Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The continuing adventures of an Army Captain we know, who will remain anonymous:

Hello to all from hot, hot, hot Iraq.

Today we only hit 109 degrees F.

Sorry I have not e-mailed anyone lately, for some reason the net has been soooo slow that by the time I am done downloading e-mail it is time to get off.

Much has happened since my last letter. We have started a works program for Iraqi civilians so they can earn pay and jump-start the economy while rebuilding the nation.

I work with a retired Iraqi General. We hire ex-military for jobs basically. Many many obstacles exists, for example: Language, customs, he still thinks he is a general and I am one of his captains, and the corrupt systems of the old regime which will take decades to rid. This general is the one I told ya’ll of several letters ago that was snide with my COL, and then my COL told him to pound sand. Well, now he works with me.

I think the main reason the Iraqi Army collapsed is due to the good ole boy system that exists with Iraqi officers. There are more generals than privates. He is always trying to grease my palms for extra help in areas that are kind of shady. I have already been offered a truck, house, bodyguards, yada, yada, yada. Then I have to tell him to pound sand every once in a while and he eats his crow and moves out. Perfect example — since the Iraqi Army dissolved the police have sucked up all the cars and equipment of the Army. The Veteran’s Affairs office wants the cars back, and if I help, the General will give me a car. Whoopeeeeee! Damned thing’ll probably blow up when I start it. I’ve seen Goodfellas.

Now language, well, it ain’t easy. I am picking up Arabic slowly. Most everything revolves around Allah, or God. When you talk of the future you must say “if God wills,” every time someone says tomorrow, in an hour, next week….. When someone sits you must say “may God sit at ease with you.”

You get the picture. And they are greeting happy, you shake or kiss everyone on the cheeks over and over and over. I feel like Clark Griswold on Christmas Vacation — kiss my ass, kiss his ass, kiss your ass, happy chanuka! But as a whole they love it when I try to speak in Arabic — so I entertain them.

Oh — the truly great thing is all the boot-licking that goes on. When you talk to them you must compliment them and tell them how great they are, and how well they serve Allah, and how this and how that. Then they do business. So today the General wanted to hire 10 bodyguards, but I am not allowed to let him hire bodyguards. According to Arabic traditions you can never tell them “No,” you must tell them yes why you cannot do that. It does not make sense. So I tell him “Sir, you are a very powerful man and must feel threatened. That is a great burden that you bear well. So keep on bearing it without bodyguards.”

Then they gift, but they give crap. Like pens that won’t work or 2002 calendars, or stuff and things. Well, my translator brought me a book, so with quick goat thinking I hand him a box of MREs for his family. Now the box weighs 20 pounds, and he has to walk several miles to get home, and when he eats ’em after all that frustration of walking he probably won’t ever gift me again.

Now get this, they only work til 2:00 p.m. Yeah, after that it is forbidden to talk of work. “We no talk of this subject” is what they tell you. Holy cow, man, I ain’t even hungry yet and you’re quitting?

We eat every day at 12:30, then the Kurds bring tea every 10 minutes until 2:00 p.m. Did anyone catch that — Kurds, wait one paragraph I’ll explain. So we drink chai until you pop, of course no work is done through chai, so basically work is over at 12:30. Now they only start at 10:00, so only 2.5 hours of work a day is done. Now 1.5 of those hours are dedicated to Allah phrases. 30 minutes are used gifting, 15 minutes are for water drinking ’cause it is hotter than the sun, and 15 minutes are lost trying to explain to the translator why the hell you are pissed ’cause you just wasted a whole day and now there ain’t time left to do anything.

Now Kurds: The Kurdish Islamic Unionist Party is camping out in an office building and has been ordered to leave by the newly appointed governor of Mosul. Well, they are still there ’cause Allah has not provided them a new place to stay — but the key is they have not gotten their buttocks off the couch to go look for a new place. They serve me tea all day and I do not pay them and are great for conversation so I grin and bear it. Now, since they are Kurds they have their own language. After 2:00 p.m. when all my workers leave the Kurds want you to learn their language and not Arabic. So now I got dudes that look like Osama, who don’t belong in the building, serving me tea that I did not ask for, trying to teach me a language completely different from the language that I already don’t know but have been trying to learn. When I get back to camp I tell the first person I see “hello” which is much better than Marhava, or Is sholneck, or As Salem Alla Leka……

Tonight the General wanted to be on TV – so I got him a spot through our Public Affairs Office. What a pain! So that is what I do and why I have not mailed.

Staying busy…

From a press release issued by Arai:

ARAI EARNS HIGHEST J.D. POWER AND ASSOCIATES
MOTORCYCLE HELMET RANKING FOR FIFTH YEAR IN A ROW

(Daytona, FL) J.D. Power and Associates released its first Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction StudySM in 1999, and Arai Helmets earned the highest customer satisfaction ranking. With the recent release of the new 2003 study, Arai has now earned its fifth consecutive number-one ranking*.

The J.D. Power and Associates announcement of the 2003 study says, in part, “Performing well across all 12 attributes measured, Arai ranks the highest overall among the 12 helmet brands included in the study rankings. Arai receives particularly high marks for fit and comfort, color/graphic design, ventilation/airflow, as well as consumers’ overall rating of their helmet.”

Roger B. Weston, president of Arai Helmet Americas, Inc., commented “It’s a bit of an understatement to say we’re proud of our five straight years of being ranked number one in customer satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates. But at the risk of sounding immodest, it’s not surprising to us, especially when you realize that Arai is still a comparatively small, family-owned business that has devoted over 50 years solely to the advancement and innovation of helmet design and function. The end consumer has always been Arai’s main focus; it’s obvious when you look at all the comfort, fit, and ventilation concepts the company has been credited with. It doesn’t matter if that ‘consumer’ is a motorcycle GP racer, Formula One, Champ Car, Indy Car or NASCAR® racer, or a recreational street or dirt rider, this company has only one standard for all of them.”

Weston also noted that, in addition to its reputation among motorcyclists and motorcycle racers, Arai is the dominant helmet in 2003 Formula One and Champ Car auto racing with over 50% of the grid in both as well as enjoying a meaningful presence in both Indy Car and NASCAR.

“We’re the only helmet company that’s earned its way onto the grids in all of these motorsports venues.”

* *J.D. Power and Associates 1999-2003 Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction StudiesSM. 2003 Study based on responses from more than 9,700 purchasers of new 2002 model-year motorcycles.www.jdpower.com

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

To all race fans,

I am writing this letter in regards to the rule changes AMA Pro Racing has proposed for Formula Extreme. Being involved with professional road racing on a daily basis, I have spoken with a number of riders about the class. Many 250 riders and current Formula Extreme riders are not happy with the changes, but I think they are the nucleus of a good class.

We all have to adapt to changes, and the rule changes that have put 1000cc inline fours into superbike and now into Superstock reflect the fact that the four major Japanese manufacturers have changed their main focus from 750cc bikes to 1000cc.

The new Formula Extreme class combines modified 600 four-cylinder four strokes (the four Japanese manufactures) and 250 two strokes (add Aprilia), allowing these tuners and products to continue in a GP-like format. AMA Pro Racing has also included the Pro-Thunder spec 748 and 749 Ducatis, which gives these riders and teams a chance to come back to AMA events after a year of no longer having a class.

So, we now have a class for the four Japanese manufacturers, Aprilia, and Ducati. However, I would like to have the AMA make one further change. Please do not only allow the Pro-Thunder Ducatis, but also allow all Pro-Thunder spec bikes. This would permit Buell, BMW, and Moto Guzzi riders and teams to run in a multi-brand professional venue.

Historical data shows that these bikes can put on a reasonable showing against the Ducatis, but they would not dominate the class. It would give fans of these marquees (including Harley-Davidson fans, many which love Buell) a real motivation to attend AMA races and watch them on TV.

In short, there is nothing but a benefit to all to make this last step in creating an exciting multi-brand class. I would like to appeal to the AMA to make this rule change, and appeal to all riders who would like to see the ultimate formula class to also write to the AMA requesting this change.

Sincerely,

Mike Ciccotto
Sebastian, Florida

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

It seems to me the AMA has a new girlfriend. Miss Communication has been seen at qualifying sessions, i.e. Mat Mladin having his posted pole taken away and not notifying the team until it was too late for him to do anything about it.

She also was around a lot last year when teams were waiting for a definitive word on the 2003 Superbike rules. And now most recently with Woody Deatherage’s crash at Road Atlanta, at the exact spot Steve Rapp’s bike hit the wall, and nothing was done. No Airfences were deployed, no extra haybales were put out.

Ron Barrick stated the cornerworkers never communicated that Rapp’s bike hit the wall. This is the premier road racing series in the country?

It’s time for someone to make some changes. There is always the statement that goes something like, “we didn’t know” or “we were not told ’till.”
It’s a load of crap, if you ask me. Someone has been dropping the ball. Someone needs to take responsibility. The buck stops somewhere. Doesn’t it?

Thank God, Woody is making a good recovery; the next racer may not be so lucky. If this is a case of “Miss Communication,” ban her from the track.

Bill Scalzitti
CCS Expert #121
Paterson, New Jersey.


Miscommunication? I was working as a crewman for Scott Carpenter and Scott Harwell at the AMA races at Road Atlanta last month. I knew about the crash on Sunday morning…and I’m nobody. I can’t believe the head of the sanctioning body didn’t know.

Chip Spalding
Greenville, North Carolina


Ron Barrick needs to go get his hearing checked. I attended the AMA races at Road Atlanta last month. I was in the pits at the time of Steve Rapp’s crash on Friday and within minutes of the incident it was known in the pit area that a bike had hit a wall and caught fire. A few minutes later it was being discussed over the PA system and the announcer confirmed it was Steve that was involved in the fiery crash. Not long after, Steve arrived in the pits on the back of another racer’s bike. So how did I know about the crash (and its severity) almost instantly and Mr. Barrick didn’t? Where was the entire AMA Pro Racing staff during that time?

Good try, Mr. Barrick, but I don’t buy the never-ending excuses accompanying each event. Maybe I should have his job. Hell, obviously I pay closer attention to what’s going on.

Jim Markey
Abita Springs, Louisiana

From a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

EUROPEAN MOTOGP SECTOR PASSES HALFWAY STAGE

After driving 1200 km in a day-and-a-half since Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix in Mugello, the Fortuna Yamaha Team trucks rolled into the Circuit de Catalunya on Tuesday. The track, located at Montmelo just to the north of Barcelona, will play host to Sunday’s Gran Premio de Catalunya – the sixth installment of the 16-round MotoGP World Championship.

After a tough weekend in Mugello played out in over 30 degree temperatures, the team came away disappointed after a typically close and thrilling MotoGP race. After showing some good early pace Carlos Checa slipped to eighth at the flag and MotoGP-rookie Marco Melandri came home eleventh. The result was another blow for the Fortuna Yamaha Team that has not had the start to the 2003 season that it wanted or expected. The first Grand Prix in Suzuka saw 20-year-old Melandri fracture his ankle in the opening practice session and he consequently missed that race and the Africa’s Grand Prix. When Melandri did return to action at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez he was hampered by a back problem that left him struggling in the race before an off-track excursion dropped him to a 17-place finish. Checa, meanwhile, seemed to have found some good pace in the opening two laps at Jerez but was denied the chance to prove it by a rare electrical failure on his YZR-M1. At the following race in Le Mans Melandri looked to be back to full place with a front-row qualifying performance only to be frustrated by rain and the wrong tyre-choice. Checa, meanwhile, was out of luck again as he slid out on a damp patch before the race was interrupted for the conditions.

CHECA’S HOME AS FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM ARRIVE IN BARCELONA

As Carlos Checa returns to his native Catalunya this weekend it is important that he also arrives back to where he belongs – in the leading pack of MotoGP riders! Checa will be hoping to put an end to the team’s run of poor luck and to show the speed and fight he is famous for in this bike-mad area of Spain.

Marco Melandri loses the pressure of his own home race this week, but still keeps the pressure on himself as he looks to establish himself as a major force in the premier class. The 2002 250cc World Champion tested the YZR-M1 at the Barcelona track pre-season and hopes to be able to maintain the steady progression he’s made with the bike since returning from injury.

Fortuna Yamaha Team director Davide Brivio is also keen to see a return to winning ways. “There’s no doubt that as a team we have not achieved what we wanted from the first five races of the season,” he admits. “We have had our fair share of bad luck, but that’s racing. We’re an experienced crew and we know that it is vital to remain positive and focused. I am confident that our season will turn around. I hope this weekend will be the start of that. Certainly Carlos will be very motivated and I hope he has a good race like last year.

“We tested at Barcelona a few times during the winter but, of course, conditions were very different from now and we’ve also made a few changes to the M1 since then. It will be very hot this weekend so we’ll have to look again at set-up and tyres during practice.

“There are some positives that we’ve taken away from last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix. Carlos found a good feeling on the bike and ran in the leading group for quite a while. For Marco it was, once again, just important to build up his experience over race distance.”

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING

As a MotoGP circuit Catalunya offers a main straight capable of encouraging speeds exceeding 330kmh, and is completed by a sequence of long radius, medium/high speed sweeping turns and two tight left-hand hairpins. In some regards Barcelona resembles Jerez (Spain); with bumps an issue for riders on the entry to the braking areas – although less intense. But the combination of long radius corners riddled with a variety of cambers makes it more demanding on chassis balance. For this reason the 4727m circuit is always a feature on the pre-season IRTA test calendar, and is often considered to be the true indicator of a bike’s full potential.

Due to the long-radius corners front-end feel will be a key concern for both Fortuna Yamaha Team riders. But it must be found without sacrificing the overall balance of the M1, as too much time is spent feathering the power through the sides of the tyres before punching the bike out onto the next straight. With handling the M1’s strength the Fortuna Yamaha Team will make little modification to the geometry, when compared with what is used in Mugello. And of this minimal modification, the good base geometry will be fettled for a little extra front-end bias. Most of this will be achieved, however, not through chassis modifications, but rather straightforward suspension preload and damping adjustments.

CHECA HOPES TO FIND MORE STABILITY FOR HOME GRAND PRIX

Local favourite Fortuna Yamaha rider Carlos Checa knows that he needs to pull off a top result in Catalunya to give him the chance to improve his position in the World Championship standings, in which he currently lies 13th. Checa finished last year’s season in sixth position so needs to progress significantly to regain the points he has missed out on so far and regain his old form. His season has been uncharacteristically bleak, with his best result of the five races that have passed at the Italian Grand Prix last weekend where he finished eighth. He was as high as fifth in the opening laps of the race but lost his rhythm and slipped back to eight before the chequered flag. The Spaniard has been unlucky in the other races, being forced to stop with electronic problems in Jerez, and slipping on a wet patch in Le Mans, although his qualifying performances and lap times have been fair, coming within tenths of seconds of the fastest riders.

Although notoriously one of the more challenging circuits of the championship calendar, Checa’s performance in Catalunya last year bodes well for the forthcoming race. He started from the second row on the grid and went on to lead much of the race but slipped back to finish third, his second podium finish of last season after the opening round in Japan. Checa has had several tests during the winter at his local circuit which gave him more time to familiarise himself with the set-up of his YZR-M1 machine there.

Despite his tricky start to the 2003 season, the Spanish rider remains both objective and determined to change his run of bad luck, “The key to the Catalunya circuit is to keep stability and consistency from beginning to end of the race,” said Checa about the circuit, which is situated north of Barcelona. “In my experience at Catalunya I have not really been able to do this and keep the pace from beginning to end. If I could do that there, I could probably gain a few seconds. The track doesn’t have so much grip level, and as soon as I lose grip with the rear I can’t turn the bike on an angle – that’s my biggest concern at this circuit.

“Overall you need to find a good combination there with the bike, of tyres and suspension. I find it difficult to spin the rear with this bike and I never lose traction but it’s important not to lose any time at the last two turns at this circuit. If you compare the practice times in Catalunya with the race times, there is always a big difference. The front tyre must be stable for the downhill sections and the suspension must be good to cope with the bumps.”

Despite the extra pressure that all riders feel when it comes to performing in front of their home crowds, Checa tries not to let it affect him, “Catalunya is just one more race,” he said, “and I must try as hard there as I do at other races. I feel a lot of mixed emotions when I race in Spain but professionally I must look upon it as just another race, and aim to do well everywhere.”

YAMAHA’S YOUNG HOPEFUL MELANDRI IS OUT TO IMPRESS

The new recruit to Yamaha’s factory team Marco Melandri is impatient to show his potential with his YZR-M1 machine, perhaps more so than any other rider as the young Italian had a late start to his first season in the premier MotoGP class. A damaging fall at the opening round in Suzuka and fractured ankle bones meant Melandri missed the first two races, and then used the next race to get used to riding again. At the fourth Grand Prix at the Le Mans circuit in France he showed a flicker of his capability when he earned himself a front row start and fought his way up to as high as third position in the race, which was stopped because of rain after 16 laps. Unfortunately his luck ran out when he made a wrong tyre choice in the ensuing interval and was unable to find his former force in the latter part of the race.

Melandri also had a disappointing home Grand Prix in Mugello, Italy, last weekend as a technical problem prevented him from achieving his goal at the most crucial point during the race. He had featured as high as sixth and looked set to go even higher when problems in third gear meant he could not push hard in the corners, and he crossed the finish line in eleventh place. This was a disappointing conclusion to the weekend for Melandri, who has been feeling increasingly confident on his Yamaha machine since his unlucky season outset.

He is more determined than ever to have the chance to push himself for a full race with no complications, either physical or technical, “I like the Catalunya circuit,” he enthused, “I think we’ll find some combination set-up from our winter test feedback there which takes into account the difference in the weather, which is sure to be very different. Since our last test there my bike has changed a lot, and mostly during last weekend in Mugello. If we continue to work as we did there I think we can improve every time.

“In Catalunya you have to use the throttle a lot when the rear tyre is down. I won the 250cc race there last year, so feel quite comfortable on that track. I was very disappointed with the result in Mugello last week – it’s always frustrating when you don’t get what you want. But that is part of the sport. It’s not good to dwell on what has happened before but just to take with you the positive experiences. I was feeling very good with the bike until things started to go wrong last week, so I need to get that feeling again and have the chance to run a whole race with no complications.”


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)
Catalunya 2002 results. Grid: 7th, 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)

Catalunya MotoGP lap record
Valentino Rossi 1:45.594 (2002)

Circuit best lap
Max Biaggi 1:44.523 (2002)


More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information:

Catalan Grand Prix at Catalunya
13/14/15 June

CATALAN RACE KEY TO TITLE CHALLENGERS

MotoGP rolls into Catalunya this weekend with three Honda riders pulling clear in the overall points standings. Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda RC211V) tops the table with 115, Max Biaggi (Camel Pramac Pons RC211V) lies second with 83 and Sete Gibernau (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) sits third with 72.

There’s a 26-point gap from Gibernau to Alex Barros (Yamaha) who is fourth on 46. With 25 points for a race win any of the riders below the top three need a win with any of the leaders failing to score before they can get on terms. But Loris Capirossi (Ducati) looks like he may be the man to close the gap on the top men.

The Italian finished a strong second at Mugello last weekend only 1.4 seconds behind winner Rossi and Capirossi proved that the Ducati is not short of speed as they head to the Catalunya track that features one of the longest straights in the MotoGP calendar.

Capirossi’s V4 machine recorded a top speed of 332.4km/h during Sunday’s race. And with the key to a fast lap time at Catalunya dependent to a large extent on a high top speed, the Ducati machine looks well-equipped to repeat or even better the second place Capirossi achieved last weekend.

The 4.727km track 20 km north of Barcelona is a challenging mixture of straights (there are two significant chutes), sweeping turns and two tight-radius corners. The emphasis on machine set-up is to achieve a well-balanced chassis to cope with the various demands of the very different type of corners and achieve a high top speed to make the most of the two straights.

The track requires a flowing riding style through the long, constant-radius turns. And as the bikes spend a great deal of time at maximum lean angle (especially on the right-hand side of the tyre) wear and grip levels are of critical importance. Two of the 13 turns feature negative camber so the track ‘drops away’ to the outside of the turn, effectively offering less grip for more lean angle.

The surface also suffers from unpredictability in grip levels too. There is sometimes a lot of dust thrown up by the wind and this can settle on the track surface making it slippy, until the circulating bikes have cleared the thin layer of dust and ‘laid down’ rubber. Owing to the amount of Formula 1 car testing that also takes place here, the surface is also bumpy in places where the tarmac takes a pounding from their 850bhp engines and massive braking forces.

But the Formula 1 cars top speeds are unlikely to match the speeds achieved by the new breed of four-stroke MotoGP machines that are now among the fastest machines in motorsport. The 328km/h top speed record at Catalunya is bound to be broken by the top riders.

Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda RC211V) won here last year and the year before, he also set the fastest race lap here in 2002 with a 1:45.594 lap. With the total race time 12 seconds faster than last year in Mugello it looks likely that records will tumble at Catalunya too.

The World Championship leader is ready to shoot for his fourth race win of the season and is relishing the challenge put up by his two Italian rivals and the home hero Sete Gibernau (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) who is itching to win a third race this season. And if he could do it at home in Spain in front of a crowd expected to number close to 100,000, it would be some spectacle.

And Spain’s main man can’t wait to get down to business. “It really feels like home here,” he said. “I tried so hard at Jerez and got nothing and now I can’t wait to try and give the fans something back for supporting me. At Le Mans I won and it re-charged my energy levels after my disappointment at Jerez and now I really want to do the same here after a tough time at Mugello. But I have complete confidence the team can find a solution to the problems and I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to racing here.”

Rossi loves the Catalunya track and knows it’s another opportunity to grab vital early season points. “It’s my favourite track,” he said. “The last two rights onto the long straight are key to a good lap here. Mugello was great for me, but Sete will also be very strong here and the race will be spectacular – that’s for sure. We all need the points.”

Max Biaggi lies second on the points standings and the Roman is keen to record a first win of the season after showing great consistency so far scoring points in every race with four podium positions achieved too.

“I like the Montmelo circuit and have been successful there with four wins on a 250. Last year I took pole for the race.” Biaggi said. “But I’ve had mixed fortunes at the track in the last couple of years. The one problem I always seem to have at Catalunya is to get the bike to steer into the corners. The asphalt is quite bumpy, especially at turn one at the end of the straight. The track is similar to Mugello in some ways. The straight is not as long as Mugello but the corner leading onto the straight is faster. The race could be just like Mugello last week.” He concluded.

Hero of Mugello was fourth-placed Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda RC211V) who rode through the entire field bar the top three after being as far back as 18th after a poor start from the third row of the grid. And the Japanese rookie will be looking for a repeat performance at Catalunya.

“We’ve had time to enjoy the success of Mugello,” he said. “And now we have to focus on the next step we must take at Catalunya. The track is sort of similar to Mugello with a long straight and my bike is certainly fast enough to take advantage of that. The rest of the track I’ll try to learn as I go and then I really have to get a good start in the race.”

Tohru Ukawa (Camel Pramac Pons RC211V) goes to Catalunya keen to put a disappointing Mugello behind him. “Catalunya is my favourite track and I can’t wait to race there,” he said. “The combination of high speeds and some really demanding turns is one thing but the Spanish fans and the whole atmosphere there is another and I like two races back-to-back because I can stay focussed.”

Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) is looking forward to racing at a track he’s already tested at. “Mugello wasn’t so good for me,” said the American rookie. “And I really want to get on the bike instead of sitting around so this weekend can’t come too soon for me. We’ve got a good foundations to build on from testing here and I’m getting lots of help from Mick Doohan and Tady Okada.”

Rookie Ryuichi Kiyonari (Telefonica MoviStar Honda RC211V) who finished 13th at Mugello last weekend is keen to accelerate his learning curve at Catalunya. “I’ve heard there is excellent ham there,” he joked. “My performances so far have been helped by the support of an excellent team and I can improve still more here I hope. I just have to learn fast and ride fast.”

The 250cc Championship is lead by San Marinese rider Manuel Poggiali (Aprilia) who has had three wins so far this season, but home hero Tony Elias (Aprilia) who has won twice so far this season, most memorably at Jerez last month, will be aiming to complete a home ‘double’.

Lying second in the World Championship points standings is Roberto Rolfo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) who sits only 19 points behind Poggiali after five races. The Italian is itching to get racing here and trying to close the gap still further on his title rival.

“I like Catalunya and you’ve got to concentrate really hard to get a quick lap,” said Rolfo. “And the Aprilias will be fast there on that long straight. But we proved we can get among them at Mugello and if we can maintain the progress we make at every Grand Prix we have reason to be pretty optimistic for the immediate future.”

Sebastian Porto (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS250RW) lies seventh in the Championship with 44 points but the Argentine is by no means out of contention and he’s looking to getting his Championship challenge back on track here in Catalunya.

“I like the track, but we haven’t quite found enough speed yet for me to be really confident about our performance there,” he said. “We’ll have some new parts to try and at least the long straight is slightly downhill unlike the uphill Mugello straight. We’ve got to get a good qualifying lap in and then stay in touch with the leaders in the race – and I haven’t been able to do that recently.”

Daniel Pedrosa (Telefonica MoviStar Junior Team RS125R) heads to a home Grand Prix heading the points standings after a perfectly judged race to second place at Mugello last weekend. “I love Catalunya,” said Pedrosa. “But not the track unfortunately. There are too many bumps on the old asphalt and that really affects the smaller bikes. But it’s a race and I’m a racer so we’ll be riding hard no matter what.”

Andrea Dovizioso (Team Scot Honda RS125R) is third in the World Championship standings and keen to close the gap on second-placed Lucio Cecchinello (Aprilia). “Barcelona will be hard work, if the weather conditions are the same as in Mugello,” he said. “The temperature will make the engine run too hot, unless we can find a solution. If I can get the same tyres from Dunlop that we raced with in South Africa then I will go into the race with much more confidence.”



More, from a press release issued by Pramac Honda:

PRAMAC RACING PREVIEW
MotoGP – Round 6 – Catalunya (Spain)
Montmelo’ – 13/14/15 June 2003

SIXTH ROUND OF MOTO GP AT MONTMELO’, CATALUNYA, THE LAND OF SUNSHINE AND MOVIDA.

One of the most modern motorcycling racetracks can be found in the municipality of Montmelo’ just a few kilometres outside Barcelona. Inaugurated in 1991, it made its debut as the venue for a top-level event: the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix. Then it hosted the European Motorcycling GP and went on to become the arena of excellence for the Catalunya GP. It is considered to be one of the finest circuits ever designed: an enormous amphitheatre where the public in the grandstands can see the entire track, and where often no fewer than 100,000 turn up for the race. One of those MotoGP rendezvous where the most likely forecast is that it will be sold out. Being just 20 kilometres from one of the most dynamic and frenetic cities in Europe means that Montmelo’ is going to have fans just pouring in. For three days the spirit of the “Movida” will shift from La Rambla in Barcelona to the ‘Circuito de Catalunya’.

The circuit: 4,727 metres
lefthanders: 5
righthanders: 8
longest straight: 1,047 metres
Maximum width: 12 metres
built in 1991
modified in 1995.

2002 winners.
125 class: Poggiali (RSM) Gilera
250 Class: Melandri (ITA) Aprilia
MotoGP: Rossi (ITA) Honda.

Circuit records.
125: Ui 1:51.443 (Derby) (2002)
250: Rossi 1:47.585 (Aprilia) (1998)
MotoGP: Rossi 1:45.594 (2002).

FOUR PODIUMS OUT OF FIVE FOR MAX BIAGGI AND THE CAMEL PRAMAC PONS TEAM
Once again Max Biaggi and the Camel Pramac Pons Team reach the rostrum. This was at Mugello, where the four-times World Champion came third after a dogged race filled with excitement. Fighting elbow to elbow with the other contenders to the podium, Massimiliano unleashed his inborn talent once again. Firmly in second place in the world championship ratings, with 83 points, Max Biaggi is now 32 behind the leader. Sixth at Mugello, the other Camel Pramac Pons rider Ukawa Ukawa: now fifth overall with 42 points.


MAKOTO TAMADA AND THE PRAMAC HONDA TEAM MAKE A MAGICAL FOURTH AT MUGELLO
An extraordinary result for Makoto Tamada at the Italian Grand Prix. From 18th position at the end of the first lap to 4th past the chequered flag. Absolutely phenomenal. And a most eloquent performance. First of all, it tells us that Makoto Tamada is a highly competitive rider of extraordinary might. The strength to battle his way up like that through the ranks comes from the determination he has already showed in the past. But it also tells us that Bridgestone, the great Japanese tyre manufacturer, has shown it can get extremely close to the level of competitiveness needed to beat the rest.

A few hours and another weekend of races is about to start up. It is expected to be extremely hot, and this is one of the very few tracks where Tamada has already done some laps – and where he can have real hopes of getting a good result. We shall be able to see the progress he has made since the IRTA tests in March. In mid-March, Makoto’s best lap took him 1:45.817.

MAKOTO TAMADA AT THE CANTEEN OF THE PRAMAC PLANT IN CASOLE D’ELSA: THE FANS GO WILD.

Just the time to ride back home through the night from Mugello to Casole d’ Elsa for a few hours sleep, and Makoto went to the canteen at the Pramac headquarters in Casole d’Elsa. At 12:30 on Monday when all the men and women who work in the company stop for lunch. Greeted by a standing ovation with cheering fans, the young Japanese rider again met the employees of the company who had greeted him so warmly on 5 March this year for thepresentation of the team.

The best banner of all:
MAKOTO 6 MAGICO.a play on words with “6”, the rider’s race number, creating the slogan “Makoto You’re Magic”.



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

PROTON KR FACES THE HEAT AGAIN IN SPAIN

Proton Team KR riders are not the only people looking forward to the all-new Proton KR V5 four-stroke prototype’s second race–the Catalunyan GP at the Montmelo circuit outside Barcelona on Sunday.

The huge crowds of Spanish MotoGP aficionados will also be all agog. After news of the radical new racer’s fantastic debut at the Italian GP just one week before, they want to hear for themselves the exhaust note unanimously declared the best-sounding yet of the noisy new four-strokes.

The ground-breaking V5, with a unique configuration and firing order, had only spent one full day of shake-down tests before arriving for the Italian GP at Mugello. First time out, Jeremy McWilliams set a qualifying time good enough for the fourth row of the provisional grid. This was in spite of having no alternative gear ratios to suit the circuit, and being some 30km/h down on top speed as a result.

Team-mate Nobuatsu Aoki also qualified, but his times were spoiled by fuel delivery problems. In the race, McWilliams also succumbed to the same problem–exacerbated by searing heat and baking track temperatures, and both retired. Not before McWilliams had moved through from a slow start to take a confident 15th place, threatening to finish in the points first time out.

The heat is bound to continue at the Catalunyan GP, sixth of 16 World Championship rounds. The first back-to-back race, just one week after Mugello, has left technicians only a few days to make modifications. Even so, the England-based team–the only fully independent manufacturer in racing–has been able to respond to the problems, believed to have been the result of overheating fuel.

At the same time, engineers have been working flat out to take the next step forward ? to get more power and revs from the engine, which was still in early bench-testing tune in Italy.

“We have some modifications that will improve the power, and we’re hoping to have everything made in time for the race–but we’re going right to the wire,” said team manager Chuck Aksland.

“We got a lot of information from Mugello, and we think we can make the fuel pump situation better. We’d never run in that sort of heat before, and we’re learning as we go along.

“We’re still in testing mode, and normally these sort of things would take place behind closed doors,” he continued.

“Because of the situation, we’re doing it at the races. We’re clicking off problems one by one. But it’s obvious that the bike has a lot of potential,” said Aksland.

The radical V5 was designed and built in record time at Proton Team KR’s Banbury headquarters, and was rushed to the tracks for first circuit testing only three weeks before the Catalunyan GP.

FOOTNOTE: Jeremy McWilliams will line up for his 150th GP start at Catalunya on Sunday. His first GP start was in Australian in 1993, and he won the Dutch TT in the 250 class in 2001.

JEREMY McWILLIAMS : A POSITIVE STRUGGLE
I am looking positively towards ths race. We’re all aware that it’s going to be quite a struggle to get the bike up to full racing speed, and this is another opportunity to make it better. We all know what we need–more speed, reliability, and a few issues about the way the bike responds to the throttle and in the corners. We had some problems at Mugello. Now even though it’s only last weekend we will see how quickly the team can respond. I think it will be better than Mugello.

NOBUATSU AOKI : GOING FOR THE GOOD TIMES
I knew right from the start of the race at Mugello that I was going to have fuel pump problems again, so I just enjoyed the first five laps. The bike feels so good, but there are lots of little problems to be sorted out before we can even think about fine-tuning the chassis and things like that. I’m really looking forward to this race.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

AMA Pro Racing Road Race Manager Ron Barrick said he was never told that Steve Rapp’s bike hit a section of bare, unpadded concrete wall, at the base of the esses, during Superbike qualifying at Road Atlanta on Friday, May 16.

That’s why, Barrick said, no protective, soft barriers were put up after Rapp’s crash, leaving the same section of concrete wall still unpadded and exposed when Woody Deatherage hit it two days later, breaking his back.

Barrick made his comments at Pikes Peak on June 1, after being asked why no soft barriers were deployed after Rapp’s bike hit the unpadded wall on Friday. Rapp himself bailed out early and did not hit the wall.

According to Barrick, cornerworkers who called in Rapp’s crash made no mention of the fact that the bike had hit the wall. It was an unfortunate case of miscommunication, Barrick said.

But Roadracingworld.com has learned that any failure to communicate existed not only between cornerworkers, race control and Barrick, but also between AMA Pro Racing Tech and Barrick.

According to Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki Logistics Coordinator Kelly Collopy, AMA technical inspector Terrie Siegfried knew that Rapp’s bike had hit the unpadded wall, soon after the incident occured.

In a Wednesday, June 11 phone interview, Collopy said, “Generally, any crash that involves flame and fire, the AMA wants to see what caused it. When they came back with Rapp’s bike on the crash truck, Terrie (Siegfried) was waiting for us.

“Terry took a look at it (the bike), before it was unloaded,” continued Collopy. “And saw the fuel line was ruptured and said, ‘Oh that’s what did it, the fuel line severed.’ While Terrie was inspecting the (fuel) line I was inspecting the tank and I noticed a big crack in it. I pointed out to Terrie that the tank must have hit the wall and the impact must have cracked the tank open and caused the loss of the fuel load. He just looked at it (the tank) and said, ‘Ah, that might have contributed to it.'”

Crashes into the wall where Deatherage and Rapp’s bike hit were not a common problem until a chicane was installed to keep riders farther away from the wall outside what the track terms turn four.

The new chicane changes the approach to what Road Atlanta’s turn-designation-system calls the “esses,” (a series of turns between “turn four” and “turn five”), making it more of a straight shot, raising speeds, and making it easier for crashed motorcycle and its rider to hit the wall on the rider’s right after a front-end slide.

From a press release issued by the World Superbike press office:

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

SILVERSTONE WELCOMES SBK BACK AGAIN

Silverstone will host a World Superbike race for the second year in succession this forthcoming weekend and completion of the pair of Superbike races on Sunday 15 June 2003 will mark the mid-point of the 12-round season. Commencing at Valencia, Spain in early March, the SBK season has wound its way across the globe, from Australia to Japan, from Italy to Germany and now across less than 50km of water to the British mainland.

Silverstone, albeit somewhat featureless in terms of elevation changes, is one of the fastest and most evocative circuits on the SBK calendar, providing an object lesson in fast cornering – for the main part. Track modifications for safety reasons mean that the fastest laps set in the races will automatically become new lap records. A very slow chicane reduces speeds onto the main straight, improving safety but presenting a challenge to even the best riders – as they have to make the best speeds possible through this section of track on chassis settings more suited for the fastest corners.

Until the second race at the previous Oschersleben round, Neil Hodgson (Ducati Fila 999 F03) had monopolised the top step of every single one of all nine podium ceremonies to that point. Official factory rider Hodgson had to give best to his former team-mate James Toseland (HM Plant Ducati998 F02) riding a year old factory bike to great effect on Dunlop tyres. The resurgence of the tyre battle, in a class with Michelin, Dunlop and Pirelli all represented by strong entries, is one of the most welcome developments in the 2003 season, during which a total of seven riders have found themselves on the podium.

Only Toseland and Hodgson may have won races, but for Ruben Xaus, Hodgson’s team-mate, the top step of an SBK ceremony is familiar territory from previous seasons. In third place overall, only six points adrift of Toseland, Xaus is one of many riders disputing the second spot in the championship standings. Regis Laconi (NCR Caracchi Nortel Ducati 998RS) is the highest placed ‘pure’ privateer rider in fourth, just a quartet of points behind Xaus, with the factory Alstare Suzuki of Gregorio Lavilla just 21 points from second place man Toseland.

This year’s SBK rules allow 1000cc four cylinder machines into the fray for the first time, running air intake restrictors downstream of the throttle bodies to limit the potentially vast power output such an engine could make under normal Superbike rules. Despite this regulatory handicap Lavilla has taken his GSX-R1000 – still at the beginning of its ultimate development path – to a handful of podium places, and has pushed Hodgson to the line on two occasions.

Having suffered some injury and misfortune in races this season, Chris Walker, Toseland’s team-mate in the HM Plant team, has earned to third places and led an SBK race for the first time at Oschersleben.

On home tarmac all British riders are expected to perform at their absolute best, but one more rider is almost as popular in the UK as he is in his native Italy. Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati 998RS) has shown some quite breathtaking form for one of 39 years of age, and has finished on the podium in the majority of the races his bike has allowed him to complete.

A ‘home’ race for the Anglo-Malaysian Foggy Petronas FP-1 team will give the British public its first chance to see the unique three-cylinder in serious action, after its unveiling in front of a packed Brands Hatch grandstand last season. Troy Corser and James Haydon have had rollercoaster seasons so far; with front row start for Corser at round one the highlight of their combined ceaseless endeavours.

Steve Martin (DFX Pirelli Ducati 998RS) heads a three-rider challenge on Pirelli tyres; Juan Borja and Marco Borciani being the other two riders well capable of a top ten finish in front of the expected large Silverstone crowd – as is Lucio Pedercini on his self entered machine, flanked by his team-mates Nello Russo and Serafino Foti.

Of the other regular SBK competitors, Walter Tortoroglio rides a WET Honda VTR1000 twin while his fellow Italians Ivan Clementi and Mauro Sanchini run ex-factory Bertocchi Kawasaki 750s.

The wild cards for the Silverstone round have been announced and thus John Reynolds and Yukio Kagayama (Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000), Michael Rutter and Sean Emmett (Renegade Ducati) and Dean Ellison (D&B Racing Ducati) will line up to take on the best in the world. Reynolds is a proven SBK race winner, Rutter a podium finisher, and any of the others are capable of making a real impact.

In the World Supersport Championship class the Ten Kate Honda of Chris Vermeulen has delivered him three wins out of five races, the other victories being taken by Katsuaki Fujiwara (Alstare Suzuki) and Christian Kellner (Yamaha Motor Germany).

Vermeulen now enjoys a seemingly impossible 38-point cushion in a season with a bewildering 19 factory bikes competing at every round. Karl Muggeridge, Vermeulen’s Ten Kate team-mate, has taken the last two pole position starts, and seemingly all the bad luck going, having scored only a single point in the subsequent races.

Several of the big names in Supersport this season have yet to win races and Jurgen van Den Goorbergh (Yamaha Belgarda R6) is as likely as any to make the breakthrough first, although former champions Stephane Chambon (Alstare Suzuki), Jörg Teuchert (Yamaha Motor Germany) and Fabien Foret (Kawasaki Racing Team) will all be out to add to their own personal win tallies.

After the retirement of James Whitham due to medical reasons this year, Iain Macpherson (van Zon Honda) is the most likely British winner, having scored third place at Monza last month. Simon Andrews (Red Piranha Racing Yamaha) and John Crockford (Padgetts Motorcycles) will vie for the right to call himself top local wild card rider.


More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

World Supersport Championship 2003 – Round Six
Silverstone Race Preview
12 – 14 June 2003

SECOND HOMECOMING FOR LEADER VERMEULEN

Having originally risen to prominence in the British racing scene, after cutting his racing teeth at home in Australia, Andorran based Queenslander Chris Vermeulen may find the Silverstone World Supersport race to be a sort of homecoming.

His British racing career was a short but glory-laden one, and the promise the current Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR rider showed as a teenager has matured at a fast pace on the global stage. The 20-year-old now leads the World Championship by an impressive 38 points, having scored the most recent of his three 2003 season wins at the previous Oschersleben round.

The sweeps and fast straights of Silverstone could well be another happy hunting ground for the clear points leader, as he goes for maximum score number four. A new chicane complex at the final sector of track breaks the flow of the otherwise fast and flat Midlands circuit and because of the altered length of the surface, new records will have to be set this year, even if the monsoon conditions of 2002 are repeated.

Competition in World Supersport has reached near saturation level this season, making the performances put in by Vermeulen and the CBR600RR all the more impressive. His machine, like the other seven factory supported Hondas in Supersport, is an all-new model, still at the beginning of its ultimate development path.

No one to this point has ridden the full new Silverstone GP track, as the British Championship competitors have used a shorter version during the first round of the year – albeit with the new chicane incorporated in the existing domestic layout. Vermeulen has been doing his homework in the lead up to the race, to help him maintain his push for the title.

“My mate Glenn Richards has raced at Silverstone this year and he tells me that the new chicane is even tighter than at Sugo, so that’s not too good,” said Vermeulen pre-race. “The rest of the track is really nice though. Last year I was quick from the start there and qualified second in the dry so I really like the place. We had some problems in the wet so hopefully it will be dry again this year.”

Broc Parkes (BKM Honda CBR600RR) finds himself second best Honda rider in the overall championship race, ninth overall, but feels the best from man and machine is yet to come. “We still had power problems at Oschersleben and at Silverstone power is important,” said Parkes. “I hope we can get things sorted for the weekend, especially as I felt I was riding well in Germany, and just chose a too soft front tyre.”

One place behind Parkes is yet another Aussie Honda rider, Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600R). Blisteringly quick in qualifying at Monza and Oschersleben, ‘Muggas’ has suffered from poor fortune in races, but maintains a high level of self-confidence. “I’m looking forward to Silverstone, it’s good, it’s wide and it’s fast,” said Muggeridge. “I’m not sure about the new chicane, I haven’t seen it yet but I’ve heard that it’s very tight and bumpy as well. Silverstone is a good track for me and I’m starting to feel better on the bike now and I’m working better with the team. I’ve been unwell since the start of the year and now my health is better so hopefully we can start taking some of these trophies away.”

Christophe Cogan (BKM Honda CBR600RR) may have taken a fighting fourth at the opening round at Valencia but has otherwise found his season shrouded in bad luck and injury. He looks forward to a less painful and more rewarding experience at Silverstone. “I’m looking forward to Silverstone where I hope to be much fitter than I have been recently,” he stated. “Hopefully my back injury will have healed enough to let me ride more freely.”

Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) feels another good showing is in the offing, after two impressive rides at Monza and Oschersleben. “After Oschersleben my mind is very strong and I am looking forward to Silverstone,” said the likeable Frenchman. “This is only my third race in a long time and my fitness on the bike still needs to improve, but so I am confident of better results for the rest of the year.”

A podium place of third for Iain Macpherson (Van Zon Honda CBR600RR) at Monza in Italy has been his highlight so far and he shows no trace of nerves before the start of the first of two home races for the British rider. “I’ve heard all about the modifications to the circuit and I’ve been told some negative things about the new chicane which leads onto the start finish straight. I’m looking forward to the race anyway and I’m aiming to get another podium finish at least. It’s no different to me riding in the UK or abroad because you have to be fast everywhere. You meet more people you know in the paddock at Silverstone but that’s about it.”

Werner Daemen (Van Zon Honda CBR600RR) had the misfortune to be knocked off his machine by another rider at Oschersleben, but knows the 2003 season is generally going his way. “In Oschersleben it went very well and I was sitting in sixth place before I was taken out,” said the rejuvenated Belgian. “When I stay on the bike and have good results from qualifying I have shown I can race well. Last year at Silverstone I was only one day out off the clinic after illness so there may be problems because of the lack of familiarity with the track, but that’s all.”

Robert Ulm (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) is another for whom Silverstone will be something of a secret until he starts qualifying for real this year. “I have never been to Silverstone and therefore I have no idea if I will have a good feeling for the track or not,” said the pragmatic Ulm. “I’m relaxed, the bike is good and although it will not be easy for me at Silverstone, I am really ready for it.”

Race seven out of a total of 11 follows quickly on the heels of the Silverstone event, and will be held at Misano Adriatico on June 22. With no Supersport action at Laguna Seca, the WSS riders return to action at Brands Hatch on July 27.



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

Haydon fitness in doubt for Silverstone

Foggy PETRONAS racing rider James Haydon will wait for the results of a scan on his neck before deciding whether to race in the sixth round of the World Superbike championship at Silverstone this weekend.

The English star was involved in a spectacular somersaulting 100mph crash two weeks ago in Germany.

Having returned to England this week from his home in Andorra, James consulted a specialist who recommended the MRI scan.

He said: “We first thought the neck muscles were in spasm, but it has been even more painful this week and I have been feeling quite sick. I am hoping that the results of the scan tomorrow will show there is nothing damaged and that there will be no danger if I race. But, even so, it will not be ideal. I cannot believe that this has happened before Silverstone, when I was looking forward to racing in front of my British fans.”

Following two challenging rounds in Europe, team owner Carl Fogarty had been hoping that James and team-mate Troy Corser could break back into the top ten in his team’s first race action in Great Britain.

Foggy said: “It would be good to have both riders in the points for both races, and back in the top ten. James has been having a run of bad luck so we all hope he will be fit and can have a good weekend. The last few rounds have been frustrating. I know where everyone in my team wants us to be – at the front. We just might have to wait a little while before we achieve that.

“The fans have been very supportive and knowledgeable about our efforts. They realise how much work ourselves and PETRONAS have put in to get the FP1 to this point in such a short space of time. I think a lot will be there just to have a look at us and, hopefully, we will be able to give them something to shout about.”

But Silverstone is not a circuit that Carl, or his two riders, is particularly familiar with. It was only used as a World Superbike venue for the first time last year, when torrential rain affected both races, and James and Troy have both only ridden the full circuit during an initial one-day test of the FP1 last September.

Carl said: “I have mixed memories of Silverstone. I won my first televised race there, when I overtook Darren Dixon on the last bend of a Marlboro Clubman race that was on Grandstand in 1985. I watched the recording every night for the next two years! The following year was my first Grand Prix ride when I finished 11th, just outside the points in the 250cc race. Then, in 1987, I crashed and broke my leg while leading the 250cc British championship. The only other time I have raced there was as a privateer in the British Superbike championship in 1992. Now the circuit has completely changed. It used to be really fast but there are new corners everywhere.”


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER HODGSON (DUCATI FILA) GOES FOR HOME WINS AT SILVERSTONE

Championship leader Neil Hodgson (Ducati Fila) returns home this weekend for the British Round of the World Superbike Championship at the legendary Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire. Hodgson’s nine-race winning run was brought to an end at Oschersleben two weeks ago by fellow-Brit James Toseland (HM Plant Ducati) but that won’t stop the Isle of Man resident from aiming for a double win again on Sunday in front of thousands of his home fans.

Although pleased to be back on home territory, Hodgson said he was not impressed with the new part of the circuit just before the start-finish straight. “I’m not pleased to be racing at Silverstone because they’ve made changes without consulting the riders, the chicane is way too tight and it doesn’t make for good racing” declared Neil, “but I am pleased to be racing at home for all the spectators. My job is to go out and race on Sunday and it doesn’t change the way I ride or approach the race however. I’ve not been able to exercise much this week because I’m a bit full of ‘flu. It’s nice to have a points cushion over everyone else and I’m really enjoying the season so far as you can expect!”

Despite a third place finish here last year in the wet, Ducati Fila team-mate Ruben Xaus insisted that conditions at Silverstone always made life tough for the riders. “So far this season has been difficult for me because I still haven’t got a good feeling with the bike. Valencia was good because we tested a lot there and Phillip Island also but in the last few rounds I’ve been having a few problems” said Ruben. “Silverstone is quite a new track for us with a new chicane for ‘scooters’ but for me it’s dangerous. Conditions are also difficult here, especially in the wet, like last year. I went OK here in 2002 but now I need to find a good set-up and try to get the new 999 to work as well as possible for me”.

CIRCUIT: Since its beginnings as a grand prix circuit in 1948, the bleak, wind-swept Silverstone track has changed totally beyond recognition. Major improvements and development work have been carried out to the circuit access roads and the track itself, which now measures 5.036 km after a tight new chicane has been inserted between Luffield and Woodcote. In 2002 Silverstone hosted the British Round of the WSBK championship for the first time and welcomed a massive crowd of 61,000 for the three-day event.

POINTS (after 5 of 12 rounds) : Riders – 1. Hodgson 245; 2. Toseland 132; 3. Xaus 126; 4. Laconi 122; 5. Lavilla 111; 6. Walker 95; 7. Chili 84; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 250; 2. Suzuki 127; 3. Petronas 52; 4. Kawasaki 46; 5. Yamaha 32; 6. Honda 21.

STATISTICS: Lap record: Bayliss (Ducati) 2’02.145 (2002). Superpole: Bayliss (Ducati) 1’47.729 (2002). Qualifying: Edwards (Honda) 1’48.913. Race distance: 2 x 20 laps/101.880 km.

2002 RESULTS: Race 1: 1. Edwards (Honda); 2. Haga (Aprilia); 3. Hodgson (Ducati). Race 2: 1. Bayliss (Ducati); 2. Edwards (Honda); 3. Xaus (Ducati).

From a press release issued by AMA Sports:

SPRINGSTEEN AND OLIVER NAMED 2003 AMA HONOREES

PICKERINGTON, OHIO — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has announced that two of the most successful riders in AMA racing history will be honored at this summer’s AMA Dirt Track Grand Championships and AMA Road Racing Grand Championships.

Jay Springsteen, arguably the greatest motorcycle dirt-track racer of all time, will be the Honoree at the 2003 AMA Dirt Track Grand Championships, to be held June 30 – July 6 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois.

Road-racing great Rich Oliver has been named as Honoree of the 2003 AMA Road Racing Grand Championships, scheduled for July 23-24 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

“Springer,” one of the most popular riders in AMA history, has amassed 43 national dirt-track victories — third on the all-time list — and has ranked among the nation’s top ten riders a remarkable 22 times. Although the 46-year-old Michigan native’s career is winding down (he calls the 2003 season his “Farewell Tour”), the three-time AMA Grand National Champion remains a threat every time he throws a leg over a bike.

Oliver is another ageless veteran, and as he approaches his 42nd birthday he’s riding a hot streak in the MBNA 250 Grand Prix class in which he’s earned four AMA Pro Racing championships. Amazingly, he remains unbeaten after six rounds of the 2003 championship season.

Oliver will conduct a seminar for participants in 2003 AMA Road Racing Grand Championships, which lead into AMA Pro Racing’s annual visit to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course July 25-27. Springsteen will meet with AMA Dirt Track Grand Championship riders on Thursday, July 3, between racing commitments in the AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships.

AMA Sports began the practice of naming an Honoree at its annual Dirt Track Grand Championships in 1998, and has honored Gene Romero, Bubba Shobert, Steve Morehead, Kentucky’s famed Hayden family and Chris Carr. This marks the first time an Honoree has been selected for the AMA Road Racing Grand Championships.

“We’re delighted to continue our tradition of honoring some of our sport’s top athletes this year, and extending that tradition to the road racing discipline,” said AMA Vice President of Events and Entertainment Bill Amick. “With Jay Springsteen and Rich Oliver as our selections, 2003 is going to be a tough act to follow.”

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

AMA Pro Racing’s soft barriers will be deployed at Mid-Ohio during the AHRMA and AMA Sports events immediately preceeding the July 25-27 AMA National at the Lexington, Ohio racetrack.

That’s the word from AMA Sports boss Bill Amick.

AMA Pro Racing has about 40 sections of soft barriers, in a mix of Airfence and Alpina brands.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Racer Brian Livengood is being released from Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta today.

Livengood has been hospitalized with internal and back injuries since his crash May 16 during AMA Superbike qualifying at Road Atlanta.

Livengood crashed when his GSX-R1000’s rear tire exploded entering the back-straight kink, and he slid into a concrete wall with a single, one-high row of haybales in front of it.

Livengood underwent surgery to fuse four vertebrae in his back.

According to Millennium Technologies Kaufman Suzuki’s Kevin Hunt, Livengood is in surprisingly good physical condition considering how long he was in the hospital, and plans to be at the Laguna Seca event July 10-13 to spectate or maybe help his team in the pits.

“I wish Airfence would’ve been there (where Livengood crashed at Road Atlanta),” said Hunt. “That would’ve been the saving grace. I’ve gotta thank everyone involved with the Roadracing World Action Fund for making things safer for everyone.”

Hunt and his team hauled three sections of Roadracing World Action Fund Airfence from Road America to Formula USA’s Aurora, Illinois offices after the AMA event at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The three sections of Airfence, recently purchased by the Fund, were offered to AMA Pro Racing for use at AMA Nationals. After AMA Pro Racing officials said they did not have room in their trucks to haul the additional sections of Airfence, the sections were transferred to F-USA.