Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

D.F.Xtreme Sterilgarda’s Marco Borciani led Friday morning World Superbike practice with a time of 1:27.868 on his Ducati 999RS.

Renegade Ducati’s Noriyuki Haga was second-fastest with a 1:28.123, in spite of crashing in turn six halfway through the session. Haga appeared to be uninjured in the crash and rode his bike away from the incident.

Armed with new engine parts and last year’s set-up information, Troy Corser was third-quick on the Foggy Petronas FP1 at 1:28.201 and only 3 kph down on the fastest top speed of 243 kph, which was obtained by four riders.

Making his return to action after sitting out with a broken wrist, Steve Martin, Borciani’s teammate, was fourth-fastest with a 1:28.216.

Fila Ducati’s Regis Laconi looked strong in the session until he developed a mechanical problem which appeared to leak fluid onto his rear tire, nearly causing him to highside in turn four. Laconi parked his factory Ducati 999 in the Corkscrew, returned to the pits, took his back-up bike out for the remainder of the session but could not improve on his time.

Kawasaki’s Bertocchi’s Ivan Clementi, sixth-fastest with a 1:28.845, looked like a contender during the first practice.

Laconi’s teammate James Toseland was slightly off the pace, eighth-fastest with a 1:28.907.

Pierfrancesco Chili rode his PSG-1 Corse Ducati 998RS to the ninth-fastest time, a 1:29.014.

Chris Vermeulen, who along with Leon Haslam, is seeing Laguna Seca for the first time, was 10th-quick on his Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR.

Borciani’s 1:27.868 was significantly slower than the fastest time from the first World Superbike practice in 2003, Laconi’s 1:26.429.

All riders in the 2004 World Superbike Championship use the same selection of Pirelli slicks.

There are no Americans entered in the World Superbike races as wild cards.

Friday Morning World Superbike Practice Times:

1. Marco Borciani, Ducati 999RS, 1:27.868
2. Noriyuki Haga, Ducati 999RS, 1:28.123
3. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:28.201
4. Steve Martin, Ducati 999RS, 1:28.216
5. Regis Laconi, Ducati 999F04, 1:28.478
6. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:28.845
7. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 1:28.882
8. James Toseland, Ducati 999F04, 1:28.907
9. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, 1:29.014
10. Chris Vermeulen, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:29.133
11. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:29.275
12. Chris Walker, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:29.280
13. Piergiorgio Bontempi, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:29.498
14. Garry McCoy, Ducati 999RS, 1:29.905
15. Leon Haslam, Ducati 999RS, 1:30.199
16. Jiri Mrkyvka, Ducati 998RS, 1:30.260
17. Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati 998RS, 1:31.029
18. Alessio Velini, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:31.825
19. Horst Saiger, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:32.809
20. Warwick Nowland, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:33.266
21. Miguel Praia, Ducati 999RS, 1:34.209

From a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

Improvements fuel American dream for Foggy

Carl Fogarty is expecting improvements to the PETRONAS FP1 to bear fruit for riders Troy Corser and Chris Walker at the seventh round of the Superbike World Championship at Laguna Seca, USA, this weekend.

His Foggy PETRONAS Racing team have been working closely with the PETRONAS engine development team to maximise the benefits of the latest modifications to the FP1 – the first Malaysian superbike. And, having achieved greater reliability and consistency during the first half of the season, the aim is now to produce the power and torque output necessary to challenge the front-runners on a regular basis.

Carl said: “I am hopeful for top six finishes at this round and at the next round at Brands because the bike should be more on a par with the others at those circuits. We have done a lot of work on modifications to the engine since Silverstone on the dyno and now it is a matter of fine-tuning that work for the track. We will still be down on speed, but it shouldn’t affect us as much as it did at Silverstone, except maybe out of the last turn.”

Both FPR riders have enjoyed previous success at Laguna, a technical circuit situated near the California resort of Monterey, which is the slowest on the calendar with top speeds around the 240kmh mark. Troy was a winner in 1995, 1998 and 2000, while Chris, who is still recovering from the three fractured ribs he sustained at Silverstone, was on the podium last year.

Troy said: “It’s a flowing circuit where the chassis is more important than the engine, especially through sections like the Corkscrew, which I always enjoy. It’s a riders’ circuit, where you have to be spot on where you put the bike in order to get the best out of a lap. We are hoping to have more acceleration at the top end and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be challenging for a top five finish.”

Chris said: “I am really looking forward to the weekend, despite my injury. I have been struggling to sleep, but I should still be around 70 per cent fit. Troy should go really well here and that should help me. I was on the podium last year but Laguna is not a track I have instantly clicked with. Hopefully, it is only a matter of time before I do and the improvements to the engine should help.”

Those improvements include: a revised bell-mouth geometry combined with inlet port changes, providing a smoother power curve; revisions to the exhaust system, with primary pipe cross-overs improving the scavenging of the cylinders at high rpm in order to produce more power and torque; and a new STM slipper clutch, which provides smoother and more precise control on corner entry as well as off the line.

From a press release issued by Dorna Sports:

Losail International Circuit of Qatar officially opened

The Losail International Circuit of Qatar was official declared open in a special ceremony on Friday. In the presence of dignitaries including the Prime Minister of the State of Qatar H.H. Abdullah Bin Khalifah Al Thani, all the Ministers of the Qatari Government, FIM President Francesco Zerbi and Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta, and watched by over 1,500 public spectators, former Grand Prix rider Randy Mamola completed the historic first laps of the circuit aboard the Ducati Desmosedici MotoGP machine.

After Mamola’s inaugurating laps, a further sixty Qatari riders got the chance to ride around the circuit, followed by two stunt riders in a special end to the ceremony which was signalled by a spectacular firework show. The Losail International Circuit will host the thirteenth round of the 2004 MotoGP World Championship, the Marlboro Grand Prix of Qatar, on Saturday 2nd October.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Provisional AMA Formula Xtreme Qualifying Results:

1. Jake Zemke, Honda CBR600RR, 1:27.388
2. Miguel Duhamel, Honda CBR600RR, 1:27.795
3. Ben Bostrom, Honda CBR600RR, 1:28.529
4. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:29.128
5. Alex Gobert, Honda CBR600RR, 1:29.406
6. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:29.582
7. Doug Chandler, Ducati 749R, 1:29.671
8. Larry Pegram, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:30.790
9. Mike Ciccotto, Buell XB9R, 1:30.917
10. Michael Barnes, Buell XB9R, 1:31.317
11. Heath Small, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:31.732
12. Ty Howard, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:32.007
13. Marc Palazzo, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:32.119
14. Tom Montano, Honda CBR600RR, 1:32.735
15. Brien Whitlock, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:33.083
16. Danny Eslick, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:33.419
17. Blake Young, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:33.493
18. Nicky Moore, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:33.797
19. Perry Melneciuc, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:33.847
20. Nathan Hester, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:34.183


More, from a press release issued by Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki:

HASKOVEC ON FRONT ROW AT LAGUNA SECA

Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki opened the Laguna Seca AMA/World Superbike race weekend in impressive style on Friday, especially when considering that the team hadn’t tested at the tricky circuit beforehand while many of their rivals had visited twice prior to this race weekend.

Vincent Haskovec piloted his Michelin slick-shod GSX-R600 to the fourth best time in the day’s Formula Xtreme qualifying session earning the final position on the front row. Haskovec posted a fastest lap of 1:29.127 around the 2.2-mile circuit and was outpaced only by a trio of full-works machines.

“I’m very pleased to have qualified on the front row,” said Haskovec. “We had some problems in the morning practice, but we came back almost a second and a half faster in the afternoon even without using a qualifying tire. I just ran a soft tire to set my fast lap, so I’m happy with how today went on the Xtreme bike.”

Haskovec and his teammate Steve Rapp had a considerably less satisfying time in the Superstock qualifying session. The two ended the session with side-by-side third row grid positions; Haskovec in eleventh at 1:29.919 and Rapp in twelfth at 1:30.098.

Both riders lost valuable track time aboard their GSX-R750s during the session with bike problems. Rapp, looking to make up for lost time, ended up crashing while attempting to put in a flyer on a qualifying tire.

Rapp did fare better on his 600 machine, however, posting the eighth best lap of the day’s single Supersport practice. The Californian clocked a 1:31.483 to rank as the second quickest man on a Suzuki on the day.

Rapp commented, “Superstock qualifying was pretty frustrating today, but we’re not doing too badly on the Supersport bike. We’re right there where we’ve been recently — just behind the top factory guys. We just need to keep improving and start getting in front of those guys more often now.”

Youngster Chris Peris was twelfth best in the Supersport session at 1:32.564. The Canadian focused on learning the nuances of the famed Northern Californian circuit in what’s only his second ever visit to the track.

“Laguna Seca isn’t a track you can just go fast at right from the start,” Peris said. “It’s very technical and it takes quite a bit of track and set-up time to get it right. I’m just going to keep my head down and get as competitive as I can before Sunday’s race.

Saturday will be a packed day for Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki with 17-lap finals in Formula Xtreme and Superstock, along with final qualifying in Supersport.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Provisional Friday Morning AMA Formula Xtreme Practice Times:

1. Miguel Duhamel, Honda CBR600RR, 1:28.219
2. Jake Zemke, Honda CBR600RR, 1:28.828
3. Ben Bostrom, Honda CBR600RR, 1:28.848
4. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:29.849
5. Doug Chandler, Ducati 749R, 1:30.300
6. Alex Gobert, Honda CBR600RR, 1:30.331
7. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:30.553
8. Larry Pegram, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:32.282
9. Mike Ciccotto, Buell XB9R, 1:32.496
10. Marc Palazzo, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:33.026
11. Michael Barnes, Buell XB9R, 1:33.044
12. Ty Howard, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:33.717
13. Brien Whitlock, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:34.820
14. Nicky Moore, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:34.645
15. Thomas Montano, Honda CBR600RR, 1:34.825

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Yamaha’s Jason DiSalvo topped the first AMA Supersport practice, held Friday afternoon at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, but not by much.

DiSalvo’s 1:29.124 put him just in front of Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden (1:29.137) and Yamaha teammate Aaron Gobert (1:29.184), with Hayden’s teammate Roger Lee Hayden (1:29.499) not far behind.

Fifth-fastest in the session was Damon Buckmaster (1:30.360), who found riding his YZF-R6 easier on his still-healing fractured scaphoid bone than riding his YZF-R1 Superstock bike.

The fourth Yamaha rider, Jamie Hacking, who is nursing a freshly-plated 11-day-old broken collarbone, did not ride in the Supersport practice session. Hacking told Roadracingworld.com earlier in the week that Superstock would be his focus, but Yamaha Team Manager Tom Halverson said Hacking may still ride in Supersport.

“Supersport qualifying isn’t even until Sunday morning, after the Superstock race is over. So there’s no sense in risking it right now,” said Halverson.

Provisional Friday Afternoon AMA Supersport Practice Times:

1. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha, 1:29.124
2. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki, 1:29.137
3. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 1:29.184
4. Roger Lee Hayden, Kawasaki, 1:29.499
5. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha, 1:30.360
6. Ben Spies, Suzuki, 1:30.434
7. Michael Barnes, Yamaha, 1:30.727
8. Steve Rapp, Suzuki, 1:31.483
9. Tony Meiring, Kawasaki, 1:31.626
10. Ben Attard, Suzuki, 1:32.112
11. Jeff Tigert, Honda, 1:32.487
12. Chris Peris, Suzuki, 1:32.564
13. Chris Siglin, Yamaha, 1:32.933
14. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki, 1:32.947
15. Jason Perez, Yamaha, 1:32.995
16. Andy Carman, Yamaha, 1:33.061
17. Heath Small, Yamaha, 1:33.427
18. Darren Luck, Suzuki, 1:33.621
19. Alan Schmidt, Yamaha, 1:33.696
20. Nicky Moore, Suzuki, 1:34.471

From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

MAMOLA INAUGURATES LOSAIL ABOARD DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM TWO-SEATER

Qatar’s brand-new Losail MotoGP circuit was inaugurated today with a ceremony that included an amazing fireworks display and a riding demo by former GP winner Randy Mamola aboard the Ducati Marlboro Team two-seater.

Later this year Losail, which has been constructed in a record time of just 12 months, will become the first Middle Eastern venue to host a motorcyling Grand Prix in the 55-year history of the sport. The Marlboro Grand Prix of Qatar – to be hosted on Saturday, October 2 – is the 13th round of the 16-race 2004 MotoGP World Championship.

Today’s ceremony at the track situated outside the capital Doha was attended by several members of the Ducati Marlboro Team who were given the warmest of welcomes, an indication of the huge enthusiasm shown for MotoGP by the Middle East.

“I’m astonished by the wonderful welcome the country has given us, it’s great to be here as a representative of our sport,” said Mamola, who became the first rider to try the track on a MotoGP bike. “There’s no doubt in my mind that our sport needs to be racing in the Middle East. To be the first rider to try the circuit on a MotoGP bike is a great honour for me and the rest of the Ducati Marlboro Team. I’m very impressed, the track is really great to ride. There are some interesting corners similar to those at various different European tracks and there are plenty of good overtaking points.”

Amongst the other special guests attending today’s event were the prime minister of Qatar Abdulah Bin Khalifa Al Thini, FIM president Francesco Zerbi and Dorna president Carmelo Ezpeleta.

The Losail circuit is 5.4km long and 14 metres wide. Its main straight is 1.068km, 20m longer than Catalunya’s, making it the second longest in MotoGP after Mugello. The track has been constructed from special asphalt designed to withstand the high temperatures experienced in the region. During the 12 months of its construction the Losail project has employed between 800 and 1000 people. Construction costs have totalled $52m US dollars.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden earned the pole position for the AMA Superstock race during qualifying Friday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. Riding his factory ZX-10R, Hayden used a Dunlop qualifying tire to turn a 1:26.382, which was not only two seconds under Josh Hayes’ lap record (1:28.598), but also a full second faster than the time turned by provisional World Superbike pole-sitter Steve Martin (1:27.396).

Hayden also earned a bonus Championship point for taking pole position. “For sure, every point you can get is really important. So that was good,” said Hayden, who continues to sit third in the AMA Superstock Championship standings behind Jamie Hacking and Aaron Gobert. “Jamie is not 100 percent. We’re trying to take advantage of that.”

Graves Yamaha’s Jason DiSalvo was at the top of the order when he went out on his third qualifier (which went unused by Hacking), but he was unable to improve on his second-fastest 1:26.669.

“If I had 20 qualifiers I don’t know if I could’ve got that time. My time was good, but Tommy must have nailed that lap!” said DiSalvo.

Hayden’s teammate and younger brother Roger Lee Hayden qualified third with a 1:26.685, said he felt he didn’t use his qualifiers well enough but was excited about starting the race from the front row.

Another member of the Graves Yamaha team, Aaron Gobert earned the last spot on the front row with a 1:26.766.

Jamie Hacking (who is riding with a freshly-plated, 11-day-old broken collarbone) was running well up the order during the session when he crashed in turn three. The crash was a simple lowside, according to his crew, but Hacking landed on his injured shoulder. Hacking looked to be in considerable pain after getting back to the pits.

Hacking’s qualifying time to that point (1:27.212) earned him the fifth spot on the grid.

Hooters Suzuki’s John Haner appeared to have blown an engine on the front straightaway during the qualifying session and pulled off the track near turn one.

Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Steve Rapp crashed his GSX-R750 in turn 10 late in the session. He was uninjured.

With two minutes remaining in the session, all timing and scoring monitors on pit lane and in the media center went blank. Only after the session was over did the times re-appear, with Tommy Hayden overtaking Jason DiSalvo in the qualifying order.

Provisional AMA Superstock Qualifying Results:

1. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:26.382
2. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:26.669
3. Roger Lee Hayden, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:26.685
4. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:26.766
5. Josh Hayes, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:27.212
6. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:27.288
7. Ben Spies, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:28.337
8. Jake Holden, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:29.298
9. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:29.537
10. Geoff May, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:29.603
11. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:29.919
12. Steve Rapp, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:30.099
13. John Haner, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:30.954
14. Alex Gobert, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:31.087
15. Eric Wood, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:31.404
16. Scott Greenwood, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:31.599
17. Corey Eaton, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:31.682
18. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:32.409
19. David White, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:32.629
20. Jesse Janisch, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:32.834

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Yamaha/Graves Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster and Corona Extra Suzuki’s Marty Craggill, both out for several weeks due to injury, will return to action this weekend during the AMA/World Superbike event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Buckmaster, who suffered a broken scaphoid bone in his left wrist/hand in a crash during practice at Barber Motorsports Park in May, will ride even though his fracture isn’t completely healed.

“I just saw (Dr. Arthur) Ting (Thursday morning). He said it hasn’t healed, but it’s healing. So it depends on how you look at it. He said, it’s up to you if you ride or not. I thought I’d give it a go, at least turn a wheel and see how bad it is, especially for Yamaha and Graves. (Ting) is going to bring a brace out, strap it on and see how we go,” said Buckmaster, adding that he will try to ride both his Supersport and Superstock Yamahas.

Out since the California Speedway round of the series in early-April, when he crashed and fractured a vertebra in his neck, Craggill is hoping for a top-10 finish in his return to the Superbike class in spite of being less than 100 percent.

“I have the flu,” said Craggill. “And from the flight, I’m jet lagged, because it was a last-minute thing. I thought I would come back at Mid-Ohio, then the doctor said it was OK to come here. I would’ve liked to have been better prepared physically. There’s nothing like riding the bike anyway.”

Craggill said his long recovery period (three months) was full of delays but was mostly because he wanted to make sure he was completely healed before coming back.