From a press release issued by No Limits Motorsports:

No Limit Motorsports’ Jason Curtis got in some intense training this past week, in preparation to ride Hondas for the first time next year.

Curtis spent 3 days at the Freddie Spencer High Performance Riding School in Las Vegas, with Coach Jeff Haney close at his side. The schooling was followed by a demanding day of track riding alongside Haney and Yamaha’s Jason DiSalvo at the Las Vegas Speedway track day sponsored by Dale Kieffer of Racers Edge Performance.

When asked about the school, Curtis said, “You couldn’t ask for a better training ground. I have been to the school twice now and plan to attend several more times before the AMA season starts in March. With great coaches like Freddie Spencer, Jeff Haney, and Nick Ienatsch, it is easy to see how much you can learn. I have to give big thanks to them for helping me prepare for the next level of racing.

“A school that can put professional and beginning riders in the same class, and have them both to learn at the same time, is a school that anyone should seriously consider attending. Regardless of what the lap times will tell us, all levels of rider are equally aware of their individual limits, and are all trying to push that limit in order to be better riders.”

Both the No Limit Rider and Jason DiSalvo, were preparing for the tough AMA schedule under the watchful eyes of Jeff Haney and Freddie Spencer. As Curtis put it, “It is exciting to ride beside a coach like Jeff Haney. We both have our heads down, putting in some fast laps, and I notice Haney pointing out lines with his right hand, while his left hand is on the throttle, and his bike is leaving big black marks on the exits of the corners. That’s his way of telling me to relax, get comfortable and smooth and you will go faster. It is something you have to see to believe, it is awesome. He has started to help me prepare to ride a 600 for the first time …. Thanks Jeff.”

Curtis added “I look at the 600 class in a whole new light, never having ridden a 600 before in the AMA. I know that the Formula X bike is hard to ride, but I have to say that I can’t believe how far you have to hang it out to get up to speed on a 600 to get good lap times. I was really happy with how the F4i handled around the track, and I can’t wait to get the 600RR and see what that’s all about. I will be riding the 954 in the next month up at Willow Springs.”

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Rick Stratton, events and promotions coordinator for the Arizona Motorsports Group, e-mailed Roadracingworld.com Tuesday to announce that 2002 World Superbike Champion Colin Edwards will be present at two autograph signings Saturday, October 5 in Arizona.

From 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Edwards will be at Metro Motorsports, 6161 W. Bell Road, Glendale, Arizona, (602) 843-5000.

From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Edwards will be at Town & Country Motorsports, 3333 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler, Arizona (480) 503-3333.

From a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:

MOTEGI STARTS A GRUELLING SCHEDULE FOR EVER-IMPROVING SUZUKI

MotoGP – Round 13, Twin Ring Motegi, Japan, October 6, 2002

Improving machines and results have given Team Telefónica MoviStar Suzuki riders Kenny Roberts and Sete Gibernau a boost as they prepare for the three consecutive racing weekends in three far-flung countries, starting next weekend with the Pacific GP at Motegi in Japan.

The Japanese race follows a weekend off after a trip to Brazil, but begins the most intense part of the 2002 MotoGP season. From the circuit in the hills not far from Tokyo, the Suzuki teamsters and their rivals go hot-foot to Malaysia, to race seven days later at the Sepang circuit. From there, it’s direct to Phillip Island, south of Melbourne, for the Australian GP, before returning to Europe for the final round at Valencia two weeks later.

The Pacific GP, the second in Japan this year, takes place under the watchful eye of factory race-department staff. Last time, they saw their new fastest-ever four-stroke racer, the 990cc V4 GSV-R, excel in rainy conditions at Suzuka. Factory rider Akira Ryo led for most of the race, eventually finishing second to Valentino Rossi, the man who would go on to clinch the first MGP title at the last round in Brazil.

Conditions and track knowledge helped the rider to get the best out of the brand-new Suzuki, youngest of the new-generation four-stroke GP racers, introduced this year to run alongside the traditional 500cc two-strokes.

Since then, there have been 11 races of intensive development to the ultra-powerful prototype, pushing it rapidly forward to the point where both riders have been strongly challenging the more mature opposition. The latest step was an improved Suzuki-designed “slipper” clutch, which arrived along with a raft of other detail improvements for the Portuguese GP two races ago.

The result was striking. Gibernau came within an ace of winning that Estoril race, crashing out with less than four laps remaining after building up a substantial lead; and 2000 World Champion Roberts scored consecutive best-so-far results … fourth in Portugal, and a top-three rostrum third in Brazil.

For Motegi, as well as other continuing technical and chassis setting developments, the clutch will be further improved.

“We have to remember that this has been a development year for the new bike, and it’s clear that the team and the factory together have achieved a great deal,” said team manager Garry Taylor.

“At the same time, a lot of the effort is concentrated on next year’s bike. We started this year with a completely fresh prototype. Next season, we will be at the first race with a second-generation machine, incorporating all the lessons we’ve learned this year.

“Motegi is a good opportunity for the factory race-department staff to get some hands-on experience at GP level, and to talk directly to the riders,” he concluded.

As ever, the team will approach the race with confidence, and the aim of achieving the best possible result. Since this is the first time the Suzuki GSV-R and its four-stroke rivals will have raced at Motegi, predictions are difficult.

On the face of it, the stop-and-go circuit favours machines with the emphasis on brute horsepower and acceleration, which in turn means the four-strokes should not expect to be troubled by the surviving two-strokes. But the season has brought many surprises, and every race has to be approached with an open mind.

Nor is the circuit itself very predictable. Even without the changeable mountain weather, results can be unexpected. Last year expectations were not high in the team, in spite of Gibernau’s race win at the previous round at Valencia, because acceleration was not the 2001 machine’s strongest suit. Surprisingly, Gibernau moved through to the top five, losing the position only when he ran short of fuel on the last lap. All three Suzukis entered finished well in the top ten.

KENNY ROBERTS – MAKING IT BETTER AGAIN
“We’re still at the development stage with this bike, though the rain helped us somewhat in Brazil. I’m not thinking so much about results or the different tracks. Just to get the bike improved mechanically. The new clutch was a big step. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to ride even close to the front in Brazil, let alone lead the race. The way the clutch works affects the whole bike in so many ways, and it governs the lap time because it dictates corner entry and corner speed. We’re expecting more clutch development at Motegi. The big aim is to get the bike improved so we can start strong next year.”

SETE GIBERNAU – EASIER THAN BRAZIL
“I’m expecting things to be easier than in Brazil. I raced there two weeks after I dislocated my collarbone at Estoril. It was really a bit of a struggle to ride, though it got better over the three days of the meeting. Now I have had more therapy, and an important two weeks to get a lot better. On the face of it, Motegi doesn’t look like one of our better tracks, but last year I went well there, and this year we have learned to expect the unexpected. I hope the weather stays dry. We know we can go well when it is raining. What the team and the factory has been working towards is getting the bike good in dry conditions, and you could see at the previous races that the performance and results were getting better. We still have some way to go, but we won’t stop working at achieving it.

ABOUT THIS RACE
This is the second Pacific GP, inaugurated last year to give the Japanese factories and riders a second race on home soil, as well as the established Suzuka round. This makes Japan the second country on the current calendar to have more than one GP – the other being Spain, with three rounds. But this is the third visit to the spectacular Twin Ring Motegi motor sports and driver education facility, where a full banked tri-oval circuit is another major feature, along with a museum and extensive other facilities. In 1999, the Japanese GP was held there for one year. Motegi is rather remote, with access by road only, in hilly country surrounded by dense forest and small farms. Its advantage is its proximity to the Tokyo hub, some 60 miles north east of the city sprawl.

ABOUT THIS TRACK
The Twin Ring is actually two circuits – the US-style banked oval, with its own pits, grandstands and infrastructure, and the 2.98-mile road-racing track, with pits and paddock within the oval, and the track looping out under the banking through an underpass, then returning for the final chicane back onto the short pit straight. Precise computer-designed corners loop the track back and forth within the oval, with more of the same outside – slow corners linked by short power-burst straights. It seems a sterile design, but there is enough rise and fall in the terrain to inject interest. “It’s a surprisingly fun track,” said double winner Kenny Roberts Jr.

RACE DATA

Twin Ring Motegi

Circuit Length: 2.983 miles / 4.801 km.

Lap Record: 1:50.591 –97.110 mph / 156.284 km/h. V Rossi (Honda), 2000

2000 Race Winner: KENNY ROBERTS (TELEFÓNICA MOVISTAR SUZUKI)

2000 Race Distance: 25 laps, 74.575 miles / 120.025 km

2000 Race Average: 46:23.257 – 96.463 mph / 155.242 km/h

2000 Fastest Race Lap: see lap record

2000 Pole Position: M Biaggi (Yamaha), 1:49.954

2000 Kenny Roberts: First, qualified second (SUZUKI)

2000 N Aoki: Ninth, qualified ninth (SUZUKI)

From a press release issued by the FIM:

In a meeting held in Imola, the Superbike Commission, composed of Messrs. Claude Danis (FIM), Paolo Alberto Flammini (SBK International), Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA) and Giulio Bardo (Team representative), has unanimously taken the following decision:

The rules regarding the air restrictors have been confirmed.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

On Friday, September 27, Daytona International Speedway officials announced that they were making changes to the 3.56-mile infield road course, including the chicane on the back straightaway. Reached Monday, September 30, Daytona International Speedway Director of Communications Glyn Johnston and track designer Alan Wilson provided Roadracingworld.com with more information about the changes.

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“There were a couple of things going on there,” said Johnston when asked about the original idea behind the changes. “Number one, there were some areas that were a bit rough at the transition from the tri-oval track and the chicane end and in turn six. We had been looking at doing that for a while. In doing so, we also looked at some of the changes to the chicane we felt made it a little more competitive.

“The entrance stayed the same, but the exit had always gotten to be a bit of a bottleneck. So we looked at it, and it’s actually a bit wider now as it enters back onto the (oval) track. So we were looking for the opportunity to make the chicane area a bit more competitive and just to do standard maintenance up in turn six and stuff. Just staying ahead of the curve and making it an acceptable racetrack for everybody, the surface acceptable for everybody.”

The exit of the chicane has been an area of controversy for two-wheeled racers in recent years beginning with F-USA competitors commenting on how slippery the chicane exit can be when wet. (F-USA deemed a portion of the pavement too unpredictable and actually coned it off during the March 2002 F-USA races.) NASCAR turn three, just after the exit of the chicane was the site of a terrible three-bike pile-up during the AMA Supersport race in March 2002. Yamaha’s Aaron Gobert suffered severe injuries in the crash, hitting the outside speedway wall and getting run over.

“I don’t think it was that kind of feedback on it,” said Johnston when asked if negative feedback from racers or safety issues had been any inspiration for the changes to the chicane.

Setting the changes into motion, Daytona officials contacted the AMA. “Anytime we make changes to the competitive areas out there — because the AMA, of course, is a sanctioning body, just as if we were to change something in the track that had to do with NASCAR or anything else — we certainly want to make the sanctioning bodies aware of things, that we are looking at a track both to help with competition and for any number of issues there,” said Johnston.

Upon contact from Daytona, AMA Pro Racing’s Ron Barrick brought Alan Wilson into the project. With Barber Motorsports Park, Mid-America Motorplex and many other racetracks to his credit, not only is Wilson the most active track designer in America, he also served as Race Director for several of the Daytona 24-hour sports car races in the late-1990s.

Saying that safety issues with the exit of the chicane were never mentioned to him by Barrick or the track, Wilson described the changes he designed at Daytona “looking ahead to the future, taking pro-active steps to meet the ever-increasing demands of cars and motorcycles, now and in the future, particularly bikes. I think it’s obvious that bikes are getting faster and faster, and the way that bikes are handling now is different than in the past. Plus, Daytona is always trying to improve and make their events better.”

Wilson said he added a more gradual and wider transition from the exit of the chicane up onto the banking by flattening the exit radius and said he thinks faster riders will now get held up less by slower riders, increasing competitiveness on the track. Even though it doesn’t change the length of the racetrack, Wilson thinks the new chicane will be slightly faster than the old chicane. The distance from the chicane’s entrance to the new exit, however, will be shorter, slowing the new chicane’s entry speed and, as a byproduct, the chicane’s braking zone will effectively be lengthened, again making it easier for riders to pass.

The chicane will have all new pavement “from the moment the bikes come off the oval to the moment they come back onto the oval”, said Wilson, but the old chicane pavement will remain in place.

The second main change Wilson did was adjust turn six, the turn that takes racers from the infield portion of the track onto the West banking of the tri-oval. Wilson said he tightened up the entry radius and apex of turn six, which increased run-off room “tremendously.” Then new pavement was added to the exit of the turn providing a smoother, more gradual transition onto the banking. The exit of turn six is now wider, which will hopefully reduce more traffic issues.

“I think the riders will like it, but you never know for sure,” said Wilson.

Johnston said that all of the work was completed before the press release was issued and the new pavement is being given “30-45 days to cure.” Johnston confirmed that participants in the October 16 Team Hammer Advanced Riding School will be the first men and women to try the new changes to Daytona International Speedway and that Formula USA and CCS riders will be the first racers to compete on the new track layout.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

More details of the deal to start up AFM South again, from an e-mail sent from AFM President Joe Montoya to an AFM member. (The e-mail is quoted with the permission of Montoya):

David Pyles and Larry Pointer, owners of Fastrack, approached us early this year with the proposal of reviving the South chapter. Since early this year we’ve met several times (in Oakland, at Buttonwillow, California Speedway and Sears Point) to discuss the deal. The first issue to make clear was that the chapter had to be completely separate from Fastrack. The second was that AFM South had to have a board of directors as set forth under our articles of incorporation and by-laws. This means that a full board will be appointed and regular elections will take place as the terms of the positions expire. Monthly meetings will be held.

At the last Sears Point weekend there were several Fastrack people learning how we do things. Some will also be at Thunder Hill next month. The idea is to do things the same in both chapters at all venues. Paddy’s crew, Barbara, Kevin C., Tom D. and I will be at the first few south races to assist, train and observe. After that they’ll be on their own to run the events. Entries for South races will be sent and received exactly the same as North entries, from and to the Concord address. Their books will also be kept by the same person who keeps ours.

From a press release issued by Proton Team KR:

PROTON SEEK SURPRISE FACTOR AT PACIFIC GP

Proton Team KR riders Jeremy McWilliams and Nobuatsu Aoki are hoping to find some surprises at the Twin Ring Motegi, venue for the Pacific GP, and the first of a gruelling trio of far-flung flyaway races for the MGP circus.

The circuit, carved out of the mountains an hour or two away from Tokyo, has a simple stop-and-go layout, that on the face of it favours machines with the emphasis on sheer horsepower and acceleration. That is not only the new-generation 990cc four-strokes, but also the four-cylinder 500cc two-strokes that also contest the class.

The Proton KR3, a lightweight three-cylinder 500cc two-stroke, takes the opposite approach, concentrating on good braking and very high corner speed, at the expense of brute power.

But at Le Mans, the somewhat similar venue for the French GP, the two silver Protons far exceeded downbeat expectations, achieving a pair of top-ten finishes, with Aoki in fifth, the best result of the season so far.

“You just don’t know what to expect, with the new series,” said team manager Chuck Aksland. “With the bike and our two riders going so well, we can definitely hope for another pleasant surprise at Motegi.

“This year, we’ve been on both sides of the surprises. We’ve had some good results at tracks where we didn’t expect to go well, but also some reliability problems that meant we haven’t always achieved the results we expected.

“Motegi is the home race for Nobu, and for Bridgestone tyres. Both will be putting in a special effort, and I’m sure Bridgestone will bring some good tyres for the track,” continued Aksland.

Both riders would be using the standard chassis, with the development chassis used in the middle of the season now consigned to the past. “That chassis was completely different in the approach to the rear suspension geometry. It had a lot of advantages, which we have been able to incorporate into the standard chassis.

“It also inspired a lot of thought and creativity with our engineers, and we learned a great deal from it … so it definitely served its purpose,” said Aksland.

The only question mark concerned Jeremy McWilliams, who sustained a collarbone fracture when he fell in wet conditions at the Rio GP in Brazil. With just two weeks between the races, the Ulster rider has been receiving intensive physiotherapy in a battle to be fit. He is determined to race, but even he was not certain whether he would be up to putting in 100 percent effort.

The Pacific GP is the second race of the season in Japan, and the 13th of 16 rounds this year. Racing goes on without a break over the next two weeks, with the Malaysian GP at Sepang one week after Motegi, and the Australian GP at Phillip Island the next weekend, before the season finishes at Valencia two weeks later.


JEREMY McWILLIAMS – I’LL GIVE IT MY BEST
“I’ve been doing physio every day since I got back from Brazil, but I still can’t do much with my arm. The best thing is I have an excuse to go to Japan a day later … to keep on with the physio. I can’t see that I’ll give it 100 percent, but I can’t really afford to miss a race. I’ll be riding, and I’ll be giving it my best. Even without the injury Motegi might have been tough for us. But I always push myself, and we’ll see what happens.”


NOBUATSU AOKI – THE JAPANESE MATERIAL WILL WORK
“Motegi is my second home GP, and also for Bridgestone. I hope all the Japanese material works well for my team! Unfortunately, Motegi could be pretty tough for the Proton. The corners are joined by drag-strips, and we need more push from the engine. But I hope the tyres will help, because our bike can go onto the straights faster than the other ones.”

From a press release issued by Marlboro Yamaha:

MARLBORO YAMAHA TEAM GRAND PRIX PREVIEW

PACIFIC GRAND PRIX, TWIN RING MOTEGI
October 4/5/6 2002

BACK TO JAPAN WITH HIGH HOPES OF MORE M1 GLORY

The Marlboro Yamaha Team returns to Japan this week with high hopes of further glory following stirring performances at the last three MotoGP World Championship events. Riders Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa have been at the forefront of the MotoGP pack since the sport’s summer break ended with the Czech GP, where Biaggi took pole position and scored the M1’s first victory. At the next race in Portugal it was Checa who started from pole, finishing the rain-soaked race in second place. And two weeks ago at Rio Biaggi was back on pole again, securing a second-place finish in that race to promote him to second overall.

Three consecutive pole positions suggest that the M1 is now the fastest bike out there, so the team is focusing all its efforts into turning that speed into more victories at the last four races of 2002. Motegi is an extra-special Grand Prix, since it takes place on Japanese tarmac, and there’s nothing the team would like to do more than win here to thank the Yamaha factory for their intensive input into the M1 project.

Motegi also commences a gruelling run of three back-to-back events, with the Malaysian Grand Prix following next weekend and the Australian GP on October 20. The first-ever four-stroke-based MotoGP World Championship concludes at Valencia, in Spain, on November 3.


M1 GETS MORE GO FOR STOP-AND-GO TRACK
No factory has worked harder during this year’s inaugural four-stroke-based MotoGP World Championship than Yamaha. Following a challenging run of preseason tests, the factory’s race department has used all its renowned expertise to develop the mighty YZR-M1 into a race-winning force. YZR-M1 project leader Ichiro Yoda and his dedicated crew of engineers have worked tirelessly to produce a steady flow of upgraded engine, chassis and electronics parts for the Marlboro Yamaha Team at pretty much every round of the series. And there are more new engine parts due at Motegi to improve the M1’s speed around this stop-and-go circuit.

“We plan to have some new engine internals for Motegi,” reveals Yoda. “These parts should give us a little more acceleration, which is very important at Motegi because it’s a stop-and-go track, all braking and acceleration. Our bike is already not so bad on braking stability, so we hope that improving acceleration will give us some advantage.

“We also plan to equip Carlos with another new chassis, so he’ll have both his bikes equipped with the same chassis, the first of which he received at Brno. He prefers this unit, while Max wants to continue with one of each, one new and one previous-spec chassis, because he finds that each has its good points for his style, depending on the track.

Yoda, who commutes from Europe to Japan and back again between every Continental round of the series, is used to hard toil and working under the spotlight, and he doesn’t treat Japanese races any differently from other rounds of the MotoGP World Championship. “This is a home race for me but I don’t feel any more pressure competing in Japan,” he adds. “Maybe some of my bosses will come to Motegi but they will allow me to get on with my job, maybe they’ll come and say ‘Hello’ and ‘Good luck’ on race morning, but that’s all. The good thing is that I don’t have to take a plane to this race, just catch a train!”

Yoda can be optimistic about Motegi. His M1 scored a front-row start and podium finish at April’s season-opening Japanese GP and the bike is much improved since then. “We do have much bigger hopes than the last time we raced in Japan,” affirms Marlboro Yamaha Team director Davide Brivio. “We’re in a much better position now, over the past few races we’ve always been up front, taking three pole positions in a row and finishing inside the top two every race. And Max is now second overall, so we’ll be working very hard to keep him there. We will also be working very hard to give Carlos his first MotoGP win and it would be fantastic to do that at Motegi, in front of so many Yamaha personnel. Carlos deserves to be higher than fifth in the championship, so we want to help him move up.

“Motegi also starts a busy run of three races. Things happen very fast over the next few weeks, so it’s vital that we maintain our focus. We don’t really get a single day-off during this period, it’s tough for everyone in the team, but we’re ready and we’re very motivated. Logistics are particularly crucial at the moment, so we’ve worked out a clever plan for engine maintenance, with some engines rebuilt at the factory in Iwata and others at our team base in Milan.”


BIAGGI MOVES UP TO SECOND OVERALL
Max Biaggi rode to a brilliant second-place finish at Rio a fortnight back and the Italian needs another good result at Motegi to boost his bid for second place in the 2002 MotoGP World Championship. After a difficult start to the season, the Marlboro Yamaha Team man has scored one victory, six podium finishes and three pole positions to move him eight points clear of rival Tohru Ukawa (Honda).

“Finishing runner-up in the World Championship isn’t as good as winning it, but second is the best I can do at the moment, so that’s what we’re focusing on,” says Biaggi, who now can’t overtake recently crowned World Champion Valentino Rossi (Honda). “We have to work very hard over the last four races to make sure I can keep scoring more points than Ukawa. It won’t be easy but I’m determined to finish this season in the best-possible way, hopefully by winning another race or two.”

Biaggi knows how to perform at Motegi – he took pole here in 2000 and he led last year’s race before falling. Like most riders he’s not a great fan of the recently constructed circuit. “This is our second trip to Japan this year, first we go to a fantastic track, then we come here, to an okay track,” adds the former 250 king who crashed out of April’s wet Japanese GP at Suzuka. “There’s not so much to say about Motegi, it’s one of those so-so circuits, all stop-and-go corners. It’s not got many very fast sections where you can really enjoy yourself but it can be quite technical, with quite a few downhill corner entries where you have to be a bit clever.

“The weekend will be hard work because none of the full-time MotoGP riders ever really test there, so we’ll have a lot to do on set-up. Also, the weather can be unpredictable, which could lose us valuable dry-track time.”

Biaggi finished third at Motegi in 2000 and ninth in the track’s rain-affected inaugural World Championship event in April 1999.


CHECA AIMS AGAIN FOR HIS FIRST M1 WIN
Carlos Checa rode a remarkable race at Rio two weeks ago. The Marlboro Yamaha Team man didn’t even finish the rain-soaked event but his ride will live on in the memory of race fans for a long, long while. Dead last at the start, he rocketed through the pack, lapping at an astonishing pace that took him past World Champion Valentino Rossi into the lead, only for him to fall a few corners later. His best lap was just seven per cent off the track record, when 12-15 per cent is the usual wet-to-dry track difference! Nevertheless, the Spaniard wants a dry race at Motegi.

“We’ve had two wet races in a row, so I pray for some sunshine in the Land of the Rising Sun!” he smiles. “Anyway, I have to forget what happened at Rio, all I have to remember is that we have a great bike that is more than ready to win. Everyone at Yamaha has worked so hard this year, and it would be great to pay them back with a great result in their country. Racing in Japan is always important, so I want to do my very best.

“I like Motegi, there’s a lot of uphill and downhill action, so it’s quite fun. Also there’s a lot of hard acceleration, which is good when you’ve got a lot of power and I think our bike will be fast this weekend. The downhill braking sections are important and I feel that the M1’s computer-controlled engine-braking system keeps the rear end more stable than other bikes, though sometimes that can push the front into turns. This is a busy time for the championship but three back-to-back races is no problem for us, we’re fit and, anyway, all the races are in similar time zones.”

Checa finished last year’s Pacific GP in seventh place. He was fourth at Motegi in 2000 and sixth in the rain in 1999.


WHAT THE TEAM SAYS
Fiorenzo Fanali, Max Biaggi’s crew chief
“Max is now fighting for second overall and the best way to get more points to achieve his goal is to win more races, so we’ll be working very hard with him to give him the best-possible set-up. Yamaha plan to give us some new engine parts for this race and we look forward to trying them in first practice. The overall character of Motegi is heavy braking and hard acceleration, so more engine performance would be great. But the M1 is already very good, Max has taken pole at two of the last three races and he’s fast whatever the track, whatever the conditions. If things go okay, we’re always in the fight for victory. We learn more about the bike with every race, we now have a good base set-up which is so useful, especially when we’re racing at places where we’ve not tested.”

Antonio Jimenez, Carlos Checa’s crew chief
“Since Brno we’ve found a good base set-up with the new chassis, which is very important to us. And we should have both bikes fitted with this chassis for Motegi, which will be a big help during practice and qualifying. Carlos and the M1 are now ready to win, wet or dry. As usual we will work smoothly on Friday and Saturday, aiming to get the bike right for this track, which means good braking stability and good speed out of the corners. We don’t know how grippy the track will be, but after Estoril and Rio that shouldn’t be a problem for us. I’m really looking forward to the last few GPs because I know Carlos is so close to winning his first race on this bike. My whole focus is to give him a perfect set-up to help him fight for pole from Friday, because if you’re in the fight for pole, the bike is ready to win.”


THE TRACK
Twin Ring Motegi is stop-and-go in character with few high-speed corners, unlike fast and flowing Suzuka, venue for April’s Japanese GP. Motegi features plenty of slow turns linked by medium-length straights which put the emphasis on braking and acceleration performance. Unlike Suzuka, most riders don’t feel the track tests their riding skills to the limit. Motegi’s topography and this event’s autumn date make for unpredictable weather conditions. The venue’s inaugural World Championship round, the 1999 Japanese GP, was run in pouring rain. Since then Motegi has hosted the Pacific round of the series.

The circuit, christened Twin Ring Motegi because it features both a Grand Prix track and an Indy oval, is one of the newer circuits on the Grand Prix calendar. Constructed by Honda in 1998 to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary, the venue is located in the hills to the north west of Tokyo, between the cities of Mito and Utsonomiya. Motegi’s construction entailed a massive civil engineering project that included the razing of seven hills and the filling of two valleys.

Lap record: Valentino Rossi (Honda), 1:50.591 156.283kmh/97.110mph (2000)
Pole position 2001: Loris Capirossi (Honda), 1:49.800

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: 161 (12xMotoGP, 62×500, 87×250)
Pole positions: 51 (3xMotoGP, 15×500, 33×250)
First pole: Europe, 1992 (250)
World Championships: 4 x 250 (’94, ’95, ’96, ’97)
Motegi 2001 results. Grid: 2nd. Race: DNF

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: 132 (12xMotoGP, 92×500, 27×250, 1×125)
Pole positions: 2 (1×500, 1xMotoGP)
First pole: Spain, 1998 (500)
Motegi 2001 results. Grid: 11th. Race: 7th