From a press release:

2003 Yamaha Formula Xtreme TT Series
Event 1, Eastern Creek Raceway, NSW
Event preview

YAMAHA RIDERS COMMENCE THEIR TITLE DEFENCE AT THIS WEEKEND’S FORMULA XTREME OPENER AT EASTERN CREEK

Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway plays host to the opening round of this year’s Yamaha Formula Xtreme TT Series this weekend, with Yamaha riders Kevin Curtain and Craig Trinder preparing for their title defences.

Both Nikon Yamaha Racing Team riders will be out to retain their respective titles, with Curtain the current Xtreme and FX Supersport champion, while Trinder holds the coveted #1 plate in the exciting NakedBike class.

This weekend the pair will be joined by teammates Daniel Stauffer, competing alongside Curtain in the Xtreme class and Brisbane teenager Brendan Clarke, who will be making his team debut in the FX Supersport class. The team will be armed with the very latest machinery from Yamaha, with the YZF R1 again being the model to beat in Xtreme. The all-new fuel injected YZF R6 looks set to ignite the Supersport category, with the FZ1 in the hands of Trinder being the bike to beat in NakedBike.

As he did last year, Curtain will compete in the premier Xtreme (formerly Formula Xtreme) class, as well as FX Supersport. In recent years, the Newcastle rider has become one of the most prolific title winners having secured four Formula Xtreme crowns, one FX Supersport and a total of four Australian Championships since 1995.

The weekend will mark his debut with the Nikon Yamaha Racing Team, but he will be facing the new season with the same outlook that he had in recent years.

“The late arrival of the bikes has prevented us from doing a lot of testing before the season started, but hopefully we will have done enough to pick up some good results this weekend,” said Curtain. “The first round of any series is always difficult. You never know who is performing well at the moment, but I am confident that we will be up near the front. There are generally a few things that need sorting out and as a result should benefit us for the rest of the year.”

For Stauffer, the round will mark a return to racing as he has now recovered from a hip injury that he suffered last October. He will also be out to improve on his fourth place overall in last years series.

“Unfortunately I missed the test at Willowbank with the team last week, which means that I’ve only had one ride on the bike in the last six months, which is a bit of a problem, but I’m sure it will be OK when we get out there on the weekend,” said Stauffer. “I’ve been working hard during the off season with a lot of swimming and jet skiing. My hip has come along well since I injured it in October, but at this stage all that will fix that will be time on the bike.”

The FX Supersport class could well provide a huge amount of excitement and interest. The addition of a number of new models to the class has been matched with the quality of riders competing in it. One of those riders is Brendan Clarke, who along with teammate and defending champion Curtain, will be hard to beat.

“I rode the new YZF R6 the other day and things went very well,” said Clarke. “It’s a whole new package for me this year, new team, new bike and new tyres. The team has been awesome so far, they are very professional and have produced a very good race bike. The new fuel injected Yamaha YZF R6 feels great, as do the Dunlop tyres that we will be using this year. I’ll be aiming at getting a feel for the bike in the first meeting, find a good set up and see how the weekend pans out.”

As one of the more experienced riders in the team, Craig Trinder tends to be more relaxed, but knows what it will take to win a second NakedBike crown.

“I’m very excited about the year ahead,” said Trinder. “We will be going into the season with a fully developed bike that is putting out more horsepower than what it was last year. It won’t be easy, especially with a few new models from the other manufacturers out there. I’ve been training hard and will be aiming for a second NakedBike title in the Formula Xtreme TT Series.”

Qualifying for this weekend’s opening round will take place on Saturday morning, with the first of the scheduled races set to start at approximately 1:00 p.m. Racing continues on Sunday with 16 races scheduled commencing with warmup at 9:00 a.m.

From a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:

SUZUKI’S SUZUKA DEBUT



Suzuki’s all-new 2003 specification GSV-R MotoGP machine made its public debut at the Tokyo press launch for the Suzuka MotoGP on Monday (Feb. 12th). Suzuki joined the other major Japanese manufacturers at a press conference to launch the first round of the MotoGP season at Suzuka on April 6th.



The new Suzuki appeared in the same all-black bodywork that it has been tested in at early season tests in Malaysia and Australia, but no technical details were released apart from confirmation of the MotoGP team’s technical sponsors Motul, Michelin, Yoshimura, NGK, RK Excel and D.I.D



Suzuki has called a press conference at the IRTA tests in Jerez, Spain on February 21st, where full team and technical details will be announced.

From a press release issued by Tight Squeeze Racing:

Tight Squeeze Racing is a publicly funded, non-profit (501(3)(c)) organization dedicated to club-level motorcycle road racing. It is TSR’s intention to solicit tax-exempt donations to provide funding for participants injured during this activity. Solicitation involves, but is not limited to, raffles, auctions, services, organized motorcycle rides, and advertising via the Internet. For more information, please visit www.TightSqueezeRacing.org or email [email protected]

In 2002, The TSR Injury fund had another successful donation year. We received a total of $4,345 from 38 individual donors, averaging $114 per donor, with single maximum donation of $1500. All donations for the 2002 year have been processed and receipts have been mailed. If you have not received a donation receipt, and need one for tax preparation purpose, please email info@TightSqueezeRacing with your name and complete mailing address. From the funds received, $3000 was granted to Papa Thiam of Arlington, VA, and $500 to Richard Knight of Atlanta, GA. Remaining funds were either spent on administrative costs such as annual business license renewal, postage, and credit card fees, or deposited into the Injury Fund bank account for usage at a later time. We will continue to solicit donations in the 2003 season, and accept cash, checks, or credit cards via Paypal.com.([email protected])

From a press release issued by OMRRA:

Oregon Motorcycle Road Racing Association would like to announce the Vicious Cycle Formula 160 Championship Series.

This Vintage racing series will take place at Portland International Raceway from April through October, and features pre-1968 Superstock 160cc four-strokes and 125cc two-stroke machines.

For more information, call (503) 295-0121 or (503) 285-8824.

This just in from former racer Dennis Smith of Sport Tire Services:

Just a short note to let your readers know that Dunlop has posted $1.95 MILLION in contingencies for this year. (Almost doubled from 2002.)

Here is some data for you and your readers. (The individual organizations have the data or you could have the racers referred to us for further information.)

Organization/POSTED CONTINGENCIES
AMA Nationals = $105,950
FUSA National = $88,550
CCS/LRRS = $723,365
WSMC = $126,000
AFM = $46,330
WERA = $534,075
CRA = $69,900
CMRA/ENDURANCE = $45,000
WMRRA = $52,650
OMRRA = $59,925
MRA = $68,350
SMRI = $31,710

TOTAL POSTED = $1,956,110

For more information:

West of Mississippi, Sport Tire Services 800-776-8473

East of Mississippi, Race Tire Services 800-772-8473

From a press release:

SERIES TAKES SAFETY STEP

TORONTO, ON – Three of Canada’s major motorcycle dealers have joined forces in an effort to improve rider safety in Canadian road racing.

McBride Cycle of Toronto, Calgary’s Blackfoot Motosports and Montreal-Based Diablo Performance have combined to purchase 310 feet of Alpina Air Modules from Austria’s Alpina Safety Systems Unlimited. The air modules are installed in front of obstacles at racetracks, providing a soft barrier for racers.

Similar barriers are already used in World Championship events and U.S. National competition.

The units will travel to each round of this year’s Parts Canada Superbike Championship and will be installed at points on each circuit that are deemed to present the highest risk of injury to racers. Cost to the tracks will be minimal, covering only shipping, installation and maintenance.

Airfence-brand inflatable soft barriers were used in volume in Canada at last year’s Parts Canada Superbike/Formula USA Road Racing Series doubleheader at Mosport International Raceway. The amount of Alpina-brand modules purchased for the Canadian series is similar to what was in place at that event.

“We all decided this project was definitely a must,” said John McBride of McBride Cycle. “There is no monetary gain for any of us in doing this. It is strictly a commitment to the safety of our competitors.”

Advertising space will be sold on the air modules and revenue will be used to fund the purchase of additional or replacement air modules.

“We are very grateful to McBride, Blackfoot and Diablo for taking the initiative on this project,” said Colin Fraser of Professional Motorsports Productions, which runs the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. “The use of the Alpina Air Modules at our venues will ensure that our racers compete with the highest level of safety available to them.”

The 2003 Parts Canada Superbike Championship will consist of seven events and six venues across the country. It opens at Shannonville Motorsport Park May 18 and concludes back at Shannonville Aug. 31.

From a press release issued by Road Atlanta:

DARK DOG IS PRESENTING SPONSOR FOR SUPERBIKE SHOWDOWN AT ROAD ATLANTA

BRASELTON, GA – Dark Dog Energy Drink is the new presenting sponsor of the popular AMA professional motorcycle doubleheader at Road Atlanta, now officially know as the Suzuki Superbike Showdown presented by Dark Dog.

Originally known as the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals, the May 16-18 event includes equally-important AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike races on Saturday and Sunday.

Dark Dog (www.darkdog.com) is also the “Official Energy Drink” of Road Atlanta and will have year-round marketing and advertising opportunities at all 12 spectator events, including the Petit Le Mans Oct. 15-18.

“Dark Dog made its debut at Road Atlanta last year during Petit Le Mans and will have a greater presence at the track this season,” says Mike Swaine, President and General Manger of Road Atlanta. “We are delighted that Dark Dog has increased its involvement with us.”

“Dark Dog is excited to be a sponsor of Road Atlanta and directly involved with events like their Superbike race,” says Randy Ridenour, CEO of Dark Dog America. “Our company is the number two energy drink in brand recognition worldwide, but we are relatively new in the United States. Being associated with Road Atlanta and the Suzuki Superbike Showdown presented by Dark Dog will give us tremendous opportunities to drive new sales.”

Road Atlanta (www.roadatlanta.com) is a multi-purpose motorsports facility located in Braselton, GA, and is utilized for a variety of events. Major spectator events include The Mitty historic sports car race April 26-27, the Suzuki Superbike Showdown presented by Dark Dog May 16-18 and the Petit Le Mans Oct. 16-18. Road Atlanta is also home to the Panoz Racing School and the Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School.

From a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha:

FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM TESTS
Barcelona, Spain
11 February, 2003

FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM HEADS FOR IRTA TESTS WITH QUIET CONFIDENCE

Fortuna Yamaha Team riders Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri will leave the Barcelona circuit this evening content with the outcome of today’s testing. Despite a nasty tumble early on yesterday, Checa returned to the track today unshaken and ready to get back to work. His team-mate Marco Melandri completed more laps than all the other Yamaha riders today, ending the test with a long run giving him some of the vital experience that he will need when the MotoGP season begins in Suzuka, Japan, on 6th April.

Checa was positive about his day’s achievements, “I still felt slightly sore today but generally I am OK,” admitted the Spaniard. “I am happy with my performance today, as I found some consistent laps. I also went the fastest that I have ever ridden at this circuit. The weather conditions today weren’t great either, so I think there is even more room to improve.” Checa completed a total of 46 laps and improved on his previous Grand Prix lap time of 1:45.2, Max Biaggi’s pole position time of 1:44.5, and the circuit lap record of 1:46.6.

Melandri came away from the test feeling much more confident than at the Fortuna Yamaha Team’s previous test in Valencia two weeks ago, where he suffered some front braking problems. The young 250cc World Champion found difficulties adjusting his style to suit the four-stroke’s heavy braking, and worked with team supplier Brembo yesterday and today to find a way towards a solution to the problem.

“At the end of today I did 16 laps in a row as a kind of a ‘race test’, to try to understand what the bike will feel like at the end of a race”, explained Melandri. “I am happy with what I achieved here, as I managed to record a best lap time of 1:45.7.” The Italian completed a total of 75 laps today.

The Fortuna Yamaha Team will leave Barcelona tonight and resume testing at the first IRTA test in Jerez on 21st February. Team Director Davide Brivio is looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead, “I am pleased that we have had these two extra days, as we lost important time in Jerez last month due to the bad weather. Development is going as it should be. Carlos has had another very good day today even though he fell yesterday, and Marco has increased his confidence with the bike. Brembo have done a good job supporting him, making the changes he needed to feel more stable with front braking. We are interested to go to Jerez now to see the level we are at compared to our competitors.”

LAP TIMES

Alex Barros, Gauloises Yamaha Team 1:44.0 (58 laps)

Carlos Checa, Fortuna Yamaha Team 1:44.3 (46 laps)

Shinya Nakano, D’Antin Yamaha 1:44.8 (62 laps)

Marco Melandri, Fortuna Yamaha Team 1:45.7 (75 laps)

Olivier Jacque, Gauloises Yamaha Team 1:47.7 (49 laps)

More information will be available from the IRTA tests in Jerez (21,22,23 February).

From a press release issued by Infineon Raceway:

Workers Begin Final Phase of Track Safety Redesign
for AMA Superbikes at Infineon Raceway

SONOMA, Calif. (IMMEDIATE RELEASE)–Infineon Raceway has completed the on-track design work for three circuit enhancements, and workers have begun the final phase of the project: placing the asphalt. These changes are designed to increase rider safety at the AMA Supercuts Superbike Challenge, presented by Honda of Milpitas, May 2-4.

The redesigned portions of track at Turns 1, 10 and 11 will be used strictly by the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship Series and Jim Russell Racing Drivers School. The traditional road course will be used for all other events at Infineon Raceway, including NASCAR Winston Cup and the American Le Mans Series. The enhancements further demonstrate Infineon Raceway’s goal of becoming one of the safest AMA-sanctioned circuits in the country. A polymer-modified asphalt was used on the three portions of track. It is the same blend of asphalt that covers the entire circuit.

The changes were made with the aid of AMA Superbike riders Eric (Kawasaki) and Ben Bostrom (Honda), Miguel Duhamel (Honda), Aaron Yates (Suzuki), and AMA Road Race Manager Ron Barrick, who visited the track two months ago. The enhancements will be in place for an AMA Superbike test session at Infineon Raceway on March 20.

Turn 1 has been a sweeping left-hander, putting riders at a dangerous angle as they approach a pedestrian bridge at the apex of Turn 1. The track has been extended 50 feet in a straight line before entering Turn 1. Riders will now make a left turn at approximately 90 degrees, which is designed to direct them away from the bridge and up the circuit toward Turn 2.



The entry into Turn 10 has been altered to increase rider safety. As riders crest Turn 8A, they will no longer continue down the famous esses. Instead they will continue down a straight line for 900 feet, parallel with the Hillside Terraces at Turn 9, before making a 90-degree right-hand turn, followed by a sharp left-hand turn, which will blend them back with the original road course just before Turn 10. This alteration will slow the bikes down substantially, lowering the risk entering Turn 10, plus it should also turn into an exciting passing zone in front of the Hillside Terraces.

The final safety enhancement will occur at Turn 11, which will see the entry shortened by approximately 40 feet. The change will direct riders away from the wall as they exit the hairpin turn and direct them toward the start/finish line.

All three changes demonstrate Infineon Raceway’s commitment to rider safety. Increased run-off was added at virtually every turn on the road course during a $50 million Modernization Plan, and the racing surface has also been permanently separated from the slick drag strip.

From a press release issued by WSMC:

WSMC #1 plate holder and multi-time Willow Springs Class Champion Jeremy Toye lined up for his first amateur Supercross event Sunday, Feb. 9th in San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium and came away with victory in the “Over 30” main event and a close 2nd place in the very competitive 250cc Intermediate class.

Riding a Lee’s Cycle/WSMC/Excel/Vortex supported Honda CR250, Toye rode fast and smooth throughout the day, taking top finishes in the heat races to transfer directly to the main events. It was his first motocross race in what he termed “over 5 years.”

WSMC class Champions Frank Aragaki and Kenny Kopecky also participated in the Clear Channel operated event in San Diego, as well as the previous week’s round in Anaheim, CA. Both races were run on ‘mellowed’ versions of the pro Supercross tracks used for the AMA Supercross Series on Saturday night the last two weeks.

Aragaki (WSMC’s 2002 250cc Grand Prix #1), riding his new Honda CRF-450 sponsored by WSMC and Maxima Racing Oil qualified for the “Over 30” main events directly from his heat races each week, finishing 17th in Anaheim after stalling the motor while in the top 10. In San Diego Stadium he had holeshot the main event and held off Toye briefly, and while battling for a top-5 position several laps later came up short on a large double jump and was thrown hard over the bars. He sustained severe bruising but reported Sunday night that nothing was broken.

Kopecky (WSMC’s two-time F-40 Lightweight Class Champion and #7 overall in ’02) also qualified directly to the main events each week in the “Over 40” class. At Anaheim he was lapped by several former pro motocross racers and finished 15th. In San Diego after running 4th for the first half of the final he faded to an eventual 9th place finish riding his KTM 520SX sponsored by WSMC/Maxima/O’Neal USA/Factory Effex/Excel and Vortex. He had last raced in amateur Supercross events in Southern California in 1979 to 1981.

All three riders were pleased with Clear Channel/Formula USA’s program and are hoping to see the opportunity return to race in the amateur Supercross program in 2004.