From a press release:

HAYDON SIGNS FOR FOGGY PETRONAS RACING

18 December 2001

CARL Fogarty today made James Haydon the first signing for his new Foggy Petronas Racing team.

The 27-year-old from Buckinghamshire will ride the new Foggy FP1 bike in the World Superbike championship.

The exciting British talent has signed a two-year deal with the new team, which has been funded for five years by Malaysian petroleum giants Petronas.

Fogarty said: “I have been impressed with James for some time. He rides the bike hard and that is what we need for this project – someone to push the machine to its limits.

“He has also had the right attitude from the very first discussions. He realises what an exciting opportunity this is and he wants to make the most of this chance.

“I have always said that I wanted a British rider in my team and I hope that I can use all my experience to turn the potential that is there for all to see into results on the track for James.”

Haydon, who rode for the Virgin Mobile AIWA Yamaha Team in the British Superbike championship last season, realised the chance to team up with Foggy Petronas Racing was too good to turn down.

He said: “This is a one-off opportunity and a great chance.

“I have been working hard to go into World Championships for the last few years and I would like to thank Rob McElnea, my team boss last year, and everyone at Yamaha, Virgin and AIWA for allowing me to take this fantastic opportunity to develop a new bike and make the most of the Formula One technology funded by Petronas.

“The more I think about it, the more pumped up I get and I can’t wait to get on the bike and start testing.

“There are not many riders who have Carl’s standing in the sport and I delighted he has shown this faith in my ability. It’s a new role for him but he feels he can help me as a rider and I expect him to be hard but fair.”

Fogarty is hoping to complete his line-up before Christmas so that both new riders can become involved in developing the Foggy FP1 bike, which will use a modified version of the GP1 engine jointly developed by Petronas and Sauber Petronas Engineering, before the team’s planned start date at the ninth round of the World Superbike championship at Laguna Seca.

This just in from noted race announcer Ben Cheatwood:

You had a very good article on the subject of Supercross. I would like to add some items that may be of interest to you.

The last time the AMA split from the promoters of Supercross was in 1984. There were two series in 1984, the promoters known as Insport and the AMA Series. The AMA Series consisted of a Triple Crown in Daytona, Talladega and San Jose. Daytona was a normal Daytona Supercross. Talladega attracted 1500-2000 spectators and San Jose was cancelled.

The Insport Series consisted of 11 races that were run in a two-moto main event format, scoring the riders in both motos for the overall winner.

One of the managers of the Insport group was Gary Mathers.

Thanks for the great work on the Air Fence and generating new blood for the AMA.

Ben Cheatwood

From a press release:

EA SPORTS Supercross to be Televised in England, France, Italy, Japan & More

Clear Channel Entertainment Announces 2002’s EA SPORTS International TV Distribution

AURORA, Ill. (December 17, 2001) – Through the combined resources of Clear Channel International, (a division of Clear Channel Worldwide) and ESPN, Clear Channel Entertainment announced today the international television distribution details of 2002’s EA SPORTS Supercross.

Reaching key markets including England, France, Israel, and Italy, the 2002 EA SPORTS Supercross events are projected to reach more than 131 million homes in more than 300 countries or territories, not including the United States, representing an increase of more than 50% from 2001’s international distribution.

(In 2001, the EA SPORTS Supercross international distribution reached 87 million homes.)

Additionally, Clear Channel International negotiated a special arrangement with Armed Forces Radio and Television to bring EA SPORTS Supercross to the allied troops around the globe.

“This is awesome news for supercross fans. Spin the globe and pick any spot, and EA SPORTS Supercross is on a TV somewhere. Through ESPN’s footprint in Latin America and the Middle East, and Clear Channel International’s connections our international coverage is at the sports highest ever,” said Michael Weber, executive vice president of television for Clear Channel Entertainment’s motor sports division. “I have no idea how many Ricky Carmichael fans there are in Madagascar, but you can bet there will be more by the end of the season” added Weber.

“Racing has an universal appeal, and the quality of the EA SPORTS Supercross turns heads everywhere on the globe. The racing, the fans, the packed stadiums all create an energy than cannot be matched, these factors made achieving the global clearances easier” added Weber.

A breakdown of ESPN’s international distribution of 2002 EA SPORTS SUPERCROSS television follows:

I. Africa: ESPN Africa
Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Reunion, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia, Zimbabwe

I. Australia: ESPN Australia, Duke
Australia, Papua New Guinea

III. Caribbean: ESPN International
Antigua, Anguilla, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherland Antilles, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad & Tobago

IV. England: Channel 5, Duke

V. France: Pathesport

VI. Israel: JCS Sports

VII. Italy: Nuvolari, Cinehollywood

VIII. Japan: Sports-I ESPN

IX. Latin America: ESPN Latin America
Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela

X. Middle East: Orbit ESPN
Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE, Yemen

X. New Zealand: ESPN New Zealand

XII. American Forces Radio & Television (177 Territories)

Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Angola, Antarctica, Antigua, Argentina, Armenia, Ascension Island, Australia, Austria Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Diego Garcia, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji , Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Greenland, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Johnson Atoll, Jordan, Kazakstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kosrae, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Fed. States of Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua-New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saipan, Sao Tome, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wake Island, Yemen, Zaire, Zambia

For more information, visit www.pacesupercross.com.

Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

On February 15, the new four-stroke Grand Prix bikes from Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and possibly Aprilia will be on track together for the first time. The tests will not only indicate which 990cc four-stroke has upper hand, but also how the 500cc two-strokes will match up with the new bikes.

American Kenny Roberts will be aboard the new Suzuki four-stroke at the tests, while fellow American John Hopkins will ride a Yamaha YZR500 two-stroke.

2/14-15 125cc, Jerez, Spain

2/15-17 MotoGP (500-990cc), 250cc, Valencia, Spain

2/18-19 125cc, Valencia, Spain

2/20-21 MotoGP (500-990cc), 250cc, Estoril, Portugal

3/11-12 MotoGP (500-990cc), Catalunya, Spain

3/30-31 MotoGP (500-990cc) Suzuka, Japan

The first round of the 2002 FIM MotoGP World Championship is scheduled for April 5-7 at Suzuka, Japan.

From a press release:

WSMC Members to Receive Five Free Days of Tuning and Testing

No Charge for Track Time to Licensed Motorcycle Racers

For licensed racers with the Willow Springs Motorcycle Club, the holiday season just got a little sweeter. As a gesture of appreciation to WSMC members, raceway owner Bill Huth will be providing open testing and tuning on the historic 2.5-mile road course free of charge to anyone who holds a valid Novice or Expert license with WSMC. The track will be open to all qualified riders from December 26-30, 2001. Currently licensed motorcycle racers from other organizations who aren’t a member of WSMC can also take advantage of the five days of free track time by simply purchasing a WSMC license.

“This is my way of saying ‘thank you’ to all the people who’ve come out to my racetrack and helped make my club a success,” explained Huth, who has owned the historic raceway since 1962. “I’ve seen a lot of young kids come up through the ranks at Willow Springs and go on to become successful champions and team owners, and I know how hard it is. A few extra days of practice right now will help some of these racers get set for next season, and might save them a lot time and money.”

One such racer is WSMC member Chuck Graves, who this month won his third overall championship with WSMC. Graves, the winningest rider in Willow Springs history, also completed a very successful 2001 season as a team owner competing in AMA Pro Racing’s Formula Xtreme class. Graves Motorsports’ Damon Buckmaster was a top contender all year and came within one point of winning the championship. The title ultimately went to Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s John Hopkins, another of many riders whose careers began at Willow Springs. Both Hopkins and Graves are long-time WSMC members.

Willow Springs International Motorsports Park, a registered California State Point of Historical Interest, is a 600-acre complex of six racetracks embracing nearly every conceivable motorsports discipline. In addition to the historic 2.5-mile road course built in 1953, 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; a 1/4-mile paved oval; a 3/8-mile clay oval; a .625-mile Karting track; and just-completed 1/4-mile testing and tuning circuit which has yet to be named. The facility also has an off-road driving and riding area for testing of off-road vehicles. The park is located about an hour north of Los Angeles, California near Lancaster.

For more information, please contact Willow Springs International Motorsports Park at (661) 256-6666.

Knowledgeable sources in Japan have denied news reports that Kawasaki and Suzuki are planning to spin off and merge their motorcycle divisions.

According to the sources, the two companies have just now started to talk about co-producing a single model, with no discussions of merging motorcycle operations.

The news reports were based on comments made by Kawasaki Heavy Industries President Masamoto Tazaki, who was quoted by Bloomberg Financial Services as saying “It’s extremely likely that we will set up a joint venture,” and that the merged companies would produce motorcycles under a new brand name instead of under the existing Kawasaki or Suzuki brands.

Tazaki at one time was President of Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A.

The news report had created concern among employees of the two companies worldwide.

Kawasaki Motors Corporation U.S.A. has issued a statement to employees that basically says that Kawasaki Motors Corporation executives know nothing about the news report.

“It was news to us,” said one Kawasaki Motors Corp. manager when asked about the report.

Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A. issued the following statement to its dealers:

As all of our dealers and employees know, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Suzuki Motor Corp. announced an alliance on August that will see the two independent brands sharing certain production platforms and related sourcing. The alliance is also intended to allow for specific product co-development.

A recent news item that was carried by the Tokyo office of a news service refers to the possibility of a broadened approach to the already announced alliance. As of this date, KMC has no details of any potentially expanded arrangements with Suzuki.

We are extremely pleased with the progress that is being made in the initial stages of the formally announced alliance. In the coming year, Kawasaki dealers will benefit greatly from a significant increase in the number of motorcycle and ATV models that you will be able to offer to the public. The details of this will be forthcoming as soon as all arrangements are finalized. You can be assured, however, that these additions to your product line-up will make your dealership a “must visit” for anyone seeking two or four-wheel “Good Times.”

This has been a very good sales year. As the efforts of the alliance begin to materialize, you can expect to build on those sales successes.

Of course, any additional information that we receive in regards to the previously mentioned news item will be passed along to everyone concerned.

KAWASAKI MOTORS CORP., U.S.A.

From a press release:

TOP BRITON MCWILLIAMS COMPLETES PROTON LINE-UP

Britain’s top Grand Prix rider Jeremy McWilliams has signed to race next season for Britain’s only Grand Prix manufacturer – Proton Team KR – in the premier MotoGP class of the motorcycle World Championship.

McWilliams, winner of last year’s Dutch 250 TT, will race the Malaysian-backed team’s own three-cylinder lightweight 500cc two-stroke, the KR3, alongside new team-mate Nobuatsu Aoki.

The new association was confirmed today, with McWilliams and Proton Team KR putting the finishing touches to a one-year contract for the forthcoming 2002 season.

The new association completes the rider line-up for the independent team, owned by racing legend King Kenny Roberts and supported by Malaysia’s leading motoring manufacturers, for an exciting transition season. Next year, the existing 500cc two-strokes will defend their territory against the new-generation 990cc four-stroke MotoGP machines.

“I’m really happy to have a rider like Jeremy on board,” said Roberts, a former triple 500cc World Champion. “He has a lot of experience on a lot of different types of machine, which will contribute a great deal of valuable input to our programme.

“As importantly, with Jeremy you know that every time he gets on it he will give 100 percent. He has experience, and he also has speed.

“We’ll be racing our two-stroke against not only the other two-stroke 500s from last season, but also against the new four-strokes,” continued Roberts. “The two-strokes, and our bike especially, have the advantage of light weight, as well as being well developed for maximum race performance. The new bikes will be very powerful, but relatively untried in racing conditions.

“We expect to work towards developing our own four-stroke entry for 2003 – but for 2002 we have improved our Mk3 machine still further, and with riders like Jeremy and Nobuatsu on board we hope to close the two-stroke chapter with our best season so far,” the team owner concluded.

Jeremy McWilliams is one of the most experienced of GP riders, and is fresh from a 250 season after a World Championship career that has moved between 500cc and 250cc classes since his first full season in 1993. Now 37, the rider from Belfast reflected a revitalised enthusiasm after joining the Proton KR3 project.

“At first, it seemed that the new four-strokes would be so powerful they would run away – but at tests new 500 rider Katoh was faster on a two-stroke than the new Honda four-strokes, and it seems there’s also a question of tyre endurance. That has given me a lot of hope for the 500 two-stroke, and the feeling that four-strokes may not be the way forward just yet.

“The KR3 proved last season it is capable of qualifying well. My aim is to achieve the same lap times and results in the race.”

McWilliams has experience of challenging the 500-class titans on a lightweight adversary – the Aprilia V-twin that he rode to two rostrum finishes in 2000.

“I think I proved then that in the big class, you don’t need to be on an identical machine. There are tracks that suit the bike better and that I enjoy – like Mugello and Phillip Island – where I’ll be hoping to get good results for the team.

“Already they are making changes to the machine that I will be testing in January. I’ve had discussions with the engineers, and we’re thinking along the same lines. The primary goal is to make this machine achieve its full competitive potential.”

McWilliams was enthusiastic also about the long-term prospects, having seen for the first time the strength of the Proton Team KR design and manufacturing facility at Banbury, in the heart of England’s “Formula One Belt” of specialist racing engineering.

“When I visited the Proton Team KR facility, I got the feeling I should have gone there a long time before. Apart from the factories, they are the only people who can build a complete racing motorcycle from scratch – and to the same high standard as any factory bike I’ve ever seen.

“You have to believe they want to make the project work – and I feel the same way.

“I have a one-year contract, which suits both sides at the moment. I hope that if I can make this machine competitive, the next step would be involvement in developing the future four-stroke machine. I hope by the end of the season the team will not be looking for anybody to take my place,” he said.

The Proton KR test programme begins in January at the Spanish Jerez circuit, with the first race scheduled for April 7 at Suzuka in Japan.

CAREER SUMMARY


Born: April 4, 1964 – Belfast, Northern Ireland
Married to Jill – two sons, Jack and Zak

1988 Champion of Ireland – 350cc production (Yamaha)

1990 Champion of Ireland – 350cc Open (Yamaha)

1991 Champion of Ireland – 250cc Open (Yamaha)
British Supercup 250cc – First, Brands Hatch

1992 Championship of Ireland, British Supercup 250cc (Yamaha)
European Championship 250cc (Yamaha)
British Supercup 750cc (Ducati)

1993 First GP, Australia, 500cc
World Championship 500cc – 21st (Yamaha)

1994 World Championship 500cc – 12th (Yamaha)

1995 World Championship 500cc – 19th (Yamaha)

1996 World Championship 500cc – 16th (Yamaha)

1997 World Championship 250cc – 10th (Honda)

1998 World Championship 250cc – Ninth (Honda)

1999 World Championship 250cc – 10th (Aprilia)

2000 World Championship 500cc – 14th (Aprilia)

2001 World Championship 250cc – Sixth (Aprilia)

Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Racer Tom Kipp said Saturday that he would be consulting doctors today, regarding planned surgery on his right arm today, to treat compartment syndrome, which causes arm pump and resultant numbness of the arm and hand.

Kipp said his condition, common among road racers, has been getting progressively worse in recent years.

Kipp may also require surgery on his left shoulder; he suffered rotator cuff damage in a crash at Homestead-Miami Speedway last weekend, when another rider rammed him mid-corner on the first lap of a CCS Regional race.