From a press release issued by Dunlop’s advertising and public relations agency, Vreeke & Associates:

For Immediate Release
February 23, 2004

Daytona 200 Win Record Correction

Buffalo, NY: As a correction to an earlier press release dated January 31, 2004, Dunlop has won 10 of the last 11 AMA Superbike races at Daytona, and
is looking forward to extending its winning heritage in this prestigious event in 2004.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

2004 CMRA Championship Series
Round one
Oak Hill Raceway
Henderson, Texas February 21-22

By Shan Moore

Michael Sanchez, Ty Howard and Ronnie Lunsford were the big money winners at the opening round of the 2004 CMRA Championship Road Racing Series held at Oak Hill Raceway near Henderson, Texas this weekend. Sanchez, sporting a Number One on his Shogun-backed Suzuki which he earned for being the top CMRA rider in 2003, claimed sprint wins in the A Superstock Expert, B Superstock Expert, A Superbike Expert, B Superbike Expert and C Superbike Expert divisions and was top money winner in the Red River Challenge event held on Saturday.

Howard made a triumphant return to CMRA racing action by winning the C Superstock Expert and the Formula 1 Expert races, both purse-paying events. Lunsford claimed the winners-share of the money in the Heavyweight Twins Expert race.

The event drew 582 entries for the CMRA, which has returned to independent status after four years of affiliation with the CCS. The CMRA begins the year with one of the strongest purse and contingency programs in club history.

In the Pace American Trailer Red River Challenge Race, held on Saturday, Sanchez took over where he left off last year by taking a comfortable win and grabbed $500 of the $1500 purse for the effort. Sanchez was pressured early on by Logan Young and Heath Small, but two off-track excursions by Small left the Yamaha rider in ninth overall. Ty Howard’s late challenge fell short when he ran out of gas after moving into second position with two laps to go.

Saturday’s 3-hour Mini Endurance event was a highly anticipated event, mainly due to a complete restructuring of the classes for the new season. Most insiders were interested in seeing how the classes would shake out after the first event. In some cases, bikes that had never been eligible in the mini divisions before were now being allowed and this created a couple of new and unique entries at the Oak Hill event.

Sum Of All Parts Racing, riding an RS-framed XR250 4-stroke, claimed the endurance win by just over a minute in front of Team OZ Racing, with last year’s dominate team, Team K&N , finishing third after crashing during the first hour.

“I think the guys on the XR250 showed that the 80s can be challenged now and it was still close at the end of the race,” said 2003 CMRA Board member, Bryan Norton, who was mainly responsible for structuring the new classes. “We will see how it works out for a 6-hour event–if they will hold up, but looking through all of the classes, there was good racing all day and it seemed to be really evenly matched. Nobody walked away from anybody and that’s what we were looking for. I think that everybody who came had a great time. The whole point is that at the end of the year, we will look at it again and make changes if we need to.”

Notable performances were also turned in by Jason Pirtle and Joe Browning, who each won four non-money races and Scott Levine, who won two. Tyler McDonald won the 125cc GP and Formula 4 races.

The second round of the CMRA Championship Series will be held at Texas World Speedway in College Station, Texas on March 13-14 and will feature a 5-hour Big Bike Endurance race along with sprint action.

From a press release issued by Pirelli’s advertising and public relations agency, Plummer Menapace:

PIRELLI POSTS OVER $2.3 MILLION IN CONTINGENCY FOR 2004 U.S. ROAD RACING

More Than $1 Million Over ’03; Also Paying Deeper Into Finishers’ List And Eliminating 2003’s “Top 4-Only” Rule

(Rome, GA) Pirelli has announced major changes in its 2004 U.S. road racing contingency program: all of them for the better.

The company is posting over $2.3 million in contingency in 2004, in excess of $1 million more than in 2003. Pirelli will also be paying deeper into the finishers’ list, as deep as 10th place depending on race organization and class. Additionally, contingency payments in 2003 were limited to a racer’s top-four finishes during a race weekend. This year, Pirelli has done away with the limitation; there is no limit to the number of race payouts, once a minimum starting-grid number is met.

Pirelli’s 2004 AMA contingency, for example, will pay down to 10th place in Superbike, Superstock, Supersport, and Formula Xtreme. F-USA contingency will also pay down to 10th in 600 Sportbike, Superbike, and Thunderbike; and to fifth place in 750 Sportbike, and Team Challenge GTO, GTU, and GT Lights. CCS payouts will cover 36 Expert and Amateur classes down fifth place in each.

Bike-stickering requirements remain the same: stickers must be displayed on the front forks and/or fender, the main fairing, and the tail section and/or swingarm.

All of the details and qualifications of Pirelli’s expanded 2004 contingency program should be posted by February 28 on the “Pirelli Racing Contingency” link of the U.S. website at www.us.pirellimoto.com.

Please contact one of the following Pirelli race vendors for full information and technical help:

CALIFORNIA RACE SERVICES
Huntington Beach, CA
1-800-620-1277

COMPETITION MOTORSPORTS SOUTH
Jacksonville, FL
1-904-384-8398

MASON RACING
Springpark, MN
1-612-250-9122

STREET & COMPETITION
Troy, NY
1-518-279-4597

THE RACER SUPPLY CO.
Shawnee, KS
1-816-550-1992

TIGERSHARK RACING
Boring, OR
1-503-358-5704

TRACKSIDE RACERS SUPPLY
Canton, NC
1-828-235-8400

From a press release issued by Honda Racing:

First Among Equals

No global race class is a better test of machinery than the World Supersport Championship. Featuring close to production spec machines, with relatively few modifications and DOT tyres, Supersport is a true proving ground of the track readiness of any particular machine.

In 2003 the Honda CBR600RR made its spectacularly successful appearance on the World Supersport scene. Honda riders took 16 podium finishes including seven out of 11 wins – and six out of 11 pole positions.

With a second year of off-season machine development and increased experience of the CBR600RR, the officially supported Honda teams in World Supersport are primed for another year of exciting competition, in what is normally one of the most closely contested series in the world.

Six riders, in three teams will feel the benefit of Honda-supported status. The Ten Kate Honda squad has provided the set-up for the past two World Supersport Champions, Fabien Foret in 2002 and Chris Vermeulen in 2003. This year an all-Australian pairing of Karl Muggeridge and Broc Parkes will ride in the distinctive solid yellow livery of the Ten Kate squad. Each is a proven entity in Supersport, with Muggeridge the more experienced of the two.

Former World Sidecar Champion Klaus Klaffenbock lends his name to the Klaffi Honda team, and for the 2004 season he has relied on a mix of experience and youth in his Austrian-based team. Frenchman Sebastien Charpentier was a revelation when he joined Klaffi midway through the season in 2003, securing a podium finish and enough points in only nine races to end his year in the top seven. His team-mate this time around is young German battler Max Neukirchner, a relative four-stroke novice but a highly regarded investment for the future however immediate or long term.

Team Italia Megabike exists to promote Italian riders into the higher echelons of racing and this year the team’s tie up with Alessio Corradi and Denis Sacchetti takes place on supported Honda CBR600RRs. Corradi is a former European Champion and recent podium finisher in World Supersport while Sacchetti is the latest in a long line of Team Italia riders looking to break into the rarefied atmosphere of the World Championships.

The powerful wing beat of Honda’s awesome CBR600RR will propel all six factory backed riders from Australia to Imola, Brands Hatch to Valencia, as once more Honda’s unquenchable spirit of competition forms the vanguard of this intense World Championship competition.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Via e-mail from Connie Kassel:

Nicky Wimbauer Concludes Successful Test At Misano

American Nicky Wimbauer, who turns 16 this month, will race the Italian National Supersport Championship for Team Trasimeno in 2004. Team Manager Moreno Bacchini will also support Wimbauer during three rounds of the Supersport World Championship with two Belgarda-kitted 2004 Yamaha YZF-R6 Supersport bikes.

Wimbauer recently tested at Misano with Team Trasimeno in cold conditions (about 49 degrees F) which forced caution. But Wimbauer was able to get within 1.1 seconds of the lap times turned by European Supersport veteran Massimo Biscounti, 25, who also rides for Team Trasimeno.

Wimbauer said after the test, “Even their 2003 bike feels pretty strong and I like the bike’s handling which is similar to my WERA series 2003 R6. I just wanted to get some seat time and learn the track, the team and the bike. I am very excited for this season.”

From a press release issued by WERA West:

WERA West Roadracing Update

The WERA West Roadracing series begins March 13th & 14th at California Speedway in Fontana, CA. “Several Suzuki SV650 riders and Novice riders want to know what the WERA program offers them” states David Pyles, President of Fastrack Riders and WERA West, “so we have decided to put out little news blurbs about various classes and competition as we get closer to our inaugural event the second weekend in March”.

Under WERA rules Suzuki SV650’s can run in four different race classes. Light Weight Twins Super stock (LWTSS), Light Weight Twins Superbike (LWTSB), Formula II (F2), and Heavyweight twins (HWT). The first two classes are comprised of mostly SV650 machines so they offer two classes these bikes can run in and compete for championships. The other two classes these bikes will not be as competitive but it does allow them to run in two additional classes giving any SV650 rider plenty of classes to run in over a weekend.

One of the exciting things about WERA (and there are many) is their Novice program. Novice riders compete for points in their own level even if their race is combined with another Expert group. Also, Novice Riders can compete in the WERA National Challenge Series for points and recognition on a national level. “WERA has a great Novice Riders program that is better than most because each Novice Rider can compete for a championship at the local region or on a national level as well” according to Larry Pointer, Vice President of Operations, “The great thing about WERA is it offers so much opportunity for all riders to compete regionally and nationally.”

“A bulletin will be released later this week that will outline all the classes various motorcycles can compete in a simplified format so everyone can easily understand which classes they can compete in each race weekend.” offers David Pyles. “It can be confusing racing with different organizations and how each structures their classes. This cheat sheet will make it real easy and cover 80% of all bikes that typically compete.”

From a press release issued by Super Dave Rosno:

Daytona 200 Party with Super Dave

Sportsman’s Park Yamaha will have a Daytona 200 party on March 6, 2004.

Other Sportsman’s Park sponsored riders Mark Stiles, 2003 AMA 250 GP rider; Meghan Stiles, CCS racer featured in Roadracing World Young Guns; and Dave Rosno, Owner of Visionsports Riding Schools and rider for “Super Dave’s Race Against Childhood Cancer,” will be in attendance.

A drawing will be held for the winner of a Visionsports Riding Schools’ Skills & Thrills program. This will include a free rental of Vanson Leathers. Individuals can sign up for the drawing at Sportsman’s Park Yamaha until the close of the party.

“Super Dave’s Race Against Childhood Cancer” shirts and stickers will be available for purchase during the party. A major portion of the sales go toward the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer to fund cancer research.

Sportsman’s Park Yamaha is located about five miles south on Interstate 43 on Highway 50 in Delavan, Wisconsin.

More details are available from Sportsman’s Park at (262)728-6037.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Registration for the February 25 Team Hammer track day and for the February 26-29 F-USA/CCS races at Daytona has been moved to behind the speedway, near the chicane.

Parking for rigs is available at the new location.

Click here to see a map of the new location.

From a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:

GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM RELEASE
Eastern Creek circuit, Australia
Saturday February 21 2004

CHECA REVS YAMAHA’S NEW R1 AT EASTERN CREEK

Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha rider Carlos Checa took advantage of his sojourn in Australia today when he dropped in on the World Press Test of Yamaha’s new model R1 at the Eastern Creek circuit near Sydney, Australia. The Spaniard impressed attending journalists with several speedy outings aboard the bike at the former MotoGP venue, where he last competed in the 500cc class in 1996.

The press test sees around 120 international journalists pass in and out of the Sydney area over a six-week period, testing both the new R1 and Yamaha’s XT 660R and XT 660X models. Checa arrived on the scene today directly from his arduous pre-season Yamaha MotoGP testing programme, which in 2004 has already sent him twice to the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, and in the past week to the Phillip Island circuit near Melbourne.

Checa is no stranger to Yamaha’s new R1 model, having tried it out at the bike’s launch at the French Paul Ricard circuit towards the end of 2003. He was equally delighted with the bike’s power after today’s laps, commenting, “This was a great way to have fun, especially on such a good track. I’m very impressed by this bike, the performance is good, it handles lightly and well, and is a real pleasure to ride. When the original R1 first came on the market I got one, and the performance of the R1 model has increased since then. This bike might become my number one passion outside racing! It’s not just good to ride but I really like the look of it. I’ve just moved from the north of England down to London and the weather is normally quite bad, but this is the kind of bike that even if it was too wet to ride, I would keep it in my garage and look at it every day!”

Checa will return to Australia for Yamaha Factory Racing’s next test at the Phillip Island circuit on 9,10,11 March.