From a press release issued by Xerox Ducati Nortel Networks – Scuderia Caracchi

ENDED THE THREE DAY TEST IN VALENCIA

(Valencia 2004, February 13)

Today ended the three day winter test session in Valencia. Xerox Ducati Nortel Networks riders focused once more in the final day to improve their feeling with the 999RS Ducati, not looking for a single fastest lap. Garry McCoy recorded in those condition the 14th fastest scoring 1:37.585, while a good improvement has been obtained by Miguel Praia, close to the 1:39 limit.

“We continued to work on the bike set up” – said McCoy at the end of the day – “Actually I don’t have much experience on this bike, the twin four stroke, so I want to test a lot of new solutions. Also what maybe a more experienced rider could exclude. In this way we spent a lot of time in the pit, but things are going better day after day, if not too quick, so I’m not really disappointed. In particular I believe that we have to focus our work for the qualifying set up and soft tyres, but as I said yesterday the team is working very hard to get the bike as I want and we are working well together. For the first race we have still two practice days and we could see the results of the work we’ve done here.”

Miguel Praia is quite satisfied for his improvement, also if at the end of the final session he crashed with any consequence, for a too quick throttle opening.

“What a pity for such a stupid mistake!” – confessed Miguel joining the pits – “I was so happy because my laptime was improving and I was trying to be faster, but I’ve lost the rear of the bike and I crash. However my feeling is always better, but I have to take care just about such mistakes.”

A crash ended the test session of Gianfranco De Matteis too; he joined the track for the last session, but without improve his performance:

“I felt in the infield at the end of morning session ” – said De Matteis – “and in the afternoon I had some pain, so I’ve been not able to be faster. But actually I’m quite satisfied for the result of the tests.”

Best Times of the Test:

Garry McCoy 1:37.585
Gianfranco De Mattheis 1:38.568
Miguel Praia 1:39.033

MIGUEL PRAIA PROFILE

Born in Portalegre (Portugal) in 1978, March 2nd

Started racing in 1997 on a 125cc Sport Production Aprilia

Twice winner of Honda CBR600 Cup in Portugal (years 2002-2003)

5th in Macau Grand Prix Supersport class in 2002

4th in Macau Grand Prix Supersport class in 2003

10th in Portuguese round of European Supersport Championship at Braga circuit in 2002

8th in Portuguese round of European Supersport Championship at Braga circuit in 2003

22nd in Portuguese round of World 250GP Championship at Estoril circuit in 2003

From a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team Press Office:

TESTING TIMES AT SEPANG FOR FUCHS KAWASAKI

The third and final day of testing at Malaysia’s Sepang circuit ended in disappointment for Fuchs Kawasaki’s Shinya Nakano. A minor mechanical problem on the latest version of the Ninja ZX-RR engine brought the 26-year-old Japanese rider’s test to a premature end and stopped him from improving on his best lap time from yesterday.

Nakano’s enforced retirement after just 15 laps left his Fuchs Kawasaki teammate, Alex Hofmann to complete the planned test programme alone. The 23-year-old German rider rode a marathon 55 laps at race pace – equivalent to almost three MotoGP races – as he worked to evaluate a number of suspension, tyre and engine options.

With track temperatures approaching 56°C on parts of the circuit, making conditions decidedly uncomfortable for those forced to venture from pit lane, Hofmann ended the final day of testing with a 15 lap endurance run to test fuel consumption around the demanding 5.5km Sepang circuit.

Despite Nakano’s early exit today, Fuchs Kawasaki team boss Harald Eckl felt that the test had been extremely positive; in that it had allowed Kawasaki engineers to quickly pinpoint key areas for improvement as part of the ongoing ZX-RR development programme. Already plans are in place for a further engine upgrade and revised chassis parts to be delivered in time for the Fuchs Kawasaki Racing Team’s next preseason test, scheduled to take place in ten days time at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia.

Alex Hofmann: 2:04.817 – 55 laps
“Today was really tiring, but I’m pretty happy with how things have gone. My time may have been a bit slower than yesterday, but we achieved a better understanding of how we need to move forward with the bike and my pace during the endurance run was good; I managed consistent times on a hard compound tyre that had already done 15 laps before we started. It took me a little time to find my rhythm today, because we were stopping so often to change things, but I guess that’s what we come testing for. I did some runs on some soft compound tyres with different profiles to check endurance for Bridgestone and there is a lot to be positive about on the tyre front. Now I’m off to enjoy a few days holiday in Australia before our next test at Phillip Island.”

Shinya Nakano: 2:04.625 – 15 laps
“I was disappointed with being forced to finish early today, as I really wanted to leave here having improved on my best time with the new engine and fresh tyres. I only had the chance to complete a few laps with the new engine, but it was enough to confirm where the improvements have been made. The latest engine made the bike more stable under braking and on corner entry as well as making it easier to chance direction; it doesn’t seem to ‘push forward’ so much on the brakes anymore. We also made a small change to the front of the bike and that was another step forward. The test may have been cut short, but we now know in which direction we need to move when we get to Phillip Island.”

Harald Eckl – Team Manager
“I’m not unhappy, despite the problems we found today. The minor engine problem which stopped Shinya early can be fixed and finding these things now will help us build for the rest of the year. We leave this test with a clear picture of what the riders need from the engine in terms of power characteristics and we will have another small upgrade ready for the Phillip Island test, which will also give us another reference point for our chassis performance. Tyres are critical in MotoGP now and, although we had a limited supply of some specifications in Sepang, we had consistent results. Both the team, and our tyre partner Bridgestone, head to Phillip Island with a very positive outlook.”

From a press release:

Daytona Party hosted by CherryPickerRacing.com

CherryPickerRacing.com has organized a Daytona Party in Toronto’s west end. Cost is just $10 with all proceeds going to the Canadian National Air Module Fund.

There will be tons of door prizes to be given away, so come watch the race with friends and support a great cause.

The event is is taking place Saturday, March 6th (1:30 p.m. race start) at The Open Cork Eatery and Lounge, 2101 Dundas St. East, Missisauga. (905) 624-9777.

For complete details and a list of the prizes to be given away, go to www.CherryPickerRacing.com

From a press release issued by Honda Racing Information:

MotoGP test Sepang – Malaysia. February 13, 2004

Hayden sounds warning shot out to rivals as Honda’s Sepang test winds down

Factory Repsol Honda rider Nicky Hayden was in fine form on the final day of three at Sepang in Malaysia, improving his previous best lap of the circuit by nearly a second and instilling a good deal of confidence in himself and his team, as he and the other Honda riders move on to Australia for yet another three day test. Hayden was even able to finish early, as all of his Honda colleagues continued until around five o’clock on another scorching day at the equatorial track.

Temperatures were once again hovering between the 32º and 35ºC mark, whilst on the track surface it reached well into the 50ºs. Hayden set his time early morning amongst a clutch of fast laps, whilst his fellow riders improved steadily throughout the day. Max Biaggi, Sete Gibernau, Colin Edwards and Makoto Tamada all joined Hayden under the psychologically fast 2:03 bench-mark, whilst Alex Barros continued with his adaptation to the RC211V after a year’s absence and a shoulder operation, with surprisingly good results.

Nicky Hayden – 2:02.041 41 laps

“I’d be lyin’ if I said it didn’t feel good but I gotta’ remember this is still only practice! It really helps to be comfortable with the team and I think it shows. We’ve done a good job over the last few days and I’m happy. We’ve had a few problems but we are more experienced about fixin’ them now. I’ve never been that good in testin’ – I’m usually best on Sunday so we’re feelin’ positive. The bike feels good – Honda has made a great bike even better over the winter. The 16.5-inch front feels real good – just like I’m used to with a Superbike. I just feel I can be more focussed on ridin’ the bike this year than last. Last year I guess I had some excuses – I was learnin’. This year I wanna’ win races. I’m lookin’ forward to getting’ down to Phillip Island – a track I really like – and getting’ the bike to go fast there. Then back to Europe for more tests; then racin’. Can’t wait.”

Trevor Morris – Hayden Crew Chief

“Put simply, we achieved everything we set out to over the three days . . . and more. Day one was hard – getting back into it and getting used to a slightly different feel to the bike. Yesterday we found a really good base setting and managed to put in some fast laps. Today Nicky went straight out and rode fast and consistently. We now go down to Phillip Island and look to get a good base setting and go fast again – at a track Nicky likes. We’ll then come back to Europe and try to do the same again. We packed up early today because we had done our work early – and fast.”

Max Biaggi – 2:02.108 52 laps

“Another good day for me at this track, I showed I can go fast in these difficult conditions, and consistently too, so that is a good thing. The 16.5-inch front tyre from Michelin gives me a lot of confidence on the front end of the bike, which is so important from the rider’s point of view. I like it a lot! Now the important thing is to repeat this at Phillip Island, it will be good to change the scenery a little bit, and I look forward to testing down there.”

Sete Gibernau – 2:02.496 42 laps

“Every day we’ve been able to do exactly what we want, and also today I’m more than pleased with how things have gone. We wanted to go race distance, or as close as possible, and we actually did the 21 laps easily, and we were quite a bit quicker than in the race here. That’s alone, without the stress and pressure of a race too. That makes me happy, that’s what we wanted. We were putting 2:02s together, and that’s why I’m happy, we want to be there at the first race. I’m still deciding between two sizes of 16.5-inch front tyre, but I did that race simulation with my least favourite so, that’s good.”

Colin Edwards – 2:02.597 33 laps

“When you get with a new bike you start from scratch, and the key is to gather as much information as possible, so that when you get to the first race you know what to do, what to change, what setting you’re looking for. At the moment, I’m just getting that information together, the bank is not full, but it’s getting there. Fabrizio (Cecchini – Chief mechanic) listens to my comments and advises on where to go and it usually improves it so that’s a good thing we’ve got going there. We’re building up the database and we’re getting there.”

Makoto Tamada – 2:02.962 45 laps

“It was a very difficult day today, because I arrived here from Japan with the flu, and today I think was the worst day of the three. I had a little fever, and riding there’s no problem because you are concentrating, but then when you’re sitting around waiting for the bike to be fixed or whatever, it is tiring, and it starts to take its toll. In any case, from the bike’s point of view it’s been a good three days, we’ve worked a lot on the set-up of the 2004 bike, and have learned a lot about it. We can appreciate the different possibilities now, and seen the improvement you can get out of it. I would like to have gone faster if the conditions had suited it, but it wasn’t possible, we’ll see now in Australia.”

Luca Montiron – Team Manager Makoto Tamada, Camel Honda

“This year’s second series of tests has given some good results. Even though Tamada was considerably handicapped by his precarious physical condition, I could see he was really concentrating hard. After the three days investigating the ideal set-up for the bike, and after the forthcoming tests in Australia, I’m hoping that by the time we get to the Catalunya tests we’ll be able to bring our full potential to bear.”

Alex Barros – 2:03.588 53 laps

“For me that was a hard few days; great to be back on a bike after so long away. I’m now sore and tired. We use ice on my shoulder and it helps. My confidence is coming back again and it’s good to be back on the Honda again. Although I have to learn all the reference points again it is a relaxed bike to ride. I have much feeling on the Honda -the tyres, the suspension. I’ve only used the 16.5-inch front a little. Too early to say yet. The set-up is not right but I feel I’m improving with every day. My lap times are constant and they will improve with my fitness. Tendons have to heal naturally so it will take a time to regain 100% fitness and this is the goal for the start of the season.”

Ramon Forcada – Barros Crew Chief

“I am satisfied with the way the new team is working over the past few days. Alex is doing everything we want. Step at a time. The start of the season is still a way off and every day his condition improves. He hasn’t ridden for a long time and it takes time top adjust to a new bike anyway but it has been a useful three days. We move to Phillip Island with a good base foundation and something to build on.”


More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda Racing Information:

Makoto Tamada sixth quickest on last day of tests at Sepang

The third and last day of tests at Sepang ended with Makoto Tamada posting sixth best time in spite of a vexing flu that stretched his physical resistance to the limit. Technicians and rider completed the work of adjusting the settings on the bike, making the potential of the remarkable and significant new adjustment possibilities on the RC211V 2004 quite evident.

Makoto rode constantly in racing configuration on hard tyres and, in the afternoon, he waited until the over 50°C (122°F) ground temperature had gone down a bit before upping the ante. The brief wait towards the end of the afternoon also let Makoto recover some of his energy, for his terrible cold and flu-like state that struck him particularly today naturally had no little influence on his performance.

This second series of tests at the beginning of the year proved to be very positive, letting the technicians and rider appreciate all the excellent new features of this year’s RC211V. Three days of tests will start up again in Phillip Island, Australia, as from next Tuesday.

Makoto Tamada (# 6 – Camel Honda – Bridgestone Tyres)

“The cold that got me when I arrived here from Japan did indeed hit its peak today. It was really a struggle, especially this morning. When you’re riding it’s no problem because you’re concentrating so hard, but when I stopped it hit me hard. Even so, I gave it all I’d got. The more we go round on the bike, the better the feeling I get for it. I waited until the end of the afternoon before aiming for a good time and, considering I was on racing tyres, I must say that, all things considered, I’m pretty pleased.”

Luca Montiron (Team Manager Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda)

“This year’s second series of tests has given some good results. Even though Tamada was considerably handicapped by his precarious physical condition, I could see he was really concentrating hard. After the three days investigating the ideal set-up for the bike, and after the forthcoming tests in Australia, I’m hoping that by the time we get to the Catalunya tests we’ll be able to bring our full potential to bear.”

Times on third day of tests:

Makoto Tamada: 2:02.962
Max Biaggi: 2:02.108

From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

POSITIVE SEPANG TEST SESSION FOR THE DESMOSEDICI GP4

Sepang (Malaysia), 13 February, 2004 – The first testing session for Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss with the 2004 Desmosedici has concluded positively at Sepang, Malaysia.

The aim of the Ducati Marlboro Team was to verify the various technical modifications and developments that make up the 2004 bike. In three days of intense testing, riders and engineers were able to collect the first data on the evolution version of the Desmosedici, and the result is that the bike already appears to be at a competitive level for the start of the season.

The difficult Malaysian track and its sultry weather conditions were a tough test for both the team and riders, as well as the bikes, but they were useful in ironing out all the teething problems for the new machine.

Both Capirossi and Bayliss covered more than 800 kilometres over three days, with grip, braking, power delivery, handling and rider comfort the key areas on which the team worked. The mission was accomplished with regards to ‘rideability’ and comfort, and the indications received will all be useful for the next test session. At the same time the team is carrying on with the development of the 16.5″ front tyre, which was also a feature of this test session

Next week the Ducati Marlboro Team will move to the Phillip Island circuit in Australia for another important test in preparation for the 2004 MotoGP season, which is scheduled to get underway on April 18 at Welkom, South Africa.

Today’s testing took place in identical conditions to the previous two day’s (air 28°-35°; track 34°-52°). Loris Capirossi was able to partly resolve the lack of front end confidence he experienced yesterday with the new 16.5″ front tyre and the Italian completed 46 laps, the best being 2:03.530. “The feeling with the 16.5″ front has improved” commented Loris after the test. “I’m generally pretty satisfied with the way the three days have gone. The bike is going well, we’ve made a lot of progress from last year, in particular traction and power delivery have improved and the bike now handles better and is more comfortable. The Ducati engineers have done a good job over the winter and the bike has a lot of potential!”

Bayliss completed a total of 58 laps, with a quickest time of 2:03.554, which was the Australian’s best over three days and lap after lap, Troy is gaining confidence with the new bike. “I went better than yesterday, even though I thought I could have gone quicker” declared Bayliss. “Considering the fact that these are the first tests, I’m pretty pleased with the way things have gone. The bike is new and we’re just getting used to it. Unlike last year’s bike, you can feel the improvement on this one immediately, and that means we’ve starting off in the right way. Now we’re going to Phillip Island and for sure I’m happy to test on a track I know well, which should help us to get some further indications for the Desmosedici’s development.”

From a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

Foggy PETRONAS Racing riders view new season with optimism

Both Foggy PETRONAS Racing riders Troy Corser and Chris Walker are expecting to capitalise on further progress made on the final day of the official World Superbike championship winter test when the season proper begins in two weeks, also at the Valencia circuit.

Troy finished the three days with the sixth fastest time, but without the luxury of setting his best lap of 1:36.310 on the qualifying tyres used by other riders. For much of the final day, when the rest of the World Superbike field were also using Pirelli race tyres, he occupied third position and was just 0.3 seconds off the pace set by factory Ducati rider, Regis Laconi.

Team-mate Chris also improved his best time to 1:37.287 to finish with the 12th best lap overall, despite a battle to cure a recurring chatter problem on the tyre constructions currently available. And both riders are optimistic that further improvements can be found before the first races on February 29.

Troy said: “In the morning we changed the rear shock a little bit more and that seemed to help, although our track time was reduced through oil spills from other riders. In the afternoon some chatter returned, which might have been due to the falling track temperature. But I know there is a fast lap time in the bike, as I didn’t get a chance to use the qualifiers that the other riders were using to set their best times.

Overall, I am reasonably happy that we have found which Pirelli tyres work better than others. We still have a bit more work to do on the front forks to get a better feel. We have also got a good direction on the rear shock and can still make further improvements for the races.”

Chris said: “I lapped consistently faster all day today but wanted to dip into the 1:36s. But, all in all, we have ended up just outside the top ten despite a few technical problems. Throughout the test we have been working on removing the chatter, rather than concentrating on the ultimate set-up. And I am confident there is still more to come before the race through further development with Pirelli and through more set-up work. If we can start the race where we have left off here, then we shouldn’t be in too bad a shape. The qualifier I tried at the end of the afternoon was on the kind of construction we have been having chatter problems with, and the best race tyre construction we tried lacked a little grip as the track temperature had dropped. But it’s clear some of the other teams are having problems, even without chatter.”

Official WSBK championship test, Valencia, Spain – Final standings

1. Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila) 1:35.393
2. Steve Martin (DFX Ducati) 1:35.574
3. James Toseland (Ducati Fila) 1:36.162
4. Leon Haslam (Renegade Ducati) 1:36.201
5. Marco Borciani (DFX Ducati) 1:36.303
6. Troy Corser (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:36.310
7. Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati) 1:36.676
8. Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda) 1:36.907
9. Sergio Fuertes (MIR) 1:37.023
10. Ivan Clementi (Kawasaki Bertocchi) 1:37.186
11. Mauro Sanchini (Kawasaki Bertocchi) 1:37.281
12. Chris Walker (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:37.287


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

2004 World Superbike Championship
13th February 2004
Winter Test- Ricardo Tormo Circuit, Valencia

TROY SATISFIED

At the end of the official 3-day tests here at Valencia, Troy felt satisfied that he had done all the work that was possible. Although the conditions throughout the three days remained dry and mostly sunny, the changes in temperature affected the team’s tyres more then expected. Troy’s Petronas FP1 bikes also suffered some technical problems and in the end he was only able to put in a total of 91 laps during the three days. With new (Pirelli) tyres this year, Troy felt he needed more time on the bike in order to give Pirelli feedback so that they can develop tyres for the Petronas FP1.

Factory Ducati rider Regis Laconi ended up quickest over the three days, with a lap of 1:35.393. Second is Steve Martin (Ducati) with a lap of 1:35.574, with James Toseland (Ducati) third on 1:36.162.

TROY

I’m reasonably happy with what we have done these three days, but I would’ve liked even more time on the bike. We’ve been working very hard with the Pirelli technicians and have given them lots of information about what we’d like for out tyres. Now we have to wait and see what kind of improvement we can make. I don’t feel that the tyres the twins use are going to be suitable for us, at the moment, so we’re hoping to be able to go quicker next time. Today we also had a couple of engine problems and that kept us off the track more then 5 would’ve liked. But, we’ve made some progress in the suspension department and that makes me very happy. After the first day, former racer (and now Ohlins technician) Anders Andersson came and talked me about our rear suspension. He took away my rear shock and rebuilt it and the next day I felt it was an improvement. Then he made a few more changes and it improved some more. We lost our chatter problems and grip was improved ­ especially in the morning sessions. In the afternoon, we had a bit more problems, but that could’ve been down to the change of temperature. But, at least I thought we were going the right way ­ and that’s good. I hope that we can sort out a couple more things before raceday, but I feel positive.

OVERALL RESULTS
1 Laconi (F-Ducati) 156 laps, best 1:35.393
2 Martin (AUS-Ducati) 117 laps, best 1:35.574
3 Toseland (GB-Ducati) 190 laps, best 1:36.162
4 Haslam (GB-Ducati) 151 laps, best 1:36.201
5 Borciani (I-Ducati) 150 laps, best 1:36.303
6 Corser (AUS-Petronas FP1) 91 laps, best 1:36.310
7 Haga (J-Ducati) 101 laps, best 1:36.676
8 Vermeulen (AUS-Honda) 125 laps, best 1:36.907
9 Fuertes (E-Suzuki) 87 laps, best 1:37.023
10 Clementi (I-Kawasaki) 124 laps, best 1:37.186

TROY CORSER WEBSITE – http://www.troycorser.com

From a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:

YAMAHA FACTORY RACING TESTS
Sepang, Malaysia
Friday, February 13, 2004

YAMAHA FACTORY RACING RIDERS END SUCCESSFUL THREE-DAY TEST IN MALAYSIA

Yamaha Factory Racing’s MotoGP teams concluded a busy three day test in Sepang today with another hot and humid day out on the track. The Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha and Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3 teams will have no time to rest though as they move straight on to the Australian Phillip Island circuit for three more days of testing as of Tuesday 17 February.

Leading rookie of 2003, Honda’s Nicky Hayden, set a hot lap in the morning with a time of 2:02.04 and despite the efforts of his Honda compatriots Max Biaggi, (2:02.10) Sete Gibernau (2:02.49) and Honda new-boy Colin Edwards, (2:02.59) this remained the day’s fastest time. New Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha rider and reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi was fifth fastest again, running once again with the same engine prototype as yesterday, before stopping a little earlier than expected due to a small problem with the new engine spec. His Spanish team-mate Carlos Checa had another good session, building on his work from yesterday refining his M1 set-up. Both Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha riders continued to test new Michelin tyre combinations. Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3 rider Marco Melandri finally found a set-up he felt comfortable with towards the end of the day and team-mate Norick Abe made some progress after a difficult three days. All four riders are now looking forward to riding their YZR-M1 machines at the dramatic Phillip Island circuit, having spent a total of six days testing at the humid Sepang venue already this year.

Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha)47 laps, 2:02.74

“At this test the new engine spec has given us a great improvement because I can accelerate more easily and it gives me more torque from the bottom. This is only the first prototype so for sure there is much more work to do and there is not enough horsepower right now. I think if I had not had to finish a bit early then I could probably have gone faster. Phillip Island will be a very important test because we need to understand how much time the bike takes to set up at a new track; the Yamaha has a reputation for needing a lot of changes each time it moves to a new circuit. But then of course it’s one story when you have three days at a test to work on set-up, and quite another when you have about three hours in a race weekend. For now we will go to Phillip Island with our current settings and see how we get on.”

Jeremy Burgess (Valentine Rossi’s Crew Chief)

“We had to stop earlier than we’d planned due to some gripes with the new engine spec. We had been running close to the limit with some of our parts, but we fully expected this. The biggest step of these three days has been the introduction of the new engine spec and we are very pleased with our progress, however I’m sure the opposition are pleased with their progress too! We’re in front of where the opposition were at the last race here; I know what we’ve got and where we’re going. We’ve made some good laps over the last three days and we have the ability to go further. At this stage it’s no surprise to be taking some steps forward and some steps back but now we’re ready for Phillip Island next week. I already know what we need to alter and so we’ll look forward to trying the bike at a new track.”

Carlos Checa (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha) 79 laps, 2:03.10

“I had high expectations for today and unfortunately didn’t achieve what I was hoping for – to get consistently fast laps. I have improved my time since yesterday and it’s not a bad time but it’s not what we were expecting. We’ve mostly worked on a variety of Michelin tyres today and haven’t made many other changes to the bike. I am looking forward to moving on to Phillip Island because it’s a great track. We’ve been totally focused here and have worked really hard, and will do the same there.”

Davide Brivio (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team Director)

“This has been a good test for Valentino. In three days he’s made more minor chassis adjustments and we have compared the two new engine specs. It is very interesting for him to understand the how the bike reacts to the changes. Both riders have tested new Michelin tyre combinations during the test and we wanted to reconfirm Valentino’s request for future engine development. Carlos improved his lap times, but he was not going out for a hot lap. His times are better than at the race last year, and they were quite good then! Now we will go to Phillip Island and see how the new engine reacts there.”

Marco Melandri (Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3) 59 laps, 2:04.75

“On the second to last lap I started to feel a bit better than I have felt all through this test. To be honest, I had some problems all day, and we have made many changes at this test and not all in the right direction! At about 3pm we found a better way, but we have had six days here now and we are still a long way from where we wanted to be. I was faster at the end and I think that with this setting it will be better next time we come to Sepang. I am glad I didn’t fall off here, I am glad we are going to Phillip Island now and I hope we’ll be better there!”

Norick Abe (Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3) 57 laps, 2:05.04

“I have had quite a rough time here and am not so happy. I used a new front tyre at the start of the day and it began well but by midday I started to lose front feeling. Right at the end we used the same tyre again and made some consistently good laps and I had a much better front feeling. So overall I’m leaving with a better impression than I started with. I have never raced the M1 at Phillip Island as unfortunately I fell off in practice last time I was there, so I am looking forward to riding there next week.”

Herve Poncharal
“Unfortunately this test has not been as good as we had hoped. We expected that it would be an improvement but we could not achieve consistently good lap times. Marco had a good race at Phillip Island last year – maybe the best of his MotoGP career – until he fell, so we are excited about his performance there next week. Anyway both riders did make some improvements towards the end of today’s session, and we’ll make sure they both feel positive next time we come back here!”

From a press release issued by Proforma:

KWS MOTORSPORTS ANNOUNCES MILLENNIUM TECHNOLOGIES SUZUKI ROAD RACING TEAM

KWS Motorsports is pleased to announce their AMA road race team for 2004, which will compete as Millennium Technologies Suzuki in the 2004 AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship. Shawn Higbee returns to the team after finishing sixth in the 2003 AMA Superbike Championship and earning the 2003 AMA Top Superbike Privateer award. For 2004, Shawn will be joined by young-gun Danny Eslick, the 17-year-old road racer and dirt tracker from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

“We are really looking forward to the 2004 season,” said team owner Kevin Hunt. “We had a great year with Shawn, finishing so high in the Superbike championship, and we want to carry that momentum into this coming season. All of our sponsors are back with us in a bigger way this year, and we’re happy to be working with an up-and-coming rider like Danny.”

For 2004, Shawn’s primary focus will be the Repsol Superstock class on the 2004 Suzuki GSX-R1000. Danny will concentrate on the Pro Honda Oils Supersport class on the all-new Suzuki GSX-R600, while also competing in select rounds of the Lockhart Phillips Formula Xtreme series. Owen Garnett will be crew chief while Shane Martinson will look after Shawn’s GSX-R1000s and Charlie Ramirez will take care of Danny’s GSX-R600s.

KWS Motorsports Suzuki is proud to be sponsored by Millennium Technologies, Team Suzuki Sport, KWS Motorsports, Yoshimura R&D, Vortex Racing, Dunlop Tires, Hotbodies Racing Bodywork, Nutec Fuel, EK Chain, Shoei Helmets, Teknic Leathers, Pit Bull Stands, Penske Suspensions, Traxxion Dynamics, Web-Cam, Baker Race Gear, Kaufman Trailers, Inc., HSA and BG Lubricants.

For more information, contact KWS Motorsports at (843) 552-7177 or visit their website at www.kwsmotorsports.com.

From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

LACONI (DUCATI FILA) UPS THE PACE ON DAY 2 OF VALENCIA TESTING

Valencia (Spain), 12 February 2004: Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila) again heads the field as official World Superbike pre-season testing continued in Valencia. The Frenchman, who has been quickest so far in two of the three days of testing, took half-a-second off his best time to end the day with 1:36.01. Ducati Fila team-mate James Toseland was not far behind Laconi, the British rider shaving a further two-tenths of a second off his personal best to record 1:36.63, but he was again edged into third place, this time by Steve Martin (DFX Ducati).

After reaching a satisfactory setting in the morning, Laconi (62 laps today) concentrated on his race simulation in the afternoon but this was interrupted when he went wide. “We did a good job today” declared Regis. “All the laps I recorded during my long-run were in the low thirty-sixes, so I am much happier with my performance now. I’m happy with the feeling I have reached with the 999 and I know we’re going in the right direction. We mustn’t forget the other guys who are close behind, but for the moment I’m pleased with the way the tests are going.”

Toseland (70 laps today), who completed his ‘long-run’ in the morning and then concentrated on general set-up work in the afternoon, was convinced there was more to come once he gets the balance of his 999 right. “I’m pretty happy with the way things have gone so far, but I just need that little bit extra feeling before I can say I’m 100% comfortable with the bike” declared James. “I’m sure there’s more to come at Valencia and I’m just trying to figure out how to get the balance right with the new front forks. This track is really frustrating because the harder you try to go quicker, the slower you go, so you mustn’t be in a hurry to improve.”

TIMES: 1. Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila) 1:36.01; 2. Steve Martin (DFX Ducati) 1:36.28; 3. James Toseland (Ducati Fila) 1:36.63; 4. Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati) 1:36.67; 5. Troy Corser (Petronas) 1:36.76; 6. Leon Haslam (Renegade Ducati) 1:36.88; 7. Chris Vermeulen (Honda) 1:37.20; 8. Mauro Sanchini (Kawasaki) 1:37.28; etc.

LANZI AND GUARESCHI MAKE PROGRESS FOR DUCATI BREIL

Lorenzo Lanzi improved his time by more than half-a-second on the second day of World Supersport testing at the Valencia circuit. Despite a crash in the morning, the 22-year-old Italian finished the day with twelfth quickest time of 1:39.31 in his 43 laps.

The Ducati Breil team were able to note that the direction taken yesterday was the right one and that Lanzi was able to improve his times relatively easily. The brand-new Ducati 749R is a bike that will be making its Supersport debut this year against tough opposition in one of the most hotly-contested championships in world racing.

Ducati Corse tester Vittoriano Guareschi is also contributing to the 749R’s development curve at Valencia, the Italian putting in 36 laps, with a best time of 1:40.47, three-tenths quicker than yesterday. ‘Vitto’ was able to test various suspension settings throughout the day as he tried to gauge the reactions of the 749R to the Valencia circuit.

From a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

FUCHS KAWASAKI UP THE PACE AT SEPANG

Fuchs Kawasaki riders, Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann, again toiled in the heat and humidity of Malaysia during day two of a three day test at the 5.5km Sepang circuit, which is situated on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

As track temperatures soared to more than 55°C during the afternoon, both Fuchs Kawasaki riders managed to overcome the tropical conditions to improve upon their lap times from the opening day of the test yesterday.

Hofmann, now fully recovered from the jet-lag that affected him on his arrival in Malaysia, put an upgraded version of the 990cc, inline four-cylinder Ninja ZX-RR engine to good use, to finish today’s test a full second faster than yesterday. Nakano will test the new engine tomorrow.

Working together with their respective pit crews, the Fuchs Kawasaki pairing spent today evaluating carbon front brake components, swinging arms and rear link options. Nakano also tried revised engine mapping options aimed at improving bottom end response from the engine.

Both Hofmann and Nakano spent most of the afternoon session working closely with Bridgestone as they completed back-to-back runs on a variety of different compound and construction front and rear tyres. Both riders exclusively used Bridgestone’s latest 16.5″ front slick, which has been designed to provide a larger contact patch and improve steering response.

Alex Hofmann: 2:04.568 – 49 laps
“Today was incredibly hot, making it really hard out on the track, but I’m happy to have made some good progress and ended the day a second faster than yesterday. I’m pleased with the fact that I managed to find a good rhythm today, which meant I was lapping consistently in the 2:04 bracket. We’re definitely moving in the right direction with the engine, with the latest modifications making it feel both sharper and faster; it will be interesting to see Shinya’s reaction when he tests it for the first time tomorrow. One of the swing arm options we tried today improved traction under acceleration; an area in which any improvement is more than welcome. My tyre runs were mainly to back up data from the previous test here, although the new profile front felt good. Overall, while I’m happy with how things are going, there is still a lot of work to do if we are to find our optimum set up.”

Shinya Nakano: 2:04.318 – 52 laps
“We had everything under control today and we managed to get through our full test schedule, including trying out some new profile front tyres that showed good potential. My target is to go faster still on the final day of the test, with the aim being to dip into the 2:03 bracket tomorrow. On my final run the revised engine mapping made it easier for me to control rear end slides and wheelies; we’ve been missing some bottom end power. Tomorrow I’m looking forward to testing the latest engine specification and learning more about the characteristics of the Ninja ZX-RR.”

Harald Eckl – Team Manager
“Considering the difficult conditions we’ve been working under I’m reasonably satisfied with the results today, especially Alex’s lap times with the latest engine. Both Alex and Shinya have matched their lap times from the January test and, with a few more things to try on the final day of the test tomorrow, I think the potential to go even faster is definitely there. Tomorrow Shinya will run the latest engine, to back up the data we got from Alex today, and this will be important as we continue our development programme.”