From a press release issued by Mat Mladin’s publicist:

2003 AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship
Round 11 – Brainerd International Raceway, Minnesota, USA
Event Preview

MLADIN CHASES MAIDEN VICTORY AT BRAINERD

Brainerd, Minnesota, USA (Tuesday, 24 June) – Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin arrives at Minnesota’s Brainerd International Raceway, host of round 11 of the 2003 AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship holding down second place in the championship, just one point shy of Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom.

The season has been a battle of wills for the Australian. He has won six of the ten races held this season, but has had his consistency affected by tyre related problems. With just seven races remaining for the season, Mladin will be digging deep to obtain the results that he needs to regain the championship lead.

Brainerd is one of Mladin’s favourite circuits on the American race calendar and always looks forward to the cross-country trip.

“Along with Road America, Brainerd is a place that I look forward to,” said Mladin. “I like the countryside around here where you can get out and do a few different outdoor activities. I also like the circuit itself. It’s a place that we’ve done well at in the past, but are yet to crack it for a win, hopefully we can change that this weekend.”

While the three-times AMA Superbike champion does like the circuit and is the existing Superbike lap record holder around the 4.828km (3.00miles) complex, he has never won there. He has been runner-up on three occasions, but his last two visits saw him leave empty handed after suffering a first lap crash in 2001 and engine problems last year. With the new Suzuki GSX-R1000 at his disposal this year, Mladin will be aiming at a return to the winner’s podium this weekend. Further incentive for Mladin to aim for the top step on the podium is that Suzuki have never won at Brainerd in the 20-year history of the event.

“We need to get back to winning. It was good to get the win at the first race at Road Atlanta, but we made a wrong tyre choice for the second race and paid the price. Tyres have definitely been the most crucial factor for us this year. We have been working closely with Dunlop, so hopefully we can get a tyre from them that will suit the needs of the Suzuki.”

Preparations for this Sunday’s 21-lap Superbike national get underway with practice and qualifying sessions commencing on Friday and continuing through Saturday.



BRAINERD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY – FAST FACTS

Circuit length: 4.828km (3.00miles)
2002 Pole position: Eric Bostrom (Team Kawasaki ZX-7RR) 1:36.421

2002 Results:
1. Nicky Hayden (American Honda RC51)
2. Eric Bostrom (Team Kawasaki ZX-7RR)
3. Doug Chandler (HMC Ducati 998RS)
Lap Record: Mat Mladin (Team Yoshimura Suzuki) 1:35.320 (2001)

2003 AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship (points after 10 of 18
rounds)
1. E Bostrom (294); 2. M Mladin (293); 3. A Yates (276); 4. B Bostrom (274); 5. K Roberts (272); 6. M DuHamel (246); 7. L Pegram (211); 8. S Higbee (207); 9. J Pridmore (200); 10. V Haskovec (159).

From a press release issued by Speed TV:

SPEED CHANNEL SCHEDULE CHANGE BRINGS WIND TUNNEL, AUTO PROGRAMMING TO PRIME TIME

FASTEST GROWING SPORTS NETWORK DEBUTS NEW SCHEDULE AUG. 4

Closing in on 60 million U.S. cable households, SPEED Channel will shift its Monday-Thursday Prime Time lineup beginning Aug. 4.

“This is something we have been working on for some time,” said SPEED Channel President Jim Liberatore. “Much of our first year was spent developing relationships with multiple race series and accumulating additional programming. The new schedule is the next step in SPEED’s natural evolution. We think this new lineup is a more attractive mix of some of our stronger programs and better defines the network moving forward.”

As part of the new schedule, SPEED Channel will create a one-hour, Prime Time block of auto enthusiast programming Mondays through Thursdays beginning at 8 p.m. ET, including Car Crazy, American Muscle Car, AutoWeek, Dream Car Garage, Hot Rod TV, MotorWeek, My Classic Car and Two Guys Garage.

In addition, SPEED Channel’s Friday night viewer call-in program, Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain, will now go live four nights a week in Prime Time, running Monday through Thursdays beginning at 9 p.m.

“The auto programs have performed well for us in the weekend morning time slot and we want to be more aggressive in serving that section of our viewing audience,” Liberatore said. “Wind Tunnel is a program that we believe in and want to profile as one of our signature shows. Dave does a great job of engaging our passionate viewers in discussions on everything from their favorite race series to their favorite muscle car.”

NASCAR TV, which includes the popular Inside Winston Cup and Trackside, will anchor the Prime Time lineup, airing from 6 to 8 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday and all night on Friday. The 10 p.m. to midnight block will be dedicated to racing.

“Our new lineup is a reorganization of our existing programming with more emphasis on our highest rated programs,” Liberatore said. “We also have created a lineup that facilitates more effective promotion of those programs. We have not dropped any racing series, as racing remains a critical component of SPEED Channel. To make room, we removed several race replays that simply weren’t performing well enough to be part of SPEED’s Prime Time lineup.”

In 2003, SPEED Channel is the exclusive U.S. cable home for many of the top motor sports series in the world, including Formula One, The Champ Car World Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, USAC, World Rally, ASA, IHRA, ALMS, Grand American Road Racing, F3000 and live coverage of AMA and FIM motorcycle road racing events. Now available in more the 62 million homes in North America, SPEED Channel is the fastest growing sports cable network in the country and the home to NASCAR TV.

From a press release issued by FGSPORT GROUP:

The FIM World Endurance Championship visits eight international circuits over seven months, featuring five different race formats with a truly diverse range of machinery all competing for overall championship honours. The first three rounds of the Championship have all gone down to the wire, with the Suzuki Zongshen 1 bike of Nowland and Mertens winning at Imola and Brno, and the Zongshen No.2 bike of Jerman and Bonhuil taking the honours at Assen.

Zongshen 1 lead the championship standings with 66 points, but Suzuki GB Phase One (Four, Ellison, Pridmore, Lindstrom) have taken two second places and a third to stay in touch in second place with 56 points. Third place is held by the Suzuki Police Nationale team, on 33 points, and fourth by Yamaha GMT94 on 30 points. With five races to go and 150 points (the Oschersleben 24 Hour race awards 50 points to the winner, shorter races just 25) available the championship is still wide open, but for both Zongshen 1 and Phase One only a win will be good enough. Zongshen 1, Phase One, Police Nationale and the Swiss Suzuki Jet Team are the only teams to have scored points in every round so far.

Albacete 12 Horas Nocturnas

The Albacete race will, as the title suggests, run for 12 hours through the night. The race will start at dusk on Saturday evening, running non-stop through until Sunday morning. Although the circuit will be fully illuminated (and is the only such circuit outside Japan) night racing has its own very specific demands. The body reaches its lowest ebb in the early hours of the morning, and this can affect the concentration of pit crews as well as riders. As we have seen at Brno, fuel strategies will be vital and the slightest miscalculation could cost a team the race. With the race starting at sunset and ending after dawn the track conditions will also change significantly during the race; tyre life and grip could be significantly affected.

This will also be the longest race of the championship so far this year, and will test the durability and stamina of both man and machine. In ideal conditions teams will make refuelling and rider changes at around one hourly intervals, with the leading contenders changing both front and rear tyres at each stop. The wear rates of items such as brake pads must also be monitored; pads typically last around three hours but changing them adds both time and risk to stops. The levels of coolant and oil must be checked, and running with full lights will place extra loading on the bikes’ electrical systems.

The Albacete race will present a real endurance challenge to all the competitors. The winning team will be the one which manages to combine lap after lap at qualifying speed with faultless pit stops and a fuel strategy that keeps the bike on track and at racing speed for as long as possible.

Last Year’s Race

There was no round of the World Endurance Championship at Albacete last year. The last time the championship visited Spain was in 1987, when the Jerez 8 Hour race was won by the Suzuki team of Moineau and Le Bihan. The same pair went on to win the World Championship later that year.

A twenty four hour race at Barcelona was a permanent fixture in the calendar for many years during the nineteen seventies, with the Montjuich Park circuit proving so popular that Laverda named one of their bikes after it. The Barcelona 24 Hour race still runs today as a Spanish national event, with the 2002 race being won by the Yamaha R1 of Folch Endurance 1, ridden by Eduard Ullastres, Alex Hervas and Guim Roda. A number of the Barcelona competitors are expected to take part in the Albacete 12 Horas Nocturnas, where their local circuit knowledge and long-distance race experience will prove useful.

Protagonists’ Quotes

Michel Marqueton, team manager of Zongshen has seen mixed results from his two bikes so far this year, and this is reflected in his thoughts on the Spanish race: “Albacete will be very tough because it’s a very short track, very twisty, with heavy braking then acceleration then braking. It’s not really made for Suzukis, so my prediction is that the other teams have a good chance here; we will just have to take our chances.”

Russell Benney, Team manager of Suzuki GB Phase One is much more upbeat about the coming weekend: “Brno was not one of our best meetings. We had crashes in qualifying and the race but outstanding performances from Olivier Four and Jason Pridmore made up for that. Dean Ellison (brother of regular rider James Ellison) joins us for Albacete, and I have no doubt that he will be one of the quickest riders there.

We’re well up for the challenge of Albacete!”

For the riders, Albacete will set its own challenges. Mike Edwards, rider and tutor for Trackdaze, tested there over the winter: “The circuit is flat and smooth but quite tight, so passing others is hard. A home for the ‘late brakers’ and brave hearted.”

Stephane Mertens, rider for Zongshen 1, has raced at Albacete many times before: “It’s a very nice track but very technical – very hard for the rider, and it will be hot in qualifying. I’m looking forward to racing in the night – the real spirit of endurance.”

From a press release issued by F-USA:

Formula USA Update:

Formula USA, CCS, and XSBA riders prepare for the 3rd Annual Virginia Festival of Speed at Virginia Int’l Raceway this weekend 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.

Jeff Wood (Bettencourt / Honda) leads the Formula USA “Sportbike” class after Round 3 at Loudon, taking advantage of the double point weekend by posting a win and a second place in the two legs of competition. Scott Greenwood (Agro Cycles Suzuki) also posted a second and a win in the “Sportbike” two-leg main event at Loudon increasing his position in the point standings with Matt Wait (Kneedraggers.com Yamaha) out with injuries. Don’t miss the street freestyle action of the XSBA throughout the weekend as well … no-handed wheelies, one-handed endos, too insane to miss!

Mike Hale to ride Kneedraggers.com Yamaha with Matt Wait and Texas youngster Ryan Andrews at Round 4 of the Formula USA Championships at Virginia Int’l Raceway this weekend. Hale, a former dirt track racer turned road racer, is the perfect addition to the team since the Kneedraggers.com team’s main focus is to retain the Formula USA Grand Nat’l Championship title, which consists of road race and dirt track events under the Formula USA umbrella. With Matt Wait injured at Loudon, he will have some recovery time, but plans to ride at VIR this weekend. Hale should help provide a points buffer between Jeff Wood and Scott Greenwood, who are both now ahead of Wait in Championship points, while Wait is recovering. Team Manager / Crew Chief Chuck Giachetto said Monday, “We have a lot of confidence in Matt’s ability, Matt IS the Kneedraggers.com program, he is our #1 guy, and will remain our #1 guy throughout this season and beyond. But the Kneedraggers.com Yamaha team is here to win, and we think that Mike Hale is the perfect rider to have on our bikes right now with his road race and dirt track experience. We are very confident that Mike can provide the results that we are used to… Winning.

“Matt will still race this weekend and attempt to collect valuable Championship points, however the Sportbike event is a very long race, and VIR is a very physical track, so it will be very hard for him to keep a competitive pace for that long,” adds Giachetto.

It should provide for a great show for the fans with three Kneedraggers.com Yamahas alongside the other series regulars of Stanton and Harwell (Arclight Racing Suzuki), Jeff Wood (Bettencourt Honda), Scott Greenwood (ArgoCycles Suzuki), Jason Smith (Smith Brothers Kawasaki), Eric Wood (Kosco Buell), Mike Ciccotto (Hal’s Performance Buell), Des Conboy (Celtic Suzuki) and Michael Himmelsbach (Hooters Suzuki).

The Roadracingworld.com Action Fund is deploying another three pieces of Airfence–making a total of 23 28-foot sections–at Formula USA/CCS events as a part of an 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, and to educate facilities on the effectiveness of soft barriers in reducing injuries. 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. The award is for the first rider to the apex of turn number one in the Formula USA Sportbike main event at each round of competition throughout the 2003 race season. Encounter “Virtual Max”, who can help answer suspension questions, at Traxxion.com.

Dan Jackson leads XSBA Freestyle Championships after Round 1 in Iowa. With some of the sports top riders including 2002 XSBA Champ Thew Blankstrom and Chris “Teach” McNeil on hand Jackson pulled of his first XSBA Main Event win in two seasons. Jackson was top qualifier in three XSBA Championship Events last year, but was never able to claim the top podium position. Jackson will be absent in this weekend’s round at VIR as will Thew Blankstrom, (both are appearing at an XSBA show during the AMA Prostar event this week at Norwalk Ohio), opening the door for other riders to claim valuable 2003 Championship Points. Jackson and Blankstrom will return to action at Round 3 of the XSBA Freestyle Championship in Topeka Kansas, August 8-10.

Marietta Motorsports (1-888-FASTLAP) has agreed to an XSBA Championship Series 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.

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 in action at Daytona .

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 issued by AHRMA:

Barber road race date change.

Due to the scheduling of track maintenance, the AHRMA Pro-Flo/Progressive Suspension Historic Cup rounds at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., have been changed to Sept. 27-28.

An AHRMA-run practice day will be Friday, Sept. 26.

The previous dates for the event were Oct. 25-26.

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.