From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

PRESS INFORMATION
Africa’s GP, Welkom
First Qualifying

Friday, April 25 2003

BOTH DUCATI MARLBORO MEN ON PROVISIONAL FRONT ROW!
Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss were once again on stunning form today, clocking second- and fourth-quickest times in this afternoon’s opening qualifying session at Welkom.

The Ducati Marlboro Team is the only top MotoGP squad never to have competed at the South African circuit, but this didn’t prevent the crew immediately getting their Desmosedecis on the pace. Capirossi even held provisional pole for a few moments before the end of the session, completing the hour-long outing just 0.144 seconds behind World Champion Valentino Rossi (Honda).

“We made some changes to Troy’s front-end set-up when we tested at Mugello last week,” explained Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli. “And we applied those changes to Loris’ machine for this race. We’ve adjusted the geometry – this is still early stages with this bike – so we’re still making some big changes, but it seems that front-end confidence isn’t a problem any more. But we’re not totally happy because we’re now having some rear-grip problems here, especially in the afternoon heat. The guys are lacking grip going into and through the turns, so we need to work on that.”

Welkom is the highest track in GP racing, with an altitude of 1350 metres, which reduces horsepower by between 15 and 20 per cent – about a 125’s worth! But this requires no adjustments to the Desmosedici – the bike’s Magneti Marelli engine-management system takes care of everything. “It’s a big difference and both riders feel it at first,” added Cecchinelli. “But we don’t need to touch anything on the bikes, and the riders soon adjust to it.”

CAPIROSSI CHALLENGES FOR WELKOM POLE

Loris Capirossi rode a storming first qualifying session at Welkom, challenging for pole position during the final ten minutes. With seven minutes to go the Ducati Marlboro Team man was just 0.101 seconds off pole, then he went fastest with seconds to go, slipping to second in the final order.

“Second fastest is great for us at this stage but I’m not really happy!” said Capirossi, who’s already lapping inside the track record. “We’ve only had two one-hour sessions here with this bike, so we still have a lot of work to do. I’d say we’re at 70 per cent of our potential for this track. Of course, I was pushing more than 100 per cent this afternoon, but if we keep improving the set-up step by step we can make the bike, and the results, even better. We are already very competitive, and Troy’s results prove that, but you must never forget that this project is still very young!

“The circuit is much better than before; the tarmac is smoother and less slippery, which is one reason that the pace is already faster than before. I think I can improve my speed through the final section, I was faster through there last year, so we need to take a look at that.”

BAYLISS ROMPS TO FOURTH
Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss gave the MotoGP paddock another indication of his talent and determination by going fourth fastest this afternoon, even though he’d never ridden the Welkom circuit before this morning. During last week’s Mugello tests the Aussie made significant improvements to front-end set-up, which have made him feel much more at home on his Desmosedici.

“Now it feels like my bike,” he smiled. “We’ve improved the front which makes things better, mainly for corner entry and mid-corner. But I think this race is going to be hard, it’s a nice track, but it’s definitely a lot of work. This afternoon we started off testing quite hard tyres, then we tried something a little different, but we didn’t really get going until the end. Overall it’s not too bad. This morning I forgot about the altitude – I went out and thought something was wrong with the bike, but then I remembered it’s the same at Kyalami, which is also pretty high.”

From a press release:

TOYE REMAINS UNCHALLENGED AS HASKOVEC FIGHTS FROM BACK OF THE GRID TO FINISH SECOND AT WILLOW SPRINGS RACEWAY

Rosamond, CA April 20th, 2003 – A sense of déjà vu permeated the crowd of spectators that flocked to Willow Springs Raceway this weekend to enjoy the 4th installment of the Toyota Cup Unlimited Formula One series. Once again San Diego’s Jeremy Toye enjoyed an unchallenged start-to-finish lead, making this his fourth consecutive first place finish this season.

Despite the lack of competition for the leader’s slot, there was plenty of excitement as a group of exceptionally strong racers battled for points and money positions further back in the pack.

Lake Elsinore’s Vincent Haskovec started the day at the very back of the grid on a Suzuki 750, yet by the end of the 2nd lap had managed to weave his way into second place a position he refused to give up for the remainder of the race.

Las Vegas rider Jeff Stern and Burbank’s Stoney Landers battled back and forth for the third slot with the podium position switching again and again for much of the race. In the end it was Landers who managed to pull away to capture third and add extra points to his strong standings this season at Willow Springs.

An equally ferocious battle between youth and experience was playing out just behind as young Corey Eaton of Placerville and veteran Clinton Whitehouse of Bakersfield fought over fifth place points. As each lap passed, it seemed one or the other had taken advantage of a new situation to take over the hotly contested fifth slot. In the final analysis, it was traffic, not cunning that did Whitehouse in as the two made their way for the checkered flag. Eaton has finished in the top five in three out his four races this season.

Rounding out the top ten money finishers were Marte Cooksey of San Diego, Stephen Hewitt of North Hollywood, Dan Lebson of Hermosa Beach and Reno Karlmian of Glendale.

After the race, Stoney Landers commented on the fun and excitement of racing at Willow Springs. “Even though I only got third place, this was one of my favorite rides. It was a great end to tough weekend … I love racing against guys who pass me … you get to work out how to pass back. … [Stern] is a great rider.”

It was the second second-place finish this year for Czech-born Vincent Haskovec who races for SGI. With less horsepower, but greater maneuverability on the turns, Haskovec was able to snake through traffic that others found frustrating. “I launched pretty good,” noted Vincent. “But it got a little dicey with Stoney
and Stern out there. I’m really happy where I finished. I had a great time.”

Toye who races for Lee’s Cycles, took his fourth consecutive first place finish in stride, claiming he’s been trying new things to get the most out of his equipment. He was racing a new motor this week and felt that he got off to a good start. “I was comfortable after the first few laps. I got a nice steady rhythm going and was able to keep up my concentration.”

The Toyota Cup Unlimited Series is a year-long calendar of events sanctioned by the Willow Springs Motorcycle Cub. These high-charged, unlimited Formula 1 races lead up to the grueling Toyota 200 race to be held October 19th. Here top riders will compete for a $150,000 purse with the winner taking home $50,000, one of the richest rewards in motorcycle racing.

This world-class event is timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the famed Willow Springs International Raceway. Founded in the fall of 1953, the track has been under the ownership of Bill Huth for over 40 years and has hosted many legendary racers.

Round Five of the Toyota Cup will be held May 16-18th including a special 50-mile Solo Race on Saturday May 17th. Call (661) 256-2471 for complete details.

Admission including pit passes and camping privileges is only $10/person.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Friday’s 125cc Grand Prix Qualifying Results:

1. Youichi Ui, Aprilia, 1:41.570
2. Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, 1:41.793
3. Pablo Nieto, Aprilia, 1:41.794
4. Andrea Dovizioso, Honda, 1:42.015
5. Mirko Giansanti, Aprilia, 1:42.170
6. Hector Barbera, Aprilia, 1:42.501
7. Alex de Angelis, Aprilia, 1:42.604
8. Lucio Cecchinello, Aprilia, 1:42.697
9. Steve Jenkner, Aprilia, 1:42.836
10. Mika Kallio, Honda, 1:42.887
11. Simone Corsi, Honda, 1:43.042
12. Casey Stoner, Aprilia, 1:43.168
13. Gabor Talmacsi, Aprilia, 1:43.247
14. Stefano Bianco, Gilera, 1:43.523
15. Alvaro Bautista, Aprilia, 1:43.556
16. Gino Borsoi, Aprilia, 1:43.667
17. Jorge Lorenzo, Derbi, 1:43.677
18. Marco Simoncelli, Aprilia, 1:43.731
19. Roberto Locatelli, KTM, 1:43.819
20. Gioele Pellino, Aprilia, 1:43.851
21. Christopher Martin, Aprilia, 1:43.926
22. Stefano Perugini, Aprilia, 1:43.928
23. Max Sabbatani, Aprilia, 1:43.939
24. Arnaud Vincent, KTM, 1:43.947
25. Thomas Luthi, Honda, 1:43.951
26. Mike Di Meglio, Aprilia, 1:44.024
27. Emilio Alzamora, Derbi, 1:44.069
28. Masao Azuma, Honda, 1:44.272
29. Fabrizio Lai, Malaguti, 1:44.310
30. Julian Simon, Malaguti, 1:44.625
31. Imre Toth, Honda, 1:45.408
32. Peter Lenart, Honda, 1:47.140
33. Leon Camier, Honda, 1:48.522

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

First Qualifying Session
Friday, April 25
Welkom, South Africa

1. Valentino Rossi, Italy, Honda, 1:33.442
2. Loris Capirossi, Italy, Ducati, 1:33.586
3. Sete Gibernau, Spain, Honda, 1:33.961
4. Troy Bayliss, Australia, Ducati, 1:34.322
5. Tohru Ukawa, Japan, Honda, 1:34.334
6. Max Biaggi, Italy, Honda, 1:34.364
7. Colin Edwards, USA, Aprilia, 1:34.413
8. Alex Barros, Brazil, Yamaha, 1:34.426
9. Shinya Nakano, Japan, Yamaha, 1:34.535
10. Jeremy McWilliams, UK, Proton, 1:34.617
11. Noriyuki Haga, Japan, Aprilia, 1:34.731
12. Nicky Hayden, USA, Honda, 1:34.739
13. Carlos Checa, Spain, Yamaha, 1:34.806
14. Kenny Roberts, USA, Suzuki, 1:34.907
15. Olivier Jacque, France, Yamaha, 1:34.963
16. Nobuatsu Aoki, Japan, Proton, 1:35.061
17. John Hopkins, USA, Suzuki, 1:35.068
18. Norick Abe, Japan, Yamaha, 1:35.156
19. Makoto Tamada, Japan, Honda, 1:35.392
20. Andrew Pitt, Australia, Kawasaki, 1:36.274
21. Garry McCoy, Australia, Kawasaki, 1:36.583



More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

Africa’s Grand Prix
Friday, 25 April 2003
Welkom, South Africa

FORTUNA YAMAHA RIDERS MAKE PROGRESS IN AFRICA’S GP OPENER

Day one of the African’s MotoGP, held at Welkom’s Phakisa Freeway circuit today, proved to be a challenging venture for Fortuna Yamaha Team riders Carlos Checa and Norick Abe – the latter filling in for the injured Marco Melandri. The notoriously bumpy Welkom circuit has retained some of its former character, although recently resurfaced. The combination of bumps and the dusty surface hindered the Fortuna Yamaha Team’s attempts at finding a balanced chassis set-up during this morning’s free practice session. However as the circuit conditions gradually improved so did Carlos Checa’s confidence, with the Spaniard eventually finishing the day 13th, with a best lap time of 1:34.806.

Much of the improvement was the result of a change to the base set-up, with Checa’s best placing him only 1.364 seconds off the provisional pole time, set by defending MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi (Honda, 1:33.442). Loris Capirossi (Ducati, 1:33.586), Sete Gibernau (Honda, 1:33.961) and Troy Bayliss (Ducati, 1:34.322) completed the front row.

Carlos Checa 13th, 1:34.806: “Overall I felt better this afternoon compared to this morning. We changed the balance and chassis set-up a little since this morning’s practice session, so it feels more like last year’s set-up. The progress we made today is good – we have a better and clearer direction, and I have already got a better lap time than last year. However I am still a step behind the others so we might need to adjust the balance again. We need to use all the materials we have to progress. The circuit feels a bit better than last year because of the new asphalt. It’s still bumpy but I quite like that and I like the racing line of this circuit.”

After spending much of the pre-season testing programme and the opening race of the 2003 season on the Yamaha Factory Testing Team prototype YZR-M1, today Abe made his debut performance on the 2003 spec YZR-M1. The likeable Japanese spent the opening day of the Welkom MotoGP weekend working on a base chassis set-up, eventually finishing 18th fastest with a lap time of 1:35.156.

Abe replaces MotoGP newcomer Marco Melandri, who fell at the Suzuka Grand Prix three weeks ago breaking his leg in three places, and has been out of action since. Melandri is making impressive progress and hopes to return to the MotoGP class soon.

Norick Abe 18th, 1:35.156: “We went step by step today. It was almost the first time on this bike for me as I was only able to ride it for about three hours at the Suzuka test after the race there due to the rain. My feeling on the bike is not too bad but I do need to get a better lap time. It’s not easy with such a small time separating the riders. For tomorrow we are going to change the front geometry slightly, and take it from there. Hopefully I will be able to improve.”

Davide Brivio (Fortuna Yamaha Team Director): “Carlos was in one of the top
positions when he came into the garage to change tyres before the last five minutes of the session. Unfortunately when he went back he only had one lap before the end and was unable to improve his time. He made some improvements compared to this morning. There are many riders that are very close in the top positions so a few tenths of a second difference makes all the difference.

“Norick had his first full day on this bike, and it’s quite different to the prototype that he tested during the winter. This circuit is quite a difficult one to start with as it’s so bumpy. He is still finding his general set-up. We will use today’s feedback from both riders to make the necessary changes, and then we will see what happens tomorrow.”

PROVISIONAL FRONT ROW

1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Repsol HONDA 1:33.442

2. Loris Capirossi (ITA) DUCATI Marlboro Team 1:33.586

3. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar HONDA 1:33.961

4. Troy Bayliss (AUS) DUCATI Marlboro Team 1:34.322

13. CARLOS CHECA SPA Fortuna YAMAHA Team 1:34.806

18. NORICK ABE JPN Fortuna YAMAHA Team 1:35.156



More, from a press release issued by John Hopkins’ publicist:

Tough luck slows Hopper

WELKOM, South Africa – A dusty track and a failing engine made for a tough first day of qualifying for John Hopkins at the South African Motorcycle Grand Prix Friday. Hopkins qualified 17th in Friday’s session after the motor on his factory Suzuki went down to three cylinders on the second-to-last corner on the final lap of qualifying. Qualifying continues Saturday.

“It’s been a tough day,” Hopkins said. “This morning I went out and tested with the Suzuka set up. This track is out in the desert and the racing surface gets really dirty. In practices I ran wide in a turn and got off line out in the dust and tucked the front end. I didn’t get a scratch on me, it was just one of those things that happen.”

Hopkins went to his back-up bike and was struggling to find speed in qualifying.

“The elevation here is something like 4500 feet so everybody is down on power,” Hopper explained. “For some reason it seems to be affecting us more than some of the other teams. I was hoping to get behind some faster bikes to get a draft. On the last lap of the session everything fell into place. I tucked in behind Sete Gibernau and Alex Barros. I had a really good lap going and then on the second-to-last turn the bike went down on three cylinders. Even with that it was by far my best lap of the day. The team figured I lost maybe three or four-tenths of a second on that last lap because of the motor going down. So even though qualifying looks bad I came really close to having a decent run.”

Now Hopkins and the Suzuki squad will focus on getting a good set-up for Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race.

“Welkom is a really bumpy track so we’ll try to get it to where the bike rides smoothly,” Hopkins explained. “Tomorrow I’m hoping for the same situation where I can get a tow around to make a good qualifying run.”

Hopkins said the elevation is not bothering him. “I’ve been here for a few days and have been jogging around the track so it’s not a problem,” he said. “The weather here reminds me a lot of Southern California with the dry heat.”



More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:

SUZUKI RIDERS UP THE PACE AT WELKOM

Welkom, South Africa – April 25, 2003

Team Suzuki riders Kenny Roberts Jr. and John Hopkins claimed 14th and 17th places on the provisional starting grid for Sunday’s Africa’s Grand Prix, after the first of two days of qualifying, held in blazing sunshine at the high-altitude South African circuit.

Roberts was faster, cutting half-a-second off his previous best lap of the 4.242km circuit, outside the gold mining town of Welkom. Hopkins was only a tenth or so slower, after a desperate end-of-session fast lap went wrong in the last stages, spoiling a potentially better time.

Both riders were riding the all-new Mk2 version of the 990cc four-stroke V4 racing prototype GSV-R, which is still at an early stage of development at this, only the second of 16 races this season. While a clear improvement on last year’s machine, riders and team are still working on finding the right settings for chassis and suspension, while the factory race department is continuing crucial engine development in Japan.

Hopkins had a minor spill in the morning untimed session, but escaped unhurt.

The Phakisa Freeway circuit has been fully resurfaced, reducing the problems caused last year by worsening bumps, and also offering improved levels of grip, often a problem here in the past. Provisional pole position was won by defending champion Valentino Rossi.

KENNY ROBERTS Jr. – 14th Position, 1:34.907
Not a lot to say. It’s a big struggle at the moment. I feel like I’m going about a million miles an hour out there, but the lap time is not where it needs to be. We made the bike better as the day went on, and I was quite surprised to see the lap times we did get in the end, compared with the morning. It’s the same thing. You can’t ride the bike 100 percent at the moment. You can only do what it wants to do. With any type of tyre or setting it seems very similar, because the engine still controls everything. So we’re in difficult circumstances right now.

JOHN HOPKINS – 17th Position, 1:35.068
This track’s fairly dirty, and this morning I ran a bit off line. I was trying to get the bike turned when I lost the front. Nothing spectacular, and I went back out and ran some laps to work on the set-up. This afternoon I was trying some different tyres, and working with the suspension to try and improve corner entry and mid-corner speed. We succeeded a little bit, though I’m not where I want to be. At the end I put on a new tyre and managed to get together with Alex Barros and Sete Gibernau. I was really struggling … having to brake extra hard to make up time lost on the straights, but I was still on their back tyres until the second last turn, when the engine went on to three cylinders. I knew it would still be my fastest lap, so I nursed to nurse it back, and ended up where I did. I’m sure the lap would have easily been a couple of tenths better.

FRIDAY OFFICIAL QUALIFYING TIMES WELKOM, SOUTH AFRICA

1. Valentino Rossi (Honda) 1’33.442

2. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) + 0.144

3. Sete Gibernau (Honda ) + 0.519

4. Troy Bayliss (Ducati) + 0.880

5. Tohru Ukawa (Honda) + 0.892

6. Max Biaggi (Honda) + 0.922

7. Colin Edwards (Aprilia) + 0.971

8. Alex Barros (Yamaha) + 0.984

9. Shinya Nakano (Yamaha) + 1.093

10. Jeremy McWilliams (Proton KR) + 1.175

14. Kenny Roberts (Suzuki Grand Prix Team) +1.465

17. John Hopkins (Suzuki Grand Prix Team) +1.626

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Racer Eric Kelcher, creator and sponsor of the CCS/CMRA Race To The Beach contests, married CCS Event Manager Tiffiney Ingram, on April 6, in Dallas, Texas.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Fujiwara tops Supersport qualifying in Japan

By Glenn Le Santo

Japanese rider Katsuaki Fujiwara is in provisional pole position after first timed qualifying in Sugo on Friday.

Alstare Suzuki’s Fujiwara waited until late in the rain-soaked session to blast in front of wild-card rider Ryuichi Kiyonari, who is riding this weekend for BKM Honda and had dominated the session until the final minutes. Fujiwara’s last lap, at 1:44.832, was enough to demote Kiyonari to second on the timesheet.

The wet conditions brought some unfamiliar names to the top of the timesheet, with third-fastest Jorg Teuchert sharing the provisional front row with Thierry VD Bosch.

Chris Vermeulen, race winner in Australia, struggled in the wet conditions, finishing 14th quickest. Soon after the session, low clouds descended on the circuit, delaying the Superbike qualifying session, possibly indefinitely!

World Supersport Championship
Round Three, Sugo
25-26-27 April 2003

First Timed Qualifying
Fastest Times

1. K. Fujiwara, JPN, Suzuki, 1:44.832
2. R. Kiyonari, JPN, Honda, 1:44.900
3. J. Teuchert, GER, Yamaha, 1:46.734
4. T. VD Bosch, FRA, Yamaha, 1:46.949
5. S. Chambon, FRA, Suzuki, 1:47.152
6. B. Parkes, AUS, Honda, 1:47.569
7. C. Cogan, FRA, Honda, 1:47.773
8. T. Kayo, JPN, Yamaha, 1:47.831
9. I. MacPherson, Honda, 1:47.902
10. P. Riba, Kawasaki, 1:47.958

From a press release jointly issued by Road America and CART:

CART CHAMP CAR AND ROAD AMERICA REACH AGREEMENT TO HOLD 2003 RACE, TO BE NAMED MARIO ANDRETTI GRAND PRIX AT ROAD AMERICA

INDIANAPOLIS – The road to the 2003 Vanderbilt Cup just got a bit longer and will now again wind through one of the most historic racetracks in North America as Championship Auto Racing Teams and Road America announced the restoration of this year’s Champ Car World Series event at the Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin track.

The event was restored to the 2003 and 2004 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford schedules after Champ Car legend Mario Andretti took up the cause and spearheaded discussion between Road America and CART. With the assistance of the four-time Champ Car title winner, the issues that caused the event to be canceled were resolved and both sides have agreed to cease any and all legal action in the matter. In recognition of the efforts of the 52-time Champ Car race winner, the event will now be known as the Mario Andretti Grand Prix at Road America.

“Road America has always been one of the premier tracks in the United States and is probably the most popular venue among the drivers on the CART Champ Car circuit,” said Andretti, who won three Road America events. “It was a track that we needed to have on our schedule to maintain the series’ standing as the truest challenge in open-wheel racing.”

“I must thank Mario Andretti for his tireless efforts toward getting Road America back on our schedule,” said CART Champ Car President and CEO Christopher R. Pook. “It is great to see that he has the same level of passion for the heritage of CART Champ Car racing that he did when he was behind the wheel.”

The event will take place on the 4.048-mile Elkhart Lake course from July 31-August 3 and marks the 22nd appearance of the CART Champ Cars at Road America. The race will be part of the 48th year of racing at the track this season.

“We are delighted to have the issues resolved and the Champ Cars coming back to Road America,” said track General Manager George Bruggenthies. “We truly appreciate Mario Andretti, the CART Champ Car staff and Board working closely with Road America to make another two seasons here a reality. We also want to thank the fans who have written and called to express their support for both open-wheel and road racing.”

Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. (NYSE: MPH) owns, operates and markets the 2003 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford. Veteran racing teams such as Newman/Haas Racing, Player’s/Forsythe Racing, Team Rahal, Patrick Racing and Walker Racing are just some of the teams that will compete this year in pursuit of the Vanderbilt Cup. CART Champ Cars are thoroughbred racing machines that reach speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour, showcasing the technical expertise of manufacturers such as Ford Motor Company, Lola Cars, Reynard Motorsport and Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, LLC. The 18-race 2003 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford will be broadcast by television partners CBS, and SPEED Channel. CART also owns and operates its top development series, the Toyota Atlantic Championship. Learn more about CART’s open-wheel racing series at www.champcarworldseries.com.

From a press release issued by the Plummer-Menapace Group on behalf of Reduc Sportbike Association:

REDUC SPORTBIKE ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES 2003 TRACKDAY AND SCHOOL DATES

(Philadelphia, PA) The ReDuc Sportbike Association, one of the country’s oldest trackday clubs, has announced its schedule of 2003 trackdays and schools.

Founded back in 1992, its name is a shortened form of “Red Ducati”, the marque of choice for five of the six founding members. And even though Ducatis–red and otherwise–are now in the minority of the club’s all-brand membership, a name is a name.

One of the non-profit club’s Directors, Bob Buchsbaum–who rides a totally tricked-out GSX-R600 trackday bike profiled in SPORT RIDER a few years ago–listed the main benefits that the club’s maturity offers; among them are a maximum of track time, a low “squid” factor, and an “excellent” safety record. Reduc’s event costs are lower, too, he says, because of the club’s non-profit status. Reduc also has a money-back guarantee: A rider who joins the club and is not completely satisfied after riding his or her first Reduc event will get a complete refund of their membership fee.

The Reduc Sportbike Association draws its membership from the Northeastern, Mid-Atlantic and Central states, from Connecticut down to Virginia and out to Michigan and Indiana. Three years ago, the club added Track Schools to its schedule. The club is sponsored by Pirelli Tires, Kneedraggers.com, Deer Park Spring Water, ProFab Motorcycle Service, and racedayphoto.com. For more information, log on to www.Reduc.com, or contact: Reduc Sportbike Association, 4712 Kistler Road, Schnecksville, PA 18078. Call toll-free: (800)421-8737; fax: (610) 336-8491.

Reduc 2003 Schedule:

Track Days:

April 27 – Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, PA
May 24 – Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, PA
May 25 – Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, PA
June 28 BeaveRun Creek, Big Beaver, PA
June 29 BeaveRun Creek, Big Beaver, PA
July 7 Summit Point Raceway, Summit Point, WV
August 11 – Summit Point Raceway, Summit Point, WV
August 17 – Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, PA
September 14 – Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, PA
September 22 – Summit Point Raceway, Summit Point, WV
October 11 – BeaveRun Creek, Big Beaver, PA
October 12 – BeaveRun Creek, Big Beaver, PA

Track Schools:

April 26 – Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, PA
September 27 Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, PA

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP Trap Speeds From Friday’s Qualifying Sessions At Phakisa Freeway:

1. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 168.1 mph
2. Valentino Rossi, Honda, 166.8 mph
3. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, 166.3 mph
4. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, 165.3 mph
5. Max Biaggi, Honda, 165.1 mph
6. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 164.7 mph
7. Sete Gibernau, Honda, 164.6 mph
8. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 164.2 mph
9. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha, 163.2 mph
10. Colin Edwards, Aprilia, 163.2 mph
11. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, 163.0 mph
12. Makoto Tamada, Honda, 163.0 mph
13. Noriyuki Haga, Aprilia, 162.7 mph
14. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, 162.2 mph
15. Norick Abe, Yamaha, 161.9 mph
16. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki, 161.9 mph
17. Alex Barros, Yamaha, 161.8 mph
18. Garry McCoy, Kawasaki, 161.4 mph
19. Andrew Pitt, Kawasaki, 159.4 mph
20. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton, 157.1 mph
21. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton, 154.4 mph

From a press release issued by Pramac Honda Pons:

Ukawa and Biaggi just the off front row in a sweltering qualifying session

The MotoGP World Championship was back in action again together in Welkom where the second race of the season, the Africa’s Grand Prix, will take place this Sunday. The Camel Pramac Pons riders spent the day working on the settings of their bikes in sweltering conditions with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees centigrade. A fall in the morning session affected the performance of Tohru Ukawa, who was not one hundred percent fit for the afternoon’s qualifying session. Max Biaggi, on the other hand, suffered engine problems which did not allow him to get the best out of his Honda RC211V. The two Camel Pramac Pons riders managed to qualify, however, just outside the front row of the provisional grid and hope to be able to challenge tomorrow for the pole position. In homage to Daijiro Kato, the team’s bikes carried a number 74 next to the names of Max and Tohru and both riders wore black arm bands during qualifying.

5th Tohru Ukawa (1:34.334):
“The fall in the morning has affected the whole day because I was not able to work on the set-up of the bike and I feel quite sore. I have not yet found the right settings and so I must change some things to improve tomorrow. After the resurfacing work carried out at the circuit, the track surface is a little better, but there are still many bumps”.

6th Max Biaggi (1:34.364):
“This morning the bike was running perfectly, but this afternoon I had a technical problem with the engine on both bikes which I suppose must have been electronic. When I rode in low gears the bike was losing power, but it was fine from the fourth gear upwards. This problem has affected our work on the bike set-up because when you have an important problem like this you cannot concentrate on solving the small problems. I am confident and I hope that tomorrow will be a better day”.

Antonio Cobas (Technical Director):
“We did not have any references for the four-stroke bike from this circuit and, although we are not starting from scratch, we have more work to do than at other circuits. As far as Tohru is concerned, the fact that he is not fully fit after this morning’s fall has put back our work on the set-up of his bike. Max, on the other hand, had a small problem with the engine settings that we are analyzing and we are sure that we will be able to fix it before tomorrow”.

Sito Pons:
“We have many good memories of this race and it is clear that both Ukawa and Biaggi have the potential to win. We have not found the perfect settings yet but I am not too worried because we have a full day’s work ahead of us tomorrow”.


More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:

Tough Start for McCoy and Pitt

Welkom, South Africa– Friday April 25th 2003, Kawasaki’s first visit to the Phakisa Freeway, venue for this weekend’s South African MotoGP in Welkom, kicked off in tough fashion today.

Pitt found himself in 20th place on his first appearance at the 2.636 miles circuit, while his fellow Australian McCoy was one place further back on the provisional grid.

Pitt was content with his steady progress and is looking for overnight set-up improvements to bump him further up the grid in tomorrow’s all-important final qualifying session.

McCoy found himself in unfamiliar territory at Welkom, ending the day in 21st, his best time coming on his 13th of 21 laps.

McCoy is no stranger to success at Welkom having won claimed his maiden premier class victory in brilliant fashion at the circuit in 2000.

The Welkom circuit has been renowned in the past for its bumpy surface and unpredictable grip levels. A new surface for 2003 has improved the conditions and lap times considerably, but the fact that today was the first time the ZX-RR has encountered Welkom made it a tricky baptism.

Andrew Pitt – 20th – 1:36.274
The bike feels a bit better than it did around Suzuka, but I’m still guessing a bit with things like braking markers because this is the first time I’ve been here. I like the circuit, a lot of people said it was pretty bumpy but I only found a couple and I’ve raced on a lot bumpier tracks. We had a few problems with the front tyres and we need to find some more grip. The grip is really strange and I lost the front quite a few times out there. It’s a feeling you don’t get at any other track because the front just goes on you really slowly. We made a change and got the bike to steer a bit better. Looking at last year’s times I set myself a target of where I wanted to be and I’ve done better than that, but everyone’s going a lot faster.

Garry McCoy – 21st – 1:36.583
It’s pretty tough out there and I’m definitely not happy with where I’m sitting at the moment. We are trying everything we can but as the track gets better it seems to help everybody else. When the track is wet or slippery we are not too far behind, but once it gets a bit of grip on the track everybody starts creeping away. The track isn’t too bad. It’s still bumpy, maybe the same as it has ever been, with some parts a little bit worse. There’s a little bit better grip for exiting turns, but it is still quite slippery for the front in mid-corner. The front has always pushed at this track and it still does that. We are struggling with these bikes at the moment. It is only the second race and we can’t be expected to do anything at the moment.

Harald Eckl – Team Manager
The problem we had for Garry and Andrew today was in the middle of the corner with front end grip. Our main focus is going to be working on the geometry to make some improvements in that area.


More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Day one of the South African MotoGP, held at the Welkom Phakisa Freeway on April 25, proved to be a challenging venture for the Yamaha contingent, with the injured Alex Barros (Gauloises Yamaha Team) setting his fastest time on the final lap of the hour-long session. His best, a 1’34.426, placed him eighth on the grid – less than a second behind provisional polesitter and defending MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi (Honda, 1’33.442). Despite his Suzuka injuries – ligament damage to his left knee – which were the result of a high speed crash in the opening round morning warm-up, Barros ended today as the fastest M1 rider. Although it was a determined result he was, however, unable to challenge for a front row position. The three remaining places behind Rossi were left to Loris Capirossi (Ducati, 1’33.586), Sete Gibernau (Honda, 1’33.961) and Troy Bayliss (Ducati, 1’34.322) to fight over – the trio finishing second to fourth respectively.

Although recently resurfaced the notoriously bumpy circuit has still retained some of its former character, and combined with the dusty surrounding, hindered many rider’s attempts at finding a balanced chassis set-up during the morning free practice. However, as the circuit conditions gradually improved so did the times, with Shinya Nakano (d’Antin Yamaha Team) also improving in the final few minutes of the session. The likeable Japanese finished the day ninth, only 0.109 seconds behind Barros, after producing a 1’34.535 lap.

Carlos Checa (Fortuna Yamaha Team, 1’34.806) overcame his initial concerns after reverting back to a base set-up he used last season at this venue and closed proceedings in 13th place – 1.364 seconds shy of the provisional pole time. His teammate, for the Welkom event, Norick Abe (1’35.156) – filling in for the injured Marco Melandri – ended his first competitive outing on the 2003 spec YZR-M1 in 18th.

Gauloises Yamaha Team
Alex Barros 8th, 1’34.426: “I worked really hard on improving the strength in my knee while I was back in Brazil – up to eight hours a day – and while it is much better than it was it’s still not perfect. I’m surprised by the pain behind the knee, and I only did short runs, no more than 8 laps so as not to aggravate the problem.

“Concerning the bike, the set-up isn’t too bad and we have a few small changes to try tomorrow that should improve it a little more. As it is we’re not far behind the times of the front guys, and given my level of fitness I’m reasonably satisfied with that. Our main problem is that we are down on power; hopefully Yamaha will have something for us when we get to Jerez.”


Olivier Jacque 15th, 1’34.963: “Our position isn’t so good but as for our time we are not too far behind the leaders. I’m not too concerned because I think we should be able to make good progress tomorrow. Already today we made good progress with the chassis in the afternoon session – now we need to look at improving the engine characteristics so as to improve the chassis still further.”

D’Antin Yamaha Team
Shinya Nakano 9th, 1’34.535: “Today was not so bad. We have been working on the bike set-up and the tyre choices, and I think we’re close. The track is still bumpy and with a light film of dust over the surface, but this afternoon the conditions had improved dramatically. Tomorrow should be even better.”

Fortuna Yamaha Team
Carlos Checa 13th, 1’34.806: “Overall I felt better this afternoon compared to this morning. We changed the balance and chassis set-up a little since this morning’s practice session, so it feels more like last year’s set-up. The progress we made today is good, we have a better and clearer direction, and I have already got a better lap time than last year. However I am still a step behind the others so we might need to adjust the balance again. We need to use all the resources we have to progress further. The circuit feels a bit better than last year because of the new asphalt; it’s still bumpy but I quite like that, and I like the racing line of this circuit.”

Norick Abe 18th, 1’35.156: “We went step by step today. It was almost the first time on this bike for me as I was only able to ride it for about three hours at the Suzuka test due to the rain. My feeling on the bike is not too bad, but I do need to get a better lap time. It’s not easy with such a small time separating the riders. For tomorrow we are going to change the front geometry slightly, and take it from there. Hopefully I will be able to improve.”


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

Two-Stroke Rebel McWilliams in Welkom Top Ten

Jeremy McWilliams: 10th, 1:34.617
Nobuatsu Aoki: 16th, 1:35.061

Proton Team KR rider Jeremy McWilliams scorched to his fastest-ever lap time round the Phakisa Freeway circuit outside Welkom today, putting his 500cc two-stroke Proton KR3 firmly up among the supposedly much faster 990cc four-stroke machines in what might easily be the last ever GP where a two-stroke 500 will race.

The Proton team’s own 990cc four-stroke prototype – a ground-breaking V5 design – is nearing completion back at base in England, and the team’s current target is to debut the new machine at the next race, the Spanish GP in two weeks, consigning the three-cylinder lightweight KR3 to history. The KR3 is the last two-stroke MotoGP machine still racing.

McWilliams ran a lap time faster than the 4.242km circuit’s official lap record, set by the winning four-stroke Honda in last year’s race. The rider from Northern Ireland also cut 1.3 seconds off his best qualifying lap at the track last year.

Team-mate Nobu Aoki was less than half-a-second slower, but six positions down the order, although still ahead of five full factory four-stroke racers.

While the team is anxiously awaiting the chance to start developing the new bike, they were also able to measure progress at a track that is friendly to the nimble KR3 machine. With only one fast straight, the rest of the track is mainly flowing and technical, so that the Proton riders have a chance to exploit their better braking, handling and roadholding to regain time lost in a straight line.

Today’s practice took place in warm, sunny conditions on the fully resurfaced circuit. Provisional pole time was set by defending champion Valentino Rossi (Honda). There is one more free practice session and another one-hour timed qualifying session tomorrow, before Sunday’s race.

Jeremy McWilliams
“That’s about as quick as the bike is going to go round here. It’s a great flowing circuit, and I’m working on keeping the flow going. You can really feel how the altitude and heat affect the power. I kept thinking it was running rich, but it’s just the power loss. I have to wring the bike’s neck even harder than usual – I felt quite sorry for her. But it was good fun. It’s nice to be among the four-strokes. It must be frustrating for teams that have spent a lot of money to build a four-stroke, and we’re going quicker on our old bike. I’d love to say there are a couple of places where I could find more speed tomorrow, but I’m already pushing it to the limit.”

Nobuatsu Aoki
“In Suzuka we went to very stiff suspension springs, but it doesn’t work here, because there is much less grip. Today we’ve been making the suspension softer, and it’s coming better. I am getting more feeling, and tomorrow I think we will make it softer again, and work on improving speed through the corners before and after the straight, which are really important for lap time. The new surface has helped the four-strokes more than us. It has more grip than last year, and is much smoother. Where the heavier four-strokes were struggling over the bumps, we could catch them up. Not any more.”

Chuck Aksland – Team Manager
“There wasn’t a lot expected this weekend, but we’re more competitive than we thought. Both riders are working really hard, and the improvement in surface and tyres means were a lot quicker than last year … with the same bike, which is good progress. Times are quite close, and anything can happen.”