From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

TOSELAND AND LACONI CONFIRMED AS FACTORY SUPERBIKE RIDERS

LANZI TO MAKE WSBK DEBUT IN STEFANO CARACCHI’S ‘SATELLITE’ TEAM

HODGSON RETURNS TO DUCATI CORSE FOR AMA ATTACK WITH ERIC BOSTROM

Bologna (Italy), Monday November 8, 2004: Ducati Corse’s 2005 Superbike programmes are now taking shape with the triple announcement of an unchanged line-up in its World Superbike factory team, the debut of a young Italian talent in a satellite World Superbike structure and a redoubling of its efforts to win the AMA Superbike championship.

24-year-old Brit James Toseland, who won the 2004 World Superbike championship on a Ducati 999F04, will defend the title on the ’05 version of the bike that won ten of the 22 races on the calendar.

One month ago at Magny-Cours, James became the third British rider to win the Superbike crown, and his team-mate will once again be the 29-year-old Frenchman Régis Laconi, who has also been confirmed as Ducati factory rider for 2005.

“This past week has been brilliant, first winning the MCN Man of the Year award and then having my position with Ducati Corse confirmed for 2005” commented Toseland. “It’s fantastic to start the season with the same team that I won the championship with and I’m hoping that our relationship will continue to be as successful.

“I learned an awful lot last year and I feel confident about retaining the world championship. I can’t wait to get started” he concluded.

“I am very happy to be reconfirmed by Ducati, this is what I wanted” declared Laconi. “Next year I will try and win the championship for sure, I came very close this year but unfortunately I made some mistakes, even though I was nearly always the quickest rider out on the track… c’est la vie!

“It’s sure to be more difficult next year but I know that Ducati will be working harder than ever over the winter to prepare an even more competitive bike for the 2005 season.”

A third Ducati 999 will also be raced in World Superbike by the talented Italian youngster Lorenzo Lanzi. The 23-year-old from Cesena earned his promotion with a string of positive results in World Supersport, where he finished fifth overall, and he will campaign a 999RS for the satellite SC team run by Stefano Caracchi. The Bologna-based team will also continue with the Supersport race programme of the Ducati 749R that Lanzi took to its debut this year.

“I am really pleased to have this new challenge, above all because I will have the same Supersport team of mechanics with me” declared Lanzi. “Once again I move up a category after a year, and for this reason it’s not going to be easy, but I will be riding the 999RS, which is a very competitive bike, and we hope to get some good results.”

The final piece in the jigsaw for Ducati Corse’s Superbike plans comes with the announcement that Toseland’s fellow Brit and 2003 WSBK champion, Neil Hodgson, will line up alongside Eric Bostrom in the Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin AMA Superbike team for next season.

After a difficult year in MotoGP on a Desmosedici GP3, the 31-year-old from Burnley is happy to return to the 999 bike that took him to the 2003 WSBK title and is also relishing this tough new challenge.

“Having had a disappointing experience in MotoGP, it’s such a relief to be back where I belong with Ducati Corse” declared Hodgson. “The AMA Championship poses a great challenge both to me personally and to Ducati as they haven’t won it for many years.

“I would like to make history and be the first rider ever to have won the British and World Superbike Championships and the AMA Championship. Being back with the 999 is going to be so natural for me and I can’t wait to start testing. The main thing that I have discovered this year is that I cannot race just to make up the numbers. I need to win!”.

Toseland, Laconi and Lanzi will be in action next week on November 16-18 in three days of testing at Valencia, whereas Neil Hodgson’s first appearance for the AMA Superbike team is scheduled for January 3-5, 2005 in testing at the legendary Daytona circuit in Florida.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Italian MotoGP star Max Biaggi, 33, suffered multiple fractures to his left leg today while riding near Rome, according to the BBC.

Read the full report here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/motorbikes/3992957.stm

Biaggi, who finished third in the 2004 MotoGP World Championship, is expected to team with American Nicky Hayden on the official HRC-backed Repsol Honda squad for 2005.

More details will be reported when available.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The area code for Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. has changed from 909 to 951. Anyone trying to reach Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. should dial (951) 245-6411, FAX (951) 245-6417, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) Monday through Friday.

From a press release issued by Motonation:

Motonation announces its Spidi race gear support plan!

Motonation, the exclusive USA importer/distributor of Spidi road race suits and gloves is proud to announce that it is now accepting resumes for its 2005 rider support team.

As part of Motonation’s extensive effort to achieve a high level of visibility for the Spidi brand in a short amount of time the company has allowed for a higher quantity of support rides for the 2005 season. Support will be offered at three different product discount levels on the Spidi’s all new NRG, the classic R2 Wind the value priced Viper race suits and all of Spidi’s legendary sport gloves.

While the Motonation website is being updated to include the Spidi line riders can view the products at www.spidi.com

Riders interested in applying for support should contact Motonation’s Rider Support Manager, Kyle Smith at:
T: 619-401-4100 x105
F: 619-401-4108
[email protected]

From a press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports:

MLADIN COMPLETES FIRST TEST ABOARD NEW 2005 SUZUKI GSX-R1000 IN MALAYSIA

Five times American Superbike champion Mat Mladin has completed his first test session aboard the all-new 2005 model Suzuki GSX-R1000 that he hopes will take him to a sixth Superbike crown in America next year.

Returning to Australia over the weekend, Mladin, his Yoshimura Suzuki crew and teammate Aaron Yates spent a gruelling three-days at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia last week putting the latest version GSX-R1000 Superbike through a myriad of tests.

By contrast to recent years where the American Superbike team shared the track with other Suzuki supported teams such as the factory MotoGP team, last week’s test saw them there alone.

Mladin has been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to ride the latest offering from Suzuki and come away from the test full of praise for the work that has been done by the factory in readiness for 2005.

“Suzuki have made some very strong improvements with the motorcycle and the whole package presents itself with something that we can work straight away,” said Mladin.

“It’s very promising after the first test. It was hard to compare lap times with what we have done there previously as it rain each night we were there, so the track was ‘green’ each time we went out in the morning. We had one of our ’04 models that we rode this year to compare it with and it stacked up very well. Grip was an issue for us under those conditions, but we had a few things to compare the performance with.”

“Dunlop were there in full force as well. They had a full range of tyres to test and are working very hard towards next year.”

There has been very little time for the team to prepare for the test after the rescheduling of the final round of this year’s American Superbike Championship, left them with less than a month to have the new bikes ready to ride.

“The commitment by our team for next year is highlighted by the way my crew basically landed back home at the end of the race season, dropped their families off and then headed on to Japan where they have been preparing the bikes that we used at the test over the past three weeks. A massive and totally committed effort by those guys. Everyone was keen to get going, but with this test now complete, they have been able to head back home and have a well deserved holiday, before they head back to America for our next test in early January.”

The next scheduled test appearance for Mladin and his Yoshimura Suzuki team will be the Dunlop tyre test at the revamped Daytona International Speedway, Florida on January 3 to 5, 2005.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The 4th Annual WSMC Toyota 200 has been scheduled for October 14-16, 2005.

Tentative plans call for the 3rd Annual Roadracingworld.com 250/50 to be held the same weekend, but with transponder scoring for the first time.

The Toyota 200 runs 200 miles, or 80 laps, is open to any type of road racing motorcycle, and has been scored with transponders from the beginning.

The Roadracingworld.com 250/50 is a 50-mile, 20-lap race for 250cc Grand Prix racebikes.

New for 2005, special quick-change equipment will not be allowed on the front forks and swingarm of motorcycles entered in the Toyota 200.

The top five finishers in the 2004 Toyota 200 all were equipped with quick-change equipment.

The purse for the 2004 Toyota 200 was $150,000 with $50,000 going to the winner, Josh Hayes. All 40 starters were paid, with $1000 paid for last place. Positions on the starting grid are earned via timed qualifying.

The purse for the 2004 Roadracingworld.com 250/50 was $30,000 with $3500 going to the winner, Rich Oliver.

From a press release issued by WMRRA:

The Washington Motorcycle Roadracing Association would like to announce the election of their new Executive Board and Board of Directors for 2005:

Executive Board
President: Luke Gaylor
1st VP: Jack Moore
2nd VP: Joel Crabtree
3rd VP: Andre Lister
Secretary: Diane Thompson
Treasurer: Dan Brown
SBK/GP Rep: Tyler Sandell
Supersport/Air Fence Chairman: Chris Denzler
Vintage Rep: Duncan Craick
Novice Rep: Dave Huck

Board of Directors:
Diane Thompson
Tyler Sandell
Briggs Willoughby
Kory Gill

We would like to thank the outgoing members for the support of our club and wish the new members good luck! Information about WMRRA can be obtained at: www.wmrra.com

From a press release issued by former road racer Balz Renggli of Aprilia-Ducati of Oceanside:

Husqvarna and their premier Southern California dealers GP Motorcycles of San Diego and Aprilia-Ducati of Oceanside will offer you the chance to test ride Husqvarna’s award winning motorcycles.

This is your chance to get a first hand look at what the most traditional brand of off-road motorcycles has to offer.

The event is scheduled for November 7, 2004 at Lake Elsinore Motocross Park. Sign-up is on first come first serve basis. To sign-up early or for details call Aprilia-Ducati of Oceanside at (760) 722-7704 or GP Motorcycles at (619) 233-4762.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

GSE Racing will end a one-year layoff and return to racing in the 2005 British Superbike Championship Series, according to Ducati Corse.

The team, which won the British Superbike Championship with Troy Bayliss in 1999 and Neil Hodgson in 2000, and finished third in the 2002 and 2003 World Superbike Championships (with Hodgson and James Toseland, respectively), will field a pair of Ducati 999F04s on Dunlop tires in the 13-round 2005 British series. Who will ride for GSE Racing, which will have the full support of Ducati Corse, has yet to be announced.

“After one year out of racing our hunger to return is evident in the attitude of the staff and our new riders. Ducati has once more supplied us with high-level machinery, for what looks like it will be an even more competitive season than last year. We are a British team, so racing at home, in one of the most prestigious race series on earth, is an exciting prospect for us all,” GSE Racing Team Owner Darrell Healy (who will be joined by returning Team Manager Colin Wright) was quoted as saying by Ducati.