Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Preview
2003 Shell Advance Australian Superbike Championship, Round 5
By Trevor Hedge
(www.mcnews.com.au)

A rejuvenated Shell Advance Australian Superbike Championship has provided racing fans with thrills and spills this year, but the best is yet to come… The scene is set for the biggest domestic road racing event of the year this weekend when Australia’s best descend on Eastern Creek to battle for championship honors.

Curtain, Coxhell, Giles, Stauffer, Brookes and McCarthy will all battle for line honors at Eastern Creek on their 1000cc production-based Superbikes but the outright Championship win looks set to be a close dice between Craig Coxhell, Shawn Giles and Kevin Curtain.

The 20-year-old Coxhell hails from the country Victorian town of Shepparton and joined Team Suzuki this year after spending his teenage years riding for Yamaha. Consistency has been the key to Coxhell’s success this year and that fact combined with his obvious speed is what has him holding a commanding position heading into the weekend’s final shootout. “I think I’m more excited about this round than I have ever been before in the lead up to a race meeting. I’m going to aim for consistency, but I also have to try and take a win early on to cement my lead, it is all about ensuring that I come away with the most points so I can win the Championship,” said Coxhell.

“But we will have to take a step-by-step approach to the weekend. My first aim will be to ensure I get on the front row, then I have to get a good start and then I have to score some good results. If that all comes together then I will win the Championship, but you can’t take anything for granted in racing so it will be a nail-biter for sure.”

Both Coxhell and his Suzuki teammate, reigning three-time Australian Superbike Champion Shawn Giles, have failed to finish on two occasions this year out of the 12 bouts thus far. Coxhell has taken more points than Giles on seven of those 12 occasions but holds only a slender 15-point lead over his more experienced teammate. But Giles did have an edge over Coxhell at the previous Queensland round and is eager to overhaul Coxhell at Eastern Creek.

Newcastle’s Kevin Curtain (Yamaha) has only finished seven races this year, but remarkably every time he has finished he has been victorious. It is this incredible run of wins which sees Curtain only four points shy of Giles, and also goes to show that the fastest man in Australian racing this year has been Kevin Curtain. “If not for those few setbacks this year things at the top of the points table might be looking a little bit different,” said Curtain. “But all the pressure will be on Craig, while there is little pressure on myself and the Nikon Yamaha Team, so I am just going in to it the same as any other race, in a fairly relaxed mood. But there are only 19 points in it, and you never know what may happen, so it is far from over and if things go my way, we could come out on top.”

Another rider who has been the fastest man on the track at times this year is Curtain’s teammate Daniel Stauffer. Like Curtain, Stauffer also hails from Newcastle, so Eastern Creek is as close as it gets to being a home round for the 26-year-old, and he has always been very fast at the 3.43km Sydney circuit. “I’m looking forward to the weekend to try and end the season on a positive level. Of course I am a little disappointed that the Championship is out of my reach but I will just go out there and aim for the best result I can and hopefully taking away some good results which will enable me to look to next year with plenty of confidence.”

The next battle in the ranks is for fifth place and it is likely to be battled over by a quartet of Honda riders. Sydney’s 20-year-old Joshua Brookes has recorded some incredible performances at Eastern Creek in previous years and will be eager to ensure that he finishes the year as the top Honda man. “I have been on an upward progression in recent rounds and getting a little closer to the front bit by bit, and Eastern Creek has always been a happy hunting ground for me. So I hope for big things there for sure to ensure I can end the season on a high note. I am obviously a bit disappointed with the position we find ourselves in as to the points table, but I think it is important that we finish on a positive note so hopefully we can take good things from that to boost the team towards a good performance at the GP support events in October.”

While Honda currently holds the #1 plate in Supersport it has been seven years since the brand won the premier Superbike category. And that #1 plate holder was in fact current Honda rider Kirk McCarthy who with Josh Brookes forms the factory Honda squad. McCarthy is always a threat and is more than capable of pulling out an upset at Eastern Creek.

Due to injuries and other dramas this year both Brookes and McCarthy have missed a round each which means that in fact the top-scoring Honda effort thus far this year is taken out by Australia’s leading privateer team, Brown Gouge Nova Honda. The young Victorian duo of Scott Charlton and Brent George currently hold down fifth and sixth places on the points table and have a reasonable gap over the factory Honda riders thanks to a great run of consistency. The Shell-backed duo will fight it out between themselves for top privateer honors.

It seems almost certain that Honda will relinquish the #1 plate in Australian Supersport to the Nikon Yamaha camp with either Kevin Curtain or Brendan Clarke fighting it out for the individual honor of being named Australian Supersport Champion. Young Clarke has yet to win his first Australian Championship but his 36-year-old team-mate has twice won the Australian Supersport Championship, once with Kawasaki (1996) and once with Yamaha (2000).

But 19-year-old Clarke is on a roll after taking three victories over Curtain at the recent Queensland round to put him on a high heading to the Championship decider next weekend, “I’m looking forward to the weekend for sure, we have a good set-up for Eastern Creek so it will just be a matter of fine tuning during the practice sessions. If it is dry it will be close racing for sure, and with a bit of luck I will finish in front of Kevin, but what I really need is to win and for another bike to get in between us so I can make up the ground on the points table to challenge Kevin for the Championship win. But that won’t be easy and the pace will be hot, if the track conditions are ideal it is possible that we might even dip in to the 1-minute-34-second bracket, as both Kevin and myself have recorded times as low as 1-minute-35.2 there earlier this year, and that was on well used tyres.”

While the Yamaha men are likely to be the ones battling for the major prize Honda’s Shannon Johnson will be trying to hold on to third position, a spot that was looking completely safe until the previous round where his teammate Josh Brookes closed to within striking distance after recording two fourth places and a second place at the flat 3km Queensland layout. Both riders are formidable pilots with Johnson the current Australian Supersport Champion, and Josh Brookes the 2001 series winner.

The two Grand Prix classes that race with the Shell Series have already had their Championship winners decided. Western Australia’s Peter Taplin has an unassailable lead in the 250cc GP Championship, while 16-year-old Mildura rider Joshua Waters has already taken out the 125cc GP crown. The race for second place in 250cc Grand Prix will be a frenetic four-way battle between Brett Underwood, Geoff Hardcastle, Scott Crombie and Mark Rowling.

Second place is also still up for grabs in 125cc Grand Prix, however more than a little controversy surrounds current second place holder Jason O’Halloran. New South Wales law prevents O’Halloran from riding due to the fact he is 15 years old, even though in every other state of Australia this is permitted and O’Halloran has ridden in all the previous round of the Championship and has also been offered a wildcard ride at SKYY Vodka Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island in October. O’Halloran’s team members have been lobbying the New South Wales Minister for Sport & Recreation for an exemption for nearly 18 months but it took until last week for them to get a decision that will allow O’Halloran to race. He will defend his second place in the 125cc Championship against 2001 Australian 250cc Production Champion Mick Kelly. Another good up-and-coming rider to miss out at Eastern Creek through this ridiculous ruling is young Queenslander Matt Kuhne.

The Lazer Helmets-sponsored 250cc Production Championship is currently led by Caleb Stalder who has been victorious on seven out of the 11 races held this year. The 21-year-old has a clear 39-point lead over 16-year-old Gareth Jones. Victorian competitors Troy Elliott and Brent Sidwell could challenge Jones for second position if things go their way at Eastern Creek.

But Stalder is not the only young star emerging from Taree this year. Alex Cudlin turned 17 earlier this month and is currently challenging Ballarat’s Leigh McKenzie for outright honours in the Superstock category. This exciting new class pits new ‘C’ and ‘D’ grade riders against each other on standard 600cc machines. Both Cudlin and McKenzie have taken five wins each from the 11 races thus far this season however McKenzie has never failed to score points in any race this year while Cudlin has failed to finish on two occasions. This gives McKenzie a clear 30-point advantage heading in to this final round but Eastern Creek is as close as it gets to home territory for Cudlin and he will be eager to do everything he can to try and overhaul that gap, but he has his work cut out for him given McKenzie’s glowing record of consistency. Cudlin did win the previous Queensland round but even if Cudlin wins all three races at Eastern Creek, McKenzie only needs to finish third in each race to make the title his.

Sidecars have been a big part of the Shell Advance Series this year and fans of the three-wheeled wonders are in for a thrill next weekend. Shane Soutar has obtained special dispensation from Motorcycling Australia allowing him to bring his fire-breathing two-stroke 500cc World Sidecar specification machine out of retirement to shred some rubber around Eastern Creek Raceway. Many of the older spectators will remember Soutar’s famous speedway days where he won four Australian and 10 State Championships on the dirt before turning his hand to tarmac racing. He added another two Australian Championships to his resume in that discipline before taking on the best the world had to offer in the World Sidecar Championship. He survived a horrific accident in his first year of international competition which put him out of action for months but he came back strong over the next two years and earned fifth overall in the 1999 World Sidecar Championship. A lack of sponsorship forced him to pull out of the world circuit early in 2000. Swinging for Soutar will be Sydney’s Jeff Rowe.

Soutar will not be eligible for points at the final round as his machine no longer complies with regulations for sidecar competition. But he will definitely give the Australian F1 Sidecar Championship leaders Neville Lush and Martin Scott something to think about. The South Australian pairing have a healthy lead in the race for the Championship but the battle for second place will be a battle. Western Australia’s Lindsay Fagan pairs with South Australian swinger Ash Voice to try and secure second position from the John Francis / Rowan Biram outfit, while the Victorian pairing of Steven Hutchinson and Darren Dewhurst will also threaten. The smaller F2 class is led by South Australia’s David Jones and John Cutting who will try and fend off the Jason and Brett James outfit to clinch the F2 Title. But they may have their work cut out for them; the James brothers were on fire at the previous Queensland round and took three wins from as many starts.

Apart from the national Championship titles up for grabs this weekend Suzuki riders are in with a chance of a very special prize. The Suzuki mounted privateer with the highest number of points in either the Shell Advance Australian Superbike or Supersport Championships will be selected to compete in France in the Worldwide GSX-R Cup for a share in a $10,000 U.S. prize pool. The 2003 Suzuki Worldwide GSX-R Cup will be held in conjunction with the World Superbike Round at France’s famous Magny-Cours circuit on October 17-19 and all competitors will race identical Suzuki-provided GSX-R750s fitted with control tyres. Only three points separate the current top four Suzuki privateers in the running for the prize. Sydney’s David Butler leads the way with 46 points from his Superbike efforts while Robert Bugden is on 45 points which puts him equal second place with Mark Aitchison who has earned his points in Supersport competition while a close fourth is Sydney’s Reece Bancell.

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

SPIES FIGHTING OVERCONFIDENCE AT VIR

Young Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series leader learning to be a champion

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Aug. 27, 2003) –The only problem young Suzuki ace Ben Spies sees in his path to the 2003 AMA Lockhart Phillips Formula Xtreme Series title is overconfidence. The 19-year-old Texan blames overconfidence for a mid-season hiccup that saw him go four races without a victory after winning the opening two rounds of the series.

Spies feels he learned from being a bit too smug after dominating early on and now thinks he is ready to put his head down and focus on keeping his current winning streak intact as the series moves to round 10 of 11 at Virginia International Raceway, part of the Aug. 29-31 Suzuki Lightning Nationals in Alton, Va.

Spies started the season spectacularly by dominating rounds one and two of the Formula Xtreme Series on his Yoshimura Suzuki. He believes after those surprisingly easy wins he became a bit complacent.

“I got a little too confident and sort of rested on my laurels while the rest of the riders dug in and found some extra speed,” Spies explains. “All of a sudden the other riders and teams improved while I stood still and lost my early momentum. At Laguna Seca I got back to trying to improve my riding and it paid off. I won there and at Mid-Ohio and took back the series lead. Now my goal is to keep trying to improve and stay ahead of the rest of the guys going into the final two rounds.”

Spies holds a 21-point lead over Graves Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster, a perennial contender for the Formula Xtreme title.

Despite his fairly strong lead in the series Spies has a long way to go to secure his first AMA Championship. The top six riders in the series all have at least a mathematical shot at winning the Formula Xtreme No. 1 plate.

Buckmaster is especially hungry after having the Formula Xtreme Championship slip from his grasp each of the last two years. Look for the 30-year-old Australian racing veteran to come out firing on all cylinders at VIR in a last-ditch effort to finally secure the title he feels should have been his by now.

Corona Extra Suzuki’s Adam Fergusson is the defending Formula Xtreme winner at VIR. Fergusson, who is ranked fifth in the standings, is anxious to get a victory this season. He’s twice finished runner-up so far and favors VIR’s challenging layout.

Other riders still in the title chase include Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke, Attack Suzuki’s Josh Hayes and Steve Rapp of the Valvoline EMGO Suzuki squad. Zemke lost last year’s Formula Xtreme title on a tiebreaker to Jason Pridmore. He’s hoping his trademark consistency will put him into a position to have another shot this year. Hayes is experiencing a solid comeback season after suffering an injury-plagued 2002. He may be more focused on winning the Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock title, a series he leads coming into this weekend’s event, rather than risking too much in Formula Xtreme. Rapp has nothing to lose by going for the win at VIR. Ranked sixth and recently re-signed by Valvoline Suzuki, Rapp has an outside shot at best of winning the title, so he can afford to let it all hang out in the closing rounds.


Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock

Josh Hayes just might be the comeback story of the year in AMA Pro Racing. The rider from Gulfport, Miss., was perpetually riding with injury during much of his pro racing career. He lost his ride with Valvoline Suzuki at the end of 2002 and looked to be on the verge of dropping out of the sport. Attack Suzuki signed him on the chance that he would recover from his numerous injuries and finally fulfill the promise he showed early in his career. The move turned out to be a brilliant one. Hayes started the Superstock season slowly but began gaining momentum mid-season and now appears to be a freight train that’s going to be tough to stop. Hayes has finished on the podium in five of the last six rounds and is riding a two-race winning streak coming into VIR.

Five riders are prospective champs in Superstock. Hayes leads a hot series battle that features Czech immigrant Vincent Haskovec only 10 points down in the standings on his Hooters Suzuki. Tommy Hayden is still very much in the hunt and is trying to make Kawasaki the first bike smaller than a 750 to win the Superstock title. Hayden is the defending VIR Superstock winner. Corona Extra Suzuki’s Adam Fergusson is ranked fourth in the series and is a former Formula Xtreme winner at VIR. And finally there’s young Tony Meiring, teammate to Tommy Hayden on the factory Kawasaki. Meiring won a Superstock race this year on the ultra twisty Pikes Peak circuit. He’s hoping to bag another win in Virginia.

One other rider to watch for in the Superstock race is VIR ace Lee Acree. The North Carolinian started the season with a podium finish in the Daytona Superstock race, but split with the Arclight Suzuki team. Acree formed his own team and if he enters at VIR will be among the favorites to win.


MBNA 250 Grand Prix

Rich Oliver wrapped up the MBNA 250 Grand Prix Series at Mid-Ohio to earn his fifth title. Oliver is undefeated in nine rounds this season and now turns his attention to completing a perfect season. The all-time wins leader in the history of the AMA 250 GP is looking to win his second VIR 250 race on his Team Oliver/Yamaha Mystery Schools-backed Yamaha. Last year’s VIR winner and 2002 champ Chuck Sorensen will challenge Oliver on a Stargel Aprilia as will Irishman Simon Turner on a Priority Racing Honda.

The VIR Formula Xtreme race, along with highlights from the Superstock and 250GP races, will be taped and shown on Speed Channel on Sept. 9, in primetime at 10 p.m. Eastern. For additional information on the Suzuki Lightning Nationals contact VIR at (434) 822-7700 or visit www.virclub.com.

From a press release issued by Rice Honda:

Rice Honda Sea Doo in West Covina, California would like to announce its next bike night, scheduled for Thursday August 28, 2003.

Bike night starts at 7:00 p.m. at our location at 1705 N. Garvey Avenue in West Covina. Door prizes, music, entertainment and food will be provided.

All brands and types of bikes are welcome, so come on out and celebrate our sport. Additional questions can be directed to any of our professional courteous staff at (626) 917-7423.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The 2004 Kawasaki ZX-10R is 998cc with a bore and stroke of 76 x 55mm and a wheelbase of 55-1/8 inches. Kawasaki spokesmen are claiming the new bike is about 16 pounds lighter than a GSX-R1000. It will be available in green, blue, black and orange.

From a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:

HARLEY-DAVIDSON UNVEILS 2004 MOTORCYCLES
AND ANNOUNCES NEW WARRANTY PROGRAM

MILWAUKEE (August 27, 2003) – Harley-Davidson, Inc. introduced its Model Year 2004 motorcycle line-up to the public today as it kicked off its four-day 100th Anniversary celebration in Milwaukee. Key new models include a completely redesigned XL Sportster family and a new VRSCB V-Rod power cruiser, which complements the VRSCA V-Rod. These exciting new models will begin shipping to dealers in September.

Additional highlights of the 2004 Harley-Davidson motorcycle model line-up are listed below.

XL Sportster family is all-new with a redesigned, rubber-mounted Sportster XL Evolution powertrain, a stiffer frame, and lower seat height. Four models acknowledge 47 years of Sportster heritage while delivering a new level of comfort and performance.

VRSCB V-Rod offers a tough, new blacked-out styling interpretation of the award-winning, liquid-cooled VRSCA V-Rod power cruiser.

New Road King Custom and restyled Road Glide bring new style to the Harley-Davidson Touring line.

Dyna Glide models will now be available with Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI). New-look fuel tanks and consoles update the styling of the Dyna Glide line.

Springer Softail gets a fresh new look with several feature enhancements.

Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO) adds a new motorcycle to its roster: the Screamin’ Eagle Electra Glide, and offers the Screamin’ Eagle Deuce in two brand new custom colors in its second year.

Harley-Davidson’s 2004 motorcycle models demonstrate the Company’s continued commitment to styling, product innovation and the riding experience. For 2004, the Company is offering 20 different color schemes, including solid colors and two-tones, after offering a limited range of color options during the 100th Anniversary model year.

Harley-Davidson also announced that all 2004 motorcycles will be covered by a two-year warranty. In addition, most service intervals have been extended from 2,500 miles to 5,000 miles.

Average suggested retail prices for 2004 Harley-Davidson motorcycles have been reduced when compared with similar 2003 motorcycles. The 2004 model prices are lower by less than one percent. The new pricing reflects the removal of 100th Anniversary content on the 2003 model year motorcycles. Information on 2004 model year suggested retail pricing is available at www.harley-davidson.com or from local Harley-Davidson dealers.

Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company for the group of companies doing business as Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Buell Motorcycle Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight street, custom and touring motorcycles and offers a complete line of motorcycle parts, accessories, apparel and general merchandise. Buell Motorcycle Company produces sport motorcycles in addition to motorcycle parts, accessories and apparel. Harley-Davidson Financial Services, Inc. provides wholesale and retail financing and insurance programs to Harley-Davidson/Buell dealers and customers.

From a press release:

2003 WILLOW SPRINGS RACEWAY TOYOTA 200 QUALIFYING INFORMATION

A) 40 riders will qualify for the TOYOTA 200 road race being held on Sunday, October 19, 2003.

B) Two (2) qualifying rounds will be held. Fri. September 19, and Fri. October 17, 2003.

C) Entry fee for TOYOTA 200 qualifying is $100. Entry is accepted as post-entry at the WSMC Office. The WSMC Office opens at 7:00 a.m. each qualifying date.

Riders may participate in as many of the above qualifying dates as they desire.

D) Rider must fill out required WSIR releases and show proof of current (i.e. 2003 season) Expert Road Race Competition License status with a recognized sanctioning body. No exceptions.

E) Tentative Friday schedule as follows:

Toyota 200 qualifying entrants only – timed practice, 10:40 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Toyota 200 qualifying entrants only – timed practice, 1:10 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Toyota 200 qualifying entrants only – timed qualifying Group “A”, 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Toyota 200 qualifying entrants only – timed qualifying Group “B”, 3:35 p.m. – 4:05 p.m.

Note: Only lap times set in ‘Timed Qualifying’ will be utilized for gridding purposes.

Fastest riders from timed practice will be seeded into Group “A” each qualifying date.

F) The fastest rider from Round 1 (Sept. 19) qualifying will be guaranteed a front row grid position regardless of their lap time. Should a rider be fastest on more than one qualifying date the second fastest rider of that session will receive a guaranteed front row grid position. Note: Any tie in lap time will be decided by ‘coin-toss’.

G) Final front row assignments will be based in order of fastest lap time (not the date the lap time was set).

All four front row qualifiers will receive custom roadrace jewelry and the fastest rider at each qualifier round will receive a commemorative TOYOTA 200 Fast Qualifier trophy award.

H) Final positions of TOYOTA 200 grid will be based on all qualifying riders one (1) best lap time from all sessions combined.

I) After final qualifying session on Fri. Oct. 17 and posting of preliminary TOYOTA 200 start grid, rider must pay TOYOTA 200 race entry fee of $200 to WSIR. Deadline for filing of TOYOTA 200 entry fee is 12 Noon on Sat. Oct. 18, 2003.

J) Riders not entering the TOYOTA 200 and paying race entry fee will be replaced on the grid by alternate riders (in order of rider qualification based on lap times).

Alternate riders will have until 2:00 PM on Sat. Oct. 18, 2003 to file entry form and race entry fee.

All racers starting the TOYOTA 200 will receive a minimum of $1000 as posted by WSIR.

All racers finishing the TOYOTA 200 will receive a commemorative event award.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Anyone interested in sending a get well message to injured Rizla Suzuki rider Yukio Kagayama can do so at [email protected].

Kagayama is in a British hospital recovering from a broken pelvis. The Japanese rider suffered the injury in a crash during morning practice for a British Superbike race Monday, August 25 at Cadwell Park.

Kagayama is expected to miss the remainder of the 2003 season.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Vie e-mail:

Shaun Harris finished second in C-Superstock Expert behind Larry Denning, and second in C-Superbike Expert, also behind Denning.

Harris was gridded in the 5th row for the Superstock race, having never been to the track before, and never ridden the bike prior to that weekend. At the green flag Harris wheelied on the start which hurt his chances to catch Denning early. Denning led into the first turn and every lap thereafter. Eventually catching up to 2nd position, Harris tried to reel in Denning but Larry had managed to build a 10 bikelength lead. Lap times for Denning and Harris were in the low 1:22 range.

The C-Superbike race was a different story. The race was shortened to 6 laps after a series of earlier delays. Harris got a good start from the
5th row and caught Denning going into turn 1. From there it was one of the wildest races I’ve ever witnessed. Coming out of the hairpin turn, Harris was leading Denning through the esses, over the jump, and up into turns 4, 3, and 2 (race was counter clockwise). Coming down the front straight both bikes sounded like missiles as they entered the braking zone with Denning
making an absolutely insane late-breaking pass into the first turn. The following lap had Denning leading throught the back section and onto the front straight with Harris close behind. Harris made the same move Denning had done on the previous lap and took the lead into the first turn. From there it was a back and forth battle with Denning leading at the checker by a couple bikelengths. Lap times were 1:21:00 for Denning and 1:21:01 for Harris. Truly entertaining!

Jeffrey Agnes
WERA #123
Wooster, Ohio