From a press release:

MARLBORO YAMAHA TEAM TESTS
Valencia, Spain
Friday, February 15, 2002

CHECA FAST AT VALENCIA, BIAGGI TUMBLES & WAITS

Marlboro Yamaha Team riders Carlos Checa and Max Biaggi commenced their first full European test session of 2002 at Valencia today, Checa lapping inside the track record, Biaggi enjoying less luck with a high-speed spill and a minor bike problem.

The pair are taking part in the first IRTA-organised test of the year, evaluating their YZR-M1 four-strokes for the first time alongside several rival teams, though the factory Honda and Suzuki squads are absent. Both men took their time to get up to speed, explaining that the track had been dirtied by Formula One car testing which ended yesterday.

“The track wasn’t so bad at the end of the day but by then the temperature was a bit low and it was still quite windy,” said Checa, whose 1:35.488 best is six tenths inside the Valencia 500 lap record. “Anyway, this is only the first day of the tests so I don’t care about lap times, although I’ve already gone as fast as I ever went here on the 500. We tried a few engine parts and also worked on the chassis settings, trying to improve feel. I’m looking forward to the next couple of days; if it’s warm enough we should get some good work done.”

Biaggi completed less laps than his teammate after tumbling at turn one late in the morning. While his mechanics worked at repairing the damage the Italian continued with his other bike but an electrical glitch stopped that machine. This was the first M1 stoppage experienced by the Marlboro Yamaha Team.

“It’s been a long day, with a lot of waiting,” said Biaggi. “I slid off at turn one and then we had a problem with my other bike, so I’ve just been watching from the pits. When I finally got back out, the track temperature was already down so conditions weren’t ideal but we’ve still got two days to go here. It’s a shame that the teams which are likely to be our real rivals aren’t here but we’ve got a fair idea of what we’ve got to do and we’ll find out about the other four-strokes when we test with them at Barcelona next month. At the moment we’re just looking at getting as much data as possible for the Japanese engineers to work with.”

Yamaha YZR-M1 project leader Ichiro Yoda expects the team to achieve much more during the final two days of this test. “We have some new engine parts here, aimed at smoothing the torque for tight tracks like this,” said Yoda.

“And we also have parts for the electronic control system for engine braking, but we didn’t have time to try these today. It was a shame that Max lost so much time; we’ll try and make up for that during Saturday and Sunday.”

Yamaha test rider John Kocinski, who won the 1990 250 World Championship for Marlboro Yamaha Team Roberts, is also riding an M1 here, the American completing a full day of tests at a similar pace to Checa and Biaggi.

LAP TIMES

Carlos Checa (Marlboro Yamaha Team), 1:35.488

Max Biaggi (Marlboro Yamaha Team), 1:35.910

From a press release:

OPTIMISM AS NEW SUZUKI PASSES SECOND TEST

TELEFONICA MOVISTAR SUZUKI left Australia’s Eastern Creek circuit today in optimistic mood after completing the second round of tests of the all-new V4 four-stroke XRE0 – and measuring steady progress in the high-pressure task of readying the first prototype for racing.

Team riders Kenny Roberts Jr. and Sete Gibernau were joined by Japanese factory tester Yukio Kagayama, a full complement of factory engineers, and by the first tranche of technical and electronic revisions to the rorty new MotoGP four-stroke racer.

These came in response to feedback from the first test sessions at Sepang the previous week. Now the team will travel from the Sydney circuit to Phillip Island south of Melbourne, venue of the Australian GP, to continue the development process.

Although second factory rider Akira Ryo had returned home ill after only one of the three days at Eastern Creek, and the first day was spoiled by rain, the remaining riders were able to make significant progress at the demanding circuit, last used for the Australian GP in 1996.

“In spite of the first day’s rain, the tests went well, and everybody in the team is still very upbeat. The bike is very fast, sounds fantastic, and is getting better all the time,” said team manager Garry Taylor. “The riders and the engineers are on a fast learning curve.

“At the same time, we are very conscious that this is still an early prototype and we have an awful lot of work to do before it is a fully refined and competitive racer. Time is short, and the first race only weeks away,” he said.

“Our hopes for the new bike are high, but we have to keep working hard to get it there. You could say we’re cautiously optimistic,” he added.

The Suzuki XRE0 was originally planned to race for the first time in 2003, with a full year of development during 2002. The project was put forward by a full year after the promise shown in early bench and track tests.


KENNY ROBERTS – BIT BY BIT

“Eastern Creek is a very demanding circuit, with hard braking, up-and-down corners, fast sections, and lots of bumps. We found out things about the bike that didn’t show up at Sepang – and bit by bit we’re solving the problems, then going to find the next one. That’s development. It’s interesting, and exciting, but we have a ways to go yet.”


SETE GIBERNAU – PROGRESS IS POSITIVE

“I always try to emphasise the positive – and there are a lot of positives about the new bike. One is the machine. It has a lot of potential, and we’re digging deeper into it all the time. Another is the atmosphere, and the attitude of the team and the engineers. We’re all pulling together, and that’s the way to move forward rapidly.”

Red Bull Yamaha’s John Hopkins, 18, of Ramona, California was 13th fastest on the first day of IRTA team testing at Valencia, Spain Friday.

Hopkins’ best lap on his Yamaha YZR500 was 1:37.720.

His teammate, Garry McCoy, was fifth fastest at 1:36.159. Only a few riders’ times were available at post time, and follow:

Alex Barros, Honda NSR500, 1:35.213
Carlos Checa, Yamaha M1, 1:35.488
John Kocinski, Yamaha M1, 1:35.649
Max Biaggi, Yamaha M1, 1:35.910
Garry McCoy, Yamaha YZR500, 1:36.159
Shinya Nakano, Yamaha YZR500, 1:36.671
Olivier Jacque, Yamaha YZR500, 1:36.685
John Hopkins, Yamaha YZR500, 1:37.720

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Yamaha’s Anthony Gobert turned a 1:25.186 on his Dunlop-race-tire-equipped 2002 YZF-R7 Thursday afternoon to finish the three-day AMA team test with the unofficial lap record for the new 2.36-mile infield road course. Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster rode his Dunlop-sponsored YZF-R6 and YZF-R1/R7 hybrid to the fastest 600cc Supersport and Formula Xtreme lap times, respectively.

In near perfect weather conditions, Gobert and Buckmaster adapted to a new turn one chicane configuration Thursday morning and to a revised transition from the infield to the front straightaway Thursday afternoon to log their fastest laps.

Gobert turned his fastest lap just after lunch when AMA Pro Racing’s Gary Mathers opened up the artificially-restricted section of track leading riders onto the Speedway’s long front straight. Mathers said that he expected both the turn one chicane configuration and the new layout of the section leading onto the front straight, to remain the same for the AMA races scheduled for April.

“The new ’02 Yamaha R7 is awesome, the new Ohlins suspension is awesome and I thank Yamaha for continuing the development of the R7. For a while there, it wasn’t looking like they were going to do more on it. Then all of a sudden, they surprised us with new parts. I’m really, really happy and confident going into Daytona,” said Gobert.

Gobert and his crew ended their test by practicing pit stops for Daytona. The team’s best was 9.8 seconds for two tires and fuel.

After spending the majority of his afternoon testing tires, Mat Mladin picked up his pace toward the end of the day to finish the test with the second-fastest time of 1:25.429. But Mladin said he didn’t put much stock into anyone’s lap times at the new circuit because there were so many places to cut the course, with no one monitoring during the test.

Buckmaster made his fastest 600cc lap Thursday morning before shifting his focus to his Formula Xtreme Yamaha. After some chassis refinement, Buckmaster was battling for fast Formula Xtreme lap honors with Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Tom Kipp. As the Valvoline team finished off the last of their Michelins, Buckmaster and teammate Aaron Gobert switched from 2001-spec Dunlops to the much-talked-about, larger 2002 Dunlop slicks. Using the new tires, Buckmaster dropped his lap time from low 1:27s to a best of 1:26.223, and Gobert dropped to low 1:27s, according to AMA scoring.

Best Lap Times
From Thursday Afternoon:
(Ranking, Rider Name, Machine, Class, Best Lap Time, Second Best Lap Time, Trap Speed)
1. Anthony Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R7, SB, 1:25.186, 1:25.484, 168.372 mph
2. Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R750, SB, 1:25.429, 1:25.449, 166.054 mph
3. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, SB, 1:26.090, 1:26.328, 165.201 mph
4. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha YZF-R1/R7, FX, 1:26.223, 1:26.732, 166.054 mph
5. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R750, SB, 1:26.295, 1:26.444, 163.521 mph
6. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki GSX-R750, SB, 1:26.812, 1:26.835, 161.875 mph
7. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R1/R7, FX, 1:27.074, 1:27.312, 166.916 mph
8. Tom Kipp, Suzuki GSX-R1000, FX, 1:27.169, 1:27.389, 168.372 mph
9. Josh Hayes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, FX, 1:27.862, 1:27.886, 168.079 mph
10. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki GSX-R1000, FX 1:28.190, 1:28.195, 164.637 mph
11. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 600cc SS, 1:28.673, 1:28.762, 147.745 mph
12. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R600, 600cc SS, 1:28.742, 1:28.865, 147.069 mph
13. Ben Spies, Suzuki GSX-R1000, FX, 1:28.945, 1:28.952, 168.079 mph
14. Tony Meiring, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 600cc SS, 1:30.333, 1:30.335, 148.427 mph
15. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki GSX-R750, Superstock, 1:31.538, 1:31.622, 153.139 mph

From a press release announcing that the former Dorina Groves, who recently married racer Shane Clarke, has been hired by AMA Pro Racing to take over the job done last year by Larry Lawrence:

AMA PRO RACING HIRES DORINA CLARKE AS MEDIA RELATIONS MANAGER FOR AMA CHEVY TRUCKS U.S. SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — AMA Pro Racing, the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the U.S., has hired Dorina Clarke (formerly Groves) as media relations manager for the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship. Clarke will be responsible for working with race promoters to generate pre-event publicity for all AMA Superbike races, as well as managing media relations and public relations activities on-site at all events.

Clarke’s hiring is an integral component of AMA Pro Racing’s overall plan to improve and add structure to the media relations function for the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship. She will have primary responsibility for facilitating communications between media, AMA Pro Racing and AMA Superbike riders, as well as implementing a comprehensive program for press conferences, both prior to each event and post-race.

“AMA Pro Racing continues to add qualified personnel to improve and develop all our racing properties,” said Scott Hollingsworth, CEO, AMA Pro Racing. “We are committed to taking our U.S. Superbike Championship to new levels of professionalism, making it better for everyone involved. Hiring Dorina will enhance our ability to effectively communicate with media, and will also help bridge the gap between individual riders, Superbike teams and the media. We are fortunate to have such an industry expert dedicated to improving our AMA U.S. Superbike Championship.”

Clarke has worked for six years in marketing and public relations, including one year as public relations/promotions manager of a championship-level AMA Supercross and road racing team. Prior to joining AMA Pro Racing, she worked as a freelance promotional manager for several clients, including freestyle motocross riders Trevor Vines, Mike Metzger and Dustin Miller. She also worked for San Bernardino, Calif., based Chaparral Motorsports, managing public relations and promotions for its race teams, including seven-time AMA EA Sports Supercross star Jeremy McGrath and AMA road racer Damon Buckmaster.

“I’m excited to join the AMA Pro Racing team,” Clarke said. “My goal, and the goal of AMA Pro Racing, is to increase the visibility of road-racing, and begin to bring it to a more mainstream audience. To achieve this goal, we’ll be more focused on our media relations efforts, making it easier for media to get the information they need from AMA Pro Racing.”

Clarke will work from her office in Olathe, Kansas. She can be reached via email at [email protected] or at (913) 764-0533.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Yamaha’s Anthony Gobert continued to set the pace during AMA team testing at California Speedway Thursday with a new unofficial lap record of 1:25.748, 0.4-second faster than Gobert’s previous best from Wednesday. Gobert continues to gain speed as he becomes more familiar with his new, more powerful 2002 Yamaha YZF-R7 Superbike and more comfortable with the 2.36-mile infield road course, but Gobert admits that a new change to the turn one chicane helped him better his time.

For Thursday, AMA Pro Racing’s Gary Mathers moved the third and final apex of the turn one chicane 100 feet farther from the entrance. Riders felt that the change made the chicane faster and easier to muscle their bikes through, but some riders, like Gobert and Mat Mladin, still do not like the chicane.

“They may not like it,” said Mathers on pit lane Thursday morning. “But I’m trying to keep them safe.” Mahers added that the current turn one chicane was “about the 19th” version he had tried, and unless something unexpected happened Thursday afternoon that the chicane would stay as it is for the April national.

Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Tom Kipp was the fastest Formula Xtreme rider Thursday morning with a 1:27.979 on his Todd Fenton-tuned GSX-R1000, while Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster lept to the top of the 600cc Supersport time sheets with a 1:28.651, making him the first 600cc rider in the 1:28s at California Speedway.

Buckmaster’s lap was confirmed as legitimate after several other riders questioned the time. In his final stint of the test on his YZF-R6, Buckmaster put on new tires and turned a 1:28.774 followed by his 1:28.651. Buckmaster’s previous best 600cc lap time from Wednesday was a 1:29.4.

“Let Tommy (Hayden) chase that time around the rest of the day,” joked Buckmaster of the previous fastest 600cc Supersport rider at the Fontana facility. Buckmaster will spend Thursday afternoon on his Formula Xtreme Yamaha.

Most times should fall as the test comes to a close, since Dunlop qualifying tires have been seen on pit lane already.

Unofficial Thursday Morning Lap Times:

1. Anthony Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R7, 1:25.748
2. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:26.267
3. Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:26.407
4. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:26.675**
5. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:27.012
6. Tom Kipp, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:27.979
7. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:28.651
8. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:29.221
9. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:29.275
10. Josh Hayes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:29.559
11. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:29.641
12. Tony Meiring, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:30.632
13. Ben Spies, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:31.447
14. Tom Kipp, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:31.996
15. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:32.812

**Cut lap. Hacking’s actual best lap time, according to Crew Chief Jerry Daggett, was a 1:27.01.

From a press release:

CCS PRESENTED BY LOCKHART PHILLIPS USA DOUBLES LAST YEAR’S NUMBERS AT STREETS OF WILLOW

AURORA, Ill. (February 13, 2002) – Clear Channel Entertainment’s motorsports division announced today that Formula USA’s Championship Cup Series presented by Lockhart Phillips USA season opener more than doubled last year’s rider entry numbers and was a 20% increase over last season’s largest single event turnout at Streets of Willow.

There were 539 entries, 156 riders, and CCS paid out over $5500 in cash. Even with the Anaheim Supercross and the Super Bowl as competition, the rider turnout was formidable as 54 riders battled for the big money in the Speedscreen Unlimited GP races, and 46 riders chased the Akrapovic GTU purse around the 1.6 mile course at the Streets of Willow Springs. Brian Long, 2001 Expert Champion continued his winning ways with seven wins – one second and two thirds out of 12 races.

Along with the races, over one hundred people attended the CCS Pacific Awards presentation on Saturday night where 42 Regional Class Champions from 2001 were crowned and another 30 were recognized for their top five finishes in those same title classes. Rookie Experts Matthew Hartlieb and Dusty Schaller showed their talent as Hartlieb was on the podium seven times and Schaller had a respectable two podium finishes. Great accomplishments considering these rookies were racing against several regular Formula USA National Sportbike competitors. WSMC’s Jeremy Toye came over from WSMC to try his luck, and with the help of off-track excursions by Brian Long and early leader Chad Roland; Toye was able to nail down the win and the lion’s share of the Speedscreen Unlimited GP purse.

“This was a tremendous season opener for CCS presented by Lockhart Phillips USA, we are completely impressed with rider participation and excitement and this is a major victory for the Pacific region of CCS”, said Kevin Elliott, CCS Manager for Formula USA.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Roadracing World Website Editor Melissa Berkoff is attending a Ducati Corse press conference being held on Saturday, February 23 in Valencia, Spain.

Is there something you’d like to ask riders Troy Bayliss, Ben Bostrom, Ruben Xaus or Ducati Corse boss Claudio Domenicali?

If so, e-mail your questions and an indication of who they are for to [email protected], and she will try to get them answered at the press conference.

From a press release:

KWS Motorsports has settled into their new shop just in time for the 2002 racing season. The new shop, located at 4675 Franchise Street in North Charleston SC 29418, is better equipped to handle the high volume of customers they serve. With new bike lifts, a second story warehouse area, larger product display area, and custom designed workstations for KWS employees, the shop can more efficiently serve their customers.

Contrary to information received in the initial move, Ma-Bell has forced KWS Motorsports to change their phone numbers. The NEW phone numbers for KWS Motorsports are 843-552-7177, Toll Free 1-866-566-0004, or Fax 843-552-7132.

From a press release:

FORMULA USA TO CONDUCT TRAINING IN DAYTONA

AURORA, Ill. (February 12, 2002) – Clear Channel Entertainment’s Motor Sports division announced today that Formula USA National Road Race Series
and Championship Cup Series will be conducting a cornerworker training seminar on Thursday, February 28, 2002, 7:00 pm at the American Motorcycle Institute, A.M.I., in Daytona Beach, Fla.

National Safety Director Roger Lyle will be reviewing procedures for flagging, worker priorities, motorcycle pick-up, proper dress, and communications. This seminar is free and open to anyone with interest in learning how to cornerwork at the Formula USA National and CCS road races. Formula USA 2001 National Road Racing champions Shawn Higbee, Lee Acree, Mike Himmelsbach, and three-time AMA National Champion Randy Renfrow have been invited to welcome all corner marshals and explain the importance of having trained safety personnel at the races.

For more info contact Roger Lyle at [email protected] or 301-933-2599.

Formula USA thanks A.M.I. President Lamar Williams, the staff, and students of A.M.I for opening their school and hosting this event, and many thanks for all the years A.M.I. has provided classrooms, students, and support for cornerworking at the Daytona International Speedway.