From a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

`Slowly but surely’ predicts Foggy for FPR in Germany

Carl Fogarty is hoping that the slowest circuit on the Superbike World Championship calendar will not put the brakes on his Foggy PETRONAS racing team’s progress this weekend.

On the back of the successful reliability test provided by the high speeds of Monza last time out, riders Chris Walker and Troy Corser enter the fifth round of the series, at Oschersleben, Germany, facing a new set of challenges in their bid to maintain second spot in the manufacturer standings for PETRONAS.

With the next stage of engine development, aimed at increasing torque and horsepower, still in the pipeline, Chris and Troy will be relying on the handling and set-up of the FP1 to make up for the lack of grunt coming out of the track’s many tight corners.

Carl said: “It would be great to have more of the same this weekend. Expectations are increasing as the motors become more reliable and hopefully this circuit will be more suited to our bike than Monza. Chris went well there last year, while Troy did not do as well. That will hopefully spur him on and they could both be in the top six, if not banging on the rostrum door again.”

Chris said: “I like Oschersleben and really enjoyed the race weekend there last year as I got a fourth place in race one and third in the second race. The track’s a bit different to all the others on the calendar as it’s very twisty and fairly slow – it’s probably most similar to Misano although it’s not completely flat. There are a lot of corners fitted into a small space so it’s a fun and interesting rack to ride. It was the first race last year where I really got into my stride and, although I feel I’ve already done that on the FP1, it’s a good memory to have of that track. I feel confident our bike will go well there as we have a good set up and there are no long, fast straights demanding a lot of throttle and outright power.”

Troy said: “This not a bad circuit but, when you look at the shape of some of the corners like turns one and two, it’s really better as a car track. There are some tricky little chicanes which in a car wouldn’t be a problem as you’d just run over the kerbs, but that’s not so easy on a bike. The shape of the track is interesting and it’s all medium speed really, with third and fourth gear corners. It’s a similar layout to Misano and we have a good set up so it should be a fairly good weekend for us as it’s not a horsepower track – the back straight is quite long but the rest is very twisty.”

Circuit information: Oschersleben, Germany

Best lap: Neil Hodgson, 1:26.502 (Superpole, 2002)
Lap record (race): Colin Edwards 1:25.549 (2002)
Pole position: Right
Circuit length: 3.667km
Corners: 7 left, 7 right
Corner radius: 70m maximum, 44m minimum
Maximum slope: 2.5 per cent

Points (after 4 of 11 rounds)

Riders: 1 Laconi 120; 2 Toseland 117; 3 Chili 97; 4 McCoy 87; 5 Vermeulen 83; 6 Haga 69; 7 Walker (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 69; 8 Borciani 68; 9 Corser (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 66; 10 Haslam 64

Manufacturers: 1 – Ducati 200; 2 – PETRONAS 90; 3 – Honda 83; 4 – Kawasaki 48; 5 – Suzuki 47; 6 – Yamaha 22.

From a press release issued by Honda Racing Information:

World Supersport Championship 2004 – Round 5
Oschersleben Race Preview
28 – 30 MAY 2004

OSCHERSLEBEN ALMOST THE HALFWAY POINT FOR HONDA RIDERS

With only ten rounds of the World Supersport championship to be run in the 2004 season the forthcoming Oschersleben event in Germany marks a halfway point of the series, appearing on the calendar after four rounds of incident and changing fortunes for all the top Honda competitors.

The Honda CBR600RR has proved to be the potent force in real race situations that all expected it to be, after an impressive pre-season of hard testing.

From Valencia to Phillip Island, from Misano to the most recent event at Monza, the more experienced Honda riders have been well in the top five mix in qualifying and racing, with Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) leading the charge.

After four rounds, Honda riders have won three races. Wildcard Josh Brookes scored a win at Phillip Island, but for the past two rounds one man has rocketed up the championship table to second overall. Karl Muggeridge has scored a perfect 50 points in his last two outings, and the 30-year-old Australian now sits a mere 11 points behind Valencia race winner and championship leader Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha).

A combination of a fourth and a second place finishes has given the second Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR rider Broc Parkes fifth place overall before Oschersleben.The 22-year-old from the Hunter Valley in Australia was promoted to second at Monza after the exclusion of another rider, but having been on the receiving end of some terrible luck in previous races, every point now earned by Parkes is a form of payback.

The constantly twisting Oschersleben circuit, with seven left and seven right-hand corners around its short 3.667km length, is as close to a home round as contemporary Supersport racing allows the Austrian based Klaffi Honda team. The most experienced Klaffi rider is Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR). The Frenchman set pole at Misano but otherwise has been unfortunate in races, scoring two DNFs, taking a fifth at Phillip Island and a fourth at Monza, the latter after a ride-through penalty for jump-starting. Just inside the top ten at present, Charpentier is ready to make a good showing at one of his best tracks.

As Oschersleben beckons Charpentier’s 20-year-old team-mate Max Neukirchner(Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) is on home ground and this particular weekend the class rookie even has the pleasure of racing at a circuit on which he has gleaned some previous experience. With a best of sixth so far at Monza, Neukirchner has another opportunity to learn the intricacies of Supersport racing, in what will be only his fifth ever 600cc race meeting.

Team Italia Megabike Honda relocates from two home rounds in Italy to Oschersleben, with proven WSS force Alessio Corradi (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) looking for his third points scoring finish of the year.

Denis Sacchetti (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) is another supported Honda rider undergoing the highs and lows of a rookie season. Just outside the top ten at Monza Sacchetti, like Corradi, will be running an updated engine in Germany.

Despite his recent dominance Muggeridge is approaching Oschersleben like any other race, aware of how tough the opposition can be in Supersport. “It’s going to be close racing for sure in Germany, because of the nature of the track,” he affirmed. “Last year there were something like 20 riders in one second or so after qualifying. I think our bike is working well and we also did a test last week at Assen, so we’ve improved it bit more. We’ll go through exactly the same routine as other races and I’ll be riding to win.”

For Parkes, Oschersleben will have a special attraction as he goes for his first race win. “Monza was pretty good for us and now we go to Oschersleben, which is one of my favourite circuits of the whole year. It’s very different from Monza but we should be alright there.”

Charpentier is determined to have a textbook weekend, after his recent dramas. “I will try for the podium because last year I was fourth on the grid and finished ninth – not a good result. This season is completely different. I will try a new way of starting, with a rear brake on until the lights change. I like the Oschersleben track; it offers us a good a possibility of a strong result. We also have a new engine and it should have very good under
acceleration exiting the corners.”

Track knowledge for Neukirchner could allow him a good chance to continue his rapid growth in this tough series. “In 2002, in the German Championship, I took second position at Oschersleben. I like the layout but maybe it will feel completely new on the 600. All this year the Honda has been a very good bike for me and it should suit this track well.”

Recovering from a heavy fall at Monza, Corradi stated; “Oschersleben I will be fit for, despite my big crash at Monza, and we are much happier with the set-up of the bike now. We are waiting for the new HRC kit and I expect at Oschersleben we will have all we need to be competitive again.” His teammate Sacchetti is keen to rack up more championship points. “If I can get good points again from Oschersleben I will be happy. Monza ended up better than it could have been so we’ll be trying to improve even more in Germany.”

After Oschersleben a two-week gap leads up to the sixth round of the year, at Silverstone on June 13.

From a press release issued by Parts Unlimited:

Parts Unlimited is Title Sponsor of WERA GNF Finale and Suzuki Cup Finals

Hundreds of racers representing thousands of race entries flock to Braselton, Georgia’s world-renowned Road Atlanta each fall for the WERA Grand National Finals and Suzuki Cup Finals.

Wait, that would now be the Parts Unlimited WERA GNF and Suzuki Cup Finals.

The world’s largest distributor of aftermarket motorcycle parts (and the sponsor of a great many prominent race events) has signed on as the title sponsor for this heralded and famously well-attended crown jewel of the roadracing season schedule. The event falls on the week of October 12-17 for 2004.

“Over many many years, the WERA GNF has grown to be a huge event that draws a tremendous crowd. The location–right at the foothills of the Smoky Mountains where seemingly every road to the north twists and curves as if made for motorcycling–along with the track and the facility, combine to make the event a must-attend for sportbike enthusiasts in the area,” said Parts Unlimited VP Greg Blackwell. “We have a tremendous number of dealers who are very dedicated to that segment of the sport, and we are very excited and pleased to play such a prominent role in presenting both the race and all of the excitement that goes with it.”

For Parts personnel and dealers, those festivities will revolve around the substantial spread of hosted hospitality. The Parts Unlimited support semis will be on hand to provide shade, lunch, and cool drinks for its many dealers while also allowing the general paddock public to peruse the prominent displays of Parts-distributed products.

For more information on upcoming Parts Unlimited hospitality events at AMA Superbike weekends, Formula USA and WERA roadracing events, or at AMA outdoor motocross races, GNCC and WORCS and other off-road events, in addition to many other major events and series sponsored by Parts Unlimited, where WE SUPPORT THE SPORT®, ask your sales rep or call 608-758-1111.

From a press release issued by Jerry Wood:

SUPER MOTARD

Last year New Hampshire International Speedway (NHIS) hosted its first Super Motard event where riders race on a combination of pavement and dirt. This year they are adding a three thousand dollar purse and a jump on the front straight. Multi-time national champion, Doug Henry has been racing his new Honda at Loudon and could be the man to beat this year. Doug impressed the road racing crowd with huge powerslides on the pavement.

Super Motard practice and timed qualifying will take place on Friday afternoon, June 18 and the final race for $3,000 will be on Saturday afternoon, June 19.

From a press release issued by Team Wurth Honda BQR:

Misfire Drops Noyes to Ninth in Spanish FX Opener at Catalunya

American Kenny Noyes saw his hopes of a top finish dashed as his Honda CBR1000RR developed a misfire after only five of the sixteen laps of the opening round of the Spanish Formula Extreme Championship.

“We had this problem in practice and thought we had solved it in the warm-up, but I kept losing revs and was lucky to finish. At the beginning our data showed a top speed of 180 mph down the home straight in sixth but on the last lap I could only pull fifth and was down to 149 mph. We got all our special parts so late that we only had a single day’s track practice before this race, but the bike is good as shown by my team mate’s results and I’m confident that we’ll run at the front soon,” said Kenny.

The battle for the win was a three rider scrap between eventual winner Ivan Silva (Laglisse Soldeimagen Yamaha R1), Noyes’ Wurth Honda BQR team mate David de Gea on the CBR1000RR and Carmelo Morales on the factory-supported Alstare Suzuki GSX-R 1000.

Morales crashed out on the final lap. Silva won from de Gea with Jose Luis Cardoso (Laglisse Soldeimagen Yamaha R1) third. Silva and Cardoso use Michelin tires while De Gea uses Dunlop. The field was typically tight with only 29 seconds covering the top ten finishers and only four of the 28 finishers losing a single lap.

The Spanish Formula Extreme series is the country’s top national series and races are nationally televised live. Regulations are more liberal that AMA Superstock but with less freedom than AMA Superbike.

Next Spanish National will be held on June 20, at Jarama, in Madrid.

From a press release issued by Brainerd International Raceway:

Ducati is new title sponsor of AMA Superbike race at Brainerd International Raceway

BRAINERD, Minn. ­ Brainerd International Raceway today announced that Ducati North America will be the title sponsor of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship, scheduled for June 25-27 on BIR¹s 3-mile road course.

The event will be called the Trofeo Ducati U.S. Superbike AMA Championship and will feature some of the world’s top Superbike racers, including Ducati-sponsored Eric Bostrom, who’s a perennial fixture at the top of the points standings. The Trofeo Ducati is the seventh of the 11-race championship series.

Ducati’s title right sponsorship is, among other things, a valuable marketing strategy to strengthen its brand in the Midwest and, specifically, Minnesota. The Italian motorcycle manufacturer has increased its overall commitment to the AMA’s Superbike Championship this year for greater exposure on a national level.

“Racing is about passion, the heart of the Ducati brand,” said John Porter, Director of Marketing for Ducati North America. “We are sponsoring the Brainerd round of the AMA Superbike series to celebrate that passion with our fans, in the unique BIR venue.”

Ducati plans to make the BIR event a special destination for Ducati dealers, owners and race fans in general. Ducati owners from throughout the country will be invited to the event and will have special viewing and parking areas. During the event, Ducati has plans for a bike show, activities and contests, an owner’s club dinner, and, possibly, a number of bike tours throughout the Brainerd Lakes Area.

Ducati’s sponsorship will mean added visibility for its three Minnesota dealers as well: Delano Sport in Delano and Moto Primo dealerships in Minneapolis and Burnsville.

“We couldn’t be happier that Ducati signed on as title right sponsor,” said Scott Quick, BIR general manager. “Our AMA Superbike race has always been very popular with our fans, but Ducati’s sponsorship will give it greater exposure and, more importantly, inject a sophisticated, international flair that will elevate this event to a new level. It’s a great thing for our fans, and we look forward to a long-term relationship with Ducati North America.”

From a press release issued by CMRA:

Ty Howard seems to be making a habit of breaking track records. For the second consecutive CMRA event, Howard set a new track record, and for the second consecutive event, the Shogun Motorsports/Ride Smart/Michelin/Motion Cyclesports-sponsored rider was the top money winner for the weekend, this time claiming nearly $7000 in contingency and CMRA purse money at round five of the CMRA Championship Roadracing Series held at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit in northeastern Oklahoma.

Howard claimed wins in the B Superstock Expert, C Superstock Expert, A Superstock Expert and C Superbike Expert races on Sunday and in the Pace American Trailer Red River Challenge Series race, which was held on Saturday. His only defeat came at the hands of Winn Racing’s Shannon Ball in Sunday’s Formula 1 Expert event.

Howard set the new course record, a 1:17.958, on the third lap of the B Superstock Expert event, surpassing the old mark of 1:18.52, set by Sam McDonald on 9/30/01 for the counter clockwise direction.

Defending CMRA Champion and current points leader Michael Sanchez was recovering from a shoulder injury which he received at the AMA Nationals in Barber the weekend before and was on hand only to make a lap in certain races in an effort to salvage whatever points he could.

Fort Worth rider Jason Pirtle also had a good weekend, taking wins in the Formula 2, Lightweight Twins Expert and D Superbike Expert races while Ronnie Lunsford claimed top money in the Heavyweight Twins Expert race, which featured a $500 purse.

In the Mr. Corder Racing Formula 40 event, also a purse-paying race, Jim Anderson came from behind to take the lead from Lunsford with two laps to go. Lunsford tried a last-lap, last-turn maneuver to regain the lead, but lappers interfered and Anderson came home with the checkers and the check.

Will Gruy claimed top money in the 125 Grand Prix event, besting Daniel Browning and Tyler McDonald in the process and returned later in the day to take the Formula CMRA Lightweight win as well.

After a bad start, Jayme Jernigan moved to the front to take the win in the AF1 Racing-sponsored Formula 5 race over Kyle Rivers and Anthony Smith, while Richard Eads was top Formula 7 rider in sixth overall.

Tyler McDonald breezed to the Formula 4 class win over Gruy and Smith while Tom Thompson took the Formula 6 division over Laura Black and Richard Desmond. McDonald also claimed a win in the Unlimited Motard class.

In the Novice ranks, Carter Burkholder and Kyle Rivers each took a pair of wins in Sundays sprint-race action, with Burkholder topping the B Superbike and C Superbike Novice events, while Rivers claimed wins in the C Superstock and B Superstock Novice divisions.

In the Cycle 1 CMRA Endurance Series Presented by Shogun Motorsports 5-hour event, Vinyl Edge Racing overcame transmission problems to claim the overall and top Unlimited GP-class wins by four laps over Village Idiots, who also finished top Middleweight Superbike. 2Wheelz.com finished third overall and second UGP just 28.945 seconds behind Village Idiots. Big Air Racing was the top Middleweight Supersport team in fourth overall with Short Bus Racing in fifth overall and second MSS. Desert-Rats.net claimed the top spot in the Unlimited Supersport division with Team K&N finishing first in the Lightweight Superbike class.

The CMRA returns to action on June 19-20 for round six of its championship series at Texas World Speedway in College Station, Texas. The weekend will feature an eight-hour big bike endurance event on Saturday and a full slate of sprint races on Sunday.


More, from a press release issued by RPS:

Howard Scores second Ace of the Season and takes aim on a third!!!

Racing Performance Services sponsored Ty Howard set his 2nd consecutive track record in as many races. Using a Penske shock and Traxxion Dynamics components that received custom valving from RPS, Howard smashed the old record by over a half a second. Although Ty was only able to turn laps in the high 1:19 range on Saturday, Howard teamed with RPS owner Marcus McBain to create a strategy for a suspension setup that would put Ty in the record books again. After McBain modified the valve stacks in both the shock and fork, Ty immediately dropped one second in Sunday Practice and in the Sunday sprint races Ty’s incredible talent took over as he ran a 1:17.958.

The track record was simply an exclamation point on a weekend that saw RPS sponsored riders and customers take over 30 wins and podium positions at the Hallet, Oklahoma facility. Other significant RPS winners and podium finishers were Phillip Lawlis, Brad Kelly, Big Air Racing, LSTD, Team Anvil, Chris Romeo, and MRA star Rich Deeming.

Heading into the CMRA June 19-20 round, Ty Howard shoots for a 3rd track record in a row. The former AMA star feels confident that his team of sponsors will continue to put him over the top and grab a third straight track record. Critical to this success is the communication process and technical understanding that former Team Green Kawasaki teammates Howard and RPS owner McBain share. Howard has his sights on the TWS record and so far this season since he has been working with RPS, he hasn’t missed his target yet.