From an AMA Pro Racing press release, which, by referring to Kirk McCarthy as “the fifth and final champion of the Pro Thunder Series” seems to take the viewpoint that nothing exists outside an AMA National (Pro Thunder is actually scheduled to move to the WERA National Challenge Series in 2003):

KIRK MCCARTHY WINS BUELL PRO THUNDER CHAMPIONSHIP

Aussie crowned first AMA road racing champion of 2002

PICKERINGTON, Ohio – Kirk McCarthy was brought over by Advance Motorsports Ducati owner Jeff Nash — the 2000 Pro Thunder champ — as a guest rider for the opening round of the 2002 AMA Buell Pro Thunder Series at Daytona Beach, Fla., in March. After McCarthy won Daytona by a convincing 11 seconds, Nash decided it might be a good idea to keep the former Australian Superbike champion around for the season. It proved to be a good move. McCarthy dominated the championship, winning four of the five series races en route to winning the 2002 title. He becomes the first AMA road racing champion of 2002.

McCarthy, 33, of Melbourne, is a veteran road racer with a diverse background in the sport. He won the Australian Superbike Championship in 1995. He then went on to ride in German and British road racing series’ as well as doing stints in MotoGP and World Superbike. This was McCarthy’s first season of racing in America.

“I’m happy to bring the Pro Thunder championship back to AMS Motorsports,” McCarthy said. “I would have liked to have turned in a perfect season, but four wins out of five isn’t too bad. I had a great time racing here in America and hope I can return next year.”

After winning the season opener in Daytona, McCarthy went on to take victories at Pikes Peak International Raceway, Road America and Brainerd International Raceway. His only loss came in the final round at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca where he finished runner-up to Mike Ciccotto. In addition to his four wins, McCarthy also earned the pole at four of the five rounds and set Pro Thunder track records at Daytona, Pikes Peak, Road America and Brainerd International Raceway.

McCarthy becomes the fifth and final champion of the Pro Thunder Series, joining former champs Paul Harrell, Shawn Conrad, Jeffrey Nash and Thomas Montano.

From a press release issued by Team Promotion:

BeaveRun Motorsports Complex has opened its gates and Team Pro-Motion is reporting outstanding news from this past weekend’s event! The new 1.6-mile north course designed by renowned GP track architect Alan Wilson, offers riders a big European track feel. With brand new sticky specially mixed blacktop laid 36 ft. wide all around, BeaveRun challenges by way of elevation changes, smooth flowing medium speed switchbacks which lead to wide GP style open throttle left to right kinks. The fun factor runs high as this track allows riders of all skill levels to enjoy the many characteristics that only a first class racetrack can.

Track management reports that curbing, runoff and paddock areas will be completed within a few short weeks. Safety is always priority when it comes to motorcycles and racetracks. BeaveRun has this department covered once the grading is complete and grass comes in, runoff area’s are much above average. Plans for another track to be built within the next 12 to 24 months will allow for integration with the existing north side. A total of just shy of 4 miles of track surface will provide any professional organization the option to produce a high quality-racing program that will provide fans with unbeatable viewing from many aspects.

Due to BeaveRun just opening Team Pro-Motion is offering the track for another fun filled weekend July 20th and 21st! Don’t miss this special opportunity to enjoy this brand new multi-million dollar racetrack!

BeaveRun racetrack is located just west of Pittsburgh PA at exit 2 off the PA Turnpike. For more information visit www.beaverun.com

For more information concerning Team Pro-Motion you can visit them online at www.teampromotion.com.


From a press release issued by BeaverRun:

The green flag is out at BeaveRun MotorSports ComPlex! BeaveRun’s first track, a challenging 8/10-mile, 18-turn short course has just opened. In addition to being a superb testing and competition course for cars and motorcycles, the track is the centerpiece of the new BeaveRun Karting Center. The BeaveRun Karting Center, built to CIK specifications and designed to be one of the top three karting facilities in the country, offers competition choices for every skill level–read on for complete details. It is the first of two tracks to open this summer at BeaveRun–the 400-acre multi-use facility’s 1.6 mile road course is scheduled to be completed within two weeks. Stay tuned for more BeaveRun news–or call us if we can help you with additional information right now.


BeaveRun Karting Center Challenges Pro Racers, Entertains Driving Enthusiasts of All Ages

Designed to be one of the top three karting facilities in the country, BeaveRun’s new karting center offers competition choices for every skill level

BeaveRun MotorSports ComPlex, the country’s newest destination for driving and motorsports enthusiasts, has opened the BeaveRun Karting Center, one of the country’s premier karting facilities. The all-new complex features two separate, adjacent tracks, complete novice to advanced karting instruction, equipment and parts sales and a new fleet of Trackmagic rental karts. BeaveRun Karting Center is one of only three karting tracks in the United States to meet the stringent specifications of Commission International du Karting (CIK), the sport’s global sanctioning organization.

Master track designer Alan Wilson, who has developed some of the country’s best-known road courses and infields, has optimized the rolling western Pennsylvania landscape to the fullest. Wilson, whose current international projects also include a Formula One course in Bejing, China, has created a challenging 16-turn 8/10-mile short track with a series of moderate elevation changes—a rarity among the nation’s kart tracks. The short track is located adjacent to the first of two BeaveRun road courses, the 1.6 mile North Course. Because of its multi-track layout, the BeaveRun Karting Center offers the potential to run a road racing and sprint event at the same time, independent from one another. The two tracks can also be configured into one high-performance karting circuit.

Karting amateurs and experts alike will discover an unmatched diversity of racing and recreational options at the BeaveRun Karting Center, as well as additional activities for every skill level, interest range and age group. “With sports car and motorcycle racing, product testing and driving schools all happening simultaneously at BeaveRun, we have the great opportunity to offer our Karting Center customers a truly adrenaline-charged environment,” said Don Jones, manager, BeaveRun Karting Center. “And, we have the unique chance to showcase our sport to tens of thousands of new driving enthusiasts who are visiting the track to participate in these other activities.” Jones also said that karting is an exceptional spectator sport and pointed out that panoramic spectator areas around the track allow for a virtual bird’s-eye view of the entire karting track layout.


BeaveRun On Track To Become Newest Kart Racing Proving Ground
With nearly 90 percent of all professional drivers graduating from kart racing, world-class tracks like BeaveRun are an important proving and training ground for tomorrow’s pro racers. A successful stint in shifter kart racing is virtually a prerequisite for getting noticed by Winston Cup, CART and IRL feeder series, according to Jones. “For anyone who’s serious about a career in professional racing, honing precision driving skills on a CIK-caliber track like BeaveRun is part of the preparation program.” The BeaveRun Karting Center will feature national races during the 2003 season. For the remainder of 2002, said Jones, local and regional competitions, as well as ongoing karting schools, round out the schedule.

“For 2003, we are committed to attracting the finest national racing, such as the SCCA/WKA Constructors series, SKUSA and CART Stars of Tomorrow,” said Jones. “We have one of the very best karting facilities in the country, and we plan on developing BeaveRun into an internationally recognized center for karting excellence.”


First Time Drivers Find Plenty of Inspiration
Newcomers to karting will discover complete “arrive and drive” services at the BeaveRun Karting Center. The track’s resident instruction pros, as well as an all-new fleet of Trackmagic sprint rental karts, make BeaveRun an excellent facility for learning to enjoy the sport of karting.


About BeaveRun MotorSports Complex
BeaveRun MotorSports ComPlex (www.beaverun.com)
is conveniently located in Big Beaver Borough, Pennsylvania, just 40 minutes north of Pittsburgh on Route 18. With I-76 (Pennsylvania Turnpike) Exit 2 just two miles south of the 400-acre destination complex, and Pittsburgh Airport only 25 minutes away, driving and motorsports enthusiasts from around the country can take full advantage of BeaveRun’s world-class, multi-use facilities. BeaveRun MotorSports ComPlex encompasses some of the most scenic terrain in western Pennsylvania, and features premium facilities that create an unmatched experience for both amateur driving enthusiasts and professional racers.

Phase One of BeaveRun’s planned development includes the first of two planned road courses. The 1.6-mile, 36-foot wide track will ultimately connect to a second road course, planned for completion in 2003.

Together, the courses offer nearly four miles of world-class road racing. The BeaveRun Karting Center, only one of three national karting facilities to be certified by the Commission International du Karting (CIK), includes a challenging 8/10-mile, 16-turn paved track, also ideally suited to motorcycle racing and testing. Also open for public and corporate use are the testing and training facilities of the six-acre BeaveRun Vehicle Dynamics Center, home of the BeaveRun Vehicle Dynamic Academy. Future plans call for continued expansion of facilities, including the addition of a private Track Club, expansive pit areas, panoramic spectator areas and a motocross track.

From the Parts Canada Superbike Championship Series:

Schedule of Events:

THURSDAY, JULY 18

NATIONAL PRO PRACTICE

7:00 a.m. Registration Opens

7:30 a.m. Tech Inspection Opens

9:15 a.m. Rider’s Meeting

10:00 a.m. Track Opens

Sessions will last 20 minutes and alternate between three groups:

1. DOT – F-USA Superbike/CDN Open Sport Bike & F-USA Sport Bike/CDN 600 Sport Bike

2. Buell Lightning

3. Parts Canada Superbike Championship

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.: Lunch

1:30 p.m. Track Re-Opens, sessions as per morning

5:00 p.m. End of On-Track Activities

FRIDAY, JULY 19

7:00 a.m. Registration and Tech. Opens

8:15 a.m. Mandatory Rider’s Meeting

9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. – Practice in the Following Order:

Note: Sessions with duration listed will run as per Dunlop Countdown Digital Clock in pit lane, or as pre-agreed (shortened if necessary).

1. 9:00 a.m. – ASM Amateurs – all

2. 9:20 a.m. – NAT. Pro Honda Oils Sport Bike/Yoshimura 600 Sport Bike – 25 min.

3. 9:50 a.m. – ASM AM Lightweight/SV650 Cup/Canadian Thunder

4. 10:15 a.m. – Diablo Can-Am 125 G.P. – 25 min.

5. 10:45 a.m. – ASM AM Open Supersport and 600 Supersport

6. 11:10 a.m. – NAT. Parts Canada Superbike Feature – 40 min.

7. 11:55 a.m. – PRO & AM 250 Grand Prix

8. 12:15 p.m. – Buell Lightning – 25 min.

9. 12:45 p.m. – NAT. Lockhart Phillips F-USA Superbike/International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Open Sport Bike – 25 min.

1:10 – 2:00 p.m. – LUNCH BREAK and bike pick-up

1. 2:00 p.m. – NAT. Pro Honda Oils Sport Bike/Yoshimura 600 Sport Bike – 25 min.

2. 2:30 p.m. – ASM AM Lightweight/SV650 Cup/Canadian Thunder

3. 2:55 p.m. – Diablo Can-Am 125 G.P. – 25 min.

4. 3:25 p.m. – ASM AM Open Supersport and 600 Supersport

5. 3:50 p.m. – NAT. Parts Canada Superbike Feature – 40 min.

6. 4:35 p.m. – PRO & AM 250 Grand Prix

7. 5:00 p.m. – Buell Lightning – 25 min.

8. 5:30 p.m. – NAT. Lockhart Phillips F-USA Superbike/International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Open Sport Bike – 25 min. TIMED QUALIFYING SESSION by YAMAHA

SATURDAY, JULY 18

7:00 a.m. Registration and Tech. Opens (Reg. Closes 10:00 a.m.)

8:15 a.m. Mandatory Rider’s Meeting

9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. – Practice in the Following Order:

1. 9:00 a.m. – NAT. Pro Honda Oils Sport Bike/Yoshimura 600 Sport Bike – 25 min. TIMED QUALIFYING SESSION by YAMAHA

2. 9:30 a.m. – ASM AM Lightweight/SV650 Cup/Canadian Thunder

3. 9:55 a.m. – Diablo Can-Am 125 G.P.

4. 10:20 a.m. – ASM AM Open Supersport and 600 Supersport

5. 10:45 a.m. – NAT. Parts Canada Superbike Feature – 40 min. TIMED QUALIFYING SESSION by YAMAHA

6. 11:30 a.m. – PRO & AM 250 Grand Prix

7. 11:50 a.m. – Buell Lightning – 20 min. TIMED QUALIFYING SESSION

8. 12:15 p.m. – NAT. Lockhart Phillips F-USA Superbike/International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Open Sport Bike – 20 min. WARM-UP

12:35 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. – LUNCH BREAK and bike pick-up

1:15 p.m. – HEAT RACES, QUALIFYING and FINALS:

1. ASM Canadian Thunder/AM Lightweight/Suzuki SV650 Cup – 5 Lap Heat Race (split heats if necessary)

2. Diablo Can-Am 125 Grand Prix – 25 minute TIMED QUALIFYING SESSION by YAMAHA

3. ASM AM 600 Supersport – 5 lap Heat Race (split heats if necessary)

SATURDAY FEATURE

4. Race One: Lockhart Phillips Formula USA Superbike/International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Open Sport Bike – 16 laps

-20 minute Intermission – racers remain in pit lane;

5. Race Two: Lockhart Phillips Formula USA Superbike/International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Open Sport Bike – 16 laps with Podium Presentation

6. ASM CanadianThunder/AM Lightweight/Suzuki SV650 Cup – Final Race – 8 laps

7. PRO & AM 250 Grand Prix – 5 lap Heat Race

8. ASM AM Open Supersport – 5 Lap heat Race (split heats if necessary)

SUNDAY, JULY 21

(Note: There is no Registration for Nationals on Sunday)

8:15a.m. – Rider’s Meeting

9:00 a.m. – Morning Practice Sessions in the following order:

1. 9:00 a.m. – NAT. Pro Honda Oils Sport Bike/Yoshimura 600 Sport Bike – 20 min.

2. 9:25 a.m. – Diablo Can-Am 125 G.P. – 20 min.

3. 9:50 a.m. – ASM AM Open Supersport and 600 Supersport

4. 10:15 a.m. – NAT. Parts Canada Superbike Feature – 30 min.

5. 10:50 a.m. – PRO & AM 250 Grand Prix

6. 11:15 a.m. – Buell Lightning – 20 min.

11:35a.m. – 12:45 p.m. LUNCH

1:00 p.m. – FINALS RACES

1. NAT. Pro Honda Oils/ Yoshimura 600 Sport Bike – 12 laps (Trophy Presentation following race)

2. ASM AM 600 Supersport – 8 laps

3. Formula USA National Buell Lightning – 12 laps (Trophy Presentation Following Race)

4. Diablo Can-Am 125 Grand Prix – 12 laps (Trophy Presentation Following Race)

5. NAT. Parts Canada Superbike Championship Feature – Roll Out to Grid – 16 laps (Trophy Presentation following race)

6. ASM AM Open Supersport – 8 laps

7. PRO & AM 250 Grand Prix – 8 laps

* Schedule subject to change without notice.

From SPEED:

2:00 p.m. FIM 125cc Grand Prix, Catalunya
3:00 p.m. FIM Supersport, San Marino

7:00 p.m. Bike Week
7:30 p.m. Motorcyclist
8:00 p.m. World Superbike Race One, Laguna Seca
9:00 p.m. AMA Supersport, Laguna Seca
9:30 p.m. AMA Superstock, Laguna Seca
10:00 p.m. FIM MotoGP, Donington Park
11:00 p.m. Corbin’s Ride On
11:30 p.m. American Thunder
12:00 a.m. Bike Week
12:30 a.m. Motorcyclist
1:00 a.m. World Superbike Race One, Laguna Seca
2:00 a.m. AMA Supersport, Laguna Seca
2:30 a.m. AMA Superstock, Laguna Seca
3:00 a.m. FIM MotoGP, Donington Park

All times are Eastern Time.

From a press release issued by Buell American Motorcycles:

CICCOTTO RIDES FIREBOLT TO BUELL PRO THUNDER VICTORY

First AMA National Win for Buell Firebolt

Mike Ciccotto rode a Hal’s Performance Advantage Buell Firebolt XB9R to its first AMA National victory in the Buell Pro Thunder Series event at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway. Ciccotto, of Sebastian, Fla., overcame a bad start and hunted down series points leader Kirk McCarthy, erasing a 7.6-second deficit to pass for the lead on lap 13 of the 17-lap race. Ciccotto went on to win by 0.712 seconds.


“That Buell Firebolt was just awesome today,” said Ciccotto after the race. “After I passed Kirk, I saw him coming right back at me and I had to put my head down. When I saw the white flag, I knew I had to have a good last lap. I had some pretty good slides. It was a fun race.”

McCarthy held on to finish second aboard a Ducati 748, with Ducati rider Thomas Montano of Berkeley, Calif. third 6.2 seconds behind the winner. Pole winner Vincent Haskovec of Lake Elsinore, Calif. was a distant fourth on another Ducati.

Ciccotto, who had qualified third for the event, wheelied off the start and entered the first turn behind McCarthy and Tilly Harley-Davidson/Buell rider Tripp Nobles, who took the early lead. McCarthy passed Nobles on the first lap, and Nobles crashed out of second place on lap four. At that point Ciccotto was more than seven seconds behind McCarthy, but the Buell Firebolt rider began reeling the Australian in and was on his tail by lap 10. Ciccotto passed for the lead in Turn 11 on lap 13 and stormed on for the win.

With his second-place finish in this final event of the season, McCarthy secured the Buell Pro Thunder Series championship with 184 points. Ciccotto finishes second in points with 158.

To learn more about Buell Motorcycles, visit your local Buell dealer today and experience the pure streetfighter attitude, style, and performance only found on board a Buell. Call 1-800-4909-9635 for the Buell dealer nearest you. Or pull into www.buell.com.



From a press release issued by Austin Bleu Bayou Ducati:

PICOTTE COMPETITIVE AT LAGUNA SECA

Pascal Picotte and the Austin/Bleu Bayou Ducati team earned sixth place in the Laguna Seca AMA Superbike race, with Pascal and fellow Canadian Miguel DuHamel dueling for fifth place until the checkered flag. The Honda rider took the spot by less than a bike length in a very competitive battle, but Picotte and the Texas-based Ducati team made significant progress this weekend in their aim to win AMA Superbike races.

Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom won the event after a hectic start in which the Austin/Bleu Bayou team was not allowed to get the team to the pit wall until just five minutes before the race. Over 98,000 fans attended the combined AMA/World Superbike weekend in perfect Monterey weather over three days.

“It was a great finish for us,” Pascal said. “We’re still fifth in the championship. As a team, we’re definitely moving forward and the Austin/Bleu Bayou team worked really well this weekend. The bike ran great, everything went smoothly and we have a winning atmosphere here.”

Pascal felt this race was the most competitive for the ambitious Austin/Bleu Bayou Ducati program, started after Daytona this season. “The last few races, we have still been learning the machine and that definitely hurt our finishes. This weekend, we fixed the little problems that have been holding us back and finally got the chance to show what we can do. STM helped us get out clutch working great and Michelin gave us really good tires this weekend. The only downside was that we didn’t get much track time.” In fact, Pascal and the Austin/Bleu Bayou team, who were not entered in the World Superbike race, had two hours less on the circuit than all the riders that finished in front of them.

“Miguel went away from me at one point when I got a bad break in traffic, but I caught him up at the end. Everyone else had three to five days testing here before the season started, so I’m pleased with where we finished. Now let’s go to Mid-Ohio and keep moving forward.”

The Austin/Bleu Bayou team will return to action at Mid-Ohio in two weeks on July 26-28 for an AMA Superbike doubleheader.

From a press release issued by Marlboro Yamaha:

MARLBORO YAMAHA TEAM GRAND PRIX PREVIEW

German Grand Prix, Sachsenring
July 19/20/21 2002

MARLBORO YAMAHA RETURN TO HAPPY HUNTING GROUND
Marlboro Yamaha Team YZR-M1 stars Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa return to the Sachsenring this weekend hoping to repeat their stunning one-two finish at last year’s German Grand Prix. And following stirring performances from the duo at last Sunday’s British GP, both men have high hopes of challenging for victory at the popular German venue.

Biaggi finished second at Donington Park last weekend, despite suffering the lingering effects of a bout of fever, while Checa dominated the first half of the race before sliding off unhurt. Even though Valentino Rossi (Honda) went on to win the event, the YZR-M1 riders’ performances suggest that they are edging closer to success with every Grand Prix. And both men fancy their chances at the Sachsenring. The M1 is renowned for its smooth, user-friendly performance and that’s exactly what’s required at the ‘Ring, a circuit dominated by long corners and straights barely worthy of the name.

Sunday’s German GP is the ninth event of the 16-round 2002 MotoGP World Championship and the last race before the sport’s traditional midseason month-long hiatus. This season, testing has been banned during August in the run-up to the Czech GP on August 25 in a bid to give hard-worked riders and teams a much-needed rest. Six races remain after the Czech event, just two on the Continent and four outside Europe.

M1 CHASSIS PERFORMANCE IS GERMAN GP FOCUS
This Sunday’s German Grand Prix is the third of the 2002 World Championship’s three north European races, following recent events at Assen, in the Netherlands, and Donington Park, in Britain. And like Donington, the Sachsenring is a racetrack that favours sweet-handling over brute horsepower. No wonder then that Yamaha YZR500 riders totally dominated last year’s race, monopolising the top four finishing positions, lap record holder Shinya Nakano and Norick Abe following Marlboro Yamaha Team men Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa over the line.

Biaggi and Checa will be hoping for a repeat of that famous one-two, though, of course, circumstances are very different this year. This season is the first of the new four-stroke-based MotoGP era, so the Italian and the Spaniard are riding YZR-M1 four-strokes, very different machines from the YZR500s they used to dominate last July’s race.

The M1 has been undergoing consistent improvement ever since Checa gave the bike a rousing third-place debut at April’s season-opening Japanese GP. Following major upgrades at the French and Italian GPs – when a new chassis and new software for the bike’s computer-aided engine-braking system transformed performance – Yamaha are now working on fine tuning chassis and engine performance. At the last two GPs the bike has benefited from a modified crankshaft, offering smoother acceleration, and now Yamaha engineers are focusing on further improvements to the M1’s chassis.

“We are working with a new rear-suspension linkage,” reveals YZR-M1 project leader Ichiro Yoda. “We’ve introduced the new linkage following feedback from both Carlos and Max. The linkage offers more progressive suspension, improving corner-exit drive and calming wheelies. We believe the linkage works better with the four-stroke’s power delivery.

“Sachsenring could be a challenging circuit for the four-strokes. Last year our data showed that riders use full throttle around this track less than at any other GP circuit, and, of course, the M1 is faster and more powerful than a 500. But the four-stroke also has smoother power character, so that may give us an advantage through the track’s many long corners. We shouldn’t need to work on chassis geometry so much, you just need a normal swing balance for Sachsenring, to provide good traction into and out of corners.”

Marlboro Yamaha Team director Davide Brivio believes that the M1 gets closer to its first victory with every race. “Our British GP performance suggests that we are getting near to our target of winning races,” he says. “Even Rossi admitted that our bike seemed better than his through some sections of Donington. This is a sign that we are moving in the right direction and this motivates us to improve even more. Last year Sachsenring suited our 500s very well, so we hope that the M1’s character will give us an advantage this weekend.”


‘RING MASTER BIAGGI AIMS FOR GERMAN REPEAT
Marlboro Yamaha Team star Max Biaggi scored one of his three great victories of 2002 at the Sachsenring, starting from pole position to leave the pack trailing as he used his YZR500’s fine-handling chassis to devastating effect. This week he aims to repeat that result aboard his YZR-M1. Currently third overall in the MotoGP points standings, Biaggi has been a consistent performer since getting up to speed on the four-stroke – he’s finished inside the top four at the last five races, including two second-place finishes. A close-run runner-up at Donington last Sunday, just 2.371 seconds behind series leader Valentino Rossi, he’s now just about ready to move on up to the next level.

“Last year’s German GP was great for me,” says Biaggi, now fully recovered from the fever that laid him low in the run-up to Donington. “I like the track, and the changes they made for 2001 were a definite improvement. The downhill fast right near the end of the lap is a lot of fun.”

“Overall I’m quite happy with the improvements we’ve made to the M1 since May. Since then we’ve been fine tuning the set-up and we still need to keep working to get the machine exactly how I like it. The four-stroke is better than the two-stroke in many areas, but in some it isn’t so good. The M1 weighs 15 kilos more than the YZR500 (according to MotoGP technical regulations) I rode last year, so we still need to improve the M1’s manoeuvrability. The four-stroke’s slower handling made life quite difficult at Assen, where the changes of direction are made at very high speed, and although we made some improvements for Donington, I felt I still needed some more agility for the faster sections of the track. Agility will also be very important at the Sachsenring because turning is what really matters at this track.”

Marlboro Yamaha Team director Davide Brivio is confident that his crew’s input is giving Biaggi more of what he wants. “My feeling is that things are getting better and better for Max,” he says. “Our aim is to keep working to give him the bike for the job. He rode a great race at Donington, even though he wasn’t at full strength, and if we can make some further refinements to his bike, I think he can begin to run the kind of consistent race pace required for victory.”


FRONT-RUNNER CHECA UP FOR FIRST M1 WIN
Carlos Checa was well on his way to giving the YZR-M1 its first victory in Britain last weekend before the most minor of falls ended his hopes. The Marlboro Yamaha Team star slid off at one of Donington’s dead-slow and slippery turns, the same off-camber hairpin that had claimed teammate Max Biaggi and race-winner Valentino Rossi earlier in the weekend.

Bitterly disappointed following his exit, Checa comes to Germany determined to repeat his front-running performance, but this time keep it going all the way to the chequered flag. “I don’t fully understand why I crashed, I wasn’t really doing anything different from the previous laps,” says the Spaniard, currently fifth overall. “I was riding around, feeling very comfortable, and waiting for the last five laps, when I was going to start pushing harder to see if Rossi could stay with me.”

After the race Rossi admitted that he would’ve been hard pressed to defeat Checa, even at the M1 rider’s mid-race pace. It seems that Checa was particularly impressive through the slower turns, which bodes well for this weekend because the Sachsenring is dominated by slow- to medium-speed corners.

“The Yamaha YZR500 worked very well at this track last year,” says Checa, who finished a strong second behind Biaggi at the 2001 German GP. “But we don’t know how the four-stroke will be until we get there. It’s a tight and slow circuit with many direction changes, which should favour the two-strokes, but it’s also the kind of circuit where you’re banked over for long periods of time, and that’s better for the four-strokes because these bikes give you a better feeling and more confidence at high angles of lean. Tyre wear isn’t a problem. It should be an interesting battle between the two different kinds of bike. I think they will be quite close to each other in performance, for sure the four-strokes won’t have the kind of advantage they had at Catalunya and Mugello.”

After Checa’s crowd-pleasing run at Donington, Marlboro Yamaha Team director Davide Brivio hopes that the 29-year old can fulfil his potential this Sunday. “Carlos suits the M1 really well and I’m really happy with his speed,” says Brivio. “He’s fast and he’s consistent, and, like Max, he really deserves to start winning on this bike.”


WHAT THE TEAM SAYS
Fiorenzo Fanali, Max Biaggi’s chief engineer
“Sachsenring was very good for our 500, now we have to work to make sure that Max can use the M1 in the same way. We have been concentrating on lighter handling, so Max can change direction faster. We also need to focus on sorting corner-exit wheelies, and we have some new parts to help us with this problem. I think we’ve been making improvements at every race, and for sure Max would’ve been faster at Donington if he hadn’t been sick during the week. At the moment it’s difficult to beat Honda but Yamaha are working hard on improvements. A couple of months ago we were quite happy with podium finishes, now we are only thinking about winning races.”

Antonio Jimenez, Carlos Checa’s chief engineer
“This weekend we will keep working in the same direction. The Donington crash wasn’t really Carlos’ fault – it’s a very slippery circuit and it will be good to get back to a grippy track. The big thing at the Sachsenring is turning – we need to arrange his machine set-up so that the bike turns well and keeps its line through the longer corner, both off gas and on gas. Straight-line speed isn’t really important at this circuit, the chassis is everything. The Sachsenring should also be quite good for the two-strokes, though it’s difficult to know where each type of bike will have their advantages and disadvantages. We’ll only know after the first day or so of practice and qualifying.”


THE TRACK
The Sachsenring was one of GP racing’s most popular circuits back in the sixties, when quarter of a million sports-starved East German fans would flock to the track to see Western teams take on the incredibly quick Eastern Bloc two-strokes.

The lethal high-speed street circuit hosted its last GP in 1972, an all-new short circuit returning the venue to the calendar in 1998. At that time the short circuit was the slowest in GP racing, with a lap speed of just 143kmh/89mph. Revisions for 2000 upped the pace to 150kmh/93mph and the addition of an extra loop last year (which left out the sole remaining section of the old street circuit) increased lap speeds to 153kmh/95mph. Initially deemed too slow, the Sachsenring is now a popular venue with most GP riders.

Nevertheless the character of the anti-clockwise circuit is still tight and twisty, putting the emphasis on delicate mid-range engine performance rather than brute top-end horsepower. Riders use full throttle for less than 20 percent of a lap at Sachsenring, as they ease on the power through the twists and turns.

The circuit infrastructure was also radically improved for 2001, with a brand new pit-lane complex replacing the former semi-alfresco pit boxes.


SACHSENRING
3.704km/2.302 miles

Lap record: Shinya Nakano (Yamaha), 1m 26.808s, 153.607kmh/95.447mph

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Honda is pushing for an unrestricted 1000cc World Superbike and AMA Superbike formula and plans to run the soon-to-be-introduced CBR1000RR in Superbike events starting in 2004. The RC51 will be campaigned in 2003.

That’s the word from a source deep within Honda’s World Championship racing program.

Opponents of such a plan in the United States worry that Superbikes, already viewed as being too fast for many U.S. tracks, will get even faster and that problems with tires shredding and throwing riders on their head at 180 mph will resurface at Daytona and other tracks.

AMA Pro Racing is currently looking at moving to a 1000cc formula but with various methods used to hold down speeds, including restrictions on engine modifications as well as restrictions on frame and chassis modifications.

Recently released proposed AMA Superbike rules for 2003 and beyond are currently in a public comment period, which ends July 27. The rules are expected to be modified following the comment period, and there may be a second comment period following the first round of modifications.

From the SBK Press Office:

Bayliss And Edwards Share Laguna Wins

Troy Bayliss (Ducati Infostrada) and Colin Edwards (Castrol Honda) took a race win apiece during a highly competitive Laguna Seca Championship meeting.

Bayliss’ win in race one gave him the second best record for race wins in any SBK season, 14; as he approaches the record of 17, set by Doug Polen. He was denied the chance to add another in race two only by the combined pugilism of privateer Ducati rider Neil Hodgson (HM Plant Ducati) and the front-running determination of local hero Colin Edwards.

The second race was a particular classic, with all three riders in with a chance of the win with only a few laps remaining.

The smallest of errors at the entrance to the Corkscrew allowed Hodgson to pass Bayliss and the consistent attempts by both riders to gain supremacy only went the way of Bayliss after numerous audacious overtakes.

Keeping out of the battle raging on behind, Edwards took his third race win of 2002, and narrowed the gap gleaned by the combined race one efforts of race winner Bayliss and his second place team-mate Ruben Xaus.

Xaus had an eventful second outing, crashing twice on the warm-up lap, and finishing an eventual 19th.

Nicky Hayden (American Honda) had a superb ride in race one to hold Hodgson off the fourth spot. He spoiled his rookie SBK meeting somewhat by crashing in front of Noriyuki Haga Aprilia) in race two, taking both of them off the track and ending Haga’s day with no points – after a first race crash no-score. Hayden remounted to finish 13th.

The Bostrom Brothers, Eric (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Ben (L&M Ducati) were sixth and eighth in race one and fourth and fifth in race two. Eric was particularly impressive in race two leading the best in the world in the early stages.

Englishman James Toseland (HM Plant Ducati) had a great ride in race two to finish sixth, his best ever Laguna result, with Pierfrancesco Chili (NCR Ducati) taking seventh.

The most consistent local wild card rider proved to be Suzuki’s Aaron Yates, with a seventh and eighth place finish to his credit on front of a record home crowd of 98,000 (weekend).

Mat Mladin (Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki) only finished the first race, tenth, but was forced out of race two due to his injured hands.

Chris Walker’s rookie ride at Laguna rewarded him with a top ten in race two, ahead of Aussies Steve Martin (DFX Ducati) and Broc Parkes (Parmalat NCR Ducati).

The Benelli triple of Peter Goddard scored two points for his 14th place finish in race two.

In the overall championship battle, Bayliss leads Edwards 405 points to 352, with Hodgson now clear of most of his pursuers in third, with 221. Ben Bostrom leap-frogged the unfortunate Haga to fourth overall, and now sits 37 points behind Hodgson.

The tenth round of the 13 round championship series takes place at Brands Hatch, Great Britain on 28 July.

SBK Press Office


More, from Castrol Honda:

THIRD PLACE FOR EDWARDS

Castrol Honda’s Colin Edwards finished third in today’s opening race of round nine of the World Superbike championship here at Laguna Seca, USA.

Edwards led the 28-lap race from the start and only a rear wheel slide on the 24th lap cost the Texan a first victory at the Laguna Seca circuit.

“We always knew that 28 laps was going to be hard on the tyres and it started taking its toll towards the end there,” said Edwards.

And, following the slide at turn six, Edwards was passed by eventual winner Troy Bayliss and eventual runner-up Ruben Xaus.

“I just couldn’t ride any harder,” Edwards added. “I was doing everything I could while I was leading then when they got by I had no reply. We’ve got the machine set up as good as it could be but I’m just missing a tiny bit more grunt out of the corners.

“Race two will be different. I’ve never won at Laguna Seca and there’s about 100,000 people here to see me win on this stars and stripes machine so it’s going to be a win or crash approach to race two.”

LAGUNA SECA WINS FOR BAYLISS AND EDWARDS

Troy Bayliss and Castrol Honda’s Colin Edwards won a race each in Sunday’s ninth round of the World Superbike championship at Laguna Seca, USA in front of a record 98,000 crowd.

Reigning world champion Bayliss took advantage in race one when Edwards, the leader from the start of the 28-lap race, had a rear-wheel slide with four laps remaining. Bayliss went on to record his 14th win of the year while Ruben Xaus also moved ahead of Edwards to take second place.

Edwards said: “I just couldn’t ride any harder out there, it was always going to be hard on the tyres. I’ll win or crash in the second race.”

Edwards was in determined mood in the second race as he grabbed the lead from Eric Bostrom on the fourth lap and rode to victory, twice hitting back after Bayliss took the lead in a sensational race in the California sun.

As Edwards grabbed his third win of the year, Bayliss and Neil Hodgson fought it out for second place on a dramatic lap in which the pair collided three times.

Colin Edwards (Honda RC51) – 3rd race-1 and 1st race-2

Colin Edwards: “I don’t know what was going on behind me but it was some race at the front. I was pretty determined to win that race. After the first race I felt like I going home. I’ve never won at Laguna and I knew the crowd wanted to see my machine take the chequered flag. It’s always a hard battle when you_re on the race track with Troy (Bayliss) but it was time to dig deep. I don’t think I could have gone any harder. That race was about four seconds faster than the first race and it was a relief to start the last lap having got a +0.6s gap to whoever was behind.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve won and with half of Texas here to see me and a team that wanted a win badly I’m pleased to give them something to cheer about tonight.”


More, from Team Infostrada Ducati:

Troy Bayliss (Ducati 988 F02) – 1st in leg-1 and 2nd in leg-2
Ruben Xaus (Ducati 998 F02) – 2nd in leg-1 and 11th in leg-2

Troy Bayliss: ” First of all a big thanks to the Clinica Mobile because they really looked after me this weekend. The best thing about this win is that we scored a Michelin 1-2-3 at Laguna. My back is a bit sore after the crash but it’s OK, you just forget about that when you win. I just sat behind Colin and waited but then when I started to have a go at him it was difficult to pass, then when he did make a mistake Ruben was there as well. It makes me really happy to win at Laguna, which hasn’t been very kind to me in the past.

“Race two was an awesome race, both Neil and Colin were riding really good. Anyway things panned out for themselves and I did the best I could. I only made a couple of points on Colin today but that’s what it’s all about and I’m happy with a win and a second place.”

Ruben Xaus: “We got a good result in race 1, I was second and it’s good for my championship. On Friday I wasn’t satisfied with the set-up and wasn’t riding very well, so I took things calm. We did a lot of work on Saturday then in free practice I was in the top 5, Superpole was good and I found a really good tyre and set-up for the race. These points are good because they made up for the ones I lost in Misano.”


More, from HM Plant Ducati:

Hodgson in hot pursuit

Neil Hodgson rode his HM Plant Ducati 998 F01 to a strong fifth-placed finish in the first Superbike race at the stunning Laguna Seca Raceway in California. His team-mate James Toseland put in yet another solid performance to maintain his ninth-placed starting position all the way to the chequered flag.

In an action-packed race it was Troy Bayliss who eventually emerged victorious from an epic struggle with pole man Colin Edwards. Hodgson did well to stay with the leading group for the majority of the race and was devastatingly fast through many of the circuit’s fearsome corners.

“I rode as hard as I could out there,” said Hodgson. “I had some good scraps with Haga and Hayden, but I was riding on the edge all the time. I just lost out in the horsepower stakes towards the end because the pace was pretty hot and my bike was less than perfect onto the start/finish straight. I spent the whole time trying to make up the ground that I’d lost in that section, so I was really pushing it through some of the fast corners. At least Haga didn’t score any points, so my championship position is that little bit safer than it was before. I could definitely do with a bit more power, but there’s another race today and we’ll see what happens in that.”

James Toseland did well to hang on to his ninth place in the face of some pretty stiff competition from four-time AMA champion Mat Mladin among others. Toseland finished almost four seconds clear of his nearest pursuer and was giving chase to Laguna Seca favourite Ben Bostrom when he passed the chequered flag.

“I’m reasonably pleased with the result, especially considering the events that have led up to it,” said Toseland. “My lap times were consistently good and although it’s a long race – 28 laps – I didn’t have any problems maintaining the high level of concentration that you need at this circuit. That race loosened me up and I’ll be a lot more relaxed in the second one. I’m just going to concentrate on getting a good start and then hopefully improving on my race one result.”

Hodgson: back where he belongs

HM Plant Ducati Superbike sensation Neil Hodgson gave everything that he had in the second of Sunday’s Superbike World Championship races at Laguna Seca. His dedication and hard work were rewarded with a third place finish. This great result represented a return to the podium that he had stepped up on to twice in 2001. Hodgson’s team-mate James Toseland fulfilled his aim of improving upon his race one performance, heroically battling his way up through the field to record a sixth-placed finish.

Hodgson showed precisely why he has been selected to become Ducati Corse’s official rider in 2003, when he fired his HM Plant Ducati 998 F01 around the mountainous 3.6km California circuit in an impressive display of aggressive riding. The 28-year-old former British Champion not only matched the pace of the full factory machines of Colin Edwards and Troy Bayliss, but also set the fastest lap of the race (a blistering 1:25.597) in the process. After an uncharacteristic error dropped him back to sixth place in the early stages, Hodgson set about fighting his way back through the field and went on to make Bayliss work hard for his second-placed finish. The pair barrelled around the fearsome circuit fairing-to-fairing for several laps – hot on the heels of eventual race winner Colin Edwards.

“That was the hardest third place I’ve ever taken,” admitted Hodgson. “I just couldn’t give it any more than I did – I was fighting the bike all the way! It was great fun but when you ride that hard, you expect to win. There was just nothing in it and it was a case of waiting for Troy to make a mistake and then pouncing, but I just couldn’t make it stick. We were both sliding everywhere and all over the grass but I was very conscious of not doing anything too risky in case I took Troy out. My heart was in my mouth but I loved every minute of it!”

James Toseland used race two to illustrate the reasoning behind HM Plant Ducati’s decision to extend his contract for a further two years. The youngster won out in spectacular fashion after entering into a private battle for sixth place with an on-form Frankie Chili.

“That was much better than the first race,” said Toseland. “It’s always better when you have a bit of a fight on your hands and I’m glad that I managed to get back into the top six – it doesn’t feel right when I’m not up there! My HM Plant Ducati went really well, especially considering that it’s the only one I’ve had since Friday morning. I was a bit disappointed after race one, so it’s good to finish off with a strong result. It should give me the confidence that I need to really perform at Brands Hatch in a fortnight.”



More, from Fuchs Kawasaki Racing:

Eric Bostrom (Kawasaki ZX-7RR) – 4th in leg-1 and 5th in leg-2
Chris Walker (Kawasaki ZX-7RR) – 11th in leg-1 and 10th in leg-2

Eric Bostrom: “The bike felt real good during the AMA race yesterday, but we had problems with chatter in Superpole and again during this morning’s warm-up session. The front end still wasn’t right for the first race and it was only after we stripped the forks in the interval that we discovered that I’d busted the valves landing a big celebration wheelie after my AMA win yesterday. ‘I couldn’t make up the ground that I lost at the start, despite holding the throttle in a deathgrip for 28 laps – I swear those throttle cables are an inch longer than they were before the start of the race! I was hoping to get up amongst the leaders during the race, but I guess sixth place wasn’t too bad.

“What an awesome feeling it is to lead a World Superbike race. It felt like I was in front for an eternity, when in reality it was only for six laps or so. It felt real good to know that, for that short time, the World Champion was behind me. Obviously I’d have preferred to finish on the box, but I was happy enough with fourth. I can’t wait for my next World Superbike outing at Oschersleben now.”

Chris Walker: ” I got moved up a row when Gregorio Lavilla opted to sit out the first race, and that put me on the inside of the track for the start. I got away from the line pretty well and drove up the inside towards the first turn, but then I got boxed in as everyone closed up in the braking area – I think I maybe need to hook another gear there in race two. I had a good battle with Doug Chandler and Frankie Chili early on in the race but by the time I’d worked my way past them, Mat Mladin was six seconds ahead and out of reach. Frankie tried to mug me on the line at the end, but I got good drive out of the final turn and just managed to hold him off.

“We had two tyres to choose from for race two, and I chose the wrong one. Six laps in and the rear was spinning up everywhere and, even though I could see Toseland and Chili pulling away from me, there was nothing I could do about it.

“Overall, I’ve had a good weekend. The Laguna Seca circuit is awesome and, now I’ve had a chance to learn my way around, I’m looking forward to coming back next year.”


More, from Team Ducati L&M:

Ben Bostrom (Ducati 998 F02) – 5th in both legs

Ben Bostrom: “In race 1 I chose the same tyre as Neil, which was the one we’d been going well on all weekend but it didn’t turn out so good in the race. I tried to ride 100% all the time but just couldn’t do anything about the guys in front. In race 2 the tyre was way better but it didn’t stop my chatter problem, which I only had today and not the rest of the weekend. It was like riding on an egg and it got worse as the race went on.”


More, from HMC Ducati:

Chandler’s hot lap

HMC Ducati rider Doug Chandler competed in both World Superbike races held at Laguna Seca today, finishing 13th in the first and a strong ninth in the second. It was a grueling weekend for Chandler, who also competed in the AMA Superbike race on Saturday, yet he donned his leathers again to take one lucky winner for a hot lap of Laguna. Rhonda Nickle won the lap of her life when film star Ewan McGregor drew her name out of the 900 entries. Along with the ride on the back of the ultra-fast 998 Ducati, Rhonda also won a replica Suomy helmet autographed by Doug. The raffle raised more than $1800 for the Roadracing World Action Fund which will donate all the proceeds to purchasing and maintaining air fence for AMA Pro Racing.

Race 1

Chandler ran with Chris Walker and Pier-Francesco Chilli for the entire race, staying close until the last two laps when he dropped off the pace by half a second, finishing in thirteenth place.

“I tried to run with them [Chilli and Walker] but we were a bit off with our set-up,” said Chandler. “I was having to shove the front around so I couldn’t quite carry the corner speed and finish the turns as well as I’d liked. We had good tires underneath the bike so hopefully we’ll make the corrections and have a better showing in the second race.

“It was a pretty uneventful race. I tried changing my riding style but towards the end it got tougher and tougher to stay with those guys because my tire started to drop off and the rear started coming around. I need to get that front working better so I can put more weight on the foot pegs.”

Race 2

The second race was a much more successful one for the Salinas local, finishing ninth ahead of some well known WSB riders. He began the race again on the tail of Walker and Chilli but as the trio moved through the field, Chandler caught and stayed close to Walker, finally catching and passing him on lap 24, then pulling away quickly.

“The whole goal of the second race was to do the lap times I was running in yesterday’s AMA race,” said Chandler. “For some reason I had a mental block last race. It’s such a long weekend, just doing laps around here, you get into a rhythm and it’s hard to break out of it. We decided to return to the same set-up we ran yesterday and it worked better.

“I think we did well here with a top ten. Now we can go back to concentrating on our AMA racing.”


More, from Team Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki:

Mat Mladin (Suzuki GSX-R750) – 10th in leg-1 and dnf in leg-2

Mat Mladin: “Finishing tenth in one race is not the result I was hoping for this weekend. The crash on Saturday, definitely destroyed any chances that we had of scoring some good results. I’m still very sore from the crash, which injured both of my hands as well as my right shoulder. I’ll get the hands X-rayed when I get back home in a couple of days to see if there is any additional damage. One of the big improvements that we had over the weekend was that we had access to the SWC spec Dunlop tyres. That was good for this weekend, but we won’t have them for the remaining rounds of the AMA Championship. They have a stiffer side wall construction and that seemed to suit me a lot more than the tyres that we are currently using in the AMA series.”


More, from Playstation2 FGF Aprilia:

HAGA LUCKLESS IN USA SUPERBIKE GP

Laguna Seca (United States), Sunday 14 July 2002 – Noriyuki Haga put up a fine show but was disappointed in the ninth round of the World Superbike Championship at Laguna Seca, California. The Japanese rider, with both his Aprilia RSV and his Dunlop tyres working marvels, shot up through the field in the first race, going from seventh place to second in the first few laps. But just as he was getting ready to mount an attack on Colin Edwards (Honda), he went for a slide. He got straight back on again but then had to return to the pits as the RSV had been damaged in the fall. Haga was again closing in on victory when Hayden fell in front of him: there was no way Noriyuki could avoid the Honda rider, so he found himself gloomily having to quit the action.

NORIYUKI HAGA (Playstation2 – FGF Aprilia Team rider) – “I’m really angry because I could have got a fantastic result, but here I am empty handed. I may indeed have been going too fast in the first race, but the second fall can only be ascribed to bad luck: Nicky Hayden was overdoing it when he passed me while braking and he just went flying in front of me. There was nothing I could do about it.”

GIACOMO GUIDOTTI (Technical Manager of the Playstation2 – FGF Aprilia Team) – “We’ve shown that we’ve got extraordinary potential: the Aprilia RSV was going like a bomb and the tyres were perfect too. The two races were really tough but we certainly had our say right up to the end, when unfortunately things turned against us.”


More, from Team Suzuki Alstare Corona Extra:

LAVILLA FORCED TO PULL OUT

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Gregorio Lavilla was forced to withdraw from the two WSBK races at Laguna Seca today due to his injuries sustained in yesterday afternoon’s crash. Gregorio took part in this morning’s warm-up session to see how his ankle would cope with the demanding Laguna Seca circuit and then reluctantly pulled out of the event.

GREGORIO LAVILLA
“I knew I was going to be in trouble yesterday evening, but I wanted to try and see how my ankle felt. Hurting my left foot (gearshift) and right hand (throttle) is about the worst combination of injuries to sustain! Laguna Seca is a very hard circuit and there are lots of left turns and that makes it very hard on my left ankle. After about ten minutes I knew that it would be impossible for me to take part in two 28-lap races. I didn’t want to be a danger to myself and I certainly didn’t want to be a danger to any other rider, so I decided not to race. It is the first time in my race career that I have ever not taken part in a race when I was already at the track. It is hard for the team, because it’s a long way to come and not being able to race. I’m sorry for them all and all the hard work and effort they have put in this weekend. I now have to get my hand and foot ready for the next race in two weeks time at Brands Hatch, but I’ll definitely be there”


More, from Benelli Sport:

Peter Goddard (Benelli Tornado 900) – 16th in leg-1 and 14th in leg-2

Peter Goddard: “We made a number of improvement this weekend, and the progress we made showed during the second race, the bike was definitely better. We’ve had some trouble with the slipper clutch on down-changing, but we’ve got new ones coming in time for Brands Hatch and that should help make up some more time. Bit by bit we’re making progress, things are moving in a positive direction for us. The atmosphere here in Laguna this weekend has been great and I had a good time battling for points in race two. I’m looking forward to riding again at Brands, where the atmosphere should match what we’ve experienced here in the USA.”


More, from Steve Martin’s publicist:

Steve Martin back in the USA

Steve Martin returned to the USA, where he raced earlier in his career, to fight it out with the regular World Superbike boys and six American wild
card riders.

A record crowd of 98,000 fanatical race fans poured into the Laguna Seca circuit over the weekend. The Californian track is famous for its undulating track, which includes challenging features such as the awesome steep downhill double-turn known as the Corkscrew.

Steve likes the track and was ready from the word go to give it his all, “It’ll be tough,” predicted Steve before the race, “especially with all these wild card riders joining us for the weekend.”

Steve qualified for Superpole and lined up fifteenth on the grid for the racing. In race one he improved on his qualifying and beat fellow Australian and Pirelli tyres rider Broc Parkes to the flag to snatch 14th.

In race two Steve got a poor start but got his head down to recover for a brilliant 11th. “I messed my start and that left me with plenty to do in race two,” admitted Steve. “So I raced on the limit for the whole 28 laps and was happy to pull myself up to eleventh by the chequered flag.”

The weekend left Steve with seven more Championship points. He now flies back to Europe to prepare for the next race, the European round at Brands Hatch in England.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Doug Perry, 72, died suddenly last Wednesday, July 10, after suffering a heart attack in Athens, Alabama, where he lived with his wife of 49 years, Nita.

Doug Perry is the father of Valvoline EMGO Suzuki Crew Chief Keith Perry, who flew home Thursday from the combined World Superbike/AMA Superbike races at Laguna Seca.

Doug Perry is also survived by his brothers, Eugene, Conrad, Jack and Brent; his sisters, Paula Martin and Linda Kloepfer; his other sons, Jeff and Allen; and grandchildren Jennifer Gilliam and Laura, Shane and Spencer Perry.

Cards and letters may be addressed to the Perry Family, 22649 Smith Rd., Athens AL 35613.

Funeral services were held Friday in Athens.

From Repsol Honda:

New Victory for Rossi
7/15/2002 – Cinzano British Grand Prix

NEW VICTORY FOR ROSSI, THE SEVENTH, AND PODIUM FOR NIETO, ELÍAS AND PEDROSA

Valentino Rossi’s new victory in the MotoGP class, the seventh of this season, and the absence of his team-mate Tohru Ukawa, are the main facts to highlight of this British Grand Prix. Despite not having scored in this round of the Championship, the Japanese rider of the Repsol Honda Team, who expects to be back on his bike in Germany next weekend, is still second in the overall classification. But his team-mate and current leader of the World Championship, Valentino Rossi, has already an advantage of 87 points. Rossi made a good start and kept himself very close to Carlos Checa, who was leading the race, until the Spaniard crashed at the corner of the main straight only eleven laps before the end of the race. From that moment on, Rossi only had to administer the advantage he already had over Max Biaggi to finish first.

Fonsi Nieto was very close to a victory in the 250cc but he lost it during the last lap by only seven tenths of a second. Melandri and Nieto left the rest of the pack quickly behind, always led by the surprising Sebastián Porto. With fifteen laps to go Porto’s Yamaha broke down and both Aprilia riders were left alone, ready to fight for the victory. In the last lap, Fonsi overtook Melandri and it seemed to be clear that he would be the winner, but two corners before the end, the Italian made good use of a possibility to overtake the Repsol rider. In the back, Toni Elias was able to show his quality once again, after a terrible start. Fourteenth after the first lap, due to a problem at the start, Elias began to overtake his rivals one by one until almost reaching the leading group. In an impressive last lap, he was able to reach and overtake Battaini, taking the chequered flag in third position.

The race of the 125cc was again one of the most exiting of the day, with four riders fighting for victory: Vincent, Poggiali, Cecchinello and Pedrosa. Cecchinello was the first to discard himself from the final fight, crashing out without physical consequences, with three laps to go. In the last lap, the Frenchman Vincent was able to open a small gap, which allowed him to take the victory, while Pedrosa, always on the watch for his rival Poggiali, managed to cross the finish line on second position. His team-mate Olivé lapped the whole race among the second group of riders and finished sixth.

Valentino Rossi, 1st:

“This weekend started very badly. I had a bad crash. I’m lucky not to have got hurt bad. I hit my head hard and have had a headache all weekend – not too much problem with the hand though. Today I ride well. I made a good start. I follow Checa. I was faster than him in the fast parts but slower than him in the slow parts. Then Carlos lost the front where I did on Friday. The last 10 laps were very difficult. I’m alone. It is necessary to keep my concentration. It is a good result for the championship. I look forward to the break after Sachsenring when we need to recharge our batteries.”

Tohru Ukawa, DNS:

“I watched the race from my motor home here at Donington Park and I am very pleased for Valentino, he had a great race. I am still very sore from the crash on Friday but feeling better all the time. I can make no statement about whether I’ll be racing at Sachsenring yet. The medical team will be watching my progress over the next few days and together with my Honda race team we’ll make a decision about the next GP over the next few days. Of course I want to race but I need to be fit. I still hold a good second place in the championship with 8 rounds to go. A lot can happen”



More, from Yamaha:

The Marlboro Yamaha Team was on the way to a best ever result, with Carlos Checa looking set to give the YZR-M1 its debut race win at the British MotoGP, held at Donington Park on July 14, before its any hope slipped away on the 18th lap. The Spaniard was leading defending MotoGP World Champ Valentino Rossi (Honda) from the outset, and was visibly faster in the crucial second half of the 4023m circuit when the front of his Yamaha folded over the bumps in the final hairpin. Checa was just one of many victims Goddards claimed over the three-day programme, including Rossi on Friday practice – the very crash that left the Italian nursing a fractured left thumb.

In a valiant attempt to salvage points Checa rejoined the race in 11th place before he was forced to retire one lap later. This left Rossi to take a comfortable win, his 46th from 100 starts, from a determined Max Biaggi (Marlboro Yamaha Team), who proved to be the only remaining challenger.

Alex Barros (Honda) put in a strong performance to complete the podium as the first two-stroke mounted contender. He was followed by Norick Abe (Antena 3 Yamaha d’Antin), his never-say-die attitude promoting him nine places above his qualifying performance. Then came fifth-placed Olivier Jacque (Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3).

John Hopkins’ (Red Bull Yamaha WCM) hopes of a top five performance, at a circuit that typically suits Dunlops, was beyond reach after nearly crashing at the Melbourne hairpin on the opening lap – relegating him from eighth to 13th. The flamboyant American did, however, recover to finish eighth. Meanwhile, Pere Riba was absent after breaking his left tibia and fibula in Saturday practice and looks set to be out of action for at least six weeks.

Marlboro Yamaha Team

Max Biaggi 2nd: “I’m pretty satisfied because I tried 100 per cent, as usual. I got a pretty good start from the second row, kept the door closed for the first few laps and then worked at staying concentrated because the pace was very fast. I could stay with Carlos and Rossi, although my bike was lacking a little agility through the fast section. All things considered, it wasn’t so bad because I’d been sick for a week before I came here. I’ve been on antibiotics, which always leave you a little low on energy.”

Carlos Checa DNF: “I was feeling very comfortable, no problem, the bike was going well and getting better as the fuel load went down. I didn’t feel like I was on the limit. We’d chosen the softest front available and it was sliding a little through the lefts. I was very concentrated, I wasn’t thinking about winning, just about being smooth and consistent. Unfortunately I held on to the front brake a little more than usual at that bumpy corner and that’s when I lost it.”

YZR-M1 project leader Ichiro Yoda: “Carlos tried very hard, he was pushing very hard. That’s why he crashed, because he wanted to win. I like his motivation; I really appreciate what he was doing out there today. Next time… Many riders crash at the left-hand corners here, because there aren’t so many, the left side of Carlos’ front tyre looked new after his race.

“Max also rode a good race. His last two GPs haven’t been so easy but he seemed more confident here, and I think we improved the handling of his machine for this track. We’ve also had positive feedback on the new crankshaft. Now we go to Germany and we’ll keep working hard to keep improving.”


Antena 3 Yamaha d’Antin

Norick Abe 4th: “That was a much better result, don’t you think? The irony is I didn’t get a very good start at all, but I was able to make up so many places quite easily on the brakes. The bike was perfect. Mind you, even if I had of made a good start I don’t think I could have finished any higher than I did, so I’m happy.”

Pere Riba DNS

Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3

Olivier Jacque 5th: “Strange thing was the bike improved during the race, most likely due to the lessening fuel load, and the fact that I had a number of guys to dice with, which distracted me from worrying about the problem. Mainly it was the same thing we’ve been struggling with over the past two days; the bike just didn’t want to change direction like I wanted it to. The front didn’t feel secure and I nearly lost it around ten times in that race, but I rode really hard and finished off ahead of Gibernau.”

Shinya Nakano 10th: “Well the start could have been better, and then the first few laps weren’t too good, but once I got going I started to make up a fair few places. I did get stuck behind a couple of four-strokes for a while, but the rest of the race was trouble free.”

Red Bull Yamaha WCM

John Hopkins 8th: “I’d just made the pass on Aoki into the chicane and then the next thing I know the race is over. I’d gotten so into the race that I didn’t know I was on the last lap. Good thing I made the move when I did. I was feeling really good on the bike, especially on the brakes, although I did make a few mistakes into Melbourne Hairpin. The most costly mistake was made on the first lap, when I lost a ton of places.

Garry McCoy 12th: “It feels so good to finally finish a race, and at the same time, being able to compete with some other riders rather than circulating on my own. Regis was a challenge for a while, and he gave me a hard time once I got past, but after that the only issue became tyre endurance. I just wanted to get to the end so I concentrated on keeping it smooth and clean.”


More, from Red Bull Yamaha WCM:

BRITISH GP – DONINGTON PARK

Race Day – Sunday July 14th 2002

HOPKINS 8TH IN HIS 8TH GP WHILE McCOY COMES BACK STRONG

Red Bull Yamaha Riders, Garry McCoy and John Hopkins both had solid performances at Donington Park today, finishing in the points and moving the Red Bull Team one place further forward into 6th position in the Team World Title chase. In front of a 60,000 strong crowd, McCoy ended his run of bad luck at Donington and finished in 12th place moving up 6 places from his grid position. McCoy seems fit and strong and eagerly wants to get to Germany to get some more time on the bike.

Hopkins, who is vying for the Rookie of the Year Title against Kato and Riba had another stunning race today, after putting in a very frustrating opening lap. Hopper had a great start but the first lap cost him 4 places and he had a determined and focussed race to finish in 8th place. “Hoppers” result today confirms his position as 10th on the World Championship table and sees him leap ahead of his fellow American and former 2000 World Champion, Kenny Roberts, whilst being only one point behind former 250 Champion, Olivier Jacque.

John Hopkins – 8th place – scoring 8 points today
World Championship Classification – 10th with 41 points

“I got off the line really well but then during the first few corners I made some mistakes and lost some places. I clawed my way back up through the pack and diced it up with Kato, Gibernau, Jacque and Roberts. All in all I’m happy with my result and I’m in the points again but I’m disappointed that I couldn’t have got a better result considering the great tyres we had. The Dunlops were excellent, really great.

I was so focused during the race I didn’t even know it was the last lap, I was so surprised to see the chequered flag and I’m glad that I passed Aoki when I did. I found during the race I was strongest going into the brakes in the chicane, this is where I ended up passing Aoki on the last lap.

I was with my family at lunch today just before the race and its great having their support this weekend. Some of them have never been to a motorcycle race before so I hope they have really enjoyed themselves. I’ve got a Top 8 result so I think they should be happy with that.”

Garry McCoy – 12th place – scoring 4 points today
World Championship Classification – 20th with 11 points

“It feels good to finish a race and to be mixing it up with a few guys during the race. That’s certainly much better than riding alone. In the end of the race it got a bit slippery and I just concentrated on finishing the race. My leg and ankle feel fine and I have to take it a little bit at a time and have a better go at Germany.”

Colin Davies (Race Engineer – John Hopkins)
“I’m pleased with the result today to again finish in the Top 8 but the result could have been a lot better if John would of had a better first lap. I know John can run with those who finished further up the field but still I am very pleased with the result in this his eighth Grand Prix.”

Christophe Bourguignon (Race Engineer -Garry McCoy)

“Its good to have Garry back and everyone appreciates seeing him back and sliding again. It¹s a good step forward for us today and Garry was doing decent lap times from Lap one all the way to the last lap.”

Peter Clifford – Team Manager

“It’s the first time that John has really raced against World Champions and its great to see he has no problems with running their pace and dicing with them. Certainly the first lap was frustrating for him but that¹s just a lack of experience. Garry started to slide the bike around like we know he can and I’m sure we’ll see more of the old Gaz at Sachsenring.”


More, from Telefonica Movistar Suzuki:

GIBERNAU FINISHES SIXTH AT BRITISH GP

Donington Park, England– Race Result, Sunday, July 14, 2002:

TEAM TELEFONICA MOVISTAR SUZUKI rider Sete Gibernau showed all his fighting spirit in today’s British GP, overcoming a bad starting position to battle his way through the field, finally finishing sixth after a race-long battle.

Gibernau had qualified 17th after a difficult two days, starting from the fifth row of the grid. He finished the first lap already up in 13th, and fought his way through a fierce mid-field battle. With four laps to go he was at the head of the group, in fifth place – but in the last laps he lost the place to Olivier Jacque, finishing three tenths of a second behind the French rider.

Team-mate Kenny Roberts had a contrasting experience, starting well and running a close fourth, then dropping back throughout the race. He finished 14th, in the points.

Factory rider Akira Ryo, riding as a wild card entry, finished one place ahead of Roberts in 13th, on his first visit to the 2.5-mile Donington Park circuit.

The race was run in perfect sunny conditions in front of a record race-day crowd of 60,000, who watched defending champion Valentino Rossi claim his seventh win of the eight-race-old season.

Suzuki’s commitment to the four-stroke MotoGP project was confirmed by the presence of senior factory personnel, checking on progress of the GSV-R racing machine, which was brought out a full year earlier than originally planned. Director of Marketing Katsumi Takata and General Manager for Planning Masami Haga were both at the track, and their positive input was a reassurance to a team engaged in the difficult but rewarding task of racing the new machine at the same time as developing it from the prototype.

SETE GIBERNAU – Sixth Position

“That was a very hard race. I was working much too hard to enjoy it – just concentrating all the way. My hands are calloused from fighting the bike. We hadn’t really solved the problems we had in qualifying, but I kept on pushing and the bike ran consistently the whole way. The team and the factory appreciate that we are having difficulties, and we’re all working hard to solve them and push the bike forward. It was good to see Mr Takata and Mr Haga from the factory, and I think I proved to them that we’re doing our best and working as hard as possible.”

KENNY ROBERTS – 14th Position

“I really had a bad afternoon. The team and the factory know what areas we need to improve and that’s what we need to concentrate on doing. As for my own physical problem, I have been suffering with arm pump. I need to go home and get that fixed.”

GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager

“Sete really rode a fantastic race – he fought his way through from the back. There was really nothing more that he could give. Both riders had a tough weekend, with crashes during qualifying.”


More, from Suzuki on Ryo’s race:

RYO MAKES IT THREE SUZUKIS IN THE POINTS

MotoGP, Round Eight, Race Result, Donington Park, Great Britain, July 14th.

AKIRA RYO’S 13th place finish at Donington Park today made it three Suzukis in the points at the British Grand Prix, with Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki riders Sete Gibernau and Kenny Roberts Jr finishing sixth and 14th respectively.

Ryo saved his best performance of the weekend for the race, eclipsing his own qualifying position of 14th and battling up as high as 8th in the opening stages.

Getting a storming start from the grid, the 34-year-old Japanese rider was ninth into the first corner and by the end of the first lap he had made it up to eighth.

In front of a 61,000 strong British crowd, Ryo slipped back into the middle of the pack, in contention and fighting for 12th place with six other riders for much of the race.

It was Ryo’s first visit to the tricky 4.023km Donington Park venue and he proved he has what it takes to compete in GPs, finishing just behind GP veteran and multiple race winner Garry McCoy and ahead of Jurgen VD Goorbergh.

Ryo said: “We have reached a stage in the development of the GSV-R that is very important. We must never lose sight of the fact that I am riding to improve the motorcycle – that is the point of my involvement.

“Right now we are in a position that we can see improvements everytime we go out on the bike. Only small step improvements, but these will continue to add up.

“Today I felt the bike, tyres and chassis were all good. In qualifying it was very competitive, but in the race I was able only to finish 13th – which as a racer is disappointing. I was able to run with some experienced GP riders and winners but was unable to increase my pace to overtake. I think part of the reason was my lack of circuit knowledge. But overall, we are making progress with the development of the GSV-R and that is what it is all about.”

Ryo, the All-Japan Superbike Champion, is riding the latest version of the GSV-R Suzuki, similar to the machines of Team Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki riders Kenny Roberts Jr. and Sete Gibernau. It is only his third race on Michelin tyres this year.

The GSV-R made its racing debut at the first round of the 2002 season, a full year earlier than expected. Ryo, riding as a wild-card entry at the first round of the Championship at Suzuka in April, finished runner-up in the bike’s first race, despite atrocious weather conditions. He has been called in as a Team Suzuki wild card rider for three races mid-season to speed up the GSV-R’s development progress. He rode at Catalunya in Spain, finishing 11th and at the Dutch TT at Assen in Holland, finishing a credible 15th.

The race win went to Honda’s Valentino Rossi.




More, from MS Aprilia Racing Press Information

2002 MotoGP World Championship

Round 8 – Donington Park (Great Britain) 12/13/14 July 2002

MotoGP – Sunday

Régis Laconi lacks grip at Donington and ends the eighth round of the Championship in sixteenth place.

In the race too, Régis Laconi and the RS Cube suffered the same lack of grip which has bedevilled the last few days in England and complicated preparation work for today’s contest. Problems in delivering power to the ground and lack of grip thwarted Régis’s attempts to gain ground after he moved up the field from 16th to 13th place in the early part of the race. Then Régis doggedly took the Cube under the finishing flag but without managing to show off his real skills.

# 55 Régis Laconi – (MS APRILIA RACING) – 16th – 47’28.413

“In today’s race, I again had the same lack of grip I’ve had over the past few days. Despite all the work we did, we didn’t manage to improve things. We were hoping that today’s higher ground temperature of 38 degrees would make better adherence more likely. But that wasn’t the case: I had no grip when I was braking or accelerating, but I didn’t have any on the corners either, when the bike was leaning. I could feel the bike sliding and had to keep getting it back right, even on the wide uphill curve. I gave it all I’d got, as I always do, but it was impossible to do any better. To make a mark on a race like today’s, I needed to keep up a pace of 1 minute 33, whereas I only managed to make 1’34, even when I was moving up the field and got to 13th place. It’s a pity – let’s hope for a more positive weekend on the Sachsenring.”