Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION:

Via e-mail

I would like to thank everyone who has been so kind as to call, visit, send cards and e-mail Vicky since her injury on May 1st. The five-and-a-half-hour operation resulted in nine screws and two plates and it will be three months before she can put weight on the left leg.

Vicky has been home for just over two weeks and the rehab is slow but moving in the right direction.

We have been overwhelmed by the number of people who have been so kind. It is amazing to me that Vicky has touched so many people in her short career.

Tony Bell
www.vjbracing.com
Laguna Niguel, California

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

This just in via e-mail, from NHIS and LRRS official (and racer) Jerry Wood:

The June 13-15 Loudon Classic, which features F-USA National classes, will also include several new support classes, as follows:

Rising Sun Cycles 250GP–$2000 purse

Diablo Energy Drink Can Am 125 GP–$2,000 purse

Super Motard–12-lap sprint

Amateur GTO/GTU–15-lap sprint

Amateur GTL–15-lap sprint

Expert/Junior GTO–15-lap sprint

Expert GTU–15-lap sprint

Expert/Junior GTU–15-lap sprint

The GP races will be run on Sunday.

The GT sprints and Super Motard will run on Saturday.

NHIS will handle the registration for the support races; riders may pre or post-enter, and all licenses will be honored. Purse races will be $100 entry and trophy races will be $50 entry.

There will be a test ride of the super motard layout on Sunday, June 8th at the end of the regular racing, everyone is invited (no knobby tires).

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

This just in from F-USA/CCS boss Kevin Elliott, via e-mail:

According to the AMA Museum press release, (5/27/2003 Apparently, AMA Museum Finds A Shortage Of Eligible Road Racers For Hall Of Fame This Year …..), “Duke Pennell – Five-time AMA ‘Flagman of the Year’, worked for nearly five decades as a racetrack official starter.”

Since the creation of CCS 20 years ago, Duke Pennell has been the official starter for us at Daytona. Duke is THE best starter I have ever known and worked with. The AMA’s release states he worked for nearly five decades, they are wrong. He continues to work every Daytona event for CCS and Formula USA, and he also continues to train starters and assistant starters for us whenever we can find a candidate that will measure up to Duke’s exacting standards.

More than anything, Duke and his late wife Bee Gee set the standard for road race officials in their manners, their professionalism, their sacrifices and their dedication to the sport of motorcycle road racing. If I can be half the person that Duke is, I will consider my life a success.

From a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service 10 days after the Canadian Superbike race at Shannonville, which may be why the release doesn’t include the race date. As for why it doesn’t include the race location, your guess is as good as ours:

SUZUKI SWEEPS SUPERBIKE PODIUM!

Suzuki-mounted riders once again proved the Suzuki Slogan – “Own the Racetrack” is more than just words. Sweeping the first 3 positions in the opening round of the 2003 Canadian Superbike Championship Series, Suzuki GSX-R1000 pilots; Steve Crevier (Diablo Performance Racing Team Suzuki), Francis Martin & Clint McBain (Coors Light Racing Blackfoot Team Suzuki) showed the competition that they will be a force to be reckoned with this season.

While the competition brought out some new faces to challenge the Suzuki-mounted riders with the likes of AMA veteran, Pascal Picotte (Yam); AMA regular, Tom Kipp (Kaw); and Australia star, Robbie Baird (Hon), they were not able to keep pace with the potent Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Prior to a red flag on lap 5 of the feature race, Steve Crevier had just passed Picotte to take the lead and Francis Martin had just passed Kipp to take third spot. Gridded back to the previous lap for the restart, their efforts were not in vain as it showed the competition that life would not be easy for them. At the restart, Francis Martin got the hole-shot on his Coors Light Racing Blackfoot Team Suzuki GSX-R1000 and held the lead until a determined Crevier on his Diablo Performance Racing Team Suzuki GSX-R1000 managed to out brake Martin going into Allen’s Corner to take the lead and the win. Behind the two GSX-R1000s of Crevier and Martin another battle was raging. After disposing of Tom Kipp (Kaw), Clint McBain was hunting down Picotte (Yam) who was running in third. With the last lap flag displayed as Picotte and McBain crossed the stripe, Clint dug down deep and put his Coors Light Racing Blackfoot Team Suzuki GSX-R1000 ahead of Pascal’s R1 to take third and secure a Suzuki GSX-R1000 sweep of the podium.

In Pro 600 Sportbike action, Canadian 600 Champion Clint McBain took his Coors Light Racing Blackfoot Team Suzuki GSX-R600 from third on the grid to a solid 3rd place finish behind Picotte and Nelson. Steve Crevier also put in a solid effort by taking his Diablo Performance Racing Team Suzuki GSX-R600 from a 5th row start up to 4th place before a red flag stopped the race with 13 of 15 laps completed.

A new “National Class” debuted at the season opener – The National Amateur 600 Sportbike Class. Ensuring Suzuki was represented on the podium, Yanick Beauregard of Rock Forest, Quebec took his GSX-R600 to a 3rd place finish.

Congratulations to all Suzuki Riders and Team members.

From a press release issued by the SBK press office:

Round 5 – Germany – Oschersleben,
30th May – 1st June 2003

GERMAN ROUND JUST DAYS AWAY

A pre-season change to the customary running order of the World Superbike Championship sees round five of the 2003 series about to take place at Oschersleben, in Eastern Germany. The more usual late autumn date used by the Oschersleben race since, its induction into the SBK series since 2000, has been swapped
for 1 June. Oschersleben is the only German based round of the year.

One of the newest, and therefore safest venues from which to watch the excitement SBK delivers, Oschersleben is a flat yet tortuous circuit, with seven left and seven right corners, most of them tight and several featuring a mid corner change of radius. The 3.667km circuit has 15,000 grandstand seats and space for a total of 80,000 spectators, with most viewing areas raised 6-8 metres above the level of the track to enhance the field of vision.

The sight every SBK crowd has witnessed since the start of the season is that of Neil Hodgson (Ducati Fila 999 F03) winning races – eight from eight so far – a record breaking start to any SBK campaign. Nine at Oschers would equal the best number of straight wins in a single year; ten would propel Hodgson into greatness before half the races had even been completed.

Having to fight hard for some of his wins, Hodgson nonetheless approaches Oschersleben with a high degree of confidence, but his team-mate Ruben Xaus (Fila Ducati 999 F03) is safe in the knowledge that although he has found Hodgson unstoppable so far, he is the only current SBK runner to have won a race at
Oschersleben – for Ducati in the second leg of the 2001 event.

Spain is well represented in the upper echelons of SBK again, with Xaus, second overall behind Hodgson’s stunning tally of 200 points, being pressurised by Gregorio Lavilla (Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000) who is only four points adrift of Xaus after two outstanding Monza podium finishes. As likely to be the first man to depose Hodgson as any other, Lavilla has been on startlingly quick form of late, and all despite running air intake restrictors on his 1000cc four-cylinder machine as per the new 2003 regulations.

The energy, enthusiasm and sheer joie de vivre of Frenchman Regis Laconi (NCR Ducati) has brought him to fourth overall, an impressive achievement for the first of several true privateers on the Oschersleben grid. His brace of second place finishes have shown he can run with the very best when the circumstances are correct and Laconi will probably find Oschersleben one of the best tracks of the year in this regard.

The odd piece of misfortune has relegated the HM Plant Ducati pairing of James Toseland and Chris Walker to fifth and sixth places overall, despite the fact that each has access to 2002 factory spec 998 F02 Ducatis. Battling in the leading bunch week in and week out, the British duo have suffered injury since the start of the year, but each is determined to reverse their recent slip in the ratings in Germany.

The last of the seven riders to have taken at least one podium so far is the oldest man in the series, Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati), who is an ever maturing 38-years-young. By a strange quirk of coincidence he also sits seventh in the championship and runs number seven on his private Ducati.

A unique entry to the World Superbike Championship for the 2003 season is the Foggy Petronas FP-1 project. The Malaysian oil giant Petronas has joined forces with four-time SBK Champion Carl Fogarty to produce a three cylinder, 900cc machine, which has given 1996 World Champion Troy Corser and British star James Haydon places on the grid and no end of headlines so far. A welcome addition to the SBK line-up, the uniquely styled and coloured FP1 has enjoyed a race best of fifth in Phillip Island (race one), and a front row start at Valencia – both courtesy of Corser.

Steve Martin (DFX Pirelli Ducati 998RS) leads a strong three-rider challenge on Pirelli tyres; Juan Borja and Marco Borciani add their corners to the triangle. Walter Tortoroglio, promoted from the ranks of Superstock, rides a Honda VTR1000 twin while his fellow Italians Ivan Clementi and Mauro Sanchini campaign the Bertocchi Kawasaki 750s for one more season. A whole gridful of high-level privateer Ducati riders and the as-yet unnamed wildcards completes the SBK entry.

In the World Supersport Championship class Ten Kate Honda rider Chris Vermeulen has enjoyed the championship lead since the second round in his native Australia, after overtaking the early sprint of Valencia race winner Katsuaki Fujiwara (Alstare Suzuki). Yamaha Germany rider Christian Kellner took the top spot at round three at Sugo, but Vermeulen, still only 20-years old, scored his personal win number two, and a 29 point championship lead, after the Monza race.

Fujiwara, Kellner and Vermeulen are the only three riders to have won races in 2003, but with 19 factory bikes competing at every round, the scope is broad for another winner sometime soon. Karl Muggeridge, Vermeulen’s Ten Kate team-mate, was easily the most competitive qualifier at Monza, but a burnt clutch after the start put paid to his chances of a decent finish, pre-empting his retirement from the meeting.

Three former Supersport World Champions still actively compete in the series – Stephane Chambon (Alstare Suzuki), Jörg Teuchert (Yamaha Motor Germany) and Fabien Foret (Kawasaki Racing Team). Of the three, only Teuchert is not a proven winner at Oschersleben.

Other obvious and serious threats to the top step of the podium include the balance of the 2003 podium finishers: Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha Belgarda ), Alessio Corradi (Team Italia Spadaro Yamaha) and Iain Macpherson (van Zon Honda).



More, from a press release issued by Honda:

World Supersport Championship 2003 – Round Five
Oschersleben Race Preview
30 May – 1 June 2003

VERMEULEN ON TOP AS OSCHERSLEBEN APPROACHES

With the fifth round of the World Supersport Championship looming large in the collective thoughts of the World Supersport paddock, World Championship leader Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) enjoys a healthy 29 point advantage over a chasing pack of 23 regular WSS riders.

No fewer than 19 of the entrants to the series this year are mounted on factory-supported machinery, as the growth of Supersport racing per se propels itself to a higher level yet again. Eight Honda combatants come equipped with the all-new CBR600RR, ready to do battle at the definitive modernist circuit of Oschersleben in Eastern Germany.

After completion of the previous Monza round on May 18, the scene of Vermeulen’s second decisive victory of the year, the championship order behind the 20-year-old Australian has once more morphed into a different form, as fortunes for the individual competitors have risen and waned once more.

The contrast between the historic Monza Autodromo and the contemporary layout of Motopark Oschersleben could not be more pronounced, in terms of age and design. The 3.667km long German track, one of a handful built in the late nineties after re-unification, has already hosted three World Supersport events and its tight and tricky nature has led to the – sometimes literal – downfall of many a would-be winner. Normally held late in the autumn, Oschersleben has been pushed forward in the calendar, and will be the only German based race of the 2003 season.

Vermeulen’s immense efforts, plus the speed and reliability of his Ten Kate Honda, have put him in an enviable position. Even a no-score in Oschersleben would leave him ahead of his closest rivals; such is the extent of his points lead.

“The race is normally good at Oschersleben,” said Vermeulen, who is still undergoing treatment for the broken right thumb ligament he suffered in qualifying at Monza. “I would be happy to finish in the top five but we will be working towards getting on the podium at least. I’m not looking at championship too much right now though, because I want to go out and race the way I normally do – but I guess I have to be a bit more careful. I still want to be in the position to go for the win if the chance is there.”

Vermeulen continued. “The Ten Kate Honda has been going well on fast circuits this year and the guys have been working on the engine to make it better on the tighter, slower tracks as well. It wasn’t quite so good at Sugo compared to somewhere like Monza, so they are doing a lot of development for tracks like Oschersleben and Misano.”

Pole position man at Monza Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600R) suffered the agony of failing to finish in the race itself. Despite this setback he’s upbeat about Oschers, having earned a podium there – on a Ten Kate Honda to boot – in 2000.

“Obviously Monza was a big disappointment but we showed that we’ve got the set-up of bike a lot more suited to me now.” said Muggeridge, who was almost one second ahead of all comers after final qualifying in Italy. “In the past Oschersleben hasn’t been too bad for me, so we should go well there.”

A different approach to both on and off track competition in the run up to Monza gave Iain Macpherson (Van Zon Honda CBR600RR) a fully deserved third place, a result Macpherson feels can be repeated in Germany.

“The Monza race was a bit more like it so we’ll continue to work hard and hopefully we’ll get another good result,” said Macpherson on his way to Oschersleben. “Supersport racing is so tight, especially this year, that sometimes sixth is a good result. That said, I really want to get as many points on the board as possible so the podium will be our goal again. Oschersleben isn’t a bad track – not my favourite, but it’s OK.”

Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) had an excellent race in Monza, running much of the 16 laps in a podium slot before finishing sixth in only his second outing of the year. His relative lack of full race physical conditioning stopped the fast Frenchman from scoring even higher. Charpentier was 13th at Oschersleben last time out, but his Monza forms points at a potential top five finish this time around.

“I had my brilliant team and a very fast Honda to thank for letting me run up front at Monza, so at Oschersleben we could have a better result than ever before,” said Charpentier after the Italian race.

Broc Parkes (BKM Honda CBR600RR) had a fraught outing at Monza, concentrating his energies on the contrast between the tracks after experiencing a lack of power in Italy.

“Oschersleben doesn’t rely so much on top speed,” said the talented young Aussie. “My suspension and tyres are fantastic, so I know I can hold my own on this twisty track.”

Werner Daemen (Van Zon Honda CBR600RR) was buoyed by both the result of his team-mate Iain Macpherson at Monza, and the results of a test session since then.

“We have found and cured the electrical problems that made us so slow in top speed at Monza, but only after we tested at Zolder recently” said Daemen, who now can’t wait to get to Oschersleben. “I like the track in Germany and I think we can have a very good result there – but only if we get the set-up of the machine just right. Monza was all about speed but the whole machine counts somewhere like Oschersleben.”

Christophe Cogan (BKM Honda CBR600RR) approaches Oschersleben in better condition than when he left Monza, having to ride in great pain from pre-race injury. “Monza was very hard because of the pain and my lack of movement on the bike,” confirmed Cogan, “and we will see how we can go at Oschersleben.”

Robert Ulm (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) is looking forward to a race in a German-speaking country and although this meeting is the closest thing the Austrian rider will get to a home race, he thinks the layout of the circuit is his most important ally. “I was racing Supermoto in Austria the weekend before the Oschersleben race and had some good results so I hope to carry that forward,” said the versatile Team Klaffi pilot. “I have many fans in Germany I think but the track layout suits me very well and I this will be more of an advantage. Our performances have been good this year and hopefully we can get closer to the very front at a track like Oschersleben.”

Race six out of a total of 11 events takes place at the modified Silverstone circuit in England, on 15 June.

From a press release:

Yamaha Canada, impressed with what the Can-Am series has done in two and a half years, has become an associate sponsor of the series for 2003.

John Baylis from Yamaha Canada’s racing department has been very appreciative of the racing the Can-Am series has been producing as well as the contribution it has shown to the future of the sport.

Yamaha Canada’s support will allow the Diablo Can-Am 125GP Series to purchase its own timing and scoring system. In doing so pole position will now be called the Yamaha Canada Pole Award.

Round Two of the series will be June 13-14-15 at Loudon NH running with the Formula USA series.

More information about the series can be found at the series website www.can-am125gp.com

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Vincent Haskovec will test with Ducati Austin at Pikes Peak Thursday.

“I’m going to just practice tomorrow and see how it goes,” said Haskovec, reached by cell phone in the paddock at Pikes Peak International Raceway.

“These guys called me up and asked if I want to ride the bike. They said, he (Anthony Gobert) is not practicing Thursday so you can ride it. Of course I said yes. There was no hesitation on my part.

“It’s a third bike. They have two bikes with #16 on them and a third one with just a red cross on it. They’re making fun of me, some of these guys on the crew that I know, saying I’m going to need a helicopter tomorrow. They think that thing’s gonna launch me out probably.”

Haskovec said the deal was set up by Jimmy Filice of OMS, who also represents Ducati Austin. “I signed with OMS two days ago,” said Haskovec. “They arranged this. Jimmy Filice is the guy who I’m talking to, he set it up.”

Asked about the status of his existing ride with Hooters Suzuki, Haskovec said “I’m gonna keep going. It’s not like I’m gonna race this bike or something, it’s just a test. They’re gonna see how I’m doing, see how I do, and we’re gonna go from there.”

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

This just in from Roadracing World contributing photographer (and Livengood family friend) Vicki Sulpy, via e-mail:

Just wanted to let you know they rescheduled Brian Livengood’s surgery for Friday, May 30th at 7:30 a.m.

They are trying to fight an infection that he has had so they had to postpone it.

They did more cultures today and said that there was a slight possibility they would be able to do the surgery on Thursday but if not, it is definitely scheduled for Friday.


Editorial Note: Racer Brian Livengood crashed and hit a concrete wall at Road Atlanta after his bike’s rear tire came apart during AMA Superbike qualifying on Friday, May 16. Livengood suffered a concussion, bruised lungs and fractures to his T5 and T6 vertebrae in the crash. He has been on a respirator in an Intensive Care Unit since he was flown to Grady Memorial Hospital in a Medevac helicopter. Doctors plan to fuse T4 through T7 to stabilize his spine and prevent any spinal cord damage.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Roadracingworld.com got an update from Woody Deatherage via phone Tuesday.

Deatherage told Roadracingworld.com, “Basically I have a crushed vertebra, but no surgery will be required as long as I stay in the body cast they gave me. It’s a two-piece removable shell that was measured to fit me and stabilizes my torso from my hips to my neck. I will be in it for the next five weeks at which time doctors will see how everything is healing. Mobility in it isn’t bad, and the doctors said I can resume somewhat normal activities as long as I don’t go too crazy.”

When asked how he felt about the fact that Steve Rapp had crashed in the same spot earlier in the weekend, and that no haybales and/or soft barriers were deployed in the area after Rapp’s bike hit the wall, Deatherage said, “That’s real surprising. If barriers would have been there, the bike would probably have minimal crash damage and I would have walked away. I don’t want to stir the pot too much, but we (the AMA and its riders) all need to learn from our mistakes and take a pro-active approach to fixing them.

“I would like to thank everyone who contacted me, it was really overwhelming,” continued Deatherage. “And I would also like to give a big thanks to Arai helmets. That helmet saved my life.”

Deatherage is currently trying to repair his destroyed Suzuki GSX-R1000, and says he is not sure if he will continue racing.

Deatherage also said he is going to try to make it to the upcoming AMA race at Road America to say hi to everyone, and try to talk to AMA Pro Racing officials about starting some sort of riders group that would deal with track safety.

Deatherage broke his back when he crashed his Suzuki GSX-R1000 at the bottom of the esses section, in the turn four area, and hit an unpadded wall during an AMA Superbike race at Road Atlanta Sunday, May 18th. Steve Rapp’s racebike had hit the same section of unpadded wall two days earlier, during Superbike qualifying.

From a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:

HARLEY-DAVIDSON ANNOUNCES “OPERATION MISSION ACCOMPLISHED”

H-D and Buell Extend Warranty Coverage for Deployed Military Personnel in Middle East

MILWAUKEE, WI – Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Buell Motorcycle Company recently announced the implementation of “Operation Mission Accomplished,” a plan to extend warranty coverage to military personnel recently deployed in support of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“Everyone at Harley-Davidson and Buell recognizes the sacrifice made by men and women from the many nations involved in recent military efforts in the Middle East region,” said Steve Phillips, Vice President of Quality, Reliability and Technical Service. “This program will acknowledge that effort by extending the warranty on Harley-Davidson and Buell motorcycles owned by those who have served and been unable to ride while they were on duty.”

The program will apply to owners of Harley-Davidson and Buell motorcycles who are coalition military personnel from any country deployed to an area controlled by CENTCOM, or deployed in support of coalition operations in the Middle East from November 1, 2001, until June 1, 2003.

If their motorcycle is under warranty, Harley-Davidson and Buell will provide an extension of the 12-month factory warranty for the number of days they were deployed to account for the balance of the remaining warranty period. If the warranty on any of their Harley-Davidson or Buell motorcycles expired while they were deployed in the designated areas, Harley-Davidson will offer additional warranty coverage for a period of time equal to the length of their deployment, but not to exceed the original 12 month factory warranty period.

Harley-Davidson and Buell owners who believe they are eligible for Operation Mission Accomplished should see their local dealer upon return from deployment for details on applying for the program.

Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company for the group of companies doing business as Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Buell Motorcycle Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight street, custom and touring motorcycles and offers a complete line of motorcycle parts, accessories, apparel and general merchandise. Buell Motorcycle Company produces sport motorcycles in addition to motorcycle parts, accessories and apparel. Harley-Davidson Financial Services, Inc. provides wholesale and retail financing and insurance programs to Harley-Davidson/Buell dealers and customers.