From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

Duhamel Xtremely perfect

Duhamel looks to extend streak in AMA Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (May 11, 2004) — Honda’s Miguel Duhamel is a perfect three-for-three so far in this year’s AMA Lockhart-Phillips Formula Xtreme Series. Duhamel brings his unblemished record to round four of the 11-race series at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., part of the AMA Honda Superbike Classic on May 14-16.

The newly revamped Formula Xtreme class has proven to fit Duhamel like a glove. Duhamel has already cracked the top 10 on the all-time wins list in the Formula Xtreme class, this in addition to already being the all-time wins leader in AMA Supersport and second in AMA Superbike. The Montreal native, who now lives in Las Vegas, rides a nimble Honda CBR600RR mini-superbike and has an opportunity at Barber to push his winning streak to the longest in four years in the Formula Xtreme class.

Duhamel is hoping to win back the Formula Xtreme title for Honda, which dominated the class from 1997 to 2000.

Second in the standings is Duhamel’s teammate Jake Zemke. The amiable Californian is a proven winner in Formula Xtreme. Under the old class rules Zemke racked up four-career wins and was twice runner-up in the series. Zemke is still adapting to the smaller Xtreme bikes, but at Infineon Raceway he looked poised to win his first race of the season before Duhamel made a last-lap pass for the lead and win. Look for Zemke, who was second in the Barber Formula Xtreme race last year, to put in a strong ride this weekend.

The third member of Honda’s Formula Xtreme trifecta is 20-year-old Alex Gobert, of the Erion Honda squad. The youngest of the famous racing Goberts from Australia, Alex is ranked third in the class and is steadily closing the gap each race on his more experienced Honda stable mates.

Two more young up-and-comers in the form of Jacob Holden and Corey Eaton round out the top five in the Formula Xtreme rankings. Holden, 21, of Puyallup, Wash., is one of the best riders to come out of the Pacific Northwest in years and Eaton is a 16-year-old amateur dirt track champ who is proving to be just as fast on pavement. Both Holden and Eaton are Suzuki mounted.


Hacking third Repsol Superstock Series leader this year

It’s lonely at the top in the AMA Repsol Superstock Series. Maybe that’s why no one seems to want to lead the series as it rolls into Barber Motorsports Park for round four.

First it was Graves Yamaha rider Aaron Gobert who held the top spot after winning the exciting Daytona International Speedway season opener in March. Then Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies came on strong, taking a convincing victory at California Speedway in April, and he too shared the series lead. Next was veteran Jamie Hacking taking the win earlier this month at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., putting himself atop the Superstock standings – at least for now.

Three different series leaders in three races illustrate just how competitive Superstock has been this season. The top six riders in the series are within 20 points and only one rider, Hacking, has made the podium in all three races leading up to Barber.

Graves Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster is hoping to become the fourth different series winner and leader this year. “Bucky” led most of the Infineon round only to be passed late by teammate Hacking. The Aussie ace will be looking to find a way to hang onto that lead for just a few more laps this weekend.

Another rider that could easily be the fourth winner in the class this year is Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden. The Kentuckian says that his new factory ZX-10R is getting better every weekend and Hayden has the confidence that goes with being the defending winner of the event.

Both the Lockhart-Phillips Formula Xtreme and Repsol Superstock will be taped by SPEED Channel to be shown on Sunday, May 30, at 5 p.m. Eastern.

For ticket information on the AMA Honda Superbike Classic at Barber Motorsports Park call (800) 240-2300 or visit www.barbermotorsports.com

From a press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports:

2004 American AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship

Rounds 6 & 7 – Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama, USA

Event Preview

MLADIN CHASES ALABAMA SUPERBIKE VICTORIES

This weekend’s double-header rounds of the American AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship at the Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama will bring back a host of positive memories for Mat Mladin and his Yoshimura Suzuki crew as it was at this circuit that Mladin wrote his name in the AMA history books after claiming an unprecedented fourth AMA Superbike crown.

The corresponding round last year capped off a sensational 2003 season for the Australian. After placing his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 on pole position, a fourth and third place finish from the two Superbike Nationals was sufficient for him to wrap up the title.

A rescheduling of the round sees the Alabama circuit appear much earlier in the season, with five of eighteen races of this year’s championship complete and Mladin holding a 24-point lead on the points table over Honda’s Miguel DuHamel, 177 to 153.

After winning the opening four races of the series, Mladin has made his intentions known that a fifth title is what he is seeking and that he is following the same plan as he always has done, mixing race wins with consistency.

This weekend marks the beginning of a crucial mid-season sector of the series and a point at which Mladin will be aiming to consolidate his position at the top of the championship point’s ladder.

“The next five races, the two here at Barber, the one at Pikes Peak (Colorado) and the double header at Road America (Wisconsin) will be very important to us,” said Mladin. “If we can get out of the races with a solid points lead we will be satisfied. The team knows what has to be done and we will be working as hard as we can to extend that lead as much as we can at these next three circuits.”

Off-season resurfacing of the circuit has left it with slightly different characteristics that previous. Mladin has tested at Barber earlier in the year and was happy with the results achieved then.

“The new surface as far as traction goes feels similar to how it was before, but it’s definitely more bumpy than the old surface. It has a lot of corner entry bumps, like little ripples, that unsettles the bike into the turns. This is the case on a few of the turns.”

“Another thing to take into consideration is the weather. It gets quite warm here and also very humid, so it can drain the energy out of you quite quickly during a race. The nature of the track also means that there is no room to rest, as there are no long straightaways. It’s a challenge around here, especially on a big bike. It’s a fairly small and tight racetrack, that relies on good bike set up.”

Practice and qualifying for this weekend’s double-header Superbike round begins on Friday, with Saturday featuring the final qualifying session and the first of the 28-lap Superbike races prior to Sunday’s second Superbike national.


FAST FACTS – Barber Motorsports Park

Circuit Length: 3.70km / 2.3 miles

2003 Pole position: Mat Mladin (Yoshimura Suzuki) 1:25.176

2003 Race results:
Race 1
1. Aaron Yates (Yoshimura Suzuki)
2. Kurtis Roberts (Erion Honda)
3. Ben Bostrom (American Honda)

Race 2
1. Kurtis Roberts (Erion Honda)
2. Giovanni Bussei (Ducati Austin)
3. Mat Mladin (Yoshimura Suzuki)

Superbike lap record: Mat Mladin (Yoshimura Suzuki) 1:25.176 (2003)

2004 AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship (Points after 5 of 18 rounds)
1. Mat Mladin (177, 4 wins); 2. Miguel DuHamel (153, 1 win), 3. Jake Zemke (150); 4. Geoff May (108); 5. Lee Acree (105), 6. Larry Pegram (97), 7. Eric Bostrom (96), 8. John Haner (84), 9. Ben Bostrom (79), 10. Cory West (77).

From a press release issued by The Familie:

MOTOCROSS LEGEND, TRAVIS PASTRANA TAKES ON THE RIM OF THE WORLD RALLY RACE:
AND PLACES THIRD AND EVEN WINS TWO STAGES

CARLSBAD, CA – In his first professional gravel rally race to date, Travis Pastrana took an impressive third in his class and fourth overall at the Rim of the World Pro Rally. Driving a new Vermont SportsCar prepared 2004 Subaru WRX STi in the Group N class, Pastrana was teamed with veteran co-driver Christian Edstrom to finish a successful race.

The Rim of the World ProRally is the third round of the 2004 SCCA ProRally Championship presented by Hot Wheels. The championship is regarded as one of the most grueling and most extreme motorsport spectacles in the USA. The rally takes place on the dusty and treacherous loose gravel roads in the mountains of the Angeles National Forest just northeast of LA. Of the 72 cars that started this year’s rally only 40 finished.

Pastrana drove conservatively during the rally’s first stage, which was held Friday night. Fortunately, it didn’t take Pastrana long to grow accustomed to driving at night on treacherous mountain roads and to his new, more powerful Subaru WRX STi rally car. The event’s second day of competitive action saw Pastrana steadily increase his pace culminating in two outright stage wins against cars with 100 horsepower more than his Subaru. Pastrana moved from tenth place after the first day to a fourth overall finish and third in the Group N class. The Group N class is widely regarded as ProRally’s most competitive class with some of the fastest rally drivers in America.

“I think we definitely exceeded our expectations for this race,” said Pastrana. “We succeeded completing the race, which is quite a feat in itself. But more importantly, we were able to establish solid results, which I am thrilled about.”

Rallying is a race against the clock on hundreds of miles of closed public and private roads that are usually unpaved and unforgiving. Drivers cannot practice the route but are teamed with a co-driver who reads off detailed descriptions of the road ahead including what turns or hazards are approaching. Events run in all weather conditions and on a variety of surfaces.

“To be the fastest driver among dozens of veteran rally drivers on your first gravel rally and in a new car that you have never driven is just amazing,” said Lance Smith, Team Manager of Vermont SportsCar. “We figured Travis had the talent to be a great rally driver but we did not think it would happen this quickly, we were stunned!”

At twenty years old, Pastrana has become one of the most recognized and respected names in the world of motocross. His successes have ranged from Supercross championships to numerous X games freestyle medals.

Pastrana continues to explore his talents with his recent move to Rally racing. His new-found success in the sport has proved once again that Pastrana’s talents span beyond just the world of motocross. Look for Pastrana to compete in upcoming rally races throughout the year, as well as at the X Games, August 5 – 8th in Los Angeles, CA.

From a press release issued by Camel Honda Racing Information:

Camel Honda ready for this season’s third challenge at the historic Bugatti circuit


The next event on the busy MotoGP calendar, which has already seen the Camel Honda team as central figures in an extraordinary season opening, will take place at one of the circuits which has played a huge role in the history of motorsport on both two- and four-wheels. The Le Mans circuit held its first race in 1923, and since then has undergone numerous modifications until the original street circuit was transformed into a permanent complex, with improved safety measures, but still keeping some of the charms that distinguished it from other places. Max Biaggi is extremely motivated and confident before the third challenge of this season’s World Championship, the same spirit which has already seen him as the leading light in the two races up until now. His team-mate Makoto Tamada meanwhile, is keen to make up for the misfortune he suffered in Jerez, where he was forced to retire after having shone during qualifying.


Max Biaggi #3: (Michelin Tyres)

“The Le Mans track is always good to me, so I am more than happy to be going there now. I hope that Honda, my mechanics and I can get the right set-up for my RC211V so I can go well at a track which I think is quite pleasant. We still haven’t resolved the problem with the chattering but we know that the Le Mans track is usually less grippy than in Jerez. When thinking about the set-up we’ll be trying to find a good compromise between the stability under braking, because there are some of the hardest decelerating points in the championship, and the handling, because you don’t want to lose any of the agility in the turns. It won’t be easy, but I’m utterly convinced that the Honda will be perfectly able to find the right combination. I can’t wait to get out on track because I’m feeling very motivated.”


Makoto Tamada #6: (Bridgestone Tyres)

“I happy to be going to Le Mans now for various reasons. In Jerez, although the race didn’t go as we wanted, during qualifying I was quick and if it hadn’t have rained I could have kept this going on Sunday. Then also because I think that we did some valuable work in the two test days after the race last week. Finally, the third reason is that I like the Le Mans track because it is a medium-fast circuit and I like third and fourth gear turns, I’m at my best there. Additionally, last year after the race, we stayed to test and I remember that we got some good results both with the bike and with the tyres. On the whole, all the factors are there for it to go well for us. Also, we’ll use the newer chassis parts that we got set-up in Jerez, when I was reasonably impressed.”


Le Mans Circuit


Podium 2003
1. S. Gibernau (Honda)
2. V. Rossi (Honda)
3. A. Barros (Yamaha)

Pole Position
V. Rossi ( Honda – 2003)
1:35.208

Lap Record
V. Rossi (Honda – 2002)
1:36.846

Nº of laps
28 ( km 117,04)

Timetable MotoGP:
14:00 (GMT + 1)
An hour ahead of London


Characteristics
Length: 4,180 m
Width: 13 m
Right turns: 9
Left turns: 4
Year of construction: 1923
Modifications: several, latest in 2001

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The May 3, 2004 issue of DM News, a direct marketing trade magazine, reported that Victory Motorcycles is aiming at established car dealers in a quest to increase the number of Victory dealerships nationwide.

Victory Motorcycles, based in Medina, Minnesota, is a division of Polaris Industries and is run by General Manager Mark Blackwell, a one-time AMA motocross star who has worked in advertising and marketing for American Suzuki and for Artco, which makes Artic Cat snowmobiles and ATVs. The company currently has about 400 Victory Motorcycle dealers.

According to the article, Victory Motorcycles spent more than $100 each to target car dealership principals with a letter, a follow-up recorded voice mail from spokeperson Kyle Petty, and a FedEx package including a T-shirt, hat and a presentation kit housed in a metal box carrying the Victory logo. Of the first 100 dealership principals contacted, 25 scheduled appointments with Victory representatives.

More information is available from www.dmnews.com

From a press release issued by USCRA:

FIM North American 125 GP Championship

The United States Classic Racing Association in conjunction with the North American Motorcycle Union have secured the first annual North American FIM 125cc Championship race to be held August 1 at New Hampshire International Speedway. This race will bring together the best 125 grand prix riders from across the US and Canada to compete for a 4000$ purse. First place will take home 1000$ and the payout continues to 20th place! The competition couldn’t possibly be hotter on the tight and twisty Loudon circuit, where riding skill overcomes outright power.

We are running the race as a professional, international event. Grid positions will be determined by qualifying sessions or heat races on Saturday, and all 125 practices will be exclusively for this class. The race Sunday afternoon will be 25 laps to separate the men from the boys, or vice versa! Rising Sun Cycles will be on hand with their trailer filled with the latest GP parts and machinery from HRC and Yamaha.

To ensure the success of this event we really need everyone in the club who owns a 125 grand prix machine to be out there on the grid. Offering a significant purse poses a huge risk to the club in case of poor attendance or weather, so please plan on attending. Of special interest to owners of older grand prix bikes will be a special prize offered to the first Pre-1994 machine across the line regardless of position. Due to the championship nature of this race, licenses from any North American racing organization will be recognized, only membership in the AMA, CMA, or an FIM sanctioned national organization (ie: ACU, etc.) is required. AMA and CMA memberships will be sold at the event

Placing Prize

1 $1000
2 $750
3 $500
4 $300
5 $250
6 $200
7 $150
8 $100
9 $75
10 $75
11 $75
12-20th $50

Pre 1995
$ 75.00

Total
$4,000