Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Saturday Morning’s Provisional AMA Formula Xtreme Practice Times:

1. Miguel Duhamel, Hon CBR600RR, 1:26.870
2. Jake Zemke, Hon CBR600RR, 1:27.231
3. Vincent Haskovec, Suz GSX-R600, 1:27.773
4. Jason Pridmore, Suz GSX-R600, 1:28.073
5. Doug Chandler, Duc 749R, 1:28.237
6. Alex Gobert, Hon CBR600RR, 1:28.620
7. Chris Caylor, Suz GSX-R600, 1:29.156
8. Mike Ciccotto, Buell XB12R, 1:29.235
9. Larry Pegram, Yam YZF-R6, 1:29.348
10. Michael Barnes, Buell XB12R, 1:29.742
11. Heath Small, Yam YZF-R6, 1:30.857
12. Logan Young, Suz GSX-R600, 1:31.045
13. Blake Young, Suz GSX-R600, 1:31.060
14. Mike Smith, Yam YZF-R6, 1:31.141
15. Jason Farrell, Kaw ZX-6RR, 1:31.714
16. Chris Peris, Suz GSX-R600, 1:31.577
17. Perry Melneciuc, Yam YZF-R6, 1:32.043
18. Carlo Gagliardo, Yam YZF-R6, 1:32.056
19. Tom Montano, Hon CBR600RR, 1:32.154
20. Darren Eli Edwards, Suz GSX-R600, 1:32.210

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Saturday Afternoon World Superbike Practice Times:

1. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, 2:03.334
2. Noriyuki Haga, Ducati 999RS, 2:04.043
3. Chris Vermeulen, Honda CBR1000RR, 2:04.091
4. James Toseland, Ducati 999F04, 2:04.256
5. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, 2:04.570
6. Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati 998RS, 2:04.698
7. Regis Laconi, Ducati 999F04, 2:04.873
8. Leon Haslam, Ducati 999RS, 2:05.052
9. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 2:05.175
10. Garry McCoy, Ducati 999RS, 2:05.359
11. Marco Borciani, Ducati 999RS, 2:05.480
12. Steve Martin, Ducati 999RS, 2:05.770
13. Giovanni Bussei, Ducati 998RS, 2:05.778
14. Chris Walker, Foggy Petronas FP1, 2:05.853
15. Piergiorgio Bontempi, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:06.683
16. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 2:06.943
17. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 2:07.369
18. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:07.814
19. Warwick Nowland, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:07.973
20. Alessio Velini, Yamaha YZF-R1, 2:08.769

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin took a narrow victory over American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel in AMA Superbike race one during the Suzuki Superbike Showdown at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia Saturday.

Mladin took control of the re-started race early and held a one-second lead over Duhamel for much of the final 19 laps of the 25-lap event. Mladin extended his lead late with the help of lapped traffic, but backmarkers in the final turns allowed Duhamel to erase all of Mladin’s advantage and challenge for the lead. Slicing through a battling group of three slower riders, Mladin crossed the finish line 0.4 second ahead of Duhamel.

Duhamel’s teammate Ben Bostrom came back from a bad start to finish third, eight seconds behind the lead pair. Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke edged out Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates for fourth by a fraction of a second.

John Haner finished sixth, top privateer, on his Hooters Suzuki GSX-R1000, well clear of Prieto Racing’s Geoff May, Haner’s teammate Eric Wood, KWS Millennium Suzuki’s Shawn Higbee and NASTI’s Chris “Opie” Caylor, 10th.

Eric Bostrom crashed out of the race shortly after the original start, coming off the highside of his Ducati Austin 999F04 and injuring his right shoulder.

The first portion of the race was stopped when Josh Hayes (who was racing with Zemke for fifth) highsided his Attack Kawasaki ZX-10R in the new turn three/four chicane, spilling synthetic fluids on the track and causing a lengthy clean-up delay. Hayes’ crew repaired his motorcycle, allowing him to make the re-start from the back of the grid, but a flat tire forced Hayes to retire early.

Provisional AMA Superbike Race One Results:

1. Mat Mladin, Suz GSX-R1000, 25 laps
2. Miguel Duhamel, Hon CBR1000RR, -0.400 second
3. Ben Bostrom, Hon CBR1000RR, -8.056 seconds
4. Jake Zemke, Hon CBR1000RR, -9.382 seconds
5. Aaron Yates, Suz GSX-R1000, -9.746 seconds
6. John Haner, Suz GSX-R1000, -60.593 seconds
7. Geoff May, Suz GSX-R1000, -66.469 seconds
8. Eric Wood, Suz GSX-R1000, -67.091 seconds
9. Shawn Higbee, Suz GSX-R1000, -68.778 seconds
10. Chris Caylor, Suz GSX-R1000, -1 lap
11. Brian Stokes, Suz GSX-R1000, -1 lap
12. Mike Smith, Yam YZF-R1, -1 lap
13. Chuck Sorensen, Yam YZF-R1, -1 lap
14. Byron Barbour, Suz GSX-R1000, -1 lap
15. Jesse Janisch, Suz GSX-R1000, -1 lap
16. J.J. Roetlin, Suz GSX-R1000, -1 lap
17. Andrew Deatherage, Suz GSX-R1000, -1 lap
18. David Weber, Suz GSX-R1000, -1 lap
19. Jeremy Toye, Yam YZF-R1, -1 lap
20. Cory West, Suz GSX-R1000, -1 lap
21. Reuben Frankenfield, Suz GSX-R1000, -1 lap
22. Roger Bell, Suz GSX-R1000, -1 lap
23. Matt Lynn, Suz GSX-R1000, -1 lap
24. Dean Mizdal, Suz GSX-R1000, -1 lap
25. C.R. Gittere, Suz GSX-R1000, -1 lap
26. Marty Craggill, Suz GSX-R1000
27. Josh Hayes, Kaw ZX-10R, DNF, mechanical
28. Larry Pegram, Yam YZF-R1, DNF, mechanical
29. Mark Ledesma, Hon CBR1000RR, DNF
30. Lee Acree, Suz GSX-R1000, DNF, mechanical
31. Chris Ulrich, Suz GSX-R1000, DNF
32. Jake Holden, Suz GSX-R1000, DNF, mechanical
33. Heath Small, Yam YZF-R1, DNF
34. Jeff Tigert, Hon CBR1000, DNF
35. Jason Curtis, Suz GSX-R1000, DNF, mechanical
36. Eric Bostrom, Duc 999F04, DNF, crash
37. Jason Pridmore, Suz GSX-R1000, DNS
38. Scott Greenwood, Szu GSX-R1000, DNS


More, from a press release issued by Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin:

EARLY EXIT FOR BOSTROM IN RACE 1 AT ROAD ATLANTA

Braselton (Georgia) – September 4, 2004: Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin’s Eric Bostrom saw his Saturday at Road Atlanta end unexpectedly after a crash on the first lap of the race put him out of the event.

“I was trying to make a pass and highsided. I’m not sure if I got into the marbles or what, but the rear came all the way around on me. It’s a real shame, because the Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin team was going good this weekend. I think we would have been up there in the race. Our times on race tires were consistent,” explained Eric.

Although he ran as high as third on the Ducati 999R during Saturday’s qualifying session, Bostrom eventually took seventh spot and was trying to continue his string of good starts in 2004 when he fell.

“I’m in a bit of pain,” Bostrom said after the race. “I’m not sure what we’re going to do for tomorrow but I’m going to see Doug Polen’s doctor. I have some extra hardware in there from my Laguna Seca crash last year so I want to be careful with the shoulder.”

“Things looked promising after some good lap times on race tires in the morning compared to the other riders,” said Racing Manager Tom Bodenbach. “We’ll see what Eric’s condition is in the morning and see how things turn out for tomorrow’s race.”

Race two of the doubleheader at Road Atlanta is scheduled for tomorrow at 3:00 EDT.

RACE: 1. Mladin (Suzuki); 2. Duhamel (Honda); 3. B Bostrom (Honda); 4. Zemke (Honda); 5. Yates (Suzuki); 6. Haner (Suzuki); etc.


More, from a press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports:

MLADIN EXTENDS AMERICAN SUPERBIKE SERIES LEAD WITH SEVENTH WIN OF THE SEASON

Braselton, Georgia, USA (Saturday, 4 September) – Hot on the heels of his lap record breaking run during yesterday’s opening qualifying session for this weekend’s double header American AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship round at Road Atlanta, Australian Mat Mladin blasted that record even further during today’s final session before turning that pole position into his seventh race win of the season later in the afternoon.

Mladin and his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 have been the fastest combination around the fast 4.087km (2.54miles) Georgian circuit since Friday’s opening session, culminating in his 37th career AMA Superbike pole position.

His time of 1-min 22.065-secs shattered his pole winning time from last year by 1.455 of a second and set the foundations for today’s 25-lap Superbike national.

Chasing teammate Aaron Yates, Mladin moved into the race lead on lap two and held that position till lap seven when the race was red flagged due to a fluids left on the circuit after Kawasaki’s Josh Hayes crashed at Turn Four. After a considerable delay to clear the debris from the circuit, Mladin again had to work his way past Yates on the restart, taking the lead on lap two. Once out front, the four-times American champion controlled the pace of the race, working his way steadily through lapped traffic and maintaining his margin over second placed Miguel DuHamel (Honda). The final lap saw Mladin caught in traffic, allowing DuHamel to close the gap significantly, but Mladin held his place at the front, crossing the line 0.400 of a second clear of his rival. The pair finished well clear of a battling trio consisting of Ben Bostrom (Honda), Jake Zemke (Honda) and Yates.

Mladin was pleased that the hard work and effort that his team have put in recently was paying off on the track, not only during qualifying, but also under race conditions.

“Qualifying was good for us, it’s always great to get that extra point, especially as we put a good lap together,” said Mladin. “We put a qualifier in and got a good lap on that tyre. Suzuki Japan along with our Yoshimura team have been working really hard over the past few months and if it wasn’t for that, this championship would have been much harder to chase. That hard work is what winning championships is all about.”

“It was also good to come away with maximum points from the race this afternoon, allowing us to open up a 32-point break over our nearest rival (Zemke) and hopefully we can repeat that again tomorrow.”

“Today’s race did go according to plan somewhat for us. Miguel managed to hang on throughout the race. He was about a second or so back and I had a comfortable break over him heading into the last lap, but we came across three backmarkers in the last chicane that saw the gap between us drop to 0.4 of a second as we crossed the line.”

“I don’t think that we need to change much on the bike for tomorrow’s race. It felt really good pout there today, but we’re getting to a point now in the championship where we have to start thinking about it a little bit, so we’ll just see how tomorrow pans out.”

With fifteen of the scheduled eighteen races that make up this year’s championship now complete, Mladin heads into tomorrow’s 25-lapper holding a 32-poin lead over Zemke (495 – 463), with DuHamel maintaining his third place with a total of 445 points.


More, from a press release issued by Proforma:

ACREE AND CAYLOR RUN STRONG AT ROAD ATLANTA

Suzuki teammates Lee Acree and Opie Caylor had opposite results on Saturday at round ten of the Chevrolet Superbike Series at Road Atlanta. Opie finished seventh in the Formula Xtreme final and tenth in the Superbike final, while Lee had to pull out of the Superbike race when his bike quit after running as high as seventh place.

Opie Caylor
Saturday’s Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Final – 7th Place

Opie got a bad first start, but got a second chance when the race was red-flagged on the first lap. “The second start was a little bit better, but I’m still struggling, getting used to launching this slipper clutch,” said Opie. “I had to work my way back through as far as I could. I caught Mike Smith and passed him. He and I started going back and forth. The white flag lap came out and I said, ‘This is it, I gotta go’. I got by him on the brakes and we both got into ten deeper than I think we wanted. I made a mistake and got both feet off the pegs at one point going in. It ended up we were right there together.”

Saturday’s Chevrolet Superbike Final – 10th Place

“I thought to myself at one point, ‘The Georgia boys are going at it!’, said Opie after a race-long battle with fellow Georgians Mike Smith and Brian Stokes. “We didn’t change our front tire at the red flag, and it really started to shred about halfway into the restart. Luckily, Brian and Smitty started battling and slowed the pace down. I just hung in there and waited for the white flag. My bike was maybe a tad quicker than theirs, and I knew I had that card to play. All I had to do was put that last lap together. I got Brian going into turn one, and I passed Smith on the back straightaway.”

Lee Acree
Saturday’s Chevrolet Superbike Final – DNF

Lee’s crew was still diganosing on Saturday evening what caused his bike to stop running.


More, from a press release issued by Proforma:

HANER FINISHES SEASON BEST SIXTH IN SUPERBIKE AT ROAD ATLANTA

John Haner of Hooters Suzuki finished sixth in Saturday’s Superbike race at round ten of the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship at Road Atlanta. John got two of his typically great starts in the red-flagged race, and ran as high as fifth during the first lap of the second leg. John settled into a pace on his Superstock-spec Suzuki GSX-R1000 that pulled him away from the rest of the field.

Saturday’s Chevrolet Superbike Final – 6th Place

“I was joking with Jake (Zemke) on the starting line, and I told him I was gonna lead until turn five, and he could pass me on the straightaway if he wanted to,” said John with a laugh. “But everyone seemed to get a good start that time. I think I was fifth, and the factory bikes came on by. Three laps into it Josh (Hayes) came by down the back straightaway just moving. I tried to hang on with him as much as I could, but he was gapping me about 20 yards a lap. I guess something happened to Josh, and I ended up having a pretty long race by myself.”


More, from a press release issued by Proforma:

SHAWN HIGBEE FINISHES NINTH IN SATURDAY SUPERBIKE AT ROAD ATLANTA

Shawn Higbee of the Millennium Technologies Suzuki team finished ninth in today’s Superbike race during round ten of the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship at Road Atlanta.

Shawn Higbee
Saturday’s Chevrolet Superbike Final – 9th Place

“The finish was good,” said Higbee. “I felt like I ran pretty consistent. Before the restart, I was struggling with the bike being stable. During the red flag, we changed the steering damper, and that made it better. We might try different gearing tomorrow. I was bumped up against the limiter a couple of times.”


More, from a press release issued by Proforma:

GEOFF MAY FINISHES SEVENTH IN SUPERBIKE #1 AT ROAD ATLANTA

Geoff May was back into the top ten again in Superbike on Saturday at Road Atlanta, site of round ten of the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship. Geoff battled with Lee Acree, Larry Pegram and Eric Wood throughout the red-flagged race. Geoff continues to hold down a solid sixth place in season Superbike points.

Saturday’s Chevrolet Superbike Final – 7th Place

“That was a tough race,” said Geoff. “I definitely had to earn that one. Eric Wood definitely didn’t give that one up to me. I just kept my head down the whole time. Those guys were leaving me on the back straightaway, but luckily I could make it up on the brakes.”


More, from a press release issued by Proforma:

HEATH SMALL HAS ANOTHER STRONG FINISH IN FORMULA XTREME AT ROAD ATLANTA

Heath Small of HAS/Shogun Racing finished ninth in today’s Formula Xtreme final at Road Atlanta, and continues to hold down seventh place in season points. Heath was not able to finish the Superbike race after the Yamaha R1 he was riding began to overheat.

Saturday’s Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Final – 9th Place

“We went out and just tried to run the best race we could,” said Heath. “We didn’t have the motor we wanted for this weekend. Due to (crew chief) Dave Sanders getting hurt, we had to run a Supersport motor in the bike. I really just tried to watch and stay behind Blake (Young), I knew he had more power than me. I couldn’t even stay in his draft down the back straightaway. I thought, ‘I don’t want to pass him too close to the straightaway, because I want to try to get a gap’. So I went inside him on the white flag lap into turn one, and I just tried to ride as hard as I could. We came down out of seven, and he went past me before we even got to the kink.”

Saturday’s Chevrolet Superbike Final – DNF

Heath completed only six laps before his bike began to overheat and lose power. Heath pulled into the pits in the interest of safety.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Final World Supersport Qualifying Results:

1. Sebastien Charpentier, Honda CBR600RR, 2:06.930
2. Karl Muggeridge, Honda CBR600RR, 2:07.539
3. Kevin Curtain, Yamaha YZF-R6, 2:07.596
4. Broc Parkes, Honda CBR600RR, 2:07.638
5. Andrew Pitt, Yamaha YZF-R6, 2:07.820
6. Alessio Corradi, Honda CBR600RR, 2:07.846
7. Fabien Foret, Yamaha YZF-R6, 2:07.904
8. Jurgen Vd Goorbergh, Yamaha YZF-R6, 2:08.135
9. Matteo Baiocco, Yamaha YZF-R6, 2:08.641
10. Max Neukirchner, Honda CBR600RR, 2:08.867
11. Kai Borre Andersen, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 2:08.908
12. Werner Daemen, Honda CBR600RR, 2:08.934
13. Arie Vos, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 2:09.059
14. Katsuaki Fujiwara, Suzuki GSX-R600, 2:09.121
15. Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati 749R, 2:09.129
16. Stephane Chambon, Suzuki GSX-R600, 2:09.213
17. Jarno Janssen, Suzuki GSX-R600, 2:09.287
18. Matthieu Lagrive, Suzuki GSX-R600, 2:09.409
19. Stefano Cruciani, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 2:09.514
20. Christian Kellner, Yamaha YZF-R6, 2:09.580


More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:

SUPERB FRONT ROW FOR PITT ON DEBUT

Yamaha Racing Italia guest rider Andrew Pitt surprised everybody by posting the third quickest time in qualifying and with it, a place on the front row of the grid. Despite only four forty-minute sessions on the Yamaha Racing Italia R6, Pitt managed to get in the groove quickly and get to grips with his Pirelli tyres straightaway. Fabien Foret was another star today – despite broken bones in his right ankle, he grittily set the sixth best time of the day. Championship hopeful Jurgen van den Goorbergh ran out of time in final qualifying, but is well-placed alongside his team mate Foret on the second row of the grid. Australian Karl Muggeridge continued his domination of qualifying and took pole position – his seventh in eight races this season.

ANDREW PITT – 3rd, 2:07.038

During my fastest lap, I was held up a little by a couple of slow riders and who knows what would have happened if I’d been able to complete the lap without any problems? But I’m on the front row of the grid and that’s all that matters really. The Yamaha Racing Italia team is very professional and it’s been a dream racing for them here. The technicians have helped me a lot to understand the bike and make it work for me – especially the front and rear suspension. The Hondas are very fast, but I hope to make a good start and stay with them until the end.

FABIEN FORET – 6th, 2:07.165

I’m racing here thanks to the skill and support from guys in the Clinica Mobile and my French physio Bernard. He has helped me tremendously here and in the past few weeks. It’s difficult riding with a broken ankle and now I’ve got to see how it will stand up to a full race distance. But my aim is to try and finish – at the very least.

JURGEN VD GOORBERGH – 7th, 2:07.301

My race pace is very good and I’m happy about that. I lost the front row because we ran out of time and I wasn’t able to try my last tyre. I’m not worried about being on the second row at all, because I know I can ride an aggressive race here and get a good result.

CLAUDIO CONSONNI (Racing Manager)

The choice to put Andrew Pitt in this race to help Jurgen was the right choice. He’s very fast and we’re giving him the right conditions so that he can help Jurgen. The race will be very hard, but our Yamahas are more than ready to fight it out with the Hondas.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

World Superbike Superpole Results:

1. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, 2:03.103
2. James Toseland, Ducati 999F04, 2:03.755
3. Regis Laconi, Ducati 999F04, 2:03.856
4. Chris Vermeulen, Honda CBR1000RR, 2:04.018
5. Leon Haslam, Ducati 999RS, 2:04.266
6. Marco Borciani, Ducati 999RS, 2:04.280
7. Noriyuki Haga, Ducati 999RS, 2:04.654
8. Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati 998RS, 2:04.681
9. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, 2:04.831
10. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 2:05.183
11. Giovanni Bussei, Ducati 998RS, 2:05.276
12. Garry McCoy, Ducati 999RS, 2:05.276
13. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 2:05.807
14. Chris Walker, Foggy Petronas FP1, 2:06.436
15. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 2:06.638
16. Steve Martin, Ducati 999RS, CRASH


More, from a press release issued by FG Sport Group:

CHILI TAKES CLEAR SUPERPOLE WIN AT ASSEN

THE BOLOGNA EXPRESS: After several close calls earlier in the season, Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati 998) took his first Superpole win of the 2004 season, running out the victor with a time of 2:03.103 – the fastest official lap of the weekend so far. The 40-year-old phenomenon, the holder of the fastest ever SBK lap of Assen set in 2003, was in untouchable form. He won the otherwise closely contested Superpole by over 0.6 seconds, an age even at such a long track as Assen. Currently fifth in the championship fight, two wins for ‘Frankie’ on Sunday would make the championship battle a five-way affair with two rounds to go.

FILA FORCE FIELDED: After some difficult times in recent events, there were smiles all round in the Ducati pit at the post qualifying prowess of the official factory Ducati Fila squad members, James Toseland and Regis Laconi. Toseland just edged out Laconi for the second best grid position by 0.101 seconds as he strove for his first Superpole win of 2004.

YELLOW PEARL: The Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR of Chris Vermeulen set the fourth best time of the Superpole session, earning a front row start, nut only after the 22-year-old Australian experienced some front end chatter problems in regulation qualifying. In front of his Ten Kate team’s home crowd, a front row start for the second placed championship contender was a popular result in most areas of the expansive Assen grandstands.

HASLAM STEPS ON UP: Leon Haslam (Renegade Ducati 999RS) put a disappointing 14th place qualifying position firmly behind him with an outstanding lap of 2:04.266, taking fifth place in the Superpole rankings. He managed to overhaul not only experienced DFX rider Marco Borciani but his own team-mate Noriyuki Haga, who is himself chasing outright championship glory from an overall third place. The second row was rounded off by the dramatic, all-action style of class rookie Gianluca Nannelli (Team Pedercini 998RS) who took his two year old machine to eighth, using all the track and more in his desperation to make another good impression.

CORSER THIRD ROW: With more revs and power from his three-cylinder Foggy Petronas FP-1 at this race, Troy Corser still could not quite reach the pace of his peer group at Assen, finishing Superpole in ninth position. His team-mate Chris Walker took 14th fastest time, for a fourth row start. The well sorted 998 Ducatis have been a force all weekend at this most classic of all current SBK tracks, and thus Lucio Pedercini was inside the top ten, demoting previous qualifying sensation Giovanni Bussei to 11th. Garry McCoy, an experienced Assen campaigner, dropped from seventh in regulation qualifying to 12th after Superpole.

MARTIN OFF: Ducati DFX rider Steve Martin had the misfortune to fall on de Strubben corner, as his front tyre lost adhesion around what is the first left-hander for almost half a lap. Failing to record a Superpole time, Martin will thus start from 16th position, one worse than his 15th starting position in Superpole.

WORLD SUPERSPORT: Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) extended his run of pole positions this season to seven in eight attempts, ripping the record books asunder once more with his 14th career Supersport pole. His Friday time of 2:06.249 was sufficient to hold off the challenge of Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) and wild card rider Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Italia), the 2001 World Champion on a Kawasaki. Broc Parkes, Muggeridge’s team-mate, starts from the front row, while another Aussie Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) heads up row two. Walking wounded rider Fabien Foret (Yamaha Italia) starts sixth after some heroics in qualifying, while would-be champion Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha Italia) was seventh fastest on aggregate.

EUROPEAN SUPERSTOCK: Gianluca Vizziello (Yamaha) took the pole position from his team-mate Lorenzo Alfonsi, by the margin of 0.5 seconds. The two-man championship battle thus continues, with this weekend Bernat Martinez (Yamaha) their closest challenger, ahead of Ilario Dionisi (Suzuki) and Kenan Sofuoglu (Yamaha).

The Superstock class kicks of Sunday’s action, with the 16-lap Superbike and Supersport races taking place in the afternoon.


More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist:

FRUSTRATION FOR TROY

Troy finished Superpole with the ninth fastest time and will start tomorrow’s pair of 16-lappers from the third row of the grid. Troy’s disappointment came about because he was forced to use his spare bike in Superpole qualifying after his preferred number one bike suffered a problem in the afternoon session. Up until that problem, Troy was on course for at least a second row spot. Superpole was won by that veteran campaigner Frankie Chili (Ducati). The Italian used all his guile and skill to post the fastest lap in the 16-rider shoot-out. Second was James Toseland, with Ducati team mate Regis Laconi third and Chris Vermeulen (Honda) fourth.

TROY – 9th, 2:04.831

I know I should have been on the second row at the very least – if things hadn’t gone wrong in the afternoon session before Superpole. I was all geared up to use my preferred bike in Superpole and then it suffered a problem and I had to switch to my spare instead. Although there aren’t many differences between the two, the clutch was slipping differently and the front end geometry was a bit different – to make it steer better. I really felt that I could’ve gone into the 2:03s on the number one bike, but it began to make a funny sound after I had done my fastest lap on it and our chief engineer Steve Thompson decided that we couldn’t risk it in Superpole. Tomorrow, I’m just going to have to push 100 per cent on every corner of every lap. Everybody will be struggling with tyres slipping and sliding, but we’ll be struggling more because we have to try and carry that much more corner speed as we are still a little down on power.


More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati Nortel Networks – Scuderia Caracchi:

Third row for Garry McCoy at Assen

Garry McCoy will start from the third row on his 999RS Xerox Ducati Nortel Networks for the two 16-lap races scheduled tomorrow here at Assen as ninth round for World Superbike. The Australian rider recorded the seventh fastest after the final qualifying in the morning, but a mistake in the final stage of Superpole ruined his session relegating him in the twelfth position on the starting grid.

“I used the wrong gear in the second split and I lost a lot of time.” – said a bit disappointed Garry McCoy at the end of the session. “That’s a pity because after the first split I recorded just a small gap from the leader that I could easily recover. To start from the third row will make everything more difficult and I’m facing one of my toughest races of the season just to gain a good finish position on this narrow circuit which doesn’t allow to pass. During the qualifying session we found a good set up, the bike is very fast with the second top speed and we select the race tyres that are looking to work correctly, so I’m confident in a good performance for tomorrow’s races.”

Satisfied for his result is also Miguel Praia, which improved about two seconds his fastest lap and will start from the sixth row.

“I’m quite satisfied.” – confirms the young Portuguese rider – “This track is very demanding and I’ve been faster as yesterday. Now I hope to get some world championship point in the race tomorrow, I feel that I’ll be able to do it.”


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI FILA DUO OF TOSELAND AND LACONI POWER TO FRONT ROW STARTS AT ASSEN

Assen (Netherlands), 4 September 2004: Ducati Fila riders James Toseland and Regis Laconi confirmed their positive weekend qualifying performances in Superpole to take front row grid positions for tomorrow’s Dutch Round of the World Superbike championship behind Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati), winner here in 1998.

Second for Toseland and fifth for Laconi after qualifying became second and third as the British rider and the Frenchman sliced three and seven-tenths respectively off their times in the one-lap dash.

“I’ve always enjoyed riding here, it’s just a great place to race at and I’m sure there’ll be thousands of British fans here cheering me on. Hopefully I’ll not let them down again!” commented Toseland. “We’ve been going well all weekend, apart from a mishap in free practice 2 when the brake stuck on and I fell off but we got it all back together for Superpole and I did a good lap. We’re as fast as anyone on race pace and have been consistently so all weekend. I’m happy with my race tyre, we’ve got the bike working well, I’m feeling comfortable and the way things are going there’s no reason why we can’t have two good results tomorrow.”

Laconi declared: “Superpole here at Assen is very special, it’s very long with lots of fast corners, and you have to be very precise and not make any mistakes. My lap was a good one, it wasn’t enough to beat Chili and James but I’m pleased to be starting the races from the front row. It’s important to start on the front row because although it’s not difficult to pass, there are a lot of changes of direction and you have to be at the front. I’m very happy with my performance this weekend because I’m learning more about the bike with the new setting and improving my riding. This afternoon we tried something different for the rear and also for the race too, so I’m feeling really good about tomorrow.”


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

FPR frustration with Assen grid positions

Foggy PETRONAS Racing riders Troy Corser and Chris Walker both expressed dissatisfaction with their grid positions for tomorrow’s races at the ninth round of the Superbike World Championship at Assen, the Netherlands.

Troy will start from the third row after qualifying in ninth while Chris was 14th fastest in a Superpole session dominated by pacesetter Frankie Chili, who produced the quickest lap of the weekend of 2:03.103 to claim pole position.

Troy went into the one-lap shoot-out having just recorded his own best time of 2:04.570 in the afternoon free practice session. However, a problem with his preferred bike at the end of that session forced him to switch to the spare bike for his Superpole lap of 2:04.831.

He said: “I should have at least been on the second row. There is not too much difference between bikes but the clutch was slipping differently and the geometry was shorter in the front on the other bike to make it steer better. I knew I could do a 2:04 on the number two bike but I thought I could have gone under 2:04 on the other. But that bike had started to make a funny sound after I had done my fastest lap and our chief engineer Steve Thompson decided we could not risk it for Superpole. I am just going to have to push 100 per cent on every corner of every lap tomorrow. Everyone is in the same boat with the tyres spinning and sliding but maybe we are struggling more because we have to try and carry that much more corner speed as we are still a little down on power.”

Chris, who has been receiving treatment for a bad cold, opted to use a race tyre for Superpole but was unable to match his best time of 2:05.395.

Chris said: “I have struggled to be as quick on the second half of the lap – the fast part of the circuit – on qualifiers as I have on race tyres. So for Superpole we decided to use the race tyre that I used for my fastest lap in the morning. Unfortunately, maybe because the track temperature was so much hotter in the afternoon, it didn’t seem to work. So we now have a mountain to climb, especially as there is a long drag to the first corner off the grid. But we have made progress today as we are now consistently going 0.8 of a second faster on race tyres than yesterday. We have got the front to work a little better, which gave us more grip going into the corners as the rear wheel wasn’t lifting off the ground.”


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

Muggeridge Maintains A Tight Grip At Assen

Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) secured his seventh pole start in the 2004 season, thanks to the provisional pole time he set on the opening day of qualifying. His mark of 2:06.249 was not seriously threatened for most of the final 45-minute session, which was interrupted after an oil spill reduced track adhesion during the early stages.

Muggeridge’s team-mate Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) secured a front row start with his fourth place time, a time which could have been improved on but for an inopportune bit of timing; the chequered flag stopping him from securing one final quick lap by the margin of only three seconds.

The front row for the 16-lap Supersport race on Sunday comprises Muggeridge, Honda rider Sebastien Charpentier, Yamaha wild card Andrew Pitt (Yamaha) and Parkes. Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha), Muggeridge’s closest championship challenger, could only finish seventh fastest.

Muggeridge’s seventh pole of the year took his career total to 14, yet another high for the all time World Supersport pole position record. Muggeridge was nonetheless disappointed not to improve on his Friday time, despite spending almost the entire session working on a race set-up. “So far so good. I was disappointed not to improve my time from yesterday but I should have put a new front tyre in and we didn’t have time to with the interrupted session. But the bike is good on race tyres and we’re fast. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

Parkes was disappointed to miss out on a possible better grid placing but satisfied with a front row start and a good machine set-up. “The front row is OK. I’m pretty confident for the race, and happy with the front row. I’m supposed to be a racer so I hope I can do better tomorrow.”

Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate stated, “We didn’t worry about the lap time so much. We saw people getting a little bit close to us so at the end Karl gave it another shot, but at that time his front tyre had passed it best. Broc was unlucky because he missed out on a final clear lap by three seconds. He was the first man to see the flag. There is a particular problem round here with the lap times being so high it is easy to miss out. We thought we had it all covered. He was going well and we could have expected an improvement on his time but a front row start is always good work. I’m happy. I’m particularly pleased that Karl has done so well at this stage of the season, with a big points lead. It shows how mentally strong he is at the moment.”

Final Qualifying
1. K. Muggeridge, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR, 2’06.249
2. S. Charpentier, FRA, Honda CBR600RR, 2’06.500
3. A. Pitt, AUS, Yamaha YZF R6, 2’07.038
4. B. Parkes, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR, 2’07.052
5. K. Curtain, AUS, Yamaha YZF R6, 2’07.159
6. F. Foret, FRA, Yamaha YZF R6, 2’07.165
7. J. vd Goorbergh, NED, Yamaha YZF R6, 2’07.301
8. K. Fujiwara, JPN, Suzuki GSX-R 600, 2’07.675
9. A. Corradi, ITA, Honda CBR600RR, 2’08.009
10. B. Veneman, NED, Suzuki GSX-R 600, 2’08.083


Assen: Vermeulen On Front Row

Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) secured a front row start for his team’s home SBK race after a Superpole lap spent fighting some peculiar traction concerns around the high speed Assen circuit. Vermeulen chose to use the same spec of rear qualifying tyre as he had tested in regulation qualifying, but could not quite replicate third place in these circumstances and had to take fourth in Superpole.

Finishing in the top quartet still leaves him in an excellent position for Sunday’s race, sharing the front row with Superpole winner Pierfrancesco Chili (Ducati), James Toseland (Ducati) and Regis Laconi (Ducati).

It had been a tough qualifying all round for Vermeulen, at his first Assen meeting on the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade. “We had the same tyre in as during qualifying but it just didn’t react the way I thought it would. Despite that, the bike is getting better and better around here. Set-up has proved difficult so far and we have a lot of chatter, especially under braking from high speed and we haven’t had that all year. No matter which tyre we use, or what suspension setting we’ve tried we haven’t got rid of it yet. The rest of the bike is working well. There are a lot of people going fast and we’re certainly in that group. It’s going to be really close tomorrow.”

Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate gave his pre-race comments. “Chris was on it for two splits and he thought he could do it, but he couldn’t finish it on the last split. It was good that he could still stay on the front row. With the race set-up we are close but it has been very hard work. It’s a compromise here always but we have a lot of knowledge of this track, so there are still some set-up question marks. For tomorrow, in warm-up, we will try to make it better so that he can hang in there during the races. We are sure he can stay in the front group, and then it will come down to the nerves and the tactics.”

World Superbike Championship
Round 9 Assen – The Netherlands
3 – 5 September 2004
Superpole Qualifying
1. P. Chii, Ducati 998RS, 2’03.103
2. J. Toseland, GBR, Ducati 999 F04, 2’03.755
3. R. Laconi, FRA, Ducati 999 F04, 2’03.856
4. C. Vermeulen, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR, 2’04.018
5. L. Haslam, GBR, Ducati 999 RS, 2’04.266
6. M. Borciani, ITA, Ducati 999 RS, 2’04.280
7. N. Haga, JPN, Ducati 999 RS, 2’04.654
8. G. Nannelli, ITA, Ducati 998, 2’04.681
9. T. Corser, AUS, Petronas FP 1, 2’04.831
10. L. Pedercini, ITA, Ducati 998 RS, 2’05.183

From a press release issued by series organizers:

SHANNONVILLE, ON Granby, QC’s Pascal Picotte continued his mastery of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Shannonville Motorsport Park Saturday.

The 2004 series champion dominated qualifying on his Team Yamaha / Picotte Performance Yamaha YZF-R1 to claim his fifth MPM Array Pole Award of the season.

Picotte shattered his own track record in the 45-minute session with a time of 1:42.820. The old mark, which he set last year was 1:44.079.

“The bike was handling perfectly and we haven’t had to make a lot of changes, so it’s easy to stay ahead of the game,” said Picotte, who clinched his second straight Parts Canada Superbike crown two weeks ago at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant. “I tried to get the time done as soon as possible and then wait to see if anyone could beat it.”

No one else was able to get within a second of Picotte in qualifying. Maple Ridge, BC’s Steve Crevier placed second on his DXS Diablo Racing Team Suzuki GSX-R1000 with a time of 1:44.126 and Frank Trombino of Kleinburg, ON qualified third at 1:44.236 aboard the Brooklin Cycle Yamaha YZF-R1.

Calgary’s Clint McBain completes the front row for Sunday’s 14-lap race after recording a lap of 1:44.389 on the Coors Light Racing / Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Less than a second separated second place Crevier from seventh fastest qualifier Kevin Lacombe in the session.

In other action at Shannonville, there was no change at the top of the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike Championship standings as none of the main title contenders earned points Saturday.

Guelph, ON’s Tyler Kennedy was fastest at a record 1:49.756 on his Honda CBR600RR.

Darren James goes into Sunday’s race leading Rudy Raposo by four points in the standings and is 14 ahead of Dominic Lavoie. Levis, QC’s Lavoie qualified fifth fastest on his Kawasaki ZX-6RR. Raposo, from Mississauga, ON was eighth and North Vancouver’s James placed 12th. Both Raposo and James are aboard Yamahas.

Class champion Picotte also qualified on pole for the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike national support class with a record time of 1:44.770 on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Crevier was second at 1:45.990 aboard his Suzuki GSX-R600 and Matt McBride of Mississauga, ON placed third at 1:46.241 riding the Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-6RR.

Feature races in all three national classes will run Sunday afternoon. Practice opens at 8:30 a.m. with the first race set to go at 12:45 p.m.

This weekend’s event will be televised on TSN on Saturday, Oct. 23 at 2:00 p.m. EDT and on Quebec’s RDS on Sunday, Oct. 31 at 2:30 p.m. Action from Shannonville will also air later this fall on Toronto1 and A-Channel stations in Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton.

For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com

Starting line-up for Sunday’s eighth and final round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Shannonville Motorsport Park, showing starting position, rider name, hometown, type of motorcycle and qualifying time:

1.Pascal Picotte, Granby, QC, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:42.820; 2. Steve Crevier, Maple Ridge, BC, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:44.126; 3. Frank Trombino, Kleinburg, ON, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:44.236; 4. Clint McBain, Calgary, AB, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:44.389; 5. Jordan Szoke, Brantford, ON, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:44.886; 6. Jeff Williams, Harrowsmith, ON, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:44.937; 7. Kevin Lacombe, Granby, QC, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:44.993; 8. Andrew Nelson, Kars, ON, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:45.195; 9. Francis Martin, Rock Forest, QC, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:45.927; 10. Matthew McBride, Mississauga, ON, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:46.511; 11. Michael Taylor, Toronto, ON, Ducati 999S, 1:46.553; 12. Jean-Francois Cyr, St-Lin Laurentides, QC, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:46.647; 13. Hugo Brisson, St-Sauveur, QC, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:48.315; 14. Stuart Nodell, Ajax, ON, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:48.721; 15. Dave Young, Woodstock, ON, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:48.773; 16. Zenon Nelson, Bowmanville, ON, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:49.358; 17. Brent Strong, Mississauga, ON, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:49.408; 18. Derek Vammus, Orangeville, ON, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:49.474; 19. Bill Card, Wellesley, ON, Honda CBR600RR, 1:49.874; 20. Larry Orde, Peterborough, ON, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:49.987; 21. Michael Leon, Beaconsfield, QC, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:50.161; 22. Barry French, Brampton, ON, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:50.538; 23. Elie Daccache, Ottawa, ON, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:52.014; 24. Dean Plater, Ottawa, ON, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:52.510; 25. Yannick Morin, Repentigny, QC, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 1:53.232; 26. Paul Penzo, Toronto, ON, Suzuki GSX-R1000, No Time

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Provisional AMA Superstock Qualifying Results;

1. Ben Spies, Suz GSX-R1000, 1:23.700*
2. Jason DiSalvo, Yam YZF-R1, 1:23.801
3. Tommy Hayden, Kaw ZX-10R, 1:23.943
4. Aaron Gobert, Yam YZF-R1, 1:24.127
5. Roger Lee Hayden, Kaw ZX-10R, 1:24.372
6. Jamie Hacking, Yam YZF-R1, 1:24.612
7. Damon Buckmaster, Yam YZF-R1, 1:24.926
8. John Haner, Suz GSX-R1000, 1:25.557
9. Josh Hayes, Kaw ZX-10R, 1:25.606
10. Jake Holden, Suz GSX-R1000, 1:25.676
11. Jason Pridmore, Suz GSX-R1000, 1:26.260
12. Vincent Haskovec, Suz GSX-R750, 1:26.348
13. Eric Wood, Suz GSX-R1000, 1:26.717
14. Alex Gobert, Hon CBR1000RR, 1:27.508
15. Steve Rapp, Suz GSX-R750, 1:27.948
16. Scott Greenwood, Suz GSX-R1000, 1:28.193
17. Jeff Tigert, Hon CBR1000RR, 1:28.404
18. J.J. Roetlin, Suz GSX-R1000, 1:28.512
19. Jesse Janisch, Suz GSX-R1000, 1:28.795
20. Jason Curtis, Suz GSX-R1000, 1:30.281
21. Kevin Pate, Yam YZF-R1, 1:30.980
22. James Kerker, Hon CBR1000RR, 1:31.582
23. Montez Stewart, Yam YZF-R1, 1:32.507
24. Dave Loikits, Suz GSX-R1000, 1:34.959
25. David McPherson, Yam YZF-R1, 1:35.061
26. Michael McAllister, Hon CBR1000RR, 1:35.385
27. Johnny Rock Page, Yam YZF-R1, 1:35.917
28. James Bonner, Yam YZF-R1, 1:37.320
29. Tony Larocca, Suz GSX-R750, 1:45.322

*Beats the existing lap record of 1:26.760, set by Josh Hayes on a Suzuki GSX-R750 in 2003.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel wrapped up the Lockhart-Phillips USA AMA Formula Xtreme Championship with a win over top rival Jake Zemke in round 10 of 11 in the series Saturday at Road Atlanta.

The Championship was Duhamel’s first in the reconfigured-for-600cc Formula Xtreme class, but it was the seventh AMA Championship in his long career.

The race was a duel between Duhamel and Zemke from the start and the re-start. After Zemke led the first five laps, Duhamel led the next seven laps, but Zemke re-took the lead from Duhamel into turn one to start lap 13 of 15.

After sizing the Erion Honda rider up, Duhamel made his move coming off the back straightaway on the final lap. Zemke didn’t give up without a fight, but Duhamel was able to get his CBR600RR across the line one-half-bikelength in front of Zemke.

Second place clinched second in the Championship for Zemke.

HMC Milwaukee Ducati’s Doug Chandler made a last-lap pass to take third from Star School Suzuki’s Jason Pridmore. Triangle Cycles Yamaha’s Larry Pegram finished third on a Pirelli-shod YZF-R6.

After running third in the aborted first start, Kosco Buell’s Michael Barnes did not finish (DNF) the re-started race. The first start was stopped for a crash involving Hal’s Performance Buell’s Mike Ciccotto, who did not continue. Zemke’s teammate Alex Gobert was racing Chandler and Pridmore for third when his CBR600RR suffered a mechanical problem, forcing him to retire. Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Vincent Haskovec was fifth with less than two laps to go but ran out of fuel due to his engine control unit suffering a malfunction and making his fuel-injection system run rich.

Provisional AMA Formula Xtreme Race Results:

1. Miguel Duhamel, Hon CBR600RR, 15 laps
2. Jake Zemke, Hon CBR600RR, -0.210 second
3. Doug Chandler, Duc 749R, -25.033 seconds
4. Jason Pridmore, Suz GSX-R600, -25.148 seconds
5. Larry Pegram, Yam YZF-R6, -48.315 seconds
6. Mike Smith, Yam YZF-R6, -51.704 seconds
7. Chris Caylor, Suz GSX-R600, -51.795 seconds
8. Blake Young, Suz GSX-R600, -63.175 seconds
9. Heath Small, Yam YZF-R6, -63.298 seconds
10. Logan Young, Suz GSX-R600, -74.110 seconds
11. Nathan Hester, Yam YZF-R6, -75.765 seconds
12. Nicky Moore, Hon CBR600RR, -76.140 seconds
13. Darin Eli Edwards, Suz GSX-R600, -80.797 seconds
14. Perry Melneciuc, Yam YZF-R6, -84.356 seconds
15. Joseph Arico, Yam YZF-R6, -84.665 seconds
16. Tom Montano, Hon CBR600RR, -84.835 seconds
17. Vincent Haskovec, Suz GSX-R600, -1 lap, DNF, mechanical
18. Eric Pinson, Suz GSX-R600, -1 lap
19. Tim Knutson, Yam YZF-R6, -1 lap
20. Jeremiah Johnson, Suz GSX-R600, -1 lap
21. Alex Gobert, Hon CBR600RR, -7 laps, DNF, mechanical
22. John Waters, Suz GSX-R600, -8 laps, DNF
23. Jason Farrell, Kaw ZX-6RR, -14 laps, DNF, crash
24. Carlo Gagliardo, Yam YZF-R6, -14 laps, DNF
25. Mike Ciccotto, Buell XB12R, -15 laps, DNF, crash
26. Michael Barnes, Buell XB12R, -15 laps, DNF
27. Chris Peris, Suz GSX-R600, DNS


Provisional AMA Formula Xtreme Championship Point Standings (After 10 of 11 races):

1. Duhamel, 358 points
2. Zemke, 307 points
3. Gobert, 254 points
4. Haskovec, 231 points
5. Pegram, 215 points
6. Pridmore, 189 points
7. Small, 173 points
8. Hester, 165 points
9. Melneciuc, 152 points
10. Chandler, 137 points


More, from a press release issued by Proforma:

PRIDMORE FINISHES FOURTH IN FORMULA XTREME AT ROAD ATLANTA

Jason Pridmore finished fourth in today’s Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme final after running in third place and being shadowed by Doug Chandler for most of the race. Chandler passed Jason down Road Atlanta’s long back back straight on the last lap, and held off a last turn charge by Jason to finish third.

Saturday’s Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Final – 4th Place

“Considering we weren’t even going to be at these next two races, without the support of Jordan Motorsports, Jim Davis and all of our sponsors, we battled for a podium today,” said Jason. “Doug rode awesome. It’s always fun riding with Doug, because you always know where he’s gonna be, you always know you can trust him. It was a great race, but we finished fourth.”


More, from a press release issued by Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki:

Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki suffered through a trying Formula Xtreme race at Road Atlanta on Saturday, but remain optimistic about their Sunday prospects.

Following an impressive third-place qualifying performance on Friday in a return to the scene of Vincent Haskovec’s first career AMA roadracing victory, hopes were high for another stellar performance from the charismatic rider. Not content with a mere podium finish racing in a class with one full factory team, Haskovec has stated, “I won’t be truly happy until I win a race this year.”

Unfortunately for Vincent, he will have to wait until the final round at Virginia to give it another shot after he failed to achieve his goal in Saturday’s race, held in warm conditions at Road Atlanta. Haskovec worked his way into a solid top-five position in the race and looked certain to finish no worse than fifth until a stock reprogrammed ECU malfunctioned. The problem made his GSX-R run rich and eventually out of fuel as he slowed to a stop before reaching the checkered flag.

Despite the disappointing finish, he remains fourth in the championship with just one race left on the calendar.

The squad enjoyed a more favorable day qualifying for Sunday’s 60K Supersport race. Steve Rapp earned a second row grid position on his Michelin-shod GSX-R600 by circulating the 2.54-mile racetrack with a fast time of 1:28.044.

The Californian hopes to make a similar showing in Sunday’s race, starting from the eighth spot on the grid. “Today went pretty well for us on the 600. It’s nice to be on the front two rows, and I think even with a really deep field of fast riders in the class, we should be able to finish about the same.”

His teammate Chris Peris will start a couple rows further back in 13th. The Canadian posted a 1:29.735 during the abbreviated session, just fractions off a third row starting position.

Meanwhile in Superstock, the team expect the strengths of their Suzuki GSX-R750s to allow Rapp and Haskovec to improve upon their starting spots in the race. While the powerful 1000s have a significant edge around a track like Road Atlanta on fresh, sticky rubber, the Michelin-shod GSX-R750s could surprise tomorrow when the laps start adding up in the hot Georgian conditions.

Haskovec qualified twelfth with a best time of 1:26.348 while Rapp will start in fifteenth with a 1:27.948 qualifying performance.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Saturday Morning MotoGP Practice Times:

1. Alex BARROS, Honda, 1:50.781
2. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 1:51.030
3. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 1:51.487
4. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 1:51.802
5. Carlos CHECA, Yamaha, 1:52.718
6. Colin EDWARDS, Honda, 1:53.040
7. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 1:53.232
8. Ruben XAUS, Ducati, 1:53.322
9. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, 1:53.512
10. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 1:53.883
11. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati, 1:54.405
12. Jeremy McWILLIAMS, Aprilia, 1:54.423
13. Michel FABRIZIO, Aprilia, 1:55.087
14. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 1:55.188
15. Marco MELANDRI, Yamaha, 1:55.578
16. Norick ABE, Yamaha, 1:55.767
17. Neil HODGSON, Ducati, 1:55.918
18. Nobuatsu AOKI, Proton, 1:56.589
19. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 1:57.635
20. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 1:58.048
21. James ELLISON, Harris WCM, 2:00.068
22. Chris BURNS, Harris WCM, no time

From a press release issued by Proforma:

JIMMY MOORE TO SIT OUT ROAD ATLANTA

Two-time AMA Superstock champion Jimmy Moore will sit out the remainder of the Road Atlanta race weekend after a crash during Friday morning practice on his Corona Extra Suzuki GSX-R1000. Jimmy suffered a concussion in a highside crash in Road Atlanta’s turn four, and was transported to nearby Northeast Georgia Regional Medical Center, where he was treated and released. After being cleared to ride by medical staff at Road Atlanta on Saturday morning, Jimmy made the decision not to ride.

“My ankle is swollen, and I don’t feel 100%,” said Moore. “I’ll sit out the rest of the weekend and get ready for Virginia. I’m bummed, because I’ve done well here in the past, and I wanted to have a strong comeback. I’ll be ready for V.I.R.”