From a press release issued by Stargel Aprilia:

Racing Is Not Without Drama For Team Stargel Aprilia At Mid-Ohio

Motorcycle road racing is generally regarded as being an exciting and unpredictable sport. This past weekend at Mid-Ohio, Team Stargel Aprilia would have preferred a little less tension and a little more relaxation.

The weekend began well enough. On both the Friday morning and Friday afternoon practice sessions, Team Stargel Aprilia had set the fastest lap times. While things were going well, and their Aprilia RSV250 was performing at its usual top of pack best, the team knew that they would have to up the pace further still.

During Saturday morning’s practice, rider, Chuck Sorensen, decided to practice a couple of simulated race starts to improve an area that has been a week point for the team all season. After one of these starts, the clutch began slipping badly and the team had to retire early from the session to install a new clutch.

In the afternoon’s qualifying session, Sorensen was sitting a few tenths of a second off the pole time. Traffic had played a role in qualifying with Sorensen not getting a ‘clean’ lap. On the final lap, Sorensen dug down deep and pushed hard hoping to secure the pole. Unfortunately, he lost the front end over a bump and crashed fairly hard. Luckily, Sorensen was uninjured, but his Aprilia faired much worse. The Team Stargel Aprilia crew worked late into Saturday night rebuilding the machine, but had to use the ‘B’ engine after finding that the ‘A’ motor had ingested debris.

The race itself also had many tense and unpredictable moments. Early on, fellow Aprilia rider, Colin Jensen, suffered a violent crash that forced a red flag and stop to the race. The race was restarted and Sorensen found himself mired in traffic entering turn one. After a brief battle with Simon Turner, Sorensen broke well clear, but was too far back to make a charge at eventual winner, Rich Oliver. After posting some excellent lap times, Sorensen went on to score the team’s seventh second-place finish of the season.

Team Stargel Aprilia looks forward to the next round of the 2003 AMA 250GP season on August 29-31 at Virginia International Raceway.



More, from a press release issued by American Honda:

AMA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship, Lexington, Mid-Ohio

Temperature: 32
Climate: Warm, humid
Crowd: 50,000

Podium Finishes for American Honda at Mid-Ohio

American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel and Ben Bostrom each ascended the podium at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, while Erion Honda’s Kurtis Roberts had two sterling performances cut short in the 13th and 14th rounds of the AMA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship.

In Saturday’s race, run in hot, humid weather, Duhamel finished on the podium in third, one spot in front of Bostrom. The race had been red-flagged on the 19th of 26 laps, with the grid set from the order at the end of the 18th lap. As in MotoGP, AMA races aren’t scored on aggregate time, so the first Superbike race would be an eight lap sprint to the finish.

In the final eight laps, it was Roberts who turned in the most inspired ride of the day. Pressuring race leader Mat Mladin (Suzuki) the whole way, Roberts took the lead on the final lap, losing it, and taking it back-the lead changed hands five times-only to slip off a few turns from his first Superbike win. Mladin went on to win from Jason Pridmore (Suzuki) and Duhamel.

Roberts was back out front in Sunday’s race, leading as late as the 12th of 26 laps through sheer determination, because on the third lap, the transmission on his Honda RC-51 had begun to falter, forcing him to adjust his racing lines throughout the 15-turn course. The transmission stopped working completely two laps from the end, with Roberts a certain second.

His place on the podium was taken by Jason Pridmore, behind the winner Mladin, with Ben Bostrom third.

The third place vaulted Ben Bostrom into third in the Superbike championship, leapfrogging his younger brother, Eric, who was forced out of the Mid-Ohio race by the injuries suffered at the World Superbike race at Laguna Seca two weeks ago.

With two rounds-four races-remaining, Mladin leads the points from teammate Aaron Yates, with Ben Bostrom third. Kurtis Roberts is fifth, and certain to move up, with Duhamel sure to move up from sixth.

Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke made two podium appearances on Sunday, the first a win in the hypercompetitive Pro Honda Oils Supersport race. Zemke took the lead just past the halfway mark in the 16-lap race and held off the furious charge of three others, all of whom finished with 0.770 of the winners.

“It just seems like we’re always running into a little bit of bad luck,” Zemke said after his second career Supersport win, and Honda’s third of the year for the Honda CBR-600RR. “The last two weeks really made up for it.

Later Sunday afternoon, Zemke re-visited the podium after finishing second in the Formula Xtreme race on the Erion Honda CBR-954RR. Having qualified 10th, Zemke wasn’t expecting to be in the thick of the fray, but a good start, and some judicious passes, put him into the lead group by the fourth lap, with a move into second on lap nine. There was little comfort in it with the third placed rider applying the pressure until Zemke eased away in the final laps to a secure second behind race winner Ben Spies (Suzuki).

Ben Bostrom, Saturday, Fourth Place
It’s fun racing Miguel (Duhamel), But it’s more fun racing for the win and this obviously wasn’t Daytona (where Honda finished 1-2-3) today. In the first race, nothing was keeping us from the front but myself. I was just getting faster as the race was going, but I started off really slow. In the second race, I was pretty fired up and I got a great start, but I was spinning the thing all the way around the track. It tried to spit me off a few times on the first lap. I thought maybe the tire was on the warmer too long, or I was too amped up and hard on the throttle, I don’t know. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow, really looking forward to tomorrow to try and redeem ourselves.”

Ben Bostrom, Sunday, Third Place
That’s not the way I want to finish third, obviously. I would have liked to have been up there racing with Mat [Mladin] and Kurtis [Roberts] who were getting away and did a great job both days. I’ve got some time to make up and just get better at the next one. We’ll try again at the next one in Virginia. It was warm out there today. It was a marathon. My left hand was falling asleep and I was getting that weird flushed sensation in your face and you don’t realize how much water you’re actually losing out there.

Miguel Duhamel, Saturday, Third Place
You’ve got to fight for every position: It might turn out to be a podium position. Like we all said before, you never want to get a position by somebody else crashing, especially one of my teammates like Kurtis (Roberts), but I felt that (crew chief) Al (Ludington) gave me a better bike for the restart. We talked about it, we looked at the data. I was all over Ben (Bostrom) trying to get by. We’re a team, but we’re racing for position. I felt I had a strong enough bike to be on the podium and it just happened the way it happened, unfortunately. But I’m pretty pumped about tomorrow, for sure.”

Miguel Duhamel, Sunday, DNF
I don’t know what happened there. I got on the throttle. The bike was working good. It’s not like it’s the first left hander, it’s the third left hander I believe. The tire had heat in it and it was gripping great. (Crew chief) Al (Luddington) said he thinks I hit the seam. The thing was hooking up. I was on the throttle and that thing just snapped sideways completely and I just got thrown off the bike. I think it’s kind of BS that that happens on a racetrack. Why do we have seams on the racetracks? Why do we have cement patches everywhere? Shouldn’t it just be one surface. It’s not Supermotard. I got to believe if it’s one surface I would have been fine.

Kurtis Roberts, Saturday, Seventh Place
The race was good. Mat (Mladin) and I just pulled away. Mat is so strong – always. I had a little bit left, but I was saving it for the end. Then we got the red flag. After the red flag, the transmission was just… every lap I was missing a gear, except for the lap I drafted him – I don’t know how I got it to go through. Even in the Thunder Valley over here it did
it three or four times. It did on the last lap and he got me and I got him back on the brakes. I just screwed up after I passed him back. I went in there to protect the line a little bit, but I still went in there with corner speed – and bottomed the front and tucked the front.

Kurtis Roberts, Sunday, DNF
Early on, when I was in the lead in the beginning, it started to skip gears again. I thought Mat (Mladin) was going to run into me a few times and it finally just disintegrated. It was doing the same thing yesterday. Not quite as bad, but today it just came completely apart at the end. It would miss gears on the upshift and it would skip too. It was doing all kinds of weird stuff.

Saturday Superbike:
1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki)
2. Jason Pridmore (Suzuki)
3. Miguel Duhamel (Suzuki)
4. Ben Bostrom (Honda)
5. Aaron Yates (Suzuki)
6. Giovanni Bussei (Ducati)
7. Kurtis Roberts (Honda)
8. Shawn Higbee (Suzuki)
9. Geoff May (Suzuki)
10. Mike Ciccotto (Suzuki)

Sunday Superbike:
1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki)
2. Jason Pridmore (Suzuki)
3. Ben Bostrom (Honda)
4. Aaron Yates (Suzuki)
5. Jordan Szoke (Suzuki)
6. Giovanni Bussei (Ducati)
7. Shawn Higbee (Suzuki)
8. Geoff May (Suzuki)
9. Vincent Haskovec (Suzuki)
10. Mike Ciccotto (Suzuki)

Superbike Championship:
1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 431
2. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 398
3. Ben Bostrom (Honda) 376
4. Eric Bostrom (Kawasaki) 350
5. Kurtis Roberts (Honda) 340
6. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 332
7. Jason Pridmore (Suzuki) 315
8. Shawn Higbee (Suzuki) 299
9. Vincent Haskovec (Suzuki) 221
10. Jordan Szoke (Suzuki) 212


More, from another press release issued by American Honda, and no, we don’t know why they send out two different releases from the same race weekend:

AMA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Series
Rounds 13: Lexington, Ohio
July 26, 2003

Mid-Ohio Race One a Heartbreaker for Roberts, Duhamel third

A Kurtis Roberts Superbike win seemed closer than ever on the 26th and final lap of competition during race one action at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Before completing the final lap, the Erion Honda rider and Mat Mladin had exchanged the lead several times, but after Mladin ran wide in turn seven Roberts got the drive out of the corner that he needed to take his Honda RC51 to the checkered flag. In the following corner with Mladin still hot on his heels and only a short portion of the racetrack separating him from victory, Roberts lost the front end and slid across the Mid-Ohio run-off. The disappointing low-side ended an exciting race-long battle between the two riders, but even worse it prevented Roberts from enjoying his first ever Superbike victory. Remarkably he was able to remount and still finish seventh.

“I felt really good all weekend,” explained Roberts. “There were a number of places where I could get around Mat (Mladin), and I was just waiting to see what developed. When I crashed, I had a bigger lead on him than I thought, and I just ran it in too hard and made a mistake.”

Those present to witness the scuffle between Roberts and Mladin dubbed it the race of the year and they got it in two doses after debris on the 2.4-mile race track forced a red flag on the 18th lap. Up to that point Roberts, who qualified second, had already engaged himself in a battle for the lead with Mladin. The restart set up a short sprint to the 26th lap that only heightened the competition between the two Superbike front runners and even made the race behind them more interesting.

While the podium seemed to be a lock for Roberts, Mladin and third place Jason Pridmore, the battle for fourth place was still up for grabs. Red Riders Ben Bostrom and Miguel Duhamel found themselves in a heated battle after the restart. The Bostrom and Duhamel dog fight was nearly as exciting as the battle for the lead but also allowed Pridmore the cushion that he needed to secure what was then thought to be third place. After the Roberts mishap, Pridmore inherited second place. Meanwhile, Duhamel finally made a pass stick on teammate Bostrom with just over a lap remaining. The end result was a third place finish for the #17 RC51.

Duhamel, a two-time Superbike winner at Mid-Ohio, started the race next to Roberts on the front row. In the early laps he ran as high as third place, however as the event approached its mid-point Duhamel found himself back in fifth. The race stoppage turned out to be a blessing for the Duhamel effort as crew chief Al Ludington was able to make some changes to the factory Honda RC51 that allowed his rider to charge harder after the restart.

“That’s not the way I would choose to finish third,” said Duhamel about taking the final podium position due to Roberts’ crash. “I guess it just goes to show that anything can happen out here. The restart really worked to our advantage because Al (Ludington) was able to get me out there on a better set-up.”

Even though Duhamel beat him to the line, Bostrom’s fourth place finish was one of his best this season. The #155 RC51 qualified seventh and started from second row before working his way to inside the top five. Bostrom’s fourth place finish advanced the Californian to fourth in the series point standings, just three points behind his brother Eric, who sat out the event due to injuries. Roberts’ crash dropped him to fifth, a mere two points behind teammate Bostrom.

Roberts has already proven he can win in Ohio. Prior to this year’s event, the talented Californian has enjoyed three victories in three different classes at Mid-Ohio. Since 1998 Roberts has won the 250 GP, 600 Supersport and Formula Xtreme classes at Mid-Ohio; all aboard Hondas. Roberts is well aware that there’s still one class left to win at Mid-Ohio and with the second race of a double-header weekend still in the forecast, it may be just around the corner.


AMA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Series
Rounds 14: Lexington, Ohio
July 27, 2003

Bostrom Takes Third In Second Mid-Ohio Superbike Race

There’s no doubt that Erion Honda’s Kurtis Roberts would rather forget his weekend at Lexington’s Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. After coming within a few corners of winning his first Superbike race on Saturday and instead low-siding in turn eight, Roberts came out swinging in race two of the double-header weekend, determined to make up for Saturday’s heartbreak. The second race played out similar to the first; Roberts and Mat Mladin built up a huge lead over the field, and battled for the lead for nearly the entire 26-lap event. But this time, instead of the race coming down to a nail-biting final lap, Roberts’ day ended prematurely when shifting problems in his Honda RC51 led to an eventual DNF.

“In the second race, I had shifting problems from the first lap, and it just got progressively worse,” explained Roberts.

The Erion Honda rider battled Mladin until pulling out in the final few laps. Just like in race one, Jason Pridmore was there to swipe up second place. The final podium position in race two played out much differently than in the previous day. Absent from the mix was Miguel Duhamel, whose third place finish on Saturday could not be replicated after a crash on the first lap put an end to his race.

“I cannot believe how fast that back end stepped out,” said Duhamel, explaining his first-lap high-side. “It was like I hit something on the track, a seam or something. The back stepped out so violently that it took the front end with it. I know exactly what happened, I just don’t know why. My hat’s off to Kurtis, though. He rode great this weekend.”

With Duhamel watching the race from the pit wall and Kurtis eventually a non-factor in the final results, that left Ben Bostrom, the lone Red Rider, to fly the Honda flag in Sunday’s final. Bostrom didn’t disappoint, especially when he came out on top of a late race squirmish with Aaron Yates. The 29-year old Bostrom crossed the stripe in third place, gaining valuable points on Yates, who currently sits second in the point standings. Bostrom, who has posted consistent finishes all year, moved up to third on the leader board after a fourth place finish in race one.

Bostrom shared Duhamel’s race one sentiments when he said, “I’d rather take third place by racing with Mat (Mladin) and Kurtis (Roberts). That’s hard to do when you start on the second row. I’ll have to make sure I start up front with them next time.”

With four rounds remaining in the series, the Red Riders now head to Alton, Virginia’s Virginia International Raceway (VIR), a relatively new racetrack on the Superbike circuit. Since being placed on the AMA schedule in 2001, Honda’s Nicky Hayden has won the event twice. Roberts, Bostrom and Duhamel plan to keep Honda on top at VIR in what should be another exiting double-header weekend.

Formula Xtreme Series
Round 8: Lexington, Ohio
July 27, 2003

Zemke Xtreme Runner-up

The Formula Xtreme race was the final event in a long, hot weekend of racing at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Already victorious in the 600 Supersport Final, Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke made a valiant attempt to pull off a double win for the weekend, but he came up 4.09 seconds short at the completion of the 16th and final lap of the Formula Xtreme event. Pole setter Ben Spies led the race from start to finish, while Zemke made up the deficit of starting from the fifth position on the grid.

As the snarling pack of riders closed in on the first turn of the race, Zemke soon found himself battling with a handful of other front-runners. By the time the racers flashed past the start-finish line for the first time, Zemke was already engaged in a fierce three-man duel as he pressed to move up from his third-place position. The right to lead this knot of riders see-sawed back and forth a number of times before Zemke took over second place for good at about the midway point of the race. Unfortunately, by that time Spies had long since departed, and although young Jake continued to hammer out fast lap times, he could not mount a challenge for the race win.

“The weekend turned out okay I guess,” said Zemke after the race. “You would have never guessed it if you talked to me Friday, Saturday, or even this morning.”

Zemke was quite frank about his qualifying and practice times not being up to par with the front-runners in the class, but when race time rolled around, the Honda CBR954RR pilot concentrated on the task at hand and claimed his sixth Formula Xtreme podium finish in eight rounds. The event capped off what turned out to be a very successful weekend for the 28-year old Californian. The runner-up finish allowed him to nail down third place in the series point standings and also helped him gain ground on second place on the leader board.

Bruce Transportation Honda’s Marty Craggill had a much better outing in the Formula Xtreme race than he did in the earlier 600 Supersport Final – an event that saw him crash out in the early going. Aboard the #134 CBR954RR in the Formula Xtreme Final, Craggill maintained the eighth position for much of the race before ultimately finishing there. Meanwhile, Erion Honda’s Roger Lee Hayden fell victim to mechanical gremlins and did not finish the race.

Round nine of the Formula Xtreme Series will take place on August 29-31 at Virginia International Raceway, a 2.26-mile road course well suited to the Red Riders and their potent CBR954RR race machines.

AMA/Pro Honda Oils 600cc Supersport Series
Round 9: Lexington, Ohio
July 27, 2003

Zemke Victorious in Mid-Ohio 600 Supersport

In the last decade, Red Riders have dominated the 600 Supersport class at the famed 2.4-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The Honda CBR600 continued its stranglehold on Mid-Ohio competition this weekend when Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke put his #98 CBR600RR on top of a four-rider duel that ended with a mere 0.770-second gap separating first through fourth place. The highly anticipated race win for Zemke comes after a second-place finish in the previous round at Laguna Seca Raceway and appears to be a turning point for Jake in a season already filled with drama.

Going into Sunday’s Supersport Final, Zemke was actually experiencing more drama than he would have liked. Between Zemke, Erion teammate Roger Hayden and Team Honda’s Miguel Duhamel, Zemke was the slowest in qualifying. Duhamel and Hayden qualified fifth and seventh, while Zemke, Erion Honda’s Alex Gobert and Bruce Transportation’s Marty Craggill were even further back in 10th, 11th and 13th, respectively.

Despite his second-row starting position, Hayden launched his #95 Honda CBR600RR into the lead as the track went green. The fast-starting Kentuckian held onto the point for the first two laps before being overtaken by Jamie Hacking and Damon Buckmaster.

Meanwhile, Zemke pressed forward to sixth place by the end of the first lap, then took over third place on lap six of the 16-lap affair. Hayden would eventually finish seventh, only 7.7 seconds behind race winner Zemke.

As Zemke closed on the Hacking/Buckmaster battle up front, Miguel Duhamel was making time after suffering a dismal start. Duhamel, a mainstay in the CBR600’s domination at Mid-Ohio over the years, worked his way up to eighth place on the seventh lap of race. Unfortunately, on the very next lap, Duhamel found himself on the ground.

“The front end was pretty soft, and I just bottomed it going into that turn and lost it,” Duhamel explained after the race. “It’s too bad too because the race pace wasn’t that fast and I thought we were in pretty good shape to get up there.”

A lap after Duhamel’s crash, Zemke seized the lead and turned up the heat, maintaining a pace that forestalled any counterattacks from Hacking, Buckmaster and Ben Spies, who had followed the fast-moving Zemke up to the lead pack earlier in the race. When the train of four riders crossed the stripe for the 16th and final time, Zemke out-dragged second place Hacking to the checkers by a scant 0.59 of a second with Buckmaster and Spies finishing third and fourth.

Hayden was the next Honda to cross the finish line, in seventh, while Gobert brought his #23 CBR600RR home in 11th. Unfortunately, Duhamel wasn’t the only Red Rider to suffer a crash in the Supersport Final. The first was actually Craggill, who went down on the fourth lap in the middle of his own charge through the pack. Luckily, the crash left Craggill uninjured and he was able to compete in the Formula Xtreme Final later in the afternoon.

Zemke’s race win moved the one-time dirt tracker to fifth in the series point standings, just behind teammate Alex Gobert. With only two rounds remaining, the series championship is out of reach for Zemke, Gobert and the rest of the Red Riders, but they still plan on winning races visiting the podium as the series heads east to Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia on August 29-31.

From a press release issued by Infineon Raceway, aka Sears Point Raceway:

Infineon Raceway to Repave Road Course in August

SONOMA, Calif. – The sound of roaring engines will go silent at Infineon Raceway when the track closes for nearly three weeks in August to repave the 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course.

Repaving will begin immediately following the NHRA FRAM Autolite Nationals on Monday, Aug. 4 and is expected to be completed by Aug. 20. The $1 million project will include repairing and stabilizing the existing pavement, adding new drainage to eliminate seepage problems and repaving those portions of the road course that have not been resurfaced over the last two years.

The track will be resurfaced with polymer-modified asphalt that is designed to withstand the constant usage – Infineon Raceway features 340 days of on-track activity each year. Segments of track already repaved over the last two years – Turns 4-5, 9-10, 12-1 and the Chute – will not be repaved.

“At the core of everything we do is one of the world’s most challenging racing circuits,” said Steve Page, Infineon Raceway president and general manager. “With the completion of this new track surface, we’ll offer a road racing facility that is second to none.”

The track repaving comes on the heels of the extensive three-year modernization plan that has transformed the facility into one of the premier road-racing, drag-strip and entertainment venues in the country. Some of the improved amenities fans have experienced include a new permanent grandstand at start/finish, hillside terraces around the perimeter of the raceway, underground pedestrian tunnels, a 16-turn go-kart facility, a new system of shuttle roads and a new drag strip, complete with a 660-foot concrete launch pad and permanent separation of the road course from the drag strip. There have also been several safety improvements, including increased runoff at virtually every turn, and pit stalls to accommodate a 43-car starting grid.

From a press release issued by MotoDynamics Tul-Aris Racing Team:

Mid-America Motorplex Sponsors the Tul-aris Racing Team and Robert Jensen

Pacific Junction, Iowa–Mid-America Motorplex, which consists of a 2.3 mile road race circuit, a separate drag strip, a MX track and a lake for water sports events, is a new sponsor of the MotoDynamics Tul-aris Racing Team and Robert Jensen Racing. Mid-America is rapidly establishing itself as on of the premier racing facility in the mid-western United States.

Dr. Rob Tuluie, owner of the MotoDynamics Tul-aris Racing Team, has this to say about MAM: “In just a short time this facility has gone from a racetrack in a field to a full motorsports complex. Not only is the layout fun and challenging, it is an excellent mix for all sorts of bikes, from 125s all the way up to Superbikes or Unlimited GP bikes. It’s a great riders’ track, but also has a decent straight for us horsepower junkies. Traction is phenomenal and as the asphalt wears in, tire wear is not really an issue anymore. Spectators can see the whole track from one of two grandstands, so the racing action is uninterrupted. Aaron Johnson and his team are working hard to add to the facilities at MAM – every time we go to MAM there are new additions, like a media center, a fully paved paddock or the top-notch private shower rooms. I have full confidence that under their leadership MAM will grow into the kind of track that will attract top-level national events. I especially look forward to the planned go-kart track – perhaps we can hold Super Motard races at MAM in the future.”

One ex-500 world Championship GP rider racing at MAM recently described the circuit as “the closest thing to a Grand Prix track in the US.” The next motorcycle race at MAM is from August 22nd-24th.

MAM recently added a national level motocross facility across the street that averages 2 minute lap times. Combined with the Personal Watercraft racing and the dirt racing , Mid America Motorplex and Mid America MotoX will soon carve their way in to the premier motorsports complex in the Midwest with up to 4 simultaneous events weekly.

More information on MAM can be found at www.midamericamotorplex.com

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Sandy Noce was black-flagged while running sixth in the restarted MBNA AMA 250cc Grand Prix race at Mid-Ohio, came in to find no AMA Pro Racing official waiting for him on pit lane, cruised down pit lane and rejoined the race, and then was black-flagged again and told that he had been black-flagged for switching to a back-up bike during the red flag.

The trouble is, Noce did not switch to a back-up bike and AMA Pro Racing officials had mistaken him for someone else, black-flagging him based on machine color instead of rider number.

Official AMA Pro Racing results issued today show Noce as being credited with 24th position in the event.

An AMA Pro Racing official contacted at the racetrack declined to state on the record what would be done to reduce the impact of the error on Noce.

Besides being a racer, Noce is the Dunlop racing tire distributor in Canada.


This just in from racer Mike Walsh, who was at Mid-Ohio and who is also from Canada:

FIRST PERSON/OPINION:

Via e-mail

As a side note to your story, I informed an AMA official as soon as I saw and heard the reason for the black flag over the PA, that Noce’s backup bike was sitting in the trailer with rains on it, and that knowing he was by himself and being garaged facing the hot pit, I ran down to help Noce out during the red flag.

I told the official that I held Noce’s bike while he used the facilities and had some water and then pushed the same bike off for the restart.

At this point Noce still had not done his cruise-through, and I thought this mess could have been averted and possibly sorted out after the race. Obviously not!

Mike Walsh
Toronto, Canada

From a press release issued by RPM:

Supermoto is coming to the Rockies

DENVER, CO – RPM (Race Promotion Management) has added a special Supermoto race to the schedule for its CycleFest event, coming to Copper Mountain Colorado, August 22-24. Dubbed the Fay Myers Suzuki Supermoto Classic, the race will feature a double-header format with a main event on both Saturday and Sunday with riders competing in one 450cc class for an overall purse of $20,000. Along with the big purse the race will be aired on Speed Channel later this year, giving the event national exposure.

This race replaces the AMA event that was originally scheduled as part of the AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship which was cancelled due to environmental and logistical concerns. “We were definitely disappointed about losing the AMA round but we felt that Supermoto would be such a strong addition to our CycleFest event that we kept at it and were able to secure a new location at Copper,” says Cameron Gray of RPM. The race will now be held in the Alpine Lot in the East Village at Copper Mountain with a track designed by Danny Walker of American Supercamp.

Many of the AMA series regulars are expected to attend and compete for the largest purse offered in a Supermoto race so far this year, as well as the title of Big Kahuna for the weekend. Spectators will be treated to a straight forward, easy to follow format that will be exciting for even the casual fan. Gray goes on to say, “We’re stoked to bring Supermoto to Colorado, the enthusiastic response we got at the first AMA round at Laguna Seca confirmed that Supermoto is back! It’s fan-friendly, action-packed motorcycle racing at its best.”

Riders interested in registering for the Fay Myers Suzuki Supermoto Classic should contact Kerri Gunderman of RPM at 303-377-3278.

CycleFest is the largest motorcycle event to hit the Colorado Rockies in years. All disciplines of motorcycling are invited to gather for a weekend of organized rides, motorcycle and ATV demos, new gear and accessory displays, live music and thousands of dollars of merchandise and equipment giveaways. For more information visit www.cyclefestco.com.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Glenn LeSanto

Wildcard Byrne takes debut WSB win

British Superbike runaway points leader, Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne took his first ever World Superbike win in front of an enthusiastic and partisan 120,000-strong crowd in race one at Brands Hatch.

Neil Hodgson fought off a determined challenge from countryman Chris Walker for second to complete the second all-Brit podium for the season.

Reynolds got the holeshot from Walker, Regis Laconi and Byrne. But Byrne had worked his way to second by lap four. Ruben Xaus was spectacular, regularly backing his 999 Ducati into the Druids hairpin.

Reynolds stayed with Byrne until lap twelve, when he raised his hand at the back of the circuit and pulled into the pits with a mechanical failure.

Xaus also suffered mechanically with smoke pouring from the engine on lap fifteen. He pulled out after seeing his pit board with the word ‘box’ on it as he crossed the line to start lap sixteen, obviously disappointed to be out of the race.

Byrne pulled a comfortable gap and waved to the crowd as he took a popular win.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet!” exclaimed an excited Byrne.

“John Reynolds really pulled the pin early in the race. I chased him and caught him, but each time I looked at my board it was plus zero, then suddenly it was plus four. I’m happy now, I could do with going home.”



World Superbike Race One Results:

1. Shane Byrne, Ducati 998F02, 25 laps, 36:25.400
2. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 999F03, -5.799 seconds
3. Chris Walker, Ducati 998F02, -5.938 seconds
4. Regis Laconi, Ducati 998RS, -6.808 seconds
5. Sean Emmett, Ducati 998RS, -9.663 seconds
6. James Toseland, Ducati 998F02, -9.926 seconds
7. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -10.370 seconds
8. Michael Rutter, Ducati 998F02, -32.485 seconds
9. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, -32.724 seconds
10. Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -36.218 seconds
11. Dean Ellison, Ducati 996, -45.798 seconds
12. Juan Borja, Ducati 998RS, -52.302 seconds
13. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, -53.241 seconds
14. Steve Martin, Ducati 998RS, -54.176 seconds
15. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, -69.534 seconds
16. Alex Gramigni, Yamaha YZF-R1, -71.592 seconds
17. James Haydon, Foggy Petronas FP1, -90.467 seconds
18. Giancarlo De Matteis, Ducati 998RS, -1 lap
19. Luca Pedersoli, Ducati 998RS, -1 lap
20. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, -3 laps, DNF
21. Ruben Xaus, Ducati 999F03, -10 laps, DNF
22. Marco Borciani, Ducati 998RS, -12 laps, DNF
23. Leon Haslam, Ducati 998RS, -12 laps, DNF
24. John Reynolds, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -14 laps , DNF
25. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -14 laps, DNF
26. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, -16 laps, DNF
27. Walter Tortoroglio, Honda RC51, -16 laps, DNF
28. Nick Medd, Ducati 998RS, -18 laps, DNF
29. Jiri Mrkyvka, Ducati 998RS, -22 laps, DNF

Fastest Lap: Shane Byrne, 1:26.755


More, from a press release issued by HM Plant Ducati:

Walker on top form at Brands

Chris Walker made it two podiums from the last two races when he scorched to a hard earned third place finish in race one at Brands Hatch. The HM Plant Ducati rider underlined his return to form with a spectacular battling display to join race winner Shane Byrne and Neil Hodgson on an all-British podium – much to the delight of the 120,000-strong crowd.

Walker got a good start to maintain his grid position of second and tucked in behind early race leader John Reynolds. However, wild card rider and runaway British Superbike Championship leader Byrne was a man on a mission and quickly forced his way past the pair and disappeared into the distance. Reynolds was the only other rider able to keep the pressure on Byrne and when he retired with mechanical problems – followed a little later by Ruben Xaus – Walker looked set for a second place finish.

Despite eventually being overtaken by Hodgson, the HM Plant Ducati rider kept second place in his sights right to the last, doggedly harrying the factory Ducati ace all the way to the line. The old rivals had the frantic British crowd on its feet as they diced all the way around the legendary GP circuit, with Hodgson eventually winning the drag to the line.

“There’s just something about Brands Hatch that makes every single second of the race special,” said Walker. “I really enjoyed scrapping with Neil too – each of us had sections of the track where we were faster than the other, but when I tried to get back past him at the end my rear tyre was spinning like mad and I had to settle for third. It feels great to be back on the podium at Brands and I’m really glad that we’ve still got another race to go.”

Things didn’t exactly go to plan for Walker’s team-mate James Toseland, who finished the race in sixth place. After losing out when the speeding pack barreled into Paddock Hill bend for the first time, he put on a determined show to claw back places and emerged victorious from an epic race-long battle with Gregorio Lavilla. The 22-year-old Yorkshireman refused to give up and was closing on wild card rider Sean Emmett for fifth place when the pair passed the chequered flag.

“I got a good start but then got boxed in on the first turn,” said Toseland. “The problem with starting on the inside of the grid at this track is that riders can blast by on the outside and block you into the turn. In the end it’s my fault because I didn’t qualify properly. But on the other hand, I beat my nearest championship rival, and the guy ahead of me in the points didn’t finish the race, so it’s not such a bad result. I was feeling pretty comfortable once I got past the riders that were holding me up and I’m hopeful of a better result in the next one.”



More, from Monstermob Ducati:

BYRNE BLASTS TO RACE ONE WIN AT BRANDS

British Superbike Championship leader Shane Byrne produced one of the performances of his life to take his debut win in the World Superbike Championship with a superb victory in the opening race at Brands Hatch today.

The 26-year-old from the Isle of Sheppey blasted from the front row to hit the front in the early stages as he and BSB rival John Reynolds pulled clear of the series regulars. Byrne took the lead and immediately pulled out a gap before Reynolds went out leaving ‘Shakey’ with a three-second lead.

Courtesy of a new lap record, Byrne piled on the pressure to increase his lead as series leader Neil Hodgson and fellow FO2 rider Chris Walker battled for the remaining rostrum places.

To the cheers of the 100,000 plus crowd, local boy Byrne ended up seven seconds to the good to claim his and the Paul Bird Motorsport team’s first ever World Championship victory in readiness for a full season in WSB next year.

“I can’t believe it, this is unreal. I just kept my head down and saw that I had a half second lead and then the next thing, it was three seconds and it kept going up from there. I saw I was catching James Haydon in the final laps and it must have distracted me as I nearly ran off the track but what a feeling, I’m absolutely made up” said Byrne.

Team owner Paul Bird was naturally elated at his team’s performance: “I’m going to remember this day for the rest of my life. What a superb result and all we have to do now is repeat that in the second race” said the Cumbrian Businessman.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

250cc Grand Prix Results:

1. Roberto Rolfo, Honda, 29 laps, 42:06.199
2. Fonsi Nieto, Aprilia, -0.150 second
3. Randy De Puniet, Aprilia, -0.287 second
4. Sebastian Porto, Honda, -5.305 seconds
5. Franco Battaini, Aprilia, -13.097 seconds
6. Anthony West, Aprilia, -18.289 seconds
7. Toni Elias, Aprilia, -20.881 seconds
8. Manuel Poggiali, Aprilia, -20.927 seconds
9. Alex Debon, Honda, -45.171 seconds
10. Alex Baldolini, Aprilia, -48.701 seconds
11. Dirk Heidolf, Aprilia, -57.078 seconds
12. Chas Davies, Aprilia, -57.288 seconds
13. Jakub Smrz, Honda, -57.459 seconds
14. Erwan Nigon, Aprilia, -77.467 seconds
15. Max Neukirchner, Honda, -89.139 seconds

18. Katja Poensgen, Honda, -1 lap

125cc Grand Prix Results:

1. Stefano Perugini, Aprilia, 27 laps, 40:11.124
2. Casey Stoner, Aprilia, -0.212 second
3. Alex De Angelis, Aprilia, -0.375 second
4. Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, -0.774 second
5. Pablo Nieto, Aprilia, -5.877 seconds
6. Gabor Talmasci, Aprilia, -11.791 seconds
7. Andrea Dovizioso, Honda, -12.070 seconds
8. Lucio Cecchinello, Aprilia, -12.212 seconds
9. Simone Corsi, Honda, -12.645 seconds
10. Mika Kallio, Honda, -16.369 seconds
11. Mirko Giansanti, Aprilia, -16.370 seconds
12. Marco Simoncelli, Aprilia, -16.825 seconds
13. Gioele Pellino, Aprilia, -21.622 seconds
14. Hector Barbera, Aprilia, -27.161 seconds
15. Fabrizio Lai, Malaguti, -41.028 seconds

26. Youichi Ui. Aprilia, -4 laps, DNF

28. Steve Jenkner, Aprilia, -10 laps, DNF

More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Honda:

Roberto Rolfo Hands Fortuna Honda First Ever GP Victory

Sachsenring, July 27: Roberto Rolfo today gave his principle sponsor Fortuna and machine manufacturer Honda, who have helped push in the world championship his first victory of the season, after winning the German GP in majestic style. The victory was, however, not without a lot of hard work because the quality of the 29-lap race was exceptional. Rolfo knew how to defend his lead from the attacks of his rivals and rode a fantastic last lap to cross the line in the lead. The victory has brought him to just seven points of the lead in the championship.

“It is a great satisfaction to take this victory but it was very hard because all the riders raced hard from the very beginning without making any concessions to each other. The very fast rhythm of the race made me concentrate at maximum to avoid any errors that would condition my race, or penalise me at the end of the race.” Explained the Fortuna Honda rider.

“I had to concentrate totally for the entire race distance racing in the group. It was very important not to make one single mistake, that’s why I overtook Randy de Puniet with five laps to go because I thought it best to defend my lead from the attacks of my rivals and so it proved to be at the end of the race. This is the first victory of the season but in reality we can say, myself and the team, this is the point where the championship truly starts.” Said the German 250cc GP winner.

“The job the team has done this weekend, and in general, has been fantastic, a constant progression that has permitted us to get the results we’ve had, and this victory which has finally arrived.” Said an exaltant Roberto. Who added. “From the very start of practice I knew I would be fighting for the win. I also knew it would be very hard but the reward of this victory is the best feeling of a successful weekend in Germany.”

Dani Amatriain, Fortuna Honda Team Manager, was as excited as Rolfo at the end of the race. He said. “From my position I would like to thank Fortuna and Honda for their help and support of this project and, obviously, congratulate everybody in the team.”


More, from a press release issued by MS Aprilia Racing Press Information:

A RACE TO FORGET BUT POGGIALI IS STILL THE LEADER OF THE STANDING

This race was not lucky for Manuel Poggiali who made a bad start and slipped out in the 25th lap whilst he was 6th. The Aprilia rider rejoined the race with determination achieving the 8th position anyway . Manuel is still leading the world standing and Aprilia is also leading the Constructor standing with 82 points of advantage.

Manuel Poggiali: “I made many mistakes. My start was bad and then I did all my best with the rear tyre that was completely unknown. Because of the heat the temperature of the asphalt changed and we decided to use another rear tyre never tested in the practices. Then, I was too determined and went wide felling off in the grass. At the end Elias passed me easily cause I made a mistake: this is a race to forget. Now I need an holiday to think about my mistakes”.


More, from a press release issued by KTM-Red Bull Racing:

Vincent Crashes, Locatelli 18th for KTM-Red Bull

Roberto Locatelli finished 18th for the KTM-Red Bull after a hot and tiring German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring. Teammate Arnaud Vincent failed to finish after crashing out of a fiercely contested 27 lap race.

Vincent was unhurt when he fell on lap 10 after being bumped by Danish rider Robbin Harms while in 21st position after starting 24th on the sixth row. Starting 22nd Locatelli suffered in a first corner scramble and was pushed back to 28th at the end of the first lap and then faced the hugely difficult task of fighting his way back through the pack in what was always going to be a difficult race on a tight and compact track.

#1 Arnaud Vincent
DNF

My crash was because Robbin Harms came up the inside of me and bumped my bike and I had no room to recover and was forced off the track into the gravel trap. The race was going to be hard even without this so it is a very unsatisfactory way to end the race.

#10 Roberto Locatelli
18th

The first corner was crazy, I had sit and up and slow down after being bumped and I lost at least ten places on the first lap. After that I had a good race to pass a lot of riders and finally make 18th position on the final lap. The bike is improving slowly but we need more power so we have to continue to work hard for this.

Harald Bartol
Team Manager

Disappointing, what else is there to say. Arnaud is unhurt but now we must put all our efforts into Brno. We are preparing a fifth bike in the next couple weeks and this will be part of our increased test program. For the Brno race we also hope to have some different versions of our KTM motor to evaluate.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP Race Results:

1. Sete Gibernau, Honda, 30 laps, 42:41.180
2. Valentino Rossi, Honda, -0.060 second
3. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, -13.207 seconds
4. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, -16.521 seconds
5. Nicky Hayden, Honda, -16.563 seconds
6. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, -18.743 seconds
7. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, -18.885 seconds
8. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, -26.165 seconds
9. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha, -28.281 seconds
10. Norick Abe, Yamaha, -29.159 seconds
11. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton, -29.316 seconds
12. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton, -30.427 seconds
13. Makoto Tamada, Honda, -49.580 seconds
14. Colin Edwards, Aprilia, -53.444 seconds
15. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki, -57.512 seconds
16. Garry McCoy, Kawasaki, -59.580 seconds
17. Alex Hofmann, Kawasaki, -65.240 seconds
18. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, -65.348 seconds
19. Andrew Pitt, Kawasaki, -1 lap
20. David De Gea, ROC Yamaha, -1 lap
21. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, -7 laps, DNF, crash
22. John Hopkins, Suzuki, -7 laps, DNF, mechanical
23. Alex Barros, Yamaha, -15 laps, DNF, crash
24. Max Biaggi, Honda, -23 laps, DNF, crash
25. Noriyuki Haga, Aprilia, -27 laps, DNF, crash

MotoGP World Championship Point Standings:

1. Rossi, 187 points
2. Gibernau, 158
3. Biaggi, 130
4. Capirossi, 97
5. Bayliss, 80
6. Ukawa, 66
7. Checa, 65
8. Nakano, 63
9. Barros, 62
10. Hayden, 57
11. Jacque, 50
12. Edwards, 42
13. Tamada, 40
14. Haga, 30
15. Abe, 24
16. Hopkins, 22
17. McWilliams, 18
18. Aoki, 17
19. Kiyonari, 13
20. Melandri, 9
21. McCoy/Hofmann, TIE, 8
23. Roberts, 7
24. Yukio Kagayama, 4
25. Pitt, 3

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI MARLBORO MEN MAKE STUNNING ‘RING DEBUT

The Ducati Marlboro Team made a breathtaking debut at the awkward Sachsenring circuit today, riders Troy Bayliss and Loris Capirossi finishing third and fourth in a sweltering, crash-strewn race. The results strengthen the pair’s World Championship positions: Capirossi still fourth despite a fiery crash this morning, Bayliss fifth as the MotoGP circus heads into its brief summer break before next month’s Czech GP.

“I’m too happy!” beamed Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli. “To score a podium result at a track which we’ve never been to before and which everyone said would be bad for our bike is fantastic. I hope all our ‘bad’ tracks will be this good in the future! Troy rode a fantastic race. He had a great battle with Max (Biaggi) which pushed Max into a mistake. Loris was incredible. He was bruised everywhere after this morning’s crash and had to use his second bike. On paper there’s no difference between his two machines but maybe there’s a tiny difference and a slight psychological issue in racing your second bike. Also, he wasn’t in great physical shape for the race.”

Conditions were ultra-tough around this twisting, physically demanding circuit with ambient temperatures exceeding 30 degrees and track temperature reaching 40 degrees.

BAYLISS SCORES THRILLING SECOND MotoGP PODIUM

Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss today scored a brilliant third-place finish in his first-ever race at the Sachsenring. The Aussie, riding with a shaved head, made a stunning start from the second row to muscle his way into third place. He protected that position from Max Biaggi with typical aggression, repassing the attacking Italian three times before Biaggi made the pass stick on lap 13, only to fall the very next lap. That left the Aussie in a safe third place, which he maintained to the chequered flag.

“It’s my first time here and my second MotoGP podium, so I’m very happy,” said a sweat-drenched Bayliss. “It’s been a very good weekend for us but it was a very difficult race around here. After Max went by and crashed I just tried to stay close to Sete (Gibernau) for as long as possible. I knew Max’s pace was really fast, so there wasn’t much I could do about him, then he crashed because he was pushing very hard. The last third of the race I was losing the back into turns off the throttle, so I just did my own thing and brought the bike home. I’m really happy for everyone in the team.”

CAPIROSSI FOURTH AFTER FIERY WARM-UP CRASH

Loris Capirossi finished a brave fourth place in Germany today, a remarkable result after a high-speed tumble in morning warm-up after which his Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici caught fire. The bike was badly damaged in the blaze, forcing the Italian to switch to his second machine for this afternoon’s race. Undaunted Capirossi rode superbly, battling long and hard with a bunch of rivals, eventually defeating Nicky Hayden for fourth place.

“I had to ride a defensive race because my second bike was a tiny bit different from the machine I crashed in warm-up,” said Capirossi who hurt his neck and suffered all-over bruising in the 200kmh crash. “I was quite bashed about in the accident, I’d say I was only feeling 80 per cent before the race. So, all things considered, I’m satisfied with the result, these points are very important for the championship. I’m very happy for Troy and I feel sorry for Marco (Melandri, who crashed late in the race while racing with Capirossi), he was riding really fast.”

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service, which reveals that the company has replaced the head of its racing department:

ROBERTS RETURNS TO THE POINTS IN GERMANY

Team Suzuki rider Kenny Roberts Jr. finished 15th in today’s German GP, fighting back ahead of former GP winner Garry McCoy to secure the last championship point in his first race for seven weeks, after missing three rounds while recuperating from injury.

Team-mate John Hopkins didn’t make the finish of the race, round 30 laps of the 3.671 km Sachsenring circuit, outside the city of Chemnitz (the former Karl Marx Stadt). The 20-year-old Anglo-American was two places behind Roberts with seven laps remaining when he was sidelined by a rare failure of the 990cc V4 Suzuki GSV-R engine.

Both riders had a difficult weekend, with the very twisty track and tight corners not kind to the powerful Suzuki; but both were making the most of their chances, in a close race in front of a crowd of more than 90,000 ardent fans in the former East Germany.

Rain would probably have suited them better, but forecast showers failed to materialise, and the race was run in blazing sunshine, with the temperature at 31 degrees.

The race was won by Sete Gibernau, his third victory of the nine-race-old season; with defending champion Valentino Rossi second.

The next race follows an abbreviated summer break in three weeks time, at the sweeping Brno circuit in the Czech Republic.

Footnote: The new head of Suzuki’s racing department, Masahito Imada, was at the race. Imada-san brings a long and extensive racing experience: he was part of the original design team of the serially successful Suzuki RG500 of the Seventies and early Eighties, and headed up the Superbike racing project.

KENNY ROBERTS Jr. – 15th
The most fun I had this weekend was after the race, when Olivier Jacque stopped on the cool-down lap to do a rear tyre burn-out … and high-sided right in front of me! (The French rider was not injured.) The race was super disappointing. I can’t use any of my ability to ride the bike – the rider can’t make much difference, and the bike is at its limit at the moment. The easiest thing to say is that my team-mate from last year, who was competitive with me, won the race, so congratulations to Sete.

JOHN HOPKINS – Retired
My Michelins were working good, but soon after the start I started dropping back. I’ve been around 20th all weekend, so I knew it wasn’t going to stop today. But I felt comfortable, though Kenny and Garry McCoy started to get away from me a bit, because my bike wasn’t handling well. Then I got behind Alex Hofmann, and we both started to pick up the pace a bit. I didn’t think I’d be able to get into the points, but we were closing up some on Kenny and Garry, and I wanted to be ahead of Hofmann. Then suddenly the engine had a problem: the throttle seemed to stick open and there was smoke everywhere, and I had to stop. I’m looking forward to some improvements.

GARRY TAYLOR – TEAM MANAGER
It’s good to have Kenny back on the bike again, though one point is not a lot to show for all the therapy and training he’s gone through to get fit. John gave it everything he could, as always, but in the end it came to nothing. It always looked as though this was going to be a tough weekend. I wish we’d been able to get a better result for our new race department boss, Mr. Imada.

More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MCCOY JUST MISSES POINTS FOR FUCHS KAWASAKI IN GERMANY

Fuchs Kawasaki’s Australian slidemaster, Garry McCoy, overcame two scary off-track excursions to come within a whisker of scoring points in today’s fiercely contested German Grand Prix at Sachsenring.

Kawasaki’s trio of Ninja ZX-RR riders all finished the energy sapping race, with McCoy eventually crossing the line in 16th place, just two seconds adrift of former World Champion Kenny Roberts. Home race hero Alex Hofmann was 17th, while Andrew Pitt, who also had a high speed off-track excursion, finished in 19th place.

McCoy made a good start aboard the Ninja ZX-RR, but a scary moment while flat-out in fifth gear, as he attempted a pass on the Aprilia of Colin Edwards, and another off-track detour as he exited the final turn, cost him both time and positions. Comfortable with increased grip levels from Dunlop’s new rear slick, McCoy recovered to charge past both the factory Suzuki’s of John Hopkins and Roberts, moving into a points scoring position with six laps remaining. However, two laps later, fading grip levels meant the Australian could not respond to a late race challenge by the former World Champion.

Baulked in the first corner, wild card rider Hofmann fought his way back to finish 17th in his home Grand Prix, after passing both the factory Suzuki of Hopkins and Kiyonari, team-mate of eventual race winner Sete Gibernau, in the last third of the race.

Starting from the sixth row of the grid meant Pitt faced a massive task if he was to fight his way through the field, especially on a circuit with very few overtaking places such as Sachsenring. Still suffering set-up problems after a qualifying crash robbed him of valuable testing time, Pitt’s troubles were compounded when he ran on at the first turn at mid race distance and had to traverse the gravel trap to return to the track.

Garry McCoy – 16th
“It was a bit scary early in the race; I was off the track twice in one lap! I ran onto the grass in fifth gear on the downhill back straight trying to pass Edwards, and then I was off again at the final corner. But the bike felt good and I got to 15th and really wanted to stay in the points, but when Kenny got past again his bike wasn’t sliding as much as mine and I just couldn’t go with him. Towards the end it was pretty greasy for me and I couldn’t carry enough corner speed; I had some big two wheel drifts going, even on corner entry. It was quite hairy really.”

Alex Hofmann – 17th
“The happiest I was all weekend was when I had my helmet on and the visor down. I never found a 100 per cent set-up like my earlier wild card races, mainly through losing time to problems and a crash in qualifying. So, doing more than this today was impossible.”

Andrew Pitt – 19th
“When I locked it up into turn one and ran off the track about halfway through it was just a matter of bringing it home. Since Friday I’ve had trouble pushing the front and while we improved the set-up a lot we never really dialled it out completely. I lost some side grip on the rear tyre towards the end, but overall the new Dunlops are a big step in the right direction.”

Harald Eckl – Team Manager
“Points would be nice, but I’m happy with this result because we have shown that we are still making progress with the bike, however small the steps may be. Today we were very close to our friends at Suzuki, who have a one year head start on us in MotoGP. With this in mind, we can now set some goals to motivate the team and riders for the rest of the season.”

More, from Desiree Crossman, with John Hopkins:

Well, today was eventful. It didn’t rain today which was good, I think it’s coming tonight, though.

In the warm-up session, Loris’ bike went up in flames. When he crashed, the bike went flipping and the gas tank exploded, so all the gas was flying out. Then, as the cornerworkers were trying to get the bike out of the gravel, it engulfed in flames, nearly getting the cornerworkers. It took awhile to get the bike under control, alot of extinguishing going on. Colin’s bike acted up again, and again. He went out and the bike he was on had some problems, and then his second one had some, too.

During the race, it was real entertaining. Max was doing really well, he was fighting hard to get up with Valentino and Sete. Valentino was in a good lead while some of the others were trying to catch up. Marco was in the pack as well keeping up with the rest of the bunch. I guess Max was trying too hard to catch up and he ended up crashing out. He was in 3rd, and when he did, we were all like, “what are you doing?” I’m sure if he had a similiar bike like Rossi’s though, he wouldn’t have to try so hard. I’m not a big Biaggi fan, but I think he deserves a better Honda.

Anyway, Marco ended up crashing out as well, so slowly the battle was going away. Haga crashed out, too. A funny part was when the cornerworkers were trying to get him to go another way back to the pits, but Haga refused. Instead, he ran across the track. The cornerworkers were trying to grab him and pull him but he basically told them to piss off. Alex Barros ended up crashing too, he’s had some bad luck this year. It will be good to see him up there were he belongs battling it out.

John and Kenny…well, at least Kenny got a point from this race. Both of them were fighting to get into the top 15 for most of the race. John’s bike was having some grip problems I guess and his bike ended up dying on him–smoke coming out of it. It’s really frustrating fighting for the top 15 or even 20, but it’s even worse when the damn bike breaks on you too. Not cool. I got really upset about it and when I saw him, he was just laughing about it. He said he’s so fed up that that’s all he can do about it now, it’s pointless getting pissed anymore.

Garry did really well today. Seems like things are coming around slowly for him, good to see him up there a little more then where he has been. And Troy did great, too. Gave Ducati another podium finish. Nicky got into the top 5 finally, it’s about damn time!

When Sete caught up with Vale, it was an intense battle! Sete passed Rossi with about 7 or 8 laps to go. Then on the last lap, Rossi overtook Sete in the second to last corner, but on the last corner, Sete pushed hard and beat Rossi by a tire length. They were neck-and-neck for half of the race. The crowd was going crazy, you could hear the other teams shouting, it was a good finish.

More, from a press release issued by WCM:

GERMAN GP,­ SACHSENRING
RACE DAY, SUNDAY, JULY 27TH, 2003

David de Gea, 20th
“I think it’s a good day for me and also for the team, so many races all the year, that we don¹t start. So it’s good to finish the race. Lap by lap my time was consistent and I feel good after the 30 laps.”

Peter Clifford,­ Team Manager
“Greatest respect to David for his riding through the infield during the race where he was only losing two-tenths. All the rest of the damage was done on the horsepower section of the track. At least we have now finished a race, a sad reflection on the season perhaps but I am sure things will get better from here.”

More, from a press release issued by Pramac Honda.

Makoto Tamada: 13th in the race, 13th in the ratings

In 20th place at the end of the first lap, but 13th when he went under the chequered flag, Makoto Tamada again attempted one of his customary comebacks, struggling throughout the race with a lack of confidence for the front end of the bike – something that had been a constant throughout the two days of practice prior to the race.

In the warm-up this morning, the technicians made a further change to the adjustment of the front fork of his RC211V, and this did indeed give Makoto a better feeling. Entering the race with a hard front tyre and a medium-hard rear, the gutsy Japanese inched his way up with some good passes and ended the race in the points zone.

But the fact remains that the Sachsenring proved not to be congenial to the Pramac Honda Team rider and the few hours of tests were not sufficient to reach the right level of confidence to be truly competitive. Even so, there is no reason not to be optimistic for the next world championship event on 17 August at Brno. A circuit where Makoto recently posted some good lap times during two days of tyre test, when he was able to get to know the track. So, unlike just about all the other times this year, he will be going to race a world championship on a track he has at least seen once.

The two-week break will not only afford the rider a bit of well-deserved rest, but it will also make it possible to do an in-depth analysis of all the data acquired during the recent races and in the test sessions, in order to try to raise the overall level of performance before the final part of the championship gets underway.

Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda Team): 13th – 43:30.760

“Lack of feeling, lack of grip. A race in which I just didn’t find the wherewithal to make a real attack. And it was like that all weekend. A bit demoralising. We tried out a new setting for the front fork that gave me greater grip for the entire duration of the race, but it wasn’t enough to be really aggressive and give me what I needed to make a fierce attack. Now I’m looking forward to Brno and hope the days we spent testing the tyres will give me an objective advantage: I want to be more competitive and get up closer to the leading riders.”

More, from a press release issued by John Hopkins’ publicist:

HOPKINS SUFFERS DNF IN GERMAN GRAND PRIX

HOHENSTEIN-ERNSTTHAL, Germany (July 27, 2003) – Sachsenring was not John Hopkins’ favorite circuit to begin with and this weekend’s performance in the German Grand Prix is not likely to make the Californian any fonder of the place. Hopkins dropped out of the race with six laps to go when the motor on his Suzuki GP machine expired. It marked the second straight year of heartache for Hopkins in Germany. Last year he broke his hand during qualifying and missed the race.

“Nothing much exciting to report,” said a discouraged sounding Hopkins after the race. “We ran near the back of the pack all weekend and the race was no different. I was battling with Alex Hofman and Garry McCoy there for a while.
And even though I was back battling for 17th the motor decided to let go.”

The motor problem led to the third DNF of the season for Hopkins. This was the first DNF caused by a mechanical problem. The other two DNFs were the result of crashes. By scoring no points in the German round he dropped to 16th in
the world championship point standings after nine of 16 rounds.

“Obviously we were hoping for better,” said Hopkins, speaking for himself and the factory Suzuki team. “Our bike has a lot of new and unproven technology and when you’re pushing the envelope like that I guess things like this are
bound to happen.”

Hopkins will return home to Southern California during the MotoGP mid-season break and work on staying race ready and getting into even better shape.

“I plan on training and riding my motocross bike,” Hopkins said. “I’m going to be sharp for the second half of the season. When we get things figured out on the bike I want to be ready to take advantage. Thee first half of the year has been more than a little discouraging, but I’m hopeful that we can still turn things around.”

The next round of MotoGP is at Brno in the Czech Republic on August 17.

More, from a press release issued by Alice Aprilia Racing Press Information:

AN HARD-FOUGHT WEEKEND

Sachsenring – After two days of practices, disturbed by two crashes, just Colin Edwards ended the german GP although a loss of oil and a difficult technical situation: he had to start with the bike no. 2 (the no. 1 has been damaged by a slip in the warm up) but the feeling was not enough. A very short race for Haga because he fell off in the 7th lap. Before going to Brno the team will keep on testing for the improvement of RS Cube.

COLIN EDWARDS: “A bad weekend and a bad race as well. In the warm up session I damaged the bike no. 1 with the new chassis and the right setting. We tried to transfer those regulations to the bike no. 2 with the old chassis but I did not get enough feeling. Now I am going back home so I will be at 100% for the next race”.

NORIYUKI HAGA: “My race has been very short : I had a good pace and was recovering several positions then I lost the front felling off in the gravel. It’s a pity because the chattering problems we had were almost solved”.

GIGI DALL’IGNA (Project Leader): “This weekend has been very hard for us. Unfortunately the crashes did not allow us to follow the development plan of our bikes. Colin had to use bike no. 2 but the feeling was not the same and he had also a problem with a loss of oil in the left size of the bike. He did all his best. Haga fell off after a few laps. Now we must work during the break in order to be more competitive at Brno.”

More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

CHECA RIDES TO STEADY EIGHTH; NO POINTS BUT A BRILLIANT EFFORT FROM MELANDRI

History repeated itself in today’s German Grand Prix when Fortuna Yamaha Team rider Marco Melandri showed his marvellous potential as he fought with the race leaders but unluckily crashed out of contention at the Sachsenring circuit. The young Italian tumbled off his Yamaha YZR-M1 machine and out of fourth place in the closing stages of the battle, a similar outcome to his last race outing at Donington two weeks ago. Twenty-year-old Melandri, who won the German 250cc race here last year, produced a lightning start to charge through the Sachsenring field from 12th on the grid to fifth by turn one. Carrying this impressive momentum further, the 250cc World Champion then slipped forward into fourth by the end of lap one. His stampede continued while entering the penultimate turn, pouncing momentarily to second place in the following lap with an audacious double pass of Loris Capirossi (Ducati) and eventual race winner Sete Gibernau (Honda).

Melandri then slipped back behind Gibernau until lap five when Troy Bayliss (Ducati) shot through to take third. Settling into what was a comfortable fourth place, the MotoGP rookie looked set to claim a well deserved 13 points when his M1 slipped out from beneath him. Melandri could not get his M1 into gear entering the tight turn 12, with less than six laps remaining, bringing his solid performance to a premature end.

Up front Rossi and Gibernau set a scorching pace that eventually saw both riders finish more than 13 seconds ahead of third-placed Bayliss and the rest of the field. Rossi had taken early control of the race before Gibernau made a move on lap 20. The Spaniard, who has already claimed three victories this year, was well positioned to take his fourth race win when Rossi made his pass on the final lap. Although the move initially stuck Rossi made a mistake on the crucial final turn, handing the win to Gibernau by a mere 0.060 seconds.

It was further disappointment for Fortuna Yamaha Team rider Carlos Checa who, after an initially promising provisional qualifying performance, ended the German Grand Prix in a lowly eighth place. Plagued by a lack of grip throughout the weekend, Checa was unable to find a solution by race day and struggled to make any improvement over his eventual seventh place qualifying performance.

“It’s a similar situation here to Donington, and we tried many things to improve rear stability,” said Checa, who retains his seventh position in the championship standings. “That’s been my biggest problem at these past two races. We have moved away quite a lot from the set-up we had in Catalunya and Assen where I had stronger finishes. I managed to gain some places but couldn’t get any further forward. It’s frustrating because I was hoping to improve my position in the championship, and because we had a fairly good weekend here for qualifying. I am going to have a rethink with my engineers and crew to see in which area we should now go in terms of set-up. The next race will be in Brno, and we had a test there before coming to Germany so we will have a good base to start the weekend with.”

Checa’s team-mate Melandri was customarily philosophical about his performance today; “I started well and was able to overtake early on but at the same time I wasn’t able to give gas as much as I would have liked,” said the Italian, who has fought in the leading group at the past two races. “After a few laps I decided it was better not to force things but wiser to stay behind Bayliss and to keep my own pace. At the beginning the soft tyres gave me some problems even though I had a good start but then after a few laps my pace improved and I was certain that I could finish the race in fourth or fifth position. I was in the downhill turn and normally I change down from fifth to third gear there. But this time I changed from fifth to fourth, I couldn’t engage third gear, and I fell off.

“It’s a shame because I was having such a great race, and that mishap could have been avoided. At one point I could see I was getting closer and closer to Bayliss and I really thought I would finish the race well. Anyway now I know I can be competitive at all the races because I was able to fight with the top riders in Donington and here. I am close to the best riders, and now my aim is to finish a race.”

Davide Brivio, the Fortuna Yamaha Team’s Director, summed up the day with the following comments, “It’s a day of mixed emotions really because we again saw the great potential of Marco, who has had two very strong races fighting among the top riders. But then it’s also disappointing that he was not able to finish, and most of all frustrating for him. He knows and we know now what his capabilities are and he should be able to fight for the podium at every race in this second half of the season. Carlos did not start so well but managed to overtake several riders and scored some valuable points. He is not completely happy with the set-up choices he made this weekend and is going to review them for Brno with his team. We just all have to keep working until we get what we’re all hoping for, a podium result.”

More, from Honda Racing:

GIBERNAU ROBS ROSSI OF WIN IN LAST TURN LAST LAP THRILLER

Sensational Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) scored his fourth win of the season at a sun-kissed Sachsenring in eastern Germany in front of an appreciative 92,000 crowd. Reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda RC211V) had to settle for second after making a critical error on the final turn which Gibernau pounced on for his victory. Troy Bayliss (Ducati) was third.

Max Biaggi (Camel Pramac Pons RC211V) looked to be the dominant force here this weekend after setting a pole time for the second successive race. He also set the fastest lap of the race before crashing out while chasing down the leading duo of Gibernau and Rossi.

Biaggi wasted his pole position with a dreadful start that sunk him to tenth on the first lap. Rossi howled into turn one ahead of the Ducati duo of Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss with Gibernau in close pursuit. Marco Melandri (Yamaha) made good early running, going as high as second momentarily after a robust double overtaking move that disposed of Gibernau and Capirossi. But he couldn’t make it stick.

By lap five Rossi had pulled out a 2.5 second advantage over Gibernau who was now in a solid second place with Bayliss third. Biaggi was moving up the field with serious intent and by lap ten he was ready to put Bayliss behind him and work on the leaders. But Bayliss had other ideas and made it hard work for the Roman.

Biaggi and Bayliss swapped places three times on lap 11 as their private battle raged and a lap later the faster Max had finally put the determined Australian behind him. But on lap 14 Max lost the front of his RC211V at turn ten and with it his chance of a win, or at least a hefty points haul.

It was now down to Gibernau to take the challenge to Rossi and the Spaniard was more than up to it. At the halfway stage of the 30-lap race he had cut the deficit to 0.7 seconds and on lap 21 he made his move on the champ into the tight turn one at the end of the start/finish straight.

Rossi followed closely, seemingly getting the measure of his rival before making a decisive play for the lead at his leisure – but there was nothing at all leisurely about the way he had to ride to keep Gibernau within striking distance. Rossi left it until the last lap before he struck.

On the rapid downhill right approach to the penultimate turn, Rossi fired his RC211V around the outside of Gibernau and was then on the inside of the lefthand turn that followed – and ahead. There was only the final righthand corner to go and Rossi looked poised for victory.

But he overcooked his entry, and with his machine out of shape, Gibernau seized his chance and squared off the turn to shoot his bike up the inside of the floundering Rossi and broach the line six hundredths of a second ahead of the Italian.

“That was hard race,” said a delighted Gibernau. “Both mentally and physically. I had no plan for the last lap because when you have a plan and it doesn’t work, you’re in trouble. I used a bit of dirt-track experience in the last turn – if you want to pass someone on the way out – do the work on the way in.”

Rossi was honest about his error. “I made a big mistake,” he said. “I try to go away at the start but it was impossible. So I stay with Sete and wait for the last lap. I don’t know why I went so tight into the final turn because it’s difficult to pass there. But I went in too tight, lost the front and had to wait too long before I could get on the throttle.”

Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) rode a great race to fifth in his rookie year, just allowing Loris Capirossi to steal fourth from him, and the American was understandably delighted. “That was fun,” he said. “I really needed that race and I’ll take fifth. I was fourth at one point but on the last lap on the last couple of corners I rode a little too conservatively and Capirossi just snuck by. Hats off to my guys. They worked real hard for me all year.”

Things improved a little for Tohru Ukawa (Camel Pramac Pons RC211V) who was sixth. “The result is a bit below my expectations,” he said. “But not too bad. I had a bit of trouble in the early laps with my tyre spi

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Former World Superbike racer Lance Isaacs suffered a double fracture of his right tibia and re-broke his right forearm in a crash during Saturday’s AMA Superstock race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

“It’s a pretty clean (leg) break. Everything is straight in line. It should take about three or four weeks to heal, so I should be ready for Virginia (International Raceway, the next round of the AMA series August 29-31),” said No Limit Motorsports Honda’s Isaacs while signing autographs Sunday at Mid-Ohio. “I don’t need surgery, but I’m going to see Dr. Ting this week to see what I need to do.”

Isaacs also re-broke his three-week-old broken right forearm but felt it would also be fine in time for VIR without the need for surgery.

“I’m not sure who crashed in front of me, but I didn’t have any room to go anywhere,” said Isaacs when asked about his crash. “I hit his bike straight in the side.”

The rider who fell in Isaacs’ path was first-year Expert Greg Moore. Moore broke an arm in the incident, was treated and released from Mansfield Medical Center in nearby Mansfield, Ohio; Moore left the racetrack Saturday night and was not available for comment at post time.