From a press release issued by Willow Springs International Raceway:

THREE RACE LEGENDS SERVE AS GRAND MARSHALS OF WILLOW SPRINGS’ GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND

ROSAMOND, CA — Kenny Eggers, Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey; three Motorcycle Hall of Fame recipients spanning the half century of Willow Springs existence will serve as Grand Marshals of the track’s gala 50th Anniversary Weekend, October 17th through 19th.

Kenny Eggers, the first person ever to win a motorcycle race at Willow Springs in the early 50’s will bring a historical perspective to the celebrations. Eggers, a native Californian, learned to ride at 12 and continues to restore classic cycles. He paid $40 for his first bike, which soon led to a job at a local San Jose motorcycle shop and after a stint in the army, to serious racing.

Eggers cut his teeth riding with the “San Jose Bunch” headed by hill climbing legend Sam Arena. Throughout the 50’s Eggers made a name for himself as a determined and knowledgeable racer. In 1954, Eggers raced in the AMA Grand National Series that included a stop at a new track in the California desert … Willow Springs.

“The track was quite crude in its early days, the racing surface wasn’t pavement, it was oiled dirt,” recalls Eggers. “Cars had been using it before our race and it was pretty rough.”

Despite the conditions and a flooded carburetor at the start, Eggers endurance experience paid off as he quickly worked his way through the field to win his place in Willow Springs history.

Eggers and his wife Kaye, live in San Jose where he continues to tinker with motorcycles. His current project: restoring his original bike to racing condition.

Four time 500cc World Champion Eddie Lawson has been riding since the age of seven and was racing by age 12.

“We rode tracks like Corona and Ascot, and I didn’t do very well,” admits Lawson. But by the early ‘70’s he was dominating SoCal dirt tracks.

As the decade wound down, Eddie shifted to road circuits and by age 20 was considered one of the top contenders in West Coast club racing. The early ‘80’s saw Lawson become a star on the superbike circuit while also dominating AMA’s 250GP series, where he won two straight national championships.

In 1983, Lawson went international, racing for Yamaha on the GranPrix circuit. It was a difficult time. “I was away from home for the first time, I wasn’t having much success and at the time wondered what I had gotten myself into” Eddie admits.

But the 1984 season was markedly different. Lawson began winning … a lot. He won the 1984 World Championship, his first of four such titles over the next decade. By the end of the 1992 season, Eddie has scored a total of 31 victories in GP racing. In 1990 Lawson won Japan’s prestigious Suzuka Eight Hour race with teammate Tadahiko Taira and won the 1993 Daytona 200.

Today, Lawson lives in Lake Havasu, Arizona.

Motorcycle Hall of Fame recipient, Wayne Rainey also got an early start to his racing career. Born on October 23, 1960, Rainey grew up in a racing family. By the time he was six, Wayne was riding a Honda 50cc minibike. Within three years he was racing on amateur and junior dirt tracks and by age 18 had turned pro.

After a rocky rookie season, Rainey earned six top-ten finishes in 1980 and the following year won the novice 250 GP in Loudon, New Hampshire. In ‘82 Rainey moved up to Superbike class and teamed with former rival Eddie Lawson. He finished his rookie Superbike season in third place after teammate Lawson and Mike Baldwin.

His second season on the big bikes proved even more fulfilling with his six wins allowing him to best Baldwin’s points total for the championship.

In 1987, Rainey won his second Superbike title, in a season-long battle between himself and Kevin Schwantz. 1988 brought Wayne new kudos as he competed in the 500cc class, earning a World Championship victory in Donington Park England.

But after a decade of racing professionally, Rainey was just coming into his prime. For the next 3 years straight, (‘90,’ 91, and ’92) he won world titles with 24 wins in world championship races.

The 1993 season looked just as promising until a crash at Misano, Italy sidelined the champion for the remainder of the season. Back in ’94, he headed up his own racing team and continued to be active on the circuit until 1998.

Rainey calls Monterey, California home. He and fellow grand marshal Eddie Lawson continue to compete on the track today … now days in superkarts, those go-carts on steroids that top out at 150 mph.

Just like Willow Springs itself, they show no signs of slowing down.

From a press release issued by series organizers:

TORONTO, ON – The final stage of Canadian Superbike racing’s new rules package comes into effect with the start of the 2004 season.

With Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha all unveiling new 1000cc, four-cylinder sport bikes for the new model year a standardized set of rules will be put in place for the Parts Canada Superbike Championship.

Rules for Canada’s premier motorcycle road racing series were revamped for the 2003 season in an effort to contain costs and improve the competitive balance in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. As part of the performance restrictions a maximum horsepower limit was introduced.

However, grandfather clauses were provided for the existing Superbikes from Honda and Kawasaki. Honda’s RC51 and the Kawasaki ZX-7RR were the two most exotic and expensive motorcycles in the Canadian series. They were allowed to remain in the series for an additional season but were restricted in their use of performance parts.

Now Honda will compete on the Parts Canada Superbike tour with its new CBR1000RR while Kawasaki will have the ZX-10R. Yamaha has made a major update to its YZF-R1, which won the 2003 Parts Canada Superbike title with Pascal Picotte. The only model to carryover from 2003 is Suzuki’s GSX-R1000, which was redesigned last year.

“Everybody will now be on a level playing field,” said series director Colin Fraser of Professional Motorsport Productions. “We have now closed the door on the old format.”

As part of the 2004 Parts Canada Superbike rules update motorcycles in the feature class will be expected to adhere more closely to their stock design. For example, competitors will not be allowed to design and install engine scoops or airboxes to improve airflow to the engine, nor will they be permitted to race with certain aftermarket items like trick swingarms or brakes.

“We’re going to deal with the original manufacturer equipment as much as we can,” Fraser explained. “Our goal with the new rules was always to reduce costs and make the feature class more accessible to competitors.”

The result of the new regulations last season was the closest points battle in Canadian national Superbike history, with Picotte edging Suzuki riders Steve Crevier and Francis Martin to the crown at the final race. Six different riders scored a race victory in the eight Parts Canada Superbike rounds and four separate racers took a turn at the top of the point standings.

With the arrival of new motorcycles from three of the four Japanese manufacturers for the 2004 season, the maximum horsepower in the Parts Canada Superbike class has been raised from 155 to 160 hp as measured on the official series Dynojet Dyno. Minimum weight remains at 360 lbs. when measured on the official series scales after qualifying sessions or race action.

Minor rules changes to the 600 Sport Bike national support classes have also been announced for 2004. In both the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike and International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike categories maximum horsepower has been bumped from 112 hp to 115 hp and minimum weight has dropped from 355 lbs. to 350 lbs. The weight limit was reduced due to concerns about the use of ballast on some motorcycles in the class.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The M4 product evaluation on page 111 of the November 2003 issue of Roadracing World has an incorrect dyno graph and power and torque tables. The M4 exhaust was dynoed back-to-back with the stock exhaust on a 2003 Suzuki SV650.

The correct peak horsepower and torque numbers are: 70.3 bhp @ 9000 rpm and 42.5 lbs.-ft. of torque @ 7000 rpm with the stock exhaust, and 74.5 bhp @ 9000 rpm and 45.6 lbs.-ft. of torque @ 7000 rpm with the M4 exhaust, as measured on a Dynojet dyno.

The error is due to an inconsistency between version 7.0.1.0 and version 7.0.7.14 of Dynojet’s RunViewer software. The same dyno run viewed with each version of the software showed a difference of nearly two horsepower. During the research and editing process, version 7.0.1.0 was used, but during the production (pre-press) process, version 7.0.7.14 was used. The software-induced changes in the numbers and graphs were not caught before the issue was printed.

The correct graph and tables will be printed in the December 2003 issue.

From a press release issued by Renegade Ducati:

DOUBLE DELIGHT FOR RENEGADE’S RUTTER

Renegade Ducati rider Michael Rutter stormed to victory in both 20 lap Race of the Year races at Mallory Park Sunday Local man Rutter, who lives just a stone’s throw away from the Leicestershire track, was able to use his in-depth circuit knowledge to take his first double victory of the year and reward the Renegade team with whom he’s endured a difficult season.

Hawk Kawasaki’s Glen Richards got the hole-shot into Gerard’s in the first race and then set about opening a three second gap between himself and the chasing pack of Virgin Mobile Yamaha mounted Gary Mason, ETI Ducati’s Sean Emmett and Rutter. Richards’ charge was halted by his Renegade rival, however, who muscled his way past both Emmett and Mason by mid-race distance.

Two laps later he’d caught and passed the Kawasaki rider and set about opening up a lead of his own. Richards tried to respond but his rear tyre had passed its best, forcing him to settle for second at the flag – 3.6 seconds behind Rutter and five seconds ahead of Emmett in third.

Rutter looked even stronger at the start of the second outing, taking control at the front from the first lap. The race was stopped a lap later, however, after Hawk Kawasaki rider Lee Jackson crashed heavily going into The Esses. Luckily he was unhurt, but he was unable to take any further part in the proceedings after his ZX-7RR was destroyed in the incident.

Jackson’s team mates, Glen Richards and Scott Smart, made up for his disappointment by streaking straight into first and second after the restart. While Richards tried to stretch out a lead, Smart battled with Rutter for second. The Renegade rider eventually made a pass stick on the fifth lap before mounting his challenge for the lead.

The Ducati rider hit the front two laps later and remained there until the flag, although his winning margin over Richards was a less comfortable 0.4 seconds. Emmett bagged his second podium of the day, while Mason and Smart rounded out the top five.

Veteran GP star Ron Haslam saw his one-off return to racing cut short, when his Renegade Ducati 998 blew up on the start finish straight on lap 15 of the first race. Ron, who was hoping to use the experience to further increase his knowledge of the superbikes he helps his son Leon set-up, was warmly applauded by the crowd for his efforts however.


RACE OF THE YEAR – RACE 1
1) Michael Rutter, Renegade Ducati. 2) Glen Richards, Hawk Kawasaki. 3) Sean Emmett, ETI Ducati. 4) Gary Mason, Virgin Mobile Yamaha. 5) Scott Smart, Hawk Kawasaki. 6) Leon Haslam, Renegade Ducati. 7) Jon Kirkham, TDB Yamaha. 8) Karl Harris, Honda Racing. 9) Lee Jackson, Hawk Kawasaki. 10) Dave Wood, Dave Wood Racing Suzuki

Fastest Lap: Michael Rutter, Ducati: 51.722, 96.74mph

RACE OF THE YEAR – RACE 2
1) Michael Rutter, Renegade Ducati. 2) Glen Richards, Hawk Kawasaki. 3) Sean Emmett, ETI Ducati. 4) Gary Mason, Virgin Mobile Yamaha. 5) Scott Smart, Hawk Kawasaki. 6) Leon Haslam, Renegade Ducati. 7) Jon Kirkham, TDB Yamaha. 8) Karl Harris, Honda Racing. 9) Malcolm Ashley, MAR/Bikerden Ducati. 10) Dave Wood, Dave Wood Racing Suzuki

Fastest Lap: Glen Richards, Kawasaki: 51.743, 96.70mph

From a press release:

On Sunday Oct 12, Mark Ledesma set a new lap record of 1:38.6 during a TrackTime practice session at the 2.3 mi. Arizona Motorsports Park.

Ledesma aboard his North Valley Honda CBR 954 was gearing up for the upcoming AZROADRACING.COM
UNLIMITED GP on Oct. 19. Ledesma plans on taking home his share of over $8000 in prize money posted in the 6 feature sprints.

For race info go to azroadracing.com

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

WSMC racer (and Trackdaz co-owner) Rudy Cortez and wife Melissa had a son, Noah Samual Cortez, October 10 in Corona, California.

From a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

Australian Grand Prix
Phillip Island
October 17/18/19 2003

MOTOGP MOVES DOWN UNDER FOR PENULTIMATE ROUND

Fortuna Yamaha Team men Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri advance to Australia’s picturesque Phillip Island circuit this weekend for the last but one stage of the MotoGP World Championship. The battle for first place is already over, as Italian rider Valentino Rossi took a stunning victory to win the 2003 premier class championship in style in Malaysia last weekend. Rossi’s season track record has been customarily impeccable, never finishing off the podium and taking seven victories. Despite the title having been clinched, and a less than perfect season for Yamaha, motivation in the Fortuna Yamaha camp remains high as both Checa and Melandri strive for that elusive podium finish.

The team has suffered its worst season since being formed in 1999. However, as a truly professional unit standards do not slip and everybody involved is striving 100% to give Checa and Melandri the means to succeed in the final two rounds. The pair had a mixed time in Malaysia last weekend. A misunderstanding during final qualifying put them both in the gravel before Checa bounced back to smash the previous best ever lap of the stunning Sepang circuit and took second spot on the starting grid behind Rossi. The Spaniard showed spirit and determination as he battled hard throughout the race despite suffering grip problems in the slightly cooler conditions. He eventually brought his YZR-M1 home in fifth place.

Melandri, on the other hand, had a weekend to forget after his stunning ride in Japan the week before where he fought back from 19th after being involved in the first corner melee to finish fifth. In Malaysia, however, Melandri struggled again to get a comfortable set-up and came home 11th.

This weekend’s Australian Grand Prix marks the last of a grueling three-week programme of back-to-back races. With just enough time to recover from the jet-lag that the westward journey back to Europe inevitably brings for most paddock workers, the championship will conclude in Valencia, Spain on 2 November.

The director of the Fortuna Yamaha Team, Davide Brivio, is conscious of progress that the team is making in the latter part of the season, and hopes that the riders can lift the spirits of all involved in the project before they head into the winter “off-season”.

“It has certainly been a frustrating year for all of us,” explained Brivio. “There have been quite a few races where we’ve made progress only to find that at the next race we’ve encountered problems again. Carlos rode a great race in Malaysia and pushed hard all the way to the end. If we can alleviate some of the problems he was having there I would love to see him up on the podium this weekend. That would give us all a lift as we head back for the last race in Europe. Marco too needs to forget about Malaysia and let’s see the form that saw him cut through the field so effectively in Japan two weeks ago.

“We should be used to this three-week schedule in Japan, Malaysia and Australia by now but it is always very tiring. However, I am very proud of the team as they continue to work hard and they never give up.”


CHECA AS DETERMINED AS EVER
Carlos Checa arrives in Australia after a gritty performance in Malaysia where he finished in fifth place having qualified second. The Spaniard, who will turn 31 on Wednesday, never gave up despite suffering grip problems in the cooler conditions. After some inevitable birthday celebrations he will switch his focus to the stunning Phillip Island circuit but has certain reservations after a difficult trip there last year when he finished the race in 11th place.

“Phillip Island was the worst result last year that all the Yamaha M1 riders had. We had big problems there changing direction for some reason. The bike has changed a bit since then so I hope that the feedback we gave last year means that the bike will handle a little better there now. It’s the most picturesque track we go to and one of my favourites. I really like the place and the people, and like last year I will spend my birthday on the Island. I just hope that we can be more competitive for my birthday present!”


MELANDRI HOPING FOR INSPIRATION IN PHILLIP ISLAND
Phillip Island is a very special place for Marco Melandri, who wrapped up his 250cc World Championship there last year with a thrillingly close win over Fonsi Nieto. Melandri is hoping that a return to the circuit will inspire him to show some of the hard-charging form that has seen him challenge the leading group of MotoGP riders on a number of occasions in his debut year in the class. Unfortunately injury in the early part of the year, a few bits of bad luck and a few difficult weekends have made the 21-year-old’s “learning year” a pretty tough one. But the Italian is certainly determined to succeed. He arrives in Australia after two very different races. In Japan he rode superbly, after being forced off the track in the early stages, to recover from 19th place and record a fifth place finish. A week later, however, and he was struggling with set-up and grip and finally finished in 11th place at the Malaysian GP.

“I won the 250cc title in Phillip Island last year so it’s a very special race for me,” reminisced Melandri. “But even before that it was one of my favourite circuits. It’s very beautiful to be so close to the ocean, and riding there makes me feel relaxed. It’s one of the faster tracks, with very high corner speed and sometimes very strong winds.

“I think it will be quite a difficult circuit with the four-stroke bike. We didn’t test there in the winter but I don’t think it would have made a huge difference if we had. For example, when we tested before the Brno GP at the Brno circuit mid-season, I had a really good test but then a really difficult race. I don’t know what changed but I just didn’t feel as comfortable. That’s the nature of the challenge this year for me, so I’m not worried that I haven’t tested the four-stroke at Phillip Island before now. I can’t tell what will happen there but I will certainly be working as hard as I can with my team, as usual!”


TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
The fast flowing nature of Phillip Island is a favourite for many riders, lending itself to close racing while allowing riders the rare opportunity to attack the circuit despite the 220 horsepower powerplants that propel them. The set-up of the machine will need to offer good acceleration and turning ability, rather than braking stability considering there is just one hard braking area. “The Island”, as it is often referred to, offers a variety of cambers throughout its 4448m sweeping layout, both positive and negative.

The key component to success, therefore, will be the rear suspension unit. It will need to offer enough feedback and predictability without pumping through its stroke as the rider tries to drive hard off the side of the tyre, or squatting as the weight transfers onto the rear. The latter will unload the front of the motorcycle, in turn causing it to understeer and push wide – affecting exit speed and eventually lap times. On the other hand a too stiff rear shock will lead to the front wheel lofting while the rider powers off each of the slow and medium speed turns. It will also lead to the deterioration of the rear tyre and increase the likelihood of a highside.

To achieve all that is needed of the rear shock, it must sport a slightly softer spring rate to aid feel, with a reasonable amount of preload to prevent rear-end squat. As for the damping, it will be dialed in to help balance out the package over some of the finer bumps, located in some of the high-speed sweepers. The front forks will mimic the rear set-up to ensure an overall balanced geometry. Too hard, and the front will become vague in its feedback, and at these high speeds and lean angles this can be detrimental. Too soft, and the basic feel will be too loose to be efficient. This has been the basic approach of the YZR-M1 technical team over the past few races, and with the experience gained this could prove quite beneficial at the Island, where rider confidence counts for so much.

Power is tuned to offer a stronger midrange to top-end as acceleration is the key to a fast lap time, especially off the final fast turn where momentum can make the difference between winning and losing. Helping with the top speed potential of the YZR-M1 will be the recent engine improvements and increased rpm ceiling, which was first put to the test in Motegi two weeks ago. Also the new ram air intake, which made its first appearance in Malaysia last weekend, should be ideally suited to the high-speed circuit.

As the 2003 YZR-M1 has featured smaller and more aggressive bodywork since the first race at Suzuka in Japan earlier this year, the Yamaha bikes should not suffer the effects of high cross winds to the same degree as they did in 2002. The improved 2003 aerodynamic package’s biggest advantage is its positive influence on agile handling at speed, while also reducing the drag coefficient effects in such strong cross winds.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Schwantz in Mettet, happy but sore!

By Rodolphe Coiscaud

This last weekend saw the legendary Number 34, Kevin Schwantz, in a Supermoto show in Europe. After a French round near Paris, Kevin turned to Belgium to participate to one of the most important events in Europe, Guidon d’Or at Bercy.

A nice first taste for the former 500cc World Champion, who ran over the weekend with other big names of motorcycling, in a battle of USA vs. Europe!

With Ben Carlson, Chris Fillmore, Steve Drew alongside Schwantz and Aussie Shannon Johnson, America faced Europe, represented by Stephane Chambon, Stefan Everts and Frederic Bolley, among others.

This Starbiker crowd, during the Superbiker of Mettet, was the most important in the event. The stars and stripes flew in front of the blue one of the European contenders, and Schwantz enjoyed himself, saying “I really enjoy this type of racing, it’s so nice to be so close to the people. Also for me it’s great to ride with one of the best motocross riders ever, Stefan Everts, and also Boris and Stephane Chambon, and Freddy Bolley.

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“Of course I’d like to be able to beat them, but I’ve been retired 10 years†! The desire and the heart are there, I’ve got racing again inside of me but I’m 40 and the reactions and the mind are not really on the same level as before.”

Despite a big crash during practice on Saturday, Kevin still raced on his DRZ400 Suzuki, same as Stephane Chambon, and scored a 20th place in the Starbiker race where Everts, Chambon and Bolley put their boots on the podium.

“I went to the hospital yesterday, have some broken ribs, I’m a little bit sore but everything is OK. The racing is fun here, but the fans are even more fun! The main difference between the American Championship is the speed, it’s better for road racers.”

This tremendous event ended with the Superbiker Final. On the same grid, World Championship Supermoto stars were lined up against the Starbikers.

Boris Chambon added the Mettet rendezvous to his trophy collection in front of Frederic Fiorentino and Eddy Seel. Stephane Chambon scored in 4th place and Stefan Everts finished 7th.

From a press release issued by 1-888-FASTLAP:

1-888-FASTLAP’S OPIE CAYLOR HEADS TO FRANCE FOR SUZUKI WORLD GSX-R CUP

MAGNY COURS, France- 1-888-FASTLAP rider Opie Caylor has been racing for eight years, but from October 17-19, he will turn a wheel on a European track for the first time as he represents the United States in the Suzuki World GSX-R Cup in Magny Cours, France.

Caylor will be one of three United States representatives in the race, which is comprised of the top privateer Suzuki racers from 15 different countries. Three Suzuki Cup Qualifier races were held in the U.S. during the 2003 season, and the winner from each race earned the trip to France.

Each competitor in the Suzuki World GSX-R Cup race will be furnished with a fully prepped Suzuki GSX-R750. Two 30-minute races will be held during the weekend, which is also the season finale for World Superbike and World Supersport, giving Caylor and the other competitors the thrill of racing in front of thousands of fans.

Caylor won the third and final Suzuki Cup Qualifier, held at Barber Motorsports Park on Sunday, September 14. Timed practice was held the day prior to the race to determine the starting grid, and Caylor earned the pole with a fast lap time of 1:29.598, more than a second faster than the rest of the field.

At the start of the race, Caylor was in second behind Brian Stokes, another 1-888-FASTLAP rider, before taking the lead on his 1-888-FASTLAP/Team EMGO Taiwan Suzuki GSX-R750. After only several laps, he was passed by Jake Holden. On the final lap, with only two turns remaining, Caylor was able to pass Holden to take the win by one bike length.

“I got a pretty decent start,” explained Caylor. “Brian Stokes beat me off the line. I was behind him for a lap then I worked my way around. I went into turn one on the third lap and before I could tilt in Jake (Holden) came underneath me. He came by and he just started to go, his bike was working well and his tires were hooking up. So I started to go and I had a couple of slides here and there.

“At one point he started to gap me and I thought, ‘I can’t let this happen if I’m going to go to France,’ so I decided to hold back a little bit and let the tires cool off. Once the tire felt like it was okay again I tried to alter my style a little bit, get the bike up on the big part of the tire more. And I reeled him back in. On the last lap, going into the last two corners, I realized it was now or I wouldn’t get to go. He made a little mistake in turn 14 and when he flicked it back to the right he ran wide. I squared up 14 just right and at the exit I drove up underneath him. I just kept it wide in the last couple of corners, made sure I hit all my marks coming onto the front straightaway, and got him at the line.”

Caylor will be joined at the Suzuki World GSX-R Cup by Tray Batey and Corey Eaton, who are the other two U.S. representatives. He will also be accompanied by his mechanic Grant Matsushima.

“I’m pretty stoked about going to France,” enthused Caylor. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. I’ve always wanted to do something internationally. I’m looking forward to going over there. Kevin (Schwantz) is going to be in attendance, plus one of my American teammates over there is going to be Tray Batey, who is a Schwantz School instructor along with me. I’m looking forward to a lot of fun, a European track, and of course good Suzukis.”

Fans can keep up with Caylor’s adventures in France by reading his online journal at www.1888FASTLAP.com.