From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

LACONI AND TOSELAND (DUCATI FILA) BATTLE DOWN TO THE WIRE WITH VERMEULEN (HONDA) AT MAGNY-COURS

Magny-Cours (France), 30 September 2004: Ten rounds down, one to go; two races remain before the title is awarded to the seventeenth World Superbike champion, the successor to, amongst others, Neil Hodgson, Troy Bayliss and Carl Fogarty; on the eve of the final round just thirteen points separate the top three riders – Regis Laconi and James Toseland (Ducati Fila), who are split by four, and Chris Vermeulen (Honda) a further nine behind.

The Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours in central France is the scene therefore for the final act of the 2004 World Superbike championship season. A race to the finish, a battle royale, Anglo-French rivalry at its peak, but with Australia thrown in for good measure ….

Regis Laconi did his chances no harm whatsoever with an impressive double victory at Imola last Sunday. The 29-year-old Frenchman wants to become the first from his country to win the WSBK title since Raymond Roche in 1990. Seven wins this year, his home circuit to come, Laconi is all fired up and ready to go.

“Now I feel OK after the races in Imola because it was important to get a couple of good results in the penultimate round” commented Regis. “I don’t feel under too much pressure here, I think Imola was worse because I could have been ten points behind and instead I am four points ahead. The fight is with James but for sure we have to keep an eye on Chris, it’s not going to be easy.

“It depends on qualifying over the weekend but the most important thing is what happens on Sunday at 12 o’clock at the start and after two or three laps. If you have everything right, you go in the front and go away but if you don’t then you have to battle with everyone, you cannot prepare the race before. The first race will be very important and we will see what happens, that is my philosophy for this weekend, I’m not saying anything else.”

James Toseland scored a second and a third at Imola but these results were good enough to give the 23-year-old British rider a virtually equal chance of winning the title as his Ducati Fila team-mate.

“There’s nothing in it” declared James. “I’m pleased with the way I dug deep at Imola and showed the spirit to fight for the championship. Everybody wants the title, there’s going to be a lot of pressure on Regis in France, but the Ducati Fila team has been awesome all through the year and deserve to win this championship, whether it’s me or him. They have put a major effort to win it, so it should be one-two at the end.

“We tested at Magny-Cours two weeks ago and did really well so I’m confident that Friday morning we can be strong and work well all over the weekend. I had pole there last year so I know I can go fast. If we can get it right Friday morning, which we have been doing recently, then I’m confident that we’ll be on top come Sunday. The best man will win and that’s what has made the championship so exciting. If I win I’ll be the happiest guy on earth but if I don’t then I just have to be pleased with what I’ve done this year, but for me second isn’t an option.”

POINTS (after 10 of 11 rounds) : (Riders) 1. Laconi 295; 2. Toseland 291; 3. Vermeulen 282; 4. Haga 254; 5. Chili 222; 6. McCoy 185; etc.
(Manufacturers) 1. Ducati 480; 2. Honda 289; 3. Petronas 183; 4. Kawasaki 118; 5. Suzuki 90; 6. Yamaha 63.

CIRCUIT INFO
Name: Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours.
Length: 4.411 km.
Pole Position: Right.
Corners Left/Right: 9/11.
Finish Line Length: 250 m.

STATISTICS:
Best lap: Hodgson (Ducati), 1:40.754 (2003).
Lap record: Hodgson (Ducati), 1:41.219 (2003).
Superpole: Toseland (Ducati), 1:40.965 (2003).
Race Distance: 2 x 23 laps/101.453 km.

2003 RESULTS:
Race 1: 1. Hodgson (Ducati); 2. Xaus (Ducati); 3. Walker (Ducati).
Race 2: 1. Xaus; 2. Toseland (Ducati); 3. Walker.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Thursday’s Provisional 250cc GP Qualifying Results:

1. Sebastian PORTO, Aprilia, 2:05.096
2. Randy DE PUNIET, Aprilia, 2:06.155
3. Fonsi NIETO, Aprilia, 2:06.483
4. Alex DE ANGELIS, Aprilia, 2:06.544
5. Daniel PEDROSA, Honda, 2:06.861
6. Toni ELIAS, Honda, 2:06.903
7. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Honda, 2:07.032
8. Franco BATTAINI, Aprilia, 2:07.218
9. Sylvain GUINTOLI, Aprilia, 2:07.267
10. Anthony WEST, Aprilia, 2:07.853
11. Erwan NIGON, Aprilia, 2:08.192
12. Hugo MARCHAND, Aprilia, 2:08.719
13. Roberto ROLFO, Honda, 2:08.846
14. Alex DEBON, Honda, 2:08.948
15. Johan STIGEFELT, Aprilia, 2:09.001
16. Jakub SMRZ, Honda, 2:09.007
17. David DE GEA, Honda, 2:09.384
18. Alex BALDOLINI, Aprilia, 2:09.390
19. Joan OLIVE, Aprilia, 2:10.816
20. Klaus NÖHLES, Honda, 2:10.836

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Thursday Morning Practice Times:

MotoGP:

1. Colin EDWARDS, Honda, 2:07.144
2. Marco MELANDRI, Yamaha, 2:07.539
3. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 2:08.191
4. Carlos CHECA, Yamaha, 2:08.273
5. Ruben XAUS, Ducati, 2:08.291
6. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati, 2:08.302
7. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 2:08.353
8. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 2:08.365
9. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 2:08.369
10. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 2:08.832
11. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 2:08.846
12. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 2:08.862
13. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 2:09.104
14. Alex BARROS, Honda, 2:09.189
15. Norick ABE, Yamaha, 2:09.354
16. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 2:09.840
17. Yukio KAGAYAMA, Suzuki, 2:10.184
18. Nobuatsu AOKI, Proton, 2:10.602
19. Jeremy McWILLIAMS, Aprilia, 2:10.651
20. Neil HODGSON, Ducati, 2:10.775
21. James HAYDON, Proton, 2:11.219
22. James ELLISON, Harris WCM, 2:14.126
23. Youichi UI, Harris WCM, 2:14.619


250cc Grand Prix:

1. Sebastian PORTO, Aprilia, 2:08.190
2. Toni ELIAS, Honda, 2:09.034
3. Alex DE ANGELIS, Aprilia, 2:10.454
4. Fonsi NIETO, Aprilia, 2:10.776
5. Randy DE PUNIET, Aprilia, 2:10.894
6. Daniel PEDROSA, Honda, 2:11.020
7. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Honda, 2:11.386
8. Franco BATTAINI, Aprilia, 2:11.635
9. Anthony WEST, Aprilia, 2:12.122
10. Roberto ROLFO, Honda, 2:12.425
11. Erwan NIGON, Aprilia, 2:12.573
12. Alex DEBON, Honda, 2:13.382
13. Hugo MARCHAND, Aprilia, 2:13.403
14. Joan OLIVE, Aprilia, 2:13.550
15. Jakub SMRZ, Honda, 2:13.775
16. Taro SEKIGUCHI, Yamaha, 2:13.801
17. Naoki MATSUDO, Yamaha, 2:13.835
18. Johan STIGEFELT, Aprilia, 2:13.851
19. David DE GEA, Honda, 2:13.856
20. Alex BALDOLINI, Aprilia, 2:13.902


125cc Grand Prix:

1. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Aprilia, 2:20.400
2. Mirko GIANSANTI, Aprilia, 2:20.886
3. Mika KALLIO, KTM, 2:21.119
4. Jorge LORENZO, Derbi, 2:21.745
5. Casey STONER, KTM, 2:22.054
6. Vesa KALLIO, Aprilia, 2:22.517
7. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Honda, 2:22.609
8. Roberto LOCATELLI, Aprilia, 2:22.686
9. Lukas PESEK, Honda, 2:22.890
10. Gabor TALMACSI, Malaguti, 2:22.934
11. Julian SIMON, Honda, 2:22.979
12. Andrea BALLERINI, Aprilia, 2:23.011
13. Marco SIMONCELLI, Aprilia, 2:23.184
14. Simone CORSI, Honda, 2:23.721
15. Thomas LUTHI, Honda, 2:23.903

From a press release issued by WERA:

WERA National Series Racing Heats Up at Barber Motorsports Park

LEEDS, Ala. – Round nine of the WERA National Series was held at Barber Motorsports Park during the weekend of September 25-26. The 2004 season may be drawing to a close, but the racing was as heated as ever with tough competition and on-track action.

During the four-hour Dunlop/WERA National Endurance Series race on Saturday, September 25, Team Velocity Racing rode to their second win of the season with Chuck Ivey, Bradley Champion and Steven Breckenridge on a Heavyweight Superstock Yamaha YZF-R1.

Scotty Van Scoik, JP Tache and Chris Normand finished second overall, winning the Mediumweight Superstock class on the CherokeeChallenge.net Yamaha YZF-R6. Neighbor of the Beast’s Scott Fisher and Chris Pyles finished third, also on a Mediumweight Superstock Yamaha YZF-R6.

Paul Youngman and Kevin Perkins won Mediumweight Superbike on the Velocity Crew Racing Suzuki GSX-R600, finishing fifth overall. Team Pennzoil entered the Heavyweight Superbike class and won with Mark Edwards, Billy Etheridge, Mark Crozier and Jeff Walker on a Suzuki GSX-R1000. In the Lightweight Superbike class, Dixie Mafia rode to the win with Bruce Stanford, Bo Morgan and Derek Keyes on a Suzuki SV650.

Vesrah Suzuki was leading the race when a crash dropped the team back. They were able to make repairs, finishing 18th overall and third in Heavyweight Superbike with Mark Junge, Tray Batey and John Jacobi on a Suzuki GSX-R1000. Despite the setback, the team was still able to clinch their fourth overall Dunlop/WERA National Endurance Series championship.

The WERA National Challenge Series sprint races on Sunday, September 26 were especially successful for Vesrah Suzuki’s Tray Batey, who won 750 Superstock and Formula 1 on a Suzuki GSX-R750. He also won Heavyweight Twins, both overall and the Superstock division, on a Suzuki SV1000.

Robert Jensen was the top expert in the 600 classes, winning both 600 Superbike and Superstock on the Butler Machinery Yamaha YZF-R6. Bo Morgan also took home two first-place trophies, winning Formula 2 and Lightweight Twins on his Superbike-spec Suzuki SV650.

Vesrah’s Mark Junge won Open Superstock on a Suzuki GSX-R750, while first-year expert Keith Marshall won 750 Superbike, also riding a GSX-R750. Bill St. John won the Superbike division of Heavyweight Twins on his BCM Ducati 996, and Kris Wall won Lightweight Twins Superstock on a Suzuki SV650.

In the novice classes, Brandon Parrish won 600 Superstock and Superbike on a Yamaha YZF-R6, and he won 750 Superstock on a Suzuki GSX-R750. The 600 Superstock race was the second one of the season in which the winner was awarded a trip to Jason Pridmore’s STAR School. Parrish won both eligible races, and is looking forward to returning to the school.

Ross Ryals also won three novice races, riding a Suzuki SV650 to the victory in Formula 2 and the Superstock divisions of Heavyweight Twins and Lightweight Twins.

Ryan Gordon rode to the win in 750 Superbike novice on a Suzuki GSX-R750. Clark Williamson won the Superbike division of Heavyweight Twins on an Aprilia 998, and Daniel Parkerson won the Superbike division of Lightweight Twins on a Suzuki SV650.

The tenth and final round of the WERA National Challenge Series and the Dunlop/WERA National Endurance Series will be held during the Grand National Finals at Road Atlanta, October 13-17.

More information about WERA, including results from round nine at Barber and details about the Grand National Finals, can be found at www.WERA.com.

From a press release issued by Honda Racing Information:

World Supersport Championship 2004 – Round 11
Magny Cours Race Preview
1 – 3 October 2004

HONDA RIDERS GO FOR FINAL CLEAN SWEEP AT MAGNY COURS

Having taken the world championship crown in the penultimate race of the year at Imola Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) approaches the last round of the year with the pressure very much off. His natural competitive spirit has already won him six races in his title season, but the final round at Magny Cours will be treated like any other by the 30-year-old Australian, with Muggeridge going for a win and nothing less.

Muggeridge will have not only riders from rival manufacturers to deal with, but competitors covered by the Honda wing will be out for their first win of 2004. Foremost among them will be his Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Broc Parkes. The 22-year-old Aussie rider has had a couple of close calls with the top step of the podium and he now has one more race left this year in which to take his first full status World Supersport success. Both Ten Kate riders will be pushed all the way by another top-level Honda Supersport exponent, Sebastien Charpentier, from the Klaffi Honda team. A real force at virtually every race this year, on home tarmac Charpentier may well take his first race win since World Supersport became a full status FIM championship in the 1999 season.

On two previous occasions this year, at Oschersleben and Imola, the aforementioned Honda riders have monopolised all three podium positions. In the Manufacturers’ championship, only a handful of points are required for Honda to lift this important accolade.

A rich seam of talent pervades throughout the supported Honda riders’ camp. Max Neukirchner, Charpentier’s team-mate in the prestigious Klaffi operation, has had an excellent induction into global motorcycle racing since his debut at Valencia in February. Former European Superstock champion Michel Fabrizio is a new inductee to the Team Italia Megabike Honda squad, replacing the injured Alessio Corradi alongside the teenage talent of Denis Sacchetti. The younger members of the Honda Supersport family have impressed thus far, and Magny Cours will be their final shot at 2004 glory.

The Magny Cours race weekend in 2003 was taken by the impressive form of Karl Muggeridge, winner of the three final races that season. He feels that he can make it win number seven in 2004, if his pre-race preparations proceed as peerlessly as normal. Muggeridge has also secured a whopping eight of the nine possible pole positions this year, underlining his amazing pace on the CBR600RR. “I’m going to keep it the same format as every other race and finish in the same way as I’ve been recently. Magny Cours is mot much of a rider’s track but it’s the same for everybody. I just hope we get some clear weather because when it’s wet the surface is diabolical. Like ice! We didn’t have too big a celebration after winning the championship, partly because I knew we would be racing a few days later, and partly because I had the flu anyway!”

Parkes had an outstanding debut in the Ten Kate Honda team at Magny Cours last year, leading until he slipped off. Parkes is ready to take a step to the next level on his CBR600RR. “Last year was my first time out for Ten Kate. It was looking really good until I fell off. I’ve felt fast on the bike in the last few races and Imola was a good race for me. Magny Cours is a good track and more importantly, it just suits our bikes. Right now I’d say it was more important to take second place in the championship, but I also really want to win a race. I’ve show that I’ve been there and been there, but not quite won a race yet.”

Charpentier is the only supported Honda rider on home tarmac this weekend, a fact that is not lost on him. “Magny Cours is the home circuit for me, and that makes some aspects of the race different from normal. I will be trying very hard to take my first win, for me and my Klaffi team, as this is the last chance for us.”

Neukirchner has impressed many in his rookie four-stroke year. “I’m feeling very good in equal 9th position, alongside Fujiwara on 55 points. For my first year in Supersport, in a world championship, I’m quite pleased with that. At the beginning of the year I wanted to be in the top ten and at the moment I am. At Magny Cours I will be trying to finish as high up as possible in the championship.”

Young Italian rider Sacchetti, another ex-European Championship competitor, states that a good points score on raceday is the aim once more. “I’m happy because last Sunday I took some important points for the championship. I made my best race of the year. My target for Magny Cours is to improve on my personal best. I ran there last year with a Yamaha and so I know what kind of track Magny Cours is.”

In his second World Supersport race for Team Italia Megabike, Fabrizio stated, “I learned to ride with this bike at Imola and now I know what I must to do to go fast in Supersport. I must learn many things again but in Magny Cours the situation will be better. I know that the team will help me. My target? To arrive in a better position than Imola, where I was seventh.”

The 23-lap race will be the tenth and last on the 2004 calendar.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Kawasaki will not field a factory team in the 2005 AMA Formula Xtreme class or the 2005 Daytona 200 race but is still considering an entry into the premier AMA class, Superbike.

“We are not going to race in (AMA) Formula Xtreme this year for sure,” Bruce Stjernstrom, Director of Pro Racing for Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA, told Roadracingworld.com at the recent Kawasaki Dealer Meeting in San Diego, California.

Asked about the possibility of returning to the AMA Superbike class, Stjernstrom responded with questions better asked of AMA Pro Racing.

“Where are we gonna go with this thing?” asked Stjernstrom. “To make that level of a commitment, it’s a huge expense to go into that class. We want to run them. We have the bike and the riders who can do it. We want to race in the premier class against the best guys. But where are we heading? The whispering is that we’ll be racing 600s (in the premier class) but when? 2007? 2008? That makes our decision that much more difficult.

“I’m not blaming the AMA (Pro Racing). I feel the staff has a lot to overcome before they can make a decision. They have good, intelligent people who understand the business, but the decision making process is flawed.

“We (teams and manufacturers) just have to stay consistent with what we’re telling the AMA and be clear with what our objectives are.”

From a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

Foggy calls for morale-boosting finale in France

Carl Fogarty has called for a morale-boosting finale to the Superbike World Championship from his Foggy PETRONAS Racing riders Chris Walker and Troy Corser at the final round in Magny-Cours, France.

Despite a disappointing display at Imola, the results in Italy last weekend were sufficient to secure a creditable third place in the manufacturers’ championship for PETRONAS.

And Carl is now hoping to follow that with a closing performance that will provide a springboard for further development progress during an extensive programme of winter testing.

He said: “We are really hoping to finish the season on a high note as the last two rounds have been close to disastrous and not what we expected. Magny-Cours is a circuit that we have tested at recently and so that should help. Going into Brands Hatch we knew we needed a lift and we got it, so I am hoping something similar will happen this weekend. But if we are not in the top six, none of us will be happy entering a long hard winter.”

Unofficial times from the FPR test in August at Magny-Cours – a mixed bag of a circuit with tight hairpins, medium speed corners and long straights – were just 0.2 seconds behind those recorded from a subsequent test for the factory Ducatis. Their two riders, James Toseland and Regis Laconi, will this weekend be fighting it out for the championship with rising Honda star Chris Vermeulen in a gripping climax to the season.

And the omens are good for fans’ favourite Chris Walker, who was third in both races at the French circuit last year, his best results on the World Superbike stage.

Chris said: “Magny-Cours was the best race meeting I had last year, when I was on the podium for both races for the only time in World Superbikes. We tested there last month and that was productive. We had a few problems but at least we ironed them out and are now in good shape for the race. Troy was really fast at the test and I was just a fraction behind him, so bring it on! We will come out fighting and hopefully be able to turn things round after Imola.”

Troy said: “We should perform well in France as we had a good test there and found some good settings and good tyre choices. We are all hoping for a positive last round to show the progress that the FP1 has made throughout this year.”

Circuit information: Magny-Cours, France

Superpole: James Toseland 1:40.965 (2003)
Lap record (race): Neil Hodgson 1:41.219 (2003)
Best lap: Neil Hodgson 1:40.754 (2003)
Pole position: Right
Circuit length: 4.411km
Corners: 9 left, 11 right
Corner radius: 5m minimum, 474.45 maximum
Maximum slope: Downward 2.68 per cent. Upward 2.38 per cent

Points (after 10 of 11 rounds)

Rider standings: 1 Laconi 295; 2 Toseland 291; 3 Vermeulen 282; 4 Haga 254; 5 Chili 222; 6 McCoy 185; 7 Martin 170; 8 Haslam 150; 9 Corser 137; 10 Borciani 130; 11 Walker 112

Manufacturer standings: 1 Ducati 480; 2 Honda 289; 3 PETRONAS 183; 4 Kawasaki 118; 5 Suzuki 90; 6 Yamaha 63

From a press release issued by VIR:

Hayden Brothers Take AMA Supersport Title to the Line in Suzuki Lightning Nationals

Alton, Va. (Sept. 29) – Of the three national titles to be decided at the Suzuki Lightning Nationals at VIRginia International Raceway over the weekend of Oct. 11-12, perhaps none is as highly anticipated as the Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship, which pits brothers Roger Lee and Tommy Hayden against each other.

The Haydens, of Owensboro, Ky., are currently first and second in the points chase, with 26-year-old Tommy leading 21-year-old Roger Lee by 11 points. However, Roger Lee has won the past three races and is rapidly closing the gap. To make matters even more interesting, the brothers are teammates, riding for the factory Kawasaki team.

The Suzuki Lightning Nationals is the season finale, and that sets up a battle for the ages between the two siblings.

“I’ve won the last three races,” Roger Lee said, “so I’ve got some momentum going. The team’s working good, the bike’s running great, I feel good. It’s kind of a long shot, but it’s definitely not over yet.”

He admitted that it’s particularly hard to beat one’s brother when both are riding the same equipment.

“Everybody’s so equal out there,” he said, “especially in the 600 class, that if one guy gets out front and gets the lead and checks out for awhile, it make the other guy have more trouble catching up. The start is real important. You don’t want to get stuck in fourth or fifth place and have to make your way up at the beginning of the race. If one of the top four or five guys gets a holeshot, it can be hard to catch him by the end of the race.”

The middle Hayden brother, Nicky, clinched his Superbike title at VIR two years ago before heading off to Europe to race in the Moto GP series. Roger Lee says that it’s nice to have Nicky to use as a sounding board as his own career progresses.

“He seems to help out quite a bit,” he said. “He’s just a little bit older than me, and he already made some mistakes that I got to miss by learning from him. Whenever I have a few problems here and there, he’s always someone that I can go to and ask questions. He’s a big influence, and seeing that he’s doing all right over in Europe, it makes me think that I can do it, too.”

Both Nicky (Superbike, 2002) and Tommy (Superstock, 2003) have won races at VIR in the past, but Roger has yet to achieve that goal. It’s something that he hopes to correct during this year’s Suzuki Lightning Nationals.

“I haven’t won at VIR yet, but I’ve always been right up there in the middle of it,” he said. “The way things have gone this year, I don’t see why I can’t win at VIR. I’ve won four races this year, so if things keep working they way they have been, I think maybe we can win here. None of the guys in Supersport are slouches, so nothing’s going to be easy.”

Tickets will be available from ticket outlets and at the gate. A list of ticket outlets is available online at www.virclub.com, and purchases from ticket outlets will be at the advance-ticket discount of $45 for a three-day Super Ticket (with program), $25 for a single-day Saturday ticket and $30 for a single-day Sunday ticket. At the gate, three-day Super Tickets (with program) are priced at $55, with single-day tickets priced at $10 (Friday), $35 (Saturday) and $40 (Sunday). VIR is a family-friendly facility, where children 12 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Spectator camping is available.

VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Va., and just north of historic Milton, N.C. In addition to its 3.27-mile natural-terrain road racing circuit (designed to be operated as two autonomous, full-service courses), VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America’s first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park; the VIR Gallery, which is a showroom for high-end collector and racing cars; the VIR Safety and Security Institute, which provides specialized training for U.S. Government and military groups; and the VIR Euro Rally and Corporate Motorsport Experience, which features four rally stages plus a kart track as well as an ATV and SUV trials course and trails. Future plans include The Lodge at VIR, a 27-room hotel overlooking the track, and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse.

VIR made history from 1957 to 1974 and is doing so again. The renovated original circuit has 17 challenging turns and 130 feet of elevation change. In addition to spectator events, the track is also available to rent for testing, driving schools and club days.

For more information, visit the track’s website at www.virclub.com or contact VIR toll-free at 888-RACE099. For more information on the VIR Euro Rally and Corporate Motorsport Experience, call toll-free 877-RALLY66 or visit their website at www.vireurorally.com. For more information on the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship, visit their website at www.ussuperbike.com.

From a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
GRAND PRIX OF QATAR – LOSAIL INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT
29TH SEPTEMBER 2004 – EVENT PREVIEW

SHINYA AND ALEX READY FOR DESERT ADVENTURE

Fuchs Kawasaki riders, Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann, will be a part of MotoGP history at the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix, which takes place on the newly constructed Losail International Circuit near Doha this weekend.

The race brings the MotoGP World Championship to the Middle East, opening up a new market for spectators and the ever-increasing global television audience for the sport.

Invigorated by Nakano’s third-place podium result at last week’s Japanese Grand Prix, the Kawasaki squad is relishing being part of the Arabian Gulf adventure.

And the purpose built, 5.4 km, 16 turn Losail track will bring an unusual element to the 2004 MotoGP championship. For once, all riders will be ‘rookies’ as they face the challenge of a venue that is hosting its first Grand Prix, with no test or set-up data.

Hot weather is expected to send track temperatures soaring to 50 degrees, and the prospect of unknown grip levels on a new and smooth and possibly sand-blown track surface will be a challenge for both Kawasaki and Bridgestone engineers.

Not surprisingly Nakano comes to Qatar in a buoyant mood, having delivered the first MotoGP podium for the four-stroke Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR at his home race in Motegi.

That result came just three months after the Japanese rider’s nightmare, high-speed crash at the Italian GP at Mugello; a low point that Kawasaki’s tyre partner Bridgestone has recovered from with impressive speed.

Nakano’s Fuchs Kawasaki team-mate Hofmann, a rising young gun in the Grand Prix ranks, can also be proud of his tenth place finish at Motegi, as he continues on his steep MotoGP learning curve.

And as Hofmann notes, at Qatar he will not be the only rider learning a new track.

Apart from 16 turns, second only to Assen in Holland with 23 corners, the Losail track also features a 1,100 metre straight, which should produce 300 kph plus top speeds.

Anticipating the physical demands with a race in heat wave conditions, both Nakano and Hofmann have maintained their tough training schedules since the Japanese GP.

Immediately following the Qatar race there will be a rush to pack bikes, spares and race equipment to reach the next stop on the MotoGP calendar – the Malaysian GP at Sepang just one week later.

This punishing schedule is part of a relentless sequence of four races in five weeks, with the season ending at Valencia at the end of October.

Shinya Nakano: #56
“Of course I had a very good feeling after the podium at Motegi; it was a result I did not expect. It was very busy in the days after the race in Japan with many phone calls, interviews and a visit to the Bridgestone headquarters. Being on the podium just three months after my big crash at Mugello is a fantastic reward for all the hard work by Bridgestone and Kawasaki. Everyone involved with the team is now more confident and motivated. Qatar will be very different; a new track to learn and perhaps a surface that will be a little dusty given the desert location. I’m looking forward to the challenge. I will do some laps on a scooter with my race engineer before practice to try and understand what we need to be competitive at this track.”

Alex Hofmann: #66
“Qatar is a new adventure so everyone is a rookie at this track, not just me. It will be a busy time from first practice, with all the riders trying to learn as much about the track and the surface as they can. It is difficult to predict how the ZX-RR will adapt to this circuit, which looks fast on paper. Like many riders, all I know about the circuit is what Randy Mamola has told me after his demonstration laps at the track launch. Like South Africa, it seems the surface could be dusty for first practice but, hopefully, it will clean up and have some good grip by race day. Our Bridgestone tyres are generally very good at hot races, so that is a positive for us. I’m ready for a hot race; I had very enjoyable break after Motegi and got in the last of the summer mountain biking weather in Switzerland.”