From a press release issued by Daytona International Speedway:

Daytona International Speedway Modifies Chicane

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.¯ (Sept. 27, 2002) — Daytona International Speedway announced today modifications to the chicane that is utilized by motorcycle competitors during both Daytona 200 Week in March and the upcoming Fall Cycle Scene on Oct. 17-20.

The modifications, which were made in conjunction with the American Motorcyclists’ Association and Alan Wilson, a noted track designer, include a change in the exit of the chicane so riders will re-enter the track prior to NASCAR Turn 3. This change should potentially enhance competition while not affecting the distance of the 3.56-mile road course. The chicane and Turn 6 will also be repaved in order to give riders a smoother transition between these areas and the tri-oval.

These modifications to the chicane and the paving will be completed in time for Fall Cycle Scene on Oct. 17-20 and could also be utilized by sports cars during their upcoming events.

Tickets and more information on Fall Cycle Scene are available online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling the Speedway ticket office at (386) 253-7223.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Friday’s European Superstock Qualifying Times:

1. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:54.770
2. Gianluca Vizziello, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:55.646
3. Fabrizio De Marco, Honda CBR900RR, 1:55.767
4. Walter Tortoroglio, Honda CBR900RR, 1:56.073
5. Giacomo Romanelli, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:56.073
6. Lorenzo Mauri, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:56.155
7. Ilario Dionisi, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:56.282
8. William De Angelis, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:56.363
9. Olivier Four, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:56.531
10. Koen Vleugels, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:56.606

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Foret Starts As He Means To Finish

By Glenn Le Santo

Fabien Foret is a man on a mission: He wants to win the World Supersport Championship. He leads the title by 17 points from closest rival Katsuaki
Fujiwara. He’s got the best possible start to the final World Supersport meeting of 2002 by taking provisional pole in Friday’s qualifying.

With only 16 points available for a third place finish, the flying Frenchman actually only has to score points if his rival Fujiwara comes home in first or second, any lower than that and Foret could technically just pull into the pits and drink his victory champagne.

Will he do that? Will Foret just ride for a finish? Of course not and anyone who expects him to simply doesn’t know the fiery Frenchman’s character! He only races to win, any less and he’s just not happy. On Sunday he’ll be pushing his Ten Kate Honda just as hard as he can for a win, no holds barred.

“I’m happy to go to provisional pole today,” said Foret. “But it’s the race that matters and I’ll be giving 100% all the way.”

Fujiwara, riding for Alstare Suzuki, kept the pressure on Foret by finishing the session second fastest, just in front of Chris Vermeulen with reigning Champion Andrew Pitt fourth.

We’ve been told there are no Honda team orders for Sunday, with all the Honda riders being told simply to ride as normal and try to pack out the top few places and spoil Fujiwara and Suzuki’s party.


Friday’s World Supersport qualifying times:

1. Fabien Foret, Honda CBR600, 1:53.376
2. Katsuaki Fujiwara, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:53.500
3. Chris Vermeulen, Honda CBR600, 1:53.652
4. Andrew Pitt, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:53.729
5. Stéphane Chambon, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:54.105
6. Giovanni Bussei, Ducati 748R, 1:54.154
7. Alessio Corradi, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:54.171
8. Paolo Casoli, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:54.243
9. Iain MacPherson, Honda CBR600, 1:54.657
10. Robert Ulm, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:54.866
11. Jörg Teuchert, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:54.889
12. Piergiorgio Bontempi, Ducati 748R, 1:54.907
13. Antonio Carlacci, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:55.143
14. James Whitham, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:55.289
15. Stefano Cruciani, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:55.503
16. Karl Muggeridge, Honda CBR600, 1:55.737
17. Paul Young, Honda CBR600, 1:55.835
18. Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati 748R, 1:55.899
19. Christian Kellner, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:55.962
20. Christophe Cogan, Honda CBR600, 1:55.986
21. James Ellison, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:56.296
22. Matthieu Lagrive, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:56.744
23. Robert Frost, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:57.164
24. Michael Laverty, Honda CBR600, 1:57.232
25. Claudio Cipriani, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:57.284
26. Juri Proietto, Honda CBR600, 1:57.748
27. Laurent Brian, Honda CBR600, 1:58.074
28. Lorenzo Segoni, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:58.129

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Glenn Le Santo

The incredible WSB turnaround continues

Colin Edwards looks poised to bring about the biggest upset of Superbike history. He’s caught and passed Troy Bayliss in the title hunt and now he’s taken provisional pole at Imola.

By the middle of the season Troy Bayliss looked to have secured his second World Superbike crown. He’d won the first six races of the season and at one stage was 58 points ahead of Edwards, who to his credit, has never given up all year.

When Edwards won the second race at Laguna Seca it marked the start of an incredible comeback ­ he’s won every race since! Then Edwards went one point ahead when Bayliss crashed out in the second race at Assen. “I reckon we’ve got him well and truly mentally f–ked!” said Edwards before this weekend!

---

Colin Edwards, Friday morning free practice, Imola.

---

As if to confirm his point Edwards sits on provisional pole at the end of the first day, with a lap time of 1:48.336. Meanwhile Bayliss is back in fourth, 1.108 seconds down on the Texan. Ruben Xaus was second fastest, but he was almost a second slower than Edwards. Neil Hodgson was third fastest.

Hodgson had fallen halfway throughout the session when he collided with Xaus. Bostrom also fell but was unhurt.

Friday’s World Superbike qualifying times:

1. Colin Edwards, Honda RC51, 1:48.336
2. Ruben Xaus, Ducati 998F02, 1:49.256
3. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 998F01, 1:49.414
4. Troy Bayliss, Ducati 998F02, 1:49.444
5. James Toseland, Ducati 998F01, 1:49.792
6. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, 1:50.005
7. Noriyuki Haga, Aprilia RSV1000, 1:50.103
8. Alessandro Antonello, Ducati 998RS, 1:50.371
9. Ben Bostrom, Ducati 998F02, 1:50.408
10. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 1:50.790
11. Juan Borja, Ducati 998RS, 1:51.440
12. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:51.565
13. Serafino Foti, Ducati 996RS, 1:51.827
14. Chris Walker, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:51.966
15. Hitoyasu Izutsu, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:52.188
16. Marco Borciani, Ducati 998RS, 1:52.212
17. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:52.263
18. Broc Parkes, Ducati 998RS, 1:52.315
19. Steve Martin, Ducati 998RS, 1:52.472
20. Peter Goddard, Benelli Tornado 900, 1:52.719
21. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:53.950
22. Michele Malatesta, Ducati 996RS, 1:54.300
23. Alessandro Valia, Ducati 996RS, 1:54.329
24. Jeronimo Vidal, Honda RC51, 1:54.933
25. Luca Pini, Ducati 996RS, 1:55.102
26. Mark Heckles, Honda RC51, 1:55.255
27. Paolo Blora, Ducati 996RS, 1:56.180
28. Jiri Mrkyvka, Ducati 996RS, 1:58.175
29. Marjan Malec, Ducati 996RS, 1:58.375
30. Giuliano Sartoni, Ducati 996RS, 1:59.901


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
Round 13 – Imola (Italy)
27-29 September 2002

BAYLISS (DUCATI INFOSTRADA) FOURTH QUICKEST AT IMOLA – XAUS (DUCATI INFOSTRADA) AND BOSTROM (DUCATI L&M) SECOND AND NINTH RESPECTIVELY

Troy Bayliss (Ducati Infostrada) set fourth quickest time in today’s opening qualifying session for the final round of the World Superbike Championship at Imola, Italy as championship rival (Colin Edwards) took provisional pole. Ducati team-mates Ruben Xaus (Infostrada) and Ben Bostrom (L&M) were second and ninth quickest respectively in the afternoon qualifying session, which was red-flagged twice during the hour.

Bayliss (Ducati Infostrada) was one of five riders to get under the 1m50s mark, putting his 998 F02 on the provisional front row of the grid with fourth-quickest time of 1:49.444. “We tried lots of different things in that session, but now we need to come up with something better if we’re going to get closer to Colin in qualifying”, declared Troy. “It’s hard to be happy when someone is going a second faster than you but I’m sure me and the guys will find something extra tomorrow. I’m missing something in the third split so that’s where we’re going to have to work and find a setting that will help me go over the bumps, because the bike feels quite harsh”.

After his excellent performances here in 2001, Xaus (Ducati Infostrada) again showed his liking for the Imola track with second-quickest time of 1:49.256, just under one second slower than Edwards. “My lap time wasn’t so good today, last year we were riding much faster here”, commented Ruben. “It was a tough practice with red flags twice, then oil, then when I got out with a qualifier I always found someone else in the middle, which made me lose concentration. I was waiting for a second qualifying lap but then there was a big crash somewhere else and there were yellow flags in three corners. Although the surface is pretty rough it has good grip, but when it gets oily then it becomes quite hairy. I improved a lot in the afternoon and tomorrow I hope to be there with Colin.”

Bostrom (Ducati L&M) set ninth quickest time in 1:50.408 on his twentieth lap of the session but crashed on the exit of the final chicane just yards after the start-finish line, at the very end of that lap, bruising his left hand and right foot. The Californian then sat out the final ten minutes of the session. “I went to accelerate out of the corner and for some reason the bike accelerated, then spun really quick and spat me off”, explained Ben. “That was my quick lap and I was sliding across the finish line. I wasn’t even trying to push on that lap either, my quick lap was going to be the next one. My left hand slapped down so hard at first I couldn’t feel it, but it’s OK now”.


More, from a press release issued by Castrol Honda:

EDWARDS ON TOP AFTER OPENING QUALIFYING

Castrol Honda’s Colin Edwards set the fastest time in this afternoon’s opening qualifying session for the final round of the World Superbike championship here at Imola in Italy.

The Texan was in confident mood as he lapped the 3.04-mile circuit more than one second inside the existing lap record.

“We tested here last week so I knew we’d be quick straight out of the box today,” said Edwards. “But we’ve got tomorrow’s action to go and I’d like to think we could try a qualifying tyre and get a chunk of time off my best lap today.

“We had a couple of tyres to try and a few new suspension settings and in general we’re happy with the progress today,” continued Edwards. “At the very end of the session I tried a brand new Superpole tyre but ran out of time and didn’t really get the final lap I was looking for.”

Edwards leads the world championship by a single point but the 28-year-old remains in a relaxed state as he builds towards Sunday¹s two 21-lap races.

“I am pretty relaxed, no need to be anything else. I’m feeling more tension from watching the Ryder Cup golf on TV today,” added keen golfer Edwards.


More, from a press release issued by HM Plant Ducati:

All systems go for Imola showdown

Neil Hodgson and James Toseland started the last round of the 2002 Superbike World Championship at Imola as they mean to go on. The HM Plant Ducatis ended the first official qualifying session by finishing in third (Hodgson) and fifth (Toseland) positions respectively, with the former a fraction outside Troy Corser’s existing lap record (1:49.398).

While media attention will focus on the battle between Troy Bayliss and Colin Edwards for the title, Hodgson and Toseland will be gearing up for their own respective showdowns to confirm their third and seventh positions in the championship overall. With this in mind, both riders were happy with their qualifying performances in preparation for tomorrow afternoon’s one-lap Superpole qualifying session and Sunday’s two races.

Hodgson was second behind Edwards in this morning’s free practice, but his progress was halted when he collided with Ruben Xaus in the afternoon session. “I was feeling really good out there until Xaus came under me at the Rivazza and knocked me off,” said the 28-year-old who is competing in his last race for the team after four years with GSE Racing.

“I had to complete the remainder of the session on my number two machine, but I was reasonably happy with my time under the circumstances. With the pace that Edwards is setting already, I know that I have to get down to the 1:48 barrier to make more progress tomorrow.”

Toseland was elated with one of his best qualifying performances of the year: “My objective is to finish ahead of Chili and Walker in the battle for seventh overall and so I am delighted to be ahead of them on time – even at this early stage of the weekend. I’m feeling positive after making it on to the podium at Assen and hope that I can carry that form through the rest of the weekend.”

From a press release issued by the Superside FIM Sidecar World Championship:

Friday 27 September 2002

Steve Webster keeps the pressure on

Webbo on provisional pole for showdown Superside race

With the title hanging in a balance and with no less than five teams in with a chance of taking the title, the tension in the Superside paddock is almost visible.

Steve Webster holds the initiative on the track, if not in the points, he’s been fastest again today, but Jorg Steinhausen has closed the time differential down since this morning’s free practice.

“It’s all going to plan,” said Webbo, “but now it is all much closer. We’ll have to try some new things tomorrow, new rubber, and different settings. Tonight we’ll go over the outfit really carefully to make sure everything is absolutely top dollar.”

For Webster this weekend presents quite a different scenario to previous years, he stands a chance of taking the title, but it’s a pretty slim one. “Yes, it is very different this year,” confirmed Webbo. “There’s no pressure on us, it’s very difficult for us to win the championship, but you never know!”

Second fastest in the session Jorg Steinhausen was happy with his progress, “Everything has gone so well today,” smiled Jorg. “In the morning session Webbo was a few seconds quicker than us, but now we’ve closed right up on him. What’s more important is that the 1.58 lap was quite relaxed, we didn’t feel like we were pushing really hard, there’s more to come yet. The engine feels strong enough to follow the faster bikes. We had some problems with the brakes overheating this morning. Because this circuit is so different to Assen the brake bias is completely different, but we’ve got that right now. I wish this session had been the race, then it would be all over and we’d be champions! Now I need to think hard about my riding, there are one or two areas I can go faster. Then I need to sleep!”

Tom Hanks and Phil Biggs managed to improve on their morning time substantially, coming down below the two-minute mark. “That was much better,” said Hanks, “we started to get a move on. We’re now using our 1000cc motor, we’ve used up the big ones. In the morning we developed a pretty severe water leak on the big engine so now we’ve got the 1000 for the rest of the weekend. But then we’ve only used the big motor twice this year, at Lausitzring and Misano, so it’s no big deal.” The leak was traced to a cracked engine case.

Klaus Klaffenbock was fourth quickest, and was another rider happy with his bike, “We had a few problems with the brake bias this morning but nothing major,” he said. “But we’ve closed the gap on Webbo so I don’t think he will be disappearing in the race even if he wants to.”

Although Webbo and Klaffi stand little chance of grabbing the title, they can have a big influenced on the outcome. “For me the most important thing in the race is to get the best possible finish,” said Klaffi, “I have some contracts that pay only if I am in the top three! So I’ll be looking after myself first. But, if it comes to it, there are some people who I would be prepared to help to win the title.”

Steve Abbott dropped off the pace a bit in qualifying finishing fifth fastest, “We’ve had brake problems,” explained Abbott. “We came in for tyres and discovered the front brake was binding, but we can sort it. Everything else is perfect. We tried our spare motor this afternoon and that’s working well.”

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association 2003 Racing Schedule:

2/8-9 Oak Hill Raceway, Henderson, TX*
2/22-23 Oak Hill Raceway, Henderson, TX
3/15-16 Texas World Speedway, College Station, TX
4/12-13 Oak Hill Raceway, Henderson, TX
5/3-4 Motorsports Ranch, Cresson, TX
5/23-25 Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, Hallett, OK
6/14-15 Texas World Speedway, College Station, TX
7/19-20 Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, Hallett, OK
9/6-7 Texas World Speedway, College Station, TX
9/27-28 Oak Hill Raceway, Henderson, TX
10/11-12 Motorsports Ranch, Cresson, TX

*open practice and rider’s school only, no racing

According to CMRA officer Eric Kelcher, the length of the CMRA endurance races have yet to be determined and will be announced at a later date.

For additional info, call CMRA at (800) 423-8736, FAX (281) 232-8602, e-mail [email protected], www.cmraracing.com.

From a press release issued by AMA:

NEW EPA EMISSIONS RULES MAY MARK END OF TWO-STROKES

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is adopting strict emissions standards that could mean the end of two-stroke trail bikes and All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) by 2006, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA)reports.

In announcing the new emissions standards in September, the EPA said the rules “encourage manufacturers of these vehicles to switch from two-stroke engines to cleaner four-stroke engines, beginning in 2006” for trail machines.

The federal agency is exempting racing machines from the strict emissions standards, so motocrossers won’t be affected, and left the door open for the production of a new breed of two-stroke engines by creating a special, less-stringent emissions standard for “certified competition machines” that could be used for competition and trail riding.

The EPA also scrapped an earlier plan to make ATVs meet even stricter emissions standards in 2009.

These are the first federal emissions standards created for off-highway motorcycles and ATVs. The EPA has set requirements only slightly less stringent than those in place in California, which have severely restricted two-stroke off-highway machine use there.

National requirements for road motorcycles have been in place for more than 20 years and are in the process of being replaced with stricter standards.

Under the new EPA rules, new trail bikes and ATVs would be subject to strict emissions requirements that would be partially phased-in in 2006. Full compliance would be required by the manufacturers in 2007.

The requirements wouldn’t affect machines built through 2005, but would apply to machines built for the 2006 model year and thereafter. The EPA said it expects that manufacturers will meet these new standards for trail machines by using four-stroke engines.

When the EPA was putting together the new rules, the AMA urged the agency to avoid regulations that would eliminate two-stroke machines, which are favored by many off-highway riders for their light weight and power characteristics. Instead, the AMA told the agency to consider creating separate emissions standards for four-stroke and two-stroke motorcycles and ATVs.

While the EPA rejected the idea of separate standards for four-strokes and two-strokes, it did create a new classification called the “certified competition machine,” which could be used for competition or trail riding. The emissions standards for a certified competition machine aren’t as strict as those for a trail bike or non-competition ATV. Theoretically, this could become the standard for two-stroke trail motorcycles and ATVs.

The AMA also asked the EPA to set specific emissions goals that must be met by off-highway motorcycle and ATV manufacturers rather than mandating what equipment must be on the bikes, such as catalytic converters. The EPA agreed.

The AMA also told the EPA to reconsider an idea to restrict the sale of “competition-only” machines to professionals. The AMA noted that most off-highway motorcycle and ATV racing in the United States involves amateurs. The EPA agreed in its final rules, saying it would be “inappropriate” to limit competition machines to professional racers.

Finally, the AMA and others involved in motorcycling presented data to show that the EPA grossly overestimated the annual use of off-highway motorcycles and ATVs and, as a result, overestimated the amount of pollution they cause. The EPA agreed, and that’s at least part of the reason the agency decided at this time not to require ATVs to meet even stricter emissions requirements beginning in 2009.

The American Motorcyclist Association is a nonprofit organization with more than 250,000 members. Established in 1924, the Association’s purpose is to pursue, protect and promote the interests of motorcyclists, while serving the needs of its members. For more information, visit the AMA website at www.AMADirectlink.com.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

AMA Supersport Champion Aaron Yates is raving about Barber Motorsports Park after making laps on the new racetrack.

Yates rode on the 2.6-mile road course on August 30, during a test session track officials arranged through Corona Extra Suzuki, which is based near the Birmingham facility.

“Barber Motorsports Group is nearing completion of its mega, multi-million dollar road racing facility,” wrote Corona Extra Suzuki’s Landers Sevier, in an e-mail to Roadracingworld.com. “The final wear coat of asphalt (the actual racing surface) has been laid on the 2.6 mile road course and evaluations of the surface itself, the overall safety of the course, as well as the layout and design of the course have begun. This includes automobiles (with accomplished and proven drivers) as well as motorcycles; Aaron being the first of the top guys in the U.S. to experience the track.

“Aaron’s participation and involvement in this ‘private and closed’ course evaluation was solicited for two reasons. First – Aaron has proven to be one of the most qualified guys in our industry who has enough experience to critique a racetrack with rider safety as the primary concern, and Second – Aaron lives in reasonable close proximity to the Barber complex.

“Corona Extra Suzuki’s involvement resulted only because we have readily prepared machines, and we are located in the same vicinity to the track.

“The purpose of the test was held in order for various members of the Barber Group to get honest, unbiased feedback on the racing facility that they have created.

“From my perspective, after listening to Yates’ comments following his sessions on the track, the place could most possibly become home to some of the best road racing that we will see in North America – for cars as well as bikes. It’s the closest thing we have to any of those ass-kickin’ European facilities we all watch on Speed – and in my unbiased opinion – it’s better.

“The AMA series visits several great tracks during the season, i.e. Road America, Laguna, VIR – but when it’s all said and done I think the general consensus of racers as well as spectators will be that the Barber facility will be at the top of the heap…I think Aaron would agree after his visit.”

“It was pretty good,” Yates said of the Barber Motorsports Park road course. “We did some really hot laps in my BMW (M3), which is a lot of fun. Riding in the car is a lot different than riding on the bike. I felt like, ‘Wow! This place is going to be fast.’ Then I got out there on the motorcycle all suited up and stuff and it was a lot of fun.

“I was really impressed with what they had there and the layout of the track. There’s a good bit of elevation changes, some tricky spots on the track where you get to have a lot of fun. It’s pretty challenging. You got a little off-camber downhill turns, then some over the hill turning where you’re wheelying and spinning at the same time and stuff like that. Also the layout and the track design, I think it’s going to promote some really competitive racing. There should be some good racing going on there. It was really fun.”

Yates rode Jimmy Moore’s AMA Superstock Championship-winning GSX-R750 at the test. “I only did 10 laps on the track on the motorcycle. I did about that many in car too. It’s pretty easy to learn. It’s gonna be a track that’s going to be a lot of fun to ride the way it’s laid out with the elevation changes. It’s got some challenging spots, but it’s real wide and you’ll be able to pass just about anywhere. It’s just fun.

“There’s nothing really to hit. We were flying around in my car. We had the thing sliding and spinning everywhere. There was a fast section, a left-right S-thing, and the car, you pitch it in there and the thing kind of slides out a little. Then you pitch it back the other way and it steps out about three feet and you’re running about 90 mph and you’re looking at where you’re gonna go if something happens and you spin. But then on the motorcycle, your lines are so different it’s not really a concern. There were really no concerns with that.

“I was really glad to be able to go there and see what it was like. I’ve never been by there. It’s like only one mile off of the I-20, so it’s not like you have to run down a two-lane and up through the woods 20 miles. The place is really impressive. It’s all just first-class, way different than other places. You know the other places have been around so long, and this is a brand new racetrack. To me it felt like something that you would see on TV at the world races.

“I think they were a bit concerned with the way the surface turned out, their paving. They wanted to hear what I thought about that. I’m not real sure what they’re doing right now, but I think they’re working on something. They just wanted to get my opinion on the surface of the track, which on a motorcycle it’s fine. The place is fully landscaped, grass growing, the track is ready to race. It’s just they want it to be as much as it can be.”

“We’re getting real, real close and we’re going to be real tight-lipped for another 45 days before we start talking about it,” said Jeff Ray, Executive Director of the Barber Motorsports Park, September 26. “If you want to give me a call back the first of November, we’ll probably be able to release some more information on that.

“We’re scheduled to open the thing in the Spring of 2003. Just with part of the interest in this track is that the fact that there’s not a lot of information out on it, and we’re gonna keep it that way just a little bit longer. Kind of like the girl in the bikini, let your imagination work a little bit. But we’re getting a little bit closer.”

When asked specifically if they had any problems or concerns with their racing surface, Ray said, “None that we’re aware of.”

AMA Pro Racing is expected to schedule a race at the Barber Motorsports Park in 2003.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

This just in, via e-mail:

For 2003, will professional factory racers, on factory 600s, be racing against privateer, non-factory 750 Superstock bikes in the AMA 750 Superstock class?

If so, why?

Richard Lerud
TyrSox

FIRST PERSON/OPINION:

By Jay Sherritt

Fellow Riders,

At the end of July, EPA Chief Christie Whitman, while out championing the cause of motorcycle emissions regulations, said “a typical motorcycle still emits about 20 times more pollution per mile than a new car.”

So how accurate is her representation? Does it truly reflect the impact of motorcycles on significant air quality issues?

I can’t help but remember Whitman’s lockstep with the EPA’s agenda promoting automotive emissions inspection when she was Governor of New Jersey. The EPA touted their MobileX emissions modeling software, and corresponding “credits,” as supposedly based on “best available science.” Governor Whitman vigorously defended the validity of the MobileX results.

So let’s use the EPA’s current version, Mobile6, as a truth meter for Whitman’s statement.

While accepting standard, default values for most inputs (I do use Colorado temperature, altitude and fuel volatility and oxygenate content parameters, as this is where I live), I submitted a Mobile6 run for a scenario evaluating carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons as VOC, and oxides of nitrogen for January, 2002.

Low and behold, the emissions in grams per mile traveled are computed to be 22.73 (CO), 2.61 (VOC) and 1.07 (NOx) for motorcycles. For “Light Duty Gas Vehicles” (passenger cars), the values are 17.57 (CO), 1.158 (VOC) and 1.027 (NOx).

Hmmm. Perhaps Christie is mistaken. Did she mean 29% higher? That is a long way from 20 times higher. Maybe most cars pollute 15 times more than Christie’s cars?

The truth meter flashes red, buzzes loudly, and the needle quivers in the middle of the “Deception” zone. A victim of her own devices.

What is really going on here? A classical EPA (mis)information campaign. The weasel words included in her quote were “new car.” Certified emissions for new cars are quite low, especially until they hit the real world. This is a common EPA trick – compare something in the real world that they don’t like with something in their own fantasy world that they do like. (They are pretty proud of certified emissions, even if they are contrived to make them look good at the expense of real-world durability and function).

The EPA did the same thing in their anti-snowmobile crusade. They took the researcher’s data that showed snowmobiles to be, say, two to three times as dirty as automobiles, and then substituted automobiles that were twenty times as clean as real-world automobiles into the comparison, and voila – the snowmobiles in Yellowstone were 60 times dirtier than cars.

The EPA’s interpretation of the “Clean Air Act” involves adopting regulations that address all internal combustion engines, even down to model airplane engines. (I’m not kidding!) Somehow, they find it essential to offer dramatic justification, even when the regulations have no effect on the real world.

Let’s toss the EPA nonsense and look at things from a real perspective.

The emissions components that motorcycles tend to produce at a greater rate than automobiles are carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons.

First, let’s look at carbon monoxide (CO). This product of combustion only becomes a hazard in high concentrations, typified by traffic jams with atmospheric circulation trapped by a thermal inversion. (Not exactly great riding conditions). Once diluted, it eventually fully oxidizes in the atmosphere, with a half life of somewhere around one to three weeks. It is invisible and odorless, and is not considered a significant participant in the formation of smog.

CO is generated when there is insufficient oxygen in the combustion chamber to fully oxidize all of the fuel. In the past twenty five years, automobiles have dramatically reduced their CO emissions due to the incorporation of a component that measures the oxygen content of the exhaust, and uses this to iterate on an air-fuel mixture that is on the threshold of oxygen presence. At the resulting air/fuel mixture, there is very little carbon monoxide produced. The component, referred to as an oxygen sensor or lambda sensor, produces a voltage as a result of imbalances of gas-phase O2 molecules imparted on zirconium. This technology provides a method for dynamically adjusting mixture based upon the results of combustion, commonly described as “closed loop” operation.

Within the last few years, oxygen sensors have been appearing on production motorcycles – partly in response to the market force that demands crisp throttle response without having to “re-jet” carburetors for temperature, humidity and altitude. Many of us have seen oxygen sensor displays on race motorcycles in order to provide better carburetor jetting feedback to the operator.

As oxygen-sensor-based fuel injection systems overtake the market (as they are doing rapidly now), CO emissions from new on-road motorcycles will approach or diminish to less than those of new real-world automobiles, whether or not the EPA takes action.

Mobile6 was written before the current wave of closed loop, oxygen-sensor-based fuel injection systems became common on production motorcycles. It is likely that it does not accurately reflect actual recent trends in motorcycle emissions. We could already be at the point where real-world motorcycles are cleaner than real-world automobiles with respect to CO. Even as things are today, we could turn the tables on the EPA and correctly argue that (real world) automobiles produce much higher emissions than new motorcycles. (Hey, they started it. They compared apples with oranges, so why can’t I compare oranges with apples? Buzz. Flash. Quiver.)

As for hydrocarbons, they have a minor point.

Hydrocarbons are allowed to pass through to the exhaust generally when combustion does not occur (due to misfires, or sometimes compression braking), when the incoming charge blows through the combustion chamber and out the exhaust port before the exhaust valve or port closes for compression (port or cam overlap), and as a result of the flame being unable to propagate too close to the metal surfaces of the combustion chamber (quenching). Hydrocarbons released into the atmosphere are associated with the formation of smog.

The performance oriented motorcycle market prefers more cam overlap than would be used to minimize hydrocarbon emissions. You could argue that there is a tradeoff here – either adopt catalyzers or less cam overlap, but neither would produce a measurable benefit to ambient air quality. The default travel fraction from Mobile6 for motorcycles is only .006, while cars and SUVs make up .769. Closed-loop fuel injection technology probably reduces hydrocarbons significantly beyond the assumptions of Mobile6, as do other fuel injection elements. Even without the benefit of these considerations, automobiles still produce forty times more hydrocarbons emissions than motorcycles on a fleet basis. How meaningful is it to further reduce the contribution of motorcycles? Do we get a gold star if we cut it to a hundredth, or a thousandth? (Not difficult to attain. All we have to do is surrender some of our freedom, and rewrite the next-to-the-last line of the national anthem).

Catalyzers can reduce CO and HC emissions to near zero in some cases (also NOx), but are much more effective in extinguishing emissions in the EPA testing procedures than they are in the real world. In practice, the extremely wide dynamic range of operation of motorcycle engines makes it difficult to design a catalyzer that works under all load conditions. (My FZR1000 is great at low throttle, fifth gear, and 2000 rpm. It is also great under full throttle at 11,500 rpm). The same applies to automobiles, but to a lesser degree.

So what is wrong with the EPA’s proposed regulations if the industry is wandering that direction anyway?

The devil is in the details. In addition to federal anti-tampering laws, most states have laws on the books that prohibit tampering with emissions control devices. If cams, cylinder heads, fuel tanks and intake and exhaust systems become “emissions control devices,” then much of the freedom that we exercise in customizing, modifying and tuning arguably becomes tampering. Those of us with riding experience know that some law enforcement personnel in some jurisdictions take a great deal of liberty in interpreting these laws when it suits their mood. Whether or not they buy the “Honest, officer. The California Air Resources Board issued a letter of exemption.” in Peoria is not a matter that is addressed in the proposed regulation. Visualize customs agents seizing your Italian titanium exhaust system.

The right thing to do would be for the EPA to monitor the sales of on-road motorcycles that do not employ closed loop fuel injection for the next five years, and compare the real-world emissions of motorcycles with those of automobiles before they propose similar regulations. And make their press releases informative instead of inflammatory.