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.

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.

From a press release issued by Hooters Suzuki:

Team Hooters Suzuki Step it Up at Road Atlanta

Hot and muggy temperatures greeted the riders and crew of Team Hooters Suzuki during this past weekend’s AMA Chevy Superbike Double Header at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia. Team riders John Haner and Eric Wood rode aggressively and took home some strong finishes and scored some excellent points for the championship standings.

Saturday’s first leg of the Superbike Double Header proved to be a preview of what was to come. Both Haner and Wood worked hard during qualifying, but John posted a 10th and Eric a 17th starting grid position for both Superbike races. Eric battled hard with several riders jumping nine spots to finish in 8th. John raced hard to 6th place finish and the first privateer overall.

Sunday morning brought the fifteen-lap Repsol Superstock race. Both riders had decent qualifying positions from Saturday with Haner posting 8th and Wood a respectable 13th. Unfortunately, Eric’s machine had an electrical glitch and he pulled off the track after seven laps. John dropped back to tenth on the first lap and then fought back to 7th just behind one of the factory Yamaha’s.

After the needed break in the day, Team Hooters Suzuki’s pilots Haner and Wood once again suited up for the second Superbike race. With the drop of the green flag, both Eric and John found themselves in 11th and 12th respectively. Haner eventually came up to 7th, and saw a gap to Larry Pegram in 6th. He passed Pegram on lap eleven and cruised to another 6th place finish. On the other hand, Eric was running in 11th with a five second gap in front of him to tenth place. With five laps left, Wood put his head down and caught the rear wheel of Marty Craggill just missing 8th place, for a deserved 9th.

Eric Wood
Chevy Superbike Race 1: 8th Race 2: 9th
Repsol Superstock Race: DNF

“Well, the boys did some good work between Ohio and Atlanta and the bikes came out of the truck with some good horsepower this weekend. John & I were set for top 10 finishes in every class this weekend. The only blight on the weekend, other than my qualifying, which made the races a little harder than they needed to be, was the battery cable coming loose and ending my Superstock race early, but no one could have anticipated that happening,” exclaimed Eric. “Both Superbike races were similar, coming from our 5th row starting position to work up to the top ten. During the last six laps on Sunday, I charged from 12th to 9th position, missing 8th by 0.1 seconds. If all goes as planned at Virginia, John and I will finish top ten in the Superbike Championship this year. Which is what we both set out to do.”

John Haner
Chevy Superbike Race 1: 6th Race 2: 6th
Repsol Superstock Race: 7th
“Team Hooters Suzuki had a kick *#% weekend. Eric and I started doing some real fast laps. The crew did a great job of keeping us happy,” joked John. I’m pretty stoked being the top privateer in each race. We really pulled in some good championship points over the weekend and hopefully we’ll bring this momentum to Virginia in a couple of weeks. I had a few good battles with some guys this weekend and I’m pretty proud of what we got done.”

For more information regarding the team, please visit www.teamhooterssuzuki.com.


More, from a press release issued by Munroe Motors:

Tag Teams Racing’s Eric Gulbransen rocks Thunderhill

East Coast Ducati Twins racer and recent Bay Area transplant, Eric Gulbransen, showed his mettle at the AFM races held at Thunderhill Raceway this last weekend. In only his second weekend on the new bike, Eric managed to get on the podium in each race he entered – and started to seriously experience the potential of Ducati’s latest flagship sports motorcycle.

His first weekend on the new 2005 Ducati 999R, last month at Infineon Raceway, had proved a little challenging. The main issue was trying to set up the street bike to handle track duty, finding the best chassis and suspension settings to provide a platform that’s stable for Eric’s fast and aggressive riding style. Fortunately the power of the engine and the radial Brembo brakes of the “R” are significantly stronger than his previous race bike, a 2002 Ducati 998S, and needed no attention.

In Saturday practice at Thunderhill, Eric was making progress one session at a time. From the start, the bike was already better than it had been at Infineon, and Eric’s lap times already matched his previous best on the more proven 998. The Tag Team Racing crew, Dennis and Mike Harmon, had made some significant changes during the break after the Infineon weekend, and the differences were huge. The bike held its composure better, it had better balance, and kept a better attitude mid corner. Lap times were hovering in the 1:58 area – OK, but not spectacular. Nick Hayman from Munroe Motors was on hand offering Ducati suspension and chassis advice, and by the end of the day the 999R was really starting to feel predictable to Eric.

In Sunday’s Formula One race, Eric started in 12th place on the grid. By turn one he was third, thanks to Yoyodyne’s great slipper clutch. He soon made his way into second place, but more importantly, made his way down the lap time charts. He broke his Thunderhill personal best lap time set on his Ducati 998 by over three and a half seconds, logging a 1:55:3 – and took second place while giving chase to the leader Jon Bawden.

In 750 Superbike, Eric got another great start, this time from tenth spot to fourth by turn one, and quickly got into a fight for second place with F1 winner, Jon Bawden. Jon passed Eric in a gutsy move around the outside in ultra-fast turn one, but Eric hung close enough to take back second spot on the brakes going into the last turn on the penultimate lap. Eric then held second to the checkers, finishing only three or four seconds behind AFM star rider Dave Stanton, and setting a new personal best lap time of 1:54:98 backed up with a string of low 55’s.

Finally in Open Twins, Eric led flag to flag – but didn’t lose out on an opportunity to make the race more interesting than it needed to be. A confusing pit signal that came from a surprise spot distracted him just long enough to blow the last turn on the third lap, and he went touring in the countryside for a little while. Thankfully Thunderhill has good runoff, and after half a football field he got the 999 Rocket pointed in the right direction, and fired it off for the win.

From a press release issued by Nikon Yamaha Factory Racing Team:

Nikon Yamaha Factory Racing Team

Ready For Final Fling

After seven months of trekking around the vast continent of Australia to compete, the season comes down to the final round of the 2004 Shell Advance Australian Superbike Championship as the series returns to Victoria at the picturesque Phillip Island circuit this weekend (September 10-12)

After scooping the awards at the last round in Queensland, the Nikon Yamaha Factory Racing Team is determined to finish the season on a high and again claim the honours in the Superbike class.

It will be a tall order this weekend, as the Nikon Yamaha Factory Racing Team will have only one representative in the Superbike class with Shannon Johnson the lone entrant after the forced withdrawal of his teammate, Daniel Stauffer.

Novocastrian Stauffer – who claimed the outright round victory with two wins and a second place in Queensland – was forced to undergo further surgery to his injured shoulder as the original operation did not unite the bones. So in reality Stauffer was still riding with a broken shoulder for the previous three rounds, a testament to the man’s courage and determination.

With his absence it will be up to Johnson to fly the Nikon Yamaha flag high and he will assuredly be in a focused mood to finish the domestic season the best way he can and with Johnson, anything bar victory will be unacceptable.

In his first full year on a Superbike Johnson has re-established himself as one of the top riders in Australia. No doubt this weekend the Victorian will thrive on his home track with the added responsibility of being the lone rider for the team.

“We’ve had an up and down year,” explained Nikon Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager, Steve Trinder. “We started off on fire, had a lean patch through the middle but in the last three rounds both riders have shown the talent and commitment necessary to run at the top and we have started to claim the majority of race wins. It may be too late to win the championship but at least we can show the opposition of what might have been had old Lady Luck shined on us as much as some others!

“I was stunned to learn of the adversity that Daniel has been soldiering on as he has been nowhere near 100% fit to ride. With the performance and power of the Nikon Yamaha YZF-R1 and the condition that Daniel has ridden in demonstrates what a tough and uncompromising competitor he is.

“It’s unfortunate that he can’t take his place in the team but I know Shannon will be able to do an impressive job and give the Nikon Yamaha Factory Racing team success with more race wins.

“Shannon has now really shown what he can do on a 1000cc Superbike and his performances in the last few rounds reflect the faith I showed in signing him to the Nikon Yamaha Factory Racing Team. We all knew that he would take time to come to terms with the bike, the team and the tyres but he has shown how good a rider he is and what he can develop into.

“The championship may be a very tall order to claim but at least we can hopefully finish the championship season with a few more wins.”

In the 600cc Supersport category, Brendan Clarke appears to have extricated himself from the black cloud that has hovered over him for the majority of the year after he finished third overall in Queensland. Admittedly it was his home track but his performances have certainly given him a boost of confidence to do well at a track that he has tasted success at in the past.

2004 Shell Advance Australian Superbike Championships after six (of seven) rounds:

1 A Fergusson (Honda) 316pts; 2 Shannon Johnson (Nikon Yamaha YZF-R1) 250; 3 S Giles (Suzuki) 242; 4 Daniel Stauffer (Nikon Yamaha YZF-R1) 215. 5 J Stauffer (Kawasaki) 175.

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

AMA PRO RACING ON TV THIS WEEK

(All times Eastern)

AMA Progressive Insurance Grand National Championship, Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, South Dakota – Sunday, Sept. 12, 4-5 p.m. SPEED Channel

AMA Chevrolet Motocross Championship, Steel City Raceway, Delmont, Pennsylvania – Sunday, Sept. 12, 5-7 p.m. ESPN2

AMA Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series/Repsol Superstock Series, Road Atlanta, Braselton, Georgia – Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2-3 p.m. SPEED Channel

All times subject to change. Check local listings

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Race teams planning on traveling north on Highway 93 from Kingman, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada for the September 17-19 Formula USA/CCS event should call the Arizona Department of Transportation, according to CCS Southwest Region Race Director Randy Stem.

The phone number (888) 248-1259 should reach a 24-hour recorded message with vehicle restriction information for crossing over the Hoover Dam, according to Stem.


This just in:

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

The last time that I crossed, personal vehicles towing trailers were OK. You will have to stop and allow an inspection of the trailer and contents. The inspection is usually quick, though the guards are often very interested in the bikes. Fuel containers should be readily accessible for visual inspection. Commercial vehicles are not allowed to cross the dam and have to go through Laughlin. If you will need to cross the dam on Sunday, plan for a lengthy wait. Due to the security checkpoint the dam backups can easily cause an hour or more delay.

Mark Weiss
Director of Training
T.E.A.M. Arizona Motorcyclists Training Centers
AHRMA & CCS SW #407
Chandler, Arizona

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

On page 103 of the October 2004 issue of Roadracing World, a report on the WERA National Endurance Series 6-Hour at Summit Point is headlined “Velocity Crew Wins…”

A photo caption on the same page refers to “Velocity Crew…”

A hint of the problem with that is provided by the opening sentence of the race report, which starts out “Team Velocity Racing’s…”

The overall race win and 1st in the Heavyweight Superstock class were taken by Team Velocity Racing. Velocity Crew Racing, another team in the series, took 5th overall and won in the Mediumweight Superbike class.

Roadracing World regrets and apologizes for the error, which was made in the editing and layout process, after reporter Beth Wyse turned in her report.

Team Velocity Racing, not Velocity Crew Racing.

We’ll try not to make that error again, but really, is a little originality in team names too much to ask?

From a press release issued for Pirelli by Plummer Menapace:

PIRELLI RACE REPORT ON AMA ROAD ATLANTA AND ASSEN WORLD SUPERBIKE

Pirelli Privateers Impress At Road Atlanta;
SBK Title Race Still Tight

(Rome, GA) Pirelli racing tires had a successful weekend in both the U.S. and Europe.

First to the AMA round at Road Atlanta in Braselton, GA. Pirelli’s privateers showed their season-long staying power by continuing to hold multiple top-10 race and championship-point positions as the season winds down a testimonial to the talent and bikes of our sport’s top privateers, and to the Pirelli tires on which they’re racing.

Prieto Racing’s Geoff May used seventh- and tenth-place finishes in the two Superbike races to regain his exalted fifth place in the championship. He’s held the position for most of the season on his “bone-stock” engined, Pirelli-slick shod Suzuki GSX-R1000. Chris “Opie” Caylor rode to a tenth in Saturday’s race, his best Superbike finish in awhile, since he and teammate Lee Acree saw Empire Racing, their major sponsor throw in the towel at mid-season, leaving the two talented riders to their own devices. Acree didn’t fare as well in the first race; he and Triangle Racing Yamaha’s Larry Pegram and Lion Racing’s Jake Holden all carded DNFs. Holden, however, captured eighth in Superstock, and holds the ninth spot in class points.

Pegram and Acree rebounded in Superbike race two on Sunday: Pegram with a seventh, Acree in twelfth. In total, Pirellis put four racers in Saturday’s top-20, six in Sunday’s. With one round remaining the doubleheader at VIR on September 18-19 there are six Pirelli privateers in the AMA Superbike top-20 championship chase: May, in fifth; Pegram, 11th; Acree, 13th; Caylor, 15th; Dean Mizdal, 18th; and Scott Jensen, 20th.

Championsonline.com’s Michael Barnes is another Pirelli privateer whose season-long string of top AMA Supersport finishes has kept him and his Yamaha R6 in seventh place in the factory bike-dominated class championship. “Barney” posted a ninth at Road Atlanta, one of four Pirelli-backed riders in the top 20. The others were Lee Acree in 12th; Young America Suzuki’s Blake Young, 14th; and Giovanni Rojas, 20th. All four of them also have shares of the championship top 20.

Unfortunately, Barnes’s recent run of bad luck in Formula Xtreme continued in Braselton as his Buell XB12R suffered another mechanical as he was battling for fifth. The slack was taken up by Pegram’s fifth place, followed by five more Pirelli-shod racers in the top 10, and five more in the top 20, for a total of 11 Pirelli privateers in the top 20. They were: Pegram’s fifth; Caylor, seventh; Blake Young, eighth; Heath Small, ninth; Logan Young, 10th; Nathan Hester, 11th; Perry Melneciuc, 14th; Joseph Arico, 15th; Eric Pinson, 18th; Tim Knutson, 19th; and Jeremiah Johnson, 20th. Pegram (fifth), Small (seventh), Hester (eighth), and Melneciuc (ninth).

The World Superbike chatter began changing early in the season as initial questioning of the new spec-tire rule changed to general acceptance as the promised “level playing field, close racing action” became the rule rather than the exception. And there were no factory teams running off with the cookies and leaving the crumbs for those who followed. Well, here we are just two rounds and four races away from the end of the season, and only 14 points now separate the top four riders although their positions changed around after last weekend’s Assen round. Ducati FILA’s James Toseland’s win in the first race (his second win of the season) moved him from fourth to first in the championship, while his teammate Regis Laconi slid to third after leading the points coming into Assen. Ten Kate Honda’s Chris Vermeulen is still in second place, now just three points behind Toseland after Vermeulen’s second-race win. Nori Haga’s fourth-third finishes, on the heels of his double win at Brands Hatch a few weeks back, dropped him back to fourth. Incidentally, Assen’s second race was called one of the closest ever; Vermeulen beating Toseland by .037 seconds, and third-place Haga by just .117 seconds. Now that’s what you call close racing.



More, from a press release issued by American Honda:

Red Rider Weekend Report
5 September 2004
Road Race-Road Atlanta, Braselton, GA
MX-Steele City, Belmont, PA

Carmichael wins the 250 Championship at Steel City, Duhamel takes the FX crown at Road Atlanta

The last weekend of summer saw team Honda’s road racers visiting the Peach state of Georgia, where Miguel Duhamel clinched the Formula Xtreme Championship with the 79th victory of his amazing career. Duhamel won by a margin of .210 seconds over teammate Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke, giving Honda its fifth FX championship. While Duhamel was busy racking up his seventh AMA title, team Honda’s Ricky Carmichael was wrapping up his fifth consecutive 250 motocross championship at Steel City Raceway in Belmont, PA. Carmichael again won both motos on the CRF450R four-stroke by huge margins to keep his perfect season going with only one round remaining in the 2004 motocross season. Amsoil/Chaparral Honda’s Kevin Windham took second at Steel City, and 16-year-old privateer rookie Mike Alessi took third overall on a production Honda CRF450R.

Road Atlanta

Road Atlanta hosted round 10 of the AMA Formula Xtreme Championship, and Duhamel made his intentions known by taking pole with the 1.26.120 lap time. At the drop of the green flag the CBR600RRs of Duhamel and Zemke charged ahead of the field. With one race remaining after Road Atlanta, Miguel only had to finish in the top-ten to take the title, but he was not going to settle for anything less than the win. Despite a red flag that cost him an early lead, Duhamel battled back to the front to engage in a race-long battle with Zemke. Duhamel, always the hunter, saved the best for last position back and forth with Zemke and saved the best for last, slingshoting around Zemke on the final lap to take the checkers and yet another national championship.

“My hat’s off to Jake,” said the smiling Duhamel. “He ran a really great race, gave me plenty of room. I tried to do the same. It was really tight racing. I’m just really happy to be a part of the Honda team. The CBR600RR won the championship and my guys worked really hard. We had a tough year against Jake for sure and I’m just really happy to be here.”

In the first race of the weekend’s Superbike double-header, Duhamel and teammate Ben Bostrom battled for the lead early with Mat Mladin, but the Honda duo lost touch with the lead mid way through the race. Once into lapped traffic, Duhamel used his passing mastery to close the gap on Mladin. On lap 22, Duhamel stuck a wheel alongside the Aussie, but lapped traffic worked against Duhamel making the pass stick. Duhamel would have to settle for a close second. Bostrom, also balked by lapped traffic, finished third while Zemke, suffering from set-up problems that robbed him of traction throughout the race, finished forth.

“At the end I had an outside chance coming into the chicane,” said Duhamel. “I went wide hoping they’d (lapped traffic) go in tight because Mat was going in tight, but it didn’t work out. I didn’t want to do anything too crazy coming down the hill because it was too tight anyway. I just came up a little short.”

Said Bostrom of his third-place finish: “It was quite fun, actually. We just need a little better start so we can race with these guys, but at least we had Jake and Aaron out there to race with most the race. I was wishing I was up with the leaders, but they were going too fast to run down. The bike was fantastic and the tires were great. It was set up really well, we just need the rider to get a better start and go quicker.”

Sunday’s Superbike race kicked off with Duhamel taking the holeshot, but not for long before teammate Bostrom would claim the lead. As the two charged ahead, Mat Mladin was carving his way through the field and took the lead on lap six. A few laps later, Bostrom was nearly forced off the track by lapped traffic, allowing Duhamel to get by for second, and from then on, the order remained the same to the checkers, with Zemke again battling set-up difficulties and finishing fourth.

“It was a little bit tougher race today,” said Duhamel. “It was hotter and seemed a little trickier on the tires. But everybody was in the same boat so we just tried to do our best. Traffic was pretty bad for everybody, but that’s how it goes, you know?”

“These guys rode better than I did and they won,” said Bostrom. “Mat was fantastic all weekend, the man to beat. He deserved to win, and Miguel was right there pushing hard every day. He’s a great rider.”

AMA Motocross

The Steel City motocross kicked off in front of a capacity crowd, and when the gate dropped in the 250 race, it was Honda-mounted Kyle Lewis who grabbed the hole shot. But his lead would be short lived as Ricky Carmichael immediately charged to the front and pulled his patented disappearing act. This time, a huge pile-up at the start added even more distance to RC’s win margin, as the crash took out Kevin Windham and Chad Reed, RC’s closest rivals all season. As a result, RC took his 21st win of the season and clinched the 250 championship after beating the field by a whopping 1.03.593 seconds.

“This winter, while recovering from knee surgery, I just sat in front of the T.V. watching Supercross and dreaming about getting back to this point,” said Carmichael. “I want to thank everyone who helped me get to this point. Winning five straight 250 championships is something I never imagined I could do when I started racing.”

Windham escaped injury in the first turn pile-up, and charged up from fifth to take second. Team Honda’s Ernesto Fonseca, got off the gate in the middle of the field and was able to take his CR250R to an eighth place finish. Alessi, in only his second professional start, took his production CRF450R to a fifth place finish in the first moto.

Carmichael’s perfect season continued in moto two with a holeshot ahead of Reed and Windham. RC built on his early lead to win once again without
drama. “I’m looking forward to Glen Helen,” said Carmichael. “I want to concentrate on the win streak now, and it’s going to be a hot weekend at
Glen Helen.”

Windham managed to finish second overall. “I’m happy to get second overall today,” said Windham. “I can’t wait to get to Glen Helen and battle for second in the championship; we’re only seven points behind.”

Alessi took third overall. “It’s awesome to be up here with these guys,” said Alessi. “I didn’t want that crash in the first moto to ruin my day
again like it did at Millville a few weeks ago so I gave it everything I had to come back. I was pretty exhausted by the second moto.” Fonseca
finished fifth overall.

Steel City saw the return of Jeremy McGrath, who had a rough day finishing 20th overall (15,32). In the first moto, McGrath got caught up in the first-turn pile-up and started near the back off the field, working his way up to 15th at the finish. A mechanical failure took him out of the second moto, but he was able to score points to keep his famous #2 for the 2005 AMA Supercross Series.

“I had a little mechanical problem,” said McGrath. “I’m kinda bummed; I wanted to finish better. I got running pretty darn good, especially after the first moto. Those were the hardest points I ever earned in my life.”

In 125 race action, Chris Gosselaar was the man of the day, finishing fourth overall. His Amsoil/Chaparral Honda teammate, Ryan Mills, finished 8th overall, followed by Greg Schnell in ninth. Notably, Tommy Hahn, in his first national race, finished 11th overall.

The final round of the 2004 AMA Motocross season will be at Glen Helen Raceway Park, in California, while the AMA Superbike championship will wrap up at Virginia International Raceway in Virginia. Can Duhamel, Bostrom or Zemke take the Superbike title? Can Carmichael keep his perfect season going? Stay tune for all the race details.

AMA Formula Xtreme Results
1. Miguel Duhamel-Honda
2. Jake Zemke-Honda
3. Doug Chandler-Ducati
4. Jason Pridmore-Suzuki
5. Larry Pegram-Yamaha
21. Alex Gobert-Honda

AMA Formula Xtreme Points Standings
1. Miguel Duhamel-Honda-358
2. Jake Zemke-Honda-307
3. Alex Gobert-Honda-254
4. Vincent Haskovec-Suzuki-231
5. Larry Pegram-Yamaha-215

AMA Superbike Results (Saturday)
1. Mat Mladin-Suzuki
2. Miguel Duhamel-Honda
3. Ben Bostrom-Honda
4. Jake Zemke-Honda
5. Aaron Yates-Suzuki

AMA Superbike Results (Sunday)
1. Mat Mladin-Suzuki
2. Miguel Duhamel-Honda
3. Ben Bostrom-Honda
4. Jake Zemke-Honda
5. Josh Hayes-Kawasaki

AMA Superbike Overall Points
1. Mat Mladin-Suzuki-532
2. Jake Zemke-Honda-490
3. Miguel Duhamel-Honda-477
4. Ben Bostrom-Honda-364
5. Geoff May-Suzuki-344

AMA 250 Overall Results
1. Ricky Carmichael-Honda-(1,1)
2. Kevin Windham-Honda-(2,3)
3. Mike Alessi-Honda-(5,4)
4. Sebastein Tortelli-Suzuki-(4,6)
5. Ernesto Fonseca-Honda-(8,7)

Overall AMA 250 Points
1. Ricky Carmichal-Honda-550
2. Chad Reed-Yamaha-432
3. Kevin Windham-Honda-426
4. David Vuillemin-Yamaha-336
5. Michael Byrne-Kawasaki-282
6. Ernesto Fonseca-Honda-272

AMA 125 Overall Results
1. James Stewart-Kawasaki-(1,1)
2. Broc Hepler-Suzuki-(3,5)
3. Troy Adams-Kawasaki-(7,3)
4. Chris Gosselaar-Honda-(5,4)
5. Matt Walker-Kawasaki-(2,10)
8. Ryan Mills-Honda-(4, 15)
9. Greg Schnell-Honda-(8, 11)

AMA 125 Overall Points
1. James Stewart-Kawasaki-525
2. Broc Hepler-Suzuki-375
3. Michael Brown-Yamaha-342
4. Matt Walker-Kawasaki-259
5. Nathan Ramsey-Honda-250
9. Josh Grant-Honda-200
10. Ryan Mills-Honda-198
12. Chris Gosselaar-Honda-182
13. Greg Schnell-Honda-167


More, from a press release issued by Safety First Racing:

Safety First Racing enjoys a successful weekend at Road Atlanta.

After just celebrating his 17th birthday, Safety First Racing rider, Jesse Janisch, rolled into Road Atlanta ready for action. Team owner, Kevin Hanson, stated that they had spent the month of August attending a couple of local CCS races to get Jesse additional seat time riding a GSX-R1000 and also spent two days in Michigan attending Jason Pridmore’s Starmotorcycle school. Going into the weekend, Jesse was looking forward to finally being at an AMA track he was familiar with after having won a Suzuki Cup race at the GNF last year.

In Superstock, Jesse put in another solid performance by finishing 13th after chasing Erion Honda’s Alex Gobert the entire race.

In only his second Superbike weekend, Jesse put in a good performance on Saturday and finished 14th behind some of the local fast guys. Not satisfied with his performance, Jesse looked to improve his results during Sunday’s race.

Prior to Sundays Superbike race, Hanson stated he and Jesse spent a considerable amount of time watching turn 7 and seeing how the factory guys got into and out of the turn. “The key for Jesse this year has been getting him used to riding his GSX-R1000 different from a 600,” said Hanson. “Jesse is a really smooth rider and has great throttle control, we’ve been working at adapting him to getting the 1000 stood up and fired out of the corners. Obviously he applied what he learned…. Jesse went from low 28’s on Saturday to doing some mid 27’s during the second Superbike race,” commented Hanson.

For Sunday’s Superbike race, Jesse put his head down and rode hard netting him a 14th place finish. Making the result even more enjoyable was the fact that Jesse beat fast, local Road Atlanta veterans, Opie Caylor and Brian Stokes. “I’m very pleased with Jesse’s riding…..every weekend he continually rides better and improves his results,” stated Hanson.

Safety First Racing heads to Virginia International Raceway next week for the final round of the AMA Superbike series, September 17th-19th.


More, from a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

Miguel Duhamel: 2004 AMA Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Champion

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Sept. 7, 2004) — Miguel Duhamel took home the 2004 AMA Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Championship after winning his seventh Formula Xtreme race at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., last Saturday. While the Formula Xtreme title is Duhamel’s seventh AMA road racing championship, surprisingly it marks the first title for the Montreal native in seven years.

Duhamel proved he was the leading contender in Formula Xtreme back in March when he won the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. He went on to take a three-race winning streak in the series before losing to Honda teammate and series rival Jake Zemke at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., in May. Duhamel came back to earn a pair of two race winning streaks to push his total number of wins to seven. That placed him in a tie for fourth on the all-time Formula Xtreme win list with Nicky Hayden and Andrew Stroud.

Duhamel is one of three riders to have earned a victory in Formula Xtreme this year along with Zemke and Ben Bostrom.

“I believe that we pushed it hard and we just went for it on the last lap again today,” Duhamel said of his Road Atlanta victory. “It was just a really tough championship. There were two factory guys, obviously Jake and I were riding up front, but still there’s only one place on the podium and it was really hard to get and I feel that this was a tough championship to win this year.”

A victory in the series finale at Virginia International Raceway on Sept. 18 could put Duhamel up to a tie for third on the all-time series wins list after only one season of competing in the series.

A VIR win could also tie Duhamel with Eric Bostrom for the single-season record number of wins in Formula Xtreme. Bostrom won eight Formula Xtreme races en route to the 1998 championship.

Duhamel is the seventh AMA Formula Xtreme champion since the series began in 1997.


More, from a press release issued by Jason DiSalvo’s publicist:

PODIUM AND EXCITING RACING AT ROAD ATLANTA

Jason DiSalvo of Stafford, New York spent the holiday weekend of September 3, 4, & 5th at Road Atlanta which proved to be some of the best racing this year in the AMA SuperSport and SuperStock classes. With practice on Friday, qualifying on Saturday, and back to back races on Sunday it was a fast paced event.

On Friday Jason was among the fastest in both classes and on Saturday continued his fast pace by qualifying 2nd fastest in both the 1000 SuperStock and 600 SuperSport classes.

With a front row start in the SuperStock class Jason ran 2nd for a few laps before taking the lead and set the pace for four laps before a near high-side moved him back to fifth. Then a charge later in the race moved Jason to fourth and on the last lap attempting a move for third a slight touch with another bike sent Jason off into the grass but a great save allowed Jason to keep it on two wheels re-entering the track and ultimately finishing 5th. Jason commented “It was a fun race with more excitement then any other race.”

In the 600 SuperSport class again with a front row start Jason moved into the lead for 2 laps then diced with two other riders for the duration of the race with a three bike battle for 1st place and some of the closest racing this year. Jason finished 3rd taking his 7th podium of the year. With one race left at Virginia International Raceway in 2 weeks, Jason is looking to continue his top form to close the season on a positive note. Current point standings have Jason 4th in the 1000 SuperStock and 5th in the 600 SuperSport.

The SuperSport 600 Race will air on September 7, 2004 at 1:00PM on Speed channel and the SuperStock 1000 race will air on September 14, 2004 at 1:00PM.



More, from a press release issued by Ed Beckley:

Road Atlanta, It was all about Finishing

09/07/04 FT. Worth, TX : After making his second AMA Super Sport AMA National Road Race, 18 year old young gun #494 Scott Beckley and mechanic Scott “the Fish” Fisher are hanging out at Triangle Cycle just outside of Danville, Virginia. Rusty with Triangle cycle is Larry Pegram’s sponsor and has a huge ranch bordering VIR , the next stop on the AMA National Road Racing circuit on Sunday September 19th. “I really want to thank Larry and Jimmy Pegram for all their help at Road Atlanta. Larry and Jeff Haney and Nick Ienatsch (my instructors at Freddie Spencer School) , and Kevin Schwantz gave me all good advice,” said Scott Beckley.

Scott is trying to clear up a summer cold and a bout of flu that hit him on Friday prior to morning practice at Road Atlanta. Fish is working on their race bikes for a couple of days before heading out to Nashville for the Saturday Sept. 11th AMA Super Motard Races. After prepping the bikes to get ready for upcoming races it is time for some much needed R&R. Scott and the “Fish” are going to trail ride and generally have a good time after such a furious week at Road Atlanta and prior to that replacing everything on the Yamaha R6 after the Mid Oho crash which nearly totaled the motorcycle.

This past weekend at Road Atlanta Scott tried to shake off the “Rookie Blues” and Scott called us on the phone and gave his feelings about the Road Atlanta National, “I got up early in the morning on Sunday and still felt poorly. Prior to the National I had early practice at 9am. Today I felt better on the bike and tried some new things but I was stuck in the 1:34’s. After practice I drank some juice and tried to hydrate myself and also went and took a nap in the motorhome. I decided I was going to put my effort in the race and forget my qualifying times. After a quick nap I had a long break as my race was at 1:40pm so I hung out in the pit area and helped Jimmy and Larry Pegram as Larry had several classes he was racing in.”

Scott went onto to tell about the race, “My starting position was inside Row 8, along way back as I was 32nd in time trials. At the start I got crammed up in the first turn and was almost last at the exit. Starting way back in the pack I was being held up by the guys in front of me. I went to work and passed a few and I was 27th then I went off the track after I missed a down shift and could not slow down. I almost crashed and by the time I gathered it up I went back to end of all the other riders, if I wasn’t in last I don’t know why. After going off the track I passed 2 or 3 guys and on the last lap I tried to make a double pass and got one (Ryan Andrews another fellow CMRA racer) as I bonzied into the corner after Gravity Cavity hill and then set off after the other guy in my sites Jimmy Wood. Wood and I are both dirt trackers and I wanted to beat him badly. I did make some passes and got in the 1:33’s but I was not up to speed at all. In wanted to shake my crash off from Mid Ohio but I did not get it done. I ended up in 31st and was disappointed, but glad to actually finish an AMA National in one piece with the bike intact. After the crash at Mid Ohio that sucked being out for a month!

“This week I am really excited to get to ride Fish’s Honda CRF 450. I really had fun testing several weeks ago practicing at a track outside of Oklahoma City. As far as my career with AMA Super Moto, I think I am ready to put a good effort in this Saturday at Nashville. It’s time to do a little backing it in. I am hoping there is not much MX part, but dirt is cool and I am ready for some huge slides and riding the Scotty’s Speed Shop Honda,” said Beckley.


More, from a press release issued by Buell Motorcycle Company:

BUELL DEALER TEAMS COME UP SHORT AT ROAD ATLANTA

Early Incident Foils Promising Formula Xtreme Weekend for Hal’s and Kosco Efforts

BRASELTON, Ga. – Kosco Buell/Innovative Motorcycle Research rider Michael Barnes and Hal’s Performance Advantage rider Mike Ciccotto each put in top-ten qualifying efforts aboard Buell Firebolt motorcycles at the Road Atlanta round of the AMA Lockhart Phillips Formula Xtreme series. They were running a strong third and fourth during the first laps of the race, but both saw their race end early on the second lap of the event.

Ciccotto, who qualified seventh, highsided his bike while running fourth and crashed on the second lap, which brought out the red flag to halt the race. Ciccotto did not restart the race due to some swelling in his left hand. Barnes, who had jumped from eighth on the grid to third on the start, experienced an electrical charging system failure during the red flag period and could not restart the race. The race was won by American Honda rider Miguel Duhamel, who clinched the Formula Xtreme season championship with the victory.

“It was a tough weekend for both of these dealer teams,” said Erik Buell, chairman and chief technical officer at Buell Motorcycle Company. “But it was great to see the Buell Firebolts running up front as Hal’s and Kosco learn more and continue developing the bikes.”

AMA Formula Xtreme is a class open to highly modified motorcycles with 600cc four-cylinder engines or larger-displacement V-Twin engines. The final stop on the 2004 AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship schedule is Sept. 17-19 at Virginia International Raceway near Alton, Va.

To learn more about Buell Motorcycles, visit your local Buell dealer today and experience the pure streetfighter attitude, style, and performance only found on board a Buell. For the Buell dealer nearest you, pull into www.buell.com.



More, from a press release issued by HMC Ducati:

HMC DUCATI MILWAUKEE RACING IS BACK ON THE PODIUM

HMC Ducati Milwaukee Racing
September 7, 2004

HMC Ducati Milwaukee Racing, the factory-backed Formula Xtreme 749R race team for Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. (NYSE: DMH, Borsa Italiana S.p.A.: DMH), had an exceptional race after the summer break returning to top form with a podium position for third.

“It’s great to be back on the podium,” enthused Mitch Hansen, HMC Ducati Milwaukee Team Owner. “Our guys have really been working hard and it paid off!”

After the restart the former Grand Prix hero, Doug Chandler, got an outstanding start and slotted into second behind Honda mounted Jake Zemke. Within half a lap the eventual race winner, Miguel Duhamel, got by into second place.

“We have the bugs worked out and the bike is really performing well,” explained Hansen. “We closed out our Road Atlanta weekend by showing the best finish by an independent team.”

Taking third wasn’t a cake walk. Honda-mounted Alex Gobert, Chandler, and Suzuki racer Jason Pridmore were scraping for the last podium spot until Gobert’s engine let go. Most of the 2.5 mile Road Atlanta racetrack gives ample passing opportunities; it’s only the esses that racers have to fall into single file. On the last section of the last lap, Chandler made his move and entered the chicane ahead of hard charging Pridmore. Chandler nipped the Suzuki star by a scant .114 seconds at the line.