From a press release issued by d’Antin Ducati:

CHAMPIONSHIP REACHES HALFWAY POINT IN GERMANY

The MotoGP World Championship reaches the halfway point this weekend at the German Sachsenring circuit, 15 kilometres away from the city of Chemnitz. This was a particularly popular event during the sixties, when the country was divided, but barely anything remains of the street track used back then, and the current circuit has constantly been adapted to get in line with safety measures required by the championship ever since it returned to the calendar in 1998

It is now a short and twisty track, where outright power is less important than other areas of the machine, but it is still one of the most popular Grands Prix, with crowds flocking in their masses to the area to create a particularly special atmosphere, and which the d´Antin MotoGP riders will get their first chance to experience this weekend.

Rubén Xaus and Neil Hodgson have never competed at the Sachsenring and they will begin a tough learning process when they take to the track for first practice on Friday on their Ducati Desmosedici.

RUBÉN XAUS has been one of the riders to stand out in this first half of the series, and he comes to Germany currently leading the Rookie of the Year standings, “Things didn’t go so well in Rio, but despite all that, we finished the race and picked up some more points. I think that up until now we can say that the work we have done has been positive overall.

“I’m always excited about every single track we go to, even if we don’t know it well, and Sachsenring is one of those we don’t know at all, because I’ve never even been there. It is narrow and winding and I think that it will be important to get good grid position because there are very few places to overtake, although the most important thing always is to get yourself prepared well for the race, and to enjoy yourself to the full.”

For NEIL HODGSON, completing the Brazilian race was a tough challenge, but the tenacious British rider didn’t let the side down, bringing the bike home albeit just outside the points, “Rio was a weekend to forget for me, but I think that it’s always important to finish races because you can learn from all that, and from then on I’ve been thinking about this German Grand Prix. I had a little rest over the last few days and I was also invited to the British Formula 1 Grand Prix at Silverstone.

I can’t say too much about Sachsenring because the last time I did GP in Germany in 1995, the race was at the Nürburgring, so this is a complete unknown for me. It doesn’t look too easy for the MotoGP bikes, but I’m confident that we can get the most out of what we have and can finish the weekend in a positive manner.”

From a press release issued by Jellison Funeral Home:

Antrim, New Hampshire – Bryan Paquette, 46, of 9 Davison Drive, died on Friday, July 9, as a result of injuries sustained in a motorcycle racing accident in Loudon. He was born on September 30, 1957 in Peterborough, New Hampshire, son of Joan Phelps Stebbins and Francis Paquette. He resided in Antrim for thirteen years.

He was a graduate of Marlborough High School class of 1975. In 2000 he opened a new business; Bryan’s Sportbike Painting and served many customers throughout the years. He was a member of the American Motorcyclist Association, an avid golfer, and with great enthusiasm enjoyed entertaining and cooking for his family and friends. He loved his wife, children and family with all his heart.

He is survived by his wife, Rebecca “Becky” Davison Paquette of Antrim; three children, Jacob, Jennifer and Sally, all of Antrim; his mother, Joan Stebbins of Marlborough; his father, Francis Paquette of Hancock; two brothers, Francis Jr. and Thomas Paquette, both of Hancock; two sisters, Tammy Paquette of Florida and Peitra Stebbins of Marlborough; his mother-in-law, Joyce Davison of Antrim; several nieces, nephews, aunts uncles, cousins and many loving friends.

There are no calling hours. A memorial service is scheduled for Thursday, July 15, at 2pm at his residence on 9 Davison Drive in Antrim.

Memorial contributions in his name may be made to the New England Organ Bank, 1 Gateway Center, suite 202, Newton, MA 02458

Jellison Funeral Home, 25 Concord Street, Peterborough, is assisting the family with arrangements.


And now some reader reaction:

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I just read the news of Bryan Paquette’s death. My prayers go out to his family and friends.

Bryan was very awesome friend of mine. Bryan always had a way of watching over and helping me in ways only Bryan could. When I struggled with not racing, but being around it, Bryan was always there for support. I will always remember Bryan for his humor, support, hard work, and as a true friend. My heart goes out to everyone who knew Bryan, we will all miss him.

Godspeed Bryan, “ya ole man!”

Shane Clarke
Olathe, Kansas



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I had known Bryan for 5 years and I can’t remember when he didn’t have the time to stop what he was doing and offer me some help or advice. His smiling face in the Dunlop garage was something that I looked forward to each race weekend. From tires to bodywork to simple tricks, Bryan was there in my corner to help out and I’m going to greatly miss him. Friday afternoon, my heart sank when I got the news–my sympathies go to his family.

Adam Vella
WebCrush Racing
Chelmsford, Massachusetts

From a press release issued by Dorna:

Classic duel to resume at Veltins Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland

The battle for supremacy in the MotoGP World Championship continues this weekend with the eighth round of a stunning season at the Sachsenring circuit in Germany. Event organisers have already promised record crowds for the Veltins Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, with only a handful of tickets still remaining and a guaranteed weekend attendance higher than last year’s record breaking total of 204,000.

The focus of the attraction centres around a classic struggle for premier-class dominance between Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau and their respective factories, Yamaha and Honda. Last year both were riding Honda machinery in one of the tightest finishes of the year, when Gibernau took victory by 0.060 seconds after overtaking Rossi on the final bend. This weekend they arrive in Germany on the back of arguably their closest finish yet, with both riders picking up zero points after crashing out of the last round in Brazil and remaining tied at the top of the championship on 126, with Rossi just on top by virtue of a better win ratio.

Whilst Gibernau can turn to last year’s victory for confidence, Sachsenring is not one of Rossi’s favourite circuits despite two previous wins there in the 250cc and MotoGP classes. Along with Estoril and Motegi it is one of only three circuits at which Rossi has not had a pole position in the premier-class, a run he will surely be looking to put to an end to ensure grid superiority at a tight and twisty track where overtaking can be notoriously difficult.

Max Biaggi continues his quest to make the title chase a party of three after moving within thirteen points of the leading pair thanks to second place at Rio, a result which also made him only the tenth rider in the history of the sport to reach the 50th podium milestone. Three of those rostrum finishes came at Sachsenring, including a win in 2001, and another victory this weekend would be the ideal way to mark the halfway point of the season after a consistent first seven races which have all seen Biaggi score points – Colin Edwards and Loris Capirossi being the only other two riders to match that achievement.

Whilst the experienced trio of Rossi, Gibernau and Biaggi continue to dominate at the top of the championship, Makoto Tamada proved beyond questionable doubt that there are other winners amongst the ultra-competitive MotoGP field with his stunning victory in Brazil just over a week ago. As well as making history as the first man ever to set a fastest lap and take victory on Bridgestone tyres, beating Michelin for the first time since Simon Crafar’s famous win with Dunlop at Donington Park in 1998, Tamada also ended a record run of 37 races since Tohru Ukawa became the last debut winner in the class at Welkom in 2002.

On current form Nicky Hayden heads the queue of riders looking to make sure the latter sequence does not gather pace again after pushing Honda colleagues Tamada and Biaggi all the way for victory in Brazil before claiming his first podium of the season in third place. Unlike Tamada, who had a miserable time at Sachsenring last year with his worst qualifying performance of the season and thirteenth in the race, the American youngster has positive memories of Germany having scored his first ever top five finish in MotoGP on his first visit there last year.

Back at Yamaha Valentino Rossi is not the only rider looking to make up for a bad weekend in Rio, with Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri in particular hoping for better fortune after hitting each other during a disappointing race which saw them finish behind factory colleague Norick Abe in tenth and thirteenth respectively. However, they will be buoyed by their past form at Sachsenring and that of their factory, with Checa one of an all-Yamaha podium alongside Max Biaggi and Shinya Nakano in 2001 and Melandri having won three times in the minor categories, including his first ever win on a 250 in 2001.

Kenny Roberts arrives in Germany looking to build on Suzuki’s best finish of the season and a morale boosting pole position in Brazil. The former World Champion took seventh place in Rio and has a strong base to build on as the factory look to make further progress at Sachsenring, where he rode from pole position to victory in 1999 before scoring pole again in 2000, when he also took a podium finish.

Ducati have confirmed that they will be making two versions of their Twin Pulse engine available to both riders this weekend as they also look to build on a good record at Sachsenring and consolidate the progress they have made in recent weeks. Troy Bayliss finished behind Gibernau and Rossi on the podium in third place last year whilst Loris Capirossi took fourth, the only time both riders have finished together in the top four.

Elsewhere, Michel Fabrizio is expected to return for the WCM team after missing out in Brazil with a fractured ankle, although if he is declared unfit then Spanish rider David De Gea is again likely to deputise.

Manuel Poggiali gave Aprilia their 99th victory in the 250cc class at Rio last week and the chances of the Italian factory making that a century in Germany look strong, Aprilia riders having won four out of the past six races at Sachsenring whilst main Honda hope Dani Pedrosa failed to score a podium there in three attempts in the 125cc class. However, quarter-litre rookie Pedrosa is flying high on confidence after wrestling the championship lead back from Randy De Puniet and will be backed up by factory colleagues eager to taste the winner’s champagne for the first time this season, with Roberto Rolfo having scored the Japanese factory’s only victory there last year and Toni Elias, who contributed six wins to Aprilia’s potential century, ready to return to the top step after four podiums from the last five races.

Hector Barberá has established himself as one of the most consistent points-scorers in 125cc history after his seventeenth consecutive top fifteen finish at Rio, where the added bonus of victory took him to within sixteen points of Andrea Dovizioso at the top of the championship. Whilst Barberá looks to be Dovizioso’s most serious current threat, he is actually just one of three riders who could snatch the series lead this weekend, with Roberto Locatelli and Casey Stoner, who have both scored podiums in Germany in recent seasons, also within striking distance of the Italian teenager.

From a press release issued by Dorna:

The wild-card riders who will race in the Veltins Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, scheduled at Sachsenring on July 18th next, are the following:


250cc class
42 – Gregory Leblanc (FRA-Aprilia)
48 – Yves Polzer (AUT-Honda)

125cc class
20 – Georg Fröhlich (GER-Honda)
39 – Patrick Unger (GER-Aprilia)
40 – Manuel Mickan (GER-Honda)

From a press release issued by AMA Sports:

AMA SPORTS ADDS OPEN PRO CLASS IN JULY 22 MID-OHIO FOUR-HOUR

An Open Pro class has been added to the race lineup for the July 22 AMA Sports Mid-Ohio Four Hour endurance race which will conclude the 2004 AMA Road Race Grand Championships.

The class is open to all AMA Pro Racing license holders except those who are restricted by AMA Pro Racing rules from testing at Mid-Ohio prior to the July 23-25 AMA Pro Racing Honda Supercycle Weekend.

The AMA Sports Mid-Ohio Four-Hour will begin on Thursday morning, July 22, at 9 a.m. In the event of delays or red-flag situations the race clock will continue to run and the checkered flag will fall at 1 p.m. That will conclude all on-track activity on Mid-Ohio’s challenging 2.4-mile road course until AMA Pro practice opens on Friday morning.

Teams in the AMA Sports Endurance Race may consist of 2-5 riders, and all teams in the Open Pro class must include at least one AMA Pro Racing license holder. Subject to entry availability, solo pro riders may enter as exhibition riders, but will be required to make a 30-minute pit stop. An entry will consist of one machine (no backup machines are allowed) and the team riders declared on the official entry form.

The entry fee for the event is $250 per team, and all family and crew members will be required to pay a $10 gate fee.

Entries are available from AMA Sports at http://www.amadirectlink.com/amrace/2004/rr/index.asp or you may sign up at the event.

The AMA Sports Mid-Ohio Four Hour will be the final pro-am event of a busy week leading up to the July 23-25 AMA Honda Supercycle Weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. The activities will begin with an AHRMA Vintage National Road Race during the July 16-18 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days. There will be a track day on Monday, July 19, and the 2004 AMA Road Race Grand Championships take center stage on July 20-21.



See related post:

7/3/2004 AMA Sports May Charge AMA Pro Hard Card Holders To Enter Mid-Ohio On Thursday Before AMA Pro National; Long List Of AMA Pro Privateers Excluded From Event

From a press release issued by Honda Racing Information:

TITLE PRESSURE MOUNTS AS MAX FINDS FORM

After a riveting Rio Grand Prix two weeks ago where mighty Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda RC211V), riding on Bridgestone tyres, recorded his first win in the premier class, the show moves on to Germany. Tamada’s victory was significant, but so was the fact that the two title protagonists so far both failed to score points Sete Gibernau (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) and Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) failed to finish the race.

This is the first time this season neither of those riders has scored and it was left to Max Biaggi (Camel Honda RC211V) to pick up the points for second and close to within 13 points of the leading duo who are still locked on 126 points apiece. This key German race now marks the halfway point of this 16-race season and none of the leading riders can afford to slip up here.

Last year this was where Gibernau defeated Rossi in one of the great races of the 2003 season. And there’s no reason why this year’s contest should be any less enthralling. If both men succumbed to the undoubted pressure in Brazil, then the pair have to take a more measured approach here in Germany. If they don’t, then the wily Biaggi could well be the benefactor.

The Sachsenring is where the Grand Prix circus returns to more familiar ground. Rio, like Welkom in South Africa, is something of a one-off race, and unpredictable for that. This is a familiar environment 50-miles south-west of Dresden in eastern Germany and although some riders don’t like this roller-coaster of a track they are at least more acquainted with it.

Built near the old public roads circuit, the new Sachsenring is a mere five miles from the old MZ factory the birthplace of the modern two-stroke engine. The track is now 3.671km long after a downhill right-hand bend was added for last year’s race. This is now one of the epic corners in Grand Prix racing.

But there’s more than just one majestic bend to this demanding track. This is a flowing track that works riders and tyres hard. Rubber gets little time to recover between turns and the right-hand side of the tyre gets little work to get it up to temperature in the early laps before huge demands are made of it in the downhill plunge.

The track is one of the slowest of the 16 venues only three tracks have a lower top speed. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) recorded 283 km/h here in 2003. Indeed, some riders use only four gears out of six available such is the tight nature of this track. Riders also use less full throttle than at any other track.

Gibernau is among the riders that find it tough here, despite his win last year. “It’s slow and difficult,” he said. “But then again it was one of the best races of my life last year. The last two turns offer good overtaking opportunities and the descent is the quickest and the most difficult part of the track. The bike settings need to be spot-on to get drive out of the slower turns. But the crowd is amazing and I have lots of support from fan clubs based here.”

For Biaggi the Sachsenring represents a challenge and the Roman appreciates the demands it makes on a rider. “The track is winding with no real straight,” he said. “It’s unique. You need a very agile bike and you need it set-up by Saturday because the way qualifying is going these days a front row start is a must. A good grid position is vital here because the first part of the track is very narrow and it doesn’t open out until the last part you don’t have time to make up positions if you get a bad start here.”

Biaggi set pole here last year and also holds the lap record at 1m 24.630s. But his team-mate Tamada will be a threat here. The Japanese rider has endured a great loss recently having flown to Japan last weekend for his Mother’s funeral. Grief notwithstanding, Tamada will be racing to win as ever.

Alex Barros (Repsol Honda RC211V) is hardly a fan of this track, but after a tough home race in Brazil, he needs to get back in the groove here as the halfway point of the season approaches. “I’m hoping we can make progress here,” he said. “The season so far has been pretty frustrating for the team. There are times when the bike feels great in practice and then it all goes wrong. Sometimes it’s the other way round. We had front-end trouble in Rio and this is a track where you don’t want front end trouble.”

His team-mate Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) has been showing stronger as the season gels and after a third place in Rio, he needs another big result. “The Rio result came at the right time,” said the American. “I’ve had ups and downs this season and I need to string another race together with a front row start and a podium finish. I didn’t qualify so well here last year, but I enjoyed the race and learned a lot. I need a few strong finishes to get me where I need to be in the Championship.”

Colin Edwards (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) has been consistent this year, but not as far up the finishing order as he would like. “This is a strange, tight track,” said the Texan. “The tyres are under a lot of strain and it’s vital to make the right choice so they don’t overheat on the left-side. Then there’s the downhill right that you have to be careful on in the first few laps because that side of the tyre takes a bit more time to get up to temperature. It’s not a track I really like.”

In the 250cc class Danny Pedrosa (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS250R) is leading the World Championship points standings in his rookie year. He has won two races this season, finished second four times and only failed to finish once.

“Sachsenring is a fairly twisty circuit where the difference between the bikes is small and the times are always very close together,” said Pedrosa. “They say that the 250cc bikes set similar speeds here to MotoGP and I’m looking forward to finding that out for myself. I’m sure that it’s going to be a tough race and the weather isn’t certain at the moment. At least we have had a week to rest after Rio and recharge the batteries. Now we’ve got two races in two weeks before the holidays and there’ll be no time to recover in between. Sachsenring is not one of my favourite circuits but hopefully we can do a good job in qualifying and come away with a satisfactory result.”

Tony Elias (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) lies fourth overall in the title standings and is finding his form as the season unfolds. “I have a good feeling going into this race,” he said. “I like the track and was a little unlucky here last year. My mind is focused on the bike performance and it’s getting better. I have to start winning soon podiums are not enough to make up the points difference. The last podium was good because I finished ahead of de Puniet and Porto. But I need a win and Sachsenring and Donington give me two chances before the break.”

Andrea Dovizioso (Team Scot Honda RS125R) leads the 125cc title challenge by 16 points from Hector Barbera (Aprilia) and the young Honda man has it all to do on his own among the Aprilia and KTM title chasers. But he’s shown he’s more than up to the challenge.
“Now it’s the Sachsenring,” he said. “A place I must say that I don’t like so much. So it will be a case of taking what I can from this race. The bike works well and only Barbera’s machine is faster on top speed than mine, but I have good acceleration and I will need it on Sunday. But then comes Donington Park a place I love.”

Elit Honda riders Thomas Luthi and Dario Giuseppetti are expected to return to racing at the Sachsenring, both competing in the 125cc GP aboard RS125R Honda’s

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. Responding to racer frustration over their inability to buy Honda CBR1000RR racing kit parts from American Honda, a gray market importer who used to specialize in 250cc Grand Prix machines says he will import and sell CBR1000RR kit parts. Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) racing kit parts for the CBR1000RR are readily available from dealers in Japan, but have not been made available to U.S. racers by American Honda. At Laguna Seca this weekend, CBR1000RR racers Jack Pfeifer and Jeff Tigert both said that they could not get racing kit parts from American Honda. It was at Laguna that a frustrated Pfeifer learned that a friend of his with a dealer connection in Japan had been able to purchase an HRC piston kit and suspension parts for use on his CBR1000RR streetbike, while racers with CBR1000RR Hondas continue to use stock parts. Pfeifer said he went so far as to obtain part numbers for Honda racing kit parts and gave the list to American Honda’s racing parts manager several months ago, and then was told that he couldn’t order parts on that list. Reacting to CBR1000RR racer frustration at Laguna Seca, Karl Uribe of Snarl Sport checked with his Japanese contacts–which he used to source new and used 250cc GP machines prior to AMA Pro eliminating the 250cc class for 2004–and found that he will be able to obtain CBR1000RR HRC racing kit parts to import and sell to U.S. racers. Uribe told Roadracingworld.com, “Kit parts for the CBR1000RR are available, but I cannot quote prices for individual components yet, due to the fact that the price list and description of parts is only available to me in Japanese. The individual per-line translation of the parts book will take some time. But parts are available and once we know the prices, delivery of parts can occur as soon as two weeks depending on shelf availability in Japan.” Uribe can be contacted via e-mail or phone, [email protected], www.snarlsport.com, (415) 666-0130.

From a press release issued by Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course:

MID-OHIO HOSTS MOTORCYCLE HISTORY AT VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE DAYS

DUBLIN, Ohio (July 12, 2004) -The history of all things two-wheeled will come to life on one spectacular weekend during AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, July 16-18 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Thousands of bikes representing the history of motorcycle racing and riding roar out of the past, full throttle.

An event like no other held in the United States, AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days celebrates the people and machines that make up motorcycling’s rich heritage. Since its inception at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 1992, the event has grown into a complete weekend hosting hundreds of competitors and more than 900 vendors in the Will Stoner Swap Meet, the largest of its kind in the country.

Though the bikes may be vintage, the racing action remains fresh every year. On the track, the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association’s (AHRMA) vintage motorcycles will power through thunder valley and maneuver through the “esses” all weekend long. AHRMA Vintage Motocross will once again race over Mid-Ohio’s rolling hills on both Saturday and Sunday. AHRMA Vintage Time Trials snake through Mid-Ohio’s terrain in an off-road adventure during Friday’s activities.

BMW will be the Featured Marque of the 2004 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, with a plethora of activities celebrating the marque’s historic past. The BMW Mobile Tradition Display will exhibit classic motorcycles and memorabilia. Riders rolling in on their BMW bikes will be able to park in a designated BMW only parking area, located conveniently in Mid-Ohio’s infield. Demo rides throughout the weekend will allow licensed motocyclists to test drive new models from BMW, as well as Harley-Davidson, Buell, Triumph, and Moto-Guzzi.

World Stunt Champion Jean-Pierre Goy, well known for his spectacular stunts in several James Bond films, will treat spectators to daring performances throughout the weekend event. Performing on a variety of different BMW models, Goy executes rolling burnouts in clouds of smoke, wheelies in tight circles, terrifies hapless volunteers from the audience, and, otherwise defies the laws of physics during his stunts. Goy is the world-record holder for the longest continuous wheelie at over 100 miles.

Seminars, live music by Terry Davidson and The Gears, and Rhett Rotten’s Wall of Death will provide entertainment off-track to add to the weekend’s many activities.

The ever-growing Will Stoner Swap Meet will consume a 35-acre area with over 900 vendors. Everything from fully running bikes to pieces and parts for those classic machines will be available for purchase or trade.

For more information or tickets, call 1-800-MID-OHIO or visit Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on-line at www.midohio.com.

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a 2.4-mile, 15-turn permanent road racing circuit in Lexington, Ohio. Located 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland near Mansfield, the track has been called the most competitive in the U.S. and annually hosts a diversity of locally, regionally and nationally sanctioned racing events for amateur, club and professional riders and drivers. Mid-Ohio’s 2004 schedule features seven spectator events, including the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days (July 16-18), Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire (July 23-25), EMCO Gears Mid-Ohio Road Racing Classic (August 6-8), Unlimited Audio and Accessories presents the Triple Crown Tuner Challenge (August 21-22) and SCCA National Championship Runoffs(r) presented by Kohler (September 20-26).

Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, TrueSports, Inc. is a privately held motorsports entertainment enterprise. The company owns and operates Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and The Mid-Ohio School, and promotes a wide variety of motor racing, driver instruction, corporate, and family entertainment events throughout the year.

From a press release:

WCBR WINS AT PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

Portland, OR; This past weekends Portland Historic (auto) Races at Portland International Raceway, included for the first time, historic motorcycles. VMOTO www.vintagemoto.com joined forces with the HMSA (Historic Motor Sports Assoc.) to showcase vintage motorcycle racing to the North-West residents. With a variety of machines ranging from 160cc to 750cc, VMOTO participants practiced Friday, and then qualified for grid positions Saturday morning. Saturday’s 8-lap feature was the first race after lunch. WCBR’s Mike Green, mounted on his 1973 Triumph 750 Twin, the same machine he began racing in the late 1970’s, grabbed the lead from the start and never looked back to take the overall win over Richard Haas’ Rob North Triple.

Sunday morning would see Green at the top of the charts for practice times, and again he’d have the pole for Sunday’s race. Richard Haas was first away, with Green second by turn-1. At the entry to turn-3 Green would out brake Haas for the lead. Green won with 27-seconds in the bank.

Of note; Mike Green began racing this Triumph in AFM production and endurance racing in the late 1970’s, later it would race and win in AFM & AMA Battle of The Twins, and in 1987 go vintage racing with AHRMA, winning at Daytona and Steamboat Springs in 1988. The machine would make an appearance at the Donner Hill Climb in 1997 (setting the fastest 750cc practice time) , then again at Laguna Seca in 2003 with VMOTO.

“It was great fun to ride the Triumph in anger once again after all these years! Just the noise out of those TT-pipes in full flight is something I’d long forgotten. Everything worked, for once, and I really enjoyed myself here in Portland this weekend. I’d like to thank the HMSA and the VMOTO crew”, said Green in a post race interview. You can read more about WCBR and the Triumph at www.westcoastbritishracing.com

FYI: It was 20 years ago this month that Chris Quinn and Mike Green founded the California Vintage Racing Group (CVRG) . The CVRG, along with “old AHRMA” were merged in 1989 to create the AHRMA we know today.

From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

GERMAN GRAND PRIX – Ducati Marlboro Team preview
Sachsenring, July 16/17/18 2004

DUCATI MARLBORO MEN BRING MOMENTUM TO MIDWAY GP

The 2004 MotoGP World Championship reaches half-distance in Germany next weekend with the Ducati Marlboro Team gathering momentum after strong races in the Netherlands and Brazil. Riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss are therefore confident of good performances at the Sachsenring, where they ran well this time last year. The team has been rejuvenated by the arrival of Ducati’s new Twin Pulse engine, which offers riders more user-friendly horsepower to help them cut faster lap and race times. For the first time both riders will have two bikes each equipped with the new engine.

While the Rio GP winner’s race time was 14 seconds faster than last year’s, Capirossi’s was 18 seconds quicker.

“We plan to equip both riders with two Twin Pulse bikes from the Sachsenring onwards,” says Ducati Marlboro Team director Livio Suppo. “The last two races really proved the potential of the new ‘package’. If Loris hadn’t had bad starts at Assen and Rio I believe he could have fought for podium finishes, because in both races his pace was very similar to guys who finished on the rostrum. Anyway, his results at those races prove beyond doubt that we have made a major step forward with the Twin Pulse, especially considering how much the MotoGP pace has increased this season. Finally, we are definitely heading in the right direction, and the bike is still growing with this engine which makes us feel very confident for the next few races. Loris has got his confidence back and I am sure Troy will do the same in Sachsenring”.

Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli also feels his crew’s fortunes are improving after a difficult few races at the start of 2004. “Last year the Sachsenring was good for us and this year we hope it will be even better,” he says. “The Twin Pulse engine should improve drive out of the slow corners; it’s not a track where straight-line speed is that important. What matters at this circuit is nimble handling and easy turning, but we won’t make any big changes to our chassis set-up because both Loris and Troy feel very confident on the bike at the moment, so we don’t want to jeopardise that. Like all tracks, you need a compromise between manoeuvrability and stability, but for the Sachsenring I’d say you err on the side of manoeuvrability.”

CAPIROSSI READY TO BUILD ON TWIN PULSE RESULTS
Loris Capirossi comes to Germany fresh from strong result in Brasil, where he finished close to the podium. Assen and Rio races proved beyond doubt that the Twin Pulse engine is the way to go, so the hard-riding Ducati Marlboro Team rider can’t wait to get back on board at the Sachsenring where he finished fourth last year despite a painful crash during the warm up.

“Assen and Rio showed the potential of the Twin Pulse, it’s a much nicer engine to use, especially over race distance,” says Capirossi, currently eighth in the World Championship points standings after scoring points at all seven races, being now only 9 point to 4th position.

“The Sachsenring isn’t a bad track, and yet it’s tricky because it’s easy to go backwards if you make one small mistake. Also, it’s very tight and mostly slow, so overtake isn’t at ball easy, which means doing well in very important. You don’t use full throttle a lot around the Sachsenring, maybe a bit in the second part of the lap but the first section is all half throttle. For sure it’s a good track for the people who are watching, and the Germans fans are incredibly enthusiastic.”

BAYLISS ALL SET TO GET BACK ON TRACK
Troy Bayliss may not have enjoyed the best of results recently but he is nonetheless confident that the German GP may turn the tide for him. The Ducati Marlboro Team man has suffered DNFs at the past three GPs – a broken gearbox bearing at Assen and crashes at Catalunya and Rio – but if last year’s German GP is anything to go by he is in for a better result next weekend.

“We had a good run there last year, ending up on the podium, so let’s hope we can do that again,” says Bayliss. “It’ll be nice to have both bikes with the same engine, I look forward to that. The tests we did at Rio proved again that the Twin Pulse is the way to go – it’s definitely smoother and easy to ride over race distance. The Sachsenring is quite a strange track, especially the first section. And when you get on the bike and ride around it, it’s even slower than it looks from the TV. But I don’t mind it, it’s a bit unusual, with a few blind turns and some bumps, but I enjoy riding around there. Anyway, it’s no good arriving at a track thinking you don’t like it.”

THE TRACK
The Sachsenring first appeared on the World Championship calendar way back in 1961. The high-speed street circuit quickly became one of racing’s most popular venues, regularly attracting a quarter of a million sports-starved East German fans who flocked there to see Western teams take on the Eastern Bloc factories who were using groundbreaking two-stroke technology.

The lethal street circuit hosted its last GP in 1972, an all-new short circuit returning the venue to the calendar in 1998. At that time the new circuit was the slowest in GP racing, with a lap speed of just 143kmh/89mph. Revisions for 2000 upped the pace to 150kmh/93mph and the addition of an extra loop in 2001 (which omitted the only remaining part of the old street circuit) increased lap speeds to 156kmh/97mph. Initially deemed too slow, the Sachsenring is now a popular venue with most GP riders.

Nevertheless the character of the anti-clockwise circuit is still tight and twisty, putting the emphasis on delicate mid-range engine performance rather than brute top-end horsepower. Riders use full throttle for less than 20 per cent of a lap at Sachsenring, as they ease on the power through the twists and turns.

SACHSENRING
3.671km/2.281 miles

Lap record: Max Biaggi (Honda), 1:24.630, 156.157kmh/97.031mph

Pole position 2003: Max Biaggi (Honda), 1:23.734

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM DATA LOGS
LORIS CAPIROSSI
Age: 31 (April 4, 1973)
Lives: Monaco
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP4
GP victories: 23 (1xMotoGP, 2×500, 12×250, 8×125)
First GP victory: Britain, 1990 (125)
First GP: Japan, 1990 (125)
GP starts: 207 (37xMotoGP, 59×500, 84×250, 27×125)
Pole positions: 36 (3xMotoGP, 5×500, 23×250, 5×125)
First pole: Australia, 1991 (125)
World Championships: 3 (125: 1990, 1991, 250: 1998)
Sachsenring 2003 results. Grid: 3rd. Race: 4th

TROY BAYLISS
Age: 35 (March 30, 1969)
Lives: Monaco
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP4
First GP: Australia, 1997 (250)
GP starts: 24 (23xMotoGP, 1×250)
World Superbike victories: 22
World Championships: 1 (Superbike: 2001)
Sachsenring 2003 results. Grid: 6th. Race: 3rd