Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Ducati North America General Manager Michael Lock says Ducati becoming more involved in AMA Superbike racing is a top priority for him, but that rule changes are needed to bring parity between 1000cc four cylinders and 1000cc V-Twins.

“I really intend to make it a top priority over the next two or three years,” said Lock when asked about Ducati’s involvement in AMA Superbike racing during the North American press launch of the Multistrada 1000DS in Dana Point, California. “So we’re starting a dialogue on Ducati North America’s side, because commercially, involvement in AMA Superbike racing is very important to us. If I can get dealers behind what we’re doing – we can win on Sunday we can get people excited on Monday – we can do a whole bunch of promotion, which we’re not doing at the moment.

“I was up at Road America, apart from our beautiful trailers in the paddock, we’re not really there, and a quarter of the bikes in the parking lot are red and Italian. And we’ve got to balance that out, we’ve got to get involved because this is our heritage, this is what we do well. And struggling to finish fifth or seventh in not what Ducati is about. We’re looking at balancing that out, and we will get much more involved from corporate in California, much more.”

Lock said he spent the June 6-8 weekend at Road America with Ducati Austin and Dream Team Ducati “looking at the problems they were encountering, feeding that information to the people in Bologna. This year, it’s very difficult to do anything to dramatically change the situation.

“As I’m sure you well know, Anthony Gobert and Team Austin have parted the ways. It just wasn’t working out, and I think everyone would agree that was the best decision for all.

“We had a series of discussions with Larry (Pegram) and the (Dream Team Racing) guys when we were up at Road America. We were overjoyed to see the result (Pegram’s third place) in the second Superbike race at Road America. We were all jumping up and down in the paddock because they were going so well.

“I don’t know the details of their financial situation at the moment. I know that things are tight, but I don’t know what is going on at the moment. And there were some discussion directly between Bologna and the (Dream Team) guys over here, and I don’t know what the outcome is at the moment. I’m not really involved in that directly. We’ve been concentrating on trying to get things going for next year.

“We’re involved in almost daily conversations with the AMA about the rules settings for next year, which is critical to the level of commitment I can get from Bologna,” said Lock. “They don’t want to keep developing lots of different motorcycles for World Superbike, for AMA Superbike and British Superbike. We’re the smallest major team involved and cutting the cake so many different ways is very difficult for me to get the support I need to do it properly over here.”

According to Lock, traditionally all discussions between Ducati and AMA Pro Racing have been held directly between the two entity’s headquarters – Bologna, Italy and Pickerington, Ohio. But Lock has started to talk to “AMA Pro Racing Director of Competition Merril Vanderslice” and “various people in the rules committee” and “anyone who’ll listen” trying “to see if what we can do is we can come to some sort of understanding, both between the needs of the AMA and the needs of a small factory like our own so that we can get a commonality of rules so that we can step up to the plate and be involved. That’s what I’m looking for.”

Lock and some “heavyweights” from Bologna hope to have meetings with the powers that be in AMA Pro Racing and with the World Superbike series at the Laguna Seca event in July.

“I think there are discussions to be had concerning intakes (restrictors),” said Lock. “There are discussions to be had concerning weight. There are discussion to be had concerning the tunability of the two- and four-cylinder engines. I think it’s all on the table, and I think all of the players involved understand all the variables are. It’s a question of which ones you tweak to make everybody happy.

“We’re not looking for a situation where the big Japanese teams with four cylinders feel that they’re disadvantaged, because this will go on forever. It’ll probably go on forever anyway.

“But nonetheless, we’re looking for a compromise that will allow us to compete. You can see from worldwide racing, we can compete. We can compete, we just need a variation of the rules here that as much as possible are common with World Superbike. That would really help us out, and ultimately, I think it would help out all of the teams. The development of several different specifications of bike for the same class of racing in different parts of the world doesn’t really suit anybody.

“We’re not looking for any special favors. We’re looking for an understandings of our position of being a small team with small resources, so that we can compete equally with all of the big guys and do what we do in Europe.”

Asked what Ducati North America’s ideal for the 2004 season would be – how many teams, how many riders, which classes – Lock said, “That’s a level of detail I’ve not really looked at yet because we want to get the principals established. Because if we’re going to be involved I’m going to need the people in Bologna to stop doing other things and start doing work specifically for us, which they’ve not done for a while.

“So we need to see a kind of thumbs-up that there’s going to be the possibility to be involved. Once we get there, we can talk about teams, we can talk about whether it’s direct support, whether it’s private team support, we can talk about Supersport class as well as Superbike. There’s a whole bunch of things we can do if we feel we’re on the same page.

“The grids in Supersport and Superbike without Ducati will look at bit two dimensional. Whether we’re winning or not, we need to be there. I think it’s in everybody’s interest, not only ours, to have a full, three-dimensional grid with Italian bikes, Japanese bikes, everybody there who wants to be there. It’s a priority for me, so we’ll do what we can.

“I would like to see Ducati North America much more involved, not just in racing activities with the AMA but everything,” said Lock. “We’ve been kind of remote, I think, the last two or three years. I see no sense in that. So I’m looking at building a much stronger relationship with the AMA.”

Locke added that he was investigating what it would take for Ducati to become a corporate member of the AMA for the first time in the company’s history.

From a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati:

Dutch TT, Assen, June 26/27/28 2003

DEBUT VICTORY ‘CHANGES NOTHING’ FOR DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM

The Ducati Marlboro Team comes to Assen fresh from its historic first MotoGP victory, but with its focus still very much on the future. Despite Loris Capirossi’s glorious win at scorching-hot Catalunya a fortnight back the Italian squad still considers its first premier-class GP season in three decades as a development campaign, with the onus on improving the awesome Desmosedici at every outing.

This weekend will be a real challenge for the Bologna-based crew, since Assen is a unique circuit, known to race fans around the world as ‘the cathedral’. And the Dutch venue isn’t only unique for its sinuous, high-speed layout, it’s also the only round of the MotoGP World Championship that’s not a Grand Prix. Assen uses the suffix TT for Tourist Trophy, the designation used for the earliest racing events of the last century. Assen is also the only survivor from motorcycling’s inaugural 1949 World Championship.

The MotoGP circus stays in northern Europe for the next GP in Britain on July 13th, half-distance in the 16-round 2003 World Championship. The season concludes at Valencia, Spain, on November 2.

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM READY FOR DUTCH CHALLENGE
Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss both know and love the Assen circuit, which requires a very special riding style, slightly different from that required at other MotoGP tracks. The Italian and Australian can also count on expert back-up from their engineers, who have plenty of Assen knowledge from their World Superbike days.

“Obviously we’re all very happy and confident after Catalunya, and yet we know that this is still a development season for us,” says Ducati Marlboro Team director Livio Suppo. “Our Catalunya win doesn’t really change anything, but it does mean we arrive at Assen in good spirits. Both our riders love this racetrack, but I think we can expect a challenging weekend because Assen is a very complex circuit. Wherever we go, all our efforts are focused on making the bike better. Racing is all about trying to win, that’s what everyone is always trying to do – it’s about know-how and hard work.”

Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli shares Suppo’s attitude to his team’s recent success. “The win changes nothing – it just makes us happier technicians,” he grins. “But we do go to Assen feeling confident. And in some ways it won’t be as tough as Catalunya, because conditions should be much cooler. Assen is a strange track – from our World Superbike experience we know that it’s all about the sequences of high-speed esses, there’s no such thing as a proper straight at Assen. The challenge is to provide a machine that has both easy handling and stability. It’s always easy to have one of the two, but it’s very difficult to find a good compromise between both these characteristics. Anyway, we try not to change our usual settings too much. This is always our aim, because this allows the rider to stay familiar with his machine’s character. Assen is also very grippy – it seems like it has more grip in the rain than some tracks do in the dry.”

CAPIROSSI: ‘ASSEN IS ONE OF THE BEST’
Loris Capirossi has already proved he can win with the Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici, and now he comes to one of his favourite racetracks. The Italian has won two races at Assen (the 1993 and ’99 250 TTs) and has scored two premier-GP class podiums at the Dutch venue (taking third in 2000 and 2001).

“For sure, Assen is one of the best tracks in the world,” says Capirossi. “But not as good as it was two years ago – I don’t like the new part behind the paddock so much. But the track should work well for the Ducati, at the moment our bike prefers the faster tracks, partly because we have a lot of horsepower, and also because the bike likes fast corners. Assen is incredibly quick, so you need plenty of power, plus a quick-steering but stable bike for all the high-speed direction changes. I think it will be very hard work there, because the four-strokes are so fast. I feel great after Catalunya, but there’s still a long season ahead of us with many good riders to beat. We are still working hard, the bike is still new, we must keep improving it.”

Michelin has been particularly impressed with Capirossi’s mode of bike set-up and tyre choice at the last two races – remarkably the Desmosedici can run softer tyres than many rival machines, despite its massive horsepower output.

BAYLISS: LOOKING FOR THE ASSEN GROOVE
Assen is the first track of the 2003 MotoGP season that Troy Bayliss can say that he really knows. The Aussie had never raced at any of the five venues visited so far this year, but he’s contested three Assen World Superbike rounds, with mixed memories. Two years ago he secured the World Superbike crown with two wins at the track, but last year he crashed out, losing the title to arch-rival Colin Edwards (Honda).

“This weekend won’t be like going back there on a Superbike – because MotoGP is a totally different kettle of fish,” says the Australian. “But at least I know my way round, which is handy. I don’t like the new section, though maybe that’s because I had a terrible time at Assen last year, while I won the world championship on the old section. I’m not too keen on the new part behind the paddock because by then you’ve already had enough of all the twists and turns! It’s a very flowing type of track – you’ve got to get in a big groove if you want to get a good result. And you need everything right with the bike to ride it right, which is the same everywhere, but more so at Assen. If you can get yourself into a flowing mood, it just happens. Once you’re in synch, it’s a really nice track.”

THE TRACK
Although Assen is now a modern purpose-built racetrack, some parts of the circuit still follow the layout of the old Circuit Van Drenthe street circuit, which explains both Assen’s singular layout and its unusually profiled surface. The track is also the fastest on the current GP calendar.

Unlike most purpose-built tracks, which feature wide straights and mostly slow to medium-fast corners, Assen is a narrow, meandering circuit, dominated by high-speed corners and rapid direction changes. Its surface is also special, because it is crowned like a public road for improved drainage, whereas other racetracks are flat. The crown poses a particular challenge to riders, who must cope with four changes of camber as they enter and exit each corner. As they head towards the apex they enjoy positive camber and that continues as they start to accelerate, but as they drift wide on the exit they cross the crown in the centre of the track, and suddenly they must contend with negative camber and an immediate loss of traction. Engineers run stiffer-than-usual suspension settings to cope with the cornering forces, so the bike doesn’t ‘unload’ violently as it cross the centre crown.

The layout underwent a major change in 1984, adapted from the original Circuit Van Drenthe constructed in the fifties, and was changed again last year. Assen’s first 500 TT was run on another nearby street loop on July 1949.

Assen: 6.027km/3.745 miles
Lap record: Valentino Rossi (Honda), 2m 00.973s, 179.356kmh/111.447mph (2002)
Pole position 2002: Rossi, 2m 01.691s

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM DATA LOGS
TROY BAYLISS
Age: 34
Lives: Monaco
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici
First GP: Australia, 1997 (250)
GP starts: 7 (6xMotoGP, 1×250)
World Superbike victories: 22
World Championships: 1 (Superbike: 2001)
Assen 2002 results: DNS

LORIS CAPIROSSI
Age: 30
Lives: Monaco
Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici
GP victories: 23 (1xMotoGP, 2×500, 12×250, 8×125)
First GP victory: Britain, 1990 (125)
First GP: Japan, 1990 (125)
GP starts: 190 (20xMotoGP, 59×500, 84×250, 27×125)
Pole positions: 34 (1xMotoGP, 5×500, 23×250, 5×125)
First pole: Australia, 1991 (125)
World Championships: 3 (125: 1990, 1991, 250: 1998)
Assen 2002 results. Grid: 4th. Race: DNF

From a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM NEED TO KEEP MOMENTUM FOR DUTCH TT

The Fortuna Yamaha Team make their way to the Dutch circuit of Assen hoping that Carlos Checa’s fourth place finish two weeks ago will be the turning point of the season for them. After a complicated start to 2003, Checa has stayed motivated and determined to improve his situation, which he did at the most recent Grand Prix in Catalunya. However the next step needs to be a podium finish and Assen could be just the place for the Spanish rider to achieve that goal.

Meanwhile Melandri is continuing his first season in the MotoGP class with enthusiasm, the highlight of his season so far including a front row start at the Le Mans Grand Prix in France. He now turns his attention to the Netherlands hoping that he can compete with the top riders.

The Dutch TT is the most historic race on the Grand Prix calendar, the only race to retain the name ‘TT’ standing for Tourist Trophy, referring to the earliest speed events last century. The circuit was originally based on public roads, and is the longest and fastest race of the year.

There is no-one more pleased with the team’s turn of fortune at the recent Catalunya race than Team Director of the Fortuna Yamaha Team, Davide Brivio, who knows how hard the everyone in the team has worked towards a result like this, “The last race was important because we saw Carlos constantly in a top position,” he explained. “It was consistency and good feeling that he was looking for and he found them in Catalunya, where he kept a good pace with the top group for the whole race. We go to Assen now with more confidence and are looking forward to confirming a trend, and improving our position. I hope Catalunya was the turning point.

“I think Carlos will be looking forward to this race now that he knows the capability is definitely there. During the Catalunya weekend he showed good reactions to what was thrown at him and all the hard work that he and his team put in paid off. The improvement from the Friday qualifying session to the race was very good.

“We are still looking to make Marco more comfortable on the bike and we’re hoping that Assen might provide the possibility to find a good solution for him. The main problem he has at the moment is to get rear traction. He is of course still adapting to the MotoGP class generally, and has ridden in two races less than the others this year. He won his first race at Assen so you never know, it might be the place where he gets his best MotoGP result so far. We know that it’s going to take time, so Assen is just the next step.”

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING

A good result at Assen relies heavily on a chassis that offers both agility and stability. It is quite a difficult balance to find at the best of times. This is why the Fortuna Yamaha Team riders will continue with the base geometry they have used over the past few rounds, relying on the finer adjustments of the suspension package and the correct tyre profiles to get the best out of the Deltabox chassis.

The combination of such fast cornering, good grip levels and extreme camber angles produces high G-forces, which the suspension will need to deal with. For this reason a heavier rear spring rate will be chosen to prevent the back of the bike squatting under power, yet it will still need to offer a compliant ride to ensure feel isn’t compromised. Feel won’t be compromised if the compression damping character is dialed in to compensate, therefore it will be wound back, from what was used in Barcelona two-weeks earlier, increasing the predictability of a slide as well as tyre life. The front will be somewhat softer in feel due to the lack of hard braking on the flowing layout, as trail braking into the apex is the only way to a good TT laptime.

With an outright top speed of around 300kmh Assen isn’t the fastest circuit, especially when you compare it to the 330kmh plus of Mugello. But the Dutch TT isn’t about outright top speeds, rather the key is a top speed average. In this regard Assen is one of the fastest tracks of the year. Because of this it’s an extreme and hard working circuit, not only for the riders and the chassis, but the tyres too. Fortunately grip levels are high yet the track surface isn’t too abrasive, even though almost all the driving will be done off the side of the tyres.


THINGS ARE LOOKING UP FOR CHECA

After a tricky start to his season, Spaniard Carlos Checa finally achieved a result that reflected his customary racing ability at his home Catalunya Grand Prix two weeks ago. Both the Fortuna Yamaha Team and Checa have been working hard since the onset of the season to find him the set-up combination that would make him comfortable on his Yamaha YZR-M1 machine. Checa’s Catalunya weekend did not start as he had hoped, as he did not feel as relaxed with the bike as he should have for the Friday and Saturday qualifying sessions, securing a second row start for the race. But during the 25-lap race “El Toro” worked his way up through the group to finish the fight in fourth place.

This is closer to the result that Checa expects to achieve. The Fortuna Yamaha Team rider finished the World Championship sixth in 2002. He secured four podium finishes in total and after a third place at Assen last year he was running third in the championship. This year has been more difficult for the Spaniard and he has struggled to find his normal form on his Yamaha YZR-M1 machine.

He feels, however, that his home Grand Prix in Catalunya was the turning point he was looking for and he is now aiming for a podium finish again, with renewed self-assurance.

“It was a good result in Catalunya,” said Checa, “we will see what happens in Assen but at least now I have recovered my confidence with the bike. I hope to have the same good feeling in Assen that I found two weeks ago. With the new set-up we have made a good change and I would really like to keep the same level. I still had some limitations in Catalunya, and I hope we can fix those and take another step forward. We made a step in Mugello, then again in Catalunya, so hopefully Assen will be the next step. We have a plan for there that we will implement.”

Last year the Dutch circuit underwent minor changes to its layout, and Checa was one rider who had some difficulties with those changes. Because of the extra weight of the four-strokes compared to their ancestral two-strokes, they have more inertia which makes high-speed direction change difficult. Nonetheless Checa overcame his difficulties and pulled off a good result.

“Assen is quite a fast track where you need a lot of grip,” he explained about the circuit. “The new area of the track is more slippery but on the old asphalt you can keep a lot of speed mid-turn. The bike is heavier than the two-stroke and that caused us some problems last year in Assen, so I hope we can overcome that this year. I feel more confident because of the result two weeks ago but mostly because I am feeling better now with the bike.”


MELANDRI RETURNS TO SCENE OF FORMER 125 GLORY AIMING FOR MOTOGP REPEAT

Marco Melandri is impressing everyone with his rookie MotoGP performance this year. Although he has missed two races due to injury, his return has seen him finish all four of the ensuing races, including the Catalunya Grand Prix two weeks ago when he finished thirteenth. He currently lies twentieth in the World Championship but is of course hoping to finish the season in a higher position.

The young Italian sets himself the highest standards and is frustrated at the time it is taking to make the change from the 250cc class, where he currently holds the title of ‘World Champion’, to the premier MotoGP class.

“I won my first ever race in Assen on a 125 bike when I was fifteen years old in 1998 and I remember it like it was yesterday,” said Melandri who is now twenty. “It’s strange to explain how I felt then but it was a great day for me. When I go back to Assen I always remember that first win. I didn’t have such a good race there the following year but anyway I always try to just concentrate on the race I am going to, and I know that things will be completely different there this year with the M1.

“It might not be too easy there this time as there are lots of places you can go wide open, and there are many corners there. I had some problems at the Catalunya Grand Prix, as it was really difficult to get good traction. There is such a high competition between the top riders now, especially the Italian riders. It would be great if I could reach the same level as them soon and make it a four-way Italian battle!

“I hope to have a good race in Assen this year – to have a better feeling with the bike and to feel less tired, which I think is a side effect of the accident I had in Suzuka. I want to perform better at every race this year and to improve my results so I am in amongst the top riders, that’s my aim. Every rider is so fast though but I have to keep that as my goal, and improve race by race.”

CARLOS CHECA : INFORMATION
Age: 30
Lives: Great Ayton, England
Bike: Fortuna Yamaha Team YZR-M1
GP victories: 2 (500)
First GP victory: Catalunya, 1996 (500)
First GP: Europe, 1993 (125)
GP starts: 141 (21 x MotoGP, 92×500, 27×250, 1×125)
Pole positions: 2 (1 x MotoGP, 1 x 500)
First pole: Spain, 1998 (500)
Assen 2002 results. Grid: 6th, Race: 3rd

MARCO MELANDRI : INFORMATION
Age: 20
Lives: Derby, England
Bike: Fortuna Yamaha Team YZR-M1
GP victories: 17 (10 x 250, 7 x 125)
First GP victory: Assen, 1998 (125)
First GP: Brno, 1997 (125)
GP starts: 79 (3 x MotoGP, 42 x 250, 34 x 125)
Pole positions: 8
First pole: Sachsenring, 1998 (125)

Assen MotoGP lap record
Valentino Rossi 2:00.973 (2002)

Circuit best lap
Valentino Rossi 2:00.973 (2002)



More, from a press release issued by Proton Team KR:

PROTON KR AIMS FOR ANOTHER STEP IN THIRD RACE

Less than five weeks after it ran for the first time ever at a race-track, the radical new four-stroke Proton KR V5 is ready for the next stage in a fast-forward development programme – the challenge of one of the hardest and fastest circuits of the year.

The exciting and raucous V5 has already shown clear potential, even though barely past the stage of first shake-down tests. The team hope that Dutch TT at Assen will mark another step forward for the youngest GP machine on the grids.

The compact and boldly innovative V5 took to the track for the first time in practice for the French GP at Le Mans on May 23.

The first race was a fortnight later, in Mugello in Italy. Both riders qualified, and although Nobuatsu Aoki suffered fuel pump problems, McWilliams had moved up into the points before he too pitted for the same reason.

The second race was at Catalunya a week later. McWilliams was the innocent victim of a first-lap pile-up, but Aoki achieved the machine’s first finish, in 16th, just out of the points.

Assen gives riders and team two new targets. The first is to get both bikes to the finish line. The second is to prove strong enough even in first rough prototype form to claim its first championship points for a top 15 result.

Assen will see Proton KR V5 numbers boosted by one – with four bikes at the northern Dutch circuit, each rider will have a spare machine. Previously, only three were in existence. As team owner Kenny Roberts explained: “We need to see if we wanted to make chassis changes before we commissioned any more.”

There will also be a fresh round of updates: just as many of them as the team can get to the track. With work going on almost round the clock, new parts and systems are under constant development. A week before the race, team manager Chuck Aksland was unable to predict exactly what they would have ready in time.

“The engine is on the dyno at the moment, and we’re working on a range of parts that will make more power. But time is against us. We aren’t sure what we will have at the track,” said Aksland.

“We seem to have the fuel pump problem under control. You have to deal with these things step by step.” As well as the engine, engineers were making new suspension parts at the team’s impressive Banbury development and manufacturing base in England.

“It’s hard to say how the new bike will go at Assen,” continued Aksland. “Having four bikes will help us develop a rhythm in the pits, but track performance is difficult to predict.

“The track is very flowing. Our chassis seems to be in the ballpark for handling, and we’ve done more work on that since the last race. On the other hand, a lot depends on having the right gearing to get the most out of the corner combinations. We’re still waiting for some alternative gearbox ratios, although with the broader rev range and power band the four-stroke might not be so sensitive.

Jeremy has always gone well at Assen (he claimed his first GP win in the 250 class at the Dutch classic in 2001). For us, as long as we’re better than we were at the last race, and we can get two bikes to the finish, that will be another step,” Aksland concluded.

The Dutch TT is the seventh of 16 World Championship rounds, taking place on Saturday, June 28. The next race is the Proton team’s home GP, the British round at Donington Park.

JEREMY McWILLIAMS – I CAN HARDLY WAIT
I can’t wait for this race … I’m as excited about going to Assen as I have ever been, and I love the track. I know the team has been working round the clock, and I haven’t been disturbing them. I hope everything’s going to plan, and we have new things to try. There are some very positive tests coming up, but unfortunately not until after Assen. I think the bike will perform okay at Assen. I was having a little difficulty making it react as fast as I want, but we learned a lot at Catalunya, so that should be better for this race.

NOBUATSU AOKI – MAKE THE GOOD FEELING BETTER
This bike is still very new. It’s amazing just how much has already been done in a short time, but there is still a long way to go. We have to think about development first before we can think about racing. All the same, it was a really good feeling getting to the finish at Catalunya. The bike wasn’t running perfectly, but it was still running consistently and strongly. We need to keep making it better.


More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

Dutch Grand Prix at Assen
26/27/28 June 2003

BIG THREE GO HEAD TO HEAD IN THE CATHEDRAL

In the wake of two of the finest races yet seen in MotoGP at Mugello in Italy in May and Catalunya in Spain two weeks ago, Assen could be the place where a third pulsating showdown takes place. The so-called ‘Cathedral’ of road racing had produced some epics in the recent past and might well do so again this year.

Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda RC211V) who finished second at Catalunya heads the points standings as the season nears the halfway mark with this, the Dutch Grand Prix, the seventh race of a sixteen round season. He has amassed 135 points after notching up three wins and three-second places so far.

But the other two riders in the all-Honda top three in the Championship struggle are determined to use this opportunity to reel in Rossi. Spaniard Sete Gibernau (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) lies second overall on 88 points and after two wins and a home podium for third place in Catalunya, he knows another win would bolster his title credibility.

Then there’s Max Biaggi (Camel Pramac Pons RC211V) who lies third with 85 points. The Roman has not yet posted a win this season but his sheer consistency has kept him in the title hunt and he knows he needs a boost here in Holland to keep him in touch with the title race leader.

But one of the big surprises at Assen could well be the new V4 Ducati machines ridden by Italian Loris Capirossi and Australian Troy Bayliss. Capirossi gave the machine it’s maiden win in Catalunya two weeks ago and the rookie (in MotoGP) Italian team is on a roll. Capirossi has won twice in Holland on 250 and the Ducati’s undoubted speed will be a bonus here.

Rossi won the MotoGP race on the 6.027km track last year and set a new fastest lap of 2m 00.973s at an average speed of 179.356km/h. Top speeds are unlikely to hit the 330km/h that have been recorded at Mugello and Catalunya this season, but Assen is a track that makes high speed demands of a different and perhaps more challenging nature.

Average speeds, as opposed to top speeds, are high on this track that has evolved from the original public roads course first used in the 1920’s to the circuit layout for inaugural World Championship in 1949. The Circuit Van Drenthe of the 1950s (with the start/finish straight still using public road), further big changes came in 1984 when the track was shortened.

After a total investment of nearly 25 million Euros and massive rebuilding work over the last two years, The Netherlands now has one of the absolute great tracks with an all-important infrastructure to match. As MotoGP crowds of the new four-stroke era swell yet further, circuits need the capacity to cope with that success. Assen will be expecting around 120,000 race fans on Saturday.

And an intriguing battle is likely to unfold, fought as much by the teams and engineers as the riders. Assen requires a chassis that is both agile and stable. Agility is a must for the high-speed changes of directions required on a track that has no real straight to speak of. And yet on account of the sustained high speeds, a degree of chassis stability is also required – a tricky trade-off.

There is also a high degree of camber, both positive and negative, a legacy of the old ‘crowned’ roads that still form a large part of this demanding track. The crowns mean that a rider has to deal with four camber changes as he uses all of the track on entry, apex and exit to most turns.

Braking on entry will see two camber changes, and then perhaps the most critical change is on the exit. First the positive camber allows early application of throttle, which is then followed by crossing the road crown, and then negative camber as the track falls away to the sides and the rear tyre tends to spin-up.

Riders have to work exceptionally hard here. There is no time for a breather because there are no straights. All the time riders are muscling their machines into position for turns that must be attacked inch-perfect to get the flow of this exceptionally difficult but rewarding track under control.

And when it comes to inch-perfect riders they don’t come more precise than Max Biaggi. “I’m ready to give it the absolute maximum here,” says the Roman. “I like it because it’s so technical, and it’s fast, really difficult – and fun. If you’re okay with these things then it’s fine – if not, you’re lost here. You need to understand how it flows because there are no real reference points on the track. And you simply can’t make mistakes either. It’s a tough place and I like it very much.”

Rossi, equally accurate when he needs to be, but with a tendency to run wide and slightly wild on corner exits is another fan of the place and he knows he can’t afford to indulge himself at a track that requires ultimate precision. “I love racing at Assen,” he says. “The track suits my style and last year we went well with the four-stroke. The last few races have been hard but good, so we’ll see if there’s more of the same here.”

Sete Gibernau (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) was on the podium here in third on a Honda in 1999 and is ready to go better this Saturday.
“I am still celebrating the podium at Montmeló which I achieved in front of my fans. It was incredible – the race was very hard from a physical perspective because of the heat but the support of the crowd pushed me on until the final laps. Now it is the turn of the Dutch TT, at a circuit which is not exactly one of my favourites – probably one of the most difficult on the World Championship calendar. Here the objective will be to stay focussed. Second place in the provisional rider standings is obviously a great motivation to continue working in the way we are, and try and stay in the fight at the top. I will have to pay special attention to the set-up of my bike. I am still trying to sort out the acceleration problem we first encountered at Mugello, which limits my possibilities in the race. In Barcelona, during some tests we did on the Monday after the race, we already made some improvements. It is still not completely sorted out but we did set the fastest time of the day. Hopefully we can get it completely fixed in Holland this weekend. Finally, I would like to congratulate my team on reaching their 50th podium. I feel proud to have been able to contribute to this prestigious achievement, and hopefully we can take it even higher. By the way, I have said that I don’t like Assen too much, but I also said that about Le Mans…”

A rider who is looking to get his 2003 season underway after a steady start is Tohru Ukawa (Camel Pramac Pons RC211V) and the doughty Japanese is relishing the challenge. “Assen is the hardest track in the world,” he said. “I didn’t go that well here on the 250 in 1999 and last year I fell when me and Checa touched. But it is a big challenge this year and I’m ready for it.”

Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda RC211V) will be looking to get a better start at Assen. He finished seventh in Catalunya after a fourth at Mugello. “We’re just continuing with the tyre development and getting some good results through that hard work,” he said. “The Grand Prix at Assen is another challenge and we’ll try and get up among the leaders and fight for another top result.”

Encouraged by a better race than he could have expected from his qualifying performance in Catalunya Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) is up for the Assen challenge. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about Assen,” said the American. “I’ve never been there, but I like its history and I’m looking forward to it – bring it on.”

Ryuichi Kiyonari (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) continues to ride a steep learning curve and the Japanese rookie is ready to go at Assen. “I have heard a lot about Assen, and watched the races on television.” Said the young Japanese. “It looks like a very difficult track to learn but I’m looking forward to racing there.”

The 250cc category can produce excellent racing and with a horde of closely-matched Aprilia’s hounded by leading Honda duo Roberto Rolfo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) and Sebastian Porto (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS250RW), the race should be a fascinating encounter.

“Assen is a track I like very much,” says Rolfo. “It’s one of my favourites. The track is so fast that you have to be very precise everywhere. It’s very difficult to pass fast riders at Assen because there is only one ideal line. You need a fast bike, it has to be very stable in the fast corners, and you must have total concentration for the entire race.”

The Dutch Grand Prix can’t arrive quickly enough for Porto. The Argentine’s machine has sometimes struggled in hot conditions and he’s hoping Assen is cooler. “I think it will be a bit colder there and

From a press release issued by Formula USA:

Formula USA Championship Series Races to Virginia Int’l Raceway

3rd Annual “Virginia Festival of Speed”

Premier Road Race Series and Extreme Stunt Shows June 27-29

AURORA, IL. (May 13, 2003) – Clear Channel Entertainment’s motor sports division announced an
all-new Formula USA Championship Series event coming to Virginia Int’l Raceway June 27-29 for the 3rd Annual “Virginia Festival of Speed”! The three-day event features multiple classes of Championship motorcycle racing from the Formula USA Championship Series (a seven-round professional series that begins and ends in Daytona Beach, FL), Championship Cup Series (a regional sportsman road race Championship), and the exciting X-Treme Sport Bike Association Freestyle National Championships.

Virginia Int’l Raceway’s gate will open on Friday at 8:00 am for practice and the “Virginia 200”, a 200 Mile team endurance race starting at 3:00pm. Saturday’s action will feature practice and final events for all Road Race classes including XSBA Street Freestyle sessions. Sunday’s format will feature the Formula USA and XSBA final events. Racing action will feature the Formula USA Sportbike class, full of high-speed National Champions, the ground shaking Thunderbike class, as well as the fast and furious Unlimited Grand Prix class. Several classes of racing feature motorcycles tuned to exact specifications resulting in extremely close racing that’s exhilarating for fans, but others have unlimited regulations resulting in unbelievable speeds of over 180 miles per hour only inches apart!

Additionally, the XSBA (X-treme Sport Bike Association) will showcase a sport bike freestyle performance/competition on both Saturday and Sunday. Imagine your typical street/sport bike doing an 80mph wheelie with the rider SITTING ON THE HANDLEBARS! XSBA features 120 mph wheelies, slow-speed burnouts, and 750-foot rolling endos on the front wheel – it’s an all-new style of extreme motorcycle stunts featured at Formula USA Championship Series events. In addition to the freestyle competition, these extreme riders will battle it out in a mind-blowing endo competition. From speeds over 140 mph; the competitor’s goal is to outdistance the rest of the field…but only on their front wheel! The longest measured distance wins! The current World Record holder, at 749 feet, is 2002 XSBA National Champion Thew Blankstrom, who will be present for the May event to defend his Championship crown!

While the bikes are whizzing by on Virginia Int’l Raceway’s winding road course, the paddock is peppered with vendors and exhibitors from the motorcycle industry and fans also have access to sections of the professional racers paddock area, where they can get up close and meet the pro riders and see the industry’s most technologically advanced motorcycle rockets!

Expo space is still available for vendors or groups to promote their products, organizations, or coming events. Hospitality areas are also still available for your group or company by contacting Formula USA in advance.

Kids (12 and under) can see the entire event for FREE, and adult tickets start at $15 for Sunday only, $25 for Saturday and Sunday, or $35 for a 3-day VIP pass. Tickets will ONLY be available at the gate, and camping is available.

The events will be run at 8:00 am Friday-Sunday and will end approximately at 6:00pm daily. For more information, visit www.formulausa.com or the track at www.VIRclub.com.


The 2003 Formula USA Championship Series schedule is as follows:

June 27-29 Virginia Int’l Raceway Alton, VA

August 8-10 Heartland Park Topeka, KS

Sept 5-7 Summit Point Raceway Summit Point, WV

Oct 16-20 Daytona Int’l Speedway Daytona Beach, FL


More, from a press release issued by Formula USA:


Formula USA, CCS, and XSBA riders prepare for the 3rd Annual Virginia Festival of Speed at Virginia Int’l Raceway on June 27-29. Formula USA, Championship Cup Series, and the exciting new X-treme Sport Bike Association return to Virginia Int’l Raceway for another fast-paced weekend of action. Beautiful VIR plays host to one of America’s largest regions of racers as they race at over 160 miles per hour only inches apart. Don’t miss the street freestyle action of the XSBA throughout the weekend… no handed wheelies, one handed endos, too insane to miss!

Marietta Motorsports (1-888-FASTLAP) has agreed to an XSBA sponsorship agreement for the remainder of the 2003 season. The Atlanta area motorcycle dealership has been one of the largest contributors to the road race contingency program offering payments for use of Kobe Leathers, FM Helmets, Rokk Exhaust, and Extreme Tech Steering Dampeners. They have also been a trackside fixture at regional and national events for more than 10 years with apparel, parts and accessories. Call 1-888-FASTLAP, or visit 1888FASTLAP.com.

Vanson Leathers has announced that they will award a special one-of-a-kind jacket to the 2003 XSBA National Freestyle Champion at the 20th Annual Daytona Biketoberfest, along with a cash bonus for the top three riders. Vanson is known worldwide for their top quality racing and casual leather apparel. For more information visit Vanson.com.

Sales of the XSBA 110% Video, (a re-cap of the 2002 XSBA Freestyle Championships), has contributed over $2,000 to the XSBA Nat’l Championship Point Fund, since it’s release this spring. To purchase a copy, visit XSBA.com.

The RoadracingWorld.com Action Fund has donated another 3 pieces of Airfence to Formula USA / CCS as a part of the RRW.com Airfence Educational Program, to demonstrate the effectiveness of soft barriers. A soft barrier will be on display at each Formula USA Nat’l Championship round for racers and spectators to become more familiar with the product. To make donations to the fund, visit RoadracingWorld.com.

Traxxion Dynamics Suspension Service has added a $250 Holeshot Award to the Formula USA Sportbike main event purse. Matt Wait was the first recipient at Mid-America Motorplex, and Scott Greenwood claimed the $250 prize at the 80th Loudon Classic. Encounter “Virtual Max”, who can help answer suspension questions, at Traxxion.com.

Find Formula USA / CCS, and IHRA drag race event schedules listed in Hooter’s Sports News every month found at all 300 Hooter’s Restaurant locations nationwide. The ad photo features Hooter’s Suzuki rider Nate Kern.

Formula USA and CCS racers will have the opportunity for additional practice at the remaining Nat’l events held at Heartland Park, Summit Point, and Daytona through track promoted practice days. Contact Heartland Park and Summit Point for more details at those facilities. For Daytona, contact Team Hammer School, or visit FormulaUSA.com.

Nate “Gator” Wait – brother of 2002 Formula USA GNC Champ Matt Wait leads the 2003 GNC Championships after the first two rounds in New Hampshire. Youngster Nick Cummings was the sensation at the Rochester Dirt Track event, dominating the practice and qualifying, but finished second in the main event. Nate Wait did well at the Dirt Track event, but was surprised to see himself finish 4th in one of the two legs of Formula USA Sportbike competition after a long time off from racing. Visit FormulaUSA.com for results and coming events in the Formula USA Grand Nat’l Championship Series.

From a press release:

The First Annual “Seattle 100” Motorcycle Event A Fundraising Success in the Emerald City…

With all the rainfall in Seattle this last Friday, June 20th, one would hardly look to the Emerald City for worthy motorcycle news. Yet to the delight of motorcycle enthusiasts and racers participating in the first annual “Seattle 100,” an act of God took place at Seattle’s Pacific Raceways, formerly Seattle International Raceway: there was no rain overhead, or on pavement of Pacific Raceway’s 2.3 mile road course. And that was an answer to prayer for the riders participating in The Seattle 100, an unconventional fundraiser involving motorcyclists and some of the Northwest’s best known racers participating in a 100 lap endurance event to raise money for kidney disease research benefitting children.

The first annual “Seattle 100: Racing Towards a Cure for Kidney Disease” was the idea of motorcycle enthusiast Brian Orton, Co-Founder and current Vice President of the The NephCure Foundation, an organization he helped start in late 1999 from his home in Woodinville, WA. In conjunction with an Adrenaline Freaks operated public track day (www.adrenalinefreaks.com) on the road course of Pacific Raceways, 15 different riders amongst roughly 55 Adrenaline Freaks track day participants went out onto the winding track to do something they’d never done before: rather than break a personal lap record or practice for Sunday’s races, the riders went out to raise money for a charitable cause… a cause that hits home for the family of Brian Orton.

In 1999, Orton’s 4 year old son Christian, then only one year of age, was diagnosed with a rare form of kidney disease known as Nephrotic Syndrome. Nephrotic Syndrome has no known cause or cure, and often leads to dialysis or a kidney transplant. Treatment of the disease generally involves medications with severe side effects, both physical and psychological. Orton could not stand the thought of what his son’s childhood might be like if a cure went undiscovered, and could hardly watch as his son struggled with his medications. So, out of frustration for the lack of funds directed towards glomerular kidney disease research, Orton helped start The NephCure Foundation (www.nephcure.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to changing the face of glomerular kidney disease research: they raise private funds for scientific research, help families with patient education seminars across the country, have successfully lobbied congress for increased federal funding of research, and have approached NBA superstar Alonzo Mourning – himself a victim of glomerular kidney disease – about becoming a spokesperson for the organization.

Fortunately, Orton’s son is doing extremely well today, and has been in remission for over two years. He is currently living the life of a very normal, happy 4 year old boy.

The Seattle 100, not your typical golf tournament or charitable auction, is Orton’s attempt at taking one’s unique passion and turning it into something more than just a hobby or favorite pasttime. Orton and his motorcycle riding friends decided to take their love of competitive motorcycle riding and combine it with their desire to raise funds for The NephCure Foundation, and thus came about The Seattle 100. On June 20th, Orton and his fellow riders went out onto the track for the first annual Seattle 100 and rode lap after lap at speeds as high as 170 mph, raising approximately $18,000 in donations and pledges. Riders did not compete in a typical race to the finish line; instead, the day was dedicated to the goal of simply completing 100 laps around the track for the sole purpose of raising pledges and contributions. Contributions to The NephCure Foundation were given through track day participants, corporate sponsors, local motorcycle shops, friends and family. Proceeds of a T-shirt sale also benefitted The NephCure Foundation, and continued throughout the weekend at the Washington Motorcycle Road Racing Association sanctioned races, which took place on Sunday, June 22nd.

The event’s success, highlighted in a KOMO News 4 television newscast and several newspapers, could not have been without the help of sponsors that supported The Seattle 100. Alan Thain of Eastside Motosports in Bellevue, WA said “The Seattle 100 was easy for Eastside Motosports to support: the cause was a good one, it was fun for several of us to participate in as riders, and we know Brian Orton as a customer and friend. We hope to help The Seattle 100 become even more successful in the years to come.” Gary Ricci of Ricci Motorsports said “The Seattle 100 got great reviews from particants, sponsors, and even the people who just came out to watch. Ricci Motorsports was happy to lend a hand to such a positive event within the motorcycle riding and racing community.”

Mario & Melissa Alvarez, owners and operators of Adrenaline Freaks Track Day Excursions (www.adrenalinefreaks.com), deserve special mention. Adrenaline Freaks allowed Orton’s Seattle 100 to take place in conjunction with one of their scheduled track day events so that Orton would not have to rent the track on his own, a substantial cost savings. In addition to Mario Alvarez’s personal ride in The Seattle 100, the Alvarez family contributed many of the sponsored rider’s registration fees of $175 each back to The NephCure Foundation, and auctioned off two free track day passes to the highest bidders in Friday’s crowd of track day participants. The two passes raised nearly $500.

A very special thanks to the following additional sponsors of the fundraiser: Moto-Tech NW of Kenmore, I-90 Motorsports of Issaquah, Eastside Harley Davidson in Bellevue, Kibble & Prentice in Seattle, the Washington Motorcycle Road Racing Association (WMRRA), Kneedraggers.com, Ducati Seattle, and Lucky’s Choppers in Seattle’s Georgetown area.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Former racer Phil McDonald was seriously injured in a streetbike crash last weekend.

McDonald was hit by a car that turned out of a parking lot in front of his Yamaha; McDonald veered into the center median, where he struck a sign post, suffering grave injuries to his left shoulder and arm.

He is in intensive care in a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

An AMA Sports Road Racing Grand Championships club racing event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car course has displaced Thursday practice, and organizers have barred many AMA Pros from participating in Thursday’s 6 and 8-lap races.

The list of barred riders includes anyone who has finished in the top 10 in an AMA Superbike race, or in the top 3 in an AMA Superstock, Supersport, 250cc Grand Prix or Formula Xtreme race, or who has won an AMA Pro Thunder race.

Those rules, newly enacted this year, eliminate a wide range of AMA regulars who rely on Thursday practice to set up their racebikes, while allowing their wheel-to-wheel competitors to participate.

The restrictions apply to any finish in 1999 to present day.

Under the rules, John Haner and Ty Howard would be able to participate on Thursday while Opie Caylor and Eric Wood would not be able to participate.

Ed Sorbo, Colin Jensen and Perry Melneciuc will be excluded on Thursday while Chris Pyles, who they frequently race wheel-to-wheel, will not.

Restricted riders will be able to participate in 12-lap Heavyweight, Mediumweight and Lightweight solo races on Wednesday, although solo classes typically exclude 250cc GP bikes.

The restrictions mean that the amount of track time available for many AMA riders will be greatly restricted, and that any riders who want to get that time will have to arrive at the racetrack a day earlier, on Tuesday, to set up.

Mid-Ohio has largely ignored the demand for Thursday practice in recent years, either scheduling restricted school events or, now, the AMA Grand Championships club race on Thursday.

AMA Sports officials allowed regulars on the AMA circuit to participate last year but did not score them for the AMA Horizon Award. The reason behind the change in policy is unknown.

Allowing anybody to enter the races and restricting eligibility for the AMA Horizon Award could have avoided penalizing AMA members who participate in AMA Pro Racing events and need Thursday to set-up their bikes.

Another solution could have been to hold the AMA Sports event on Tuesday and Wednesday and hold a proper Thursday practice for AMA members who hold Pro licenses.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Beth Wyse

Mike Smith and Tray Batey each earned two wins during the WERA National Challenge Series races at Talladega Gran Prix Raceway, and Josh Hayes showed up to enter and win one race.

In Open Superstock, Smith was chasing Vesrah Suzuki’s Mark Junge when Junge developed a problem with his bike on the fifth lap. Smith took the lead and pulled away to win, while Junge finished second and Greg Moore finished third. All three riders were on Suzuki GSX-R1000s.

Smith’s second win came on his Suzuki GSX-R600 in the 600cc Superstock race. He took the lead on the fourth lap, followed by John Jacobi and David Weber. Jacobi had to check up in the final turn of the last lap when Bradley Champion ran up behind him and went off the track. Weber got past to finish second on his XT Racing Suzuki GSX-R600, while his teammate Greg Myers passed Jacobi to take third on a Yamaha YZF-R6.

Batey took his usual win in Heavyweight Twins on his Suzuki TL1000R. He was followed by Bill St. John in second on a Ducati 996 and Bradley Champion in third on a Suzuki SV650.

Only three bikes entered Pirelli Formula 1. Batey took the lead on a Suzuki GSX-R750, pulling away while Scott Carpenter, also on a GSX-R750 and C.R. Gittere on a Suzuki GSX-R1000 raced for second. Carpenter got past Gittere in the final half of the race for second, and Gittere finished third.

Hayes brought his Attack Suzuki GSX-R6750 out to race in 750cc Superstock. Batey had the lead on the Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R750, and Hayes caught up to him and attempted several passes before finally succeeding in the final turn on lap four. Batey stayed close behind to finish second.

Weber earned two wins, both times pulling away from the field. His first victory was in 600cc Superbike on a Suzuki GSX-R600.

Weber’s second win was in 750cc Superbike on his Suzuki GSX-R750. Chuck Ivey and Gittere were racing for second when Gittere ran off track after contact with another rider. Ivey remained in second on his Team Velocity Racing Suzuki GSX-R750, and 15-year-old Wimbauer got his second third-place finish on the Yamaha YZF-R6.

Bradley Champion won in Lightweight Twins on a Suzuki SV650. Chris Normand finished second on a Suzuki SV650 and Calvin Brown was third on a Ducati 699.

Ryan Andrews won the 125cc GP race on an Aprilia RS125, holding off Brian Kcraget on the NESBA.com Honda RS125. Kcraget was able to get past Andrews once, but was repassed. Kcraget finished third and John Hjelm was third on a Honda RS125.

Kcraget later won Formula 2, again on his Honda RS125. Normand was second on his Suzuki SV650, barely keeping Andrews on the Aprilia RS125 behind him.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Xaus wins as Hodgson and Chili crash out

By Glenn Le Santo

Ruben Xaus took his first World Superbike win of the 2003 season after both Frankie Chili and Neil Hodgson crashed out while contending for the lead.

Hodgson was the first to go, flinging his Ducati Fila 999 into the gravel on lap two while leading the race. Hodgson had passed holeshot man Vittorio Iannuzzo early in lap one and set off in his usual style to try and break the pursuing group. But his plan was unravelled when he lost the rear and slid off, leaving the race open.

Regis Laconi took up the running but he was soon joined by Ruben Xaus, James Toseland and Frankie Chili. Laconi burned up his tires making the charge and that left it open for Xaus, Chili and Toseland to battle to the end. The trio swapped places several times.

During a cliff-hanging last lap Chili attacked Xaus as the pair powered through the long left Tramonto turn. But Chili pushed too hard and lost the rear and was thrown into the gravel. He tried to remount, with plenty of help from the enthusiastic Italian cornerworkers–who seemed to have woken up to their jobs after taking what seemed like an age to react to several accidents in practice–but his bike was too damaged to allow him to continue.

Xaus took the win from James Toseland with Laconi by now too far back to challenge in the final turn.

World Superbike championship
Round seven, San Marino
Circuit Santa Monica, Misano, Italy
June 20-21-22

Race one results:

1. Ruben Xaus, ESP, Ducati 999F03, 40:23.423
2. James Toseland, GBR, Ducati 998F02, -0.760 second
3. Regis Laconi, FRA, Ducati 998RS, -1.711 seconds
4. Gregorio Lavilla, ESP, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -10.933 seconds
5. Chris Walker, GBR, Ducati 998F02, -20.487 seconds
6. Steve Martin, AUS, Ducati 998RS, -23.234 seconds
7. Troy Corser, AUS, Foggy Petronas FP1, -27.083 seconds
8. Lucio Pedercini, ITA, Ducati 998RS, -32.026 seconds
9. Mauro Sanchini, ITA, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, -36.701 seconds
10. Ivan Clementi, ITA, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, -48.537 seconds
11. Marco Borciani, Ducati 998RS
12. Alex Gramigni, Yamaha YZF-R1
13. Paolo Blora, Ducati 996RS
14. Serafino Foti, Ducati 998RS
15. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000
16. Zannini Giuseppe, Ducati 998RS
17. Pini Luca, Suzuki GSX-R1000
18. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, -1 lap, DNF
19. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -10 laps, DNF
20. Giovanni Bussei, Yamaha YZF-R1, -15 laps, DNF
21. Walter Tortoroglio, Honda RC51, -16 laps, DNF
22. Jiri Makyvka, Ducati 998RS, -19 laps, DNF
23. Juan Borja, Ducati 998RS, -22 laps, DNF
24. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 999F03, -24 laps, DNF
25. Nello Russo, Ducati 998RS, -24 laps, DNF
26. Christian Zaiser, Aprilia RSV1000, -25 laps, DNF

Fast Lap: Xaus, 1:36.158


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

Toseland on the podium again!

The San Marino crowds were treated to a fantastic first Superbike World Championship race at Misano circuit with HM Plant Ducati’s James Toseland claiming yet another podium placing by finishing in second place behind factory Ducati rider Ruben Xaus, with Frenchman Regis Laconi coming in third.

Toseland had a reasonable start to the race and was third into the first corner. He soon powered his Ducati past Suzuki-mounted Vittorio Ianuzzo and set off after leader Neil Hodgson, but had to take avoiding action when Hodgson fell off on lap two, which allowed Regis Laconi to slip past. Toseland took the lead again on lap five when he drafted past the Frenchman on the start finish straight but it was Xaus who came through to take the lead on lap eight, when he set the fastest lap of the race.

There followed a titanic battle between Xaus, Toseland and Chili, who all enjoyed spells in the lead, but Chili high-sided on the final lap, while attempting to regain the lead from Xaus, effectively handing victory to the Spaniard with Toseland picking up 20 points and safeguarding his second place in the points table.

“That was a fantastic race,” said Toseland. “I was a bit banged up from yesterday’s crash but was able to maintain fast lap times. I was trying hard to hang onto Frankie and Ruben towards the end of the race and it’s a shame Frankie crashed, as he was desperate to win and had been riding so well, but I’m glad he’s ok. Obviously, I’m happy to take second place and get on the podium again.”

HM Plant Ducati team mate Chris Walker also had a good race – finishing in fifth place after starting from 13th on the grid and passing many riders in the process, including Troy Corser, Vittorrio Ianuzzo and Steve Martin: “I’m pleased with the result, but just wished I had qualified better,” said Walker. “I managed to maintain a consistent pace throughout the race and felt extremely confident over race distance, so as long as I can make a decent start to race two, I should be in with a shout of another decent result.”More, from a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

Corser seventh in first Misano race

Foggy PETRONAS Racing’s Troy Corser conquered the heat of Misano to finish seventh in the first race of round seven of the World Superbike championship.

Starting from eighth on the grid, the Australian achieved his best result on the FP1 since the second round of the championship at Phillip Island, capitalising on mistakes from Suzuki rider Vittorio Ianuzzo and Frankie Chili to work his way up the field with a fastest time of 1:37.014.

He said: “I am happy with the result, especially considering the problems we had on the first day here. But it was a real battle in the heat. I got a good start and was probably about sixth going down the back straight before a couple of bikes came past me. I was catching Ianuzzo when he went into a corner too hot and lost the front. My front Michelin tyre was great and the rear was pretty consistent.”

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Foret back to winning ways

By Glenn Le Santo

After a terrible start to the season, struggling with a Kawasaki ZX-6R that’s obviously down on speed compared to the rest of the field, Fabien Foret finally got back to winning ways at Misano.

The Frenchman, who took the World Supersport title on a Ten Kate Honda last season, stormed through the pack to victory. The race was punctuated with crashes and mechanical failures. Karl Muggeridge crashed out on lap seven in the Curva Carro, only to be joined in the gravel two laps later by his Ten Kate Honda teammate, Chris Vermeulen who fell while leading the race. Pere Riba crashed out on lap 11, again at the same turn, but this time while trying to pass some other riders.

Then Jurgen van den Goorbergh, who had pushed past race leader Katsuaki Fujiwara on lap 11, toured into the pits with mechanical problems on lap 12 – again while leading the race.

This left Katsuaki Fujiwara, Broc Parkes and Foret to fight over the lead. All three riders fought tooth and nail for the advantage but in the end it was the superior riding of Foret that saw him through to his first win of the 2003 season.

World Supersport Championship
Round seven, San Marino, June 20 – 21 – 22
Race result:

1. Fabien Foret, FRA, Kawasaki, 37:55.497
2. Katsuaki Fujiwara, JPN, Suzuki, -1.661 seconds
3. Broc Parkes, AUS, Honda, -3.953 seconds
4. Stephane Chambon, FRA, Suzuki, -8.067 seconds
5. Jorge Teuchert, GER, Yamaha, -10.940 seconds
6. Chrisian Kellner, GER, Yamaha, -11.271 seconds
7. Alessi Corradi, ITA, Yamaha, -12.391 seconds
8. Simone Sanna, ITA, Yamaha, -17.319 seconds
9. Cnristophe Cogan, FRA, Honda, -24.652 seconds
10. Stefano Cruciani, ITA, Kawasaki, -26.136 seconds
11. Matthieu Lagrive, Yamaha
12. Sebastien Charpentier, Honda
13. Alessandro Polita, Yamaha
14. Iain MacPherson, Honda
15. Ivan Goi, Yamaha
16. Matteo Baiocco, Yamaha
17. Camillo Mariottini, Yamaha
18. Didier Vankeymeulen, Kawasaki
19. Cristian Magnani, Yamaha
20. Gianluca Nannelli, Yamaha, -3 laps, DNF
21. Robert Ulm, Honda, -7 laps, DNF
22. Werner Daemen, Honda, -9 laps, DNF
23. Thierry vd Boscj, Yamaha, -11 laps, DNF
24. Jurgen vd Goorbergh, Yamaha, -12 laps, DNF
25. Pere Riba, Kawasaki, -13 laps, DNF
26. Chris Vermeulen, Honda, -15 laps, DNF
27. Karl Muggeridge, Honda, -17 laps, DNF
28. Arno Visscher, Kawasaki, -23 laps, DNF


More, from a press release issued by Chris Vermeulen’s publicist:

WINNING RUN ENDS

Chris Vermeulen’s record breaking winning streak in the World Supersport Championship has come to a shuddering halt at Misano in Italy.

The Australian rider crashing out on lap 10, while leading the 7th round of the series.

“I don’t know what happened. I mean I lost the front end but there was no warning at all. I wasn’t pushing, I was just trying to let a few laps roll away and before I knew it I was in the gravel,” Vermeulen said.

It seemed another case of catch me if you can from the 21 year old, who pounced on the lead with in just a few turns of the opening lap, but after holding off a challenge from Katsuaki Fujiwara crashed when he lost the front end.

“The bike was just perfect, it’s pretty hard to take, but that is racing.

“The thing is it’s all about winning a world championship and having a big points lead has come in handy hasn’t it! The best thing is there are no injuries and I’ll enjoy my month break,” the Honda rider said.

The Tenkate machine was not the only Pirelli shod machine to struggle at Misano, with the race dominated by Dunlop backed teams.

Vermeulen’s first DNF of the year means his world championship lead has been cut to 35 points with 4 rounds remaining.

The series resumes on July 27 at Brands Hatch.


More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

HONDA’S PARKES KEEPS RECORD ROLLING AS FORET WINS

Honda rider Broc Parkes ensured the new CBR600RR has finished on the podium in every World Supersport championship round this year as he took third place, behind winner Fabien Foret and Katsuaki Fujiwara in Sunday’s seventh round at Misano, San Marino.

BKM Honda rider Parkes led the race with five laps to go before the young Australian settled for third and his first podium finish in the world championship.

“I could’ve gone for the win but it was tricky,” admitted Parkes. “I was on the edge and I took a look back and saw a big gap to fourth place so the sensible option was to finish and I’m happy to achieve third.”

Stephane Chambon took a lonely fourth place while Jorg Teuchert won a three-way, all-Yamaha battle for fifth. His team-mate Christian Kellner took sixth with Alessio Corradi seventh.

Simone Sanna took eighth after watching his team-mate Jurgen van den Goorbergh retire while leading on lap 12 of the 23-lapper. Parkes’ BKM Honda team-mate Christophe Cogan finished ninth.

Cogan said: “I made a really bad start but then the rear tyre started working really well and I was progressing. In the end the tyre was worn and that determined where I finished.”

Sebastien Charpentier was relatively happy with 12th place on his Klaffi Honda after a troubled two days of qualifying.

“I made a bad start and almost got caught up in crashes through the first three corners,” reported Charpentier. “After the half-race distance the rear tyre began moving around a lot but it was to be expected in this heat.”

Van Zon Honda’s Iain MacPherson finished 14th but the Scotsman admitted enduring a tough race, he said: “I made the wrong choice of rear tyre and couldn¹t get any rhythm going in the race. I was fighting with the machine for 23 laps but it’s done now, I’ll get into shape for the next round at Brands Hatch.”

Klaffi Honda’s Robert Ulm crashed out of 14th place with six laps to go, he said: “I was losing too much time out of corners so I tried going faster in but lost the front grip, there was no warning ­ I was just too fast.”

Werner Daemen, on the Van Zon Honda, retired on the 15th lap, he explained: “I was at the back of a group of riders and, with no clean air, everything got too hot in the machine and I boiled the clutch.”

Championship leader Chris Vermeulen crashed out while leading, on the ninth lap. Vermeulen maintains his championship lead but ended his run of three straight wins.

“I’m really disappointed,” said Vermeulen. “The bike felt really good. I wasn’t pushing that hard then the front just tucked under without any warning. It’s a little strange, exactly the same thing happened to Neil Hodgson, at the same corner, in the first Superbike race.”

Vermeulen’s team-mate Karl Muggeridge also crashed, also at the same corner, on lap seven while holding seventh place. He explained: “Exactly the same as Chris, no warning, the front just let go. I had a good set-up too after we’d worked hard overnight again.”


More, from a press release issued by Ten Kate Honda:

Ten Kate Honda hit zero at Misano

A day of disappointment for the Ten Kate Honda Supersport team in Italy for the seventh round of the World Supersport championship with both riders crashing out at the same turn on different laps.

Karl Muggeridge was first to go when he lost the front end in the Curva Carro, the third turn on the Santa Monica circuit.

“I got absolutely no warning,” said Muggeridge after the race. “The Honda CBR600RR had been performing faultlessly and I was making my way up through the field. Things looked good until I found myself sitting in the gravel at the Carro.”

In a double dose of misfortune Muggeridge’s team mate Chris Vermeulen crashed out at the same turn, in the same manner, two laps later.

“The Pirelli tyres, the bike – everything was great until that point. I got no warning and I couldn’t catch it with my knee. I’m obviously very upset to crash out while leading and I apologised to the team for disappointing them like this – they’ve all worked so hard this weekend to provide me with a great bike.”

Team manager Ronald ten Kate was stunned by the result:

“We were expecting a hard race but honestly had no idea it would be this hard!” he said. “The only positive point is that we are still leading the championship by 35 points, so there’s no need to panic. What is strange is that two very talented riders should have identical crashes at the same spot on the dame day. It’s even stranger when you consider that the same corner also saw crashes from Neil Hodgson in the Superbike race and Pere Riba in Supersport and I think several others today. It looks like that turn is a bit of a Bermuda Triangle today.”


More, from a press release issued by Van Zon Honda TKR:

Disappointment in San Marino for Van Zon Honda TKR

The Van Zon Honda TKR team had a terrible race day in the searing heat at the circuit Santa Monica for the seventh round of the World Supersport championship.

Werner Daemen failed to finish the race when his clutch started to grab, making riding almost impossible.

“I tried to stay out even when the problem first appeared,” said the plucky Belgian. “But the clutch was grabbing so badly that I couldn’t get into the turns properly and it was getting dangerous. It’s a shame because I was enjoying the race, despite the heat.”

Iain MacPherson’s day wasn’t much better after he selected the wrong tyre for the race.

“I’ve struggled here all weekend,” admitted Iain, “the Honda CBR600RR has been great, it’s me that’s been the problem. In the race I was sliding around everywhere more or less from the start. I chose the wrong tyre and paid the price, finishing down in 14th.”

The team now have a break to regroup as the Supersport championship skips the Laguna Seca Superbike meeting. The next race is at Brands Hatch on 27 July.


More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Equalling his best race result of the season so far, former world champion Jörg Teuchert (Yamaha Motor Germany) took a fine fifth place at Misano, on a day that several other Yamaha riders suffered varying degrees of misfortune in the intense heat. Teuchert, the 2000 world champion, put in a remarkable ride after a difficult qualifying session saw him start from 21st on the grid. Completing a good day for the Yamaha Motor Germany squad, Christian Kellner secured sixth place ahead of local rider Alessio Corradi (Yamaha Team Italia Spadaro) in seventh.

Pole position sitter Simone Sanna (Yamaha Belgarda Team) gradually lost grip from his tyres in the punishing 50° temperatures, although he managed to bring his machine home in a career-best eighth position.

Matthieu Lagrive (Yamaha Motor France IPONE) narrowly missed out on a top ten finish, while his team-mate Thierry van den Bosch was one of several retirements in the 23-lap race.

World championship contender Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha Belgarda Team) was forced to pull into the pits on lap 12, having led the race at one stage and looking good for his first win in the Supersport category. His main championship rival Chris Vermeulen (Honda) crashed out of contention, limiting the damage done to van den Goorbergh’s title push, and the race was eventually won by Kawasaki rider Fabien Foret, the reigning Supersport champion. The top six riders all rode on Dunlop tyres.

In the points table, van den Goorbergh returns to third place, having been overhauled by second place Misano race finisher Katsuaki Fujiwara (Suzuki). Vermeulen remains in the lead overall, with 131 points, Fujiwara on 96, van den Goorbergh on 84 and Stephane Chambon on 75. Kellner’s sixth place at Misano secures him in fifth overall with 69.

Jörg Teuchert (Yamaha Motor Germany) – fifth
“I don’t know what happened in the first five laps – whenever I came up behind another rider they crashed or made a mistake and I think I gained five or six places without even pushing. Then I was in 11th position and I thought I could get closer to the next group I was able to catch them through the corners and on the brakes, the only problem I had was when I was chasing Chambon. I got held up by Sanna and lost a lot of time trying to pass him because he was fast down the straights. I’m not happy with my qualifying performance but it is the race that counts… now I think I am back to my best.”

Christian Kellner (Yamaha Motor Germany) – sixth
“The race was very hot. The problem was my start, I think I was 12th and spent the first five laps fighting and being held up. As the race progressed I got better and better and my tyres were perfect from the first lap to the 23rd.”

Alessio Corradi (Yamaha Team Italia Spadaro) – seventh
“My rear tyre was gone after two laps and was sliding a lot. I tried to push hard at the end to pass Kellner but it was not possible. I wanted a better race but I am the first Pirelli rider so this is OK.”

Simone Sanna (Yamaha Belgarda Team) – eight
“I suffered with a lack of grip from my tyres after about eight or nine laps but I tried to go as fast as I could from then on. It was a shame but a lot of riders had the same problem today. I don’t think anyone could stay with Foret today.”

Matthieu Lagrive (Yamaha Motor France IPONE) – 11th
“The month of June has been good for me as I’ve scored points at Oschersleben, Silverstone and now here at Misano. I was able to improve throughout the race and my tyre worked very well. During practice I was struggling to find a good race choice and was fighting the bike. To finish 11th is good for me and I am happy.”

Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha Belgarda Team) – DNF
“I had an engine failure, although at the moment we do not know exactly what the cause is. The bike stopped but I had some rolling speed and I was able to cruise it in. It’s bad luck because it could have been our first victory. Our biggest rival had crashed out and we could have got back 25 points and the championship. That would have opened it all up again.”

Thierry van den Bosch (Yamaha Motor France IPONE) – DNF
“It is very disappointing to retire from the race and obviously after qualifying 22nd this was one of the more difficult weekends for us.”