From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

FOUR AMA GRAND NATIONAL RIDERS STILL IN TITLE CHASE AS CHAMPIONSHIP TRAVELS TO SCIOTO DOWNS

AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship visits home of the AMA

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Sept. 15, 2003) — The 2003 AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship is winding down to its final three races. As the series comes to Scioto Downs’ half-mile harness racing oval in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, Sept. 20, four riders still have a shot at winning the championship. In addition to hosting round 15 of the 17-race Grand National Series Scioto Downs racing fans will also see the second-to-last round of the Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Series. Five riders in that series are battling to win the Sportster title. This race is considered a homecoming for the series since AMA Pro Racing is headquartered in the Columbus suburb of Pickerington.

Defending champion Chris Carr leads the standings coming into Scioto Downs. Carr, of Fleetwood, Pa., is attempting to become only the second rider in the history of the AMA Grand National Series to become a five-time champion. Carr was runner-up to Ken Coolbeth in last year’s inaugural AMA National at Scioto Downs and is approaching this weekend’s race with enthusiasm.

“I go to Columbus like I do at every race and that’s expecting to win,” said Carr, who has been racing professionally since 1985 when he was AMA Rookie of the Year. “We had built up a pretty good lead in the championship and unfortunately a mechanical problem cost us a big portion of that lead. Now the job is to go out there in the last three races and give it all I’ve got. I think if you start trying to protect a lead that is when you start getting into trouble.”

Californian Johnny Murphree has closed to within 13 points of Carr in the championship after earning three podium finishes in the last four races, including a victory in Milwaukee last month. Murphree hopes to finish in front of Carr at Scioto Downs to bring the championship even closer by the time the series heads to the final weekend of racing in Springfield, Ill., on September 27 and 28. Murphree is seeking his first AMA Grand National Championship after finishing runner-up to Carr in the series last year.

Former AMA champ Joe Kopp and last year’s Scioto Downs winner Ken Coolbeth are the other two riders with at least an outside shot at winning this year’s championship. Should Carr and Murphree have problems in the last three rounds Kopp and Coolbeth could be in a great position to swoop in and take away the title. Kopp knows what it takes to win the championship. He did just that in 2000. Coolbeth could easily be considered the pre-race favorite at Scioto Downs. Not only is the Connecticut rider last year’s winner, but he’s also the hottest rider on the circuit right now. Coolbeth has gone on a late-season tear and has won two out of the last three races.

One other rider to watch for at Scioto Downs could be Canadian Steve Beattie. Beattie loves these types of “cushion” tracks and finished on the podium at Scioto Downs last year. Ohio fans will be cheering for Ohio’s own George Roeder II. Roeder comes into this race ranked 14th in the standings. His best result of the season came on home soil when he finished second at Lima, Ohio, in June.

Scott Scherb and Scott Stump are involved in a very tight race for the Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Series title. Only four points separate the leading two riders. A total of five riders are still at least mathematically in the hunt for the Sportster crown. Riders are pitted against one another on equally prepared Harley-Davidson 883 Sportsters. Both the Grand National and Sportster Performance races will be taped and televised on Speed Channel. The Grand National will be shown during primetime in its first showing at 10 p.m. Eastern on Oct. 7. The Sportster Performance race will be first shown on Oct. 21 at 10:30 p.m.
Eastern.

For additional information on this weekend’s race contact (877) 274-1184
or visit www.sciotodowns.com


SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
SCIOTO DOWNS, COLUMBUS, OH HALF-MILE
SEPTEMBER 20, 2003

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2003

2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Registration at the track

2:30 p.m. – 4:40 p.m. – Tech Inspection at the track

4:45 p.m. – Mandatory Riders Meeting

5:00 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. – Practice

6:00 p.m. – Qualifying Heats

7:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Opening Ceremonies

8:00 p.m. – 8:10 p.m. – 1st Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Heat

8:10 p.m. – 8:20 p.m. – 2nd Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Heat

8:20 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – 3rd Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Heat

8:30 p.m. – 8:40 p.m. – 1st Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

8:40 p.m. – 8:50 p.m. – 2nd Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

8:50 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – 3rd Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

9:00 p.m. – 9:10 p.m. – 4th Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

9:10 p.m. – 9:25 p.m. – HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER PERFORMANCE FINAL

9:25 p.m. – 9:35 p.m. – Victory Circle for Harley-Davidson Sportster
Performance Final

9:35 p.m. – 9:45 p.m. – 1st Progressive Insurance Grand National Semi

9:45 p.m. – 9:55 p.m. – 2nd Progressive Insurance Grand National Semi

9:55 p.m. – 10:05 p.m. – 3rd Progressive Insurance Grand National Semi

10:20 p.m. – 10:35 p.m. – AMA PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE GRAND NATIONAL FINAL

10:35 p.m. – Victory Circle for Grand National Final

From a press release issued by Moriwaki Racing:

MORIWAKI RACING Confirms an Entry with Tamaki Serizawa plus MD211VF in FIM 2003 Road Racing World Championship Series MotoGP Rd.13 “Gauloises” Pacific Grand-Prix MOTEGI

This is to officially announce that Moriwaki Engineering Ltd. will take part in FIM 2003 Road Racing World Championship Series (stated as “MotoGP” hereunder) Rd.13 “Gauloises” Pacific Grand-Prix as a “Wild Card” on 3rd – 5th Oct 2003.

Bringing in an originally developed MotoGP machine, MD211VF (Moriwaki Dream 211V Fighter), which carries “Honda RC211V” (MotoGP Champion Machine) V5 engine, Tamaki Serizawa (#25), who is a R&D rider of MD211VF, is selected to ride in the race. The team is declared as “Moriwaki Racing” and Mamoru Moriwaki, Representative Director of Moriwaki Engineering Ltd., will stand as the team director.

The purpose of Moriwaki Racing’s entry in Pacific Grand-Prix will be focused on a full season entry in 2004, which differs from the intensions of our spot entry in the opening round, Suzuka 2003. Focusing a full season entry in 2004, the purpose of the entry is specifically to review the development works done to the machine and to simulate it’s competitiveness in an actual race meeting. We, therefore, target and challenge to finish the race in the highest position possible, cutting into the factory machines.

Mamoru Moriwaki / Team Director
“We experienced a drastic improvement in the MOTEGI test a few weeks ago. The fact that the machine had overcome the focused problems, it proved that the development work put into planned and studied on the previous test is heading the right direction. Looking at the project as a whole, there still is a lot to be done before it is ready, yet we will keep on trying to solve the problems before the Pacific Grand-Prix to challenge MotoGP and accomplish the goals. This challenge is for us to appear in the 2004 series and we will look forward for the race”.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Jean-Michel Bayle, Sebastien Gimbert and Nicholas Dussauge won the Bol d’Or 24-hour race Sunday at Magny Cours Circuit in France. The team completed 788 laps of the 2.73-mile course on a SuperProduction-spec Suzuki GSX-R1000 and won by nine laps.

Frederic Protat, Christophe Cogan and Matthieu Lagrive did 779 laps and finished second overall on a Yamaha YZF-R7, the only Superbike entry in the 54-team field.

David Checa, Serafino Foti and William Costes earned the last spot on the overall podium by turning 773 laps on their SuperProduction Yamaha YZF-R1.

David Emonet, Christophe Roche and Alexandre Gibet finished seventh overall and won the StockSport class with 753 laps on a Yamaha YZF-R1.

The Bol d’Or is a round of the Masters of Endurance series and not a round of the FIM-sanctioned Endurance World Championship.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

SUZUKI CASTROL WIN BOL D’OR

The 2003 Bol d’Or round of the Master of Endurance series has been won by the number 2 Suzuki Castrol GSX-R1000 of Jean-Michel Bayle, Sebastien Gimbert and Nicholas Dussauge. They completed 788 laps of the Magny Cours circuit at an average speed of 144km/h and also set the fastest lap of the meeting with a time of 1:44.056.

The winners finished the race with a comfortable nine lap lead over the second placed Free Bike Performance team after a thankfully uneventful weekend; many other teams suffered mechanical problems. The number 1 Suzuki Castrol bike finished in fourth place after an overnight crash dropped them down the rankings and left them with two riders doing back to back sessions.

The Suzuki Castrol bikes have won all three Master of Endurance rounds by a significant margin, dominating the series comprehensively and leaving the GSX-R1000 as the machine of choice for world-class endurance racing.

From a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki:

JR wraps up second place in the Championship with a win

RIZLA SUZUKI rider John Reynolds wrapped up an amazing second place in the British Superbike Championship with a win and a second place finish at today’s 11th round at the Brands Hatch Indy circuit, while his team mate Tom Sykes scored his first ever Superbike points.

Reynolds annihilated the opposition in the first race, winning comfortably on his Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000 to take the team’s seventh win of the season. In the second race a poor start left him in sixth at the end of the first lap and with a lot of passing to get to the front. He got up to second place but it was too late to catch up with the eventual winner Sean Emmett on a Ducati. JR cannot be caught for 2nd place in the Championship – a fantastic achievement considering he broke his collarbone at the very first qualifying session of the year and wasn’t able to ride competitively until the fifth round.

Huddersfield’s Sykes, standing in for the injured Yukio Kagayama who broke his pelvis at the Cadwell Park round of BSB last month, fell out of the first race before composing himself to finish 14th in the second event. The 18-year-old rider who normally competes in the 600cc Supersport series has impressed the team with his raw talent and ability.

John Reynolds:
“To take second place in the Championship is good, but it is the first loser in my books and that grates with me. I really wanted to win the Championship this year and the Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000 has been more than capable of doing just that, but I made a mistake at the first round and broke my collarbone.

“That forced us to reassess our priorities and second in the series was our goal and we have achieved it. Another goal of ours has been to win races and I’ve now won four. By the end of the season I would like that to be six, especially as the last round at Donington is my home circuit!

“I’d like to dedicate today’s win to Yuki, my team mate who is in hospital. We now know he needs a second operation on his pelvis and he’ll be going to Japan soon. Power to you Yuki, I’m looking forward to racing against you for the Championship next season, so hurry up and make a full recovery mate.

“Finally, Yuki’s stand in rider for this round Tom Sykes has been outstanding. He has shown he has the pace to ride in Superbikes and I’ve no doubt he is a Champion of the future. Now I’m looking forward to racing with my old sparring partner Niall Mackenzie as my team mate at Donington Park in two weeks time – I think he could be tough to beat!”

Tom Sykes:
“This weekend has been like a dream come true for me and I’d like to thank Rizla Suzuki for giving me the chance to race on what is the best bike in the series.

“I’ve learnt lots this weekend and although I crashed in the first race, I am delighted to have scored my first ever Superbike points, that’s special. It’s been a great experience and I know for sure I want to ride for this team again.

“The first race was good fun until I fell. We changed the tyres and set-up on the bike for the second race and it was a bit easier for me to ride. Getting points is good, it has certainly given me a taste for Superbike racing. Thanks to the whole team for helping me this weekend!”

Paul Denning, Team Manager:
“Rizla Suzuki is back to its winning ways and JR was magnificent today, putting himself a clear second in the Championship and uncatchable no matter what happens at the last round at Donington. He utterly dominated the first race and there was always going to be only one winner. In the second race he was denied the win by his poor start, pushing him back to sixth. By the time he had got past the traffic to chase Sean, he had used the best of his tyres and it was impossible to win, but it made for a very exciting end to the race.

“What can I say about Tom Sykes, he’s a star of the future, there can be no doubt. It was difficult for him in the second race after falling off in the first, but he kept his cool and was lapping as quickly as the guys in front of him and brought the bike home in the points in 14th. I have been really impressed by his whole attitude to racing and his raw ability. Looking at his throttle control on the graphs, it is amazing. We are looking forward to working with Tom in the future and helping him to realise his full potential.

“Now it is on to Donington under no pressure for the Championship position but with a real desire to win the final two races. It is JR’s home track and we hope he’ll get a bit of competition from his team mate for the round Niall Mackenzie, who is also local to the circuit. We’ll be turning up in new colours for the Donington round to support our sponsor Rizla, which is launching a new coloured packet and ultra thin rolling paper. I’ve seen the new bodywork and it looks ace, I’m looking forward to seeing the bike on track wearing it!”

Race One Result: 1: John Reynolds (RIZLA SUZUKI) 24:28.732, 2: Sean Emmett (Ducati) +1.861, 3: Shane Byrne (Ducati) +2.108, 4: Michael Rutter (Ducati) +4.867, 5: Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +5.115, 6: Gary Mason (Yamaha) +9.407, 7: Steve Plater (Honda) +11.223, 8: Scott Smart (Kawasaki) +11.404, 9: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +16.158, 10: Chris Burns (Yamaha) +18.658.

Race Two Result: 1: Emmett 23:26.076, 2: John Reynolds (RIZLA SUZUKI) +1.677, 3: Byrne +3.308, 4: Richards +4.753, 5: Haslam +9.168, 6: Plater +12.977, 7: Mason +12.983, 8: Smart +13.479, 9: Rutter +15.737, 10: Mark Heckles (Honda) +20.734.

Championship Positions: 1: Byrne 438, 2: John Reynolds (RIZLA SUZUKI) 322, 3: Rutter 262, 4: Plater 246, 5: Richards 234, 6: Yukio Kagayama (RIZLA SUZUKI) 214, 7: Emmett 211, 8: Mason 191, 9: Smart 142, 10: Hislop 122.



More, from a press release issued by MonsterMob Ducati:

Round 11 – 2003 British Superbike Championship powered by HALLS, Brands Hatch

Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th September 2003

MORE ROSTRUMS FOR SHAKEY AS EASTON CLAIMS VICTORY

MonsterMob Ducati superbike rider Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne added another pair of rostrum finishes to his impressive set of 2003 results when he finished in third place in both of today’s British Superbike races at Brands Hatch.

The new British Champion made it 19 rostrum finishes out of 22 races at the penultimate round of the series but was disappointed not to add to his 10 victories so far this season.

“I tried my best but had to settle for a pair of rostrums which under the circumstances wasn’t too bad. I’m a little bit disappointed as it means my aim of winning the most number of races in a season is now not possible. But the hard work has been done and I will settle for the results. My team have been fantastic this season and I’d like to think we can round off the year with a couple of victories at Donington Park.”

Meanwhile Supersport rider Stuart Easton emerged victorious in the Supersport race with his third win of the year.

In an incident packed race around the Kent Indy circuit Easton was racing in the leading trio and inherited the lead when Honda mounted rivals Karl Harris and Michael Laverty crashed out. But still the young Scot had to work hard for the victory as he fended off a late challenge from Simon Andrews at the flag.

“I’ll admit I got lucky but I’d like to think I had the situation under control. We’ve had some bad luck this season so I’ll take a slice of good luck now its come my way,” said Easton who claimed runner up in the Championship as a result.

Team owner Paul Bird was pleased with his riders’ efforts in front of a 24,400 crowd.

“Stuart did well and proved that when he puts the effort in he is capable of anything. I’m really pleased for him and also for Shakey who added to the silverware haul for this season. It would be great to round off the season in style at Donington and we’ll be gunning for that with another hat trick there” said the Penrith businessman.

Superbike Results

Race One
1, John Reynolds (Suzuki) 24:28.732, 2, Sean Emmett (Ducati) +1.861s, 3, Shane Byrne (MonsterMob Ducati) +2.108s, 4, Michael Rutter (Ducati) +4.867s, 5, Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +5.115s, 6, Gary Mason (Yamaha) +9.407s, 7, Steve Plater (Honda) +11.223s, 8, Scott Smart (Kawasaki) +11.404s, 9, Leon Haslam (Ducati) +12.481s, 10, Chris Burns (Yamaha) +16.158s

Race Two
1, Sean Emmett (Ducati) 23:26.076, 2, John Reynolds (Suzuki) +1.677s, 3, Shane Byrne (MonsterMob Ducati) +3.308s, 4, Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +4.753s, 5, Leon Haslam (Ducati) +9.168s, 6,Steve Plater (Honda) +12.977s, 7, Gary Mason (Yamaha) +12.983s, 8, Scott Smart (Kawasaki) +13.479s, 9, Michael Rutter (Ducati) +15.737s, 10, Mark Heckles (Honda) +20.734s

Superbike Standings after Round 11

1, Shane Byrne (MonsterMob Ducati) 438pts

2, John Reynolds (SuzukI) 322pts

3, Michael Rutter (Ducati) 263pts

4, Steve Plater (Honda) 246pts

5, Glen Richards (Kawaski) 238pts

6, Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) 210pts

7, Sean Emmett (Ducati) 207pts

8, Gary Mason (Yamaha) 195pts

9, Scott Smart (Kawasaki) 144pts

10, Steve Hislop (Yamaha) 122pts

Supersport Results
1, Stuart Easton (MonsterMob Ducati) 22:30.781, 2, Simon Andrews (Yamaha) +0.064s, 3, Dean Thomas (Honda) +6.271s, 4, John Crockford (Honda) +6.299s, 5, Kim Ashkenazi (Yamaha) +14.923s, 6, Tom Tunstall (Yamaha) +18.206s, 7, Shane Norval (Yamaha) +18.856s, 8, Craig Jones (Triumph) +24.136s, 9, John Crawford (Honda) +36.824s, 10, Danny Beaumont (Kawasaki) +43.851s

Supersport Championship Standings after Round 11

1, Karl Harris 215pts

2, Stuart Easton (MonsterMob Ducati) 183pts

3, Simon Andrews 135pts

4, Dean Thomas 103pts

5, Michael Laverty 102pts

6, John Crockford 95pts

7, Tom Sykes 80pts

8, Adrian Coates 79pts

9, Rob Frost 78pts

10, Craig Jones 75pts

From a press release issued by Alice Aprilia Racing Information:

Brazil GP, preview

The MotoGP World championships starts its non-European phase with an exotic race: the Brasilian GP that will take place next Saturday at the Nelson Piquet circuit in Rio de Janeiro. This is an important race for the Alice Aprilia Racing Team because the carioca circuit could bring out the potential of the RS Cube. A long straight (nearly 1 km) with 8 left corners and 4 right corners for the brazilian track: it seems that the features of this track are specially designed to intensify the qualities of the three cylinders made in Italy. Waiting for the race the team tested last week in Jerez de La Frontera. Colin Edwards and the test rider Marcellino Lucchi worked on the development of the new tyres provided by Michelin. Moreover they tested new regulations in order to improve the ignition system. In the mean time the bikes that will be used by Haga and Edwards already arrived in Brazil.

GIGI DALL’IGNA (Project Leader): “The work we made in Jerez through Lucchi and Edwards has been concentrated on the new front tyres created for us by Michelin: maybe we will be able to use them in Motegi. It’s a pity cause we can not use them for the next race in Rio but the delivery times are very tight. Moreover we have more power now with a better ignition control. The riders and the whole team worked well obtaining a good lap time: 1:42:3 of Edwards who is very motivated for the next race. We will do the best in Brazil as well trying to get a good result for Aprilia the riders and all the technical staff of this season”.

THE TRACK

Nelson Piquet- Rio de Janeiro: lenght 4.933 metres, equal to 3.065 miles.

Lap Record: 1:51.928 Tadayuki Okada (Honda 500 1997)

Pole: 1:51.058 Max Biaggi (Yamaha 2001)


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Brazilian Grand Prix
Jacarepagua, Brazil
18/19/20 September 2003

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM TAKES OFF FOR RIO AND BEYOND
This week Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss embark upon the most gruelling stage of the 2003 MotoGP World Championship when they head south to Rio, the first of four ‘flyaway’ GPs over just five weekends. Two weeks later the action moves to Motegi in Japan, with races in Malaysia and Australia over subsequent weekends. The season concludes back in Europe, at Valencia in Spain, on November 2.

The entire Ducati Marlboro Team goes into this globetrotting tour in good spirits and confident of continuing to impress in its debut MotoGP campaign. Capirossi and Bayliss have grabbed the headlines ever since the season kicked off in Japan during April, the pair scoring one victory, three pole positions, seven podium finishes and ten front-row starts from the 11 races so far. Capirossi currently holds fourth overall in the points chase, Bayliss just one place behind which puts Ducati second in the Manufacturers’ World Championship and the Ducati Marlboro Team third in the MotoGP teams’ championship. All this from a new team and a manufacturer that had been out of Grand Prix racing for more than three decades…

LOGISTICS THE KEY DURING FOUR FLYAWAY GPs
The Ducati Marlboro Team has already proved itself capable of achieving winning performance in MotoGP’s European heartland; now the squad heads overseas for a demanding run of four ‘flyaway’ GPs during which logistical excellence is just as vital as machine performance.

The task of orchestrating riders, team members and a tonne of equipment as they crisscross the world from Brazil to Japan and from Malaysia to Australia is a mammoth endeavour. Nothing can be left to chance during this stage of the World Championship. The team must be prepared for all eventualities while competing up to 12,000 miles away from its base outside Bologna, Italy.

“Logistics are the key to these few events,” says Ducati Marlboro Team director Livio Suppo. “It’s a complicated process coordinating everything, and then there’s the extra stress of several long-haul flights, different time zones and so on. All in all, it’s a very physically and mentally demanding time for everyone in the team. Nevertheless we feel confident because the Desmosedici has proved itself to work pretty well whatever kind of racetrack we go to. We come to Rio from three straight podium finishes, so we plan to keep working in the usual way, even if we are a long, long way from home.”

Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli also understands the extra strains of racing on the other side of the world. “We have already proved ourselves in the Japanese and South African GPs,” he says. “But generally we are used to racing quite close to the factory, so in the case of having to work on the bike or some components, we can easily do that on Mondays with the mechanics and engineers that work from the factory in Borgo Panigale. But on this occasion, however, we are not able to do so.”

“I’ve seen some of the recent Rio GPs on TV, but that’s all. All I can say is that we will rely on the experience of Loris, as we’ve done at other circuits that are new to us. He should be able to give us some useful pointers, like a basic set-up for the gearbox. He says the track is dominated by long, fast corners and a fast straight, which sounds quite good for our bike. We will start with the bike set-up we used at Estoril, with a different gearbox, and go from there.”

CAPIROSSI LOOKS FORWARD TO FAST, OPEN RIO
Loris Capirossi arrives in Rio this week still fired up by his thrilling ride to third place at Estoril in Portugal two weeks ago. And the Ducati Marlboro Team rider believes that the fast and open nature of the Jacarepagua circuit will suit his Desmosedici even better than the tortuous Portuguese venue.

“We won’t really know how our bike will work at Rio until we get there, but the track is fast and open with an unbelievably quick main straight, which should really suit our machine,” says Capirossi, who tested alongside team-mate Troy Bayliss at Mugello, Italy, following the Marlboro Portuguese GP. “Everyone knows our bike is already at a very good level, and it keeps getting better. We have had a very strong engine since we started, while the latest chassis improvements have made the bike easier to ride. Rio is sometimes a difficult GP because the circuit can be very dirty, which complicates our set-up work, but I think we have as good a chance as anyone this weekend”.

Capirossi has enjoyed a remarkable run of qualifying and race performances so far this season. The former 125 and 250 World Champion scored the Ducati Marlboro Team’s debut MotoGP victory at June’s Marlboro Catalan GP and has scored two other podium finishes, at Suzuka and Estoril. He had also started from the front row at nine of 11 races.

BAYLISS FOCUSES ON RACING, NOT RIO
This weekend Troy Bayliss gets to race in South America for the first time in his career. But like any pro-racer, the Ducati Marlboro Team man will be focused on achieving the best possible result at Rio, rather than enjoying the sights of the renowned carnival city.

“I’ve never even seen South America before, but that’s not what I’ll be thinking about,” says the former World Superbike champ who is currently the top-placed MotoGP rookie of 2003 with three podiums and one front-row start behind him. “All I’ll be thinking about is the race because all I want to do is win races. Rio is just another racetrack to me – in one way they’re all the same – you’ve just got to get around them as quick as you can. So far this year we’ve gone better at some places than others, because we’re still learning. It’s hard work, we’ve had some good and some not-so-good results, and I’m hoping that all our hard work is really going to pay off next year when we’ll be able to use all the knowledge we’ve learned this season.”

In fact Bayliss does have something else to think about other than racing – wife Kim is due to give birth to their third child just a few weeks after the Rio GP. The couple are hoping that the birth will take place before Bayliss heads to Motegi in Japan at the start of October.

THE TRACK
The Jacarepagua circuit has been hosting rounds of the motorcycling World Championships on and off since the mid-nineties. The track staged its inaugural GP in September 1995, taking over from the original Brazilian GP venues of Goiania (which hosted the 1987, ’88 and ’89 Brazilian GPs) and Interlagos (which staged a one-off race in ’92). The ’96, ’97, ’99, 2000, 2001 and 2002 races at Jacarepagua were all run under the mantle of the Rio Grand Prix.

The circuit itself is fast and open, encouraging close racing; in fact only two of the seven premier-class GPs staged at the track have produced a winning margin in excess of two seconds. Mostly fast, bumpy and slippery, the circuit may not allow gravity-defying cornering like some grippier tracks but its 1.1km back straight (one of the longest in GP racing) promotes slipstreaming, which helps keep riders bunched together all race long. The Jacarepagua lap record is six years old because the surface has become bumpier in recent years and the last three races have all been run in wet conditions.

JACAREPAGUA
4.933km/3.065 miles
Lap record: Tadayuki Okada (Honda), 1:51.928 158.662kmh/98.588mph (1997)
Pole position 2002: Max Biaggi (Marlboro Yamaha Team), 1:50.568

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM DATA LOGS

TROY BAYLISS
Age: 34
Lives: Monaco
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici
First GP: Australia, 1997 (250)
GP starts: 12 (11xMotoGP, 1×250)
World Superbike victories: 22
World Championships: 1 (Superbike: 2001)
Rio 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: 195 (25xMotoGP, 59×500, 84×250, 27×125)
Pole positions: 36 (3xMotoGP, 5×500, 23×250, 5×125)
First pole: Australia, 1991 (125)
World Championships: 3 (125: 1990, 1991, 250: 1998)
Rio 2002 results: Grid 12th. Race 5th

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.


2004 GSX-R750

Suzuki introduced the 2004 GSX-R750 and GSX-R600 models during its annual dealer meetings Friday at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.


2004 GSX-R600

The 2004 Suzuki GSX-R600’s new engine has a bore and stroke of 67.0 x 42.5mm and a higher compression ratio, 12.5:1 versus 12.2:1. Weight has been taken off of nearly every part inside the engine including the new forged pistons, the crankshaft, the connecting rods and hollow camshafts with larger inside diameter. The biggest news inside the engine is the addition of lighter titanium valves, which are now set at a steeper included angle, 22 versus 28 degrees, with a straighter intake port. The lighter valves allow the use of lighter springs and the reduced spring pressure allows higher rpm.

Improvements to the fuel-injection system include lighter and narrower dual, double-barrel 38mm throttle bodies, which have one improved injector per cylinder. A smaller, lighter and more powerful Engine Control Module (ECM) has been added.

The GSX-R600’s aluminum alloy twin-spar frame is all-new and is 15mm narrower than the old frame at its widest point. The new fuel tank is 15mm shorter and 20mm narrower at the rider’s knees. The swingarm is now braced and the conventional forks used previously have been replaced with Showa 43mm inverted units. Wheelbase is 54.7 inches (1390mm), rake measures 24.0 degrees with trail at 3.66 inches (93mm).

The front brakes have been upgraded to radial-mounted, four-piston Tokico calipers with smaller rotors (300mm versus 320mm) and a new Nissin radial-piston master cylinder.

Claimed dry weight is 354.9 pounds. MSRP is $7999.

Suzuki engineers say they developed the GSX-R600 first, then built the GSX-R750 next to produce a bike the size of a 600cc machine with the power of a 1000cc machine.

The 2004 GSX-R750 gets the same frame, swingarm, forks, brakes, wheels and geometry as the GSX-R600 but with a slightly longer wheelbase than the 600, 55.0 inches (1395mm) versus 54.7 inches. The 750 comes with many improvements in the engine department including new pistons, more compression, titanium valves, lighter camshafts and a smaller, yet more powerful ECM. The 750 also gets a new, narrower set of single-injector, 42mm throttle bodies to fit inside of the narrower frame and smaller fuel tank. A curved and trapezoidal-shaped radiator is unique to the newest 750cc machine.

Claimed dry weight is 359.3 pounds. MSRP is $9499.


2004 DL650


2004 GS500

From a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki:

Sykes shows his speed while JR secures front row start

RIZLA SUZUKI debut Superbike rider Tom Sykes will start from an amazing eighth place in tomorrow’s 11th round of the British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch, directly behind his team mate John Reynolds who is in fourth on the front row.

Sykes, 18, is taking part in his first ever Superbike race meeting and has stunned the regular riders with how quickly he has taken to riding the powerful, slick-tyre-shod Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000. The Huddersfield rider who normally competes in the Supersport class on a 600cc machine with road tyres, finished less than half a second away from pole position, an astounding feat of bravery, skill and courage that has had the entire paddock whispering about his future potential as a champion.

Sykes is standing in for Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000 regular rider Yukio Kagayama, who is recovering from a broken pelvis he suffered at the previous round of the BSB series at Cadwell Park.

JR’s fourth place front row finish was a fraction away from pole position and despite using a sticky qualifying tyre, was slower than his lap from this morning’s practice session on a hard race compound tyre that offers less outright grip.

Both Rizla Suzuki riders fell during the dying minutes of today’s Super 12 qualifying session but neither was hurt. Today’s qualifying session was so close that only half a second covered the top 10 in qualifying, which was headed by Ducati’s Michael Rutter. Superbike racing starts tomorrow at 1:15pm at the Brands Hatch 1.22-mile long Indy circuit.

John Reynolds:
“That was a very frustrating Super 12 qualifying session. We went into it with the fastest lap in practice and confident we could creep under the 46 second mark, but a combination of bad luck and timing meant I never really had the opportunity to attack the circuit.

“I ended up crashing right at the end at Paddock Hill, possibly because I was trying too hard on my final fast lap. I was lucky and got up to walk away and I am actually more confident with the bike on race rubber than the qualifying tyres we used this afternoon. On a positive note, that means tomorrow’s races should be good for us and starting from the inside of the front row going into the first corner is almost as good as pole here.

“Well done to Tom taking a second row start in his first ever Superbike race. His progress this weekend has been a wonder to behold and if he gets much faster he could be snapping at my heels at the front tomorrow!”

Tom Sykes:
“Right at the end I tipped into Druids very quickly and just as I was coming off the brakes and onto the throttle on the exit, I lost the front end. It was a close run thing, I thought I had saved it, but it just got away from me.

“I am loving the experience of riding a Superbike, it is a dream come true for me. The second row is way above what I would have hoped for and I think having such a good team behind me is being a big help. I can’t wait until the races tomorrow to see what sort of results I can get.”

Les Pearson, Chief Technician to Tom Sykes:
“Tom is doing an almost unbelievable job for his first time on a Superbike. We have worked today on getting him more comfortable on the bike and giving him more grip. To give him more grip also means that the predictability of the bike is reduced, so while it is faster, it takes more experience to make the most of it and he has taken it all in his stride. His raw riding talent is awesome.

“He could finish in the top eight in tomorrow’s races, which would be fantastic. From the very first time we put him on track, I knew that Tom was something a bit special on a motorcycle and he has more than proved that in qualifying today.”

Final Qualification:
1: Michael Rutter (Ducati) 45.991
2: Sean Emmet (Ducati) +0.074
3: Shane Byrne (Ducati) +0.096
4: John Reynolds (RIZLA SUZUKI) +0.154
5: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.262
6: Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +0.311
7: Gary Mason (Yamaha) +0.347
8: Tom Sykes (RIZLA SUZUKI) +0.448
9: Scott Smart (Kawasaki) +0.474
10: Steve Plater (Honda) +0.556.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Team EMGO Taiwan’s Chris “Opie” Caylor was fastest during timed qualifying Saturday at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama for the third and final GSX-R World Cup qualifying race in the United States.

Caylor’s time of 1:29.598 was over one second quicker than the next-fastest competitor.

HAS/Shogun’s John Haner was second quickest with a time of 1:30.910, despite crashing late in the session. Team Embry’s Brian Stokes qualified third with a time of 1:30.931. David Weber rode with an injured ankle but still qualified fourth with a 1:30.947.

The winner of Sunday’s GSX-R World Cup qualifying race at Barber Motorsports Park will earn a free trip to Magny-Cours in France October 17-19 to represent the United States and American Suzuki in the GSX-R World Cup Finals.

Corey Eaton and Tray Batey have already earned trips to the GSX-R World Cup Finals with wins in the two previous qualifying races.