From a press release issued by Traxxion Dynamics:

For Immediate Release:

Changes at Traxxion Dynamics

Traxxion Dynamics Inc. is now entering its sixth year in business. We have come a long way with the help of many loyal customers. We are at a threshold moment in time for our products and services.

Trackside support has always been the key to our company’s success. Last year I realized that we were providing spotty trackside service to lots of different organizations; we just couldn’t be in enough places at once. This wasn’t good for anyone. Comprehensive support for each region is what racing suspension customers need.

I founded a new company, Axxion Centers Inc., last summer to seek out one highly qualified representative for each of the major regions of the United States. We are filling these spots slowly but surely.

A shift in business philosophy from one of our major suppliers has created competition for us that we never would have, nor could have anticipated. With our product sales badly crippled, and no apparent remedy in sight, we have been forced to seek alternative means for our company and our new Axxion Centers to generate income and hope to once again become viable. Many have suggested we simply become a “consulting” company. While this is not what any of us want, it appears to be the most logical means to attempt to minimize our losses.

So, effective immediately, we will no longer be able to provide free trackside support, as we have in the past. Don’t be alarmed; the fee we intend to charge is $20 per weekend for customers who have purchased their forks and shocks from us. We will charge $50 per weekend for customers who have purchased their products elsewhere.

So, you may not need us all the time, but if you do, we will be there. If you needed us every weekend in a ten race season, it will cost you $200. I hope that doesn’t seem unfair to have your own trackside suspension rep.

Mike Fitzgerald, our General Manager, has left Traxxion to form his own company, Thermosman Suspension Inc., which will serve as the Southeast Axxion Center for Traxxion Dynamics Products. If you are a SE racer, support Mike as he will be the guy who is going to payout your contingency money.

In Texas, for South Central Region racers, we are in contract negtotiations with a rep there, that unfortunately, are failing. Unless we can get these problems sorted out, we will not have an Axxion Centers Inc. Authorized Rep for racers in that region. Racers who want to use our products and services need to contact our main store in Atlanta, or visit www.traxxion.com.

Check our rep’s schedules out at the newly launched www.axxioncenters.com.

We appreciate your support, and will continue to do our best to bring you the cutting edge of suspension technology and the world’s best trackside suspension support.


Sincerely,

Max McAllister
President
Traxxion Dynamics, Inc.
Axxion Centers, Inc.
Axxion Arm Systems, Inc.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Two-time FIM Endurance World Champion Stephane Mertens will race in the 2003 Daytona 200.

Mertens, 43, raced in the 2002 Daytona 200-miler, but it was the Belgian’s first time at Daytona since racing a 250cc machine on the high banks in 1986. Last year, Mertens raced a Dick Suarez-tuned privateer machine in the 57-lap classic, running as high as ninth until a broken transmission knocked him out of the running late in the race. Mertens was credited with finishing 38th, 11 laps down from winner Nicky Hayden.

Mertens’ effort this year will be more official and more potent. Mertens will ride the same Dunlop-equipped 2002 Suzuki GSX-R1000 (modified to be legal under AMA Pro Racing’s new-for-2003 Superbike rules) that he co-rode with teammate Warwick Nowland to the 2002 Endurance World Championship, including full quick-change hardware and quick-fill fuel equipment, and his 2002 World Endurance pit crew will fly in from Paris to work the race. Suarez will again assist the effort.

“My plan this year is to get the world title again, be safe and have a lot of fun especially at Daytona, which I consider as the best motorcycle event in the world,” Mertens wrote in an e-mail to Roadracingworld.com.

In addition to his 1995 and 2002 Endurance World Championships, Mertens raced in World Superbike for seven years (1988-1994) recording 154 race starts, 45 podium finishes and 11 race wins. Mertens finished fourth or better in the World Superbike Championship from 1988-1991 with a best Championship finish of second in 1989 to Fred Merkel, when both rode Honda RC30s.

In addition, Mertens won the 2002 BMW Boxer Cup Championship but stated that he will not defend his title and will not race in the BMW Boxer Cup event at Daytona.

From a press release:

2003 Yamaha Formula Xtreme TT Series
Event 1, Eastern Creek Raceway, NSW
Event preview

YAMAHA RIDERS COMMENCE THEIR TITLE DEFENCE AT THIS WEEKEND’S FORMULA XTREME OPENER AT EASTERN CREEK

Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway plays host to the opening round of this year’s Yamaha Formula Xtreme TT Series this weekend, with Yamaha riders Kevin Curtain and Craig Trinder preparing for their title defences.

Both Nikon Yamaha Racing Team riders will be out to retain their respective titles, with Curtain the current Xtreme and FX Supersport champion, while Trinder holds the coveted #1 plate in the exciting NakedBike class.

This weekend the pair will be joined by teammates Daniel Stauffer, competing alongside Curtain in the Xtreme class and Brisbane teenager Brendan Clarke, who will be making his team debut in the FX Supersport class. The team will be armed with the very latest machinery from Yamaha, with the YZF R1 again being the model to beat in Xtreme. The all-new fuel injected YZF R6 looks set to ignite the Supersport category, with the FZ1 in the hands of Trinder being the bike to beat in NakedBike.

As he did last year, Curtain will compete in the premier Xtreme (formerly Formula Xtreme) class, as well as FX Supersport. In recent years, the Newcastle rider has become one of the most prolific title winners having secured four Formula Xtreme crowns, one FX Supersport and a total of four Australian Championships since 1995.

The weekend will mark his debut with the Nikon Yamaha Racing Team, but he will be facing the new season with the same outlook that he had in recent years.

“The late arrival of the bikes has prevented us from doing a lot of testing before the season started, but hopefully we will have done enough to pick up some good results this weekend,” said Curtain. “The first round of any series is always difficult. You never know who is performing well at the moment, but I am confident that we will be up near the front. There are generally a few things that need sorting out and as a result should benefit us for the rest of the year.”

For Stauffer, the round will mark a return to racing as he has now recovered from a hip injury that he suffered last October. He will also be out to improve on his fourth place overall in last years series.

“Unfortunately I missed the test at Willowbank with the team last week, which means that I’ve only had one ride on the bike in the last six months, which is a bit of a problem, but I’m sure it will be OK when we get out there on the weekend,” said Stauffer. “I’ve been working hard during the off season with a lot of swimming and jet skiing. My hip has come along well since I injured it in October, but at this stage all that will fix that will be time on the bike.”

The FX Supersport class could well provide a huge amount of excitement and interest. The addition of a number of new models to the class has been matched with the quality of riders competing in it. One of those riders is Brendan Clarke, who along with teammate and defending champion Curtain, will be hard to beat.

“I rode the new YZF R6 the other day and things went very well,” said Clarke. “It’s a whole new package for me this year, new team, new bike and new tyres. The team has been awesome so far, they are very professional and have produced a very good race bike. The new fuel injected Yamaha YZF R6 feels great, as do the Dunlop tyres that we will be using this year. I’ll be aiming at getting a feel for the bike in the first meeting, find a good set up and see how the weekend pans out.”

As one of the more experienced riders in the team, Craig Trinder tends to be more relaxed, but knows what it will take to win a second NakedBike crown.

“I’m very excited about the year ahead,” said Trinder. “We will be going into the season with a fully developed bike that is putting out more horsepower than what it was last year. It won’t be easy, especially with a few new models from the other manufacturers out there. I’ve been training hard and will be aiming for a second NakedBike title in the Formula Xtreme TT Series.”

Qualifying for this weekend’s opening round will take place on Saturday morning, with the first of the scheduled races set to start at approximately 1:00 p.m. Racing continues on Sunday with 16 races scheduled commencing with warmup at 9:00 a.m.

From a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:

SUZUKI’S SUZUKA DEBUT



Suzuki’s all-new 2003 specification GSV-R MotoGP machine made its public debut at the Tokyo press launch for the Suzuka MotoGP on Monday (Feb. 12th). Suzuki joined the other major Japanese manufacturers at a press conference to launch the first round of the MotoGP season at Suzuka on April 6th.



The new Suzuki appeared in the same all-black bodywork that it has been tested in at early season tests in Malaysia and Australia, but no technical details were released apart from confirmation of the MotoGP team’s technical sponsors Motul, Michelin, Yoshimura, NGK, RK Excel and D.I.D



Suzuki has called a press conference at the IRTA tests in Jerez, Spain on February 21st, where full team and technical details will be announced.

From a press release issued by Tight Squeeze Racing:

Tight Squeeze Racing is a publicly funded, non-profit (501(3)(c)) organization dedicated to club-level motorcycle road racing. It is TSR’s intention to solicit tax-exempt donations to provide funding for participants injured during this activity. Solicitation involves, but is not limited to, raffles, auctions, services, organized motorcycle rides, and advertising via the Internet. For more information, please visit www.TightSqueezeRacing.org or email [email protected]

In 2002, The TSR Injury fund had another successful donation year. We received a total of $4,345 from 38 individual donors, averaging $114 per donor, with single maximum donation of $1500. All donations for the 2002 year have been processed and receipts have been mailed. If you have not received a donation receipt, and need one for tax preparation purpose, please email info@TightSqueezeRacing with your name and complete mailing address. From the funds received, $3000 was granted to Papa Thiam of Arlington, VA, and $500 to Richard Knight of Atlanta, GA. Remaining funds were either spent on administrative costs such as annual business license renewal, postage, and credit card fees, or deposited into the Injury Fund bank account for usage at a later time. We will continue to solicit donations in the 2003 season, and accept cash, checks, or credit cards via Paypal.com.([email protected])

From a press release issued by OMRRA:

Oregon Motorcycle Road Racing Association would like to announce the Vicious Cycle Formula 160 Championship Series.

This Vintage racing series will take place at Portland International Raceway from April through October, and features pre-1968 Superstock 160cc four-strokes and 125cc two-stroke machines.

For more information, call (503) 295-0121 or (503) 285-8824.

This just in from former racer Dennis Smith of Sport Tire Services:

Just a short note to let your readers know that Dunlop has posted $1.95 MILLION in contingencies for this year. (Almost doubled from 2002.)

Here is some data for you and your readers. (The individual organizations have the data or you could have the racers referred to us for further information.)

Organization/POSTED CONTINGENCIES
AMA Nationals = $105,950
FUSA National = $88,550
CCS/LRRS = $723,365
WSMC = $126,000
AFM = $46,330
WERA = $534,075
CRA = $69,900
CMRA/ENDURANCE = $45,000
WMRRA = $52,650
OMRRA = $59,925
MRA = $68,350
SMRI = $31,710

TOTAL POSTED = $1,956,110

For more information:

West of Mississippi, Sport Tire Services 800-776-8473

East of Mississippi, Race Tire Services 800-772-8473

From a press release:

SERIES TAKES SAFETY STEP

TORONTO, ON – Three of Canada’s major motorcycle dealers have joined forces in an effort to improve rider safety in Canadian road racing.

McBride Cycle of Toronto, Calgary’s Blackfoot Motosports and Montreal-Based Diablo Performance have combined to purchase 310 feet of Alpina Air Modules from Austria’s Alpina Safety Systems Unlimited. The air modules are installed in front of obstacles at racetracks, providing a soft barrier for racers.

Similar barriers are already used in World Championship events and U.S. National competition.

The units will travel to each round of this year’s Parts Canada Superbike Championship and will be installed at points on each circuit that are deemed to present the highest risk of injury to racers. Cost to the tracks will be minimal, covering only shipping, installation and maintenance.

Airfence-brand inflatable soft barriers were used in volume in Canada at last year’s Parts Canada Superbike/Formula USA Road Racing Series doubleheader at Mosport International Raceway. The amount of Alpina-brand modules purchased for the Canadian series is similar to what was in place at that event.

“We all decided this project was definitely a must,” said John McBride of McBride Cycle. “There is no monetary gain for any of us in doing this. It is strictly a commitment to the safety of our competitors.”

Advertising space will be sold on the air modules and revenue will be used to fund the purchase of additional or replacement air modules.

“We are very grateful to McBride, Blackfoot and Diablo for taking the initiative on this project,” said Colin Fraser of Professional Motorsports Productions, which runs the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. “The use of the Alpina Air Modules at our venues will ensure that our racers compete with the highest level of safety available to them.”

The 2003 Parts Canada Superbike Championship will consist of seven events and six venues across the country. It opens at Shannonville Motorsport Park May 18 and concludes back at Shannonville Aug. 31.

From a press release issued by Road Atlanta:

DARK DOG IS PRESENTING SPONSOR FOR SUPERBIKE SHOWDOWN AT ROAD ATLANTA

BRASELTON, GA – Dark Dog Energy Drink is the new presenting sponsor of the popular AMA professional motorcycle doubleheader at Road Atlanta, now officially know as the Suzuki Superbike Showdown presented by Dark Dog.

Originally known as the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals, the May 16-18 event includes equally-important AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike races on Saturday and Sunday.

Dark Dog (www.darkdog.com) is also the “Official Energy Drink” of Road Atlanta and will have year-round marketing and advertising opportunities at all 12 spectator events, including the Petit Le Mans Oct. 15-18.

“Dark Dog made its debut at Road Atlanta last year during Petit Le Mans and will have a greater presence at the track this season,” says Mike Swaine, President and General Manger of Road Atlanta. “We are delighted that Dark Dog has increased its involvement with us.”

“Dark Dog is excited to be a sponsor of Road Atlanta and directly involved with events like their Superbike race,” says Randy Ridenour, CEO of Dark Dog America. “Our company is the number two energy drink in brand recognition worldwide, but we are relatively new in the United States. Being associated with Road Atlanta and the Suzuki Superbike Showdown presented by Dark Dog will give us tremendous opportunities to drive new sales.”

Road Atlanta (www.roadatlanta.com) is a multi-purpose motorsports facility located in Braselton, GA, and is utilized for a variety of events. Major spectator events include The Mitty historic sports car race April 26-27, the Suzuki Superbike Showdown presented by Dark Dog May 16-18 and the Petit Le Mans Oct. 16-18. Road Atlanta is also home to the Panoz Racing School and the Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School.

From a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM TESTS
Barcelona, Spain
11 February, 2003

FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM HEADS FOR IRTA TESTS WITH QUIET CONFIDENCE

Fortuna Yamaha Team riders Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri will leave the Barcelona circuit this evening content with the outcome of today’s testing. Despite a nasty tumble early on yesterday, Checa returned to the track today unshaken and ready to get back to work. His team-mate Marco Melandri completed more laps than all the other Yamaha riders today, ending the test with a long run giving him some of the vital experience that he will need when the MotoGP season begins in Suzuka, Japan, on 6th April.

Checa was positive about his day’s achievements, “I still felt slightly sore today but generally I am OK,” admitted the Spaniard. “I am happy with my performance today, as I found some consistent laps. I also went the fastest that I have ever ridden at this circuit. The weather conditions today weren’t great either, so I think there is even more room to improve.” Checa completed a total of 46 laps and improved on his previous Grand Prix lap time of 1:45.2, Max Biaggi’s pole position time of 1:44.5, and the circuit lap record of 1:46.6.

Melandri came away from the test feeling much more confident than at the Fortuna Yamaha Team’s previous test in Valencia two weeks ago, where he suffered some front braking problems. The young 250cc World Champion found difficulties adjusting his style to suit the four-stroke’s heavy braking, and worked with team supplier Brembo yesterday and today to find a way towards a solution to the problem.

“At the end of today I did 16 laps in a row as a kind of a ‘race test’, to try to understand what the bike will feel like at the end of a race”, explained Melandri. “I am happy with what I achieved here, as I managed to record a best lap time of 1:45.7.” The Italian completed a total of 75 laps today.

The Fortuna Yamaha Team will leave Barcelona tonight and resume testing at the first IRTA test in Jerez on 21st February. Team Director Davide Brivio is looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead, “I am pleased that we have had these two extra days, as we lost important time in Jerez last month due to the bad weather. Development is going as it should be. Carlos has had another very good day today even though he fell yesterday, and Marco has increased his confidence with the bike. Brembo have done a good job supporting him, making the changes he needed to feel more stable with front braking. We are interested to go to Jerez now to see the level we are at compared to our competitors.”

LAP TIMES

Alex Barros, Gauloises Yamaha Team 1:44.0 (58 laps)

Carlos Checa, Fortuna Yamaha Team 1:44.3 (46 laps)

Shinya Nakano, D’Antin Yamaha 1:44.8 (62 laps)

Marco Melandri, Fortuna Yamaha Team 1:45.7 (75 laps)

Olivier Jacque, Gauloises Yamaha Team 1:47.7 (49 laps)

More information will be available from the IRTA tests in Jerez (21,22,23 February).