From a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway:

Duhamel Sets Sights On Fifth Daytona 200 By Arai Win During Dunlop Tire Test At Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (Aug. 19, 2003) – Four-time and defending Daytona 200 By Arai champion Miguel Duhamel returned to Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday to take part in a three-day Dunlop tire test.



While the Canadian rider was focused on helping Dunlop develop tires for next year’s Daytona 200, he was also beginning to set his sights on winning a record fifth Daytona 200 By Arai.

After winning his fourth Daytona 200 By Arai earlier this year, Duhamel is now a win away from tying “Mr. Daytona” Scott Russell, whose five victories tops the wins list.

Being able to handle the pressure of tying Russell is not a concern to Duhamel, who also has a record six Daytona Supersport victories on his resume.

“There’s so little control about that in my hands. It’s really speculation,” Duhamel said. “Obviously, I’m going to show up and we’re going to have a new bike. It’s going to be fast. I think our odds here are going to be pretty good.”

Joining Duhamel for the three-day tire test in preparation for the 2004 Daytona 200 By Arai were Bostrom and Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin and Aaron Yates.

“Dunlop needs to test a lot of tires so our bike testing gets kind of put aside,” Duhamel said. “We’re basically here to work really hard to get better tires for next year for all of the riders. We got picked by Dunlop to come here and torture their tires.”

But before the test got underway, Duhamel took time to reminisce about his fourth Daytona 200 By Arai triumph this past March at the “World Center of Racing.”

“Back to the scene of the crime,” said Duhamel with a laugh, referring to the thrilling three-bike duel to the checkered flag between himself, Ben Bostrom and Kurtis Roberts. “You can’t top that without a script. Three Honda bikes, three good friends out there racing. Last lap, we all put our heads down and I was lucky enough to come out on top.”

Duhamel, Bostrom and Roberts, all riding Honda RC51s, were running nose-to-tail in the final laps of the historic and prestigious motorcycle race.

On the final heart-pounding lap exiting the chicane, Duhamel passed Roberts in NASCAR Turn 3 and then ducked underneath Bostrom coming out of NASCAR Turn 4 to nip him at the start/finish line by a tire. The margin of victory was a slim .069 seconds and one of the most memorable finishes in the race’s 62-year history.

The Dunlop tire test continues on Wednesday. The test is free and open to the public with access to the Oldfield Grandstand available through DAYTONA USA, the official attraction of NASCAR.

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

Attached is a picture of four-time and defending Daytona 200 By Arai champion Miguel Duhamel aboard his No. 17 Honda during the first day of Dunlop tire testing at Daytona International Speedway (Photo courtesy of Daytona International Speedway)

From a press release:

Next stop Cadwell Park

A galaxy of world class racing stars will headline a motorcycle festival that will be held for the first time in Market Rasen, Lincolnshire. The festival will take place on the bank holiday weekend of August 24-25 and has been timed to coincide with the Cadwell Park round of the British Superbike Championship.

James Toseland, Steve Plater, Karl Harris and Shakey Byrne are star attractions at the festival, which is being promoted by the Rural Tourism Development Area Partnership (RTDAP). The event offers race enthusiasts and all motorcyclists the chance to enjoy a weekend of entertainment and an obvious invitation to ride the scenic routes in the Wolds of Lincolnshire.

The two-day motorcycle festival will open on Sunday morning with a display of modern and classic machines and fully functional trade stands from local dealers. There will also be a rare opportunity to see world class racing motorcycles close-up.

On Sunday evening the event will live up to its “festival” title with a late night bikers’ party that will be held at the Market Rasen Racecourse. BBC commentator and ex-racer Steve Parrish has been booked to host a celebrity chat show with guests from the British and World Superbike Championships. These will include HM Plant Ducati’s James Toseland, MonsterMob Ducati rider Shakey Bryne, Honda Racing’s Karl Harris and local hero Steve Plater. There will also be an opportunity to win exclusive prizes – including signed merchandise.

Guests will also be able to hear James Toseland exclusively perform with his highly rated band Crash. There will also be a top DJ throughout the evening and a licensed bar until 1am. A designated free camping area and security will be available at the Market Rasen Racecourse for festival ticket holders.

On race day James Toseland will lead a police-escorted ride to Cadwell Park – at a much slower pace than he is currently clocking on the racetrack. This will give riders the perfect opportunity to pick up tips from one of the leading riders in the World Superbike Championship as well as the chance to enjoy the exciting and challenging country roads of the Lincolnshire Wolds. Departing from the Market Place at 10am, riders will join hundreds of other riders and enjoy reserved parking (subject to the advanced purchase of tickets). All participants will be asked to donate £2 – the total raised will be divided between Lincolnshire Air Ambulance and LIVES.

Booking information
Tickets to Market Rasen Motorcycle Festival are only available in advance and cost:
Sunday evening only (including free camping)
Adults – £10
Children (5-15 years) – £5
Children under 5 – free

Discounted tickets to Cadwell Park cost £20 per person and are valid for Sunday and Monday. Children under 15 are admitted free of charge. Discounted tickets can only be purchased with tickets to the Market Rasen Motorcycle Festival. An adult must accompany all children.

For further information and ticket requests, please contact RBP on 01652 680060 or email [email protected]

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The Associated Press is reporting that Congressman Bill Janklow ran a stop sign in his Cadillac before colliding with and killing a motorcyclist.

Motorcyclist Randolph E. Scott had right of way at the intersection and suffered fatal injuries in the collision.

For more, follow these links:

Congressman Ran Stop Sign In Fatal Crash

Congressman’s Driving Record Includes Many Tickets

From a press release issued by Infineon Raceway:

Infineon Raceway Completes Repaving of Road Course;

Circuit to Receive First Test on Friday

SONOMA, Calif. (IMMEDIATE RELEASE) — One of the final pieces of a comprehensive modernization project has been completed at Infineon Raceway with the repaving of the 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course.



The new race surface will be used for this first time on Friday, Aug. 22, with a test session for this weekend’s San Francisco Region of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) event. The facility had been closed since Aug. 4.

The $1 million project included repairing and stabilizing existing pavement, adding new drainage and repaving portions of the road course that had not been resurfaced over the last two years. This marks the first time the surface has been repaved since 1986.

Portions of the road course that were repaved included Turns 1-3, 6-8 and 11. More than 3,000 feet of French Edge Drains were also installed to keep water from draining under the track — the raceway is just 15 feet above sea level and is based at the bottom of a mountain range that borders the Sonoma Valley. Moreover, additional curbing was added at Turns 2, 6, 8 and 10. The track was resurfaced with 5,400 tons of polymer-modified asphalt that is designed to withstand the heavy usage at Infineon Raceway. Turns 4-5, 9-10, 12 and the Chute were repaved prior to the 2003 season.

“We are very pleased with the quality of the new surface,” said Steve Page, president and general manager at Infineon Raceway. “It will make a terrific racing circuit better.”

The repaving of the road course continues the raceway’s ongoing modernization project, which has transformed the facility into one of the premier motor sports and entertainment venues in the country.

The raceway has spent more than $60 million over the last three years in upgrades, including a new permanent grandstand at start/finish, hillside terraces around the perimeter of the raceway, underground pedestrian tunnels, a 16-turn go-kart facility, a new system of shuttle roads and a new drag strip, complete with a 660-foot concrete launch pad. There have also been several safety improvements, including increased runoff at virtually every turn, and pit stalls to accommodate a 43-car starting grid.

From a press release issued by Honda Racing:

HRC MotoGP test Brno, Czech Republic
August 18, 2003.

No respite for Honda’s MotoGP Championship contenders

The relentless MotoGP race-testing programme continued at the Brno circuit on the day after the Czech Republic GP was held at the track. Honda mounted MotoGP Championship team riders, with the exception of Ryuichi Kiyonari (Telefonica MoviStar Honda), completed a hard days work at the 5.403km venue.

The one-day test was cantered around tyre development, all but Bridgestone supported Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda) testing Michelin rubber. HRC took the opportunity to test new engine parts on Rossi’s RC211V 990cc five-cylinder Honda.

Championship pace setters Valentino Rossi, and Sete Gibernau, first and second respectively in Sundays GP, both lapped at qualifying pace but were upstaged by Camel Pramac Honda rider Tohru Ukawa who lapped at 1:59s flat, over half a second faster than his best qualifying lap.

Ukawa’s team-mate, Max Biaggi, worked harder than most. The Italian, currently holding third place in the championship behind Rossi and Gibernau, put in 85 laps testing both tyres and a new straight pipe exhaust system.

Pramac Honda rider Makoto Tamada was the lone Bridgestone rider at Brno. Tamada suffered rear tyre problems in Sundays race and spent the day testing with two different types of chassis making back-to-back comparisons on tyres in each machine and experimenting with various suspension settings.

Honda rider quotes:
Valentino Rossi, Repsol Honda: “Satisfied with a hard days work. After the big emotion of a race like Sunday it’s sometimes really difficult to get out again but it was important and we made some good work. We tested many tyres from Michelin and some new engine parts from HRC. With some of the new tyres we need more traction so we have to do a lot of work on the settings as well.”

Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: “Bit of a tough day really because after a long hard weekend you’ve got to really motivate yourself to get out there again and work hard. He test was really based around working on tyres for the front, pretty hard really as you’ve got to find the limits. The Michelins were good and I think we made some pretty good progress. It was more good experience grindin’ out more laps. I’m off to the States for a couple of weeks which I’m really lookin’ forward to. Then back to Portugal in September.”

Sete Gibernau, Telefonica MoviStar Honda: “The test was very successful for us. The new Michelins we tested were good, both front and rear tyres. I got down to my race times very quickly. It was a good day. Now I’m going to Italy for three days. Down to the team race shop on the Adriatic to test a Super Motard machine!”

Makoto Tamada, Pramac Honda: “We spent the day testing various Bridgestone tyres on the two types of chassis we have. We have to fix the problem we had with the rear tyre at Brno. In the race I had to get the bike almost upright before I could get on the throttle. I also have to work on my starts, I’ve got to get off the line better and get to the first corner with the fastest riders. My lap times in the race were OK, once I got going.”

Max Biaggi, Camel Pramac Honda: “I started testing at 9:30 in the morning and I finished around 18:00. stopped for only one hour, between one and two o’clock, because the track was closed. I cannot get Sunday’s race out of my mind and getting back down to work is the only thing that helps me get over the disappointment a little. We were supplied with new exhaust systems for one of the bikes, they are very noisy! I completed 85 laps and the bike is running a little better. I am still not satisfied but we are all determined and working hard”.

Tohru Ukawa, Camel Pramac Honda: “I am happy because I believe this test has been very productive. After completing more than 400km I improved significantly on my qualifying time for the race and after trying many different riding positions I now feel more comfortable. We have also tried some suspension tweaks and some new tyres, and I really do think it has been a positive day’s testing.”.


Honda rider lap Times:
Valentino Rossi: 1:59.92
Nicky Hayden: 2:00.00
Sete, Gibernau: 1:59.70
Makoto Tamada: 2:00.40
Max Biaggi: 2:00.1
Tohru Ukawa: 1:59.00

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

EVENT SCHEDULE RELEASED FOR AUGUST 30 SOUTH BOSTON AMA SUPERMOTO RACE

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Aug. 19, 2003) — AMA Pro Racing announces the following schedule and purse for the round two of the AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship to be held Aug. 30 at Big Daddy’s South Boston Speedway in South Boston, Va..


Friday, August 29

3:00 – 6:00 p.m. – Registration: Riders, Crew, Sponsors & Guests (located in the white building to the right of the main track entrance)

3:00 – 6:00 p.m. – Tech Inspection


Saturday, August 30

7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. – Registration: Riders, Crew, Sponsors & Guests (located in the white building to the right of the main track entrance)

9:00 a.m. – Entries Close for All Classes

9:00 a.m. – Mandatory Riders Meeting

5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Will-call (NO PURCHASES)

7:30 a.m. – Tech Inspection opens

9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – Practice (Three 10-minute sessions); Supermoto Unlimited; Honda Jr. Supermoto Challenge (6 minutes); Supermoto; Group A; Group B

12:00 p.m. – GATES OPEN TO SPECTATORS / Lunch Break

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Pre-Qualifying Heats (3 laps); Supermoto Unlimited; Supermoto;

2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. – Heat Races (8 laps); Supermoto Unlimited; Honda Jr. Supermoto Challenge (6 laps); Supermoto

5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Break

5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. – On-track autograph session

7:00 p.m. – Opening Ceremonies

7:30 p.m. – Supermoto Unlimited Semi-Finals (6 laps); Supermoto Semi-Finals (6 laps)

8:35 p.m. – Supermoto Superpole (8 riders)

9:00 p.m. – Supermoto Unlimited Final (24 laps)

9:30 p.m. – Intermission

9:40 p.m. – Honda Jr. Supermoto Challenge Race (10 laps)

10:00 p.m. – Supermoto Final (24 laps)


Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling toll-free (877) 440-1540 or via www.tickets.com. Tickets purchased the day of the event are as low as $15 for adults and $10 for young adults (ages 10-15). Children nine and under are admitted free. Anyone attending the AMA Superbike event at nearby Virginia International Speedway (VIR) during the day on Saturday can obtain a coupon for a $3 discount off the admission price to the AMA Supermoto event at South Boston Speedway.


Purse For Supermoto and Supermoto Unlimited classes (each):

1. $1000
2. $750
3. $600
4. $550
5. $450
6. $400
7. $350
8. $300
9. $300
10. $300

From a press release issued by D&B Firepower Ducati:

Cadwell Park British Superbike Preview
24th & 25th August 2003

Dean Ellison and the D&B Firepower Ducati Team supported by Alcatel head to Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire this weekend. One of the most exciting and entertaining tracks on the British Superbike Calendar.

Dean is confidently looking forward to challenging the mountain course and gaining some creditable results in the process. A technically but perfectly built track Cadwell is the highlight of the year for spectators and riders.

Pulling in massive crowds over the last few years and an expected 30,000 due this year it will be interesting to see how the races pan out. Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne will be hoping to gain the 2003 British Superbike title after he failed to clinch it at the previous round at Oulton Park.

A small, narrow, fast track Cadwell woos the crowds. Adding to that the spectacular mountain section of the course aptly named due to the steep gradient from a tight right hander. The sheer power forces the bike to separate itself from the track, for a split second, an impressive sight for anyone to see and incredible feeling for any rider to ride.

Speaking with Dean he said ‘I grasped a 12th and 10th at Cadwell last year on my trusty 996 Ducati, it’s a tough track and very difficult to pass on. I have to ensure that I get good starts in both races and hopefully I’ll bag a handful of good points. My bike is now four years old but I’m confident I can still run up there with the top boys, I just have to remain focused and keep them in my sights.’

Cadwell Park (www.britishsuperbike.com) is situated near Louth, Lincolnshire. One of the most spectator friendly circuits, Cadwell will most definitely pull in a large crowd over the weekend to cheer on Dean and the Team.

From a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2003
KAWASAKI RACING TEAM BRNO TEST

DEVELOPMENT WORK CONTINUES FOR KAWASAKI AT BRNO

Less than 24 hours after finishing in the Czech Republic Grand Prix, Fuchs Kawasaki’s trio of riders were back in action at the Brno circuit, during the first day of a two-day Dunlop tyre test.

As part of their ongoing test and development programme, Dunlop arrived at the Brno circuit with new tyres, sporting a number of different compounds, profiles and constructions, for Andrew Pitt, Garry McCoy and Alex Hofmann to evaluate on both the front and rear of their Ninja ZX-RR MotoGP machines.

While the main focus of today’s test was tyre evaluation, the development of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR has also continued apace, with different frame and swinging arm combinations tested to identify a standard set-up that all three riders are able to superimpose their own settings upon. This standardisation process will also benefit the tyre testing programme, as data collected on the performance of the tyres from one rider is now relevant to the others.

Having completed his schedule today, Andrew Pitt will leave tomorrow’s testing duties to his Fuchs Kawasaki team-mates, Garry McCoy and Alex Hofmann.

Andrew Pitt:
“We concentrated solely on tyre testing today and, after trying ten new rears in the bike, we’ve identified two that seem to offer slightly better and more consistent grip compared to the tyre I ran in the race yesterday, which itself was a definite improvement over what’s gone before. Although short, today’s test has allowed us time to evaluate the new tyres prior to the next race at Estoril, as well as providing Dunlop with even more data with which to continue their development programme. So, overall, it’s been a pretty worthwhile day.”

Garry McCoy:
“Andrew’s bike is working well, so he’s done most of the planned tyre testing today, while we’ve worked on the set-up of my bike to try and eliminate the chatter that caused us so many problems during practice and qualifying here. We also tested a different length swinging arm to see what effect that would have on the bike and, overall, it was pretty positive, although it hasn’t really had a noticeable effect on my lap times. We did test a couple of new rear tyres as well, but they didn’t seem to offer any advantages over the tyre we used in the race yesterday. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll get the chance to test the rest of the new rear tyres that the Dunlop boys have brought along with them.”

Alex Hofmann:
“I’ve not been happy with the set-up of my bike all weekend, so we decided to work on improving things with the bike before starting the tyre test proper. We’ve made a few changes to the forks which have improved my confidence in the front of the bike, but I think we need to make some fundamental changes to the rear if we are to see an improvement in that area tomorrow. Hopefully we can get things sorted tonight so that I can get on with the job of testing tyres tomorrow.”

Hamish Jamieson – Technical Director
“We’ve achieved most of what we set out to do today. Andrew worked his way through his part of the tyre test and had positive comments about two of the tyres he tried, which is good for both him and Dunlop. Garry tested a different swinging arm and reported an improvement in grip from the rear, so that’s pretty positive also. Alex struggled all weekend with set-up, but is now a lot happier with the front of the bike and just needs to make the same improvement at the rear. I’m confident we can get things sorted out pretty quickly; leaving him to concentrate solely on the tyre testing programme we have planned for tomorrow.”

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIM has released its provisional 2004 MotoGP World Championship.

The schedule does not include a U.S. round, as reported earlier this month.

The Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka is listed as “to be confirmed” presumably due to the pending alteration and homologation of the Casio Triangle chicane.

The current chicane layout, as used during the recent Suzuka 8-Hours World Endurance race, will not be approved, according to FIM’s Claude Danis.

“I will not accept this chicane anymore. For next year, they have to change the chicane,” Danis, the official FIM circuit inspector, told Roadracingworld.com on August 2.


Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix
2004 provisional Calendar

April 4 – Suzuka, Japan (tbc)
April 18 – Welkom, South Africa
May 2 – Jerez, Spain
May 16 – Le Mans, France
May 30 – Mugello, Italy
June 13 – Catalunya, Spain
June 26* – Assen, Netherlands
July 11 – Donington Park, Great Britain
July 18 – Sachsenring, Germany
July 31* – Rio, Brazil
August 22 – Brno, Czech Republic
September 5 – Estoril, Portugal
September 19 – Motegi, Japan
October 2* – Qatar, Qatar
October 10 – Sepang, Malaysia
October 17 – Phillip Island, Australia
October 31 – Valencia, Spain

Tbc – to be confirmed

* – Saturday Race