From a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati:

PACIFIC GRAND PRIX – PREVIEW
Twin Ring Motegi
October 3/4/5 2003

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM BACK IN JAPAN WITH HIGH HOPES

The MotoGP circus continues its globetrotting tour this weekend at Twin Ring Motegi, the 2003 championship’s second visit to the Land of the Rising Sun. Last time The Ducati Marlboro Team visited Japan was for its debut MotoGP event – April’s season-opening Japanese GP at Suzuka – when Loris and Troy made history by scoring a podium finish and a fifth place first time out on the team’s brand-new Desmosedici.

Six months later the Ducati Marlboro Team is a fully established MotoGP force, with Ducati riding high in the constructors’ World Championship, holding second place in its rookie season, ahead of all but one of the Japanese factories that have dominated the premier Grand Prix class for so long. Which means that much is expected of Capirossi and team-mate Troy Bayliss when the pair once again confront Japan’s motorcycle industry in its own backyard on Sunday.

After Sunday’s racing the paddock heads to Malaysia for next weekend’s Marlboro Malaysian Grand Prix, the middle event of three back-to-back ‘flyaway’ GPs. The following weekend the action moves to Phillip Island in Australia, before the circus returns to its European heartland for the season-ending Marlboro Valencia GP at Valencia on November 2.


MOTEGI IS LAST NEW TRACK FOR THE DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM

The 2003 MotoGP World Championship was always going to be a learning year for the Ducati Marlboro Team, but it’s turned out to be some apprenticeship. Although the Bologna factory had been out of GP racing for more than three decades before returning last spring, it has already won its first GP, taken three pole positions and scored seven podium finishes. And all this despite the team having to compete at many racetracks of which it has no previous knowledge. Happily, this weekend’s Pacific GP is the last event that the team goes into ‘blind’. Loris Capirossi may have raced at Motegi since it joined the series calendar in 1999, but most of his team colleagues, including Troy Bayliss, have never seen the track before.

“We are quite happy that this is the last track of the season that we don’t know,” says Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli, who has already tested with his crew at the three season-ending GP venues – Sepang, Phillip Island and Valencia. “We have already achieved some good results at circuits that are new to us, but the less you know about a track, the harder it is for the riders and everyone else in the team, and however well you work during the weekend, you still lack something. But we always knew it would be like this in our first MotoGP season, and we are enjoying discovering new circuits so that we can gather data and information for next season. In theory Motegi should be good for us”.

Ducati Marlboro Team director Livio Suppo is also confident that his riders can once again go well in Japan. “Last year Loris rode an unbelievable race at Motegi, making the podium even though he was on a two-stroke, so he obviously goes well there,” says Suppo. “And he really enjoyed getting third in our first race at Suzuka, so we go to Motegi with the added motivation of repeating or improving upon that result. It’s always a special emotion for us at Ducati if we can achieve good results in Japan. The weekend will be another challenge for Troy because this is another racetrack that he’s never seen, but then again he’s proved on many occasions that new tracks aren’t a problem for him. On the positive side, Motegi will complete his knowledge of current MotoGP tracks because he already knows the tracks which host the final three GPs of the season.”


MOTEGI FAN CAPIROSSI AIMS FOR SUZUKA REPEAT
Loris Capirossi comes to Motegi this weekend determined to repeat his stunning ride to the podium at Suzuka in April. Winner of the Ducati Marlboro Team’s first GP at Catalunya, Spain, in June, the hard-riding Italian is confident he can once again use his Desmosedici’s speed to devastating effect at Motegi, a circuit he really likes.

“Last year I rode a 500 at Motegi, but I had some good fights with the faster four-strokes, so I think I can go very well this weekend,” he says. “I was just a tenth off pole position last time, which made me very angry, so I’d like to make amends for that this weekend. I really like the track, it’s not very technical, but you have to put a lot of effort into your braking and corner-exit speed. Our bike has fantastic acceleration and its braking stability is also good since we made some chassis improvements a few races ago. Every race the bike is coming better. We had some minor problems at Rio, but our speed in qualifying once again proved that we can be fast at circuits which are new to us. Motegi is particularly important because it’s in Japan, which gives us another chance to show off our speed to the Japanese!”

Capirossi has scored three third-place finishes at Motegi – in the 1999 Japanese 250 GP, and in the past two 500 Pacific GPs.


PAPA BAYLISS RELISHES BACK-TO-BACK RACES
Former World Superbike champion Troy Bayliss went to Rio three weeks ago as a father of two children, this week he comes to Motegi as a father of three! Wife Kim gave birth to the couple’s third child – a baby boy named Oliver – in Monaco during the Rio GP weekend. The current series of races is thus turning out to be a rollercoaster ride for the tough Aussie who is currently the highest-placed MotoGP rookie, holding fifth place in the points chase.

“It was great to get home from Rio and see Ollie for the first time!” beams proud father Bayliss, who shed a tear or two in the Rio pits when he heard about the birth from Kim immediately after the race. “It was a shame I couldn’t be there, but I don’t think they would’ve rescheduled the race to make things easier for us! This is a busy time for everyone in MotoGP, but I’m looking forward to the three races in a row – you can get your head down and keep going, plus you get a lot of races done in a short time. Motegi is another new track for me, but that shouldn’t be a problem, I’ve got used to learning new places this year. To me, all tracks are pretty much the same, you’ve just got to get round them as quick as you can. Most places are easy to learn, but it’s squeezing the last little bit out of them that really counts.”


THE TRACK
Twin Ring Motegi is stop-and-go in character with few high-speed corners, unlike fast and flowing Suzuka, venue for April’s Japanese GP. Motegi features plenty of slow turns linked by medium-length straights which put the emphasis on braking and acceleration performance. Unlike Suzuka, most riders don’t feel the track tests their riding skills to the limit. Motegi’s location and this event’s autumn date make for unpredictable weather conditions. The venue’s inaugural World Championship round, the 1999 Japanese GP, was run in pouring rain. Since then Motegi has hosted the Pacific round of the series.

The circuit, christened Twin Ring Motegi because it features both a Grand Prix track and an Indy oval, is one of the newer circuits on the GP calendar. Constructed by Honda to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary in 1998, at a cost of US$350 million, the venue is located in the hills to the north west of Tokyo, between the cities of Mito and Utsonomiya. Motegi’s construction entailed a massive civil engineering project that included the razing of seven hills and the filling of two valleys.

Twin Ring Motegi: 4.801km/2.983 miles

Lap record: Alex Barros (Honda), 1:49.947, 157.199kmh/97.679mph (2002)

Pole position 2002: Daijiro Kato (Honda), 1:49.052

From a press release issued by Pramac Honda Racing Information:

AWAY OVER THE OCEANS: JAPAN, MALAYSIA, AUSTRALIA.

The great exodus to the East has Montegi in Japan as the next venue, with the first of three rounds outside Europe before the grand finale takes place in Valencia. The Twin Ring circuit, originally made by Honda as its test track in 1997, has everything it takes to make this one of the great rounds of the World Championship: a “classic” circuit, four kilometres and eight hundred metres long, and a high-speed oval circuit of two and a half kilometres specially designed for motorcar racing.

Since 1999, the Twin Ring, a sort of “motor-city”, has become a regular rendezvous for the MotoGP. The colossal facility contains a museum, cars and bikes of all periods, kart tracks and dirt tracks, as well as a vast range of attractions for enthusiasts who turn up for the exciting programme of motoring shows. On a plateau north of Tokyo, in the district of Kanto, Twin Ring is a technical circuit with plenty of characteristics, such as the layout and the highly unpredictable weather, that will put the riders and their teams in all the categories to the test.

THE CIRCUIT. Length: 4,801 metres – 6 left-handers – 8 right-handers

longest straight: 762 metres – Maximum width: 15 metres

Year of construction: 1997.

WINNERS IN 2002.
125 class: Pedrosa (SPA) Honda
250 class: Elias (SPA) Aprilia
MotoGP class: Barros (BRA) Honda.

CIRCUIT RECORDS
125: 1:58.354, Pedrosa 2002
250: 1:52.253, Nakano, 2000
MotoGP: 1:49.947, Barros, 2002.


MAX BIAGGI FOURTH IN BRAZIL, THIRD IN OVERALL STANDINGS.

CAMEL PRAMAC PONS TEAM SECOND IN TEAM RATINGS

Massimiliano Biaggi and Tohru Ukawa, who came 4th and 7th in Rio respectively, have defended the colours of the Camel Pramac Pons team by earning 22 points and keeping it firmly in second place in the special team championship of the MotoGP. Biaggi, who has so far posted one victory, four second places and two third places, in South Africa and at Mugello, is now in third provisional place of the riders’ championship with 174 points and a 37-point gap not that difficult to bridge separating him from Sete Gibernau, who is currently second. However, the 88-point lag behind leader Rossi is much greater and more difficult to regain, since the last 100 points remain to be won in the four races before the season comes to an end.

MAKOTO TAMADA: FIRST MOTOGP PODIUM

In a fantastic race at Rio, Makoto Tamada achieved a great result: in the 12th race of the 2003 championship, the Japanese rookie took third place in Brazil and, for the first time, ended up on the rostrum of the premier class. A terrific race which shows exactly how much work the team technicians have been putting in, and it is a clear indication of Bridgestone’s dedication to the MotoGP 2003 project, as well as of the skills that the rider is already achieving much earlier than expected. For it is clear that Tamada had a highly competitive bike-tyre combination in Brazil, but it is also true that the way he handled the race was faultless: off the throttle at the very last moment, and plenty of aggressive braking, after a good start when the red lights went out and the race was on.

From the strictly technical point of view, it can be said the level of the settings achieved on Makoto’s RC211V is very satisfactory, meaning it will be possible to start work almost immediately to get up to best performance. So, after the initial practice, when he needs to find out about the circuit – many of which he is seeing for the first time – he is already able to work towards fast lap times and on the race-configuration test programme. The good level already achieved is also due to the hard work put in by Bridgestone: the Brno tests in mid-August led to a special front tyre that gives Makoto the safety and confidence he needs so that he can bring all his aggressive riding skills to bear. The Rio race was the most eloquent demonstration of the potential of the talented Japanese of the Pramac Honda Team. One of the most important events, Makoto’s “home” race, is taking place this week at Motegi. This is a “friendly” circuit where he and the entire group should be able to continue their upward trend.


IN THE RUN-UP TO THE 13TH ROUND OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP AT THE TWIN RING IN MOTEGI, TEN QUICK QUESTIONS FOR MAKOTO TAMADA:

Q1: MAKOTO, WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS WHEN YOU SEE THAT YOUR POTENTIAL AT RIO ENABLED YOU TO COMPETE WITH THE WORLD’S TOP RIDERS?

R: I realise I’m able to take on the best, but in Rio the conditions were ideal. Everything was just about perfect. When the whole “package” you’ve got is very good, you get results, but in similar conditions other riders can emerge too, so I’m not going to be resting on my laurels and I need to do much more.


Q2: IT LOOKED LIKE A PERFECT RACE THOUGH

R: Let’s say it was good – if it had been perfect, I’d have won.


Q3: WHAT’S YOUR VIEW ABOUT MOTEGI?

R: It’s a circuit I know very well, so I want to get the settings on my bike right as quickly as possible and then start working towards the race, without having to worry about getting a good place at all costs.


Q4: YES, BUT SURELY YOU’LL BE UNDER SOME STRESS – THE “HOME” RACE IS BOUND TO PUT SOME PRESSURE ON YOU.

R: I don’t feel obliged to get a good result, and I don’t feel I’m under any particular pressure.


Q5: HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU RACED AT MOTEGI?

R: Twice in the 250 cc class, and six or eight times – I can’t quite remember – with the Superbike.


Q6: HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU WON AT MOTEGI?

R: Quite a lot: I’ve won five times and I believe I still hold a circuit record.


Q7: AFTER 12 RACES, WHAT ARE YOUR IMPRESSIONS NOW OF THE MOTOGP?

R: It’s a fantastic championship, at an extraordinarily high level both in terms of technology and in terms of the brilliance of some riders. A dream, it’s the best, but to feel really in tune I want to, and I’ve got to win a race.


Q8: WE THINK IT WOULD BE FAIR TO SAY THAT TODAY YOU ARE THE JAPANESE RIDER MOST FIRMLY ON THE CREST OF THE WAVE: YOU ARE THE FUTURE OF THE JAPANESE “SCHOOL”. DOES THIS MEAN YOU HAVE GREATER RESPONSIBILITIES?

R: Yes, I suppose it’s true and I do feel the weight of this responsibility, but I try not to worry about it and I just concentrate all I can on this very important period in my career.


Q9: THERE IS A CHANCE YOU COULD FINISH THE 2003 CHAMPIONSHIP AS ONE OF THE WORLD’S TOP TEN RIDERS. IS THIS YOUR OBJECTIVE FOR THE END OF YOUR FIRST MOTOGP SEASON?

R: I don’t think about the standings at all, I just want to develop my skills and win a race before the year’s out.


Q10 FUTURE GOALS?

R: When you do my job, you’ve really only got one thing in mind: you want to be the best in the world one day.


More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM STEEL THEMSELVES FOR THREE WEEK CHALLENGE

The Fortuna Yamaha Team travels to Motegi this weekend hoping for a positive result in Yamaha’s home country. Spaniard Carlos Checa will be looking for a similar weekend to the one he had here last year, when he started from the front row having qualified just 0.172 seconds behind pole-sitter Daijiro Kato. Unfortunately he had a tough race but managed to salvage a commendable fifth place after some small set-up changes left him less comfortable with his YZR-M1 machine.

It was announced last week by the FIM that the Japanese Grand Prix, which has always been held at the Suzuka circuit, will be held in Motegi in 2004. Various modifications to improve safety at the Suzuka circuit will not be complete in time for April 2004 when the race there would normally take place. So next year the Motegi round of the championship will lose its current name of ‘Pacific Grand Prix’ and will bear the new title of ‘Japanese Grand Prix’.

Checa’s team-mate Marco Melandri will certainly be looking forward to a positive weekend in Japan, as his last trip to the Far East ended in serious injuries after a bad fall on his first day of qualifying at the Suzuka circuit. As a result Melandri was forced to sit out of two races while he recuperated, and made a terrific comeback on his return, gathering momentum and confidence during the European rounds of the championship. Both Fortuna Yamaha Team riders come to Japan wanting to put behind them the difficulties they experienced at the last Grand Prix in Rio two weeks ago.

“The last race in Brazil was difficult for us as we suffered a lack of grip,” explained the team’s director, Davide Brivio. “But before that we were improving and had some good races, particularly in Sachsenring and Brno. So now we would obviously like to go back to that standard and higher. We’ve got three races in a row now so hopefully we can get a good momentum and it will give us the opportunity to achieve a higher standard.

“Carlos had a good race in Brno, and Marco did in Estoril, and both are capable of having a good end of season. We will work as hard as we can to improve their feeling with their bikes. We have recently improved our engine performance and now the focus needs to be on the chassis and set-up. Next year Motegi is going to be the only race in Japan further to the decision of the riders, FIM and the promoter. I think everyone respects that decision to take Suzuka off the calendar as it’s the safety of the riders at stake.”

The Pacific Grand Prix is just the beginning of an endurance test of three back-to-back events, with the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang next weekend and the Australian Grand Prix in Phillip Island the week after that. The championship will conclude on November 2 at the Valencia circuit in Spain. Championship leader Valentino Rossi has a mathematical chance to win the 2003 World Championship if he wins this weekend but only if current championship runner-up Sete Gibernau finishes in fifteenth place or lower. This would give the Italian Honda rider his third successive premier class world title.

CHECA AIMS FOR HIGHER IN JAPAN

Carlos Checa had a tricky weekend in Rio two weeks ago, as he struggled to finish in the top ten riders, finally ending the race ninth. Despite all efforts made by the Spanish rider and his crew, little could be done to overcome the lack of grip on the bumpy circuit. Starting from tenth on the grid, Checa was hopeful of a good start but in the end was unable to make a pass on the opening few laps. As the race progressed, the tenth-placed rider remained focused and determined, and managed to snatch ninth from Ducati rider Troy Bayliss on the penultimate lap.

The one thing that was lucky at the Brazilian race was the weather, and the Fortuna Yamaha man is hoping for the same blessing at the Pacific Grand Prix this weekend, “Motegi is a circuit that I quite enjoy but only if it’s not raining!” jokes the Spaniard. “It’s important, as all the races are, but especially being in the home country of Yamaha. It’s always great if you can have a good result in front of your bosses. We had problems in Rio two weeks ago but everyone is working flat out to try to resolve those problems. It was especially bad in Rio because of the lack of grip, and the Motegi circuit is quite different.

“Motegi has a lot of uphill and downhill sections, which I like. There’s a lot of hard acceleration, so hopefully our bike will be fast this weekend. It’s going to be a long time away from home and we’ll be very busy with the three back-to-back races but we’re all used to it. Also, the races are in similar time zones so there’s no great problem with jet-lag.”

MELANDRI HOPES TO SHINE IN FRONT OF YAMAHA BOSSES

For twenty-one-year-old Marco Melandri, going back to Japan will no doubt evoke some poignant memories. The Ravenna-born rider had a bad fall in Japan at the beginning of his 2003 season, at the opening round of the championship in Suzuka. He is now fully recovered and will be all out to impress his Japanese chiefs from Yamaha in Motegi this weekend. In the closing stages of the 2003 championship the young Italian lies fifteenth in the championship standings, a position which belies some of the impressive race-moves Melandri has made.

“I quite like the Motegi track because the asphalt is good, and I can normally find a good grip there as it’s not too bumpy. Grip was one of my main problems at the last race in Rio so hopefully it should be much better in Motegi. There are a few hairpins which I like. The biggest problem is the weather, which can be overcast and rainy.

“I came second in Motegi last year on the 250cc, and the year before that was terrible because I had to go to hospital in a helicopter after an accident. My last race in Japan with the M1 earlier this year ended badly when I crashed out on the first day and had to miss that race and the following race. In a way that first stage of the season made me stronger because it made me realise how difficult this class can be, and it gave me time to focus on my training programme. I’m sure that next year I will look back on this year and be grateful for a difficult first season in MotoGP.

“Obviously Japan will be a very important race for me again as I would really like to do well in front of my Yamaha bosses. Many Yamaha staff have only had one chance to see me ride in Japan before my accident on the Friday in Suzuka at the start of the year. Hopefully I can get a result that will make them proud.”

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING

Like many things designed and built by the Japanese, Motegi is unsurpassed in its design and circuit quality. The surface is seamlessly smooth, offering high levels of grip, and the facilities are exceptional. Yet despite this high attention to technical detail the Motegi layout looks more like a series of uncreative drag strips linked together by continual radius second gear corners. Even so it is still technical enough so that outright power isn’t the be all and end all when it comes to winning races here.

In fact in some respects too much aggressive power can be a hindrance at this particular venue. For this reason Yamaha has increased its efforts to further improve the YZR-M1’s tractability and predictability on the power. These performance characteristics are essential since most of the power will be driven through second and third gear while exiting slow speed turns, only moments after completing some rather heavy braking.

This combination of hard braking to hard acceleration over a very short distance complicates things further for the riders with aggressive weight transfer a catalyst for instability. Although circuits such as Le Mans share a similar reputation of a stop and go layout Yamaha’s success with such a layout is yet to present itself in Motegi. For this reason a balanced and usable base geometry will be the focal point for those riding the M1.

CARLOS CHECA : INFORMATION
Age: 30
Lives: Great Ayton, England
Bike: Fortuna Yamaha Team YZR-M1
GP victories: 2 (500)
First GP victory: Catalunya, 1996 (500)
First GP: Europe, 1993 (125)
GP starts: 147 (27 x MotoGP, 92×500, 27×250, 1×125)
Pole positions: 2 (1 x MotoGP, 1 x 500)
First pole: Spain, 1998 (500)
Motegi 2002 results. Grid: 4th, Race: 5th

MARCO MELANDRI : INFORMATION
Age: 21
Lives: Derby, England
Bike: Fortuna Yamaha Team YZR-M1
GP victories: 17 (10 x 250, 7 x 125)
First GP victory: Assen, 1998 (125)
First GP: Brno, 1997 (125)
GP starts: 85 (9 x MotoGP, 42 x 250, 34 x 125)
Pole positions: 8
First pole: Sachsenring, 1998 (125)

Motegi MotoGP lap record
1:49.947 (Alex Barros (Honda) 2002)

Circuit best lap
1:49.947 (Daijiro Kato (Honda) 2002)


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

THREE-STRONG SUZUKI SQUAD PUSH FORWARD

Team Suzuki Press Office Monday 29th September 2003.
Team Suzuki riders Kenny Roberts Jr. and John Hopkins will have more than a little extra help at next weekend’s Pacific GP at Motegi.

As well as the presence of top-ranking factory and race department staff and engineers at the circuit outside Tokyo, a third Suzuki will be out for the 13th MotoGP of the season, ridden by factory tester and wild card regular Akira Ryo.

The expectation for the race is to go for the best results possible while concentrating also on developing the Suzuki GSV-R racing prototype, with the long-term aim of coming back fighting in 2004. But the presence of Ryo and the location of the race mean that anything could happen.

Last year, Ryo (35) achieved the all-new GSV-R’s best result, finishing a close second at the opening round at Suzuka in the Japanese GP. A combination of wet weather, intimate track knowledge, and a close understanding of the new machine’s responses meant the rider from Tokyo was able to lead much of the race, finishing close behind eventual champion Valentino Rossi.

Ryo will be riding a rather different machine from those of Roberts and Hopkins, incorporating experimental developments in both engine and chassis. As test rider for the GSV-R project, his main task is to push development forward. But his many laps of the Motegi circuit plus the boost of racing the world’s best on his home ground mean he will be trying his hardest for a good race result.

Bad weather would help Ryo’s quest, and give Roberts and Hopkins an extra opportunity to exploit their proven skills in difficult conditions – and it is always a possibility at the Twin-Ring Motegi circuit, built among mountains almost midway between the cities of Mito and Utsonamiya.

“We’re coming to the end of a difficult season, and it would be good to get some improved results to show our progress – and our intentions for next season,” said team manager Garry Taylor. “The riders, team and factory staff haven’t let up working all year. I think we all need some sort of a reward for our efforts.

Roberts, who won the 500cc World Championship on a Suzuki in 2000 and has twice claimed victory at Motegi, has had a down-beat season, interrupted by injury, and spent working flat out with the team and factory engineers to maximise the potential of the 990cc GSV-R, and solve the teething problems with its ground-breaking new technologies. His machine development skills have been invaluable to the project. Roberts finished a strong sixth in last year’s race.

Hopkins, in his first year with the team, will be returning to action at Motegi after missing the last race, two weekends before at Rio de Janeiro. Hopkins fell heavily in qualifying, and though lucky to escape fractures, he was unable to take part in the race. Last year, he finished 14th, just in the points, riding a 500cc two-stroke.

The Pacific GP is the 13th of 16 rounds, and the first in a trio of back-to-back flyway events, moving on to Sepang in Malaysia and Phillip Island in Australia before the finale in Valencia in November. Ryo will be racing as a wild card in the Malaysian round as well as at Motegi.

KENNY ROBERTS Jr. – MOTEGI LIKE THE REST
Racing-wise, we are in the position where we have to go for the best possible result, and hope to finish in the points, and Motegi will be no different. The advantage will be that Suzuki’s top racing engineers and managers will be there to see our problems for themselves, and to discuss with us how to solve them.

JOHN HOPKINS – READY TO RACE AGAIN
I got all checked out back in the USA, and it turns out I have a torn muscle in my left calf, which is still real tender; and I sprained my wrist pretty good, and I’ve been having trouble holding on to the bars of a road bike. But I’ve been cycling, and I should be a lot better for race weekend. I like the track … there’s a lot of hard braking corners, and I don’t mind a bit of hard braking!

ABOUT THIS RACE
This is the fourth Pacific GP at Motegi, inaugurated in 2000 to give the Japanese factories and riders a second race on home soil, as well as the established Suzuka round. This makes Japan the second country on the current calendar to have more than one GP – the other being Spain, with three rounds. But this is the fifth visit to the spectacular if sterile Twin Ring Motegi motor sports and driver education facility, where a full banked tri-oval circuit is another major feature, along with a museum and extensive other facilities. In 1999, the Japanese GP was held there for one year. Motegi is rather remote, with access by road only, in hilly country surrounded by dense forest and small farms. Its advantage is its proximity to the Tokyo hub, some 60 miles north east of the city sprawl.

ABOUT THIS TRACK
The Twin Ring is actually two circuits – the US-style banked oval, with its own pits, grandstands and infrastructure, and the 2.98-mile road-racing track, with pits and paddock within the oval, and the track looping out under the banking through an underpass, then returning through another tunnel for the final chicane back onto the short pit straight. Precise computer-designed corners loop the track back and forth within the oval, with more of the same outside – mainly slow corners linked by short power-burst straights. It seems a sterile design, but there is enough rise and fall in the terrain to inject interest. “It’s a surprisingly fun track,” said double winner Kenny Roberts Jr.

RACE DATA
Twin Ring Motegi
Circuit Length: 2.983 miles / 4.801 km.
Lap Record: 1:49.947 – 97.679 mph / 157.199 km/h. A Barros (Honda), 2002
2002 Race Winner: Barros
2002 Race Distance: 24 laps, 71.592 miles / 115.224 km
2002 Race Average: 44:18.913 – 96.938 mph / 156.006 km/h
2002 Fastest Race Lap: see lap record
2002 Pole Position: D Kato (Honda), 1:49.052
2002 Kenny Roberts: Sixth, qualified eighth (Telefónica MoviStar Suzuki)
2002 Sete Gibernau: DNF, qualified 11th (Telefónica MoviStar Suzuki)
2002 John Hopkins: 14th, qualified 16th (Red Bull Yamaha YZR500)


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

Proton Team KR: Motegi Preview
Proton KR V5 faces the rivals at Motegi


The Proton KR V5 – independent challenger to the might of the motorcycle industry – is in the heartland of its strongest rivals at Motegi next weekend. The second race of the year in Japan is a major event for all four factories, and they will have the big guns out.

For Jeremy McWilliams and Nobuatsu Aoki, riding the England-built and Malaysian-backed 990cc V5 in only its seventh race, the challenge will be difficult, but the potential rewards sweet. Still at an early stage of race-track development programme, the howling racers are already knocking on the door of the top 15. To claim first points in Japan would be a major boost, after a season of almost day-and-night work.

“The machines at Motegi will be more or less the same as we had at Brazil, with more engine development work going on back in Britain, hopefully to be ready before the end of the season,” said team manager Chuck Aksland.

At the last race at Rio, Aoki was well up in the top 15 when he was sidelined by a fuel pump problem. McWilliams also ran in the points, finishing 16th, just off the scoreboard. This was another improvement after the team’s first double finish in Portugal, in 19th and 20th places.

“We’re knocking on the door of the points, and if we could pick up one or two, Motegi would be a good place to do it … but it’s going to be tough,” continued Aksland.

“It’s a stop-and-go track, and it hasn’t favoured us in the past. On the other hand, our Bridgestone tyres could help us out,” he added. Motegi is a major test track for the fast-improving new Japanese tyres, for whom Brazil brought a first rostrum finish, with Makoto Tamada’s Honda third. He is the only other rider to use Bridgestones.

“It’s Nobu’s home GP, so we will be working to get him a decent finish there. Then next weekend is the Malaysian GP, which is the home race for Proton, so that’s another important event for the whole team,” said Aksland.

The Pacific GP is the first of a trio of gruelling flyaway races. Seven days later the 14th round takes place at Sepang outside Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, then the Australian GP is at Phillip Island the next Sunday.

Jeremy McWilliams – Something to shout about
This track is going to be a bit of a struggle. It’s point and squirt – our lack of horsepower will show up, and there aren’t enough turns to make up for it. I’m not going to get my hopes too high and there’s a lot of work still to be done, but the bike’s been getting better every race, and it would be nice to give the engineer’s something to shout about. I’ll go on doing my best, and also try and develop the bike a bit further.

Nobuatsu Aoki – Home race for me and the tyres
This is my second race at home, and that is always important. I will have lots of friends and fans at the track, and I will do my best for them. For sure it will be difficult, the bike is still at an early stage. But we made a big jump forward in Brazil, and you never know what could happen. I expect the Bridgestone tyres should work really well, because they have done a lot of testing at Motegi.

From a press release issued by Clear Channel Entertainment Motor Sports:

K&N Filters Del Mar Mile Youth Demo Ride

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation is offering the MSF DirtBike School during the K&N Del Mar Mile Weekend of races and activities. The Youth Demo is an opportunity for children to ride a dirtbike in a safe and controlled environment inside the Horse Barn Arena at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in Del Mar, California on Sunday, October 5th.

Using Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki motorcycles and suiting up in Thor motocross gear, participants will receive riding instructions from certified Motorcycle Safety Foundation DirtBike School Coaches. Participants must be between the ages of 6 and 12 and know how to ride a motorcycle. A parent or legal guardian must be present. All safety gear will be provided.

Participation is FREE between the hours of 9am-2pm. Each participant will receive a *FREE general admission ticket to the K&N Filters Mile National Championship a Polaroid photo of themselves riding along with a MSF DirtBike School Brochure.

*Must be accompanied by a paid adult.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Clear Channel Entertainment Motor Sports SuperBikers race at Del Mar, California (Not AMA Sanctioned)

Purse Payout
(No Rider Entry Fee)
1. $4000
2. $2500
3. $1250
4. $1000
5. $750
6. $650
7. $525
8. $450
9. $425
10. $400
11. $380
12. $360
13. $340
14. $320
15. $300
16. $290
17. $280
18. $270
19. $260
20. $250

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Tommy Hayden finished fourth in the AMA U.S. Flat Track Championship Grand National short track event held September 27 at Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois, but fifth place in the penultimate race of the 17-round series earned Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned Ford’s Chris Carr his fifth AMA Grand National Championship.

Listed in official results as riding a Yamaha, Hayden won his pre-qualifying heat and qualifying heat race, which transferred him straight to the 25-lap main event. The oldest Hayden brother was fourth after the first lap of the main, where he remained to the finish.

Carr had a tougher time in the main event, coming from 10th on the first lap to finish fifth on his Rotax. Carr’s fifth, combined with Championship rival Johnny Murphree’s eighth, allowed Carr to clinch the 2003 Grand National Championship.

The Springfield short track was won by J.R. Schnabel with Joe Kopp second and Henry Wiles third.

Part-time AMA road racer Danny Eslick finished 13th on a Suzuki in the 16-rider main event.

A total of 103 riders tried to qualify for one of the 16 starting spots in the short track, including Roger Lee Hayden and Larry Pegram. Roger Lee Hayden, who rode a Honda, was second in his pre-qualifying heat race, fifth in his heat race and ended his night with sixth in the semi. Pegram, who rode a KTM, won his pre-qualifying heat race, finished third in his qualifying heat race and finished the night with a fifth in the semi.

Pegram also rode an Aprilia-powered dirt tracker in the Mile event at Springfield September 28. He finished second in his pre-qualifying heat behind Carr, took 12th in the heat race and ended his day with sixth in the semi.

Rich King won the Mile. Carr was fourth but led the most laps of the race.

Suzuki-contracted Eslick finished fifth in the Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance main event at Springfield, riding, of course, a Sportster.

From a press release issued by the Parts Canada Superbike Championship Series:

PAUL FOURNIER NAMED TUNER OF THE YEAR

TORONTO, ON – Picotte Racing Yamaha’s Paul Fournier was selected Inside Motorcycles Tuner of the Year at the final round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Shannonville Motorsport Park Aug. 31.

Fournier was recognized for his work on Pascal Picotte’s Yamaha YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 equipment, which carried Picotte to both the Parts Canada Superbike and Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike titles.

Picotte became the first racer since Steve Crevier in 2001 to claim two national Pro titles.

“I consider this an award for the team,” said the 57-year-old Fournier, who lives near Granby, QC. “A lot of people expected us to win everything but we had a lot of work. This was a brand new team and we didn’t know the bikes at all.”

The Inside Motorcycles Tuner of the Year award is designed to recognize the individuals who toil behind the scenes for teams participating in the Pro classes of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. The winner is chosen by a panel of Parts Canada Superbike series officials following the completion of the final round.

“The Picotte Racing Yamahas were impeccably prepared throughout the season,” explained Inside Motorcycles editor John Hopkins, who presented Fournier with the Tuner of the Year trophy and a melton leather jacket as his prize.

“They never suffered from mechanical problems or other technical issues. Picotte went into every race with very solid motorcycles underneath him and that no doubt contributed to his success.”

In addition to his two national class championships, Picotte won two rounds of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship and three pole positions. He enjoyed an incredible run of success in the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike series. In seven races he never finished lower than second and won three times.

Inside Motorcycles is published by Toronto-based Inside Track Communications, Inc. Inside Track also produces Inside Track Motorsport News, Inside Karting, Sport Compact National and IMX magazines.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Roadracingworld.com sat down with AMA Pro Racing CEO Scott Hollingsworth at the end of the race weekend at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama and followed up with a phone interview a few days later to talk about the current status of the AMA Superbike series with regards to the 2004 rules package and class structure.


Roadracingworld.com: Where are we at right now on the rules for 2004?

Scott Hollingsworth: We’ve announced a set of technical rules for Superbike. There are a couple of detail issues that still need to be worked out on that. We’re well on our way. I spent some time this weekend trying to finalize those issues. For the most part, the makeup of Superbike is set, and has been for a little while.

Our other classes, the class structures have already been set. Most of the technical issues have been put out for 30-day comment. That comment period is closed.

We’ve got a couple of issues that seem to be at the tip of everyone’s tongues. One is the rider restriction possibility in Superstock. The other is the use of slick tires in Superstock also.

Most of the other technical issues that we’ve been discussing – there’s no big change in Supersport, so that’s not a real big issue. The move from large-displacement bikes to 600s and the twin 750s and the like in Formula Xtreme is met with general favor. So that’s pretty much set. There’s always some small issues to deal with there, but that’s pretty good. Those other two issues seem to be the ones that are really on everybody’s…that everybody’s got an opinion about.


RW: What is the debate on the use of slick tires in Superstock?

SH: There have just been some discussion about it. Everybody has a perspective on it, and they shared their thoughts. We’re just going to make a decision based upon on all the input as to which way we’re going to go. We proposed [to] put the Superstock class on slicks, and that had gone out for a 30-day comment. There have been comments. We’ll assess those and make a decision.


RW: We talked to all the tire manufacturers in the paddock. Representatives from Pirelli, Michelin and Bridgestone all said they hadn’t been consulted by AMA Pro Racing before the proposal for slicks in Superstock was announced. Is that true?

SH: No. I think there have been conversations with some or all of those. The fact of the matter is when we put it out for a comment period they’re all welcome to submit comments. I don’t know that any have, formally, but we still had conversations with other tire manufacturers, Dunlop and other tire manufacturers, about this.


RW: Formula Xtreme, where do two-strokes stand as far as 2004?

SH: They’re out, and that came from the input from the 30-day period and other places. Just general input since we’ve announced that class structure. Even many of the 250 GP riders said they didn’t even want to pursue that. There were a couple of teams that could have pursued it and made a reasonable go out of it, but for the most part the feedback was we’d rather not even try it. So we took them out.


RW: What about ex-Pro Thunder Buells in Formula Xtreme?

SH: Pro Thunder Buells are going to stay in. They were in. There are some people who want us to take them out. Some of the feedback is to take them out. We’re not predisposed to take them out. It hasn’t been finalized, frankly. But some of the comments have been for us to take them out, but we feel they should be in there.


RW: Suzuki’s Mel Harris says he would rather see the Superstock class remain a 750cc class. What are your thoughts on that?

SH: We talked to the manufacturers going back even two years or more about where are they going with sportbikes in the future, and the clear answer was 600s and 1000s. So you’ve seen our rules evolve over the past two seasons now towards focusing on marketing 600c and 1000s. If you look at it, you have a class that still allows a 750 to still be run in Superstock but has 1000s in it without a lot of modifications.

We’ve got 1000cc-based Superbikes. You’ve got 600cc Supersport, which is a great class. Now you’ve got Formula Xtreme based on 600s for the most part. Going backwards, we’ve focused on those two classes.

He’s got a platform. Suzuki has a platform to market their 750cc, that’s Superstock. They have a platform to market their 1000cc, that’s Superbike. They’ve got a platform to market their 600cc. So they can market their whole line of product with us.


RW: Isn’t there a little repetition there? Two classes for 1000cc bikes, two classes for 600cc bikes?

SH: There is, but that’s what the sportbike market in America is, too. So we have to reflect what the marketing trends, what they are. And that’s what they are. Suzuki is the only major manufacturer making a 750. We’ve consistently tried to pare down the number of classes we’re running so we can focus more on our operations, running them better, safety, all those kinds of things. You can’t just develop classes for one brand or one displacement category.


RW: The entry restrictions for Superstock, what’s your intent there?

SH: We’re trying to accomplish a couple of things. One, we have to address this ongoing issue of people using other classes for practice, using the qualifying time but then not taking the grid spot. We’ve got to find a way to stop that practice.

Second one is, we believe, and we proposed this, that there needs to be a place for independent teams, private teams to come race where they don’t have to face the full onslaught of the factory rider competition. And it’s not a place for beginning riders, but for developing riders, an Opie Caylor type, if you want to pick a name, to showcase his talent and see if he can’t move his career forward. And he needs to be able to do that in a manner in which he can showcase his talent.

Those were the two principal reasons we put that out there for comment, and there has been a lot of comment on it. I think some of the independent teams really like it, and some of the factory teams really don’t like it. We’re going to have more discussions on that before we make a final decision.


RW: So you would restrict guys like Aaron Yates and Eric Bostrom from running in Superstock but allow guys like Jamie Hacking and Damon Buckmaster in Superstock?

SH: That was the basic proposal that we put out. We would restrict a few of the current top Superbike riders from competing in Superstock.


RW: What are the rule details that are still being worked out in Superbike?

SH: They principally revolve around the very minute details of what you can and can’t do to stock airboxes or stock throttle bodies. There’s all kinds of little issues that have got to be finalized, but we’re going to be announcing those very soon. So it’s nothing overly significant; it’s detail.


RW: Superbike technical regulations, they are basically set, but still seem to be a hot topic of conversation. Particularly, Mat Mladin points out that the bikes are pretty competitive right now and that the new rules [restricting 1000cc Fours to stock airboxes and throttle bodies] would put him at a disadvantage to the 1000cc V-twins. What are your thoughts on that?

SH: I understand where Mat’s coming from. If you look at it right now, you could say it is fairly well balanced. Most people believe that this next generation of 1000cc Multis is going to be a step ahead of where we are today. And certainly they’re earlier in their development curve than they are for Twins. Over the course of time you’re going to find that the Multis will be very competitive. Suzuki, in particular, may not have a bike for ’04 that’s a lot different than their ’03 bike. But I suspect in ’05, when their normal cycle of updating their models, it will take a dramatic step forward. I suspect the brand new Yamaha, Kawasaki and Hondas will be a step forward from where we are today.

There’s a couple of things we said as objectives. One is we didn’t want Superbikes to get faster than they are today. It’s possible to take the opportunity to reign them in a little bit. We’ve got racetracks that we could out grow if these Superbikes just keep getting faster and faster and faster. So we need to see what we can do today to make this 1000cc platform last as long as it can into the future without obsoleting our racetracks. So that was a principal objective.

The other one was to keep costs contained. So anybody with the capability could put together a competitive Superbike. I think we’ve done that. It’s up to us now that if the Twin is overly competitive it’s up to us to make sure we continue to balance the competition just like we have this year.

If you recall a year ago, there was outcry about the rules we imposed for ’03 too, and it’s turned out to be very good rules. The Kawasaki won a race and was leading the points halfway through the Championship. The Suzuki 1000 won the Championship. And the [Honda] RC51 has won races throughout the year. It was a great rules package this year. I think we’ll show over time that this will be a very good rules package too.


RW: If the V-Twins do show a dominance next year, will it be a wait-until-2005 situation or will there be any type of provision to modify the rules mid-season?

SH: I really can’t even answer that. We’ll just have to wait and see what’s on the racetrack next year. I mean, this year we took a really cautious approach. We told everybody we were going to take a look a few races into the season. We did. We didn’t make any changes. I suspect we’ll take a very cautious approach in the future. You’ve got to remember, the 1000cc multis are at the beginning of a development curve, and the Twins are at a latter stage of development curve. The multis are going to get quicker. When we complete the final set of rules, we think they’re going to be a solid set package that allows both platforms to be competitive.


RW: When I asked about Mel Harris’ wish to keep the Superstock class a 750cc class, you talked about the sportbike market going to 1000cc and 600cc machines but you also said you can’t develop a class for one brand or one displacement category. But it seems that the Superbike rules have been carefully structured to keep 1000cc V-Twins competitive on the racetrack when they are not sold in great numbers to the streetbike market. Why is that?

SH: We’re trying to create rules that allow the greatest number of manufacturers to come in and participate or the greatest number of models of bikes to come in and participate. We want to keep it as level of a playing field as we can in our premier classes.

Every class has a slightly different set of objectives than another class. You can’t say we’re going to apply the exact same philosophy to Superbike racing that we would apply to Superstock racing. In Superbike, we would like as many of the global manufacturers of motorcycles to be able to participate as we can. And it’s important for the prestige of our Championship that we have all of the major Japanese manufacturers and as many of European manufacturers and others as we can get in and make it all on a fair basis. So that’s what we’re trying to do in Superbike.

In Superstock, we have some different objectives, and we’re not as concerned there with mixing a 750 in with a 1000 and what those implications are or whether there’s Twins or Multis or whatever. It’s a different set of objectives for Superstock.

So you can’t approach it in that manner. We’ve got a different philosophy that we’re applying to 600 Supersport than the one we’re applying toward Superbike. The objective is to grow road racing in America and make it a very effective platform to market sportbikes in the biggest market in the world. That’s one of the primary objectives. Then from there you have other objectives for each class.


RW: What does it mean to you when manufacturers like Yamaha and Kawasaki say they may not race in AMA Superbike because of the technical rules?

SH: At the moment, I think you have to ask why are they not running. It’s our understanding that perhaps production schedules are behind and they might not have bikes available to run. So regardless of what the rules are they may not be able to start the year off in the Superbike class. So it’s a function of maybe why they can’t run as much as it is they’re not running. I think for the most part we’ve shown an ability to manage through this transition period certainly this year and keep competitive balance in Superbikes. There’s no reason to think we won’t keep a competitive balance going forward. I think the question needs to be why wouldn’t they run.


RW: You said one of the goals of the Superbike series was to cut costs to the teams. One team, Yamaha, said that’s fine, but the Daytona 200 (with the one-off quick-change equipment it requires) takes one-quarter of their season budget. Shawn Higbee’s team said the Daytona weekend alone ate their tire allotment for the entire season. Will the Daytona 200 continue to be that length?

SH: Yamaha’s position is a legitimate position. If you spend money to put quick-change equipment on and you only get to use that equipment one time it is difficult to amortize that cost. No doubt about it. There is some legitimacy about that position.

There is no discussion underway to change the Daytona 200 from any other length. It’s an institution that’s not only an important part of our series but an important part of global motorsports. We don’t have any intent at the moment to change the length.


RW: There seems to be a paddock belief that Honda has a stronger influence over AMA Pro Racing than any other manufacturer. Do you want to address that?

SH: It’s a shame people think that because you don’t have to look any further than the 2003 season to see that that’s just not an accurate assumption. If we had maintained the 2002 Superbike rules coming into 2003 most people would have agreed that Honda would have been in a dominant position for the 2003 Superbike season. The fact is we allowed 750cc to go up to 2mm overbore and we included 1000cc Multis, which eventually won the Championship. If Honda, who had the probably best platform going into ’03 under the ’02 rules, lobbied not to make any changes then some of the rumor may have had some merit. But the fact of the matter is they didn’t. We created a set of rules that put a very competitive mix of equipment on the racetrack for 2003 because it was in the best interest of the sport to do so and not Honda’s best interest to do so. So I think you don’t have to look any farther than the 2003 Superbike example to say that is nothing more than an urban legend.


RW: I’m sure everyone appreciates the time spent investigating, researching and getting feedback on the rules, but I’ve heard teams say they would like the rules sooner. Have you heard that and what are your thoughts?

SH: Yeah, sure. And we’d like them sooner, too. If the manufacturers would come to us with their five-year product plans, we could build rules three or four years ahead of time, but the fact is they don’t. We have to investigate and wait and scratch around and see what we can find out about what’s coming down the pipe before we can make a reasonable set of rules. It’s kind of an unfortunate side effect of them not sharing their future plans with us. That’s the way it is, unfortunately. We do the best we can to make good rules that we can keep stable for a while, but in the midst of a product change over from 750s to 1000s and we don’t have the details of what’s coming, it’s tough to make rules.


RW: With only four classes now, how will race weekends be structured differently?

SH: We’re working on that right now at the advisory board. We haven’t finalized what the new race schedule will look like. But we’re looking at practice times, trying to find opportunities to do more things for fans. So we’ll finalize the kind of proposed race schedule here in the next, oh, I don’t know, 30 to 60 days, with help from the advisory board and things like that.


RW: The current TV deal between AMA Pro Racing, the AMA Superbike series and SPEED Channel. What is the status of that deal? Is it up for renewal? Is it in the middle of a long-term deal?

SH: We’re in a longer term deal. It is not up for renewal at the moment.


RW: When things go right, people expect them to go right. When things go wrong, there’s hell to pay. How tough is the job of running a sanctioning body at this level?

SH: Everyone’s got a tough job. Running a team is a tough job. Running a television network is a tough job. Promoting a motorcycle race is a tough job. Yes, we have a tough job, too, but I guess what we would ask is if you’re trying to measure the performance of a sanctioning body look at a few basic things. Is it becoming more financially lucrative for either teams or riders or promoters? Is your television product growing? Do you have more viewers? Is the Championship more marketable, all the things that are important commercially? And then the other aspect of operations, are your racetracks getting better? Are they getting safer? So those are the ways you measure a sanctioning body. If you put AMA Superbike racing on those measurements over the past three or four years, a lot of great strides have been made. There’s plenty of work to be done. There’s plenty of growth to be accomplished. There’s improvements coming on the safety front. Everyone’s got a tough job in this business, and this one’s ours.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Dennis Noyes

Rubén Xaus, after winning both races at Imola from Neil Hodgson, who ran off the track battling the Spaniard in both races, said that, while it is true that Ducati wants him to race in the United States in 2004, he has now received assurances that he can stay in World Superbike as a Ducati works rider if he wants.

“I know Ducati want me in the AMA series and that they have even talked about signing other riders to replace me here, but my lawyer was here on Saturday and sorted a few things out. We both adjusted our positions a little. I have been told that if I want to stay here I can and I shouldn’t have said that I would not ride here on Pirelli. Of course I am a Michelin rider and want to stay with them, but I also think racing can still be good with a one-band tire supplier and we might even go faster than this year. Competition always makes you go faster,” said Xaus. “I’ll ride wherever Ducati wants me as long as the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is a Desmosedici in MotoGP. If not I have other options, here in SBK and also in MotoGP. But I will only take a ride on a competitive bike. I’m 25 and need to be World Champion when I’m 28 or 29–that’s the right age, the age of guys like Rainey and Lawson and Doohan when they hit their prime.

“My goal is to go to MotoGP and I want to continue with Ducati. They fired me last year because they thought they had Edwards and then when Edwards went to Aprilia they made me a good offer and I went back, but it was more like Hodgson’s team. What I want from Ducati is a good two-year deal that will get me eventually where I want to go. It was been a rough three years, but, in spite of some troubles, I still feel like a Ducati rider and want to eventually ride in the works Ducati team in MotoGP. If they offer me a route to where I want to go and that route takes me through the AMA series then I’ll do it. I like the United States and I love Laguna, but the deal has to make sense for me because it will not be easy to learn new tracks and beat the American riders at home, especially if we go with Michelin because Dunlop knows what they are doing and has tested so much everywhere. It could be fun, but first there are a lot of details to work out and I’ve got to try and beat Neil a couple more times at Magny Cours at the French round to end the season right.”

Xaus has won 6 of the last 10 races, but this was his best weekend ever. He even took the Superpole for the first time in three years.

From a press release issued by MonsterMob Ducati:

Round 12 – 2003 British Superbike Championship powered by HALLS, Donington Park

Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th September 2003

DOUBLE VICTORY FOR SHAKEY

2003 British Superbike Champion Shane Byrne celebrated in the best possible fashion when he posted his fourth double win of the season this afternoon in the last round of the series at Donington Park.

The 26 year old MonsterMob Ducati rider from the Isle of Sheppey fought off stiff competition from John Reynolds and Sean Emmett in race one and went on to take a start to finish victory in race two to claim his fourth double victory of the year on his way to a total of twelve wins.

“What better way to round off the season than a pair of wins and I’m delighted. I wanted to show everyone why I’m champion and this was the way to do it. The team and the whole package has been fantastic and now we can party in style” said ‘Shakey’

Meanwhile team mate Supersport rider Stuart Easton managed to secure 7th place in the Supersport race after an incident packed race aboard the MonsterMob 748 Ducati.

The 20-year-old Hawick rider made a mistake and passed fellow competitor Michael Laverty before the green flag on a safety car lap and was penalised one position for his error.

“When the two Hondas came past me I knew I wasn’t going to gain anything. I knew I would be in fourth place at best. I didn’t give in though, I just brought it home as the Championship was already settled and I had nothing to gain. I’m just disappointed”, said Easton.

Team owner Paul Bird was pleased with the team’s performance.

“Shakey showed them why he is British Champion. They were both excellent races. I hope we can thrash a deal out with Ducati very shortly for next year so we can get sorted. I was a little disappointed with Stuart making a mistake early on and I think it played on his mind throughout the whole race, but he brought it home and finished second in the Championship so all in all an excellent weekend.”

Superbike Race Results

Race One
1, Shane Byrne (MonsterMob Ducati) 31:35.018, 2, Sean Emmett (Ducati) +0.488s, 3, John Reynolds (Suzuki) +2.222s, 4, Michael Rutter (Ducati) +10.455s, 5, Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +12.615s, 6, Scott Smart (Kawasaki) +12.888s, 7, Leon Haslam (Ducati) +13.544s, 8, Gary Mason (Yamaha) +17.634s, 9, Dean Ellison (Ducati) +21.944s, 10, John Kirkham (Yamaha) +22.100s

Race Two
1, Shane Byrne (MonsterMob Ducati) 31:24.167, 2, John Reynolds (Suzuki) +2.823s, 3, Sean Emmett (Ducati) +5.313s, 4, Michael Rutter (Ducati) +5.780s, 5, Leon Haslam (Ducati) +16.321s, 6, Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +18.100s, 7, Gary Mason (Yamaha) +25.645s, 8, Jon Kirkham (Yamaha) +41.125s, 9, Mark Heckles (Honda) +57.156s, 10, Dennis Hobbs (Suzuki) +58.363s

Superbike Championship Points:
1, Shane Byrne (MonsterMob Ducati) 488pts

2, John Reynolds (SuzukI) 358pts

3, Michael Rutter (Ducati) 289pts

4, Glen Richards (Kawasaki) 255pts

5, Sean Emmett (Ducati) 247pts

6, Steve Plater (Honda) 246pts

7, Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) 214pts

8, Gary Mason (Yamaha) 208pts

9, Scott Smart (Kawasaki) 154pts

10, Steve Hislop (Yamaha) 122pts

Supersport Race Results:
1, Michael Laverty (Honda) 30m31.390s, 2, Karl Harris (Honda) +0.405s, 3, Craig Jones (Triumph) +10.653s, 4, Dean Thomas (Honda) +10.864s, 5, Simon Andrews (Yamaha) +11.134s, 6, Tom Sykes (Yamaha) +16.126s, 7, Stuart Easton (MonsterMob Ducati) +16.212s, 8, Jamie Robinson (Yamaha) +16.430s, 9, Kim Ashkenazi (Yamaha) +22.060s, 10, Tom Tunstall (Yamaha) +26.049s


Supersport Championship Points:
1, Karl Harris 235pts

2, Stuart Easton (MonsterMob Ducati) 192pts

3, Simon Andrews 146pts

4, Michael Laverty 127pts

5, Dean Thomas 116pts

6, John Crockford 95pts

7, Craig Jones 91pts

8, Tom Sykes 90pts

9, Adrian Coates 79pts

10, Rob Frost 78pts