Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Yamaha’s Anthony Gobert continued to set the pace during AMA team testing at California Speedway Thursday with a new unofficial lap record of 1:25.748, 0.4-second faster than Gobert’s previous best from Wednesday. Gobert continues to gain speed as he becomes more familiar with his new, more powerful 2002 Yamaha YZF-R7 Superbike and more comfortable with the 2.36-mile infield road course, but Gobert admits that a new change to the turn one chicane helped him better his time.

For Thursday, AMA Pro Racing’s Gary Mathers moved the third and final apex of the turn one chicane 100 feet farther from the entrance. Riders felt that the change made the chicane faster and easier to muscle their bikes through, but some riders, like Gobert and Mat Mladin, still do not like the chicane.

“They may not like it,” said Mathers on pit lane Thursday morning. “But I’m trying to keep them safe.” Mahers added that the current turn one chicane was “about the 19th” version he had tried, and unless something unexpected happened Thursday afternoon that the chicane would stay as it is for the April national.

Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Tom Kipp was the fastest Formula Xtreme rider Thursday morning with a 1:27.979 on his Todd Fenton-tuned GSX-R1000, while Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster lept to the top of the 600cc Supersport time sheets with a 1:28.651, making him the first 600cc rider in the 1:28s at California Speedway.

Buckmaster’s lap was confirmed as legitimate after several other riders questioned the time. In his final stint of the test on his YZF-R6, Buckmaster put on new tires and turned a 1:28.774 followed by his 1:28.651. Buckmaster’s previous best 600cc lap time from Wednesday was a 1:29.4.

“Let Tommy (Hayden) chase that time around the rest of the day,” joked Buckmaster of the previous fastest 600cc Supersport rider at the Fontana facility. Buckmaster will spend Thursday afternoon on his Formula Xtreme Yamaha.

Most times should fall as the test comes to a close, since Dunlop qualifying tires have been seen on pit lane already.

Unofficial Thursday Morning Lap Times:

1. Anthony Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R7, 1:25.748
2. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:26.267
3. Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:26.407
4. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:26.675**
5. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:27.012
6. Tom Kipp, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:27.979
7. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:28.651
8. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:29.221
9. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:29.275
10. Josh Hayes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:29.559
11. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:29.641
12. Tony Meiring, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:30.632
13. Ben Spies, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:31.447
14. Tom Kipp, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:31.996
15. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:32.812

**Cut lap. Hacking’s actual best lap time, according to Crew Chief Jerry Daggett, was a 1:27.01.

From a press release:

CCS PRESENTED BY LOCKHART PHILLIPS USA DOUBLES LAST YEAR’S NUMBERS AT STREETS OF WILLOW

AURORA, Ill. (February 13, 2002) – Clear Channel Entertainment’s motorsports division announced today that Formula USA’s Championship Cup Series presented by Lockhart Phillips USA season opener more than doubled last year’s rider entry numbers and was a 20% increase over last season’s largest single event turnout at Streets of Willow.

There were 539 entries, 156 riders, and CCS paid out over $5500 in cash. Even with the Anaheim Supercross and the Super Bowl as competition, the rider turnout was formidable as 54 riders battled for the big money in the Speedscreen Unlimited GP races, and 46 riders chased the Akrapovic GTU purse around the 1.6 mile course at the Streets of Willow Springs. Brian Long, 2001 Expert Champion continued his winning ways with seven wins – one second and two thirds out of 12 races.

Along with the races, over one hundred people attended the CCS Pacific Awards presentation on Saturday night where 42 Regional Class Champions from 2001 were crowned and another 30 were recognized for their top five finishes in those same title classes. Rookie Experts Matthew Hartlieb and Dusty Schaller showed their talent as Hartlieb was on the podium seven times and Schaller had a respectable two podium finishes. Great accomplishments considering these rookies were racing against several regular Formula USA National Sportbike competitors. WSMC’s Jeremy Toye came over from WSMC to try his luck, and with the help of off-track excursions by Brian Long and early leader Chad Roland; Toye was able to nail down the win and the lion’s share of the Speedscreen Unlimited GP purse.

“This was a tremendous season opener for CCS presented by Lockhart Phillips USA, we are completely impressed with rider participation and excitement and this is a major victory for the Pacific region of CCS”, said Kevin Elliott, CCS Manager for Formula USA.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Roadracing World Website Editor Melissa Berkoff is attending a Ducati Corse press conference being held on Saturday, February 23 in Valencia, Spain.

Is there something you’d like to ask riders Troy Bayliss, Ben Bostrom, Ruben Xaus or Ducati Corse boss Claudio Domenicali?

If so, e-mail your questions and an indication of who they are for to [email protected], and she will try to get them answered at the press conference.

From a press release:

KWS Motorsports has settled into their new shop just in time for the 2002 racing season. The new shop, located at 4675 Franchise Street in North Charleston SC 29418, is better equipped to handle the high volume of customers they serve. With new bike lifts, a second story warehouse area, larger product display area, and custom designed workstations for KWS employees, the shop can more efficiently serve their customers.

Contrary to information received in the initial move, Ma-Bell has forced KWS Motorsports to change their phone numbers. The NEW phone numbers for KWS Motorsports are 843-552-7177, Toll Free 1-866-566-0004, or Fax 843-552-7132.

From a press release:

FORMULA USA TO CONDUCT TRAINING IN DAYTONA

AURORA, Ill. (February 12, 2002) – Clear Channel Entertainment’s Motor Sports division announced today that Formula USA National Road Race Series
and Championship Cup Series will be conducting a cornerworker training seminar on Thursday, February 28, 2002, 7:00 pm at the American Motorcycle Institute, A.M.I., in Daytona Beach, Fla.

National Safety Director Roger Lyle will be reviewing procedures for flagging, worker priorities, motorcycle pick-up, proper dress, and communications. This seminar is free and open to anyone with interest in learning how to cornerwork at the Formula USA National and CCS road races. Formula USA 2001 National Road Racing champions Shawn Higbee, Lee Acree, Mike Himmelsbach, and three-time AMA National Champion Randy Renfrow have been invited to welcome all corner marshals and explain the importance of having trained safety personnel at the races.

For more info contact Roger Lyle at [email protected] or 301-933-2599.

Formula USA thanks A.M.I. President Lamar Williams, the staff, and students of A.M.I for opening their school and hosting this event, and many thanks for all the years A.M.I. has provided classrooms, students, and support for cornerworking at the Daytona International Speedway.

From an open letter on Katja Poensgen’s website, www.katja-poensgen.de:

Hi All,

I will start at the beginning: Einstein says that all things are relative! What a profound discovery … All characteristics are relative, and therefore I cannot tell if what I am about to report is eventually good or bad!

Eager to know :=)

The Plain Truth: I shall not be riding in the MotoGP.com this Year!!!

You have heard it alright! I have not found any sponsors for the 400,000 Euro to join a GP team.

It is already the beginning of February and NO TEAM, NO BIKE, NO TRUCK, und NO whatsoever … Only my loyal mechanic Gerd from last year’s season remains on my side.

What else is there to do than looking for a regular job? Racing is my life, and yet still while I see all the other important things of life as well, nevertheless BIKE = LIFE !!

One thing is for sure, that I cannot grasp certain business decisions at all.

I will from tomorrow on assemble a racing team for the Superstock IDM.

My personal sponsors will all continue to go with me what I wholeheartedly thank them for, since those people keep my dream of racing a reality !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back to the roots: My new Baby is a Suzuki GSX-R1000 now.

I hope you all have no hard feeling against me when I say that I am also looking forward to this season.

Last year’s stress was great and this year kept on going on that very same high level.

My next objective is the GP1 class (new classifications) anyway and now I can already be working on just that with my Suzuki (in regard to 4 stroke engines) 🙂

I really tried all I could up to just today. But believe me, I am actually exhausted by having to go begging for cash over and over.

Last weekend I was on short notice in Italy. There was a chance to ride for a team 400,000 Euro to bring in sounds not that much but it is bloody (sorry!) much and in any case it is bloody (sorry again!) late for all general preparations to race in the 250cc class of www.motogp.com.

I had again not a single day of test driving from all the starting pilots while of course being expected to position myself in upper midfield at the 1st GP at Valencia, Spain. Who says that I am GENIE?

Off to bed is next in order to process all of this uneasy situation I am in to digest now…

I guess I should open up a relief fund since then at least I could go on vacation big time with the money for now 🙂

low rating joke, I know!

Kisses
Kat
btw Huz

-translated by founder-

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

AMA Pro Racing officials on hand at the multi-team test at California Speedway have several things on their agenda. In addition to finalizing the artificial sections of the Fontana facility’s 2.36-mile infield road course and further evaluating their new and improved electronic timing and scoring system, AMA officials are also testing a new audible warning device.

Made by a Morrison, Colorado company called Invader Technologies, Inc., the Audible Alert system was originally designed for use in oval track car racing. Invader Technologies Operations Manager Dave Groustra said that he was approached by AMA Pro Racing’s Ron Barrick during the 2001 AMA Superbike National race at Pikes Peak International Raceway to learn more about the system.

Groustra explained that the company developed the product with NASCAR Super Stock racers at Colorado National Speedway in Denver, Colorado and have had some success.

The system’s hardware includes a control box with the switches to activate the RF radio signals, receiver/transmitter units carried by the race vehicle and leads connecting the receiver/transmitter box to ear plugs worn by the rider.

Audible Alert has three different, two-second tones. For a yellow flag, riders will hear a solid, warning-style tone. For a red flag, riders will hear a more urgent beeping tone not unlike that of a cell phone ringing. When the racetrack returns to green or when the yellow is removed, a less urgent beeping is heard by the racer. In the case of overlapping, a yellow flag signal will automatically override a green flag signal, and a red flag signal will override both green and yellow tones.

Groustra said that the tones may be altered to better suit motorcycle racers and that a pace car tone may be added because, according to Groustra, Barrick relayed a story to him about a problem with a Pace car at one of their races at Daytona.

“Racers already have a visual overload going on during a race,” said Groustra. “With this system, every driver on the track knows the instant that there is a yellow or red flag.”

Groustra said that he planned to install his hardware on one of Yamaha’s bikes and test the system during the three-day AMA team test at California Speedway.

Plans are also in the works for an Audible Alert system with localized yellow flag tones where riders would only hear the warning as they approached a corner with a caution flag being displayed. Groustra said that this may be one or more years away as the localized system would require the incorporation of a global positioning system (GPS) to accurately relay the signal to specific areas. According to system developers, the localized warning system could be activated by a cornerworker at the scene of an incident or at a central location like Race Control.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Yamaha’s Anthony Gobert continued his rampage on California Speedway’s 2.36-mile infield road course by turning a new, unofficial motorcycle lap record of 1:26.113 on his Dunlop-equipped 2002 Yamaha YZF-R7 Superbike. Gobert’s time betters the previous best Superbike lap time of 1:26.97, turned by Honda’s Nicky Hayden during testing in January.

After turning one of the fastest unofficial 600cc Supersport times of the morning (1:29.25, matched by Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden), reformed wild child Gobert switched to his new Superbike in the afternoon with equal success.

Halfway through the afternoon session, it appeared almost as if “Go Show” and Team Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin were battling for the pole position in a final qualifying session. Gobert and Mladin leapfrogged over each other on the timing monitors several times before Gobert began ripping off consistent 1:26s.

As Mladin’s times leveled off, Gobert’s times continued to fall to a best of 1:26.113 with a second best of 1:26.571.

“I always go quicker on the second day,” said the pierced and tattooed Aussie. “We’re dialing in my new suspension a little bit more, and I’m starting to learn the track better. Hopefully, Mat (Mladin) won’t go any quicker. He gets to spend all day with his bike. I only get to ride my Superbike in the afternoon. But I’ve been working really hard, my crew has been working and the results show.”

At the other end of the pits, Mladin calmly explained that he was still testing rather than looking for his race set-up. “We’re having a few general problems,” said Mladin, choosing not to be specific about his problems. “Right now we’re just trying to get the bugs ironed out. We’ll start looking for our race set-up tomorrow.” As he spoke, Mladin’s crew was working with his rear suspension and had three different shock linkages laid out on the pit wall.

When asked what the pole position time would be for the April Superbike double-header at California Speedway, Mladin stated, “If we had to qualify tomorrow, 25-flat.”

Wednesday also saw Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom continue to shave tenths off his best California Speedway lap times, while Aaron Yates found himself right on pace despite a sticking problem with his Superbike’s front brakes in the afternoon.

Remarkably close to the factory Superbike lap times, Graves Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster was the fastest of the four Formula Xtreme riders on the track Wednesday at Fontana. Even though he was riding last year’s bike, with no new parts, on last year’s Dunlops, Buckmaster turned a very quick 1:27.700 on his 2001 YZF-R1/R7 hybrid.

Buckmaster was also the first AMA rider to test the new Invader Technologies’ Audible Alert system and found positive results.

According to his Crew Chief Joey Lombardo, Tommy Hayden tied with Anthony Gobert for the fastest 600cc time of Wednesday morning and again turned the fastest 600cc Supersport lap time of the afternoon with a 1:29.403 on his Dunlop-equipped Kawasaki ZX-6R.

Even though Hayden has ridden at five different tests this off-season, Lombardo said that the team is just now starting to test new suspension parts for the ZX-6R because of bad weather at some of the previous tests. At some other tests, Lombardo said that Hayden just rode around without changing anything on the bike, to get a feel for his new machine.

Dirt on the track was not a problem Wednesday morning, and the turn one chicane remained configured as it was at the end of day one.

The test is due to end Thursday.

Unofficial Wednesday Afternoon Lap Times:

1. Anthony Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R7, 1:26.113
2. Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:26.800
3. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:27.264
4. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:27.326
5. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha YZF-R1/R7, 1:27.700
6. Tom Kipp, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:28.324
7. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R1/R7, 1:28.964
8. Josh Hayes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:29.143
9. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:29.403
10. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:30.179
11. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:30.556
12. Ben Spies, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:30.751
13. Tony Meiring, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:31.771
14. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:32.961

Best Front Straightaway Trap Speed:

1. Bostrom, 167.787 mph
2. TIE, Buckmaster/Aaron Gobert, 167.205 mph
3. Hayes, 166.340 mph
4. Mladin, 165.769 mph
5. Anthony Gobert/Yates, 165.484 mph
6. Kipp, 163.521 mph
7. Ulrich, 154.364 mph
8. Tommy Hayden, 151.546 mph
9. Meiring, 150.276 mph
10. Spies, 149.577 mph
11. Hacking, 148.427 mph
12. Pridmore, 147.519 mph

Best Split Time Section Number One (Front Straightaway To Infield Straightaway):

1. Anthony Gobert, 0:56.250
2. Mladin, 0:56.498
3. Yates, 0:56.876
4. Bostrom, 0:56.905
5. Buckmaster, 0:57.322
6. Kipp, 0:57.535
7. Hayes, 0:58.077
8. Aaron Gobert, 0:58.154
9. Tommy Hayden, 0:58.217
10. Spies, 0:58.520
11. Hacking, 0:58.595
12. Pridmore, 0:58.988
13. Meiring, 0:59.685
14. Ulrich, 1:00.810

Best Split Time Section Number Two (Infield Straightaway To Front Straightaway):

1. Anthony Gobert, :029.863
2. Mladin, 0:30.096
3. Buckmaster, 0:30.192
4. Yates, 0:30.324
5. Bostrom, 0:30.359
6. Kipp, 0:30.733
7. Aaron Gobert, 0:30.784
8. Hayes, 0:30.973
9. Tommy Hayden, 0:31.186
10. Hacking, 0:31.742
11. Pridmore, 0:31.781
12. Spies, 0:31.897
13. Meiring, 0:31.969
14. Ulrich, 0:32.151

All timing information supplied by AMA Pro Racing Timing and Scoring.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

The Yoshimura Suzuki road racing team will now be known as Team Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki, in accordance with a new sponsorship deal.

In announcing the biggest motorcycle road racing sponsorship news in recent memory, Suzuki’s Morgan Broadhead, speaking at California Speedway, said, “We have come to terms with Blimpie, and the new name of the team for the rest of the (2002) season is going to be Team Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki.

“It’s a very exciting deal that we’ve put together. Obviously, we’re very excited to have Blimpie as part of the team. An out-of-the-industry sponsor means a lot, and of course just having a good name like Blimpie in with the Suzuki program means a lot to us.

“I can’t comment on what the terms of the deal are obviously, but it’s a pretty good-size sticker.”

When asked about how the deal came together, Broadhead answered, “I just learned about it yesterday (Tuesday, February 12), and just found out it was official this morning. To the best of my knowledge, it started with Mel (Harris – Vice President of American Suzuki), but I don’t know more than that.”

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The first bikes went on course at California Speedway at 10:20 a.m., following a delay while track workers cleaned dirt off the track surface; the dirt was deposited by recent wind storms, with gusts reaching 100 mph according to local news reports. Blowing dust and dirt is a major problem in the area surrounding the Speedway.

Curbing replaced cones previously used to define the turn one chicane, but riders reported that the chicane layout is different than it was during the last tests they attended at the Speedway, and is tighter.

The Yoshimura Suzukis showed up at California Speedway wearing stickers from Blimpie’s (a sandwich chain). According to Team Manager Don Sakakura, “They’re a potential sponsor. From the size of the sticker it looks to be a pretty big deal, but I don’t know any dollar amounts. All of the negotiations are through American Suzuki but it’s an outside-of-the-industry sponsor, so that’s nice.”