From a press release issued by Honda Racing:

Day three
Isle of Man TT Festival
June 4, 2003.

Anstey Take Junior TT Win – Lougher Second

Molyneux, Hallam the Sidecar Hounours

Kiwi Bruce Anstey powered Triumph to victory in the Junior TT as the British marque made its racing return to the Isle of Man with a factory backed team for the first time in almost three decades.

The 30 year old was a man in a hurry to secure his career second victory on the Island, heading the action throughout the four lap, 150.92 mile race, to finish 11 seconds clear of Honda mounted Ian Lougher chasing him hard every meter of the four laps. Adrian Archibald finished third for Suzuki five seconds down on Lougher.

Anstey sliced an amazing 39 seconds off the race
record time, and though he twice broke the lap record, in his relentless charge, that finally went to Ryan Farquhar whose final lap was completed at an average speed of 122.30mph.

Anstey hit the front immediately, and there was no way he was letting it slip with some brilliant riding on the long, torturous 37.73 mile Mountain Course as he packed the power to end the first lap with a seven second advantage over Ian Lougher, with Jason Griffiths and Adrian Archibald scrapping for third place.

The first lap was fast, Anstey running at an average of 121.10mph, but the second was even quicker as he clocked a flying lap of 18m 35.37s, pushing the record to 121.78mph, to extend his advantage over six times race winner Lougher to nine seconds.

Anstey was hot on the charge as he rejoined after his fuelling halt, pulling further ahead, though Honda CBR600RR rider Lougher was not giving anything away as he hung in determindly, with both of them again bettering the lap record on the final lap, but Farquhar, coming in fourth on his Kawasaki had the edge on them, just.

Shaun Harris, the winner of the 1000 Production race earlier in the week, took fifth, ahead of Yamaha’s Griffiths, but, Jim Moodie coming in ninth, just ahead of John McGuinness put the icing on the cake for Triumph as they secured the manufacturers award.

Triumph’s last previous victory on the Island had been in the ten lap 1975 Production race, won by Dave Croxford and Alex George. Anstey had secured his place in history: “It can’t be bad, can it, giving them victory after all of those years, I can hardly believe it. The bike never missed a beat, it was just perfect. I knew that I could do it practice had gone so well, and I was feeling so confident.”

Lougher had to settle for second best: “Bruce is a good rider, and I have a lot of respect for him on the day I lost the race to a better guy. The conditions were perfect, the best we have had.

“I was working the rear tyre a bit too much so we probably could have done with an odd suspension tweak here and there but at the end of the day I’ve done a 122mph lap so it can’t have been that far out. I found out at my pit stop that it was Bruce leading so I concentrated on catching him. He was faster than me on the run from Glen Helen to Ramsey but I seemed to have the legs on him over the mountain.” Lougher concluded.

Next Honda to finish was Gordon Blackley who took eighth place on his Branson CBR600RR Honda. Blackley was helped with a 120mph lap on his fourth and final circuit.

The fine conditions enjoyed by the Junior field had taken a turn for the worse, with rain falling on parts of the course as the second Sidecar TT of the Festival got underway after a 15 minute delay. It was declared a wet race, but Manxman Dave Molyneux and passenger Craig Hallam opted to go out on slick tyres. “It was hairy out there, we very sideways on,” said Molyneux as he savoured his eighth victory on the Island, with passenger Hallam adding “that was the most dangerous TT I have ever been in it should have cancelled after two laps.”

They took the victory by some 50 seconds ahead of another Manx crew, Nick Crowe and Darren Hope, who in only their second year of riding the TT took the overall sidecar title having finished second in Saturday’s race. The winner’s of the opener pulled out at Kirk Michael at half distance while running third.


Results from Isle of Man TT racing festival

JuniorTT
four laps, 150.92mph
1 Bruce Anstey Triumph 1:15:13.98
2 Ian Lougher Honda 1:15:24.94
3 Adrian Archibald Suzuki 1:15:30.00
4 Ryan Farquhard Kawasaki 1:15:31.15
5 Shaun Harris Suzuki 1:15:48.42
6 Jason Griffiths Yamaha 1:15:54.72
7 Richard Britton Kawasaki 1:16:09.02
8 Gordon Blackley Honda 1:16:28.64
9 Jim Moodie Triumph 1:16:35.90
10 John McGuinnness Triumph 1:16:38.46

Sidecar race “B” TT three laps, 113.19miles
1 David Molyneux/Craig Hallam Honda 1:04:25.17
2 Nick Crowe/Darren Hope Yamaha 1:05:15.67
3 Gregory Lambert/Daniel Sayle Yamaha 1:06:17.31
4 Ben Dixon/ Mark Lambert Yamaha 1:06:37.02
5 Geoff Bell/Jake Beckworth Yamaha 1:06:48.06
6 John Holden/Colin Hardman Yamaha 1:07:15.87
7 Andrew Laidlow/Patrick Farrance Yamaha 1:07:33.42
8 Roy Hanks/Dave Wells Yamaha 1:7:35.35
9 Allan Schofield/Mark Cox Yamaha 1:08:43.27
10 Andy Brown/John Dowling Yamaha 1:09:20.05

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

AMA LAUNCHES RIDESTRAIGHT.COM

PICKERINGTON, OHIO — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has launched a website to support “Ride Straight,” a national campaign to educate motorcyclists about the dangers of drinking and riding.

The new website, www.ridestraight.com, features a wide range of educational and informational resources, as well as links to other motorcycle-safety programs. The site also includes public-service advertisements that can be downloaded for use in print publications.

“The AMA is proud to take the lead in addressing the issue of impaired riding,” said Robert Rasor, President of the American Motorcyclist Association. “We believe that ridestraight.com can be a valuable tool in raising awareness about the risks of combining alcohol and motorcycling.”

In light of statistics showing that 41 percent of the fatally injured motorcycle riders in 2001 had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 g/dl or greater — the legal limit of impairment in many states — last September the AMA announced that it had joined forces with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to produce Ride Straight.

From a press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports:

2003 AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship
Rounds 9 & 10
Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, USA
Event Preview


ROAD AMERICA EXCITES MLADIN

Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, USA –The return to what Mat Mladin calls a ‘proper race track’ could be the inspiration that sees the Australian make a return to the top step on the winners podium when the 2003 AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship heads to Road America in Wisconsin for rounds nine and ten of this year’s championship.

“It’s nice to head back to a race track where there is a bit of length about it,” said Mladin. “Road America is definitely one of my favourite tracks in the championship and one I look forward to coming to, as I do with Brainerd for the following round. They are good flowing tracks, nice length and nice speed.”

The three-times American Superbike champion knows what is required to win at the ultra fast 6.44km (4.00miles) having taken home two trophies from the circuit in 1997 and 2001.

He has the form on the board to add to his win tally at Road America as he has taken his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 to five race wins from eight starts this year, but tyre problems during the other three races while holding down strong track position leaves him lying third on the championship points table, ten points adrift of teammate and current leader Aaron Yates.

“It wasn’t the best weekend for us last weekend, but that’s how it goes sometimes. We’ve just got to keep going. We’ve had eight races so far, I’ve won five of those and the other three we’ve had tyre problems. The appropriate people are looking into those problems now, but at the moment our attention is focused on the coming rounds of the championship.

“As opposed to Pikes Peak, Road America presents itself with different range of characteristics. At Colorado we were loading up the side of the tyre, but this weekend we will be more upright, with longer and faster straights that you’re doing about 300kph (185mph) on and therefore loading the middle of the tyre. I don’t think it will be as much of a problem as with some of the other places we’ve been to this year.”

Mladin and his Yoshimura Suzuki team have worked extremely hard in getting their new GSX-R1000 Superbike up to a level that they are happy with since the model was allowed entry into the championship at the start of the season.

He has shown the potential of the new bike already this season, but knows that there is still sufficient work to be carried out to make it an even better race and championship-winning package.

Qualifying for this weekend’s round begins on Friday, June 6, with the first of the double-header Superbike races being held on Saturday afternoon, with the second 16-lapper scheduled for Sunday afternoon.

Road America – FAST FACTS

Circuit length: 6.44km (4.00miles)
2002 Pole position: Eric Bostrom (Team Kawasaki ZX-7RR) 2:08.510

2002 Results:
Race 1
1. Miguel DuHamel (American Honda RC51)
2. Eric Bostrom (Team Kawasaki ZX-7RR)
3. Aaron Yates (Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R750)

Race 2
1. Miguel DuHamel (American Honda RC51)
2. Nicky Hayden (American Honda RC51)
3. Eric Bostrom (Team Kawasaki ZX-7RR)

2003 AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship (points after 8 of 18 rounds)
1. A Yates 244
3. E Bostrom 239
3. M Mladin 234
4. B Bostrom / K Roberts 221
6. M DuHamel 187
7. L Pegram 162
8. S Higbee 159
9. J Pridmore 150
10. V Haskovec 140.


More, from a press release issued by Eric Bostrom’s publicist:

Before the Pike Peak race weekend, Eric Bostrom needed twelve points to lead the points table in the 2003 Chevy Trucks AMA Superbike Championship. After his strong performance and race victory in Colorado, he now only needs five. But these five points could be the toughest ones to earn, as Eric takes his momentum into this weekend’s round at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI.

“Road America is definitely one of the best tracks that we have in the States. It’s exciting that we’re going there this weekend. Hopefully our bike will have what it takes, because that track not only takes a good handling bike, but a lot of ‘HP’.”

Eric’s race win at Pikes Peak International raceway last weekend was Eric’s first since his exciting defeat of Mat Mladin at VIR (Virginia International Raceway) in the last race of the 2002 season. It also marks the fourth podium this year for the Las Vegas resident. “I had no idea who would win that race, going into it on Sunday. There were six guys that I felt could have been right there with me. Even though that wasn’t the case, it still ended up being a really fun race. I had some awesome moments going into turn one. I’d go in there and the bike would get loose and I’d have these 100 yard drifts!

“And I was pretty pumped on my start. I was just happy to be starting anyway, because I thought that we might not have had a race with the way the weather had been earlier that day, so I was just excited to get on the bike and go racing. I got off to a great launch and it seemed that both Mat and Aaron got pretty poor starts and it left me nowhere to go. I was either going to have to back off or go on the inside down into the paint. I knew that it was going to be icy slick down there, but backing off didn’t seem like an option. I was able to squeeze by them and that really set us on fire for the race. Had it not happened, I think it would have been more of a battle. It made our race easier, but that’s not to say that it was easy. Every lap I had to try and bring my heart rate down on the front straight because I was just working so hard trying to get around for 48 laps while still keeping the tire on the bike. I definitely had to conserve tires every lap of the race!

“There were a few laps in lapped traffic where I had to buzz the thing up to get some drives on some slower riders, but otherwise I was focusing hard to conserve my tires and still put in strong laps. Pikes Peak was definitely more of a ‘ride your ass off kind of race’. In fact, I rode so hard that I made myself sick. My head, eyes, and lungs have hurt since. But I hope to be mended up and strong for this weekend to take advantage of our momentum.”


More, from a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

POINTS LEADER ZEMKE READY FOR HIGH-SPEED ROAD AMERICA

Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (June 4, 2003) — Jake Zemke loves speed and that puts Road America high on the Erion Honda rider’s list of favorite tracks. On Saturday, June 7, Zemke hopes the long straights and sweeping corners of the four-mile Road America course will play into his strengths as the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series hits the mid-way point in the 10-race season.

Consistency has been the hallmark of Zemke’s racing career and this season is no different. A string of podium finishes in the first half of the season has earned the Paso Robles, California, resident the Formula Xtreme Series lead. Last year he tied Jason Pridmore in the final series standings, but lost the title in a tiebreaker – Pridmore won more races.

Zemke is going ahead with the same formula this season and hopes his steadiness pays off this time around. He looks forward to the Road America race, where his best finish came in 2000 when he finished third.

“It the kind track were you can push the bike and slide both ends,” said Zemke, who is trying to get Honda back atop the podium at Road America for the first time since the 2000 season. “The high speeds really suit my style so we’re looking for another good result there. Getting on the podium every weekend is what it takes to win championships.”

Young Yoshimura Suzuki rider Ben Spies also eagerly awaits Road America. The 18-year-old Texan led the championship after dominating the first two rounds. He lost the points lead after a crash at Road Atlanta last month. He’s hoping the power of his factory Suzuki will be the key to victory Saturday. Spies finished fourth in this race last year.

2001 Road America winner Damon Buckmaster comes into this year’s race ranked third. The Aussie veteran is coming off a victory last week at Pikes Peak International Raceway on his Graves Yamaha and will be keen to start a winning streak of his own. “Bucky” could take sole possession of third place on the all-time AMA Formula Xtreme wins list with a victory at Road America.

Defending race winner and series champ, Jason Pridmore is still searching for the combination that brought him the 2002 title. The No. 1 Attack Suzuki rider is all the way down in 12th in the series standings after a poor start to this year’s campaign, but he’s almost certain to crack the top-10 after this week’s race.


Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Series

It doesn’t get much closer on the championship trail than the hotly contested Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Series. Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden leads the series by a single point over Hooters Suzuki rider Vincent Haskovec. Corona Suzuki’s Adam Fergusson is right there as well, only two points out of the series lead. The scouting report on Road America’s Superstock race reads that the more powerful Suzuki GSX-R750 should have an advantage over the Kawasaki ZX636 and Yamaha R6. But that’s what they said about Daytona as well and Hayden earned a well-deserved win in the season opener.

One fact to consider is that Suzuki is enjoying a 10-year winning streak in the Superstock race at Road America. Jason DiSalvo won the race last year on a Suzuki. He’ll be in the field again this year, but this time on a factory Yamaha R6. Kawasaki’s Tony Meiring got a breakthrough win in the series last week in Colorado and he’ll be another rider to watch at Road America.


MBNA 250 Grand Prix Series

Rich Oliver will be better than halfway home to a perfect season if he wins the MBNA 250 Grand Prix Series at Road America. Oliver has won five of five coming into round six of the 11-race series on his Team Oliver Yamaha. He’s earned eight victories at Road America dating back to 1988.

The Northern California native is looking to win back the MBNA 250 Grand Prix title he last held in 1997. Oliver is a stunning 60-points ahead of former teammate Chuck Sorensen after five rounds, meaning it would take major problems in the second half of the season to keep Oliver away from his fifth AMA 250 Grand Prix title. Sorensen is the defending Road America race winner.

For ticket information call (800) 365-RACE or visit www.roadamerica.com. The Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series race from Elkhart Lake will broadcast on Speed Channel, Tuesday, June 24 at 1 p.m. EST.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The new method of splitting AMA Supersport and Superstock qualifying groups, tried for the first time this year at Pikes Peak International Raceway May 30-31, was a big success.

Instead of splitting the Supersport and Superstock qualifiers into two groups sorted by odd and even bike numbers, AMA Pro Racing sorted racers into two groups based on their times from Friday practice, with one group for the fastest half of the field and the other group for the slowest half of the field. The new method was a big hit with racers in the faster group.

“Oh, it was so much better!” said Erion Honda’s Alex Gobert. “You’re out there sort of waiting to run into lappers, but they just never come. You catch up to someone and it’s just another fast guy. I really like the new rules. I think the AMA’s taken a big step.”

“I think it’s great!” said Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden. “I think it’s really good for both people. If I was three or four seconds off the pace…it’s a lot safer for them because they don’t have to worry about looking back, who’s coming, getting run into, getting flipped off and everything else. They can go out there and concentrate on their deal, and the faster guys can concentrate on their deal. All in all, I think it’s safer for everybody.”

“Absolutely! It’s great for a guy that’s towards the back of the pack,” said Dream Team Racing’s Thad Halsmer, one of the top Supersport privateers. “It’s great to have all those guys to pull off of. Every guy that comes past is a guy that’s faster than you. For the fastest guy in the slow group, he kind of gets screwed. He has to spend the whole sessions passing people.”

“I think they’re (riders) happy with being out in the riders who are more similar in performance level,” said AMA Pro Racing’s Ron Barrick. “Slow guys are happy to be out there in their own group as well. Next year we might look at doing that in more classes.”

Barrick also said that AMA Pro Racing planned to continue with the new method of splitting Supersport and Superstock qualifying groups for the remainder of the 2003 season.

The new method was not without its teething problems, however. “I think there was some confusion as to who was in what group,” said Barrick. “So, we’ll probably have to do a better job of informing everybody on how groups are split up.”

Halsmer was one of the confused ones, explaining, “I kind of made the mental leap that the fast group was group one. (The faster group was group two at Pikes Peak.) I actually read the addendums, but I realized three laps into the session that I was in the wrong session. I came in and told the AMA. They said don’t worry about it, go out in the next session.”

Halsmer was allowed to go out in the second, faster group.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

There is a very good chance that the new “Bend” section of track recently added at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin will be used for the AMA U.S. Superbike Championship event this weekend, June 5-8.

Speaking in a telephone interview, Road America Public Relations Manager Cheryl Barnes told Roadracingworld.com that there was “a very good chance” that the new section of track would be used by the AMA.

No one has ridden on the new section of track, according to Barnes, but Formula USA Thunderbike racer Paul James inspected the new layout Monday, June 2. Viewing the track from the spectator areas, James said he envisioned riders exiting the Carousel and braking hard for the new, second-gear left-right section, which is as wide as the original track. According to James, riders will most likely be straight up-and-down at the apex of the Kink.

“I definitely think it is going to be safer,” said James, adding that there may be a chance that a rider crashing at the entrance of the new Bend could come back across the exit of the new chicane. However, James pointed out that a gravel trap sits in the middle of the new chicane and that the original section of track leading to the Kink still remains and could be utilized as an escape road.

James was inspecting the track in his role as Harley-Davidson/Buell Communications Manager for an upcoming press introduction at the four-mile road course. James said that he will use the new section for his press introduction.

In April Barnes stated that it would be up to the sanctioning body, in this case AMA Pro Racing, as to whether or not they use the new Bend section or the original track. Barnes also stated at that time that the course change was designed to bring the road course up to FIM homologation standards.

The first time riders will see the new section will be during promoter practice Thursday, June 5.

The Roadracing World Action Fund has reached $238,372.30 in total road-racing-designated contributions thanks to individuals who not only made tax-deductible donations, but who also pro-actively reached out to the motorcycle community to rally support and interest for improving motorcycle racing safety.

Individuals donated and urged others to do the same; manufacturers pledged profits from product sales; and a motorcycle club sponsored a fundraiser.

Mr.& Mrs. Frederick Bittner contributed $2900, enough for an entire section of Airfence. In an e-mail, Fred pledged to make a lot of phone calls, writing “Like many others, my wife and I continue to find the news about injuries sustained by road racers as a result of contact with unprotected barriers troubling. We therefore decided to make an additional contribution to the Roadracing World Action Fund, and consider it an investment in the future safety of roadracers. I would like to note that I am racing this year, and am very gratified to see that several of the manufacturers and service providers whose goods and services I use also support the Fund. Nevertheless, I would be very proud to be able to say that all the companies and organizations associated with my racing program have contributed to the Fund. To this end, I am in the process of contacting nearly 100 organizations in an effort to encourage them to do just that. Finally, a big thumbs up to all who have contributed and especially to John Ulrich and Roadracing World.” Last year, the Bittners donated $2900 in honor of injured racer Papa Thiam, bringing their total contribution to the Action Fund to $5800.

This year’s Bandit Owners Southern Stampede, the “B.O.S.S. 2003” held May 2-4 at Two Wheels Only motorcycle resort in Suches, Georgia, yielded a $308 donation for the Roadracing World Action Fund. Organizer Pete Cedel rallied support from event attendees who managed to more than double last year’s B.O.S.S. 2002 contribution of $116.

Max McAllister of Traxxion Dynamics contributed $250, the first installment fulfilling a pledge of $5 for each suspension set-up video sold at www.traxxion.com. Others who have pledged product-sales-related contributions include Hi-Side Racing Tire Warmers, (which will donate $25 for every set of Hi-Side Racing tire warmers sold through the end of the year), BBVR Performance Products, (which will donate $25 for each Ontrack portable laser wheel alignment system sold for competition end use), and Kyle Racing, (which will donate $50 for each Ohlins shock or fork sold through June 22, 2003.)

Last year Don Emde contributed $1000 in memory of Cal Rayborn. This year he chose to memorialize fallen racers of the past with a contribution of $500, “In memory of Jarno Saarinen and Renzo Pasolini, who died May 20, 1973.” Emde donated another $500 following Woody Deatherage’s crash at Road Atlanta, at the same time issuing a challenge to others to match his contribution.

Royalty Racing’s Jerry King rose to that challenge and called in with a $500 contribution. Jerry stated that it was something that he always wanted to do, and Don Emde spurred him on to do it. Jerry is an ex-racer, all of his sons have raced, and his son Travis King is currently racing WERA, CCS and some AMA events.

Brian Drebber made a donation of $1000 in memory of his father, Rocky Drebber. Brian stated in a phone call that, like Roadracing World Action Fund founder John Ulrich, he had lost his father recently, and he wanted to make a contribution in his father’s memory.

Other contributions include: Mark Godfrey, $50; Philippe Kostezer, $50; Andrew Kupfer, $20; and an anonymous donation of $20 at California Speedway.

Repeat contributors include Jason Temme, who added $25 to an earlier donation of $100; David Kopfinger, adding $55.05 to $126 for a grand total of $181.05; and Allan Lockheed, adding $200 to last year’s $100 donation.

Roadracing World Action Fund dirt track contributions have stalled at $18,597, with no new contributions since the last post. However, dirt track-designated funds were used for the first time when Airfence was deployed and demonstrated at the Springfield Mile in May. A fresh batch of 11 Airfence modules was delivered there, some of which were actually designated for road race use. The road race modules made the trek from Springfield to Pikes Peak for the AMA races last weekend courtesy of Danny Walker’s SuperCamp, and are now in a trailer being towed by racer Chris Ulrich to Road America.

Summary of New Contributions Recently Posted

Mr. & Mrs. Frederick Bittner $2900
Don Emde $500
Don Emde/In Memory of Jarno Saarinen and Renzo Pasolini $500
Brian Drebber/In Memory of Rocky Drebber $1000
Jerry King $500
Boss ’03 Raffle $308
Traxxion Dynamics $250
Allan Lockheed $200
David Kopfinger $55.05
Philippe Kostezer $50
Mark Godfrey $50
Jason Temme $25
Andrew Kupfer, $20
Anonymous at California Speedway $20

Accounting Details to Date
Road Racing Expenditure Details

Direct purchase of soft barriers: $101,350
Shipping/Customs: $5654.75
Bank Fees: $344.05
Airfence* Deployment Crew Training: $700
Transportation & Installation: $4689.47
Corporation/Business Fees: $592
Online Auction Fees: $221.99
Misc Supplies: $19
Donation to AMA Pro Racing for Airfence: $104,104

Total Spent: $217,675.26

Total Donations Collected $238,372.30
Misc. Income $67.27

Cash on hand: $20,764.31


Dirt Track Expenditure Details

Direct purchase of soft barriers: $15,000
Shipping/Customs: $2717.72

Total Spent: $17,717.72

Total collected: $18,597
Cash on hand: $879.28

All administrative costs, including the percentage taken by credit card companies on credit card donations, have been absorbed by Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

*Trademark of Airfence Safety Systems Australia.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION

From a U.S. Army Captain we know, who will remain anonymous, via e-mail:

Thank goodness it’s June, another tax-free month in beautiful Mosul.

Not too much excitement here in Mosul this past week. Had a couple of attacks down in Fallujah, which is where we were originally supposed to be.

I did have a very rewarding experience, though. Each unit has $25K captured currency from the regime that we must use to do projects that will improve the community. The theory is a series of small victories will help us win over the people. So we provided supplies, AC’s, and other necessities to a school and two orphanages.

The COL is huge on these missions, so when we went to the school the COL helped carry stacks of notebooks and chalkboards into the schools. The local Iraqi men were blown away–they could not believe a COL would actually carry anything or do manual labor.

A man said “In Iraq a COL would never lift anything or ever have to.” To which our COL replied “Yeah, I remember how effective they were last month.” You gotta love a guy like that.

As a thank-you for the help, the orphanage invited 15 of us for a retreat. I was one of the ones lucky enough to go. Believe it or not, it was a Catholic orphanage run by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart. There were 10 female orphans ranging in age from 5-17, and 10 nuns. Half of the nuns spoke some degree of English and all the girls spoke pretty fluent English. Come to find out they have nothing to do with the American order of the Sacred Heart “Go Crusaders!”, rather they are Chaldean Catholics from the biblical land many many moons ago. In this area there are three sects of Catholicism.

During the retreat they discussed with us the history of Christianity in Iraq, which is absolutely fascinating. We retraced the steps of Abraham and Jews through the whole Old Testament. Most of it occurred right where we were standing. Absolutely fascinating! Then we looked at Thomas’ work to spread Christianity through South East Asia and on throughout Asia– again right where we were standing.

Then we examined the political/religious structure of Iraq throughout Saddam’s rule–again fascinating through first-hand accounts.

Then we had lunch: they make a soup than is like egg-drop soup, then falafel (fried beans), then Mosul pizza, then a rice pilaf topped with lamb, snap beans, dorma (the stuffed grape leaves), fruit, and then custard that was out of this world.

We had a mass in their chapel and they insisted it was to be in English–their mass is identical to ours.

The girls insisted that they sing for us, which was amazing. Their songs are almost like Gregorian Chants. Another interesting fact is they do not speak Arabic, rather Aramaic.

At every turn we had tea, which in the Middle East is called Chai. So next time you go to Starbucks and pay five bucks for chai you know where it comes from. They brew it with the leaves in the tea, and sugar at the bottom of the glass. I suggest using floss afterward for the leaves.

All-in-all it was very rewarding experience with a people that were truly grateful we were there.

Other than that. it’s a day-in day-out grind.

Hope all is well back home, and hope to see everyone soon.

From a press release issued by the FIM, which seems to offer more evidence that the intake restrictors now seen in World Superbike are on the way out:

The future of Road Racing World Championships

Evolution of the Grand Prix and Superbike Technical Rules

Following the statement made by FIM President Francesco Zerbi during the Press Conference held in Geneva on May 21 last, the Commissions of the two Road Racing World Championships, Grand Prix and Superbike, will have separate meetings during this month in order to discuss proposals for possible changes in the Rules of the respective Championships in the near future. The main subjects to be discussed concern essentially technical and safety rules. As suggested by the President, some adjustments may be needed concerning the power, high speed and technology of the Grand Prix prototypes in relation to safety aspects, but without holding back the technical evolution. On the other hand, the Superbike machines, derived from the production series, need to be technically more simple and also less expensive, for example following the rules in force in the United States, Japan or Great Britain.

After having received the reports of both meetings, the FIM President will then meet with representatives of MSMA and of both promoters, Dorna and FGSport, in order to study these proposals and take short, medium and long-term decisions. This meeting will be held in Geneva on July 9 next.

From a press release issued by the AMA:

AMA REPORTS THAT “60 MINUTES II” WILL AIR REPORT ON MOTORCYCLE RACING

PICKERINGTON, OHIO — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has learned that the CBS News program “60 Minutes II” is expected to air a report about “extreme motorcycle competition” on Wednesday, June 4 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

As the AMA reported in November, a CBS News producer first contacted the AMA in late September, claiming to be working on a “balanced, fair, and accurate” segment about “the growth, success, and excitement” of AMA Supercross. The AMA cooperated fully, supplying rulebooks and other background information. Tom Lindsay, the AMA’s Public Information Director, had two lengthy telephone conversations with the producer — who admitted to knowing little about the sport — to help him gain a working knowledge of AMA competition. The AMA declined his invitation for an on-camera interview.

Since then, the AMA has learned that “60 Minutes II” has contacted numerous others in the industry, including promoters, publishers and competitors. Sources have told the AMA that these inquiries have focused largely on injuries. The AMA also has become aware of reports that CBS News crews attended a number of events, not all of which were AMA-sanctioned, solely to document accidents and injuries, even videotaping a physician performing surgery on a motocross competitor.

“We hope that reports of the program’s singular focus on injuries turn out to be untrue,” said the AMA’s Lindsay. “Because injuries are a part of any sport, at any level, we recognize that this aspect of motorcycle competition may be addressed in the report, but any mention of injuries would be incomplete without acknowledging AMA Pro Racing’s commitment to safety and the specific steps it has taken in this area.”

“We’re confident that we’ve provided ’60 Minutes II’ with all the information necessary to portray AMA competition accurately,” Lindsay continued, “and we’re comfortable with our decision to decline the producer’s request for an on-camera interview.”

After the “60 Minutes II” report airs, the AMA will post its reaction on its website, www.AMADirectlink.com.

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

DUHAMEL AND GOBERT HOPING FOR BOOST AT ROAD AMERICA

AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (June 3, 2003) — The 2003 AMA Superbike season dawned with great expectations for both Miguel Duhamel and Anthony Gobert. While things haven’t quite worked out as hoped for either rider, on June 6-8 both are hoping to find a mid-season boost at the Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader, rounds nine and 10 of the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship, at the picturesque four-mile Road America course in the resort town of Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Road America is counted among the favorite racing circuits by many of the AMA Chevy Trucks Superbike stars, but it’s Duhamel and Gobert who are most familiar with victory there; the two are tied with the most AMA Superbike wins at the circuit with three apiece.

For Duhamel, the all-time wins leader in AMA Superbike, the season started with great promise after winning the all-important Daytona 200 in March. Duhamel was squarely in contention for his second AMA Superbike Championship until a crash in the Pro Honda Oils Supersport race at Infineon Raceway on May 4 broke Duhamel’s collarbone and caused him to miss a round of the series. The gritty and determined Canadian came back and raced just two weeks later in Braselton, Ga., despite having surgery on the collarbone. Now, only a month after his surgery, Duhamel is coming back to form and could be a serious factor at Road America, where he swept the doubleheader last year. While Duhamel, who is ranked sixth in the series, is considered a long shot at winning this year’s championship, he knows that two wins aboard his factory Honda this weekend could put him right back in the thick of the title chase. Gobert comes to Road America looking to earn his first Superbike win in over a year. The 28-year-old Australian has been let down this year with numerous mechanical problems with his Ducati Austin 998R Superbike. Gobert’s luck might be changing however. He’s earned top-five finishes in two of the last three rounds and led the race early last week in Colorado. Gobert hopes to build on his recent momentum with good results in this weekend’s doubleheader.

“Road America is a classic road racing circuit,” said Gobert, who won at the track in 1998, 1999 and 2001. “It reminds me a lot of the circuits in Europe where I raced World Superbike and GPs. I won two Superbike races at Road America on Ducatis and I think the track suits my style as well as the Ducati’s. For me the championship is no longer a possibility, but I still have a goal of winning some races this season.” Gobert hopes to give Ducati its first AMA Superbike race victory in nearly four years.

While Duhamel and Gobert are looking to Road America to salvage their season, the race for the 2003 AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship coming into this event is the most intense in years. Four riders have won in eight races and a mere 23 points separate the top five riders in the series. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates leads the series by five points over Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom. Mat Mladin finds himself third in the standings after being forced to pit for a tire in last week’s race, which dropped him to a ninth-place finish. The Honda pair of Ben Bostrom and Kurtis Roberts are tied for fourth in the standings. Any of these five riders could easily leave Road America’s doubleheader with the series lead.

If history is any indication look for Ben Bostrom and Kurtis Roberts to move up in the rankings this week. Honda riders have won 10 of the 26 AMA Superbike races held at Road America; nearly double the winning rate of any other brand of motorcycle. Conversely, Eric Bostrom, hot off his win last weekend at Pikes Peak International Raceway, could have his work cut out for him. A Kawasaki-mounted rider has not won at Road America in 13 years.

Mladin joins Duhamel and Gobert as a former winner at Elkhart Lake. The Suzuki ace dominated much of the first half of the season, but tire problems in two of the last three races have put at least a temporary detour in Mladin’s quest of becoming the first four-time AMA Superbike champ. He will be eager to get his season back on track at Road America.

Wisconsin racing fans will have a local hero to cheer for at Road America. Shawn Higbee, of Big Bend, Wis., is having an outstanding season in his return to the series. The veteran racer is a solid eighth in the point standings and is the top-ranked privateer in the championship.

Both Superbike races at Road America will be shown live on Speed Channel, race one at 3 p.m. EST on Saturday, June 7, and race two at 3 p.m. EST, Sunday, June 8. For ticket information call (800) 365-RACE, or visit www.roadamerica.com.

Schedule of Events AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader at Road America – June 6-8, 2003

Thursday, June 5
3:00 – 7:00, Registration: Riders, Crew, Sponsors & Guests
3:00 – 7:00, Tech Inspection

Friday, June 6

7:30 – 4:00, Registration: Riders, Crew, Sponsors & Guests

10:00, Entries Close for all Classes

8:00 – 5:00, Tech Inspection

8:30 – 10:30 Practice:
1. Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship presented by Shoei
2. Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme
3. Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock
4. MBNA 250 Grand Prix

10:40 – 11:40, Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Practice

11:40 – 12:40, Lunch Break

12:00, Mandatory Rider Briefing for All Classes

12:40 – 2:30, Practice (same order as morning session)

2:40 – 3:40, Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Qualifying

3:50 – 4:20, Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Qualifying, Group 1

4:30 – 5:00, Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Qualifying, Group 2

Saturday, June 7

7:30 – 3:00 Registration: Riders, Crew, Sponsors & Guests

8:00 – 5:00 Tech Inspection

8:00 – 9:30 Practice:
1. Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship presented by Shoei
2. Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme
3. Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock
4. MBNA 250 Grand Prix

9:40 – 10:40 Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Qualifying

10:50 – 11:10 Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport presented by Shoei Qualifying, Group 1

11:20 – 11:40 Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport presented by Shoei Qualifying, Group 2

11:40 – 12:40 Lunch Break

12:40 – 1:00 Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Practice

1:10 – 1:45 Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Qualifying

2:00 Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Race 1 (100K – 16 laps)

MBNA 250 Grand Prix Qualifying, 20 Minute Session

Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Race (60k – 10 laps)

Sunday, June 8
8:30 – 12:00 Registration: Crew, Sponsors & Guests
9:00 Tech Inspection Opens

9:00 – 11:00 Practice:
1. Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport presented by Shoei
2. MBNA 250 Grand Prix
3. Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme
4. Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike

11:00 Lunch Break
11:20 Nondenominational Chapel Service

12:00 FINAL EVENTS:
Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship presented by Shoei Race (60k – 10 laps)

MBNA 250 Grand Prix (60k – 10 laps)

2:00, Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Race 2 (100k – 16 laps)

3:00, Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme
(60k – 10 laps)


From another press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

HACKING LOOKING TO EXTEND POINTS LEAD AT ROAD AMERICA

Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship presented by Shoei

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (June 3, 2003) — Yamaha’s Jamie Hacking could join an elite club of riders this Sunday, June 8, in the Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport presented by Shoei race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisc. Miguel Duhamel, Doug Polen and Aaron Yates are the only three riders in the history of the series to win multiple AMA Supersport races in Elkhart Lake. This weekend Hacking hopes to join that club. The 1999 Road America Supersport winner comes to Elkhart Lake with the series lead, three race wins to his credit, and is determined to earn his first AMA Championship.

There have been three winners in this year’s Pro Honda Oils Supersport series, but Hacking is the only rider to have more than a single victory and as a result he’s leading the series. Hacking is the leading man in blue with Yamaha’s domination of the series standings. His teammates Damon Buckmaster, Aaron Gobert and Jason DiSalvo are ranked second, third and fourth respectively. The first non-Yamaha rider is Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden, who is fifth in the series standings coming into Elkhart Lake. The points chase is close at mid-season with the top six riders essentially within a race win of each other in the championship standings.

Hacking comes into this Sunday’s race with the reassurance of being the most successful Supersport rider at Road America in recent years. Over the last four outings in Elkhart Lake, Hacking has earned three podium finishes including his 1999 victory, which came on a Yamaha – the maker’s last victory at the well-known track. “Elkhart Lake has been a good track for me,” said 31-year-old Hacking, who is in his seventh year of AMA professional racing. “It’s one of those places that the draft comes into play on the long straights, but there are enough technical parts of the track to separate the riders who really have their bike set-up well. I predict a good race with a bunch of Yamahas up front again.”

Hacking is referring to the race last week at Pikes Peak where the top four Supersport finishers were riding Yamahas. The last time a single brand took the top four spots in the ultra-competitive Supersport series was in October of 1997, when Suzuki riders took the top four spots in Las Vegas.

Damon Buckmaster shared a brief lead in the championship points with Hacking, but dropped 10 points adrift after finishing fourth at Pikes Peak International Raceway last Sunday. Buckmaster is a former Formula Xtreme winner at Road America so he has the know how to win at the high-speed circuit. He was runner-up to Aaron Yates in last year’s Supersport race.

Aaron Gobert continues his strong comeback from injuries that kept him out of most of the 2002 season. He comes into this race ranked a close third in the series. The middle of the three racing Gobert brothers, Aaron, will make only his second appearance in a Supersport race at Road America. The Aussie finished eighth there in 2001.

Another rider to watch at Road America is Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden. The eldest of the three racing Hayden brothers, Tommy has four-straight top-five Supersport finishes at Road America under his belt, so he obviously has the experience to be a major contender at the Wisconsin circuit.

Suzuki is riding a two-year Supersport winning streak at Road America with rider Aaron Yates. Yates is not competing in the Supersport this year, instead concentrating on Superbike where he leads that championship. Stepping ably into his shoes is young Texan Ben Spies, who won the Supersport race at Road Atlanta and is looking to take home his second victory of the season.

The all-time leading AMA Supersport rider is Miguel Duhamel. With five Road America Supersport wins dating back to 1991, Duhamel leads that category as well. It’s not known if Duhamel will race Supersport at Road America. The well-liked veteran broke his collarbone in a Supersport racing accident a month ago in Sonoma, Calif., and has been concentrating his efforts in the Superbike series. If he elects to ride his factory Honda at Road America he will certainly be a top contender.

Doug Chandler is another former Supersport winner at Road America. Chandler would love to break through with a victory this Sunday. Chandlers’ best finish so far this season on the No Limit Honda is sixth at Fontana, Calif., in April. He is ranked ninth coming into this race.

For ticket information call (800) 365-RACE or visit www.roadamerica.com. The Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship race from Elkhart Lake will broadcast live at 1 p.m. EST on Sunday, June 8.