From a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

ASSEN TEST FOR NEW GSV-R MOTOR

Team Suzuki’s Kenny Roberts will be using the latest upgrade to the powerful 990cc V4 engine for the second time at this Saturday’s Dutch TT at Assen, round six of the MotoGP World Championship.

The motor – which has a revised firing order altering the character of the power delivery – was used for the first time at the last round at Catalunya, and though he stopped to change a tyre, he showed his pace when he rejoined a lap behind the leaders and matched them inch for inch to the flag.

Hopkins will be racing again with the standard engine. His Catalunyan race was also highly promising, though not rewarded with the result he expected. In his first race back since suffering a broken thumb at Le Mans, the 21-year-old recorded his best-ever qualifying position in eighth, but was sidelined in the race by a rare mechanical problem.

The last two rounds – the first in a marathon run of six races in eight weekends – took place at circuits with long, fast straights. Assen, the oldest and longest track on the calendar also has the highest average speed – more than 110mph. But unlike the previous pair, there is hardly a straight worth the name and the circuit snakes back and forth constantly.

The high-speed changes of direction take the emphasis away from sheer top speed and hand chances back to the rider. And the classic Dutch circuit is something of a favourite of both Suzuki men.

“It’s a track that has played in our favour in the past,” said team manager Garry Taylor. “We hope it can do so again. The bike has made a marked improvement this season and the modified engine is another step forward.

“The team spirit just keeps getting better and better and we’re all looking forward to this race.

“At the same time, we are under no illusions. We need to keep the impetus of progress and the team, the factory and the riders are all committed to that goal,” he said.

Project leader Masahito Imada, who joined the four-stroke GSV-R project midway through last season, will be attending the GP, reflecting the Suzuki factory’s dedication to moving the GSV-R onwards towards the ultimate goal of a return to World Championship victories.

Last year’s race was hit by bad weather – often a factor at the northernmost track of the year. Roberts missed the race after suffering injuries in a crash at the Italian GP. Hopkins had been seventh the previous year as an Assen rookie and soldiered home to finish in the points in last year’s rain.

JOHN HOPKINS:

“We proved at Barcelona that the bike can be competitive. I think that it can be competitive at Assen too. I like the track and I’ve done well there in the past. My thumb feels a lot better after a weekend off and watching the soccer in Britain. I think it should be a good weekend.”

KENNY ROBERTS:

“The new engine has made the bike easier to ride but at the last race, I had to use a lot of corner speed to stay with my group. When the tyres started to go down, I had to rely on acceleration. That’s one of our weak points at the moment so I hope we can come up with some better power for Assen.”

ABOUT THIS RACE:

The Dutch TT, the most historic race on the World Championship calendar handsomely pre-dates the World Championship series. That started in 1949 with the TT one of the key events. But the first Dutch TT was held in 1925. That was on the public roads around the town of Assen in the flat and windswept northern province of Drenthe and “Speed Week” has continued ever since, interrupted only by World War Two. Held close to mid-summer’s day, the race draws huge crowds, a northern rival to Jerez as the most popular GP. Tradition dictates that the Dutch TT is held on a Saturday – all other GPs take place on Sunday.

ABOUT THIS TRACK:

Th e longest and fastest track on the calendar was redesigned two years ago; the stretch behind the paddock moved backwards to make more space while reproducing the previous layout as far as possible. As a result, Kevin Schwantz’s 1991 lap record, set on a 500cc Suzuki, was never broken. The new version has lost 22 metres and now measures 3.745 miles and the average speed rose by almost one mile an hour, preserving the status as the fastest circuit at more than 110mph. The new version still retains traces of its public-roads origins – it only became a closed circuit in the Nineties, when a new bypass road was completed. It is especially unique in its complexity; each section of the circuit is made up of strings of mainly high-speed corners. A mistake in any one bend costs times throughout the remainder of that section and Assen puts a premium on good machine handling as well as smooth and accurate riding. The “cathedral of motorcycle racing” has earned its status and is a favourite with fans and riders alike.

GP DATA: Assen Circuit
Circuit Length: 3.745 miles / 6.027 km
Lap Record: 2:00.973 – 111.446 mph / 179.355 km/h. Valentino Rossi (Honda) 2002

2002 RESULTS:
Race Winner: Sete Gibernau (Honda).
Race Average: 42.39.006 – 100.100 mph / 161.096 km/h.
Fastest Race Lap: 2:11.805, Gibernau.
Pole Position: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 1:59.770.
Kenny Roberts: Did Not Start – injured.
John Hopkins: 15th, qualified 16th, 2:01.715.
Fastest Race Lap: 2:17.590.

From a press release issued by VIR:

Virginia Festival of Speed Returns to VIR

Alton, Va. (June 22)–Two-wheeled thunder returns to the challenging and picturesque VIRginia International Raceway over the weekend of June 25-27 with the fourth annual Virginia Festival of Speed, featuring Formula USA and the 21st season of the Championship Cup Series.

The Virginia Festival of Speed will provide a combination of the best sportsman and professional motorcycle road racers going handlebar-to-handlebar at up to 160mph over the 2.25-mile VIR North Course for their share of more than $100,000 in purse and prizes. Friday and Saturday will feature Sportsman action and on Sunday the professionals take to the track in Sportbike, Superbike, Thunderbike and the no-holds-barred Unlimited GP classes.

“Our competitors always look forward to racing at VIR,” said Ken Abbott, the director of marketing and promotions for Formula USA. “It’s such a beautiful environment, the camping facilities are great and the track is very challenging to ride. We feel that VIR provides a great value for the dollar to spectators, and we’re looking forward to a great turnout this weekend.”

Tickets for the Virginia Festival of Speed will be available at the gate, priced at $35 for a three-day ticket, $25 for a two-day (Saturday and Sunday) ticket and $15 for a single-day (Sunday) ticket. Children under 12 are admitted free with a paying adult. Ticket prices include onsite parking and pedestrian paddock access. Camping fees are $25 for the weekend.

VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Va., and just north of historic Milton, N.C. In addition to its 3.27-mile natural-terrain road racing circuit (designed to be operated as two autonomous, full-service courses), VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America’s first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park; the VIR Gallery, which is a showroom for high-end collector and racing cars; the VIR Safety and Security Institute, which provides specialized training for U.S. Government and military groups; and the VIR Euro Rally and Corporate Motorsport Experience, which features four rally stages plus a kart track, motocross track, ATV and SUV training grounds. Future plans include The Lodge at VIR, a 27-room hotel overlooking the track, and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse.

VIR made history from 1957 to 1974 and is doing so again. The renovated original circuit has 17 challenging turns and 130 feet of elevation change. In addition to spectator events, the track is also available to rent for testing, driving schools and club days.

For more information on VIR, visit the track’s website at www.virclub.com or contact VIR toll-free at 888-RACE099. For more information on Formula USA and CCS, visit their website at
www.formulausa.com.

From a press release issued by Triumph:

TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES (AMERICA) LTD. 2004 SALES UP

Triumph’s U.S. New Unit Sales Increases 104% in May

NEWNAN, Georgia – Triumph Motorcycles (America) Ltd., announced today that the company’s U.S. new unit sales jumped 104% during May – with an overall year-to-date increase of 34.5% — when compared to the same time period (January-May) in 2003. Triumph’s U.S. sales growth continues to exceed the U.S. industry year-to-year new unit sales growth of 8 %.

Strong interest in the new Thruxton 900 café-racer inspired version of the classic Bonneville, the ground-breaking Rocket III power cruiser, and the updated Tiger dual-sport styled motorcycle has helped to fuel recent sales growth and drive more consumers to Triumph dealers. Consumers have also reacted positively to the firm’s strong finance programs. “Motorcyclist’s interest in the Triumph brand has never been stronger,” said Todd Andersen, Marketing Vice President, Triumph Motorcycles (America) Ltd. “We are very pleased to report that our existing models account for almost all of the 2004 sales increase as Thruxtons just began arriving in dealerships in May, and our Rocket III is arriving in showrooms at the end of June.”

Last week, Triumph hosted the Rocket III global press ride in Sonoma, California and media’s reaction was exceptionally positive to the exciting new 2.3 liter power cruiser. “We know enthusiasts will be thrilled when the bikes arrive at our dealers in the next couple of weeks and this – along with all the other rewards from owning a Triumph – should lead to continued strong sales increases,” stated Andersen.

This summer, Triumph will be offering enthusiasts the opportunity to test-ride the new Rocket III and the entire line of Triumph motorcycles at a number of events across the country. For a complete list of events and dates as well as Triumph dealer showrooms, please visit Triumph’s website: WWW.TRIUMPHMOTORCYCLES.COM.

Triumph Motorcycles (America) Ltd., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Triumph Motorcycles, Ltd, manufacturer of Triumph motorcycles and accessories. Triumph Motorcycles (America) Ltd., is located in Newnan, GA and services the Triumph dealer organization throughout the United States, Canada and Latin America.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The 2004 Bike Week in Laconia, New Hampshire was the largest in the 81-year history of the event, according to local officials.

Charlie St. Clair, executive director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association, was quoted in the June 21 edition of The Union Leader, New Hampshire’s statewide newspaper, as calling the 2004 event “the largest Bike Week gathering ever.”

No rock-solid attendance numbers were provided, but New Hampshire State police estimated 2004’s attendance to have exceeded 2003’s attendance, which AMA estimated to be 350,000 over the length of Bike Week.

The 2004 Laconia Bike Week, which began June 12 and extended through June 20, Father’s Day, included dirt track racing, hill climbs, USCRA vintage road racing through the streets of Laconia and the 81st Loudon Classic Formula USA event at New Hampshire International Speedway, which had a “pretty good” spectator attendance, according to NHIS spokesman Ron Meade.

From a press release issued by Stuart Carter:

Garrett Carter, a 15-year-old rookie racer from Royal Oak, Michigan, is leaving tomorrow to join former British 125cc Champion Clive Horton’s race team for three weeks of racing in England.

The race schedule includes Pembrey in Wales, Donnington and Brands Hatch. He will race in the MRO series and the BMRC series, racing an ex-Daniel Pedrosa RS125 Honda. His tuner will be Nigel Botsworth who has worked for Kenny Roberts and managed both the British Red Bull team and the Petronas WSB team.

Garrett heads to England after several WERA regional wins and a USGPRU 2nd place after qualifying 31st at Summit Point.

From a press release issued by Proton Team KR:

For immediate release

NEW TYRES AND NEW HOPES FOR PROTON KR AT ASSEN

Proton Team KR line up for the most historic MotoGP race of 2004 with hopes of edging further up into the points, as the development programme of the new 2004 Proton KR V5 prototype racer moves steadily forward.

Two factors lend confidence to riders Nobuatsu Aoki and Kurtis Roberts.

The first is the nature of the machine, well-suited to the Assen circuit’s unique and complex nature. The fine handling of the landmark hewn-from-solid chassis is backed by the increasing consistency and reliability of the latest version of the England-made V5 engine.

The second is the tyres. The team tested the latest developments from their partners Dunlop after the last round at Catalunya, and both riders agreed that the latest developments showed a clear improvement.

One of the Proton pair has finished in the points at every race so far this year except for the opening round. One goal for the Dutch TT, sixth of 16 rounds in the 2004 MotoGP World Championship, is to get both machines in the top 15. Another is to move into the top ten – no easy target in a year when the overall standard has clearly risen, with lap and race records comprehensively smashed at every opportunity so far.

Proton Team KR has the added burden of race-developing new components. The slim-line chassis sets new standards in accuracy and performance, but the team has been kept busy developing the new motor, revised to fit the new frame.

For Assen, the target has been to produce engines with consistent performance and reliability, said team manager Chuck Aksland; while the search for more power continues back at the Banbury base.

With the Rio GP in Brazil the weekend after the Dutch race, this meant a double load: mindful of previous delays with customs Proton Team KR are travelling fully loaded with enough spare engines and other parts for both races. “The guys have worked really hard, and done well. We had to aim for quantity, along with quality,” said Aksland.

The tyre tests had been promising, Aksland added. “That is probably the area with the most potential to help us at Assen. Since our agreement with Dunlop in March, they have been working hard, and the tests showed good progress. As long as we all keep improving, then we’ll reach our goal,” he said.

Assen is the longest and fastest track of the year, but an almost continuous series of curves means it favours good handling and skilled riding as much as sheer horsepower and raw top speed. This is also the northernmost circuit, and unpredictable weather often plays a leading role in the race results.

The Dutch TT was established before World War 2, and was one of the original races on the first World Championship calendar of 1949. The modern Assen circuit evolved from the original public roads, a bypass built in the Nineties finally made it into a racing-only circuit. Major changes two years ago extended the paddock without altering the circuit’s nature.

The TT is traditionally a Saturday race, but there will be little time to enjoy a Sunday off. Teams will be beginning the long journey to Brazil, for the following weekend’s Rio GP.

NOBUATSU AOKI – I AM OPTIMISTIC
After the Barcelona GP we had some tyre tests with Dunlop, and fortunately I found a good front tyre and a good rear tyre. Although I did only a few laps, it was a big difference and a big improvement, and I am really optimistic. I’m not sure how those tyres will work at Assen, but at least our situation is much better compared with one month ago. Also, Assen is not as hard on tyres as Barcelona. The bike is generally improving race by race, so we will wait and see how it goes in Holland.

KURTIS ROBERTS – JUDGEMENT RESERVED
From what I heard, Assen’s a tough track to learn. I can’t make a judgement before I get there. But we’ve had some good news: stuff in the pipeline, and better tyres coming up. My shoulder is feeling strong and good, and I’m hoping for another finish there, and to get in the points again.

From a press release issued by California Superbike School:

CALIFORNIA SUPERBIKE SCHOOL DOES BRAZIL!

Keith Code’s California Superbike School ran in Brazil the week of June 14. Code hopes to open up the twelfth country for his schools.

Running at the Nelson Piquet circuit just weeks before the MotoGP to be held there in Rio De Janiero, the school hopes to get a feel for the Brazilian riders and their needs.

Code says.”We’ve always gone into countries that have read the “A Twist of the Wrist” books but we don’t have it in Portugese yet. It is one of the 7 translations we are currently working on. In the meantime, we are checking out Brazil to have a look at the situation there and see if we can add a new continent to our schedule.”

The California Superbike School currently runs all across America, England, Ireland, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Greece, South Africa, The Phillipines, Australia and Malaysia on franchise agreements using the school’s rider training technology and format.

Keith Code has instructed champions and more than 125,000 motorcyclists of all skill levels in “the soft science” of motorcycle riding and his textbooks and videos are widely utilized resources for motorcyclists worldwide. The school’s website is: www.superbikeschool.com

From a press release issued by Ducati North America:

DUCATI ANNOUNCES THEIR MOST COMPREHENSIVE FINANCING PROGRAM EVER FEATURING 2.99% APR* FINANCING ON SELECT MODELS AND 6.99% APR OR LOWER* ON ALL OTHER MODELS

Ducati launches its most comprehensive financing program in history with excellent financing on every Ducati model.

June 2004 – Ducati North America announced a new summer financing program called the “You Deserve a Ducati” deal. The program was inspired when Ducati staff overheard Eric Bostrom saying to a fan, “Don’t you think you deserve a Ducati too?” Now that dream can be reality with excellent financing on all Ducati models. It is the company’s most wide-ranging financing effort and comes during the peak of the riding season.

The program begins June 1st, 2004 and will continue through August 31st, 2004. Interest rates are as low as 2.99% APR for 36 months on all new 2003 and prior models. For lower payments, customers can choose the 4.99% APR for 60 months option. The 2004 models are also eligible for 3.99% APR for 36 months or 5.99% APR for 60 months (except 749R, 999R, Monster S4R, and 749 Dark).*

Finally, for models not listed above, Tier 1+ applicants can receive 6.99% APR on the STANDARD Ducati – E*Trade Consumer Finance Corporation (“ETCFC”) Program.

Riders have no more excuses about not being able to afford the Ducati they deserve. With every Ducati model included in this offer, customers can ride the bike they want at an affordable price.

In addition, up to $2,000 of popular Ducati Performance accessories and apparel (covering the entire range of Ducati motorcycles) can be financed with the purchase of any new Ducati. Visit www.ducatiusa.com or call 1-888-DUCATI 2 to locate the nearest Ducati dealer.

*Financing subject to Tier I credit approval through E*TRADE Consumer Finance Corporation; not all applicants will qualify. Financing rates and terms may vary based on credit qualifications and are subject to change without notice. Payment examples: 2.99% APR for 36 monthly payments of $29.08 per $1,000 borrowed; 4.99% APR for 60 monthly payments of $18.87 per $1,000 borrowed; 3.99% APR for 36 monthly payments of $29.52 per $1,000 borrowed; 5.99% APR for 60 monthly payments of $19.33 per $1,000 borrowed. 10% down payment is standard for all programs. May not be combined with any other offer; void where prohibited. Offer may be discontinued or extended without prior notice. See participating U.S. Ducati dealers for details (available in U.S. only, not available in Puerto Rico).

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Racer Aaron Clark is recovering from injuries suffered in a crash during practice at New Hampshire International Raceway last Friday, June 18.

Clark highsided in turn seven but hung onto the bike, eventually hitting a tire wall past where Airfence is deployed. Clark told Roadracingworld.com that he broke the T8, T10, T12 and L2 vertebrae in his lower back, but has no nerve damage or loss of function.

He is resting at home in a back brace and will be out of action for about three months.

Clark won the 2000 Aprilia Cup Challenge Championship on a Roadracingworld.com RS250.

Clark has been working with Seacoast Sport Cycle, located in Derry, New Hampshire, specializing in building engines, specifically installing Clarkie Monster Motor kits for Aprilia V-Twins.

Clark can be contacted via e-mail, [email protected] or by U.S. mail c/o Seacoast Sport Cycle, 208 Rockingham Road, Derry, NH 03038.