From a press release issued by CRA racer Mark Sorensen:

For immediate release:
Thursday, March 11, 2004

FASTER THE MOVIE staring John Hopkins, Valentino Rossi, Eddie Lawson and many others is finally making it onto the big screen — In Minneapolis at least.

FASTER THE MOVIE is going to be playing 2 days only in Minneapolis! Saturday / Sunday, April 3rd & 4th, 12:30pm @ the Riverview theater — 3800 42nd Ave. S. Minneapolis.

Admission is $7 at the door, Cash only please. No presale tickets. Visit www.fastermovie.com for the movie trailer, or www.fastermpls.com (will be active by 3/12) for more information

Thanks and we hope to see you there.

From a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:

YAMAHA FACTORY RACING TESTS
Phillip Island, Australia
Thursday, March 11, 2004

YAMAHA HEAD BACK TO EUROPE ‘ON TRACK’ WITH TEST PROGRAMME

The third and final day of Yamaha’s gruelling intercontinental winter testing programme ended today at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia. The teams have completed a series of tests in Malaysia and Australia and now head back to Europe for two more tests against their MotoGP competitors before the season kick-off in South Africa in April. Despite a feisty headwind, Valentino Rossi, Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri took advantage of the sunniest of the three days to make successful race simulations.

Rossi, Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha newcomer, made his race simulation this afternoon battling against the wind and concluded the day with a total of 85 laps and a top time of 1:30.8, just failing to improve on yesterday’s lap time.

Nevertheless the 25-year-old was content with the progress made and heads back to Europe ready to participate in his first IRTA tests as a Yamaha rider. Team-mate Checa also made a race simulation for the second time in as many days, just beating his time from yesterday with 1:31.3 after completing 100 laps in total.

Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3 riders Melandri and Norick Abe seemed to switch fortunes from yesterday, with Melandri finding a great improvement with some overnight geometry changes, while Abe found himself losing a little direction since yesterday.

Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha) 85 laps, 1:30.8

“Overall once again I’m quite satisfied with this test. Today was a bit of a struggle against the strong winds, making it harder than last time we were here. But we’ve made some good progress with tyres and I was comfortable with the race simulation this afternoon. It wasn’t as warm as we would have liked, about 20 degrees outside temperature, but we have found quite a good level and are ready to see what happens when we move to a different circuit. The IRTA tests are going to be interesting for this reason, as we’ve only tested with this set-up and engine spec at two circuits, and Barcelona and Jerez are difficult because of their hard braking. But we will see!”

Carlos Checa (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha) 100 laps, 1:31.3

“That was quite a good race simulation, we’re still a bit behind where we should be but we’ve reduced the gap quite a bit during this test and we’ve improved since yesterday. I think we will have quite a good level for the start of the championship. I’m looking forward to going to Barcelona and seeing where we are now against our competitors. We’ve mostly focused on the chassis this winter and will concentrate more on the engine in the near future. But we are conscious not to change too much with the bike.”

Marco Melandri (Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3) 99 laps, 1:31.92

“Well that was much better. I’m quite happy with how things went today; I felt much more comfortable on the bike. We consistently made an improvement every time we went out, which is just how I needed to finish this test. Every run was a step in the right direction. Since we seemed to have lost our way a little yesterday the team and I sat down last night and looked at everything – how we had the bike set up during the GP here last year and how things were for the last test we had in February. We then modified the geometry this morning and things instantly improved. I also did a full race simulation and the result was quite positive.”

Norick Abe (Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3) 96 laps, 1:33.69

“Today it went a little wrong. I thought I was doing quite well, I felt very comfortable everywhere, but then I followed Checa and saw that in most places I was doing OK; except the slower corners. Here I’m losing quite a bit more than I expected. I guess we still have some more work to do.”

The Yamaha Factory Racing teams now head back to Europe for the pre-season group IRTA tests, commencing in Barcelona on Friday 26 March.

From a press release issued by Infineon Raceway:

‘Friends’ Star Rides Motorcycle at Infineon Raceway

SONOMA, Calif – Matt LeBlanc, who plays Joey on the hit television show “Friends,” visited Infineon Raceway on Tuesday (March 9) as a guest of the Robb Report-Motorcycles and Cycle World. Both publications were at the raceway for photo shoots for upcoming issues.

LeBlanc, an avid motorcyclist and dirt-bike rider, piloted an Aprilia NERA on the 12-turn, 2.22-mile road course all day, reaching speeds approaching 100 mph.

“I’ve seen this track on television but I didn’t realize it was going to be this caliber,” LeBlanc said. “It’s an awesome track for motorcycles.”

From a press release issued by Specialty Sports Limited:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: March 10, 2004

Teknic Response to Aaron Yates’ actions at Daytona 200 presented by Arai.

Like many fans and spectators we were shocked and surprised by Aaron’s reaction to the crash that took place at the Daytona 200 presented by Arai. We are grateful that neither Mr. Fania nor Aaron were seriously injured inthe crash or in the aftermath. We feel that his behavior was very unprofessional and unacceptable. We would like to stress that SpecialtySports Limited/Teknic does not condone this type of behavior and it doesnot reflect the image or beliefs we wish to portray to consumers, the industry and the sport as a whole. Aaron will be financially penalized for his behavior and resulting suspension by the AMA.

Specialty Sports Limited / Teknic


From a press release issued by HJC America:

As helmet sponsor for Aaron Yates, the staff at HJC America was completely surprised by Aaron’s actions following his crash during the Daytona 200. HJC does not condone his actions and Aaron will also be subjected to financial penalties, which have already been imposed.

We also truly hope that both Aaron and Mr. Fania will completely recover from this incident and return to the exciting sport of road racing.

From a press release issued by Erico Motorsports:

Denver Racer to compete in the 2004 Motogiro d’Italia in Sicily

Denver, Colorado — John Beldock, Owner of Erico Motorsports, has been chosen through an International selection process, to be one of the riders of the 2004 Motogiro d’Italia, May 25-29, 2004. The Motogiro is a tradition that began in 1914 and has become Italy’s quintessential vintage motorcycling long distance road race.

This year’s race will be held on the majestic island of Sicily. This exciting and enchanting motorcycling event has become an international two-wheeled legend. Combining twisting turns, exhilarating mountain passes, on-road adventure, friendly competition and almost 90 years of motorcycling heritage.

The last three editions of the Motogiro have been made possible by the support of the event’s main sponsor, Ducati Motor.

John’s interest in this race was piqued when Erico Motorsports teamed up with Jim Dillard to present Vintage Moto.

Vintage Moto is a collection of over 300 vintage European motorcycles that are on a constant, yet ever-changing display at Erico Motorsports in Denver, Colorado. Vintage Moto is the private collection of Jim Dillard, who has raced the Motogiro for the past three years. John’s love of racing, coupled with his love of vintage bikes, made him the perfect candidate to accompany Jim to this year’s race.

John’s application was accepted in January 04, and shortly thereafter, he went into action to find the perfect machine to race. John’s scavenger hunt led him to Kent, England. In Kent, John found Chris Bushell, owner of a 1958 Ducati 125 Sport, that had raced the past three Giros. Chris’ ’58 Ducati had led him to a 3rd place finish in 2003. Chris has graciously offered to loan the ’58 Ducati to John for this year’s Motogiro d’Italia.

Chris had originally purchased the bike in July of 2000 in a little village near Surrey, England. Chris began a full restoration process that got the bike on the road in time for the 2001 Motogiro. The bike is from the initial batch of 125 Sports manufactured in late 1957 and early 1958 and weighs approximately 220 lbs.

Chris has restored the Ducati as close to its original condition with a slightly better camshaft and some light porting. It can do approximately 70mph flat out.

The staff at Erico Motorsports is excited to cheer on their fearless leader to a win in Sicily this year. Erico Motorsports is Denver’s Triumph, Ducati, Moto Guzzi and Vespa dealer – a marquee of European tradition located at 2855 Walnut St.

From a press release issued by Daytona 200 Mileage Record Holder Rick Shaw:

I would like to take a few lines to thank everyone who helped me attempt to qualify for this year’s 200. As most everyone knows I missed the cutoff by .04 seconds. This is the first race I have missed in 21 years. It is without a doubt the biggest disappointment I have ever experienced in 25 years of professional racing. I have no excuses, I just didn’t get the job done but it was not from lack of trying. I just couldn’t come to grips with the tires after 3 or 4 laps. I crashed in the first qualifier and was playing catch-up for the second. I have to thank track announcers Pat Gonzales and Rich Chambers. The really talked up the effort and during the second qualifier Rich dropped his microphone and helped change my rear tire for a last ditch effort. Also I have to thank Speed Channel reporter Ralph Shaheen, he gave me a lot of space and respect in the immediate aftermath of the failed qualifying attempt. I have received many calls and e-mails offering support and encouragement to try again next year. It is hard to imagine that a mid-pack privateer can elicit this kind response in this day of the factory-backed superstars. To each and every one you I am deeply honored by your kindness and for each of you I will be back in 2005.

From a press release issued by Don Sakakura of Yoshimura Racing:

For Immediate Release:

Tuesday, March 09, 2004

This Years Daytona 200 was a mixture of highs and lows for the Yoshimura Suzuki Team.

Mat Mladin rode a masterful race to take his third win at this classic event. Mat managed the race to perfection, going fast when he needed to, and conserving when it was prudent.

Yoshimura Suzuki rider Aaron Yates was running a strong second place when late in the race; he came upon a slower rider. Regardless of how one views who was at fault in the ensuing collision, what happened afterwards was clearly unacceptable.

At Yoshimura we have a 50-year history of racing. We race hard, but at the end of the day, we always believe in watching out for each other and keeping racing in perspective. As a result of this philosophy, we cannot, and do not condone Aaron Yates actions in any way, shape, or form.

Discussions and meetings will occur in the very near future at American Suzuki, Yoshimura, and the AMA, to determine the full extent of what actions will be appropriate in this case. Needless to say, we at Yoshimura are very disappointed in Mr. Yates behavior.

Don Sakakura
Vice President,
Yoshimura Racing, LLC

From a press release issued by WERA West:

SPECTATORS WELCOME ON RACE WEEKEND!
Bring the whole family and come on out to watch the 1st race weekend with WERA West. Admission is only $10 per person for the entire weekend.

Gates open at 7:00 a.m. both days

Positions available to work with WERA at all of our Race weekends. Looking to fill the following positions starting March 13th & 14th.

Grid Marshals
Corner Workers
Gate Personal
Support positions

If you are interested please call Dana @ 877-560-2233 ASAP.

CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY DIRECTIONS for WERA Race Weekend

Take I–10 East from Los Angeles or West from Palm Springs

Exit at Cherry Avenue

Go North on Cherry Avenue which is left from the I-0 East
bound exit and right from the I-10 West bound exit.

California Speedway will be on your left about four blocks down.

Go to the second entrance, which is Gate # 3 at the light past the main entrance light.

Gate #3 is located at the intersection of Merrill and Cherry, turn left into the Speedway.

Follow the road to the infield pit and garage area.

Friday Night Arrivals Only

If you will be arriving on Friday night, the gates will be open till 9:00pm and you will enter through Gate 1, which is the main gate. This is for Friday night only.

From a press release issued by SPEED Channel:

SPEED CHANNEL’S 2 WHEEL TUESDAY HOST SPENDING SPRING BREAK SCOOTN’ ACROSS USA

ST. PATRICK’S DAY KICKOFF SENDS PAIR TRAVELING CROSS-COUNTRY IN STYLE — ON 50cc YAMAHA ZUMA SCOOTERS

Leprechauns. Four-leaf clovers. Pints of green beer. Cross-country scooter rides? As cities across the U.S. hold the usual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, Greg White, host of SPEED Channel’s 2 Wheel Tuesday, and SPEED producer Dan Parisi begin a cross-country trip on 50cc Yamaha Zuma Scooters. And even though their two-week journey — dubbed Scootn’ USA — ends on April Fool’s Day, this is no joke.

“Dan came to me a while back and said, ‘I have this great idea!’ said White, who finished 18th in last weekend’s BMW Boxer Cup race in Daytona. “Well, his great idea was crossing the United States on 50cc scooters. I was all for it — well, back then I was anyway. Now that Bike Week 2004 is over, reality is setting in. Riding a scooter with an engine the size of a hefty chainsaw cross country — what have I gotten myself into?

“Well, it should be fun and I’m really looking forward to meeting fans of 2 Wheel Tuesday,” White added. “I know, however, that in three weeks, when we roll into California Speedway, I am going to be one happy guy.”

The adventure begins March 17 in Concord, N.C., when White, Parisi and the camera crew, take the green flag at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The route, which uses no interstate highways, will take them over local highways and through several major cities along the way. Their final destination (hopefully) is Fontana, Calif. on April 1, just in time for White’s pit reporting duties at the California Speedway for the AMA Superbike series April 2-4. Footage from this cross-country journey debuts April 6 at 8 p.m. ET (9 p.m. PT) on 2 Wheel Tuesday.

“I always wanted to travel cross country on a motorcycle but, so many people have already done that,” Parisi said. “After seeing a guy riding around town on a scooter, I started thinking about how funny it would be to travel cross country that way. I really think that it started as a joke amongst friends.”

The Yamaha Zuma Scooter has a 50cc, two-stroke engine — 49cc to be exact. It rides on 10-inch tires, holds 1.5 gallons of fuel and weighs all of 185 pounds.

The pros have some advice for White and Parisi.

“Get some pillows for your butt,” said Yamaha racer Jamie Hacking, the reigning AMA Supersport champion, who uses the Zuma as his pit bike. “At least you picked the best scooter for the job. It has great brakes in case you get yourself into a sticky situation and it has the trunk space you need for some sandwiches and Red Bull to help you stay awake. Overall, you guys are just crazy.”

For 2 Wheel Tuesday fans hoping to see White in person as he travels across the country, look for him in the following cities (subject to change):

Wednesday, March 17
Charlotte, N.C.
Asheville, N.C.
Knoxville, Tenn.

Thursday, March 18
Jackson, Tenn.
Memphis, Tenn.

Friday, March 19
Little Rock, Ark.

Saturday, March 20
Conway, Ark.
Fort Smith, Ark.
Oklahoma City

Wednesday, March 24
Amarillo, Texas

Thursday, March 25
Santa Rosa, N.M.
Albuquerque, N.M.

Friday, March 26
Flagstaff, Ariz.

Saturday, March 27
Kingman, Ariz.
Las Vegas

Thursday, April 1
Fontana, Calif.

“When they first came to me, I thought they were out of their minds,” said Rick Miner, SPEED Channel’s Sr. VP Programming/Production and Executive Producer. “But they were insistent. I made them jump through hoops, check and re-check the budget and really sell us on the idea of this adventure. Once they convinced their coordinating producer, I realized this just might work. I mean, how much damage could they do on 50cc motorcycles?”

Fans wanting to follow the adventure live can visit SPEEDTV.com for maps, daily updates and correspondence from the road.

In 2004, SPEED Channel is the exclusive U.S. cable home for many of the top motor sports series in the world. In addition, SPEED’s weekly programming schedule brings car enthusiast television to Prime Time Monday through Thursday. Now available in more the 65 million homes in North America, SPEED Channel is among the fastest growing sports cable networks in the country and the home to NASCAR TV.

From a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:

YAMAHA FACTORY RACING TESTS
Phillip Island, Australia
Wednesday, March 10, 2004

YAMAHA RIDERS MAKE STEADY PROGRESS ON ‘THE ISLAND’

Yamaha Factory Racing’s MotoGP line-up made the most of the improved weather today on the second day of a three day test at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia. Despite overcast and cold conditions this morning, the four Yamaha riders made some worthwhile progress in this last private test before they face the full force of their MotoGP competitors at the Barcelona IRTA tests in just over two weeks time.

Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha new recruit Valentino Rossi put in 60 laps with a best time of 1:30.72, while team-mate Carlos Checa made a race simulation this afternoon, concluding his session with a best time of 1:31.51 and 100 laps under his belt. Meanwhile in the Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3 camp, Norick Abe made a significant improvement to his previous lap times at the antipodean circuit, with a best time of 1:32.98 after dramatically softening the front end of his YZR-M1 machine. Marco Melandri had a less fruitful day, struggling to feel as comfortable with his M1 as he did at his last outing here.

Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha) 60 laps, 1:30.72

“We’re happy because we made the same lap time as the last time we were here but have found a better rhythm than before. We’ve just been focusing today mainly on consistency, as well as working with some different tyres and modified settings to the chassis. We also worked a bit on the engine but just to confirm the spec that we’re using. Generally a good day and hopefully tomorrow the weather stays good and we can finish our job.”

Carlos Checa (Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha) 100 laps, 1:31.51

“We’ve changed the set-up a bit and tried different tyres, and today we made a step forwards. It’s the first time I’ve had this much better feeling this winter, mostly by adjusting the spring balance and chassis, which works better with this combination of tyres. I’m also looking forward to testing one of the different engine specs soon. But I’m quite satisfied anyway with this set-up. I think with this chassis here we can go down to the 1:30s. We also have more tyres to test tomorrow.”

Norick Abe (Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3) 73 laps, 1:32.98

“Finally! It’s now starting to come better. Until an hour or so ago I was still having trouble, but then we thought we’d try something different. and it worked. We tried a much softer front spring, softer than we’ve ever used before and the feeling during corner entry improved quite a bit. Then we took that one step further and it was better again. It’s still only the first stage of what we have been looking for, we now need to balance the rear to suit the front, but at least things are heading in the right direction. Even the engine braking set-up is now more to my liking.”

Marco Melandri (Fortuna Gauloises Tech 3) 69 laps, 1:33.38

“Maybe I’m thinking too much, because I’m not enjoying to ride the bike at the moment. Not one corner feels right! I need to switch off my brain and let it flow rather than fight the situation. I hope, with a good nights sleep, I can do just that.”