Anthony Gobert is the fastest so far during factory team testing at Laguna Seca Raceway, with a 1:26.8 at post time.
The Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, Erion Honda and Bruce Transportation Honda teams are testing at Laguna Seca through Wednesday.
Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
By David Swarts
Graves Yamaha’s Chuck Graves began his reign as the WSMC Overall Champion Sunday at Willow Springs International Raceway by winning all four races he started. Graves won in 600cc Superstock, 650cc Superbike, Formula Two and the feature event, the Toyota Cup Unlimited Formula One Grand Prix, on his Dunlop-shod Yamaha YZF-R6 and YZF-R7/R1 hybrid. Other big winners on the day included Lee’s Cycles’ Jeremy Toye, Elite Racing’s Jack Pfeiffer and Bikecards.com’s Chris Peris.
Toye started his 2002 season by leading the Formula One race into turn one on his Dunlop-slick-equipped, Supersport-spec Suzuki GSX-R750. Graves, riding his R7/R1 Formula Xtreme bike, followed Toye into the first corner, but Graves led out of the first turn of the 12-lap final. No Limit Motorsports’ Jason Curtis, riding an ex-Graves Yamaha YZF-R1 Formula Xtreme bike, and Jack Pfeifer, on a Suzuki GSX-R1000, quickly joined Graves and Toye to make it a foursome at the front.
Toye, Curtis and Graves each took a turn leading the race, but Graves soon took control. Running lap times as low as 1:22.2, Graves pulled out a lead over Toye that reached a maximum of two full seconds. Then in the second half of the race, Toye amazed himself by reeling in Graves with 1:22.2 laps of his own. Toye closed the gap steadily in the closing laps but came up 0.6-second short at the finish line.
With his horsepower advantage diluted by an ailing transmission, Curtis held third over Pfeifer for most of the race, while Richard Headley worked his way forward from the 18th spot on the grid. Riding a 2002 Ducati 998RS customer-spec World Superbike that reportedly hit 171 rear-wheel horsepower on the mobile dyno at Willow Springs during the weekend, Headley caught the duel for third on lap seven. Headley passed both Pfeifer and then Curtis in turn nine on successive laps and finished third.
Curtis continued to battle with Pfeifer until the start of the last lap when Curtis’ transmission blew going into turn one. Pfeifer cruised home to fourth. Fifth place went to California Superbike School instructor Stoney Landers. Landers rode a Suzuki GSX-R750 that he never rode until his first race Sunday morning. Stephen Hewitt, Owen Richey, Robert Christman, Jeff Stern and Darren Fulce rounded out the top 10.
Toye didn’t go home empty-handed. The San Diego rider earned wins in 750cc Supersport, 750cc Modified Production and 750cc Superbike. Headley also won in Formula Twins and Formula 40 Heavyweight on his Ducati. Pfeifer collected first-place trophies for Open Superstock and Open Modified Production, while Hewitt won Open Superbike on his Yamaha YZF-R1.
Sixteen-year-old Chris Peris walked away from a turn-three highside in an early race and returned to take a win in one of the day’s best sprints. After getting off his Suzuki GSX-R600, young Canadian Peris got a slow start in the 600cc Modified Production race on his more familiar Yamaha YZF-R6. Peris was in about 10th place in the first corner and began to move forward as his confidence came back. On lap three of six, Peris joined the lead group of seven and began picking off positions. On the last lap, Peris positioned himself well in third, caught a draft from Michael Leon going into eight, then caught another draft from leader Jacob West coming out of the final corner and beat West to the flag. With the 2001 WSMC 125cc Championship already to his credit, Peris added his first 600cc win to his growing resume.
The event saw the debut of WSMC’s new 250cc Grand Prix race, with 12 entrants. Frank Aragaki won on a Yamaha TZ250 from Mark Watts on a Honda RS250, Darren Fulce on a Yamaha, new AMA Trustee John Ulrich on a Yamaha and Gene Redmon on another Yamaha.
Bidder “mjezek” came on strong Sunday, January 20 with four offers and currently holds the highest bid for this AGV helmet autographed by almost all of Honda’s 1999 factory riders at $202.50. Bidders “rageco” and “thecreeping104” have been in the hunt from the start and have until Thursday, January 24 at approximately 6:11 p.m. Eastern Time to place a higher bid. For more information about the auction of this helmet to benefit the Roadracing World Air Fence Fund, look below for the original web posting, the pictures and the link that will take you directly to the auction.
1999 Team Honda Autograph Helmet On Auction Block For Air Fence Fund
From a press release:
Honda Racing News
HRC Winter Test
Sepang, Malaysia
January 21, 2002.
Rain Stops Play at Sepang
The first day of the HRC Sepang winter test session for the RC211V became a half-day test as rain fell at lunch time severely limiting the riders’ time on track. HRC are testing new tyres from Michelin at Sepang, and several machine modifications made to the RCV following data gathering test sessions at the end of last year.
Despite the rain, and the time required to find a reasonable set-up for the RC211V, Tohru Ukawa set fastest time of the day on the 5-cylinder MotoGP machine at 2:06.60. His time, almost on the lap record for the 5.548km circuit, was 4/10ths of a second faster than his best-ever lap time at the circuit while riding the NSR500 V-4 two-stroke.
HRC test rider Shinichi Itoh, making his first ever visit to Sepang, also tested the RC211V. Itoh completed 36 laps, 29 in the dry, seven on a wet track, with a best time of 2:08.86.
Reigning 250cc World Champion Daijiro Katoh was at Sepang. The Honda Gresini rider testing the team’s NSR500 at the circuit for the first time. Before the rain fell Katoh set a best time of 2:07.84.
Jurgen van den Goorbergh did not fare well on his Kanemoto NSR500. The Dutchman crashed the NSR, escaping without injury. However, the machine was extensively damaged and Van den Goorbergh sat out the rest of the day.
Team Honda Pons made their first appearance of the season with the 2002 NSR500s they will race in the Grands Prix this season. In their first shake down test on the West Honda’s Loris Capirossi and Alex Barros completed 80 laps between them with Capirossi the faster of the two men.
Tohru Ukawa, RC211V, 50 laps, 2:06.60
Shinichi Itoh, RC211V, 36 laps, 2:08.36
Daijiro Katoh, NSR500, 44 laps, 2:07.84
Loris Capirossi, NSR500, 44 laps, 2:07.93
Alex Barros, NSR500, 36 laps, 2:08.86
Jurgen v. d. Goorbergh, NSR500, 23 laps, 2:10.80
Tohru Ukawa: We were looking for a good set up for the track. Once we were close we started testing some new tyres for Michelin. I’m satisfied with what we achieved before the rain came. I must be happy, I’m already faster on the RCV than I was at the GP with the NSR500.
Shinichi Itoh: I had to learn the circuit before I could test anything. The bike was fine, better than the last time I tested it, a month ago. Pity about the rain today. We have two more days here so I’m confident we will complete the work we have.
Daijiro Katoh: Sepang is a real 500 track and it’s very demanding on the rider and the machine. This is my first time on a 500 round Sepang so I was not completely happy with the set up before the rain started but I’m satisfied with the performance today. I’m sure I can improve when the bike is set up for me.
From a press release received January 21:
For Immediate Release:
MARRC Awards Banquet Salutes Racers and Volunteers
Laurel, MD, January 12, 2002 – – The Mid-Atlantic Roadracing Club (MARRC) held its 18th annual awards banquet in Laurel, Maryland to recognize its members and Mid-Atlantic racers. Nearly 100 people attended the event, including several WERA, CCS, and Formula USA National Champions.
The MARRC annual awards are voted on by the MARRC membership, consisting of cornerworkers, racers, and road racing enthusiasts. The MARRC Board of Directors, along with past award winners and special guests, presented the awards. Awards are presented based on the votes from MARRC members, with the exception of two special categories–President’s Awards, which are decided by the club President, and the Harry E. Morse Cup, which is decided by a consensus of the Board of Directors and Judy Morse.
The name most heard at this year’s banquet was that of Rick Beggs. Mr. Beggs was recognized as not only the person who contributed most to MARRC during the past season as the recipient of the MARRC Cup, but also as the top middleweight expert during 2001, and the recipient of the Crash-and-Burn Award.
Mr. Beggs received the infamous Crash and Burn Award, given to the most spectacular crash of the year, for his highside at Summit Point Raceway that sent his Kawasaki careening into another rider in a monumental fireball. Fortunately both riders were OK, but what was left of the motorcycles in fierycrash had to be retired from racing.
Mr. Beggs also received a President’s Award from outgoing President Roger Lyle in recognition of his support of the MARRC Roadracing School.
In a similar fashion, Timothy Bemisderfer dominated the racing scene in the Mid-Atlantic region, earning the distinction of the HW Expert of the Year and Professional Rider of the Year.
MARRC’s Cornerworker of the Year went to Will Astle, who committed himself to the club all season in many different ways. Not only has he been a trusted Corner Captain and Safety Crew member, but Mr. Astle has become one of the favorite chefs for the weekend meals. He also proved invaluable at reporting on zoning meetings for Summit Point Raceway, and tracking community events. His leadership, dedication, and initiative have made Mr. Astle more than worthy
of this award.
Other notable winners include Loudoun MotorSports, as the Endurance Team of the Year, for their outstanding season in winning not only the WERA HW Superstock Endurance National Championship, but also for claiming National CCS and Formula USA Championships as well. Area native and AMA mechanic Todd Fenton was recognized as Tuner of the Year for his work on the Valvoline Suzuki team supporting rider Grant Lopez.
Roger Lyle received the Harry E. Morse Cup not only for his long career as a leader in road racing safety, but as an endurance racer and his sportsmanship throughout his life. Suffice to say, Mr. Lyle’s life has been dedicated to the advancement of motorcycle road racing, and has served not only MARRC but the entire road racing community.
A highlight of the evening was the presentation of a President’s Award to retiring CCS and former AMA Grid Marshall Dave Lewis. A well-known figure to many of the attendees, Mr. Lewis recalled the hundreds of races and thousands of miles he drove during his time in racing. He calculated that he spent the equivalent of over one year just driving to each event, and that 15% of his lifetime has been spent in working in motorcycle racing.
During the evening, Roger Lyle and Roger Bacon also announced their resignation and retirement from the Board of Directors to make way for new leadership in the Club. In recognition of Mr. Lyle’s dedication to MARRC, he was named as President Emeritus, and made a member for life. Wendy Leland and John Capen were introduced as the new President and Vice-President, respectively.
Complete List of Awards and Award Winners:
Cornerworker of the Year:
Will Astle
MARRC Cup:
Rick Beggs
Heavyweight Expert:
Timothy Bemisderfer
Middleweight Expert:
Rick Beggs
Lightweight Expert:
Steve Keener
Heavyweight Amateur:Joe Kimble
Middleweight Amateur:
Tomas Bauchiero
Lightweight Amateur:
Robert E. Lee
Professional Rider:
Timothy Bemisderfer
Endurance Team:
Loudon MotorSports
Twins Rider:
Stephen Harris
Tuner/Mechanic:
Todd Fenton
Best Looking Motorcycle:
Thane Stielow
Crash and Burn:
Rick Beggs
Hard Luck:
Ed Morgan
Sportsmanship:
Michael Parr
Harry E. Morse Cup:
Roger Lyle
President’s Awards:
Dave Lewis
Sharon Stringfield
Scooter and Karen Ball
Roger Bacon
Bill & Sandy Powers
Rick Beggs
David Rickman
Art Sears
MARRC is dedicated to the advancement of motorcycle road racing. Established in 1983 as a not-for-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 now 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.
From a press release:
Aprilia USA announces 2002 contingency program
Woodstock, GA Tuesday, January 15, 2002:
Aprilia USA is posting a $200,000 total contingency program for the RS250 Aprilia Cup and RSV1000 Mille/Mille R sportbikes in multiple racing organizations including WERA, CCS, FUSA, AFM, MRA and WSMC. “This is our first year posting contingency for the Mille,” says Aprilia USA General Manager Tom McDonald. “We’re excited that the Mille and Mille R is doing so well in so many racing clubs across the US and want to recognize the enthusiasm for our product. We encourage racers to consider an Aprilia motorcycle for their 2002 racing season.”
The Aprilia 250 Cup Series changes from a 6-race event to a club-based program that will end in a single year-end event with Formula USA. “The total Aprilia Cup purse will be over $24,000 including almost $7000 available in show money,” says Aprilia USA Marketing Coordinator, Robert Pandya. “With the change to a single year-end Aprilia Cup event, we wanted to help the club racer make the trip to that event. The show money will help pay the costs of going to the race, and we’ll continue our heavyweight bonus program.” Additional bonus purses include an over 40 class and a 1st lap leader bonus of $500. “We’re interested in adding additional bonus purses and will be approaching potential sponsors,” says Pandya.
Mille Contingency will be paid at the same club events as the 250 schedule, with additional contingency available at a National level in both WERA and FUSA. For additional information on contingency amounts, specific paying races and rules…log on to www.apriliausa.com.”
From Aprilia USA, (770) 592-2261, FAX (770) 592-4878.
From a press release:
SUZUKI’S NEW CHALLENGER HITS THE TRACK
Suzuki is quietly confident following its first full test session on the new factory four-stroke XRE0 machine on Saturday (January 19th). Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki riders Kenny Roberts Jr and Sete Gibernau joined Japanese factory test riders Akira Ryo and Yukio Kagayama at the Suzuki factory test rack at Ryuyo in Japan for a full day of testing, aimed at introducing the riders to the new machine and establishing basic settings before moving on to a series of private tests in Asia and Australia.
Roberts and Gibernau were given a pre-test briefing with the factory race department management before getting to grips with the new 990cc,V4 four-stroke racer which insiders say is developing well over 200bhp. Gibernau was first out on the new machine that is currently running in unpainted black bodywork and he was quickly on the pace round the 6.5km test circuit.
A clearly determined Gibernau said; “Obviously you can’t forget that this is a brand new bike, but my first impressions are very positive. We obviously started later on our four-stroke project compared to the other factories and we are going to have to work hard to get on the pace. But I’ve never been scared of hard work and Kenny and I have to work harder and closer than ever if we are to improve.
“The chassis is good, the engine is good, the tyres, suspension and brakes are all good. We just have to concentrate on matching everything up and making the whole thing work. The team has the potential to do the job and we are all looking in the same direction.”
Roberts was also happy with the early shakedown; “Certainly at this early stage of the development Suzuki has done an incredible job with the design and concept of the whole motorcycle. The first time I saw the machine yesterday I was very impressed how tidy and complete it is at such an early stage in its development. After this initial ride I am really encouraged with how smooth and linear the power delivery is. It was difficult to tell any real physical difference between the XRE0 and the RGV in riding position at this test.
“It’s clear that at this very early stage Suzuki is determined to improve the whole motorcycle as rapidly as they possible can, and with a tyre company like Dunlop giving Suzuki their full commitment it seems we are on the right track. We all seem to understand the big strides we have to make to be competitive, but the team and Suzuki are highly positive and that makes a lot of difference.”
Gibernau’s crew chief Start Shenton was clearly impressed by the new machine. “The design team has done a brilliant job and has clearly come a huge distance in a very short space of time. Everything fits real well,” he said.
Bob Toomey, Roberts’ crew chief was also full of praise. “The factory put their best men on the job and it shows in every area. It’s early days yet and we have a heavy test schedule ahead of us, but the basic ingredients are all there and I think we will be right in there with a competitive machine.”
The team’s technical advisor Warren Willing echoed the opinions of the two crew chiefs. “It looks like a good starting point. We’ve now got to concentrate on obtaining meaningful data and developing basic set-ups. It’s great for the whole team to have the challenge of developing a brand-new machine and the factory have obviously put their best resources behind the project.”
From a press release:
SUZUKI CELEBRATE ON ALL FRONTS
Hamamatsu, Japan, January 21st 2002
Suzuki’s 2001 Championship-winning riders from around the world were honoured at a special ceremony in Hamamatsu, Japan last Saturday, (19th Jan 2002).
A total of 23 World and National Suzuki mounted champions were presented to a special guest list of top factory officials and media who toasted Suzuki’s continuing competition success at the begining of the year marking 50 years of Suzuki motorcycle production.
According to knowledgeable insiders, three-time World Champion Freddie Spencer will take over distribution of Michelin racing tires in the western United States. The sources say that Spencer’s long-time association with Michelin and his successful riding school business made him a natural to take over the distribution duties abandoned by Graves Motorsports last month. Michelin spokesman Randy Richardson would not comment on Michelin’s race tire distribution plans for the Western United States, but said that a public announcement will be made “very soon”. In the meantime, Michelin riders at this weekend’s WSMC event are out of luck because no Michelin race tire sales and service operation showed up at the Rosamond, California track. Several long-time Michelin riders have defected to Pirelli/Metzeler, and many others are buying Dunlops at the racetrack.
According to a press release issued by Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A., the company’s special events at Daytona will include:
A display of 2002 machines outside Daytona International Speedway, March 6-8 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.; March 9 from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.; March 10 from 9:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
Demo rides of Road Star, V-Star, FZ1 and VMax models at the Yamaha display outside Daytona International Speedway, March 4-8 from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.; March 9 from 9:00 a.m. until noon.
Autograph sessions with Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson, Rich Oliver, Don Emde, Doug Henry, Bob Hannah, Jeremy McGrath et. al. at the Yamaha display, Friday, March 8 from 10:00 a.m. until noon; Saturday, March 9 from 10:00 a.m. until noon; and Sunday, March 10 from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
Anthony Gobert is the fastest so far during factory team testing at Laguna Seca Raceway, with a 1:26.8 at post time.
The Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, Erion Honda and Bruce Transportation Honda teams are testing at Laguna Seca through Wednesday.
Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
By David Swarts
Graves Yamaha’s Chuck Graves began his reign as the WSMC Overall Champion Sunday at Willow Springs International Raceway by winning all four races he started. Graves won in 600cc Superstock, 650cc Superbike, Formula Two and the feature event, the Toyota Cup Unlimited Formula One Grand Prix, on his Dunlop-shod Yamaha YZF-R6 and YZF-R7/R1 hybrid. Other big winners on the day included Lee’s Cycles’ Jeremy Toye, Elite Racing’s Jack Pfeiffer and Bikecards.com’s Chris Peris.
Toye started his 2002 season by leading the Formula One race into turn one on his Dunlop-slick-equipped, Supersport-spec Suzuki GSX-R750. Graves, riding his R7/R1 Formula Xtreme bike, followed Toye into the first corner, but Graves led out of the first turn of the 12-lap final. No Limit Motorsports’ Jason Curtis, riding an ex-Graves Yamaha YZF-R1 Formula Xtreme bike, and Jack Pfeifer, on a Suzuki GSX-R1000, quickly joined Graves and Toye to make it a foursome at the front.
Toye, Curtis and Graves each took a turn leading the race, but Graves soon took control. Running lap times as low as 1:22.2, Graves pulled out a lead over Toye that reached a maximum of two full seconds. Then in the second half of the race, Toye amazed himself by reeling in Graves with 1:22.2 laps of his own. Toye closed the gap steadily in the closing laps but came up 0.6-second short at the finish line.
With his horsepower advantage diluted by an ailing transmission, Curtis held third over Pfeifer for most of the race, while Richard Headley worked his way forward from the 18th spot on the grid. Riding a 2002 Ducati 998RS customer-spec World Superbike that reportedly hit 171 rear-wheel horsepower on the mobile dyno at Willow Springs during the weekend, Headley caught the duel for third on lap seven. Headley passed both Pfeifer and then Curtis in turn nine on successive laps and finished third.
Curtis continued to battle with Pfeifer until the start of the last lap when Curtis’ transmission blew going into turn one. Pfeifer cruised home to fourth. Fifth place went to California Superbike School instructor Stoney Landers. Landers rode a Suzuki GSX-R750 that he never rode until his first race Sunday morning. Stephen Hewitt, Owen Richey, Robert Christman, Jeff Stern and Darren Fulce rounded out the top 10.
Toye didn’t go home empty-handed. The San Diego rider earned wins in 750cc Supersport, 750cc Modified Production and 750cc Superbike. Headley also won in Formula Twins and Formula 40 Heavyweight on his Ducati. Pfeifer collected first-place trophies for Open Superstock and Open Modified Production, while Hewitt won Open Superbike on his Yamaha YZF-R1.
Sixteen-year-old Chris Peris walked away from a turn-three highside in an early race and returned to take a win in one of the day’s best sprints. After getting off his Suzuki GSX-R600, young Canadian Peris got a slow start in the 600cc Modified Production race on his more familiar Yamaha YZF-R6. Peris was in about 10th place in the first corner and began to move forward as his confidence came back. On lap three of six, Peris joined the lead group of seven and began picking off positions. On the last lap, Peris positioned himself well in third, caught a draft from Michael Leon going into eight, then caught another draft from leader Jacob West coming out of the final corner and beat West to the flag. With the 2001 WSMC 125cc Championship already to his credit, Peris added his first 600cc win to his growing resume.
The event saw the debut of WSMC’s new 250cc Grand Prix race, with 12 entrants. Frank Aragaki won on a Yamaha TZ250 from Mark Watts on a Honda RS250, Darren Fulce on a Yamaha, new AMA Trustee John Ulrich on a Yamaha and Gene Redmon on another Yamaha.
Bidder “mjezek” came on strong Sunday, January 20 with four offers and currently holds the highest bid for this AGV helmet autographed by almost all of Honda’s 1999 factory riders at $202.50. Bidders “rageco” and “thecreeping104” have been in the hunt from the start and have until Thursday, January 24 at approximately 6:11 p.m. Eastern Time to place a higher bid. For more information about the auction of this helmet to benefit the Roadracing World Air Fence Fund, look below for the original web posting, the pictures and the link that will take you directly to the auction.
1999 Team Honda Autograph Helmet On Auction Block For Air Fence Fund
From a press release:
Honda Racing News
HRC Winter Test
Sepang, Malaysia
January 21, 2002.
Rain Stops Play at Sepang
The first day of the HRC Sepang winter test session for the RC211V became a half-day test as rain fell at lunch time severely limiting the riders’ time on track. HRC are testing new tyres from Michelin at Sepang, and several machine modifications made to the RCV following data gathering test sessions at the end of last year.
Despite the rain, and the time required to find a reasonable set-up for the RC211V, Tohru Ukawa set fastest time of the day on the 5-cylinder MotoGP machine at 2:06.60. His time, almost on the lap record for the 5.548km circuit, was 4/10ths of a second faster than his best-ever lap time at the circuit while riding the NSR500 V-4 two-stroke.
HRC test rider Shinichi Itoh, making his first ever visit to Sepang, also tested the RC211V. Itoh completed 36 laps, 29 in the dry, seven on a wet track, with a best time of 2:08.86.
Reigning 250cc World Champion Daijiro Katoh was at Sepang. The Honda Gresini rider testing the team’s NSR500 at the circuit for the first time. Before the rain fell Katoh set a best time of 2:07.84.
Jurgen van den Goorbergh did not fare well on his Kanemoto NSR500. The Dutchman crashed the NSR, escaping without injury. However, the machine was extensively damaged and Van den Goorbergh sat out the rest of the day.
Team Honda Pons made their first appearance of the season with the 2002 NSR500s they will race in the Grands Prix this season. In their first shake down test on the West Honda’s Loris Capirossi and Alex Barros completed 80 laps between them with Capirossi the faster of the two men.
Tohru Ukawa, RC211V, 50 laps, 2:06.60
Shinichi Itoh, RC211V, 36 laps, 2:08.36
Daijiro Katoh, NSR500, 44 laps, 2:07.84
Loris Capirossi, NSR500, 44 laps, 2:07.93
Alex Barros, NSR500, 36 laps, 2:08.86
Jurgen v. d. Goorbergh, NSR500, 23 laps, 2:10.80
Tohru Ukawa: We were looking for a good set up for the track. Once we were close we started testing some new tyres for Michelin. I’m satisfied with what we achieved before the rain came. I must be happy, I’m already faster on the RCV than I was at the GP with the NSR500.
Shinichi Itoh: I had to learn the circuit before I could test anything. The bike was fine, better than the last time I tested it, a month ago. Pity about the rain today. We have two more days here so I’m confident we will complete the work we have.
Daijiro Katoh: Sepang is a real 500 track and it’s very demanding on the rider and the machine. This is my first time on a 500 round Sepang so I was not completely happy with the set up before the rain started but I’m satisfied with the performance today. I’m sure I can improve when the bike is set up for me.
From a press release received January 21:
For Immediate Release:
MARRC Awards Banquet Salutes Racers and Volunteers
Laurel, MD, January 12, 2002 – – The Mid-Atlantic Roadracing Club (MARRC) held its 18th annual awards banquet in Laurel, Maryland to recognize its members and Mid-Atlantic racers. Nearly 100 people attended the event, including several WERA, CCS, and Formula USA National Champions.
The MARRC annual awards are voted on by the MARRC membership, consisting of cornerworkers, racers, and road racing enthusiasts. The MARRC Board of Directors, along with past award winners and special guests, presented the awards. Awards are presented based on the votes from MARRC members, with the exception of two special categories–President’s Awards, which are decided by the club President, and the Harry E. Morse Cup, which is decided by a consensus of the Board of Directors and Judy Morse.
The name most heard at this year’s banquet was that of Rick Beggs. Mr. Beggs was recognized as not only the person who contributed most to MARRC during the past season as the recipient of the MARRC Cup, but also as the top middleweight expert during 2001, and the recipient of the Crash-and-Burn Award.
Mr. Beggs received the infamous Crash and Burn Award, given to the most spectacular crash of the year, for his highside at Summit Point Raceway that sent his Kawasaki careening into another rider in a monumental fireball. Fortunately both riders were OK, but what was left of the motorcycles in fierycrash had to be retired from racing.
Mr. Beggs also received a President’s Award from outgoing President Roger Lyle in recognition of his support of the MARRC Roadracing School.
In a similar fashion, Timothy Bemisderfer dominated the racing scene in the Mid-Atlantic region, earning the distinction of the HW Expert of the Year and Professional Rider of the Year.
MARRC’s Cornerworker of the Year went to Will Astle, who committed himself to the club all season in many different ways. Not only has he been a trusted Corner Captain and Safety Crew member, but Mr. Astle has become one of the favorite chefs for the weekend meals. He also proved invaluable at reporting on zoning meetings for Summit Point Raceway, and tracking community events. His leadership, dedication, and initiative have made Mr. Astle more than worthy
of this award.
Other notable winners include Loudoun MotorSports, as the Endurance Team of the Year, for their outstanding season in winning not only the WERA HW Superstock Endurance National Championship, but also for claiming National CCS and Formula USA Championships as well. Area native and AMA mechanic Todd Fenton was recognized as Tuner of the Year for his work on the Valvoline Suzuki team supporting rider Grant Lopez.
Roger Lyle received the Harry E. Morse Cup not only for his long career as a leader in road racing safety, but as an endurance racer and his sportsmanship throughout his life. Suffice to say, Mr. Lyle’s life has been dedicated to the advancement of motorcycle road racing, and has served not only MARRC but the entire road racing community.
A highlight of the evening was the presentation of a President’s Award to retiring CCS and former AMA Grid Marshall Dave Lewis. A well-known figure to many of the attendees, Mr. Lewis recalled the hundreds of races and thousands of miles he drove during his time in racing. He calculated that he spent the equivalent of over one year just driving to each event, and that 15% of his lifetime has been spent in working in motorcycle racing.
During the evening, Roger Lyle and Roger Bacon also announced their resignation and retirement from the Board of Directors to make way for new leadership in the Club. In recognition of Mr. Lyle’s dedication to MARRC, he was named as President Emeritus, and made a member for life. Wendy Leland and John Capen were introduced as the new President and Vice-President, respectively.
Complete List of Awards and Award Winners:
Cornerworker of the Year:
Will Astle
MARRC Cup:
Rick Beggs
Heavyweight Expert:
Timothy Bemisderfer
Middleweight Expert:
Rick Beggs
Lightweight Expert:
Steve Keener
Heavyweight Amateur:Joe Kimble
Middleweight Amateur:
Tomas Bauchiero
Lightweight Amateur:
Robert E. Lee
Professional Rider:
Timothy Bemisderfer
Endurance Team:
Loudon MotorSports
Twins Rider:
Stephen Harris
Tuner/Mechanic:
Todd Fenton
Best Looking Motorcycle:
Thane Stielow
Crash and Burn:
Rick Beggs
Hard Luck:
Ed Morgan
Sportsmanship:
Michael Parr
Harry E. Morse Cup:
Roger Lyle
President’s Awards:
Dave Lewis
Sharon Stringfield
Scooter and Karen Ball
Roger Bacon
Bill & Sandy Powers
Rick Beggs
David Rickman
Art Sears
MARRC is dedicated to the advancement of motorcycle road racing. Established in 1983 as a not-for-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 now 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.
From a press release:
Aprilia USA announces 2002 contingency program
Woodstock, GA Tuesday, January 15, 2002:
Aprilia USA is posting a $200,000 total contingency program for the RS250 Aprilia Cup and RSV1000 Mille/Mille R sportbikes in multiple racing organizations including WERA, CCS, FUSA, AFM, MRA and WSMC. “This is our first year posting contingency for the Mille,” says Aprilia USA General Manager Tom McDonald. “We’re excited that the Mille and Mille R is doing so well in so many racing clubs across the US and want to recognize the enthusiasm for our product. We encourage racers to consider an Aprilia motorcycle for their 2002 racing season.”
The Aprilia 250 Cup Series changes from a 6-race event to a club-based program that will end in a single year-end event with Formula USA. “The total Aprilia Cup purse will be over $24,000 including almost $7000 available in show money,” says Aprilia USA Marketing Coordinator, Robert Pandya. “With the change to a single year-end Aprilia Cup event, we wanted to help the club racer make the trip to that event. The show money will help pay the costs of going to the race, and we’ll continue our heavyweight bonus program.” Additional bonus purses include an over 40 class and a 1st lap leader bonus of $500. “We’re interested in adding additional bonus purses and will be approaching potential sponsors,” says Pandya.
Mille Contingency will be paid at the same club events as the 250 schedule, with additional contingency available at a National level in both WERA and FUSA. For additional information on contingency amounts, specific paying races and rules…log on to www.apriliausa.com.”
From Aprilia USA, (770) 592-2261, FAX (770) 592-4878.
From a press release:
SUZUKI’S NEW CHALLENGER HITS THE TRACK
Suzuki is quietly confident following its first full test session on the new factory four-stroke XRE0 machine on Saturday (January 19th). Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki riders Kenny Roberts Jr and Sete Gibernau joined Japanese factory test riders Akira Ryo and Yukio Kagayama at the Suzuki factory test rack at Ryuyo in Japan for a full day of testing, aimed at introducing the riders to the new machine and establishing basic settings before moving on to a series of private tests in Asia and Australia.
Roberts and Gibernau were given a pre-test briefing with the factory race department management before getting to grips with the new 990cc,V4 four-stroke racer which insiders say is developing well over 200bhp. Gibernau was first out on the new machine that is currently running in unpainted black bodywork and he was quickly on the pace round the 6.5km test circuit.
A clearly determined Gibernau said; “Obviously you can’t forget that this is a brand new bike, but my first impressions are very positive. We obviously started later on our four-stroke project compared to the other factories and we are going to have to work hard to get on the pace. But I’ve never been scared of hard work and Kenny and I have to work harder and closer than ever if we are to improve.
“The chassis is good, the engine is good, the tyres, suspension and brakes are all good. We just have to concentrate on matching everything up and making the whole thing work. The team has the potential to do the job and we are all looking in the same direction.”
Roberts was also happy with the early shakedown; “Certainly at this early stage of the development Suzuki has done an incredible job with the design and concept of the whole motorcycle. The first time I saw the machine yesterday I was very impressed how tidy and complete it is at such an early stage in its development. After this initial ride I am really encouraged with how smooth and linear the power delivery is. It was difficult to tell any real physical difference between the XRE0 and the RGV in riding position at this test.
“It’s clear that at this very early stage Suzuki is determined to improve the whole motorcycle as rapidly as they possible can, and with a tyre company like Dunlop giving Suzuki their full commitment it seems we are on the right track. We all seem to understand the big strides we have to make to be competitive, but the team and Suzuki are highly positive and that makes a lot of difference.”
Gibernau’s crew chief Start Shenton was clearly impressed by the new machine. “The design team has done a brilliant job and has clearly come a huge distance in a very short space of time. Everything fits real well,” he said.
Bob Toomey, Roberts’ crew chief was also full of praise. “The factory put their best men on the job and it shows in every area. It’s early days yet and we have a heavy test schedule ahead of us, but the basic ingredients are all there and I think we will be right in there with a competitive machine.”
The team’s technical advisor Warren Willing echoed the opinions of the two crew chiefs. “It looks like a good starting point. We’ve now got to concentrate on obtaining meaningful data and developing basic set-ups. It’s great for the whole team to have the challenge of developing a brand-new machine and the factory have obviously put their best resources behind the project.”
From a press release:
SUZUKI CELEBRATE ON ALL FRONTS
Hamamatsu, Japan, January 21st 2002
Suzuki’s 2001 Championship-winning riders from around the world were honoured at a special ceremony in Hamamatsu, Japan last Saturday, (19th Jan 2002).
A total of 23 World and National Suzuki mounted champions were presented to a special guest list of top factory officials and media who toasted Suzuki’s continuing competition success at the begining of the year marking 50 years of Suzuki motorcycle production.
According to knowledgeable insiders, three-time World Champion Freddie Spencer will take over distribution of Michelin racing tires in the western United States. The sources say that Spencer’s long-time association with Michelin and his successful riding school business made him a natural to take over the distribution duties abandoned by Graves Motorsports last month. Michelin spokesman Randy Richardson would not comment on Michelin’s race tire distribution plans for the Western United States, but said that a public announcement will be made “very soon”. In the meantime, Michelin riders at this weekend’s WSMC event are out of luck because no Michelin race tire sales and service operation showed up at the Rosamond, California track. Several long-time Michelin riders have defected to Pirelli/Metzeler, and many others are buying Dunlops at the racetrack.
According to a press release issued by Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A., the company’s special events at Daytona will include:
A display of 2002 machines outside Daytona International Speedway, March 6-8 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.; March 9 from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.; March 10 from 9:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
Demo rides of Road Star, V-Star, FZ1 and VMax models at the Yamaha display outside Daytona International Speedway, March 4-8 from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.; March 9 from 9:00 a.m. until noon.
Autograph sessions with Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson, Rich Oliver, Don Emde, Doug Henry, Bob Hannah, Jeremy McGrath et. al. at the Yamaha display, Friday, March 8 from 10:00 a.m. until noon; Saturday, March 9 from 10:00 a.m. until noon; and Sunday, March 10 from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
