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.”

From a press release issued by Henry Degouw:

Moroso CCS/Florida Event Cancelled

Due to the widespread damage across Florida caused by hurricanes Charley, Francis, Ivan and Jeanne. The Championship Cup Series/Florida event scheduled for Moroso Motorsports Park in West Palm Beach on October 2-3 has been cancelled (there will be no makeup date). At the moment, the track is still without power or phones and the road course is rimmed with water. The management at the track feels that they could have the water pumped down and generators in place by the weekend. However it is also noted that they will not be running their scheduled drag races this weekend. So after talking to both racers and workers alike, it has been decided that this is not the time to try and run a race that comes so soon after these storms that have devastated so many.

Henry DeGouw
CCS/Florida
Loxahatchee, Florida

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

CONTEST CLOSED! DO NOT SEND ANY MORE ENTRIES.

The rider in question is Chris Ulrich #18 on a 2002 Valvoline EMGO Suzuki GSX-R750, on which he won the 2002 AMA Superstock race at Mid-Ohio. Identifying marks for the team include a unique racebike paint scheme and sticker placement, except for the few stickers removed, including Valvoline, EMGO and Suzuki.

Identifying marks for the rider include the custom helmet paint job, the offset #1 left when the #8 was clumsily removed, and a unique-to-Chris sticker package that includes WSMC and Eyeball Engineering stickers.

T-shirts will be shipped to winning contest entrants next week.



ORIGINAL POST APPEARS BELOW




The T-shirt vendor for AMA Pro Racing events, DFY Inc., used a photo of an AMA racer on the event T-shirt for the Ducati-sponsored AMA National at Brainerd International Raceway.

When the rider featured on the shirt objected, DFY officials claimed that their artists had so dramatically changed the appearance of the motorcycle by removing selected logos that the rider and the team that fielded his motorcycle could not be identified.

The rider in question, who objects to his image being used commercially without permission or compensation, has asked us to see if it’s true that nobody can identify him or the team which he rode for when this photo was taken.

So, the question is, who is this rider, and what is the team that fielded his motorcycle?

First 10 readers with the correct answer get a free T-shirt.

Send your answers, including your name, address and T-shirt size, to:

[email protected]

From a press release issued by Team Stumpy Racing:

CCS MAKES IT OFFICIAL: STUMPY IS THE GREAT PLAINS CHAMPION

MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN (September 29, 2004)-According to CCS points released September 28, Greg “Stumpy” Steltenpohl of Marquette, Michigan won the Champion Cup Series (CCS) Great Plains overall championship and Blackhawk Farms track championship at Blackhawk Farms Raceway in CCS Great Plains and Midwest motorcycle racing action September 18-19. Aboard the No. 256 Honda 600rr, Stumpy cruised to the #1 plate in the Great Plains lining up on grids of 25 to 40 expert bikes per race. He finished the weekend with a best finish of 8th place of 25 in Heavyweight Superbike as well as 9th place of 32 in Middleweight GP.

A record number of over 900 total entries added to the excitement and awesome racing action. “This weekend was all about winning the #1 plate for me,” said Stumpy. “There were so many fast guys there and I really wanted to pick up the pace and test myself, but I had to keep myself in check so I would be able to run all nine races.”

Stumpy kept his head in the game and ran consistent laps. “I was looking for top ten finishes with the competition I was facing, but ended up with a few 11th and 12th places. I had a bit of bad luck and tucked the front and fell in the carousel on the last lap of the Unlimited GP, but the only damage was cosmetic, so I was right back out there for the next race.”

“It really meant a lot for me to win a championship at my home track, Blackhawk. It’s where I started last year and will always be my favorite.”

Stumpy is looking forward to his last round at Gingerman Raceway October 10 where he will attempt to win the CCS Midwest overall championship.

For more information about Team Stumpy Racing, visit www.teamstumpyracing.com.

From a press release issued by FG Sport Group:

ALL TO PLAY FOR AT WORLD SUPERBIKE FINALE

FINISHING LINE IN SIGHT: New technical and tyre supply regulations have made the 17th season of World Superbike one of the most exciting and closely contested ever. After the latest full drama action, at the penultimate round at Imola on 26 September, three riders enter the final hurdle of the championship race – at the Circuit Nevers Magny Cours in central France – with more than realistic chances of lifting the world title. For Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila), James Toseland (Ducati Fila) and Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda) the ultimate spoils are very much up for grabs, and even fourth placed rider Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati Koji) has a purely mathematical chance of lifting the title.

TALE OF THE TAPE: One thing is certain this year, on Sunday evening there will be a new name on the World Superbike roll of honour, as none of the top contenders has ever won the SBK series outright before. Leading the championship table is Regis Laconi, who took the title lead back last weekend after the latest of his seven race wins. On 295 points Laconi is also on home turf at Magny Cours. In second place currently, Toseland has found additional pace and mountains of Yorkshire grit in the last few races, and is only four points behind, with a possible 50 for any rider who wins both races. In third place now, after a spectacularly dramatic last race, in which he scored second and sixth after a huge crash in warm up, Chris Vermeulen is still well capable of catching his opponents, aided by his fast four-cylinder machine. His total of 282 is only 13 from the lead. Taking the title seems impossible for Haga now, the Japanese rider being some 41 points behind Laconi. Of the championship contenders, all four are under 30 years old, with Vermeulen 22 and Toseland 23 – a good sign for the future direction of the class.

FRENCH FINALE: Magny Cours, positioned in central France, will provide a magnificent backdrop for the final round. It was the culmination of the season last year, and the 4.411km track is a very well appointed venue, with vast grandstands and a high level of fit and finish. None of the current riders has won at the venue before, adding still more uncertainty to the potential outcome of the races themselves.

CHILI PREPARES: Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati) is currently a strong fifth in the title hunt, having dropped out of an early season lead due to the occasional fall and technical problems. The 40-year-old fighter would like nothing more than to sign off this season with his second win.

SIXTH SENSE: Garry McCoy (Ducati Xerox SC 999RS) has been a winner in 2004, and was back to more expected form at Imola, posting a pair of fifth places. He currently enjoys a 15-point advantage over another top Aussie privateer, Steve Martin (DFX Ducati). In the same team as Haga, the Renegade Koji outfit, Briton Leon Haslam has been a podium finisher in 2004 (race two at Oschersleben) and will be out to score a similar level of success on his 999RS.

TRIPLE TWOSOME: Troy Corser and Chris Walker have one more 2004 adventure to play out on the 900cc, three-cylinder Petronas FP-1. The unique machine, with backwards-slanting cylinder heads, reverse exit exhausts and distinctive engine note has pushed each rider to a single podium finish in 2004 so far. Corser currently sits ninth in the championship battle, Walker 11th. Splitting them is the second DFX Ducati of Marco Borciani.

QUICKENING PULSE: In a field of interesting entries, machine diversity will be much in evidence in France. The Bertocchi Kawasaki ZX-10 duo of Mauro Sanchini and Ivan Clementi, with Suzuki represented by the privately entered Zongshen team, on GSX-R1000s ridden by Warwick Nowland and Piergiorgio Bontempi. Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha France R1), Carl Berthlesen, Berto Camlek, Laurent Brian and Giovanni Bussei will be wild card riders in France, as will Polish duo Pawel Szkopec and Andrzej Pawelec.

SUPERSPORT: Karl Muggeridge has been crowned 2004 World Champion for his Ten Kate Honda team one race early, but behind him the competitive Supersport spirit is burning with its usual incandescence. Only three riders have beaten Muggeridge this season, and of those two will be out for win number two at Magny Cours. Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha Italia R6), is one of them, his team-mate Fabien Foret the other. Third placed rider Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) could well overtake van den Goorbergh for second, as could current fourth placed rider Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR). On the entry to the race, van den Goorbergh has 119 points, Parkes 115 and Charpentier 104.

SUPERSTOCK: Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni Yamaha riders Lorenzo Alfonsi and Gianluca Vizziello failed to score any points at the previous round, with Vizziello injured pre-race and Alfonsi suffering a technical problem with his machine. With only the last race to compete in Vizziello leads by 16 points, and despite his extensive right wrist injuries, he is entered for the Magny Cours race. If he does not ride, Alfonsi has to finish second or first to take the title from Vizziello.