From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

Haskovec closing the gap in Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme

Valvoline EMGO Suzuki rider beginning to challenge Honda dominance

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (May 19, 2004) — Honda has dominated the Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series since the revamped class kicked off at Daytona in March, but there are signs that the other manufacturers are narrowing the gap. Vincent Haskovec turned a lot of heads when he took the pole on his Valvoline EMGO Suzuki GSX-R600 last weekend at Barber Motorsports Park. Now the series comes to the picturesque Pikes Peak International Raceway on May 22 and 23, for the AMA Superbike Weekend presented by Honda Motorcycles and 2nd Annual “Gravity Check” Extreme Games.

Haskovec is looking forward to racing on the serpentine 1.3-mile Pikes Peak road course. He feels his nimble handling Suzuki will work well on the twisty course. The Czech emigrant was thrilled with winning his first pole at Barber, making the statement that his team is coming on strong.

“Pole position is always great because it shows you are the fastest guy around,” he said. “The lap gave me an amazing feeling; I came in and everybody was cheering. It was great not only for me, but for the team as well.”

Jason Pridmore could also be a real threat at Pikes Peak. The World Endurance racing champion is another rider who excels on technical circuits. His job outside of racing is training riders at his STAR Motorcycle Schools, so it’s natural that his skills translate well on a rider’s course like PPIR. Pridmore has a rich history at Pikes Peak. He’s a two-time Formula Xtreme and a former Superstock winner as well at the track.

While the Suzukis of Haskovec and Pridmore are making gains the Hondas of Miguel Duhamel, Jake Zemke and Alex Gobert remain supreme. Duhamel has three wins and the series lead, while Zemke is a close second and is coming off a win last week in Birmingham, Ala. It marked Zemke’s fifth-career victory in Formula Xtreme and moved him into a tie with Ben Spies sixth on the all-time class wins list.


Hacking puts a bit of daylight between himself and rivals in Repsol Superstock

Graves Yamaha’s Jamie Hacking has established some equilibrium in the topsy-turvy world of Repsol Superstock racing. After seeing three different series leaders in the first three rounds Hacking consolidated his series lead with a victory last week in Birmingham, Ala. The revamped Superstock class makes its first visit to Pikes Peak International Raceway this weekend and Hacking is one of the favorites to take the victory.

Hacking is riding a two-race winning streak coming into Pikes Peak. He thinks the best is yet to come for him and his Graves Yamaha R1.

“Things are really starting to get sorted out with the bike,” said Hacking, who has a 17-point lead over teammate Aaron Gobert. “I’m looking forward to going to Pikes Peak and winning another.”

The Kawasaki team is another squad getting their new bikes sorted out at a rapid rate. Brothers Tommy and Roger Lee Hayden finished second and third respectively to Hacking last week. The duo challenged Hacking for the lead during the middle stages of the race at Barber Motorsports Park before Hacking turned up the wick on his Yamaha and clocked some blazing laps to secure the win. The second and third by the Hayden’s marked the best results for both riders so far in Superstock this year.

“I feel more confident on the bike each week,” said Tommy Hayden, a former Supersport winner at PPIR. “I don’t think it will be long before we put a Kawasaki on top at one of these races.”

Graves Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster, Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies and STAR Motorcycle School Suzuki’s Jason Pridmore are all former Superstock winners at PPIR and will be racing in this year’s race.

Both the Pikes Peak Lockhart-Phillips Formula Xtreme and Repsol Superstock races will be shown on SPEED Channel on Tuesday, June 1 at 1 p.m. Eastern.

For additional information on the AMA Superbike Weekend presented by Honda Motorcycles and 2nd Annual “Gravity Check” Extreme Games call toll free at (888) 306-7223 or visit www.ppir.com

From a press release:

Safety First Racing continues its nationwide outreach program to kids promoting helmet safety. During the AMA week at Barber in Birmingham, AL, team owner, Kevin Hanson, spoke to 198 kids at Center Point Elementary school.

Regarding the presentation, Kevin Hanson stated, “It’s great to be able to reach kids at that early, impressionable age. Most of them haven’t really been around motorcycles and I have the ability to introduce them to motorcycling/racing community and promote safety right from the start.” “During my presentations, I’ve found maybe 30% of kids ever watch motorcycle racing on tv. Instead of waiting for them to stumble across us on tv, I’m going directly to them to promote the sport and promote safety at the same time.”

On a side note, Hanson had a little excitement on the way home to Illinois from Alabama. “I was driving along on I24 east of Paducah, KY minding my own business listening to the tunes when I looked at the monitor for the rear camera on my race hauler and saw sparks flying. I’ve been helping a buddy of mine, Dan Doty, by transporting his stuff to the races in his trailer. After pulling over to see what was about to get destroyed, I realized that the hitch on his trailer had broken in half and the front of the trailer was dragging on the ground. Thankfully, I had just checked my monitor about 15 seconds earlier when everything was fine so it had just broken. By the time I got it stopped, there wasn’t much left of the aluminum framing and trailer was barely attached to the hauler. A quick trip to a local UHaul company netted another trailer and I was back on my way shortly thereafter. So when you see me at Pikes Peak pulling a Uhaul trailer, NO I haven’t sold all of my possessions and moved into my new race hauler!”

From a press release:

Rich Oliver’s Mystery School is proud to announce a brand new interactive website at www.richoliver.net. The site features a cleaner look with more accessible links to help you navigate the different programs more easily.

Rich Oliver’s Mystery School now features an online enrollment capability. Customers now have the option of enrolling for any of the Mystery School courses including MSF DirtBike School, two-day Fun Camp, five-day Pro Camp, or Open Track Day with the sites secure on-line payment feature.

In addition to online enrollment, www.richoliver.net now features a brand new Gear Shop. Inside our Gear Shop, www.richoliver.biz you will find the latest Rich Oliver’s Mystery School merchandise including new Yamaha TT-R Mystery School replica training motorcycles, used school fleet motorcycles, t-shirts, mugs and much more. Be sure to visit often as new products will be introduced frequently.

Rich Oliver’s Mystery School also owes a big thank you to Mojotown for their many hours of work on our new website. Mojotown, a virtual multimedia agency specializing in advanced web site development, was consulted for the e-commerce features. Mojotown was founded by Michael Aron, an avid motorcycle racer who has worked with industry leaders such as Fast By Ferracci, MV Agusta, Suomy USA, MACH1 Yamaha Supercross Team and most recently Rich Oliver’s Mystery School. To learn more about Mojotown’s services, visit www.mojotown.com

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

Bostrom hoping visit to Pikes Peak will spark revival

Ducati ace is four-time winner at PPIR

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (May 18, 2004) -There are few tracks where Eric Bostrom is more comfortable. This Sunday, May 23, the Ducati Austin rider hopes to find the magic once again on the twisty and challenging 1.3-mile Pikes Peak International Raceway road course in Fountain, Colo. This weekend’s round eight of the 18-race AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship is part of the AMA Superbike Weekend presented by Honda Motorcycles and 2nd Annual “Gravity Check” Extreme Games.

It’s only natural that Bostrom feels at home at PPIR. The track in a former incarnation was a mile horse racing track that once hosted an AMA Grand National Flat Track race in the 1970s. The circuit still features some of the characteristics of a big mile oval in its sweeping long left hand turn at the south end of the course. For Bostrom, a 27-year-old Californian, the track plays right into his racing background.

“Pikes Peak is a real kick,” said Bostrom, the defending and four-time winner of the race. “It’s a track that takes a great deal of throttle control and a lot of nerve. It’s not a super high-speed circuit, but it’s a place where you never get a moment’s rest. It’s tough on tires and it really works you.”

Bostrom could use a fifth win at Pikes Peak. So far his 2004 season has been less than hoped for. After promising winter test outings many pegged Bostrom a pre-season favorite to win the title. Unfortunately, things haven’t quite gone according to plan for the twice runner-up in AMA Superbike. A rock punctured his factory Ducati’s oil cooler at the Daytona opener. He then rallied to score a pair of runner-up finishes at California Speedway only to suffer a crash a few weeks later at Infineon Raceway. Bostrom comes into Pikes Peak ranked fifth in the series. A victory this Sunday could begin a serious turnaround for Bostrom and Ducati Austin.

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mathew Mladin leads the series as it rolls into the thin, high-altitude air of Pikes Peak International Raceway. Pikes is one of only two AMA racing circuits that Mladin has not been victorious — the other being Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway. Last year the Aussie racing veteran experienced a rear tire problem on his Suzuki and was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop and finished an uncharacteristic ninth. Mladin, the only four-time AMA Superbike champion, would enjoy adding a Pikes Peak winner’s prize to his bulging trophy case.

Team Honda’s Miguel Duhamel sits in second place in the championship and joins Eric Bostrom as a former Pikes Peak winner. The well-liked French Canadian, who now calls Las Vegas home, won the inaugural AMA Superbike race at PPIR in 1997. Since then Duhamel has scored no better than fifth in the race. Duhamel is hoping to get back atop the Pikes winner’s rostrum for the first time in eight years. If he does so he would tie Mladin as the all-time wins leader in the history of AMA Superbike racing. Duhamel is coming off a win at Barber Motorsports Park and would love to continue his momentum at Pikes Peak.

Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke looks to Pikes Peak as yet another opportunity to win his first AMA Superbike race. Zemke has been agonizingly close to earning his first win in the last three rounds only to lose leads late in the races. Like Bostrom, Zemke is a former flat track racer and should be a natural at Pikes Peak.

Team Prieto Racing Suzuki’s Geoff May continues his impressive run among the Superbike elite. Last year’s AMA Superbike Rookie of the Year comes into Sunday’s race ranked fourth –remarkable for a rider on a privateer team. The Georgian is looking for his seventh straight top-10 Superbike finish this season.

The Pikes Peak International Raceway event will be shown live on SPEED Channel. For additional information on the AMA Superbike Weekend presented by Honda Motorcycles and 2nd Annual “Gravity Check” Extreme Games call (805) 256-2475 or visit www.ppir.com

Friday, May 21

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

3:00 – 7:30 – Tech Inspection

6:30 – Post-Entry Closed for all Classes


Saturday, May 22

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

8:00 – 5:00 – Tech Inspection

8:30 – 9:10 – Pro Honda Oils Supersport

9:20 – 10:00 – AMA Repsol Superstock

10:10 – 10:50 – Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme

11:00 – 12:00 – Chevrolet Superbike Practice

12:00 – 12:50 – Lunch Break

12:20 – Rider Briefing

12:50 – 1:10 – Pro Honda Oils Supersport Qualifying, Group 1

1:20 – 1:40 – Pro Honda Oils Supersport Qualifying, Group 2

1:50 – 2:10 – AMA Repsol Superstock Qualifying, Group 1

2:20 – 2:40 – AMA Repsol Superstock Qualifying, Group 2

2:50 – 3:10 – Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Qualifying, Group 1

3:20 – 3:40 – Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Qualifying, Group 2

3:50 – 4:20 – Chevrolet Superbike Qualifying, Group 1

4:30 – 5:00 – Chevrolet Superbike Qualifying, Group 2


Sunday, May 23

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

8:30 – Tech Inspection Opens

8:30 – 9:00 – Pro Honda Oils Supersport

9:10 – 9:40 – AMA Repsol Superstock

9:50 – 10:20 – Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme

10:30 – 11:00 – Chevrolet Superbike

11:20 – Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Helmets (60k – 29 laps)

12:00 – Lunch Break

12:20 – Nondenominational Chapel Service

1:00 – AMA Repsol Superstock (60k – 29 laps)

2:00 – Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme (60k – 29 laps)

3:30 – **Chevrolet Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited (100k – 48 laps)

** LIVE TV

From a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:

YAMAHA RIDERS COMPLETE SUCCESSFUL POST-RACE TEST IN LE MANS

After finishing second and fourth respectively in yesterday’s French Grand Prix, Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha riders Carlos Checa and Valentino Rossi stayed on at the Le Mans circuit for a one day test today. With just over two weeks to go before the fourth round of the 2004 World Championship in Italy on June 6, the team took advantage of the good weather to work on race settings and try to solve some of the set-up problems that Rossi experienced over the weekend.

A total of ten riders stayed on to test today, Ducati rider Troy Bayliss topping the unofficial time sheets with a lap of 1:33.50 – just a fraction of a second off the pole-position time set on Saturday by race-winner Sete Gibernau. Reigning World Champion Rossi was only just slower, recording a best time of 1:33.58. Max Biaggi, third in yesterday’s race on the Honda, was third fastest with a time of 1:33.86, while Checa continued his consistent weekend form, setting a lap of 1:34.08 in fourth place.

Speaking about today’s test, Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio said: “After the race yesterday we decided to stay one extra day to try to analyse with Valentino what happened yesterday, and to try to find an alternative. We have made some progress.

“We spent the day working on race settings and have had quite a good day. We have solved some of our doubts and things worked better than yesterday. We have tried some different ideas and got some good information so now we are looking towards Mugello with a little more confidence.

“After three races in very different conditions and situations and with different results, we felt it was important to take this time to analyse where we are at.

“Carlos had a very good race yesterday, but even so it was important today to try some different things. We have collected some good information today and now Carlos is looking forward to the next race.”

The team now heads home to enjoy its longest break since the start of the season and will reconvene at Mugello in two weeks time for the Italian Grand Prix; Rossi’s home race. Early June will be a busy time for both riders, as Mugello is followed immediately by Checa’s local Grand Prix at the Montmelo circuit in Catalunya.

TIMES:

1. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, 1:33.50
2. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, 1:33.58
3. Max Biaggi, Honda, 1:33.86
4. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, 1:34.08
5. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 1:34.16
6. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 1:34.18
7. Alex Barros, Honda, 1:34.32
8. Makoto Tamada, Honda, 1:34.86
9. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, 1:34.86
10. Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki, 1:35.05


More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda Racing Information:

Private tests at Le Mans.

Max and Makoto on track as they prepare for Mugello race

Today was a day of intense tests for the Camel Honda team, as they began preparations for the Italian Grand Prix, the next round of the MotoGP World Championship. The conditions at Le Mans today were similar to what can be expected at Mugello at the start of June – with ambient temperatures of 29ºC and track temperatures touching 48ºC. Max and Makoto completed 89 and 76 laps respectively, completing an intense programme of work.

On a separate note Camel Honda were proud to welcome a new partner to their 2004 MotoGP project at the French GP this weekend, with the announcement of a new agreement with Repsol. As a part of the new agreement the Spanish oil company will provide Max Biaggi with its specially prepared high performance racing products while the Repsol brand name will be displayed on his RC211V for the remaining races of the 2004 season.

Sito Pons – Camel Honda (Team Principal)
“Today was a really positive test which has allowed us to make the best possible preparations for the next race at Mugello. It is a race we are all looking forward to, where it will be imperative to be protagonists – Max’s home race. So today’s test was particularly important to refine our preparations. Meanwhile, we are very pleased to announce the renewal of the partnership, after many years working together in the past, with Repsol which will guarantee the provision of the highest quality racing products, specifically designed for our RC211V, to cover all our technical requirements”.

Max Biaggi – Camel Honda (Michelin tyres) – 89 laps – 1:33.8
“We’ve done a lot of work, focussing on improving in several areas, in particular to make the bike more stable in certain conditions. We have tried a few different solutions with the electronics which have solved a major part of the problems and, above all, given us better traction. I have also done some endurance testing, working on the consistency of the bike with different front suspension settings and I am satisfied. We know which way we have to go now and the tyre tests have also given the results I was hoping for so I am very satisfied”.

Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda (Bridgestone tyres) –76 laps – 1:34.8
“I am tired but happy. Today we have worked really hard on our choice of tyres for the Italian Grand Prix. I can say that the feeling with the bike is really good and the base set-up that we have found is satisfactory. So today’s test, in weather conditions which should be very similar to those we find in Mugello, has been the perfect “bench test” to choose the best tyres for the race and that’s why I didn’t go for a fast time”.

From a press release issued by WERA West:

WERA West Road Racing Association’s second event is this coming weekend (May 22nd & 23rd) at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway exterior Classic Course. The configuration will be the 2.3 mile long course run in a clockwise rotation.

Fastrack Riders is staging a one day track day event on Friday, May 21st the day before the race weekend. Fastrack will run the same track configuration that WERA West is using. Openings are still available in all three levels. Call 877-560-2233 to reserve a spot.

WERA Registration will be open from 3:00 PM till 5:00 PM on Friday afternoon for WERA West racers.

Camping is available at the track on both Friday and Saturday night. Security will be at the site during the entire event.

The following Gate fees will apply to everyone attending the WERA event. You must have a wristband on at all times.

WERA weekend pass $20
Sunday after 10am $15

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

By John Ulrich

This is my personal opinion, and mine alone. It does not reflect the official opinion of anybody else or any thing else. Just me, a guy who has been around AMA road racing since 1973.

A spectator walking through the paddock at a typical AMA National might be forgiven for wondering where the price tags are–the place often looks more like a used-car lot than a serious racing series paddock.

In theory, there are parking restrictions, but often riders, mechanics and managers get stickers or hang-tags that allow them to park in the paddock, and they line up rental cars and personal vehicles next to their trucks and awnings.

I’m not talking about the privateers working out of their pickups and vans, I’m talking about the mechanics, managers and riders for teams with semi-trucks who apparently can’t stand to walk in a couple hundred feet from the parking lot.

Kawasaki’s awning was flanked by Tommy Hayden’s Cadillac Escalade and Roger Hayden’s black van last Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park. Cars were parked at each end of Yoshimura Suzuki’s two semi-trucks and in-between as well.

Yamaha’s fleet of cars in the paddock at Fontana would have filled three lanes of I-10 at rush hour.

Why go to the trouble of running a team out of a nice semi-truck (or semi-trucks) with big attached awnings if you’re going to surround them with rental cars?

AMA officials were among the worst offenders at Infineon, filling up a big space adjacent to tech inspection.

Parking restrictions are actually enforced at Daytona and Laguna Seca, and the semi-truck sections of the paddock areas look really good by comparison to the paddocks at Infineon and Barber.

I’ve been trying to do a one-man campaign on this by talking to AMA Pro Racing officials, team owners and managers, but so far the only ones who seem to have paid any attention are the guys who run the Ducati Austin team and the Michael Jordan team.

Pikes Peak International Raceway has an excellent parking area set up behind the paddock, and this weekend’s AMA National would be a great time to start to clean the cars out of the paddock. Here’s hoping the riders, mechanics and managers there can manage to park in the parking area, and walk from the parking area to their semi-trucks.

Either that, or put some window stickers on the assembled cars, so we know where to start the negotiations…



And now, some reader reaction:

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail

Here, here on paddock clean up. These are professional races. I may be a bit spoiled because the very first motorcycle road race I attended was the 1993 U.S.GP, but honestly, something must be done.

Fans pay $25-$35 for the privilege of walking through the pits to see the bikes, their heroes, glorious colors and pageantry of AMA racing, only to find a more expensive version of a club race. I for one do not want to peak behind that curtain. Privateers I can understand, but Factory Teams have no excuse.

It’s difficult to take friends or a girlfriend to the races to get them pumped about the sport as much as you are when it looks like a big damn swap meet.

See you at the OC Fairgrounds!

Trent Davis
AFM #912
Placerville, California

From a press release issued by Corona Extra Suzuki:

TOP TEN SUPERSPORT FINISH FOR ATTARD AT BARBER AMA NATIONAL

Corona Extra Suzuki rider Ben Attard placed tenth in this weekend’s AMA National held at Barber Motorsports Park. Marty Craggill is still recovering from surgery and missed the event.

The Barber event saw Italian pilot Christian Pistoni on board the Corona Extra Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superstock bike. Christian, who rode World MotoGP in 125 and 250 classes for Italjet and Aprilia, found the big Suzuki a real eye-opener. “It has much power, it wishes to stand up everywhere! Also, much work to turn at the corners compared to GP bike!” he said.

Getting used to the bike and a new track took some time, but Christian was still able to qualify on Row 5 for the event. Unfortunately, Christian’s first start in AMA racing was not as good as he had hoped for. He got caught out by the start light sequence and lost a number of positions by turn one but made it up to 18th by the end of the first lap. He moved up two more positions by lap 3 and held 16th until lap 8 when he lost the rear tire in turn two and went down.

Pistoni confessed, “I make terrible start, not being ready for the lights, then try hard to catch riders in front. My back tire slides much and then spit me off in turn two. I think that bike set-up not quite right, but only find out in race!”

In Supersport, Ben Attard struggled to find the right chassis set-up for his Suzuki GSX-R600. His crew made numerous suspension changes prior to qualifying, but failed to find the right one. Ben qualified 13th saying, “We could not get the bike handling right and I wasn’t able to push it in the turns!”

The crew made some major changes after qualifying that really helped with Ben going nearly a second quicker in morning practice than his qualifying time. In the race, Attard got a good start but found himself off the racing line going into turn one and in the “marbles”. He lost momentum and some positions, not getting into his stride until half way through the next corner. He finished the first lap in 13th.

On lap two he moved into 12th and to 11th on lap five. Then the Pistol began a spirited dice with the factory Kawasaki of Tony Meiring, passing him on lap six. The two were a bike length apart for most of the race, each leading off and on. Attard passed Meiring on the last corner, going in really deep but losing drive coming out onto the start/finish. Meiring held Ben off by 2/100th of a second at the line leaving Ben in tenth.

After the race Ben said, “I really messed up the start, I should have gone to the outside – not the inside. It took me a while to get back into the rhythm and then I think I cooked my tires going after Tony. His bike was really fast! My bike was really sliding around at the end. I passed him on the last corner but went in too deep and lost the drive coming out. I just didn’t have enough motor to hold him off!” Attard is currently 13th in the Supersport Championship.


More, from a press release issued by Joe Rocket:

“Roger Lee Hayden and Jake Zemke achieve firsts!”
The dust has settled, the lights are out and the dance floor has been swept clean after the Rocket Racing team celebrated victory at Barber Motor sports Park this past weekend. Joe Rocket and the AMA Superbike Series have once again packed enough excitement into one weekend to keep the late John L. McAdam grinning in wonderment.

Topping past performances, the Rocket Racing team has captured 12 of the possible 15 podium positions at Barber. Of special note Roger Lee Hayden earned his first ever AMA Supersport victory.

Putting on a great show, he and older brother Tommy Hayden danced their Kawasaki ZX6-RR motorcycles round the track, swapping paint all the way to the spectacular finish. Speaking from his Owensboro, Ky. home this morning, a very hoarse Roger Lee said the he is still buzzing from the weekend and that he looks to keep the momentum heading into the next round at Pikes Peak Intl. Raceway. Jake Zemke also achieved a first ever victory as he raced to the checkers in the Lockhart Phillips Formula Extreme race. From the Series’ inception Zemke has relentlessly battled fellow Rocket Racer Miguel Duhamel for a win. Jake was surely smiling under his helmet Saturday as he crossed the line in front of Duhamel. Congratulations to Jake and all at Erion Honda!

Sharing the Victors’ duties this weekend, Mladin and Miguel each come away from the Double Header weekend with a Superbike win each. Reigning AMA Superbike Champion, Yoshimura Suzuki’s’ Mat Mladin leads the series with 243 points. Miguel Duhamel and Jake Zemke are close in pursuit, trailing by a mere 25 points. Stay tuned; the GSXR 1000 and CBR1000RR motorcycles meet on the field when the Rocket Racers joust again this coming weekend at Pikes Peak International Raceway May 21 – 23.



More, from a press release issued by Storyteller Johnson:

William “Storyteller” Johnson finished the weekend with two 18th place finishes. One came in the Repsol SuperStock race and the other in Formula Xtreme race at BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK.

Storyteller ended the weekend at Barber Motorsports Park excited about just qualifying and finishing the races. He started the weekend running lap times that would have surely put him in the spectator stands for the remainder of the weekend. Somehow during qualifying he was able to put his head down and make the BIG SHOW. Struggling with suspension, John of CTR was able to work with him to find a suspension setting that would work for the Formula Xtreme Race but, they struggled right up to the race for the Genuine Suzuki Superstock race making several changes after the last practice before the race.

“After qualifying for both races my goal was to stay on two wheels and finish the race. I really didn’t know what to expect after the 11-hour drive to Alabama. I knew that it was going to be a steep learning curve but, I didn’t know that it was going to be that steep. The track is very nice but it has a ton of blind corners and for a first timer at that track an AMA event is not a good time to try new things. I can’t count how many times I went left when the track went right. It was to the point that I would use all my life lines right before a turn…I would try 50/50…No go…Than I would try calling a friend and they would not pick up the phone… I would look to the spectators but, they were only looking at the factory guys. I was finally able to hook up with my teammate Adrian Jones of OneShot Racing to show me around the track but, even he was leaving me and I didn’t want to slow him down because he needed the quality track time.

I went to every person that I knew and asked tons of questions about everything. I’d like to personally thank John at CTR for working with me all four days on the suspension, Lee and Opie of Empire Racing for all the advice, Moose and crew at Pirelli for my tires and all the good information, Bruce at Arai for the discount on the helmet, CR Gittere, Scott Carpenter for selling me some fuel and providing some good advice, and a host of other racers that were there giving advice and support. The best advice that I received all weekend came from Mike (Thermosman), “Go out and ride the thing and have fun or go home and watch Opera.”

I had to save the best for last; A VERY SPECIAL THANKS goes to my girlfriend Kim Gordon who stayed up with me all night before each of the races telling me, “Go to sleep you punk! Stop being such a sissy. You qualified, so now just go out and ride because, I did not come all the way down here to hold your hand. I can do that at home” I know now how my nephew feels when my sister tries to put him to sleep when he doesn’t want to go to sleep.

Anyway, I managed to run some mid 1:33s on the 600 and a few 1:32s on the 1000. Not bad for the first time at the track. I can’t wait to write the story about the track and people. The next round will be Mid-Ohio or Road Atlanta if money permits. I glad to get some points in both classes.


More, from a press release issued by Buell:

BUELL RACERS IN TOP 10 AT BARBER FORMULA XTREME

Hal’s and Kosco Dealer Teams Take on Factory Teams in AMA Road Racing Competition



BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (May 15, 2004) – Buell Firebolts entered by Hal’s Harley-Davidson/Buell and Kosco Harley-Davidson/Buell ran strongly and finished in the top ten in the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme class during the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship Series at Barber Motorsports Park. Hal’s rider Mike Ciccotto rode a Firebolt to ninth place in the event, while Michael Barnes placed tenth aboard a Kosco Firebolt.

“It’s really exciting to see our dealer teams out there competing in AMA Formula Xtreme,” said Erik Buell, chairman and chief technical officer at Buell Motorcycle Company. “It was only their second outing in Formula Xtreme, and we all still have a lot to learn to help these riders race with the front-running factory teams in this professional class. I am very excited about the diversity in racing that this class is bringing to AMA fans. This class has a lot of technical innovation going on, with the fastest laps very close to Superbike times, despite the bikes having less horsepower.”

Ciccotto qualified in eighth position on the 2.3-mile, 16-turn Barber Motorsports Park course. Barnes qualified in tenth position.

“We pushed hard but we were a little bit off on our race day set up,” said Ciccotto, who ran as high as sixth position. “The motor ran flawlessly all weekend and I’m really excited for the rest of this season.”

AMA Formula Xtreme is a class open to highly-modified motorcycles with 600cc four-cylinder engines or larger-displacement V-Twin engines. The next stop on the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship schedule is May 22-23 at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

SPEED Channel’s “Dude for a Day” four-week promotion starts tonight on 2 Wheel Tuesday with Greg White.

During the show, White will reveal the first of a series of code words required to win.

The grand prize winner will receive a special Honda CBR1000RR and will get a trip to the AMA/World Superbike weekend at Laguna Seca in July, where they will get to meet the factory Honda teams and do a lap of the racetrack.

Watch SPEED for additional information and details.

From a press release issued by WERA West:

WERA West would like to welcome Champion Truck Rental as a sponsor for the A Superstock Expert class. The payouts will be first through fifth place and will start at the next event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

WERA West would also like to welcome Spectrum Ducati/Aprilia and Spectrum Honda/Polaris. Spectrum will be sponsoring Heavyweight Twins Superbike Expert, paying first through fifth as well, and will also start paying at the next event in Las Vegas.

Lastly, Roadracingworld.com will be sponsoring the Formula One Expert Class, also starting this next event, and paying first through fifth.

A special drawing has been created for those Northern California riders for the Las Vegas event May 22-23. The drawing will be for two lucky riders, and those riders will get $100 each. To qualify, you must be traveling from a 100 mile radius of San Francisco/Oakland, and enter at least two races. WERA West realizes that with the current fuel costs, this may help those lucky riders pay for some of their travel expense.

Champion Truck Rental, located in Costa Mesa, California, rents and sells a variety of box trucks and cargo vans. You can visit their website at champion-autorental.com or call 714-434-0133 for more info.

Spectrum Ducati/Aprilia and Spectrum Honda/Polaris, located in Lake Forest, CA., sells and services Ducati, Aprilla, and Honda motorcycles. They also have a racer support program. You can visit their website for more information at spectrumotorsports.com.

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