From a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:

Harley-Davidson’s Second Century Momentum Builds With Another Record Quarter

Milwaukee, Wis., July 14, 2004 — Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE: HDI) today announced record revenue and earnings for its second quarter ended June 27, 2004. Revenue for the quarter was $1.33 billion compared with $1.22 billion in the year-ago quarter, an 8.9 percent increase. Second quarter diluted earnings per share (EPS) were 83 cents, a 25.8 percent increase compared with last year’s 66 cents.

“We are pleased to report another excellent quarter for Harley-Davidson,” said Jeffrey L. Bleustein, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Harley-Davidson, Inc. “The record results we have delivered through the first six months of this year are in line with the Company’s previously stated long-term direction of sustainable growth.”

U.S. retail sales of Harley-Davidson® motorcycles were 18.8 percent ahead of last year for the quarter and up 16.5 percent for the first six months. “Our dealers report that floor traffic is brisk, driven by keen interest in the entire Harley-Davidson experience and in particular, the Sportster® motorcycle family which was completely redesigned for the 2004 model year. The redesign, which was intended to broaden the appeal of that product line, is clearly achieving its purpose. Tomorrow we will bring even more excitement to our customers when the 2005 model year motorcycles and related new products will be unveiled to our worldwide dealer network at our summer dealer meeting in San Diego,” said Bleustein.

Motorcycles and Related Products Segment – Second Quarter Results
Second quarter revenue from Harley-Davidson motorcycles was $1.02 billion, an increase of 6.8 percent over last year. Worldwide shipments of Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the second quarter totaled 82,034 units, up 6,009 units or 7.9 percent over last year. The Company’s shipment target remains 317,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycles for 2004.

Second quarter revenue from Parts and Accessories (P&A), which consists of Genuine Motor Parts and Genuine Motor Accessories, totaled $230.1 million, a 12.7 percent increase or $25.9 million more than the year-ago quarter. Over the long term, the Company expects P&A revenue to grow at a rate slightly faster than the motorcycle unit growth rate.

Second quarter revenue from General Merchandise, which consists of MotorClothes® apparel and collectibles, totaled $53.1 million, up 21.5 percent or $9.4 million over the same period last year. Over the long term, the Company expects General Merchandise to grow at a rate lower than the motorcycle unit growth rate.

Second quarter gross margin for the Motorcycles and Related Products Segment was 37.9 percent of revenue compared to 36.4 percent in the second quarter of last year. Favorable gross margin was primarily impacted by plant efficiencies, including those that generally occur at the end of the model year. Some of these efficiencies are not expected to be maintained in the second half of the year due to new model year startup.

Operating margin increased from 21.9 percent in 2003 to 25.2 percent in 2004 due primarily to higher gross margin and a change in the timing of marketing related costs in 2003 when compared with 2004. In 2003, operating expenses were higher in the first half of the year to support the 100th Anniversary activities and programs. In 2004, operating expenses will be higher in the second half of the year, which is more typical of the Company’s operations.

Motorcycle Retail Data – Six Month Results
Retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the United States were up 16.5 percent, or nearly 20,000 units for the period January through June 2004, when compared to the same period last year. Harley-Davidson retail sales were up approximately 100 units in Europe or 0.7 percent and down approximately 380 units in Japan or 7.3 percent, respectively, when compared with 2003. Harley-Davidson retail sales changes in Europe and Japan are generally tracking with motorcycle sales in the heavyweight markets in those locations.

Financial Services Segment – Second Quarter Results
Harley-Davidson Financial Services, Inc. (HDFS) reported second quarter operating income of $49.0 million, up $4.5 million or 10.2 percent from the year-ago quarter. The Company’s second quarter securitization of $626 million in motorcycle retail loans resulted in a gain of $19.3 million, which compares to a securitization of $425 million and a gain of $22.2 million during the second quarter of 2003. The gain as a percentage of the amount of loans securitized was lower when compared with last year’s gain due to the costs of a new enhanced dealer participation program and rising market interest rates. Based on the current competitive market and interest rate environment, the Company believes the full impact of these changes will result in future securitization gains in the range of 2.0 to 2.5 percent.

Annualized credit losses on a managed portfolio basis as of the end of the second quarter were lower at 0.63 percent in 2004, down from 0.75 percent in 2003.

Over the long term, the Company expects the HDFS growth rate to be slightly higher than the Company’s motorcycle unit growth rate.

Share Repurchase
During the quarter, the Company repurchased approximately 1.3 million shares of its common stock. This brings share repurchases to 9.1 million shares on a year-to-date basis.

Cash Flow – Six Month Results
During the first six months, operations generated cash of $609 million. The Company invested $64 million in capital expenditures, paid dividends of $53 million and repurchased shares at a cost of $474 million.

Harley-Davidson, Inc. – Six Month Results
For the six month period, revenue was $2.49 billion compared with $2.33 billion, a 6.9 percent increase over the year ago period. Diluted earnings per share were $1.52, compared with $1.28, an increase of 18.8 percent compared to the same period last year.

Through the first six months of this year, shipments of Harley-Davidson motorcycle units were 156,124, a 6.5 percent increase over last year’s 146,633. Harley-Davidson motorcycle revenue was $1.94 billion, a 5.8 percent increase over $1.83 billion in revenue in 2003. P&A revenue totaled $399.3 million, a 9.7 percent increase over last year’s $364.0 million. General Merchandise revenue totaled $107.5 million, a 7.3 percent increase compared with $100.1 million during the same period in 2003.

During the same period, HDFS operating income was $99.3 million, a 13.1 percent increase over last year’s $87.8 million during the first six months.

Company Background
Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company for the group of companies doing business as Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Buell Motorcycle Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Harley-Davidson Motor Company, the only major U.S.-based motorcycle manufacturer, produces heavyweight motorcycles and offers a complete line of motorcycle parts, accessories, apparel, and general merchandise. Buell Motorcycle Company produces sport and sport-touring motorcycles. Harley-Davidson Financial Services provides wholesale and retail financing and insurance programs to Harley-Davidson dealers and customers.

Forward-Looking Statements
The Company intends that certain matters discussed in this release are “forward-looking statements” intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified as such because the context of the statement will include words such as the Company “believes,” “anticipates,” “expects” or “estimates” or words of similar meaning. Similarly, statements that describe future plans, objectives, outlooks, targets or goals are also forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated as of the date of this release. Certain of such risks and uncertainties are described below. Shareholders, potential investors, and other readers are urged to consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements and cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this release are only made as of the date of this release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

The Company’s ability to meet the targets and expectations noted depends upon, among other factors, the Company’s ability to (i) continue to realize production efficiencies at its production facilities through the implementation of innovative manufacturing techniques and other means, (ii) successfully implement production capacity increases in its facilities, (iii) successfully introduce new products and services, (iv) avoid unexpected P&A /general merchandise supplier backorders, (v) sell all of the Harley-Davidson motorcycles it plans to produce, (vi) continue to develop the capacity of its distributor and dealer network, (vii) avoid unexpected changes in the regulatory environment for its products, (viii) successfully adjust to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, (ix) successfully adjust to interest rate fluctuations, and (x) successfully manage changes in the credit quality of HDFS’s loan portfolio.

In addition, the Company could experience delays in the operation of manufacturing facilities as a result of work stoppages, difficulty with suppliers, natural causes, terrorism or other factors. Risk factors are also disclosed in documents previously filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

When a new issue of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine enters distribution, the cover is posted on this website.

The magazine is distributed by U.S. mail, UPS and FedEx. All issues are sent on the same day, regardless of the distribution method. Subscriber copies are sent via U.S. mail. Bundles of newsstand copies are sent via UPS ground. In some cases, new issues are sent FedEx overnight for distribution at races where Roadracing World has a display booth, or where we have made special arrangements for a racetrack distributor to display and sell the magazine in the paddock.

In the case of the latest issue (August 2004), two boxes were sent FedEx overnight to Laguna Seca, where the magazine was sold at the Roadracing World display booth starting on Friday, July 9. A box of issues was also sent via FedEx overnight to New Hampshire International Speedway for sale in the paddock by Street & Comp, by special arrangement.

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Questions regarding this policy may be directed to the publisher.

From a press release:

The 1st Annual AMRA & Stratotech Park Super Mini Bike Races

The Alberta Mini Roadracing Association and Stratotech Park are pleased to announce the 1st Annual Super Mini Bike Races. Stratotech Park is one of the finest road racing facilities in North America. It is located just outside of Fort Saskatchewan on highway 825. On July 24, 2004, from 8 AM to 5 PM, Stratotech Park will host the 1st Alberta Mini Roadracing Association Super Mini Bike races.

The Alberta Mini Roadracing Association is a non-profit group to promote amateur miniature motorcycle racing (up to 150 cc) in Alberta, for the purposes of recreation and fun, their objectives are to:

• Provide introduction to the amateur sport of motorcycling and motorcycle racing in a safe, closed environment without the greater speeds of full-sized motorcycle racing;

• Foster development and improvement of racing skills at all levels from beginner to expert;

• Provide an environment in which our young members can learn and be coached from our more experienced members;

• Foster camaraderie and sportsmanship amongst its members;

• Promote a positive image of motorcycle racing in regards to safety, technique and attitude;

• Provide the opportunity to participate in motorcycle roadracing without the greater expense of full-sized motorcycle racing, by operating in a non-profit manner that strives to minimize member costs while ensuring a viable, economically stable association.

This will be a special event as it will be the official introduction in Canada to two of newest race bikes to be sold in Canada, the Honda NSR 50 and the Metrakit Mini GP XL “Cup” bike.

The bikes raced by the AMRA range from 50cc for beginners, to the formula 80 bikes for the seasoned vet. All classes will be present and visible to the public. New for the 2004 season the AMRA is offering a youth road racing series, kids from the age 8-10 will dice it up on the top portion of the track on 50cc (xr50’s) mini bikes or 2.5 and 4.5 restricted hp pocketbikes.

There is no entry fee for visitors, all we ask is that you bring a donation for the Food Bank.

Dealers of all makes and models are welcome to attend Stratotech Park for the event and set up a booth. The only fee required to set up the booth is a mini related prize that will be awarded at the event.

Dealers can bring bikes and products to this event to show to the public or race, the only requirement is that the items are used in one of the classes raced by the AMRA and must pass tech inspection.

If you wish to race, your bike must fall into a race category, have the proper safety gear and you must purchase a CMA membership.

Please see the AMRA website at http://www.amra.ca for the various classes and additional information.

For more information on this event, please contact any on the following:

AMRA c/o Blackfoot Motosports
Jay Fox
1-800-665-6735
[email protected]
http://www.amra.ca

Stratotech Park
Dan Beith
780-998-9995
[email protected]
www.stratotech.ca

Mini GP Canada Ltd.
Rob Ferrier
780-984-5525 or 1-800-910-5525 [email protected]
http://www.minigpcanada.com

From a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda/Gresini Racing:

PREVIEW GP OF SACHSENRING

Round 8, The Sachsenring, a slow and torturous track

The Championship arrives at its exact half of the 2004 season here at Sachsenring for the GP of Germany.

Situated 100 km south of Dresda, in what was known as East Germany, the Sachsenring is a likeable for its changes of level, but being that it is short and torturous it isn’t very loved by the MotoGp riders. Here the 250 cc times are very similar to the MotoGp ones. There are not very many overtaking points and lapping is more frequent than usual.

Throttle control is everything at the Sachsenring being that the MotoGp is able to use the complete power of its engines only for 15% of the distance of a lap. Here the agility of the bike is more important than the power of it, especially during the first part of the track, the slowest and most torturous part, so much so that this track seems more like a go kart circuit than a MotoGp one.

In fact, the first corners are all about gear and direction changes, the throttle doesn’t really count much. The tyres are particularly strained in the series of six left corners at the half way point. The German track in fact is a slow one, technical and very demanding of the tyres.


#15 SETE GIBERNAU, THIRSTY FOR VICTORY

The German public, made up of real motorcycle fans and intenders, will definitely remember Sete Gibernau’s win during the 2004 race, when at the last lap he won after a long and spectacular duel with Valentino Rossi.
Theatre of one of the best races of the Spaniard’s career, the German track is particularly difficult for these heavy and powerful MotoGp machines. This track requires physical and mental strength to withstand all 30 laps of the race.

Called to repeat his German victory, Sete Gibernau arrives at the Sachsenring strong and determined. The Rio fall has not altered the leading positions in the riders championship because the GP of Rio was the spectacle of falls (fortunately without consequences) of Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau, the two riders at the head of the Championship.

“In Rio I made a small mistake and I paid very dearly for it. It is a shame as we worked well all weekend and I was riding on a 1:49, a pace that would have allowed me to fight for the victory. We lost an occasion but I am strong and positive as myself as a rider and the entire team have now gained a very high level of competitiveness. We’ll see you at the Sachsenring.”


SETE GIBERNAU AND THE SACHSENRING TRACK


What are your memories regarding this track?

Sachsenring is a slow and difficult track for MotoGp. I have nice memories of this circuit as I won last season, I disputed one of the best races of my life.

Which is the best sector of the tack?

It is a difficult and torturous track, I can’t say I have one area which I particularly prefer.

Which is the best place to overtake?

For sure the last two corners, (left –left), this is the best place to overtake : hard Braking and overtake.

Which is the fastest sector?

After the main straightaway, the piece of track that is in descent is for sure the most difficult and quickest of the entire track.

The secret to a good lap?

The setting has to be perfect, in this track it is important to open throttle – only in certain points – without being to aggressive.



#45 COLIN EDWARDS, A FORWARD PASS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Texas Tornado arrives at the exact half of the 2004 Championship, exactly half of the races in program for this season, fourth in the Riders Championship. In constant progress of bettering his results, Colin Edwards, with his Rio Gp has consolidated his position and has arrived closer to the leaders of the Championship. The team awaits from him another step forward at the Sachsenring.

COLIN EDWARDS AND THE SACHSENRING

“When I think of the Sachsenring I think of Fire”, Colin smiles but certainly last years experience, when his RS cube lit on fire because the tank lid came off, was a strong and scary experience for the Texan who fortunately came out of it without any serious injuries (only some superficial burns in fact).

“The Sachsenring is strange, very tight. In the first sector (turns 1,2,3,4) it is not possible to overtake. After turn 4, which is a right corner, an infinite series of left corners begin which bring you to do 360° on the same side. During this sector the tyres are under a lot of strain on the left hand side, therefore the choice of the tyre here is fundamental because they must not overheat.

After this long series of left hand corners, the track radically changes, you meet a right descending corner (here you must be particularly careful during the first laps because the right side of the tyre may still be cold). The last uphill corner is spectacular. Generally this isn’t a tack that requires a lot of physical strength because it puts the left side of your body to the test. This isn’t a circuit I particularly like.”

The best place of overtake?

The Sachsenkurve braking

The best Sector?

The Sachsenkurve.


THE TEAMS COMMENTS

Fausto Gresini, Team Manager

“The Team Telefonica MoviStar Honda MotoGp has arrived to its eighth appointment leading the team Championship, a great satisfaction which demonstrates the quality of work which the team and riders bring forward race after race. Sete Gibernau is heading the Riders Championship, tied for points with Valentino Rossi, while Colin Edwards is in fourth place. In Rio we lost a good occasion: it is really to bad for Sete had a good lap pace and was going really quick, I am sure he would have fought for the victory. Colin’s race was ok, but I would like to see him up front fighting for the podium. His contribution in fact is very important to make our team even stronger.”

From a press release issued by Pirelli’s advertising and PR agency, Plummer Menapace Group:

PIRELLI RECAPS LAGUNA SECA: VERY PLEASED WITH PERFORMANCE

Competitive Lap Times, Great Racing, Even Without The Added Bonus of Wild Card Entries

(Rome, GA) When the smoke cleared and the final calculations and comparisons were finished on Pirelli’s first visit to the fabled Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca as the World Superbike spec tire, coupled with the AMA race action, there were smiles on the faces of the Pirelli engineers. And the announced three-day Laguna crowd of 93,000 seemed to enjoy themselves as well.



In a word, the Pirelli folks were proud. Saturday’s World Superbike Qualifying times showed less than one second separating the first ten riders, less than two seconds between the first twenty, and that’s with the two fastest riders’ lap times in the 1:26s. This compares to a qualifying gap of over four seconds between the first and tenth AMA Superbike riders.

“This is the spirit of the spec-tire rule, closer action, closer times, every racer on the same tires, no special back-door tires for a couple teams,” said a Pirelli spokesman. “This is why Formula 1 and MotoGP are also talking about a spec tire.”

Comparing the fastest lap times on race tires showed race-one winner Chris Vermeulen at 1:26.793 for the 28 laps. (A mere .7-second gap separated his fastest and slowest lap times over the race distance). This was just .6 behind the fastest pre-red-flag AMA Superbike lap time, and just .8 behind the fastest time after the re-start (when the teams had an opportunity to switch to fresh tires). Further, in the second World Superbike race, less than one second separated the fastest lap times of the top ten racers. “This shows the excellent consistency of the Pirelli tires being used by all of the World Superbike riders, also a very important point of the new tire format. And our tires are production tires, the same tires an American racer can buy, the same tires for every World Superbike racer. We race what we sell and we sell what we race.”



Rookie World Superbike competitor Vermeulen captured the season’s first double win, taking both Laguna Seca races on his Ten Kate-sponsored Honda CBR1000RR, the first SBK Laguna double since Ben Bostrom’s in 2001 on a Ducati. Vermeulen’s was a remarkable performance considering that neither he, his team, nor his “non-factory” bike had ever before tested or competed at the challenging hilltop Laguna road course. (The bike still has the stock swingarm and no trick HRC racing parts, compared to the special factory bikes and equipment of AMA and British Superbike competition.) It was the second and third wins in a row for the immensely-talented, “searingly fast” young Australian, who just turned 22 years old on June 19. His first victory at Silverstone a couple weeks ago was also the first for the new CBR1000RR, a bike that, coincidentally, is available in the States with Pirelli’s super-sticky Diablo Corsa track/street radials as original equipment. Vermeulen also put Honda in the World Superbike record book as the series’ first-ever 1000cc, four cylinder-engined winner. But Vermeulen is no stranger to either Hondas or Pirelli tires: he rode a Pirelli DOT Supercorsa-shod Ten Kate CBR600RR to last year’s World Supersport championship by one of the widest margins in that series’ history.

Vermeulen won the first race by 4.1 seconds, despite a poor start that left him in eighth on the first lap. It was one of the largest victory margins of the season, although still comparatively modest. Big victory margins have been rare this year, with the spec-tire rule delivering on one its promises to provide much closer, hard-fought, “level playing field” racing. Not at all like some of 17- and 18-second margins seen last year. In fact, there have already been six different winners in the first 14 races of the season (there are two races in each round), compared to last season when Ducati Fila’s Neil Hodgson won all of the first 12 races before Laguna Seca. Once Vermeulen got past early leader James Toseland on the factory Ducati Fila 999RS, he was gone, leaving the battle to those behind him. And quite a battle it was. But fan-favorite Frankie Chili and his unique PSG-1 Ducati “998.5”, as he calls the 998 chassis housing a 999 engine, got the best of the close-packed followers for second. Chili set a record of his own, competing in his 230th World Superbike race. Superpole winner Steve Martin and his DFX Ducati 999RS, was third.

The second race was a close-fought battle between Vermeulen and the 23 year-old Toseland, with only .465 seconds separating them at the checkered flag. Toseland’s teammate, Regis Laconi, was third.

Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli Racing Development Manager, commenting on the weekend’s racing said, “The important thing about today is to note that last year race two was slower than race one, while today the second race was seven seconds faster. The best lap time was a little bit slower. It was also interesting to see that the best and worst laps of Chris Vermeulen were within 0.7 seconds of each other. This demonstrates a good consistency from the tires, so we can work on the pure performance of the tires now. The pity is that because the AMA Superbike race was stopped and restarted we did not get the chance to see a comparison over full race distance. There was no significance in the fact that the four-cylinder machine won both races today. In my opinion this bike is a very good base to go racing from. Everyone used the softest rear tire we had in race two, and the vast majority chose it in race one. At the end of the day, even in our short comparison to the AMA races, our tires were very good.”

AMA RESULTS

Pirelli holds a completely different place in AMA racing, being the tire choice for most of the AMA’s top privateers. Three of them finished in the Laguna Superbike final’s top 10: Lion Racing’s Jacob Holden in eighth, Triangle Cycle’s Larry Pegram, 9th, and Prieto Racing’s Geoff May, 10th. Holden only recently began competing in the class at the Road America round, and this was his best finish of the year, a very consistent effort marked by his holding the position through both parts of the red-flagged final; he also had a ninth in Saturday’s Superstock race. May, on the other hand, provided one of the weekend’s gutsiest performances. Not known as a crasher, he nevertheless suffered two of them at Laguna, resulting in injuries that made it difficult for him to get into his leathers and boots. But he was still able to fight to ninth before the red flag. Hitting a false neutral on the first turn of the re-start dropped May all the way back to 20th, yet he fought his way to another top-10 finish. May has finished in the top 10 in every Superbike race thus far in 2004 – which is why he and his Suzuki GSX-R1000 with a “bone-stock” engine currently hold an amazing fifth place in the championship standings.

There are eight Pirelli privateers in the Formula Xtreme point standings even though it is admittedly a two-rider race for the championship. Three of them finished in Laguna’s top 20. Larry Pegram, fifth in points, finished eighth; Heath Small, eighth in the standings, finished 13th; and Nathan Hester still holds the number-seven spot despite his disappointing 20th at Laguna. Two Pirelli riders who don’t normally compete in the series finished ninth and tenth: Lion Racing’s Nicky Moore and Hal’s H-D’s Mike Ciccotto on a Buell XB9R, respectively.

Championsonline.com’s Michael Barnes and his Pirelli Supercorsa-mounted Yamaha R6 earned another hard-fought eighth place in the factory-bike dominated AMA Supersport class, a finish that kept him in eighth place in points.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

A raging brush fire near the town of Willow Springs, California is threatening area power supply lines, according to news radio reports. But that doesn’t mean that this coming weekend’s WSMC event at Willow Springs Raceway is threatened.

The town of Willow Springs is about 30 miles from Willow Springs Raceway, which is actually located in Rosamond, California.

At post time, eyewitnesses at the racetrack said they could see clouds of smoke rising over nearby mountains and could hear water tanker planes flying overhead toward the fire, but could not see any flames.

Strong winds are blowing in the area, hampering fire crews.

From a press release issued by USGPRU:

USGPRU National Championship Round 8 Buttonwillow GP Results

BUTTONWILLOW, CA. — The USGPRU converged at Buttonwillow Raceway in Central California this last weekend for the 8th round of the National Championship Series with the makings of the most heated battles to date.

Searching for championship points Brian Kcraget flew in from Virginia to challenge the USGPRU points leader and rising star Josh Herrin, along with 2002 Regional Champion Will Morton on his 2004 RS125. Jeff Beck set aside his surfboard in Maui to face the USGPRU, and Nobi Iso arrived from Japan to compete with the top GP riders in the United States. The weekend was shaping up to be the most heated battle of the series with riders from around the globe. It was also a show down of young guns with Ryan Ferris, JD Schendel, Tyler Reiswig, Andrew Brown, and Josh Herrin.

Mechanical failures and frightful crashes haunted riders during practice sessions leading up to Qualifying. Riders struggled with everything from seized motors, broken foot pegs, shattered clutch baskets, and rock ingested motors. Robin Clark was forced to McGyver his exhaust pipe together with a Coke can, Will Morton tossed his bike away in the Bus Stop, and JD Schendel was momentarily knocked out in a horrific high side. HRC stock was sure to skyrocket following these events, yet not one of these events stopped any rider from making repairs in time to join the main events on Sunday.

The 125GP Qualifying session placed Kcraget on pole position with the top 4 riders within two tenths of a second, setting the stage for a barn buster main event. The 250GP Qualifying session placed this country’s top 125 riders on the first row with a sole 250 filling the 4th spot on the first row. Jeff Beck was later disqualified for overlooking weigh-in requirements following Qualifying and was pushed to the back of the grid, giving way to Vincent Rolleri on row one.

The 125GP main event had the largest grid on the West Coast this season in spite of coinciding with the WSB/AMA event at Laguna Seca. 22 GP bikes launched like an angry pack of hornets with Kcraget, Herrin, Morton, and Jeff Hanford taking the first 4 positions. Kcraget and Herrin led the race for an intense 1-2 battle, followed closely by Morton and Hanford fighting it out for the 3-4 spot. Carlos Neves still recovering from his crash at Round 6 waged war on Nobi Iso for the 5-6 positions. The battle ensued with each pair having at least 5 exchanges throughout the race. Young Gun Andrew Brown charged from the back of the grid to slip in between Morton and Neves. Nonplussed by Kcraget rubbing elbows while passing lappers, Herrin displayed genuine professional nerves of steel. Running wide on the last turn during the 8th lap, Herrin rode off into the California desert raising a mountainous cloud of dust only to create an unrecoverable lead for Kcraget. Remarkably Herrin returned to the chase. Disaster struck for Kcraget on the final lap as mechanical gremlins derailed his chain on the final lap in Lost Hills forcing him to surrender. Herrin sailed by to capture the podium with Hanford and Morton in tow.

The 250GP race was filled with no less drama. JD Schendel having crashed out during the 125GP race was left without a bike for the event. Neves graciously offered his Honda to Schendel Sr. for the event so Jr. could ride his father’s Yamaha. Scott McNew took the hole shot with a spectacular launch but quickly yielded to Morton and Hanford with a broken shifter. A ferocious battle reminiscent of the previous race had Kcraget and Herrin fighting their way up to the front of the pack for another intense race. Kcraget shook off his gremlins from the previous race to take the top position followed by Herrin. Schendel Sr. dropped into third spot on the loaner bike followed by Morton. Jeff Beck, coming from the last spot on the grid made a Herculean rush to finish in 5th.

The next round of the championship will be at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama on August 13-15.

USGPRU sponsors include Infinity Investing, Acid Cigars, CCS/F-USA, Bridgestone, Dunlop, EBC Brakes, GPC Moto, Hjelm Motorsports, Motion Pro, Redline Cycle Imports, REV’IT! USA, Silkolene, Speed Fiber, 888-Fastlap, and VP Fuel.

About USGPRU
The USGPRU is the officially recognized Motorcycle Grand Prix Road Racing US National Championship series. The USGPRU emulates true World MotoGP racing experience and serves to attract young riders to gain experience in a professional environment and provide a path to world-class motorcycle racing. The USGPRU structures events with extended length grand prix racing exclusive to the GP machines, timed qualifying and strong contingency and sponsor support. For additional details, visit www.USGPRU.net

Results

125GP – 10 laps
1. Joshua Herrin HON RS125
2. Jeff Hanford HON RS125
3. William Morton HON RS125
4. Carlos Neves HON RS125
5. Andrew Brown HON RS125
6. Nobi Iso HON RS125
7. Jon Schendel Sr. YAM TZ125
8. Mike Orien HON RS125
9. Tyler Reiswig HON RS125
10. Mark Goodrich HON RS125
11. Jeff Lim HON RS125
12. Britt Bohannan HON RS125
13. Kirk Snell HON RS125
14. Darrell Baker HON RS125
15. Jonathan Giddens HON TSR125
16. Brian Kcraget HON RS125 – 9 laps
17. JD Schendel YAM TZ125 – 9 laps
18. Frank Pate HON RS125 – 9 laps
19. Brian Heess HON RS125 – 9 laps
20. Jay Pilster HON RS125 – DNF
21. Phil Krenn HON RS125 – DNF
22. Ryan Ferris YAM TZ125 – DNF

250GP – 7 laps
1. Brian Kcraget HON RS125
2. Josh Herrin HON RS125
3. Jon Schendel Sr. HON RS125
4. William Morton HON RS125
5. Jeff Beck YAM TZ250
6. Vincent Rolleri YAM TZ250
7. Jeff Hanford HON RS125
8. Scott McNew HON RS250
9. Andrew Brown HON RS125
10. Robin Clark YAM TZ250
11. JD Schendel (JR) YAM TZ125
12. Jay Pilster HON RS125
13. Clinton Whitehouse Yam TZ250
14. Darrell Baker HON RS125
15. John Lee HON RS250
16. Jonathan Giddens HON TSR125
17. Mike Lytle YAM TZ250
18. Frank Pate HON RS125 – 6 laps
19. Gordon Wood YAM TZ250 – 6 laps
20. Elaine Seasly HON RS125 – 6 laps
21. Britt Bohannan HON RS125 – 5 laps
22. Tyler Reiswig HON RS125 – DNF

From a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:

HOME RACE EXCITEMENT FOR FUCHS KAWASAKI TEAM

The Fuchs Kawasaki Racing Team will be at home this weekend for the German Grand Prix, as the MotoGP World Championship completes the first half of a 16 race global campaign.

The European base for the Kawasaki Racing Team at Vohenstrauss is just two hours from Sachsenring and no doubt many of the sell-out crowd will be supporting Team Green riders, Alex Hofmann and Shinya Nakano.

Hofmann, 24, is the only German rider in the elite MotoGP series and is faced with the additional pressure of balancing this weekend’s media and corporate demands with his primary focus of maximum on-track performance.

Although Sunday’s German GP will be just his 17th MotoGP race, Hofmann is maturing quickly as a professional racer, on and off the track, and is more than capable of handling the high expectations.

Sachsenring is familiar territory for both Hofmann and Nakano and they come to this race boosted by the positive results of last week’s test session in Brazil immediately after the Rio GP.

In 2001, during his debut 500cc season, Nakano finished third at Sachsenring, just four seconds behind the winner. The Japanese rider backed that up with fifth place in 2002. And in that same year, Hofmann made a spectacular 500cc wild card appearance as a 22-year-old rookie, finishing tenth in his home race.

This 3.6 km track in North-East Germany evokes memories of the original public road course that hosted Grand Prix racing in the 1960s. The latest purpose-built complex, with a sequence of six consecutive left-hand corners, is a compact and twisting layout that places the emphasis on agile handling and precise braking.

These are the strong points of the latest evolution of the Ninja ZX-RR and, with the longest straight at just 780 metres outright horsepower is not a critical factor.

While Nakano faces his own home race at Motegi in Japan later in the season, the affable Japanese rider arrived early in Germany to visit the staff at the Kawasaki Eckl Team headquarters, before heading north to the Sachsenring.

Alex Hofmann: No.66
“I enjoy racing at home, even if it is always very busy with the media, television and sponsor demands at this race. Sometimes it’s a relief to put my helmet on and get on the bike, because on the track I’m doing what I enjoy most and that’s riding a GP bike; I can do my own thing. Kawasaki made a good step forward with the fuel injection mapping in Rio and the bike feels more comfortable and responsive to ride. There are no really long straights at Sachsenring, which will be help; for sure on the faster tracks we need some more horsepower. As usual I’ll have the support of my family, friends and fans at this race.”

Shinya Nakano: No.56
“This is one of my favourite circuits, because it is a really technical track and, since the circuit was lengthened, I like it even more, especially the fast right corner and downhill section towards the end of the lap. I was on the podium here in 2001, so I’m hoping for another good result this year. There is no really long straight, so power is not so important and this should suit the ZX-RR chassis. And our Bridgestone tyres have excellent side-grip, which is critical for all the constant corners at Sachsenring. It’s going to be an exciting weekend for our team, with a lot of fans cheering us on hopefully.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“Expectations are always very high for our team at Sachsenring, because it’s close to our headquarters and, of course, our main sponsors, Fuchs, are also from Germany. Handling is the strong point of the Ninja ZX-RR chassis and top speed is not so critical here. For Alex there is always big pressure, but he’s more relaxed this year as a full time MotoGP rider, so I think he can handle it and get a good result. And Shinya is all class wherever he races, so this, combined with our latest electronic work on the motor, gives us some confidence for our home race.”

From a press release issued by Proton Team KR:

RACE-BY-RACE PROTONS HOPE FOR SHORT-TRACK BENEFIT

Proton Team KR riders Nobuatsu Aoki and Kurtis Roberts resume their race-by-race progress in Germany this weekend, marking the halfway point in the 16-round GP calendar.

The 2.281-mile, 3/649-km Sachsenring is also the shortest circuit on the calendar, with a layout where one turn follows another with dizzying abruptness. A short start straight and a fairground-ride plunge off the hillside behind the paddock are the only interruptions.

The England-based team are hoping this will work in their favour. Compared with established MotoGP-class opposition, the Mk2 version of their radically designed and engineered 990cc V5 prototype is in its early stages of development – and this shows most clearly in a lack of outright top speed. In Germany, the faster bikes will get no chance to exploit that advantage, while the accurate handling of the Proton’s state of the art lightweight chassis will give the riders a more equal chance than usual.

The unique England-made engine was altered to suit the compact chassis, and this has been the most difficult area of development so far. The team has tackled teething problems and continued with modifications, to achieve ever-improving reliability and performance. Both bikes finished the last round at Rio, but both were out of the top-15 points at a track with a long back straight.

In line with the engine development, Dunlop’s tyre programme has also been moving forward, although a promising new line tested before Rio turned out not to have the same performance at the Brazilian circuit’s quirky surface. Work continues, with the team expecting yet more development in the one-weekend break since the last round.

“No drastic changes, but we have some new bits and pieces that should bring improvements for this race, and we’re hoping Dunlop will have some new stuff,” said team manager Chuck Aksland.

“This track has been good to us in the past, and we may have some surprises this weekend,” he continued.

Last year, the team raced their three-cylinder two-stroke machines to 11th and 12th places. This year, the booming new-firing-order four-stroke makes its debut at the historic motorcycle racing venue (the modern short circuit overlooks the old road track).

“The big difference this year is that we are right on the weight limit,” said Aksland. “We believe this track might suit our bike quite well.”

The German GP is the penultimate in a hard run of six races in eight weekends. One week later, the British GP starts the second half of the season, and also opens the summer break, with three weekends off before the Czech GP on August 22.

NOBUATSU AOKI – HARD TRACK, BETTER CHANCES
Actually I don’t like this track at all – but I’m looking forward to it, because I think we have a better chance to get in the points. It’s the shortest circuit in GPs, and if you are a bit underpowered it doesn’t make so much difference here. So even if I don’t like it, with a small chance of doing well I must push hard.

KURTIS ROBERTS – ANOTHER ONE TO LEARN
It’s been a pretty tough season, and here’s another new track for me to learn. I need for everything to keep going, to get as much saddle time as I can. Le Mans was quite a tight track, and I got a point there, so I’m hoping to do at least that much again.

From a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

SUZUKI READY FOR TIGHT SACHSENRING

Team Suzuki MotoGP will have no secret weapons for this weekend’s German GP – the secret came out at the Rio GP two weekend’s before. Not only is Suzuki’s quest to return to racing success obviously moving forward fast, but Kenny Roberts Jr. is still as dedicated a rider as he was when he won the World Championship in 2000.

Roberts has had three downbeat seasons on a bike that was not ready to give its full potential and many with short memories may have overlooked this. But he reminded them all in Brazil when he qualified on pole position, led the first lap of the race, and then stormed to sixth, his best-so-far in a very competitive season. It was a happy return to form at the same circuit where he confirmed his title in 2000.

Kenny’s first pole since 2000 was tangible proof that this year’s programme of development on the powerful 990cc V4 GSV-R is bearing fruit. He was helped by the latest Bridgestone tyres which went on to win the brand’s first GP at Rio. And the American will be taking all these new strengths to the tight and twisty Sachsenring, for the halfway race of the hectic 2004 MotoGP season.

Rio was Roberts’s third race on the latest revised-firing-order upgrade to the four-camshaft 220-plus horsepower engine. Team-mate John Hopkins will be using that motor for a second time at the German race after scoring points at Rio in his first outing with the easier-to-ride machine.

Hopkins is on a road to recovery after suffering injury and misfortune both before the season and again after it started. Now back to full strength, his Rio race was spoiled by an off-track excursion on the last lap after he and Alex Hofmann collided while disputing 11th. Hopkins actually slipped off after hitting the tyre wall on the escape road but remounted to finish the race 15th – a typical example of the 21-year-old Anglo-American rider’s determination.

Team manager Garry Taylor described how the short and maniacally twisty Sachsenring circuit could give the Suzuki teamsters an even better chance than Rio to demonstrate the progress.

“Everyone could see at Rio how well Kenny was riding and how well our bike handles in the corners. Obviously the package of tyres, engine and rider were working together and getting very competitive,” said Taylor. “That’s down to a lot of hard work, at the tracks and especially in Japan.

“Everyone could also see that our bike is short of top speed on Rio’s long straight. Our riders have to make up time in the corners.

“That means we’re all looking forward to the Sachsenring. It’s all corners with hardly a straight worth the name. It should play to our strengths,” said Taylor.

The Suzuki teamsters will have another boost to their confidence in Germany: 1993 World Champion Kevin Schwantz will again be in the pit and at the trackside to offer advice and encouragement – and his unique brand of humour – to his old team. Already at Catalunya, Schwantz commented on how much the Suzuki had improved. Now he will see that the GSV-R project has clearly gained even more momentum. Schwantz is in Germany for the latest of his Suzuki Riding School track days.

The next race, a week after the German GP, is the British round at Donington Park, bringing to an end a hectic schedule of six races over eight weekends.

KENNY ROBERTS – MAKING HEADWAY:

“I said after Rio that I had no idea what to expect in Germany. We have the bike working better though we still need acceleration; Bridgestone have made a big step forward and we’re making headway. At Rio, we showed everybody that if we get some engine underneath us, we’re going to be right there. For Germany, we’ll see what the race brings.”

JOHN HOPKINS – A TALENT FOR TURNING:

“I’ve been hanging out in Ireland with Jeremy McWilliams and Ian Gilpin, our crew mechanic having a good time and keeping fit. Germany isn’t one of my favourite tracks – I’ve had setbacks there the last two years. Last year’s Suzuki was hard to turn and it’s a really twisty track. This year’s bike is a lot different and a lot better in that regard and it should be okay. I’m expecting a good race.”

ABOUT THIS TRACK:

The modern Sachsenring circuit came into being by stealth in 1998 – local enthusiasts pressing ahead in spite of being denied official backing. The makeshift circuit centred on a driving training centre and an industrial estate and the original track used part of the old public-roads circuit, dropped from GP racing in the Seventies. That was finally dropped in 2002, when a third circuit revision substituted a spectacular downhill swoop. At the same time, a new pit lane and permanent circuit buildings were installed. Sachsenring is the shortest but not the slowest track of the year (that is Estoril). Each hectic lap begins with a difficult bottleneck downhill right, leading via a hairpin to a section with seven successive left-hand corners, posing technical problems as one side of the tyre overheats and the other cools down. With almost the whole lap taken at part throttle and at high lean angles on low overall gearing, good engine response and delicate throttle control are paramount; and overtaking is particularly difficult.

ABOUT THIS RACE:

The East German GP ran from 1961 until 1972 attracting vast crowds to the long public-roads Sachsenring track. The West German GP had an even longer history. After unification, however, the older race ran into difficulties, with spectators deserting the event at Hockenheim, and failing to return when it was moved to the Nurburgring. In 1998, enthusiastic new promoters took over the event at the makeshift new circuit on the site of the old East German race. Pits and paddock buildings were tents and marquees. But race-starved crowds responded in vast numbers with tickets sold out months in advance, and year by year, the track and facilities have been upgraded and the status of the event enhanced.

RACE DATA:


Sachsenring, Germany.

Circuit Length: 2.281 miles / 3.671 km.

Lap Record: 1:24.630 – 97.031 mph / 156.157 km/h. M Biaggi (Yamaha), 2003.

2003 Race Winner: S Gibernau (Honda).

2003 Race Average: 42:41.180 – 96.187mph / 154.798 km/h.

2003 Fastest Race Lap: see record.

2003 Pole Position: Biaggi, 1:23.734.

2003 Kenny Roberts: 15th, qualified 14th (Suzuki).

2003 John Hopkins: DNF retired, qualified 22nd (Suzuki).