From a press release issued by Spectrum Motorsports:

Matrix at The Southern California Ducati Dealers Track Day Plus factory trained technicians to help set up bikes.

The much talked about but previously never seen (except in the movie “Matrix Reloaded” ) Metallic dark green 998 Matrix replica will be on Display at California Speedway, Monday March 15th when the Southern California Ducati Dealers host their track day. If you cannot make it to the track day on March 15th the bike is now on display in the Ducati Area at Spectrum Ducati Aprilia. It is the last developement of the iconic 998 family and boasts the “Testastretta” engine, now found on the 999 models.

Spectrum Ducati will have factory trained technicians at the track day on March 15th to offer advice and help any rider with bike set up and preparation. If you sign up for the track day, cost $195, at Spectrum Ducati you will receive a free Ducati Corse hat or Spectrum Ducati Tee-shirt.

Spectrum Ducati Aprilia.
949 859 3186.
www.spectrumotorsports.com

Spectrum Ducati Aprilia is located in the Irvine Auto Center, California

From a press release issued by Ducati North America:

FOR FIRST TIME IN ITS HISTORY, THE MOTOGIRO D’ITALIA WILL EXPLORE THE ISLE OF SICILY IN SOUTHERN ITALY FROM MAY 25-29, 2004

This year’s edition of the Motogiro d’Italia, the historic motorbike competition, will take place in Sicily from May 25-29. Ducati Motor is once again the main sponsor of the event, organized by Dream Engine.

The itinerary has now been confirmed for this year’s Motogiro d’Italia, the historical revival of the pioneering Italian motorbike race started in 1914. The five day event will explore the Isle of Sicily in southern Italy marking the first time in the event’s long history to do so. With the last three revival editions covering the central and northern parts of the Italian peninsula, this spring’s itinerary will mark an exciting change, as participants witness the costal and inland glories of this rugged and mystical island. The Motogiro d’Italia consists of five day’s of riding with an average of 250 km each day.

The itinerary is as follows:

Mon., May 24 Preliminary preparations will take place in a hotel (exact address to be confirmed) located in Civitavecchia, 2 kilometres from the port, followed by the ferry departure in the afternoon. For those who want to leave their vehicles behind, there will be an insured parking lot available nearby. Participants must complete preliminary preparations by 6:00pm, as participants must be at Civitavecchia port by then.

Participants depart by ferry from mainland port of Civitavecchia (near Rome) to Palermo, Sicily. The overnight transfer will be made by Grimaldi Cruise Ferries.

Tuesday, May 25 DEPARTURE OF MOTOGIRO

1st leg: Palermo-Bagheria, Cefalù, Castelbuono, Pollina Along each leg of the tour throughout the Motogiro, rest stations will be set up with snacks and refreshments.

Wednesday, May 26 2nd leg: Pollina, Alimena, Caltavuturo, Pollina

Thursday, May 27 3rd leg: Pollina, Cerda, Corleone, Terrasini

Friday, May 28 4th leg: Terrasini, Erice,Trapani, Marsala, Terrasini

Saturday, May 29 5th leg:Terrasini, Piana degli Albanesi, Montelepre, Mondello. Departure to Civitavecchia The customary gala dinner and prize giving ceremony will take place on board the ferry, in transit to Civitavecchia.

The Motogiro d’Italia has grown steadily since its revival in 2001 and all four editions have been made possible by the event’s main sponsor Ducati Motor. Today, the event enjoys enthusiastic participation of hundreds of vintage motorcyclist from around the world. The Motogiro d’Italia has become a critical date on the international motorcycling calendar, welcoming riders from the original 1950’s edition of the Motogiro—including Giuliano Maoggi, Remo Venturi, and Leopoldo Tartarini—who have all returned as guest participants riding the finest in Italian vintage machinery, including motorbikes by Ducati, Morini, Moto Guzzi, Benelli, MV Agusta, Bianchi, Gilera, Motobi.

The number of participants has increased since 2001 (with 250 participants) to the 350 participants that came for the 2003 edition and are expected for the 2004. For 2004, 150 participants have already enrolled and at least another 250 are expected to join in, making an estimated total of 400 participants. The international event welcomes motorcycle enthusiasts from around the globe, including: Great Britain, Germany, France, Holland, Sweden, USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa and Japan.

The Motogiro d’Italia is proud to have the generous support of Ducati Motor as its main sponsor for the fourth consecutive year. The event is also made possible by the support of: Motociclismo d’Epoca, Corriere dello Sport-Stadio, Shell, Marzocchi, Presidenza Regione Siciliana, Assessorato Regionale al Turismo, Provincia Regionale di Palermo, AAPIT (Azienda Autonoma Provinciale per l’Incremento Turistico di Palermo), and the Comune di Palermo.

The Motogiro d’Italia 2004 is organized by Dream Engine, the Bologna-based entertainment company. Techincal support for the Motogiro is provided by the Terni Motoclub “L. Liberati” and the Italian Motorcycle Federation provides additional assistance. For the Touring Class, Dream Engine counts on the technical collaboration and expertise of the experienced professionals on the Curve&Tornanti team.

The Motogiro is open to motorcycles of all marques and is divided into three classes: the Vintage Racing Class, Taglioni Memorial Class and Touring Class.

Vintage Racing Class

With an overall limit of 120 participants, this class features motorbikes of up to 175cc manufactured prior to 1957. Competitors in the Vintage Racing Class will be subject to timed, competitive ability tests en-route. The winner of this class will take home a custom-designed “Motogiro 2004” motorbike. Motorbikes inspired by original Motogiro bikes yet manufactured subsequent to 1957 may also apply.

Taglioni Memorial Class

In its third consecutive year, the Taglioni Memorial Class highlights the decade in which Ducati engineer Fabio Taglioni created his legendary 2 cylinder motorbikes. This class is open to street legal and insured motorbikes and sidecars of all marques and cc produced between 1968 and 1978. Competitors in this class take part in ability trials and the winner will take home a special prize.

Touring Class

For riders of newer bikes, this class is designed for those who wish to participate in the excitement of the Motogiro on a non-competitive basis. The Touring class follows the same itinerary as the Vintage Racing and Taglioni Memorial Class but at a more relaxed pace. New rule for Touring Class 2004: entrants will be divided into groups of 25 bikes and assigned a group leader who will act as a guide and provide instructions which must be adhered to at all times.

For general information and registration forms please contact:

Dream Engine
Via Saffi 4 – 40131 Bologna – Italia
Tel. +39 051 6494472 – Fax +39 051 5286378
email: [email protected]

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

CLARK NAMED AMA CHEVROLET SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP MEDIA MANAGER

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — AMA Pro Racing has appointed Donnie Clark as Media Manager for the 2004 AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship season.

The announcement comes in preparation for the 63rd Daytona 200, the traditional start of the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship. This year’s event is set for March 6, at historic Daytona International Speedway.

As Media Manager, Clark will oversee pre-event and onsite efforts with local, national and industry media. He will also work in conjunction with promoters, series sponsors, teams and riders to help promote the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship.

“We are looking to Donnie to help strengthen our media relationships as well as promote our series nationwide,” AMA Pro Racing Vice President, Director of Communications Kerry Graeber said. “His familiarity with road racing and his knowledge of media management will help our series continue to gain recognition as the pinnacle of motorcycle road racing in the United States.”

Clark brings ample motorsports and agency experience to the Media Manager role. Prior to joining AMA Pro Racing, he served as Media Manager for Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and the Cleveland Grand Prix. Other media relations experience includes positions with two marketing communications firms and various non-profit organizations.

“My goal is to continue partnering with the media to cover and promote the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Championship,” Clark said. “I really enjoy the opportunity to work with all the great athletes and their sponsors in promoting such a competitive sport.”

From a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
PRESEASON TESTING – PHILLIP ISLAND, AUSTRALIA
23RD FEBRUARY 2004

WILDLIFE WORRIES FOR NAKANO AT PHILLIP ISLAND

After the tropical heat and energy sapping humidity of Sepang, the Fuchs Kawasaki Racing Team were met with near perfect conditions as they arrived at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia for their final overseas test before returning to Europe.

But while the Phillip Island circuit provides an ideal testing ground, its proximity to the sea can cause unexpected problems for the riders. Shinya Nakano was forced to cut short three test runs this afternoon, following high speed collisions with low flying sea gulls. The 26-year-old Japanese rider was uninjured in the collisions, which, unfortunately, is more than can be said for the sea gulls involved.

While Nakano returned to Japan following the recent Sepang test, Alex Hofmann made the most of the break by heading to Australia’s Gold Coast for a well earned holiday. But it was back to work for both riders today, as they continued their preparations for the 2004 MotoGP World Championship, which kicks off in South Africa on April 18th.

Both Nakano and Hofmann started the day with the same bike set up as they’d finished the Sepang tests, before starting the process of fine tuning chassis geometry and suspension settings to better suit the fast and flowing characteristics of the Phillip Island track.

The Fuchs Kawasaki riders also took the opportunity today to evaluate a number of different ignition maps, designed to smooth the power delivery of the 990cc, inline four-cylinder ZX-RR engine.

Shinya Nakano: 1:33.32 (78 laps)
“Phillip Island is a fast circuit and a lot of fun to ride; I really enjoy testing and racing here. High speed grip is very important to lap times at this track, so we’ve focussed today on testing different chassis settings to find an improvement in this area, and we’ve definitely seen some positive results. Tomorrow we will focus more on finding a good setting for the rear of the bike and, hopefully, this will lead to further improvements in high speed grip. This is my third test on the Ninja ZX-RR and I felt a lot more confident on the bike today. The sea gulls are a bit of a problem here; you can see them coming, but you’re moving so fast that there’s just no chance to avoid them. All you can do is duck behind the screen and hold on.”

Alex Hofmann: 1:33.56 (82 laps)
“We started today on the settings from Sepang, but we knew we were going to have to make quite a few changes to the bike for it to work around such a fast circuit as Phillip Island. Once we started working on set up I struggled a bit with the rear of the bike; I just didn’t have the confidence in the rear grip. But we made a small improvement late this afternoon and that’s given me the confidence that tomorrow, with fresh tyres on the bike, we can continue to make improvements in this area.”

From a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway:

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Winning No. 8 Awaits Motorcycle Fans

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (Feb. 23, 2004) — When motorcycle enthusiasts visit Daytona Beach and Daytona International Speedway during Daytona 200 Week, they’ll have the opportunity to check out the Daytona 500-winning No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr. at DAYTONA USA, the official attraction of NASCAR.

The No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet that catapulted Earnhardt Jr. to his first career Daytona 500 victory on Sunday, Feb. 15 rests inside Gatorade Victory Lane at DAYTONA USA and will be returned to the team before the start of the 47th annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 20, 2005.

The car is in the same condition as it was when it first rolled into Gatorade Victory Lane inside Daytona International Speedway after the Daytona 500 and bears the signatures of all of the crew members including Earnhardt Jr.

Besides checking out Earnhardt Jr.’s winning ride, DAYTONA USA also has other activities to do including three different motion simulators that deliver the sensation of what it’s like to drive at the “World Center of Racing.”

Toyota Tundra’s Thunder Road, which made its debut during the 2003 Pepsi 400 weekend, is a two-seat full motion simulator with a 360-degree roll. In ACCELERATION ALLEY (additional $5 charge), guests experience the sensation of going 200 mph in 80 percent scale NASCAR simulators that combine motion video projection and sound for the ultimate head-to-head experience.

In DAYTONA DREAM LAPS, race fans can sit back and enjoy the ride in the IWERKS motion simulator ride based on the “Great American Race.” This ride takes guests for a full-range motion experience of the Daytona 500 – the richest and most prestigious stock car race in the world.

DAYTONA USA is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call (386) 947-6800 for more information or visit www.DAYTONAUSA.com

From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI BREIL SUPERSPORT TEAM LAUNCHED IN VALENCIA

Valencia (Spain), 23 February 2004: The Ducati Breil team that will take part in the 2004 World Supersport Championship has been presented in Valencia, Spain as part of a two-day full-scale circuit test organised for the 749R streetbike, the most advanced twin-cylinder machine ever produced by the Bologna company.

The racing version of the 749R, which was unveiled in its head-turning black livery, sports the logo of new title sponsor, Italian watch manufacturer Breil, who will accompany the team throughout the season.

The last time Ducati Corse officially took part in World Supersport was in 2000, when Paolo Casoli and Ruben Xaus won three races with the 748 and its return with the new 749R adds considerable prestige to the series. Ducati also won the Riders’ and Manufacturers’ titles in 1997 with Casoli and the 748, when Supersport moved to a world level for the first time.

“2004 will be a testing year for us and we chose to have just one rider for the development of the 749R” declared Ducati Corse Managing Director Claudio Domenicali. “We are entering the championship for the first time in three years, with a completely new bike and will make every effort to make the 749R competitive. We tried to include into the production bike all the features that we thought it would need directly for racing and most probably the 749R is the most advanced twin-cylinder bike ever built in the company. Development work has also been carried out with Ducati’s long-standing technical partner Shell Advance, to improve the performance of the bike.

“Racing is in our DNA and the 749R is in our sportsbike product range so in a way it was a natural decision for us to go Supersport racing” added Domenicali. “Our fans were waiting for us to race the 749R, so here we are and we will try to do the best possible this year and develop the bike further with the aim of running a two-rider team in 2005.”

The rider chosen to spearhead Ducati’s return to the Supersport arena is the young Italian Lorenzo Lanzi. The 22-year-old from Cesena steps up from European Superstock, where he finished runner-up in 2003, to the World Supersport championship.

“In our opinion Lorenzo has great potential” adds Team Director Paolo Ciabatti. “Last year he did extremely well on the Ducati 999S Superstock, and we should consider that it was his first time on a four-stroke machine. We know that the Supersport championship has a very competitive field of riders and bikes, but we are sure that our ‘package’ is good and that the results will come soon. We will also enter Supersport veteran and current Ducati Desmosedici test rider Vittoriano Guareschi in selected events, at the moment Monza and Imola are confirmed.”

The 11-race World Supersport Championship schedule, run on the same programme as World Superbike, kicks off with the opening round this coming weekend at Valencia, Spain.

From a press release issued by Dunlop’s advertising and public relations agency, Vreeke & Associates:

For Immediate Release
February 23, 2004

Daytona 200 Win Record Correction

Buffalo, NY: As a correction to an earlier press release dated January 31, 2004, Dunlop has won 10 of the last 11 AMA Superbike races at Daytona, and
is looking forward to extending its winning heritage in this prestigious event in 2004.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

2004 CMRA Championship Series
Round one
Oak Hill Raceway
Henderson, Texas February 21-22

By Shan Moore

Michael Sanchez, Ty Howard and Ronnie Lunsford were the big money winners at the opening round of the 2004 CMRA Championship Road Racing Series held at Oak Hill Raceway near Henderson, Texas this weekend. Sanchez, sporting a Number One on his Shogun-backed Suzuki which he earned for being the top CMRA rider in 2003, claimed sprint wins in the A Superstock Expert, B Superstock Expert, A Superbike Expert, B Superbike Expert and C Superbike Expert divisions and was top money winner in the Red River Challenge event held on Saturday.

Howard made a triumphant return to CMRA racing action by winning the C Superstock Expert and the Formula 1 Expert races, both purse-paying events. Lunsford claimed the winners-share of the money in the Heavyweight Twins Expert race.

The event drew 582 entries for the CMRA, which has returned to independent status after four years of affiliation with the CCS. The CMRA begins the year with one of the strongest purse and contingency programs in club history.

In the Pace American Trailer Red River Challenge Race, held on Saturday, Sanchez took over where he left off last year by taking a comfortable win and grabbed $500 of the $1500 purse for the effort. Sanchez was pressured early on by Logan Young and Heath Small, but two off-track excursions by Small left the Yamaha rider in ninth overall. Ty Howard’s late challenge fell short when he ran out of gas after moving into second position with two laps to go.

Saturday’s 3-hour Mini Endurance event was a highly anticipated event, mainly due to a complete restructuring of the classes for the new season. Most insiders were interested in seeing how the classes would shake out after the first event. In some cases, bikes that had never been eligible in the mini divisions before were now being allowed and this created a couple of new and unique entries at the Oak Hill event.

Sum Of All Parts Racing, riding an RS-framed XR250 4-stroke, claimed the endurance win by just over a minute in front of Team OZ Racing, with last year’s dominate team, Team K&N , finishing third after crashing during the first hour.

“I think the guys on the XR250 showed that the 80s can be challenged now and it was still close at the end of the race,” said 2003 CMRA Board member, Bryan Norton, who was mainly responsible for structuring the new classes. “We will see how it works out for a 6-hour event–if they will hold up, but looking through all of the classes, there was good racing all day and it seemed to be really evenly matched. Nobody walked away from anybody and that’s what we were looking for. I think that everybody who came had a great time. The whole point is that at the end of the year, we will look at it again and make changes if we need to.”

Notable performances were also turned in by Jason Pirtle and Joe Browning, who each won four non-money races and Scott Levine, who won two. Tyler McDonald won the 125cc GP and Formula 4 races.

The second round of the CMRA Championship Series will be held at Texas World Speedway in College Station, Texas on March 13-14 and will feature a 5-hour Big Bike Endurance race along with sprint action.

From a press release issued by Pirelli’s advertising and public relations agency, Plummer Menapace:

PIRELLI POSTS OVER $2.3 MILLION IN CONTINGENCY FOR 2004 U.S. ROAD RACING

More Than $1 Million Over ’03; Also Paying Deeper Into Finishers’ List And Eliminating 2003’s “Top 4-Only” Rule

(Rome, GA) Pirelli has announced major changes in its 2004 U.S. road racing contingency program: all of them for the better.

The company is posting over $2.3 million in contingency in 2004, in excess of $1 million more than in 2003. Pirelli will also be paying deeper into the finishers’ list, as deep as 10th place depending on race organization and class. Additionally, contingency payments in 2003 were limited to a racer’s top-four finishes during a race weekend. This year, Pirelli has done away with the limitation; there is no limit to the number of race payouts, once a minimum starting-grid number is met.

Pirelli’s 2004 AMA contingency, for example, will pay down to 10th place in Superbike, Superstock, Supersport, and Formula Xtreme. F-USA contingency will also pay down to 10th in 600 Sportbike, Superbike, and Thunderbike; and to fifth place in 750 Sportbike, and Team Challenge GTO, GTU, and GT Lights. CCS payouts will cover 36 Expert and Amateur classes down fifth place in each.

Bike-stickering requirements remain the same: stickers must be displayed on the front forks and/or fender, the main fairing, and the tail section and/or swingarm.

All of the details and qualifications of Pirelli’s expanded 2004 contingency program should be posted by February 28 on the “Pirelli Racing Contingency” link of the U.S. website at www.us.pirellimoto.com.

Please contact one of the following Pirelli race vendors for full information and technical help:

CALIFORNIA RACE SERVICES
Huntington Beach, CA
1-800-620-1277

COMPETITION MOTORSPORTS SOUTH
Jacksonville, FL
1-904-384-8398

MASON RACING
Springpark, MN
1-612-250-9122

STREET & COMPETITION
Troy, NY
1-518-279-4597

THE RACER SUPPLY CO.
Shawnee, KS
1-816-550-1992

TIGERSHARK RACING
Boring, OR
1-503-358-5704

TRACKSIDE RACERS SUPPLY
Canton, NC
1-828-235-8400

From a press release issued by Honda Racing:

First Among Equals

No global race class is a better test of machinery than the World Supersport Championship. Featuring close to production spec machines, with relatively few modifications and DOT tyres, Supersport is a true proving ground of the track readiness of any particular machine.

In 2003 the Honda CBR600RR made its spectacularly successful appearance on the World Supersport scene. Honda riders took 16 podium finishes including seven out of 11 wins – and six out of 11 pole positions.

With a second year of off-season machine development and increased experience of the CBR600RR, the officially supported Honda teams in World Supersport are primed for another year of exciting competition, in what is normally one of the most closely contested series in the world.

Six riders, in three teams will feel the benefit of Honda-supported status. The Ten Kate Honda squad has provided the set-up for the past two World Supersport Champions, Fabien Foret in 2002 and Chris Vermeulen in 2003. This year an all-Australian pairing of Karl Muggeridge and Broc Parkes will ride in the distinctive solid yellow livery of the Ten Kate squad. Each is a proven entity in Supersport, with Muggeridge the more experienced of the two.

Former World Sidecar Champion Klaus Klaffenbock lends his name to the Klaffi Honda team, and for the 2004 season he has relied on a mix of experience and youth in his Austrian-based team. Frenchman Sebastien Charpentier was a revelation when he joined Klaffi midway through the season in 2003, securing a podium finish and enough points in only nine races to end his year in the top seven. His team-mate this time around is young German battler Max Neukirchner, a relative four-stroke novice but a highly regarded investment for the future however immediate or long term.

Team Italia Megabike exists to promote Italian riders into the higher echelons of racing and this year the team’s tie up with Alessio Corradi and Denis Sacchetti takes place on supported Honda CBR600RRs. Corradi is a former European Champion and recent podium finisher in World Supersport while Sacchetti is the latest in a long line of Team Italia riders looking to break into the rarefied atmosphere of the World Championships.

The powerful wing beat of Honda’s awesome CBR600RR will propel all six factory backed riders from Australia to Imola, Brands Hatch to Valencia, as once more Honda’s unquenchable spirit of competition forms the vanguard of this intense World Championship competition.