From a press release issued by the AMA:

CALIFORNIA ROLLS BACK ON OFF-ROAD MOTORCYCLE CONVERSION BAN

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has rescinded a memo it issued recently issued that stopped allowing the conversion of off-road motorcycles built since 1978 into street-legal or dual-sport machines.

But the department said it would issue new rules soon.

When the department released the memo in July stopping the conversion of certain off-road motorcycles to street-legal and dual-sport use, it represented a major change in policy for the agency. That’s because the DMV’s own registration manual, and a California Highway Patrol bulletin, spelled out procedures for legally making such conversions.

From a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway:

Dunlop Tire Test For Daytona 200 By Arai Ends Early

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (Aug. 21, 2003) – The Dunlop tire test in preparation for the 63rd Daytona 200 By Arai has ended a day early.

With no rain the past two days, Dunlop tire officials and riders Miguel Duhamel, Ben Bostrom, Mat Mladin and Aaron Yates completed the objectives of the test.

For ticket information for next year’s Daytona 200 Week, call the Speedway ticket office at (386) 253-7223.

From a press release issued by MonsterMob Ducati:

SHAKEY HOPES TO WRAP TITLE UP AT CADWELL

MonsterMob Ducati’s Shane Byrne goes into this weekend’s action at Cadwell Park hot favourite to wrap up the British Superbike Championship at the Lincolnshire circuit in front of an anticipated record bank holiday crowd.

Never in the championship’s recent history has the title been won with two rounds to spare but such is the 26 year old Kent rider’s advantage, he just needs 22 points from round ten of the twelve round series to be certain of his first major Superbike crown to add to his Privateer’s Cup success of two years ago.

But despite the title being within his grasp, ‘Shakey’ is taking nothing for granted and is focussing on getting back to winning ways after a poor showing in the last round at Oulton Park:

“I’ve not won a BSB race for seven races now and that is starting to bug me. I need to win five out of the last six races if I’m to achieve my goal of a record fourteen wins in a season and obviously if I do that, the title will be well in the bag. It’s all very well settling for safe points but that’s when mistakes creep in as was the case at Oulton so I won’t be doing that from now on” said Byrne who will clinch the series if he beats main rival John Reynolds in the opening race.

Meanwhile, the task will prove much harder for Supersport team mate Stuart Easton who needs to take his third win of the season if he’s any chance of hanging onto his number one plate. The 20 year old from Hawick trails series leader Karl Harris by 45 points and a repeat of the Oulton Park result where Harris won and Easton finished second would see Harris land the title. But the young Scot hasn’t given up and will be aiming to clinch victory around the tight and twisty circuit.

“People wrote me off before Mondello and I ended up winning with Karl down in eleventh and a repeat of that is what I need. I want to take the title fight to the next round at least and I’m not going to surrender my crown easily” said the defending champion.

Team Owner Paul Bird commented: “We just need to wrap up the superbike title as quickly as possible now so that we can start concentrating on our plans for next season. Shakey knows what he needs to do and I’m confident he’ll come up with the goods this weekend. As for Stuart, it’s going to be tough but as long as there’s a chance, we’ll be giving it our best shot.”


Recent British Superbike Champions

1996, Niall Mackenzie, Yamaha

1997, Niall Mackenzie, Yamaha

1998, Niall Mackenzie, Yamaha

1999, Troy Bayliss, Ducati

2000, Neil Hodgson, Ducati

2001, John Reynolds, Ducati

2002, Steve Hislop, Ducati

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

MLADIN CHASING MERKEL’S 19-YEAR-OLD AMA SUPERBIKE RECORD AT VIR

Aussie could take single season win record in Virginia

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Aug. 21, 2003) — In 1984 Motorcycle Hall of Famer Fred Merkel won an amazing 10 races en route to the AMA Superbike title. That record stood as one of the most impressive in the history of the series and many considered it nearly unbreakable – until now. Suzuki’s Mat Mladin stands on the cusp of breaking the 19-year-old single season win record when the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited makes a doubleheader stop at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Va., for the Aug. 29-31 Suzuki Lightning Nationals.

Mladin’s 2003 campaign looks destined to go down as the most dominant ever in AMA Superbike. Not only has the 31-year-old Australian won nine races in 14 rounds leading up to the VIR doubleheader, he’s won many of those races in convincing fashion on his factory Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000. Mladin is riding a three-race winning streak coming into this event and if he manages to win both rounds at VIR he will eclipse Merkel’s record to become the all-time single season AMA Superbike wins leader. Even if Mladin doesn’t accomplish the feat at VIR he will still have two rounds at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., in September, to break the record. The eight-year AMA racing veteran, and former Australian champion, is aiming to become the first four-time AMA Superbike Champion.

“At the moment the records are not something that I’ve thought about that much,” said Mladin, who is shooting for his first win at VIR. “Maybe one day they will mean a lot, but right now I’m more concerned about doing what it takes to win the championship.”

Mladin was equally unperturbed on the possibility of breaking the long standing single-season wins record. “If I get nine wins and win the championship I’ll be happy,” he said directly.

In the Saturday race at VIR last year Mladin was forced to pull out of the race with tire problems. Mladin may well have already broken Merkel’s record this season had it not been for tire problems in earlier races. “Tire problems concerned me a lot this year,” Mladin said. “Hopefully Dunlop has everything sorted out. They’ve made a few changes with the tires and it seems to be working.”

While a total of eight riders still have a mathematical chance at the championship, realistically it’s between Mladin and Yoshimura teammate Aaron Yates. Mladin sees it the same way. “I’ve got one rider to worry about at the moment. I have no particular strategy going into the race in Virginia. We’ll see how we measure up and do what it takes to put ourselves in a good position to win the championship.”

The opportunities for Yates to overtake Mladin in the title chase are dwindling rapidly. The Georgian has failed to find the combination all season to match the speed of his teammate. His two victories in the championship this season have come after Mladin experienced tire problems. Many Superbike pundits feel that Yates will need bad luck to strike Mladin yet again if he is to have a real shot at winning his first AMA Superbike title.

Honda riders Miguel Duhamel and Kurtis Roberts have both earned podium finishes at VIR, but neither has tasted victory at the picturesque circuit. Roberts is desperately trying to finally earn his first Superbike win after having come close so many times, while Duhamel is hoping to add to his record AMA Superbike career wins stats, especially considering that Mladin is closing in fast on that record as well. This will be Ben Bostrom’s first visit to VIR. He is trying to come off the no wins list this year after returning from a successful stint in World Superbike. Bostrom may find the classic VIR circuit a little more similar to the European circuits he performed so well on.

Ben’s younger brother Eric was in the thick of this year’s Superbike title hunt until a misfortunate accident that was no fault of his own in the World Superbike event at Laguna Seca last month put the perennial contender out. While there has been no formal announcement for Kawasaki yet, it has been reported that Bostrom will likely miss the rest of the season.

The two other riders who have at least mathematical chance of winning this year’s AMA Superbike title are privateer rider Jason Pridmore, of Attack Suzuki, and Shawn Higbee, who rides for Kaufman Trailers/Millennium Technologies Suzuki. Pridmore earned the best finish by a non-factory rider in eight years with his stunning second-place finishes in the Mid-Ohio double-header last month. Those finishes push him ahead of Higbee for seventh in the series standings. Higbee, a former factory Ducati rider, has been amazingly consistent this season, finishing inside the top 10 in all but one round. Saturday’s VIR Superbike race will be shown live on Speed Channel at 2 p.m. Eastern. Race two will be taped and shown at 5:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, Aug. 31. For additional information on the Suzuki Lightning Nationals contact VIR at (434) 822-7700 or visit www.virclub.com.

AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited The Suzuki Lightning Nationals at Virginia International Raceway – August 29-31, 2003

Thursday, August 28

3:00 – 7:00: Registration: Riders, Crew, Sponsors & Guests

3:00 – 7:00: Tech Inspection


Friday, August 29

7:30 – 4:00: Registration: Riders, Crew, Sponsors & Guests

10:00: Entries Close for all Classes

8:00 – 5:00: Tech Inspection

8:30 – 10:30: Practice:
1. Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Helmets;
2. Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme;
3. Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock;
4. MBNA 250 Grand Prix

10:40 – 11:40: Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Practice

11:40 – 12:40: Lunch Break

12:00: Mandatory Rider Briefing for All Classes

12:40 – 2:30: Practice (same order as morning session)

2:40 – 3:40: Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Qualifying

3:50 – 4:20: Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Qualifying, Group 1

4:30 – 5:00: Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Qualifying, Group 2


Saturday, August 30

7:30 – 3:00: Registration: Riders, Crew, Sponsors & Guests

8:00 – 5:00: Tech Inspection

8:00 – 9:40: Practice:
1. Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Helmets;
2. Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme;
3. Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock;
4. MBNA 250 Grand Prix

9:50 – 10:50: Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Qualifying

11:00 – 11:20: Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Helmets Qualifying, Group 1

11:30 – 11:50: Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Helmets Qualifying, Group 2

11:50 – 12:40: Lunch Break

12:40 – 1:00: Chevy Trucks Superbike Practice

1:10 – 1:45: Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Qualifying

2:00: Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Race 1 (100K – 28 laps);

MBNA 250 Grand Prix Qualifying, 20 Minute Session;

Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Race (60k – 17 laps)


Sunday, August 31

8:30 – 12:00: Registration: Crew, Sponsors & Guests

9:00: Tech Inspection Opens

9:00 – 11:00: Practice:
1. Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Helmets;
2. MBNA 250 Grand Prix;
3. Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme;
4. Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship
presented by Parts Unlimited

11:00: Lunch Break

11:20: Nondenominational Chapel Service

12:00: FINAL EVENTS:
Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Helmets (60k – 17 laps);

MBNA 250 Grand Prix (60k – 17 laps);

2:00: Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme (60k – 17 laps)

3:00: Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Race 2 (100k – 28 laps)




Editorial Note: Merkel set his record in a year in which there were 13 AMA Superbike races vs. the 18 AMA Superbike races on the 2003 schedule. Merkel was the only factory-backed Superbike rider to run the entire series, and he won 10 out of 13 races. The other three races were won by Freddie Spencer (Daytona), Wes Cooley (Sears Point) and Sam McDonald (Loudon).

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

According to a news report on CNN.com, the congressman who collided with and killed a motorcyclist in South Dakota last Saturday was driving about 20 mph over the speed limit and never touched the brakes for the stop sign he ran before the collision. Read the report here.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

AMA Pro Racing claims that recently enacted restrictions on riders entering both the Superbike and the Formula Xtreme classes at AMA Nationals did not require a 30-day comment period because they are actually part of a supplemental regulation and not a rule.

But the 2003 AMA rulebook says that supplemental regulations are part of the rules, as follows:

2003 AMA Road Race Rulebook

Chapter 3

G. Bulletins and Supplementary Regulations

Competition bulletins or supplementary regulations established by the AMA for the purpose of implementing, interpreting and enforcing these competition rules will be deemed to be part of the rules.


See related posts:

8/15/2003 AMA Semantics 101: No Comment Period Needed Because A Regulation Is Not A Rule, And The Factory Few Demanded Something Be Done Immediately About Mladin

8/13/2003 Updated Post: New Rule Was Never Discussed By AMA Pro Road Racing Advisory Board

8/13/2003 New AMA Rule Will Penalize Hayes In Superstock Championship Battle

8/12/2003 Updated Post: Haskovec Banned From Formula Xtreme By New AMA Pro Rule

8/12/2003 Pick One: AMA Pro Racing Limits Superbike/FX And Supersport/Superstock Entries

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Former AMA 250cc Grand Prix racer Adam Neal died August 15, in Zurich, Switzerland, at the age of 35.

Illinois native Neal raced in the AMA and CCS Midwest Region during the late 1990s until a crash during practice at Brainerd International Raceway, in September 1999, left him a quadriplegic.

Even after his career-ending crash, Neal was still very passionate about motorcycles and continued to attend races. Neal is survived by his mother, father, and two sisters.

A Celebration of Life Service in Neal’s memory will be held September 13, 2003 at the Peoria Community Church, 2906 N. 12 Oaks Street, Peoria, Illinois.

Neal’s family has requested that donations in his name be made to:

Wegman Benefit Fund, Inc.
3741 S. 71 St.
Milwaukee, WI 53220
www.wegmanfund.org

From today’s Birmingham News: Click here for story.

From a press release issued by AMA:

AMA SAYS JANKLOW CASE PART OF DEADLY NATIONAL TREND

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The tragic accident last weekend that claimed the life of a Minnesota motorcyclist is an all-too-common occurrence on the nation’s highways, reports the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA).

On Saturday, August 16, motorcyclist Randolph Scott of Hardwick, Minn., was killed in a collision with a car driven by U.S. Rep. Bill Janklow (R-S.D.). The fatal accident took place at the intersection of two county roads in eastern South Dakota.

Police reports note that there is a stop sign on Moody County Road 13, on which Janklow was headed south, while County Road 14, on which Scott was headed west, is a through road with no stop sign. Reports released by police investigators indicate that Janklow’s car, traveling at speeds estimated at 70-75 mph, did not stop at the stop sign and continued into the path of the motorcycle, giving the rider no chance to avoid the fatal collision.

AMA officials point out that this type of accident, in which a car or other vehicle violates the right of way of a motorcycle, is the greatest hazard motorcyclists face on the road. The most comprehensive study ever conducted into motorcycle accidents found that nearly 75 percent of motorcycle accidents involve another vehicle, and that in almost two-thirds of those crashes, the cause could be traced to the other vehicle violating the motorcyclist’s right-of-way.

“We’ve known for a long time about the dangers of car drivers violating motorcyclists’ right-of-way,” said Ed Moreland, AMA vice president for government relations. “That danger, combined with the excessive speed and failure to obey a stop sign reported in this case, produced reckless behavior that took the life of an innocent motorcyclist.”

For more than a year, the AMA has been involved in a campaign called Motorcyclists Matter that focuses attention on the dangers faced by motorcyclists and other vulnerable road users, including bicyclists and pedestrians, as a result of drivers who violate their right-of-way. The Association is also campaigning in Washington, D.C., for funding for a new study into the causes of motorcycle accidents — the first in more than two decades.

From a press release issued by WCM:

WCM – Test Four Stroke at Brno.

After using the two stroke 500s for three races WCM is looking forward to the rest of the season with the WCM four stroke engine.

Director of Racing Peter Clifford:

“We were thrilled with Monday’s test of the revised WCM engine at Brno. It completed a total of 70 laps without problem, I have to admit that the lack of any kind of problem did surprise us, just the kind of surprise we needed. That doesn’t mean that we will not find problems over the next few races but it certainly is a great basis to start on.

“We saw this very much as a first run with the new engine and we not looking for any kind of lap time but it was good to see that David had no problems in getting into the low 4s (2:04.2) and he was confident that there was at least a second to come even with the bike exactly as it was, just with more track time as he ‘converted’ back from riding the two stroke.

“Chris was a little hampered by his still healing collarbone but he had a good day as well and ran some back to back tests with the older version of the WCM engine. They swapped bikes at the end of the day and agreed that the new engine is stronger through the rev range.

“We have a whole batch of engines coming through now and it is an enormous relief to see that the engine runs OK because with the time pressure of having everything ready for the ‘fly away’ races we could not wait and see what happened at the Brno test. If there was a fundamental problem we were in big trouble. As things stand now we will have engines for both riders at Portugal and the rest of the season.

“The WCM engine with the cassette gearbox arrangement and four valve head could be developed into a really good MotoGP power plant. Of course we are behind the major factories and just what we do next season depends on a lot of factors but is going to be fun to see what happens in the next six races.

“There will be more dyno testing before Estoril and we hope for a little more horsepower but of course there is a testing ban during this period so we will not be on track….. fortunately we don’t need to. We are in no way underestimating the challenge that still lies ahead, racing with the best machines in the world…. a huge task… but until we got over this hurdle it wasn’t even on the horizon.”