From a press release:

Gary Trachy to debut Avon Tyres’ new production SuperMoto Xtreme race slicks

Gary Trachy, 2002 Pikes Peak International Hillclimb winner in the 250cc Pro Class will be debuting Avon Tyres’ new line of production SuperMoto Xtreme race slicks this weekend.

Gary looks to extend his points lead in the 450X Class during the SB2/Primedia National SuperMoto Championship Series in Colorado this weekend May 10-11th.

Currently Gary is in the lead with 44 points in the 450X Class leading racers like Mike Metzger, Larry Ward, Jason Pridmore and Aaron Howe.

“Gary has proven himself in SuperMoto as a consistant top runner,” ays Avon Tyres’ John Leach “We’re looking forward to Gary takingth championship this year on Avon Tyres”.

Currently Avon Tyres offers their SuperMoto Xtreme race slicks in 120/60R17, 120/70R17 fronts and 160/50R17, 165/60R17 AND 170/55R17 rears in various compounds, as well as the “Race only” and DOT rain tires in 120/70R17 fronts and 160/60R17 rears.

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:
2003 AMA CHEVY TRUCKS U.S. MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP TELEVISION COVERAGE KICKS OFF ON MAY 18

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (May 9, 2003) — ESPN2 will again televise the 2003 AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Motocross Championship. Programming is scheduled to begin on Sunday, May 18 at 12:00 P.M. Eastern with coverage of both 125 motos from Glen Helen. Immediately following, both 250 motos from Glen Helen will air at 1:00 P.M. Additionally, several repeats will air. Log on to www.USMotocross.com to keep current with this year’s television schedule.

The Glen Helen show kicks off a summer full of AMA Motocross coverage on the popular sports network. In all, ESPN2 is slated to provide more than 50 hours of broadcasting for the 12 rounds of the world’s leading motocross series.

“We’re pleased to see continued commitment to AMA Motocross on the part of ESPN2,” said Kerry Graeber, AMA Pro Racing Vice President and Director of Communications. “Since giving the nationals better time slots last season, as well as upgrading the production, ratings increased by 23 percent. Plus, we’ve had positive feedback on the improved show presentation. We will continue to look for new ways to provide the best show for our fans.”

The broadcast team for this year is set to include former racing great David Bailey, and experienced TV sports personalities Cameron Steele and Todd Harris.

Harris, the newest member of the team, brings an impressive list of TV credentials to the table. Harris has worked as part of ABC’s college football broadcast team alongside Keith Jackson and Dan Fouts. Harris also spent several years working with ESPN and ESPN2 covering both snowboarding and surfing world tours as well as a variety of extreme sports. He has worked extensively for Fox Sports, TBS, TNT, and the Outdoor Life Network.

Steele begins his second season as ESPN AMA Motocross field reporter. Steele, who has experience as host for extreme sports such as the X Games, will again ride a Suzuki RM250 while wearing the unique “helmet cam”. Performed at each and every round of the series, this popular feature provides fans with a rider’s-eye view of the challenging tracks.

Bailey needs no introduction in the world of motocross. He was a leading AMA Motocross and Supercross racer of the 1980s. He won the AMA 250cc National Motocross Championship and AMA Supercross Championship in 1983 and went on to win the AMA 500cc National Motocross Championship in 1984 and 1986. He tallied 30 AMA national race victories during his eight-year professional career. This will mark Bailey’s 10th anniversary as expert analyst for ESPN.

For immediate post-race results, points, live transponder scoring, in-depth series and rider information, regular columnists and much more, log onto www.USMotocross.com.


About AMA Pro Racing
AMA Pro Racing is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its properties include the AMA Supercross Championship, the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Motocross Championship, the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship, AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship and the AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship. Nearly 2 million race fans attended AMA Pro Racing events during the 2002 season. For more information about AMA Pro Racing, visit www.amaproracing.com.

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

AMA PRO RACING TO TEST NEW QUALIFYING PROCEDURE AT PIKES PEAK

PICKERINGTON, Ohio – AMA Pro Racing will test a revised qualifying procedure at the Pikes Peak Round of the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited. Instead of dividing qualifying into two sessions determined by even or odd rider numbers, AMA Pro Racing will split the sessions based on times from Friday’s practice sessions.

The two classes involved are Pro Honda Oils Supersport Presented by Shoei and Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock. According to Ron Barrick, AMA Pro Racing Road Race Manager, rider input was one of the considerations that lead to this decision. “Some of our riders have suggested that we look at this,” said Barrick. “Basically, it will enable riders that are closer together in lap times to qualify in the same sessions. The concept has been discussed a few times in the past. It was brought up again at Daytona and we decided to review the matter at the next road race advisory board meeting.”

A road race advisory board meeting was held at Infineon Raceway on May 3, and attended by senior AMA Pro Racing staff. The decision to test this system for possible future implementation was virtually unanimous.

The AMA Pro Racing road race advisory board is comprised of representatives and riders from several factory, support and privateer teams and meets several times per year to consider issues related to road racing.

Rider’s times from Friday practice will determine which session in which they qualify. Group one will be the slower group and group two will be the faster group. If groups cannot be divided equally, the extra rider will be placed in group one. Also, it will be the responsibility of the riders to qualify in the correct group. Riders that fail to qualify in the correct group will be placed at the back of the grid, if qualified. Barrick pointed out that this test will help determine the viability of the procedure. “If we like what we see and get positive feedback from the riders, we’ll consider implementing the procedure for future events,” said Barrick.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Motorcycle Hall of Famer George Roeder died Thursday, May 8 from an apparent heart attack, reported Paul James, Harley-Davidson/Buell Communications Manager, in an e-mail to Roadracingworld.com.

According to his bio on the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame website, www.ama-cycle.org/museum/index.asp, Roeder was born August 16, 1936 in Monroeville, Ohio and started racing motorcycles as a professional at age 17. He took his first Grand National dirt track race win at the Springfield Mile in 1963; won a total of eight GNC races; and finished second in the Grand National Championship twice, by one point to Dick Mann in 1963 and runner-up to Gary Nixon in 1967.

Roeder also road raced, taking four podium finishes in the Daytona 200, and set a land speed record of 177.225 mph on a Harley-Davidson 250cc Sprint-powered streamliner in 1965 at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

Two of Roeder’s sons, George “Geo” Roeder, II and Jess Roeder are both accomplished professional motorcycle racers. George Roeder’s oldest son, Will, runs the Harley-Davidson dealership George opened many years ago in Monroeville.

No memorial information was available at post time.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP Top Speeds From Provisional Qualifying:

1. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, 173.0 mph
2. Sete Gibernau, Honda, 171.1 mph
3. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 171.0 mph
4. Valentino Rossi, Honda, 169.9 mph
5. Marco Melandri, Yamaha, 168.9 mph
6. Makoto Tamada, Honda, 168.8 mph
7. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 168.3 mph
8. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, 167.8 mph
9. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki, 167.7 mph
10. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha, 167.1 mph
11. Noriyuki Haga, Aprilia, 165.7 mph
12. Colin Edwards, Aprilia, 165.2 mph
13. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, 165.2 mph
14. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, 165.0 mph
15. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 164.5 mph
16. Alex Barros, Yamaha, 164.4 mph
17. Max Biaggi, Honda, 162.2 mph
18. Andrew Pitt, Kawasaki, 161.7 mph
19. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton, 161.4 mph
20. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton, 159.5 mph
21. Alex Hofmann, Kawasaki, 156.0 mph
22. Garry McCoy, Kawasaki, 155.9 mph

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Free Practice:

MotoGP:

Troy Bayliss, Station 14, Rider OK
Alex Barros, Station 3, Medical, Rider OK
Max Biaggi, Station 12, Rider OK
John Hopkins, Station 15, Rider OK

250cc:

Dirk Heidolf, Station 13, Rider OK


Qualifying Practice:

MotoGP:

Andrew Pitt, Station 14, Rider OK
Shinya Nakano, Station 19, Rider OK

250cc:

Erwan Nigon, Station 17, Rider OK
Toni Elias, Station 7, Rider OK
Sebastian Porto, Station 12, Medical, Rider OK
Randy DePuniet, Station 2, Rider OK
Johan Stigefelt, Station 10, Rider OK

125cc:

Marco Simoncelli, Station 19, Rider OK
Simone Corsi, Station 17, Rider OK
Mirko Giansanti, Station 13, Rider OK

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

New Assistant Editor Steve Atlas has reported for duty at Roadracing World headquarters in Lake Elsinore, California.

Atlas replaces Michael Hannas, who is no longer associated with the company in any way.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Friday’s 250cc Free Practice Times:

1. Randy De Puniet, Aprilia, 1:45.803
2. Franco Battaini, Aprilia, 1:45.879
3. Toni Elias, Aprilia, 1:46.004
4. Roberto Rolfo, Honda, 1:46.309
5. Manuel Poggiali, Aprilia, 1:46.328
6. Fonsi Nieto, Aprilia, 1:46.550
7. Naoki Matsudo, Yamaha, 1:46.747
8. Hugo Marchand, Aprilia, 1:46.851
9. Sebastian Porto, Honda, 1:47.235
10. Alex Baldolini, Aprilia, 1:47.366
11. Anthony West, Aprilia, 1:47.389
12. Alex Debon, Honda, 1:47.517
13. Johan Stigefelt, Aprilia, 1:47.705
14. Sylvain Guintoli, Aprilia, 1:47.926
15. Dirk Heidolf, Aprilia, 1:48.023

28. Katja Poensgen, Honda, 1:53.145

Friday’s 250cc Qualifying Times:

1. Randy De Puniet, Aprilia, 1:45.117
2. Franco Battaini, Aprilia, 1:45.215
3. Manuel Poggiali, Aprilia, 1:45.354
4. Toni Elias, Aprilia, 1:45.968
5. Roberto Rolfo, Honda, 1:45.993
6. Fonsi Nieto, Aprilia, 1:46.195
7. Naoki Matsudo, Yamaha, 1:46.724
8. Sebastian Porto, Honda, 1:46.897
9. Sylvain Guintoli, Aprilia, 1:46.918
10. Christian Gemmel, Honda, 1:46.961
11. Erwan Nigon, Aprilia, 1:47.446
12. Anthony West, Aprilia, 1:47.389
13. Johan Stigefelt, Aprilia, 1:47.580
14. Hector Faubel, Aprilia, 1:47.608
15. Hugo Marchand, Aprilia, 1:47.722

107 percent of fastest time: 1:52.475

DNQ. Katja Poensgen, Honda, 1:53.145

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Friday’s 125cc Practice Times:

1. Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, 1:48.869
2. Alex De Angelis, Aprilia, 1:48.916
3. Stefano Perugini, Aprilia, 1:49.049
4. Lucio Cecchinello, Aprilia, 1:49.093
5. Pablo Nieto, Aprilia, 1:49.248
6. Andrea Dovizioso, Honda, 1:49.372
7. Mirko Giansanti, Aprilia, 1:49.689
8. Gabor Talmacsi, Aprilia, 1:49.871
9. Emilio Alzamora, Derbi, 1:49.886
10. Arnaud Vincent, KTM, 1:49.959
11. Casey Stoner, Aprilia, 1:50.081
12. Youichi Ui, Aprilia, 1:50.195
13. Steve Jenkner, Aprilia, 1:50.351
14. Mika Kallio, Honda, 1:50.579
15. Marco Simoncelli, Aprilia, 1:50.580

Friday’s 125cc Qualifying Times:

1. Pablo Nieto, Aprilia, 1:47.711
2. Alex De Angelis, Aprilia, 1:48.269
3. Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, 1:48.319
4. Lucio Cecchinello, Aprilia, 1:48.781
5. Andrea Dovizioso, Honda, 1:48.909
6. Youichi Ui, Aprilia, 1:49.021
7. Stefano Perugini, Aprilia, 1:49.082
8. Casey Stoner, Aprilia, 1:49.271
9. Masao Azuma, Honda, 1:49.583
10. Gino Borsoi, Aprilia, 1:49.632
11. Arnaud Vincent, KTM, 1:49.743
12. Mirko Giansanti, Aprilia, 1:49.813
13. Simone Corsi, Honda, 1:49.832
14. Gabor Talmacsi, Aprilia, 1:49.892
15. Jorge Lorenzo, Derbi, 1:50.017

From a press release:

BMG Chosen As New Husaberg Distributor

WOODSTOCK, NB CANADA – Barrett Marketing Group (BMG), an international distributor of recreational products, officially announced a distribution alliance with Husaberg, a division of the KTM Group.

“Our success with KTM motorcycles has given us the opportunity to now put our 25 years of distribution experience, our proven brand launching expertise, and our marketing power to work for Husaberg,” says BMG’s Josh Barrett.

As of May 1, all 2003 Husaberg models will be available at select BMG dealers across North America. By the end of 2003, BMG expects to have approximately 75 dealers carrying the Husaberg line.

To ensure dealers experience quick and cost-efficient product delivery, BMG has decided that inventory management and distribution of the motorcycles will be handled by their Orlando, Florida, facility. Husaberg parts and accessories will be distributed from their Arlington, Tennessee warehouse.

“We’re very pleased to be working with Husaberg,” says Barrett. “It solidifies our relationship with KTM Group and allows us to focus on one of the most exciting motorcycle launches the industry has seen in years. We fully expect to make Husaberg the premier, exotic, off-road motorcycle in North America and we want to make a strong presence in the exciting and evolving super-moto market.”

Dealers interested in carrying Husaberg motorcycles are invited to call Josh Barrett at 506-328-1315 for more information.


· With five distribution centers and a 3500-member North American dealer network, Barrett Marketing Group is the largest independent distributor of recreational products in Canada and a major force in the international distribution industry. BMG is synonymous with such well-known brands as KTM, EZ Loader, Troy Lee Designs and Kawasaki power products. The company is based in Woodstock, New Brunswick—just minutes away from the Canada-US border.

· In just 15 years, Husaberg motorcycles have moved from an old cowshed on the Husaberg Udde peninsula in Sweden, hooked up with KTM of Austria and taken the elite motocross-racing world by storm. Since the first production unit rolled out of the barn doors in 1989, Husaberg racers have nabbed 17 World Champion titles and a myriad of top-round finishes throughout North America and Europe. Husaberg bikes can now be seen on nearly every motocross, enduro, super-moto, and cross country track around the world.