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.

From a press release issued by Proforma:

HOTBODIES RACING ANNOUNCES RACE TEAM LAUNCH AT LAGUNA SECA

Hotbodies Racing announced today its plan to launch a 10-rider road race team at the combined AMA / WSB event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, July 8-11, 2004. The race team will be composed of up-and-coming AMA Superbike Series privateers from around the United States and Mexico that will join forces at this event and race their existing machinery with a special Hotbodies Racing bodywork and graphics package as well as matching team crew shirts.

The plan calls for a 40′ x 80′ tent that will facilitate 8′ x 20′ pit spaces for each of the ten riders, as well as a 20′ x 40′ vending/display area on one end. At the other end, a spacious hospitality area will feature two large-screen televisions, a catered lunch as well as refreshments and snacks throughout the day. Special events and activities for the press and public will be held at the tent over the course of the weekend.

“We’re excited to be launching this team, especially at Laguna Seca,” said Roger Davis, president of Hotbodies Racing. “It’s a project that we’ve been working on for a while. There are so many great racers out there that are already using our products, and this is a way to bring them together and showcase their talents to the world. The riders have a variety of machinery, but they will each receive new Hotbodiesracing.com bodywork with matching graphics and matching team shirts for themselves and their crew. It’s going to be a great way to promote Hotbodiesracing.com and the riders at the same time.”

Confirmed riders joining Hotbodies Racing at Laguna Seca include Michael Barnes, John Dugan, Scott Greenwood, Ty Howard, Marco Martinez, Ricky Orlando, Dirk Sanchez, Michael Sanchez, Jeremy Toye and Blake Young. Additional details and activities will be announced as they are confirmed.

For more information, please contact Hotbodies Racing at 1-800-555-2805 or visit www.hotbodiesracing.com

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

via e-mail:

Hey there! I wanted to give a brief report on the VEGAS WERA event 5/22-23, and the FRA trackday on 5/21.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the sponsors and staff of FASTRACK and WERA WEST for helping to make my niece’s first race a great experience. Thanks go out to Perry, the Pirelli team, and all those who pulled it together and found minibikes to ride so she could actually compete.

To explain, my Niece Kayla (12 years old, WERA #103) has been coming to FASTRACK events for the last two years with me, and expressed an interest in racing. We (ACME MOTORSPORTS of CA, INC) acquired a YSR50, set it up for racing, got her some leathers, boots etc., and she signed up for and received her WERA racers license two weeks ago (after having to bring her grades up and do a TON of late homework)! We arrived at Las Vegas Motor Speedway where I was racing WERA WEST Sportsman Series, and she was scheduled to race in the MINI series, and had paid her fees, etc. (Even pre-registering like a good racer should!)

Well, long story short, no other mini entries showed up, although several had entered. Nobody to race with, no race! Working with Dave Pyles of FASTRACK and Sharon of WERA as well as the rest of the WERA and FASTRACK team, we arranged that if we could get at least three other licensed racers out there on the track, she could race. People came out of the woodwork to donate their Pit-bikes and a pocket bike and 5 guys volunteered (all experienced, adult racers), and a race was run! FULL TRACK no less! Kayla made it through her warm-up lap, got a good start but crashed :bawling: on her first lap, and the guys all jumped off their bikes and helped her to get back up and restart the YSR, and waited for her to get going again. She completed the race and a cooldown lap and WON her first race!

The WERA crew made a big deal of it, and made
sure she got a trophy and was made to feel like a winner. She is totally ready to race again, and her parents and our family are really excited for her. Pirelli is looking at her for sponsorship, and this is a terrific start to her racing career. I personally had a terrific weekend myself, with 3 first place finishes and a 2nd place as well.

The event was well run, facilities were as good as could be expected at the site, (Classic Course is a lot like Streets of Willow), and I am absolutely stoked about the upcoming weekend at California Speedway for the WERA NATIONAL EVENT.

WERA WEST ROCKS!

Dave Osser
WERA #330
San Diego, California



And now some reader reaction:

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Sounds like a great story!

I haven’t raced in over 10 years but when I did race, it was very common for the paddock to pull together to help the other racers – especially novice racers. I can think of too many examples to list: helping Novice racers get thru tech, helping other racers repair broken bikes from crashes and mechanical failure, loaning leathers, helmets, parts, etc. and even loaning entire bikes!

This type of pulling together and helping each other out occured nearly every weekend!

It is good to hear that with all the other changes in the world, that the club racing paddock still pulls together to help each racer!

George B. Leavell
Gilroy, California

From a press release issued by Alex Baylon of Motorcycle Industry Jobs:

Motorcycle Industry Jobs (MIJ) is the ultimate destination for companies and job candidates of the Powersports industry. As the first Internet Job Board built specifically for the Motorcycle industry, MIJ provides a single source for companies to find employees and for candidates to find job opportunities.

Employers

MIJ provides a one stop solution for Powersports companies to find talented job candidates who are passionate about the Powersports industry and possess talent, aptitude and industry experience necessary to fulfill a company’s vital staffing need.

Job Seekers

The MIJ network provides a free service to job seekers with tools for finding employment within the Powersports industry. Search the MIJ database for job opportunities solely for the Powersports industry.

For more information log on to: www.motorcycleindustryjobs.com

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Butler Machinery’s Robert Jensen won four races at the second round of the 2004 Central Roadracing Association (CRA) series, May 22-23 at Mid-America Motorplex in Pacific Junction, Iowa, according to a press release issued by the organization.

Rising star Blake Young won two races and collected two more podium finishes on his Young America Suzukis, while Wesley Good extended his overall CRA points lead with a win and several other strong finishes.

In addition, CRA raised $550 for the Wegman Benefit Fund, which provides financial assistance to injured riders and their families.

The next CRA event is June 18-20 at Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minnesota.

For more information about the CRA, go to www.cra-mn.com.

From a press release:

FASTER SCREENINGS AT SANTA CRUZ’S RIO THEATRE MAY 26, 29TH AND 30TH

MOTO GP LEGEND WAYNE RAINEY WILL MAKE SPECIAL APPEARANCE ON MAY 29TH FOR Q&A WITH DIRECTOR MARK NEALE

FASTER, the action-packed, award-winning documentary about MotoGP racing, will screen in Santa Cruz, California on Wednesday, May 26th at 8pm, Saturday, May 29th at 2pm and 8pm, and on Sunday, May 30th at 2pm and 6pm, at the Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95062. Tickets are $7 at the door. The event information number (831) 423-8209.

Racing legend Wayne Rainey will make a special appearance at the 8 pm screening on Saturday, May 29th, and will do an audience Q&A with director Mark Neale. Prominently featured in FASTER for his incomparable contributions to the sport of motorcycle racing, Rainey was the top World Championship 500cc Grand Prix rider of the early 1990s, winning three consecutive World Championships riding for Yamaha. In addition to his accomplishments on the world championship level, Rainey was also a star of AMA Superbike racing during the 1980s, winning that title in 1983 with Kawasaki and again for Honda in 1987. Rainey’s career as a motorcycle racer came to an abrupt end when he crashed while leading the Italian Grand Prix in September of 1993. He returned to the world championship circuit as a team owner and manager, and also currently races in a specially-designed go-kart.

On display in the lobby of the Rio Theatre will be race bikes including Mike Judkin’s Yamaha R6, a replica Repsol Honda NSR GP, with thanks to Charles Gallant, Pascal Picotte’s vintage Buell race bike, with thanks to Santa Cruz Harley, and a Moto Italia Ducati.

Narrated by Ewan McGregor (“Star Wars”), and written and directed by Mark Neale, FASTER is an action-packed, true-to-life look inside the world of championship racing. The critically acclaimed film features riders from today’s champions like Valentino Rossi and Max Biaggi to past superstars like Rainey and Kevin Schwantz, along with the people behind the scenes from pit crew, managers and journalists, to the famous Doctor Costa, who patches the riders up and puts them back on the track.

FASTER is distributed theatrically in the United States by Slamdance on the Road. Upcoming screening are scheduled for Aspen, CO (5/29, 5/30), Oakland, CA (6/1), Duluth, MN (6/5, 6/6), Walnut Creek, CA (6/9).

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.

From a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

`Slowly but surely’ predicts Foggy for FPR in Germany

Carl Fogarty is hoping that the slowest circuit on the Superbike World Championship calendar will not put the brakes on his Foggy PETRONAS racing team’s progress this weekend.

On the back of the successful reliability test provided by the high speeds of Monza last time out, riders Chris Walker and Troy Corser enter the fifth round of the series, at Oschersleben, Germany, facing a new set of challenges in their bid to maintain second spot in the manufacturer standings for PETRONAS.

With the next stage of engine development, aimed at increasing torque and horsepower, still in the pipeline, Chris and Troy will be relying on the handling and set-up of the FP1 to make up for the lack of grunt coming out of the track’s many tight corners.

Carl said: “It would be great to have more of the same this weekend. Expectations are increasing as the motors become more reliable and hopefully this circuit will be more suited to our bike than Monza. Chris went well there last year, while Troy did not do as well. That will hopefully spur him on and they could both be in the top six, if not banging on the rostrum door again.”

Chris said: “I like Oschersleben and really enjoyed the race weekend there last year as I got a fourth place in race one and third in the second race. The track’s a bit different to all the others on the calendar as it’s very twisty and fairly slow – it’s probably most similar to Misano although it’s not completely flat. There are a lot of corners fitted into a small space so it’s a fun and interesting rack to ride. It was the first race last year where I really got into my stride and, although I feel I’ve already done that on the FP1, it’s a good memory to have of that track. I feel confident our bike will go well there as we have a good set up and there are no long, fast straights demanding a lot of throttle and outright power.”

Troy said: “This not a bad circuit but, when you look at the shape of some of the corners like turns one and two, it’s really better as a car track. There are some tricky little chicanes which in a car wouldn’t be a problem as you’d just run over the kerbs, but that’s not so easy on a bike. The shape of the track is interesting and it’s all medium speed really, with third and fourth gear corners. It’s a similar layout to Misano and we have a good set up so it should be a fairly good weekend for us as it’s not a horsepower track – the back straight is quite long but the rest is very twisty.”

Circuit information: Oschersleben, Germany

Best lap: Neil Hodgson, 1:26.502 (Superpole, 2002)
Lap record (race): Colin Edwards 1:25.549 (2002)
Pole position: Right
Circuit length: 3.667km
Corners: 7 left, 7 right
Corner radius: 70m maximum, 44m minimum
Maximum slope: 2.5 per cent

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; 7 Walker (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 69; 8 Borciani 68; 9 Corser (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 66; 10 Haslam 64

Manufacturers: 1 – Ducati 200; 2 – PETRONAS 90; 3 – Honda 83; 4 – Kawasaki 48; 5 – Suzuki 47; 6 – Yamaha 22.

From a press release issued by Honda Racing Information:

World Supersport Championship 2004 – Round 5
Oschersleben Race Preview
28 – 30 MAY 2004

OSCHERSLEBEN ALMOST THE HALFWAY POINT FOR HONDA RIDERS

With only ten rounds of the World Supersport championship to be run in the 2004 season the forthcoming Oschersleben event in Germany marks a halfway point of the series, appearing on the calendar after four rounds of incident and changing fortunes for all the top Honda competitors.

The Honda CBR600RR has proved to be the potent force in real race situations that all expected it to be, after an impressive pre-season of hard testing.

From Valencia to Phillip Island, from Misano to the most recent event at Monza, the more experienced Honda riders have been well in the top five mix in qualifying and racing, with Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) leading the charge.

After four rounds, Honda riders have won three races. Wildcard Josh Brookes scored a win at Phillip Island, but for the past two rounds one man has rocketed up the championship table to second overall. Karl Muggeridge has scored a perfect 50 points in his last two outings, and the 30-year-old Australian now sits a mere 11 points behind Valencia race winner and championship leader Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha).

A combination of a fourth and a second place finishes has given the second Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR rider Broc Parkes fifth place overall before Oschersleben.The 22-year-old from the Hunter Valley in Australia was promoted to second at Monza after the exclusion of another rider, but having been on the receiving end of some terrible luck in previous races, every point now earned by Parkes is a form of payback.

The constantly twisting Oschersleben circuit, with seven left and seven right-hand corners around its short 3.667km length, is as close to a home round as contemporary Supersport racing allows the Austrian based Klaffi Honda team. The most experienced Klaffi rider is Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR). The Frenchman set pole at Misano but otherwise has been unfortunate in races, scoring two DNFs, taking a fifth at Phillip Island and a fourth at Monza, the latter after a ride-through penalty for jump-starting. Just inside the top ten at present, Charpentier is ready to make a good showing at one of his best tracks.

As Oschersleben beckons Charpentier’s 20-year-old team-mate Max Neukirchner(Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) is on home ground and this particular weekend the class rookie even has the pleasure of racing at a circuit on which he has gleaned some previous experience. With a best of sixth so far at Monza, Neukirchner has another opportunity to learn the intricacies of Supersport racing, in what will be only his fifth ever 600cc race meeting.

Team Italia Megabike Honda relocates from two home rounds in Italy to Oschersleben, with proven WSS force Alessio Corradi (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) looking for his third points scoring finish of the year.

Denis Sacchetti (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) is another supported Honda rider undergoing the highs and lows of a rookie season. Just outside the top ten at Monza Sacchetti, like Corradi, will be running an updated engine in Germany.

Despite his recent dominance Muggeridge is approaching Oschersleben like any other race, aware of how tough the opposition can be in Supersport. “It’s going to be close racing for sure in Germany, because of the nature of the track,” he affirmed. “Last year there were something like 20 riders in one second or so after qualifying. I think our bike is working well and we also did a test last week at Assen, so we’ve improved it bit more. We’ll go through exactly the same routine as other races and I’ll be riding to win.”

For Parkes, Oschersleben will have a special attraction as he goes for his first race win. “Monza was pretty good for us and now we go to Oschersleben, which is one of my favourite circuits of the whole year. It’s very different from Monza but we should be alright there.”

Charpentier is determined to have a textbook weekend, after his recent dramas. “I will try for the podium because last year I was fourth on the grid and finished ninth – not a good result. This season is completely different. I will try a new way of starting, with a rear brake on until the lights change. I like the Oschersleben track; it offers us a good a possibility of a strong result. We also have a new engine and it should have very good under
acceleration exiting the corners.”

Track knowledge for Neukirchner could allow him a good chance to continue his rapid growth in this tough series. “In 2002, in the German Championship, I took second position at Oschersleben. I like the layout but maybe it will feel completely new on the 600. All this year the Honda has been a very good bike for me and it should suit this track well.”

Recovering from a heavy fall at Monza, Corradi stated; “Oschersleben I will be fit for, despite my big crash at Monza, and we are much happier with the set-up of the bike now. We are waiting for the new HRC kit and I expect at Oschersleben we will have all we need to be competitive again.” His teammate Sacchetti is keen to rack up more championship points. “If I can get good points again from Oschersleben I will be happy. Monza ended up better than it could have been so we’ll be trying to improve even more in Germany.”

After Oschersleben a two-week gap leads up to the sixth round of the year, at Silverstone on June 13.

From a press release issued by Parts Unlimited:

Parts Unlimited is Title Sponsor of WERA GNF Finale and Suzuki Cup Finals

Hundreds of racers representing thousands of race entries flock to Braselton, Georgia’s world-renowned Road Atlanta each fall for the WERA Grand National Finals and Suzuki Cup Finals.

Wait, that would now be the Parts Unlimited WERA GNF and Suzuki Cup Finals.

The world’s largest distributor of aftermarket motorcycle parts (and the sponsor of a great many prominent race events) has signed on as the title sponsor for this heralded and famously well-attended crown jewel of the roadracing season schedule. The event falls on the week of October 12-17 for 2004.

“Over many many years, the WERA GNF has grown to be a huge event that draws a tremendous crowd. The location–right at the foothills of the Smoky Mountains where seemingly every road to the north twists and curves as if made for motorcycling–along with the track and the facility, combine to make the event a must-attend for sportbike enthusiasts in the area,” said Parts Unlimited VP Greg Blackwell. “We have a tremendous number of dealers who are very dedicated to that segment of the sport, and we are very excited and pleased to play such a prominent role in presenting both the race and all of the excitement that goes with it.”

For Parts personnel and dealers, those festivities will revolve around the substantial spread of hosted hospitality. The Parts Unlimited support semis will be on hand to provide shade, lunch, and cool drinks for its many dealers while also allowing the general paddock public to peruse the prominent displays of Parts-distributed products.

For more information on upcoming Parts Unlimited hospitality events at AMA Superbike weekends, Formula USA and WERA roadracing events, or at AMA outdoor motocross races, GNCC and WORCS and other off-road events, in addition to many other major events and series sponsored by Parts Unlimited, where WE SUPPORT THE SPORT®, ask your sales rep or call 608-758-1111.