From a press release issued by Pramac Honda:

Casole d’Elsa (Siena, Italy)
Tuesday 10 June 2003

Eleven questions for Mr. Hiroshi Yamada, Motorcycle Racing Manager of Bridgestone Corporation

1) Mr. Yamada, Makoto Tamada got an impressive result last Sunday at Mugello, making fourth place in the Italian Grand Prix. Were you expecting he’d do so well?

R) In all honesty, I must say it was an unexpected result, in view of all the variables of Mugello. Tamada had never seen in the circuit until last weekend, and Mugello is a difficult track for anyone when it comes to choosing the tyres and guessing the ground temperature (which can be very high) and indeed it was much higher than we were expecting. On top of all this there was the fact that Makoto Tamada really whipped our products into shape in his extraordinary comeback from eighteenth place to fourth. It must be said it was worth the suspense: we really had no time to prepare for the race on Sunday but with two hours on Friday and two on Saturday we managed to scrape together enough information to get things going.


2) Bridgestone: your workgroup seems to be gaining incredible ground – you’ve never stopped since January. You should be pretty highly motivated by now.

R) You’re right: this result has galvanised the whole team. It’s a new boost not just for us on the MotoGP, but for all those at “home” who’ve made this whole project possible. In other words, I really mean the whole company. I think this result just goes to show that what we’ve been doing so far is really not too far off the mark.


3) Are you talking about the glorious Formula One group too?

R) Sure, we’re in constant contact and our F1 colleagues and technicians are sharing their know-how with us.


4) Do you think a great performance like this could reduce development time?

R) This is a long-term project and we’ve already been able to give an idea of our ambitious projects: for the moment, we’d just like to win a few races in 2004 and we’re aiming for the championship in 2005. As far as this season is concerned, we decided on a hypothetical date by which we thought we ought to be able to achieve some tangible results. We were thinking of the late summer of this year but I believe we’ve just got there a little bit earlier. This is going to give a great boost to our development team, even though we need to keep our wits about us and continue working to schedule. It must be said, though, that last Sunday’s result obviously makes us that much more excited about the whole thing.


5) Let’s try and look at an important factor: the former RC211V is the bike that won the 2002 world championship, and thus the best choice in terms of performance. The rider could well be a variable: he’s on his first time round in the MotoGP and on the tough tracks of the world championship. If you look at his latest performance, Makoto appears to be a rider of extraordinary talent. All this should make developing the tyres that much easier.

R) When we decided to work with Tamada we knew he was going to be the right rider, both for his potential and for his skill. The only thing we weren’t sure about was his total lack of experience on the world championship circuits. His character and his style made us quite sure, however, that he’d learn fast. And he certainly has done. Jerez and Mugello showed we were right. So we’re quite sure about the bike and the rider, and this means we’ve been able to concentrate entirely on what we are most interested in: developing our tyres.


6) We’ve seen that your materials have proved to be excellent in almost extreme conditions – in other words, really high ground temperatures – but soon we’re going to be coming up against the North European rounds where the temperatures aren’t going to be anything like as high.

R) We are quite sure about the work we’ve done so far and I’ve no reason to think we’re going to be less competitive than we have been. We’ve been studying special materials for a pretty broad range of temperatures.


7) Can you give us an idea of the key points? What you are going to have to do to develop the racing products?

R) First of all we can say that the most important thing is to study the ideal compounds for the MotoGP, since the power that the latest engines can release is enormous and it certainly puts the tyres under stress during a race. The quality of the compounds is thus a key element in being competitive rate in terms of fast lap times and in terms of endurance. If, on the other hand, we look at the various steps it takes to create a racing product and absolute top performance, we can say that the shape and profile of the tyre are the first aspects we need to look at in our development work. And then there is more to follow: the construction of the tyre and the composition of the compound. But this is pure “theory” or work method, because then we have to look at the balance between the front and rear tyre on the machine when it’s out on the track, and this is another crucial aspect. Just to give a simple example: at the moment, we’re making good progress in developing the rear tyres, but we’ve also got to keep up the momentum for the front tyres as well. This is essential if we’re to maintain the same balance of the bike and improve its level of performance.


8) Was the result at Mugello the result of some particular tyre?

R) One tyre in particular – the one we used yesterday – had everything a tyre needs to have in order to be competitive in a race. If we want to go into detail, we could say that its profile improves both control and handling while making a good front and rear balance of the bike.


9) What compounds were used at Mugello?

R) A medium-hard front with a hard rear.


10) Could you give us an idea – some actual figure – for the number of different technical solutions you’ve created and tried out on track since the beginning of the year for the MotoGP?

R) We’ve tried out pretty close to 100, I’d say, during the test sessions and during the races this year with our riders.


11) Let’s enter a more sensitive area. Could you tell us about the time it actually takes to create a tyre, or rather how long it takes to make new materials for the MotoGP?

R) It’s possible to make a tyre from scratch in about two to four weeks, while it doesn’t take longer than one to actually construct it. So a totally new compound will take two to three weeks, or much less if it’s an upgrade of an existing formula.


Mr. Yamada, thank you very much indeed.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Fortuna Yamaha MotoGP racer Marco Melandri has been fined 1000 Swiss Francs, or about $760 U.S., for violating rules during practice at the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, Italy June 8.

At the end of morning warm-up session, Melandri left pit lane, and presumably went out on track, after the “red light was switched on and the red flag shown at the pit-lane exit,” according to a press release from the FIM.

From a press release issued by F-USA:

Fort Worth, Texas–Cool temperatures, cloudy skies along with periods of showers around the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wisconsin could not keep the opening round of the K&N Filters Pro Series from coming off as a huge success.

The excitement started early in practice/qualifying at the 5th Annual Dairyland Classic with 56 riders attempting to qualify for the 48 rider field. As the riders took to the super-fast track, it became apparent the Formula USA rules based around 450cc production frame motorcycles was beginning a new era for dirt track. Of the 56 entries, 51 riders were on production frame motorcycles with 53 riders breaking the track record. A new track record of 16.249 was set by factory KTM rider Kenny Coolbeth who was over a full second quicker of the previous track record of 17.465.

Promoter Bert Sumner put together the inaugural Jim Sumner Memorial Dash For Cash where the top rider from each brand of motorcycle would qualify for the 4-lap dash. Local hero JR Schnabel on the Memphis Shades Yamaha took the honors with $1500donated from a variety of motorcycle dealers and individuals prior to the race. During the evening another $730 was donated by fans that was divided between runner-up Kenny Coolbeth and third place rider Kyle Ragsdale.

As the 18-riders who had qualified through 3-heat races and 2-semis were introduced for the 25-lap National, excitement filled air with first year rookies and veterans all having a shot of taking the win.

Joe Kopp on the factory KTM took the lead going into turn one off the start with Schnabel getting a good drive off turn two to take the early lead. After the first lap Kopp pulled off the track with apparent problems. Coolbeth had got off the line fourth and seemed to be waiting for things to settle down a bit before making a run to the front. His first challenge would be to get around Team Harley-Davidson’s Rich King riding the Buell Blast-based Harley-Davidson. King the veteran dirt tracker could feel the pressure of Coolbeth, however would never make a mistake forcing Coolbeth to get aggressive before Schnabel would pull away from the trio. Making a good run off turn 2 Coolbeth pulled along the outside of King down the back straight then made a daring, but successful, outside pass on King going into turn 3.

As riders were dicing for position, the fans were cheering for their hometown hero Schnabel knowing Coolbeth was now making a run for the lead. Coolbeth again put the same pressure on Schnabel as he did King hoping for a mistake. It did not take Coolbeth long to realize he would have to make the same pass on Schnabel. On lap 8 Coolbeth went on the outside of Schnabel going into turn 3, which seemed to surprise Schnabel. Within the next lap Coolbeth turned his fastest lap of the night at 15.923!

As the race was beginning to wind down, lapped riders would give Schnabel another shot at regaining the lead. Schnabel made a run at Coolbeth on the final lap coming up to his rear fender across the finish line.

King would hang onto third with Jethro Halbert on a Honda giving the top 4 positions 4 different brands of motorcycles.

Kenny Coolbeth on the KTM production based motorcycle made over $9000 in purse and contingency. After the races there was a great deal of support from the fans, teams, riders and sponsors for the 2003 K&N Filters Pro Series. Tom Cates, Senior Powersports Manager of K&N Filters was on hand commenting, “I was extremely impressed with the professional appearance of the event. The riders did an excellent job putting on a great show for the spectators.”

PLYMOUTH RESULTS
1. Kenny Coolbeth, KTM
2. Glen Schnabel, JR, YAM
3. Rich King, HD
4. Jethro Halbert, HON
5. Brett Landes, HON
6. Willie McCoy, HON
7. Bryan Smith, HON
8. Dan Stanley, HON
9. Shaun Russell, KTM
10. Kyle Ragsdale, HON
11. Jeremy Deruyter, HON
12. Jerad Cheney, HON
13. Terry Poovey, HON
14. Justin Filice, HON
15. Thomas McGrane, HON
16. Brian Vincent, HON
17. Kevin Atherton, YAM
18. Joe Kopp, KTM

The K&N Filters Pro Series resumes next weekend at the 11th Annual Ben Campanale Laconia 1/2 Mile on Friday night, June 13th in Rochester, New Hampshire during the 80th Annual Loudon Classic.

From a press release issued by Dan Gurney Alligator Motorcycles:

Production of the first half of the Limited Edition Gurney ALLIGATOR Motorcycle is nearing completion. This production run has sold out and most of the motorcycles have been delivered to riders and collectors around the country. The second half of production will start in the coming weeks.

The ALLIGATOR will appear for the first time in Europe during the upcoming Festival of Speed at Goodwood July 11-12-13. Dan himself will don his leathers and ride the Gator up the hill, which promises to be a historic and unique moment.

For additional information on the Alligator Motorcycles, go to www.allamericanracers.com.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Jack and Vickie Abbott are no longer working at Barber Motorsports Park.

Jack Abbott was Track Manager, employed by Barber Motorsports Park.

Vickie Abbott was General Manager of Barber Motorsports Park, and was employed by Bruno Event Team, the company contracted to manage the racetrack on the administrative and promotions side.

An e-mail sent to Vickie Abbott on June 10 received this reply:

“This message is an auto response to an email you sent to Vickie Abbott. Vickie is no longer an employee of the Bruno Event Team. Please send all email to Crystal Trammell ([email protected] ). The email that you sent has been automatically forwarded to Crystal. Thanks, Bruno Event Team”

At post time, Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum Executive Director Jeff Ray had not returned a phone call requesting comment; Barber Motorsports Park is part of Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.

At post time, the only phone number we have for Jack Abbott was answered by another person, who declined comment, and Vickie Abbott had not returned a call to her cell phone requesting comment.

From a press release:

SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED FOR 80TH ANNUAL LOUDON CLASSIC WEEKEND
(LOUDON, N.H.) — The 80th Annual Loudon Classic weekend at New Hampshire International Speedway on Friday, June 13 through Sunday, June 15 will feature not only national motorcycle racers, but local racing stars as well.

The nation’s oldest motorcycle meet opens with the Loudon 100, an endurance event that will challenge riders and teams for 100 laps starting at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, June 13.

The action starts at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 14, as the United States Classic Racing Association presents the always popular Sidecar exhibition.

Saturday will also see the amateurs, experts, and juniors of the Loudon Road Racing Series take to the 1.6 mile road course for the finals in the GTL, GTU, & GTO classes. The highlight of the day will be the 12-lap Super Motard final, as the riders challenge an asphalt and dirt course.

The racing on Sunday, June 15 features non-stop action with the Thunderbike, the Diablo Can-Am 125 GP, the Expert Unlimited GP, the Rising Sun 250 GP, the Amateur Unlimited GP, and the Formula USA SuperBike finals.

The highlight of the weekend will be Sunday’s Formula USA SportBike race featuring a new format for 2003. This event will consist of two 18-lap segments with a twenty minute pit stop scheduled between each segment.

Gary Bahre, NHIS President said, “This year’s Loudon Classic should be exciting. The intensity of these riders should provide our fans with the quality of racing that they have come to expect.”

In addition to the full slate of racing on Father’s Day, June 15, fans will be treated to a rider autograph session beginning at 11:00 a.m.
All races will be run rain or shine.

Tickets for the 80th Annual Loudon Classic are available at the gate. For more information and detailed schedules, please visit us online at www.nhis.com or call Speedway Guest Services at (603) 783-4931.

ATVA: RIDER TRAINING KEY TO PREVENT ATV INJURIES

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The All-Terrain Vehicle Association (ATVA) and the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) told a federal panel on June 5 that safety training is a vital part of preventing ATV-related injuries.

The two organizations were among 37 groups and individuals who testified before the Consumer Product Safety Commission on ATV safety during a public hearing held at West Virginia University in Morgantown, W.Va. The hearing could be the first step toward more federal regulation of ATVs.

Opponents of ATVs told the commissioners that strict regulations need to be imposed on ATVs and ATV users. Some even suggested children under 16 should be banned from riding ATVs altogether, or that ATVs should be equipped with rollbars, seat belts and speed governors.

But the ATVA and AMA argued that that instead of further regulation, the CPSC should support increased training opportunities for ATV riders to educate them about proper riding gear, teach them safe riding techniques, and improve their riding skills.

Among others who joined the ATVA and AMA in support of increased ATV training opportunities were the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council, the BlueRibbon Coalition, the ATV Safety Institute, the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, the National 4-H Council, and various individuals.

From a press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports:

RAIN DAMPENS SECOND ROAD AMERICA SUPERBIKE RACE

Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, USA – A heavy rainstorm prior to the start of the second AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship race at Road America, brought about a contrasting set of circumstances that saw yesterday’s opening race winner Mat Mladin slip to tenth place in today’s race held in slippery and difficult conditions.

Starting from pole position and with one win already under his belt for the weekend, Mladin chose to run a pair of full wet weather tyres on his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, but the choice proved not to be as suited to the conditions that he expected.

With the track conditions changing throughout the race from one that was wet at the start, but provided a dry line at it’s completion of the 16-lap journey.

After struggling in the difficult conditions, Mladin chose to make an unscheduled pit stop to change tyres at the commencement of lap eight. After rejoining the race, the three-times AMA Superbike champion was able to work his way forward before completing the race in tenth place. His decision to pit and change tyres proved to be correct as he recorded the fastest lap of the race with a 2:25.235 on his final circuit.

Team Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom took victory in today’s event his second for the season, and finished 32.823 seconds clear of Mladin’s teammate Aaron Yates, with Larry Pegram (Dream Team Ducati) third.

“I chose the wrong tyres at the start of the race, came in and put the right ones on and got going after that, but I guess it was all too late,” said Mladin, a six times race winner in this years championship. “It was a bad call right from the start. I went out on full wets front and rear and from the start it just wasn’t happening with the wets. I pitted and put on a set of lightly cut slicks which did work and suited the conditions.”

“From what I understand, Eric (Bostrom) used an older version wet tyre than the rest of us and just rode a better race than the rest of us. He handled the conditions well and chose the right tyres while the rest of us did it tough.”

Bostrom’s win today gives him a one point lead over Mladin (294 – 293) as the championship moves into the second half of the season. The battle for third has closed right up after the weekend’s results, with Yates (276) holding a two-point advantage over Ben Bostrom (274) and another couple back to Kurtis Roberts (272) in fifth.

“We arrived here with a ten point championship deficit, but leave here with a win and trail Eric by just one point. It could have been better, but it could also have been worse. It’s been a tough weekend with the changing conditions for all of us.”

The weekend had started off well for Mladin. He extended his record of AMA Pole positions to 28 after setting the fastest time in qualifying, before taking out his sixth race win of the season yesterday afternoon after a thrilling three way battle with Miguel DuHamel and Kurtis Roberts. The win took his AMA Superbike race win tally to 20, equal second on the all-time winners list with multiple AMA and World Superbike champion Fred Merkel and six shy of DuHamel’s all time record of 26.

The championship now heads to Brainerd International Raceway, Minnesota, for round 12 on June 27 – 29.

RESULTS
Round 10, 2003 AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship – Top 10
1. Eric Bostrom (Team Kawasaki) 16 laps
2. Aaron Yates (Yoshimura Suzuki) +32.623 seconds
3. Larry Pegram (Dream Team Ducati) +42.818
4. Miguel DuHamel (American Honda) +46.090
5. Ben Bostrom (American Honda) +46.588
6. Jason Pridmore (Attack Suzuki) +47.917
7. Shawn Higbee (KWS Suzuki) +51.126
8. Michael Barnes (Hooters Suzuki) +102.022
9. Kurtis Roberts (Erion Honda) +122.400
10. Mat Mladin (Yoshimura Suzuki) +122.802

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

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

Weather: Cool, overcast, wet
Temperature: 13 degrees
Crowd: 40,000

Mixed Weather, Mixed Results at Road America

There was no questioning the dominance of the Honda RC-51 on the high-speed four-mile Road America track, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, the machines taking a shadow second, third and fourth on Saturday’s first race of the AMA/Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike doubleheader. American Honda’s Miguel DuHamel was second, just 0.280 seconds behind the winner, with Erion Honda’s Kurtis Roberts less than half a second behind in third, followed by American Honda’s Ben Bostrom.

On Sunday, the track was half wet and half dry and tire choice was critical. No one was totally happy with their choice as the track continued to dry out, except DuHamel, whose experience and savvy nearly paid off with a podium finish. DuHamel chose cut slicks front and rear, the choice tenuous in the beginning, but certain at the end. Rushing towards the podium, he finished fourth after turning in most of the fastest laps of the race.

Ben Bostrom and Kurtis Roberts chose full wets, Bostrom taking the spot behind DuHamel with Roberts in ninth.

Sunday’s wet/dry race was won by Ben’s brother Eric on the Kawasaki. Suzuki’s Mat Mladin had won Saturday’s race, held under cool overcast skies.

The trio now stands fourth, fifth, and sixth in the title chase after 10 of 18 laps. Ben Bostrom in third, just four points out of third and only two up on Roberts. DuHamel, almost fully recovered from the broken collarbone he suffered three races ago, is sixth.

Roger Lee Hayden, the youngest brother of Repsol Honda’s Nicky Hayden, finished just behind his brother Tommy, of the Kawasaki team, in the very wet Pro Honda Oils Supersport race. Roger Lee led most of the race, only to get passed by his more experienced older brother on the penultimate lap of the 10-lap race. Still, it was his best career finish in the class. Teammate Alex Gobert was fourth, tying his best of the year.

Miguel DuHamel, Second Place, Race One
“I just made a few mistakes. I made a mistake going into turn three when I had 0.2 of a lead, which is pretty significant when you’re running at that pace. And then Mat (Mladin) got on me, then he was all over me and it was pretty tough. It’s kind of strange to say, but I’m still riding a little cautious. Not a lot. But on the brakes, where you need to be assertive to make a pass, you could see where the lapped riders were, I was cautious. Even passing lapped riders I had trouble. Passing Mat Mladin is a bigger trouble. At the end that was just my plan, that kind of backfired on me because I went so hard for four laps, I burned up a bit of my tire. It was still good, but I burned it up just enough to give Mat that breathing room that he got at the end and he was able to go out and do that really fast lap there.”

Miguel DuHamel, Fourth Place, Race Two
It was pretty dry out there. I said, ‘OK we’ll take intermediates and go real slow at the beginning.’ Not 500 yards off the start line it started raining. I said on my radio to (crew chief) Al Luddington, “It’s raining here.” For a while it was pretty sad, I was pretty far back. I was getting passed by a lot of guys, but my hat’s off to those guys to be honest with you. They didn’t do nothing crazy around me. I just put my head down when it started drying, but don’t forget there’s a line. And you get off that line, you’re off. A few times I just hit the water and trying to catch Ben (Bostrom) on the last lap when he caught a slower rider in Canada Corner, I went a little wide and I touched the water and I got the thing all sideways. It was a big risk.”

Kurtis Roberts, Third Place, Race One
“Mat (Mladin) and Miguel (DuHamel) and I rode every lap as hard as I think we could. It was definitely a hard race. I just had a few little things that prevented us from winning. But no excuses. The guys were awesome today and we just did the best we could. Just little things that weren’t as good as I’d want them for the race. No excuses. The guys rode really well. I think that just by looking at the race pace we were definitely riding 105% the whole race. The tires were great. I think the last lap was my fastest lap of the race for me. So they obviously hung in for me.”

Kurtis Roberts, Ninth Place, Race Two
“They (Dunlop) had new rain tires here that we tried and I actually thought the old ones were a bit better. The new ones were cold when I tried it, so I thought that could be it. With the weather, I didn’t want to go with a gamble on tire choice. I had to go with what Mat (Mladin) and Aaron (Yates) are running because we all three are close enough in the points. I could have gone with the gamble and who knows? I could have fallen off. We made it through and got a point or so back, not as much as we’d like for the day. The way the thing was working, we did everything we could.”

Ben Bostrom, Fourth Place, Race One
“Just no rear grip. I don’t know if I’m setting the bike up too stiff in the back or what. Somehow the Honda RC-51 doesn’t like it because (last week’s race at Pikes Peak International Raceway) was the same story but worse. This time we shortened the bike up. I thought it was going to be good. After the first couple of laps, I thought this thing was going to be good. Then we started losing grip, losing grip, (Mat) Mladin passed. He went a little bit slower, then he was able to really gas it up and I tried to gas it up and I lost the rear and it broke away a little bit and I started riding a little bit over my head and I just couldn’t make any time.”

Ben Bostrom, Fifth Place, Race Two
Intermediates were the right choice. I chose wets, actually, because someone said it was going to rain. Another storm’s coming. That’s the only reason. Otherwise I would have put on intermediates. We were real tempted to put on a little different rain tire, which is the one Eric (Bostrom) ran. It’s not so cut up. I’ve never had that little grip in the rain in my life. That’s the worse I’ve ever, ever had it. Only cause the track started to dry out. I couldn’t get enough grip to chew up the tire. The thing would sit on top and just spin. The best part for my tire is when it was half wet, half dry and it’d hit those dry lines.”

Saturday Superbike Race:
1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki)
2. Miguel DuHamel (Honda)
3. Kurtis Roberts (Honda)
4. Ben Bostrom (Honda)
5. Anthony Gobert (Ducati)
6. Jason Pridmore (Suzuki)
7. Shawn Higbee (Suzuki)
8. Jordan Szoke (Suzuki)
9. Mike Ciccotto (Suzuki)
10. Geoff May (Suzuki)

Sunday Superbike Race:
1. Eric Bostrom (Kawasaki)
2. Aaron Yates (Suzuki)
3. Larry Pegram (Ducati)
4. Miguel DuHamel (Honda)
5. Ben Bostrom (Honda)
6. Jason Pridmore (Suzuki)
7. Shawn Higbee (Suzuki)
8. Michael Barnes (Suzuki)
9. Kurtis Roberts (Honda)
10. Mat Mladin (Suzuki)

Superbike Points:
1. Eric Bostrom (294)
2. Mat Mladin (293)
3. Aaron Yates (276)
4. Ben Bostrom (274)
5. Kurtis Roberts (272)
6. Miguel DuHamel (246)
7. Larry Pegram (211)
8. Shawn Higbee (207)
9. Jason Pridmore (200)
10. Vincent Haskovec (159)


More, from a press release issued by Proforma:

JIMMY MOORE FIGHTS TO EIGHTH PLACE FINISH IN FORMULA XTREME AT ROAD AMERICA

Corona Extra Suzuki’s Jimmy Moore fought back to eighth place in the Lockhart Phillips Formula Xtreme race at Road America after dropping back to tenth during the first two laps of the race with front brake problems. Moore acclimated to the brakes and started to move forward, passing Yamaha’s Jamie Hacking with two laps remaining.

“The brakes were my biggest problem,” said Jimmy, “but we also changed the gearing, and we should have left it the same. I just couldn’t trust the front brakes, Jason (Pridmore) and Steve (Rapp) both got me going into turn one.” This finish moves Moore up another place to seventh in Formula Xtreme points.

Jimmy’s teammate Adam “Crusty” Fergusson finished a lonely fifth in the race.


More, from a press release issued on behalf of Dream Team Racing Ducati:

Dream Team Racing Ducati’s Larry Pegram gave Ducati and Michelin their first podium of the year in the hotly contested, AMA Superbike Championship Series.

Larry Pegram bounced back from his 11th place in Saturday’s Race 1 to finish 3rd in Sunday’s Race 2, his first podium of the season. Pegram was able to take advantage of his strong wet weather set-up today to give he and his team a long overdue top 3 finish. Larry chose full wet Michelin tires for the race which gave him the ability to charge through the field all the way to 2nd place, even though a bad start placed him in 12th on the 1st lap. Towards the end of the race as the track began to dry, Pegram came under attack from Aaron Yates, who was only able to pass the Ducati rider after a hard fought battle.

Pegram: “I got a bad start from the 3rd row and found myself in 12th after the first couple of turns. The Michelin wets allowed me to pass all the guys ahead of me in the championship, except for Eric Bostrom, who was already on a tear by the time I got to the front runners. I settled into 2nd place until the race track started to dry out which caused my tires to heat up a little. At that point Yates caught me and we fought it out for a while until he finally got past me. I want to thank everyone involved with our team, there are alot people behind the scenes that have believed in me, and this podium feels really good.”

Larry finished by saying. “We have been talking to a potential Title Sponsor since Fontana, and now we have something really good to show them.”


More, from a press release issued by Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki:

Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki Concludes Road America Weekend

Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki wrapped up their activities at Road America on Sunday. Saturday Superstock victor Steve Rapp had a less memorable afternoon Sunday, retiring from the Formula Xtreme final after running in the top 10, due to mechanical problems.

Chris Ulrich was unable to participate in the race after aggravating a nagging shoulder injury this weekend. He flew back to California early to get checked out by his orthopedic specialist.

Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki Crew Chief Keith Perry reflected on the weekend with Rapp’s Superstock victory on Saturday at the forefront. “We were looking for that win … we really needed it. We found a good set-up that Steve liked and the Michelins were great. He was getting a super drive out of all the tight corners and the tire kept getting better as the race wore on.”

Unfortunately, Sunday’s race wasn’t a repeat win for Rapp. “Today we encountered clutch problems with Steve’s bike,” Perry said. “A combination of things including that uphill start might have caught us out.

“As for Chris, he’s struggling with his shoulder and knows he’s not riding as well as he can at the moment,” Perry said about the two-time Superstock race winner and polesitter for last year’s Road America Superstock race.

Perry also commented about the return of teenager Matt Furtek to the fold. “Matt just came back from a surgery he had to help cure some problems with his hand. He had been experiencing numbness in his hand and the surgery completely cured two out of the four fingers. It might take a combination of things to get him back to 100%, and he has another test and possible surgery scheduled on Tuesday,” Perry said.

Still, Perry is convinced Furtek’s ability will show in his results soon. “Matt hasn’t shown his full potential yet. We he gets things figured out, he’ll really come up.”


More, from a press release issued by Corona Extra Suzuki:

SOLID FINISHES BY CORONA EXTRA SUZUKI RIDERS AT WET ROAD AMERICA AMA SUPERBIKE EVENT

Once again it was the weather that was the talk at Road America. Rain most days had practice sessions sometimes running in both wet and dry conditions. The track was slippery when wet and saw both Jimmy Moore and Jordan Szoke fall during SuperStock practice. Both were uninjured but Jordan suffered considerable bruising from his “highside” which put him out of the Superstock event.

The Suzuki Genuine Accessories Superstock event was run in drying conditions. Fergusson started from the third row in 10th position. Jimmy Moore stated at the very back of the grid, 31 riders behind pole, having failed to qualify due to the earlier crash and then losing an engine on his backup bike at the start of qualifying. His was able to grid by using a once-a-year “Provisional” start for past champions. In the race, Moore got a fantastic start and rode like the Champion he is. By lap two he was in 14th, by lap three10th and by lap six4th after fighting through six riders battling for the position! Thereafter he kept after the leaders but they had got sufficiently away and he could not make up the distance by the end of the race. Fergusson finished 7th. Fergusson is currently third in the Superstock Championship with Moore now 6th.

Jordan Szoke qualified 18th in the Superbike event having been slowed by his bad bruising after his SuperStock get-off! In the first Superbike race Szoke ran very well, more than three seconds a lap faster than his qualifying time, to work his way up to eighth by the finish. In the second of the “Doubleheader” Superbike events he was in 11th position when an engine problem put him out. He is 12th in the Superbike Championship.

In the Lockhart-Phillips Formula Extreme “event” Fergusson started from 7th with Moore right behind him on 8th position. Both riders felt the varying conditions had impacted their qualifying performance. Fergusson rode a lonely race to finish fifth with Moore in eighth. Fergusson said after the race “I got a poor start and lost touch with the leaders”. Moore said: “I had a brake problem and just did not have the confidence to go in deep in the corners”. Fergusson is 4th with Moore 7th in the Formula Extreme Championship.



More, from a press release issued by Team Stargel Aprilia:

Rain, Rain Go Away…

Every round of the AMA 250GP season has been met with rain. Some events have hardly been affected by it, where others have faced schedule changes and poor track conditions. This past weekend at Road America, the rain slowed the track, altered the schedule, and proved to be a factor in the outcome of Sunday’s 250GP race.

Thurday’s promoter practice day greeted Team Stargel Aprilia with somewhat temperate and dry weather. During the day, the teams unofficial lap times had rider, Chuck Sorensen as the fastest 250 on the day. The Team Stargel Aprilia RSV250 registered the highest top speed on the team’s radar gun of any of the 250 or 600cc machines in the practice group.

Friday morning’s first office practice was dry and once again, Sorensen was at the top of the time sheets. The next two practices would be wet and Sorensen was displaced for the top position.

Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session was dry (at least the majority of it), and Sorensen once more recorded the fastest lap time, securing pole position for Sunday’s race. Unfortunately, the team awoke Sunday morning to find more rain falling and a wet and foggy race track. The team went back and forth on tire choices, and which Aprilia RSV250 to race, as the weather see-sawed all morning and into the afternoon.

As the delayed race start approached, the track was neither totally wet, nor dry. Still injured rider Sorensen made a determined effort, but wisely remembered the diminished traction that the cold damp track offered. In the end, he brought his Aprilia home in second place.

Team Stargel Aprilia hopes that the next AMA 250GP round at Brainerd, Minnesota on June 27-29 is warm and dry and that rider, Chuck Sorensen, is free of surgical steel.


More, from a press release issued by Graves Yamaha:

Another Buck-masterful victory at Road America
makes Yamaha Hat-Trick

Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
June 7, 2003

There is no racing motorcycle in professional racing in the US that approaches the power output of an AMA Formula Extreme specification motorcycle. Couple this with the breathtaking speeds of the three long straightaways of the Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, and you have all the makings of an awesome spectacle. These machines, which give in the neighborhood of one hundred and eighty horsepower, reach speeds approaching one hundred and ninety miles per hour at the end of Road America’s long straightaways.

Last week’s victory by Graves Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster at Pikes Peak closed the title chase considerably, with Jake Zemke still topping the table, Ben Spies five points behind, and Damon third, thirteen points in arrears. All three of the title protagonists were on the pace in qualifying at Elkhart, with Spies quickest and Damon, working on his race setup, close behind.

The race start was fraught with tension, as earlier rains which had soaked the track were quickly giving way to a dry line all the way around . Drizzling rain just prior to the start made some second guess, but all the runners opted for dry weather slick tires. Spies was quickly out front and trying to make an escape, but Damon and sixth place qualifier Josh Hayes hung onto him gamely. Pushing hard early Spies struggled for grip, while Buckmaster smoothly kept his Yamaha R1 looking like it was on rails.

After sizing his opponent up for the first two laps, Buckmaster made his move forward. He would lead across the stripe for the rest of the race. Points leader Zemke, trying to make up for a bad qualifying position, made a critical mistake trying to pass teammate Roger Hayden, and ran off the track, falling in the mud, unable to restart his machine. Hayes also passed Spies, and even tried Damon on the brakes a few times only to have Damon quickly repass him under acceleration.

Damon’s smooth as glass riding style and the power and grip of the 2003 Yamaha R1 would see him gracefully sliding both ends into the tighter corners and outdriving his opponents out of them. The top speed of his Graves R1 kept him ahead of his rivals as they hurtled down the long Road America straights.

Buckmaster’s victory completes a hat trick of wins for the 2003 Yamaha R1 at Road Atlanta, Pikes Peak, and now Road America.

Zemke’s mistake coupled with Spies third place now puts Damon into the championship lead at the halfway point of the season.

Following a two week layover, the team will head back into battle at Brainerd International Raceway, in Brainerd, Minnesota, hoping to carry on Yamaha’s winning tradition.



More, from another press release issued by Proforma:

CONNELL LEARNS MORE AT ROAD AMERICA

Annandale Honda’s Craig Connell made progress on the set-up of his CBR600RR at Road America. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, and Connell was not able to take advantage of the improvements when he fell relatively unhurt in the rain-soaked Pro Honda Oils Supersport race. Connell lost the rear end exiting turn eight, quickly picked the bike up to continue, but found the clutch inoperable due to cable damage. Connell strained the same arm that he injured at Road Atlanta.

Craig fared better in the Lockhart Phillips Formula Xtreme event, finishing 11th on a drying track. Craig is still refining the set-up on his Annandale Honda CBR954RR, concentrating on front end feel and stability. “My arms were knackered after about five laps, we made some changes and went the wrong way,” said Connell.

Craig’s teammate Ty Howard continues to mend after hip injuries suffered at Pikes Peak, and has been hand-cycling with Justin Meaders, a paraplegic friend who competes in hand cycling races.

From a press release issued by Parts Canada Superbike Championship series organizers:

TAYLOR BACK ON TOP

CALGARY, AB – Michael Taylor ended over three years of frustration by winning a dramatic second round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Race City Motorsport Park Sunday.

The Toronto rider took his Orion Motorsport Honda CBR954RR to a 2.497-sec. victory over the Diablo Suzuki GSX-R1000 of Maple Ridge, BC’s Steve Crevier. Taylor’s teammate Robbie Baird of Australia claimed third on his Honda CBR600RR.

After leading twice in the early going, Taylor took the lead from the Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-7RR of Tom Kipp for good on lap 10 of the 16-lap race to score his first victory on the national tour since 1999 and the 10th of his career.

“The conditions were screwy but I have a history of doing well in these conditions,” said Taylor, a two-time national Superbike champ. “I had a lot of challenges along the way. It was a good way to win.”

The race started on a wet track that dried progressively throughout. Taylor led the first lap but was passed by the Honda CBR600RR of Calgary’s Chris Peris on lap 2. Peris led two laps before giving way to Taylor, and then Kipp got in front on lap 5. The Chardon, OH rider stayed in the lead until lap 10, when Taylor snuck inside him in the Keyhole section of the track.

After running as far back as fifth at half distance Crevier worked his way up to second by lap 13 but was unable to challenge Taylor.

“It’s a long front straight and I just ran out of top end,” said Crevier, who still leads the Parts Canada Superbike point standings after two of eight rounds.

Crevier was under intense pressure over the closing laps from Baird, who produced a brave ride despite losing his helmet visor early in the race.

“It was my toughest race ever,” Baird said. “I couldn’t see anything by lap 2 so I just tore my visor off.”

Kipp slipped back to fourth at the finish and Peris was fifth.

Calgary’s Clint McBain started from pole on his Coors Light Racing/Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000 but struggled in the race and finished 10th.

In other action at Race City Baird claimed his first victory on Canadian soil by winning a wet Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike feature. Riding an Orion Motorsport Honda CBR600RR, Baird held off the Picotte Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 of St-Cecile de Milton, QC’s Pascal Picotte by 2.123 secs. for the win. Crevier placed third on his Diablo Suzuki GSX-R600.

Jeremy Leduc of Keremeos, BC dominated the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike race on his Yamaha YZF-R6. In his first ever race in the rain Leduc finished 25.444 secs. ahead of the Honda CBR600RR of Wellsley, ON’s Bill Card. Erin, ON rider Jeremy French finished third on another Honda CBR600RR.

The Parts Canada Superbike Championship continues at Autodrome St-Eustache in St-Eustache, QC July 4-6.

This weekend’s event will be televised on TSN on Sunday, July 6 at 12:30 p.m. EDT and later this year on Quebec’s RDS and across Canada on the Outdoor Life Network.

For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com

Results Sunday from the second round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Race City Motorsport Park, showing finishing position, rider name, hometown and type of motorcycle:

1.Michael Taylor, Toronto, ON, Honda; 2. Steve Crevier, Maple Ridge, BC, Suzuki; 3. Robbie Baird, Queensland, Australia, Honda; 4. Tom Kipp, Chardon, OH, Kawasaki; 5. Chris Peris, Calgary, AB, Honda; 6. Benoit Pilon, St-Jerome, QC, Yamaha; 7. Jean-Francois Cyr, Joliette, QC, Yamaha; 8. Brian Nielsen, Edmonton, AB, Suzuki; 9. Frank Trombino, Kleinburg, ON, Yamaha; 10. Clint McBain, Calgary, AB, Suzuki; 11. Andrew Nelson, Kars, ON, Honda; 12. Pascal Picotte, St-Cecile de Milton, QC, Yamaha; 13. Francis Martin, Rock Forest, QC, Suzuki; 14. Michael Leon, Montreal, QC, Suzuki; 15. Jeff Williams, Harrowsmith, ON, Suzuki; 16. Dale Yamada, Calgary, AB, Kawasaki; 17. Guy Tomlinson, Calgary, AB, Kawasaki; 18. Darryn Wilbur, Maple, ON, Yamaha; 19. Alan Schmidt, Clearwater, BC, Suzuki; 20. Brad Gavey, Calgary, AB, Honda; 21. Kevin Lacombe, Granby, QC, Honda; DNF. John Brundl, Toronto, ON, Honda; DNF. Steve Dick, Coquitlam, BC, Yamaha; DNF. Peter Holzinger, Canmore, AB, Suzuki

Margin of Victory: 2.497 secs.
Fastest Lap: 1:22.502 by Robbie Baird on lap 11

Point standings for the Parts Canada Superbike Championship following Sunday’s second round at Race City Motorsport Park, showing position, rider name and point total:

1.Steve Crevier, 101; 2. Michael Taylor, 69; 3. Robbie Baird, 62; 4. Clint McBain, 61; 4. Tom Kipp, 61; 6. Francis Martin, 56; 7. Jean-Francois Cyr, 54; 8. Pascal Picotte, 52; 9. Benoit Pilon, 46; 10. Frank Trombino, 44; 11. Jeff Williams, 31; 12. Chris Peris, 29; 13. Brian Nielsen, 23; 14. Michael Leon, 22; 15. Darryn Wilbur, 17; 15. Andrew Nelson, 17; 17. Bruce McDonald, 15; 18. Kevin Lacombe, 12; 19. Matthew McBride, 8; 19. Dale Yamada, 8; 21. Brent Strong, 6; 21. Guy Tomlinson, 6; 23. Joel McDonald, 4; 24. Jim
Proulx, 2; 24. Alan Schmidt, 2; 26. Shane LeGros, 1; 26. Brad Gavey, 1



More, from a press release issued by Diablo Racing:

Crevier Streches His Lead In Canadian Superbike

Steve Crevier, on his Diablo Suzuki, ran a strong race in the rain to finish second and extended his lead in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship by 32 points

“With the rain came a very strong tail wind which made my Diablo Suzuki GSXR 1000 gain alot of speed, but because of that wind our gearing was all of a sudden too short and I was hitting the rev limiter halfway down the straightaway” unabling him to catch the leader who was ahead 2.5 seconds.

Michael Leon and Jeff Williams opted to race on their GSXR 600, hoping for more rain, but the track kept on drying giving the bigger displacement machine an obvious edge. They finished respectively 14th and 15th.

In the Hindle Pro 600 Sport Bike, Steve Crevier took a few laps to get used to the new (to him) Dunlop rear rain tire and soon realised the incredible grip it provided.

Then in 6th place, he had to battle his way up to get on the last podium spot. “That was probably one of my best rain race” commented Crevier in the post race interview.

The next round will be held in St-Eustache, Quebec, on July 4th, 5th and 6th.

From a press release issued by FGSPORT GROUP:

Brno and Albacete: 18 Hours of Racing in June
The world endurance championship shifts up a gear next weekend for the Brno 6 Hour race. The Czech Republic round of the series marks the first of the season’s medium distance races, and two weeks later the championship moves on to Spain for the Albacete 12 Hour overnight race.

Brno 6 Hour – 14/15 June

The Brno 6 Hour race will be run in two 3-hour heats for the first time this year, with the first heat starting at 5:30pm on Saturday and running into the evening, and the second heat starting at 3:00pm on Sunday afternoon. This innovation will throw a number of new challenges at the teams.

The race result will be decided on an aggregate time of both heats, with championship points awarded accordingly. Between the two heats, bikes must be left untouched in the parc-ferme area and cannot be worked on, repaired or refuelled. There will be two endurance-style starts with the riders sprinting across the track to the waiting bikes, but the number of pit-stops made in each heat will be down to the individual team’s strategy; timing the stops to fit around the parc-ferme rules could give a significant advantage.

The Brno circuit, which dips and climbs through the forested hills just outside the Czech Republic’s second city, is popular with teams and spectators. Wildcard entries from Czech, German, Austrian and Polish teams will add to the level of competition and the spectacle of this always interesting race.

Albacete 12 Hour – 28/29 June

Two weeks after Brno the World Endurance circus gathers at Albacete for the Spanish round of the championship, where quite a lot Spanish and Portuguese teams are expected. The race is another new format, this time an overnight 12 hour race run from 9:00pm to 9:00am.

Racing begins with the traditional endurance start on Saturday evening, and continues non-stop through the night and into the following morning. Night racing has long been a unique feature of endurance racing and the Albacete round is eagerly awaited by everyone involved. For the less experienced riders it will bring a new dimension to the sport, and for the endurance regulars it will be a chance to make the most of their experience and skills. Endurance racing is also immensely popular in Spain and Portugal, and the local teams will present a very real challenge.

But the real treat will be for the spectators; an overnight Fiesta of racing and partying, with a long Sunday in the sun to recover.