Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

From a letter sent to SPEED TV personality Greg White and copied to Roadracingworld.com, via e-mail:

We just finished arguably one of the biggest MC weekends of the year. And the best “2-Wheel Tuesday” has for us is a MotoGP 125 race and Euro motocross?

Is Speed actually TRYING to drive viewership down here? Hey, if it’s gonna be “All NASCAR, all the time,” fine. But have the decency to drop your broadcast rights altogether so that some broadcaster who actually GETS it, and understands the consumer dollars we as a community represent, can step to the fore and give us what we want.

That would be relatively complete (and occasionally LIVE) coverage of *ALL* facets of the sport. Understanding that light T&A appeals to many not very well, compared to good camera angles and knowledgeable commentary and a willingness to properly pronounce riders’ names. (Miguel _who_?)

Dispiritedly yours,

Peter Lindquist
Mill Valley, California



And now, more reader e-mails related to SPEED coverage of motorcycle road racing:

I totally agree with Peter Lindquist of California regarding Two-Wheel Tuesday’s coverage of this past weekend’s racing events.

That show has gone from something I looked forward to every week (last year) to something I could care less about. I will watch “Bike Week,” and once that segment is over Two Wheel Tuesday is over for me.

I think the 4 people on the planet that gave a rat’s ass about MotoGP 125 could have suffered through any of the Laguna Seca races with the rest of the racing planet.

The new format is working great, Greg; along with the Umbrella Girls why don’t you eat hot wings, and drink beer on the show?

Bill Taylor
Orlando, Florida



I was satisfied with the Laguna coverage–not ecstatic, but content. I felt the races that were aired were well prepared although it disappoints me that the other races were not broadcast. I’m not sure why they don’t run the races at a later time slot allowing myself and a majority of other fans to tape/Tivo the events. This way we are not interrupting the precious NASCAR coverage which is run so often I’m surprised their fans aren’t sick of it. I guess if I did spend billions on securing the TV rights to the NASCAR series I would want to run them every chance I could.

My suggestion is, NASCAR needs its own channel, this way Speed would be free to broadcast the remainder of the other forms of racing including our motorcycle coverage. My other suggestion involves mounting huge plastic slabs to the motorcycle bodywork enabling sponsors to broadly display their home cleaners/detergents/wares to a captive audience.

I’m still waiting for the re-air of the AMA Road America Races. Even though I was there, and I set the Tivo for all covered races, I ended up with only half the events. I was hoping to catch them on the following TWT but instead I had to watch the ’84 KFC 500 NASCAR race.

I hope that Speed will listen to our concerns and make the correct adjustments to the programming line-up. One day a week guys, that’s all we need (this excludes the live weekend events). I’m sure there is enough two-wheel coverage to fill a day. How about showing reruns of the Daytona AMA events? How about presenting the motorcycle coverage in a format that will attract more people to the sport and potential sponsors? How about more events like the Nicky Hayden-Michael Andretti swap? Except do this with a NASCAR personality, I know Kyle Petty has his cross country ride for charity, there must be other drivers out there? Do most people realize the excitement of the sport? Motorcycle racers, myself included, do not a have a sixty point roll bar protecting our bodies nor do we have crumple zones or foam filled gas tanks. Motorcycle racing is still just as pure as the day it was started. I feel the audience is out there and it is up to us to make Speed aware of our existence. If you pay for something and you’re not happy with the product, you complain, last time I checked my cable bill, Speed was included in the price.

Ben Clauss
CCS MW #174
Chicago, Illinois




After watching this weekend’s WSB races at Laguna, my wife (a UK native) would have to say that it’s almost worthless watching them. (Let me mention I thought I had died and gone to heaven while in the UK, being able to watch the whole frickin’ race live AND uninterrupted). They cut to commercials at such frequency that it’s more of a highlight race coverage show. Then, after you’ve come back to live action, they don’t even show you what you missed. This would be more understandable during a “live” situation but even race #2 that was on at 9:00 p.m. was the same. I think I’m gonna tape ’em (& check Roadracing World for results) from now on so I don’t have to sit thru commercial after commercial. It might relieve some of the maddening frustration from my life. Boycott Speed…I say! Let our voices be heard! Why don’t they sell the coverage to someone who gives a damn?

Darick Pash
CMRA #123
Abilene, Texas

(Editorial Note: Those commercials you don’t want them to run pay for what coverage motorcycle racing does get on TV.)




Reading Mr. Anastasiou’s email about SpeedTV’s coverage of the weekend, I have to say I couldn’t agree more.

First I want to say that the coverage that did make it to air was very good; Sadowski and Polen were great with their information. They did show AMA Superbike on Saturday which was also great. Showing Superstock is an iffy proposition since it is basically 98%-one brand of motorcycle with two Kawasakis included. What I can’t understand is for the past two years, by far, the closest Championship in AMA road racing has been Formula Xtreme–with the points Championship race coming down to the very last race: Whoever leads the final round has been crowned Champion.

Furthermore, if you look at what sportbikes are bought in the U.S. market they are made up of two main groups: 600s and 1000s. I can’t imagine the ‘race on sunday sell on monday’ expression counts for anything else better than it does for these bikes. There aren’t a bunch of RRs, GSXRs, and R1s all over the landscape just because. You mean to tell me the factories involved couldn’t shell out a little bit of money to have their bikes displayed during these events as well?

Showing the Supersport races seems to be a given to Speed, Superbike is shown because it is the top level of racing which is fine, too, but how is it not a given to show the FX races as they are:

1) streetbike based so folks can cheer on thier own brand just like Supersport
2) they are basically all privateers but with a very high level of ridership-many just off Superbike level talent
3) it is very tight racing just like Supersport so you can have passes and drama throughout the race
4) if you want to build a fan base based on riders, this class has the pilots that WILL end up on Superbikes in the near future. Not to mention Hopper’s ascent from FX to GPs.

Except for only a chosen grand few (Mat, Miguel) every young gun in AMA (plus Nicky Hayden) has cut his teeth in FX racing when it came time to test his big horsepower talents.

It seem to me that Speed is really taking a “take what we give you” attitude with motorcycle racing coverage and its fans, knowing there is no other outlet to get race coverage. I am not a fan of NASCAR but I respect the coverage it gets, but I wonder if those viewers have to put up with the constant commercials about racing that isn’t NASCAR the way bike fans do? I also wonder, like Mr. Anastasiou, how Speed TV can complain about ratings for repeats of bike races and NOT show races they cover and do not show even remotely close to the dates of the races. We will see the entire FX season some time in the fall and winter when it doesnt really matter. Related to repeats, Speed explains how their showing repeats of races during the day and night on Tuesdays have very low viewership (I watch because I work nights) but I wonder what the numbers are for these pitiful 1984 Daytona 500 race programs they show for 2 to 4 hours during those same afternoons before they show bikes? It can’t be any better…can it?

Patrick Lawrence
NESBA #508
Alexandria, Virginia



I’d like to add another comment on SPEED’s motorcycle racing coverage.

Alex Anastasiou lamented that the AMA Superbike race wasn’t aired on Sunday. In SPEED’s defense, that race was aired on Saturday.

But I have to agree with Mr. Anastasiou that SPEED could have put more action on the air. They’ve whined that race repeats don’t get any ratings, justifiably so. Yet they show repeats of other shows when there’s prefectly good racing to be seen for the first time.

I haven’t seen a Superstock race since Daytona. Superstock is even more competitive than Supersport and is often the best action of the weekend. This latest race came down to the last turn on the last lap, with a margin 0.028 seconds. I’d bet that race would have had me on the edge of the couch from the green flag to the checkers. Why do I have to read about it on the internet? Why not get these races on the air?

Kevin Daniels
McDonough, Georgia





Can tough-guy motorcycle racers cry any more about not getting to see every race known to motorcycling?

I’m a racer, and I love to watch racing on TV. In addition I am also smart enough to know that motorcycles make a huge sucking noise in the bank accounts of speed executives, and I am happy to have what they give us. Maybe all this bellyaching would be better directed towards getting Xanadu back in the theaters…the chances of getting what they want are about the same.

As long as Speed shows anything, it is better than nothing.

Mark Novak
Houston, Texas



First let me say that I am not a racer, but I am a rider and I have followed bike coverage since before Code and Winters stepped up to bring motorcycle racing to television. I have followed Seals and Fedorek and Burks and all the other entrepreneurs that have struggled to give us motorcycle TV.

Unfortunately it is all about money. It’s about the cameraman that works 2 days a week trying to support a family, it’s about a Producer that has hundreds of thousands of dollars tied up in equipment to produce the programing. It’s about the programing executive that answers to a higher authority. It’s about the manufacturers that have to build “Da Bomb” every new season, just to stay in the game. Money, money, money!

Indeed, it would be nice for Suzuki or Honda or any of the others to sponsor coverage of a race with no commercial interruptions. But then, what would they get for their money?

One other thing, the comments about the broadcast team were interesting. I find Drebber’s excited delivery both genuine and knowledgeable. Sadoski may have been a pain in the behind to some within the racing community at one time, but as a broadcaster he is head and shoulders above most “experts” that are foisted on the viewing public. The commentary from Polen was interesting for a short while, but he mumbled into the microphone, denigrated the rest of his broadcast team and he stepped on the lines of Sadowski and Drebber numerous times. I for one would have been happy if he had kept his participation to the usual two minutes reserved for great veterans. I don’t work in television, I just watch it.

Thanks to everyone at Roadracing World for the great work in bringing us racing journalism.

Lloyd Horton
Atlanta, Georgia



What is Speed TV’s motive ? Is this their way of trying to let us down easy? These are questions that I continue to ask myself and others, and nobody seems to have the answers. Quite frankly, I am appalled at Speed TV’s actions over the recent months, as I am sure are many others. I can specifically remember Speed TV having representatives showing up to the Laguna Seca World Superbike races to ask for our (Race Fans) support in getting our local cable stations to provide access to Speed. There’s no doubt that this generated phone calls & letters which helped influence many cable stations into signing contracts with Speed. So I ask you, did Speed just use us to help expand their network into what it is today?

I understand that Speed is in business to make a profit and they may see a larger return from NASCAR sponsors through advertisement, but it seems like there should be plenty of viewing time for both. If Speed TV chooses to reduce their motorcycle coverage to a minimum, than I would ask that they relinquish their rights to these events & go about their business. Better yet, maybe AMA and WSB need to step in & terminate their contracts with Speed & sign a contract with a station that is interested in promoting our sport.

Craig Ayers
AFM #106
Lodi, California


MOTO X from Italy! A 125cc race that happened a month ago! This is what Speed calls new programming? Please tell me we are in some kind of time warp. I understand they do not want to have re-airs, but when they air the races most people want to see it is when most people are at work.

It was the biggest weekend for U.S. road racing and they show programs from a month ago? Where did the Supersport race go? Where did the Formula X race go? Does Speed really think that their viewers want to see a bunch of foreign riders that even the most avid of enthusiast hardly know about?

Greg White is doing a fantastic job with Greg’s garage–it is great concept–but how can they make such a huge mistake with the programming they have decided to put on the air?

This was a huge blunder on the part of Speed’s programming director.

Michael Elias
Mid-Atlantic #195
Freehold, New Jersey

From a press release:

Fourth Annual Ride for Life to benefit Duke Children’s Hospital

The Fourth Annual Ride for Life, to benefit Duke Children’s Hospital, is set to roll on Saturday, July 19th in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The ride, started 3 years ago by CCS Racer and Duke Registered Nurse Stan Simmerson, has seen impressive growth these past years, and this year’s ride promises to be the biggest yet.

Riders will meet for sign-in at Scooter’s Bar and Grill in Raleigh at 9:00 a.m., then depart at 11 to visit some of the area’s best bike dealerships and tempting restaurants, then proceed to Duke University Medical Center with police escort to visit the Children’s Hospital. There they will meet just a few of the many kids that benefit from the riders’ generosity.

In years past there were always great door-prizes for the participants, but this year the prizes are indeed impressive, and include free tires from Pirelli, a free track day/school at Virginia International Raceway from Cornerspeed.net, an autographed basketball from Duke’s own Coach K, and certificates from many of the area’s finest restaurants.

On top of that, Simmerson has collected some highly-prized motorcycle racing memorabilia for auction on Ebay to coincide with this ride. The items include an Arai helmet that has been signed by a “who’s who” list of motorcycle racing champions, including World Champions Freddie Spencer, Kevin Schwantz and Scott Russell. Also on the helmet are AMA Champions Nicky Hayden, Miguel Duhamel, Kurtis Roberts, Mat Mladin, Aaron Yates, Rich Oliver, Jason Pridmore, Doug Chandler, and many many more names.

The tuners weren’t left out either; legendary tuners Al Ludington, Ray Plumb and Vic Fasola are on the helmet, along with former Daytona 200 winner David Sadowski.

Journalists are accounted for too, Brian Drebber of SpeedTV signed the helmet, along with Roadracing World editor John Ulrich. Many more names are there too, too many to list!

Also up for auction is Kurtis Rober’s Leathers from VIR, Aaron Yates’ boots, Rich Oliver’s boots, and Eric Bostrom’s gloves.

“I can’t thank these guys enough for their generosity,” said Simmerson, when speaking about the auction. “That these guys would donate like they have speaks volumes of their character”.

The items can be viewed by visiting www.ebay.com and typing in “ride for life” into their search engine. Persons interested in participating in the charity ride or with questions regarding the items up for auction can contact Stan Simmerson at Duke at 919-668-2934, or can call Scooter’s about the ride at 919-954-2171.



More from Stan Simmerson, RN, on what the money is used for:

The money raised goes to the Duke Children’s Miracle Network, an organization here at the hospital that works to benefit the patients and their families that are here for extended stays due to the serious nature of the illnesses faced by these kids. (Duke has one of the largest Bone Marrow Transplant programs in the nation). Duke does not turn away any patient, regardless of their ability to pay. For this reason, the Duke Children’s Miracle Network was created.

If a family is from far away from this area, and cannot afford a hotel room while their child is in the hospital, the Network makes sure that mom and dad have a place to stay while their child is in the hospital. Other things the Network supports is the procurement of video tapes, games, puzzles, etc for the kids as they face long periods of isolation after their chemotherapy, (They are especially vulnerable during this period as their natural immune system is gone). The Network makes sure that there are enough copies of “The Little Mermaid”, etc. to keep the kids entertained during their forced isolation.

The Children’s Miracle Network also hosts a summer camp for seriously ill kids, where there are doctors and nurses on the camp, so that kids can, well, be kids, while still having the closely watched medical care they require.

There are many more things that this money will help.

Last year we had around 200 motorcycles on the ride and raised over $10,000. This year, weather permitting, we’ll do even better.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

In response to (Laguna Seca General Manager) Ms. Gill Campbell about the horrendous traffic issues at Laguna Seca, I have a suggestion.

There are only three routes into/out of the track. Has anyone ever thought that it might be fairly easy to designate one route as both in and out of the track at all times, while the other two routes are lanes in-only from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and lanes out-only from, say, 4:00 p.m. until track closing that night?

Laguna Seca is a world-class venue that gets poor marks for the traffic situation at every race weekend.

One thing to keep in mind: The sooner folks get out of the track and back to Monterey or Salinas
or wherever, the sooner they get to start spending their cash in the surrounding community. Seems like a win-win to me, and a fairly simple-to-institute solution to a very real problem.

Pat Stricker
Nipomo, California


Note: Stricker is referring to an earlier post, 7/15/2003 Laguna Seca GM Responds To Traffic Complaints


And now a response from Ms. Campbell:

Unfortunately as great as a suggestion as that is, all of our roads are County roads and the police and fire will not allow us to use any of them as one-way systems as they need to be able to have emergency access. South Boundary is actually controlled by multiple elements – Del Rey Oaks, CHP and BLM. We also have to pay insurance on that road as it is not generally open to the public!

Highway 68 is designated as a scenic highway and so will never be widened!

We do our very best with what we have available, we wish we could do more and we are constantly re-evaluating the situation. I will tell you however that at Infineon Raceway during their largest event, NASCAR, it takes 4 hours to get out of the parking lots. Our average time is a little over an hour at the peak times.

Remember, people enter over a period of about 5 hours and we get them all out in a little over an hour, there are only so many cars that can be on any road at one time.

Our lives are not easy here!

Gill Campbell
General Manager
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca



And now this, from another reader:

I read with interest the e-mails on traffic at Laguna Seca. As I have been attending races there since 1971, I think I have a few ideas to throw into the mix.

First, I think that the CHP should stay on duty past 5:00 p.m. I was in line, going down the hill to route 68, when I observed the officers go to their cars and stop controlling traffic at about 5 minutes to 5:00 p.m., only half-an-hour after the 2nd World Superbike race ended.

I left early this year for personal reasons. My suggestion to race fans is to wait it out for at least 2 hours after the final race. That will relieve traffic. I was able to exit fairly quickly this year.

I also think that the center exit road, the one that goes down the hill from turn two, should be closed–it eventually reaches the same point as the main road from 68 that winds up to the guard shack. Laguna Seca should route the traffic to the other, longer, exit road that leads to the west entrance and keep that center road closed.

Laguna Management should also use the AM-feed 840 radio station to update traffic conditions locally at the exits. This would be very easy to do and people could be alerted by AM radio as to the extent of the back-up. I have numerous other suggestions for the AM radio station, which I have e-mailed to Laguna management numerous times, but they still insist on allowing dead air to exist–there are so many great uses for a dedicated racing crowd, and imagine the extra revenue from ads that Laguna could tap, but that subject is off-subject here.

Finally, Laguna management should urge the folks down in the booths to announce post-race, 20% off sales. That would keep a lot of people at the track taking advantage of the best deals…this would also allow vendors to clear out inventory that they would otherwise have to take back to their shops. Of course, the booth announcers could use the loud P.A. system to announce traffic conditions and urge people to wait it out. They could also announce traffic conditions as they un-wind.

Dave Johnson
Shingletown, California

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

LRRS and AMA 250cc Grand Prix racer Tim O’Connor was released Sunday after spending eight days in a Concord, New Hampshire hospital, following a crash during LRRS practice at New Hampshire International Speedway on July 5.

Reached by phone at his home Tuesday, O’Connor said that he is on the mend and feeling better every day.

“The crash took place on the out lap of Saturday morning’s second practice session. I was taking it easy, being it was the out lap, when entering turn six I was hit from behind and thrown into the air,” said O’Connor. “I was knocked unconscious and transported to the hospital. Once I arrived at the hospital they found that I had a broken left clavicle, and a torn spleen.”

O’Connor said he was kept in the ICU for several days following surgery to stem bleeding from the torn spleen. O’Connor also said he had just returned from seeing an orthopedic surgeon and that no further surgery will be needed, and that recovery from his injuries will take an estimated two months.

O’Connor can be contacted via e-mail, [email protected].

From a press release issued by American Suzuki:

Due to an oversight on our contingency program the AMA Road Racing Grand Championships were inadvertently left off the contingency schedule. Suzuki will post contingency at the AMA Road Racing Grand Championships, July 23-24 in the following classes and amounts.

Supersport (GSX-R600)
Superstock (GSX-R750)
Heavyweight Superstock (GSX-R1000)
Lightweight Twins (SV650)
Heavyweight Twins (SV1000 & TL1000R)


600, 750, 1000
1. $1500
2. $1000
3. $ 700
4. $ 350
5. $ 250
6. $ 200
7. $ 175
8. $ 150
9. $ 100
10. $ 75

Heavyweight, Lightweight Twins
1. $500
2. $250
3. $125
4. $75
5. $50

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Via e-mail:

You may wish to advise your classified ad subscribers that they may be the subject to fraudulent offers. I received an email in response to a Roadracing World classified ad. Mr Frank Joseph claimed to be in Holland and wanted to purchase my motorcycle. He offered to pay the full asking price provided I would ship it to Nigeria, where he was being transferred.

A cashier’s cheque arrived, apparently drawn from a Texas credit union, for the motorcycle cost, plus shipping. I was supposed to pay for the shipping and keep the difference.

Unfortunately, the cheque is a forgery and no such funds are available. A simple call to the credit union verified the cheque was fraudulent and the persons (names) involved, Frank Joseph, Fred Mark, David James and John Wood have a history of forged cheques and fraudulent activity.

Michael Steszyn
Portland, Oregon




This reaction just in, from another reader:

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

My teammate was contacted by the same person, or at least the same situation back around the time of the Daytona AMA round.

Sean Wyatt
Chicago, Illinois


More, from another reader, the father of racer Chris Peris:

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

Follow up to your article, I was contacted by the same person this morning, via e-mail.

I would like to thank Roadracing World for keeping all us, unknowing potential victims informed. Very nasty, do the scams ever end?

I guess my bike’s still for sale. There goes my holiday. Good thing I wasn’t going to Nigeria, I probably would have delivered it.

I thought it was a little weird, they were going to send too much money.

That’s not racing…

Fernando Peris
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

From a press release issued by Clear Channel:

2004 Supercross Tickets On Sale

AURORA, Ill. – Clear Channel Entertainment’s Motor Sports division announced the schedule for the U.S. events of the THQ World Supercross GP/AMA Supercross Series. Tickets go on-sale for Cross Club members on July 14 for all of the Clear Channel Entertainment – Motor Sports-produced events in the U.S.

December 6, * Europe, To Be Announced

December 13, * Europe, To Be Announced

January 3, *+ Anaheim, Calif., Edison International Field

January 10, *+ Phoenix, Bank One Ballpark

January 17, *+ Anaheim, Calif., Edison International Field

January 24, *+ San Diego, Qualcomm Stadium

January 31, *+ Anaheim, Calif., Edison International Field

February 7, *+ San Francisco, Pacific Bell Park

February 14, *+ Houston, Reliant Stadium

February 21, *+ Minneapolis, HHH Metrodome

February 28, *+ Atlanta, Georgia Dome

March 13, *+ St. Louis, Edward Jones Dome

March 20, *+ Indianapolis, RCA Dome

April 3, *+ Pontiac, Mich., Silverdome

April 17, *+ Irving, Texas, Texas Stadium

April 24, *+ Salt Lake City, Rice-Eccles Stadium

May 1, *+ Las Vegas, Sam Boyd Stadium

*THQ World Supercross GP event

+AMA Supercross Series event

(March 6, Daytona Beach, Fla., Daytona International Speedway is not a Clear Channel Entertainment — Motor Sports-Produced event.)

THQ World Supercross GP is a 17 round global series that is produced and promoted by Clear Channel Entertainment and Dorna Off Road S.L. In 2003-2004, the 17 event THQ World Supercross GP will be comprised of two European events (venues to be announced) and 15 of the 16 events that are conducted in major markets throughout the United States as part of the AMA Supercross Series. The other AMA Supercross Series event held in Daytona Beach, Fla. is independently produced by the International Speedway Corporation, and is not a part of the THQ World Supercross GP.

July 14-15: Cross Club members will have first choice of tickets. For more information and to join the Cross Club, please log on to: www.sxgp.com.

July 18-25: Fans can purchase tickets online at www.sxgp.com, www.ticketmaster.com, www.unlvtickets.com (Las Vegas only), www.tickets.com (San Francisco only).

July 26: Fans can purchase tickets at all ticket outlets.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Nicky Hayden will team with Japanese rider Ryuichi Kiyonari on a Seven Stars Honda RC51 for the Suzuka 8-Hours August 3, according to an official entry list issued July 14.

Kiyonari drew attention last year when he rode a Team Kohtake RSC Honda CBR954RR to the overall race and JSB1000 class wins at round eight of the nine-round All-Japan Road Race Series in the wet at TI Aida Circuit, beating Suzuki’s Yukio Kagayama, who rode a GSV-R MotoGP prototype, and Team Cabin Honda’s Makoto Tamada, on a Honda RC51. It was Kiyonari’s debut in the class.

Kiyonari also won the 2002 All-Japan ST600 (Supersport) Championship on a Honda, taking four wins in eight races.

Kiyonari put in another stand-out performance earlier in 2003 when he finished second in the FIM World Supersport race at Sugo. Kiyonari led most of the event but was passed on the last lap by winner Christian Kellner.

Kiyonari was called up to ride with the Telefonica Movistar Honda team after Daijiro Kato’s fatal accident and has been with the team since the Jerez round in May. To date, Kiyonari’s best MotoGP finish has been 11th at Catalunya.

The 20-year-old from Saitama, Japan has competed in the Suzuka 8-Hours before and finished second in the XF class in 2000.

Hayden, on the other hand, has never competed in the 8-hour classic but has ridden at Suzuka several times and has a lot of experience on the Honda RC51.

Hayden, Kiyonari and the second Seven Stars Honda team of Tohru Ukawa and Hitoyasu Izutsu tested 8-Hours-spec Superbikes at Suzuka July 2-3.

Other teams listed in the July 14 Suzuka 8-Hours entry list include:

Yukio Kagayama and Atsushi Watanabe on a Yoshimura Suzuki GP-1 Maxim GSX-R1000 in the JSB class

Tadayuki Okada and Chojun Kameya on a Team Sakurai Honda RC51 in Superbike class

Anthony Gobert and Adam Fergusson on a Corona Extra TiForce Suzuki GSX-R1000 in the XF1 class

Jordan Szoke and British rider Paul Young on a Corona Light TiForce Suzuki GSX-R1000 in Superbike

Shinichi Itoh and Takeshi Tsujimura on a FCC TSR ZIP FM Racing Team Honda CBR954RR in XF1

American Mickey Lane and Takuya Tsuda on a Spec-A Yamamoto Racing Honda CB1300SF in XF2

Former World Champion Doug Polen and Toshiyuki Hamaguchi on a Moto Liberty Honda CBR954RR in XF1

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The question was posed by a reader after Kurtis Roberts pitted during the AMA Superbike race at Laguna Seca with what he said was a vibration caused by the rear tire spinning on the rim and thus going out of balance.

We posed the question to an American Honda spokesman, asking if saying the tire spun on the rim was some sort of PR code for a more serious tire problem. His reply follows:

Not PR spin, tire spin. The race team said they had to change tires on short notice before the start of the race. The solution they used to help seat the tire was new and did not completely dry, so unfortunately the tire spun on the rim. True story.