Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

RE: Miss Communication and Ron Barrick, AMA

“Ron Barrick stated the cornerworkers never communicated that Rapp’s bike hit the wall.”

I found this quite ironic since an AMA official posting times the morning after the event handed me a flyer regarding Livengood’s updated condition. I asked at that time also about Rapp and the official proceeded to give me a detailed account of his accident, including that he hit the wall.

Diana Nash
Statesboro, Georgia

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Ducati Austin and Anthony Gobert have split up, and informed sources say that Gobert will be replaced by Giovanni Bussei for the AMA Superbike race at Brainerd at the end of this month.

Gobert and his manager, mother Sue Gobert, both declined to comment on the situation.

At post time, Ducati Austin team owner Terry Gregoricka had not returned a phone call seeking comment.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Last gasp fast lap from Lavilla in Silverstone qualifying

By Glenn Le Santo

Gregorio Lavilla took provisional pole in the last few moments of the first qualifying session for the sixth round of the Superbike World Championship at Silverstone.

Lavilla’s last-gasp lap demoted Regis Laconi to second spot. Also on a Suzuki, wildcard rider John Reynolds took his Crescent Suzuki into provisional third, just crossing the line in time to record a final fast lap as the clock ticked away the final seconds of the session.

Britain’s Chris Walker took the remaining provisional front-row place. His teammate James Toseland, who became the star of Oschersleben when he took his debut win there, struggled down in seventh. Neil Hodgson was having even more of a struggle, finishing ninth.

World Superbike Championship
Round Six, Silverstone, Great Britain

First qualifying, best laps:

1. G Lavilla, ESP, Suzuki, 1:53.162
2. R Laconi, FRA, Ducati, 1:53.879
3. J Reynolds, GBR, Suzuki, 1:54.281
4. C Walker, GBR, Ducati, 1:54.428
5. G Bussei, ITA, Yamaha, 1:54.607
6. M Rutter, GBR, Ducati, 1:54.648
7. J Toseland, GBR, Ducati, 1:54.682
8. R Xaus, ESP, Ducati, 1:54.692
9. N Hodgson, GBR, Ducati, 1:54.726
10. P Chili, ITA, Ducati, 1:54.786





More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

XAUS AND HODGSON (DUCATI FILA) EIGHTH AND NINTH QUICKEST IN SILVERSTONE FIRST QUALIFYING

Ruben Xaus and Neil Hodgson (Ducati Fila) set eighth and ninth quickest times respectively in Friday’s first qualifying session for the British Round of the World Superbike Championship at Silverstone as both riders struggled to find maximum grip in unusually warm weather conditions.

Neil was fourth quickest at one point with a time of 1:54.726, but then slipped down the timesheets during the last couple of minutes of frenetic action on the Formula 1 circuit.

“I must admit I was a bit surprised to be in ninth place today” declared championship leader Hodgson” but when you put some of the wild cards in that’s what happens. It’s a normal situation really because we are struggling to get the bike set up like we always do on Friday.

“We need a bit more grip so we’re playing around with the settings and trying to find something better” he added. “All we need to do tomorrow is fine-tune what we’ve got because we have already found the right direction”.

Ruben suffered similar problems to Neil but was confident he could improve in tomorrow’s second and final session.

“It was tough today because although the tyres are the same as last year and are working well, the 999 bike is completely different” commented Ruben.

“We haven’t tested at this circuit so it’s difficult to come here and immediately set a good time” he added. “I’m losing time a bit everywhere because the bike doesn’t keep the line. Tomorrow we are going to try and change things a bit. It’s not a question of confidence, it’s a question of finding the right way”.



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

2003 Superbike World Championship
Round 6, Silverstone, Great Britain
Friday 13th June, Friday Qualifying
Circuit: 5.094 kms
Weather: Dry, mostly sunny 21 C.

LEARNING PROCESS FOR TROY
Troy used the first day of qualifying at Silverstone today to learn the track and find a good base set-up for his Foggy FP1. He had never raced at Silverstone before, so used his two sessions today to get an understanding of what is a very technical circuit. At the end of the day, a top fifteen place was more or less what he had expected.

Spaniard Gregorio Lavilla (Suzuki) put in an unexpected quick lap to take provisional pole today. His time of 1:53.162, was an amazing seven tenths of a second quicker then his nearest rival, Regis Laconi (Ducati). Completing the front row is British ‘Wild Card’ John Reynolds (Suzuki), with fellow countryman Chris Walker (Ducati) alongside.

TROY CORSER
This is a bit of a strange track, because there are many corners that either open out or close up on the exit. It’s also a technical track because it is so fast. That is apart from the last chicane – which is a joke. It’s like being on a race circuit, then turning off and going onto a go-kart track! We spent a lot of time in the pits this afternoon trying things and changing the bike’s geometry, so that we can go forward tomorrow. This track is so easy to lose time, if you don’t know it well, so it’s important to be able to put the whole lap together. I don’t think I put it all together until the end of this afternoon, so that’s made me happier about tomorrow.


More, from a press release issued by the World Superbike series organizers:

Round 6 – Great Britain – Silverstone,
12 June – 15 June 2003
Silverstone, 13 June 2003

LAVILLA QUICKEST AFTER THE FIRST DAY OF ACTION

An outstanding lap of 1:53.162 from Gregorio Lavilla (Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000) put him on top of the provisional qualifying sheets after the first day of practice at the recently modified Silverstone circuit. His best single circuit of the classic English track was fully 0.717 seconds faster than the second best man Regis Laconi (Ducati NCR 998RS).

The flat and generally quick track hosts an SBK race for the second year, with a modified chicane on the entrance to the last Woodcote corner making significant differences in lap time compared to last year. The track is running around five seconds per lap slower than the previous version, despite a slight decrease in overall length from 5.094km to 5.036km.

The top wild card rider proved to be multiple British Champion John Reynolds (Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000) in third, making it a superb day for the Japanese manufacturer. The local contingent on the overnight front row was completed by SBK regular Chris Walker (HM Plant Ducati).

A surprise fifth fastest performance from Italian privateer Giovanni Bussei proved the worth of the four-cylinder 1000cc concept in SBK, with the UnionBike R1 rider in fifth place on his Yamaha. Local ace Michael Rutter (Renegade Ducati) was sixth as a wild card, with regulars James Toseland (HM Plant Ducati) and Ruben Xaus (Ducati Fila 999) filling the second provisional starting row.

Having dominated the championship thus far, Neil Hodgson (Ducati Fila 999) struggled through a bout of ‘flu and less than perfect bike set-up to go ninth, 1.564 seconds from pole position.

Pierfrancesco Chili rounded out the top ten, while Troy Corser took the Foggy Petronas FP-1 to 15th. James Haydon, his team-mate has been forced to miss his home round due to suffering a compressed spinal disc in an Oschersleben crash.

One more day of Superbike qualifying remains, with Superpole determining the grid positions of the final 16 in qualifying.

In the World Supersport Championship class the first day of qualifying went the way of Stephane Chambon (Alstare Suzuki GSX-R600) who displaced the fast Ten Kate Honda of Karl Muggeridge in the last few minutes of the session.

Significant levels of close and competitive action have been a mark of Supersport action throughout its short but glorious history, and this time around it was the Broc Parkes (BKM Honda) and World Supermoto Champion Thierry van den Bosch (Yamaha Motor France) who split the last few hundredths on the stopwatches to get to the provisional front row.

In a good day for Supersport rookies, Simone Sanna took his Yamaha Belgarda R6 to fifth overall. One of the most experienced riders in the warring Supersport pack is Pere Riba, who finished his first day ever at Silverstone in sixth place on his Kawasaki, making it four different makes of machine in the top six.



More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:

LAVILLA ON PROVISIONAL POLE

2003 Superbike World Championship, Round 6, Silverstone, GB. Friday qualifying, 13th June.

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Gregorio Lavilla amazed all his rivals this afternoon, by putting a tremendous lap of 1:53.162 to take provisional pole position. His lap came virtually out of the blue and was a staggering seven tenths of a second faster then second quickest Regis Laconi (Ducati).

Gregorio and the team had struggled until thirty minutes or so from the end of the timed qualifying. Then Gregorio asked for some dramatic changes to his Alstare Suzuki GSXR1000 and went out on a race tyre to try the new settings. Immediately he found the bike more to his liking, so came into the pits and fitted a qualifying tyre. Within two laps, he had blown away the opposition and topped the leaderboard by a huge margin.

Third quickest today was another Suzuki rider – John Reynolds, with fellow countryman Chris Walker (Ducati) alongside. ‘Wild Card’ Vittorio Iannuzzo finished the first day of qualifying in twentieth place. Silverstone is a very technical and fast circuit, so Vittorio used today to familiarise himself with the track and try and find a good set-up for his Alstare Suzuki GSXR1000.

Lavilla – 1ST, 1:53.162:
We were having a bit of a difficult time today and there was only half an hour left when I came into the pits and asked for some changes. I asked for the forks, spring and swing-arm of one bike to put onto the other and my mechanics did a brilliant (and very quick) job and made the changes. I went out on a normal race tyre and found I could go quickly straightaway. So I came back and put on a qualifier and that worked very well. I was pushing quite hard, but not at the maximum, so I was a bit surprised to find I had gone so fast! I hadn’t changed my way of riding at all. The GSXR1000 is very sensitive to changes and it’s not easy understanding it sometimes. It is quite a complicated bike, but I feel I’m understanding the bike better and better each time I go out. I know that when I find the way, I can go fast. Now let’s see what happens tomorrow.

VITTORIO IANNUZZO – 20TH, 1:56.665:
It’s not an easy track and it’s quite fast in places. My bike is good, but it’s a GSXR1000 with a kit and so not as quick as Gregorio’s. But I aim to improve tomorrow and I’d like another top ten finish on Sunday.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP Qualifying Session #1:
1. Valentino Rossi, Honda, 1:43.927
2. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 1:44.333
3. Sete Gibernau, Honda, 1:44.366
4. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, 1:44.765
5. Makoto Tamada, Honda, 1:44.922
6. Max Biaggi, Honda, 1:45.065
7. Colin Edwards, Aprilia, 1:45.106
8. Alex Barros, Yamaha, 1:45.139
9. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, 1:45.283
10. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha, 1:45.369
11. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 1:45.516
12. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, 1:45.582
13. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, 1:45.590
14. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, 1:46.061
15. Akira Yanagawa, Kawasaki, 1:46.226
16. Noriyuki Haga, Aprilia, 1:46.297
17. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 1:46.300
18. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, 1:47.251
19. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton, 1:47.462
20. Andrew Pitt, Kawasaki, 1:47.473
21. Garry McCoy, Kawasaki, 1:47.505
22. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton, 1:48.895



250cc GP Qualifying Session #1:
1. Randy de Puniet, Aprilia, 1:47.117
2. Toni Elias, Aprilia, 1:47.551
3. Manuel Poggiali, Aprilia, 1:48.061
4. Franco Battaini, Aprilia, 1:48.229
5. Sebastian Porto, Honda, 1:48.371
6. Anthony West, Aprilia, 1:48.892
7. Fonsi Nieto, Aprilia, 1:49.095
8. Naoki Matsudo, Yamaha, 1:49.260
9. Robero Rolfo, Honda, 1:49.313
10. Sylvain Guintoli, Aprilia, 1:49.412
26. Katja Poensgen, Honda, 1:54.083


125cc GP Qualifying Session #1:
1. Lucio Cecchinello, Aprilia, 1:51.403
2. Alex de Angelis, Aprilia, 1:51.417
3. Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, 1:51.453
4. Pablo Nieto, Aprilia, 1:51.636
5. Andrea Dovizioso, Honda, 1:51.793
6. Hector Barbera, Aprilia, 1:51.908
7. Stefano Perugini, Aprilia, 1:52.011
8. Casey Stoner, Aprilia, 1:52.107
9. Steve Jenkner, Aprilia, 1:52.222
10. Jorge Lorenzo, Aprilia, 1:52.451


More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

Catalunya Grand Prix
Friday, 13 June 2003
Catalunya, Spain

DIFFICULT OPENER FOR FORTUNA YAMAHA IN SWELTERING CATALAN HEAT

The Fortuna Yamaha Team’s difficult season continues as the MotoGP World Championship moves to Barcelona, Spain for the sixth round of the 2003 season. Both Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri found the going tough during the opening day of qualifying, held in scorching 30-degree temperatures, and were only able to feature 12th and 14th respectively on the provisional time sheets.

Local hero Checa, who won his first ever premier class race at the Catalan circuit in 1996, was unable to produce anything more challenging than a time of 1’45.582 around the 4727m circuit – a time that is shy of his pre-season IRTA test performances and the 30-year-old’s full potential. Although much of the difficulty in reproducing these competitive times is because of the high track temperatures, most of the team’s efforts today have been focused on finding a neutral chassis character that will benefit the Spaniard on race day.

Meanwhile defending MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi (Honda) continued to impress with yet another pace-setting performance, after producing a 1:43.927, to take today’s provisional pole position. Today’s small victory did not come easily, however, with Loris Capirossi (Ducati, 1:44.333), Sete Gibernau (Honda, 1:44.366) and Shinya Nakano (d’Antin Yamaha Team) continually challenging the Italian during the final 15 minutes of the hour-long session.

Checa, who finished third here on the YZR-M1 in last year’s race, commented on the day’s events, “I haven’t had such a clever day today. I could not really feel comfortable with the set-up. I need to keep the front tyre on the ground and there is not enough traction in the front at the moment. We have lots of references to go from after our winter testing here, and from last year. I did some lap times that I was pleased with during the winter so that’s what I’ll be aiming for again tomorrow. Once we have adjusted the set-up again I’ll check the feeling and I’m sure that we can make it better for tomorrow.”

After showing great promise during his home Grand Prix, held in Mugello, Italy only a week ago – before clutch problems robbed him of a possible top six finish – Melandri ended today a disappointing 14th. Fully aware that he and the YZR-M1 are capable of much more the 20-year-old 250cc World Champion is looking forward to another shot at Sunday’s starting grid.

“It was a difficult day for me today as we tried some different chassis settings but we are still quite a way from finding the right overall set-up,” said the Ravenna-born rider. “I have had a bit of a chatter problem today, which is strange, as I never had it before on this bike. It actually got worse this afternoon compared to this morning. At the moment I can’t find a good grip with the front, and it’s difficult to feel the tyres on the asphalt. I will now go and analyse the lap data with my engineers to find some solution. We did try the same setting this afternoon as we did at the last tests here in the winter but the temperature is so different now. I am sure that our engineers will be able to find a solution to improve my feeling for tomorrow.”

“Both riders have had a hard time today as they couldn’t get exactly the feeling that they wanted with their set-ups,” said Davide Brivio, Team Director of the Fortuna Yamaha Team. “This circuit was better for us during the winter tests so at least we have that as a marker. The temperature is so different now and we have to adapt our settings accordingly. All the guys in the team are pushing hard and we will do everything we can with our engineers to help them to find the set-up they need here to feel more comfortable. It’s only Friday and we’ll have a full day tomorrow.”

PROVISIONAL FRONT ROW
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Repsol HONDA 1:43.927
2. Loris Capirossi (ITA) DUCATI Marlboro Team 1:44.333
3. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar HONDA 1:44.366
4. Shinya Nakano (JPN) d’Antin YAMAHA Team 1:44.765
12. CARLOS CHECA (SPA) Fortuna YAMAHA Team 1:45.582
14. MARCO MELANDRI (ITA) Fortuna YAMAHA Team 1:46.061


More, from a press release issued by Suzuki:

SUZUKI MUSTER FORCES FOR CATALUNYA

Catalunyan GP, Montmelo, Barcelona – June 15, 2003

Just days after double misfortune took both riders out at the Italian GP, Team Suzuki is mustering forces to push ahead with the fast-forward development programme of the new 2003 GSV-R MotoGP racer.

Although 2000 World Champion Kenny Roberts Junior will not take part in Sunday’s GP of Catalunya, due to injuries sustained in Italy last Sunday, team-mate John Hopkins will race in spite of lingering pain from a couple of bruising GPs.

Suzuki’s back-up effort will be redoubled at the Catalunyan GP, the first race this year not preceded by a weekend off. In the pits and at the track-side, former Suzuki World Champion Kevin Schwantz and French motorcycling superstar Jean-Michel Bayle will be lending support to the factory team; and on Monday and Tuesday Bayle will join Hopkins and factory rider Akioshi at the same circuit for two full days of testing.

The development programme for the potent prototype is aimed at realising the full potential of the technically advanced 990cc V4. During the weekend of the Catalunyan GP, sixth of 16 World Championship rounds, the race team will concentrate on achieving the best possible results. On Monday, they and the factory engineers will be able to concentrate on maximising the motorcycle.

Over the first races, the new machine had shown steady progress, as the riders and mechanics learned how to get the best out of the high-technology racer’s groundbreaking new systems and software. The double crash in Italy, where Roberts and Hopkins collided early in the race, was an unwelcome setback.

Both fell heavily. Roberts escaped without any fractures, but was badly knocked about. His injuries ruled him out of the Catalunyan race, although he will be at the track.

Hopkins, already carrying sprains from the French GP two weeks earlier, added a wrenched neck to a painful shoulder and arm, and other aches.

“Back to back races make it tough when something like this happens,” said the 20-year-old Anglo-American rider. “Like always, my team and I will be looking to get the bike the best it can be for the track, then aiming to keep on getting better results.”

Hopkins has a best of seventh so far this year, at the first of three Spanish rounds at Jerez, and the Catalunya GP circuit at Montmelo is a favourite. Last year in his first time at the track and riding a two-stroke 500cc machine, he qualified on the second row of the grid and took the first of four top-ten results.

Team manager Garry Taylor described the condition of both riders. “Kenny is still very sort, and is being treated by team physiotherapist Dean Miller. John is also stiff and sore, and Dean will be looking after him as well to help him race … he will have a busy weekend.

Taylor also welcomed the presence of the top-level advisers.

“Kevin’s coming as our guest, but I’m sure the whole team will welcome his observations,” said Taylor.

“When the going is tough, there’s no better man to have around than Kevin.”

Schwantz, from Texas, won all of his 25 GPs on a factory Suzuki, as well as the 500cc World Championship in 1993.

Bayle’s expertise will also be called on, not only as an observer but also for a second time from the saddle, when he, Hopkins and Akioshi spend two days running through all the possible combinations of new ideas and equipment from the factory racing department.

The Catalunyan GP is followed by the Dutch TT at Assen on June 28, as the season moves rapidly towards the halfway mark. Roberts is expected to be fit in time for that race.

ABOUT THIS RACE
Motorcycle GP racing was inaugurated at the new Montmelo Circuit in 1992, as the European GP. The annual race took the name of Catalunya in 1996, a second race in Spain, reflecting the growing national passion for the sport. Now there are three Spanish races, and another in Portugal, and the fans come in vast numbers to cheer their local heroes. Numbers have been boosted still further by the lure of the MotoGP four-strokes, which raced for the first time last year.

ABOUT THIS TRACK
Built with no expense spared in the early Nineties to coincide with the Barcelona Olympics, this is still a state-of-the-art facility, with spacious paddock buildings and facilities, extensive grandstands, and a variety of viewing areas. It also plays host to Spain’s F1 car grand prix, and is a popular testing track for the cars as well as motorcycles. With the immense braking and cornering forces generated, this has caused some damage to the track surface, while another wave-like deformation from the track’s construction is also a factor, especially on the straight. At almost one kilometre, this is one of the fastest places of the year, the MotoGP machines exceeding 200 mph before braking hard for the first right-left-corner that leads up the hillside. The track continues to climb, before plunging down through some difficult downhill corners, then up again before the last complex, leading back onto the straight through a vast natural grandstand. Races are often won or lost on these corners, and the atmosphere is electric.


GP DATA
Circuit of Catalunya
Circuit Length: 2.937 miles / 4.727 km
Lap Record: 1:45.594 – 100.138 mph / 161.156 km/h. V Rossi (Honda) 2002

2002 Results
Race Winner: Valentino Rossi (Honda)
Race Average: 44.20.679 -99.354 mph / 159.895 km/h.
Fastest Race Lap: see lap record
Pole Position: Max Biaggi (Yamaha) 1:44.623
Kenny Roberts: Seventh, qualified eighth, 1:45,532 (Telefónica MoviStar Suzuki)
Fastest Race Lap: 1:46.179
John Hopkins: Tenth, qualified sixth, 1:45.148 (Yamaha YZR)
Fastest Race Lap: 1:47.536





More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Marlboro Catalan GP, Catalunya
First Qualifying
Friday, June 13 2003

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM IN THE HEAT OF THE ACTION

Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss rode through sweltering heat at Catalunya this afternoon to record second- and 13th- fastest times in the opening qualifying session for Sunday’s Marlboro Catalan Grand Prix. Despite the conditions – with ambient temperatures at 35 degrees C and track temperature soaring to 53 degrees C – Capirossi battled throughout for provisional pole, recording the fastest top speed in the process – at 325.9kmh202.5mph.

The Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedicis are unchanged from last Sunday’s Mugello GP, where Capirossi stormed to a superb second-place finish, apart from one small modification – the team has cut extra cooling vents in the seat units.

“We knew it was going to be very hot here, so we’re just helping the hot air to get out,” said Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli. “We started Troy with more or less the same set-up he used for the race at Mugello, but he wasn’t totally satisfied with that. With Loris we tried a different front-end set-up – as we used here for the tests in March – and it seems to work quite well with him, so I think we’ll try those settings with Troy tomorrow. It’s just a small difference in geometry – Catalunya seems to have special requirements for front-end set up.”


CAPIROSSI SECOND QUICKEST

Loris Capirossi led the early stages of this afternoon’s qualifier, then began a lengthy contest for provisional pole with Honda riders Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau, ending up between the two, just 0.406 seconds behind Rossi. The Ducati Marlboro Team man knows that the scorching conditions forecast for the entire weekend place a bigger than ever emphasis on chassis set-up and tyre choice.

“I’m happy enough but not completely satisfied,” said Capirossi. “We need a few little improvements, which means we’ll have to make the best use of both sessions tomorrow. We learned a lot here during the tests in March but the conditions are totally different now – it’s much, much hotter now, so the track feels very slippery. Once again we are focusing on race settings, rather that a set-up that will give us a very fast one-off lap. The heat is the concern – for us and for the tyres – so we need settings that will work throughout the race, especially when the tyres are past their best.”

BAYLISS WORKS ON FRONT END

Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss is still looking for a front-end set-up that will give him the confidence he needs to really attack turns. The former World Superbike champion believes the secret lies in a small settings change. Bayliss has never raced at Catalunya but he did the two-day all-teams test session here during March.

“I’m struggling with a few things, mostly just bike set-up,” said Bayliss. “The last two races I’ve been missing something with the front – it’s not doing what we want it to do, so it’s up to us to fix it. It’s nothing big, but in this kind of racing just one little thing can make a big difference. We’ll try some other settings tomorrow, though my times aren’t so bad, just five or six tenths off what we did in preseason testing here and it’s way, way hotter today.”


More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2003
ROUND 6 – GRAND PRIX OF CATALUNYA
13TH JUNE 2003 – QUALIFYING PRACTICE 1

YANAGAWA CONTINUES WILD CARD FORM AT CATALUNYA

Japanese wild card, Akira Yanagawa, continued the excellent form of Fuchs Kawasaki ZX-RR test riders by setting the 15th fastest time for a fourth row place on the provisional grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix of Catalunya, after another boiling hot MotoGP qualifying session.

As track temperatures went above a baking 50 degrees C, Yanagawa posted his fast time on his 23rd and final lap in a highly competitive session. Team-mates Andrew Pitt and Garry McCoy both survived off-track excursions to finish 20th and 21st respectively.

The Australian pairing of Pitt and McCoy were disappointed to be well outside their IRTA preseason test times, with McCoy having posted a 1m 45.96s lap here during the pole shoot-out in March. Pitt was inexplicably less comfortable on his regular Barcelona set-up and struggled with front end confidence.

Pitt stayed upright as he ran wide just seven minutes into the session, while McCoy had a much more spectacular spill as the chequered flag came out to end proceedings. After throwing in a soft qualifying tyre, McCoy crashed on his final attempt at a faster lap, losing the front on the entry to the downhill left-hander (turn 5).

Yanagawa is riding a Ninja ZX-RR brought in from Japan for this race, which sports a similar chassis specification to that employed by Alex Hofmann in Mugello last week. Yanagawa is, however, using revised suspension settings that have evolved from the intensive development programme he has been undertaking in Japan.

Akira Yanagawa – 15th – 1:46.226
“It’s like a Japanese sauna, very hot. In these conditions the temperature is a problem, especially for tyres, it is easy to get them spinning a lot. My lap times got better and better in each session, so I hope to continue this progress for the rest of the weekend – I’m just happy to be back racing. My bike is similar to the one Alex used in Mugello, just different settings.”

Andrew Pitt – 20th – 1:47.473
“It’s a little confusing as the bike doesn’t feel exactly like it did when I went one second faster at the tests here. I felt competitive against the other guys while doing faster times at the tests, but now I’m struggling to get confidence in the front end and the bike doesn’t seem to be riding the bumps very well. Traction wise it doesn’t feel too bad, but I just can’t push it through the turns; I’m struggling on entry and with mid-corner steering. We’ll look at the data overnight and try to find some answers for tomorrow.”

Garry McCoy – 21st – 1:47.505
“Right at the end I ran a qualifier, but it had too much grip and really pushed the front. The new front tyre I was using had felt good earlier in the session, but with the soft rear in I lost the front three times before I had a big slide into the downhill left. The track grip levels are different from our earlier test here and it seems really dirty off line. We made a front end change on one bike, but I had a problem with that, so I basically ran only the other bike for fast laps this afternoon.”


More, from a press release issued by Pramac Honda:

Pramac Honda Team Press Information
Catalunya – (Spain) 13/14/15 June 2003
Friday – qualifying sessions

Fifth quickest time, second provisional row.

Tamada gets ready for Sunday’s race.

Makoto Tamada, a hairsbreadth from the first provisional row, ended the first qualifying sessions at Montmelò with the fifth best time of the day. The Pramac Honda Team’s Japanese rider and technicians started work on preparing for the race by working on the set-up of last week’s encounter at Mugello. Then came the task of fine-tuning the details. The data gathered during the IRTA tests in March here on the circuit of Montmelò needed to be modified to take into consideration the improved performance of the tyres achieved by Bridgestone in their incessant work since March. As a result, Makoto Tamada was well in the spotlight during the first qualifying sessions: he concentrated entirely on finding a level of competitiveness that would let him perform well in Sunday’s race. In terms of choice of tyres, the technicians tested a range of compounds that should provide the basis for the tests tomorrow and for the race on Sunday.


Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda Team): 5th – 1:44.922

“With Sunday’s race in mind, I worked on the set-up of the bike and my fifth place today was made using a soft tyre. I also got some help from Ukawa, as we did a couple of laps together. The important thing was to get an idea of the best tyres for the weekend and then try to keep up a good fast pace on race tyres. We also got the gearbox sorted out so as to have power-delivery management the way I like it: so far, I must say I’m pleased with the way things are going. I’m also working on making a good start: this is a key aspect of the race and I’ve just got to improve. Compared with the IRTA tests in March, the tyres have improved enormously – the vibrations have gone and now I can take them to the limit. We’ll see tomorrow: I’d like to get a good position on Sunday’s grid so I can be up racing with the leaders.”


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

NEW PROTON KR FOUR-STROKE RIDERS HOPE FOR MORE

Round 6: Catalunyan GP, Montmelo
First Qualifying: Friday, June 13, 2003

Jeremy McWilliams: 19th, 1:47.462
Nobuatsu Aoki: 22nd, 1:48.895

Both Jeremy McWilliams and Nobuatsu Aoki have qualified for Sunday’s Catalunyan GP – but with special power-up parts due to arrive in time for tomorrow’s final qualifying session, both were hoping to move up the order for the brand new machine’s second ever race.

The radical new V5 four-stroke racer made a stunning GP debut last weekend at the Italian GP, with McWilliams running in the points before following team-mate Aoki into the pits – both suffering from fuel starvation attributed to heat transfer problems. The England-based team has been flat out in the intervening four days, with heat shields installed to keep the fuel and the pump cooler. At the same time, they have been working on power-up engine parts, which are expected to arrive either this evening or tomorrow morning, in time for the final session.

Today, the engines were in the same relatively soft state of tune in which they ran at Mugello. The new parts will sharpen the performance and improve top speed, by taking power away from the middle of the rev range and moving it up to the top. But the bike, which only ran at a circuit for the first time three weeks ago, is still at a very early stage of development, and this is just one of a raft of upgrades planned for the coming weeks, as the team take the bike towards full race specification.

Another area receiving early attention is the crucial slipper clutch and associated engine management software; while McWilliams was running out of ride height and scraping the fairing on the ground, which was slowing his corner speed. Team owner Kenny Roberts explained the solution. “A sensor in the exhaust is fouling the swing-arm. We will move the sensor tonight, then we can move the swing-arm down, to get more ride height.”

FOOTNOTE: Tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. Proton Team KR will be presenting Jeremy McWilliams with a special cake, to celebrate his 150th GP start on Sunday. Only three riders have more experience than the 39-year-old Ulsterman – Max Biaggi, Alex Barros and Loris Capirossi.


JEREMY McWILLIAMS
We have too much more to learn before I can really comment. Today we worked on how the slipper clutch works, and adjusting the ride height, and we have to pull that together before we can move on. Now I can’t put together fast laps because the fairing is grounding – it’s just about worn through. It was the same at Mugello, and they’re going to have to work some miracle overnight. At the moment, I’m still riding it like a two-stroke because we don’t have enough corner exit speed, so I am riding it right to the edge of the tyres. We have a long way to go; we’re probably a month away from where I’d like to be.

NOBUATSU AOKI
I had a lot of trouble with my bike today, but for the last session they changed the whole fuel injection system, and now it is running well. It’s not really nice, but it’s okay. Unfortunately I made a small mistake. I missed my braking marker for the first corner by about 50 metres, and I went into the gravel. I thought I was going to hit the wall because I was going so fast, but I touched the brake and fell down. The bike wasn’t damaged, and the engine was still running. I only did four laps this morning, and nine in the afternoon – so it’s still as though it’s the first morning session for me. Start again tomorrow.

KENNY ROBERTS – Team Owner We’re going to have some more stuff for tomorrow, but basically the bikes are as they ran in Italy. We’ve been trying to solve the fuel pump problems, with different pumps, getting some air to them, and making some heat shields. So far it looks okay – we still have some problems, but it’s better.

From a press release issued by F-USA:

Diablo Energy Drink 125 Can-Am Grand Prix Debuts at Loudon Classic

80th Annual Loudon Classic (June 13, 2003) – The Diablo Energy Drink 125 Can-Am Grand Prix machines debuted at New Hampshire Int’l Speedway’s 80th Annual Loudon Classic this morning for their first session of timed practice. The event also features the top racers from the U.S. Grand Prix Riders Union (USGPRU) 125 Grand Prix Series including the 2002 USGPRU National Champion Brian Kcraget (Danville, Virginia, USA) who will compete head-to-head with 2002 Diablo Can-Am National Champion Stuart Nodell (Ajax, Ontario, CAN).

The U.S. rider Kcraget (Hon) started the weekend strong with a fast lap of 1:17.31, compared to Nodell’s (Hon) fastest lap of 1:17.70. Scott Moxey (Hon) was a close third in the afternoon practice session with a fast lap of 1:18.42, with Corey Sherman (Hon) and Yvan Desy (Hon) in the 1:20 range. Rounding out the top five in practice was John Dempsey at a 1:19.00.

Several Loudon 125cc class regulars have yet to practice, but are expected to move to the front of the time charts very quickly on Saturday morning. Four women are also entered in this weekend’s Diablo 125 Can-Am “Intercontinental” Grand Prix, with female representatives from Canada and America. Debra Kuick (Yam) from California was fastest today at 1:24.20, followed by Canadian Angela Hiba (Hon) at 1:25.30.

Many riders had trouble with the changing track conditions. The weather was partially cloudy most of the day with occasional light showers. As the weather improves Sunday, lap times are expected to come closer together, and for the 30-plus-rider field to provide one of the best races of the weekend. For more information on the Diablo Energy Drink or the Diablo Can-Am 125 Grand Prix Challenge, log-on to CanAm125gpChallenge.com

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

While I admit that I have little direct knowledge of what is happening within AMA Pro Racing regarding operations, communications, etc., I do watch your site and have noted some of the organizational issues you have reported.

I have run many different racing organizations, events, etc., over the past 30 years (admittedly mostly for cars) and have seen many of these issues in one form or another. In almost all cases the problems proved not to be the individual people involved, their committment to the sport and their jobs, or the effort they put in. In almost all cases the problems came down to too few qualified people trying to do too much with too little.

This is especially true where budgets are tight.

Perhaps the problem at AMA Pro Racing is not the people who are there but the people who are not.

Just a comment but based on my own observations at the few AMA events I have been to where I have noted that, in my opinion, the number of people supporting Ron Barrick seems woefully small…certainly way less than for the equivalent level car race event.

I hope that your and your readers comments are not seen, by those who do their jobs to the best of their ability, to be aimed at them. Rather I hope that these comments will be seen by the senior management of AMA Pro Racing as a call to increase their support and committment to their event management team who should be given the resources, additional staff and support necessary to enable them to deliver the level of service that AMA’s riders and teams deserve.

The riders, teams and fans deserve the best event management that they can get, and Ron and his team deserve the AMA’s backing to help them provide it.

Alan Wilson
Castle Rock, Colorado



Editorial Note: As seen in the minutes of meetings of the AMA Board of Directors going back more than 12 months, the AMA Board has directed AMA Pro Racing on multiple occasions to take immediate steps to improve road racing operations, communications and safety.

In one specific case, in November 2002 the AMA Board directed AMA Pro Racing to hire a senior operations manager by the end of the first quarter of 2003. But while AMA Pro Racing’s front office staff has grown dramatically recently, there has not been similar growth on the operations side, and a senior operations manager was not hired by the Board-imposed deadline.

AMA Pro Racing operations–including ongoing problems with road racing timing & scoring, officiating, communications and safety–and the underlying operating agreement between the AMA and its Pro Racing subsidiary, have been a hot topic at every AMA Board meeting since May 2002.

In an effort to address these ongoing issues, last year the AMA Board appointed AMA President Rob Rasor to the AMA Pro Racing Board and gave him broad authority over AMA Pro Racing administration. At the most recent AMA Board meeting, held last week, AMA South-Central Director (and former AMA Pro Thunder Champion) Jeff Nash was also appointed to the AMA Pro Racing Board, in another effort to speed up AMA Pro Racing compliance with AMA Board directives.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

Greetings Race Fans;

We read with great interest Mike Ciccotto’s excellent comments on the value of opening the Formula Extreme rules to accommodate a wider range of Pro Thunder specification motorcycles. We would like to add our name to the list of riders, racers and enthusiasts who support this change. At Moto Guzzi we are hard at work building a broad line of exceptional v-twin motorcycles and we hope racing will be as much a part of our future as it has been of our past.

It’s not difficult to look at our current line up of bikes and future models like the MGS-01 and see that we will have platforms suitable for Pro Thunder style racing. Moto Guzzi plan to race motorcycles in 2004 and the only question is the class and sanctioning body. Mike’s suggestion would open the door to an entire range of models built by a variety of manufacturers. The end result would be good, close racing, broader participation of manufacturers, and more opportunities for riders and fans alike.

We applaud the AMA for working to refine the classes to better reflect today’s model mix. Unfortunately the current proposed rule changes effectively eliminate air cooled twins and go a long way towards limiting the viability of liquid cooled twins as well. The long term effect of the changes if implemented would be to force manufacturers who wish to race twins to focus on inline and v-fours in order to be competitive, or eliminate many companies from AMA Racing grids much to the detriment of the US Racing scene.

We encourage all race fans regardless of brand preference to contact the AMA in support of broader OEM participation in pro racing. We encourage this point of view generally and we specifically support the inclusion of Pro Thunder type air cooled twins. It is a classic win-win for European and American manufacturers, racers, riders and most importantly fans.

Very Best Regards,

Bill Martin
General Manager
Moto Guzzi North America
Woodstock, Georgia

From a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:

KENNY ROBERTS HOPES TO BE FIT FOR ASSEN

Montmelo, Catalunya
Friday, June 13, 2003:

Team Suzuki rider and former World Champion Kenny Roberts Jr. is to fly home to the USA tomorrow for treatment to chest injuries that ruled him out of Sunday’s Catalunyan GP, in the hope of regaining race fitness for the next round, the Dutch TT at Assen on June 28.

Roberts suffered the injuries early in the Italian GP at Mugello last Sunday, and although no fractures were diagnosed, continuing pain in the sternum (chest bone) has left him unable to ride the Suzuki GSV-R 990cc racing prototype, and wondering whether the injury may be worse than first diagnosed.

“I spoke to Jean-Michel (Bayle) who cracked his sternum, and that didn’t show up on X-rays until ten days or two weeks later. It feels like it’s got to be something like that, because the pain is just in the same place and the same all the time. My strength seems to be getting better, but the pain feels the same every day. I feel like I crashed yesterday.”

Roberts is having trouble sleeping, and would have gone to his doctors in the USA earlier but for the discomfort of the aircraft ride. The injury was caused when he landed on his right shoulder, driving the collarbone into the sternum. More usually, the collarbone would have broken.

“Dean Miller has helped me with the pain during the week, but I have to be strong to ride that bike. I can’t be 50 percent or 80 percent. I need all my strength,” said Roberts.

His explanation for the accident began with an acknowledgement: “I picked the wrong time, and I messed up. I’ve trying to avoid this situation all year, but this time I had a bit more aggression …”

He and team-mate Hopkins had been overtaken by Colin Edwards. “I had speed over John, so I wanted to get by him and try to stay with Colin. I had a run on him out of the previous corner, but it wasn’t like a normal accident where I lost grip. As I shifted from third to second the bike immediately went sideways like I had the back brake on. From that point on I was just trying to recover and go off the track, or miss John.

“John was wider than I was into the corner so I couldn’t pick it up and go straight because I would have hit him harder. I tried to lean it over and avoid him as best I could … but obviously I didn’t.”

Thrown over the high-side, he landed on his shoulder and then his hip. “When I stopped tumbling it was like somebody was standing on my chest and pulling my right shoulder as hard as they could.”

The first indication of problems was when he was unable to take off his right glove or his crash-helmet. “I could get it about three quarters off, but from there on I had no range of motion – no power to get it off. I was down on my knees, so I had to use my elbows on my knees to get it off.”

Roberts thanked Costa for his care and treatment, adding: “I’ve never had a crash when something wasn’t broken but I didn’t have any strength, and complete pain.

“It’s always the rider’s fault in this situation, but the problem was I had no control. From when I shifted back to second gear was just trying to hang on. Just along for the ride,” he said.

“As John said it’s difficult when things like this happen, especially within the team. I believe Suzuki understands John and I are trying our hardest to do well. I can only hope that when I’m physically ready to ride the bike again improvements will have been to make it more predictable and controllable.”


HOPKINS ON THIRD ROW OF PROVISIONAL GRID

Circuit de Catalunya, Spain– Friday, June 13, 2003:

Team Suzuki rider John Hopkins overcame pain and stiffness to set 11th-fastest time in today’s first timed qualifying session for Sunday’s GP of Catalunya, claiming a place on the third row of the provisional grid.

With team-mate Kenny Roberts Junior sidelined by injuries sustained when the pair collided and crashed out at last weekend’s Italian GP, Hopkins is the sole Suzuki rider entered for Sunday’s race.

But the 20-year-old Anglo-Californian has plenty of support. As well as Roberts observing from the trackside, and French Suzuki endurance rider Jean Michel Bayle, 1993 World Champion Kevin Schwantz has also flown in from the United States, to add his observations and help with the quest to get the maximum possible out of the radical new 990cc prototype GSV-R racer.

Hopkins was also knocked about in the Mugello crash. He went to the paddock Clinica Mobile directly after practice, hoping that racing medico Dr Costa could find a way to ease the pain and awkwardness in his neck and shoulder, to make it easier for him to wrestle the 200-plus horsepower machine round the circuit’s demanding 4.727km loops and turns.

Back in the pits, top-level factory engineers were again on hand, to speed the fast-forward development programme of the new V4 racer. Factory rider Akioshi-San was also at the track, preparing for two days of testing directly after the race. Bayle and Hopkins will also ride the bike on Monday and Tuesday.

Roberts, World Champion in 2000, was leaving the track this afternoon to fly back to the USA, where he will obtain specialised treatment for the chest injuries that are keeping him from being able to ride. He hopes to be fit in time for the next round, the Dutch TT at Assen in two weeks.

Today’s practice took place in bright sunshine and 30-degree heat, promising a second successive race in baking summer conditions. There is one more day of qualifying, before the race on Sunday.

JOHN HOPKINS – 11th Position, 1:45.416:
I’m pretty sore … my neck and back, and I can feel it when I’m riding. Desiree’s been helping me with massages, but I’m going to the Clinica Mobile now to check that there isn’t something out of line, and get it put back straight. I pulled out a fair lap at the end, but I’d like to pull them out in the middle of the session, and keep doing them consistently. This track suits our bike better than the last two, Mugello and Le Mans, and we’re looking for a good set-up to give us the best possible grip, which we’re struggling with a bit at the moment. I like the track – it’s fun, and I’m just out there trying to have fun and enjoy it again.

KEVIN SCHWANTZ – 1993 World Champion:
It’s very disappointing to see Suzuki having problems, and I wish there was something I could do to help. They seem to have a pretty good idea of what the problems are. Solving them is the big issue. I think both Kenny and John have done a great job up to this point. Watching the bike, I’m not really sure what I see, but it looks like it doesn’t want to finish the turn. Either the riders have to spin the rear, or go slow in the middle of the corner. The first is good for a few fast laps, the second is hardly good for anything. I’ll be talking to the riders and the engineers, and I hope I can make a positive contribution.

GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager
John is doing really well – focussing through the pain and doing a good job. Kenny is out there watching, which gives him a different perspective … and likewise Kevin Schwantz and Jean Michel Bayle. We’re all doing our best to improve the situation.

FRIDAY OFFICIAL QUALIFYING TIMES CATALUNYA , SPAIN
1. Valentino Rossi (Honda) 1’42.927,
2. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) + 0.406,
3. Sete Giberenau (Honda) + 0.439,
4. Shinya Nakano (Yamaha ) + 0.838,
5. Makoto Tamada (Honda) + 0.995,
6. Max Biaggi (Honda) + 1.138,
7. Colin Edwards (Aprilia) + 1.179,
8. Alex Barros (Yamaha) + 1.212,
9. Torhu Ukawa (Honda) + 1.356,
10. Oliver Jacque (Yamaha) + 1.442,
11. John Hopkins (Suzuki Grand Prix Team) + 1.589,

Not competing because of injury – Kenny Roberts (Suzuki Grand Prix Team)

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

F-USA will pay purse and points in both segments of the Sportbike race at Loudon, the only event in the series with a two-segment Final.

New Hampshire International Speedway officials requested a two-segment Final, to improve the show for spectators.


More, from a press release issued by F-USA:

Formula USA Pays Full Points and Splits Purse in Sportbike Class at Loudon Classic

80th Annual Loudon Classic, Loudon, NH (June 13, 2003)

Formula USA Officials this morning announced that the 2-leg Sportbike race format will pay full Championship points in each leg of the final event on Sunday, and that the $10,000 purse will be split evenly between the two legs. An additional $1,000 bonus will be added to the second leg, along with the $250 Traxxion Dynamics Holeshot Award.

The decision to pay full Championship points and the division of the purse was met with unanimous approval by the Sportbike class entrants. Additionally, the payment of full points will make up for the void created by the July TBA date, which was never confirmed.

Formula USA Championship Series Point Structure:
1st, 25
2nd, 20
3rd, 16
4th, 13
5th, 11
6th, 10
7th, 9
8th, 8
9th, 7
10th, 6
11th, 5
12th, 4
13th, 3
14th, 2
15th, 1

80th Annual Loudon Classic Purse Structure:
Leg 1 Purse
1st, $1,000
2nd, $750
3rd, $600
4th, $500
5th, $400
6th, $350
7th, $300
8th, $225
9th, $200
10th, $175
11th, $150
12th, $125
13th, $100
14th, $75
15th, $50

Leg 2 Purse
1st, $1,500
2nd, $1,050
3rd, $800
4th, $500
5th, $400
6th, $350
7th, $300
8th, $225
9th, $200
10th, $175
11th, $150
12th, $125
13th, $100
14th, $75
15th, $50

Traxxion Dynamics
Holeshot Award
(Leg 2 only)
$250



More, from another press release issued by F-USA:

Traxxion Dynamics Provides $250 “Holeshot Award”

Aurora, IL. — Formula USA Championship Series is proud to announce that Traxxion Dynamics has signed an agreement to provide a $250 Holeshot Award in the premier Formula USA “Sportbike” class. The agreement was made only days before Round 2 of the Formula USA Championship Series event at Mid-America Motorplex in Glenwood Iowa. The $250 award check will be presented to the first rider who makes it to the apex of the first turn at each round of the remaining Formula USA Sportbike events.

Defending Formula USA Grand Nat’l Champion Matt Wait received the $250 check, along with his second place race trophy, at Round 2 held at Mid-America Motorplex. Traxxion Dynamic’s mid-west rep Brian Baker, was also on site at Mid-America Motorplex providing professional suspension services for the racers, including most of the top professional race teams present.

Traxxion Dynamics performs racing upgrades on motorcycle suspension components for grand prix, road racing, and street motorcycles. Max McCallister adds, “We strive to provide the optimum suspension system available to each customer within his or her budget. We realize that everyone can’t ride on ‘factory’ suspensions. But, our goal is to make you feel like you are. We do everything from complete suspension packages to something as simple as a fork seal replacement. We will do whatever we can to see that you get around the track faster than you ever have before.” Traxxion Dynamics now has Ohlins suspension components available.

From a press release issued by the FIM:

Mies, June 12 2003

Superbike & Supersport World Championships
Anti-doping Controls

Anti-doping controls were carried out at the round of the Superbike and Supersport World Championships held at the circuit of Oschersleben, Germany, on June 1st.

All the samples tested showed the absence of any banned substances.

The riders controlled were : Neil Hodgson (GBR, Superbike), Régis Laconi (FRA, Superbike), Steve Martin (AUS, Superbike); Jörg Teuchert (GER, Supersport), Broc Parkes (AUS, Supersport), Katsuaki Fujiwara (JPN, Supersport).