From a press release issued by Radar’s Team Yamaha:

MULTIPLE FORMULA XTREME CHAMPION KEVIN CURTAIN RETURNS TO Radar’s TEAM YAMAHA ALONGSIDE BAIRD AND COXHELL

Triple Formula Xtreme titleholder Kevin Curtain returns to the Australian domestic motorcycle road-racing scene and will rejoin forces with Radar’s Team Yamaha for whom he rode to title success in 1998, 1999 and 2000.

In 2002, Curtain will team up alongside defending Formula Xtreme champion, Queenslander Robbie Baird and hard charging Victorian youngster Craig Coxhell with all three riders campaigning the exciting new 2002 model Yamaha YZF-R1.

The trio will form a formidable line up for their rivals in the six-event Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State which opens at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway on March 17. Along with their Xtreme campaign, the team will also compete at the national support events that are held in conjunction with the Superbike World Championship (Mar 22 – 24) and the Moto Grand Prix (Oct 18 – 20), both held at Phillip Island.

For Curtain, he will return to Australia after a successful season in 2001 where he competed in the World Supersport Championship for the BKM Team. He finished the championship fifth overall and his season was highlighted by race wins at Phillip Island and the Lausitzring in Germany.

Curtain will have an expanded role of responsibility as he will be the only member of Radar’s Team Yamaha who will be competing aboard the team’s YZF-R6 in the Supersport class at every event as well as his regular duties on the all-conquering R1.

“I managed a few laps on the new `02 YZF R1 a couple of weeks ago and was very impressed with the bike that is still in its very early stages of development,” said Curtain. “It feels a lot lighter and more maneuverable than the R1 that I rode in 2000. The power delivery feels a lot smoother which shows that Yamaha have worked on the fuel injection system, so by rights it should be a very good bike. Last year was a great experience for me, but I am glad to be back racing in Australia, especially with Yamaha. The Formula Xtreme scene here is improving all of the time and that was shown by the number of lap records that were broken last year. It definitely appears to be the best series to race in here in Australia.”

Curtain’s return will not only increase the competitiveness of the series, but he will also become a prized scalp for his teammates. Robbie Baird won the Formula Xtreme crown in 2001 after fending off a number of challenges from young riders including Coxhell who completed the series in third place.

“I can’t wait for the season to start,” said Baird. “It’s nice to have a Christmas break where I’ve been doing a lot of swimming and cycling, but I’d rather be out there racing. From all reports the new R1 is a great bike and I’m hopeful of being able to get out on the track and start testing in February. It took me a long time to get the Formula Xtreme #1 plate, so I’ll be trying extra hard to hang on to it this season.”

Now in his third season with Radar’s Team Yamaha, 19-year-old Coxhell feels that he is in a position to challenge with the likes of Curtain and Baird and come out on top.

“My goal this year is to win the Xtreme title and if I want to do that I have to beat both Kevin (Curtain) and Robbie (Baird),” said Coxhell. “They are both well credentialed riders, so if I can come out on top it will be more than satisfying. Last year I spent a lot of time thinking about where I would race at the end of the season, but this year I will be concentrating on winning a title first before worrying about anything else. Towards the end of last season I got a few things sorted out, including an operation in September to cure the arm pump I was getting in my right arm, and now I feel that I’m in a good position to concentrate on the title chase.”

Coxhell will also defend his Victorian State championship and Harvey Wiltshaw Memorial Trophy when the state series opens at Broadford, Victoria on February 3.

The growth and professionalism of the Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State in recent years has reflected in the increased commitment from race teams including Radar’s Team Yamaha. Team manager Dave `Radar’ Cullen will be calling on all of his former Grand Prix and SWC technical experience as he prepares to repeat his teams 1 – 2 – 3 finish in 2001. The team has already begun preparing one 2002 model Yamaha YZF R1, with the remaining bikes that the team has ordered becoming available shortly.

Cullen and his team look forward to the challenge as they search for a fifth consecutive FX title for the team.

“Yamaha have definitely done their homework in building the new R1 as there are some significant changes made to the bike which will add up to a great racing package,” said Cullen. “The frame stiffness and geometry will greatly help entry and mid-corner speed that should directly mean a higher exit speed. Even the styling changes that have been made make it look quick while it’s stationary. One of the best features are that while Yamaha have made a number of chassis and engine modifications, a lot of the racing gear that we fit to the bike is still interchangeable. The fuel injection system is another area where the bike has improved greatly and will allow for smoother and stronger power delivery.

“As for riders, it’s great to have Kev back in the team,” added Cullen. “He along with Robbie and Craig will make for a very strong line up. Kev has been a big part of Yamaha’s racing success with the R1 and R6 since 1998, so to have him alongside defending Xtreme champion Robbie is very good for us indeed. I am also expecting Craig to continue improving with the development of his racing career. He is an exciting prospect and will be the young face of Yamaha here in Australia.”

This just in:

The track manager at California Speedway needs to contact a local distributor about applying “PennzSuppress”, a dust suppressant, around the track facility to eliminate the dust/dirt problem.

I learned about this material several years ago (In addition to working in the M/C biz, I run a small mining operation in Oregon), and the stuff is perfect for taking care of scenarios like this.

The website for info and distributors is; www.pennzsuppress.com.

Mark Pfenning
Avon Motorcycle Tyres
Sales Manager
North America


(Editorial note: Effectively curing the blowing-dust problem around California Speedway might require treating everything within a 10-mile radius!)

Racer and Rausch Creek Motor Sports General Manager Andrew Stutzman and wife Alissa had a son, Andrew Joseph Stutzman, January 9 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Stutzman is also recovering from knee surgery performed at the end of December to repair damage from a crash at Pocono during practice for a F-USA Sportbike race. World Superbike racer Peter Goddard married long-time girlfriend Kim Wilhelmi, December 8, on Dunk Island in North Queensland, Australia. SMRI road racer Micky Patten married Patty White January 1, in Las Vegas, Nevada 1. Patten is 2001 SMRI Formula 40 Champion, finished third in the SMRI New Mexico State Championship, and owns Grandma’s Music & Sound which sponsors the SMRI Unlimited GP New Mexico Championship.

From an e-mail promotion issued by Ducati North America:

Italians never need a reason to celebrate–even when they have one. And we have one of the best reasons of all. The continuing celebration of our 75th Anniversary. In honor of this occasion, your Ducati dealer is offering low 2.75% APR financing rates for 36 months or free factory scheduled maintenance on all new 2001 model year Ducati motorcycles*. And why, you ask? Because the 2001 Model Year was a special one for Ducati. It was our 75th Anniversary. That means that every 2001 model will always have the distinction of being produced during this milestone period in the Company’s on-going history.


*Get 2.75% APR financing for 36 months or free scheduled maintenance when you purchase any new, unused, street legal 2001 Model Year or earlier Ducati motorcycle (that has not been sold or titled before) from January 2, 2002 through March 31, 2002 (buyer must take title by March 31, 2002). Financing subject to credit approval from Deutsche Financial Services Corporation; not all applicants will qualify. Example: 36 month closed end sales contract for an amount financed of $10,000 with monthly payments of $289.71 (after 10% down payment). Financing rates, terms and down payment will vary based on credit qualifications and are subject to change without notice. First payment due 30 days after date of sales contract. Dealer sets actual retail price. Pricing does not include taxes, licenses, title fees, options, insurance, service agreement, destination and dealer preparation charges. May not be combined with any other offer. Void where prohibited. This offer may be discontinued or extended without prior notice. Free maintenance offer valid only at authorized Ducati dealers for scheduled factory maintenance procedures for up to 24 months or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first. Free maintenance program is not transferable. Ask your participating Ducati dealer today for details.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Former Competition Accessories Ducati Superbike rider Larry Pegram won an exhibition race put on by the SuperTT race series as part of the U.S. Hot Rod Monster Jam monster truck event at Edison Field in Anaheim, California on Saturday, January 12.

Pegram led his qualifying heat early on a White Brothers Honda CR450F prepared by Gary Jones, but Pegram was passed halfway through the heat by defending SuperTT Champion Rick Pearce when Pegram stalled his Honda in a slow, dirt-covered corner. Riding a modified Honda CR500, Pearce beat Pegram in the eight-lap heat. Pegram finished second, which resulted in a outside row one start for the main event.

Former 500cc Grand Prix World Champion Kevin Schwantz held the lead early in his heat race on a Yoshimura Suzuki DR-Z400 borrowed from American Suzuki’s test and development fleet. Schwantz’ highly-modified bike was attended to by no less than three current members of the Yoshimura Suzuki Superbike team including Jamie Hacking’s Crew Chief, Jerry Daggett.

Riding a Yamaha YZ426F that he had never seen before Saturday morning, Yamaha Superbike racer Anthony Gobert passed Schwantz on the inside of the quarter-mile track’s only dirt corner and went on to take the heat race win and pole position for the main event.

After two aborted starts, the 16-lap main event got underway in front of a small crowd of early-bird monster truck fans in the parking lot outside Edison Field. Pegram got the holeshot from the outside of row one and held the lead over the 16-entry field after one lap. Gobert and Schwantz quickly renewed their battle. Gobert and Schwantz banged bars through nearly every one of the track’s five turns and constantly challenged each other in full-lock-sideways braking battles for the hairpin at the end of the 70-mph back straight.

Near the halfway point of the race, Schwantz lost the front in the dirt turn while in second place in front of Gobert. Gobert momentarily ran up onto Schwantz’s Suzuki, pinning Schwantz underneath and allowing Pegram to extend his lead. Scuderia West’s Aaron Howe, riding a KTM 520, moved past the Gobert/Schwantz pile-up and into second, but Gobert quickly got around Schwantz and continued his race. Turning the fastest laps of the event, Gobert caught and passed Howe and closed in on Pegram, but Gobert ran out of time and had to settle for second place.

The SuperTT race at Edison Field in Anaheim, California drew many road racers. In addition to Pegram, Schwantz and Gobert, other competitors included Mark Miller, Roland Sands, Andre Castanos, Mark Foster and Jason Curtis. Nicky and Roger Lee Hayden also stopped by the event on their way to the Supercross race in San Diego later that same evening.

Miller won the Sportsman class heat race and final on a Honda CR500 with stock wheels and suspension. The Mini-Motard race, for 150cc four-stroke Singles, was won by Bob Cobb from Phelan, California on a Yamaha TT-R125 equipped with a RZ350 front wheel and brake system.

For more information on the SuperTT race series, go to www.supertt.com.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

American Honda’s Nicky Hayden was the first rider to take to the track this morning at California Speedway in Fontana, California, kicking off two days of factory team testing on the new circuit. American Honda’s Hayden and Miguel Duhamel; Erion Honda’s Kurtis Roberts, Mike Hale and Roger Lee Hayden; Bruce Transportation Group’s Jake Zemke and Alex Gobert; Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom, Tommy Hayden and Tony Meiring; and HMC Ducati’s Pascal Picotte are all in attendance and were making laps as of 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

The fastest lap as recorded on Roadracing World’s stopwatch was Duhamel at 1:34.25.

Meiring is making his debut on the Kawasaki ZX-6R while Hale is scheduled to run the new Honda CBR954RR Formula Xtreme bike for the first time during the test. Ducati Corse has sent over two engineers to help HMC Ducati sort out the fuel mapping problems the team encountered with their 2002 Ducati 998RS at the Dunlop tire tests at Daytona.

The start of the test was delayed until 10:50 this morning while workers placed haybales in front of concrete walls and swept dirt from the track surface. Dirt on the track has been a problem mentioned by riders who have ridden at California Speedway in two previous tests.

According to track spokesman Dennis Bickmeier, there isn’t much the track can do to prevent the high winds common to the area from blowing dirt onto the racing surface. Bickmeier added that the decision whether or not to have Thursday practice during the track’s AMA weekend has not been made yet. “We still haven’t heard back from the AMA on that,” explained Bickmeier. “We would be ready for it, no problem. The first day that we will be open to the public will be Friday, though.”

Plans are still being finalized by California Speedway officials on where they will place temporary grandstands and bathroom facilities for fans who wish to spectate in the infield portion of the track. Preliminary plans call for a new pedestrian crossover bridge to provide fan access to the infield. Fans will not have access to hot pit lane while the track is green on the AMA weekend, but spectators with tickets for the main grandstand on the front straight or the hospitality suites behind pit lane will have good views of pit lane activities from their seats. Fans will also be able to see teams at work in the permanent garages in the paddock, from a walkway down the center of the garages separated from the teams’ work areas by a four-foot-high brick wall.

The garages feature 110 and 220-volt electrical hook-ups, compressed air hook-ups, individual circuit breakers for each garage bay and ceiling-mounted TV monitors that will display timing information and TV feeds.

In addition to evaluating their race machines, all the Honda riders will be photographed for print ads and press kits and Hayden and Duhamel will also be filmed for a TV commercial during the two days.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

American Honda’s Nicky Hayden was the fastest rider after the first day of factory team testing at California Speedway in Fontana, California on Monday. Hayden turned a 1:29.1 on his team’s watches, and did the time with a Dunlop race tire on the same 2002 Honda RC51 that he used to set fastest time during the Dunlop tire tests at Daytona International Speedway in December.

“It’s an easy track to learn because it’s flat,” said Hayden when asked about his early success at the AMA’s newest venue. “There’s not a bunch of blind stuff to get used to. Sometimes it takes me a little too long to learn a new track. So I was pretty happy that I got going pretty fast. I got a lot of laps in, I got 87 laps in today.”

Reaction to the new track among the riders at the test was favorable for the most part–except for dirt on the racing surface–but riders definitely had parts that they did not like.

“Overall, I like it,” said Hayden, when asked for his opinion of the new track. “I mean, turn one is not my favorite. It’s a little shaky with the cones down there. I caught my knee on one. Other than that, the infield’s not real technical. There’s not a whole lot to it. It’s real flat and all. I like the track. I think it’s good for an infield road course inside a speedway. There’s a lot to work with. There’s a lot of corners. It seems safe. It’s good especially because it’s right here; Southern California is such a good location. The facility is tight, too.”

Erion Honda’s Kurtis Roberts set the second-fastest time of the test with a 1:30.0 despite the fact that his day ended with a crash at the entrance of turn two and his 2001 Honda RC51 hit a concrete wall. “I must have hit something, a transition or a seam or something,” said Roberts immediately after his fall. “I was in there on the brakes and (the front) just went away. I’m fine. I just slid for a while.”

Roberts’ new leathers looked as if they had gone through a meat grinder after his long slide on California Speedway’s asphalt apron. Roberts’ crew spent the rest of the afternoon building a new Superbike for Roberts to use Tuesday.

HMC Ducati’s Pascal Picotte recorded the third-fastest time at 1:30.3 just before the day ended on his 2002 Ducati 998RS. HMC’s problem with fuel mapping was quickly sorted by Ducati Corse Race Engineer Roberto Bonazzi by using AMA-legal 54mm throttle bodies instead of the World Superbike-spec 60mm throttle bodies that the 2002 Ducati 998RS come with. Despite clocking the third-fastest time, Picotte said that he was having trouble with a lack of front-end feedback.

Erion Honda’s Roger Lee Hayden and Mike Hale posted the two fastest Formula Xtreme lap times of the day; Hayden on a 2001 Honda CBR929RR-based machine and Hale on a 2002 Honda CBR954RR-based racebike. Hale said that he couldn’t really compare the old and new Formula Xtreme Hondas without riding them back-to-back.

The Bruce Transportation Group duo of Jake Zemke and Alex Gobert spent the day getting used to a new track and a new crew. Both Zemke and Gobert had different mechanics than they had at the Daytona tire test. In addition, Gobert flew in from Australia Monday morning, arriving at Los Angeles International Airport at 7:00 a.m. Monday Pacific Time and taking a limo to the track with a side trip through a Burger King drive-thru. Gobert said that after a couple of days of flight mix-ups, he left Australia at lunch time Monday Australia time before the 13-hour flight.

Unofficial Lap Times From Monday:

Superbike:
Nicky Hayden, Honda RC51, 1:29.1
Kurtis Roberts, Honda RC51, 1:30.0
Pascal Picotte, Ducati 998RS, 1:30.3
Miguel Duhamel, Honda RC51, 1:30.7
Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:31.7


Formula Xtreme:
Roger Lee Hayden, Honda CBR929RR, 1:31.8
Mike Hale, Honda CBR929RR, 1:32.2
Alex Gobert, Honda CBR929RR, 1:33.6
Jake Zemke, Honda CBR929RR, no time due to bike problems


600cc Supersport:
Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:33.0
Mike Hale, Honda CBR600F4i, 1:34.1
Roger Lee Hayden, Honda CBR600F4i, 1:34.1
Jake Zemke, Honda CBR600F4i, 1:34.36
Tony Meiring, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:35.1
Alex Gobert, Honda CBR600F4i, 1:36.1

While teams fielded by American Honda, Kawasaki and Ducati test today at California Motor Speedway in Fontana, California, AMA Pro Racing CEO Scott Hollingsworth is pressing his crusade to eliminate the Thursday-before-race-weekends practice private riders and teams rely on to set up their racebikes.

Hollingsworth is making the elimination of Thursday practice part of his 2002 race negotiations with track owners nationwide; he claims his crew needs Thursday to set up Air Fence and timing and scoring systems and cannot arrive on site Wednesday for set-up work.

“They’re delivering less and charging more,” said one track owner after pointing out that the number of factory team riders in AMA Superbike is down for 2002, yet AMA has dramatically increased fees for racetracks and promoters.

Raised fees and reduced services seems to be the current motto for AMA Pro Racing. While rider license fees are now up to $300, AMA Pro Racing concern for basic rider services such as rational rider number assignments and the availability of Thursday practice are falling by the wayside.

From a press release:

MARRC Announces Officers and Directors for 2002

The Mid-Atlantic Roadracing Club (MARRC)announced changes to its officers and board of directors for 2002 during its annual awards banquet, Saturday, January 12, in Laurel, Maryland.

Wendy Leland is the new President of MARRC. John Capen is Vice-President, and Randy Dalmas and Howard Weiss return as the Club Secretary and Treasurer, respectively.

Ms. Leland is a former Vice-President of the Club, and is one of the Safety Directors for the nationally respected MARRC Safety Crew. She is also a former motorcycle road racer.

MARRC would also like to thank outgoing board members, former President Roger Lyle and former VP Roger Bacon, for their years of dedication to MARRC and to motorcycle road racing. Both men will remain active as leaders on the MARRC Safety Crew. Their years of experience will continue to add great value to the safety crew and club as a whole.

Roger Lyle, a founding father of the Mid-Atlantic Roadracing Club, was nicknamed “President for Life”, for his tireless years of running the all-volunteer not-for-profit organization. The MARRC Safety Crew was the first-born child of MARRC back in 1983, and remains highly regarded worldwide. On his retirement from the Board of Directors, Mr. Lyle had this to say:

“As President of the Club, for 18 years, I am most grateful for the friends I have made and the trails that we have blazed. I trust that the new Board of Directors and Officers will keep up the standards that have been set forth and continue in the advancement of motorcycle road racing.”

To honor the outgoing President, the MARRC Board of Directors have made Mr. Lyle a life member of the club, and bestowed him with the honorary title President Emeritus in recognition for his years of service.

The 2002 members of the MARRC Board of Directors are as follows:
President, Wendy Leland
Vice-President, John Capen
Secretary, Randy Dalmas
Treasurer, Howard Weiss
David Back
Rick Beggs
Ryan Chapin
Tom Fitzpatrick
Glen Ouye

MARRC is dedicated to the advancement of motorcycle road racing. Established in 1983 as a non-profit, all-volunteer club to provide a trained and organized safety crew at Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia, it has expanded in membership and scope. The club boasts over 500 active members that include racers, cornerworkers, and racing enthusiasts. MARRC runs a nationally recognized safety crew, and a road racing school accredited by CCS and WERA. Last year, MARRC volunteers spent over 14,000 hours of service in the safety crew, road racing school, and racer support functions.

For more information, see the MARRC website at www.marrc.org.

Contact Information:
Mid-Atlantic Roadracing Club
P.O. Box 2292
Wheaton, MD 20915
301-441-9220
E-mail: [email protected]

From a press release:

The KWS Motorsports crew spent all day relocating to their new shop at 4675 Franchise St. N. Charleston S.C. 29418 on Sunday (January 13).

The move has been in the works since last summer, but with business and racing going so well, owner Kevin Hunt decided to wait until now to relocate.

Each of the mechanics and service personel are pleased to have much larger work areas. “Even though the buiding is not very much larger than the old shop it has more useable space,” said Ken Burke, parts manager.

KWS Motorsports can still be reached at the same phone numbers 843-566-0004 FAX 843-745-6292 or toll free 1-866-566-0004.