Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Friday Morning MotoGP Practice Times:

1. Valentino Rossi, Honda, 1:51.848
2. Sete Gibernau, Honda, 1:52.698
3. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, 1:52.760
4. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha, 1:52.764
5. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, 1:52.821
6. Max Biaggi, Honda, 1:52.946
7. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 1:53.010
8. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, 1:53.146
9. Colin Edwards, Aprilia, 1:53.401
10. Alex Barros, Yamaha, 1:53.916
11. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, 1:53.984
12. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki, 1:54.037
13. Noriyuki Haga, Aprilia, 1:54.038
14. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 1:54.223
15. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 1:54.226
16. Makoto Tamada, Honda, 1:54.344
17. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, 1:54.651
18. Alex Hofmann, Kawasaki, 1:55.123
19. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton, 1:55.441
20. Garry McCoy, Kawasaki, 1:56.165
21. Andrew Pitt, Kawasaki, 1:57.185
22. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton, 1:57.286
23. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, 1:57.953

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Ducati Austin’s Anthony Gobert splashed around Road America’s wet four-mile course Friday to earn provisional pole position in AMA Superbike qualifying with a best lap time of 2:42.075 on his Dunlop-equipped Ducati 998RS Superbike.

While several other riders crashed during the 60-minute session, Gobert was clearly comfortable with the slippery conditions and frequently wheelied his Ducati out of the track’s 14 corners. Later in the post-qualifying press conference, Gobert said the power of the V-Twin was easy to use in the wet and that he nearly matched his fastest time with a full fuel tank.

Dream Team Ducati’s Larry Pegram made it a Ducati 1-2 by sliding his Michelin-shod machine to a 2:43.657 lap. Pegram told reporters that the new Bend chicane had good grip in the wet and was much safer than the old Kink.

Eric Bostrom slowly worked his confidence up to turn the third-fastest lap on his Kawasaki, and Jason Pridmore said he used his recent World Endurance experience to ride his Suzuki GSX-R1000 fast enough to earn the final spot on the provisional front row.

Riders who rode off-track or crashed during the Superbike qualifying session included Ben Bostrom, Aaron Yates, Josh Hayes, Jimmy Moore, Steve Rapp, Chris Ulrich, Matt Furtek, John Haner, Geoff May, Jake Holden and Monte Nichols.

Provisional AMA Superbike Qualifying Results:

1. Anthony Gobert, Ducati 998RS, 2:42.075
2. Larry Pegram, Ducati 998RS, 2:43.657
3. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 2:43.925
4. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:44.535
5. Josh Hayes, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:46.520
6. Jimmy Moore, Szuuki GSX-R1000, 2:46.681
7. Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:46.795
8. Kurtis Roberts, Honda RC51, 2:47.605
9. Michael Barnes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:47.936
10. Miguel Duhamel, Honda RC51, 2:48.130
11. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:48.505
12. Ben Bostrom, Honda RC51, 2:49.267
13. Steve Rapp, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:50.191
14. Jake Holden, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:51.143
15. Mike Ciccotto, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:52.931
16. Tom Wertman, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:54.044
17. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:55.896
18. Dr. Jeffrey Purk, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:56.460
19. Monte Nichols, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:57.511
20. Shawn Higbee, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:59.128


More, from a press release issued by Mat Mladin’s publicist:

2003 AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship
Rounds 9 & 10 – Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, USA
First Qualifying Session Report

MLADIN FAST IN MORNING SESSION BEFORE RAIN STRIKES

Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, USA – Australia’s Mat Mladin turned the fastest time in the opening practice session for this weekend’s double header round of the AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship at the Road America circuit in Wisconsin, before being forced to take a more conservative approach to the afternoon’s qualifying session after the heavens opened.

The dry opening practice session of the weekend saw Mladin consistently running in the 2-min 15-sec bracket before completing the session with the fastest time of 2:15.064 for the ultra fast 6.44km (4.00miles) Wisconsin circuit. His time was almost 0.7 seconds clear of American Honda’s Miguel DuHamel who posted a 2:15.724, with current championship points leader Aaron Yates third on the second Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000.

“It was good this morning in the dry,” said Mladin. “The bike felt good straight out of the truck and I was very happy with how it ran. It would be nice if it remained dry for us over the weekend, but it sounds as though the forecast is for patchy conditions which will make things interesting, but we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

The break between the opening practice session and qualifying saw rain begin to fall. Scattered light showers prevailed through to the Superbike qualifying session with the track remaining wet throughout.

Mladin adopted a conservative approach to the session, recognising that it was only Friday and there was plenty of work to be done for the remainder of the weekend. By the completion of the one-hour session, Mladin had set the seventh fastest time with a 2:46.795, over thirty seconds slower than his dry weather time from the morning.

“It wasn’t that wet out there, more that the surface is really slick when it is wet and doesn’t give a whole lot of grip,” added Mladin. “There are a few funny patches in some of the corners that make it really slick as well, so the wet times compared to the dry times aren’t that good. We just did some laps out there in the wet, got used to the track in those conditions and kept it upright. No need to be going hard out there today and crashing, a very straight forward approach given the conditions.”

Fastest rider during the wet qualifying session was fellow Australian Anthony Gobert (Ducati Austin) who set a best time of 2:42.075, followed by Larry Pegram (Dream Team Ducati) with a time of 2:43.657. Third fastest was Team Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom with a 2:43.926, followed by Attack Suzuki’s Jason Pridmore with a 2:44.535.

Mladin heads into tomorrow’s opening 16-lap Superbike national lying third overall on the point’s table, ten adrift of teammate Yates (who was eleventh fastest today), with Eric Bostrom sandwiched between the Suzuki pair.

Qualifying concludes tomorrow morning, before the Superbike competitors take to the track later on Saturday afternoon, for their opening race, with the second scheduled for Sunday afternoon.


More, from a press release issued by Dream Team Ducati:

Road America / Friday Provisional Qualifying

Dream Team Racing Ducati’s Larry Pegram made it a Ducati 1-2 at Road America in Friday’s provisional qualifying session. Pegram finished the day in 2nd behind fellow Ducati rider Anthony Gobert. The conditions were very wet and Larry’s Michelin rain tires performed exceptionally well. Team Manager, Elliot Cho was pleased with both the tires and the Ohlins suspension, which allowed Pegram to feel confident in the treacherous conditions.

Pegram: “These Michelin tires are awesome in the rain. I want to thank my crew for setting up the bike perfect for the wet conditions. I just
kept going faster and faster out on the track. To be 2nd behind one of the best wet weather riders in the world (Gobert) is great. I want to
also thank team owners, Kaming Ko and Deveaux Hill for putting together such a professional organization in only 8 months. Now all we need is a Corporate Sponsor and we will be good to go.”

DTR Ducati is actively courting “Title Sponsorship” for the team. With the highest placing privately owned and sponsored team in the paddock, DTR has alot to offer such a sponsor and everyone involved is optimistic
that their will be an anouncement in the near future.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

AMA Pro Racing Tech officials say they used a dyno to check what effect a lighter oil pressure relief valve spring had on horsepower, before penalizing Road Atlanta Supersport winner Ben Spies and ordering additional teardowns at Pikes Peak.

The dyno check, performed between the Road Atlanta and Pikes Peak AMA Nationals, showed that simply installing the lighter spring confiscated from Spies’ bike increased horsepower on an otherwise unchanged GSX-R600 by 3.0 bhp, according to AMA Pro Racing sources.

Armed with that information, AMA Pro Racing officials said they decided to tear down another nine front-running machines following Supersport qualifying at Pikes Peak.

Three more machines–Hondas ridden by Miguel Duhamel, Jake Zemke and Marty Craggill–were found to have lighter-than-stock oil pressure relief valve springs. All three riders were fined points and cash; Duhamel and Zemke were also moved to the back of the Supersport starting grid and Craggill, who also had a non-standard charging system, was disqualified from competing.

Duhamel elected not to start the race. Zemke charged through the pack to finish seventh.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The rainy weather which seems to have followed the AMA Superbike Series this season is back at Road America. As of about 2:00 p.m. the track was completely wet, with a light rain continuing to fall.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Friday’s MotoGP Qualifying Results:

1. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 1:51.954
2. Valentino Rossi, Honda, 1:51.968
3. Max Biaggi, Honda, 1:52.021
4. Sete Gibernau, Honda, 1:52.270
5. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, 1:52.290
6. Alex Barros, Yamaha, 1:52.439
7. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, 1:52.569
8. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, 1:52.687
9. Makoto Tamada, Honda, 1:52.700
10. Colin Edwards, Aprilia, 1:52.767
11. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha, 1:52.999
12. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, 1:53.078
13. Alex Hofmann, Kawasaki, 1:53.146
14. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki, 1:53.399
15. Noriyuki Haga, Aprilia, 1:53.732
16. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton, 1:53.813
17. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 1:53.897
18. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, 1:53.978
19. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 1:54.331
20. Garry McCoy, Kawasaki, 1:54.703
21. Andrew Pitt, Kawasaki, 1:55.322
22. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton, 1:56.394
23. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, 1:56.863


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Italian GP, Mugello
First Qualifying
Friday, June 6 2003

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM GRABS PROVISIONAL POLE AT HOME

Ducati Marlboro Team rider Loris Capirossi took provisional pole position with a breathtaking last-gasp attack around the challenging high-speed Mugello circuit this afternoon. In sweltering 32-degree heat, the Italian left it until his very last lap of the session to better compatriot Valentino Rossi by just one hundredth of a second. Team-mate Troy Bayliss had a less successful day in the sun, ending up 18th as he searches for a set-up.

“This is very special for us, it makes us very proud to have an Italian rider and an Italian bike on pole in front of all the ‘red’ fans,” said Ducati Corse CEO Claudio Domenicali. “We are using a different approach to qualifying here. Both our riders are focusing all their attentions on race set-up, using race tyres. Loris was very strong throughout the session with race tyres, and only fitted a soft one for his final run. Before this weekend we were always concentrating on getting good performance over a single lap, so this change in approach should help our race performances.

“It’s been a strange day for Troy. We know he has been around here faster in private testing, so we’re not sure what wrong – maybe he’s had an off day, or maybe it’s the bike. We’ll check everything and I’m sure tomorrow will be different.”

CAPIROSSI – FASTEST MotoGP RIDER IN THE WORLD!
Loris Capirossi’s pole-grabbing end-of-session run triggered some minor celebrations in the Ducati Marlboro Team pit, where the focus is already very much on Sunday’s race. The little Italian had already done a fast run on race tyres, but like his rivals he fitted a softer Michelin for his final outing. Earlier in the session he had rocketed along Mugello’s long start-finish straight at 328.9kmh, breaking his previous top-speed record (set at Catalunya during pre-season testing in March) and making him once again the faster MotoGP rider in the world.

“Provisional pole and another speed record is great for us,” said Capirossi, who took the Desmosedici’s first-ever pole position at last month’s Spanish GP. “We made a big step forward with set-up after this morning’s session, though I’d still like the bike to be easier to ride – everyone knows how much power we’ve got, so the bike isn’t always easy to control! We will check our data to see what changes we can make for tomorrow, but I’m sure we’re heading in the right direction. I’m really happy and I’d like to thank the whole team for working so well.”

BAYLISS SEARCHES FOR SET-UP
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss had an altogether more difficult first day at Mugello, the Aussie struggling to find a chassis set-up that suited him. He ended this afternoon’s opening qualifier down in 18th, and is now working his way through data from today’s two sessions in an effort to improve the behaviour of his Desmosedici for tomorrow’s all-important final qualifier.

“Not a great day,” said Bayliss, who scored his first MotoGP podium at Jerez last month. “We’re missing something with the set-up, especially up front. I’m not getting a good feeling from the bike going into corners, that’s what’s holding us back, because I can’t carry a decent amount of speed into the corners.”



More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

Italian Grand Prix
Friday, 6 June 2003
Mugello, Italy

YAMAHA ON FORM DURING DAY ONE IN MUGELLO

Fortuna Yamaha Team rider Carlos Checa (1:52.290) charged through the final stages of today’s opening qualifying session for the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello, featuring as high as third on the grid only to have the front row start snatched from his grasp seconds later. Ducati rider Loris Capirossi dramatically improved his time as the flag dropped, to place his V-four machine on provisional pole position, with a time of 1:51.954, with fellow Italian Max Biaggi (Honda, 1:52.021) following close behind – setting the third fastest time. Defending MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi (Honda, 1:51.968) separated the pair.

Although disappointed to miss out on the front row by a mere 0.020 seconds – behind fourth fastest man Sete Gibernau (Honda, 1:52.270) – Checa completed the opening session confident that he can improve his qualifying position significantly tomorrow, following his performance during a recent Fortuna Yamaha Team test held in Mugello in mid-May. In similar conditions the Spaniard produced a time of 1:51.900 – good enough for pole position during today’s first session. As it stands Checa is currently 0.336 seconds shy of Capirossi’s time, and with the improved balance of the M1 since its last outing in Italy, Checa is looking forward to another shot at a pole position start to the Italian Grand Prix spectacle.

“Today was good and I finished in a strong provisional grid position but the best day will be Sunday, I hope”, said the Catalan-born rider. “We have been changing settings on both of my bikes today and eventually went back to the setting and bike that I was more comfortable with, with some more front stability. With softer tyres I was able to do a fast lap and get that best time. Today was just for the lap time and I hope that tomorrow I can find the consistency I am looking for. Overall not a bad day.”

One of the driving forces behind Fortuna Yamaha team-mate Marco Melandri’s astonishing recovery, following his high-speed Suzuka crash, has been the desire to produce a good result here in Mugello at his home Grand Prix. The 20-year-old Italian, who won last year’s Italian 250cc race, improved on his Fortuna Yamaha Team Mugello testing time by nearly half a second to be eighth fastest, with a 1:52.687, on an all-Yamaha second row. Alex Barros (Gauloises Yamaha Team, 1:52.439) and Shinya Nakano (d’Antin Yamaha Team, 1:52.569) were sixth and seventh respectively. Still, the young Italian is confident he can improve further given the final adjustments made to the set-up of his M1 towards the end of the session.

“I found it a difficult session until the last 15 minutes because the setting wasn’t quite right and it was really hot and slippery out there,” said Melandri. “I didn’t try to push too hard because I didn’t feel totally comfortable but then we changed the setting of the suspension, chassis and tyres and it felt a bit better. I felt more trust with the bike and could push harder. At the end when we changed tyres it was maybe a little bit too late to go for a faster lap. I hope it will be dry tomorrow because we need to test some more race tyres, and obviously I would like to improve my grid position.”

Fortuna Yamaha Team director Davide Brivio was happy with both riders’ performance, “At the end of the session both riders were able to improve,” said Brivio. “They both rode well today, both riders are on the provisional second row, and the gap from the other top riders is quite close. We have tomorrow to look for the best package for the race – I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do for the rest of the weekend. All the Yamaha riders are quite close to the top so it’s been a good day for Yamaha generally.”


More, from a press release issued by Fuchs Kawasaki:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2003
ROUND 5 – GRAN PREMIO CINZANO D’ITALIA
6TH JUNE 2003 – QUALIFYING PRACTICE 1

WILD CARD HOFMANN LEADS KAWASAKI’S QUALIFYING CHARGE

Brushing aside a sore throat and an Italian summer heat wave, wild card rider Alex Hofmann gave the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR it’s best provisional qualifying result of the season, setting the 13th fastest time during today’s opening qualifying session for the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello.

As track temperatures soared to 48 degrees, Hofmann – delighted to be back racing at one of his favourite circuits – came within 1.1s of pole position on his fastest lap. This is the closest the Fuchs Kawasaki team have been to provisional pole in their first full season of MotoGP competition, with Hofmann clearly benefiting from last week’s three-day test at Autopolis in Japan.

Kawasaki team-mates, Garry McCoy and Andrew Pitt, were 20th and 21st quickest respectively, with Pitt walking away unhurt from a mid-session crash when he lost the front end on the entry to the first chicane.

Pitt recovered quickly from his crash, and the subsequent hike back to pit lane, to set his fastest lap with just three minutes of the qualifying session remaining. Garry McCoy used today’s practice and qualifying periods to identify a suitable race tyre and chassis set-up, while also evaluating revised rear shock settings.

Alex Hofmann – 13th – 1:53.146s
“Obviously I’m happy with the way the day went, although I still have a sore throat and don’t feel 100 per cent. I made quite a big step in chassis set-up at Autopolis last week and I was fast right from the start today. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’m feeling more comfortable on this bike and that’s where the time is coming from. The chassis has a softer feel, which is something we tried in the winter tests, and I’m also getting good feedback from the new Dunlop front tyres here. The bike feels very stable, but for the race we need to keep working on the rear tyres.”

Garry McCoy – 20th – 1:54.703s
“I never got around to having a run on a real soft qualifying tyre, as I spent most of the day working on race set-up. It’s going to be a hot race here and it doesn’t look as if it will rain like it did at Le Mans. The rear set-up I’m trying has good and bad points, so now we just have get it working as part of the whole package and find a good combination for the race. I did a three lap run at the end for my best time.”

Andrew Pitt – 21st – 1:55.322s
“The crash was no big drama. I was trying a new front tyre and had just gone a second quicker, which felt okay, but then the front just started to tuck really slowly on me – it wasn’t a typical lose the front end type of crash. The worst part wasn’t actually crashing, but the fact that no one knew where I was and I had to walk back to the pits! I like the Mugello circuit, but it is a tough track to learn. It’s a long track, with a lot of corners, and I know I’m losing time in a lot of places, but I’m sure it will be easier tomorrow. At the moment I’ve got one bike that feels good in the rear and one that feels better at the front. Hopefully, by analysing the data from both bikes tonight, we’ll be able to come up with a set-up that combines the positive aspects of both.”

Harald Eckl – Team Manager
“Alex did a great job in qualifying today. He is running a slightly different chassis to that which he tested last week at Autopolis, but it is important to remember that this is still a development period for the Ninja ZX-RR. We are making small steps, but they are definitely in the right direction. Garry and Andrew have also worked extremely hard today; Garry on finding a race set-up and Andrew on learning his way around a new circuit.”


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

Amazing New Proton KR in the Hunt at First Race

Round Five – Italian GP, Mugello Thursday, June 6, 2003

Jeremy McWilliams – 16th Position, 1:53.813
Nobuatsu Aoki – 22nd Position, 1:56.394

Two days before its first race, on only its second full day at a race-track, the brand new four-stroke Proton KR V5 put the writing on the wall at Mugello. The 990cc machine, fresh from first shake-down test runs at Le Mans and still in first prototype form, is already showing strong potential, with Jeremy McWilliams claiming a place on the fourth row of the provisional grid.

Amazingly, with the bellowing new four-stroke still relatively rough-cut, the veteran from Northern Ireland consistently lapped faster than several established factory machines, including a Suzuki, a Ducati and two of the three Kawasakis. This was in spite of a gearing problem that meant he was the slowest of all down the long main straight of the classic Italian circuit. McWilliams was giving away 30km/h, but the machine’s cornering prowess meant he could make it up again, even before the correct suspension and settings have been established.

Team-mate Nobuatsu Aoki was less fortunate, however, with a series of small but costly problems keeping him in and out of the pits (he ran 16 laps to McWilliams’s 21), and intervening with his attempt at a fast lap on soft-compound qualifying tyres.

There are three of the new machines at the circuit – the full production run so far. A pair of the trusty old 500cc two-stroke KR3 machines waited under covers in the pits in case of emergency, but the new four-strokes have so far put their teething troubles behind them, and there were no major problems that stopped any of the three machines from running.

The new Proton KR distinguished itself dynamically, and also set a new benchmark in orchestral effect. The V5 engine is not the only MotoGP four-stroke to run without silencers, but the rich and complex exhaust note could be easily distinguished, as it thundered around the 5.245km circuit in the Tuscan hills outside Florence.


Jeremy McWilliams
“It’s a very pleasant surprise to be on the fourth row. After the Le Mans tests, I didn’t expect to be ahead of any other riders, who have all had so much more track time. We’re still learning so much, and trying to establish so many things. We’re especially working on the way it enters the corners. I need it to stop much quicker – at the moment the engine has so much inertia it means I can’t turn in like I want to. But the chassis feels spot on. In the middle of the corner, it does exactly what you want it to do. The gearbox is as it was at Le Mans, and fifth gear is too tall, which is costing me speed – but we just don’t have any different gear sets yet. We need to look at what we can do to improve that. I really didn’t expect to be in the top 20. Now we are I want to go better tomorrow, though I’m not sure how to do it. There are a million things going round my head … there’s too much to think about, and I don’t have the brain space to put it all in. We’re still just testing, really, but I’m thinking about racing. It’s been a really positive first day.”

Nobuatsu Aoki
“We’ve been working a lot today, but I’ve had many small problems coming up, and it cost time to sort them out. One of them is finding the right settings for the ECU and the fuel injection. At the moment the throttle connection is terrible, and my guys are trying to improve that. It is really interesting work, but it’s hard to do during a race meeting. I had two bikes today, but both were giving little problems. Then I put on some soft tyres to try for a fast lap, but a warning light came on, so I had to come back to the pits, and I lost my chance.”

Kenny Roberts – Team Owner
“This is only really the bike’s second day out, and to be honest I anticipated it would be a lot worse. I figured we’d be four or five seconds off the pace, so we’re twice as good as I expected. We don’t have everything we need here this weekend. We will have new engine parts for Barcelona that will give us more top end power. But we can still improve tomorrow. The suspension is not correct, and we are getting lots of information. The main thing is they’re all still running … not perfectly, but running.”



More, from a press release issued by Pramac Honda:

Pramac Honda Team Press Information
Mugello – Italian Grand Prix – 6/7/8 June 2003
Friday – qualifying session

Makoto Tamada on third provisional row of Italian Grand Prix

Ninth quickest time gives Makoto Tamada a place on the third provisional row after just two hours’ work at Mugello – this was indeed the first time that Makoto had ever been out on the wonderful Tuscan circuit. This morning he immediately set off to explore it and find out its secrets so as to become competitive as quickly as possible. In the afternoon session he managed to lop almost two seconds off his morning’s time, once again showing his expertise in adapting to different circuits he has never been on. His qualifying time today: 1:52.700 just over 7 tenths from the provisional pole show how determined Makoto is to do well. He was satisfied with the set-up of his RC211V, that was agreed on with the team technicians, and he chose some new products from Bridgestone tested at Le Mans the Monday after the race. The gifted Japanese asked the technicians to give him shorter-ratio gears, but the long straight at Mugello will require some form of compromise.


Makoto Tamada (Pramac Honda Team): 9th – 1:52,700
“Actually I’m not all that satisfied with ninth quickest time – I’m always very demanding and feel I can do better. I like the track and I don’t want to think of the fact I’m at a disadvantage by not knowing virtually any of the world championship circuits. I want to stay up with the leaders and a few laps with Max and Ukawa helped me get a better feeling for the layout. I wasn’t particularly aiming for the fastest lap time as we were mainly working on keeping up a good pace: it’s going to be a tough fight here and maintaining constant lap times is going to be the key to dominating the race. The tests on the tyres after the Le Mans race were very important as preparation for this event in Italy. We’ll see how things go tomorrow as we carry on preparing for Sunday.”


More, from a press release issued by Alice Aprilia Racing Press Information:

MUGELLO GP/ FIRST QUALIFYING SESSION

SCARPERIA – Good performance for Colin Edwards in the first qualifying session at Mugello track. Even if the American rider suffered a technical problem in the rear brake, he obtained the 10th fastest lap anyway. He could improve his lap time but he has been forced to end the session with the bike no. 2 and the setting was not so good. Two slips for the Japanese rider Noriyuki Haga due to a loss of the front. The improvement of RS Cube bike will continue during the free session of tomorrow morning as the second qualifying session will be very hot. not only for the temperature!

COLIN EDWARDS: “Not so bad, Mugello track does not scare me anymore: I memorized it very well and it’s the second time for me here. Then I did not get just one fast lap but my pace is quite good. I have been forced to end the session with the bike no. 2 and the feeling was not so good. The bike no. 1 had a problem in the rear brake so it has not been possible to use it till the end. I think I can improve my lap time tomorrow achieving a good position in the starting grid”.

NORIYUKI HAGA: “I crashed twice because of the loss of the front in the corner. Luckily I did not get any serious damage. Now I have to understand the reasons”.

GIGI DALL’IGNA (Project Leader): “An important session to understand the type of work we have to do in order to be competitive for the race; we have a lot of things to manage but I feel optimist about the work we have already made. Colin did all his best even if we suffered for a technical problem of the rear brake. It’s just a foolishness. Colin was not able to proceed with bike no. 1 so he tested the setting of his second bike. I feel sorry for Haga as two crashes in the same session reduce the feeling with the bike. Anyway the work we made both on track and in the workshop is getting better: we need more time”.

Lap Times:

1 Capirossi (Ducati) 1’51″954

2 Rossi (Honda) 1’51″968

3 Biaggi (Honda) 1’52″021

4 Gibernau (Honda) 1’52″270

10 Edwards (Aprilia) 1’52″767
15 Haga (Aprilia) 1’53″732

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Aaron Gobert lost control of his Graves Yamaha YZF-R1 during Formula Xtreme practice Friday afternoon and hit an unpadded concrete wall at Road America.

Gobert was riding on slicks and it had just started to sprinkle when the crash occurred.

Gobert’s bike bounced back onto the track and the session was red-flagged.

According to eyewitness Chris Ulrich, who was behind Gobert when he crashed, Gobert highsided up over his bike exiting Canada Corner but hung onto the handlebars. Gobert was dragged along the left side of the bike, which turned left and headed directly into a bare concrete wall, past haybales positioned in normal impact areas exiting the turn.

The front end of Gobert’s Yamaha was broken off by the impact.

When cornerworkers arrived to move the machine, it leaked fluids on the track.

Cleanup efforts took just about an hour.

AMA Pro Racing officials issued the following statement:

“Yamaha rider #96 Aaron Gobert–has been transported to Valley View Hospital after going down in turn 12. Update to follow.”


This just in: According to Yamaha’s Tom Halverson, Gobert suffered a broken left wrist and a concussion.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Vesrah Suzuki’s John Jacobi turned a 2:40.253 late in the second, drier AMA Superstock qualifying session to apparently take the provisional pole position for Saturday’s 10-lap final, as shown on timing and scoring displays in the press room.

Later, AMA Pro Racing issued a sheet that showed Mike Ciccotto on pole at 2:36.551, followed by Tommy Hayden at 2:40.257 and Jacobi at 2:40.766.

Asked what happened, AMA Pro Racing Director of Timing & Scoring Ken Rogers said that spotters had radioed in that Tommy Hayden had short-cut the course between turns five and 13; Hayden did that to be able to start a flying lap before the 30-minute Superstock fast group qualifying session ended. By the time Timing & Scoring heard Hayden’s cut-through called in by spotters, Hayden had completed his final, fast lap. Timing & Scoring initially deleted Hayden’s fastest lap, but after double-checking on which lap Hayden short-cut the track, Hayden’s time of 2:40.257 was reinstated.

Mike Ciccotto’s fastest lap, a 2:36.551, was deleted automatically by the Timing & Scoring computer system. Rogers explained, “When we put into the system a minimum lap time, a lap faster than the minimum will be deleted automatically. As the rain increased this afternoon, we had edged our minimum up. As the sessions went on, it dried out, and we forgot to bring our minimum lap time back down.”

Ciccotto’s time came late in the drying session, and was reinstated after Ciccotto brought the problem to Rogers’ attention.

Rogers said that there would be one other revision.

Times from the second qualifying session now look like this:

1. Mike Ciccotto, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:36.551
2. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 2:40.253
3. John Jacobi, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:40.764
4. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha YZF-R6, 2:41.484
5. Mark Junge, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:41.535
6. Josh Hayes, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:$1.690
7. Steve Rapp, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:42.076
8. Jamie Stauffer, Suzuki GSX-R600, 2:43.294
9. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:43.586
10. Adam Fergusson, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:43.740
11. Opie Caylor, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:43.825
12. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:45.658
13. Jake Holden, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:46.823
14. Tony Meiring, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 2:47.036
15. Jeremy Toye, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:51.035
16. Steve Atlas, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:55.192

Times from the first qualifying session now look like this:

1. Hawk Mazzotta, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:49.716
2. Tom Wertman, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:53.793
3. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:54.811
4. John Haner, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:55.191
5. Dr. Jeffrey Purk, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:55.510
6. Matt Furtek, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:57.319
7. Ruben Frankenfield, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:57.962
8. Jason Peters, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:59.023
9. Nathan Hester, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:59.497
10. Jeff Bostrom, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:59.658
11. James Kerker, Honda CBR600, 3:00.157
12. David Bell, Suzuki GSX-R750, 3:02.461
13. Eric Haugo, Suzuki GSX-R750, 3:06.576
14. Matt Malterer, Suzuki GSX-R750, 3:08.455
15. Eric Dooyema, Suzuki GSX-R750, 3:09.361
16. Peter Bohlig, Suzuki GSX-R600, 3:13.832
17. Michael Kosta, Suzuki GSX-R750, 3:15.295
18. Russ Intravartolo, Kawasaki ZX-7R, 3:17.201
19. Christopher Flores, Suzuki GSX-R600, 3:18.476
20. Jessica Zalusky, Suzuki GSX-R750, 3:21.003
21. Chad Rolland, Suzuki GSX-R750, 3:24.412
22. Michael Radke, Yamaha YZF-R6, 3:51.509

It stopped raining during Superstock qualifying, and as a result the faster Superstock qualifying group had a drier track than the first, slower group, and the course improved as the second session went on. On the last lap, a handful of riders jumped up the time order.

In the past, when the qualifying groups were separated by bike numbers, the grid would have been made up by alternating riders from each session. But according to the new fast-group/slow-group qualifying procedures, the Superstock grid at Road America will not be staggered.

The grid will be formed with the qualifying order of the faster group, then by the qualifying order of the slower group – even though Hawk Mazzotta, riding on a wetter track in one group, went faster than Jeremy Toye, riding on a drier track in the other group.


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

Rapp On A Charge At Wet Road America

Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki was back to full-strength on Friday at Road America, with all three riders in action and the team battling in three separate classes of AMA roadracing action in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Steve Rapp headed the charge, overcoming inclement weather to qualify his Michelin-shod GSX-R750 on the second row for tomorrow’s 10-lap Superstock final. The 30-year-old Californian displayed considerable prowess to qualify sixth despite his relative lack of wet-weather experience. Of course, he’s hoping for more favorable conditions for the remainder of the weekend, a sentiment backed up by his second overall time in the dry morning practice.

“Lots going on today,” said Rapp, who also qualified 13th provisionally for the weekend’s dual Superbike finals. “We worked on getting a good set-up for the 1000. On the Superstock bike I think things went pretty well considering that growing up in California we don’t ride in the rain a lot. I’m looking forward to a dry race; the wet just doesn’t do this track justice. It’s one of my favorite tracks — fast and flowing.”

Meanwhile, teammate Chris Ulrich made a breakthrough with his race machine set-up on Friday. The 23-year-old and his crew made some radical changes to the front-end of his GSX-R750, which should enable Ulrich to improve upon his 11th place Friday Superstock standing throughout the remainder of this weekend and beyond.

He explained, “Today we switched forks and instantly I went faster. I had been struggling with the front quite a bit all year, which was getting me down. But the change made me comfortable again and allows me to readjust everything. I can go in deep again — I just have to re-expand my limits. Hopefully tomorrow will be dry and we will be able to refine the package even more. We’re going to go faster.”

He was almost able to do so on Friday. “We were jumping up at the end. I kept going faster, dropping two seconds a lap. One more lap and I could have jumped up further, but that’s just the way it goes.”

Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki teenager Matt Furtek made a welcome return to action today. The South Holland, Illinois-native was sixth best in Group 1 (22nd overall) of Friday’s Superstock qualifying.


More, from a press release issued by Marietta Motorsports:

1-888-FASTLAP RIDER CAYLOR QUALIFIES 11th AT ROAD AMERICA; STOKES CRASHES IN RAINY CONDITIONS

ELKHART LAKE, Wis.- 1-888-FASTLAP rider Opie Caylor qualified 11th for AMA Pro Racing’s Superstock race at Road America this weekend after crashing in a rainy Superbike qualifying session.

Caylor set a fast lap of 2:43.825 (87.899 mph) on his 1-888-FASTLAP/Team EMGO Taiwan Suzuki GSX-R750, giving him a starting position of 11th for Saturday’s race.

“We were about third in morning warm-up, so we were right where we wanted to be,” commented Caylor. “I went out in Superbike qualifying to get a feel for the rain, and I crashed on the second or third lap. I twisted my knee quite a bit, and bent my A bike up pretty bad, but I came in and rested, then went out on the B bike (in Superstock qualifying) and still qualified 11th.”

Stokes, another 1-888-FASTLAP rider, also crashed on the damp track, although he was quickly getting up to speed at Road America and was poised to set a fast qualifying time. Stokes was riding his first full lap of qualifying on his Team Embry Suzuki GSX-R750 when he crashed, so he was unable to post a time. He hopes to get a provisional spot on the grid for the race.

The 10-lap Superstock race will be the final event of the day on Saturday, June 7. It will get started following the Superbike race, which begins at 2:00, and 250 GP qualifying.

More information about 1-888-FASTLAP, Caylor and Stokes can be found on the Internet at www.1888FASTLAP.com.

From a press release issued by series organizers:

MCBAIN EYES DEBUT WIN

CALGARY, AB – Alberta’s most successful motorcycle road racer will be
Calgary’s Clint McBain comes to the second round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship as a strong favorite to score his first career national Superbike win on Sunday. The Coors Light Racing/Blackfoot Suzuki rider sits third in the series point standings after a superb performance in the opening race last month, when he snatched third place from Pascal Picotte on the final lap.

The 30-year-old is building on a breakthrough year in 2002, when he won the 600 Sport Bike national support class and finished second in the Open Sport Bike division. He won both the 600 and Open events at Race City in his stellar campaign.

History is certainly on McBain’s side at his home track. Four riders have scored their first ever national Superbike wins in the last eight events at Race City.

But McBain also faces competition from the toughest Parts Canada Superbike field assembled in years. The entry includes three former champions and eight feature race winners.

Maple Ridge, BC’s Steve Crevier leads the standings after a victory in the opening round at Shannonville Motorsport Park last month on his Diablo Suzuki. Crevier has won more titles (six) and more races (21) than any other racer in Canadian Superbike history.

The Suzuki threat also includes Crevier’s teammate Jeff Williams of Harrowsmith, ON, who scored his only national win at Race City in 1999, and McBain’s teammate Francis Martin, the 1999 Canadian national champion who also has a Calgary win to his credit.

Picotte is also a serious contender for victory on his Picotte Racing Yamaha. The St-Cecile de Milton, QC rider is making a return to Canadian action in 2003, and won in Calgary in 1991 and ’93.

Fellow Yamaha riders Frank Trombino of Kleinburg, ON and Joliette, QC’s Jean-Francois Cyr could also challenge. Trombino, riding for Brooklin Yamaha, is the only racer to have won a Superbike national in each of the last three years while Cyr finished a strong fifth at Shannonville’s season opener.

The factory Orion Motorsport Honda team includes two-time Canadian Superbike champ Michael Taylor of Toronto, another former Race City winner and rising star Kevin Lacombe of Granby, QC, who claimed his first career national Superbike win at the end of last season.

The Orion line-up also features Canadian newcomer Robbie Baird, a star in his native Australia.

Kawasaki’s hopes lie with Ohio veteran Tom Kipp, who finished sixth at Shannonville in his debut in the Canadian series.

This weekend’s racing also includes the second round of the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike Championship and the International Motorcycle
SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike Championship.

Picotte leads the Pro 600 points after winning the first race, while Ottawa Yamaha rider Dan Henri was victorious in the first ever Amateur 600 Sport Bike national feature at Shannonville.

Official practice at Race City Motorsport Park opens Friday.

Qualifying for all three national classes will go Saturday afternoon and races are set to run on Sunday.

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.

All Time Race City Superbike Wins

Jordan Szoke (Brantford, ON) 5
Steve Crevier (Maple Ridge, BC) 2
Pascal Picotte (St-Cecile de Milton, QC) 2
Michael Taylor (Toronto, ON) 2
Gary Goodfellow (Vancouver, BC) 1
Rueben McMurter (London, ON) 1
Michel Mercier (Thedford Mines, QC) 1
Don Munroe (Halifax, NS) 1
Francis Martin (Rock Forest, QC) 1
Jeff Williams (Harrowsmith, ON) 1
Owen Weichel (Toronto, ON) 1

Race City Fast Facts

…Jordan Szoke has won five of the last eight Superbike nationals at Race City Motorsport Park, including sweeping doubleheaders in 2000 and 2002. Szoke is not competing this weekend due to U.S. racing commitments

…Five racers have scored their first career national Superbike wins at Race City, including Pascal Picotte (1991), Jordan Szoke (1998), Francis Martin (1999), Jeff Williams (1999) and Owen Weichel (2001)

…On seven occasions a winner at Race City has gone on to claim the Canadian title in the same year, Michel Mercier (1990), Steve Crevier
(1992), Michael Taylor (1996), Don Munroe (1997), Jordan Szoke (1998 and 2002) and Francis Martin (1999)

2003 Point Standings

Parts Canada Superbike: 1. Steve Crevier (Suzuki) 56; 2. Francis Martin (Suzuki) 42; 3. Clint McBain (Suzuki) 38; 4. Pascal Picotte (Yamaha) 35; 5. Jean-Francois Cyr (Yamaha) 29

Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike: 1. Pascal Picotte (Yamaha) 54; 2. Andrew Nelson (Honda) 43; 3. Clint McBain (Suzuki) 39

International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike: 1. Dan Henri (Yamaha) 54; 2. Derek Bowker (Yamaha) 43; 3. Yanick Beauregard (Suzuki) 37

Provisional Weekend Schedule

Saturday June 7

12:55 p.m.- 1:20 p.m. Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike Qualifying

2:00 p.m.- 2:55 p.m. International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike Qualifying

3:35 p.m.- 4:20 p.m. Parts Canada Superbike Qualifying

Sunday June 8

1:00 p.m. Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike Race – 12 laps

2:10 p.m. International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike Race – 12 laps

3:30 p.m. Parts Canada Superbike Race – 16 laps

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Friday Morning Superbike Practice Times:

1. Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:15.064
2. Miguel Duhamel, Honda RC51, 2:15.724
3. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:15.914
4. Kurtis Roberts, Honda RC51, 2:16.043
5. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 2:16.602
6. Ben Spies, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:16.640
7. Anthony Gobert, Ducati 998RS, 2:16.689
8. Steve Rapp, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:17.201
9. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:17.586
10. Larry Pegram, Ducati 998RS, 2:18.551
11. Ben Bostrom, Honda RC51, 2:19.516
12. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:19.744
13. Michael Barnes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:20.167
14. Shawn Higbee, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:20.258
15. Geoff May, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:20.420
16. Josh Hayes, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:20.803
17. Chris Caylor, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:21.104
18. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:21.882
19. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:22.744
20. Matt Furtek, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:23.000
21. Jeremy Toye, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:23.697
22. John Jacobi, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:23.858
23. Doug Duane, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:24.995
24. Jake Holden, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:25.136
25. Mike Sullivan, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:25.396
26. Tom Wertman, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:26.524
27. Scott Jensen, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:27.096
28. Dr. Jeffrey Purk, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:27.247
29. Monte Nichols, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:27.263
30. Dean Mizdal, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:27.280
31. Jason Knupp, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:28.054
32. Kevin Lehman, Yamaha YZF-R1, 2:28.192
33. Jeff Bostrom, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:28.293
34. Brian Boyd, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:28.490
35. Kevin Hanson, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:28.578
36. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:28.896
37. Roger Hendricks, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:32.853
38. James Bonner, Yamaha YZF-R1, 2:33.849
39. David Duprey, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:37.993
40. Brett Ray, Suzuki GSX-R750, 3:02.064

From a press release:

Bay Area Riders Forum and Mountain View Rotary to collaborate on: “THE RIDE FOR LIFE” June 7th, 2003

San Jose, CA — Bay Area Riders Forum (BARF), a Bay Area motorcycling organization, will be joining forces with The Mountain View Rotary Club on June 7th, 2003 to bring Bay Area Motorcyclist together to enjoy a ride from the Palo Alto Elks Lodge through the Santa Cruz mountains west of Silicon Valley and then back to a barbeque at the Palo Alto Elks Lodge picnic area. The ride will feature a Palo Alto Police escort from Gunn High School to the Lodge at the tail end of the ride.

The ride starts at 9:00 a.m.

The proceeds of this event will go to Rotary Internationals effort to eliminate Polio from the face of the Earth, an ongoing effort since 1985. The event will be $30.00 to attend the ride with participants receiving an event shirt, patch, (2) raffle tickets and food. Barbeque only will be $12.00. A raffle will be held to provide prizes to the participants. Motorcycle vendors will be on hand with displays of product and services.

Better known by its acronym BARF, Bay Area Riders Forum (founded in January 2002) began as a website with a vision – bringing the motorcycling community together; getting people out from behind the computers and together to meet and ride. BARF members, a very enthusiastic and spirited group of people, meet weekly in different locations throughout the Bay Area to socialize, meet for rides throughout the week, head to the track in masses…the list goes on. The original vision has been realized and BARF has set the bar even higher with ambitious goals for 2003 that should keep BARF an exciting place for years to come.

Mountain View Rotary has been actively serving the Mountain View community and Rotary projects worldwide since 1925. Rotary, the world’ first service club established in 1905 is continuing it’s 20 years commitment with the World Health Organization to eradicate Polio in the world by 2005. Rotary’s 1.2 million members in 163 countries have been able to immunize over 1 Billion children world wide and eliminate Polio from over 150 nations.

Bay Area Riders Forum and Mountain View Rotary are pleased to announce this event and encourage anyone interested to attend.

More information is available online at www.bayarearidersforum.com or from (650) 269-1020.