From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing around the same time that Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha declared that they would not compete in the AMA Superbike Series in 2004:

MLADIN BECOMES FIRST FOUR-TIME AMA CHEVY TRUCKS U.S. SUPERBIKE CHAMPION

Australian gives Suzuki its seventh AMA Superbike title

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Sept. 23, 2003) — Mat Mladin capped off one of the finest seasons in the history of AMA Superbike racing by earning his fourth championship Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. With a third place finish in the final race of the 2003 AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, Mladin became the first rider ever to win four AMA Superbike Championships.

Mladin’s championship marked the seventh AMA Superbike title for Suzuki. His Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Aaron Yates pushed the series battle to the final race by winning the first of the Superbike doubleheader at Barber on Saturday. Yates ended the season runner-up to Mladin. In addition to earning first and second in the rider’s championship, Suzuki also won this year’s AMA Superbike Manufacturers Championship.

Mladin’s 2003 racing campaign is one for the record books. The 31-year-old Mladin, who hails from Camden, Australia, won 10 races en route to his championship. That tied Fred Merkel’s 1984 mark for the most AMA Superbike race wins in a single season. Mladin also won seven AMA Superbike pole positions this season further extending his own all-time AMA Superbike pole position record to 31.

“It has been a good year for us for sure,” said Mladin, who jumped from sixth to second on the all-time AMA Superbike wins list in 2003. “We had a few tire problems and other things that handed a couple of wins away for us and then towards the end of the season we had to consolidate our position and that meant not going for the win each time, but it all worked out well for us.”

Mladin took over the championship lead in April from Honda’s Miguel Duhamel after winning round three in Fontana, Calif. He briefly lost the series lead in May after surviving a harrowing rear tire failure at over 150 miles per hour at Road Atlanta. Mladin charged back to take over the series lead again with a victory in the Saturday race of the Road America doubleheader only to fall behind again in the title chase the next day, this time to Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom, after pitting to change from rain tires on a fast-drying Road America. At Brainerd, Minn., in late June, Mladin battled for the lead with his teammate Aaron Yates before being forced to pit when another rear tire started to tear apart. With a victory in Monterey, Calif., in mid-July, Mladin took back the series lead then proceeded to go on a four-race winning streak and pull away in the championship points battle.

In the end Mladin won the championship over Yates by 31 points (550-519) – the largest margin of victory in the championship Mladin has enjoyed in his four titles. Honda’s Kurtis Roberts, bolstered by a win in the final race of the series in Alabama, finished third in the championship with 474 points.

Mladin was quick to thank Suzuki and his entire crew for the team effort it took to win the title. “It’s something we’ve worked for all year,” Mladin said. “It’s been a long season, and I was hoping it wasn’t going to come down to the last race, but that’s how it worked out. I’m happy to get it.”

Suzuki took full advantage of the new AMA Superbike rules and produced an awesome Superbike in its GSX-R1000. One needs only to look at the final tally to realize the bike’s capabilities. The factory Suzukis of Mladin and Yates won 13 of 18 rounds this season. Even the privateer Suzukis turned in a good showing. Jason Pridmore’s pair of second-place finishes at the Mid-Ohio doubleheader of the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship in July on his Attack Suzuki marked the best finish in the series for a non-factory team in eight years. Shawn Higbee
was the top finishing privateer in the series. He was sixth on his Kaufman Trailers/Millennium Technologies Suzuki.

Mladin plans on returning with Suzuki to shoot for a fifth AMA Superbike title in 2004. With a host of new 1000cc superbikes being introduced, Suzuki will have its hands full defending its title. Time will tell if the brand is up to the challenge.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Indian Motorcycle Company closed the doors to its Gilroy, California factory Friday, September 20, ceasing operations of the 102-year-old motorcycle manufacturer, according to a report appearing in the San Jose Mercury News.

The company, which produces heavyweight cruisers, was enjoying record sales in recent months, was scheduled to introduce its 2004 model line-up to dealers, and was close to a deal that would have injected the company with fresh capital. But when that investment deal fell through, according to the report, Indian was forced to shut down operations, leaving 380 employees without jobs.

Read the full story at…

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/business/6818690.htm

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The Assen TT Circuit in Holland will host a round of the FIM Endurance World Championship series each year through the 2006 season.

The announcement of the deal was made today by FG Sport Group, which promotes and manages the series as well as the World Superbike, World Supersport and European Superstock Championship series.

The FIM Endurance World Championship held its first round, a 200-mile race, at the Assen circuit this season, according to FG Sport, and will hold Endurance World Championship races on Easter Monday at Assen for the next three years.

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

SPRINGFIELD DOUBLEHEADER TO CLOSE OUT
2003 AMA PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE U.S. FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Sept. 23, 2003) — The Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill., will host the two final rounds of 2003 AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship this weekend Sept. 27-28. On Saturday night the Springfield Short Track will run under the lights and then on Sunday racing fans will get a chance to see the season-ending Springfield Mile. The AMA Grand National Championship is on the line this weekend. Chris Carr opened up some breathing room over rival Johnny Murphree with a win last Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, and holds a 21-point lead in the point standings with just two races left. A win is worth 23 points.

Carr and Murphree are the only two riders who can win the championship. Carr is shooting to become the second rider in AMA Grand National racing history to win five championships, while Murphree is looking for his first AMA title.

The Springfield doubleheader is normally held during Labor Day weekend, but this year the promoters agreed to move the race to accommodate Harley-Davidson’s 100th Anniversary celebrations in Milwaukee. So now Springfield’s doubleheader closes out the 2003 season and will determine the championship.

The odds are heavily in Carr’s favor to win his fifth championship. Not only does the Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned Ford rider have a 21-point lead, he also has two races in front of him where he should do very well. While Carr has never won the Springfield Short Track he certainly has what it takes to do well there. In Carr’s five wins this season three of them have come on short tracks. Carr is also the all-time AMA career short track wins leader. Things look even bleaker for Carr’s competition when you move over to the Springfield Mile. After struggling for years to earn a victory on the legendary track, Carr broke through to win his first Springfield Mile in 1995. Since that time he’s compiled an impressive record there that any rider would envy. Combining the Memorial Day and Labor Day Weekend races over the last few years Carr has won five of the six most recent Springfield Miles. For Murphree the picture is clear. “All I have to do is go out and win both races and the rest will take care of itself,” he said flatly of this weekend’s doubleheader.

The rest of the riders are jockeying for their final ranking in the series and of course all are looking for a victory on the prestigious Springfield Mile. Harley-Davidson’s Rich King is coming off a victory there in May and should be a frontrunner. Jay Springsteen and Kevin Atherton are also former winners on the mile.

Sunday will also mark the close of the Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Series. Texan Scott Scherb wrapped up the title last week in Columbus. Scherb said he’s looking forward to racing at the Springfield Mile without the pressure of the championship weighing on him.

The Springfield Mile Progressive Insurance Grand National and Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Series races will be taped by Speed Channel and shown on Oct. 21 with repeats through the end of October. Check the TV Schedule on Speed page on www.1800FlatTrack.com for detailed information.

For additional information on this weekend’s doubleheader contact the Illinois Motorcycle Dealers Association at (217) 753-8866 or visit www.illinoismda.com.


SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
ILLINOIS STATE FAIRGROUNDS, SPRINGFIELD, IL SHORT TRACK
SEPTEMBER 27, 2003


SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2003

12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Registration at the track

12:30 p.m. – 2:40 p.m. – Tech Inspection at the track

2:45 p.m. – Riders Meeting

3:00 p.m. – Practice

4:15 p.m. – Qualifying heats

7:00 p.m. – Opening Ceremonies

7:30 p.m. – 7:40 p.m. – 1st Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

7:40 p.m. – 7:50 p.m. – 2nd Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

7:50 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – 3rd Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

8:00 p.m. – 8:10 p.m. – 4th Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

8:10 p.m. – 8:20 p.m. – 5th Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

8:20 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – 6th Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

8:30 p.m. – 8:40 p.m. – 1st Progressive Insurance Grand National Semi

8:40 p.m. – 8:50 p.m. – 2nd Progressive Insurance
Grand National Semi

8:50 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – 3rd Progressive Insurance Grand National Semi

9:00 p.m. – 9:10 p.m. – 4th Progressive Insurance Grand National Semi

9:25 p.m. – 9:40 p.m. – AMA PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE
GRAND NATIONAL FINAL

9:45 p.m. – Victory Circle for Grand National Final

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

In response to the Barber crash:

I will not take any of the blame for the mishap at Barber. It is obvious on the replays that I didn’t intend to turn in on Ben (Bostrom) nor did I know he was there.

My race is just as important to my team and me as to the factories and their riders. I have all the respect in the world for their riding abilities, but I should not be made out to look like the slow, incompetent rider. I have raced in enough World and National Endurances races to know all about lapped riders and yes, blue flags are part of the solution.

The AMA sets the criteria to be able to compete in Superbike races. Kurtis lapped up to 12th place and every rider from 12th back meets those criteria.

In racing, split-second decisions are made and mistakes do happen. Racing also requires taking responsibility for your actions when you make a mistake.

John Jacobi
AMA Pro #49
Team Vesrah Suzuki
Carmel, Indiana

From a press release issued by series organizers:

WEBSTER EYES UP WORLD TITLE NUMBER NINE

Steve Webster and Paul Woodhead could clinch their second Superside World championship as a pairing in the weekend’s action in the penultimate round at Imola, Italy.

The British duo currently hold a 20-point advantage over second-placed Klaus Klaffenböck and Christian Parzer, and should they finish five points ahead of the Austrian duo at Imola, the title will be theirs.

“The main thing is to win the championship and we have two chances to do it. Imola is a circuit that suits our riding style,” said Webster, aiming for an astounding personal ninth world title.

Klaffenböck realises the importance of a win and a repeat of last year’s success at the Emilia circuit would be welcome. “We have gone better than Webster there, but with 20 points to make up, it is going to be difficult. Imola may be our last chance,” stressed the 2001 world champion.

Jörg Steinhausen and Trevor Hopkinson lie third overall with reigning World champions, Steve Abbott and Jamie Biggs a further 20 points adrift in fourth. “It is a power circuit and we should be more on the pace,” revealed Abbott.

The 2002 championship went down to the wire at Imola and the legendary 4.933km (3.08-mile) Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit could be the setting for yet more three-wheeled celebrations.

Superside World championship standings after eight of 10 rounds:
1 Steve Webster, GB (Suzuki) 166, 2 Klaus Klaffenböck, Austria (Yamaha) 146, 3 Jörg Steinhausen, Germany (Suzuki) 111, 4 Steve Abbott, GB (Suzuki) 91, 5 Tom Hanks, GB (Yamaha) 81, 6 Martien van Gils, Holland (Suzuki) 75, 7 Mike Roscher, Germany (Suzuki) 63, 8 Bill Philp, GB (Yamaha) 59, 9 Billy Gällros, Sweden (Suzuki) 39, 10 Gerhard Hauzenberger, Austria (Yamaha) 37.

copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Suzuki: Wants rules based on intake air restrictors as scheduled to take effect in the 2004 Superbike World Championship (before being unilaterally discarded by World Superbike organizers), with no special rules for 1000cc Twins.

Kawasaki: Wants rules based on intake air restrictors as scheduled to take effect in the 2004 Superbike World Championship (before being unilaterally discarded by World Superbike organizers), with no special rules for 1000cc Twins.

Yamaha: No budget for development of Superbike in the U.S., and bikes built for World Endurance races won’t be ready in time for Daytona.


What are they likely to race in the U.S.?

Suzuki: 750cc Superstock with F-USA.

Kawasaki: 1000cc Superstock, 600cc Supersport with AMA Pro Racing.

Yamaha: 1000cc Superstock, 600cc Supersport with AMA Pro Racing.

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

HACKING BREAKS THROUGH TO WIN HIS FIRST AMA CHAMPIONSHIP

Veteran wins Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship presented by Shoei

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Sept. 23, 2003) — September 21, 2003 will be a day Jamie Hacking remembers for the rest of his life. That’s the day the 32-year-old British born South Carolinian earned his first AMA title by winning the 2003 AMA Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship presented by Shoei. The factory Yamaha ace rode to a conservative fifth-place finish Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park to take the series win over teammate Damon Buckmaster by just 8 points. It was the closest finish in the Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship in three years and marked Yamaha’s return to the Supersport championship for the first time in nine years.

Hacking has been a perennial front runner in AMA road racing competition since winning the pole, setting a track record and leading much of the race in his AMA debut in Phoenix in 1997, but this marks the first time he’s been able to put together a championship-winning season.

“This is a dream,” Hacking said. “Everybody wants to win a Supersport championship. So I’ve completed one goal. I want to hold that No.1 plate again. I want to be back on top. And we’ve got the bike to do it. It’s been a long time for me. It’s been six hard years of this, and I felt like I should’ve done this a while back in my career, but unfortunately I didn’t. But I learned from my mistakes, and here we are today.” Hacking won four rounds of the 11-race series on his Yamaha R6 in a season that saw seven different Supersport winners, the most since 1998.

Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden, who was third in the final standings, was the only other multiple race winner. Hacking took over the Supersport points lead after winning round two at California Speedway in April and never lost it, although Buckmaster shared the series lead for one race when Hacking crashed at Road Atlanta.

Hacking ended the 2003 campaign with 10-career victories in AMA Supersport, which ties him with Doug Polen for fourth on the all-time series wins list. Hacking’s championship marked the fourth AMA Supersport title for Yamaha. It last won the series back in 1994 with Jamie James.