adding later that he would ride for the factory team instead of in Erion Honda colors. “The contract is just getting its final revision, but it’s pretty much a done deal. I know I’ll be riding a Superbike, but if I’ll be riding in another class and what that class might be, that’s still to be determined.”

Zemke said the contract renewal was for one year only.

Zemke has already clinched second in the 2004 AMA Formula Xtreme Championship, where he has won twice and finished on the podium nine times in 10 races so far this year.

He also currently sits second in the AMA Superbike Championship, 42 points behind leader Mat Mladin with two races remaining. Zemke has won twice and finished on the podium 11 times in 16 races in his rookie year in AMA Superbike.

From a press release:

PIRELLI STEPS UP WITH 2004 AMA SUPERMOTO CONTINGENCY WORTH $29,000

(Rome, GA) Pirelli continues to expand its race-contingency participation in 2004 with the announcement that it is participating in the 2004 AMA Supermoto series.

In fact, the company is posting a substantial $28,920, reportedly the richest tire contingency package in the series. Pirelli is paying in two expert classes, Supermoto Pro and Supermoto Unlimited, for the six-race series – and is paying down to 10th place in both. Racers in these classes will receive $600 for a win, $500 for second, and $400, $300, and $200 for third down to fifth place. Pirelli’s per-event total is $4,820.

Bike-stickering requirements are that Pirelli stickers must be displayed on the front forks and/or fender, the bodywork, and the tail section and/or swingarm.

Please contact one of the following Pirelli race vendors for full information and technical help:

West Coast event support:
CALIFORNIA RACE SERVICES
Huntington Beach, CA
1-800-620-1277

East Coast event support:
TRACKSIDE RACERS SUPPLY
Canton, NC
1-828-235-8400

From a press release issued by Infineon Raceway:

NASCAR, NHRA, IRL Highlight 2005 Schedule at Infineon Raceway

SONOMA, Calif. (IMMEDIATE RELEASE) – Infineon Raceway will feature the most diverse schedule of any racing facility in the country in 2005, including the first road-course race in the history of the IRL IndyCar(r) Series and the annual visit by the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.

The 2005 Big O Tires Racing Season will feature everything from the ground-pounding excitement of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, to the open-wheel cars of the IRL to bicycles on the world-class road course and drag strip.

For the 17th consecutive year, the season will be headlined by the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, June 24-26, the highest-attended single-day sporting event in Northern California. This will mark one of just two road-course events on the NASCAR schedule for 2005. Jeff Gordon will look for his fifth career victory on the 10-turn, 1.99-mile serpentine circuit.

The speed and power of the NHRA will also return for the 18th consecutive year with the FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals, presented by Supercuts, July 29-31. Track records were broken in nearly every category on Infineon Raceway’s quarter-mile drag strip in 2004.

The newest addition to the Infineon Raceway calendar will be the IRL IndyCar(r) Series, set to make its road-course debut, Aug. 26-28. This will mark the first road-course race in the history of the IRL since its inception in 1996. It will also mark the first major open-wheel race at Infineon Raceway since 1970.

“I’m really looking forward to going road-course racing,” said driver Tony Kanaan of Andretti Green Racing. “This is a beautiful part of the country and we’ll put on a good show.”

Other premier events include the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Supercuts, featuring the best in motorcycle racing on the 12-turn road course, May 13-15, as well as the Infineon Grand Prix of Sonoma American Le Mans Series, July 15-17. The Grand Prix will showcase some of the world’s most exotic sports cars, including Porsche, Audi, Ferrari and Corvette.

Other events on the main-event calendar for 2005 are the 19th annual Jaguar Wine Country Classic Vintage Car Races, presented by Bank of the West (June 4-5); Team Superstores NHRA Summernationals Division 7 Drag Races (July 2-3); and the 2nd annual Cougar Mountain Classic (Sept. 3-4).

The Cougar Mountain Classic, which debuted at Infineon Raceway in May, 2004, as the California Outdoor Sports Championships, will feature the best in world-class cycling, including: road circuit racing, road criterion racing, road time trials, mountain bike cross country, mountain bike short track, and gravity disciplines featuring mountain cross and dual slalom.

“We have worked hard to bring the very best in racing to our fans in Northern California,” said Steve Page, president and general manager at Infineon Raceway. “From human powered bicycles to 6,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragsters, and everything in between, the ’05 schedule will have something for every taste.”

Finally, a familiar event will return to the schedule in 2005 with the Goodguys Nostalgia Drag Races, April 23-24. Nostalgia dragsters combine the style of dragsters from the 1960s and 70s with some of the latest drag racing technology and safety equipment. Capable of covering the quarter-mile drag strip in 5.8 seconds at almost 250 mph, these tire-smoking machines are sure to provide exciting on-track action. The Goodguys did not compete at Infineon Raceway in 2004.

In all, there will be nine great weekends of main-event action planned on both the twisting road course and world-class quarter-mile drag strip.

2005 MAJOR-EVENT SCHEDULE:

* Goodguys Nostalgia Drag Races: April 23-24.

* Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown: May 13-15.

* Jaguar Wine Country Classic Vintage Car Races: June 4-5.

* Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup: June 24-26.

* Team Superstores NHRA Summernationals Division 7 Drag Races: July 2-3.

* Infineon Grand Prix of Sonoma American Le Mans Series: July 15-17.

* FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals: July 29-31.

* IRL IndyCar(r) Series: Aug. 26-28.

* Cougar Mountain Classic: Sept. 3-4.

For ticket information, please call 800-870-RACE (7223) or visit www.infineonraceway.com

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

AMA Supermoto Championship coming to Music City USA

Ward leading the series coming into round three in Nashville

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The Tennessee State Fair and Nashville’s Music City Motorplex are set to host round three of the AMA Supermoto Championship this Saturday, Sept. 11. Former multi-time AMA Motocross and Supercross champ Jeff Ward leads the series on his Troy Lee Designs Honda. At 43, Ward shows no signs of slowing down and in fact is proving that American riders are gaining and in some cases surpassing European riders who have vastly more experience in supermoto racing.

The race is part of the State Fair’s Cycle Jam 2004 complete with the AMA Supermoto, presented by 103 WKDF, motorcycle drag racing and fireworks.

Ward took a victory in the opening doubleheader weekend in Copper Mountain, Colo., last month to get the season underway with a seven-point lead over German Jurgen Kunzel. Frenchman Alexandre Thiebault rounds out the top three in the series standings of the international field set to race at the Motorplex this weekend.

Nashville racing fans will get their first look at AMA Supermoto, which combines the high-flying aerobatics of supercross, the knee scrapping lean angles of road racing and the broad sliding of flat track and condenses them into one of the most exciting shows on two wheels. Riders race on converted motocross bikes running road racing slicks. Speeds approach 100 miles per hour on the tight tracks consisting of both paved and dirt sections.

Ward is not the only former motocross star making waves in AMA Supermoto. His Troy Lee Designs Honda teammate Doug Henry, himself a three-time AMA Motocross champion, won the first race of the Copper Mountain doubleheader, but had the misfortune of his bike breaking in the second race while in the lead. As a result Henry comes into Nashville ranked seventh in the series, anxious to make up the points gap on the leaders.

In spite of coming into the Music City with the points lead Ward has no thoughts of being conservative. “If you don’t go 100 percent then you’ll get beat in this series,” said Ward, who last raced in Nashville as an Indy Racing League (IRL) driver. “(Doug) Henry showed a lot of speed in Colorado, but I can’t worry just about him. The Europeans, like Kunzel and Thiebault, still have a lot more experience and I’m sure they’re going to be a factor.”

In last year’s inaugural AMA Supermoto season many of the Europeans were fastest in qualifying, yet it was the American riders such as Ward, Henry and road racers Ben Bostrom and Doug Chandler who came away with all the wins.

“The Americans are learning the sport quickly,” said Germany’s Kunzel, a world championship competitor who earned a pole in Colorado. “They are very good athletes and are able to maintain speed for the entire race. As more of the world championship riders come here I think they will be surprised by the intensity of the American series.”

In addition to the individual championship race, AMA Supermoto also features a team championship. Troy Lee Designs Honda leads the team series over the Red Bull KTM squad, while CHM Exhaust Pro Honda Oils is third in the team standings.

Supporting the main AMA Supermoto class at Nashville is the Supermoto Unlimited Series. Red Bull KTM’s Jurgen Kunzel leads that championship after winning the first two rounds. British rider Kurt Nicoll is second followed by Californian Micky Dymond.

The AMA Supermoto Championship is nationally televised on the Outdoor Life Network (OLN). The Nashville race will be taped for later broadcast on OLN. Check your local television listings for show dates and times.

For additional information contact the Music City Motorplex at (615) 726-1818 or visit the website www.musiccitymotorplex.com .

For immediate post-race results, points, live transponder scoring, in-depth series and rider information and much more, log onto www.AMASupermoto.com .



Schedule of Events



Friday, September 10

3:00 – 6:00 PM – Registration: Riders, Crew, Sponsors & Guests

3:00 – 6:00 PM – Tech inspection

6:00 PM – Entries Closed for Event



Saturday, September 11

7:00 AM – 3:00 PM – Registration: Crew, Sponsors & Guests (Will-call only 6:00 – 8:00 PM)

8:00 AM – Tech Inspection Opens

10:00 AM -11:00 AM Practice: 1. Supermoto Group A – 12 minutes; 2. Supermoto Group B – 12 minutes; 3. Honda Red Riders Jr. Supermoto Challenge – 8 minutes; 4. Supermoto Unlimited – 12 minutes

11:15 AM – Mandatory Riders Meeting

12:00 PM – Timed Qualifying Session #1; 1. Supermoto Group A – 12 minutes; 2. Supermoto Group B – 12 minutes; 3. Supermoto Unlimited – 12 minutes; 4. Honda Red Riders Jr. Supermoto Challenge Practice – 10 minutes

1:00 PM – Timed Qualifying Session #2: 1. Supermoto Group A – 15 minutes; 2. Supermoto Group B – 15 minutes; 3. Supermoto Unlimited – 15
minutes

2:00PM – 3:00 PM – Lunch Break

3:00 PM – Heat Races: 1. Supermoto – 4 races, 8 laps; 2. Honda Red Riders Jr. Supermoto Challenge – 6 laps; 3. Supermoto Unlimited – 2 races, 8 laps

8:00 PM – Opening Ceremonies

8:15 PM – Supermoto Superpole (top 8 riders from heats)

7:45 PM – Semi-Finals: 1. Supermoto – 6 laps; 2. Supermoto Unlimited – 6 laps

8:15 PM – Intermission

9:30 PM – Supermoto Final – 24 laps

10:05 PM – Honda Red Riders Jr. Supermoto Challenge Final – 10 laps

10:30 PM – Supermoto Unlimited Final – 24 laps

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

For the first time in 30 years, CCS Florida promoter Henry DeGouw has cancelled an event in advance, scheduled for this weekend at Jennings GP.

In a phone call to Roadracingworld.com when his phone service was restored moments ago, DeGouw said problems he and other Florida residents now face include closed banks, power outages, gas shortages with long lines for what gas is available, cell towers down and a looming third hurricane.

With another hurricane heading for the state, Florida riders and race workers don’t want to leave their families to go to a race this weekend, and he (DeGouw) can’t contact his employees anyway.

DeGouw is located in Loxahatchee, Florida, near West Palm Beach, and is currently attempting to repair his home’s roof. He has no power at his home and is operating sporadically on power provided by a small generator he borrowed from a racer after his own generator failed.



More, from a press release issued by CCS:

Jennings GP CCS Event Cancelled

The CCS events at Jennings GP for this weekend has been cancelled due to last week’s Hurricane Frances and the impending arrival of Hurricane Ivan. The majority of racers and staff are unable to leave their homes due to the damages, outages and fuel shortages.

From CCS Florida Region Race Director Henry DeGouw: “This weekend’s CCS Florida/Southeast event scheduled for Jennings GP has been cancelled. Due to the damages and shortages caused by Hurricane Frances and the impending arrival of Hurricane Ivan, we felt it unfair and unwise to move forward with this event when so many of our racers and staff have been directly affected by this disaster.”

This race will not be re-scheduled and CCS Florida will release more detailed information on the remaining Florida events as the facts become available.

Thanks for your continued support of Championship Cup Series.



More, from Jennings GP:

Hey Roadracingworld.com,

Saw your post on your site about the CCS event canceling.

We have posted this on our site and hope to accommodate the riders that were planning on coming to the track.

Due to the cancellation of the CCS Race we will be having a track day this weekend Sept 11-12.

We will only have this event if we get 25 riders pre-signed up for the event.

Please call 386.938.1110 ASAP to register.

Thanks,

Jenningsgp
www.jenningsgp.com

From a press release issued by VIR:

VIR Gearing Up For Suzuki Lightning Nationals

Alton, Va. (Sept. 9) –The fastest and most exotic road racing motorcycles in America will return to VIRginia International Raceway for a fourth time over the weekend of September 17-19, as AMA Pro Racing’s wildly popular Suzuki Lightning Nationals brings the best in the business to do battle in their season finale.

The double-header format will give fans two feature races, one Saturday and one Sunday, for the headlining AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, where the factory teams and world’s best riders compete for corporate bragging rights, utilizing staggering budgets to produce the most technologically advanced bikes to be seen in
this country.

Rounding out the program will be AMA’s other professional road racing series, the Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei, the Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Championship and the Repsol Superstock Championship.

Three of the four series will settle their championship battles in Southside Virginia, with the Formula Xtreme title having already been clinched by Honda’s Miguel Duhamel.

In the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, Suzuki’s four-time and defending series champ Mat Mladin leads Honda’s rookie Jake Zemke 532-490. The year’s final event at VIR will be double-headers, and each race winner can win a total of 38 points (36 for a win, plus one each for pole and leading the most laps), leaving a maximum of 76 points to be won.

Neither rider is taking anything for granted.

“Things are looking good so far,” said Mladin while testing at VIR recently, “but we’ve got a long way to go.”

Zemke was admittedly struggling during his VIR test, trying to perfect his set-up for the 2.25-mile North Course, but remains optimistic.

“Mat’s definitely got a lead on us in the championship,” he said, “but anything can happen.”

Mladin would, of course, like to be able to wrap up his unprecedented fifth series title early, and that would allow him to do something he’s never been able to do at VIR.

“Racing at VIR, for me, has been one of those things where I haven’t been able to put it all on the line because I’ve been trying to win a championship,” he said. “Hopefully, for one race this year we can let it hang out and see how we go.”

Tickets will be available at the gate. Three-day Super Tickets (with program) are priced at $55, with single-day tickets priced at $10 (Friday), $35 (Saturday) and $40 (Sunday). For advance ticket sales, call 1-888-RACE099 ext. 116 (American Express®, Discover®, Visa® or MasterCard®) or purchase your tickets online at www.virclub.com with Visa® or Mastercard®. VIR is a family-friendly facility, where children 12 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Spectator camping is available.

VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Va., and just north of historic Milton, N.C. In addition to its 3.27-mile natural-terrain road racing circuit (designed to be operated as two autonomous, full-service courses), VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America’s first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park; the VIR Gallery, which is a showroom for high-end collector and racing cars; the VIR Safety and Security Institute, which provides specialized training for U.S. Government and military groups; and the VIR Euro Rally and Corporate Motorsport Experience, which features four rally stages plus a kart track as well as an ATV and SUV trials course and trails. Future plans include The Lodge at VIR, a 27-room hotel overlooking the track, and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse.

VIR made history from 1957 to 1974 and is doing so again. The renovated original circuit has 17 challenging turns and 130 feet of elevation change. In addition to spectator events, the track is also available to rent for testing, driving schools and club days.

For more information, visit the track’s website at www.virclub.com or contact VIR toll-free at 888-RACE099. For more information on the VIR Euro Rally and Corporate Motorsport Experience, call toll-free 877-RALLY66 or visit their website at www.vireurorally.com. For more information on the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship, visit their website at www.ussuperbike.com.

This just in, from American Suzuki’s Morgan Broadhead, via e-mail:

I didn’t know if you had seen the schedule for the GNF but I wanted to point out a couple of changes for this year.

The grid for each Suzuki Cup race will be determined by a 15 minute timed qualifying session rather than a heat race. Regional Champs will still grid first based on their individual times, and then the rest of the field will grid behind them based on time.

We will be adjusting the Dyno and weight rules to be closer to the F-USA rules with a tiered set of penalties based on how far over they are.

The SV Cup events will be held on Friday after the endurance race with qualifying on Thursday. SV’s will be given priority on the Dyno on Thursday to allow them to tune for qualifying.

The World Cup will be mixed in with qualifying Saturday and Sunday and 2 races on Sunday.

Suzuki Cup riders will receive a full set of updated Dyno rules, the schedule and any other information they need in their invitation packets.

From a press release issued by Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin:

BOSTROM TO MISS SEASON FINALE AT VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

September 8, 2004 – Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin’s Eric Bostrom will be forced to miss the final round of the AMA Superbike series at Virginia International Raceway due to injuries sustained from a high-speed crash at Road Atlanta this weekend.

During a visit yesterday to Dr. Art Ting’s Northern California office, the orthopedic surgeon and sports injury specialist diagnosed Bostrom as having a dislocated shoulder with a posterior labral tear, contusions and bruising to the socket and humeral head, and a broken rib.

Dr. Ting has mandated two weeks of complete immobility to be followed by another re-evaluation and a possible probe to determine if surgery will be required. Last July Dr. Ting performed surgery on the same shoulder to repair damage sustained when Eric was caught up in a multi-bike crash during the World Superbike race at Laguna Seca.

“It’s a huge disappointment to end the season this way, especially because I never got to show our speed at Road Atlanta and to show the progress that the team has worked hard to make,” said the 27-year-old rider from Las Vegas, Nevada. “Our times on race tires were strong and I felt we would have been contenders and would have made the race interesting. At the very least we would’ve gotten much better results than we’ve earned lately.

“Missing VIR two years in a row is a big disappointment, especially because the last time that we raced Superbike there we beat Mat after having an epic battle with him. I want to apologize to Ducati, my team, my sponsors, and also to my fans for not being able to compete next weekend. I’m looking forward to quickly getting back to top physical condition.” Bostrom will be in attendance at VIR to sign autographs.

The Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin team will be fielding two riders for the final event at VIR on September 17-19. Ducati Corse’s factory World Supersport rider Lorenzo Lanzi, who tested at VIR in August, is scheduled to race while a replacement rider for Bostrom will soon be announced.

From a press release:

HOBBS DIAGNOSED WITH SERIOUS INJURY

Following on from his accident at Croft Circuit during a test day last month, Hobbs Racing British Superbike Cup rider Dennis Hobbs has been re-admitted to hospital as the extent of damage to his injured neck has become apparent.

The 22 year old from Guisborough, Cleveland underwent various nerve tests and a further MRI scan at a specialist facility in East Anglia last week whereby it was diagnosed that Dennis had sustained a dislocated C7 and C8 neck vertebrae in the crash and was in imminent danger of permanent damage if not treated immediately.

As a result, Dennis was admitted to St James Hospital in Leeds yesterday before being transferred to Leeds General Infirmary today whereby he is under the care of resident BSB Medical Delegate, Mr Toby Branfoot and his team.

Dennis’ father John Hobbs explained: “Upon examining the various x-rays and documentation, the doctors have told us that Dennis has a dislocated neck and was just two millimetres off being paralysed. Like us, they are extremely concerned as to why that this wasn’t diagnosed earlier. Had it been, Dennis would have been out of action for around three months but as it is now, it could take between six and twelve months to fix. Had we known the extent of the injury, he shouldn’t have been racing at Croft or Cadwell as one slight knock could have proved disastrous.”

Hobbs, who finished on the rostrum twice at Croft before ruling himself out due to a lack of strength at Cadwell, is likely to have some exterior metalwork and frames inserted around his head and neck to stabilise the injury after surgery.

He is currently in Ward 23, Bed 23 at Leeds General Infirmary.