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.”

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Double for Xaus

By Glenn Le Santo

Ruben Xaus came back to top form at the San Marino round of the World Superbike championship to take a double, his first ever in the championship.

In a hard fought second race that featured several leaders, Xaus gradually moved up through the pack from his lowly grid position, 12th, to win a well-earned double.

The race at times looked more like a Supersport race than a Superbike race, with a lead group of eight riders in the early stages. But as the race wore on, mechanical and tyre attrition saw several riders drop back, or as in the case of James Toseland, retire from the race.

The pack boiled down to four riders, Regis Laconi, Neil Hodgson, Xaus and Frankie Chili. Laconi couldn’t keep the pace of the other three and was forced to drop back and settle for fourth.

There was no settling down for the lead trio, they fought hard and swapped places several times in the last quarter of the race. Tire wear got the better of Chili leaving Hodgson to battle the final laps with his Ducati Fila team mate, Xaus. Anyone expecting team orders to play a part were disappointed when Xaus pulled out and passed Hodgson at Tramonto on the final lap to take a brilliant win and the double.

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

Race two results:

1. Ruben Xaus, ESP, Ducati 999F03, 40:17.321
2. Neil Hodgson, GBR, Ducati 999F03, -0.244 second
3. Pierfrancesco Chili, ITA, Ducati 998RS, -6.896 seconds
4. Regis Laconi, FRA, Ducati 998RS, -13.814 seconds
5. Gregorio Lavilla, ESP, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -17.399 seconds
6. Lucio Pedercini, ITA, Ducati 998RS, -19.345 seconds
7. Vittorio Iannuzzo, ITA, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -24.651 seconds
8. Chris Walker, GBR, Ducati 998RS, -29.164 seconds
9. Steve Martin, AUS, Ducati 998RS, -32.310 seconds
10. Troy Corser, AUS, Foggy Petronas FP1, -33.516 seconds
11. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-7RR
12. Juan Borja, Ducati 998RS
13. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-7RR
14. Marco Borciani, Ducati 998RS
15. Alex Gramigni, Yamaha YZF-R1
16. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000
17. Paolo Blora, Ducati 996RS
18. Giuseppe Zannini, Ducati 998RS
19. Luca Pini, Suzuki GSX-R1000
20. James Toseland, Ducati 998F02, -11 laps, DNF, mechanical
21. Jiri Mrkyvka, Ducati 998RS, -14 laps, DNF
22. Nello Russo, Ducati 998RS, -15 laps, DNF
23. Giovanni Bussei, Yamaha YZF-R1, -23 laps, DNF
24. Serafino Foti, Ducati 998RS, -23 laps
25. Walter Totoroglio, Honda RC51, -24 laps, DNF
26. Christian Zaiser, Aprilia RSV1000, DNS
27. David Garcia, Ducati 998RS, DNS

Fastest Lap: Xaus, 1:35.629


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

SUPERB DOUBLE WIN FOR XAUS (DUCATI FILA) IN MISANO ADRICATICO CAULDRON –

A CRASH AND A SECOND PLACE FOR HODGSON

Ruben Xaus (Ducati Fila) scored a superb double victory today in searing heat in the San Marino Round of the World Superbike Championship at Misano Adriatico, notching up the third and fourth wins of his career after two scintillating races with the Ducati 999 F03. Team-mate Neil Hodgson was less fortunate, the championship leader crashing out in race 1 but then taking the runner-up slot in race 2 after a superb battle with Xaus and ‘veteran’ Pierfrancesco Chili on a Ducati 998RS.

“It has been a great result for Ducati today with Ruben’s double win and Neil’s second place after he crashed in the first race” declared Ducati Corse Managing Director Claudio Domenicali. “Congratulations also to Pierfrancesco Chili who as always rode his heart out in front of his home crowd. For these wins we could once again count on the excellent support given by our technical partners, including Michelin and Shell, and then out on the track our two riders did the rest”.

“Everyone knows how difficult it is to start from row 3 here at Misano” declared a jubilant Ruben Xaus when he stepped off the podium. “Neil tried to push the pace too early and crashed. After that I knew I could win and gave my everything until the end. I knew I had the quickest bike from the Carro curve to the Tramonto so I was sure I could win. I enjoyed the two races today and finally I felt that the 999 was ‘mine’ after all the work done by my mechanics this weekend” he added. “I didn’t have any problems on race-day, just in practice and Superpole. In race 2 I easily passed Chili and as I knew Neil would have braked on the inside of Tramonto, I just went round him on the outside”.

Hodgson crashed on lap 2 of the first race at the Carro curve but then rode a brilliant race 2 to take the runner-up slot behind Ruben. “It was a strange crash, I wasn’t doing anything different to what I normally do at the Carro, I just lost the front and went down”, said Neil. “I feel frustrated not to have won but I know I gave my best out there today. Finishing second only motivates me to train harder and go faster. I knew Ruben was really fast round the back part, I thought I’d covered the line but I hit the brakes too early and he came round me on the outside”.



RACE 1 : 1. Xaus (Ducati Fila); 2. Toseland (HM Plant Ducati); 3. Laconi (NCR Ducati); 4. Lavilla (Suzuki); 5. Walker (HM Plant Ducati); 6. Martin (DFX Ducati).

RACE 2 : 1. Xaus; 2. Hodgson; 3. Chili (PSG-1 Ducati); 4. Laconi; 5. Lavilla; 6. Pedercini (Ducati).


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

Mixed fortunes for HM Plant Ducati!

It was a tough second race for HM Plant Ducati team mates James Toseland and Chris Walker at Misano circuit in San Marino. After a fantastic first race performance where he finished in second place behind Ruben Xaus (who went on to win both races) Toseland was forced to retire from the second race after a fuel line split on his Ducati.

“It’s been an eventful weekend for lots of different reasons,” said Toseland. “I was so pleased with my podium finish in race one, especially as I was feeling pretty beaten up after yesterday’s crash, but to have to retire from race two is very disappointing. I came to Misano second in the championship and now I’m 23 points behind Ruben Xaus after his double victory. Apart from that it has been a positive weekend in many ways. I just hope that this is my bad luck over for the season and that now it’s out of the way!”

Toseland’s HM Plant Ducati team mate, Chris Walker finished race two in eighth place – a remarkable achievement considering the fact that he started from the fourth row of the grid, due to a missed gear in his all-important Superpole qualifying lap yesterday.

“I’m just glad to have secured points in each race and to keep my sixth place in the championship,” said Walker. “It was baking out there today and I knew fitness would play a part in the tremendous heat but I tried my best and made sure that I scored as many points as possible. Hopefully I’ll be completely free from injury for the next round at Laguna Seca where I’ll be determined to do my best for the HM Plant Ducati team.”


More, from a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

Top ten double for Corser and FPR in Misano

Troy Corser completed the first top ten double for a Foggy PETRONAS Racing rider by following his seventh place in the morning race at Misano with tenth place in the afternoon.

And after the races, both won by Spaniard Ruben Xaus from the third row, Troy flew by helicopter straight back to Monaco where fiancée Sam Davies was already in hospital expecting their first child.

Starting from eighth on the grid, Troy made two good starts and, in the first race, capitalised on mistakes by Neil Hodgson, Vittorio Iannuzzo and Frankie Chili to make progress through the field for his best finish since the second round at Phillip Island. In the afternoon race Troy just lost out in a long battle with fellow-countryman Steve Martin for ninth place, despite a top speed difference of 15kph.

Troy said: “I am very happy with these results, especially considering the problems we had on the first day here. I got a good start in both races but lost a few places when bikes came past me down the back straight in the early laps. The FP1’s chassis was ideal – it did everything I wanted and I reckon I was making up between half a second and a second in the corners. The bike was never struggling on the brakes, my difficulty was in powering out of the corners. My front Michelin tyres were great and the rears were very consistent. The races were physically very demanding but I guess the hard work starts now when the baby arrives!”

Team boss Nigel Bosworth said: “I think Troy rode even better in the second race than he did in the first. He has done a fantastic job this weekend and he has promised us he will win races on the FP1, if we can find him some extra power. These results have given everyone a big lift, at a time when it was needed. We feel like we are fighting again and hopefully we can maintain this progress for the rest of the season. We now have better reliability so the focus is on performance and Suter Racing Technology are working flat out to find more power.”

Chief engineer Steve Thompson said: “We have overcome major difficulties to run reliably in this heat so, after our start at Valencia, this has been our most satisfying weekend. The cooling efficiency was helped by increasing the pressure in the cylinder heads by putting restrictors in the outlets, thereby increasing the temperature at which the water boils. The wind tunnel work we have carried out has also helped and the Micron titanium cans have helped dissipate the heat in the exhausts. We are still running too hot, but nearly everyone was here.”


More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist:

TOP TEN FINISHES FOR TROY

It was a good raceday for Troy at Misano today, ending with a seventh place in race one and a tenth in race two. After the teams bad luck this weekend, when reserve rider Mauri put himself out of the race after breaking his leg, the team needed a pair of solid results from Troy and that’s what they got. Troy knew that the very hot conditions would be hard for his Foggy FP1, but was determined to bring the bike home in both races – and he succeeded. Spaniard Ruben Xaus (Ducati) won both races today to record his first ever double in the championship. He had to work hard for his fifty points tally though. After series leader Neil Hodgson (Ducati) crashed out after one lap, he had to battle James Toseland, Frankie Chili and Regis Laconi before he could take victory. Chili fell on the last lap, so Toseland took second and Laconi third. Troy made a good start and ended seventh – his best result since the second round at Phillip Island. He also made another good start in race two and finished tenth, despite his Foggy FP1 having considerably less power than its rivals. The race for victory was a three-way fight between Xaus, Hodgson and Chili, but once more the Spaniard prevailed to take win number two on the day. Hodgson took second – just two tenths of a second behind – with Chili third.

TROY

I’m very happy with these results, especially considering the problems we had on the first day here. I got good starts in both races, but lost a few places on the back straight when bikes came past me in the early laps. The FP1’s chassis was really good – it did everything I wanted and I reckon I was making up between half a second and a second in the corners. The bike was never in trouble on the brakes; my problem was powering out of the corners. The front Michelins worked great and the rears were very consistent. The races were physically very demanding and now I’m dashing off to Monaco where my fiancée Sam is already in hospital waiting for our baby to be born. Wish me luck!

More, from a press release issued by Scuderia Caracchi NCR Nortel Networks:

Laconi once more onto the rostrum at Misano

Also at Misano, in a very hot day only mitigated by a light wind, Regis Laconi on his Ducati 998RS Caracchi NCR Nortel Network climbed onto the winner rostrum. It happened in race-1: the French rider, who leaded the early stages of the race, remained with Xaus, Toseland and Chili in the leading quartet until five laps to go, when an heavy slide at Variante Arena Esses suggested him to slow down. Regis has been right when Chili crashed at Tramonto corner and Laconi claimed the third position on the rostrum. In race-2 later, running faster and at about 5°C higher track temperature, the bike started early to slide and Regis liked content himself for the fourth place, looking at the Championship standing.

“It has been a positive day, also if we could get something more.” – said at the end of the day Regis – “After two races I’m the rider scoring the most of points for the championship today, excluding Xaus of course, and I approached now the third position. Today as been a very very hot day and the track temperature was more as 50°C; In those conditions tyres have been very important. I started very fast in race-1 and I leaded for several laps the race; then, five laps to go, I’ve seen that Toseland, Chili and me we have grip troubles and, despite a very bad slide, I preferred to stay calm and wait, I was sure that something could happen! Race-1 has been really terrible, and I ended it very tired. During the interval I could recover and the second race has been better. Unfortunately at race-2 start we have done a bad evaluation for tyre pressure. I rode about half a second faster and the asphalt was hotter: at the middle of the race my bike hadn’t anymore grip and I’ve been forced to renounce to fight. However looking at the championship the fourth place is a good result, but I could grab something better.”

On the contrary David Garcia renounced to start and back in Spain he’ll start an intensive activity as for physiotherapy as for bike training to be ready for next round in Laguna Seca, July 13th .

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

2003 Shell Advance Australian Superbike Championship
Round 3
Winton Motor Raceway
June 22, 2003

By Trevor Hedge (www.mcnews.com.au)

Inclement weather forced officials to call a premature halt to proceedings at Victoria’s Winton Motor Raceway Sunday when continuous downpours made racing conditions too dangerous to continue.

However only the final race for each class was cancelled which meant that two of the three races were still run and the hard-core spectators that braved the conditions were rewarded with plenty of thrills and spills at the three-kilometre Winton circuit.

Craig Coxhell, a 20-year-old from Shepparton, (Suzuki) emerged from the downpour as the new leader in the 2003 Shell Advance Australian Superbike Championship. But it was Newcastle’s Daniel Stauffer who took the round win after fighting through the difficult conditions to put his Nikon Yamaha on top of the podium.

Stauffer’s win came in his first race back since a frightening 250-kph crash at Phillip Island’s turn one last month which left him with broken ribs along with a cracked wrist and ankle. But after intensive physiotherapy he battled through his discomfort to put in a great ride.

Scott Charlton also shone in the conditions and put his Shell-sponsored Honda CBR954RR Fireblade on the third rung of the podium. This is the young Melbourne rider’s first year in Superbike competition after finishing second in the Australian Supersport Championship last year.

Charlton’s healthy contribution enabled Honda to keep its lead in the Manufacturer’s Championship. This is mainly thanks to some great efforts from a healthy field of privateers using their Fireblades to great effect this year.

Yamaha’s Kevin Curtain continued his unstoppable form to once again take a clean sweep of the Supersport races. In doing so the 36-year-old extended his lead over reigning Champion Shannon Johnson (Honda) to 39 points. Josh Brookes (Honda) came second overall in this third round of the 2003 Championship with young Queenslander Brendan Clarke (Yamaha) rounding out the podium. Clarke is back racing in Australia this year but previously rode for the Shell Advance World 500cc GP squad on a Honda V-Twin a couple of years ago.

Western Australia’s Peter Taplin has emulated Kevin Curtain’s unstoppable Supersport run to do the same in Australian 250cc Grand Prix. The Beechboro based rider once again beat all-comers to take both race wins and extended his unbeaten form to 8 races in succession. Lismore’s Mark Stanley also rode well this weekend and managed to take another pole position from Taplin, but a fall in race one put paid to his chances of a round win.

Mildura teenager Joshua Waters was too good for his opposition in the 125cc Grand Prix class and took the round win ahead of Mick Kelly to make it a Mildura 1-2. Definitely a strange occurrence, even though Winton is the closest championship track to Mildura, it is some six hours from Winton. The Victorian circuit is situated near the town of Benalla.

125cc Grand Prix has seen an incredible charge from the youngsters this year as Championship leader Waters is only 16 years old. Holding down second place overall in the points standings is Sydney’s Jason O’Halloran at only 15 years of age!

Winton also witnessed the return of the ‘slideways’ sidecars and it was the
South Australia pairing of Neville Lush and Martin Scott who took top honours today to extend their overall Championship lead to 44 points from fellow Adelaide pilots John Francis and Rowan Biram. The smaller F2 Sidecar Championship is headed by David Jones and John Cutting but Sydney’s Darrin Treloar and Justin Plaisted took the round honours at Winton.

A huge turn-one melee unfolded in the final Superstock race of the day with six riders going down and another four heading off on to the grass. Incredibly, no injuries were sustained in the incident and all but two riders were able to remount and continue the race.

Taree teenager Alex Cudlin showed great form in taking the Superstock win from Melbourne’s Leigh McKenzie at Winton after dominating both races. But McKenzie retains the overall lead in the championship with a healthy 36 point buffer over Cudlin so the Taree boy has his work cut out to overcome that gap with only two rounds and six races remaining in this years championship.

Caleb Stalder took pole and a race win to keep his healthy lead in the 250cc Production Championship but it was Victoria’s Troy Elliott who took the round win after putting on a confident display of wet-weather riding.

The series now has a six week break until action resumes at Queensland Raceway on the weekend of August 10 before heading to Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway for the Championship finale on August 31.

From a press release issued by MonsterMob Ducati:

MONSTERMOB DUCATI BRITISH SUPERBIKE TEAM

Round 6 – 2003 British Superbike Championship powered by HALLS, Brands Hatch

Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd June 2003

BYRNE INCREASES LEAD AT BRANDS

MonsterMob Ducati rider Shane Byrne battled through the pain barrier to increase his lead in the British Superbike Championship with another superb performance at his home track at Brands Hatch today.

Suffering from injuries sustained in a crash on Friday, the 26 year old from Minster, Isle of Sheppey kept up his winning streak with his eighth successive victory in the opening race of the day after a race long battle with Suzuki’s John Reynolds.

But his hopes of going into the record books with a history making ‘quadruple double’ were dashed when Reynolds claimed victory with a last corner manoeuvre to outdrag ‘Shakey’ to the flag.

“Those have been the hardest races of my career and I really struggled but to increase my lead when it looked as if I may not be racing is a bonus. It’s disappointing not to get the record but I’ll just have to make sure I win more races than anyone else for the rest of the year.”

Byrne’s lead now stands at 133 points at the half distance stage of the season.

For team mate Stuart Easton, it was also a visit to the rostrum aboard the 748 Ducati.

The 18 year old Scot posted third place after a race long Supersport battle to consolidate his second place in the championship.

“A five week lay off didn’t help as I was a little race rusty but I clawed my way back. I felt good in the early stages but struggled for grip later on, but it could have been worse.”

Team boss Paul Bird commented “On Friday we didn’t think Shakey would be racing today, so to come away with a win and a second place is fantastic, all credit to him and the team. Stuart rode well but we need him to start winning soon if we want to hold onto that particular title”.


Superbike Results

Race One
1. Shane Byrne (MonsterMob Ducati) 30:54.420
2. John Reynolds (Suzuki) 30:54.597
3. Steve Plater (Honda) 30:58.526
4. Gary Mason (Yamaha) 30:58.585
5. Steve Hislop (Yamaha) 31:01.359
6. Glen Richards (Kawasaki) 31:01.811
7. Scott Smart (Kawasaki) 31:02.136
8. John McGuinness (Ducati) 31:06.353
9. John Crawford (Ducati) 31:11.581
10. Lee Jackson (Kawasaki) 31:13.146

Race Two
1. John Reynolds (Suzuki) 29:08.941
2. Shane Byrne (MonsterMob Ducati) 29:09.063
3. Michael Rutter (Ducati) 29:24.710
4. Sean Emmett (Ducati) 29:26.996
5. Glen Richards (Kawasaki) 29:27.661
6. Gary Mason (Yamaha) 29:27.826
7. Steve Hislop (Yamaha) 29:34.923
8. Steve Plater (Honda) 29:42.531
9. Scott Smart (Kawasaki) 29:44.873
10. Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) 29:45.420

Superbike Championship Standings after Round 6
1: Shane Byrne (MonsterMob Ducati) 285pts
2: Michael Rutter (Ducati) 152pts
3: John Reynolds (Suzuki) 145pts
4: Glen Richards (Kawasaki) 131pts
5: Steve Plater (Honda) 117pts
5: Gary Mason (Yamaha) 117pts
7: Steve Hislop (Yamaha) 111pts
8: Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) 103pts
9: John Crawford (Ducati) 74pts
10: Scott Smart (Kawasaki) 72pts

Supersport Results

1. Dean Thomas (Honda) 27:18.358
2. Karl Harris (Honda) 27:18.379
3. Stuart Easton (MonsterMob Ducati) 27:18.952
4. Leon Haslam (Ducati) 27:26.512
5. Simon Andrews (Yamaha) 27:26.966
6. Tom Sykes (Yamaha) 27:31.198
7. Takeshi Tsujimura (Honda) 27:33.813
8. Jamie Robinson (Yamaha) 27:34.079
9. Rob Frost (Kawasaki) 27:44.675
10. Craig Jones (Triumph) 27:47.677

Supersport Championship Standings After Round 6
1: Karl Harris 135pts
2: Stuart Easton 80pts
3: Simon Andrews 61pts
4: Leon Haslam 60pts
5: Adrian Coates 53pts
6: Dean Thomas 52pts
7: Rob Frost 48pts
8: Michael Laverty 47pts
9: John Crockford 45pts
10: Craig Jones 39pts
10: Tom Sykes 39pts


More, from a press release issued by Scott Smart Racing:

Brands Hatch – Race Report

FACTORY BRITISH Superbike racer Scott Smart secured a brace of good points finishes at his home circuit of Brands Hatch today, crossing the line in seventh after race one and ninth in race two.

The 27-year-old, who now lives in Yorkshire, was happy with his results and was pleased to beat Rizla Suzuki rider Yukio Kagayama in both races.

Commenting on race one, Smart said: “I got a pretty good start but Paul Young got a better one from behind me. We got up into Druids and there were a couple of small gaps so I made some places. I took a long time to get past John McGuinness and then, after I went by Yukio, I was running up with Hizzy.

“Then the pace car came out and everyone closed up. I just couldn’t get past Steve at all. He was really fast everywhere. I could have probably got him through Clearways near the end but I went to the inside and he got the run on me. I think if I’d stayed on the left, I might have got past him. I slowed up on the last lap to let Glen by because he needs the points more than I do and he had a nightmare of a race.

“In race two,” said Smart, “I got another reasonable start and basically had to try and hang on to Steve Plater and Yukio for the whole race. I didn’t have quite as much grip, so it was difficult to try and stay with Steve but I managed to get by Yukio again and finished in ninth.

“We made a load of changes to the Hawk Kawasaki over the course of the weekend and I’m happy with the set-up now. We go to Rockingham next and I’ve won there before, so I’m really looking forward to that weekend.”

Today was also an emotional day for Scott and his family because a corner at the Kent circuit was renamed Sheene Curve, in memory of Scott’s uncle, Barry Sheene, who tragically passed away earlier this year. Scott did a parade lap on an ex-Sheene Yamaha TZ750 racebike and said that it was more nerve wracking than racing as if he fell off Barry’s bike, he’d never hear the end of it.

From a press release issued by FGSPORT GROUP:

11 of the top 15 were Suzuki !

Strategy and speed win the Brno race…and now the long night of the Albacete 12 Hours !

Suzuki Zongshen’s race win came out of a combination of fast consistent laps by Warwick Nowland and Stephane Mertens, and a refuelling strategy that began with Nowland almost running dry on the last lap of his first session but ended with the team making fewer stops than any of their rivals. It’s a long push up that last straight at Brno but the gamble paid off. Second place for Yamaha GMT94 shows that determination and experience will always win through in endurance, and that in the right hands the R1 can come up with the goods. Suzuki GB Phase One’s third place came at the end of a bad weekend for the team, and they will be happy to settle for the last step on the podium.

Top Ten

Ducati DRE’s fourth place earns them their first points of the year; Brno seems to be kind to the Italian team and their French riders. Suzuki Trackdaze 11 finished fifth, with good rides by the Junior riders sealed by Mike Edwards’ excellent performance. Suzuki Police Nationale scored sixth overall but were front runners for the whole of the second leg of the race and continue to improve race by race. Kawasaki Bolliger put in their usual calm and measured performance to finish seventh, while PS Schlesinger, Jet Endurance and Phase One Juniors round out the top ten. All three finished on the same lap of the race and were fighting for the maximum championship points.

In the Points, In the Pits

Two laps behind, Rookie Endurance and Hofmann Racing finished 11th and 12th and KFM Herber were 14th, the three German permanent teams locked in their own battle. Less fortunate were the remaining Yamaha teams; Maco Moto Slovakia and Fagersjo-el.se finished outside the points, Yamaha Austria blew another motor and Yamaha Endurance Moto 38 had gearbox and fuelling problems which plagued them for the whole race.

The long night of the “Albacete 12 Hours” is waiting for Endurance riders. Eleven of the top fifteen finishers were Suzuki GSX-R1000s, with only one bike from each of Yamaha, Ducati, Kawasaki and Honda scoring any points.

The 12 Hour Albacete race is twice as long as the Brno round, and run through the night in a single non-stop session. It will be a tougher and more challenging event, but with GSX-R1000s (Zongshen 1, Suzuki GB Phase One and Jet Team the only bikes to have scored points in all three rounds) remain favourites to dominate in Spain.

2003, June 19
2003 Championship Standing (after 3 races):

1. Zongshen 1, CHN, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 66 points

2. Suzuki GB – Phase One, GBR, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 56 points

3. 22 Police Nationale, FRA, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 33 points

4. Yamaha GMT94, FRA, Yamaha YZF-R1, 30 points

5. Zongshen 2, CHN, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 25 points

6. Bolliger Team, SUI, Kawasaki ZX-9R, 20 points

6. Trackdaze 11, GBR, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 20 points

8. Fabi Corse, ITA, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 16 points

8. Yamaha Austria Rac. Team, AUT, Yamaha YZF-R1, 16 points

10. Ducati DRE 5, ITA, Ducati 998, 13 points

10. Phase One Junior, GBR, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 13 points

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Glenn LeSanto

Chili fastest as crash halts qualifying

Frankie Chili took provisional pole at the Autodromo Santa Monica in qualifying for Sunday’s World Superbike races in tough conditions.

Chili’s best lap came while Giovanni Bussei’s bike was laying in the track, although Chili is understood to have passed the Variante Arena before Bussei actually crashed there. Chili emphasised his point by going even faster on his very last lap of the session, recording a time of 1:35.058.

Steve Martin remained in good form and happy with second fastest after deciding not to take to the circuit again after the stoppage, “There was only nine minutes left and we wanted to preserve our qualifiers for Superpole,” said the Australian, who rides for DFX Ducati.

Neil Hodgson is the sole full-factory rider on the provisional front row, ahead of Regis Laconi. Xaus went fifth fastest despite crashing on his final qualifying lap. James Toseland, Lucio Pedercini and Vittorio Iannuzzo completing the provisional second row. Iannuzzo out-qualified his teammate Gregorio Lavilla after Lavilla crashed his Suzuki early in the session, lost time and failed to climb higher than thirteenth.

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

Final timed qualifying, best lap times:

1. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, 1:35.058
2. Steve Martin, Ducati 998RS, 1:35.276
3. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 999F03, 1:35.310
4. Regis Laconi, Ducati 998RS, 1:35.365
5. Ruben Xaus, Ducati 999F03, 1:35.422
6. James Toseland, Ducati 998F02, 1:35.477
7. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 1:35.571
8. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:35.992
9. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:36.050
10. Chris Walker, Ducati 998F02, 1:36.066
11. Marco Borciani, Ducati 998RS, 1:36.069
12. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:36.094
13. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:36.177
14. Giovanni Bussei, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:36.340
15. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:36.514
16. Juan Borja, Ducati 998RS, 1:36.562
17. Paolo Blora, Ducati 996RS, 1:36.623
18. David Garcia, Ducati 998RS, 1:36.780
19. Nello Russo, Ducati 998RS, 1:36.796
20. Alex Gramigni, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:37.291
21. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:37.675
22. Serafino Foti, Ducati 998RS, 1:37.843
23. Luca Pini, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:38.164
24. Walter Tortoroglio, Honda RC51, 1:38.228
25. Christian Zaiser, Aprilia RSV1000, 1:38.350
26. Giuseppe Zannini, Ducati 998RS, 1:38.796
27. Jiri Mrkyvka, Ducati 998RS, 1:39.099
28. Redamo Assirelli, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:39.936

From a press release:

STEINHAUSEN GRABS FIRST ‘GENUINE’ WIN

Jörg Steinhausen and passenger Trevor Hopkinson recorded their first win of the season at round five of the World Superside championship at Misano Adriatico, San Marino, Saturday.

Steinhausen got off to his customary flying start before pole-setter Steve Webster took over the lead on lap three. But the German, who rode a steady race with the aim of conserving tyres, retook the lead on lap 15 and never looked back.

“We have been working very hard and it’s satisfying when it all comes together. I was a bit surprised to see Webster’s rear tyre go but we kept plugging away,” said the 2002 runner-up, who now moves up to fourth in the overall standings.

Passenger Trevor Hopkinson echoed his driver’s words: “This is our first genuine win bearing in mind our luck at Lausitz last year. It was a long time coming.”

Tom Hanks and passenger Phil Biggs rode a brilliant race, working their way up from sixth at the end of lap one to second and only 0.422s behind Steinhausen.

Hanks said: “It is not in my nature to conserve my tyres but that’s what they told me to do and it has paid off. I actually thought there was another lap to go!”

Steve Webster had to settle for third while reigning world champion Steve Abbott retired on lap four with an ignition problem. Klaus Klaffenböck finished fourth but stays in top spot.

Superside World championship result (20 laps – 81.20km/50.75miles):
1 Jörg Steinhausen, Germany (Suzuki) 33:50.862, 2 Tom Hanks, GB (Yamaha) +0.422-second, 3 Steve Webster, GB (Suzuki) +4.730, 4 Klaus Klaffenböck, Austria (Yamaha) +5.283, 5 Martien van Gils, Holland (Suzuki) +45.569, 6 Mike Roscher, Germany (Suzuki) +1:06.329, 7 Bill Philp, GB (Yamaha) +1:13.830, 8 Jean-Noël Minguet, France (Suzuki) + 1:20.380 9 Richard Gatt, GB (Yamaha) +1:20.394, 10 Gerhard Hauzenberger, Austria (Yamaha) +1:23.219.

Championship points after five of 10 rounds: 1 Klaffenböck 94, 2 Webster 91, 3 Steinhausen 61, 4 Roscher 53, 5 Abbott 49, 6 Van Gils 48, 7 Hanks 46, 8 Philp 34, 9 Hauzenberger 30, 10 Morrissey 26.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Trevor Hedge (www.mcnews.com.au)

2003 Shell Advance Australian Superbike Championship
Round 3, Winton Motor Raceway
June 21, 2003

Australia’s fastest motorcycle racers converged on Victoria’s Winton Motor Raceway today for the opening bout in this weekend’s third round of the Shell Advance Australian Superbike Championship.

The premier Superbike war starts tomorrow but the first salvo was fired across the bows of the opposition by Nikon Yamaha’s Daniel Stauffer in final qualifying today when he went under the previous Production Superbike lap record to clinch pole position. The Newcastle based rider will start tomorrow’s three races at the front of the grid flanked by Joshua Brookes (Honda), Kevin Curtain (Yamaha). Reigning Shell Advance Australian Superbike Champion Shawn Giles (Suzuki) rounds out the front row on the all new ‘K3’ model GSX-R1000.

This weekend marks the first time Stauffer had ridden a motorcycle since his incredible 250kph crash at Phillip Island last month when he came together with Shawn Giles but he quickly showed he has lost no speed since breaking his wrist, ankle and ribs only a matter of weeks ago.

“The injuries are still hampering me a little so I did not too much time on the bike today to try and save myself for tomorrow’s races, I only did about 3 laps in that qualifying session with that thought in mind.”

Stauffer continued, “It is all very close but I am pretty sure I can keep that pace up so unless the others really pick their pace up we are definitely looking good for tomorrow.”

Honda’s Joshua Brookes put the new CBR600RR on pole position for the opening Supersport race of the weekend and took the early lead before being overcome by the irrepressible force that is Yamaha’s Kevin Curtain. The two Sydneysiders battled briefly in the early laps but eventually Curtain pulled an advantage.

A thrilling battle was fought for third place between Brendan Clarke (Yamaha) and Shannon Johnson (Honda). But ex-500cc Grand Prix competitor Clarke pulled away from Johnson in the final laps. Clarke nearly managed to get Brookes for 2nd place on the run to the chequered flag but Brookes held on to take that 2nd position.

The Supersport war continues on Sunday with another two battles on the schedule. Curtain now has a healthy lead overall in the points standings and is well on his way in his quest to take the Australian Supersport crown off reigning Champion Shannon Johnson (Honda).

Pole position for the 250 Grand Prix class was fought out between Mark Stanley and Western Australia’s Peter Taplin but it was Stanley who got the nod for pole.

The Lismore (NSW) rider took advantage of that grid position to lead the first laps but eventually succumbed to Taplin. Stanley tried to come back at Taplin but unfortunately fell while pushing hard, thankfully he was unhurt in the incident. That left Taplin to take a clear win over Geoff Hardcastle to further extend his unbeaten run in the 250 Grand Prix Championship to seven wins in succession.

Mildura teenager Joshua Waters started from pole in the 125 GP initial encounter and blitzed the field from the outset to take a clear win. An exciting battle waged for 2nd place with Sydney teenager Jason ‘O’Halloran in the thick of the action with a pair of experienced campaigners in the shape of Peter Galvin and Mick Kelly hot on his heels. Galvin and Kelly are both previous Australian champions so the fact that the teenage duo of Waters and O’Halloran managed to put one over them today is a great advertisement for the future of Australian racing.

Taree teenager Alex Cudlin took pole for the Superstock class by a slender five-hundredths of a second over Melbourne’s Leigh McKenzie and used it to his advantage to take the race win. The race distance was reduced due to fading light. The South Australian pairing of Neville Lush and Martin Scott took first blood in the battle for sidecar honours.

The remainder of the race programme wraps up on Sunday with three Superbike races and two more races for each of the other classes.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail

From an Army Captain we know in Iraq, who will remain nameless:

Hello to all from Mosul, Iraq:

The Army has decided to wipe out our ability to access our Yahoo accounts so from here on out please e-mail this address. Also, as a result my distro list is not complete, so if someone you know wants this please send me their address. I did not intentionally leave someone off this.

The unemployment business shapes up every day to look more and more like an episode of the Sopranos. Last Thursday there was a riot downtown. I did not know it ’cause I was in a meeting in my office with a bunch of Iraqi COLs right across the river from the riots. The General who is my Iraqi counterpart was speaking at an engagement that morning. Then I hear a crash at the front gates and a pickup–loaded with 15 Hajis dressed in green all with AK-47s and yelling at the top of their lungs–comes to a screeching halt.

I run to the window, chamber a round, move my safety off and am one second from wasting these lunatics when one of the Iraqi COLs grabs my arm and says that it is OK, they are with us. Well, out of the back comes none other than my General–he is yelling “Captain! Captain!” Then he starts yelling at me in Arabic.

So I grab him and shake him and yell “English, speak freaking English.” Well, whatever he said has everyone in an uproar and my translator is yelling in Arabic, finally he snaps out of it and starts yelling in English that people are coming to attack us at the building. So I go outside to grab my SGT, when I see the guys in the truck dump a guy out the back. He has a nice entry and exit wound in his chest, by his shoulder. He doesn’t move or make a sound. It sucked to be him.

I find my SGT who thought that since they were yelling CPT CPT, that I was shot. I explain to him what’s going on, and we request air support and MP support ASAP. That’s when my boss calls me and says–good luck, shit hit the fan downtown, do what you can because all U.S. forces are engaged. Nice! It’s only 10:00 o’clock and there is a dead guy in my driveway, just me with a 9mm and a SGT with a rifle, and an angry mob across the river wants to attack us.

Well, the mob stayed across the river, thankfully. Come to find out the riot started where the General was (Coincidence? I think not!) but they stayed over the river to riot in front of the government building.

Great day!

Then I have to kick the Kurdish Islamic Unionist Party out of my building. We are setting up a U.S.-style government where political parties are not sponsored by the government and they cannot occupy government buildings. So it takes me an hour to kick them out. I got them a building to move to, and when I move them there, there is a security guard watching the building. So I ask him who he is. He informs me he was ordered by Jaboori not to move. OK, trying to avoid an incident–let’s go see Jaboori. Now I have heard the name several times, but have no clue who he is.

I drive to his palace on the river, enter the gates, and drive down a quarter-mile driveway. In the back there are 30 cats in fatigues doing Kung-Fu, being filmed by an Australian TV station as an American (or at least he appeared to be) kicked their butts.

I go to the front door and this guy answers the door with enough metal on him to take down a small fort.

“What do you want?” he asks.

I wanna see Jaboori.

“Come and sit down.” So he seats me in a room easily the size of an average American home. It has a huge fireplace, bamboo roof, and gold (yes, I said gold) furniture. So now I think, hmmmmm… Then he comes in and offers us lunch. No thanks, I want to talk about the house. Blah Blah Blah Blah. He finally gave me another building.

So I dump the kurds into the other building, but then they don’t wanna go…man, what a pain. But then I tell everyone I went to Jaboori’s house and they all freak out ’cause he is off-limits. Oh, well, he was cool with me.

So then the other night a sheik shows up at our front doorstep and asks for me by name. He wants a job. So the COL meets him and we invite him to dinner. Needless to say, Army chow did not fare well.

So he invited me and the COL to his house.

Sorry this e-mail is not humorous, but I am tired as all sin. Just wanted to let you know what’s up.

Later.



The following missive is from a U.S. Army Lieutenant in Baghdad with an armored division, who elaborates on the perspective of a female soldier in Iraq:

Hi everyone–

Once again I apologize for the mass e-mail. However, with the wacky computer connectivity we have here it is the only way I can assure that my messages get out.

Anyway, a few more details on life here. First of all, it is damn hot. I thought Texas was hot but this is horrible. It’s about 115 degrees every day, and if you are outside in body armor it is even hotter.

For all of you who have been to Turkey and seen how poor it is there, this is far, far, far worse. These people live in utter filth and devastation. Even the “nice” parts of the city aren’t so nice. The only parts that are nice are the palaces. Anyone who has ever complained about the gap between the rich and the poor in the States needs to come here. It is no wonder they hated Saddam–he had golden chandeliers and most of these people are lucky if they even have a roof.

Anyway, most people are pretty glad we are here. However, they are impatient. The educated people here, like the doctors and lawyers, understand change doesn’t happen overnight. The normal person though is just pissed because they don’t have consistent power or they haven’t been paid in a while (evidenced by the super overhyped riot coverage from a couple of days ago). And yes, there is violence. We have had two soldiers in our unit killed already. The thing is the whole culture here revolves around guns. EVERYONE has one. We have had plenty of people lead us to caches or turn in weapons but for every one they turn in there are a gazillion more–and it is cheap to buy guns and grenades. Still, while it seems bad, you also have to remember there are 150,000 Americans over here right now. Per capita, it isn’t a very high death/injury rate.

The best way to think of Baghdad is like LA (which by the way had 653 murders last year). There is a lot of crime and illegal activity, but not a lot of evidence of former regimists plotting in basement places.

Being a woman over here is weird, though. The Iraqi men either stare at you like they can’t believe what they are seeing or refuse to look at you at all. Iraqi women who work for U.S. forces are ostracized, threatened and attacked–one of our infantry battalions had a 15-year-old cleaning lady shot in the head and killed a couple of days ago. That is the crazy thing about here–it is a potentially super-wealthy country and it has some modern technology, but the people’s way of thinking is stuck in a couple of centuries ago. They honestly think our NVGs and sunglasses are X-ray and we use them to look through Iraqi women’s clothing. They think our flak vests are air-conditioned. They believe every rumor on the street. And they constantly rat on each other–we get a zillion sources a day saying they know where Saddam is or whatever.

As for me, I am currently living in the Martyr’s monument (I spent the first couple of weeks in the Ministry of the Interior). There isn’t as much damage to the city as I thought it would be. There were some buildings that were completely destroyed (I visited the former IIS headquarters and you could tell they used a couple of bunker-busters on it) but most of the city is fine. The ministry buildings were totally trashed by U.S. forces, though–the Marines went to the bathroom in every available corner and just generally created havoc for no reason whatsoever.

Anyway, I am not sleeping out of doors and I have a cot and a mosquito net. We have hot dinner every other night (though it isn’t the best quality food) and I take a camp shower every other morning. I try not to go out in sector unless it is absolutely necessary because I don’t want to take unneccessary risks, but sometimes it can’t be helped.

I have to run for now but I will try to keep you all updated when I can. Love to you all.

From a press release issued by Fieldsheer:

Fieldsheer Inc. has hired Kipp McGowan as National Sales Manager. Kipp is a native of Southern California and a motorcycle road racer himself!

He was previously employed with Lockhart Phillips USA as Sales Manager and brings years of experience in the motorcycle industry to Fieldsheer. He comes aboard just in time to launch Fieldsheer’s 2004 collection and its new parts and accessories division. He started his new position on June 10, 2003.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Fieldsheer Inc.
211 Calle Pintoresco, Unit A
San Clemente, CA 92672
949.488.8353
[email protected]