Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

AMA Pro Racing officials are considering including Pro-Thunder-spec Buell Superbikes in the 2004 Formula Xtreme class.

Mike Ciccotto, winner of the last AMA Pro Thunder race (July 12, 2002 at Laguna Seca in Monterey, California), wrote an open letter, which appeared on Roadracingworld.com June 12, calling for inclusion of Buells in the new Formula Xtreme class.

Currently, the 2004 Formula Xtreme class is slated to include 600cc, inline four-cylinder, production-based Superbikes racing against Ducati 748 and 749 Desmodromic V-twins, presumably in Pro Thunder/Superbike trim, and two-stroke Grand Prix bikes up to 330cc displacement.

Pro Thunder-spec Buells, which are currently legal for the 2003 AMA Superstock class, would race against 1000cc inline four-cylinder bikes in the new version of the Superstock class, under the proposed 2004 class structure.

On Wednesday, AMA Pro Racing Director of Competition Merrill Vanderslice said that he had received a copy of Ciccotto’s letter. “I’ve also gotten, I believe, (a letter) from Eric Wood,” said Vanderslice. “I think Eric was probably the first one to suggest that (Buells be included in the 2004 FX class).

“Personally, I like the idea a lot. It makes more sense to me than Superstock, in my mind, as a personal opinion.

“It’s being considered.”

From a press release issued by Yamaha:

Race date: 22 June 2003
Track length: 4060m
Year opened: 1972
2002 WSS winner: Fabien Foret (Honda)
WSS lap record: 1:39.132: Jörg Teuchert(Yamaha)
Circuit website: http://www.misanocircuit.com

Misano – the seaside circuit

The World Supersport riders make their second visit to Italy this season when the championship moves to the Misano Adriatica circuit near Rimini this weekend.

Misano has hosted World Superbike/World Supersport racing since 1991 and, officially, this is known as the San Marino round, although the circuit itself is on the border of the tiny principality and is technically in Italy.

Not that this bothers the fans or teams, as this privately owned coastal circuit is a favourite due to the seaside location which gives a real holiday feel to this round. A large crowd is expected, with many arriving early to enjoy the blisteringly hot weather expected at this time of year.

Technically, the track has a relatively simple layout made up mostly of second and third gear bends. The exception is the long back straight, which is preceeded by a fast left hand corner.

The track is also renowned for inconsistent grip levels. This is partly due to the bumpy surface, which features many different types of tarmac due to work carried out since the circuit opened in 1972 but also due to location and weather conditions. Sea salt can contaminate the track surface to make early morning laps slippery, while the expected high temperatures will test the tyres and suspension towards the end of the race. Rain has not been forecast for this weekend, which is just as well because the Misano surface is treacherous in the wet.

YZF-R6 set-up – tough on tyres

Despite the relatively simple layout of the circuit, the rough Misano surface combines with the high temperatures to give the tyres and suspension a tough workout.

The teams will work to find a set-up that will absorb the bumps without overly compromising performance through the fast left-hander leading onto the back straight. With this in mind, most riders are likely to opt for a fairly stiff rear spring with soft damper settings. This will stop the rear of the bike squatting through the fast section while offering a plush ride through the bumpy slow corners. It’s not a perfect solution, but like most tracks Misano is about finding a good compromise setting.

Misano will also provide the tyre engineers from Dunlop and Pirelli with their stiffest test of the season so far. Temperature is the big concern and riders could easily find themselves caught out as the pace heats up and front end grip levels decrease. Conditions will dictate the use of hard compound tyres to last the distance, but these will provide the riders with less feedback and consequently is not uncommon to see competitors ‘lose the front end’ at Misano.

Of the Yamaha squads, only Jurgen van den Goorbergh and Simone Sanna of the Italian-distributor Yamaha Belgarda Team have tested at Misano this year. However, with rain reducing the amount of dry track time neither rider will have a set-up advantage over their rivals – although it did give the pair a chance to reacquaint themselves with a circuit they haven’t raced at for many years.

2002 race recap – hot but not so sticky

Last year’s Misano encounter saw the top four riders separated by less than a second at the chequered flag, with eventual champion Fabien Foret (Honda) heading off Suzuki’s Katsuaki Fujiwara for the win. Jamie Whitham (Yamaha Belgarda Team) was top Yamaha in third place, finishing narrowly ahead of Yamaha Motor Germany’s Christian Kellner.

Sweltering conditions led to a tough race for all the riders. Track temperatures in excess of 55°C were recorded and most admitted to sliding around as they suffered traction problems from around mid race distance.

Season so far – Silverstone promise fires Misano hopes

Yamaha goes to Misano on a high after a strong showing at Silverstone last weekend. In a meeting of personal bests, Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha Belgarda Team) scorched to his first pole position in the class and equalled his best result of the season with a second place. The Dutchman goes to Misano in second place in the championship, 47 points behind series leader and Silverstone winner Chris Vermeulen (Honda).

Yamaha Motor France IPONE rookies Thierry van den Bosch and Mattieu Lagrive left Silverstone in good spirits after finishing fourth and ninth respectively, while Belgarda Yamaha Team’s Simone Sanna showed his class with his first front row start since switching from 125cc Grand Prix racing. Fellow Italian Alessio Corradi did his championship no harm with a fifth place.

For Yamaha Motor Germany, Silverstone proved a real test of their resolve. Both Christian Kellner and Jörg Teuchert struggled to find a good setup, although Kellner did battle through to 11th place – a result which maintains his fifth place in the championship standings. But Misano is a track that has served the squad well in the past. Kellner won here in 2000 with Teuchert a victor the following year, so the pair are expected to be back at the sharp end this weekend.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Six-time Canadian Superbike Champion and 1998 AMA Supersport Champion Steve Crevier turns 38 years old today.

Crevier was born on June 18, 1965 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and currently resides in Maple Ridge, British Columbia.

Crevier rides for Diablo Suzuki and currently leads the 2003 Parts Canada Superbike Championship after two of eight rounds.

From a press release issued by Honda Racing Information:

World Supersport Championship 2003 – Round 7
Misano Race Preview
20th – 22nd June 2003

VERMEULEN APPROACHES MISANO ON A HIGH

Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) has taken Honda’s all-new World Supersport offering to an unheard of level of success at midseason, winning four out of the six races held so far – all of them in convincing fashion. He kept the best for last at the most recent round at Silverstone, outpacing the second place rider by the vast margin of 12 seconds as he powered into an untouchable lead on all 19 laps.

The combination of Vermeulen and Honda power has won at all sorts of circuits so far. The fast undulating corners of Phillip Island, the fast straights and flip-flop chicanes of Monza, the dizzying turns at Oschersleben and the vast expanses of Silverstone have all been conquered in convincing fashion, in a season of otherwise unparalleled competitiveness throughout the field.

A Ten Kate Honda was at the top of the Misano results last season, and thus Vermeulen and his team mate Karl Muggeridge have been understandably confident in the run up to the last race before all the Supersport teams enjoy a summer break of five weeks.

Honda’s commitment to this year’s World Supersport Championship runs to eight riders and four teams in total, with four Honda riders having scored podiums thus far; Vermeulen, Muggeridge and Iain Macpherson (van Zon Honda CBR600RR) from the regular line up, and Sugo wild card Ryuichi Kiyonari (BKM Honda CBR600RR) shortly before he joined Honda’s MotoGP ranks.

For Vermeulen, who is as mystified as anyone else as to why he has taken such an impressive lead in a championship filled with so many potential race winners, Misano will be another weekend full of opportunity – and memories of how his career started.

“I like the hot weather at Misano, it’s like being at home in Australia and the heat suits me,” said the native of Queensland. “Qualifying and the race are generally really close at this track, which should make it a good race. The grip is poor but its been resurfaced and Pirelli have been working hard to get us a good tyre for the circuit.”

Irrespective of the results at Misano, Vermeulen will carry a useful championship lead from the Italian venue, finding himself no less than 47 points clear of overall second place rider Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha) at present, with van den Goorbergh himself eight points ahead of Katsuaki Fujiwara (Suzuki).

After a shaky start and the misfortune of a DNF at Monza, Muggeridge is looking forward to the second half of the season, feeling he has now got the full measure of the extensively redesigned 2003 CBR600RR.

“I like Misano,” enthused Muggeridge, “the track was bumpy but now it’s been resurfaced it should be awesome. It was the track surface that was holding it back. I hope it’s hot, the Hondas go well in the heat, which should make my job a easier.”

Christophe Cogan (BKM Honda CBR600RR) has battled against a back injury this season but now he is almost fully fit he relishes his chances in Italy.

“The track has had a new surface, which should improve things at Misano,” he opined. “We have had some new parts for the bike and they have made an improvement. My fitness is getting better so I am looking forward to the race.”

Another Aussie rider will see Misano as a welcoming place because it is almost another home round for Broc Parkes (BKM Honda CBR600RR).

“I love Misano; I live about an hour up the road in Bologna so it’s a local one for me,” said the protégé of 1987 World Champion Wayne Gardner. “It’s not such a horsepower track, which should suit us, and I also hope the temperature is hot. Then I’ll be happy.”

Austrian Robert Ulm (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) does not have too long a drive to reach Misano, and the 4.060km venue is very much his kind of track – slow and with lots of corner speed an integral part of a good lap time.

“I like the circuit, it’s actually our test track but we’ve not yet tested there this year!” confessed Ulm before the race. “I’m confident and I see it as one of my best opportunities to get on the podium.”

Ulm’s team-mate Sebastien Charpentier is determined to get back to the excellent early form he showed as a replacement signing for the Klaffi team, especially as he finished 18th at Silverstone, running off circuit twice.

“After the disappointment of finishing outside the points in Silverstone I can’t wait for Misano to come around,” he said. “I think it should be an easier place for the bike set-up than England was, but it will be very hot.”

Iain Macpherson is keen to rebound from a crash at Silverstone, and his podium finish at Misano in 2001 will be an inspiration to him this weekend.

“The circuit is good, I was on pole there in 2001 and finished second in the race – just 0.2 seconds off the winner,” said Macpherson. “It’s one of my favourite tracks of the year and should suit my style.”

Werner Daemen (Van Zon Honda CBR600RR) is looking for his best performance of the year so far.

“There is a new surface at Misano this year which should improve the grip,” said Daemen. “I’ve had some good results at the circuit and am feeling very comfortable on the new Honda CBR600RR this year, simply because it is smaller than last year’s bike. I’ve been riding well in the last few races and have been well placed, but have had some bad luck and have not had the results. Now I’m hoping that that will change and we can get some good finishes over the rest of the season.”

After the exertions at Misano, the championship has a short layoff until Brands Hatch on July 27, for round eight of an 11 event series.

From a press release issued by the World Superbike press office:

Misano action guaranteed to be hot

Taking place only one week after some of the most closely contest World Superbike races in history, at Silverstone in Great Britain, the San Marino round of the 16th World Superbike Championship takes place at what is expected to be a superheated Misano Adriatico circuit in Italy.

Situated behind the Adriatic Riviera towns of Riccione and Cattolica, which become a summer playground for visitors from all over Italy, the Misano Adriatico circuit has hosted 12 previous World Superbike rounds, in an unbroken sequence from 1991 to 2003. Legendary names such as Fogarty, Corser, Chili, Polen, Falappa, Kocinski Russell, Slight and Bayliss have all won races at the compact Misano track, a circuit which has experienced ambient temperatures of up to 40°C in the run-up to this year’s race weekend.

The track itself is something of a torture chamber for tyres, with so many extreme lean angle left hand corners in its relatively short 4.060km length. Most bends are slow and technical but a flat out blast through the gearbox, from the Curva del Caro to the exit of the third left-handed section of the awe-inspiring Curvone, marks Misano out as a uniquely challenging circuit on the SBK trail.

Always a popular venue for the enthusiastic Italian fans, Misano has been a happy hunting ground for some notable names in the current SBK paddock. Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati 998RS) and Troy Corser (Foggy Petronas FP-1) have both taken wins at the venue, but for current runaway championship leader Neil Hodgson (Ducati Fila 999F03), Misano will be another new world for him to conquer, should he continue his rich seam of form. Eleven wins from 12 attempts sums up his season better than a thousand words of prose, but for Hodgson, Misano may prove to be a crucible, rather than an opportunity to bag another golden cup.

Hodgson’s single defeat thus far took place at Oschersleben in Germany, on a similar track to Misano and in hot weather conditions, and thus the man who sits second in the table at present will fancy his chances to repeat his Oschersleben race two victory. James Toseland (HM Plant Ducati 998 F02) was that man, although his second position in the title race is a closely contested one.

Ruben Xaus, Hodgson’s team-mate in the Ducati Fila team, is a close third, after two podium performances in England ended a run of bad luck and crashes from the outrageously talented Catalan. His performances may be unpredictable but his ability to push the motorcycle to feats of breathtaking bravado put him in an all action class of his own.

On a fully private machine Regis Laconi (NCR Ducati 998RS) will be a threat at such a technical circuit, while Misano may be a venue that Gregorio Lavilla (Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000) can take his first win of the year. Proving beyond doubt the prowess of himself and his four-cylinder 1000cc machine, Lavilla has been a major star this season.

Injury and pain have held back the title charge of Chris Walker (HM Plant Ducati 998F02) but with every week that passes without injury for the enthusiastic Englishman, Walker’s chances of repeating his podium finished increase exponentially, despite the high level of competition in SBK this season.

For the aforementioned Pierfrancesco Chili home tarmac has always been a bitter sweet experience, but even on a private machine Chili will be a threat, having scored a win at Misano in 1997.
Steve Martin (DFX Pirelli Ducati 998RS) heads up a gaggle of fast Ducati privateers yet to win a race: Juan Borja and Marco Borciani (his team-mates) will be out for a big points haul, Lucio Pedercini on his self entered machine is always capable of a strong performance, especially when flanked by his team-mates Nello Russo and Serafino Foti.

Walter Tortoroglio rides a WET Honda VTR1000 on home ground again, while his local riders Ivan Clementi and Mauro Sanchini battle the 1000cc machines on their ex-factory Bertocchi Kawasaki 750s.

Alessandro Gramigni is a big name wild card on his Team Nuvolari 391 Yamaha R1, and a host of other Italian SBK regulars will be out to get their names on the SBK point’s ladder in 2003.

In the World Supersport Championship the seemingly limitless talent and speed of Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) has taken him to four wins out of six, the only others scoring full points so far being Katsuaki Fujiwara (Alstare Suzuki GSX-R600) and Christian Kellner (Yamaha Motor Germany R6).

Vermeulen’s outstanding performances have drawn him 47 points clear of his competitors, the closest of them being Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha Belgarda R6) who has scored numerous podiums but no win so far.

Former Misano race winners who will be back in Italy this year include 2000 World Champion Jörg Teuchert (Yamaha Motor Germany), 2002 champion Fabien Foret (Kawasaki Racing Team) and the aforementioned Kellner.

A podium place for Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda) may have broken the hex that had appeared to plague his results in the first half of the season, while any number of the 19 full factory machines in World Supersport could be in for a podium finish.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Honda’s Nicky Hayden plans to compete in the Suzuka 8-Hours in Suzuka, Japan, on August 3.

That’s the word from Hayden’s manager, Steve Dicterow of International Racers.

Dicterow said Wednesday that Hayden has not done any testing directly related to the 8-Hours. But that shouldn’t be a problem, Dicterow said, since Hayden is now familiar with Suzuka Circuit and is very familiar with the Honda RC51 Superbike.

Hayden’s teammate for the 8-Hours has not been announced, but reports that Nicky may team with younger brother Roger Lee Hayden are “rumormill-type stuff,” according to Dicterow.

Another American with tentative plans to do the Suzuka 8-Hours is Jason Pridmore, a regular with Endurance World Championship contenders Phase One Suzuki. Pridmore could possibly be paired with current Attack Suzuki AMA teammate Josh Hayes.

From a press release:

Spectrum Motorsports Announces appointment of new General Manager

Effective June 17th David Pyles became the General Manager and General Sales Manager of Spectrum Motorsports based in Irvine, California.

Mr. Pyles has held several key general manager and sales manager roles during his 32-year career in the floor-covering industry before getting into the motorcycle industry in 2002 as co-owner of FASTRACK RIDERS ASSOCIATION.

“I’ve been a motorcycle enthusiast all my life and made a decision a couple years ago I wanted to become part of an industry I was very passionate about!” stated David. “FASTRACK RIDERS ASSOCIATION will continue as we have established it as a viable motorcycle safety school/track day business but when the opportunity came along to join a growing and outstanding dealership like Spectrum Motorsports, I could not pass up the opportunity.”

From a press release issued by AMA:

Federal Comment Period on ATV Safety Ends July 5

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The All-Terrain Vehicle Association (ATVA) reminds ATV enthusiasts that the deadline for submitting comments on ATV safety to the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission is July 5.

Comments should be captioned “ATV Hearing” and sent to: Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington D.C. 20207.

On June 5, the commission held a hearing in Morgantown, W.Va., to gather information on ATV safety, and to hear comments on a proposal to ban the sale of full-sized ATVs for use by children under 16. Among other things, the panel could be laying the groundwork for a displacement limit of 399cc on ATV engines.

At the hearing, more than 35 people testified, with about half charging that ATVs are unsafe, and the other half saying ATVs are a viable form of individual and family recreation.

The ATVA and its sister organization, the American Motorcyclist Association, testified that no new federal regulations are needed. Instead, they sought more rider-training opportunities and more areas where enthusiasts can ride under controlled conditions.

The Morgantown meeting marked the first time since 1985, as far as the commission staff could remember, that the panel had gone outside Washington, D.C., to conduct a hearing on product safety. Those 1985 hearings also involved ATVs, and two years later three-wheeled ATVs were banned.

ATV critics told the three-member commission this month that installing rollbars, seatbelts, and governors to limit speed, banning kids under 16 from riding ATVs, and requiring ATV riders to wear helmets, stay off public roads and never carry passengers are just some of the steps that they believe could improve ATV safety.

Dr. Jack Bergstein of the West Virginia University Department of Surgery argued that laws are needed to ensure riders follow those recommendations. “Changing behaviors in people is difficult,” Bergstein said. “The best way is to mandate changes where people don’t have a choice.”

But Doug Morris, director of the ATVA, testified that a review of ATV-related accidents indicates that vehicle misuse and ill-prepared riders appear to be the fundamental causes of crashes. Educating riders about the need to wear helmets and other safety gear, not carry passengers and stay off public roads are key measures that could reduce crashes, he said.

Morris also noted that existing commission guidelines setting machine size limits for riders under 16 actually impede safety training.

That’s because federal guidelines call for those under 16 to ride ATVs with engines no larger than 90cc. As a result, young people who are too large to safely ride such small machines aren’t able to take a safety training course.

Others who testified against further regulation of ATVs included the BlueRibbon Coalition, the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council, the Specialty Vehicle Association, the ATV Safety Institute, the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, the National 4-H Council, the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Dealers Association, the Pennsylvania Off-Highway Vehicle Association, the West Virginia Recreational Vehicle Association, ATV dealers and individuals.

For more information, or to sign a petition, go to www.ATVAonline.com.

From a press release issued by AMA:

AMA CLUB ROAD RACING CHALLENGE TO HIGHLIGHT SUMMER CLASSIC AT MID-OHIO

PICKERINGTON, OHIO — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has announced that motorcycle road-racing organizations throughout the United States have been invited to take part in the inaugural AMA Club Road Racing Challenge, a new feature of the 7th Annual AMA Road Racing Grand Championships, scheduled for July 23-24 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

Riders at the 2003 AMA Road Racing Grand Championships will compete not only for individual honors, but also can be named to a three-rider team representing their “home” racing organizations. The four best main-event finishes turned in by each team, in classes designated as AMA Premier Classes, will be counted, subject to including at least one result from each of the three team members. Scoring will be by the Olympic system, with one point for a win, two points for a second-place finish, etc. The lowest team score will capture the inaugural AMA Club Challenge Cup.

Road-racing great Rich Oliver, the Honoree of the 2003 AMA Road Racing Grand Championships, will present a commemorative plaque to the winning organization and individual awards to each rider on the top three teams.

Each participating team entering the AMA Club Road Racing Challenge before July 13 will also receive a $350 travel allowance from AMA Sports and, subject to availability, a complimentary garage rental from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

“The AMA Club Road Racing Challenge is an exciting addition to the AMA Road Racing Grand Championships,” said Bill Amick, Vice President of AMA Events & Entertainment, which oversees AMA Sports. “It’ll be a showcase for emerging talent from around the country, and sets up a unique opportunity for clubs to cultivate friendly rivalries with one another.”

Participation in the AMA Club Road Racing Challenge is limited to license holders of recognized clubs and organizations. Certain restrictions apply to riders who also compete in AMA Pro Racing events.

For more information on the AMA Club Road Racing Challenge, visit the AMA Sports page at www.AMADirectLink.com, or call AMA Sports at (614) 856-1900, or send an e-mail to [email protected].

From a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

Foggy Chooses Young Italian For Misano World Superbike Race

Carl Fogarty has chosen young Italian rider Lorenzo Mauri to replace the injured James Haydon on the FP1 for this weekend’s seventh round of the World Superbike championship.

Mauri was recommended to the Foggy PETRONAS Racing team boss by Ducati chief Davide Tardozzi, who has used the rider for test purposes and has been impressed by his set-up ability and determined attitude. A translator will work with the FPR team throughout the weekend.

Carl said: “I thought it might help to have an Italian on the bike at Misano, which is a difficult track to get used to. And I wanted someone who was going to grab his chance by the scruff of the neck and really ride this thing.

“A few British names had been mentioned, but nobody who I really wanted. Davide told me that Mauri is as fast as the guys who are winning European Superstock races and that he is absolutely revving about the opportunity. He has got nothing to lose and we have got nothing to lose so, you never know, something just might happen.”

The 26-year-old from the Como province of Italy is currently competing in the Italian Superstock championship with the GB team. Last year he was 12th in the same championship with a best-placed finish of fourth at the Oschersleben event.

FPR’s James Haydon was ruled out of action for a minimum of two weeks with a prolapsed disc in his neck, following a crash in Germany. He is expected to be back in action for the eighth round of the championship at Laguna Seca on 13 July.