Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Bruce Transportation Group Honda’s Alex Gobert broke three bones in his right foot Wednesday in a crash at Lake Elsinore Motocross Park near his home in Lake Elsinore, California. Reached Wednesday night, 18-year-old Gobert said, “It was the first lap out and I went off this table-top jump and got no lift. I cased the front wheel and went over the bars. I think the bike landed on my foot.”

Gobert called his older brother Aaron, who has only been back in America for a few days, to come pick him up and take him to the hospital. Aaron actually left a physical therapy session to come to Alex’s aid.

Alex Gobert was treated and released from Inland Valley Medical Center and said he planned to see an orthopedist recommended by Inland Valley on Thursday. Although the doctor at Inland Valley told Alex Gobert that he would be out for six to eight weeks, the youngest Gobert brother said he expected his recovery to be more like two weeks and didn’t want to rule out riding at Brainerd, June 28-30.

Aaron Gobert, age 21, said he is making final preparations for a racing return at Laguna Seca July 11-14. Aaron Gobert is attending physical therapy session every other day, and recently began walking without crutches for the first time since his horrible highside crash at the exit of Daytona’s chicane in early March.

Contacted Thursday morning, Anthony Gobert said “everything’s going great” with his recovery from a broken leg and dislocated ankle, the result of a crash at Road Atlanta. “I started physio this week and the doctors are surprised at how much movement I have in the ankle already.”

Anthony Gobert said that he hoped to be back for Laguna Seca but did not know which classes he would race in. Gobert added that there is no truth to the report that Yamaha has sent in a special YZF-R7 Superbike for him to ride in the World Superbike races at Laguna Seca. “Where would they get it from? Who has a bike better than mine?” Gobert asked rhetorically.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Dan Murphy of RPM (Race Promotion Management), which promotes the World Superbike race at Laguna Seca, asked Roadracingworld.com readers to help decide which AMA riders should get the six World Superbike entries available for Laguna Seca July 11-14.

Eric Bostrom is guaranteed an entry because he’s been racing in the World Superbike Series already. Ben Bostrom and Colin Edwards are World Superbike regulars. So they don’t count against the six available entries.

The following nine AMA Superbike riders have submitted entries. Only six will be accepted.

1. Nicky Hayden

2. Aaron Yates

3. Anthony Gobert

4. Miguel Duhamel

5. Pascal Picotte

6. Jamie Hacking

7. Mat Mladin

8. Doug Chandler

9. Kurtis Roberts

Roadracingworld.com readers were able to cast votes for the six AMA Superbike riders they thought should be accepted for the World Superbike races at Laguna Seca by clicking on a link to a voting page.

Voting has now concluded.

Final results, after duplicate votes were removed (as of 1:00 p.m. EDT, June 20):

1487 Nicky Hayden
1414 Aaron Yates
1396 Miguel Duhamel
1284 Anthony Gobert
1115 Mat Mladin
972 Doug Chandler
662 Pascal Picotte
417 Jamie Hacking
247 Kurtis Roberts

1499 TOTAL NON-DUPLICATED VOTERS

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Bruce Transportation Group Honda’s Alex Gobert, injured in a motocross crash Wednesday, is returning to Australia Thursday night in order to have surgery performed on his broken right foot.

“It’s a bit worse than we thought,” said 18-year-old Gobert Thursday. “The doctor today said I needed to get two or three screws put in it and have it in a proper cast for four weeks. After that I need to have it in a soft cast for another four weeks, but I’m hoping it will go a bit quicker.”

After hearing the pessimistic prognosis, Gobert decided to return to Australia and have the Gobert’s family orthopedist, the same doctor who has been working with Aaron Gobert, provide a second opinion and perform the surgery.

Before catching his 10:30 p.m. (Pacific Time) flight to Australia, Alex Gobert said that he hoped to return to race in the AMA finale at Virginia International Raceway in August.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Mat Oxley

Three-time 500cc World Champion King Kenny Roberts has confirmed that he is building a V5 four-stroke for next year’s MotoGP series. He is the first rival manufacturer to follow the winning lead of Honda’s all-conquering RCV.

Like many MotoGP insiders, Roberts has predicted that all the big teams will gravitate to the same engine configuration, and right now the V5 seems the favorite option.

MotoGP regs offer a sliding minimum weight limit according to the number of cylinders in a machine, and since Fours and Fives run the same 145-kilogram limit, five pistons make all kinds of sense.

Roberts’ team, backed by Malaysian interests, currently races with the Proton-badged KR3 two-stroke V3.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Bruce Wilkins

Good news/bad news was the order of the final day of testing for Nicky Hayden at Virginia International Raceway. The young AMA Superbike lion blazed off consistent laps of 1:25.0, then just as he was edging into the uncharted timing territory of the 1:24s, he lost the front end coming out of Turn 17, lowsiding his Honda into a resulting pile of rubble. Hayden was unhurt in the incident and left the testing session near mid-day.

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“Nicky did a bunch of laps in the mid 25s yesterday, and today he was doing a bunch of flat 25s,” said Ray Plumb, Crew Chief/Coordinator for the Honda team. “It looked like he was just about ready to crack into the 24s when he lost the front end…he probably just pushed the front end and low-sided. He ran really well this week, we got the bike set up good, and we’ll be ready for here in August.”

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Despite a large lead in the point standings with only six races remaining, Plumb is not the least bit overconfident of Honda wrestling the Championship title away from Suzuki. “It’s still a long-time to go and you have to be careful, but at the same time, you have to race to win,” Plumb said. “I don’t care how many points your team can be ahead…at this stage, you can NEVER have enough points.”

The overall testing for Honda went well in many categories, he added. Miguel Duhamel spent a lot of time yesterday regaining his feel for the Supersport CBR600F4i. “Our plan is for Miguel to race the 600 at Laguna Seca, but probably not here at VIR,” Plumb said. “We’re just getting him up to speed on it…he hadn’t ridden it since Daytona, so we thought it would be a good idea to come here (with the 600) and test to get ready for Laguna Seca. Miguel’s a 600 connoisseur, that’s for sure.”

Erion Honda’s Formula Xtreme and 600cc Supersport rider Mike Hale showed up for the last day of practice, his first time ever at VIR. “On a track like this on a 600cc bike, you really have to ride the bike hard, but you also have to get the bike set up to handle because you have these off cambers, positive cambers, ups, downs…I mean it really puts a premium on set-up,” said Hale. “This track is really challenging and it’s pretty tight. It’ll probably be difficult to do a lot of passing, so you’re really going to have to play your cards right here.”

Defending AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin had a solid testing session and consistently had fast laps times on all three days. “I think Nicky might have done a couple of pretty quick ones, but I think we were right there,” Mladin pointed out. “I had a couple of 25.3s, 25.4s, but we’re consistently in the 25s which is right on what the pole positions were last year, so we clearly picked it up a bit.”

After starting the season off with a serious crash, a damaged elbow and no Daytona, Mladin believes he is finally getting back to his former groove that made him a consistent podium threat, especially in his last three Championship years. “I managed to get really comfortable on the bike again, starting to get a bit more confidence back, you know,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to these last few races.”

From a press release issued by Ducati:

DUCATI TO MAINTAIN FULL-FACTORY PRESENCE IN WORLD SUPERBIKE

The Italian manufacturer will take part in the 2003 World Superbike Championship with a factory team, flanked by the satellite GSE Racing structure.

Bologna (Italy), 19 June 2002: After careful consideration and following the introduction of the new Superbike regulations, Ducati Corse has decided to maintain unchanged its commitment in the World Superbike Championship for production-based motorbikes.

The new “Superbike Racing Unit”, headed by Paolo Ciabatti, will run the Italian manufacturer’s programme with an official factory team, and it can also count on the support of the satellite team GSE Racing, which will run Ducati 998 Factory 2002 bikes.

Paolo Ciabatti, responsible for the Ducati Corse Superbike programme, commented:

“Our main aim is to continue Ducati’s winning tradition in the World Superbike Championship. Being able to count not only on our official team, but also on a satellite structure like the GSE Racing team, will also allow us to continue with another of our aims, that of being able to produce up-and-coming talented riders in a highly professional structure. We will also continue with our policy towards private teams, which will be offered highly competitive bikes like the 998 RS.

“The collaboration between Ducati Corse and GSE Racing has produced excellent results in the last few years” added Ciabatti. “Troy Bayliss and Neil Hodgson, British Superbike Champions in 1999 and 2000 with the GSE team, are proof of this. For this reason we have decided not only to confirm but also to increase the support for our satellite team in the future.

“In 2003 we will run two riders: following his excellent results with GSE Racing, Neil Hodgson will move to the factory team, while contacts with the other rider are still being defined.”

“I am delighted that Ducati Corse has renewed its confidence in our team”, declared Darrell Healey, GSE Racing Team Principal. “The importance of racing for the commercial success of road-going bikes has led Ducati Corse to continue to directly manage its World Superbike team, but GSE Racing has also been rewarded with a substantially improved package for its endeavours over the past two years. We now see ourselves as an extension of the factory and are very much looking forward to progressing our partnership with Ducati Corse into 2003 and beyond.”

From a press release:

SERIES SET FOR TV DEBUT

TORONTO, ON – The 2002 Parts Canada Superbike Championship makes its on-air debut this weekend. Round 1 will premier on The Sports Network (TSN) at 6:00 pm EDT Sunday evening.

The show is the first of eight half-hour programs for the national motorcycle road racing series and will feature action from the opening round of the 2002 season at Shannonville Motorsport Park May 19.

Noted TSN motorsport voice Vic Rauter will handle play-by-play duties while Colin Fraser supplies color commentary.

TSN has also announced two changes to its broadcast schedule for the Parts Canada Superbike Championship.

The third show, featuring the second half of the Race City Motorsport Park doubleheader in Calgary, will be broadcast a day earlier than originally scheduled. It will now air Saturday, July 27 at 11:00 am EDT.

The following program, with action from Autodrome St-Eustache near Montreal, is now slated for Sunday, Aug. 4 at 1:00 pm EDT. It was previously set to air on Aug. 3.

TSN will also repeat each of the eight programs during the course of the summer. Viewers should check local listings for additional dates and times of the shows.

TSN’s 2002 motorcycle road racing coverage will also include the fourth round of the Diablo Paintball Can-Am 125GP Challenge from Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, NS. That race will air in the fall, after the conclusion of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship shows.

Action from the Parts Canada Superbike Championship will also air this summer in Quebec on Reseau des Sports (RDS) in half-hour format. An extended one-hour program will be shown across Canada in the fall on the Outdoor Life Network.

Shannonville (Pro Track), Sunday, June 23, 6:00 pm

Calgary Race 1, Saturday, July 6, 1:30 pm

Calgary Race 2, Saturday, July 27, 11:00 am

St-Eustache, Sunday, Aug. 4, 1:00 pm

Mosport I, Sunday, Aug. 11, 3:30 pm

Mosport II, Sunday, Aug. 24, 11:30 am

Atlantic Motorsport Park, Saturday, Sept. 14, 12:00 pm

Shannonville (Long Track), Sunday, Oct. 13, 6:00 pm

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Dega Racing’s Larry Denning broke the lap record for Grattan Raceway Park during a Michigan Grand Prix Series Midwest Cycle Fest event Saturday, June 15. Riding his 4&6 Racing-prepared Yamaha YZF-R1 on “Super Soft” Pirelli DOT-labeled tires, Denning lowered the lap record from 1:20.46 to 1:19.79 during the Pirelli 1000cc Supersport race, according to Eric Knacke of the Michigan Grand Prix Series. The time was recorded on the series’ electronic timing and scoring system.

Denning, who holds three other track records across the country, won three races during the event. Riding his 2002 Yamaha YZF-R6 and YZF-R1, Denning took victories in leg one of the Michigan GP, Pirelli 600cc Supersport and Middleweight Grand Prix.

“This was the first weekend I tried the new Vesrah brake pads,” Denning said. “The old ones were great. Now, these new ones are just sick. I can’t believe how much better they are. The Vesrah pads and the Pirelli tires were all I needed to do that lap and win those races.”

According to Knacke, the former Grattan lap record of 1:20.46 was set in 2000 by Rad Greaves on his highly-modified Suzuki GSX1300R “GP ‘Busa”.

From a press release:

TROY BAYLISS Racing – Media Information
Tuesday, 18 June 2002
Round 8, 2002 Superbike World Championship
Autodromo di Misano, Misano Adriatica, Italy
Event preview

BAYLISS FORECASTS HOT RECEPTION AT MISANO

Misano, Italy (Tuesday, June 18) – The province of San Marino plays host to the eighth round of the 2002 Superbike World Championship this weekend (June 23) at the Autodromo di Misano circuit on the Italian Adriatic coast with high summer temperatures expected to add to the excitement of one of the most popular rounds of the championship.

The round will also be of high importance for defending champion Troy Bayliss. He along with his Infostrada Ducati team and other high profile Ducati teams and riders have been special guests at World Ducati Week, which has been held at Misano and surrounding areas over the past four days. Many of those attending the festival week will be staying on at Misano for the SWC round and will be hoping for continued success by their Australian hero.

For Bayliss though, the added pressure of WDW will not play any more of an important factor than his usual approach to any round of the championship.

“I have been here at Misano since late last week taking part in activities with the World Ducati Week and it has been a huge success,” said Bayliss. “I’ve caught up with a lot of people and have had a great response from everyone that has been here. I know that a lot of people will still be here for the weekend, but as far as any additional pressure goes, for sure I’ll want to do well, but I will be just going through my usual preparations for the round. It’s like another home round for us, so it is important to do well there.

“The temperatures have been quite hot here and it is expected to stay the same, in the mid to high 30s (C) I guess. That will make for two very hard races,” added Bayliss. “Last year it was hot and the racing was close and I think it will be the same again this weekend, it’s also a lot hotter than what it was when we tested here a few weeks ago. Once again I expect the likes of Colin (Edwards), Neil, (Hodgson), Ruben (Xaus) and Ben (Bostrom) to be in the lead group. They’ve all done well here in the past and I know that all of the Ducati riders will be looking for a win in front of the big Italian crowd.”

Bayliss arrives at the San Marino round holding a 29-point championship lead over arch rival Colin Edwards after scoring his fifth double race victory of the season at the previous round at the Lausitzring in Germany. Bayliss has won a staggering eleven races from the fourteen held this year, but has been unable to break clear of Edwards who has been equally consistent and kept the World Champion within reach.

Bayliss has a strong record at Misano having won the opening race there last year and placing second on three other occasions in his last two visits to the Italian circuit.

Practice and qualifying for this weekend’s round gets underway on Friday (June 21), followed by final qualifying and Superpole on Saturday, before Sunday’s two 25-lap SWC races.



AUTODROMO Di MISANO, SWC FAST FACTS
Circuit Length: 4.060km
Superpole: Neil Hodgson (GSE Ducati) 1:35.235
Lap record: Neil Hodgson (GSE Ducati) 1:35.403 (2001)

2001 Race 1 / 25laps
1 Troy Bayliss (Infostrada Ducati)
2. Ben Bostrom (L&M Ducati)
3 Colin Edwards (Castrol Honda)

2001 Race 2 / 25laps
1. Ben Bostrom (L&M Ducati)
2 Troy Bayliss (Infostrada Ducati)
3. Gregorio Lavilla (Fuchs Kawasaki)

2002 World Superbike championship points (after 7of 13 rounds)

1. T Bayliss 310; 2. C Edwards 271; 3. N Hodgson 165; 4. N Haga 153; 5.

R Xaus 152; 6. B Bostrom 143; 7. J Toseland 99; 8. C Walker 80; 9. G Lavilla 68; 10. P Chili 58.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The WERA Sportsman Regional race scheduled for July 6-7 at Road Atlanta will feature 20 sections of Alpina Air Module deployed by Dan Lance and his safety crew.

The sections and deployment service are being rented by WERA.

In related news, the WERA-sanctioned practice for AMA Pro Racers being held by Team Hammer, Inc. at The Colonel’s Brainerd International Raceway on Thursday, June 27 will feature Air Fence and Alpina Air Modules deployed by AMA Pro Racing’s Hugh Fleming and his crew. A few workers are needed to help set up the AMA soft barriers on Wednesday, June 26 and will be compensated with free lunch and dinner on Thursday as well as with reduced practice fees.

More information is available from Team Hammer at (909) 245-6414 or online at www.teamhammer.com.