From a press release issued by MonsterMob Ducati:

MONSTERMOB DUCATI BRITISH SUPERBIKE TEAM

Round 10 – 2003 British Superbike Championship powered by HALLS, Cadwell Park

Sunday 24th and Monday 25th August 2003

ANOTHER ROSTRUM FOR BYRNE AS EASTON MISSES OUT

The new British Superbike Champion Shane Byrne celebrated his title with another rostrum performance in race two in front of a record 36,250 crowd at Cadwell Park today.

Byrne followed home Suzuki’s John Reynolds and the Honda of winner Steve Plater to celebrate his seventeenth rostrum placing of the season but ironically his first third place of the year.

Shakey got a poor start but gradually clawed back the gap to take third position at the end of the eighteen lap race.

“The race was a bit tactical really. I got a bad start and got a bit bashed up on the first lap but got it together again and made up some time. Once I got past Gary Mason and Leon Haslam I managed to catch the top three quite easily. I felt quite relaxed and sat behind John Reynolds and watched him for a bit, I thought I could pass him but I just left it a bit too late to be honest,” said Byrne.

Meanwhile defending Supersport Champion Stuart Easton relinquished his British title when main rival Karl Harris won the race and the young Scot could do no better than fourth place.

Nevertheless it has been a gallant effort by the Hawick rider especially due to the fact that he has been campaigning an elderly machine against much more modern bikes this year.

“I struggled with the package to be honest. I couldn’t get the bike to do what I wanted it to do. I’m very disappointed. I gave 100% but it wasn’t good enough on the day,” said Easton.

Team owner Paul Bird was disappointed to relinquish the Supersport title. “Stuart rode good for the first half of the race but lost heart in the second part. I hope to see some improvement in his performance next time.”

The series moves on to Brands Hatch in three weeks’ time (13th and 14th September) for the penultimate round.



Superbike Result

Race One
1, Shane Byrne (MonsterMob Ducati) 27:26.156, 2, John Reynolds (Suzuki) -0.573 seconds, 3, Michael Rutter (Ducati) -4.557s, 4, Gary Mason (Yamaha) -4.762s, 5, Glen Richards (Kawasaki) -5.039s, 6, Scott Smart (Kawasaki) -6.744s, 7, Sean Emmett (Ducati) -13.962s, 8, Dennis Hobbs (Suzuki) -15.523s, 9, Lee Jackson (Kawasaki) -15.882s, 10, Nick Medd (Ducati) -16.110s

Race Two
1, Steve Plater (Honda) 25:52.771, 2, John Reynolds (Suzuki) -0.227s, 3, Shane Byrne (MonsterMob Ducati) -2.242s, 4, Leon Haslam (Ducati) -8.246s, 5, Gary Mason (Yamaha) -9.798s, 6, Glen Richards (Kawasaki) -12.146s, 7, Sean Emmett (Ducati) -18.400s, 8, Chris Burns (Yamaha) -21.092s, 9, Lee Jackson (Kawasaki) -40.312s, 10, Dean Ellison (Ducati) -40.591


Superbike Standings after Round 10

1, Shane Byrne (MonsterMob Ducati) 406pts
2, John Reynolds (SuzukI) 277pts
3, Michael Rutter (Ducati) 243pts
4, Steve Plater (Honda) 227pts
5, Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) 214pts
6, Glen Richards (Kawaski) 210pts
7, Gary Mason (Yamaha) 172pts
8, Sean Emmett (Ducati) 166pts
9, Scott Smart (Kawasaki) 128pts
10, Steve Hislop (Yamaha) 122pts

Supersport Result
1, Karl Harris (Honda) 23:36.486, 2, Michael Laverty (Honda) -1.060s, 3, Simon Andrews (Yamaha) -3.310s, 4, Stuart Easton (MonsterMob Ducati) -3.455s, 5, Tom Sykes (Yamaha) -4.787s, 6, Adrian Coates (Honda) -16.538s, 7, Rob Frost (Kawasaki) -16.863s, 8, Dean Thomas (Honda) -18.343s, 9, Kim Ashkenazi (Yamaha) -21.509s, 10, Tom Tunstall (Yamaha) -28.728s

Supersport Championship Standings after Round 10
1, Karl Harris 215pts
2, Stuart Easton (MonsterMob Ducati) 158pts
3, Simon Andrews 115pts
4, Michael Laverty 102pts
5, Dean Thomas 87pts
6, John Crockford 82pts
7, Tom Sykes 80pts
8, Adrian Coates 79pts
9, Rob Frost 78pts
10, Craig Jones 67pts




More, from a press release issued by Hawk Kawasaki:

BSB Round 10, Cadwell Park

Monday August 25
Track length: 2.173 miles
Weather: cloudy, overcast, 22°C
Track: dry, 28°C

Triple Top Ten Treat for Hawk!

Hawk Kawasaki yet again proved its strength within the British Superbike Championship, with superb performances from all three of its riders in both races at Cadwell Park today.

Glen Richards and Scott Smart used their strong starting positions, of fifth and tenth, to great effect in race one. Both Hawk riders gained positions in the opening laps, with Richards moving up to fourth and Smart to ninth.

The 18-lap dash soon turned into a race of attrition, with Honda’s Steve Plater retiring due to a flicked-off chain and Ducati’s Leon Haslam crashing out – elevated Smart to seventh. A lap later the number 88 Hawk rider passed Sean Emmett to take sixth, before he set about catching Ducati-mounted Michael Rutter. But as he did so, and Glen Richards moved in on Yamaha’s Gary Mason, the safety car was sent out to allow marshals to move Haslam’s stricken machine.

‘The course car obviously broke things up a little bit,’ said Smart. ‘Then when we got going again I nearly hit Glen going into the top of the Gooseneck because he got it really sideways and that broke my rhythm badly, dropping me off the back of him.’

When racing resumed, on lap 14, Richards lost out to Rutter who snuck under the Aussie at Chris Curve to take fourth. The ZX-7RR-mounted star tried to fight back, but a cold tyre caught him out and forced him to settle for fifth. ‘I’m not happy that I got passed by Rutter after the pace car went back in,’ mused Glen. ‘I nearly crashed because the left hand side of the tyre went cold, but that’s life I suppose. I feel like I can run at the front but I can’t get there because the 1000s come past me on the straights and then get in my way.’

Smart finished just behind his team mate in a strong sixth while Lee Jackson, whose determined riding gained him five places in the first lap, came home a brilliant ninth. ‘I was really aggressive going into Coppice and I had nothing to lose really,’ explained Lee of his opening lap move. ‘Unfortunately when the pace car came out it affected the tyre a little bit and I got a bit of cramp in my right hand. Then Dennis Hobbs came by me at the end – I had a go on the last lap but I just couldn’t make a pass and I figured that a race finish is better than a crash.’

The Hawk team looked to be on for another triple top 10 finish in race two, until Smart’s chain flicked off its sprockets as he crested The Mountain on lap 12. The former Supersport race winner had been holding a excellent eighth place ahead of Sean Emmett before the incident, but his quick thinking and gritty determination saw him push his machine from Hall Bends back to the pits and eventually rejoin the race.

‘I thought I’d back the pace off by a second and save some energy for the end, but when the chain came off I had to push the thing from Hall bends all the way back to the pits so my mechanics could put it back on again,’ said Scott of his heroic effort. ‘I managed to get straight back out again without even getting lapped and still finish fourteenth in the BSB race, so I’ve still scored points in every race so far.’

Glen Richards produced another characteristically strong showing in race two, to finish sixth. ‘It was another tough race for sure,’ he said afterwards. ‘But it’s frustrating we can’t make more ground on the front guys. I feel I can run with them, but it’s real hard riding a 750 around here. A fifth and a sixth is not a bad result though.’

Lee Jackson backed-up his first race performance by getting the better of race-long rivals Jon Kirkham, Dennis Hobbs and Dean Ellison, scything under the Ducati rider on the last lap to take a well deserved ninth. ‘When Dean passed me before the last lap I thought there was no way he was going to finish ahead of me,’ he said. ‘I did him on the last lap at the Gooseneck, which was a bit off-putting for him because I think he thought it wasn’t possible for me to get past him there, but I did and I’m more than pleased with that. If I’d have got a better start I think I could have run a better pace, but I used my tyre life up early on. I’m now being more aggressive in the race and that’s what you need to be in this championship.’

After excellent and determined performances from all three of his riders, Hawk Kawasaki team boss Stuart Hicken was obviously delighted. ‘It’s always exciting at Cadwell Park and I have to say that I’m pleased all three riders come home in one piece because they all rode their balls off. All in all, a great day’s racing.’

BSB Race 1 result
1) Shane Byrne, Ducati. 2) John Reynolds, Suzuki. 3) Michael Rutter, Ducati. 4) Gary Mason, Yamaha. 5) Glen Richards, Hawk Kawasaki. 6) Scott Smart, Hawk Kawasaki. 7) Sean Emmett, Ducati. 8) Dennis Hobbs, Suzuki (P). 9) Lee Jackson, Hawk Kawasaki. 10) Nick Medd, Ducati. 11) Jeremy Goodall, Yamaha (P). 12) Phil Giles, Suzuki (P). 13) James Buckingham, Suzuki (P). 14) Sam Corke, Suzuki (P). 15) Gordon Blackley, Honda (P). 16) Dave Wood, Suzuki (P). 17) Mike Walker, Yamaha (P). 18) Malcolm Ashley, Ducati. (P). 19) Paul Jones, Suzuki. 20) Francis Williamson, Yamaha (P)

P=Privateer

Fastest Lap: John Reynolds, Suzuki: 1:25.181, 91.83mph

BSB Race 2 result
1) Steve Plater, Honda. 2) John Reynolds, Suzuki. 3) Shane Byrne, Ducati. 4) Leon Haslam, Ducati. 5) Gary Mason, Yamaha. 6) Glen Richards, Hawk Kawasaki. 7) Sean Emmett, Ducati. 8) Chris Burns, Yamaha. 9) Lee Jackson, Hawk Kawasaki. 10) Dean Ellison, Ducati. 11) John Kirkham, Yamaha. 12) Dennis Hobbs, Suzuki (P). 13) Jeremy Goodall, Yamaha (P). 14) Dave Wood, Suzuki (P). 15) Nick Medd, Ducati. 16) Phil Giles, Suzuki (P). 17) Mark Burr, Suzuki (P). 18) Francis Williamson, Yamaha (P). 19) James Buckingham, Suzuki (P). 20) Sam Corke, Suzuki (P)

25/14) Scott Smart, Hawk Kawasaki

Fastest Lap: Shane Byrne, Ducati: 1:25.307, 91.70mph

BSB Riders’ Championship, after 10 rounds
1) Shane Byrne, Ducati: 406 (Champion). 2) John Reynolds, Suzuki: 277. 3) Michael Rutter, Ducati: 243. 4) Steve Plater, Honda: 227. 5) Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki: 214. 6) Glen Richards, Hawk Kawasaki: 210. 7) Gary Mason, Yamaha: 172. 8) Sean Emmett, Ducati: 166. 9) Scott Smart, Hawk Kawasaki: 128. 10) Steve Hislop, Yamaha: 122. 11) Lee Jackson, Hawk Kawasaki: 91. 12) Mark Heckles, Honda: 75. 13) John Crawford, Ducati: 74. 13=) Paul Young, Yamaha: 74. 15) Leon Haslam, Ducati: 60. 16) Dean Ellison, Ducati: 43. 17) Jon Kirkham, Yamaha: 39. 18) Nick Medd, Ducati: 33. 19) John McGuinness, Ducati: 26. 20) Dean Thomas, Yamaha: 13

BSB Premier Team Championship, after 10 rounds
1) Monstermob/ETI Ducati: 1605. 2) Renegade Ducati: 1493. 3) Rizla Suzuki: 1472. 4) Hawk Kawasaki: 1456. 5) Virgin Yamaha: 1387. 6) Honda Racing: 1161. 7) Hawk Kawasaki/TDC Suzuki: 1141. 8) TDB Recruit Yamaha: 1089. 9) D&B/Renegade Ducati: 899

From a press release issued by Monstermob Ducati:

MONSTERMOB DUCATI BRITISH SUPERBIKE TEAM

Round 10 – 2003 British Superbike Championship powered by HALLS, Cadwell Park

Sunday 24th and Monday 25th August 2003

BYRNE IS CHAMPION!

MonsterMob Ducati rider Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne clinched his first British Superbike title with a superb victory in the opening race at Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire today.

In front of another massive crowd the 26 year old fended off a concerted challenge from Suzuki’s John Reynolds to become the first British rider in recent history to clinch the title with two rounds to spare.

Byrne led from start to finish and despite a safety car intervention which allowed Reynolds to close in, Byrne held on to win the race and in doing so took the second consecutive British Superbike Championship victory for the Paul Bird Motorsport MonsterMob Ducati Team.

“It’s fantastic. If I had won it with two fifth places I think I would have gone home sulking! It’s not been for a lack of trying to win races, I’ve just been struggling lately. I just tried as hard as I possibly could and just managed to hold them off. I’m sorry about Yukio’s crash and I hope he gets well soon,” said a delighted Byrne.

Team boss Paul Bird was also delighted with the performance. “What a fantastic race. Without doubt that is one of the best races I have seen him ride. I’m chuffed for him and the team and our sponsors.”

From a press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports:

Rounds 15 & 16 –
2003 AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship
Virginia International Raceway, Alton, Virginia, USA
Event Preview

CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER MLADIN FOCUSES ON PENULTIMATE AMERICAN SUPERBIKE ROUND AT VIRGINIA

The AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship heads to Virginia International Raceway this weekend (August 30 – 31) with Australian Mat Mladin holding a 33-point lead in the title chase with two rounds (four races) remaining in this year’s championship.

As is always the case for Mladin when he is preparing for any race meeting, he will calculate what needs to be achieved at the meeting to satisfy his and his team’s goals for the weekend as well as the overall championship placing.

VIR is a venue that the three times American Superbike champion has never won at, but while he will be looking to break his win drought there, he will also be riding with a championship win in mind.

“It does present a bit of a challenge for us not having won a race there before,” said Mladin “it’s at the time of the season where I still want to win races, but it’s getting to the point where we are starting to think about the championship a little bit. We have to take things how they come and see what happens when it’s race time. For sure I would still like to win there, but on the other hand, I will not be putting myself into any unnecessary situations either.”

Two weeks ago, Mladin and his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 were the fastest combination in a three-day test conducted at VIR leaving the championship point’s leader in a positive frame of mind for this weekend’s upcoming double-header round.

“The five-week break in the championship before Virginia gave us a little bit of time to get some things sorted and also allowed us time to do a bit of testing which has proven to be very valuable for us. We had a three-day test at VIR, along with other tests at Barber Motorsports Park and Daytona, each of which, were good. Not only have we learned more about the bike for the remaining races, we are already planning for next year. It’s a fairly important time for us.”

Following on from the VIR test in early August, Mladin headed to Daytona last week to take part in a Dunlop tyre test. The timing of the test proved valuable, with favourable weather conditions allowing Mladin to turn a number of laps in the low 1:48 bracket.

“We went there to test tyres for Dunlop and now they’ve gone away to get something better for the December test. It was a good test definitely. If we didn’t make that trip last week, I think we would have been in a lot of trouble come the December test. If the tyres can last in the hotter conditions that we had, then they should last a bit longer in what are normally cooler conditions come race time at Daytona in March, whereas the December test is generally cooler than the conditions that we would expect in March. So this is probably the best test for them.”

With this year’s championship winding down with just Virginia and Barber Motorsports Park, Alabama (September 21) remaining, Mladin finds himself in a position where he can further add to his record-breaking career in the AMA Superbike Championship. Already the all-time AMA Superbike pole position record holder with 30 (with six poles in 2003), he has an opportunity to surpass a number of other win records, such as the all-time career win record which stands at 26 (he currently has 23), the most number of race wins in one season which stands at 10 (he currently has 9) and most importantly he is aiming to become the first rider to have won four AMA Superbike Championships.

“A lot of people have asked me about the records that are able to be broken this year, but for me personally and for Suzuki, our most important goal is to win the Superbike Championship. That is what I am here to do and that is by far the most important. If we are in a position to take another race win or so in the remaining rounds that will be great as well, but we have to achieve our main goal first.”

VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY – FAST FACTS

Circuit length: 3.58km / 2.225 miles
2002 Pole position: Nicky Hayden (American Honda) 1:24.7618

2002 Results:
Race 1
1. Nicky Hayden (American Honda RC51)
2. Doug Chandler (HMC Ducati 998RS)
3. Miguel DuHamel (American Honda RC51)

Race 2
1. Eric Bostrom (Team Kawasaki ZX-7RR)
2. Mat Mladin (Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R750)
3. Aaron Yates (Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R750)

Lap Record: Nicky Hayden (American Honda) 1:24.7618 (2002)

2003 AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship (points after 14 of 18 rounds)
1. M Mladin (431)
2. A Yates (398)
3. B Bostrom (376)
4. E Bostrom (350)
5. K Roberts (349)
6. M DuHamel (332)
7. J Pridmore (315)
8. S Higbee (299)
9. V Haskovec (221)
10. J Szoke (212)

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Takeshi Tsujimura won round six of the eight-round All-Japan Road Race Series on Sunday, August 24 at the 2.9-mile Autopolis International Racing Course in Japan. Tsujimura won the 18-lap race by over two seconds on his JSB1000-spec F.C.C. TSR Honda CBR954RR.

Kenz JTrust Suzuki’s Keiichi Kitagawa turned the fastest lap of the race on his GSX-R1000 but could not match Tsujimura’s pace and finished second, 2.784 seconds back. Kitagawa did, however, extend his JSB1000 Championship point lead from 16 to 22 points over Atsushi Watanabe. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Watanabe, the defending JSB1000 Champion, finished fifth at Autopolis, 12 seconds back.

All-Japan Road Race Series
Round Six Results:

1. Takeshi Tsujimura (Hon CBR954RR), 34:18.830, 18 laps
2. Keiichi Kitagawa (Suz GSX-R1000), -2.784 seconds
3. Tatsuya Yamaguichi (Hon CBR954RR), -2.847 seconds
4. Osamu Deguichi (Hon CBR954RR), -12.158 seconds
5. Atsushi Watanabe (Suz GSX-R1000), -12.786 seconds
6. Nobuyuki Ohsaki (Yam YZF-R1), -13.007 seconds

DNF. Hitoyasu Itzutsu (Hon CBR954RR), -16 laps


Fastest Lap: Kitagawa, 1:53.439, Lap 3

Pole Position: Yamaguichi, 1:52.886 (New Track Record)

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

AMA SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE DOWN TO TWO

Yamaha teammates Hacking and Buckmaster among favorites at VIR

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Aug. 25, 2003) — After a long season of often intense and thrilling racing the 2003 Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship presented by Shoei comes down to two riders – Yamaha teammates Jamie Hacking and Damon Buckmaster. Hacking leads the championship by 30 points coming into round 10 of the 11-race series Sunday, Aug. 31 at Virginia International Raceway. Hacking is in the catbird seat to win his first AMA National title, but he first has to get through VIR, a track where he’s had nothing but rotten luck.

Hacking has won four Supersport races this year while none of the other five winners this season has managed to win more than one race. That kind of dominance has put Hacking on the verge of winning his first AMA Championship and you can hear the tenseness in his voice about coming to VIR.

“I’m not going to say it’s one of my favorite tracks,” says Hacking who has suffered bad crashes at the circuit on Supersport bikes in the previous two visits. “I’ve had some bad luck there. Before I was pushing too hard on equipment that wasn’t up to the task, but this year is different. I have the best equipment out there and I’ve been able to have good results on several tracks this year where I had trouble before.”

Hacking admits that having a 30-point lead with just two races remaining changes his strategy for VIR. “I don’t have to go out there and prove anything,” he said. “I don’t have to run near the front, but I don’t want to run too far back and get mixed up in any kind of mess. If I feel comfortable and can get an early gap on the rest of the field I might go for the win, otherwise I’ll just lay back and see how the race plays out.”

Buckmaster does not have the luxury of picking how he will approach the VIR race. The Aussie veteran simply must try his best to win, or at the very least finish in front of Hacking, so he’ll have a better shot of catching his teammate in the final race in Birmingham, Ala., in September. Buckmaster finished fifth in the race last year.

Even though Hacking is in control of the championship, the series has been wide-open at times with six different winners on the year. That’s the highest number of winners in Supersport since 1998. One of those winners is Tommy Hayden, last year’s VIR Supersport victor. Hayden hopes to close out the season strong on his factory Kawasaki and defending his VIR win would help him do just that.

Veteran Honda rider Miguel Duhamel is another rider who has done well at VIR. In 2001 he finished runner-up in the Supersport race to Anthony Gobert. Duhamel is already the all-times wins leader in AMA Supersport history. He would love nothing better than to pad his incredible career win number that stands at 41, with a victory at VIR.

Virginia International Raceway is one of the most scenic road courses in America. It offers some spectacular vistas to view racing and is one of the favorites of many riders on the circuit. The race will be shown live on Speed Channel at 12 p.m. Eastern. For additional information on VIR’s Suzuki Lightning Nationals contact (434) 822-7700 or visit www.virclub.com.

From a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:

SUZUKI GB PHASE ONE TAKE PODIUM FINISH

Sunday August 24th 2003

Suzuki GB Phase One took full advantage of the double points available at the Oschersleben 24 Hour round of the World Endurance Championship to secure a 23 point championship lead over rivals Zongshen.

After once again surviving a second lap incident which saw four of the major teams limping back to the pits for repairs, riders Jason Pridmore, James Ellison and Josh Hayes ran a smooth and consistent race to finish in a comfortable second place. They battled with eventual winners GMT94 for the lead through the night until a minor spill by Hayes forced a strategy rethink. With Zongshen 1 retired from the race, a second position finish was be enough to leave Phase One in a very strong position for the final round of the championship which takes place on the fifth of October at Vallelunga in Italy.

Suzuki GB Phase One team manager Russell Benney: “We came into this race second in the championship and we’re leaving it in the lead after a good second place. We’ve pulled a 23 point margin over Zongshen and we go to the final round as favourites, only needing 3 points. I think it should be an easy task to achieve. It’s great to be 24 hour racing – like coming back home. This team is all about 24 hour races; all our skills and techniques apply to long distance racing.”

Both the team’s Suzuki GSX-R1000s ran well over the full race distance; the Phase One Junior team finishing in eleventh place overall.

Championship Standings after 6 of 7 Races:


1. Suzuki GB – Phase One – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – 139 points.

2. Zongshen 1 – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – 116 points.

3. Yamaha GMT94 – Yamaha YZF-R1 – 109 points

4. Zongshen 2 – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – 91 points

5. 22 Police Nationale – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – 79 points.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Following two hot days of testing at Daytona International Speedway, Dunlop officials would prefer to use slicks for the proposed 2004 AMA Superstock class, which would include 1000cc four-cylinder machines producing over 160 horsepower.

“If there’s a choice, slicks would be the way to go because overall it’s a safer prospect…an added measure of security,” said Dunlop National Road Race Manager Jim Allen in a August 25 telephone interview. “Whatever the rule is, we will race under that rule. We’re prepared either way.”

Allen said Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates tested a Superstock-spec GSX-R1000 exclusively during his recent test (August 19-20) at Daytona with surprising results. “It (bike) wasn’t far from stock and he did some 1:51s. It was remarkably fast. The lap times and the top speeds were impressive. It might not get there as quick as a Superbike, but it’s not far off it.”

In fact, Yates’ pace matched the testing pace of Honda RC51 Superbike-mounted Miguel Duhamel, winner of the 2003 Daytona 200, and Yates “got good lap times and good distance” out of both DOT-labeled and slick tires during the test, according to Allen.

“I think there was some concern (over using DOT-labeled tires for Superstock) at the AMA,” said Allen. “There’s some privateer guys who don’t have the same resources. They’re (AMA) afraid there may be some neglect further down the ranks.” Stretching tire life, as cash-strapped privateers have been known to do, could have disastrous results at the 180 mph speeds the new 1000cc Superstock bikes will be capable of at Daytona.

Although they don’t test at Daytona every August, Allen said it was good to test in the “stinking hot” conditions, 60 degrees Celsius track temperature. “In December (the date of the annual Dunlop test at Daytona) and March, you may or may not get good weather. It may rain or be cold or whatever. But it’s usually good weather when we race,” said Allen.

Yates’ teammate Mat Mladin turned the fastest unofficial lap time of the test, a hand-timed 1:48.2, according to Allen. “He did several 1:48s and lots of 1:49s. Ben (Bostrom) did a 1:49 but mostly did 1:50s. Miguel did 1:51s. Ben and Miguel both did long distance runs, over one pit-stop-distance. Ben was doing 1:50-1:51s the whole way.”

Allen said the riders tested and/or confirmed six new tire compounds, several different tire constructions and two different sizes (one of which was completely new) at the money-saving event. “It’s expensive to try and test everything with all the riders we have in December. Now when we go back in December, we will have eliminated some things.” The test went so well that the Dunlop men were able to cancel the final day they had scheduled and go home early.

Most of the factory AMA teams tested at Barber Motorsports Park for several days prior to the Daytona test and found the new Alabama track to be hard on front tire wear. “If you look at a map of the place, you’re leaned over on the right side with the front tire heavily weighted about 25 percent of the lap,” said Allen. “It was a cause for concern for Superbike and Supersport riders.

“We’re looking at getting some new compounds built and brought in for the race. My experience is things will get better as more rubber gets built up. I think it’ll get better, but we’ll definitely bring some alternate compounds for the race.”

From a press release issued by American Suzuki’s PR agency:

World Champion Kevin Schwantz’s Supermoto Victory to be Shown on SpeedChannel

BREA, Calif., Aug. 25, 2003 – American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC) congratulates former World Champion Kevin Schwantz on his victory in the Fay Myers Suzuki Supermoto Classic. ASMC also congratulates Mark Avard, who rode his Corona Extra Suzuki DR-Z400 to second place overall. The race was a part of the inaugural Motorcyclist and Dirt Rider CycleFest Presented by Suzuki at Copper Mountain, Col., this past weekend.

The extremely popular Schwantz recently came out of racing retirement to campaign a 2003 Suzuki DR-Z400 in the AMA’s new Supermoto series. His victory at Copper Mountain – where he was crowned “Big Kahuna” as the overall winner after a sixth-place finish on the first day and a first-place on the second – marks the former Grand Prix Champion’s first win in this growing form of racing.

“It feels great to be racing and winning again,” said Schwantz, who currently consults for the Yoshimura Suzuki factory road race team and runs the successful Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School at Road Atlanta. “And Supermoto is an excellent form of racing because it’s inexpensive for the privateers and exciting for the spectators.”

The Fay Myers Suzuki Supermoto Classic, and other events from the Motorcyclist and Dirt Rider CycleFest Presented by Suzuki, will be broadcast on SpeedChannel’s “Two Wheel Tuesday” at 10:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2003.


See related posts:

7/28/2003 Televised Supermoto Race With $20,000 Purse Replaces Cancelled AMA Event In Colorado

7/25/2003 AMA Supermoto Race In Colorado Cancelled

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

GMT94 won the 24-hour Endurance World Championship race at Oschersleben in Germany on a Yamaha YZF-R1.

GMT94’s Sebastian Scarnato, Serafino Foti and David Checa came back from a lap-two, oil-caused pile-up to win the long race with a two-lap margin of victory.

GMT94 caught race leaders Suzuki GB Phase One, which includes American riders Jason Pridmore and Josh Hayes, in the middle of the night, and, according to the official website of the Endurance World Championship, a battle ensued. Suzuki GB Phase One’s riders upped their speed on the track to match GMT94’s quicker pace, while the teams’ pit crews matched each other stop-for-stop. Then Suzuki GB Phase One’s Hayes encountered probems in the early morning hours, which cost the team two laps in the pits for minor repairs, but the damage was done. GMT94 gained a two-lap lead, and Suzuki GB Phase One had to consolidate for second place.

Suzuki GB Phase One now, unofficially, takes the FIM Endurance World Championship point lead 139 to 116 over Zongshen Suzuki 1, which retired early in the 24-hour after a crash. Suzuki GB Phase One should be able to win the World Championship with a 13th or better finish at the final round of the series October 5.

Endurance Moto 38, winners of last year’s Oschersleben 24-hour and another victim of the second-lap crash, came back to score third in front of Zongshen Suzuki 2 and Team Bolliger Kawasaki.


More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group:

Yamaha GMT94 Win Oschersleben 24 Hour

Significant Yamaha Victory and First Italian and Spaniard Win in Recent Years

The Oschersleben 24 Hour round of the FIM World Endurance Championship has been won by the French Yamaha GMT94 YZF-R1 ridden by Frenchman Sebastien Scarnato, Italian Serafino Foti and and Spaniard David Checa.

GMT94 were involved in the second lap incident that claimed several of the top teams, but quick pitwork got them back out on the track and racing again in record time. The three riders then put in one of the best performances of the season to climb back through the field to challenge for second place during the night, eventually passing and pulling clear of second place finishers Suzuki GB Phase One after the British team had a minor crash.

Third place went to another Yamaha, in the hands of last years’ Oschersleben winners, Endurance Moto 38. They were another team who were involved in the second lap crash and then managed to claw back a great result. Fourth placed Suzuki Zongshen No.2 had led the race after the Zongshen No.1 bike crashed out of the race, but brake pad and then clutch problems dropped them down the standings. Fifth place went to the Swiss Kawasaki Bolliger team who put in a classic consistent endurance performance to finish the race in the top five with very little drama.

The 24 Hour race was incident packed from the moment it started, with Zongshen 1, GMT94, Police Nationale, Endurance Moto 38 and Yamaha Austria crashing on oil on lap 2. The pace car was called out for the only time in the race while the track was cleared, and the bikes were able to return to the pits for repairs.

Championship leading Zongshen No.1 were one of the last to rejoin the race, compounding their bad luck with a stop-go penalty and then a crash which injured Igor Jerman and ruled them out of the race. This put the pressure on the remaining teams to make the most of the double points available at a 24 hour race, with Suzuki GB Phase One setting off after Zongshen No.2 while GMT94, Endurance Moto 38, Police Nationale and Yamaha Austria forced their way through the back markers.

GMT94’s David Checa set a blistering pace and it was inevitable that they would catch the leaders. An overnight battle with Phase One was one of the high points of the weekend, the two teams trading lap times and pit stops until Phase One’s Josh Hayes ran off the track and had to pit for repairs. He was able to rejoin the race but GMT94 proved to be un-catchable, forcing Phase One to settle for second place. This is the best result of the year for Yamaha, two bikes on the podium prove that the R1 is now competitive with Suzuki’s GSX-R1000 in World Endurance. Kawasaki also did well with Bolliger’s fifth place. Ducati finished in thirteenth place, Honda in twenty first and Triumph in thirty first place. Just completing this most challenging of all 24 hour races is a real achievement.