Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Dunlop racers at the CCS/Formula USA event at Daytona International Speedway were warned of tire growth with the company’s new 195/70RX-17 slick rear tire, which may cause problems if tire-to-swingarm clearance is not big enough.

Notices posted everywhere in the Daytona paddock during the weekend read, in part:

“Attention: Dunlop Superstock Riders: Tire Growth At Speed Notification: Dunlop’s 2004 rear 17″ slick tire for 750cc and 1000cc machines is a 195/70R-17 KR108. This tire is much bigger in diameter than the original equipment tire on your motorcycle. It may foul on the front of the swingarm at speed if wheel adjustment is not correct. The inflated diameter of 195/70R-17 is 659mm (25.95″). Most OEM tires measure about 628-633mm (24.72 – 24.92″). In order to allow for tire growth at speed you must leave a minimum of 14mm of clearance between center of the tire and the inside front curve of the swingarm. Failure to do so may result in the tire contacting the swingarm while it is rotating. Contact between the tire and swingarm at speed will result in tire smoke which may in turn, cause you to be Red-Flagged by race officials. Tire/Swingarm contact will also cause tire to operate at higher temperatures adversely affecting tire performance. Spacers of 14mm thickness are available at the Dunlop Garage. Please pick one up on your first visit to the Dunlop Garage and use this spacer each time you position, or re-position your rear wheel.”

The unprecedented warning of potential clearance issues due to tire growth results from problems experienced by Dunlop’s sponsored AMA Superstock riders at a recent test at California Speedway, which does not have speeds as high as at Daytona. Teams at that test had to run longer wheelbases than they wanted to achieve adequate tire-to-swingarm clearance. One top rider’s crew chief at Daytona said the extra clearance required for the new Dunlop limited his gearing choices.

Michelin’s Jim Rhodes said growth at speed is not an issue with Michelin tires, and said they normally advise their riders to maintain at least 3mm-5mm of tire-to-swingarm clearance. “Our rear tires have virtually no growth,” said Rhodes.

Pirelli vendor Moose Kuykendall said a 17-inch rear Pirelli slick grows no more than 3 percent at 185 mph, which, according to calculations e-mailed in by various readers, may approach 13mm. We will consult with Pirelli’s Eddie Roberts when he arrives in Daytona and report back with a definitive answer for the brand.

Dunlop has also posted notices at Daytona advising Superstock riders to set the air pressure of the 195/70RX-17 at 38 psi. Michelin’s men said depending on which 17-inch slick being used, their recommended tire pressures range from 22 to 32 psi. Pirelli recommends 34 psi for its 17-inch slick on a 1000cc motorcycle.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

World Superbike
Valencia, Spain
Race One Results:

1. James Toseland, Ducati 999F04, 23 laps, 42:39.266
2. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, -4.698 seconds
3. Chris Walker, Foggy Petronas FP1, -22.109 seconds
4. Marco Borciani, Ducati 999RS, -33.304 seconds
5. Leon Haslam, Ducati 999RS, -42.286 seconds
6. Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati 998RS, -51.269 seconds
7. Garry McCoy, Ducati 999RS, -65.257 seconds
8. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -66.590
9. Horst Saiger, Yamaha YZF-R1, -1 lap
10. Jiri Mrkyvka, Ducati 998RS, -1 lap
11. Warwick Nowland, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
12. Chris Vermeulen, Honda CBR1000RR, -1 lap
13. Miguel Praia, Ducati 999RS, -1 lap
14. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-10R, -3 laps
15. Piergiorgio Bontempi, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -3 laps
16. Steve Martin, Ducati 999RS, -2 laps, DNF
17. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-10R, -17 laps, DNF
18. Noriyuki Haga, Ducati 999RS, -18 laps, DNF
19. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, -19 laps, DNF
20. Alessio Velini, Yamaha YZF-R1, -20 laps, DNF
21. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, -21 laps, DNF
22. Regis Laconi, Ducati 999F04, -23 laps, DNF

Fastest Lap of Race: Garry McCoy, 1:43.323


More, from a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

First podium finish for FPR with Walker’s third in season opener

Chris Walker made racing history today by achieving the first podium finish on the Petronas FP1, the first Malaysian superbike.

In his first race for Carl Fogarty’s Foggy PETRONAS Racing team, the popular British rider finished third in a nerve-jangling first race of the World Superbike season at Valencia, Spain.

Lying fourth with two laps remaining, Chris moved into the rostrum positions when the Ducati of Steve Martin blew an engine. With oil coming out of the Ducati, Chris guided his FP1 home to rapturous celebrations his team.

FPR team-mate Troy Corser had earlier crashed out on the third lap of the day’s opening race while trying to challenge for second, but escaped injury.

Chris said: “I can’t believe it. This is a reflection on the incredible job that PETRONAS and our FPR team have done in such a short space of time. I never imagined I would get this result on my first race on the FP1. My mechanics have been stars this weekend. Half-way through the race I thought there was a chance of a podium so I tried to stay with Frankie Chili. Then, when I saw smoke coming out of Martin’s Ducati, I knew that all I had to do was to bring the bike home. I am not usually the luckiest rider in the world so for once my luck was in.”

Carl said: “I was getting all nervous and tense – and then I realised we had only done five laps! I am so pleased for Petronas and everyone connected with this project. I hope people realise that this bike was just a piece of paper two years ago! I had said that our aim was to get on the rostrum. Now that we have done that, we want to be there all the time. But we know there is still a long way to go and a lot more to come from the engine. And I am so proud of Chris, because he is the man who made this happen by bringing the bike home in those conditions.”

The changeable weather at Valencia had caused drama on the Valencia grid even before the start of the race, with pre-race favourite Regis Laconi crashing on his out-lap. Then, with drops of rain falling, the teams had to make a swift choice of tyres. Chief engineer Steve Thompson opted to spread the risk, with Troy choosing full Pirelli wets in both the front and rear, while Chris opted for an intermediate rear tyre – the choice of the first three riders.

Laconi crashed on the opening lap but, with Chris already up into the top four from a qualifying position of 10th, Troy crashed while trying to overtake eventual race winner James Toseland on the outside. Then, with a drying line developing after a brief shower, Chris was able to stay on the pace of the leading group positioned behind leader James Toseland before seizing his opportunity of glory.

First race times: 1 Toseland (Ducati Fila); 2 Chili (PSG-1) +4.698; 3 Walker (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) +22.109; 4 Borciani (DFX) +53.304; 5 Haslam (Renegade Ducati) +1:02.286; 6 Nannelli (Team Pedercini) +1:11.269; 7 McCoy (Xerox Ducati) +1:25.257; 8 Fuertes (MIR Racing) +1:26.590; 9 Saiger (Lifehouse RT) one lap; 10 Mrkyvka (JM SBK) one lap; 11 Nowland (Zongshen) one lap; 12 Vermeulen (Ten Kate) one lap; 13 Praia (Xerox Ducati) one lap; 14 Sanchini (Kawasaki Bertocchi) three laps; 15 Bontempi (Zongshen) three laps

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

World Supersport
Valencia, Spain
Race Results:

1. Jurgen Vd Goorbergh, Yamaha YZF-R6, 23 laps
2. Fabien Foret, Yamaha YZF-R6, -4.898 seconds
3. Katsuaki Fujiwara, Suzuki GSX-R600, -16.104 seconds
4. Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati 749R, -17.964 seconds
5. Stephane Chambon, Suzuki GSX-R600, -20.404 seconds
6. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki GSX-R600, -21.935 seconds
7. Werner Daemen, Honda CBR600RR, -24.972 seconds
8. Karl Muggeridge, Honda CBR600RR, -25.232 seconds
9. Kevin Curtain, Yamaha YZF-R6, -44.486 seconds
10. Stefano Cruciani, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, -53.354 seconds
11. Matthieu Lagrive, Suzuki GSX-R600, -53.725 seconds
12. Arne Tode, Yamaha YZF-R6, -55.413 seconds
13. Matteo Baiocco, Yamaha YZF-R6, -60.023 seconds
14. Max Neukirchner, Honda CBR600RR, -73.366 seconds
15. Kai Borre Andersen, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, -74.907 seconds
16. Sebastien Le Grelle, Honda CBR600RR, -78.761 seconds
17. Javier Fores, Suzuki GSX-R600, -2 laps, mechanical
18. Victor Carrasco, Honda CBR600RR, -2 laps, mechanical
19. Christian Kellner, Yamaha YZF-R6, -10 laps, mechanical
20. Walter Tortoroglio, Suzuki GSX-R600, -11 laps, mechanical
21. Alessio Corradi, Honda CBR600RR, -13 laps, mechanical
22. Tobias Kirmeier, Honda CBR600RR, -19 laps, mechanical
23. Denis Sacchetti, Honda CBR600RR, -19 laps, mechanical
24. Giovanni Bussei, Ducati 749R, -20 laps, mechanical
25. Broc Parkes, Honda CBR600RR, -21 laps, crash
26. Craig Jones, Triumph Daytona 600, -23 laps, mechanical
27. Sebastien Charpentier, Honda CBR600RR, excluded


More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:

Yamaha Motor Italia team-mates Jurgen van den Goorbergh and Fabien Foret got their season off to the perfect start after finishing first and second in round one of the Supersport World Championship at Valencia today. The duo fought through the tense and hotly contested opening laps to pull away from the opposition and win by over 16 seconds at the end of the 23-lap race.



Starting in overcast and slightly damp conditions, both riders were involved in an eight-way battle for the lead in the opening laps. After starting on the front row of the graid, Foret was first to make his way to the front – the Frenchman taking the lead from Karl Muggeridge on lap six. Behind him, Dutchman Van den Goorbergh was working his way through the pack. Closing up on his French team-mate, Jurgen took a lead he would never lose as they headed down the straight for the 19th time. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Suzuki) finished a distant third to complete the podium.

The victory is the 34-year-old’s first world championship race win and takes both him and Yamaha to the head of the rider and manufacturer’s points standings respectively.

Yamaha Motor Germany team-mates Kevin Curtain and Christian Kellner both showed their speed in Valencia, but left Spain with little reward for their efforts. Both men qualified alongside Van den Goorbergh on the front row of the grid and a good start saw the Curtain mixing it with the leading pack in the opening stages. However, a wrong tyre choice saw the Australian slip backwards to ninth at the flag. Kellner meanwhile retired from a points scoring position on lap 13.


Jurgen leads Fabien

Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha Motor Italia) – first
“I’ve missed a lot of testing and hadn’t even been on a bike for three-and-a-half weeks after hurting my wrist pre-season – so this result is a real bonus for me. When I came here my goal was to finish on the podium – and I thought that was something of a high goal to set. We chose a good set-up and the correct tyre compound today. When I got into second I always felt that I could pass Fabien. He made a slight mistake coming out of the final corner and that let me make a clean pass as we went onto the straight.”

Fabien Foret (Yamaha Motor Italian) – second
“Second on my Yamaha debut is a brilliant result. I am still getting used to the R6 so my priority when I came here was to finish and get as good a result as possible. I did struggle a little bit as the race went on, but the good thing is that I know I will get faster as the season goes on and I get to know my bike better.”

Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) – ninth
“I said before the race that tyre selection could have a big say in the result and ultimately that’s how it was. We had the choice of three different rears and as the tyre I chose just didn’t work as well as the ones used by Jurgen and Fabien, which was basically the standard road bike coumpound. It’s a shame as we had worked so hard and had a perfect set-up. The race was certainly eventful. We had some rain on one side of the circuit and that caused Broc Parkes to crash in front of me and I just missed him. Later in the race someone’s engine blew up and got oil all over my visor, but I was just doing all I could to get to the finish with some points.”

Christian Kellner (Yamaha Motor Germany) – DNF
“Qualifying had gone well but I made a bad start and, like Kevin, I chose the wrong tyre. As the race went on the bike started losing power and I felt it was safer to pull in than go round slowly.”



More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

HONDA RACING INFORMATION

World Supersport Championship 2004 – Round 1

Valencia Race Result
27 – 29 FEBRUARY 2004
Attendance 28,000 weekend

HARD FIRST RACE FOR TOP HONDA RIDERS

After a dramatic and sometimes contentious 23-lap World Supersport race at Valencia, the top Honda riders, who had virtually dominated qualifying, found a change in fortune. The race was conducted in dry track conditions, despite the cold and wind, plus the added complication of an impromptu wet warm up session when unexpected rains appeared and soaked the circuit in the morning.

Having made excellent starts, the pairing of Broc Parkes and Karl Muggeridge (both Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) were the first to suffer at the hands of fate.

Parkes, the early and convincing leader, fell on lap three and could not restart, ending his day in an unexpected and unwelcome fashion after his second place qualification.

Pole man Muggeridge, engaged in a fight for the lead with Klaffi Honda CBR600RR rider Sebastien Charpentier, gradually slipped back through the field as his rear tyre lost traction. Another rider hit him in the closing stages and finished eighth overall.

The top finishing Honda rider, and thus the top rider in the current championship standings, was WSS part-timer Werner Daemen (van Zon Honda CBR600RR) in seventh.

For Charpentier, a front row starter, a jump-start penalty was to be his undoing, after he missed the flags for him to return to the pits and take his penalty. He was eventually excluded from the results and what was an almost certain podium finish.

His teammate, Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) also fell in the race but restarted to finish 14th, scoring two points on his World Supersport debut.

The Team Italia Megabike Honda squad, featuring riders Alessio Corradi and Denis Sacchetti, both retired with technical problems on their CBR600RR machines.

The race itself was won by former MotoGP rider Jurgen van Den Goorbergh (Yamaha) from his teammate Fabien Foret and Suzuki pilot Katsuaki Fujiwara.

Muggeridge, the King of both preseason and race qualifying was mystified as to why his tyre did not work the way he and the team intended. “We chose a medium rear tyre and it turned out to be the wrong choice,” said a rueful Muggeridge. “From the fourth lap the bike started sliding and I went backwards – just as other people went forwards. It was really frustrating and then I got hit on the last lap and almost crashed. It’s not all over yet, and it’s a long season with a lot of points up for grabs.”

For Parkes, the first day of the season was one to forget. “I got a really good start,” said Parkes, “maybe my start was too good. I felt that I entered the corner the same as ever and opened the throttle just the same – but the back came round and I highsided.”

Charpentier, stuck in the slipstream of a bunch of warring riders, missed the notification of his jump-start. “I really didn’t think I had done anything wrong,” he said. “I was so intent on the race that I missed the jump start flag and then it was all over. I am really disappointed because I think we could have had a great result.”

German rookie Neukirchner, in his first World Championship Supersport race, fought hard for his 14th place. “I had a front end slide and fell off,” he stated. “I jumped up and restarted and managed to get to the end of the race. I scored some points which is something positive that came from today.”

Corradi was moving through the top places at a rapid pace, and made his way to fifth place before he was forced to retire. “The oil cooler bolt broke I think, and that was the cause of the smoke from the bike,” said the Italian. “I had a good choice of tyre, almost perfect, a good rhythm for the race and it was possible to have finished in third place.”

18-year-old Sacchetti explained his afternoon’s work. “I had a jump start and after I came in the engine stopped. I don’t know why and the team must investigate further.”

In the first round of the World Superbike Championship, a dramatic and wet-weather affected race one gave James Toseland (Ducati) the win after early leader and pole man Regis Laconi (Ducati) fell on lap one. Pierfrancesco Chili (Ducati) secured second place on his 2002-spec machine after a ride from a poor grid position. The Petronas scored its first podium position thanks to a smooth wet and dry ride by Chris Walker on the three- cylinder machine.

Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) scored a clear win in race two, from Toseland, and a first time podium rider, Steve Martin (Ducati). While reigning World Supersport Champion Chris Vermeulen raced the Ten Kate Honda to 12th in race one and fifth in race two. A good result for the virtually standard CBR1000RR fielded as a private entry by Gerrit Ten Kate

In the World Championship itself, Toseland leads all his peers with 45 points, to Pierfrancesco Chili’s 33 and Haga’s 25.

Next race for both Superbike and Supersport classes takes place at Phillip Island in Australia, on March 28.

Results
SUPERSPORT:
RACE : (Laps 23 = 92,115 Km)
Pos /Rider /Nat. /Team / Time /Gap
1/J. VD GOORBERGH/NED/Yamaha Italia/38:27.439

2/F. FORET/FRA/Yamaha Italia/38:32.337 /4.898

3/K. FUJIWARA/JPN/Suzuki Alstare Corona Extra/38:43.543 /16.104

4/L. LANZI/ITA/Ducati Breil/38:45.403 /17.964

5/S. CHAMBON/FRA/Suzuki Alstare Corona Extra/38:47.843 /20.404

6/V. IANNUZZO/ITA/Suzuki Alstare Corona Extra/38:49.374 /21.935

7/W.DAEMEN/BEL/Alpha Technik – Van Zon/38:52.411 /24.972

8/K. MUGGERIDGE/AUS/Ten Kate Honda/38:52.671 /25.232

9/K. CURTAIN/AUS/Yamaha Motor Deutschland/39:11.925 /44.486

10/S. CRUCIANI/ITA/Kawasaki Bertocchi/39:20.793 /53.354

11/M.LAGRIVE/FRA/Moto 1/39:21.164 /53.725

12/A. TODE/GER/Ecko Racing Team/39:22.852 /55.413

13/M.BAIOCCO/ITA/Lorenzini by Leoni/39:27.462 /1’00.023

14/M.NEUKIRCHNER/GER/Klaffi Honda/39:40.805 /1’13.366

15/K. ANDERSEN/NOR/Kawasaki Docshop Racing/39:42.346 /1’14.907
Fastest Lap 2° Broc Parkes 1:39.065 145,541 Km/h

Riders Championship Standings:
1 VD GOORBERGH 25, 2 FORET 20, 3 FUJIWARA 16, 4 LANZI 13, 5 CHAMBON 11 6 IANNUZZO 10, 7 DAEMEN 9, 8 MUGGERIDGE 8, 9 CURTAIN 7, 10 CRUCIANI 6 11 LAGRIVE 5, 12 TODE 4, 13 BAIOCCO 3, 14 NEUKIRCHNER 2, 15 ANDERSEN 1

Manufacturers Standings:
1 YAMAHA 25, 2 SUZUKI 16, 3 DUCATI 13, 4 HONDA 9, 5 KAWASAKI 6.


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

Muggeridge Eighth As Parkes Falls

After going 1-2 in qualifying the Ten Kate Honda pairing of Karl Muggeridge and Broc Parkes made excellent starts from their front row positions, but each was to experience misfortune of a different kind, on their way to an eighth place finish and a crash respectively.

The rains which blighted the track after the morning warm-up meant that all teams were offered a 15-minute practice session to test wet tyres, but the race itself was held in dry conditions.

Broc Parkes, the early leader, had the heartbreak of a crash on lap three, ending his interest in the race early in the day. The young Aussie rider, who qualified in second place was disappointed with his showing on the team’s most favoured test track, but has already shown is abundant talent and the speed of the Ten Kate Honda.

Muggeridge, who was to tangle with another rider and drop from seventh to eighth place in the reckoning, was also a race leader but dropped back as the race wore on to its 23 lap conclusion. He said, “We chose a medium rear tyre and it turned out to be the wrong choice. From the fourth lap the bike started sliding and I went backwards as other people went forwards. It was really frustrating and then I got hit on the last lap and almost crashed. It’s not all over yet, and it’s a long season with a lot of points up for grabs.”

“I got a really good start,” said Parkes, who looks to the next race on home tarmac to rebuild his year. “Maybe my start was too good. I felt that I entered the corner the same as ever and opened the throttle just the same but the back came round and I highsided.”

“Karl’s rear tyre was really worn,” said Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate, “and we are surprised that other people could go past Karl, some on even softer tyre choices. It’s disappointing for Broc and us all that he crashed but that is racing sometimes. We have shown how fast we can go, so we will be looking to the next round.”

The race was won by the Yamaha of Jurgen van den Goorbergh, with his team-mate Fabien Foret second and the Suzuki of Katsuaki Fujiwara third. The next round of the championship takes place at Phillip Island, Australia, on 28th March.

World Supersport Championship
Round One – Valencia
27 – 29 February
1. J.vd Goorbergh NED, Yamaha YZF R6
2. F. Foret FRA, Yamaha YZF R6 4.898
3. K. Fujiwara JPN, Suzuki GSX 600R 16.104
4. L. Lanzi ITA, Ducati 749 R 17.964
5. S. Chambon FRA, Suzuki GSX 600R 20.404
6. V. Ianuzzo ITA, Suzuki GSX 600R 21.935
7. W. Daemen BEL, Honda CBR600RR 24.972
8. K. Muggeridge AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR 25.232
9. K. Curtain AUS, Yamaha YZF R6 44.486
10. S. Cruciani ITA, Kawasaki ZX6 RR 53.354


Broc Parkes Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR crashed after 2 laps


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

SUZUKI ON THE ROSTRUM IN VALENCIA!

World Supersport. Round 1, Valencia, Spain, Sunday 29th February. Circuit Ricardo Tormo 4.005 kms. Crowd: 28,000 (3-days). Weather: Cold, damp at first, dry later.
Katsuaki Fujiwara raced the new Suzuki GSX-R600 to its first podium position of the season in today’s opening round of the World Supersport Championship in Valencia, Spain, as all three Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders filled top six positions.

Fujiwara, who came off his sick bed this morning after spending time on an intravenous drip after waking up with a temperature of 38.5C, took third place in an exciting race, with team mates Stephane Chambon fifth and Vittorio Iannuzzo sixth.

In the Superstock class, Ricardo Chiarello also took a rostrum position with third place to seal the Alstare team’s 101 podium position in 20 years of competition.

KATSUAKI FUJIWARA – 3rd: “I think a podium is a great way to start 2004! I’m very happy to be on the podium because of many reasons. Our bike is new, this is our first race on Pirelli tyres and also because this morning I had a high fever. If it had not have been for some medicine and then the drip, I would’ve struggled to make the start! As it was, in the early stages of the race, I found it a little hard to concentrate. But after a while, I just got down to riding hard. My Alstare Suzuki GSX 600R worked well, but the tyres started sliding after about ten laps, but I think maybe everybody had the same problem.”

STEPHANE CHAMBON – 5th: “I am a little happy because fifth is quite a good result considering the problems I had in practice. Fifth is what I had hoped for before the race, but, because of the tricky conditions, it could’ve so easily been eight, ninth or tenth! I had a small problem with the rear spring in the race and the tyre started to go off after eight or nine laps – but that could’ve also been because of the rear spring problem. Up to now, I haven’t done a complete race distance before this weekend, so now we have a good result and a lot more information with which to work.”

VITTORIO IANNUZZO – 6th: “I am very happy, especially as I started the race from the fifth row. I made quite a good start and picked up place after place. Today I had a much better feeling with the bike and that meant I was more comfortable about pushing a bit harder. The tyres were a bit of a problem after about fifteen laps and then it was difficult to open the gas hard. Towards the end of the race I had a good fight with Chambon. I might have fought harder if we were chasing a podium, but I didn’t want to cause any dramas over fifth or sixth. It’s a great start for me and the whole team.”

Results: 1 VD Goorbergh (NL-Yamaha), 2 Fabien Foret (F-Yamaha ), 3 KATSUAKI FUJIWARA (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 4 Lorenzo Lanzi (I Ducati), 5 STEPHANE CHAMBON (F-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 6 VITTORIO IANNUZZO (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra),

Points: 1 VD Goorbergh 25, 2 Foret 20, 3 FUJIWARA (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra)16, 4 Lanzi 13, 5 CHAMBON (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 11, 6 IANNUZZO (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 10.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Thunderbike
1. Dave Estok (Buell)
2. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell)
3. Joespeh Rozynski (Buell)
4. Kurt Miller (Buell)
5. Brian Parriott (BMW)
6. Michael Mills (Suzuki SV650)
7. Clint Brotz (Buell)
8. Darren Danilowicz (Suzuki SV650)
9. Paul James (Buell)
10. Jason Kosco (Buell)
11. David White (Suzuki SV650)
12. Tim Hall (Suzuki SV650)
13. Joey Thomas (Suzuki SV650)
14. Mark Hamilton (Suzuki SV650)
15. Walt Sipp (Buell)
16. Scott Korol (Buell)
17. Alan Cheese (Buell)
18. Jeremy Bentz (Suzuki SV650)
19. Randy Rega (Buell), -1 lap
20. Nate Kern (BMW, -1 lap, DNF, crash
21. Chris Carr (Buell), -1 lap
22. Derek Keyes (Suzuki SV650), -5 laps, DNF
23. Dan Bilansky (Buell), -6 laps, DNF
24. Sam Rozynski (Buell), -6 laps, DNF
25. Richie Morris (Buell), -7 laps, DNF


Formula Sportbike
(All Suzuki GSX-R750 unless indicated)
1. Scott Harwell
2. Joe Ribeiro
3. Marco Martinez
4. Kevin Gordon
5. John McGarity
6. Brian Hall
7. Dave Rosno (Yam YZF-R6)
8. David Tullier
9. Jay Quick
10. John Farrell
11. Michael Casey
12. Matt Malterer
13. Gary Berbaum (Duc 916)
14. Brian Stokes

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

World Superbike
Valencia, Spain
Race Two Results:

1. Noriyuki Haga, Ducati 999RS, 23 laps, 37:32.364
2. James Toseland, Ducati 999F04, -1.769 seconds
3. Steve Martin, Ducati 999RS, -10.021 seconds
4. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, -10.138 seconds
5. Chris Vermeulen, Honda CBR1000RR, -17.064 seconds
6. Garry McCoy, Ducati 999RS, -21.140 seconds
7. Chris Walker, Foggy Petronas FP1, -21.584 seconds
8. Marco Borciani, Ducati 999RS, -21.626 seconds
9. Leon Haslam, Ducati 999RS, -33.387 seconds
10. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-10R, -33.537 seconds
11. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, -36.556 seconds
12. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -40.458 seconds
13. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, -43.819 seconds
14. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-10R, -46.515 seconds
15. Horst Saiger, Yamaha YZF-R1, -57.694 seconds
16. Piergiorgio Bontempi, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -63.975 seconds
17. Warwick Nowland, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -67.674 seconds
18. Alessio Velini, Yamaha YZF-R1, -69.952 seconds
19. Miguel Praia, Ducati 999RS, -1 lap
20. Jiri Mrkyvka, Ducati 998RS, -22 laps
21. Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati 998RS, -23 laps
22. Regis Laconi, Ducati 999F04, -23 laps

Fastest Lap of Race: Noriyuki Haga, 1:36.763


More, from a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

Walker builds on podium success for Foggy PETRONAS Racing

Chris Walker completed a great opening round of the 2004 World Superbike season for Foggy PETRONAS Racing by following up his third place finish in the opening race – the first podium position for the FP1 – with seventh place in the day’s second race at Valencia, Spain.

The results left PETRONAS, Malaysia’s oil and gas giant, in second place in the manufacturers’ standings behind Ducati, who achieved two wins with James Toseland and Noriyuki Haga.

And the performance of his new rider thrilled team owner Carl Fogarty, the four-times World Superbike champion.

Carl said: “It has been a brilliant weekend for us and I never dreamed that we would be celebrating a podium position here. Maybe it will make a few people sit up and take notice and we will soon know exactly what this bike is capable of, with developments to the engine expected within a few rounds.

“It has been especially good for Chris and we were not a million miles off the pace in the second race in dry conditions. We can’t argue with seventh place, and nearly having both riders in the top ten, at this stage of the development. Maybe Troy was a little too anxious to get to the front in the first race and it’s strange to be saying that so early in the season.”

The second race was less dramatic than the opening action, with the morning’s rain having disappeared. Pre-race favourite Regis Laconi failed to complete the opening lap for the second time in the day when he suffered engine failure and Chris managed to fight off a late challenge from the Kawasaki of Marco Borciani to clinch nine more points and finish the first round fourth in the rider standings.

Chris said: “I don’t think we could have done a better job this weekend and that’s a credit to Petronas, to Carl and to the whole team. To be on the podium in the first race was more than I could have hoped for. In the second race I got a good start, which I was desperate to do, and although I was not as high as I wanted to be I was still in the pack. It took a while to get my head down and then I concentrated on consistent laps. The bike ran really well and the Pirelli tyres worked well.”

It was a less pleasing story for team-mate Troy Corser, who crashed out of the first race while challenging for second place and finished the second race in 11th. The Australian said: “I was really pleased for Chris and the team in the first race but that was not an enjoyable day for me personally. I had overheating problems in the second race and the bike was losing power. So I had to try and make up time in the corners and ran wide on a couple of occasions.”

Second race result, WSBK round one, Valencia, Spain: 1 Haga (Renegade Ducati); 2 Toseland (Ducati Fila) +1.769; 3 Martin (DFX) +10.021; 4 Chili (PSG-1) +10.138; 5 Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda) +17.067; 6 McCoy (Xerox Ducati) +21.140; 7 Walker (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) +21.584; 8 Bporciani (DFX) +21.626; 9 Haslam (Renegade Ducati) +33.387; 10 Sanchini (Kawasaki Bertocchi) +33.537; 11 Corser (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) +36.556; 12 Fuertes (MIR Racing) +40.458; 13 Pedercini (Team Pedercini) +43.819; 14 Clementi (Kawasaki Bertocchi) +46.515; 15 Saiger (Life Haus RT) +57.694




More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

MIXED FORTUNES FOR DUCATI FILA IN WORLD SUPERBIKE OPENER AT VALENCIA

Valencia (Spain), 29 February 2004: The Ducati Fila riders had a couple of eventful races in the opening round of the World Superbike Championship at Valencia, with James Toseland picking up a win and a second place and polesitter Regis Laconi failing to score a single point.

23 year-old Toseland scored his second Superbike career win in race 1, which was held on a wet but drying track. “It was a strange race, first Haga came past me and I thought I was going down when Corser crashed next to me” declared James. “For the race I chose a wet front and an intermediate rear. To be honest I’d never raced in the wet with Pirellis before, so we went a bit on the safe side, but luckily they held out to the flag”.

Toseland then chased eventual winner Noriyuki Haga for the 23 laps of race 2 before settling for second place and the points lead in the championship. “I was struggling in qualifying and practice with the set-up for the dry, but Nori rode fantastically well and we went with what we knew. It’s been a nerve-racking weekend but I’m just glad to have come out on top and get two consistent finishes in the first round. I made a bit of an aggressive move on Haslam on the first lap and lost a bit of time and then I couldn’t do anymore. It’s all turned out well.”

Frenchman Laconi crashed out on the warm-up lap of race 1 but was able to get back to the pits in time to mount his second Ducati 999. His luck ran out however as he again went down on the greasy track, this time for good, after just a couple of corners. Laconi’s misfortune continued in the second race as he parked his 999 against the barriers after just a few corners when the bike chain derailed off the rear sprocket.

“I cannot say I feel bad because that’s racing, these things happen, but for sure I’m not happy because I made a mistake in the first race and this is not good” commented Laconi. “In the second race with this problem I had to stop. I didn’t do one lap today so I hope everything finishes here and things will be better from now on.”

RACE 1: 1. Toseland (Ducati Fila); 2. 2. Chili (PSG-1 Ducati); 3. Walker (Petronas); 4. Borciani (DFX Ducati); 5. Haslam (Renegade Ducati); 6. Nannelli (Ducati) ; etc. RACE 2 : 1. Haga (Renegade Ducati) ; 2. Toseland; 3. Martin (DFX Ducati); 4. Chili; 5. Vermeulen (Honda); 6. McCoy (NCR Ducati); etc.

POINTS (after 1 of 11 rounds): Riders – 1. Toseland 45; 2. Chili 33; 3. Haga 25; 4. Walker 25; 5. Borciani 21; 6. McCoy 19; etc. Manufacturers – 1. Ducati 50; 2. Petronas 25; 3. Honda 15; 4. Suzuki 12; 5. Yamaha 8; 6. Kawasaki 8.


EXTRAORDINARY DOUBLE DEBUT FOR LANZI (DUCATI BREIL) AND 749R IN SUPERSPORT

Valencia (Spain), 29 February 2004: Italian Lorenzo Lanzi and the Ducati 749R made a superb double debut in the World Supersport Championship today with fourth place in the opening round at Valencia.

2003 European Superstock runner-up Lanzi almost powered the twin-cylinder machine to a podium finish after terminating the first lap in a lowly sixteenth position.

But the 22-year-old from Cesena, Italy used the 749R’s superb straightline speed (263 km/h on the 850 metre straight, the quickest of the day) to overhaul all the riders in the group battling for fourth place to make the position secure five laps from the end.

“I’d like to thank the engineers, Ernesto Marinelli in particular, because they helped me to chose the right tyre for the race” declared an overjoyed Lanzi. “It was a pity about the start because I got a bit left behind when the clutch jumped out slightly and then in the first curve I got bottled in and finished the first lap down in sixteenth position.

“Getting close to the podium is a fantastic result. We always said that we were working for the race and not qualifying, so you can’t ask for more than that and I really enjoyed myself out there today.”

This season Ducati have returned to the World Supersport Championship with a factory team, sponsored by Breil, for the first time in three years, and with a brand new bike that had its first real shakedown tests just two weeks ago.

RACE: 1. Van der Goorbergh (Yamaha); 2. Foret (Yamaha); 3. Fujiwara (Suzuki); 4. Lanzi (Ducati Breil 749R); 5. Chambon (Suzuki); 6. Iannuzzo (Suzuki); 7. Daemen (Honda); 8. Muggeridge (Honda); etc.

POINTS (after 1 of 10 rounds): Riders – 1. Van der Goorbergh 25; 2. Foret 20; 3. Fujiwara 16; 4. Lanzi 13; 5. Chambon 11; 6. Iannuzzo 10; etc. Manufacturers – 1. Yamaha 25; 2. Suzuki 16; 3. Ducati 13; 4. Honda 9; 5. Kawasaki 6.


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

ONE TO FORGET FOR TROY

The opening round of the 2004 Superbike World Championship is not one that Troy will remember with affection. A crash in race one plus a lowly twelfth in race two – thanks to his Petronas FP1 overheating – meant that Troy’s points tally after two races is just five! It’s not the way Troy would’ve liked to have opened his 2004 campaign but, as Troy himself said afterwards, “Sometimes, that’s the way it goes.”
There was some joy though for Troy’s team mate Chris Walker in the first race, which started with a damp track and a sprinkling of rain. In a race of attrition, which only saw fifteen finishers, Walker took a superb third place, to give team Petronas FP1 something to celebrate. James Toseland (Ducati) won the race comfortably, though Frankie Chili (Ducati) was catching him towards the end of the 23-lapper. Fortunately, for all concerned, race two took place in completely dry conditions. Troy was in the top nine at the end of the first lap, but his Petronas FP1’s engine began to overheat and then started losing power. Troy didn’t want to pull in, and kept going as best he could and ended up eleventh. Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) led the race from start to finish and was never troubled on the way to victory. Toseland took runner-up spot, with Steve Martin (Ducati) third.

TROY

That’s the way it goes sometimes, I guess. Tyre choice was a bit of a lottery in the first race because of the dampness of the track, so we went for full wets – the same choice as most of the other riders. I thought that the track would dry out as the race progressed, so I tried to keep with the leaders. After two laps I was in second place and then out! I was chasing James (Toseland) and went a bit wide and off line and then slid on the side of the track. I ran out of space, so just lay the bike down in the gravel, but the slide happened so fast, I couldn’t do anything about it. Luckily I wasn’t injured, but I was a bit disappointed – to say the least! In the second race, the bike’s engine overheated, which means it loses power. It was the engine I had used in Superpole and in the first race and. Once it overheated, I knew that I would be struggling. I could’ve pulled in, but I decided to keep going and see how many points I could salvage. I guess today, my team mate got lucky and I did not.

RESULTS

Race 1:
1. Toseland (GB-Ducati), 2. Chili (I-Ducati), 3. Walker (GB-Petronas FP1), 4. Borciani (I-Ducati), 5. Haslam (GB-Ducati), 6. Nannelli (I-Ducati), TROY CORSER (AUS-PETRONAS FP1) DNF

Race 2:
1. Haga (J-Ducati), 2. Toseland, 3. Martin (AUS-Ducati), 4. Chili, 5. Vermeulen (AUS-Honda), 6. McCoy (AUS-Ducati), 11. TROY CORSER (AUS-PETRONAS FP1)

Points: 1. Toseland 45, 2. Chili 33, 3. Haga 25, 4. Walker 25, 5. Borciani 21,6. McCoy 19, 15. TROY CORSER 5


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

Vermeulen Goes 12th and 5th In Valencia Opener

Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR rider Chris Vermeulen secured a 12th place in the first 23 lap Superbike race, and a superb fifth in race two on what was a sometimes confusion and drama-filled first Superbike raceday of the year.

In race one, the damp weather hardened into real rainfall at mid-race distance but the event was not halted to allow those riders who had picked slick tyres to continue. Vermeulen, with a slick rear and wet front, struggled on the damp track, and experienced problems with the ignition system of his machine, later traced to the rider accidentally hitting he kill switch and resetting the engine computer settings.

He came into pitlane, stopped and restarted his machine, which cleared the problem, and carried on at high pace to finish 12th. In race two, which was held in fully dry conditions, Vermeulen got an atrocious start, but came back to finish a fine fifth place.

“I don’t know what happened in race one but I was out of the seat and over the screen a couple of times and then the bike started to give me a strange engine response, burbling and not revving properly,” said Chris. “I came into the pits, the bike restarted so I went back out. In the second race I got a terrible start, probably the worst ever, and that was a real nightmare. I really had to play catch up from then on but it worked out pretty well, as I got fifth place. Once I got there I didn’t want to push too much any more. I’m pretty pleased with that ride on my Superbike debut.”

Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate declared himself happy with the first race experience on the CBR1000RR. “Fifth place was a great finish for us, especially as Chris got such a bad start. He must have been in 20th place on the first lap! To make a fifth place was good for us and we are looking forward to the next race in Australia.”

The combination of Vermeulen’s points places him ninth in the championship, which is headed by James Toseland (Ducati) the winner of race one. Race two was taken by Ducati rider Noriyuki Haga.

The next round for the Ten Kate Honda Superbike squad is in Australia, at Phillip Island on 28 March.


WK Superbike
Race 1 – Valencia
27 – 29 Februari
Race Resultaten


Race 1
1. J. Toseland, GBR, Ducati 999 F04
2. P. Chili, ITA, Ducati 999 RS
3. C. Walker, GBR, Petronas FP1
4. M. Borciani, ITA, Ducati 999 RS
5. L. Haslam, GBR, Ducati 999 RS
6. G. Nannelli, ITA, Ducati 998 RS
7. G. Mccoy, AUS, Ducati 999 RS
8. S. Fuertes, ESP, Suzuki GSX 1000R
9. H. Saiger, AUT, Yamaha YZF R1
10. J. Mrkyvka, CZE, Ducati 998 RS


12. C. Vermeulen, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR


Race 2
1. N. Haga, JPN, Ducati 999 RS
2. J, Toseland, GBR, Ducati 999 F04
3. S. Martin, AUS, Ducati 999 RS
4. P. Chili, ITA, Ducati 999 RS
5. C. Vermeulen, AUS Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR
6. G. Mccoy, AUS, Ducati 999 RS
7. C. Walker, GBR, Petronas FP1
8. M. Borciani, ITA, Ducati 999 RS
9. L. Haslam, GBR, Ducati 999 RS
10. M. Sanchini, ITA, Kawasaki ZX10


More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati Nortel Networks – Scuderia Caracchi:

TWICE IN THE POINTS McCOY AT VALENCIA

Garry McCoy makes a very successfully debut today in the first race of World Superbike on Valencia’s circuit “Ricardo Tormo”. After the two days of practices with cold, but sunny, the weather changed this morning again and a big dark cloudy covered Valencia’s circuit a few minutes before the start of race-1. The Race Direction haven’t show the board “Wet race”, so Garry preferred to use slick tyres, because he knows that, following the FIM Sporting Rules, when the grip become worst the Race Direction must stop the race. Even if that didn’t happen when it started raining, Garry hadn’t the possibility to change the tyres, and the other riders with rain or intermediate tyres got an advantage. When rain stopped and the track become dry, for McCoy was very hard to earn some position, then he finished seventh making the fastest lap of the race at the last one. The start of race-2 was better, Garry went of with Haga, Haslam and Toseland. Early his rear tyre started sliding and he wasn’t able to fight to the leader, so McCoy lost some position, ad he finished in the sixth place.

“I’m a bit disappointed for race-1” – Mc Coy says after the race – “I decided to start with slick tyre because I was sure that the race will be stopped if it’s raining, but the Race Direction didn’t it, and actually it was very difficult to drive in those conditions during four-five laps. When the rain stopped and the track dried, but it was too late to recover. In fact only in the last lap I could push as I like. On race-2 I started quite well, but the rear tyre started sliding and I’ve been forced to close the throttle. We didn’t understand if the cause has been the tyre or the setting, we must look at the data recording to see what could happen. Despite all I’m pretty satisfied. All other riders have been able to cover more test kilometers as us, but the gap is going to close. We clinched the sixth position in the championship, it’s a good debut.”

Miguel Praia reached the seventh heaven: at his racing debut in World Superbike arena, finishing both the legs and earning three points for the championship, despite his physical problems and the pains in the left foot.

“I’m very happy, to finish 13th in race-1 it has been fantastic, especially because with wet track and slick tyres it was very very difficult to stand” – said Miguel at the end of the day – “I had big pains in my foot, as pushing on the footrest as using the gear lever. Earning the three points today I’m the first Portuguese rider earning points for World Championship, that a great honour for me.”

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Heath Small, Larry Pegram and Bryan Bemisderfer each won a CCS race Sunday morning at Daytona International Speedway.

HAS/Shogun Motorsports’ Small came from row five and led most of the Expert Middleweight Grand Prix, but was passed by Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Vincent Haskovec, coming from row nine on the the grid, in the late going. Small played his cards well on the last lap and drafted Haskovec to the line to take the win. First-year-Expert William Meyers, III finished third.

Harding Harley-Davidson/Buell’s Bryan Bemisderfer rode his XB9R Firebolt Superbike to narrowly defeat Honda RS250-mounted John France in the Expert Lightweight Grand Prix.

The best race of the morning was Expert Unlimited Grand Prix, which saw Hooter’s Suzuki’s John Haner and Eric Wood, Triangle Cycles Yamaha’s Larry Pegram, Millennium Suzuki’s Shawn Higbee and Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Steve Rapp racing to the line.

Wood, who was still suffering from injuries sustained in a crash on Friday, dropped out of the lead group, to fifth, on the last lap. Rapp, who started on row nine of the grid, turned the fastest lap of the race, a 1:50.706, to move into fourth on the last lap but couldn’t catch the lead draft.

Haner led Pegram and Higbee into the chicane on the final circuit. The three riders raced elbow-to-elbow through NASCAR Turn Four. Then in the last few hundred yards to the flag, Pegram’s 2004-model YZF-R1 inched forward to cross the line first. Higbee took second with Haner happy in third.

Haner, Higbee, Pegram and Wood started on the front row of the grid.

Pegram rode on Pirelli DOT-labeled tires; Higbee and Haner rode on 17-inch Dunlop slicks; Rapp used “grooved, non-DOT-labeled” Michelins; and Wood used 16.5-inch Dunlop slicks.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Saturday Morning World Supersport Practice Times:

1. Broc Parkes, Honda CBR600RR, 1:38.040
2. Karl Muggeridge, Honda CBR600RR, 1:38.239
3. Katsuaki Fujiwara, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:38.916
4. Fabien Foret, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:38.967
5. Kevin Curtain, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:39.009
6. Alessio Corradi, Honda CBR600RR, 1:39.030
7. Sebastien Charpentier, Honda CBR600RR, 1:39.038
8. Jurgen Vd Goorbergh, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:39.178
9. Christian Kellner, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:39.299
10. Werner Daemen, Honda CBR600RR, 1:39.345
11. Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati 749R, 1:39.627
12. Tobias Kirmeier, Honda CBR600RR, 1:40.063
13. Stephane Chambon, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:40.084
14. Max Neukirchner, Honda CBR600RR, 1:40.284
15. Stefano Cruciani, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 1:40.294
16. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:40.405
17. Victor Carrasco, Honda CBR600RR, 1:40.435
18. Craig Jones, Triumph Daytona 600, 1:40.470
19. Denis Sacchetti, Honda CBR600RR, 1:40.542
20. Sebastien Le Grelle, Honda CBR600RR, 1:40.641

26. Giovanni Bussei, Ducati 749R, 1:41.268