From an e-mail:

Thank you Dottie

On March 21, 2002 the Mid-Atlantic Road Racing Club (MARRC) lost one of its long time supporters and charter members, Dottie Bacon, the wife of Len Bacon and the mother of AMA, Formula USA and MARRC safety crew training expert Roger Bacon. I first met Dottie at the races in the late seventies and over the years she became much like a second mother to me and so many of us at the track. Her care, hospitality and wit always made everyone feel like they were family. Over the years, the Bacon family has been very generous with their contributions and support of motorcycle road racing. Thank you Dottie for making the sport a better place for all of us, and for being that special person, an ambassador of MARRC and Mother at the track that cared for us in so many ways. Your kindness will never be forgotten.

Dave Back
[email protected]
Wilmington, Delaware
MARRC Board Member and Road Racing School Instructor


Dorothy C. Bacon
June 26, 1921 – March 21, 2002


A visitation was held Monday, March 25 and a funeral was held Tuesday, March 26 at the Demaine Funeral Chapel in Springfield, Virginia. A burial service was held with military honors at the Quantico National Cemetery on March 26.


In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Dorothy C. Bacon to either:

The Franconia Volunteer Fire Department
6300 Beulah Street
Franconia, VA 22310

Hospice of Northern Virginia
9300 Lee Highway Suite 500
Fairfax, VA 22031-1207

Cards may be sent to:

Leonard A. Bacon
6017 Saint John Drive
Alexandria, VA 22310

Roger A. Bacon
5470 Bradford Court #232
Alexandria, VA 22311-5470

From two press releases:

SUZUKI IN TOP FIVE AT CRUCIAL TESTS

April 2nd, 2002.
TEAM Telefónica MoviStar Suzuki rider Kenny Roberts Jr. posted fifth-fastest times at the Japanese GP circuit at the final pre-season tests before the first ever race of the new MotoGP era. The 2000 World Champion put the Suzuki well up among the new-generation four-stroke machines, with his team-mates close behind.

Roberts circulated the revised Suzuka circuit in 2:05.807, within 1.5-seconds of session leader Valentino Rossi. Kenny’s Suzuki was the next-best four-stroke, after Rossi and his Honda team-mate Tohru Ukawa, who both had extra sessions at this difficult circuit the previous weeks.

Full-time team-mate Sete Gibernau was within two tenths of Roberts, placed ninth fastest, sandwiched by factory testers Akira Ryo (eighth) and Yukio Kagayama.

This was the team’s first outing since the last European tests at Catalunya in Spain, and revisions to both engine and chassis performance had the riders complimenting the factory on the rapid progress with the all-new V4 machine – the GSV-R, which was released a full year earlier than planned to take part in the new era of GP racing.

KENNY ROBERTS – BETTER EVERY TIME.
“The bike has been constantly improving in all the different aspects. Some things were in the pipeline already, others are in response to what we found in our tests. The factory is trying to fix them all at the same time. We’re still getting a handle on how it all works – the motor, the chassis and the tyres. We’ve gotten past the big problems. Now we’re working on the little things that make up the last two seconds.”

SETE GIBERNAU – BIG STEP FORWARD
“The tests were encouraging in the progress with the bike since the last time we rode it. The team worked hard then, and the factory has worked hard to improve the problems we found early on. It’s a positive step, but I’m under no illusions. We’re still at an early stage of development, playing catch up. We need to keep working at the same pace.”

GARRY TAYLOR – TEAM MANAGER
“We were really impressed by the step in development to the bike. Looking at where we were in the tests compared with some four-stroke teams who have been developing their machine for a lot longer, I’d say the riders and the factory are seeing the fruits of their labours. Tyre-wise, everyone knows that Dunlop are coming back into the top class. We got through a lot of tyre development work during testing, and we hope that the information we’re giving them will help them to develop race tyres for the coming season.”

SUZUKA IRTA TEST – Official Times
1. Valentino ROSSI, ITA (Honda) – 2:04.343 2. Tohru UKAWA, JPN (Honda) – 2:04.943 3. Daijiro KATOH, JPN (Honda) – 2:05.540 4. Loris CAPIROSSI, ITA (Honda) – 2:05.782 5. Kenny ROBERTS, USA (Suzuki) – 2:05.807 6. Carlos CHECA, SPA (Yamaha) – 2:05.821 7. Shinichi ITOH, JPN (Honda) – 2:05.931 8. Akira RYO, JPN (Suzuki) – 2:06.065 9. Sete GIBERNAU – SPA (Suzuki) – 2:06.085 10. Yukio KAGAYAMA – JPN (Suzuki) – 2:06.130




SUZUKI JOINS IN THE BIG NEW ADVENTURE

Round One, Preview, Japanese GP, Suzuka – April 7, 2002.
THE great new MotoGP adventure starts at Suzuka on Sunday, April 7 – and the Telefónica MoviStar Suzuki riders Kenny Roberts Jr and Sete Gibernau will be lining up with the other new four-stroke GP prototypes to underline Suzuki’s entry in the first chapter of the new pages of history.

The first race of the 2002 season starts the new era. After 53 years with the premier class in racing defined by a 500cc engine capacity limit, the biggest change in the history of motorcycle racing opens the class also to a new breed of four-stroke racer. The MotoGP machines can be up to 990cc, with different minimum weight limits depending on the number of cylinders. But they must all be genuine full-race prototypes, with no links to production machines.

Suzuki’s response was the exciting new GSV-R – a 200-plus horsepower V4, with double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, fuel injection … and a massive 200-plus horsepower. Not to mention a barking exhaust note that sends shivers down the spine.

This is the machine that Roberts and Gibernau will be lining up for the start of the first race of the Grand Prix era. And all eyes will be on the new-generation 990cc four-strokes, as they fight not only to establish the new pecking order amongst themselves, but also do their utmost to put the well-developed surviving two-strokes in their place.

Released a full year earlier than planned, the Suzuki has had less testing time than some of its direct four-stroke rivals. But all the new 990cc prototypes are generations behind the well-polished two-strokes. While the new machines have a significant advantage on horsepower and top speed, the old-timers will be making the most of their finely honed balance and overall handling performance, acquired over many years of expert development.

Suzuki has been involved in GP racing for more than 40 years, and the factory’s commitment to improving the breed through the highest levels of the sport has again been demonstrated by the early entry in MotoGP.

For the team, in spite of these being early days for the new bike, the objective is the same as ever.

“We go racing with the intention of winning races,” said team manager Garry Taylor; “And for both riders to claim the maximum possible championship points.

“It’s been a difficult road for the factory to get where we are with the new bike so quickly. We’re looking forward to the continued development that we know is coming. Now were are together in combat with all the others for the first time. Whatever we do achieve will be a tribute to the factory and the racing department.”

KENNY ROBERTS – EARLY DAYS, INTERESTING TIMES
“The bike has improved every time. We’ve made the big steps. Now we’re working on the little details, the small things that can make such a big difference. After the tests, I estimated we’re a couple of seconds off race-winning pace. The first second should be easy to find as we continued to develop the bike. That last second is real difficult. That’s where we’re heading. Generally, it’s too early to say anything just yet. Race pace will be a lot different from testing.”

SETE GIBERNAU – BIG STEP FORWARD
“The tests were encouraging in the progress with the bike since the last time we rode it. The team worked hard then, and the factory has worked hard to improve the problems we found early on. It’s a positive step, but I’m under no illusions. We’re still at an early stage of development, playing catch up. We need to keep working at the same pace.”

GARRY TAYLOR – TEAM MANAGER
“We were really impressed by the step in development to the bike. Looking at where we were in the tests compared with some four-stroke teams who have been developing their machine for a lot longer, I’d say the riders and the factory are seeing the fruits of their labours.”

ABOUT THIS TRACK
Suzuka’s unique and historic figure-eight circuit has undergone further revisions for this year’s race. The famous Dunlop curve, leading over the hill after the long and complicated Esses, has been reprofiled to improve safety. As a result, the track has lost 38 metres of length – hardly enough to make a difference, at one of the longest circuits of the year. Technical difficulties of the fine circuit include also the double-apex Degner bends (named after Suzuki’s famous first World Champion), the infamously long Spoon Curve, and the fearsome 130R at the end of the long main straight. As often with flowing circuits, which put as much emphasis on riding skill as out and out speed, Suzuka has often played host to very close racing in the past 15 years.

ABOUT THIS RACE
The home GP is special to all the Japanese factories – none less than Suzuki, winners here on five previous occasions. This is the 16th year at Suzuka, but only the 15th GP – in 1999 it moved to Motegi for one year (where Suzuki added a sixth win to their home tally). In fact, there had been earlier Japanese GPs here, for five years from 1963 – but they were only for the smaller classes. Over and above the first race of the season, and of the new MotoGP four-stroke era, Suzuka has a special atmosphere. The presence of senior Japanese industry figures lends importance to the race, while the track itself is a magnificent challenge.

RACE DATA
Suzuka
Circuit Length: 3.617 miles / 5.821 km (2002)

Lap Record: 2:06.805 –103.357 mph / 166.374 km/h. Tohru Ukawa (Honda 2001) (old circuit)

2001 Race Winner: Valentino Rossi (Honda)

2001 Race Distance: 21 laps, 76.461 miles / 123.039 km

2001 Race Average: 44:51.501 – 102.259 mph / 164.570 km/h

2001 Fastest Race Lap: see lap record

2001 Pole Position: Loris Capirossi (Honda), 2:04.777

2001 Kenny Roberts: Seventh, qualified ninth (Telefónica MoviStar Suzuki)

2001 Sete Gibernau: DNF, qualified 14th (Telefónica MoviStar Suzuki)

From a press release:

Grand Bayou Circuit to Host Motorcycle Road Racing with the WERA National Series

Belle Rose, La.- WERA Motorcycle Roadracing will kick off its National Endurance and National Challenge Series next weekend, April 6-7, at No Problem Raceway Park’s Grand Bayou Circuit, Louisiana’s newest racetrack.

The four-hour WERA/GMD Computrack National Endurance Series race gets the green flag on Saturday at 12:30 pm. The race features plenty of pit stop action, as each team has to stop for fuel and a rider change several times throughout the race.

At the top of the field, Vesrah Suzuki will be defending their 2001 championship on a Suzuki GSX-R 1000. Vesrah competes in the Heavyweight Superbike class, which features the biggest, fastest bikes in the Series. Four other classes are also featured, so fans will be able to see a broad range of motorcycles competing in the endurance race.

The National Challenge Series races will take place on Sunday. Each sprint race will consist of 10 laps around the 1.8-mile, 14-turn Grand Bayou Circuit. The 12 races on Sunday are divided up according to each class of bike and novice and expert racer groups. Fans will be treated to constant on-track action from some of the best motorcycle racers in the United States.

A number of 2001 champions will be returning to defend their titles. Mark Junge will be back in the Open Superstock and 600cc Superstock classes, and Scott Harwell returns to 750cc Superstock and Heavyweight Twins. Jason Peters will also be defending his title in the 125cc Grand Prix class on board his Honda RS125.

RPM, WERA’s southwestern affiliate, is assisting WERA with the event. Many of RPM’s South Central Region racers will be at the Grand Bayou Circuit this weekend, allowing fans to see some top local talent.

Tickets are available for $20 for the weekend and $10 on Sunday. Camping is available, also, and the Grand Bayou Circuit has full amenities for fans that are camping.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Aaron Gobert flew out of Los Angeles late Monday night, bound for his home in Australia where he will consult his long-time doctor.

Gobert suffered major injuries in a crash at Daytona on March 10 and spent almost 12 days in a Florida hospital before returning to Lake Elsinore, California, where he lives during the racing season.

Gobert said Monday night that he hopes to return to the U.S. in four or five weeks.

From a press release:

Japanese Grand Prix
Suzuka April 5/6/7 2002
MotoGP WELCOMES FOUR-STROKE BOOM

The much-awaited 2002 MotoGP World Championship roars into action at Suzuka this weekend with a whole new sound. Booming four-stroke machines are expected to be out front for the first time in a quarter of a century of GP racing, thanks to a new technical format which pitches all-new 990cc four-strokes into battle with the screaming 500cc two-strokes.

Marlboro Yamaha Team riders Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa are expected to be in the thick of the battle aboard their awesome YZR-M1s. Second and sixth in last year’s final 500 World Championship, the pair have been hard at work developing the M1 throughout the winter, and now they are ready to give the bike its race debut, taking on rival four-strokes from Aprilia, Honda and Suzuki, as well as a bunch of the latest 500s.

Suzuka is the first of 16 races counting towards the first-ever MotoGP World Championship. After Sunday the paddock crosses the globe to South Africa, before returning to racing’s European heartland for the start of the long European campaign. The 2002 season ends in Valencia on November 3, after another series of ‘flyaway’ races, including the Pacific GP at Japan’s Motegi circuit on October 6.


BIAGGI: READY TO ROCK
Max Biaggi rode a superb 2001 season aboard his Marlboro Yamaha Team YZR500, winning three GPs and fighting for the World Championship until the last few races. It was the Italian’s best 500 campaign since switching to the premier class in 1998 but now he faces a whole new challenge – racing and developing Yamaha’s YZR-M1 in its first MotoGP World Championship season.

Biaggi has never raced a four-stroke before but he’s had little difficulty adapting to the different demands of the M1 – coping with the four-stroke’s extra weight and extra engine braking into corners. “I like Suzuka but every track is like a new track with the four-stroke, it’s a new bike, with a new system,” says Biaggi, who holds the current lap record. “Riding the M1 is very different from the two-stroke, so I’ll need to do many laps in practice but I think the bike can be faster than the 500.”

During last weekend’s Suzuka IRTA tests Biaggi came within a fraction of his best-ever 500 time, even though rain prevented him from riding his traditional end-of-session hot lap. In recent weeks Yamaha has been working on various upgrade parts, including engine internals. “We’ve been working on horsepower parts to increase acceleration and top speed,” says M1 project leader Ichiro Yoda. “I think we should have something like an extra seven horsepower for Suzuka.”

Many of these new parts have been requested by Biaggi, who has been working hard to increase the M1’s performance both on the straights and through the corners. Like any racer, he wants his motorcycle to be the best on the grid, and problems encountered at slower, tighter tracks like Estoril and Valencia have kept both him and his Yamaha engineers very busy over the last two months.

“We’ve been trying to find out what we can do to make the bike work better,” adds Biaggi. “My biggest problem had been turn-in and mid-corner turning so Yamaha gave us a new chassis for last weekend’s tests. It turns better but I’d still like the bike to turn faster. We’re also working at improving the throttle-to-tyre connection because the engine hits too hard, and that loses me time on the corner exits. I’m positive but we also have to be realistic. I will try my best on the racetrack and expect the factory to respond soon with the parts we need.”


CHECA’S NEW ERA
Carlos Checa has been looking forward to the dawning of MotoGP’s new four-stroke age more keenly than most of his fellow former 500 riders. The Spaniard prefers the riding character of the new machines and was the first man to illustrate their enormous potential when he used a YZR-M1 to shatter lap and race records during tests at Brno last summer.

“The four-stroke engine gives more traction both on corner entry and exit, it helps to hug the bike to the ground into the corner,” he says. “And when you open the throttle the power is very smooth and progressive, so you can open the throttle earlier. That’s why I prefer four-strokes. And the four-stroke character really suits Suzuka, so I’m optimistic.”

Now he’s ready to give his Marlboro Yamaha Team M1 four-stroke its race debut at Suzuka. Checa has been a crucial part of the M1 development process and has been hugely impressed by Yamaha’s dedication to their latest GP bike project.

“This year this team has more resources and more interest to develop the bike around me and Max,” he says. “We have worked very hard at developing this bike, I’ve ridden more than 6000 kilometres since November, we made good progress during last weekend’s Suzuka tests and for sure we can keep improving. But I feel confident and comfortable with the M1, I can play with it and have fun, and that’s when you’re fast.”

But after confronting his four-stroke rivals for the first time at last month’s IRTA tests at Catalunya he knows that winning won’t be easy. “From what we’ve seen (Valentino) Rossi will be the guy to beat at Suzuka, he’s consistent and fast. We need to improve but I’m optimistic. It’s going to be great at Suzuka – everyone’s been waiting for this first race of the new era, waiting to see how the four-strokes work against the 500s in a race situation. Many people think they know what will happen, but you never know until everyone goes racing.”

One of Checa’s main focuses in recent months has been improving the M1’s corner-exit performance. The bike has a lot of horsepower and its rear Michelin offers so much grip that Checa has had difficulty keeping the front wheel on the tarmac. “I can use a lot of throttle while leaned over and that causes rearward weight transfer which unweights the front tyre, which doesn’t help the steering.” This is a typical racing process: when you improve one aspect of performance, you must improve another.


WHAT THE CREW SAYS
Fiorenzo Fanali, Max Biaggi’s chief engineer
Few GP engineers have more experience than Fiorenzo Fanali, who has been working with Biaggi for the last two seasons. The Italian first began wielding spanners on the GP circuit in the late sixties when he worked for legendary Italian marque MV Agusta. Like Biaggi, he can’t wait to start the new season.

“For sure, I think the four-strokes will win at Suzuka, it’s a fast track and that should be good for them,” he says. “But, of course, every racetrack is a new story. Much will depend on the weather – it often rains at Suzuka and that could spoil the qualifying or the race. Max always wants his bike to be as easy handling as possible and that’s particularly true at Suzuka, where there are a lot of direction changes. So our focus will be to make the bike easy to steer and turn.”


Antonio Jimenez, Carlos Checa’s chief engineer
This is Antonio Jimenez’s first race as Checa’s engineer, even though he has known Checa for the past 12 years and worked with him in other capacities. A former Showa suspension technician, Jimenez is an expert at bike set-up and also knows how to get the best out of his rider.

“It’s great to be working with Carlos this year,” he says. “We’ve done a lot of testing together over the winter and our current priority for development is adjusting the balance of the bike to help keep the front on the ground under acceleration, to help him steer out of the corners. At the moment I’d say that Rossi is one or two steps ahead of us but I think our race pace is pretty good and anything can happen over 20 laps, so we’ve got to be optimistic.”

THE TRACK
Suzuka was constructed by Honda in 1962 as Japan’s first international-standard racetrack and still rates as one of the world’s best motorsport venues. The circuit staged its first World Championship rounds in ’63, ’64 and ’65 but those events only catered for the smaller classes and it wasn’t until 1987 that Suzuka hosted a 500 Grand Prix.

Since then the fast, varied and supremely challenging track has gained a reputation for serving up some of the closest, most thrilling GP encounters – Max Biaggi’s runaway win aboard his Marlboro Kanemoto Honda at the ’98 event was a rare event.

Suzuka is the longest track on the GP calendar and unique for its figure-of-eight layout which gives a good mix of left and right-handers through its 19 corners, varying from fast sweepers to the dead-stop chicane and hairpin. It is also one of the few current GP tracks where MotoGP riders can give their machines full rein.


Lap record
Max Biaggi (Marlboro Kanemoto Honda) 1998
2m 06.746s/166.556kmh

MAX BIAGGI DATA LOG
Age: 30.
Lives: Monaco
Bike: Marlboro Yamaha Team YZR-M1
GP victories: 37 (8 x 500, 29 x 250)
First GP victory: South Africa, 1992 (250)
First GP: France, 1991 (250)
GP starts: 149 (62×500, 87×250)
Pole positions: 48 (15×500, 33×250)
First pole: Europe, 1992 (250)
World Championships: 4 x 250 (’94, ’95, ’96, ’97)
Suzuka 2001 results. Grid: 3rd. Race: 3rd

CARLOS CHECA DATA LOG
Age: 29.
Lives: Great Ayton, England
Bike: Marlboro Yamaha Team YZR-M1
GP victories: 2 (500)
First GP victory: Catalunya, 1996 (500)
First GP: Europe, 1993 (125)
GP starts: 120 (92×500, 27×250, 1×125)
Pole positions: 1 (500)
First pole: Spain, 1998 (500)
Suzuka 2001 results. Grid: 12th. Race: 10th

From a press release:

AMA Pro Racing partners with TWI International for global television coverage of AMA Superbike

AMA Pro Racing, the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the U.S., announced today it has signed an international television rights agreement with TWI International, the television arm of International Management Group (IMG). Under terms of the partnership, TWI will formulate agreements with international television networks to telecast AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship races.

This agreement will continue to build a greater global following of the U.S. Superbike Championship brand of racing, arguably the most competitive continental road-racing championship in the world. TWI has already signed agreements with Dubai Radio & Television and British broadcaster BskyB to show AMA Superbike races in the UK & Eire. British Sky Broadcasting is a leading provider of sports, movies, entertainment and news whose channels are received by over 10 million households in the UK and Eire.

Additional deals are in the works and will be announced soon.

AMA Superbike riders, teams, sponsors and OEMs will benefit greatly from the exposure to a much larger and broader international fan base.

“We know many of our top Superbike athletes have a devoted overseas following, and now those race fans can enjoy a Superbike battle between Mat Mladin and Nicky Hayden from the comfort of their own living rooms,” said Chris Bradley, AMA Pro Racing associate vice president of commercial development.

“We are extremely pleased to have this relationship with AMA Pro Racing,” said Peter Smith, senior international vice president, TWI International. “The U.S. Superbike Championship already has a very positive reaction from international buyers. The future of U.S. Superbike racing is strong and we look forward to expanding its popularity into the overseas markets.”

AMA Pro Racing CEO Scott Hollingsworth said, “We are very happy to have TWI as a partner in the development of our international television rights. Our goal is to not only grow the sport here, but also expand its exposure on a worldwide scale, increasing value for all stakeholders.”

The AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship and support classes are followed by millions of fans around the world, at race events, on television broadcasts and the Internet. Last year, 375,000 fans attended Superbike races, with an average attendance of more than 34,000 per event, an 11.5 percent increase over the 2000 season.

The AMA U.S. Superbike Championship traces its roots back to 1934, when the AMA first organized motorcycle road racing in the United States. In 1976, the AMA created the U.S. Superbike Championship to provide an affordable, level playing field for professional race teams, and as a platform for motorcycle manufacturers to showcase their production sport-performance models.

Today, the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship stands as the world’s premiere national Superbike championship, and tours with the AMA Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport Championship and four additional top-caliber bike classes: Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock, MBNA 250 Grand Prix, Lockhart Phillips Formula Xtreme and Buell Pro Thunder.

About TWI
TWI is the largest independent producer, packager and distributor of sports programs in the world and produces 6,000 hours of original programming each year for distribution to more than 200 territories. It is the program making arm of Mark McCormack’s IMG and has production centers in London, Hong Kong, New Delhi, New York, Seoul and Sydney plus over 40 sales offices around the globe.

TWI’s sports news agency collaboration with APTN, SNTV, serves 200 broadcasters world wide with a reach of 850 million and TWI produces web sites for international brand names like the Brazilian national Football Team, Manchester United, the Chinese Premier League and the Indian Cricket Team.

TWI’s Features & Documentaries Division has a wide range of international successes under its belt including Century, a 13-part co-production with British Pathe, and the multi-award winning The Second World War in Colour, which has sold throughout the globe, and its documentary series Britain at War in Colour won the British Academy Award for Best Factual Series [BAFTA] in 2001.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Lap Times From March 30-31 IRTA MotoGP Testing At Suzuka, Japan:

1. Valentino Rossi, Repsol Honda, Honda RC211V, Michelin, 2:04.343
2. Tohru Ukawa, Repsol Honda, Honda RC211V, Michelin, 2:04.493
3. Daijiro Katoh, Fortuna Honda Gresini, Michelin, Honda NSR500, 2:05.540
4. Loris Capirossi, West Honda Pons, Honda NSR500, Michelin, 2:05.782
5. Kenny Roberts, Telefonica Movistar Suzuki, Suzuki GSV-R, Dunlop, 2:05.807
6. Carlos Checa, Marlboro Yamaha Team, Yamaha YZR-M1, Michelin, 2:05.821
7. Shinichi Itoh, Honda Racing Corporation, Honda RC211V, Michelin, 2:05.931
8. Akira Ryo, Telefonica Movistar Suzuki, Suzuki GSV-R, Dunlop, 2:06.065
9. Sete Gibernau, Telefonica Movistar Suzuki, Suzuki GSV-R, Dunlop, 2:06.085
10. Yukio Kagayama, Telefonica Movistar Suzuki, Dunlop, Suzuki GSV-R, 2:-6.130
11. Max Biaggi, Marlboro Yamaha Team, Yamaha YZR-M1, Michelin, 2:06.296
12. Norick Abe, Repsol-YPF Yamaha d’Antin, Yamaha YZR500, Michelin, 2:06.784
13. Alex Barros, West Honda Pons, Honda NSR500, Michelin, 2:06.858
14. Garry McCoy, Red Bull Yamaha, Yamaha YZR500, Dunlop, 2:06.939
15. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton Team KR, Proton KR3, Bridgestone, 2:07.098
16. Shinya Nakano, Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3, Yamaha YZR500, Michelin, 2:07.128
17. Olivier Jacque, Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3, Yamaha YZR500, Michelin, 2:07.290
18. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton Team KR, Proton KR3, Bridgestone, 2:07.322
19. John Hopkins, Red Bull Yamaha, Yamaha YZR500, Dunlop, 2:07.373
20. Jurgen van den Goorbergh, Kanemoto Honda, Honda NSR500, Bridgestone, 2:07.638

From an e-mail:

Thursday practice? I’m still trying to get up to speed after missing all of last season – and trying to learn how to ride these big four-cylinders. For me, I wish there was a Wednesday practice at this point in the learning curve! My guy who helps me couldn’t come down for both weekends, so I didn’t get anything done other than learning the track (at Fontana on Saturday). There won’t be any continuity between the two weekends. 

Compared to some of these other teams that are testing here – I have it pretty good. It’s only seven hours. But it forces the guys from the other coast like Chris Pyles and Opie Caylor to come out a week early for the club weekend. How expensive is that? And the tables will be turned when the series heads to Road Atlanta and VIR.

It’s interesting that the teams like Attack Suzuki who have already tested here this winter in the AMA tests are back here for FTA. I’m sure they would rather show up a day early next week.

Even after riding on Saturday, I am undecided about coming back next weekend for the National because of the limited track time.

From a press release:

FIRST PICTURES OF THE NEW DUCATI FOR THE MOTOGP CHAMPIONSHIP

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The bike will be presented to the world’s press during the Italian GP at Mugello on May 30.

Bologna, April 1, 2002 – The development of the Ducati prototype bike for the new MotoGP championship is continuing on schedule. Wind-tunnel testing has been taking place over the past few months and an aerodynamic configuration offering extremely high performance levels has already been obtained, despite the shape undergoing constant development. The final version will only be defined after track tests and the intense wind-tunnel testing programme have been completed.

“Thanks to the freedom our engineers were given in the design of a new bike and a new engine at the same time, we were able to apply the concept of integration to the full”, declared Claudio Domenicali, Ducati Corse Managing Director, who is in charge of the MotoGP project. “In particular the engine has been designed in line with the demands of the bike, and everything in function of the position of the rider. The result is a very compact bike, one that has been created around the rider giving him maximum freedom of movement through corners as well as allowing him to take up an extremely aerodynamic straight-line position with minimum physical effort.

“Extensive 3D CAD design has allowed us to analyse the layout and perfect the interaction between every component in a virtual mock-up modelled around the shape of the rider, obtaining unprecedented integration between all components.

“No aspect has been neglected in such a demanding and important project for our company. We have therefore also given particular attention to the search for an extremely low aerodynamic drag, which we view as vitally important because regulations based on fuel consumption reward the most efficient designs. The excellent wind tunnel results have also been obtained thanks to the compact nature of the Desmosedici engine, which has enabled a bike to be designed around it with the rider placed in an aerodynamically efficient position”.

The tubular steel trestle frame and the exhausts pipes under the tail fairing, together with the desmodromic system and the L-shaped layout of the engine, maintain intact some of the characteristics typical of Ducati’s sportsbike models.

“The tubular trestle frame was a natural choice”, continued Domenicali. “Our victories in the World Superbike Championship confirm that this is an excellent technical design. The MotoGP prototype however has been built around an innovative structure, which by exploiting the layout of the L-shaped Desmosedici engine to the full, uses it as a stress-bearing member and reaches the required levels of stiffness with a substantial reduction in frame weight and dimensions.

“The decision to place the exhausts under the tail, which gives the bike a ‘family feeling’, in line with Ducati’s road-going sportsbikes, was made above all because of its aerodynamic advantage.

“Thanks to the commitment of the team headed by Ducati Corse Technical Director Filippo Preziosi, everything is continuing according to plan, and today we are in a position to announce the date when the definitive version of the bike will be presented to the world’s press”, concluded Domenicali. “The bike launch will be Thursday 30 May, during the Italian GP at Mugello. Ducati fans will also have an exclusive opportunity to see the bike during WDW2000 (World Ducati Week, Misano Adriatico, June 14–16), the event held every two years that brings thousands of ‘Ducatisti’ from all over the world to Italy to celebrate with us their passion for our bikes”.