From a press release issued by Clear Channel:

2004 Supercross Tickets On Sale

AURORA, Ill. – Clear Channel Entertainment’s Motor Sports division announced the schedule for the U.S. events of the THQ World Supercross GP/AMA Supercross Series. Tickets go on-sale for Cross Club members on July 14 for all of the Clear Channel Entertainment – Motor Sports-produced events in the U.S.

December 6, * Europe, To Be Announced

December 13, * Europe, To Be Announced

January 3, *+ Anaheim, Calif., Edison International Field

January 10, *+ Phoenix, Bank One Ballpark

January 17, *+ Anaheim, Calif., Edison International Field

January 24, *+ San Diego, Qualcomm Stadium

January 31, *+ Anaheim, Calif., Edison International Field

February 7, *+ San Francisco, Pacific Bell Park

February 14, *+ Houston, Reliant Stadium

February 21, *+ Minneapolis, HHH Metrodome

February 28, *+ Atlanta, Georgia Dome

March 13, *+ St. Louis, Edward Jones Dome

March 20, *+ Indianapolis, RCA Dome

April 3, *+ Pontiac, Mich., Silverdome

April 17, *+ Irving, Texas, Texas Stadium

April 24, *+ Salt Lake City, Rice-Eccles Stadium

May 1, *+ Las Vegas, Sam Boyd Stadium

*THQ World Supercross GP event

+AMA Supercross Series event

(March 6, Daytona Beach, Fla., Daytona International Speedway is not a Clear Channel Entertainment — Motor Sports-Produced event.)

THQ World Supercross GP is a 17 round global series that is produced and promoted by Clear Channel Entertainment and Dorna Off Road S.L. In 2003-2004, the 17 event THQ World Supercross GP will be comprised of two European events (venues to be announced) and 15 of the 16 events that are conducted in major markets throughout the United States as part of the AMA Supercross Series. The other AMA Supercross Series event held in Daytona Beach, Fla. is independently produced by the International Speedway Corporation, and is not a part of the THQ World Supercross GP.

July 14-15: Cross Club members will have first choice of tickets. For more information and to join the Cross Club, please log on to: www.sxgp.com.

July 18-25: Fans can purchase tickets online at www.sxgp.com, www.ticketmaster.com, www.unlvtickets.com (Las Vegas only), www.tickets.com (San Francisco only).

July 26: Fans can purchase tickets at all ticket outlets.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Nicky Hayden will team with Japanese rider Ryuichi Kiyonari on a Seven Stars Honda RC51 for the Suzuka 8-Hours August 3, according to an official entry list issued July 14.

Kiyonari drew attention last year when he rode a Team Kohtake RSC Honda CBR954RR to the overall race and JSB1000 class wins at round eight of the nine-round All-Japan Road Race Series in the wet at TI Aida Circuit, beating Suzuki’s Yukio Kagayama, who rode a GSV-R MotoGP prototype, and Team Cabin Honda’s Makoto Tamada, on a Honda RC51. It was Kiyonari’s debut in the class.

Kiyonari also won the 2002 All-Japan ST600 (Supersport) Championship on a Honda, taking four wins in eight races.

Kiyonari put in another stand-out performance earlier in 2003 when he finished second in the FIM World Supersport race at Sugo. Kiyonari led most of the event but was passed on the last lap by winner Christian Kellner.

Kiyonari was called up to ride with the Telefonica Movistar Honda team after Daijiro Kato’s fatal accident and has been with the team since the Jerez round in May. To date, Kiyonari’s best MotoGP finish has been 11th at Catalunya.

The 20-year-old from Saitama, Japan has competed in the Suzuka 8-Hours before and finished second in the XF class in 2000.

Hayden, on the other hand, has never competed in the 8-hour classic but has ridden at Suzuka several times and has a lot of experience on the Honda RC51.

Hayden, Kiyonari and the second Seven Stars Honda team of Tohru Ukawa and Hitoyasu Izutsu tested 8-Hours-spec Superbikes at Suzuka July 2-3.

Other teams listed in the July 14 Suzuka 8-Hours entry list include:

Yukio Kagayama and Atsushi Watanabe on a Yoshimura Suzuki GP-1 Maxim GSX-R1000 in the JSB class

Tadayuki Okada and Chojun Kameya on a Team Sakurai Honda RC51 in Superbike class

Anthony Gobert and Adam Fergusson on a Corona Extra TiForce Suzuki GSX-R1000 in the XF1 class

Jordan Szoke and British rider Paul Young on a Corona Light TiForce Suzuki GSX-R1000 in Superbike

Shinichi Itoh and Takeshi Tsujimura on a FCC TSR ZIP FM Racing Team Honda CBR954RR in XF1

American Mickey Lane and Takuya Tsuda on a Spec-A Yamamoto Racing Honda CB1300SF in XF2

Former World Champion Doug Polen and Toshiyuki Hamaguchi on a Moto Liberty Honda CBR954RR in XF1

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The question was posed by a reader after Kurtis Roberts pitted during the AMA Superbike race at Laguna Seca with what he said was a vibration caused by the rear tire spinning on the rim and thus going out of balance.

We posed the question to an American Honda spokesman, asking if saying the tire spun on the rim was some sort of PR code for a more serious tire problem. His reply follows:

Not PR spin, tire spin. The race team said they had to change tires on short notice before the start of the race. The solution they used to help seat the tire was new and did not completely dry, so unfortunately the tire spun on the rim. True story.

From a press release issued by event organizers:

The Heat Is On at Mosport International Raceway

BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO – The heat will be on July 18th, 19th and 20th at Mosport International Raceway with the only Double Header of this year’s Parts Canada National Superbike Championship. Excitement is building as the Factory Race Teams prepare to treat Motorcycle Race Fans to some of the most exciting racing in the Series at this 2.5 mile legendary race course that is the favorite track of many of this weekend’s competitors.

This action packed weekend starts on Friday with practice and qualifying and continues Saturday with Round Four of the Superbike Championship and a full schedule of support races including the Diablo 125 Grand Prix Challenge. Sunday features Superbike Round 5, Pro National Sport bike and Amateur 600 Sport Bike, plus ASM series finals and a second round of the Diablo 125 Grand Prix. Sunday’s racing culminates with the crowning of the ‘King of Mosport’.

Thousands will converge to experience the fast paced, non stop excitement of the Mosport Double Header weekend treating fans to three days of racing and event features. Friday’s lunch-time Parade Laps gives spectators a chance to ride Mosport on their own bikes. Saturday and Sunday’s lunch hours feature the Canadian Chaos Motorcycle Stunt Team performing their Extreme Street Riding Show with heart-stopping stunts like Tank Surfing, Vertical Wheelies and a spectacular Burn Out Finale. A regular crowd-pleaser, the free Motorcycle Demo Rides, are back with even more Manufacturers taking part including Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Buell and BMW. The weekend wouldn’t be complete without a full range of vendors, displaying all the latest motorcycle gear and accessories.

Other Race Weekend features include free paddock access, Racer Autograph Sessions, Dyno Horsepower Runs and Helicopter rides in the Cycle World Helicopter.

The engines will be revving, the racers will be pumped, and the energy will peak at the hottest Motorcycle Race Weekend in Canada. A full three days of action and events for the whole family. Parking and weekend camping are free.

Admission prices; Friday $10.00, Saturday $30.00, Sunday $35.00, Weekend Superticket (3 day pass) $55.00. Children under 12 are admitted free.

For more Mosport Double Header information and directions visit www.supershowevents.com or call 905-655-5403.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Via e-mail:

Just to clarify the traffic situation. The land that needs to be paved is actually owned by the Bureau of Land Management and the strip to connect it belongs to Monterey County. So, the bureaucratic part is getting BLM to deed the property to the County – out of our hands entirely. Plus there are other entities involved including the transit folks and whomever controls the stop light!

Gill Campbell
General Manager
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
Monterey, California


Note: Campbell is responding to an earlier post,

7/12/2003 Laguna Seca Traffic Bottleneck Fix Is Years Away

From a press release issued by VIR:

Suzuki to Sponsor VIR Lightning Nationals

Alton, Va. – VIRginia International Raceway is proud to announce that American Suzuki Motor Corporation will be the title sponsor of this year’s Suzuki Lightning Nationals, the penultimate event of the 2003 season for the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship.

The Suzuki Lightning Nationals will take place over Labor Day weekend, August 29-31, featuring a double-header round of the Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, as well as the Pro Honda Oils Supersport, Lockhart-Phillips Formula Extreme, Suzuki Genuine Accessories Superstock and MBNA 250 Grand Prix series.

Suzuki has come a very long way in the U.S. market since the firm began selling a small line of inexpensive, lightweight motorcycles here in 1963.

Now Suzuki is one of the world’s “Big Four” motorcycle makers, offering a complete range of advanced street, off-road and race-winning machines. Globally, Suzuki is among the dozen top automakers, and sells more models than ever stateside. Inventor of the four-wheel ATV, Suzuki is dramatically expanding its QuadRunner lineup, with a new factory in Georgia to manufacture them in the U.S. For boating enthusiasts, Suzuki serves up a wide array of outboard motors, many of them featuring electronic fuel injection and four-stroke power.

American Suzuki Motor Corporation is everywhere, on two wheels, four wheels and on the water. To help serve millions of customers nationwide, there are six corporate offices, staffed by hundreds of sales, technical, accessory and distribution staff. Across the country, there are more than 1,600 independently owned Suzuki dealerships.

Mel Harris, vice president of the Motorcycle and Marine Division for the American Suzuki Motor Corporation, said that the partnership between Suzuki and VIR was a natural.

“Suzuki is involved in sponsorships at elite tracks around the country to showcase our products and provide a place for our fans to watch motorcycle racing,” he said. “We like VIR, and we think it’s a first-class track. We have a lot of customers in the area of the track that we feel will be looking for some activities on Labor Day.”

Suzuki is having a very good year in the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship, with the potent Team Yoshimura Suzuki tandem of Mat Mladin and Aaron Yates combining to score eight wins out of the 11 races run so far this season. Mladin and Yates currently lie second and third, respectively, in the championship standings.

A new Superbike rules package for 2003 has played right into Suzuki’s hands, according to Harris.

“Suzuki was able to take advantage of the new rules with our GSX-R1000,” he said, “and our two top team Superbike riders, Mat Mladin and Aaron Yates, have demonstrated that the bike has the ability to win with good riders.”

VIR co-owner Connie Nyholm noted that Suzuki is the ideal partner for the multi-faceted motorsports facility outside Danville.

“We couldn’t be more pleased that American Suzuki Motor Corporation has agreed to sponsor the Suzuki Lightning Nationals,” she said. “They are a perfect fit with us, because their product lines match up so well with all the things we do here at VIR, both on the racetrack and at the VIR Euro Rally School and Corporate Motorsports Experience. They are an aggressive, dynamic company, and we look forward to a long and productive relationship with them in the years to come.”

Advance three-day Super Tickets for the Suzuki Lightning Nationals sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing are priced at $45, with single-day tickets priced at $25 (Saturday) and $30 (Sunday). Tickets will be available online through August 14 or at ticket outlets until the day of the event. For online ticket sales or ticket outlets, visit the track’s website at www.virclub.com. At the gate, three-day Super Tickets are priced at $55, with one-day tickets selling for $10 (Friday), $35 (Saturday) and $40 (Sunday). Preferred infield parking is available for $10 payable at the gate, no advance reservations. VIR is a family-friendly facility, where children 12 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Spectator camping is available.

VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River 12 miles east of Danville, Va., and just north of historic Milton, N.C. In addition to its 3.27-mile natural-terrain road racing circuit (which is designed to be operated as two autonomous, full-service courses), VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America’s first motorsports country club, the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park, and the VIR Euro Rally School and Corporate Motorsport Experience, which features four rally stages plus a kart track, motocross track, ATV and SUV training grounds and a Tuff Terrain” course. Future plans include the VIR Gallery, a showroom for high-end collector and racing cars, and resort lodging.

VIR made history from 1957 to 1974 and is doing so again. The renovated original circuit has 17 challenging turns and 130 feet of elevation change. In addition to spectator events, the track is also available to rent for testing, driving schools and club days.

For more information, visit the track’s website at www.virclub.com or contact VIR toll-free at 888-RACE099. For more information on the VIR Euro Rally School and Corporate Motorsport Experience, call toll-free 877-RALLY66 or visit their website at www.vireurorally.com.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Kawasaki Supersport and Superstock pilot Tommy Hayden turns 25 years old today.

Tommy, the oldest of Earl and Rose Hayden’s racing children, still lives where he was born and raised – Owensboro, Kentucky.

Tommy Hayden is in his 10th year of AMA professional racing, has finished fourth or better in the AMA Supersport Championship four times (including second twice), has six career Supersport race wins and has seven career 750cc Supersport/Superstock race wins — all on less-than-750cc machines.