Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The Parts Canada Superbike Championship, participating as an exhibition-only/non-point-paying support race for the August 27-29 CART Molson Indy Montreal car race in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, ran into front of 133,726 spectators, according to the official Parts Canada Superbike series website.

The event drew 32,912 on Friday, 47,494 on Saturday and 53,320 race fans on Sunday.

Newly-crowned 2004 Parts Canada Superbike Champion Pascal Picotte won the 12-lap race on a Dunlop-shod Yamaha YZF-R1.

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

Roger Lee Hayden closing in on big brother Tommy in AMA Supersport Championship

Two straight wins puts youngest Hayden just 13 points out of series lead

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Aug. 30, 2004) — Roger Lee Hayden, the youngest of the three racing Hayden brothers, has come into his own this season. In his sixth year as a pro he finally earned his first AMA road racing victory in Birmingham, Ala., in May. Since then the 21-year-old Kawasaki rider from Owensboro, Ky, has been on a tear in the Pro Honda Oils Supersport presented by Shoei Championship, winning the last two rounds and has pulled within 13 points of his oldest brother and teammate Tommy with just two races remaining.

While four riders still have a shot at the prestigious Supersport championship, it’s the Hayden brothers who are clearly in control. Tommy Hayden took over the series lead at the second round of the championship in April. He pulled out a solid points lead after winning four races in seven rounds. Roger Lee showed as early as May that he would be a rider to contend with after nipping his older brother at the finish line of the Barber Motorsports Park race to take his first win. Last month Roger Lee made his charge. He won the Supersport races at both Laguna Seca and Mid-Ohio to move within sight of the series title.

The story coming into Road Atlanta is that of the brothers both vying for their first AMA road racing championship. For Roger Lee the equation is simple. “I have to win, that’s all there is to it,” he says. “Tommy’s not going to just roll over and let me catch him. I’m going to have to earn as many points possible, including pole and lap leader points, to have a real shot.”

If either Tommy or Roger Lee wins the Road Atlanta Supersport race they will follow in the footsteps of middle brother Nicky, who won the race in 1999. Nicky is now racing MotoGP for Honda.

The other two riders who still have an outside chance at the championship are Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies and Yamaha rider Aaron Gobert. Spies is the defending race winner at Road Atlanta and is one of the four riders to have a win in Supersport this year. Gobert put a serious damper in his title hopes after crashing while leading at Laguna Seca in July. Now the Australian native needs a lot of luck to get back in the title hunt.

Defending AMA Supersport champ Jamie Hacking, of Yamaha, joins Spies as the only other former Road Atlanta winner. Injuries forced Hacking to miss the last two rounds of the series and he will not be able to defend his title. However, if the South Carolinian is healthy enough to race at Road Atlanta, one of his favorite circuits, he’s certain to be a leading contender.

The Road Atlanta Supersport race is scheduled to be nationally televised on SPEED Channel’s Two Wheel Tuesday on Sept. 7 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. For additional information on the AMA Suzuki Superbike Showdown by Makita, call (800) 849-RACE or visit www.roadatlanta.com .

From a press release issued by FGSport Group:

ASSEN HERALDS THE DASH TO THE FLAG

EIGHT DEGREES OF SEPARATION: Few nations on earth have a passion for motorcycle racing like the Dutch, something the World Superbike Championship contenders have experienced for the past 12 seasons without interruption. This year the usual large Assen crowd will bear witness to one of the most intense battles in the 17-year history of World Superbike. Four table topping riders approach the tenth round of the year with only eight points separating them, in what is shaping up to be the most competitive World Superbike Championship in history.

ANCIENT AND ULTRA MODERN: Assen, in its many and ever shortening layouts, has featured road racing long before the formal construction of a purpose-built racing circuit in the van Drenthe region of the Netherlands, way back in 1954. The current layout is just the latest of many, as modern trends and safety parameters have all played their part in redrawing Assen’s black ribbon of tarmac, which nonetheless still weaves between the drainage ditches and banks that surround this ultra-fast track. The current 6.027km long venue is the second fastest on the SBK Calendar, and always one of the most spectacular.

CLOSE, CLOSER, CLOSEST: With 150 points still up for grabs in the last three rounds at Assen, Imola and Magny Cours, anything could happen yet in SBK. But as we approach Assen it is shaping up to host the closest ever finish to a World Championship event. On the eve of the Assen race Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila 999F04), Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR), Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati Koji 999RS), and James Toseland (Ducati Fila 999F04) lie in first to fourth place respectively, with even tail-ender Toseland only eight points off the lead. The closely matched machinery (thanks to regulation changes for this year) and the control tyre rules (whereby everyone chooses from the same pool of Pirelli rubber) have allowed every team in SBK an equal crack at race wins – hence the unremitting competitiveness of this remarkable season.

PREVIOUS ASSEN FORM: Despite such a compression of points at the top of the field, there are innumerable other potential winners or podium finishers active in World Superbike today. Possibly the only reliable indicator of who could win either or both of Sunday’s 16-lap races will come from the recent past. Of the 21 full time SBK combatants, only two have tasted victory champagne in Holland – Haga and fifth place championship contender, Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati). The championship leader at one stage this year, Chili is still a force to be reckoned with and is one of six riders who have win races in 2004. The full list so far is Laconi (5), Haga (5), Vermeulen (3), Toseland (1), Garry McCoy (Ducati Xerox 999RS) and Chili himself (1).

PODIUM POWER: In addition to the aforementioned championship high fliers, there have been a further four riders on the podium. In seventh place overall, one behind McCoy; Steve Martin has secured a quartet of third places, and more than his fair share of diabolical luck. Leon Haslam, Haga’s 21-year-old team-mate, has taken a solo third place thus far, helping him to eighth place overall thus far, with more to come no doubt.

END OF THE DECADE: The Anglo-Malaysian co-operation of the Foggy Petronas Racing is spearheaded by the riding duo of 1996 World Champion Troy Corser and rapid Briton Chris Walker. Equipped with the 900cc, three-cylinder FP-1, a unique interpretation of the SBK theme, Corser has taken a second place and Walker a third. The pairing round out the top ten in the championship, with eight rounds and 16 races gone. After some recent engine modifications the Petronas machine should be a more potent force at fast circuits like Assen than ever before.

PRIVATE PRANCERS: In a championship with more than its fair share of competitive machinery on which to compete, the Ducati 999 and 998 series machines still predominate at the top of the table. Ducatis have long been the weapon of choice for the private teams in SBK and despite a recent rise in competitiveness of the multi-cylinder Japanese machines, most operate on Ducatis in the top ten positions. The balance of power is slowly shifting, however, if we look outside the top ten places. Marco Borciani (DFX Ducati 999RS) is 11th on the eve of Assen but the thrust of Kawasaki Bertocchi’s 1000cc machinery has put the ZX-10R pilots Mauro Sanchini and Ivan Clementi 11th and 12th overall. The Zong Shen Suzuki of Piergiorgio Bontempi has steadily gathered points to the point of being 14th, ahead of former Supersport rider Gianluca Nannelli (Team Pedercini Ducati 998RS).

SUPERSPORT: In the World Supersport Championship there is one clear leader, the experienced Aussie rider Karl Muggeridge, from the Ten Kate Honda team. Riding his fast CBR600RR with great aplomb through the seven races so far, Muggeridge has won four of the seven races so far and given these figures he is a clear championship leader. He leads his closest challenger by a full 24 points.
That challenger is none other than Team Italia YZF-R6, Jurgen van den Goorbergh – a tantalising fact given that Assen is van den Goorbergh’s home race.
Third placed rider Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) has yet to win a race, as have the following two riders, Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) and Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda); despite all coming close more than once. The only other regular rider to have won this year is van den Goorbergh’s team-mate Fabien Foret. Despite suffering a nasty ankle break at the last event at Brands Hatch, Foret intends to return to race at Assen, but his team will be swelled by a famous WSS name from the past, Andrew Pitt, the 2001 World Champion. There will be a staggering 35 riders attempting to qualify at Assen, proving the popularity of both Supersport racing and Assen.

SUPERSTOCK: Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni Yamaha riders Lorenzo Alfonsi and Gianluca Vizziello will continue their season-long battle for supremacy in Superstock, with the Yamaha Germany team of Kenan Sofuoglu and Didier van Keymeulen among other fighting them all the way. At present, Vizziello leads Alfonsi by 140 to 119 points, with no other rider able to take a win so far.

OPEN HOUSE: From 15.00 to 18.00 on Thursday 2 September there will be an opportunity for all the fans to meet the riders and visit the Paddock and the garages on Thursday afternoon, free of charge. The riders from Superbike, Supersport, and Superstock will be available for an autograph session that will take place in the SBK Paddock Show, located in the centre of the paddock. All Teams will also be available in either their Hospitality Unit and/or Pit Garages to meet/greet the public. Also there will be the chance to see three national races, which will be held that afternoon.

From a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

SUZUKI READY FOR ESTORIL MOTOGP

Back to business two weekends ago at Brno, Team Suzuki MotoGP’s aim was to sustain the momentum of constant improvement over the second half of an already exciting and rewarding MotoGP season.

Fast practice times – first and third in one dry session – and another strong race performance proved the point.

The year was earmarked by the traditional racing factory for the task of refining and developing the powerful 990cc V4 Suzuki GSV-R MotoGP prototype, to return to winning races and to regaining the championship last won in 2000. Race by race, the improvement is clear from lap times and results – and there is more to come.

This weekend’s Portuguese GP is another chance for riders Kenny Roberts Jr. and John Hopkins to reap the benefit.

The race, at the scenic but often windy Estoril circuit close to historic Sintra, marks the end of the European season. From now until the closing Valencia GP at the end of October, MotoGP takes to the world trail again, via Japan, Qatar, Malaysia and Australia.

In other ways, it’s just another step in the year-long campaign, and like the other major teams, Suzuki arrives fresh from days of testing at Brno after the Czech Republic GP.

“There was nothing earth-shattering in terms of new parts or equipment, but the tests went very well,” said team manager Garry Taylor.

“Our riders concentrated on settings and learned a lot that should help us in Portugal, where handling is very important. Gregorio Lavilla, our official test rider, worked with new Bridgestone tyres and had a lot of good things to say,” he continued.

“It seems at every race we’re getting closer now – both Kenny and John put up lap times at Brno that were right up at the top. But there’s no room and no time for complacency. We’re not there yet. The factory is still working flat out on important machine developments and the team is doing the same thing to get the best out of every new part and every new idea.

“It’s tough but exciting and hugely enjoyable and we’re all looking forward to Portugal and beyond,” he concluded.

The Estoril circuit has the slowest average speed of the season in spite of a fast 200mph front straight – a reflection of a series of sinuous slow corners up the hill interspersed with the odd short point-and-squirt straight.

It makes a mixed technical challenge but the Suzuki GSV-R should give a good account of itself. The greatest improvement this year has been to overall machine balance and “rider friendliness,” both qualities at a premium in Estoril.

Two weeks after the Portuguese round, the GP circus moves to Motegi in Japan before embarking on the hectic three-weeks/ three-races schedule before the close of play at Valencia.

KENNY ROBERTS – NO PRECONCEPTIONS:

“We’ve shown at several tracks now that we have improved the combination for a fast lap time. We learned some more things at the tests after Brno. It’s all real progress, but there are still more things we need before we can take the next step. We struggled somewhat at Estoril last year but things are different this year at a lot of tracks, so I’m not going to prejudge this one… just get the bike as best possible and look forward to the race. We’re getting closer.”

JOHN HOPKINS – GAINING STABILITY:

“Brno and Estoril are two different tracks. Portugal is bumpier, tighter and not as wide, but we found some things in the tests that I think are going to be useful. We tried a lot of suspension stuff with Ohlins and it has improved stability. Portugal was hard last year, but so was Brno last year. The way the bike’s reacting now, I think the Suzuki will have a lot of advantages there and I’m looking forward to it a lot.”

ABOUT THIS RACE:

This is the seventh Portuguese GP, but only the fifth at Estoril . The first two races actually took place in neighbouring Spain, at Jarama in 1987 and at Jerez in 1988. Subsequent attempts to include Estoril on the calendar flounder on track safety grounds, but modifications to the track have solved these issues and the race took its place as a fully-fledged new GP in 2000. Since then it has become a popular last stop in Europe with a character all of its own. Estoril is on the testing calendar as well, so it is a familiar stop-off for the GP world.

ABOUT THIS TRACK:

The Autodromo Fernanda Pires da Silva at Estoril circuit is west of Lisbon, close to the coastal resorts of Cascais and not far from the historic town of Sintra. In hilly country, it comprises a long downhill straight leading to a series of 13 predominately uphill slow corners and distinguished by a highly technical and twisty section leading on to the fast and crucial final corner. The lap record speed, 94.314 mph (151.783 km/h) is the slowest of the year in spite of a downhill straight where last year the fastest bikes ran close to 200mph. This reflects a number of first-gear corners where throttle control and manageable power are more important than top speed. The most crucial corner is the last, opening out from a slow section at an ever-increasing radius, to debouch riders onto the fast straight already at close to maximum speed. A newly built pit complex was erected in 2001.

GP DATA

Estoril.
Circuit Length: 2.599 miles / 4.182 km.
Lap Record: 1:39.189 – 94.313 mph / 151.782 km/h. V Rossi (Honda), 2004.
2004 Race Winner: Rossi.
2004 Race Average: 46:48.005 – 93.281 mph / 150.122 km/h.
2004 Fastest Race Lap: see lap record.
2004 Pole Position: Capirossi (Ducati) 1:38.412.
2004 KENNY ROBERTS: 17th, qualified 14th (Suzuki).
2004 JOHN HOPKINS: 18th, qualified 17th (Suzuki).

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Pihokken Wins Shootout, Martinez Wins Most

CCS Florida Region
Moroso Motorsports Park
West Palm Beach, Florida
August 29, 2004

By Lisa Theobald

CCS Florida’s Number One rider, Jim Pihokken, won the featured Unlimited Grand Prix race at Moroso Motorsports Park after nailing the holeshot and leading every lap of the race. His main challenger during the race was Marco Martinez, who got a bad start, but worked his way up to second place by the middle of lap two. Michael Barnes was expected to be a major competitor, but didn’t even make it to the grid. After crashing his “A” bike during the Middleweight Supersport event, Barnes decided to pack it up and not risk any damage to his “B” bike in preparation for the upcoming AMA races at Road Atlanta next weekend.

Pihokken was on the gas from the drop of the green flag and had secured a 20-bikelength lead over second place with his GSX-R1000 very early on the first lap of the Shootout. Behind him, GSX-R750 pilot Ed Lis was being challenged by Martinez, who had worked his way up to third place by the end of the first lap. Halfway through lap two, Martinez maneuvered his GSX-R1000 around Lis to take over second place and started to reel in Pihokken. By lap three, he was a mere five bikelengths behind the leader. Martinez was able to catch the leader with a late-braking maneuver into turn seven and challenged Pihokken in every corner thereafter. The two would run wheel-to-wheel down the straightaways with Martinez attempting to pass Pihokken around the outside of every turn. But Pihokken was able to hold his advantage and keep the lead. On the white flag lap of the race, Pihokken was out front, all by himself. Martinez had crashed in the turn three/four chicane. He was able to re-enter the race, but could not regain his position. Pihokken continued to lead the final lap without challenge. He crossed the start finish line with a big, big gap over second-place Lis. Alvaro Toledo finished third, followed by Michael Rouleau and Martinez.

On the podium, Pihokken commented on his battle with Martinez stating, “At first, I was cruising. I thought he was on the 750. When I looked back and saw him there, I started to step it up. He ran into me twice going into turn two, but I don’t know if that caused him to go down. But, if it did, I apologize.” Pihokken went on to thank Sean Prieto and all the guys at Prieto Racing for helping get his bike ready. “They did an awesome job,” said Pihokken. “Barnes is here and I have to thank him, because he rode this bike last year and helped set it up.” He also thanked the corner workers and the entire CCS crew stating, “A couple of weeks ago, I went down pretty hard and those guys were right there. You guys do an awesome job and I really appreciate you.”

Pihokken also won the first race of the day, GTO, after taking the lead from his teammate, Lis, on lap two and dominating from that point forward.

Barnes won the GTU race after passing holeshot winner Greg Melka for the lead on the first lap. From then on, he was simply untouchable. With each lap, Barnes continued to increase the gap on the rest of the field. He had the entire back straightaway all to himself on the white flag lap and took the checkered flag without challenge. But Barnes crashed out of the lead of the Middleweight Supersport race, putting an early end to his day and any chances of taking home Yamaha contingency monies.

Martinez was, yet again, the biggest winner of the day, taking home a total of six first-place trophies. He won the Unlimited Supersport, Middleweight Supersport, Heavyweight Supersport, Middleweight Superbike, Heavyweight Superbike, and Middleweight Grand Prix races.

The next CCS Florida event is scheduled for the weekend of September 11-12 at Jennings GP in Jennings, Florida.

From a press release issued by BMW:

BMW AND CPSC ANNOUNCE VOLUNTARY RECALL OF SLIDECARVER

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, BMW of North America, LLC is recalling 161 Slidecarvers sold though its dealers and on-line. Customers are asked to stop using the Slidecarver immediately and return the product to BMW dealers for a full refund.

In addition to a full refund, customers will receive a $200 gift certificate that can be redeemed for BMW lifestyle merchandise at the dealership where the product was purchased.

The Slidecarver is a three-wheeled scooter with adjustable hydraulic twin-disc brakes, front and rear wheel steering system and a folding mechanism.

The product, sold from December 2003 until July 2004, could have been made with a component that does not meet manufacturing specifications. The supplier did not follow specifications and changed the manufacturing process on a front structure part from a forging to a casting. The cast parts do not meet impact resistance standards. If a Slidecarver with a cast front structure runs into a rigid object with significant force (e.g., a curb), breakage to that structure could occur. Breakage of the front structure may cause the operator to lose control and result in a fall, possibly causing injuries.

The company has received one report of an incident with minor injuries.

The Slidecarver, is no longer produced or sold through BMW.

Customers with questions about this recall can contact 1-800-831-1117.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

British Superbike Race One Results From Cadwell Park:

1. Michael RUTTER, Honda, 15 laps, 22:31.896
2. Ryuichi KIYONARI, Honda, -0.195 second
3. Yukio KAGAYAMA, Suzuki, -0.493 second
4. James HAYDON, Yamaha, -7.093 seconds
5. Tommy HILL, Yamaha, -8.034 seconds
6. Dean THOMAS, Ducati, -9.011 seconds
7. Glen RICHARDS, Kawasaki, -12.671 seconds
8. Kieran CLARKE, Yamaha, -13.291 seconds
9. John McGUINNESS, Kawasaki, -1 lap
10. Sean EMMETT, Ducati, -1 lap
11. Gary MASON, Yamaha, -1 lap
12. Jon KIRKHAM, Suzuki, -1 lap
13. Paul BROWN, Ducati, -1 lap
14. James ELLISON, Yamaha, -1 lap
15. Chris MARTIN, Suzuki, -1 lap

20. Scott SMART, Kawasaki, -1 lap
21. Steve PLATER, Yamaha, -1 lap, DNF

24. Craig COXHELL, Honda, -6 laps, DNF

26. John REYNOLDS, Suzuki, -11 laps, DNF

Fastest Lap: KAGAYAMA, Suzuki, 1:29.105, lap 9


British Superbike Race Two Results From Cadwell Park:

1. Yukio KAGAYAMA, Suzuki, 18 laps, 27:37.598
2. Scott SMART, Kawasaki, -6.592 seconds
3. Sean EMMETT, Ducati, -27.925 seconds
4. Dean THOMAS, Ducati, -28.001 seconds
5. Glen RICHARDS, Kawasaki, -30.238 seconds
6. James HAYDON, Yamaha, -45.587 seconds
7. Kieran CLARKE, Yamaha, -48.132 seconds
8. John REYNOLDS, Suzuki, -52.300 seconds
9. John McGUINNESS, Kawasaki, -63.422 seconds
10. James ELLISON, Yamaha, -67.207 seconds
11. Sam CORKE, Suzuki, -67.392 seconds
12. Gus SCOTT, Suzuki, -72.259 seconds
13. Craig COXHELL, Honda, -82.488 seconds
14. Jon KIRKHAM, Suzuki, -90.356 seconds
15. Michael PENSAVALLE, Ducati, -90.797 seconds
16. Ryuichi KIYONARI, Honda, -1 lap

20. Michael RUTTER, Honda, -10 laps, DNF

22. Steve PLATER, Yamaha, -12 laps, DNF
23. Gary MASON, Yamaha, -15 laps, DNF

25. Paul BROWN, Ducati, -17 laps, DNF

Fastest Lap: KAGAYAMA, Suzuki, 1:29.995, lap 13


British Superbike Championship Point Standings (After 22 of 26 races):

1. REYNOLDS, 370 points
2. RUTTER, 337 points
3. SMART, 296 points
4. KAGAYAMA, 290 points
5. EMMETT, 262 points
6. KIYONARI, 170 points
7. TIE, HAYDON/THOMAS, 155 points
9. HILL, 116 points
10. MASON, 100 points


More, from a press release issued by MonsterMob Ducati:

PODIUM FINISH FOR EMMETT AT CADWELL PARK

MonsterMob Ducati Superbike rider Sean Emmett bounced back from a disappointing tenth place in race one to claim a superb rostrum finish in front of a massive crowd at round eleven of the THINK! British Superbike Championship at Cadwell Park today.

The 34 year old Londoner gambled on a dry tyre choice amidst the rain showers that hit the Lincolnshire circuit, and battled his way through the field before making a last lap move to claim the final rostrum place for the first time in six races.

“It’s pleasant to say that I am back on the rostrum. I thought I was going to get a nosebleed as I’ve not been up there for so long! I was struggling against the boys today and in the dry I couldn’t really hold a candle to them. The conditions are a good leveller for the bike. It’s nice to be back, just a shame it’s not at the top of the rostrum but it’s a start” said Emmett who consolidated fifth place in the Championship.

Meanwhile for MonsterMob Ducati Supersport rider Michael Laverty it was a case of what could have been when he threw away a certain rostrum position by overshooting the new Link Chicane on the final lap.

The young Ulsterman led for most of the race but his hopes of victory were banished when he made the mistake with half a lap to go.

“I thought I had it in the bag. Every time Vincent passed me I was a lot stronger than him and was able to pass him back. He got back past me on the back straight and I overshot at the chicane. I was gutted. But that’s the way it goes sometimes, and hopefully I can learn from my mistake” said Laverty.

Team owner Paul Bird had the following to say: “It’s good to be on the rostrum at long last. Sean rode well, dug in and showed good spirit. I’m disappointed for Michael. He knew he had to win the race to keep any Championship hopes alive. We’re used to race wins at Cadwell but we’ll settle for a rostrum on this occasion”.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

KAGAYAMA TAKES CADWELL VICTORY!
Team Suzuki Press Office – August 30, 2004.

After suffering a near fatal accident at Cadwell Park a year ago, Rizla Suzuki’s Yukio Kagayama took an emotional victory and a podium third on his courageous return to the Lincolnshire circuit at the 11th round of the Think! British Superbike Championship today.

Kagayama decimated the opposition in the second race of the day, which was run under wet but drying conditions, leading from start to finish and never looking like he would be challenged. When he crossed the finish line, the crowd of almost 40,000 went wild, leaving the Japanese rider in no doubt how much they have taken him to their hearts.

His fourth win of the season, on top of a third in the first race, takes Yukio to within six points of third place in the overall standings with two of his favourite circuits still to come at Oulton and Donington Park. It also marks Rizla Suzuki’s 22nd consecutive rostrum of the year out of 22 starts – including nine victories – which gives Suzuki a strong 77-point lead in the manufacturers table with just 100-points left to score.

Championship leader John Reynolds did not finish the first race after tumbling off his GSX-R1000 Suzuki but scored a solid eighth place in the second event to go into the final two rounds of the Championship with a healthy 33-point advantage over his nearest rival, Michael Rutter, who won the first race but failed to finish in the second.

The 12th and penultimate round of the 2004 Championship takes place at Oulton Park on September 12th, the scene of Rizla Suzuki’s double one-two victory celebrations earlier in the season, and a happy hunting ground for the team.

Yukio Kagayama:

“Before I came here, I had many bad memories of Cadwell Park from last year and my big accident. But now I have only good memories and thoughts. I wanted so much to win and beat Cadwell Park. I am so happy.

“Thank you to my fans for supporting me and to my team for helping me so much to win this race. Now, one year later, I have finished with bad memories and my body is nearly completely healed. We’ve come full circle and I now want to win more races this year and help John-san to take title for the best team in British Superbikes.”

John Reynolds:

“I normally shift from fourth to third on the change of direction at turn one. I missed getting the bike into third and ran wide and crashed early on in the first race. Luckily I wasn’t hurt physically although my Championship hopes took a bit of a fall in that turn. Thank you to all the fans along the start-finish straight who cheered and applauded as I walked back to the pits: You gave me a big lift just when I needed it most.

“Race two and the wet-but-drying conditions are probably the worst for any rider to try and race under. It’s a tyre lottery and even then, you can be caught out very quickly by track conditions. I rode as hard as I could with my bike and tyre set-up and was determined to finish at all costs. I achieved that and stole a few points back on Michael in the process. It’s game-on for the Championship still: Oulton Park, where we visit next, is historically a good track for Rizla Suzuki. I’ll be looking for a change in my recent fortune when we go there in two weeks time and need to win races.”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:

“Yukio Kagayama is a true hero. He showed determination, effort, riding ability and sheer courage at Cadwell Park today, especially when you consider the life-threatening crash he suffered here last August. It is a fairytale ending for a very difficult time in general for Yuki and the whole team salutes him as the world-class rider and competitor he is.

“JR had a challenging day but he leaves here leading the series and still very much the man everyone else needs to beat. Oulton Park is a circuit where Rizla Suzuk i scored its best ever results last time we visited and we’ll be looking for more of the same in a fortnight’s time. The Championship is still JR’s aim and Yuki is back on track to challenge for third in the series; those are the targets and we have the riders, the bikes and the team to achieve them.”

From a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:

WSS R6 set-up report, round eight: Assen

Race date: 5 September 2004
Track length: 6027m
Year opened: 1954
2003 WSS winner: Karl Muggeridge (Honda)
Lap record: 2:06.922 Katsuaki Fujiwara (Suzuki)
Fastest supersport ever lap : 2:05.736 Chris Vermeulen (Honda)



Assen – a grand old circuit
Located in the north of The Netherlands, near the town of Groningen, the historic Assen circuit is a favourite fans and riders.

The track itself dates back to 1925, when the first Dutch TT was held on a 14km public road course. Thirty years later the current venue was built and although it has been updated over the years the circuit has retained much of its character. Assen is also popular with fans, many of whom travel from neighbouring Britain and Germany to enjoy the great racing and party atmosphere that even the all too common wet weather can’t put a dampener on.

Yamaha will have a fifth rider racing in its colours at Assen. Australian Andrew Pitt, champion in 2001, joins the Yamaha Motor Italia team alongside regular riders Jurgen van den Goorbergh and Fabien Foret, who will race despite breaking his ankle in a crash five weeks previously.

YZF-R6 set-up report
At over six kilometres Assen is a long circuit, but in terms of bike set-up it is less challenging than most other tracks. Most tracks have corners that range from extremely fast to extremely slow and which require some major compromises in bike set-up. But at Assen, the majority of corners are highly cambered second and third gear sweeps which demand similar characteristics from the machine. Grip levels are outstanding, even in the wet, and the combination of this, high speeds and extreme camber angles produce high G-forces which force the bike onto the asphalt during cornering. For this reason hard springs and high compression settings will be chosen, and the smooth surface means that the usual concerns about using such stiff settings – lack of grip and instability under braking – do not apply here.

A neutral chassis set-up giving riders confidence to carry lots of speed through the flowing corners is the aim. Gearbox settings should also be relatively straightforward. Bikes will need to be geared for over 250kph top speed down the back straight and, with no really slow corners to dictate a short first or second gear, the teams will be able to select a close ratio gearbox without compromises.

Jurgen van den Goorbergh’s guide to Assen
Turn one is a fast right called Haarbrocht, where I use third gear. I then accelerate through to fifth before Madjik corner in third, and then it’s up to fourth and back to second to enter Ossebroeken, which is short but with a lot of banking. It is difficult to keep the front wheel down coming out of here. Die Strubben is a long second gear corner and a fantastic place to watch. I then accelerate through Veenslang until Ruskenhoek corner. Braking into here is difficult because the bike is leaned over and you are also thinking about the next corner, named Stekkenwal.

De Bult is the most banked of all the corners and has good grip; the following two corners, Mandeveen and Duikersloot, have no banking, and therefore less grip. Meeuwenmeer is a very flat, fast corner; I then accelerate to get to Ramshoek, before which I get up to fourth gear. Finally Timmerbocht is a second gear chicane. You have to be careful because it is easy to lose the front on entry and on exiting it is easy to lose the rear.

Last year’s race – tough time for the R6 riders
Last year’s visit to Assen proved to be lowlight of Yamaha’s 2003 world supersport campaign, especially for Jurgen van den Goorbergh. The Dutchman disappointed his home crowd when he crashed out while battling for the lead with eventual winner Karl Muggeridge (Honda) and Chris Vermeulen (Honda). Yamaha Motor Germany’s Jörg Teuchert was the top Yamaha rider in seventh.

Season so far – Jurgen and Kevin lead the way
Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha Motor Italia) and Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) are Yamaha’s top two riders in the championship, going to Assen second and fourth in the championship respectively. Both have proved consistent: in seven races Curtain has been on the podium twice, while the Dutchman has taken one race win and been on the podium a further four times. It’s these performances, plus Fabien Foret’s outstanding win at Silverstone, which has earned Yamaha the lead in the manufacturer’s world championship with three races remaining.

European Superstock Championship – which R1 wins?
Another one-two finish for Yamaha Lorenzini by Leoni team-mates Gianluca Vizziello and Lorenzo Alfonsi in the last round at Brands Hatch ensured that the 2004 European Superstock title will go to one of the Italian R1 riders – the question that won’t be answered in Assen is which one.

Vizziello has a 21 point advantage over his team-mate, meaning that with three rounds currently remaining even a win for him will not secure the title in the Netherlands. Alfonsi is the only man to have defeated Vizziello this year and is the only other rider with a mathematical shot at the title, although he knows that a third victory is vital to boost his chances in the last two races. The battle for third is just as intense, with Yamaha Motor Germany’s Turkish starlet Kenan Sofuoglu currently occupies this position after finishing on the podium in Brands. Team-mate Didier van Keymeulen missed the race at Brands after crashing in practice and has slipped back to sixth place, albeit just three points behind Sofuoglu. The Belgian will ride at Assen this weekend after proving himself in a Dutch national race there last weekend.

From a press release issued by MSS Discovery Kawasaki:

MSS DISCOVERY SENSATION DA COSTA POWERS ZX-10R TO CADWELL PARK VICTORY

Sensational Frenchman Julien da Costa put the MSS Discovery Kawasaki ZX-10R on the top step of the podium as he won his second successive race in the National Superstock Championship at Cadwell Park on Monday.

Da Costa made a dream debut at the tricky Lincolnshire circuit as he added to his victory aboard the all-conquering ZX-10R at Croft two weeks ago. He led from the start but briefly lost the advantage to Danny Beaumont before edging ahead for victory with three laps to go in the 15-lap affair.

“This race was much harder for me,” explained Costa. “I was challenged for the lead but I was also able to see where I was stronger than the other rider. I had the ZX-10R set up perfectly for me to ride and I knew that a victory was possible from the start.”

Costa misses the next round­ at Oulton Park in two weeks ­to race at the Bol d¹Or 24-hour race for Kawasaki France before returning to the MSS discovery squad for the final round at Donington Park on September 19.

Da Costa’s team-mate Steve Allan took an excellent fourth place, battling with the pain from the collarbone he broke five weeks ago at Mallory Park.

“I managed to get third place as we started the last lap but then ran wide at the end of the back straight,” explained Allan. “I was conscious of a challenge at that corner and I was also thinking about my shoulder and just finishing the race.”

Pere Riba took seventh place in the British Supersport Championship round to retain fourth in the point standings. The Spaniard, starting from eighth on the grid made a disappointing start but fought through from 12th place at the end of the opening lap.

“It was always going to be a difficult race if I didn’t get off the startline well and I didn’t,” admitted Riba. “But I tried hard and after not finishing the last two races I’m reasonably happy to see a chequered flag and still have fourth place in the championship.”


British Supersport Championship, round 11 result (16 laps ­ 34.88 miles):

1 Jay Vincent, Honda, 25m 40.032s ­ 81.53mph
2 Tom Sykes, Suzuki, 25m 40.449s
3 Stuart Easton, Ducati, 25m 40.558s
4 Michael Laverty, Ducati, 25m 41.177s
5 Matt Llewellyn, Ducati, 25m 46.287s
6 Luke Quigley, Suzuki, 25m 46.676s
7 Pere Riba, MSS Discovery Kawasaki, 25m 55.604s
8 Craig Jones, Triumph, 25m 55.847s
9 Simon Andrews, Yamaha, 25m 56.535s
10 Paul Young, Honda, 26m 00.034s

Championship points after 11 of 13 rounds: 1 Karl Harris (Honda) 197, 2 Vincent 167, 3 Laverty 158, 4 Riba 110, 5 Quigley 91, 6 Sykes 87, 7 Leon Camier (Honda) 85, 8 Andrews 83, 9 Cal Crutchlow (Honda) and Jones 57.
Next round: Oulton Park, Cheshire ­ September 12.


National Superstock Championship, round 10 result (15 laps ­ 32.70 miles).

1 Julien da Costa, MSS Discovery Kawasaki, 23m 18.989s ­ 84.14mph
2 Danny Beaumont, Yamaha, 23m 20.367s
3 Marshall Neill, Suzuki, 23m 23,326s
4 Steve Allan, MSS Discovery Kawasaki, 23m 23.765s
5 Ben Wilson, Honda, 23m 33.302s
6 Howie Mainwaring, Yamaha, 23m 38.266s
7 Craig Fitzpatrick, Suzuki, 23m 38.625s
8 Aaron Zanotti, Suzuki, 23m 38.917s
9 Lee Jackson, Yamaha, 23m 39.193s
10 Andy Tinsley, Suzuki, 23m 41.533s

Championship points after 10 of 13 rounds: 1 Tristan Palmer (Suzuki) 157, 2 Tinsley 149, 3 Beaumont 148, 4 Wilson 139, 5 Les Shand (Yamaha) 100, 6 Allan 72, 7 Mainwaring 54, 8 Neill 53, 9 Da Costa 50, 10 Fitzpatrick 44.
Next round: Oulton Park, Cheshire ­ September 12.