From a press release:

Croft Circuit
Croft on Tees
North Yorkshire
England

Monday 5th July

DerbyPhoenix Club Motorcycle Races
Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th July 2004

MORE TWO WHEELED ACTION AT CROFT

The 2004 season continues in style this weekend at Croft Circuit when rounds nine and ten of the Derby Phoenix Motor Cycle Club road race championships take place at the North Yorkshire track on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th July.

The club has attracted a capacity entry for the two day meeting with a host of club regulars set to mix it with a smattering of track specialists in the action which is sure to be fast and furious.

All solo classes are represented including the ever-popular 600cc Steel Frame series and Formula 750 class whilst the sidecars will be out in force with both F1 and F2 teams vying for honours.

The headline race over the weekend will be fifth round of the ACU/FSRA Super F2 Sidecar Championship which sees championship leaders Roy Hanks and Dave Wells go into the race with a mere one point advantage over Nigel Connole and Dennis Lowther.

Practice starts on Saturday at 9.30am and 12.00 noon on Sunday with racing immediately afterwards on both days.

Adult admission is just £6.00 on Saturday and £12.00 on Sunday with accompanied children under 15 admitted free on both days.

From a press release issued by FGSport:

2004 FIM WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP

Round 7 Laguna Seca, USA 9 – 11 July 2004 – PREVIEW

SBK MAKES ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE TO THE USA

ONE OFF: As the 11-Round 2004 World Superbike Championship heads off on its seventh outing of the season the latest fight for supremacy will take place at the wondrously unique Laguna Seca circuit, just inland from the Monterey Peninsula, in Northern California.
Laguna is one of the most challenging circuits imaginable, its tortuous layout rolling up and down the sides of a dried out lagoon bed that gives the circuit its Spanish derived name – ‘Dry Lagoon’.

The 3.160km circuit features arguably the most famous corner in World Superbike racing, the endlessly dramatic Corkscrew. This precipitous corner is so called because the riders have to plunge their machine off the edge of a ridgeline of tarmac, diving down what is a 90 degree left hand corner, only to flick immediately right at the base. The Corkscrew is just one of many difficult and unique obstacles to a good lap time at this most specialised of race circuits, a true visual feast for enthusiasts of bike racing.

OPEN HOUSE: After the first six rounds of World Superbike competition have been completed, and a total of 12 races have taken place, no fewer than six riders have scored at least one win so far.
The most successful of those is championship leader Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila) with a total of five wins. Despite his full hand of wins, and his four from six score of Superpole successes this year, Laconi only leads his team-mate, James Toseland, by a slender three points. Toseland’s single win at Valencia and his happy habit of taking podium finishes, even when he is not 100% happy with his machine set-up, has kept him fully in the championship hunt. The Ducati Fila duo are finding the challenge of the 2004 series a tough one, especially as all riders on all machines now have the same pool of available tyres, from solus supplier to the championship, Pirelli.

CLOSER: Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati) has had a glorious comeback to World Superbike this year, the 29-year-old rider for the British-based Renegade team enjoying three wins so far, the most recent at Silverstone in early June. Lying in third place in the championship, only 32 points from the lead, Haga is an old hand at Laguna, having won races in 1998 and 2000. His recent charge to the higher echelons of the table has come coming despite a rash of four DNFs, unwelcome happenings that he and his team hope they have now seen the back of.

NEW HEAD BOY: Chris Vermeulen has had good reason to celebrate recently, taking his first championship race win in Superbike, after a glorious win in the overall World Supersport Championship in 2003. His Ten Kate Honda team, like Vermeulen himself, has made the jump to Superbike for the first time this year, running the all-new Honda Fireblade CBR1000RR. He sits fourth overall, only two points behind Haga and 34 points from the top of the current table.
The revised SBK rules have evened out the competition in World Superbike this year, with all machines allowed to be of 1000cc capacity. Irrespective of engine configuration air-intake restrictors have been abandoned this season.

OLD MASTER: As the Laguna event approaches Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati 998RS) sits fifth in the championship race after some superb rides, only marred by more than his fair share of DNFs. The most experienced rider of all, Chili has recently turned 40-years-old, but has been a race winner in SBK as recently as Misano this year, and a Laguna Seca race winner in 2003. He is only one of three current SBK riders to have won on previous visits to Laguna.

NEW TEST FOR GAZ: Garry McCoy (Xerox Scuderia Caracchi Ducati 999RS), a former MotoGP and proven SBK race winner, is one of the most experienced riders of all, but Laguna will be another unfamiliar event for him, even if he has raced on the Laguna layout, in his 125cc GP days. McCoy has already joined the 2004 SBK race winning crew, thanks to his race two success on home soil in Australia.

COEUR DE LEON: Leon Haslam, son of British racing hero Ron, has been making a strong reputation for himself in World Superbike since his full-time induction into the series this year. Having taken a podium finish of third at Oschersleben, and win the most recent British Superbike Championship outings, Leon’s pace of progress has been an impressive factor in the rejuvenated SBK class.

FRESH MOTORVATION: With a new engine spec in their armoury of weapons to take to Laguna the Foggy Petronas Team, running the technically innovative Petronas FP-1 triple, have many reasons to look to the American Venue as a potential source of more podium finishes.
Troy Corser is one of the trio of former Laguna race winners in this year’s Laguna contest, and thanks to a Superpole win in Oschersleben and a second place race finish at Misano, his hopes of similar performances are well founded. His team-mate Chris Walker is hoping to have recovered from his most recent catalogue of injuries in time to be a force at Laguna, looking to add to his single podium finish so far.

MARTIN AND MARCO SHOW: DFX Ducati Sterilgarda riders Steve Martin and Marco Borciani have shown well this year, with Martin even looking capable of wins on his fully private 999RS machines. His single podium thus far may be added to at Laguna, while Borciani waits his first turn at a top three finish.

FOUR SQUARE: The privateer four-cylinder equipped riders in the championship this year will be looking to Laguna as an opportunity to score worthwhile championship points. Big capacity fours are already a proven entity in SBK and in the American Superbike series, which runs in parallel with the SBK version at Laguna once more this year. Best hopes for SBK success in America are the Bertocchi Kawasakis of Mauro Sanchini and Ivan Clementi, while for Suzuki Sergio Fuertes’s MIR Suzuki has already made some ripples in the big Superbike pool. The Chinese backed Zong Shen Team, featuring Piergiorgio Bontempi and Warwick Nowland on Suzuki GSX-R1000s, has also been in the privateer mix all season, and they embark on yet another new adventure in SBK with their first trip to Laguna Seca.

In 2003 the Superbike World Championship achieved the following:
– More than 2-billion worldwide television viewers
– Live broadcasts on 85 television networks covering 170 countries
– 1,950 broadcast hours with a television media value in excess of US$ 590-million
– 1,000,000 race spectators
– More than 32-million Internet page views on www.worldsbk.com

From a press release issued by Munroe Motors:

Let’s go Racin’…

Munroe Motors goes Superbike racing this coming weekend July 9th to 11th at the Laguna Seca AMA/World Superbike round – on a new 2005 Ducati 999R.

The world press launch for the new 999R is being held on Thursday July 10th, the day before the start of the AMA/WSB race weekend. Michael Lock and John Porter of Ducati North America agreed to lend Munroe Motors one of the press launch R’s to race in the AMA Superbike round.

“We have been racing our 2002 Ducati 998S for the last couple of years in selected AMA Superbike rounds – with a best result of 10th at Sears Point and 11th at Virginia in 2002” said Nick Hayman, Munroe Motors’ business manager. “We raced a 2003 999R last year in Formula Extreme at Laguna, after being denied a Superbike entry at Sears Point because the 999 was not homologated for Superbike. But this year, these 999R’s are the homologation units that allow Eric Bostrom to race his factory model, so I know the AMA are letting us in this time!”

The street-legal 2005 999R has a number of exciting improvements over the last model from 2003 – in fact the exact details are under a strict gag order until the launch is finished. “We’ll have just enough time to throw on some race bodywork, wheels and a pipe before practice starts on Friday morning” said Matt Prentiss, Munroe’s technical boss. “We’re guessing at around 140 horsepower and, realistically, we’re hoping to achieve a top-15 finish to showcase the speed and handling of Ducati’s flagship sport bike”.

Having just come back from the Isle of Man, where he won 2 Silver Replicas and continues to be the fastest American in the history of the T.T., the team’s rider, Tom Montano, is equally excited. “We’ve had a lot of success with Ducati over the last few years” he said. “This 998-based engine is the dominant twin-cylinder motorcycle engine in road racing worldwide, and the 999 chassis is extremely predictable and easy to ride.”

Practice kicks off on Friday morning, and the AMA Superbike race is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Sunday, right in between the two rounds of the World Superbike races.

From a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:

NO REST FOR FUCHS KAWASAKI AS TESTING CONTINUES IN RIO

Less than twenty four hours after competing in the gruelling conditions of the Rio Grand Prix, Fuchs Kawasaki riders, Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann, were back on track at the Nelson Piquet circuit on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, testing new engine and chassis components, as well as evaluating the latest tyres from Bridgestone.

For Alex Hofmann, the main focus of today’s test was on evaluating revised fuel injection mapping, aimed at improving throttle control and power delivery out of the corners. The 24-year-old German also tried minor suspension and chassis changes during four hours and 48 laps of testing at the 4.9km Nelson Piquet circuit.

Faster today than he was in yesterday’s Rio Grand Prix race, Hofmann declared himself satisfied with the improvements made to his Ninja ZX-RR out of the turns. But the Fuchs Kawasaki rider remains convinced that more power needs to be found from the 990cc, inline four-cylinder ZX-RR motor for the straights.

Shinya Nakano started today’s one day test in Rio de Janeiro by evaluating the new fuel injection components that his Fuchs Kawasaki teammate used to such good effect during the Rio Grand Prix. Like Hofmann, Nakano also tested revised fuel injection mapping, before moving on to evaluate minor chassis changes and the latest rear slicks from the Fuchs Kawasaki team’s tyre partner, Bridgestone.

Nakano also tested a revised front fork on his Ninja ZX-RR, which has been designed to give the rider a more progressive feel from the front of the bike. The 26-year-old Japanese rider was positive about the changes, finding the new fork to be an improvement over the old, especially under braking.

The next round of the MotoGP World Championship takes place at the historic Sachsenring circuit in Germany on July 18th.

Alex Hofmann: 1:51.42 (48 laps)
“We tested some revisions to the engine management system today, which gives us a little more torque at the bottom end of the rev range. Together with the revised engine components we’ve been running this weekend, these changes have definitely made an improvement, making it a lot easier to control the power out of the turns. But being able to exit the turns faster doesn’t make up for the fact that we still need to find some more power for the straights. My times today were faster than in the race yesterday so, overall, I’m happy with the progress we’ve made and I’m looking forward to getting back to Europe and starting the preparations for my home Grand Prix at Sachsenring in two weeks time.”

Shinya Nakano: 1:51.31 (58 laps)
“I was disappointed with my result in yesterday’s race. I am very keen to give the team a good result in their home Grand Prix at Sachsenring so today we have concentrated on improving the bike in a number of areas. Overall I think we’ve succeeded, as my lap times were more consistent than they were in the race yesterday. We also tested some new fuel injection parts with positive results, and I think we’ll use these new parts at Sachsenring. The new fork we tried today was also an improvement, giving a more progressive feel under braking. So, overall, I’m happy with what we’ve achieved today; we’ve collected a lot of important information that will prove useful to my mechanics as they work to improve the bike for the next race in two weeks time.”

From a press release issued by Ducati Germany and forwarded by Ducati North America:

Christian Pfeiffer again on Top!

Just one week after winning the European Championship Title, German Ducati Rider Christian Pfeiffer takes the victory at the first leg of this year`s Stuntriding Worldchampionship in Czechia.



About 15.000 enthusiastic spectators in Bechyne experienced the biggest and most thrilling Stuntriding Competiton ever. In total 57 Riders from 15 nations gathered 100 km south of Prague, to compete in the first of two rounds of the 2004 Stuntriding Worldchampionship. Even the „Godfather of Stundriding”, Brasilian Legend AC Farias accepted the challenge after a “break” of three years being out of competiton.

After the first qualifying round, where the top twelve riders had been established, Christian Pfeiffer ended up in second position, while Humbert Ribeiro from Portugal was leading the competition. But in the final round of freestyle riding the 34-year old from Halblech, Gemany squeezed out an amazing effort and wrenched the victory with a spectacular performance in front of the screaming public. With a stunníng creativity, a perfect execution and his famous grin on the face, Ducati Pilot Pfeiffer send Humbert Riberio to a second and strong performing Brasilian AC Farias to the third spot.

Christian Pfeiffer now holds the best chances to defend his Worldchampionship Title he won in 2003 at the same place. Before the second and final leg of this years Championship on 30-31 October in Donington Park/GB, todays world best Stuntrider will complete many more training sessions. Don`t miss the opportunity to see him „at work”during the german MotoGP round at Sachsenring in front of a crowd of 200.000 race fans.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP Results
CINZANO RIO GRAND PRIX
24 laps, 118.392 km

1. Makoto Tamada, Honda
2. Max Biaggi, Honda, -2.019 seconds
3. Nicky Hayden, Honda, -5.764
4. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, -11.145
5. Alex Barros, Honda, -12.951
6. Colin Edwards, Honda, -13.904
7. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki, -23.493
8. Norick Abe, Yamaha, -27.498
9. Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki, -27.802
10. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, -36.808
11. Alex Hofmann, Kawasaki, -37.713
12. Ruben Xaus, Ducati, -48.924
13. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, -57.102
14. Jeremy McWilliams, Aprilia, -63.046
15. John Hopkins, Suzuki, -70.296, crash
16. Neil Hodgson, Ducati, -72.548
17. Shane Byrne, Aprilia, -79.734
18. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton KR, -91.512
19. Kurtis Roberts, Proton KR, -103.627
20. Chris Burns, Harris WCM, -1 lap
21. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, DNF, crash, -12 laps
22. David De Gea, Harris WCM, DNF, crash, -17 laps
23. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, DNF, crash, -21 laps
24. Sete Gibernau, Honda, DNF, crash, -23 laps


More, from press releases issued by various teams and riders, posted in order of receipt.

From a press release issued by John Hopkins’ publicist:

HOPKINS SCORES 15TH-PLACE FINISH AT BRAZILIAN GP DESPITE FINAL LAP CRASH

JACAREPAGUA, Brazil (July 4, 2004) – John Hopkins had his best Brazilian Grand Prix finish in his grasp until an impact with Kawasaki’s Alex Hofmann on the final lap resulted in an off-track excursion and low-speed crash dropping the young Californian to a disappointing 15th-place at the checkered flag. Hopkins hurriedly picked up his Suzuki GSV-R and rushed home to the finish line after the accident to salvage the point-paying result.

It was a hard-luck ending to, which up to the crash, was a better than expected race.

“I got into a little battle with Ruben Xaus early on and wanted to get by him as quickly as possible,” said Hopkins, who ran as high as eleventh. “I moved past Xaus and then tried to chase down the next group in front of me. I made some mistakes trying to get up to them and that gave Hofmann the chance to gain on me.

“Hofmann got past me and we continued the battle for the rest of the race. On the last lap I drafted him going down the back straight and was setting up to make my move. I thought about going low, but the track was a little dirty on the inside line so I decided to try to out-brake him on the outside. Alex didn’t know I was there and drifted out into my line and clipped me. My back wheel came off the ground and I ran off the track at a high rate of speed into the gravel trap. I hit the tire barrier and fell over. I got back on the bike, rode back through the gravel trap and was able to finish the race.”

Hopkins went on to explain that getting past Hofmann wasn’t his only goal.

“In the process of our battle we’d chased down (Carlos) Checa,” Hopkins added. “I was hoping to get by both of them and score a top-10 finish. In the end it wasn’t the result that I wanted, but I can’t feel too bad since I came so close to a really good result. I didn’t want any ‘what-ifs’ to look back on so I did all I could to get the best possible result. No regrets.”

Hopkins is very pleased with the rapid progress being made by Bridgestone tire.

“Bridgestone obviously have done their homework. A pole and a race win. That’s great. I had a good tire under me and I wanted to give our team two riders inside the top-10. We’ll gear up and get ready for the next race.”

Hopkins scored a single point today and is tied for 19th in the world championship standings.

The next round at the Sachsenring, in Germany on July 18, marks the mid-point of the MotoGP season.


More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:

Rio Grand Prix
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Sunday 4th July

GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA ENDS TOUGH WEEKEND IN RIO

After a difficult couple of days of qualifying for Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Carlos Checa, raceday at Rio proved to be equally demanding today, with Rossi falling after losing the front on lap 13 and Checa fighting through from a fourth row start to finish tenth.

The 24-lap race began brightly for Rossi, the reigning World Champion, as he jumped from a starting position on the third row to fifth place at the very first corner. His main championship rival Sete Gibernau (Honda) crashed out on lap two, just as Rossi began to really turn up the pace on his Yamaha YZR-M1. Moving up to fourth and past pole position man Kenny Roberts (Suzuki) after passing up the inside at turn one, Rossi seized a chance to pass Alex Barros (Honda) and began the task of reducing the 1.6 second gap to race leaders Max Biaggi (Honda) and Nicky Hayden (Honda).

Simultaneously defending pressure from eventual race winner Makoto Tamada (Honda) while still cutting the gap to 0.8 seconds on lap ten, a mistake on the twelfth lap allowed Tamada to pass for third. Pushing hard to stay in contention for a podium, Rossi fell on lap 13, at the last left hand corner on the 4.933km Jacarepagua circuit.

Excellent progress from the determined Checa, 12th in qualifying, put him up to ninth after a quarter race distance, until Marco Melandri (Yamaha) ran both riders onto the grass while attempting an outbraking manoeuvre. Battling his way back on track Checa was to finish tenth overall. The race win was taken by Tamada, his first win in the premier class, Biaggi second and Nicky Hayden (Honda) third.

Despite his raceday misfortune Rossi still leads the championship, sharing a 126-point total with Gibernau, but ahead because of his better win ratio of 4 to 2.

CARLOS CHECA (10th, 44:58.784)
“We seemed to change everything through the weekend and in warm up but I still didn’t feel comfortable; It was a difficult weekend. Here in Rio we had a very negative feeling from the beginning and this has not been the case anywhere else this year. During the race Marco Melandri lost the rear and then could not brake properly as he tried to pass. He went straight on and then we touched. Luckily I saw him coming just as I was about to flick it in, I stood the bike up, we touched and then ran off the track. Luckily nothing happened and I don’t think it changed my race result. At that moment maybe I could have caught Capirossi but I could not have kept doing the lap time, as I was already at the limit.”

VALENTINO ROSSI (DNF)
“We made some modifications before and after warm-up this morning. Even though I was riding better the set-up was still not quite right. What a shame. I lost the front and that was it. I haven’t fallen in a race since Mugello 2001. We’ve been having problems all through the weekend, but we were having a strong race and I felt I was catching the leaders. Even though I was up with the front group it was very difficult on the left hand corners. If I had managed to finish in fourth place it would have earned us some good points.”

DAVIDE BRIVIO, GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR
“Not a good day for us and we’ve had a difficult weekend trying to find the best settings for our machine. Valentino’s fall brought it to an end but that’s racing. It’s a missed opportunity because we could have gained some points on Sete. Valentino is a fighter and that is probably what has helped him get so many victories in the past but today it didn’t work out that way. The main thing is that we restart in Sachsenring still leading the championship, so that is the positive side of the story. For Carlos, he didn’t manage to get a good feeling from the machine, struggled all the race and could only finish tenth.”

RESULTS
1. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Camel Honda 44:21.976
2. Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel Honda -2.019
3. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team -5.764
4. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team -11.145
5. Alex Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda Team -12.951
6. Colin Edwards (USA) Telefonica Movistar Honda -13.904
7. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP -23.493
8. Norick Abe (JPN) Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3 -27.498
9. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team -27.802
10. CARLOS CHECA (SPA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha -36.808

DNF – VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha (fell on lap 13)

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) 126
2. Sete Gibernau (SPA) 126
3. Max Biaggi (ITA) 113
4. Colin Edwards (USA) 64
5. CARLOS CHECA (SPA) 62
6. Alex Barros (BRA) 59
7. Marco Melandri (ITA) 57
8. Loris Capirossi (ITA) 55
9. Nicky Hayden (USA) 54
10. Makoto Tamada (JPN) 44


More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
CINZANO RIO GRAND PRIX – NELSON PIQUET CIRCUIT
4TH JULY 2004 – MOTOGP RACE RESULT

NAKANO AND HOFMANN ON THE CHARGE IN RIO HEAT WAVE

The Rio Grand Prix lived up to its hot and humid reputation with Kawasaki Racing Team riders, Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann, battling exhausting conditions to finish ninth and eleventh respectively.

Hofmann made a superb late race charge, and just missed joining his teammate in the top ten when he failed by less than one second to run down Spanish Yamaha rider Carlos Checa.

However, Nakano was disappointed with the outcome of the 24-lap race, and his inability to launch a stronger challenge on the high-speed Rio circuit.

The 26-year-old Japanese rider finished less than half a second behind Norick Abe, but was frustrated that a horsepower deficit compared to his rivals limited his passing opportunities on the Rio straights.

After settling in eleventh place from the start, Nakano shadowed Abe from lap six, and over the final ten laps staged close battle against his fellow countryman.

Just before the start mechanics worked overtime to change the fuel injection throttle bodies on Nakano’s Ninja ZX-RR, after a problem in the pre-race warm-up.

Hofmann faced a big challenge when he was nineteenth at the end of lap one, after a crowded start from 14th on the grid. Once the 24-year-old German rider found some clear track he hunted down John Hopkins and Ruben Xaus and passed both to claim 11th place on lap sixteen.

With six laps remaining Hofmann was seven seconds behind Checa, but closed that gap to less than a second at the finish, as he surged to try and claim tenth place. Hofmann’s race pace was consistent and a valuable test of the revised engine mapping used on his Ninja ZX-RR today.

The 24-lap race, with midday track temperatures touching 35 degrees, was watched by an impressive crowd of 55,000 fans.

Shinya Nakano: 9th
“I’m very disappointed because it was not possible to fight any harder today. We know we need more performance from the engine, and hopefully this is being addressed, as finishing 27 seconds behind the race winner is too much. At the beginning of the race I had a good feeling with the bike and could see the leading group, but I just couldn’t stay with them. For the last ten laps I tried to pass Norick Abe, but it wasn’t possible. I have to say thanks to both my crew and the crew of my teammate, who worked so hard together to change the fuel injection system on my bike before the race.”

Alex Hofmann: 11th
“The first three corners were very crowded and everyone passed me on the outside. Then Jeremy McWilliams came past on the straight and, suddenly, I found myself in 19th position. Not a good start to a race by any means. Once I got clear of the traffic I was able to chase down John Hopkins and Ruben Xaus and that was a good battle. There are not many passing places here, and I think a top ten finish was possible with a more aggressive first lap. The revised engine mapping I used today felt very comfortable; it was definitely a step forward. On the last lap I was expecting John Hopkins down the inside at the end of the straight. As I prepared for the corner he came on the outside and we touched, at 310 kph, and he went straight on. I’m sorry for that; I didn’t think he would go for the outside.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“I’m delighted with the performance of both riders today, although we missed my wish for both to finish in the top ten by just one position. What is obvious from this race is that we need more engine power to make the next step, and that is the target for us now. The handling consistency of the bike and Bridgestone tyres was our strong point today. I’d also like to congratulate Bridgestone on their first MotoGP race win today. They put the work in after the problems at Mugello and it’s good to see them reap the benefit of that work this weekend.”



More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda:

RIO GRAND PRIX – RACE

SETE SUFFERS HIS FIRST FALL IN RIO

Colin Edwards finishes sixth to put Telefonica Movistar back at the top of the Team Championship.

Sete Gibernau finished the Grand Prix of Brazil empty-handed, but still level with Valentino Rossi at the top of the World Championship. Sete made a small error on the second lap which led him to suffer his first fall since the race at Jerez last season. Gibernau lost control of his front wheel after passing Alex Barros, but some ten laps later the same thing happened to Valentino Rossi at the same point of the circuit to ensure the two remain locked together in the standings. Colin Edwards finished sixth and now sits fourth in the World Championship.

SETE GIBERNAU (dnf): “It was a shame because after doing some excellent work with the team, a small error by me cost us dear. We had found a great rhythm and had a really good chance of winning here, but in the end the circumstance! s of the race did not allow us to. The sad thing is that we could have opened up a big lead. I feel sorry for the team because they gave everything, as always, but it wasn’t to be. I am sad because of what happened, but the championship is still wide open and my moral is really good to come back in Germany.”

COLIN EDWARDS (6th): “What a shame for Sete he fell! I was sure he was going to win this race. When I saw him fall I could not believe it, but then the same thing happened to Valentino so the championship remains level. I concentrated on maintaining my rhythm – I passed Kenny Roberts and then thought about saving my tyres. I pushed very hard, but when you feel the tyres going it is very easy to make mistakes and so I concentrated on being steady. It was a difficult weekend overall, but I hope to take a step forward in Germany.”

FAUSTO GRESINI (Team manager): “It’s a shame to lose an opportunity like this, but! these things happen in races. We leave Rio in the same shape as when we came here, and we have to try and take the positives – it could have been much worse. We must now think about the next Grand Prix in Germany and be positive, as always. Colin rode a good race and his sixth place allows us to go back to the top in the Team Championship. We are still lacking something to fight with the rest of the Hondas, but we are sure it will arrive.”


More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati:

Rio Grand Prix, Jacarepagua
Race Day
Sunday July 4 2004

GREAT RIO RACE FOR DUCATI MARLBORO MAN CAPIROSSI

Ducati Marlboro Team rider Loris Capirossi scored his best result of the season so far in baking-hot sunshine at Rio de Janeiro today. Riding the factory’s new Twin Pulse engine for only the second time, the Italian stormed through the pack after a sluggish start to complete the race in fourth place, just 11 seconds behind winner Makoto Tamada. Team-mate Troy Bayliss was less fortunate, sliding off during the early stages of a torrid race that also claimed world title rivals Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau. None of the riders were hurt in their falls.

“Although we feel sorry for Troy, I think we can be very happy with today’s result,” said Ducati Marlboro Team director Livio Suppo. “We already saw at Assen that the bike is growing with the new Twin Pulse engine. Loris did an unbelievable job in tough conditions today. He recovered superbly from a bad start, without which I think he could have run with the leading group. His result is very, very positive for us. I feel proud that both the factory and the team have reacted so well after a difficult start to the season. Of course, Troy’s crash was a real shame, but these things sometimes happen in racing, especially at this track which is really tricky and claimed several other top riders today.”

The Ducati Marlboro Team stays on at Rio to test tomorrow. “We are now heading in a good direction but we have to keep working, that’s why we are staying on to test,” added Suppo. “I would like to thank all our partners for the great support they are giving us, especially Shell Advance and Michelin. Their products really helped us to be so good today.”

CAPIROSSI “100 PER CENT SATISFIED”
Loris Capirossi had high hopes of a brilliant result at Rio today after he had qualified his Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP4 on the second row of the grid yesterday. And the Italian wasn’t disappointed. Despite a slow getaway from the grid he rocketed through from tenth on the first lap to fight his way through to fourth, using the user-friendly Twin Pulse engine to great effect around this slippery and bumpy racetrack.

“I’m 100 per cent satisfied with that result, so my thanks go to Ducati Corse and the team for all the work they’ve done,” beamed Capirossi.

“This is our best result so far this year. It demonstrates that we are heading in the right direction with the bike, and we’re going to continue working in that direction. It was a tough race. I started from the dirty side of the track, so I got a lot of wheelspin away from the grid, which put me way back at the first corner. But I overcame that to get up to fourth. Once I was there I realised the first three guys were too far ahead, so I decided to consolidate my position by keeping Barros behind me.”

BAYLISS OUT OF LUCK AT RIO
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss fell victim to Jacarepagua’s super-slick surface today, sliding out of the race on the fourth lap as he was starting to work his way through the pack. The Aussie, riding with his Four Pulse motor, had made up two places before he fell.

“I was struggling a bit with front-end grip, then I just lost the front mid-corner,” he explained. “I ran the Four Pulse simply because we went good on it in warm-up this morning, so it seemed like the way to go for this race.”


More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda:

Brazil GP – Round 7 – MotoGP
Rio (Brazil) – Sunday – 4 July 2004

Camel Honda RC211Vs Shine at Rio
Makoto and Max 1st and 2nd

Rio was painted yellow as the two Camel Honda RC211Vs made their brilliant performance in the MotoGP race. Makoto Tamada stormed to victory – his first top spot in the premier class of the world championship – closely tailed by Max Biaggi whose second place gives new impetus to his challenge for the world MotoGP title.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“A fantastic day with our bikes coming first and second. The team performed brilliantly with Makoto, who achieved his first victory, and with Max, whose second place is extremely important for him and for his position in the world ratings. Our thanks go to Camel and all the other sponsors for their constant support, and to Honda who have never failed to give us all the assistance we needed to win.”

Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin tyres) – 2nd
“What a tough race! But wonderful, even though I didn’t make it to victory. And here I’d like to congratulate Makoto: he’s not just a fine rider – he’s a true friend. Great. I could hear him coming during the last laps, opening the throttle as he came out of the corners while I still had to wait, and I realised I was in danger. But I’m still really pleased with my bike, with my Michelins, and especially with all the work my team has done together with Honda. I started off well, with only Kenny in front, but I managed to get past him after a lap. I set my pace, trying to save the tyres, but it was too hot to try and break away from the pack, even though we were racing three hours earlier than usual. I tried not to make any mistakes, as conditions were pretty treacherous. These twenty points are really worth a lot for the championship, but now I want to get back onto the top of the podium.”

Gianluca Montiron – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada Team Manager)
“An extraordinary day. Here in Rio last year Makoto showed what he’s capable of when he made his first podium, and now just short of a year later, he’s given us his first MotoGP victory. We had a long talk yesterday and knew what we were capable of. When I saw him lying in wait behind Max, preparing to pounce, I knew he’d be first over the line. He did it his way, with style and talent. Thanks to Honda, for a great bike, and thanks to the people at Bridgestone who, after a moment of difficulty at Mugello, just gave it all they’d got and made it to the top spot of the rostrum today with Makoto. And with Max’s brilliant achievement, the Camel Honda colours just dominated the day.”

Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone tyres) – 1st
“A perfect race, with the bike settings and the tyres as good as they could possibly be. The team did a magnificent job and I did the rest. I’d like to dedicate my victory to all of them and to my dear friend Daijiro. I think that’s the greatest homage I could pay to him. I miss him. I’m grateful to Bridgestone for the incredible work they did to make sure I could be fast and effective in all the tests this week, right through to the race itself when the tyres on my Honda gave me all the performance and endurance I needed.”


More, from a press release issued by series organizers:

Tamada takes first win as Rossi and Gibernau crash

Makoto Tamada took his first ever MotoGP victory in a dramatic race at the Cinzano Rio Grand Prix which saw joint championship leaders Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau both crash out. With neither Rossi or Gibernau on the front row for the first time this season, both were forced to push hard to fight their way through the group as pole setter Kenny Roberts and Max Biaggi set the pace over the first lap. Gibernau’s charge ended on the second lap when he crashed his Honda just moments after overtaking Rossi for fifth place, whilst the Italian’s Yamaha slid out of fourth place some twelve laps later.

With Roberts dropping back through the group, Biaggi was chased for the lead by Nicky Hayden until four laps from the end, when a stunning late charge from Tamada sealed a first ever win for Bridgestone tyres, who took their first podium with the same rider at the same circuit less than a year ago.

“It was a perfect race – the set-up of the bike and the tyres were at the absolute maximum, the team have done a great job and I have completed the show,” commented Tamada after the race, dedicating the win to the late Daijiro Kato, who would have been celebrating his birthday today. “This victory is dedicated to all of them and to my great friend Daijiro. I think this is the best way to honour his memory – I miss him. Thanks to Bridgestone for a great job which put me in conditions to be fast and effective all weekend up to the race.”

Second place for Biaggi sealed a one-two for Camel Honda and moves the Italian to within just thirteen points of Gibernau and Rossi at the top of the standings, with Rossi still leading the way thanks to a superior win ratio. Nicky Hayden clinched his first podium of the season, the third of his career, in third place after pushing Biaggi and Tamada all the way to the line, with Loris Capirossi some eleven seconds behind in a lonely but welcome fourth place for Ducati.

Alex Barros was unable to challenge for the podium in front of his home crowd, suffering from the pain of a hand injury sustained in a practice crash on Friday afternoon. The Brazilian rode bravely to fifth place ahead of Honda colleague Colin Edwards, who now moves up to fourth in the championship after another top six finish.

Kenny Roberts took a best finish of the season for Suzuki in seventh place, just ahead of the first Yamaha, ridden by Norick Abe. Shinya Nakano brought his Kawasaki home in ninth, with Carlos Checa completing the top ten and consequently conceding fourth place in the rider standings to Edwards.

Manuel Poggiali broke the front fairing of his Aprilia as he smashed his first down in delight after clinching his first win of the season in the 250cc class. The reigning World Champion had not stood on the top step of the podium since victory at this circuit last season but announced his return with a bang, leading from the fourth lap under intense pressure from Dani Pedrosa. A mechanical problem for Randy De Puniet, which saw the Frenchman drop out of the battle for lead positions at the halfway stage and eventually cross the line in eighth, means that Pedrosa now leads the championship by eleven points.

Sebastian Porto also suffered a mechanical problem when pushing Poggiali and Pedrosa for the lead with just four laps remaining, failing to pick up any points at all and losing important ground in third place in the rider standings. Third place in today’s race went to Toni Elias, who held off a late challenge from Alex De Angelis to seal the final podium position.

Hector Barberá won a typically combative and exciting 125cc race to the delight of the watching Brazilian football star Roberto Carlos, a major collaborator in the Seedorf Racing team. Other than a brief cameo from Jorge Lorenzo, who stormed to the front before crashing on the eleventh lap, Barberá shared the lead almost exclusively with Casey Stoner until a late charge from Andrea Dovizioso.

With Roberto Locatelli and Mirko Giansanti in close attendance but unable to mount a serious challenge, the last two laps were a desperate three-way battle for the line, with Barberá holding off Stoner for the win and Dovizioso completing the podium. Barberá’s second victory of the season moves him up to second in the championship, sixteen points behind Dovizioso.



More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

Brazilian Grand Prix, Jacarepagua, July 4, 2004

TAMADA WINS AND BIAGGI CLOSES IN ON TITLE LEADERS

There was no shortage of drama under a beating Brazilian sun here in Rio, before a packed crowd of 56,000, as mighty Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda RC211V), riding on Bridgestone tyres, recorded his first (and the tyre company’s first) win in the premier class. Max Biaggi (Camel Honda RC211V) was second and Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) third.

The all-Honda podium was missing a major figure in this season’s race for the title – Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) who crashed out on lap two while trying to make his way to the front from his second row start. Troy Bayliss (Ducati) then crashed on lap four.

Gibernau’s long trudge back to his garage must have been hard yards. He would have watched the action on his pit garage TV monitor as Max led the field with Hayden and Alex Barros (Repsol Honda RC211V) in second and third. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) was fourth by lap six.

Then Marco Melandri (Yamaha) took out fellow Yamaha rider Carlos Checa. Neither fell but their joint visit to the gravel trap effectively ended their races for meaningful places. But there was more dramatic action to come.

Rossi passed Barros for third on lap eight and Tamada was making big inroads on the leaders too. The doughty Japanese was now fourth and working on Rossi for third. And just 1.13 seconds covered the top four of Max, Nicky, Rossi and Makoto.

On lap 12 Makoto made it past Rossi for third, on lap 13 he took Hayden for second. And on that same lap Rossi crashed out. He remounted and tried to restart his machine, but failed. One can only imagine the relief Gibernau must have felt as he saw his current title rival dismount and return to pitlane.

Now it was Max and his team-mate Makoto out front with Hayden hanging onto them. But as the final laps approached Hayden began to drop off the lead duo. This was when Tamada made his move taking the lead on the final turn on lap 21 of this 24-lap race.

He held it to the end for a popular victory that he dedicated to Daijiro Kato who was killed at Suzuka last year. “A perfect race,” he said. “The team did a great job and the race went to plan. And this is a reward for everyone’s hard work. This race is also a gift for my friend Daijiro Kato.”

Max was delighted for his team-mate. “What a great race – even if I didn’t win,” he said. “I’d like to congratulate Makoto, not only a very good rider, but also a friend. I could hear him coming in the last few laps and I could also hear him opening the throttle earlier in the turns when I couldn’t. I knew he would be a danger. I think after three races we are back in the hunt.”

Hayden was happy with third. “I’ve never got to finish a race from a front row start in MotoGP,” he said. “And I definitely needed a good solid finish here today. I was up with Max and saw we were pulling away. I thought we were going to be okay then I saw a ‘Tamada + zero’ on my pitboard. He just came from nowhere. I’ll take this result and build on it.”

Barros, who finished fifth, said. “I’m very, very disappointed. After five laps I had big problems with the front end and I could do nothing for the rest of the race. We need to look at the data with the team and with Michelin because we are nearly half way through the season and still the results are not coming.”

Colin Edwards (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) finished sixth and said, “I was sure Sete was going to win this race. I couldn’t believe it when I saw him fall. I just concentrated on my rhythm and then thought about saving my tyres. When you feel the tyres going it’s very easy to make mistakes so I took it steady.”

A relived Gibernau said, “A small error cost us dear. We had a good chance of winning here and we could have opened up a big lead. I feel sorry for the team because they gave everything but it wasn’t to be. But the Championship is wide open and we’ll take another step forward in Germany.”

The World Championship points table now shows Gibernau and Rossi still tied on 126 points apiece. But now Max Biaggi is within range of them with 113 points with seven rounds of the 16 race series gone.

The 250cc race was won by Manuel Poggiali (Aprilia), his first win of the year. Danny Pedrosa (Telefonica Movistar Junior Team RS250RW) was second by just 0.076 seconds as they pair crossed the line. Tony Elias (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) was third.

Poggiali and Pedrosa were the best of a five-rider group that circulated together for most of this 22-lap race. Elias kept the closest to them as Sebastian Porto and Randy de Puniet (both Aprilia) also stayed in the hunt at the front.

But as the gruelling race unfolded in 27 degree heat only Poggiali and Pedrosa had the speed needed to contest the win. The last lap was intense with Pedrosa trying everything to get a draft on the straight. He got tucked in behind, but Poggiali is strong on

From a press release issued by Hawk Kawasaki:

HAWK KAWASAKI
THINK! BSB Championship, Round 8, July 4
National Superstock Cup, Round 6
Knockhill, Scotland
Track length: 1.3 miles
Weather: overcast, threatening rain, 17°C
Track: damp with drying line, 26°C

SMART TAKES SECOND BSB WIN IN COMMANDING STYLE

Hawk Kawasaki star Scott Smart destroyed the opposition at Knockhill today by winning the first race at the eighth round of the THINK! BSB Championship by more than 18 seconds.

Smarty, who qualified fifth, took a gamble on intermediate tyres, despite the rapidly changing weather conditions, and was able to hit the front on lap seven and stretch out an unassailable lead over the remaining 18 laps. The number 88 Hawk rider’s pace was so strong he was able to lap everyone up to sixth place – including BSB title contender Michael Rutter – and cruise to the flag to take his and Hawk’s second victory of the season.

“The race worked so well for me because I was on the right tyres, but then there were other guys out there on the right tyres and they were nowhere near,” said a beaming Smart after the race. “I gambled on tyres on the line. I was umming and ahhing on using a wet front before choosing intermediates. On the first couple of laps I thought it might have been better to go for wets, but then it started to dry up and work for me. Once I extended my three second lead to 14 seconds I backed off by half a second a lap to bring her home. In fact there were a bunch of guys I wasn’t even going to bother passing near the end. Those 25 points have pulled me further to the front of the championship again, so I’m really pleased.”

His Hawk team-mate, John McGuinness, looked equally commanding in the first race, leaping from eighth on the grid to third on the road in just two laps. The Lancastrian followed Smart to the front of the field, passing Yamaha’s Gary Mason for second on lap seven. By mid-race distance both Hawk riders had carved out an impressive 10 second lead over the rest of the field. Unfortunately McGuinness lost the front of his ZX-10R at the hairpin on lap 14 and was unable to restart the stalled motor.

“I feel gutted because the race was going so well for me,” said John, who was uninjured in the fall. “I went into the hairpin the same as any other lap, not any faster or slower, and it just folded the front. I felt I could have stayed with Scott and maybe even made a pass on him if that hadn’t happened. Everything was fine and I was just pumping the laps out. His tyres came into their own because he had a cut slick front, whereas I had a wet, although mine were still holding up really well. Maybe there was oil at the hairpin, I don’t know, because a few other riders fell in the same spot just a lap or two later.”

Smart was unable to repeat his win in race two, which was declared wet, after his visor steamed up, drastically reducing his vision. Despite tricky conditions he crossed the line in sixth, with McGuinness a strong seventh.

“I was a bit disappointed with that really because I got a really good start and I was up with the leaders, then I just seemed to get left behind,” said McGuinness of race two. “The bike didn’t seem to have much rear grip, but maybe that’s our fault for not getting on top of it in the wet sessions. I definitely didn’t want to crash again and I knew I had to bring the bike home. I’d have liked to have been in the top five, but top 10 is good. I want to prove that I’m not just a TT racer and that I can do it on the short circuits too. Hopefully by mixing it with these guys I can do that.”

McGuinness will now have the chance to prove himself in BSB for the rest of season after being confirmed as a permanent member of the Hawk Kawasaki team for the remainder of 2004. “John’s proved great on the bike, so he’ll continue to run him for the rest of the year alongside Scott and Glen when he returns,” said Hawk Kawasaki Team Principal Stuart Hicken. “Of course the first race would have been better if John hadn’t slid off at the hairpin, because with a one-two I’d have been over the moon, but to be honest I’m really happy the win. Sixth and seventh in the second race is good enough for me because this year we’ve always got to be happy with top 10s from a new bike. The conditions have been lousy all weekend, but the racing’s been excellent.”

Hawk Kawasaki National Superstock Cup rider Peter Hickman brought his ZX-10R home in only his second ever wet race. The 17 year-old was unable to better his qualifying position, of 16th, and finally finished in 18th due to a lack of feel from his machine in what were atrocious conditions.

“That was really frustrating,” explained Hickman after the race. “I normally go faster in the race than in qualifying, but that wasn’t possible today because I couldn’t feel the level of grip from the front tyre or tap on the power without it spinning. We should have softened the suspension more to suit the conditions, which were far worse than yesterday, but this is the first time we’ve raced the ZX-10 in the wet and we’re still learning. I’m pleased to have brought it home though.”

BSB RACE 1
1) Scott Smart, Hawk Kawasaki. 2) James Haydon, Yamaha. 3) Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki. John Reynolds, Suzuki. 5) Jon Kirkham, Suzuki (P). 6) Gary Mason, Yamaha. 7) James Ellison, Yamaha (P). 8) Iain MacPherson, Ducati. 9) Michael Rutter, Honda. 10) Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda. 11) Chris Platt, Kawasaki (P). 12) Kieran Clarke, Yamaha (P). 13) Chris Martin, Suzuki (P). 14) Dennis Hobbs, Suzuki (P). 15) Craig Coxhell, Honda
(P)= Privateer
Fastest lap: Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki: 52.867, 88.42mph

BSB RACE 2
1) James Haydon, Yamaha. 2) Sean Emmett, Ducati. 3) John Reynolds, Suzuki. 4) Michael Rutter, Honda. 5) Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki. 6) Scott Smart, Hawk Kawasaki. 7) John McGuinness, Hawk Kawasaki. 8) Craig Coxhell, Honda. 9) Dean Thomas, Ducati. 10) James Ellison, Yamaha (P). 11) Jon Kirkham, Suzuki (P). 12) Kieran Clarke, Yamaha. 13) Sam Corke, Suzuki (P). 14) Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda. 15) Dennis Hobbs, Suzuki (P)
Fastest lap: Sean Emmett, Ducati: 54.123, 85.37mph

BSB CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS AFTER 8 ROUNDS
1) John Reynolds, Suzuki, 290. 2) Michael Rutter, Honda, 252. 3) Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, 208. 4) Sean Emmett, Ducati, 206. 5) Scott Smart, Hawk Kawasaki, 199. 6) Dean Thomas, Ducati, 108. 7) Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, 95. 8) Tommy Hill, Yamaha, 88. 9) James Haydon, Yamaha, 87. 10) Glen Richards, Hawk Kawasaki, 78. 11) Gary Mason, Yamaha, 74. 12) James Ellison, Yamaha, 71. 13) Craig Coxhell, Honda, 68. 14) Jon Kirkham, Suzuki (P). 15) Kieran Clarke, Yamaha, 50. 16) Leon Haslam, Ducati, 43. 17) Dennis Hobbs, Suzuki, 38. 18) John McGuinness, Hawk Kawasaki, 35. 19) Sam Corke, Suzuki, 34. 20) James Buckingham, Suzuki, 31

MANUFACTURERS CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER 8 ROUNDS
1) Suzuki, 331. 2) Honda, 269. 3) Ducati, 241. 4) Kawasaki, 215. 5) Yamaha, 175



More, from a press release issued by MonsterMob Ducati:

MonsterMob Ducati British Superbike and Supersport Championship Team

4th July, 2004

THINK! British Superbike Championship – Rounds 15/16 – Knockhill, Fife, Scotland–
3rd/4th July

DOUBLE PODIUM FOR TEAM MONSTERMOB

MonsterMob Ducati riders Sean Emmett and Michael Laverty left a soggy Knockhill in Scotland with a rostrum each after a difficult day’s racing in round eight of the THINK! British Superbike Championship today.

With both qualifying as well as the racing interrupted by torrential rain showers, Superbike rider Sean Emmett qualified sixth whilst Supersport counterpart Michael Laverty set pole position on the 749 Ducati amidst the storms of Saturday.

But despite their best combined efforts they couldn’t manage a win at the Fife circuit due to the treacherous conditions. In the opening Superbike race Emmett crashed out when another rider fell in front of him and he had to take avoiding action but he bounced back in race two with a superb second place after being denied the race win due to tangling with back markers.

“I’m just disappointed, it’s been a bad day in the office. I got knocked off in the first race and I had the perfect combination of tyres on – the same as Scott Smart who won. In the second race I worked my way from a mediocre start and caught James Haydon very quickly with three laps to go and just got my worst run of back markers I have ever had. But that’s the way it goes” said Emmett who now lies in fourth position in the Championship.

Laverty’s race was delayed due to a cloud burst and when eventually it got underway the young Ulsterman rode a calculated race to bring the bike home in third position to maintain his championship challenge.

“I spun off the line and dropped down to fifth or sixth and once I caught up I started to make some headway on Karl Harris but he got through the back markers better than me. I’m disappointed to lose points to Karl but happy enough to get it home and on the podium. There was nothing more I could do today in those conditions” said Laverty.

Team owner Paul Bird said the following:
“Two rostrums in such awful conditions is a credit to the riders and Sean was desperately unlucky in the first race to get brought off. Hopefully we can get back to winning ways at Mallory in a couple of weeks time” said Bird.

Superbike Race One Result
1, Scott Smart (Kawasaki) 22m53.543s, 2, James Haydon (Yamaha) +18.147s, 3,
Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) +20.532s, 4, John Reynolds (Suzuki) +34.758s, 5, Jon
Kirkham (Suzuki) +50.576s, 6, Gary Mason (Yamaha) +51.395s, 7, James Ellison
(Yamaha) +1 lap, 8, Iain MacPherson (Ducati) +1 lap, 9, Michael Rutter (Honda)
+1 lap, 10, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +1 lap.

Superbike Race Two Result
1, James Haydon (Yamaha) 23m42.685s, 2, Sean Emmett (MonsterMob Ducati) +0.420s,
3, John Reynolds (Suzuki) +1.186s, 4, Michael Rutter (Honda) +2.521s, 5, Yukio
Kagayama (Suzuki) +11.780s, 6, Scott Smart (Kawasaki) +11.959s, 7, John McGuinness
(Kawasaki) +30.058s, 8, Craig Coxhell (Honda) +32.956s, 9, Dean Thomas (Ducati)
+34.927s, 10, James Ellison (Yamaha) +39.958s.

Supersport Race Result
1, Paul Young (Honda) 21m56.004s, 2, Karl Harris (Honda) +9.226s, 3, Michael
Laverty (MonsterMob Ducati) +14.689s, 4, Pere Riba (Kawasaki) +20.875s, 5,
Tom Sykes (Suzuki) +21.005s, 6, Kieran Murphy (Honda) +25.234s, 7, Cal Crutchlow
(Honda) +28.888s, 8, Craig Jones (Triumph) +39.673s, 9, Lee Jackson (Honda)
+40.033s, 10, Bob Grant (Honda) +42.484s.

Superbike Championship Standings (after Round 16)
1, John Reynolds (Suzuki) 290 pts
2, Michael Rutter (Honda) 252 pts
3, Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) 208 pts
4, Sean Emmett (MonsterMob Ducati) 206 pts
5, Scott Smart (Kawasaki) 199 pts
6, Dean Thomas (Ducati) 108 pts
7, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 95 pts
8, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) 88 pts
9, James Haydon (Yamaha) 87 pts
10, Glen Richards (Kawasaki) 78 pts

Supersport Championship Standings (after Round 8)
1, Karl Harris (Honda) 156 pts
2, Michael Laverty (MonsterMob Ducati) 132 pts
3, Pere Riba (Kawasaki) 101 pts
4, Jay Vincent (Honda) 97 pts
5, Simon Andrews (Yamaha) 76 pts
6, Luke Quigley (Suzuki) 65 pts
7, Leon Camier (Honda) 49 pts
7, Craig Jones (Triumph) 49 pts
9, Tom Sykes (Suzuki) 47 pts
10, Cal Crutchlow (Honda) 41 pts


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

DOUBLE PODIUM FOR RIZLA SUZUKI
Rizla Suzuki’s John Reynolds left a soaking wet eighth round of the THINK! British Superbike Championship at Knockhill in Scotland with a podium and an extended points lead while his team mate Yukio Kagayama also scored a podium finish and the Steve Hislop award for the fastest lap of the weekend.

Thunder, lightning and torrential rain played havoc with the race-day schedule but it didn’t dampen the spirits of the riders who both improved their championship standings: JR increased his lead in the series to 38-points while Yuki reclaimed third place in the Championship as the team continued its impressive manufacturer’s record of scoring a podium in every Superbike race so far this year.

The first race was declared wet but the track dried as the race went on, making tyre selection critical. Yuki went out on intermediates and JR with an intermediate rear and wet front tyre to finish third and fourth respectively behind winner Scott Smart on a Kawasaki. Yuki’s quickest lap time of 52.867s won him the ‘Flying Haggis Steve Hislop Award’ for the fastest lap of the weekend.

The second race was delayed by a storm and was run in full wet conditions. JR was always in contention for the win but was baulked by back-markers in the final stages of the race and settled for third. Yuki battled gamely through the wet weather to finish fifth.

Scotland’s triple BSB Champion and Rizla Suzuki test rider Niall Mackenzie was joined at trackside by ex-World Rally Car Champion and Playstation 2 computer game hero Colin McRae to cheer on Yuki and JR today.

John Reynolds:

“That was a hard day’s work. The first race was run in changing conditions which is always a challenge. The second race was frustrating as I had the pace to win but found it difficult to overtake James because of the treacherous surface water.

“But overall I am happy with an extended Championship points lead and the fact I didn’t fall off in such difficult conditions. Now I have a further two weeks to let my broken collarbone heal up and then it’s back to action at Mallory Park and hopefully the top step of the podium.”

Yukio Kagayama:

“In the first race I think this is maximum result on my intermediate tyres. In the second race I really need to change setting in wrist – I should open throttle more. I would prefer better results, but maybe this is not best track or weather conditions for me. I am happy to win the ‘Steve Hislop Flying Haggis Award’ for the fastest lap and meet his mother Margaret – this is great honour for me.”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:

“Both riders brought their Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000s home in challenging weather conditions and scored sensible points. In JR’s case, he beat his nearest rival in both races and has extended his series lead – which is a great result. Yuki reclaimed third place in the Championship and the team kept its fantastic record of scoring a podium in every race of the season so far, so all in all, a good day’s work.

“Thanks to all our sponsors and fans for their support – including Scottish rally heroes Colin and Alistair McRae who joined us today. Even when the thunder was crashing overhead and the rain sheeting down, you could see the Rizla Suzuki blue colours in the stands. That sort of support really lifts the riders and the team, so thank you all!”

The next round of the British Superbike Championship takes place at the fast and furious Mallory Park venue in Leicestershire on Sunday, July 18th.

Race One Results: 1: Scott Smart (Kawasaki) 22:53.543, 2: James Haydon (Yamaha) +18.147, 3: YUKIO KAGAYAMA (RIZLA SUZUKI) +20.532, 4: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) +34.758, 5: Jon Kirkham (Suzuki) +50.576, 6: Gary Mason (Yamaha) +51.395, 7: James Ellison (Yamaha) +1-lap, 8: Iain MacPherson (Ducati) +1-lap, 9: Michael Rutter (Honda) +1-lap, 10: Ryui chi Kiyonari (Honda) +1-lap.

Race Two Results: 1: Haydon 23:42.685, 2: Sean Emmett (Ducati) +0.420, 3: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) +1.186, 4: Rutter +2.521, 5: YUKIO KAGAYAMA (RIZLA SUZUKI) +11.780, 6: Smart +11.959, 7: John McGuinness (Kawasaki) +30.058, 8: Craig Coxhell (Honda) +32.956, 9: Dean Thomas (Ducati) +34.927, 10: Ellison +39.958.

Championship Positions (after eight rounds): 1: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) 290, 2: Rutter 252, 3: YUKIO KAGAYAMA (RIZLA SUZUKI) 208, 4: Emmett 206, 5: Smart 199, 6: Thomas 108, 7: Kiyonari 95, 8: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) 88, 9: Haydon 87, 10: Glen Richards (Kawasaki) 78.

From a press release issued by Mat Mladin Imports, which imports Joe Rocket leathers into Australia:

MAT MLADIN IMPORTS NEWS
4 July 2004
Shell Advance Australian Superbike Championship
Round 5
Mallala Motor Sports Park
South Australia

Double Delight For Fergusson At Mallala

Wintery conditions may have greeted the Shell Advance Australian Superbike Championship when it rolled into South Australia’s Mallala Motor Sports Park, but it was Joe Rocket’s Adam ‘Krusty’ Fergusson who turned up the heat, taking his third consecutive Superbike and Supersport round winning double of the series.

With five of seven rounds now complete, Fergusson leads both title chases by a handy margin, but with six point scoring races remaining, there is still plenty of work to be done for the likeable Victorian.

Fergusson has taken control of the premier Superbike class, holding an 88-point lead over Nikon Yamaha’s Shannon Johnson (285 – 197). In the Supersport chase, he holds an 80-point advantage over injured teammate Josh Brookes (270 – 190).

As he did at Barbagallo last weekend, Fergusson was the man on the move during qualifying, setting the fastest time in both classes to claim a double-pole.

Not resting on his laurels of setting a single fast lap time during qualifying, the Rocket Racer went on to score a clean sweep of three race wins in the Supersport class, including a new lap record set in the final leg with a time of 1-min 09.156-secs. He backed those efforts up with a further two victories from three starts in the Superbike class.

“Two poles, five wins and a Supersport lap record, I suppose I can’t complain about that effort this weekend,” said a jubilant Fergusson. “On the track it was a bit closer than that may sound. In race two of the Superbikes I was right with Shannon (Johnson) but couldn’t get a way by him and had to settle for second, while each of the Supersport races was close, especially the last when I waited until the final turn to make a move on Robbie Baird that worked out well and I got the win. I’ve now got a good lead in the championship in both classes, so will just have to play it smart at the next round in Queensland and see what happens.”

Rocket Racer Damian Cudlin continues to come to grips with his Team Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike in this years series, stringing together a number of top ten finishes. Mallala was no exception as he put together a pair of sevenths and a ninth for the weekend, leaving him seventh overall in the series

Nikon Yamaha’s Brendan Clarke continues to work hard in the ever-competitive Supersport Championship holding on to tenth position in the title chase after recording a pair of ninths and a thirteenth over the weekend.

Youngest of the Rocket Racers, Jason O’Halloran continues to get his season back on track after a heavy fall at the third round of the Supersport series left him nursing a number of injuries. The 16-year-old continues to rebuild his confidence and was just out of the points in South Australia.

After consecutive rounds of the Shell Advance Australian Superbike Championship in Western Australia and South Australia, the series will enjoy a six-week break before heading to Queensland for the penultimate round on the weekend of August 14 & 15.

Footnote: Joe Rocket’s Josh Brookes has begun his recuperation period after his heavy fall at last weekend’s round of the championship. The Castrol Honda rider has had his broken pelvis plated and will remain in Perth for up to two months while he recuperates. We wish Josh a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on the track doing what he enjoys most, winning races.

Australian Superbike Championship points (after 5 of 7 rounds): 1. A Fergusson (Honda) 285, 2. S Johnson (Yamaha) 197, 3. S Giles (Suzuki) 193, 4. D Stauffer (Yamaha) 150, 5. J Brookes (Honda) 139, 6. J Stauffer (Kawasaki) 135, 7. D Cudlin (Suzuki) 120, 7..R Bugden (Yamaha) 100, 8. N Henderson (Honda) 82, 10. S Charlton (Suzuki) 70.

Australian Supersport Championship points (after 5 of 7 rounds): 1. A Fergusson (Honda) 270, 2. J Brookes (Honda) 190, 3. R Baird (Kawasaki) 162.5, 4. G Allerton (Yamaha) 1505, 5. J Waters (Yamaha) 147, 6. R Holland (Honda) 135, 7. J Stauffer (Kawasaki) 117, 8. M Aitchison (Honda) 92.5, 9. D Anthony (Honda) 77.5, 10. B Clarke (Yamaha) 68.

From a press release issued by MSS Discovery Kawasaki:

British Supersport Championship/round eight
National Superstock Championships/round six ­ Knockhill, July 4 2004

MSS DISCOVERY’S ALLAN TAKES DEBUT VICTORY ON ZX-10R AT KNOCKHILL

MSS Discovery’s Steve Allan rocketed to victory in the 20-lap National Superstock Championship race at Knockhill, Fife on Sunday.

Allan took the lead on the second lap before easing into a four-second lead and ensuring a first ever national win for Allan and the new ZX-10R Kawasaki.

Allan eventually crossed the finish line 1.5 seconds ahead of Andy Tinsley in the wet conditions, and all in front of Allan’s home fans at the 1.3-mile track near Dunfermline.

“It just doesn¹t get better than this,” said MSS Discovery ace Allan. “In the last two rounds the ZX-10R has really been fantastic and I’m certain I can win more races this year.”

“I did have a plan to get to the front as soon as I could then try and control the race. Once in front I just kept watching my pit signal board and made sure of the win,” said Allan who completed the perfect weekend after starting from pole position.

Pere Riba put in a calculated display to take fourth place in round eight of the British Supersport Championship at Knockhill, moving the MSS Discovery ace into third place in the points standings.

Riba, starting from the front row of the grid, was intent on staying upright in the rain-sodden race. Relegated to fifth place with two laps to go, Riba fought back and claimed fourth place from Tom Sykes on the last lap.

“The conditions were very difficult and I could only concentrate on finishing the race,” said Riba. “I tried in the early stages but the circuit was dry in places and soaking wet elsewhere.

“It was very much like the conditions for the last round at Brands Hatch so I had a similar plan. I made sure I had a clear track in front of me then worked hard at putting in fast laps. I¹m not too disappointed but a dry race would have given me much more of a chance of victory today.”

British Supersport Championship, round seven result (23 laps ­ 29.90 miles):
1 Paul Young, Honda, 21m 56.004s ­ 81.70mph
2 Karl Harris, Honda, 22m 05.230s
3 Michael Laverty, Ducati, 22m 10.693s
4 Pere Riba, MSS Discovery Kawasaki, 22m 16.879s
5 Tom Sykes, Suzuki, 22m 17.009s
6 Kieran Murphy, Honda, 22m 21.238s
7 Cal Crutchlow, Honda, 22m 24.892s
8 Craig Jones, Triumph, 22m 35.677s
9 Lee Jackson, Honda, 22m 36.037s
10 Bob Grant, Honda, 22m 38.488s

Championship points after eight of 13 rounds: 1 Harris 156, 2 Laverty 132, 3 Riba 101, 4 Jay Vincent (Honda) 97, 5 Simon Andrews (Yamaha) 76, 6 Luke Quigley (Suzuki) 65, 7 Jones and Leon Camier (Honda) 49, 9 Sykes 47, 10 Crutchlow 41.

Next round: Mallory Park ­ July 18


National Superstock Championship, round six (20 laps ­ 26.00 miles).
1 Steve Allan, MSS Discovery Kawasaki, 19m 18.862s ­ 80.68mph
2 Andy Tinsley, Suzuki, 19m 20.425s
3 Les Shand, Yamaha, 19m 21.704s
4 John MacDonald, Suzuki, 19m 22.328s
5 Tristan Palmer, Suzuki, 19m 25.642s
6 Ben Wilson, Suzuki, 19m 40.116s
7 Norman MacLeod, Suzuki, 19m 42.331s
8 Donald MacFadyen, Suzuki, 19m 50.600s
9 Kelvin Reilly, Ducati, 19m 53.618s
10 Magnus Houston, Suzuki, 19m 55.054s

Championship points after six of 13 rounds: 1 Tinsley 103, 2 Palmer 97, 3 Wilson 86, 4 Danny Beaumont, Yamaha, 81, 5 Shand 68, 6 Allan 59, 7 Mark Heckles (Yamaha) 36, 8 Darren Mitchell (Suzuki) 31, 9 Reilly 29, 10 John Laverty (Yamaha) 27.

Next round: Mallory Park ­ July 18.


More, from a press release issued by sidecar series organizers:

Eastern Airways Sidecar Championship
round five
Knockhill

Sunday July 4 2004

BRINDLEY SCOOPS KNOCKHILL VICTORY

Derek Brindley and passenger Neil Miller took the Readymix Suzuki to a dramatic victory in the opening race of round five of the Eastern Airways Sidecar Championship at Knockhill, Fife on Sunday.

Brindley gambled on intermediate-tread tyres as the opposition chose full wet-weather tyres, on a wet but drying track.

“It was a gamble but it paid off and it feels great to get a win,” said former world championship race winner Brindley. “We’ve worked hard this year and everything is just starting to feel good again for me.”

Brindley crossed the finish line 3.8 seconds ahead of championship leader Steve Webster on a Castrol Suzuki. Webster was leading the race when Brindley made his move to the front with two laps to go.

Hard-charging Greg Lambert powered into third place on his Dalepak Suzuki, edging out early race leader Tim Reeves on the final lap.

Andy Peach took a career-best fifth place aboard his Readymix Suzuki in a race reduced to 10 laps due to the rain.

Eastern Airways Sidecar Championship, round five, race one result (10 laps ­13.00 miles): 1 Derek Brindley (Suzuki) 9m 43.899s ­ 80.06mph, 2 Steve Webster (Suzuki) 9m 47.741s, 3 Greg Lambert (Suzuki) 9m 52.228s, 4 Tim Reeves (Suzuki) 9m 52.570s, 5 Andy Peach (Suzuki) 9m 57.913s, 6 Stuart Muldoon (Suzuki) 9m 59.356s, 7 Richard Gatt (Suzuki) 10m 02.032s, 8 Ben Birchall (Yamaha) 10m 19.589s, 9 Bill Philp (Yamaha) 10m 19.615s, 10 Mike Ibbotson (Suzuki) 10m 21.683s.

Championship points: 1 Webster 165, 2 Reeves 114, 3 Brindley 101, 4 Lambert 84, 5 Gatt 73, 6 Philp 70, 7 Muldoon 50, 8 Bryan Pedder (Suzuki) 46, 9 Birchall 41, 10 Peach 39.


More, from another press release issued by sidecar series organizers:

Eastern Airways Sidecar Championship
round five
Knockhill (race two)

DEBUT WIN FOR PEDDER IN KNOCKHILL SPECTACULAR

Bryan Pedder and Rod Steadman took the Team Roberts Suzuki to victory in a thrilling Eastern Airways Sidecar Championship race at Knockhill, Fife on Sunday.

Pedder grabbed the lead from Tim Reeves on the third lap of the 15-lap encounter. A lap later Reeves was back ahead while first lap leader Steve Webster could do nothing but watch from a distant third place.

Pedder hit the front once again on lap six and this time the Suzuki ace made it count as he powered away for a sensational victory in the wet conditions.

“Everything just came together for us,” explained Pedder. “We knew we’d have a good chance and when the opportunity to grab the lead came along there was no way I was turning it down.”

Pedder added: “It was just one of those races where everything went like clockwork for us. We’ve put a lot of effort it in this year with our sponsor Dave Roberts so it’s great for all the team to get the win.”

M & M Suzuki’s Reeves finished runner-up to close the points gap to Webster at the head of the championship table while Stuart Muldoon took his first podium finish of the year with third on his Ringway Suzuki.

A late charge from Webster on the Castrol Suzuki was almost enough to snatch third but Muldoon held on by just 0.04s. Webster’s fourth place was enough to ensure he left Knockhill with a 44-point lead over Reeves.

Richard Gatt took fifth place on the GRS Suzuki while Greg Lambert took sixth on the Dalepak Suzuki after starting the race from pitlane, opting to change tyres after the warm-up lap.

Eastern Airways Sidecar Championship, round five, race two result (15 laps ­19.50 miles): 1 Bryan Pedder (Suzuki) 15m 56.645s ­ 73.30mph, 2 Tim Reeves (Suzuki) 15m 59.943s, 3 Stuart Muldoon (Suzuki) 16m 10.387s, 4 Steve Webster (Suzuki) 16m 10.426s, 5 Richard Gatt (Suzuki) 16m 11.222s, 6 Greg Lambert (Suzuki) 16m 17.035s, 7 Steve Norbury (Yamaha) 16m 21.430s, 8 Andy Peach (Suzuki) 16m 30.075s, 9 Andy Laidlow (Suzuki) 16m 30.095s, 10 Derek Brindley (Suzuki) 16m 30.276s.

Championship points: 1 Webster 178, 2 Reeves 134, 3 Brindley 107, 4 Lambert 94, 5 Gatt 84, 6 Bill Philp (Yamaha) 75, 7 Pedder 71, 8 Muldoon 66, 9 Peach 47, 10 Ben Birchall (Yamaha) 41.

From a press release:

24 Hores de Motociclisme
Circuit de Catalunya
Montmelo, Cataluynya

Final results 24 Hours of Catalunya

Folch Yamaha Wins 24 Hours of Catalunya, Noyes-Lozano-Delgado Third

Any one of four teams could have won but at the end of 24 Hours and 722 laps the winner, for the fifth time in the ten year history of the resurrected event (originally held in Montjuic Park).

Leaders for most of the long way was the Catala 1 team (Fores-Cabana-Monge), but they were stuck in the pits for two long stops, once to chase down an electrical problem with the lighting and another time with clutch adjustments.

The winning Folch team (Tomas-Hervas-Ribalta) nearly threw it all away with a nighttime crash by Ribalta, but they lost only four laps of what was then a five-lap lead.

The Catala 2 team of Lazano, Noyes and Delgado was running on the same lap with Folch 1 and pulling back the gap when the clutch began to slip, requiring a six-lap stop that dropped them to fourth. The Pons Yamaha team of Casas, Tizon and Perez, moved into a strong second place with two hours to go, but both Catalá teams piled on the pressure with Tomas for Catalá 1 and Noyes for Catalá 2 the only riders to consistently lap in the 1:52s in their push to catch the only catchable target…Pons Yamaha.

Catalá 1 got by with an hour to go, but Catalá 2 still had a lap to make up with an hour to go. The team decided to skip Delgado’s stint because of his off-pace lap times and make a desperate attempt by running Noyes and Lozano exclusively over the last two-and-a-half hours.

With 40 minutes to go Noyes was going out with half a tank and only a new rear in an attempt to pull what would have been a miracle…taking five seconds a lap. But then, just as Lozano saw his sign to pit, Casas appeared, late, down pit lane with a broken screen and brake lever…he had succumbed to the pressure of losing time steadily to both Catala bikes, and went down.

Noyes went out unsure as to whether he was down 20 seconds or up 20 seconds due to an inopportune timing glitch, but was relieved to see a big P-3 +59 seconds on the Catalá board.

The last hour of the race was televised live on TV3 to a huge audience, in part die to the fact the the French Formula 1 GP followed immediately.

For American Kenny Noyes it was his first major National/International Podium (though he did win the National Superseries Championship in 2003 on a Honda…equivalent to Superstock), but this was, as Kenny said, “The first big result in road racing. We had some bad luck with the clutch, but we made our own good luck by pushing right to the end. It was my first ride on a Suzuki, too. I’ll be back on my Honda next weekend at Albacete for the Spanish National Formula Extreme Series. That will be only 35 minutes…this was like a 24-hour sprint!”

Results for the 2004 24 Hours of Catalunya

1. Folch Yamaha 2 (Tomas-Hervas-Revalta) 722 laps

2. Catala Suzuki 1 (Fores-Cabana-Monje) –5 laps

3. Catalá Suzuki 2 (Diego Lozano-Kenny Noyes-Jose Ramon Delgado) -6 laps

4. Pons Yamaha (Casas-Tizon-Perez) –7 laps

5. Procurve Honda (Stey-Lagrille-Roda) –21 laps

6. Folch Yamaha 1 (Sanchez- Arque-Martinez) -26 laps

7. Tumoto Yamaha (Mir-Huguet-Simon) -45 laps

8. Procurve Honda (Rojas-Carrau-Guiteres)

9. Prolimit Suzuki (Gomez-Olmos-Delgado)

10. Chalon Yamaha, (Boquet-Baker-Giles)

(45 of 57 teams finished)