Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Race workers Barry and Claire McMahan have won the Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association’s (CMRA) Son of the Beach contest, an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2003 AMA/World Superbike event at Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.

The contest idea spawned from the CMRA’s Race to the Beach contest, a program originally designed by racer and home improvement contractor Eric Kelcher to reward the Texas-based CCS affiliate’s top Expert and Amateur racers with sponsored rides at the CCS Race of Champions event at Daytona International Speedway.

“This contest was indeed inspired by the Race to the Beach (RTB) contest that has departed (the CMRA) to the national scene,” Brooks Gremmels, President of the CMRA, wrote in an e-mail to Roadracingworld.com. The Race to the Beach program has become a national-level award with CCS.

“At first the thought was to emulate the RTB contest, keeping it at the CMRA level where my loyalties are found,” Gremmels’ e-mail continued. “The more I thought about it, the less I wanted to see another contest that targets the fastest guys. Why not reward and recognize some of those who make it possible for all of us to race?

“The decision was made to give the SOB prize to the hardest-working two people within the CMRA, Barry and Claire McMahan. Barry coordinates our cornerworkers, gets disabled bikes back to the pits during endurance races, maintains the two-way radios and works in Race Control when we need the help. His wife Claire, does it all. Claire orders all CMRA merchandise and markets it for the club. She arranges to get our cornerworkers fed on race days and makes sure that we have enough cornerworkers on hand for a race weekend. Claire also organizes and maintains both the CMRA Injured Rider’s Fund and the CMRA Air Fence Fund.”

The McMahans, who plan to retire from working races after this season, will fly from Texas to Monterey, California, be provided with a rental car, hotel accommodations, tickets to the races, food and will be special guests at an annual dinner hosted by Gremmels’ Shogun Motorsports. The McMahans will also get to see their son, Barry McMahan, Formula Xtreme Crew Chief for Graves Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster, in action. The McMahans haven’t seen Barry working at the races in person since 1999.

“A number of people in the industry have contacted me to ask how they might be included in next year’s SOB contest,” wrote Gremmels. “They like the idea of showing some love to the workers that make our racing possible. The CMRA welcomes this kind of support. It couldn’t be going to a better cause!”

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail, regarding Loudon, Iraq:

Loudon paid homage to the troops and the Iraqi people in their own way in the season’s opening race this weekend.

First, they cancelled Thursday’s practice. Then they ground down the track’s surface and repaved part of the track. They must have run out of asphalt when they got to the front straight. They set up a half-ass chicane that utilized pit road as the front straight. Then, they really went the extra mile and brought in a rainstorm for all of Saturday. The way the rain brought the oil to the surface on the freshly-paved sections was almost as beautiful as the lake that formed in one of the turns. This was all done so that the participants would fully know the years of hardship that the Iraqi people have endured under Saddam Hussein’s regime.

Then, the folks from the LRRS regime went one step further. They covered the track with sand so that the racers would know what the troops experienced during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

When I think about all the calling for a regime change, I cannot help but think of the LRRS morons. They canceled the other forms of racing at the track because they figured that none of them were as stupid as motorcycle club racers.

When I was in the Marines our motto was Semper Fidelis which is Latin for Always Faithful. The LRRS racers should have a motto of Semper Stupid, for Always Stupid.

Loudon, the only game in town. If you don’t like it, then leave – but you aren’t going to get any of your money back.

Kevin Fegan
Franklin, Massachusetts




Now, a response to the above, via e-mail:

I (and all of the people at NHIS last weekend) take offense to Kevin Fegan’s e-mail calling us a bunch of stupid morons. Hundreds of racers, including myself, participated in a great weekend of racing, despite many adverse conditions, including weather, track condition, and idiots like Kevin Fegan. He never specified if he actually raced that weekend or just turned tail and ran home.

If he stayed he would know that the support people stayed out the entire day Saturday in crappy weather and we ended up running a full schedule. Sunday was beautiful, dry, sunny, and not too hot.

I was not exactly happy that the track was not in its normal configuration, but when I heard that the Bahres had some sections of the motorcycle course paved as to minimize the impact on our weekend even though it would be torn up for repaving, I figured they did all they can to keep us running. The layout was good enough. Pit road is flat with good pavement and the chicanes added a little something new. New England winters and springs are not exactly predictable for optimal paving conditions, how does Kevin expect them to schedule around nature? The same goes for the rain. Thank God we aren’t with AMA or they would’ve cancelled the racesm altogether! As for the sand, I have no idea what he was talking about. On the nice sunny Sunday the fast guys were still ripping 1:13 lap times, even with a slower track configuration. There seemed to be no problems for them, maybe Kevin is a little more picky.

And after all this, Kevin still had the inflated ego to compare his crybaby weekend with a war in Iraq where people are dying? I think that says it all but needed to get the rest off my chest.

Yes, NHIS is the only game in the NE, but that isn’t their fault. If someone would actually open a track instead of issuing press releases about their plans to open tracks, than we could have a multi-track series and Kevin could go elsewhere.

“A wet day at racing is still better than a great day at work.”

Chris Cosentino
Union City, New Jersey



Via e-mail, regarding Sears Point:

Showing up to Infineon raceway for an AFM event a few days prior to the AMA National, I figured that I would be starting to see some changes and improvements to the track’s safety for the AMA round. I was wrong.

As I circulated around the track, it all pretty much looked the exact same to me in most areas. I really figured this out when in a practice session on Saturday I got tossed on my head in the carousel (turn 6) and myself and the bike bounced off the tire wall. I luckily walked away with only some bumps and bruises. But as I stood there looking at my crashed-up motorcycle and watching guys rail through there I then noticed that the run-off there is a joke. It gets used up real quick when you through it down the road, straight at a wall at 100 mph.

I just don’t understand how they are spending millions and millions of dollars modifying this track for rider safety, when there are still concrete walls with tires in front of them and 20 feet of run-off in almost every turn.

Thanks to everyone who helped in the purchase of Airfence because I personally don’t see many permanent track improvements!

Hawk Mazzotta
Pebble Beach, California

From a press release issued by the newly formed FGSPORTGROUP:

World Superbike Championship ownership is transferred to Flammini Group.

The Interpublic Group of Companies has transferred its interest in World Superbikes to its joint venture partners of four years, the Flammini Group. The sale includes full ownership and management rights for WSBK.

Doug Augustine of Interpublic Sports and Entertainment explained: “The championship has grown from strength to strength and we are proud of our association with the series to date. The future of the series looks bright and secure with the Flammini Brothers remaining at the helm.”

Maurizio Flammini, founder and President of the Flammini Group commented: “Our partnership with Interpublic has been highly successful and their support has been fundamental in establishing the Superbike Series on the world stage, particularly with regards to international sports marketing. We really look forward to putting much of our learning in to practice over the next development stage of the World Superbike Series.”

Paolo Flammini, President of Superbike International stated: “The support received from the IPG with regards to consolidating the Superbike World Championship on the worldwide scenario has been fundamental. I am sure that the new development stage that our leading Championship now faces, will involve many elements of value that have been acquired through four years of Joint Venture between IPG and Octagon.”

Editorial Note: IPG will still promote the World Superbike events at Brands Hatch and Silverstone through the 2004 season.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Racer Steve Atlas, 21, of Plymouth, Minnesota has been hired as Assistant Editor of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology.

Atlas will report for duty in Lake Elsinore, California on May 9.

From a press release:

Fastrack Riders Association Provides Transportation to Barber Motorsports Park:

FASTRACK RIDERS ASSOCIATION is staging a two day track day event at the new Barber Motorsports Park complex just outside of Birmingham, Alabama June 7th and 8th. FRA is offering transportation from Los Angeles to the track and returned for $335 per bike.

“We have had a number of riders from Southern California express interest in riding the Barber Motorsports track but they have no way to transport their bikes that far,” states Larry Pointer VP of Operations for FRA as well as owner of Champion Auto and Truck Rental, “so we put the numbers together to drive one of our box vans to Alabama. We can haul up to ten bikes so California riders should take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ride on one of the best motorcycle tracks in the world.”

Bikes will have to be delivered to Champion Auto Rental in Costa Mesa, California no later than June 1st. Please call for details.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Racer Brandon Bashore married Lauren DeHart on Saturday, April 26 in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

Racebike tuner Todd Fenton, who currently works with Attack Suzuki, was Bashore’s best man in the wedding.

From a press release issued by WERA Motorcycle Roadracing, Inc.

WERA Changes Southcentral Regional Events

Due to poor rider turnout at the first three events in the WERA Southcentral Region for 2003, WERA has cancelled the following events in that Region:

No Problem Raceway June 6/7

Texas World Speedway June 28/29

Texas World Speedway August 8/9

The National scheduled for Hallett Motor Racing Circuit on August 29th through 31st will stay on the schedule and will have Sportsman classes and points for the Southcentral and Midcentral Regions.

The rescheduled Barber Motorsports Park race on June 28/29 is also included as a points-paying race for the Southcentral Region in 2003. This will allow those riders who wish to participate at the WERA Grand National Finals at Road Atlanta at the end of the season the opportunity to accumulate points for that event.

For further information contact WERA at (770) 720-5010.

From a press release issued by Troll Honda BQR:

Race held at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit of the Valencian Community, Valencia, Spain, April 27, 2003.

Kenny Noyes Second in Spanish National Superseries Opener in Valencia

American abroad Kenny Noyes started his Spanish National season with his best-ever road racing result as he rode his Honda CBR954RR to second place at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit of the Community of Valencia in the first round of the Spanish Bancaja Superseries, a national championship for production-based machines with all machines running on Dunlop slicks.

Noyes (23) battled for most of the race with Suzuki GSX-R1000 riders Enrique Rocamora and Jose Hurtado and with Israel Bonilla on a very quick Ducati 999. After leading for the first six laps Noyes was passed down the long home straight first by Rocamora (who was second in the opening round of the European Superstock Championship at this same track in March) and, a lap later, by Hurtado, with Bonilla gradually losing contact.

“I was able to close back up through the back section and was right there with the two Suzukis when Rocamora ran off the track,” said Noyes. “I studied Hurtado for another six or seven laps and realized I couldn´t make a last-lap draft past because the Honda kinda ran out of steam if I pulled out of the slipstream. I didn’t want to leave it for the last lap so I made a pass on Hurtado with two laps to go at the slow infield right-hander. On the last lap I thought Hurtado might try me on the inside and I took the final corner down low to shut him off but I got out a little slow and he had the drive and speed to get me at the line by a half a wheel.”

Noyes, the Formula USA Pro Singles Dirt Track Champion with a Lineaweaver Husaberg in 2000, is taking part in three National Championships in Spain: CEV Formula Extreme, Bancaja Superseries and the new National Supermotard Championship. He rides CBR954RR Hondas in two states of tune in the two road racing series and a Honda CRF450R in the new Supermotard series. The Spanish-born and Spanish-speaking American works as a road tester for Solo Moto magazine of Barcelona and rides for the Troll Honda BQR team that enters Alex Debon and Eric Bataille in the World 250 Championship.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Vesrah Suzuki team owner Mark Junge of Union Grove, Wisconsin took a weekend off from racing in the WERA National series to run in the CCS twin-sprint event at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin April 26-27 and came away with five wins, two second-place finishes and $6400 in contingency money.

Riding Pirelli-shod Suzuki 600cc, 750cc and 1000cc GSX-Rs, Junge won the Unlimited Supersport and Heavyweight Supersport races on both days, won Saturday’s Middleweight Supersport final and took second in Sunday’s Middleweight Supersport contest behind former Suzuki Cup Champion Robert Jensen.

During Saturday’s Unlimited Supersport sprint, Junge and his 2003 GSX-R1000 were clocked on a spectator’s radar gun as reaching 182 mph on Road America’s 4400-foot front straightaway. The fan showed the reading to CCS officials who relayed the information to Junge. The accuracy of the spectator’s radar gun reading could not be verified, but Junge’s best race lap time of 2:14.2 on his GSX-R1000 would have placed him 10th on the 2002 AMA Superbike grid at Road America, behind only the factory Superbikes.

Junge also finished second in a Lightweight Supersport race after a race-long battle with multi-time CCS Regional and National Lightweight Supersport Champion Ed Key. It was Junge’s first time riding a Suzuki SV650, and he came away impressed, saying, “That thing is a blast! That is a great bike. That race with Key was the most fun I had all weekend.”

Because Suzuki paid contingency awards on both days of the twin-sprint weekend, Junge took home a total of $5750 of Suzuki money plus another $650 in contingency awards from Pirelli.

Harley-Davidson/Buell Communications Manager Paul James won Sunday’s Middleweight Sportsman race and finished second in the same class on Saturday riding a Buell XB9R Firebolt built by Roadracing World as a magazine project bike. James only planned to break in the Firebolt’s new engine at Elkhart Lake, but when James’ personal tube-framed Buell suffered mechanical problems in practice, he enlisted the services of the Firebolt to salvage some points. The Firebolt produces approximately 13 less horsepower than his normal racebike, but James said he was able to easily better his personal best lap times at Road America.