From a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:

RIZLA SUZUKI TEAM FOR ASSEN WSB ROUND

Rizla Crescent Suzuki British Superbike Championship rider John Reynolds is to make a special ‘wild-card’ entry at the Assen World Superbike Championship round on September 7th. It was originally planned for both Reynolds and Rizla team mate Yuki Kagayama to race at Assen, but the Japanese star crashed at last week’s British Superbike round at Cadwell Park, breaking his pelvis and putting him out of action for the rest of the season.

The wild-card entry was made at the special request of the Crescent Suzuki team’s main sponsor Rizla, as the company’s European headquarters is based in the Netherlands. Reynolds’ GSX-R1000 race machine will also swop its British Superbike ‘Rizla Blue’ colours for a new ‘Rizla Red’ livery for the Assen event.

Both Reynolds and Kagayama have already scored World Superbike points this year in the two UK based rounds at Silverstone and Brands Hatch, with Reynolds taking a superb close second place in the second race at Brands.

Announcing the decision to race at Assen, Rizla Crescent Suzuki team owner Paul Denning said, “Making the final decision to race at the Assen WSB round wasn’t easy until we asked Yuki what he thought. Yuki is a world class rider and without his presence it would have been easy to pull out, but he is as eager as any of us for JR to race. We will do our best to put on a good show for Rizla, Yuki and all the team’s fans.

“Our Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000 is undoubtedly the bike to beat at the moment and JR is riding better than ever. We have a really good chance of getting a couple of top finishes and that’s our goal.”

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Racer Neil Hodgson and wife Kathryn had a daughter, Holly Jean Hodgson, September 2 in Douglas, Isle Of Man.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Attack Suzuki’s Jason Pridmore broke his left tibia just below the knee in a crash during Monday’s AMA Formula Xtreme race at Virginia International Raceway.

That’s the word from American Suzuki’s Morgan Broadhead. “He’s in good spirits and not in much pain,” said Broadhead Tuesday morning in the Greensboro, North Carolina airport. “He’s planning on seeing Dr. Ting today to get another evaluation. He won’t be racing at Barber (Motorsports Park, September 19-21), but he hopes to be back for the final round of the World Endurance Championship October 5 in (Vallalunga) Italy.”

Pridmore collided with Roger Lee Hayden early in the Formula Xtreme race. Hayden walked away from the incident but did not make the restart of the race.

“Basically, it was my fault, bad judgment. I made a mistake. It was the first time I’ve crashed and taken someone with me in 14 years of racing,” said Pridmore.

From a press release issued by Team Oliver Yamaha:

Team Oliver Yamaha’s Rich Oliver and Robert Ward brought home a victory after their most challenging race to date. Starting from pole position, Rich jumped into the lead over Chuck Sorensen, Simon Turner and Perry Melneciuc but a few turns into the first lap, Rich’s fate was in question.

As he entered turn four, he heard a sharp cracking sound and felt an impact underneath the seat. “At first, I thought a wheel weight must have flown off of the rear wheel and smashed into the seat,” said Rich, “but after a few more turns, I was wondering if the rear tire had started to come apart because I was chattering terribly on all of the right-handers. Then, I thought maybe it was a wheel weight after all and it was just making the wheel bounce in all the right-handers because of the nature of the track or the way I was riding. Then, I realized it may not have anything to do with the wheel because the seat was flopping all around as I changed direction. After processing through all of these different possibilities, I found myself still steadily pulling away from second place so I decided to not worry about it anymore and ride as hard as I could with the bike I had underneath me.

“To compensate for the bike, I changed my body position, my acceleration points, slowed down my cornering speed and decreased all of my braking distances. This kept the chatter to a minimum and the lap times as quick as possible.

“I finally found the problem when I dismounted the bike in victory circle. All that had happened was one of the sub frame bolts that holds the seat on had snapped, dropped into the spinning rear wheel and had been shot back out into the seat underneath me. So, it wasn’t the wheel weight, it wasn’t the tire, it was just a simple bolt that changed the weight bias by dropping the seat down and moving me too far back on the bike, overloading the rear tire.

“I can honestly say that the training I do in the Rich Oliver Mystery School helped me adapt quickly to a difficult situation and still grind out relatively quick lap times on a bike that was not up to par.”

The final 250 AMA series will conclude at Barber in September. It’s your last chance ever to see the blue missile streak around the course! We hope to see you there and encourage you to visit www.richoliver.net for more information on our Championship season and Mystery School.



More, from a press release issued by No Limit Motorsports:

The No Limit Motorsports team was hit with more injuries during Round 10 of the AMA Superbike Series at Virginia this past weekend. Jason Curtis crashed his Honda CBR954RR during the final laps of the rain-delayed Formula Xtreme race on Monday. He went down in a fast turn three and slid all the way to the Airfence. His injuries include some road rash, and a rather serious injury to his left hand.

He is currently traveling to a surgery session with Dr. Ting in Northern California, where Ting will try to repair tendon damage to the little finger of his left hand, and then graft some skin in place to try and replace what was lost in the slide. With any luck it looks as if Jason will ride at the final round at the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

Lance Isaacs was at the Virginia round to assist the team, but could not ride. He is recovering nicely from a badly broken right leg sustained at the Mid-Ohio round. Another patient of the famed Dr. Ting, Issacs had a rod placed in his broken leg, and that has hastened his healing. He is planning to race at the Alabama race in September as well.


More, from a press release issued by Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki:

ANOTHER TOP TEN FOR RAPP IN VIRGINIA

Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki spent Labor Day racing at Virginia International Raceway, with Steve Rapp scoring another top-10 finish in the Superbike race. The second Superbike National was held on Monday morning in overcast conditions, shortened from 28 laps after an oil spill and rains forced the AMA to postpone the race for one day.

“We used the shortened Superbike race as a bit of a test,” said Crew Chief Keith Perry. “It turned out pretty well for us. We needed the track time. It was a fairly odd situation with the delay yesterday. Twenty laps was okay with us. We were actually prepared to run in the rain with our bike and the Michelin rain tires (on Sunday), but we made the best out of the situation.”

Steve Rapp was 10th on his GSX-R750 Superstock machine, a change from his usual Superbike — a Suzuki GSX-R1000. “We tried a new Michelin tire in the race and I liked it,” Rapp said. “I ran by myself for most of the race, and my lap times were pretty much what I thought they would be going into the race.”

Chris Ulrich finished 20th, racing his Superstock GSX-R750 bike as well. “I was faster than the racers in front of me. Unfortunately, they were riding 1000s,” Ulrich said. “VIR is a tight course and I wasn’t able to get past them when I needed to, before my shoulder faded.”

The AMA finale could be considered a “home race” for the team since it will be held at nearby Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. “It’s only an hour and a half from the shop,” Perry added. “We’re looking forward to getting some more good results at the first AMA National held there.”



More, from a press release issued by Proforma:

LEE ACREE CARDS STRONG FINISHES AT VIRGINIA

Lee Acree went up against some of America’s most talented roadracers as a privateer this weekend at round ten of the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship, and came away with two strong finishes in the AMA Supersport and Superstock classes on his Triad Powersport Yamaha R6.

In the Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock event on Saturday, Lee qualified 14th and finished 15th against a field of more powerful 750cc machines. Tire issues kept Lee from taking advantage of the more nimble handling R6 that he was riding. A poor start didn’t help his effort. “My start was at least a tie for career worst,” joked Acree. “My original plan of getting a good start and using turn one to get with the lead pack turned into go to the outside for damage control and try and get back as many people as just went motoring by me on the start. I went by a couple of guys in turn one on the outside and went by a couple more here and there. First, Ciccotto got by me and then Chris (Ulrich). I tried to get by him on the last lap. I got within striking distance and actually got up beside him, but to make the pass would have been potentially detrimental at least to him if not both of us, and I figured where we were in the pack it wasn’t worth punting either one of us. As far as the tires, the rear was a compund that I hadn’t run all weekend and the rear grip wasn’t there. The front was great.”

Lee qualified in seventh position for the Pro Honda Oils Supersport race on Sunday, giving him a second row start. However, rain delayed the start some four hours and the tires that Acree chose did not perform as well as expected. Lee fought with both Roger Lee Hayden and Marty Cragill over tenth place, with Cragill passing Lee on the last lap and pushing Lee to 11th at the checkered flag. “I got an okay start and got down to turn one in about 14th, then tried to get past a couple more exiting turn one, but had to back off because they couldn’t see me. At the end of the first lap is where my progress ended. I was able to go by Roger the first time and was behind Duhamel and just couldn’t match the grip coming off the corners. I finally got Roger and then Cragill came by once and I went back by him. I had some steam on him, but once again, I just didn’t have the grip in the rear. Marty passed me on the last lap going into turn four and I had a chance to pass him back going into seven, but we came up on a lapper and Marty went to the right, which made me have to back off and killed my drive and passing opportunity there. At that point in the race, the right side of the tire just wasn’t there, and coming on the front straightaway I had it as sideways as I cold get it without it throwing me off. The tires were consistent, they were just never great.”


More, from another press release issued by Proforma:

HANER FIGHTS TO EIGHTH PLACE IN AMA SUPERSTOCK AT VIRGINIA

HAS/Shogun Racing rider John Haner finished eighth in the Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock race at Virginia International Raceway at round ten of the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship. Haner had qualified seventh on Friday afternoon, putting him on the second row of the grid.

“I got a good start and had a plan of going down to turn one in third gear so I didn’t have to make extra downshifts, and that went well,” said John. “About the fourth lap, my tires didn’t seem to hold up like I originally planned for them to. I almost crashed on the fast downhill and (Steve) Rapp got around me. I stayed behind him, and then I lost the front and the tires were going away pretty bad. Then Jason (Disalvo) got by, and he got a little gap and got up to Vincent (Haskovec), and I just didn’t have the tires to get by Vincent. Considering everything, we finished where we did and I can’t really complain too much.”

John’s teammate Heath Small elected not to race in Sunday’s Pro Honda Oils Supersport race after the tendons in his hand became too painful to ride. Small is still recovering from surgery to his left hand after crashing at Pikes Peak Raceway in June. Heath rode throughout practice on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.


More, from a press release issued by 1-888-FASTLAP:

1-888-FASTLAP’S CAYLOR FINISHES 11TH IN SUPERSTOCK AT VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL
RACEWAY; SUPERMOTO RAINED OUT FOR WRIGHT

ALTON, Va.- Opie Caylor put the 1-888-FASTLAP/Team EMGO Taiwan Suzuki GSX-R600 on the front row for the Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock race at Virginia International Raceway on Saturday, August 30, eventually finishing 11th after his tires wore out early.

Caylor qualified fourth with a time of 1:28.037. His time was quicker than the pole time set in 2002 for the Superstock class, and allowed him to get a front row start.

As the race progressed, Caylor dropped back to 11th as his tires began to degrade and slide. He finished the race in that position.

“We tested some different tires this weekend, and I went with something that was a bit harder than the softest compound,” said Caylor. “We tried them in practice and they seemed to be the best choice. But in the race I started sliding around after only the third lap. I feel like we had a legitimate shot at the win, so I’m disappointed.”

1-888-FASTLAP’s Brian Stokes qualified 16th with a time of 1: 29.623 on the Team Embry/FREEWEBTOWN.com Suzuki GSX-R600. His best lap time at VIR before the weekend was a 1:31.0.

Stokes was forced to retire early from the Superstock race when his fuel pump broke. “I got a good start and got up to 11th or so,” commented Stokes. “On the third lap the bike wasn’t driving well out of the corners and I couldn’t get it to rev out on the straights. The problem got a lot worse at the end of the race and I had to pull in with only one lap to go.”

Paul Wright, owner of 1-888-FASTLAP, brought his KTM 520 to compete in the Red Bull Supermoto race at South Boston Speedway, a nearby track that had been converted into combined dirt and road course for the Supermoto event. Practice, qualifying and the race were to be held on Saturday.

Wright rode in the first heat race, a 3-lap event, and then proceeded to the semi-finals. He was ready to ride when rain began to fall and the semi-finals had to be postponed. The rain continued and the race had to be rescheduled for Monday, September 1.

Wright has been winning numerous races on his motard in CCS and WERA events, and he is looking forward to racing on the professional level in the Supermoto Series.


More, from a press release issued by The Familie:

Jake Zemke Stands Strong with Second Place Finish

Carlsbad, CA – September 2, 2003 – After rain delays and race format changes, Erion Honda professional road racer Jake Zemke finished second in the tenth round of the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Race Series. The event was held at the Virginia International Raceway over the holiday weekend.

Due to heavy rains, round ten of the series was forced to continue on Monday, September 1. The race was then shortened from 17 laps to 12, and, with the red flag, it was cut by another lap to 11.

“The race format change definitely affected me a little since I usually push harder later on in a race,” said Zemke. “But second place is commendable, given how I began the weekend.”

The threesome, Ben Spies, Damon Buckmaster and Zemke, were all racing together, but a lapped rider prevented Buckmaster and Zemke from making
the critical pass that Spies was able to execute, placing him ahead of the rest. Zemke passed Buckmaster on lap eight to take second place in
the race.

Paso Robles resident Jake Zemke is currently in third place overall in the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Race Series, with a total point
standing of 249.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

CCS and WERA racer Chris Beck of Washington Cycle Works Racing married Dina Picone September 1st, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

From a press release issued by Team Troll Honda BQR:

Kenny Noyes Wins First-ever Road Race in Jerez, Spain

Californian Kenny Noyes (Team BQR Honda CBR 954RR) scored the first road race win of his career on Sunday, August 31 at Jerez de la Frontera, in the deep south of Spain. Air temperature was 98 degrees and the track temperature a scorching 122 at the start of the third round of the National Fórmula de Campeones Motocislismo Superseries Championship (basically 1000cc Superstock, but limited to a small choice of spec Dunlop slicks, more tuning options and freedom to change brakes and wheels).

The 24 year old former Formula USA Pro Singles Dirt Track champion, now in his third year of Spanish road racing, led into turn one but was passed at the end of the back-straight by Ismael Bonilla (Motorad Ducati 999) of Madrid who led lap one. Noyes came back past on the brakes into turn one at the start of the second lap and then gradually pulled clear of Bonilla, who was caught and passed four laps later by the, until now, undefeated championship leader José Manuel Hurtado of Valencia (MIR Suzuki GSX-R 1000).

Noyes read his board to build up and then hold a solid 4.5 second lead over Hurtado, avenging his loss (by a wheel’s length) to the European Superstock Championship regular in the season’s opener at Valencia. Bonilla’s Ducati blew a radiator hose with three laps to go, handing third to Jerónimo Castillejo (Honda). Noyes’ race average was faster that last year’s Formula Extreme win by Champion Dani Oliver Bultó (Suzuki GSX-R 1000)

“This is the first time I’ve been on top of the podium since the Manzanita, Arizona, Half Mile!” said Noyes, who is now second in the Superseries Championship points table, trailing Hurtado by 27 points with three rounds to go. “I had to miss the second round because the team was committed to run the 24 Hours of Barcelona and there was a conflict between the road race and endurance schedules. Our goal at the beginning of the season was to finish top ten in Formula Extreme and to try and win the Superseries. Right now, with four Formula Extreme and three Superseries races left to go, we are second and eleventh. It’s going to be hard to catch Hurtado unless he makes a mistake because he can still take the title by just finishing second. But I hope he’ll come out and fight to show he can beat me. It won’t just be between the two of us, anyway. Bonilla’s Ducati 999 has so much traction that it will be hard to beat at the twisty tracks coming up.”

The Spanish Formula Extreme and Superseries championships, run separately but both under Royal Spanish Motorcycling Federation sanction and with identical regulations (except for the fact that the Superseries is a Dunlop only class). Formula Extreme is the country’s most prestigious series and is broadcast live on TVE, Spain’s largest television network. The Motociclismo Superseries, televised in high-light form, is intended for up-and-coming riders and excludes from participation all riders who have previously finished in the top five in the points race for any other National Championship or ever scored Grand Prix points.

Noyes returns to Jerez on September 12-14 for round four of the Formula Extreme Championship.

“The great thing about racing over here,” says Noyes, “is that the tracks are just incredible…fun and real safe, wet or dry. Jerez is my favorite…it feels like you’re playing at Yankee Stadium when you race at this place!”

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Mystery School Yamaha’s Rich Oliver won his 70th career AMA 250cc Grand Prix race Monday at Virginia International Raceway. Oliver took the holeshot and ran away to win the 12-lap race by over eight seconds on his Robert Ward-tuned TZ250.

Priority Racing/Irish Bike’s Simon Turner kept Oliver in sight for a few laps before settling into a pace that brought him home a lonely second.

Third place was disputed between Sun Sports’ Perry Melneciuc and Stargel Aprilia’s Chuck Sorensen. Sorensen had problems during the race, and Melneciuc finished third with Sorensen fourth.

Sandy Noce, Ed Sorbo, Chris Pyles and teen Barrett Long had an entertaining battle for fifth. In the end, Pyles got his Honda RS250R across the line before Long, Noce and Sorbo.

John France passed Sean McNew on the final circuit to get ninth.

Oliver clinched the AMA 250cc GP Championship, his fifth, at the previous round of the series.


Results
250cc Grand Prix
VIR
12 laps
1. Rich Oliver, Yamaha
2. Simon Turner, TSR Honda, -8.172
3. Perry Melneciuc, Yamaha, -18.846
4. Chuck Sorensen, Aprilia, -20.811
5. Chris Pyles, Honda, -42.552
6. Barrett Long, Yamaha, -42.603
7. Sandy Noce, Yamaha, -42.712
8. Ed Sorbo, Yamaha, -44.839
9. John France, Honda, -60.116
10. Sean McNew, Honda, -60.557
11. Bill Himmelsbach, Yamaha, -77.705
12. Steve Scott, Yamaha, -78.352
13. James Bonner, Yamaha, -81.045
14. Shawn Murray, Honda, -82.007
15. Stephen Bowline, Honda, -87.103
16. Mark Stiles, Yamaha, -1 lap
17. Richard Merhar, -1 lap
18. Glen Christianson, Yamaha, -1 lap
19. Justin Long, Yamaha, -1 lap
20. Sean Wray, Yamaha, -1 lap
21. Craig Secosan, Yamaha, -1 lap
22. Keith Floyd, Yamaha, -1 lap
23. Bryan Hoelzer, Honda, -1 lap
24. Colin Jensen, Aprilia, DNS
25. Ed Marchini, Yamaha, DNS
26. Bruce Lind, Yamaha, DNS
27. Joji Tokumoto, Honda, DNS
28. Matthew Guibault, Yamaha, DNS
29. Paul Hoyt Nelson, Honda, DNS

AMA 250cc Grand Prix Point Standings:

1. Oliver, 376 points
2. Melneciuc, 266 points
3. Turner, 265 points
4. Sorensen, 252 points
5. Pyles, 249 points
6. Marchini, 206 points
7. Noce, 200 points
8. Sorbo, 187 points
9. Jensen, 166 points
10. Greg Esser, 160 points

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Rain forced the AMA Supermoto event at South Boston, Virginia to be postponed from Saturday night, August 30 until Monday, September 1.

The revised schedule follows:

10:00 a.m. Practice
12:00 p.m. Semi Heats
12:45 p.m. Supermoto Superpole
1:15 p.m. Supermoto Unlimited Final (24 laps)
2:15 p.m. Supermoto Final (24 laps)

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Monday Morning AMA Formula Xtreme Practice Times:

1. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:26.013
2. Ben Spies, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:26.029
3. Jake Zemke, Honda CBR954RR, 1:26.794
4. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:26.959
5. Roger Lee Hayden, Honda CBR954RR, 1:27.014
6. Josh Hayes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:27.656
7. Marty Craggill, Honda CBR954RR, 1:27.827
8. Jason Curtis, Honda CBR954RR, 1:31.518
9. Corey Eaton, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:32.328
10. Nate Kern, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:33.451