Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Mike Sullivan set a new lap record for Spokane Raceway Park on Setember 1, during a WMRRA weekend.

Sullivan set the new record in the Formula Ultra race, riding a Suzuki GSX-R1000 on the 2.5-mile road course located in Spokane, Washington.

His time of 1:29.086 was verified by Troy Moe of Spokane Raceway Park, Inc.

From a press release issued by Team Orthopedics, a team sponsored by a surgeon with crew members all outfitted in scrub shirts like those TV stars:


Jack Pfeifer and Team Orthopedics battle the factories at the first annual Toyota 200 Grand Prix at Willow Springs Raceway!

“We had a great weekend,” says orthopedic surgeon Dr. Paul Canale, who organized Team Orthopedics Racing to sponsor Jack “The Fastest Man in Vegas” Pfeifer. Jack pulled the holeshot on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 to the first corner. After a blistering 10-second first pit stop Jack was handily holding off a great charge by factory Kawasaki rider Tommy Hayden for fourth place when he was black-flagged because a muffler support bolt backed out, a hard lesson for the crew that Loctite is no match for safety wiring. “We lost approximately 90 seconds fixing the problem and got Jack back out where he hammered it home and fought back to a sixth-place finish.”

Travis Ryan, Team Manager:
“In a short two months, we brought together a diverse and capable support team to mount a solid effort to back up our hugely talented rider, Jack Pfeifer, and place him into contention with the well-financed factory-backed efforts. We’re committed to helping Jack win big and establish himself as a recognized champion and we’ve been working feverishly on getting him onto more developed machinery and better equipment. Once we get closer parity on the equipment to the factory guys, Jack will beat them. He has finished top-10 at the AMA national level has an aggressive and sophisticated approach to riding and his training regimen.

“We need to get more power out of the motor and get the suspension dialed in. We have consulted some experienced suspension experts who have gotten us much closer, but we’re still fighting some handling gremlins and Jack can only compensate so much to control high-speed wobbles and loss of traction in the corners.

“We put on an impressive effort with only two months true development work, and our tentative plan is to continue the 2002 WSMC series where Jack is currently leading the points in two classes, and after acquiring more sponsor funding we will be a competitive AMA national team in 2003.”

Team Orthopedics and Jack Pfeifer would like to thank our sponsors, Elite Racing, Galfer brakes, Arrow Exhausts, VP racing fuels, Motorex, Skorpion racing/Texport leathers, Fastrack riders, Dunlop tires, Dynojet, Lockhart Phillips Racing, Hansen and Associates, Allstar Auto, Desert Motorsports, Miguel Duhamel, WSMC, for making Jack’s racing success possible!

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

BAM! Entertainment, makers of World Rally Championship, Dropship and Way of the Samurai, has released Riding Spirits, a new motorcycle riding/racing simulation video game for the Sony Playstation 2.

Similar to the driving simulation game series Gran Turismo, Riding Spirits players earn points by winning races and then use their points to purchase motorcycles and riding gear and to make upgrades to their machines and equipment. Players can choose from nearly 200 officially-licensed Vintage, current and prototype motorcycles from Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Honda and HRC and select from riding gear from Alpinestars, Arai, Dianese, Kushitani, RS Taichi, Shoei, Sidi and Takai.

Riding Spirits features 16 different tracks across Europe, America and Japan, both day and night racing, quick-play mode or career mode, one or two-player, split-screen racing action, several training courses and bonus challenges.

Developed by Spike of Japan over the last two years, Riding Spirits is rated E for Everyone and is available now for an MSRP of $49.99 at most consumer electronics stores.

For more information on Riding Spirits, go to www.ridingspirits.net or www.bam4fun.com

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Photos of a new Suzuki SV1000 have been springing up overseas.

From an AMA Pro Racing press release announcing that former Harley-Davidson factory road racer Chris Carr just won his fourth AMA dirt track title:

CARR DEFENDS HIS AMA PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE U.S. FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP

PICKERINGTON, Ohio–Chris Carr made history Saturday in Tunica, Miss., by becoming only the third rider in the 49-year history of the AMA Grand National Championship to win four titles. Carr, 35, of Fleetwood, Pa., locked up the 2002 AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship with his fifth-place finish in Tunica. Carr’s 49-point lead going into the final two rounds of the series gives him an insurmountable lead over second-ranked Johnny Murphree. Carr joins Carroll Resweber and Scott Parker as the third rider to win at least four AMA Grand National titles (Parker won a record total of nine AMA Grand National Championships).

Carr got off to a relatively slow start to the season, but after winning round four on the Mile at Springfield, Ill., he took over the series points lead and never relinquished it. For much of the season his lead was a narrow one, but in the later rounds his consistency paid off and he gradually pulled away to secure the No. 1 plate. In all, Carr has scored seven podium finishes with two rounds remaining including two wins on the Springfield Mile and a victory at the new-to-the-series half-mile circuit in Prestonsburg, Ky. In the final two weeks of the season nationals in Columbus, Ohio, and Du Quoin, Ill., will round out the 20-race championship.

“There’s been 12 different winners in our series so far this year,” said the newly crowned Carr. “That speaks volumes for how competitive our series is. There’s no other series in AMA racing right now that can boast that kind of parity and it’s a real testament to new riders coming up and the older riders who are hanging in there. We’ve got a very competitive field of riders right now so it means a lot to me to win a championship in a series like that.”

Carr won the title on a variety of tracks. This year the series featured more TT and short-track circuits to go along with the traditional mile and half-mile tracks.

“To me a perfect series would be five short tracks, five TTs, five miles and five half-miles,” said Carr. “That shows the true balance of a racer. A good balance of variety would produce a true all-around dirt track champion. So I’m glad we’re getting more short-track and TT races in the series.”

Carr rode a stable of bikes tuned by longtime tuner Kenny Tolbert, who has been with Carr in all four of his championships. He campaigned a Harley-Davidson XR750 at the majority of races and rode a combination of equipment at the short track and TT events including VORs and Rotax-based ATKs. Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned Ford sponsored his effort.

Carr previously won the championship in 1992, 1999 and 2001.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Eric Bostrom is at the Kawasaki dealer convention in San Antonio, Texas and has signed a letter of intent to ride for the team, but company officials have said they are uncertain exactly what they’ll do with him.

The final decision seems to be hinging on what the still-unannounced AMA Superbike rules package is for 2003 and beyond.

Tommy Hayden and Tony Meiring are already signed contracts to ride for Kawasaki again.

The Kawasaki dealer show started yesterday and runs through today. Dealer shows are used to get dealers familiar with a manufacturer’s new-year model line and to take dealer orders.

Kawasaki officials have also hinted that they will introduce a new ZX-10R in mid-2003.


This apparently contradictory press release just in from Bostrom’s manager, Norm Viano:

Eric Bostrom makes his decision

September 16, 2002 – As ‘silly season’ continues to move forward, Eric Bostrom has taken his name out of the ring and has decided to remain a Kawasaki rider. “I’m happy that Kawasaki was very interested in keeping me on a green bike. I’m comfortable here, have had good results with them, my crew is really good, and there are some exciting Kawasaki machines coming in the near future.”

The popular Las Vegas racer has come to terms with Kawasaki for the next two years and will continue to challenge for AMA Road Racing Championships, potentially setting up a brotherly rivalry between brother Ben (who is racing for Honda in the States next year) that would be nothing but healthy for the sport. Fans that enjoyed the fierce battles between Eric and Nicky Hayden this season will certainly enjoy similar, and perhaps even more intense, battles next season. In addition, Eric retains a strong connection to the Kawasaki motoGP project, as he will be testing the machine for Kawasaki before the year is out and again next season. This was a final component that convinced Eric to stay with Kawasaki.

“With this deal, I can’t lose. I have a great opportunity with the Kawasaki motoGP team in the near future, plus I can race in a championship here in the States until then. It’s a championship that I’d like to see grow as it has in the past. And my brother will be home next year, too. I’d like nothing better than to race against Ben, as he’s a fun guy to race against. And the motoGP option is something I really want, as well, so it’s an ideal situation. I can’t lose either way and my goals remain the same; to win championships. Here at home, always. And then to race motoGP for Kawasaki soon. And if we don’t end up racing the motoGP full time next year, maybe that will be a little bit better actually. We can get a little bit of development out of the way and jump on it when it’s a bit more sorted out. I’m obviously excited to be a part of the development, though, and I’m looking forward to riding a bike with all that HP. Hopefully it won’t spoil me, as the Superbike might feel a bit soft after that!”

How does Eric rate his brotherly opponent for next season? “Ben is going to be tough to beat, period. All of his years on the world stage, and he certainly has his act together more than anyone else here. But all the same, he hasn’t seen the tracks here for a few years, so maybe that will play into my hands. It’ll be great fun and good for the sport. Ben’s going to be the guy to beat going into it. He’s got the target on his back and I’d love to take race wins from him and win the championship.”


More, from a press release Viano issued about Meiring’s contract renewel:

Tiger signs

September 16, 2002 – Tracy, CA. Tony ‘the Tiger’ Meiring will return to Kawasaki for the 2003 and 2004 seasons and contest the AMA 600 Supersport and 750 Superstock Championships. The 18 year old rider impressed many last year in his first year as a factory rider and even scored a podium when he finished 2nd at Pikes Peak in the 600 Supersport race there. “I’m really happy to be back with Kawasaki. Their new 636 and 600s are going to be winning bikes, that’s for sure. Last year was a good learning year and I’m going to try to win as many races as I can on the new Kawasakis.”

Although the AMA season ended a month ago, Tony has been training hard in early preparation for next season and is anxious to race Kawasaki’s new ZX-6RR, a bike which he believes will impress many Kawasaki owners and fans. “That new 600 is going to be such a hit for Kawasaki. It’s a race-built bike. It’s very comfortable to ride, but it will also be a great bike to race. When I rode it a few weeks ago, I was able to light up the rear tire. For a stock 600, the power and handling were just incredible. And that new 636 was impressive too. It will certainly help me when I race it in the Superstock class next year”

Considered one of the brightest stars in American road racing, the likeable Californian and AMA Horizon winner (1999) is glad that Kawasaki gave him the chance to show his talents last year. “I’d like to thank Kawasaki for giving me the opportunity last year to do what I love to do, which is race motorcycles. I’m glad that they liked what they saw in me and are expecting more good things from me in the future. I’m looking forward to winning championships for them soon.”

Issued: Monday September 16 2002
From a press release issued by Castrol Honda:

EDWARDS AND SP-2 BREAK IMOLA LAP RECORD

Castrol Honda’s Colin Edwards smashed the lap record at the Imola circuit in Italy on Monday during a one-day test session ahead of the final round of the World Superbike championship.

Edwards was 1.2-second inside the existing record as the 28-year-old American rider goes in search of victory in the decisive 13th round of the
championship at the Imola track on September 29.

He powered the SP-2 Honda machine around the 3.04-mile circuit in 1:48.10 and remains confident of taking a second title, adding to his 2000 success.

“We’ve had a good test, I’ve done a lot of miles and now I’m ready to race,”
said Edwards. “The guys from Michelin and Showa have gone home happy and I think we’re just about set for the final round here next week.”

Edwards’ lap time was also faster than the fastest lap recorded in last year’s inaugural World Superbike round at the famous Italian venue. That lap was set by Ruben Xaus, at 1:48.462 during the Saturday morning qualifying
session.

The Castrol rider added: “It’s OK going fast but the main reason for the test was to find a good race set-up and we¹ve pretty much done that so you
have to say today’s been a success.”

Edwards, winner of the last seven races, leads the championship by one point from defending champion Troy Bayliss as the pair head for a final-round showdown.



More, from another Honda press release announcing that John McGuinness has been replaced:

LAVERTY TO RACE FOR HONDA AT IMOLA

Young Irish rider Michael Laverty will make his World Supersport championship debut at the final round at Imola, Italy on September 29.

Laverty, 21, will join Australian Karl Muggeridge in the Honda UK team for the 12th round, replacing team regular John McGuinness.

Laverty has secured third place in this year’s British Supersport championship on a CBR600 Honda and Honda UK team manager Roger Harvey believes the time is right for the Ulsterman to move onto the world stage.

“Michael has developed tremendously during the 2002 season and after winning three of the last four British championship rounds he deserves this chance,” says Harvey.

Harvey continues: “I spoke with John McGuinness and he fully understands the need to change rider for the final round. John’s tried his hardest this year but has found it difficult to adjust to the cut and thrust of the world championship.”

Laverty will miss the final round of the British championship to take up the offer of a world championship debut.

“It’s a great opportunity for me,” reckons Laverty. “It’ll be great to dip a toe in the water at this level ­ even though I know how tough it will be against the championship regulars.

“I’m looking forward to getting on the Pirelli tyres too, I’ve used them a couple of times and really like them.”

Former Supermoto champion Laverty is hoping the Imola experience can benefit his promising career, he adds: “After racing at Assen earlier this month I’ve certainly taken a liking to the atmosphere and I’m really looking forward to the Italian experience.:


MICHAEL LAVERTY

FULL NAME:
Michael John Laverty

DATE OF BIRTH:
June 7 1981

PLACE OF BIRTH:
Ballymena, N. Ireland

HOME TOWN:
Toombridge, N. Ireland

MARRIED:
No

HOBBIES:
Skiing, cycling, running

FIRST RACE:
1998, Aghadowey, Honda 125

FIRST WIN:
1998, Mondello Park, Honda 125

FAVOURITE CIRCUIT:
Brands Hatch GP circuit

TEAM/MACHINE:
Honda CBR600F Sport

HELMET: Arai
LEATHERS: Dainese
BOOTS: Daytona


Michael Laverty
Career history

1998 Raced a 125cc Honda for Joe Millar Racing, winning numerous club races.

1999 Raced a 125cc Honda for Joe Millar Racing, finishing 15th in British championship. Also finished runner-up in Irish Supermoto championship.

2000 Raced a 125cc Honda for Joe Millar Racing, finishing seventh in British championship. Also won Irish Supermoto championship.

2001 Switched from 125cc class to Supersport class, racing for Team Ireland, finished 15th in British Supersport championship. Finished in third place in Donington Park 125 round, best finish of seventh in Supersport, at Mallory Park.

2002 Racing for Joe Millar Racing in British Supersport championship, finished third with wins at Thruxton, Cadwell Park and Mallory Park. Winner of Dutch round of European Superstock championship at Assen.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

American Jason DiSalvo has been granted an FIM wild-card entry for the 250cc race at the Rio Grand Prix, scheduled for September 19-21 in Brazil.

DiSalvo will ride his Honda RS250.

Eric Bataille of France is the other FIM wild card rider in the 250cc Grand Prix at Rio, and will also ride a Honda RS250.

From a press release issued by Marlboro Yamaha:

RIO GRAND PRIX, JACAREPAGUA
September 19/20/21 2002

MARLBORO YAMAHA MEN SEEK RIO GLORY

This weekend Marlboro Yamaha Team riders Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa embark on their six-week around-the-world odyssey in Rio, where both men have high hopes of scoring the YZR-M1’s second MotoGP victory.

The Italian and Spaniard have been lightning fast over recent weeks, taking two pole positions, a win and a second place at the last two GPs in the Czech Republic and Portugal. The team’s ever-improving form can be attributed to unstinting work from all concerned – riders, team crew and factory engineers – and their efforts should mean more glory in the final five rounds of the first-ever MotoGP World Championship.

Saturday’s Rio GP is the first of four ‘flyaway’ races that take riders and teams out of Europe for the second time this year. The race is followed by events in Japan, Malaysia and Australia, held over three consecutive weekends, and the season finale at Valencia, in Spain, on November 3.

Marlboro Yamaha have an excellent record in Brazil, having won races at all three of the country’s GP venues. Eddie Lawson won the 1988 Brazilian GP at Goiania, Wayne Rainey won the 1992 event at Interlagos and Luca Cadalora won the 1995 Brazil GP at Jacarepagua.


SMOOTH OPERATORS EMBARK ON WORLD TOUR
MotoGP racing is all about speed. But delivering winning speed over a World Championship season requires more than horsepower and handling, it requires major feats of organisation and logistics, especially when the Marlboro Yamaha Team has to compete on three different continents in the space of five weekends. When the Milan-based crew touches down in Rio this week they bring with them no less than eight tonnes of equipment, part of a total paddock payload of almost 200 tonnes, flown around the world in two Jumbo 747 freight planes.

“This is an incredibly busy time of year for us, the schedule is so tight that everything has to operate smoothly,” says Marlboro Yamaha Team director Davide Brivio. “And life was made even more complicated by the latest European race being in Estoril. After Rio everything is flown to Tokyo, then Kuala Lumpur, then Melbourne, before returning to Milan, from where it’s trucked down to Valencia for the final race. With so much travel and so little time between races we have to prepare all the necessary parts before we leave Europe. It’s a massive operation but it’s part of our job and everything is properly looked after.”

Two weeks ago at bumpy, slippery Estoril, Marlboro Yamaha Team star Carlos Checa scored his first MotoGP pole position, a performance that brings the team to Brazil in optimistic mood, because Rio’s Jacarepagua track is also bumpy and slippery. Non-stop improvements to the team’s YZR-M1 have made it as fast and fine handling as anything on the MotoGP grid, and further detail set-up work at last week’s Estoril tests should give Checa and Max Biaggi an even better chance of success at Jacarepagua, where riders need speed and handling in abundance.

“The last five races of the season look very interesting,” continues Brivio. “Max won the M1’s first race at Brno last month and I think we have a good chance of winning more races this year. Last time at Rio both Carlos and Max went very well and we’re confident that we can be in the fight for victory once again. We have scored two poles and two top-two finishes at the last two races, which proves that we’re making constant progress with our bikes, and both our riders are riding really well. Max has already won this year and I think Carlos is also ready to win, a victory would be a fantastic boost for him.”

The most recent improvements to the M1 have focused on chassis performance. Last month at Brno Biaggi and Checa received modified chassis that are still being fine tuned for the best-possible handling and turning. “We found a new direction with the latest chassis during our post-race tests at Brno,” explains M1 project leader Ichiro Yoda. “This involved a slight adjustment of the bike’s centre of gravity, which helped front-end feel, and a small adjustment in the swing-arm pivot area, which improved rear-end traction. We’ve also been working on the rear shock to make the rear suspension more progressive, so that the riders can get on the throttle earlier. We continued in this direction at Estoril and we’ll be working with Öhlins and Michelin to make the bike even better at Rio. I think we can have a good weekend. The track is fast and open, it’s the kind of place where the four-strokes should be very dominant.”


BIAGGI STILL CHASING SECOND OVERALL
Winner of last month’s Czech GP at Brno, Max Biaggi is aiming to get back up front at Rio after a rather difficult weekend in Portugal a fortnight back. The Marlboro Yamaha Team man struggled to find a perfect set-up for his M1 around the awkward Estoril circuit but managed to salvage a useful sixth-place finish from the rain-lashed race. Those World Championship points could be vital in the Italian’s bid to overtake Tohru Ukawa (Honda) for second overall in the first-ever MotoGP series.

“I felt that the new chassis was better at Estoril but we couldn’t find the right front-end feeling,” says Biaggi, currently just 12 points behind the Japanese. “There’s no doubt that we are more competitive now and I feel we have the chance of another good race at Rio. The track isn’t so bad – it’s fast and quite a lot of fun, but everything will depend on the state of the asphalt. It’s one of those tracks where no one goes to test, either during the season or during the winter, so no one really knows what the circuit’s going to be like. Quite often the surface starts off pretty dirty, so it’s not until final qualifying or even race day that the grip level is really good. The layout isn’t so bad; my favourite section is the first few corners after the start-finish straight. I always enjoy Rio and I like South America. I’d like to stay for some holidays, but we never get the chance because the schedule is so busy at this stage of the season.”

Biaggi finished a close third at Rio last year, just six seconds behind winner Valentino Rossi (Honda) and Marlboro Yamaha Team-mate Carlos Checa. He finished second in the 1999 Rio 500 GP and second in the 1992 and 1995 Brazilian 250 GPs.


CHECA READY TO WIN WITH M1
Carlos Checa comes to Rio on a high, two weeks after his best weekend of the 2002 season. The Spanish star scored his first-ever MotoGP pole position at Estoril, making him favourite to win his first MotoGP race. But a soaking-wet race day prevented him from continuing his dry-track dominance around the challenging track. Nevertheless, he recovered brilliantly from a slow start to claim second place, his fourth podium finish of the year.

That pole position proved that Checa now has the pace to win in MotoGP. For more than a year he’s been working with Yamaha engineers to perfect his Marlboro Yamaha Team M1 and now he’s ready to beat all-comers in the world’s premier bike-race series. “We lost our way at the two races before Portugal but now I have a nice feeling with the bike, it’s going really well,” he says. “It was a shame that that it had to rain at Estoril but I’m now fully confident in the bike and also in my own ability. If we can work on set-up as effectively at Rio I’m sure that we’ll be able to have a good result.

“Rio has been a good track for Yamaha in the past. Last year I fought for victory but I was unlucky at the end. And I think it should be good for the four-strokes – the main straight is very long and most of the corners are quite fast and open, which is better for the four-strokes. It’s a fun racetrack, especially when you have a lot of horsepower. The main concern, as usual, will be grip level. Sometimes in the past it’s been pretty bad, so we’ll just have to wait and see how it is on day one.

“Everyone likes going to Brazil, it’s a very different place for us, with a beach nearby and lots of friendly people. It’s just a shame that we don’t have enough time to have fun and do the tourist thing. Of course, the main concern for me is the track, not the area around it, and if you have a good race, it doesn’t matter where you are.”

WHAT THE TEAM SAYS
Fiorenzo Fanali, Max Biaggi’s crew chief
“Rio is pretty bumpy and the grip level is usually quite low, though I’m sure Michelin will help us in that respect. We’ll continue our work on the new chassis because the weather prevented us from doing too much during the Estoril race weekend. Max could already feel that the new chassis offers improved front-end performance, so we continued working in that direction during our Estoril tests. I hope we can get a good set-up on Thursday, keep improving from there, so the bike is 100 per cent for race day. When the track is bumpy and slippery you need good front-end feel and more rear-end traction, so the new chassis should work well for us at Rio. This is our first race outside Europe for a while but that isn’t a problem for us. The only difference is that we don’t have the team trucks outside the back of the pits, but we’re well organised and have everything we need.”

Antonio Jimenez, Carlos Checa’s crew chief
“Rio is like Estoril in some respects, so we should have a good base set-up from which to start. And the M1 should be good here. You need a lot of speed at Rio and our engine is really quick now, plus the new chassis seems to help over the bumps, which will be important this weekend. Normally when you have a low-grip track you use softer suspension to find some grip, and that’s also good for the bumps. We have good and bad memories from last year’s Rio race, Carlos fought for victory but was unlucky at the last turn. After getting his first pole with the M1 he’s now really keen for his first win. I think he would have had a very good chance of winning at Estoril if the race hadn’t been spoiled by rain. Maybe Carlos has been unlucky but I think the luck is slowly coming to us. I’m quite excited at the way he’s riding at the moment.”


THE TRACK
The Jacarepagua circuit has been hosting rounds of the motorcycling World Championships on and off since the mid-nineties. The track staged its inaugural GP in September 1995, taking over from the original Brazilian GP venues of Goiania (which hosted the 1987, ’88 and ’89 Brazilian GPs) and Interlagos (which staged a one-off race in ’92). The ’96, ’97, ’99, 2000 and 2001 races at Jacarepagua were all run under the mantle of the Rio Grand Prix.

The circuit itself is fast and open, encouraging close racing; in fact only one of the six premier-class GPs staged at the track has produced a winning margin in excess of one second. Mostly fast, bumpy and slippery, the circuit may not allow gravity-defying cornering like some grippier tracks but its 1.1km back straight (one of the longest in GP racing) promotes slipstreaming, which helps keep riders bunched together all race long. Slipstreaming is a crucial game of cat and mouse played out on longer straights. Riders can gain advantage by chasing another machine, using the vacuum created by the lead bike to improve their speed and slingshot ahead. The Jacarepagua lap record is five years old because the surface has become more bumpy in recent years.


JACAREPAGUA
4.933km/3.065 miles
lap record: Tadayuki Okada (Honda), 1:51.928, 158.662km/98.588mph (1997)


MARLBORO YAMAHA TEAM RIDER DATA LOGS

MAX BIAGGI
Age: 31. Lives: Monaco
Bike: Marlboro Yamaha Team YZR-M1
GP victories: 38 (1xMotoGP, 8×500, 29×250)
First GP victory: South Africa, 1992 (250)
First GP: France, 1991 (250)
GP starts: 160 (11xMotoGP, 62×500, 87×250)
Pole positions: 50 (2xMotoGP, 15×500, 33×250)
First pole: Europe, 1992 (250)
World Championships: 4 x 250 (’94, ’95, ’96, ’97)
Rio 2001 results. Grid: 10th. Race: 3rd

CARLOS CHECA
Age: 29. Lives: Yorkshire, England
Bike: Marlboro Yamaha Team YZR-M1
GP victories: 2 (500)
First GP victory: Catalunya, 1996 (500)
First GP: Europe, 1993 (125)
GP starts: 131 (11xMotoGP, 92×500, 27×250, 1×125)
Pole positions: 2 (1×500, 1xMotoGP)
First pole: Spain, 1998 (500)
Rio 2001 results. Grid: 7th. Race: 2nd

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Beth Wyse

The combined WERA National Challenge Series and WERA Sportsman Series raced at Texas World Speedway Sunday, as a large group of local racers competed with the National riders.

Shane Stoyko won Open Superstock race on his RacerSupply.com Suzuki GSX-R1000 after taking the lead from Vesrah Suzuki’s Mark Junge on lap four. Junge finished second on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 and Robert Jenson took third on the Team Xtreme GSX-R1000.

John Haner, who holds the track record at Texas World Speedway, convincingly won the 600cc Superstock race on his Suzuki GSX-R600. Brian Stokes finished second, with John Jacobi just behind him, both also on Suzuki GSX-R600s. Young guns Matt Furtek and Danny Eslick, who were riding for Valvoline EMGO Suzuki during the weekend, came from the back of the grid to run second and third for much of the race, but collided on the final lap; both ran off the track, losing several positions. It was Eslick’s first road race on a four-stroke.

In 125cc Grand Prix, local young gun Ryan Andrews and veteran Brian Kcraget pulled away from the field. On the last lap, Kcraget passed to take the win on his Honda RS125. Andrews finished second and Chuck DiGregorio finished third, both on Honda RS125s.

Haner took his second win of the day in 750cc Superstock, again pulling away from the field. Vesrah Suzuki’s John Jacobi took second while Stokes finished third. All three riders were on Suzuki GSX-R750s.

Young Logan Young won the Formula 2 race on his Honda RS250 after working his way up through the field. Zachry Lee was second on his RS250 and Terry Teske took third place just before the finish line on a Suzuki SV650, drafting past two other bikes.

Furtek took an early lead in 600cc Superbike on his Suzuki GSX-R600 and held on for the win while teammate Eslick earned second.

Tray Batey continued his winning streak in Heavyweight Twins, taking his eighth victory of the season on his Suzuki TLR1000. Bradley Champion borrowed an Aprilia RSV1000 to challenge Batey but came up short and finished second. Bill St. John wound up third on a Ducati 748.

Champion put his Suzuki SV650 at the top of the podium in Lightweight Twins, followed closely by Dave Yaakov and his SV650, as usual. Terry Teske, also on a Suzuki SV650, took third.

Furtek won again in 750cc Superbike on his Suzuki GSX-R750. Eslick was running near the front of the pack before he crashed his GSX-R600. Second place went to Keith Holleman and third to Shannon Moham, both on Suzuki GSX-R750s.

Stoyko got his second win of the day in Formula One on his Suzuki GSX-R1000. Along with second-place Keith Holleman and third-place finisher Mark Gifford, the entire podium consisted of local riders.