Tighter EPA regulations for two-stroke off-road vehicles could ban two-stroke grand prix racebikes, including the Yamaha TZ250, Honda RS250 and RS125, effectively dooming the AMA 250cc Grand Prix Series and other racing series in the U.S.

The proposed EPA regulations would contain exemptions for motocross racebikes used exclusively on closed-course racetracks, but the definition of such vehicles includes a minimum of 10 inches of suspension travel, far more than GP road race machines have.


Details are in this press release from the AMA:

New off-road emissions standards may end two-strokes

Sept. 26 – The federal government has sent a clear signal that it wants an end to two-stroke off-highway motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles by 2006, the AMA reports.

In its recently released proposal for national emissions standards covering off-highway motorcycles and ATVs, the Environmental Protection Agency has set requirements only slightly less stringent than those in place in California, which have severely restricted two-stroke off-highway machines there. Currently, there are no national emissions standards governing off-road motorcycles and ATVs. However, there are requirements for road motorcycles that have been in place for 20 years, and those will be revised in November.

Under the EPA proposal, which is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register early next month, new off-highway motorcycles and ATVs would be subject to strict emissions requirements that would be partially phased-in in 2006 and require 100 percent compliance in 2007. In addition, ATVs would be required to meet even tougher standards beginning in 2009.

The requirements wouldn’t affect machines built through 2005, but would apply to machines built in 2006 and thereafter. The EPA said it expects that manufacturers will meet these new, stringent off-highway standards by using four-stroke engines.

The EPA has decided to allow exemptions for off-road competition-only machines, described as vehicles lacking lights or a spark arrester, having suspension travel of more than 10 inches, and having an engine displacement larger than 50cc.

“Vehicles not meeting the applicable criteria…would be excluded (from the emissions requirements) only in cases where the manufacturer has clear and convincing evidence that the vehicles for which the exemption is being sought will be used solely for competition,” the EPA rules note.

During the initial comment period on the proposal, the AMA asked the EPA to avoid regulations that would eliminate two-stroke machines, favored by many off-highway riders for their light weight and power characteristics.

The AMA told the agency that it shouldn’t mandate the use of fuel injection, catalytic converters or other means to meet the new emissions requirements. Instead, the AMA said, manufacturers should be given the opportunity to meet performance-based standards through research and development. The Association suggested the EPA establish separate emissions standards for two-stroke and four-stroke motors, and then let the manufacturers work to meet those standards.

“We’ll oppose any efforts to do away with two-stroke off-road motorcycles and ATVs,” said Edward Moreland, the AMA vice president for government relations. “Enthusiasts should be able to choose whether to use two-stroke or four-stroke machines.”

The EPA had planned to propose new emissions standards for highway motorcycles alongside the off-highway standards, but now says the streetbike proposal will be made separately in November.

The AMA urges motorcyclists to write to the EPA and ask that the agency create separate emissions standards for four-stroke and two-stroke motorcycles and ATVs. Tell the agency that officials need to consider safety, cost and performance in creating the new standards.

The comment deadline is Dec. 19.

The easiest way to let the EPA know how you feel is by using the AMA’s Rapid Response Center. There, you will find a letter that you can send with a click of the mouse.

Or write to: Margaret Borushko (Docket No. A-2000-01), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, 2000 Traverwood Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105.

You may also submit comments by e-mail to [email protected].

The EPA plans to hold public hearings on the proposed rules on Oct. 24 in Washington, D.C., and Oct. 30 in Denver.

The off-highway emissions proposal and related developments can be read at the EPA website at www.epa.gov/otaq.

(More details, and how to respond via the AMA Rapid Response Center, on www.amadirectlink.com)

Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

AMA Pro Racing’s Ron Barrick comfirmed today that the pace car used in Sunday’s AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship finale at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) will be a Jaguar, and that he will drive it.

Barrick said that the deal to use a Jaguar X model came about by chance earlier this year, when he and track public relations manager Laura Comstock encountered a Jaguar dealer during a working dinner at a local restaurant.

Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The Ducati Women’s Race School (formerly Ducati Donne) program scheduled for October 27 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as part of the Ducati Revs America rally is completely booked.

The program, which includes riding a Ducati 996 and instruction from Freddie Spencer, is limited to 30 women who either race or want to race.

From a CCS press release:

SCHEDULE CHANGE NOTICE

CCS Southwest 200-Mile Team Challenge

The Championship Cup Series announced that the final Southwest regional 200-Mile Team Challenge will be moved from the October 6 event at Firebird East to the 3-mile road Course at Buttonwillow Raceway Park on November 10, 2001. Due to a scheduling error, the October 6-7 CCS event is on the East course at Firebird International Raceway instead of the main course, and the lack of a hot pit road makes the East course unsuitable for anything that requires a pit stop so in the interest of safety, the final event will be moved to Buttonwillow.

For more information, visit ccsracing.com.

Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

RPM, the WERA South Central affiliate, drew 1700 spectators to the first-ever motorcycle road race at the new, 1.8-mile Grand Bayou Circuit at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, Louisiana, September 15-16, according to RPM Race Director Tom Shields, who was RPM’s Race Director prior to leaving the organization this week.

During the event, Bradley Champion recorded the fastest lap of the weekend–setting the official motorcycle lap record–at 1:15.17, aboard a Richmond Suzuki-sponsored Yamaha YZF-R6 on Metzeler DOT-labeled tires.

Bent Racing’s Ty Stranger-Thorsen and Jim Bishop took the overall endurance race win at the new track, on their Ice Motorsports-sponsored 2001 Suzuki GSX-R600, and clinched the RPM/Coca-Cola Endurance Series Overall Championship. Bent Racing finished first or second overall in every RPM endurance race the team entered, and also won the Mediumweight Superbike class Championship.

“The keys to our season were that Jim Bishop and I never got into on-track battles, we never spun the rear tire except in the final stints, we prepared our bike meticulously, and we prepared for every scenario like unexpected tire changes which we could do in 30-35 seconds,” said Stranger-Thorsen.

Of the No Problem Raceway track, Stranger-Thorsen said, “It’s a very technical track. There are no standard passing places. You have to set up a pass over a couple of corners and take the line away from who you are passing. I like that. There is one bad place, the turn one-two combination, where you do not want to crash. We definitely need some Air Fence in that corner. It’s like turn eight on Texas World’s 2.9-mile course. Before they had the Air Fence there, you just knew that you couldn’t crash in that corner. But I was never uncomfortable racing at No Problem Raceway.”

Shields agreed with Stranger-Thorsen’s assessment, saying, “Yes, we really do need some Air Fence in that one corner, but the ownership of the track is so great to work with. I asked for more pavement to be added to the inside of the final corner at our test earlier this year, and it was done. We are really pleased with No Problem Raceway.”

RPM plans to host open track days and new rider schools at No Problem Raceway on the first Monday of October, November, and December in 2001 and hold two race events at the new track during the 2002 season.

Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Coming into the final two rounds of the AMA Chevy Trucks Superbike season at Willow Springs International Raceway and Virginia International Raceway, there were 26 riders with a mathematical chance of winning one or more of the six AMA National road racing Championships.

Now that Willow Springs has been cancelled and only the VIR round of the series remains, there are just 11 riders with achances at one of four Championship titles. Unfortunately, there
is only one Championship truly to be decided at VIR, barring any major mishaps.

The four riders in contention for the Buell Pro Thunder Championship will decide their final pecking order at a separate finale, held in conjunction with the WERA Grand National Finals at Road Atlanta October 24-28.

The Superbike Championship is between Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin and Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom. Mladin leads Bostrom by 15 points going into VIR.
That translates to Mladin only needing to finish 10th or better if Bostrom wins the race. If Bostrom wins and earns the bonus points for pole position and most laps led, Mladin would have to finish eighth or better to claim his third consecutive AMA Superbike Championship.

Mladin and Bostrom have both tested at VIR, and the track suits no particular riding style or type of bike. However, anything is possible in
racing and VIR’s tight, single-file esses sections plus the inclusion of pit stops in the longer-than-usual, 150-kilometer (93.2-mile) race could provide unforeseen excitement and drama.

One thing is for sure, Bostrom won’t be distracted by having to defend his Honda Pro Oils 600cc Supersport Championship chase. Bostrom holds a commanding 31-point lead over American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel and Yamaha’s Anthony Gobert. It matters little that Duhamel likes the VIR track and is the winningest 600cc Supersport rider in AMA history, or that Gobert has more natural talent than many on the grid. Bostrom needs only to finish half of the race distance in 24th or better position to win the Championship that he lost in a tie-breaker to Kurtis Roberts in 2000.

Speaking of tie-breakers, the Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme contest holds the weekend’s most suspense. Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s John
“Hopper” Hopkins, 18, and Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster are tied for the point lead coming to VIR with 229 points each. Basically, the rider who beats the other, no matter where they finish in the final race results, will be the Formula Xtreme Champion. Throwing in potential bonus points complicates things, however, including making it possible for the worst-finishing rider in the race to win the Championship by taking both bonus points. Another strange scenario including the bonus points is that both riders could end up tied in points again after the race.

In the event of a Championship points tie, the tie-breaker would be number of race wins. It is again conceivable that Hopkins and Buckmaster could then be tied on points and number of race wins with two each. The second tie-breaker would be the number of second-place finishes, which Hopkins would win 4-0. Any way you want to do the math, it should be a race to remember.

The MBNA 250cc Grand Prix class doesn’t look set for the dramatic season finale that Formula Xtreme promises, but the class Championship will taste no less sweet to Corbin Yamaha’s Jimmy Filice if he can finish seventh or better Sunday at VIR. The only other rider with a mathematical chance of taking the title from Filice is four-time AMA 250cc GP Champion Rich Oliver. But
even if Oliver wins all 38 points possible at VIR, Filice can still cruise home to the season Championship in seventh. Considering that Filice has only finished worst than third once during the season (fifth at Daytona), Oliver’s chances look slimmer. However, the season finale will not only draw all of the season regulars looking to end their campaigns on high notes, but also potential wild cards like Randy Renfrow, Roland Sands and Michael Himmelsbach, making Filice’s title far from secure.

With the WERA finale, the Buell Pro Thunder class has two rounds remaining, and each racer’s worst two finishes are yet to be dropped. Which means that four riders have a chance of winning the Championship. Tom Montano is the current points leader, before the drops; Montano and defending Champion Jeff Nash both look to give Ducati North America a third consecutive class title. On the other side, Dave Estok and Mike Ciccotto are vying to give Buell its first Championship in the series that carries the company’s name. All four riders have won during the year.

The Suzuki Genuine Accessories 750cc Supersport title was clinched by Corona Extra EBSCO Suzuki’s Jimmy Moore when the Willow Springs round was cancelled and his 53-point lead over second place Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Ben Spies became insurmountable.

From a press release, which we expected to have something in it about 165-horsepower 1200cc turbocharged Honda personal watercraft being used in spectacular at-sea chases of turtle-nappers, but, alas, no such luck:

Torrance, CA – Sea turtles are among the earth’s oldest surviving species. Their existence dates back nearly 90 million years to the time of the dinosaurs. But today, sea turtles are losing their place in the world. Plagued by exploitation, human development, and habitat degradation, six of the world’s seven sea turtle species are federally listed as endangered in U.S. waters.

American Honda’s Motorcycle Division has responded to this situation by supporting recovery efforts of the single most endangered species of sea turtle–the Kemp’s-Ridley sea turtle. Joining a cooperative effort by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the government of Mexico, Honda donated eight all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) earlier this year to the Ridley Sea Turtle Recovery Project, underway since 1978.

Honda ATVs patrol beaches in South Padre Island, Texas and more than 100 miles of remote beach in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. Project team members comb the beaches for nesting turtles, mark the sites, tag turtles, and collect eggs and relocate them to a protected area away from poachers, both human and animal.

“The Honda ATVs have proven indispensable to accomplish this part of our job,” says U.S. Field Group Coordinator Dr. Pat Burchfield. “We have used Honda all-terrain cycles exclusively for more than twenty-three years. Our fleet has grown from one three-wheeler in 1978 to more than twenty units which we operate under the harshest conditions imaginable.”

Honda’s OHV Media Coordinator Paul Slavik traveled to Mexico to see this project in person. “This was one of the most amazing projects I’ve been involved in,” says Slavik. “The project needed vehicles that were reliable, nimble, and environmentally-benign. And, our ATVs turned out to be the perfect tool for the project to substantially increase and expand the mobility of the researchers.”

“Honda has come through for this recovery effort in a big way,” says Burchfield. “It takes time to see the results of recovery efforts, but we are beginning to see a recovery of this species. Within the next three to five years, and with Honda’s help, we hope to see the Ridley sea turtle de-listed as endangered.”

In 1999, approximately 3,400 nests of Ridley sea turtles were identified in Mexico and about 20 were located along the south Texas coast. The current estimated population of nesting females is roughly 900, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service. Although nesting adults are concentrated in the Gulf of Mexico just off the coast of Texas and on the eastern edge of Mexico, mature turtles migrate throughout the Gulf of Mexico and up the Atlantic coast. The average Ridley Sea Turtle measures about two feet long and weighs between 70 and 95 pounds.

From a press release, issued for Mat Mladin by Steve Reeves:

MLADIN CLOSES IN ON THIRD CONSECUTIVE AMERICAN SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP

Alton, Virginia, USA – The 2001 AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship concludes this weekend with a 150-km `endurance ‘ race at Virginia International Raceway, with Australian Mat Mladin in a position to secure his third consecutive AMA Superbike Championship.

As the season draws to a close, Mladin (the winner of four races this year) holds a 16-point lead over nearest rival, Kawasaki mounted Eric Bostrom after what has been a season-long battle between the pair.

The tragic events in America over the past fortnight has changed the complexion of the championship, which saw the penultimate round scheduled for Willow Springs being cancelled. Mladin now is in a position where he only has to finish ninth or better aboard his Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R750 in the final race to win the championship if Bostrom gains maximum points from the round.

“Things are slowly getting back to normal here in America, but I will say that I am a bit nervous, as everyone else is, about flying across to the east coast this weekend,” said Mladin. “In a lot of ways I am looking forward to getting everything done this weekend and heading back to Australia.

“I’ll be treating this weekend the same as I’ve done at every round so far this year, with all emphasis on winning the championship. I will be looking at getting pole on Saturday, but then Sunday will be a tactical one where I’ll be watching closely where Eric (Bostrom) is on the track. Aside from that I expect it to be as close as it has all year.”

This weekend’s 150-km, 42-lap race at VIR will be the only other round other than the season opener in Daytona (which Mladin won) that will include pit stops.

“We (the Yoshimura Suzuki team) have been in endurance trim for the past few races, using components and strategy that we normally use at Daytona just to make sure things go right this weekend. The guys have been working on their pit stop technique and I’m sure we will be right for the weekend. The race itself should be fine. It’s not so much an endurance race, only that it has a pit stop, however I guess we will still be looking at conserving the revs and tyres to make sure that we are there at the end.”


Points after 13 of 14 rounds
Mat Mladin 360 points
Eric Bostrom 344
Nicky Hayden 303
Doug Chandler 292
Miguel DuHamel 274
Tommy Hayden 270
Jamie Hacking 267
Steve Rapp 246
Kurtis Roberts 224
Andreas Meklau 211


2001 AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship
Round 1: 11 March Daytona 200
Round 2: 6 May Sears Point
Round 3: 19 May Road Atlanta**
Round 4: 20 May Road Atlanta**
Round 5: 9 June Road America**
Round 6: 10 June Road America**
Round 7: 17 June New Hampshire
Round 8: 8 July Laguna Seca
Round 9: 21 July Mid Ohio**
Round 10: 22 July Mid Ohio**
Round 11: 29 July Brainerd
Round 12: 26 August Pikes Peak
Round 13: 16 Sept Willow Springs
Round 14: 30 Sept Virginia
** denotes double header superbike round

Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

“I’m looking forward to Virginia,” said Nicky Hayden, winner of the last three AMA Superbike races. “It should be an interesting race. We’ve tested there a bunch. It’s a tough track, but it’s good. Some people thought it was a little tight and all, but I enjoy it. It’s really smooth. Most of our tracks around here now are bumpy and have patches in the pavement. Virginia
has a few bumps, but for the most part, it’s completely smooth. So it’s kind of neat to be able to get on a track like that.

“It should be fun. We get to do a pit stop and stuff. It’s gonna be interesting to see how they do it. It’s not like Daytona as far as pulling
on and off the track. It’s gonna be a lot tougher with VIR’s pit road. At Daytona, no one is allowed to go across pit road, but here people have to go across pit road to signal. Coming off the track won’t be too bad, but getting back on, you pull out right down in turn one. Hopefully, everyone will be safe. They’re gonna have a speed limit on pit road. I forget how fast it is, but it’s gonna be tough. We don’t have a speedometer or anything like the cars; just set the rev-limiter down, put it in second gear and hold
it wide open. So I don’t know how it’s all going to work out.

“It’s going to be nice to get back to racing after all that’s happened. I just hope people are able to take some time and come enjoy the races.”

Calling into question the claim made earlier this year by an AMA Director that AMA Pro Racing only uses a pace car at Daytona because the Speedway has existing sponsorship agreements that promise use of a specific pace car at all events, the AMA Superbike race at Viriginia International Raceway this coming weekend will include the use of a pace car.

The use of confusing orange pace car flags–mistaken by some riders as yellow flags–and deployment of the relatively-slow-moving pace car directly onto the banking and in front of the field at Daytona resulted in a horrendous high-speed pile-up during this year’s Daytona 200. Shortly afterwards, AMA Pro Racing CEO Scott Hollingsworth placed the blame for the pileup squarely on the shoulders of the involved riders and decried widespread criticism of existing pace car procedures–and even the use of a pace car itself–in the press.

And asked why the AMA even uses a pace car at Daytona, an AMA Pro Racing Director said that the organization did not want to use a pace car and would not use one if not forced to do so by Daytona International Speedway’s pre-existing sponsorship commitments.

Apparently everything has changed, as the AMA will now deploy a pace car at another racetrack, with a significantly modified deployment procedure.

An AMA press release on the pace car situation at VIR follows:

PACE CAR SYSTEM READIED FOR USE AT VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — This weekend’s final round of the AMA Chevy Trucks Superbike U.S. Superbike Championship at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Va., will include the use of a pace car in lieu of a race-stopping red flag, as circumstances warrant.

According to AMA Pro Racing’s Road Race Operations Manager Gary Mathers, “The procedures for using a pace car during AMA road races has been revamped with the assistance of the Road Race Advisory Board, and we believe this new system will enhance the safety of the racers on the track while also creating better racing. The main purpose of the pace car system is to keep the racers on the track and moving while dangerous situations (such as debris on the track or downed riders) are cleared. The use of a pace car also eliminates the need for a restart and the attendant complications that can arise.”

Under the reworked system, during a hazardous situation the flag marshals will display a newly generated pace car flag with larger dimensions and distinctive graphics that make it easily identified by riders at racing speeds. In addition, two strobe lights placed at the straight-away preceding the start/finish line will be flashing a warning, and a large “Pace Car” sign will be displayed at the start/finish line prior to the car’s entry onto the track. When the field has slowed and conditions are safe, the pace car will then deploy from the pit lane and merge onto the track.

“We are very conscious about rider safety,” Mathers added, “and we believe this system will work to the riders’ benefit. Pace cars are being used with fine results in other venues of motorsports that attain even higher speeds than we see out on the track during our events. We are confident we can configure a safe pace car system that will serve our racing needs.”

Additional details concerning the pace car system will be outlined for competitors preceding the event at Virginia International Raceway.