It’s not too often that you see a tire-company CEO on the back of a Yamaha YZR500.

But that’s exactly what fans saw when Michelin Group Chairman and CEO Edouard Michelin visited Valencia, Spain last September to witness Michelin’s 50th consecutive 500cc Grand Prix. Before the race started, Edouard Michelin took a two-lap ride aboard Marlboro Yamaha’s specially-equipped two-seat YZR500, with Randy Mamola at the controls.

“After the pre-ride briefing I knew I was in for something very special, because Randy (Mamola) only told me two signals – one to ask him to stop, the other to ask him to go slower, there’s no signal for ‘please go faster!'” Michelin was quoted as saying in a press release from the tire company. “I was worried how far we were away from the limit. The forces generated in braking, cornering and acceleration are unbelievable, so when Randy told me that our times were a wet-weather pace, it took my breath away. I’ll never forget that ride, and my thanks to everyone who made it possible.”

Michelin also got to see Telefonica Movistar Suzuki’s Sete Gibernau take his first 500cc Grand Prix win in a thrilling race with Alex Barros and Kenny Roberts on a drying track.

“This has been a very memorable day for me – motorcycle Grand Prix racing is a fantastic show,” Michelin, 38, was also quoted as saying in the release. “It’s all been a lot of fun, but obviously I didn’t come here to enjoy myself. I came here to remind everyone that we are totally committed to bike racing. Michelin is the most successful tire manufacturer in two-wheel and four-wheel motorsport, and while our return to F1 this year has generated huge interest, and perhaps even better results than we’d expected, we are still totally dedicated to our two-wheel work.

“Although racing is a marketing tool, most of all we are passionate engineers, that’s why we work so hard to create new technology and new tires. The improvement in lap and race speeds is down to the riders and the bikes, and we like to think we have also made a good contribution. We never stand still. Bike racing is very different from car racing. In cars, 99 percent of the drivers will choose the same tire, but in bikes there are so many different riding styles that riders need many different tires. That’s why we produce such a range.

“I have one regret – that we don’t have any competitors. But that will change next year when 990cc four-strokes enter the premier GP class. Of course, we’ve not been alone in 500s for long, only since last summer, and it’s true to say that none of the other tire manufacturers pulled out, it’s just that nobody asked them for tires.

“The new four-stroke GP class is another great technical challenge for us and we relish that. The bikes make more power and they’re heavier, so we’re looking at building bigger tires that can handle those demands, especially on faster circuits. We’ve already had some streetbike riders ask us for 16.5s and I think this shows the link between road and track is even closer in bikes than it is in cars.”

Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Despite what he told Roadracingworld.com in a phone interview November 8, Corona Extra Suzuki’s Landers Sevier V now says that he hasn’t signed Pascal Picotte and Steve Rapp to ride for his team in 2002.

Landers sent an e-mail to Roadracing World on Monday, November 12 with copies going to Tim Saunders (another principal in the Corona Extra Suzuki team), Steve Rapp, Alan Labrosse (Picotte’s manager), Carry Andrew (Corona Extra Suzuki Crew Chief), American Suzuki’s Jeff Wilson, American Suzuki’s Pat Alexander and 1991 AMA Superbike Champion Thomas Stevens (Rapp’s manager).

The e-mail read:

“I want to clarify the statements made in our phone conversation last week regarding the status of Corona Extra Suzuki riders for our AMA/Solar Winds Tour 2002.

“Rapp and Picotte, as I stated, have both expressed interest and intent to ride our FX and 600s–provided their requests for compensation are met. They by no means are ‘done deals’. Both riders know our position and it is up to them to make their decisions. We do have several qualified guys (capable of producing AMA Championships) available to us (from overseas as well as here in the States) with whom we are keeping an open pipeline of communication should either Rapp or Picotte decide Corona Extra Suzuki is not the route they want to go for 2002. I think a decision will be made in the upcoming week.

“Jimmy Moore will, as we discussed, defend his 750SS Championship on Corona Suzukis as well as compete in 600SS and select rounds of Formula Extreme.

“Please make an effort to ‘correct’ the ‘Rapp and Picotte to Corona’ entry on the roadracingworld.com website. All other aspects of the conversation were published accurately. If you have any questions, please give me call.

“Landers Sevier, V”

Racer Pete Christensen, co-winner of the 1999 WERA 24-hours West at Willow Springs, married Stasia Moore on September 16, in a private ceremony in Las Vegas. CCS California Region racer David Hawks married Ursula Ward October 21, in Long Beach, California. Racer Eoin Smith got engaged to longtime girlfriend Tina Lennon during the F-USA/CCS Race of Champions weekend, October 17-21 at Daytona, with the wedding date to be announced. CCS Southwest Region racer Peter Spilger is engaged to marry “pit boss” Renate Roel, with the wedding set for October, 2002, after the final race at Firebird. Racer Des Conboy and wife Finola had a daughter, Amy Marie Conboy, August 17 in Hackensack, New Jersey. (E-mail wedding, birth and other announcements to [email protected]; include your name and contact information, with daytime phone number.)

Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts


Roadracing World reader Tom Southworth is on a selection committee seeking display vehicles for the annual Eyes on Design exhibit of automotive and transportation art in Detroit, Michigan. The theme for this year’s exhibit is Performance Vehicles, and Southworth is looking for high-performance motorcycles and racebikes to display.

The show benefits the Detroit Institute of Opthamology and will run from June 14-16, 2002.

For more information, contact Tom Southworth at [email protected] or go to www.eyesondesign.com.

1/19-20, Willow Springs Raceway, Rosamond, CA
2/16-17, Willow Springs Raceway, Rosamond, CA
3/16-17, Willow Springs Raceway, Rosamond, CA
4/13-14, Willow Springs Raceway, Rosamond, CA
5/18-19, Willow Springs Raceway, Rosamond, CA
6/15-16, Willow Springs Raceway, Rosamond, CA
7/20-21, Willow Springs Raceway, Rosamond, CA
8/17-18, Willow Springs Raceway, Rosamond, CA
9/14-15, Willow Springs Raceway, Rosamond, CA
10/19-20, Willow Springs Raceway, Rosamond, CA
11/16-17, Willow Springs Raceway, Rosamond, CA
12/14-15, Willow Springs Raceway, Rosamond, CA
For additional info, call (661) 256-1234, e-mail [email protected], online www.race-wsmc.com

From a press release issued by Norm Viano, Eric Bostrom’s manager:


BOSS HOG RETURNS FROM JAPAN

While most racers were content to take a breather in November and watch the leaves change color after a hectic 2001 racing season, ‘Boss Hog’, Eric Bostrom, was busy preparing for his 2002 AMA Superbike title challenge. With a Japanese Superbike race at Sugo last weekend, Kawasaki thought it would be a good start to the off-season to have Eric attend the race weekend and learn the track, which will likely be one of the WSBK wild-card rounds that Eric will enter in 2002.

The casual fan will look at his 11th place result in Sunday’s race (behind Kawasaki’s Izutsu and Walker) and wonder what happened, but the truth is that the weekend was a big success for Bostrom. “It was real cold out during qualifying – it even snowed up in the mountains – it was super cold and we were there for testing only. I didn’t care about the race. We would have liked to have had a good result if we had gotten the bike completely set-up in time, but it didn’t happen. In qualifying we had a bad deal – I went in too fast in the beginning and almost high-sided, which took me into the gravel trap and the bike got worked a little bit. So by the time we got the bike back out on the track after fixing a few things, there wasn’t much time left to qualify. And in the race, we got off to a slow start and after I got used to the bike, I caught up to Chris (Walker) and another Japanese rider and we had our own little race. The track was a little wet here and there, but it was fun. For awhile, I couldn’t get the bike to turn in how I want, but finally we made some advancements with the bike on Monday and Tuesday (after the race), and we put down some decent lap times. And if we can get just a little bit more handling out of the bike, I think we’ll be in the hunt when we come back for the World Superbike race in April.”

This trip also allowed him to ride with his two new (world) teammates, Walker and Izutsu. “Izutsu’s a good dude, he’s pretty funny. He’s a full-on high roller, with his big-bodied Benz and his Rolex – it’s funny. But he rides real hard. It bites him sometimes because he falls off a bit, but obviously it’s a different game in Japan, and he does great there. Then in Europe he got thrown to the wolves and had some pretty tough results this season – next year he’ll have some ups and downs. But he’s good, I like him. And Chris (Walker) is a good guy too. He’s funny to be around and seems to try real hard when he gets on the track. All the fans like him, especially the Brits. He’ll be fun to ride with next year.”

What’s next on the agenda for Eric? “Red Bull is flying me and (brother) Ben to Puerto Rico for 5 days next week. I’m looking forward to it – there’s going to be a variety of Red Bull athletes there. I met some cool snowboarders already. And we’re going to a place on earth where I’ve never been, it should be a lot of fun. How many companies fly all their athletes to a tropical place for no other reason than to just surf, play, party, and have a good time? They’re a great sponsor.”

Eric also came back to the States in time to hear that he had been nominated for the AMA Pro Athlete of the Year award. “It’s pretty cool to be nominated, really. I think that if we had won both championships this year (Superbike and 600 Supersport) we would have really deserved it, but (Supercross Champion Ricky) Carmichael will be the man to beat, and he had a shining year. I think that he deserves it.”

Macau Grand Prix Provisional Entry List:

(rider number, name, team name, motorcycle brand and size, nationality)

2, David Jefferies, V&M Racing, GBR

3, Vincent Haskovec, Attack Suzuki, GSX-R1000, USA

4, John McGuiness, Honda Britain/Paul Bird Motorsports, Honda 960, GBR

5, Gus Scott, Honda Britain /Paul Bird Motorsports, Honda 960, GBR

6, Markus Barth, Team Suzuki Schafer, Suzuki, GER

7, Iain Duffus, GBR

8, Roger Bennett, Ducati, GBR

9, Marco Martinez, Martinez Racing, Suzuki GSX-R750, USA

10, Dean Ashton, GBR

11, Ian Lougher, TAS Suzuki GB, Suzuki GSX-R1000, GBR

12, Jason Griffiths, V&M Racing, GBR

14, Adrian Archibald, GBR

15, Nigel Davies, Dragon Racing, Suzuki GSX-R750, GBR

16, Ashley Law, Sabre Sport, Sabre V4 500, GBR

17, Brian Morrison, GBR

18, Marcel Kellenberger, Team Bolliger, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, SWI

20, Alan Patterson, Team Millar, Honda 500, GBR

21, Callum Ramsay, Nick Morgan Racing, GBR

22, Ronnie Smith, Nick Morgan Racing, GBR

23, Steve Allan, Nick Morgan Racing, GBR

24, Mark Miller, Attack Suzuki, Suzuki GSX-R1000, USA

25, Pete Jennings, GBR

33, Thomas Hinterreiter, Team Rubatto, Suzuki GSX-R1000, AUT

40, Thomas Ochsenreiter, Bridgestone Bikersport, Suzuki GSX-R750, GER

42, Benny Jerzenbeck, Bender-Four-Star-Racing, Suzuki GSX-R1000, GER

77, Ryan Farquhar, McAdoo Racing, Yamaha YZF-R1, GBR

The Macau Grand Prix is scheduled to take place Saturday, November 17, 2001.

2000 Macau Grand Prix winner Michael Rutter was not listed as an entry for the 2001 race.