Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Reigning Canadian Superbike and Sportbike Champion Pascal Picotte will ride for Jordan Motorsports in place of Montez “Tez” Stewart at the AMA Superbike event this weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Stewart broke his left wrist in a crash during the AMA Supersport race at Pikes Peak International Speedway May 23.

“Tez is a maybe for this weekend,” James Casmay, co-owner of the Michael Jordan-backed team, told Roadracingworld.com Thursday in the Road America paddock. “He’s in San Francisco right now with Dr. (Arthur) Ting, but Ting told him four-to-six weeks last week. So he’s still a maybe.

“Pascal is going to ride. He’s going to ride in Superbike and Formula Xtreme, not Tez’s classes, Supersport and Superstock. So if Tex does ride, we’ll have bikes for everyone and in every class.

“Pascal was looking at doing this round anyway, and we knew we had to be here to represent for our sponsors.

“It’s kind of a good fit. Our guys already work with Pascal. Pete Mauhar works with Pascal in the Canadian series, and he worked with most of our crew guys (who are contracted from Gemini Racing) before too.”

“I know all these guys,” said Picotte. “Pete works with me in Canada, and I worked with all these other guys back when I was with Harley. It’s good to have good people to work with.”

Picotte said he found the Jordan Yamaha YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 to be “quite similar” to his Picotte Yamahas. “Same bikes, same tires, just with different suspension. We’re going to valve it and make it as close to mine as we can. It shouldn’t take me too long to get right on track,” said Picotte. “I’m just happy to be here. I feel kind of sorry to have to replace (Stewart), but if it’s what they need to keep the program going I’m happy to help.

“Maybe I can help them get the bikes set-up better for Tez for when he’s healthy. Maybe I can give them a direction to go in. And Tez will be here this weekend, so maybe we can spend some time together and I can mentor him a little bit, even if he’s not riding. He can listen in and see what changes I make to the bike to fix problems and such.”

From a press release issued by Ducati North America:


DUCATI TO EXTEND AND EXPAND PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH OAKLEY

May 2004, Bologna, Italy – Ducati has decided to extend its successful existing licensing agreement with renowned eyewear company Oakley, for an additional three years. The relationship will be strengthened with the arrival of five exclusive new models of Oakley eyewear.

New for 2004, Ducati and Oakley will introduce custom versions of Oakley’s Monster Dog™ and Zero® sunglasses and will continue to offer last year’s successful custom Juliet®, Half-Jacket® and Valve® styles. In addition to sunglasses, Ducati and Oakley will also offer the Wisdom® snow goggle for the 2004 fall season, a product which takes Ducati’s passion for speed and aerodynamics to the mountains – the Italian Alps and Dolomites, of course.

All products covered by the agreement feature color schemes and graphic treatments consistent with the Ducati brand and bear laser engraved lenses with Ducati trademarks, among other unique features. The products will be distributed through the Ducati Store and dealership network and Oakley’s sunglass distribution points worldwide, including over 100 Oakley-owned retail locations.

“When it comes to high performance eyewear we think Oakley is the most exciting and dynamic brand in the world. Finally, I have a cool pair of sunglasses to wear!” commented Federico Minoli, Chairman and CEO of Ducati Motor Holding.

“With the evolution of this relationship we are now able to offer additional Ducati inspired performance eyewear pieces to our enhanced dealer distribution network,” said David Gross, Creative Director of Ducati Motor, “It is particularly exciting for us considering the fact that our top racers in the past have always chosen Oakley eyewear. ”

“Given the tremendous success of last year’s product offerings, we are excited to renew this relationship for three additional years with a company that shares our passion for design and performance products. Ducati’s unbelievable performance record on the race track validates their position as a world leader in motorcycle design and manufacturing,” commented Oakley Executive Vice President Tommy Rios. Ducati has won more World Superbike Championships than any other manufacturer and has more single race victories than all other competitors combined. The custom sunglasses created under the agreement are directly inspired by Ducati racing tradition, combining sleek design with technical performance.

Specific terms of the deal were not released.

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

AMA PRO RACING ON TV THIS WEEK

(All times Eastern)

Pro Honda Oils Supersport presented by Shoei final, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisc., Sunday, June 6, 3-4 p.m. SPEED Channel



AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship Doubleheader, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisc., Sunday, June 6, (Race 1, 4-5 p.m.) (Race 2, 5-6 p.m.) SPEED Channel



Pro Honda Oils Supersport presented by Shoei final, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisc., Tuesday, June 8, 12-1 p.m. SPEED Channel



AMA Chevrolet Motocross Championship (125cc & 250cc), High Point Raceway, Mt. Morris, Penn., Saturday, June 5, 1-3 p.m. ESPN2

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Chevrolet Superbike
$74,000 Total Purse (Half Paid In Each Of 2 Races)

1. $8000
2. $6000
3. $4500
4. $3600
5. $3200
6. $3050
7. $2950
8. $2850
9. $2750
10. $2650
11. $2600
12. $2500
13. $2400
14. $2300
15. $2200
16. $2100
17. $2000
18. $1900
19. $1800
20. $1650
21. $1550
22. $1450
23. $1350
24. $1250
25. $1150
26. $1000
27. $900
28. $800
29. $700
30. $600
31. $550
32. $500
33. $450
34. $400
35. $350



Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Extreme
$12,000 Total Purse

1. $1650
2. $1350
3. $1100
4. $850
5. $750
6. $700
7. $650
8. $600
9. $550
10. $500
11. $475
12. $450
13. $425
14. $375
15. $325
16. $300
17. $275
18. $250
19. $225
20. $200



Pro Honda Oils Supersport
$12,000 Total Purse

1. $1650
2. $1350
3. $1100
4. $850
5. $750
6. $700
7. $650
8. $600
9. $550
10. $500
11. $475
12. $450
13. $425
14. $375
15. $325
16. $300
17. $275
18. $250
19. $225
20. $200



AMA Repsol Superstock
$12,000 Total Purse

1. $1650
2. $1350
3. $1100
4. $850
5. $750
6. $700
7. $650
8. $600
9. $550
10. $500
11. $475
12. $450
13. $425
14. $375
15. $325
16. $300
17. $275
18. $250
19. $225
20. $200

From a press release issued by Honda Racing Information:

GIBERNAU DETERMINED TO KEEP TITLE MOMENTUM GOING

The fourth round of the 2004 MotoGP title race takes place in the Tuscan hills of Italy this weekend with a crowd of 70,000 expected at this fast, flowing, circuit. This race will mark the quarter-way stage in this year’s 16-race series and Mugello, as it so often does, will prove to be a pivotal race.

Pivotal for many reasons. Points table leader Sete Gibernau (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) will be aiming to win his third consecutive race of the season and stamp his authority on the title race at the ‘home’ Grand Prix of his two closest title rivals. Max Biaggi (Camel Honda RC211V) lies ten points behind the Spaniard and Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) is only four points in arrears of Biaggi.

But an early advantage in the points table is only part of the story. Mugello will also be a test for Rossi’s Yamaha. The 5.245km track is a ‘power’ circuit with a 1.14km uphill straight. The RC211V’s of Gibernau and Biaggi have never been short of the outright horsepower needed to take advantage of this long, crucial straight, while a question mark hangs over the power quotient of the Yamaha.

But the imposing main chute is by no means the only element of Mugello that poses a challenge. The right-hand turn at the end of the main 206mph straight is a ‘known’ passing place and a baulked run through there can upset a rider’s rhythm for the rest of the lap – and Mugello’s sweeping turns are a test that requires uninterrupted rhythm as much as anything else.

The racing here tends to be close and spectacular with epic slipstreaming battles along the straight and close quarter action through the turns where the adverse cambers and downhill plunges put a high value on machine agility. But without the power to stay in contention on the straight a rider has too much to do to make up ground through the turns in the backfield. This is why power is at a premium here.

The ‘home’ race advantage is key here too. Riders are never slow to point out that backing from a big, partisan crowd is worth a few extra horsepower and both Biaggi and Rossi will have hardcore legions of fans willing them on to title glory.

Sete Gibernau is under no illusions about how hard it will be to prevail here. “For sure it will be a difficult race as the Italian riders will be in front of their public,” he said. “Therefore they will almost have an extra gear as they’ll be even more motivated that usual. Plus Mugello isn’t exactly a circuit I particularly like. Last year on this track we had the worst result of the season, but I will be racing to win. I have lots of Italian fans too and it would be a fantastic gift to win for my Italian mechanics and for my team.”

Max Biaggi cannot wait for the race such is his enthusiasm for the magnificent circuit. Currently holding second place in the points standings Biaggi is in a buoyant mood as the race nears.

“What can you say about Mugello that isn’t something positive? The track would be one of my absolute favourites even if it wasn’t my home circuit and the venue for the Italian GP. The endless front straightaway, the fast bends, the technically-challenging esses, all make this a fantastic track to ride at: with the “Bucine”, the “Arrabbiata” double-apex, the “Casanova-Savelli” where my fan-club always cheers from, as well as all the rest… I love every bit of it. I also like the hilly nature of the track, I’m not a big fan of the flat circuits. The track is very different from Le Mans, it doesn’t have the same hard braking for starters, but the positive work my team has done with the set-up after the last race could allow me to have a good base setting with which to go just as well at this track. I think that the race will be very hard fought, there are a lot of us who want and who are capable of going well, and I’m certain to be amongst those.” Commented the ultra-fast Roman.

Brazilian Alex Barros (Repsol Honda RC211V) currently lies fourth in the overall title standings and sees this race a perfect opportunity to get further on terms with his rivals. “I’m confident that the important work we did after the last race at Le Mans will be of big benefit for next race,” he said. “We struggled in France to find a good balance for the machine. I was not confident with the front end and was having real problems in the turns.

“We worked to find a solution on the day after the race and I was happy with the results where we were able to lap consistently quicker than over the whole race weekend. This work will be important for the set-up for Mugello, which is such a fast and flowing track. We need a good result this weekend to keep in contention in the long race for the championship.”

Colin Edwards (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) needs to get his season on track here too – and feels the time is right after extensive testing. “After the work at the Michelin test track my feeling with the bike is much better,” he said. “We had problems with the front whenever the air temperature rose. We changed the forks and we’ve now resolved these problems. So now I can’t wait to go to Mugello. The Italians are favourites but there won’t only be Rossi and Biaggi, Sete and I will be up there to fight also. Mugello is a special track, full of history, and I like the atmosphere there.”

And Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V), currently lying seventh in the overall standings, also needs to pick up a big points haul here too. “I’m looking forward to Mugello,” said the American. “It’s a really nice track and I like the layout a lot. I never really got up to speed there last year and to be honest had a bit of an off weekend. I want to start this coming important race weekend where we left off from the test at Le Mans after what was really a pretty disappointing race.

“We definitely found some speed in the test and I was lapping a whole lot quicker than I did in the race. The team is working real hard and I so want to get a result for them and all my fans that have been so supportive. I’m under no illusions; it’s going to be hard. I’m racing in the best series in the world with the best riders in the world. I’ve just got to keep chipping away and learning.”

Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda RC211V) riding on Bridgestone tyres said, “I’m delighted to be going to Mugello, because the track is so beautiful. Last year, without any prior testing experience there I felt good straight away. In the race I was nineteenth after the first lap but by the end I had clawed my way up to fourth place. So it was at this race that I showed my ability to battle with the best for the first time, and that I could challenge for the podium. This year we have already shown that we can go fast in testing, and now we only have to get right the life of the rear tyre during the race, but we are getting there. The test after the Le Mans

In the 250cc category series leader Randy de Puniet (Aprilia) knows he will have a fight on his hands from two directions. From Danny Pedrosa (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS250RW), who has now won two races so far in his rookie 250 year. And from Roberto Rolfo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) who will be aiming to win his home race.

“Mugello is a very difficult track and races are usually very hard,” said Pedrosa. “To find a good setting is very important and to choose the right tyres, also. For me, Mugello is the most technical track in the World Championship and I don’t know quite what to expect because it’s my first time there on a 250. Now, we are doing well, but it will be a very difficult race, I’m sure about that. You really need to concentrate here from the first free session and work hard for the race. A front row start is vital here also.”

Rolfo is set on making up for his calamitous French Grand Prix. “Le Mans was a disaster for me,” he said. “I still don’t really know what caused the crash. We stayed on to test at Le Mans after the race and although I never set fast times in testing we achieved some positive results from the new machine set up we tested. Mugello is an important race for me. I like the track a lot and hope the changes we have made to the bike will be effective here.”

In the 125 arena Mugello represents a chance for series leader Andrea Dovizioso (Team Scot Honda RS125R) to stamp his authority on the title race with a home win – and the Honda standard bearer in this class will be going all out to secure a third win this year.

“I had to stay really focused after Le Mans and concentrate on preparing for Mugello,” he said. “Mugello is good for Aprilia because they test there so much. But I am optimistic, I like Mugello and was involved in a good race there in 2003. I was running second with a lap to go but had a big slide at Casanova-Savelli and finished fourth. At the moment I’m in good psychological and physical shape and the bike is very fast so Mugello could be good for us.”

The other Honda contenders in the 125cc category know they must use Mugello as a chance to get properly into the points reckoning at Aprilia’s home track. The man nearest the front runners in the title chase is Julian Simon (Angaia Racing Honda RS125R) currently on 13 points in 13th place. While one of last year’s rookie revelations, Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R), has yet to score.

“I will be happy to get to Mugello after my experience at Le Mans,” said Luthi. “I really like the track at Mugello, the way the fast corners flow makes it a great place to race. I finished 12th last year and I need to improve on that this year.”

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Team Embry’s Matt Lynn, 19, will miss the June 11-13 round of WERA National Challenge Series at California Speedway in Fontana, California.

According to a press release issued on Lynn’s behalf, he opted to have surgery to repair a broken finger and skip the California event while recovering from the operation.

“It would have been ideal to wait until the end of the season, but I can’t,” Lynn was quoted as saying in the release. “It made sense to me to miss the race that is furthest away. I thought about getting the surgery and still going to California, but I decided that it was too much of a risk.”

From a press release issued by Kenny Kopecky:

KOPECKY TO RETURN TO WSMC SERIES FULL-TIME IN 2005

Multi-time Willow Springs Raceway Class Champion Kenny Kopecky will return to the WSMC series full-time in 2005 aboard Ducati motorcycles, sponsored by Aprilia/Ducati of Oceanside.

After 12 years of full-time service at Willow Springs, Kopecky resigned at the end of the 2003 WSMC season to pursue other interests in his hometown of San Diego. This has been his longest break from road race competition since he first raced at Willow in late 1982.

“I was back on the racetrack last Sunday at Fontana with Fastrack Riders, and it felt great! I’ll be an alternate rider for one of the teams in the upcoming WERA 6-hour National Endurance race on June 12th, and am looking forward to great fun.” said Kopecky. He hadn’t ridden on a road race track since last October, though he has been riding his motocross bikes at local Southern California tracks.

“After the WERA endurance event, we plan to run our new Ducati 749R in selected events through the end of this year, with a goal of returning to racing full-time and going after some more club level class championships at Willow Springs next year. I can feel in my initial rides, the new Ducati is a very sweet machine. Our first proper track test with it will be Monday, June 7th on the main course at Willow during a track day with the Aprilia/Ducati Oceanside people.”

Should Kopecky reach the same level of riding on his Ducati 749R that he did on his former race bike in the 2001 and 2002 WSMC series, he said he’ll consider running some AMA Formula Extreme events in 2005. “We’ll wait and see how quickly we can get the factory race kit and how well I can ride the bike, but with the high quality of this equipment I’m certainly looking forward to giving it the best effort I can and I’m confident we’ll do well on the club level, for sure!”

Kenny adds: “I’ve missed the racing and comararderie with the riders and many friends, and I’m so excitied to have the opportunity to race on the beautiful Ducati motorcycles at this point of my career!”

From a press release issued by Mat Mladin motorsports:

MLADIN PREPARED FOR ROAD AMERICA BATTLE

The 2004 American AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship reaches its half way point this weekend with Wisconsin’s Road America circuit at Elkhart Lake hosting a double-header round of the series, incorporating rounds nine and ten of the 18-race series.

Defending American Superbike champion, Australian Mat Mladin, arrives at Road America as the front-runner in this year’s championship which has seen him take five race wins from eight starts aboard his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000. The four-times champion holds a 19-point advantage over Jake Zemke (268 – 249), with fellow Honda rider Miguel DuHamel third, a further four points away.

The Road America circuit presents itself as one of the most liked circuits on the AMA calendar by the riders, as well as being one of the longest with a length of 6.44km (4.00miles).

The fast flowing nature of the circuit, matched with recent step up improvements by his rivals, leaves Mladin in a position where he will be heavily challenged for the race wins.

“I’ve enjoyed racing here and look forward to the weekend ahead,” said Mladin. “The same deal applies as always. We’ll get our bike set up as best we can for the circuit and aim to score the maximum amount of points that will allow us to maintain our momentum in the championship.

Mladin is no stranger to winning at Road America, having taken victory on three separate occasions aboard three different styles of motorcycle, which at times have been against the odds. His latest victory being last season, when he took the honours in the opening race.

“I know for sure this weekend is not going to be easy for us. We’ll have a heck of a lot of work to do to ensure the bike is as good as we can get it and I feel confident about that. I’ve won here before on three different types of motorcycle (1997 – Ducati 955, 2001 – Suzuki GSX-R750, 2003 – Suzuki GSX-R1000) and at times, especially on the 750 were not considered as race favourites.”

“Our team was able to get a great start to the year, winning the opening four races, but I think the opposition has stepped up the pace at recent rounds. There have been three different winners from the last three races, as well as a rider who is sitting there ready to get his first win. It’s definitely tough out there at the moment which is great for the championship, but for us we just have to keep our focus and achieve our goals.

Practice and qualifying for this weekend’s double-header round commences on Friday, with Saturday’s schedule featuring the second and final qualifying session followed by the first of the weekend’s two Superbike nationals, with the second being run Sunday afternoon.

ROAD AMERICA – FAST FACTS

Circuit length: 6.44km (4.00miles)
2003 Pole position: Mat Mladin (Yoshimura Suzuki) 2:15.159 mins
2003 Results:
Race 1:
1. Mat Mladin Yoshimura Suzuki)
2. Miguel DuHamel (American Honda)
3. Kurtis Roberts (Erion Honda)
Race 2:
1. Eric Bostrom (Team Kawasaki)
2. Aaron Yates (Yoshimura Suzuki)
3. Larry Pegram (Dream Team Ducati)
Superbike lap record: Eric Bostrom (Team Kawasaki ZX-7RR) 2:08.510 mins
(2002)

2004 AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship (Points after 8 of 18 rounds):

1. Mat Mladin (268, 5 wins); 2. Jake Zemke (249), 3. Miguel DuHamel (245, 2 wins), 4. Eric Bostrom (184, 1 win), 5. Geoff May (175); 6. Lee Acree (156), 7. John Haner (148), 8. Josh Hayes (136), 9. Ben Bostrom (131), 10. Cory West (122).

From a press release issued by d’Antin Ducati:

Xaus, Hodgson positive before Italian GP

This coming weekend the MotoGP World Championship celebrates the fourth round of the season at the Italian Mugello track, a special race for the entire d´Antin MotoGP team. Rubén Xaus and Neil Hodgson have hardly raced here in the past, but know the track well and know that it is held in high esteem by the whole of Italy. For both riders it will be a fantastic occasion to race their Ducati Desmosedici bikes around such an impressive and emblematic setting as this.

The championships have visited Mugello every year since 1991, after a complete overhaul had transformed the circuit complex from top to bottom. It is located around twenty miles away from the historic city of Florence, in the heart of Tuscany. The track rolls through an enclosed valley and is famous for its undulations as well as the enormous straight where the bikes will reach staggering speeds in front of tens of thousands of fans who attend this Grand Prix year in year out.

NEIL HODGSON’s crash in France seemed to put his participation in this race into jeopardy. Neil fractured two ribs, but fortunately his recovery has gone well, “I have to say that I feel much better now, although evidently I’m still not 100% right yet. I’m eager to get back into the action and I’m very excited about going to the Italian Grand Prix. The thing is though, I won’t really be able to see how much progress I’ve made until I get on my Ducati on Friday for first practice and I begin to ride. Mugello isn’t a circuit where you can ride around too relaxed, but in theory I’m optimistic and I have to say that these rest days have helped me a lot.”

RUBÉN XAUS was a little more fortunate than his team-mate and in Le Mans he managed to overcome all the obstacles thrown in his way and take the first points of the season for the team, “In France I managed to finish the race and pick up some valuable experience. Ever since then we have had some rest days, although to be honest I haven’t really stopped at all, and I made the most of the time by training on enduro and supermotard bikes.

Now we come to Mugello, and it’s a circuit I know very well despite not having competed here since 1996 when I was in the Italian Supersport Championship. We used to come here a lot to test the Ducati Superbike however, and so I’ve ridden here on a number of occasions. It’s a great track and it takes a lot out of you, the tyres also suffer quite a bit and you need a good engine. While that’s true you also need to be quick in the corners, and whenever you’re riding a Ducati here you get that added sense of emotion, because it’s the spirit of Italy. The home riders will go very strong here, but I’m hoping to do a good race of my own.”


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

Hodgson’s Ready For Italy MotoGP

Neil Hodgson will race at Mugello Circuit. During last France MotoGP the British rider fell and hurt two ribs, but he has taken advantage of this little break of the season to recover himself and he´s now ready for the race in Italy, which is taking place next weekend.

Neil said: ” Actually, I fell much better, although I am not completly recovered yet. I long for getting back to action and I will make it to Italy full of hope, but I won´t know for sure how recovered I am until I ride my Ducati again. I feel optimistic and I believe this little rest has been good to me.”