Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

CMRA has hired Nancy Selleck to run its office operations, replacing Connie Brothers, who is retiring from the job.

Selleck currently works for F-USA and CCS in Clear Channel Motor Sports’ Dallas office and will remain on the job until after the F-USA/CCS event at Daytona.

Charles Brothers, long-time CMRA Race Director, is also retiring.

From a tardy press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:

TIMES TUMBLE AS GSX-R CUP RIDERS GET SERIOUS

Magny Cours, France, September 13th:

THE GSX-R Cup Final riders got down to serious business today during the second and final qualifying session.

In the all-action 25-minute long session, the lap times tumbled from yesterday, but the names at the top remain familiar.

French ace Olivier Four took over a second off his provisional pole position from yesterday to stay ahead of the field. His time on the near standard GSX-R750 was just two-seconds slower than the GSX-R1000 SuperProduction machine he uses in the Masters of Endurance qualifying for the Bol d’Or – showing just how good the Suzuki is as a ready to go racer.

Four said: “The bike is near its limits now. The rear tyre was new before the start of the session and now it is dead. The suspension is good but on the limit. It was warm during the session, so if it cools down a bit, perhaps I could go half a second faster. But I am fastest and happy with that.”

He was followed in second place by the same man as yesterday – Italy’s Giuseppe Fiorillo, who is also a top contender in the Bol d’Or on a Suzuki GSX-R1000. His Italian teammate Luca Conforti took over half a second off his practice time yesterday to join him on the front row in fourth place. Italy Team Boss D. Mutti said: “We have two riders on the front row and today’s times are better. That gives us a good chance for the race later on.”

Third place on the grid was taken by rising US star Jason DiSalvo. The 18-year-old American who is coached by Freddie Spencer, took two-seconds off his lap time from yesterday and is bubbling with confidence for the race. He said: “We made some suspension adjustments and the bike felt much better. I thought when I came over here I’d be riding around at 90 percent, but there are some real good guys out there. I am riding as hard, if not harder than I do at home. But I’ve only had one-hour 15-minutes on track and I’m still learning. Every lap I do I learn something and will get faster and faster.”

Most riders beat their lap times from yesterday. The first race in the GSX-R Cup Final takes place at 17:40pm today.

Suzuki’s GSX-R Cup Final 2002 brings together the best motorcycle riders from around the globe to compete on identical GSX-R750 machinery. Riders will race in two finals – one on Friday 13th, the second on Saturday 14th, which support the Bol d’Or Masters of Endurance 24-hour race. Each competing country is desperate to win the title for national pride. Every rider uses a Suzuki GSX-R in their home country and is already familiar with the awesome performance of the GSX-R range, which started the race-replica class of motorcycles in 1985 with the first GSX-R750.

Final Qualification Results:
1: Olivier Four (France) 1:44.631
2: Giuseppe Fiorillo (Italy) +0.613
3: Jason DiSalvo (USA) +1.019, 4: Luca Conforti (Italy) +1.070
5: S Jond (France) +1.100
6: John Dugan (US) +1.261
7: S Brogan (UK) +1.358
8: S Charlton (Australia) +1.488
9: J Kirkham (UK) +1.619
10: F Heidger (Germany) +1.894
11: KH Hennemann (Germany) +2.211
12: RDV Molen (Netherlands) +2.341
13: L Pini (Italy) +2.525
14: T Fluckiger (Switzerland) + 2.581
15: Brian Livengood (USA) +2.591
16: J Hurtado (Spain) +2.823
17: RK Valderhaug (Norway) +2.977
18: J Martensen (Germany) +3.509
19: J Tangre (France) +3.582
20: G Roelens (Belgium) +3.597
21: C Pfeifer (Austria) +4.354
22: Tim Easton (Canada) +5.056
23: Z Nelson (Canada) +6.361
24: JP Laurett (Brazil) +8.981
25: B Cockerill (UK) +14.648.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Loris Capirossi has agreed to race a works Ducati in the MotoGP Series starting in 2003.

That’s the word from sources close to Marlboro, which is sponsoring the Ducati team for the next several years.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Superbike World Championship points leader Colin Edwards will test his Castrol Honda RC51 at the Imola circuit, the site of the final World Superbike round, on Monday, September 16. None of Edwards’ competitors will be allowed to test at the 3.0-mile Italian track.

Because Imola is one of Castrol Honda’s two designated test tracks (the other is Misano), Edwards will be allowed to test at the facility no later than one week prior to the beginning of the World Superbike race weekend September 27, as provided by World Superbike rules.

Theoretically, the test should give Edwards an advantage over his Championship competition, Infostrada Ducati’s Troy Bayliss. Edwards leads Bayliss by a single Championship point, 502 to 501 points.

Ironically, the Imola circuit is less than 30 miles from Bologna, home of Ducati.

Last year at Imola, Superpole winner Ruben Xaus won race one over Troy Corser and Edwards. Bayliss crashed late in the race, breaking his right collarbone. In race two, Regis Laconi took the victory over Xaus and Tadayuki Okada. Edwards crashed out of race two.

In other testing news, the official World Superbike winter test will be held February 21-23, 2003 at Valencia in Spain. Another official test is being considered for the Sepang circuit in Malaysia in late January.



More, from a press release issued by Castrol Honda:

EDWARDS BEGINS LAST ROUND BUILD UP WITH IMOLA TEST

Castrol Honda’s World Superbike championship leader Colin Edwards gets his final-round preparations under way with a test on Monday at the Imola circuit in Italy ­ venue for the final round.

Edwards will test the revamped SP-1 (RC51) machine at the 3.04-mile circuit on Monday September 16 in an effort to be fully prepared for the championship showdown.

“It’s great that we can get the test time at Imola, since we raced there last year there’s a lot changed on the machine ­ the chassis, motor, the oil, Michelin tyres and Showa suspension,” explains Edwards.

“In fact, it’s a completely different machine to what we raced at Imola 12 months ago,” he continues.

Championship rules allow teams to select two circuits from the championship calendar, the Castrol Honda team chose Misano and Imola.

Team manager Neil Tuxworth commented: “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.”

Edwards leads the championship by a single point from Troy Bayliss following a dramatic penultimate round at Assen in Holland last Sunday.

“I don’t think anyone can believe what’s happened in this year’s championship,” says Edwards. “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 a position I think we deserve.”

In climbing to the top of the table Edwards has embarked on a record-breaking run of seven successive wins, his achievements include:

* A record 23 successive podium finishes ­ the previous record of 12 was set by Carl Fogarty in 1995 and 1999. Edwards’ only non-podium finish of the year was a fourth place in the very first race of the year at Valencia, Spain.

* Moving into a clear second place in the all-time World Superbike wins list with a current tally of 29 victories.

* Equalling John Kocinski’s 1997 record of nine wins in a season for the Castrol Honda team.

* Giving Castrol Honda its 50th World Superbike race win with his first race victory at Oschersleben, Germany in round 11.

* Beating the previous record of 21 podium finishes in a year ­ set by Doug Polen in 1991.


Edwards added: “The statistics confirm how determined we’ve been this year to cling onto hopes of winning the title. I now want to keep the momentum going with two wins at Imola.”

The final round takes place at Imola on September 29, the second World Superbike championship round to be staged at the historic venue.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

American Honda officials announced Thursday night that Nicky Hayden will be racing a Honda RC211V in the 2003 MotoGP World Championship and that Ben Bostrom will be racing a Honda RC51 in the 2003 AMA Superbike Championship.

That’s the word from Tony Bell of Spectrum Motorsports, a Honda dealership in Lake Forest, California, reporting from American Honda’s dealer show in Chicago.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Sources in Japan confirmed late Thursday night U.S. time (Friday afternoon Japan time) that Nicky Hayden will ride for Repsol Honda in 2003.

American Honda officials announced Thursday night in Chicago that Hayden would be racing a Honda RC211V in the MotoGP World Championship but did not reveal which team he would be riding for.

From a press release issued by Formula Xtreme Promotions Pty. Ltd.:

Event 6, 2002 Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State
Eastern Creek Raceway, NSW (September 28 & 29)
Event Preview

MLADIN HEADS LIST OF INTERNATIONAL RIDERS FOR XTREME FINALE AT EASTERN CREEK

Three times American Superbike Champion Mat Mladin will be one of three Australian riders who have been competing internationally who will return home to race in the sixth and final round of the 2002 Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway on the weekend of September 28 & 29.

Mladin, from Camden, south east of Sydney, Victorian Marty Craggill and Newcastle’s Kevin Curtain have all competed successfully on the international race scene and for the first time will go head to head on the track.

Having won three AMA Superbike titles and an Australian Superbike title in 1992, Mladin is the best-credentialed rider to line up in this year’s series. Craggill on the other hand is fresh from a season racing in the American Formula Xtreme Championship where he took victory at the Brainerd round of the championship aboard a Valvoline EMGO Suzuki

Mat Mladin gives his Mat Mladin Motorcycles/Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 its first outing at Eastern Creek last week GSX-R1000.

Curtain has been one of the busiest riders this year. He has been combining racing here in the Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State, where he currently leads both the Formula Xtreme and Supersport classes, with racing in the World Supersport Championship where he is fresh from taking a brilliant fourth place at the Dutch round of the championship last weekend.

The inclusion of the three vastly experienced riders will provide race fans with the best big bike racing action seen in Australian domestic racing for many years. Mladin and Craggill will also spearhead the Suzuki onslaught against the all-conquering Yamahas. They won’t be alone, though, as Honda, Kawasaki and Ducati are well represented with all five leading brands searching for victory at the final round of this year’s championship.

Mladin has begun testing aboard his Mat Mladin Motorcycles/Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, with his first hit out being at Eastern Creek last Thursday. It was the first time that Mladin had turned a wheel on the brand new bike and he was very pleased with the performance of the bike at this early stage of development.

“I was really impressed by the Suzuki GSX-R1000 when I rode it for the first time at Eastern Creek last week,” said Mladin. “We have fitted the bike with a number of Yoshimura products such as exhaust system, cams and head gasket, plus BMC filters and it worked extremely well. Obviously we don’t have a lot of time to do a lot of headwork, etc., before the race, but other than that the bike felt really good as to how it ran anyway. We’ve built the bike up in such a way that any customer can come into our shop and either buy the parts or even the complete bike from us.”

Mladin was also happy to hear that Craggill had been able to secure a ride for the event. While racing in America this year, Craggill stayed with Mladin at his Los Angeles home and the pair has worked closely together throughout the year.

“It will be good to have another bike out there and with a good peddler like Marty (Craggill) aboard it, should make for a very exciting final round of the series,” Mladin added. “Marty rode well in the Formula Xtreme races in the States this year and has a lot of experience on the Suzuki.”

Craggill is no stranger to the Australian Formula Xtreme, having won a race in the class at the Victorian Broadford circuit in 2000 aboard an Advantage Honda sponsored CBR929RR. At the upcoming round of the Formula Xtreme, Craggill will ride the Bob Muir owned Suzuki GSX-R1000 that has been previously raced this year by Warwick Nowland and Wayne Maxwell.

“I’ve only just found out about the deal myself and haven’t even had a chance to ride the bike yet,” said Craggill, the 1997 & 98 Australian Superbike champion. “A few people have told me that the bike is very good and I’m hopeful of getting to ride it this weekend at Eastern Creek to see how good it is for myself. I know that the Suzuki is a good bike, so it’s just a matter of getting it sorted out over the race weekend.

“I’ve had a good year racing in the Formula Xtreme in America aboard the Suzuki and hope to do the same here in a few weeks time,” added Craggill.

The Suzuki mounted pair will not have everything their own way as Curtain, the three times Formula Xtreme champion and current points leader will have a few things to prove aboard his Radar’s Team Yamaha YZF-R1.

Curtain has rode exceptionally well both here in Australia and in the World Supersport Championship and will be hard to beat at Eastern Creek where he will be joined by teammates Robbie Baird (the defending Formula Xtreme champion) and Victorian teenager Craig Coxhell.

They won’t be alone though as the Bio Magnetics Sport Yamaha team of Jamie and Daniel Stauffer have been in great form of late, while Team Honda’s Josh Brookes cannot be discounted either.

With 25 action packed races scheduled for the weekend and in excess of over $200,000 worth of prizes and motorcycles up for grabs for the series winners, the Eastern Creek round of the 2002 Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State will be a round not to be missed.

Yamaha Formula Xtreme, points after 5 of 6 rounds
1, K Curtain 384; 2 R Baird 346; 3. J Stauffer 268; 4, D Stauffer 254; 5. C Coxhell 246; 6, J Brookes 203; 7. T Rees 167; 8. R Bugden 123; 9. C McMartin 103; 10. W Maxwell 87.

From a press release:

DUCATI CORSE PRESS INFORMATION
Mugello (Italy), 12 September 2002

BAYLISS (DUCATI INFOSTRADA) TESTS AT MUGELLO IN VIEW OF IMOLA FINAL ROUND

Troy Bayliss (Ducati Infostrada) completed an intense testing session with excellent results at the Mugello Circuit in Tuscany today in view of the World Superbike Championship decider, which will be held at Imola on September 29th.

The reigning world champion, who will arrive at the final round one point behind his Texan rival Colin Edwards (Honda) after losing the leadership of the championship he had held since the opening round, was able to try out a package of modifications which will be used at the Imola race.

With his Ducati 998 Factory ’02, Troy completed a total of 68 laps, setting a best time of 1:53.8 on race tyres, which represents his all-time personal best at Mugello. Bayliss said he was satisfied with the work carried out and was ready for the final decisive race.

“We came here to test in view of the Imola race” declared Troy. “In the last few rounds I’ve really had to struggle to get good results but, with the modifications we tested today, 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 Santerno circuit was not chosen as test-track for the Italian manufacturer because no days were available during the month of September in which the noise level could exceed 70 decibels.

While Troy was involved in testing his 998, the Ducati Corse R&D team were hard at work on two other fronts, again with positive results.


Third outing at the Mugello circuit in less than two months for the Ducati Desmosedici, the bike with which the Bologna-based manufacturer will take part in the 2003 MotoGP championship. In his 54 laps, Italian test-rider Vittoriano Guareschi completed a race simulation, the equivalent of the distance of this year’s Italian GP.

Testing also continued for Ducati’s new bike for the SBK World Championship, the 999, this time with Ducati Infostrada’s Ruben Xaus. The Spanish rider completed a total of 70 laps.