From a Ducati press release:

DUCATI CORSE PRESS INFORMATION
WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
Round 5 – Monza (Italy), 12 May 2002

PREVIEW
The World Superbike Championship returns to Europe this weekend for round 5 of 13 at the high-speed Monza Grand Prix circuit on the outskirts of Milan. The legendary 5.793 km track always sees close, slipstreaming battles for the lead and this year promises more of the same, with all eyes on reigning champion Troy Bayliss (Ducati Infostrada), whose charge towards the 2001 world title began exactly one year ago at this circuit.

Troy has won six of the eight races held so far this year and considers the Monza parkland circuit one of his favourites. “I’m really looking forward to racing at Monza, it’s one of my favourite circuits and we got a double win there last year” he declared. “We tested there last week and things went well. I just love the atmosphere and the park makes it really special. This year it’s going to be tougher than ever, Colin will be up there and so will Ben, Ruben, Haga and Hodgson after his performance in Japan. There will be five or six guys slipstreaming at the front for a while and then we’ll see what happens in the last couple of laps.”

Ruben Xaus (Ducati Infostrada), who injured two fingers of his left hand in a crash at the last round in Sugo, comes to Monza after an operation last week to patch up his skin. “I like Monza, it’s a great place to race, but it all depends on the weather, which for the moment doesn’t look too good for the weekend” declared Ruben. “If it rains then you have to set the bike up both for the wet as well as the dry and in that case you won’t see much slipstreaming. My hand feels OK now and I can’t wait to start the races on Sunday”.

Ben Bostrom (Ducati L&M), who celebrated his 28th birthday on Tuesday, also approaches the Italian WSBK Round in a confident frame of mind. “There are no words to describe Monza and I’m very excited about the race this weekend” declared Ben. “I now feel a lot happier with the set-up after we tested here last week. We changed the steering geometry a bit to make it feel more comfortable and I’ll be able to fine-tune it on Friday and Saturday in qualifying. I really enjoy the Monza track, with its long straights, left-right chicanes and the strong exit from the Parabolica curve and it’s just a fantastic atmosphere riding through the trees”.

THE MONZA CIRCUIT
The Autodromo Nazionale di Monza was the third permanent circuit to be built after Brooklands (1907) and Indianapolis (1909). Work began in 1922 and was completed in 110 days. Since then the circuit has been continuously renewed and today Monza is one of the most modern, functional and safest tracks in the world. The latest reconstruction work involves the pitlane complex and hospitality suites. Monza has hosted World Superbike racing since 1990.

CIRCUIT RECORDS
Lap Record: Edwards (Honda) 1:48.913 (2001); Superpole: Bayliss (Ducati) 1:48.649 (2001); Qualifying: Chili (Suzuki) 1:48.584 (2001)

2001 RESULTS
Race 1: 1. Bayliss (Ducati Infostrada); 2. Edwards (Honda); 3. Yanagawa (Kawasaki). Race 2: 1. Bayliss (Ducati Infostrada); 2. Edwards (Honda); 3. Yanagawa (Kawasaki).

NEW WIND-INFOSTRADA COLOURS

The Monza WSBK round will also see the Ducati Infostrada bikes of Troy Bayliss and Ruben Xaus sport an exciting new colour scheme. Following a strategic integration between the various activities of Gruppo Wind, which has also led to the logos of Infostrada and Libero being revamped, the orange and blue colours that characterise all the company’s communications activities will now also be present on the Ducati Infostrada team bikes of Troy Bayliss and Ruben Xaus, starting from Monza.

CITY OF BOLOGNA

Monza will mark the first appearance on Italian soil for the partnership between Ducati Corse and the City of Bologna. Sanctioned in a brief ceremony in City Hall on March 15th by the Mayor of Bologna, Giorgio Guazzaloca and Ducati Motor Holding CEO Carlo di Biagio, the aim of the initiative is to underline the close ties between the Borgo Panigale manufacturer and its city. As a result the Ducati Infostrada 998 Factory bikes of Bayliss and Xaus will race in the remaining rounds of the World Superbike Championship with the coat of arms of Bologna City Council on the front and side fairings.

TV COVERAGE

Eurosport (pan-Europe): Sunday 12 May, Race 1 1200 (live), Race 2 1530 (live). La 7 (Italy): Sunday 12 May, Race 1 1320 (delayed), Race 2 1740 (delayed). All times CET.



From a Honda press release:

EDWARDS OUT TO WIN AT MONZA

Castrol Honda¹s Colin Edwards is determined to take victory in both races of Sunday’s fifth round of the World Superbike championship at Monza in Italy.

Edwards hopes to continue the form of the last round in Japan three weeks ago when he won the opening race and finished second behind wild card Honda rider Makoto Tamada in the second outing.

SP-2 rider Edwards is also looking to continue an impressive run of never finishing lower than second place in a Monza race since the 28-year-old
Texan joined Honda in 1998. From eight starts Edwards has taken three wins and five second places.

“I do love Monza,” admits Edwards. “Ever since I first raced at Monza I’ve taken to the place. It’s the oldest track we go to, the place is special. I know what it takes to win here and I’m looking to do just that in both races on Sunday.”

Edwards is also looking to further reduce the points deficit to series leader Troy Bayliss after Edwards reduced the points gap from 45 to 24 with his Japan performance.

Monza action begins with a one-hour free practice on Friday morning followed by qualifying on Friday afternoon. Saturday’s superbike schedule concludes with Superpole at 4pm while Sunday’s two, 18-lap races start at 12noon and 3.30pm.



From SBK, the race organizers:

PRESS RELEASE
Round 5 – Italy – Monza
10 May – 12 May 2002

Monza, 9 May 2002
Situated on the outskirts of Milan, Italy’s main industrial and commercial power base, the city of Monza is an is an historic settlement, with a rich motorsports tradition thanks to its popular parkland circuit.

The modern circuit, the fastest on the SBK calendar, is ringed on one side by the remains of the original steeply-banked speedway, the scene of many top speed record attempts in the past.

The atmosphere of Monza is unique, with the heavily wooded parkland, nearby former Royal residence and ancient walled surround making the circuit an unmissable experience for visitors and racers alike. The off-track ambience is only one charm however, with the track itself one of the most dramatic on the calendar.

The ultra-high speed straights are contrasted sharply by the slow chicanes, added to the circuit over the years to reduce the speeds of the F-1 cars that regularly compete at Monza.

The fast nature of the Monza track suits the best riders, who can display their bravery as well as their skill at one of the last classic tracks available for top level motorcycle racing.

Troy Bayliss’ record-breaking run of six consecutive victories on his Infostrada Ducati at the start of the 2002 season was finally put to the Samurai sword at Sugo three weekends ago. Colin Edwards (Castrol Honda), Bayliss’ main early season rival was the man who ended his winning run, with wild card Makoto Tamada triumphant in the second race.

A truly epic battle between the two biggest guns in the 2002 championship is expected at Monza, with both riders real fans of the fast corners and hard-braking chicanes which characterise the majestic Monza circuit.

They will by no means have things all their own way, as the quick corners and long-straights usually mean that no single rider can escape the chasing pack, at a track where slipstreaming is an essential part of any rider’s race tactics.

The ultra-fast FGF Playstation2 Aprilia RSV of Noriyuki Haga will be a potent threat, with the good aerodynamics of the bulbous machine expected to pay dividends on the straights.

The factory Ducati twins are equally potent devices at high-speed tracks, so expect Ben Bostrom (L&M Ducati) and Ruben Xaus (Ducati Infostrada) to be in the mix for the podium places.

In the four-cylinder Kawasaki and Suzuki factory camps, Chris Walker and Gregorio Lavilla respectively may be presented with their best chances of scoring 2002 season podium places. Each manufacturer has scored recent success at the Monza track, where speed is more important than corner exiting acceleration. With regular rider Hitoyasu Izutsu out of the Monza event due to his Sugo wrist injury, Eric Bostrom fills the second berth in the Kawasaki Racing Team.

Pierfrancesco Chili will be back on his NCR Ducati at Monza, and if his 2001-spec factory machine has the legs to stick with the most recent versions, he may be a threat to the podium.

Neil Hodgson finds himself in a similar situation to Chili, with the HM Plant rider looking to improve on his third place finish at Sugo, at a track he enjoys. The Englishman moved to third overall at Sugo and will be highly motivated to stay there. Championship leader Bayliss is now 24 points ahead of Edwards, with Hodgson 76 points from the top of the table.

If the 2001 Monza race results are repeated this year then Troy Bayliss will be in line for his fourth double-win of the year. Involved in a real scrap with Colin Edwards last season, Bayliss used his speed, wit and even his elbows to win both races, although Colin Edwards took the new lap record, with a 1:48.913. The track is one of the longest in current use, at 5.762kms.

Edwards has been a winner at Monza before, both in his days as a V-four factory pilot, and on the 2000 version of his VTR1000SP. In 2000 he had to share his wins with a certain Pierfrancesco Chili, who took the race win on a photo finish after a breath-taking drag race to the flag with Edwards.

Chili has been a former SBK race winner at Monza, and the pole position man pre-Superpole last year. Even with modified chicanes in great number at Monza, chicanes that Chili has stated many times he does not relish; he may be in the running for a surprise podium once more.

In the Supersport World Championship, the 2001 race winner James Whitham will be back to do battle with the man he edged out of the running, Paolo Casoli, with the Belgarda Yamaha team-mates racing a few kilometres from their team’s base in Milan.

The Monza race is always especially close, with the closely matched Supersport machines the perfect tools to provide thrills for riders and spectators alike.

Three riders have won races in the four races so far, Stephane Chambon (Alstare Suzuki), Andrew Pitt (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Fabien Foret (Ten Kate Honda) all of whom could come out on top at Monza.

Local rider Piergiorgio Bontempi will lead the Ducati challenge, hoping that his NCR machine will be able to stay with the fast four-cylinder Japanese machines.

In a change to the regular schedule of an SBK weekend, the World Sidecar Championship race will be run on Saturday, allowing increased TV exposure and providing the weekend-long spectators with a full status race one day earlier than normal.



From Fuchs Kawasaki:

WORLD SUPERBIKE & SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIPS
ROUND 5 – MONZA, ITALY
9 MAY 2002 – EVENT PREVIEW

TORRENTIAL RAIN GREETS THE FUCHS KAWASAKI TEAM AT MONZA

The Fuchs Kawasaki Racing Team return to Europe this weekend for round five of the World Superbike and Supersport Championships at the historic Monza circuit in Northern Italy.

Despite the fact that he arrived in Italy in torrential rain Andrew Pitt, the reigning world champion and lap record holder at Monza, is determined that this weekend will see him regain his lead in the Supersport championship standings.

‘We went pretty well here in the dry last year, setting a new lap record on the way to finishing fourth, so we’re pretty sure we’ve got a good dry setting for the bike,’ Said Pitt. ‘It’s raining heavily now and while it would be good for the fans if the weather were to improve over the next few days, I’m happy enough riding in the wet if it is still raining on Sunday. It’s difficult to predict how the race will go, as slipstreaming tracks such as Monza are always a bit of a lottery, with the result normally being decided on the final lap, but, I’m keen to take back the championship lead and this is as good a place as any to do that.’

For James Ellison, this weekend marks a return to tracks he’s raced at before, and the 20-year-old British rider is confident that his circuit knowledge will stand him in good stead at Monza.

‘I’ve been looking forward to Monza since the beginning of the season,’ declared Ellison. ‘It’s an awesome circuit, one of my favourites, and I love racing here. The weather is a bit dismal at the moment, but I like riding in the rain, so I’m not really bothered whether it’s wet or dry on Sunday. Now we’re back in Europe I’ll be racing on tracks I know and I’m determined to kick things off with a good result here this weekend.’

While the Fuchs Kawasaki Supersport riders have both raced at Monza previously, the same isn’t true of the team’s Superbike pilots. Neither Chris Walker nor Hitoyasu Izutsu’s temporary replacement, Eric Bostrom, have ever visited the historic Italian circuit before.

‘I’ve been round the circuit on a scooter and it looks real big and fast, but with some very tight chicanes. In fact, the first chicane doesn’t actually look wide enough to get a bike through,’ said Walker. ‘I’ve always wanted to race at Monza, it’s one of those circuits that looks real fun to race at when you see it on TV. The fact that it’s raining could be a problem, as it’s a lot more difficult to learn your way around a track in the wet but, hopefully, we’ll get at least some dry set-up time before Sunday.’

‘I’ve only ever raced in the wet a handful of times, but it looks as if I’ll be getting a lot more experience this weekend,’ quipped Bostrom, while peering from the Kawasaki pit garage at a soaking wet pit lane. ‘Monza is a new circuit for me, so I’ll probably try and follow some of the regular guys around during practice and qualifying to start off with. Hopefully, things will come good before Sunday.’

From a Marlboro Yamaha press release:

MARLBORO YAMAHA TEAM TESTS
Mugello, Italy
Thursday May 9 2002

RAINY MUGELLO TESTS PROVE INCONCLUSIVE FOR MARLBORO YAMAHA

Marlboro Yamaha Team riders Carlos Checa and Max Biaggi today completed a two-day test at Mugello, Italy, where they evaluated more development parts for the YZR-M1’s electronically controlled engine-braking system. But rain spoiled much of the session and it was only during the last hour of today that they were able to run slick tyres, so results remain inconclusive. Now the team crew travel to Le Mans where they will test the parts more fully during practice and qualifying for next weekend’s French Grand Prix.

“The rain hasn’t been a big help to us but at least I managed to test the chassis in the wet for the first time,” smiled Checa. “We finally had a dry track for the last hour or so, though that wasn’t enough to properly test the new parts. Now I’m just looking forward to trying them at Le Mans, where I hope the weather is better.”

Biaggi said: “We couldn’t really push out there until the last hour, so I can’t say much about the parts, but the data we’ve gathered here should be useful for our Japanese technicians.”

Marlboro Yamaha Team director Davide Brivio added: “We couldn’t do much in these conditions but it was better than nothing. We will really have to wait until we get to Le Mans to properly evaluate the new parts.”

French GP practice and qualifying commence on Friday May 17, with racing on Sunday May 19. Last year Biaggi and Checa scored a resounding one-two at Le Mans, riding their YZR500s.

From a press release issued by Wilson Motorsport Inc.:

NEW RACE , AUTOCROSS AND DRIVING FACILITY FOR PHOENIX

A new facility now under development in Phoenix, Arizona introduces a unique concept in recreational motor sport in North America.

Arizona Motorsports Park, located adjacent to Luke Air Force Base in Maricopa County, Arizona will feature both an 18 acre Professional Autocross Driving Center and a 2.25 mile road course.

“As an active competitor in National Autocross competition”, said Dan Maloney, President and developer of the new facility, “I have come to recognize that this sport needs a permanent facility capable of hosting the largest events. The Tire Rack SCCA Nationals in Topeka are attended by more than 1100 competitors each year using an active Air Force base that is only available once a year. Here at the Arizona Motorsports Park we plan to provide a facility capable of hosting similar size events on a year round basis”.

“Autocross represents both the SCCA’s the largest number of events and the largest competitor base with over 1200 Solo II autocross activities conducted each year across the country,” says SCCA Director of Development, Howard Duncan. “We have more than 20,000 active autocross and solo competitors in the club with many new drivers taking it up each year. Most of our events take place in small car parks and on airports which offer limited availability. Having a permanent facility in Phoenix that is this big will be a huge benefit to the sport and will enable us to hold additional major events”.

The Arizona Motorsports Park facility (www.arizonamotorsportspark.com) includes a 1000′ x 800′ Autocross Pad, a 200 ft radius skid pad, six acres of paved staging and parking, eight acres of surfaced paddock and the 16 turn road course. The track is divided into two equal length sub-tracks of 1.13 miles each and will be 40 ft wide. Designed for club level car and motorcycle events the course features few barriers and wide open safety zones. Although elevation changes are minimal the track layout is designed to be challenging and competitive.

The race course has been designed by Wilson Motorsport whose previous designs include GingerMan, Carolina Motorsports Park, the new Mid-America Motorplex near Omaha, the Las Vegas Speedway and Pikes Peak infield courses and the new Barber Motorsports Park track which is in final construction near Birmingham, Alabama.

“Phoenix is one of the most active motor sports areas in the country”, said Alan Wilson, President of Wilson Motorsports Inc. “This unique facility will be available for rent to existing car and motorcycle racing clubs, sanctioning groups and racing schools and will open a whole new market for club and semi-pro autocross competition. The facility will also provide car and motorcycle companies with an ideal product launch site as its location in one of the USA’s major cities, its proximity to quality hotels and entertainment and its unique facilities do not exist at any other circuit in the country.”

Arizona Motorsports Park will be the fifteenth race facility designed by Wilson Motorsport. Two WilsonDesign tracks have already opened in 2002 and three more are scheduled.

From a Suzuki press release:

SUZUKI KEEPS MOVING FORWARD AT JEREZ TESTS

9th May, 2002.

TELEFONICA MOVISTAR SUZUKI made forward progress at a two-day test at the Spanish Jerez circuit on Monday and Tuesday this week, with both riders confident that their GSV-R machinery is getting more competitive with every lap it completes on track.

The team stayed on after the MotoGP race on Sunday for a scheduled two-day test with its fledgling GSV-R 990cc V-4 race bike. Kenny Roberts Jr finished 8th and Sete Gibernau 9th at the Jerez GP, putting the Suzuki at the forefront of the four-stroke runners in the field.

Unfortunately the second day of the test was rained off, but on the Monday the team was able to gather crucial data to aid in the development programme.

Both Roberts and Gibernau completed around 35-laps each, testing different set-up positions on their bikes and getting re-acquainted with Michelin tyres, after a swap from Dunlop last week.

Both riders were lapping consistently at race pace and left the test pleased with their progress.

Kenny Roberts’ Chief Mechanic Bob Toomey said: “We worked mainly on a few set-up changes and on the Michelin tyres – this was our first test on these tyres. We found improvements and have a direction to go in for the future for further improvements.

“Putting it into perspective, this is a bike that has only been on track for three months and we are delighted by how competitive it is and by the response from the factory on development. We are moving forward very quickly.”

Sete Gibernau’s Chief Mechanic Stuart Shenton said: “We are trying to improve the set-up of the bike. We could have done with more time and the second day of the test, but we managed to isolate a few areas that we will be working on to improve before the next race. We are receiving new parts and information on the bike almost on a daily basis and we are totally committed to making this bike a winner.”

Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki will be attending a wet-track test at Michelin’s factory in France before the French GP at Le Mans on May 19th.

From a press release:

Yahoo! and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Sign Agreement

Yahoo! Is Mazda Raceway’s Official Internet Services Partner

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (MRLS) and Yahoo! have signed a new 2-year agreement that makes the Internet company the Official Internet Services Partner for the track.

As part of the agreement, Yahoo! will receive prominent trackside signage and world-class hospitality in exchange for various forms of advertising, marketing and on-line sweepsteaks throughout their network. With this partnership, MRLS will continue to hold a firm foothold in the ever-evolving world of e-commerce.

“It is because of Yahoo!’s world-wide role as an Internet leader that we feel confident in once again having them as our partner,” says Gill Campbell, General Manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “The agreement allows us to access their front-running position in e-commerce, while giving the company exposure to race fans and television viewers who attend and watch our world-class events.”

The partnership with Yahoo! was consummated by MGO Marketing Group of Lafayette, CA. MGO is Mazda Raceway’s exclusive sponsorship marketing agency.

The Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP) has operated MRLS since its opening in 1957. SCRAMP is a not-for-profit organization chartered to benefit local charitable and non-profit groups, and to promote economic vitality. Race events at MRLS have resulted in more than $10 million being distributed to Monterey Peninsula and Central California groups for youth programs and community service projects, and have generated more than $1 billion in revenue for area businesses. Today, SCRAMP is the most important economic and charitable organization in Monterey County.

Since it was founded in 1994, Yahoo! has evolved into a global brand that has changed the way people communicate with each other, find and access information, and make purchases. Today, Yahoo! Inc. is the Internet’s leading global consumer and business services company, offering a comprehensive network of essential services for Web users around the globe as well as businesses of all sizes. Yahoo! is also the most recognized and valuable Internet brand globally, reaching over 219 million unique users in 24 countries and 12 languages.

From a press release:

MARLBORO YAMAHA TEAM TESTS
Mugello, Italy
Wednesday May 8 2002

RAIN DOMINATES FIRST DAY OF MUGELLO TESTS

Marlboro Yamaha Team riders Carlos Checa and Max Biaggi were due to test at Mugello today but persistent rain meant that Biaggi decided not to go out. Meanwhile teammate Checa took the opportunity to use the latest chassis in the wet having been forced to ride with the old chassis during the rain-soaked Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka a month ago. Checa stayed out for most of the afternoon. The two-day session continues tomorrow. The team is hoping for better weather but the forecast is not promising.

From a press release:

MONSTERMOB DUCATI BRITISH SUPERBIKE TEAM

Round 4 – 2002 MCN British Superbike Championship, Oulton Park

Sunday 5th/Monday 6th May 2002

Race Report

Double Win for Team MonsterMob

MonsterMob Ducati riders Steve Hislop and Stuart Easton claimed a win a piece in round four of the 2002 MCN British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park on Monday, a bank holiday.

Superbike Championship leader Steve Hislop extended his lead to 34 points after winning the opening Superbike race of the day after a race long dice with fellow Ducati rider Michael Rutter to claim his fifth successive Oulton Park victory.

But any hopes of repeating the feat were dashed when a multi-bike pile-up stopped the second race at half distance when the 40-year-old Scot was lying in a close second place to Rutter.

The resulting oil spillage meant the track was too slippery to continue racing so the decision was taken to declare a result as of 8 laps with half points awarded.

“There was no way we could race over that oil. It was so slippery and it was the right decision to make. It was disappointing as I reckon I could have won the restart. But race one was perfect and I’m glad I extended my lead in the Championship.”

For 17-year-old Stuart Easton, the Hawick rider scored his third successive win in the Supersport class with an easy start-to-finish victory aboard his 748cc Ducati.

Easton now leads the series by 13 points and was delighted with his success.

“Everything went to plan and I was surprised how easy it was. My lap times were good and its another 25 points.”

Team owner Paul Bird was happy with the results.

“Another Oulton Park double was great in front of our sponsors and we’ve achieved our objectives with extending both championship leads.” said the Penrith businessman.

Superbike Race One Result – 1. Steve Hislop (MonsterMob Ducati) 27:47.928, 2. Michael Rutter (Ducati) 27:50.189, 3. Sean Emmett (Ducati) 28:04.816, 4. Paul Brown (Ducati) 28:06.481, 5. John Reynolds (Suzuki) 28:08.041, 6. Steve Plater (Yamaha) 28:12.106.

Race Two Result – 1. Michael Rutter (Ducati) 12:25.313, 2. Steve Hislop (MonsterMob Ducati) 12:25.517, 3. Sean Emmett (Ducati) 12:26.977, 4. Paul Brown (Ducati) 12:27.796, 5. John Reynolds (Suzuki) 12:29.108, 6. Karl Harris (Suzuki) 12:37.073.

Supersport Result – 1. Stuart Easton (MonsterMob Ducati 748) 26:08.044, 2. Scott Smart (Honda) 26:12.869, 3. Pete Jennings (Kawasaki) 26:13.356, 4. Michael Laverty (Honda) 26:13.477, 5. Ben Wilson (Honda) 26:15.050, 6. Tom Tunstall (Suzuki) 26:28.340

British Superbike Championship Standings – 1. Steve Hislop (MonsterMob Ducati) 156pts, 2. Sean Emmett (Ducati) 122pts, 3. Michael Rutter (Ducati) 114.5pts, 4. Shane Byrne (Ducati) 88.5pts, 5. Steve Plater (Yamaha) 88pts, 6. John Reynolds (Suzuki) 85.5pts



More, from another press release:

Oulton Park 125 race scrapped

In an extraordinary twist in the day’s events, the 125 race at Oulton Park has been cancelled in the interests of rider safety.

The decision follows a four-bike accident in the second superbike leg after John Reynolds’ Suzuki GSX-R1000 blew its engine, spreading oil over a large proportion of one of the fastest sections of the circuit. Reynolds’ bad luck became his team’s misfortune when team-mate Karl Harris also crashed out on the oil, suffering multiple injuries in the process. According to his team’s spokeman, Harris will be out of contention for 8-10 weeks.

After nearly an hour of extra practice, track cleaning and protracted riders’ meetings, the decision to abandon the Superbike re-start and the following 125cc race was made by the race director at around 5:35 p.m.

The news came as a crushing blow to the entire 125 paddock who, after three days of hard work, simply had to pack up and head for home.

‘I’m blown away,’ said 17 year-old Rookie rider Guy Farbrother. ‘I was fastest for most of this morning’s warm-up and ended up third quickest. I knew a podium result was a reality here and I needed that for myself and the guys in the team who’ve all worked so hard. I don’t know what to say.’

Fellow Red Bull Rookie rider, 15 year-old Midge Smart, looked equally devastated at the news to can the 125s at Oulton Park. ‘I’ve been sat here in my leathers for over an hour and we’ve been looking at the clock wondering what’s going on for all that time. Gutted is not the word,’ said Smart.

Smart impressed in Monday morning’s warm-up, too. The newcomer to Oulton Park posted the tenth quickest time, shaving nearly a second off his qualifying time – a performance that promised great things for the race.

Rookies team-manager Robin Appleyard summed up the events: ‘It’s not just us who are massively disappointed today – the entire 125 grid is gutted. But, at the end of the day, it’s rider safety that matters and I totally respect the Superbike lads’ decision that the oil from Avenue to Cascades would make racing too dangerous. I feel for Midge and Guy because they were up for it today. Guy and the team were looking forward to our first podium of the year and little Midge was definitely up for another points-scoring top ten. I hear we’re running two rounds at Silverstone in a fortnight to make up for it so I guess we’ll just have to knuckle down for that and put all this behind us.’

From a press release:

AMA PRESENTS “BRIGHTER IMAGE AWARD” TO SPACE SHUTTLE PILOT DUANE CAREY

PICKERINGTON, OHIO — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has announced that Lt. Col. Duane G. “Digger” Carey is the latest recipient of the AMA Hazel Kolb Brighter Image Award. The presentation took place this morning during Carey’s visit to AMA headquarters in Pickerington, Ohio.

A 25-year AMA member and an avid motorcyclist, Carey served as pilot of Space Shuttle Mission STS-109, which serviced the Hubble Space Telescope in March of 2002. The award is the AMA’s highest honor for activities that generate positive publicity for motorcycling.

“As Americans, we all admire the courage and dedication of the men and women who venture into space,” said Robert Rasor, President of the AMA. “Duane Carey, as a long-time motorcyclist, wins special admiration from those of us who share his passion for riding, and he’s most deserving of this award.”

Prior to the mission, Carey asked the AMA for an item to take with him into space. Today he returned that item — a one-of-a-kind flag bearing the emblem of the AMA — for display at the Association’s headquarters.

Carey, 44, has logged over 3,700 hours in more than 35 different types of aircraft as an Air Force test pilot. He began riding motorcycles at age 13, and today enjoys both on-road and off-road motorcycling.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Interview by David Swarts

Parts Unlimited/PJ1/Erion Honda-sponsored Kurtis Roberts has been out of the public eye since his crash, and resulting injuries, during qualifying for the California Speedway Superbike race April 5. Roberts attended the Sears Point round May 3-5 and took a moment to speak to Roadracingworld.com about his injury and predicted recovery and return to racing.

Roadracingworld.com: How’s it going?

Kurtis Roberts: It’s going slowly and we’ll back on the bike as soon as it’s 100% and my fitness is back. I had a lot of problems there. I was taking a lot of stuff and it screwed my system up to where I didn’t want to eat or anything. So I’ve lost some weight from the whole thing, just because all of the pain pills and stuff I was on there for a few weeks and laying in bed all day long. I mean, this week is the first I’ve really done anything. I just started walking on the thing three days ago.

We’re going to hit it hard this week and hopefully get some mobility back in the thing. Start riding a Honda XR100 and a motocross bike and be back before we actually planned on.

RW: Tell us about the crash.

KR: I’ve fallen off a few times in testing this winter, and I can’t say enough about some of the sponsors I have. I crashed at Fontana (during testing in January) fourth gear wide open and my Teknic leathers protected me perfectly in a long slide on the banking.

Then the qualifying crash at Fontana was the worst crash I’ve ever went through. The whole time it just hurt so bad, I was just, ‘Somebody just come out here and shoot me.’ I couldn’t move, and usually I’m the last guy to get up on a stretcher, the last guy to let them pull my helmet off. ‘I can walk off anything,’ is what my brain always tells me. I never liked to be the guy to get in the ambulance and get on the stretcher, because if I do that I know I’m hurt. And I was letting them take my helmet off, they’re holding my neck and I just laying there AHHHH and trying to breathe.

Even when I was with my old helmet company, I still got headaches every time I’ve hit my head. I hit my head so hard (in the Fontana crash) and that thing was so unbelievable. I didn’t get anything. It’s such a testament to the Shoei product. It’s unbelievable! I still look at that. It’s one of the things I look at, how hard I hit my head, and not have a headache or anything. You should see the helmet and how it’s ground down all over.

RW: So what actually happened?

KR: A lot of people said that they had problems with the Qs and stuff. This was the first lap I had ever gone out on it. To start the lap, I flicked it back in the first chicane. I’m always kind of wary of a qualifier because I never know if I get them hot enough on the first lap. As soon as I flicked it right, the bike chattered just for a second, just like that. Then it was fine and I drove out of the corner. I thought, ‘OK, I just didn’t have it hot enough. Now it should be OK.’ And then you know that chicane where I fell off, there’s that double left then you lean left and right and on the right you’re not really leaned over. You’re just going straight through it. Well, when I went left coming out of the corner, I pointed it right where I wanted to be and I went just a few degrees off straight up and down, and the thing just let go. As soon as it let go, it caught and threw me back off the inside of the bike. Then I think it threw me down and I actually picked the bike back up, is how the video kind of looks to me. Then the thing started cart-wheeling, which it might have hit me and started cart-wheeling or what not. But I think what happened was the thing that just happened was the thing hit my leg and that was about all she wrote.

RW: At what point did they find the really bad stuff?

KR: There was nothing that they found out was bad. Every time you hit your muscle real hard, you get a hematoma. Because the only way your body repairs itself is by sending a whole lot of blood down there. Afterwards, it just kept sending blood in there, sending blood in there. Since it was so damaged, it just kept filling it up and filling it up and it didn’t have anyway to come back out. That’s where all the pain came from and stuff.

My leg was twice the size of my normal leg. Now it’s about one-and-a-half times normal. It was so hard you couldn’t even push it in. It was like pushing on a concrete wall. A week later, I was in my house about 6:00 p.m. Sunday night. I was up in the kitchen on my crutches and I was like, ‘Man, it’s really starting to hurt me. I’ve got to go sit and get my leg elevated.’ It just kept getting worse and worse. I took two of my pain pills and nothing happened. It kept getting worse and I was going, ‘Aw, hell!’

Art Ting said that it might get bad enough that I would have to go in and get a pain shot. I was just going to go up to him and get it handled, but he was gone in LA. But it was like 8:00 p.m., then 9:00 p.m. and I was like, ‘We’ve got to go to the hospital.’ I was in tears from the thing. I just wasn’t going to make it. There’s not enough of anything I could take to get rid of the pain. I had ice on my leg for five hours without ever taking it off, just to try and numb to where it didn’t hurt so bad. I was just in agonizing pain the whole time. It was getting so bad to where I couldn’t breathe.

When they finally took me back into the (examination) room at 3:00 a.m., after being there from 10:00 p.m., the guy told me I need to breathe, I need to relax and stuff. It hurt so bad! I’d rather somebody just come up and knock me out with a shot to the head, just beat the hell out of me, rather than go through it.

Art said that we’re just going to have go in and find out, because it shouldn’t be swelling up this much. So they just went in. (Ting) found what he basically described as 32 ounces of fluid, gelatin-type blood material, in my muscle. He said, you take that and put it in a 32-ounce bottle of water and you just pressurize it and there was that much pressure inside my leg. So they took that out and I’ve been trying to heal ever since.

It’s been pretty brutal. I mean, it’s definitely the first injury I’ve had. It looks like it’s going to get better one day, then the next day it hurts twice as bad as it has in the last week. And it’s been so mental. One day it’s better, the next day it’s hurting. I still haven’t been able to sleep through the night without having to wake up from it. If I need to get up in the night to go to the bathroom, I can’t even walk.

It’s definitely been a bad deal, but it’s starting to make the turn now. Physically, we’ve just got to get my fitness to where it was, a little better than where it was would be nice because I can always be better. Right now the main thing is to get better and heal up.

Of course, Honda has been unbelievably supportive. I can’t thank Ray Blank, Gary Christopher and Chuck Miller and all of my mechanics and everyone that works on the team for Miguel and Nicky enough for just how great they’ve been. They’re always calling and asking and checking on me. They’re just making sure that I heal up right, and they’re not pressuring me to get back on the bike. When you’re getting paid a lot of money from these companies and you’re not really doing what you’re supposed to do…they realize it wasn’t really my fault.

This year just didn’t go how it was supposed to. Daytona going how it was for 18 laps, and the end of that just broke my heart, basically. I didn’t overheat the tire, which everyone’s accused me of doing because of how I normally ride. I actually slowed the race pace down and stuff. I was really looking forward to racing with Nick, because he’s riding harder than anybody right now. I figured through winter testing it was going to be me and him racing with each other and Miguel was going to be right there, too.

RW: When do you think you’ll be back?

KR: Hopefully, Colorado. I’m not for sure, just when the thing’s 100%. Maybe Elkhart, possibly Colorado.

RW: What brought you to Sears Point this weekend?

KR: I came to see everybody. Everybody’s been asking about me, and I’ve been away from it all and have turned my phone off most of the time, people calling all of the time. Show up, show my support for Honda and my teammates. To come here and watch these guys do what they did was kind of neat. I wish I was out there racing with them. I think we could have had an all-Honda podium.

Nicky rode unbelievable all weekend. Nicky’s rode unbelievable all year. Miguel rode just fantastic. A couple of things hesitated him from racing with Nick. I’m looking forward to getting back on the bike because I’ve seen so much improvement the guys have done this year from last year. Last year, I’d go into the race on Sunday afternoon, we’d still be scratching our heads figuring what the hell we’re gonna have on the bike. It doesn’t look like that’s a problem now. I’m really looking forward to getting back out there with the guys and getting a 1-2-3 for Honda.

From a press release:

World Superbike Championship
Round five: Monza, Italy
Wednesday 8 May 2002
Event preview

Hodgson fired up for round five

HM Plant Ducati/GSE Racing has touched down in Italy for the fifth round of the World Superbike Championship. The northern Italy circuit of Monza plays host to the three-day event where the British team’s riders of Neil Hodgson and James Toseland are hoping to maintain their highly successful run of form. This has earned them third and seventh places respectively in the 2002 championship standings.

The Italian circuit is one of the faster tracks on the SBK calendar and both riders enjoy the many challenges that are encompassed in its 5.79km length.

“Monza is one of my favourite circuits,” claims Hodgson. “Despite a few problems last year, I still managed to qualify second and lead the second race. This year I’m expecting a bit more luck. My chief engineer Roberto Bonazzi has done an incredible job on the HM Plant Ducati, and I have absolute confidence in the machine. This means that I now feel like I can push really hard. In short: I’ve never been looking forward to getting on a race bike as much as I am right now!”

James Toseland mirrors his team-mate’s determined attitude. The 21-year-old from Sheffield has impressed many with his recent performances and sees the current round as an ideal opportunity to build on the commanding position that he has already carved out for himself and the team.

“I’ve yet to have a good result at Monza, but I still always look forward to going there. I’ve made mistakes there in the past but I’ve learned from them and won’t be repeating them this time. The Parabolica curve is one piece of track that I’m particularly looking forward to conquering.”

Team Manager Colin Wright: “Even at this relatively early stage of the season, the whole HM Plant Ducati/GSE Racing team is functioning brilliantly as unit. The HM Plant Ducatis are pulling level with the full factory machinery and I’m really pleased with the way Neil and James are performing. I’ll be expecting nothing less than the best at Monza.”

2001 results
Race one:
1. T. Bayliss
2. C. Edwards
3. A. Yanagawa

DNF N. Hodgson
DNF J. Toseland

Race two:
1. T. Bayliss
2. C. Edwards
3. A. Yanagawa

7. N. Hodgson
DNF J. Toseland

Lap record: 1:48.913 C. Edwards 2001