From a press release issued by Camel Honda Pons:

MotoGP restarts after summer break. Max, Makoto and the Camel Honda team ready for Brno GP

With nearly a month having passed since the British GP, the last race before the recent summer rest period, the world championships has been able to take a breath before setting out on the second, frenetic half of the season. Seven races across four continents, beginning with this weekend’s Czech GP, will decide the outcome of one of the most exciting MotoGP seasons ever to take place over the next ten weeks. Max Biaggi makes his way to Brno after having undergone a rollercoaster of emotions over recent races, which nonetheless have had a common denominator; his determination to fight to the end and to always look ahead, even when fortune has not been on his side. That’s also how Biaggi is looking at this Brno race, despite the technical problems at Donington he is calm and confident in his own and his team’s capabilities. In much the same way Tamada, who travels straight to the Czech Republic from his holidays back home in Japan, is preparing for the second half of the season looking to repeat the success of Rio at a track that he already performed well on last year.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“I think that this summer break has allowed everyone who works in the world championships, including riders and engineers, to enjoy a well-earned rest after a frankly intense and challenging period. It will allow us all to attack the second part of the season with renewed energy and enthusiasm. Brno is a track where Max has always got top results and which also works well for Makoto, who loves the fast circuits. I’m sure that after Donington, where a technical problem prevented us from showing our true potential, we can find our way back to victory, as we did in Brazil and Germany beforehand. Our team has everything it takes to take the title challenge to the very end.”

Max Biaggi #3: (Michelin Tyres)
“I have rested over the last few weeks, I got in some sunshine and did some sport whilst holidaying with friends. My thoughts have tracked back to the race, I admit it, just because what happened in Britain is still getting to me, how can that have happened? This season has already proved however that nothing is decided until the end, and it is with this spirit that I will take on the second part of the year. I’m delighted that we kick off again with Brno, because it is a track that I like without a doubt, but I will approach it as I do any other. In the end every track is great when you feel at one with your bike and every track can be a pitfall when you don’t think it will be. So, it’s good to go to Brno, but the job more importantly than ever is to work well with the team, with Honda and with Michelin to get ourselves into the best shape technically by Sunday so we can fight for victory.”

Luca Montiron – Camel Honda (Makoto Tamada Team Manager)
Makoto was in Japan during the summer vacation, and we hope he returns rested and refreshed so he can take on the second half of the season in perfect condition, as the rest of the team is ready to do. During the break, Bridgestone has continued its own work and we are hoping ultimately to reduce the gap to our rivals to firmly establish our position amongst the top riders. It is because of this work that we look forward to Brno with great anxiety and we are sure that the second part of the season will be fundamental for us.

Makoto Tamada #6: (Bridgestone Tyres)
“The Brno track is one of my favourites; the design and the track’s rhythm are very special. I really think I can go well there. During the summer break the tyre development will have moved on, and with the right choice to suit the climate in the Czech Republic we can feature prominently in this race.”


2003 Podium

1. V. Rossi (Honda)
2. S. Gibernau (Honda)
3. T. Bayliss (Ducati)


Pole Position Record
V. Rossi (Honda – 2003)
1:58.769


Official Record
V. Rossi (Honda – 2003)
1:59.966


No. of Laps
22 (118.866km)



MotoGP timetable:
14.00 (GMT + 2)
*European Summer Time




Characteristics
Length: 5,403 m
Width: 15m
Right corners: 8
Left corners: 6
Constructed in: 1987
Last Modified: 1996

From a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

MISSION RESUMES FOR TEAM SUZUKI
Team Suzuki Press Office – August 17, 2004.

MotoGP racing resumes at Brno next Sunday after a welcome three-week layoff and for Team Suzuki, it is back to business as usual – to continue to develop and refine the ever-improving GSV-R MotoGP prototype racer.

There will be three of the blue Suzukis on the grid; team regulars Kenny Roberts Jr. and John Hopkins joined by official test team rider Gregorio Lavilla, a wild card entry for the Czech Republic GP. All will be going for the best possible race results then staying on for two days of testing – all part of the long-term programme to bring the traditional racing factory back to winning races and challenging for the championship.

The first half of the season – actually nine of the 16 races – was an encouraging and motivating experience for the Suzuki riders and team. Changes wrought to the third version of the GSV-R V4 brought out the best in the powerful prototype and a new alliance with Bridgestone tyres also brought rapid progress.

It showed in ever-improving lap times and race results: 2000 World Champion Kenny Roberts qualified on pole at Rio, the seventh round, where he led away from the start, finishing seventh, his best so far. Kenny was on the front row again in Germany for the next race where he and team-mate John Hopkins claimed a double top-ten finish. Hopkins’s best race was the British GP, after early-season misfortunes, pushing through to a fighting eighth after starting only 16th fastest.

The biggest improvement has come in rideability of the machine compared with earlier versions; at the same time a revised engine with different firing intervals – and a more musical exhaust note – has brought further progress, along with a raft of detail changes throughout the machine.

The three-weekend summer break gave tired riders and race crews a chance to recoup, regroup and relax. Roberts and Hopkins both returned to the USA in the break with Hopkins putting in a week in Hawaii.

Back in Japan, the factory race department was hard at work, consolidating the lessons and improvements of the first half of the season, to come back stronger still for the second part.

Team Manager Garry Taylor sums up the team’s philosophy, and the reason for the spirit that has re-enthused the factory squad.

“Everybody at Suzuki knows that we are capable of winning the championship – the riders, the team and the factory engineers. We’ve made a lot of progress this year which has been highly motivating. But this is still very much work in progress. We’re not where we want to be and we’re all anxious to get back to the programme,” he said.

One target for the factory engineers is to increase horsepower, especially important for Brno where a steep uphill straight out of a slow corner leads to the final turns of the long and technically-complicated lap. The sharp climb puts a heavy emphasis on pure acceleration at a crucial point of the circuit leading to the finish line.

With testing banned, the race will be the first chance for riders and team to resume progress with their machines. “We will be assessing the latest ideas and developments over the weekend for the race, then in more detail at tests for two days after the race,” said Taylor.

“Our goal is to maintain our rate of improvement until we are challenging for the title again,” he concluded.

KENNY ROBERTS – BACK TO WORK:

“The break was good but I guess we’re ready to start racing again. Over the past races, we’d been qualifying better and getting the best out of this year’s bike. The changes made it much easier to ride at the limit. Now we need to take the next step, with more improvements. We’re all ready for it, as a team and as riders.”

JOHN HOPKINS – AIMING HIGH AS ALWAYS:

“I headed to the USA for the summer and after six days in Hawaii I’ve been cycling and training. Temperature-wise it’s like training for Qatar! It’s been over 100 degrees pretty much every day. I like Brno and there have been tons of improvement to the bike so I’ll aim for a top five, as always.”

ABOUT THIS RACE:

There has been motorcycle racing at Brno since long before the birth of the World Championship in 1949, but the first GP was only in 1965. The country was then Czechoslovakia, behind the Iron Curtain, and the venue was an 8.6-mile (13.9km) public-roads circuit on the outskirts of the city, famed for its precision engineering (Brno gave its name to the famous Bren gun of World War Two). That track was itself the third version of what had been an even longer road circuit.

The last time the premier-class GP bikes raced there was in 1977, though the smaller classes continued until 1982 before the dangerous track was dropped from the GP calendar. Local enthusiasts achieved backing from the communist regime to build a show-piece new purpose-built closed circuit, with a long lap and a challenging layout, first used in 1987. Soon afterwards, political turmoil saw the Iron Curtain collapse and the Czechoslovakian GP last ran in 1991.

In 1993, the race resumed with a new name to go with the new political freedoms – the Czech Republic GP – and pit buildings and paddock facilities were rebuilt to keep the track’s standards high.

The race attracts big crowds, packing the vast natural grandstands. They also come for the liberated atmosphere and cheap beer of the new country, making Brno a popular and important fixture on the calendar.

ABOUT THIS TRACK:

A long lap of 3.357 miles (5.403 km) and an average speed of more than 100mph are the key to Brno which has wide sweeping corners and only short straights. “Vertical corners” are an added complication, riders struggling with treacherous front-wheel grip as the corners drop away for the first half of the lap. Speeds are high and Brno rewards handling finesse and high corner speed more than raw horsepower, but for that final uphill straight. “You have the bike on its side for a real long time and one corner flows into the next. At the same time, there are places where you open the throttle wide and hold it there. It’s probably my favourite track,” said Kenny Roberts, who claimed his first front row qualifying position there in 1996, his first year riding a 500.

GP DATA:

Brno.
Circuit Length: 3.357 miles / 5.403 km.
Lap Record: 1:59.966 – 100.747 mph / 162.136 km/h. V Rossi (Honda), 2004.
2003 Race Winner: Rossi.
2003 Race Average: 44:18.907 – 1900.02 mph / 160.937 km/h.
2004 Fastest Race Lap: see lap record.
2004 Pole Position: Rossi (Honda) 1:58.769.
2004 KENNY ROBERTS: 20th, qualified 16th (Suzuki).
2004 JOHN HOPKINS: 17th, qualified 13th (Suzuki).

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Michael Jordan came to Jason Pridmore and offered to help him after hearing that Pridmore was out of money and couldn’t finish the 2004 AMA season.

Pridmore started the year as a rider for No Limit Motorsports, but the team said it was too expensive to race in Formula Xtreme and bailed out just prior to the AMA National at Barber Motorsports Park. That left Pridmore scrambling to race under the banner of his STAR school, but the program ran out of money and Pridmore planned to stop racing after the Mid-Ohio round.

Which is where Jordan came in, offering to help Pridmore, following a game of golf.

“I’m not sponsored by Michael Jordon Motorsports,” Pridmore told Roadracingworld.com Tuesday. “MJ just decided to help me. I’ve just become really good friends with MJ, and pretty much, I’ve been trying to keep it kind of quiet.

“Ohio was gonna be my last race of the year, because we were just out of money. As it turned out, when I was at Ohio, MJ asked me if we playing golf Monday, and I kind of hung out in Chicago for the better part of the month, because we had some schools in the area. I’ve gotten to be pretty good friends with him, played some golf, all those guys. MJ kind of caught wind at Ohio, when he heard I was in some trouble for the last couple rounds, and he offered to help me. It was really nice of him. He’s helping me as a personal friend and not as Michael Jordan Motorsports. He offered to help me out as a friend.”

As for a Michael Jordan Superbike program in 2005, Pridmore said, “Nothing’s even going along that road right now. He’s been helping me as a friend, I’m hanging out with these guys because they’re good friends, golfing and stuff, a lot of fun.”

Jordan is known to be interested in fielding an AMA Superbike program in 2005, but Pridmore said he hadn’t discussed that with Jordan.

See related post:

8/16/2004 Pridmore To Ride In Jordan Colors At Road Atlanta, VIR

From a press release issued by d’Antin Ducati:

MotoGP gets underway again in Brno

After a summer break, the world motorcycling championships get going once more this coming weekend with the annual visit to the Brno circuit. The track itself was constructed in the eighties to replace the old street circuit and became a pioneer for many modern tracks.

The d´Antin MotoGP riders are determined to getting amongst the top riders in this second part of the championship and tackle the Czech Republic Grand Prix with renewed enthusiasm, the first of seven remaining races this season.

Rubén Xaus is currently in eleventh place in the overall standings and is at the head of the rookies competition after some frankly stunning performances, whilst Neil Hodgson, currently sixteenth overall, could boast a smile over the holidays after he got his best result so far in his home British race. Both the Briton and the Spaniard are setting themselves new challenges every single time they take to their Ducati Desmosedici bikes on the track, but the characteristics of the Brno could allow them to rapidly get into the swing of things.

RUBÉN XAUS, who characteristically has had an action-packed rest period, confessed his desire to get back into action, “It was good to be able to disconnect a little over these days, although to be honest I can’t really just sit around and I’m keen to get into the next race. I know the Brno track a bit from my Thunderbikes days in 1996, although this just gives me a basic idea, however I remember liking the track: both the area and the complex… and the track of course. It’s a great track in every sense. I think it will be good for our bike and I intend to follow the same method of work we have used in every race, that is to say begin step by step, but giving one hundred percent to get a good result in the race.”

NEIL HODGSON took advantage from the break in competition to rest at his home on the Isle of Man, but is also keen to get back on board his Ducati at one of his favourite tracks, “I’ve really enjoyed these days off, forgetting about airports and such like, and in fact the rest has done my shoulder some good, which must have recovered another ten percent. I’m ready for the Brno race and I’m quite excited about it because it’s one of my favourite tracks, although I haven’t raced here since 1995. After tenth place in Donington I’m optimistic and I think that the results will show it as we make a constant progression towards the end of the season.”

From a press release issued by Advanced Motor Sports (AMS):

Ducati North America’s AMA Pro Thunder Champion 2002

Advanced Motor Sports Ducati is very sad to inform the Ducatisti Community that Kirk McCarthy has passed as a result of a racing incident in Queensland Australia this past weekend.

Kirk McCarthy is the fifth and final champion of the 2002 AMA Pro Thunder Series.

Kirk McCarthy was brought over to the United States by Advanced Motor Sports to participate in the 2002 AMA Pro Thunder Series. Kirk was to be an AMS guest rider for the Daytona opener, but his 11-second win over the competition resulted in him staying the entire season. Kirk dominated the Pro Thunder Series, winning four out of the five races, setting lap records at Daytona, Pikes Peak, Road America, and Brainerd International Raceway.

Those who had the pleasure of knowing Kirk, will understand the terrible loss we feel at this time.
Our sincerest thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Sincerely,

Jeff Nash



Kirk always had a winning attitude and the determination of a true champion. His beautiful smile and laughter always warmed everyone around him. My deepest sympathy goes to all his friends around the world and his family in Australia.

Sincerely,

Toni Nash


I feel fortunate to have known Kirk as a champion and most of all a friend. His charming character, thoughtfulness and great attitude affected all who had the pleasure of working closely with him. Kirk will be sadly missed by many of his friends around the world. My thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends.

Sincerely,

Brian Sharp


Kirk #306
We built the bike
You made it fast
You turned up a winner
The records will stand
No one can deny you are # 1
Ride on forever…

Sincerely,

Stuart Rust

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Daytona International Speedway (DIS), located in Daytona Beach, Florida, suffered no significant damage during the passing of Hurricane Charley over the weekend, according to a posting on the Speedway’s website.

In fact, DIS served as a staging point for power line crews and provided a generator to the City of Daytona Beach during the post-storm recovery effort.

The huge renovation project at DIS, which includes construction of a large-vehicle access tunnel under NASCAR Turn One and a complete rebuilding of the paddock area, suffered no damage and was not put behind schedule.

From a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda/Gresini Racing:

After the summer break, the MotoGP circus returns to rev its engines for the tenth race of the Championship. On August 22nd, the Brno track (Czech Republic) will host this well known and followed race. This is a race very much loved by the numerous spectators that every year attend this appointment.

Thanks to the Podium double at Donington Park, the Team Telefonica MoviStar Honda is leading the teams classification, whereas Sete Gibernau is back is second position of the riders championship and Colin Edwards moves up to fourth position.


THE TRACK

Fast and technical, Brno maintains the difficulty and fascination of a real circuit: a mixture of fast corners and windy bits which represent for both riders and bikes an excellent way to prove their worth. Many riders love this track because it is so challenging and fast. The main characteristic of this Czech circuit is the frequent altitude changes throughout the track: the circuit winds around the forest filled hills and consequently many corners and is often in descent. To take on these descending corners the riders know how is essential as well as having a perfect bike set up. We mustn’t forget the valuable technical contribution the Michelin engineers give us in fact of tyres. Very important is also power, because on this Brno circuit the MotoGP, often refraining from total freedom of power on other slower tracks, can finally pull out all the stops and use their powerful engines.


SETE’S CHASE FOR THE TITLE AT BRNO

After the podium scored at Donington Park and an important test session on the English track on Tuesday after the British GP, Sete Gibernau finished successfully the first 9 races of the championship.

For him a well deserved summer break: a week in Ibiza with his friends and a week in Switzerland with his personal trainer to train in preparation of the Czech GP.

Sete arrives at Brno ready to fight for the title: “We are going to fight for this World Championship” repeats the Spaniard who has always been convinced of that fact, even when two crashes put him to the test.

Sete Gibernau is back in second position in the championship, 22 points behind Valentino Rossi and he renovates his challenge for the title at Brno, one of his favourite track.

“Brno is a track I love a lot, one of my favourites of the Championship. This is thanks to both the position the track is situated in and the technical difficulties of it. It has good grip and very few holes.

The circuit characteristic: from the first corners to about three fourths the length of the track the circuit tends to be in descent, while for the last quarter the ascent is very pronounced with two chicanes, a very slow one and another very fast one which brings you to the straightaway. I always like racing in Brno.”


COLIN EDWARDS, READY TO STEP UP AGAIN AT BRNO

The American rider of the Team Telefonica MoviStar Honda is ready to face the second half of the season with a new determination.
After a difficult start of the championship, Colin Edwards – thanks to the job of his team and his chief mechanic Fabrizio Cecchini – has finally found the right balance of his RC211V and is ready to stay in front fighting for the win. Colin suffered a lot from chattering problems during the first eight races of the season and he couldn’t express his talent.

The Donington GP represented a real turning point: once the rear and front settings were fixed and found the correct weight distribution, the two times world SBK Champion demonstrated to be back after a successfully race weekend.
Ready for the demanding track of Brno, Colin Edwards arrives in Czech Republic after a period of relax spent in Texas with his family and his friends.

“I really like the track, it has a good character, I like the track in itself. The best section of the track is about halfway around the track you have a little stadium area, it’s difficult on a motorcycle but it’s good.
At Brno, Bike setting and the correct line are very important. It’s a nice flowing track but you have to use the correct line. I also like the atmosphere at Brno, it’s great, there are so many spectators”

From a press release issued by Ducati Motor Holding, S.p.A.:

DUCATI MOTOR HOLDING ANNOUNCES FIRST HALF 2004 RESULTS

– Across the board improvements with significant net debt reduction –

Bologna, Italy – Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. (NYSE: DMH, Borsa Italiana S.p.A: DMH), a leading manufacturer of high performance motorcycles, today announced first half 2004
financial results.

First half 2004 revenues were Euro 221.0 million, up 6.9% excluding forex effects, (or up 5.6% including forex effects) versus first half 2003. Revenues from motorcycles for the period increased 0.9% to Euro 175.4 million and represented 79.4% of revenues. Motorcycle-related products, including spare parts,
technical accessories and apparel, increased 21.3% to Euro 42.3 million over the comparable period in the previous year.

Gross margin was 35.9% versus 34.3% last year, thanks to product cost reduction and operational
efficiencies partly offset by negative forex effect. EBITDA was Euro 28.0 million, or 12.7% of revenues, up 16.4% excluding forex effects (or up 8.5% including forex effects), versus Euro 25.8 million, or 12.3% of revenues in first half 2003.

At EBT level, the result was a profit of Euro 3.5 million versus a loss of Euro 1.6 million in first half 2003 thanks to a Euro 2.2 million increase in EBITDA and a Euro 3.5 million one-off restructuring cost accrued in 2003.

The Company’s net debt at June 30, 2004 was Euro 100.4 million, down versus the Euro 112.2 million at the same date a year earlier and down versus Euro 117.2 million at December 31, 2003.

The company’s gearing ratio was 62% at June 30, 2004 versus 71% at the same date a year earlier and versus 74% at December 31, 2003.

In first half 2004 unofficial Ducati worldwide registrations, were up 2% versus last year, in a flat market, with the US up 33%, non-subsidiary countries up 6%, France up 5% and Italy up 3%, while the UK was down 4%, Germany down 13%, the Benelux Countries down 13% and Japan down 14%.

“In a difficult environment, where the two-wheeled market remains weak, Ducati continues to grow by focusing on its niche strategy”, said Federico Minoli, President and CEO of Ducati Motor Holding. “First half financial results showed significant improvements across the board, and in particular a reduction of our net debt position. Though, the second quarter was weaker than 2003, following the excellent results of the first quarter”.

“Our cost control and cash management efforts are bearing fruit and drove first half financial results, with return to profit and improvement of the Debt/Equity ratio”, said Enrico D’Onofrio, Chief Financial Officer of Ducati. “We will continue to pay particular attention to these issues for the rest of 2004, as we pave the way for the growth of sales expected in 2005”.

As for the second quarter, revenues were Euro 120,7 million, down 5.5% excluding forex effects,
(or down 5.7% including forex effects) over the same period in 2003, due to lower bike sales.
Gross margin was 35.8% of revenues, versus 32.6% in the same period a year ago, thanks to product costs and operational efficiencies. EBITDA was Euro 15.7 million, down 4.3% excluding forex (or
down 7.0% including forex effects), versus Euro 16.8 million of 2003, representing 13.0% of revenues in line with the same period year ago.

In the second quarter of 2004, earnings before tax were Euro 2.7 million versus Euro 4.6 million last year. The decrease was mainly due to lower EBITDA and higher financial charges. By the end of June 2004, the Company had re-purchased 1,260,096 shares, equivalent to Euro
1,840,351 or 0.79% of its stock capital.