From a press release issued by Spectrum Motorsports:

SPECTRUM MOTORSPORTS ANNOUNCES SPECIAL BIKE NIGHT PROMOTION

Spectrum Motorsports in Irvine, California will stage their next monthly Bike Night on Tuesday, July 8th starting at 6:00 PM till 8:00 PM. “We will have refreshments, a DJ, and giveaway drawings as usual for the evening,” states Tony Bell, Managing Partner. “In addition we will feature some motorcycle apparel specials and demonstration rides of various motorcycles in our demo fleet.”

There will be huge savings up to 80% on apparel and accessory items which will be on racks in the parking lot during the event.

The highlight event of the evening will be demo rides around the Irvine Auto Center circle giving riders a chance to ride either Ducati Monster 800, 999, or Multistrada, Aprilia Futura, and Honda Goldwing, VTX, or 600RR and CBR 954. All riders wanting to participate in the demo ride must sign a waiver and have a current valid motorcycle operator’s license. The short demo rides will be done with a group leader over a pre-set route.

More information is available from Tony Bell at
Spectrum Motorsports, (949)859-3186,
www.spectrumotorsports.com

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

This just in, via e-mail, from BMW North America’s Dan DeChristopher:

Interesting development this week as the BoxerCup truly lived up to its Boxer name. In qualifying on Friday, Daytona winner Roberto Panichi took out Belgian rider Eric Lejeune, unintentionally, of course.

However, Panichi didn’t acknowledge to Lejeune the problem he had in the turn and didn’t give him the sort of “hi/sorry” sign that’s common when you unintentionally knock someone down.

To make matters worse, Panichi picked his bike up and rode it back to the paddock. Which is not allowed in BoxerCup. Once you’re down, you’re down until re-tech’d.

So now we’ve got a really HOT Belgian, getting ready for his only home race in front of his home fans, knocked out of qualifying and faced with starting on the way-back grid. To stir the pot even more, Panichi shows up at Lejeuene’s paddock to talk to him, however, no Eric. So he talks to his team instead. To hear the Belgians tell it, Panichi had a smirk on his face and was pretty matter-of-fact about the incident. Lejeune returns later and his team fills him in on Panichi’s visit (I’m sure they embellished Panichi’s attitude a bit).

At any rate, Lejuene hunts Roberto down in the hospitality tent and pops him in the nose. Needless to say, Lejuene’s been booted from the rest of the series and Panichi ends up with a broken nose.

This brings a WHOLE NEW meaning to the term “BoxerCup.”

From a press release issued by Honda Racing:

Rossi Meets Fans in Leicester Square

MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi spent the afternoon meeting his fans and supporters in the heart of London’s West End. Following a Thames boat ride with the media Rossi jumped onto a Honda Gold Wing and rode to Leicester Square to meet with the 4,500 MotoGP race fans packed into the Capitol’s famous square.

Resident in London for the last two years, Rossi will make his sole 2003 race appearance in his adopted England at the British Grand Prix at Donington Park on Sunday. The intense competition in this season’s MotoGP class has attracted spectators in ever increasing numbers, with race crowds averaging well over 100,000. Donington Park is expecting the largest grand prix attendance ever with over 45,000 tickets already sold.

“This is the second time I’ve met the fans in Leicester Square and the response this time has been amazing,” revealed 24-year-old Rossi. “I live in London a lot of the time and so the race on Sunday is like a second home grand prix for me.”

Four times World Champion Rossi spent over an hour in the square answering fans questions, signing autographs and handing out prizes.

The Italian is chasing a hat-trick of victories at Donington on Sunday having won the MotoGP race last year and the 500cc race the previous year, riding the 200mph plus 990cc Repsol Honda. Rossi has also won 125 and 250cc grands prix at Donington en route to World Championship victories.

The intense competition in this season’s MotoGP class has attracted spectators in ever increasing numbers, with race crowds averaging well over 100,000. With over 45,000 tickets already sold Donington Park are expecting their largest motorcycle grand prix attendance ever.

“I love Donington and I love racing in England,” explained Rossi who’s already won 53 grands prix and who leads this year’s World Championship by 38 points. “It’s a fantastic circuit and I really like the special atmosphere at British races. I’m chasing a hat-trick this year and I want to say thank you to all the fans who turned up in Leicester Square, by winning the race for them on Sunday.”

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Former racer Phil McDonald was released from St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma Monday, about three weeks earlier than doctors had predicted.

McDonald was seriously injured in a streetbike crash in Sapulpa, Oklahoma on June 21, triggered by a pickup truck turning out of a parking lot.

“The doctors were astounded,” said Phil’s father, Norm McDonald. “He healed faster than they expected. They couldn’t believe that he was able to stand up, or that he had healed where they had put in the (surgical) staples. I told them that we had, one, the power of prayer from all over the world, and two, he’s a motorcycle racer and has the will to win.”

Norm McDonald said that an outpouring of e-mails had contributed to Phil’s recovery to date and had greatly lifted his spirits.

Phil McDonald faces additional surgery on damaged nerves in one arm. Norm McDonald said that surgeons said they would attempt to repair the damage after the swelling goes down, in a few weeks.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The purse for the inaugural AMA Pro SuperMoto event at Laguna Seca pays $300 to the top 10 finishers in each class, Red Bull Supermoto Championship and KTM Supermoto Unlimited Championship.

That’s $300 to win, $300 for second, $300 for third, $300 for fourth, $300 for fifth, $300 for sixth, $300 for seventh, $300 for eighth, $300 for ninth, $300 for 10th.

With a little luck, that would cover the hotel bill for two nights and the entry fee, maybe.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Hirotoshi Honda, President of Mugen Co., was arrested on charges of evading about $10 million in corporate taxes.

Hirotoshi Honda, 61, is the son of the late Soichiro Honda, who founded Honda Motor Co.

Honda Motor Co. owned a 30% stake in Mugen between 1993 and 1999 but does not currently have any equity in the company.

Mugen originally hopped-up two-stroke motocross engines under the Mugen Honda name but now builds Honda racecar engines.

A former Mugen auditor, Norio Hirokawa, was also arrested.

According to police, the two conspired to reduce Mugen’s taxable income in a scheme involving lease payments to a dummy company.

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

BUCKMASTER HOPING THIRD TIME IS A CHARM

AMA Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (July 7, 2003) – Graves Yamaha rider Damon Buckmaster has been a leading contender for the Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series each of the last two seasons. The 30-year-old veteran racer from Australia has led the series each year only to lose grip of the title late in the season. This year Buckmaster hopes to hold on to the Formula Xtreme lead all the way to the end. “Bucky” comes into Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s round seven of the 10-race series on Saturday, July 12, holding on to an eight-point lead over Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies. The series is clustered with prospective champions near the top of the standings. The five leading riders in the class, Buckmaster, Spies, Josh Hayes, Jake Zemke and Adam Fergusson, are all conceivably within reach of the series lead.

Buckmaster comes to Laguna Seca the hottest rider in Formula Xtreme. He’s won two of the last three rounds and is a former winner at Laguna. Spies looked as if he might run away with the championship after dominating the first two rounds, but his competition seems to have gotten quicker and Spies has only earned one podium result in the last four rounds. Spies will try to become the first Suzuki rider to win the Formula Xtreme race at Laguna. Attack Suzuki’s Josh Hayes has been consistently in the top-10 all season long. He hopes to break through to win his first race this year at Laguna Seca. Adam Fergusson, like Hayes, has not finished outside the top-10 in the six Formula Xtreme rounds so far this year. Fergusson, one of many Australians racing in America, hopes to put his Corona Extra Suzuki on top this Saturday.

Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke is the defending winner of the Laguna Seca Formula Xtreme race. The Paso Robles, Calif., native is coming off a win a few weeks ago in Brainerd, Minn., and is looking to make up ground after crashing out of the series lead at Road America last month. Zemke is fourth in the standings, just two points out of third.


Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Series

Three riders have separated themselves from the rest of the field in the Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Series. Czech rider Vincent Haskovec, of Hooters Suzuki, narrowly leads Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden and Attack Suzuki’s Josh Hayes. Hayden won last year’s race and is looking to get back atop the series standings behind the nimble handling of his Kawasaki ZX636, which gives up top speed to the Suzuki GSXR750s that have ruled the class. Chris Ulrich, who won the Laguna Superstock race two years ago, will look to this race to provide a boost to his 2003 campaign. He’s yet to finish in the top-10 this season. Ulrich’s Valvoline EMGO Suzuki teammate Steve Rapp comes into Laguna Seca running a two-race winning streak. At Laguna Rapp will try to match the longest winning streak of the season of three straight victories set by Hayden in the first three rounds this year.


MBNA 250 Grand Prix Series

Rich Oliver is looking to earn his seventh MBNA 250 Grand Prix win at Laguna Seca, the track he considers his home circuit. Oliver, who went to high school in nearby Pacific Grove, Calif., is undefeated in seven races this season. The Yamaha rider is over halfway home to going unbeaten in the 250GP series for the third time in his career. Former Oliver teammate Perry Melneciuc runs a distant second in the series standings on his Dela Cruz Yamaha. Melneciuc has earned four top-five finishes in the class this season. Defending series champ Chuck Sorensen, like Oliver a Northern Californian, is having a rough season and even though he’s finished runner-up to Oliver five times, he’s failed to score points in two rounds.

The Formula Xtreme race and highlights of the Superstock and 250GP races will be taped and shown on Speed Channel in primetime on Tuesday, July 22 at 10 p.m. EST. For additional information contact (800) 327-SECA or visit www.laguna-seca.com.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom and Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates are both looking forward to racing in the World Superbike races at Laguna Seca Raceway July 10-13 despite having to ride different versions of their existing AMA Superbikes.

“I’m really looking forward to World Superbike. I do every year because it’s a chance to compete against the World Championship regulars and to also kind of defend a piece of home turf,” Bostrom told reporters in a recent telephone press conference. “Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to win the race yet. I think this year it is going to be difficult again because all of the competition will be on 1000cc machines while I’ll be the lone 750(cc) out there.”

Instead of the 788cc overbored ZX-7RR he has been racing and leading the 2003 AMA Superbike Championship with, Bostrom will have to run a World Superbike-spec 750cc engine at Laguna Seca. “It’s going to be very difficult,” said Bostrom. “We’re going to be out-motored, and we’re not going to be able to run the standard configuration that we normally run in the AMA Superbike series, where we are more competitive against the 1000cc machines. Honestly, it’s going to be an uphill battle and we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

Even though he will be riding a Suzuki GSX-R1000 equipped with FIM-mandated air restrictors, Yates feels the extra track time between AMA and World Superbike practice and qualifying sessions will help him in both races. “This year is my first to run only the Superbike class and sometimes I think it would better if I still rode the 600 (cc, Supersport class). For me, if I’m going to be there I want to ride as much as I can,” Yates told reporters. “The more track time I get it seems the better I get going. So that’s a reason I’m looking forward to Laguna. I’m going to get a lot of track time, and it’s going to be on essentially the same bike, just a little different motor. It’s just going to give us more track time with the bike, maybe try a few more changes and develop the bike a little more.”

Eric Bostrom, Yates and Mat Mladin will be the only AMA factory Superbike riders to enter the World Superbike round at Laguna Seca.

From a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:

SUZUKI FILL PODIUM AT SPA

Masters of Endurance Race Series
Spa Francorchamps, Belgium.

The Spa Francorchamps 24 Heures de Liege has been won by the number 2 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) Suzuki GSX-R1000 of Stephane Gimbert, Nicolas Dussauge and Olivier Four. Second place went to the No 1 SERT GSX-R1000 of Morrison, Dobe and Philippe, and third to the Dap Moto Suzuki GSX-R1000 of Lerat Vanstaen, Jond and Cortinovis.

The race began on a wet but drying track, making tyre choice for the first session difficult. Once the circuit had dried sufficiently for slicks to be used the two SERT bikes quickly established their dominance over the rest of the field, with only the Fosters-Verboven GSX-R1000 able to match their pace in the early sessions. After two hours the two SERT machines were the only ones on the same lap, after six hours they were five laps clear of their nearest competition, and by dawn on Sunday morning the gap had stretched to thirteen laps.

The number 1 team were unable to close significantly on the leaders, eventually finishing two minutes and four seconds behind the five hundred and forty one laps completed by the number 2 bike. Third placed finishers Dap Moto were an astonishing nineteen laps behind by the end of the race.

The winning team of Four, Gimbert and Dussauge are all experienced endurance competitors. Gimbert and Dussauge won Le Mans and the Bol d’Or last year but this is the first Spa victory for the trio. Suzuki GB Phase One’s Olivier Four was drafted in to the SERT No.2 team at the last minute after Jean Michel Bayle was unable to ride due to an earlier injury.

1st – SERT Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Four, Gimbert, Dussauge

2nd – SERT Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Morrison, Dobe, Philippe

3rd – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Lerat Vanstaen, Jond, Cortinovis

4th – Bolliger Kawasaki – Cuzin, Nystrom, Moreira

5th – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Baratin, Thuret, Cheron