From a press release:

Sears Point Raceway Sells Out of Suites Above New Permanent Grandstand

SONOMA, Calif. (IMMEDIATE RELEASE) – Sears Point Raceway has sold out of its new corporate luxury suites that are being built above the new permanent grandstand at start-finish on the road course for the 2002 racing season, track officials announced.

The 16 suites will feature an indoor-outdoor design, as well as upgraded furniture, telephones, wet bars, padded outdoor seats, air conditioning and private restrooms. Some extra amenities include internet access and a menu of fine Sonoma and Napa valley wines.

The suites are being built directly above pit road on the road course, offering corporate clients views unparalleled in motorsports to one of the most exciting aspects of a road race: pit stops. The suites will also provide a breathtaking view of NHRA POWERade drag racing on the refurbished Sears Point Raceway quarter-mile drag strip.

“The layout and design of these suites is going to be unlike any other in the Bay Area,” said Steve Page, president and general manager of Sears Point Raceway. “We are delighted to see such an immediate and positive response from the marketplace.”

The sales continue a trend in motorsports in the San Francisco-Sacramento markets as Sears Point Raceway experienced attendance gains at every major event during the 2001 season, including the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Winston Cup. Moreover, NASCAR television ratings saw a 17-percent gain in San Francisco over 2000, while Sacramento experienced a 20-percent gain over 2000. Sears Point also experienced gains in television ratings for its NHRA POWERade FRAM Autolite Nationals.

Sears Point Raceway was able to target both corporate sponsors at the regional and national levels for suite sales, including DuPont, UPS and Budweiser. At the local level, Big O Tires, Rombauer Winery, Slakey Brothers and Frank Howard Allen Realty are a few of the businesses that purchased suites.

“We’re flattered at the response of our corporate customers,” said Tim Schuldt, vice president of sales and marketing at Sears Point. “We’re thrilled that we will be able to provide our customers with the world-class amenities they demand.”

The suites are part of Sears Point Raceway’s comprehensive $50 million Modernization Plan that will transform the facility into one of the premier motorsports and entertainment venues in the country. The two-year project began in September, 2000, and will be nearly complete by the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Winston Cup, June 20-23. During the two years, more than 8,000,000 cubic yards of dirt has been moved.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

As bidding in the Roadracing World Air Fence Fund benefit auction for a made-to-order set of Barnacle Bill leathers holds at $1225, we’ve added an extra bonus to the auction.

The winning bidder for the Barnacle Bill custom leathers will receive two columns (half a page) of coverage in an issue of Roadracing World, complete with a photo of themselves wearing the leathers along with a profile of their racing program and a complete list of their sponsors.

The auction is due to end Friday, February 8 at 1:37 p.m. Central Time.

Custom leather suit maker “Barnacle Bill” Burns has donated a custom-made set of his motorcycle leathers (in road race, flat track, speedway, drag race or street style) to be auctioned off with the proceeds, minus the cost of the eBay service, going to the Roadracing World Air Fence Fund.

---

---

Burns is offering to make a suit to the specifications of the winning bidder, as if they were a customer ordering one of his standard racer package deals, and Burns says, “The most important suit that I will ever make is the suit that I make for you.”

All of Barnacle Bill’s suits are custom-made from hand-selected 3.0-3.5-ounce leather, feature triple-stitched and glued seams from the inside of the garment to increase durability, come with plastic composite body armor, have optional venting, an optional aerodynamic hump, includes the rider’s name on the front and back and road race suits come with knee sliders. Additional lettering is available at an additional cost.

---

---

Virtually any design, color or combination of colors is available to the winning bidder. And the suit can be made in either a one-piece or two-piece design.

After their bid is received, the winning bidder’s name will be forwarded to Burns by Roadracing World. The bidder and Burns will then begin to work on the winning bidder’s new suit. Burns says that the suit will be ready to wear in approximately four weeks, if not earlier.

“Hurt racers don’t come back as customers,” said former racer Burns on why he is donating a suit to the Roadracing World Air Fence Fund. “I’ve hit something solid before, and it doesn’t feel good.”

Custom-made leather suits typically range in cost anywhere from $800 to well over $2000.

---

---

Although leathers are the most effective safety clothing worn by motorcyclists on the street and the racetrack today, sometimes well-made leathers are not enough. As a result, the Roadracing World Air Fence Fund was established to raise money to purchase and deploy Air Fence* and Air Module soft barriers to protect crashed riders from hitting walls and other hard objects at racetracks.

To go directly to the auction on eBay, click here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1802522825

*Air Fence is a trademark of Airfence Safety Systems of Australia

Southern California Triumph Named Top Dealer

According to a press release, Southern California Triumph has been named the Number One Triumph Dealer in the United States for 2001 by Triumph Motorcycles America.

The 21-month-old dealership in Brea, California was also named as one of Dealernews Magazine’s Top 100 Dealers in the United States.

Southern California Triumph is located at 515 West Lambert Rd., Brea, California 92821.

For more information, call (714) 256-6700 or e-mail [email protected].

Forget that stuff about 36 corporate members controlling 6 of 12 AMA Board seats and now getting to decide whether or not to further restrict who and who cannot be elected by the members.

Despite what AMA President Rob Rasor told us, there are actually 23 Corporate members of the AMA, as follows:

American Honda Motor Co.
(AMA Director Ray Blank)

American Suzuki Motor Corp.
(AMA Director Mel Harris)

American Motorcycle Institute

BMW of North America

Cannondale Corporation

Cycle News, Inc.

Ducati North America

Dunlop Tire Corporation
(AMA Director Mike Buckley)

Exxon Mobil Coporation

Filter Publications
(AMA Director Davey Coombs)

Hachette Filipacchi Magazines

Harley-Davidson Motor Co.
(AMA Director Ken Sutton)

Indian Motorcycle Company

Kawasaki Motors Corp.
(AMA Director John Hoover)

KK Motorcycle Supply

KTM Sportmotorcycle USA, Inc.

Motorcycle Mechanics Institute

National Auto Research

Parts Unlimited/Drag Specialties

Polaris Industries, Inc.

Primedia

Triumph Motorcycles

Yamaha Motor Corp.

Although all details are not available, reports from Europe indicate that German Katja Poensgen, 25, the first woman to ever score points in the FIM 250cc Grand Prix World Championship, is without a ride.

In late 2001, Poensgen was announced as part of Jeff Hardwick’s 2002 Shell Advance Honda squad, teaming with Spainish rider Alex Debon on factory RS250R-Ws, but due to financial difficulties, Hardwick’s 250cc program has folded. Poensgen is now looking for her fourth team in 13 months.

Poensgen earned recognition when she finished on the podium once and in the top five three times in the 2000 FIM Superstock World Championship. Poensgen then signed to ride for the Umoto Aprilia team alongside Jeremy McWilliams in the 2001 250cc World Championship series. The Umoto team collapsed without warning leaving Poensgen at the first IRTA test without a bike to ride. Poensgen made her way onto the Dark Dog Racing Factory line-up with teammate Alex Hofmann, raced the first half of the season and scored her two World Championship points. Mid-season Poensgen and the Dark Dog Racing Factory team split company, and Poensgen was subsequently picked up by Jeff Hardwick’s Shell Advance unit.

Hardwick had planned to run a two-rider team in the 250cc class and two riders on 500cc V-4 two-strokes in the MotoGP class in 2002. Reports indicated that Hardwick had signed Poensgen and Debon to ride factory Honda 250s, and Debon even tested one of the new bikes at Suzuka in December. But late last month, news that Hardwick’s 250cc effort had folded began to leak out of Europe. Then on February 4, Hardwick was introduced in a Honda press conference in Japan as the Team Manager of Pramac Racing with Tetsuya Harada riding a Honda NSR500 in the 2002 MotoGP World Championship.

Poensgen and Debon are now left without rides with only two months remaining until the start of the 2002 season, but both are currently working on finding teams before the first IRTA test at Valencia starting February 15.

A February 4 letter from Poensgen to her fans appeared on her website, www.katja-poensgen.de, saying,

“Hi folks,
“Where should I begin????
“As you might already know, once again I have no racing-team.
“No, I don’t feel completely at a loss. No, I’m not crying all the time. Everything is quite normal. The only thing missing, is a team. But I won’t give up. I keep reminding myself of my motto: Everything comes as it comes and better times will come.
“The only thing I can do for the moment, is to wait.
“Anyhow, now I know why Grand Prix’s make you old. I always wondered why my colleagues look so worn-out.
“-sorry-
“I feel a bit tired. And I’m asking myself: Where am I?
“Well, I’ll find out and let you know.
“Kat”

From an AMA press release:

In what could be the first step toward regulating the gear that motorcyclists wear, the federal government is considering requiring motorcycle rider apparel manufacturers to report clothing defects to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The proposal is included in a notice the government issued stating that it plans to propose rules for motor vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers to report customer satisfaction and certain other information to the federal government to help the NHTSA identify defects related to motor vehicle safety. The rules would implement the early warning reporting requirements of a federal law – The Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation (TREAD) Act – that was approved in 2000 following problems related to Firestone tires on Ford Explorers.
Specifically, the notice of proposed rulemaking notes that the rules would cover, among other things, “accessory equipment and `off-vehicle equipment’ that is not part of a motor vehicle, such as retroreflective motorcycle rider apparel and child restraints.”

Former NHTSA Administrator Joan Claybrook, now president of the public interest group Public Citizen, told the government that equipment manufacturers, including the makers of motorcycle jackets, should report defects to both vehicle manufacturers and the NHTSA “because reporting by the vehicle manufacturers (to the NHTSA) is the simplest and easiest way for NHTSA to maintain a usable database.”

Imre Szauter, AMA legislative affairs specialist, notes that creation of a database is usually the first step in setting up new regulations to regulate equipment. This notice of proposed rulemaking, he said, could be the first step for mandatory rider apparel certification and use.

The AMA told the NHTSA that including motorcycle rider apparel in the reporting requirements appears to go beyond what Congress intended in approving the TREAD Act.

“The AMA believes that requiring motorcycle apparel manufacturers to report defects under the TREAD Act is both impractical and unworkable,” the Association said. “There is typically no direct connection between the brand of motorcycle and the brand of rider apparel chosen by a motorcyclist. Unlike other motor vehicle equipment, original equipment and replacement equipment, tires or child restraints, apparel is neither installed in or on a vehicle.

“In addition, motorcycle apparel is not worn exclusively during motorcycle operation,” the AMA said. “For example, motorcycle jackets are often worn in cars, buses, trains, planes, while walking, etc.”

The Association added that the NHTSA should focus on the major issues that lead to the need for the early warning reporting requirement of the TREAD Act — identifying specific vehicle-related equipment that, if defective, would possibly lead to death or injury.

The NHTSA is accepting written comments only, sent by mail. The comment deadline is Feb. 4, 2002, but the agency will also consider comments received after that date “to the extent possible.” The final rule must be issued by June 30.

To comment, refer to Docket NHTSA 2001-8677, Notice 2, and send two copies of your comments to: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Docket Management, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh St. SW, Washington DC 20590.

(Note: There is a form letter that you can print out, sign and mail to the NHTSA available in the Rapid Response Center on the AMA website, www.ama-cycle.org.)

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

On the heels of several announcements clarifying their “alliance”, Suzuki and Kawasaki simultaneously began the first full tests of their new MotoGP four-stroke racebikes at Sepang in Malaysia Monday, February 4. This is the first time that four-stroke MotoGP bikes of two different manufacturers have been at the same track at the same time.

After a short test session at their Ryuyo factory test track in Japan two weeks ago, Suzuki factory World Championship riders Kenny Roberts and Sete Gibernau and All-Japan Road Racing Series riders Akira Ryo and Yukio Kagayama began their first, full test of Suzuki’s new XREO four-stroke, 990cc, 60-degree V-4 Monday at Sepang.

Then, in what was termed by many as a “surprise”, Kawasaki’s four-stroke development rider Akira Yanagawa rolled out of a garage on the bike that the smallest of the “Big Four” Japanese motorcycle manufacturers hopes to begin racing during the 2002 season. Kawasaki hasn’t released any details about the MotoGP four-stroke machine except to say that it will race in select rounds of the World Championship and All-Japan Road Race Series this season.

Timing with the announcement of the Suzuki/Kawasaki “alliance” may be coincidental, and it is not known whether Suzuki and Kawasaki are co-developing a MotoGP bike. Having said that, Suzuki and Kawasaki must have cooperated in planning for both teams to be at the private test in Malaysia.

News of the Suzuki/Kawasaki alliance was first released in August of 2001 and recent releases from both companies continue to clarify the relationship. A January memo to Kawasaki dealers stated, “The alliance–created to allow the two brands to share certain production platforms, related sourcing, and engage in selected product co-development–was announced last August and will begin to take form by the middle of this year.”

When asked about the cooperative Suzuki/Kawasaki test at Sepang, American Suzuki spokesman Mark Reese said that he wasn’t informed on Suzuki’s MotoGP plans and had no information to give. However, Reese was aware that both Suzuki and Kawasaki development teams were at the test together.

Stay tuned for more details as they become available.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Bidding on a made-to-order set of Barnacle Bill leathers in an eBay auction to benefit the Roadracing World Air Fence* Fund has reached $1225.

The first four days of the seven-day auction saw 10 bids and several new participants in the Air Fence Fund auction process. Outrace currently holds the high bid with jknigh14, amoore4, rmahr137, zbxb006, scottg22 and www.vlmc.com all participating in the bidding.

The auction is due to close Friday, February 8 at 2:37 p.m. Eastern Time.

To date, four items auctioned off to benefit the Roadracing World Air Fence Fund have raised $9563.

Custom leather suit maker “Barnacle Bill” Burns has donated a custom-made set of his motorcycle leathers (in road race, flat track, speedway, drag race or street style) to be auctioned off with the proceeds, minus the cost of the eBay service, going to the Roadracing World Air Fence Fund.

---

---

Burns is offering to make a suit to the specifications of the winning bidder, as if they were a customer ordering one of his standard racer package deals, and Burns says, “The most important suit that I will ever make is the suit that I make for you.”

All of Barnacle Bill’s suits are custom-made from hand-selected 3.0-3.5-ounce leather, feature triple-stitched and glued seams from the inside of the garment to increase durability, come with plastic composite body armor, have optional venting, an optional aerodynamic hump, includes the rider’s name on the front and back and road race suits come with knee sliders. Additional lettering is available at an additional cost.

---

---

Virtually any design, color or combination of colors is available to the winning bidder. And the suit can be made in either a one-piece or two-piece design.

After their bid is received, the winning bidder’s name will be forwarded to Burns by Roadracing World. The bidder and Burns will then begin to work on the winning bidder’s new suit. Burns says that the suit will be ready to wear in approximately four weeks, if not earlier.

“Hurt racers don’t come back as customers,” said former racer Burns on why he is donating a suit to the Roadracing World Air Fence Fund. “I’ve hit something solid before, and it doesn’t feel good.”

Custom-made leather suits typically range in cost anywhere from $800 to well over $2000.

---

---

Although leathers are the most effective safety clothing worn by motorcyclists on the street and the racetrack today, sometimes well-made leathers are not enough. As a result, the Roadracing World Air Fence Fund was established to raise money to purchase and deploy Air Fence* and Air Module soft barriers to protect crashed riders from hitting walls and other hard objects at racetracks.

To go directly to the auction on eBay, click here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1802522825

*Air Fence is a trademark of Airfence Safety Systems of Australia

From a press release:

DUCATI CORSE PRESS INFORMATION

DESMOSEDICI TWINPULSE ENGINE TO POWER DUCATI ATTACK ON MOTOGP CHAMPIONSHIP

Four-cylinder 989cc ‘L’ engine, with simultaneous firing order in cylinders of the same bank and desmodromic timing.

Track tests to get underway in July also in traditional firing layout.

Race debut with two riders at first round of MotoGP 2003.

Nine months after the start of the MotoGP project, announced last May at Jerez de la Frontera, Ducati Corse has completed the design stage of its new engine, called Desmosedici (16-valve Desmo), which will begin testing on the dyno within the next three months.

---

---

Ducati Corse Managing Director Claudio Domenicali explained the decision-making process behind the choice of the new engine:

“After analysing all the possibilities offered by the regulations and on the basis of computer simulations, we are convinced that a massive power output is required to be competitive in MotoGP. It would have been difficult to obtain this power with conventional twin-cylinder engines, which amongst other things are only given a 10 kg weight advantage over 4 and 5 cylinder engines in the regulations. As a result, the bore size would have to be taken to an extremely high value, with the risk of incurring serious combustion problems.

“For this reason, in the preliminary study phase, we considered a twin-cylinder oval piston engine to be an excellent layout for the new regulations. With the same weight as 4 and 5 cylinder engines, this layout combines the typical advantages of a twin in terms of power output and delivery, with the performance necessary to compete at the same level as the multi-cylinder units.

“But further analysis led us to decide that the best solution was a ‘double twin’ and therefore we designed an engine with four round pistons which, thanks to a simultaneous two-by-two firing order, reproduce the working cycle of a twin. This will generate the ‘big bang’ effect, making the rear tyre work in a way that extends its duration and improves rider feeling when exiting curves.

---

---

“The Desmosedici engine”, continued Domenicali, “will have a relatively short development period and reasonable costs and it will then be easily available also for external teams, since it is Ducati Corse’s intention to become a point of reference for private teams in MotoGP, as already it is in World Superbike.

“The Desmosedici power-unit, designed to tolerate the greater stress generated by simultaneous combustion, is therefore a unique engine with a further advantage: it allows two different versions to be tested. As well as the Twinpulse, we will also be testing a layout with a traditional firing order, which will have a slightly higher power output, but probably to the detriment of traction. Track testing and rider feeling will decide which layout will be used for racing”.

Another characteristic of the Desmosedici – designed by a team headed by Ducati Corse Technical Director Filippo Preziosi – is that it uses a desmodromic valve timing system, an exclusive characteristic of all Ducati engines for many years. “Thanks to this project, we are able to verify the Desmo’s true potential”, declared Preziosi. “Experience accumulated with materials and calculation methods on the Testastretta have allowed us to design an engine capable of exceeding 18000 rpm without all the costs and complications involved in using pneumatic valves”.

The first tests on the dyno for the new engine are scheduled for May and a track testing programme will get underway in July. The aim is to take part in the 2003 MotoGP season from the first round with a factory team made up of two riders.

Further information and regular updates on Ducati’s exciting new MotoGP programme will be given in the coming months and will also be available on the official Ducati Corse website: www.ducati.com/racing.


DUCATI DESMOSEDICI

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Engine, four-stroke, four-cylinder ‘L’ (V90°, horizontal front cylinders)

Bore: n/a

Stroke: n/a

Capacity: 989cc

Expected maximum crankshaft power: over 161 kW (220HP) @ 16000 rpm

Expected maximum crankshaft torque: 100 Nm (10.2 kg/m, 72.2 lbs.-ft.) @ 14000 rpm

Timing System, double overhead camshaft, four valves per cylinder, Desmodromic timing with gear train

Cooling System, liquid-cooled

Ignition, electronic inductive discharge unit

Champion spark-plugs

Magneti Marelli stick-coils
Fuel System, Indirect electronic injection, Magneti Marelli

4 x Magneti Marelli single-injector throttle bodies

Exhaust, complete Termignoni system

Gearbox, six-speed, removable, front mesh

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Mechanics for American Honda’s Nicky Hayden, Miguel Duhamel and Kurtis Roberts left for Japan today to build the team’s 2002-specification RC51s.

Speaking at the California Speedway test January 15, Duhamel’s engine man John Ethel said that the team’s mechanics would be in Japan for “nine or 10 days” starting February 4 to build five 2002 RC51 Superbikes from the ground up and an undisclosed number of engines.

The American Honda team has been testing a 2002 RC51 chassis, including new forks and what is believed to be a revised engine position, during the off-season in addition to testing a prototype 2002 motor at the Dunlop tire tests at Daytona. Team members have not given many details of the new 2002 Honda Superbike during the winter tests, explaining that they didn’t build the bikes and therefore don’t know what is different or changed.

Ethel said that he, Duhamel chassis man Greg Wood and Duhamel Crew Chief Al Ludington would make the trip to HRC’s race shop along with Roberts’ team of Crew Chief David McGrath, engine builder Bob Richeman and chassis tuner Danny Hull; Hayden’s squad of Crew Chief Merlyn Plumlee, engine builder David Jones and chassis expert Dan Fahie; as well as Team Coordinator Ray Plumb.

Speaking at the February 2 Supercross race in Anaheim, California, Nicky Hayden said that his team had one more, short test scheduled before the Daytona race. Hayden said that American Honda will go to Willow Springs in late February to shake down the 2002 machines before the season opener.