From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI CORSE PRESS INFORMATION
Jerez de la Frontera (Spain)
Tuesday 3 December 2002

SECOND DAY OF DUCATI CORSE TESTING AT JEREZ WITH THE DESMOSEDICI

Excellent weather conditions greeted today’s second day of testing for the Ducati Corse MotoGP team at Spain’s Jerez de la Frontera circuit. A warm sun and improved track conditions allowed Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss to successfully conclude the workload scheduled for the second day of a three-day test.

Capirossi, who made minor adjustments to yesterday’s set-up, worked on engine braking and tested numerous sets of tyres brought to Jerez by Michelin. His feeling with the Desmosedici is continuing to improve rapidly and Loris completed 46 laps, dipping below the 1:44 mark several times and ending up with a quickest lap of 1:43.1.

Troy Bayliss again got to grips with the unfamiliar but difficult Spanish circuit today, completing a total of 60 laps. The Australian also concentrated on chassis and suspension set-up as well as new tyres and his best time was 1:44.2.

Test rider Vittoriano Guareschi missed the second day of testing after going down with a viral infection during the night which forced him to stay in bed all day. He received a medical check-up in the morning but had to forego today’s test session.

Corrado Cecchinelli, Ducati Corse Track Technical Director, declared: “We are really satisfied with the way today went. Every time we take to the track we are making improvements and the indications that come from Troy and Loris are helping the new Desmosedici make rapid progress. The times obtained are satisfactory, considering that they were set on race tyres and also because it’s more or less the first time we have tested at Jerez after the session here two weeks ago was hit by rain. Tomorrow is the final day of testing and Loris and Troy will use the engine in Twin Pulse mode as well.”

Ducati Corse is unable to supply any images or rider comments of Loris Capirossi until the end of 2002.

From a press release issued by Honda:

HONDA RACING INFORMATION
HRC winter test Valencia, December 3, 2002.
HRC Riders Shine in the Gloom at Valencia

Frigid temperatures and a slight rain shower in the afternoon were hardly a deterrent, with all three HRC riders improving their times on the second day of a two-day test at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit, on the outskirts of Valencia, Spain.

The three Honda RC211V MotoGP riders were greeted with high winds and low temperatures, 14 degrees when the day started. Rear tyre grip was less than what the riders experienced at the grand prix a month ago, but new Michelin tyres, tested mostly by Ukawa, allowed all three riders to achieve better times.

American Superbike Champion Nicky Hayden turned a best lap of 1:35.50 late in the day, though his track time was curtailed by a crash just after noon. Hayden was entering the first right hand corner on the predominantly left-hand course when the front end slid away. The damage to the bike was such that it had to be completely re-built and the team lost over three hours of track time in the process.

“I just lost the front end,” Hayden, who completed 55 laps on the day, said. “Got in there and it pushed a little. Went to get on the gas and it went. It was pretty early in the corner. Maybe it was a little loss of concentration. I was thinking ‘Do I come in this lap? Do I stay out?'”

Hayden suffered only a minor abrasion to the knuckles of his right hand in the spill “It’s just one of those things that happens. One of the learning things. It won’t be the last one. Until I learn some more, there will definitely be some more because this bike is so challenging,” he said, as he continues to learn the intricacies of the MotoGP World Championship-winning 990cc five-cylinder Honda RC211V four-stroke.

His confidence was temporarily knocked back, but in the afternoon he got back up to speed, consistently running lap times as fast as those run by Tohru Ukawa in the November GP. That despite a light rain shower which forced all the riders to pit for a brief period.

“I ran a string of laps in the 35’s, mid 35’s,” Hayden said. With so much time lost, the team reverted to the original settings he’d used on Monday and concentrated on testing tyres. “I tested about four rears and the last one I tried had good grip and gave good feedback. They were the same compound, just different construction.”

Ukawa clocked his best lap ever at Valencia, a 1:33.76, under the 1:34.053 he’d run in qualifying for the November race. The feat was especially impressive considering the track conditions and temperature. Ukawa was the workhorse on the day, turning in 104 laps of the 4.005km circuit.

“The tyre I used had more grip, more feeling,” Ukawa said.

Nicolas Goubert, Michelin’s Motorcycle Group Manager, said that today they’d worked strictly with compounds, including some that favored today’s conditions. “Some of them worked quite good in low temperature,” he said. “We still have to make sure we can use them in the race. We have to check the endurance.”

Ukawa said of his day’s work. “It was the same rider, the same bike as I raced at the GP. I didn’t know that was my fastest lap. It just felt like any of the other laps.”

Daijiro Kato knocked a few hundredths off his Monday time, ending the day at 1:34.54. It would have been more, but a problem early in the afternoon limited his track time to 50 laps. Kato said that he was concentrating on making the RC211V better for the race and wasn’t changing tyres.

“We made an improvement in total performance, not just one area,” Kato said. “We improved the machine for the race, but it was not a big step.”

This just in from Suzuki Canada Marketing Manager Ian McKinstray, (who competed in the 1991-1996 WERA National Endurance Series with R.A. Racing):

I wanted to pass on this bit of information to you on the Toronto Motorcycle show being held this weekend at the Toronto Congress Centre on Dec 6/8, 2002. As part of the Suzuki display, we will have Kenny Roberts GSV-R MotoGP Bike on hand for the weekend as well as the three Canadian National Road Racing Champions and their #1 bikes:

Jordan Szoke, Pro Superbike
Francis Martin, Pro Open Sportbike
Clint McBain, Pro 600 Sportbike

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Michelin North America plans to supply No Limits Motorsports Honda and Annandale Honda as well as Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki with not only tires but also an extensive testing program in 2003, with even bigger plans for 2004.

“We’re coming back to take control, I guess you might say. We’re going to make our presence known,” Michelin North America Motorcycle Road Racing Manager Ron Wood told Roadracingworld.com. Wood also confirmed the company’s plan to return to the AMA Superbike class in 2004, saying, “We plan to participate in all classes in 2004.”

After confirming new tire supply deals with No Limits Honda and Annandale Honda and Michelin’s ongoing relationship with Valvoline EMGO Suzuki, Wood said, “We’re going to have tire testing set up all through the year at a lot of different tracks. We’ll participate in, I guess, the majority of all the Honda test days also. We’ll have some of our own so that we can get Valvoline and everybody else there. We’ve got some tentative plans, but I can’t say anything until we’ve got them totally ironed out. We are planning up to four tests ourself, in addition to all of the others (multi-team tests). Probably one, if not two, before the season starts, then at least two afterward, if not more.”

Wood is also trying to organize a Michelin tire test at Daytona. “We’re still trying to do that,” said Wood. “If worst case scenario, we have other alternatives where we can go do simulated testing, like at Texas World or something like that.”

Located in College Station, Texas, Texas World Speedway is a 2.0-mile, D-shaped superspeedway oval with 22-degree banking, less than Daytona International Speedway’s 31-degree banking.

Wood said he expected to finalize some of the Michelin testing plans before the holidays.

From a press release issued by Aprilia Racing Press Information:

Jerez de la Frontera (Spain)
Private Tests
2/3/4 December 2002

Tuesday 3 Dec 02

RS Cube put through second day of private tests at Jerez

Another very positive day of “winter” tests for the RS Cube from the Racing Department of Noale. Colin Edwards is still learning his way around the three-cylinder MotoGP bike from Aprilia and is making huge strides forward each day of testing. Today he sliced a second off yesterday’s fast-lap time, even though the aim of these tests is certainly not so much the fast lap as getting a perfect feeling for a bike the Texan has only just started riding. The entire Aprilia workgroup dedicated to the MotoGP project, and managed by Ing. Gigi dall’Igna, worked hard to complete today’s programme successfully. Stability and balance, and calibration of the suspension were the focus of attention, but considerable work was also carried out to optimise power delivery from an engine that Colin highly appreciates. He was able to take immediate advantage of the work carried out on his bike.

“We – and I personally – are making enormous progress” said a satisfied Colin Edwards. “Work’s going flat out and you can sure see the results. In such an intense and delicate period of work, it would be almost surprising if there weren’t at least one slide. I was trying out a different steering angle, but from the saddle I could see I wasn’t getting the feeling or the advantage I was expecting. And that’s when I went down – with no harm to myself or to the bike. No problem. Power delivery’s fine, and it’s already much improved since the first tests here in Jerez a few days ago. The bike’s adapting much better to my style of riding and the throttle’s extraordinarily smooth. It’s taking me rather long to get up to the right tyre temperature but it’s good to know that it’ll be hot when we come here for the race and I’ll have much more grip on the tarmac. After these first two days of tests, I feel I’m pretty sure I’ve still got some leeway: I’d say I’ve still got 4/5 tenths in my wrist, but I haven’t made use of it as I don’t know the bike perfectly yet, and what we’re really doing here at these tests is trying to get a perfect feeling for the Cube.”

Colin Edwards – Aprilia RS3 – 1:44.1

From a press release issued by AMA:

AMA GATHERS SUPPORT AGAINST FIM THREAT

PICKERINGTON, OHIO — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports that it has received support from throughout the American motorcycling community after announcing last Tuesday that it had been threatened with expulsion from the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) by that organization’s president.

“We’re gratified that we’ve heard so many expressions of support,” said Robert Rasor, President of the AMA. “It’s clear that a great number of motorcycling enthusiasts, competitors, industry representatives, and journalists stand with us in our fight to preserve the integrity of American motorcycling.”

The FIM is the world-wide motorcycle sanctioning body based in Geneva, Switzerland, and the AMA is its sole U.S. affiliate. The threat to expel the AMA came from FIM President Francesco Zerbi in a November 20, 2002, letter to AMA President Robert Rasor. The letter was Zerbi’s response to AMA Pro Racing’s objection to the FIM’s efforts to unilaterally impose its authority, rules and sanction on 15 of the 16 events in the 2003 AMA Supercross Series.

In last Tuesday’s announcement, Rasor stated the AMA’s agreement with AMA Pro Racing’s objection to the FIM’s actions, as well as the Association’s support of AMA Pro Racing’s efforts “to use all necessary means to protect AMA Supercross from unwarranted interference.”

Later that day, in a related action, AMA Pro Racing announced that it had filed a lawsuit in federal district court, seeking an injunction to enforce an agreement stipulating that AMA Pro Racing has the exclusive rights to sanction 15 Clear Channel Motorsports’ events in the 16-event AMA Supercross Series. A hearing in the case has been scheduled for December 17, 2002.


A related press release issued by AMA Pro Racing yesterday:

HEARING DATE SET IN AMA PRO RACING CASE

PICKERINGTON, Ohio–Paradama Productions, Inc., d/b/a AMA Pro Racing, announced today that a hearing date has been set in federal district court for its case against Clear Channel Motorsports.

The hearing, scheduled for December 17, will consider AMA Pro Racing’s request for an injunction, pending arbitration, to enforce the Supercross Sanctioning Agreement signed by both parties in March. In order for Federal District Court Judge James L. Graham to grant an injunction, he will have to consider the likelihood of success based on the merits of AMA Pro Racing’s case.

“We’re confident in our case and look forward to obtaining an injunction in court,” said Scott Hollingsworth, CEO of AMA Pro Racing. “From comments recently made by Clear Channel Motorsports, it’s obvious to me that they are in favor of allowing the FIM (Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme) into the AMA Supercross Series in the role of a sanctioning body. Not only would this violate our agreement, it is not in the best interests of the series. One only need look at the recent debacle of the Motocross of Nations to see what that could lead to.”

Clear Channel Motorsports issued a statement last week indicating that the case was between AMA Pro Racing and the FIM, and did not involve Clear Channel. “That is incorrect,” said Hollingsworth. “This case absolutely involves Clear Channel. Our contract with Clear Channel Motorsports recognizes AMA Pro Racing’s exclusive sanctioning rights to the series.”

When AMA Pro Racing objected to the FIM, it threatened the AMA with expulsion, even though neither the FIM nor the AMA are parties to AMA Pro Racing’s contract with Clear Channel.

“After our extraordinarily successful management of the AMA Supercross Series for 29 consecutive years, we will not accept being summarily edged aside,” Hollingsworth added. “The behavior of Clear Channel is unacceptable, and we are asking the court to force the company to uphold its contractual responsibilities.”


Clear Channel’s Statement, issued last week:

AURORA, Ill (November 27, 2002) – In response to the AMA’s recent press releases and subsequent lawsuit, Clear Channel Entertainment – Motor Sports today released the following statement.

The statement released by Ken Hudgens, Clear Channel Entertainment’s vice president of marketing.

“Clear Channel Entertainment — Motor Sports is the promoter of the AMA Supercross Series and the THQ World Supercross GP Series of which the U.S. championship events are a part.

“AMA Pro Racing acknowledged and agreed to this ‘series within a series’ concept from the outset of our new contractual relationship with them last spring – in the contract itself, in our many discussions with them, and in their statements to the press.

“AMA Pro Racing apparently now has a dispute with the FIM, the international sanctioning body of which it is an affiliate, over whether AMA recognizes FIM’s ultimate authority over the conduct of motorcycle racing sanctioned by its affiliates when such events are part of a world championship. That is not Clear Channel Entertainment – Motor Sports’ dispute, and it will have no effect on the upcoming supercross season, which kicks off in Geneva, Switzerland on December 7, 2002.”

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

KWS Motorsports’ Kevin Hunt reports that he and other high performance race shop operators have been defrauded by customers using counterfeit checks and money orders, and Hunt wants to warn other business owners.

According to Hunt, con artists are ordering big-ticket, high-performance motorcycle parts from several shops and paying for the deliveries with what appear to be counterfeit checks and money orders. Hunt was taken for a $5500 big-block engine and says that he believes at least three other businesses he deals with have been hit by criminals using the same method of operation. In fact, Hunt says he and one other business were contacted through the same e-mail address.

“Obviously, they know how the system works and are using it to take advantage of us,” said Hunt.

Hunt says the criminals pose as typical customers, almost always order parts for Suzuki Hayabusas and want the parts shipped UPS, COD (collect on delivery) overnight to be delivered by 10:30 a.m. to addresses on the east coast, which usually turn out to be motels or large apartment complexes. This way the criminals only have a small window of time to wait for the UPS delivery truck to arrive. The criminals then meet the driver in common areas, so as not to be traced to any specific residence or room; pay for the parts with the counterfeit check or money order, which include legitimate financial institution names but numbers and coding that do not make sense to those institutions; and receive the delivery of parts. UPS accepts the checks and money orders, but, according to Hunt, UPS’s delivery policy specifically eliminates UPS’s liability to the businesses/shippers.

“UPS has a manual that’s about half-an-inch-thick,” said Hunt. “I’ve had a lawyer go over it, and UPS does not have any liability.”

A call seeking clarification on UPS’s policy concerning method of payment on COD deliveries, delivery policies and shippers’ liabilities had not been returned by UPS’s media relations department at post time.

“I just want to get the word out, as a courtesy, so no one else has to take a $5500 hit,” said Hunt.

Hunt recommends businesses ask overnight, COD customers for references of other businesses they have dealt with and checking the references, doing “reverse look-ups” to verify customers’ shipping addresses and phone numbers with AT&T’s directory website www.anywho.com or by simply asking the customers to pre-pay and waiting for the payment to cash or clear before any parts are shipped.

The case is currently being investigated by the Charleston, South Carolina Police Department as felony fraud, but Hunt is trying to get the case investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) based on the facts that the crime occurred across state lines and that the Internet was used in the commission of the crime.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Three-time AMA Superbike Champion Doug Chandler plans to race a Gary Medley-prepared No Limits Motorsports Honda CBR954RR in the 2003 Daytona 200 on Michelins.

“We’re building a 954 for Superbike,” Chandler told Roadracingworld.com Monday. “So we’ll be for sure at Daytona, and we’ll have to wait and see how it goes and go from there. I think we’ll only stick to two (classes). It all depends. If Daytona goes good and we’re in the middle of things, maybe we’ll just do Superbike and 600. If not, we’ll do (Formula) Xtreme and certain places Superbike too.

“In race trim, the thing makes the power the Superbikes are making and the weights are going to be the same. I think it’s got a chance,” said Chandler when asked if the Honda CBR954RR would be competitive in AMA Superbike.

Asked for his thoughts on his switch to Michelins after riding on Dunlops for the last eight consecutive seasons, Chandler said, “I’ve been with Dunlop for a long time, but the team…it’s what kind of deal they are able to get. And they were able to get a better deal for both riders rather than just me on the Dunlops. They went ahead and went the Michelin route. It should make it better all the way around – give the Dunlop guys a bit of competition, hopefully, and, hopefully, the Michelin guys will have some pretty good stuff for us.”

And what of Chandler’s memories of Michelins on the 500cc Grand Prix bikes he campaigned in the early 1990’s? “No problems. They were a little different, a little less feeling in them, but a good tire,” said Chandler.

Chandler and teammate Jason Curtis are currently waiting for their 2003 Honda CBR600RRs before starting their off-season testing program.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

2002 Superbike World Champion Colin Edwards will make his first U.S. appearance for Aprilia Friday, December 6 at the International Motorcycle Show at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California. Edwards will be available for autographs and photos at the Aprilia booth from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Pacific Time) Friday only, reports Aprilia USA’s Robert Pandya.

The Aprilia RS3 Cube MotoGP bike will not be on display at the show, but Aprilia product planners will be on hand to gauge consumer interest in the RSV1000 Tuono and the Noriyuki Haga Replica RSV-R Mille.

For additional information on the International Motorcycle Show, go to http://show.motorcycleshows.com/IMSBrandManager/V33/index.cvn

Edwards has been very busy since winning his second Superbike World Championship and signing to race in MotoGP for Aprilia. Edwards raced in and won the Michelin Race of Champions Nations’ Cup November 29-30 in the Canary Islands; is currently testing at Jerez in Spain through Wednesday, December 4; will appear in Long Beach Friday, December 6; and will fly to Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, December 7 to be inducted into the CMRA Hall of Fame at the Texas-based racing organization’s awards banquet.

From a press release issued by Ducati Corse Press Information:

Jerez de la Frontera (Spain) Monday 2 December 2002

CAPIROSSI, BAYLISS AND GUARESCHI GET DOWN TO MORE TESTING WORK AT JEREZ WITH THE DUCATI DESMOSEDICI

Ducati Corse’s non-stop testing session in preparation for the 2003 MotoGP championship is continuing at Jerez de la Frontera today, for the second time in two weeks, as development work on the Ducati Desmosedici continues until Wednesday.

The two 2003 MotoGP riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss are present at the Andalusian circuit, as well as team test rider Vittoriano Guareschi.

The first day of testing was held on a track that was still not in perfect condition following last night’s rain. Several damp patches accompanied the riders throughout the day despite sunny conditions right from the morning start.

Today’s workload revolved mainly around the search for the best possible set-up, suspension settings and mapping of the engine, which was used by all three riders in ‘Four Pulse’ mode.

Loris, who knows the Jerez track well, continued to get to grips with his new bike and at the end of the day his best time was 1:44.4 in a total of 48 laps.

Troy, present at Jerez for only the second time in his career, completed a total of 56 laps, with a best time of 1:45.4.

Vittoriano concentrated chiefly on race simulation and the Italian rider’s best time was 1:46.8 in today’s 55 laps.

Ducati Corse Track Technical Director Corrado Cecchinelli expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the first day of testing: “Today went really well because we managed to make up for the time lost two weeks ago, when the weather conditions were dreadful. Hopefully we’ll have another couple of days of good weather so our riders can complete their set-up work on the Desmosedici. Today there was no point going for really quick lap times, because of the track conditions, but despite this we managed to get a lot of work done on reliability and set-up.”

N.B. Ducati Corse is unable to supply any images or rider comments of Loris Capirossi until the end of 2002.