Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

American Suzuki’s Morgan Broadhead turns 32 today.

Broadhead is at Road Atlanta administering the Suzuki Cup Finals.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Michael Hannas

Former WSMC 125cc GP Champion Kevin Murray has returned to racing after suffering life-threatening injuries during a dirt bike accident almost a year and a half ago. Murray raced his Yamaha TZ125 in the WERA 125cc Grand Prix final Saturday at Road Atlanta, marking his first race back since his injury. Murray finished 13th in the race, one lap behind winner Brian Kcraget, but had a good time in his return to racing.

“I just wanted to drive home on I-20 West without a crashed bike!” said Murray. “I felt pretty good out there, my balance is still a little messed up, so I just took it real easy. I was doing a little R&D, tried a longer rod which worked out really well; the thing was like a four-stroke Single it was so torquey. I was just really timid out there. My goal was to survive. I mean, I was on life support 16 months ago, which was actually like a vacation. I didn’t even have to breathe. This is more work, but it’s also more fun.”

Murray wasn’t specific about his future plans, but did say he was planning on getting another 250 sometime soon. He definitely still plans on racing though, saying “Yeah, you know me, I’ll probably be racing 125s till I’m 120 years old!”

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Mike Smith, John Haner, Tray Batey and Bradley Champion won Suzuki Cup qualifying heat races Saturday at Road Atlanta.

The GSX-R600 heat race featured a six-rider drafting war for the lead involving Marietta Motorsports’ Smith, John Jacobi, Robert Jensen, Vincent Haskovec, Jeff Tigert and Brian Stokes. Smith came from the fourth row of the grid to take the checkered flag a fraction of a second ahead of Haskovec, Factory Pro’s Tigert, Stokes, Jensen and Jacobi. Shan Ball, Danny Eslick from row 12, Chris “Opie” Caylor from row 15 and Scott Harwell rounded out the top 10.

SGI’s Haskovec will start Sunday’s 10-lap GSX-R600 final from pole position, because he was the highest-finishing regional points leader.

Smith, Haskovec, Batey, Haner and Stokes battled flag-to-flag in the GSX-R750 heat. Haner and Batey diced for the lead early in the six-lap sprint allowing Smith to catch up from the seventh row of the grid. Smith took the lead on the white-flag lap with four pursuers in his draft. On the final lap Haskovec caught a double draft down the back straightaway and passed Batey and Haner for second. Going for the trifecta, Haskovec tried to outbrake Smith at the end of the back straight but ran wide into the chicane. Smith got away cleanly to take the win while Batey, Haskovec and Haner exited the chicane three-wide. Haner nearly highsided coming up the hill leaving 42-year-old Batey and Haskovec to decide second. Haskovec held the inside line and was able to beat Batey through the final corner and to the checkered flag by a wheel. Batey took third ahead of Haner, Stokes, Jensen, Harwell, Caylor, Shawn Conrad and Scott Carpenter.

After the race, Haskovec’s GSX-R750 went over the 135.0-horsepower limit. Haskovec will start from the back of the grid. Haner will start Sunday’s 10-lap GSX-R750 final from pole position based on being the highest-finishing regional points leader.

Roadracingworld.com’s Haner got his moment in the sun when he ran Smith down from behind to take the GSX-R1000 heat race win. Smith held on for a close second with Haskovec third; Mark Junge was fourth with Geoff May, Caylor, Jensen, Harwell, Fritz Kling and Carpenter filling the top 10 slots.

By virtue of being the highest-finishing regional point leader, Junge will start the 10-lap GSX-R1000 Cup final from pole position.

Early in the afternoon race program Vesrah Suzuki’s Batey, the defending TL1000R Suzuki Cup Champion, ran away with the TL1000R heat race win. Lapping as fast as 1:30.2, Batey won by 11 seconds over Shawn Stinnett, Scott Brown, Fred Farzanegan, Tim Brewer, Russell Masecar and Doug Glass in the seven-entry TL1000R class.

Batey will start Sunday’s 10-lap TL1000R Cup Final from pole position.

The battle for the Suzuki SV650 qualifier win whittled down to five riders by lap four of six with Chris Normand, John Linder, Greg Harrison, David Yaakov and Champion in the lead group. MB Motorsports/Richmond Suzuki’s Champion tooek the lead on lap four of six and went on to win by 0.94-second. Yaakov took second while Harrison snuck under Linder in the final corner for third. Normand finished fifth with Brian Suffridge, Stinnett, Kyle Ray, Bernie Huntt and Bradley Duncan not far behind.

Champion will start from pole position for Sunday’s 10-lap SV650 Cup Final.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Retired AMA and World Superbike Champion Scott Russell wants to make a professonal racing comeback with HMC Ducati, and says he wants to start his comeback with a win at Daytona before heading to Europe to contest the Superbike World Championship.

“It’s all up in the air right now,” Russell said Saturday at Road Atlanta. “We want to go racing. I’ve got some hurdles to jump over and hoops to jump through. So we’ll see what happens, legally.”

Russell did not want to discuss the specifics of the legal hurdles, thought to be settlement of a total disability insurance payout he received after he was badly injured in a starting-grid incident at the 2001 Daytona 200. Instead, Russell quickly changed the topic to say, “Money for sponsorship is what we’re looking for, for the team.”

Russell recently returned from two test sessions, one at the Pannonia Ring in Hungary and another at Mugello in Italy, where he rode Doug Chandler’s 2002 Ducati 998RS. “I tested the bike twice in Europe, and I love it. I still can go fast. I want to go win Daytona again.

“I’m 90 percent (physically). By Daytona, I’ll be 110, and I’m good mentally. I’m back. I wasn’t done anyway, you know. It was a bullshit deal what happened to me (in the Daytona starting grid crash). It was my fault, and I won’t make that mistake again.

“It could be a bit easier (to find sponsorship in Europe),” said Russell when asked about the decision to possibly race in World Superbike. “AMA is what it is. Of course, the World Championship is a lot more important to a lot of people. So we’re working on either or. It’s up in the air. Hopefully, we’ll do a little bit of both – most of the World Superbike and then Daytona and some in between.

“I don’t have a relationship with Ducati, personally, because I never got started with one. I would think, right now, we’re not looking to get too much help from them. We got what we got, and we’re going to have to buy what we need.”

Russell is at Road Atlanta to race in a SuperTT event during the WERA Grand National Finals weekend and is “just hanging out, having a good time.” Russell rode a Honda XR100 and a 660cc KTM LC4 SuperMotard bike on Maxxis tires Saturday on a course laid out in the AMA paddock inside the Road Atlanta road course.

“I’ve ridden a lot of different stuff,” said Russell. “I’ve been interested in riding this bike (KTM), and luckily they got one for me to ride. So we’ll see what it’s like. It should be good.”

Other road racers competing in the SuperTT event at Road Atlanta include Mike Smith, Kevin Schwantz and Brian Gibbs. 2002 AMA Supersport Champion Aaron Yates was expected to show up to race, but he hadn’t been seen at post time.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Fastest Lap Times From Saturday’s Suzuki Cup Heat Races At Road Atlanta:

SV650: Bradley Champion 1:36.187

TL1000: Tray Batey 1:30.936

GSX-R1000: Vincent Haskovec 1:26.982

GSX-R750: Mike Smith 1:27.088

GSX-R600: Vincent Haskovec 1:29.512

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

No Limits Motorsports owner Ben Curtis called Roadracingworld.com Friday to report that his team has signed Doug Chandler to compete in AMA Formula Xtreme and 600cc Supersport in 2003.

Chandler will team with Jason Curtis on Honda CBR954RR and CBR600RR-based racebikes.

Chandler and Jason Curtis are testing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway today in conjunction with Freddie Spencer’s school, and Jason Curtis was on-track with instructor Jeff Haney as Ben Curtis spoke with us on his cell phone.

John Asher, who worked with Damon Buckmaster at Graves Yamaha last season, has been hired as Crew Chief; mechanics include Pancho Rangel (who formerly worked with Bruce Transportation) and Dave Pressler (who formerly worked with Erion Racing).

“It’s really exciting for us,” said Ben Curtis of signing Chandler. “We hope it will bring some credibility to our program and hopefully bring some good results.”

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

This just in via e-mail from Kerry McCammon,
Director of Marketing, Ducati North America–

In response to the article “The Man Who Wouldn’t Take No” (Roadracing World, November 2002), Ducati would like to offer the following response:

“Ducati North America is committed to providing the highest level of customer service and satisfaction for all Ducati owners. Our products are regarded world wide for the their innovation, performance and reliability. We strongly encourage any customer who feels they have a warranty issue to work directly with their local authorized Ducati dealer.”

From a press release issued by Ducati:

HODGSON AND XAUS TO SPEARHEAD DUCATI CORSE’S WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP ATTACK IN 2003

Ducati Corse has announced today that Spanish rider Ruben Xaus will line up alongside Neil Hodgson in the factory team to take part in the 2003 World Superbike Championship with the brand-new Ducati 999 Testastretta.

Paolo Ciabatti, responsible for Ducati Corse’s Superbike Programme, also confirmed that Davide Tardozzi will be in charge of the sporting direction of the factory team, with technical direction in the hands of Ernesto Marinelli.

Xaus, born in Barcelona 24 years ago and resident in the Principality of Andorra, has finished sixth in the World Superbike Championship with a Ducati in the past two seasons. In 2002 the Spanish rider finished on the podium ten times (twice second and eight times third) with a total of 249 points. Ruben has already tested the new 999, during one of the bike’s early shakedown sessions in September.

“I’m really happy to be able to continue to ride for Ducati” declared Ruben Xaus, “and I hope I can continue to get the best possible results for the team. It feels strange because although I’m only 24, I feel like one of the oldest guys around in Ducati, this is my fourth year with them. The new bike looks and feels great and I can’t wait to put it through some serious testing out on the track”.

Neil Hodgson, who was confirmed as 2003 factory rider in June, finished third overall in the 2002 WSBK championship on a HM Plant Ducati 998 with 326 points, stepping onto the podium nine times (2 seconds, 7 thirds). Neil becomes a Ducati factory rider for the second time in his career after a two-year spell with the Italian team in 1996 and 1997.

“I’m over the moon about my factory Ducati ride” commented Neil, “it’s like a dream come true. I’m also pleased because it is a sort of reward for all the hard work I’ve put in with GSE over the past few seasons. Everything feels really positive at the moment and I expect to be right up there at the front at the end of next year’s championship”.

Neil, born in Burnley 28 years ago and a resident of the Isle of Man, has already tested his new 2003 Ducati at Mugello at the start of October, and at Valencia this week, when he recorded encouraging times on the Michelin-shod 999.

The 2003 season will be the first time since 1994 that Ducati has competed with a totally new motorbike in the World Superbike Championship. The previous model, the 916, which was introduced in 1994, has been incredibly successful and the various evolutions over the years to keep it competitive have enabled Ducati to win 8 Constructors’ titles. The 916 won in 1994, 1995 and 1996, the 996 in 1998, 1999 and 2000 and the 998 Testastretta won the 2001 and 2002 world championships. The new Ducati 999 unites a radical new design with the successful, race-proven Testastretta engine and this combination of the new bike plus two exciting and experienced riders promises to set the 2003 WSBK season alight.