From a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

Australian Grand Prix
Phillip Island
October 17/18/19 2003

MOTOGP MOVES DOWN UNDER FOR PENULTIMATE ROUND

Fortuna Yamaha Team men Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri advance to Australia’s picturesque Phillip Island circuit this weekend for the last but one stage of the MotoGP World Championship. The battle for first place is already over, as Italian rider Valentino Rossi took a stunning victory to win the 2003 premier class championship in style in Malaysia last weekend. Rossi’s season track record has been customarily impeccable, never finishing off the podium and taking seven victories. Despite the title having been clinched, and a less than perfect season for Yamaha, motivation in the Fortuna Yamaha camp remains high as both Checa and Melandri strive for that elusive podium finish.

The team has suffered its worst season since being formed in 1999. However, as a truly professional unit standards do not slip and everybody involved is striving 100% to give Checa and Melandri the means to succeed in the final two rounds. The pair had a mixed time in Malaysia last weekend. A misunderstanding during final qualifying put them both in the gravel before Checa bounced back to smash the previous best ever lap of the stunning Sepang circuit and took second spot on the starting grid behind Rossi. The Spaniard showed spirit and determination as he battled hard throughout the race despite suffering grip problems in the slightly cooler conditions. He eventually brought his YZR-M1 home in fifth place.

Melandri, on the other hand, had a weekend to forget after his stunning ride in Japan the week before where he fought back from 19th after being involved in the first corner melee to finish fifth. In Malaysia, however, Melandri struggled again to get a comfortable set-up and came home 11th.

This weekend’s Australian Grand Prix marks the last of a grueling three-week programme of back-to-back races. With just enough time to recover from the jet-lag that the westward journey back to Europe inevitably brings for most paddock workers, the championship will conclude in Valencia, Spain on 2 November.

The director of the Fortuna Yamaha Team, Davide Brivio, is conscious of progress that the team is making in the latter part of the season, and hopes that the riders can lift the spirits of all involved in the project before they head into the winter “off-season”.

“It has certainly been a frustrating year for all of us,” explained Brivio. “There have been quite a few races where we’ve made progress only to find that at the next race we’ve encountered problems again. Carlos rode a great race in Malaysia and pushed hard all the way to the end. If we can alleviate some of the problems he was having there I would love to see him up on the podium this weekend. That would give us all a lift as we head back for the last race in Europe. Marco too needs to forget about Malaysia and let’s see the form that saw him cut through the field so effectively in Japan two weeks ago.

“We should be used to this three-week schedule in Japan, Malaysia and Australia by now but it is always very tiring. However, I am very proud of the team as they continue to work hard and they never give up.”


CHECA AS DETERMINED AS EVER
Carlos Checa arrives in Australia after a gritty performance in Malaysia where he finished in fifth place having qualified second. The Spaniard, who will turn 31 on Wednesday, never gave up despite suffering grip problems in the cooler conditions. After some inevitable birthday celebrations he will switch his focus to the stunning Phillip Island circuit but has certain reservations after a difficult trip there last year when he finished the race in 11th place.

“Phillip Island was the worst result last year that all the Yamaha M1 riders had. We had big problems there changing direction for some reason. The bike has changed a bit since then so I hope that the feedback we gave last year means that the bike will handle a little better there now. It’s the most picturesque track we go to and one of my favourites. I really like the place and the people, and like last year I will spend my birthday on the Island. I just hope that we can be more competitive for my birthday present!”


MELANDRI HOPING FOR INSPIRATION IN PHILLIP ISLAND
Phillip Island is a very special place for Marco Melandri, who wrapped up his 250cc World Championship there last year with a thrillingly close win over Fonsi Nieto. Melandri is hoping that a return to the circuit will inspire him to show some of the hard-charging form that has seen him challenge the leading group of MotoGP riders on a number of occasions in his debut year in the class. Unfortunately injury in the early part of the year, a few bits of bad luck and a few difficult weekends have made the 21-year-old’s “learning year” a pretty tough one. But the Italian is certainly determined to succeed. He arrives in Australia after two very different races. In Japan he rode superbly, after being forced off the track in the early stages, to recover from 19th place and record a fifth place finish. A week later, however, and he was struggling with set-up and grip and finally finished in 11th place at the Malaysian GP.

“I won the 250cc title in Phillip Island last year so it’s a very special race for me,” reminisced Melandri. “But even before that it was one of my favourite circuits. It’s very beautiful to be so close to the ocean, and riding there makes me feel relaxed. It’s one of the faster tracks, with very high corner speed and sometimes very strong winds.

“I think it will be quite a difficult circuit with the four-stroke bike. We didn’t test there in the winter but I don’t think it would have made a huge difference if we had. For example, when we tested before the Brno GP at the Brno circuit mid-season, I had a really good test but then a really difficult race. I don’t know what changed but I just didn’t feel as comfortable. That’s the nature of the challenge this year for me, so I’m not worried that I haven’t tested the four-stroke at Phillip Island before now. I can’t tell what will happen there but I will certainly be working as hard as I can with my team, as usual!”


TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
The fast flowing nature of Phillip Island is a favourite for many riders, lending itself to close racing while allowing riders the rare opportunity to attack the circuit despite the 220 horsepower powerplants that propel them. The set-up of the machine will need to offer good acceleration and turning ability, rather than braking stability considering there is just one hard braking area. “The Island”, as it is often referred to, offers a variety of cambers throughout its 4448m sweeping layout, both positive and negative.

The key component to success, therefore, will be the rear suspension unit. It will need to offer enough feedback and predictability without pumping through its stroke as the rider tries to drive hard off the side of the tyre, or squatting as the weight transfers onto the rear. The latter will unload the front of the motorcycle, in turn causing it to understeer and push wide – affecting exit speed and eventually lap times. On the other hand a too stiff rear shock will lead to the front wheel lofting while the rider powers off each of the slow and medium speed turns. It will also lead to the deterioration of the rear tyre and increase the likelihood of a highside.

To achieve all that is needed of the rear shock, it must sport a slightly softer spring rate to aid feel, with a reasonable amount of preload to prevent rear-end squat. As for the damping, it will be dialed in to help balance out the package over some of the finer bumps, located in some of the high-speed sweepers. The front forks will mimic the rear set-up to ensure an overall balanced geometry. Too hard, and the front will become vague in its feedback, and at these high speeds and lean angles this can be detrimental. Too soft, and the basic feel will be too loose to be efficient. This has been the basic approach of the YZR-M1 technical team over the past few races, and with the experience gained this could prove quite beneficial at the Island, where rider confidence counts for so much.

Power is tuned to offer a stronger midrange to top-end as acceleration is the key to a fast lap time, especially off the final fast turn where momentum can make the difference between winning and losing. Helping with the top speed potential of the YZR-M1 will be the recent engine improvements and increased rpm ceiling, which was first put to the test in Motegi two weeks ago. Also the new ram air intake, which made its first appearance in Malaysia last weekend, should be ideally suited to the high-speed circuit.

As the 2003 YZR-M1 has featured smaller and more aggressive bodywork since the first race at Suzuka in Japan earlier this year, the Yamaha bikes should not suffer the effects of high cross winds to the same degree as they did in 2002. The improved 2003 aerodynamic package’s biggest advantage is its positive influence on agile handling at speed, while also reducing the drag coefficient effects in such strong cross winds.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Schwantz in Mettet, happy but sore!

By Rodolphe Coiscaud

This last weekend saw the legendary Number 34, Kevin Schwantz, in a Supermoto show in Europe. After a French round near Paris, Kevin turned to Belgium to participate to one of the most important events in Europe, Guidon d’Or at Bercy.

A nice first taste for the former 500cc World Champion, who ran over the weekend with other big names of motorcycling, in a battle of USA vs. Europe!

With Ben Carlson, Chris Fillmore, Steve Drew alongside Schwantz and Aussie Shannon Johnson, America faced Europe, represented by Stephane Chambon, Stefan Everts and Frederic Bolley, among others.

This Starbiker crowd, during the Superbiker of Mettet, was the most important in the event. The stars and stripes flew in front of the blue one of the European contenders, and Schwantz enjoyed himself, saying “I really enjoy this type of racing, it’s so nice to be so close to the people. Also for me it’s great to ride with one of the best motocross riders ever, Stefan Everts, and also Boris and Stephane Chambon, and Freddy Bolley.

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“Of course I’d like to be able to beat them, but I’ve been retired 10 years†! The desire and the heart are there, I’ve got racing again inside of me but I’m 40 and the reactions and the mind are not really on the same level as before.”

Despite a big crash during practice on Saturday, Kevin still raced on his DRZ400 Suzuki, same as Stephane Chambon, and scored a 20th place in the Starbiker race where Everts, Chambon and Bolley put their boots on the podium.

“I went to the hospital yesterday, have some broken ribs, I’m a little bit sore but everything is OK. The racing is fun here, but the fans are even more fun! The main difference between the American Championship is the speed, it’s better for road racers.”

This tremendous event ended with the Superbiker Final. On the same grid, World Championship Supermoto stars were lined up against the Starbikers.

Boris Chambon added the Mettet rendezvous to his trophy collection in front of Frederic Fiorentino and Eddy Seel. Stephane Chambon scored in 4th place and Stefan Everts finished 7th.

From a press release issued by 1-888-FASTLAP:

1-888-FASTLAP’S OPIE CAYLOR HEADS TO FRANCE FOR SUZUKI WORLD GSX-R CUP

MAGNY COURS, France- 1-888-FASTLAP rider Opie Caylor has been racing for eight years, but from October 17-19, he will turn a wheel on a European track for the first time as he represents the United States in the Suzuki World GSX-R Cup in Magny Cours, France.

Caylor will be one of three United States representatives in the race, which is comprised of the top privateer Suzuki racers from 15 different countries. Three Suzuki Cup Qualifier races were held in the U.S. during the 2003 season, and the winner from each race earned the trip to France.

Each competitor in the Suzuki World GSX-R Cup race will be furnished with a fully prepped Suzuki GSX-R750. Two 30-minute races will be held during the weekend, which is also the season finale for World Superbike and World Supersport, giving Caylor and the other competitors the thrill of racing in front of thousands of fans.

Caylor won the third and final Suzuki Cup Qualifier, held at Barber Motorsports Park on Sunday, September 14. Timed practice was held the day prior to the race to determine the starting grid, and Caylor earned the pole with a fast lap time of 1:29.598, more than a second faster than the rest of the field.

At the start of the race, Caylor was in second behind Brian Stokes, another 1-888-FASTLAP rider, before taking the lead on his 1-888-FASTLAP/Team EMGO Taiwan Suzuki GSX-R750. After only several laps, he was passed by Jake Holden. On the final lap, with only two turns remaining, Caylor was able to pass Holden to take the win by one bike length.

“I got a pretty decent start,” explained Caylor. “Brian Stokes beat me off the line. I was behind him for a lap then I worked my way around. I went into turn one on the third lap and before I could tilt in Jake (Holden) came underneath me. He came by and he just started to go, his bike was working well and his tires were hooking up. So I started to go and I had a couple of slides here and there.

“At one point he started to gap me and I thought, ‘I can’t let this happen if I’m going to go to France,’ so I decided to hold back a little bit and let the tires cool off. Once the tire felt like it was okay again I tried to alter my style a little bit, get the bike up on the big part of the tire more. And I reeled him back in. On the last lap, going into the last two corners, I realized it was now or I wouldn’t get to go. He made a little mistake in turn 14 and when he flicked it back to the right he ran wide. I squared up 14 just right and at the exit I drove up underneath him. I just kept it wide in the last couple of corners, made sure I hit all my marks coming onto the front straightaway, and got him at the line.”

Caylor will be joined at the Suzuki World GSX-R Cup by Tray Batey and Corey Eaton, who are the other two U.S. representatives. He will also be accompanied by his mechanic Grant Matsushima.

“I’m pretty stoked about going to France,” enthused Caylor. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. I’ve always wanted to do something internationally. I’m looking forward to going over there. Kevin (Schwantz) is going to be in attendance, plus one of my American teammates over there is going to be Tray Batey, who is a Schwantz School instructor along with me. I’m looking forward to a lot of fun, a European track, and of course good Suzukis.”

Fans can keep up with Caylor’s adventures in France by reading his online journal at www.1888FASTLAP.com.

From a press release issued by AMA:

AMA BACKS BILL TO CRACK DOWN ON THOSE WHO DAMAGE PUBLIC LAND

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has endorsed legislation in Congress to get tough on individuals who cause willful damage to federal lands.

The Trail Responsibility and Accountability for the Improvement of Lands Act (TRAIL Act), introduced by U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colorado), provides for consistent enforcement of land use, protection and management regulations by the federal Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Forest Service. Currently, those agencies impose different penalties on recreational users who damage public land.

In addition, the bill substantially increases the penalties on individuals who willfully cause damage to designated trails. Any fines collected would be used for rehabilitation and trail awareness programs at that trail.

“This legislation sends a clear message to individuals who deliberately engage in irresponsible recreation,” Tancredo said. “Abuse our public lands and you will pay the price.”

AMA Washington Representative Patrick Holtz said he sees the proposal as a common-sense approach to law enforcement on public land because it doesn’t make a distinction between people who enjoy motorized recreation and those who enjoy other forms of recreation.

“Unfortunately, the issue of law enforcement has been used as a political football to demonize and deny access to the motorized community,” Holtz said. “Bad actors, regardless of their mode of recreation, should be punished appropriately.”

The AMA supports responsible riding on public land and believes that those who intentionally damage land should be punished, whether they’re motorized vehicle users, horse riders, campers or hikers. The AMA decided to endorse the Tancredo legislation, in part, because another measure-H.R. 751, commonly called “ROVER”-targets only motorized vehicle users, and doesn’t provide for consistent penalties among the various federal land agencies.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies crashed Monday, October 13 during Dunlop tire testing at Daytona International Speedway when the rear tire on his GSX-R1000 Superbike suffered a catastrophic failure while he crossed the start/finish line at a radar-measured 186 mph.

“I was right at start/finish and the tire blew,” Spies told Roadracingworld.com Tuesday in his hospital room at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Riding the same 2003 GSX-R1000 he rode to the 2003 AMA Formula Xtreme Championship, Spies said he was doing a string of mid-1:48 laps and had just passed his team’s radar gun at 186 mph when his bike’s rear tire blew and he fell at maximum speed. He slid down the escape road at turn one, essentially continuing down the speedway tri-oval and heading toward the outer speedway wall, which he hit.

“When I was gonna hit the wall, I thought, ‘this is it,'” said Spies, who said he dug his right hand into the pavement to spin to hit the wall feet-first. “When I spun, I thought I was gonna be alright, but it was gonna hurt bad.”

Spies bounced off the wall, slid nearly to turn six at the exit of the infield road course and amazingly popped right up on his feet. “I stood up and realized I was on fire,” recalled Spies. He wasn’t literally on fire, but he did suffer second- and third-degree burns on his left elbow, left shoulder and left hip – all of which lost skin.

Spies, 19, underwent surgery at 2:30 a.m. this morning at Halifax to clean his wounds. He was discharged from the hospital at 2:00 p.m. this afternoon and has just left Daytona Beach in his motorcoach.

According to his mother Mary Spies, plans are for Ben to be evaluated Friday at either Baylor University Medical Center or Parkland Memorial Hospital, both near Dallas, Texas, and have surgery soon after. Spies suffered no broken bones in the fall, and hopes to be back on a bike in one month.

The crash occurred during Dunlop tire testing on the 3.56-mile road course at Daytona International Speedway. Yoshimura Suzuki was the only team present, and only brought Spies and teammate Aaron Yates for the test. The test was scheduled for two days (Saturday and Sunday, October 10-11), but off and on rains forced the test to be extended into Monday, which was stopped after Spies’ crash at 3:30 p.m. local time.

Spies said, “I’ve never been a big fan of this place. It’s scary as hell. People who don’t ride Superbikes would know what we’re talking about if they rode one here.

“It’s wrong for Dunlop to have to come up with a tire for this place. Dunlop is trying to make good tires, but it’s asking too much. The fact is our bikes are going too fast around here. The Superbikes are not safe at Daytona.”

Of the crash, Spies’ Crew Chief Tom Houseworth said, “I’ve never seen anything like it.” Houseworth said the team was testing “tires primarily and some other components.” The other components were believed to be standard throttle bodies, but Houseworth declined to comment further. He also deferred all question relating to the tires to Dunlop.

In other Yoshimura Suzuki news, former Miguel Duhamel wrench Greg “Woody” Wood has joined Spies’ Superbike crew as a chassis technician and was present for the test.

Those wishing to send “get well” messages to Spies can do so at [email protected].

From a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

James Haydon’s flying lap of Le Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours (4.411km):

On the start-finish straight you get up into fifth before the fast sweeping left, the Grande Courbe. Coming out of that you drop a hill and flick it into third before a really long right hander, the Estoril, which tightens and tightens. It is difficult to get right coming out, but great when you do. Then it is down a long straight and up to top gear through a kink called Golf. After going under a bridge you hit the brakes going into Imola – the tightest corner in the world – it makes Cadwell Park look like the Craner Curves. Then, going over a brow, the bike wants to wheelie before going under another bridge and hitting the brakes real hard before knocking it down into third for a fast Esses. You come out of the left hard on the gas, hit the brakes and go down into second and stay right over the corner for a tight left, the Nurburgring, in second and then accelerate hard, full throttle, into the right.

Then it’s down a small straight, and down the hill into an awkward right-left down into a hollow, the Chateau D’Eau, where the bike wants to tie itself in knots. Then you drive hard out of the hollow for another tight right-hand hairpin in second, Adelaide. Hard on the gas out of there, you have to watch the rear end before a slight left hand kink in fifth. Using the whole track, it’s hard on the brakes, for another 90 degree right hander, the Complex du Lycee. Then it’s a real squirt on the gas before a left right-left before crossing the start-finish line.

“It’s a good challenging track and I’m glad I have had a couple of days there so I know my way round. And I have to say that Troy was awesome round there on the first day of our test.”

From a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:

SUZUKI LOOKING FOR SECOND AND THIRD

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders Stephane Chambon and Katsuaki Fujiwara are looking to finish the season in second and third places in the championship. With Chris Vermeulen (Honda) taking the title in the last round at Imola, runner-up and third places are very much up for grabs. Magny-Cours hosted a round of the Superbike World Championship in 1991, but this will be the first time that a Supersport World Championship event will be taking place. The circuit was designed with Formula 1 in mind and is a difficult track for bikes – due in part to the number of slow corners. The 2003 Honda has been the bike to beat this season, but it is testimony to the skill of Chambon and Fujiwara and the hard work of the Alstare Suzuki team that second and third places are a very real possibility. Both riders are keen on finishing the season on a high and none more so then Chambon who will be competing in a World Championship race in front of his own fans for the very first time.

STEPHANE CHAMBON
It’s been a very long time (twelve years) since there was a World Superbike or Supersport Championship event in France and I hope we get a very good crowd. The Supersport class is very popular in France and I think it’s going to be a tremendous race. It’s going to be hard for sure – because of the nature of the track – but I really want to do well in front of my fans and I really want to end the season as runner-up in the championship.

KATSUAKI FUJIWARA
The start of my season was better then the second part and now I want to end the year with a good result. Steph and I cannot win the title this year, but we have a chance of finishing second and third and that¹s what we¹ll be aiming for. The team have done so well to keep our bike competitive against all the other new bikes this year and I am hoping to reward them in the best possible way. A podium will be good, but a win will be better


FABRIZIO DETERMINED

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Michel Fabrizio knows that the 2003 European Superstock Championship title is his for the taking. He holds a fifteen point lead over his nearest rival – Lorenzo Lanzi – but is determined to use his head and do whatever is necessary to take the title. Fabrizio is taking nothing for granted and he and the team are preparing for Magny-Cours by not leaving anything to chance. It is the first time the European Superstock Championship is visiting France and hopefully it will be an occasion that will be remembered by Fabrizio and the team for some time to come.

MICHEL FABRIZIO
Lanzi’s mistake in the last round gave me just the chance I wanted. I pressured him throughout the race and he was unable to take it. I know that a 15-point advantage sounds a lot, but anything can happen in racing, so I’m not taking anything for granted. I aim to ride professionally and use my head throughout the weekend and hopefully getthe rewards at the end.


MAGNY-COURS TAKEN OVER BY SUZUKI

The weekend of 18-19th October at Magny-Cours is going to be one big Suzuki festival. Alstare Suzuki riders are competing at the highest level in all three championships, but also Magny-Cours will witness the final of the Suzuki GSXR750 World Cup. No less then 28 riders from 15 countries world-wide will compete on identically prepared GSXR750s in two races over the weekend – making it a true Suzuki-fest!


GREGORIO STILL CHASING

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Gregorio Lavilla knows that time is running out for him to record a win this year. The last round of the championship takes place at Magny-Cours circuit in France, on 19th October and there are just two opportunities remaining for Gregorio to take victory on the GSXR1000 Suzuki. It is not going to be an easy task because the layout and design of Magny-Cours is unlikely to favour the GSXR1000 this year. All season, Gregorio and the team have struggled to get the bike to match the Ducatis exiting the turns and Mangy-Cours has plenty of slow-speed corners. The track was designed with Formula 1 in mind and has been modified from its 1989 layout this year. In 1991, Magny-Cours hosted the last round of the Superbike World Championship on French soil, with both races won by American Doug Polen (Ducati).

GREGORIO LAVILLA
We tested – like most teams – at Magny-Cours recently and we have an idea of what our weekend is going to be like – hard! It’s a circuit where overtaking is going to be difficult and so qualifying well is going to be important, though I say that about all circuits. Magny-Cours is what I call a ‘modern track,’ that is one built for cars and these type of circuits are never usually very good for bikes. There are quite a few slow corners, so it’s going to be very hard getting as good a drive out of them as the Ducatis. The GSXR1000 Suzuki is powerful enough to compete with the Ducatis at top speed normally, but we cannot get the power on to the track exiting the corners like they can at the moment. It’s something we have been working on all season. At some tracks it is more of a problem then others. But I know I’ve got two chances of being the first rider to win a WSBk race on a Suzuki GSXR1000 and I’ll be trying my hardest for sure – like I always do.

From a press release issued by Spectrum Motorsports of Lake Forest (Orange County), California:

SPECTRUM MOTORSPORTS FINAL OUTDOOR BIKE NIGHT

Spectrum Motorsports announces their last bike night of the season on Tuesday, October 14th from 6:00 PM till 8:00 PM.

The evening’s activities will include the following:

The September $150 gift certificate winner will be drawn.

Two hot dogs and a soda for a $1.00. “You can’t beat that at Wal-Mart” said Greg Guthrie, Sales Manager for Spectrum Motorsports.

There will be a Play Station Moto GP III competition for all that sign up. First place is a $75 gift certificate, second place $50 gift certificate, and third place is a $25 gift certificate. There will be four racers at a time viewed on Spectrums large screen TV.

The entire new 2004 Honda product introductions will shown on a video after the Moto GP III competition.

Attendees can take advantage of Spectrum Motorsports huge accessory and clothing sales with many items significantly below cost. Helmets, boots, outfits, etc. are all drastically reduced. Some savings are more than 65% off.

In addition at the conclusion of the event there will be a short ride for any that want to participate and the route will be announced that evening.