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More MotoGP Team Previews Of The Grand Prix At Jerez

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From a press release issued by Camel Honda Racing Information:

Spanish GP – MotoGP

Camel Honda team all set for star role in Spanish GP

In South Africa the Camel Honda team fully lived up to expectations: that of playing a leading role right from the beginning in the battle to win the 2004 MotoGP championship, with its 16 races across five continents. Max Biaggi’s 28 laps at Welkom had millions of spectators around the world in breathless excitement and his satisfaction on the podium, together with that of the technicians, gives a clear indication of the spirit with which the team is now heading towards the cradle of Spanish motorcycling, Jerez de La Frontera, in Andalusia. And great determination also fires Makoto Tamada’s technicians, who in South Africa enabled the rider to make huge progress over the weekend and who are now aiming to provide the swift Japanese with the best bike-tyre package so that he can show off his talent to the full. Jerez is a circuit that many riders in the world championship like – and the two standard bearers of the Camel Honda Team are no exception – not just because it is a fine course, technical, medium-fast and almost always blessed with ideal weather conditions, but also because it is in the beautiful region of Andalusia and on the GP weekend it attracts a huge throng of biking fans.

Max Biaggi #3: (Michelin tyres)

“I like the Jerez track because it’s technical, fairly difficult and very complete, 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 – but of course we’ll be adapting them to the different characteristics of Jerez, and we’ll try to perfect the little details we didn’t have time to work out in South Africa. I’m feeling fully geared up after the race two Sundays ago. I’m highly motivated and I feel ready to work absolutely flat out with Honda and my team in order to get out ahead and achieve the result we’re going for.”

Makoto Tamada #6: (Bridgestone tyres)

“I’m anxiously awaiting the second round of the world championship at Jerez. First of all because I want to improve my performance after the race in South Africa. A good race even so, and an honourable eighth place, but I wasn’t happy about the gap separating me from the leader at the finish. 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’m also pleased with the tyres, for new materials are constantly being developed, though I was only able to try out the latest during the weekend in Welkom. After the IRTA tests, when it was almost always raining, I hadn’t gathered all the data I needed to get a complete idea of these new models. So we are going to have to make up for some lost time and the four hours of practice at Jerez will be fundamental. 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 that we can achieve the level of competitiveness that will let us stay out in front and make it up to the podium.”

Jerez circuit


2003 podium
1. V. Rossi (Honda)
2. M. Biaggi (Honda)
3. T. Bayliss (Ducati)

2003 Pole Position
L. Capirossi (Ducati-2003)
1:41.983

Official Record
V. Rossi (Honda – 2003)
1:41.983

No. of laps
27 (119.421 km)

MotoGP race time:
14:00 (GMT + 1)
*Greenwich Mean Time + 1 hour


Features
Length: 4,423 m
Width: 11 m
Right-handers: 8
Left-handers: 5
Built in: 1986
Modifications: 1994

2004 Canadian Thunder Series For Air-cooled Twins Will Run At Shannonville, Mosport

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From a press release issued by Deeley Harley Davidson Canada and RACE:

2004 CANADIAN THUNDER RACING SERIES

From Buell (Deeley Harley Davidson Canada) and RACE Events Inc. Shannonville Mortorsports Park

The Canadian Thunder Racing Series was first started in 2002 and was designed to provide a competitive arena for modern air-cooled Twins. Since that time, the series has involved many brands including Buell, Ducati, BMW and Motoguzzi. With Thunder racing at both Shannonville and Mosport, a wide variety of competitors have been able to participate and bring the sound of air-cooled excitement to tens of thousands of spectators.

For 2004, the Canadian Thunder Racing Series will have official undercard status for three national Parts Canada Superbike Championship race dates, the first time ever for the series. These dates will be sanctioned by PMP and RACE and they will consist of four dates at Shannonville and two dates at Mosport with a doubleheader for a total of seven races. Attendance for the six weekends is estimated to be a minimum of 40-50,000 spectators. In addition, two of the respective dates will be in conjunction with the Vintage Road Racing Association 10th Anniversary and the RACE 25th.


Forbes: Harley-Davidson Among 25 Top Corporate Brands

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Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

A report in the April 19 edition of Forbes magazine ranks Harley-Davidson among the top 25 corporate brands. No other motor vehicle brands made the list, which was topped by Procter & Gamble.

The list was assembled by Predictiv, a company the magazine described as a “valuation research firm.” The company assigned Harley-Davidson a corporate brand value of $15.7 billion. Other brands close to Harley-Davidson on the list include Kellogg at $16.2 billion, General Mills at $17.5 billion and Nike at $19.7 billion. List leader Procter & Gamble had an assigned brand value of $107.4 billion.

The report credited the 600,000-member Harley Owners Group (HOG) with helping keep the brand strong.


A report in the same issue of the magazine describes an international trade dispute involving Motion Systems, a manufacturer of electronically-controlled actuators and a long-time sponsor of Arclight Racing. The New Jersey company claims that a Chinese firm, CCL Industrial Motor, is selling actuators in the U.S. for less than the cost of the materials used to build the actuators; Motion Systems unsuccessfully sought tariffs on the Chinese actuators.

Former Arclight rider Chris Hughes and former Arclight crew member Mike Hughes are long-time Motion Systems employees.

Broadhead To Fly Home Tomorrow

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Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

American Suzuki Motor Corporation’s Morgan Broadhead, who crashed at Road America Sunday, has been released from the hospital and will fly back to Southern California tomorrow. He suffered a concussion in the crash and is resting at Mark Junge’s Vesrah Suzuki shop in Union Grove, Wisconsin, near Milwaukee.

Broadhead hoped to fly back today but was instructed by doctors to avoid flying for 24 hours.

“I appreciate all the well-wishers who called, but I wanted to let everyone know that I’m fine and that I’ll be flying home tomorrow,” Broadhead told Roadracingworld.com.

Nicky Moore 11th In British Supersport Debut

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From a press release issued by Vitrans Honda:

VITRANS SENSES SNETTERTON IMPROVEMENT

Vitrans Honda rider, Craig Coxhell, finished in 13th place in the second race of yesterday’s British Superbike championship third round at Snetterton in Norfolk but declared himself happy with the team’s early season progress.

Coxhell had earlier crashed out of race one having started from 12th place on the grid but the Aussie feels that his team is beginning to understand the all new CBR1000RR Fireblade better with each race.

“We’re developing the bike each time we go out,” said Coxhell, “but Snetterton is a completely different track to Brands Hatch, so we had to start again with a blank piece of paper. The crash with Steve Plater in race one was just a racing thing so I was pleased to get some more points in race two.”

Vitrans Honda’s two new Supersport riders for Snetterton, Iain MacPherson and American Nicky Moore, enjoyed mixed fortunes; MacPherson crashing out of the lead on lap 18 and Moore taking eleventh place on his European debut.

MacPherson was disappointed not to finish in his first outing for the team but was impressed by the Vitrans CBR600RR, saying: “That’s a quick bike, for sure. I was pretty comfortable in the lead before I crashed but when the back stepped out I just lost the front trying to correct it.”

Moore, who contested his first AMA Supersport race in the US earlier this month, flew in from California just days before Snetterton and rode the bike for the first time in Friday morning practice. The 17-year-old impressed many with a steady, points-scoring ride.

“I’m real happy with that,” he said afterwards. “I struggled a bit with set-up during qualifying but we made some changes during warm-up and that improved things. There’s definitely a different racing style to AMA and it’s real fast here, too!”

Vitrans Honda’s regular British Supersport and Superstock rider, Paul Young, was helping the squad at Snetterton as he recovers from the fractured arm sustained at Brands Hatch. While Young hopes to recover in time for round five at Mondello Park in Ireland on 23 May, the Vitrans team moves on to Oulton Park for round four of the championship which takes place next Monday 3rd May.


British Supersport championship

Result: 1 M. Laverty (Ducati) 23:14.750, 2 K. Harris (Honda) -0.537, 3 P. Riba (Kawasaki) -0.578, 4 L. Quigley (Suzuki) -1.813, 5 S. Andrews (Yamaha) -2.091, 6 J. Vincent (Honda) -2.259, 7 T. Sykes (Suzuki) -7.651, 8 A. Coates (Suzuki) -8.394, 9 C. Jones (Triumph) -8.684, 10 M. Llewellyn (Ducati) -14.619, 11 N Moore (Vitrans Honda).

Points after round three: 1 Laverty 51, 2 Harris 45, 3 Vincent 43, 4 Riba 42, 5 Quigley 38, 6 Jones, Andrews 27, 8 Murphy 19, 9= Coates, Sykes 15.



Racers Colin Edwards And Ronnie Lunsford Aid Houston Ride For Kids

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From a press release:

Colin Edwards helps the Houston Ride for Kids® kick off the 2004 Ride for Kids® Season

Darla captures the hearts of the motorcyclists by sharing some life-lessons with six-year old Garrett while National Ride for Kids® Director Allen Hughes looks on.

It is a rare and mighty special occasion when a two-time World Superbike champion and current MotoGP contender is the Top Individual Fundraiser at a Ride for Kids® event. However, that’s exactly what happened at this year’s Houston Ride for Kids(r). Colin Edwards, a Conroe, Texas native who currently rides for Gresini Racing on a Honda RC211V, wowed the motorcyclists by having his representatives turn in $15,075. Edwards, who is in Europe preparing for the MotoGP circuit, was there with the kids and riders in spirit, his spokesperson said.

The 2004 Ride for Kids® season kicked off with a bang in Kemah, Texas on Sunday, April 25. Despite a little drizzle, 800 giving and dedicated motorcyclists gathered to ride through Houston’s southern suburbs to raise a record-breaking $273,523 for childhood brain tumor research.

Since 1984, the Ride for Kids® program has raised funds to support the research and family support programs of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Today, more children die from brain tumors than from any other childhood cancer.

After the police-escorted ride, the motorcyclists gathered for the meaningful Celebration of Life program. An amazing 15 patient families, with Ride for Kids® “stars” ranging in age from six to nineteen, were in attendance. Dr. Jack Su and Dr. Allison Bertuch were also there to help the riders understand the importance of pediatric brain tumor research. Darla, a 16-year old brain tumor survivor, won the audience over by taking the microphone away from National Ride for Kids® Director Allen Hughes and asking him to have a seat. She then addressed the younger brain tumor survivors by telling them, “I learned a saying that I want to pass on to you. Please remember that rain always comes before a rainbow.”

Fundraising records were broken across the board in Houston. The Top Club honor went to both GWRRA Texas Chapter Z whose members brought $55,450 and GWRRA Texas Chapter C whose members turned in $54,153. The Top Dealer title was earned by two deserving and generous dealers. Pasadena Honda’s clients turned in $68,320 and Northwest Honda’s customers brought in $62,914. Howard Chipman of Groves, Texas won the grand prize, a new Honda motorcycle.

Kudos to Ronnie Lunsford and his hard working volunteer Task Force for conducting a successful Houston Ride for Kids® event.

The next Ride for Kids® events are on Sunday, May 2 in Pittsburgh, PA and Triangle Area (NC).

For more information about the Ride for Kids(r) and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, please visit www.rideforkids.org or www.pbtfus.org or call (800) 253-6530.

Updated Post: More AMA Previews For Next Weekend’s National At Infineon

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From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing, in which we learn that Steve Rapp used to park cars IN a restaurant, which may explain why he had to find a new career…:

Duhamel’s experience showing through in Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (April 26, 2004) — Few riders in all of AMA Pro Racing have the experience of Miguel Duhamel. Twice this season the 36-year-old Las Vegas resident has been challenged all the way to the checkered flag in the Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series and twice the 16-year AMA professional came out on top. Duhamel leads the Formula Xtreme Series as the championship rolls into Infineon Raceway, in Sonoma, Calif., as part of the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown presented by Cycle Gear on April 30 through May 2.

Duhamel edged Honda teammate Ben Bostrom at Daytona International Speedway in the opening round of the series by a scant 0.151 seconds to take the first victory in the revamped class. He then turned around in early April and held off Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke by less than a bike length at California Speedway. Duhamel hopes to make it three-for-three at Infineon Raceway.

Duhamel was all smiles after a race-long battle with Zemke at California Speedway. He predicted a lot more races like that after taking his 70th-career AMA road racing win.

“I had a great race with Jake at Fontana,” Duhamel said. “I think the two of us are going to be going at it all season.”

With his Formula Xtreme victories Duhamel joins Nicky Hayden as the only other rider to win in all four categories of AMA Pro road racing.

Erion Honda’s young gun Alex Gobert is third in the series putting Hondas 1,2,3 in the series to this point. Gobert is hoping to find the speed to run up front with his Honda teammates at Infineon.

Coming on strong is 2002 AMA Formula Xtreme Champion Jason Pridmore on the No Limit Suzuki. After suffering a DNF at Daytona, Pridmore charged back with a third at California Speedway. Pridmore has proven to be one of the top riders at Infineon Raceway over the years. He’s won both
Formula Xtreme and Superstock races on the challenging circuit. Unfortunately, Pridmore was injured in a practice crash earlier this month and is questionable for Infineon.


Spies rallies to share Repsol Superstock Series lead with Gobert

Ben Spies left Daytona eighth in the Repsol Superstock Series after serving a stop-and-go penalty for jumping the start. But instead of leaving the opening round with his head hung low, the tough Texan simply looked forward to the rest of the season. “We’ve got a great bike so I’m not worried about it,” he said after the March opener. Spies proved he knew what he was talking about. He came back to take a commanding victory aboard his factory Yoshimura Suzuki at California Speedway earlier this month. As a result Spies comes to round three of the 11-race series at Infineon Raceway, on April 30-May 2, sharing the series points lead with Graves Yamaha’s Aaron Gobert.

Spies, last year’s Formula Xtreme winner at Infineon, looks to break the tie with Gobert with yet another victory at the Northern California circuit.

The new Superstock class has proven to be very competitive. There’s a logjam atop the series standings with the top six riders within 10 points. Any of those six could conceivably leave Infineon Raceway with the points lead.

Spies will have to hold off the tidal wave of Graves Yamaha riders, with four riders in the top six. Gobert heads up the blue brigade, but look for last year’s Infineon Supersport winner Jamie Hacking, who is ranked third in Superstock, to be strong at this track.

Kawasaki’s racing brothers Tommy and Roger Lee Hayden like the speed of their new ZX-10Rs, but both are still trying to get the chassis on the speedy green bikes perfected. Tommy is ranked fifth, while younger brother is just two points behind him in seventh. Look for both to continue to improve as the Kawasaki crew learns the in-and-outs of setting up the big ZX.

Hometown fans will root for Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Steve Rapp. Rapp, an Oakland native, came up through the racing ranks the hard way, supporting his racing career by parking cars in a Bay Area restaurant. Rapp is eighth in the series after earning a pair of top-10 finishes. He’ll be looking to challenge for the win at Infineon in front of friends, family and fans from the area.

The Infineon Formula Xtreme race and Superstock highlights will be broadcast on SPEED Channel on May 11 beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern.

Call 800-870-RACE, or visit www.infineonraceway.com or www.ticketmaster.com for additional information on the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown.


More, from a press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports:

2004 American AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship

Rounds 4 & 5 – Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, California, USA

Event Preview

MLADIN AIMS TO CONTINUE SUPERBIKE WINNING STREAK AT INFINEON RACEWAY THIS WEEKEND

After taking victory in the opening three races of this years American AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship, Mat Mladin and his Yoshimura Suzuki team will be out to maintain their race-winning intensity as the championship heads to this weekend’s double-header round at Infineon Raceway, north of San Francisco.

With this year’s 18-race championship in its early stages, the four-times American Superbike Champion knows the importance of stringing together a number of strong race finishes to lay the foundations for his title defence.

“The next two double header rounds of the championship at Infineon and then Barber Motorsports Park are both very important weekends for us,” said Mladin. “If we can get a couple more wins at those tracks, we can extend our points lead out to the equivalent of a race win and after five or so races in the championship that would be a nice position to be in. This weekend is a very important weekend and that’s how we’re treating it.”

Mladin arrives at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, holding a 24-point lead over Honda’s Jake Zemke (112 – 88), with Miguel DuHamel a further three points adrift in third.

Last year’s corresponding round of the championship was affected by poor weather during qualifying before Mladin emerged victorious in both Superbike nationals. These results, plus his early season form in 2004 leave him and his crew in a strong position prior to the commencement of practice this Friday.

The tight 2.2 miles (3.54km) circuit contrasts the fast Daytona and California Speedway circuits that the championship has already appeared at, offering little in the way of fast straightaways, instead linking together a range of twists and turns that will have all of the teams searching for the best engine / chassis combination to suit the conditions over the weekend.

“I do like the Infineon circuit,” Mladin added. “They’ve made a lot of improvements to it since we last raced there which have helped the safety side of things, plus the track surface is also better. They still have a bit more to do to make it 100 percent safe for motorcycles, but they’re well on their way to doing that.”

“Bike setup here will be at a premium, speed really doesn’t help too much. We think we’ll be in good shape, we know what the motorcycle can do there, obviously the results from last year and the test we had there earlier this year have given us a lot of information, so we’re heading there with no less expectation than to win a couple of races.”

Practice and qualifying for this weekend’s double-header AMA Superbike round commences on Friday, followed by the final qualifying session and opening Superbike race on Saturday. Sunday’s program will feature the second 28-lap Superbike national.

FAST FACTS – Infineon Raceway

Circuit Length: 2.2 miles (3.54km)
2003 Pole position: Mat Mladin (Team Yoshimura Suzuki) No official qualifying due to rain.

2003 Race results:
Race 1
1. Mat Mladin (Team Yoshimura Suzuki)
2. Aaron Yates (Team Yoshimura Suzuki)
3. Miguel DuHamel (American Honda)

Race 2
1. Mat Mladin (Team Yoshimura Suzuki)
2. Aaron Yates (Team Yoshimura Suzuki)
3. Ben Bostrom (American Honda)

Superbike lap record: Anthony Gobert (Yamaha) 1:31.692 mins (2001)

2004 AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship (Points after 3 of 18 rounds)
1. Mat Mladin (112, 3 wins); 2. Jake Zemke (88); 3. Miguel DuHamel (85); 4. Eric Bostrom (70), 5. Lee Acree (67); 6. Geoff May (64); 7. Scott Jenson / Eric Wood (57), 9. John Haner (53), 10. Cory West (52).

Formula USA Team Press Releases From Road America

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From a press release issued by Buell:

BILANSKY ROMPS AT ROAD AMERICA

Buell Riders Dominate Formula USA Thunderbike National

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Hal’s Harley-Davidson/Buell rider Dan Bilansky roared away from the pack aboard his Buell Firebolt for a convincing victory in the Formula USA National Thunderbike race at Road America. Harding Harley-Davidson riders Bryan Bemisderfer and David Estok finished second and third to complete a podium sweep for Buell riders in the Thunderbike class.

For Bilansky, the win offered some redemption after a disappointing outing in the F-USA season-opener at Daytona International Speedway in February, where he crashed out of the lead.

“Daytona was a hard one to get over,” said Bilansky, who is from Delafield, Wis. “But I want to win a championship and to do that I have to be consistent, so maybe a win today makes up for being a race behind after Daytona. This was a kick today because we are so close to home. I have lots of family here who haven’t seen me race in several years, and this is a home-town race for everyone from Buell and Hal’s.”

“It’s great to see so many talented privateer racers competing in Thunderbike,” said Erik Buell, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer. “The Formula USA power to weight ratio rules give the riders an equal chance to win, even without big budgets.”

Hoban Brothers Racing/Appleton H-D/Buell rider Jeff Johnson set a blistering pace aboard his Buell Firebolt to take the pole position for the Thunderbike race with a 2:37.219 lap of the four-mile Road America course in cool but dry conditions on Saturday. However, dense fog enveloped the Road America course on Sunday morning and the start of racing action was postponed until almost noon. Crashes in several support races further delayed the Formula USA National feature events, which were then shortened from 10 to five laps because of time constraints.

Johnson jumped the start before it went green and then hesitated as Bilansky raced off to open an early lead while Bemisderfer, Estok, Suzuki rider Ed Key, Johnson and Harding rider Tripp Nobles battled in a pack behind him. On the second lap, Bemisderfer ran off the course in turn five after trying to out-brake Nobles. Bemisderfer managed to stay upright and remained in contention. Nobles went out on lap four with a mechanical problem.

“Second place gives us some good points towards the championship,” said Bemisderfer. “Bilansky got that great start and then just took off full speed. I think the rest of us took a lap to gauge track conditions before we really pushed it today and gave him too much of a head start.”

Estok, who said he is still recovering from a concussion suffered in a March automobile accident, was also happy to come away with solid points on the day. “I’m still a little foggy, to be honest, and really didn’t feel smooth all weekend until the race started,” he said. “I’m still leading the Thunderbike points, which is awesome. They’ll have to watch out when I’m back to full speed.”

Key finished fourth, with Kosco H-D/Buell rider Joe Rozynski fifth. Johnson was fifth across the line, but a one-lap penalty for jumping the start bumped him back to 23rd place in the final standings.

Estok maintains his lead in the Thunderbike series with 41 points, just a one-point margin over his teammate Bemisderfer.

The third stop on the eight-race Formula USA Thunderbike series is May 29-31 at Summit Point Raceway, Summit Point, W.Va.

The Formula USA Thunderbike series is a horsepower-to-weight ratio restricted class, open to a variety of production-based motorcycles. Buell-mounted riders competing in the eight-event 2004 Thunderbike series are racing for a share of the $70,500 contingency fund posted by Buell Motorcycle Company and Buell Rider’s Adventure Group (BRAG).

To learn more about Buell Motorcycles, visit your local Buell dealer today and experience the pure streetfighter attitude, style, and performance only found on board a Buell. For the Buell dealer nearest you, pull into www.buell.com.

Updated Post: Fog Puts F-USA/CCS Activities At Road America On Hold

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Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

All on-track CCS and Formula USA activities at Road America were delayed due to heavy fog limiting visibility in the Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin area.

Practice was due to have started at 8:00 a.m. local time with racing scheduled to begin at 9:45 a.m.

At 8:45 a.m. there were signs that the fog/mist was beginning to lift. The four-mile, 14-turn Road America circuit was still wet from overnight rains and the mist/fog, but Formula USA/CCS boss Kevin Elliott said, “We will get all the races in today.”


After officials sent Pro racers Dave Ebben and Scott Harwell out on track to evaluate the level of visibility from a rider’s perspective, Formula USA/CCS practice started at 11:15 a.m. on a damp and drying track.

In addition, Elliott revised his previous statement, saying, “We will get all the money-paying (purse and contingency) races in today.”


Suzuki’s Morgan Broadhead Hospitalized After Road America Crash

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Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

American Suzuki Motor Corporation’s Morgan Broadhead, who handles the company’s road racing support programs, was knocked unconscious and transported to a local hospital following a crash at Road America today.

Broadhead crashed his GSX-R750 in turn five on the first lap of the F-USA Formula Sportbike (750cc) race at Road America.

He suffered a concussion in the fall but was otherwise uninjured and was expected to be released from the hospital sometime this evening.

According to Vesrah Suzuki’s Mark Junge, another rider hit Broadhead, who then collided with a third rider and crashed.

Very few executives who work for motorcycle manufacturers regularly compete in sanctioned motorcycle road races. Other than Broadhead, the only one we know of is Harley-Davidson/Buell’s Paul James.


More, from a press release issued by Super Dave Rosno:

Super Dave Nearly Eliminated

Dave Rosno, racing to raise funds for pediatric cancer research, was knocked down at the start of the Formula USA Formula Sportbike event at Road America’s turn five.

“I was minding my own business going into five, and I just got whacked. Stuff was flying all around, and I thought that something was going to land on me so I kicked some of the bikes away from me,” Super Dave recalls. “I had gambled on a little change to my Hyperpro shock, and it felt great. I was looking forward to making some tracks on my Sportsman’s Park/4&6 600. But I got absolutely nailed. I was pretty angry when I got up, and I was yelling at the only rider that I saw standing up, Brian Hall. I got my senses back, picked up my bike, and made my way back to the pit area without a front brake lever.”

Racer Meghan Stiles was watching from turn five viewing area and said that a rider fell down and hit the back of “Super” Dave’s bike, bringing him down. With both riders down, racer Brian Hall had no place to go and looped out the bike on the brakes.

Dave continues, “On Roadracingworld.com, it’s being reported that American Suzuki Motor Corporation’s Morgan Broadhead fell down in five. It does sound like the incident that I was in. I know Morgan, and I hope that he’s ok. I don’t know how Morgan fell down, but I’m always glad to see Morgan’s happy face. We’ll welcome him when he comes back.”



More MotoGP Team Previews Of The Grand Prix At Jerez

From a press release issued by Camel Honda Racing Information:

Spanish GP – MotoGP

Camel Honda team all set for star role in Spanish GP

In South Africa the Camel Honda team fully lived up to expectations: that of playing a leading role right from the beginning in the battle to win the 2004 MotoGP championship, with its 16 races across five continents. Max Biaggi’s 28 laps at Welkom had millions of spectators around the world in breathless excitement and his satisfaction on the podium, together with that of the technicians, gives a clear indication of the spirit with which the team is now heading towards the cradle of Spanish motorcycling, Jerez de La Frontera, in Andalusia. And great determination also fires Makoto Tamada’s technicians, who in South Africa enabled the rider to make huge progress over the weekend and who are now aiming to provide the swift Japanese with the best bike-tyre package so that he can show off his talent to the full. Jerez is a circuit that many riders in the world championship like – and the two standard bearers of the Camel Honda Team are no exception – not just because it is a fine course, technical, medium-fast and almost always blessed with ideal weather conditions, but also because it is in the beautiful region of Andalusia and on the GP weekend it attracts a huge throng of biking fans.

Max Biaggi #3: (Michelin tyres)

“I like the Jerez track because it’s technical, fairly difficult and very complete, 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 – but of course we’ll be adapting them to the different characteristics of Jerez, and we’ll try to perfect the little details we didn’t have time to work out in South Africa. I’m feeling fully geared up after the race two Sundays ago. I’m highly motivated and I feel ready to work absolutely flat out with Honda and my team in order to get out ahead and achieve the result we’re going for.”

Makoto Tamada #6: (Bridgestone tyres)

“I’m anxiously awaiting the second round of the world championship at Jerez. First of all because I want to improve my performance after the race in South Africa. A good race even so, and an honourable eighth place, but I wasn’t happy about the gap separating me from the leader at the finish. 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’m also pleased with the tyres, for new materials are constantly being developed, though I was only able to try out the latest during the weekend in Welkom. After the IRTA tests, when it was almost always raining, I hadn’t gathered all the data I needed to get a complete idea of these new models. So we are going to have to make up for some lost time and the four hours of practice at Jerez will be fundamental. 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 that we can achieve the level of competitiveness that will let us stay out in front and make it up to the podium.”

Jerez circuit


2003 podium
1. V. Rossi (Honda)
2. M. Biaggi (Honda)
3. T. Bayliss (Ducati)

2003 Pole Position
L. Capirossi (Ducati-2003)
1:41.983

Official Record
V. Rossi (Honda – 2003)
1:41.983

No. of laps
27 (119.421 km)

MotoGP race time:
14:00 (GMT + 1)
*Greenwich Mean Time + 1 hour


Features
Length: 4,423 m
Width: 11 m
Right-handers: 8
Left-handers: 5
Built in: 1986
Modifications: 1994

2004 Canadian Thunder Series For Air-cooled Twins Will Run At Shannonville, Mosport

From a press release issued by Deeley Harley Davidson Canada and RACE:

2004 CANADIAN THUNDER RACING SERIES

From Buell (Deeley Harley Davidson Canada) and RACE Events Inc. Shannonville Mortorsports Park

The Canadian Thunder Racing Series was first started in 2002 and was designed to provide a competitive arena for modern air-cooled Twins. Since that time, the series has involved many brands including Buell, Ducati, BMW and Motoguzzi. With Thunder racing at both Shannonville and Mosport, a wide variety of competitors have been able to participate and bring the sound of air-cooled excitement to tens of thousands of spectators.

For 2004, the Canadian Thunder Racing Series will have official undercard status for three national Parts Canada Superbike Championship race dates, the first time ever for the series. These dates will be sanctioned by PMP and RACE and they will consist of four dates at Shannonville and two dates at Mosport with a doubleheader for a total of seven races. Attendance for the six weekends is estimated to be a minimum of 40-50,000 spectators. In addition, two of the respective dates will be in conjunction with the Vintage Road Racing Association 10th Anniversary and the RACE 25th.


Forbes: Harley-Davidson Among 25 Top Corporate Brands

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

A report in the April 19 edition of Forbes magazine ranks Harley-Davidson among the top 25 corporate brands. No other motor vehicle brands made the list, which was topped by Procter & Gamble.

The list was assembled by Predictiv, a company the magazine described as a “valuation research firm.” The company assigned Harley-Davidson a corporate brand value of $15.7 billion. Other brands close to Harley-Davidson on the list include Kellogg at $16.2 billion, General Mills at $17.5 billion and Nike at $19.7 billion. List leader Procter & Gamble had an assigned brand value of $107.4 billion.

The report credited the 600,000-member Harley Owners Group (HOG) with helping keep the brand strong.


A report in the same issue of the magazine describes an international trade dispute involving Motion Systems, a manufacturer of electronically-controlled actuators and a long-time sponsor of Arclight Racing. The New Jersey company claims that a Chinese firm, CCL Industrial Motor, is selling actuators in the U.S. for less than the cost of the materials used to build the actuators; Motion Systems unsuccessfully sought tariffs on the Chinese actuators.

Former Arclight rider Chris Hughes and former Arclight crew member Mike Hughes are long-time Motion Systems employees.

Broadhead To Fly Home Tomorrow

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

American Suzuki Motor Corporation’s Morgan Broadhead, who crashed at Road America Sunday, has been released from the hospital and will fly back to Southern California tomorrow. He suffered a concussion in the crash and is resting at Mark Junge’s Vesrah Suzuki shop in Union Grove, Wisconsin, near Milwaukee.

Broadhead hoped to fly back today but was instructed by doctors to avoid flying for 24 hours.

“I appreciate all the well-wishers who called, but I wanted to let everyone know that I’m fine and that I’ll be flying home tomorrow,” Broadhead told Roadracingworld.com.

Nicky Moore 11th In British Supersport Debut

From a press release issued by Vitrans Honda:

VITRANS SENSES SNETTERTON IMPROVEMENT

Vitrans Honda rider, Craig Coxhell, finished in 13th place in the second race of yesterday’s British Superbike championship third round at Snetterton in Norfolk but declared himself happy with the team’s early season progress.

Coxhell had earlier crashed out of race one having started from 12th place on the grid but the Aussie feels that his team is beginning to understand the all new CBR1000RR Fireblade better with each race.

“We’re developing the bike each time we go out,” said Coxhell, “but Snetterton is a completely different track to Brands Hatch, so we had to start again with a blank piece of paper. The crash with Steve Plater in race one was just a racing thing so I was pleased to get some more points in race two.”

Vitrans Honda’s two new Supersport riders for Snetterton, Iain MacPherson and American Nicky Moore, enjoyed mixed fortunes; MacPherson crashing out of the lead on lap 18 and Moore taking eleventh place on his European debut.

MacPherson was disappointed not to finish in his first outing for the team but was impressed by the Vitrans CBR600RR, saying: “That’s a quick bike, for sure. I was pretty comfortable in the lead before I crashed but when the back stepped out I just lost the front trying to correct it.”

Moore, who contested his first AMA Supersport race in the US earlier this month, flew in from California just days before Snetterton and rode the bike for the first time in Friday morning practice. The 17-year-old impressed many with a steady, points-scoring ride.

“I’m real happy with that,” he said afterwards. “I struggled a bit with set-up during qualifying but we made some changes during warm-up and that improved things. There’s definitely a different racing style to AMA and it’s real fast here, too!”

Vitrans Honda’s regular British Supersport and Superstock rider, Paul Young, was helping the squad at Snetterton as he recovers from the fractured arm sustained at Brands Hatch. While Young hopes to recover in time for round five at Mondello Park in Ireland on 23 May, the Vitrans team moves on to Oulton Park for round four of the championship which takes place next Monday 3rd May.


British Supersport championship

Result: 1 M. Laverty (Ducati) 23:14.750, 2 K. Harris (Honda) -0.537, 3 P. Riba (Kawasaki) -0.578, 4 L. Quigley (Suzuki) -1.813, 5 S. Andrews (Yamaha) -2.091, 6 J. Vincent (Honda) -2.259, 7 T. Sykes (Suzuki) -7.651, 8 A. Coates (Suzuki) -8.394, 9 C. Jones (Triumph) -8.684, 10 M. Llewellyn (Ducati) -14.619, 11 N Moore (Vitrans Honda).

Points after round three: 1 Laverty 51, 2 Harris 45, 3 Vincent 43, 4 Riba 42, 5 Quigley 38, 6 Jones, Andrews 27, 8 Murphy 19, 9= Coates, Sykes 15.



Racers Colin Edwards And Ronnie Lunsford Aid Houston Ride For Kids

From a press release:

Colin Edwards helps the Houston Ride for Kids® kick off the 2004 Ride for Kids® Season

Darla captures the hearts of the motorcyclists by sharing some life-lessons with six-year old Garrett while National Ride for Kids® Director Allen Hughes looks on.

It is a rare and mighty special occasion when a two-time World Superbike champion and current MotoGP contender is the Top Individual Fundraiser at a Ride for Kids® event. However, that’s exactly what happened at this year’s Houston Ride for Kids(r). Colin Edwards, a Conroe, Texas native who currently rides for Gresini Racing on a Honda RC211V, wowed the motorcyclists by having his representatives turn in $15,075. Edwards, who is in Europe preparing for the MotoGP circuit, was there with the kids and riders in spirit, his spokesperson said.

The 2004 Ride for Kids® season kicked off with a bang in Kemah, Texas on Sunday, April 25. Despite a little drizzle, 800 giving and dedicated motorcyclists gathered to ride through Houston’s southern suburbs to raise a record-breaking $273,523 for childhood brain tumor research.

Since 1984, the Ride for Kids® program has raised funds to support the research and family support programs of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Today, more children die from brain tumors than from any other childhood cancer.

After the police-escorted ride, the motorcyclists gathered for the meaningful Celebration of Life program. An amazing 15 patient families, with Ride for Kids® “stars” ranging in age from six to nineteen, were in attendance. Dr. Jack Su and Dr. Allison Bertuch were also there to help the riders understand the importance of pediatric brain tumor research. Darla, a 16-year old brain tumor survivor, won the audience over by taking the microphone away from National Ride for Kids® Director Allen Hughes and asking him to have a seat. She then addressed the younger brain tumor survivors by telling them, “I learned a saying that I want to pass on to you. Please remember that rain always comes before a rainbow.”

Fundraising records were broken across the board in Houston. The Top Club honor went to both GWRRA Texas Chapter Z whose members brought $55,450 and GWRRA Texas Chapter C whose members turned in $54,153. The Top Dealer title was earned by two deserving and generous dealers. Pasadena Honda’s clients turned in $68,320 and Northwest Honda’s customers brought in $62,914. Howard Chipman of Groves, Texas won the grand prize, a new Honda motorcycle.

Kudos to Ronnie Lunsford and his hard working volunteer Task Force for conducting a successful Houston Ride for Kids® event.

The next Ride for Kids® events are on Sunday, May 2 in Pittsburgh, PA and Triangle Area (NC).

For more information about the Ride for Kids(r) and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, please visit www.rideforkids.org or www.pbtfus.org or call (800) 253-6530.

Updated Post: More AMA Previews For Next Weekend’s National At Infineon

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing, in which we learn that Steve Rapp used to park cars IN a restaurant, which may explain why he had to find a new career…:

Duhamel’s experience showing through in Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (April 26, 2004) — Few riders in all of AMA Pro Racing have the experience of Miguel Duhamel. Twice this season the 36-year-old Las Vegas resident has been challenged all the way to the checkered flag in the Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series and twice the 16-year AMA professional came out on top. Duhamel leads the Formula Xtreme Series as the championship rolls into Infineon Raceway, in Sonoma, Calif., as part of the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown presented by Cycle Gear on April 30 through May 2.

Duhamel edged Honda teammate Ben Bostrom at Daytona International Speedway in the opening round of the series by a scant 0.151 seconds to take the first victory in the revamped class. He then turned around in early April and held off Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke by less than a bike length at California Speedway. Duhamel hopes to make it three-for-three at Infineon Raceway.

Duhamel was all smiles after a race-long battle with Zemke at California Speedway. He predicted a lot more races like that after taking his 70th-career AMA road racing win.

“I had a great race with Jake at Fontana,” Duhamel said. “I think the two of us are going to be going at it all season.”

With his Formula Xtreme victories Duhamel joins Nicky Hayden as the only other rider to win in all four categories of AMA Pro road racing.

Erion Honda’s young gun Alex Gobert is third in the series putting Hondas 1,2,3 in the series to this point. Gobert is hoping to find the speed to run up front with his Honda teammates at Infineon.

Coming on strong is 2002 AMA Formula Xtreme Champion Jason Pridmore on the No Limit Suzuki. After suffering a DNF at Daytona, Pridmore charged back with a third at California Speedway. Pridmore has proven to be one of the top riders at Infineon Raceway over the years. He’s won both
Formula Xtreme and Superstock races on the challenging circuit. Unfortunately, Pridmore was injured in a practice crash earlier this month and is questionable for Infineon.


Spies rallies to share Repsol Superstock Series lead with Gobert

Ben Spies left Daytona eighth in the Repsol Superstock Series after serving a stop-and-go penalty for jumping the start. But instead of leaving the opening round with his head hung low, the tough Texan simply looked forward to the rest of the season. “We’ve got a great bike so I’m not worried about it,” he said after the March opener. Spies proved he knew what he was talking about. He came back to take a commanding victory aboard his factory Yoshimura Suzuki at California Speedway earlier this month. As a result Spies comes to round three of the 11-race series at Infineon Raceway, on April 30-May 2, sharing the series points lead with Graves Yamaha’s Aaron Gobert.

Spies, last year’s Formula Xtreme winner at Infineon, looks to break the tie with Gobert with yet another victory at the Northern California circuit.

The new Superstock class has proven to be very competitive. There’s a logjam atop the series standings with the top six riders within 10 points. Any of those six could conceivably leave Infineon Raceway with the points lead.

Spies will have to hold off the tidal wave of Graves Yamaha riders, with four riders in the top six. Gobert heads up the blue brigade, but look for last year’s Infineon Supersport winner Jamie Hacking, who is ranked third in Superstock, to be strong at this track.

Kawasaki’s racing brothers Tommy and Roger Lee Hayden like the speed of their new ZX-10Rs, but both are still trying to get the chassis on the speedy green bikes perfected. Tommy is ranked fifth, while younger brother is just two points behind him in seventh. Look for both to continue to improve as the Kawasaki crew learns the in-and-outs of setting up the big ZX.

Hometown fans will root for Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Steve Rapp. Rapp, an Oakland native, came up through the racing ranks the hard way, supporting his racing career by parking cars in a Bay Area restaurant. Rapp is eighth in the series after earning a pair of top-10 finishes. He’ll be looking to challenge for the win at Infineon in front of friends, family and fans from the area.

The Infineon Formula Xtreme race and Superstock highlights will be broadcast on SPEED Channel on May 11 beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern.

Call 800-870-RACE, or visit www.infineonraceway.com or www.ticketmaster.com for additional information on the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown.


More, from a press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports:

2004 American AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship

Rounds 4 & 5 – Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, California, USA

Event Preview

MLADIN AIMS TO CONTINUE SUPERBIKE WINNING STREAK AT INFINEON RACEWAY THIS WEEKEND

After taking victory in the opening three races of this years American AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship, Mat Mladin and his Yoshimura Suzuki team will be out to maintain their race-winning intensity as the championship heads to this weekend’s double-header round at Infineon Raceway, north of San Francisco.

With this year’s 18-race championship in its early stages, the four-times American Superbike Champion knows the importance of stringing together a number of strong race finishes to lay the foundations for his title defence.

“The next two double header rounds of the championship at Infineon and then Barber Motorsports Park are both very important weekends for us,” said Mladin. “If we can get a couple more wins at those tracks, we can extend our points lead out to the equivalent of a race win and after five or so races in the championship that would be a nice position to be in. This weekend is a very important weekend and that’s how we’re treating it.”

Mladin arrives at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, holding a 24-point lead over Honda’s Jake Zemke (112 – 88), with Miguel DuHamel a further three points adrift in third.

Last year’s corresponding round of the championship was affected by poor weather during qualifying before Mladin emerged victorious in both Superbike nationals. These results, plus his early season form in 2004 leave him and his crew in a strong position prior to the commencement of practice this Friday.

The tight 2.2 miles (3.54km) circuit contrasts the fast Daytona and California Speedway circuits that the championship has already appeared at, offering little in the way of fast straightaways, instead linking together a range of twists and turns that will have all of the teams searching for the best engine / chassis combination to suit the conditions over the weekend.

“I do like the Infineon circuit,” Mladin added. “They’ve made a lot of improvements to it since we last raced there which have helped the safety side of things, plus the track surface is also better. They still have a bit more to do to make it 100 percent safe for motorcycles, but they’re well on their way to doing that.”

“Bike setup here will be at a premium, speed really doesn’t help too much. We think we’ll be in good shape, we know what the motorcycle can do there, obviously the results from last year and the test we had there earlier this year have given us a lot of information, so we’re heading there with no less expectation than to win a couple of races.”

Practice and qualifying for this weekend’s double-header AMA Superbike round commences on Friday, followed by the final qualifying session and opening Superbike race on Saturday. Sunday’s program will feature the second 28-lap Superbike national.

FAST FACTS – Infineon Raceway

Circuit Length: 2.2 miles (3.54km)
2003 Pole position: Mat Mladin (Team Yoshimura Suzuki) No official qualifying due to rain.

2003 Race results:
Race 1
1. Mat Mladin (Team Yoshimura Suzuki)
2. Aaron Yates (Team Yoshimura Suzuki)
3. Miguel DuHamel (American Honda)

Race 2
1. Mat Mladin (Team Yoshimura Suzuki)
2. Aaron Yates (Team Yoshimura Suzuki)
3. Ben Bostrom (American Honda)

Superbike lap record: Anthony Gobert (Yamaha) 1:31.692 mins (2001)

2004 AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship (Points after 3 of 18 rounds)
1. Mat Mladin (112, 3 wins); 2. Jake Zemke (88); 3. Miguel DuHamel (85); 4. Eric Bostrom (70), 5. Lee Acree (67); 6. Geoff May (64); 7. Scott Jenson / Eric Wood (57), 9. John Haner (53), 10. Cory West (52).

Formula USA Team Press Releases From Road America

From a press release issued by Buell:

BILANSKY ROMPS AT ROAD AMERICA

Buell Riders Dominate Formula USA Thunderbike National

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Hal’s Harley-Davidson/Buell rider Dan Bilansky roared away from the pack aboard his Buell Firebolt for a convincing victory in the Formula USA National Thunderbike race at Road America. Harding Harley-Davidson riders Bryan Bemisderfer and David Estok finished second and third to complete a podium sweep for Buell riders in the Thunderbike class.

For Bilansky, the win offered some redemption after a disappointing outing in the F-USA season-opener at Daytona International Speedway in February, where he crashed out of the lead.

“Daytona was a hard one to get over,” said Bilansky, who is from Delafield, Wis. “But I want to win a championship and to do that I have to be consistent, so maybe a win today makes up for being a race behind after Daytona. This was a kick today because we are so close to home. I have lots of family here who haven’t seen me race in several years, and this is a home-town race for everyone from Buell and Hal’s.”

“It’s great to see so many talented privateer racers competing in Thunderbike,” said Erik Buell, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer. “The Formula USA power to weight ratio rules give the riders an equal chance to win, even without big budgets.”

Hoban Brothers Racing/Appleton H-D/Buell rider Jeff Johnson set a blistering pace aboard his Buell Firebolt to take the pole position for the Thunderbike race with a 2:37.219 lap of the four-mile Road America course in cool but dry conditions on Saturday. However, dense fog enveloped the Road America course on Sunday morning and the start of racing action was postponed until almost noon. Crashes in several support races further delayed the Formula USA National feature events, which were then shortened from 10 to five laps because of time constraints.

Johnson jumped the start before it went green and then hesitated as Bilansky raced off to open an early lead while Bemisderfer, Estok, Suzuki rider Ed Key, Johnson and Harding rider Tripp Nobles battled in a pack behind him. On the second lap, Bemisderfer ran off the course in turn five after trying to out-brake Nobles. Bemisderfer managed to stay upright and remained in contention. Nobles went out on lap four with a mechanical problem.

“Second place gives us some good points towards the championship,” said Bemisderfer. “Bilansky got that great start and then just took off full speed. I think the rest of us took a lap to gauge track conditions before we really pushed it today and gave him too much of a head start.”

Estok, who said he is still recovering from a concussion suffered in a March automobile accident, was also happy to come away with solid points on the day. “I’m still a little foggy, to be honest, and really didn’t feel smooth all weekend until the race started,” he said. “I’m still leading the Thunderbike points, which is awesome. They’ll have to watch out when I’m back to full speed.”

Key finished fourth, with Kosco H-D/Buell rider Joe Rozynski fifth. Johnson was fifth across the line, but a one-lap penalty for jumping the start bumped him back to 23rd place in the final standings.

Estok maintains his lead in the Thunderbike series with 41 points, just a one-point margin over his teammate Bemisderfer.

The third stop on the eight-race Formula USA Thunderbike series is May 29-31 at Summit Point Raceway, Summit Point, W.Va.

The Formula USA Thunderbike series is a horsepower-to-weight ratio restricted class, open to a variety of production-based motorcycles. Buell-mounted riders competing in the eight-event 2004 Thunderbike series are racing for a share of the $70,500 contingency fund posted by Buell Motorcycle Company and Buell Rider’s Adventure Group (BRAG).

To learn more about Buell Motorcycles, visit your local Buell dealer today and experience the pure streetfighter attitude, style, and performance only found on board a Buell. For the Buell dealer nearest you, pull into www.buell.com.

Updated Post: Fog Puts F-USA/CCS Activities At Road America On Hold

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

All on-track CCS and Formula USA activities at Road America were delayed due to heavy fog limiting visibility in the Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin area.

Practice was due to have started at 8:00 a.m. local time with racing scheduled to begin at 9:45 a.m.

At 8:45 a.m. there were signs that the fog/mist was beginning to lift. The four-mile, 14-turn Road America circuit was still wet from overnight rains and the mist/fog, but Formula USA/CCS boss Kevin Elliott said, “We will get all the races in today.”


After officials sent Pro racers Dave Ebben and Scott Harwell out on track to evaluate the level of visibility from a rider’s perspective, Formula USA/CCS practice started at 11:15 a.m. on a damp and drying track.

In addition, Elliott revised his previous statement, saying, “We will get all the money-paying (purse and contingency) races in today.”


Suzuki’s Morgan Broadhead Hospitalized After Road America Crash

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

American Suzuki Motor Corporation’s Morgan Broadhead, who handles the company’s road racing support programs, was knocked unconscious and transported to a local hospital following a crash at Road America today.

Broadhead crashed his GSX-R750 in turn five on the first lap of the F-USA Formula Sportbike (750cc) race at Road America.

He suffered a concussion in the fall but was otherwise uninjured and was expected to be released from the hospital sometime this evening.

According to Vesrah Suzuki’s Mark Junge, another rider hit Broadhead, who then collided with a third rider and crashed.

Very few executives who work for motorcycle manufacturers regularly compete in sanctioned motorcycle road races. Other than Broadhead, the only one we know of is Harley-Davidson/Buell’s Paul James.


More, from a press release issued by Super Dave Rosno:

Super Dave Nearly Eliminated

Dave Rosno, racing to raise funds for pediatric cancer research, was knocked down at the start of the Formula USA Formula Sportbike event at Road America’s turn five.

“I was minding my own business going into five, and I just got whacked. Stuff was flying all around, and I thought that something was going to land on me so I kicked some of the bikes away from me,” Super Dave recalls. “I had gambled on a little change to my Hyperpro shock, and it felt great. I was looking forward to making some tracks on my Sportsman’s Park/4&6 600. But I got absolutely nailed. I was pretty angry when I got up, and I was yelling at the only rider that I saw standing up, Brian Hall. I got my senses back, picked up my bike, and made my way back to the pit area without a front brake lever.”

Racer Meghan Stiles was watching from turn five viewing area and said that a rider fell down and hit the back of “Super” Dave’s bike, bringing him down. With both riders down, racer Brian Hall had no place to go and looped out the bike on the brakes.

Dave continues, “On Roadracingworld.com, it’s being reported that American Suzuki Motor Corporation’s Morgan Broadhead fell down in five. It does sound like the incident that I was in. I know Morgan, and I hope that he’s ok. I don’t know how Morgan fell down, but I’m always glad to see Morgan’s happy face. We’ll welcome him when he comes back.”