From a press release issued by California Speedway:

THIS WEEKEND’S KING TACO 500 CART CHAMP CAR EVENT AND KING TACO 200 NASCAR WINSTON WEST SERIES EVENT POSTPONED

FONTANA, Calif. (October 28, 2003) — California Speedway’s King Taco 500 Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford event scheduled for Sunday, November 2nd, and the NASCAR Winston West Series King Taco 200 scheduled for Saturday, November 1st, have been postponed due to the state of emergency declared in San Bernardino County and surrounding counties as a result of the wildfires burning in the area. Potential alternative dates for rescheduling the events are being reviewed, according to Bill Miller, president of California Speedway.

“We have been monitoring the fire situation since it began last week in the northern section of Fontana, approximately five miles from the speedway,” Miller said. “As the fires have continued to spread, several issues were considered for us to arrive at this decision, including the proximity of the fire, the air quality, transportation issues and staffing requirements from a fire safety, medical, security and volunteer standpoint needed to stage an event. Based on the request of state and local officials, we are postponing this weekend’s events, and we will try to find suitable dates to reschedule them in the future.

“In addition, we have received a few comments from our guests urging us not to hold this event. We value the opinions of our customers. It is never easy to make a decision like this, but the bottom line is safety; the safety of the guests and the competitors. Based on the current situation, we can’t guarantee that this weekend will provide the appropriate atmosphere to conduct these events with the limited resources available because of the state of emergency, Miller said.

According to recent updates provided by incidentcontrol.com (a website monitoring the Grand Prix and Old Fires), more than 80,000 acres have burned in the San Bernardino area and more than 3,500 personnel are currently fighting this fire.

“We fully support the speedway’s decision to not run this weekend’s event,” NASCAR Regional Touring Series/Weekly Racing Series Director Chris Boals said. “We appreciate their efforts, in coordination with state and local authorities, in arriving at this decision. Conducting this event with the current state of affairs in Southern California is not prudent at this time, especially with several of our Winston West Series teams located in the area. The focus should be, and rightly so, on the situation at hand, and our thoughts are with all of those affected by the fires.”

Bill Miller concluded, “Public health and safety is paramount and the focus at these difficult times should be on family and helping your fellow neighbor. Citizens of Southern California have never experienced a fire of this magnitude and the devastation that it has placed upon our community. I’m committing the speedway to help in any way we can and will begin getting our staff organized to assist in relief efforts.”

From a press release issued by Team Oliver Yamaha:

Team Oliver Yamaha celebrates the perfect season with a wild party in Auberry, CA.

After winning twelve 250 Grand Prix races in a row, the last being the Roadracingworld.com 250/50 at Willow Springs, Team Oliver had time to relax and enjoy a Saturday of fun with their sponsors and friends. Flat track racing, target shooting, great food and a liberal amount of “sport drinks” were served to the guests. Friends and sponsors were able to enjoy first hand some of the Mystery School curriculum. For the first time ever Rich held two-50 lap dirt track main event night races, complete with Victory Circle ceremonies, under the glare of multiple halogen lights.

However, the allure of trophies, champagne, and prize money caused the party to take on a competitive atmosphere as racers vied for the huge rewards. Rich explains a few of the shenanigans of the evening, “The first thing I noticed my mechanic, Robert Ward, parking quite a ways away from everyone else as he was secretly prepping his Honda 100. However, Robert denied any extra preparation even though I knew he had been up to my property several times before practicing on the track, had his suspension adjusted by Jim Lindemann specifically for this night, a special engine pumped to the maximum capacity and had been mixing various fuel combinations like a mad scientist in a crazy laboratory all to have his bike fail him in the warm-up laps. It was popping and banging like a fourth of July celebration. He was crest-fallen as all of his efforts left him high and dry forcing him to sheepishly ask me to borrow one of my school fleet bikes.

“Then my neighbor Christoph showed up with a dual pronged attack. First was his entire lack of respect for the engine size limit showing up with a 200cc Honda and his secret weapon, nine-year old son Deitrich who raced his Honda 50 and tried to distract the participants with his strange weaving serpentine style. Christoph would ride behind Dietrich yelling strange commands such as ‘dodge left, rear right, you almost have him…’

“Representing Micron on the front row, was Doug Cameron. His strategy was to find the largest mudhole on the track and fly head long into it drenching himself with mud. His strategy was to use it as camouflage to sneak up on other riders and trick them into thinking he was just another part of track debris, however, they soon saw it was just Doug using the spray of the mud drippings to try to blind their way.

“Yamaha’s Jeff Jones was the smoothest of our riders and played the strategy of everyone’s friend off the track but on the track, he had the uncanny ability to outsmart the competition by avoiding the other riders on-track devious ploys.

“Wilson’s representative, Gary Georges was unable to participate in the night events as he had to leave to attend his own birthday party. Coincidentally his TTR125 Yamaha was also popping and banging and Gary was overheard on the way out saying ‘maybe I hurt it a little by adding all the nitro-methane to the gas.’

“Debra, the lone female representative, strategically picked the electric start TTR125 Yamaha with knobby tires giving her the advantage of increased traction and in case of a fall, a speedy restart.

“Completing the field was suspension expert Jim Lindemann who riding with a severe handicap still managed to put in great lap times. His handicap was that every few minutes he would pull off of the track and adjust his bike’s suspension, repeatedly reciting, ‘it’s only one click away from being perfect’ as he mimicked Rich at the races this year waiving his arms over his head and jumping up and down.”

Race One Race Report

Robert was out to a flying lead riding like a man possessed. I think he was so mad that his Honda had failed him that he had the red rage. Jeff was slotted solidly in second as Christoph, Deitrich and others started their attack. In the end, Robert sprayed champagne and took the $25 victory, while Christoph with his cannonball style passed Jeff for the $15 second place prize and Jeff cashed in with a whopping $10 for third.

Race Two Race Report

The riders positioned themselves at the line. The flag dropped and they were on their way. Feeling the adrenaline rush and seeing the dollar signs of the prize money, everyone rode a bit harder and out of their league as demonstrated with the hay bale face implant Christoph demonstrated half-way through the race. Stunned and pricked, he pulled to the center of the track, never to restart. Deitrich on the other hand, seeing his father’s misfortune dug down deep and held the Honda 50 wide open around the small oval track melting the soles of his rubber workman’s boots as he imitated those wearing the real steel shoes. In the end, Robert again tasted victory, Jeff improved his podium finish to second and little Deitrich glorified himself and his family with a strong third place.

On a more serious note, thank you to all of my sponsors, friends and fans for supporting me in this record setting final year of 250 Grand Prix racing.

From a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

MELANDRI ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY

Twenty-one-year old MotoGP rider Marco Melandri is back on the road to recovery after a two-and-a-half-hour operation to his right shoulder yesterday. The surgery, performed by Dr. Giuseppe Porcellini at the “Villa Serena” surgery in Forli, Italy, served a double purpose. Firstly, to repair the damage caused by Melandri’s shoulder dislocation which he suffered when he fell during the Australian Grand Prix over a week ago, and secondly to repair Melandri’s collarbone, which he damaged during a winter test in Portugal earlier this year. After consultation with Melandri and the team it was agreed that it made sense for Melandri to undergo surgery now so as not to risk further injury and to ensure a full recovery in time for the 2004 pre-season testing in January.

According to Doctor Costa, MotoGP’s Clinica Mobile doctor, the operation went smoothly and Melandri is already doing well. Costa confirmed that the rider should be ready to start a course of physiotherapy within 21 days, and to return to riding by January if everything goes according to plan.

Just hours after his operation, Melandri was already able to chat to friends and family members. Then today, after an uninterrupted sleep he was able to sit up in his hospital bed and eat by himself, and is due to have his drip removed this evening. Tomorrow Melandri will have an X-ray to confirm whether he will be allowed to go to his family home to convalesce.

Melandri commented from his hospital bed today, “All things considered, I feel alright. Compared to last time I had a similar operation on my other shoulder, at this stage after surgery I feel calmer and I’m more wide awake. I know that it will be painful for a while longer but according to the doctors, the operation went well and my recovery is going fine. I’m sure I made the right choice with Yamaha to have this done now. It’s likely that I’ll go back to my family’s home tomorrow and I think that will be enough to keep me smiling!”

Norick Abe will replace Melandri riding the YZR-M1 in the Fortuna Yamaha Team at the Valencia Grand Prix in Spain this weekend.

From a press release issued by AHRMA:

AHRMA to offer two rounds of racing at Daytona

American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association road racing at Daytona International Speedway during Bike Week is traditionally one event spread over two days. For 2004, however, AHRMA will double the racing opportunities at Daytona, offering a complete round of its Historic Cup Series each day, Monday and Tuesday, March 1 and 2.

By doubling the amount of track time, the change is expected to be more attractive to overseas riders and others who must travel a great distance to race on the famed 3.56-mile super-speedway. Additionally, AHRMA and WERA Vintage are again joining forces for a pre-Daytona practice day and two days of racing, Feb. 25-27 at Jennings GP in Jennings, Fla.

AHRMA offers a wide variety of classes for machines from the pre-war era up to 1980, plus Sound of Singles, Battle of Twins and Sound of Thunder classes for modern singles, twins and three-cylinder motorcycles.

Entry forms will be available in mid-November at www.ahrma.org, as well as by request from AHRMA, P.O. Box 1725, Goodlettsville, TN 37070; 615-851-3674; fax 615-851-3678. Bike Week info, as well as AHRMA’s complete rulebook, also are available on the organization’s website.

From a press release issued by Sportbike Track Time:

SPORTBIKE TRACK TIME EXPANDS TRACK DAY OPERATIONS NATIONWIDE

DELTA, OH – October 28, 2003 ­ Sportbike Track Time, one of the country’s largest providers of track day events with over 70 dates at 12 racetracks in 2003, announced today that they are expanding operations in 2004 to include west coast and southern venues.

“We will publicize our 2004 west coast and southern region dates once all our venues have finalized their respective calendars,” stated Monte Lutz, co-owner of Sportbike Track Time with wife Bonnie Strawser. “After the success of the 2003 Femmoto event at Pahrump (Nevada) and our record rider turnout this past season at all our other venues across the country, we felt it was a very good time to bring our events to a west coast audience and ramp up our presence in the southern states.”

“We also plan to run a couple Aprilia demo days in the west coast and southern regions with our sizeable fleet of bikes for riders looking to get their first taste of an Aprilia motorcycle on the racetrack”, stated Bonnie, who managed the wildly successful second annual Femmoto event which also offered on track demo rides from several manufacturers.

To launch successful expansion divisions, they have recruited several seasoned track day organizers and staff who are already well known in the riding community. On the west coast, Todd Robinson, formerly of Pacific Track Time, will be Event Director, assisted by Oliver Chami, Amir Khoyi, Matthias Jezek, and others from his team to run novice orientation schools at all events. In the southern region, Aprilia riders Ron and Nancy Johnson, of the popular Deal’s Gap website www.tailoftheDragon.com will be Event Directors. They will be assisted by Mark and Lois Sheldon and their team. Mark is heading up the on-track and classroom instructional program and brings with him over 30 years of performance riding experience.

“We are thrilled to see that Todd, wife Mindy, and the rest of the family will make a solid recovery from injuries sustain in an SUV accident earlier this year and that Todd will be able to ride for us in 2004. Todd, Ron, and Nancy all share the same vision for providing a quality track day with solicitous and professional staff as we do,” said Monte & Bonnie. “So, we are very excited to have them join our team as we offer west coast and southern riders a safe and enjoyable track experience.”

About Sportbike Track Time

Sportbike Track Time is the premier motorcycle track day provider in the country with a well deserved reputation for operational excellence and safety. Founded in 1997 by Monte Lutz and Bonnie Strawser, Sportbike Track Time operates events at Road America, Mid Ohio, Grattan, Pahrump, Gingerman, Beaver Run, Moroso, Talladega, North Florida Motorsports Park, Putnam Park, Virginia International Raceway, and Barber Motorsports Complex. Sportbike Track Time is a privately held company. For more information on Sportbike Track Time visit http://www.sportbiketracktime.com

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

AMA Red Bull Supermoto team championships heating up coming into Irwindale

Red Bull HMC KTM leading both team classes

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Oct. 27, 2003) — The team titles in the AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship are coming down to the wire as round five of the series heads to Irwindale, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 1. The powerful Red Bull HMC KTM squad leads the series in both the Supermoto class as well as the Supermoto Unlimited class. Red Bull HMC KTM could wrap up the overall team title in Supermoto Unlimited at Irwindale. Team championships are determined by the best score of the top two riders from each team at each round. There will also be an individual champion crowned in each class.

The competition is very close in the Supermoto class. The Red Bull HMC KTM Supermoto Racing Team 1 with riders Grant Langston, Ben Carlson, Boris Chambon, Doug Chandler and Chris Fillmore hold a narrow 10-point lead over the charging Troy Lee Designs Honda squad of Jeff Ward, Jeremy McGrath, Troy Lee and Jake Zemke. Red Bull HMC KTM Team 1 has had a steady season with Chandler taking the win at the rain-delayed South Boston, Va., round, but with three wins by Ward and two podiums by McGrath, the Troy Lee Designs Honda team has stormed back into contention, in spite of missing the Virginia race.

Another good performance by Ward and McGrath could put the Troy Lee team atop the standings after this coming round. Should both of the powerful leading two supermoto squads have problems, the CHM Exhaust McAllister Motorsports Honda I team is not far behind in third place.

In Supermoto Unlimited action, Red Bull HMC KTM Supermoto Racing Team 1 has seen less competition and has dominated the team series all season. The team’s closest rival is the Red Bull HMC KTM Racing Team 2 with Larry Pegram and Ken Coolbeth. Carlson, Chambon and Fillmore have all won rounds in Supermoto Unlimited this season aboard the potent KTM 525 SMC. The East Hills Motorsports Harrington Vertemati squad is a distant third.

In addition to bragging rights, teams are gunning for their share of the $25,000 year-end championship point fund that will be awarded to the top-15 Supermoto class teams based on points earned throughout the season.

The Irwindale round is the last race leading up the AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship finale at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino on Friday, Nov. 21 in Las Vegas. The Irwindale round will be taped for a Nov. 20 airing on Outdoor Life Network.

The event at Irwindale Speedway will be held on a NASCAR-style paved oval similar to that of South Boston Speedway. Featuring high-speed sweeping turns on the track’s banked corners as well as tight, technical sections constructed in the facility’s infield, the race promises to deliver plenty of close racing.

For additional information on the coming race, contact Irwindale Speedway at (661) 816-7647 or visit www.supermotowest.com. For tickets call (626) 358-1100.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Former AMA Pro Thunder National Champion Jeff Nash is recovering from surgery to plate both bones in his lower left leg, which he broke in a trail-riding incident a week ago Sunday.

Nash was released from a Dallas, Texas hospital on Friday.

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

CARR EARNS AMA PRO RACING SPEED CHANNEL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINATION

Veteran rider only the second rider in AMA Grand National history to win five titles

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Oct. 27, 2003) — For the third straight year Chris Carr has earned a nomination for the AMA Pro Racing Speed Channel Athlete of the Year. Carr, 36, of Fleetwood, Pa., became only the second rider in a half-century of AMA Grand National competition to win five championships. He is the winningest active rider in the AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship with 62-career national victories. This year marks Carr’s sixth nomination for the coveted Athlete of the Year award.

In 2003 Carr won a series-leading five races putting him second all-time in AMA Grand National Series wins to retired rival and recent Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee Scott Parker. With three victories on short tracks this season Carr also moved to the head of pack in the all-time career AMA Short Track wins list ahead of legends Kenny Roberts and Steve Eklund. Carr just completed his 17th season on the AMA Grand National circuit. He spent two years away from the flat track series while he pursued a road racing career on Harley-Davidson’s factory Superbike team. In 1996 he gave Harley-Davidson its first and only AMA Superbike pole at Pomona, Calif.

Carr won his first AMA Grand National Championship in 1992 and followed that up with titles in 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2003. He will be gunning for his fourth-straight championship in next year’s 50th anniversary season of AMA Grand National racing.

“It feels good to be nominated again, however I’m not getting my hopes up to win the award,” Carr joked. “I’m fortunate to be in a position to be nominated for such a prestigious award once again. Someday if I win this thing we’re going to have a real big party.”

Carr rode three brands of motorcycles during the 2003 season – VOR, Rotax and Harley-Davidson, all sponsored by Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned Ford. Carr started the season with a victory in the Daytona Beach Short Track series opener. He never relinquished the championship lead throughout the entire season. That’s the first time that’s been done in the AMA Grand National Series since Dick Mann led from flag-to-flag in 1971. In all Carr scored nine podium finishes with victories in Daytona Beach, Fla., Chillicothe, Ohio, Haubstadt, Ind., Hagerstown, Md., and Columbus, Ohio.

Tune in to 2 Wheel Tuesday on the Speed Channel, Tuesday night at 10:30 p.m. (EST) where host Greg White will feature this week’s nominee.

The presentation of the AMA Pro Racing Speed Channel Athlete of the Year Award will take place at the AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet on Saturday evening, Nov. 22 at the Rio Suites Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The public is invited to the banquet. Tickets are just $125, which includes banquet admission, hors d’oeuvres and dinner. For ticket information, call (614) 856-1900, ext. 1342. To reserve a room at the Rio Suites Hotel and Casino at the special rate of $125 plus tax per night, contact the Rio directly at (888) 746-6955.

From a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

Valencia Grand Prix
Valencia, Spain
October 31, November 1/2 2003

CHECA TO BE JOINED BY ABE IN 2003 SEASON FINALE
Exactly 30 weeks since the 2003 MotoGP season kicked off at the Japanese Grand Prix in April, a bizarre twist of fate now brings the Fortuna Yamaha Team back to a similar situation to the one it faced for the season-opening round. Just as Norick Abe stepped in to replace Marco Melandri after his serious first morning practice accident in Suzuka, Japanese Abe will once again fly the flag for Yamaha’s factory team this weekend by replacing the young Italian rider for the Valencia Grand Prix. Melandri dislocated his right shoulder in a fall during the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island nearly two weeks ago, and will undergo surgery this week to repair the damage to his shoulder cap. Abe will join Carlos Checa in the Fortuna Yamaha Team’s Valencia line-up.

Spanish rider Carlos Checa last rode at the Valencia circuit during Fortuna Yamaha’s winter testing and is looking forward to racing there again. The recently turned 31-year-old has had an interesting past at the Spanish circuit, last year narrowly escaping injury in a start-line collision. Having qualified fifth, Checa was looking forward to a good ride but he unfortunately stalled his YZR-M1 as the pack pulled away from the starting grid, and was rammed from behind by fast moving Jose Luis Cardoso. Neither rider was hurt but Checa was disappointed to miss out on the last chance of the year to pull off a good result. The previous year Checa was forced to start the Valencia GP from the pit lane after a sighting-lap crash. He carved his way through the 20-strong pack of riders to a stunning fourth place finish.

This year Checa would love to please his local fans with a podium finish, and has been enjoying set-up improvements to his M1 machine at the past few races. He currently lies eighth in the championship standings and is keen to gain extra points and if possible improve his position in Valencia.

“It’s my last chance this year to go for it in Valencia,” said Checa. “Of course my crew and I have tried our hardest all season but for one reason or another things haven’t gone quite the way we hoped. Hopefully in front of my home crowd of fans I can give them something to cheer about this weekend.

“The settings that we used in winter testing won’t really apply now because of the difference in conditions but at the last races we have found a good direction, and hopefully that will work in Valencia as well. My target is to get the maximum points I can. Valencia is quite hard work because there are so many corners so the bike needs very light handling. It’s a fun circuit to ride at because it’s an amphitheatre-style layout for the crowd, and you can hear the echoes of their cheers all around the circuit.”

MELANDRI TO MISS VALENCIA DUE TO SHOULDER OPERATION
Melandri was on fine form in what was his last Grand Prix of 2003, leading some of the first half of the 27-lap race, and fighting amongst the top three riders. He made some impressively daring moves at the high-speed circuit but was unfortunately high-sided out of the race at half-distance. The 21-year-old sought expert medical advice on his return to Italy last week and has since decided to proceed with an operation this week. Although saddened that he will not be able to participate in this weekend’s Spanish race, Melandri and his team feel that the operation makes sense in order to avoid further risk of injury and to ensure a full and speedy recovery. The 250cc World Champion currently lies fifteenth in the championship standings in his MotoGP rookie season, and expects to be back in action for Yamaha’s winter testing in January 2004.

“It’s a real pity that Marco cannot race in Valencia because he gave such an impressive performance in Phillip Island, and made many improvements towards the end of the season,” commented Fortuna Yamaha Team director Davide Brivio. “We are really happy with the progress he has made this year, and having discussed his injury with him we decided together that it would be for the best for him to undergo surgery on his shoulder this week. That way Marco will be able to start testing for 2004 in January in perfect condition. We wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to him coming back even stronger for 2004.

“We have nominated Norick as his replacement, who we know very well, and who is the perfect replacement under these circumstances. He has always been a good ambassador for Yamaha, and I’m sure he can do a good race in Valencia.

“This will be one of Carlos’ home Grands Prix, and as the last race of the season it’s his last opportunity to try to get the best result possible before winter testing begins for 2004.”

This weekend’s Valencia Grand Prix in Spain is the sixteenth round of the championship, and marks the final of the 2003 MotoGP season. The closing race is always a popular event, and an important opportunity for the riders to make their mark before the five-month interval away from racing. What is known as the “off-season” brings no chance to relax, as riders and their teams embark on a busy testing schedule throughout the winter months before the 2004 season restarts in April.

ABE LOOKING FORWARD TO CHAMPIONSHIP COMEBACK
Norick Abe’s relationship with Yamaha goes back a long way. The Japanese rider first rode for the marque in 1994, when he replaced an injured Daryl Beattie in Kenny Roberts Snr’s Yamaha effort in the 500cc series. By the following year Abe had earned himself a permanent place in the Roberts squad, and he remained there for two years while he proved his reputation for consistency and gained a first victory in Suzuka in 1996. Then it was on to Yamaha Team Rainey for the next two years, where he achieved a string of podium finishes. Abe’s next move was to the Spanish-based Antena 3 Yamaha d’Antin team, where he remained until just last year.

In 2003 Abe has performed an official role as Yamaha’s test rider, scheduled to race as a wildcard rider at several of the MotoGP championship races. However, he was asked to stand in for Marco Melandri with the Fortuna Yamaha Team at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka in April this year, when the young Italian was injured during the first day of practice. Abe raced both in the first round at Suzuka and the ensuing race in Welkom, while Melandri convalesced, and he finished eleventh and eighth respectively. Since Welkom Abe has also raced at the Le Mans and Sachsenring as a wildcard, finishing eleventh and tenth respectively. Abe is delighted to be representing Yamaha’s factory team in this weekend’s Valencia Grand Prix.

“I am really looking forward to riding as a substitute for Marco in Valencia,” said the 28-year-old Japanese rider. “I haven’t raced since the German Grand Prix in July but I have been maintaining my physical condition since then, however, by training as much as I can. So I think I’m in pretty good shape right now.

“I do feel a bit of pressure now after three months away from the circuit. Before I leave Japan for Valencia this week, I plan to go riding at a motocross track a couple of times as I’ve always found it useful preparation. Valencia isn’t one of my best tracks but nevertheless, now that I have this chance to race again, I am certainly going to try my hardest to do well. I won’t go into this thinking that Valencia isn’t my favourite track, I am just going to give it my all.”


TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
The Valencia circuit has good positive camber and an abrasive surface, however the combination of its undulating layout, stop-and-go corners, bumps, and a tight and twisty design increases the chances of front-end crashes. In order to achieve front-end feedback, the Fortuna Yamahas will sport a geometry that will raise the front slightly compared to what is run at most other circuits, with the rear lowered. This will allow for stability under brakes and a solid front-end through the transition as the rider trail brakes into the turn. With the forks set to use their full stroke the agility of the bike is not compromised to too great an extent.

A common mistake is to focus too much on agility by loading up the front with a more aggressive geometry. Experience has shown that this only leads to a loss of front-end feel and, eventually, a loss of confidence. With a more stable bike the rider can be more assertive and therefore more likely to produce a faster lap time. With the YZR-M1 much of this front-end feel will be sought through the bike’s rear suspension unit. The movement of the rear shock will be tuned to offer a linear action, and it will be dialled in to deal with the higher loads produced by such a powerful bike driving off such well cambered slow-speed corners. This will also help reduce the likelihood of the bike trying to wheelie off the turns.

Since acceleration is a key factor Yamaha will target the engine performance towards throttle linearity and good low to mid range. This will be more essential for a fast lap time than for an outright top speed, but even so over-rev must be factored into the equation.


CARLOS CHECA : INFORMATION
Age: 31
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: 150 (30 x MotoGP, 92×500, 27×250, 1×125)
Pole positions: 2 (1 x MotoGP, 1 x 500)
First pole: Spain, 1998 (500)
Valencia 2002 results. Grid: 5th, Race: DNF

NORICK ABE : INFORMATION
Age: 28
Lives: Sitges, Spain
Bike: Fortuna Yamaha Team YZR-M1
GP victories: 3 (500)+
First GP victory: Japan, 1996 (500)
First GP: Japan, 1994 (500)
GP starts: 139 (19 x MotoGP, 92×500, 27×250, 1×125)
Pole positions: 0
Valencia 2002 results (YZR-M1). Grid: 20th, Race: 7th

Valencia MotoGP lap record
1:33.873 (Alex Barros (Honda) 2002)

Circuit best lap
1:33.211 (Max Biaggi (Yamaha) 2002)


More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2003
ROUND 16 – VALENCIA GRAND PRIX
27TH OCTOBER 2003 – EVENT PREVIEW

FUCHS KAWASAKI HEAD FOR SEASON FINALE

Fuchs Kawasaki riders, Andrew Pitt and Garry McCoy, head for this weekend’s season finale at Valencia full of motivation, and determined to end the 2003 MotoGP World Championship on a high note.

Pitt scored Kawasaki’s first Grand Prix points for over two decades when he finished twelfth in his debut at Valencia last year; his best result to date. A former World Supersport Champion, Pitt has conquered a steep learning curve over the past 12 months and the Australian is keen to improve upon his personal best finish on his return to the 4km Ricardo Tormo circuit this weekend.

For McCoy the Valencia GP, which he won in 2000, will have added significance because it will mark his final race appearance aboard the Ninja ZX-RR. Although he will not ride for Kawasaki in 2004, McCoy is aiming to finish the season on a high, bringing down the curtain on long season of testing and racing.

McCoy’s wet race ninth place in the French GP at Le Mans remains the best result by a Kawasaki rider this season and improving on that is a driving motivation for both riders this weekend.

And while McCoy prepares to move on when the chequered flag falls in Valencia the work will not stop for the Kawasaki Racing Team, who will stay on in Spain for a test session next week. This will be the next important step forward in the development program of Kawasaki’s MotoGP project.

Since last week’s home Grand Prix at Phillip Island, both McCoy and Pitt have enjoyed a few days beach side vacation in Australia. Pitt took in the four-wheel action of the CART Champ Car World Series race at Surfers Paradise; while McCoy spent time with family and friends and made sure his Kawasaki jet skis remained fully operational.

The Valencia track is a stadium-style layout with excellent spectator views from huge grandstands, although the compromise is a convoluted design with a series of switchback, stop-and-go corners. Only a recent addition to the MotoGP calendar this will be just the fifth running of the Valencia GP, which started in 1999.

Andrew Pitt
“My best result so far came at Valencia last year, but I’ve go to admit that it’s not one of my favourite tracks. It’s tight and twisty, which is fine if you’re on a Supersport 600, but not so good when you’re trying to muscle something as big and fast as a MotoGP machine around; it’s hard work! Having said that, I want to end the season with a good result, so I’ll be focussing on a strong qualifying run this weekend; starting further up the grid is a big help and I want to be closer to the front than I have been in previous races. When everything is finished after the Valencia race and test next week I’m looking forward to some time off. I really haven’t had break away from riding, either racing or testing, for two seasons, so it will be good to freshen up ready for next year.”

Garry McCoy
“I never expected things to be easy during Kawasaki’s first year in MotoGP, but it’s fair to say things haven’t turned out exactly as I thought they would. Even though this is my final race aboard the Kawasaki I’ll be going flat out as usual and would like to finish the season with my best result. I’ve been on the podium twice at Valencia, although I think the team understands that winning like I did here three years ago is beyond the reach of the ZX-RR at the moment. Like me, the team is very competitive and we all want better results and everyone has worked hard this year getting the ZX-RR project up and running. Kawasaki have thrown all their effort and technology into the project and I’m sure the work will reward them in the future.”


More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing Information:

PRAMAC RACING PREVIEW

MotoGP – Round 16 – Valencia (Spain)

30 September – 1/2 November 2003

Preview

GRAND FINALE: LAST CHAMPIONSHIP RACE IN VALENCIA AMPHITHEATRE

After a year of thrilling races, the 2003 season comes to a close. The “grand finale”, after the long tour overseas, is set for Catalunya, in the modern facilities at Valencia: the motorcycling stadium. A sort of amphitheatre, because the technical circuit with breathtaking corners was designed for the public: it is like an immense stadium where the entire track can be seen from the stands. Sporting passion reaches soccer-like fever pitch in this 150,000-place facility, making Valencia one of the most intriguing events in the MotoGP.

Well known by the riders, the Comunitat Valenciana is one of the most used circuits in Europe for the winter tests. The colossal paddock area and all the facilities are modern and recently built. The technical features of the track and the mild climate ensured by its proximity to the sea mean that the Valencia circuit is also often used by the F1 teams for their tests.

THE CIRCUIT.
Length: 4,005 metres, 9 left-handers, 5 right-handers
longest straight: 876 metres
Maximum width: 12 metres
Year of construction: 1999.

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

CIRCUIT RECORDS.
125: 1:40.252, Jenkner 2002
250: 1:36.398, Nakano, 2000
MotoGP: 1:3.873, Barros, 2002.

CAMEL PRAMAC PONS TEAM WINS WORLD “VICE-CHAMPION” TITLE ONE RACE BEFORE END

The Pramac group has scored a significant success in the motorcycling world. The race at Phillip Island in Australia assigned Camel Pramac Pons Team the title of world vice champion in the special team ratings. The eleven points scored by Tohru Ukawa “down under” put the team into second place in the definitive overall ratings.

Max Biaggi, who went for a slide on the detritus left on the track by a contact between two riders, got back into the race but failed to finish in the points zone. Even so, the important achievement of the Camel Pramac Pons Team in the 2003 season is due to his extraordinary consistency, to his two outright victories and to his impressive number of rostrum placings. Third overall, the four-times world champion Massimiliano Biaggi and the Japanese rider in the team flying the yellow-blue banner, Ukawa, are ready for the final scene in the land of Spain: a circuit that gives them yet one more chance of success.

MAKOTO TAMADA MAKES TOP TEN IN AUSTRALIA

Tenth past the chequered flag in Australia, Makoto Tamada is preparing for the last race of the season in Valencia. This is a circuit he knows, since he came here for a series of tests in the month of March, so it will not be an unknown factor as so many of the tracks have been for him in his first year in the MotoGP. The consistently improving Bridgestone tyres have proved in this part of the season that they have enormous potential, and in Valencia they may well confirm the good results the Japanese manufacturer has already been obtaining in its first four-stroke MotoGP season.

Tamada is currently 11th in the overall standings, 10 points behind Alexander Barros who is now tenth. Makoto’s ambitious objective and dream could be to bridge the gap separating him from the Brazilian and finish his debut year in the MotoGP in the TOP 10.

Makoto is also third in the “Rookie of the Year” ratings for riders in their first year in the MotoGP and, unless there are any great surprises, he should end the year in this position, just after Hayden and Bayliss.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

HARD TRAIL ENDS WITH HIGHER HOPES

Team Suzuki Press Office – October 27th 2003
Valencia GP – Round 16. November 2, 2003. Ricardo Tormo Circuit.

The last race of a high-intensity and epically competitive MotoGP season puts a full stop to a gruelling round-the-world chase.

For Suzuki, the Valencia GP represents something else as well.

The closing round of the year is another chance to feel out end-of-season improvements to the 990cc GSV-R racer; to feed back crucial information to designers working on next year’s machine. And to repeat the double-points result at the last of the three flyaway races, last weekend’s Australian GP.

2000 World Champion Kenny Roberts claimed his best finish of the year in ninth place at Phillip Island, and team-mate John Hopkins was a fighting 12th, in his return from a controversial one-race suspension.

Fighting to be in the top ten is not the factory’s traditional agenda. The aim is always to be fighting for race wins and championships – that is where Suzuki belongs. The factory plans to get back there with an evolutionary Mk3 version of the four-cam 16-valve V4 racing motor. This last race of 2003 will add yet more data to the engineers’ fact sheets.

The improved year-end performances of the 2003 version of Suzuki’s fastest-ever racing machine show that development is moving in the right direction. The biggest step forward came with a fresh round of hardware at home in Japan, for the Pacific GP at Motegi. Since then, the team has been racing every weekend, in Malaysia and then in Australia.

Valencia follows a much-needed weekend off. “As always, there will be new bits and pieces to try for this race. But the main object is to sustain the improvement achieved since Motegi,” said team manager Garry Taylor.

“Factory engineers gave us new parts there that improved overall performance, and they showed other new development ideas. The better package gave everybody a bit of a boost after a difficult season. What is more, it showed in improving lap times and race results.

“We need to keep that momentum going at Valencia, to go into the winter break still moving in the right direction,” he concluded.

KENNY ROBERTS – KEEPING CONSTRUCTIVE: I’ve been keeping realistic goals over the last races. We know what our bike is capable of. The important thing is to give the factory engineers the information they need to build a competitive bike. As I said in Australia, I know I am capable of winning these races, and I believe Suzuki is as well.

JOHN HOPKINS – BRAKING FOR RESULTS: Valencia is such a tight track, and you’re hard on the brakes a lot of the time. That’s pretty much good for my style, so I’m expecting to have some fun. I also want to end my first season with Suzuki with something decent. At the first race in Spain this season I was seventh, my best result. That’d be something to shoot for.

ABOUT THIS TRACK: Named in honour of the late former World Champion Ricardo Tormo, the track at Valencia was first used in 1999, and typifies the new-millennium style of stadium circuit. Huge grandstands and natural hillside terraces offer spectators a view of almost the entire 2.489-mile length from a number of possible vantage points. This means the lap has been crammed into a very compact area, looping back and forth, and then back again in front of the massed spectators. Inevitably this means a lot of hard braking and some pushing and shoving – but careful design has given the track a fast straight and some challenging faster corners as well. The lap starts with an epic left-hander, and closes with a series of medium-speed corners taken at high lean angles, but requiring both braking and acceleration – a stimulating riding challenge.

ABOUT THIS RACE: The European season started in Spain at Jerez, and closes at Valencia for a fifth year in succession. This year, for the second time, the Valencia race also closes the year of racing. With the MotoGP title decided two races ago, along with the 125 title, only the 250 title remains to be decided. But either way the Spanish fans, passionate about MotoGP racing, will jam the stands at their third race of the year.

GP DATA
Ricardo Tormo Circuit, Valencia
Circuit Length: 2.489 miles – 4.005 km
Lap Record: 1:33.873 – 95.44 mph, 153.590 km/h, A Barros (Honda) 2002
2002 Race Winner: Alex Barros
2002 Race Average: 47:22.634 – 94.89 mph / 152.7141 km/h
2002 Fastest Race Lap: see record
2002 Pole Position: M Biaggi (Yamaha) 1:33.211
2002 Kenny Roberts: Did not finish, qualified 14th (Telefónica MoviStar Suzuki)
2002 Sete Gibernau: 13th, qualified tenth (Telefónica MoviStar Suzuki)
2002 John Hopkins: 11th, qualified 17th (Red Bull Yamaha 500)


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI MARLBORO MEN AIM TO FINISH AMAZING DEBUT SEASON WITH A FLOURISH
Sunday’s Marlboro Valencia Grand Prix marks the end of the historic 2003 MotoGP World Championship. This year will long be remembered as the year during which MotoGP became a fully four-stroke series and as the year that marked the arrival of the remarkable Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici.

The hugely impressive Italian V4 has blazed a trail through the 2003 MotoGP series, winning its first Grand Prix , scoring no less than eight podium finishes and starting three GPs from pole position. Such results have helped Ducati take second place in the MotoGP Constructors’ World Championship, a wonderful achievement from the factory’s first Grand Prix campaign in more than three decades.

Now riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss want to crown the Ducati Marlboro Team’s debut MotoGP campaign with another great result at Valencia. And Sunday’s season finale is a notable event for both men: Capirossi’s 200th Grand Prix start and the race that marks the completion of Bayliss’ rookie MotoGP season.


DESMOSEDICI MARKS ONE YEAR OF DELIGHTING RACING FANS
It was at Valencia exactly one year ago that the Desmosedici MotoGP bike broke cover for the first time – Troy Bayliss and test rider Vittoriano Guareschi giving the machine its public debut in front of 120,000 appreciative fans. Since then the machine’s achievements have delighted race fans around the world, the V4’s fabulous performance and stunning exhaust note adding a whole new dimension to GP racing.

Of course, the Ducati Marlboro Team knows full well that 2003 is just the beginning of its Grand Prix effort. While Bayliss and Loris Capirossi have been wowing race fans with the bright red V4, research and development have continued apace in the factory’s Bologna race department. And the team begins its own preparations for 2004 on Tuesday November 4. That’s right – Bayliss, Capirossi and the rest of the crew get one day off between the end of their 2003 season and the start of 2004 preseason tests!

“This has been an amazing year for us, we can hardly believe that it’s already almost over,” says Ducati Marlboro Team director Livio Suppo. “We’ve enjoyed some very high emotions over the past seven months which have helped the season to go by very quickly. One win, eight podiums and three pole positions is an incredible achievement in our first year, plus we’ve taken second in the Constructors’ World Championship and Loris has secured fourth in the Riders’ World Championship. Such results were just a dream to us this time last year.

“It’s a pity that Troy may lose the fifth place in the championship that he held for so long, but he’s still had a great debut season in MotoGP. Let’s hope we can celebrate a great year with two impressive results at Valencia. And we won’t be resting on our laurels once the racing is over – we start testing for next year on Tuesday!

“Finally, my thanks to everyone involved in this project: the riders, the team, the factory, our technical partners at Shell Advance and Michelin, plus, of course, all our fans. We appreciate their support and look forward to an even better 2004.”

While the team is already looking towards next year, it must now focus its attentions on achieving the best-possible performance at the tricky, slow-speed Valencia venue.

“Valencia is a very strange track,” affirms Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli. “It combines a very twisty stop-and-go section with a long main straight. The straight isn’t one of the fastest in GP racing, because the preceding corner is very slow, but it is long.

“Engine rideability and traction are the crucial performance factors at Valencia. And there are some very tricky sections – like the final fast left, which riders tackle with full throttle and very little load on the rear tyre as they crest the brow of the hill.

“We don’t plan to alter the engine mapping for such a tight and slow circuit – we prefer that our riders stay familiar with the bike’s behaviour from one track to another, so they know exactly how it reacts. We tested at Valencia last November but the bike has changed a lot since then, so I don’t think that data will be of much use this weekend. But at least both our riders have ridden the bike at this track, so we’re not going into it blind as we have done at places like Motegi and Rio.”


CAPIROSSI HITS DOUBLE CENTURY
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Loris Capirossi reaches a remarkable landmark in his illustrious career at the Marlboro Valencia GP – his 200th Grand Prix start. The little Italian came into GP racing as a fresh-faced teenager in the spring of 1990. He was an immediate success, winning that year’s 125 World Championship at his first attempt. Since then he’s won another two titles in the 125 and 250 classes and several premier-class GP successes, most notably his historic win in June’s Marlboro Catalan MotoGP race.

“It has been an honour to race the Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici in its debut year,” says Capirossi. “And it was an even greater honour to win the bike’s first victory. June 15 was a very special day for me, the team and everyone involved with Ducati. Now we return to Spain and try to repeat that success, and I can hardly believe that this is my 200th World Championship race. Valencia won’t be easy because it’s a very unusual circuit, with many slow-speed corners that lead into each other. It’s maybe not the ideal racetrack for a 220-plus horsepower motorcycle! However, I’m sure we can be competitive, we had a great GP in Australia two weeks ago, we just need to maintain our progress from there.”

Capirossi finished third in the 1999 Valencia 250 GP but hasn’t had much luck in past three premier-class GPs at the track.


BAYLISS COMPLETES HIS ROOKIE YEAR
If team-mate Loris Capirossi won the Desmosedici’s first victory, Troy Bayliss has had a similarly impressive rookie MotoGP campaign with the Ducati Marlboro Team. The former World Superbike champion had so much to learn in 2003 – a new kind of motorcycle and many new racetracks – but he has consistently amazed GP regulars with his speed, determination and aggression.

So far Bayliss has scored two front-row starts and three podium finishes, coming within a second of taking another victory for the Desmosedici at August’s Czech GP. He returns to action at the Marlboro Valencia Grand Prix after an Australian GP that promised so much – the Aussie qualified on the front row but crashed out during the early stages, sustaining mild concussion.

“We were up for a good result at Phillip Island, but that’s racing, you’ve got to take the knocks,” says Bayliss, who hopes to make amends at Valencia, where he has scored race wins for Ducati in World Superbike. “You always want a good result in the last race to take you into the winter with a smile on your face, so that’s what we’ll be going for this weekend. I know Valencia pretty well, so we’ll be working hard to use everything we’ve learned so far this year. It’s been an up and down season for us – I’ve been up the front a few times but I’ve not won a race, and that’s the only reason I go racing – to win.”


THE TRACK
Valencia is the second-slowest circuit in GP racing with an average lap speed of just 154kmh, marginally faster than Estoril, venue for September’s Marlboro Portuguese GP. Most of the track’s corners are slow, in-and-out turns, grouped closely together, this unusual layout affording spectators a mostly unobstructed view of the entire circuit – a real rarity in the world of motorsport. It’s an immensely physical circuit with riders afforded little rest between bouts of heavy acceleration, braking and cornering.

This weekend Valencia hosts its fifth Grand Prix after featuring on the World Championship calendar for the first time in 1999. The circuit is one of several recently created in Spain, where motorcycling racing is the nation’s second most popular sport, after football. The venue is officially christened the Ricardo Tormo circuit, in honour of the late Spanish rider, a former 50cc World Champion.


VALENCIA: 4.005 km / 2,503 miles
Lap record: Alex Barros (Honda), 1m 33.873s (153.590kmh/95.436mph)
Pole position 2002: Max Biaggi (Marlboro Yamaha Team), 1m 33.211


DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM DATA LOGS
TROY BAYLISS
Age: 34
Lives: Monaco
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici
First GP: Australia, 1997 (250)
GP starts: 16 (15xMotoGP, 1×250)
World Superbike victories: 22
World Championships: 1 (Superbike: 2001)
Valencia 2002 results: DNS

LORIS CAPIROSSI
Age: 30
Lives: Monaco
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici
GP victories: 23 (1xMotoGP, 2×500, 12×250, 8×125)
First GP victory: Britain, 1990 (125)
First GP: Japan, 1990 (125)
GP starts: 199 (29xMotoGP, 59×500, 84×250, 27×125)
Pole positions: 36 (3xMotoGP, 5×500, 23×250, 5×125)
First pole: Australia, 1991 (

From a press release issued by WERA:

WERA GRAND NATIONAL FINALS AT ROAD ATLANTA WRAP UP 2003 SEASON; SUZUKI CUP FINALS TO DETERMINE CHAMPIONS

BRASELTON, Ga.- The hilly terrain of Road Atlanta will be alive this weekend, October 30-November 2, as WERA presents the Grand National Finals, where 56 champions will be crowned as the best racers in WERA come together for the culmination of an exciting 2003 season.

The WERA GNF is the biggest event of the season for the series, which is hailed as a breeding ground for up and coming talent in motorcycle road racing. All of WERA’s divisions will compete during the weekend, including the Dunlop/WERA National Endurance Series, the National Challenge Series, the Vintage Series and winner-take-all Sportsman sprint races featuring the top riders from each of WERA’s seven regions.

Four full days of racing action begin on Thursday, October 30, when the National Vintage Series holds all of their final races, and the first nine Sportsman Series Finals get underway. Each sprint race will consist of eight laps around Road Atlanta’s 2.54-mile, 12-turn circuit. Racing begins following morning practice sessions.

The tenth round of the Dunlop/WERA National Endurance Series gets the green flag on Friday, October 31, and will last for four hours as five classes of bikes battle for overall and class victories. The day will end with five more Sportsman Series sprint races.

Saturday’s racing features 15 races. The Sportsman Series Finals will conclude with ten sprint races, and six-lap heat races will be held to determine the starting grids for Sunday’s Suzuki Cup Finals. The classes for Suzuki Cup include TL1000R, GSX-R1000, GSX-R750, GSX-R600 and SV650. Racing begins at noon on both Saturday and Sunday.

Sunday, October 31, will have plenty of competition as the top riders in WERA battle for championships in the National Challenge Series sprint races. The Suzuki Cup Finals, which feature the top privateer Suzuki riders in the United States, will each be ten laps in length.

Tickets for the weekend start at just $20 for Sunday. A ticket for Saturday and Sunday is just $30, Friday through Sunday is $35, and the entire four days is only $40. Camping is also available in Road Atlanta’s wooded infield for an additional fee.

More information about the WERA Grand National Finals at Road Atlanta, including a schedule of events for the weekend, can be found on the Internet at www.wera.com.