Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Team America’s Jason DiSalvo crashed his Suzuki GSX-R750 Wednesday afternoon in Superstock practice at Daytona International Speedway, breaking a bone in his right foot.

DiSalvo crashed on his second lap after pitting to have mechanics re-attach a front brake caliper that had fallen off and caused him to run off the track in turn one on the previous lap.

After the pitstop, the 18-year-old from New York returned to the track and highsided in the International Horseshoe on his second lap.

“I just highsided,” said DiSalvo, after returning from the getting X-rays at the Speedway’s infield care center. “My tires weren’t quite warm and I tried to get on the throttle too hard too soon. I’m still going to try and race. Jeff Haney is out trying to find me some bigger boots to put on after it swells up. If I can’t race in both (250 Grand Prix and Superstock), I’m only going to run the 250.”

Unofficial Superbike Lap Times:

1. Nicky Hayden, Honda RC51, 1:49.819
2. Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:50.338
3. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki ZX-7R, 1:51.045
4. Kurtis Roberts, Honda RC51, 1:51.184
5. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:51.515
6. Miguel Duhamel, Honda RC51, 1:51.567
7. Pascal Picotte, Ducati 998RS, 1:51.858
8. Anthony Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R7, 1:51.863
9. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:51.873
10. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:55.660*

*Riding on a Superstock GSX-R750.

From a press release:

American Suzuki Motor Corp. (ASMC) today announced the inaugural Worldwide GSX-R Cup Final to be held September 14, 2002 at Magny-Cours, France. Racers participating in American Suzuki’s 2002 Suzuki Cup contingency program wil be able to qualify for this event and compete against other Suzuki road racers from around the world on identically-prepared Suzuki GSX-R750s.

Three Worldwide GSX-R Cup qualifying rounds will be held in the U.S. for 750 Superstock/Supersport races in conjunction with existing Suzuki Cup regional events. American Suzuki will provide the winner of each qualifying event with airfare and accommodations, as well as for the mechanic or his or her choice. A new GSX-R750 will also be provided to use throughout the Worldwide GSX-R Cup event in France.

In addition, riders at each qualifying event will receive double Suzuki Cup points, which are used to determine the first two rows of the starting grid at the Suzuki Cup Finals at Road Atlanta, October 23-27, 2002.

For 17 years running Suzuki has been able to provide both club-level and professional road racers with the best contingency support in the business. In 2002 Suzuki will post over 1.3 million dollars in contingency prize money with 10 regional clubs across the nation, and at selected AMA, Formula USA and WERA events. For more information about Suzuki’s race contingency programs contact the Sports Promotions Department of American Suzuki at 714-996-7040.

From a press release:

PIRELLI’S DOT SUPERCORSA RACE TIRE OPENS 2002 RACING WITH CONVINCING RESULTS IN DAYTONA F-USA/CCS RACE ACTION

Michael Barnes, And Amateurs Nathan Kern And Leonard Santangelo, Lead The Way

(Daytona, FL) “Last year, I estimated we had about 25% of the Daytona Formula-USA and CCS field,” said Pirelli’s U.S. Race Manager Rich Munson. “This year I’d say we have close to 50%.”

If Munson’s assessment is right, Pirelli’s greatly-increased presence must be at least partially responsible for the company’s outstanding showing at the opening weekend of 2002 Formula-USA race action at Daytona International Speedway on February 28, March 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.

An informal count (not all of the entrants list their sponsors) of the races in which Pirelli tires compete showed Pirelli-sponsored racers accounting for at least 68 top-five finishes – including 18 race wins and four podium sweeps, one of the sweeps down to fifth place!

Amateur racer Nathan Kern, of Mt. Laurel, NJ, was a major force, putting the Pirelli Supercorsa on top of the box eight times. In Thursday’s big 200-mile Engine Ice Team Challenge, he teamed with pro Michael Barnes to take the 56-lap race win on the KSU Consulting-sponsored Suzuki GSX-R600. He came back the next day, riding as a Team Hooters Suzuki GSX-R, to win both the Amateur GTU and Amateur Middleweight SuperSport finals.

Kern and his Pirelli-shod bikes collected three more wins on Saturday – in Amateur Unlimited GP, Middleweight Superbike, and Heavyweight Superbike – and two more on Sunday’s final day, in Amateur Middleweight GP and 600 SuperSport. Not a bad weekend for a young racer who never even climbed on a streetbike until three years ago! Leonard Santangelo, another Pirelli-mounted New Jersey amateur racer, was another Pirelli standout, collecting two wins, three thirds, and several top fives, dicing with Kern for the top spot in more than one of them.

Pirelli’s pro and expert-class racers added to the tally. Michael Barnes captured three big wins: the Engine Ice 200, the rain-soaked Buell Lightning final, and Race Two of Sunday’s Unlimited Superbike final; he also took second in Sunday’s Sportbike final. Arclight Suzuki’s Lee Acree, the current Formula-USA Sportbike champion, didn’t have his best weekend, but still won in Expert Unlimited SuperSport, and took seconds in Expert Middleweight SuperSport and Unlimited Superbike Race One. His Arclight teammate, Scott Harwell, won the Expert Unlimited GP final. Mike Himmelsbach and his Blackman’s Racing Aprilia RSV1000R won Friday’s Expert Heavyweight Superbike final, and David Yaakov aboard a Suzuki SV650 won Expert Lightweight SuperSport.

Moore Fastest Rider On 750cc Machine

Unofficial Lap Times:
1. Mike Hale, Honda CBR600F4i, 1:54.890
2. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:54.916
3. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:54.935
4. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:54.943
5. Jake Zemke, Honda CBR600F4i, 1:55.003
6. Steve Rapp, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:55.387
7. Josh Hayes, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:55.500
8. Chris Caylor, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:55.531
9. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:55.717
10. Tom Kipp, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:55.802
11. Brian Parriott, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:55.817
12. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:55.960
13. Ben Spies, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:56.211
14. Scott Greenwood, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:56.750
15. Ty Howard, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:56.975
16. Tony Meiring, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:57.038
17. Kirk McCarthy, Ducati 748RS, 1:57.169
18. Shawn Higbee, Buell XB9R, 1:57.343
19. Mike Luke, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:57.489
20. Lee Acree, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:57.511

Unofficial Lap Times:
1. Kirk McCarthy, Ducati, 1:57.885
2. Tripp Nobles, Buell, 1:59.125
3. Thomas Montano, Ducati, 1:59.208
4. Dave Estok, Buell, 1:59.406
5. Mike Ciccotto, Buell, 1:59.811
6. Michael Barnes, Buell, 2:00.243
7. Shawn Higbee, Buell, 2:01.199
8. Ricky Lundgren, Ducati, 2:04.839
9. Thomas Fournier, Ducati, 2:04.978
10. Heath Small, Ducati, 2:05.642

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Racers in the AMA Superstock (formerly 750cc Supersport) class will have to wait to get their transponders because not enough transponders had been charged before the start of practice.

That’s what an AMA tech official said when asked why transponders were issued to Supersport (formerly 600cc Supersport) riders but not to Superstock riders prior to the start of practice.

Which meant that timing and scoring monitors showed about 10 factory 600cc Supersport men during the first Superstock practice at Daytona Wednesday morning, with no times shown for racers who will actually compete in the Superstock race. Supersport riders use the Superstock sessions as extra practice.

Transponders were also not issued for 250cc Grand Prix riders.

AMA officials were present at Daytona Speedway on Tuesday, the day before practice started, and have not explained why they didn’t charge the transponders in time to issue them to all entered riders before practice started on Wednesday.

In contrast, Formula USA officials issued all transponders at the beginning of official F-USA practice at Daytona last Thursday.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Jenny Hayden, the oldest of two Hayden daughters and the sister of professional racers Tommy, Nicky and Roger Lee Hayden, plans to return to flat track racing and may start road racing as well.

Jenny Hayden competed in amateur flat track events in her youth and was, at times, faster than her brothers. Jenny still rides XR100s with her brothers at home in Owensboro, Kentucky; she is currently studying at the University of Kentucky and is scheduled to graduate with a degree in Sports Psychology and Sports Medicine in May of this year.