From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI CORSE PRESS INFORMATION
Sugo (Japan)
April 24, 2003


TEAM DUCATI FILA HUNGRY FOR MORE SUCCESS IN JAPAN

Ducati Fila riders Neil Hodgson and Ruben Xaus aim to continue their 100% 1-2 win record at this weekend’s Japanese Round of the World Superbike Championship, which takes place at the Sugo Sportsland circuit in the mountainous north-east of the country. With two of the 12 rounds already down, Hodgson and Xaus have a comfortable points lead over their closest rivals as they start the second overseas race of the year. The weekend is not going to be an easy one however due to the characteristics of the circuit and the presence of a couple of strong local ‘wild-card’ riders.

HODGSON: NO RECORD BREAKER
Hodgson has a good recent record at Sugo, the Englishman finishing fourth and third last year on a satellite Dunlop-shod HM Plant Ducati 998. The Michelin tyres Neil is riding on this year helped Colin Edwards win one of the 2002 races with Honda and the 29 year-old Isle of Man resident is confident he can gain good results again with the brand-new Ducati 999. “I feel very motivated now after a month’s gap since the last race in Australia. Physically I feel really good as well” commented Neil. “I’m not worried about trying to break any records or win as many races as possible, I just want to win the championship. There are a few wild card riders here which could make things difficult. The circuit is fantastic, it’s in my top 3 of all circuits, it’s just the last corner that causes a few problems and it’s easy to make a mistake. My form is quite good here, even in 1998 I twice finished fifth on a Kawasaki with a couple of wild-cards ahead of me, while last year I nearly beat Colin Edwards.”

XAUS: POSSIBLE TO WIN
Xaus scored a ninth place finish last year after injuring his hand in the first race. With four second places on the board already, the 25 year-old from Barcelona wants to go one better and notch up his first win of the year in Japan. “This is a really technical track, quite difficult and to go fast you need to go slow” declared Ruben. “You need to find a good set-up here because there is not much grip. We hope to do a good race, qualify in front of the Japanese guys and then start Europe as a new season with a lot of points. For sure it’s possible to win here, I have to find a good set-up, the bike is perfect, the best bike here but you need time to get the best out of it.”

CIRCUIT: Sugo Sportsland first opened as a test track for Yamaha in 1975 and since then it has been transformed into a massive outdoor leisure facility, incorporating a 3.737 km international racetrack. The circuit is situated close to the city of Sendai which has a population of one million people. The track has a total of 15 corners (6 left and 9 right), a tricky first gear chicane at the bottom of the hill and a finish-line straight of 700 metres.

POINTS (after 2 of 12 rounds): Riders – 1. Hodgson (Ducati Fila) 100; 2. Xaus (Ducati Fila) 80; 3. Walker (HM Plant Ducati) 48; 4. Lavilla (Suzuki) 44; 5. Martin (Ducati DFX) 41; 6. Toseland (HM Plant Ducati) 40; etc. Manufacturers – 1. Ducati 100; 2. Suzuki 44; 3. Petronas 32; 4. Kawasaki 18; 5. Yamaha 7.

STATISTICS: Lap record: Tamada (Honda) 1’29.108 (2002); Superpole: Tamada (Honda) 1’28.797 (2001); Qualifying : Tamada (Honda) 1’28.658 (2001).

2002 RESULTS: Race 1: 1. Edwards (Honda); 2. Tamada (Honda); 3. Haga (Aprilia). Race 2: 1. Tamada; 2. Edwards; 3. Hodgson (Ducati).

From a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM PREVIEW

Africa’s Grand Prix
Welkom
April 25/26/27 2003

FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM CROSSES CONTINENTS FOR SECOND ROUND IN WELKOM

The MotoGP World Championship will continue this weekend in South Africa after a three-week pause since the opening round in Japan on 6th April. The Fortuna Yamaha Team riders have not been idle in the interim. A disappointingly wet test at Suzuka on the Monday and Tuesday was followed by some long-haul flights for both Spaniard Carlos Checa and the team’s replacement for the injured Marco Melandri, Norick Abe. Melandri, meanwhile, flew home to Italy after Japan has been working hard on his recuperation process.

Carlos Checa travelled to the United States from Japan and has been spending time with Yamaha’s three-time World Champion Wayne Rainey at his Californian home in Monterrey. He comes to Welkom fresh for the ongoing MotoGP Championship challenge on his four-stroke Yamaha YZR-M1 and ready to improve on his Suzuka result.

The 30-year-old Spaniard will be joined in his challenge this weekend by Yamaha factory test rider Norick Abe. Due to a fall in Suzuka which left him with multiple leg injuries, Checa’s regular team-mate Marco Melandri is temporarily out of action. The 27-year old Abe is a former GP regular who finished sixth in the 2002 Championship. The Japanese rider had been due to compete in his season-opening home GP as a wildcard, but with Melandri ruled out of the race he was drafted in as a replacement and rode to 11th place.

The MotoGP paddock is still reeling from shock at the tragic loss of Japanese former 250cc World Champion Daijiro Kato. The Honda rider’s crash during the Suzuka race two weeks ago left him in a critical condition in hospital and he finally lost his battle for life early on Sunday 20th April.

“It is difficult to think about racing now that we have heard this news about Kato”, said Davide Brivio, Team Director of the Fortuna Yamaha Team. “Our thoughts go to Daijiro’s wife and children, as well as his team, and we hope they can find the strength to continue. We have to go on to race in South Africa now, and I think that is what Kato would have wanted.”

CHECA AND ABE PREPARED FOR THE AFRICAN CHALLENGE

The Fortuna Yamaha Team is ever hopeful for success as it moves to Welkom for the only MotoGP round to take place on the African continent. Carlos Checa and his new team-mate Norick Abe stayed on after the Suzuka Grand Prix for two days with members of the team for a pre-arranged Yamaha test at the Japanese circuit. During the test Abe had the opportunity to ride the latest 2003 race-spec YZR-M1, which he will ride in this weekend’s Africa’s Grand Prix. Meanwhile Checa tested a new evolution chassis which the team is considering to use in Welkom. Unfortunately heavy rain meant that scheduled track time for the pair was significantly reduced but there was at least some time for Abe to familiarise himself with the Fortuna Yamaha M1 machine.

The bike that Abe will ride differs slightly from his Spanish team-mate’s. Checa sampled a new package during the Suzuka pre-race IRTA test and the ensuing Suzuka race weekend. The new Yamaha ‘R series styled’ YZR-M1 fairing sports a different, more aerodynamic design. It features a much narrower frontal area, improvements to the unique M1 flexible air-intake system, a hard-lined rear seat cowling, and a hand-made “snub-nosed” titanium exhaust system. Abe will use the previous-spec M1 bodywork and exhaust in South Africa.

Davide Brivio, Team Director for the Fortuna Yamaha Team, is hoping that the Welkom Grand Prix will bring better fortune to the team: “It was a disappointing start to the season”, admitted the Italian, “and Carlos can do much better in Welkom compared to the result we got in Suzuka. It is good that we had a test already planned in Japan for the Monday and Tuesday following the race both for Carlos, and also for Norick to familiarise himself with the bike. Unfortunately the weather did not help us much there. Now we have to go to Welkom and get back into a position that we hoped we would be in.

“Of course Marco’s accident in Suzuka was a big blow for us – I think he could have been really good there. We are now replacing him with Norick in Welkom, and I think that he has a chance to do well. He has spent the last months getting used to the four-stroke engine in Yamaha’s testing team with a prototype M1.

“At the Suzuka test Carlos tested a new evolution of chassis and we are now considering whether he will use it in Welkom this weekend. I am confident that he has the capability at this circuit. We are also of course in regular contact with Marco, whose progress is better than we expected. I really hope to have him back with the team very soon.”

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING

The Phakisa circuit has developed a notorious reputation for being both bumpy and slippery – the latter a side effect of the area’s flat and dusty surroundings. Combined, these two elements make setting up a 210 plus horsepower MotoGP machine uniquely difficult. Therefore the key to a successful result at this isolated venue is not outright horsepower, or an overly aggressive chassis geometry; rather a place on the podium hinges on a predictable power curve and a balanced, yet receptive suspension package.

With this in mind each of the Fortuna Yamaha Team riders Carlos Checa and Norick Abe – temporarily filling in for the injured Marco Melandri – are likely to opt for a chassis set-up that is initially plusher than would usually be expected for such a medium to high speed layout, in an effort to increase predictability and feel. Balancing the YZR-M1’s rear ride-height, reducing compression damping and increasing the spring preload will reduce the likelihood of the bike’s rear suspension unit squatting under power – otherwise there is the risk of understeer during the exit of corners. However as the times drop, with the increasing presence of a cleaner racing line, the cornering forces will build and will therefore require the need for increased spring weights along with firmer compression damping.

Possibly improving the overall balance and feel further for Checa will be the availability of the latest evolution of the M1’s Deltabox frame, which he first sampled in Suzuka, following the opening round of the MotoGP World Championship. “Initial results indicate it offers improved rear wheel traction, increased predictability and greater braking stability,” says YZR-M1 Project Leader Ichiro Yoda. “However further again Checa’s M1s will benefit from the improved aerodynamics of the more aggressive fairing, which he first sampled in Suzuka, while Abe will migrate from the prototype YZR-M1 he raced with at the first round to the 2003 spec machine, as used by Melandri.

CHECA HOPING FOR BETTER RESULT

Carlos Checa did not achieve the result he was hoping for at the Japanese Grand Prix three weeks ago. The Spaniard had a front row start and took the holeshot from the starting grid on his M1 but gradually slipped back through the pack to finish a disappointing tenth. He is hoping for a better race in Welkom this weekend and the fact that he likes the African circuit should be a help on his mission.

“Not a good start to the season at all,” said Checa about the opening 2003 MotoGP round in Suzuka. “On all counts it was an unlucky race that no-one will forget. I now have to focus my attentions on Welkom and trying my best to improve our performance.

“My past performances at Welkom have not been so bad – I got a good result there in 2000, unfortunately I missed the race there in 2001 because I was injured in a training accident, and last year I finished fifth. The bike has changed so much since then that it’s hard to tell how we will do this year but the package that we have is competitive, so we will see. I won’t be happy until I am fighting for race wins.”

The Welkom circuit suits Checa’s riding style as one of its defining characteristics is its lack of grip. The surface is very slippery and Checa enjoys sliding the bike there, “Hopefully it will be dry in Welkom, it normally is. The track is especially tough on tyres and very exciting. One of my favourite corners is the fast right at the end of the back straight. I need to stay focused and calm now until the race.

“After the Suzuka GP Norick and I stayed on there for two days of testing. I tested a new chassis and am waiting to decided whether to use it in Welkom. After that I travelled to California to visit Wayne Rainey. We spent several days relaxing, I trained with a Yamaha motocross bike while Wayne rode in his go-kart. It gave me the chance to prepare mentally for the forthcoming races. It has left me in a good frame of mind for Welkom”.

ABE FEELS AT HOME ON M1, WHILE MELANDRI RECUPERATES

The Fortuna Yamaha Team’s season opener was marred by the accident of Marco Melandri, whose fall during the Friday morning practice session in Suzuka forced him to miss the rest of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend. Melandri suffered a double fracture of his ankle and a small chipped fracture of the femur in the high-speed crash. Melandri was able to return to the Japanese circuit after just one night in a local hospital. The 250cc World Champion flew back to Italy the day after the race and has since received medical treatment from the Championship’s Clinica Mobile doctors in Imola, close to his home town Ravenna. The medical staff are quite happy with his progress. Melandri will be unable to participate in this weekend’s Africa’s Grand Prix and no date has yet been set for a return to.

Meanwhile replacement rider Norick Abe has been busy since his home Japanese Grand Prix where he stepped in as Fortuna Yamaha Team replacement for Melandri. The 27-year old stayed on in Suzuka for a two day test and familiarised himself with the bike that he will race in Welkom. Despite bad weather conditions at the test Abe found the time valuable practice: “I wasn’t so happy with my result at the actual Suzuka Grand Prix but the good point is that I am going to get the chance to race again in Welkom”, said the affable Japanese. “We only had about half a day of testing out of the two days afterwards because of the rain. That’s not so long but I immediately had a good feeling on the 2003-spec M1.”

Abe competed in last year’s Africa’s Grand Prix on the two-stroke Yamaha YZR500 and finished the race in seventh position. Welkom is not one of his favourite circuits but he thinks that the M1 will make all the difference: “I’ve never felt really comfortable at the Welkom circuit, I can’t even explain why,” explained Abe. “I hope that at this race I will get a good feeling and then it will become my favourite circuit! It will of course be fairly different riding a four-stroke bike there compared to a two-stroke. I will have more power, and it should be much easier. I quite like sliding the bike in Welkom, which is a really slippery circuit.”

CARLOS CHECA : INFORMATION
Age: 30
Lives: Great Ayton, England
Bike: Fortuna Yamaha Team YZR-M1
GP victories: 2 (500)
First GP victory: Catalunya, 1996 (500)
First GP: Europe, 1993 (125)
GP starts: 137 (17 x MotoGP, 92×500, 27×250, 1×125)
Pole positions: 2 (1 x MotoGP, 1 x 500)
First pole: Spain, 1998 (500)
Welkom 2002 results. Grid: 7th, Race: 5th

NORICK ABE : INFORMATION
Age: 27
Lives: Sitges, Spain
Bike: Fortuna Yamaha Team YZR-M1
GP victories: 3 (500)
First GP victory: Japan, 1996 (500)
First GP: Japan, 1994 (500)
GP starts: 136 (16 x MotoGP, 92×500, 27×250, 1×125)
Pole positions: 0
Welkom 2002 results (YZR500). Race: 7th

Welkom MotoGP lap record
Tohru Ukawa 1:34.834 (2002)

Circuit best lap
Valentino Rossi 1:34.629 (2001)

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

The WERA Sportsman regional race event originally scheduled for Easter weekend, April 19-20, at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama has been re-scheduled for June 28-29.

According to WERA officials, all contingency awards for the original race have been carried over to the new event date, and the WERA National Vintage series classes, as originally schedule, will also be included in the new date.

The new track has been battling noise complaints from a few well-financed neighbors. On Wednesday, track personnel were seen conducting noise tests during the lunch hour, using sound meters and a noise generator to measure how much noise was actually reaching the property line in the direction of the complaining neighbors.

The Cornerspeed track day/open practice originally scheduled to precede the WERA event on Friday April 18 was also postponed until Friday, June 27.

See stories related to the race postponement posted April 14, 15 and 17.

For more information, call WERA at (770) 720-5010 or go to www.wera.com.

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited featured in over 100 hours of coverage

PICKERINGTON, Ohio – Fans of the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship will enjoy an abundance of television coverage during the 2003 season. Over 100 hours of AMA road racing action will be shown on Speed Channel, including over 20 hours live. The AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship will be the featured series with Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport presented by Shoei and Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme races also being shown. Viewers will also see highlights from the MBNA 250 Grand Prix and Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Series.

“We’re pleased with Speed Channel’s continued emphasis on our AMA Superbike property,” said John Farris, AMA Pro Racing vice president of commercial development. “The championship has become a mainstay for the network and the popularity of the series on television has proven that motorcycle racing delivers a large and loyal audience. In addition to being a great way for fans to follow the championship, our television package provides a strong benefit to participating teams and sponsors.”

This year marks the eighth season for the AMA U.S. Superbike Championship on Speed Channel and, like event attendance, the television ratings continue to grow. “Our partnership with Speed Channel is a testament to the power of live TV and its ability to accelerate the growth of a sports property,” added Farris.

Ten of the 11 venues on this year’s Superbike calendar will feature live coverage. The Superbike race at Barber Motorsports Park will be shown on a same-day, tape-delayed basis. Six of the Supersport Championship events will also be covered live.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

WERA will help run the AMA Road Racing Grand Championships at Mid-Ohio on July 23-24, the Wednesday and Thursday prior to the AMA National.

The event will accept licenses from any recognized club but all participants will have to be AMA members.

The AMA Road Racing Horizon Award winner will be named during the event.

The event was previously run with Bob Stanley’s FASTTRAX, as a co-promotion with the AMA.

WERA is participating in the organization of the event under contract with the AMA.

The event will pay WERA points and may pay FASTTRAX points as well.

Details will be posted as available.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Erion Honda’s Roger Lee Hayden will miss the next round of the AMA series, May 2-4 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, due to a broken scaphoid bone in his left hand. The youngest Hayden brother hopes to be back on his Supersport-class CBR600RR and Formula-Xtreme class CBR954RR for the AMA round at Road Atlanta May 16-18.

Hayden injured his left hand in a crash during practice for the AMA races at Daytona International Speedway and only found out it was broken following the Daytona event. Shortly before round two of the AMA National series April 4-6 at California Speedway, Dr. Arthur Ting performed an MRI on Hayden and discovered a crack in his left scaphoid bone, also known as the navicular.

Hayden, 19, wore a brace on his hand when he was not riding and a smaller brace while he was riding at California Speedway. Despite a great deal of pain, Hayden “sucked it up” and finished ninth in Supersport and sixth in Formula Xtreme at the physically-demanding, 21-turn Fontana, California infield road course.

In a regularly scheduled examination following the California Speedway event, Dr. Ting discovered that Hayden’s fracture had spread, calling for surgery to screw the bone back together. Hayden had surgery on April 8 and has spent the last two weeks rehabilitating his injury at his home in Owensboro, Kentucky.

“I’ve got more medical devices in my room than some hospitals,” Hayden said Monday. Hayden uses a bone stimulator 30 minutes each day and utilizes a cold water pressure wrap several times each day in order to expedite the healing of his scaphoid, a bone notoriously slow to heal due to a natural lack of blood circulation around the bone.

“All I can do is ride my road bike here in the house on a trainer,” said Hayden. “I can’t even play video games. It’s even put me behind in my MotoGP3 season on my PlayStation.”

After confirming that he will miss the Infineon Raceway round of the AMA series, Hayden said he hopes to be back in action at Atlanta. “I can’t miss Road Atlanta, but (Dr.) Ting said it’s going to bother me for a long time.”

From a press release issued by John Hopkins’ publicist, amid reports that MotoGP riders are on the verge of announcing a future boycott of Honda-owned Suzuka Circuit, the wall-lined site of the crash that took Daijiro Kato’s life:

WELKOM, South Africa – As I prepare for the South African race, I can tell you there is still a great deal of sadness over the passing of Daijiro Kato. We’d all hoped against hope that he would be able to pull through; unfortunately his injuries were too severe. We are professionals and recognize that danger is a part of our sport, yet that doesn’t make the sting of death any easier to take.

Kato was a well-liked rider in the GP paddock and he had amazing skills. Our condolences go out to his family. It was heartwarming to see the outpouring of support and best wishes for Kato from fans all around the world.

There’s no question that there is an underlying distress among the riders concerning the circumstances that led to the life-ending injuries Kato suffered. Out of respect to Kato I won’t use this time and place to go into detail, but suffice to say that all the riders in the paddock are hoping there is a renewed emphasis on safety in the future.

As we move forward we will try to always remember Kato-san.

Sincerely,
John

From a press release issued by American Honda:

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Announces New President and CEO

Tokyo — Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced that Takeo Fukui will become the company’s sixth president and chief executive officer effective in late June 2003. Fukui, 58, currently a senior managing and representative director, will succeed Hiroyuki Yoshino, 63, who will assume the post of director and advisor to Honda Motor Co. This management succession will occur following the final decision of the Honda Motor Board of Directors after the company’s annual shareholders meeting in late June 2003.

Fukui brings a vast 34 years of experience with Honda to his new role, including expertise in research and development, engineering, environmental technology, racing activities and the manufacturing of automobiles, motorcycles and power products.

Fukui joined Honda in 1969, after graduating from Waseda University with a B.S. in Applied Chemistry. He started his career at Honda as a member of the Honda project team that developed the Honda CVCC (Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion) engine, which made the Honda Civic the first car to meet the strict emissions standards set by the U.S. Clean Air Act. In 1978, Fukui was transferred to the area of motorcycle racing, where he devoted almost a decade to Honda’s racing success including in the World Grand Prix 500cc class – where Honda won the championship for the first time in 1983.

After 19 years with Honda R&D Co., including serving as managing director as well as president of Honda Racing Corp., Fukui was appointed to the Board of Directors of Honda Motor Co. in 1988.

As managing director and later as senior managing director of Honda R&D Co., Fukui assumed the entire responsibility for motorcycle development from 1987 to 1992. In 1992, he became general manager of the Hamamatsu Factory – a production facility with one of the most complex product mixes of any Honda factory in the world, including motorcycles, power products and auto transmissions. From 1994 to 1998, he served as executive vice president and later as president of Honda of America Mfg., Inc. in Ohio, where production volume significantly expanded under his tenure in order to meet increasing customer demand for Honda products in the North American market. In 1998, Fukui was named president of Honda R&D Co., his current post, and promoted to senior managing director of Honda Motor Co. in 1999 with the additional responsibility for Honda’s motorsports activities, including Formula One Grand Prix racing.

Yoshino has served as Honda’s fifth CEO since assuming the position in June 1998. He has been with Honda more than 40 years, including the past five years as president and CEO. Under Yoshino’s strong leadership, Honda has expanded its global business from 10 million customers in 1998 to more than 15 million customers in 2002 while creating two new autonomous regional operations in South America and China. The company also has continued to advance its technological leadership, including the introduction of two gas-electric hybrid vehicles, the “FCX” fuel cell vehicle and ASIMO, the world’s first bi-pedal humanoid robot. Significantly, over the past four years, Honda has innovated its global manufacturing operations to the flexible “New Manufacturing System” that enables Honda to quickly and flexibly respond to changes in the marketplace on a global basis.

Yoshino joined Honda in 1963 as an engineer. In 1969, he became the first Honda R&D engineer assigned to the U.S. with the responsibility to work with the U.S. auto industry on the new Clean Air Act. As president of Honda R&D Co. and later Honda Motor Co., he guided the company to a leadership position in meeting both the environmental and safety challenges.

“As Honda enters the new stage of ‘Global Networking’ among Honda associates worldwide, please join me both in wishing Mr. Yoshino the very best of good health and happiness in his new role, and in welcoming Mr. Fukui to his new position,” said Koichi Amemiya, American Honda president and CEO.

From a press release issued by Honda Racing:

KIYONARI JOINS HONDA CBR600RR EFFORT

Honda’s CBR600RR line-up is increased to nine riders for Sunday’s third round of the World Supersport championship at Sugo in Japan with wild card rider Ryuichi Kiyonari joining the Dunlop-shod BKM Honda team for one event.

Kiyonari, 20, is the reigning Japanese Supersport championship and is excited at his chance of performing on the world scene, he said: “It’s a good opportunity for me and I’m hoping for a top 10 finish in Sunday¹s race even though I know how strong the competition is.”

Honda’s championship leader Chris Vermeulen arrives in Japan after a dominant victory in Australia four weeks ago and the young Ten Kate team rider remains in buoyant mood.

“Potentially this poses one of the more difficult races ­ with the wild card riders and the nature of the Sugo track,” admitted Vermeulen. “But I’ll get out there in practice and work hard on a race setting then take it from there.”

Vermeulen is joined in the Ten Kate team by Karl Muggeridge, sixth in the championship, while the Klaffi Honda team welcomes a new face, in the shape of Frenchman Sebastien Charpentier.

Team owner Klaus Klaffenbock explained: “Sebastien is replacing Gianluigi Scalvini for the rest of the 2003 season. World Supersport is a very tough class and Scalvini found it difficult to adjust from the 125cc GP class. We¹ve been helping Scalvini organise a new ride and he’ll contest the Italian Supersport championship for the Rumi Honda team.”

Charpentier rides alongside Robert Ulm in the Austrian team while the BKM Honda line-up includes Broc Parkes and Christophe Cogan, in addition to Kiyonari.

The Van Zon Honda pairing of Iain MacPherson and diminutive Belgian Werner Daemen complement Honda¹s challenge on victory in round three.

From a press release issued by Octagon Motorsports, organizers of the FIM World Endurance Series:

The Imola 200 Miles is going to open a sensational Endurance season

Bikes Go Head to Head

The opening round of the World Endurance Championship next weekend will see the world’s fastest sports bikes line up in head-to-head competition at the 200 Miglia di Imola.

The World Endurance SuperProduction class allows modification to a bike’s suspension and wheels, but crucially does not allow any engine tuning other than exhaust and engine-mapping changes. As this class is the most popular amongst the leading teams, the Imola 200 will give a unique opportunity to see the best bikes from Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Ducati and Mondial racing each other in a world-class series.

Based on results from the 2002 championship, Suzuki’s GSX-R1000 will be the bike to beat. A new model has been released for this year, but supply shortages have meant that teams such as Zongshen and Suzuki GB Phase One will still be racing the proven 2002 version.

Yamaha’s R1 is expected to be the main challenger to Suzuki. Yamaha Endurance Moto 38 took fourth place in the championship with an R1 last year and GMT94 – third in the championship in 2002 – have switched to Yamaha from Suzuki for this season.

Kawasaki’s ZX9R will be raced by the Swiss Bolliger team, who have years of endurance experience in place to make up for any outright speed disadvantage; their polished performance in pitlane could be worth seconds a lap.

Ducati DRE will be running a new-for-2003 Ducati 999R. After finishing eighth overall last year and getting on the podium at the Brno race, the much-improved Ducati twin is expected to be competitive from the start of the season.

The Italian flag will also be carried by the Mondial Piega of Team X-One, that will run in the Open Class. Mating a proven Honda engine to a finely crafted Italian chassis should make the Mondial a real challenger.

The big unknown at the start of the Imola 200 will be Yamaha Austria’s Superbike specification R1. Although fitted with inlet restrictors, the rest of the engine is in a much higher state of tune than the other bikes in the field which could give the bike a serious advantage.

No single bike won more than one race last year, and with the level of competition raised again for 2003 all bets are off for the Imola 200.