From a press release:

FAST Riding School adds “Phase R” race school for 2005

12/31/04 Shannonville, Ontario, Canada — FAST Riding School is pleased to announce it will be offering “Phase R,” a new course level that is intended for riders who plan to begin racing in 2005 or licensed racers who would like to improve their abilities.

“Many of the riders who begin racing at Shannonville have already attended our school” said FAST Riding School owner and 3-time Canadian Superbike Champion, Michel Mercier. “But we thought a specialized course for beginning and novice racers would be useful. Phase R will cover topics such as starting, passing and strategy, these are things we don’t concentrate on in our other courses.”

The Phase R courses are scheduled at Shannonville Motorsport Park’s Nelson circuit on April 27 and April 28, 2005. Successfully completing Phase R in April means students will be able to apply for their race license in time to enter the first races of the season which begin in May. Students must supply their own racebikes and riding gear.

More information can be found at the FAST Riding School website at www.fastridingschool.com.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The news last week that Virginia International Raceway had not included an AMA event on its 2005 schedule was met with disappointment from racers.

“It’s a bummer, for sure,” 2004 AMA Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden told Roadracingworld.com. “I always liked going there (VIR). I’ll be disappointed to only have 10 races. We need to keep as many races as we can, and VIR is definitely one of our good tracks. I hope this gets worked out, but it doesn’t look very good.”

“It’s never good to lose races off the schedule,” said American Honda’s Jake Zemke. “It would be nice to see if we can find a replacement or go back to another track twice. If we lost (VIR) and Brainerd in one year, that wouldn’t be good.”

“It’s always disappointing to lose a racetrack,” said 2004 AMA Formula Xtreme Champion Miguel Duhamel. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to replace it, if that does happen.”

With the AMA event at Brainerd International Raceway also listed by the AMA as tentative, due, in part, to the facility being put up for sale, and the possibility that all AMA support classes will not race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca this season, Duhamel was asked what he thought about the possibility of racing AMA Formula Xtreme only eight times in 2005.

“The point structure is made to be tight. They want to keep it tight. If there’s only eight races, if anything it’s just going to make it tighter. Hopefully, no one has a problem,” said Duhamel. “I’m just going to jump into the season. There’s not much I can do about it, personally. All I can do is give it my best effort. I’m going into the season pretty confident that no matter what they throw at us we’re going to have a good season. To this point in my career, I’m pretty much immune to anything they (AMA Pro Racing) could do. I’ve seen pretty much everything. That’s why I’m not anticipating too high or too low. I’m just going to really keep my head down and hope they keep it fair for everybody.”

From a press release:

Visionsports’ Racer University Dates for 2005

“Super” Dave Rosno’s Visionsports, Inc. will have two Visionsports’ Racer University (VRU) programs in 2005.

VRU dates are:

May 26th

August 25th

The location for VRU will be at the recently repaved Blackhawk Farms Raceway in Rockton, Illinois.

Visionsports’ Racer University programs are special small groups of instruction for road racing license holders that do race with regularity. Visionsports’ owner, Dave Rosno states, “It was apparent that there was a difference between a racer that raced with regularity versus more recreationally. This program is for a regular racer that needs that extra bit of input into their set up and riding for regular amateur and expert club racing.”

Enrollees will work with Chief Instructor “Super” Dave Rosno exclusively. Enrollments are limited to eight racers per event.

For more information about Visionsports’ programs, contact Visionsports, Inc. at 262-594-3883

Or at http://www.team-visionsports.com

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Roberto Rolfo has signed to ride in the 2005 MotoGP World Championship on a Dunlop-shod d’Antin Ducati Desmosedici, according to Dorna.

The 24-year-old Italian finished eighth and second in the 2004 and 2003 250cc World Championships, respectively.

Dorna is also reporting that 2003 British Superbike Champion Shane “Shakey” Byrne is a possibility for the second d’Antin Ducati.

Byrne rode in MotoGP for Aprilia in 2004.

Ruben Xaus and Neil Hodgson rode Michelin-equipped d’Antin Ducati Desmosedicis in 2004.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Corona Extra Suzuki intends to race in the AMA Superbike and Superstock classes with Dunlop-shod GSX-R1000s ridden by 22-year-old Brent George in 2005.

“That’s our intention,” Corona Extra Suzuki team principal Tim Saunders told Roadracingworld.com Wednesday. “It’s our intention to stay with what we have done for the last four years. Our deal with Corona is a multi-year affair. We don’t have anything signed with Suzuki yet, but we are expecting our bikes to arrive in the next two weeks. So at least it appears as if things are moving forward there.”

At the 2004 Suzuki Cup Finals at Road Atlanta, George finished third in the GSX-R1000 final, third in the GSX-R750 race and second in the GSX-R600 main event.

Saunders said his team is also speaking to riders to fill a possible second slot on the team.

Corona Extra Suzuki will not be at the AMA team test at Daytona International Speedway January 3-5, 2005.

From a press release issued by Clear Channel Entertainment – Motor Sports:

Suzuki Crossover Challenge

AURORA, Ill. (December 28, 2004) – Clear Channel Entertainment – Motor Sports and American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC) announced today that the eighth-annual Suzuki Crossover Challenge will take place at San Francisco’s SBC Park Saturday, January 29 during the night program of THQ World Supercross GP/THQ AMA Supercross Series. This year’s participants will compete on the widely popular DRZ 110 mini bike.

The Crossover Challenge is comprised of 24 action sport athletes and celebrities who are given the once-in-a-lifetime chance to race on a professional THQ World Supercross GP/THQ AMA Supercross Series track, under the lights and inside one of the most prestigious stadiums in the world.

Last year’s Suzuki Crossover Challenge – for the first time ever – ran during the night program of THQ World Supercross GP/THQ AMA Supercross Series at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium. This year athletes and celebrities will race on the smaller, more adaptable DRZ 110 Suzuki motorcycle, which will make for better racing.

The 24-rider line-up is a three-lap, go-for-broke race that allows the winner to present $1,000 to a charity of his choice.

Action sports athletes and celebrities that would like to register for a place in the Suzuki Crossover Challenge, must submit – via email – a small bio on themselves as well as two letters from editors, stating that they will guarantee – at least – two pages of coverage on the Suzuki Crossover Challenge. Please submit all requests to [email protected].

The Suzuki Crossover Challenge moved from southern California to the bay area to pay tribute to the inaugural Dew Action Sports Tour stop in San Jose, September 8-11, 2005, at HP Pavilion. The Dew Action Sports Tour is the first-ever season-long professional multi-sport tour in action sports.

Supercross LIVE!, the only place on the planet to catch THQ World Supercross GP/THQ AMA Supercross Series live at home, is available for fans at every race, starting at 7:00 p.m. local time at supercross.cc.com. Listen as Supercross LIVE! hosts Jim Holley and Jason Wiegant capture the live race call, a pre-race show, a post-race show, post-race press conference, on-air industry guests and celebrities, in-depth interviews, promotions, call-ins and more. In 2003-2004, more than a half-million listeners logged on to Supercross LIVE!

For more information, or to purchase tickets, please log on to www.sxgp.com, www.ticketmaster.com, www.unlvtickets.com (Las Vegas only), www.tickets.com (San Francisco only). Media requests please contact Denny Hartwig at 630-566-6305 or email at [email protected].

About THQ World Supercross GP(tm)/THQ AMA Supercross Series THQ World Supercross GP is a 17-round global series that is produced and promoted by Clear Channel Entertainment and Dorna Off Road S.L. Riders must compete in the international rounds to be eligible to win the world championship. In 2004-2005, the 17-event THQ World Supercross GP will be comprised of two international events and 15 of the 16 events that are conducted in major cities throughout the United States as a part of the THQ AMA Supercross Series. The other THQ AMA Supercross Series event held in Daytona Beach, Fla., is independently produced by the International Speedway Corporation and is not a part of the THQ World Supercross GP. A THQ AMA Supercross Series rider will be crowned as the national champion for the series of events conducted in the United States only. Clear Channel Entertainment is the largest promoter and producer of live events in the world, with a broad based tradition in the promotion and production of motorcycle racing events. The FIM, Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme, is the body that globally governs motorcycle sport at the world level. Among other matters, the FIM groups together 85 affiliated National Federations relating to the sport of motorcycle racing. AMA Pro Racing is the National Federation representative that sanctions motorcycle-racing events in the United States. Dorna Off Road S.L. is an internationally recognized sports management group established in 1988 with an emphasis on major international motor sports events. Dorna is headquartered in Madrid, Spain with branch offices in Barcelona, London and Tokyo. In addition to its involvement with THQ World Supercross GP, Dorna manages the rights to MotoGP. For more information on THQ World Supercross GP and the THQ AMA Supercross Series, log on to www.supercross.cc.com.

About AMA Pro Racing AMA Pro Racing is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its properties include the THQ AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Motocross Championship, the AMA Superbike Championship, the AMA Progressive Insurance Flat Track Championship and the AMA Supermoto Championship. For more information about AMA Pro Racing, visit www.amaproracing.com

From a press release issued by Safety First Racing:

Safety First Racing is proud to announce their 2005 AMA lineup. In speaking with team owner, Kevin Hanson, he related for 2005, Safety First Racing will be expanding to a three-rider team with backing from American Suzuki again.

“Our mission is to be the cutting edge, support team that grooms, upcoming racers for the manufactures,” stated Hanson. “I provide an environment where quality racers are brought into my program and provided with everything they need to be successful in the AMA. We focus on honing their racecraft, public speaking skills, and innovative marketing of the riders, while providing riders with top level equipment and every tool necessary in a toolbox to be successful. It really gives them an environment where they only have to focus on riding and being a racer,” explained Hanson.

600 Supersport – For 2005, 17-year-old Jesse Janisch will be back racing in the 600 Supersport. “I moved Jesse to 600s in order to really teach him to ride the bike at the limit,” related Hanson. “On the 1000s, Jesse did well, but the big bikes are so unforgiving when you make a mistake. Supersport will be a great environment for him to continue to develop his skills in an ultra-competitive class.”

600 Supersport – Safety First Racing is also proud to announce the addition of Wisconsin resident, Jason Farrell. “I’ve known Jason for several years and was really impressed with his results this year for the limited number of 600 Supersport rounds he competed in,” admitted Hanson. Jason finished 10th in half the rounds of Superpsport he contested. “Additionally, I witnessed how many teething problems and long nights Jason had at the racetrack working on racebikes with a buddy just trying to make the race the next day. I fully expect Jason to turn some heads next year through his determination and being able to focus solely on riding.”

Superstock/Superbike – J.J. Roetlin who hails for Kalona, IA will be focusing on Superstock and also competing in the Superbike class. “I’ve known J.J. for the last three years and have always been impressed with his pleasant nature and tenacity as a racer,” commented Hanson. “J.J. has been one of these guys that has posted some good results during his three-year AMA career, but has never really been able to take it to the next level that he’s capable of. I remember watching J.J. coming down the front straight at Road America last year and watching the bike violently tank slapping lap after lap and he just stayed in it and never gave up. His scenario was typical of every privateer effort, working long hours as a father/son team trying to figure everything out. I’m really looking forward to providing everything J.J. needs to be successful and watching him make it to the next level!”

Crewchief/Jim Rashid of 4 & 6 Performance – “I’m really excited to have Jim on board again and the 4 & 6 crew back at the shop in Chicago, IL. Last year, was the start of a great partnership that continues to grow. Not much needs to be said about Jim. He’s been around the AMA a long time, knows how to compete at the AMA level, win and be competitive. Plus they have a full blown, race shop that can do everything from engine/suspension building, manufacture parts, GMD Computrack and a Factory dyno. The racing aspect of my business is now based out of their shop in Chicago.”

Team owner/manager Kevin Hanson – “I really feel like I’m luckiest man in the world with the coolest job because I’ve found a way to create the perfect job around what I love doing -racing and working with kids. My business is now based out of downtown Chicago and for next year my role is to handle all of the marketing/promotion/management of the team and ‘Safety First’ helmet program.

“Promotional wise, we will continue with school/youth presentations of our ‘Safety First’ helmet program. However, I’m proud to announce we will be branching out and doing large scale, promotional events in malls and movie theaters.

“This allows Safety First Racing and its sponsors to reach all demographics of people from kids through adults. Malls are a perfect venue because you can reach all age groups and people are there killing time hanging out and shopping. What better way to promote our sponsors and Safety First Racing,” related Hanson. “I’ve already got venues set where I can reach more people in one day at a mall than the largest attended AMA race weekend!”

Sponsorship – “We are continually negotiating sponsorship deals but wanted to announce our confirmed sponsors for next year. We will be returning with American Suzuki, 1-800-MOTORCYCLE, and Armour bodies bodywork. However, we are proud to announce new partnerships with AGV leathers, Virtual Bodyshop, and Kicker car stereo equipment. Currently, we are finishing negotiations with a large, corporate sponsor that will be a great opportunity from outside the motorcycle industry,” concluded Hanson.

Those wishing to contact Safety First Racing can contact Kevin Hanson at 217-493-3811 or [email protected]

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Two-time AMA 750cc Supersport/Superstock Champion Jimmy Moore is scheduled to be a guest instructor at the Advanced Roadracing School at Arroyo Seco Raceway, near Deming, New Mexico, February 12-13, 2005.

The two-day school is limited to 15 students to obtain a five-to-one student-to-instructor ratio.

For more information, call 505-494-4796 or go to www.arroyosecoraceway.com.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Hal’s Performance Advantage, the speed shop located within Hal’s Harley-Davidson/Buell near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has plans to test and race a Formula Xtreme Buell XB12R with Mike Ciccotto at Daytona International Speedway.

“We’ve definitely got plans,” Hal’s Performance Advantage Team Manager Jim Winters told Roadracingworld.com Wednesday. “We will test at the tire test next week, and we will race in the Daytona 200. From there, we will have to see what happens with money and stuff as to whether or not we will be able to do the rest of the season.”

Erik Buell, founder and Chief Technical Officer of Buell Motorcycle Company, recently told Roadracingworld.com that his company would not be able to support its Buell dealer-based AMA Formula Xtreme race teams as it had in past years.

Winters said his crew intends to do durability testing on its Buell and evaluate Pirelli tires at Daytona next week. The team’s XB12R is close to the same specification as it ended the 2004 AMA season (including the new V-Force air intake system introduced at the Road Atlanta round), according to Winters, except for a few “internal modifications” to increase reliability.

Hal’s Performance Advantage’s Formula USA Thunderbike rider Dan Bilansky will also attend the test at Daytona.

Innovative Motorcycle Research’s Rich Cronrath, which ran Michael Barnes on a Buell XB12R in the 2004 AMA Formula Xtreme series, did not have any solid plans to announce at post time but said he may race Formula Xtreme with Barnes on a dealer-supported Buell in 2005.