From a press release issued by Hawk Kawasaki:

HAWK KAWASAKI ON RECORD PACE AT FINAL BSB TEST

Hawk Kawasaki showed what a force its new ZX-10Rs will be in the year’s BSB championship by running at lap record pace at the last pre-season test at Silverstone today. Scott Smart set an unofficial time of 1:27.4 around Silverstone’s 2.252 mile International circuit, matching Michael Rutter’s lap record, despite it being the new bike’s first dry test and its first time around the Northamptonshire track.

Smart completed more than 60 laps aboard the 10R and was delighted to have got to grips with it so quickly. “The bike really isn’t a million miles away from where it needs to be. I’ve been experimenting with settings today and found one that I like, plus today’s also given us a chance to learn how to ride the bike. It’s really good and much quicker than the ZX-7 although oddly it doesn’t feel any faster, but that’s because of its power delivery and that’s a big bonus.

“The 10R is smaller with a more upright riding position compared to the 750, which is quite stretched out, so you can clamber all over it and, as a result, it’s less tiring to ride which will give us an easier time in races.

“Now that we’ve been up against the opposition we know that we’re lacking a bit in speed, but we’ve closed the gap by more than half from last season.”

His Hawk team mate Glen Richards also broke into the 1 minute 27s with a fastest lap of 1:27.9. The Aussie spent much of the three 50 minute sessions experimenting with suspension set-ups and completed over 50 laps on the new machine. “It’s been fantastic to get out on the bike today,” he said. “Although at the moment the bike’s still a lot better than me. I need to spend more time in the saddle and get my strength up so I can muscle it about. Riding a superbike is always hard work, especially after the winter.

“We’ve got a good motorbike and both Scott and I are getting around here good. I’ve pretty much matched my fastest race time from last year so it can’t be bad and throughout the day we’ve definitely got the bike to feel better and it’s looking good.”

With less than two weeks to the opening BSB round, again at Silverstone, today’s test proved invaluable to the Hawk team, as Team Principal Stuart Hicken explained. “It’s been an excellent test for us because at the moment I feel the bikes are 65 per cent of where we want to be. We’re still running road ignitions and there’s still a huge amount to come from the bikes. Nothing’s broken or proved unreliable, the handling was there or there abouts, we’ve made a lot of changes and the bikes responded to all the changes – which is the important thing. Now we’ve just got to concentrate on getting four bikes ready for Silverstone, run with what we’ve got and then after that there are still lots and lots of things to come.

“From today we’ve learned that the motor isn’t going to go bang after five laps, which is important and that the bike responds to changes and the riders can feel those changes, which is crucial. Everything’s been positive and I’m very pleased with the way things have gone.”

The first BSB round will be held at Silverstone on March 28.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Roadracing World is putting together a data base of collisions taking place during practice, qualifying or races at AMA National events. This data base will be used for an upcoming article or articles.

If you are an AMA Pro-licensed racer and have been involved in a collision with another rider at an AMA National, we’d like to hear from you.

Send us an e-mail at [email protected], and please include:

–The racetrack

–The year

–The corner

–The riders involved

–The cause of the collision (i.e., another guy ran into you, you ran into another guy, a guy turned across your front wheel, a guy T-boned you as you turned in, etc.)

–The result of the collision (i.e., you crashed, the guy who you collided with crashed, you both crashed, whatever.)

–Any after-crash on-site interaction between involved riders

–Information on any related interaction with AMA officials

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

CCS and AMA Supersport Racer Daryl Woodward married Audra Kathleen Arend, March 13th, in Mesa, Arizona.

From a press release issued by Ducati North America:

SPORTCLASSIC RESERVATIONS BEING TAKEN AT DUCATI DEALERS

Ducati North America Dealers are now taking pre-production reservations for the exciting new SportClassic motorcycles.

This February’s announcement by Ducati to produce the SportClassic concept bikes is followed up today by a customer pre-production reservation program. By participating in this program, a customer will be guaranteed to receive the first production models of these unique motorcycles. Additionally, reservation-holding customers will benefit from pricing based on the favorable introductory MSRP. The SportClassics received excellent customer feedback at both Long Beach and New York International motorcycle shows and on ducati.com’s survey. These classically inspired, high performance sportbikes are true to Ducati’s history of style and engineering excellence.

Now customers can reserve any of the three Ducati SportClassic motorcycles; the limited-edition PaulSmart 1000, Sport 1000, or GT 1000. The PaulSmart 1000 will be a limited-edition featuring the Ohlins suspension front and rear. Additionally it will be painted differently than the concept bike, and will feature the silver/green color scheme similar to that of the renowned 1974 Ducati 750 SS. The GT 1000 will be dark metallic grey with black frame and the Sport 1000 will be yellow with black frame.

Reservations placed between March 1st , 2004 and September 1st , 2004 will benefit from the following favorable introductory prices:

Model Price Tentative Delivery

PaulSmart 1000 MSRP $13,995 November 2005

Sport 1000 MSRP $10,995 March 2006

GT 1000 MSRP $9,995 September 2006

Please note that these prices do not include freight, dealer setup, taxes, or registration fees.

To place an order for any of the Ducati SportClassics, please contact your local Ducati dealer. Call 1-888-DUCATI 2 or visit www.ducatiusa.com to locate the dealer nearest to you. Dealers will take order information and a customer deposit for all reservations.

From a press release issued by Ten Kate Honda:

Ten Kate Honda riders back to their roots

With an all Aussie line-up of riders, the Phillip Island round can be judged as an home race for the Ten Kate Honda squad. The riders have left Europe early to spend some time with family and friends and to prepare themselves for an exciting round of World Superbike and Supersport racing.

Chris Vermeulen: “It’s nice to race in front of my family, friends and fans at Phillip Island. I like the Phillip Island track, especially after I won my first race in World Supersport last year on the Island. Development for the Honda CBR1000RR has continued since our test at Valencia (monday after the race). The Ten Kate crew has worked on both engine and chassis for this race, so I will be even more motivated to perform well in front of the home crowd.”

Karl Muggeridge: “As for all Australian riders, motivation will be no problem at all for the Phillip Island round! The race at Valencia was for sure disappointing to all of us after being on top of the timesheets throughout winter testing and all practice-sessions. But it was just the first race and I know we can do a lot better. The Honda machinery is working perfect and the people of Andreani Group who are preparing our WP Suspension have come up with a perfect base-setting for us.”

Broc Parkes: “Never in my racing career I have been so happy, the Honda CBR600RR is working perfect, I work with the best technical crew, nothing really to wish for at the moment. Looking back to Valencia I tried too hard too soon in those conditions. We have to look forward now and I can’t wait to be riding the bike around the nice lay-out of the Phillip Island track.”

Team owner Gerrit ten Kate who will not join his team to Australia; “In this time of season our customers start racing their bikes, every week we’ve teams collecting their bikes or engines from our workshop, so I really can’t join the team. I’m however confident that they will manage the situation without me.”

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Mladin On Top

By Bob Dragich

Once again, Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin was the fastest rider at a test for Dunlop-sponsored AMA teams. This time, at Infineon Raceway in Northern California, Mladin turned a best lap of 1:37.4 on the newly repaved track with significant improvements in turns one and six.

This year, Mladin is displaying a quiet confidence that says, “I’m here to get the job done.” Mladin said on the second day of testing, “We’re just trying tires today. Dunlop’s got some new ones and they seem to be working out really well. Yesterday, we worked on the bike, a few suspension bits, that’s all. The bike was really good right out of the truck.”

ARCLIGHT SUZUKI:
Arclight Racing was at the test trying out the new-for-them Dunlops after switching from Pirellis. The riders were Scott Harwell, who will be competing for the team in Formula USA and Dave Stanton, who will represent the team in the AFM. The team is committed to riding 750s for Suzuki and, according to team co-owner Chuck Warren, “There’s just no way we can compete with the 1000s” (in AMA Superstock). Rider Chris Ulrich sat out the test while recovering from a broken collarbone suffered at the exit of the Chicane at Daytona.

“This test is basically to teach me the feel of the tires,” said Harwell. “Daytona is a one-off track and it really doesn’t tell you much. We’re trying to get ready for (the F-USA race) at Road America in April. I love the grip these tires have, but the better grip caused us to change everything. We really didn’t go for lap times. My best lap was a 1:43, but we would just do a few laps and come in and make a change. We didn’t do more than five laps in a row.”


ATTACK KAWASAKI:
Tony Meiring’s main concerns were the new Dunlop tires and brake pads the team had gotten since Daytona. The new 600RR that did so well at Daytona was, “Definitely a contender,” according to Meiring. “I wish we were racing here tomorrow. The chassis is identical to last year, and we played a lot with ride height. I like it when the front is low. It turns well but then it tends to push. The good thing is that it’s not spinning the rear too much. I did 30+ laps on a single rear tire and it still wasn’t spinning. We never said, ‘Let’s go for a fast lap time,’ but we still did pretty well.”


ERION HONDA:
Alex Gobert spent much of the test getting physically comfortable on the new CBR1000RR. “We’re back to more what the streetbike feels like, standard bars and everything. We set up the suspension pretty stiffly, but it just wasn’t comfortable. We’re trying to get it to come off the corners better, and we’re definitely making progress.”

Jake Zemke seemed a little frustrated with the CBR1000RR. “We’ve been doing most of our work on the 1000, because it’s brand new and we’ve never had it here before. We’re just looking for a baseline, and we haven’t found it yet. We’re trying to get the whole bike to work together, and, at this point, the bike is better than the rider.” Zemke was one of the only riders who didn’t like the new track surface. The former dirt tracker said, “I always liked this place because everybody (else) complained about it.”


HONDA:
Ben Bostrom said the problem with the 600 was “Power. But we know what it is and we’ll have it fixed by Fontana. The 1000, it’s the front end, fork flex, but we have parts coming and it should be fine. The first day of the test was fairly awful. It was me; I was just riding poorly. There’s a definite chatter in the back of the 1000 that we need to fix, but, overall, I love that bike. It’s got a lot of torque down low, and there’s a lot of grip with the new pavement. It’s harder to steer because the rear grip is so good. With less grip, it’s just easier to point.” Like Zemke, Bostrom, who did his time on the dirt tracks, also said, “I liked coming here when it was bumpy. Everyone would cry, and it definitely gave me an advantage.”

Miguel Duhamel said, “The problem with Daytona was that we didn’t have a good game plan. Yesterday we made tons of progress. There’s a new level of difficulty in the set-up because the CBR1000RR has so much power. We’ve always had power with the Hondas, but nothing like this. We won a lot of races on the RC45, but it needed a lot of testing and adjustment. The CBR was good right out of the box. The feedback from the bike is really good, and here, at Infineon, it’s a testament to how good that bike really is. It’s brand new and we’re on par with the Suzukis which have been in development for a year. It’s really exciting, because it’s good now and who knows what we’re going to discover as we develop it. We didn’t spend that much time on the FX bike, the reason being that it’s already working really good and we were the fastest 600 out there by far.”


KAWASAKI:
Roger Lee Hayden was, “Just getting myself comfortable on the 1000. I haven’t been here in three years (due to injuries each year) and we’re working mostly on getting the bike to turn. It’s also got a chatter that we haven’t figured out yet, but it’s getting better.”

Roger’s brother Tommy said, “We’re mostly trying to sort out the chassis on the new 1000. At a place like this, with lots of power, it’s really important. We’ve gotten a lot of ideas since we rode it at Daytona and we’re trying to go through as much of them as we can with the time we have.”


YOSHIMURA SUZUKI:
Aaron Yates’ Superbike was sputtering coming off the corners. “We rode the Superbike all day yesterday and we were going to ride the 600 this morning, but we’ve run into some issues (on the Superbike).” And it wasn’t just the engine. “It’s just not absorbing some of the big bumps in turn four and the Carousel the way I would like it to, but we’re getting there. The lap times show it.”


YAMAHA and GRAVES YAMAHA:
Damon Buckmaster was splitting his time fairly evenly between the R6 and the R1. “You’re not going to find that much on a Superstock bike here. It’s just got so much torque and horsepower that it’s just a matter of getting it to the ground. I’m not really happy with it yet, and we were just going to try something when the clutch burned.”

Jason DiSalvo spent much of his time getting familiar with the new R1 Superstock bike. “It’s a little bit of everything. We’re trying to get a good balance, and we’re about at 8 on a scale of 10 right now (at the end of the day). We’re just fine tuning it, go out, do a couple of laps, come in. It’s a maximum of one click here or there. It’s really encouraging because the bike is so good right now and it’s brand new.” DiSalvo was nursing some pretty incredible blisters on both hands by the end of the test.

DiSalvo said there really wasn’t much need to do too much time on the 600, because, “We have an almost perfect base setup from last year. The only thing was that I’m faster than last year, so we’re going a little taller on the gearing.”

Aaron Gobert spent the entire first day on the R1. “There’s always something to improve on, but every track we’ve taken it to, it’s been such a good bike. It’s incredible to have that much horsepower and have it still handle that well. What we’re looking for is a good race set-up, we’re not really trying to turn the fastest time. We should be very close by the end of the day.” As far as the new Dunlops went, Gobert said, “I liked the medium compound best. It was better on both (the Superstock and Supersport bikes). They’ll go close to race distance.”

On the 600, Gobert pointed out that they didn’t have that much time on it last year when the basic bike was brand new because the weekend was race-shortened. “Even with that, it came around really quickly anyway.”

Jamie Hacking said he was “Still working on my back (after his fall at Daytona). (Vertebra) C1 (right at the top of the neck) was pinching a nerve going into my brain and it was giving me these headaches. My chiropractor worked on it for three days last week and it seems to be getting better.” Despite that, Hacking was turning some good lap times, but “The new 600 still lacks some front end feel. They changed tires on us from last year when the bike was perfect.” On the R1, “We’re just trying to get it to steer a little better. There’s plenty of power, and we’re about 60% there on the steering.”


AMA Race Director Ron Barrick was at the test and said one area that the AMA would be looking at was turn seven. “The NHRA put in a scale pad in the runoff area. It’s a big, flat metal plate surrounded by Armco. We’re looking into removing the barriers. Also, in 8A, the left-hander, there are some barriers that we’re looking at moving back. To the track’s credit, they did a lot with turns one and six, and the new surface offers much more consistent grip. I think we’re going to set up turn one like last year. The riders want us to move the curb back and up, but I’m concerned about the speeds and the bridge abutment.”

Mat Mladin had a number of good things to say about the improvements Infineon Raceway had made to the track. “They’ve improved it by leaps and bounds in the 10 months since we’ve last been here, that’s for sure. There are still a couple of heavy impact areas, particularly turn seven and turn 10. They would be a problem, especially in the rain, just because you don’t slow down as fast on a slippery surface. They say they can’t do anything about turn 10. But we race at Mid-Ohio in the rain, and these guys have gone way ahead of them, that’s for sure.”

TIMES (as claimed by teams)

SUPERBIKE:
Mat Mladin, Yoshimura Suzuki, 1:37.4
Jake Zemke, Erion Honda, 1:37.6
Ben Bostrom, Honda, 1:37.7
Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 1:37.9
Aaron Yates, Yoshimura Suzuki, 1:38.0

FORMULA XTREME:
Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 1:39.3

SUPERSTOCK
Ben Spies, Yoshimura Suzuki, 1:38.4
Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha, 1:38.5
Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki, 1:38.7
Jamie Hacking, Yamaha, 1:38.7
Roger Lee Hayden, Kawasaki, 1:39.2
Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha, 1:39.4
Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 1:39.4
Alex Gobert, Erion Honda, 1:41.4

SUPERSPORT
Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki, 1:39.2
Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha, 1:39.3
Ben Bostrom, Honda, 1:39.4
Ben Spies, Yoshimura Suzuki, 1:39.4
Jake Zemke, Erion Honda, 1:39.6
Aaron Yates, Yoshimura Suzuki, 1:39.6
Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha, 1:39.7
Roger Lee Hayden, Kawasaki, 1:39.7
Jamie Hacking, Yamaha, 1:39.9
Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 1:40.0
Tony Meiring, Attack Kawasaki, 1:40.7
Alex Gobert, Erion Honda, 1:40.9



More, from a press release issued by Infineon Raceway:

Jake Zemke Posts Top Time During AMA Test at Infineon Raceway



Photo courtesy Infineon Raceway/Ian Donald

SONOMA, Calif. – Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke posted the top time during a two-day test session at Infineon Raceway in advance of the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Cycle Gear, April 30-May 2.

Zemke, who placed second earlier this month at the season-opening Daytona 200, posted a time of 1:37.6 on the repaved 12-turn, 2.22-mile road course. Four-time AMA Chevrolet Superbike champion Mat Mladin (Suzuki) was second-fast at 1:37.63 and Honda’s Ben Bostrom third (1:37.72). All times were provided by the individual race teams.

Nine riders from manufacturers American Honda, Yoshimura Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha participated in the two-day test, which concluded on Tuesday. In addition, Arclight Suzuki Racing, Erion Honda and Team Attack Kawasaki also participated in the test.

“I haven’t raced here the last two years because I was injured so I’m looking forward to coming back,” said Kawasaki’s Roger Hayden. “I want to prove to myself that I can run with these guys on every track, and I think Kawasaki is going to be real strong here.”

Riders encountered a much different raceway during the two-day test. The road course has been completely repaved, and additional runoff has been created at Turn 1 (120 feet) and Turn 6 (80 feet). Moreover, a new pedestrian bridge will be constructed at Turn 1 for the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, and it will be positioned 100-feet closer to Turn 2, removing the bridge abutment as a safety issue. The Turn 6 bridge at the Carousel, meanwhile, has been permanently removed.

“Infineon continues to do the work that makes this place much safer, and they’re working with us, the riders,” said Honda’s Miguel Duhamel, a four-time Superbike winner at Infineon Raceway.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

What’s with the new “Mini Me” issue?

Henry Avello
Hoover, Alabama


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I just got my April edition in the mail today, and I absolutely love it!! I was one of the subscribers who asked for a smaller format, and thank you very much for taking my and other’s suggestions to heart. I can now throw it in a backpack or in a pile with other papers so I always have it handy to read when spare time allows. Roadracing World is the only motorcycle magazine I subscribe to and the only one I need. Keep up the good work!

Jim Meyer
Lancaster, Pennsylvania


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I voted for a BIGGER issue! Heck, you can send it in a 3X5″ format and we’ll still love it (albeit with a magnifying glass). In all seriousness thank you for listening to the readers. It once again emphasizes your commitment to your subscribing customers. We’re loyal, we’ll stick by. You make a difference in many racers/readers lives. Not to be redundant, but keep up the excellent work. And good luck Chris! We’ll see you on the podium my man. Think and stay positive.

Douglas Russell
Glen Cove, New York


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I just got my new issue (great so far by the way, but I read it over several days so too early to really tell). Anyway, us old guys don’t much like change so it’s like ‘who moved my cheese’ so to speak. I guess it’s a newsstand thing, so if it helps the biz, OK.

I like the BIG format, though. It was different and I found myself reviewing EVERY AD before I relegated it to the storage stack. Along that line, you should have Dragich suggest your regulars change up their ads periodically. They are content too, you know.

Bob Holcomb
Lincoln, Massachusetts


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Congratulations on the new format, very nice and professional. The mag should now become a welcome addition to newsstands around the country.

Alan Wilson
Castle Rock, Colorado


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

WOW! Very impressed with the new book format. Great look, great size, etc. I ship my magazines to overseas soldiers and this will help with packing tremendously (as if that was a consideration of yours).

Kyle Kirschenmann
Knoxville Tennessee


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Gentlemen: We are enjoying your new magazine format. The size aids to give us quick reference regarding an individual magazine due to the clear binding surface.

Mr. Michael H. Hartney
Hanceville, Alabama


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I just received my latest issue of my all-time favorite rag. I think I got the junior edition. I want my BIG magazine back please.

Paul Schaller
Dublin, Ohio


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Just received the April issue – it is beautiful!
Hope this means you are doing better than ever.
Keep it up 🙂 You are great, great, great.

Thomas N. Patch
Hamden, Connecticut


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I wanted to drop you a quick message. The new format of the magazine is great. The comparison articles were also very good.

I would like to make a suggestion for follow up articles. Being that your magazine is dedicated to road racing, I would love to see a 600cc and 1000cc shootout with the bikes identically prepared in race trim. Keep stock gearing. Same race exhaust, tires, brake pads, rear sets, brake lines, etc. In the article, use the same format and riders as the 1000cc article this month.

I just wanted to pass along what I thought was a good suggestion. Thanks for the great magazine. Keep it up.

Glenn Foster
Greenville, South Carolina


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

– got the new issue – GREAT new look, right up there with Cosmo, Oprah, etc. I like it – good for you and good for Roadracing World. Best wishes for continued success.

Evelyne Clarke
WERA Motorcycle Roadracing
www.wera.com
Canton, Georgia


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Jury still out, but I still like the tabloid/newspaper style magazine format. Just my two cents. Keep up the good work.

Marc Conte
Hudson, Massachusetts


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Just to let you guys know I just subscribed for another two years and I really enjoy your magazine. I also like the new size you have switched too for the magazine.

Also I race a Buell XB9R Firebolt in WMRRA and REALLY enjoy reading the first person articles about your Buell XB9 you guys raced last year…Keep up the GREAT work.

Brad Haley
#428 WMRRA
Pushrodracing.com
Seattle, Washington


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

I don’t know if you get too many kudos through e-mail but I think one should give praise where praise is due. And may I say with the new April issue’s construction I am a much happier man. I loved the magazine before but it did tend to get beat up pretty easily since it was stapled. Having it bound and having a real spine was a welcome change. Keep up the good work.

Russ Alexander
Provo, Utah


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Love the new format of the magazine. Looks great and the paper quality is very nice.

Tommy Morgan
Ocala Florida


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Just finished the April 2004 issue and wanted to thank you for having the only clearly non-biased motorcycle magazine on the planet (well, at least in the U.S. of A.) This past issue was the last straw; now, I must subscribe.

You are the best. Please carry on.

Professor Kenton Russell
Criminal Justice/Paralegal Department Chair
The Brown Mackie College
Salina, Kansas


FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail

Hey guys, don’t know whose idea it was to revamp the newspaper style you had into a magazine but I personally like it. Keep up the good coverage. Also, the cribs section is great. Thanks to all the racers for letting us into their homes.

Doyle Roos
Rock Island, Illinois

From a press release:

RepairManual.com Racing Announces New Sponsors for 2004 AMA Superbike Season

CHARLOTTE, NC- RepairManual.com Racing has announced new partnerships with GEICO’s Cycle-Gard motorcycle insurance, GIVI U.S.A., and Autodata Publications to field C.R. Gittere in AMA Pro Racing’s U.S. Superbike Series for the 2004 season.

The blue-liveried No. 81 Suzuki GSX-R1000 will be graced with GEICO’s popular gecko mascot. The company is known for offering insurance at affordable rates, and GEICO has a full range of insurance offerings for motorcycle riders. Quotes for insurance rates can be obtained on the Internet at www.GEICO.com or by calling 800-44-CYCLE.

Gittere, of Charlotte, NC, has been racing for five years. For the 2004 season, he will race in the seven AMA Superbike rounds that will be staged on the east coast. Five of those rounds will be double-header weekends.

In addition to Cycle-Gard, Repairmanual.com Racing is also partnering with three new sponsors including Autodata Publications, who publish motorcycle books such as the 2003 Motorcycle & ATV Technical Data Manual, the 2002 Motorcycle Labor Guide and a variety of automotive titles. Autodata books are available through the RepairManual.com website.

After several years of providing accessories for Repairmanual.com Racing, GIVI USA has stepped in as a sponsor this year. The U.S. branch of the popular Italian company, based in Charlotte, NC, offers motorcycle luggage, windscreens and accessories for almost all types of motorcycles.

Gittere is also sponsored by Ricky Hendricks Performance Honda-Suzuki-Aprilia, a motorcycle shop located in Charlotte, NC, that has been involved with the motorcycle roadracing community for several years.

RepairManual.com has been the title sponsor of Gittere’s team for five years. The RepairManual.com website offers Autodata, Bentley, Chilton, Clymer, Detroit Iron, Haynes, MBI, OEM and Seloc repair manuals for a variety of vehicles.

During the season-opening Daytona 200 at Daytona International Speedway, Gittere rode to a 12th place finish in what is considered to be the toughest race of the season. Gittere started 27th on the grid but worked his way up with consistent lap times and flawless pit stops.

“I’m happy to be working with these companies,” said Gittere. “It elevates our racing program both for my sponsors and for me. I couldn’t have done so well at the Daytona 200 without the support of my sponsors.”

Gittere is receiving additional support from Crown Printing, GP Tech, Lockhart-Phillips, M4, Motul, Suomy, Pirelli, Trackside Racers Supply, Vortex, Monster Energy Drink and DynoJet.

More information about Gittere is available on the Internet at www.QuickCritter.com.

From a press release:

Yorba Linda, CA. American Supercamp and White Brothers Racing announced today an exciting new racing partnership in 2004 with the official signing of Jeremy McGrath. McGrath, a seven time Supercross champion and a member of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, will be joining the American Supercamp/White Brothers Racing/Fun Bike Center/Honda Supermoto team to ride alongside teammate Steve Drew in AMA Supermoto Series events.

Since his official retirement from the Supercross circuit in January of 2003, McGrath has been fueling his desire for competition by racing in the AMA Supermoto series and riding select motocross events, along with sampling motorcycle road racing and occasionally trying his hand racing on four wheels. Although he has left the intense level of competition that Supercross demands behind him, McGrath is still one of the most exciting motorcycle racers to ever don a helmet.

“I’m definitely thrilled about this new opportunity,” McGrath commented. “I really like racing Supermoto, and having support like this and a bike like the Honda CRF450 makes it more fun for me. I know the guys at White Brothers and Supercamp will provide me with the best possible equipment and I can just enjoy racing.”

Drew, who works full-time for White Brothers Manufacturing, finished tenth in the 2003 Supermoto team standings aboard his White Brothers Racing Moto Master Brent Honda and looks to improve on that position in 2004.

Steve remarked, “There’s no better situation that I can find myself in to go racing this year than this one. I’ve got great sponsors behind me like Supercamp and White Brothers Racing, and I ride Hondas. And then to have Jeremy on the team what Jeremy can bring to the team with his experience is huge. I’m definitely looking forward to being able to practice and test with him and just trying to feed off of him. It’s definitely to my advantage. I’m pretty excited..”

Mike Bell, White Brothers Racing COO and 1980 Supercross champion stated, “There’s not a more well known name in motocross than Jeremy McGrath, we’re more than excited to have him join the White Brothers Racing team. Jeremy brings the finishing touches to our Supermoto efforts and will be racing along with our in house competitor, Steve Drew. We’re looking for an exciting year of racing from this team and feel that along with our White Brothers Racing equipped and race-prepped machines, we’re sure to be a strong contender to the field.”

American Supercamp’s President Danny Walker added, “This is a perfect fit for American Supercamp with both our regular dirt track camps and our Supermoto camps. It’s a natural progression for us to be on the leading edge of the techniques that riders like McGrath and Drew use.” Walker, who partnered with Cameron Gray of RPM (promoter of the Honda Superbike Classic at Laguna Seca) to field a Supermoto team in 2003 continued, “We’re big fans of the Supermoto series, and I’m enthusiastic about having riders like Steve Drew and Jeremy McGrath involved with American Supercamp.”

The team will be competing in all AMA Supermoto events, and McGrath may also be involved in a coaching role with the Honda Rider’s Club of America Junior Supermoto Challenge, a support event to the Supermoto Series that selects young riders from around the country to participate in Supermoto racing aboard Honda CRF150s. For more information please call White Brothers Racing at 714-692-3404 or visit the websites below:

www. WhiteBrothers.com
www.Americansupercamp.com