From a press release:

Rich Oliver to appear at Infineon this Saturday and Sunday.

Rich will be on hand to sign posters and talk to
former and future students about the Mystery School programs.

Rich Oliver’s Mystery School will be set up in the pits near the Jordan Racing team with a small display of Yamaha TT-R 125 flat track trainer motorcycles and 2004 brochures.

Students will be able to enroll on the spot at a 10% discount for the Mystery School two-day Fun Camp, five-day Pro Camp, one-day MSF DirtBike School, and the Open Track Days.

Rich will be cheering on his school graduates racing at Infinion this weekend including Chris Peris, Montez Stewart, Michael Aron, and Brian Bartlow, just to name a few.

Be sure to stop by during the weekend and bring by any items you would like Rich to autograph.

For more information on Rich Oliver’s Mystery School, visit www.richoliver.net today!



See related post:

4/27/2004 Racetrack Claims AMA License Release Allowed It To Transfer Racer’s Image Rights To Local Brewery For Use On Bottle

From a press release issued by Proton Team KR:

Jerez a step closer for new Proton KR V5

Proton Team KR will be back to full rider strength for the Spanish GP on Sunday, May 2, the opening round of the European season at Jerez- and team principal Kenny Roberts hopes they will also be a step closer to achieving the full potential of the compact and highly integrated new KR V5 MotoGP racer.

Team regular Nobuatsu Aoki will be continuing his drive to put the beautiful howler back in the championship points, after missing out by just two places in the opening round in South Africa.

He will be rejoined by class rookie Kurtis Roberts, who was forced to withdraw from the South African GP when a recovering injury gave unexpected trouble. Kurtis, second son of Kenny, dislocated his shoulder in tests in mid-March, but has worked hard to build up strength for the second race.

The new machine, the second generation of a machine itself less than a full year old, has already joined the 200mph club, with 204.12 mph at pre-season tests. The balance of the overall technical equation will be improved for Jerez, thanks to continued improvements to the revised engine, closely tailored to fit the innovative and compact hewn-from-solid chassis.

“We’re still not fully on top of sorting the engine to perform as predicted on the computer, but we have new parts coming for Jerez, and more for Le Mans (two weeks later),” said Roberts.

“Actually I don’t think our machine is too far out. The chassis stands out as a big improvement. The real question is what tyres Dunlop will bring to Jerez – and I’m expecting an improvement from them as well,” he said.

The Spanish GP will be the team’s second race with Dunlop, and Roberts is confident of further fruits of the new partnership – Proton Team KR’s headquarters at Banbury is less than an hour from Dunlop’s Birmingham race tyre facility, encouraging close cooperation between tyre and machine designers.

“Already the tyres they brought to South Africa worked better than we expected, and they will have yet more new stuff for Jerez,” explained Roberts.

The Spanish GP is the first round of the punishing European season, running almost unbroken week in week out until September – and what is already one of the biggest events on the calendar is expected to redouble in popularity, as fans flock to the 2.748-mile / 4.423 km circuit outside the sherry capital of Jerez. Last year, fully 130,000 fans made it through the gates on race day.

The next race is the French GP at Le Mans in two weeks.

Nobuatsu Aoki – Rubber side up
Actually, the performance of the bike is not so bad now – the engine was already coming better in South Africa, and it should be better again for Jerez, because they are doing a lot of work. Already the chassis feeling and balance is very good. The important thing for this race will be Dunlop tyre developments. At Welkom, they already took a step compared with tests. I’m looking forward to seeing what they bring to Jerez.

Kurtis Roberts – Fighting for fitness
In South Africa there was one particular corner which put my shoulder in a real awkward position, so it felt it would pop out again. Since then I’ve been doing a lot of physio and training to strengthen those muscles, and also testing on dirt bikes. I’ve tried to reproduce the same position and bad feeling, but the shoulder feels good. I want to go racing right away now.

From a press release issued by WERA Motorcycle Roadracing, Inc., in which first-round overall winners Army of Darkness are ignored:

WERA NATIONAL AND SPORTSMAN SERIES RETURN TO NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

NASHVILLE, Tenn.- The WERA National Endurance Series, National Challenge Series and Sportsman Series return to Nashville Superspeedway from May 1-2, bringing the top amateur road racers in the nation to Music City.

On Saturday, May 1, the four-hour endurance race will kick off at 12:30 pm. Last year’s race was cut short due to a red flag, so teams will be hoping to complete all four hours this time.

Vesrah Suzuki won at Nashville in 2003 on a Suzuki GSX-R1000, and they will be looking to repeat their success on the tight 1.8-mile infield road course. The team of Tray Batey, Mark Junge and John Jacobi lost their first round in over a year at the season opener last month, and Vesrah Suzuki will be anxious to be back at the top of the podium.

The WERA National Challenge and Sportsman Series sprint races will be featured on Sunday, May 2. With the National and Sportsman races being combined this year, the grids will be bigger and the competition even more tough.

Vesrah Suzuki’s Batey, who is from nearby Gallatin, earned a stunning six victories at Nashville during last year’s event, three each in the National and Sportsman divisions.

Another racer who hopes to repeat his success at Nashville will be first-year expert Matt Lynn. The Team Embry rider earned his first ever career victories at Nashville in 2003, and now he will be aiming to earn his first victories in the expert class.

The National Challenge and Sportsman Series action gets underway at noon on Sunday. There will be 16 races, each 10 laps in length, providing a full afternoon of racing for fans.

Tickets are available for the entire weekend, including the Friday practice day, for only $30. Saturday/Sunday tickets are $20 and Sunday only is $15.

More information, including a complete schedule of events, can be found at www.WERA.com.

From a press release issued by No Limit Motorsports — Suzuki:

The No Limit Motorsports – Suzuki Team is looking forward to a good weekend at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. World Champion rider Jason Pridmore, who was injured in a crash during testing at Willow Springs shortly after the Fontana Race, will be back to try to improve on his Third place finish at Fontana in the Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Extreme Class. His crew has found some needed horsepower in his Suzuki GSX-R600’s that have been built for the highly competitive class. Jason will also continue his run on the GSX-R1000 in the Repsol Superstock Class.

Jimmy Moore remains on the injured list and will be back in form for the Brainerd Race early this summer.

Jason Curtis will again compete in the Repsol Superstock Class as well as in his second set of Superbike Races at the Infineon race. He too is optimistic about improving on his recent finishes, and has been training hard to prepare for the more technical track at Infineon.

This session will see veteran racer Brian Parriott aboard one of the No Limit Motor Sports GSX-R1000’s in the Repsol; Superstock class. Brian, winner of the BMX Boxer Cup race at Daytona this spring, is anxious to see how he does at his favorite track on one of the well prepared No Limit machines. The entire crew is excited about the prospect of having Brian riding with the team this weekend, and are hopeful that he is able to surprise the other competitors in the highly competitive Superstock class.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Press reports from Europe say that Aprilia is in financial trouble.

According to the reports, the company has been cut off by parts suppliers who haven’t been paid, in turn shutting down production lines, and the company faces bankruptcy if it can’t make a $7.5 million May 3 interest payment on bank loans of close to $200 million.

Reached by phone, Aprilia USA PR Manager Robert Pandya told Roadracing World “I have no answers. I don’t know what’s going on. I know they stopped the Moto Guzzi production line to allow one end of the line to catch up with another, but I don’t know if it’s anything more than a production-line realignment.

“We haven’t heard anything from Italy,” continued Pandya, who said he had placed several calls to company headquarters in Italy and was awaiting an answer. “I know (Aprilia Owner Ivano) Mr. Beggio has been looking for financial partners, which is not surprising given the pace of development of new models we’ve introduced. As far as the doors closing at the factory or the company going into bankruptcy, I don’t believe that and we haven’t heard anything about that from Italy.”

From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

FIRST INTERNATIONAL WIN FOR DUCATI 749R SUPERSPORT

Bologna (Italy), 27 April 2004: MonsterMob Ducati Supersport rider Michael Laverty moved into the lead of the British Supersport Championship after a superb debut victory on the 749 at Snetterton on Sunday.

Laverty becomes the first rider to take Ducati’s all-new 749R to a win in the Supersport category. His victory came at the end of a superb fight-back through the field after he finished the first lap in eleventh place.

The 22-year-old from Toomebridge, Northern Ireland snatched the lead with three laps to go but the race was red-flagged a lap short after an accident. However, Laverty was in the lead when the race was stopped and as a result took his second victory in three years at the Norfolk circuit:

“I had an awful first lap and dropped back to 11th but I rode a steady race and picked them off one by one as I didn’t want to try too hard early on. I never thought I would get through to the front but I was strong at the end of the race. The bike was brilliant and the tyres were good and it all just worked out for me” said a delighted Laverty.

The 749R Supersport, which was unveiled to the international press at Valencia at the end of February during the presentation of the 749R streetbike, from which the racing version is derived, is already obtaining considerable success out on the track.

After three rounds of the World Supersport Championship, one of the most hard-fought and prestigious of all time with the presence of all four Japanese manufacturers together with Ducati, the Ducati Breil rider Lorenzo Lanzi has already obtained some positive results.

The 22-year-old Italian from the province of Romagna has already scored two top 6 finishes, at Valencia (fourth) and Misano (sixth). Laverty’s win with a 749R of Ducati’s satellite structure in Britain, Paul Bird’s MonsterMob team, is a clear indication that the project is on the right track.

Development work on the new bike will now continue on an Italian and international level, starting with the next appointments for Lanzi with the 749R Breil; round 2 of the Italian Supersport Championship, scheduled for May 9 at the Imola circuit, and then in the fourth round of the world championship the following weekend at the Autodromo di Monza.

From a press release:

Sport Bike Night
at HARD ROCK CAFE

Dunlop Tires, Arai Helmets and Alpinestars are proud to present a special SPORT BIKE NIGHT at the HARD ROCK CAFE in downtown Sacramento on Wednesday night, April 28th, from 7 to 9pm.

Join us for a great evening featuring top riders from the upcoming AMA National Road Race at Infineon Raceway. On hand for dinner, bench racing and autograph signing will be TEAM YOSHIMURA SUZUKI’S AARON YATES. Joining Aaron will be TEAM VALVOLINE EMGO SUZUKI’S STEVE RAPP and young Canadian CHRIS PERIS. Also on hand will be 750cc AMA National Road Race winner, TONY MEIRING of ATTACK KAWASAKI.

We will also have ticket representatives from INFINEON RACEWAY who will be offering special ticket packages, that include a lap of the track on Friday, for the weekend’s AMA NATIONAL ROAD RACE SPONSORED BY KAWASAKI.

And, as usual, we will have several lovely members of UMBRELLA GIRLS USA on hand for photos with you or your bike. Don’t be surprised if we have a few “special guests” drop in as well.

The HARD ROCK CAFE is excited to host this special SPORT BIKE NIGHT and will be offering its full dinner and appetizer menu as well as its regular drink service. The doors will open at 6:30pm for SPORT BIKE NIGHT guests. Program starts promptly at 7pm.

Also present will be representatives from GPR Stabilizers, and GALFER BRAKES. D & W IMAGES will also be there offering photos for purchase of your favorite riders.

There will be special motorcycle parking on 7th Street along the side of the HARD ROCK CAFE and any covered parking is free with HARD ROCK CAFE validation.

BEST BIKE AWARD will also be given out.

We will also have information on how you can attend a special screening of the MOTO GP MOVIE FASTER on Thursday and Friday night at Race Place Motorsports

From a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda/Gresini Racing:

Jerez de la Frontera: First European round of the 2004 Championship

GP OF SPAIN: Preview

After the South African GP, the World Road Racing Championship flew back to the old continent for the first European round to be held at Jerez de la Frontera on Sunday, May the 2nd.

The racetrack was built in 1986 and hosted the first edition of MotoGP the following year, in 1987. Since the 1st edition, the Spanish venue is one of the favourite events of the season because of his public and the layout of the track, a technical and balanced track that offers a good variety of short, medium and long turns as well as uphill and downhill braking.

Thanks to his location and the favourable weather conditions, Jerez is one of the most popular venue for testing for bikes and cars. All in all Jerez has hosted 7 editions of F1 championships and 16 editions of MotoGP.

Jerez has two alternative tracks of 4,423 and 4,428 m) and a motocross track of 1,877m built in 1992.

In 2002 the track was renewed, the safety measures were improved (new run off areas and resurfacing of the tarmac) and the facilities – the press room, the control tower and the pit garages – were renovated.

The hills that surround the Andalusian racetrack build a natural amphitheatre that offers an incredible view of the track. With a capacity of 50 thousands seats for a total of 250 thousands spectators, Jerez is one of the best tracks in the world for public facilities. The atmosphere you can experience at Jerez is unique: a hug of more than 200 thousands aficionados packed on the grandstands and the natural hills.

At night the show goes on in town where the fans can show their ability at riding in extempore competitions in the alleys of the town.

The Track

Venue of the World Road Racing Championship since 1987, Jerez de la Frontera is one of the most beloved events of the season: 4,423 m lapped for 25 times in a packed racetrack where more than 200,000 aficionados crowded the grandstands and the public areas of the track for three days.

Jerez in fact has a very good reputation both for his public and the layout of the track. It’s a very balanced racetrack with a little bit of everything – a good selection of short, medium and long turns plus uphill braking and downhill braking – which is why the Spanish venue is so popular for testing.

Sete Gibernau comments for us the Spanish racetrack:

“Firstly I’d like to say that because of the features of this track, it’s very important to find the right setting and a good balance of the bike.

“The front tyre is very important at Jerez, you need the front to turn well and to have a good feeling. The two most important sections of the track are the two last fast rights and right-hander onto the back straight, through there the front needs to do a lot of turning at the same lean angle. The rear tyre is obviously hugely important as well because the big thing is with these bikes is how fast you get on throttle out of corners, to use all that power.

“For me the best overtaking points are the first and the last corner after the back straight, whereas it’s difficult to be fast in the infield (the part of the track that follows the back straight).

“My favourite part of the track is the two last, fast rights. You can always feel when you get them right because the revs are really high and you may touch the rev limiter before the final hairpin. If you do that, and the rest of the lap was good, you know that it’s going to be a fast one.”

Sete Gibernau: A CHANCE OF REVENGE AT THE HOME GP

Sete Gibernau did not disappoint the expectations and at the first round of the 2004 championship he scored the third place of the podium after a spectacular and hard-fought race. Despite some problems at the setting of the bike, Gibernau fought with the first riders lapping at a very high rhythm of 1’33” for two third of the race finishing third.

“I’m satisfied with the result of the South African GP. Fighting for the podium without having found the right setting of the bike, for me it’s like a victory.

“With my team I will try to solve the problems we had at Welkom in order to be very competitive. I have a great confidence in myself and I believe that if we find the right setting I can ride for the win. I have matured a lot At a personal level.

“For a Spanish rider it’s very important to score a good result at the Spanish GP: Jerez is very special, it’s one of the best racetracks in the world not only for the layout of the track. The public there is unique, it’s a home GP I’d like to give a big satisfaction to Spanish aficionados and to all the spectators that come to Jerez for the race”.

COLIN EDWARDS : “MOVE ON TO JEREZ”

“Let’s move on to Jerez”, Colin Edwards looks forward to the race at Jerez where he is determined to do well and to show all his talent.

His first race with Telefonica MoviStar Honda MotoGP colours, was below expectations if we consider the lap time he recorded during the practices on Friday and Saturday at Welkom, where he lapped at a very high rhythm without particularly problems of setting or chattering. During the race instead a problem he had a big problem of chattering and he He just finished seventh, but he couldn’t explain why. Rather, he knew there was a front end bounce holding him back, but he had no idea where it had come from.

“On Saturday everything was perfect. We changed nothing. Same tyres, same everything, same bike. Morning warm-up was good. We didn’t really have much of a problem, not a chatter, but bumps and rough. But today the chattering started since the first lap and it never stopped, the bike didn’t turn That’s easy. But you look on the computer. Whereas the chatter yesterday would be little bits, today it just started miles before it, lots bigger, and ended miles after it. It’s like you’re not even looking at the same bike. There is no explanation. I will study the problem with my mechanics in order to be competitive at Jerez.”

Colin Edwards flew from South Africa directly to Italy where he is going to move with his wife Alyssia and his the 15 months baby, Gracie. In the week before Jerez he is going to move on the new house, located near the Gresini Racing Racing Dept and near the Misano. I’m happy to live in Italy “near the racing dept, near the beach and with the best food in the world”.

He will spend the week also continuing his physical preparation, training with one of the two supermotard that the team put at his riders’ disposal.

THE TEAM’S COMMENT

Fausto Gresini, team manager:

“If we look back to the South African Grand Prix, I can say that this year the championship will be very demanding for everybody. It’s very important to be very strong and fast at every track.

“The first race was though – Sete was very good, he pushed hard and scored the third place despite we hadn’t found the best setting for the bike. I’m happy with this result, the Spaniard demonstrated to be very competitive and we are confident for the next race.

“Colin suffered from a problem of chatter since the first lap and he couldn’t show his talent and all his potential. All in all, I’m confident because the Team Telefonica MoviStar Honda MotoGP has two top riders and we hope that they can demonstrate soon all their potential.”

The team is confident for the GP of Spain. The data we got during the last test session at Jerez will be important for the setting of the bike. We are motivated to do well, the Team Telefonica MoviStar Honda MotoGP is ready for the next challenge to be held at Jerez on the Sunday the 2nd of May.

The squad will test at Jerez with HRC for a two-day test session.

From a press release issued by Infinity Investing:

INFINITY INVESTING AND HOOTER GIRLS INVADE LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEED WAY

HOOTER GIRLS ENTICE RACERS AND AUDIENCE

Las Vegas, NV (May 1 and 2, 2004) — As The USGPRU National Championship Series travels to this desert city for the 3rd round of the 10 round circuit, more than adrenaline and speed will entertain the crowd. The world famous Hooter Girls from the Hooters Las Vegas will be present to sign calendars for all and hold umbrellas for the racers.


WHEN:
Saturday May 1 and Sunday May 2, 2004
All day

WHERE:
Infinity Investing Team Pit
Las Vegas International Speed Way
www.lvms.com
Las Vegas, Nevada

WHO:
Hooters Las Vegas, Hooter Girls
Championship Series Racers


DETAILS:
Fun in the sun, while watching hair raising turns, incredible speeds and the world famous Hooter Girls from the Hooters Las Vegas on Sahara ave.

From a press release issued by Honda Racing Information, in which Valentino Rossi’s win on a Yamaha at Welkom seems to be characterized as “a freak result”:

Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez
May 30, June 1/2 2004

FIRST RACE IN EUROPE KEY TO TITLE AMBITIONS IN ALL CLASSES

Welkom in South Africa, this season’s curtain-raising Grand Prix, is now consigned to the history books, as Jerez looms large this weekend. Many riders believe the World Championship begins for real in Spain at Jerez with round two of this 16-race season. The first race sometimes throws up a freak result due to the unfamiliar nature of Welkom, which is visited only once a year by MotoGP teams (who don’t test there either).

But no matter what the result of the first race, where four Honda RC211Vs came home in the top five, the atmosphere at Jerez when the bikes hit the grid on raceday is seldom matched anywhere in the world for sheer volume and raw energy. More than 150,000 people will pack the Andalucian venue, a natural amphitheatre, for what promises to be one of the high dramas of the 2004 MotoGP series.

Max Biaggi (Camel Honda RC211V) lies second to reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) after a memorable battle with his great rival two weeks ago. The Roman gladiator will be taking the fight to Rossi here in Spain as he tries to close a five point gap on the current points leader with a win.

For Sete Gibernau (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) Jerez represents a chance to stamp his authority on this year’s title chase. He will want no repeat of last year’s race where he fell, throwing away valuable title points. While Alex Barros (Repsol Honda RC211V) will use his vast experience to put pressure on the three riders ahead of him in the title stakes at this stage.

Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) is now a year wiser and the young American can really get his title challenge on track here and turn up the heat on his rivals as the European rounds gather momentum from here on. And Jerez is a typically European track laid using the natural contours of the area to provide a challenging test.

Built in 1986, Jerez hosted its first Grand Prix the following year and has remained on the World Championship calendar ever since. The track is a true measure of rider talent as much as a test of machine performance. Most of the 4.423km track’s corners merge into each other requiring a neat, flowing style from the riders and a solid all-round performance from the motorcycle.

Jerez is a track with a little bit of everything – short, medium and long turns, uphill braking, and downhill braking. The Spanish track is used by many teams for MotoGP testing precisely because of the all-round demands it makes on machine set-up. And it puts a premium on front tyre grip.

Max Biaggi knows this season is his big chance to lift the premier class crown that has so far eluded him. “I like the Jerez track because it’s technical, fairly difficult and very complete,” he said. “In the sense that there are many different types of corner, from rapid sweeps to medium-slow, with a number of pretty abrupt braking points. There are no particular ups and downs but otherwise there’s everything it takes to ensure plenty of fun. The chassis settings are fundamental on this type of track and we’ll certainly be starting out with the ones we used in Welkom which proved to be very effective.”

Barros is equally upbeat. “I’m looking forward to racing at Jerez. My physical condition is coming better all the time. Welkom was a hard race; the most physical effort I have placed on my shoulder since the operation and it was good. Every day I’m stronger. I will need to be to fight for the World Championship this year. The competition will be very tough and every point will be important. The machine felt good at the tests earlier this month and I look forward to the weekend.”

Nicky Hayden is simply itching to get going. “It was great to be back in a race atmosphere again after what seemed like a long winter break,” he said. “It wasn’t the easiest weekend but we got some points and we have to look forward to the next race. Jerez wasn’t great last year. Qualifying was difficult and the bike broke in the race so I didn’t finish – my only non-finish of last year. We tested there a few weeks back and the 2004 bike felt real good – when we were riding, as the weather was so bad. I’ve just got to get my head down this weekend and focus on getting a good result.”

Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda RC211V) riding on Bridgestone tyres is eager to get his season up and running. “I’m anxiously awaiting the second round of the world championship at Jerez. I’m very pleased with the bike, the 2004 RC211V is much more powerful than last year’s but despite this improvement in performance, it’s still very easy to handle and ride. I love the Jerez de la Frontera circuit and I’m hoping to find the right weather conditions so that I can work well. What we’re aiming for is to get the package of bike-plus-new-tyres really balanced so we can stay out in front and make it up to the podium.”

Colin Edwards (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) is ready to meet the challenge head-on. “This is one of the best racetracks in the world,” said the Texan Tornado. “We’ll solve the problems we had at Welkom, and even then we were fighting for a podium, and I think we’ll be very competitive. I’m confident.”

Which leaves home favourite Sete Gibernau to put Jerez in perspective. “You need balance in the settings but the front end is the most important,” he said. “The bike needs to turn well and give you good feeling. There are the two fast rights before the main straight and the bike needs to turn well at a high lean angle. The other big thing is getting the rear set up so you can get on the throttle early out of the turns.”

The 250 class will see Danny Pedrosa (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS250RW) endeavour to repeat his astonishing performance at Welkom where he won first time out on his graduation to the quarter-litre class.”Winning at Welkom was a special experience for us and a happy result but this is a learning year for me in 250 racing,” he said.

“We don’t yet know what the maximum potential is for us in the 250 class. I did 2,000 kilometres in pre-season testing but have had only one race. The team policy is a step by step approach, no pressure and we will keep to our plan. I’m not yet 100% fit, I can walk but not run. I like racing at Jerez and of course love the atmosphere the fans create, it’s like no other in racing. This year will be special for me because so many fans gave me their support while I was recovering during the winter and I will do my best to thank them at Jerez.”

Pedrosa’s teammate, Hiroshi Aoyama, the reigning All Japan 250 Champion, makes his European debut at Jerez, only his second race outside Japan.
“Welkom was my first GP outside Japan and it was so different to anything in the Japanese championship. The racing was absolutely a different experience for me. I am discovering a lot of new things about GP racing. I am racing a prototype machine and constantly testing and evaluating new parts. That’s sometimes good, sometimes not so good. But I have tested at Jerez so I will not lose a day finding a base set up and my way around the track and that will help me. The team has told me how exciting Jerez can be so I’m looking forward to the race.” Said Aoyama.

Roberto Rolfo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) is aiming to keep up his astonishing record of consistency, having scored points in every round last season -and so far this season too. “I like racing the Jerez circuit and the bike ran okay at the IRTA test down there,” said the genial Italian. “But we can see from the Welkom result that we have a lot of work to do before we get there. We have to analyse the performance at Welkom and try and find a base to work from. In South Africa we had a lot of front-end problems. The race will be very hard, that’s for sure.”

Tony Elias (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) said, “We have a lot of work to do before we get to Jerez. It’s a track I like very much and I hope to go well there, not just because we are in Spain. I was not happy after my result at Welkom. The bike ran OK at the IRTA test at Jerez but we will have to make it a lot better before we go there to race. I love the spectators who come to Jerez, they are super enthusiastic and they give me extra motivation.”

Alex Debon (Wurth Honda BQR RS250R) is ready to take on all-comers. “I am very motivated for Jerez after the race in South Africa,” he said. “The bike was great at Welkom the kit is so much better than last year. The engine has more pull and both the frame and suspension are really good. We did good work at the IRTA test and I am confident I will do well at Jerez, I have been fast there in the past.”

In the 125cc category, which is so close to Spain’s sporting heart, Andrea Dovizioso (Team Scot Honda RS125R) leads the point’s standings after his storming win at Welkom. “I like Jerez but it’s a track I never ride well,” he said. “Last year I was ninth but didn’t ride as well as I can. Now with the bike running as well as it is and the Showa suspension working really well in the way I need it to, I will go there ‘with a different head on.’ I will race with much more confidence this time.”

Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R) is hoping for a big result here. “I have raced at Jerez four times and I like the circuit, it has a good variety of corners and I have always been able to find a good rhythm at that track. After what happened to me at Welkom I will hope to have a much better race. I was 12th in the Jerez race last year and I’m confident I can improve on that.”