Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Ben and Eric Bostrom are two of the most gifted and popular motorcycle racers in the world. They are rich, stylish, extremely fit and popular with the ladies. They also build and maintain their own dirt bikes, don’t put much stock in material things but do cherish personal gifts from fans and their privacy away from the racetrack, and are each other’s fiercest competitor and biggest cheerleader at the same time.

The Bostroms recently shared some valuable off time with us at their ranch in Southern California. We rode motocross with the pair on their full-scale private track, took 50cc minibikes around a separate scaled-down motocross track complete with 20-foot double jumps, learned a lot about rock climbing, talked about dating super models/television personalities and learned a lot about what make these two stars tick.

Read about it all–and check out lots of photos of the pair in action at home–in an upcoming issue of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The Art & Cultural Center at Fallbrook, a division of the nonprofit Fallbrook Village Assn. of Fallbrook, California, has scheduled an art-gallery showing of motorcycles and motorcycle-related art.

Wheels Of Desire, The Art Of The Motorcycle At Fallbrook, is scheduled to run between May 18 and June 1.

A show flyer states, “We are seeking sponsorships for this exciting exhibition showcasing some of the world’s most exciting and historically important machines. The show includes numerous vintage racing and street motorcycles circa 1899 up to the present along with fabulous motorcycle art.”

Former racer and AFM official Dick Pearce, who is now a semi-retired 72-year-old with a commercial flower growing operation in Fallbrook, is involved in the show project as a consultant.

The Art & Cultural Center at Fallbrook is located at 103 South Main St., Fallbrook, CA 92028.

More information is available from Pearce at (760) 728-7273 or from Mary Perhacs, Director of Exhibitions, at (760) 728-1414 or (800) 919-1159, or via e-mail at [email protected].

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

No Limits Honda’s Doug Chandler and Jason Curtis are planning to test one day at Willow Springs International Raceway before heading to Daytona, according to Team Manager Gary Medley.

“Well, probably go out to Willow Springs on the 20th (of February) with Honda, then straight to Daytona,” Medley told Roadracingworld.com Friday. The Willow Springs test day Medley refers to is a shake-down test of the 2003-model Honda racebikes currently being built by the American Honda race team in the HRC race shop in Japan.

Medley added that the No Limits team would also use the CCS/Formula USA race weekend (February 26 – March 2) prior to the AMA event (March 5-9) for additional set-up time.

Meanwhile, Curtis has been riding an ex-Erion Honda CBR600F4i racebike at Las Vegas Motor Speedway under the tutelage of Freddie Spencer.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

With several magazines in the midst of comparison-testing the new 600cc-class sportbikes, news from a Cycle World drag-strip test done yesterday at California Speedway (the drag strip is located outside the road course) is that a 2003 Honda CBR600RR ran in the 10-second bracket, with its competitors all running in the 11s.

From a press release issued by Richie Morris:

Brotz Motorsports, with riders Clint Brotz and Richie Morris, will join Erik Wood and the Kosco Buell/Harley-Davidson race team in 2003. All 3 riders will run XB9R Buell Firebolts in the Clear Channel Formula USA series. Morris will run select races while Brotz & Wood will make a full run for the points championship.

In addition to Morris riding, he will also assume the position of P.R. Manager for the Brotz Motorsports division. “It has always been a priority of mine to take care of the sponsors and make sure they are getting the recognition they deserve. Daytona Harley-Davidson and The Ocean Deck have been with me for 10 years now. My goal is to find more sponsors like them to join the team. I was seriously considering retiring from racing. My wife and I have a horse ranch in Elkhart Lake, and it takes a tremendous amount of my time. However, when we discussed this combination, it seemed a perfect fit. To race fewer races and be there to help the team in promotion and sponsorships made sense.

“Actually, riding a bike prepared by Rich Cronrath and Kosco will be the biggest hoot. I have chased that bike, bitched and moaned about it being so fast the past two years. Now it is ironic Clint and I will have the privilege to ride them.

“The Thunderbike series should be a very interesting in 2003. Last year, many of the top-notch race teams had priorities with the AMA Pro Thunder series. With that gone, there will be a number of talented riders concentrating on the Formula USA series. Clint certainly learned how to ride the Buells fast last year, so look for him to be up front. And just maybe I can remember how to run up there, too,” says Morris.

For team information Morris can be reached at 920-207-3977 or at [email protected].

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

CMRA (Calgary Motorcycle Roadracing Association) racer Ryan Taylor and wife Carrie had a daughter, Cassidy Jasmine Taylor, February 7 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

From a press release:

Dunlop supports the Asterisk Mobile Medical Center

Buffalo, NY ­ Dunlop Motorcycle Tires is proud to announce its donation of $5000 to the AMA Pro’s new-for-2003 Asterisk Mobile Medical Center (AMMC) for Supercross and outdoor National motocross series.

The funds will go toward defraying the operating expenses for the unit’s staff. While the AMA is funding the cost of the driver to transport the AMMC from race to race, there are still many other expenses to be covered.

The AMMC itself is a Renegade trailer that is built up as an emergency room on wheels according to Dr. John Bodnar, the AMA’s Medical Director. The AMMC will travel to all of the AMA Pro Racing’s Supercross and outdoor National races in 2003. It will be staffed with a doctor, a registered nurse and a certified athletic trainer.

This contribution to the AMMC is yet another example of Dunlop’s ongoing support of the motorcycle industry in general, and racing in particular.

“We are very proud to contribute to the AMMC program, as this effort will add another measure of safety and professionalism to our sport,” said Dunlop Vice President Mike Buckley.

“I’d like to thank Dunlop for its generous donation to the Asterisk Mobile Medical Center,” said Dr. Bodnar. “The AMMC is funded almost completely by Asterisk and motorcycle industry donations, and Dunlop’s contribution will
go a long way in helping add to the health and well being of our industry family.”

From a press release:

REPAIRMANUAL.COM RACING AND TRACKSIDERACERS SUPPLY.COM TO HOST ADRENALINE FEST DURING BIKE WEEK AT DAYTONA BEACH

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—Repairmanual.com Racing is teaming up with TracksideRacerSupply.com, Yuengling beer and Fuel Entertainment Complex to present the sportbike-oriented Adrenaline Fest, which will run February 27th to March 8th in conjunction with the Daytona 200 and Bike Week.

Adrenaline Fest will be held at Fuel Entertainment Complex in Daytona Beach. Vendors catering to the sportbike community will be on hand all week. Finish Line Racing will have high-performance accessories for sportbikes, and TracksideRacerSupply.com will be changing oil, installing new Pirelli Diablo tires, and selling Alpinestars apparel. In a quote from Trackside Racers Supply “This is a very exciting weekend for us. This will be the first time the new Pirelli Diablo tires will be for sale on the east coast.”

The Kevin Schwantz Racing School will be providing information about their riding and racing school at Road Atlanta, and 1993 GP World Champion Schwantz will be making a guest appearance.

Other vendors will include Fuel Motorsports, who sells premium mechanic gloves and other apparel; Motul, who provides high-quality oil and lubricants; North Florida Motorsports Park, a road course which hosts racing and track day programs; and Cornerspeed, the racing school that lets riders get a taste of world-class tracks such as Virginia International Raceway and Barber Motorsports Park.

Motul will also be sponsoring a Bikini Bike Wash on Friday March 7th and Saturday March 8th, so riders can keep their sportbikes clean during Bike Week.

Friday night, March 7th, SportbikeFix.com will present their Freestyle International Extreme Stunt Show. Patrick Stevens and Tim Barnes will show off their legendary sportbike stunts in the parking lot of Fuel.

Friday is also the night for the Sportbike Show, which will be judged by SPEED Channel personalities Brian Drebber and Dave Sadowski.

Another feature of Adrenaline Fest will be a Dyno Contest by Dyno Mike. There will be three classes for riders to enter and plenty of prizes available.

RepairManual.com Racing fields a Suzuki GSX-R750 in AMA Pro Racing competition with rider C.R. Gittere. A resident of Charlotte, N.C., C.R. Gittere has been racing since 2000. During Bike Week, C.R. Gittere will be racing in the Daytona 200 and 750 Superstock at Daytona International Speedway.

Vendors who are interested in participating in Adrenaline Fest can contact C.R. Gittere at 704.905.9801, or TracksideRacerSupply.com at 828-235-8400.

More information about Gittere can be found on his website, www.QuickCritter.com.

From a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:

WEEK OF FRUITFUL TESTS TAKE NEW SUZUKI ANOTHER STEP FORWARD

Phillip Island – February 7, 2003

Team Suzuki riders Kenny Roberts Jr. and John Hopkins concluded a week of testing at Australia’s Phillip Island GP circuit today, with their all-new GSV-R racer growing up fast – and easily going faster than the previous version.

These were the second tests for the 2003 machine, which made a surprise appearance in January at tests in Sepang in Malaysia. The huge improvements wrought by the Suzuki factory race department over the winter infused the whole team with enthusiasm at Sepang.

In Australia, the faster and friendlier new Suzuki showed its mettle again, confirming the promise of competitive potential at the fast and sweeping circuit.

The team tested for four days, starting on Monday and taking a break on Wednesday, finishing early on Friday when high winds spoiled the conditions, and the seaside circuit’s notorious seagulls mustered in menacingly large numbers.

“We’re still learning a lot about the machine – its good and bad habits,” said Roberts, 2000 World Champion. “But right off we went faster than last year, and there’s more to come.”

Engineers in Japan will continue to refine the exciting new GSV-R, all changed from last year’s ground-breaking first 990cc V4 MotoGP four-stroke, in the break before the next tests., at Jerez on February 21-23. There the new Suzuki will meet its MotoGP rivals for the first time.

The team has more tests scheduled in Spain and Japan, before the first race of the year at Suzuka in Japan on April 6.


KENNY ROBERTS: GETTING DIALLED IN – The tests went pretty well, with good weather right up until the last day, and we were able to get a lot done. There’s not a lot to complain about – you can’t put your finger on any big problems, and we were working mainly on setting stuff. The mechanics and engineers are still learning about the new machine’s good and bad habits, and how to set it from there. Until we test with the other guys, we won’t really know where we’re at. The bike is definitely faster than last year’s, but maybe not enough yet. We’re definitely on the right track to be competitive.


JOHN HOPKINS: SLOW START, STRONG FINISH – I had a slow start with some niggling problems on the first days, but I got a lot of stuff done on the last two … not so much in terms of lap time, but useful information. We’d put that together, and my best times were on the last day, with the improvements we found. We’re taking small steps, but we’re getting there. The bike’s a lot easier to ride than last year’s … much more rider-friendly, and we’re working on making the changes of direction better still. I’m looking forward to sizing up the opposition at Jerez, and to getting the best from the new bike before the start of the season.


GARRY TAYLOR: TEAM MANAGER – We had some really valuable days of testing, until the wind and the birds misbehaved on the last day. As we saw in Malaysia, the new bike is a tribute to the factory’s hard work. That was the really big step forward. Now we’re getting onto the niggling little things – refining the details, and establishing base settings. It keeps getting better. Kenny easily went faster than last year, and was really positive about the progress. John is showing his potential, and settling in well. Team morale is at an all-time high: everybody is smiling and pulling together. We’re fully committed to a really big effort.