Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

2004 AMA Superstock Champion Aaron Gobert married longtime girlfriend Melanie Riley October 30, 2004 at Yarranabbe Park, Rushcutters Bay off the Sydney Harbour, near Sydney, Australia. The wedding and reception were attending by 65 guests, according to Gobert’s mother and manager, Sue Gobert.

Gobert’s original wedding, scheduled for October 6 at a different location, was cancelled due to the postponement of the AMA season finale at Virginia International Raceway

From a press release issued by Ducati:

DESMOSEDICI RR: START ENGINES!

The Ducati project continues with the development and testing of the exclusive V4 engine.



BOLOGNA – Officially presented to the “Ducatista population” in May during World Ducati Week 2004, the development of the Desmosedici RR project is continuing. In fact, for the last few weeks the new desmodromic 4-cylinder L engine that will be used for the first real MotoGP Racing Replica has been on the test bed of the Ducati R&D department for the first reliability and durability tests.

In particular, the Desmosedici RR engine is undergoing motoring and firing tests aimed at testing the life and strength of the individual components subjected to the stresses deriving from the high power this engine can develop.



Testing of this engine will proceed as planned, awaiting the dynamic tests and the demanding and complex development course that will take this new Ducati gem from the track to the road.

An ambitious and extremely demanding project, the new frontier of Ducati technological development preserves all the basic concepts of the bike used in the MotoGP World Championship. A dream come true, and once again testifying to the courage and passion of Ducati, as well as the ability to transfer the experience and fascination of the racing world to a product also intended for road use.

This project offers a truly high technological level. The Desmosedici RR engine accurately reproposes the MotoGP engine: the traditional Ducati desmodromic timing system combines perfectly with the modernity of the 989cc 4-cylinder (4 valves per cylinder) L structure, using cutting-edge technologies intended exclusively for racing, such as camshafts driven by a cascade of gears, entirely removable 6-speed gearbox, in addition to the use of high-quality materials and alloys, like sandcast aluminium for the casing and heads, titanium for the connecting rods and valves, and magnesium for the engine covers.

The exclusiveness and uniqueness of the new Desmosedici RR will be stressed by meticulous care to details and assembly. And all this, together with top performance, will make the Desmosedici RR a new reference point in the motorcycle world.

As planned, the bike will only be revealed in its final form in November 2005, on the occasion of EICMA in Milan, while delivery of the first Desmosedici RR will take place at WDW 2006 where, precisely on the stage that saw the presentation of the project, the first machine will be handed over to a symbolic and lucky Ducatista, representing the pride and joy of this great Italian motorcycle manufacturer.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

OK,

You guys are the best, blahblahblah.

The season is over and the news of the day is a little slow. Can’t you make something up and post it just so losers like me will have something to read?!

Thanks,

Eric Loranger
Brentwood, California

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

According to Corporate Communications Manager Bob Starr, Yamaha Motor Corp. has asked Laguna Seca officials to run the entire AMA program in conjunction with the U.S. MotoGP event scheduled to run at the Monterey, California racetrack next July 8-10.

Yamaha is funding track changes needed to homologate the racetrack for MotoGP.

The schedule for the MotoGP weekend is subject to approval by Dorna, the series promoter.

Copyright 2004 Roadracing Publishing Inc.

Brainerd International Raceway’s (BIR) tentative status on the 2005 AMA Superbike schedule is not so tentative. AMA Pro Racing has been in contact with Brainerd International Raceway and the only sticking point right now is whether or not the Superbike race weekend will be a two-day or three-day event.

According to BIR President Bill Singleterry, “It’s just whether we’re gonna have a Friday, Saturday, Sunday event like we normally always have or just have a Saturday and a Sunday event. That’s why that is put in there as tentative.

“When you break with tradition, How will that affect the fans? That’s the only point of discussion right now. Would it be detrimental to the fans, or to us, or to AMA if we just schedule it for Saturday and Sunday? We’re a lot different up here than most tracks. Most tracks you go to a hotel room and then you go out to the races. Here we have camping and everything.”

Singleterry went onto say, “There’s nothing like a big secret or something that’s going on. It’s just the fact will we do it Friday-Saturday-Sunday or will we just do it Saturday-Sunday?”

The current AMA Superbike Championship schedule has the event at BIR being held on June 25-26, as a two-day event. The 2004 AMA Superbike event at BIR was a three-day event.

From a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:

NAKANO HEADS FOR BIRMINGHAM AND THE INTERNATIONAL MOTORBIKE SHOW

Shinya Nakano and his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR are set to be the stars of the Kawasaki stand at this year’s International Motorbike Show at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre.

The Ninja ZX-RR that Nakano took to third place in this year’s Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, and tenth place in the 2004 MotoGP World Championship standings, will be displayed on the Kawasaki stand for the duration of the show, which opens its doors to the public from 5-15 November.

A busy winter test schedule means that Nakano’s visit to the largest powered two wheeler show in the UK will be limited to just two days; press and trade day on Thursday 4th November and the public preview day on Friday 5th November.

The 27-year-old Fuchs Kawasaki rider will be making regular appearances on both days, with autograph sessions scheduled on the Fuchs Silkolene and Arlen Ness stands in hall 19, the Kawasaki K-Care stand in hall 7 and the main Kawasaki stand in hall 18.

This will be Nakano’s first visit to the International Motorbike Show, and the Japanese ace is looking forward to meeting again the race fans who gave him such a warm welcome at the British Grand Prix earlier in the year.

“I’ve never been to a motorcycle show in the UK before, but I was really impressed with the knowledge and enthusiasm of everyone I talked to at Donington Park this year and I’m looking forward to meeting the British race fans again in Birmingham,” declared Nakano.

Nakano finished the 2004 MotoGP World Championship season in fine style at Valencia on Sunday, bringing his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR home in seventh place in the race to secure tenth position in the final championship standings.

Nakano will return to Japan for a well earned break after appearing at the International Motorbike Show, before heading to the Jerez and Paul Ricard circuits at the end of November, where he’ll be joined by team-mate Alex Hofmann for further development tests aboard the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR.

From a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:

JIM REDMAN JOINS KAWASAKI JOURNALIST TEST DAY AT VALENCIA

Six times World Champion, Jim Redman MBE, joined journalists from all over the world at Valencia today, for a test ride aboard the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR MotoGP machines of Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann.

The annual end of season test provided journalists with the opportunity to find out what Nakano and Hofmann experience each race weekend, as they put the Ninja ZX-RR through its paces around the circuit on which Nakano secured tenth place in the 2004 MotoGP Championship standings just 24 hours previously.

And while many of the journalists testing the Kawasaki today were well known former racers, none could match the achievements of Redman, who notched up four 350cc and two 250cc world titles on a variety of factory Hondas. To this day, nobody has won more world titles for Honda than Redman.

At the height of his career, Redman achieved a unique triple win at the 1964 Dutch TT, where he took victory in the 125cc, 250cc and 350cc Grand Prix races in a single day – a feat that is unlikely ever to be matched in the modern era!

And if further proof of his versatility were needed, Redman also notched up six Isle of Man TT wins during his distinguished racing career.

Now living in South Africa, 73-year-old Redman still has a racer’s blood running through his veins. The former factory Honda rider is a regular competitor at classic events throughout the world and, to a man, his rivals claim he hasn’t lost the competitive streak that made him so successful on the Grand Prix circuit.

“It was absolutely fantastic, but I think I’d need at least a couple of ten lap sessions to do the bike justice,” said the six times World Champion of his ride on the Ninja ZX-RR. “The power the bike produces makes it difficult to open the throttle because the front wheel just keeps coming up; even in between corners the front wheel just wants to come up all the time. I was trying to dig my heels in to put more weight on the front, but it just wants to take off.”

“I guess at the age of 73 you can’t expect to ride a bike like this the way you used to, but I’d love to give it another go. It really was fantastic,” continued Redman.

But while Redman’s list of achievements was the most impressive, he wasn’t the only former World Champion to throw a leg over the Ninja ZX-RR at Valencia. Jorge ‘Aspar’ Martinez won three 80cc and one 125cc world titles, while Olivier Jacque narrowly beat current Fuchs Kawasaki rider, Shinya Nakano, to the 250cc crown in 2000. Between them Redman, Martinez and Jacque won a total of eleven World Championship titles between 1962 and 2000.

In total, 20 journalists from 11 countries rode the Ninja ZX-RR at Valencia, including ex-racers Randy Mamola, Didier De Radigues and Steve Parrish. Their thoughts on Kawasaki’s fast improving MotoGP machine will be read in magazines on six continents, and featured on major television sports programmes in Europe and Japan.

But while the annual journalist test day is over, the work continues for the Kawasaki Racing Team. A three day test at Jerez at the end of November will be followed by a two day wet tyre test at Paul Ricard, before the winter test ban commences on 1st December.

From a press release issued by Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.:

TOMMY HAYDEN TO CONTINUE HIS CHAMPIONSHIP RACING WITH KAWASAKI

Tommy Hayden, who just clinched the 2004 AMA Supersport crown, has inked a contract to remain with the Team Kawasaki effort that helped him win his first major national title. Bruce Stjernstrom, director of professional racing at Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A., (KMC) made the announcement today.

Hayden, who with his younger brother Roger, virtually dominated the recent AMA Supersport season, will ride in a class that has yet to be determined by Team Kawasaki.

“We are proud of Tommy and really pleased that he recognizes the value of continuing his relationship with Kawasaki. It has been a collective effort that has proved to be very successful for everyone involved,” said Stjernstrom.

This past season marked the culmination of Hayden’s drive towards a championship, with each successive year on the AMA circuit since the 26-year-old started professional roadracing in 1996 having shown significant improvement.

The oldest of three professional racers produced by the Owensboro, Ky. family, Hayden began racing at the age of three and has, according to Team Manager Michael Preston, truly come into his own this past season.

“Without a doubt, Tommy showed the type of mental sharpness and racing perseverance that makes champions stand apart from others on the circuit. We’re sure that this is just the beginning of what will continue to be an outstanding championship-winning career,” said Preston.

From a press release issued by MS Aprilia:

McWilliams ends 2004 campaign in points

MS Aprilia Racing’s Jeremy McWilliams ended the 2004 MotoGP world championship with a determined ride to 13th position this afternoon at the Valencia circuit.

In front of a bumper capacity crowd of over 120,000 fans, McWilliams overcame rear grip problems with his Cube three-cylinder machine to register a top 15 finish for the ninth time in the last eleven races.

The 30-lap race though proved to be a tough encounter for the experienced British rider, who had qualified in 14th position on the grid. Fifteenth at the end of a typically chaotic first lap at the 4km venue, McWilliams dropped out of the points before clawing his way back into contention shortly before the midway stage.

McWilliams, who finished the 2004 world championship in 19th position with 26-points, said: “It was a hard race. My rear tyre looked like being the wrong choice because the track was just too cold. When the surface temperature is down we struggle for grip. It has something to do with the fact that we always have to run a stiff chassis setting. I had a lot of fun spinning the rear tyre and playing around but that doesn’t help you go forward. The bike was off the rev limiter all the time. I got three points but it is hard to get too fired up about and I wanted to finish the season better. But when you look at people like Hopkins in 12th and Capirossi just in the top ten, it shows how tough it is out there.”

McWilliams also had some rear brake problems during the season’s finale as he tried to alleviate some of the wheelspin generated from the rear tyre. “I lost the rear brake for a few laps before it came back. I was using it so much to stop me getting high-sided and when it went away I had to slow right down, “he added.

Stand-in team-mate Garry McCoy finished his brief sojourn with the Noale manufacturer with a gritty ride to 16th position. Still suffering the effects of a flu bug picked up on Thursday, McCoy managed to fend off Suzuki substitute rider Gregorio Lavilla.

The Australian said: “I was very tired after the race because of the problems I have had with the flu all weekend. I was catching Jeremy for a while but when I started to suffer grip problems towards the end of the race I couldn’t stay with the group min front. Part of that was my physical condition because I’ve not been perfect since I arrived in Valencia. I decided to make my own pace just to make sure I finished the race.”

McCoy added: “I’d just want to say thanks to Aprilia for giving me this opportunity to join them for the last three races. I just wish I could have signed off with some points.”


More, from a press release issued by d’Antin Ducati:

HODGSON AND XAUS GIVE THEIR ALL IN VALENCIA

The d´Antin MotoGP riders today tried to finish the championship on a high note, although only Neil Hodgson managed to finish the race, with Rubén Xaus crashing out of thirteenth position.

The British rider finished fifteenth, and in seventeenth position overall in the standings, whilst Xaus, after his crash, was unable to hang on to tenth place in the championship and concluded his first MotoGP season in eleventh, satisfied with his Rookie of the Year Trophy.

RUBEN XAUS : “It’s a shame I crashed because I wanted to give the fans a good result. They are the most important and they deserved it. Racing here at home and seeing what the place was like today, full to the brim, I had to go for it. I was excited about finishing in the top ten in the championship and although I didn’t get a good start, I pushed forward trying to catch Melandri and pass him, because he was my main rival in the standings. I crashed though, and he crashed a bit after me, but Nakano leapfrogged us both with today’s race. To finish eleventh isn’t that bad, and of course it’s my favourite number too!

We’ve done good races throughout the season, and I think that I have to be satisfied because it has been a really tough year, and we have all worked hard. I hope to have won myself a spot in this championship.”

NEIL HODGSON : “I managed to finish, and score points, which is something I hadn’t done for three races now. I’m not satisfied, of course, because I would have liked to have enjoyed this last race, but I couldn’t get a set-up which allowed me to be comfortable. There were thousands of race fans there today, and on the lap of honour I wanted to celebrate the end of the season with them, because this has honestly been a tough year for me. “

LUIS D´ANTIN: “We’ve reached the end of a difficult year, because we had to gel well and it was our first season with Ducati. It was a shame because Rubén lost tenth position in the championship, but the important thing is that he tried and whatever the outcome, we are happy because he picked up the Rookie of the Year trophy. Neil meanwhile moved up a place in the standings and finished the race, but already we are thinking of the 2005 season which begins tomorrow. We have to begin our work for next season already.”


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

HOPPER CONTINUES POINTS HAUL
Team Suzuki Press Office, Valencia, Spain – October 31, 2004.

Team Suzuki MotoGP rider John Hopkins overcame grip problems to finish 12th in today’s Valencia GP, the last race of the 2004 season, adding another four to his score of points at a track that did not favour the Suzuki GSV-R.

Temporary team-mate Gregorio Lavilla missed out on points by two places, finally finishing 17th after earlier running 15th. The same problem meant he got the worst of a four-bike battle for the final points. The Spanish rider was substituting for Kenny Roberts Jr., who withdrew after the first free training session, in his come-back ride after missing four races through injury.

Hopkins had run strongly in practice to qualify seventh, leading the third row of the starting grid. But the problems were not unexpected. He finished the first lap tenth, and though he did all he could, he was unable to avoid losing two positions as the race wore on. After a best result this year of sixth, he was bitterly disappointed not to have finished the season more strongly – not least because it was team manager Garry Taylor’s last race.

Lavilla had been trying to catch up all weekend after missing the first hour of practice, when Roberts set fastest time before deciding his left elbow was not strong enough to complete the race. He qualified 19th, started well to finish the first lap 16th, and moved up to 15th before half distance. But he too suffered similar problems, and towards the end found himself in a torrid four-rider battle, dropping to 17th.

Hopkins’s four points secured 16th place overall in a year when bad luck and injuries have spoiled his overall chances. But he and the team can look back on a steady overall improvement during the season, especially in handling, engine response and “rider friendliness”, as well as the new-this-season Bridgestone tyres. The 21-year-old Anglo-American rider signed a contract this weekend to stay with Suzuki next year and was eager to continue the programme and to keep moving forward.

Work has already begun in Japan on an improved new engine for the GSV-R, with the aim of continuing the improvement next year, to regain a position where Suzuki can challenge for race wins and the championship.

This was the last race for team manager Garry Taylor, after 29 years with the Suzuki team. His first GP was at the end of 1976, when Barry Sheene won the first of two Suzuki World Championships. This was his 378th race, and Taylor has clocked up 57 GP wins, 154 podium finishes and 56 pole positions, plus two more World Championships with Kevin Schwantz and Kenny Roberts Jr. in his racing career.

JOHN HOPKINS – 12th Position:

“I just struggled all through the race, and didn’t get where I wanted to be. Not much to say about that. I do want to say farewell to Garry Taylor. Unfortunately we couldn’t close the year with the good result I hoped to give him. The crew has worked hard all year long and done a great job. Suzuki has improved the bike tremendously and the Bridgestones also. I can’t wait to have a better combination next year and to have a hell of a year.”

GREGORIO LAVILLA – 17th Position:

“It was a hard race. We’ve had the same problem during practice. I got a good start but obviously I couldn’t keep the right pace. I was suffering especially from grip at the rear and this track is all about having good edge grip. With more time in practice we could have got it a little better but not to make too much difference. Other Bridgestone tyre riders had better races. I want to thank the team for all their work and Suzuki for the chances they have given me this year.”

GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager:

“I’d have liked a better result for my last race. Both riders gave it everything, but a rider can only do what the bike is capable of. There is a lot of work to be done over the winter. We’ve made massive improvements in our chassis performance and in the Bridgestone tyres this year and the factory will be concentrating on engine performance over the winter. I’ve already thanked all the team and the riders personally – there is nobody who hasn’t given anything but their best for this team this year.”

RESULTS (Round 16, Valencia): 1. Valentino Rossi ITA (Yamaha) 47’16.145, 2. Max Biaggi ITA (Honda), +0.425, 3. Troy Bayliss AUS (Ducati) +3.133, 4. Sete Gibernau SPA (Honda) +6.128, 5. Makoto Tamada JPN (Honda) + 7.768, 6. Alex Barros BRA (Honda) +14.675, 7. Shinya Nakano JPN (Kawasaki) +23.315, 8. Colin Edwards USA (Honda) +27.441, 9. Loris Capirossi ITA (Ducati) +29.403, 10. Norick Abe JPN (Yamaha) +31.537, 11. Alex Hofmann GER (Kawasaki) +40.951, 12. John Hopkins USA (Suzuki) +1’02.014, 13. Jeremy McWilliams ITA (Aprilia) +1’04.637, 14. Carlos Checa SPA (Yamaha) + 1’08.042, 15. Neil Hodgson GBR (Ducati) + 1’09.364, 17. Gregorio Lavilla SPA (Suzuki) +1’15.274.

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (After 16 rounds): 1 Rossi 304, 2 Gibernau 257, 3 Biaggi 217, 4 Barros 165, 5 Edwards 157, 6 Tamada 150, 7 Checa 117, 8 Hayden 117, 9 Capirossi 117, 10 Nakano 83, 11 Xaus 77, 12 Melandri 75, 13 Abe 71, 14 Bayliss 71, 15 Hofmann 51, 16 Hopkins 45, 18 Roberts 37.

NEXT ROUND: April 10, 2005 – Jerez, Spain.