From a press release:

BRP NAMED U.S. IMPORTER OF CHAMPION EQUIPMENT

Champion Equipment, the leader in high quality Pit Equipment from the European market, is now available in the U.S. through BRP. Champion Equipment makes innovative and affordable bike stands, spools, stand accessories, pit boards, and work benches.

At the forefront of the Champion Equipment line-up is the Rear Clam Stand. This unique and versatile rear stand is collapsible for ease of storage/transportation. Its innovative design allow for an adjustable lift height and lockable fork spacing. The handle is conveniently placed to one side for clearance of the numberplate. Additional support is given when the handle is slid through. With a removable handle the stand does not protrude past the rear of the bike. Four sturdy wheels and its “TUNNEL” shaped footprint reduces rocking. Each Rear Clam Stand comes with a choice of forks or rubberized cups.

For additional information on Champion Pit Equipment or a dealer package call BRP toll free at 866.462.7770 or visit www.fastbikes.us.

From a press release issued by E. Bruce Lyskawa Sr.:

Bruce Group Racing/Bruce Transportation Group team (the school bus guys), announced the signing of rider Marty Craggill of Werribee South, Victoria, Australia to contest the AMA 600cc Supersport and the Formula Xtreme Series for the 2003 season. Marty Craggill filled in during the 2002 season for the injured Josh Hayes and had stellar results with one win in the Formula Xtreme Series despite riding the U.S. tracks for the first time. He also won the 1997 and 1998 Australia Superbike Series as well as finished 5th in the 1998 Suzuka 8-hour race.

Bruce Group Racing/Bruce Transportation Group is a privateer team with some limited Honda support. In the initial three years of racing, Bruce Group Racing has achieved significant successes. The 2002 race year culiminated in a tie for the Formula Xtreme Championship and was only lost in the tie-breaker.

Team Owner, Bruce Lyskawa, said, “It is exciting to sign on a rider of Marty’s credentials. We have been very successful at putting cutting edge Honda equipment under brake-thru (sic) riders. Marty’s signing with his experience represents a step up in our program. We feel this partnership will result in our becoming a force in both the 600 and Formula Xtreme classes. This will also help us develop equipment for a possible entry into the Superbike series in 2004.”

Joey Osowski, BGR crew chief, Trevor Wyder, R&D consultant for Xtreme bikes, and Jamie Briun, 600 R&D consultant all participated in the rider analysis and final decision. Trevor said, “Marty is a dream rider to be working with. His maturity and experience will provide the feedback to allow Jamie and I to dial in our new Honda 600s and further develop the Honda 954s.” Joey Osowski commented, “We ended last season with the hottest 600 and 900 bikes on the grid. Although we were the underdogs with limited resources available, we believe we have now leveled the playing field with the factory teams in 2003.”

From a press release issued by BCM – Project Monza:

BCM/Project Monza Ducati racer Bill St. John made an early exit from the last WERA Heavyweight Twins National of the season, crashing out of the lead in T-7. “We had put all the pieces together to give Batey a run yesterday. The Pirelli 16.5″ slicks and the step 2 BCM motor we got in on Friday were amazing. I came through seven and had an instantaneous snap highside. It felt like I hit oil. The first hint of everything not going to plan was when my head hit the track.”

St. John suffered a broken collarbone in the incident.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

A round of the BMW Boxer Cup will replace the moved-to-WERA AMA Pro Thunder class at Daytona next March.

The all-BMW race will take Pro Thunder’s place in the Daytona schedule, with the Final run on Sunday prior to the start of the Daytona 200.

The addition of the class to the Daytona program seems to contradict two arguments for eliminating Pro Thunder from the AMA Pro Racing line-up:

1. Reducing the number of classes will improve AMA operations by allowing staffers to do less, better.

2. Reducing the number of classes will increase the amount of practice time available to riders in the remaining classes.

The BMW Boxer Cup is an international series typically held as a support race during MotoGP weekends.

BMW hopes to have more U.S. rounds of the series in the future.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

This just in, via e-mail:

Will the AMA officiate the BMW class at Daytona? I thought as you mentioned online that they were already overwhelmed with all the classes they had. Must have been taking their vitamins over the winter!

Maybe when they eliminate 250 in 2004 we can talk some of the tracks into having a 250 race anyway! Or am I just being sarcastic?

When the AMA gets down to just 4 classes or so, they could have BMWs, go carts, a stunt show, jump contest, track ride, race of the legends, and a fly-over by a stealth bomber squadron that drops paratroopers onto the front straightaway.

You know, since they have so much less to do now.

Thanks,

Rich Oliver

From a press release:

RS Taichi is currently accepting racer resumes for the 2003 racing season. Resumes can be sent to RS Taichi USA, attn. Racer Support Program, 2531 W. 237th St. Suite 109, Torrance, CA 90505.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Buster Roberts, father of three-time 500cc World Champion Kenny Leroy Roberts and grandfather of 2000 500cc World Champion Kenny Lee Roberts and 2000 AMA Formula Xtreme and 600cc Supersport Champion Kurtis Roberts, died Sunday night in a Modesto, California hospital, from complications related to lung cancer.

Buster Roberts was 82.

Funeral services are pending.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Michael Hannas

A record number of Alpina and Air Fence soft barrier sections are being used at Road Atlanta for the WERA Grand National Finals and Suzuki Cup Finals. Thanks to a collaboration coordinated by Alpina’s Dan Lance and involving WERA, AMA Pro Racing, Formula USA and the Roadracing World Action Fund, WERA GNF and Suzuki Cup competitors are better protected than any racers to ever take to the track at Road Atlanta, including AMA Pro competitors.

With WERA directly contracting Lance to supply 20 rental sections of Alpina Air Module, AMA Pro Racing bringing 30 Air Fence and Alpina Air Module sections, and the Roadracing World Action Fund paying for the transport and set-up of 18 additional Air Fence sections used by Clear Channel Entertainment’s Formula USA and CCS series in 2002, there are 68 pieces of Air Fence and Alpina Air Module available for use at Road Atlanta. There are so many sections, in fact, that all the available pieces are not in use, with each party keeping a few pieces in reserve to replace any crash-damaged sections.

The Roadracing World Action Fund originally contributed $104,000 toward the purchase and deployment of soft barriers used by AMA Pro Racing, and originally contributed $40,000 for the soft barrier sections used by F-USA.

According to Lance, approximately 48 of the 68 available sections are being used currently at Road Atlanta. For comparison, there were 30 pieces available and in use during the Big Kahuna AMA National in May, according to AMA Pro Racing’s Hugh Fleming.

Both WERA and Suzuki Cup officials were excited to have the cooperation of all three sanctioning bodies in the project. WERA President Evelyne Clarke commented, “I think it’s great, we’re providing the best coverage we can, and that makes me feel really good.”

American Suzuki’s Pat Alexander was also pleased with the amount of protection offered to the Suzuki Cup Final participants, saying “It’s the best thing we can have. If we can protect those guys on the track at all times, the more fence the better. I just hope it carries on further down the road and everyone sees this.”

Many people were surprised to see all the parties working together on the deployment. AMA Pro Racing’s Hugh Fleming brought the most sections of Air Fence and Alpina Air Module–30–but sounded a cautionary note regarding possible future cooperation. “We are working together, it’s a joint effort, we’ve worked together very well,” said Fleming. “I don’t know if we will have the opportunity to do it again. Generally I’m at AMA races, so it’d have to be when AMA’s not racing, I can’t think of any other opportunities. I would suspect we’ll come back here next year because of the AMA/WERA affiliation.”

Lance seemed to hope that the cooperation could continue. Said Lance, “It’s great to see everyone working together for the riders, it’s what American road racing needs, to have the major sanctioning bodies come together in a safety effort.”

Contacted by phone Saturday, Roadracing World Action Fund founder and former WERA Champion John Ulrich said he was happy to contribute to the safety effort for GNF competitors. “Our goal has always been to provide air barrier protection for all riders, and this goes to show that it isn’t just for AMA Pro riders,” said Ulrich from his home in California. “We’re doing everything we can to educate people on the effectiveness of air barriers as opposed to haybales or tire walls or bare walls in preventing rider injuries.”

The Roadracing World Action Fund also paid for deployment of Lance’s rental fleet at Daytona for the F-USA/CCS Race of Champions last weekend, doubling the number of available soft barriers.

Alpina Air Modules were on display for public inspection at Daytona and are also on display at Road Atlanta as part of an educational program run by the Roadracing World Action Fund.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Former factory Superbike racer Mike Smith and former HMC Ducati crew chief and team manager Mark Sutton plan to build an AMA Superbike/Formula Xtreme Ducati for the 2003 season.

Speaking at Road Atlanta October 26, Sutton said, “We’re trying to put together a Formula Xtreme team with a Ducati 998. It would have to have the generator and electric starter, but we would build it to also be legal in Superbike. The team is called Moto Britalia/Ducshop Racing right now, but the sponsorship we’re looking for would carry naming rights.

“We’re looking for sponsorship to make the team happen right now. We have people who will be there to help us, but to do it right, we need more sponsorship. We could get most of the old HMC guys for the team. Richard Boyd, the fabricator and chassis guy, is ready to come over.

“Mike will be the only rider unless some one wants to come on as a support rider, like where they pay us to run their team and they fly in to ride at the races.”

Sutton is at Road Atlanta working with Smith, who is racing in the GSX-R600, GSX-R750 and GSX-R1000 Suzuki Cup Finals.

Sutton and Smith teamed up in 2000 to win five of nine AMA Pro Thunder races on a Ducshop Ducati 748 and finished second in the Championship behind Jeff Nash..