Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

As it does every year, the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP, the non-for-profit group that runs Laguna Seca Raceway), distributed proceeds from its major spectator events to local charities and civic organizations. The amount distributed in 2001 amounted to $507,500.

According to SCRAMP, more than 2500 volunteers are required to make the larger events, five in 2001, happen. In return for their service, SCRAMP distributes profits from their largest events to charities and groups that provide volunteers. In the past three years, SCRAMP’s program has donated $1.5 million to local groups and over $10 million in the 44 years since the 1957 inception of the organization.

Groups that earned funds by providing volunteers to help at Laguna Seca’s major spectator events in 2001 include the Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of Monterey Bay, the Special Olympics, Vietnam Veterans of Monterey County, Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions clubs. Contributions also went to the United Way of Monterey Peninsula, the Boys and Girls Club of Monterey Peninsula, the Community Partnership for Youth, local high school bands, local ministries and the Pacific Grove Volunteer Fire Department.

Each year Laguna Seca Raceway attracts approximately 250,000 fans and tourists who provide the local economy with an extra $125 million. For more information about SCRAMP or Laguna Seca Raceway, call (831) 242-8216.

Annual Awards Banquets have been scheduled for WSMC and the California Region of CCS.

Both will be held at the Essex House Hotel in Lancaster, California.

The WSMC awards banquet will be held on Saturday night, January 19.

The CCS California Region awards banquet will be held on Saturday night, February 2.

Information on the WSMC banquet is available from (661) 256-1234.

Information on the CCS California Region banquet is available from (817) 870-9151, extension 110.

From a press release:

80cc Championship Class to join Formula USA Dirt Track

2002 will feature all-new class for 8-13 year-olds

AURORA, Ill. – Formula USA announced it will offer an 80cc National Championship Class at all 2002 Drag Specialties National Dirt Track races run on half-mile or smaller tracks. The format will be as follows:

Approximately ten of the Formula USA National Dirt Track events will be designated as 80cc National Championship races. The age group for eligibility is 8 to 13 year-olds with a minimum of 2 years racing experience. The approved equipment for 80cc competition will be 85cc two-strokes and up to 150cc four-stroke machines. Each 80cc National Event will consist of practice, elimination heats and a final.

The Championship will be determined by the best three finishes for each individual rider. Riders will be awarded points for their main event finishing positions and their personal best 3 finishes are the points that will count towards the championship. In the probable case(s) of a tie, the final event at the October 5, Del Mar Short Track will also act as series tiebreaker. Example: After 9 of 10 races, 2 riders have 3 wins each, and 2 others have 2 wins and 1 second. Heading into the final at Del Mar, should any one of these 4 riders win, they will take the championship. If none of the four are the actual Del Mar winner, the top finisher between the two “3 win” riders will be crowned the champion.

“This format allows rider participation across the country where amateur riders can hit the closest two or three events and still have a shot at a national championship or top ranking,” said Bob Moran, director of Clear Channel Entertainment’s dirt track program. Moran added, “This format does not limit riders to only three races, although if a rider competes in all 10 events and wins 6 races, only three of those wins count towards the championship.”

Formula USA will announce more details surrounding the new 80cc National Championship Class soon.

The 2002 DRAG SPECIALTIES NATIONAL DIRT TRACK SERIES, SANCTIONED BY Formula USA SCHEDULE follows:

Sat, June 8 Plymouth, Wis. Sheboygan County Fairgrounds

Fri, Jun 14 Rochester, N.H. Rochester Fairgrounds

Sat, Jul 13 Oklahoma City, Okla. State Fair Speedway

Sat. Jul 20 Duluth, Minn. Proctor Speedway

Wed, Aug 7 Rapid City, S.D. Black Hills Speedway

Sat, Aug 10 Portland, Ore. Portland Speedway

Sat, Sept. 7 Boise, ID Les Bois Park

Sat, Sept. 14 Sacramento, Calif. Cal Expo (No 80cc class)

Sun, Sept. 22 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome

Sat, Oct 5 Del Mar, Calif. Del Mar Fairgrounds Short Track

Sun, Oct 6 Del Mar, Calif. Del Mar Fairgrounds
Mile/Grandstand (No 80cc class)

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Eric Wood’s company, Woodcraft, is now a distributor for HMF Engineering exhaust systems.

According to a press release from Woodcraft, HMF makes full racing exhaust systems for most popular racebikes. Woodcraft is also accepting racer support resumes until March 1. For more information, contact Woodcraft at (508) 339-5772.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

SCRAMP (Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula), the organization that runs Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca, is searching for a new General Manager for the historic racetrack. John Stornetta, the track’s GM for the last four years, left Laguna Seca at the end of the 2001 season without discussing his future plans, said track spokesman Matt Skryja.

Gill Campbell, of Campbell Productions, has taken over as the venue’s interim General Manager while SCRAMP, with the assistance of outside employment agencies, conducts a nationwide search for a new GM.

In other Laguna Seca news, tickets for their 2002 spectator events, including the Honda International Superbike Classic combined AMA and World Superbike event July 12-14, have gone on sale on the track’s website www.laguna-seca.com.

Skryja said that the track expects to receive final approval from Monterey County to begin Phase One of the construction of new, permanent pit lane garages and bigger and better infrastructure buildings. Skryja said that the construction of 10 new garages topped with hospitality suites could begin January 22, the same day Monterey County is expected to grant final approval on the project. Construction is not expected to interfere with any on-track activities during a four-day AMA Superbike test scheduled for January 21-24. The new garages will start at the turn 11 end of pit lane and be completed in time for the CART FedEx Championship Series event scheduled for June 7-9.

For more information about Laguna Seca or the Honda International Superbike Classic, call (831) 648-5111, FAX (831) 373-0533 or go to www.laguna-seca.com.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

American Rick Murray hopes to be the first American sidecar driver to compete in the Sidecar World Championship, and is proceeding with plans to race a Suzuki-powered LCR sidecar in the Europe-based Championship.

Murray and passenger John Scott, a Brit now living in Houston, will see their new LCR for the first time during Sidecar team tests at Cartagena, Spain on February 14-15.

Murray is uncertain how he and Scott–running as Team RGM–will fare against the series regulars, and said “We’re good here, but over there’s another thing.” But Murray said that Scott, who has passengered on the World Championship circuit before, has told him that they’ll do fine.

Murray is also uncertain as to how many rounds of the World Championship he and Scott will be able to do, given that they started on the project in November and have no sponsors. He hopes to find sponsorship to run the entire series.

The text of a press release issued by Murray follows:

Team to be first to enter World Championship for road racing sidecars

The heart of any business are the concepts of Teamwork, Partnership and Trust. The sport of Sidecar Racing is the ultimate demonstration of these concepts.

It’s neither an automobile nor a motorcycle. It’s a breed of animal called the “Road Racing Sidecar”. This aerodynamic and high-speed creature is anything but a reincarnation of the vehicle from Hogan’s Heroes.

Why has this motorsport so firmly captured the excitement of spectators? Perhaps more than the excitement of sheer speed, the sport demonstrates the pure essence and spirit of togetherness, a true family of participants. Sidecar racing brings the reality of what can normally only be imagined through movies, to the racetracks first hand. Fans know sidecar racing is much more than shear nerve, team and machine pushing against the violence and physical limits of raw power and speed. They thrive on a very special kind of magic that lives within the teams themselves. Every turn and moment from flag to flag, with their very lives in the balance.

The team of Rick Murray of North Highlands, California and John Scott of Houston, Texas has held the North American #1 title for Road Racing sidecars in 2000 and 2001. Rick Murray, the driver of this mature team has held the #1 title all but one year since the series began in 1996.

This experienced team has been invited to participate in the World Championship series in 2002. They are soliciting sponsors and support for
this effort.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact Mr. Murray directly at 916-339-1778 or [email protected] by e-mail.

From a press release issued by Marlboro Yamaha:


YAMAHA YZR-M1 PRESENTATION

Milan, Italy

January 11, 2002

BIAGGI EXCITED BY NEW FOUR-STROKE MOTOGP SERIES

Max Biaggi has voiced his enthusiasm for this year’s new-look MotoGP World Championship, which introduces big-bore four-strokes to the world’s fastest motorcycle racing series.

Speaking at an Italian presentation of Max and his all-new Yamaha YZR-M1 four-stroke, organised in Milan by Yamaha Belgarda, the company’s Italian distributor, the Roman revealed that he has no regrets about the change in technical regulations which will lead to the eventual demise of the two-strokes that have ruled bike racing’s premier series for quarter of a century.

“I’ve no regrets about the end of the two-stroke era, in fact I already prefer riding the M1 four-stroke,” said Biaggi, who finished second overall in last year’s final 500 World Championship aboard a Marlboro Yamaha Team YZR500. “I realise that the future is four-stroke and that’s why this is such an exciting time for motorcycle racing. Everyone is waiting for the season to start because it’s the first with all the new bikes.”

Biaggi, now preparing for his fourth consecutive global campaign with the Marlboro Yamaha Team, adapted his riding style to suit the M1 during several test sessions last year and will continue development of the machine when he commences a busy series of European tests in Spain later this month.

“I feel good on the M1, though we still have some work to do before the first race in April,” he added during the presentation, hosted by Italian TV star Federica Panicucci at top Milan nightspot, the Rolling Stone discotheque. “The main thing is that I believe in Yamaha and I believe in this project. During my three years with the factory we really improved the YZR500 and we only missed the championship by one place in 2001. So far we’ve done a good job together and I know that the M1 has more potential, so I’m hoping to go one better this season.”

Fellow Italian Davide Brivio, the new Marlboro Yamaha Team director, also expressed optimism about the new MotoGP series. Formerly team manager of Yamaha’s World Superbike team, Brivio is running the team’s push for world success from a new base outside Milan.

“This is going to be a very exciting year for everyone and I have to say it’s already been a great experience working with someone like Max,” he said. “He’s one of the best riders of all time, he works so hard and he’s so precise on the racetrack. Now it’s up to us to give him the machinery with which to win. Starting later this month we have a final two months of intensive testing with the YZR-M1. It’s hard work for everyone, for the riders, the team and the engineers, but we want to make sure that we have the right package by the time the season starts.

“In Carlos [Checa] too we have a great rider who has a lot of experience and has proved he can be very fast. He really enjoys riding the four-stroke so we’re expecting a lot from Carlos as well this year.”

Biaggi and team-mate Checa, who met the Spanish media during a Yamaha Motor Spain presentation outside Barcelona, will have their first public outing on their Marlboro Yamaha Team YZR-M1s during the IRTA team tests at Valencia, Spain, on February 15/16/17. They will ride the bikes in anger for the first time at the season-opening Japanese GP on April 7.

From a press release:

DUCATI NORTH AMERICA ANNOUNCES NEW COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

New York – Friday, January 11, 2002 – Ducati Motor is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Myrianne Gaeta as the new in-house Public Relations Manager of Ducati North America, located in Pompton Plains, New Jersey.

Ms. Gaeta comes to Ducati with an extensive background in sector press relations, having recently spent several months at Ducati Motor Holding in Italy where, in addition to her duties as sector press liaison, she had the opportunity to spend time in the Bologna factory and museum learning about the brand first-hand from Ducati’s engineers and designers. Prior to her arrival at Ducati, Ms. Gaeta handled press relations for Yamaha Motorcycles and Hill and Knowlton Global.

Ms. Gaeta is looking forward to working directly with sector press throughout North America. Ms. Gaeta’s plans for Ducati North America include establishing a “Press Park” on both the East and West coasts to enable journalists to test ride any current model from the Ducati family of motorcycles. “The Ducati brand has a powerful impact on the U.S. market not only because of its performance and unique design, but because it epitomizes Italian style. I look forward to working with the Ducati North America team to see the brand continue to thrive and grow here,” said Ms. Gaeta of her hopes for the future.

In 1996, the 50-year-old Bologna-based motorcycle company created Ducati North America – a wholly owned subsidiary of Ducati Motor – to build the brand and cater to the North American market. Since then, Ducati has become one of the premier brand of motorcycles worldwide and is now traded on both the NYSE and Milan Exchange (Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A./ NYSE: DMH, Milan’s Telematico: DMH).

Ducati builds racing-inspired motorcycles – sold in more than 40 countries worldwide, with a primary focus in the Western European and North American markets – that are characterized by unique engine features, innovative design, advanced engineering and overall technical excellence. Ducati motorcycles are widely regarded as the dominant force in the arena of world championship motorcycle racing (it has one of the most highly regarded R&D divisions of any motorcycle company), having won nine of the last eleven World Superbike Championship titles and more individual victories than the competition put together.

A January 10 press release from the FIM finalizes the 2002 Endurance World Championship schedule by removing the two “TBA” dates resulting in a six-round series, with only one 24-hour race.

The 2002 Endurance World Championship schedule follows:

4/28 200-mile Imola, San Marino
5/19 200-mile Silverstone, England
6/16 6-hour Brno, Czech Republic
8/4 8-hour Suzuka, Japan
8/10-11 24-hour Oschersleben, Germany
10/6 200-mile Vallelunga, Italy

For additional info, call FIM at 011-41-22-950-9500, FAX 011-41-22-950-9501, e-mail [email protected], www.fim.ch.