Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.: Former (2000) WSMC Overall Champion Richard Headley has acquired a Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, KTM dealership in Goleta, California. The multiline dealership will be called “Santa Barbara Motorsports.” Headley, who is still an active racer with WSMC, is offering a 15% discount to current licensed racers. Santa Barbara Motorsports is open seven days a week, and will continue to operate out of the same location, at 5718 Hollister Ave., Goleta, CA 93117. For more information go to www.SantaBarbaraMotorsports.com, or call (805) 967-9898.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.:

Industry sources report that Goodyear, which owns Dunlop, and the United Steel Workers of America (USWA) union are far apart on contract issues and that a strike could be called in the near future.

The USWA labor union called Goodyear’s latest offer “completely unacceptable” and turned it down because it called for reduced health care benefits and failed to provide job protection in case of plant closures.

A deadline of midnight, June 27 passed with no contract agreement, and no further talks have been scheduled.

It’s unknown if or how a strike would affect production of Dunlop motorcycle tires in Buffalo, New York.

At post time, a Dunlop executive declined to comment on the record and referred questions to the company’s Public Relations Department, which had already closed for the day.

Stay tuned.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Current AMA Supersport Championship leader Jamie Hacking turns 32 years old today.

Hacking was born on June 30, 1971 in Lancaster, England and currently resides in Greer, South Carolina with his wife Rachel.

Hacking is fifth on the all-time AMA Supersport win list with nine and also has won one AMA Superbike race and has finished on the AMA Superbike podium another 10 times.

From a pair of press releases issued by Sidi:

Jamie Stauffer signs with Sidi boots!

The latest hot Aussie rider has made a home for himself in the states in short order.

Jamie Stauffer came to California in February, slid on his Sidi Vertebra 2 boots and proceeded to impress the establishment enough to land his ass in one of the coveted Yoshimura Suzuki seats for the rest of the AMA 600cc season!

One thing won’t change now that he is on the upward track though…Jamie recently signed a long-term agreement with Sidi so one thing will stay consistent as he battles his way up the ranks…his Sidi boots!



LEE ACREE signs with SIDI boots!

Lee Acree recently used the occasion of his mid-season team changes to do something that he has wanted to do for a long time, sign with Sidi boots!

Earlier team deals always had Lee tied to a particular boot leaving him little choice but to run what they threw at him…and hope they would work when he threw it away…

Well, for Lee anyway, those worries are over! Acree will now be wearing the most protective and supportive boot in the world, the Sidi Race Vertebra beginning this weekend, June 27-29, in round four of the Formula USA National Championship Series at Virginia International Raceway. Acree will campaign his new Yamahas and wear Sidi boots for the rest of the 2003 season, competing in AMA Pro, WERA, and Formula USA/CCS events.

“I’m looking forward to the second half of 2003,” said Acree. “I had strong finishes earlier in the year, particularly at Daytona and Sears Point, so I want to carry that momentum into the rest of this year. Sidi has also really come through for me, and I’m looking forward to racing the new Yamaha R6s, which have been the bike to beat since they came out. It doesn’t hurt that they have a really strong contingency program as well.”

From a press release issued today by AMA:

A JOINT STATEMENT FROM THE AMA AND THE MRF

The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) share a common goal of protecting the best interests of American motorcyclists and have a long history of working together toward that goal.

At the National Summit on Motorcycle Sound, held May 16-18 in Worthington, Ohio, the AMA and the MRF joined others from the motorcycling community — including representatives from rider groups, motorcycle manufacturers, aftermarket companies, event organizers, law enforcement, municipal government, research institutions and regulatory agencies — in candid and open discussions on issues related to motor-vehicle noise.

The AMA and the MRF, along with others present at the conference, agreed that excessive motorcycle noise is a serious issue in some communities, that it may become an issue in many more, and that the potential exists for it to affect motorcyclists’ rights nationwide.

Based on discussions at that conference, the AMA and the MRF have agreed to work together, with the support of other organizations and individuals within the motorcycling community, to seek solutions to this problem in the best interests of American motorcyclists. The AMA and the MRF ask for the support of their members, and of all motorcyclists, in this effort.

The American Motorcyclist Association, founded in 1924, is a non-profit organization with more than 260,000 members. The Association’s purpose is to pursue, protect and promote the interests of motorcyclists, while serving the needs of its members. For more information, visit the AMA website at www.AMADirectlink.com or call 1-800-AMA-JOIN.

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation, the first motorcyclists’ rights organization to establish a full-time legislative advocacy in Washington D.C., is the only organization in Washington devoted exclusively to the street rider. The MRF established MRFPAC in the early 1990s to advocate the election of candidates who would champion the cause of rider safety and rider freedom. The MRF proudly claims state motorcyclists’ rights organizations and the very founders of the American rider rights movement among its leading members. Motorcyclists worldwide can thumb-start their search for riders’ rights and safety on the web at www.mrf.org or by calling 1-202-546-0983.

From a press release issued by CMRA:

In a meeting held on June 7, 2003, the CMRA’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to return to Independent status after four years as a CCS affiliate. This decision has been explored extensively over the past two years in columns printed in the monthly newsletter, The Inside Line, and on the club’s message board. The decision was reached after a number of meetings with CCS failed to resolve issues that the CMRA had raised. There are certainly few people involved in the sport of Amateur road racing who are as committed to the advancement of the sport as CCS’ Kevin Elliott. Hopefully we will find an opportunity for our two organizations to participate on the racetrack at some point in the future.

The return to Independent status comes after a series of accomplishments by the CMRA over a two-year period. A new Club Secretary, Race Director and a new Editor for the newsletter have been hired, the conversion to GAP accounting reports accomplished, the establishment of the CMRA Hall of Fame (Colin Edwards and Kevin Schwantz were the first inductees), purchase of Airfence, repaving of Oak Hill Raceway, the purchase of a new AMB timing/scoring system and a cash contingency program that has grown by more than $50,000 are evidence that the club is strong and getting stronger. Race entries are at an all-time high and the CMRA’s development of a Motard series that reaches youngsters of ages 8 to 12 provides entry-level opportunities to get the next generations on the track.

The goal of the return to Independent status is to provide an even greater value to CMRA members and to the road racing community, in general.

Preliminary conversations with others in the club road racing business provide encouragement that there will greater flexibility in regards to out-of-region and end-of-the-season competition. It is the CMRA’s desire to see these kinds of reciprocal opportunities granted to amateur road racers regardless of affiliation. This requires a whole different way of thinking but change can be good and in this case, what is good for the rider is good for the sport. Further details on the rulebook for 2004 and the programs to be offered will be announced in the near future.

Brooks Gremmels
President, CMRA
CMRA #26

From a press release issued by Renegade Ducati, which competes in the British Superbike Championship:

RENEGADE ANNOUNCE EMMETT DEPARTURE

Team Renegade Ducati today announced that the team has parted company with Sean Emmett. Team Owner Mark Griffiths said, “I am disappointed that our professional relationship has come to an end, but due to irreconcilable differences we have gone our separate ways.”

Team Rider Leon Haslam has been upgraded from his participation in the British Supersport class to partner Michael Rutter and Nick Medd in spearheading the team’s challenge for the British Superbike title.

Title sponsors Red Bull will continue their association with the team and on a personal level with Sean Emmett.

Renegade Ducati wishes to place on record its appreciation of the contribution made by Sean Emmett during his time with the team and to offer its very best wishes for his future career.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. CCS boss Kevin Elliott said he wonders if Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association (CMRA) club members had the opportunity to vote on their club dropping its CCS affiliation. Asked for his response to Texas-based CMRA’s announcement that it planned on dropping its CCS affiliation at the end of the 2003 season, Elliott said, “We wish them the best of luck on their future endeavors. “We feel we provided all services and everything promised under our sanction agreement. We saved them a huge amount of money on their insurance. We provided staff uniforms, printed their rulebooks, did their license renewal mailers and included the CMRA in all activities as all CCS regions.” Elliott added that the total amount of contingencies available to racers in the CMRA/CCS South Central region tripled from what it was before CMRA affiliated with CCS. “My only regret is that I don’t know if they did a membership vote. I believe they only did a Board of Directors vote,” Elliott said June 28 at Virginia International Raceway. Elliott said that he learned of CMRA’s intention to end its affiliation with CCS by reading it on Roadracingworld.com. See related post: 06/25/03 CMRA To Drop CCS Affiliation More, from readers: FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail As far as Mr. Elliot’s ponderings to the membership’s wants and desires, it was not put to a general vote. We (the CMRA) elect BOD (board of director) positions the same as we (Americans) elect congress, house and presidential candidates. By electing the people we deem best suited for the position we also entrust them to make decisions on our behalf that best suit us as a club or citizen. Does Mr. Elliot have a direct say in his taxes, local and national laws or his country’s foreign policy? No. He entrusts those decisions to others the same as the CMRA’s membership does to our elected BOD. You would have to be brain dead and not paying attention for the last year to not know this was a action being discussed and appraised by the BOD and membership at large. The fact that this action may have been a surprise to Mr. Elliot is a example of the reasoning behind the decision. He (CCS) knew of our dissatisfaction with the services being rendered for quite awhile and has done nothing but give lip service to remediate it. Thank you Emmett Dibble Rosharon, Texas I just wanted to reply to Kevin Elliot’s recent comments regarding the CMRA. This split has been widely and loudly discussed on our website’s bulletin board for over 3 months. In fact, I believe the discussion came from the membership, and not the BOD. I think I speak for most of the members when I say we have confidence in our BOD, and that this was not a sudden move, or ill-advised. I think the real issue, is why did the CCS not stage a National race in the CMRA area? WERA, in its attempt to save their franchise in the state, has held one each of the years it was involved in the Texas area (one year was in Louisiana). When we signed on board with CCS, I for one was very excited about the deal. We saw the potential for greatness CCS had, with its TV connections, to break a national series into the mainstream, and challenge the AMA monopoly. I for one, feel disappointed by the results of the last three years. Mr. Elliot talks about the services he provided, but he doesn’t seem to understand that all this was being taken care of by the CMRA long before he came on the scene. I for one, have STILL not gotten my rulebook. I don’t think a mailing service is what we paid over $20K for, anyway. As a member of one of the largest racing clubs in the U.S., I feel confident that racing will continue on the grand scale that it always has in Texas (no, I don’t live there), producing more National and World Champions along the way. I don’t think any of us have any ill will towards Mr. Elliot, or CCS; our association has been a good one, but now is the time to move on. Thanks for your time, you have a great magazine and website! Steve Creech CMRA #550 Minden, Louisiana