From a press release issued by NORTH YORKSHIRE ROAD RACING SUPPORTERS CLUB:

EDWARDS AND TOSELAND ROAR INTO TOWN

NYRRSC Night with the Stars, Club Amadeus, Northallerton, Tuesday 20th July 2004

Former World Superbike Champion Colin Edwards makes his annual visit to the quaint market town of Northallerton to take part in a chat show organised by the North Yorkshire Road Racing Supporters Club next Tuesday evening (July 20th) at Club Amadeus.

Edwards, known to his legions of fans as ‘The Texas Tornado’ switched to the prestigious Repsol Honda Team in the Moto GP class for 2004 and prior to him heading off to Donington Park for the sell-out British Grand Prix, the American will be meeting and chatting with fans during the evening.

Joining Edwards on stage will be the leader of the World Superbike Championship leader James Toseland who makes the trip up from his Sheffield home after the recent round the USA at Laguna Seca whereby he claimed a second place aboard his Fila Ducati.

Eurosport Moto GP commentator Toby Moody will be taking part also in the aspects of the show which will include the informal chat show, an auction as well as a raffle and the ever popular “Question Time” where fans pose any manner of questions to the stars!

Aprilia Moto GP star Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne is hoping to come along also but has yet to finalise his schedule whereas double BSB winner Scott Smart will be taking part in proceedings.

There will be the usual raffle, auction of memorabilia and trade stands as well as a late bar.

Doors open at 7.30pm with the first of the chat shows starting at 8.00pm and admission costs just £8.00 for adults with accompanied children £2.00.

Club Amadeus is located in Elder Road near to the town centre with ample free parking nearby and further details are available from NYRRSC Secretary Sue Symons on 01904 339647.

From a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:

GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA RIDERS GEAR UP FOR LATEST CHALLENGE

With seven races now completed this season by the Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team both riders, championship leader Valentino Rossi and currently fifth-placed Carlos Checa, have experienced some memorable highs and the occasional reversal of fortune. Newcomer to Yamaha for the 2004 season, Rossi has scored a superb quartet of race wins while Checa has tasted champagne on the Le Mans podium thanks to a fine second place finish.

Five times World Champion Rossi is now tied in the championship standings with his main rival Sete Gibernau on 126 points. Rossi, who is credited with the championship lead thanks to his total of four wins to Gibernau’s two, fell at the recent Rio Grand Prix while showing the same desire to win that has marked his seven race Yamaha career from the very outset. The 25-year-old Italian’s championship challenge was unaffected by his tumble thanks to a similar misfortune befalling Gibernau. The bumpy Rio track claimed two high profile victims, each of whom escaped without injury.

Having made an uncharacteristic misjudgement at last year’s Sachsenring MotoGP race, inadvertently allowing Gibernau to pass him on the last lap, this year Rossi is out to make forceful amends on two fronts. Memories of his 2002 MotoGP Sachsenring win will be foremost in his mind come the first qualifying session on 16 July in Germany.

Checa’s recent form has not quite matched his earlier Le Mans excellence, as set-up concerns from qualifying have continued into races, but with several good races behind him at the Sachsenring venue, the gritty Spaniard is in the mood to get back to the top steps of the podium as soon as possible. Having taken second place at Sachsenring in 2001, Checa’s affection for the track is already proven, and his desire to retake the fourth place status in the championship he lost at the recent Rio race underpins his approach to the German round.

ROSSI PREVIEWS SACHSEN SCENE

London-based Valentino Rossi will fight all out this weekend to further secure his championship lead ahead of Sete Gibernau, which currently relies on the number of race wins rather than a points gap. The young Italian will need his wits about him to deal with the twisty eastern German circuit, especially since it’s not one of his favourites;

“I’ve never really liked the Sachsenring track that much,” comments Rossi, “but the Yamahas generally go very well there so I hope I can be competitive. It’s a circuit that relies on manoeuvrability as opposed to flat out horse power. This will be my first time at Sachsenring with the M1 and I hope we get off to a better start than we did in Rio, another circuit where we had not previously tested before the race. That was a tough weekend and we never really got to grips with the M1 on the Rio track.

“I have no doubts though that we can start afresh this weekend with the confidence we have enjoyed at many races already this year. We are only half way through the season and anything could happen. I think that we can be as competitive during the second half that we have been during the first.”

CHECA SEEKS PROMOTION

After a high point of second at Le Mans, Carlos Checa has shown his current prowess to good effect this year, despite less success in the last couple of races. Checa’s good showings in the past in Germany are another reason for him to feel confident about his Sachsenring chances.

“I’ve had some good results at Sachsenring in the past, including a second place in 2001,” remembers Checa. “It’s quite a technical circuit but, with the improvements we’ve made, I think that the Yamaha should run well there this year, hopefully for all of us.

“I like the track, although the short downhill parts and uphill climbs in the first section can be very difficult! The fans are always great there, really keen bikers and there are always lots of them at the race, so this makes for a good atmosphere.

“I am really looking forward to the Sachsenring. I obviously had a disappointing race in Rio and a difficult weekend in general, however I hope that I can forget this and move on quickly in Germany. I will be aiming for a really good finish in order to collect some points and move back up the Championship standings to the fourth place I held before Rio.”

DAVIDE BRIVIO – TEAM DIRECTOR

After a particularly tough weekend in Rio, when Rossi fell while trying to get back on terms with the leading trio and Checa finished just inside the top ten, Davide Brivio knows that Sachsenring could be just the venue to restart the upward spiral of results for Rossi and Checa.

“Last year Melandri was doing well in the race before he unfortunately fell, and there have been other good Yamaha results here in the past, including for Carlos,” said the Team Director. “This shows that our bike is okay at this circuit so we are looking forward to getting back into the top positions there.

“I think that if we can create a good package again for this race, then Valentino can get himself back to a position where he can fight for the win. He has moved on quickly after what happened in Rio and he will be putting in all his effort to forget this and get back to the top again.

“Carlos also had a disappointing weekend in Rio but he likes the Sachsenring circuit so he too is feeling more confident. I think he can recover quickly from his latest result and hopefully he can have a good race in Germany. As a team we are much more confident about this race. This is a much better circuit for us than Rio so hopefully we can have a successful weekend.”

With unpredictable meteorological conditions expected in Germany, there could be a lot of factors to take into consideration. “Unfortunately, there is already a question mark about the weather; we’ve heard that there is a chance of rain in Germany this week,” said Brivio on closing. “We will obviously have to evaluate this aspect and make sure we are prepared if it does rain.”

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING

Located in the heartland of the former East Germany’s once glorious motorcycle racing industry the Sachsenring is built right next to the old road course, a characteristic the track shares with Brno in the nearby Czech Republic. The current circuit could not be more different, its ultra-modern nature showing in its relatively slow lap time, with a surfeit of slow corners juxtaposed with some dazzlingly fast corners.

The 3.671km circuit has already changed its layout since it was first used for MotoGP in 1998, with the addition of a super fast downhill right hander in 2003, an awesome challenge which has already proved to sort out the best from the rest. With a relatively short 780m pit straight, running sharply uphill from the long Queckenberg hairpin, and the throttle only fully open for 10% of the lap, outright power is not the key at Sachsenring. Some riders use only four of the possible six gear ratios on a flying lap. The ability to set-up the machine to deal with the disparity between fast and slow corners is one main goal and as the track is relatively new, bumps are not that much of a concern in relation to other circuits.

The main consideration in preparation for Sachsenring is the fact that the track features only four right handers, but has no less than ten lefts, meaning that the machine is heeled over to that side for half of the entire lap distance. Premature wear on one side of the rubber can be minimised by the use of dual compound tyres, but the section from Omega corner onwards has no less than seven left hand corners, one after the other, the next right being the dramatic downhill right hander of the new section.

One of the main overtaking possibilities follows immediately after the aforementioned fast right, the Sachsen corner being a favourite place to put in a pass. After the tropical heat and extreme bumpiness of the most recent Rio race, Sachsen is about as different a track as could be imagined. The first sessions should therefore be as busy as any of the year, as the latest Yamaha YZR-M1 will be put through an intense period of adjustment to find a good set-up for both qualifying and race.

VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION

Age: 25

Lives: London, UK

Bike: Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team YZR-M1

GP victories: 63 (24 X MotoGP, 13 X 500cc, 14 X 250cc, 12 X 125cc)

First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)

First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)

GP starts: 131 (39 x MotoGP, 32 x 500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)

Pole positions: 33

Sachsenring 2003 results (Honda): Grid: 4th, Race: 2nd



CARLOS CHECA: INFORMATION

Age: 31

Lives: London, UK

Bike: Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team YZR-M1

GP victories: 2 (500cc)

First GP victory: Catalunya, 1996 (500cc)

First GP: Europe, 1993 (125cc)

GP starts: 159 (39 x MotoGP, 92 x 500cc, 27 x 250cc, 1 x 125cc)

Pole positions: 2 (1 x MotoGP, 1 x 500cc)

First pole: Spain, 1998 (500cc)

Sachsenring 2003 results (Yamaha): Grid: 7th, Race: 8th



Sachsenring MotoGP lap record – Max Biaggi (Honda): 1:24.630 (2003)

Circuit best lap – Max Biaggi (Honda): 1:23.734 (2003)

From a press release issued by Camel Honda Racing Information:

Camel Honda team tightens around Makoto

Ten days after the spectacular Camel Honda one-two in Rio de Janeiro, which saw Makoto Tamada taking his first Grand Prix victory and Max Biaggi back on the podium for 20 points on his birthday, the team is now more than ready for any challenge thrown up by the twisty Sachsenring circuit in Germany. Most importantly the team is sharing the burden of the sad loss of Mrs. Sakae Tamada, Makoto’s mother, after she passed away on the Tuesday after the Brazilian GP. Luca Montiron, Tamada’s team manager, flew to Japan last weekend to attend the funeral, and team-mate Max Biaggi as well as the entire Camel Honda team, led by Sito Pons, sympathise with the Japanese rider. Due to these circumstances, it was decided not to contact Tamada in Japan for his statement regarding the German GP. Makoto will of course be at the media’s disposal, as always, on the Thursday before the race.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“After the great joy of the Brazilian GP, where our team achieved its main goals with Tamada’s fantastic victory and an extremely important second place for Biaggi, we go to Germany a little saddened by Makoto’s loss. We are all so sorry that after such a brilliant victory, Makoto has had to undergo this kind of grief. The team will do everything to help to him at this difficult time. The next race is going to be a massive challenge for us, but we are hopeful that our riders can express themselves in the same way as in Brazil. Last year Max was quickest both in practice and in the race, where he paid the price trying to recover from a bad start with a crash. He has the official lap record however, which just shows he will be competitive there. Makoto will have to find the strength within himself to endure this difficult time, and as I have already said, we will do all we can to get him in the right shape for the race.”

Luca Montiron – Camel Honda (Makoto Tamada Team Manager)
“Last Thursday I left for Japan because I wanted to be with Makoto in what is a truly distressing time for him, and he was as humble as ever, as is his nature, although he remained upbeat and positive. We hardly had time to savour the joy of his marvellous triumph in Rio, because that very evening Makoto flew to Japan, where he had time to embrace his mother. There’s not much we can say other than we will try to do everything we can for Makoto during the upcoming German Grand Prix, because we know that for him to get a good result and do his best in his work as a rider is the perfect way to honour his mother, who has always been there to support him throughout his career.”

Max Biaggi #3: (Michelin Tyres)
“The Rio race was really important, but it’s just as important now to back up the positive comeback we made in Brazil. Sachsenring is a very unique track, which requires a bike to be very agile in the steering department, so that will be our aim to achieve by the end of Friday’s practices. Last year we managed to do it, even though in the race I made a mistake whilst I was pushing hard to catch up to the front runners. It would be ideal to be set up by Saturday afternoon because the battle for the front row will be hard-fought, given that starting from the front here is more important than normal. The track is winding, there’s no real straight and above all in the first part it’s difficult to overtake because the track is also quite narrow. In the last section, it gets a bit wider so there’s space to overtake, but it’s always best to be in a position whereby you don’t have to make up positions. I’m convinced that we can do well, because in the Rio race my bike was going particularly well.”

Makoto Tamada #6: (Bridgestone Tyres)
Makoto Tamada returned to Japan, where last Saturday at ten o´clock in Matuyama-Shi, in the Osaka region, he attended the funeral of his mother, Sakae Tamada. Tamada lost his father several years ago.

Sachsenring Circuit


2003 Podium

1. S. Gibernau (Honda)
2. V. Rossi (Honda)
3. T. Bayliss (Ducati)


Pole Position
M. Biaggi (Honda – 2003)
1’23.734

Ofiicial Lap Record
M. Biaggi (Honda – 2003)
1’24.630

Nº of Laps
30 (110.13km)

MotoGP timetable:
14.00 (GMT +2)
*One hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time


Characteristics
Length: 3,671 m
Width: 10m
Right Corners: 4
Left Corners: 10
Constructed in: 1996
Last modified: 2003

From a press release issued by the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation:

Indianapolis Ride for Kids(r) “stars” with Tony and Jennifer Certa at the 2nd Annual Indianapolis Ride for Kids(r)

America’s farmland played host to the 2nd Annual Indianapolis Ride for Kids(r) on Sunday, July, 11, 2004. Since 1984, the Ride for Kids(r) program has raised funds to support the research and family support programs of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. On this particular Sunday, the motorcyclists raised $14,117 for pediatric brain tumor research.

With the warm summer sun shining brightly on them, the 150 motorcyclists, fundraisers, volunteers and patient families set out on a scenic, police-escorted ride through beautiful rolling pastureland and corn fields. Once arriving at their destination, the riders gathered under the festive red and white striped “Big Top Tent” for the Celebration of Life ceremony. There, they listened closely as National Ride for Kids(r) Manager Kyle Clack visited with the five Ride for Kids(r) “stars” in attendance. Joe, a young brain tumor survivor, told the motorcyclists, “Thank you all so much. You really make a big difference in our lives.”

Tony and Jennifer Certa were the Top Individual Fundraisers with a total of $3,076. The Top Club was GWRRA IN Chapter A whose members raised $4,376. Lake Cycle, of Merrillville, IN, customers raised $3,726 making them the Top Dealer. The winners of the grand prize Honda motorcycle donated by the American Honda Motor Company were Tony and Jennifer Certa of Valparaiso, IN.

Thanks to Indianapolis Ride for Kids(r) Task Force Leaders Donna and Eddie Cross and Betty and Jack Critchlow and their team of volunteers for organizing the Ride.

The next Ride for Kids(r) events are on Sunday, July 18 in Chicago, Illinois and Utica, New York.

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 Clear Channel Communications:

MOUNTAIN DEW NAMED TITLE SPONSOR OF NBC & CLEAR CHANNEL’S NEW ACTION SPORTS FRANCHISE

Dew Action Sports Tour Set for 2005 Launch; Dew’s National Free Flow Tour Becomes Official Amateur Series

NEW YORK – July 12, 2004 – Mountain Dew, a brand synonymous with the phenomenal growth of action sports, has agreed to a long-term agreement to become the title sponsor of the Dew Action Sports Tour. The first-ever, season-long, nationally televised — network and cable — professional Tour for skateboarding, BMX, and freestyle motocross, the Tour was announced last March and is owned and operated by NBC Sports and Clear Channel Entertainment’s Motor Sports division.

The Dew Tour debuts in May 2005 and boasts five major, multi-sport Tour events, the biggest competitive purse in action sports, a Million-Dollar Bonus Pool based upon year-end standings, and the largest network and cable television broadcasting commitment ever. John Galloway, Director of Sports for Pepsi-Cola North America, and Wade Martin, General Manager for the Dew Action Sports Tour, made the joint announcement.

“We are thrilled that we’re partnering with NBC and Clear Channel to be the title sponsor of the Dew Tour,” said Galloway. “This will help grow action sports across America, and that’s great for the sports, the athletes and all the brands involved.”

As part of Pepsi’s agreement with NBC and Clear Channel, the Dew Free Flow Tour, a 16-city, amateur grassroots skateboarding event that began in 2002, will become an integral part of the Dew Action Sports Tour as the official amateur and development tour, designed to foster the growth and grassroots infrastructure of these sports.

Mountain Dew has been aligned with action sports since the early 1990s and has become the leading non-endemic brand in this space. A long-standing sponsorship commitment to ESPN’s X Games franchise and the Vans Triple Crown Series since their inception represents Mountain Dew’s ongoing dedication to action sports athletes and fans. Mountain Dew sponsors many of today’s top action sports athletes, including Shaun White (Snowboarding / Skateboarding), Hannah Teter (Snowboarding), Luke Mitrani (Snowboarding) and Allan Cooke (BMX).

“Attracting Pepsi’s powerful Mountain Dew brand as the title sponsor of the pro tour is the greatest testament to the Tour’s credibility,” said Martin. “Mountain Dew passionately shares our commitment to help grow these sports, and has long been considered a pioneer in action sports and ‘best in class’ in terms of sponsorship activation. With Mountain Dew’s support, marketing power, and rich action sports heritage, NBC and Clear Channel have partnered with the ideal brand to launch and build the Dew Action Sports Tour for the growing legion of competitors, fans and TV viewers,” said Martin.

A series of five major events, the 2005 Dew Action Sports Tour will consist of multi-sport and entertainment festivals covering over one million square feet in both indoor and outdoor venues. In addition to the primary sports of skateboarding, BMX, and freestyle motocross, each tour stop will feature a “specialty comp” such as super moto, surfing, inline vert, or wakeboarding, depending upon local interest. Overall Tour winners in skateboarding (street and vert), BMX (street, dirt & vert) and freestyle motocross will be awarded each year with a Dew Cup. Key lifestyle elements will include live cutting-edge music, video gaming, and interactive events (skateparks, dirt courses). The Dew Action Sports Tour is in active discussions with over 20 major markets, and 2005 Tour cities and dates will be announced at a later time.

NBC, which had announced 16 hours of network coverage, has increased its 2005 Dew Action Sports Tour coverage plans to 19 hours of primarily live coverage. A cable broadcast partner, and programming plans will be announced at a later date.

Clear Channel Entertainment – Motor Sports will be an integral partner on the Dew Action Sports Tour, lending its considerable expertise in live event touring and promotion, including a wide range of off-channel assets including Clear Channel’s Radio, Outdoor and Music divisions.

The Dew Free Flow Tour, a grassroots amateur skateboarding series, will bring jam-style contests to U.S. skate parks this summer. New for this year’s tour is the first-ever Free Flow finals event at California’s Encinitas YMCA Skatepark, bringing together all 39 winners from this year’s tour.

NBC Sports Ventures

NBC Sports Ventures, the business development arm of NBC Sports, produces 80 hours of programming annually for the NBC Television Network including the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship, The National Dog Show Presented by Purina, Jeep World of Adventure Sports, AVP Tour, The ADT Golf Skills Challenge, Office Depot Father/Son Challenge & the Budweiser Boxing Series.

Clear Channel Entertainment – Motor Sports

Clear Channel Entertainment – Motor Sports owns, produces and promotes specialized, motor sports events primarily staged in stadiums and arenas. The company stages over 600 events per year and produces over 250 hours of television programming, featuring such premier properties such as THQ World Supercross GP/THQ AMA Supercross Series; USHRA Monster Jam Presented by Ford Trucks & Advance Auto Parts; Hooter’s IHRA Drag Racing Series & IFMA Freestyle Motocross. Clear Channel Entertainment-Motor Sports, a division of Clear Channel Entertainment, is a subsidiary of Clear Channel Worldwide (NYSE: CCU), a global leader in the out-of-home, advertising industry.

Pepsi-Cola North America

Pepsi-Cola North America (www.pepsi.com), headquartered in Purchase, N.Y., is the $4 billion beverage division of PepsiCo, Inc. (www.pepsico.com) in the United States and Canada. Its U.S. brands include Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Twist, Pepsi ONE, Pepsi Edge, Wild Cherry Pepsi, Pepsi Vanilla, Mountain Dew, Mountain Dew Code Red, Mug, Sierra Mist, Slice, Aquafina, SoBe and Dole single-serve juices. The company also makes and markets North America’s #1 ready-to-drink iced teas and coffees, respectively, via joint ventures with Lipton and Starbucks.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The AMA Superbike race at Laguna Seca was red-flagged after 15 of 28 laps due to Jeff Tigert’s crashed Honda CBR1000RR lying in the track at the entrance to turn 11.

In a remarkable coincidence, the red flag will allow Jake Zemke’s crew to make repairs to his ailing Honda.

The highlight of the race prior to the red flag was an amazing lap-two, turn-two pass Mat Mladin made on Ben Bostrom and Zemke to take the lead. Bostrom ran it in very deep underneath Zemke, running them both wide, and Mladin drove underneath both of them; Bostrom had to pick it up as Mladin carved underneath him.

At the time of the red flag, the running order was:

1. Mat Mladin, Suzuki
2. Ben Bostrom, Honda, -0.868 second
3. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, -4.142 seconds
4. Jake Zemke, Honda, -5.896
5. Aaron Yates, Suzuki, -8.576
6. Eric Bostrom, Ducati, -26.392
7. Josh Hayes, Kawasaki, -35.313
8. Jake Holden, Suzuki, -44.794
9. Geoff May, Suzuki, -47.948
10. Larry Pegram, Yamaha, -48.245
11. Jeremy Toye, Yamaha, -58.280
12. Marty Craggill, Suzuki, -58.801
13. Shawn Higbee, Suzuki, -59.073
14. Ken Hill, Suzuki, -65.782
15. Eric Wood, Suzuki -66.366
16. John Haner, Suzuki
17. Chris Siglin, Yamaha
18. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki
19. Mark Ledesma, Honda
20. Mike Sullivan, Yamaha

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Two-time AMA Superstock Champion Jimmy Moore is planning on returning to the AMA series at the Road Atlanta event in September and riding with Corona Extra Suzuki, the team he won his Championships with.

That’s the word from Moore, who was at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Sunday spectating and having meetings.

Moore said he felt physically strong enough to race at Mid-Ohio, the AMA event, but said, “I don’t want to come back until I’m 100 percent. If I wait until Road Atlanta, it’ll give me almost two months of lifting weights and riding my dirt bike so I can be as normal as I’ve ever been. I want to build up my strength before trying to wrestle these beasts around.”

Among several other injuries, Moore badly broke his left upper arm when he crashed in Brainerd International Raceway’s turn one at over 160 mph and slid into a tree in 2003. Moore aggravated the injury in a near-crash during the 2004 AMA event at California Speedway and has been out of action since.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Renegade Ducati’s Leon Haslam broke both bones in his left forearm when he crashed his 999RS during the second World Superbike race Sunday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

“We had an electrical problem with the bike. It kept cutting out and it highsided me,” Haslam told Roadracingworld.com.

Haslam said the fractures were immediately set and cast by Dr. Arthur Ting, who was the Chief Medical Officer of the event. Haslam plans to seek follow-up X-rays when he returns to his home in England.

The young Brit said he hopes to be fit enough to ride in the next round of the World Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch in three weeks.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Provisional Sunday Morning AMA Superbike Practice Times:

1. Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:25.314
2. Ben Bostrom, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:25.765
3. Miguel Duhamel, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:26.128
4. Eric Bostrom, Ducati 999F04, 1:26.239
5. Jake Zemke, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:26.259
6. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:26.412
7. Josh Hayes, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:27.347
8. Jake Holden, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:28.572
9. Shawn Higbee, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:29.047
10. Jeremy Toye, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:29.892
11. Larry Pegram, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:29.989
12. Marty Craggill, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:30.200
13. Chris Siglin, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:30.300
14. Jeff Tigert, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:30.495
15. Eric Wood, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:30.515
16. Tom Montano, Ducati 999R, 1:30.553
17. Chris Caylor, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:31.097
18. Geoff May, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:31.102
19. Ken Hill, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:31.111
20. Lee Acree, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:31.152

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Lazarus Landin (WSMC #514), the racer who was airlifted out of Willow Springs on June 20 as a result of a collision in turn one, is back in San Diego. He has been placed in a nursing facility to recuperate from his injuries, which included broken left collarbone, radius, ulna, tibia, fibia, punctured lung, and head trauma. His leg and arm have been pinned, and he is recovering from the head injuries.

He was in a coma for three days on life support, and is slowly recovering his mental faculties. He now responds well to any question posed to him, and we are all hoping for a complete recovery.

Any visitors can see him at Sharp Cabrillo Medical Center, San Diego, room #812.

I would like to thank all the people who have sent cards and who are thinking of him. Please keep him in your prayers, and like he would say, “keep ‘er on one wheel!”

Cards and letters can be sent to:
Lazarus Landin
Room #812
c/o Sharp Cabrillo Hospital
3475 Kenyon St.
San Diego, CA 92110

SoCalElite is having a charity ride for him on the 17th at Alba Action Sports. Details to follow.

Steve Wilkening
San Diego, California