Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Attack Suzuki’s Josh Hayes took pole position for Sunday’s WSMC Toyota 200 during final qualifying at Willow Springs Raceway today. Hayes’ fastest lap was a 1:19.732 at an average speed of 112.878 mph around the nine-turn, 2.5-mile road course.

Also riding an Attack Suzuki GSX-R1000, Vincent Haskovec was second-fastest with a 1:19.990. Doug Polen was third-quickest with a 1:21.293 on a Honda. Chuck Graves was fourth-fastest at 1:21.522 on a Yamaha. Jeff Tigert qualified fifth with a 1:21.850 on a Suzuki.

Complete qualifying results will be posted when available.

From a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway:

Daytona 200 Week Schedule Boasts New Look

Daytona Supercross By Honda Moves To Friday Night; Daytona 200 By Arai To Be Contested On Saturday Afternoon

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (Oct. 17, 2003) — The Daytona 200 Week schedule will have a new look in 2004, Speedway President Robin Braig announced today.

Highlighting the changes to the Daytona 200 Week schedule is the Daytona Supercross By Honda, which will move under the lights for the first time in event history on Friday night, March 5.

The 63rd Daytona 200 By Arai motorcycle classic, the season opener to the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike championship season, will be held for the first time at the Speedway on Saturday afternoon, March 6.

The Daytona Supercross By Honda has traditionally been held on a Saturday afternoon in the tri-oval grass while the Daytona 200 By Arai has been contested on a Sunday afternoon on Daytona International Speedway’s historic 3.56-mile road course.

Other changes to the Daytona 200 Week schedule include:

· The AMA HotShoe Series and the AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship races, traditionally held on Friday and Saturday nights at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium, will be moved to Wednesday night, March 3 and Thursday night, March 4 respectively.

· The Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship race will precede the Daytona 200 By Arai on Saturday, March 6 along with the much anticipated return of the BMW BoxerCup.

· Thursday’s schedule will include Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Qualifying, BMW BoxerCup Qualifying, Daytona 200 By Arai second-round qualifying followed by the inaugural Daytona Lockhart-Phillips Formula Xtreme race and the Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock event.

· Wednesday’s schedule will include Daytona 200 By Arai practice and first-round qualifying, Lockhart-Phillips Formula Xtreme qualifying and Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock qualifying.

“We’re thrilled about the changes to the Daytona 200 Week schedule,” Speedway President Robin Braig said. “We feel these improvements to the schedule will enhance our fans’ experiences at our facility. Moving the Supercross to Friday night is going to create an electric atmosphere for both fans and competitors and scheduling the Daytona 200 By Arai on Saturday afternoon will make it more convenient for our guests to attend one of the most prestigious motorcycle races in America.”

AMA Pro Racing CEO Scott Hollingsworth shares Braig’s enthusiasm.

“Reworking the schedule so more fans can attend the races during Daytona 200 Week is consistent with our business plan to aggressively grow the sport of motorcycle racing in the United States,” Hollingsworth said. “We’re gratified to have been able to work with the folks at Daytona International Speedway to make this happen.”

In 2004, history could be made in both the Daytona 200 By Arai and the Daytona Supercross. Miguel Duhamel, the 2003 Daytona 200 By Arai winner, will be racing for his fifth triumph, which would tie him for most Daytona 200 By Arai wins with Scott Russell.

Ricky Carmichael, the 2003 Daytona Supercross By Honda winner, is currently tied with Jeff Stanton with four straight victories and will be gunning for a record fifth consecutive Daytona Supercross By Honda on the tough and demanding Gary Bailey-designed course.

Tickets to any of the Daytona 200 Week events are available online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling the Speedway ticket office at (386) 253-7223.

From a press release:

ORIGINAL SCULPTURE STOLEN FROM HELMET HOUSE

Specially-Commissioned Bronze Piece
Was Highlight of Headquarters’ Entrance

(Calabasas Hills, CA) “The Ride”, an original bronze sculpture commissioned by Helmet House to grace the outside of the national distributor’s Calabasas Hills, CA headquarters’ entrance, was stolen on Thursday night, October 9.



Weighing 400 pounds and mounted on a custom-made, four-foot tall concrete and granite pedestal, the sculpture itself was over three feet high. “It’s not something the thieves could have slipped into their pocket,” said Bob Miller, Helmet House president. “They needed torches, a truck, and a pre-determined plan. They had to heat or cut the steel rods – or both – that connected the sculpture to the base. It’s very upsetting that somebody went to all this trouble to steal it.”



That sentiment was echoed by a number of Helmet House staffers. Administrative Assistant Tiffany Tadeo said “Discovering it was missing caught me by surprise when I got to work early Friday morning. I was shocked. It’s so upsetting, like somebody violated us.” Customer Service Rep Debbie Staples added “We felt really safe here. This is a good neighborhood. I guess there’s no where that’s really untouchable. It really hurt my feelings and I take it very personally. We took it for granted that it would always be there for all of us to see every morning. The sculpture’s ours.”

Reacting to his employees’ comments, Phil Bellomy, Vice President and Miller’s partner, added “We were touched and even more saddened by the reaction of our employees to the theft. We didn’t realize how much it meant to them.”

“The Ride” was among the first projects of the “Art In Public Places” program of the city of Calabasas. It is the work of sculptor Steve Posson and art director Liselotte Bjorck-Posson. Steve is most famous to motorcyclists as the creator of “Glory Days”, the highly-regarded theme sculpture that is the centerpiece of the American Motorcyclist Association Museum in Westerville, Ohio.

Anyone with information on the missing sculpture is asked to contact Joanne Golden or Mark Gandy at Helmet House, (818) 880-0000.

From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

LACONI AND TOSELAND TO LEAD DUCATI FILA’S 2004 WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP CAMPAIGN – LANZI IN WORLD SUPERSPORT WITH DUCATI 749R

Bologna (Italy), 16 October 2003: Ducati Corse wishes to confirm its official participation in the World Superbike championship, the world’s most important production-based racing category, and announces that Regis Laconi and James Toseland will spearhead the Ducati Fila team attack in the 2004 championship on board the successful Ducati 999 factory bikes.

28 year-old Laconi from St. Dizier, France, is currently lying third in this year’s championship on a Caracchi NCR Ducati 998RS after a string of strong performances. In 2003 he has finished on the podium five times and set two fastest laps as well as pole position at Sugo. Laconi is also one of the few riders to have won races in both the GP and Superbike categories and could become the first French rider to win the World Superbike championship since the legendary Raymond Roche in 1990.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for this opportunity and I’m so happy to ride a factory Ducati bike for next year” declared Laconi. “I tried my best to win some races with NCR Ducati, but next year everything will be in place and I hope to do just that. I can’t wait to start work as soon as possible, but at the moment I still have to race at Magny-Cours this weekend!”.

Toseland, currently fourth in the standings behind Laconi on an HM Plant Ducati 998 F02, will line up alongside the Frenchman in the Fila-backed Ducati team. He is the latest in a series of riders, including Troy Bayliss and Neil Hodgson, who both became WSBK champions, to move up from the GSE Racing satellite team to the factory squad. The 23 year-old from Sheffield, England, who took his first win this year at Oschersleben when he got the better of Hodgson in race 2, is Britain’s best hope for another world superbike champion.

“I’ve been dying to tell everyone the secret really!” Toseland joked about his ride for next year. “I’m sorry to hear that my current team are pulling out of the championship but a big thanks to them for giving me the opportunity to move on. After Troy and Neil I’m the third rider to move up into the factory team and I’ve got a lot to live up to … hopefully I can follow suit! I’ve had some good races this season and it was nice to beat everyone to get my first win at Oschersleben. Now that’s off my mind, I can concentrate on this weekend and then roll on next season!”.

Ducati Corse also announces that it will be officially returning to the World Supersport Championship after a break of 3 years. The rider chosen to debut the brand-new Ducati 749R in this highly-competitive championship is 21 year-old Italian Lorenzo Lanzi.

Born in Cesena, Italy in 1981, Lanzi has set the European Superstock championship alight this year on a Team Rox Ducati 999S and is still a contender for the title, which concludes this weekend at Magny-Cours.

“I’m really enthusiastic about this opportunity because after a year without a ride in 2002, things started to take off for me this year in European Superstock and now to be a part of the factory Ducati World Supersport team next year is simply fantastic” commented Lanzi. “The 749R is a new bike and World Supersport is very competitive, but the bike is promising and with an experienced team like Ducati Corse, good results will come for sure”.

From a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:

HOPKINS RETURNS

MotoGP. Round 15.
Australian GP, Phillip Island, Victoria
October 19, 2002.

Team Suzuki rider John Hopkins makes his return at this Sunday’s Australian GP, still smarting after a controversial one-race suspension from last weekend’s Malaysian GP, and determined to make up for lost time, with maximum effort for the second-last race of his first year with Suzuki.

Hopkins and team-mate Kenny Roberts both have track experience at the picturesque seaside Phillip Island circuit with the 2003 version of the GSV-R 990cc V4 racer, in pre-season tests. The motorcycle has taken a distinct step forward since then, with development throughout the year boosted by fresh engine and chassis parts that arrived two races ago at Motegi in Japan.

And both riders will be exploiting the nature of a track that puts as much emphasis on riding skill as on sheer horsepower.

Hopkins left Malaysia before last weekend’s race, and spent the time training and relaxing at Surfers Paradise and the Sunshine Coast, to be fully acclimatised for the Australian GP. He was angered when he saw that a similar incident to the first-corner crash at Motegi that led to his one-race suspension went unpunished. Ironically this involved chief complainant Carlos Checa, who knocked his own team-mate Marco Melandri off in practice. Checa had already been reprimanded for kicking out at a marshal after crashing the day before; he was not penalised for the crash.

Race Director Paul Butler said the nature of the incidents had been different, but admitted: “You can argue with the severity of the punishment for Hopkins.”

Suzuki team manager Garry Taylor said: “We protested the disqualification, but it was over-ruled. We have to accept the decision of the FIM race stewards – but we were very encouraged by the strength of the support for John from other riders and teams.

“Now we have to put it behind us, and do the best we can for this race.

“The latest parts have been a definite improvement, though not enough to get Suzuki back to the winning positions. But they are in the right direction, and we’re confident they will pay dividends at this circuit.

“We know that Kenny will get the best he can out of the machine, and there’s no question about John’s enthusiasm and dedication. He has a real point to prove.

“We’re hoping for a good weekend, with both riders claiming worthwhile championship points,” said Taylor.

The nature of the classic circuit, on an island south of Melbourne, almost guarantees close racing, with many opportunities for slipstreaming, and flowing corners where a determined rider can exploit the rhythm to make up ground lost in acceleration and top speed.

KENNY ROBERTS – WORKING TO THE LIMITS: Phillip Island is a flowing track that’s fun to ride. It’s hard to predict our performance – we’ve been struggling within the machine’s limits, but this is a track where the rider can make more of a difference than some other circuits. We’ll be aiming to do better than last year.

JOHN HOPKINS – NO TAIL BETWEEN MY LEGS: I’ve been up north, at Surfers Paradise and the Sunshine Coast for a few days. I watched the Malaysian GP, and heard about Checa’s problems there, without getting penalised, which made me pretty angry. This weekend I’m going out there to give it everything I can. I like the track, and we tested here at the beginning of the season. I’ll go for it, and see what I can do. I’m not going round with my tail between my legs, that’s for sure.



More, from a press release issued by Proton Team KR:

PROTON BRING FOUR-STROKE TO SCENE OF TWO-STROKE TRIUMPH

Phillip Island, the picturesque seaside venue for Sunday’s Australian GP, is a special track for Proton Team KR.

Last year, racing the three-cylinder 500cc two-stroke against the new 990cc four-stroke MotoGP bikes, Jeremy McWilliams qualified the relatively underpowered machine on pole position, with team-mate Nobuatsu Aoki also on the front row, third fastest. McWilliams’ lap time of 1:31.919 is still the fastest lap ever round Phillip Island by a motorcycle, and Aoki was barely half-a-second slower.

The pair went on to record a double top ten finish, in spite of a significant top speed deficit. Aoki was seventh, and McWilliams tenth, fighting his way through from the back after an off-track excursion in the early stages, and several times fastest rider on the track.

This year, the team bring their own 990cc four-stroke to the race – the radical England-built Proton KR V5. And they hope the way the track favours their combination of sweet handling, Bridgestone tyres and very determined riders will bring another good result.

The Proton KR V5 is lining up for only its ninth race, after the rush design and development programme saw the bike take to the track for the first time after the season had already begun. Ever since, it has been on a fast-forward development programme, teething troubles solved race by race, in full public view. At almost every event, new parts and new solutions were applied to take the bike another step from first prototype to maturing racer.

The progress has been inexorable, and the new machine scored its first points three races ago, at the Pacific GP at Motegi in Japan, where Aoki finished 14th. As impressive as the steady improvement in all-round performance has been the march towards reliability.

The Australian race is the third of three back-to-back flyaway races, a gruelling test of the still immature racer. So far, it has passed with flying colours.

“There’s nothing really different here from the last race, but we’ve done pretty well to get this far and show we can finish reliably,” said team manager Chuck Aksland. “We weren’t looking forward to these three races.

“This track is obviously one of Jeremy’s favourites,” (last year was his second time on pole), “and Nobu likes it as well.

“The tyres also work very well here. Bridgestone did a lot of testing here with Nobu before they entered the top class last year, and that has obviously paid off.

“We’re hoping for a good race,” Aksland concluded.

Nobuatsu Aoki: Pretty Optimistic
I’m pretty optimistic. As everyone knows, the Bridgestone tyres work very well at Phillip Island, and though for sure we will struggle with top speed there are other places on the track where we could make a lot of time up last year, when the situation was the same. I like the track, and I know it well. No race is easy, but I hope it won’t be as tough as the last few.

Jeremy McWilliams: Points on the Table
I like the track a lot, and it will be more like the conditions we’re used to. We won’t have to worry about extreme temperatures, that among other things affected the performance of the slipper clutch in Malaysia. We know the Bridgestones work very well here. I hope we can get some points.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

No Limit Motorsports will compete as No Limit Motorsports Suzuki in the 2004 AMA series, with Jason Pridmore and Josh Hayes joining Jason Curtis on the team, which ran as No Limit Motorsports Honda in 2003.

“We have a deal in principal which will bring Pridmore and Josh Hayes to our team,” team owner Ben Curtis said today.

Pridmore and Hayes rode for Richard Stanboli’s Attack Suzuki team this season, but Stanboli has done a deal to run Tony Meiring and Roger Lee Hayden with Kawasaki backing in 2004.

Hayes and Pridmore are contracted directly to Suzuki, not to Attack.

Asked what brand of tires the team will run, Ben Curtis said, “Probably Dunlop given Josh and Jason’s relationship with Jim (Allen of Dunlop).”

The team ran Michelins this season.

From a press release:

Cyclestar.com Set To Begin Online Pro Bike Auctions

Cyclestar.com is proud to announce the online auctioning of some of the fastest motorcycles in the world from teams like Pro Circuit, Yamaha of Troy, Team ECC, and Team Moto XXX starting Wednesday, October 15th. In the next few weeks, the sale of road racing bikes will start with teams that will soon be announced. These are not replicas but actual bikes ridden in competition. For more information about the bikes go to Cyclestar.com and click on the “Pro Shop” star. A portion of the proceeds will go to the teams to help support their racing efforts and the remainder going to helpful rider support organizations such as the “Clayton Memorial Foundation” and the “Road 2 Recovery.”

If you’re looking for a special gift, check out our selection of jerseys signed by the “MX Stars” of racing starting with James “Bubba” Stewart.

Another featured item on the site will be contests giving away great items like this month’s Pro Circuit Gear Bag or Backpack of your choice. Just go to Cyclestar.com and click on the “Pro Shop” Star for more information and details on the auctions.

Cyclestar.com is a new web site offering an alternative to newspapers and classified trade magazines as a place to sell your pre-owned Motorcycle, ATV, Snowmobile or Watercraft. In addition, Cyclestar.com will specialize in listing motorcycle dealerships including their inventories as well as parts and accessories manufacturers and their product lines.

Cyclestar.com will provide information connecting enthusiasts with the Powersports industry from some of the biggest names in motorcycling. News from ESPN, Motoworld, Racer X, Speed TV, Roadracing World and others as well as event information from the AMA and Clear Channel will keep motorcyclist up to date with the pulse of the industry. You’ll find links to most of the manufacturers of Motorcycles, ATV’s, Snowmobiles and Watercraft as well as “New Trucks and Trailers”. Looking for magazines? Cyclestar.com has 60 covers on the “Magazine Rack” of the most popular publications with links to all their sites and a banner on the home page providing live webcasts during events.

From a press release issued by series organizers:

Klaffi prepares for final push

Klaus Klaffenböck and passenger Christian Parzer must win the final race of the season at Magny-Cours, France to stand any hope of snatching the title from rivals, Steve Webster and Paul Woodhead.

The Austrian duo, however, remain realistic about their chances. “We have a slim chance but we need to sort out some of the engine problems we’ve had in the last two races,” said the vastly experienced Klaffenböck.

The 2001 World champions led the championship race for four rounds following their sole win at Monza, Italy in round two and have since been the epitome of consistency with a further seven podium placements.

“Anyway, we’ll certainly try hard,” added Klaffenböck who has notched up 16 race wins at world level in a career spanning six years.

The Yamaha R1 machine with an LCR chassis, run by the two Austrians from the town of Wels, has also proved extremely reliable: they remain one of only two teams to score points at every round of the series. [Mike Roscher and Adolf Hänni the other team to hold the distinction]



More, from another press release issued by series organizers:

Webster – “Taking nothing for granted”

Steve Webster and passenger Paul Woodhead head to the final round of the 2003 Superside World championship at Magny-Cours, France needing only one point to secure the title.

Webster, gunning for a record ninth world title, remains careful to err on the side of caution. “We are not taking anything for granted,” said the affable Yorkshireman. “It has happened before in the past with Rolf Biland only requiring one point from the final round – and he lost out.”

Klaus Klaffenböck and Christian Parzer are the only ones who can spoil the party but the experienced Austrians, who are 24 points adrift of their British counterparts, know that they must win the race to stand any chance whatsoever.

Webster and Woodhead have been the dominant force in 2003, having won six of the nine races so far. They will also be looking to maintain their amazing qualifying record: nine out of nine pole positions so far.

Should they succeed at the French circuit – a 15th place finish will do the trick – it will be the British partnership’s second world title, to add to their triumph in 2000.


More, from yet another press release issued by series organizers:

Steini targets hat-trick of wins

Jörg Steinhausen and Trevor Hopkinson are aiming to continue their fine end-of-season form and sign off the 2003 campaign with a third win.

The German-British pairing have enjoyed mixed fortunes with two non-finishes matched symmetrically by two comprehensive wins on the Italian peninsula, at Misano Adriatico and Imola.

“We felt the pressure but rode hard and were very pleased to win the race,” said Steinhausen after his Imola victory. “We will be looking for another win in the final round at Magny-Cours.”

The win was made even more special by the fact that the duo had to make a mad dash to Germany to compete in the national championship – which they won – despite lining up 18th on the grid at Hockenheim.

Steinhausen and Hopkinson may not be able to improve on their third place in the overall standings, but the 2002 runners-up will not hold back in their quest to clinch their third win of the season at the fast 4.411km/2.757-mile circuit located near the town of Nevers.



Yet another press release from series organizers:

Abbott on the victory trail

Reigning world champions, Steve Abbott and Jamie Biggs, are looking to end the season on a high and record their first win of the 2003 season.

The 2003 season has not been so rich in success although the British outfit have been on the podium three times with a best-placed second in the opening round at Valencia, Spain.

Winning remains the priority for Abbott and Biggs and the duo will endeavour to record a victory, to add to the three race wins achieved en route to the 2002 world title.

The Eastern Airways-backed outfit will have their work cut to defend fourth place in the overall rankings. Fellow Brits, Tom Hanks and Phil Biggs [Jamie’s brother] along with the Dutch father and son pairing, Martien and Tonnie van Gils, are hot on their heels with only four points separating the three teams.

Last year’s crowning moment will always remain special. “It was great to win the title after so many years,” said Abbott, who will relinquish the number one plate. “The way in which we did it, at Imola last year, was as exciting as it gets and it will live in everyone’s memory forever.”


Still another press release issued by series organizers:

Hanks looks for French repeat

Tom Hanks and passenger Phil Biggs have already tasted success at the Magny-Cours circuit in France – venue for the final Superside World championship round of the year.

The British duo, who currently lie fifth in the overall standings, recorded an impressive victory in the French championship round at the same circuit at the end of August.

“We learnt the track and found out where our weak spots are, so that is all that is left to sort out when we come back,” commented Hanks, who will be looking for that elusive first win of the season.

Hanks and Biggs narrowly missed out on the top rung of the rostrum in the sweltering heat at Misano, Italy in June where they finished only 0.422s behind winners, Jörg Steinhausen and Trevor Hopkinson.

The Halton Fabrications team will be focusing on clawing back the two points which separate them from Steve Abbott and Jamie Biggs, holders of fourth place overall. Will the summer testing at Magny-Cours pay off?