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San Francisco Gets Its Own Supercross In 2003

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From a press release:

Clear Channel Entertainment Adds San Francisco’s Pacific Bell Park to list of Supercross Venues for 2003

AURORA, Ill. (December 6, 2001) – Clear Channel Entertainment’s motor sports division announced today that for the first time, supercross will come to the San Francisco Bay Area’s Pacific Bell Park on January 25, 2003 as part of Clear Channel Entertainment’s 2003 Supercross Series schedule.

Pacific Bell Park, home of the San Francisco Giants Major League Baseball Club, opened in April 2000 to rave reviews as one of the premier sports venues in the nation. Located on the San Francisco Bay, the 40,930-seat facility features some of the most breathtaking views the Bay Area has to offer. The ballpark offers a selection of interactive activities for fans of all ages, specialty foods, and a plentitude of parking and transportation options.

Supercross at the Pacific Bell Park enhances the circuit’s West Coast swing with a visit to one of America’s most luxurious stadiums. The large number of supercross fans in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest will now be treated to one the events on this prestigious tour.

“We are excited to continue Clear Channel Entertainment’s 27-year history of bringing supercross to America’s greatest facilities,” said Pat Gallagher, president of Giants Enterprises, which operates Pacific Bell Park. “We look forward to offering fans and riders alike an experience that is second to none at Pacific Bell Park.”

Charlie Mancuso, president of Clear Channel Entertainment’s motor sports division said, “The addition of the Pacific Bell Park supercross event to our series adds the crowning touch to 2003’s recently announced season. Pac Bell will offer supercross fans an indulging experience like no other as we proudly bring the series to San Francisco. This facility rounds out the most dynamic supercross schedule ever; with 15 events at 13 of America’s most premium facilities and cities playing host such epic events, the world of supercross couldn’t ask for a better era.”

Supercross is the fastest growing motor sport in the world and is the reigning king of extreme sports. The tour shattered attendance records in
2001, drawing 791,273 fans to its 16 events and averaging 49,455 per stop throughout the schedule, a surge of more than 2,000 fans per race over the previous season. Supercross features 125cc and 250cc motorcycle racing on a customized in-stadium track featuring triple jumps that can launch riders 40 feet in the air. The EA SPORTS Supercross features the greatest off-road motorcycle riders in the world.

The 2003 Clear Channel Entertainment Supercross Series schedule follows:

Date Venue City

Jan 4 Edison International Field Anaheim, Calif.
Jan 11 Bank One Ballpark Phoenix
Jan 18 Edison International Field Anaheim, Calif.
Jan 25 Pacific Bell Park San Francisco
Feb 1 Edison International Field Anaheim, Calif.
Feb 8 Qualcomm Stadium San Diego
Feb 15 Metrodome Minneapolis
Feb 22 Georgia Dome Atlanta
Mar 1 RCA Dome Indianapolis
Mar 22 The Dome at America’s Center St. Louis
Mar 29 Reliant Park Houston
Apr 5 Silverdome Pontiac, Mich.
Apr 12 Texas Stadium Dallas
Apr 26 Rice-Eccles Stadium Salt Lake City
May 3 Sam Boyd Stadium Las Vegas

For more information visit www.pacesupercross.com

Marlboro Yamaha Tests At Sepang, Honda At Barcelona

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From press releases:

MARLBORO YAMAHA TEAM TESTS
Sepang, Malaysia
Friday December 7 2001

CHECA & BIAGGI GO FASTER AT SEPANG Marlboro Yamaha Team riders Carlos Checa and Max Biaggi continued their impressive progress at Sepang today, day two of their final test session of 2001.

Overnight rain and intermittent morning showers prevented the pair from riding before lunchtime but both riders went on to clock rapid laps throughout the afternoon, proving that the YZR-M1 should be a force in next year’s new-look MotoGP World Championship. Biaggi was a fraction off Checa’s pace but still moving forward and satisfied with progress.

“Both riders set excellent lap times today,” said YZR-M1 project leader Ichiro Yoda. “Carlos was very fast and happy with the third chassis he tested, after the two he used yesterday. He has one more chassis to try tomorrow and maybe he will be even faster with that. Max has less four-stroke experience than Carlos, so he’s been working on his riding style. But he still has some problems with the four-stroke’s engine braking and we’ll be working on that before we go testing again in January.”

Checa rode 58 laps of the sweeping Sepang track, cutting several tenths off his Thursday best. “We improved a lot today,” he said. “I tried another chassis today and it was more stable than the others. We were also able to reduce the chatter I had yesterday which is probably the main reason I could improve my times today. Tomorrow I will try the fourth chassis and I’m really looking forward to seeing if that will be a further improvement. I will also be doing some race simulations to check tyre endurance. I tried a much better Michelin front today but so far we’ve been concentrating on feeling rather than endurance.”

Biaggi completed 46 laps today, continuing his getting-to-know-you process with the four-stroke M1. “It’s getting better and I feel more confident on the bike, but we still have a lot of work to do,” said the Italian. “My main difficulties are going into the corners, with engine braking and turning. Tomorrow we will focus on getting the bike to turn the way I want it to turn, that means working on geometry and suspension, so I can hold my corner speed into the turns.”

The Marlboro Yamaha Team completes this Sepang test tomorrow, before taking a few weeks break for Christmas and New Year. The squad commences its 2002 test programme at Valencia, Spain, in January and will conduct further tests at Jerez, Estoril, Catalunya and Suzuka before the season kicks off with the Japanese GP on April 7.




HONDA RACING NEWS

HRC Test Session Barcelona. December 7, 2001.
Weather, sunny but cold; track temperature, high 22 degress C – low 11 degrees C; track
conditions, dry-good.

RC211V Faster on Second Day of HRC Barcelona Test

HRC completed their European winter test programme at Barcelona today and pronounced themselves more than pleased with the results of five days of testing in Spain, first at Jerez followed by two days at Barcelona.

On the final day of the test the engineers concentrated their efforts on testing new suspension parts, various ignition and fuel-injector settings.

The results showed in the times with GP rider Tohru Ukawa and HRC test rider Shinichi Itoh around half a second faster than yesterday, in almost identical conditions.

Tohru Ukawa: “The two days we spent here at Barcelona have been very good to understand the machine and its potential. The machine has more than enough power, now we have to concentrate on improving tyre performance. We go to Australia in two weeks to continue testing and we will run reliability tests, so I’m sure we will find a solution for the tyres. The most important thing about the tests in Spain was the fact that we did not have a single technical problem throughout the five days of testing.”

Shinichi Itoh: “I agree with Ukawa San, we have done everything we came here to do and the results have been very good. We will now await developments from these tests but I’m sure they will be positive again.”

Daijiro Katoh tested the Honda Gresini NSR500 for a second day at Barcelona and like his four-stroke counterparts Katoh also improved his lap times today.

Daijiro Katoh: “I really enjoyed riding the bike today. I feel good on the bike, very comfortable now the team have found a good position and better chassis settings to suit my size and weight. The bike works particularly well here, Barcelona is a 500 track, and I like it. But there is one thing sure, I will need a lot of kilometres on the bike to be ready for the first race of next season.”

Katoh’s Honda Gresini team-mate, Italian Roberto Rolfo, took his NSR250 out and improved on yesterday’s performance as he prepared for the coming season, his first on a factory Honda.

Roberto Rolfo: “Sure I was a little faster today but the important thing is I learned more about the bike testing it here at Barcelona. We tried many things here on settings, to engine and chassis, and I’m happy with what I learned. But I know I need much more experience on this bike before I can be really fast.”


Times:
Tohru Ukawa, RC211V, 1:45.72, 77 laps

Shinichi Itoh, RC211V, 1:45.81, 55 laps

Daijiro Katoh, NSR500, 1:45.61, 54 laps

Roberto Rolfo, NSR250, 1:49.9, 50 laps

Text Of AMA Dirty Tricks Letter Accusing Schwantz, Nash And Ulrich Of Running For AMA Trustee For Personal Financial Gain

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A letter issued by sitting AMA Trustees Rick Gray (a lawyer), Dal Smilie and Jeff Smith (a former OEM employee) in support of running-for-re-election incumbents Carl Reynolds (a race promoter), Ron Widman (a Suzuki and Harley-Davidson dealer) and Ellis Robertson (a trophy company owner) accuses Take Back The AMA reform candidates Kevin Schwantz, Jeff Nash and John Ulrich of running for personal financial gain.

The letter, which was issued by Gray, Smilie and Smith over their names and AMA titles in what appears to be a violation of AMA bylaws, does not mention or defend the roles played by Reynolds and other trustees in the Edmondson vs. AMA lawsuit, which the AMA settled by paying Edmondson $3 million of members’ money about six months ago.

The letter also implies that the three reform candidates have not done anything positive for motorcycling, despite the fact that the current Board voted to commend Ulrich for raising and donating $104,000 to the AMA for the purchase and deployment of Air Fence earlier this year; in doing so, Ulrich footed all administrative fees, including paying the percentage points deducted by credit card companies on chargecard donations.

The letter also ignores Ulrich’s work fighting against proposed land closures in the 1970s and proposed ATV and sportbike restrictions in the 1980s.

The letter also seems to imply that Schwantz, Nash and Ulrich are not interested in non-racing facets of motorcycling, despite the fact that all three ride streetbikes and off-road bikes recreationally, and have committed to strengthening AMA’s commitment in government relations, including aid to AMA districts fighting local land-use battles.

Asked to comment on the the letter, former 500cc World Champion Schwantz said: “Personal financial gain? I didn’t think the spot paid anything. The reason I am doing it is to see if I can have a positive impact on how the AMA operates. I feel that with my racing background I have insight that the average person–or Trustee–doesn’t. I should have known running for a position on the Board of Trustees that there would be some political BS happening. But by no means am I doing this for personal monetary gains.”

Nash said, “The purpose of me running is to make the AMA better and more responsive to all members, and not just a few well-connected insiders or good old boys. They’re making these claims because they’re frightened of three stand-up guys and that’s why they’re saying that. They’re scared to have somebody with knowledge–who will stand up and say what is going on–on the Board. There’s no personal financial gain in this for me. Their letter is ridiculous.”

The text of the letter issued by Gray, Reynolds and Smith follows:

To All AMA Members:

All AMA members in the Regions holding elections in December for AMA Directors should be put on notice that three of the candidates currently running for the AMA Board are part of an effort to take the AMA back thirty years; back to a time when corporate interests in professional racing were the only interests of the AMA; back to a time when there was no government relations division working to protect road and off-road riders; back to a time when all of the AMA Board was composed of only those with financial interests in the AMA with no representation of individual members.

This choice is yours. We urge you to exercise your right as an AMA member to direct the future of the AMA to represent all, not just some, motorcyclists by supporting Carl Reynolds in the Southeast, Ron Widman in the South Central and Ellis Robertson in the Southwest. All three have been involved in many facets of the AMA and support a truly representative Board. Their volunteer actions on behalf of motorcyclists show that their goals are not economically motivated. They do so for the love of motorcycling, and they are the type of people the AMA needs in positions of leadership. We further urge you to vote for the type of AMA you want; not an exclusive professional racing organization. If you believe that the AMA is there to represent us all, not just a small group interested in advancing their own economic interests, you must say so by voting.

The professional racing slate is running a well-funded professional campaign using strong, hurtful words with no factual basis other than their own opinion. They are wrong. We don’t need our Association and the future of motorcycling to be in the hands of those who would stoop so low to attempt to gain control for their narrow goals. Though they mask their real agenda with some allusions to government relations and other AMA programs, none of this slate has ever been involved in the total AMA agenda. Read their positions, and contemplate whether these people think for themselves or are there other undisclosed agendas involved? Will they be positive influences in the Association?

We are the other three Directors elected by the membership. The current Board is composed of individuals who represent the many varied interests of the diverse organization that is the AMA. You must decide if road riders, amateur racers, off road riders and those interested in the broader issues involving government relations will be represented. We think they should be and so endorse, and encourage you to vote for, Carl Reynolds, Ron Widman and Ellis Robertson.

Thank you.
Rick Gray
Northeast Director
Chair of the Board

Dal Smilie
Northwest Director
Vice Chair of the Board

Jeff Smith
North Central Director

Conrades Memorial Set For Tomorrow

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A memorial service for Wrenchead.com CEO Gus Conrades will be held Saturday, December 8 at Christ Church Greenwich at 254 E. Putnam Ave. in Greenwich, Connecticut. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to:

Pediatric Cancer Care
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Box E, 1275 York Ave.
New York, NY 10021

or to:

Brunswick School
101 Maher Ave.
Greenwich, CT 06830

For additional information, contact:

Jeanette Thompson
Wrenchead.com, Inc.
108 Corporate Park Dr.
White Plains, NY 10604
phone: (914) 697-9417
FAX: (914) 253-0621

Conrades, 34, died as a result of injuries suffered in a street bikecrash near his home in Connecticut on Sunday, December 2. Conrades was a motorcycle road racer and racing supporter. Conrades’ company, Wrenchead.com, was the title sponsor of the 2000 Formula USA National Road Race Series.

Nicky Hayden Leathers Now On eBay, To Benefit Air Fence Fund

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Leathers worn by Nicky Hayden to victory at Mid-Ohio are now being auctioned on eBay, with proceeds going to the Roadracing World Air Fence Fund.

The auction can be viewed at:

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1044691248

News From The Bologna Motor Show

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Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Glenn LeSanto

The Bologna Motor show isn’t on the scale of the Milan (or Munich) bike show, for starters, 75% of the exhibits are cars, leaving only 2 halls for the bikes. Secondly, it doesn’t host the same volume of new launches as the Milan and Munich shows. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth a look, especially as each year at least one Italian manufacturer uses the show to launch something special – Ducati launched the production version of the MHR900E there two years ago. This year it was Aprilia’s turn.

Aprilia used the show to launch a new model, a prototype and the company’s 2002 GP program. Next year Aprilia will be using a three-cylinder four-stroke in the new GP1 class. The RS3 990 features such F1 technology as pneumatic valve springs, and testing will begin soon. The company also announced the return of 26-year-old Japanese star Nori Haga to the World Superbike Series, riding Aprilia’s sole RSV entry for 2002. The running of the SBK team has been contracted out to the Florence based FGF Corse outfit. There’s more info on the Aprilia at:
http://www.aprilia.com/gp-1/eng/home.htm




Aprilia RSV Mille Tuono


On the road Aprilia revealed a new variant of the 60 degree V-Twin RSV theme and another prototype based on the same motor. The RSV Mille Tuono is aimed directly at the Ducati Monster / Cagiva Raptor market. The market for these naked or semi-naked roadsters is huge in Europe and the Aprilia men are keen to get a piece of that action. The Tuone has the same 60 degree, 1000cc, 130 bhp V-Twin power unit fitted to the standard Mille and shares the Mille’s chassis – except for the trick super-light OZ racing wheels, that is. But the bodywork is a radical departure, with a sit up riding position and streetfighter styling.




Aprilia Mana


Meanwhile, the prototype, the Mana, takes the styling exercise further down the road to radicalism. There’s a hint of Suzuki Katana rolled into the streetfighter/roadster mix. Motorcycle styling is a very personal thing and bikers have been notoriously conservative in the past. But the success of machines like Cagiva’s Raptor, Triumph’s Speed Triple and, the best selling roadster of all, Ducati’s Monster, all indicate that maybe bikers are getting more adventurous. Now an entire range of these roadsters, including the MV Brutale has sprung up to exploit the demand for these ‘individually’ styled machines. Again, there’s nothing really radical about the Mana, apart from the styling. Under the pretty parts it’s still a 60 degree V-Twin, this time in 100-bhp trim and in a Capo Nord frame, with chassis parts from various other Aprilias. Aprilia officials announced that the previously aired concept bike, the Boxer designed Blue Marlin, would go into limited production of 500 ‘sometime soon’ and be sold exclusively on the web for around $19,500.




Moto Guzzi V11 Le Mans Tenni


Moto Guzzi is now part of Aprilia, along with Laverda. There was no sign of the Laverda brand, but Aprilia boss Ivan Beggio has made the revival of Guzzi a personal mission. But with a full-scale slump in Aprilia’s bread-and-butter scooter market squeezing his cash flow severely, Sig. Beggio’s going to have his work cut out dragging this historic company out of the past and into the future. A range of ‘new’ models were on show, all of them little more than reworked bikes from the pre-Aprilia era. The company showed the V11 Le Mans Tenni, which is very nice with a faux-suede saddle and is named for a successful Guzzi racer who rode for the factory before WW2. The venerable California was shown in a new ‘Stone’ guise. This is basically the Jackal with a new name. There’s also a Stone Metal, confused? You should be. This one is the California Stone (that was the Jackal) with a polished metal tank. Very nice. I am sure the new Guzzi range are all fantastic motorcycles in Guzzi’s great tradition but if Beggio really wants Guzzi in the 21st century then the rumored new water cooled V-Twin engine needs to surface soon, and even that’s not really new, but a merely rework of a motor originally destined as a Superbike contender.

BMW chose Bologna to show the world a new member of the RT range, the R850RT. BMW has historically done very well with the smaller RTs, and this should be no exception. It features everything its bigger brother the R1150RT has, just with less motor. Since less motor also means lower insurance in most cases, this should prove a useful sales point for BMW. The German company is also pushing the C1 scooter/car hybrid. Sales of this safety-caged scoot have been disappointing and BMW officials are keen to ramp up interest in Italy, Europe’s biggest bike market. But with sales of scooters and small motorcycles in a serious slump in Italy at the moment, BMW has its work cut.




Honda Dylan


Elsewhere in the show Honda, unveiled a scooter called the Dylan. A moment of pause is required while you all stifle your giggles. There’s no doubting that the little 125 or 150cc four-stroke scoot is a gem, it’s been carefully conceived for the European market by Honda’s R&D facility in Rome. But it will never sell in Britain, given that it’s named after a stoned rabbit from a children’s television show screened in Britain in the 1970s. Or is it named after a certain now rather ancient minstrel crooning songs about war and peace, man? Either way, I’m sorry to put it in print (and to ignore all the positive attributes of the scooter), but Dylan is a very silly name for a scooter.




Honda concept scooter


Ducati dragged out the company’s trio of WSBK stars, Bayliss, Bostrom and Xaus, to show them off to the enthusiastic Bolognese public. The firm also had the new 998 replicas on show, in Bayliss and Bostrom colours. The Bostrom 998 looks particularly trick, as does its namesake who has a dedicated following of female fans around the globe; I know, my teenage daughter’s one of them!




Ducati 998S Bostrom


Notable absentees from the show were Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki. Omissions from the home producers included Benelli, no doubt concentrating all its resourses on the Tornado road and race bike project. Triumph, Harley-Davidson and MV were also absent.

The news on the MV front is that Piaggio is trying to buy the remaining 80% stake in the struggling Castiglioni MV Cagiva empire. High-level financial discussions are in progress to seal the deal so expect an announcement sometime in the New Year. Piaggio also indicated that the new 600cc Supersport machine will definitely race at world level in 2003. That might be in the World Supersport category or it might be at GP2 level as a support race to the new GP1 format. The GP2, which allows more scope for tuning both motor and chassis, and allows slick tires, is being ‘tested’ in Spain at national level in 2002. Dorna own the series so it’s not too much to suggest they’ll replace 250s with it in 2003. Many World Supersport teams are already talking about running in the GP2 series if it should get World Championship status. This increases the pressure on Flammini’s SBK show, which relies on the awesome and highly competitive spectacle that is World Supersport racing to keep the crowds entertained between two Superbike races.




Vespa scooter, Mad Cow edition


The Bologna show may be only a regional affair that’s mostly for cars anyway but, as long as at least one motorcycle manufacturer sees fit to release a new model or two there, it will remain well worth the visit. This year Aprilia provided the focus, but I wonder which of the Italian manufacturers will be around at the end of 2002 in sufficient strength to provide the show stopper next year?

Team Foggy Tests Petronas Sauber

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From a press release:

CARL HAS FIRST VIEW OF NEW BIKE IN ACTION

Bruntingthorpe, England
7 December 2001

CARL Fogarty today enjoyed his first close-up look at the bike that his Foggy Petronas Racing team will eventually run in next year’s World Superbike championship.

The former four-times World Superbike Champion, who has signed a five-year deal with Malaysian petroleum giant Petronas to run his own team in the series, was on hand to see the prototype put through its paces at a private test session at the Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome, near Leicester.

The four-stroke, three-cylinder 989cc GP1 engine, developed by Sauber Petronas Engineering, is in the early stages of being modified to meet World Superbike rules in time to race in the fifth round of the championship at Monza on May 12.

And Foggy, whose Team Foggy Racing company will run the Foggy Petronas Racing team, was impressed with what he saw in the straight-line test. Until today he had been unable to see the bike in action due to restrictions on his travel through his recent broken leg. “This thing is like a bullet. I have heard only good things about the bike and, although the engine still needs to be modified and the bike will look a lot different when it is raced, it’s obvious it has real potential. I really wanted to get on and ride the bike myself.

“We have the top people in the industry working on the chassis and the design of the bike and, with the ongoing engine expertise of Osamu Goto and his SPE team, we are confident we will soon be running a competitive machine.”

The test was designed to develop the engine management system further, as well as testing the cooling system and noise control.

Foggy Petronas Racing team manager Nigel Bosworth, who also saw the bike in action for the first time today, said: “It’s awesome, the sort of thing nobody has seen in motorcycling before and it sounds unbelievable. Everything went smoothly and we are all starting to work well as a team.”

Aprilia Turns World Superbike Program Over To Outside Teams As Factory Concentrates On Grand Prix

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From press releases:

Noale 7 December 2001


Aprilia S.p.A. is pleased to announce the signing of an agreement which marks the end of the first stage in drawing up its Superbike sports programme for the forthcoming 2002 World Championship.

Aprilia is to entrust management of its official RSV Mille bikes to teams of the highest professional and technical level.

The first agreement of the 2002 season has been signed with Florence based FGF Corse, a world leader in motorcycle racing.

FGF Corse vast experience in racing and its prestigious prize record certainly make this a most auspicious omen for a year 2002 packed with success.

FGF Corse will enjoy the full support of the Aprilia Racing Department, which will be providing the finest materials and technology and it will benefit from all the latest technology as it becomes available throughout the season from the Noale Research and Development Centre.

This is thus a prestigious mission for FGF Corse, which has made a head start with an important and ambitious acquisition for 2002: that of the talented Japanese rider, Noriyuki Haga.

Indeed, the 26-year-old from Aichi will be one of the standard-bearers of the RSV Mille and of Aprilia technology in the World Championship of production-based bikes.

Aprilia S.p.A. and its President, Ing. Ivano Beggio, wish the very best of luck to all those who will be taking up this new challenge for the World Superbike title.



FGF Corse

Press Office

Florence 7 December 2001

FGF Corse is honoured to announce the signing of an agreement which links it to Aprilia for the 2002 Superbike season.

FGF Corse will be managing the official RSV Mille bikes of the Noale Racing Department for the entire SBK World Championship next year.

Sport and technical management will be in the hands of Giacomo Guidotti, a prime mover in FGF, the prize-winning Florence-based racing company.

Together with the new assignment from Aprilia comes another trump card for the Florentine company: An agreement has been reached for the 2002 season with the Japanese talent Noriyuki Haga.

The daredevil ace from Aichi will be FGF Corse’s spearhead challenger for the next World Superbike title.

Noriyuki Haga’s career can only be described as fantastic: Winner of the 8 Hours in Suzuka in ’96, Japanese Superbike Champion in ’97, 84 races in the World Superbike with no fewer than 11 victories in ’98, ’99 and 2000. After his experience in the top-of-the-range GP class this year, Noriyuki today celebrates his return to the competition for four-stroke production-based bikes.

And the Japanese ace’s great return will be astride an official Aprilia RSV Mille.

“I’m excited about coming back to four-stroke bikes but more than anything because I’ll have an official Aprilia RSV Mille in 2002. This bike’s a winner”, said Noriyuki Haga, “What’s more, I’ll have the pleasure of being with an Italian team which has already notched up countless successes. I’ve been able to see the bikes close up and I must say I’m really impressed”.

“This twin agreement is extremely important for us in FGF Corse”, added Giacomo Guidotti. “We’ll do our utmost to honour this prestigious assignment from Aprilia. Having Noriyuki with us gives us extra optimism – his skill and talent mean we’ve got every reason to hope for a string of successes in 2002.”

AMA Good Old Boys Fight To Retain Power With Propaganda Mailing To AMA Members

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The Good Old Boys on the AMA Board of Trustees are fighting to retain control of the Association with a mailing adressed “To All AMA Members” and characterizing the Take Back The AMA slate of challengers as not being representative.

The mailing was published over the names of Trustees Rick Gray, Dal Smilie and Jeff Smith and endorses running-for-re-election incumbents Carl Reynolds, Ron Widman and Ellis Robertson.

Reynolds is running against Kevin Schwantz, Widman is running against Jeff Nash, and Robertson is running against John Ulrich. Schwantz, Nash and Ulrich are running as the Take Back The AMA slate.

The mailing in support of the incumbents makes no reference to and offers no defense for the incumbent board spending $3 million of members’ money to settle the Edmondson lawsuit in June of 2001, and makes no mention of Reynolds’ key role in the entire Edmondson debacle.

At post time, roadracingworld.com was unable to contact AMA President Rob Rasor to ask him how the incumbents obtained the AMA membership mailing list for use in their campaign.

F-USA Releases 2002 Schedule

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From a press release:

Clear Channel Entertainment announces the 2002
Formula USA National Road Race Series

AURORA, Ill. (December 6, 2001) – Clear Channel Entertainment’s motor sports division announced today the 2002 Formula USA National Road Race Series schedule.

Formula USA’s expanded schedule will begin and end again at the world famous Daytona International Speedway. Formula USA’s third season of road racing includes returning to several of America’s premier racing facilities, and a new visit to New Hampshire International Speedway, in Loudon.

The schedule also features Formula USA’s first ever Canadian competition with a July 19-21 event at Mosport International Raceway in Toronto.

The 2002 Formula USA National Road Race Series schedule follows:




Feb 27-Mar 3 Daytona Int’l Speedway Daytona Beach, Fla.

May 23-26 Summit Point Raceway Summit Point, W.Va.

June 14-16 New Hampshire Int’l Speedway Loudon, N.H.

July 19-21 Mosport Int’l Raceway Toronto, Ont. Can

August 1-4 Road America Elkhart Lake, Wis.

August 22-25 Pocono Raceway Long Pond, Pa.

Sept 5-8 Portland Int’l Raceway Portland, Ore.

Oct 16-20 Daytona Int’l Speedway Daytona Beach, Fla.



“We are pleased to announce our grandest schedule yet,” said Bill Syfan, director of road racing for Formula USA. “The increased number of events equates to more opportunities for riders and fans nationwide to be a part of Formula USA’s National Road Race Series and all of the other activities on a Formula USA weekend. Even at eight total events, we are still reviewing potential additions, but felt a need to communicate our confirmed dates today.”

The racing format will be headlined by the Lockhart Phillips Superbike class and supported again by the Formula USA Pro Sportbikes and the Buell Lightning Series. Five other support classes will round out the weekend’s racing action, while the Formula USA Motorsports Expo, XSBA (Xtreme Sport Bike Association) stunt bike competitions, and many other activities give fans a variety of entertainment all for one ticket price. Also returning is the TEAM HAMMER Advanced Riding School and Track Rides, the motorcycle road race school program offered the opening day of each event. (Except the Loudon & Mosport events.) TEAM HAMMER provides expert training and track time to entry level enthusiasts on the world’s premier tracks. For more information, visit www.formulausa.com

San Francisco Gets Its Own Supercross In 2003

From a press release:

Clear Channel Entertainment Adds San Francisco’s Pacific Bell Park to list of Supercross Venues for 2003

AURORA, Ill. (December 6, 2001) – Clear Channel Entertainment’s motor sports division announced today that for the first time, supercross will come to the San Francisco Bay Area’s Pacific Bell Park on January 25, 2003 as part of Clear Channel Entertainment’s 2003 Supercross Series schedule.

Pacific Bell Park, home of the San Francisco Giants Major League Baseball Club, opened in April 2000 to rave reviews as one of the premier sports venues in the nation. Located on the San Francisco Bay, the 40,930-seat facility features some of the most breathtaking views the Bay Area has to offer. The ballpark offers a selection of interactive activities for fans of all ages, specialty foods, and a plentitude of parking and transportation options.

Supercross at the Pacific Bell Park enhances the circuit’s West Coast swing with a visit to one of America’s most luxurious stadiums. The large number of supercross fans in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest will now be treated to one the events on this prestigious tour.

“We are excited to continue Clear Channel Entertainment’s 27-year history of bringing supercross to America’s greatest facilities,” said Pat Gallagher, president of Giants Enterprises, which operates Pacific Bell Park. “We look forward to offering fans and riders alike an experience that is second to none at Pacific Bell Park.”

Charlie Mancuso, president of Clear Channel Entertainment’s motor sports division said, “The addition of the Pacific Bell Park supercross event to our series adds the crowning touch to 2003’s recently announced season. Pac Bell will offer supercross fans an indulging experience like no other as we proudly bring the series to San Francisco. This facility rounds out the most dynamic supercross schedule ever; with 15 events at 13 of America’s most premium facilities and cities playing host such epic events, the world of supercross couldn’t ask for a better era.”

Supercross is the fastest growing motor sport in the world and is the reigning king of extreme sports. The tour shattered attendance records in
2001, drawing 791,273 fans to its 16 events and averaging 49,455 per stop throughout the schedule, a surge of more than 2,000 fans per race over the previous season. Supercross features 125cc and 250cc motorcycle racing on a customized in-stadium track featuring triple jumps that can launch riders 40 feet in the air. The EA SPORTS Supercross features the greatest off-road motorcycle riders in the world.

The 2003 Clear Channel Entertainment Supercross Series schedule follows:

Date Venue City

Jan 4 Edison International Field Anaheim, Calif.
Jan 11 Bank One Ballpark Phoenix
Jan 18 Edison International Field Anaheim, Calif.
Jan 25 Pacific Bell Park San Francisco
Feb 1 Edison International Field Anaheim, Calif.
Feb 8 Qualcomm Stadium San Diego
Feb 15 Metrodome Minneapolis
Feb 22 Georgia Dome Atlanta
Mar 1 RCA Dome Indianapolis
Mar 22 The Dome at America’s Center St. Louis
Mar 29 Reliant Park Houston
Apr 5 Silverdome Pontiac, Mich.
Apr 12 Texas Stadium Dallas
Apr 26 Rice-Eccles Stadium Salt Lake City
May 3 Sam Boyd Stadium Las Vegas

For more information visit www.pacesupercross.com

Marlboro Yamaha Tests At Sepang, Honda At Barcelona

From press releases:

MARLBORO YAMAHA TEAM TESTS
Sepang, Malaysia
Friday December 7 2001

CHECA & BIAGGI GO FASTER AT SEPANG Marlboro Yamaha Team riders Carlos Checa and Max Biaggi continued their impressive progress at Sepang today, day two of their final test session of 2001.

Overnight rain and intermittent morning showers prevented the pair from riding before lunchtime but both riders went on to clock rapid laps throughout the afternoon, proving that the YZR-M1 should be a force in next year’s new-look MotoGP World Championship. Biaggi was a fraction off Checa’s pace but still moving forward and satisfied with progress.

“Both riders set excellent lap times today,” said YZR-M1 project leader Ichiro Yoda. “Carlos was very fast and happy with the third chassis he tested, after the two he used yesterday. He has one more chassis to try tomorrow and maybe he will be even faster with that. Max has less four-stroke experience than Carlos, so he’s been working on his riding style. But he still has some problems with the four-stroke’s engine braking and we’ll be working on that before we go testing again in January.”

Checa rode 58 laps of the sweeping Sepang track, cutting several tenths off his Thursday best. “We improved a lot today,” he said. “I tried another chassis today and it was more stable than the others. We were also able to reduce the chatter I had yesterday which is probably the main reason I could improve my times today. Tomorrow I will try the fourth chassis and I’m really looking forward to seeing if that will be a further improvement. I will also be doing some race simulations to check tyre endurance. I tried a much better Michelin front today but so far we’ve been concentrating on feeling rather than endurance.”

Biaggi completed 46 laps today, continuing his getting-to-know-you process with the four-stroke M1. “It’s getting better and I feel more confident on the bike, but we still have a lot of work to do,” said the Italian. “My main difficulties are going into the corners, with engine braking and turning. Tomorrow we will focus on getting the bike to turn the way I want it to turn, that means working on geometry and suspension, so I can hold my corner speed into the turns.”

The Marlboro Yamaha Team completes this Sepang test tomorrow, before taking a few weeks break for Christmas and New Year. The squad commences its 2002 test programme at Valencia, Spain, in January and will conduct further tests at Jerez, Estoril, Catalunya and Suzuka before the season kicks off with the Japanese GP on April 7.




HONDA RACING NEWS

HRC Test Session Barcelona. December 7, 2001.
Weather, sunny but cold; track temperature, high 22 degress C – low 11 degrees C; track
conditions, dry-good.

RC211V Faster on Second Day of HRC Barcelona Test

HRC completed their European winter test programme at Barcelona today and pronounced themselves more than pleased with the results of five days of testing in Spain, first at Jerez followed by two days at Barcelona.

On the final day of the test the engineers concentrated their efforts on testing new suspension parts, various ignition and fuel-injector settings.

The results showed in the times with GP rider Tohru Ukawa and HRC test rider Shinichi Itoh around half a second faster than yesterday, in almost identical conditions.

Tohru Ukawa: “The two days we spent here at Barcelona have been very good to understand the machine and its potential. The machine has more than enough power, now we have to concentrate on improving tyre performance. We go to Australia in two weeks to continue testing and we will run reliability tests, so I’m sure we will find a solution for the tyres. The most important thing about the tests in Spain was the fact that we did not have a single technical problem throughout the five days of testing.”

Shinichi Itoh: “I agree with Ukawa San, we have done everything we came here to do and the results have been very good. We will now await developments from these tests but I’m sure they will be positive again.”

Daijiro Katoh tested the Honda Gresini NSR500 for a second day at Barcelona and like his four-stroke counterparts Katoh also improved his lap times today.

Daijiro Katoh: “I really enjoyed riding the bike today. I feel good on the bike, very comfortable now the team have found a good position and better chassis settings to suit my size and weight. The bike works particularly well here, Barcelona is a 500 track, and I like it. But there is one thing sure, I will need a lot of kilometres on the bike to be ready for the first race of next season.”

Katoh’s Honda Gresini team-mate, Italian Roberto Rolfo, took his NSR250 out and improved on yesterday’s performance as he prepared for the coming season, his first on a factory Honda.

Roberto Rolfo: “Sure I was a little faster today but the important thing is I learned more about the bike testing it here at Barcelona. We tried many things here on settings, to engine and chassis, and I’m happy with what I learned. But I know I need much more experience on this bike before I can be really fast.”


Times:
Tohru Ukawa, RC211V, 1:45.72, 77 laps

Shinichi Itoh, RC211V, 1:45.81, 55 laps

Daijiro Katoh, NSR500, 1:45.61, 54 laps

Roberto Rolfo, NSR250, 1:49.9, 50 laps

Text Of AMA Dirty Tricks Letter Accusing Schwantz, Nash And Ulrich Of Running For AMA Trustee For Personal Financial Gain

A letter issued by sitting AMA Trustees Rick Gray (a lawyer), Dal Smilie and Jeff Smith (a former OEM employee) in support of running-for-re-election incumbents Carl Reynolds (a race promoter), Ron Widman (a Suzuki and Harley-Davidson dealer) and Ellis Robertson (a trophy company owner) accuses Take Back The AMA reform candidates Kevin Schwantz, Jeff Nash and John Ulrich of running for personal financial gain.

The letter, which was issued by Gray, Smilie and Smith over their names and AMA titles in what appears to be a violation of AMA bylaws, does not mention or defend the roles played by Reynolds and other trustees in the Edmondson vs. AMA lawsuit, which the AMA settled by paying Edmondson $3 million of members’ money about six months ago.

The letter also implies that the three reform candidates have not done anything positive for motorcycling, despite the fact that the current Board voted to commend Ulrich for raising and donating $104,000 to the AMA for the purchase and deployment of Air Fence earlier this year; in doing so, Ulrich footed all administrative fees, including paying the percentage points deducted by credit card companies on chargecard donations.

The letter also ignores Ulrich’s work fighting against proposed land closures in the 1970s and proposed ATV and sportbike restrictions in the 1980s.

The letter also seems to imply that Schwantz, Nash and Ulrich are not interested in non-racing facets of motorcycling, despite the fact that all three ride streetbikes and off-road bikes recreationally, and have committed to strengthening AMA’s commitment in government relations, including aid to AMA districts fighting local land-use battles.

Asked to comment on the the letter, former 500cc World Champion Schwantz said: “Personal financial gain? I didn’t think the spot paid anything. The reason I am doing it is to see if I can have a positive impact on how the AMA operates. I feel that with my racing background I have insight that the average person–or Trustee–doesn’t. I should have known running for a position on the Board of Trustees that there would be some political BS happening. But by no means am I doing this for personal monetary gains.”

Nash said, “The purpose of me running is to make the AMA better and more responsive to all members, and not just a few well-connected insiders or good old boys. They’re making these claims because they’re frightened of three stand-up guys and that’s why they’re saying that. They’re scared to have somebody with knowledge–who will stand up and say what is going on–on the Board. There’s no personal financial gain in this for me. Their letter is ridiculous.”

The text of the letter issued by Gray, Reynolds and Smith follows:

To All AMA Members:

All AMA members in the Regions holding elections in December for AMA Directors should be put on notice that three of the candidates currently running for the AMA Board are part of an effort to take the AMA back thirty years; back to a time when corporate interests in professional racing were the only interests of the AMA; back to a time when there was no government relations division working to protect road and off-road riders; back to a time when all of the AMA Board was composed of only those with financial interests in the AMA with no representation of individual members.

This choice is yours. We urge you to exercise your right as an AMA member to direct the future of the AMA to represent all, not just some, motorcyclists by supporting Carl Reynolds in the Southeast, Ron Widman in the South Central and Ellis Robertson in the Southwest. All three have been involved in many facets of the AMA and support a truly representative Board. Their volunteer actions on behalf of motorcyclists show that their goals are not economically motivated. They do so for the love of motorcycling, and they are the type of people the AMA needs in positions of leadership. We further urge you to vote for the type of AMA you want; not an exclusive professional racing organization. If you believe that the AMA is there to represent us all, not just a small group interested in advancing their own economic interests, you must say so by voting.

The professional racing slate is running a well-funded professional campaign using strong, hurtful words with no factual basis other than their own opinion. They are wrong. We don’t need our Association and the future of motorcycling to be in the hands of those who would stoop so low to attempt to gain control for their narrow goals. Though they mask their real agenda with some allusions to government relations and other AMA programs, none of this slate has ever been involved in the total AMA agenda. Read their positions, and contemplate whether these people think for themselves or are there other undisclosed agendas involved? Will they be positive influences in the Association?

We are the other three Directors elected by the membership. The current Board is composed of individuals who represent the many varied interests of the diverse organization that is the AMA. You must decide if road riders, amateur racers, off road riders and those interested in the broader issues involving government relations will be represented. We think they should be and so endorse, and encourage you to vote for, Carl Reynolds, Ron Widman and Ellis Robertson.

Thank you.
Rick Gray
Northeast Director
Chair of the Board

Dal Smilie
Northwest Director
Vice Chair of the Board

Jeff Smith
North Central Director

Conrades Memorial Set For Tomorrow

A memorial service for Wrenchead.com CEO Gus Conrades will be held Saturday, December 8 at Christ Church Greenwich at 254 E. Putnam Ave. in Greenwich, Connecticut. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to:

Pediatric Cancer Care
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Box E, 1275 York Ave.
New York, NY 10021

or to:

Brunswick School
101 Maher Ave.
Greenwich, CT 06830

For additional information, contact:

Jeanette Thompson
Wrenchead.com, Inc.
108 Corporate Park Dr.
White Plains, NY 10604
phone: (914) 697-9417
FAX: (914) 253-0621

Conrades, 34, died as a result of injuries suffered in a street bikecrash near his home in Connecticut on Sunday, December 2. Conrades was a motorcycle road racer and racing supporter. Conrades’ company, Wrenchead.com, was the title sponsor of the 2000 Formula USA National Road Race Series.

Nicky Hayden Leathers Now On eBay, To Benefit Air Fence Fund

Leathers worn by Nicky Hayden to victory at Mid-Ohio are now being auctioned on eBay, with proceeds going to the Roadracing World Air Fence Fund.

The auction can be viewed at:

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1044691248

News From The Bologna Motor Show


Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Glenn LeSanto

The Bologna Motor show isn’t on the scale of the Milan (or Munich) bike show, for starters, 75% of the exhibits are cars, leaving only 2 halls for the bikes. Secondly, it doesn’t host the same volume of new launches as the Milan and Munich shows. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth a look, especially as each year at least one Italian manufacturer uses the show to launch something special – Ducati launched the production version of the MHR900E there two years ago. This year it was Aprilia’s turn.

Aprilia used the show to launch a new model, a prototype and the company’s 2002 GP program. Next year Aprilia will be using a three-cylinder four-stroke in the new GP1 class. The RS3 990 features such F1 technology as pneumatic valve springs, and testing will begin soon. The company also announced the return of 26-year-old Japanese star Nori Haga to the World Superbike Series, riding Aprilia’s sole RSV entry for 2002. The running of the SBK team has been contracted out to the Florence based FGF Corse outfit. There’s more info on the Aprilia at:
http://www.aprilia.com/gp-1/eng/home.htm




Aprilia RSV Mille Tuono


On the road Aprilia revealed a new variant of the 60 degree V-Twin RSV theme and another prototype based on the same motor. The RSV Mille Tuono is aimed directly at the Ducati Monster / Cagiva Raptor market. The market for these naked or semi-naked roadsters is huge in Europe and the Aprilia men are keen to get a piece of that action. The Tuone has the same 60 degree, 1000cc, 130 bhp V-Twin power unit fitted to the standard Mille and shares the Mille’s chassis – except for the trick super-light OZ racing wheels, that is. But the bodywork is a radical departure, with a sit up riding position and streetfighter styling.




Aprilia Mana


Meanwhile, the prototype, the Mana, takes the styling exercise further down the road to radicalism. There’s a hint of Suzuki Katana rolled into the streetfighter/roadster mix. Motorcycle styling is a very personal thing and bikers have been notoriously conservative in the past. But the success of machines like Cagiva’s Raptor, Triumph’s Speed Triple and, the best selling roadster of all, Ducati’s Monster, all indicate that maybe bikers are getting more adventurous. Now an entire range of these roadsters, including the MV Brutale has sprung up to exploit the demand for these ‘individually’ styled machines. Again, there’s nothing really radical about the Mana, apart from the styling. Under the pretty parts it’s still a 60 degree V-Twin, this time in 100-bhp trim and in a Capo Nord frame, with chassis parts from various other Aprilias. Aprilia officials announced that the previously aired concept bike, the Boxer designed Blue Marlin, would go into limited production of 500 ‘sometime soon’ and be sold exclusively on the web for around $19,500.




Moto Guzzi V11 Le Mans Tenni


Moto Guzzi is now part of Aprilia, along with Laverda. There was no sign of the Laverda brand, but Aprilia boss Ivan Beggio has made the revival of Guzzi a personal mission. But with a full-scale slump in Aprilia’s bread-and-butter scooter market squeezing his cash flow severely, Sig. Beggio’s going to have his work cut out dragging this historic company out of the past and into the future. A range of ‘new’ models were on show, all of them little more than reworked bikes from the pre-Aprilia era. The company showed the V11 Le Mans Tenni, which is very nice with a faux-suede saddle and is named for a successful Guzzi racer who rode for the factory before WW2. The venerable California was shown in a new ‘Stone’ guise. This is basically the Jackal with a new name. There’s also a Stone Metal, confused? You should be. This one is the California Stone (that was the Jackal) with a polished metal tank. Very nice. I am sure the new Guzzi range are all fantastic motorcycles in Guzzi’s great tradition but if Beggio really wants Guzzi in the 21st century then the rumored new water cooled V-Twin engine needs to surface soon, and even that’s not really new, but a merely rework of a motor originally destined as a Superbike contender.

BMW chose Bologna to show the world a new member of the RT range, the R850RT. BMW has historically done very well with the smaller RTs, and this should be no exception. It features everything its bigger brother the R1150RT has, just with less motor. Since less motor also means lower insurance in most cases, this should prove a useful sales point for BMW. The German company is also pushing the C1 scooter/car hybrid. Sales of this safety-caged scoot have been disappointing and BMW officials are keen to ramp up interest in Italy, Europe’s biggest bike market. But with sales of scooters and small motorcycles in a serious slump in Italy at the moment, BMW has its work cut.




Honda Dylan


Elsewhere in the show Honda, unveiled a scooter called the Dylan. A moment of pause is required while you all stifle your giggles. There’s no doubting that the little 125 or 150cc four-stroke scoot is a gem, it’s been carefully conceived for the European market by Honda’s R&D facility in Rome. But it will never sell in Britain, given that it’s named after a stoned rabbit from a children’s television show screened in Britain in the 1970s. Or is it named after a certain now rather ancient minstrel crooning songs about war and peace, man? Either way, I’m sorry to put it in print (and to ignore all the positive attributes of the scooter), but Dylan is a very silly name for a scooter.




Honda concept scooter


Ducati dragged out the company’s trio of WSBK stars, Bayliss, Bostrom and Xaus, to show them off to the enthusiastic Bolognese public. The firm also had the new 998 replicas on show, in Bayliss and Bostrom colours. The Bostrom 998 looks particularly trick, as does its namesake who has a dedicated following of female fans around the globe; I know, my teenage daughter’s one of them!




Ducati 998S Bostrom


Notable absentees from the show were Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki. Omissions from the home producers included Benelli, no doubt concentrating all its resourses on the Tornado road and race bike project. Triumph, Harley-Davidson and MV were also absent.

The news on the MV front is that Piaggio is trying to buy the remaining 80% stake in the struggling Castiglioni MV Cagiva empire. High-level financial discussions are in progress to seal the deal so expect an announcement sometime in the New Year. Piaggio also indicated that the new 600cc Supersport machine will definitely race at world level in 2003. That might be in the World Supersport category or it might be at GP2 level as a support race to the new GP1 format. The GP2, which allows more scope for tuning both motor and chassis, and allows slick tires, is being ‘tested’ in Spain at national level in 2002. Dorna own the series so it’s not too much to suggest they’ll replace 250s with it in 2003. Many World Supersport teams are already talking about running in the GP2 series if it should get World Championship status. This increases the pressure on Flammini’s SBK show, which relies on the awesome and highly competitive spectacle that is World Supersport racing to keep the crowds entertained between two Superbike races.




Vespa scooter, Mad Cow edition


The Bologna show may be only a regional affair that’s mostly for cars anyway but, as long as at least one motorcycle manufacturer sees fit to release a new model or two there, it will remain well worth the visit. This year Aprilia provided the focus, but I wonder which of the Italian manufacturers will be around at the end of 2002 in sufficient strength to provide the show stopper next year?

Team Foggy Tests Petronas Sauber

From a press release:

CARL HAS FIRST VIEW OF NEW BIKE IN ACTION

Bruntingthorpe, England
7 December 2001

CARL Fogarty today enjoyed his first close-up look at the bike that his Foggy Petronas Racing team will eventually run in next year’s World Superbike championship.

The former four-times World Superbike Champion, who has signed a five-year deal with Malaysian petroleum giant Petronas to run his own team in the series, was on hand to see the prototype put through its paces at a private test session at the Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome, near Leicester.

The four-stroke, three-cylinder 989cc GP1 engine, developed by Sauber Petronas Engineering, is in the early stages of being modified to meet World Superbike rules in time to race in the fifth round of the championship at Monza on May 12.

And Foggy, whose Team Foggy Racing company will run the Foggy Petronas Racing team, was impressed with what he saw in the straight-line test. Until today he had been unable to see the bike in action due to restrictions on his travel through his recent broken leg. “This thing is like a bullet. I have heard only good things about the bike and, although the engine still needs to be modified and the bike will look a lot different when it is raced, it’s obvious it has real potential. I really wanted to get on and ride the bike myself.

“We have the top people in the industry working on the chassis and the design of the bike and, with the ongoing engine expertise of Osamu Goto and his SPE team, we are confident we will soon be running a competitive machine.”

The test was designed to develop the engine management system further, as well as testing the cooling system and noise control.

Foggy Petronas Racing team manager Nigel Bosworth, who also saw the bike in action for the first time today, said: “It’s awesome, the sort of thing nobody has seen in motorcycling before and it sounds unbelievable. Everything went smoothly and we are all starting to work well as a team.”

Aprilia Turns World Superbike Program Over To Outside Teams As Factory Concentrates On Grand Prix

From press releases:

Noale 7 December 2001


Aprilia S.p.A. is pleased to announce the signing of an agreement which marks the end of the first stage in drawing up its Superbike sports programme for the forthcoming 2002 World Championship.

Aprilia is to entrust management of its official RSV Mille bikes to teams of the highest professional and technical level.

The first agreement of the 2002 season has been signed with Florence based FGF Corse, a world leader in motorcycle racing.

FGF Corse vast experience in racing and its prestigious prize record certainly make this a most auspicious omen for a year 2002 packed with success.

FGF Corse will enjoy the full support of the Aprilia Racing Department, which will be providing the finest materials and technology and it will benefit from all the latest technology as it becomes available throughout the season from the Noale Research and Development Centre.

This is thus a prestigious mission for FGF Corse, which has made a head start with an important and ambitious acquisition for 2002: that of the talented Japanese rider, Noriyuki Haga.

Indeed, the 26-year-old from Aichi will be one of the standard-bearers of the RSV Mille and of Aprilia technology in the World Championship of production-based bikes.

Aprilia S.p.A. and its President, Ing. Ivano Beggio, wish the very best of luck to all those who will be taking up this new challenge for the World Superbike title.



FGF Corse

Press Office

Florence 7 December 2001

FGF Corse is honoured to announce the signing of an agreement which links it to Aprilia for the 2002 Superbike season.

FGF Corse will be managing the official RSV Mille bikes of the Noale Racing Department for the entire SBK World Championship next year.

Sport and technical management will be in the hands of Giacomo Guidotti, a prime mover in FGF, the prize-winning Florence-based racing company.

Together with the new assignment from Aprilia comes another trump card for the Florentine company: An agreement has been reached for the 2002 season with the Japanese talent Noriyuki Haga.

The daredevil ace from Aichi will be FGF Corse’s spearhead challenger for the next World Superbike title.

Noriyuki Haga’s career can only be described as fantastic: Winner of the 8 Hours in Suzuka in ’96, Japanese Superbike Champion in ’97, 84 races in the World Superbike with no fewer than 11 victories in ’98, ’99 and 2000. After his experience in the top-of-the-range GP class this year, Noriyuki today celebrates his return to the competition for four-stroke production-based bikes.

And the Japanese ace’s great return will be astride an official Aprilia RSV Mille.

“I’m excited about coming back to four-stroke bikes but more than anything because I’ll have an official Aprilia RSV Mille in 2002. This bike’s a winner”, said Noriyuki Haga, “What’s more, I’ll have the pleasure of being with an Italian team which has already notched up countless successes. I’ve been able to see the bikes close up and I must say I’m really impressed”.

“This twin agreement is extremely important for us in FGF Corse”, added Giacomo Guidotti. “We’ll do our utmost to honour this prestigious assignment from Aprilia. Having Noriyuki with us gives us extra optimism – his skill and talent mean we’ve got every reason to hope for a string of successes in 2002.”

AMA Good Old Boys Fight To Retain Power With Propaganda Mailing To AMA Members

The Good Old Boys on the AMA Board of Trustees are fighting to retain control of the Association with a mailing adressed “To All AMA Members” and characterizing the Take Back The AMA slate of challengers as not being representative.

The mailing was published over the names of Trustees Rick Gray, Dal Smilie and Jeff Smith and endorses running-for-re-election incumbents Carl Reynolds, Ron Widman and Ellis Robertson.

Reynolds is running against Kevin Schwantz, Widman is running against Jeff Nash, and Robertson is running against John Ulrich. Schwantz, Nash and Ulrich are running as the Take Back The AMA slate.

The mailing in support of the incumbents makes no reference to and offers no defense for the incumbent board spending $3 million of members’ money to settle the Edmondson lawsuit in June of 2001, and makes no mention of Reynolds’ key role in the entire Edmondson debacle.

At post time, roadracingworld.com was unable to contact AMA President Rob Rasor to ask him how the incumbents obtained the AMA membership mailing list for use in their campaign.

F-USA Releases 2002 Schedule

From a press release:

Clear Channel Entertainment announces the 2002
Formula USA National Road Race Series

AURORA, Ill. (December 6, 2001) – Clear Channel Entertainment’s motor sports division announced today the 2002 Formula USA National Road Race Series schedule.

Formula USA’s expanded schedule will begin and end again at the world famous Daytona International Speedway. Formula USA’s third season of road racing includes returning to several of America’s premier racing facilities, and a new visit to New Hampshire International Speedway, in Loudon.

The schedule also features Formula USA’s first ever Canadian competition with a July 19-21 event at Mosport International Raceway in Toronto.

The 2002 Formula USA National Road Race Series schedule follows:




Feb 27-Mar 3 Daytona Int’l Speedway Daytona Beach, Fla.

May 23-26 Summit Point Raceway Summit Point, W.Va.

June 14-16 New Hampshire Int’l Speedway Loudon, N.H.

July 19-21 Mosport Int’l Raceway Toronto, Ont. Can

August 1-4 Road America Elkhart Lake, Wis.

August 22-25 Pocono Raceway Long Pond, Pa.

Sept 5-8 Portland Int’l Raceway Portland, Ore.

Oct 16-20 Daytona Int’l Speedway Daytona Beach, Fla.



“We are pleased to announce our grandest schedule yet,” said Bill Syfan, director of road racing for Formula USA. “The increased number of events equates to more opportunities for riders and fans nationwide to be a part of Formula USA’s National Road Race Series and all of the other activities on a Formula USA weekend. Even at eight total events, we are still reviewing potential additions, but felt a need to communicate our confirmed dates today.”

The racing format will be headlined by the Lockhart Phillips Superbike class and supported again by the Formula USA Pro Sportbikes and the Buell Lightning Series. Five other support classes will round out the weekend’s racing action, while the Formula USA Motorsports Expo, XSBA (Xtreme Sport Bike Association) stunt bike competitions, and many other activities give fans a variety of entertainment all for one ticket price. Also returning is the TEAM HAMMER Advanced Riding School and Track Rides, the motorcycle road race school program offered the opening day of each event. (Except the Loudon & Mosport events.) TEAM HAMMER provides expert training and track time to entry level enthusiasts on the world’s premier tracks. For more information, visit www.formulausa.com

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