Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Beth Wyse

Tray Batey won the most WERA National Challenge Series races during round five at Grattan Raceway Park in Grattan, Michigan, finishing first in Heavyweight Twins, 750cc Superstock and Formula One.

Batey has been nearly impossible to beat on his Vesrah Suzuki SV1000 in the Heavyweight Twins Superstock class, and the scenario at Grattan was no different as Batey won both the Superstock division and overall. Brian Gibson finished second overall on his Suzuki SV1000 but took home the Superbike division win.

In 750cc Superstock, Batey put his Suzuki GSX-R750 into the lead on the first lap and pulled away to win by 8.753 seconds over John Jacobi, who was also on a Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R750. Formula One was much the same as Batey, again on his GSX-R750, beat Jacobi by 8.748 seconds.

Grattan marked Joe Gill’s return to the WERA National Challenge Series after a two-year absence, and he started things off by winning both 600cc Superstock and 600cc Superbike on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Gill took the lead away from Larry Pegram, who was on a Yamaha YZF-R6, on the final lap of 600cc Superstock for the win. Mark Junge crashed out of an early lead in 600cc Superstock when he hit a damp patch of the track.

Gill won the 600cc Superbike race by over eight seconds.

Triangle Cycles Yamaha’s Pegram was able to win Open Superstock on his Yamaha YZF-R1, edging past Batey on a Suzuki GSX-R750 at the start of lap four. Pegram held Batey off until a red flag ended the race early, on lap eight.

Derek Keyes rode his Suzuki SV650 to the win in both Formula Two and Lightweight Twins Superbike. Keyes got the overall win in Lightweight Twins, as well, while Eddie Kraft earned the Superstock division win on his Suzuki SV650.

Eric Spector crossed the finish line first in 750cc Superbike, but the Suzuki GSX-R750 rider was not credited with the win until he agreed to pay a $100 fine for not having a transponder on the bike. Spector’s other option was to be disqualified.

Water seeping onto the track from rain late last week caused a number of riders to crash, resulting in more crashes than usual in the Expert ranks.

From a press release issued by MSS Discovery:

MSS DISCOVERY’S RIBA MISSES OUT ON THIRD PLACE AFTER CRUEL BLOW

MSS Discovery’s luckless Pere Riba was forced out of third place in round nine of the British Supersport Championship at Mallory Park, Leics on Sunday.

Riba, starting from third place on the grid, rocketed into the leading group at the start of the 28-lap race. By the third lap Riba was ahead of Michael Laverty to take third, only for the machine to stop seven laps later.

“I don’t know what went wrong,” explained Riba. “It’s not the engine but something electrical. It’s really disappointing, I’d gone for a harder compound rear tyre knowing it was a long race so I know there was more to come.

“I’m unhappy for the team too, we’ve had a really good run in the eight rounds before here, retiring from a race is not something you ever want but I suppose it can happen now and then.”

After missing out on a finish in Saturday’s seventh round of the National Superstock championship, MSS Discovery’s Steve Allan suffered further dismay as he crashed out of Sunday’s eighth round.

Allan was holding eighth place when he crashed at the sweeping, right-hand Gerrards corner with eight of the 25 laps remaining.

“It’s a bad end to a bad weekend,” admitted Allan. “I thought everything had picked up for us when we made some changes overnight and I topped the times in the Sunday morning warm-up.

“The crash was simply down to me pushing too hard when I should have settled for a safe finish, it was a big highside though, and hurt! It’s a blow for me and the team but we’ve got five races left so I’m sure I can still get some good out of the rest of the season.”

Allan suffered a broken left collarbone and will now miss next Sunday’s Supersport support race at the Cinzano British Grand Prix. MSS Discovery’s Riba will be the team’s sole entry at Donington Park.

British Supersport Championship, round nine result (28 laps ­ 38.92 miles):

1 Karl Harris, Honda, 25:04.525 ­ 93.12mph
2 Jay Vincent, Honda, 25:04.803
3 Leon Camier, Honda, 25:09.600
4 Michael Laverty, Ducati, 25:17.073
5 Paul Young, Honda, 25:19.408
6 Matt Llewellyn, Ducati, 25:22.022
7 Cal Crutchlow, Honda, 25:24.612
8 Adrian Coates, Suzuki, 25:25.639
9 Tom Sykes, Suzuki, 25:27.525
10 Kieran Murphy, Honda, 25:29.587

Championship points after nine of 13 rounds: 1 Harris 181, 2 Laverty 145, 3 Vincent 117, 4 Pere Riba (MSS Discovery Kawasaki) 101, 5 Simon Andrews (Yamaha) 76, 6 Luke Quigley (Suzuki) 70, 7 Camier 65, 8 Sykes 54, 9 Crutchlow 50, 10 Craig Jones (Triumph) 49.

Next round: Croft ­ August 18.


National Superstock Championship, round eight result (25 laps ­ 34.75 miles).

1 Tristan Palmer, Suzuki, 22:37.785
2 Ben Wilson, Suzuki, 22:38.413
3 Danny Beaumont, Yamaha, 22:38.590
4 Marshall Neill, Suzuki, 22:38.655
5 Howie Mainwaring, Yamaha, 22:45.889
6 John Laverty, Yamaha, 22:47.794
7 Ryan Rainey, Yamaha, 22:48.703
8 Les Shand, Yamaha, 22:53.381
9 Lee Jackson, Yamaha, 22:53.606
10 Craig Fitzpatrick, Suzuki, 23:02.563

Championship points after eight of 13 rounds: 1 Palmer 147, 2 Andy Tinsley (Suzuki) 123, 3 Wilson 119, 4 Beaumont 117, 5 Shand 84, 6 Steve Allan (MSS Discovery Kawasaki) 59, 7 Mainwaring 44, 8 Laverty 39, 9 Kelvin Reilly (Ducati) 38, 10 Neill 37.

Next round: Croft ­ August 15.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

250cc Grand Prix Results From Sachsenring:

1. Daniel PEDROSA, Honda, 29 laps, 41:37.239
2. Sebastian PORTO, Aprilia, -4.279 seconds
3. Alex DE ANGELIS, Aprilia, -16.403 seconds
4. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Honda, -16.769 seconds
5. Randy DE PUNIET, Aprilia, -16.966 seconds
6. Roberto ROLFO, Honda, -18.135 seconds
7. Anthony WEST, Aprilia, -32.141 seconds
8. Fonsi NIETO, Aprilia, -32.766 seconds
9. Franco BATTAINI, Aprilia, -37.726 seconds
10. Sylvain GUINTOLI, Aprilia, -38.088 seconds
11. Alex DEBON, Honda, -50.782 seconds
12. Chaz DAVIES, Aprilia, -50.934 seconds
13. Joan OLIVE, Aprilia, -60.946 seconds
14. Eric BATAILLE, Honda, -62.410 seconds
15. Jakub SMRZ, Honda, -62.527 seconds
16. Naoki MATSUDO, Yamaha, -62.554 seconds
17. Taro SEKIGUCHI, Yamaha, -78.235 seconds
18. Dirk HEIDOLF, Aprilia, -78.386 seconds
19. Erwan NIGON, Yamaha, -81.155 seconds
20. Johan STIGEFELT, Aprilia, -81.574 seconds

22. Toni ELIAS, Honda, -1 lap, DNF, retired
23. Hugo MARCHAND, Aprilia, -10 laps, DNF, retired

28. Manuel POGGIALI, Aprilia, -23 laps, DNF, crash



250cc World Championship Point Standings:

1. PEDROSA, 155 points
2. DE PUNIET, 130 points
3. PORTO, 108 points
4. ELIAS, 86 points
5. Fonsi NIETO, 83 points
6. DE ANGELIS, 80 points
7. ROLFO, 67 points
8. AOYAMA, 64 points
9. POGGIALI, 63 points
10. WEST, 55 points

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP Race Results From Sachsenring:

1. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 30 laps, 42:23.287
2. Alex BARROS, Honda, -0.349 second
3. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, -4.293 seconds
4. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, -4.500 seconds
5. Colin EDWARDS, Honda, -16.137 seconds
6. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, -16.482 seconds
7. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, -18.477 seconds
8. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, -23.335 seconds
9. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, -30.705 seconds
10. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, -40.540 seconds
11. Ruben XAUS, Ducati, -43.712 seconds
12. Jeremy McWILLIAMS, Aprilia, -52.791 seconds
13. Neil HODGSON, Ducati, -53.690 seconds
14. Shane BYRNE, Aprilia, -73.215 seconds
15. Michel FABRIZIO, Harris WCM, -80.050 seconds
16. Chris BURNS, Harris WCM, -1 lap
17. Kurtis ROBERTS, Proton, -4 laps, DNF, retired
18. Marco MELANDRI, Yamaha, -10 laps, DNF, crash
19. Norick ABE, Yamaha, -10 laps, DNF, crash
20. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati, -20 laps, DNF, crash
21. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, -21 laps, DNF, crash
22. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, -22 laps, DNF, crash
23. Carlos CHECA, Yamaha, -26 laps, DNF, crash
24. Nobuatsu AOKI, Proton, -27 laps, DNF, crash

MotoGP World Championship Point Standings:

1. ROSSI, 139 points
2. BIAGGI, 138 points
3. GIBERNAU, 126 points
4. BARROS, 79 points
5. EDWARDS, 75 points
6. HAYDEN, 70 points
7. CHECA, 62 points
8. MELANDRI, 57 points
9. CAPIROSSI, 55 points
10. TAMADA, 54 points
11. TIE, XAUS/ABE, 41 points
13. NAKANO, 36 points
14. Kenny Lee ROBERTS, 29 points
15. HOFMANN, 24 points
16. BAYLISS, 23 points
17. HODGSON, 18 points
18. HOPKINS, 14 points
19. BYRNE, 12 points
20. McWILLIAMS, 10 points
21. FABRIZIO, 8 points
22. AOKI, 6 points
23. Andrew PITT, 2 points
24. Kurtis ROBERTS, 1 point

More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:

ROSSI REINFORCES CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AT SACHSENRING

Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha rider and reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi entered today’s German Grand Prix in Sachsenring with a share of the World Championship lead, finally finishing in fourth place. After a dramatic and changeable race, he now carries a single point advantage over race winner Max Biaggi (Honda) to the next round at Donington Park in one week’s time.

Rossi’s fourth place came after an incident-filled race, and his team mate Carlos Checa was one of many riders who did not make the finish. The Spaniard tumbled out on lap five, shortly after passing a string of riders. Rossi encountered his own challenges in the final laps, running wide on two corners and experiencing a violent weave as he tipped into the fast left hand curve at the top of the hill, losing places on each occasion.

Rossi chased the eventual race winner Max Biaggi in the early laps, sitting second and harrying his fellow Italian throughout. Sete Gibernau (Honda) closed in on the pairing until he fell from third place on lap eight, allowing fellow Honda riders Nicky Hayden and Alex Barros to move in on the act. Rossi broke Biaggi’s lead on lap 16, 0.7 seconds ahead at one stage, heading the order for a total of six laps. The young Italian’s challenge for maximum points faded, however, when he lost places consecutively to Biaggi, Barros and finally Hayden.

Rossi hounded Hayden right up to the finish line to take 13 valuable Championship points. The Yamaha rider now sits on a total of 139 points, with Biaggi on 138 and Gibernau on an unchanged 126 in third. Checa lies in seventh place with 62 points.

VALENTINO ROSSI (4th, 42:27.787)

“It’s a real shame that I fell off in Rio because I could have been 14 points ahead now. We made changes to the set-up before the race because we understood what the problem was at that time. The bike was going really well but the tyres were wearing on the left hand side and I would have risked crashing if I had pushed any harder. It was difficult to steer the bike towards the end. Honda has made another step forward and we are a bit behind. We need at least another race to make improvements, however we have still taken a present of some points today. Life is always a surprise. Max did really well and this has turned out to be one of Honda’s tracks. Our bike consumed the tyres more than the Hondas here.”

CARLOS CHECA (DNF, fell on lap 5)

“I lost the front but I was already on the gas. I simply did not have enough traction and I was carrying a lot of lean angle, so there was just not enough contact. It was my mistake. I need to be able to feel when I am on the limit but in a race situation this is not always easy to judge. I’m looking forward to Donington and I think we have taken a lot of good things from this weekend.”

DAVIDE BRIVIO – TEAM DIRECTOR

“Today we made some progress, and Valentino was good. He was fighting for more than half the race in front, keeping pace with Max and it was a perfect strategy. He passed Biaggi and tried to make a break but then in the last laps he could not keep the pace. This fourth place is very important when you look at the championship. We are back on top alone, even if only by one point. Carlos was going very well, as he did in morning warm up. In the race he was ready to stay with the top group. It’s a big shame he fell off. During the weekend we made some good progress with our set-up. We have little time to think about this weekend now because we go straight to Donington.”

More, from a press release issued by John Hopkins’ publicist:

CHEMNITZ, Germany (July 18, 2004) – It was a good day in Germany for John Hopkins and for Suzuki.

Hopkins, the 21-year-old Californian, took ninth in Sunday’s German Motorcycle Grand Prix on the Sachsenring circuit. It marked the first top-10 finish of the season and his best result since taking a seventh at Jerez, Spain, early in 2003. Hopkins finished directly behind teammate Kenny Roberts, Jr., putting both factory Suzuki GSV-Rs in the top 10.

Hopkins came into Sunday’s race having suffered an allergic reaction to a bee sting prior to Saturday’s qualifying session. He ended Saturday in a medical care center with an IV in his arm to treat the swelling in his left hand. Hopkins said the medicine caused some difficulties in getting a full night’s sleep, but he reported his hand was 100 percent better by race time.

Hopkins was happy with his result in Germany.

“We finally got into the top-10,” said the third year GP rider. “I didn’t get a great start and that cost me early in the race. I was trying to work my way through the field and I got stuck behind (Troy) Bayliss. He has totally different lines and his Ducati had just enough power to make it really tough to pass. He lost the front end and went down. Then I had a clear track and turned some good laps in the 24s. I caught up to a big group of riders that were having a good battle.”

The race was marked by high attrition and one of the accidents nearly caught up Hopkins.

“(Marco) Melandri high-sided and hit (Nori) Abe,” Hopkins explained. “I had to sit up and wait for the bikes to slide off the track. I then had a good little race with Kenny, but the charging I did to catch the group earlier in the race used up my tires a bit and I started to get a front end push. I had a big gap back to Alex Hofmann, a lot of people were going down and I didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks trying to pass Kenny so I brought it home in ninth.”

Hopkins doubled his world championship points and jumped up to 18th in the standings. He’s hoping the finish in Germany will propel him to even better results in the near future.

“Everything is starting to come together,” Hopkins said. “We’re going to build on this top-10 result and hopefully shoot for a top five at Donington next week”

The second half of the MotoGP season kicks off next weekend, July 25, at the British Grand Prix in Donington Park.

More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:

NAKANO AND HOFMANN DELIVER SEASON BEST RESULT

Brilliant performances by Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann delivered a season best result for the Fuchs Kawasaki team in their home race at Sachsenring.

For the first time in two days there were smiles in the Fuchs Kawasaki pit box, to celebrate both riders finishing in the top ten for the first time this season.

Nakano was a fast-finishing seventh, just over two seconds behind fifth placed Honda rider Colin Edwards, while team-mate Hofmann was tenth.

In his home race 24-year-old Hofmann, the only German rider in the top flight MotoGP series, equalled his previous best MotoGP result, which he scored as a wild card at Sachsenring two years ago.

The result was a dramatic turnaround, after engine and set-up problems during Friday’s first practice and qualifying sessions cost the team valuable time.

However, both Nakano and Hofmann delivered superb, come-from-behind race performances to back-up the technical revisions made to their bikes on Saturday.

Nakano dropped from fifth on the grid to 12th at the end of lap two, after making a poor start. Just before the lights went out to start the race Nakano was distracted by liquid that had spilled onto his right boot, and he was uncertain if either water or oil may be leaking from his bike.

Having established his bike was running perfectly, Nakano began his surge forward. He caught and passed Suzuki rival Kenny Roberts on lap 18 for ninth position, which placed him in a tight group battle that included Makoto Tamada, Marco Melandri and Norick Abe.

Nakano narrowly avoided being involved in the spectacular crash that ended Melandri’s and Abe’s race, and finished strongly over the final laps for seventh place.

Hofmann also started slowly from 16th and ran wide during a crowded first lap on the tight Sachsenring circuit. That put him behind Spaniard Ruben Xaus, and it was lap ten before Hofmann found a way through on the difficult-to-pass track.

Free of bike problems, Hofmann rode fast and consistently over the next 20 laps, to secure a deserving tenth place finish. A capacity crowd of just over 93,000 spectators watched a race run in sunny and warm conditions, with a track temperature of 34 degrees.

Shinya Nakano: 7th
“This is a good result, which I did not really expect after the first day at the track. Even after qualifying my technicians were making a lot of changes to the bike, so I must thank them for their hard work and dedication. On the start line I looked down and saw liquid on my right boot and lost concentration just as the lights went out. I was back in 12th and just kept pushing until I was able to pass Roberts on the Suzuki, and then I had some luck when Melandri and Abe crashed right in front me. It’s great to see the team so happy after the problems we had on Friday and Saturday.”

Alex Hofmann: 10th
“I’m happy for the first time this weekend, and it is such a good feeling to be top ten again at my home race. I didn’t make a fast start and lost two places on the first lap, and then I took at least eight laps to get past Xaus; it took too long, and by then the group in front of me had opened a gap. I just concentrated on getting a good result to try and make up for the all the troubles of the previous two days. I wasn’t very confident after qualifying, but this shows that you should never give up in racing.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“I am absolutely delighted with the performance of the riders and the rest of the Fuchs Kawasaki team today. As always in racing you have to finish to be in the points, and both Shinya and Alex in the top ten is an excellent result considering the problems we have overcome. Friday was almost completely lost and our technicians made major revisions to the engine management components – plus chassis set-up – on Saturday. This result is because of all that hard work.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Biaggi back in the title hunt after Sachsenring win

Max Biaggi lies just one point behind MotoGP World Championship leader Valentino Rossi after taking his first win of the season at the Veltins Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, where Rossi took fourth place and Sete Gibernau crashed out for the second Grand Prix in succession. In another sensational race which marked the halfway point of the season, Alex Barros challenged Biaggi all the way to the line and clinched second place, with Nicky Hayden completing an all-Honda podium after passing Rossi in the closing stages and holding off a late attack from the World Champion. Gibernau’s crash sees him slip to third in the championship, twelve points adrift of Biaggi, and the Italian made no attempt to quell his delight.

“This is a fantastic result for me and really important for the championship,” said Biaggi, who had not won since October 2003 at Motegi. “It was a tough race because there are no long straights here to relax on and 30 laps of constant corners is hard work. But we did a good job here and I have to say thanks to my team and to Michelin. Now we have to keep working like this for the rest of the season.”

Gibernau’s crash came on the ninth lap of a hectic opening half of the race, with compatriot Carlos Checa having slid out of third place in front of him just four laps previously. Loris Capirossi provisionally moved up into what seemed to be a jinxed final podium position before also crashing out, with Marco Melandri adding to the crash tally with a spectacular high speed fall which also took out his team-mate Norick Abe.

The chaos aided Hayden’s charge through the field, with the American youngster recovering from twelfth place on the first lap to move up to third by lap ten before being joined by Barros in the hunt for breakaway leaders Rossi and Biaggi. Rossi led for six laps but began to encounter tyre problems as he tried to escape in the second half of the race and was powerless to resist the attacks of Biaggi, Barros and Hayden.

Colin Edwards clinched fifth place in the decimated field to hang on to fifth in the championship despite the growing threat of Hayden, with Makoto Tamada recovering from a bad start to make it five Hondas in the top six. Shinya Nakano took his best finish of the season in seventh place, just ahead of Suzuki pair Kenny Roberts and John Hopkins, with Kawasaki team-mate Alex Hofmann completing the top ten to the delight of the capacity 93,408 home crowd.

Dani Pedrosa strengthened his grip on the 250cc World Championship with the third win of his rookie season in a dominant performance. The young Spaniard took the lead on the second lap and immediately set a lightening pace to break up a tight lead group, with only Sebastian Porto able to give chase. Toni Elias crashed out as he also tried to push, leaving a fight for the final podium position between Alex De Angelis, Roby Rolfo, Hiroshi Aoyama and Randy De Puniet. Pedrosa’s pace was too hot for Porto and the pair both ran solitary races to the top two positions, with De Angelis sealing his first podium position in the class ahead of Aoyama. Fifth place for De Puniet means he now lies 25 points adrift of Pedrosa in the championship, with Porto a further 22 points behind in third.

Like Biaggi in the premier-class, fellow Italian Roberto Locatelli demonstrated that his championship challenge is far from over with his second victory of the season in the 125cc race. Locatelli burst from the second group in the final stages of the race to contest victory with Hector Barberá, Pablo Nieto and Andrea Dovizioso after Marco Simoncelli was ruled out of the fight for victory with a ride through penalty for overtaking under a yellow flag. Barberá eventually claimed second place, with Nieto edging out Dovizioso by 0.009 seconds for the final podium slot. Locatelli moves back ahead of Barberá to second in the championship by two points, with Dovizioso hanging on to his series lead by seven.

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

Fantastic victory for Max at the Sachsenring

It was a second consecutive victory for the Camel Honda team today. After Makoto’s win in Rio this time it was the turn of Max on the tortuous twists of Sachsenring, at the exact halfway point in the 2004 season. Once again there was a yellow RC211V ahead of the rest and this time it shoots Max to within a point of the championship lead at this crucial stage of this fantastic season. Alongside Max’s victory came a solid 6th place for Makoto Tamada, making a fightback during the race, and this completed a positive day for the Camel Honda team.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“I’m delighted, it’s the second consecutive triumph for the Camel Honda team and the first for Max this year. It’s a fantastic reward for the entire team and for Honda, Camel, and all our partners. I want to thank every single person in the Camel Honda team, they have all done a brilliant job. Now the championship is entering a really important phase. Max is just one point off the top, and today’s victory is an important confidence boost for Max and for the team, and we will continue to work immediately as we prepare for the British race in a week’s time.”

Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin Tyres) – 1st – 42:23.287
“This is an incredibly important victory that I dedicate to a person that I shared a garage with for a year and a half, Antonio Cobas. I have wanted to dedicate a race to him for a long time, but I never got the chance: it needed to be a triumph. I’m obviously delighted, these 25 points change the standings and they fire us into an important second half of the season, which should be very hard fought. For this reason it’s better to keep our feet on the ground and to continue to work as we have done so far. The bike is improving, the relationship with the team is unbeatable and with both Honda and Michelin we are working superbly. The whole weekend went well, from the work we did on Friday, Saturday and also in the warm up this morning. I worked then on the suspension for the second half of the race, which I was more interested in. In fact, when Valentino passed me, I gritted my teeth and waited to attack. I caught my breath for a couple of laps and then returned the favour by waiting for a moment of weakness. Then on the last lap I closed all the doors on Barros, I didn’t want to lose it in the last metres after such a great race, that would have been awful. And it all paid off.”

Gianluca Montiron – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada Team Manager)
“Makoto made a good comeback through the race today, making sixth by the finish line after having crossed in 17th place after the first lap, and being unable to give 100%. Makoto said he had some chattering problems in the rear tyre that the technical staff are looking at now. We gave everything we could in the situation we were in, and we will certainly do better next week. I’m happy about Max’s important victory and for the all-Honda podium.”

Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone Tyres) – 6th – 42:39.769
“I tried to fight back as much as possible, but there were a lot of crashes in front of me. I think I did well considering the shape we were in, and it was a good duel with Colin Edwards. In the end he was stronger and if I’d have tried any harder to go past him, for sure I would have ended up crashing out. We need to understand the rear tyre vibrations that also made the front unstable too. Anyway, it was a great race, and I like the track a bit better now.”

More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda/Gesini Racing:

SETE CRASHES AGAIN, GOOD 5th POSITION FOR COLIN

Sete Gibernau fell for the second consecutive race in the German GP. The Telefonica Movistar Honda MotoGP rider lost control of his front wheel on the eighth lap when placed third behind Max Biaggi and Valentino Rossi. Sete cut a dispondent figure as he made his way to the box, but team-mate Colin Edwards rode a good race to finish fifth after starting on the fourth row.

SETE GIBERNAU (fell): “There’s not much I can say now. We had another good weekend until the final part. I want to try and take it calmly, analyse excatly what happened and leave Germany remembering that there is still a lot of the championship left and hope that my bad luck will come to an end at Donington. It’s going to be very important to recover mentally, to arrive in England thinking that nothing has yet been decided and that we can continue to be strong.”

COLIN EDWARDS (5th, + 16.137): “Yesterday we found a good set-up for the race but, even so, we made a few small changes which I felt better with in the warm-up. I got a good start and tried to push forward, but the traffic got in my way. The front end dtarted to tuck from the third lap and it was really difficult to control the bike through turns 5, 6 and 7. I would like to be fighting for the podium but after starting from so far back, fifth place is a good result.”

FAUSTO GRESINI (Team manager): “It is Sete’s second consecutive crash and the truth is that it doesn’t help at a time when it is important to score points, but that’s racing. Now we have to analyse why it happened and keep working as we have done up to now. There’s no need to give up, we have lost a battle but not the war. We are still in with a great chance in the championship and, even though this is a tough time, I have confidence in the team and I’m sure they’ll be back where they belong”.

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI MARLBORO OUT OF LUCK AT THE ‘RING

Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss had high hopes for today’s German GP at the Sachsenring but both men were out of luck, tumbling out of a crash-strewn race that claimed a total of seven victims, almost one-third of the original grid. None of the riders were badly hurt in the accidents, which were attributed to the track offering less grip than it had throughout the five practice, qualifying and warm-up sessions.

Despite the Ducati Marlboro Team’s luckless day – its first double DNF since last year’s French GP – the squad leaves Germany convinced that it is continuing an upward trend in performance. Both Bayliss and Capirossi had been amongst the fastest riders in race trim on Friday and Saturday, further confirmation that the factory’s new Twin Pulse engine is improving machine performance.

“That was a very disappointing race,” said Ducati Marlboro Team director Livio Suppo. “All weekend both our riders had run a very good race pace, which made us very confident that we could run close to the front. And that’s exactly what Loris was doing – he was third and less than two seconds behind the leaders when he slid off. Troy had a bad start and was recovering from that when he fell. The track had less grip than at any other point of the weekend, there were many more crashes than is usual. But despite today’s result, we showed that we are competitive again, and that’s the most important thing.”

Today’s race, watched by 93,000 fans, was won by Max Biaggi, the Italian’s first win of 2004 bringing him to within one point of series leader Valentino Rossi, who could only manage fourth.

CAPIROSSI THIRD, THEN FALLS
Loris Capirossi was riding a storming race when he fell at one-third distance while chasing the leaders. The Ducati Marlboro Team man had worked his way up from seventh on lap one to move into third on lap nine when joint World Championship leader Sete Gibernau slid off ahead of him. The next lap Capirossi was also down, between turns 1 and 2.

“I was going okay,” said Capirossi, somewhat bemused by his crash. “I was running a fast pace and when I saw Sete fall I knew I was third, just a couple of seconds behind Max and Valentino. I was trying to catch them when I lost the rear. That’s racing.”

BAYLISS’ HOPES SPOILED BY TUMBLE
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss had set a superb pace in qualifying, running always very fast in race trim during all the practices and in the Sunday morning warm up. The Australian was confident of achieving his best result of the year so far. But it was not to be. A bad start left him 13th at the end of the first lap and he slipped another place on the next lap before starting a steady recovery. Then he fell on lap 12 at the last curve before the straight.

“I didn’t feel good on the bike this afternoon,” explained Bayliss. “I didn’t feel the same as I’d felt in practice and qualifying, then the bike let go. I’m not happy.”

More, from a press release issued by d’Antin Ducati:

Mission accomplished

The Sachsenring circuit saw an exciting race today in which the d´Antin MotoGP team met their objectives and continued to pick up vital championship points. After a tough time in qualifying both Hodgson and Xaus prepared for their first race at the tight and twisty circuit with the intention of scoring top fifteen finishes, with Rubén crossing the line eleventh and Neil two places behind.

The result means the Spaniard and the Brit both gain a place in the championship, with the next round at Donington Park in a week’s time.

RUBÉN XAUS : “I am happy, although I know it could have been better. I was losing eight tenths in one section of the track and I couldn’t work it out in qualifying. If I hadn’t had problems in that section then I’m sure I could have been fighting for seventh or eighth. But I finished well, I wasn’t tired and I gathered experience. Basically, it was a tough race but I finished and I scored points. After getting through Brazil and Germany, I’m looking forward to getting back to more familiar surroundings at Donington.”

NEIL HODGSON: ” It was a tough race and a difficult weekend, like Brazil. In the twisty section of the circuit it was hard for me to steer the bike where I wanted to but that is a problem we’ve had all weekend and we knew that our objective today was to finish the race and score points. We’ve managed that and know I can say that I know this circuit, although I have suffered over the last two races. The next one is my home race and I am looking forward to getting to Donington.”

LUIS D´ANTIN : “This was a new circuit for both our riders and it was almost as tough as Brazil, but both Neil and Rubén are riders who know how to get the most out of themselves in any situation and today their sights were fixed on finishing in the points. They are both getting over obstacles and I think we have to be satisfied and think about the next race, which will be really important for the whole team and especially for Neil.”

More, from a press release issued by MS Aprilia:

Brave McWilliams claims best yet for Cube

MS Aprilia Racing rider Jeremy McWilliams rode through the pain barrier in today’s sun-soaked German GP to claim his best MotoGP result of the 2004 season.

The British rider finished in 12th place as he overcame excrutiating pain from a back injury suffered in a crash yesterday to score points for the third successive race. McWilliams doubted whether he’d be fit to ride his three-cylinder Cube machine over 30 punishing laps as he hardly slept overnight as a result of the final qualifying tumble. McWilliams had been stuck on the back by his bike yesterday afternoon, but with typical grit and determination, he battled on and was rewarded with Aprilia’s second best result of the year in front of 93,000 sun-drenched fans.

Jeremy said: “That really was hard work because physically I’m a bit beaten up. I have to say a big thanks to Doctor Costa because he worked wonders on me. Last night I didn’t think I could race. I didn’t get much sleep because I’d taken such a big bash on my back. The race was tough because the one tyre I really liked I was told wouldn’t last the race distance by Michelin. The tyre I liked I’d been doing consistent 1.25 laps on in qualifying, and was doing those times after a 20-lap endurance run which is the longest I’ve done on the Aprilia. In my condition, I was happy to let Michelin make my choice. Considering my condition I’m happy to have scored some more points and finished top British rider. I’m sure I’ll be feeling better next weekend for my home race at Donington, which is obviously a big weekend for me.”

Shane Byrne scored two world championship points as he finished in 14th position after what proved to be a tough race for the reigning British superbike champion. Plagued by a front end traction problem, Shakey said: “This circuit is all about being confident in the front end. Going through the downhill section at the start of the lap, the front just kept washing out. There is nothing else I could have done to go one-tenth faster. If I had have done I would have crashed. I have just to re-group and get myself ready for my home race at Donington.”

Today was the first time this season that both McWilliams and Byrne have finished in the points together, highlighting the hard work and effort Noale engineers have been putting in to improve the Cube.

More, from a press release issued by Proton Team KR:

Proton Riders find bad luck in Germany

Nobuatsu Aoki: DNF – crash
Kurtis Roberts: DNF – retired

Proton Team KR riders Nobuatsu Aoki and Kurtis Roberts both failed to finish in today’s German GP, with Aoki crashing out early in the race, and Roberts pitting towards the finish to retire, after running in to several problems that conspired against him after earlier battling for a position in the points.

Aoki’s crash came eight minutes and three laps into the race, after a good start saw him swapping places with World Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson’s Ducati. The rueful Japanese ace, unhurt in the tumble, admitted later that his strong start had tempted him to “push too hard”.

Roberts had been running well, holding his place in a battle for the last championship points. Then a wheel vibration and clutch problems slowed his progress, and he pulled into the pits with four of the 30 laps remaining.

It was a disappointing end at a twisty circuit that minimised the developing Proton KR V5’s top speed deficit, and played to the good handling of the state-of-the-art chassis.

The race was watched by a massive crowd of more than 93,000 people, basking in hot sunshine and packing the grandstands of the Sachsenring circuit, the shortest track of the year, built to replace the classic public-roads circuit last used for GPs in the Seventies.

It was won by Max Biaggi (Honda), the Italian rider’s first win of the year. Title rival and defending champion Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) could manage no better than fourth, while erstwhile points leader Sete Gibernau (Honda) was won of a number of riders to crash out on the tight bends.

Nobuatsu Aoki
My race seemed to be going okay. I got a good start, and once I passed Hodgson’s Ducati I thought I might be able to battle with him for the race. Actually, that was not the case, and I think I pushed too hard. The back end slipped away and I crashed.

Kurtis Roberts
Early in the race, my engine developed a misfire, with the ignition cutting out at high revs. That was gradually getting worse, then with 17 laps to go I started to get a vibration as well. Then the clutch started to go. When I got into Turn One and I had no lever left, I was pretty sure that with all the problems I wouldn’t ge

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

1. Alex DE ANGELIS, Aprilia, 1:25.236
2. Sebastian PORTO, Aprilia, 1:25.277
3. Daniel PEDROSA, Honda, 1:25.633
4. Toni ELIAS, Honda, 1:25.930
5. Roberto ROLFO, Honda, 1:25.977
6. Manuel POGGIALI, Aprilia, 1:26.024
7. Randy DE PUNIET, Aprilia, 1:26.091
8. Naoki MATSUDO, Yamaha, 1:26.195
9. Franco BATTAINI, Aprilia, 1:26.256
10. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Honda, 1:26.300
11. Sylvain GUINTOLI, Aprilia, 1:26.413
12. Dirk HEIDOLF, Aprilia, 1:26.511
13. Alex DEBON, Honda, 1:26.519
14. Joan OLIVE, Aprilia, 1:26.530
15. Fonsi NIETO, Aprilia, 1:26.723
16. Chaz DAVIES, Aprilia, 1:26.728
17. Anthony WEST, Aprilia, 1:26.798
18. Alex BALDOLINI, Aprilia, 1:26.868
19. Jakub SMRZ, Honda, 1:27.290
20. Taro SEKIGUCHI, Yamaha, 1:27.403


Final Combined 250cc Qualifying Results:

1. S.PORTO, 1:25.078
2. A.DE ANGELIS, 1:25.236
3. R.ROLFO, 1:25.386
4. R.DE PUNIET, 1:25.535
5. D.PEDROSA, 1:25.633
6. M.POGGIALI, 1:25.652
7. T.ELIAS, 1:25.719
8. F.NIETO, 1:25.783
9. N.MATSUDO, 1:26.195
10. F.BATTAINI, 1:26.256
11. S.GUINTOLI, 1:26.260
12. H.AOYAMA, 1:26.300
13. A.DEBON, 1:26.353
14. A.WEST, 1:26.405
15. D.HEIDOLF, 1:26.511
16. J.OLIVE, 1:26.530
17. C.DAVIES, 1:26.714
18. A.BALDOLINI, 1:26.720
19. Klaus NÖHLES, 1:26.795
20. Hugo MARCHAND, 1:27.133

From a press release issued by Corona Extra Suzuki:

CORONA EXTRA SUZUKI WELCOMES BACK JIMMY MOORE

Jimmy Moore, who won back-to-back national SuperStock championships for Corona Extra Suzuki in 2001 and 2002, will return to AMA competition with the team. Jimmy, whose ambition to win a 3rd straight title was dashed in a freak Turn One incident at Brainerd in 2003, feels ready to resume racing. He’ll rejoin the fray at Road Atlanta and race the Corona Extra Suzuki GSX-R1000 SuperStock bike in the final two rounds of AMA Championship racing. Jimmy said; ” I am really pleased to be back on Corona bikes. I feel strong enough to race at Mid-Ohio but don’t want to come back until I’m 100 percent. If I wait until Road Atlanta, it’ll give me almost two months of lifting weights and riding my dirt bike so I can be as ready as I’ve ever been!”

Needless to say, the Team’s stoked to have the former champ heading back to Corona. Team principal Landers Sevier said; “We can’t wait to get Jimmy back on the bike. We’ve got a bunch of lost time to make up since Brainerd last year – Jimmy won a load of races for us before and we can do it again! Look for fireworks in Braselton, GA!

Look for Jimmy in the final four rounds of AMA Superbike as well. He wants all the track time he can get and both Road Atlanta and the final at V.I.R. are Superbike double-headers so he can get plenty of practice and back up to speed!

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Saturday’s MotoGP Qualifyng Results:

1. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 1:22.756
2. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 1:22.840
3. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, 1:22.961
4. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 1:22.969
5. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 1:23.009
6. Alex BARROS, Honda, 1:23.154
7. Carlos CHECA, Yamaha, 1:23.336
8. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati, 1:23.372
9. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 1:23.475
10. Colin EDWARDS, Honda, 1:23.583
11. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 1:23.622
12. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 1:23.623
13. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 1:23.732
14. Marco MELANDRI, Yamaha, 1:24.075
15. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 1:24.172
16. Norick ABE, Yamaha, 1:24.356
17. Ruben XAUS, Ducati, 1:24.377
18. Neil HODGSON, Ducati, 1:24.599
19. Nobuatsu AOKI, Proton, 1:25.038
20. Michel FABRIZIO, Harris WCM, 1:25.310
21. Kurtis ROBERTS, Proton, 1:25.478
22. Shane BYRNE, Aprilia, 1:25.614
23. Jeremy McWILLIAMS, Aprilia, 1:26.341
24. Chris BURNS, Harris WCM, 1:26.665


Final Combined MotoGP Qualifying Results:

1. M.BIAGGI, 1:22.756
2. V.ROSSI, 1:22.840
3. Kenny ROBERTS, 1:22.961
4. S.GIBERNAU, 1:22.969
5. S.NAKANO, 1:23.009
6. A.BARROS, 1:23.154
7. C.CHECA, 1:23.336
8. T.BAYLISS, 1:23.372
9. N.HAYDEN, 1:23.453
10. L.CAPIROSSI, 1:23.475
11. C.EDWARDS, 1:23.583
12. J.HOPKINS, 1:23.622
13. M.TAMADA, 1:23.623
14. M.MELANDRI, 1:23.692
15. N.ABE, 1:24.151
16. A.HOFMANN, 1:24.172
17. J.McWILLIAMS, 1:24.322
18. R.XAUS, 1:24.377
19. N. HODGSON, 1:24.599
20. N.AOKI, 1:25.038
21. M.FABRIZIO, 1:25.310
22. Kurtis ROBERTS, 1:25.478
23. S.BYRNE, 1:25.614
24. C.BURNS, 1:26.665


More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:

NAKANO SETS HOT PACE FOR FUCHS KAWASAKI AT HOME

Fuchs Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano equalled his season best qualifying performance, with the fifth fastest time for tomorrow’s German Grand Prix; the eighth round of the MotoGP World Championship.

Under hot blue skies, with track temperatures of 35 degrees, Nakano blazed his Ninja ZX-RR to a second row starting spot, finishing just a quarter of a second off pole position.

Nakano carved 1.7s off yesterday’s disappointing qualifying time, after revised front suspension, engine and gearbox settings cured most of the problems he experienced on day one.

Making the most of a near-perfect lap with just 12 minutes remaining, Nakano posted the fastest time to briefly hold the pole position, and it took a record-breaking run of laps by his rivals to bump him to fifth.

Nakano’s qualifying time was a massive 2.5s faster than the best time by a Kawasaki at this event last year, and further evidence of the dramatic performance progress of the on-going Kawasaki development programme.

Fuchs Kawasaki team-mate, Alex Hofmann, also made a dramatic improvement by slicing 1.8s from his Friday time, although his performance potential is not reflected by his starting position.

Sixteenth on the grid has not pleased the determined 24-year-old German rider, who has his own high expectations for his home Grand Prix. Niggling engine dramas yesterday cost Hofmann valuable track time, and then in this morning’s practice session a minor electrical problem delayed his progress further.

The dramas were compounded in qualifying, with the unexpected appearance of rear end chatter which upset his rhythm.

Hofmann’s crew worked without a break today to overcome the problems, and will continue the search for solutions in tomorrow’s pre-race warm-up session. Nakano’s second row starting position is significant on the tight and difficult-to-pass Sachsenring circuit, which the popular Japanese rider rates as one of his favourites.

With a 24 lap tyre endurance run completed today, Nakano is confident that, with a good start, he can challenge for a repeat of his podium success at this race in 2001.

Shinya Nakano: 5th (1:23.009)
“For sure I’m much happier than yesterday. The front end chatter is now almost gone and, with a standard specification motor in my bike, I was able to push really hard today. I briefly had pole, and that was a good feeling, but the race result is what I’m chasing, and with a good start I think I have a chance to be at the front; it is very hard to overtake here. On my fast lap I was able to stay with Rossi’s Yamaha, but more importantly, I have done 24 laps on a race tyre today with very consistent times.”

Alex Hofmann: 16th (1:24.172)
“Time is my big enemy here. I lost most of yesterday because of engine problems, and two hours today was just not enough time to find a comfortable set-up and overcome further problems. It seems like everything has happened at once. The engines were running better today, but now I have some rear end chatter. The bike is jumping around at the back. I came looking for a good result in my home race, but it’s going to be a tough one.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“This is a much better performance after yesterday’s problems, and is the result of a lot hard work by everyone in the Fuchs Kawasaki team. I must congratulate Shinya on another brilliant qualifying performance. However, for Alex, sixteenth is not a position he deserves; his potential is much higher and the problems are not of his making. Our engine specification today was more suited to this track, although we are still in a development stage, and understanding our problems will help us move forward at an even faster rate.”


More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Biaggi repeats Sachsenring pole

Max Biaggi repeated his grid position from one year ago at the Veltins Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, securing pole position with a lap which was almost a second inside his previous pole record at the Sachsenring circuit. Biaggi set his fast lap with ten minutes of the session still remaining in temperatures around 10ºC higher than yesterday, with thirteen riders coming within a second of his time in a tense finale but none of them able to dislodge the Italian from top spot.

“I am quite satisfied and quite happy because being in pole is always a good feeling,” commented Biaggi, who became the first man ever to lap under 1:23 here with a lap of 1:22.756. “From yesterday we have improved a lot. Basically the set-up makes the bike a lot more controllable over the bumps and I feel good about that. I went out on a qualifying tyre, put my head down and gave 100 per cent and it was a very good lap.”

Valentino Rossi was one of three other riders to break the 1:23 mark, closing to within 0.084 seconds of his great rival with a late charge on the Yamaha. Suzuki rider Kenny Roberts followed the Italian on his best lap and crossed the line just metres behind with the third fastest time of the session to seal his second consecutive front row start after taking pole in the last round in Brazil.

The third rider was Sete Gibernau, currently tied on points with Rossi at the top of the championship, although the provisional pole holder has to settle for a second row start in tomorrow’s race after qualifying fourth fastest on the Honda.

Shinya Nakano made it four manufacturers in the top five, equalling his best qualifying performance on the Kawasaki after leading the session just seconds before Biaggi’s decisive effort. The second row is completed by Alex Barros, who looks certain to use a new exhaust system, fitted to his Honda for the first time this weekend, in tomorrow’s race.

Several late time attacks suffered from the increased track temperature at the end of the session – most notably from Carlos Checa, Troy Bayliss and Nicky Hayden, who all struggled to maintain their pace in the fast final sections of the circuit and had to conform with third row starts in that order.

Makoto Tamada’s last lap was even less fortuitous, the race winner from the last round at Rio falling from his Honda as he battled for a second row position and qualifying down in thirteenth. John Hopkins suffered an allergic reaction to a bee sting just moments before the session and, unable to receive antihistamine treatment at such short notice due to doping regulations, battled bravely to qualify one place ahead of Tamada in twelfth.

Sebastian Porto hung on to pole position in the 250cc class despite failing to improve his time as the temperatures continued to rise on a hot afternoon. In fact, there were barely any changes to the provisional quarter-litre grid, with rookies Alex de Angelis and Dani Pedrosa both gaining one position to move up to second and fifth respectively but the rest of the front two rows remaining untouched.

De Angelis’ time relegated Randy De Puniet to the outside of the front row in fourth place, the Frenchman heading straight for the Clinica Mobile at the end of the session after appearing to injure his knee in a heavy crash. Meanwhile, series leader Pedrosa moved to the head of a second row which also features Manuel Poggiali, Toni Elias and Fonsi Nieto.

In the 125cc class Andrea Dovizioso took advantage of Hector Barberá’s failure to improve his provisional qualifying time to dislodge the Spaniard from pole position. Dovizioso improved Barberá’s best time from yesterday by 0.034 seconds to secure the front slot on the starting grid in the absence of Casey Stoner, who set the fastest time in the morning practice but crashed moments later and broke his collarbone, ruling him out of tomorrow’s race and almost certainly out of the next round at Donington Park in a week’s time.

Barberá, who trails Dovizioso by eleven points in the championship, hung on to second spot despite the best efforts of local favourite Steve Jenkner, who moved up to third place. Fellow veteran Mirko Giansanti continued his current run of form, picking up the final front row slot in fourth.


More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:

ROSSI TO START FROM FRONT ROW AT SACHSENRING

Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Carlos Checa earned themselves a first and third row start respectively after an intense final qualifying session at Sachsenring today, with Rossi just missing out on pole position by 0.084 seconds.

Rossi, a winner of four MotoGP races so far this year, was one of the last riders to make significant improvements in his lap time from Friday, jumping into second place behind eventual pole position man Max Biaggi (Honda), thanks to a personal Sachsenring best of 1:22.840. Such is the pace of improvement this season that almost one second has been taken off the circuit best lap time, a significant amount at this largely tight and twisty circuit.

For Checa, another late charger up the order today, seventh means a third row start, but the Catalan rider feels confident in his race set-up after much hard work in finding optimum settings to tackle the tricky Sachsen circuit. Checa’s time of 1:23.336 was only 0.580 from pole, even though he lost time at more than one point on the 3.671km lap.

With no fewer than 14 riders within one second of Biaggi’s pole time of 1:22.756, final qualifying was a melee in the final few minutes, with four different manufacturers’ machines represented in the top five starting positions.

VALENTINO ROSSI (2rd, 1:22.840)

“I made one little mistake at the last corner and lost some time. A 30-lap race with so many riders within one second of the pole time is going to be very hard. I expect it to be a big battle at the front. It’s good to be on the front row especially as it’s so difficult to overtake here. We’ve worked hard and solved some problems with the rear. For me Max has slightly better rhythm than me here and he will get a good start from pole. Tyre choice will be really important but I hope to have a good battle with Max. Because the Yamaha is quite difficult to slide here with the wider tyres, it feels wild, and I think I need a lion tamer!”

CARLOS CHECA (7th, 1:23.336)

“I am satisfied with the pace today, it was not bad at all. At the end with a soft tyre fitted, we lost some tenths and that was just enough to stop us from getting a starting position on the first or second row. Anyway we cannot expect to improve that much in one day, as everyone else is also pushing hard. For the race I know my limitations, I know it will be hard but we are not so far away. With a good start we can be competitive and we can stay inside the fight.”

DAVIDE BRIVIO – TEAM DIRECTOR

“Final qualifying was better for us than the last races and for Valentino to start on the front row is really good. He has a very good pace and I believe we can be with all the other riders. There will be a lot of them close together at a track like this but with a good start Valentino can stay in front. Seventh was a good result for Carlos as there is so little time between the top riders here. He also has a good pace and I’m sure he can stay in the top places.”


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

Max Biaggi takes pole at Sachsenring

The first pole of the season came for the Camel Honda team today, at the hands of Max Biaggi. The four-time World Champion, who also took pole last year here at the Sachsenring, repeated the feat, taking around a second off his 2003 time, with a fast lap set ten minutes before the end of the qualifying session and which guarantees him a 56th career pole position start.

The Camel Honda team RC211V performed perfectly and the good work done over the last two days of practice showed with this impressive result, an important achievement at a track such as this one, where starting from the front row is undoubtedly key. In 13th position on the grid, Makoto Tamada showed some good potential during the practices, but just moments from the end of the session he had an innocuous crash which left him with no options of improving his grid position for tomorrow’s race. Makoto has a slight bruise on his right hand which shouldn’t pose a problem for tomorrow’s race.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“I’m delighted to have got the team’s first pole of the year, and I’m happy also because the set-up isn’t just good for one lap and Max has been regularly quick with an incredible rhythm. The practices on these two days at Sachsenring are the best we’ve done all year, and with the weather remaining good we could would constantly towards today’s great result. Tomorrow’s going to be a difficult race, there’s nothing to choose between the top riders, and I’m hoping for a hard fought race. Makoto’s crash was a real shame because he wasn’t able to show the good work he had done by having a good grid position. I’m sure that he’ll go well in the race. I have to thank Honda, Max and the whole team for the great work they’ve done. Also a big thanks to Camel and all the team’s partners for the crucial support they give us.”

Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin Tyres) – 1st – 1:22.756
“I’m really happy with how my bike is running, we’ve done some good work here, all of us; my team, Honda and Michelin. We began well yesterday, even though provisional ninth on the grid didn’t show it. Today we perfected the set-up in the points on the track that required it, and so we were able to take this great “pole”, which is so important on a track where being at the front is vital. In comparison to yesterday we have improved the stability of the front end and this gives me a lot of confidence in the fast turns where there are a lot of hidden bumps. Tomorrow the race will be very tough because we’re all close together, but at least we know that we can be at the front, fighting for victory.”

Gianluca Montiron – Camel Honda – (Makoto Tamada Team Manager)
“Makoto showed his great potential over these two days of practice in Germany, and it’s shame he crashed out in the last few minutes of the qualifying session, because it meant he couldn’t back up his work with a good grid spot. Makoto perhaps just pushed a little too hard in the delicate part of the corner and he crashed out at turn eight with the front going out from underneath him. Today’s practices also allowed us to test lots of different settings on the bike, but perhaps we haven’t got the balance perfect yet. Nevertheless I’m confident about the race, Makoto is a tenacious rider, and we will get his hand checked in the clinic so he is ready for the race.”

Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone Tyres) – 13th – 1:23.623
“The front went out from below me and I crashed. It’s a shame because I was doing my best to show the good work we’ve done so far this weekend. I’m not in a great grid position, but I know how to claw back positions. The race will depend upon the temperature of the asphalt, because it has varied enormously over the two days. I am in good shape though, and I hope to show this in the race.”


More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda/Gresini Racing:

SETE CONFIDENT IN RACE PACE

Sete Gibernau will start the German Grand Prix from the second row of the grid tomorrow after being outdone in the final qualifying session by Max Biaggi, Valentino Rossi and Kenny Roberts. The Telefónica MoviStar Honda rider pushed until the final minute of the two hours of practice today, completing an endurance test in the morning and improving his race rhythm at a circuit where every tenth is vital. In the afternoon the Spaniard completed work to refine the setting of the bike, aimed at finding a compromise between the slow and fast sections. Now Sete is hopeful of fighting for victory once more as he starts from fourth on the grid. Colin Edwards lowered his time from yesterday by nine tenths and improved his feeling with the bike. The American is hoping to get a good start and make up the rest in the race.


SETE GIBERNAU (4th, 1:22.969): “I am optimistic about the race because once again the team have prepared well. I would have liked to be on the front row because it is difficult to overtake at this circuit, but we are all very close. In the morning we did an endurance and it didn’t go badly at all. We wanted to do another in the afternoon but a couple of things cropped up which set our plans back and we had to sort them out, which we were able to do. In the warm-up we have to pick up from the end of today’s session and then get a good start in the race. From there it will be a long and hard race for everybody”.


COLIN EDWARDS (11th, 1:23.583): “We found a good compromise with the setting of the bike in the morning and in the afternoon we made a few changes which improved things even more. The feeling is good and the bike is running well but I need to make the most of the qualifying tyres to get a better position on the grid. It’s really important to get a good start at this circuit because it’s so tight and twisty and, personally, I’ll have to be aggressive on the first few laps to try and get in touch with the front group, although I know it is tough to overtake here.”


FAUSTO GRESINI (Team manager): ” We have worked a lot on the set-up of the bikes and we’ve found a good compromise. Sete improved his time from yesterday and, although he missed out on the front row, I am not worried because he has a good rhythm. Colin has also improved but he needs to find some more solutions in the warm-up”.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

ROBERTS ON FRONT ROW IN GERMANY
Team Suzuki Press Office, Sachsenring, Germany – Saturday July 17, 2004.

Team Suzuki MotoGP rider Kenny Roberts Jr will start tomorrow’s German GP from the front row of the grid for a second race in succession after placing third in baking sunshine in today’s final qualifying session.

Roberts, World Champion in 2000, was on pole position for the previous round, the Rio GP, and today set a lap time barely two-tenths slower than pole position to secure another front row. The position is especially important at this short and twisty track where overtaking is very difficult.

Kenny cut his fifth-placed time yesterday by more than seven tenths of a second, even though he ran off the track on his fastest lap, losing some tenths as he recovered.

Team-mate John Hopkins dropped to the fourth row of the grid after an unlucky encounter with a bee 30 minutes before the session began. He was stung on the hand and an allergic reaction caused severe swelling, making it difficult to hold on to the handlebars. Even so, the plucky Anglo-American managed to cut his time set yesterday, although he dropped from seventh position to 12th.

Team physiotherapist Dean Miller explained Hopkins’ problem. “He was stung on the middle finger of his left hand and had a local anaphylitic reaction, which caused a lot of swelling. In the session, we concentrated on trying to keep it under control so he could ride the bike and straight afterwards we took John to the medical centre so he could be treated. He should be fine for tomorrow.”

Today’s final qualifying session took place under almost cloudless skies in hot sunshine with 26 degrees ambient and a scorching 34 degrees track temperature.

KENNY ROBERTS Jr. – Third position, 1:22.961:

“The usual type of thing; I was just trying to get in a good position for the race. We got a lot of good guys behind us so I need to get the best start I can and follow the leader, as you do here. We had chatter yesterday and it’s still there, but we improved it quite a bit. We did eight or nine laps on a race tyre and it felt pretty consistent and hopefully it will keep consistent for the race. On my qualifying lap, I had a good lap going and then coming down the hill, I ran off the track in fifth gear. I just saw my data and it was 225 kph – off the kerb and onto the grass for about 20 metres. It was sideways and when I came back it was trying to get out from underneath me. So I kind of gave up on the lap … just finished off the last two corners. And it was a 22.9 – so the section times are going to be quick.”

JOHN HOPKINS – 12th position, 1:23.622:

“About a half-hour before the session I came through the tunnel on my scooter into the paddock and I felt something on my hair, so I took off my hat and as I grabbed it, a honey-bee stung me on the finger. I’ve only been stung a couple of times before and I have an allergy so my finger swelled up. I tried to ride, but spent most of the session trying to get comfortable, with Dean strapping my hand and trying to reduce the swelling. I really wanted to better my time, but on one lap, my hand almost fell off the bar then I had another lap going well and I got held up behind Bayliss, which cost a couple of tenths. I tried again but it just wasn’t happening. Today, looking at Kenny’s time, I think the front row was possible, but the dice didn’t roll for me. It was bad luck but we have good bike settings and we’ve found a race tyre. Tomorrow I’ll be ready to race and to try to make up the places I lost on the grid.”

KEVIN SCHWANTZ – 1993 World Champion:

“I was here a year ago and if I had to put a figure on how much better the bike is now, I’d say it’s probably a third better. It probably still has 20 or 25% still to go. It’s not rocket-fast in a straight line, though that’s not so noticeable here. But the basics are a whole lot better, in the way the bike steers, and how it finishes the corner. As a rider, you can make it as bad as you want, but it takes a lot of confidence and finesse for these guys to make it as good as it can be. Kenny’s doing a real good job. John’s still a bit banged up, and then he got stung by a bee! A lot of luck you create for yourself, but some good luck would really help both riders, John more than Kenny right now.”

GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager:

“We would like to thank Doctor Costa for his prompt intervention before and after the session.”


More, from a press release issued by John Hopkins’ publicist:

HOPKINS 12TH IN GERMAN GP QUALIFYING DESPITE BEE STING

CHEMNITZ, Germany (July 17, 2004) – Suzuki’s John Hopkins qualified 12th for Sunday’s German Grand Prix with a lap of one minute, 23.622 seconds on the 3.7 kilometer Sachsenring circuit, but he was lucky to be on the bike at all. A bee stung Hopkins on his left middle finger about a half-hour before the session. Hopkins, who is allergic to bee stings, suffered a severely swollen hand. He spent most of the qualifying session working with his trainer trying to tape is hand so he could ride the bike with some comfort.

After the session Hopkins was rushed to the medical center to have an IV administered. World Championship officials had to sign off on Hopkins’ treatment, which involved a mild steroid to reduce the swelling of his hand.

Doctors told Hopkins that his hand should be better by Sunday and that he should be able to race without complication. He is scheduled to receive a check-up at the medical center Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m.

In spite of the freak situation Hopkins’s qualifying session on Saturday was an improvement from Friday’s session where he clocked a 1:23.753.

He was classified seventh after Friday’s qualifying.

“I knew I was in trouble when I got stung,” Hopkins said. “My finger immediately ballooned up. It made it really to work the clutch. It was disappointing because I had a feeling that we’d have a really good session today. Little things like this seem to keep holding me back, but the doctors told me that I should be ready to go tomorrow.

“We’ve got a good race set-up so I’m confident that if this swelling goes down I should be in a position for the race.”

Hopkins said the way his hand is tape looks pretty strange.

“It’s my middle finger so I’m walking around here looking like I’m giving the finger to everyone,” he joked.

On Sunday Hopkins will start from the outside of row four alongside fellow American Colin Edwards.

Sunday’s race promises to be an exciting race. The top 14 qualifiers are all covered by less than one second.

Hopkins’ qualifying for this years German GP was a major improvement over his qualifying result at the Sachsenring last year where he was 22nd. He went over two-and-a-half seconds faster this year than last.


More, from a press release issued by Ducati:


Marlboro Ducati men on the race pace

Ducati Marlboro Team riders Troy Bayliss and Loris Capirossi this afternoon qualified their Desmosedici GP4s on the third and fourth rows of the grid for tomorrow’s German GP. The pair ran strongly in the stifling heat, and although their qualifying positions weren’t as good as they might have liked, both men know they have a very strong race pace, which bodes well for the race. But much will depend on the start because the Sachsenring is a tortuous track, around which overtaking is more difficult than any other venue on the MotoGP calendar.

“We’re happy because both Troy and Loris are very fast in race conditions, which makes us confident for the race,” said Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli. “Our only concern is the start, since both riders will need to make good getaways, so they don’t lose too much time in the first couple of laps. Troy was exceptionally fast on race tyres, the second fastest of the day. We’ve been making as few changes to the bikes as possible, just small changes because both riders are happy with the general set-up and we don’t want to keep making changes which can affect their confidence in their bikes.”

Max Biaggi took pole position at the head of a tightly packed grid. Just 0.936 seconds covers the fastest 14 riders which suggests a thrilling race ahead.

Bayliss looking good in race trim
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss rode a superb final qualifying session this afternoon, bettering his fastest Friday lap time while running race tyres, then moving into the top four after fitting his first qualifying tyre. Bayliss, equipped for the first time with two Twin Pulse bikes, eventually ended up eighth, in the middle of the third row. His best lap was just 0.6 seconds slower than pole.

“We’ve been going pretty good since I first hopped on the bike yesterday,” said the Australian, who was third here last year. “And my best lap might have been better, but I had to pass Shane Byrne in a bad spot when he was on his out lap, not that it was his fault. It’s looking good on race tyres. We’ve been playing with the suspension a bit, just a click here and a click there to get me comfortable, even though the Twin Pulse motor doesn’t really use the suspension any different to the old motor. We’ve just been looking for a bit more corner-exit grip and we’ve improved that today. Ever since Le Mans we’ve not needed to change the set-up much, it’s been pretty good for the last few races, we’ve just not been getting the results. I’m really looking forward to the race.”

Capirossi tenth and expecting a good race
Loris Capirossi ended the day just 0.7 seconds slower than pole, but in today’s frantic final qualifying session that was only good enough for tenth place. Unusually, the Ducati Marlboro Team rider decided to swap bikes just before starting his final qualifying runs.

“We were making a lot of minor adjustments to my set-up during the session,” explained Capirossi. “But I still didn’t feel 100 per cent happy with my number-one bike, so I swapped to my other machine for the final ten minutes. Then I was a little worried that I might not have enough time to fully exploit my qualifying tyres, so maybe I was a little nervous on the bike. Anyway, I’m expecting a good race tomorrow, and it should be exciting too because everyone is so close on times.”


More, from a press release issued by MS Aprilia:


Tough day for Aprilia duo in Germany

MS Aprilia Racing rider Jeremy McWilliams will start tomorrow’s German GP at the Sachsenring from 17th position despite suffering a heavy fall in final qualifying.

The British rider was on his fourth lap of this afternoon’s decisive session when he crashed his Cube three-cylinder going through the uphill left-hand turn 10. Unfortunately, McWilliiams suffered a back injury when he was struck by his machine in the gravel trap, but he is confident that he will be fit to take his place on the middle of row six for tomorrow’s 30-lap encounter.

The knock to the left-hand side of his back is not thought to have re-broken any of the ribs he damaged earlier in the season at the Italian GP in Mugello. But he was due to attend the circuit medical centre for further precautionary checks later on today having been given the all-clear following an earlier examination. The setback forced McWilliams to sit out the remainder of the session, and he dropped three places down the order from his provisional time of 1.24.322s. He said: “I don’t think anything is broken but it is not very easy to breathe. It seems each time I crash I get hit on the left hand side of my back. Something is clicking in there and it is not easy to lean back, but I will have a go in the race. I was trying a different tyre and I don’t think we can put enough force into that particular tyre. When it feels like you are ready to go, it lets go. I wanted to ride again in the session but I got a hole in my leathers. By the time I’d been checked out by the doctors it was too late to change and go back out.”

Team-mate Shane Byrne will start three places further down the grid in 20th position, though he is confident of

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Saturday’s 125cc GP Qualifying Results:

1. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Honda, 1:27.836
2. Steve JENKNER, Aprilia, 1:27.881
3. Mirko GIANSANTI, Aprilia, 1:28.030
4. Pablo NIETO, Aprilia, 1:28.061
5. Marco SIMONCELLI, Aprilia, 1:28.106
6. Julian SIMON, Honda, 1:28.202
7. Hector BARBERA, Aprilia, 1:28.213
8. Gino BORSOI, Aprilia, 1:28.404
9. Roberto LOCATELLI, Aprilia, 1:28.448
10. Mika KALLIO, KTM, 1:28.542
11. Jorge LORENZO, Derbi, 1:28.577
12. Youichi UI, Aprilia, 1:28.582
13. Simone CORSI, Honda, 1:28.942
14. Sergio GADEA, Aprilia, 1:29.055
15. Fabrizio LAI, Gilera, 1:29.098

Final Combined 125cc GP Qualifying Results:


1. A.DOVIZIOSO, Honda, 1:28.596
2. H.BARBERA, Aprilia, 1:27.870
3. S.JENKNER, Aprilia, 1:27.881
4. M.GIANSANTI, Aprilia, 1:28.030
5. P.NIETO, Aprilia, 1:28.061
6. M.SIMONCELLI, Aprilia, 1:28.106
7. J.SIMON, Honda, 1:28.202
8. Y.UI, Aprilia, 1:28.333
9. G.BORSOI, Aprilia, 1:28.404
10. R.LOCATELLI, Aprilia, 1:28.448
11. M.KALLIO, KTM, 1:28.542
12. C.STONER, KTM, 1:28.570
13. J.LORENZO, Derbi, 1:28.577
14. L.PESEK, Honda, 1:28.882
15. S.CORSI, Honda, 1:28.942

From a press release:

Reg Pridmore announces a new Sportbike Club

“Team Legend 51”- The Ultimate Litre Bike Club.

SANTA PAULA, CA July 17, 2004 – As a fine wine gets better with age, three time AMA Superbike champion and AMA Hall of Fame member Reg Pridmore keeps coming up with tasty ideas to make the sportbike community a better place to be. He is launching an exciting new sport bike club especially for 1000cc sportbikes called Team Legend 51. The club is designed for an exclusive limited membership of litre bike riders from around the US to ride, race and share the camaraderie of like-minded riders.

Beginning in 2005, Reg is planning a series of track days for Team Legend 51. The club events would be focused around track days at Infineon, Willow Springs, Laguna Seca, Mid Ohio and Barber Motorsports Park. The track days will be planned near the AHRMA events at most of these tracks and they will also be planned just after CLASS Schools at the respective venues.

As anyone who has been to a CLASS Motorcycle School knows, Reg runs a top quality professional operation. “As I’ve gotten older my desire is to have things a cut above in every respect and that has led me to form this exclusive litre sport bike club. I have had a lot of contact from CLASS students and racers alike who feel they might like to go out and have some fun with the team. Our track days would not only be a good time to assess rider ability, but also to nurture riders with a big twin (or a triple) and a desire to join me in doing some very innocent yet serious “Sound of Thunder®” racing in 2005 with AHRMA (American Historic Racing Motorcycle Assn). I’m thinking of maybe a 6 or 8 man team including myself on my RC51. The races would not be contested for championship points but purely for fun”.

But the club is not all about racing. Since it will be limited to 151 members, there will be some members who join to ride the tracks and just to share the camaraderie and excellence this selected group of riders will contain. Riders with litre sportbikes of all brands are welcome.

You can find out more about Team Legend 51 at www.teamlegend51.com or contact Reg at CLASS Motorcycle Schools.

Reg Pridmore has been teaching motorcyclists of all skill levels how to ride quickly, safely, and smoothly since 1974. CLASS (California’s Leading Advanced Safety School) was founded in 1986 and is conducted at leading racetracks around the country, from March through November. For more information, call (805) 933-9936 or visit www.classrides.com .

Reg’s newly published book Smooth Riding – The Pridmore Way is available all over, including at his CLASS website and through Whitehorse Press (www.whitehorsepress.com)

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Saturday Morning 125cc GP Practice Times:

1. Casey STONER, KTM, 1:28.181
2. Hector BARBERA, Aprilia, 1:28.195
3. Mirko GIANSANTI, Aprilia, 1:28.209
4. Jorge LORENZO, Derbi, 1:28.289
5. Pablo NIETO, Aprilia, 1:28.300
6. Julian SIMON, Honda, 1:28.315
7. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Honda, 1:28.353
8. Steve JENKNER, Aprilia, 1:28.464
9. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Aprilia, 1:28.469
10. Youichi UI, Aprilia, 1:28.629
11. Mike DI MEGLIO, Aprilia, 1:28.648
12. Gino BORSOI, Aprilia, 1:28.717
13. Marco SIMONCELLI, Aprilia, 1:28.745
14. Fabrizio LAI, Gilera, 1:28.867
15. Imre TOTH, Aprilia, 1:29.051