From a press release issued by California Speedway:

CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY TO INSTALL SAFER BARRIERS

FONTANA, Calif. (March 1, 2004) — California Speedway President Bill Miller announced today that installation of the SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) wall is scheduled to begin at the superspeedway in early April with an anticipated completion date prior to the April 30-May 2nd Auto Club 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series weekend.

“We look forward to the construction and installation of the SAFER wall getting under way at California Speedway,” said Miller. “We all know that safety is paramount in our sport, and this is another positive step going forward. We applaud all those involved in constructing this system and its installation at California Speedway.”

Two sets of barriers will be placed along the turns at the two-mile oval, with the first set starting at the entrance of turn one and running continuously to the exit of turn two. The second set will start at the entrance of turn three and run continuously to the exit of turn four. A third set of barriers will be placed on the inside retaining wall off the exit of turn two, extending approximately two-thirds of the way down the backstretch.

Made up of steel tubes and pads of hard foam, which are affixed to the concrete walls, the SAFER barrier system was designed by Dr. Dean Sicking and a team under his direction at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The wall is designed to absorb some of the energy that is transferred during a crash. In 2003, Dr. Sicking, and his team, were honored with NASCAR’s Award of Excellence for their efforts in safety.

California Speedway joins a growing list of racing facilities already with the system or planning to install the system.

In 2002, Indianapolis Motor Speedway debuted the SAFER walls through its four corners for the Indianapolis 500. Talladega Superspeedway followed with SAFER walls on the inside retaining walls of its layout at the exit of turn four and the entrance of turn one for its October NASCAR race in 2002, and will complete installation on the outside walls in the turns prior to its upcoming April NASCAR event.

New Hampshire International Speedway, Richmond International Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway installed the system in 2003. Phoenix International Raceway recently completed its installation, while Daytona International Speedway is expected to have the system in place prior to the Pepsi 400 in July. Last week, Darlington Raceway announced that installation of the SAFER walls were under way at its facility.

California Speedway’s 2004 season kicks off April 2-4 with the Yamaha Superbike Challenge followed a month later with the first of two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series weekends. The first features the Auto Club 500 on May 2nd, with the second highlighted by the “Finish Under the Lights” Pop Secret 500 on Sunday, September 5, of Labor Day Weekend. The Indy Race League IndyCar Series returns to California Speedway October 1-3 for the TOYOTA Indy 400, which last year established the speedway as the world’s fastest oval when Sam Hornish Jr. won his second consecutive IndyCar race at California Speedway with an average speed of 207.151 MPH. For road racing enthusiasts, California Speedway offers the old and the new, with the Southern California Historic SportsCar Festival Presented by RACER June 18-20 and the Grand American Road Racing Association season finale, featuring the Daytona Prototypes, October 29-31. For tickets and event information call 1-800-944-RACE (7223) or log on to www.californiaspeedway.com.

ABOUT SAFER:
· The SAFER wall technology consists of rectangular steel tubing backed by foam blocks that is installed in front of the race track’s traditional cement walls.
· The process consists of ordering the specific materials, bending the steel tubing to fit the radius of the race track’s corners, shipment and installation.
· The SAFER wall project began in the fall of 2000 and remains an ongoing safety initiative among NASCAR, the Indy Racing League, Dr. Dean Sicking and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

From a press release issued by WERA West Roadracing:

WERA West Roadracing UPDATES:

Revised schedule attached which deletes the Arizona Motorsports Park date and adds Oct. 2nd & 3rd @ Las Vegas Motor Speedway on the exterior Classic Road Course. It will be cooler and a better time to have the last race of the season.

Friday, March 12th Fastrack Riders event cancelled due to scheduling conflicts at California Speedway

In addition a list of different classes various motorcycles can compete in.

The first WERA West Roadracing event is just two weeks away!

Where are those motard and mini entries? If there is no support for these classes, we will not be able to support them at future events.

2004 WERA WEST Racing Series (revised)

March 13th & 14th (Sat & Sun) @ California Speedway AMA Track
Friday track day cancelled

May 22nd& 23rd (Sat, & Sun) @ Las Vegas Motor Speedway revised Classic Course
Friday, May 21st FRA Track Day

June 11th, 12th & 13th (Fri, Sat, & Sun) @ California Speedway AMA Track
WERA NATIONAL EVENT

July 31st & August 1st (Sat & Sun) @ Buttonwillow Raceway
Friday, July 30th FRA Track Day

August 28th & 29th @ Las Vegas Motor Speedway 2.5 mile Infield Track including garages for all riders.
No Friday track day at this event

September 11th & 12th @ Arizona Motorsports Park CANCELLED

October 2nd & 3rd (Sat, & Sun) @ Las Vegas Motor Speedway revised Classic Course
Friday, October 1st FRA Track DAy


Check out WERA at www.wera.com


WERA Class Overview

In order to simplify what groups a rider may ride their bike in for WERA listed below is a general grouping of bikes and class options. Remember there will be certain restrictions for each class and your bike will have to pass those requirements to run in that particular class.

Liter Class Motorcycles: This includes R1, GSXR1000, CBR929RR, CBR954RR, CBR1000RR, ZX-9R and ZX-10R.

A Superstock, Formula 1, HW Solo.



Ducati and Aprilia Liter Bike Twins: This includes 996, 998, 999 models and Aprilia Mille

B Classes, HWT Classes and above.



Ducati 748 & 749:

C Classes, HWT and above.



Suzuki SV650:

LWT Classes, LW Solo, HWT Classes, F2 – can ride up to MW Solo (works fine usually) and run C classes (we wouldn’t suggest that).



Aprilia RS250 Cup Bikes:

D Classes, LWT classes, LW Solo, Clubman.



Suzuki 750 multi cylinder four:

B Classes and above.



600cc four cylinder bikes: GSXR600, R6, ZX-6R, CBR600RR, Triumph 600 as examples.

C classes and above.



Ducati 800 Supersport:
Same as the big displacement twins for now.



250 GP bikes: TZ250 or RS250

F2, F1, HWT SB (No HWT SS)



125 GP bikes:

125 GP ,F2, HWT SB (No F1, No SS)



Harley Davidson Buell:

LWT classes in SS spec and minor mods like chain conversion.

HWT SS & SB depending on mods. C classes and above.

From a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway:

Ricky Carmichael Named Grand Marshal For Daytona Supercross By Honda

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (March 1, 2004) – Honda rider Ricky Carmichael, who has won the last four Daytona Supercross By Hondas, will serve as the Grand Marshal for the inaugural nighttime running of the Daytona Supercross By Honda on Friday night, March 5 at historic Daytona International Speedway.

Carmichael, who is unable to compete in this year’s 34th Daytona Supercross By Honda due to a knee injury, will give the starting command for the 20-lap 250cc final under the lights of the “World Center of Racing.”

In the 2003 Daytona Supercross By Honda, Carmichael captured his fourth straight victory on Daytona’s tough and demanding Supercross course, tying Jeff Stanton’s record of four consecutive wins between 1989-92.

As part of his Grand Marshal duties, the 24-year-old Carmichael, who resides in Havana, Fla., will participate in a question and answer session in the Classic Cycle Club on Friday night, March 5 at 6 p.m. The Classic Cycle Club is a hospitality package that includes private suite access in the Nextel Tower, infield, paddock and garage access, preferred parking (first come, first parked basis), souvenir event pin, souvenir program and credential holder (with two-day package only).

The Classic Cycle Club is available for both the Friday night, March 5 Daytona Supercross By Honda and the Saturday, March 6 Daytona 200 By Arai. Two-day packages are $235 per person while a single-day Classic Cycle Club package for the Daytona Supercross By Honda is $120 per person and a single-day package for the Daytona 200 By Arai is $130 per person.

In addition to his appearance in the Classic Cycle Club, Carmichael will participate in an autograph session on Friday night, March 5 between 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the Cruise America display inside the AdvanStar International Motorcycle Show, which is located in hospitality village outside the NEXTEL Tower.

To purchase tickets for any of the motorcycle events or the Classic Cycle Club, log on to http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.

From a press release issued by Buell:

ESTOK NIPS BEMISDERFER FOR DAYTONA THUNDERBIKE WIN

Buell Racers Fill Podium At Formula USA Season Opener

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Harding Harley-Davidson rider Dave Estok rode a Buell Firebolt to a photo-finish victory in the opening round of the 2004 Formula USA Thunderbike series at Daytona International Speedway here today.

Estok, the reigning Thunderbike champion, crossed the finish line just .069 seconds ahead of his teammate Bryan Bemisderfer, also aboard a Buell Firebolt, after the pair battled throughout the final six laps of the nine-lap race. Kosco Harley-Davidson/Buell rider Joe Rozynski rode a Buell to claim the third podium position. Baton Rouge Harley-Davidson/Buell rider Kurt Miller rode a Buell Firebolt to fourth place, edging Brian Parriott on a BMW R 1100 S.

It was a triumphant conclusion to a difficult weekend for Estok, who joined the Harding team just two weeks ago and struggled though practice and qualifying with mechanical and set-up problems with the new motorcycles. “We had a lot of bad luck this weekend, and I just want to thank this Harding team for working so hard on the bikes,” said Estok. “This is a great win considering we had very little track time before the race.”

Bemisderfer took the lead in the race on lap three after Hal’s Harley-Davidson/Buell rider Dan Bilansky crashed in the dog-leg section of the course. Estok quickly passed Bemisderfer on the high-speed oval portion of the course, but Bemisderfer was faster than Estok through the tight infield section of the track. The two drafted together on the oval and pulled away from the pack, setting up a final dash for the finish line. Bemisderfer set up for a classic Daytona drafting pass and ran very low on the track apron coming out of the last turn.

“I tried to go down low to cut Brian off, but I could see that his bike was really loose down there and gave him plenty of room,” said Estok. “As it turned out I had just enough left to hold on for the win.”

Bemisderfer, who is over six feet tall and thus aerodynamically challenged at high-speed tracks like Daytona, was happy to come away with second-place points to start the season. “I’m racing for tractor money this year,” said Bemisderfer, who recently bought a small farm near his home in Greencastle, Pa. “It’s not so bad to lose to Dave when he’s on your team. He’s going to be my biggest challenger for the championship this season.”

Daytona Harley-Davidson/Milwaukee Harley-Davidson rider Richie Morris took the Thunderbike pole aboard his Buell Firebolt with a fast lap of 2:03:537 in very windy conditions for qualifying on Saturday. Morris led the first lap of the race on Sunday, but dropped out with a mechanical problem on the second lap.

The next stop on the eight-race Formula USA schedule is April 23-25 at Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis.

The Formula USA Thunderbike class is open to a variety of production-based motorcycles. Buell-mounted riders competing in the eight-event 2004 Thunderbike series are racing for a share of the $70,500 contingency fund posted by Buell Motorcycle Company.

To learn more about Buell Motorcycles, visit your local Buell dealer today and experience the pure streetfighter attitude, style, and performance only found on board a Buell. For the Buell dealer nearest you, pull into www.buell.com.

From a press release:

Zemke & Pridmore Lend Support to “Seattle 100” Fundraiser

Unique Track Day Event in September Benefits Kidney Disease Research

On Wednesday, September 8th, 2004, two stars of the road racing and motorcycle riding community will be in Seattle, each to attend the Seattle 100 – a public track day event at Pacific Raceways in nearby Kent, WA. The annual event is open to public participation and will benefit The NephCure Foundation, a not-for-profit organization promoting research into the cause and cure of kidney disease. 2Fast Motorcycle Track Days & Instruction will host the event and facilitate the track day. Brian Orton, Director of the Seattle 100 and Co-Founder of The NephCure Foundation, couldn’t be happier about the help he is receiving from Jake Zemke and Jason Pridmore.

“These are two great guys, and they’re helping me bring national visibility to the Seattle 100 that I couldn’t have achieved without them. As to the participants in this year’s event, every rider will be able to rub elbows with two of the fastest riders in the world, and how often does the average guy get the opportunity to do that? How many people can say, ‘yeah… I’ve ridden with Pridmore… I’ve ridden with Zemke’? The Seattle 100 will be the opportunity of a lifetime for participants, giving them the chance to ride with some of the most famous personalities in motorcycle racing. Above all, we’re all contributing to a fantastic cause.”

Participants in the Seattle 100 raise money through per-lap ($1/lap) pledges and/or fixed-dollar ($100) contributions, each participant attempting to circle the track 100 times before the day is over. Due to track capacity issues, the event is limited to 100 riders, yet is entirely free of charge to all who pre-register and who show up with $500 dollars or more in collected donations the day of the event.

Zemke says he’s trying to help Orton find a few good men.

“Actually, I’m trying to help the Seattle 100 bring out about a hundred good men, including any female riders who would like to participate as well. Jason and I hope that our presence can help Brian and NephCure find the 100 riders they need to help the fundraiser reach its goals.”

Pridmore likes the cause, and promised Orton his attendance nearly a year ago when the two met at Laguna Seca. The two have remained in touch ever since.

“Through the Seattle 100 and what it does to help with the battle against kidney disease, we can all take our passion for motorcycling and track days and use the event to help others. Supporting the Seattle 100 was an easy decision to make, and I’ve actually talked with a few others about joining me at the event to lend their support as well.”

The Seattle 100 is not limited to sportbikes; instead, 2Fast Motorcycle Track Days & Instruction – co-owned by Orton and one of the company’s lead instructors – offers track day operations that are friendly to riders of all experience levels, no matter what kind of bike they’re riding.

“On September 8th, 2Fast will be hosting the Seattle 100 while simultaneously operating one of our instructional riding schools at the same time. Since 2Fast track days and schools are not sportbike-only events, we’re hoping that our usual array of Harley riders, Goldwingers, and non-sportbike riders will also sign up and come out to ride with Jake, Jason, and the rest of us,” says Orton. “Not only do participants of the Seattle 100 get to go through our instructional school and ride alongside two world-class pros, but they get to do so for free… as long as they commit to help us with fundraising. I’d like to think that this is a fair trade-off.”

All participants in the Seattle 100 will receive a free T-shirt and hat combination to commemorate the day and their efforts. However, 2Fast and The NephCure Foundation will encourage participants to raise more than the $500 dollar donations minimum with prizes and giveaways for special achievement levels. For instance, participants arriving at registration on September 8th with donations totaling $1000 or more will get a Seattle 100 jacket. Those achieving greater than $1500 in paid donations will not only get a jacket, but also will be offered an opportunity to ride two up on a bike with Jason Pridmore for 3 laps. Those achieving greater than $2500 in donations will receive an additional gift certificate to any Seattle motorcycle shop for $200. Finally, the rider who raises the most funds out of all the Seattle 100 participants will receive free admission to one of Jason Pridmore’s STAR motorcycle riding schools.

Riders or parties interested in learning more about the Seattle 100, The NephCure Foundation, and/or 2Fast Track Days & Instruction should visit the homepage of 2Fast’s website, www.2-fast.org. The Seattle 100 welcomes corporate sponsorship opportunities. If you would like to participate as a rider in the event and wish to register for one of the remaining spots available, Brian Orton can be reached at (206) 676-5683. You can also reach him by email at [email protected]

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Dunlop racers at the CCS/Formula USA event at Daytona International Speedway were warned of tire growth with the company’s new 195/70RX-17 slick rear tire, which may cause problems if tire-to-swingarm clearance is not big enough.

Notices posted everywhere in the Daytona paddock during the weekend read, in part:

“Attention: Dunlop Superstock Riders: Tire Growth At Speed Notification: Dunlop’s 2004 rear 17″ slick tire for 750cc and 1000cc machines is a 195/70R-17 KR108. This tire is much bigger in diameter than the original equipment tire on your motorcycle. It may foul on the front of the swingarm at speed if wheel adjustment is not correct. The inflated diameter of 195/70R-17 is 659mm (25.95″). Most OEM tires measure about 628-633mm (24.72 – 24.92″). In order to allow for tire growth at speed you must leave a minimum of 14mm of clearance between center of the tire and the inside front curve of the swingarm. Failure to do so may result in the tire contacting the swingarm while it is rotating. Contact between the tire and swingarm at speed will result in tire smoke which may in turn, cause you to be Red-Flagged by race officials. Tire/Swingarm contact will also cause tire to operate at higher temperatures adversely affecting tire performance. Spacers of 14mm thickness are available at the Dunlop Garage. Please pick one up on your first visit to the Dunlop Garage and use this spacer each time you position, or re-position your rear wheel.”

The unprecedented warning of potential clearance issues due to tire growth results from problems experienced by Dunlop’s sponsored AMA Superstock riders at a recent test at California Speedway, which does not have speeds as high as at Daytona. Teams at that test had to run longer wheelbases than they wanted to achieve adequate tire-to-swingarm clearance. One top rider’s crew chief at Daytona said the extra clearance required for the new Dunlop limited his gearing choices.

Michelin’s Jim Rhodes said growth at speed is not an issue with Michelin tires, and said they normally advise their riders to maintain at least 3mm-5mm of tire-to-swingarm clearance. “Our rear tires have virtually no growth,” said Rhodes.

Pirelli vendor Moose Kuykendall said a 17-inch rear Pirelli slick grows no more than 3 percent at 185 mph, which, according to calculations e-mailed in by various readers, may approach 13mm. We will consult with Pirelli’s Eddie Roberts when he arrives in Daytona and report back with a definitive answer for the brand.

Dunlop has also posted notices at Daytona advising Superstock riders to set the air pressure of the 195/70RX-17 at 38 psi. Michelin’s men said depending on which 17-inch slick being used, their recommended tire pressures range from 22 to 32 psi. Pirelli recommends 34 psi for its 17-inch slick on a 1000cc motorcycle.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

World Superbike
Valencia, Spain
Race One Results:

1. James Toseland, Ducati 999F04, 23 laps, 42:39.266
2. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, -4.698 seconds
3. Chris Walker, Foggy Petronas FP1, -22.109 seconds
4. Marco Borciani, Ducati 999RS, -33.304 seconds
5. Leon Haslam, Ducati 999RS, -42.286 seconds
6. Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati 998RS, -51.269 seconds
7. Garry McCoy, Ducati 999RS, -65.257 seconds
8. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -66.590
9. Horst Saiger, Yamaha YZF-R1, -1 lap
10. Jiri Mrkyvka, Ducati 998RS, -1 lap
11. Warwick Nowland, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -1 lap
12. Chris Vermeulen, Honda CBR1000RR, -1 lap
13. Miguel Praia, Ducati 999RS, -1 lap
14. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-10R, -3 laps
15. Piergiorgio Bontempi, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -3 laps
16. Steve Martin, Ducati 999RS, -2 laps, DNF
17. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-10R, -17 laps, DNF
18. Noriyuki Haga, Ducati 999RS, -18 laps, DNF
19. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, -19 laps, DNF
20. Alessio Velini, Yamaha YZF-R1, -20 laps, DNF
21. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, -21 laps, DNF
22. Regis Laconi, Ducati 999F04, -23 laps, DNF

Fastest Lap of Race: Garry McCoy, 1:43.323


More, from a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

First podium finish for FPR with Walker’s third in season opener

Chris Walker made racing history today by achieving the first podium finish on the Petronas FP1, the first Malaysian superbike.

In his first race for Carl Fogarty’s Foggy PETRONAS Racing team, the popular British rider finished third in a nerve-jangling first race of the World Superbike season at Valencia, Spain.

Lying fourth with two laps remaining, Chris moved into the rostrum positions when the Ducati of Steve Martin blew an engine. With oil coming out of the Ducati, Chris guided his FP1 home to rapturous celebrations his team.

FPR team-mate Troy Corser had earlier crashed out on the third lap of the day’s opening race while trying to challenge for second, but escaped injury.

Chris said: “I can’t believe it. This is a reflection on the incredible job that PETRONAS and our FPR team have done in such a short space of time. I never imagined I would get this result on my first race on the FP1. My mechanics have been stars this weekend. Half-way through the race I thought there was a chance of a podium so I tried to stay with Frankie Chili. Then, when I saw smoke coming out of Martin’s Ducati, I knew that all I had to do was to bring the bike home. I am not usually the luckiest rider in the world so for once my luck was in.”

Carl said: “I was getting all nervous and tense – and then I realised we had only done five laps! I am so pleased for Petronas and everyone connected with this project. I hope people realise that this bike was just a piece of paper two years ago! I had said that our aim was to get on the rostrum. Now that we have done that, we want to be there all the time. But we know there is still a long way to go and a lot more to come from the engine. And I am so proud of Chris, because he is the man who made this happen by bringing the bike home in those conditions.”

The changeable weather at Valencia had caused drama on the Valencia grid even before the start of the race, with pre-race favourite Regis Laconi crashing on his out-lap. Then, with drops of rain falling, the teams had to make a swift choice of tyres. Chief engineer Steve Thompson opted to spread the risk, with Troy choosing full Pirelli wets in both the front and rear, while Chris opted for an intermediate rear tyre – the choice of the first three riders.

Laconi crashed on the opening lap but, with Chris already up into the top four from a qualifying position of 10th, Troy crashed while trying to overtake eventual race winner James Toseland on the outside. Then, with a drying line developing after a brief shower, Chris was able to stay on the pace of the leading group positioned behind leader James Toseland before seizing his opportunity of glory.

First race times: 1 Toseland (Ducati Fila); 2 Chili (PSG-1) +4.698; 3 Walker (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) +22.109; 4 Borciani (DFX) +53.304; 5 Haslam (Renegade Ducati) +1:02.286; 6 Nannelli (Team Pedercini) +1:11.269; 7 McCoy (Xerox Ducati) +1:25.257; 8 Fuertes (MIR Racing) +1:26.590; 9 Saiger (Lifehouse RT) one lap; 10 Mrkyvka (JM SBK) one lap; 11 Nowland (Zongshen) one lap; 12 Vermeulen (Ten Kate) one lap; 13 Praia (Xerox Ducati) one lap; 14 Sanchini (Kawasaki Bertocchi) three laps; 15 Bontempi (Zongshen) three laps

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

World Supersport
Valencia, Spain
Race Results:

1. Jurgen Vd Goorbergh, Yamaha YZF-R6, 23 laps
2. Fabien Foret, Yamaha YZF-R6, -4.898 seconds
3. Katsuaki Fujiwara, Suzuki GSX-R600, -16.104 seconds
4. Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati 749R, -17.964 seconds
5. Stephane Chambon, Suzuki GSX-R600, -20.404 seconds
6. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki GSX-R600, -21.935 seconds
7. Werner Daemen, Honda CBR600RR, -24.972 seconds
8. Karl Muggeridge, Honda CBR600RR, -25.232 seconds
9. Kevin Curtain, Yamaha YZF-R6, -44.486 seconds
10. Stefano Cruciani, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, -53.354 seconds
11. Matthieu Lagrive, Suzuki GSX-R600, -53.725 seconds
12. Arne Tode, Yamaha YZF-R6, -55.413 seconds
13. Matteo Baiocco, Yamaha YZF-R6, -60.023 seconds
14. Max Neukirchner, Honda CBR600RR, -73.366 seconds
15. Kai Borre Andersen, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, -74.907 seconds
16. Sebastien Le Grelle, Honda CBR600RR, -78.761 seconds
17. Javier Fores, Suzuki GSX-R600, -2 laps, mechanical
18. Victor Carrasco, Honda CBR600RR, -2 laps, mechanical
19. Christian Kellner, Yamaha YZF-R6, -10 laps, mechanical
20. Walter Tortoroglio, Suzuki GSX-R600, -11 laps, mechanical
21. Alessio Corradi, Honda CBR600RR, -13 laps, mechanical
22. Tobias Kirmeier, Honda CBR600RR, -19 laps, mechanical
23. Denis Sacchetti, Honda CBR600RR, -19 laps, mechanical
24. Giovanni Bussei, Ducati 749R, -20 laps, mechanical
25. Broc Parkes, Honda CBR600RR, -21 laps, crash
26. Craig Jones, Triumph Daytona 600, -23 laps, mechanical
27. Sebastien Charpentier, Honda CBR600RR, excluded


More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:

Yamaha Motor Italia team-mates Jurgen van den Goorbergh and Fabien Foret got their season off to the perfect start after finishing first and second in round one of the Supersport World Championship at Valencia today. The duo fought through the tense and hotly contested opening laps to pull away from the opposition and win by over 16 seconds at the end of the 23-lap race.



Starting in overcast and slightly damp conditions, both riders were involved in an eight-way battle for the lead in the opening laps. After starting on the front row of the graid, Foret was first to make his way to the front – the Frenchman taking the lead from Karl Muggeridge on lap six. Behind him, Dutchman Van den Goorbergh was working his way through the pack. Closing up on his French team-mate, Jurgen took a lead he would never lose as they headed down the straight for the 19th time. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Suzuki) finished a distant third to complete the podium.

The victory is the 34-year-old’s first world championship race win and takes both him and Yamaha to the head of the rider and manufacturer’s points standings respectively.

Yamaha Motor Germany team-mates Kevin Curtain and Christian Kellner both showed their speed in Valencia, but left Spain with little reward for their efforts. Both men qualified alongside Van den Goorbergh on the front row of the grid and a good start saw the Curtain mixing it with the leading pack in the opening stages. However, a wrong tyre choice saw the Australian slip backwards to ninth at the flag. Kellner meanwhile retired from a points scoring position on lap 13.


Jurgen leads Fabien

Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha Motor Italia) – first
“I’ve missed a lot of testing and hadn’t even been on a bike for three-and-a-half weeks after hurting my wrist pre-season – so this result is a real bonus for me. When I came here my goal was to finish on the podium – and I thought that was something of a high goal to set. We chose a good set-up and the correct tyre compound today. When I got into second I always felt that I could pass Fabien. He made a slight mistake coming out of the final corner and that let me make a clean pass as we went onto the straight.”

Fabien Foret (Yamaha Motor Italian) – second
“Second on my Yamaha debut is a brilliant result. I am still getting used to the R6 so my priority when I came here was to finish and get as good a result as possible. I did struggle a little bit as the race went on, but the good thing is that I know I will get faster as the season goes on and I get to know my bike better.”

Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) – ninth
“I said before the race that tyre selection could have a big say in the result and ultimately that’s how it was. We had the choice of three different rears and as the tyre I chose just didn’t work as well as the ones used by Jurgen and Fabien, which was basically the standard road bike coumpound. It’s a shame as we had worked so hard and had a perfect set-up. The race was certainly eventful. We had some rain on one side of the circuit and that caused Broc Parkes to crash in front of me and I just missed him. Later in the race someone’s engine blew up and got oil all over my visor, but I was just doing all I could to get to the finish with some points.”

Christian Kellner (Yamaha Motor Germany) – DNF
“Qualifying had gone well but I made a bad start and, like Kevin, I chose the wrong tyre. As the race went on the bike started losing power and I felt it was safer to pull in than go round slowly.”



More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

HONDA RACING INFORMATION

World Supersport Championship 2004 – Round 1

Valencia Race Result
27 – 29 FEBRUARY 2004
Attendance 28,000 weekend

HARD FIRST RACE FOR TOP HONDA RIDERS

After a dramatic and sometimes contentious 23-lap World Supersport race at Valencia, the top Honda riders, who had virtually dominated qualifying, found a change in fortune. The race was conducted in dry track conditions, despite the cold and wind, plus the added complication of an impromptu wet warm up session when unexpected rains appeared and soaked the circuit in the morning.

Having made excellent starts, the pairing of Broc Parkes and Karl Muggeridge (both Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) were the first to suffer at the hands of fate.

Parkes, the early and convincing leader, fell on lap three and could not restart, ending his day in an unexpected and unwelcome fashion after his second place qualification.

Pole man Muggeridge, engaged in a fight for the lead with Klaffi Honda CBR600RR rider Sebastien Charpentier, gradually slipped back through the field as his rear tyre lost traction. Another rider hit him in the closing stages and finished eighth overall.

The top finishing Honda rider, and thus the top rider in the current championship standings, was WSS part-timer Werner Daemen (van Zon Honda CBR600RR) in seventh.

For Charpentier, a front row starter, a jump-start penalty was to be his undoing, after he missed the flags for him to return to the pits and take his penalty. He was eventually excluded from the results and what was an almost certain podium finish.

His teammate, Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) also fell in the race but restarted to finish 14th, scoring two points on his World Supersport debut.

The Team Italia Megabike Honda squad, featuring riders Alessio Corradi and Denis Sacchetti, both retired with technical problems on their CBR600RR machines.

The race itself was won by former MotoGP rider Jurgen van Den Goorbergh (Yamaha) from his teammate Fabien Foret and Suzuki pilot Katsuaki Fujiwara.

Muggeridge, the King of both preseason and race qualifying was mystified as to why his tyre did not work the way he and the team intended. “We chose a medium rear tyre and it turned out to be the wrong choice,” said a rueful Muggeridge. “From the fourth lap the bike started sliding and I went backwards – just as other people went forwards. It was really frustrating and then I got hit on the last lap and almost crashed. It’s not all over yet, and it’s a long season with a lot of points up for grabs.”

For Parkes, the first day of the season was one to forget. “I got a really good start,” said Parkes, “maybe my start was too good. I felt that I entered the corner the same as ever and opened the throttle just the same – but the back came round and I highsided.”

Charpentier, stuck in the slipstream of a bunch of warring riders, missed the notification of his jump-start. “I really didn’t think I had done anything wrong,” he said. “I was so intent on the race that I missed the jump start flag and then it was all over. I am really disappointed because I think we could have had a great result.”

German rookie Neukirchner, in his first World Championship Supersport race, fought hard for his 14th place. “I had a front end slide and fell off,” he stated. “I jumped up and restarted and managed to get to the end of the race. I scored some points which is something positive that came from today.”

Corradi was moving through the top places at a rapid pace, and made his way to fifth place before he was forced to retire. “The oil cooler bolt broke I think, and that was the cause of the smoke from the bike,” said the Italian. “I had a good choice of tyre, almost perfect, a good rhythm for the race and it was possible to have finished in third place.”

18-year-old Sacchetti explained his afternoon’s work. “I had a jump start and after I came in the engine stopped. I don’t know why and the team must investigate further.”

In the first round of the World Superbike Championship, a dramatic and wet-weather affected race one gave James Toseland (Ducati) the win after early leader and pole man Regis Laconi (Ducati) fell on lap one. Pierfrancesco Chili (Ducati) secured second place on his 2002-spec machine after a ride from a poor grid position. The Petronas scored its first podium position thanks to a smooth wet and dry ride by Chris Walker on the three- cylinder machine.

Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) scored a clear win in race two, from Toseland, and a first time podium rider, Steve Martin (Ducati). While reigning World Supersport Champion Chris Vermeulen raced the Ten Kate Honda to 12th in race one and fifth in race two. A good result for the virtually standard CBR1000RR fielded as a private entry by Gerrit Ten Kate

In the World Championship itself, Toseland leads all his peers with 45 points, to Pierfrancesco Chili’s 33 and Haga’s 25.

Next race for both Superbike and Supersport classes takes place at Phillip Island in Australia, on March 28.

Results
SUPERSPORT:
RACE : (Laps 23 = 92,115 Km)
Pos /Rider /Nat. /Team / Time /Gap
1/J. VD GOORBERGH/NED/Yamaha Italia/38:27.439

2/F. FORET/FRA/Yamaha Italia/38:32.337 /4.898

3/K. FUJIWARA/JPN/Suzuki Alstare Corona Extra/38:43.543 /16.104

4/L. LANZI/ITA/Ducati Breil/38:45.403 /17.964

5/S. CHAMBON/FRA/Suzuki Alstare Corona Extra/38:47.843 /20.404

6/V. IANNUZZO/ITA/Suzuki Alstare Corona Extra/38:49.374 /21.935

7/W.DAEMEN/BEL/Alpha Technik – Van Zon/38:52.411 /24.972

8/K. MUGGERIDGE/AUS/Ten Kate Honda/38:52.671 /25.232

9/K. CURTAIN/AUS/Yamaha Motor Deutschland/39:11.925 /44.486

10/S. CRUCIANI/ITA/Kawasaki Bertocchi/39:20.793 /53.354

11/M.LAGRIVE/FRA/Moto 1/39:21.164 /53.725

12/A. TODE/GER/Ecko Racing Team/39:22.852 /55.413

13/M.BAIOCCO/ITA/Lorenzini by Leoni/39:27.462 /1’00.023

14/M.NEUKIRCHNER/GER/Klaffi Honda/39:40.805 /1’13.366

15/K. ANDERSEN/NOR/Kawasaki Docshop Racing/39:42.346 /1’14.907
Fastest Lap 2° Broc Parkes 1:39.065 145,541 Km/h

Riders Championship Standings:
1 VD GOORBERGH 25, 2 FORET 20, 3 FUJIWARA 16, 4 LANZI 13, 5 CHAMBON 11 6 IANNUZZO 10, 7 DAEMEN 9, 8 MUGGERIDGE 8, 9 CURTAIN 7, 10 CRUCIANI 6 11 LAGRIVE 5, 12 TODE 4, 13 BAIOCCO 3, 14 NEUKIRCHNER 2, 15 ANDERSEN 1

Manufacturers Standings:
1 YAMAHA 25, 2 SUZUKI 16, 3 DUCATI 13, 4 HONDA 9, 5 KAWASAKI 6.


More, from a press release issued by Ten Kate Honda:

Muggeridge Eighth As Parkes Falls

After going 1-2 in qualifying the Ten Kate Honda pairing of Karl Muggeridge and Broc Parkes made excellent starts from their front row positions, but each was to experience misfortune of a different kind, on their way to an eighth place finish and a crash respectively.

The rains which blighted the track after the morning warm-up meant that all teams were offered a 15-minute practice session to test wet tyres, but the race itself was held in dry conditions.

Broc Parkes, the early leader, had the heartbreak of a crash on lap three, ending his interest in the race early in the day. The young Aussie rider, who qualified in second place was disappointed with his showing on the team’s most favoured test track, but has already shown is abundant talent and the speed of the Ten Kate Honda.

Muggeridge, who was to tangle with another rider and drop from seventh to eighth place in the reckoning, was also a race leader but dropped back as the race wore on to its 23 lap conclusion. He said, “We chose a medium rear tyre and it turned out to be the wrong choice. From the fourth lap the bike started sliding and I went backwards as other people went forwards. It was really frustrating and then I got hit on the last lap and almost crashed. It’s not all over yet, and it’s a long season with a lot of points up for grabs.”

“I got a really good start,” said Parkes, who looks to the next race on home tarmac to rebuild his year. “Maybe my start was too good. I felt that I entered the corner the same as ever and opened the throttle just the same but the back came round and I highsided.”

“Karl’s rear tyre was really worn,” said Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate, “and we are surprised that other people could go past Karl, some on even softer tyre choices. It’s disappointing for Broc and us all that he crashed but that is racing sometimes. We have shown how fast we can go, so we will be looking to the next round.”

The race was won by the Yamaha of Jurgen van den Goorbergh, with his team-mate Fabien Foret second and the Suzuki of Katsuaki Fujiwara third. The next round of the championship takes place at Phillip Island, Australia, on 28th March.

World Supersport Championship
Round One – Valencia
27 – 29 February
1. J.vd Goorbergh NED, Yamaha YZF R6
2. F. Foret FRA, Yamaha YZF R6 4.898
3. K. Fujiwara JPN, Suzuki GSX 600R 16.104
4. L. Lanzi ITA, Ducati 749 R 17.964
5. S. Chambon FRA, Suzuki GSX 600R 20.404
6. V. Ianuzzo ITA, Suzuki GSX 600R 21.935
7. W. Daemen BEL, Honda CBR600RR 24.972
8. K. Muggeridge AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR 25.232
9. K. Curtain AUS, Yamaha YZF R6 44.486
10. S. Cruciani ITA, Kawasaki ZX6 RR 53.354


Broc Parkes Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR crashed after 2 laps


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

SUZUKI ON THE ROSTRUM IN VALENCIA!

World Supersport. Round 1, Valencia, Spain, Sunday 29th February. Circuit Ricardo Tormo 4.005 kms. Crowd: 28,000 (3-days). Weather: Cold, damp at first, dry later.
Katsuaki Fujiwara raced the new Suzuki GSX-R600 to its first podium position of the season in today’s opening round of the World Supersport Championship in Valencia, Spain, as all three Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders filled top six positions.

Fujiwara, who came off his sick bed this morning after spending time on an intravenous drip after waking up with a temperature of 38.5C, took third place in an exciting race, with team mates Stephane Chambon fifth and Vittorio Iannuzzo sixth.

In the Superstock class, Ricardo Chiarello also took a rostrum position with third place to seal the Alstare team’s 101 podium position in 20 years of competition.

KATSUAKI FUJIWARA – 3rd: “I think a podium is a great way to start 2004! I’m very happy to be on the podium because of many reasons. Our bike is new, this is our first race on Pirelli tyres and also because this morning I had a high fever. If it had not have been for some medicine and then the drip, I would’ve struggled to make the start! As it was, in the early stages of the race, I found it a little hard to concentrate. But after a while, I just got down to riding hard. My Alstare Suzuki GSX 600R worked well, but the tyres started sliding after about ten laps, but I think maybe everybody had the same problem.”

STEPHANE CHAMBON – 5th: “I am a little happy because fifth is quite a good result considering the problems I had in practice. Fifth is what I had hoped for before the race, but, because of the tricky conditions, it could’ve so easily been eight, ninth or tenth! I had a small problem with the rear spring in the race and the tyre started to go off after eight or nine laps – but that could’ve also been because of the rear spring problem. Up to now, I haven’t done a complete race distance before this weekend, so now we have a good result and a lot more information with which to work.”

VITTORIO IANNUZZO – 6th: “I am very happy, especially as I started the race from the fifth row. I made quite a good start and picked up place after place. Today I had a much better feeling with the bike and that meant I was more comfortable about pushing a bit harder. The tyres were a bit of a problem after about fifteen laps and then it was difficult to open the gas hard. Towards the end of the race I had a good fight with Chambon. I might have fought harder if we were chasing a podium, but I didn’t want to cause any dramas over fifth or sixth. It’s a great start for me and the whole team.”

Results: 1 VD Goorbergh (NL-Yamaha), 2 Fabien Foret (F-Yamaha ), 3 KATSUAKI FUJIWARA (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 4 Lorenzo Lanzi (I Ducati), 5 STEPHANE CHAMBON (F-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 6 VITTORIO IANNUZZO (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra),

Points: 1 VD Goorbergh 25, 2 Foret 20, 3 FUJIWARA (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra)16, 4 Lanzi 13, 5 CHAMBON (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 11, 6 IANNUZZO (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 10.