Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The AMA Superbike event this weekend at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colorado is only a two-day event, breaking away from a decades-old trend of three- and four-day AMA events, according to paddock veterans. In fact, a quick survey of knowledgeable sources found no one who could remember when the last two-day AMA Superbike event was, if ever.

On a normal, three-day AMA Superbike weekend, official practice starts on Friday morning and continues into Friday afternoon, followed by qualifying sessions for Superbike and one of the support classes, usually Formula Xtreme or Superstock.

Practice, final Superbike qualifying and qualifying for the remaining support classes take place Saturday morning and early afternoon, followed by the first Superbike race (if it is a double-header event) and one of the support races.

Sunday morning sees warm-up sessions for each class in the morning with the remaining final events in the afternoon.

The two-day schedule at Pikes Peak calls for practice for each class Saturday morning and single qualifying sessions for each class – including Superbike – Saturday afternoon.

Each class will have a warm-up session Sunday morning, followed by final events in the following order: Supersport, Superstock, Formula Xtreme and Superbike.

Many from the larger teams in the AMA paddock are optimistic about the two-day event format in Colorado and the potential for more two-day AMA events in the future. But some privateers who don’t have access to pre-season testing say the format doesn’t give them enough practice to get up to speed and set up their bikes.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Graves Yamaha’s Jamie Hacking took pole position, his second of the season, for the AMA Superstock race Saturday during qualifying at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Riding a Dunlop-shod YZF-R1, Hacking turned a time of 54.577, a new lap record for the revised class on the 1.3-mile infield road course.

The old record of 55.535 was set by 2003 AMA Superstock Champion Josh Hayes in 2003 on a Suzuki GSX-R750.

“The wind was playing a big role, I think, in the session,” Hacking told reporters. “My qualifying lap back there, I ran it in pretty hard on the brakes because I thought the wind was blowing toward us. I was way wide! I didn’t even know if that lap was going to be any good. I came in, looked at the board and I was on top. I was pretty surprised.”

The bonus Championship point for earning pole position increases Hacking’s Superstock point lead to 18 points over his teammate Aaron Gobert, who qualified second.

Third Graves Yamaha rider Jason DiSalvo and Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden earned the final two spots on the front row.

Neither Damon Buckmaster nor Chris “Opie” Caylor attempted to qualify for the Superstock final, which will consist of 24 riders.


Provisional AMA Superstock Qualifying Results:


1. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha YZF-R1, 54.577
2. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R1, 54.655
3. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha YZF-R1, 54.749
4. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 55.063
5. Roger Lee Hayden, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 55.225
6. Ben Spies, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 55.298
7. Josh Hayes, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 55.345
8. John Haner, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 55.349
9. Eric Wood, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 56.093
10. Alex Gobert, Honda CBR1000RR, 56.199
11. Steve Rapp, Suzuki GSX-R750, 56.223
12. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki GSX-R750, 56.305
13. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 56.433
14. Jake Holden, Suzuki GSX-R750, 56.492
15. Geoff May, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 56.670
16. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 57.029
17. Christopher Ancein, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 57.510
18. Montez Stewart, Yamaha YZF-R1, 58.017
19. Christian Pistoni, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 58.039
20. Jason Curtis, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 58.111
21. Kevin Hanson, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 59.058
22. Brad Puetz, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 59.168
23. Dan Sallis, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 59.706
24. Corey Sarros, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:00.411

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Far fewer riders are participating in this year’s AMA National at Pikes Peak International Raceway compared to 2003.

In total count, using the number of riders who went out in the first official AMA practice for each class, 66 fewer riders are at Pikes Peak this year compared to last year.

Total rider count at PPIR in 2003 was 189, compared to 123 this weekend.

The Superbike class drew 41 riders in 2003 and 29 this weekend.

The Superstock class drew 47 riders in 2003 and 26 this weekend.

The Formula Xreme class drew 40 riders in 2003 and 27 this weekend.

The Supersport class bucked the trend, drawing 37 riders in 2003 and 40 this weekend.

Of the 66 missing riders this weekend, 24 came from the 2003 250cc Grand Prix class, which is no longer part of an AMA National weekend.

The PPIR rider count continues a season-long trend.

At Daytona this year, 57 riders ran in the first Superbike practice versus 71 in 2003; 39 ran in the first Superstock practice versus 52 in 2003; 52 ran the first Supersport practice versus 42 in 2003. The Formula Xtreme class didn’t run at Daytona in 2003 but did in 2004, with 20 riders running in the first FX practice session. The 250cc GP class didn’t run in 2004 but did in 2003, with 42 riders running in the first practice session. In the non-AMA BoxerCup class, 44 riders ran in the first practice session in 2003 versus 20 riders this year.

At California Speedway this year, 38 riders ran in the first Superbike practice versus 61 in 2003; 38 ran in the first Superstock practice versus 63 in 2003; 46 ran in the first Supersport practice versus 41 in 2003; 28 ran in the first Formula Xtreme practice versus 27 in 2003; 29 riders ran in the now-eliminated 250cc GP class in 2003.

At Infineon Raceway this year, 42 riders ran in the first Superbike practice versus 57 in 2003; 36 ran in the first Superstock practice versus 53 in 2003; 42 ran in the first Supersport practice versus 35 in the first dry Supersport practice in 2003; 30 ran in the first Formula Xtreme practice versus 36 in 2003; and 39 riders ran in the now-eliminated 250cc GP class in 2003.

At Barber Motorsports Park this year, 42 riders ran in the first Superbike practice versus 51 in 2003; 30 ran in the first Superstock practice versus 48 in 2003; 44 ran in the first Supersport practice versus 39 in 2003; 25 ran in the first Formula Xtreme practice versus 29 in 2003; and 37 riders ran in the now-eliminated 250cc GP class in 2003.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

“I thought it went exceptionally well,” said three-time AMA Superbike Champion Doug Chandler after his first-ever ride on his new HMC Milwaukee Ducati 749R AMA Formula Xtreme racebike during promoter practice Friday at Pikes Peak International Raceway (PPIR).

“Anytime you get something all brand new put together, you expect a lot more gremlins than really occurred,” continued Chandler. “For its first day on the track, it went around exceptionally well. The bike has been flawless. I think it’s more me getting myself up to speed than the bike. The bike seems to be ahead of me right now.”

Fully recovered from leg injuries that knocked him out of AMA Supermoto racing last season, Chandler said he has only done two days of riding on a road race track (at Laguna Seca during a Keith Code California Superbike School) since early in 2003 and just needed to knock the rust off.

“We’re as prepared as we could be with the short notice,” Team Owner Mitch Hansen told Roadracingworld.com. “We have one bike ready. We’re waiting on some more parts to get the second bike ready. I think we’re prepared pretty well, but once we get out in practice we’ll find out how prepared we really are.”

Hansen said his team is being supported by Ducati North America, and Ducati Corse in Italy is helping out with World Supersport kit parts, which result in Chandler’s 749R producing over 140 rear-wheel horsepower.

“We’ve got Gary Medley, Elliott Cho, Richard Boyd, myself – we’ll see how it works. We’ve got good chemistry on the team, and Doug has worked with everyone before. So hopefully we can hit the ground running,” said Hansen.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Yamaha/Graves Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster has a non-displaced fracture of the navicular bone in his left wrist and is currently deciding whether he will sit out races for treatment or continue to ride with the injury.

“It’s still intact and it’s still recoverable for the season,” Buckmaster told Roadracingworld.com Saturday afternoon. “Like, I can get it repaired and come back and still finish pretty well at the end of the year. Our big concern is if I damage it or fall or get knocked off. I might not even have to get knocked off. If I damage it more at all, I could finish the year on the sidelines. So we’re trying to make the right decision here, but it’s just a very difficult decision for me to make and say, ‘OK, let’s quit,’ because I’m not a quitter.”

Buckmaster has consulted with his normal physician, Dr. Thomas Bryan, and with famed orthopedic surgeon Dr. Arthur Ting, both of whom recommended that Buckmaster stop riding and have the fracture repaired.

“So I have it on pretty good authority it needs repair and to continue riding is a pretty stupid thing to do,” said Buckmaster. “I’m just going to talk to (Yamaha Team Manager) Tom (Halverson) a bit more, and we might give Keith (McCarty, Yamaha Racing Supervisor) a call and try and get the information from a few different angles. I don’t want to make a decision that someone isn’t happy with.”

If he stops riding to get the fracture repaired, Buckmaster said he may return for the Brainerd AMA round in late-June.

Buckmaster injured his hand/wrist in a crash during practice May 16 at Barber Motorsports Park.

Update: Buckmaster has decided to withdraw from the races at PPIR and immediately return to California for treatment to his injured left hand.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Let the whining begin.

I can already hear the factory Superbike stars complaining about lappers screwing up their program at Pikes Peak. It’s not bad enough that the track is extremely short, with lap times under one minute. Now, they take away an entire day from the schedule! So the privateers will now get, what, three total practice sessions all weekend? Is it any wonder they can’t get close to the times set by the factory riders? Any wonder why you see some guys getting lapped 4 or 5 times at PPIR?

The factories send their teams to every track in the country during the off-season, and between races, so their riders can turn literally hundreds of test laps. By the time the race weekend comes along, those guys know exactly what suspension settings to use, what kind of gearing to run, which tire compounds will work best, and the perfect line through every turn.

The privateers – some of which have never seen the track before – have to figure all of that out in just a few dozen laps. After the race, they have to endure all the derisive comments by the superstars – or in some cases, physical attacks – because they’re “idiots who have no business being out there”.

Gee, why not get rid of practice altogether, and send everyone to the starting grid right off the trailer?

Scott Willock
Tucson, Arizona

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

1. Jake Zemke, Honda CBR600RR, 55.346
2. Miguel Duhamel, Honda CBR600RR, 55.544
3. Doug Chandler, Ducati 749R, 55.932
4. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki GSX-R600, 56.053
5. Alex Gobert, Honda CBR600RR, 56.113
6. Jake Holden, Suzuki GSX-R600, 56.737
7. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki GSX-R600, 57.026
8. Larry Pegram, Yamaha YZF-R6, 57.108
9. Danny Eslick, Suzuki GSX-R600, 57.269
10. Mike Ciccotto, Buell XB9R, 57.305
11. Michael Barnes, Buell XB9R, 57.518
12. Mickey Lane, Yamaha YZF-R6, 57.569
13. Heath Small, Yamaha YZF-R6, 57.997
14. Nicky Moore, Suzuki GSX-R600, 58.470
15. Perry Melneciuc, Yamaha YZF-R6, 58.628
16. Marty Sims, Yamaha YZF-R6, 58.978
17. Nathan Hester, Yamaha YZF-R6, 59.175
18. Shannon Moham, Suzuki GSX-R600, 59.487
19. Hector Romero Moreno, Honda CBR600RR, 59.804
20. Bob Siebenhaar, Honda CBR600RR, 60.036
21. Michael Applehans, Suzuki GSX-R600, 60.174
22. Chad Rolland, Yamaha YZF-R6, 60.391
23. Tim Knutson, Yamaha YZF-R6, 60.438
24. David Lambert, Suzuki GSX-R600, 50.560
25. Charles Sipp, Buell XB12R, 61.740
26. Larry Doe, Honda CBR600RR, 62.046
27. James Davis, Yamaha YZF-R6, 62.113