From a press release issued by Dr. Rob Tuluie:

Just a quick update from our first Formula USA National at Road America on Aug 4th:

For those of you unfamiliar with Road America, it is one of the best racing circuits in the U.S. and was a recent contender to bring the World Championship Grand Prix back to America. It’s north of Milwaukee, WI, is 4 miles long and features long straights, fast sweepers and several technical turns with elevation changes.

We had been to the track once before in April, but were unable to practice or race most of the time due to horrible weather, with high temperatures in the 40s and continual rains throughout the weekend. Not so this time, the weather was almost perfect and we got in all of our practice sessions. Early on, we noticed a substantial lack of power, which was most likely due to a change of transfer port roof angle I should had avoided in hindsight. We were able to gain some of this back before the race by advancing the ignition timing and praying that the Nutec GP2 fuel would hold the detonation in check (which it did), but were still down about 12 hp (according to the very convenient Formula USA dynojet dyno we used at the track) from what this strong Hot Seat Performance motor produced earlier in the year on the Manley Cycle dyno. While in April we had excellent top speed and the bike would power wheelie all the way to the start finish line, this time around it was noticeably slower on the uphill front straight and required lower overall gearing. In addition, our otherwise excellent AP Brakes proved a bit too aggressive for the entry into Canada corner, which required a very subtle brake manipulation while leaned over and braking hard from top gear into this 2nd gear turn. We retained the AP radial master cylinder but switched to stainless rotors (instead of the cast ones we typically use) and sintered EBC pads rather than the Performance Friction carbon pads which served us so well when we set the lap record at Blackhawk recently. Sounds easy, but it took us several practice session to arrive at the desired combination. So, with the limited practice time available for this huge race event, it was not until the Sunday morning warm-up practice that we finally had the right package together for Steve to put into action. Tom Mason of MRT mounted a fresh set of Michelin slicks and we were ready for the race.

Steve started the Unlimited GP race (also called the “shootout”) in 8th position and promptly knocked 4 seconds of his previous best practice time on the second lap! He was running in the front pack of riders that included Formula USA Unlimited GP champion Mike Himmelsbach, Eric Wood and Vincent Haskovec among others. However, on lap 3 or 4 Steve lost the draft and was unable to stay with the pack, eventually finishing the race in 7th place behind Mike Himmelsbach. On the other hand, Steve finished ahead of about 20 other racers, including many top club racers on GSXR 1000s and 750s, R1s, etc. All considering, a decent finish considering that this was essentially our first time racing at this track. We did learn that it is not enough to have the package all together come race day, but instead need to be closer when we get to the track so Steve can take advantage of a good setup and get used to it during practice. This way he can push the bike early on and allow us to make those subtle but important adjustments to our Ohlins suspension and bike geometry that gain a few tenth of a second here or there. One thing that amazes me is how huge of an overall improvement in laptimes we can produce by getting these details and subtle nuances right. Having a fast bike/rider combination is not just about power, weight or trick bolt-on components, but just as importantly about balance, feel, feedback and working with the rider to make the bike feel the way it works best for him. Using our Pi data acquisition with MTS software and some sound physical reasoning helps a lot in this respect, but experience is just as important. Considering that this was the first time we ran against the national level competition at Formula USA at this demanding track, Steve and I are pretty sure that the next time we can finish on the box! And, by the way, we had jet another full racing weekend of no mechanical/electrical failures or issues.

From a press release issued by Eric Bostrom’s manager:

Eric ready for VIR showdown

Although he still needs to erase a 35 point deficit, Eric Bostrom is going to throw everything he has at Nicky Hayden this weekend at the season finale of the AMA Superbike Championship. The finale will take place at the popular VIR circuit in Alton, Virginia (www.virclub.com). “It’s certainly one of the coolest tracks and facilities on the national circuit that we travel to. It’s got a challenging and clean layout, and it’s pretty safe. Unfortunately, passing is limited. It’s certainly a tough track to pass. But that makes you work harder and makes for really close passing.”

It’s clearly been a Nicky vs. Eric battle all year. And despite Nicky having a 250cc displacement advantage over Eric’s bike, it’s been a remarkably close battle between the two. Many people have asked Eric to describe his tough competitor. “Nicky and I first raced against each other back in ’96 on a dirt track. That was probably the first time. Since then, we’ve been going at it and have had some good battles. When it comes down to it, I think Nick and I are two guys you don’t really want to be racing with at the end. We’re pretty aggressive and we do what it takes to win. Maybe our strategies are different in that I really like to set the pace. I like to get out there and set things on fire early. But we both have an aggressive, charge-the-corners riding style. He’s a tough competitor. But I think the same of myself.”

In order for Eric to win the AMA Superbike title this weekend, he needs to not only win both races, but he needs for Nicky to make a big mistake. How does he see the drama unfolding come Sunday? “I don’t know, actually. That’s what’s great about racing. You never know. You obviously show up wanting to win, and nothing else is good enough. And no matter how it ends up, I want to win both races and hold my head up high. And if I can break away from the start and build a big lead and win like that, that’s certainly the ideal way to win. But if I have to race for it till the end, I’ll put myself in the right position to lead across the stripe. Any lower than first place would be a big disappointment for me.”

From a press release:

Virginia rocks to Aprilia Femmoto

Aprilia USA proudly welcome aboard Michelin Tires as a sponsor of their all-women’s test ride day at Virginia International Raceway, Friday August 9. The US importer will also host two workshops throughout the day, given by Ron Wood and Walt Schaefer, Michelin race specialists.

The one-day event, held on the track’s south course, is booked almost to capacity with only a few test rides left available in the afternoon sessions. This has pleased the Italian motorcycle importers no end, as the fleet available for test riding is made up exclusively of their sports and sports touring fleet. The day has attracted participants new to track riding along with female road racers.

For more information on Aprilia’s Femmoto, contact us directly at 414-305-9901.

From a press release:

Rounds 15 & 16, 2002 AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship
Virginia International Raceway, Alton, Virginia, USA

Event preview

MLADIN CHASES SEASON FINALE VICTORIES AT VIRGINIA

Alton, Virginia, USA – The 2002 AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship draws to an end this coming weekend with a Double-Header round at Virginia International Raceway, Alton, Virginia.

For defending and three times AMA Superbike champion Mat Mladin, the weekend will also mark the end to what has been one of the most frustrating seasons in his racing career.

A combination of injury and suspension problems has kept the Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki away from many podium finishes this season. A crash during practice at the opening round of the championship left him with a badly damaged left elbow which ruled him out of the race at Daytona. More recently, he injured the backs of both hands in a fall during qualifying for the World Superbike round at Laguna Seca, that culminated his withdrawal part way through the AMA Superbike race held on the same weekend.

An area that Mladin has had a season long battle with has been suspension. His team have tried numerous ways to get the new Suzuki GSX-R750 to handle in a way that will be suitable for Mladin. It has proven to be an extremely difficult task, but one that has not stopped their commitment to finding a solution.

At the corresponding round last season, Mladin arrived at Virginia, with his third title all but wrapped up. He secured pole position for the event in lap record-breaking time, before taking a very conservative 12th place finish to secure up the title. This weekend however, things are very different as the Australian currently holds down seventh place on the championship point’s table.

“Certainly going there under different circumstances this year, just basically trying to win a race,” said Mladin. “It’s been probably the most frustrating year of my racing career, with the injuries and bike problems that we’ve had during the year. It just never was this year. The bike itself was good, but we just had so many dramas with the suspension for some reason. The crashes that I had this year are the sort of crashes that I just don’t have. They can happen any time, no doubt about that, but I contribute a lot of it to the rear suspension and the suspension in general. I don’t think we were well done by in that regard.”

“I feel that I have been riding well this season and I am as determined as ever to get onto the podium and hopefully grab a race win. After the season that I’ve had, that would be a great result.”

The battle for championship honours this year is being fought out between American Honda’s Nicky Hayden and Team Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom. After a blistering start to the year Hayden holds a 35-point lead over Bostrom, who has been the form rider of late.

Qualifying for the weekend’s round begins on Friday, with final qualifying scheduled for Saturday morning prior to the first of the two Superbike nationals.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Clint Brotz won his second Buell Lightning race, this time at Road America, and now has a four-point lead in the series over Bryan Bemisderfer, with three races remaining. Pre-race favorite Michael Barnes did not finish, encountering mechanical problems, and is now third in points, 20 behind Brotz.

Formula USA Buell Lightning Series Race Results (all on Buell 1200s):

1. Clint Brotz, 7 laps
2. Richie Morris, -0.058 second
3. Bryan Bemisderfer, -14.648 seconds
4. Jason Smith, -15.233 seconds
5. Jeff Johnson, -28.694 seconds
6. John Spinelli, -36.689 seconds
7. Joseph Rozynski, -37.628 seconds
8. Jeff Harding, -37.707 seconds
9. Paul James, -59.393 seconds
10. Greg Avello, -70.321 seconds

Michael Barnes DNF, mechanical

Provisional Point Standings:

1. Brotz, 84 points
2. Bemisderfer, 80 points
3. Michael Barnes, 64 points
4. Morris, 52 points
5. Johnson, 50 points
6. Smith, 40 points
7. Harding, 39 points

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Arclight Suzuki’s Lee Acree will not ride in the Formula USA Unlimited Superbike races Sunday at Road America due to injuries sustained over the last two race weekends.

“He’s just in too much pain,” said Arclight Suzuki co-owner/Crew Chief Chuck Warren.

Acree suffered second-degree burns to the inside of his left thigh during the AMA event at Mid-Ohio July 26-28, and during the week in between events, the burns have become infected.

“Riding the big bike is just too painful and too hard,” said Warren. “He’s kind of out of the Unlimited Superbike points, but he’s second in the 600 (Sportbike) points. So he’s going to only ride in the 600 race today then try to rest before Virginia next week.”

Acree, who is second in the AMA Superstock point standings, 26 points behind Jimmy Moore, won the AMA 750cc Supersport race at Virgina International Raceway last year.

Acree is second in the F-USA Pro Honda Oils 600cc Sportbike standings, eight points behind teammate Craig Connell. Acree is the two-time and defending Champion in the F-USA Sportbike class.

Acree is eighth in the Formula USA Unlimited Superbike standings, 61 points out of the lead.

The Arclight Suzuki team replaced the engine in Acree’s GSX-R70 F-USA Unlimited Superbike Saturday night and converted the machine into a back-up bike for Craig Connell. Acree’s engine broke two laps into qualifying on Saturday. Connell leads the F-USA Unlimited Superbike point standings.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Formula USA Pro Honda Oils 600cc Sportbike Race Results:

1. Craig Connell, Suzuki, 12 laps
2. Michael Barnes, Suzuki, -3.220 seconds
3. Lee Acree, Suzuki, -3.516 seconds
4. Larry Pegram, Suzuki, -12.045 seconds
5. Monte Nichols, Yamaha, -26.950 seconds
6. Jeff Wood, Suzuki, -27.472 seconds
7. Andrew Nelson, Honda, -50.818 seconds
8. Scott Greenwood, Suzuki, -50.918 seconds
9. Cory West, Honda, -58.882 seconds
10. Ray Bowman, Honda, -58.935 seconds

DNF, Matt Wait, Suzuki, -2 laps, DNF, mechanical,

Provisional F-USA Sportbike Point Standings:

1. Connell, 79 points
2. Barnes, 63 points
3. Acree, 61 points
4. Pegram, 54 points
5. Jeff Wood, 39 points
6. Greenwood, 32 points

From a press release issued by Honda:

HONDA RACING INFORMATION

Suzuka 8 Hours – Suzuka, Japan. August 4, 2002.

Weather, hot and humid, slight rain fall in final hour; temperature, 32 degrees C; humidity, 65%; track conditions, good; crowd, 72,000.

Edwards and Kato Victorious at Suzuka 8-Hours 25th Anniversary for Cabin Honda

The American – Japanese combination of Colin Edwards and Daijiro Kato raced to a superb victory at the 25th running of the Suzuka 8 Hours, held at magnificent Japanese circuit today. Edwards and Kato brought home their VTR1000SP-W twin cylinder Honda ahead of their Cabin Honda team-mates Tadayuki Okada and Makoto Tamada. The Sakurai Honda team of Alex Barros and Yuichi Takeda completed a magical Honda 1-2-3 with a fine third place finish. All three teams completed 219 laps, a new race record.

Honda have now won the event for six successive years, 17 times in the 25-years it has been held. It was Edwards’ third victory in the Japanese classic, the second for Kato. Brazilian Barros gave Honda a clean sweep of race honours by setting the fastest lap of the race as he battled to close on the leaders.

At the end of the grueling race Kato said: “I was riding longer today than he previous 8-hour races I’ve done but I was not as tired as I expected. However, when it started to rain during the final session I was anxious, because it was my first night race and the track condition was unstable. I checked the difference with Tamada on my pit board and controlled the pace. I am really happy that we won the race.”

Teammate Edwards was a very relieved man as Kato swept across the finishing line to score their record breaking win. The Texan said: “This win is more special than my two previous 8-hour wins, because we had a drama at the last stage. When it started to rain, I said to myself ‘I will give ten years of my life, so please don’t rain harder.’ I was ready in the pit with my leather suit on, so that in case it rained harder, I could ride again. But rain stopped after few laps and Daijiro rode brilliantly. I want to thank him for the win.”

The top three Hondas to finish had also dominated the Superpole qualifying session but it was Barros who started from pole for Sakurai Honda. Edwards was second with Okada third. Akira Ryo (Suzuki) was fourth fastest, and looked more than capable of causing and upset, should the VTRs falter at any time during the 8-hours.

Team Manager Koji Koyano was full of praise for the way his riders had handled a tricky race. “When it started to rain during the final stage, I was worried because the track condition was unstable. But the advantage we had before that worked out. Both the riders were brilliant today.”

As the race got underway in scorching temperatures and high humidity it was Ryo who grabbed the lead from the Le Mans style start, heading the two Cabin Hondas, in the hands of lead-off riders Tamada and Kato. The second Suzuki, ridden by Keiichi Kitagawa, held fourth place from Yuichi Takeda, who had chosen to use different tyres than the Cabin Honda riders.

Once the race pace for the first hour was established Tamada hit the front with Ryo in his wheel tracks, Kato in close attendance. But Kato set fastest lap of the session soon afterwards to relegate Ryo to third. Kitagawa slid off the second Suzuki mid-session elevating Takeda to fourth place.

Kato handed teammate Edwards the lead at the first changeover, exiting the pit ahead of Ryo and Okada. The heat and humidity was now intense and was matched by the action out on the track. The top three teams locked in a fierce, no quarter asked or given duel.

At the three-hour mark the top three teams were still running in close attendance, Kato, leading Ryo and Tamada. The Sakurai Honda of Barros and Takeda was now almost a lap down on the top three but they were clawing their way back into contention as the race progressed. They were back in a challenging after five hours and closing the gap on the leading trio, led by the Edwards/Kato from Ryo/Kagayama and Okada/Tamada combinations.

After the changeovers around three-quarters race distance the Hondas were to have the race to themselves, Kagayama touring back to the pits to retire the stricken #7 factory Suzuki. Edwards and Kato had opened a one-minute lead over Okada/Tamada at this stage, Barros/Takeda closer to second place.

Into the final stages Edwards handed Kato a comfortable one minute lead at the final change over, Barros inheriting an almost impossible two minute deficit on the leaders from teammate Takeda. The often unpredictable Suzuka weather brought late drama to the race. As darkness fell a sudden rain shower gave Kato’s challengers increased confidence. Both Tamada and Barros began to eat into his lead but Kato, who had never raced in darkness at Suzuka, held his nerve and was rewarded when the light rain abated after 10 minutes and the track began to dry.

He ran out a clear winner by 25 seconds, Barros crossing the line an equal distance behind Tamada.

The ever-cheerful Tamada was not too disappointed with his race. The All Japan Superbike star said: “During the first session, I was racing with Daijiro (my good friend) and it was great fun. When Daijiro went into the pit one lap before me, I waved ‘bye-bye, see you soon’ to him. But after that I didn’t have a chance to race with him and I felt sad. In the later stage, there was a big difference between us and I knew something must happen to close the gap, and I was hoping for the rain. But it rained for only a brief period and I couldn’t catch up, although I tried very hard. However, this was my first full 8-hour race ride and I gained good experience. I learned a lot from Okada San and that is the greatest result for me.”

Okada was not as happy as his teammate: “My pace was good till the last session, but was a little slow during my last ride so I said sorry to Makoto during the last pit-stop. Although we couldn’t catch up the winner, Makoto was riding aggressively and I am happy with the result. Dunlop prepared us good tires and I want to thank them. This race was a good lesson for me and if I have a chance again, I would like to take part in the 8-hour race.”

Team Manager Kazuhiko Yamano had hoped for more from his team: He said of the team performance. “Although I am a little disappointed, because we wanted to win, I think Tamada and Okada tried their best and we did a good race. Before the last session, I told Tamada to keep going without coming into the pit even if it rained. He pushed hard under the unstable condition and closed the gap.”

Koji Nakajima, General Manager for the HRC factory team at the 8-hours, was delighted with the result. Nakajima said: “A 1-2 finish today was fantastic. 6-pit stop tactics worked out and the fuel consumption rate was better than we had expected. Tamada and Barros were catching up at the later stage, but the advantage of the team worked out. Kato was cool and clever, although it was his first night race. Today, the lap times were slower than we expected. But we are happy that the new record of 219 laps (previous record 217 laps, set last year) has been established.

“Above all, the riders who helped us to materialize the plan did a great job. The technologies we proved today will be adopted to other racing machines and production models. As you know, one of the main aims of Honda to do racing is to gain technologies,” the General Manager concluded.

Wataru Yoshikawa and Takeshi Tsujimura finished fourth for Team YSP Racing Yamaha, two laps behind Edwards and Kato and three laps clear of the Challenger Yamaha team of Norihiko Fujiwara and Tekkyu Kayou in fifth. The Weider Honda Automotive pairing of Osamu Deguchi and Hiroki Noda brought their VTR1000SP-2 Honda home in sixth place.

The Zongshen Suzuki World Endurance Championship regulars filled seventh and eighth places, nine laps down on the winning Hondas. Stephane Mertens and Warwick Nowland leading home teammates Igor Jerman and Bruno Bonhuil.

Results:
1. Daijiro Kato – Colin Edwards J/USA Cabin Honda 219 laps

2. Makoto Tamada – Tadayuki Okada J/J Cabin Honda 219

3. Alex Barros – Yuichi Takeda Bra/J Sakurai Honda 219

4. Wataru Yoshikawa – Takeshi Tsujimura J/J Yamaha 217

5. Norihiko Fujiwara – Tekkyu Kayou J/J Yamaha 214

6. Osamu Deguchi – Hiroki Noda J/J Weider Honda 211

7.Stephane Mertens – Warwick Nowland B/AUS 210

8.Bruno Bonhuil – Igor Jerman F/Slo Suzuki

9. Makoto Tokinaga – Yasuhiko Sato J/J Yamaha 210

10. Adam Ferguson – Jordan Szoke AUS/CAN Super Production, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 210

11. Akira Tamitsuji – Yoshihiro Konno J/J Suzuki 209

12. Yosinomi Takahashi – Naomichi Nakai J/J Kawasaki 208

13. Hiroaki Kawase – Takatoshi Onishi J/J Suzuki 208

14. Mitsuo Saito – Takahiro Fukami J/J Yamaha 207

15. Yoshiyuki Sugai – Tomohiko Kawakami J/J CBR954RR Honda 207

35. Mike Ciccotto/Kyoichi Kosaka, Super Production, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -22 laps

43. Motohiro Hisazumi/Naoki Yamaha, Stock Sport, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -29 laps

Top Prototype team, Keiichi Kitagawa/Noriyasu Numata, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -18 laps

DNF, Akira Ryo/Yukio Kagayama, Superbike, Suzuki GSX-R750, -64 laps

DNF, Doug Polen/Takahito Mori, X-Formula, Honda CBR954RR, -197 laps

Fastest lap: Barros 2:07.844s = 163.92km/h.