From a press release issued by Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation:

Anthony, a young brain tumor survivor, and his sister Savannah enjoy the 1st Annual Madison, WI Ride for Kids(r)

A fantastic day. That’s exactly how motorcyclists in Madison, WI described the 1st Annual Madison Ride for Kids(r) on Sunday, August 8th. Since 1984, the Ride for Kids(r) has been raising money to fund the research and family support programs of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. The motorcyclists and fundraisers outdid themselves in this first time event by raising $51,005 for childhood brain tumor research.

As the 400 motorcyclists, fundraisers, volunteers and patient families arrived at Fireman’s Park in Middleton, WI, they were treated to freshly baked cinnamon rolls donated by a local bakery. The motorcyclists then headed out on a police-escorted ride through the rolling hills of northwest Madison. Their route took them past lakes, farmland and through Devil’s Lake State Park, providing breathtaking views of Devil’s Lake and adjacent rock cliffs.

The touching Celebration of Life program, under the “big top tent”, was enjoyed by all. Five young brain tumor survivors, including two Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation College Scholarship recipients, were in attendance. Thomas, a scholarship recipient, shared his excitement with the motorcyclists about his PBTF college scholarship. Dr. Benny Iskandar, Dr. Dianne Pucetti and Dr. John Sandin were also on hand to share with the riders the importance of funding childhood brain tumor research. Dr. Iskandar commented, “This is an incredible day. The treatment of brain tumors has advanced more than any other disease in the past ten years, largely as the result of the research funded by the motorcyclists through the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Three of my patients are here today.”

Pam and Randy Gulseth were the Top Individual Fundraisers with a total of $5,118. The Top Club was GWRRA Illinois Chapter G2 whose members raised $7,184. Following close behind was GWRRA Wisconsin Chapter F whose members raised $6,786. The Top Dealer was Racine Motor Sports whose customers raised $4,466. Pam Gulseth, of Two River, WI, was the winner of a brand new Honda motorcycle donated by the American Honda Motor Company.

Special thanks to Madison Ride for Kids(r) Task Force Leaders Joe Bentz, Mark Muhlenfeld and their extremely dedicated team of volunteers for a wonderful first year event.

The next Ride for Kids(r) event is on Sunday, August 15 in New England (North Oxford, MA)

For more information about the Ride for Kids(r) and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, please visit www.rideforkids.org or www.pbtfus.org or call (800) 253-6530.

From a press release issued by Croft Circuit, Croft on Tees, North Yorkshire, England:

Friday 13th to Sunday 15th August 2004. THINK! British Superbike Championship – Round 10

SUPERBIKES ROAR INTO CROFT FOR THE BIG ONE!

Britain’s premier motorsport series makes an historic first ever visit to the race-starved North East when the round ten of the THINK! British Superbike Championship rolls into Croft Circuit near Darlington this forthcoming weekend (13/14/15th August).

Never before has the region hosted a round of the series and with the 2004 title chase hotting up, the action is sure to be fast and furious as a host of world class riders on the very latest factory machinery battle it out over two races around the 2.1 mile former wartime airfield.

Leading the series by a comfortable 73 points is Nottingham veteran John Reynolds on his Rizla Suzuki but the double champion knows that HM Plant Honda Racing rider Michael Rutter (Leicester) will be planning on cutting the gap after six races without a rostrum.

Maidstone born but now living in York, Scott Smart will be hoping for further success on his Hawk Kawasaki whilst crowd favourite Yukio Kagayama from Japan (Rizla Suzuki) and MonsterMob Ducati rider Sean Emmett (London) proved they will be the men to beat following last weeks’ official test at the circuit whereby they were the two fastest riders.

Virgin Mobile Samsung Yamaha field four riders with James Haydon (Amersham) and London teenager Tommy Hill expected to go well on the R1’s along with Lichfield’s Gary Mason and Lincolnshire ace Steve Plater also in the team. Aussie Dean Thomas is riding for the Leeds-based Sendo Dienza Ducati team and hoping for success also whilst Paul ‘Marra’ Brown makes a comeback after two years riding for the Scottish ETI Ducati team.

Local interest centres around the two leading riders in the supporting Superbike Cup for non-supported riders with Kendal’s James Ellison (Yamaha) leading the championship ahead of Croft specialist Dennis Hobbs (Suzuki) from nearby Guisborough. However, Hobbs is fighting to be fit for his local meeting having been injured in testing last week and will face a race against time if he’s to make the grid.

Six times TT winner John McGuinness (Morecambe) and Australian Glen Richards should also feature for Hawk Kawasaki with the truly international flavour being cemented by the inclusion of former Japanese champion Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) and Australian Superbike Champion Craig Coxhell (Vitrans Honda).

Yorkshireman Karl Harris (HM Plant Honda) leads the British Supersport series ahead of Ulsterman Michael Laverty (MonsterMob Ducati) with former GP stars Jay Vincent (Padgett’s Honda) and Spaniard Pere Riba (MSS Kawasaki) also in with a shout. Nuneaton rider Tristan Palmer leads the British Superstock Championship on his Suzuki whilst Cheshire rider Christian Elkin heads the table in the 125cc GP class.

Londoner Richard Wren leads the Yamaha R6 Cup and is well on course to land the Superbike ride for next season and East Anglian Simon Wright heads the Superstock Cup class.

Local riders to watch out for include Middlesbrough’s Paul Veazey aboard his JR Motosport Yamaha in the Supersport race and Knaresborough rider Danny Linfoot in the 125cc class.

Admission costs £12.00 per adult on Saturday and £25.00 per adult on Sunday which includes access to the paddock. Grandstand seating is all sold out and for further information call Croft Circuit on 01325 721815.



Timetable

Saturday

09.30 – 09.55 National Superstock Cup Qualifying 1

10.05 – 10.45 British Supersport Qualifying 1

10.55 – 11.45 British Superbikes Qualifying 1

11.55 – 12.20 Yamaha R6 Cup Free Practice

12.30 – 12.55 National Superstock Cup Qualifying 2

Interval

13.55 – 14.20 British 125cc Qualifying 2

14.30 – 15.10 British Supersport Qualifying 2

15.20 – 16.10 British Superbike Qualifying 2

16.20 National Superstock Cup Race 1 – 15 laps

16.45 – 17.10 National Superstock C’ship Qualifying 2

17.20 – 17.45 Yamaha R6 Cup Qualifying



Sunday

07.30 Gates Open

10.00 – 11.00 Pit Lane Walkabout

12.05 – 12.15 British Superbike Warm Up

12.25 – 12.35 British Supersport Warm Up

13.15 British Superbike Race 2 – 22 laps

14.05 Yamaha R6 Cup Race 3 – 15 laps

14.50 British Supersport Race 4- 20 laps

15.45 British Superbike Race 5 – 22 laps

16.35 National Superstock Race 6 – 18 laps

17.15 British 125cc Race 7 – 16 laps


· The annual BSB Teams v Media Football Match, sponsored by Croft Circuit and taking place at Northallerton Town Football Club on Friday 13th August, has attracted plenty of interest. Tyne Tees TV Sports Reporter Andy Kerr and former BBC commentator Barry Nutley are the latest to sign up and they will join the likes of superbike aces Sean Emmett, James Ellison and Dennis Hobbs in the game under floodlights. All proceeds will go to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and kick off at Ainderby Road is at 7.45pm to be followed by a presentation and raffle/auction.

www.croftcircuit.co.uk

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Infineon Raceway spokesman John Cardinale told Roadracingworld.com Sunday morning that racetrack workers have installed over 100 haybales–covering 30 to 40 yards–in front of a wall that racer Jimm Groshong slid into Saturday, sustaining fatal injuries.

Cardinale said AFM officials had previously claimed the wall was not an impact zone, but ordered the haybales installed overnight, after Groshong’s fall. Cardinale also said that AFM officials told him that Groshong was alone when he fell and lowsided. Roadracingworld.com’s initial report on the incident, based on information obtained from racers at the event when track and AFM officials could not be reached, said that Groshong was trying to go around another rider on the out-lap of a practice session and highsided before hitting the bare wall.

AFM doesn’t run the chicane installed in the area of turns 8a-9-10, reducing speeds and increasing run-off in the area for AMA Pro Racing events.

AFM also runs a different turn 11 and a different turn 1 configuration at Infineon Raceway, instead of using the relocated AMA turn 11 and a chicane layout immediately approaching turn one, both developed in response to rider safety concerns at AMA Pro Racing events.

Up until this time AFM, like other sanctioning bodies, had determined which course layout it runs and where to place soft barriers and haybales when it rents Infineon Raceway.

“I think you’re going to see that the racetrack will be much more insistent on which course AFM runs in the future,” Cardinale said. “We’ll be attending their Board meeting that’s coming up.”

At post time, AFM President Joe Montoya had not yet returned a phone call seeking additional information and comment.


See related post:

8/7/2004 Black Day In California Continues: AFM Racer Hits Bare Wall And Dies At Infineon Raceway

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Hard-luck privateer Jack Pfeifer underwent hernia surgery last Thursday, in Las Vegas.

Pfeifer finished fourth in the 2004 Daytona 200 but destroyed his GSX-R1000 in a crash in a WSMC race at Willow Springs shortly afterwards, and has struggled ever since with an underperforming CBR1000RR that he wasn’t able to get race kit parts for.

In an e-mail to Roadracingworld.com on Sunday, Pfeifer revealed “I had surgery on a hernia that I have appearently had my whole life done last Thursday, and I am hoping that I will be able to ride the last AMA two rounds but not sure yet if that’s going to be possible physically. Also I am in the process of getting the parts to try and get the Suzuki back together and may ride it if I can as I need to try and get a decent finish. It seems most sponsors only remember where you finished in your last race, and they vary their assistance programs accordingly. With the help I am getting right now I may as well get a J-O-B. at Taco Bell.”

From a press release issued by series organizers:

SHUBENACADIE, NS Kevin Lacombe scored his first Parts Canada Superbike Championship win of the season at Atlantic Motorsport Park on Sunday.

The Granby, QC racer started from pole on the Lacombe Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 and grabbed the lead when Steve Crevier ran into difficulties with his rear shock just past the halfway point of the race. From there Lacombe raced untroubled to his second career Parts Canada Superbike victory.

Brantford, ON’s Jordan Szoke placed second on the Honda Canada / Fast Company Honda CBR1000RR, just ahead of Jeff Williams of Harrowsmith, ON on the DXS Diablo Racing Team Suzuki GSX-R1000.

“It was a perfect weekend, I’m pretty happy,” Lacombe said. “Everything was just awesome this weekend. Everybody did a great job. Hopefully, we’ll get it right for the next two rounds and get second in the championship.”

Lacombe’s win moved him from fifth up to second in the Parts Canada Superbike point standings with 216 points, four more than Szoke at 212.

Runaway series leader Pascal Picotte endured a rough outing on his Team Yamaha / Picotte Performance Yamaha YZF-R1. After initially taking the lead the defending AMP winner and series champion suffered damage to his gear shift lever and struggled to a sixth place finish.

Picotte had been trying to earn his record tying fifth straight Parts Canada Superbike race win.

The Granby, QC rider retained a strong lead in the standings, however. He now has 287 points, 61 more than Lacombe with only two rounds remaining in the season. A rider can earn a maximum of 56 points at a Parts Canada Superbike round.

Crevier finished 22nd at AMP on his DXS Diablo Racing Team Suzuki GSX-R1000 and failed to add to his point total. He slipped to fifth in the standings with 168, one less than Calgary’s Clint McBain in fourth. McBain suffered a loose steering damper on the Coors Light Racing / Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000.

In other action at AMP, Picotte extended his lead in the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike standings with his fourth win of the season. Picotte took his Yamaha YZF-R6 past Crevier’s Suzuki GSX-R600 in the run to the flag. McBain was third on a Suzuki GSX-R600.

Mississauga, ON’s Rudy Raposo also added to his lead in the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike standings with his first victory of the season. The Yamaha rider came back from a morning warm-up crash. Sean Heydorn of Aurora, ON placed second on a Honda CBR600RR and Val D’Or, QC’s Erick Beausejour was third riding another Honda CBR600RR.

The Parts Canada Superbike Championship resumes at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant Aug. 20-22.

This weekend’s event will be televised on TSN on Oct. 2 at 3:30 p.m. EDT and on Quebec’s RDS on Oct. 9 at 11:30 a.m EDT. The action will also appear in one-hour format this fall on TORONTO1 and A-Channel stations in Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton.

Results of Sunday’s sixth round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, NS, showing finishing position, rider name, hometown and type of motorcycle:

1.Kevin Lacombe, Granby, QC, Yamaha YZF-R1; 2. Jordan Szoke, Brantford, ON, Honda CBR1000RR; 3. Jeff Williams, Harrowsmith, ON, Suzuki GSX-R1000; 4. Francis Martin, Rock Forest, QC, Kawasaki ZX-10R; 5. Frank Trombino, Kleinburg, ON, Yamaha YZF-R1; 6. Pascal Picotte, Granby, QC, Yamaha YZF-R1; 7. Matthew McBride, Mississauga, ON, Kawasaki ZX-10R; 8. Craig Connell, Tingalpa, Australia, Suzuki GSX-R1000; 9. Andrew Nelson, Kars, ON, Honda CBR1000RR; 10. Hugo Brisson, St-Sauveur, QC, Kawasaki ZX-10R; 11. Stuart Nodell, Ajax, ON, Kawasaki ZX-6R; 12. Bill Card, Wellesley, ON, Honda CBR600RR; 13. Jeremy Burgess, Halifax, NS, Suzuki GSX-R600; 14. Dave Young, Woodstock, ON, Suzuki GSX-R1000; 15. Yannick Morin, Repentigny, QC, Kawasaki ZX-10R; 16. Fred Silver, Greenwood, NS, Kawasaki ZX-6RR; 17. Sebastien Michel, St-Jerome, QC, Suzuki GSX-R1000;18. Terry Steeves, Douglas, NS, Yamaha YZF-R6; 19. Andrew Murray, Bedford, NS, Kawasaki ZX-6RR; 20. Terry MacPhee, Upper Rawdon, NS, Honda CBR600RR; 21. John Russell, Rothesy, NB, Yamaha YZF-R6; 22. Steve Crevier, Maple Ridge, BC, Suzuki GSX-R1000; 23. Clint McBain, Calgary, AB, Suzuki GSX-R1000

Parts Canada Superbike Championship point standings after six of eight rounds, showing position, rider name and point total:

1. Pascal Picotte, 287; 2. Kevin Lacombe, 216; 3. Jordan Szoke, 212; 4. Clint McBain, 169; 5. Steve Crevier, 168; 6. Craig Connell, 163; 7. Frank Trombino, 146; 8. Andrew Nelson, 142; 9. Jeff Williams, 139; 10. Francis Martin, 138; 11. Matthew McBride, 112; 12. Bill Card, 64; 13. Chris Peris, 56; 14. Stuart Nodell, 51; 15. Hugo Brisson, 40; 16. Matt Binns, 32; 16. Yannick Morin, 32; 18. Dave Young, 26; 19. Peter Holzinger, 25; 20. Jean-Francois Cyr, 21; 20. Brian Nielsen, 21; 22. Michael Leon, 18; 22. Chris Murray-Audain, 18; 24. Brent Strong, 15; 25. Darryn Wilbur, 14; 26. Tim Easton, 13; 26. Jeremy Burgess, 13; 28. Larry Orde, 12; 29. Fred Silver, 8; 30. Sebastien Michel, 7; 31. Corey Sherman, 6; 32. Mike Zottmann, 4; 32. Zenon Nelson, 4; 32. Terry Steeves, 4; 35. Andrew Murray, 2; 35. Elie Daccache, 2; 37. Bruce McDonald, 1; 37. Terry MacPhee, 1

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Ben Bostrom won the Super Moto X race (and gold medal) at the X Games Sunday at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

Bostrom, a full-time AMA Superbike road racer for American Honda who won the AMA Supermoto Championship in his spare time last year, passed reigning FIM Supermoto World Champion Eddy Seel in the final corners to capture the victory.

Seel took second, and multi-time Supercross Champion Jeremy McGrath finished third.

Bostrom’s victory came on a course described by ESPN.com as 70 percent “Supercross-style dirt section” and 30 percent pavement.

Unofficial Results:

1. Ben Bostrom, 22 laps
2. Eddy Seel, -3.586 seconds
3. Jeremy McGrath, -11.119 seconds
4. Steve Drew, -13.729 seconds
5. Kevin Windham, -16.038 seconds
6. Chad Reed, -16.905 seconds
7. Juergen Kuenze, -28.942 seconds
8. Mike Metzger, -31.601 seconds
9. Micky Dymond, -60.468 seconds
10. Jeff Ward, -74.216 seconds
11. Kenny Bartram, -113.265 seconds
12. Steve Hengeveld, -129.606 seconds
13. Gary Trachy, -199.497 seconds
14. Doug Henry, -3 laps
15. Ben Carlson, DNF
16. Grant Langston, DNF
17. Travis Pastrana, DNF
18. Chris Fillmore, DNF
19. Thierry Van Den Bosch, DNF
20. Brian Deegan, DNF

LAP RECORD FOR LACOMBE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
From a press release issued by series organizers:

SHUBENACADIE, NS Kevin Lacombe claimed pole position for this weekend’s sixth round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Atlantic Motorsport Park and set a new track record in qualifying Saturday.

Riding the Lacombe Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 the Granby, QC rider recorded a time of 1:08.247 around the 1.6-mile road course in the waning minutes of the session. The effort knocked Steve Crevier off the pole and beat the Maple Ridge, BC rider’s four-year-old lap record of 1:08.268.

Crevier settled for the second starting spot on the grid for Sunday’s race with a time of 1:08.439 on the DXS Diablo Racing Team Suzuki GSX-R1000. Calgary’s Clint McBain was third at 1:08.649 on his Coors Light Racing / Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000 and series points leader Pascal Picotte will complete the front row for Sunday’s race after touring the track at 1:08.652 on his Team Yamaha / Picotte Performance Yamaha YZF-R1.

Lacombe is the first racer other than Picotte to claim the $500 MPM Array Pole Award this season.

“We didn’t have any practice on the Superbike because it was raining, so we kept the same set up from [the previous race at] Mosport,” commented Lacombe. “The last time out we just put a soft tire on the rear and I went for four big laps and ended up first with a new lap record and the pole. The team did a great job and we’re just going faster and faster every weekend.”

Picotte stretched his Parts Canada Superbike series lead to 90 points by qualifying fourth and receiving a series point. His closest rival Jordan Szoke will start seventh on Sunday aboard the Honda Canada / Fast Company Honda CBR1000RR. Lacombe, Crevier and McBain, meanwhile, all gained ground on Szoke in a tight battle for second in the standings. Only six points now separates those four riders.

In other action at AMP, Szoke came out on top of a wild final flurry to claim pole for the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike feature on his Honda CBR600RR. The Brantford, ON racer posted a time of 1:13.142 with just seconds to go in the session. Crevier wound up second on a Suzuki GSX-R600 with a time of 1:13.298 and McBain was third with a 1:13.371 on his Suzuki GSX-R600.

Series leader Picotte dropped to fifth in the late stages of the session on his Yamaha YZF-R6.

Points leader Rudy Raposo of Mississauga, ON grabbed pole for the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike feature at AMP with a time of 1:14.189 on his Yamaha YZF-R6.

Feature races in all three national classes will go Sunday. The bikes will be on the track for practice at 9:00 a.m. with the first race, for the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike Championship set to go off at 1:00 p.m. The Parts Canada Superbike round is slated for a 3:00 p.m. start.

This weekend’s event will be televised on TSN on Oct. 2 at 3:30 p.m. EDT and on Quebec’s RDS on Oct. 9 at 11:30 a.m EDT. The action will also appear in one-hour format this fall on TORONTO1 and A-Channel stations in Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton.

For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com

Qualifying times from Saturday for the sixth round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, NS, showing qualifying position, rider name, hometown, type of motorcycle and qualifying time:
1.Kevin Lacombe, Granby, QC, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:08.247; 2. Steve Crevier, Maple Ridge, BC, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:08.439; 3. Clint McBain, Calgary, AB, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:08.649; 4. Pascal Picotte, Granby, QC, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:08.652; 5. Jeff Williams, Harrowsmith, ON, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:08.857; 6. Frank Trombino, Kleinburg, ON, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:08.876; 7. Jordan Szoke, Brantford, ON, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:09.016; 8. Francis Martin, Rock Forest, QC, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:09.413; 9. Matthew McBride, Mississauga, ON, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:10.334; 10. Andrew Nelson, Kars, ON, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:10.423; 11. Fred Silver, Greenwood, NS, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 1:11.207; 12. Jeremy Burgess, Halifax, NS, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:11.534; 13. Craig Connell, Tingalpa, Australia, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:11.628; 14. Hugo Brisson, St-Sauveur, QC, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:11.739; 15. Stuart Nodell, Ajax, ON, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:11.986; 16. Yannick Morin, Repentigny, QC, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:12.470; 17. Bill Card, Wellesley, ON, Honda CBR600RR, 1:12.501; 18. Dave Young, Woodstock, ON, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:12.675; 19. Andrew Murray, Bedford, NS, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 1:12.993; 20. Zenon Nelson, Bowmanville, ON, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:13.300; 21. Terry Steeves, Douglas, NS, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:13.830; 22. Sebastien Michel, St-Jerome, QC, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:13.892; 23. Terry MacPhee, Upper Rawdon, NS, Honda CBR600RR, 1:14.277; 24. John Russell, Rothesy, NB, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:14.328

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

John Barr, a 35-year-old policeman from San Diego, died Saturday afternoon after crashing during a track ride day at California Speedway in Fontana, California.

Barr was involved in a single-bike accident between turns 8 and 9 on the short infield course at California Speedway, which is a low-speed section of track, and didn’t hit anything but apparently highsided and landed on his chest. Barr was riding in a session for Group 2, a mid-skill-level riding group for experienced riders.

“Fastrack offers its condolences to the family, and to his friends,” said Fastrack’s Larry Pointer, who was still visibly shaken Saturday evening. “This is the first fatality at a FastrackRiders event, since the beginning of Fastrack, over 10 years. I’m not sure what else to say, we’re still a little shell-shocked.”

Roadracingworld.com offers its condolences to John Barr’s family and friends, and wishes him Godspeed.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Racer Jimm Groshong crashed in turn 9 on the out-lap of an AFM practice session at Infineon Raceway Saturday, sliding into a bare wall and sustaining fatal injuries. In a cruel twist of fate, Groshong, who was second in AFM Formula 40 points, was a close friend and racing buddy of Rich Thorwaldson, who sustained injuries that ultimately proved to be fatal in a crash at Infineon Raceway earlier this year. Thorwaldson hit a dirt embankment after running off the track to avoid a crashed competitor.

AFM uses the original 8a-9-10 turn layout of the Sonoma, California racetrack and does not use the chicane installed in that area to reduce speeds and improve run-off for AMA Pro Racing events. After the fatal incident, practice resumed on the same AFM course, bypassing the AMA chicane. Races scheduled for Sunday will also be run on the AFM course, although AFM officials are talking about switching to the AMA configuration for an AFM race in October.

According to a rider in the same Practice Group 5 session, Groshong was attempting to go around the outside of another rider and got out into the marbles on the outside of the corner. No Airfence sections, sections of other types of soft barriers or even haybales were in place where Groshong impacted the wall, according to the rider we spoke to.

At post time, calls to Infineon Raceway spokesman John Cardinale and to AFM President Joe Montoya seeking additional information and comment had not yet been returned.

Roadracingworld.com estimates that about 15,000 riders hold road racing licenses in the United States, and about another 30,000-50,000 people participate in track rides, with hundreds of races and track rides held each season. In a bad year, 3 or 4 riders die from injuries sustained in racetrack crashes.

This is already a bad year.

Roadracingworld.com offers its condolences to Jimm Groshong’s family and friends, and wishes him Godspeed.

From a press release issued by series organizers:

SZOKE RULES THE WET

SHUBENACADIE, NS Jordan Szoke made a late surge in the final session to set the quickest time in practice Friday for this weekend’s sixth round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Atlantic Motorsport Park.

After his Honda Canada / Fast Company team made a set-up change to his Honda CBR1000RR the Brantford, ON rider went out in the final two minutes of the session and recorded a time of 1:15.712 around the 1.6-mile circuit.

Szoke’s effort knocked local ace Fred Silver out of the top position. The Greenwood, NS rider settled for second on his Kawasaki ZX-6RR with a time of 1:15.978.

Frank Trombino of Kleinburg, ON was third fastest at 1:16.008 on the Brooklin Cycle Yamaha YZF-R1.

Rain plagued action throughout the day and the final Superbike practice was run on a wet track.

“I had this crazy idea to lower the triple clamps way down and I went back out and the bike felt 40 per cent better,” said Szoke of the changes made to his motorcycle. “I don’t mind riding in the rain. I would rather race in the dry but we haven’t had any dry set-up on the Superbike.”

Silver won last year’s Amateur 600 Sport Bike event at AMP and was thrilled with his effort on home turf on Friday.

“I’m like a kid in a candy store right now,” he said. “This is like a dream come true for a regional racer, to be out here with the top riders in Canada and to be able to run with them. It is the rain and it’s not their track, but this is still just too much fun to say.”

Calgary’s Clint McBain was fastest in the morning Superbike practice and his time of 1:16.549 on the Coors Light Racing / Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000 stood up for fourth best overall.

Parts Canada Superbike Championship points leader Pascal Picotte did not post a time on Friday. The Team Yamaha / Picotte Performance Yamaha rider from Granby, QC comes to AMP with an 89-point lead over Szoke in the standings. There is a total of 56 points available from this weekend’s race.

In other action Friday, Trombino set the fastest time in practice for the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike competitors, recording a 1:11.742 on his Brooklin Cycle Yamaha YZF-R6 on a drying track.

Rock Forest, QC’s Francis Martin was second at 1:13.551 riding the Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-6RR and Silver placed third at 1:13.774 on another Kawasaki.

Nauwgewauk, NB racer Rick Langille paced International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike practice on his Yamaha YZF-R6, setting a lap time of 1:14.206. Dominic Lavoie of Levis, QC was second with a 1:14.343 on his Kawasaki ZX-6RR and Guelph, ON’s Tyler Kennedy was third quickest at 1:15.212 on his Honda CBR600RR.

Qualifying for all three national classes will take place Saturday afternoon with races on Sunday.

This weekend’s event will be televised on TSN on Oct. 2 at 3:30 p.m. EDT and on Quebec’s RDS on Oct. 9 at 11:30 a.m EDT. The action will also appear in one-hour format this fall on TORONTO1 and A-Channel stations in Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton.