From a press release issued by California Race Services owner Jerry Jirkovsky:

California Race Services will be at Willow Springs for Round 12 of the WSMC race series on December 17-19. Unlike Pirelli I will honor my obligation to my sponsored riders and customers till the end of the year.

Bridgestone will continue to be represented by California Race Services with their full line of tires–slicks, DOTs and rains.

At this time I would like to thank California Race Services sponsored Jack Pfeifer for his historic fourth-place finish at the Daytona 200, making him the highest-finishing Pirelli rider ever!

I would also like to thank Josh Herrin for his USGPRU 125cc GP National Championship on Bridgestone Slicks supplied by California Race Services.

New contact info: e-mail [email protected] or cell (714) 642-2252



See related post:

12/10/2004
California Race Services No Longer A Pirelli Race Tire Distributor

From a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

ALSTARE SWITCH TO WSB IN 2005

Team Suzuki Press Office – December 11, 2004.

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra is aiming for World Superbike Championship victory next year with two new riders and a brand new GSX-R1000 Suzuki.

After several seasons in World Supersport, the Francis Batta-managed squad has signed Australian Troy Corser and Japan’s Yukio Kagayama for their return to the prestigious class.

Corser, who set the fastest time during three days of testing at Valencia in Spain recently – on a 2003-model GSX-R1000 against the latest bikes – can’t wait to race the Alstare-prepared 2005 machine.

He said: “I am really looking forward to my new challenge with Team Alstare in 2005. For many years I have been impressed with their skilful set-up and structure, their professionalism and now I am working with them. I cannot wait to get my leg over the 2005 GSX-R1000 Suzuki. It is a fabulous looking machine and, as it is bound to be an improvement over the previous model, I am sure that I will be able to do the business with it. After all, the previous bike managed to win several AMA titles in America and also the British Superbike Championship, so we know it’s a great bike.

“I am very happy to have a couple of my old mechanics from 2000 and 2001 with me in the team and feel that we now have the complete package to win the title. I know the 2005 GSX-R1000 is an all-new bike and we will all have to get used to it, but I am not looking at 2005 as a learning year with the bike – I am looking to take the title!

“After the past couple of years, it’s hard for me to explain how fired up I am about 2005 and the prospects ahead. I know I have the ability to win and, with the tremendous support of Francis Batta and the whole Alstare team, I expect to be holding the trophy at the end of the year.”

Kagayama, who raced his Rizla GSX-R1000 Suzuki into third place in this season’s British Superbike Championship, is also excited about his new challenge.

He said: “I am very happy to be competing in the World Superbike Championship, which is the most prestigious race series for production bikes. Above all, I feel very happy and lucky to be in Team Alstare led by Mr Francis Batta. His team is very professional, full of experience and is always one of the strongest teams in the paddock. I am looking forward to working with them and feel sure that my previous experience will be to the team’s advantage.

“I am very excited about riding the 2005 Suzuki GSX-R1000. The GSX-R1000 has always been a highly competitive bike as proved in the winning of numerous titles in the USA and British Superbike Championships. I believe that the all-new 2005 GSX-R1000 will be more competitive than the previous bike and, with it, I feel sure I can fulfil the expectations of Team Alstare and all the fans who support me.

“My team-mate Troy-San won the World Superbike Championship in 1996 and he is a great rider and fierce competitor. I will do my best to match his ability, but my goal is to beat him and bring the world title to Alstare!”

Francis Batta, who will run the team with support from Suzuki’s European distributor, Suzuki International Europe, said: “All of us at Alstare are delighted to be back in the World Superbike Championship and there is a real buzz of excitement about our prospects next year.

“We are all very happy to have former World Superbike Champion Troy Corser riding for us and his wealth of experience is going to be a tremendous asset to the team.

“Yukio Kagayama is new to us, but we have heard many good things about him so we are looking forward to starting our relationship. He is a character and much liked by the fans and I think he and Troy are going to be a great combination. Yukio will have to learn most of the circuits, but I am sure he is going to push hard right from the start.

“The new GSX-R1000 Suzuki has only been seen in a couple of bike shows but it has already caused a great deal of interest worldwide. The previous bike was good enough to win both the British and American Superbike Championships this year and the new bike promises to be even better.

“We at Alstare are doing all the work on the GSX-R1000 ourselves and we have taken on extra staff to make sure our bike will be in the best possible shape and condition for Troy and Yukio. Now we are waiting for the Championship to begin and the winning to start!”

From a newsletter issued by Calabogie Motorsports Park:

On October 12th, 2004, the Council of the Township of Greater Madawaska passed the third and final reading of the re-zoning amendment for the new Calabogie MotorSports Park. This was a significant and pivotal step towards the completion of the new road course. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their inquiries, suggestions, and words of encouragement over the past eighteen months, and update you on recent events and new initiatives. Construction is nearing completion, with final grading being completed in October, safety systems being installed in early November, and a projected paving date of mid-to-late May, 2005. The polymer asphalt surface being used has a cure time of approximately two months, taking us to an opening date of July 2005.

As scheduling for the 2005 season is currently under way, we’d like to give everyone the opportunity to include Calabogie MotorSports Park in their calendars for the upcoming season. Tentative booking dates can be reserved for August 1st, 2005, and will be at an introductory rate for the shortened season. As an incentive to prospective clients, a pair of invitations to CMP’s exclusive pre-opening test weekend will accompany each rental for the 2005 season. All rental inquiries can be emailed to:

[email protected]

Please take this opportunity to explore our new website at www.calabogiemotorsports.com. Highlights include more detailed specifications on the track, unique video footage, updated pictures of the track, and a video game being designed for CMP.

We look forward to seeing everyone in Calabogie for the 2005 season!

www.calabogiemotorsports.com

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

American racer Brian Livengood, whose AMA Superbike career ended when a Dunlop rear tire exploded and sent him into a concrete wall at Road Atlanta in May, 2003, was featured in an advertising campaign recently run by the New Zealand Teknic Leathers distributor.

A full-page color ad for Teknic in the October 2004 issue of Kiwi Motorcycle Rider magazine featured two photos of Livengood wearing Teknic leathers and riding a KWS Motorsports GSX-R1000 Superbike.

Livengood has not raced a full-sized motorcycle since his crash, in which he suffered spinal injuries. Livengood suffered through a lengthy hospitalization and surgery to fuse several vertebra. He has since ridden in amateur minibike events.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

According to local news reports, Arizona Motorsports Park hopes to resolve its zoning problems and reopen.

Read about it here:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1210wvracetrack10.html

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Racer Jason Pridmore visited orthopedic surgeon Art Ting November 22 to have two plates and about 16 screws removed from his lower left leg.

The plates were related to Pridmore’s crashes at Road Atlanta in 2001 and at VIR in 2003.

Pridmore told Roadracingworld.com today that he still has one small plate in the leg, related to the 2001 crash, because it would have been too traumatic to remove it.

From a press release issued by Pirelli:

CALIFORNIA RACE SERVICES NO LONGER PIRELLI WEST-COAST RACE-TIRE DISTRIBUTOR

(Rome, GA) Pirelli’s motorcycle tire division has announced that, effective immediately, California Race Services is no longer a licensed Pirelli race-tire distributor.

West-coast racers are asked to direct all Pirelli race-tire requests and inquiries to Josh Bryan at Tigershark Racing at 503-358-5704 in Portland, Oregon until a replacement vendor is named sometime within the next 60 days.

From a press release:

MICHELIN ADAPTS ITS MOTORSPORT DEPARTMENT ORGANISATION

In the light of Pierre Dupasquier’s forthcoming retirement in 2006 and wishing to ensure maximum levels of continuity and efficiency following his departure, Michelin has made the following changes to its motorsport organisation:

• Monsieur Frédéric Henry-Biabaud, who joined the motorsport group at the beginning of 2003 as Deputy Director, will replace Pierre Dupasquier as Director of Motorsport at the
end of the 2005 season.

• The motorsport group is made up of five departments:
o Rallying, headed by Aimé Chatard
o Motorcycling, headed by Nicolas Goubert
o Endurance Racing, headed by Matthieu Bonardel
o Rally Raids, headed by Aimé Chatard
o Formula One

Regarding the Formula One department, Pascal Vasselon has been promoted to a new position in North America following 10 years in the motorsport group and will take up his functions from April 2005. Mr Nick Shorrock will take over the responsibility of the Formula One department from January 2005, with Monsieur Patrick Cohen assisting him as Technical Manager.

Englishman Nick Shorrock will be responsible for Formula One operations, the performance of the Formula One department, and in particular relations with Michelin’s partner teams. In addition, he will be responsible for promoting the company’s position concerning the evolution of future tyre regulations, a key factor in Michelin’s participation in Formula One. His experience in managing international teams within Michelin in the UK, Japan and France will be a key asset in this function.

Monsieur Patrick Cohen has vast experience within Michelin’s Technology Centre. A Doctor of macromolecular chemistry, he has held various important positions in the field of materials – including some destined for competition use – in tyre casing design and tyre development, and in the field of vehicle/tyre dynamics. He will help forge even closer links between the innovations made in Formula One and the other activities of the Technology Centre, bearing in mind that motorsport is a formidable test and research platform for enriching the Group’s pool of technical knowledge for its commercial products.

Commenting on the recent decisions, Motorsport Director Pierre Dupasquier said: “I am very happy to see that we are putting teams into place early enough to whom I can pass the torch, therefore guaranteeing the quality of service that we owe all our partners and the continuity of Michelin in racing.”