From a press release:

Count the Days with Your Favorite Road Racer in 2005

San Francisco, CA – Here comes your first ever 2005 American Speed Calendar, packed with pictures and information about the next thrilling season. Get up close and personal with top racers such as Miguel Duhamel, Aaron Gobert, Jake Zemke, Ben Bostrom and Eric Bostrom, just to name a few.

This calendar has everything: great, vibrant photos of your favorite riders, the 2005 race schedule, trivia dates, and all the info you need to make the races come to life. So guys, if you want your significant other to have motorcycles on her mind when Christmas time rolls around, you cannot go wrong with this calendar. And ladies, if you thought going to a race wouldn’t be entertaining, just wait till you see these guys.

Lisa Keating is based in San Francisco. She has an impressive clientele of actors, musicians and professional motorcycle racers. Her work has been published in many magazines such as Rolling Stone, Vibe, SF Weekly/Chronicle and others. Lisa, who also rides, has established herself within the AMA, enabling her to offer a more personal side of racing. Her fashion skills combined with her ability to talk the talk with racers on and off the track brings them to life in a way that is truly unique. Brian J. Nelson, the top action photographer for road racing, helped her capture all the great racing images.

To order your calendar in time for Christmas, log onto www.roadracing05.com .

Should you have any questions regarding the calendar, please contact Lisa Keating at (415) 777-4918 or visit her site at www.lisakeatingphotograhy.com.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Provisional 2005 FIM Endurance World Championship Schedule:

March 28, 500 kilometers, Assen, Holland

April 10, TBA

May 28-29, 12 hours, Albacete, Spain

June 19, TBA

July 31, 8 hours, Suzuka, Japan

August 13-14, 24 hours, Oschersleben, Germany

October 2, 200 miles, Vallelunga, Italy

From a revised press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports:


MAT MLADIN – 2004 American Superbike Champion

Nine years is a long time for any sportsman to remain at the higher echelons of a particular championship or series of their chosen sport.

For Australian Mat Mladin, the nine seasons he has spent racing in the highly competitive American AMA Superbike Championship has brought with it considerable success.

Since making the move to the AMA series in 1996, Mladin has been associated with the factory Yoshimura Suzuki team for all bar one of those seasons.

In this period he has emerged as one of the most decorated riders in the sport. Five AMA Superbike Championships, 32 career race wins (including
three Daytona 200’s) and 37 career pole positions, rates him as the best in the business.

Mladin and his tight knit crew have become the yardstick of the American Superbike Championship. His rivals see him as the man to beat rather than
the motorcycle and team he rides for. He has many fans as well as detractors, but that does not distract him from the task at hand, winning
championships.

Fresh from his most recent championship success at Virginia International Raceway, Mladin took time to answer a number of questions, relating to his season and his time spent racing in the grueling AMA series.

Q: With 5 AMA Superbike crowns to your credit, how do you rate this year’s title win?

A: This year was a tough championship. We were up against it, especially over the first two-thirds of the year. The motorcycle was a little behind due to the rule changes imposed after last season. As far as how hard it was, it definitely was hard. As far as how satisfying it was, it was the most satisfying by far.

Q: You went into 2004 as the defending champion, but were not rated as the pre-season favourite to take the title. How did that sit with you?

A: You are probably right and all that was based on one off-season tyre test at Daytona when the Honda guys came out and went really fast. They put a good spin on the publicity there and that seemed to blow a lot of things out of proportion for what could of happened.

Q: You won the Daytona 200 for the third time this year and with the rule changes proposed by the AMA for 2005 (it will run as a Formula Extreme 600cc class) it could well be the last, what are your thoughts on that decision?

A: I’d hate to say that it would be the last time that Superbikes race the Daytona 200, because who knows what they are going to have for the future and are they going to have to turn that decision around. Is it really going to be the last Superbike Daytona 200, I’m not really certain of that.

It’s very highly thought of by the manufacturers. Myself as a non-American racer, I don’t place as much importance on it as an American would. For me it’s the first race of the championship and I don’t want to do anything silly there that would leave me catching up a whole heap of points.

Q: Was there a particular high point for you this year?

A: The two wins at the penultimate round at Road Atlanta were huge for us. That was a weekend where the championship could have either tightened way up for the final two races at Virginia, or we could essentially clinch it, even though mathematically we couldn’t clinch it, we could put all of the competitors away at that race and that’s what happened. It made it extra special because there was that tension and pressure that was growing between Miguel (DuHamel) and myself and we came away with a maximum pointscore after taking pole, and leading most laps in each race on the way to the two wins. It was a nice way to leave there.

Q: Was it a turning point in the season, even though it was quite late?

A: I don’t think it was a turning point as we led the whole season. Laguna Seca really stopped the bleeding for us after the few fast racetracks where we lost points to our rivals. Laguna stopped that for us and then we got a win at the following round at Mid-Ohio where we started to stretch the points out again. Then at Atlanta, we put it to bed.

Q: When did you feel that the championship was yours to win?

A: After Atlanta. We felt pretty comfortable and had over a race in points in the lead of the championship, so it would have taken a big mess up for us to lose it after that.

Q: Has there been any one particular facet that would be the key to your success in America?

A: The biggest thing was learning six or seven years ago that I needed a strong team to be able to win championships. It’s something that I really woke up to in 1997. You can’t win titles, especially consistently, without having a solid team who do the same things every weekend.

Q: How important has it been to have such a dedicated group of guys around you that form the nucleus of your team?

A: My long time crew chief Peter Doyle and mechanic Reg O’Rourke have been joined by other members, Johnny Asher, Manny and Henry, but the key is they are a really solid group that works extremely well together.

They all know what to do. At the track we get the job done and if we win we go out and have dinner and some fun, but if we don’t we still go out have dinner and some fun. That’s what it is all about. You win together you lose together.

Q: How enjoyable has it been over the past two years where you have been able to race 1000cc multi-cylinder Superbikes?

A: Last year the Suzuki GSX-R1000 was the best motorcycle on the racetrack, or at least as competitive as any other motorcycle on the track. Something we didn’t have the luxury of having racing the Twins on a 750. Last year we won a lot of races reasonably comfortably and it was good to have won that fourth championship, but it certainly wasn’t near as hard as this year. This year I’ve spoken about the motorcycle not being fast enough, but again it all goes back to the rule changes that were implemented very late last year, so the motorcycle just wasn’t up to the same spec as the others we were racing against this year. Next year it will be, so we’ll see how it goes then.


Q: How do rate the next crop of riders emerging in the US?

A: There are a few guys over here doing very well. The Hayden brothers, Tommy and Roger Lee at Kawasaki, Tommy won the Supersport Championship, while there’s also a couple of younger guys over at Yamaha. Aaron Gobert did well in winning the Superstock championship, while Jason Disalvo seems to be pretty fast, while in my Yoshimura Suzuki team, Ben Spies will be stepping up to Superbike next year so we’ll see how he goes there.

Q: Do you still have that desire for either GP or World Superbike, or will you conclude you career in America?

A: I’d imagine that I’d finish my racing career here in the US. The GP thing has always interested me since I was there in ’93, but certainly even less the more years that we go along, because it is one of those things where you really do need the right package, bike and team, or else you are wasting your time. There are only so many factory bikes to go around and the unfortunate thing is that I’m unlikely to get one. Honda have already stated that they will only have two official factory bikes in MotoGP and the rest will be the next step down.

As for World Superbike, it just doesn’t interest me, full stop. The level of racing I don’t think is that high. To have to travel around the world to say that you race in World Superbike does not appeal to me. I see it as a huge step backwards to what I’m doing here in America. The rules between SWC and the AMA may be slightly different, but the teams here still get the very latest equipment from the factories, so on that score this series is very strong.

To give you an idea, we had factory rider Regis Laconi race here at the final round last weekend, straight after being a title contender in the SWC a week earlier and he couldn’t get within a second of our times. The AMA is not an easy series by any stretch of the imagination.

Q: You’ve spent nine year’s racing in America, you must enjoy the way of life you have created for yourself there.

A: I love it here. There are so many things that I’ve been able to do because of my time here. My Import company is directly attributed to the people I have been fortunate to deal with over here such as Yoshimura and Joe Rocket. My success over here with racing has led to some successful business ventures.

Not only that, but you do tend to live a fairly normal lifestyle where you live in your own house, go and race, then come back to it where you do normal type things. Things like that that I do enjoy.

I got my pilot licence this year and plan on expanding that into the future and may chase that career one day when I get home to Australia. It also is something that my daughter can be involved in if she chooses. To be a young person and get to travel the world as a pilot would be pretty cool.

Q: Many may perceive your over-confidence to verge on arrogance. How do you read this with the positive nature it takes for anyone to win a championship title. Where is the fine line?

A: Personally I see it as a minority that would see it like that. You always have your detractors no matter who you are. Overall I think it is a minority. Some people see me that way, but I do have a lot of fans in America. I enjoy racing, I have a passion for it and finishing second doesn’ t sit well with me. So when I lose, it’s annoying until I get to the next racetrack and make amends for it. I like to perform at my best whatever it is.

Q: You are very vocal regarding track safety in America. Do you feel that you are being heard by those who make the decisions?

A: When it comes to track safety, there’s never enough that can be done. You certainly like to see more done, but unfortunately it’s one of those areas that you keep pushing for and make more improvements, but things never seem to be quick enough. Certainly America doesn’t seem to have track safety as high a priority as the European countries are, especially the World Championship circuits.

However, a few have made steady changes over the years which is great, but there are still a couple of places where the whole circuit is still terrible. I don’t know why we still race there, especially the speeds carried by the current crop of motorcycles.

Q: What do you see in the future direction of Superbike?

The current 1000cc Superbike is an excellent platform. I think they will always have a platform, as they are different to GP bikes. Horsepower figures are not that different between them. The current Superbikes are putting out well over 205hp, while the lead MotoGP machines are around 230 to 240hp.

There will always be a place for them as they are the bikes that people buy and therefore a huge marketing tool for the manufacturers, which is also the reason why they are all getting back into World Superbike next year.

Q: What lies ahead contract wise for you?

A: I’m done for 2005. I’ll be back to defend the title and see if we can make it six, but after that we have to see what happens. As long as I’m still enjoying it and have that fire in my belly I’d like to keep winning and I guess I’ll be doing it for a few more years yet.

Mat Mladin – Statistics

Date of birth: 10 March 1972
Lives at: Camden, NSW, Australia
Marital Status: Married to Janine, daughter Emily

Racing Achievements
1990
Began racing in the Australian 250cc Production championship (Suzuki RGV 250)

1991
Australian 250cc Production Champion (Suzuki RGV 250)

1992
Australian Superbike Champion (Kawasaki ZX-R750)

1993
World 500cc Grand Prix Championship (Cagiva 500)

1994
3rd Australian Superbike Championship (Kawasaki ZX-R750)

1995
2nd, Australian Superbike Championship (Kawasaki ZX-R750)

1996
4th, AMA US Superbike Championship (Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R750)

1997
3rd, AMA US Superbike Championship (Fast By Ferracci Ducati 955)

1998
3rd, AMA US Superbike Championship (Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R750)

1999
AMA US Superbike Champion (Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R750)

2000
AMA US Superbike Champion (Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R750)
Won Daytona 200 by Arai (First Australian to do so)
Voted 2000 AMA Pro Racing Athlete of the Year, by his peers

2001
AMA US Superbike Champion (Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R750)
Won four races (Daytona 200 by Arai, Road Atlanta, Road America, Mid-Ohio)
Set new pole position records; 8 consecutive and a total of 9 for the season

2002
7th AMA US Superbike Championship (Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R750)

2003
AMA US Superbike Champion (Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000)
First rider to win four AMA Superbike Championships
Equalled All-time AMA Superbike race wins for a season with 10 wins (24 career victories)

2004
AMA US Superbike Champion (Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000)
All time AMA Superbike race win record holder with 32 career race wins
Won eight races – Daytona 200, California Raceway (2), Infinieon Raceway, Barber Motorsports Park, Mid-Ohio, Road Atlanta (2)
All time AMA Superbike Pole Position record holder with 37.


AMA Career Superbike Race Wins – 32 (All time AMA Superbike record)

2004
04/09/04 Road Atlanta Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000
04/09/04 Road Atlanta Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000
24/07/04 Mid-Ohio Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000
15/05/04 Barber M’Sports Pk Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000
01/05/04 Infineon Raceway Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000
04/04/03 California Speedway Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000
03/04/04 California Speedway Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000
06/03/04 Daytona 200 Mile Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000

AMA Career Superbike Pole Positions – 37 (All time AMA Superbike record)
2004
04/09/04 Road Atlanta 1:22.065 Yoshimura
Suzuki GSX-R1000
15/05/04 Barber M’Sports Pk 1:25.251 Yoshimura Suzuki
GSX-R1000
01/05/04 Infineon Raceway 1:36.916 Yoshimura Suzuki
GSX-R1000
03/04/04 California Speedway 1:24.759 Yoshimura Suzuki
GSX-R1000

From a press release issued by FGSport:

26 February – Qatar Doha, Losail

3 April – Australia, Phillip Island

24 April – Spain, Valencia

8 May – Italy, Monza

29 May – Great Britain, Silverstone

12 June – Czech Republic, Brno

26 June – San Marino, Misano

7 August – Great Britain, Brands Hatch

4 September – Netherlands, Assen

11 September – Germany, Lausitzring

25 September – Italy, Imola

9 October – France, Magny-Cours

Reserve dates (4 events)

20/03 or 01/05 : tba

03/07 or 17/07 : tba

14/08 or 21/08 : tba

16/10 or 23/10 : tba

From a press release issued by Ducati:

DUCATI DESIGNER PIERRE TERBLANCHE PRESENTS: “THE ART AND DESIGN OF AN ITALIAN MOTORCYCLE”

Renowned motorcycle designer Pierre Terblanche will speak at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum on November 19th, 2004, Brookline, Massachusetts.

October 20th, 2004 – Cupertino, CA – World famous designer Pierre Terblanche will make a U.S. appearance on November 19th, 2004 at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, Massachusetts. Terblanche is the Director of Design for Ducati in Bologna, Italy and is recognized as a preeminent designer who leads the design team whose innovations keep Ducati at the forefront of motorcycle design.

US DESMO, an official Ducati Owners Club of the United States, has organized the event and is honored to welcome Pierre Terblanche for this special presentation. Pierre will speak on the company’s rich heritage and the unique role of style for the machines he has personally designed such as the 900SS, MH900e, as well as the companies latest, the Multi-Strada and the 999. Mr. Terblanche will address motorcycle design from identified market needs to new product development. His presentation integrates Ducati’s real world practicality toward engineering and manufacturing to useful design for a wide range of riders and riding styles.

Ducati motorcycles are considered works of art by people around the world and are the sexiest bikes on the planet. Fine examples can been seen in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Art of the Motorcycle at the Guggenheim, and other museums worldwide. The bikes combine emotion, form, and function in an overall package unlike any other manufacturer. Together with proven dominance on the racetrack, a Ducati motorcycle is a cultural, artistic, and performance statement.

Selected Ducati motorcycles will be exhibited at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum and a special edition Ducati will be signed by Pierre Terblanche.

The VIP cocktail reception and book signing by Pierre will be a catered affair with a wonderful assortment of passed hors d’oeuvres and catered by one of Boston’s premiere caterers. The VIP reception begins at 5:00 p.m. and tickets are $50. General Admission is at 7:00 p.m and tickets are $9.

For reservations and directions, contact: Sheldon Steele, Larz Anderson Auto Museum 15 Newton St. Brookline MA 02445, 617-522-6547 ext.19. Or visit: www.mot.org.

The event is sponsored by Eastern Cycle Ducati in Beverly, Massachusetts with support from US Desmo, BCM Motorsports, the Society of Automotive Engineers, North American Warhorse, and Moto Italia.

Founded in 1926, Ducati builds racing-inspired motorcycles characterized by unique engine features, innovative design, advanced engineering and overall technical excellence. Ducati has won eleven of the last thirteen World Superbike Championship titles and more individual victories than the competition put together. The Company produces motorcycles in five market segments which vary in their technical and design features and intended customers: Superbike, Supersport; Monster, Sport Touring and Multistrada. The Company’s motorcycles are sold in more than 40 countries worldwide, with a primary focus in the Western European and North American markets. For more information about the Company, please visit our web site athttp://www.ducati.com.

From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

POSITIVE TEST FOR THE DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM AT PHILLIP ISLAND

Phillip Island (Australia), Tuesday 19 October 2004 – The Ducati Marlboro Team completed a successful two-day testing session today Tuesday at Phillip Island, the venue for Sunday’s Australian GP, a race which finished with the first podium of the season for the Italian manufacturer.

The Italian team used the fast Australian circuit to test a new version of its distinctive tubular frame, which has been designed to improve the stability of the Desmosedici and its reactivity, in particular in fast changes of direction. New swing-arms with different levels of stiffness were also tested with the same purpose in mind.

Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss expressed their satisfaction with the changes, both riders recording interesting times right from the start and both improving the quickest time (in race trim) set by Capirossi during Sunday’s race (1:31.102). During the two-day test, Loris and Troy also lapped in an excellent pace, often under 1:31, and both ended the test with a quickest time of 1:30.6.

The commitment and the work being done by the Ducati Marlboro Team and by Ducati Corse have led to the much hoped-for results: development work is continuing and the team is preparing for 2005 with renewed enthusiasm.

“We are really satisfied with the test. We were able to work for two days in superb weather, accumulating interesting data and setting some excellent times” declared Livio Suppo, director of the Ducati Marlboro Team. “A big thanks to everyone, both within the company and in the team. Putting us in a position to test such a large number of components has involved a major effort from our designers, our suppliers and the entire team, who were really tired after three successive race weekends, but who worked enthusiastically for an extra two days. This is a demonstration of how much we want to have more days like Sunday! Despite the good results, we won’t use the new components in the race because they didn’t do enough kilometres during the tests to guarantee the necessary reliability. We will continue to test these new parts immediately after the last GP of the season in the week after Valencia”.

Apart from a few gusts of wind which disturbed Monday’s activities, testing was carried out in excellent weather conditions (air 20°/track 32°).

From a press release issued by Lockhart Phillips:

Lockhart Phillips’ Team Privateer Ramping up for 2005 Roadrace Season

Lockhart Phillips USA is now accepting sponsorship applications for its innovative, multi-tier Team Privateer program, which is open to all licensed racers. An application and more program details can be found at www.teamprivateer.com or by calling (949) 498-9090, ext. 243.

From a press release issued by Motonation:

Spidi Sport, one of the worldwide market leaders in the street and roadrace motorcycle apparel segment, is proud to announce the selection of Motonation as its new exclusive importer for the American market effective immediately.

Simone Fin, Spidi Export Sales Director, states: “Spidi products have been available for a number of years in the USA in a somewhat limited fashion. With Motonation’s focused sales and distribution system we are quite excited, and looking forward to seeing the Spidi brand grow in sales as well as name recognition in the years to come.”

Bill Berroth, President of Motonation commented: “The street apparel market is one that Motonation has always felt would be a good match to our company, our existing brands, and our dealer exclusivity sales style for some time now. We did not want to make this step with just any brand but with a market leader. When we learned this summer that the Spidi brand was available we jumped at the chance and established a partnership that will see Motonation and Spidi working together towards the growth of the USA market for the brand for years to come. We are very honored and excited to have this opportunity.”

Retailers interested in acquiring an exclusive Spidi sales territory for their market area should contact Motonation at 877-789-4940 or write to [email protected] or [email protected]


More, from a press release issued by CCS:

California CCS Riders

SBRtrackday.com is hosting a track day at Willow Springs’ Streets of Willow race track this weekend on Wed. Oct. 20th. They would like to offer a discount to CCS riders in an effort to fill empty spaces for their event. Regular price is $130 dollars, however CCS riders can take advantage of a special promotion for this event only with a $30 discount.

When registering on-line, just enter “CCS 30 dollar discount” in the “motorcycle experience” box on our registration page @ www.sbrtrackday.com

For further questions, feel free to contact SBR Track Days Director Ken at 949-751-8368.


More, from a press release issued by the Eastern Airways Sidecar Championship:

Eastern Airways Sidecar Championship ­ Round 10

DOUBLE RACE WIN, CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE AND NEW LAP RECORD EARNS WEBSTER AND WOODHEAD WRANGLER FOOTWEAR TEAM AWARD

The Castrol Suzuki pairing of Steve Webster and Paul Woodhead have won the Wrangler Footwear Team of the Meeting award for Sunday¹s 10th round of the Eastern Airways Sidecar Championship at Mallory Park.

The pairing won both races of the final round to clinch the title in breathtaking fashion and also smashed the lap record at the Leicestershire track.

Webster concluded one of his busiest seasons ever with wins 10 and 11 from 18 races in the Eastern Airways Championship, all after securing World and European titles.

“It really has been an incredible year, one of my best,” said Webster. “I’m really pleased to collect the Wrangler Footwear Team award after a perfect day for us at Mallory Park on Sunday.”

He continued: “The chase for the Eastern Airways title went down to the final round – anything could have happened on Sunday. And we’ve had four different race winners this year so it all looks promising for the future.”


More, from a press release issued by Proforma:

HOTBODIES RACING TEAM RESULTS FROM WERA GRAND NATIONAL FINAL AT ROAD ATLANTA

The Hotbodies Racing Team participated at the 2004 Parts Unlimited WERA Grand National Final and Suzuki GSX-R Cup Finals at Road Atlanta. Riders under the red and white Hotbodies Racing tent at Road Atlanta included Geoff May, Giovanni Rojas and Blake Young.

Geoff May
Geoff raced in the Suzuki GSX-R600 and GSX-R1000 Cup Final races as well as the WERA National Challenge Formula 1 event on Sunday, with a sixth in the 600 race and wins in the other two finals. “The 600 race, realistically I knew I wasn’t gonna be able to run with those guys,” said Geoff. “I figured I’d just stick it up there and hope for a podium or something. This was only the fifth time I rode the bike, and we just put a shock on it. I rode it as hard as I could, and that’s where I ended up. With the 1000, I knew I had faster times than everyone else all weekend, I figured I just had to do my best and get a good start. Brent (George) got an awesome holeshot, he went flying up into one, and went a little wide. I squared it up and fired it up the hill and put my head down. My pit crew was giving me signals, so I didn’t even look back until after the halfway point. I saw a huge gap so I just put it on cruise control. I didn’t wat to be the idiot of the day and throw it down winning the race. My main goal for the weekend was to win the 1000 Cup.”

“I won the WERA Formula 1 race as well, came from the fourth row,” added Geoff. “Tray Batey got a flyer, I got held up behind (David) Weber and (John) Jacobi and a few other guys. It took me about half a lap to get by each guy. I was just stronger in a few spots. Batey put a big gap, and I knew Mike Smith was probably right on my heels the whole time. I never looked back at him. I didn’t care, I was trying to catch Batey. Unfortunately for him, he was on a 750, or it might have been a different story.”

Giovanni Rojas
Giovanni won the WERA National Challenge 600 Superbike race at Road Atlanta after a race-long battle with Tristan Schoenewald. “At the start, this guy in front of me went sideways and Tristan got in front of me,” said Gio. “I went through the pack and passed him on the second lap. I made a mistake back in turn five. I ran off the track a little bit, and I think that’s where he gained on me. He was right there, I could feel somebody in the draft behind me. On the lap before the last lap, he got me in turn 10, so I just followed him through there. When we went down to turn twelve, he was really weak through there. I made a lot of ground through there, and I passed him going into (turn) one. On the last lap, he passed me back in turn 10 on the brakes again. So I followed him through there. I had a great drive out of there, he went to the outside, I just stuck it in the inside, and went down turn 12 down the hill to the checkers. It was great!”

Blake Young
Blake had an eventful first visit to the Suzuki Cup Finals at Road Atlanta. He finished ninth in the hotly contested GSX-R600 Cup Final, dicing throughout the race with Nicky Moore, David Weber, Mark Junge and Matt Furtek. In the GSX-R750 Cup Final, he finished fourth on the track, but was disqualified when it was discovered that his GSX-R750 had a 600 swingarm mounted instead. Blake ran as high as fourth in the GSX-R1000 Cup Final, but ended up finishing ninth after his front brake lever started coming into the handlebar at about the halfway point. He continued on during the remainder of the race, using his rear brake and downshifting to slow the bike for the corners. “All in all, it was a good weekend,” said Blake. “It was my first time at the Cup Finals, and I had a few problems, but I had some good races with a bunch of guys. Mark Junge really helped me out, especially on my 1000.”

Stay tuned for the Hotbodies Racing Team plans for 2005.

For more information, please contact Hotbodies Racing at 1-800-555-2805 or visit www.hotbodiesracing.com


More, from a press release issued by Garrett Carter Racing

16 year old Honda 125 GP racer, Garrett Carter, won the WERA National 125 GP Sportsman Title after a 6 week lay off from breaking his collar bone. He took the title away from former champion Brian Kcratget in a race that had 3 red flags of which Garrett and Brian both crashed in the same oil soaked corner causing the third red flag. The frustrated WERA officials decided to restart the race at the end of the day with time permiting. This allowed both riders to repair their bikes for the restart. The shortened 6 lap race saw Kcratget take the lead followed by Carter and Aprilia mounted teenage rider, Ryan Clay, in third. Both Garrett and Ryan soon pasted the leader and raced wheel to wheel to the finish line with Garrett pulling out the victory by half a bike length. Aprilia Super Tuner Rocky Stargel worked on both teenager’s bikes to great success. Rocky also put Garrett on his former AMA 2002 Championship bike, the Aprilia 250 of Chuck Sorenson fame, for the Formula 2 race. This was Garrett’s first time on a 250 GP bike and he finished fourth in a large field of starters. Garrett’s final race of the season will be in the Spanish National GP series in Jerez in November.


More, a press release issued by Mystery School:

Rich Oliver and Robert Ward had another successful race at Willow Springs, coming home first some 22 seconds ahead of hard chargers Michael Montoya, Mark Watts, Nobi Iso, Ed Marchini, and the rest of the huge 48 rider field.

The Roadracingworld.com event was special this time to Rich and Robert, as they were able to work together again after a year break. The two veterans got right back in the groove the first day, tuning and tweaking the bike until it was turning sharp and running sizzling fast like it should.

Rich comments, “I was interested to see how I would do, after not racing for a year. I guess it’s a good test of the Mystery School training as I participated in my own 5 Day Pro Camp along with my four students the week before this race. I did all the drills and exercises that we teach and to tell you the truth I felt great at Willow. I even missed practice Sunday morning and had to go out cold in the race, but we actually have a drill for that situation in our Pro Camp, so it was no big deal.

“My timing came in after I rode Friday practice, I noticed that I could hit my exact marks on the track starting Saturday, and by Sunday I was feeling just like last year.

“We improved the bike quite a bit during the weekend, and it’s a shame it was so windy that the conditions wouldn’t let us really go for the track record of 1.21.6. We got close on Saturday, with a 1.22.1, but Sunday everyone was just happy that the rain let up and we could race in the dry.

“I have many people to thank, so let’s start with John Ulrich from Roadracingworld.com, Stephanie and Ashley Huth from Willow Springs Raceway, Keith McCarty, Tom Halverson, Jeff Jones, Bob Starr and Jennifer Davie from Yamaha, Les, Jim, Dennis and the crew from Dunlop, Jeff Gehrs from Ferodo, Doug Cameron from Micron, Jim Lindemann from LE Suspension, Dennis Zickrick from Supertech, Brett Milan from Shoei, June Kushitani from Kushitani leathers, Greg Sabatini from Paint by Sabatini, Steve Whitelock from Drive Systems USA, Robert and Cindy Ward, Wilson’s, Paul from AST Sports Science, Eric from Cytosport, and all my friends fans and fellow competitors that cheered or jeered us on!

“Last but not least my Mom was relieved that I was somewhat forced to retire last year, so I only told her that I was racing again a few days before this race, which happened to be on her Birthday! So, Happy Birthday Mom, I’m now retired again, at least till next October!”

http://www.richoliver.net/MysteryImageOfTheWeek6.html


More, from a press release issued by Proforma:

BLAKE YOUNG HAS SUCCESSFUL FIRST SUZUKI CUP FINALS

Blake Young, armed with Young America Suzuki GSX-R600, GSX-R750 and GSX-R1000 race bikes, had an eventful first visit to the Suzuki Cup Finals during the 2004 Parts Unlimited WERA Grand National Finals at Road Atlanta today. A Junior in high school, sixteen-year-old Blake has had a successful first year of professional racing.

Blake finished ninth in the hotly-contested GSX-R600 Cup Final, dicing throughout the race with Nicky Moore, David Weber, Mark Junge and Matt Furtek. “I had a good race,” said Young. “Nicky came with me from behind. We caught Furtek and Mark, and I was able to go with Nicky around them, but I wasn’t able to get past Weber before the end of the race.”

In the GSX-R750 Cup Final, he finished fourth on the track, but was disqualified when it was discovered that his GSX-R750 had a 600 swingarm mounted instead. “I ran third in the first part of the race, then there was the red flag,” Blake said. “On the restart I slotted into fourth, then started running with Jeff Wood. I got past him on the white flag lap going into ten, and was able to hold him off on the last lap.”

In only his second ride on the bike, Blake ran as high as fourth in the GSX-R1000 Cup Final, but ended up finishing ninth after his front brake lever started coming into the handlebar at the halfway point. He continued on during the remainder of the race, using his rear brake and downshifting to slow the bike for the corners. “I got a really, really good start,” Blake said. “I was running fourth, and (Russell) Holland came past me into ten, and I tried to get the thing stopped, but the brake lever came into the bar. Holland went inside me, and I tried to stay with him, but the brakes didn’t get any better. I figured I’d finish the race and see where I ended up.”


More, from a press release issued by Proforma:

LEE ACREE RACES TO THIRD IN SUZUKI GSX-R600 CUP FINAL

Lee Acree raced to a fine third place in today’s Suzuki GSX-R600 Cup Final at the 2004 WERA Grand National Finals at Road Atlanta. Acree ran as high as second until a last lap incident with another rider pushed him nearly into the grass and he held on for third.

“The start was pretty poor,” said Lee, who had set the third fastest time during Saturday’s qualifying session. “I got to turn one a ways back, but was able to make a good number of spots up around the outside of one, and then a couple more spots at the top going into the new section. I didn’t anticipate Jeff (Wood) getting such a jump, and so he got a big gap early. Once I got clear, I started working on that. I found another remnant from my spill the other morning, having fallen on the left side. I had the shifter stick a couple of times and not return, so I made a couple of trips from turn five to turn six just in third (gear), because I couldn’t get it to return so I could upshift it. Those happend while I was chasing Jeff, and that was where Mike really closed up on me dramatically. Then Mike got by, and he was weaving a bit to break the draft, seemed a little hazardous at points. He even had contact with Brent George, they made contact and it locked up George’s front wheel in the middle of the back straightaway. The second to last lap, I was able to get down into the braking zone in 10, was able to go from fourth to second. Had I wanted to force the issue, I probably could have taken first, but it would have been a little over the top. So I held second the rest of the lap around, but wasn’t quite close enough to make a run at Smith in the braking zone for 10. George came up and had basically the same situation I had had the lap before on Smith, George had on me, and his choice was different. He took both of us to the edge of the track, and we would have hit and both probably fallen had I not relented when I got out to the edge. Either that, or my other option was to keep it pinned and go straight through the gravel. So I picked the option that seemed the most feasible at the time, and it resulted in a third place.”


From a press release issued by Team Velocity Racing:

Team Velocity Racing Wins Heavyweight Superstock Race and Championship at Road Atlanta

BRASELTON, Ga. – Team Velocity Racing rode to a finish of second overall during the four-hour season finale of the WERA National Endurance Series, held at Road Atlanta on Friday, October 15, winning the Heavyweight Superstock race and the class championship.

This is the first championship for Team Velocity Racing, who moved up to the Heavyweight Superstock class for 2004 in only their second year as an endurance team.

Chuck Ivey, Bradley Champion, Reuben Frankenfield and Steven Breckenridge rode the team’s Yamaha YZF-R1 during the tenth and final round of the season.

Champion started the race from the front row, and he pitted shortly before the end of the first hour while running second overall and first in class. Ivey took the bike back onto the track, and despite losing several positions during the stop the team was soon back in second.

Breckenridge rode the third stint, followed by Champion again. Frankenfield climbed on the Yamaha for the final minutes of the race, just one month after breaking his foot and scapula during round eight at Nelson Ledges. Frankenfield had to hold off a charge from Ben Spies on the Team Schwantz School bike, managing to stay ahead of the factory Suzuki racer until the checkered flag.

Team Velocity Racing finished the season with a 90-point lead in the Heavyweight Superstock class, and their strong result at Road Atlanta helped move them into second in the overall championship.

Ivey said that, “on race day we were all pretty excited. We knew what we had to do and definitely wanted to make it a clean race and come out of it with what we knew we could get. To come out and win the championship in just our second year, I think it shows just how much we can pull together and accomplish as a team. We’ve had our ups and downs, but we’ve still pulled together and come through with it.”

“It was mentally and physically challenging for my first stint,” said Champion, who mentioned that strong winds were a factor on the track. “I went out again, and I felt better. I was able to get right into the groove, and worked around the wind better. We couldn’t have done any better. We put forth an effort and got a good return out of it.

“The crew put new tires on the bike for me, and they did the pit stop in just over a minute on a Superstock bike,” enthused Breckenridge. “I turned my fastest laps at the end of my stint. It’s so easy to go fast on the R1. It’s been an awesome year.”

“I just went out for the last 15 minutes,” explained Frankenfield, who had not ridden since his crash. “I pretty much wanted to bring the bike home in one piece. It was good to get the checkered flag in the last race of the year to close this chapter.”

More information about Team Velocity Racing can be found at www.TeamVelocityRacing.com.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

AMERICANS TAKE HOME ADVANTAGE
Team Suzuki Press Office

Team America used the home advantage to take the top two spots in the World Suzuki Cup finals at Road Atlanta in Georgia.

Scott Jenson beat teammate Jake Holden for overall honors, Jenson topping Holden by less than a tenth of a second for the race one win and finishing half a bikelength behind Spaniard Javier Fores in race two. Holden was a shadow third in race two.

“I had to beat Jake (Holden) to get the overall,” Jenson said. “If Jake finished second, I could get third, but who wants to settle for second or third. I wanted to win.”

Fores wanted it just a little more. The Spaniard was making his first trip outside of Spain and proved a quick study. The 19-year-old from Valencia led most of the second race, giving up the lead briefly on the ninth of 12 laps, then taking it back and holding off Jenson at the line by 0.037 secs. Holden was a tenth of a second back in third.

Fores had no shot at the overall after the fuel line on his George Vukmanovich-prepared GSX-R750 came off on the first lap of the first race. “I almost cried because of all the work the team put into it,” Flores said through a translator.

Third overall on the day went to South African Hudson Kennaugh through a pair of fourth place finishes.

RACE ONE:
1. Robert Jenson (USA)
2. Jake Holden (USA)
3. Martin Bauer (Germany)
4. Hudson Kennaugh (South Africa)
5. Tristan Palmer (UK)
6. Thomas Metro (France)
7. Ilario Dionisi (Italy)
8. Roman Stamm (Switzerland)
9. Zeiser Christian (Austria)
10. Robert Ulm (Germany)

RACE TWO:
1. Javier Flores (Spain)
2. Robert Jenson (USA)
3. Jake Holden (USA)
4. Hudson Kennaugh (South Africa)
5. Martin Bauer (Germany)
6. Brian Stokes (USA)
7. Tristan Palmer (UK)
8. Ben Wilson (UK)
9. Zaiser Christian (Austria)
10. Antonio Mancuso (Italy)

OVERALL

1. Robert Jenson. USA. 37pts
2. Jake Holden. USA. 32pts
3. Hudson Kennaugh. South Africa. 26pts
4. Martin Bauer. Germany 26pts
5. Javier Fores. Spain. 20pts
6. Tristian Palmer. UK. 20pts
7. Zeuser Christian. Austria. 14pts
8. Ilario Dionisi. Italy. 14pts
9. Roman Stamm. Switzerland. 12pts
10. Antonio Mancuso. Italy 11pts
11. Brian Stokes. USA. 10pts
12. Thomas Metro. France. 10pts
13. Robert Ulm. Germany. 9pts
14. Ben Wilson. UK. 8pts
15. Scott Chalrton. Australia. 4pts
16. Bruce Rulfo. France. 4pts
17. Yoshihiro Konno. Japan. 3pts
18. Akira Tamitsuji. Japan. 2pts
19. Zonon Nelson. Canada. 0pts
20. Frank Heidger. Germany. 0pts
21. Chris Perris. Cnaada. 0pts
22. Sebastien Lager. France. 0pts
23. Alessandro Melone. Italy. 0pts