From a press release issued by Honda:

Preview Isle of Man TT Festival

Adrian Archibald enjoyed the taste of the victor’s champagne twice last year, taking the honours in both the TT Formula One and Senior events, and as he prepares for the upcoming Isle of Man TT Racing Festival the 34 year old Ulsterman is hungry for more.

However, he faces a tough challenge to his supremacy in a hectic week of race action in which he finds himself pitting both speed and tactics with Ian Lougher, Honda, six times a winner over the 60.72Km Mountain Course which provides a unique challenge, likened by one former winner as the “Everest of Motorcycle racing.”

The course provides a high speed dash around the picturesque Island, always on public roads, through towns and villages and over the heights of the Snaefel Mountain, with riders reaching around 305Km an hour on the long straights, with the outright lap record being at an amazing average speed of 204.85Km/ph.

Expectations are that this record could be bettered this year, such is the quality of the entry in terms of riders and machines, with much of the front-running action centring on Archibald and Lougher.

They begin their head-to-head challenge in the opening race, the TT F1, on Saturday 5 June, an event which will be decided over four laps and not the six as in previous years, with the organisers considering aspects of rider fatigue and safety. Lougher enjoys the full backing of Honda, riding one of their CBR1000RR Fireblades as he takes on rider Archibald, Suzuki.

Lougher had to settle for second best in the corresponding race last year, and that is not something he is prepared to accept this time around, but, apart from the challenge of Archibald, who came within a couple of seconds of breaking the outright lap record of 204.85Km/ph, he faces a real threat from the two Yamaha riders John McGuinness and Jason Griffiths. Adding to the action will be the Kawasakis in the hands of Shaun Harris and Ryan Farquhar.

That race could set the standard for the week, with the Archibald Lougher private duel extending across each of the major races. They clash again in Monday’s Production 1000TT, run over three laps, with Honda, who have a long, pedigree of successes on the Island, stretching to over a century of victories in some 40 years of competition, having their efforts re-inforced by Shaun Harris, the winner of the race last year, riding a Fireblade.

Bruce Anstey, the winner of the Junior race, for 600 Supersport machines, aboard a Triumph Daytona is back for more, in Wednesday’s race, but this time, the Kiwi is riding Suzuki, as team-mate to Archibald, and that could present additional problems for Lougher, who rides a Honda CBR600RR, in what usually is closely fought affair. McGuinness and Griffiths again will be in the equation, while Richard Britton, riding Honda, is more than capable of springing a surprise result.

And, in Friday’s three lap Production 600TT there is the promise of more of the same, prior to the rider’s concentrating their efforts into the climax of the whole week, the ‘blue-riband’ Senior TT, over four demanding laps. Archibald wants an action replay of his victory. Lougher, third then, and Honda want to get ahead of him, while McGuinness and Grifftihs again pose real threats.

By then McGuinness is hoping to have repeated his success of last year in the Lightweight 400TT in which he is riding Honda. Chris Palmer, who has made the Island his adopted home, is keen to take the 125 Ultra-lightweight TT honours for a second successive year, again riding Honda RS125R.

And, Sidecar racing has played a key part in the history of the TT races, which stretches back to 1907. The ‘chairs’ have two races, on the opening Saturday and then on Wednesday with the local favourite, Honda powered, Dave Molyneux, passengered by Daniel Sayle, aiming to add to his eight race victories on the Island.

The timetable for the 2004 Isle of Man TT Racing Festival is:

RACES
Saturday 5th June
400 hrs TT Formula One 4 laps
1615 hrs Sidecar ‘A’ 3 laps

Monday 7th June
1045 hrs Ultra Lightweight 125/Lightweight400 4 laps
1315 hrs Production 1000 TT 3 laps

Wednesday 9th June
1045 hrs Junior TT 4 laps
1315 hrs Sidecar ‘B’ 3 laps

Friday 11th June
1045 hrs Production 600 TT 3 laps
1245 hrs Senior TT 4 laps

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Friday Morning World Supersport Practice Times:

1. Sebastien Charpentier, Honda CBR600RR, 1:30.804
2. Werner Daemen, Honda CBR600RR, 1:31.447
3. Karl Muggeridge, Honda CBR600RR, 1:31.474
4. Broc Parkes, Honda CBR600RR, 1:31.484
5. Kevin Curtain, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:31.655
6. Christian Kellner, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:31.727
7. Fabien Foret, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:31.814
8. Stephane Chambon, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:32.327
9. Kai Borre Andersen, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 1:32.434
10. Barry Veneman, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:32.457
11. Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati 749R, 1:32.477
12. Sebastien Le Grelle, Honda CBR600RR, 1:32.482
13. Jurgen Vd Goorbergh, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:32.559
14. Iain MacPherson, Honda CBR600RR, 1:32.605
15. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:32.721
16. Roman Stamm, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:32.826
17. Katsuaki Fujiwara, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:32.862
18. Arne Tode, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:33.017
19. Stefano Cruciani, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 1:33.064
20. Tekkyu Kayo, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:33.169

24. Giovanni Bussei, Ducati 749R, 1:33.730

From a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

Corser on provisional front row in Germany

Troy Corser qualified on the provisional front row of the grid for the fifth round of the Superbike World Championship at Oschersleben, Germany, today.

The Australian former world champion was just three tenths of a second behind pacesetter Frankie Chili, setting his fastest lap of 1:29.076 on his intended Pirelli race tyre.

Team-mate Chris Walker was down on his luck, choosing to try a qualifying tyre at the end of the afternoon session but crashing before he had the chance to start his flying lap. He finished the session in 14th place but just over a second off the day’s fastest time, set in warm sunshine at the twisty and technical Oschersleben circuit.

Troy said: “This track is probably the closest we have to Misano. So I didn’t think it would be too bad for us as there a lot of mid-speed corners and just the one big straight. The biggest change from the morning session was the gearing and it improved the bike a lot. I changed second, fourth and fifth gears, as well as changing the overall gearing to give us something in between settings that we had tried this morning. We also changed the oil level in the front forks, which seemed to help the bike turn. And I played around with the rear shock setting, just so that I could get more out of the tyre. After 14 laps on the hardest tyre I could still do 29.9s and did my fastest lap on a fresh race tyre, while some of the others might have used a qualifier. I only had chance to do a handful of laps on a new front tyre and went almost as quick so I still think there is room for improvement tomorrow, especially as the track now has more grip.”

Chris said: “I don’t know why I had the crash at the last left of the back section, and I always know why I have come off. I was only on my out-lap, so it wasn’t as if I was pushing that hard. Before that I had been gradually chipping away and was into the 29s, which was my first aim, and would have hopefully gone quicker on the qualifier. We are still a bit up in the air as to which tyres and gearing to use but, apart from that, I am relatively happy.”

Friday qualifying times, Superbike World Championship round five, Oschersleben, Germany: 1 Chili 1:28.740; 2 Martin 1:28.875; 3 Haga 1:29.020; 4 Corser (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:29.076; 5 Laconi 1:29.156; 6 Schulten (Alpha Technik) 1:29.297; 7 Sancini 1:29.440; 8 Vermeulen 1:29.489; 9 Toseland 1:29.516; 10 Haslam 1:29.589; 14 Walker (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:29.886

Free practice times: 1 Martin (DFX) 1:29.323; 2 Laconi (Ducati Fila) 1:29.482; 3 Haga (Renegade Ducati) 1:29.550; 4 Chili (PSG-1) 1:29.769; 5 Sanchini (Kawasaki Bertocchi) 1:29.817; 6 Corser (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:29.883; 7 Toseland (Ducati Fila) 1:30.124; 8 Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda) 1:30.175; 9 Walker (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:30.210; 10 Haslam (Renegade Ducati) 1:30.243


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

LACONI FIFTH, TOSELAND NINTH IN FIRST OSCHERSLEBEN QUALIFYING FOR DUCATI FILA

Oschersleben (Germany), Friday 28 May 2004: Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila) missed out on the provisional front row of the grid in Friday’s World Superbike qualifying at Oschersleben after he crashed out with a few minutes remaining.

The Frenchman, points leader and winner of four Superbike races this year, was quickest at the first split but then crashed out at the fast triple left-hander. While Regis made his way back to the pit garage, Chili (PSG-1 Ducati), Martin (DFX Ducati), Haga (Renegade Ducati) and Corser (Petronas) all went quicker and he had to settle for fifth place.

“That was not perfect!” declared an unhurt Laconi after the session. “I just lost the rear under braking and it was a very fast crash at the entry to the very fast triple but I’m OK. When I saw the rear of the bike go, I just let go and the bike went straight into the tyre wall. I was on for a quicker time when I crashed but we still have to work hard to find something more for tomorrow because the bike is still not turning well in the corners.”

Team-mate James Toseland was relatively pleased with his first day performance, in which he finished ninth quickest. He lapped solely on race tyres in the afternoon qualifying session and set a satisfactory race pace.

“We started out with both bikes the same as this morning, when I had a good feeling” declared Toseland, “and now we’re nearly there because I’ve got quite a comfortable setting on the bike. I’m doing more laps than I usually do in the session and that’s helping quite a lot. I didn’t use a qualifying tyre at all because the race tyres seem to be working quite well. I followed Haga round and he was pulling away on some points of the track so I’ve got to improve a bit there.”


More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist:

EASY ON ROW ONE

Troy finished the first day of qualifying at Oschersleben with the fourth quickest time and is provisionally on the front row of the grid. He even led this afternoon’s timed session until twenty minutes or so from the end without resorting to any qualifying tyres. Troy was about to improve on his lap times, after putting on some fresh rubber, but oil on the track and a red flag prevented him from going any quicker. Nevertheless Troy was happy to be so close to the leaders at this stage and is looking forward to improving tomorrow. Italian Frankie Chili (Ducati) set the days’ quickest time, with a lap of 1:28.740, ahead of Steve Martin (Ducati) and Noriyuki Haga (Ducati). Series leader Regis Laconi (Ducati) ended one place behind Troy in fifth.

TROY – 4th, 1:29.076
The biggest change between the two sessions today was the gearbox. We made some changes to three of the internal gears and that helped a lot. This afternoon I started off by trying to do a full race distance and straightaway I was into the 1:29s without a problem. That was on race rubber, so I felt pretty happy. I was going to try some fresh tyres later on, but when I did, there was a lot of oil on the track and the session was red flagged, so I lost my chance of making any significant improvements. This track feels a bit like Misano and that means that our bike gets on with it quite well. I sort of felt that before we started today and now I am looking forward to the rest of the weekend. We’ll put ina fresh engine tonight and see how much we can improve tomorrow. I believe that we can improve the bike tomorrow – especially on braking – and that should mean quicker lap times.


More, from a press release issued by Belgarda Yamaha:

FABIEN HELD UP!

Yamaha Racing Italia rider Fabien Foret was on course for a front row grid position until a slower rider baulked him on his fast lap. So, instead of being on the provisional front row today, Fabien finished the sixth quickest in today’s timed qualifying session. His Yamaha Racing Italia team mate Jurgen van den Goorbergh used today’s two sessions to find a good set-up for his R6 Yamaha and will go for a quick time tomorrow. Jurgen ended the day in eleventh place, but is confident of being on the front two rows by the end of tomorrow. Japanese rider Tekkyu Kayo is guest riding for the team at Oschersleben in preparation for the Japanese Superstock 600m Championship race in early June. This was the first time he has been at Oschersleben and he took things steadily before ending fifteenth quickest today. Frenchman Sebastien Charpentier (Honda) posted the fastest lap of the day, with a time of 1:29.644, ahead of series leader Karl Muggeridge (Honda). Third quickest today was Broc Parkes (Honda), with Kevin Curtain (Yamaha) fourth.

FABIEN FORET – 6th, 1:30.760
I’m a little bit angry because Oschersleben is a good track for me and I have had successes here in the past. Today though, I just wasn’t lucky on my fast lap and I was on track for a quick time until a slower rider got in the way and I lost a lot of time. If he hadn’t been in my way, I’m sure I would have been on the front row of the grid. Tomorrow I’ll have to try and find the right moment to go out for my quick lap and hope I don’t run into any slow traffic. But maybe I’ll need a bit of luck to do that.

JURGEN VAN DEN GOORBERGH – 11th, 1:31.289
Today I just worked on finding a good set-up for my Yamaha R6 and didn’t try and make a really quick lap. I’m not at all worried about my position today, because finding a good set-up is more important. But tomorrow, you can be sure that I’ll go for it because it’s so important to be on the first two rows of the grid. The first turn is very narrow, so a good start is important and that means rows one or two. I’m confident that I can manage that tomorrow.

TEKKYU KAYO – 15th, 1:31.440
Considering this is my first time here, I’m very happy. This track reminds me of the minibikes tracks I used to race on in Japan years ago, so I like it. My goal this season is to win the Japanese Superstock 600 Championship and the next race is in early June. Unfortunately I was injured in a motocross accident and missed the first two rounds, so I need to catch up. Oschersleben is a way of getting up to race speed quickly, but it’s also a great experience for me.


More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group:

FRIDAY QUALIFYING

Chili Comes Out Fighting In Germany

Chili, Chili, Chili: Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati 998) once more showed why even at almost forty years of age he is still one of the most prolifically fast SBK riders ever, by taking the provisional Oschersleben pole time of 1:28.740. Leaving his charge until the end, Chili, who was second in one race here last year, edged out the still-injured Steve Martin (DFX Ducati) by a mere 0.135 seconds.

Haga Hovers: Having won a race at Valencia earlier this year Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati 999RS) has shown early pace at a track very similar to the Valencia stadium-style layout. The Japanese rider gave the private Ducati colony in SBK a three card running flush on the provisional front row, with the final spot on the leading rank being earned by the consistently quick Troy Corser (Foggy Petronas FP-1). Many expected the three-cylinder 900cc machine to struggle exiting the many slow corners at Oschersleben, but Corser has shown that he and his bike may even be a raceday threat.

Works Outing: A poor start to the Oschersleben race weekend for the Fila Ducati riders, on their full factory 999F04s, saw Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila 999F04) crash at the end of the session and James Toseland (Ducati Fila 999F04) struggle with machine set-up. Laconi could only manage fifth fastest, hoping to improve in the final day of qualifying on Saturday and go for his fourth Superpole win in five attempts. Toseland was not even on the front two rows, qualifying ninth after the first day of action.

Honda Homeland: Partly thanks to some strong local wildcard entries the bike most likely to be the fastest four-cylinder machine on show, the Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR of Chris Vermeulen, was deposed to eighth overall. Sixth place was taken by the Alpha Technik Honda CBR1000RR of Michael Shulten, his team mate Jurgen Oelschläger going 11th.

Different Strokes: A pleasing spread of machinery on the front two provisional rows included, in seventh place, a Bertocchi Kawasaki ZX-10 under the command of Mauro Sanchini, one place more advantaged than Chris Vermeulen. The Kawasaki is proving to be a sound choice for SBK competition, even at this relatively early stage in its development.

McCoy in a Muddle: Having never seen the convoluted and complicated Oschersleben circuit before, Aussie legend Garry McCoy (Xerox Ducati 999RS) belied his Phillip island race winning form to end his first timed session in lowly 19th position, struggling to find a suitable set-up. Having survived a monumental crash at Monza another Aussie rider, Warwick Nowland, rode gingerly on his Team Zong Shen Suzuki, posting 23rd fastest lap after compressing two vertebrae two weeks previously.

Supersport: At the end of an opening day of pace and accomplished prowess from Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) a track record lap of 1:29.644 gave the Frenchman provisional pole position, in a top three dominated by CBR machines. Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) went second, three tenths down on Charpentier, with his own team-mate Broc Parkes in third spot. The Honda homogeny was ended by the intervention of Yamaha Motor Germany rider, Kevin Curtain, who went fourth fastest in being the last rider within one second of Charpentier’s remarkable new track fastest laptime. Katsuaki Fujiwara took his Alstare Suzuki to fifth overall.

Final qualifying for each class takes place tomorrow, Saturday 29.

From a press release issued by Spark Productions:

FASTER
A film by Mark Neale
Narrated by Ewan McGregor

ACTION-PACKED SPECIAL PREVIEW EDITION DVD
GOES ON SALE JUNE 1, 2004
plus
New Openings in Theaters Across the Country

WINNER:
Documentary Reportage, Individual Sport – Mention D’honneur
Federation Internationale Cinema Television Sportifs
21st Annual Sport Movies & TV Festival, Milan 2003

“Awesome” — LA Weekly

“Often thrilling, always compelling …While ‘Faster’ is a natural for sports junkies and motorcycle enthusiasts, it also provides the kind of involving human element achieved by the best sports docus.”–Variety

“Finally a movie about motorcycling that isn’t Hollywood crap-u-drama…This is the real deal… with a backdrop of incredible action.” — Track Junkie

“Raw, manic and very honest — it feels driven like the sport it’s chronicling.”
– One Wheel Drive

Spark Productions Inc. has announced that on June 1, 2004, a Special Preview Edition DVD of the acclaimed motorcycle racing movie FASTER will go on sale in the United States. The disc will be sold for $24.95 (plus S&H), exclusively through the website WWW.FASTERMOVIE.COM.

The Special Preview Edition includes the action-packed documentary along with footage from the 2003 Cannes Film Festival and Market, where director Mark Neale and FASTER narrator Ewan McGregor (“Star Wars” I, II & III, “Black Hawk Down”) led a cavalcade of some of the world’s best riders, including Loris Capirossi, Colin Edwards, Alex Hoffman, John Hopkins, Olivier Jacque, Garry McCoy, and reigning champion Valentino Rossi.

FASTER was recently picked up for distribution on the big screen by Slamdance On The Road. Upcoming dates include Santa Cruz, CA (5/26,29, 30) with a special appearance by Wayne Rainey on 5/29, Aspen, CO (5/29, 30), Oakland, CA (6/1), Duluth, MN (6/5, 6), Walnut Creek, CA (6/9). Additional bookings will be announced. See WWW.FASTERMOVIE.COM for details.

The film has so far enjoyed packed houses at bookings in Los Angeles, Houston, Minneapolis, Portland and at the Slamdance Film Festival in Utah and the Sonoma Film Festival in California. Racing luminaries Kevin Schwantz and Eric Bostrom attended the Los Angeles premiere, and Colin Edwards attended a screening in Houston.

FASTER is the most true-to-life look at grand prix motorcycle racing ever brought to screen. Crossing five continents during the 2001-2002 MotoGP championship seasons, filmmaker Mark Neale captures the speed, the egos, the broken bones and the babes in the fastest, most glamorous, most extreme bike races in the world.

Narrated by rider and international movie star Ewan McGregor, FASTER features today’s top riders, including Valentino Rossi, called “the most sought after racer in the world,” and his archrival Maxi Biaggi; the brilliant but injury-prone Garry McCoy; and rising star John Hopkins, the youngest rider on the circuit. FASTER also features a raft of former champs who have shaped the way racing is done today, along with the doctor who patches the riders together and puts them back on the track, and the experts in the bleachers who write the history of the sport.

FASTER is a film by Spark Productions in association with Dorna Sports SL. Executive producers are Ian MacLean, Mark Neale and Chris Paine. Produced by Stephen Lim.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Friday’s World Superbike Qualifying Results:

1. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, 1:28.740
2. Steve Martin, Ducati 999RS, 1:28.875
3. Noriyuki Haga, Ducati 999RS, 1:29.020
4. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:29.076
5. Regis Laconi, Ducati 999F04, 1:29.156
6. Michael Schulten, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:29.297
7. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:29.440
8. Chris Vermeulen, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:29.489
9. James Toseland, Ducati 999F04, 1:29.516
10. Leon Haslam, Ducati 999RS, 1:29.589
11. Jurgen Oelschläger, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:29.607
12. Andy Meklau, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:29.731
13. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:29.883
14. Chris Walker, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:29.886
15. Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati 998RS, 1:29.913
16. Marco Borciani, Ducati 999RS, 1:29.995
17. Piergiorgio Bontempi, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:30.033
18. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 1:30.119
19. Garry McCoy, Ducati 999RS, 1:30.453
20. Alessio Velini, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:31.112

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

Road America doubleheader marks mid-season for AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited

Championship points chase tightening

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (May 27, 2004) — Road America’s Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader on June 4-6 in Elkhart Lake, Wis., marks the midway point in the 2004 AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited. The picturesque four-mile Road America circuit is not only the longest road course on the AMA Superbike tour, it is also counted among the favorite tracks by a large number of series riders. This year marks the 25th season the AMA series has visited the classic American circuit at Elkhart Lake.

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin leads the series coming into Road America. The only four-time AMA Superbike Champion in the history of the series has five wins in eight races so far this season. Mladin is a three-time winner at Road America and is tied with Miguel Duhamel and Anthony Gobert as the leading AMA Superbike winner at Road America. Even though Mladin got off to a hot start in the series, he’s coming off his worst finish of the season – a sixth at Pikes Peak International Raceway a week ago. Despite the minor setback – the result of a tire problem on his potent Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Mladin is happy with the position he’s in mid-season.

“We have given back some points in the last couple of races,” Mladin said, “but I’d prefer to be leading than chasing anytime.”

Mladin’s chasers include Honda’s Jake Zemke and Miguel Duhamel. Zemke moved into second in the standings with a runner-up result in Colorado, and has drawn to within 19 points of the series leader. Zemke, of Paso Robles, Calif., is in his first full season of AMA Superbike and has been somewhat of a surprise with his incredible consistency. The one thing the well-liked Zemke does not have is a Superbike victory and after five runner-up results he’ll be anxious to finally earn a breakthrough win at Road America.

Miguel Duhamel, the leading veteran rider of AMA Superbike racing, is having his best season in years. The Canadian, who now calls Las Vegas home, is a close third in the series standings and has traditionally found some of his greatest success at Elkhart Lake. Duhamel scored the doubleheader sweep at Road America two years ago. He owns three wins at the track. Last year in the Saturday race Duhamel’s Honda got sideways coming out of the final turn and that cost him a chance at the win.

The new Honda factory CBR1000RR Superbikes seem to be improving each week, so look for Zemke, Duhamel and Ben Bostrom to be among the frontrunners at Road America.

Ducati Austin’s Eric Bostrom stepped forward to give Ducati its first AMA Superbike win in almost five years at Pikes Peak. Bostrom comes into this weekend’s doubleheader with momentum on his side. Ducati has a good history at Road America as well. The Italian brand dominated at the track in the 1990s with wins by riders Doug Polen, Pascal Picotte, Alessandro Gramigni, Mat Mladin and Anthony Gobert.

The hottest privateer team in recent rounds has been Attack Kawasaki and its rider Josh Hayes. Hayes, last year’s AMA Superstock champ from Gulfport, Miss., has scored five straight top-10 finishes and moved to eighth in the Superbike standings. Faithful Kawasaki fans in Wisconsin will back Hayes whose stated goal is to earn a podium finish at some point this season.

The Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader races will be televised back-to-back on SPEED Channel on Sunday, June 6, beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern.

For additional information on the race call 1-800-365-7223 or visit www.roadamerica.com

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited

Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader – Road America, June 4-6, 2004

Thursday, June 3

3:00 – 7:00 – Registration: Riders, Crew, Sponsors & Guests

3:00 – 7:30 – Tech Inspection

6:30 – Post-Entry Closed for all Classes


Friday, June 4

7:30 – 4:00 – Registration: Riders, Crew, Sponsors & Guests

8:00 – 5:00 – Tech Inspection

9:00 – 9:50 – Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Practice

10:00 – 10:50 – AMA Repsol Superstock Practice

11:00 – 11:20 – Sidecar Practice

11:20 – 12:10 – Lunch Break

11:30 – Mandatory Rider Briefing for All Classes

12:10 – 1:10 – Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Helmets Practice

1:20 – 2:20 – Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Practice

2:30 – 3:10 – Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Qualifying Group 1

3:20 – 4:00 – Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Qualifying Group 2

4:10 – 4:50 – Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Qualifying Group 1

5:00 – 5:40 – Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Qualifying Group 2


Saturday, June 5

7:30 – 3:00 – Registration: Crew, Sponsors & Guests

8:00 – 5:00 – Tech Inspection

8:00 – 8:20 – Sidecar Practice

8:30 – 9:00 – AMA Repsol Superstock Practice

9:05 – 9:35 – Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Practice

9:40 – 10:10 – Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Helmets Practice

10:20 – 11:00 – Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Qualifying Group 1

11:10 – 11:50 – Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Qualifying Group 2

11:50 – 12:50 – Lunch Break

12:50 – 1:20 – AMA Repsol Superstock Qualifying Group 1

1:30 – 2:00 – AMA Repsol Superstock Qualifying Group 2

2:10 – 2:40 – Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Helmets Qualifying Group 1

2:50 – 3:20 – Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Helmets Qualifying Group 2

3:30 – Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Race 1 (100K – 16 laps)

4:30 – 4:50 – Sidecar Qualifying

5:00 – Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme (60k – 10 laps)


Sunday, June 6

8:30 – 12:00 – Registration: Crew, Sponsors & Guests

9:00 – Tech Inspection Opens

9:00 – 9:20 – AMA Repsol Superstock Practice

9:30 – 9:50 – Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei
Helmets Practice

10:00 – 10:20 – Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts
Unlimited Practice

10:30 – 10:50 – Sidecar Practice

11:10 – AMA Repsol Superstock Race (60k – 10 laps)

12:00 – 1:00 – Lunch Break

11:20 – Nondenominational Chapel Service

FINAL EVENTS:

1:00 – Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Helmets (60k – 10 laps)

2:30 – Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Race 2 (100k – 16 laps)

3:30 – Sidecar Race (60k – 10 laps)

From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

LACONI AND TOSELAND (DUCATI FILA) AIM FOR MORE DOUBLE GLORY IN GERMANY

Oschersleben (Germany), 27 May 2004: After their double 1-2 at Monza two weeks ago, Regis Laconi and James Toseland take their Fila Ducatis to the tight and twisty Oschersleben MotoPark circuit in Germany this weekend for round 5 of the championship.

While former points leader Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati) slumped to two DNFs at Monza, 28 year-old Laconi powered to the maximum points, which makes him favourite for the win this weekend.

“After Valencia I was worried about the 45 points I had lost to James because I thought it would take more races to get up to the top, so now that I am leading the championship I feel much happier” commented Laconi.

“Oschersleben is a small circuit but unlike many other riders I actually like it. It’s a bit like Valencia with lots of right and left corners but no really long straight and I think my riding style is good for it. The only difficult part is just before the back straight, where many riders cut the chicane.

“For this race the bike needs to be set up so that it is easy for the changes in direction. As we already have a good base set-up, we will not change the bike from Monza very much” he concluded.

Ducati Fila team-mate James Toseland finally looks to have got to grips with the front-end problems that have afflicted him since the start of the season and he returns to the circuit where he scored his maiden World Superbike win just twelve months ago.

“Last year I earned myself a piano for my win at Oschersleben” declared the 23 year-old from Sheffield, England. “I don’t think I’ll be getting anything like that if I win again, but it’ll be great to race again on the circuit where I took my first World Superbike victory!

“It’s a different kettle of fish this year, what with the new bike and the new tyres, but I’m a lot happier now that we found something at Monza with the help of the Öhlins technicians. I’ve got more feel at the front, we just need to find more rear grip, but other than that the bike is really good.

“Oschersleben is tight and twisty and not very heavy on the braking, unlike Monza” he explained. “It’s got lots of horseshoe corners, which makes for some interesting racing. It was close last year, so there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be this time around.”

POINTS (after 4 of 11 rounds):
(Riders) 1. Laconi 120; 2. Toseland 117; 3. Chili 97; 4. McCoy 87; 5. Vermeulen 83 ; 6. Haga 69; etc.
(Manufacturers) 1. Ducati 200; 2. Petronas 90; 3. Honda 83; 4. Kawasaki 48; 5. Suzuki 47 ; 6. Yamaha 22.

CIRCUIT INFO Name: Oschersleben Motopark. Length: 3.667 km. Pole Position: right. Corners Left/Right: 7/7. Finish Line Length: 680 m.

STATISTICS Best lap: Hodgson (Ducati), 1’26.502 (2002). Lap record: Edwards (Honda), 1’26.549 (2002). Superpole: Hodgson (Ducati), 1’26.502 (2002). Race Distance: 2 x 28 laps/102.676 km.

2003 RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Hodgson (Ducati); 2. Chili (Ducati); 3. Toseland (Ducati).
Race 2: 1. Toseland; 2. Hodgson; 3. Walker (Ducati).

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

AMA PRO RACING ON TV THIS WEEK

(All times Eastern)

Pro Honda Oils Supersport Final, Pikes Peak Int’l Raceway, Fountain, CO, Sunday, May 30, 2:00pm (1 Hour) SPEED Channel

Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme & Repsol Superstock Finals, Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, AL, Sunday, May 30 , 5:00pm (1 Hour) SPEED Channel

Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme & Repsol Superstock Finals, Pikes Peak Int’l Raceway, Fountain, CO, Tuesday, June 1, 1:00pm (1 Hour) SPEED Channel

AMA Chevrolet Motocross Championship, Hangtown Classic, Sacramento, CA, Friday, May 28, 3 am (2 Hours) ESPN2

All times subject to change. Check local listings

From a press release:

After returning from the Pikes Peak AMA round, Safety First Racing owner, Kevin Hanson, was on hand at Touch-A-Truck-Day in Champaign, Illinois. The event was geared towards elementary kids where they had the opportunity to see up-close various large vehicles such as fire engines, police cars, SWAT vehicles, tow trucks and other equipment.

Regarding the event Hanson related, “Naturally, upon seeing my new race hauler, Suzuki racebike and Suomy helmets kids instantly gravitated towards my display with their parents. It was absolutely amazing how these kids went nuts when I let them sit on my GSXR1000 Superbike and let their parents take pictures of them.”

The event lasted for two hours and Hanson stated, “I stayed late because I had a line of parents/kids 30 people deep the entire time and wanted to make sure everyone got a chance to sit on my racebike and try on the Suomy helmets.”

Over 300 children came through the Safety First display and were treated to a Safety First Racing action poster.

On a further note, Hanson spoke candidly about the lack of attendance growth at road racing events. “Motorcycle sales are up, however attendance at road racing events remains stagnant. When I go into schools and speak to kids, most of them don’t have a clue what road racing is about. It seems like we naturally expect people to just start watching road racing on TV or show up at racing events. I’m committed to taking an aggessive, proactive approach to do my part on promoting the sport. That’s why I have built a great program that provides the inroads to promoting motorcycling through being a police officer, racer, and promoting safety. I have the ability to get into schools, malls and other venues that are tough for the average company to reach. For instance, I did a Safety First display with my Suzuki Superbike at a mall last year during Christmas that reached 250,000 people in two weeks. That’s half of AMA road racing attendance for an entire year. Now, I’ve got several upcoming dates scheduled with the mall and large name chain stores contacting me to come in to do displays with my motorcycle and safety program. I think it’s important to continually, actively pursue and reach out to potentially new audiences to make the sport grow.”

From a press release issued by California Speedway:

CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY STAFF PROMOTED IN OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT

FONTANA, Calif. – California Speedway President Bill Miller today announced the promotions of Phil Tucker and Justin Bentley to the positions of Director of Operations and Operations Manager, respectively.

Tucker will begin his duties immediately, while Bentley will transition to his new role from his current position of Corporate Sales Manager over the summer months, officially beginning his new position following the Pop Secret 500 Labor Day weekend.

“I am pleased to announce the promotions of Phil and Justin,” Miller said. “Each has done an outstanding job in their respective areas and we look forward to their continued success in their new roles.”

Tucker, 41, has been with California Speedway since 1998 as the Operations Manager. As Director of Operations he will oversee the day-to-day operations of the facility as well as event preparations and operations. He resides in La Verne with his wife Ree and two children.

“I am very excited and proud to have this great opportunity to build upon the strong foundation California Speedway has established over these past 8 years of racing,” Tucker said. “The safety and satisfaction of our guests will continue to be the primary focus. Working with our community, local agencies and corporate partners, California Speedway wants to be what comes to mind when people think about safe, exciting, family entertainment.”

Bentley, 27, has served as a Corporate Sales Manager in California Speedway’s Corporate Sales and Marketing Department since November 2001. As Operations Manager he will work with Tucker to oversee facility operations and track rentals. He resides in Lakewood.

“I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to the challenge of managing the day-to-day schedule of this amazing facility,” Bentley said. “It has been exciting to see the changes made at California Speedway over the past few years and I am ready to begin my new role here.”

Craig Hatch, who has served as Director of Operations at California Speedway since 1999 and Operations Manager at Michigan International Speedway for three years prior, is beginning his own business in Michigan. He will assist with the transition during the summer months.

California Speedway has a full line-up of racing this fall beginning with the “Finish Under the Lights” Pop Secret 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race Labor Day weekend, September 3-5. The Indy Racing League’s IndyCar Series and Menards Infiniti Pro Series as well as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series are set to compete on the 2-mile, D-shaped oval October 1-3. The Grand American Road Racing Association will compete on the 2.86-mile, 21 turn road course for the Rolex Sports Car Series and Grand-Am Cup Series season finale on October 29-31.

Renewable NASCAR seating locations and individual tickets are on sale now. Take advantage of Metrolink’s specially contracted trains during the Pop Secret 500 weekend, which will arrive early and leave approximately one hour after the checkered flag waves. This is an easy and convenient way to avoid race traffic. For ticket and event information, call 1-800-944-RACE (7223) or log onto www.californiaspeedway.com.

California Speedway is owned by International Speedway Corporation, a leading promoter of motorsports activities in the United States, currently promoting more than 100 events annually. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.iscmotorsports.com.