Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Wednesday Morning’s Fastest Lap Times (as of 12:10 p.m. Pacific Time) From AMA Pro Racing Timing & Scoring):

1. Anthony Gobert, Ducati 998RS, 1:27.279
2. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:27.644
3. Kurtis Roberts, Honda RC51, 1:27.853
4. Ben Bostrom, Honda RC51, 1:28.176
5. Larry Pegram, Ducati 998RS, 1:28.876
6. Miguel Duhamel, Honda CBR600RR, 1:29.827
7. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:29.960
8. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:30.102
9. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:30.190
10. Jake Zemke, Honda CBR600RR, 1:30.347
11. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:30.560
12. Alex Gobert, Honda CBR600RR, 1:30.898
13. Roger Lee Hayden, Honda CBR600RR, 1:31.505
14. Tony Meiring, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 1:31.951

From a press release issued by Yamaha:

Steady return for Checa and Melandri in cold and windy Jerez

Jerez, Spain
21/1/2003

The new Fortuna Yamaha Team pairing of Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri made a discreet start to their first tests of 2003 today in Jerez. In cold and blustery conditions the track temperature did not rise above 19 degrees Celsius during the first of three days of testing.

Spaniard Checa completed 55 laps and recorded a best time of 1:44.3, which is over a second slower than his qualifying time at last year’s Spanish MotoGP. Having worked on dialling-in the new fuel-injection system and suspension settings on his YZR-M1 he was prevented from having his usual run of fast laps towards the end of the day by a problem with one bike.

New-boy Melandri has again made good progress as he familiarises himself with the powerful Yamaha YZR-M1 four-stroke. The 20-year-old Italian has joined the Fortuna Yamaha Team in the premier MotoGP class having become the youngest ever winner of the 250cc World Championship in 2002. He completed a total of 50 laps today with a best time of 1:43.8.

The team is testing with black fairings and neutral leathers ahead of the 20th February launch of its new Fortuna Yamaha livery.

Commenting on the day, team director Davide Brivio said: “Both riders needed today just to get back into riding after the long Christmas break. We were doing some work on the fuel-injection with Carlos but Marco was just concentrating on riding and suspension settings. The weather forecast is not great for our three days here but I hope the rain stays away.”

Lap times

Carlos Checa, (Fortuna Yamaha Team) 1:44.3
Marco Melandri, (Fortuna Yamaha Team) 1:43.8

Alex Barros, (Gauloises Yamaha Team) 1:42.9
Olivier Jacque, (Gauloises Yamaha Team) 1:47.8

Shinya Nakano, (d’Antin Yamaha) 1:45.2



More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM TESTS
Jerez, Spain
21 January, 2003

FRUITLESS DAY FOR FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM AS WEATHER PUTS A STOP TO TESTING

Rainy conditions last night and for most of the day today meant that the Jerez track in Spain was not able to dry out properly. Although the sun broke through late in the afternoon, the Fortuna Yamaha Team was unable to continue their second day of testing at the Spanish circuit.

“The forecast for tomorrow is not great either, unfortunately,” commented Team Director Davide Brivio. “We just have to hope that Carlos and Marco get a chance to do some more laps. It’s one of those things that you have no control over.”

The Fortuna Yamaha Team are scheduled for one more day of testing in Jerez tomorrow, and they will then move to Valencia where they will test for 25, 26 and 27 January.

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

AMA PRO RACING ANNOUNCES ALL NEW U.S. CHAMPIONSHIP

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — AMA Pro Racing will debut an all new motorcycle racing championship in 2003 based on the popular supermoto format. The series is scheduled to begin in late Spring and AMA Pro Racing plans a complete press conference and introduction during Daytona Bike Week in March.

According to Scott Hollingsworth, CEO of AMA Pro Racing, the new series already has the support of the major OEMs as well as a number of national sponsors.

“It’s apparent that the marketplace is ready for this championship and AMA Pro Racing is pleased to take the leadership role in its development,” said Hollingsworth. “Supermoto, with its combination of road racing, motocross and flat track elements, is a fantastic platform for manufacturers to showcase new product and expand their marketing opportunities. Plus, there’s no better way to demonstrate rider versatility. To succeed in this series competitors will have to master several racing disciplines.”

A cross section of national caliber riders has expressed interest in competing in the series including reigning AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Champion Chris Carr, two-time X-Games gold medalist /freestyle motocross star Mike Metzger, five-time Daytona 200 winner Scott Russell and former World GP Champion, Kevin Schwantz. Bringing riders together from differing racing backgrounds will ensure not only a good show but broad fan appeal as well.

Races will run in conjunction with already-established AMA professional races or as stand-alone events in a number of major markets nationwide. One of the goals of the series is to offer as many riders as possible the opportunity to compete. Complete series details, including class structure and rules will be announced in March. In the meantime, anyone interested in obtaining more information should contact AMA Pro Racing’s Andy Leisner at [email protected]

From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM – PRESS INFORMATION
SEPANG (Malaysia)
21 January 2003

BOTH CAPIROSSI AND BAYLISS IMPROVE ON SECOND DAY OF DUCATI DESMOSEDICI TESTING AT SEPANG

The second day of testing for the Ducati Marlboro Team at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia mainly revolved around set-up work on the Ducati Desmosedici. Both Capirossi and Bayliss completed a similar number of laps, 56 for Loris and 57 for Troy.

The high temperatures (air 33° C / 51° C track) enabled the team to verify the performance of the bike in difficult conditions, and confirmed the validity of the technical solutions applied so far by Ducati Corse engineers.

Both riders slightly improved their times today. Capirossi, who felt more at home on the Malaysian track, got down to a time of 2:04.4, while Bayliss continued his learning curve, but improved on yesterday’s performance to end the day with a time of 2:06.1.

“I’m pleased with the way testing went today” commented Troy at the end of the session. “My aim is above all to learn the track and establish the right feeling with the bike and the results so far show that we are on the right track. Today we concentrated on finding the best set-up for these temperatures and this type of track surface. I feel that we’ve still got a lot of room for improvement, but at the moment I prefer to concentrate on testing and set-up. As well as the Michelin tyres, today I also tried a number of different fairings, due to the high temperatures, and new gear ratios. We have to take advantage of every lap of the track to understand the bike and we’ll be doing the same sort of work tomorrow.”

“Today we did a really good job” declared Loris. “We managed to resolve many of the doubts that we had yesterday, in particular regarding grip. We tested lots of front and rear tyres and by the end of the day we had sorted out the problems of traction and spinning at the rear. This enabled me to improve on yesterday’s time and I finished with 2:04.4. We mustn’t forget however that we are only here to do testing and tomorrow will also be dedicated to the tyres and accumulating as much experience as possible because inexperience will be our worst enemy. The results that we are obtaining day after day are most satisfying and give us cause for hope. In addition these four-stroke bikes are really enjoyable to ride, the Desmosedici slides around easily, it’s great fun!”

From a press release issued by MotoEvents:

The Racing Continues

MotoEvents has renewed their commitment to quality road racing in British Columbia with the WMRC (Westwood Motorcycle Racing Club) for the 2003 British Columbia Road Race Series. Although it has taken some time, we are happy to announce the ’03 race and practice schedule. This year has a few additions to the program to add more excitement and race time for all involved.

We are able to expand our race series to 4 events at Mission Raceway. On 3 select Monday Test & Tune practice days there is the addition of a 2-hour Mini-Endurance series.

Visit www.wmrc.ca or www.motoevents.ca for more information and current releases.

2003 Schedule
T&T = Test & Tune Practice days. Admission free to spectators
Race Events = $10 admission
TBC = To Be Confirmed

April 22 – T&T / New Rider School – TBC
May 26 – T&T / Endurance Race
June 30 – WMRC Race R.1 – TBC
July 7 – T&T / Endurance Race
July 26-27 – WMRC Race R.2
Sept. 8 – T&T / Endurance Race
October 3-5 – WMRC Double HeaderRace Weekend R. 3-4

From a press release issued by Pramac Honda Press Information:

Sepang – (Malaysia) – 20/21/22 January 2003

Private tests

Tuesday 21 January

Second day of tests at Sepang. Bridgestone development work progressing, Tamada and Itoh improve their performance.

Assisted by perfect weather – clear skies and searing heat – the Pramac Honda team completed another substantial part of their work programme scheduled for these three days of test sessions. Makoto Tamada got a much better feeling for the Sepang circuit, which he went out on yesterday for the first time ever. The good weather also let the Bridgestone technicians get some excellent work done in their test programme.

Tamada tried out a number of different settings to find the best configuration that would enable him to get to grips with the track, while Itoh tried out a number of different types of front tyre. The two riders constantly exchange opinions and today they also swapped bikes in order to compare some different technical options. This is the true debut for the two riders on their Bridgestone-shod RC 211Vs and these three days are the first step in preparation for the forthcoming tests to be held here in Sepang next month.

Makoto Tamada: 61 laps – 2:07.1 – “Very hot, and a huge amount of work. As the weather was good, we went round almost non-stop all day. After a bit, you get to feel the fatigue, but this initial stage of work is very important, and I haven’t yet found the perfect settings to build up a really fast speed. Itoh and I exchange data and information, and this helps us make progress.”

Shinichi Itoh: 76 laps – 2:05.6 – “I tried out many different tyre solutions, because what we want to do is to come back here in Sepang for another session of tests in mid-February. The work we’re doing now will help us make an initial selection and make even finer choices the next time we take to the track. The solutions we tried today led to better lap times, so I very pleased with the way things are going. It’s a painstaking job but it’ll soon bear fruit.”

Maximum ground temperature: 49° C

Last day of tests tomorrow at Sepang

From a press release issued by Honda Racing:

HRC Winter Test Sepang, January 21, 2003.
Day 2 of 3 day test.

Lap Times Tumble on Second Day of HRC Sepang Test

Day two of the HRC winter test at the Sepang circuit, in Malaysia, saw all Honda RC211V riders lower their lap times from yesterday’s opening session. Reigning MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi set a scorching pace on his Repsol Honda while testing tyres for team supplier Michelin. In the searing temperatures and high humidity of Sepang Rossi set a lap time 1.6 seconds faster than his best lap time during the grand prix held at Sepang October of last year.

Valentino Rossi: “Basically very happy with the results of today. The bike now seems stable and we have no chatter. It is now possible to go very fast and to keep regular fast laps. The engine feels strong and I have good traction without having to slow to stop spinning. We will keep all the settings the same for tomorrow. We have worked hard on the front today with nine different compound Michelins. Tomorrow we will work more on the rear.”

Rossi’s Repsol Honda teammate, American Superbike Champion Nicky Hayden, was feeling more at home on day two of the test. The American put in an amazing 84 laps of the circuit, lowering his lap time by over a second from yesterday as he familiarised himself with both the changes to he RCV and the Sepang circuit.

Nicky Hayden: “I’m feeling a lot more comfortable on the bike which is good but the track has taken me a lot longer to learn than I’m used to; certainly longer than the other GP tracks I’ve ridden on. It’s such a long lap time and so much wider. Although we got a faster lap time it’s been a little frustrating today and at times we seem to be going round in circles – I guess hardly surprising – it’s still early days. Tomorrow we’ll do more work with suspension setting and with tyres. Step by step!”


Fausto Gresini’s Telefonica MoviStar Honda team riders, Daijiro Kato and Sete Gibernau, put in 114 laps of the 5.548km circuit. Both men improving on their times of yesterday. Kato continued his work on the RCVs suspension throughout the day, while teammate Gibernau was learning about his new mount and the team of technicians who will work for his this season.


Daijiro Kato: “I am feeling better after being a little ill over the past two days. We worked some more on the suspension today, because while we don’t have a new bike yet, we have some parts, which have been improved, and it is up to me to put them through their paces. At the moment we are focusing on both sets of suspension, and I feel we have certainly made improvements. The weather was very hot today, and this meant that we worked in short sets of laps so we could rest more and not get tired so easily.”


Sete Gibernau: “I am happy with how things are going so far, and I’m certainly happy with my time, it’s the best I have ever done around this circuit. Obviously things are very new for all the team, because this is the first time we are getting together, so we are trying to work towards forming good habits, so that we do the right things week in week out. Once we have a set way of doing things, then we can move on to a better level. The bike is very well balanced, you know what it is going to do, and that means you can concentrate more on what you as a rider are doing, and how your body works and reacts to it.”

Tohru Ukawa, the most experienced RC211V rider of all present at the test, worked hard all day aboard his Honda Pons RCV. Ukawa tested Michelin tyres, and spent time fine tuning the fuel injection system of the five-cylinder four-stroke.

Tohru Ukawa: “Today we did the tyre testing we were unable to work on when the rain came yesterday, and after having worked solidly all day we have made good progress with them. We are also making improvements to the fuel injection, but this is just one of the new areas we are aiming at making even better. I still need to do a lot more laps on the bike because we have been working so much on the suspension before this, and while it may be still too early to say much about the season. I am confident that although there may be even more competition this season, I can still win races.”

Pramac Honda team rider Max Biaggi looked much more comfortable today than in previous outings on the RCV. The Italian has found a base set up to suit his style and he will now begin the serous work in preparation for the season.

Max Biaggi: “Today we took a great step forward. We have found a good machine balance, and the riding position is good. We only have new parts for one machine so we concentrated on that bike but we still managed to get in 47 laps. Finding the base set up and riding position has taken up two days, we didn’t event start with the Michelin test yet. Tomorrow we will see what we can do with the tyres Michelin have ready for us to test. The team are working really well and we are beginning to understand the motorcycle and each other. I have not been looking for a lap time, we have been looking for the set up to suit me and adjust the riding position.”

The Bridgestone tyre-testing programme continues to gather pace and Pramac Honda rider Makoto Tamada and HRC Honda test rider Shinichi Itoh worked hard all day. Tamada was learning the circuit while tyre testing at the same time; he lapped the Sepang circuit 2.1 seconds faster today than on the opening day of the test.

Makoto Tamada: “Very hot, and a huge amount of work. As the weather was good, we went round almost non-stop all day. After a bit, you get to feel the fatigue, but this initial stage of work is very important, and I haven’t yet found the perfect settings to build up a really fast speed. Itoh and I exchange data and information, and this helps us make progress.”

Near veteran Itoh was also faster than yesterday but the multi-talented racer and tester was more concerned about evaluating tyre performance with an eye on the future rather than a fast lap time at Sepang.

Shinichi Itoh: “I tried out many different tyre solutions, because what we want to do is to come back here in Sepang for another session of tests in mid-February. The work we’re doing now will help us make an initial selection and make even finer choices the next time we take to the track. The solutions we tried today led to better lap times, so I very pleased with the way things are going. It’s a painstaking job but it’ll soon bear fruit.”



Testing times Sepang January 21, 2003.

Valentino Rossi, ITA Repsol Honda, 2:03.5, 65 laps

Nicky Hayden, USA Repsol Honda, 2:06.6, 84 laps

Daijiro Kato, JPN Telefonica MoviStar Honda 2:04.3 56 laps

Sete Gibernau, SPA Telefonica MoviStar Honda 2:04.9, 58 laps

Tohru Ukawa, JPN Honda Pons, 2:04.9

Max Biaggi, ITA Pramac Honda Team, 2:04.5, 47 laps

Makoto Tamada, JPN Pramac Honda Team, 2:07.1, 61 laps

Shinichi Itoh, JPN HRC Honda, 2:05.6, 76 laps 76 laps

From a press release:

RideSmart riding and racing schools will be kicking off the 2003 season January 27th at MotorSports Ranch in Cresson, Texas. RideSmart features 3 Levels of riding and racing schools at every event. Our Level 1 & Level 2 schools are tailored for the street riders that would like to improve their street skills or begin to ready themselves for road racing. The strength of the Level 1 & Level 2 School is not only the curriculum, but also intensely experienced instructors that have distinguished themselves within the South Central region. Instructors for Level 1 and Level 2 Schools include Danny Dominguez, Greg Fowler, Jim Bishop, Ty Stranger-Thorsen, Phillip Fisher and many other current and past regional champions that can bring the successful experience of road racing to the entry level and experienced track day student.

Our Level 3 (Advanced Racing School) is designed for the racer that wants sharpen up fundamental on and off-track skills. The Advanced Racing School provides top-level technicians for the student at every event. Jim Cambora (Raceworx) and Pete Martins (South Central Axxion Center) are providing mechanical and suspension assistance to all Level 3 students. Jim Cambora is well known for his contribution to Ty Howard’s success, while Pete Martins is a regional distributor for Traxxion Dynamics products and services. Our instructors are all current and past champions within the south central region and include Shane Stoyko, Eric Kancir, Darnell Dorsey, and Marcus McBain. Collectively, these racers possess over 30 years of road racing experience as well successful racing experience ranging from 125cc GP to 1000cc four stroke racing machinery. Highlighting the strength of the Advanced Racing School is the 50-page course guide. This provides an excellent reference for Advanced Racing School students that will cover on-track and off-track skills.

Raceworx, South Central Axxion Center, and www.racersupply.com will be sponsor the Advanced Racing School. Recognizing the significance of this racing school, these sponsors have stepped up with products, services, and general assistance for 2003. Racers attending the January 27th Advanced Racing School will be eligible to earn “www.racersupply.com bucks” provided to students who score 100% on there classroom exams.

RideSmart Advanced Racing School will additionally sponsor several riders in the 2003 season. Mark Delano, John Orchard, Scott Beckley, and Ben Thomas will attend the Advanced Racing School at no charge this season and receive access to suspension and mechanical assistance available on school days. The RideSmart Advanced Racing School will additionally assist in organizing sponsorship for these riders. Sponsored riders are required to be in good standing in the racing community as part of their eligibility for this program. We congratulate Scott Beckley who has been an Advanced Racing School student this past year on his first career road racing win at the Church of Speed event held January 12th.

RideSmart will release its 2003 schedule January 21, 2003. With two racing organizations (CMRA and WERA) and multiple track day organizations operating in this region, RideSmart is tailoring its schedule to not “step on” other events. 2003 marks the third year of RideSmart track day schools. For general information go www.ridesmart.info about RideSmart events. For more information on Level 1/Level 2 schools, contact Dave Wonders at 512-689-9875 or email – [email protected]. For more information on the Level 3/Advanced Racing School, contact Marcus McBain at 281 225 2474 or email – [email protected]

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Compiled from press releases:

1. Valentino Rossi, Honda, 2:03.5
2. Daijiro Kato, Honda, 2:04.3
3. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 2:04.4
4. Max Biaggi, Honda, 2:04.5
5. Sete Gibernau, Honda, 2:04.9
6. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, 2:04.9
7. Shinichi Itoh, Honda, 2:05.6
8. Troy Bayliss, Ducati, 2:06.1
9. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 2:06.6
10. Makoto Tamada, Honda, 2:07.1

From a press release issued by Kawasaki:

CRASH FOR MCCOY ­ PROGRESS FOR PITT

Phillip Island/AUS ­ Tuesday, January 21st, 2003: Kawasaki Racing Team star Garry McCoy had completed two hours and 21 laps on the first of three days of testing in Australia, when he suffered a heavy crash in the notorious Siberia corner of the Phillip Island race track. Dazed and heavily shaken, the “King of Slide” was taken to the hospital in Cowes for a medical check, but was later released without any injuries apart from bruises and mild concussion. Team-mate Andrew Pitt and test riders Akira Yanagawa and Alex Hofmann rode on despite strong and gusty winds, to work on a suitable set-up for the fast and sweeping circuit, on refinements of the Fuchs Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR’s fuel injection system, and on tests of the latest generation Dunlop tyres.

Garry McCoy (21 laps ­ best time in 1:34.90):
“Normally, you just hold second gear from the exit of Honda corner to the braking point for Siberia, but I must have hit a bump, because I accidentally clicked into third with the throttle still wide open. Obviously, I got into that corner way too hot. I tried to brake and slow down as much as I could before letting the bike go, but there is not a lot of run-off there, so I hit the ground quite hard. Luckily, I didn’t break anything, but I was dizzy and bruised enough to get some rest and stay in the hotel for the remainder of the day!”

Andrew Pitt (61 laps ­ best time in 1:34.14):
“The day started with strong winds, and it was getting worse and worse and worse. But I’m still quite happy, because we made a good step forward, and I started to go quicker and quicker. Right at the end of the day, we got the bike in the best position it has been in. It doesn’t feel good when the front wheel comes up under acceleration and then the wind hits you with full force, so we are trying to keep the front wheel down with putting as much weight on it as possible without upsetting the rear too much. Right at the end, we got a pretty good compromise as far as the balance goes. We also went a bit softer with the suspension because of the bumps and the wind. It will be interesting to see how we can go with this setting without any wind!”

Alex Hofmann (49 laps ­ best time in 1:36.46):
“We just tested tyres again, in order to double-check with our data from Malaysia last week, because different conditions sometimes lead to different results. That was my main job today, and not to go for laps times at all, because this is not the best track for my older, carburetted version of the bike anyway. Whereas my bike starts to move and shake early on, quite like a Superbike, the new motorcycle offers superior stability, grip and a feeling of safety in fast sections, which is exactly what you need on Phillip Island!”

Akira Yanagawa (75 laps ­ best time in 1:34.48):
“It was sunny, but very windy, too. I haven’t been riding here for almost two years, but my lap time is not so bad, and therefore I’m happy. I now got the same chassis that Andrew and Garry are using, which is much stronger and makes me feel more comfortable. My riding style is very aggressive, so this stronger chassis suits me just fine!”

Harald Eckl (team manager):
“Garry arrived at his home circuit highly motivated, so it was especially unlucky for him to crash when the test had hardly started. Our computer data confirms a very unusual shift from second to third gear right at the braking point for the Siberia left-hand corner.

“Fortunately, Garry didn’t suffer any serious injuries, and we hope that he will be fit to ride tomorrow. Andrew, Alex and Akira rode on all day without any further incidents, but they struggled with strong winds and couldn’t accomplish as much as we hoped. Apart from that, we are still waiting for two of our new chassis – they got stuck in quarantine at Melbourne airport, and we hope they can be delivered before this three-day-session ends!”