From an e-mail, forwarded to roadracingworld.com:

After four great years with the Cycle World Magazine team, I am transitioning to a new position at AMA Pro Racing. I will really miss Cycle World and the team there, but my new position gives me the ability to work with and benefit my original love—-motorcycle racing.

I am now Vice President, Los Angeles Office for AMA Pro Racing. In this position I will increase communication with, and respond to the needs of the motorcycle industry in California. In addition I will be responsible for managing the racing-television inventory that AMA Pro Racing will own as well as their sponsorship properties. I grew up racing motorcycles, motocross as an amateur and road racing as a professional, so to be able to work in racing and help it grow is a dream come true.

My new office information is below. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about AMA Pro Racing.

Best Regards,


Andy Leisner



Andrew Leisner
Vice President, Los Angeles Office
AMA Pro Racing
12441 Ventura Court
Studio City, CA 91604
ph: 818.509.9104
fax: 818.985.4178
[email protected]
www.AMAProRacing.com

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

The HMC Ducati crew included two new faces when the team arrived for tests at California Speedway on Monday, January 14.

“We are here for support of HMC,” said Ducati Corse Head of Sales and Marketing Paolo Ciabatti. “We, me and Roberto Bonazzi, who is one of our best race engineers (and who will work with Neil Hodgson and GSE Ducati in 2002), (came) to help the team with the engine mapping.”

HMC Ducati’s Pascal Picotte ran some of the fastest lap times at the Dunlop Daytona tire tests in December despite throttle response problems with the team’s 2002 Ducati 998RS, problems traced to the engine’s fuel-injection mapping.

Ciabatti explained that HMC’s bikes came with throttle bodies which are not homologated for use in AMA Superbike and did not work well with AMA-spec race fuel and standard mapping. “In World Superbike, we use 60mm throttle bodies,” said Ciabatti. “This bike has 54mm throttle bodies, which is mandatory in the USA. So we did all of the engine mapping on the dyno at the race shop in Bologna. Now we come here to optimize the engine mapping and help with the testing.”

Ducati technicians installed 54mm throttle bodies on a 2002-spec Ducati 998RS test mule in the race shop in Italy to develop fuel-injection mapping that would work with AMA-legal race fuels and the required throttle bodies. “We’re very happy with the test so far, no problem with the engine,” stated Ciabatti. “On the dyno, we found that we only lose one or two horsepower. That’s good.

“That is the replica of the bike that has won the World Championship last year with Troy Bayliss. Same spec, same engine,” continued Ciabatti. “The only difference is the front fork. Here we have 46mm. On the factory machine we use 42mm. I say 99.9% same as the World Champion bike. We built 20. Most of them went to World Superbike teams. Six went to England for British Superbike, and two came to the States.

“Troy Bayliss, Ben Bostrom and Ruben Xaus ride something different. We have kind of an evolution, which is basically an engine which is developed from the end of the Testastretta engine you see on these bikes. It has a different bore and stroke and something like 10 horsepower more. Huge step.

“Neil Hodgson is on the factory bike from last year, which means that the same bike that Pascal has but with the 42mm forks. We gave him two of the bikes we had in the factory team last year.

“Because of our involvement in the new GP project at Ducati, we really cannot support anything else but our World Superbike team and our GP program. We are not a big company. We are a medium-size company, and we must concentrate our resources on some program. We’d like to do everything, but we can’t.

“So with Mitch (Hansen), he deserved to be helped and, through Ducati North America, we managed to give him special conditional supply and material; bikes, engines and spare parts. He will then take care of the rest of the budget by himself or through his sponsors.

“We can’t say he is a ‘factory team’, because for Ducati ‘factory team’ means that we manage basically the team. In this case, we will not because it is not possible for us, but we give as much help as possible.

“We think the bike is a winning bike because it was proven last year to be a winning bike and I think the specs of the Japanese bikes here are the same as World Superbike. So we have beaten them in World Superbike. There is no reason why we cannot beat them here. We know that this is an ambitious effort for Mitch and we will try to give him as much help as possible during the season.”

Asked if Ducati North America Racing Manager David Roy had left the company, Ciabatti said, “Actually, there is some kind of re-structuring going on at Ducati North America with the new General Manager appointed at the moment. There have been a lot of changes that are just trying to be more efficient. We think we can manage the support of teams directly from Bologna. We are here, and with the technical data we can exchange by e-mail or whatever. So with the need of rationalizing the organization of Ducati North America in general, this position has been canceled for the moment and we will manage all contacts with Mitch Hansen and his team directly from Bologna.”

When asked about the Ducati MotoGP project, Ciabatti said “We will issue an official statement at the end of January. So we will explain exactly what kind of engine it’s going to be because we want to stop speculation. We know that we started it by saying that it was a ‘very special kind of Twin’. So everybody think oval pistons or something else. I cannot tell you at the moment, but I’m sure in two weeks time you’re gonna see our press release explaining the concept that has guided the development of the engine.

“There is not one single bolt of the GP bike is the same of the Superbike. Everybody said that maybe we take several kilos off a Superbike and we’re going to be winning, which is possible today. If you see the time we did in Valencia with Ben (Bostrom) in December. We were less than a fraction of a second off the pole position from Max Biaggi, but we also think that the four-stroke GP will be much faster than the two-stroke GP.

“Possibly if we would have targeted this season, we could’ve taken a Superbike, modified, made it lighter, put carbon-fiber brakes and been competitive at the beginning, but the approach was total different. We started from a white sheet of paper and we designed the bike. We just apply all of the technology we have and also we take as much as possible from our consultants outside the company.

“The bike is gonna be definitely a Ducati. The frame is gonna be a trellis frame. It will be a desmo (desmodromic) engine. It will have the pipes under the tail so that it will look like a Ducati. Because we tried, and we see that the frame is as good as anything else and the desmo we tried out to 18,000 revs it goes. So why no choosing it? The bike is now testing in the wind tunnel. It is very, very aerodynamic. We are very pleased with the results so far. But as I said we wanted to get to be very competitive, so we went in a new direction for Ducati.”

Asked if it is true, as rumored, that NCR Ducati will race in the U.S. Pro Thunder Series in 2002, Ciabatti said, “They are running an aggressive program. Actually, as you may know they are racing with Pierfrancesco Chili in World Superbikes. They are also building a special bike. I don’t know if they will be able to make it. They will build a very light bike with a 1000cc, air-cooled, two-valve engine. The bike will basically be all of titanium because Poggipolini, with the titanium company, is now a partner of NCR. They are trying to make a very, very light bike and compete in Pro Thunder, Sound of Thunder and Battle of the Twins. I don’t know if they will make it for this year. It is 90% yes, and it’s totally developed by them.”

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A. will be the title sponsor of the AMA National scheduled for April 5-7 at California Speedway in Fontana, California.

An announcement of the deal is expected soon.

From a press release:


Yamaha Does It Again!

YAMAHA INTRODUCES INNOVATIVE HIGH-PERFORMANCE FOUR-STROKE RX-1 SNOWMOBILE

Today in Las Vegas, Nevada, excited Yamaha dealers were shown the all-new Yamaha RX-1, the first high performance, four-stroke snowmobile available from a major manufacturer. It features a modified R1 motorcycle engine reversed with the intakes facing forward for better mass centralization and simplicity.

The powerful 145+ horsepower five-valve engine offers many advantages over conventional two-stroke designs including, incredible torque, smoother, quieter power delivery as well as better engine efficiency–which means increased fuel mileage and cleaner emissions.

The Yamaha RX-1 also features a strong, motorcycle inspired Deltabox aluminum chassis, and R1 styling cues like sleek, angular bodywork, digital speedometer, cat-eye headlights and dual tail lights.

The RX-1 is offered in two models, a short-track for trial riding and long-track mountain version. Reverse options are available on all RX-1 models.

“The all-new RX-1 and RX-1 Mountain represent Yamaha’s commitment to the snowmobile market and leadership in four-stroke technology,” said Mike Doughty, Snowmobile Product Manager.

Check out www.yamaha-motor.com for more information like quick-time action video, 360 degree views as well as complete specifications and pricing.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

On a cold, overcast morning at Fontana, American Honda’s Nicky Hayden continued to be the fastest rider during AMA Superbike tests at California Speedway in Fontana, California, while brother Tommy Hayden leads the 600cc Supersport riders.

With temperatures hovering near 50 degrees Fahrenheit, Nicky Hayden recorded the fastest time of Tuesday morning with a 1:29.9 on a 2001 Honda RC51. Hayden went quicker on the 2002-model RC51 at Fontana on Monday, January 14 with a 1:29.1, but his fast time from Tuesday came while testing a new set of leathers that contained a drinking water container in the aerodynamic hump of the suit with a drinking tube leading up to his helmet. The system is being tested for the Daytona 200.

Kurtis Roberts is spending the final day of the two-day Fontana test riding the 2002-model RC51 Superbike. The bike is actually a hybrid with a 2002 chassis and a 2001 engine equipped with a new, single-canister exhaust pipe. The bike was fitted with a prototype 2002-spec motor at Daytona.

Honda team members are still tight-lipped about the differences between the new chassis other than to say it has new forks, but it is believed that the 2002 Honda RC51 has a revised engine position resulting in better handling and traction over the old bike.

According to data acquisition systems, the Superbike riders are reaching speeds of over 170 mph on Fontana’s long front straight and are using all six gears around the track. In fact, most of the 600cc Supersport competitors are also reporting that they are using all six gears at California Speedway.

Tommy Hayden’s fastest 600cc Supersport time came just after 11:30 a.m. as lap times among 600cc riders began to quickly fall. Hayden attributed this to getting more comfortable with the track and dialing-in his gearing and set-up. Also, the infield’s racing surface has progressively become cleaner as more laps are turned.

Erion Honda’s Mike Hale and Roger Lee Hayden were also fast among the six 600cc riders present at the test. Hale was the first rider on the track this morning and paid for it. Hale stirred up a flock of birds that were feeding on grass seed in the infield. One of the birds flew in front of Hale at speed and hit the Texan’s right hand. Hale was uninjured and did not lose control of his motorcycle.

Dunlop is expected to know today whether California Speedway will require a special Superbike/Formula Xtreme tire to be constructed for the AMA race in April. On Monday evening Dunlop National Road Race Manager Jim Allen said that he didn’t think Fontana would require a special tire, but that he would know for sure today.

Unofficial Lap Times:

Superbike:
Nicky Hayden, 2001 Honda RC51, 1:29.5
Kurtis Roberts, 2002 Honda RC51, 1:29.9
Miguel Duhamel, 2001 Honda RC51, 1:30.2
Pascal Picotte, 2002 Ducati 998RS, 1:30.8
Eric Bostrom, 2002 Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:31.8

600cc Supersport:
Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:31.8
Mike Hale, Honda CBR600F4i, 1:32.0
Roger Lee Hayden, Honda CBR600F4i, 1:32.4
Jake Zemke, Honda CBR600F4i, 1:33.1
Alex Gobert, Honda CBR600F4i, 1:34.3
Tony Meiring, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:34.4

No riders had taken Formula Xtreme bikes out as of post time.

From a press release:

Clear Channel Entertainment’s Motor Sports Division Sets New Attendance Records

January 11-13 Events Draw Over 650,000 Fans

AURORA, Ill. (January 14, 2002) – Clear Channel Entertainment’s motor sports division announced today that 651,288 fans attended its 20 motor sports events and 38 performances in arenas and stadiums across the U.S. and the UK this past weekend (January 11-13), setting a new weekend attendance record, up 6188 from the previous weekend attendance record of 645,100 spectators, which was set last year.

Individual events, including EA SPORTS Supercross presented by Speed Stick in San Diego, Clear Channel’s Speed Stick National Arenacross Series and Regional Arenacross in a record four different markets, Professional Bull Riding in Tallahassee, Florida, and the Monster Jam Presented by Ford Trucks events everywhere across the country, each enjoyed record setting attendance numbers. Sell out performances were achieved in London, England; Toledo, Ohio; Worcester, Mass.; Atlanta, Georgia; San Antonio, Texas; Denver, Colo.; Springfield, Mass.; and Wichita, Kansas.

“Our fans’ support is amazing. I never dreamed we would exceed the success of last year’s attendance record,” said Charlie Mancuso, president of Clear Channel Entertainment’s motor sports division. “I would like to thank all of the great fans, competitors, venues, sponsors and everyone else who came together to play a part in achieving such great live event results.”

Attendance breakdown: Weekend of January 11-13, 2002:

City, Venue, Event, Attendance

San Diego Qualcomm Stadium EA Sports Supercross,
68,415

London UK London Arena UK Supercross, 7556

Guthrie, Okla. Lazy E Arena Speed Stick Ntl.
Arenacross, 16,712

Toledo, OH Toledo Sports Arena Arenacross,
12,802

Memphis, Tenn. The Pyramid Arenacross,
24,609

Roanoke, Va. Roanoke Civic Center Arenacross,
15,322

Philadelphia, Pa First Union Spectrum IFMA Freestyle Motocross, 30,953

Worcester, MA Worcester Centrum Ctr IFMA Freestyle Motocross, 26,877

Atlanta, Ga. Georgia Dome Monster Jam, 66,162

St. Louis, Mo. Dome at America’s Ctr Monster Jam,
51,863

Anaheim, Calif. Edison Intl. Field Monster Jam,
43,860

Houston, TX. Reliant Stadium Monster Jam,
36,887

Phoenix, Ariz. Bank One Ballpark Monster Jam,
42,895

San Antonio, TX Alamodome Monster Jam,
91,716

Denver CO. Pepsi Center Monster Jam,
33,397

Montgomery, Ala Garrett Coliseum Monster Jam,
13,966

Milwaukee, Wis US Cellular Arena Thunder National,
16,916

Springfield, MA Civic Center Thunder National,
12,881

Wichita, Kan Britt Brown Arena Thunder National,
23,519

Tallahassee, Fla Leon County Civic PBR, 13,980

“This is a great way to start the 2002 motor sports season,” said Ken Hudgens, vice president of Clear Channel Entertainment’s motor sports
division. “Our success can be directly attributed to the outstanding support and help of our Clear Channel Radio and Clear Channel Outdoor
partners across the country. They are fundamentally responsible for such successes in markets like San Diego, Atlanta, San Antonio, and Memphis.”

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.