From a press release issued by Octagon Motorsports:

2003 FIM World Endurance Championship Schedule

4/6 tba

5/25 Assen, Holland, 200 miles

6/28-29 Albacete, Spain, 12-hour

7/20 A-1Ring, Austria, 6-hour

8/3 Suzuka, Japan, 8-hour

8/23-24 Oschersleben, Germany, 24-hour

10/5 Vallelunga, Italy, 200 miles

From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI CORSE CONCLUDES POSITIVE TWO-DAY TEST SESSION AT VALENCIA

DESMOSEDICI SET TO MAKE FIRST APPEARANCE IN PUBLIC WITH DEMO LAPS AT VALENCIA MOTOGP WEEKEND

Two weeks after their last session, Ducati factory riders Troy Bayliss and Neil Hodgson, together with tester Vittoriano Guareschi, are again hard at work developing the two Ducati bikes that will take part in next year’s MotoGP and World Superbike championships. After a series of ‘shakedown’ tests at Mugello during the summer, Ducati Corse’s development programme continued yesterday and today, for the first time away from Italy, at the Valencia track in Spain. The Ricardo Tormo Circuit is ideal for track development not only due to the favourable climatic conditions in this period, but also due to the fact that it is the regular venue for rounds of both championships, thus offering considerable assistance to team engineers.

Troy Bayliss spent two more days getting to grips with the new Ducati Desmosedici prototype, with which the Australian rider will tackle his first MotoGP season next year. Troy concentrated mainly on settings, front tyres and bike set-up, and the 34 laps yesterday (due to gusty wind conditions) and 84 today allowed the 2001 Superbike champion to dial in to the greater power and carbon brakes of the Desmosedici.

“We’ve done a really good job these past two days” declared Troy. “The conditions of the track weren’t so good but today in particular we got a lot of work done. We’ve made a lot more progress since Mugello and I’m feeling better every time I step on the bike. There are a lot more things to do, but we’re getting there”.

Meanwhile Guareschi, who focussed on component testing, in particular different cooling solutions and new Shell Advance lubricants, specifically studied for high-revving engines, also completed a 30-lap ‘non-stop’ race simulation with the second Desmosedici.

Neil Hodgson, on his second time out with the 999 Superbike, continued his learning curve with a completely new bike. The 999 has been slightly modified since the previous outing at Mugello to improve overall comfort for the British rider, who now feels more at ease with the set-up, the suspension and the Michelin tyres. After yesterday’s 57 laps and today’s 86, Hodgson commented: “Today in particular I did a lot of laps to get a better feeling with the bike and it’s good to see that we are going in the right direction; the bike is getting easier to ride and everything I asked for after Mugello to improve my position on the bike has been done”.

The Ducati Corse testing programme will be continuing virtually non-stop in the next few weeks, with the next appointment scheduled for Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 November, again at the Valencia track.

Before the next test the Desmosedici will make its first appearance in public during the weekend of the GP Marlboro de la Comunitat Valenciana, the final round of this year’s MotoGP championship. Troy Bayliss will make several demo laps during the morning of Sunday 3 November before the start of the 125 race.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Pirelli tire technicians tested new 16.5-inch front and rear slicks with racers Geoff May, Mark Junge, Tray Batey and Bill St. John during practice for the WERA Grand National Finals Wednesday at Road Atlanta.

“We think we have DOTs we can win with at the factory level,” said Pirelli North America Racing Manager Rich Munson. “(Arclight Suzuki’s) Lee Acree and Craig Connell, I think, proved that this year. Now we want to prove that with our 16.5 slicks. We want to get our feet wet with a couple of teams to optimize the tires for the American tracks and create a database. We know they work in Europe; we’ve been testing there for the past two years.

“Basically, this is a pre-test to get familiar with the 16.5s. We’re testing different compounds and constructions with our riders that have 16.5-inch wheels to get ready for the 2003 AMA and Formula USA seasons. We want to push into AMA Superbike, Formula Xtreme and Formula USA’s new 600cc Superbike class next year. Geoff May will ride on the 16.5s next year.”

Munson also pointed out that Arclight Suzuki’s Dave Stanton won the AFM Championship using 16.5-inch Pirelli slicks on his GSX-R1000 for the second half of the 2002 season.

“I really like them,” said BCM/Project Monza’s Bill St. John of the 16.5-inch Pirelli slicks he tested Wednesday on his Ducati 998 Superbike. “I only did 10 laps, but I really like them. They make the bike steer better and drive out of the corners a lot better. That was a strong point of the 17-inch Pirellis all year, but these are even better.”

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

EMGO USA’s AMA Superstock rider Chris “Opie” Caylor survived a high-speed impact with a deer and resulting crash while instructing in a Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School Tuesday at Road Atlanta.

“I had just passed a student on the outside of turn three, the left-hander, and was going down into turn four, the right-hand turn where Rich Oliver crashed his Superbike a few years back. I was in fourth gear and had just flicked back to the right when I saw a deer’s head pop up. I didn’t know if he was just sitting there or what, but as I came around the bend, he sprinted right into my path,” Caylor told Roadracingworld.com.

“I T-boned it, the deer, cut it in half. The hind quarters were laying on the track, the front half was over in the grass by me. I went into the haybales and the wall on rider’s left covered in blood. I’m okay, but I pretty much destroyed the bike.”

Caylor was riding a Suzuki GSX-R750 belonging to the Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School. Caylor’s bike was equipped with an on-board video camera used to record students riding, and Caylor said the video footage shows the impact clearly.

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet to be staged by leading production company PGI

AMA Pro Racing has signed PGI, one of the country’s leading event production companies, to produce this year’s AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet on Saturday evening, Nov. 23, at the Venetian Resort Hotel Las Vegas — home of the Guggenheim Museum’s “Art of the Motorcycle” exhibit. In addition, AMA Pro Racing is proud to announce that Dave Despain, David Sadowski and Cameron Steele will be the hosts of the annual festivities.

“We are pleased to bring PGI aboard,” said Scott Hollingsworth, AMA Pro Racing’s CEO. “With the growth of AMA Pro Racing and the addition of TV coverage of the banquet, it became clear that it was time to bring in a highly-respected company like PGI to raise the level of production for the banquet.”

PGI has over a decade of experience in producing shows for many top companies worldwide, including the National Basketball Association, the Coca Cola Company and Ford Motor Company.

“PGI is looking forward to producing the AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet,” said Robert Bishop, producer with PGI. “Motorcycle racing is a visually exciting sport and we hope to create a banquet program worthy of these remarkable athletes.”

Chet Burks Productions will provide video highlights of this year’s racing and will be taping portions of the banquet for Speed Channel’s Bike Week.

Motorcycle Hall of Famer Dave Despain will head up the trio of hosts for the awards banquet. Despain is one of the most recognizable personalities in all of motorsports. His motorcycling roots run deep, from his days as an amateur racer in his native Iowa, to heading up the Public Relations Department of the AMA in the 1970s and finally to his illustrious career as a national television announcer and show host.

Joining Despain on the podium at the banquet will be David Sadowski and Cameron Steele. Sadowski is very well known in the motorcycle road-racing community; he was winner of the prestigious Daytona 200 in 1990 and is a former AMA Supersport Champion. After his racing career, Sadowski has become an expert road-racing analyst for Speed Channel and Fox Sports. Steele was a noted freestyle motocross announcer before becoming the field reporter for ESPN’s AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Motocross Championship coverage in 2002.

The 2002 AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet will pay tribute to AMA racing champions culminating in the presentation of the AMA/Speed Channel Athlete of the Year Award.

The AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet is open to the public and tickets are $100, which includes admission to the banquet, hors d’ oeuvres, dinner and admission to the film premier of “The Great Outdoors,” a documentary covering the 2002 AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Motocross Championship.

For more information on the banquet, call AMA Pro Racing’s Michele Rossi at (614) 856-1910, ext. 1342, or e-mail [email protected]. Hotel rooms are $199 (all suites), plus tax per night and are available by calling the Venetian directly at (702) 414-1000 and asking for the AMA Pro Racing rate.

From a press release issued by Tony Bell:

Jamey Mazzotta and Tony Bell would like to invite you to the Grand Opening of Spectrum Motorsports’ new store.

Spectrum Motorsports, Orange County’s newest Honda, Ducati, Aprilia, Polaris dealer, will have a Grand Opening at its new location 45 Oldfield Rd., Irvine CA 92618 on Saturday, November 2nd, 2002.

The Honda Rider’s club of America will be present along with Honda racers for autograph signing. Erion Racing will bring their race truck and racebikes as will FMF Racing. During the course of the day raffles will take place, the top prizes being a full set of kid’s MX clothing, an Arai helmet, an Alpinestars jacket and a GP Star leather jacket.

There will be several exotic bikes on display including the new Ducati 999, the HRC VTR1000 SPI that Joey Dunlop rode to victory in the 2000 Formula One race at the Isle of Man, the Red Bull Ducati that won the 2001 British Superbike Championship and a Honda RC162 replica of the 1961 four cylinder 250cc racebike.

The event will begin at 10.00 a.m. – hamburgers, hot dogs and sodas will be available throughout the day.


California Speed Shop is proud to announce its affiliation with Spectrum Motorsports of Irvine California

Effective as of October 10, California Speed Shop is now the performance center for Spectrum Motorsports. You can expect the same high level of service along with greatly expanded parts and accessory availability.

Spectrum Motorsports is conveniently located in the Irvine Auto Center where the 5 and the 405 Freeways meet.

From the 5 Freeway south, take Lake Forest, exit and turn left on Lake Forest. Turn right on Rockfield Road at the second light, you’ll find us on the northwest corner of Rockfield and Oldfield about three blocks ahead on the left.

Please come and celebrate with us.

From a press release issued by Yamaha Belgarda, which is based in Italy:

YAMAHA BELGARDA SUPERSPORT CHOOSES PIRELLI

Yamaha Belgarda Supersport Team will use Pirelli tyres on their YZF-R6s in the 2003 World Championship with riders Paolo Casoli and James Whitham.

Yamaha has won four World titles (one rider and three manufacturer) in four superb seasons; Pirelli won the title in this year¹s championship.

The team will return to the track for first tests in November – with the aim of starting the new season next year in optimum competitiveness.

The 2003 Supersport World Championship will begin on March 2nd in Valencia (Spain).

From a press release issued by Rich Oliver:

Nicky Wimbauer is Mystery School Scholarship Student chosen for 2002.

Rich Oliver and partner Sean Edin have selected 14-year-old Nicky Wimbauer as their one and only scholarship student for this season’s Mystery Schools.

The 9th grader from Aurora, Colorado will join our 5-day Hard Core Pro Camp class starting November 21st, 2002.

Nicky has been racing a Yamaha R6, and a Honda RS125 in the MRA and WERA road racing organizations.

Rich Oliver comments on Nicky Wimbauer’s selection, “Nicky is a both a fine young man and a talented rider, so he fits into our program perfectly. He has a wealth of natural ability, the desire, and the drive to succeed in the tough sport of road racing. His parents are very supportive of his aspirations in racing and thought our Mystery School would be very beneficial to his progress.

“Both Sean and I are looking forward to working with him. We think Nicky will surprise some of the other students we have in that class with his abilities. But that’s how our school works, everyone learns from everyone else in the class, no matter experience level, age or gender.

“We will have another Scholarship student for 2003.”