From a press release:

Clear Channel Entertainment announces Multiple Sponsorships with Buell

Sponsorship integrates Buell American Motorcycles into EA SPORTS Supercross, Speed Stick presents National Arenacross Series, U.S. Hot Rod Monster Jam and IHRA events

AURORA, Ill. (December 20, 2001) – Clear Channel Entertainment announced today a multi-platform sponsorship agreement with Buell American Motorcycles. The sponsorship offers a multitude of branding and marketing strategies to Buell through a combined association with the EA SPORTS Supercross, Speed Stick National Arenacross, U.S. Hot Rod Monster Jam and IHRA motor sports events produced by Clear Channel Entertainment’s motor sports division.

Under the agreement, Buell is an ‘Official Associate Sponsor’ of the EA SPORTS Supercross events in 2002, where Buell will receive commercials within supercross live webcasts, jumbotron and Diamondvision messages during events, and onsite displays in expo and pit areas. Buell motorcycles is also a special presenting partner in opening ceremonies at all EA SPORTS Supercross events.

In the Speed Stick presents National Arenacross Series, Buell is also an ‘Official Associate Sponsor’, where they will receive event exposure similar to their EA SPORTS Supercross benefits, while additionally being featured in national television commercials within the Arenacross televised season on The Speed Channel. (formerly Speedvision)

Under the Clear Channel Entertainment agreement, Buell is also named the ‘Official Street Bike Of Monster Jam’, where Buell Motorcycles will be prominently featured at 20 select U.S. Hot Rod Monster Jam events. Buell will be featured in regional radio and print event marketing campaigns as well as participate in the Monster Jam interactive pit parties in selected events.

Also influenced by the relationship is Clear Channel Entertainment’s IHRA (International Hot Rod Association) events. In ten markets, Buell will be prominently featured as the “Official Street Bike” of IHRA and sponsor of the Summit SuperSeries presented by Pontiac and Buell. Adding to the already tremendous rewards of the new series, the winner in each of the five Summit SuperSeries divisions will receive a Buell motorcycle.

“Clear Channel Entertainment’s motor sports division was able to collectively bring together marketing options for Buell’s line of American motorcycles, specifically the new Firebolt XB9R and Blast motorcycles. The Buell brand is redefining what street performance motorcycling is all about and the EA SPORTS Supercross, Speed Stick presents National Arenacross, U.S. Hot Rod Monster Jam and IHRA events offer exposure to motorcyclists who are taking notice,” said Erik Buell, President of Buell.

Roy Janson, Vice President of Clear Channel Entertainment’s motor sports division said, “We’re pleased to have Buell motorcycles on board with us this year. Not just because they’re America’s only true sportbike, but also because Buell Motorcycles, a division of Harley-Davidson Inc., are completely dedicated to putting sportbikes on the street that generate excitement and attention, the same sort of excitement and experience you get from attending our motor sports events. It makes perfect sense. We are completely honored to have Buell as an ally in our events in 2002.”

Responding to our posting of AMA member Clinton Whitehouse’s personal experience trying to get a ballot for the ongoing Trustee election sent to him via mail, (see related 12/19/01 post), AMA President Rob Rasor sent this e-mail:


You do both your readers, and the credibility of your publication, a disservice by informing them that no provisions have been made to provide ballots for Life and Associate members in my assistant’s absence. This is simply not true.

Ballots will be made available to eligible members during the holidays and you should advise your readers to call our office between 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM, EST; our receptionist will direct them to the appropriate staff member.

Robert Rasor, President
American Motorcyclist Association
(614) 856 – 1910, Extension 1226
[email protected]
www.AMADirectLink.com



It is ludicrous for Rasor to dispense any judgements regarding credibility, seeing as he was the author of the AMA’s pathetic, unsuccessful attempt to disqualify Trustee candidates Kevin Schwantz, Jeff Nash and John Ulrich by applying a new interpretation of the AMA bylaws which had never been used before and which would have disqualified more than half the sitting Trustees. Be that as it may, roadracingworld.com replies to Rasor as follows:



The post was based on AMA member Clinton Whitehouse’s personal experience. Maybe this is similar to the situation in which your VP of Membership mis-informed us by telling us new members (who joined after Sept. 1) could vote (see related post, 9/18/01). In any case, it looks like you need to do a better job of training your employees and ensuring they know what they’re talking about when they interact with members.

From a press release:

The Parts Canada Superbike Championship will face an invasion from south of the border in its 2002 season.

A round of the Formula USA National Road Race Series will be held in conjunction with the fifth stop on the Canadian national tour at Mosport International Raceway July 19-21. The Mosport event will be the fourth race in the eight-round Formula USA championship.

The remainder of the 2002 Parts Canada Superbike calendar remains virtually identical to last season’s seven-race series. The campaign will once again open and close at Shannonville Motorsport Park, near Belleville, ON. Races will also be held in Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and Halifax.

“The Mosport event will undoubtedly be the biggest motorcycle road race held in Canada in over a decade,” said Colin Fraser of series organizer Professional Motorsport Productions. “We will have a field including some of the best motorcycle road racers from the United States as well as our top Canadian competitors.”

“We’ve said all along we were going to bring great motorcycle racing back to Mosport,” added Bar Hodgson of SUPERSHOW Events, promoter of the Mosport round. “We’re working our way back up there and we’re really excited. We’re billing it as the Canada/U.S. Match Races. That’s how we see it.”

The 2002 Formula USA schedule includes races at Daytona International Raceway, Summit Point Raceway in Virginia, New Hampshire International Speedway, Wisconsin’s Road America, Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania and Portland International Raceway.

The series’ feature class, Unlimited Superbike, runs to rules similar to those used in the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Open Sport Bike national support class. Formula USA also includes a Sportbike division comparable to the Canadian Yoshimura 600 Sport Bike category.

“There will be some small adjustments made to the rules of our respective classes,” Fraser explained, “but all parties involved think it is worth it.”

Waterford, WI racer Shawn Higbee of KWS/Millennium Suzuki is the defending Formula USA Unlimited Superbike champion. Maple Ridge, BC’s Steve Crevier, riding for Honda Canada will bid for his third straight Parts Canada Superbike crown in 2002.

The Parts Canada Superbike Championship opens May 17-19 on the Shannonville Motorsport Park ‘Pro Track’ before shifting west for rounds at Calgary’s Race City Motorsport Park June 7-9 and Namao Airport in Edmonton June 14-16.

Montreal’s Autodrome St-Eustache hosts the national series July 5-7 before the big Mosport event two weeks later. From there, the competitors travel east to Atlantic Motorsport Park in Halifax for an Aug. 9-11 date before the traditional finale on Shannonville’s ‘Long Track’ over the Aug. 30-Sept. 1 Labour Day Weekend.

One addition to the 2002 schedule is an ‘invitation only’ Pro test day at the revamped Circuit Mont-Tremblant the day following the St-Eustache event. The trial is being run with a view to adding the famed road course to the 2003 series calendar.

PMP also unveiled a pair of changes to qualifying procedures in the 2002 Parts Canada Superbike Championship.

Bonus points will now be awarded to the four front row qualifiers at each series round, with four points going to the pole winner, three points to the second fastest qualifier, two points for third and one for fourth. Previously, only the top three qualifiers have earned points, with pole position worth 10 points, second good for six and third picking up four.

There will also be a two-point bonus for the racer who leads the most laps in each feature race.

Additionally, pole qualifying for the Superbike feature class will take place Saturday afternoon. Last season the four front row grid positions were locked in Friday, with Saturday’s qualifying session setting the remainder of the field.

Pole qualifying for the Open Sport Bike and Yoshimura 600 Sport Bike national support classes will continue to run Saturday afternoon.

Highlights of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship will once again be shown in a half-hour format on The Sports Network (TSN). Support class highlights will appear on Dave Hatch’s “Motorcycle Experience”, which is shown on TSN and the Outdoor Life Network (OLN).

Full coverage of each event will appear in a one-hour program on OLN and in Quebec on Reseau des Sports (RDS).

2002 Parts Canada Superbike Championship Schedule

May 17-19, Shannonville Motorsport Park, Shannonville, ON

June 7-9, Race City Motorsport Park, Calgary, AB

June 15-16, Namao Airport, Edmonton, AB

July 5-7, Autodrome St-Eustache, St-Eustache, QC

July 19-21, Mosport International Raceway, Mosport, ON

Aug. 9-11, Atlantic Motorsport Park, Shubenacadie, NS

Aug. 30-Sept. 1, Shannonville Motorsport Park, Shannonville, ON

For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com

From a press release:

HONDA RACING NEWS

HRC RC211V Test Phillip Island, Australia, December 19

Weather, morning, light rain – afternoon, sunshine; temperature, 25 degrees C; track
conditions, morning, damp – afternoon, good.

The second day of the HRC winter test at Phillip Island, Australia, was hampered by rain showers, and high winds, in the morning. Conditions, however, improved by lunchtime, the track top drying to give the riders, high winds apart, a fee run in the afternoon.

Team riders Valentino Rossi and Tohru Ukawa completed almost 100 laps of the 4.448 km circuit aboard their RC211V 5-cylinder 990cc Honda 4-strokes. Rossi was again fastest, slightly faster than yesterday at 1:32.20. Ukawa had the misfortune to crash in the windy conditions. He escaped unscathed but the RC211V was damaged restricting the number of laps he could put in. Despite the setback Ukawa was close to his time of Wednesday.

Honda Gresini rider, Daijiro Katoh, was another faller. The diminutive 250cc World Champion slid off his NSR500 braking for the hairpin. Katoh also escaped injury in the slow-speed crash and went on to better his time of yesterday by three-tenths of a second at 1:33.30.

Kanemoto Honda had team rider Jurgen v. d. Goorbergh testing their Bridgestone shod NSR500 in preparation for Bridgestone’s entry into the senior class of GP racing. HRC test rider Shinichi Itoh, himself a former GP rider, lent his considerable experience to the team’s tyre testing efforts, working together with Van der Goorbergh and team owner/manager Erv Kanemoto. Both riders circulated faster than on the opening day of the test.

Valentino Rossi: “Today I worked a lot on testing new tyres and suspension parts. I am beginning to understand this bike and my team start to understand how to set up the bike to solve potential problems. We still need to work to achieve the best from this machine but I’m quite satisfied. The bike is very, very fast.”

Tohru Ukawa: “This morning I went onto the grass and crashed. I was lucky but the bike was slightly damaged. I got caught by the strong wind at the end of the pit straight and lost the ideal line and went onto the grass. In the afternoon I got in some good times and I’m sure I’ll be even faster tomorrow.”

Daijiro Katoh: “Today I worked on suspension settings and tyres. In the morning I had a low speed crash at the hairpin. I lost grip and the bike slid away from me, without damage to myself or the bike. In general I’m satisfied with what we did today.”

Jurgen v. d. Goorbergh: “I’m good with the bike but I need more testing to fully understand the NSR500. Today we tested a lot of tyres and I worked on suspension. Everything is going well but I don’t want to break any records, just learn how to ride this bike.”

Lap times:

Valentino Rossi, RC211V, 1:32.20, 61 laps.

Tohru Ukawa, RC211V, 1:33.10, 48 laps

Daijiro Katoh, NSR500, 1:33.30, 46 laps

Jurgen v. d. Goorbergh, NSR500, 1:34.24, 61 laps

Shinichi Itoh, NSR500, 1:33.92, 58 laps

From a new press release issued by Willow Springs International Motorsports Park:

Free Practice Session to Include Cars, Motorcycles

Two Tracks Available; Bikes and Cars to Rotate Groups

Motorcycles, open-wheeled racing cars, and shifter karts will use both the 2.5-mile main road course and the 1.5-mile Streets of Willow during next week’s free practice sessions at Willow Springs International Motorsports Park. Automobiles and shifter karts of 125cc and above will be run on the New Streets of Willow. Motorcycles will share the 2.5-mile main road course with automobiles. The alternating sessions will be conducted and monitored by Willow Springs course control and cornerworking staff. The practice sessions will take place December 26-30, 2001. Depending on the turnout and level of interest, an informal race featuring the open-wheeled cars may be held on the New Streets of Willow Sunday, December 30, 2001.

Only currently licensed WSMC members will be allowed to participate in the free practice sessions for motorcycles. Motorcycle racers who have either a professional or expert-level license with another recognized racing organization, such as WERA, Formula USA, AFM, or AMA can obtain a WSMC racing license at the track. Novice licenses from organizations other than WSMC will NOT be accepted. Car and kart drivers will be required to have a current 2001 Willow Springs International Raceway Driver’s Card. Driver’s cards can be obtained at the raceway by drivers who would like to participate.

Sessions will begin at 10:00 a.m. and will end at 3:00 p.m. each day. For safety reasons, the number of participants will be subject to limitation by Willow Springs staff. All motorcycles will subject to the same technical inspections and requirements as in a normal WSMC practice session.

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. Official headquarters for this event will be at Lancaster’s Park Plaza, formerly known as the Essex House. Park Plaza can be contacted at 661-948-0961.

For more information on this event, or on lodging and accommodations, please contact Willow Springs International Motorsports Park at (661) 256-6666.

From a press release:

HONDA RACING NEWS

HRC RC211V Test
Phillip Island, Australia, December 19.

Weather, fine and sunny; temperature, 25 degrees C; track conditions, good.

Rossi and Ukawa on Lap Record Pace at Phillip Island

HRC winter testing of the RC211V 5-cylinder four-stroke machine they will enter in the 2002 World Championship. Team riders Valentino Rossi, the reigning 500cc World Champion, teammate Tohru Ukawa and test rider Shinich Itoh all put in a hard day on the 990cc V-5.

The first day of the test centered around tyres and suspension settings and the riders were happy with their day’s work. Rossi setting fastest time at 1:32.44. Three-tenths of a second under the lap record for the 4.448-km Australian circuit. Teammate Ukawa was not far off record pace.

The Honda Gresini team brought Daijiro Katoh to the test where he renewed his acquaintance with the NSR500 he will race in 2002. The 250cc World Champion put in a best time of 1:33.6.

Team Kanemoto Honda continued with their Bridgestone tyre testing programme at the HRC test. Team rider Jurgen v.d. Goorbergh gaining more experience of both machine and tyres.

Valentino Rossi: “Today it was a real pleasure for me to ride the bike here with beautiful weather and all the track only for us, I did a lot of laps and I tried many tyres, we found some good solution but we still need to work a lot on this bike. We took here the same motorcycles we tested in Spain and also here the bike is fast but of course need a lot of improvement. We will see tomorrow.”

Tohru Ukawa: “I did 82 laps and I tested many things , I am satisfied about this first test day where we spend some time to find the right suspension setting and to test the tires that Michelin brought here. For tomorrow I hope to make a better lap time and find good solution for the setting.”

Jurgen van der Goorbergh: “Here in Phillip Island I feel more comfortable with the bike in comparison with Jerez. I begin to understand better the NSR and its behaviour and I am sure that at the end of this test I can do better then today. Today we tested a huge numbers of new tyres from Bridgestone and for tomorrow we will continue to work on suspension and tyres.”

Daijiro Katoh: “Today at the beginning we worked on the riding position. I changed the handlebar position and we took a new shape fuel tank to fit better my body. After I spent my time to find the right setting and I did many laps to train myself to ride a 500. I have a good feeling with the NSR and of course we have a lot of work to do.”

Lap times:
Valentino Rossi, RC211V, 1:32.44, 59 laps

Tohru Ukawa, RC211V, 1:33.06, 82 laps

Shinichi Itoh, RC211V, 1:34.80, 61 laps

Daijiro Katoh, NSR500, 1:33.6, 62 laps

Jurgen van der Goorbergh, NSR500, 1:34.40, 67 laps

Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Racer Lee Acree underwent compartment syndrome surgery on his left arm today.

Acree has the same surgery on his right arm earlier this year.

AMA Associate or Life members must request a ballot by mail to be able to vote in the ongoing election of AMA Trustees, because Associate and Life members are not sent copies of the official AMA magazine containing the ballot. Now that has turned into a problem, as racer and AMA member Clinton Whitehouse relates:

“What’s up with the AMA? The AMA has only one employee who can send out an associate member a ballot for the AMA Board of Directors Election, and she is out of the office until next year.

“This information was obtained from a phone call to AMA on 12/19/01 at 7:29 a.m. PST.

“By the time the AMA processes a request next
year, with 4 to 5 days in the mail and 4 to 5 days return mail, the deadline of January 15 for the receipt of ballots will have passed. Why can’t the AMA hire a temp to process the ballot requests?”


The obvious answer: They’re making it as hard as possible for members to participate in the democratic process, because they know that the fewer people vote, the more likely the incumbents will retain power and be able to continue to run the AMA the same way it has been run for the last 40 years, with no recourse for members.

Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

At the International Motorcycle Show at Long Beach, California December 7-9, California Speedway had a small table set up to promote the upcoming AMA Superbike race in April. Bob Elia from the speedway’s promotions department was manning the booth, mainly distributing lists of ticket prices for the Superbike race, although Elia said tickets are not on sale yet.

Tickets for adults will range between $60 for a two-day General or Preferred Admission ticket to $70 for a three-day Preferred pass. Children under 12 will be admitted to General Admission free all weekend but will pay the price of an adult for a seat in the Preferred area. Elia said that the track would be putting up temporary seating for at least 10,000 fans in the new infield road course section.

The flyer Elia was distributing listed the weekend’s activities as:
Friday, April 5 – Practice
Saturday, April 6 – Sprint Races
Sunday, April 7 – Championship Series Race

California Speedway is listed on the 2002 AMA schedule as hosting a Superbike double-header. The program should include the normal double header format of a Superbike, a 750cc Supersport and a Formula Xtreme race on Saturday with another Superbike race, the 250cc Grand Prix and 600cc Supersport final on Sunday.

On another note, Elia said that they would have what may be a first-ever event during the 2002 season. Elia said that during one race weekend in 2002, California Speedway will have a Grand Am car race on the infield course and an IRL race on the Speedway’s oval the very next day.

For more information about tickets for the AMA Superbike race at California Speedway, call 1-800-944-RACE or got to www.californiaspeedway.com.

From a press release issued by the AMA:

EPA To Adopt California Streetbike Emission Standards

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — New road motorcycles sold nationwide will be required to meet strict emissions standards set by the state of California beginning in 2006 under rules being proposed by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.

While the EPA hasn’t released its final proposal for public comment, a draft proposal obtained by the AMA shows the EPA wants to adopt a two-tier standard already approved in California on a delayed basis.

The first tier of California standards will go into effect in 2004, with the second tier scheduled for 2008. The federal EPA is proposing to adopt the same standards but on a two-year delay, meaning tier one would take effect in 2006 and tier two in 2010.

Road motorcycles built before the 2006 model year would be unaffected by the new regulations and would remain legal to ride.

If adopted, the new federal emissions regulations are expected to result in an increased use of fuel injection and catalytic converters on new motorcycles.

Some current motorcycles sold nationwide already meet California’s strict 2008 standard. Honda’s 2002 Gold Wing, for example, meets the California standard with the use of an emissions control system that includes fuel injection and a three-way exhaust catalyzer to reduce emissions of hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide.

Besides tightening existing standards for street motorcycles, the EPA had suggested that the new rules might include requirements for specific components on motorcycles to meet the regulations, as well as stricter “anti-tampering” regulations, which could prohibit certain modifications to motorcycles.

The AMA asked federal officials to refrain from establishing such a list of technologies that manufacturers must use in making cleaner motorcycles. Instead, the Association recommended setting performance-based standards that would allow manufacturers the maximum amount of innovation in reducing emissions.

The advance copy of the proposed emissions regulations indicates that the EPA has taken that approach, leaving it up to the manufacturers to figure out how to meet the standards. The agency also provided an exemption for small manufacturers who may not have the resources to do the research and development needed to meet the proposed new national emissions standards.

Under that exemption, motorcycle manufacturers with sales of fewer than 3000 bikes a year, and having fewer than 500 employees, would have until the 2008 model year to meet the tier one national emissions standard. Those manufacturers wouldn’t be required to meet the tougher tier two standards.

New motorcycles sold in California beginning with the 2004 model year must emit no more than 1.4 grams per kilometer of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, and 12 grams per kilometer of carbon monoxide. The proposed federal standard would be the same, but would go into effect in 2006.

The California standard gets tougher in 2008, with a limit of 0.8 grams per kilometer of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides and 12 grams per kilometer of carbon monoxide. The proposed federal standard would be the same, but would go into effect in 2010.

Currently, the federal emissions standards for on-road motorcycles are 5.0 grams per kilometer of hydrocarbons and 12 grams per kilometer of carbon monoxide.

Meanwhile, the EPA is also in the process of finalizing emissions standards for off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles.

For more information, go to the AMA’s website at www.AMADirectlink.com and click on the “Protecting Your Right to Ride” button.