From a press release issued by series organizers FGSport:

2004 FIM WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP

10th round Imola, 23-26 September 2004

LACONI SCORES A HANDFUL OF SUPERPOLE WINS

This year’s King of Superpole was ordained once more at Imola, as Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila 999F04) took his fifth such success of the 2004 season. Starting last away after finishing the regulation qualifying sessions fastest of all, Laconi swept around one of his favourite tracks to record a time of 1:49.818. Laconi is one of four riders going for a realistic shot at their first World Superbike Championship title, and the two 21-lap races on Sunday are sure to be hotly contested, with the top five Superpole qualifying places containing all four would-be champions.

HONDA HEADS UP: Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR rider Chris Vermeulen felt that he was about to take his first ever Superpole win of his short ten round Superbike career, but Laconi’s late challenge deposed him from his position of pre-eminence. The 22-year-old Australian was the only rider to join Laconi inside the 1:49 second mark, finding his four-cylinder Honda a willing partner in his attacks on the sweeps and hills of Imola.

MCCOY COMEBACK: Having struggled in some of the more recent SBK events, the most experienced rookie in World Superbike found his feet in superb style at Imola, as Garry McCoy (Scuderia Caracchi Xerox Ducati 999RS) spun and hustled his big vee-twin to a fine third place. A winner at Phillip Island this season already, McCoy professes not to be a fan of the Imola track, but his uniquely dramatic riding style appears to suit the 4.933km circuit down to the ground.

HAGA HANGS IT OUT: The aggression and control shown by Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati 999RS) was enough to put him fourth in Superpole, after finishing second quickest in regular qualifying. The Japanese rider is one of the famous four championship challengers, and one of the most experienced Superbike riders on the grid. Haga’s team-mate Leon Haslam experienced several technical problems in regulation qualifying, which conspired to make him miss Superpole, finishing 19th fastest for a fifth row start.

JAMES THE FIFTH: Working his factory Ducati Fila 999F04 hard around the undulations and bumps of Imola, James Toseland, the current championship leader, missed out on the front row, but only by one place as he went fifth in Superpole, a two place improvement on his regulation qualifying best.

THE BUSSEI THUNDERBOLT: Giovanni Bussei (De Cecco Ducati 998RS) set the Superpole competition alight with a blistering lap of 1:50.895, by far his personal best of the weekend. Until James Toseland took his place at the head of the table, albeit temporarily, Bussei was the leading rider, finishing his Superpole session in an impressive sixth place. He was the best 998 Ducati rider on show, finishing his Superpole competition just in front of Lucio Pedercini (Pedercini Ducati 998RS). Having left the Pedercini team to join the Scuderia Caracchi Xerox Ducati squad shortly before Imola, Gianluca Nannelli took his 999RS machine to eighth place, ousting regular DFX Extreme Sterilgarda 999RS Ducati rider Steve Martin in the process.

CORSER TOP TEN: Troy Corser (Foggy Petronas FP-1) took his somewhat outgunned three cylinder, 900cc triple to a top ten finish, an impressive result on such a power-sapping track. His team-mate Chris Walker took 18th fastest time, putting him on an unhappy fifth row starting position. Best of the local riders making a wildcard appearance was former GP and Superbike star Doriano Romboni, taking 12th place in Superpole, one behind regular rider Marco Borciani (DFX Ducati Extreme Sterilgarda 999RS).

UNLUCKY 7: Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati 998) experienced two separate major technical problems in the final untimed qualifying session at Imola, missing out on Superpole and starting 16th on the grid. Having qualified eighth in regulation, he was expecting a far different end to his Saturday of toil on home ground.

WORLD SUPERSPORT: Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) once more brought all the pre-race elements together under his command to secure his eighth pole position of the 2004 season, a remarkable achievement with no peer in WSS history. Heading up an all Australian front row, Muggeridge’s best was a 1:52.131, a mark he could have improved on still further had the track been entirely dry after Friday evening’s monsoon rainfalls. Broc Parkes, Muggeridge’s team-mate, starts the 21-lap race on Sunday from the front row, qualifying second fastest, some 0.722 seconds from Muggeridge. Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Italia) secured third place, Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) starting fourth, the last rider on row one. Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha Italia) was fifth fastest rider, ahead of Klaffi Honda pilot Sebastien Charpentier. Lone Briton Iain MacPherson, secured 17th starting spot on his SL Ducati 749R.

EUROPEAN SUPERSTOCK: Lorenzo Alfonsi (Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni Yamaha R1) had to give best in qualifying to the charging Alstare Suzuki rider Riccardo Chiarello, and Yamaha Motor Germany rider Kenan Sofuoglu, but his championship challenge remains firmly on track after a strong showing in the only dry Superstock session. Third fastest, Alfonsi is now the only rider who can overhaul injured championship leader Gianluca Vizziello, who will miss the Imola races, and the subsequent season finale at Magny Cours next week.



Superpole
Imola, Italy
1. Régis Laconi, France, Ducati 999F04, 1:49.818
2. Chris Vermeulen, Holland, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:49.930
3. Garry McCoy, Australia, Ducati 999RS, 1:50.187
4. Noriyuki Haga, Japan, Ducati 999RS, 1:50.452
5. James Toseland, UK, Ducati 999F04, 1:50.691
6. Giovanni Bussei, Italy, Ducati 998RS, 1:50.895
7. Lucio Pedercini, Italy, Ducati 998RS, 1:51.063
8. Gianluca Nannelli, Italy, Ducati 999RS, 1:51.063
9. Steve Martin, Australia, Ducati 999RS, 1:51.476
10. Troy Corser, Australia, Petronas FP1, 1:51.685
11. Marco Borciano, Italy, Ducati 999 RS, 1:52.129
12. Doriano Romboni, Italy, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:52.192
13. Luca Pini, Italy, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:52.721
14. Piergiorgio Bontempi, Italy, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:53.092
15. Sergio Fuertes, Spain, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:53.547
16. Pierfrancesco Chili, Italy, Ducati 998 RS, no time



More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

LACONI HITS TOP FORM AT IMOLA, TAKES QUALIFYING AND SUPERPOLE – TOSELAND FIFTH, LINES UP ON ROW 2

Imola (Italy), 25 September 2004: Regis Laconi clinched his fifth Superpole of the year for Ducati Fila at Imola with a blistering pole time of 1’49.818, edging out Chris Vermeulen by one-tenth of a second. The 29-year-old Frenchman, who had also grabbed quickest time in the dying seconds of the morning qualifying session, and his Australian rival, were the only two riders to dip into the 1’49s and will line up on the front row of the grid for tomorrow’s penultimate round of the World Superbike championship together with Garry McCoy (Xerox Ducati) and Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati). Championship leader James Toseland could only manage fifth quickest time and lines up on the second row.

“It was not exactly a perfect Superpole lap, because before the finish I slid a little” explained Laconi. “I had to push harder on that lap because Chris’s time was a really tough one to beat. We have done a very good job all weekend and I am very happy with my race tyre.

“For me it’s very important to be on pole position because I am half-Italian and Ducati is very close to here so I’m sure there will be a lot of fans trying to help me win the race tomorrow. I like this Imola track for sure, there are a lot of corners like the Acque Minerali where you can make a big difference. It seems a very good track for me and the Ducati is working very well also” he concluded.

Toseland was not so happy with his Superpole lap but is confident he will be able to produce a good showing in tomorrow’s two races.

“That was a pretty average Superpole lap” commented Toseland, “I just wasn’t able to get round Imola the way I would have liked. We seem to have got a few niggling problems that need to be sorted out, it’s nothing major but if we sort them out the lap times would come easily, because I’m struggling in places where it shouldn’t be a problem.

“The technical things aren’t so much of a problem, I should just be able to find it easier around the track that’s all. I’ll probably change the gearing tomorrow morning which should help but I’m pretty sure that things will be OK for the race”.

TIMES: 1. Laconi (Ducati Fila) 1’49.818; 2. Vermeulen (Honda) 1’49.930 ; 3. McCoy (Xerox Ducati) 1’50.187 ; 4. Haga (Renegade Ducati) 1’50.452; 5. Toseland (Ducati Fila) 1’50.691; 6. Bussei (Ducati) 1’50.895; 7. Pedercini (Ducati) 1’51.063; 8. Nannelli (Xerox Ducati) 1’51.470; 9. Martin (Ducati DFX) 1’51.476; 10. Corser (Petronas) 1’51.685; etc.

SECOND ROW START FOR LANZI (DUCATI BREIL) AT HOME CIRCUIT OF IMOLA

Imola (Italy), 25 September 2004: Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Breil) will start tomorrow’s penultimate round of the World Supersport championship from the second row of the grid after a tense final few minutes.

The 22 year-old from Cesena, seventh after yesterday’s first qualifying session, improved his time by almost one second and despite a technical problem forcing him to switch to the other 749R at his disposal, Lorenzo managed to hold on to the eighth quickest time.

“I would say it went pretty well” declared Lanzi “even though I had a problem with my 749R in the last few minutes. We quickly changed the bike, which was the same but it was not the bike I prefer to use and I didn’t have a good feeling with it.

“It wasn’t a bad performance today because as always there are just the usual top riders ahead of me. We had to do a bit of improvisation in the last few minutes, but ours is a great team and we didn’t have any problems. I held on to my second row grid position and I can only be pleased with that performance because we lapped two seconds quicker than when I was here for the Italian championship race.

“Without that small problem I am sure I could have been further up the grid. This gives me a lot of encouragement for tomorrow, I’ll try and get off to a good start and then give 100% as always” concluded Lanzi.

STARTING-GRID: 1. Muggeridge (Honda) 1’52.131; 2. Parkes (Honda) 1′ 52.853; 3. Curtain (Yamaha) 1’53.064; 4. Pitt (Yamaha) 1’53.091 ; 5. VD Goorbergh (Yamaha) 1’53.205; 6. Charpentier (Honda) 1’53.288; 7. Foret (Yamaha) 1’53.544 ; 8. Lanzi (Ducati Breil) 1’53.583; etc.



More, from a press release issued by Ten Kate Honda:

Muggeridge Pole Once More, Parkes Right Behind

Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) once more flirted with perfection to record his eighth pole position in nine attempts, an outstanding performance from the clear World Championship leader. Underlining the prowess of the entire Ten Kate thrust his team mate Broc Parkes ripped up the tarmac to finish second fastest, starting alongside Muggeridge once more. Muggeridge set a best time of 1:52.131 with Parkes just behind with a 1:52.853.

The front row for Sunday’s race was completed by two Yamaha riders, Kevin Curtain and Andrew Pitt, making the front row an all-Australian affair. Muggeridge’s only championship challenger, Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha) was fifth fastest. v Muggeridge’s eighth pole of the 2004 Supersport season ripped the record books apart once more, and more importantly for Muggeridge, puts him in the perfect spot to tackle the 21-lap race on Sunday. “Eight out of nine poles this year is pretty good,” said Muggeridge. “I don’t really know why we’ve been so good in qualifying. All I can say is that I enjoy it; it’s a chance to put all your work over two days of qualifying into practice on the track. You put the softest tyre in, and then you can be more aggressive on the throttle and push a little bit harder. I just enjoy going fast, want to go faster than everyone else. Pole position is to the left at this track and that’s where you want to be for the entry to the first corner. The track is in good condition, but it was still not quite dry out there. I want to be on the podium tomorrow, I’ll treat it like every other race and try to finish on the top step.”

Parkes, beaming at his improvement in lap time and solid practice performance, stated, “It was pretty good but Muggas was still quicker than everyone. I improved and got up to second place so that’s satisfying for us. I made a change in gearing to get more feedback and feeling in different places. It didn’t make the bike go much faster but it made it all feel much smoother. The track is a bit better than yesterday, even though there were a couple of wet patches. We could have gone faster if it weren’t for those. I have a good race set-up and chosen the race tyre already, so we’re ready to go.”

Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate stated, “I can’t wish for anything more. Always the riders and team find a way to impress me. Although we have worked together for a long time now and it is almost the end of the year they have impressed me again. Karl was particularly good, being so fast around the whole track. We can hear the fat lady singing in the distance but she needs to come closer to us before we can take anything for granted.”

World Supersport Championship
Round 9 Imola, Italy / 24 – 26 September 2004
1. K. Muggeridge, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR, 1’52.131
2. B. Parkes, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR, 1’52.853
3. K. Curtain, AUS, Yamaha YZF R6, 1’53.064
4. A. Pitt, AUS, Yamaha YZF R6, 1’53. 091
5. J. vd. Goorbergh, NED, Yamaha YZF R6, 1’53.205
6. S. Charpentier, FRA, Honda CBR600RR, 1’53. 288
7. F. Foret, FRA, Yamaha YZF R6, 1’53.544
8. L. Lanzi, ITA, Ducati 749 R, 1’53.583
9. M. Baiocco, ITA, Yamaha YZF R6, 1’53.819
10. M. Fabrizio, ITA, Honda CBR600RR, 1’54.152


Vermeulen Second Quickest in Imola Superpole

Another close flirtation with pole for Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) saw him finish second overall in the specialised single lap contest, which determines the final grid positions for the top 16 qualifiers. Fourth fastest in regulation, Vermeulen was the only rider other than pole winner Regis Laconi (Ducati) to go inside the 1:49, second mark this weekend. His lap of 1:49.930 was marginally improved on by Laconi, who set a 1:49.818 with the last Superpole lap of the session.

The post Superpole front row features three of the top contenders for the championship itself, with Laconi and Vermeulen in the vanguard, chased home today by the resurgent Garry McCoy (Ducati) and overall fourth place man in the series Noriyuki Haga (Ducati), who was fourth quickest in Superpole. The championship excitement is sure to continue into raceday, as series leader James Toseland was fifth fastest.

Vermeulen was disappointed to miss out on Superpole, but knows that the real work will be done on raceday. “I really thought I had that but then Regis just came along and beat me. I haven’t had a pole yet so I want to win one before the season is out. I’m happy because the bike is working well and we’ve made some changes since the first day, which have taken us even closer to a perfect race set-up. Sometimes we can go to tracks and it works well from the start and at others, probably because I haven’t ridden a big bike there before, it has been more difficult. But it’s been good so far here.”

Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate was satisfied with the pre-race preparations, and recognised the importance of finishing on the leading grid line. “That was a pretty good lap Chris put in during Superpole – the most important thing to do was to get on the front row. Pole position would have been a very nice bonus for us. Unfortunately we didn’t quite get it, but we have got a good setup for the races. Chris has been quite consistent and fast on the race tyres so we are in for some good contests here tomorrow. From Friday when we started the bike has been pretty good. On a lot of weekends we have had to start from a little behind, but now we have been able to stay in the top group throughout.”

World Superbike Championship
Round 10 Imola – Italy
24 -26 September 2004
1. R. Laconi, FRA, Ducati 999 F04, 1’49.818
2. C. Vermeulen, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR, 1’49.930
3. G. McCoy, AUS, Ducati 999 RS, 1’50.187
4. N. Haga, JPN, Ducati 999 RS, 1’50.452
5. J. Toseland, GBR, Ducati 999 F04, 1’50.691
6. G. Bussei, ITA, Ducati 998 RS, 1’50.895
7. L. Pedercini, ITA, Ducati 998 RS, 1’51.063
8. G. Nannelli, ITA, Ducati 999 RS, 1’51.470
9. S. Martin, AUS, Ducati 999 RS, 1’51.476
10. T. Corser, AUS, Petronas FP1, 1’51.685



More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Motor Italia Racing:

Date: Saturday, 25th September 2004
Circuit: Imola, m. 4.933
Final Qualifying
Weather: dry/sunny-cloudy Temperature: air 21° C
Crowd: 10.000

TRIO WELL PLACED AND LOOKING FOR PODIUMS.

Yamaha Racing Italia’s trio of riders had a successful final qualifying at Imola today with Andrew Pitt finishing the best of the three with the fourth fastest time of the day. He will line up on the front row of the grid, with Jurgen van den Goorbergh and Fabien Foret just behind on row two.

Series leader Karl Muggeridge (Honda) took his eighth pole of the year, with team mate Broc Parkes second and Kevin Curtain (Yamaha) third. Former European champion Matteo Baiocco put his Lorenzini by Leoni R6 in ninth place in final qualifying.

ANDREW PITT – 4th, 1’53.091
I set my fastest lap on a tyre which had already done six laps, so I am happy to get on the front row of the grid. This is only my second race with Yamaha and today I was happy because I kept improving lap by lap – and that’s a good sign for the race. Getting on the front row is very good indeed and I am looking forward to making a good start, staying with the front runners and hopefully taking my second podium in a row.

JURGEN VAN DEN GOORBERGH – 5th, 1’53.205
I can tell you how happy I am. On Thursday I was in hospital, today I set the fifth quickest lap and tomorrow I will start on the second row of the grid. I lost a couple of tenths when I was going for it today and that cost me a front row place. But it is not a problem because I like this track and my bike is so fast. Winning here will be very difficult, but I am going to try my hardest for sure. After the problems I have had this week, winning would be a dream.

FABIEN FORET – 7th, 1’53.544
I am not so happy because I made a mistake (with my gearshift) on my fast lap in the fastest part of the track and I lost a lot of time. If that had not happened, then I think I would have been on the front row.



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

2004 World Superbike Championship
Round 10, Imola (Italy) , Saturday 25th September, Final Qualifying
Circuit: 4.933kms, Weather: dry, sunny/cloudy 21°C

TROY’S PROGRESS
After yesterday, it was a great relief for Troy to be able to push hard again and go for a higher grid place. A problem with his number one bike before Superpole meant that Troy had to use his number two bike, but he still managed to get into the top ten and so will start tomorrow’s races from the third row of the grid.

Regis Laconi (Ducati) took pole, with a time of 1:49.818, knocking Chris Vermeulen (Honda) off the top spot right at the end of the 16-rider shoot-out. Completing the front row of the grid is Garry McCoy (Ducati), with Noriyuki Haga (also Ducati-mounted) alongside.

TROY -10th, 1:51.685
I thought about the bike’s set-up a lot last night, as it was hard to think yesterday and ride the bike the way it was. I did a lot of laps in my head and went through the changes that we made. Those changes were at the rear end and did not seem to have any effect, so this morning we went back to our normal settings and also made a few changes to the front forks. Now the bike goes over the bumps and stops, whereas yesterday it was like a roller-coaster ride after hitting the bumps. Yesterday I was fighting the bike and did not want to do another lap.

Today I am a lot happier and the bike is doing almost what I want it to do. It was a shame that I had a problem with my number one bike before Superpole, but as the number two bike had a similar set up, it was OK.

From a press release issued by series organizers, FGSport:

2004 FIM WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP

10th round Imola, 23-26 September 2004

HAGA STRIKES EARLY BLOW IN IMOLA QUALIFYING BATTLE

RISING SUN: Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati 999RS), one of four riders going for championship glory at Imola and the subsequent Magny Cours race, got his eye in early by setting the fastest time on the opening day of qualifying. The 29-year-old Japanese rider’s lap time of 1:50.969 was the only one inside the 1:51 barrier and, like all his peers, he was fortunate to set a quick lap before the rains fell with a vengeance at the very end of the first timed hour.

MARTIN MOVES ON UP: After a rollercoaster season so far, with soaring podium finishes counter pointed by some dreadful luck, Steve Martin (DFX Ducati 999RS) aims to finish on a high. Sitting second fastest after day one, Martin proved he still has speed in his armoury with his 1:51.118 lap time. The 35-year-old Italian based Australian is just one of many riders equipped with strong private Ducati 999s, while a generous smattering of four-cylinder machines are used by a diverse group of privateers and wildcards alike.

HONDA DREAM: Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR), his Ten Kate Team and the CBR1000RR Honda are all Superbike class rookies in 2004, but the 22-year-old rider has shown no fear of his current rivals. Once more he beat most of them to take a top three finish, only 0.171 seconds from Haga’s time.

MCCOY RESURGENT: One of six riders with an SBK race victory to his name in this most competitive of seasons, Garry McCoy (Ducati Scuderia Caracchi 999RS) has suffered a drought in results for some time. His knowledge of the Imola circuit helped him on day one, as he secured the fourth place starting spot. Fast tracks suit McCoy’s dramatic riding style and Imola is one of the quicker ones on the SBK calendar.

HOME TOWN HERO: Marco Borciani (DFX Ducati 999RS) secured fifth place, making it a happy homecoming for the DFX Ducati squad. The 28-year-old rider is clearly enjoying his latest visit to Emilia Romagna, and will be looking for his first SBK podium on Sunday.

FACTORY PAIRING: James Toseland (Ducati Fila 999F04) found Imola a tough nut to crack after a single day, but at least had the consolation of outpacing one of his main championship rivals, his own team-mate Regis Laconi. The Englishman and Frenchman have to contend with Haga and Vermeulen in the championship fight, but for the time being at least, each has to concentrate on his own performance, to find a competitive race set-up.

SEVEN TO EIGHT: Pierfrancesco Chili, famous wearer of the number seven, went eighth fastest at Imola, despite a morning crash on his 998RS, fitted with a 999 style engine. Fifth overall in the championship, Chili is desperate to get on the podium at least in front of his local crowd. Another local rider, Lucio Pedercini (Pedercini Ducati 999RS) went ninth fastest in the official afternoon session, having set the fastest time of the early session.

RAMBO ON THE RAMPAGE: Former GP and Superbike star, and current Italian Championship entry, Doriano Romboni (Giesse Racing Team Yamaha R1) was a welcome returnee to SBK for the weekend, and fitted in neatly to the last spot on offer in the top ten. He was thus the best wild card rider on show.

TRIPLE TREATS: The flat out sections on the dramatic Imola course were always likely to scupper any pole position ambitions of the Foggy Petronas duo, Chris Walker (Foggy Petronas FP-1) Troy Corser (Foggy Petronas FP-1). The 900cc triple gives away 100cc to its rivals, and it was a factor in Walker finishing his day 19th fastest, with Corser just behind. Walker survived a big morning highside crash, with nothing more than a severe bruising.

SUPERSPORT: Championship favourite Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) put in another slick first day performance to take provisional pole position, running 0.408 seconds clear of second fastest man Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany R6). Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) had an excellent opening day to go third, while the provisional front row was completed by Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR). Muggeridge’s only championship challenger Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha Italia R6) rallied from what was originally diagnosed as acute appendicitis on the night before qualifying, making it to the grid on time after his symptoms quickly receded. He qualified an impressive fifth, with the first Suzuki on the grid, that of Katsuaki Fujiwara, in sixth.

SUPERSTOCK: Gianluca Vizziello played no part in the first qualifying session at Imola, the championship leader having broken his wrist on Thursday. This leaves his closest championship challenger, Team Italia team-mate Lorenzo Alfonsi, only 14 points to make up to become champion. He started his efforts in fine style, finishing second fastest in a drenched Superstock session, behind Alessandro Polita (Rox Ducati).


More, from a press release issued by Ten Kate Honda:

Muggeridge and Parkes on Provisional Front Row

Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) and Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) enjoyed their first day of action at Imola, taking provisional pole and third quickest times respectively.

Muggeridge was close to breaking into the 1:52s mark, missing out by only 0.059 seconds with his last lap of the 45-minute session. Muggeridge, who could wrap up the championship at this race, was on the pace from the outset, despite the track taking some time to ‘bed-in’.

Parkes, a first time Supersport rider at Imola, more used to running a Superbike around the 4.933km circuit and had to make some adjustments to get into the Supersport frame of mind. His successful adaptation was reflected by a strong 1:53.593 lap, good enough for third fastest on the timesheets.

Said Muggeridge of his opening gambit, “We’re doing pretty good so far and everything with the bike is fine. There isn’t as much grip as there should be or the lap time would be even better. We’ve just worked hard from the start to get to the maximum as quickly as we could. It’s impossible to gear the bike for every corner here so we have to make compromises in the set up, to maintain the balance between the fast corners and the slower ones.”

Parkes rated day one at Imola as one of the best opening sessions of the year so far, “I was happy with that session, we got a lot of things worked out and to be on the provisional front row is exactly where we need to be. I’m not used to riding a Supersport bike here, I never got the chance last year, so I had to change all my usual braking markers and so on. The bike is working well and there is still more to come.”

Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate acknowledged that it was a very positive start to the weekend. “With both riders on the front row it was a very first day for us. Karl made his usual quick lap times from the start and was on the ball right away. There is still some work to do on the bike so I hope it will be dry tomorrow. The bikes have been fitted with the latest Arrow exhaust system and that has been working very well for us.”

Supersport Race 9 Imola,
Italië/ Resultaten Eerste Kwalificatie
1. K. Muggeridge, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR, 1’53.059
2. K. Curtain, AUS, Yamaha YZF R6, 1’53.67
3. B. Parkes, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR, 1’53.593
4. S. Charpentier, FRA, Honda CBR600RR, 1’53.688
5. J. Vd. Goorbergh, NED, Yamaha YZF R6 1’54.011
6. K. Fujiwara, JPN, Suzuki GSX-R 600, 1’54.358
7. L. Lanzi, ITA, Ducati 749 R, 1’54.400
8. F. Foret, Yamaha YZF R6, 1’54.542
9. M. Fabrizio, ITA, Honda CBR600RR, 1’54.822
10. M. Baiocco, ITA, Yamaha YZF R6, 154.883


Vermeulen Third Fastest On Imola Superbike Debut

Reigning World Supersport Champion Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) is no stranger to the undulations and curves of the classic Imola circuit, but in the first season of his World Superbike career, adapting his 1000c machine to suit the circuit’s contrasting nature could have proved difficult. Working hard to find a good set-up conjunction with his Ten Kate team Vermeulen found not only positive settings for race conditions, but also rode to the third fastest lap of the day with a 1:51.140.

Vermeulen affirmed that all the hard work was worth it after finishing inside the top three. “The bike felt good this morning and I was quite comfortable but the lap time was slow, just like everyone else. So we made some changes for the afternoon session but they didn’t turn out the way we wanted them too. We didn’t go backwards but we didn’t go forwards. I changed a lot in the tyre choice and suspension and we made a big step forward. I put a qualifier on and went out but the rain started, just a couple of spits, so I opted to pull in and not use it. The bike felt good on the race tyre and now with the rain we will have to see how it turns out tomorrow.”

Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate, was justifiably satisfied with his team’s best efforts. “The team had to work really hard throughout the sessions, altering suspension settings, changing shocks and they were really flat out for and hour. Chris did really well, especially as we are always starting from a little behind. We didn’t get to use the qualifying tyre but Chris did use the new 2005 version WP rear shock for the first time. It gives more feel and feedback for the rider, plus a wider range of adjustment, and seems to be working very well.”

Final qualifying and Superpole take place on Saturday 25th September.

WK Superbike Imola,
Italie 24 – 26 September 2004, Eerste Kwalificatie
1. N. Haga, JPN, Ducati 999 RS, 1’50.969
2. S. Martin, AUS, Ducati 999 RS, 1’52.118
3. C. Vermeulen, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR, 1’51.140
4. G. Mccoy, AUS, Ducati 999 RS, 1’51.147
5. M. Borciani, ITA, Ducati 999 RS, 1’51.308
6. J. Toseland, GBR, Ducati 999 F04, 1’51.325
7. R. Laconi, FRA, Ducati 999 F04, 1’51.393
8. P. Chili, ITA, Ducati 998 RS, 1’51.549
9. L. Pedercini, ITA, Ducati 998 RS, 1’51.718
10. D.Romboni, ITA, Yamaha YZF R1, 1’52.294



MOre, from a press release issued by Yamaha Italia:

Yamaha Racing
Yamaha Italia World Supersport Team
Date: Friday, 24 September 2004
Circuit: Imola, m. 4.933
Friday Qualifying
Weather: overcast Temperature: air 28° C track 41° C
Crowd: 5.000

JURGEN DEFIES PAIN TO TAKE FIFTH
Yamaha Racing Italia rider Jurgen van den Goorbergh defied the pain barrier to finish the first day of qualifying with the fifth quickest. The Dutchman was lucky to be riding because he spent yesterday in hospital! Originally it was thought that Jurgen was suffering from appendicitis, but it looks like the cause of the problem may be a kidney stone. This morning he had to have an intravenous drip, but still managed to put in some laps in the untimed session. This afternoon, in first timed qualifying, Jurgen just missed out on a front row grid place after encountering slower riders on his fast lap. Fabien Foret also had to fight the pain (from his recently broken right foot), but he too posted a good time – finishing with the eighth fastest lap. Once again, Aussie Andrew Pitt is riding for the team. Despite it being only his second outing on the R6 Yamaha, he managed to set the thirteenth quickest time of the day.

JURGEN VD GOORBERGH 5th, 1’54.011
I feel very happy and also very lucky to just be on the bike today. Yesterday I was bicycling around the track when I suddenly began to suffer a lot of pain in my stomach. I ended up in the local hospital, where I had some tests because they thought I might have a problem with my appendix. Fortunately that was OK, but maybe it is a kidney stone problem instead. This morning, I couldn’t go on the track at the start of practice because we were still waiting for the results of the test. When they arrived and I was given the go-ahead, I went out. This afternoon I was on course for a front row grid place, but some slow riders got in my way on my fast lap and I lost three or four tenths of a second. My bike set-up was pretty good today, but we can do a bit more fine-tuning and improve it tomorrow for sure.

FABIEN FORET – 8th, 1’54.542
I can certainly feel the pain in my right foot around here because the track is so bumpy. Assen was easier, because it is a much smoother surface, but Imola really gives my broken bones a hammering and it’s difficult to ride like this. Also, we didn’t have the right gearbox for my style today, so that made my work even harder. Tomorrow we’ll change the gearbox and I hope to be able to ride quite a bit faster.

ANDREW PITT – 13th, 1’55.104
I have fond memories of Imola because it was here that I won the Supersport World title in 2001. My first race on the R6 Yamaha was at Assen and that was an a excellent result for me and one that I’d like to repeat here. It’s very important to be able to change direction quickly here (because of the chicanes), but my bike hasn’t got the right set-up yet, so I’ve struggled a little. We’ll make some changes for tomorrow and I’m sure that I will be a lot further up the grid. Former European Champion Matteo Baiocco took advantage of his home circuit knowledge and put his Lorenzini by Leoni R6 Yamaha in the top ten at the end of the first day’s qualifying at Imola. The twenty year old Italian was fast throughout the day and is looking for an even faster lap time tomorrow.



More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

TOSELAND & LACONI SIXTH AND SEVENTH FOR DUCATI FILA IN TIGHT OPENING QUALIFYING SESSION AT IMOLA

Imola (Italy), 24 September 2004: Ducati Fila riders James Toseland and Regis Laconi were sixth and seventh quickest in today’s World Superbike opening qualifying session at Imola. Fellow title-chaser Noriyuki Haga set the pace for Renegade Ducati ahead of Steve Martin (Ducati DFX) and Chris Vermeulen (Honda), but both Toseland and Laconi were within four-tenths of a second of the provisional pole sitter’s time.

23-year-old Toseland was brimming with confidence after continuing with exactly the same set-up used on his 999 at Assen. “It was a good day” he declared. “I messed up on my first lap with a qualifier which put me in sixth but then I went for it on the second lap and the tyre was struggling a bit so I didn’t improve. We’re confident however, we’ve done some really good race times and the bike feels comfortable.

“We’re going to make some small changes for tomorrow but it’s just to try a few things out, because we’ve been consistently quick all day on race tyres It was the same as Assen really, a good start to Friday morning and we didn’t change the set-up one bit.”

Team-mate Laconi was also pleased with his first day performance despite complaining of traffic during his quick laps. “The problem was a lot of traffic around the track and all the session I did maybe 2 or 3 clear laps” he commented.

“When I put a qualifying tyre on, at the first chicane there was a slower rider and in the end I was faster with the race tyre than the qualifier, and that’s not normal. We worked very well with the team to find a good setting, changing the bike quite a lot but we made good improvement and now we just have to see how things go tomorrow”.

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

SCHWANTZ TO DEBUT NEW SUZUKI AT RENO AMA SUPERMOTO

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Sept. 24, 2004) — Former 500cc Grand Prix World Champion road racer Kevin Schwantz will ride Suzuki’s new RM-Z450 in its American racing debut at the Reno round of the AMA Supermoto Championship on Saturday, Oct. 2. This will mark Schwantz’s first AMA Supermoto race of the season.

Suzuki is introducing its highly anticipated RM-Z450 four-stroke motocross racer for the 2005 season and Schwantz will give U.S. fans a preview of the new machine in its supermoto guise.

“It’s going to be fun to debut the new RM-Z here in America,” Schwantz said. “It should make a great supermoto bike.”

Schwantz recently made his return to road racing by competing in the prestigious Bol d’Or 24 Hour Endurance race. One of Schwantz’s teammates crashed the team’s bike in the second hour and they later retired, but not before the 40-year-old Schwantz managed to show he still has plenty of skills by riding the bike from 18th to fifth place during his stint.

“Riding the Bol d’Or was good preparation coming into the Reno Supermoto race,” explained Schwantz. “I’ve been riding my motocross bike and putting in miles on my bicycle to get ready as well.”

Schwantz said he would get his first taste of the RM-Z450 Supermoto bike next week.

“I’m going to California the last week of this month to do some testing with the bike,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll build up some major calluses on my hands before it’s all said and done.”

While Schwantz will debut the new Suzuki, he isn’t the only rider hoping to get his hands on the RM-Z450 in AMA Supermoto competition. Former AMA Motocross and X-Games champ Travis Pastrana said he’s hopeful his Cernic’s Racing Suzuki squad will have the new bike by the end of the season. Pastrana made a successful AMA Supermoto debut earlier this month in Nashville, Tenn., riding a highly-modified Suzuki DR-Z400-based machine.

Suzuki will field its new bike alongside Honda, Yamaha, KTM and Husqvarna supermoto machines presently in the series.

The race is free to the public. A $10 paddock pass can be purchased and will allow fans to meet the riders and see the trick supermoto bikes up close. The race will be taped and later nationally televised on OLN.

For additional information on the Reno event visit www.amasupermoto.com or contact (303) 377-3278.


More, from another press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

AMA Supermoto Takes to Reno Streets

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Sept. 24, 2004) — In what may be the most unique course design yet in the emerging AMA Supermoto Championship, riders will weave their way through the downtown city streets of Reno just a short distance from the glitz and glamour of the city’s trademark casinos. The race is round four of the seven-round championship series.

Fans at the October 2nd event will witness some of the top motorcycle racers in the nation battling it out in an urban-style track that features a mixture of high-speed straights and tight, technical sections made up of both dirt and pavement.

“The Reno course is probably the best example yet of our vision for AMA Supermoto,” said AMA Pro Racing Supermoto Series Manager, Chris Bradley. “One of our original business objectives for this series was to bring the racing to downtown settings and this race, similar to those we’ve held in Columbus, Ohio and Dallas, Texas probably comes closest to that model.”

The 15-turn, .85-mile course is located just south of Harrah’s Reno, the Silver Legacy Resort and Casino, the El Dorado Hotel and Casino, and Circus Circus, four prominent Reno casinos. The course will cross over the Truckee River twice and riders will approach speeds of nearly 100 miles per hour on the course’s two long straight-aways. Additionally, the course features a dirt section where riders will tackle motocross-type jumps and obstacles as well as a flat track-inspired turn where deft throttle control will be required to keep from sliding out or losing ground to the competition.

The series’ signature metal ramps, the Parts Unlimited UrbanCross section, will also be featured and will launch riders high into the sky.

The riders in each class that can best navigate the tricky and diverse layout will be the ones who emerge as the winners. Two classes make up the championship: AMA Supermoto for motorcycles up to 450cc and AMA Supermoto Unlimited for motorcycles over 490cc.

The race is open free to the public. A $10 paddock pass can be purchased and will allow fans to meet the riders and see the trick supermoto bikes up close. The race will be taped and later nationally televised on OLN.

For additional information visit www.amasupermoto.com or call (303) 377-3278.

From a press release issued by Ducati North America:

DUCATI PARTNERS WITH LOCAL MH900EVOLUZIONE OWNERS CLUB AND DOC WONG TO PRESENT LA DUCATI DAY 2004

Motivated Ducati owners in the San Francisco Bay Area and Ducati North America help organize a full day of biker activities in La Honda, California to support the La Honda Fire Department

MH900evoluzione Owners Club, Ducati North America. BevelHeaven.com and Doc Wong will host La Ducati Day 2004 on October 10th, 2004 in La Honda, California.

The activities include Ducati Garage Challenges, auctions, raffles, Concourso Ducati, technical seminars, food, music and other fun events!

LDD2004 takes place in La Honda, California situated in the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains California, now renamed “La Ducati”. This area is home to some of the most beautiful motorcycling roads in California.

Admission to La Ducati Day 2004 is FREE. Arrive with your Ducati and enjoy the day with fellow Ducatisti.

Some of the events listed below have a modest entry fee, of which 100% goes to the La Honda Fire Brigade.

· ·Motorcycle Parking
Free parking area will be staffed by volunteers to assure proper parking etiquette is followed.

· ·Helmet Check/Welcome Area
Attendees can check their riding gear for free. This area will be staffed by Club volunteers at all times during the event. Attendees will be advised this area will close 30 minutes prior to end of event.

· ·Sportbike Suspension Setup Clinic
Jim Lindemann and Gary Jaehne will measure and tune your motorcycles suspension to match your weight/riding style, all for a $30.00 donation to the La Honda Fire Brigade.

· ·Raffles
Attendees can purchase raffle tickets to win very cool prizes that will be raffled off during the event.

· ·Auction Area
Charity auction to raise money for the La Honda Fire Brigade.

· ·Ducati Clubs Area
Participating Ducati Clubs and groups will be able to display in this area. No fee for Ducati Clubs to participate, but must provide club volunteers to work the Helmet Check/Welcome area, Parking Area and other duties for the event.

· ·Concorso Ducati Area
Ducati Concours d’Elegance brought to you by BevelHeaven.com – $10.00 entry fee for participants, general admission is free.

· ·Swap Meet Area
Attendees who register will be allowed to display and sell, barter or trade their Ducati related items in this area. A $15.00 fee will be charged to display. If you would like to register to display, please contact Hans Mellberg.

· ·Tech University
Classroom style seating area for technical discussions/sessions on riding, maintenance, etc. Free attendance.
· ·Vendor Area
Retail vendor display area, where manufacturers and dealers will have the latest Ducati parts and accessories available to browse and purchase.

· ·Ducati Garage Challenge Area
Ducati Garage Challenges: Ducati Music events. A $5.00 fee will be charged for each Ducati Challenge entered.

· ·Ducati Monster Display
Of all current Ducati models, the Monster has to be the most modified, customized bike in the company lineup. To celebrate this creativity and diversity, all Monster owners are invited to display their modified Monsters in this special area.

From a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda:

A NEW TRACK

GP OF QATAR – PREVIEW

The first ever Middle Eastern Motorcycle Race will be held on the Losail International of Qatar on October 2nd .

Built in record time, the circuit was inaugurated on July 9th of this year. During the twelve months necessary for the realization of the structure, between 800 to 1000 people where busy making this project happen. The cost of the facilities was about 52 million dollars. The structure is in fact of a first class making as are the security measures. Both on the inside and outside of the track there are three meters of artificial grass, both for the visual impact as much as for helping keep the track clean from the dust.

The track is 5400 meters long and 14 meters wide. The straightaway is 1060 meters, 20 meters longer than the Catalonian track, and it is to date the second longest straight in the GP Championship.

The track is very particular: it is a mixed circuit with semi quick corners, nice braking points and different areas where overtaking is possible. There are a total of 16 corners, the last of which is surely the most interesting; this is the typical track where the race can be decided at the last corner.

The tarmac used for the paving of the track has been especially studied to resist very high temperatures.

Situated 10 km from the capital, Doha, the track is found in a desert region. The sand that surrounds the track, according to the organizers, should not disturb the riders as they say there should not be wind able to carry it onto the track.

The main incognitos are how much grip will be available as it is a new track, the high temperatures (even if it is a dry type of heat) and the wind which might deposit sand onto the track.

THE COMMENT OF THE RIDERS

SETE GIBERNAU: “It is a track that we all know only by design. It is in fact new and none of us, except Randy Mamola, has ridden on it. There are many corners similar to those on some of the European tracks but it still remains a mystery until we will be able to ride during the first free session and understand the real situation. The high temperatures will definitely be a problem for the tyres and the engine but our biggest worry is the sand being brought onto the track.

“Concerning the Championship, after the Japanese GP the gap with Valentino is increased but I don’t give up, I will continue fighting. We are going through a difficult moment, maybe the most difficult of the season but we are not lost, we know the cause of the problems we had in the past two races and we will work to return competitive”.

COLIN EDWARDS: “Despite the unlucky race at Motegi I arrive confident in Qatar because at Motegi I found a very good setting and thanks to the new chassis I have a very good feeling with the bike. Qatar is a completely new track, no one has data so we are arrive all fresh, we all start from zero, it’s a good occasion that we can use positively”.


More, from a reader:

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

You might want to give folks the link to the Qatar GP website, they did a good job on it, that’s for sure.

http://www.qatargp.net/

Mike Hughes
Rockford, Illinois

Copyright 2005, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

A few other points:

1. There were a number of interesting points raised in the discussion of potential errors related to the measurement of the elapsed time through a speed trap via airplane. I believe one of the most critical factors is the reaction time of the person taking the measurement. Most people at a dragstrip will rarely be under 1/2 a second from the time the light goes from yellow to green until they start, and probably higher. Those who do it professionally get accustomed to the time interval between the ‘christmas tree lights’ and can be under 1/3 second reaction time, but this comes with significant practice. Anticipating when a person will past a line running at over 150 mph can easily be off one side or another, either being early or late, which affect the total time.

2. If, indeed, the rider was accelerating, then assuming the timing was accurate, the rider was probably initially going 150 mph at the start of the quarter mile, and 250 mph at the end of the quarter mile in order to average 205 mph for the 1/4 mile. Therefore the ticket should have been for 250 mph (his highest rate of speed at the end of the quarter mile) not 205 mph.

3. However, the riders absolute speed is closer to 35,000 mph, when you factor in the speed of the earth’s rotation, the speed of the earth’s orbit around the sun, the speed of the solar system around our galaxy, and the speed of the milky way galaxy moving through space. Remember that it is all relative to your own viewpoint and speed. Thus, if two bikes are both going 60 mph in the same direction next to each other, it appears that both are either not moving at all, or moving at the same speed to each other, when in reality they are moving 60 mph to a stationary observer.

4. One final point to ponder:
You need to factor in the speed of light, which is approximately 186,000 miles per second. So, the instant the rider crosses either the start or finish line, there is some delay until the light reaches the pilot. So, when the pilot actuals ‘sees’ the rider cross the line, a few micro or nano seconds have elapsed, and the rider is actually passed the line when the observer ‘sees’ it, assuming instantaneous reaction time of the pilot.

I wonder what kind of tires he was using, and whether they were rated for the supposed speed he was running.. I guess RC51s are a lot faster than we thought.

Fred Ege
Chicago, Illinois



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

In all actuality, everyone is still missing the big picture… Regardless of parallax or human/State Trooper error, all of this attention is making this alleged 205-mph, modified (or not) Honda RC51 riding fool into a national folk hero–which he is not!

Officer Michael Oakvik #91
Brooklyn Park Police Department
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
2003 Honda CBR954RR



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

All these PhD’s and they still don’t have it right. The guy was actually doing more like 225 mph but all the donut sugar on the stopwatch made the button stick so the time was actually faster than reported.

Gordon Lunde
Milwaukee, Wisconsin



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I completely agree with the reader who said that anything over 160 mph on public roads is ridiculous. However, this shouldn’t stop us from questioning the accuracy of the speed reading. The reason we should be concerned about this is a PR issue for motorcyclists. The difference between a 3-figure speed starting with a “1” and one that starts with a “2” is dramatic in the minds of the non-motorcycling public. I’d bet that a speed that’s 6% lower (199 mph) would have resulted in far more than 6% fewer articles in mainstream media. In fact, I reckon that a ticket for 199 mph would have resulted in at least 25% fewer articles.

Unfortunately the damage is done and even if it turns out that the guy was doing less than 200 it won’t alter the perceptions of non-motorcyclists who dismiss us all as hooligans.

Neil Smith
San Francisco, California



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Not missing the point:

Jesse Johnson makes a good point that the rider was going too fast whether he was going 160 mph or 205 mph. I certainly wouldn’t disagree with that but the point is that this was made into a huge issue because it’s alleged that he was going 205 mph. If he had been clocked at 160 or so mph, that would not have been that extraordinary. At best it would have made page 4 of the local paper and maybe a personal website. Parallax, Plavix or whatever, the real issue is that the likelihood of an RC51 with mods reaching any speed to warrant the media attention (and negative perception of the non-riding public) that it has is clearly suspect. I for one think that efforts to dispute the validity of the timing is in the interests of anyone who throws a leg over as I fear it won’t be long before some lawmaker tries to build his or her political career around suspect information.

Adrian Chapman
Not a Ph.D. but certainly a rider.
Atlanta, Georgia



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

1st: If that RC will do 205 mph I will buy it. I’ll pay the kid’s fine and ship the bike out here to Oregon to race it. Of course, I’m sure I’m not alone in that sentiment and the bidding will probably drive it out of my price range.

2nd: A great deal of noise has been made about possible “human error” or inaccuracies caused by the physics of observation. A few have rightfully pointed out the seeming irrelevance of the exact speed figure based on the “well, he sure as heck was going too fast anyway” argument. I personally feel both miss the silent and more critical point. The officer’s observations are valued based on his impartiality, his experience and his training. All these factors will determine whether his testimony of his observations can be trusted on any level. If the officer has a sworn statement that the kid flew the 1/4 mile 8 inches off the ground, would we waste the breath on an argument that it may have actually been 6 inches off the ground? Would we condemn the kid for the stupidity of flying in a flight restricted zone? Or more likely, would we come to the conclusion that the observation is suspect of being flawed by observer bias. Clearly the officer thinks the bike can go 205 mph, or he would not have written the ticket. His belief prevents him from checking himself from holding whatever bias he has in his observations, and the kid gets a ticket for something he couldn’t have done. The subsequent stop revealed the lack of a motorcycle license, but would he have been stopped without the claim of having been doing 205 mph? The infractions developed from the eventual stop depend on the viability of the premise for the stop; they might just as well have called the bike in for illegal crop dusting.

I expect that this case will eventually be tossed, if not in the lower court then possibly on appeal. That is, unless daddy makes a deal with the judge, to settle on a more realistic charge, to teach Jr. some respect for the law and its repercussions.

No I don’t condone such behavior. Not from either party.

Bill Cismar
OMRRA #7
Vancouver, Washington



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Perhaps Dr. Gaudino should learn how the American court system works. In traffic court (where the ticket would be fought) reasonable doubt is not the standard for disproving the state – that is reserved for criminal cases. In traffic court the defendant must show a preponderance of evidence against the state. Of course it’s all up to the judge, but most traffic court judges could care less about reasonable doubt and will still uphold the ticket. All of Dr. Gaudino’s “human error” arguments would not qualify for a preponderance of evidence and is not a good defense.

Jeff Lind
Portland, Oregon



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

A couple of items on the story.

The cop in the plane said he was going about half the speed of the bike and the bike was pulling away from him. So it was accelerating away from him at roughly 100 mph.

I called a couple of the TV stations that aired the story (second item on the evening news). I asked them if they were interested in hearing from someone who races 1000cc bikes why it was very unlikely that this speed was correct. One just wanted to argue and hung up on me when I said “why let relevant facts and physics get in the way of a sensational story?” That was the CBS affiliate. The other asked if it was possible. i told him “yes, it’s possible, but extremely difficult to do under ideal conditions.” He jsut wanted to hear that it was possible. Told me he would call back. They didn’t. Hard to counter bad press when you can’t get a voice.

Basically it’s just a campaign against bikes by the highway patrol. The kid they stopped wasn’t arrested, just ticketed. The reason he wasn’t arrested (and I have never heard of anyone not getting arrested for that type of speed) was that there was a motorcycle run called the Flood Run. It goes up the river from Wisconsin to the Twin Cities. The organizers never say which side of the river to keep the cops guessing, so they wait on both sides of the river. The kid didn’t get arrested cause they didn’t want to lose the manpower when accosting the rest of the bikers.

Marc Chiodo
Minneapolis, Minnesota



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

No, I did NOT suggest that parallax would cause a 1 second timing error. That is a statement taken completely out of context. I showed how a half second or 1 second timing error could explain much more reasonable speeds. Then I suggest that parallax can contribute to that timing error.

Ok, I will admit from rereading my original post that I do suggest that Parallax is responsible. But closer inspection of my ENTIRE post will reveal that while I may have misspoken and pointed the focus of the post to parallax, that I spend as much time talking about other factors that could induce timing inaccuracies as I do talking about parallax. Why hasn’t anyone mentioned any of those other factors?

For this I apologize. I do see from the opening of my post that it would be possible to infer that I am suggesting that parallax is the only possible explanation. But its apparent that no one paid any attention to any of the other details I discuss that could have contributed to the error that caused the inaccuracy of the calculated speed.

I mention the effect perspective changes might have on the judging of when to time by suggesting that if the motorcycle were climbing or descending a hill it could also affect the ability to judge when to start or stop the stop watch, depending on the angle the motorcycle is being viewed from while it goes up or down that hill.

I also mention discrepancies in the speeds of the 2 vehicles, which would increase the distance between the plane and motorcycle due to the acceleration of the motorcycle away from the plane occurring at a rate “twice that of the plane” according to the officer interviewed. As the motorcycle accelerated away from the plane by a factor of 2 (according to the officer) the officer timing the event would be even more hard pressed to get the watch stopped at the precise moment. Thus adding more error.

All these could contribute to a timing error. An error that would arise from the officer trying to “get it just right” and maybe “anticipating the crossing of the line”. The real intent of the post was to show how all these factors could cause a significant error from the HUMAN stand point, and how ridiculous the 205 mph citation was. Which is not all that far removed from some of the responses you have been getting. And yes, I do realize that because of the way I started the post, that I’ve asked for the responses I’m getting. However, those same people should review the post in its entirety to see that there are a number of factors mentioned ALL of which could contribute to the error in timing. Just as Dr. Koch’s suggestion that a more likely

“explanation for the error (I don’t believe the guy was doing 205 mph either) is the pilot trying to “time” his reactions to the bike passing either or both markers.”

That’s all I was trying to point out. And once again instead of proving that parallax has NO contribution to the potential timing error, it was shown that it could contribute, albeit in a small way, along with the other factors I mention, to increased human error in the timing event.

I hope that this post will help clarify my original posting. Once again I apologize for sending out a post that was not written clearly enough to express my complete thought process.

Reginald J. Gaudino, Ph.D.
Oceanside, California



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Now that I know that it was an RC51 and not the CBR1000RR, which I think most of us made the mistake assuming it was (thanks to lack of information in the news article), I withdraw all my previous comments.

We all know for sure that an RC51 is the completely correct platform for turbocharging and nitrous oxide induction, and whose cases will routinely withstand 300hp. Therefore I concede that the speed measured by the police officer was indeed correct, and my arguments about timing inaccuracies introduced due to human error based on visual “guesswork” are all out in left field.

My sincere apologies.

(Yes, this is indeed sarcasm.)

Reggie Gaudino, Ph.D.
Oceanside, California



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I think Officer Michael Oakvik #91 is the one missing the big picture. I think many readers have been victimized by an officer of the law who for whatever reason puts down a speed on the ticket that is just plain wrong. I won’t go so far as to say these officers are intentionally misconstruing the truth, but I think they routinely record the speed to the high side in order to make sure the errant rider learns a lesson.

In some cases, when the violation occurs far from home, the rider simply pays the ticket, and deals with the associated insurance hassles. In other cases, the rider may actually have to appear in court at least once, and in at least one case I have specific information on, the arresting officer never showed up and the case was dismissed.

If these officers would simply do their job instead of trying to teach us all a lesson and sensationalizing this in the first place, with tickets written for 205 mph for example, this folk-hero business could be avoided as well.

Bob Setbacken
Santa Barbara, California

If the involved cop hadn’t gone grandstanding in the media, there would be no discussion of the kid wrongly becoming a folk hero, because he wouldn’t have been all over the evening news…Editor.



FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I haven’t read all the BS on this, but let me help in the headline department:

“Man Clocked Doing 205 Mph on RC51 While Migratory Swine Fly South For The Winter!”

Tony D’Augusta
WSMC #99
San Diego, California

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Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

As you may already know, West Palm Beach is in the “bullseye” for a direct hit from hurricane Jeanne (a category 3 storm) on Saturday and Sunday.

CCS/Florida has a race scheduled for Moroso Motorsports Park next weekend (10/2-3).

I have just spoke to management there and they tell me the event will be in jeopardy if they lose power again. That, because the pumps that keep the water table down in the park, would then be out. The area is already flooded around the facility from Hurricane Francis two weeks ago. And if the pumps are out, the park will almost certainly flood!

Please tell all concerned to stay tuned. We will see where we stand after the storm moves through. I will try to communicate from my home but when the power goes, so do the phones. And cel phones also are not reliable. My home has already been heavily damaged but I’m going to stick it out. God help us all!

Henry DeGouw
CCS/Florida
Loxahatchee, Florida

From a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

SUZUKI OPTIMISTIC FOR IMOLA RACE

Katsuaki Fujiwara and Stephane Chambon have finished first and second at Imola in the past two years and are hoping for a turn of their 2004 season luck at this weekend’s ninth and penultimate World Supersport Championship round.

Fujiwara, currently ninth in the championship, has won and Chambon has finished second on two occasions, so Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra are determined to finish the season on a high note.

The 4.933 kilometre track is a one of the fastest in the calendar, despite speed-slowing chicanes, and is a favourite amongst riders and fans alike.

Katsuaki Fujiwara:

“I always like riding at Imola but I think I would prefer it without the chicanes! I have had two wins – in 2002 and 2003 – and I would like to think I could get a podium this year, but it will not be so easy. It has been a difficult season for me because I expected so much more. I really thought I would be a championship contender before the season started, but it has not turned out that way. We have all worked so hard but the results just have not come our way. I hope we can end the last two races with some good results.”

Stephane Chambon:

“I have had two seconds and one fourth in the last three years, so Imola has been a good circuit for me. This year is not going to be easy but I would like to think we can get something out of it and then also do well in the last round at Magny Cours, my home race! Like Kats, I expected much more this year but it has been a bit disappointing at times and I do not think we have showed our true potential. Sometimes racing is like that, but I want to end the season on a positive note and I will be trying my hardest as usual.”

Vittorio Iannuzzo:

“If Kats and Stef are disappointed, then I am even more so. I have had too many crashes this year and sometimes I have not known why! Unfortunately I cannot really explain what has happened many times and that has been a big disappointment and has also affected my confidence. Imola is a home race for me, so I want to do really well in front of my fans. Last year I was not on a Supersport bike so once again I will be learning in the first practice. I have got just two chances left of getting a good result this season and I hope I can get a good finish at Imola.”