From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

AMA PRO RACING RENAMES SERIES WEBSITES

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Nov. 10, 2004) – To more closely align each series website with its respective racing brand, AMA Pro Racing has renamed its family of series websites. USMotocross.com is now available at www.amasupercross.com or www.amamotocross.com. USSuperbike.com has been renamed to www.amasuperbike.com, and 1800FlatTrack.com has been renamed to www.amaflattrack.com.

“We take great pride in the family of series websites that we have grown over the last few years,” said Matt Ringlien, AMA Pro Racing web development and content manager. “They have proven to be great resources for fans seeking reliable and insightful content from each of our racing properties.”

According to John C. Farris, Jr., AMA Pro Racing vice-president of commercial development, “The strong growth in traffic on each site has proven highly valuable to our series sponsors and also attracted industry advertisers seeking to reach core racing enthusiasts through these official series’ websites.”

Farris continued, “Additionally, the AMA Speed Shop, where fans can purchase officially licensed AMA Pro Racing merchandise, has grown into a one-stop shopping experience for fans seeking to acquire the latest racing related merchandise.”

www.amamotocross.com, the official website of the AMA Motocross Championship, has seen double-digit growth since it launched in 2002. During the supercross season, the website which can also be viewed at amasupercross.com and serves as the source for complete official results and live times for the THQ AMA Supercross Series.

www.amasuperbike.com, the official website of the AMA Superbike Championship, has also seen traffic bumps each year since its inception in 2003.

www.amaflatrack.com is the first AMA Pro Racing series website, launched in 2001 with the help of AMA Flat Track Championship sponsor Progressive Insurance.www.amaflattrack.com is the leading news source online about AMA Flat Track.

www.amasupermoto.com is the newest series website. As the official website of the AMA Supermoto Championship, it has quickly emerged as one of the top destinations for news on the growing sport of supermoto racing.

“The investment AMA Pro Racing has made and continues to make in its online properties is another example of our commitment of the growth of AMA Championship motorcycle racing,” added Ringlien.

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

THE TEAM TELEFONICA MOVISTAR HONDA MOTOGP IS NOW COMPLETE

Marco Melandri signed today with Fausto Gresini for the 2005 season

FAENZA (10.11.2004) – Today the Gresini Racing and Marco Melandri reached an agreement for the 2005 season. The young Italian will ride a RC211V with the Telefonica MoviStar Honda MotoGP Team as Sete Gibernau’s new team mate.

Thanks to this agreement, the Team is now complete and Fausto Gresini will line up next year the 22 year old 250 World Champion together the experienced Sete Gibernau, MotoGP Vice Champion for the second year in a row.

Fausto Gresini, team Manager:

“I’m very satisfied and proud to announce that Marco Melandri will ride for us next season. We tried to do something together since Marco moved on the 250 class but we never succeeded, now we have finally reached an agreement thanks to the support of Telefonica MoviStar and Honda. I’m sure that we can offer Marco the right atmosphere to work and that he will give us many satisfactions.

Being an Italian team, we are very happy to have an Italian rider, the last time it happened was in the 1999 with Loris Capirossi. Today starts a new adventure and we are ready for it.”

Marco Melandri:

“I’m enthusiast to become part of this team that it’s more than a team for me, it is a family. We have worked hard to reach this agreement and now that we made it I’m much more serene. I’m motivated and ready for this new challenge, I look forward to it and would like to start as soon as possible.”

After having signed in Faenza where Fausto Gresini has the offices, he went to visit the Race department in Misano Adriatico. Together with Fabrizio Cecchini, his Chief mechanic, they started to prepare the forthcoming season.

Marco Melandri will ride the RCV211 for the first time in occasion on the next test session scheduled at Jerez de la Frontera on the 24th, 25th and 26th of November.



Marco Melandri
Date of birth: 7.08.1982
Place of birth: Ravenna (Italia)
World Titles: 1 – World Champion 250 (year 2002)

Carreer
1997 Italian Championship 125GP (Honda)
winner of Honda trophy 125 Rs
1997 European Championship 125 (Honda) 4th classified
1998 World Champion 125 (Honda) 3rd classified (2 victories)
1999 World Champion 125 (Honda) 2nd classified (5 victories)
2000 World Champion 250 (Aprilia) 5th classified
2001 World Champion 250 (Aprilia) 3rd classified
(1 victory, 8 podiums)
2002 250 World Champion (Aprilia)
2003 MotoGP World Champion (Yamaha) 15th classified
2004 MotoGP World Champion (Yamaha) 12th classified (2podiums)

From a press release issued by Dorna:

MotoGP crowds on the rise again in 2004

The MotoGP World Championship recorded record onsite crowds once again in 2004, with increased figures at all but one of the sixteen rounds and an average total rise of over 10% on corresponding Grand Prix attendances from the previous season. Valentino Rossi’s historic first season with Yamaha proved to be an irresistible pull to MotoGP fans all over the world, 1.7 million of whom who flocked to traditional venues across five continents as well as a new home for the series at the Losail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar.

Whilst the Qatar race made MotoGP accessible to a whole new public sector in the Middle East, established circuits such as Mugello, Catalunya, Sachsenring, Donington Park, Brno and Valencia welcomed unprecedented levels of support. Indeed, it was the Gauloises Grand Prix Ceske Republiky at Brno in July which recorded the highest increase, with an incredible rise of 22,766 fans on race day alone and a weekend total of 104,719 – almost 30,000 more than the previous season.

Weekend increases of more than 20% were recorded at the Gran Premio Cinzano d’Italia, at Mugello, and the Cinzano British Grand Prix, at Donington Park, whilst the Camel Grand Prix of Japan at Motegi and the Marlboro Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Sepang also noted significantly improved attendances.

Despite being washed out by rain on race day the traditionally popular opening European round, the Gran Premio Marlboro de España at Jerez, still attracted record crowds in excess of 200,000 people. However, Spanish enthusiasm went overboard at the final round in Valencia, where a capacity race-day crowd of 122,034 boosted the overall attendance for the Gran Premio Marlboro de la Comunitat Valenciana to a massive 211,468 as local hero Dani Pedrosa celebrated his coronation as the 250cc World Champion.

The Veltins Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland at Sachsenring was the third event in the season to score over the 200,000 spectators mark for the three days of action.


GRAND PRIX
RACE-DAY WEEKEND TOTAL
2003
2004
2003
2004

SOUTH AFRICA – Welkom
44.621
45.051
56.521
58.764

SPAIN – Jerez
128.423
124.933*
203.324
206.936

FRANCE – Le Mans
73.225
75.560
133.770
136.645

ITALY – Mugello
72.901
85.169
104.127
126.707

SPAIN – Catalunya
96.054
102.301
147.303
168.498

NETHERLANDS – Assen
90.345*
90.322
130.900
130.438

BRAZIL – Rio
50.326
55.726
67.882
73.582

GERMANY – Sachsenring
91.808
93.408
204.061
207.745

G. BRITAIN – Donington Park
72.000
82.091
107.020
129.738

CZECH REPUBLIC – Brno
44.865
67.631
74.960
104.719

PORTUGAL – Estoril
X
X
50.112
55.115

JAPAN – Motegi
56.008
67.158
80.238
94.703

QATAR – Losail
x
2.951
x
5.089

MALAYSIA – Sepang
30.150
40.025
39.699
46.318

AUSTRALIA – Phillip Island
40.960*
42.536
87.154
87.332

SPAIN – Valencia
121.342
122.034
201.366
211.468



* Under rain conditions

From a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki:

Plan to see Rizla Suzuki in 2005

THE provisional British Superbike calendar for 2005 has been released, so you can start planning your visits to race circuits to watch Rizla Suzuki’s JR defend his title and see for yourself how Scott Smart takes to the new GSX-R1000.

2005 BSB PROVISIONAL CALENDAR

Round 1 28 March Brands Hatch(Indy)

Round 2 10 April Thruxton

Round 3 24 April Mallory Park

Round 4 02 May Oulton Park

Round 5 15 May Knockhill

Round 6 05 June Croft

Round 7 26 June Mondello(Ireland)

Round 8 10 July Snetterton

Round 9 24 July Oulton Park

Round 10 21 Aug Silverstone

Round 11 29 Aug Cadwell Park

Round 12 11 Sept Brands Hatch(GP)

Round 13 25 Sept Donington Park(GP)

From a press release issued by AMA:

AMA TRAVEL & TOURS ANNOUNCES 2005 DAYTONA BIKE WEEK EXCURSION

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Travel & Tours has announced its annual getaway package to Daytona Bike Week — the motorcycling world’s most sought-after destination — March 7 – 12, 2005, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The AMA Travel & Tours Daytona Bike Week excursion offers enthusiasts an insider’s view of one of American motorcycling’s biggest events. The package includes a full week of accommodations at a beach-front resort hotel in the Main Street district, plus passes to a selection of AMA Pro Racing events — from flat track to AMA Supercross and, of course, the legendary Daytona 200. In addition, AMA Travel & Tours guests will enjoy exclusive pit and paddock tours, technical discussions with AMA Pro Racing officials, and opportunities to meet top racers. All guests will be treated to a special Bike Week barbecue, and will receive commemorative items from the AMA.

But racing is just one reason for Daytona Bike Week’s popularity. Many enthusiasts are drawn to Daytona Beach’s extraordinary rolling street scene — and that’s why AMA Travel & Tours’ Daytona Bike Week guests will be based at a hotel just minutes from Main Street.

“AMA Travel & Tours’ Daytona package takes all the stress out of enjoying Bike Week,” said Frank Covucci, Director of AMA Travel & Tours. “Our guests appreciate knowing that they’ll have quality accommodations in an ideal location — which is nearly impossible without making reservations months ahead of time — and not having to worry about keeping track of racing schedules or getting credentials.”

AMA Travel & Tours limited last year’s Daytona Bike Week excursion to the first thirty guests, and expects the 2005 trip to fill quickly. For reservations or more information, call (800) AMA-JOIN, extension 1190.

From a press release issued by Henry DeGouw of CCS/Florida:

CCS/Florida Season Finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Only 5 CCS/Florida Regional classes out of 38 are locked up going into the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on December 4-5.

This double-points-paying event has many close point spreads, some separated by only a single
point.

Marco Martinez has locked up the #1 plate for Overall Expert, while the Overall Amateur Championship is still undecided.

Two races in the series had to be cancelled due to hurricanes.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Designers at Nike headquarters near Portland, Oregon are busy designing graphics for 2005 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbikes to be fielded by Michael Jordan Motorsports.

Sources close to the team say that Jason Pridmore will be the primary rider and that the team will run on Dunlop tires.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing Inc.

Sources close to Ducati revealed today that Ducati Corse wants its National Superbike teams to run Bridgestone tires in 2005.

Ducati Corse is switching its MotoGP program to Bridgestone and is asking all its factory-supported teams to do the same, including Ducati Austin.

Ducati’s factory team in the World Superbike series cannot switch to Bridgestone due to rules requiring the use of Pirelli tires.

From a press release issued by NASA:

VETERAN ASTRONAUT DUANE CAREY LEAVES SPACE TO SEE THE WORLD

After fulfilling one dream to pilot a Space Shuttle and see the world from space, Astronaut Duane G. “Digger” Carey (Lt. Col, USAF-Ret) has left NASA to pursue another — to see the planet up close from the open road.

Carey plans to begin a motorcycle tour of the United States and eventually the world, camping along the way. He and his wife, Cheryl, are moving to Colorado Springs, CO, to prepare for the trip. They plan to launch their travels with a break-in expedition to Alaska.

Selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1996, Carey served as pilot of Space Shuttle mission STS-109 in 2002, a maintenance flight to the Hubble Space Telescope. STS-109 orbited the earth 165 times, traveling about 3.9 million miles.

“Duane is an exceptional Shuttle pilot, but years ago he was bitten by the motorcycle touring bug, and he always wanted to return to near-Earth exploration of our country aboard a motorcycle,” said Ken Bowersox, Director of Flight Crew Operations. “We’ll really miss his skill and expertise, but we all envy him in some way for heading off in a new direction.”

“Cheryl and I will attempt to consummate a dream we first envisioned over 25 years ago,” Carey said. “Our 22-plus years of public service in the United States Air Force and NASA have been incredibly rewarding, and we hope we’ve contributed something useful to our country over those years. Please join us in our hopes that America will continue her push for the stars, a quest that represents the single best hope for all of our futures.”

As a young man, Carey discovered motorcycle touring and traveled the U.S., Mexico and Canada. He met his wife during that time, and they traveled together. Later, they settled down to raise a family. Carey began a career in the Air Force.

“I was lucky,” Carey said. “In the Air Force, I learned to fly jets, and I did pretty well at it. I love flying. When I was able to join NASA and fly in space, I realized one of my greatest dreams.”

But despite those pinnacles of success at his chosen profession, the dream of traveling the road and discovering the world along the way has always remained. “Many people would be amazed, but every day, every day, since those days on the road, I’ve had moments thinking about that experience. It’s a passion for me,” he said. “Even while looking down from space, I would imagine moving across those green expanses on a motorcycle. Now, I’ll be traveling those roads and looking up to where I once was.”

During his travels, Carey plans to talk to young people about the importance of math and science and the wonder of space travel.

“I owe a lot to my country,” he explained. “I’ve been an Air Force jet pilot, and I’ve been an astronaut. And now, I want to tell people the importance of space flight, especially in the smaller, more rural communities I expect to visit.”

Around campfires, there will be great surprise, and probably disbelief, when Carey relays to fellow campers his background as an astronaut, an astronaut far from the beaten path.

“To explore, we must always take some risks. We have to explore new territory. We don’t know what we’ll find out there, but we have to go out and find our future,” he said.