From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

HAYDEN LEADS THE WAY COMING INTO SEARS POINT SUPERCUTS SUPERBIKE CHALLENGE

PICKERINGTON, Ohio – Honda Racing’s Nicky Hayden is on a roll as he gets ready for rounds four and five of the 16-race AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship at Sears Points Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., May 3-5. Hayden, 20, of Owensboro, Ky., leads the series standings having won two of the three 2002 championship races heading into this weekend’s Supercuts Superbike Challenge doubleheader at Sears Point. To illustrate how hot the young Hayden is — he’s won six of the last seven AMA Superbike rounds dating back to last July. A host of top AMA Superbike riders will be trying to cool Hayden’s charge at Sears Point with defending race winner Anthony Gobert, second in the championship, hoping to close the gap on Hayden’s 14-point lead in the series.

Last year at Sears Point, Gobert and Hayden battled the entire race in one of the all-time classic AMA Superbike races on the 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course. After taking the checkered flag Gobert ended up in the infield care center suffering from dehydration after winning both the Pro Honda Oils Supersport and the Chevy Trucks Superbike events within the span of a few hours. Gobert, a 27-year-old Australian who rides for Yamaha, is considered by many to be the favorite to win at Sears Point.

Another Aussie sensation Mat Mladin, the three-time defending AMA Superbike Champion, will arrive at Sears Point sitting eighth in points after injuring his elbow in a practice session crash in March’s opening round in Daytona Beach, Fla. The injury caused him to miss the first race and lose valuable points. The No. 1 Suzuki rider has proven his toughness over the years. In fact, Mladin won the pole at Sears Point last year riding with a broken left leg. He should be close to 100 percent this weekend and is looking to make up a lot of ground in the points chase at Sonoma. Mladin won at Sears Point in 1999.

Another rider to watch this weekend will be Honda’s Miguel Duhamel. The 14-year pro from Montreal is the all-time leading AMA Superbike winner and has won a record four Superbike finals at Sears Point.

Joining former Sears Point Superbike winners Gobert, Mladin and Duhamel is Suzuki Aaron Yates, of Milledgeville, Ga. Yates won the race in 1996 in a great duel with teammate Mat Mladin. Yates might be best known to Sears Point fans as the rider who crashed spectacularly at over 100 mph head first into air barriers while leading the Supersport race last year. The air-filled safety barrier did its job and Yates got up and dusted himself off and made the Superbike race later that day.

By far the biggest surprise in the series to this point is the solid showing of privateer racers Andrew Deatherage, of Cleveland and Brian Livengood from Snellville, Ga. Deatherage and Livengood stand third and fourth respectively in the AMA Superbike standings – the highest ranking for privateers in the series in almost a decade.

Deatherage, 41, is an 11-year AMA Superbike competitor and has scored three-top ten finishes coming into this weekend’s race. Deatherage is part of the Ground Zero Racing Group who is raising funds for the Uniformed Firefighters Association/Fire Department of New York Memorial Scholarship Fund. Livengood, a three-year AMA Supersport racer, is riding his first full season of Superbike. Livengood has two top-10 finishes to his credit this year and to be ranked fourth as a privateer in his first year of AMA Superbike racing is nothing short of amazing.

This year will be mark the 25th anniversary of AMA Superbike racing at Sears Point. Paul Ritter, who at the time was a local racing pro from Oakland, Calif., won the inaugural AMA Superbike race at the Northern California racing facility in 1977 riding a Ducati.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Active Leisure, Inc., the parent company of Competition Accessories, has gone out of business and left unsecured creditors holding the bag.

The company sent out a letter dated April 26 and addressed “To Our Vendors” which read, “We regret to inform you that, after careful consideration, the Board of Directors of Active Leisure has determined that it no longer has the financial ability to continue its operations. Accordingly, we have authorized the Company to surrender its assets to one of our secured lenders. The secured lender is not assuming any of the liabilities of Active Leisure. However, it is our understanding that the secured lender intends to maintain operations, through a new operating company, of Competition Accessories and the other catalog and Internet operations in Springfield for a period of time while it seeks a purchaser for the business. It is the hope of the secured lender, and the management of Active Leisure, that the business can be sold as a going concern.

“Management of Active Leisure has attempted for many months to work out a financial restructuring which would allow it to continue its operations without interruption. However, it has become clear that continued operations for Active Leisure is not possible. It is with deep regret that we must advise you that it is uncertain but unlikely that there will be proceeds available from the sale of the business sufficient to pay both the secured creditors and the total unsecured debt. We appreciate the loyalty and support our vendors have shown Active Leisure and wish that we had been in the position to repay that support more appropriately.

“The new operating company for the period while the Company is being marketed for secured party sale will be COMPACC, LLC. If you have questions about your claim, you may contact Linda Berger, the new controller at COMPACC, LLC (937-323-1594) who is coordinating creditor questions and claims reconciliation.

“Very truly yours,
“William C. Davis, Secretary”

The company spent serious money running an AMA Superbike and Formula USA racing program with rider Larry Pegram in 2000 and 2001. Rumors of financial problems swirled around the program almost from its inception.

From a press release:

MS Aprilia Racing Press Information

Monday 29 April

PREVIEW

Jerez de La Frontera: first European round of the 2002 World Championship

After two away races in Japan and South Africa, the World Championship returns to the Old World. Jerez de La Frontera: the first round of the 2002 season in Europe. The circuit was built in 1986 and hosted the first Grand Prix the following year. Right from the start, it made a name for itself as one of the most important rendezvous of the season: for the public of true enthusiasts and for the quality of the highly technical and selective circuit, which has witnessed some of the finest moments in international motorcycling and motor-car racing. The colours, the atmosphere and the passion of the public are typical of the south of Spain: unique elements which reach such intensity only in this land. Over the past few months, the Jerez circuit has undergone considerable redevelopment. Closed to all sports activities on the track just two days after the RS Cube made its track debut on 24 January of this year, the facility will now be hosting the first round of the 2002 World Championship with a new look: new escape roads, a new tarmac surface and new infrastructures. As always, an extraordinary backdrop will be provided for this year’s event with the entire city of Jerez caught up by the fever of the motorcycling event of the year – not just in the grandstands and on the hills around the circuit, but also in the streets of the historic centre.

The circuit: 4,423 metres – left curves: 5 – right curves: 8 – longest straight: 600 metres – maximum width: 11 metres – year of construction 1986.

2001 winners. 125 Class: Azuma (JAP) Honda – 250 Class: Katoh (JAP) Honda – 500 Class: Rossi (ITA) Honda.

Circuit records.125 Class: Azuma 1’48.385 (2001) – 250 Class: Katoh 1’44.444 – (2001) – 500 Class: Rossi 1’43.779 (2001).



Marco Melandri – 250cc Class – Aprilia RSW 250

Back from his brilliant victory in Welkom (the second in his 250 Class career), Marco Melandri returned to London, the cosmopolitan city where he normally lives when he is not away from Europe on race tracks around the world. With his characteristic perseverance, he has been working on his physical fitness in order tackle the Championship in top form. This is especially important since, after his great achievement in Africa, the time has come to open up the throttle completely and gain the greatest possible number of victories so that he can start thinking about his position in the ratings.


“The third round of the Championship in Jerez: it’s a track I like even though I can’t say it’s exactly paradise for me. The new track is going to have some different features – and they’ll certainly be fewer potholes. We’ll have to find out about the grip in the first free practice on Friday: we’ll probably be starting from scratch. Still, I’m confident, and I think I’ll be able to put up a good fight. It’s going to be an all-out attack to reach victory. This is the strategy for the championship: constant attacking to get the best results – I’ll start thinking about the ratings later on. After all, each race has a story of its own, and it takes the results of an entire championship to build up the points needed to aim for the title. The bike’s fine: less nervous than last year, and I think the television pictures show how well balanced it is. The new Dunlop tyres are good too – they’ve given extra speed to a lot of riders. It’s going to be a close match, and an exciting challenge.”




REGIS LACONI – MotoGP – APRILIA RS3

Very little time of and a lot of work for Régis Laconi who, just the morning after the Welkom race, put on his jogging shoes and went on a light run to wind down. Ten kilometres getting rid of the toxins accumulated during the “African” weekend races. Just the time it took to get back to Europe and Régis was back on the saddle of the RS Cube at the international racing track of Mugello. The tough Italian-Frenchman did two days testing with the development team from Noale – putting the third RS Cube through its paces. Flanking the two bikes Régis has for the MotoGP, the Racing Department has now created a third version of the three-cylinder machine. It will help cut development times and will be available for the rider when the two “official” bikes are on their way to the various venues of the Championship. Régis adopted all the settings he already knows, found his position on the saddle and tailor-made the bike the way he likes it. There is not much time left before Jerez, but enough for Régis to climb into his motor home and set off for Spain, without neglecting a brief stop off in the South of France. A couple of days at the sea to recharge his batteries.

“Jerez is a crucial round. This is where the RS Cube made its debut, and it’s here that we’ll see how much progress we’ve been able to make. The Mugello tests were important for our development work, and they let us see a new RS Cube come into being. The work was hard, gruelling – but I knew it would be. This is a really exciting year, with lots to do. One which is giving me incredible sensations: I feel I’m developing together with the bike, and I’m writing a little page in its brief history. We’re working together, trying to make ourselves competitive against the others. In this project, I can see real commitment from the company and an extraordinary level of motivation in the team. Jerez is a technical track, with fast curves and hard braking. It’s a track that most riders know well, since it’s often used for the winter tests. I’m sure we can expect a high level of performance from everyone. It’s the details that are going to sort things out: little details in the settings are going to make all the difference in competitiveness.”

TECHNICAL BRIEFS:

The electrical starter designed by Aprilia for the RS Cube

Although most racing motorbikes’ engines can be started by a simple push, this is not always possible especially with 4-stroke motorbikes. The problem increases as the engine capacity increases and as the number of cylinders decreases: the amount of energy needed is so great that in reality the rear wheel could stop instantaneously or the clutch could slip; therefore a sophisticated system that blokes the clutch during engine start is required.

A valid and common alternative is to use a small engine that connected directly to a go-kart wheel (or something similar) is pushed against the rear wheel spinning it at a necessary speed. However, even in this case the clutch must not slip, furthermore, this system may present some problems in the rain or when the rear tyre is wet.

As a consequence, Aprilia decided to use, like in Formula 1, a electrical starter that directly spins the engine. As illustrated below the electrical starter as designed by Aprilia for the MotoGP consists of special batteries that drive an electrical motor with reduction gears, and a safety clutch. The operator simply inserts a shaft directly into a slot in the crank shaft: and pressing contemporarily two buttons the engine starts singing.

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PHOTOS and PRESS RELEASES

Copyright-free photos and press releases are available on the Internet site for the media: www.apriliacommunication.com/racing



The 120 Aprilia victories in the World Road Racing Championship

(at 29 April 2002)


125 cc.- 52 victories


1991: 1 – Gramigni (Brno)

1992: 3 – Gramigni (Shah Alam, Hungaroring); Casanova (Hockenheim).

1993: 1 – Waldmann (Jarama).

1994: 3 – Sakata (Eastern Creek; Jerez; Brno).

1995: 3 – Sakata (Donington; Brno), Tokudome (Rio).

1996: 10- Perugini (Shah Alam, Le Castellet, Donington), Tokudome (Sentul, Suzuka, Nuerburgring, Imola), Oettl (Mugello), Rossi (Brno), McCoy (Eastern Creek).

1997: 11 Rossi (Shah Alam, Jerez, Mugello, Le Castellet, Assen, Imola, Nürburgring, Rio, Donington, Barcelona, Sentul).

1998: 4 – Sakata (Suzuka, Jerez, Le Castellet, Donington).

1999: 5 – Vincent (Barcelona), Locatelli (Le Castellet, Mugello), Scalvini (Valencia, Welkom).

2000: 8 – Vincent (Welkom), Locatelli (Sepang, Mugello, Brno, Valencia, Motegi), Sanna (Barcelona, Rio)

2001: 2 – Cecchinello (Barcelona), Sanna (Sachsenring)

2002: 1 Vincent (Suzuka)


250 cc. – 68 victories


1987: 1 – Reggiani (Misano)

1991: 2 – Chili (Assen), Reggiani (Le Castellet)

1992: 6 – Reggiani (Jerez, Magny Cours), Chili (Hockenheim, Assen, Donington), Biaggi (Kyalami).

1993: 3 – Ruggia (Donington, Misano), Reggiani (Brno).

1994: 6 – Biaggi (Eastern Creek, Shah Alam, Assen, Brno, Barcellona), Ruggia (Jerez).

1995: 8 – Biaggi (Shah Alam, Nürburgring, Mugello, Assen, Donington, Brno, Buenos Aires, Barcelona).

1996: 9 – Biaggi (Shah Alam, Suzuka, Jerez, Mugello, Le Castellet, Donington, Brno, Barcelona, Eastern Creek).

1997: 3 – Harada (Le Castellet, Assen, Nürburgring).

1998: 13- Harada (Johor Le Castellet, Jarama, Sachsenring, Brno), Capirossi (Jerez, Donington), Lucchi (Mugello), Rossi (Assen, Imola, Barcelona, Phillip Island, Buenos Aires).

1999: 9 – Rossi (Jerez, Mugello, Barcelona, Donington, Sachsenring, Brno, Phillip Island, Welkom, Rio de Janeiro).

2000: 2 – Waldmann (Jerez, Donington).

2001: 5 – Harada (Mugello, Brno, Motegi), McWilliams (Assen), Melandri (Sachsenring).

2002: 1 Melandri (Welkom)


As well as 120 GP successes and 15 world titles, Aprilia has also taken the podium 344 times. And there’s more: 7 Superpoles and 8 victories in the Superbike (1 at Phillip Island, 2 at Misano, 1 at Valencia, and 1 at Laguna Seca in 2000, and 2 at Valencia and 1 at Imola in 2001). And 16 European road-racing titles (6 in 125, and 10 in 250).

But the 2 World Trial Championships (riders and manufacturers) won by Tommy Ahvala and Aprilia in 1992 should not be neglected either.



From another press release:

HONDA RACING NEWS

2002 MotoGP 500 World Championship, round 3
Spanish Grand Prix, Jerez
May 3/4/5 2002

HONDA’S RCV GOES FOR HAT TRICK AT BIGGEST GP OF YEAR

The new-look MotoGP World Championship hits top gear this weekend at Jerez, the first race of the crucial European sector of the championship that takes in nine events and lasts until early September. Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix is also the biggest race on the motorcycling calendar, attracting up to 200,000 spectators to the challenging Andalusian venue where Honda hopes its incredible V5 four-stroke will continue its domination of the opening stages of the 2002 MotoGP season.

RCV team-mates Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda Team RCV211V) and Tohru Ukawa (Repsol Honda Team RCV211V) shared honours at the first two GPs, Rossi winning in Japan, Ukawa in South Africa. Both men are sure to be in the hunt for victory once again at Jerez, though their two-stroke rivals, especially Loris Capirossi (West Honda Pons NSR500) and Daijiro Katoh (Fortuna Honda Gresini NSR500), are expected to offer more of a challenge
at this tight, demanding circuit.

Rossi, who started both the Japanese and South African GPs from pole position and leads the championship points standings, is undoubtedly the man of the moment and is looking forward to maintaining his amazing Spanish GP record. The 23-year old is the only rider to have scored victories in all three GP categories at Jerez he won the 125 Spanish GP in ’97, the 250 in ’99 and the 500 last year, following each of those successes by taking a cast-iron grip on each of those World Championships. So another victory this Sunday would be the best of omens for the dazzling Italian.

“I always look forward to Jerez,” says Rossi who also holds the track record. “I like the circuit, the place has a great atmosphere and I have a good record there. I’ve raced at Jerez six times, won three times and never finished lower than fourth. The season so far is going well. We knew the bike had great potential during the winter testing programme and I’m pleased to be leading the championship at this stage of the season on a
totally new machine.”

If Rossi is the man of the moment, there’s no doubt that the RCV is machine of the moment. Fast, easy to ride and utterly reliable, it is everything that Rossi and Ukawa could’ve hoped for. The bike’s performance is such that the HRC duo finished the South African GP a gaping 27 seconds ahead of the pack, Capirossi the only man even close in third place, eight seconds down at the flag.

Ukawa has been heavily involved with the RCV project from its inception, clocking even more testing miles on the bike than Rossi. No surprise then that he adores the machine. “The RCV is the best bike I’ve raced,” he says. “I prefer it to the two-stroke 500 I raced last year because it’s got flatter power and torque curves, so it’s easier to ride out of the turns.”

If many people expected Rossi to be the dominant Repsol Honda Team rider in 2002, Ukawa’s victory at Welkom quickly proved them wrong. After starting the season with a tumble at rain-lashed Suzuka, the Japanese now rates as Rossi’s number-one challenger.

“After the disappointing start in Suzuka I was so pleased to win in Welkom,” adds Ukawa, who finished fifth in last year’s Jerez 500 GP and second in the ’99 Spanish 250 GP, both won by Rossi. “The team worked so hard and the Michelins I chose worked perfectly. I’m looking forward to Jerez. We have tested at the circuit over the winter and I feel confident on the bike there. I’ve done quite well at this track in the past. I hope to continue this trend!”

But Rossi’s chief engineer Jerry Burgess believes that both men will have to ride harder than ever to beat the 500s this weekend. “Suzuka is a pretty fast track where the four-stroke definitely had an advantage, because it’s just got so much horsepower,” says the Australian, who has won Spanish GPs with Rossi, Mick Doohan and Wayne Gardner. “I thought the 500s would be a bit closer at Welkom but I think they really could be close at Jerez. After that we go to Le Mans and Barcelona, where I think the four-stroke will be ahead again.”

Capirossi and Katoh are the 500 riders most likely to worry Rossi and Ukawa at Jerez after finishing third and fourth in South Africa.

“The four-strokes were too fast for us at Welkom,” says Capirossi, who rode like a man possessed to keep the RCV duo in sight. “Maybe I can get closer at Jerez but I think it will be very difficult to beat them. And I think they get faster with every race because bikes like the RCV are still in the early stages of development.”

Katoh, who only began his MotoGP career last month at Suzuka, is brimming with optimism after his fine ride in South Africa. After a difficult debut on his NSR500 at Suzuka he rode brilliantly at Welkom. “I enjoyed Welkom so much, so I can hardly wait for Jerez,” says the reigning 250 World Champion who won last year’s Spanish 250 GP. “We learned so much about the 500 in my first dry race on the bike and we’ll use all of that knowledge to help us improve our performance and get closer to the front in Spain.”

Capirossi’s team-mate Alex Barros (West Honda Pons NSR500) also had a great ride at Welkom, until he fell in the closing stages. “That was a very annoying crash,” says the Brazilian veteran. “At Jerez I want to get back the points I lost.”

Fellow Honda 500 riders Tetsuya Harada (Pramac Honda NSR500) and Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Kanemoto Racing Honda NSR500) have their first European race on their NSRs this weekend, and both men will be looking forward to good points hauls after steady starts to their 2002 campaigns.

“We learned a lot about the bike at Welkom, especially that we need to work to improve the bike on full fuel load,” says Harada, another former 250 champ. “Jerez should be good, it’s the start of the European season and we should improve with every race.”

Van den Goorbergh scored his first points of the year at Welkom and wants another good finish this weekend. “We’ve already tested at Jerez, which means we should be in better shape than at the last race,” says the Dutchman. “But we are still developing tyres so every race is a learning experience for us.”

In the 250 class, NSR riders Emilio Alzamora (Fortuna Honda Gresini NSR250)and Robby Rolfo (Fortuna Honda Gresini NSR250) are aiming to close the gap on the leading Aprilias. Neither rider made it on to the podium at the opening two GPs and home hope Alzamora in particular is utterly determined to make the top three on Sunday.

“My main aim is to qualify better because it was my bad grid position that hurt me at Welkom,” says the Spaniard. Team-mate Rolfo finished fourth at Welkom but wasn’t happy with that. “I should’ve done better,” says the Italian. “At Jerez we should be able to make more of our new suspension parts.”

The weekend will be a big one for Daniel Pedrosa (Telefonica Movistar Jr Team Honda RS125R), Spain’s newest teen GP star. The 16-year old, who made his name with his first podium at last September’s Valencia GP, currently lies third in the 125 World Championship. “We got pole at the first two races, so we know we are fast,” says Pedrosa. “Now I just need to stay cool and keep working in the same direction, improving the performance of myself and my bike week by week. Jerez should be a lot of fun and a lot of pressure too!”

Team-mate Joan Olive (Telefonica Movistar Jr Team Honda RS125R) is also ready for a demanding weekend after tumbling out of the South African GP. “I’ve already forgotten about that race so I can focus all my efforts on getting a good result at Jerez,” he says.

After Jerez the GP circus heads to Le Mans for the French GP on May 19. The 18-week European season is followed by four ‘flyaway’ races in October, the last of the year’s 16 GPs taking place at Valencia on November 3.


Yet more:

THE MARLBORO GP NEWS BULLETIN No 3

Spanish Grand Prix
Jerez
May 3/4/5 2002

THE MIGHTY M1 HITS EUROPE

Marlboro Yamaha Team riders Carlos Checa and Max Biaggi get to race the awesome new YZR-M1 in Europe for the first time this weekend, and the pair couldn’t have asked for a better event than Jerez for the bike’s Continental debut.

The Spanish Grand Prix attracts more fans than any other event in the 16-round MotoGP World Championship, with up to 200,000 people flocking through the gates of the Andalucian venue over the three days of practice and racing. And this weekend the throng will be treated to a new and thrilling sound – the deafening bellow of the new MotoGP four-strokes mixing with the spine-tingling scream of the 500 two-strokes that have ruled at Jerez since the circuit’s first GP in 1987.

Spanish star Checa can rely on the partisan crowd putting its considerable voice behind him this weekend. The hard-riding local currently lies second in the World Championship behind series leader Valentino Rossi (Honda) after typically charging rides at the first two GPs in Japan and South Africa. His aim on Sunday is to climb the podium again, just like he did at the Spanish GP two years ago. Biaggi will also be up for a great result on Sunday. The Italian qualified on the front row at Welkom two weeks ago but his race was
spoiled by a technical problem and a bad start.

After Jerez the MotoGP action shifts towards northern Europe for the French GP at Le Mans on May 19 and then south again for the Italian GP at Mugello on June 2. The season ends at Valencia on November 3.


CHECA BRINGS THE M1 HOME
Few GP riders have more experience of racing on home tarmac than Carlos Checa who gets to race three times a season in front of his home fans, and for good measure, gets a fourth outing on the Iberian peninsula at September’s Portuguese GP. The Spanish get more than their fair share of GP events because the nation is nuts about motorcycle racing and crazy about Checa too. As Spain’s number one rider the affable 29-year old can count on massive support this weekend, when he aims to continue his superb start to the first-ever MotoGP World Championship.

Checa goes into round three of the series lying second overall after a brilliant ride to third in the season-opening Japanese GP, for which he’d qualified on the front row, and a dogged ride to fifth in South Africa two weeks ago. On Sunday the YZR-M1 rider wants another podium finish, not just to boost his series position but also to give his legions of fans something to cheer about.

“It’s Spain, I’m Spanish, so this weekend is a big deal for me,” he says. “Also I like the track, every part of it, I think it’s one of the most enjoyable circuits we use because there’s a good variety of corners and you’re working with the bike all the time. It’s exciting.”

Checa is indeed working hard with his bike because the awesome M1 is the fastest, most powerful machine he’s ever raced. And he’s not only toiling on the track, he’s also heavily involved with the bike’s off-track development. As one of the new breed of MotoGP four-strokes, the M1 has only just started its racing career, and it is part of Checa’s job to help Yamaha improve and develop the bike as fast as possible.

“Although I’m happy with the job we’ve done so far, I won’t be really happy until we’re fighting for race wins,” he says. “Everyone at Yamaha and within the team is working very hard and I know the M1 will get better. The good thing at Welkom was that the bike’s performance was very stable all the way through the race, now we just need to increase the level of performance. We will work very hard on settings at Jerez because it’s a technical track where you need the bike to be set up very well, so you can turn, flick and open the gas as quickly as possible. It’s also hard on braking and at the moment that’s one of our weaker areas, so we’ll be working on that too. I really want to be quick at Jerez, so I’ve also got to find the way to ride the bike as fast as possible.”


BIAGGI GOES WITH THE FLOW
Max Biaggi hopes that the start of the European sector of the first-ever MotoGP World Championship will bring him a change of fortune. The Italian star has already proved his speed aboard Yamaha’s mighty YZR-M1 at the first two championship rounds, qualifying on the front row at Welkom a fortnight back and in fifth place at Suzuka a month ago, just two tenths off pole.

Unfortunately the Marlboro Yamaha Team man’s luck deserted him on race day at both events. He slid out of the rain-drenched Japanese GP, where nearly half the grid ended up falling down, while clutch problems slowed his getaway in South Africa, where he recovered to finish ninth. At Jerez, where he won a 250 GP in 1996 and taken pole position in the premier class in 2000, he hopes Sunday will be a happier day.

But the Spanish GP isn’t just about Sunday – Friday and Saturday practice and qualifying will be of vital importance as Biaggi works to further improve the M1. One of his main aims over the weekend will be to continue developing Yamaha’s radical electronically controlled hydraulic engine-braking system which is designed to offer free-flowing performance into corners. Biaggi and team-mate Checa first tested the system at Valencia in February and have made great strides forward since then. Biaggi will also be working at improving the M1’s chassis to help him increase his corner speed and thereby his overall cornering performance. Yamaha are already working on another new chassis for the M1, to give Biaggi exactly the kind of handling characteristics he desires, though the unit isn’t likely to be ready until some time next month.

“Yamaha’s engineers and me are working in the same direction now, so I’m just waiting for the new parts we need to make the difference,” he says. “We’re hoping to get what we need pretty soon, all I want is a very competitive machine, something that’s capable of winning Grands Prix.”

Like most of their MotoGP rivals, the Marlboro Yamaha Team haven’t tested at Jerez this year, so Biaggi won’t know exactly what to expect until he’s well into day one of practice and qualifying. “At some tracks I expect we’ll be closer to the front of the pack than we’ve been so far and at others we may be further away,” he adds. “I’m looking to win races, so it’s always tough when you’re not doing that. At the moment we have room to improve, but the good thing is that Yamaha and the team are working very hard to allow me to achieve my goals.”


WHAT THE TEAM SAYS
Antonio Jimenez, Carlos Checa’s chief engineer
“Carlos did a great job at Welkom. He rode at his maximum from the first lap to the last, he never gave up, not even under great pressure from McCoy and Katoh,” says the Spaniard who has been friends with Checa for a dozen years. “At Jerez we’ll work with what we’ve got and though we’re close to the maximum of our current spec, I think we can make further improvements by making a better job of combining our chassis set-up with the engine-braking system. That’s our target for Jerez. And while we continue to work on set-up sthe most important job for Carlos is to keep giving good feedback to the Japanese so that they can continue developing the M1.”


Fiorenzo Fanali, Max Biaggi’s chief engineer
“Our main focus at the moment is to keep developing Yamaha’s electronically controlled hydraulic engine braking system,” says the Italian, who has worked in GPs since the late sixties. “At the moment Max can’t ride as deeps as he wants into corners and if he can’t do that then he can’t improve his turn-in into corners. That’s hurting him all the way through corners, which is hurting his lap times. If we can improve the system for him he’ll be able to ride faster and fight better. We are hoping to get some update parts for the system in Spain. Jerez is one of those tracks with a bit of everything: fast corners, slow corners and heavy braking, so you need all aspects of the bike to be as good as possible.”


THE TRACK
Constructed in 1986, Jerez hosted its first Grand Prix the following year and has remained on the World Championship calendar ever since. Through the nineties the event grew to become the most popular GP of all.

Riders love the Andalucian venue because it’s a track that rewards rider talent over machine performance. Many of the circuit’s 13 corners flow into one another, placing the emphasis on smooth, neat riding and stable, all-round machine performance. The circuit character places particular emphasis on front-tyre grip, though the many slow-speed turns also require MotoGP riders to control wheelspin as they power out of the corners. This year, however, the track’s grip character is likely to be different, since Jerez was resurfaced at the end of 2001. And a total reconstruction of the circuit’s infrastructure is still underway.

From a press release issed by USGPRU:

Nobi Iso of Team Veloce Racing Wins USGPRU Western Region Opening Round at Thunderhill Park

The Western Region of The USGPRU 125 GP National Championships got off to an incredible start at Thunderhill Park in Willows, CA this weekend where 26 teams arrived to contest the season opener for Western Region riders. Team Veloce Racing Owner Spiros Gabrilis was quoted as saying “Kids [who] start and stay on 125s, just say no to 600s,” and the huge turnout for this weekend’s festivities was a clear indication that true GP racing is on the rise again here in America.

Tada Ito, former All Japan 125 Champion, travelled to Thunderhill for the USGPRU event and made a harsh prediction for the USGPRU/F-USA
round at Portland: “Tada, Nobi. . . 1, 2 at PIR.” Yet, during qualifying, Tada struck a bird in flight, crushing the front of his fairing. He blames the bird for his less than perfect qualifying times.

Series favorite and former 125 GP National Champion Vicky Jackson-Bell crashed Saturday in practice. She was plagued with motor problems for the rest of the weekend after a valliant effort was made by her crew to ready her for Qualifying Sunday. She put up a stellar effort, just getting the bike to the grid, but couldn’t complete a lap before the motor gave up on her forcing her to retire from the race.

Will Morton nailed the start and led for the first 7 laps until Nobi Iso, who had been held up in the pack for 3 laps, broke away and chased down Morton. After being passed by the flying Iso, Morton stuck to him like glue, but a miss-calculated fuel load caused him to run out of fuel on the last lap in the heat of a nose to tail battle with Nobi. He ended up nursing the bike across the line for a second place finish.

Carlos Neves jumped the start and got a stop and go penalty and he took back to the track with a vengence and plowed through the field after taking the early penalty. Jeff Hanford noted, “I looked behind me and all I saw was a giant #50 and thought no friggin’ way, Carlos had a stop and go! How’d he get back there?'”

Shawn Hererra lost the front end coming down the Cyclone on the first lap. In a post race interview he was baffled as to the cause, as he’d been running the same pace in practice without any problems. Herrera was the only crash-casualty during the race and it was a shame to see him toss the BPS Clad RS125 that had been running so fast all weekend.

Stewart Aitken-Cade started in 9th and worked up to 3rd place before he was black flagged for an oil leak.

The best race on the track was between Quentin Wilson, Jeff Hanford, Willard Ivins, Nick Moore, Tada Ito, and Stewart Aitken-Cade. They ran nose-to-tail for the first 6 laps during which lead changes were a regular occurrence. On lap 5, Aitken-Cade passed Hanford on the brakes into 12, ruining the turn for Hanford. Allowing Wilson and Ivins to pass him on the exit. On the same lap, Aitken-Cade was black flagged and retired from the race when his motor began belching volumes of smoke from oil leaking over his pipe from a failed clutch cover gasket.

Fifteen year old “up and comer” Scott Jackson finished 16th in his 3rd ever weekend racing 125s! Watch out for these young kids on the 125s, they’re the future stars of road racing!

Carlos Neves won the GP Star Hard Charger Award after his tear through the grid after being black flagged on the start.

USGPRU newcomer James Smith said of the Thunderhill event, “This was the highest quality racing I’ve had in a long time. Tons of track time with just 125s on the grid. There’s nothing like racing purebred GP bikes!”

We’ll see you all in June for Round 2 at The Streets of Willow.

Final Results:

1. Nobi Iso, Aprilia
2. Will Morton, Honda
3. Carlos Neves, Honda
4. Quentin Wilson, Honda
5. Jeff Hanford, Honda
6. Williard Ivins, Honda
7. Nick Moore, Honda
8. Tada Ito, Honda
9 Mike Jerrard, Honda
10. Melissa Shimmin, Honda

From a press release issued by Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca:

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is “Getting Wired”

More Than 8 Miles of Electrical and Phone Lines

Being Installed

Monterey, CA (May 1, 2002) – Eight miles of electrical, phone, television and data conduit is currently being installed as part of Phase IA of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s $15 million improvement project. These lines will carry power and phone service to hospitality suites and garages being built in the Paddock along pit lane.

The pre-cast concrete garages are currently being built in Antioch, California by Kie-Con, while Medford Construction is pre-fabricating the steel structures in their Bakersfield, California, yard for the new hospitality suites. The hospitality suites will sit atop ten, double car garages. Foundation work for the new garages and hospitality suites, which are part of Phase IA, is scheduled to begin next week.

Progress also continues on the sewer line that will carry waste away from the Paddock hospitality areas and restrooms. Paving over of the sewer line trenches in the Paddock should be finished this week. Work will begin next week with the extension of the sewer line down “B” Road. Construction crews previously bored under the track near turn 3 and under the perimeter road in order to run the sewer line to a new holding tank.

This is the latest in a continuing string of construction activity at Mazda Raceway since ground was broken on the project February 8. In its entirety, Phase I includes a new pit area, garages, hospitality suites, restrooms, and sewer system and is slated to cost $7.8 million.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Wall Moved Back In Turn Five, Track Surveillance System, Mini-ambulance; Plans For Revised Turn 11, Lighting System, Air Fence Bike

By David Swarts

Without fanfare or publicity, Road America has completed substantial safety improvements, with more in the works.

The biggest change seen during the April 25-28 CCS Regional at the Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin racetrack was a new closed-circuit TV surveillance system that offers a view of “about 95 percent” of the track from one seat in Race Control. The system was used throughout the CCS race weekend, starting with Thursday’s Team Hammer Advanced Riding School & Track Ride day.

“There are 16 cameras right now,” said George Bruggenthies, Road America President and General Manager. “We’ve positioned the cameras so that we have a continuous view of the track. Each corner has a stationary camera looking upstream and a pan/zoom/tilt-camera next to it that looks downstream. If we see something upstream, we can cover each of the areas with the moveable camera. So half of them are moveable. Actually, we have seven moveable cameras here.” There are two cameras in turn one, turn three, turn five, turn seven, the Carousel, turn 12 and turn 14; with single cameras in The Kink and on top of the control building at start/finish.

“It’s supported by a fiber-optics communications backbone that we installed last year. It (the fiber-optic network) has the capability to support a variety of other services, including a hard-line communications system with two channels (for cornerworkers).” Retail cost of the four-mile-long track’s system is about $2 million, but Bruggenthies said that through the track’s partners, the actual cost “wasn’t anywhere close to that, but it’s quite an investment. That’s why you don’t see it everywhere.”

Although there was only one crash on Thursday, the TV surveillance system was put through its paces during the remainder of the CCS race weekend when the weather turned very cold with rain, sleet and snow falling at various times.

Road America Safety Director Carson Wilkinson, working with with Race Control Director Bill Ritger, used the TV cameras to find and access on-track incidents and order the proper response by cornerworkers and track safety personnel.

The surveillance system was also used to dispatch security to handle crowd control situations and even by the CCS race staff to settle disputes in scoring and penalties.

The computerized system has the ability to record and play back, via computer hard drive, everything seen by every camera for up to 72 hours. Red flag crashes were played back to show who caused the incident, and the replays have been used as evidence to enforce disciplinary penalties.

“Our intent is to put in signal lighting at some point,” said Bruggenthies. “It would be at all of the flagging stations. We’re not trying to replace the cornerworkers. We still need the cornerworkers for communication and the eyes and ears on site, but it would provide safety for the cornerworkers rather than having them stand in harm’s way or even with their arm flagging.

“It would be a light, a multiple-colored light. So whether it was a yellow condition or a double-yellow condition or a red flag or whatever, it could be determined by lights that would be controlled here by race control by the operating steward. That’s already built into (the fiber-optic network). Plus the response, it would just help the cornerworkers a lot more. They’re out there trying to talk, holding the radio in one hand, flag in the other. This way we could take care of one of those tasks for them.

“(The fiber-optic network is) also for broadcast TV. The TV companies now have, essentially, plug-ins for their digital cameras, if they have digital cameras. So you can do HDTV broadcasts. Instead of dragging 8000 miles of cable here, you can just plug in. It also supports the P.A. system that goes around the facility. It’s got a lot of other capabilities that we’re still exploring.

“Nobody really sees that,” pointed out Bruggenthies, when asked about the way the track has quietly improved safety. “We’re constantly doing safety improvements. Here at (turn) five, we’ve provided some (extra) run-off. The wall (on riders’ right) used to be much closer to the track, and if you fell off the track here, a heavy passing zone, you’d be in the barrier. Now we’ve put in an asphalt recovering zone that you can recover and continue. It added a lot of safety that way.

“The wall was moved back considerably (a gradual improvement from the original wall to 40 feet further back), and it actually provides better spectating for the spectators (in the turn five grandstands). Now they can see over the barrier. It’s improved the viewing for the spectators and it’s improved safety for the riders and drivers. We’re doing stuff all the time.”

During the CCS race weekend, at least two racers lost the front end early in the braking zone for turn five and slid through the area where the old wall had been. Both racers still brushed the new wall at shallow angles, but both got up and walked away. Only one racer was transported to a local hospital all weekend, and that rider was released after 24 hours of observation for abdominal pain.

Another Road America safety improvement was the addition of a $30,000 “mini-ambulance”, built on to a modified Club Car golf cart chassis. “It’s a highly-mobile BLS (Basic Life Support),” said Bruggenthies. “So it has the same capability as an ambulance, but an ambulance weighs about 9000 pounds and has big dual wheels.”

According to Safety Director Wilkinson, the gas-engine-powered mini-ambulance’s chassis features raised ground clearance, increased suspension travel, aggressive all-terrain tires and a locking rear differential. “They (conventional ambulances) can’t get in a lot of areas,” added Bruggenthies. “This mobile ambulance is much more ambulatory. It can go up hills and get to the more rural parts of the facility or you can station it, right now we have it stationed at (turn) 11 (The Kink) and it can actually reach a potential patient right on the grass (without getting on the track surface). We can respond to an incident and do it in a safer manner that allows better safety for the continuing riders or drivers. We couldn’t do that with an ambulance. Plus you can get behind the barriers. It really makes sense for our terrain here.

“We’re constantly improving as we can afford things. We’re going to be adding a different configuration to turn 11 (The Kink) at some point in the future. Not taking away the existing configuration, but putting an option that would, essentially, make a left turn (before The Kink) and provide a chicane for 11. Some of the smaller club events, that turn’s a bit much for them. So we’re trying to provide an alternative road course for them at that point.

“They would turn left before The Kink and put a chicane in that would provide a straight entry for that. They would also have lost a lot of speed at that point with the chicane. So it would reduce their speed coming into (turn) 12. It would provide run-off, where as right now (The Kink is) a very tight, blind right turn. It’s a high-speed turn. CHAMP (CART) cars go through there at 190 mph, and I don’t know what the bikes are doing today. 130? 140?.

“Hopefully by next year, we’ll have Air Fence Bike product. We’re looking for sponsorship for the product right now. It’s an expensive product. I don’t think there’s any price for safety, but I think we’re a fairly safe course right now. We’ve got a lot of Air Fence out there and the haybales, but we would like to put more friendly products that don’t require quite the maintenance than these products that we’re currently using. The Air Fence, you’ve got to blow it up and some times it moves and some things like that. It works very well, but some time there’s a bit of down time when you have to repair or replace it. This other product would help us better stay on schedule.”

When asked why Road America, one of America’s premier road courses and the host of high-level auto racing events, like CART, would make pro-active safety improvements for motorcycles, Bruggenthies revealed, “I’m an avid motorcyclist myself. I was down at Bike Week. I just came back from a trip to Asheville, North Carolina, an eight-day trip where I put 2100 miles on my Ninja ZX-11 (equipped with hard saddlebags and a trunk). I enjoy it. It’s very athletic. It’s good for me.

“Deal’s Gap, Smokey Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway, I went up to Hot Springs and found some good roads along the way, 63 North of Asheville. I found a good map and a lot of good advice from guys who had been down there and just had a great time. I just went down there for the ride and the roads.”

Bruggenthies added that he owns two vintage Hondas and a Yamaha FZ600, in addition to his Ninja. Got your eye on any new bikes, George? “Well, Suzuki is our official motorcycle here. So I get the use of a nice Suzuki. Last year, we had a 750 GSX-R. This year I think they have a 600 model that’s a F1 replica or something. Yeah, we’re getting a Telefonica Movistar Suzuki Kenny Roberts replica. They’re a lot of fun. Sometimes, I pace the races with them.”

From a press release:

WORLD PREMIERE OF GURNEY ALLIGATOR MOTORCYCLE

Dan Gurney introduced his Alligator motorcycle at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles on April 24, 2002. Chassis No.1 is presented to Mr. Robert E. Petersen for permanent display at the museum.

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PRODUCTION OF “36 LIMITED EDITION” HAS BEGUN

It was a spectacular birth: Alligator Chassis No I cracked through an enormous Styrofoam egg to the delight of the press and many fans who gathered at the Petersen Museum on Wednesday night for a celebration. It was the first glimpse the public got of the finished Gurney ALLIGATOR motorcycle, an exclusive single cylinder niche bike for the street which has been developed over 2 decades.

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Production on a “36 LIMITED EDITION” has started. The number 36 is significant as it was the number that donned the Formula I Eagle which won the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, exactly 35 years ago, a first for an American built car and driver/constructor and an achievement that has not been duplicated yet. The first 36 Alligators will commemorate and feature the colors of the car that made F I history. With the Alligator motorcycles being designed and built in the very same facility as the F I car, Dan Gurney hopes to make history on an entirely different front.

This radically different looking motorcycle with its low center of gravity has been developed over 2 decades and has been called “revolutionary” and “representing a breakthrough” by many of the 89 riders that have logged countless test miles on the 5 prototypes preceding the final version. It is a feet-forward single cylinder (modified Honda air-cooled 650cc engine) with electric start and fuel injection delivering around 70 plus horsepower, weighing approx. 320 pounds with a top speed of approx. 140mph.

The Gurney ALLIGATOR has a look and riding feel unique and different from anything on the road. Unlike other motorcycles, the rider sits below the top of the tires with feet in a forward position. The fuel tank is mounted below the seat and behind the engine. Gurney originally moved in this design direction because he is tall and many bikes made him feel as if he were pitching forward when going downhill. The Alligator is this concept taken to its logical extreme. What works so well for tall people works equally well for people with shorter legs. They do not have any trouble getting on or off the bike, are no longer worried about falling over at a standstill and being closer to the ground, they feel much more comfortable and safe. This low CG concept has been developed and refined over the years into something quite extraordinary: a motorcycle with a confidence inspiring riding feel, obvious and significant aerodynamic benefits and most of all: a fun factor to match.

The ALLIGATOR name, which has been trademarked, came about because of the bike’s long, low appearance. The name was also chosen to reflect the American aspect of this intriguing machine, as the Alligator is a species of North America not found anywhere else in the world.

In the modern day world of design by computer, committee and consensus, this machine is the product of one man’s idea in the tradition of the great motormen of the past. “To go where no man has gone before ” has been a Gurney trademark in the motor racing world for four decades. With the introduction of this revolutionary exclusive motorcycle for the street, a new chapter has begun.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

2:00 p.m. FIM 250cc Grand Prix, Welkom, South Africa
3:00 p.m. FIM MotoGP, Welkom, South Africa
4:00 p.m. Motorcyclist

7:00 p.m. Bike Week
7:30 p.m. Motorcyclist
8:00 p.m. FIM World Suspersport, Kyalami, South Africa
9:00 p.m. FIM 125cc Grand Prix, Suzuka, Japan
10:00 p.m. AMA Formula Xtreme, Fontana, California
11:00 p.m. American Thunder
11:30 p.m. American Thunder
12:00 a.m. Bike Week
12:30 a.m. Motorcyclist
1:00 a.m. FIM World Suspersport, Kyalami, South Africa
2:00 a.m. FIM 125cc Grand Prix, Suzuka, Japan
3:00 a.m. AMA Formula Xtreme, Fontana, California

All times are Eastern Time.