Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
By David Swarts
Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3 test rider Sylvain Guintoli will race a Yamaha YZR500 as a wild card at the Czech Republic Grand Prix at Brno August 23-25, say sources in Europe.
The 20-year-old Frenchman previously raced in the 2001 250cc Grand Prix at Brno, finishing 13th.
From a press release issued by Team Oliver Yamaha regarding the Mid-Ohio AMA 250cc Grand Prix race:
Oliver wins 60th Grand Prix race in front of Sorensen, Disalvo, and Turner! TZ250 Yamaha again on top of podium!
Rich Oliver of Team Oliver Yamaha was again the dominate rider in Sunday’s 250 Grand Prix race, during the Mid-Ohio AMA Superbike race weekend. Rich was able to ease out a 5-second win with a strategy of observe, copy, execute, then slice and dice.
Asked about this confusing strategy, Rich commented thusly; “Well, Chuckie was riding really well as usual, so in the race I thought if I followed his lines I could learn where I was slower. Then what I did was adjust my lines to copy his where they were better, and keep my lines the same where mine worked pretty well. At that point I was getting around the track quite quickly and decided to take the lead. This put me in great position to take any advantage possible to scrape him off in traffic, which I was able to do after a couple attempts. Then all that was left was to hammer out a few fast laps, and build a lead to the finish.
“A bonus was that I also won the pole and led the most laps, so I took all 38 points available for the race. This helped my teammate Perry hold on to second in the Championship tally going into the last race next week in Virginia.
“I have to thank Rick Schell for sending me a new crankshaft after Laguna, and of course big kudos go to Robert Ward for spinning the wrenches and changing the brass all weekend long. Also a big thanks goes to Team Stargel for all the kind mentions in their current press release. Shucks guys, you’re going to give me a big head!”
Perry Melneciuc again rides hurt, rides spare bike, but hangs on to second place in the Championship with a 5th-place finish!
Perry Melneciuc finished 5th place in Sunday’s main event, after jumping off his spare machine Saturday morning in a high-speed 5th-gear crash!
Perry executed a front wheel lock-up, shoulder grind, back-spin, low level dismount with a reluctant-grip release. This later was termed a self torpedo with a hot back and finished with a cattle mutilation! (See below for glossary of terms.) Not to be dissuaded, Perry and wife Kellee dove into repair mode, and as the pile of smashed, mangled, grass-and-dirt-clod-filled parts grew higher, the Melneciuc TZ250 slowly came back to life.
Perry dragged his aching and still bleeding carcass out to the line Sunday, and in a gutsy and determined ride raced hard for 4th with Simon Turner and Chris Pyles, Pyles later cracking under the Melneciuc pressure and spinning down going into the infamous keyhole section of the course! Turner was able to finish 4th, Perry going on to finish the hot and humid race in 5th, and stay in the hunt for the AMA 250 Championship!
For the benefit of our fans who hear highly technical terms emanating from inside the Team Oliver tent, and may not completely understanding them, a further explanation in layman’s terms now follows:
CATEGORY: Crashing terms and related topics.
“Leaped off, jumped off, took a fast walk, spun her down, stepped off, took a break early, rode in on the truck, sanded her down, took the shine off, gave up when I was dragging the bar, and, it’s still out there, what’s left anyway!”
These all mean crashing. See also; Get out the bike cover. See also; Santa Rosa Trauma Center. See also; Swimsuit model. See also; Titanium hardware, not from Yoyodyne.
Following are more specific terms for certain types of crashes.
“Human auger!”
Crashing and screwing yourself into the pavement. See also; Kerry Bryant
“Snapped her to heaven!”
Big highside crash. See also; Turning down the damper now. See also; More rear rebound. See also; Hey, my front number is upside down. See also; Water leak.
“I could see my shadow!”
Big highside crash, minimum height at least 10 feet in the air. See also; Duhamel, Laguna. See also; Oliver, Daytona. See also; Momentarily delayed pain. See also; Anticipation of same.
“Head whacker with a twist!”
Banging your helmet and twisting your neck in the process.
“I had some pillow talk!”
Hitting the Air Fence.
“It was a cattle mutilation!”
Hitting the haybales and scattering a cloud of hay. See also; mowing the back 40.
“Torpedoed him!”
Losing the front and crashing into another rider. See also; Oliver, Pomona.
CATEGORY: Engine terms.
“She’s hacking up a lung!”
This refers to overreving of the engine until reed flutter sets in and the engine pops and coughs. See also; Oliver, Pikes Peak
“Blew the fat lady!”
Seizing a big rod end. See also; Oliver, Laguna.
“Dropped a snake!”
Chain came off.
“Locked her down tight!”
Seized the piston to the cylinder
“Running like a raped ape!”
Running well and fast. See also; Laguna, Brainerd, and Pikes Peak.
CATEGORY: Paddock terms, and rider nicknames.
“Circus is in town!” or “Snap the floor, pop the top, set up shop and let’s rock!”
Let’s get to work on setting up the team pit area and tent. See also; Wednesday morning. See also; 9:00 AM. See also; Sharp.
“Five minute break!”
Pretty lady walking by the team tent. See also: Corona Suzuki. See also; A and R racing.
“Rocked, locked and docked at the shore, she’s not sailing anymore!”
Woman is married. See also; Large diamond. See also; Bodybuilder husband.
“Pit fly by!”
When a rider we compete against has crashed earlier, but has now fixed his bike and rides by our tent on same fixed bike revving engine and starring at us. See also; I’m not hurt, just bleeding profusely. See also; Computrack. See also; Sharkskinz. See also; Do you have any spare pipes? See also; OK, well then can I borrow your torches?
Rider Nicknames:
“Sandman”
Roland Sands
“Chuckie”
Chuck Sorensen
“Smoke”
Simon Turner
“Piles”
Chris Pyles
“D’ Salvinator”
Jason DiSalvo
“Sore Hole”
Ed Sorbo
“Mad Bomber, or just yelling FRANCE and rolling the R!”
John France
“T-D-P”
Ty Piz
“Paint job”
Collin Jensen
“The Check”
Perry Melneciuc
“That big-nosed four-eyed old bastard”
Rich Oliver
From a Ducati Press Release:
DUCATI MOTOR HOLDING ANNOUNCES RECORD REVENUES
FOR SECOND QUARTER AND FIRST HALF 2002
– Over 25,000 Ducati fans attend World Ducati Week –
Bologna, Italy–Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. (NYSE: DMH, Milan’s Telematico: DMH), a leading manufacturer of high performance motorcycles, announced record consolidated revenues for the second quarter and first half, ended June 30, 2002.
For the second quarter, revenues were Euro 130.1 million an increase of 7.6% from Euro 120.9 million during the same period in the previous year. Revenues from Ducati motorcycles for the period increased 3.3% to Euro 107.1 million and represented 82.3% of revenues. Motorcycle-related products, including spare parts, technical accessories and apparel reached Euro 22.3 million, a rise of 30.0% versus the comparable period in the previous year.
For the first half of 2002, revenues were Euro 236.4 million, up 6.7% from Euro 221.5 million during the same period in the previous year. Revenues from Ducati motorcycles for the period increased 3.8% to Euro 196.4 million and represented 83.1% of revenues. Motorcycle-related products reached Euro 39.1, up 22.9% over the same period last year.
“I am pleased to announce these record results for the first half of 2002,” said Carlo Di Biagio, CEO of Ducati. “As first announced in early Spring, we are going ahead with our strategy of reducing inventories world wide, in preparation for the launch of a strong model year for 2003. In the US, we continue to re-structure our operations, and are especially focussed on de-stocking our dealers and building up high-quality distribution channels.”
While official world registrations data for the period are not yet available, the Company’s best estimates suggest that registrations for the six-month period have grown approximately 7%, with particular strength in Japan (+20%), Italy (+9%), UK (+5%), and all countries not covered by a subsidiary (+19%). In the US, registrations were flat.
During the second quarter of 2002, new Ducati Stores exclusively selling Ducati motorcycles and accessories were opened, including one in Glasgow and Fukuoka (Japan), bringing the total to 102 stores worldwide at half-end.
World Ducati Week, held in Misano in June, was a huge success, attracting over 25,000 Ducatisti from all over the world. Highlights included presentations of the Multistrada – a new motorcycle designed to bring sport motorcycling to a broader audience – and of the prototype Ducati Desmosedici, a motorcycle due to race in the MotoGP in 2003. Crowds gathered when the Ducati racing team joined devotees to pose for photographs and sign autographs, and collectors battled for rare pieces of Ducati memorabilia in a charity auction held with Sotheby’s, which raised Euro 38,000. Among the most emotional moments was when 2000 fans set off on their Ducatis to Lugo di Romagna, birthplace of Fabio Taglioni, in homage to the famed Ducati Engineer who passed away in 2001. The event also hosted the departure of the historic Motogiro d’Italia, a glorious five-day classic motorcycle race around the country roads of central Italy, which attracted hundreds of participants and press from around the world.
From an e-mail from Dr. Rob Tuluie:
The Tul-aris is featured repeatedly in the brand new motorcycle engineering book “Motorcycle Handling and Chassis Design” by Tony Foale. The book is a comprehensive review and an assessment of the current state of motorcycle design and development, investigating many interesting aspects of motorcycle engineering with sound physical reasoning. Several times throughout the book the unique aspects of the Tul-aris are described, including a discussion of the ground-breaking work using laboratory vehicle dynamics testing as well as virtual dynamic simulations for the design and development of the Tul-aris. The book considers the Tul-aris project a trend setter for the future of motorcycle design and development. More information on the new book is available at www.tonyfoale.com
In addition, the Tul-aris design and development process was presented at the 2000 SAE Motorsports conference, which is attended by many industry-leading engineers in the car and motorcycle racing world. The accompanying SAE paper describing this work is SAE 2000-01-3576, available at www.sae.org/servlets/index
From a press release issued by the AMA:
AMA exposes Insurance Institute errors
PICKERINGTON, OHIO — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), responding to a July 30 press release issued by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), has pointed out significant errors in the IIHS’s arguments concerning crashes involving older motorcyclists.
In its release, the IIHS claimed that the annual Black Hills Rally & Races in Sturgis, South Dakota, serves as a case-in-point illustration of the increase in motorcycle-related fatalities in recent years, notably among riders over age 40. Specifically, the IIHS said that 36 of the 69 motorcycle-related fatalities in South Dakota between 1995 and 2000 occurred in the month of August, when the Sturgis event is held.
However, the IIHS neglected to take into account the enormous increase in the motorcycling population of South Dakota as a result of the rally, leading the group to erroneous conclusions, the AMA noted.
According to figures from the IIHS release, there were six motorcyclists killed in South Dakota during the month of April over the six-year period, four in May, seven in June, eight in July, four in September and four in October. No motorcycle-related fatalities were recorded from November through March. The IIHS then said that the 36 motorcyclist fatalities in the month of August during the six-year period made it clear that older motorcyclists at the rally were raising overall fatality numbers in the state.
An AMA analysis of the data, however, shows that the IIHS’s conclusion is unsupported by the facts. The AMA pointed out that figures from the Motorcycle Industry Council for 1998, the middle of the time period cited by the IIHS, show there were 19,600 motorcycles licensed for street use in South Dakota. But during August, when the Black Hills Rally and Races attract riders from across the country, the motorcycling population of the state surges to more than 400,000.
“That’s a 2,000 percent increase in the number of motorcyclists riding South Dakota’s roads,” noted Edward Moreland, AMA vice president for government relations, “while the fatalities reported by the IIHS amount to a 360 percent increase over the monthly average during the riding season in the state.
“Failing to make the connection between that enormous increase in the state’s motorcycling population and the much more modest increase in motorcycle accidents indicates that the IIHS either doesn’t understand this situation or chose not to reveal the full story,” Moreland said.
The AMA also disputed the IIHS’s contention that recent increases in the median age of motorcyclists who were victims of fatal accidents “isn’t because of the aging of the population.” In fact, according to figures from the MIC quoted by the IIHS, the average age of a motorcycle owner in America has risen from 24 in 1980 to 38 today. As a result, a much-larger percentage of the motorcycles on the road are being ridden by riders over 40, and that trend is reflected in accident statistics.
In addition, the IIHS stated that changes in helmet laws in some states “are contributing to the increases in motorcycle deaths.” But the group failed to note that motorcycle sales have increased by approximately 20 percent in each of the last four years, meaning that the number of motorcycles on the road has grown enormously. Meanwhile, fatalities have increased by about a third during the entire four-year period and were actually down by 11 percent in the period from 1990 through 2000 and down by nearly 50 percent since 1980, a better safety record than any other type of highway transportation.
“For the IIHS to issue its opinions in the guise of a ‘news release’ is embarrassing,” said Moreland. “Not only is this release full of old news and misused statistics, it once again exposes that the IIHS is willing to say virtually anything to support its preconceived conclusions.
“We’re concerned, of course, about even one motorcycle-related fatality,” Moreland continued. “The AMA encourages anyone who’s truly interested in reducing motorcycling fatalities, and not simply promoting a political agenda, to join us in calling for a comprehensive, independent, nationwide study of motorcycle accident data.”
Moreland recently testified before a U.S. House subcommittee asking Congress to fund comprehensive research to determine the causes of motorcycle crashes.
In 2000, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation released a National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety to serve as a blueprint for improving motorcycling safety in the future. Representatives of the AMA and other industry groups were part of a team that helped shape the plan, which calls for more research into the causes of motorcycle accidents and potential ways to reduce them.
The most recent comprehensive federal study of motorcycle accident data was published in 1980, and sampled accident data only in Southern California. NHTSA officials have said they hope to begin work on a new study in the near future.
This just in, from Egor Emery:
All cornerworkers planning on working at the Virginia round of the AMA Superbike series next weekend who have not recieved confirmation of their status on the worker list should contact Egor Emery immediately. This is a National at a great facility, so don’t get left off. Egor can be reached by phone at 352-357-7104, or e-mail at [email protected].
Additionally anyone interested in traveling to Daytona for the Race of Champions in October should respond to Egor to get on that worker list. Please wait until after August 7 as we are concentrating on VIR until then. If you haven’t worked at Daytona yet, consider making plans to attend this October 16-20, 2002.
Inside Info Letters To The Editor Riding Mike Ciccotto’s Pro Thunder Firebolt MotoGP: Rossi Wins As RC211V Tops 200 mph At Mugello Mugello GP Notes Rossi Wins Fourth MotoGP at Catalunya Catalunya GP Notes AMA Superbike At Pikes Peak: Bostrom Wins, Nicky Crashes AMA Formula Xtreme At Pikes Peak: Pridmore Wins, Buckmaster’s New Bike Breaks Edwards And Bayliss Split Wet Wins In World Superbike At Silverstone Bayliss Sweeps Again In World Superbike At EuroSpeedway Bayliss Takes World Superbike Wins 12 And 13 At San Marino Nicky Hayden: Young Gun AMA 250cc Grand Prix At Pikes Peak: Tough Guy Oliver Holds Off Turner AMA Pro Thunder At Pikes Peak: McCarthy Makes It Two In A Row AMA Pikes Peak Inside Info Vesrah Wins WERA 4-Hour At VIR Harwell Wins Three WERA National Challenge Series Races At VIR Vesrah’s Perfect Streak Continues In WERA 6-Hour At Roebling Road AMA Superbike At Road America: Duhamel Sweeps Double-Header AMA Formula Xtreme At Road America: Top Three Crash, Pridmore Wins WERA National Challenge Series At Roebling Road Racing And School Calendar AMA Superstock At Road America: DiSalvo Beats Moore And Mike Smith AMA Supersport At Road America: Yates Beats Buckmaster And Tommy Hayden AMA 250cc Grand Prix At Road America: Sorensen Beats Oliver And DiSalvo AMA Pro Thunder At Road America: McCarthy Comes From Behind To Win Third Straight AMA Road America Inside Info John Hopkins: The GP Kid On The Front Cover: Valentino Rossi on the 202-mph Honda RC211V MotoGP racebike. Photo by Sportsphotography.
FROM DUCATI CORSE PRESS INFORMATION:
Mugello, 1 August 2002
DUCATI CORSE TESTS ‘LABORATORY’ VERSION OF THE FUTURE DUCATI DESMOSEDICI MOTOGP AND SUPERBIKE VERSION OF THE NEW 999 AT MUGELLO
Ducati completed its first day of testing behind closed doors today at the Mugello Circuit in Tuscany, in the presence of Ducati Corse employees who came to witness the track debut of two important motorbikes for the Bologna manufacturer.
From a press release:
HONDA RACING INFORMATION
SUZUKA 8 HOURS NEWS: Edwards replaces Ukawa/ Doohan rode the RC211V machine
Colin Edwards Replaces Tohru Ukawa on Cabin Honda for Suzuka 8 Hours
American Colin Edwards has been drafted into the Cabin Honda Suzuka 8 Hours team as replacement for the injured Tohru Ukawa. Edwards will partner reigning 250cc World Champion Daijiro Katoh on the Cabin liveried #11 big twin-cylinder VTR1000SP-W for the race.
World Superbike Championship campaigner Edwards, who won the corresponding race last year, while racing with Valentino Rossi, is very much the man in form. Edwards arrives at Suzuka fresh from a double victory for team Castrol Honda at the European round of the Superbike series, held at Brands Hatch, England, last Sunday.
Texan Edwards said of Sunday’s race. “Racing with Katoh will be good, he’s very fast at Suzuka. It will be interesting to see how he sets the machine up compared to our World Superbike settings. Although I’ve been told he has already tested with the settings I used last year and says he can run with the same bike set-up. From the practice we’ve had at Suzuka so far I’m sure we’ve got a machine and tyres capable of winning the race again. The SP-2 is a big improvement on last year’s machine and I’d love to win a third 8-hours race on the machine.
“The Suzuka 8 hours is a good event, very much hard work on a rider but, like last year’s victory, it can be very rewarding if you win. The race is at a good time of year for me, once it’s over we’ve a break and a chance to kick back at home,” concluded Edwards.
Ukawa decided to stand down after consultation with his doctors. The popular MotoGP rider sustained a broken bone in his right foot, and a badly bruised lower spine in a high speed crash in free practice for the British Grand Prix, in mid-July. He raced to a third place finish at the German GP two weeks ago but the 8-hours is the most grueling event on the motorcycle-racing calendar, a race that demands 100% physical and mental effort from competitors. Ukawa’s physicians advised Ukawa against racing as the effort required could hinder his recovery to full strength in time for the next MotoGP Championship race, at the Czech Republic, on August 25.
Doohan Rides RC211V Honda at Eve of Suzuka 8 Hours 25th Anniversary Festival
Former 500cc World Champion Michael Doohan rode a specially prepared version of the Honda RC211V MotoGP machine at Suzuka tonight. The RCV has been prepared for Doohan at the request of Suzuka circuit who wished to see the five-time World Champion take part in special ‘Eve of the 8 Hours’ 25th Anniversary festival.
Honda felt the special occasion merited an appearance by their newest MotoGP race machine. As the festival takes place on Saturday night, prior to Sunday’s race, the RC211V has been furnished with headlights for the event.
The lighting system is a one-off. Despite this being a solo appearance, Honda decided to equip the machine with something special for the festival. They have opted to use a ‘Line Beam’ headlight currently under development by Honda R&D. The headlight is a variety of the multi-reflector type. It features a smaller lens area than existing models, yet provides the same level of brightness and illumination, as the motorcycle headlights currently in use. The system is under development and could feature on production models at some time in the future.
Doohan, who won the 8-hours in 1991, put in several laps of the Suzuka circuit aboard the RCV, the machine that Shinichi Itoh raced to fourth place at the Japanese GP in April, to re-acquaint himself with the motorcycle. His last outing on the 990cc five-cylinder four-stroke was at the Pacific GP, at Twin Ring Motegi, last October.
Honda have a policy of developing technology for production machines through their racing activities, and will continue to do so but Doohan’s Suzuka Festival RCV is not the forerunner of a street going RCV. As no development plan exists, there is no likelihood of a production RCV appearing within the next one or two years.
Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
By David Swarts
Max Biaggi has said he will leave the Yamaha MotoGP team at the end of the 2002 season.
The Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport published an interview with Biaggi in their August 1 edition. In that interview Biaggi is quoted as saying, “Alla Yamaha ho passato quattro anni di grandi soddisfazioni, ma senza coronare il mio sogno: vincere il Mondiale. Ciò nonostante, a me sarebbe piaciuto rimanere, ma dopo avere incontrato i vertici Yamaha e avere richiesto certe garanzie, ho capito che non esistevano più i presupposti per continuare.”
The BBC translated this into the following: “I have had four years of great satisfaction at Yamaha but without being able to realise my dream of winning the world championship. Although I would have been happy to stay after meeting the Yamaha management and having asked for certain guarantees, I realised that there no longer existed the conditions to continue.”
It is speculated that Biaggi will follow long-time sponsor Marlboro to the Ducati MotoGP team in 2003.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Marlboro has sponsored Biaggi for the last nine years.
Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
By David Swarts
Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3 test rider Sylvain Guintoli will race a Yamaha YZR500 as a wild card at the Czech Republic Grand Prix at Brno August 23-25, say sources in Europe.
The 20-year-old Frenchman previously raced in the 2001 250cc Grand Prix at Brno, finishing 13th.
From a press release issued by Team Oliver Yamaha regarding the Mid-Ohio AMA 250cc Grand Prix race:
Oliver wins 60th Grand Prix race in front of Sorensen, Disalvo, and Turner! TZ250 Yamaha again on top of podium!
Rich Oliver of Team Oliver Yamaha was again the dominate rider in Sunday’s 250 Grand Prix race, during the Mid-Ohio AMA Superbike race weekend. Rich was able to ease out a 5-second win with a strategy of observe, copy, execute, then slice and dice.
Asked about this confusing strategy, Rich commented thusly; “Well, Chuckie was riding really well as usual, so in the race I thought if I followed his lines I could learn where I was slower. Then what I did was adjust my lines to copy his where they were better, and keep my lines the same where mine worked pretty well. At that point I was getting around the track quite quickly and decided to take the lead. This put me in great position to take any advantage possible to scrape him off in traffic, which I was able to do after a couple attempts. Then all that was left was to hammer out a few fast laps, and build a lead to the finish.
“A bonus was that I also won the pole and led the most laps, so I took all 38 points available for the race. This helped my teammate Perry hold on to second in the Championship tally going into the last race next week in Virginia.
“I have to thank Rick Schell for sending me a new crankshaft after Laguna, and of course big kudos go to Robert Ward for spinning the wrenches and changing the brass all weekend long. Also a big thanks goes to Team Stargel for all the kind mentions in their current press release. Shucks guys, you’re going to give me a big head!”
Perry Melneciuc again rides hurt, rides spare bike, but hangs on to second place in the Championship with a 5th-place finish!
Perry Melneciuc finished 5th place in Sunday’s main event, after jumping off his spare machine Saturday morning in a high-speed 5th-gear crash!
Perry executed a front wheel lock-up, shoulder grind, back-spin, low level dismount with a reluctant-grip release. This later was termed a self torpedo with a hot back and finished with a cattle mutilation! (See below for glossary of terms.) Not to be dissuaded, Perry and wife Kellee dove into repair mode, and as the pile of smashed, mangled, grass-and-dirt-clod-filled parts grew higher, the Melneciuc TZ250 slowly came back to life.
Perry dragged his aching and still bleeding carcass out to the line Sunday, and in a gutsy and determined ride raced hard for 4th with Simon Turner and Chris Pyles, Pyles later cracking under the Melneciuc pressure and spinning down going into the infamous keyhole section of the course! Turner was able to finish 4th, Perry going on to finish the hot and humid race in 5th, and stay in the hunt for the AMA 250 Championship!
For the benefit of our fans who hear highly technical terms emanating from inside the Team Oliver tent, and may not completely understanding them, a further explanation in layman’s terms now follows:
CATEGORY: Crashing terms and related topics.
“Leaped off, jumped off, took a fast walk, spun her down, stepped off, took a break early, rode in on the truck, sanded her down, took the shine off, gave up when I was dragging the bar, and, it’s still out there, what’s left anyway!”
These all mean crashing. See also; Get out the bike cover. See also; Santa Rosa Trauma Center. See also; Swimsuit model. See also; Titanium hardware, not from Yoyodyne.
Following are more specific terms for certain types of crashes.
“Human auger!”
Crashing and screwing yourself into the pavement. See also; Kerry Bryant
“Snapped her to heaven!”
Big highside crash. See also; Turning down the damper now. See also; More rear rebound. See also; Hey, my front number is upside down. See also; Water leak.
“I could see my shadow!”
Big highside crash, minimum height at least 10 feet in the air. See also; Duhamel, Laguna. See also; Oliver, Daytona. See also; Momentarily delayed pain. See also; Anticipation of same.
“Head whacker with a twist!”
Banging your helmet and twisting your neck in the process.
“I had some pillow talk!”
Hitting the Air Fence.
“It was a cattle mutilation!”
Hitting the haybales and scattering a cloud of hay. See also; mowing the back 40.
“Torpedoed him!”
Losing the front and crashing into another rider. See also; Oliver, Pomona.
CATEGORY: Engine terms.
“She’s hacking up a lung!”
This refers to overreving of the engine until reed flutter sets in and the engine pops and coughs. See also; Oliver, Pikes Peak
“Blew the fat lady!”
Seizing a big rod end. See also; Oliver, Laguna.
“Dropped a snake!”
Chain came off.
“Locked her down tight!”
Seized the piston to the cylinder
“Running like a raped ape!”
Running well and fast. See also; Laguna, Brainerd, and Pikes Peak.
CATEGORY: Paddock terms, and rider nicknames.
“Circus is in town!” or “Snap the floor, pop the top, set up shop and let’s rock!”
Let’s get to work on setting up the team pit area and tent. See also; Wednesday morning. See also; 9:00 AM. See also; Sharp.
“Five minute break!”
Pretty lady walking by the team tent. See also: Corona Suzuki. See also; A and R racing.
“Rocked, locked and docked at the shore, she’s not sailing anymore!”
Woman is married. See also; Large diamond. See also; Bodybuilder husband.
“Pit fly by!”
When a rider we compete against has crashed earlier, but has now fixed his bike and rides by our tent on same fixed bike revving engine and starring at us. See also; I’m not hurt, just bleeding profusely. See also; Computrack. See also; Sharkskinz. See also; Do you have any spare pipes? See also; OK, well then can I borrow your torches?
Rider Nicknames:
“Sandman”
Roland Sands
“Chuckie”
Chuck Sorensen
“Smoke”
Simon Turner
“Piles”
Chris Pyles
“D’ Salvinator”
Jason DiSalvo
“Sore Hole”
Ed Sorbo
“Mad Bomber, or just yelling FRANCE and rolling the R!”
John France
“T-D-P”
Ty Piz
“Paint job”
Collin Jensen
“The Check”
Perry Melneciuc
“That big-nosed four-eyed old bastard”
Rich Oliver
From a Ducati Press Release:
DUCATI MOTOR HOLDING ANNOUNCES RECORD REVENUES
FOR SECOND QUARTER AND FIRST HALF 2002
– Over 25,000 Ducati fans attend World Ducati Week –
Bologna, Italy–Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. (NYSE: DMH, Milan’s Telematico: DMH), a leading manufacturer of high performance motorcycles, announced record consolidated revenues for the second quarter and first half, ended June 30, 2002.
For the second quarter, revenues were Euro 130.1 million an increase of 7.6% from Euro 120.9 million during the same period in the previous year. Revenues from Ducati motorcycles for the period increased 3.3% to Euro 107.1 million and represented 82.3% of revenues. Motorcycle-related products, including spare parts, technical accessories and apparel reached Euro 22.3 million, a rise of 30.0% versus the comparable period in the previous year.
For the first half of 2002, revenues were Euro 236.4 million, up 6.7% from Euro 221.5 million during the same period in the previous year. Revenues from Ducati motorcycles for the period increased 3.8% to Euro 196.4 million and represented 83.1% of revenues. Motorcycle-related products reached Euro 39.1, up 22.9% over the same period last year.
“I am pleased to announce these record results for the first half of 2002,” said Carlo Di Biagio, CEO of Ducati. “As first announced in early Spring, we are going ahead with our strategy of reducing inventories world wide, in preparation for the launch of a strong model year for 2003. In the US, we continue to re-structure our operations, and are especially focussed on de-stocking our dealers and building up high-quality distribution channels.”
While official world registrations data for the period are not yet available, the Company’s best estimates suggest that registrations for the six-month period have grown approximately 7%, with particular strength in Japan (+20%), Italy (+9%), UK (+5%), and all countries not covered by a subsidiary (+19%). In the US, registrations were flat.
During the second quarter of 2002, new Ducati Stores exclusively selling Ducati motorcycles and accessories were opened, including one in Glasgow and Fukuoka (Japan), bringing the total to 102 stores worldwide at half-end.
World Ducati Week, held in Misano in June, was a huge success, attracting over 25,000 Ducatisti from all over the world. Highlights included presentations of the Multistrada – a new motorcycle designed to bring sport motorcycling to a broader audience – and of the prototype Ducati Desmosedici, a motorcycle due to race in the MotoGP in 2003. Crowds gathered when the Ducati racing team joined devotees to pose for photographs and sign autographs, and collectors battled for rare pieces of Ducati memorabilia in a charity auction held with Sotheby’s, which raised Euro 38,000. Among the most emotional moments was when 2000 fans set off on their Ducatis to Lugo di Romagna, birthplace of Fabio Taglioni, in homage to the famed Ducati Engineer who passed away in 2001. The event also hosted the departure of the historic Motogiro d’Italia, a glorious five-day classic motorcycle race around the country roads of central Italy, which attracted hundreds of participants and press from around the world.
From an e-mail from Dr. Rob Tuluie:
The Tul-aris is featured repeatedly in the brand new motorcycle engineering book “Motorcycle Handling and Chassis Design” by Tony Foale. The book is a comprehensive review and an assessment of the current state of motorcycle design and development, investigating many interesting aspects of motorcycle engineering with sound physical reasoning. Several times throughout the book the unique aspects of the Tul-aris are described, including a discussion of the ground-breaking work using laboratory vehicle dynamics testing as well as virtual dynamic simulations for the design and development of the Tul-aris. The book considers the Tul-aris project a trend setter for the future of motorcycle design and development. More information on the new book is available at www.tonyfoale.com
In addition, the Tul-aris design and development process was presented at the 2000 SAE Motorsports conference, which is attended by many industry-leading engineers in the car and motorcycle racing world. The accompanying SAE paper describing this work is SAE 2000-01-3576, available at www.sae.org/servlets/index
From a press release issued by the AMA:
AMA exposes Insurance Institute errors
PICKERINGTON, OHIO — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), responding to a July 30 press release issued by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), has pointed out significant errors in the IIHS’s arguments concerning crashes involving older motorcyclists.
In its release, the IIHS claimed that the annual Black Hills Rally & Races in Sturgis, South Dakota, serves as a case-in-point illustration of the increase in motorcycle-related fatalities in recent years, notably among riders over age 40. Specifically, the IIHS said that 36 of the 69 motorcycle-related fatalities in South Dakota between 1995 and 2000 occurred in the month of August, when the Sturgis event is held.
However, the IIHS neglected to take into account the enormous increase in the motorcycling population of South Dakota as a result of the rally, leading the group to erroneous conclusions, the AMA noted.
According to figures from the IIHS release, there were six motorcyclists killed in South Dakota during the month of April over the six-year period, four in May, seven in June, eight in July, four in September and four in October. No motorcycle-related fatalities were recorded from November through March. The IIHS then said that the 36 motorcyclist fatalities in the month of August during the six-year period made it clear that older motorcyclists at the rally were raising overall fatality numbers in the state.
An AMA analysis of the data, however, shows that the IIHS’s conclusion is unsupported by the facts. The AMA pointed out that figures from the Motorcycle Industry Council for 1998, the middle of the time period cited by the IIHS, show there were 19,600 motorcycles licensed for street use in South Dakota. But during August, when the Black Hills Rally and Races attract riders from across the country, the motorcycling population of the state surges to more than 400,000.
“That’s a 2,000 percent increase in the number of motorcyclists riding South Dakota’s roads,” noted Edward Moreland, AMA vice president for government relations, “while the fatalities reported by the IIHS amount to a 360 percent increase over the monthly average during the riding season in the state.
“Failing to make the connection between that enormous increase in the state’s motorcycling population and the much more modest increase in motorcycle accidents indicates that the IIHS either doesn’t understand this situation or chose not to reveal the full story,” Moreland said.
The AMA also disputed the IIHS’s contention that recent increases in the median age of motorcyclists who were victims of fatal accidents “isn’t because of the aging of the population.” In fact, according to figures from the MIC quoted by the IIHS, the average age of a motorcycle owner in America has risen from 24 in 1980 to 38 today. As a result, a much-larger percentage of the motorcycles on the road are being ridden by riders over 40, and that trend is reflected in accident statistics.
In addition, the IIHS stated that changes in helmet laws in some states “are contributing to the increases in motorcycle deaths.” But the group failed to note that motorcycle sales have increased by approximately 20 percent in each of the last four years, meaning that the number of motorcycles on the road has grown enormously. Meanwhile, fatalities have increased by about a third during the entire four-year period and were actually down by 11 percent in the period from 1990 through 2000 and down by nearly 50 percent since 1980, a better safety record than any other type of highway transportation.
“For the IIHS to issue its opinions in the guise of a ‘news release’ is embarrassing,” said Moreland. “Not only is this release full of old news and misused statistics, it once again exposes that the IIHS is willing to say virtually anything to support its preconceived conclusions.
“We’re concerned, of course, about even one motorcycle-related fatality,” Moreland continued. “The AMA encourages anyone who’s truly interested in reducing motorcycling fatalities, and not simply promoting a political agenda, to join us in calling for a comprehensive, independent, nationwide study of motorcycle accident data.”
Moreland recently testified before a U.S. House subcommittee asking Congress to fund comprehensive research to determine the causes of motorcycle crashes.
In 2000, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation released a National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety to serve as a blueprint for improving motorcycling safety in the future. Representatives of the AMA and other industry groups were part of a team that helped shape the plan, which calls for more research into the causes of motorcycle accidents and potential ways to reduce them.
The most recent comprehensive federal study of motorcycle accident data was published in 1980, and sampled accident data only in Southern California. NHTSA officials have said they hope to begin work on a new study in the near future.
This just in, from Egor Emery:
All cornerworkers planning on working at the Virginia round of the AMA Superbike series next weekend who have not recieved confirmation of their status on the worker list should contact Egor Emery immediately. This is a National at a great facility, so don’t get left off. Egor can be reached by phone at 352-357-7104, or e-mail at [email protected].
Additionally anyone interested in traveling to Daytona for the Race of Champions in October should respond to Egor to get on that worker list. Please wait until after August 7 as we are concentrating on VIR until then. If you haven’t worked at Daytona yet, consider making plans to attend this October 16-20, 2002.
Inside Info Letters To The Editor Riding Mike Ciccotto’s Pro Thunder Firebolt MotoGP: Rossi Wins As RC211V Tops 200 mph At Mugello Mugello GP Notes Rossi Wins Fourth MotoGP at Catalunya Catalunya GP Notes AMA Superbike At Pikes Peak: Bostrom Wins, Nicky Crashes AMA Formula Xtreme At Pikes Peak: Pridmore Wins, Buckmaster’s New Bike Breaks Edwards And Bayliss Split Wet Wins In World Superbike At Silverstone Bayliss Sweeps Again In World Superbike At EuroSpeedway Bayliss Takes World Superbike Wins 12 And 13 At San Marino Nicky Hayden: Young Gun AMA 250cc Grand Prix At Pikes Peak: Tough Guy Oliver Holds Off Turner AMA Pro Thunder At Pikes Peak: McCarthy Makes It Two In A Row AMA Pikes Peak Inside Info Vesrah Wins WERA 4-Hour At VIR Harwell Wins Three WERA National Challenge Series Races At VIR Vesrah’s Perfect Streak Continues In WERA 6-Hour At Roebling Road AMA Superbike At Road America: Duhamel Sweeps Double-Header AMA Formula Xtreme At Road America: Top Three Crash, Pridmore Wins WERA National Challenge Series At Roebling Road Racing And School Calendar AMA Superstock At Road America: DiSalvo Beats Moore And Mike Smith AMA Supersport At Road America: Yates Beats Buckmaster And Tommy Hayden AMA 250cc Grand Prix At Road America: Sorensen Beats Oliver And DiSalvo AMA Pro Thunder At Road America: McCarthy Comes From Behind To Win Third Straight AMA Road America Inside Info John Hopkins: The GP Kid On The Front Cover: Valentino Rossi on the 202-mph Honda RC211V MotoGP racebike. Photo by Sportsphotography.
FROM DUCATI CORSE PRESS INFORMATION:
Mugello, 1 August 2002
DUCATI CORSE TESTS ‘LABORATORY’ VERSION OF THE FUTURE DUCATI DESMOSEDICI MOTOGP AND SUPERBIKE VERSION OF THE NEW 999 AT MUGELLO
Ducati completed its first day of testing behind closed doors today at the Mugello Circuit in Tuscany, in the presence of Ducati Corse employees who came to witness the track debut of two important motorbikes for the Bologna manufacturer.
From a press release:
HONDA RACING INFORMATION
SUZUKA 8 HOURS NEWS: Edwards replaces Ukawa/ Doohan rode the RC211V machine
Colin Edwards Replaces Tohru Ukawa on Cabin Honda for Suzuka 8 Hours
American Colin Edwards has been drafted into the Cabin Honda Suzuka 8 Hours team as replacement for the injured Tohru Ukawa. Edwards will partner reigning 250cc World Champion Daijiro Katoh on the Cabin liveried #11 big twin-cylinder VTR1000SP-W for the race.
World Superbike Championship campaigner Edwards, who won the corresponding race last year, while racing with Valentino Rossi, is very much the man in form. Edwards arrives at Suzuka fresh from a double victory for team Castrol Honda at the European round of the Superbike series, held at Brands Hatch, England, last Sunday.
Texan Edwards said of Sunday’s race. “Racing with Katoh will be good, he’s very fast at Suzuka. It will be interesting to see how he sets the machine up compared to our World Superbike settings. Although I’ve been told he has already tested with the settings I used last year and says he can run with the same bike set-up. From the practice we’ve had at Suzuka so far I’m sure we’ve got a machine and tyres capable of winning the race again. The SP-2 is a big improvement on last year’s machine and I’d love to win a third 8-hours race on the machine.
“The Suzuka 8 hours is a good event, very much hard work on a rider but, like last year’s victory, it can be very rewarding if you win. The race is at a good time of year for me, once it’s over we’ve a break and a chance to kick back at home,” concluded Edwards.
Ukawa decided to stand down after consultation with his doctors. The popular MotoGP rider sustained a broken bone in his right foot, and a badly bruised lower spine in a high speed crash in free practice for the British Grand Prix, in mid-July. He raced to a third place finish at the German GP two weeks ago but the 8-hours is the most grueling event on the motorcycle-racing calendar, a race that demands 100% physical and mental effort from competitors. Ukawa’s physicians advised Ukawa against racing as the effort required could hinder his recovery to full strength in time for the next MotoGP Championship race, at the Czech Republic, on August 25.
Doohan Rides RC211V Honda at Eve of Suzuka 8 Hours 25th Anniversary Festival
Former 500cc World Champion Michael Doohan rode a specially prepared version of the Honda RC211V MotoGP machine at Suzuka tonight. The RCV has been prepared for Doohan at the request of Suzuka circuit who wished to see the five-time World Champion take part in special ‘Eve of the 8 Hours’ 25th Anniversary festival.
Honda felt the special occasion merited an appearance by their newest MotoGP race machine. As the festival takes place on Saturday night, prior to Sunday’s race, the RC211V has been furnished with headlights for the event.
The lighting system is a one-off. Despite this being a solo appearance, Honda decided to equip the machine with something special for the festival. They have opted to use a ‘Line Beam’ headlight currently under development by Honda R&D. The headlight is a variety of the multi-reflector type. It features a smaller lens area than existing models, yet provides the same level of brightness and illumination, as the motorcycle headlights currently in use. The system is under development and could feature on production models at some time in the future.
Doohan, who won the 8-hours in 1991, put in several laps of the Suzuka circuit aboard the RCV, the machine that Shinichi Itoh raced to fourth place at the Japanese GP in April, to re-acquaint himself with the motorcycle. His last outing on the 990cc five-cylinder four-stroke was at the Pacific GP, at Twin Ring Motegi, last October.
Honda have a policy of developing technology for production machines through their racing activities, and will continue to do so but Doohan’s Suzuka Festival RCV is not the forerunner of a street going RCV. As no development plan exists, there is no likelihood of a production RCV appearing within the next one or two years.
Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
By David Swarts
Max Biaggi has said he will leave the Yamaha MotoGP team at the end of the 2002 season.
The Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport published an interview with Biaggi in their August 1 edition. In that interview Biaggi is quoted as saying, “Alla Yamaha ho passato quattro anni di grandi soddisfazioni, ma senza coronare il mio sogno: vincere il Mondiale. Ciò nonostante, a me sarebbe piaciuto rimanere, ma dopo avere incontrato i vertici Yamaha e avere richiesto certe garanzie, ho capito che non esistevano più i presupposti per continuare.”
The BBC translated this into the following: “I have had four years of great satisfaction at Yamaha but without being able to realise my dream of winning the world championship. Although I would have been happy to stay after meeting the Yamaha management and having asked for certain guarantees, I realised that there no longer existed the conditions to continue.”
It is speculated that Biaggi will follow long-time sponsor Marlboro to the Ducati MotoGP team in 2003.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Marlboro has sponsored Biaggi for the last nine years.
