GPR STABILIZER TO PARTNER WITH TEAM M4 EMGO SUZUKI IN 2005

GPR Stabilizer is proud to announce their sponsorship and technical
partnership with Team M4 EMGO Suzuki for the 2005 road race season.  GPR
Stabilizer will provide their high-performance steering dampers while
working with the team’s riders and crew to develop and refine new products
for the sportbike market.

Team Hammer, Inc., racing in 2005 as Team M4 EMGO Suzuki, is a multi-time
championship-winning team in AMA Pro, Formula USA and WERA road racing,
celebrating its 25th year of professional motorcycle racing.  Riders Vincent
Haskovec and Geoff May will participate in the 2005 AMA U.S. Superbike
Series, with Vincent competing for the Superstock and Formula Xtreme
championships, while Geoff will compete for the Superstock and Supersport
titles.

“We’re excited to be involved with such a great team, with great riders,”
said Jeff Norman of GPR Stabilizer.  “With all of the championships and
experience that Team M4 EMGO Suzuki has, they’re the perfect team for us to
partner with on product development.  We’ve supported Vincent in the past,
and we’re looking forward to working with him and the rest of the team.”

With their background in aerospace design and machining, GPR Stabilizer
manufactures and sells the world’s finest steering dampers and accessories.
All design, machining, laser engraving, packaging and shipping of the
finished kits is done in-house in San Diego, California.  GPR Stabilizer
kits are available through local dealers, and are distributed in the U.S. by
Lockhart Phillips USA, Parts Unlimited, Tucker Rocky and White Brothers.
For more information, please call (619) 422-5771 or visit
www.gprstabilizer.com.  In the U.K. and Europe, please call GPR Stabilizer
U.K. at 44-01945-58-58-42.

For more information on Team Hammer, Inc. please visit www.teamhammer.com.

Kansas City Final Assembly Plant Celebrates Production of 50,000th V-Rod

On the afternoon of February 8, 2005, the VRSC and Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO) lines reached an important milestone when the 50,000th VRSC motorcycle was produced. The two-tone Electric Orange and Black VRSCSE Screamin’ Eagle V-Rod was built and shipped to a Harley-Davidson dealership where some lucky owner will take delivery of this cool motorcycle with a place in VRSC history.

New to the line-up for the 2005 model year, these CVO Screamin’ Eagle V-Rods are produced through a joint effort between the VRSC and CVO lines.

Also produced on this line is the newest member of the VRSC family, the VRSCR Street Rod.  A combination of muscular style and agile performance, the Street Rod is decidedly more aggressive with its upright riding position, inverted front forks, 40-degree lean angle, 1130cc Revolution V-Twin engine and tuned suspension.    

NO LUCK FOR SCUDERIA CARACCHI IN QATAR

Not a lucky day today for the riders of Scuderia Caracchi in Qatar, as well everybody scored some point for the championship on Losail track, showed by the rain today too.

Which got more has been Fonsi Nieto, very fast during the wet warm up in the morning. The Spanish rider ended twice in 13th position the two races scheduled for Superbike event.

In Race-1 Fonsi started as lightning, ending the first lap in 8th position and running seventh a couple of lap later, but the front tyre stopped working and Fonsi must yield some position; at the moment that the race has been stopped by red flag he was in 11th position.

At the second start all the space before him have been closed and he wasn’t able to repeat the first holeshoot, so someone has been able to overtook him in the final aggregate classification. Also at Race-2 start Fonsi couldn’t find any free space to pass, and he remained locked in the group; more during the third lap an hard braking action by Muggas forced him to lose moro positions, sending him in 19th position. From that moment on Fonsi made a good progression with several overtaking that gave him the final 13th position under the chequered flag.

“I should be satisfied, but I’m only partially”. – commented his performance Fonsi Nieto. “During Race-1 it has been fantastic to stay with the best for a few laps, then some trouble on the front slowed me. For the second heat we made a dry set up, but the track was still wet in several points, more I’ve been looked into the group at the start, while some rider which were behind me when the race stopped find the way free and have been able to recover their delay, so I lost some position. Also in Race-2 at the start I didn’t find any space, then after a few laps an Honda has been close to send me out and I must push hardly to get some position.”

After the yesterday free practice session Lorenzo Lanzi was confident to get their trouble solution, but after the warm up things were differently. During Race-1, in the wet heat, Lorenzo wasn’t fast, then at the new start things were better as long as somebody send him in the gravel, in a three bike crash with him, Gimbert and Neukirchner.

In Race-2 Lanzi had a better start and rode all the 18 lap race just behind the group fighting for the fourth place: he could see his rivals before him, but without be able to cacth them, and ended in 12th position.

“During Race-1 everything has been wrong, from the set up to the crash at a few laps to finish.”. – said Lorenzo Lanzi. “I don’t know exactly who shooted me, but I felt a big shot and I found myself in the gravel together two riders. I felt a bad pain in my right leg, but by luck nothing important, only pain and no fracture! During Race-2 I started at the shoulder of a big group engaged in a close figt, but I’ve been not able to catch them. At the end that was frustrating and I close the throttle, looking to finish the race.”

Race without emotions for Gianluca Nannelli in Supersport. Also for the Tuscany native rider the warm up didn’t give any positive result. At the start Gianluca had a splendid holeshot, moving aside Fujiwara stopped in the front row because his hesitancy engine. At half of the first lap Nannelli was about sixth-seventh placed when,  Fujiwara, just him, engaged in a wild recovering, in practice did send him out, forcing him to slow to remain in the track and to lose several positions.

“I was hoping more and more, but the rain during the warm up didn’t allow us to select a good set up, on the contrary we made a more safe setting, but losing some speed”. – said an disappointed Gianluca Nannelli. “I made a very good start, but in the middle of the first lap Fujiwara overtook me very hard in the internal side and I must use a largest line, so I lost several places. Then I could only to look for finish the race and score some important point for the championship.”

MATSUSHIMA PERFORMANCE SUZUKI is pleased to announce their AMA roadrace team, which will compete as MPTRacing.com /JC Baldwin Suzuki in the 2005 American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) U.S. Superbike Championship. Riders Danny Eslick and Jeremiah Johnson will compete on Pirelli shod Suzuki GSX-R600 Motorcycle Roadrace equipment. Both riders will be focusing on the
AMA Pro Honda Oils Supersport and AMA Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme classes.

Primary sponsorship for the MPTRacing.com /JC Baldwin Suzuki team will come from the JC Baldwin Construction Company from Carlsbad, CA. MPTRacing.com /JC Baldwin Suzuki is happy to welcome back major team sponsors including Suzuki Motor Company, Leo Vince Exhaust Systems, Pirelli Tires, Vortex and NASTI Motorsports. 

Danny joins the team in ’05. Jeremiah moved up in the team after racing with Pirelli tires on MATSUSHIMA PERFORMANCE Racing’s satellite team in ’04. Building and tuning the team’s Suzuki GSX-R600 motorcycles will be Crew Chief and Engine Builder Grant “Yasuji” Matsushima of Matsushima Performance and Tuning in Montclair, CA.  Assisting Grant at the races will be crewmembers Danny Chili and Brandon Emmons (team mgr.), with Kelly
Matsushima as team coordinator.

Racing on Pirelli tires will be new to Danny, he tested the new Pirelli race compounds for the first time during a test at California Speedway this month and felt that they really suited his riding style well. During the test Danny stated, “I’m really happy to be working with Grant, it is great to be working with someone who wants to work with me as much as I want to work with him. The Pirellis were different then what I was used to, but I couldn’t feel anything wrong with the front (tire), and I really liked the rear (tire).”

At the end of testing at the California Speedway course, Jeremiah stated, “I’m really happy with the way Grant has these bikes set up, best bikes I have ever ridden on. Even after coming off the Superbikes from last year, this MPTRacing.com/JC Baldwin Suzuki GSX-R600 still feels like a very fast bike. I’m surprised at how well it accelerates for a 600.”

Matsushima Performance and Tuning is an official Leo Vince distributor. In support of Leo Vince’s new contingency program in all of the AMA Roadracing classes, MPTRacing.com/JC Baldwin Suzuki will be exhibiting a Leo Vince Exhaust System display and providing track side support for all Leo Vince customers at each of the AMA U.S. Superbike Championship rounds in 2005.

Look for the MPT Racing.Com/JC Baldwin Suzuki team at Daytona International Speedway during the AMA Superbike/Daytona 200 race weekend in March. Stop by the pits and see the MPT Original Street Rod.

For more information, contact MPT Racing at (909) 624-2020 or visit their website at www.mptracing.com.

DUCSHOP’S DAYTONA PARTY
 
Ducshop Performance Center will be watching the AMA Superbike season opener on Saturday March 12 at Mazzy’s Sports Bar & Grill at 2217 Roswell Road, Marietta, Georgia. The bar will open at 11am ready for the race at 11:15am.
 
To raise money for the Tibet Fund they have arranged a sweepstake and for just $10 you could win:

First Prize: Two General Admission tickets to the US MotoGP at Laguna Seca, which include a tour of the Hot Pits. You will also receive two official Yamaha GP caps.

Second Prize: A $100 gift certificate from Cycle Cat

Third Prize: An Alpinestars Gearbag valued at $60.
 
Please visit www.ducshop.com/pr13.jsp for more information.
 
Ducshop would like to express a big thank you to Brad Haynes for donating the GP tickets and to Alfred at Cycle Cat for the gift certificate.

ROUND 1 DOHA, QATAR – 26th February 2005
Race Report

26th February 2005, Doha (Qatar) After a two day test in the run up to race weekend, and an intervening spell of hot dry weather, the inaugural Losail race weekend was punctuated by frequent bouts of wet weather, highly uncharacteristic for this normally arid region. This made the work of tyre selection, and many of Pirelli’s pre-race plans, a game finally played by intuition and reaction to change despite extensive preparations. With only one of each Superbike and Supersport qualifying sessions held in dry conditions, the Superpole competition proved dry-wet-dry, meaning that many big names were caught out by conditions and failed to make the Superpole cut.

 

Race 1

TRACK CONDITION Dry AIR HUMIDITY 84%
TRACK TEMPERATURE 23° AIR TEMPERATURE 22°

With all riders on the hardest front tyres and the softest rears, the first race was a predictable triumph for the Alstare Suzuki riders, who proved to be fast in both sessions of what was a halted and re-started event, due to rain after ten laps. The aggregate race showed the same top three as race one ending on top, with Troy Corser winning from Yukio Kagayama and Ducati rider Regis Laconi.

Race Standings:

 Rider Bike Team Race time
1 Corser Suzuki GSXR Alstare Suzuki 37’10.394
2 Kagayama Suzuki GXR Alstare Suzuki +3.065
3 Laconi Ducati 999 Ducati Xerox   +3.496

 
Race 2

TRACK CONDITION Dry AIR HUMIDITY 75%
TRACK TEMPERATURE 29° AIR TEMPERATURE 22°

An uninterrupted run of all 18-laps of the 5.380km Losail circuit in race two saw some riders make better use of their tyre selections than others. Front tyre wear was a significant factor for those with less set-up and testing time in pre-season, and thus the Suzuki duo were once more to the fore, with Kagayama winning on a hard front and a hard rear, Troy Corser ruing his choice of a “medium” rear as he finished third behind Laconi’s Ducati.

Pirelli Racing Manager Giorgio Barbier, stated, “We have had a very hard time here and the first two days were particulary difficult. But at the finish we have good results from the Superbike product. The first race was stopped early due to rain, so we do not have much evidence of tyre endurance, but in the second race there were a lot of riders on a good lap times, even at the end of the race. For sure the front tyre is our first priority for the future at this track. It appears that day by day the track has improved, even race by race, the track has improved.

Standings:

 Rider Bike Team Race time
1 Kagayama Suzuki GXR Alstare Suzuki 37’00.062
2 Laconi Ducati 999 Ducati Xerox +2.454
3 Corser Suzuki GSXR Alstare Suzuki +5.959

World Championship Standings:

 Rider Bike Team Points
1 Kagayama Suzuki GXR Alstare Suzuki 45
2 Corser Suzuki GSXR Alstare Suzuki 41
3 Laconi Ducati 999 Ducati Xerox 36

 
 

TRACK CONDITION Dry AIR HUMIDITY 84%
TRACK TEMPERATURE 23° AIR TEMPERATURE 23°

Front tyre wear, on this peculiar circuit, was of concern to all WSS runners, but with many riders opting for the softer option after long runs in training, the top two trophies were won by riders with identical tyre choices. Winston Ten Kate runner Katsuaki Fujiwara reeled in his team-mate Sebastien Charpentier in the later stages of the race, with another Honda rider, Michel Fabrizio in third.

Pirelli Racing Manager, Giorgio Barbier, stated, “The only problem we have experienced on track was during the Supersport race. This track was quite hard on the front and in the end the riders who won proved to be those who had their bike set-up in the best condition after practice. We did not get so much time to work on the set-up of the bikes, because of the rains coming and going. The rain actually cleans the track so this morning it was in a worse condition than it is now.

Race Standings:

 Rider Bike Team Race time
1 Fujiwara Honda CBR Winston Ten Kate 37’54.414
2 Charpentier Honda CBR Winston Ten Kate 5.462
3 Fabrizio Honda CBR Italia Megabike 13.970

World Championship Standings:

 Rider Bike Team Points
1 Fujiwara Honda CBR Winston Ten Kate 25
2 Charpentier Honda CBR Winston Ten Kate 20
3 Fabrizio Honda CBR Italia Megabike   18

FIRST PERSON/OPINION:

Via e-mail:

I am proud to announce that through the help of  (an announcement on) Roadracingworld.com I have been offered a bike to compete in this year’s Daytona 200.

Vinnie at PRO-Line Race Preparation from Orlando, Florida called me after reading my request and offered his Yamaha R6. In addition to PRO-Line this year’s effort will be supported by my longtime and faithful sponsors.

I would also like to make a special mention of David Yesman of Vermont for his contribution.

I would like to thank everyone who made offers, the outflow of support was stunning, I am honored that so many fans cared enough to offer their support and equipment. In addition to the 200, Brian Shaw (my nephew) and I will attempt to win the team challenge for the second time. I will also be teaching at the Team Hammer School on Thursday. I welcome every one to my garage and say hello. See Ya at Daytona.

Rick Shaw #79

come one, come all…
 
American SportsBike Nite  presents our 3rd Daytona get-together at fabulous Ricky’s, famous for its many TV screens and tolerant host – kitchen opens 7:30am, then SpeedTV says there’ll be 5 solid hours of ‘cycle-related programming.
 
see ya there….
 
Ricky’s Sports Theatre and Grill
15028 Hesperian Blvd.
San Leandro CA 94578
(510) 352-0200

From San Francisco:
Bay Bridge to 580 East to 150th Ave. exit, Right off exit, go 2 lights, Turn Left on Hesperian Blvd., 1/2 block on left.

From Oakland Coliseum/Airport:
880 South to Lewelling exit, Left off exit, Left at first light, 1 1/4 miles on right.

From Richmond, Berkeley:
580 East to 150th Ave. exit, Right off exit, go 2 lights,Turn Left on Hesperian Blvd., 1/2 block on left.

From San Mateo:
San Mateo Bridge to 880 North, Hesperian Blvd. exit, Turn Right, 1 1/4 miles on right.

From Livermore-Dublin:
580 West to Fairmont Dr. exit, Left on Fairmont, go 4 lights, Turn Right, 1 Block on right.

From San Jose, Fremont:
880 North, Hesperian Blvd. exit, Turn Right, 1 1/4 miles on right.

From BART:
Take Fremont Train to BAYFAIR Station, we’re 2 blocks North on Hesperian Blvd.

AMA Privateer Roadracer Scott Jensen would like to announce the launch of his website: www.moto-garage.com. Moto-garage.com will be updated throughout the season with race results and recent events. Several photo galleries and interesting slice-of-life stories provide insight into the life of an AMA privateer racer.

Scott Jensen
Motorcycle Racer
ama superbike #61
www.moto-garage.com

RACING IS LIFE- EVERYTHING ELSE IS JUST WAITING. Steve McQueen