From a press release:

Willow Springs Motorcycle Club Celebrates Ten Years of Racing

2001 Awards Banquet Scheduled at Lancaster’s Park Plaza

The Willow Springs Motorcycle Club, a motorcycle road racing organization based at Willow Springs International Motorsports Park near Rosamond, California, will launch its 2002 racing season this weekend. The club–created ten years ago by raceway owner Bill Huth –operates year-round, holding races on the third Sunday of every month. An awards banquet recognizing last year’s winners will be held at the Park Plaza in Lancaster, California on Saturday, January 19, 2002. The first round of racing in 2002 will take place on Sunday, January 20.

The WSMC was formed in December, 1991 and will begin its eleventh full season of racing this weekend. The club has been managed since its inception by racer Kenny Kopecky, who is still an active competitor and current class champion. It has been a starting point for some of the nation’s most accomplished racers, including AMA Pro Racing’s John Hopkins and Tony Meiring. Hopkins won the 2001 AMA Formula Xtreme championship on a Team Valvoline Suzuki, while Meiring just signed an agreement to race in the 600 Supersport class for the Kawasaki factory race team. WSMC features some of the fastest racing motorcycles in the world, with a wide variety of classes for all levels of competition.

Willow Springs International Motorsports Park is a 600-acre complex of six racetracks embracing nearly every conceivable motorsports discipline. In addition to the historic 2.5-mile road course, the Willow Springs facility includes the Streets of Willow, a 1.5-mile, 14-turn multi-configuration road course ideal for testing, club racing and schools; two 1/4-mile paved ovals; a 3/8-mile clay oval; a .625-mile karting track; and the just-completed “Toyota Playpen,” a short course targeting beginning riders and drivers. The facility also has an off-road area for testing of off-road vehicles.

For more information on the Willow Springs Motorcycle Club or Willow Springs International Motorsports Park, please call 661-256-6666 or visit www.willowspringsraceway.com.

1999 Team Honda Autograph Helmet On Auction Block For Air Fence Fund

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Donated by an industry executive who wishes to remain anonymous, this one-of-a-kind AGV R3 helmet would be very difficult to reproduce.

This brand-new, never-worn AGV R3 helmet was taken to an appearance in 1999 where it was signed by most of the members of American Honda’s race teams for that season. Autographs on the helmet include: Miguel Duhamel, Kurtis Roberts, Ezra Lusk, Kevin Windham, Mike Larocco, Johnny Campbell and Scott Summers.

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All of the autographs were made in gold paint marker and stand out well on the solid white shell. The size-Medium helmet comes with its original clear shield, helmet bag and box.

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“I hope this helps to raise money for the Air Fence Fund. Thank you for all that you have personally done to make it happen,” wrote the
helmet’s donor in a letter to Roadracing World Air Fence Fund founder John Ulrich.

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All proceeds from the sale of this helmet will go to the Roadracing World Air Fence Fund. The Roadracing World Air Fence Fund was established to raise funds to purchase and deploy inflatable Air Fence and Air Module soft barriers to protect crashed riders from hitting walls and other hard objects at racetracks. Air Fence is a trademark of Airfence Safety Systems of Australia.

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The auction is due to close at approximately 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time, January 24. More auctions of motorcycle racing memorabilia and collectibles to benefit the Roadracing World Air Fence Fund are scheduled to appear.

To go directly to the auction on eBay, click on the following link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1064980241

From a press release issued by Ducati:

WORLD DUCATI WEEK 2002

Online registration has begun for the third edition of the largest-ever worldwide Ducati event. This year, an entire week has been dedicated to celebrating Desmo passion. From track events at Misano to parties on spectacular Italian beaches – WDW2002 is an event not to be missed!

Bologna, January 2002: Unlike past editions (1998 and 2000), WDW 2002 will last an entire week, from June 14-20. The event will offer all Ducati enthusiasts 7 days of spectacular activities. In addition to the class rally at the Santa Monica track (June 14th and 16th), all participants will have a wide range of activities to choose from, not to mention 7 days on the splendid beaches, and the opportunity to catch the Misano round of World Superbike (June 21-23).

Over the opening weekend (June 14th-16th) participants will be able to ride on the track, catch a mind-blowing stuntman show, browse through the various photo exhibits and participate in fascinating seminars on Ducati and the motorcycling world in general, get your bike washed in true Ducati style, check out the ‘case nazioni’ (international tents) and spare parts market and hang out with our official SBK pilots!
Off the track, Ducati enthusiasts will have the time of their lives on the beach at the Le Navi Water Park and participate in various tourist excursions to see our Terra di Motore (Land of Engines) up close and personal.

Activities dedicated solely to women are also planned: a riding school in the paddock, track circuits and an “adventure” program for all Ducati women who sign up.

On Sunday the 16th, the Motogiro will commence from the track, which travels through five destinations scattered throughout central Italy, repeating the classic old motorcycle race against a backdrop of exquisite cities and breathtaking views.

All information is available at www.motogiroditalia.com.


Registration opens on 1 February 2002. You can register for WDW at the site www.WDW2002.com, undoubtedly the simplest and fastest method, or by contacting the Organizing Committee/ Ducati Special Events Office.

DUCATI MOTOR S.p.A./ WDW2002 P.O. BOX 4340, Branch 30 Bologna, via Sciesa 20, 40132 Bologna, ITALY. Tel +39 051/6413268 e-mail: [email protected].

All information is also available from Ducati Stores and Ducati Dealers, as well as on the site www.ducati.com.

Event sponsors: INFOSTRADA, SHELL, EMILIA-ROMAGNA REGION .

From a press release:

HARLEY-DAVIDSON REPORTS RECORD FOURTH QUARTER AND 16th CONSECUTIVE RECORD YEAR

2001 Net Income Increased 25.9% on 15.7% Higher Revenue

Milwaukee, Wis., January 17, 2002 — Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE: HDI) today announced record sales and earnings for its fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2001. Revenue for the quarter was $894.4 million compared with $756.2 million in the year-ago quarter, an 18.3 percent increase. Fourth quarter diluted earnings per share (EPS) were 39 cents, a 26.8 percent increase compared with last year’s 31 cents. Revenue for the full year was $3.36 billion, compared with $2.91 billion in 2000, a 15.7 percent increase. Net income for the year was $437.7 million, a 25.9 percent increase versus last year’s $347.7 million, while diluted EPS for the full year were $1.43, a 26.4 percent increase compared with $1.13 in 2000.

“The year 2001 was our 16th consecutive year of record revenue and income, in spite of the weaker global economy,” said Jeffrey L. Bleustein, chairman and chief executive officer of Harley-Davidson, Inc. “Worldwide retail sales of Harley-Davidson® motorcycles in the fourth quarter were strong with 12.9 percent unit growth over last year.

“In addition to strong demand for our traditional products, we also successfully launched our new performance cruiser, the V-Rod. In late November, we began shipping V-Rod motorcycles to our dealer network. Dealers and customers alike were anxiously awaiting this innovative new product which has received acclaim from industry experts worldwide.

“Even though the world is experiencing difficult economic conditions, fourth quarter retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles and progress in expanding our motorcycle capacity have given us the confidence to increase our production target to 258,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycles for 2002,” said Bleustein. “We will continue to manage our business for the long-term while carefully monitoring the motorycle market and other near-term indicators.”

Motorcycles and Related Products Segment – Fourth Quarter Results

Fourth quarter shipments of Harley-Davidson motorcycles totaled 63,535 units, up 9,406 units or 17.4 percent over the same period last year. Included in the 2001 figures are 1,703 V-Rod motorcycles. Revenue from Harley-Davidson motorcycles was $723.3 million, an increase of $117.2 million or 19.3 percent.

Sales of Parts and Accessories (P&A), which consist of Genuine Motor Parts and Genuine Motor Accessories, totaled $110.8 million, an increase of $12.3 million, or 12.5 percent from the year-ago quarter. Sales of General Merchandise, which consists of MotorClothes apparel and collectibles, totaled $47.5 million, an increase of $6.8 million or 16.8 percent.

Fourth quarter gross margin was 35.7 percent of revenue, up from 34.7 percent last year. Gross margin improved primarily due to a higher percentage of U.S. shipments, favorable product mix and wholesale motorcycle price increases.

Fourth quarter operating margin for the Motorcycles and Related Products Segment was 18.8 percent of revenue, which was better than last year’s fourth quarter operating margin of 17.3 percent. The increase in operating margin was driven primarily by the increase in gross margin.


Financial Services Segment – Fourth Quarter Results

Harley-Davidson Financial Services, Inc. (HDFS), a subsidiary of Harley-Davidson, Inc., reported fourth quarter operating income of $17.0 million, up $4.0 million or 31 percent compared to the year-ago quarter.

“Harley-Davidson Financial Services continues to help make the dream of owning a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle a reality,” said Bleustein. The subsidiary benefited from the increase in Harley-Davidson’s U.S. motorcycle sales, strong acceptance of its improved consumer financing program and decreasing cost of funds due to lower market interest rates.

HDFS also entered into an agreement to sell $315 million of asset-backed securitizations during the quarter. The Company expects HDFS’s full year 2002 operating income growth rate to be slightly higher than the Harley-Davidson motorcycle unit growth rate.


Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Retail Data

Harley-Davidson retail sales for 2001 grew in the U.S. and in Japan, up 14.4 and 10.7 percent, respectively, compared to last year. Harley-Davidson retail sales in Europe were down 2.0 percent compared with 2000. The Company believes the strong U.S. dollar and weak European economies are contributing to slower Harley-Davidson sales in Europe. “While complete data is not available, we expect to grow worldwide market share for heavyweight motorcycles in 2001,” said Bleustein.



Share Repurchase

During the year, Harley-Davidson repurchased approximately 2.4 million shares of its common stock, of which 0.2 million shares were repurchased during the fourth quarter.


Twelve Month Results

For the fiscal year ended 2001, total Harley-Davidson motorcycle shipments were 234,461 units compared with 204,592 units in 2000, a 14.6 percent increase. Harley-Davidson motorcycle revenue was $2.63 billion, an increase of $383.7 million or 17.1 percent.

P&A revenue totaled $507.3 million, a 13.3 percent increase, while General Merchandise revenue totaled $163.9 million, an 8.2 percent increase compared with 2000.

On a longer-term basis, the Company expects the growth rate for P&A revenues to be slightly higher than the Harley-Davidson motorcycle unit growth rate. The General Merchandise growth rate is expected to be lower than the motorcycle unit growth rate over the long term.

Full year operating income for HDFS was $61.3 million, an increase of $24.1 million or 64.8 percent compared to 2000.

Diluted earnings per share were $1.43, an increase of 26.4 percent. If the sale of the Harley-Davidson® Chrome VISA® card in 2000 is excluded, diluted earnings per share increased 28.9 percent.


Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company for the group of companies doing business as Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Buell Motorcycle Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services, Inc. Harley-Davidson Motor Company, the only major U.S.-based motorcycle manufacturer, produces heavyweight motorcycles and offers a complete line of motorcycle parts, accessories, apparel, and general merchandise. Buell Motorcycle Company produces sport and sport-touring motorcycles. Harley-Davidson Financial Services, Inc. provides wholesale and retail financing, insurance and credit card programs to Harley-Davidson dealers and customers.



Forward-Looking Statements

The Company intends that certain matters discussed in this release are “forward-looking statements” intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be statements that describe the Company’s future plans, objectives, targets, estimates, beliefs or goals. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated as of the date of this release. Certain of such risks and uncertainties are described below. Shareholders, potential investors, and other readers are urged to consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements and cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this release are only made as of the date of this release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

The Company’s ability to reach targeted production objectives and growth targets depends upon, among other factors, (i) continued realization of production efficiencies at its manufacturing facilities; (ii) successful implementation of production capacity increases in its facilities; (iii) the sale of all motorcycles the Company has the capacity to produce; (iv) product availability; (v) continued development of its distributor and dealer network; (vi) successful introduction of new products; (vii) changes in political conditions; and (viii) interest rate fluctuations and successful adjustment to foreign currency exchange rates. In addition, the Company could experience delays in the operation of manufacturing facilities, work stoppages, difficulty with suppliers, natural causes or other factors. Risk factors are also disclosed in securities documents previously filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

From a press release:


CORSER SIGNS FOR FOGGY PETRONAS RACING

18 January, 2002

CARL Fogarty today completed the rider line-up of his new Foggy Petronas Racing team by capturing the coveted signature of former teammate Troy
Corser.

The 30-year-old Australian former World Superbike champion has signed a three-year deal with Fogarty’s outfit, which is being backed for five years by Malaysian petroleum giant, Petronas.

Corser, who won the World Superbike title in 1996 to become the youngest ever champion, joins British rider James Haydon on the new Foggy FP1 bike.

Foggy said: “When we set up this team, I didn’t think for a minute we could have attracted as big a name as Troy Corser for our first season.

“Everyone knows how talented a rider he is, but Troy is also one of the best riders for setting up a bike.

“What he did for Aprilia on a new bike was sensational and we want him to try even harder to make this project a success.

“Now we have the perfect blend of youth and experience and I could not be happier with the two riders that we have signed.

“It’s now up to me to make sure that we have a bike that lives up to their expectations.

“I know Troy well from being his teammate for two years in 1998 and 1999. Contrary to a lot of reports he was the perfect teammate, always willing to share information on the set-up of the bike.

“Last year wasn’t the happiest for him and I wasn’t the only one to point that out. But now he is raring to go and wants us to develop this bike around him. That’s exactly the kind of attitude and motivation we need.”

Corser, who lives in Monaco but is currently enjoying a break at his Australian home, agreed the deal with Fogarty’s holding company, Team Foggy Racing Ltd, after being impressed by the ambition of the Foggy Petronas Racing team and the depth of the backing provided by Petronas.

He said: “This is a really exciting project and something that is unique in motorcycle racing.

“I’m really happy to be working with Carl and his team and am fired up to take on this new challenge. This is a long-term project and the aim is to get this new bike out on the track and winning races.

“This season is obviously going to be a test year but who knows what might happen towards the end of the season. Then we want to be up there and challenging at the front by the start of next year.

“Petronas are a huge company and are not going into this half-heartedly.

“It’s now up to everyone on the team to repay their faith.”

Corser has won 23 World Superbike races and was fourth in last year’s championship.

Both new riders will now become involved in developing the Foggy FP1 bike before the team’s planned start date at the ninth round of the World Superbike championship at Laguna Seca.

Running in parallel to the race team project, Petronas are committed to producing a Foggy range of road bikes.

World Champion Valentino Rossi and his manager walked out of a meeting with HRC officials without Rossi signing a new contract to race for Honda, and now Honda will resume pre-season testing without Rossi.

From a press release issued by Honda:

Honda Racing News

HRC Team Test Sepang, Malaysia
January 18, 2002.

Team HRC will test the RC211V at the Sepang circuit, Malaysia, on January 21-23.

Team rider Tohru Ukawa, and HRC test rider Shinichi Itoh, will test the 5-cylinder, 990cc MotoGP machine at the 5.548km circuit. The main objective of the test will be to test new tyres from Michelin and several small modifications made to the machine using the data obtained from the HRC tests in Spain and Australia, late last year.

Valentino Rossi will not attend the test. Rossi and HRC have yet to reach agreement on a few contract details. Both parties are confident these minor differences can be resolved in time for the following test planned for February.

Team Honda Gresini rider Daijiro Katoh will test the NSR500 he will campaign in the 2002 championship.

They will be joined by Team Honda Pons riders Loris Capirossi and Alex Barros for their first serious track testing of the winter.

Lap times from the test will be distributed on each day of the test.

Although there has not yet been any official word from AMA headquarters, race promoter Bill Sparks posted the following on www.flattrack.com Wednesday evening:

“John Ulrich, Jeff Nash, and Kevin Schwantz lapped the competition in the AMA Trustee election by a margin of three to one and in some cases four to one……..I may be off a little, maybe somebody from the AMA could post the exact count on this site for us.

“Again, congratulations guys on a huge win !!!

“Bill Sparks”

The Alstare Suzuki racing team has announced a competition to find its 2002 “Grid Girls”.

Interested women are asked to e-mail in their personal details along with a picture to [email protected] with “Big Alstare Suzuki Grid Girls Competition” in the subject line. The competition is open to women who live in a country that hosts a Superbike World Championship round.

In addition to being allowed to hold an umbrella over Alstare Suzuki’s racers as they are swarmed by photographers, TV cameras and reporters on the pre-grid, winners will receive two free paddock passes to the race and Team Alstare Suzuki gear. For more information, go to www.alstare.com.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Despite a preliminary at-track diagnosis of a broken collarbone, X-rays at a trauma center revealed that roadracingworld.com’s Chris Ulrich actually suffered a separated shoulder when he crashed a CBR954RR Honda during a press intro at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Wednesday.

Ulrich returned home to Lake Elsinore, California Wednesday night and will consult with his own doctors Thursday morning.

Prior to leaving Las Vegas, Ulrich was presented with the damaged titanium muffler off the bike he crashed, which had been autographed by the Honda CBR954RR design team.