From a press release issued by publicist Dorina Clarke, for Team Hammer, Inc.:

Chris Siglin Wins Team Hammer Talent Search Presented By Alpinestars

Lake Elsinore, Calif. – Chris Siglin, 22, of Clayton, California won the 2003 Team Hammer Talent Search Presented By Alpinestars during the Suzuki Cup Finals at Road Atlanta last weekend.

Siglin was one of two semi-finalists in the Talent Search, and, along with Greg Moore, 25, of Brookwood, Alabama, earned a fully sponsored ride in the GSX-R750 Cup during the WERA Grand National Finals weekend. Siglin and Moore were provided with custom-fit Alpinestars leathers in Valvoline EMGO Suzuki colors, Alpinestars boots and gloves, Michelin tires, entry fees and the use of a Valvoline EMGO Suzuki GSX-R750 racebike with a mechanic.

Siglin won the Valvoline EMGO Suzuki GSX-R750 he rode at Road Atanta by finishing better than Moore in the GSX-R750 Cup Final. Moore crashed out while leading, and Siglin, who had never been to Road Atlanta before, finished ninth.

“I’m really excited about winning the bike, I didn’t really expect it,” said Siglin. “I’m still in shock about it. It’s really cool. I’ll probably race it a couple times at Willow Springs, finish off the year, and do a couple track days. Overall, the Talent Search was an awesome experience, worth every penny plus more. All the knowledge, the experience, the people I’ve met, it was absolutely great, more than I ever expected, for sure. Mike Canfield was my mechanic and he worked his ass off! To be involved with the Valvoline EMGO Suzuki guys at the GNF was a dream come true, to have the great equipment and great guys behind you is the best feeling in the world. I knew I was going to an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people and not sure what to expect, but I ended up meeting some of the nicest people I’ve ever met!”

Moore agreed with Siglin regarding his Talent Search experience. “It was an awesome experience,” Moore said. “Everybody was great. They make it easy for you to just go out and ride. I didn’t have to work on my own stuff, and I was able to just ride. Mike Earnhardt was my mechanic and we got on real well. I crashed and broke my foot and hand early in the weekend, but was still able to win three WERA Championships and do a 1:27.5, my best lap. In the GSX-R750 cup race I got the holeshot on all three starts and when I came around for the second lap I saw plus zero on my board so I thought someone was right on my ass. I kept pushing it and going down the hill in turn four I didn’t get my foot up and it got caught between the bike and the gator bumps and I crashed. Even though I was hurt, I am not the kind of person to not give 110 percent. It’s a fine line, sometimes you ride hard and are a hero and sometimes you crash and burn. Hopefully the team was happy with what I did. Everything about the whole experience was great.”

More information on the Team Hammer Talent Search Presented by Alpinestars can be found in the News section of www.teamhammer.com

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) has added an event at Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond, California to its tentative 2004 Historic Cup road race schedule.

According to the organization’s website, the Garage Company’s Corsa MotoClassica will take place May 8-9 at the 2.5-mile, nine-turn track.

AHRMA has already announced events at Sandia Motor Speedway in Albuquerque, New Mexico, May 1-2 and Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, California, August 14-15 and plans to add another 2004 date in California.

For additional info, go to www.ahrma.org or call (615) 851-3674.

From a press release issued by Seacoast Sport Cycle:

Seacoast Sport Cycle Announces Grand Reopening/Open House Celebration

Seacoast Sport Cycle invites Italian two-wheel enthusiasts to its grand reopening celebration — Saturday, November 8th from 10 to 6 at 208 Rockingham Road, at the intersection of Route 28 and Kilrea Road in Derry, New Hampshire, 4 miles north of the shop’s old location.

Seacoast Sport Cycle brings you Aprilia and Moto Guzzi motorcycles and scooters, showcased in our new 6,000 sq. foot location. Stop by to see the new models and grab a light lunch. For more information or directions, please call Seacoast Sport Cycle at 603-437-5656.

www.aprilia-nh.com or www.motoguzzi-nh.com

From a press release issued by the PR Group:

MOTORCYCLE CHASSIS & SUSPENSION SEMINAR BY INTERNATIONAL EXPERT!

On November 29th in Redwood City, California, Keith Code (www.superbikeschool.com) and Doc Wong of Doc Wong Rides (www.docwong.com) are co-hosting an all day seminar with suspension and chassis guru Tony Foale. The seminar attendance will be a maximum of 50 people. Price for the event is $89 advance registration is required. e-mail Doc at [email protected] for payment, registration and directions to his clinic in Redwood City where it will be held.

Tony Foale’s newest book, “Motorcycle Handling and Chassis Design, the art and science” will be available as will question and answer periods following his lectures. Foale’s work has received wide acclaim among chassis and techno-handling wizards world wide and his newest string of articles in Motorcycle Consumer News have shown his ability in bringing his understanding down to street level.

The interaction of chassis adjustments and tire performance is a hot topic and will be one of the subjects covered in the 8 hours. Foale says, “Tyre behaviour is at the heart of nearly all aspects of bike behaviour, and there is very little accurate information available from easily accessible sources. Topics such as feel, the requirements of suspension to allow the tyres to work, the differing requirements of comfort and performance and many other things will be covered.”

The seminar will be from 9AM to 5PM, Saturday, November 29th.

LOCATION: Wong Chiropractic Clinic, 1391 Woodside Road, Suite 200, Redwood City, CA 94061

(In the San Francisco bay area, just south of the city on Hwy. 101. Also near Hwy. 280.)

To register – email: [email protected]

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Tokyo-Chunichi Sports is reporting that Shinya Nakano will ride a Kawasaki MotoGP bike in 2004, as teammate to Alex Hoffman, on Bridgestone tires.

According to sources in Japan, Suzuki may also switch to Bridgestone tires for the 2004 MotoGP Series.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MRA officials say that MRA President Andrew Drattlo has resigned over charges that he wrote MRA checks and used an MRA debit card to pay non-MRA bills, including a $2100 motorcycle shop (TK Motorsports) rent payment and a $4000 downpayment on a personal truck, with several other charges–including automatic debit charges for a life insurance policy–remaining unexplained.

The amount of unauthorized personal expenditures may exceed $10,000 although Drattlo’s partner in TK Motorsports has since repaid the $2100.

Colorado-based MRA also missed scheduled payments on a $54,000 AMB transponder scoring system, including a $37,000 payment due September 1.

During an MRA Board of Directors meeting November 5, the organization revealed that it is trying to determine the exact amount of unauthorized charges and unpaid bills, has sent a $10,000 good faith payment to AMB and will pay the $27,000 balance due AMB as soon as possible, and is considering filing criminal and/or civil charges against Drattlo.

In the future, the MRA will require two signatures on organization checks, and copies of all checks and bank statements will be reviewed by the entire Board.

Roadracingworld.com reached new MRA Treasurer Brian Destarac, (who, with Drattlo, is co-owner of TK Motorsports), by phone Thursday afternoon, and asked him several questions.

Roadracingworld.com: Is it true Andrew Drattlo is no longer MRA President?

Destarac: He was asked to resign, which he did on the 3rd.

RW: Did he use MRA funds for his own personal use?

Destarac: Yes, we do have documentation of that.

RW: Is any action being taken?

Destarac: The whole situation is still under investigation and we have some issues which we are trying to resolve before we determinate if we are going to take further action.

RW: Is he still part of TK Motorsports?

Destarac: He hasn’t been in for a few weeks. We are currently trying to buy him out of the business. Actually his wife is the co-owner, he just acts as the managing partner for the two.

At post time, Drattlo had not returned a phone call from Roadracingworld.com seeking comment.

Read the official statement released by the MRA Board here:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/MRA-Racing/message/6136?unwrap=1

More information is posted on the MRA BBS, at
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/MRA-Racing/message/6065

From a press release issued by the FIM:

Superbike & Supersport World Championships

New date for Brands Hatch – Supersport rounds

The event to be held in Brands Hatch will take place on August 1st, instead of July 25.

The Supersport World Championship races will be held in all the rounds in Europe and also in Phillip Island (Australia).

A round in Mont Tremblant, Canada, is to be confirmed.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Roadracing World correspondent Mat Oxley has confirmed that MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi is taking most of his crew with him as he defects from Honda to Yamaha for 2004.

The crew, led by Jerry Burgess, was helped along in the decision by incentive payments made by Rossi himself, thought to be in the range of $50,000 each.

Prior to working with Rossi, most of the crew members worked with Mick Doohan.

First priority for the crew will be to sort through the massive adjustability of the Yamaha YZR-M1 and to find a workable baseline setting by averaging the wild range of settings used on the bike during the 2002 and 2003 seasons.

From a press release issued by KTM:

Stoner celebrates first victory by signing for KTM

Casey Stoner, who picked up the 125cc Rookie of the Year Award to add to his first Grand Prix winner’s trophy on Sunday at Valencia, has signed to ride for KTM in the 125cc World Championship 2004. The Australian teenager will team up with Mika Kallio as part of the Austrian factory’s fresh push for Grand Prix success after a disappointing season which started with reigning World Champion Arnaud Vincent alongside former champ Roberto Locatelli. “I think we’ve made a good decision – their bike has been getting better and better all season so hopefully we can come out next year and fight for the championship,” said Stoner, who added that he was looking forward to working for the revered 125cc tuner Harald Bartol. “Personally I think that, alongside Jerry Burgess, Harald is the best in the business and he obviously knows how to make a motorcycle go fast, as his track record with Derbi has shown. I was behind Kallio for a couple of laps in qualifying at Valencia and I was impressed with the speed of the bike, so I am looking forward to seeing how far we can take it.

“In any case, it will be a massive experience for me to work with someone like Harald and I am looking forward to learning as much as possible from him.”

On his debut win, Stoner admitted it was a dream fulfilled after several years of hard work. “My Mum and Dad brought me over to Europe a few years ago to compete in the British and Spanish Championships and it was a big commitment for them,” explained the 18 year old, who celebrated his birthday before his home race at Phillip Island two weeks ago. “We spent a lot of hours dreaming about this first Grand Prix victory and it is a nice feeling to have done it. My true aim though is to win a MotoGP race so hopefully this can be the first step towards that goal.”