From a press release issued by Galouises Fortuna Yamaha:

GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM PREVIEW

Qatar Grand Prix
Losail, Qatar
September 30, October 1 & 2, 2004

MOTOGP VENTURES EAST TO ALL-NEW VENUE

Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Carlos Checa face the prospect of four races in five weekends in their final push towards the end of an extraordinary MotoGP season. The opening section of the final quartet takes place at the all-new Losail International circuit on the outskirts of Doha in Qatar, the first time that a MotoGP race has taken place in the Middle East.

With a 39-point lead over his closest challenger Sete Gibernau (Honda) and a maximum of 100 points available from now to the season-ending race at Valencia on 31st October Rossi is in an enviable position, having taken to his Yamaha M1 with no small degree of success. The five-time World Champion has taken six race wins so far in 2004, a full 50% of all races, making this the most remarkable Yamaha season since the early nineties. His second place at the last MotoGP round in Motegi, Japan, was his 98th podium finish in the three different classes of Grand Prix racing. This puts Rossi in the top seven riders of all time to stand most frequently on a Grand Prix podium. Rossi is now about to face an all-new challenge at Losail – a track no MotoGP rider has any experience of, other than a walk around the track layout.

Rossi’s team-mate Carlos Checa, a 31-year-old Spanish-born London resident, will be going for his first win of the year in Qatar. Having experienced both highs and lows this year, Checa’s grinding determination has brought him to his current seventh place in the championship standings, with realistic ambitions of finishing within the top four before the season end.

ROSSI UP TO THE QATAR CHALLENGE

The combination of Rossi, his YZR-M1 and the expert support from the Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team has not only taken six wins this year, but also four pole positions and the lead in the BMW award, for the rider with the best combined time in all of the season’s qualifying practices. For Rossi however, the new track is just another challenge his peerless talent has to match up to and master.

With vast experience of winning championships, Rossi knows that last weekend’s second place at Motegi was an important result, especially as his main rivals all found Motegi a difficult nut to crack, another vindication of an overall championship challenge. “The bike was working really well in Motegi. There were problems with it sliding towards the end of the race and I thought it was better to hold on to second place and valuable points than to push any harder and risk falling. Anyway Tamada was so strong that I don’t think it was possible to beat him. We need to continue the same level of work for the rest of the season, remain concentrated and pull off good results for the remaining four races.”

The Losail circuit, just outside the Qatari capital of Doha, is already piquing Rossi’s imagination. “I’ve been looking forward to Qatar and waiting for a chance like this for a long time,” said Rossi. “It’s such a long time since we went to a new track, at least one that’s new to everyone. It will be the chance to see who is really the best rider, as we will be making new lines on a new surface. It’s going to be so hot, and it will be hard to make it through the whole race in such conditions.”

Rossi has seen the new MotoGP venue first hand, and came away impressed with the job at hand. “I have already visited the Losail circuit for the foundation ceremony in December,” affirmed Rossi. “It seems like a really good place, and I hope it will be a good competition. I really hope a lot of people come to watch us. In a way it’s like every other race for us because we’re setting the M1 up at new circuits all the time this year. We seem to be good at getting the best out of it in limited time. I think there are something like 15 corners at the Qatar circuit, more than almost any other, so that should be interesting.”

CHECA ANTICIPATES A WARM WELCOME

The punishing temperatures expected at Qatar have filled some MotoGP riders with trepidation – the prospect of a full duration MotoGP event in the heat of an Arabian desert. Not so the super-fit Checa. “The hot weather won’t be a big problem for me, it’s normally the same in Malaysia,” stated the Catalan rider.

Checa also feels that the unknown nature of the circuit will help the more experienced riders, himself among them. “A surprise is always nice. The pressure at Losail could come from the track itself, or other unexpected problems at a new venue. Many people say that the track could be slippery or dirty and it will be very hot. But I think it’s always nice to go to a new place. I normally like to go to new circuits.”

DAVIDE BRIVIO – TEAM DIRECTOR

Heading up a talented group of engineers and administrative staff in the Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team, Davide Brivio has seen the remarkable progress of Rossi first hand, but he knows that Losail will present one of the more unique challenges the team has faced in 2004. “Qatar will be very difficult; it will also be very hot,” nods Brivio. “Looking at the map of the circuit it has a lot of corners, a lot of different types of corners, and that provides us with many challenges. But it also makes life more interesting for everyone involved.”

Brivio continued, “I think it will be hard for the riders and for everybody to work on something new and see how things will go at an absolutely brand new track – which bike, rider and tyre will adjust to the circuit best. We are going there with 39 points advantage but these last four races will be very important. We need to ‘manage’ this advantage, for Valentino to be on the podium in each of the races to achieve our final goal. For Carlos, Losail can be a good track and he is very fit, a factor which will help him a lot. In the last races, for whatever reason it has not been so good for Carlos, so Losail offers him the opportunity to have better results.”

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING

The Losail circuit will boast the most cutting-edge facilities ever enjoyed by MotoGP but the track itself is the only part that will make any impact on the result of the race and the overall championship battle.

At 5.4km Losail is of a greater length than most MotoGP venues, and certainly few existing tracks feature quite so many corners, and in such endless varieties. To their eternal credit the track designers have eschewed the adoption of rhythm-disrupting chicanes, yet have managed to make the layout of the circuit fascinating on paper. Several high-speed corners, plus two tighter hairpins, make Losail a circuit of contrasts. Six left and ten right hand corners are laid on top of a largely flat surface, removing at least one complication to the machine’s set-up.

The true nature of Losail will only reveal itself during the first practice sessions, but the relatively fast corners that abound around the track will require stability from chassis and suspension set-up. The fact that the track will demand an almost constant alteration of machine direction and lean angle adds another requirement – agility when flicking from side-to-side.

The last corner and the first, both right handers, will be preceded by exceptionally heavy braking, but these are expected to be the only places at which such severe braking forces will be generated.

VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION
Age: 25
Lives: London, UK
Bike: Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team YZR-M1
GP victories: 65 (26 X MotoGP, 13 X 500cc, 14 X 250cc, 12 X 125cc)
First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)
First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)
GP starts: 136 (44 x MotoGP, 32 x 500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 34


CARLOS CHECA: INFORMATION
Age: 31
Lives: London, UK
Bike: Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team YZR-M1
GP victories: 2 (500cc)
First GP victory: Catalunya, 1996 (500cc)
First GP: Europe, 1993 (125cc)
GP starts: 164 (44 x MotoGP, 92 x 500cc, 27 x 250cc, 1 x 125cc)
Pole positions: 2 (1 x MotoGP, 1 x 500cc)
First pole: Spain, 1998 (500cc)

From a press release issued by Dorna Sports:

MotoGP set for Middle East debut at Marlboro Grand Prix of Qatar

The MotoGP World Championship heads to the Middle East for the first time in its 55-year history this weekend for the inaugural Marlboro Grand Prix of Qatar. The fabulous Losail International Circuit, purpose-built on the outskirts of the capital city of Doha, has been constructed in little over a year but after an investment of some $58 million USD and round-the-clock dedication of up to 1,000 workers it is ready to host the thirteenth round of the world’s premier motorcycle racing series.

The track itself is a flowing layout of 5.4 kilometres, featuring a main straight of 1100 metres, surrounded by artificial grass designed to prevent sand from the neighbouring desert from blowing onto the circuit. Only one man has completed a lap of the track on a MotoGP machine, former 500cc racer Randy Mamola riding the two-seat Ducati Desmosedici at the opening ceremony in July, meaning it will be a completely new challenge for the riders and an interesting sub-plot to the World Championship title chase.

Valentino Rossi remains in pole position to retain his crown after extending his points advantage at the top of the standings in each of the last two rounds. Victory and second place respectively in Portugal and Japan, complimented by fourth and sixth for Sete Gibernau and two crashes for Max Biaggi, have seen Rossi establish a 39-point cushion with just four rounds remaining.

However, the unpredictability of MotoGP racing was never better illustrated than in the last round at Motegi, where Biaggi was one of six riders to go down in a first-corner pile-up caused by Loris Capirossi. Whilst Biaggi escaped uninjured, as did Colin Edwards and Nicky Hayden, Capirossi broke two bones in his foot, John Hopkins snapped several ribs and Kenny Roberts dislocated his elbow.

This weekend both Capirossi and Hopkins have promised to ride through the pain barrier and compete at Qatar whilst Roberts has been ruled out for the next three races and will be replaced at Suzuki this weekend by Yukio Kagayama. Roberts’ younger brother Kurtis is also out of action, missing his third race since fracturing his left elbow and wrist in a practice crash at Brno five weeks ago, and will be replaced at Proton Team KR by James Haydon.

Kagayama and Haydon will be joined on the grid by fellow British Superbike regular James Ellison, who rides in place of the departed Michel Fabrizio at WCM. Fabrizio, meanwhile, could get a late call-up from Aprilia as a replacement for Shane Byrne, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after further tests on his injured wrist following a painful return to action at Motegi revealed ligament and tendon damage. Fabrizio previously rode as a substitute for Byrne at Estoril.

One rider who will find himself in a common situation this weekend despite the unfamiliarity of the surroundings is Dani Pedrosa. The Spaniard has tackled each of the twelve circuits so far this season for the first time on a 250cc machine and had excelled at almost all of them, picking up ten podiums including five victories to open up an advantage of 47 points over Randy de Puniet at the top of the championship. Further victories in the next two races would secure the title for Pedrosa in Malaysia, where he was already crowned 125cc World Champion just one year ago.

The man looking to inherit Pedrosa’s 125cc crown, Andrea Dovizioso, faces a virtually identical challenge as he defends a 45-point advantage at the top of the championship. Like Pedrosa, Dovizioso has led the series since the opening round in South Africa and has benefited from the inconsistency of his main rivals, never less than in the previous round at Motegi when second-placed Roberto Locatelli crashed on the last lap and Hector Barberá, who lies third, retired with a mechanical problem.



More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda:

Qatar GP – MotoGP

MotoGP MAKES ITS MIDDLE EASTERN DEBUT

The Camel Honda team and the entire MotoGP circus will be involved in an historic event this coming Saturday, the first motorcycle Grand Prix in the Middle East. The race will take place on an entirely new track, opened barely two months ago, and of which only its layout is known. There is a very long straight (1,068 metres), 16 bends with ten right-handers and six to the left, and at 5,380 metres in total, it is amongst the longest tracks on the whole calendar (fourth behind Assen, Sepang and Brno respectively). It will be a real challenge for riders and engineers therefore besides dealing with the intense heat and the unknown grip levels of the track. However both of the Camel Honda team riders remain calm, with Max Biaggi always a fan of the hot weather and also a specialist on new circuits to the championships (Welkom 1999 as an example), whilst Makoto Tamada has an advantage in the fact that everyone will be new to the track and event.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“The team come here on the back of a winning Grand Prix, with Makoto, but also agonising after an unfortunate and unavoidable retirement from Max after a first corner incident during the Motegi GP. We will be aiming for a top result with both riders in Qatar, it’s a new track for everybody and so it will be particularly challenging. It will probably be very hot, which will put the tyres under pressure, and we’ll need to get the set-up right on the bike fairly quickly. Due to this, the intense work done by the mechanics, engineers, riders and tyre technicians will be paramount. ours is a squad that has proved it can win on several occasions, so I am hoping for that kind of result again in Qatar.”

Max Biaggi #3: (Michelin tyres)
“I really like the idea of this race, because it reminds me a bit of the beginning of my career, when everything was new to me, and I had to learn a track in just a couple of days of practice. Besides, I enjoy riding in extremely difficult weather conditions, where the heat doesn’t bother me too much. So I’m hoping to do a good race, if nothing else to make up for the misfortune at Estoril and Motegi. This year I had been scoring regularly but to get two zeros in a row have made the championship difficult. That’s what is most disappointing, and also the fact that on both occasions my team and I, along with the Honda technicians, managed to do some fantastic work during practice and the bike was really going well. So because of that I want to at least get the satisfaction of getting some good results in race by race.”

Giulio Bernardelle – Camel Honda (Technical Director for Makoto Tamada)
“Qatar is completely new for everybody, but we will go there with the same spirit and the same calm we take to every race. Analysing the track it seems like it could be similar to the tracks at Motegi and Sepang and that would be great for us considering that in Japan Makoto won, whilst in Malaysia during the winter tests, he was very quick. We just need to find out what the asphalt is like: the only thing we know is that it will be hot, whilst we don’t know how good grip will be. Seeing as it is right in the desert it’s normal to expect there to be sand, but we’ll have to see. Whatever the case our tyres have made a big jump forwards in quality in this second half of the season, so we are both confident and relaxed.”

Makoto Tamada #6: (Bridgestone tyres)
“Winning in Motegi, in front of my friends and compatriots, was honestly fantastic, a great emotion that I won’t ever forget, but now we have to concentrate on the next race. Qatar is a track that no team knows of course and none of the tyre manufacturers either. This means that the rider’s talent will be even more important than normal and that’s why I can see myself fighting for the podium at the end of this race. I’ve seen the track plan and the design looks simple, without too much technical difficulties. It will be better to ride it though before saying too much. Let’s say that it shouldn’t be too tough to learn, but that we will only know how to act once we get the wheels on the track, but I’m very confident and feeling strong.”

From a press release issued by Motonation, the U.S. Sidi boot importer:

Chris Vermeulen signs with Sidi boots!

Yep, the hottest rider in World Superbike in 2005 with the world at his feet as he decides if he will stay in World Superbike or step up to Moto GP has made one decision which really was not that hard…Chris Vermeulen has signed a long term agreement to wear Sidi boots!

Chris stated; “I have admired Sidi for years, the product and the way they fully support the riders they work with. I really wanted to be one of the lucky few top riders who have a chance to work with Sidi, now that I’m here I’m here to stay!”

Needless to say the feeling is mutual.

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

Chris Carr: 2004 AMA Progressive Insurance Flat Track Champion

Veteran wins sixth AMA Grand National Championship during 50th anniversary season

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Sept. 27, 2004) — Chris Carr wrapped up his sixth AMA Grand National Championship Friday night by simply qualifying for the Du Quoin (Ill.) Short Track. Carr, 37, of Fleetwood, Pa., had built up a large enough lead in the series standings that he needed only to qualify for the short track portion of the Du Quoin doubleheader finale to clinch his fourth-straight title. Carr’s championship was made even more special considering he won the title during the 50th anniversary of the AMA Grand National Championship.

Carr becomes only the third rider in the history of AMA Grand National Championship to win four consecutive titles. Motorcycle Hall of Famers Carroll Resweber and Scott Parker are the other two champs to win four in a row.

“It means a lot to me to reach the benchmark that Carroll Resweber set all those years ago,” Carr said. “He set the standard that everyone was shooting for. When Scotty Parker was chasing his record of four straight there was a lot of emphasis on that and now I’ve been able to reach that goal and get to enjoy the feeling of reaching one of the remarkable records in AMA racing.”

Carr led the 2004 championship from the second round in San Francisco on May 1, all the way through to the season finale. Former champ Joe Kopp finished runner-up to Carr in the final standings and Ken Coolbeth was third. Carr’s six national wins made him the wins leader in a season that saw nine different winners in the 17 rounds. He rode Harley-Davidson, Rotax and KTM brands of motorcycles during the season all sponsored by Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned Ford. His bikes were prepared by famed crew chief Kenny Tolbert.

Carr said he knew the championship was his to win fairly early in the season. “We had five different types of races in the first five rounds,” he said. “When I came out of that with the series lead I knew we had a good shot at winning another championship. It was just a matter of keeping the momentum going through the rest of the season.”

Carr took wins in San Francisco, Florence, Ky., Oak Ridge, Tenn., Farley, Iowa, Springfield, Ill., and Columbus, Ohio. He won three half-miles, two short racks and one mile race. His six wins this year pushed his career AMA Grand National win total to 68 – second on the all-time list to Scott Parker’s 94 wins. Carr’s three half-mile wins moved him past Jay Springsteen for third on the all-time half-mile national wins list. Carr leads the short track and TT categories and is fourth in all-time wins on the miles.

After winning the 2004 championship Carr hopes to come back to defend his title next year. In 2005 he will be shooting to win a fifth-straight title, which would tie Scott Parker’s record of five-straight AMA Grand National Championships.

“My goal next year is to win the championship,” Carr explained. “Where that leads me as far as records are concerned is secondary. If I win the championship any marks I set in the record books is simply a bonus.”

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Beth Wyse

Round nine of the WERA National Challenge Series at Barber Motorsports Park drew a few bounty-hunting AMA riders, but it was the series regulars who still came away with the wins. Tray Batey got three victories, while Robert Jensen and Bo Morgan each got two.

Vesrah Suzuki’s Mark Junge and Tray Batey were at the front of Open Superstock in a race-long battle. Junge, riding a Suzuki GSX-R1000, barely held off Batey on a Suzuki GSX-R750 to take the win, while XT Racing’s David Weber was the only rider who could keep up with the leaders. He finished a close third on his Suzuki GSX-R1000.

In 600cc Superstock, Robert Jensen took the lead on the first lap. He pulled away on his Butler Machinery Yamaha YZF-R6 to win by over four seconds, while Mike Smith barely held off Junge to finish second. Smith and Junge were both on Suzuki GSX-R600s.

Batey won the Heavyweight Twins race, which had to be restarted twice because of crashes. The long delays also prompted officials to shorten the remaining races from 10 laps to eight. Batey’s win also gave him the Superstock class win on his Suzuki SV1000. Bill St. John rode his BCM Ducati 996 to second overall, taking the Superbike class victory for what he said was his retirement race.

Batey’s second win was in the 750cc Superstock race, again on his Suzuki GSX-R750 as he led from the start. Jensen was unable to to get close to Batey.

Bo Morgan rode his Superbike-spec Suzuki SV650 to the win in the Lightweight Twins race after working his way past Chris Rossi on the second lap. Kris Wall won in the Superstock division, also riding a Suzuki SV650.

Jensen rode his Yamaha YZF-R6 to the 600cc Superbike win, crossing the finish line over eight seconds ahead of Giovanni Rojas, who held off Derek Keyes, both also on YZF-R6 Yamahas.

In the Formula 2 race, Morgan got another win, this time leading all eight laps on his Suzuki SV650. Novice Ross Ryals finished second, also riding a Suzuki SV650.

Keith Marshall pulled away to win the 750cc Superbike race by 16.379 seconds over the rest of the Expert field on his Suzuki GSX-R600. Novice Ryan Gordon took second overall in the combined Expert/Novice race on his GSX-R750.

Batey took his third victory of the day in the Formula 1 race, getting a quick start on his Suzuki GSX-R750 and building a gap early on. Behind him, Geoff May and Jensen battled for second, with Jensen edging his Yamaha YZF-R6 past May just before the checkered flag.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Yamaha’s Aaron Gobert raced in and won CCS club races at VIR this weekend, in preparation for the AMA Finale there in two weeks.

Jason DiSalvo and Jamie Hacking also raced with the factory Yamaha team at VIR.

Details to follow.

From a press release issued by Honda Racing:

Karl Muggeridge – World Supersport Champion

A spectacular three race winning run at the end of the 2003 World Supersport season was an impressive feat for the combination of Karl Muggeridge, Ten Kate Honda and the new CBR600RR Honda, but it was just a taster of what was to come.

The 30-year-old Australian rider, now a long term resident in Andorra, has carried on his 2003 form almost through the 2004 season, despite a couple of minor wobbles on the path to Supersport greatness in the first two rounds at Valencia and Phillip Island. Muggeridge scored an irrepressible five wins in the next six races, to put himself in an almost unassailable 38-point championship lead before the penultimate round at Imola, another race in which he was triumphant.

His win at Imola allowed him the luxury of winning the championship one race early in the ten round World Supersport season. It also gave Ten Kate and Honda a third Riders’ title in successive years, one with the CBR600FS in the hands of Fabien Foret, plus two for the CBR600RR with Chris Vermeulen in 2003 and now Muggeridge this year.

Muggeridge, called ‘Muggas’ by all and sundry, had his early experiences of racing at his local tracks in Australia, but quickly realising his abundant natural talent, he decided to start competition in the always competitive Australian national scene. Covering huge distances to compete Muggeridge soon tired of the long hauls, with too little rewards in terms of recognition and remuneration to continue.

The 1999 season saw Muggeridge fourth in the UK championship, shortly before another one of his big steps in expectation pushed him into the World Championship.

Muggeridge’s maiden WSS race win came during his full time season with the Ten Kate team, taking victory in the second of two Brands Hatch races in 2000.

An ill-fated swap to the Alstare Suzuki team in 2001 dented Muggeridge’s competitive edge somewhat, even if Muggeridge was occasionally capable of running strongly at the front. Seventh overall was a two-step drop from his previous year’s fifth for Honda, and thus Muggeridge returned to the CBR fold.

Another tough season for the Honda UK team, moving up to World Supersport, was highlighted by a fine third at a torrentially wet Silverstone circuit, on his way to overall 14th.

Seeing his talent undimmed his old partners Ten Kate Honda stepped in with an offer to ride alongside his countryman, the ebullient young Australian Chris Vermeulen. The Ten Kate pairing proved a potent force in 2003 but it was Vermeulen who secured the championship, with Muggeridge fourth. All of Muggeridge’s ten WSS race wins have come on Honda machinery and all of them in Ten Kate colours.

Naturally, he puts his close working relationship with Ten Kate as a prime reason for his recent success. “One the things I have always tried to go is work well with the guys and make the most of everything. Chipping away at things. Riding for these guys is really motivational because they just want to keep pushing, keep going for the wins.”

With such a chequered history of ups and downs, Muggeridge adopted some highly unusual preparations, shortly before his immaculate run of success in 20034 and 2004 Supersport. He explains that they have been an integral part of winning nine of the last 12 available Supersport races. “I’m definitely mentally stronger. I went on retreat course last year, in Switzerland, just to get rid of the negative stuff about my career, the crashes and injuries and all that. It was like somewhere to go to just reset yourself – to defrag your hard drive, if you like. Only it took ten days not two hours, like it does on your computer. I did it last year, just before I started winning races. It was living like a monk, no communication with anyone. I just came into the last three races with a clear state of mind, knowing what I wanted and how I could get it. It has simply carried on into this year.”

Ever the professional, Muggeridge ended his glory day at Imola with a touch of reality. “Winning the title with my family here is fantastic and it has already sunk in – but right now all I’m thinking about is the final race at Magny Cours.”


Karl Muggeridge – Australia

Team : Ten Kate Honda
Racing number : 31
Race machine : CBR600RR

Date of birth : April 20, 1974
Birthplace: Tweed Heads, NSW, Australia

First race : 1994 Lakeside – 250cc Suzuki
First win : 1994 Lakeside – 250cc Suzuki
World Supersport debut : 1998 San Marino round, Misano
First World Supersport win : European round Brands Hatch, October 2000 –
Ten Kate Honda
Total wins : 10
Total podiums : 19

World titles : 1 – 2004 World Supersport Championship – Honda


Career Highlights
1995 : Winner 250cc Production race at Phillip Island
1996 : 10th 250cc Australian Production Championship
1997 : Contested no full championship series
1998 : 13th British Supersport Championship Honda
1999 : 4th British Supersport Championship Honda
2000 : 5th World Supersport Championship Honda – race wins 1
2001 : 7th World Supersport Championship Suzuki
2002 : 14th World Supersport Championship Honda
2003 : 4th World Supersport Championship Honda – race wins 3
2004 : World Supersport Champion Honda – race wins 6

From a press release:

Sport Bike Night
at
HARD ROCK CAFE

Dunlop Tires, Arai Helmets and Alpinestars are proud to present a special SPORT BIKE NIGHT at the HARD ROCK CAFE in downtown Sacramento on Wednesday night, September 29th, from 7 to 9pm.

Our special guest for the evening will be DAVID SADOWSKI

Dave is the 1990 DAYTONA 200 winner as well as being 600 Supersport Champion the same year.
A past Formula USA Champion as well, Dave was the color commentator on SPEED CHANNEL for the past several seasons. Dave recently moved from the East Coast and has settled in the Nor Cal area.

Dave has “been there and done that” in the world of professional motorcycle racing and will offer SPORT BIKE NIGHT fans his insight into the sport.

The HARD ROCK CAFE is excited to host this special SPORT BIKE NIGHT and will be offering its full dinner and appetizer menu as well as its regular drink service. The doors will open at 6:30pm for SPORT BIKE NIGHT guests. Program starts promptly at 7pm.

Mike Doran of D & W IMAGES will also be there offering photos for purchase of your favorite local and National riders.

There will be special motorcycle parking on 7th Street along the side of the HARD ROCK CAFE and any covered parking is free with HARD ROCK CAFE validation.

Polish up you ride and compete for the monthly BEST BIKE AWARD.

Remember our event sponsors when you spend your hard earned dollars!

WHAT: SPORT BIKE NIGHT

WHEN: WEDNESDAY NIGHT, SEPTEMBER 29TH, 7PM TILL 9PM

WHERE: HARD ROCK CAFE, 7TH AND K STREET MALL, DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO

WHY? COME AND FIND OUT !

COST? $5.00 AT THE DOOR

WEBSITE: www.sportbikenight.com

INFO: Mike at (916) 600-3742

From a press release issued by series organizers FGSport:

2004 FIM WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP

10th round Imola, 23-26 September 2004

LACONI IN CONTROL WITH TWO SUPERB WINS

LACONI DOUBLES UP: The ever-changing 2004 World Superbike Championship series threw up another pair of outstanding races for the 76,000 Imola crowd, blessed by sunshine and some exceptionally dramatic on-track action. Regis Laconi took the championship lead from his team-mate James Toseland (Ducati Fila 999F004) after two wars of attrition for the leading riders. Laconi overpowered Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) in race one, as the young Aussie lost a fraction of front end feel and traction, and performed the same trick in race two, this time on the perennially competitive Toseland. The championship battle is still very much alive for three riders, with Laconi on 295, Toseland on 291 and Vermeulen on 282. An epic battle beckons on October 3, with Noriyuki Haga also still in with an arithmetical chance of the overall title win.

RACE ONE: A virtual start-to-finish victory for Chris Vermeulen was only halted by the aggression and pace of Regis Laconi on the last two laps of the 21-lap opener, as the Frenchman blew by on the run down the hill to the first Ravazza, putting over a second between himself and Vermeulen in the last two laps as Laconi upped the pace and Vermeulen fought against a loss of front end feel and performance. James Toseland (Ducati Fila) recovered from a mid race drop in pace to re-pass Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati Koji) for third place, after a bold pass on the exit of the Variante Alta. Garry McCoy capitalised on his front row start with fifth place.

RACE TWO: The second outing was another spectacular man-to-man fight for the win, after a triumvirate of riders had made it a close contest for half the race. Haga crashed out of the lead after experiencing mechanical problems, allowing Toseland to escape to possible victory, only to be headed off in the last three laps by Laconi. In a photo finish, Laconi held off the aggressive Toseland, trying to elbow his way past on the short finish straight, by only 0.041 seconds. Vermeulen swapped his number one bike for his spare after an electrical problem, crashed on his spare, then made the race after receiving a lift back to the pits. Starting flat last, and suffering from a badly bruised hip, hand and ankle, Vermeulen took an improbable and outstanding sixth.

MARTIN SECURES PODIUM FIVE: After some drifts in form of late, Steve Martin (DFX Ducati 999) kept his head and his pace to leave Imola with a sixth place and then a more than welcome third, as the top riders dropped out of contention one by one. After a sparkling pre-race showing, Garry McCoy (SC Xerox Ducati 999) was the Aussie privateer most likely to succeed in any potential podium tussle, but he maintained a respectable sixth in the series with two fifth place Imola finishes.

LOCAL LION: Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati 998RS) had a lowly homecoming, taking only a seventh place and suffering from having to start from 16th place on the grid. Walking back in to the pits he received a hero’s welcome, and he remained fifth in the championship fight, with 222 points.

OPPOSITE VIEWS: Troy Corser secured two points scoring finishes on his Foggy Petronas machine, but 12th and tenth were not the results he was looking for. Chris Walker had no such luck, with a double no score.

SUPERSPORT: Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) once more showed his Supersport pre-eminence by taking win number six of the year, and the world title itself. His was the third straight win for the Ten Kate Team, who’s other rider Broc Parkes, was in contention to beat Muggeridge for almost all 21-laps. His desire to pass had his team covering their eyes at some points, but when Jurgen van den Goorbergh fell out of contention the title was decided there and then. Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) was third, with the first non-Honda the Breil Ducati of Lorenzo Lanzi, fourth. The fight for second in the championship now moves to Magny Cours, with Parkes only four points adrift of van den Goorbergh’s 119 points. Charpentier could also finish higher than his current fourth place.

SUPERSTOCK. The European Superstock class went through dramas even before the race itself, when Championship leader Gianluca Vizziello (Yamaha) was ruled out of the event, crashing in a pre-race Supermoto challenge. His team-mate Lorenzo Alfonsi, 16 points adrift in the championship fight, could not capitalize as he finished out of the points, thanks to a broken gear lever. He now has to finish second or better at the final round in Magny Cours to secure the title. The race winner was Riccardo Chiarello (Suzuki) from Kenan Sofuoglu (Yamaha) and Enrique Rocamora (Suzuki). Rocamora was later excluded from the results, making Luca Scasso the eventual third place rider.


More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

World Supersport Championship
Round 9 Imola, Italy 24 – 26 September 2004

Track: Dry, 35°C
Air: Warm, Sunny 23°C
Attendance: 72,000 (three days).

HONDA RIDER MUGGERIDGE TAKES RACE WIN AND THE WORLD TITLE

Karl Muggeridge took win number six of a quite spectacularly successful Supersport year on the Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR, winning his first and his team’s third World Riders’ Championship in the process. Running in the lead throughout, he scored his latest victory after taking his eighth pole position in nine attempts the day before.

His only rival throughout the entire race was his own team-mate, Broc Parkes, who finally finished his race in second place, 1.251 seconds down at the end of 21-hot and pressurised laps. The lack of team orders was evident from the outset, as Parkes attempted to pass on numerous occasions, twice heading up Muggeridge but never making it stick across the line.

Another dominant day in Supersport for Honda teams saw Sebastien Charpentier take his Klaffi Honda CBR600RR to a fine third, overcoming some small set-up issues in qualifying, which he completed in fourth grid position. Only four points are required by any CBR600RR rider at the final round in Magny Cours next weekend to win the coveted Manufacturers’ crown for Honda.

New team Italia Megabike CBR600RR Honda rider Michel Fabrizio scored seventh on his Supersport debut, the 2003 European Superstock champion and former MotoGP rider fitting in well to the crucible of Supersport racing.

Just outside the top ten Klaffi Honda rider Max Neukirchner survived a first lap scare to take 11th, and five valuable championship points. Denis Sacchetti (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) took 13th place, fighting in a group all the way.

It was an emotional day for Muggeridge, but one which was conducted in a cool and calm fashion on the track, despite the high pace and what was at stake. When he heard that his only championship rival Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha) had crashed out, Muggeridge’s reply was unequivocal, “I opened the gas some more,” he stated. “Broc kept the pressure on the whole time and I needed to stay on my game. I was a little bit concerned about the tyre durability at the pace we were going but in the end the tyre was sliding anyway, but got us home to finish it. My family came over here for this race so it was great that I could win it a weekend early. I’ve wanted to be world champion for a long time and today we achieved that.”

Parkes was under no team orders in the race, but got a signal to not take too many risks after some close overtaking attempts on Muggeridge. Parkes could not quite win the race, despite some attempted passes on Muggeridge. “Today was good, Karl was stronger than me at the end of the race even though felt good at the start. I felt I could win the race today, but it didn’t stick and Karl realised I was so close and kept the pressure up. I couldn’t stay with him. Sometimes when I started to put the pressure on Karl I saw my team manager Ronald leaning about four meters over the pit wall pointing at his head, telling me to stay calm, but it was always OK!”

Charpentier was on strong form one more, pushing as hard as he could but ultimately ten seconds down Muggeridge. “The race was OK for me because it was very difficult for me in practice. I could into get a good set-up this weekend but we did not have the best solution. Many Cours will be much better for me. I will try very hard to win the race in a sporting fashion.”

New boy Fabrizio relished his latest challenge, and took it home after a few late concerns, “Before I got to the race my target was to finish in the top ten, I finished seventh so I’m satisfied, especially as it was my first time here in Supersport. The bike feels good. During the first six laps I was up with the leaders but after we had a problem with the rear suspension, I preferred to take it home in seventh rather than take too much of a risk.”

Neukirchner was fortunate to escape a first corner incident with one of the top riders, “It was a very difficult race after what was a good start off the line. I bumped with Katsuaki Fujiwara in the first couple of corners and that lost me a lot of time. It lost my contact with the leading groups, and that determined where I would finish. I had a good fight with Fujiwara and passed him on the last couple of laps. I was pleased with that, happy to get some points, but not really happy to finish in 11th place.”

Local boy Sacchetti was happy with his show on home tarmac, “I fought hard for the whole race in with a group of strong riders. I’m happy because now I know I can battle with them. I took three points for the championship and for this result I have to thank the team for their hard work.”

World Superbike Championship – Round 10
The first race at Assen proved to be a five-way battle in the early stages, a battle Regis Laconi (Ducati) was to win after a virtual race long display of front running from Chris Vermeulen, on a ten Kate Honda Fireblade. James Toseland (Ducati) headed off Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) for third, with Garry McCoy (Ducati) an eventually lonely fifth.

In the second race Vermeulen fell on the final warm-up lap, was given a lift back to the pits by Giovanni Bussei (Ducati) and started on his spare bike, last by some ten seconds. He hauled himself up the positions, finishing sixth. The race itself was won by Laconi, from Toseland and Ducati Privateer Steve Martin. The championship battle enters the final round with Laconi on 295, Toseland on 291 and Vermeulen on 282. Haga crashed and is fourth overall on 254.

The Superbike and Supersport series move the finale at Magny Cours on October 3.

Results
SUPERSPORT:
RACE : (Laps 21 = 103,593 Km)
Pos /Rider /Nat. /Team / Time /Gap

1 / K. MUGGERIDGE / AUS / Ten Kate Honda / 39’56.749 /

2 / B. PARKES / AUS / Ten Kate Honda / 39’58.000 / 1.251

3 / S. CHARPENTIER / FRA / Klaffi Honda / 40’06.963 / 10.214

4 / L. LANZI / ITA / Ducati Breil / 40’07.696 / 10.947

5 / F. FORET / FRA / Yamaha Italia / 40’08.331 / 11.582

6 / A. PITT / AUS / Yamaha Italia / 40’08.495 / 11.746

7 / M.FABRIZIO / ITA / Italia Megabike / 40’21.836 / 25.087

8 / S. CHAMBON / FRA / Suzuki Alstare Corona Extra / 40’26.281 / 29.532

9 / M.BAIOCCO / ITA / Lorenzini by Leoni / 40’28.338 / 31.589

10 / A. ANTONELLO / ITA / Kawasaki Bertocchi / 40’34.246 / 37.497

11 / M.NEUKIRCHNER / GER / Klaffi Honda / 40’45.416 / 48.667

12 / C. COXHELL / AUS / Yamaha Motor Deutschland / 40’50.710 / 53.961

13 / D. SACCHETTI / ITA / Italia Megabike / 40’51.210 / 54.461

14 / K. FUJIWARA / JPN / Suzuki Alstare Corona Extra / 40’53.550 / 56.801

15 / C. KELLNER / GER / Yamaha Motor Deutschland / 40’54.368 / 57.619

Fastest Lap 4° Karl Muggeridge 1’53.160 156,935 Km/h

Riders Championship Standings:
1 MUGGERIDGE 182, 2 VD GOORBERGH 119, 3 PARKES 115, 4 CHARPENTIER 104, 5 CURTAIN 69, 6 LANZI 69, 7 FORET 66, 8 CHAMBON 64, 9 FUJIWARA 55, 10 NEUKIRCHNER 55, 11 CORRADI 44, 12 KELLNER 27, 13 PITT 26, 14 BROOKES 25, 15 IANNUZZO 20.

Manufacturers Standings:
1 HONDA 187, 2 YAMAHA 165, 3 SUZUKI 96, 4 DUCATI 82, 5 KAWASAKI 40.


SUPERBIKE
Race 1: (Laps 21 = 103,593 Km)
Pos /Rider /Nat. /Team /Time /Gap

1 / R. LACONI / FRA / Ducati Fila / 38’58.507 /

2 / C. VERMEULEN / AUS / Ten Kate Honda / 38’59.629 / 1.122

3 / J. TOSELAND / GBR / Ducati Fila / 39’04.145 / 5.638

4 / N.HAGA / JPN / Renegade Ducati Koji / 39’05.117 / 6.610

5 / G.MCCOY / AUS / XEROX – Ducati Nortel Net. / 39’10.481 / 11.974

6 / S. MARTIN / AUS / D.F.Xtreme Sterilgarda / 39’18.505 / 19.998

7 / P. CHILI / ITA / PSG – 1 Corse / 39’28.246 / 29.739

8 / M.BORCIANI / ITA / D.F.Xtreme Sterilgarda / 39’28.987 / 30.480

9 / G.NANNELLI / ITA / XEROX – Ducati Nortel Net. / 39’39.718 / 41.211

10 / L. HASLAM / GBR / Renegade Ducati Koji / 39’46.479 / 47.972

11 / I. CLEMENTI / ITA / Kawasaki Bertocchi / 39’48.853 / 50.346

12 / T. CORSER / AUS / Foggy PETRONAS Racing / 39’52.185 / 53.678

13 / P. BONTEMPI / ITA / Zongshen / 40’12.864 / 1’14.357

14 / L. PINI / ITA / Boselli Racing / 40’14.214 / 1’15.707

15 / D. ROMBONI / ITA / Giesse Racing Team / 40’21.500 / 1’22.993

Fastest Lap 4° Régis Laconi 1’50.708 160,411 Km/h

Race 2 : (Laps 16 = 96,432 Km)
Pos /Rider /Nat. /Team /Time /Gap

1 / R. LACONI / FRA / Ducati Fila / 39’04.926 /

2 / J. TOSELAND / GBR / Ducati Fila / 39’04.967 / 0.041

3 / S. MARTIN / AUS / D.F.Xtreme Sterilgarda / 39’17.278 / 12.352

4 / G.NANNELLI / ITA / XEROX – Ducati Nortel Net. / 39’28.091 / 23.165

5 / G.MCCOY / AUS / XEROX – Ducati Nortel Net. / 39’33.563 / 28.637

6 / C. VERMEULEN / AUS / Ten Kate Honda / 39’36.644 / 31.718

7 / L. PEDERCINI / ITA / Pedercini / 39’39.968 / 35.042

8 / M.BORCIANI / ITA / D.F.Xtreme Sterilgarda / 39’44.003 / 39.077

9 / I. CLEMENTI / ITA / Kawasaki Bertocchi / 39’44.266 / 39.340

10 / T. CORSER / AUS / Foggy PETRONAS Racing / 39’44.579 / 39.653

11 / G.BUSSEI / ITA / DeCecco Racing / 39’48.860 / 43.934

12 / L. HASLAM / GBR / Renegade Ducati Koji / 39’59.276 / 54.350

13 / L. PINI / ITA / Boselli Racing / 40’08.070 / 1’03.144

14 / D. ROMBONI / ITA / Giesse Racing Team / 40’12.435 / 1’07.509

15 / A. VELINI / ITA / Pedercini / 40’12.928 / 1’08.002

Fastest Lap 5° Noriyuki Haga 2’04.831 173,813 Km/h

Riders Championship 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, 12 CLEMENTI 85, 13 SANCHINI 79, 14 NANNELLI 72, 15 BONTEMPI 63.


Manufacturers Standings:
1 DUCATI 480, 2 HONDA 289, 3 PETRONAS 183, 4 KAWASAKI 118, 5 SUZUKI 90.




More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Italia:

Date: Sunday, 26th September 2004
Circuit: Imola, m. 4.933
Race Weather: dry, sunny/cloudy Temperature: air 23° C track 35° C
Crowd: 72.000 (3-days)

JURGEN’S SLIM HOPES VANISH.
Jurgen’s slim hopes of taking the title fight to the last round disappeared in the gravel trap in Imola today when he made a mistake and crashed out of the 21-lapper. The DNF handed the crown to Aussie Karl Muggeridge (Honda) who then went on to take his sixth victory of the season, ahead of team mate Broc Parkes, with Sebastien Charpentier (also Honda-mounted) third. Fabien Foret defied the pain barrier to finish a superb fifth, with Andrew Pitt just behind in sixth.

FABIEN FORET – 5th
It has been a very difficult weekend, possibly made harder by not finding a good set-up for bike. Also, I had a lot of pain in my injured ankle and, because I have not been able to train for two months, my physical condition was not so good. That made it very hard for me, because this is a very physical track and also very bumpy. I hope to be in a bit better shape for Magny-Cours next weekend.

ANDREW PITT – 6th
I chose a front tyre that was too soft and, although I started very well, after about half race distance I began to have a lot of problems with it, I just kept going as best I could to take as many points as I could. I’m looking forward to Magny-Cours and my third race with the team.

JURGEN VAN DEN GOORBERGH – DNF
That was a race to forget! I made a mistake and lost the front end and crashed and that was that. It was a great pity because, although my chances of taking the title were more then slim, I had hoped to make Karl wait until the final round next week.

Results
1 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda), 2 Parkes (Aus-Honda), 3 Charpentier (F-Honda), 4 Lanzi (I-Ducati), 5 FORET (F-YAMAHA RACING ITALIA), 6 PITT (AUS-YAMAHA RACING ITALIA), 7 Fabrizio (I-Honda), 8 Chambon (F-Suzuki), 9 Baiocco (I-Yamaha), 10 Antonello (i-Kawasaki), VD GOORBERGH (NL-YAMAHA RACING ITALIA) DNF

Points
1 Muggeridge 182, 2 VD GOORBERGH (NL-YAMAHA RACING ITALIA) 119, 3 Parkes 115, 4 Charpentier 104, 5 Curtain 69, 6 Lanzi 69, 7 FORET (F-YAMAHA RACING ITALIA) 66, 8 Chambon 64, 9 Fujiwara 55, 10 Neukirchner 55, 13 PITT (AUS-YAMAHA RACING ITALIA) 26



More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist:

2004 World Superbike Championship
Round 10, Imola (Italy) , Sunday 26th September 2004
Circuit: 4.933, Weather: dry, sunny 23° C.
Crowd: 76.000 (3-days figure)

NO JOY FOR TROY.
The weekend that started badly did not improve as much as Troy would have liked and, in the end, Troy left Imola with more then a trace of disappointment. Tyre problems in race one relegated Troy to 12th place and although he had less rubber problems in race two, he could only improve his finishing position by just two places.

Factory Ducati rider Regis Laconi won both today’s 21-lappers, but had to work hard in the two races. In race one, he had to fight off Chris Vermeulen (Honda) and team mate James Toseland. In the second, he beat his team mate by just four hundredths of a second, with Steve Martin (Ducati) a lonely third.

TROY Race 1: 12th, Race 2: 10th
Well I guess that was probably not one of our best weekends. We had some problems at the start of the weekend, but I felt much more optimistic after yesterday’s progress. In the first race, my rear tyre was OK for the first three laps, but then it started spinning up and the bike began backing into turns. Initially I thought something was coming out of the bike, because it happened so suddenly. I carried on as best I could and I was having to brake where I don’t normally brake but, because I had no rear end grip, I kept missing all the apexes.

The second race was a bit better. The rear tyre was not great, but it was more consistent and the slides were more progressive. The bike also felt more stable. I could get away with the leaders at the start in both races but, as soon as riders behind came past, there was nothing I could do about it. I hope Magny-Cours will be a lot better.



More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

LACONI TAKES DOUBLE WIN FOR DUCATI FILA IN DRAMATIC DAY OF RACING AT IMOLA – TWO PODIUMS FOR TOSELAND

Imola (Italy), 26 September 2004: Regis Laconi claimed his second double win of the year in dramatic circumstances at Imola to move back into the lead of the World Superbike championship with one round remaining. In front of a 72,000 strong crowd, the Frenchman first saw off the challenge of Chris Vermeulen (Honda) in race 1 and then powered past his team-mate James Toseland at the Rivazza to take his second win of the day in the second encounter. That race, which had started off with Vermeulen spectacularly crashing on the warm-up lap, ended with Laconi and Toseland making contact on the finish line on the last lap, the two Ducati Fila riders separated by just four-hundredths of a second.

“I made a few small mistakes at the beginning and the bike didn’t feel so good with the full tank so I didn’t try to push so much” declared Regis. “Haga passed me and James too so I decided just to follow them. Haga crashed in front of us which was quite difficult then I just had to pass James for the win. The only way I found to do that was on the very fast left in fifth gear. It was hard for sure but I had to go for it. The last chicane was very difficult, I braked late but I knew it was close to the finish so I just tried to be fast all the way through. It was really great to win at Imola today because Imola is a Ducati track”.

Previous points leader Toseland saw off the challenge of Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati) in the first race to take the final podium slot, while Haga saw his title hopes disappear when he crashed out in front of Toseland and Laconi on lap 10 of the second race.

“Regis was obviously protecting his line going into the last chicane” declared James about the photo-finish. “Unfortunately that finish-line is so close to the chicane but I had to try and win! It was a fantastic race, that pass he made was a tough one. I didn’t want to finish second but we’re still in the hunt for the title with one round to go, which is the main thing. It couldn’t have worked out any better for the championship. Regis and I are team-mates so there’s going to be no love lost at Magny-Cours and it’s going to be close right down to the very end”.

Anglo-French rivalry will reach a climax next Sunday in France in the final round of the championship, with Laconi four points ahead of Toseland and Vermeulen a further nine points behind.

RACE 1: 1. Laconi (Ducati Fila); 2. Vermeulen (Honda); 3. Toseland (Ducati Fila); 4. Haga (Renegade Ducati); 5. McCoy (Xerox Ducati); 6. Martin (DFX Ducati); etc. RACE 2: 1. Laconi; 2. Toseland; 3. Martin; 4. Nannelli (Xerox Ducati); 5. McCoy ; 6. Vermeulen ; etc.

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.

DETERMINED RIDE AT IMOLA NETS FOURTH PLACE FOR LANZI (DUCATI BREIL)

Imola (Italy), 26 September 2004: Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Breil) netted his third fourth place of the season with another determined ride at Imola in a race that saw Australian Karl Muggeridge (Honda) claim the 2004 World Supersport title.

Starting eighth on the grid, the 22-year-old Italian was fourth into the first corner, a position he held to the chequered flag despite being passed by Charpentier (Honda) and coming under intense pressure from Foret and Pitt (Yamaha) in the final stages.

“I am really pleased with the result” declared Lanzi. “We knew we could do a great race but once again I finished just over half-a-second away from the podium. That was a real pity because we worked well all weekend and if it hadn’t rained on Friday morning I am sure we might have been able to try and find some other solutions.

“In any case the result is a good one, a big thanks to the team who did a great job and also to the tyres, which gave me a hand in getting fourth place.

“Three Hondas ahead of me but all the others behind, for us that is a great achievement. I wanted to get the podium to dedicate it to the team and to Ducati because they deserve it, but here’s to Magny-Cours where I finally hope to get one!

RACE: 1: Muggeridge (Honda); 2. Parkes (Honda); 3. Charpentier (Honda); 4. Lanzi (Ducati Breil); 5. Foret (Yamaha); 6. Pitt (Yamaha); 7. Fabrizio (Honda); 8. Chambon (Suzuki); etc.

POINTS (after 9 of 10 rounds):
(Riders) 1. Muggeridge 182 (2004 WSS champion); 2. VD Goorbergh (Yamaha) 119; 3. Parkes 115; 4. Charpentier 104; 5. Curtain (Yamaha) & Lanzi 69; etc.
(Manufacturers) 1. Honda 187 ; 2. Yamaha 165 ; 3. Suzuki 96; 4. Ducati 82; 5. Kawasaki 40; 6. Triumph 4.