From a press release issued by HMC Milwaukee Ducati:

HMC DUCATI MILWAUKEE RACING BIT BY ELECTRONIC GREMLINS

HMC Ducati Milwaukee Racing – June 29, 2004

HMC Ducati Milwaukee Racing, located at www.hmcracing.com, experienced the first bad break of the season, which derailed the team’s outstanding results of late.

The Ducati Motor Holding (DMH) factory-backed Formula Xtreme 749R Dark racer found the mark right off the transporter by running an outstanding 1:39.576 in practice. Radar guns stopped Doug Chandler at 173mph and change; good enough for second quickest in class.

“We are showing gains with our program week in and week out, and then the electronic gremlins bite us.” stated Mitch Hansen, team owner. “When we qualified on Friday the bike wasn’t 100%; even so, Doug placed the race bike on the front row in third position. During the race the bike wouldn’t pull. We were down 3,000 revs so Doug pulled it in. There wasn’t any reason for us to stay out.”

Electronic bugs wrecked havoc on the team the entire weekend. After the race the team packed up the ECU (computer brains), wiring harness, and sensors and sent them off to Ducati for analysis.

“We have not had time to workout all the bugs,” Hansen commented. “We expect that we will be ready for our next race at Laguna Seca and give them a run for their money.”

Look for Doug Chandler signing autographs at the HMC Ducati Milwaukee Racing transporter at Laguna Seca. Fans can win a Doug Chandler t-shirt by registering at www.hmcracing.com

More, from a press release issued by Buell:

BARNES PUTS BUELL SIXTH AT BRAINERD AMA FORMULA XTREME

Kosco Buell Rider Cracks Top-Ten in Season Points Despite Missing First Two Rounds



BRAINERD, Minn. (June 26, 2004) – Kosco Buell/Innovative Motorcycle Research rider Michael Barnes had his best result of the season with a sixth-place finish aboard his Buell Firebolt at the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme race during the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship Series at Brainerd International Raceway. The strong showing moved him into ninth in points.

Barnes qualified ninth for the event and despite a bad start in the 13-lap race, moved up steadily on the high-speed, three-mile-long road course as others faltered.

“We’ve got good momentum right now,” said Kosco Buell race manager Rich Cronrath. “We’ve finally got a good baseline and we’ve made some real progress. Consistency is the key and our best finishes are ahead of us.”

Hal’s Performance Advantage Buell rider Mike Ciccotto had a disappointing weekend at Brainerd. Mike qualified 12th due to some fuel injection mapping issues, but had the bike dialed in for the race. He got a fantastic start, and had moved up to fifth place by lap four, but a cracked oil fitting caused a leak that made Mike pull off for a DNF. The race was won by American Honda factory rider Miguel Duhamel, who leads the series after seven rounds with 250 points. Erion Honda rider Jake Zemke is second with 235 points. With his steady performance at Brainerd, Barnes is now ninth with 111 points.

“It’s great to see the Kosco team crack the top-ten in overall points, especially since they didn’t even compete in the first two rounds,” said Erik Buell, chairman and chief technical officer at Buell Motorcycle Company. “Both the Hal’s and Kosco dealer teams are racing hard in a very competitive national class, and they have gained the respect of all their competitors.”

AMA Formula Xtreme is a class open to highly-modified motorcycles with 600cc four-cylinder engines or larger-displacement V-Twin engines. The next stop on the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship schedule is July 9-11 at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca near Monterey, Calif.

To learn more about Buell Motorcycles, visit your local Buell dealer today and experience the pure streetfighter attitude, style, and performance only found on board a Buell. For the Buell dealer nearest you, pull into www.buell.com

From a press release issued by Buell:

BEMISDERFER PILOTS BUELL TO VIR WIN, PADS THUNDERBIKE POINTS LEAD

Bilansky Tied for Second; Defending Champ Estok in Deep Points Hole



DANVILLE, Va. (June 27, 2004) – Harding Harley-Davidson rider Bryan Bemisderfer rode a Buell Firebolt to victory in the Formula USA National Thunderbike event at Virginia International Raceway and increased his series points lead as other contenders for the title failed to mount a challenge to the rider from Greencastle, Pa. After five of eight events on the 2004 Thunderbike series, Bemisderfer enjoys a healthy 39-point lead.

“My team did their job in giving me a good bike and I was really happy with the set up,” said Bemisderfer. “We’ve got a nice points lead, but we’re not going to lay back. We’re going to three new tracks and we want to win ‘em all.”

Tripp Nobles, riding a Buell Firebolt backed by Tilley’s Buell took the pole in qualifying for the 16-lap Thunderbike national, but finished 17th after leaving the race on lap six with a mechanical problem. Bemisderfer qualified fourth aboard his back up bike, while his teammate and defending Thunderbike champion, David Estok, started the race in sixth position but crashed just before the race was red-flagged and later restarted. Estok took the restart from the back of the grid and set the fastest lap of the race as he worked his way forward. He retired from the race on lap seven with a mechanical problem and finished in 16th position.

Bemisderfer battled with Suzuki riders Derek Keys and David Yaakov, with the lead changing hands every lap. Bemisderfer took the lead for good on the last lap while Keys finished second and Yaakov third. Hal’s Performance Advantage Buell rider Dan Bilansky finished sixth, Appleton Buell/Hoban Brothers rider Jeff Johnson was seventh and Josh Guyer of Buell of Bloomington was eighth, all were aboard Buell Firebolts.


Bemisderfer leads the Thunderbike National series with 85 points. Bilansky is tied for second with Suzuki rider Darren Danilowicz at 46 points, while Estok has faded to fifth with 41 points. The next stop on the Formula USA National Thunderbike Series is Aug. 13-15 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.

The Formula USA National Thunderbike series is a horsepower-to-weight ratio restricted class, open to a variety of production-based motorcycles. Buell-mounted riders competing in the eight-event 2004 Thunderbike series are racing for a share of the $70,500 contingency fund posted by Buell Motorcycle Company and Buell Riders Adventure Group (BRAG).

To learn more about Buell Motorcycles, visit your local Buell dealer today and experience the pure streetfighter attitude, style, and performance only found on board a Buell. For the Buell dealer nearest you, pull into www.buell.com.

From a press release issued by Camel Honda Racing Information:

Camel Honda jet to Rio in search of some sunshine

After a weekend in Holland dealing with the ups and downs of both the changeable weather and the team’s luck, the Camel Honda team fly to Rio de Janeiro this week hoping for clear skies to be able to make the most of all four practice sessions before the race. After big improvements in the set-up of Max Biaggi’s RC211V, which in Holland allowed the Roman star to battle superbly for the podium after some tough practice sessions, the objective is simply to keep making steps forward. Equally for Makoto Tamada, who took a first MotoGP podium in Brazil last year, and is expecting nothing less than repeating the feat.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)

“The Rio race is really important for us, because it comes after two races where despite a few problems the team has been able to react quickly and successfully, keeping all our options open with Max. Our objective in Rio is to get back the positive rhythm we had going in the first four races of the year and to fight for victory once more. The weather could once again be a factor, with it being the winter months currently in Brazil but if it is clear, conditions will be perfect, with temperatures not too cold and not too hot. Last year Makoto took his best result of the year, Max up to now, misfortunes aside, has done some great races there: so we hope to battle for the win this weekend.”

Max Biaggi #3: (Michelin Tyres)

“I like the design of the Nelson Piquet circuit and since they resurfaced the track you can also get good grip there. The weather conditions in Brazil don’t worry me too much, because whatever unknown factors there are in Brazil, it would be similar to the problems we dealt with in Holland. Honda also gave us massive support in Assen, doing some great work after the qualifying, giving me confidence for the race and demonstrating that with collaboration, even the most difficult situations can be resolved. This is what gives me a big lift to be able to take on the Rio race in confident mood.”

Luca Montiron – Camel Honda (Makoto Tamada Team Manager)

“Last year in Rio, Makoto had a superb race which we hope to repeat again this Sunday. All the pieces are there so we can do it again. It’s important for us to take a good result there, because so far this year we haven’t quite lived up to our expectations. We’re trying to get the bike package set up perfectly, with tyres at a level where they can handle performances like that of Mugello. We are working flat out together with Bridgestone to get Makoto in shape to express himself to the limit.”

Makoto Tamada #6: (Bridgestone Tyres)

“In Rio last year I ended up on the podium for the first time, so naturally, I’ve got some good memories of this Grand Prix.. But it’s not just for that reason that I’m happy to go there. I like the track layout, it’s very dynamic and has a long straight like the one in Mugello. I want to be at the front and fight for the top positions and I think that in Brazil we have the chance to meet our objectives.”


Podium 2003
1. V. Rossi (Honda)
2. S. Gibernau (Honda)
3. M. Tamada (Honda)


Pole Position
V. Rossi (Honda – 2003)
1:49.038

Official Lap Record
V. Rossi (Honda – 2002)
1:50.453

No. of Laps
24 ( 118.392km)

MotoGP timetable:
11.30 (GMT -3)
*Three hours behind Greenwich Mean Time


Track Characteristics
Length: 4,933 m
Width: m 18
Right corners: 4
Left corners: 8
Constructed in: 1978
Last modified:1995

From a press release issued by American Honda:

Honda Red Rider Weekend Report

Zemke and Duhamel dominate Brainerd road race national.

They say “the third time is the charm,” and Erion Racing’s Jake Zemke bears witness to this axiom, clinching his first-ever AMA Superbike victory at Brainerd International Raceway (BIR) on Sunday, June 27, the same track where he collected his first AMA Supersport and Formula Xtreme victories. Add a convincing victory by Miguel Duhamel in Formula Xtreme competition-his fifth of the season-and Honda Racing’s weekend at BIR was nothing short of spectacular.

The weekend’s first race on the seventh stop of the 2004 AMA Superbike tour was in the Formula Xtreme series. Honda Racing and Erion Racing have worked diligently throughout the season to massage Honda’s potent CBR600RR into a 600cc “Superbike” and the results are impressive. Trap speeds down the long front straightaway at BIR indicated Duhamel’s Al Ludington-tuned 600RR was topping out at an amazing 179.2 mph. Duhamel captured the pole position in Friday’s qualifying session with a blazing 1:38.148 time.

“I don’t think I had a good bike, I think I had a great bike,” said Duhamel. “The Xtreme class is still new and we’re still working at it and we’re getting faster and faster. I think we’re asserting ourselves in a really serious class; our speeds are fast, lap times and even top speed. I credit my team – Al, Trevor, Jason, Yuji, and Chris.”

At the start of the race on Saturday, Duhamel and Zemke fought tooth-and-nail throughout the race for the lead, with the duo often swapping the lead along BIR’s front straightaway and the fast right-hand sweepers in turns one and two. At one point early in the race, Duhamel’s right knee-puck slider tore away, forcing him to alter his riding style through the turns to protect his knee. No matter, Duhamel drafted past Zemke on lap 11 and then ripped off the fastest lap of the race, 1:38.083 to hold the lead, taking the win by .375 seconds over Zemke.

“We were out there racing, we had a decent pace going, but I felt like there was something more to the show,” said Duhamel. “After a while I thought, maybe I need to look back there, and I thought ‘Whoa’ I need to pick up the pace because coming out of that really tight right hander after the chicane he (Zemke) had a much better drive. There was no negotiation; if I was second coming out of that corner I was done. So I tried to lead the most laps. We were going back and forth, because I really thought he could get me there. The CBR600RR was just fantastic and my guys have been working so hard, and the Dunlop tires were working real good too. I’m really pleased. It’s a tough class to win.”

Zemke added, “I knew it was going to be tough because Miguel has some motor on us, but the boys worked pretty hard and we definitely closed the gap on him from the last race to this one. I was having to ride really hard just to stay where I was. In the end my tires were moving just a bit, because we were having to work them pretty hard just to keep up at the front. It was a good race, we’ll move on to Laguna from here and see if we can close up the points gap.”

Erion Racing’s Alex Gobert finished fourth in the race. Duhamel leads the series with 250 points to Zemke’s 235, followed by Gobert with 193.

Sunday’s Superbike race result was foreshadowed by Zemke’s pole qualifying performance on his CBR1000RR on Saturday with a time of 1:35.655. A mishap almost spelled disaster. “I went out on my first bike and had a problem with it so I came straight into the pit and went out on my second bike and did one warm-up lap. I was basically on my first good lap.” Zemke and Larry Pegram then bumped and both fell coming out of turn ten before the front straight, effectively shortening Zemke’s qualifying run to just ten minutes.

“It kind of ruined the whole session for me. I got back to the pits and they were already taking the linkage apart-I was trying a different linkage on that first bike-they were switching back to the same linkage that was on the bike I had just crashed. Basically we just threw a Q (qualifying tire) on it and I went straight out on a Q, did one lap just trying to get my mind back focused and get up to speed, then came in and threw a second Q and ran that lap. Sometimes it’s almost better if you can go out straight away like that and not get yourself into a groove because a qualifying tire is so much stickier than a race tire, sometimes you’ll get into a groove and you just don’t want to pull the trigger as hard as you should, because you are used to the tire spin that you would get with a race tire.”

Sunday’s Superbike race featured the most competitive action in the series this year. After Josh Hayes led briefly, Zemke, series leader Mat Mladin, and a charging Duhamel swapped positions frequently, with no rider leading by more than a half-second. The Honda pair had a power advantage on BIR’s long front straightaway but Mladin challenged the Honda riders on the circuit’s tighter infield corners. Honda’s Ben Bostrom lurked close behind in fifth position. On lap six, Zemke took over the lead for four laps and ran the fastest lap of the race, a 1:36.24, on lap eight. Lapped traffic would soon put space between the lead trio, and Duhamel stepped up to control laps 15-20, apparently headed to his fifth victory of the season. As the race wound down to the last lap, Zemke slipped into the lead as Duhamel ran wide exiting turn two. Two crashes ahead and rain falling in the last three turns made the final charge to the flag treacherous, but Zemke held on for his first-ever Superbike win.

“Brainerd’s a pretty special place for me. I won my first Formula Xtreme race here, I won my first 600 race here, and I’ve won my first Superbike race here. Miguel made a little mistake there coming out of two, and when he did that, it just opened the door wide open. Then I just came around to the finish, the last two corners were awfully wet.”

Duhamel added, “In turn two I just carried a little too much speed and went a little wide, a bit wider than I thought. Just sliding a bit and Jake jumped on the chance and passed. I was on him coming out of the tight right-hander, the bus stop, but it was raining pretty bad. He got a slide and I got a good drive on him. As you crossed the bridge and it was just pouring rain. I got in front of Jake, and going through the corner I rolled off and he went for it. I braked a bit and ran wide. We just rode really hard, everybody. For me it sure was a heartbreaker to lose the race, but I don’t think there’s a more deserving guy [Jemke] in the paddock.”

Finishing fifth was Ben Bostrom. “We had a bike that almost steered too good. I could put it anywhere, but I couldn’t get off any corners. When I caught up I thought I’d hang and cool off the tire. But the longer I was behind them the harder it was to stay there. What I noticed, though, is that my entry speed is coming back. It’s where I used to make time on everyone. I see that coming back.”

Zemke’s win gives him 348 points and bring him closer to Duhamel, with 352 points, and series leader Mladin with 358 points. Next stop for the Honda Red Riders and the AMA road racing tour will be the Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca in Monterey, California on July 9-11.

AMA Superbike Overall Results:
1. Jake Zemke – Honda
2. Miguel Duhamel – Honda
3. Mat Mladin – Suzuki
4. Eric Bostrom – Ducati
5. Ben Bostrom – Honda

AMA Superbike Point Standings:
1. Mat Mladin – Suzuki – 358
2. Miguel Duhamel – Honda – 352
3. Jake Zemke – Honda – 348
4. Eric Bostrom – Ducati – 262
5. Geoff May – Suzuki – 241
6. Ben Bostrom – Honda – 210

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Professional basketball icon Michael Jordan was ranked very highly on “The Celebrity 100” and “The World’s 50 Highest-Paid Athletes” lists, appearing in the July 5, 2004 issue of Forbes magazine.

Among the Celebrity 100 (which is based on money, fame and “relative star power”), Jordan was ranked seventh; behind Mel Gibson, Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, the Rolling Stones and “Harry Potter” creator/author J.K. Rowling; and ahead of Bruce Springsteen, Steven Spielberg, Johnny Depp, David Letterman, “Lord of the Rings” director/producer Peter Jackson, Angelina Jolie, Cameron Diaz, Jim Carrey, Formula One car racer Michael Schumacher, Jennifer Aniston, Kobe Bryant, Barry Bonds, Tom Hanks and The Olsen Twins, among others.

Among the World’s 50 Highest-Paid Athletes (which is based on estimated income from June 2003 to June 2004), Jordan is ranked fourth with $35 million; behind golfer Tiger Woods ($80.3 million), Formula One’s Michael Schumacher ($80.0 million), football’s Peyton Manning ($42 million); and ahead of basketball’s Shaquille O’Neal ($31.9 million), basketball’s Kevin Garnett ($29.7 million), tennis’ Andre Agassi ($28.2 million) and soccer’s David Beckham ($28.0 million).

Other racers on the list were NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jeff Gordon and Formula One’s Ralf Schumacher.

Jordan is also the driving force behind the Michael Jordan Motorsports AMA road racing team, which fields Montez Stewart.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

CMRRA racer Travis Colburn and wife Mona had a son, Oliver Emil Anastas-Colburn, June 26th in Los Angeles, California.

From a press release issued by CCS South Florida:

Martinez Sets Record at Homestead

By Lisa Theobald

Marco Martinez broke the track record at Homestead-Miami Speedway on his GSX-R1000 during the fourth lap of the Unlimited Grand Prix race with a lap time of 1:26.39. And in the next lap, he beat it again, setting a new record pace time of 1:26.37.

Scott Ritchey was gridded on the front row and won the battle for the holeshot at the start of the race. It was a three way fight for front runner going into turn one between Michael Rouleau, Ed Lis, and Ritchey. Florida’s current number one rider, Jim Pihokken, who had been experiencing clutch problems all day long, got off to a bad start and headed through the corner in fourth place. By the end of lap two, Pihokken had taken over the lead on his GSX-R1000 with Martinez in hot pursuit.

Martinez made the winning pass just before the entrance to the front straight at the halfway mark and stepped up the pace. On the next lap, he broke the record previously set by Geoff May in February, 2004, of 1:26.56 by a fraction of a second. And just one lap later, he broke his own record to become the fastest motorcycle racer around the speedway.

Martinez won seven of the nine classes he entered, making him the biggest winner of the day, yet again. At the end of the day he commented: “I’m really happy to be able to run all these races. I was really tired at the end and Jim was awesome. He was running really good, and Scott. My game plan was to stay with them for the first three laps (of the Unlimited Grand Prix) and if I was able to beat both of them, then I was going to make my move in the middle of the race. You know, I don’t know what happened. Jim gave me a little bit of room to pass him and I was able to take the lead and take it to the win.” His other first place finishes were in the GTU, Unlimited Supersport, Heavyweight Supersport, Middleweight Superbike, Heavyweight Superbike, and Middleweight Grand Prix races.

Of his record breaking pace, Martinez stated, “I can’t believe I did that. I didn’t think I was pulling fast times at all. To be able to get the track record is awesome. Geoff May is such an awesome rider. I wish I could stay with him at the AMA Nationals. I mean, the guy just smokes me every time I race with him. But, I tell you, to me it’s a big accomplishment. I knew I could do it and I just needed a little bit more practice in the AMA circuit, and hopefully I can make top ten finishes.”

Bob Fisher ruled the Lightweight classes, running undefeated on his SV650. He won all four of the races he entered, making him the second biggest winner of the day. Fisher was able to work his way to the front of the field early in all of his classes and run away from the competition. He won the GT Lights, Lightweight Grand Prix, Lightweight Superbike, and Lightweight Supersport events.

From a press release issued by Spectrum Ducati/Aprilia:

Spectrum Ducati/Aprilia Announce Frankie Chili Night

World Superbike Road Racer, Frankie Chili, will appear at Spectrum Ducati and Aprilia, Tuesday evening, July 6th from 5:30 PM till 8:00 PM signing autographs then depart for this year’s Laguna Seca races. During his eight years in World Superbike he has eight poles, fifty one podium finishes, sixteen wins, fourteen seconds, and twenty one thirds.

Frankie won one of last year’s World Superbike races at Laguna Seca. Spectrum Ducati/Aprilia will have on display Frankie’s winning bike in their new showroom located at 51 Auto Center Drive across the street from the original Spectrum Honda/Polaris building in the Irvine Auto Center.

Posters will be provided by Spectrum Ducati.

From a press release issued by Galouises Fortuna Yamaha:

ROSSI AND CHECA READY TO RUMBLE IN RIO

The latest stage in the development of the Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team’s season gets underway in Brazil this weekend, fresh from its victorious success at last weekend’s Dutch TT in Assen.

World Champion Valentino Rossi secured his fourth win of the year and his third win in succession in historic Assen, matching previous championship leader Sete Gibernau for points and propelling Yamaha to the top of the manufacturers’ championship. His win also pushed the factory team to the head of its own league table, with Rossi destroying yet another lap record on the way to victory.

Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team rider Carlos Checa enjoyed less fortune on raceday in Assen, finishing ninth after starting from the front row, but with a proven race winning pedigree and a podium finish of second at Le Mans already in 2004, Checa is in a determined mood as the vast MotoGP circus flies on down to Rio for another weekend of intense competition. Carlos’ best previous result around the 4.933km circuit is second, recorded in 2001.

Standing on reclaimed swampland the Jacarepagua circuit is the latest destination for Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha’s travelling band of riders, engineers and management, the circuit on the outskirts of Rio a generally popular venue for all, despite the major feat of logistics involved in transporting the entire race effort to the Southern hemisphere a mere three or four days after a European GP.

With Rossi and Gibernau tied on 126 points, but Rossi in the lead because of his superior win ratio of four to Gibernau’s two, Rio will provide another intense test for London-based Italian Rossi, in what has become a man to man fight for superiority so far. Making the very best of his six-race experience of the Yamaha YZR-M1 machine so far, Rossi will be going out to repeat his recent run of perfection in Rio, having won the last four races, from 2000 to 2003.

Also an adopted Londoner, Checa lies fourth in the championship overall, despite his recent Assen result of ninth. Promisingly fast in qualifying this season, Checa has many reasons to be confident as he approaches the latest circuit on the 16-round World Championship trail.

ROSSI’S RIO RAP

As the Rio GP approaches with almost unseemly haste, Rossi, a peerless competitor at the Brazilian venue, is confident that his first Yamaha ride in Brazil can lead to a fruitful outcome on raceday.

“Rio is a special track for me, I think I’ve had the most wins of my career there, it’s six GP wins in total, and two of those have been in the MotoGP class,” said the indomitable Rossi. “It’s one of my favourite tracks for that reason, plus it has long corners for good sliding, and I’ve had a good feeling there on all the bikes I have raced there, and also I like the country of Brazil. It’s probably not going to be warm there this time, which is a shame, it makes more sense to race there when it’s hot.

“My Yamaha M1 seems to adapt well to different circuits. It handles well, we have a good base setting and it seems we have to do less work to find the correct race setup. We’re a winning combination, Yamaha and I. I’m very happy to be in this position at this stage. This will be my first ride with the M1 in Rio but I think we should be able to make a good job and to slide it well.”

“It wasn’t in our plans at this point but to be halfway through the season and leading the championship is incredible. Sete is always there, riding very well and as it stands it seems to be between him and me. It looks as if it will be a hard fight right through to the end. Recently no one is splitting us and we’re only putting five points between us each time. This championship is tight! You can see the other Yamahas up front and the bike has got its got good points and bad points, but we’ve done an incredible job from the beginning to now.”

After an incredible start to the year Rossi nominated his very first win for Yamaha as the most satisfying so far.

“All the wins are hard but the first one in South Africa was the most beautiful one, as I was on the limit all the way through. As the bike gets more familiar it also gets a little easier to race for the win.”

CHECA RATES RIO HIGHLY

For Carlos Checa, the Rio race is a sensory delight, as well as one of his favourite venues to race at.

“I love Rio; the beaches, the people, the food. It’s always great fun. The circuit is nice, I always have very good feelings there; I would even say that it’s one of my favourites,” said the 31-year old.

As Checa has proved in the past, the YZR-M1 can be competitive at Rio, even if there has been no pre-season testing there for riders or team.

“It should be a good track for Yamaha, the bike is working well. Maybe we need some more speed for the end of the straight, but we should be able to make up the difference throughout the rest of the track. I think we have a good chance there and I’m looking forward to the race a lot and we’ll see what we’re able to do. I think that the feelings I have with the bike at the moment and the feelings I always have at Rio should be a good combination, hopefully leading to a good result.”

Checa’s intentions for Rio are clear. “I would like to try for the podium, even for winning, I think this is possible. I’m not 100% comfortable with the set-up at the moment, or with the balance of the bike, we have some improvements to make and we must continue our progress. Having said that, I want to be careful not to make too many changes in a race environment; sometimes it’s better to keep things the same and get used to them, rather than keep making big changes. I think this way we can continue to make me more and more competitive. Let’s see what happens in Rio, and let’s hope for good weather, as it’s winter there!”

DAVIDE BRIVIO – TEAM DIRECTOR

Having witnessed both Rossi and Checa spraying open the champagne on the podium this year, Davide Brivio wants the team to be able to indulge in more of the same, but recognises that Rio presents both a particular challenge as well as another opportunity for glory.

“Going to Rio after four wins in six races is a very nice sensation,” said Brivio. “I am very curious to see how we will be there because our memory of the past is that we found it a difficult circuit for our bike but everything is different this year. So we can see if it will be good right away or whether we will struggle a little bit. We have had some good races at Rio, with Carlos in 2002 in the wet and in 2001, when they stopped and restarted. It will be interesting to see what type of bike setting issues could arise after one day.

“The championship is becoming more and more exciting and there seems to be something at the moment between Valentino and Gibernau. Alex Barros was with them at Assen for a time, with Max Biaggi you never know, Carlos also has the potential to be with them and any other rider has the potential to be good. We are all very happy to go straight to another race and see what will happen. With Valentino we are focussed on this very positive moment but with Carlos we have to put him back on the podium as soon as possible. The good race he made in Le Mans, with the podium finish in second, he can do all through the year. That is our main target now.”

Of the logistical challenge to be ready at Rio after such a short a space of time in Europe, Brivio stated, “In three or four days after Assen all of our personnel and equipment will be in another part of the world. That is tough, but it is something we just have to do.”

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING

Lying as it does on reclaimed land, close to the coast, Jacarepagua has a tendency to be bumpy, as the land underneath has subsided since the venue was originally built in 1978. After the ultra-high speed corners of Assen, the rear suspension can now be softened off somewhat, to allow the greater suspension travel needed to handle the the stutter bumps and ripples which abound on the Rio tarmac.

Laid out both inside and outside an Indy-style banked oval, the Rio track is infrequently used, leaving it with a low coefficient of friction at the start of the weekend, which improves as each practice session goes by. This throws another factor into an already complex set-up equation, as higher speeds generally require increasingly stiff suspension.

Featuring a lot of longer corners, good machine stability and manoeuvrability are an ideal marriage at Jacarepagua, while the frequent corner exits mean that consistent rear wheel traction is also necessary, to make the most of the available horsepower.

With the team having no personal data for Rossi on a Yamaha YZR-M1 at Rio, there is an inescapable element of having to see how the bike reacts on base settings before the finer tuning can take place. Thus far the team has exhaustively tried a wide range of suspension settings and spring rates, irrespective of previous data at each track, to great effect come raceday.

As Rio is at sea level, horsepower output will be as high as anywhere else, but one possible interruption this year will be the weather. The round takes place in the Brazilian winter months, making day-by-day track conditions an even more unpredictable factor than usual.

VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION

Age: 25

Lives: London, UK

Bike: Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team YZR-M1

GP victories: 63 (24 X MotoGP, 13 X 500cc, 14 X 250cc, 12 X 125cc)

First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)

First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)

GP starts: 130 (38 x MotoGP, 32 x 500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)

Pole positions: 33

Rio 2003 results (Honda): Grid: 1st, Race: 1st





CARLOS CHECA: INFORMATION

Age: 31

Lives: London, UK

Bike: Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team YZR-M1

GP victories: 2 (500cc)

First GP victory: Catalunya, 1996 (500cc)

First GP: Europe, 1993 (125cc)

GP starts: 158 (38 x MotoGP, 92 x 500cc, 27 x 250cc, 1 x 125cc)

Pole positions: 2 (1 x MotoGP, 1 x 500cc)

First pole: Spain, 1998 (500cc)

Rio 2003 results (Yamaha): Grid: 10th, Race: 9th



Rio MotoGP lap record – Valentino Rossi (Honda) 1:50.543 (2003)

Circuit best lap – Valentino Rossi (Honda): 1:49.038 (2003)

From a press release issued by Applied Business Systems:

TWO PODIUMS FOR JASON

Yamaha Factory Road Racer, Jason DiSalvo from Stafford, New York, completed a successful weekend of racing at Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota, Friday, June 25th through Sunday, June 27th. DiSalvo competed in the American Motorcycle Association’s National in the 600cc Supersport and the 1000cc Superstock classes, with practice on Friday, qualifying on Saturday and the finals on Sunday.

During practice on Friday Jason was up to speed posting times in the top 3 in Superstock and top 6 in Supersport. With qualifying on Saturday Jason put the 1000cc Superstock bike on the front row with the 3rd fastest time. In the 600cc Supersport Jason was 5th quickest giving him a 2nd row starting position.

With Sunday starting cool and wet, the day’s events were delayed. By race time at 11:00 am the 1000cc Superstock class all was ready. With a great start Jason was with the lead group which broke away from the pack by lap 6 and became a 3-way battle for first, with the lead 3 running close in every corner. In the final lap Jason made a move for 2nd place just as the group approached lapped traffic which prevented him from making his move. At the finish line DiSalvo was 3rd giving him a well-deserved podium position. The current point’s standings in Superstock show Jason in 4th place. The Superstock race will be aired on Speed Channel Tuesday, July 6th.

The 600 Supersport race (which was televised live) at noon Sunday, June 27th started with the top 8 machines changing positions almost every lap. Jason diced with the leaders going into first place on lap 6 and while leading the race a red flag stopped the race. With the rain delay about 1/2 hour the riders changed tires and waited for the restart. Due to a new grid based on the position when the red flag was shown, Jason started on the front row. At the restart it was a rush to turn one with 4 or 5 bikes swapping places for the shortened race lead. At the checkered, DiSalvo was 3rd again giving him another podium position. Jason is currently 5th in the Supersport standing with four races left in the season.

Jason commented at the press conference “Two (2) podium finishes in one weekend makes me pretty happy, the racing in both classes was fun and Yamaha bikes with Dunlop tires worked really well.”


More, from a press release issued by Joe Rocket:

ZEMKE BREAKS THROUGH AND TOMMY MAKES IT 3 IN A ROW!

Certainly Saturday night’s mountainous bon-fire is still smoldering at Brainerd International Raceway while the area cottagers re-collect their serenity! Rocket Racers and thousands of fans alike have blasted out of town, taking with them the plunders of victory.

Winning this past Sunday’s Superbike showdown and fronting another Joe Rocket podium sweep, AMA Superbike Championship rookie sensation, Jake Zemke has finally broken into the ranks that had previously eluded him. A truly spectacular race that kept fans on their feet from flag to flag was wrangled to conclusion when Erion Honda’s Zemke crossed the finish line just as the heavens opened and poured rain. Along with fellow Rocket Racers Miguel Duhamel (2nd place) and Mat Mladin (3rd place) Jake stepped proudly atop the podium to celebrate his first ever AMA Superbike victory.

Congratulations Jake!

Saturday’s on-track action saw American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel and Jake Zemke play tug-of-war with the lead position throughout the AMA Formula Xtreme race. Miguel piped Zemke at the line to ad a fifth victory to his 2004 Formula Xtreme wins tally. Duhamel now favors a 15 point lead over Zemke with four races left be run before either is crowned FX Champion.

Factory Kawasaki’s “Tommy-Gun” Hayden has extended his AMA 600 Supersport winning streak to unprecedented 3 consecutive victories. Tommy and his teammate Roger Hayden excitingly swapped the lead position numerous times throughout Sunday’s Supersport donnybrook. Ultimately the race came down to the wire as Tommy defended his line through a last lap, last turn power slide, just barely beating his younger brother and fellow Rocket Racer to the checker flag. With four races left in the season, Tommy now enjoys a 29-point advantage over closest contender Roger Lee. It is only going to get more interesting from here on in sports fans!

Look for the Rocket Racing team in action when they again take to the tarmac at Mazda Raceway July 9-11 in Monterey California.



More, from a press release issued by The Familie:

ROOKIE, JAKE ZEMKE TAKES HIS FIRST SUPERBIKE WIN
AND CLOSES IN ON THE AMA CHEVROLET SUPERBIKE SERIES TITLE

Carlsbad, CA – In Jake Zemke’s novice year in the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Series he has managed to have the season that most riders dream about. With nine podium finishes so far this rookie season, Zemke added his first Superbike win to the list this weekend at the Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, MN.

The Brainerd International track seems to be lucky for Zemke, who has scored a number of firsts on the track, ending with his latest: his first Superbike win to date. Zemke also claimed his first Formula Xtreme win and his first 600cc race in MN.

With his impressive finishes so far this season, Zemke continues to challenge any claim to the Superbike Title. Sitting a mere ten points below leader, Matt Mladin, and four below teammate and second place, Miguel Duhamel, Zemke could easily overtake one of the top two positions. With seven races left in the series, the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Series title is still far from decided.

Look for Zemke to race at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA, July 9 -11, 2004.