From a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:

HARLEY-DAVIDSON REPORTS RECORD FOURTH QUARTER
AND 18th CONSECUTIVE RECORD YEAR

Company sets goal of 400,000 motorcycles for 2007

Milwaukee, Wis. — Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE: HDI) today announced record revenue and earnings for its fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2003. Revenue for the quarter was $1.16 billion compared with $1.03 billion in the year-ago quarter, a 12.8 percent increase. Net income for the quarter was $182.4 million compared to $150.9 million, an increase of 20.9 percent over the year ago quarter. Fourth quarter diluted earnings per share (EPS) was 60 cents, a 22.4 percent increase compared with last year’s 49 cents.

Revenue for the full year was $4.62 billion, compared with $4.09 billion in 2002, a 13.0 percent increase. Net income for the year was $760.9 million, a 31.1 percent increase versus last year’s $580.2 million, while diluted EPS for the full year was $2.50, a 31.6 percent increase compared with $1.90 in 2002.

“This is the 18th consecutive year that Harley-Davidson has achieved records for both revenue and net income,” said Jeffrey L. Bleustein, chairman and chief executive officer of Harley-Davidson, Inc. “We had a phenomenal year full of memorable once-in-a-lifetime experiences surrounding our 100th Anniversary. Introducing the Harley-Davidson brand to hundreds of thousands of potential customers has undoubtedly sparked the dream of ownership and created new excitement for our products.”

“As we begin our 101st year, we expect to grow the business further with our proven ability to deliver a continuous stream of exciting new motorcycles, related products and services. We have set a new goal for the Company to be able to satisfy a yearly demand of 400,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycles in 2007. By offering innovative products and services, and by driving productivity gains in all facets of our business, we are confident that we can deliver an earnings growth rate in the mid-teens for the foreseeable future,” said Bleustein.

Motorcycles and Related Products Segment – Fourth Quarter Results

Revenue from Harley-Davidson motorcycles was $945.3 million, an increase of $125.0 million or 15.2 percent over the same period last year. Shipments of Harley-Davidson motorcycles totaled 77,056 units, an increase of 11,086 units or 16.8 percent over last year’s fourth quarter. The Company’s shipment target remains 317,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycles for 2004.

Revenue from Parts and Accessories (P&A), which consists of Genuine Motor Parts and Genuine Motor Accessories, totaled $141.0 million, an increase of $11.1 million, or 8.5 percent over the year-ago quarter. Revenue from General Merchandise, which consists of MotorClothes apparel and collectibles, totaled $50.7 million, a decrease of $4.1 million or 7.4 percent. Excluding revenue from 100th Anniversary products in 2002’s fourth quarter, the P&A growth rate would have been 20.3 percent over last year’s fourth quarter and the General Merchandise growth rate would have been 20.0 percent over the same period.

Gross margin was 35.9 percent of revenue, down slightly from the prior year’s 36.1 percent. Gross margin was negatively impacted by a higher proportion of Sportster motorcycle shipments and higher manufacturing costs, but partially offset by favorable foreign currency exchange. Fourth quarter operating margin improved to 21.5 percent in 2003 from 20.7 percent in 2002.

Motorcycle Retail Sales Data

Retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles for the year 2003 grew 8.8 percent in the U.S., 6.7 percent in Europe, and 9.0 percent in Japan compared to 2002. Based on the information currently available, Harley-Davidson’s full year market share for the 651cc and up segment is expected to grow in all of the Company’s major markets. “Given the economic climate during the past year, we are pleased with our retail growth,” said Bleustein.

“Although our U.S. dealer network experienced a modest decline in motorcycle sales in the fourth quarter as compared to last year’s fourth quarter, we believe it is difficult to draw meaningful conclusions from this comparison. The urgency to buy a 100th Anniversary motorcycle prior to the celebrations, along with an unusually late shipment plan for ’04 motorcycles, created two very different selling environments. We are confident that 2004 will be another strong year for Harley-Davidson due to current dealer confidence, momentum from the 100th Anniversary and improving economic indicators,” Bleustein added.

For more motorcycle retail data, see the attached tables.

Financial Services Segment

Harley-Davidson Financial Services, Inc. (HDFS), a subsidiary of Harley-Davidson, Inc., reported fourth quarter operating income of $33.8 million, up $8.5 million or 33.4 percent compared to the year-ago quarter.

“Harley-Davidson Financial Services had another strong quarter in both financial performance and in helping to make the dream of owning a Harley-Davidson motorcycle a reality,” said Bleustein. The segment’s performance was driven by continued strong marketplace acceptance of its finance and insurance products.

The Company’s fourth quarter securitization of $300 million of motorcycle retail loans resulted in a gain of $11.4 million, which represents 3.8 percent of loans sold.

Annualized credit losses on a managed portfolio basis increased during the year from 0.72 percent in 2002 to 0.85 percent in 2003, which is within the 5-year historical range of credit losses of 0.72 to 0.90 percent.

Tax Rate

During the quarter, the Company’s tax rate was 35.5 percent, up from 34.5 percent in the first nine months of the year. The Company expects to maintain a rate of 35.5 percent throughout 2004.

Share Repurchase

During the fourth quarter, the Company invested $73.3 million in repurchasing 1.6 million shares of its stock.

Harley-Davidson, Inc. – Twelve Month Results

For the fiscal year ended 2003, total Harley-Davidson motorcycle shipments were 291,147 units compared with 263,653 units in 2002, a 10.4 percent increase. Harley-Davidson motorcycle revenue was $3.62 billion, an increase of $460.4 million or 14.6 percent.

P&A revenue totaled $712.8 million, a 13.3 percent increase, while General Merchandise revenue totaled $211.4 million, an 8.7 percent decrease compared with 2002. Excluding revenue from 100th Anniversary products for both 2002 and 2003, the P&A growth rate would have been 14.4 percent and the General Merchandise growth rate would have been 12.7 percent.

Full year operating income for HDFS was $167.9 million, an increase of $63.6 million or 61.1 percent compared to 2002.

Cash Flow – Twelve Month Results

Operations generated cash of $935.6 million in 2003, even after a $192.0 million contribution to the Company’s pension plans. This cash provided the Company the ability to invest $227.2 million in capital expenditures, to repurchase 2.3 million shares of Company stock for $103.9 million, to pay $59.0 million in dividends and to increase cash and marketable securities by $526.9 million.

2004 and Beyond

In addition to the previously stated motorcycle unit goal, the Company plans on growth in all of its product lines. Harley-Davidson expects the growth rate for P&A revenues to be slightly higher than the motorcycle unit growth rate, and the General Merchandise growth rate is expected to be lower than the motorcycle unit growth rate. The Company expects the HDFS growth rate to be slightly higher than the Company’s motorcycle unit growth rate.

Company Description

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

Forward-Looking Statements

The Company intends that certain matters discussed in this release are “forward-looking statements” intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified as such because the context of the statement will include words such as the Company “believes,” “anticipates,” “expects” or “estimates” or words of similar meaning. Similarly, statements that describe future plans, objectives, outlooks, targets or goals are also forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated as of the date of this release. Certain of such risks and uncertainties are described below.

Shareholders, potential investors, and other readers are urged to consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements and cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this release are only made as of the date of this release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

The Company’s ability to meet the targets and expectations noted depends upon, among other factors, the Company’s ability to (i) continue to realize production efficiencies at its production facilities through the implementation of innovative manufacturing techniques and other means, (ii) successfully implement production capacity increases in its facilities, (iii) successfully introduce new products and services, (iv) avoid unexpected P&A /general merchandise supplier backorders, (v) sell all of the motorcycles it has the capacity to produce, (vi) continue to develop the capacity of its distributor and dealer network, (vii) avoid unexpected changes in the regulatory environment for its products, (viii) successfully adjust to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, (ix) successfully adjust to interest rate fluctuations, and (x) successfully manage changes in the credit quality of HDFS’s loan portfolio.

In addition, the Company could experience delays in the operation of manufacturing facilities as a result of work stoppages, difficulty with suppliers, natural causes or other factors. Risk factors are also disclosed in documents previously filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

From a press release issued by Shaun Harris Racing:

Harris signs for Team Wilson and Collins Racing

Double TT winner Shaun Harris has signed a deal with Manx sponsor Des Collins, to ride for his Team Wilson and Collins outfit, at this year’s Isle of Man TT Races. Harris replaces the now departed Mark Parrett in the Manxman’s team.

The colourful Kiwi will ride a full Superbike spec 1000cc ZX10 Kawasaki in the TT Formula 1 Race and the Senior TT Race. The deal is primarily for this year’s TT, however, Harris hasn’t ruled out riding the bike at the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix Bike Week.

Teaming up with Collins should provide Harris with his best chance of success ever in the premier classes at the TT. He is in superb form in the New Zealand Championships at present, winning seven races from eight starts this season already and is the clear favourite to land the ultra competitive New Zealand Sports Production 600cc title.

Speaking from his home in New Zealand Harris said ‘Yes I am very happy with the deal I have with Des. He is letting me put the products I want on the bike, which is important for me, and he is backing me 100%. This is the sort of ride I have been working hard all my career to secure, and I am aiming to fulfil the rest of my aims at the TT with Wilson and Collins Racing.’

He went on to say ‘I have a few options open to me for the other classes, which I am trying to sort out at the minute, which could lead to me contesting other races in the UK during the summer. However, the TT is my main aim, and I have to work everything else around that.’

From a press release issued by Camel Honda Racing Information:

Sweltering heat at Sepang on second day of Malaysia tests

After the mild weather of recent days at the Sepang circuit, the great heat of Malaysia is back with a vengeance: 36°C (97°F) in the air and 52° C(127° F) on the ground. A tough day but invaluable in terms of tyre development.

In the morning Makoto Tamada completed the chassis settings programme for his RC211V. When compared with the settings used in December, all the adjustments provided useful confirmation and made it possible to gain greater knowledge of the development work on the bike. Both on the Valencia circuit in December, and here in Sepang, a very satisfactory balance was found for the bike.

After the morning tests, Makoto was able to spend the afternoon trying out the tyres. The high temperature of the tarmac gave a perfect opportunity to carry out an in-depth analysis of the new material from Bridgestone. The Camel Honda Team rider tried out almost a dozen different combinations of tyres, making an important initial selection. Endurance tests are planned for tomorrow along with a Grand Prix simulation run.

Shinichi Itoh, the official Bridgestone test rider, continued with his development work. He tried out 15 combinations of tyres and did even more in-depth testing than Makoto Tamada.


Makoto Tamada (# 6 – Camel Honda Team – Bridgestone Tyres)
“They heat’s really up and we’ve got an enormous amount of work to do. This preparatory stage on the run-up to the championship is crucial however, so we just roll up our sleeves and get down to work. I’m pleased about how this second day of tests went and I’m glad to know we’ll be back as early as February for further tests. An all-round job that will let us concentrate entirely on our choices for this year’s championship.”

Luca Montiron (Team Manager Makoto Tamada – Camel Honda Team)
“Today’s conditions, which were very similar to those of the race here last year, gave us an excellent opportunity to see what progress we’ve made so far. In the 2003 race we had some problems in maintaining constant performance from the tyres, so today’s tests gave us some idea about how much the development work has gone ahead. We’ve still got lots more tyres to try out and we’ve got the endurance test to do, but we’re pleased with the references we’ve picked up so far.”

Times on second day of tests:

Makoto Tamada – 2:03 41 – 55 LAPS
Shinichi Itoh – 2:05 07 – 74 LAPS

From a press release issued by Triumph:


TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES (AMERICA) LTD. ANNOUNCES 2004 DAYTONA 600 RACE BIKE PROGRAM

Specially Priced Daytona 600 Available To Licensed Racers Through Triumph Dealer Network



NEWNAN, Georgia – January 21, 2004 –Triumph Motorcycles (America) Ltd., announced today that the company has made the Daytona 600 available to dealers at special pricing for licensed road racers. Harking back to the greatest traditions of British engineering and craftsmanship, Triumph has reemerged as a serious contender in road racing with the debut of the Daytona 600. The Valmoto Daytona 600 win in the 2003 Isle of Man Junior TT – arguably the ultimate test of a motorcycle’s true performance and reliability, proves the racing ability of this motorcycle.

“Triumph is pleased to be able to support racers with this program,” said Todd Andersen, Triumph Motorcycles (America) Ltd., Vice President, Marketing, “Triumph has honed the Daytona 600 into a competitive package that provides a terrific balance of power and handling. Licensed racers can visit a Triumph dealer today to get more information on our Daytona 600 support program.”

About the 2004 Daytona 600

The Daytona’s 599cc liquid-cooled four-cylinder motor pumps plenty of power. Throttle response is razor sharp and precise due to the use of Keihin twin-butterfly EFI throttle bodies and a 32 bit processor.

The lightweight exhaust system is made from 1.2mm thin wall steel tube and is of a 4-2-1-2-1 design with header lengths tuned to suit the intake system, head porting and combustion chamber shape. Peak power of 110bhp arrives at 12,750rpm. Peak torque, 50.5ft.lb, is delivered at 11,000rpm.

The aluminum strong and light twin spar frame uses a three-cell construction. Rake and trail are a lightning-sharp 24.6º/89.1mm and a wheel base 1390mm (54.7in). The 43mm cartridge forks use single-rate springs. All fork internals – rods, cartridges and fixings – are made from aluminum and the forks are adjustable for spring preload, compression and rebound damping. The lightweight rear shock is also adjustable for spring preload, compression and rebound damping.

Twin four-piston calipers operate on the front 308mm discs with a single-piston caliper on the rear 220mm disc. The lightweight three spoke wheels are cast in aluminum. Tire sizes are front, 120/70-ZR17, rear 180/55-ZR17.

The Daytona 600 is available in three paint options – Racing Yellow, Aluminum Silver and Tornado Red.

View the model specifications here.

About 2003 Isle of Man TT

Triumph’s commitment to producing a fully focused sports machine for the real world paid off at the 2003 Isle of Man TT. The famous 37.73-mile circuit not only provides the backdrop for the greatest road motorcycle race in the world but remains to this day the ultimate test of a motorcycle’s power, handling and reliability and rider skill.

The 2003 Junior TT (for Supersport 600 specification bikes) was won by Kiwi Bruce Anstey on the Triumph factory-backed ValMoto Daytona 600. He was a massive – by Junior TT standards, where differences are usually measured in fractions – 10.96s ahead of his nearest rival at the checkered flag and also won the race in record time, completing four laps in 1 hour, 15 minutes and 13.98 seconds. Bruce’s Triumph team-mates, Jim Moodie and John McGuinness, finished 9th and 10th respectively meaning that Triumph also won the coveted Junior TT Team Award.

This historic victory not only proves the Daytona 600’s overall performance but also proves emphatically that there is now another choice for any motorcyclist considering a sport 600.

“The Daytona 600 is a rare mixture blending technology, performance and sheer beauty in one very compact and useable package,” stated Andersen. “We are excited about making this racing support opportunity available through our dealer network. “

Triumph Motorcycles (America) Ltd., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Triumph Motorcycles, Ltd., the manufacturer of Triumph motorcycles and accessories. Triumph Motorcycles (America) Ltd., is located in Newnan, GA and services the Triumph dealer organization throughout the United States, Canada and Latin America.

From a press release issued by the Museum of Arts and Sciences:

The Era of the Motorcycle is an exciting motorcycle exhibition that will be displayed at the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach from February 27, the first week of Bike Week 2004, through April 25, 2004.

The exhibit, which marks the first gathering of vintage bikes in a museum setting during Daytona Beach’s famous Bike Week celebration, is a chronological display of the finest vintage, special interest and custom bikes. Showcased will be nearly 50 motorcycles from the early 1900s including examples from American, British, German, Italian and Japanese makers. Also on display will be special interest bikes from vintage race and record-holding bikes to the latest jet bike.

A special gallery will showcase motorcycles from the top custom bike builders in the world, some of which have been featured on national television shows. Included in this display will be the artwork of noted photographer Michael Lichter. Michael’s work has been viewed around the world, and he is recognized as today’s preeminent photographer of motorcyclists and their lifestyle.

An integral part of the display will be a custom ride-in bike show on Thursday, March 4, during Bike Week. This will be a national level judged show with categories of vintage to world-class custom machines. Trophies will be awarded to the different class winners.

The Museum of Arts and Sciences is located on Nova Road, 2 mile south of International Speedway Blvd., in Daytona Beach. Museum hours during Bike Week are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 per adult. For more information, please call (386) 255-0285.

From a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
PRESEASON TESTING – SEPANG, MALAYSIA
21ST JANUARY 2004

NAKANO AND HOFMANN ON THE PACE AT SEPANG

The second of four days of testing at Sepang in Malaysia ended on a high note for the Kawasaki Racing Team, as Shinya Nakano proved emphatically that he’s getting to grips with the Ninja ZX-RR by improving on his fastest lap in the Malaysian Grand Prix, held at the Sepang circuit just three months ago, by almost a second.

An intensive test programme today saw Nakano and Fuchs Kawasaki teammate, Alex Hofmann, working with their respective pit crews to evaluate different frame and swinging arm combinations, before continuing to refine the set up of suspension components and chassis geometry this afternoon.

Nakano, who made his Kawasaki debut just 24 hours ago, saw an improvement in his lap times in every session, before posting his fastest time of 2:04.38s late in the afternoon to finish more than two seconds faster than yesterday.

Switching to the latest version of the Ninja ZX-RR for today’s test programme, Alex Hofmann also saw a dramatic improvement in his lap times. The 23-year-old German rider was lapping consistently in the low 2:05 bracket during race distance runs designed to evaluate chassis changes, dropping to a time of 2:05.16 during the final afternoon session, to finish over a second faster than his previous best lap around the Sepang circuit.

For Team Manager Harald Eckl, the improvements made by Nakano and Hofmann exceeded his expectations, but the former Grand Prix rider has no intention of allowing his riders to rest on their laurels and is already pushing them to find another half a second before the four day test concludes on Friday afternoon.

Shinya Nakano: best time – 2:04.38 (62 laps)
“We’ve made some positive steps today with the set-up of the bike. I’m starting to get used to the Ninja ZX-RR and I definitely felt a lot more comfortable on the bike today. The team have worked really hard to set the bike up to suit me and we’ve managed to evaluate two different frames and a couple of changes to the geometry of the bike during today’s test session. I’m still getting a small amount of front end chatter, and we need to look at improving the stability of the bike under braking but, overall, the bike feels not so bad. I’m happy with my lap times today and I’m looking forward to further improvements tomorrow when we start engine and tyre testing.”

Alex Hofmann: best time – 2:05.16 (54 laps)
“It was good to park up the old bike and start testing the new one today. Our main focus has been on the chassis; evaluating different frames and swinging arms to find the best combination and then running them over race distance to allow an accurate comparison. I’m pretty happy with what we’ve achieved today. I was able to circulate in the low 2:05 bracket during the race distance runs and I’m confident that there’s still more to come. We’ve got a few more chassis tweaks we want to try tomorrow morning, before getting down to engine and tyre testing in the afternoon.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“It’s been another day of positives for the team. Both riders are working well together with their respective crews and the result of this is apparent on the track. It’s enjoyable to see improvements in every area; the bike, the riders and the way that everyone is starting to gel as a team. If I’m honest, to have Shinya go faster than in the race here last year on only the second day of the test is more than we expected and, if both riders can find another half a second before we leave Sepang on Friday, then I’ll be more than satisfied with our first test of 2004.”

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Bridgestone, Dunlop, Michelin and Pirelli vendors say their race tire sales increased during this past weekend’s Willow Springs Motorcycle Club (WSMC) event at Willow Springs International Raceway.

“We had a record January. I was checking my records, and it may have been a record weekend (overall), but it was definitely a record January,” said Jerry Jirkovsky of California Race Tire Service, the Pirelli and Bridgestone vendor for WSMC events.

Racers Edge Performance’s Dale Kieffer, a Michelin vendor, said he also enjoyed increased sales at the January WSMC event. “I would say sales were up maybe 15-20 percent,” said Kieffer.

Sport Tire Services’ Dennis Smith, the Dunlop race tire vendor, said “We had an up weekend also. In fact, it was substantially better than December.”

From a press release issued by Visionsports:

“Super” Dave’s Race Against Childhood Cancer

Racer and Visionsports Riding Schools’ chief instructor “Super” Dave Rosno will compete in the Formula USA National Road Race Series in Sportbike and Superbike in an effort to raise awareness about pediatric cancer and to raise funds for Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer, Inc., the MACC Fund.

Formed in 1976, the MACC Fund is a charitable organization formed to support research into the effective treatment and cure of childhood cancer. Cancer is the leading disease-related cause of death in children after the newborn period.

As part of the program, “Super” Dave will be donating portion of his purse money to the fund. Dave continues, “Certainly, motorcycle road racing purses aren¹t incredible, but I’m willing to put some of the money toward the MACC Fund. I do have some private supporters that are interested in helping me out with some of my expenses, and if that goes like we’re hoping, I really hope to donate all my purse money to the MACC Fund.”

Additional funds will be raised through sales of “Super Dave’s 2004 Race Against Childhood Cancer” T-shirts. “Potentially, the shirt sales might surprise me. The shirts will be available at the Formula USA events, local road race events at Blackhawk Farms Raceway in Rockton, Illinois and Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin’s Road America, Visionsports Riding Schools’ programs, and on line. I’ve got a goal in mind of wanting to sell a thousand shirts. That should be good for a donation of about $10,000 to the MACC fund,” Dave concludes.

As part of the program, Dave will be setting up contacts for interviews with local media at each event. The final part of the program will involve visiting pediatric cancer patients. “I’ll be limited to local patients, but the idea is to show the kids that they are the heroes. Might just be a visit to sit down and read a book with them,” adds Dave.

Dave Rosno is married with two boys. He lost his mother, Dorothy Rosno, to cancer in 1995.

More information is available at www.team-visionsports.com or contact Dave at (262)594-3883.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Mat Mladin will ride the new 2004 Suzuki GSV-R Suzuki MotoGP racebike at Sepang tomorrow.

Mladin and Aaron Yates are in Malaysia testing with the Yoshimura Suzuki Superbike team while Kenny Roberts and John Hopkins are testing with the Suzuki MotoGP team.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Arizona Motorsports Park (AMP), a one-year-old road course located just west of Phoenix, Arizona, has been ordered to immediately cease operations by Maricopa County officials. As a result, track management has been forced to put all events at the facility on hold until further notice.

“That’s correct,” John Naughton, AMP General Manager told Roadracingworld.com Wednesday. “We’re working to get a temporary restraining order and file a lawsuit, which will probably keep the facility open until the litigation is finalized.”

Asked what the issue was, Naughton said, “That’s a great question…It’s a lot of backdoor politics.”

“The County Board of Supervisors voted to revoke their special use permit,” Maricopa County Communications Director Al Macias confirmed Wednesday. “It was my understanding that the applicant had not complied with the original stipulations when they had applied for the permit.”

Asked what the specific issues were, Macias said he didn’t have all of the information in front of him but said, “There was pages of them…the number of people that could be at the racetrack, the number of cars that could operate there. I believe one of the supervisors made the point this morning that the original application said it was not to be a commercial venue, effort, or whatever. Yet the attorney for the racetrack this morning said that Subaru and Porsche had contracted to use the track for testing and had indicated that Honda motorcycles was also going to be using it. Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox said that sounded like a commercial activity as opposed to the private use that the Board had originally been told was going to be used there.”

Honda held its worldwide press launch for the 2004 CBR1000RR at AMP over several days in December, and several racing organizations have scheduled dates at the track in 2004.


More, from a press release issued by Maricopa County:

WEST VALLEY RACE TRACK PERMIT REVOKED

Decision Made at Public Hearing After Much Debate

(Phoenix) – The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors unanimously revoked a special use permit for the Arizona Motorsports Park citing sound, crowd, and traffic issues. The track is located on Camelback Road just west of Litchfield Park.

At least 100 citizens attended this morning’s Board meeting, many sporting bold yellow and black stickers that declared they “Support APM”, while others wore round buttons with a race car crossed out by the international sign for “No”.

District 4 Supervisor Max Wilson has taken a great personal interest in this issue. He recently held two public meetings to take comments from citizens, and his office has received literally thousands of phone calls and emails on both sides of the debate.

Mr.. Wilson said, “This was not a “pro” or “anti” racing issue. It was purely a question of whether the applicant had complied with the requirements of the original application. Today’s decision by the Board of Supervisors says the applicant did not.”

A video tape was shown at the start of this morning’s Planning and Zoning hearing. It was made in December, 2001 on the day the Board of Supervisors first granted the Special Use Permit to Arizona Motorsports Park. In it, then Chairman Jan Brewer is heard asking repeatedly about the plans for the race track. It was quite clear that the owner wanted to have a track for personal use, racing his own road-ready vehicles. Residents near the park have complained for months that the park was not run as a private racetrack, that the owners violated the stated hours of operation, and that huge crowds and noise were causing problems.

For more information, contact the District 4 office at 602-506-7642



And now, comments from a reader and local resident:

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail

We live approximately 5 miles from the track and while it was being built kept an eye on its progress awaiting its opening and subsequently the racing events it would host.

During the building phase of the project NO ONE came forward in the community to object to its location or use. The local paper even published the track’s information and use. The track held meetings with the local government and townspeople and again NO ONE came to complain or object. The track’s website even stated that the facility would also have a skid pad besides the track and they would be used for testing and training.

Once the track opened a few elitists in the nearby communities, Goodyear & Litchfield Park, started complaining to the local government about the lack of permanent restrooms. (Port-0-johns were being used initially) A permanent restroom trailer was brought in and set up. End of issue right? Nope. Next they complained about the noise level. We have been to several events and you have a very hard time hearing the cars & motorcycles that are running from the main road, less than a mile away. So the noise issue is really a none issue. But when the complaints weren’t acted upon the neighbors began to come up with other issues; too many people/crowds, traffic, Use Permit issue, etc. It is obvious that they are looking for anything that will take “hold” and get the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors’ attention. We have been to several events and NEVER had to wait for admittance in any line. The parking lot is not even half full at the events. The Use Permit issue not being correct for the track’s usage has been their final complaint and subsequently they WON. The track is officially closed.

When I called the Maricopa County Board of Supervisor’s District 4 office this morning I spoke to the secretary for the District 4 Supervisor to complain about the closure. Even she was confrontational about my complaint. She didn’t stay neutral in the issue and listen to my comments, she actually stated that the District 4 Supervisor lives in the community near the racetrack. Apparently this Supervisor is against the track and its usage, if he is allowing his secretary to take such a verbal stand with callers who are ‘for’ the track. So much for his impartiality in this matter.

This track would have brought a lot to a developing community. Less than 3 miles away is a 4 Star resort, shopping and dining and it’s continuing to grow. The economic rewards would be benefical to such a community.

It’s a SAD day when a few elitists can get their way in a community. Is this what America has come to?

Mary Beechler
A Sad Motorcycle Enthusiast
Phoenix, Arizona