Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Jake Zemke has reached a new, two-year deal with American Honda and will ride AMA Supersport and Formula Xtreme for Erion Honda in 2003. That’s the word from American Honda Racing Teams Manager Chuck Miller, who added that he is also close to coming to terms with Alex Gobert to put the 19-year-old Australian on an Erion Honda CBR600RR for 2003. Gobert, however, will not ride in Formula Xtreme.

Miller said he is currently in the process of signing crew members and arranging the composition of the different Honda teams.

Zemke is currently training with Erion Honda teammate Roger Lee Hayden in the Pacific Northwest. The pair plan to participate as guest instructors at Danny Walker’s American Supercamp flat track school September 26-30 in Vancouver, Washington before heading South to race in the Formula USA Pro Singles dirt track races in Del Mar, California October 5.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

A Short Interview By Glenn LeSanto

Roadracingworld.com: Are you going to win the title this weekend, Colin?

Colin Edwards: “I’m ready, even if it rains I’ll take that, I’m confident it’s going to be the biggest turn-around of the century! We’ve got him (Troy Bayliss) well and truly mentally f–ked at the moment! Everything’s been coming together since Laguna Seca.”

RW: You’ve been publicly pretty upset about Honda signing Nicky Hayden for MotoGP recently, how do you feel about it now?

CE: “I’m over it man, I can’t be bothered with being upset any more, it’s a done deal and I don’t want to waste my energy on being upset by it anymore.”

RW: Can you confirm the Ducati deal yet?

CE: “I wish I could but I can’t. I hope I’ve got a job next year but right now I can’t even say it’s 90% certain. I don’t really know why it isn’t certain, but it’s not yet final.”

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Actor Matt LeBlanc, one of the stars of the hit television comedy “Friends,” helped his real-life friends at American Suzuki by participating in the opening ceremonies of the Suzuki dealer show Monday, September 23 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Mike Webb, who runs the (Suzuki) off-road race team, is a good friend of mine,” LeBlanc told Roadracingworld.com Tuesday. “Him and Pat Alexander and Mel Harris, they all said, ‘Will you come out and be part of the show?'”

During the opening ceremony Monday night, LeBlanc told the audience of Suzuki dealers, “I’ve been a Suzuki guy pretty much all my life.”

On Tuesday, LeBlanc said “And I wasn’t lying last night. I’ve been riding Suzukis since I was a little kid. So for me it’s kind of an honor to come be a part of (Suzuki’s) world. This is really cool.”

LeBlanc said he had several Suzuki off-road bikes, a GSX-R1000 and an Aprilia Mille R. “But I downplay that (Aprilia) at this place. I love bikes; two wheels, on the road, on the dirt, whatever.

“I ride on the roads around L.A., like Angeles Crest, or up the coast there’s great riding. I do a little desert riding, I guess it’s Northeast of L.A. I don’t really ride any of the (motocross) tracks. I’m more of an off-road, trail rider. The tracks…if I get hurt it means I can’t go to work and make money. I can’t afford to get hurt. I’m not getting paid to ride. I’m getting paid to do something else. It’s just for fun for me.”

When asked if he ever considered taking his GSX-R1000 out for a track day, LeBlanc said he was looking forward to doing that but was having a tough time fitting it into his schedule. “My schedule is just radical. I’m supposed to be at work right now. There’s a plane waiting for me right now. I need to go get on it and get the hell out of here,” said LeBlanc.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Team Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki hopes AMA Pro Racing will allow current 750cc four-cylinder Superbikes a 2mm overbore for the 2003 AMA Superbike season and announce the final rules package by mid-October, said team members Tuesday at the Suzuki Dealer Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Suzuki and Kawasaki, I think, are pushing real hard with the AMA trying to encourage them to allow a 2mm overbore on our current bikes. The thing is still going to be 200cc smaller than the Twins, but it might just help us a little bit,” said Aaron Yates.

“I don’t really know what’s going on. I kind of feel like we should be experimenting with a 1000cc and see how it is. But the team, Yoshimura, they feel like the limitations of the standard gearbox, the Superstock 1000 with stock gearbox, is not going to be competitive with a full-on 1000cc Superbike Twin.

“But they need to allow us to do something to make the racing more fair and closer. The World Superbike stuff to me and some friends at home, we don’t even care about watching it anymore because it’s just Hondas and Ducatis out there. You know who’s going to win or who’s going to be in the race. We want to see the Suzukis and the Yamahas and the Kawasakis out there and not just a two-brand race. I mean if they’re not careful and don’t even things out, people are going to lose interest in it. It’s not fun watching a race where there’s a dominant rider or bike or whatever in it,” said Yates.

“There are some certain issues we are in discussions with AMA right now for allowances for this transitional year that is upcoming, leading into the ’04 season, with the new format for Superbike,” said Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki Team Manager Sakakura Tuesday. “There are certain issues we’d like to see adjusted to allow more competitive machinery to compete.

“It’ll be a 1000cc format (in 2004), more of a modified production class maybe. Again they haven’t finalized the rules, but it looks like they’re going to tighten up on some of the regulations.” Sakakura said he believed the tighter regulations are aimed at keeping the cost of building a Superbike down.

“I’m hoping (the AMA announces the rules) by the middle of October. We’re just waiting. They haven’t officially said (when they will announce the rules). I think they’re close right now, and obviously, it takes time to make these decisions. So early-to-mid-October is our hope.”

Sakakura also confirmed what American Suzuki Vice President Mel Harris mentioned to dealers Monday night, that 18-year-old Ben Spies has been signed to Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki for 2003. “Ben is officially signed up for next year to ride the Supersport class, the 600cc class, as well as probably selected Superbike events. We haven’t really decided yet until we get a clear picture from the AMA on the regulations, but he will be on the big bike,” said Sakakura.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

2002 AMA Supersport Champion Aaron Yates is still facing probation and a possible race suspension during the 2003 season, in addition to a $2500 fine, for laying on an active racetrack during the August 11 AMA Superbike race a Virginia International Raceway, Yates said Tuesday at the Suzuki Dealer Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

After defining the AMA’s “significant fine” as $2500, Yates told Roadracingworld.com, “I was kind of upset about you all putting the thing in there about us wanting to appeal it. The whole idea of the appeal deal was that there was other issues along…other penalties that we were concerned with and wanted to appeal, not necessarily the fine.

“I know I goofed up and did something stupid. I was expecting it (the fine). It’s just I was concerned with some additional penalties along with the fine.”

Yates said he was facing, “Probation, possible race suspension. I guess I am on probation. It’s a big concern because we don’t want some goofy little something to cause a suspension of a race and miss all those points. I mean, we’re out there racing for a Championship.

“I guess we all do things we wish we didn’t do, and that’s one of my things I did. At the time I felt like it was the thing to do. I wasn’t really thinking is what happened. I was just trying to express my opinion. I felt like the race should be red flagged. His (Kurtis Roberts’) bike was on the track.

“You know, I wish I would’ve just ran over there, picked up my bike, tried to get it started and took off, just like I did. Just the way it all worked out, I would’ve ended up right where I did because of the additional red flags we had.”

When asked if the penalty situation with AMA Pro Racing was settled and done, Yates said, “I just kind of dropped it. I just wish it would go away.”

After our interview, Yates’ manager Cliff Nobles confirmed that Yates is under a “one-year probationary period” lasting until August 11, 2003.

From a press release issued by Yamaha Motor Corp., USA:

YAMAHA FIELDS FOUR RIDER FACTORY ROAD RACE TEAM FOR 2003

CYPRESS, Calif., 2002-Emphasizing the “we race what we sell” approach, Yamaha Motor Corporation USA today officially announced that it will campaign a four rider team for 2003. The team will consist of Damon Buckmaster, Aaron Gobert, Jamie Hacking and Jason DiSalvo riding all-new, fuel injected, factory prepared Yamaha YZF-R6s in the AMA US 600 Supersport class. DiSalvo will also compete on his YZF-R6 in the AMA US Superstock class.

In addition to racing the YZF-R6, Buckmaster, Gobert and Hacking will battle for the AMA Formula Xtreme championship on the proven Team Graves Motorsports prepared Yamaha YZF-R1s.

According to Keith McCarty, Yamaha racing manager, “This arrangement with Graves Motorsports allows both teams to focus on one specific machine and put forth our best effort in each class.”

Commenting on the team, he added, “I expect some great results this year from the entire team that we’ve assembled. We’ve got the perfect combination of young guns and guys who have already delivered great results.”

From a press release issued by Michelin:

Down to the wire

The last round of the 2002 world superbike championship is set to be a classic. The second half of the season has seen an impressive effort by Colin Edwards (Castrol Honda-Michelin) to get back on top of the championship. A few months ago, at Laguna Seca, Troy Bayliss (Ducati Infostrada-Michelin) was a huge 56 points ahead of archrival Edwards. But since then, the Honda rider has chipped steadily away at this points difference. Then came Assen, and an upset in the second leg which handed Edwards the series
lead by a single point!

“I don’t think anyone can believe what’s happened in this year’s championship,” admits Edwards, Superbike World Champion with Honda in 2000. “I suppose it was looking like Troy would walk the championship after he won six in a row at the start of the season. It was never easy for me and the team in some of those early races. I’d get a lead in a race and just wait for Troy to come by then have no reply. But since the second race at Laguna Seca in July we’ve moved up a gear and now we’re in the position I think we deserve.”

Even when he was finding it hard to keep up with Bayliss, Edwards was already extremely consistent. His two Assen wins mean that he has now claimed 23 consecutive podiums. The previous record was held by Carl Fogarty (Ducati-Michelin) with 12 straight podiums in 1995 and 1999. “The statistics confirm how determined we’ve been this year to cling on to hopes of winning the title,” argues Edwards. “I now want to keep the momentum going with two wins at Imola.”

Edwards is looking strong for Imola, especially with Bayliss a little downhearted after his Assen mistake. “Now I’ve got to go out and do it all again at Imola,” winces the 2001 world champion. “I’m pretty mad with myself for the crash, but what can you do? I have to admit I’d rather be in front of Colin at this point though.”

But Bayliss remains as determined as ever. “The day after Assen, Kim and I were checking in at Amsterdam airport,” recalls Bayliss. “Then some dude comes past and says, “Hey Troy, bad luck for yesterday, better luck for next year.” I just stood there and thought to myself: “This one’s not finished yet…”

An equal footing

As usual, all Michelin riders can expect exactly the same level of support from the French tyre giant at Imola. Bayliss and Edwards will both be able to choose from the same tyres. “After that, it’s up to each rider to decide what tyres to use depending on his own style and the bike he’s using,” explains Jean Hérissé, Michelin’s Superbike racing manager.

Since the start of the superbike world championship in 1988, Michelin has won 250 out of 365 races and 9 out of 13 championships.

This season alone, out of 24 races Michelin has won 23 and taken all three podium positions 8 times. A total of 72 podium positions have so far been claimed this year and 51 of those went to Michelin, even though the French tyre giant only works with four riders.


Edwards breaks lap record during Imola tests

Colin Edwards was given a crucial opportunity to test at Imola just before this weekend’s round. With a time of 1:48.10, the Texan was faster than the lap record of 1:48.462 Ruben Xaus (Ducati Infostrad-Michelin) set last year.

“It’s great that we could get the test time at Imola,” says Edwards. “Since we raced there last year there’s a lot changed on the machine – the chassis, motor, oil, Michelin tyres and Showa suspension… In fact, it’s a completely different motorcycle to what we raced at Imola 12 months ago.

“We’ve had a good test, I’ve done a lot of miles and now I’m ready to race, The guys from Michelin and Showa have gone home happy and I think we’re just about set for the final round here. It’s OK going fast but the main reason for the test was to find a good race set-up and we’ve pretty much done that so you have to say today¹s been a success.”

Edwards was able to test because regulations allow each team to choose two test tracks and Team Castrol Honda’s choices were Misano and Imola.

“Misano is a good, demanding test track for us and we went for Imola just in case the championship was tight going into the final round,” explains Neil Tuxworth, Castrol Honda team manager.


Ducati tests at Mugello

Troy Bayliss completed 68 laps of the Mugello circuit in Italy and set a best time of 1:53.08 using racing tyres.

“We came here to test in view of the Imola race,” Bayliss explained after the session. “In the last few rounds I’ve really had to struggle to get good results but, with the modifications we tested, the bike feels the same as it did at the start of the season. I’ve never lapped so fast around Mugello, and even though Imola is a different track altogether, I’m feeling good about the final round of the championship”.

The Ducati factory team also took advantage of the session to test the new Ducati 999 which will be used next year in world superbikes. Ruben Xaus did 70 laps on the bike.


Imola and tyres

“You need a nimble machine for Imola’s three chicanes,” says Nicolas Goubert, Michelin motorcycle racing manager. “So the tyres we bring to this circuit are designed to keep the steering light. The chicanes mean that the right-hand side of the tyre doesn’t get loaded up much under braking so grip characteristics need to be good. Combining high levels of sidegrip with light steering is hard, especially on a bumpy surface like this one.”

Troy Bayliss: “I like the circuit but it’s quite bumpy now. Imola would be a really great track if they resurfaced it. But it’s good to come here because it has a lot of history. Last year of course we all know what happened to me, I slipped off and I broke my collarbone. Actually I was trying really hard. Not many people know but I was having a problem with the bike, something wrong with the engine, and I nearly pulled into the pits, which is something I don’t do. I thought I should pull in, and then I said no, that’s what I am here to do. I still could possibly win, so I was trying very hard but it caught me up and I crashed. But it’s a good circuit.”

Colin Edwards: “Imola is a bit rough, a couple of places can be a little bit dangerous, but it’s a good track. You have chicanes, fast fifth gear corners… pretty much everything. It’s a good track, good people, good place to have a race.”

Ruben Xaus: “It’s a nice circuit. Laconi was very fast here last year. He had a lot of experience from 500 GP racing. It was my first time here. I was very happy with the bike and the tyres. Imola is fast and the bike moves around a lot because the surface is old. Finding the right pace is hard because if you try too hard, you end up going slower. There’s not that much grip either so its hard to go fast here.”

The Autodromo Enzo and Dino Ferrari started life in 1950 as a public road circuit. Imola’s first large-scale motorcycle race was held in 1953. Imola became a permanent racing circuit in 1979 and welcomed the Formula One championship for an exhibition race (held a week after the Italian GP at Monza). The first F1 championship race happened the following year and was called the “Gran Premio Dino Ferrari”. Twelve motorcycle GPs have been held at Imola: 7 Nations GPs (1969, 72, 74, 75, 77, 79, 88), two San Marino GPs (81, 83) and three City of Imola GPs (96, 97, 98). Freddie Spencer (Honda-Michelin) took his first 500cc World Championship at Imola in 1983, beating Kenny Roberts by just one point.

Imola is one of few European anti-clockwise tracks (Misano is another). It used to be extremely fast but average speeds were greatly reduced after Ayrton Senna’s tragic 1994 crash. Imola now has five chicanes.

Imola is 35 km southeast of Bologna (home of the Ducati factory), 90 km from Florence, 16 km from Faenza and 35 km from Forili.

Michelin and Italian motosports.

Few countries have a motosports tradition as rich as Italy. Michelin has partnered the best Italian teams and the greatest Italian champions since the first F1 car GP world title Michelin took with Ferrari in 1979. In world rallying, Michelin and Lancia have claimed 8 titles (3 driver championships and 5 constructor’s titles). In motorcycle GPs, Michelin has won world titles with Valentino Rossi, Paolo Pileri, Walter Villa, Mario Lega, Eugenio Lazzarini, Pier Paolo Bianchi, Marco Lucchinelli, Franco Unicini, Fausto Gresini, Luca Cadalora, and manufacturers Morbidelli, Aermacchi Harley-Davidson, Garelli and Minarelli.

Michelin won the very first World Superbike race. At Donington in 1988, Davide Tardozzi won the first leg on a Bimota-Michelin and Marco Lucchinelli took the following win on a Ducati-Michelin. Michelin’s years working alongside Ducati have yielded great results including Carl Fogarty’s four world titles in 1994, 95, 98 and 99, Raymond Roche’s 1990 title. Then came the Australians with Troy Corser becoming world champion in 1996 and Troy Bayliss last year.

Imola stats

Superbike

Official practice record (2001):
1:48.462 Ruben Xaus (Ducati Infostrada-Michelin), 163.733 kph average speed.

Superpole record (2001)
1:48.694 Troy Corser (Aprilia), 163.383 kph

Lap record (best race lap 2001)
1:49.398 Troy Corser (Aprilia), 163.383 kph average speed

First race results 2001
1- Ruben Xaus (Ducati Infostrada-Michelin), 21 laps (103.593 km) in 38:42.598, 160.568 kph average speed.
2- Troy Corser (Aprilia) -3.601
3- Colin Edwards (Castrol Honda-Michelin) -4.079
4- Ben Bostrom (Ducati) -6.340
5- Tadayuki Okada (Castrol Honda-Michelin) -13.737

Second race results 2001
1- Régis Laconi (Aprilia), 21 laps (103.593 km) in 38:33.264, 161.216 kph average speed.
2- Ruben Xaus (Ducati Infostrada-Michelin) -0.021
3- Tadayuki Okada (Castrol Honda-Michelin) -0.844
4- Ben Bostrom (Ducati) -15.975
5- Steve Martin (Ducati DFX Racing)

From a press release issued by Monstermob Ducati:

Round 13 – 2002 MCN British Superbike Championship – Donington Park – September 29th

HISLOP REVVED UP FOR DONINGTON FINALE

With a massive 37 point lead going into the final round of the 2002 MCN British Superbike Championship, MonsterMob Ducati’s Steve Hislop is confident he can land the elusive title going into Sunday’s double header at Donington Park.

The 40 year old Isle of Man based Scotsman has brushed aside his disappointment of his last round performance at Mallory Park and all the crisis talk that has subsequently emerged and is focussing on the task in hand which will see him crowned champion if he finishes in the top four of either race:

“I’m not bothered in the slightest what’s been said and written over the past couple of weeks, I’m going to Donington Park for one thing, and that is to win. I was down in the dumps for a couple of hours after Mallory but that’s forgotten about and I’ve never been so determined as I am right now. The weather’s looking OK and the pressure isn’t on me at all, it’s on Sean Emmett. I just need to wobble round and pick up a few points, he needs to win both races” said Hislop defiantly.

The permutations are many fold but should Emmett win both races, then Hislop only needs either a fourth place finish in one of the two races, or a ninth place result in both legs to clinch the second championship of the season for the Paul Bird Motorsport Team after Supersport rider Stuart Easton wrapped up the title aboard his 748cc MonsterMob Ducati at Mallory. But the 18-year-old from Hawick is not planning on resting on his laurels; he too is going all out for victory:

“I’ve got nothing to lose so my plan is to go out with a bang and show them why I’m number one. I won easily at Donington earlier in the season and I’m planning on a repeat performance to round off what has been a great year for me” said Easton.

Team boss Paul Bird remains cautious but confident about the weekend:

“We just need to go there and do our job which is what we’ve done all year and we’ll be fine. For sure, I’d like Steve to ride better than he did at Mallory but the stark truth is that a rostrum in the first race will see him win the title and then he can go and blitz them in race two if he wants. We just need a bit of luck and after the past couple of years, surely no one would begrudge us that” said the Penrith businessman.

MCN British Superbike Championship
Points after Round 12 (24 races) of 13 (26)
1 Steve Hislop MonsterMob Ducati 416
2 Sean Emmett Virgin Mobile Yamaha 379
3 Michael Rutter Renegade Ducati 357.5
4 Shane Byrne Renegade Ducati 283.5
5 Steve Plater Virgin Mobile Yamaha 270
6 John Reynolds Rizla Suzuki 253.5

MB4U.com National Supersport Championship
Points after Round 13 of 14
1 Stuart Easton MonsterMob Ducati 244 (champion)
2 Scott Smart Norwood Honda 181
3 Michael Laverty Miller Honda 149
4 Pete Jennings MSS Kawasaki 113
5 Tom Tunstall Earnshaws Suzuki 104
6 Ben Wilson Dave Siedel Honda 100

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Mel Harris, Vice President of American Suzuki’s Motorcycle Division, said that 18-year-old Texan Ben Spies, formerly of Attack Suzuki, would join Mat Mladin and Aaron Yates on Team Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki in 2003. Harris made the announcement on stage Monday night at Bally’s Hotel & Casino Event Center in Las Vegas, Nevada during the welcome dinner and new model introduction portion of the Suzuki Dealer Show titled “Fast Forward 2003.”

Harris made the statement, “We’ll have a new team member, Ben Spies, next year,” to 2002 AMA Supersport Champion Yates. Yates had ridden the 2003-model GSX-R1000 onto the stage.

Also during the impressive opening ceremony, Rick Suzuki, President of American Suzuki, told the gathering of over 2000 Suzuki dealers and select industry media that American Suzuki had outpaced the growth of the motorcycle industry. American Suzuki’s motorcycle sales for 2002 increased 16% (117,943 units in 2001 versus 137,367 units in 2002) resulting in the company’s 11th straight year of growth.

Suzuki also said that the Suzuki Automobile division is the fastest growing automotive brand in America.

Later, Harris returned to say that American Suzuki’s ATV sales went up 167% in 2002 and the company’s market share increased from 5.7% to 9%. Harris also said Suzuki had a 32.2% share of the American sportbike market and a 33.9% share of the dual-sport market.

In a presentation on American Suzuki’s new marketing campaign, American Suzuki executive Kerry Graeber talked about increased exposure on major networks like ESPN and announced that American Suzuki had made a multi-year deal to be the title sponsor for the 2003 Heisman Trophy Award, an annual award presented to the top college footbal player. Suzuki will also advertise during ESPN’s Sunday night NFL football games, on ESPN’s national radio network and with print ads in ESPN magazine. Graeber also said that American Suzuki would continue with its win ad strategy in motorcycle print magazines.

Suzuki also introduced new-for-2003 models to the assembly, including the LT-Z250 (a 250cc, four-stroke, single-cylinder, entry-level sport ATV); the updated SV650 and SV650S (650cc V-Twin unfaired/half-faired sportbikes); the “most requested model,” the new SV1000 and SV1000S (996cc, V-Twin, unfaired/half-faired sportbikes); the heavily-revised GSX-R1000; and two new scooters – the Burgman 400 and Burgman 650, which feature automatic and semi-automatic transmissions. (Burgman roughly translates to Cityman in German, according to Harris.)

The Burgman, presumably meant to be a show stopper, was ridden on stage by Matt LeBlanc, star of the television show “Friends.” Harris asked LeBlanc what he thought of the Burgman. “This is great!” exclaimed LeBlanc, a self-professed Suzuki guy. “What the hell is it?”

Coming straight from the Emmy’s television awards show held in Los Angeles Sunday night, LeBlanc was a big part of American Suzuki’s opening ceremony, riding several of the new models onto the stage and exchanging scripted banter with Harris.

Harris really got into the Las Vegas spirit during the program, starring in one video production where he is eating and drinking sponsors’ products, like SoBe soft drinks, while watching a string of actual Suzuki television commercials. In the video, Harris went into a sort of dream squence where he fondly remembered the 1970s, particularly the disco era. Seconds later, Harris danced out on stage wearing a white, “Saturday Night Fever” suit while the Bee Gee’s “Stayin’ Alive” played over the speakers and Las Vegas show girls danced around him. Harris was then joined by a little person wearing a similar disco suit. Spoofing on the Austin Powers series of movies, Harris refered to the little person as “Mini-Mel.”

The opening ceremony closed with a Ricky Martin impersonator and show girls from the Las Vegas production American Superstars, performing a song and dance to “Livin’ La Vida Loca.”

The American Suzuki dealer show continues through Wednesday, September 25 with business seminars and demo rides on the Burgman scooters for Suzuki dealers and their employees. Tuesday night’s Dealer Award show will be hosted by comedian Jay Leno.

From a press release issued by HyperClub:

Just a quick reminder that our next Track Day at Willow will be at the BIG TRACK, Monday, September 30th. We will have Aaron Yates and another special guest.

Gates open at 7:30 a.m. and you should expect to be on the track at 9:00 a.m. $175.00 pre-registration. We expect ideal conditions.

Lunch is included! See you there.

Call 818-988-8860 or FAX entry forms to 818-988-8834.