Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Interview by David Swarts

On November 1, Roadracingworld.com posted an interview with Buell American Motorcycles’ President and Chief Technical Officer Erik Buell. In that interview, Buell reacted to the news that a round of the BMW Boxer Cup series would replace the now-discontinued Buell-sponsored Pro Thunder class at the 2003 Daytona AMA National.

Buell later decided that his original comments expressed his feelings too strongly, and asked Roadracingworld.com if he could add to his statement. What he said on November 7 follows:

“I just had a thought about this and after reading back through it, I thought that I should say a few things a little differently. This is not a prepared statement, not as a company or anything like that. Same as before when you asked me how do you feel. So it’s kind of a personal, raw emotional thing.

“I’m a pretty passionate guy. That’s one of the reasons for my success, I think. But I feel bad because I have many friends at the AMA Pro Racing, and I’ve developed a close relationship with several of them. Maybe even that closeness was one of the catalysts for me being extra upset because I kind of felt betrayed at that time, you know?

“The last three years, I kind of took a very professional approach to AMA Pro Racing and have supported all of their decisions and said so to many people. I made my support real clear. Sometimes that got me grief from competitors and stuff. Sometimes I supported their decisions even though sometimes I disagreed with them. The reason I did that was based on an understanding from them of what their mission and values were. Usually when you understand that, you can agree to disagree kind of thing and say, ‘OK, we know where you’re headed. I’m not quite sure the method’s right.’

“And when I read about that new race replacing Pro Thunder, I was just really stunned because it went against one of the core values I felt that I had been believing was behind their decisions – that they wanted to see fair competition between all the brands and no dominance by any one brand and a place for people to grow through the organization. And I just went, ‘What the heck was that all about?’

“Of course, I had also started hearing from a number of competitors, not as many as you did, but I got a lot of calls. They all were irate, and some were asking me…why had I betrayed them, ‘Erik, you let Pro Thunder die’ and ‘you told us why it was happening.’ The emotions of a young racer are still in me, you know, under the old surface. So when I was handed that note to call Roadracing World, I had just hung up from a call from one of the irate racer guys. I didn’t take the time to calm myself and wait a day, but I picked up the phone and spoke right from that level of emotion, kind of the young racer betrayed by friends kind of feeling.

“So you’re able to lift the curtain briefly on those of us who are out here and normally very corporately correct and doing a lot of stuff from emotion but having it under control. So the curtain was up there a little bit.

“I do still strongly support the AMA, and there’s real good folks at AMA Pro Racing, and I think I’ll be friends with the folks there forever. A couple of them may want to kick me in the rear end before we sit down for a drink, but I think they know me and they know where my heart is and will understand the fact that I was over the top that day. But I have to say, I still don’t understand what happened with the situation at Daytona. I don’t think it’s right, I don’t know why, and I don’t understand it.

“I also feel it’s unfortunate there are so many sport motorcycles and brands out there that don’t have a class to run in. I think that’s too bad. I don’t know, maybe improvements will come out of a bad deal here. I guess that’s the way it is.

“In the words of one of my favorite Blues singers, a guy named Tommy Castro, he’s got a song that says, ‘I’m just a man, I ain’t no Superman.’ Well, maybe that’s me. It got to me that day, but I think we need to work through why there’s so much emotion around this stuff. I hoped to work with AMA in the future, but somebody’s got to figure out and get some kind of understanding of the mission statement of that kind of thing because I’ve kind of lost it.

“That’s what I was basing it on. When they would say, ‘Here is what we want to do, and here’s what we want to do,’ and like the 600s, ‘We don’t want to have anyone in with them.’ And we would say, ‘In Europe, the Ducati 748s run with them, and they can’t even beat them. Why would they go against the 750s?’ And their answer was, ‘Well, you know, it would confuse the class. We want it to be simpler. And we already have enough brands in there, and we have somewhere for these other bikes to run.’

“But some of those things, I’m just confused about. I just wish there was a lot more clarity about what they’re trying to do because it makes it difficult to plan and to tell people what’s going on at a core value. Because there’s a lot of emotional guys out there, a lot of dealers and stuff, who want things to happen, who use some of us in the industry as lightning rods. When you have confusion and misunderstanding, it just adds to their excitement.

“I don’t want anyone to think AMA Pro Racing is the devil or anything else like that. You know, the emotions run deep there. Sometimes people forget that. They think that everyone’s just a corporate frozen mouthpiece, but we all have emotions. We all love the sport, and sometimes those get away from us. It should’ve been a more calm description of it.

“I have a good relationship (with AMA Pro Racing). I didn’t make any comments toward who, where the problem is there, who it is specifically. I don’t know. I don’t know why these things are happening. I’ve had a great relationship with Merrill Vanderslice, talking through issues and stuff. I’ve talked once or twice with Scott Hollingsworth, Rob King. What just tipped me over was this whole betrayal feeling.

“I feel bad about it, but the emotions are strong. We want racing to succeed; we want it to be fair. I think it’s important that we all understand what’s going on, those of us that are involved and have something to base what we plan for on. Hopefully, that adds a little calming effect to it, and we’ll gain some understanding out of this.

“Racing’s a very passionate business, a very emotional business. It’s a business where you see multi-million-dollar-paid guys in NASCAR punching each other on TV. (laughs) You see Roger Penske throw something sometimes. Racing is very exciting, and when you have confusion to what’s going on, that’s what comes out. Those of us who sometimes appear as these well-trained, cultured, corporate spokespeople, we have a heart and we have passion, too. Sometimes we talk a little out of turn. Mostly, it’s under control, but the passion’s still there. The passion to do what’s right is in a lot of us. Like I said, if I hadn’t just hung up the phone with somebody telling me that I had betrayed them and I felt that way, I would’ve had a little more time to be calm about how I phrased it, but I still don’t get it. I still don’t understand what they’re doing and what their rationale is now.

“Should I have yelled so much? Yeah, probably not. So this is maybe a more appropriate description of it, but like I said, the passion’s still there. I mean, you hear it in everybody’s voices. I’ve been there, too. When you’re racing, and those of us who have raced professionally at a high level, you are on the ragged edge of emotion because you are in survival mode. Racing is an intense sport. There are very few sports more intense where your life is on the line. I still have that in me even though I don’t race anymore. In that kind of world, you want things to be black and white, you want to know if someone is going to pop the damn yellow flag or the oil flag, if there’s going to be oil in the corner. If you don’t do it, you’re going to get hurt. You want to know that the guy beside you is going to do the right thing. So with my racing background and having just talked to a racer, that’s what came to the front. Sometimes you have to balance it a little bit, but underneath it’s good to know that that core is there. Sometimes you have to compromise. Shooting off your mouth doesn’t get you to the truth, but the fire to get to the truth gets you there.

“Again, within AMA Pro Racing, there’s a lot of good people. I just don’t understand what’s going on, whether it changed, how it is, why one thing one time would change and become something else. It’s confusing. It’s a tough business. There will always be some kind of controversy, but it would be nice if there were a little less. You know what I’m saying?”

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

According to MSMA (Motorcycle Sports Manufacturers Association) Secretary Takanao Tsubouchi, Japanese manufacturers will likely return to the Superbike World Championship with 1000cc four-cylinder racebikes in 2004, but 2003 will be a transitional year with no Japanese factory or semi-factory teams in the series.

Speaking at the Valencia MotoGP event last weekend, Tsubouchi also said that MSMA members were aware of problems regarding machine and parts availability for private teams and riders in various National Superbike Series around the world.

MSMA members include Aprilia, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha.

From a press release issued by the FIM:

Mies, November 8/le 8 novembre 2002

Superbike & Supersport World Championships

Regulations – Decisions of the Superbike Commission

The Superbike Commission, composed of Messrs. Claude Danis (FIM), Paolo Alberto Flammini (SBK International), Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA) and Giulio Bardi (Team representative), has unanimously decided to introduce the following modifications to the Road Racing World championship Regulations for Superbike and Supersport (application as from 1.1.2003):

Tyres (Superbike – to be added to Art. 2.4.6.7):

At each event, during free practices, qualifying practices and Superpole, a maximum of 13 rear slick tyres may be used. A Technical Steward must mark these 13 tyres. There is no restriction on the number of front or wet tyres that may be used. On race day, there is no restriction on the number of rear slick tyres that may be used. During free practices, qualifying practices and Superpole, no motorcycle may enter the track without the rear slick tyre being marked. If a rider is given a red flag during a Superpole lap for reasons beyond the rider’s control, the Technical Director may allow an additional rear slick tyre to be used.

Fuel pump (Superbike – replaces the 3rd paragraph of Art. 2.4.9):

Electric fuel pumps must be wired through a circuit cut-out, which will operate automatically when the motorcycle is on its side. This circuit cut-out must de-activate the fuel pump and the ignition system within one second. The de-activation of the fuel pump and the ignition system may be checked anytime during the event at the instruction of the Technical Director.

Tyres (Supersport – Art. 2.5.6.7, replaces previous text):

Tyres must be a fully molded type carrying all size and sidewall marking of the tyres for commercial sale to the public. Tyres of V and Z rating must be used. The depth of the tyre treads must be at least 2.5 mm over the entire tyre pattern width at a pre-race control. The tyres must have a positive and negative tread of 96% positive and minimum 4% negative (land and sea ratio). The maximum distance from the external edge of the tyre to 50% of the tread elements is 35 mm.

One size for the front and two sizes for the rear are allowed. Each size, front and rear, must be available with the same tread pattern as the commercial tyres for the road use. The manufacturers may only submit one front and rear pattern for approval. The previous approved tyre pattern will expire one year after the introduction of a new approved tyre pattern.

The FIM/CCR will grant the approval. The manufacturers must submit the tyre for approval 30 days prior to its first use. Templates proving the land and sea ratio must be included. The tyres must have a DOT and/or E mark. The DOT and/or E mark must appear on the tyre sidewall.

Only when a race or practice has been declared “wet”, the use of a special tyre commonly known as a full wet tyre is allowed. Wet tyres must be a fully molded tyre, no hand cutting is allowed on molded tyres. The use of hand cut tyres is not allowed. Wet tyres do not need to carry DOT or E marks; however these tyres must be marked “Not for Highway Use” or “NHS”.

At each event, during free practices and qualifying practices, a maximum of 12 rear tyres may be used. A Technical Steward must mark these 12 tyres. There is no restriction on the number of front or wet tyres that may be used. On race day, there is no restriction on the number of rear tyres that may be used. During free and qualifying practice, no motorcycle may enter the track without the rear tyre being marked.

Cylinder Head (Supersport – replaces the last sentence of paragraph 6, Art. 2.5.6.20):

The use of titanium valves are permitted for use in machines that are equipped with titanium valves in the original homologated machine.

Fuel pump (Supersport – replaces the 3rd paragraph of Art. 2.5.9):

Electric fuel pumps must be wired through a circuit cut-out, which will operate automatically when the motorcycle is on its side. This circuit cut-out must de-activate the fuel pump and the ignition system within one second. The de-activation of the fuel pump and the ignition system may be checked anytime during the event at the instruction of the Technical Director.

Superbike Homologation Information

Homologation extension for 1000cc 4-cylinder motorcycles for 2003

– A manufacturer having a valid Stocksport or Superproduction homologation for a 1000cc 4-cylinder motorcycle will automatically receive a Superbike homologation for this motorcycle. This will be done by adding the motorcycle to the Superbike homologation list and informing the manufacturer.

– If the manufacturer wishes to add an optional carburation instrument, a homologation of the optional carburation instrument will be required. The FIM will charge the homologation fee.

– If no Stocksport or Superproduction homologation exists, then a new Superbike homologation will be required.

From a press release issued by Cycle Gear:

Cycle Gear, America’s foremost motorcycle accessory and apparel chain, is expanding once again. We currently have plans to open at least seven new stores by April 2003, rapidly bringing our store count to 33.

Stores in Albuquerque, NM and Plano, TX will open this month; Oklahoma City, OK; Murrieta, CA; and at least three other Texas locations will open in the immediate future.

Cycle Gear, an employee owned company, continues to experience exponential growth. As we expand, so does our commitment to the riders and enthusiasts that keep us going. 2002 not only saw Cycle Gear increase its store count from 18 to 26, but we also became an AMA Corporate Member, as well as a proud member of ORBA (the Off Road Business Association). As if that didn’t adequately demonstrate our commitment, we also make quarterly contributions to the BlueRibbon Coalition’s, Trail Access Fund. Want to keep our trails open? Here’s how you can help. Go to your local Cycle Gear store and make a donation to the BRC Trail Access Fund. The rest is on us. Cycle Gear will match your donation, dollar for dollar, up to $10,000 per year.

This 28-year-old, rapidly growing motorcycle accessory chain specializes in unprecedented customer service, guaranteed best values and tremendous product selection. Cycle Gear provides several programs, guarantees and warranties unique in the motorcycle industry, such as their “No-Hassle 30 Day Helmet Exchange,” “100% Satisfaction Guarantee” and “Best Price Guarantee” and many more.

Cycle Gear’s Grand Openings are always accompanied by huge Grand Opening sales, offering great deals on name brand street and off-road apparel, as well as a wide selection of parts and accessories. A complete selection of name brand helmets, boots, gloves, goggles, pants, jerseys, leather and textile protective apparel, women’s gear, kids gear, ATV, tires, chemicals, and tools are just some of the products that motorcycle enthusiasts can expect to find at every Cycle Gear store!

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

From Chris Wilson:

The apparent conflict of interests within AMA Pro Racing is related to one thing – fear of accountability. If the body of AMA Pro Racing were to come forward publicly with a clear mission, from that moment on they would be accountable for that mission. We, as the racing and race-watching public, would be able to clearly see how and if AMA Pro Racing was indeed “talking the talk” AND “walking the walk.”

I applaud Erik Buell for having the guts to publicly express his opinion. Even after revising his statement, he still offers a pointed insight into how misguided decisions and policies can affect real people in real ways.

My only hope is that AMA Pro Racing will realize that statements like Erik’s represent the feelings and opinions of the very people their organization is intended to support and represent – American motorcycle racing teams and enthusiasts. I understand that it takes funds for an organization to persist, and corporate “sponsorship” is a large portion of those funds. However, the interests of the corporations should not outweigh the interests of the members, or soil the core mission of the organization.

Now, if we only knew what that mission was…



More, from Jim Douglas:

I am a die-hard Beemerphile, former local BMWMOA club pres and the whole thing…and would love to be able to see the Boxer Cup expanded…HOWEVER!!! As an AFM turnworker (and AMA member) and rabid racing fan, I was very disappointed with the AMA’s move to eliminate the Pro Thunder series, and just as the XB9R was really coming on. Now, we have a brand-specific event scheduled for Daytona as what? An exhibition round? (And BMW had made a big deal of this on their German Boxer Cup website!) I think BMW has stepped in it big time. I can understand the desire of BMW NA and AG to get this exposure, but I don’t think they were aware of the politics involved in the elimination of the Pro Thunder class, which they are now apparently a substitute for. I am very dissappointed in BMW and the AMA.


More, from Jim Armstrong:

I would like to take the time to thank you for the article about the AMA’s decision to cancel Pro Thunder racing, and replace it with the BMW Boxer Cup.

I think the AMA has made a huge error in canceling one of the favorite classes in American racing.

I’m going to cancel my AMA membership next year if this situation is allowed to continue.

Thank you also for all of your efforts in trying to shape up the AMA in the past.


More, from Jose Obando:

The AMA is making a big mistake neglecting and abusing road racing, they are making a big push to get their membership to over 300,000, but by alienating the racing fans they are about to acomplish the complete opposite. I for one hope that they come to their senses, otherwise the sport and the road racing fans will suffer for it. Road racing in America may never recover unless a great change in attitude on their part (AMA) takes place.



More, from Dave Blunk of Sport Cycle Pacific:

Regarding Erik Buell’s statement about AMA Pro Racing discontinuing both ProThunder and 250GP due to “staff workload,” I say “Thank you, Erik,” for venting what hundreds, thousands of people must be thinking. Take AMA Pro Racing out behind the barn. Take the current leadership to the Unemployment Office! Take stock of what the racers really want, how to generate enthusiasm and interest to race with AMA again. THAT is what will take road racing to the next level.


More, from Randall Rohrmann:

Just a humble subscriber that wanted to comment on the Erik Buell/loss of Pro-Thunder series.

I first noticed the Pro-Thunder class at Sears Point a few years back. I just happened to be near the starting line when the green flag fell….that was the coolest sensation I can remember at a race. All those V-Twins taking off from the line was just awsome sounding. From that point forward I always looked forward to the

Pro-Thunder races. It was a fun class to watch just as the 250 GP class was. I say “was” since the AMA Pro racing people want to take away both these classes. At Laguna Seca, I really looked forward to all the racing that took place but now there is going to be, what, 3 or 4 races? (not counting WSBK)

I think Erik Buell was correct when he said there will be fewer and fewer people going to the races. I am sure the price will be the same (or more) to get in the gate but there will be less racing going on.

With all the turmoil that ‘Superbike’ racing is going through now I would think that they would want to make going to the races more of an event (i.e.: more racing!)

If there are only going to be 2 or 3 races at Sears Point in the future I may just end up staying home and watching the races on TV (if AMA Pro Racing doesn’t screw that up, too.)

Roadracing World, thanks for the great work.

From a press release issued by Aprilia Racing Press Information:

Noale – 8 November 2002

Aprilia and the 2003 MotoGP

---

Colin Edwards and Aprilia President Ivano Beggio.

---

The spotlights on the four world championship titles conquered by Aprilia in the 2002 MotoGP season are still shining bright. And they are going to shine even brighter as celebrations get underway at Noale over the coming days. The gates of the Scorzè plant and those of the glorious Noale Racing Department and of the record-breaking Research and Development Department will be opened to the public. Forming the backdrop to all this will be the Aprilia riders who have helped achieve these four world titles, the technicians of the Racing Department and all those who have worked so hard in the Noale-based motorcycle company.

But now the time has come to put Aprilia’s technological and sporting commitment for next year in the MotoGP down in writing, and the official announcement, as always, is the task of the President of Aprilia, Ing. Ivano Beggio. “I have always wanted the MotoGP project to go forward, in the hope that it will become a centre of technological and sporting excellence in Aprilia” said the President. “The results of the first year of development work on the bike will act as a launching pad towards greater competitiveness next season. The project has solid foundations and plenty of room for improvement, so it is hardly a surprise that we have decided to double our commitment next year. We are putting great emphasis on the innovation and evolution we are capable of, as well as on the talent of the two riders selected for the 2003 challenge. I urge them and all the technicians to continue to do their utmost so that we can reach some tangible results in the near future”.

Aprilia Racing will thus field an official team with two riders, effectively doubling the company’s effort this year in the big class. The two official RS Cubes will be entrusted to Colin Edwards and Noriyuki Haga – two riders of undisputed talent. Colin Edwards, from Houston, Texas, comes from the Superbike competition, where he became world champion in 1998 and again in 2002, and thus has in-depth knowledge of four-stroke racing bikes. His skill and his precise, clean style of riding will make a decisive contribution to the development and competitiveness of the three-cylinder machine from Noale. Flanking him will be another four-stroke star, the creative and spectacular Noriyuki Haga, who this year flew the Aprilia banner in the Superbike. For Noriyuki Haga, this will be a return to the MotoGP, but this time he will be on Aprilia’s flagship GP bike.

The technical partners who will line up alongside Aprilia in the 2003 Championship have also been nominated. The French tyre manufacturer Michelin will be working with the Noale-based company on the two official RS Cubes. The agreement with the French colossus and with the research and development centre in Clermont Ferrand comes as part of a medium/long-term programme for the Aprilia MotoGP project.

After this initial “running-in” development year, the RS Cube project will continue with a number of innovative technical changes. Work will be carried out in a number of areas, including: settings, power delivery, injection system and constructive evolutions of various components designed to make the bike considerably lighter.

“The data and references we’ve collected this first year are comforting and show that the direction we’re working in is right”, confirms Ing. Jan Witteveen, chief of the Aprilia Racing Department. “So we’ve got to carry on developing every aspect of the project to take it to a higher level of competitiveness. This is why we’ve expanded the Four-Stroke division of the Racing Department, appointing a special workgroup dedicated to the MotoGP.”

The MotoGP sector of the Aprilia Racing Division will be headed by Ing. Gigi Dall’Igna, who will supervise the workgroup and will be in charge of the technical side of the project.

“I’m fully aware of the enormous responsibility this appointment gives me, and I have no illusion as to how clear our objectives are”, says Ing. Dall’Igna. “The MotoGP workgroup has been enlarged still further and, analysing the data we’ve gathered during this first year of competition, I’d say we’ve got good grounds to work on in the future. This is going to be full immersion for all of us: we’ll be developing all the evolutions to be adopted in the RS Cube project. We’ll be getting our first feedback during the forthcoming season of winter tests.”

The first in a long series of sorties on the track is slated to take place in Spain in a couple of weeks’ time.


And now this comment from reader Brandon Watson:
Am I the only one who noticed that the Aprilia press release erroneously has Colin Edwards listed as WSB Champion in 1998? Edwards was 2000 and 2002. You would think Aprilia would know who they are getting. Fogarty was World Champ in 1998. Maybe that’s who they wanted…

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Bob Dragich

Racer and Metzeler-Pirelli Product Specialist Jeff Johnston and his wife Sandy renewed their wedding vows during the WERA Grand National Finals on Sunday, October 27 at Road Atlanta.

The couple was originally married at the GNF 10 years ago almost to the day. Brent Houston, who originally married the couple, officiated this
year, and the couple even had the original witnesses.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Blackhawk Farms Raceway, a nine-turn, 1.95-mile road course located adjacent to South Beloit, Illinois near the state’s border with Wisconsin, is currently being repaved in preparation for the 2003 season.

“We are grinding the entire track down,” Blackhawk Farms track manager/co-owner Ray Irwin, told Roadracingworld.com in a November 6 telephone interview. “The concrete corners are being removed, and we’re overlaying them with two different layers of asphalt completely.

“We’re probably leaving the original asphalt from way back when, actually the stuff that was probably there when we bought the place in 1986. We’re grinding back down to that base, and then we’re using what they call Petro-Mat over the cracks to keep it bound together to minimize, if not eliminate, the cross-track cracks that occur over time due to undulation of the ground, things like that. It will be overlaid, like I said, with two different levels of asphalt.” Irwin said the repaving should help eliminate bumps and that the new top wear layer would be a slag-based compound of asphalt that should provide more grip and durability.

“We started tearing the track up this week,” said Irwin. “We’ll start laying the asphalt down in about 10 days, as soon as we get it cleaned up and ready to go.” The new asphalt will cure all winter and be ready for Blackhawk Farms’ season-opening date April 1, 2003.

Blackhawk Farms officials also intend to improve the paddock roads. “You can imagine that a 1.95-mile track and you take two, two-and-a-half inches off the whole top, you’ve got a lot of grinding,” said Irwin. “Those grindings when they’re re-compacted and rolled back out again have become access roads throughout the whole paddock. We’ve expanded the width of the road on the way in, virtually doubling it in width. We then completed the infield roads throughout the paddock area. So there’s asphalt everywhere instead of the gravel areas that had to be maintained on a continuing basis, especially after rain. So that should be a significant improvement for anybody in any type of racing vehicle or even the street cars coming in and out. So it will not look at all the same as it did the last time people were here. There’s asphalt everywhere.”

Safety improvements were not included in the current round of upgrades at Blackhawk, but according to Irwin, safety has already been improved over the past two years. “We’ve done a significant amount of changes and improvements to (safety) in the last 24 months,” said Irwin. “SCCA came in and mandated some safety issues needed to be addressed to bring it up to general standard. We did those changes last year – additional run-off areas, cleared a lot of brush back, put up tire barriers, stuff like that – to make it a lot safer. And generally whatever is safe for those guys is safe across the board. Bikes may not be as happy with it as say they would be with a 500-foot run-off, but they cannot get to the trees any longer. So that’s a good thing.”

When asked what was next on the agenda for Blackhawk Farms, Irwin said, “We’ve always got plans to do more, but I think this is enough for this year.”

Blackhawk Farms hosts several rounds of the Championship Cup Series (CCS) along with riding schools each year and occasionally serves as a test track for Buell and Harley-Davidson, each less than 100 miles away. In fact, a television commercial featuring Tripp Nobles doing a smiley-face burnout on a Buell, which aired during 2001, was filmed on the front straightaway of Blackhawk Farms. For the record, Nobles said he only needed one shot to produce the smiley-face pattern on the pavement using the spinning rear tire.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Austin Ducati Racing’s Anthony Gobert is wrapping up a three-day rain tire test today at Dunlop’s test facility in Huntsville, Alabama.

Details of the test came from an e-mail from Dunlop National Road Race Manager Jim Allen.

Allen wrote, “Our UK-based Dunlop International MotoGP and WS’Bike colleagues wanted to do a wet tire test to explore some new ideas. Our Huntsville, AL test track has a sprinkler system which allows us to run in the ‘rain’ conditions we choose. There is no available facility in Europe with similar capacity. Fortuitously, our recent agreement with Ducati Austin to use Dunlop again in 2003 and Anthony’s trip to America to meet his team and prepare for the upcoming December Daytona tests, happened to coincide with our need to do this wet test. The team agreed to take part on fairly short notice and since Anthony is one of the best wet riders in the world, we were delighted when he agreed to take part as well. Anthony and our resident staff test rider, Danny Roberts, have tested now for two days and will conclude their tests this evening.”

From an e-mail from Fernando Peris:

Update on Chris’s European adventure……..Chris was granted a Wild Card 125 World GP for Valencia, Spain.

The FIM grants 5 wild cards for every event, in the 125, 250 and MotoGP classes, these wild cards are selected from applicants around the world and are selected on the basis of merit and who knows what else….Chris did not make the first selection and was on the waiting list if anything happened to the 5 selected. Something did happen: one of the wild cards from the 125 class had also asked for a 250 wild card and was granted the 250 wild card, so Chris moved up the ladder and was given a wild card. We found out on the way to Daytona, for the Formula/CCS event.

There was a lot to do and I didn’t really know where to start. I had made contact with a Spanish national team called Team 3 Racing also known as Team Atheltico Madrid, before Chris was asked to do the Canadian National series with Honda Canada. I made contact with them again and they were able to provide a bike for Chris in Valencia. Their rider had also been granted a Wild Card.

We packed up all our gear and off to Valencia we went: Bill, Julio, Ari and myself, Chris, too.
We had a 9.5 hour flight to Germany and then a 2 hour flight to Barcelona and a 1 hour flight to Valencia.

We arrived at the Communitate de Valencia on Wednesday at about 2:00 p.m. and met the team, they were all very nice and very professional. When we arrived there were two frames on the floor and I asked to see Chris’s bike and the team manager pointed to the frame on the ground and said that’s his bike…OK… I guess everything is torn down after every race and rebuilt, kinda scary to see a bike that way.

They asked about Chris’s racing career on 125s and how much experience he had on an Aprilia 125 and I said he had never been on an Aprilia.

Valerio Sbarra (team manager) said in broken english, “this will be very difficult.” In hindsight we should have tried to get a Honda for the race weekend but there just isn’t a lot of people renting bikes for World GP events, so we did the best we could.

They put the bike back together again for Friday morning practice. 30 minutes to practice for a World GP doesn’t seem like much, but the World events are not for learning how to ride. The other riders have been there for many years, or have at least tested before on the tracks.

Just to give you an idea, Chris’s teammate has been riding since he was 3 and has been on 125s since he was 9, and is now 17.

The top racers have all been riding since they were babies, and we think if you start racing at 14 you’ve started young.

Anyway back to the first practice, Chris goes around the track a couple of times and comes in because the front end is chattering under braking, the team’s not sure what the problem is and because of the limited time on the track to test, the best they could do was improve it a little with suspension set-ups.

Chris is still trying to get comfortable on the track and is doing his best with what he has. Chris never complains about the bikes and if they start, he’ll try to ride them.

The qualifying session was a bit of a disappointment for Chris, as he had not qualified on Friday. The team was very supportive, saying, “to be able to qualify on your first time on an Aprilia on a new track with Bridgestone tires for the first time in your life, at a World GP, very few people could do that.” I think they were setting us up for what they felt would be impossible. Chris probably would not qualify.

Saturday practice went worse than Friday, the chattering was still a problem. The faster Chris went on the bike the worse the chattering got and Chris lost the front end and crashed. No damage to speak of, but now Chris has to go into the last qualifier with only 1:20 of track time, pretty hard to believe.

The bike he had was a good national bike but not a World GP bike. The problems he was having are not unusual with a new bike. The difference is that usually you have time to set-up the bike. This was not the case with this event. The head of DORNA Toni Calvo, told me I should have let Chris go to a few National events first and not put him in a World GP first. He was right. This was the only chance we had, after this we had to concentrate on the 600s. I never really believed he would get a Wild Card ride anyway.

The first 20 minutes of the last qualifier on Saturday and Chris still had not qualified. The bike’s top speed down the straightway is down 20 kms an hour. The best times are 229kms and Chris is going down the straights at 202kms…

There’s only 10 minutes left for Chris to qualify. He needs a 1:46.38 to qualify and his best time so far is 1:48. He comes in for a tire change and a pep talk, the team manager says, “Chris this is it, you don’t get 1:46 you don’t race tomorrow, I don’t care what happens to the bike, you (this requires a little visual, he does the hail mary cross from his head down and chest and across from side to side and then he just, twist his wrist and says pray.”

With only 10 minutes remaining I can’t even imagine what Chris is thinking, his bike is still chattering, he knows no other Canadian has qualified for the 125 World GP and he has 10 minutes to make it happen.

The reason I can’t imagine what Chris is thinking is that the 4 of us Bill, Julio, Ari, and me are just sick to our stomachs with tension. I have never felt that tense in my entire life. Did I mention there are about 100,000 people watching?

As you probably know Chris did qualify, on his third lap out after his pep talk. We didn’t care what happened after that, the crew, the managers and all of us reacted like he just won the World GP we were all jumping up and down and Europeans are very emotional. What a relief……………….

On Sunday there was no pressure, Chris had qualified. For those of you who know what that means, how the race ended, would be fine.

Before we went to Valencia, I was told, by very smart and knowledgeable people, if Chris qualifies it’s like he won the race and that’s how I felt.

Sunday practice Chris goes out for 20 minutes, in the last two laps of practice his bike dies at 12,000 rpm and sputters. He come in and they try to fix what they think is the problem, a bad spark plug. The problem is they don’t get a chance to test there diagnosis. It’s now 9:30 a.m. and the race starts at 11:00, they start the bike and it seems fine. Heavy emphases on the seems fine.

Chris puts on his freshly painted helmet, by a buddy, Bert of Concept 5, the helmet has the Canadian flag on the front and the Spanish flag on the back, very COOL.(you gotta look good)

The team starts his bike up and the problem is back, they made last call in the paddock and we’re all freaking out. It looks like Chris will miss the race. The bike will not rev properly, as a result Chris misses the pre grid they get the bike ready for the warm up lap. To bad, no umbrella girls.

Anyway, Chris gets off the line as best he can and after 2 laps has moved up to 35th position from 38th on the grid. The next 7 laps he’s looking really good and has put quite a bit of distance between him and the rider behind him. The next lap would be the last lap he completes at Valencia, unfortunately he crashes when his front end tucks, he restarts the bike but the officials do not let him back on the track. It was very unfortunate because he was fine and so was his bike…….That’s Racing, I guess………………….

What an experience for someone so young, Chris has learnt what the highest level is like, I was overwhelmed by the differences in racing in North America and racing in Europe, if you had told me I wouldn’t have believed it. Chris was asked to go from elementary school to University in 10 minutes.

Take Care,

Fernando Peris