Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

A second-lap crash caused by oil on the track at the Oschersleben 24-hour race in Germany could have serious Endurance World Championship implications.

In a scenario that eerily resembled what happened at the Suzuka 8-Hours, the previous round of the Endurance World Championship series, five teams fell in oil on the track on the second lap of the long race. Crashers included the current Championship leaders Zongshen Suzuki 1 and four more teams in the top 10 of the points standings.

Zongshen Suzuki 2 and Suzuki GB Phase One (with American riders Jason Pridmore and Josh Hayes) escaped the pile-up and are first and second, respectively. After three hours of the 24-hour race Zongshen 2’s lead over Phase One was approximately 30 seconds, according to the official World Endurance website.

Zongshen Suzuki 1 was 19th, five laps down, after three hours. Another victim of the second-lap crash, GMT94, fourth in the Championship, was 14th and four laps down.

Suzuki GB Phase One trailed Zongshen Suzuki 1 by 17 points at the start of the Oschersleben race, the penultimate round of the Endurance World Championship. Zongshen Suzuki 2, Police Nationale 22 and GMT94 (third, fourth and fifth in the point standings respectively) also have mathematical chances of winning the World Championship.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Several AMA Pros are at VIR this weekend for a WERA Regional, practicing for next weekend’s AMA National.

Lee Acree, Steve Atlas, Michael Barnes, Opie Caylor, John Haner, Vincent Haskovec and Chris Ulrich are all racing at VIR this weekend. All but Atlas have raced at VIR before.

Acree is riding his YZF-R6 Supersport bike, Haskovec is riding a borrowed GSX-R600 and Barnes is riding his GSX-R1000. The others are riding GSX-R750 Suzukis.

Acree, Barnes, Haskovec and Ulrich have won AMA Superstock Nationals; Acree won at VIR in 2001 and won at Road Atlanta and Sears Point in 2002. Barnes won in 750cc Supersport (now known as Superstock) at Las Vegas in 1996 (as well as in 600cc Supersport at Daytona in 1989). Haskovec won at Atlanta this season, while Ulrich (who drove from California to VIR solo, leaving the Los Angeles area Tuesday afternoon and arriving at the track late Friday night) won at Mid-Ohio last year and at Laguna Seca the year before.

They’re expected to compete in 16-lap Solo races this afternoon.

Haskovec and fellow AMA National winner Mike Smith raced last weekend with CCS at Barber Motorsports Park. The event was Haskovec’s first time on the Barber course.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

2003 Isle Of Man 1000cc Production & 600cc Production winner Shaun Harris is at Grattan Raceway this weekend for a WERA Regional, testing on a friend’s Yamaha YZF-RR6.

Shaun said he is very excited to be in the U.S. and is currently interested in racing endurance here, as well as, some AMA events.

Harris is a 4-time New Zealand 600cc Champion and was the first person in the world to win on 600cc, 750cc, and 1000cc bikes(according to him).

Harris is a real down-to-earth guy and has loads of race stories to share. He said he would really like to find a 750 to race here in the U.S.

He will be racing C-Superstock and C-Superbike this weekend at Grattan.

I’m here as well, connecting through a cellular modem.

Jeffrey Agnes
WERA #123
Wooster, Ohio

From a press release issued by FGSport Group:

Suzuki Zongshen 1 Pole Position

8 Manufacturers represented on the grid

Warwick Nowland has taken pole positions for Suzuki Zongshen No.1 with a lap time of 1:29.961; he is the only rider to have dipped below the 1:30 mark. The time was set on a race tyre only ten minutes into the session, and left Nowland ecstatic. “1:29 is only a couple of seconds off the World Superbike race pace. Piegiorgio did a 1:30.0 yesterday so I thought I could beat that. We didn’t change much on the bike; I just spent yesterday evening staring at a map of the track trying to work out where I could brake a little deeper and turn a little later. I just kept repeating ‘1:29…1:29…’ in my head, and it worked.”

Nowland tried to better the time later in the session using a qualifying tyre but fell in the attempt. His teammate Stephane Mertens suspected that the tyre may have cooled down too much. “These tyres have a very narrow temperature range. If you slow down to wait for a gap the tyre won’t grip when you speed up again.”

The fastest lap of the race last year was a 1:31.842; the pressure is on Zongshen 1 this year and Nowland has risen to the challenge.

Second place went to Piergiorgio Bontempi on the Suzuki Zongshen No.2 bike, with a time of 1:30.015 set yesterday; only a handful of riders went quicker today due to strong headwinds on the start-finish straight.

One rider who did improve was Jason Pridmore on the Suzuki GB Phase One bike, shaving off half a second but staying in third place. Yamaha GMT94 are in fourth place; the Oschersleben circuit suits their Yamaha R1’s handling and the team are also benefiting from the use of special tyres direct from the Michelin factory allowing them to make the most of the advantage.

Fifth place was taken by Suzuki Phase One Juniors after an impressive performance by Aussie Damian Cudlin. In sixth were last year’s Oschersleben winners Yamaha Endurance Moto 38, and taking seventh were Yamaha Austria. Eighth place goes to the wildcard Yamaha OBI Shell Bike Promo Yamaha R1.

Suzuki Police Nationale limited the number of laps they did today after suffering several crashes yesterday, but held onto ninth place. They are waiting for more engine parts to be received from France before the race tomorrow.

Suzuki KFM Herber, in tenth place, have a revised rider line up for this race, with Giachino replacing Bursa and Tode riding as reserve; the German team are aiming for consistency during the race but are feeling confindent.

The addition of Buell, Triumph and Aprilia to the Oschersleben grid has brought the total number of manufacturers represented in the 24 Hour World Endurance race to eight – a remarkably diverse entry list.

The Buell XB9R, Triumph 955 Daytona and Aprilia RSV1000R join more regular entrants from Suzuki (GSX-R1000), Yamaha (R1 and R6), Kawasaki (ZX9R and Z1000), Honda (CBR900RR and CBR600R) and Ducati (998R). Add in the Mondial Piega which has raced at most rounds this year, and the BMW R1100S which was entered at Suzuka, and the total comes up to ten for the championship as a whole.

2003, August 22

Provisional Top Ten Qualifying Positions

1. Suzuki Zongshen 1 (CHN) – Nowland, Mertens, Jerman: 1:29.961

2. Suzuki Zongshen 2 (CHN) – Bontempi, Bonhuil, Vanstaen: 1:30.015

3. Suzuki GB Phase One (GBR) – Pridmore, Ellison, Lindstrom, Hayes: 1:30.209

4. Yamaha GMT94 (FRA) – Foti, Checa, Scarnato: 1:30.965

5. Suzuki Phase One Junior Team (GBR) – Fincher, Jessop, Cudlin: 1:31.490

6. Yamaha Endurance Moto 38 (FRA) – Hacquin, Morillon, Cuzin : 1:31.658

7. Yamaha Austria (AUT) –Wilding, Saiger, Truchsess: 1:31.935

8. Yamaha OBI Shell (GER) – Knofler, Ludwig, Penzkofer, Bergau: 1:32.118

9. Suzuki Police Nationale 22 (FRA) – Giabbani, Blora, Kishida: 1:32.584

10. Suzuki Team KMF Herber (GER) – Herber, Giachino, Persson, Tode: 1:32.662

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

KING LOOKING TO BECOME THREE-TIME WINNER AT SEDALIA

AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — Rich King knows how to win at the Sedalia (Mo.) Half-mile. The 40-year-old Iowan racing veteran is a two-time winner at the track and this Saturday, Aug. 23, King hopes to win his third AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship race on Sedalia’s State Fair Speedway. For King, another win at Sedalia could help move him up from fifth in the series standings and enable him close in on series leader Chris Carr. Saturday night’s race at Sedalia is round 12 of the 17-race AMA Grand National Series. Also on the bill is round six of the Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Series featuring riders racing equally matched Harley-Davidson 883cc Sportsters.

Since 1994 Sedalia has been a stop on the AMA tour. Chris Carr and Joe Kopp join King as former winners of the event, but it’s been King who has been the most consistent performer at the half-mile in recent years. King, who rides for the Harley-Davidson factory team, has finished in the top-five at Sedalia four of the last five years, including his victories there in 1999 and again last year. King is looking for his second victory of the season. He won on the Springfield Mile in May.

“Sedalia is a place where I always seem to do well,” said King, a 21–year veteran of the series. “It’s a typical Midwestern track like so many of the half-miles I came up racing on and I feel comfortable there. The races have been so close in the series this year that any one of 10 riders could probably win this weekend, but I’m hoping to get on top of the podium again. The series is coming to the homestretch and it’s time to make a move.”

Carr leads the championship coming into this race. He is on a mission to become only the second rider to win five AMA Grand National Championships in the nearly 50-year history of the series. Carr won at Sedalia in 2001 and was runner-up to King last year. Another win this Saturday could give Carr a sizable lead in the championships with only five rounds remaining on the schedule.

Californian Johnny Murphree is second in the series coming into Sedalia. He finished runner-up at Sedalia in 2000 and needs to have a good finish to try to close the 37-point gap Carr has on him. Joe Kopp won this race in 2000 and is third ranked in the series. Like Murphree, Kopp is looking to narrow Carr’s championship lead as the series heads towards its finale in Springfield, Ill., on Sept. 28.

Another rider to watch for at Sedalia could be Bryan Bigelow. The 22-year-old from Au Gres, Mich., is ranked 10th in the point standings coming into this weekend, but he’s quietly built an impressive race record at Sedalia. Over the last five year’s Bigelow has been one of the most consistent riders at the track. He’s scored three top-fives, including podium finishes in 2000 and 2001. He could be primed for a win on the half-mile even though his best finish this year was seventh at the Springfield TT in May.

Sedalia fans will get a full slate of racing on Saturday, with the sixth round of the Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Series. Texan Scott Scherb leads that series after coming off his first win on Aug. 9 in Hagerstown, Md. Scott Stump, who won the very first Sportster race at Sedalia in 1994, is ranked second in the series. Cory McDermitt has scored top-10 finishes in every round this year, including two podium results, and is third in the series.

For additional information on the Sedalia Half-Mile contact (660) 826-2925.


SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

STATE FAIR SPEEDWAY, SEDALIA, MO, HALF-MILE


SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2003

2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Registration at the track

2:30 p.m. – 4:40 p.m. – Tech Inspection at the track

4:45 p.m.- Riders Meeting

5:00 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. – Practice

6:00 p.m. – Qualifying heats

7:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Opening Ceremonies

8:00 p.m. – 8:10 p.m. – 1st Harley-Davidson Sportster Peformance Heat

8:10 p.m. – 8:20 p.m. – 2nd Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Heat

8:20 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – 3rd Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Heat

8:30 p.m. – 8:40 p.m. – 1st Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

8:40 p.m. – 8:50 p.m. – 2nd Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

8:50 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – 3rd Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

9:00 p.m. – 9:10 p.m. – 4th Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

9:10 p.m. – 9:25 p.m. – HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER PERFORMANCE FINAL

9:25 p.m. – 9:35 p.m. – Victory Circle for Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Final

9:35 p.m. – 9:45 p.m. – 1st Progressive Insurance Grand National Semi

9:45 p.m. – 9:55 p.m. – 2nd Progressive Insurance Grand National Semi

9:55 p.m. – 10:05 p.m. – 3rd Progressive Insurance Grand National Semi

10:20 p.m. – 10:35 p.m. – AMA PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE GRAND NATIONAL FINAL

10:40 p.m.- Victory Circle for Grand National

From a press release issued by the AMA:

AMA URGES SOUTH DAKOTA OFFICIALS TO SEEK JUSTICE IN JANKLOW CASE

PICKERINGTON, OHIO — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is calling on motorcyclists nationwide to contact South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds and South Dakota Attorney General Larry Long, and to urge them to seek justice in the case of U.S. Rep. Bill Janklow (R-S.D.), who was involved in a collision that took the life of a motorcyclist last Saturday.

On August 16, motorcyclist Randolph Scott of Hardwick, Minn., was killed in a collision with a car driven by Janklow. The fatal accident took place at the intersection of two county roads in eastern South Dakota where, according to reports, Janklow ran a stop sign while traveling 70mph to 75mph, resulting in the crash that took Scott’s life.

Using AMA Rapid Response, motorcyclists and other concerned citizens can send an e-mail message directly to South Dakota officials. AMA Rapid Response, which allows users to contact lawmakers, government officials and the media with the click of a button, is available on the Association’s website, AMADirectlink.com.

From a press release issued by the AMA:

CALIFORNIA ROLLS BACK ON OFF-ROAD MOTORCYCLE CONVERSION BAN

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has rescinded a memo it issued recently issued that stopped allowing the conversion of off-road motorcycles built since 1978 into street-legal or dual-sport machines.

But the department said it would issue new rules soon.

When the department released the memo in July stopping the conversion of certain off-road motorcycles to street-legal and dual-sport use, it represented a major change in policy for the agency. That’s because the DMV’s own registration manual, and a California Highway Patrol bulletin, spelled out procedures for legally making such conversions.

From a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway:

Dunlop Tire Test For Daytona 200 By Arai Ends Early

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (Aug. 21, 2003) – The Dunlop tire test in preparation for the 63rd Daytona 200 By Arai has ended a day early.

With no rain the past two days, Dunlop tire officials and riders Miguel Duhamel, Ben Bostrom, Mat Mladin and Aaron Yates completed the objectives of the test.

For ticket information for next year’s Daytona 200 Week, call the Speedway ticket office at (386) 253-7223.

From a press release issued by MonsterMob Ducati:

SHAKEY HOPES TO WRAP TITLE UP AT CADWELL

MonsterMob Ducati’s Shane Byrne goes into this weekend’s action at Cadwell Park hot favourite to wrap up the British Superbike Championship at the Lincolnshire circuit in front of an anticipated record bank holiday crowd.

Never in the championship’s recent history has the title been won with two rounds to spare but such is the 26 year old Kent rider’s advantage, he just needs 22 points from round ten of the twelve round series to be certain of his first major Superbike crown to add to his Privateer’s Cup success of two years ago.

But despite the title being within his grasp, ‘Shakey’ is taking nothing for granted and is focussing on getting back to winning ways after a poor showing in the last round at Oulton Park:

“I’ve not won a BSB race for seven races now and that is starting to bug me. I need to win five out of the last six races if I’m to achieve my goal of a record fourteen wins in a season and obviously if I do that, the title will be well in the bag. It’s all very well settling for safe points but that’s when mistakes creep in as was the case at Oulton so I won’t be doing that from now on” said Byrne who will clinch the series if he beats main rival John Reynolds in the opening race.

Meanwhile, the task will prove much harder for Supersport team mate Stuart Easton who needs to take his third win of the season if he’s any chance of hanging onto his number one plate. The 20 year old from Hawick trails series leader Karl Harris by 45 points and a repeat of the Oulton Park result where Harris won and Easton finished second would see Harris land the title. But the young Scot hasn’t given up and will be aiming to clinch victory around the tight and twisty circuit.

“People wrote me off before Mondello and I ended up winning with Karl down in eleventh and a repeat of that is what I need. I want to take the title fight to the next round at least and I’m not going to surrender my crown easily” said the defending champion.

Team Owner Paul Bird commented: “We just need to wrap up the superbike title as quickly as possible now so that we can start concentrating on our plans for next season. Shakey knows what he needs to do and I’m confident he’ll come up with the goods this weekend. As for Stuart, it’s going to be tough but as long as there’s a chance, we’ll be giving it our best shot.”


Recent British Superbike Champions

1996, Niall Mackenzie, Yamaha

1997, Niall Mackenzie, Yamaha

1998, Niall Mackenzie, Yamaha

1999, Troy Bayliss, Ducati

2000, Neil Hodgson, Ducati

2001, John Reynolds, Ducati

2002, Steve Hislop, Ducati