From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM MAKES DEBUT APPEARANCE WITH BRIDGESTONE TYRES

Jerez de La Frontera, 22 November 2004 – Following the announcement of a collaboration agreement with Bridgestone to take part in the 2005 MotoGP World Championship, the Ducati Marlboro Team will be taking to the track this week for its first appearance with the Japanese manufacturer’s tyres. Three days of testing at the Jerez circuit in Spain will be the first, important test session for this new partnership in preparation for the 2005 season. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the Ducati Marlboro Team will be present with its two factory riders, Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa, to work on the set-up of the bike and to gain confidence with the new tyres.

This is also a significant debut for the Italian team for purely emotional reasons. “Tomorrow will be a really special day” declared Livio Suppo, Ducati Marlboro Team director. “For the first time our riders will test the Desmosedici on Bridgestone tyres and we will start to work with our new partner in preparation for next season. It will be the first appearance for the new partnership, with new faces in the pit garage, and after two years of close and constructive collaboration in MotoGP, it will be a strange feeling not to have Michelin technicians working alongside us. We must however now concentrate on 2005 and take advantage of every lap on the track to give the Desmosedici the possibility of recovering from 2004 and expressing the enormous potential of this fantastic bike. We have three days of testing here at Jerez and two more next week at Valencia. Let’s hope that the good weather gives us a hand so that Loris and Carlos can get used to the new tyres and work in the best possible way.”

Immediately after the Jerez tests the Ducati Marlboro Team will remain in Spain, this time at the Valencia circuit, where on November 29 and 30 it will be continuing testing work in preparation for the 2005 season. At Jerez and Valencia, in addition to Capirossi and Checa, the World Superbike championship runner-up Régis Laconi will also be present in the unusual role of test-rider with the Ducati Corse development team Desmosedici.

“In these last tests of 2004 we will also be helped by Régis Laconi” concluded Suppo. “Régis has considerable experience in GP and for this reason we asked him to give us a hand in these tests. Loris and Carlos will focus on tyres, while he will work with the development team engineers on several new components for the GP5, components which have already been tested by Vittoriano Guareschi and which will be tried out by Régis to speed up the development of the Desmosedici before being given to Loris and Carlos. The presence of Régis in our development team is purely one-off and Vittoriano will continue to be the official test-rider next year again for the Ducati Marlboro Team.”

From a press release issued by Ducati North America:

LIMITED EDITION DUCATI 999R FILA NOW AVAILABLE

In honor of James Toseland’s recent World Superbike Championship, Ducati is proud to offer a special edition 999R Fila.

To commemorate Ducati’s 14 WSBK Championships and Toseland’s recent victory, Ducati is offering a replica of the 2004 winning 999R Fila.

The 999R Fila is an exquisitely crafted machine built with the lightest materials and finest components found anywhere in the world. For information about ordering one of these limited edition bikes, please contact your local Ducati dealer. There will only be 75 of these motorcycles for sale in North America.

Technical Highlights:
. . Based on the 2004 999R
. . Full Fila/Ducati Corse WSBK graphics, preinstalled and clear-coated
. . Carbon fiber side and upper fairing
. . WSBK-inspired braced swingarm
. . Deep-sump, short-stroke 999R engine with 146 hp
. . Magnesium head covers and headlight support
. . Ohlins front fork with radial calipers, Ohlins rear shock, and
Ohlins steering damper
. . Forged aluminum wheels
. . Price: $24,995 MSRP (USD)

999R Fila Styling
This model has the same design as the 999, but all the bodywork parts are formed from exotic carbon fiber. The choice of carbon fiber is part of the specific effort to reduce weight, which also led to the adoption of magnesium for several components, including the front headlight support. To finish off the exclusive design of the 999R Fila there is a limited edition numbered plate, affixed to the top triple clamp.

Chassis
True to its racing inspired origins, the 999R Fila is fitted with the best possible components. The Marchesini wheels are made from forged aluminum alloy. This is the same process used in the production of racing wheels, creating a wheel of higher torsional rigidity and lower weight. The wheels on the 999R Fila 2004 weigh 3.2 kilos less than those of the 999 and 999S, and one kilo less than the previous R series model. This means a marked reduction in the un-sprung weight and the moment of inertia, which improves handling.

Like the wheels, the brake and suspension systems are top-of-the-line race quality products. The brake system consists of discs mounted further outward for better cooling, radial mounted four piston/four pad brake calipers, and brake master cylinders with an integrated reservoir. The rear shock absorber and fork are by Ohlins, adjustable for pre-load, plus rebound and compression damping. The 43-millimeter diameter fork stanchions have a titanium-nitride treatment for improved suspension. This model also comes equipped with a fully adjustable Ohlins steering damper.

Engine
The Testastretta engine fitted in the 999R Fila chassis is a racing inspired upgrade to the base model 999. Bore has been increased from 100mm to 104mm while stroke has been reduced from 63.5mm to 58mm At the same time, the compression ratio has been increased, from the 11.4:1 of the 999 and 999S to 12.3:1. The result of these changes is a power output of 139 Hp at 10,000 RPM with 80 ft-lbs of torque at 8,000 RPM. These results have been achieved while still utilizing a catalytic exhaust system in accordance with the Euro2 standard for street-legal motorcycles.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

(Listed in chronological order)

APRILIA CHALLENGE (All Aprilia RS250)
1. Patrick Tracey
2. Kris Provost
3. Jamie Lenore
4. Robert Gosney
5. Peter Esquivel
6. David Steinhoff

VINTAGE HEAVYWEIGHT DINOSAURS
1. James Dobson (Yam)
2. Scott Fabbro (Suz GS750)
3. Russ Lomanto (Hon)
4. Ed Milich (Moto Guzzi)

BATTLE OF THE TWINS LIGHTWEIGHT
1. Jim Rau (MZ)
2. Michael Gougis (Kaw EX500)
3. Tom Nichols (Kaw EX500)
4. Steve Baker (Yam)

GRAVES MOTORSPORTS 650cc SUPERBIKE
1. Will Eikenberry (Kaw 636 ZX-6R)
2. Michael Beck (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Marc Palazzo (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Mickey Lane (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Chad Lewin (Suz GSX-R600)
6. Sam Carnibucci (Yam YZF-R6)

SANTA BARBERA MOTORSPORTS BATTLE OF THE TWINS MIDDLEWEIGHT
1. Richy Headley (Duc 749R)
2. Michael Sirolli (Duc 748)
3. Kurt Spencer (Suz SV650)
4. Bradley Adams (Suz SV650)
5. Tim Martinez (Suz SV650)
6. Kurt Whittington (Suz SV650)

VINTAGE LIGHTWEIGHT DINOSAURS
1. Clinton Whitehouse III (Yam)
2. James Dobson (Yam)
3. Warren Spradlin Jr. (Yam)

From a press release issued by WCM:

‘shoutingdog’ join the push for success with the Blata V6 project

International multimedia development company ‘shoutingdog’ have formed a partnership with WCM to capitalise on the marketing potential of the Blata V6 MotoGP machine.

As development of the V6 continues in the Czech Republic the interest in the unique V6 project continues to increase. Not surprisingly the exciting Blata machine has sparked considerable interest in the USA where more of everything including cylinders is always considered an advantage.

With particular skills in developing transatlantic media potential ‘shoutingdog’ will help capitalise on the interest being expressed.

Following meetings between, WCM’s Director of Racing Peter Clifford and ‘shoutingdog’ Marketing Manager Steve Hawthorne the two companies have laid out an agreement and strategy that should bring a lot of exciting ideas not only to the Blata V6 project but to the whole of MotoGP.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

WSMC racing started at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time Sunday at Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond, California, but as of 12:20 p.m. local time, only one race had been completed due to delays caused by weather and oil clean-ups.

The track is being hit by intermittent light rain and snow flurries, which have caused crashes and hindered the clean up of oil from crashes–with riders falling not only during scheduled races but also on a warm-up lap preceding the start of a race.

After reaching 47 degrees F, the temperature at Willow Springs slipped back to 42 degrees F. The winds, however, have not diminished and continue to blow at 25-30 mph with gusts of up to 40 mph.

Meanwhile at the Roadracingworld.com offices, the weather is even worse. The area of Southern California known as the “Inland Empire,” about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, was hit by a major rain/snow storm early Sunday morning. Snow covered low foothills in the area that rarely see snow and heavy rains have caused flooding and mudslides.

The National Weather Service has issued snow, wind and flood advisories for the area.


Update: After red-flagging the third race of the day, WSMC officials decided to cancel the remaining races scheduled for Sunday at Willow Springs due to poor track conditions.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

A large quantity of race fuel was stolen from storage containers on the property of KWS Motorsports, in North Charleston, South Carolina.

In an e-mail to Roadracingworld.com, KWS’s Kevin Hunt wrote that late this week thieves cut the locks off of the storage containers and stole the fuel and nothing else.

Local police are investigating and are optimistic that the thieves will be caught, according to Hunt.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

A racer-autographed copy of C. Edward Link’s popular children’s book The Little Motorcycle has sold for $415 in an eBay auction to benefit the Roadracing World Action Fund, which promotes the use of soft barriers to reduce racetrack injuries.

The book was autographed by several top stars of AMA road racing during the 2004 season finale at Virginia International Raceway. Riders who have signed the book include: Mat Mladin, Miguel Duhamel, Jake Zemke, Ben Bostrom, Eric Bostrom, Aaron Yates, Doug Chandler, Roger Lee Hayden, Freddie Spencer, Kevin Schwantz and more.

Link has also offered to autograph the book, if the winning bidder so requests.

For additional information on the Roadracing World Action Fund, go to:

http://actionfund.roadracingworld.com

Copyriught 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Saturday was a rare perfect day at Willow Springs Raceway with temperatures reaching the 70s and no wind. However, Sunday of this WSMC race weekend dawned cold, with the ambient temperature at 34 degrees F when practice started at 8:00 a.m., and the wind kicking up at 9:00 a.m.

At post time, practice was delayed due to clean-up of an oil spill on the front straightaway and into turn one.

More to follow…

From a press release issued by Team Wurth Honda BQR:

Report on today´s second round of the Spanish Formula Extreme National Championship held on Sunday, November 21, 2004 at Jerez de la Frontera (Jerez, Spain)

Kenny Noyes Ninth in Spanish Formula Extreme in Jerez

Jose Luis Cardoso (Laglisse – d´Antin Yamaha R1), won his sixth consecutive Formula Extreme race today at Jerez de la Frontera in the final round of the 2004 Spanish National Championship season. The 29-year-old from Seville, a former 500 and 250 Grand Prix regular, had already clinched the title last week in Valencia and has also signed with the DFXtreme Yamaha team in the World Superbike Championship for 2005.

The top three places were swept by past and current GP riders, with former 250 GP rider David Tomas (Yamaha R1) taking second. José David de Gea (Honda CBR1000RR), current 250 GP and former MotoGP and 500 rider, just got the best of a scrap for third over Carmelo Morales (Suzuki GSX-R1000).

“This is what we needed to do,” said Cardoso. “At 29 years old a lot of people considered me finished and I knew it wouldn´t be enough just to win the title, I needed to win races and break records everywhere if I wanted to get back into the World Championship. I had a couple of 250 offers, but I´m a four-stroke rider now and I´m headed for World Superbike. When I was in the Grand Prix back when I was a teen-ager I didn´t really appreciate how lucky I was, but getting this chance to go back at this point in my career is really something I intend to make the most of.”

American Kenny Noyes (who is Spanish-born with American parents and actually holds dual American and Spanish nationalities) came back from 13th at the end of lap one on his Honda CBR1000RR to finish in the middle of a three-way scrap for eighth, just a bikelength back of another former GP regular, Josep Sardá (Kawasaki) and the same distance in front of three-time Spanish Supersport Champion José Oriol Fernández.

“I got a good start but lost a lot of time when there was a lot of fairing banging in turn one. Then it took me a couple of laps to get my pace back. At the end I caught Sardá and Fernández and was running the same pace as the guys fighting for fifth, but I was a little too conservative on the last lap because after four DNFs with a combination of crashes and bike problems I needed to finish this race on two wheels. I passed Sardá and Fernandez on the last lap but Sardá just got me back,” said the former Formula USA Pro Singles Dirt Track National Champion who has now completed three years in the premier Spanish National FX class and is considering a return to the U.S. to compete in the AMA National Series.

Cardoso´s race average of 149.489 kph (or 92.908 mph) would have placed him fifteenth in MotoGP in 2003 (the last time the Spanish GP was run at Jerez in the dry), just back of Colin Edwards on the Aprilia RS Cube and in front of Andrew Pitt on the factory Kawasaki and three other riders, Hofmann, Melandri and McCoy. In general the Spanish FX races now are being run at the speeds of the 500s of the Mick Doohan era–very fast for 375 pound production machines running under Superstock-type regulations compared to the old 285-pound two-strokes.

Michelin dominated the championship this season, using last year´s MotoGP 17 inch fronts and a new 17 inch rear based on MotoGP experience with the 16.5s. Dunlop, off the pace at mid-season, brought a new and very effective 17 inch rear to the final two races, but by then Cardoso and teammate Ivan Silva has already pulled out insurmountable points leads.

With World Superbike exclusively using Pirelli tires, both Dunlop and Michelin have concentrated their development in the British, American, Spanish and German production-based national championships.

Cardoso will test his new Yamaha DFXtreme at the World Superbike winter tests at Misano on November 29 and 30, his first opportunity to try the control Pirelli tires.

Noyes, a tester for Spain´s La Moto magazine, will have the opportunity to compare the championship-winning Yamaha R1, Morales´ GSX-R1000 Suzuki, Sardá´s Kawasaki ZX-10R, his teammate De Gea´s Honda CBR1000RR and the importer´s Ducati 999RS at Albacete on Wednesday, November 24.

“They wouldn’t let the magazine test until the season was over and then I had some minor wrist surgery to remove a screw from an old dirt track crash on Thursday, but I’m really looking forward to getting the feel of the Suzuki and the Yamaha on Michelin and the Kawasaki on Dunlop to see how they stack up against what de Gea and I had this year. You don’t often get a chance to ride your rivals’ bikes,” said Noyes.

Results Spanish National Formula Extreme
(Production-based machines up to 1000cc)

1. José Luis Cardoso (Yamaha R1-Michelin) 30´10.757

2. David Tomas (Yamaha R1-Michelin) 30´16.709

3. José David de Gea (Honda CBR100RR-Dunlop 30´20.340

4. Carmelo Morales (Suzuki GSX-R-Michelin) 30´20.342

5. Lucas Oliver Bultó (Suzuki GSX-R-Michelin) 30´23.855

6. Dani Ribalta (Yamaha R1-Michelin) 30´26.232

7. Ivan Silva (Yamaha R1-Michelin) 30´26.878

8. Josep Sardá (Kawasaki ZX-10R-Dunlop) 30’39.751

9. Kenny Noyes (Honda CBR1000RR-Dunlop) 30´39.914

10. José Oriol Fernández (Suzuki GSX-R-Dunlop) 30´40.140

11.Josep Monge (Yamaha R1-Dunlop) 30´42.604

12. Paco Ruiz (Yamaha R1-Dunlop) 30´53.839

13. Antonio Salom (Yamaha R1-Dunlop) 31´02.137

14. Victor Casas (Yamaha R1-Dunlop) 31´16.434

15. José Nion (Honda CBR1000RR-Dunlop) 31´16.989

total starters 36
finishers 31 (26 riders finished on lead lap)

Winner´s race average speed 94.244 mph (FX Record)
Pole: Cardoso 1´44.093 (FX Record)
Fastest lap: Cardoso 1´45,144 (FX Record)

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

CCS officials today confirmed that Mark Ledesma set a new motorcycle lap record for Chandler, Arizona’s Firebird International Raceway during a CCS race event November 14.

Riding his Honda CBR1000RR on a revised layout of the “East” course during qualifying for the Unlimited Grand Prix race, Ledesma recorded a 55.619-second lap on CCS’ electronic timing system to set the new official record.

Ledesma later backed up his fast lap with a 55.763 lap during the Unlimited Grand Prix final.

According to CCS Southwest Regional Race Director Randy Stem, the Firebird East course revision included eliminating a “busstop” section and utilizing a “sweeper” between turns four and six, which riders liked because it allowed “the track to flow,” Stem wrote in an e-mail to Roadracingworld.com.