From a press release:

Team America Grand Prix Racing is testing at the North Florida Motorsports Park, Jennings FL on February 21 & 22. Any teams or riders interested in testing with us these two days may contact Jim DiSalvo at 1-800-447-7717.

From a press release issued by Dennis Smith of Sport Tire Serivices”

Goodyear/Dunlop Tires N.A. posts over one million dollars in motorcycle road racing contingencies for U.S racers! That’s a increase of 60% over 2001 and the most ever posted by Dunlop in their history for motorcycles racers in the U.S.!

More information is available from Sport Tire Services (west of the Mississippi)(800) 776-8473 or Race Tire Services, (east of the Mississippi) (800) 772-8473.

From a press release:

Torrance, CA — American Honda Motor Company’s Motorcycle Division announced today the release of its AquaTrax F-12, low-emission, 4-stroke-powered personal watercraft (PWC) to all approved dealers in the initial distribution areas.

For the first year of retail distribution, American Honda has selected a limited number of Honda dealers from the four states with the largest markets for PWCs: California, Florida, Michigan and Texas. To locate their closest authorized Aquatrax dealer, customers can check the Honda web site at www.hondamotorcycles.com.

“Initial customer satisfaction is crucial to the long-term success of the Honda AquaTrax line,” said American Honda Vice President Ray Blank. “We must ensure that the quality of the Honda AquaTrax ownership experience is the highest possible, from product quality to the dealership sales and service experience.

“Customer and dealer satisfaction are the focus of our product and dealer network launch, a focus that will emphasize ‘pure performance’,” Blank continued. “Our plan to satisfy these needs is a ‘start-small-grow-fast’ strategy. In future years, we anticipate a rapid expansion into other states.”

The F-12 has a suggested retail of $8999 and should be on dealer’s showroom floors in the four states later this week.

The 125 horsepower AquaTrax F-12 is one of two models Honda announced on September 19 at its annual dealer meeting in Las Vegas. The second model, to be released later this month, is the highly anticipated, 165 horsepower, turbocharged F-12X.

A press release from Gearbox International, U.S. importers of Suomy helmets, announced that Anthony, Aaron and Alex Gobert will all wear Suomy Gunwind helmets in the 2002 AMA National series.

Anthony, 26, will ride in the AMA Superbike and Supersport series for the Yamaha factory team. Middle brother Aaron, 21, will also ride a factory Yamaha YZF-R6 in the AMA Supersport series along with a Graves Yamaha YZF-R1 in the Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme class. Alex Gobert, 18, will ride Hondas for the Bruce Transportation Group team in the Supersport and Formula Xtreme Championships.

Suomy plans to develop a Troy-Lee-designed Anthony Gobert replica helmet that will be available around the time of the Laguna Seca round of the AMA series July 11-14.

To view Suomy’s entire line of helmets, find your local dealer, purchase a Suomy helmet online or find additional information, go to Gearbox International’s website at www.gearboxinternational.com.

An e-mail issued by Rob Rasor, AMA President:

First of all, I apologize for replying to your messages as a group. As many of you know, I customarily answer e-mails and letters individually, but I need to balance my wish to reply personally with my other responsibilities and travel commitments. I appreciate your understanding, and I’ll do my best to address your concerns.

To those of you who are AMA members, my sincere thanks to you for your support. Your active participation in the AMA represents the strength of this or any other membership organization. You can be certain that I consider your opinions seriously.

Like virtually all membership associations, the AMA is governed by a Code of Regulations, which has been established by our Board of Directors, composed of six directors elected by the individual members of the Association and six elected by the AMA’s corporate membership. Recently, an amendment was proposed to the AMA’s Code of Regulations that would govern eligibility for candidates seeking any of the six positions chosen by the individual members. Specifically, it would clarify the distinction between eligibility for a corporate Board position and eligibility for an individual Board position.

There are two important things you should know about this amendment. First, it would have no effect on the results of the election for three of the individual-member posts that concluded in January. Those three new Board members will be seated at the Board’s meeting on February 16. And second, contrary to some reports that have been circulated, the intent of this amendment is not to increase the power of the AMA’s corporate membership. In fact, the amendment is specifically designed to limit the influence of the companies that are part of the AMA’s corporate membership by ensuring that employees of those companies are prevented from serving as directors elected by the AMA’s 270,000 individual members.

That amendment has been approved by the AMA Board, and as provided by our Code, the changes would become effective only after approval by those attending the annual meeting of AMA Corporate Members. We’ll report the outcome in American Motorcyclist magazine.

I believe that this amendment will help continue the tradition of having an AMA Board that truly represents the broad range of interests and diversity of our membership and the motorcycling community. I’m also confident that the new Board members, who will be seated next week, will work effectively to best protect the interests of the AMA.

Some of you have expressed concerns related to AMA Pro Racing, including track safety and the future of AMA Supercross. AMA Pro Racing is a affiliated corporation; it operates separately, with its own management, Board of Directors, and revenue. Clearly, this is a transitional time for Supercross in America as we define the ongoing relationship between the riders, teams, sponsors, promoters, sanctioning body and fans who support the sport.

AMA Pro Racing is confident about the future of this style of professional motorcycle competition. During this transitional period, though, neither I nor representatives of AMA Pro Racing will engage in unbounded speculation about the shape of that future, beyond our public statements. We will not discuss the content or substance of negotiations until we have announcements to make. And while that may not satisfy everyone’s natural curiosity, it’s just good business.

Finally, I am aware that there are some who choose to view statements from the AMA and AMA Pro Racing with skepticism. I believe skepticism is a good thing, because it makes us stop, think, and ask questions — in short, it’s a good defense against being fooled.

I won’t ask you to avoid skepticism regarding the AMA, but I’d urge you to apply that same skepticism to outside statements you read and hear about the AMA. Remember that independence is no guarantee of objectivity, and unfounded opinions often masquerade as facts.

Armed with that, you still may not agree with me, and that’s fine. But at least you’ll have the knowledge that you manufactured your own opinions, instead of merely borrowing someone else’s.

Thanks to all of you for taking the time to share your questions, concerns, and comments with me.

Kind regards,

Robert Rasor, President
American Motorcyclist Association
(614) 856 – 1910, Extension 1226
[email protected]
www.AMADirectLink.com

And now a reponse to that e-mail from John Ulrich, newly-elected AMA Director, from the South Western Region:

That’s a great answer, Rob, but the amendment doesn’t say “corporate members”, it says “eligible to be corporate members”, which reduces the decision on eligibility to a judgement call made by who, the incumbents who wish to retain the status quo? If it refered to “corporate members” only, and if it didn’t use undefined words like eligible and substantial, which is relative, I’d have no problem with it. As it is, it restricts the democratic process and reduces the choices available to the membership, and restricts access to the other half of the board to people who are members of or sanctioned by the good-old-boy’s club that consists of 23 corporate members. At the same time, it exempts from those restrictions motorcycle dealers like the incumbent Jeff Nash just beat 2.7:1, and race promoters like the incumbent Kevin Schwantz just beat 3.5:1. Those exemptions make this piece of new language, proposed in the middle of the campaign for the Board seats Schwantz, Nash and I just won, look suspiciously political in nature.

Democracy is a great thing. Allowing the membership to elect whomever they wish to elect is the right thing to do.

As for Supercross, we’ll know soon enough who was right about that.

John Ulrich

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

The Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association (CMRA), the South Central affiliate of CCS, has over $500,000 available in cash, contingencies and prizes for the 2002 racing season.

According to CMRA Assistant Race Director Eric Kelcher, the CMRA Sprint series features $16,500 in purses for the year in the Shogun Motorsports Unlimited Grand Prix Expert class; $11,000 in Shogun Motorsports Middleweight Supersport Expert Shootout; $4500 available from Lockhart-Phillips in the Expert GT/solo endurance races; $5500 cash from Cyclewerkz in the Amateur Unlimited Grand Prix and another $5500 in gift certificates from Cyclewerkz to Amateur Middleweight Supersport racers.

Cyclewerkz is also sponsoring the CMRA Endurance series with a cash purse total of $12,000.

The CMRA itself will pay out $5808 in cash in Expert classes during 2002 in addition to over $30,000 in Championship jackets and entry-fee discounts for the following season.

CMRA Experts who finish in the top 10 in any class will receive entries into a prize raffle to be held at season’s end. Race winners will receive three raffle entries, runners-up will receive two entries and third through tenth-place finishers will get a single entry in the drawing. The total value of the raffle prizes is close to $8000. Prizes include a brand new Yamaha TT-R125 from Blockworks and K&N Motorcycle and ATV Centers, a M4 racing exhaust system, leathers and gloves from Euroleathers.net, an Arai helmet from Northwest Honda, Multi-Tech race bodywork, a custom paint job courtesy of Kinesis Cycle Sports, EBC brake rotors and pads, Traxxion Dynamics suspension work from Shogun Motorsports, a new chain and sprocket set from Vortex and Team Backbone and more.

Another opportunity unique to CMRA racers is Blockworks’ “Race To The Beach” prize. One top Expert and one top amateur racer, as decided by a points system that counts their three best finishes each race weekend, get free bike transportation, hotel room, set of tires of their choice and entry fees for up to five classes to attend the CCS Race of Champions at Daytona International Speedway in October 2002. The prize, which basically gives the club’s top Expert and Amateur a sponsored ride to the CCS National Championship runoffs, is valued at $3000.

Together with announced contingency programs from Michelin and Aprilia, and expected contingencies from other bike and tire manufacturers, over $500,000 is available to CMRA racers in 2002.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Bidding in the Air Fence Fund benefit auction on a made-to-order set of Barnacle Bill motorcycle leathers has reached $1325. The announcement that the winning bidder would receive half-a-page of exposure in Roadracing World magazine, in addition to the suit, drew out new bidder allan99acr, but outrace still holds the highest bid as the auction enters its final hours. The auction is due to end at 2:37 p.m. Eastern Time Friday, February 8.

Shortly after the close of the Barnacle Bill leathers sale Friday, the next item to benefit the Roadracing World Air Fence Fund will go on the auction website eBay.


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.

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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.

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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.

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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:

Yoyodyne Race Support

Yoyodyne announces its racer support program for 2002

For 2002, we are promoting the new line of Sebimoto Light Weight fiberglass racing bodies. Suzuki kits are currently available for the GSXR 600/750 and 1000 series. These kits consist of the upper/ lower/ seat (your choice of styles) / air ducts and front fender.

Suzuki kits are available to all Racers at the discounted price of $550.

Kits for other brands will be introduced during the year.

In addition to the discounted bodywork, support riders will be entitled to discounts on the remainder of the Yoyodyne parts catalog. This includes: Brembo, Performance Friction, Marvic Magnesium wheels, PP Tuning (rear sets and clip ons), Euro Racing (frame sliders and fuel caps), high capacity radiators, as well as aluminum and titanium hardware.

Interested racers should contact the Race Support office at 973-401-1954.