From a press release:

Victory The Number One Aim For Nikon Yamaha Factory Racing Team As End Of An Era Looms

No matter what the outcome of the Flexirider Formula Xtreme TT meeting at Eastern Creek this weekend (November 26-28), it will be a sombre occasion for the Nikon Yamaha Factory Racing Team as it will be the last appearance for the outfit that has set the standard in Australian road racing for so many to follow.

It is with deep regret that Nikon Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager, Steve Trinder, has announced that the partnership between himself and Yamaha has come to a close but obviously the team will desire to go out with a dominant victory in both the Formula Xtreme and Supersport classes.

“We are very disappointed to see the alliance come to an end but it was purely a business decision. We couldn’t come to a satisfactory agreement with Yamaha so we have decided to exit the sport.

“In the past three years we have tipped in, well in excess of $1 million and we were not prepared to keep pouring money in. It is as simple as that. We were having negotiations for some time now but in the end we couldn’t agree to terms, so that’s it.

“I would also like to state emphatically that there is definitely no animosity between ourselves and Yamaha. As I said, it’s purely a business decision.

“The folk at Yamaha have been exceptional during the past three years. We have enjoyed a simply wonderful relationship and have attained a remarkable amount of success for both Yamaha and ourselves. There is no way that there is any problem between us; it’s just the way sport is becoming.

“It’s also disappointing that we will no longer be testing the variety of riders that I had envisaged a few weeks ago. I apologise to all those riders I had pencilled in but there is no point to be wasting anyone’s time now that this has come about.”

Defending “King of Xtreme”, Daniel Stauffer, will compete in both the premier classes aboard the Yamaha YZF-R1 and R6 while the rider of the second R1 in the Formula Xtreme class will be 17-year-old South African, Sheridan Morais, who this year was runner-up in his domestic Superbike Championship at his first attempt.

It will be a tall order for both riders, as both will have an uphill battle to gain supremacy.

For Daniel it will be his first ride back since having further surgery on his shoulder that he originally fractured during private practice for the third round of the Australian Superbike Championships at Winton in May.

Since then he has undergone the surgeon’s knife again after the bone failed to knit and the screws were pulled out due to the forces inflicted during the subsequent meetings – including the Suzuka 8-hour in July – before his doctor ordered the extra bout of surgery.

As for Morais he has to learn the Eastern Creek layout on an unfamiliar bike with a new team.

This overall situation will no doubt add to the determination of all concerned to ensure that the Nikon Yamaha Factory Racing Team flag will be flying high come Sunday afternoon

“It will not detract from our usual commitment of aiming to win every race the Nikon Yamaha Factory Racing Team enters,” said Steve Trinder.

“The team will be trying that extra bit harder as well, I think, as we all know that this will be the last time we all work together. No matter what happens it will be the end of an era for the team that has surpassed many expectations in the short time it has been in existence.

“My brother, Craig, and I can walk away from this sport with our heads held high as to what we have achieved. Not only have we attained great success on the track over the past three years with our riders, Daniel Stauffer, Kevin Curtain, Brendan Clarke and Shannon Johnson but I feel we have lifted the level of professionalism and presentation of road racing in this country.

“We hope that we have left a legacy of the professionalism needed to take this wonderful sport to the next level.

“Now that it’s all over we can go and enjoy our second favourite past-time which is fishing and I hope to catch up with Kevin Curtain during his off season and head out for some fun on the water.

“Again I would just like to thank Yamaha and everyone else that has been a part of this remarkable journey and look forward to capping it off with more success this weekend.”

From a press release:

American teen Garrett Carter plans to contest the Spanish CEV National 125cc Grand Prix Series in 2005, following an initial foray into the series last weekend at Jerez.

The field of 70 qualifiers was split into two races, and Carter finished 15th in the second, consolation race, passing five riders and improving his times by six seconds a lap.

His father, racer Stuart Carter, is now talking to several European teams to find Garrett a ride.

From a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:

GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM FINISHES 2004 WITH POSITIVE TEST IN SEPANG

The Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team rounded off its championship-winning 2004 season today with a third and final day of testing in Sepang. Valentino Rossi and his 2005 team-mate Colin Edwards enjoyed another hot and dry day at the Malaysian circuit and now head off for a well-earned winter break.

World Champion Valentino Rossi completed 44 laps, once again spending time refining the set-up of the 2004-spec M1. He also completed a long distance run on the new 2005-spec prototype version of the bike. Rossi posted his fastest time of the three-day test today with a lap of 2:02.35.

Speaking after the test, Rossi said, “We’ve been working on the new bike lots during these three days; it seems we do more and more testing every year, and start even earlier! Yamaha has put in a lot of effort to bring this bike here and enable us to start work on it in the right direction for next year, so it was very important for me to be here.

“Not every part of this prototype bike is new, but Yamaha has changed a lot. We are aiming for more stability in the rear end, but we want to keep the sweet handling. We are also looking for a little more horsepower; as everyone knows, which is one area we need to improve on. We’re still not quite there yet, but Yamaha’s engineers will continue this work during the winter and then I am sure we will be nearer our goal when we meet again in January. I’m now looking forward to a long holiday!”

Colin Edwards rode just 13 laps today on the 2004-spec bike, finishing his day early having completed the work he set out to do during the test. He posted a best lap of 2:04.31.

Team Director Davide Brivio commented, “We are pleased with the progress we’ve made during this test. In January we will start to work more specifically on set-up of the new bike. We were fortunate to be able to enjoy good weather during this test; at 6pm today it started to rain heavily, so we were very lucky!

“The team has been working very well together during this test. We are looking forward to continuing the work we have begun here when we reconvene in January. It has been a fantastic season for all those involved in the project, and everyone has worked very hard to make it a success. Now I hope that they all enjoy a very relaxing holiday, before we arrive back here in January to continue the hard work!”

The team will return to the Sepang circuit to recommence its winter test schedule on 22 January.

TIMES:

Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2:02.35 (44 laps)
Colin Edwards (Yamaha) 2:04.31 (13 laps)

From a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda/Gresini Racing:

FIRST DAY OF TESTING FOR THE TEAM TEELFONICA MOVISTAR HONDA

Marco Melandri made his debut on Honda at Jerez

The Team Telefonica MoviStar Honda started today a three day test session on the Spanish circuit of Jerez in a sunny day with temperatures that we usually find here in spring.

Today was a special day for Marco Melandri as the Italian made his debut on the RCV211V with the team run by Fausto Gresini. Together with his chief Mechanic, Fabrizio Cecchini, the 22 year old Italian rider, started today to adjust the bike to his way of riding in order to find the best balance of the bike.

MARCO MELANDRI expressed satisfaction and seemed very motivated for the new adventure that has started today:

“I’m very happy, today everything was new but, from the beginning, I had very good feelings. The RC211V is completely different from the bike I was riding last year so I didn’t push hard. I just wanted to start to know the bike and adjust my usual way of riding to the new bike. I was particularly impressed by the power of the engine of Honda, it is incredible!

Fabrizio Cecchini, my new chief mechanic has helped me, we have worked a lot on my position of the seat. I’m very happy because every time we made some changes, my feeling with the bike improved. I have shared my first impressions also with my team mate, Sete Gibernau, I’m lucky because he is a very good point of reference.”

SETE GIBERNAU : “Today we have done a good job starting from the bike we have used during this season. We are analyzing all the material we have at disposal in order to create a basis on which we can start to work for the next year. “

In total Sete made 57 laps, 1:41.685 his best time.

Marco Melandri completed 66 laps, 1:42.468 his best time

The Test continues tomorrow and Friday.


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI DESMOSEDICI MAKES FURTHER PROGRESS AT JEREZ

Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), 24 November 2004 – Further progress was made by the Ducati Marlboro Team on the second day of testing at Jerez, which sees the Italian squad working with its new Bridgestone tyres.

In excellent weather conditions (air 21°C/track 27°C), Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa continued to rack up the mileage with the Japanese tyres as well as focus on further set-up work and the first results have been truly encouraging.

In completing exactly the same number of laps as his race number (65), Capirossi set the quickest time of the day in 1:41.150 and demonstrated that he is rapidly getting used to the new tyres and the progress made by the Desmosedici.

The Italian rider confirmed yesterday’s positive impressions and said he was particularly pleased with the feeling reached in just two days’
testing with the new Bridgestone tyres.

Race tyres were used exclusively throughout the day and Loris completed a series of laps at around the 1:41 mark.

“I’m really satisfied, things are going pretty well for our first time out,” declared Loris. “We are continuing to work with the new frame and the new swing-arm and the bike is improving every time it goes out. Despite it being only the second day with Bridgestone tyres, the feeling is already good and I am appreciating their working method. This is an
excellent starting point to prepare for the new season”.

Good lap times were also recorded by new team-mate Carlos Checa, who was second quickest today with a time of 1:41.314 in his 68 laps. As the
lap times demonstrate, the Spanish rider also seems to be rapidly adapting to his new Bridgestone-shod Desmosedici.

The Jerez session was also positive for Régis Laconi, on his second day of testing with the ‘laboratory’ Desmosedici, and the Frenchman
completed 60 laps with a best time of 1:43.312. Régis continued development work with new electronic components, to the satisfaction of
both himself and Ducati Corse engineers.

“I am really pleased with the way things have gone today” declared Filippo Preziosi, Ducati Corse Technical Director, present at Jerez. “The last time we were here, for the GP, we were in a difficult period and our results were not living up to expectations. Just a few months later we can see today that both riders are lapping at a good pace, and this demonstrates that our bike has improved a lot throughout the season. We knew that it was going to be a difficult decision to take but at the same time one with great potential, and the first results are
confirmation. There is still a lot of work to do, but days like today are important for everyone! A big thanks to the guys back in the
factory. This year has been a tough one, but they have always demonstrated great responsibility and devotion!”

Tomorrow the Ducati Marlboro Team will complete the third and final day of this week’s testing at the Jerez circuit.

From a press release issued by Honda Racing:

MotoGP test Jerez, Spain November 24, 2004. Day 1

Hayden fastest Honda rider on opening day of Jerez test

On a bright and sunny day in Jerez, Spain many of the leading lights of grand prix racing tested the latest winter developments as they begin the long arduous preparations for the 2005 season. Day one of the three-day test was held in almost ideal conditions with the ambient temperatures reaching 22 degrees C.

Honda MotoGP riders were at Jerez to test all aspects of the rolling chassis seeking the ideal combination of suspension, tyres and the latest chassis developments based on data acquired at the Valencia test session earlier this month.

American Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda) set the pace putting in 91-laps of the 4.423km Jerez circuit finishing with a fastest lap time of 1m 41.377s, half a second faster than his qualifying time at the Spanish GP held at the circuit last May.

Hayden started the test with his new-look team under the guidance of New Zealander Pete Benson the team concentrating on finding a good base setting before an extensive tyre test with Michelin tomorrow.

The Telefonica MoviStar Honda Team are at Jerez and took the opportunity to parade new boy Marco Melandri. The 22-year old Italian, from Ravenna, 250cc World Champion in 2002, replaces the departed Colin Edwards.

Melandri made his debut on the 5-cylinder, 990cc 4-stroke Honda RCV211V for the team run by Fausto Gresini. Under the watchful eye of chief mechanic Fabrizio Cecchini the young Italian rider opted for a steady step by step day making his acquaintance with the RCV. Once he had found a set up he was comfortable with Melandri completed 66-laps setting a best time of 1m 42.468s.

Melandri’s experienced Honda teammate, world number two Sete Gibernau, quickly set about assessing the latest development parts in order to find the best base set up for his RCV in readiness for two further days of intense evaluation.

The all-new JiR Honda team took their first step into MotoGP racing at Jerez today. Running under the name of Konica Minolta Honda Team with Makoto Tamada riding their RC211V Honda the team made a confident start. The day was particularly revealing for Tamada who tested the RCV using Michelin tyres for the first time in his GP career. Tamada put in 69-laps and was delighted with the results setting his best ever lap time at Jerez at 1m 41.9s.

Jerez test times on day one.

Nicky Hayden: 1m 41.377s – 91 laps.
“Pretty solid first day really. It’s been a few weeks since we’ve been on a bike and it’s nice to get back. The weather has been great today, which has been positive. Almost every time I’ve been here in the past it seems to have rained. After the race last year was the first real time I have ridden here in the dry. We got through a lot today; some things we liked some not so much. We’ve got a lot of things to get through in three days here. The thing in testing is not to get too mixed up. We have to look at what’s going on and figure out what is working well and what is not working so well. The new team seems to be getting along just fine. Early days yet but a change was definitely needed.”

Sete Gibernau: 1m 41.685s – 57-laps.
“Today we have done a good job starting from the bike we have used during this season. We are analyzing all the material we have at our disposal in order to create a basis on which we can start to work for the next year.”

Marco Melandri: 1m 42.468s – 66-laps.
“I’m very happy, today everything was new but, from the beginning, I had very good feelings. The RC211V is completely different from the bike I was riding last year so I didn’t push hard. I just wanted to start to know the bike and adjust my usual way of riding to the new bike. I was particularly impressed by the power of the engine of the Honda, it is incredible! Fabrizio Cecchini, my new chief mechanic has helped me, we have worked a lot on my position of the seat. I’m very happy because every time we made some changes, my feeling with the bike improved. I have shared my first impressions also with my team mate, Sete Gibernau, I’m lucky because he is a very good point of reference.”

Makoto Tamada: 1m 41.9s – 69-laps.
“This first test is very important for our team and I will concentrate on testing the RCV with Michelin tyres. So far I’m very happy with tyre performance, I have a really good feeling on the bike. We have two more days testing and I’m confident we will improve even more.”



JiR the new 2005 MotoGP challenge

JiR announces the beginning of his activity in the MotoGP World Championship, the top class of the motorcycle racing. JiR (Japan Italy Racing) is the company managed by Tetsuo Iida, whom up until 2002 was the President of Honda Europe NV, and the Italian Managing Director Luca Montiron. The team will be geared up to compete at the top in the MotoGP category.

Makoto Tamada will be the rider for JiR in the 2005 season. This talented Japanese, who has achieved two victories and three pole positions, making his mark as a new star in the past season, will have at his disposal a Honda RC211V with Michelin tyres.

The prestigious worldwide Japanese company Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. will join JiR as “title sponsor” of the team will be known as the “Konica Minolta Honda Team”.

Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. was established in August 2003 through integration of Konica Corporation and Minolta Co., Ltd. The Group is a global company with 37,000 employees, providing a variety of products ranging from digital cameras and films for consumers, copy machines, medical instruments and printing products for businesses, to devices including optical pickup lenses.

Tetsuo Iida, JiR President: “The announcement of this time is very important for me, because it means the realisation of the challenging spirit I have learnt in Honda for a long time. I appreciate very much the support of the two important global companies Konica Minolta and Honda. I hope we will realise every time an excitement race for all the people loves motorcycle racing. Our objective in the creation of JiR is surly an important one and it will require a particular full dedication. The title of World Champion is our sincere goal”.

Luca Montiron, JiR Managing Director: “I am proud of what we have achieved in such a short time, all this is thanks to the support of Konica Minolta and Honda Racing. It is now the moment to do our best effort to create a good organisation and to produce the best results. I am sure that the direction taken are the right one and I strongly feel that Makoto has matured a lot in the past two seasons. He has to be considered now as ready to reach always the top positions. The technical direction of the team will be headed by the engineer Giulio Bernardelle. The team will consist of a mix of Japanese and Italian technicians”.

Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda rider: “I’m not able to wait any more to begin this new challenge. I feel very lucky to have this level of infrastructure exclusively dedicated to me. It will be a very demanding season for sure, but I have a great motivation and I’m sure we will be able to reach important results by the technical packet we have at our disposal

From a press release:

Sponsorship Opportunities:

Ricci Motorsports, Inc. is accepting racing resumes for support with R-Tech Racing Fuels. Interested parties should email resumes to
[email protected] or snail mail to: Racer Support
Ricci Motorsports, Inc.
22626-87th Ave. SE, Bldg. #3
Woodinville, WA 98077

From a press release issued by Infineon Raceway:

Thanksgiving Food Drive Nets Record Donation for FISH

SONOMA, Calif. – Infineon Raceway made a record donation of nearly 2,000 pounds of non-perishable food items to Friends in Sonoma Helping (FISH) following the facility’s 4th annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. The amount marked one of the largest single donations FISH will receive this Thanksgiving.

The record-setting donation was raised with the help of partners Destination RKA in Healdsburg, Froggy 92.9 FM (Santa Rosa) and 10 Northern California Mary’s Pizza Shack locations. Sonoma Gourmet of Cotati (www.sonomgourmet.com) also made a generous donation of 850 bottles of gourmet spaghetti sauce.

Infineon Raceway has donated more than 5,000 pounds of non-perishable food items since 2000 to FISH, which will assist needy Sonoma Valley residents during the holiday season with food baskets and daily meals. For more information on FISH, which has served the Sonoma Valley since 1970, please call (707) 996-0111.

Individuals who donated at least four non-perishable food items were rewarded with a ticket voucher for admission to qualifying for the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown on Friday, May 13, 2005.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

My 1998 Black Pace enclosed 6×14 enclosed trailer was stolen from my driveway last night or early this morning. Colorado tag #E124088, Colorado Springs Police Department case #044250.

It is a Pace Cargo Sport with lots of motorcycle stickers on the ramp door (KTM, Laguna Seca, Hallett, PRO, My Toy Store, etc.), a side-entry door and a spare tire mounted to the front of the trailer (on the tongue), white rims.

It was locked and had all my gear in it.

Please help me get my trailer back.

Jeff Gray
Colorado Springs, Colorado
(719)532-9812



And now, an update:

Thanks guys, but the police recovered it (only because the thief hit another car and disabled his Jeep Cherokee so bad he had to abandon it and my trailer–now full of someone else’s stuff–on the street), thus the CSPD to the rescue.

Everyone says I am very lucky to get it back, don’t know the status of the gear, it’s been a long 36 hours.

I appreciate your efforts. You guys are my first visit every morning, even in the off-season.

Jeff Gray
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Willow Springs Raceway owner Bill Huth fired WSMC Race Director Danny Farnsworth on Monday morning, the day after Farnsworth decided to cancel 15 of 18 WSMC races and send racers home half-an-hour before winds abated and the weather cleared, without consulting with Willow Springs Raceway management.

Racers faced cold temperatures, blowing winds, spitting rain and snow flurries between the time the first race of the day left the grid and when the decision was made to call it a day. Three races were run, and all three were red-flagged for crashes. A crash in practice and another in a race had oiled sections of the racetrack. At least one rider fell on the warm-up lap for a race, and ambient temperatures fluctuated between the 30s and 40s before the cancellation.

But the weather cleared up, the winds stopped blowing and the ambient temperature rose shortly after Farnsworth announced that the day was over, before 2:00 p.m.

Huth, who was on site during the race weekend and who owns not only the racetrack but also WSMC, felt he should have been consulted and that the decision should have been delayed to see if conditions improved enough to run more races.

Which they did.

At post time, RoadracingWorld.com was unable to reach Farnsworth for comment.

More information will be posted as it becomes available.