From a press release issued by Pirelli’s PR and advertising agency:

PIRELLI RACING ROCKS AT ROAD ATLANTA AND MONZA

1st, 3rd And 5th In Road Atlanta AMA Superstock,

First-Ever Podium Sweep in World Supersport at Monza

Monza Track Record Shattered

Four Top-10s in Monza World Superbike

(Rome, GA) Pirelli’s results for the weekend’s racing at Road Atlanta and Monza are the kind that beleaguered tire engineers, R&D alchemists, techs, builders and race-support people tack up on dark-stained, pin-pocked walls so that, in the middle of countless endless work nights, they can remind themselves that indeed, at times, it is absolutely worth it.

Pirelli’s DOT Supercorsa race tires took first, third, and fifth in the AMA Superstock final at Road Atlanta last weekend. Hooters Suzuki’s Vincent Haskovec earned his first-ever AMA national win in the race, followed by Pirelli-shod Chris “Opie” Caylor on his 1-888-Fastlap/Team EMGO Taiwan Suzuki in third, and Haskovec’s Hooters teammate, Mike Ciccotto in fifth. With the win, Haskovec and Pirelli have taken over a slim AMA Superstock points lead.

At Monza, Pirelli Supercorsas not only scored their first-ever World Supersport podium sweep, but also obliterated Monza’s Supersport track record by an astounding 1.7 seconds. The race heroes of the effort were an injured Chris Vermeulen and his Pirelli-mounted factory Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR who won by over nine seconds to take his second win of the young season and build a commanding points lead in the championship. Second place went to Belgarda Yamaha’s Jurgen van den Goorbergh, and third to Van Zon Honda’s Iain MacPherson, both also on Pirelli.

In qualifying for the race pole, Vermeulen’s teammate Karl Muggeridge shattered Monza’s Supersport track record set last year by Vermeulen by 1.7 seconds. But despite he and Vermeulen breaking away to a 1.6-second lead gap within a lap of the start, Muggeridge was forced to retire from the race with a burned-out clutch.

Pirelli also continued to move up in World Superbike action, recording four top-10 finishes in Monza’s two races. DFX Ducati’s Steve Martin went ninth and seventh respectively, while Italian up-and-comer Marco Borciani gave Pirelli two eighths.

From a press release:

Round one of the 2003 CAN-AM 125 Grand Prix Challenge series took place at Shannonville Motorsport Park on May 18, 2003.

The Nodell Motorsports Motorcycle racing team came into the weekend poised and focused on winning the race on their Bridgestone shod Canada Post/The Bear Chair Co. backed Honda RS125.

For Saturday’s timed qualifying session rider Stuart Nodell put the RS125 on the pole on the final lap of qualifying with a time of 1:11.01 followed by John Dempsey, Corey Sherman, and Jim Struke. Following the qualifying session Nodell commented “the team put me on an excellent motorcycle to get the job done”. With the starting grid set the team prepared for Sunday’s final.

The ten lap final was setting up to be an exciting event. At the start Nodell grabbed the holeshot and never looked back. By lap two Nodell was breaking away from the field and was able to maintain a pace that no one else could match. From that point Nodell was able to cruise home uncontested with a solid victory. Following the win Nodell stated, “With less than ideal track conditions the Bridgestone tires were superior, providing excellent grip.”

The Ben Gartner prepared RS125 worked flawlessly throughout the race and the team’s result was a perfect weekend.

RESULTS
1. Stuart Nodell Hon RS125
2. Corey Sherman Hon RS125
3. Jim Struke Hon RS125
4. Yvon Desy Hon RS125
5. John Dempsey Hon RS125

From a press release issued on behalf of Monster Mob Ducati:

Round 5 – 2003 British Superbike Championship powered by HALLS, Knockhill

Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th May 2003


TREBLE REBEL BYRNE IN COMMAND AGAIN

MonsterMob Ducati’s Shane Byrne continued his dominance of the British Superbike Championship with yet another winning double at a wet and windy Knockhill circuit in Scotland today.

The 26 year old Kent rider made it eight wins for the season so far by taking his seventh win in succession to stamp his authority on the championship after five out of the twelve rounds and in doing so, romped to an unprecedented ‘triple double’ victory.

But the weekend wasn’t without it’s drama with a spill in practice and only qualifying in fourth on the grid meant Byrne had his work cut out but a gamble on wet tyres paid off with a start to finish victory in leg one followed by a similar display in race two, which was shortened as rain started to fall.

“What a fantastic weekend! It’s amazing and I can’t believe that I’ve done another double. My plan was to get a good lead in both races but I was willing that second race to end because it was starting to rain. I’m enjoying winning and hoping I can continue that trend at my local round at Brands Hatch next time” said Byrne.

Shakey’s championship cause was also helped by main rival Michael Rutter scoring just a single point after a problematic day and as a result, Byrne leads the series standings by an amazing 104 points.

For Supersport team mate Stuart Easton, he too endured problems in qualifying but bounced back with a superb fourth place during the race in difficult conditions.

“The track was wet to start with and I went with dry tyres but it was the right decision. It was important to score points today at my home round but a rostrum would have been good,” said the 18-year-old from Hawick.

Team owner Paul Bird was naturally pleased with his team’s dominance of the country’s premier motor sport series.

“It just gets better but I’ve been around long enough to know that our luck will change at some point. Shakey’s riding brilliantly at the moment and long may it continue. Stuart’s got his bogey circuit out of the way and will go well at Brands but we’re in a great position at the moment”

Superbike Results

Race One

1, Shane Byrne (MonsterMob Ducati) 29:13.549
2, Paul Young (Yamaha) 29:28.498
3, John Reynolds (Suzuki) 29:30.984
4, Steve Plater (Honda) 29:33.763
5, Sean Emmett (Ducati) 29:34.070
6, Glen Richards (Kawasaki) 29:43.203
7, Gary Mason (Yamaha) 29:44.050
8, John McGuinness (Ducati) 29:51.399
9, John Crawford (Ducati) 29:53.078
10, Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) 29:58.194

Race Two

1, Shane Byrne (MonsterMob Ducati) 17:04.035
2, John Reynolds (Suzuki) 17:06.366
3, Steve Plater (Honda) 17:10.650
4, Glen Richards (Kawasaki) 17:11.473
5, Steve Hislop (Yamaha) 17:12.792
6, Gary Mason (Yamaha) 17:18.255
7, Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) 17:19.776
8, Sean Emmett (Ducati) 16:30.969 (-1lap)
9, Paul Young (Yamaha) 16:36.990 (-1 lap)
10, John McGuinness (Ducati) 16:43.975 (-1 lap)

Superbike Championship Standings after Round 5

1: Shane Byrne (MonsterMob Ducati) 240pts

2: Michael Rutter (Ducati) 136pts

3: Glen Richards (Kawasaki) 110pts

4: John Reynolds (Suzuki) 100pts

5: Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) 97pts

6: Gary Mason (Yamaha) 94pts

7: Steve Plater (Honda) 93pts

8: Steve Hislop (Yamaha) 91pts

9: John Crawford (Ducati) 62pts

10: Sean Emmett (Ducati) 58pts

Supersport Result

1, Karl Harris (Honda) 25:53.477
2, Leon Haslam (Ducati) 26:01.233
3, Rob Frost (Kawasaki) 26:04.852
4, Stuart Easton (MonsterMob Ducati) 26:04.962
5, Jamie Robinson (Yamaha) 26:16.670
6, Adrian Coates (Honda) 26:18.648
7, Craig Jones (Triumph) 26:20.068
8, Tom Sykes (Yamaha) 26:25.204
9, Dean Thomas (Honda) 26:34.372
10, John Crockford (Honda) 26:34.664

Supersport Championship Standings After Round 5

1: Karl Harris 115pts

2: Stuart Easton 64pts

3: Adrian Coates 53pts

4: Simon Andrews 50pts

5: Michael Laverty 47pts

5: Leon Haslam 47pts

7: John Crockford 45pts

8: Rob Frost 41pts

9: Craig Jones 33pts

10: Tom Sykes 29pts

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.



John Hopkins, featured in the new GP movie Faster, with movie narrator Ewan MacGregor and Hopkin’s girlfriend, Desiree Crossman, during the recent Cannes Film Festival.

From a press release issued by FGSPORT GROUP:

Assen 200 Build Up

The Netherlands round of the World Endurance championship is shaping up to be another weekend of intense action. The leading contenders are relishing the challenge from World Supersport stars Ten Kate, local interest is high with many Dutch and Belgian teams taking part, and the spectators will be happy with a ticket price that includes grandstand seating and a free programme.

Championship Challenge Zongshen Team are currently leading the championship standings. Their rider Warwick Nowland was at the Monza WSB round:

“It was great to watch Chris Vermuelen win the Supersport race aboard the Ten Kate Honda. It has made me realise this weekend is going to be a very tough battle for everyone. The factory Honda CBR600 is an amazing motorcycle and is simply a smaller version of their MotoGP bike.”

Suzuki GB Phase One are second in the standings. Team manager Russell Benney was happy with their performance at Imola: “An excellent start. Olivier Four led until a quarter distance, and we finished in a well deserved position.”

Jason Pridmore will be riding with the team at Assen, fresh from his AMA Formula Xtreme success at Road Atlanta last Sunday.

Local Heroes

This will be the first World Endurance Championship round held at Assen since 1996, but the locals will be out in force for the 200 miler. MCT Flanders have entered a Ducati 748, CRT Suzuki and Lowlands Racing will campaign GSX-R1000s, RVC Racing and Team Polytech will compete on Aprilia RSV1000s and MSC Zolder have entered two Yamaha R1 based teams. The strongest challenge to the permanent teams is likely to come from Herman Verboven Racing, old hands at Endurance with their Suzuki GSX-R1000.

One to Watch

The endurance experience for Assen spectators will be enhanced by the giant Vidiwall that will be installed opposite the main grandstand, offering a close up view of the pit lane action and also allowing viewers to keep tabs on race positions throughout the 83 lap race. Entry to the grandstands and a copy of the race programme magazine is included in the ticket price on race day; there is no charge to watch Saturday’s practice sessions.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Woody Deatherage broke his back when he hit an unpadded concrete wall during an AMA Superbike race at Road Atlanta Sunday.

Deatherage didn’t discover the full extent of his injuries until he returned home to Cleveland, Ohio.

Deatherage crashed his Suzuki GSX-R1000 at the bottom of the esses section, in the turn four area, and hit an unprotected wall.

Returning a phone call to Roadracingworld.com from a hospital bed, Deatherage said “I hit a sealer strip just past the apex of turn four and lost the front. I tried to save it until I realized I was headed straight toward an unprotected barrier so I laid the bike down. The bike hit the barrier before I did and ricocheted back and landed on me. I then went into the barrier head first.

“There are three, three-inch cracks in the top of my Arai helmet,” continued Deatherage. “I know I hit the barrier because that’s what cracked my helmet. I was really surprised that there were no haybales to be seen. It’s totally ridiculous.”

Deatherage said he was worried about going to a local hospital and decided to wait until he was home to seek medical attention. Deatherage lay in his motorhome as his mechanic drove, and when the pair reached Cleveland, Deatherage went to the Cleveland Clinic where he was diagnosed with three fractured vertebrae. He is currently being fitted with a full-body cast and it remains to be seen if surgery will be required.

“I think my career is about over,” Deatherage said. “I’m not sure, but the bike’s destroyed, I’m not getting any younger, and three months in the body-cast, (it’s) not a good situation.”

Deatherage has been a consistent top-15 finisher in the AMA Superbike series for years and was 11th in 2002 points.

Steve Rapp crashed on Friday in the same area as Deatherage did, and while the impact with the bare wall destroyed Rapp’s Suzuki, Rapp himself bailed out early and did not reach the wall. Haybales and/or soft barriers were not deployed in the area after Rapp’s bike hit the wall.

Crashes into the wall where Deatherage and Rapp’s bike hit were not a common problem until a chicane was installed to keep riders farther away from the wall between turn two and the esses.

The new chicane changes the approach to the turn four area, raising speeds, and makes it easier for out-of-control motorcycles to hit the wall on the rider’s right after a front-end slide.

At post time, AMA Pro Road Racing Manager Ron Barrick had not returned a phone call seeking official comment.

Cards may be sent to Deatherage at 811 Sable Rd., Cleveland, OH 44119. His e-mail address is [email protected].

From a press release issued by WERA:

WERA GEARING UP FOR CYCLE JAM AT VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

ALTON, Va.- Virginia International Raceway will be home to one of the biggest motorcycle roadracing events of the season May 23-25, when WERA brings Cycle Jam to the raceway’s 2.26-mile North Course.

The third annual Cycle Jam will bring together the WERA National Challenge Series, the Dunlop/WERA National Endurance Series and all five regions in the Sportsman Series. Last year’s Cycle Jam had a total of 1283 race entries during the three days, and this year’s event is expected to be just as big.

Friday, May 23 will feature the Dunlop/WERA National Endurance Series four-hour race. The green flag will fly at 12:30 pm as nearly fifty teams comprising five different classes will compete for overall and class wins.

The 16 WERA Sportsman Series races will be held on Saturday. The 6-lap sprint races will get started at noon following morning practice sessions. With double points available for all five regions, the top riders in each region will be competing fiercely against each other.

Sunday’s National Challenge Series races will feature 12 classes in 8-lap sprints, beginning at noon. Vesrah Suzuki’s Tray Batey has been the top
rider in the past three rounds, and first-year experts such as Greg Moore and XT Racing’s David Weber will be trying to beat his pace and take the checkered flag first.

In the 125 GP and Formula 2 classes, Brian Kcraget will have the home-track advantage. The defending 125 GP champion lives in Danville, Va., and has hours of experience on Virginia International Raceway’s challenging North Course, both as a racer and as a racing school instructor.

Tickets for Cycle Jam at Virginia International Raceway are $30 for three days, $20 for two days or $15 for Sunday only. Camping is permitted, also, and costs only $25 for the weekend.

More information about WERA, including a full schedule for Cycle Jam, race results and points standings, can be found on the series website at www.WERA.com.

From a press release:

PUIG Racing Screens has reached a sponsorship agreement with the Yamaha D’Antin team, for the rest of the 2003 MotoGP season, with Shinya Nakano as its principal rider.

As a result of Nakano’s recent tests along with the technical collaboration of the D’Antin team, PUIG Racing Screens is in the process of creating new screens and materials, which will be produced for consumers.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Jeff Reeves has left DFY, Inc., the company in charge of producing and selling officially licensed AMA Pro Racing merchandise, to pursue other interests.

Anyone who was dealing with Reeves at DFY, Inc. should now contact Scott Clyburn, President, DFY, Inc. at (803) 327-3613.

Reeves can currently be reached at (803) 985-5391, or via e-mail at [email protected].