From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI CORSE PRESS INFORMATION
Valencia (Spain)
Wednesday 6 November 2002

CAPIROSSI MAKES DUCATI DESMOSEDICI DEBUT AT VALENCIA TOGETHER WITH BAYLISS AND GUARESCHI – XAUS GETS 999 SUPERBIKE TESTING PROGRAMME UNDERWAY

Ducati Corse’s MotoGP programme switched into top gear today as Loris Capirossi rode the Ducati Desmosedici prototype for the first time at the Valencia Circuit in Spain. Capirossi was testing together with his future team-mate Troy Bayliss, who has already ridden the Desmosedici twice at Mugello and Valencia last month and Vittoriano Guareschi, factory test-rider for the MotoGP programme.

Loris Capirossi, a Honda Pons-contracted rider until the end of the year, has received special dispensation from his Spanish team manager to take part in the scheduled tests from now until the end of the year. Ducati Corse will respect Loris’s current contract and as a result his bike will run without any sponsor logos and with white fairings in these and forthcoming tests.

The 29-year-old Italian, who is riding a four-stroke bike for the first time in his lengthy racing career, completed 56 laps of the 4.005 km circuit and soon got used to the different engine-braking and acceleration characteristics of the Ducati Desmosedici. He mainly concentrated on front-end set-up and his best time was 1:35.8.

Three days after making a ‘demo’ lap of Valencia in front of 120,000 spectators before the final round of the 2002 season on Sunday, Troy Bayliss continued his learning curve on Ducati’s new MotoGP challenger. Today Troy completed 59 laps, focussing on comparative tests between the 16.5″ front tyre, which he has always used on the 998 Superbike, and the 17″ one, currently used by all riders in MotoGP. The Australian’s best time was 1:35.4.

Ducati Corse Race Technical Director Corrado Cecchinelli commented: “We are really pleased with how things went today and in particular the way Troy and Loris worked together. Throughout the day, Troy, who has a lot of experience with four-stroke machines, and Loris, who has been around in 500 and MotoGP for a long time, exchanged a series of information which will be useful for Ducati Corse in the future development of our Desmosedici prototype”

Today also saw intense activity for the Spanish rider Ruben Xaus, who began his testing programme with the Ducati 999 Superbike with which he will tackle next year’s World Superbike Championship.

Ruben, who was recently confirmed as factory Ducati Corse 2003 Superbike rider for the 2003 championship, stepped onto the 999 Superbike for the second time after a brief test session in September and completed 66 laps, continuing set-up work on the brand-new twin-cylinder bike from the Borgo Panigale factory. Ruben’s best time today was 1:36.0″.

Tomorrow will see the second and final day of Ducati Corse testing at Valencia.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The owners of MotorSport Ranch in Cresson, Texas plan to expand the facility and extend the 1.7-mile road course by another 1.5 miles, with the project expected to be completed in 2003.

“The preliminary dirt work is done,” said General Manager Kurt Routson. “We’re scheduled to start paving in Spring 2003 and be ready for an early Summer completion. The new section is very tight and twisty with very steep grades.”

The new extension will allow the track to run as one, combined 3.2-mile course or as two separate, shorter pieces of the course.

The two separate courses will also allow more track time for members of the MotorSport Ranch club, who currently have to alternate regularly-scheduled open practice sessions between open-wheel cars, sports cars and motorcycles. With the opening of the new extension, cars will be able to run one short course while bikes run the other short course.

Additional plans call for the expansion of the hot pit area and paddock, as well as the building of additional on-site storage units/garages.

The MotorSport Ranch currently has approximately 150 on-site storage units/garages with air, water and power. The facility also features a 20,000-square-foot clubhouse with meeting space, locker rooms and showers; a skid pad; a covered pre-grid area capable of accomodating 20 cars; a race control tower; and an industrial park housing several motorsports-related businesses, including the Annandale Honda Racing team.

Aside from its member activities, MotorSport Ranch hosts CMRA/CCS regional motorcycle races and popular motorcycle riding schools.

For more information about MotorSport Ranch, call 817-512-3162, FAX 817-512-3175 or go to www.motorsportranch.com.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

This just in from Dave Rosno:

AHRMA Road Race Director Jack Turner received a Priority Letter from AHRMA giving him 30 days notice that his contract will not be renewed.

Jack Turner stated in an e-mail to me:

“Since no one had expressed any problem with my performance previous to this, and none was expressed in this letter either, I was quite surprised. But, all things must come to an end,
and I guess this is mine with AHRMA. I wanted to make sure my circle of friends was informed by me before reading something somewhere.

“I’ll see you around the track.”

From SPEED:

2:00 p.m. FIM World Supersport, Imola, Italy
3:00 p.m. FIM 125cc GP, Sepang, Malaysia

7:00 p.m. Bike Week
7:30 p.m. Motorcyclist
8:00 p.m. FIM 250cc GP, Valencia, Spain
9:00 p.m. FIM MotoGP, Valencia, Spain
10:00 p.m. FIM 125cc GP, Phillip Island, Australia
11:00 p.m. Corbin’s Ride On
11:30 p.m. American Thunder
12:00 a.m. Bike Week
12:30 a.m. Motorcyclist
1:00 a.m. FIM 250cc GP, Valencia, Spain
2:00 a.m. FIM MotoGP, Valencia, Spain
3:00 a.m. FIM 125cc GP, Phillip Island Australia

All times are Eastern.

From a press release issued by Honda:

New Men at Honda Begin 2003 Preparations at Valencia Today

The inaugural MotoGP season drew to a close on Sunday at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit, at Valencia, the fourth race over an arduous five-week period for the teams and riders. For two of the world’s top premier class riders, however, the 2003 season began today, at the same venue.

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Italian Max Biaggi, runner-up in the MotoGP series and Spaniard Sete Gibernau tested RC211V Hondas at the 4.005km circuit. Both riders return to Honda equipped teams for next season’s 16 round series and will race the latest versions of the five-cylinder, 990cc four-stroke that they tested today.

The two men spent the day acquainting themselves with the characteristics of the machine that won 14 of the 16 races in the 2002 MotoGP World Championship.

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At the end of what was just a shake down test for the riders, before the serious winter testing action begins, both men were pleased with what the day had revealed for them.

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Max Biaggi: “Today was just my first taste of a new machine. It is a little bit different, but I am pleased with the decision I have taken. We tested the measurements of the bike, such as the handlebars, footpegs and levers, to see how I fit onto it. I was simply trying to understand the character of the machine on this track, and because we have just raced here it was comfortable for me. It will take time to get experience on this bike, everything is very new to me, and I will have to get used to its different sensations.”

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Sete Gibernau: “It’s been really exciting, just jumping on this bike you can tell that it has been winning, and it is definitely a bike that works well in many different areas. It is a very well balanced machine, and as a rider I am satisfied, and I feel confident for next year. With Telefonica MoviStar I believe we have chosen the best team and the best bike, and whilst we still have to get the motorcycle to suit me and my riding style, I feel that with a lot of hard work over the winter, we can be very competitive.”

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This season Italian Valentino Rossi won 11 races aboard his RC211V on the way to a stunning MotoGP title win. Rossi’s Repsol Honda team-mate, Japanese rider Tohru Ukawa, won one race on his RCV, eventually finishing third in the series. Brazilian Alex Barros scored two memorable victories aboard his West liveried RC211V, including last Sunday’s 30-lap Grand Prix of Valencia.

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Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

This just in from John Anderson:

Mid-Atlantic CCS racer Mark Johnson and multi-time Mid-Atlantic CCS Regional Champion Samantha Cotter got engaged this past Saturday evening in front of a large group of Mid-Atlantic racers.

Mark is a former Regional Amateur Champion and currently rides a Honda RS250. Samantha has been GP Singles Champion 3 years running on her Honda RS125. The couple is always at or near the top of the lightweight categories.

Under the guise of Samantha’s 30th birthday, the group assembled to celebrate and for some bench-racing when Mark stole the show and proposed.

Congratulations Mark and Samantha from the whole WCW posse!

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Rodolphe Coiscaud

There is no wasted time in the MotoGP universe, and just two days after the Valencia GP many contenders tested their new bikes on the last track of the 2002 Championship. Three brands of bikes were on the track on the same time after a complete day spent, among other things, to change the colors of the fairings–except in the case of the Kawasakis.

Yamaha had four machines on track with Carlos Checa, Alex Barros, Shinya Nakano and Olivier Jacque, while Honda tested with two riders who have returned to Honda, Max Biaggi and Sete Giberneau.

Alex Barros had an impressive day on the ex-Biaggi M1, turning the same time he did on his RC211V in MotoGP qualifying three days earlier: 1:33.6. Yamaha officials were happy to get Barros on the M1 so soon after he beat Valentino Rossi on the 4-stroke Honda machine.

“I’m pretty impressed by the performance of Alex today,” said Herve Poncharal, Tech 3 team manager. “The bike was really good for him, but he wasn’t really sure before he would be comfortable on it. There’s a lot of work to do but the M1 is at the same level of the RCV, close in terms of performance and potential.”

Barros was quicker than everybody else on the 2.5-mile track Tuesday even though Max Biaggi rode his new weapon, the ex-Barros RC211V. Max was the only other rider to turn a time under 1:34, his best lap a 1:33.9.

“This is the first taste of a new machine for me and I’m very pleased with this opportunity. I have a personal idea of this bike now but I cannot say more because I have an agreement with Yamaha until the end of this year,” said Biaggi.

Max was smiling after his run and it was the same happy look on the face of Sete Giberneau, who also took his first ride on the V5 Honda. The new teammate of Daijiro Kato really liked his new machine. “The bike is a real racing bike, easy to ride,” commented Giberneau. “I don’t want to speak too much but prefer to prove my facts with the times on the track. I did a good year with the Suzuki on the begining of the 4-stroke era, but this bike and the team are really a good in my career stage.”

The Kawasaki team tested its new rider Garry McCoy, his contracting decided by the headquarters men in Japan even though team manager Harald Eckl prefered to test the Frenchman Regis Laconi, who does yet not have a ride for next year.

“I’m happy to ride a 4-stroke,” said McCoy. “I did nothing crazy during this first test, just wanted to feel 100% great on the bike and it’s more friendly to ride than the 2-stroke. Now I know I need to change my riding style and for this we will have a long test schedule, but before then I will go to Austria to have an operation on my leg and my left scaphoid.”

Australian McCoy will be running alongside the former Supersport rider Andrew Pitt and Alex Hoffman who is on the way to be the test rider for this project. The next test for the Ninja will be next week in Sepang with the Suzuki squad, which will test a new engine in the GSV-R. The times of the Kawasaki riders were 1:35.4 for Pitt and 1:36 for McCoy.


Honda also tested at Valencia with Roberto Rolfo, who finished third in the 2002 250cc Grand Prix season with a Honda NSR250.

Roberto Rolfo ended his season with a last ride on his works Honda NSR250, and compared it to the new RSW250 customer bike for sale to private teams and riders in 2003.

Rolfo compared the two bikes with the same number of laps on each, turning a 1:37.7 with the factory NSR250 and turning a 1:38.0 with the 2003 prototype RSW250.

“The bike is OK,” commented Rolfo, “the engine is quite different on the RSW but the potential is good. It’ll just require work on it and today was just a test to finish the year.”

Rolfo doesn’t know which bike he will be on next year and awaits the decision of Fortuna, his main sponsor, as to which solution they will offer to him. The matter may be settled by how much it costs to run a RSW250 versus an NSR250.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Garry McCoy, Andrew Pitt and Alex Hoffman tested with Fuchs Kawasaki at Valencia today.

Two different versions of the Ninja ZX-RR MotoGP racebike were seen at Valencia on Tuesday, one with conventional exhaust pipe placement and one with the exhaust system routed up underneath the seat.

McCoy has signed to ride for Kawasaki in 2003; Pitt is also thought to have signed, with Hoffman in line to ride for Kawasaki’s MotoGP test team.

Yamaha also tested at Valencia today, with Carlos Checa, Shinya Nakano, Olivier Jacque and new signing Alex Barros.

The Kawasaki team will run on Dunlop tires while all the official Yamaha teams use Michelin.

On Monday at Valencia, journalists rode various Honda racebikes, ranging from the RC211V and NSR500 MotoGP racebikes to Colin Edwards’ Superbike World Championship-winning RC51 to the CBR600F4i ridden to the 2002 Supersport World Championship by Fabien Foret. Included among the “journalists” were former 500cc GP star Randy Mamola and former 250cc GP racer Jurgen Fuchs.

Wednesday, Ducati takes over the track for the first of two days of scheduled testing with the Desmosedici MotoGP racebike, with riders Troy Bayliss and Loris Capirossi.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Dorna Sports, the rights holder to the FIM-sanctioned MotoGP World Championship series, entered negotiationing with International Speedway Corporation (ISC) to hold a Grand Prix event on the infield road course at Homestead-Miami Speedway after also evaluating Watkins Glen in New York and California Speedway in Fontana, California.

“We are in preliminary discussions in bringing an event to the Homestead-Miami Speedway, but that’s where we stand right now. They are very preliminary,” said ISC Director of Corporate Communications David Tallie on Tuesday, November 5. “We have met with them (Dorna) a couple of times, but we have no date, no timetable as to when something may or may not happen.

“Certainly, it’s a great series, and we’d be excited to be able to host something like that at Homestead or any of our facilities that they might be interested in if it makes sense for us and it makes sense for them. Having the opportunity for motorcycle fans in the U.S. to see an event like this would be great, again not just for ISC or them but for the fans in the area.”

While Tallie said he was unable to comment on published reports that a U.S. GP would be held at Homestead starting in 2004, he did say “I can tell you from what I know that they (Dorna) initially contacted us, and they were interested in…I think they looked at California (Speedway), Watkins Glen and Homestead. And they did their evaluation process, of which I don’t know what their evaluation process is, but I know they looked at all three and decided that through that process that they seemed to be very interested in Homestead.

“So that’s where we stand right now. I don’t know when future meetings will take place, but we’re certainly interested in their product and they’re interested in our facility in Homestead, or at least that’s the way it looks right now. So we’ll continue conversations, but as I say, no date decided, no timetable as to when something might happen, whether this happens next year or the year after or whenever.”

Asked how long negotiations had been going on, Tallie said “I would assume that it’s been going on for a while if it’s true that they have looked at California, Watkins Glen and Homestead. I assume they did evaluations on those, and it probably took time. Again, I’m guessing because I don’t know what their evaluation process is. It may be just looking at the length of facility or the location. That’s something you’d have to talk to Dorna about. I wasn’t given a specific time as far as how long we’ve been talking to them.”

Tallie called Roadracingworld.com back moments after the initial phone interview to clarify how Dorna “looked at” and “evaluated” the three facilities, saying, “We don’t know whether their (Dorna’s) evaluations involved going out to the specific track or not. That’s something that you’ll have to talk to them about. As I say, I only know that they were only interested in those and have since narrowed down their interest into Homestead. But I don’t know if they physically, I can try and find out, but I don’t know if they physically went out to California, Watkins Glen and Homestead or whether they just gathered information on track size, number of grandstand seats and certain other things that they were looking for and then decided that Homestead was the way they wanted to go.”

Asked if Jim France was leading the negotiations for ISC, Tallie said “I don’t know that he’s leading the negotiations. I know that he is one of the principals here at ISC that they are talking with. Now whether there’s a room full of people or not? As you know, Jim is very interested in motorcycles. So he certainly has an interest in this, but I don’t know that he is the only one in a room talking.

Asked if he knew if the discussions involved a multi-year agreement between Dorna and ISC, Tallie said “I don’t know. Again, it’s very preliminary. So I don’t know that they’ve graduated to that yet. I think, obviously, if we think that it’s going to be a successful event, then sure we’d like to wrap it up as far in advance as we can, but I don’t know that they’ve graduated to that yet. Obviously, you can imagine that there are a lot of points that need to be addressed.

Asked about any modifications that have to be made to Homestead in order to host the event, Tallie said “I don’t. I assume that that is part of the discussions. If in fact modifications do need to be made, then certainly that’s part of the conversations that are going on know.

Asked if ISC would promote the event or just rent out the facility to Dorna, Tallie said, “There again, I don’t know. I’m not privy to the conversations that are going on, but I imagine that all of that is part of the meetings that are taking place or have taken place.

Asked if the Grand Prix event would be combined with an AMA Superbike race, Tallie said, “I don’t know that. As I say, it’s very preliminary. So a lot of the details are still up in the air.”

Calls to Homestead-Miami Speedway and California Speedway did not produce any additional information, but a call to former racer and current race promoter Henry Degouw did. Degouw, who has been promoting CCS regional races at Homestead and other Florida tracks for several years, said, “I’ve been pushing for them to look at this track for a long time, and they finally did. I find it would be quite adaptable for a GP with very little to do. It looks like they, after looking at it, agree.

“I’ve been talking to Mike Trimby (Secretary General of IRTA) about this course at Homestead for a long time. That’s my only involvement. I’ve been saying, ‘Hey, if you want to do a GP in the U.S., take a look at Homestead.’ That’s it.

“We race there, as you know, regularly, and I’ve raced all over the country. I find it one of the safest and by far the nicest tracks in the whole country. It was easy for me to push that racetrack.

“Mick Doohan looked at the track. They’re (Dorna) supposed to be coming over the first week in December. I have invited them, since we’re (CCS Florida Region) going to be at Homestead December 7-8, I have extended them an invitation to come see the track with bikes on the course.

“I believe Carmelo Ezpeleta (CEO of Dorna Sports) will be there, also Claude Danis (President of the FIM Road Racing Commission), Mick Doohan hopefully, and also the rider rep for IRTA, (1982 500cc World Champion)Franco Uncini. My understanding is that they are all coming over. I’m not sure Mick Doohan is, but I believe all the others are.”

Stay tuned for more details as they become available.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Team Suzuki’s Atsushi Watanabe won the All-Japan Road Race Series Superbike Championship with a third-place finish in the final round of the series Sunday, November 3 at Suzuka Circuit. YSP Racing & Presto’s Wataru Yoshikawa won the 20-lap race on his Yamaha YZF-R7, two seconds ahead of his teammate Takeshi Tsujimura.

Watanabe was more than 60 seconds behind at the finish, but after Championship contender Makoto Tamada dropped out of the race on the second lap, Watanabe only needed to finish eighth or better to win the title if Yoshikawa won.

Suzuki MotoGP GSV-R prototype rider Akira Ryo earned pole position with a 2:07.188, but Tsujimura turned the fastest lap of the race, a 2:08.436 on lap three.

Forty-seven riders started the season-ending Superbike race, and 34 finished.

Team Jha’s Hideyuki Nakajoh won his fourth All-Japan 125cc Championship on a Honda RS125R, Tekkyu Kayoh of Hitman RC Kohshien Yamaha won his second All-Japan 250cc title on a TZ250, Ryuichi Kiyonari of Team Kohtake RSC Honda won his first ST600 Championship on a CBR600F4i and JSB/S-NK Champion Tatsuya Yamaguchi of Honda Dream Fill Racing (Honda CBR954RR) was also a first-time All-Japan Champion.

All-Japan Superbike Round Nine Race Results:

1. Wataru Yoshikawa, SBK, Yamaha YZF-R7, 20 laps, 43:14.451
2. Takeshi Tsujimura, SBK, Yamaha YZF-R7, -2.178 seconds
– Keichi Kitagawa, PRT, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -6.399 seconds
– Tamaki Serizawa, PRT, Suzuki Tornado S-1, -9.288 seconds
– Yoshiteru Konishi, PRT, Honda CBR954RR, -54.335 seconds
3. Atsushi Watanabe, SBK, Suzuki GSX-R750, -60.174 seconds
– Masao Okuno, PRT, Honda CBR954RR, -60.693 seconds
4. Tatsuya Yamaguchi, JSB, Honda CBR954RR, -61.299 seconds
5. Osamu Deguchi, JSB, Honda CBR954RR, -61.675 seconds
6. Akira Tamitsuji, JSB, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -82.447 seconds
7. Chojun Kameya, JSB, Honda CBR954RR, -82.903 seconds
8. Makoto Tokinaga, SNK, Yamaha YZF-R7/R1, -90.914 seconds
9. Takuma Yamamoto, JSB, Honda CBR954RR, -91.334 seconds
10. Ken’ichiro Nakamura, SBK, Honda RC51, -101.633 seconds

34. Yukio Kagayama, PRT, Suzuki GSV-R, -4 laps

41. Akira Ryo, PRT, Suzuki GSV-R, -18 laps, DNF
42. Makoto Tamada, SBK, Honda RC51, -19 laps, DNF


Final 2002 All-Japan Superbike Championship Point Standings:

1. Watanabe, 148 points
2. Yoshikawa, 140 points
3. Tsujimura, 127 points
4. Tamada, 120 points
5. Yuichi Tamada, 85 points
6. Yamaguchi, 68 points
7. Tamitsuji, 68 points
8. Deguchi, 48 points
9. Hiroaki Kawase, 46 points
10. Nakamura, 38 points