From a press release issued by Brid Caveney of West Coast Racing, sponsored by Works Performance:

Mislaid Conrod

At sometime during the recent AHRMA road races at Barbers Motorsports Park (September 26-29) and Talladega Gran Prix Raceway (October 3-5) in Alabama, a motorcycle connecting rod, belonging to Works Performance owner (and sponsor) Gilles Vaillancourt, went “walkabout” from the Works Performance transporter.

The rod was housed in a wooden cigar box, and was one of Gil’s sentimental keepsakes. It is of no use to anyone–other than its rightful owner.

If anyone knows the whereabouts of the rod, or can shed any light on its disappearance, can they please contact:

Works Performance, (818)701-1010, e-mail [email protected],

or

Works Performance sponsored rider Brid Caveney, (831)484-7778, e-mail [email protected],

or

Matt Benson at the AHRMA publications office, (814) 778-2291, e-mail [email protected].

Alternatively, the rod can be sent to:

West Coast Racing,
820 Park Row #575
Salinas, CA 93901

who will be only too pleased to pay any freight costs–NO questions asked.

FROM THE DESK OF: MR. ALABO ISAAC

Finance/Accounts Department

Dear Sir,

BUSINESS PROPOSAL

Although this proposal might come to you as a surprise, since it is from someone you do not know or have seen before, but based on recommendation, trust and confidentiality, I decided to contact you.

I am a Senior Officer with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and I have in my capacity the sum of US$26.5m (Twenty Six Million, Five Hundred Thousand U.S. Dollars only) which was actually generated from an over-invoiced contract sum in my Corporation.

Right now, I write to solicit your assistance on the transfer of this fund into your account. Upon your acceptance of this proposal, I and my colleagues have generally agreed on the below sharing ratio:

1. 25% for your assistance and cooperation in the transfer of this fund into your account.

2. 5% for all expenses incurred, Local/International.

3. 70% for me and my colleagues. This amount will be used for investment purposes on a successful conclusion of this transaction.

You are therefore, advised to send to me your full banking information (as mentioned below) to enable me effect this transaction on a swift code:

Bank Name, Address, Account No.,

Telephone and Fax Numbers,

And Name to be used as Beneficiary,

Your Private Telephone and Fax Numbers.

On receipt of the above mentioned information, Seven (7) working days is enough for us to conclude this deal. You can send me an e-mail immediately you receive this letter for further clarifications.

Your urgent response is awaited.

Thanks and God Bless

Yours Faithfully,

MR. ALABO ISAAC

From a press release issued by series organizers:

Steve Webster and Paul Woodhead
2003 Superside World champions



Steve Webster and Paul Woodhead at Nevers Magny-Cours. Photo by Jon Mitchell.

Steve Webster and Paul Woodhead clinched the 2003 Superside World championship following a fifth place in the final race of the season at Magny-Cours in France on Saturday.

The British duo completed a fantastic season aboard their Suzuki GSX-R 1000 machine with LCR chassis: eight podium finishes from 10 races, including six wins, a second and a third place – with one retirement at Monza, Italy.

It was also the pairing’s second title together – the first came in 2000 – and for Webster a ninth world title in a career spanning over 20 years in the premier class of sidecar racing.

Webster and Woodhead set the tone for the rest of the season with an opening day win at Valencia, Spain to lead the 2003 Superside World championship.

The following round at Monza, Italy was to be Webster’s only blip in an otherwise clinical campaign. He retired at the ‘Curva Grande’ on lap eight, having, until then, been involved in an epic battle with closest rivals, Klaus Klaffenböck and Christian Parzer.

Webster relinquished the leadership and found himself 16 points adrift of the Austrian, but the wily veteran from Easingwold, Yorkshire notched up his second win at Oschersleben, Germany to move to within 11 points of leader Klaffenböck.

“It was all about keeping it smooth and closing the gap in the standings. We managed to achieve both goals,” says a delighted Webster.

The Webster-Woodhead whirlwind continued to take in all before it and a third win was recorded in round four at the British pair’s first home race at Silverstone, GB.

The Castrol Suzuki man opened up a 2.296s lead by lap seven as the battle for second place, between Jörg Steinhausen, Klaffenböck and Tom Hanks, kept the fans on the edge of their seats. But it was Webster who again prevailed, crossing the finishing line 5.332s ahead of his Austrian rival.

“It was a good result especially for the overall standings. We changed from a hydraulic to cable clutch and that was the reason for the slow start,” explains Webster.

Klaffenböck and Parzer’s lead was now reduced to six points as the three-wheeled convoy set off for round five and the unbearably hot conditions that welcomed the teams on arrival at Misano Adriatico, Italy.

Steinhausen took the victory at the ‘Santamonica’ circuit as Webster had to settle for a solid third place podium finish – a rear tyre problem hampered his chances of a third consecutive win. Klaffenböck kept his points tally ticking over with fourth position, hanging on to top spot by three points.

The leadership was, however, to change proprietorship in the subsequent round at a rain-soaked Brands Hatch, GB for the second ‘home’ leg of the campaign.

Steinhausen and passenger Trevor Hopkinson put up a great fight at the Kent circuit but Webster and Woodhead continued to set the pace and edged a close win. The British duo recorded their fourth victory of the campaign at the end of a highly entertaining race.

“Visibility was an obvious problem and it was taxing on the brain when you know that you dare not put a foot wrong. It was important to get a good result and lead the championship,” continues Webster, who now held an advantage – six points – for the first time since the opening round at Valencia, Spain.

Following a six-week summer break, the 2003 Superside World championship resumed at Assen, Holland for rounds seven and eight. Webster and Woodhead were again in inspired form and registered back-to-back wins – numbers five and six – at the legendary ‘Circuit van Drenthe’.

Steinhausen and Hopkinson took the holeshot in the first race and the on-form German-British pairing held on to the lead for five laps before being overtaken by eventual winners, Webster and Woodhead. “I got my usual bad start and it was a lot of hard work. But we had to keep pushing very hard,” states Webster.

It was the same pattern in race two as Webster and Woodhead took the chequered flag, 6.815s ahead of Klaffenböck and Parzer. The Austrians staged a terrific fightback to pass reigning world champions, Steve Abbott and Jamie Biggs on the final lap and take second. But they now trailed their British counterparts by 25 points, with two races to go.

“It was a good weekend and the team did a fantastic job. Lap times were a bit slower but it was the same for everyone out there,” says Webster, who broke his own lap record with a time of 2:08.392.

Round nine at Imola, Italy saw Steinhausen and Hopkinson grab their second win of the campaign with Webster and Woodhead having to settle for second, 14.433s adrift of the winners.

“We had no chance of catching Jörg and Trevor. The championship was not decided yet so we were not going to take anything for granted,” adds Webster, who would go into the final round needing just one point to seal an unprecedented ninth world title.

A fifth place was to prove sufficient for the British pairing, who finished the season on 197 points, 19 clear of Klaffenböck and Parzer.

“It’s been a big team effort and there are a lot of people who have helped us this year. They know who they are. It’s a very special day for me and this gives me the spur to go for a 10th world title!” concludes Steve Webster MBE.



Steve Webster – 2003 – the year that was:

Six race wins
Eight podium finishes
Nine pole positions (100% record)

57 career wins (second behind Switzerland’s Rolf Biland, 82 wins)

27 consecutive pole positions

Nine World championships (record):
1987 Steve Webster (GB)/Tony Hewitt (GB)
1988 Steve Webster (GB)/Tony Hewitt (GB)
1989 Steve Webster (GB)/Tony Hewitt (GB)
1991 Steve Webster (GB)/Gavin Simmons (GB)
1997 Steve Webster (GB)/David James (GB)
1998 Steve Webster (GB)/David James (GB)
1999 Steve Webster (GB)/David James (GB)
2000 Steve Webster (GB)/Paul Woodhead (GB)
2003 Steve Webster (GB)/Paul Woodhead (GB)


Steve Webster – World Superside championship/*FIM World Cup record
1983: 16th 8 points
1984 8th 15
1985: 4th 32
1986: 3rd 71
1987: 1st 97
1988: 1st 156
1989: 1st 145
1990: 3rd 166
1991: 1st 181
1992: 2nd 92
1993: 2nd 119
1994: 2nd 104
1995: 19th 12
1996: 3rd 110
1997*: 1st 163
1998*: 1st 124
1999*: 1st 190
2000*: 1st 220
2001: 2nd 120
2002: 4th 145
2003: 1st 197

From a press release issued by Kawasaki’s Public Relations/Advertising firm:

KAWASAKI NINJA® ZX-6R RACES TO HEAD OF CLASS AT KEITH CODE’S CALIFORNIA SUPERBIKE SCHOOL

636cc NINJA® motorcycles supplied by Kawasaki earn top marks from students and instructors

IRVINE, Calif. – Kawasaki’s NINJA® ZX-6R sportbikes have been drawing unanimous praise from both students and instructors at Keith Code’s California Superbike School (CSS) since their arrival in March. The 22 NINJA middleweights were provided by Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A., (KMC) as part of the company’s ongoing 23-year sponsorship of Code’s Los Angeles-based training academy, considered by many to be the world’s top venue for motorcycle cornering instruction.

“The new NINJA ZX-6R sportbikes are probably the best mid-size bikes in the world,” said CSS founder Code. “By adding the extra 37cc of displacement, Kawasaki has created a street rider’s 600-class dream bike.”

Code added that Kawasaki has been supporting the Superbike School since 1980 with upgrades to his NINJA fleet every two years.

“With the release of the 2003 ZX-6R, Kawasaki executives have gone out of their way to make sure my students are training on state-of-the-art equipment,” said Code. “Kawasaki’s commitment has helped us build our facility into the number one school in the world.”

First introduced in 2003, the Kawasaki NINJA® ZX-6R features a 37cc increase in engine displacement, giving it exceptional low- and mid-range torque for harder drives out of turns. The torque also makes it easier to ride in heavy traffic conditions. Often referred to as the “636,” the NINJA ZX-6R is one of Kawasaki’s best-selling models in the United States.

Reid Nordin, manager of Team Green™, Kawasaki’s amateur racing support program, commented that the California Superbike School “has always been the perfect venue for riders – and future racers – who want to experience cutting-edge sportbike technology in a safe, controlled environment, which makes it an ideal home for the ZX-6R.”

Nordin added that riders thinking about going to the California Superbike School would find now an ideal time to attend. “It’s the perfect opportunity to throw a leg over the NINJA ZX-6R,” said Nordin.

More than 100,000 motorcycle enthusiasts of all skill levels have learned and practiced the fundamentals of cornering and motorcycle control for both the highway and the race track at the California Superbike School. Founded in 1980 by motorcycle riding and racing legend Keith Code, the school has trained 15 U.S. Superbike Champions and operates in 12 countries. The California Superbike School is the world’s largest single consumer of Kawasaki 600-class motorcycles. More information about the California Superbike School can be found at www.californiasuperbikeschool.com or call (323) 224-2734.

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A., (KMC) markets and sells at wholesale Kawasaki motorcycles, ATVs, JET SKI® watercraft, MULE™ utility vehicles, power products and small engines. Kawasaki’s tagline, Let the good times roll™, is recognized worldwide for the spirit of fun, adventure and high performance that characterizes the Kawasaki recreational vehicle line. Kawasaki product lines are sold through a network of more than 1,500 independent retailers. The company and its affiliates employ nearly 2,400 people in the United States, with approximately 400 of them located at the Irvine, California headquarters.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Special Michelin tires shipped in from France aided former Superbike World Champion Doug Polen at Willow Springs during the Toyota 200 weekend.

Polen, 43, who has been running races in Japan with sponsorship from Dunlop, called Michelin after his request for support (i.e., free tires) at Willow was turned down by Dunlop’s U.S. operation. Michelin responded by sending Polen tires not made available to other riders.

The results showed in Friday’s final Toyota 200 qualifying session, when Polen was third-fastest on his Moto-Liberty Honda CBR954RR at 1:21.293 running a Michelin 4387J S4 rear tire and an 1862C front tire on a race set-up.

The only other Michelin riders in the field, running S2 tires, languished back in 14th and 15th in the same session, in the mid-1:24s on race set-ups.

Polen had the same model tires on his bike for the start of the race on Sunday, but was black-flagged early-on when his bike sprung an oil leak and started smoking.

Dunlop swept the first eight positions in the Toyota 200, with the first Michelin rider finishing 11th.

From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

TROY FIT AND WELL AND ON HIS WAY HOME

Following his spectacular crash in the Australian Grand Prix in Phillip Island yesterday, in which he suffered mild concussion, Troy would like to inform everybody that he is fit and well and on his way home. The Australian rider, who had been taken to Melbourne hospital for routine checks, in fact returned to the circuit on Sunday night after he had been given the all clear.

At this very moment he is in Singapore with the rest of the Ducati Marlboro Team awaiting a flight that will take them all back to Europe in time for Troy to return to his Monaco home first thing on Tuesday morning. He will then have two weeks at home before preparing for the final round of the 2003 MotoGP Championship at Valencia on November 2.

Both Troy and Ducati would like to thank the many fans around the world for showing their concern.

From a press release issued by series organizers:

WEBSTER ON CLOUD ‘NINE’ AT MAGNY-COURS

Steve Webster and passenger Paul Woodhead clinched the 2003 World Superside championship following a sixth place finish in the final round at Magny-Cours in France.

The British pairing needed just one point to win their second title together [their first was in 2000] and they duly obliged. “Plan A was to get off to a good, clean start – which we didn’t do – and then plan B was to make sure we finished inside the top 15,” said Webster who won a record ninth world title.

Webster got off to a disastrous start, falling back to 10th place as rivals Klaus Klaffenböck and Christian Parzer took the holeshot. The Austrian pairing were, however, passed by eventual winners, Jörg Steinhausen and Trevor Hopkinson on lap two.

The British-German duo clinched their third win of the campaign to finish the season in third place overall. “In the end it was quite easy. We had no problems and I am very pleased for the team,” said Steinhausen.

Second place went to reigning world champions, Steve Abbott and Jamie Biggs. “We went on a bit of a charge and pulled the lead pack back one at a time. I am well happy with that,” said Abbott, who finished the season in fourth place.

As to Klaffenböck and Parzer, the Austrians needed a win to stand any chance of upsetting the Webster-Woodhead celebrations but had to settle for a podium third place. “We tried but it was too hard. We are happy with second overall given the tough season that we have had,” said Klaffenböck.

Webster added: “I still get nervous and I guess that played a part in the start. I would like to thank Castrol Suzuki and everyone who helped us. They know who they are!”

Superside world championship result (18 laps-79.398km/49.624miles):
1 Jörg Steinhausen, Germany (Suzuki) 32:48.255
2 Steve Abbott, GB (Suzuki) -7.261
3 Klaus Klaffenböck, Austria (Yamaha) -12.502
4 Martien van Gils, Holland (Suzuki) -12.996
5 Steve Webster, GB (Suzuki) -32.570
6 Bill Philp, GB (Yamaha) -53.316
7 Renaud Dernoncourt, France (Suzuki) -56.686
8 Mike Roscher, Germany (Suzuki) -62.680
9 Richard Gatt, GB (Yamaha) -63.004
10 Jean-Noël Minguet, France (Suzuki) -63.504

Championship points after 10 of 10 rounds:
1 Webster 197
2 Klaffenböck 178
3 Steinhausen 161
4 Abbott 111
5 Van Gils 101
6 Tom Hanks, GB (Yamaha) 89
7 Philp 80
8 Roscher 76
9 Gatt 50
10 Jock Skene, GB (Suzuki) 46

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Daytona 200 by Arai to Run on Saturday

Daytona International Speedway officials announced that the Daytona 200 by Arai would run on Saturday, March 6, 2004, instead of the traditional Sunday schedule. The summary of the 2004 Bike Week events is as follows:

Wednesday, March 3:

Daytona 200 by Arai practice and first round qualifying

Lockhart-Phillips Formula Xtreme qualifying

Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock qualifying.

AMA Hotshoe Series and AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium at night.


Thursday, March 4:
Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport qualifying

BMW Boxer Cup qualifying

Daytona 200 by Arai second round qualifying

Lockhart-Phillips Formula Xtreme race

Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock race

AMA Hotshoe Series and AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium at night.


Friday, March 5:

Daytona Supercross by Honda at night.


Saturday, March 6:

BMW Boxer Cup race

Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship race

Daytona 200 by Arai race

The main reason for moving the 200 from Sunday to Saturday was to give an extra margin to run the race on Sunday in case of adverse weather on Saturday. “It obviously gives us a hedge on weather,” said Daytona President Robin Braig. “Weather has been a problem in the past.”

Tickets and more information are available at 1800pitshop.com or by calling 1-800-PIT-SHOP.



AMA to Race at Indianapolis?

At a press conference to announce the new 2004 Bike Week schedule, reporter D.C. Williams of the Daytona Beach News-Journal asked AMA CEO Scott Hollingsworth, who was participating via speakerphone from Ohio, “What became of the recent tests by the AMA at Indianapolis Motor Speedway?” Hollingsworth replied, “It was the culmination of a dialogue that’s been going on with Indianapolis Motor Speedway for quite some time. We were fortunate enough to be invited there while they were designing the interior road course to make sure it took into consideration the needs of motorcycles as well as cars. We talked about doing a test there to see how the motorcycles looked on the road course. At the moment there’s just an ongoing dialogue between the two organizations about the possibility of some sort of motorcycle race over there. There’s nothing definitive on the table. We called it a ‘compatibility test’ and I think that’s an accurate description. We’d like to run a race there, but we understand Indianapolis’ position that there’s probably not an opportunity to add a fourth major event there. Should the opportunity present itself sometime in the future, we wanted to know what we were facing in terms of the ability to run a race there.”



AMA vs. FIM Superbike Rules

In the press conference at Daytona International Speedway to announce the new schedule for Bike Week, 2004, Hollingsworth also said that the AMA had been in constant contact with FCSports regarding the rules for Superbike in each organization. “We had exchanged a significant amount of information over the last year or more about the future of Superbike racing both here and globally. AMA Pro Racing has announced its ’04 technical rules package for Superbike racing, but I frankly do not know the status of whether the FIM has made a public announcement about its technical Superbike regulations at this point. Our goal in having extensive dialogue with FCSports was to try to create, if not an identical form of technical regulations, (then) regulations that were close enough so manufacturers could have some economy of scale in the development costs to go Superbike racing globally. I’m confident that, at the end of the day, whether our technical regulations are identical or not, that they will be close enough so that we will provide that economy of scale. The 64-dollar question over the last year or so was whether or not we were going to use air restrictors. At that time, the FIM was a proponent of air restrictors, and we were not necessarily in favor of that, and I think that issue’s been resolved. At this point, the differences, if any, will be relatively manageable.”



Hollingsworth: No 750s in AMA’s Future

In the press, Hollingsworth was asked, “Given recent events and Ben Spies’ comments and the fact that, in the 1980s, the displacement of Superbikes was reduced from 1000cc to 750cc, is it time to consider a similar reduction again?”

Hollingsworth answered, “We just went through a fairly lengthy process about what technical regulations are for Superbike. Some consideration was given as to whether it was time to reduce displacement or not, and the uniform opinion was that the 1000cc platform was the right way to go at this point in time. Obviously, we’ve dialed back significantly the amount of modifications allowable on the 1000s to keep a handle on performance.”

As issued by Daytona International Speedway:

DAYTONA 200 WEEK SCHEDULE**
Wednesday, February 25 – Saturday, March 6, 2004

Wednesday, February 25

9 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Team Hammer Advanced Riding School


Thursday, February 26

8 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Championship Cup Series
Friday, February 27

8 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Championship Cup Series
Saturday, February 29

8 a.m. – 5 p.m: Championship Cup Series
Sunday, February 29

8 a.m. – 5 p.m.: Formula USA Championship Series



Monday, March 1

8 a.m. – 5 p.m.: AHRMA Classics Days Vintage Road Races


Tuesday, March 2

8 a.m. – 5 p.m.: AHRMA Classics Days Vintage Road Races


Wednesday, March 3

8 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.: Practice in sessions: Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport; Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock; Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme

9:40 a.m. – 10:40 a.m.: Chevy Trucks Superbike Practice

10:50 a.m. – noon: Practice in sessions

1 p.m. — 2:10 p.m.: Timed Qualifying: Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock

2:20 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.: Timed Qualifying: Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme

3:40 p.m. – 5:10 p.m.: Timed Qualifying: Chevy Trucks Superbike (Provisional Pole)

5:20 p.m. – 5:50 p.m.: BMW BoxerCup Practice
Thursday, March 4

8 a.m. – 10 a.m.: Practice in sessions: Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport; BMW Boxer Cup; Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock; Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme

10:10 a.m. – 11 a.m.: Chevy Trucks Superbike Practice

11:10 a.m. – noon: Timed Qualifying: Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport

12:50 p.m. — 1:20 p.m.: Timed Qualifying: BMW BoxerCup

1:30 p.m – 3 p.m.: Timed Qualifying: Chevy Trucks Superbike for the Daytona 200 Rolex Pole Award

3:30 p.m.: Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Final (15 laps, 80k)

4:40 p.m.: Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Final (15 laps, 80k)


Friday, March 5

DAYTONA SUPERCROSS BY HONDA

8 a.m.: Semi Truck Parking

9 a.m.: Paddock open to all participants

Noon – 2:30 p.m.: Practice

2 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Paddock Fan Walk

3 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Qualifying Heats

7 p.m.: Opening Ceremonies

7:15 p.m. – 9 p.m.: Heat Races; Semis; Last Chance Qualifier

9:15 p.m.: 125cc SX Series Main Event (15 laps)

10 p.m.: Daytona Supercross By Honda (20 laps)


Saturday, March 6

8:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.: Practice in sessions: Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport; BMW BoxerCup; Chevy Trucks Superbike

10:30 a.m.: Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport (18 laps, 103k)

11:50 a.m.: BMW BoxerCup (13 laps, 70k)

1:30 p.m.: Opening Ceremonies & Presentation of Rolex Pole Award

1:45 p.m.: Sighting lap for Daytona 200 By Arai

2 p.m.: 63rd Daytona 200 By Arai Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited (57 laps)


DAYTONA BEACH MUNICIPAL STADIUM
AMA CHAMPIONSHIP DIRT TRACK SERIES

Wednesday, March 3
12:30 p.m.: Practice sessions
1:30 p.m.: Qualifying Heats
6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.: Pits open to spectators
8:30 p.m.: Feature Program: AMA Hot Shoe Series Championship

Thursday, March 4
12:30 p.m: Practice sessions
1:30 p.m.: Qualifying Heats
6 p.m – 7:30 p.m.: Pits open to spectators
8:30 p.m.: Feature Program: U.S. Flat Track Championship AMA Progressive Insurance Grand National Final

**Preliminary Schedule subject to change



More, from a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway and AMA Pro Racing:

Daytona 200 Week Schedule Boasts New Look
Daytona Supercross By Honda Moves To Friday Night; Daytona 200 By Arai To Be Contested On Saturday Afternoon

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Daytona 200 Week schedule will have a new look in 2004, Speedway President Robin Braig announced.

Highlighting the changes to the Daytona 200 Week schedule is the Daytona Supercross By Honda, which will move under the lights for the first time in event history on Friday night, March 5.

The 63rd Daytona 200 By Arai motorcycle classic, the season opener to the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike championship season, will be held for the first time at the Speedway on Saturday afternoon, March 6.

The Daytona Supercross By Honda has traditionally been held on a Saturday afternoon in the tri-oval grass while the Daytona 200 By Arai has been contested on a Sunday afternoon on Daytona International Speedway’s historic 3.56-mile road course.

Other changes to the Daytona 200 Week schedule include:

· The AMA HotShoe Series and the AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship races, traditionally held on Friday and Saturday nights at Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium, will be moved to Wednesday night, March 3 and Thursday night, March 4 respectively.

· The Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship race will precede the Daytona 200 By Arai on Saturday, March 6 along with the much anticipated return of the BMW BoxerCup.

· Thursday’s schedule will include Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Qualifying, BMW BoxerCup Qualifying, Daytona 200 By Arai second-round qualifying followed by the inaugural Daytona Lockhart-Phillips Formula Xtreme race and the Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock event.

· Wednesday’s schedule will include Daytona 200 By Arai practice and first-round qualifying, Lockhart-Phillips Formula Xtreme qualifying and Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock qualifying.

“We’re thrilled about the changes to the Daytona 200 Week schedule,” Speedway President Robin Braig said. “We feel these improvements to the schedule will enhance our fans’ experiences at our facility. Moving the Supercross to Friday night is going to create an electric atmosphere for both fans and competitors and scheduling the Daytona 200 By Arai on Saturday afternoon will make it more convenient for our guests to attend one of the most prestigious motorcycle races in America.”

AMA Pro Racing CEO Scott Hollingsworth shares Braig’s enthusiasm.

“Reworking the schedule so more fans can attend the races during Daytona 200 Week is consistent with our business plan to aggressively grow the sport of motorcycle racing in the United States,” Hollingsworth said. “We’re gratified to have been able to work with the folks at Daytona International Speedway to make this happen.”

In 2004, history could be made in both the Daytona 200 By Arai and the Daytona Supercross. Miguel Duhamel, the 2003 Daytona 200 By Arai winner, will be racing for his fifth triumph, which would tie him for most Daytona 200 By Arai wins with Scott Russell.

Ricky Carmichael, the 2003 Daytona Supercross By Honda winner, is currently tied with Jeff Stanton with four straight victories and will be gunning for a record fifth consecutive Daytona Supercross By Honda on the tough and demanding Gary Bailey-designed course.

Tickets to any of the Daytona 200 Week events are available online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling the Speedway ticket office at (386) 253-7223.