From a press release:

American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC) announced its 2003 off-road, competition (motocross), DualSport® and QuadRunner®(QuadSport®) lineup, which has been expanded thanks to the addition of Suzuki/Kawasaki alliance models. According to ASMC Vice President of Motorcycle/ATV Division Mel Harris, Suzuki dealers can now complement their current lineup of RM85, RM125 and RM250 competition models with the RM60, RM65, RM85L and RM100.

On the off-road side, the addition of the DR-Z110 to Suzuki’s JR50, JR80, (DR-Z110), DR-Z125/DR-Z125L, DR-Z250 and DR-Z400/DR-Z400E models means that Suzuki can provide a vehicle to match any rider or riding ability.

Suzuki also offers its most comprehensive ATV lineup ever. In 2002, the company introduced the new LT-A50; the new Eiger™ series LT-F400, LT-F400F, LT-A400 and LT-A400F; the award-winning Vinson LT-A500F; the award-winning LT-F250 Ozark; and the chart-topping 2003 LT-Z400 QuadSport Z400. These new units, coupled with the popular LT80, give the company a vastly improved breadth of QuadRunners for retail growth.

For 2003, Suzuki introduces the LT160 and the Vinson LT-F500F. “Because Suzuki has enjoyed success in its ‘flagship’ lines GSX-R, Hayabusa, Katana, Bandit, Intruder and Volusia, the resources have been available for development of quads and new motorcycles,” explained Harris. The result for Suzuki according to Harris will be one of – if not the – most competitive vehicle lineups in the industry.


2003 OFF-ROAD MODELS

JR50K3 / JR50
Color: YELLOW
MSRP: $1,099

JR80K3 / JR80
Color: TBA
MSRP: TBA

DR-Z110K3 / DR-Z110
Color: YELLOW
MSRP: $1,699

DR-Z125K3 / DR-Z125
Color: YELLOW
MSRP: $2,399

DR-Z125LK3 / DR-Z125L
Color: YELLOW
MSRP: $2,599

DR-Z250K3 / DR-Z250
Color: YELLOW
MSRP: $4,699

DR-Z400K3 / DR-Z400
Color: YELLOW
MSRP: $5,349

DR-Z400EK3 / DR-Z400E
Color: YELLOW
MSRP: $5,449

2003 DUALSPORT® MODELS

DR200SEK3 / DR200SE
Colors: TBA
MSRP: TBA

DR-Z400SK3 / DR-Z400S
Colors: YELLOW/BLUE
MSRP: $5,449

DR650SEK3 / DR650SE
Colors: TBA
MSRP: TBA



4. 2003 MOTOCROSS MODELS

RM60K3 / RM60
Color: YELLOW
MSRP: $2,299

RM65K3 / RM65
Color: YELLOW
MSRP: $2,849

RM85K3 / RM85
Color: YELLOW
MSRP: $3,099

RM85LK3 / RM85L
Color: YELLOW
MSRP: $3,199

RM100K3 / RM100
Color: YELLOW
MSRP: $3,499

RM125K3 / RM125
Color: YELLOW
MSRP: $4,999

RM250K3 / RM250
Color: YELLOW
MSRP: $5,899



2003 ATV MODELS

LT-A50K3 / QuadSport® 50
Colors: YELLOW/RED
MSRP: $1,799

LT80K3 / QuadSport® 80
Colors: YELLOW/RED
MSRP: $2,299

LT160K3 / QuadRunner® 160
Color: YELLOW
MSRP: $2,799

LT-F250K3 / Ozark™ 250
Colors: YELLOW/RED/GREEN
MSRP: $3,499

LT-F400K3 / Eiger™ 400 2×4
Colors: RED/GREEN
MSRP: $4,349

LT-F400FK3 / Eiger™ 400 4×4
Colors: RED/GREEN
MSRP: $5,149

LT-A400K3 / Eiger™ Automatic 400 2×4
Colors: RED/GREEN
MSRP: $4,499

LT-A400FK3 / Eiger™ Automatic 400 4×4
Colors: RED/GREEN
MSRP: $5,299

LT-F500FK3 / Vinson™ 500 4×4
Colors: YELLOW/RED/GREEN
MSRP: $6,399

LT-A500FK3 / Vinson™ Automatic 500 4×4
Colors: YELLOW/RED/GREEN
MSRP: $6,599

LT-Z400K3 /QuadSport® Z400
Colors: YELLOW/WHITE
MSRP: $5699

From a press release:

TROY BAYLISS Racing
Media Information
For immediate release
Tuesday, 4 June 2002

Round 7, 2002 Superbike World Championship
Euro Speedway, Lausitz Circuit, Germany
Event preview

BAYLISS RESTED AND READY FOR GERMAN WORLD SUPERBIKE ROUND

After the torrential rain that lashed the Silverstone round of the Superbike World Championship less than two weeks ago, the riders will be hoping for a return to clear and dry conditions when they head to Germany for round eight of the championship at the Euro Speedway, Lausitz this weekend, June 8-9.

One rider who is looking forward to this weekend’s round is defending World Champion and current championship points leader, Infostrada Ducati’s Troy Bayliss. The Australian had what could only be described as an awe-inspiring weekend at a wet Silverstone which saw him crash twice in the opening race, but remounted to place fifth before returning to the track to take the win in race two.

After the wet English round, Bayliss has returned home to Monaco where he has spent the past week combining relaxation with his customary intense
training program which includes many hours per day combining cycling and gym work. The time at home has allowed him to be uninterrupted in his
preparation for the weekend.

“I was actually quite surprised as to how good I felt physically after the Silverstone round,” said Bayliss. “Even though I did have a number of
crashes over the weekend, I fell good and that has allowed me to get stuck into some training this week, especially on the bicycle. I’m feeling good both mentally and physically at the moment, so I feel that that gives us an advantage from the time that we arrive at the track and we can start preparing the bike.

“We’ve got the balance of the bike worked out pretty well now,” Bayliss added. “I feel that the bike is good enough for us to win each time we go
out on it. The top speed of the new Ducati is similar to a lot of others out there, but where we have made good progress is with the suspension and tyres. Michelin especially, have supplied us with some very good tyres this year and combined with a good chassis set up has allowed us to do the lap and race times that we are currently doing.

“As for the track itself, I don’t mind it too much. It is a good spectator track, but there are a few Mickey Mouse sections on it as well. The weather was a bit patchy there last year, but I was still able to score two good results. I’ve got a feeling that we may get the same sort of
weather that we got last year, but hopefully it will be clear.”

At last year’s corresponding round Bayliss finished second to Edwards in race one before taking victory in a wet race two. Bayliss was also credited with the Superbike lap record with a time of 1-min 40.599-secs around the 4.265km German circuit.

Having won nine of the twelve races held so far this season, Bayliss has been unable to build a sizable break over Edwards in the championship. While Bayliss has had a strong win rate, Edwards has been equally consistent accumulating a total of eleven podium appearances – two wins, six seconds and three thirds.

EURO SPEEDWAY LAUSITZ SWC FAST FACTS
Circuit Length: 4.265km

Superpole: Neil Hodgson (GSE Ducati) 1:40.205

Lap record: Troy Bayliss (Infostrada Ducati) 1:40.599 (2001)

2001 Race 1/23 laps
1. Colin Edwards (Castrol Honda)
2. Troy Bayliss (Infostrada Ducati)
3. Tadyuki Okada (Castrol Honda)

2001 Race 2/24 laps
1. Troy Bayliss (Infostrada Ducati)
2. Neil Hodgson (GSE Ducati)
3. Colin Edwards (Castrol Honda)

2002 World Superbike championship points (after 6 of 13 rounds)
1. T. Bayliss 260
2. C. Edwards 231
3. N. Hodgson 157
4. N. Haga 129
5. R. Xaus 120
6. B Bostrom 119
7. J Toseland 81
8. C. Walker 73
9. G. Lavilla 60
10. J. Borja 53

From a press release:

Team Stargel Aprilia Takes Points At Pikes

Sunday, June 2nd, brought the fifth round of the 2002 AMA 250GP season at Pikes Peak raceway in Fountain, Colorado. The team arrived the prior Thursday evening, with the task of setting up their Aprilia RSV250 for the 5800 foot elevation of the track.

On Friday, the team tested various combinations of settings in an effort to get their Aprilia to make the class leading horsepower that it is known for. Unfortunately, most of the valuable practice time was lost as a result of this. By qualifying time on Saturday afternoon, the Aprilia was showing excellent top speed, but the team still faced some chassis adjustment problems. As a result, Team Stargel Aprilia qualified in 4th place, about eight tenths of a second off Rich Oliver’s pole time.

No strangers to hard work, Team Stargel Aprilia worked Saturday evening, utilizing the versatile adjustability of the Aprilia RSV250’s chassis. They hoped these changes would give them the additional speed they sought for Sunday’s race.

At the conclusion of Sunday morning’s practice, rider, Chuck Sorensen, posted a best time of 56.7 seconds. This was seven tenths of a second faster than his qualifying time, and only a tenth of a second off Oliver’s practice time. The team was optimistic for the afternoon race.

Sorensen got a good start and was in a tight group with Rich Oliver and Simon Turner. At the completion of the first third of the race, Sorensen was less than two tenths of a second from the leader, Oliver. As the race went on, lapped traffic and less than ideal settings conspired to relegate Sorensen to a third place finish.

Pike’s Peak marked the completion of the first half of the AMA 250GP season. Looking at the season’s results thus far, Team Stargel Aprilia has set the standard for performance and reliability. In five races, Team Stargel Aprilia has three wins, a third and a fifth place finish. Due to the strength of the Aprilia RSV250 and the experience of Sorensen, they are the only team of the top four in points to complete every race thus far. Currently, the team has a total of 166 points, a 34 point cushion over second place in the championship standings.


Team Stargel Aprilia would like to thank the supporters who make their efforts possible: Aprilia USA, Aprilia Italy, FGF Corse, Dunlop, Performance Powersports, VP Racing Fuels, Castrol, EBC Brakes, Shoei, Helimot, Held Gloves, Daytona Boots, Fox Racing, Smith Sport, TC’s Specialized Graphics, Regina Chains & Factory Pro Tuning.

From a press releas:

Eric Dadej wins USGPRU National Championship Western Round 2 at Streets of Willow

Eric Dadej rode to a spectacular win
aboard the Gray Matter Racing-Ian E. Race Engineering-BPS Honda on Sunday in windy, extreme temperatures over 100 degrees F.

Gapping his nearest competitor by over 14 seconds by lap 7 Eric put on a stunning show, lapping over half of the field, one rider twice.

Second place rider Quentin Wilson said after the race, “[this] race was brutal, 18 laps around the streets is a large amount of work. I had absolutely no answer for Eric’s speed, he was amazing both in his consistency and endurance.”

Quentin Wilson and Williard Ivins fought throughout the race for the final podium spots, both vying hard for the second position but Wilson won out in the end taking second by over 6 seconds.

Gray Matter Racing’s team owner and tuner Jonathan Flack struggled all weekend with the high temperatures trying to coax any extra power from the bike he could. “We went through about 3 different changes to the ignition maps and I moved the power jet cutoff points more times than I can remember to try and compensate for both the high altitude and the temperature, it was an uphill fight all weekend with all the wind and the heat. We knew after practice on Saturday that we had more power than the rest of the field
so we were reluctant to make changes to the head volumes. The gearing was perfect so we spent the vast majority of our time tweaking the BPS ignition to make the bike both faster and did what we could to correct for areas of the track that were proving really hard on the motor.”

Saturday night they pulled the piston from the bike to find massive detonation damage. “We knew the bike was really heating up in the fast 5th gear section leading back to the front of the course and, with the headwind, the bike was just detonating its brains out in that section of the track. In the end we had to run just a hair richer than we wanted to because there was no way the bike would have lasted through that section 19 times without coming apart. We even had to manufacture ad-hoc air deflectors on Saturday night to try and force more air into the radiator for the race just to keep the engine in the 60s, we would have made more power if we could have maintained 50-53C but it was just not possible given the conditions.”

After the win Jonathan noted, “we were always able to get the power to run at the front of the field but the danger was with the engine retaining so much heat with the ambient air around 38C, we were afraid it would grenade before we could get to the finish. The BPS Ignition was fabulous and I think we were able to run far faster just due to the fact that we could control the power jet cutoff per gear and use it to stop detonation in areas of the track that were straight into that brutal headwind. I couldn’t believe the motor held together when we checked the telemetry after the race. We had over 2000 detonations but it was all on throttle rolloff and because this track is so short we were able to get away with it and keep the motor together. God only knows what the piston will look like when we get it out of there.”

Final Results for Western Region Round 2 of the USGPRU 125GP National Championship are as follows:

1) Eric Dadej
2) Quentin Wilson
3) Williard Ivins
4) Leonard Meliguen
5) Stewart Aitken-Cade
6) Sean McNew
7) Scott Jackson
8) Shawn Herrera
9) John Rabasa
10) Russell
11) Orien
12) Phillip Krenn
13) Loren Chun
14) Jerry Berkey
15) Henderson
16) Melissa Shimmin
17) Tiffany Ragasa
18) Jeff Lim
19) John Lee

New from British Superbike seems to indicate that the 1000cc formula favors Ducatis, which have been dominant. This is a press release from Monstermob Ducati:

MONSTERMOB DUCATI BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

Round 5 – 2002 MCN British Superbike and Round 6 National Supersport Championship – Snetterton, Norfolk June 2/3rd

HISLOP’S LEAD PINNED BACK

MonsterMob Ducati rider Steve Hislop emerged from a disastrous weekend at Snetterton with his championship lead still in tact but substantially reduced after a second and a fourth place finish at the Norfolk circuit in races nine and ten of the 2002 MCN British Superbike Championship.

The Isle of Man based Scot struggled all weekend with machine set up which was compounded by having to use a new profile Dunlop tyre which didn’t suit his riding style, and to top it all, main championship rival Sean Emmett won both races to reduce the gap at the top to just 17 points.

“We’ve been chasing our tails so much this weekend, we’ve met ourselves coming backwards. It simply wasn’t my bike this weekend and no matter what we did, the problems didn’t get any better. I’m glad I kept my championship lead but I can’t wait to get away from here as I hate the place” fumed Hislop afterwards.

It may have been a different story had both races not been red-flagged early on whilst Hizzy was comfortably in command but he trailed home a distant fourth in the opening leg before bravely hanging onto second in race two despite a concerted last lap challenge from Michael Rutter and Steve Plater.

Team pride was salvaged by Supersport rider Stuart Easton winning his fifth consecutive race in the Supersport class to extend his lead to 47 points at the head of the table, but for once the 17 year old from Hawick didn’t have it all his own way.

Starting from his fourth successive pole position, young ‘Ratty’ had to fend off a concerted challenge from Irishman Michael Laverty but just as Laverty was poised to strike, out came the red flags as conditions deteriorated due to a rain shower:

“I felt I had it under control and was just keeping an eye on my pit board. I must admit though, I was a little surprised to see Michael giving me such a hard time and he was really riding well” said Easton who blotted his copybook by drowning the pit lane commentator (who happened to be his team’s press officer………) in champagne on the rostrum.

As a result, colleagues within the media are requested to keep all publicity relating to Easton to an absolute minimum until such time as an apology (or financial compensation) is forthcoming………

Race Results

Superbike Race 1
1. Sean Emmett (Ducati)
2. John Reynolds (Suzuki)
3. Steve Plater (Yamaha)
4. Steve Hislop (MonsterMob Ducati)
5. Paul Brown (Ducati)
6. Simon Crafar (Yamaha)

Superbike Race 2
1. Emmett
2. Hislop
3. Michael Rutter (Ducati)
4. Plater
5. Shane Byrne (Ducati)
6. Brown

Championship Positions after five rounds:
1. Hislop 189
2. Emmett 172
3. Rutter 130.5
4. Plater 117
5. Reynolds 105.5
6. Brown 104.5

Supersport
1. Stuart Easton (MonsterMob Ducati)
2. Michael Laverty (Honda)
3. Scott Smart (Honda)
4. Jeremy Goodall (Suzuki)
5. Chris Bishop (Honda)
6. Ben Wilson (Honda)

Championship Positions after six rounds
1. Easton 125
2. Smart 78
3. Pete Jennings (Kawasaki) 63
4. Goodall 58
5. Tom Tunstall (Suzuki) 51
6. Jim Moodie (Yamaha) 45

This just in:

I’ve heard a lot of negative comments about the privateer (Daryl Woodward) who hit Aaron Yates in the Sunday SuperSport race at PPIR.

From what I saw on Speed Channel, it sure looked like Yates was taking an outside line around Woodward, and started to close on the apex. Then lost the rear, losing drive, resulting in no where for Woodward to go.

In my opinion (as an ex-mid-pack amateur road racer), that was just a racing incident, and there should be no blame placed. As a matter of fact, I think that Woodward really got the short end of the stick, and some bad publicity on top of it.

Just wanted to voice my opinion.

Thanks,

Ryan Stefani


(Editor’s note: We confirmed with Yates that he lost the front, nearly fell off the bike, lost momentum, then got hit by the other rider, who, as Stefani points out, had limited options at that point.)

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Superbike Practice Lap Times:

1. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 0:54.770
2. Nicky Hayden, Honda RC51, 0:54.796
3. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R750, 0:54.981
4. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki GSX-R750, 0:55.071
5. Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R750, 0:55.221
6. Doug Chandler, Ducati 998RS, 0:55.314
7. Miguel Duhamel, Honda RC51, 0:55.462
8. Pascal Picotte, Ducati 998RS, 0:55.507
9. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki GSX-R750, 0:57.106
10. Jason DiSalvo, Suzuki GSX-R750, 0:57.191
11. Brian Parriott, Suzuki GSX-R750, 0:57.288
12. Marco Martinez, Suzuki GSX-R750, 0:57.680
13. Ricky Orlando, Suzuki GSX-R750, 0:57.963
14. Alan Schmidt, Suzuki GSX-R750, 0:57.996
15. Ty Howard, Suzuki GSX-R750, 0:58.013
16. Rich Conicelli, Suzuki GSX-R750, 0:58.104
17. Shane Clarke, Suzuki GSX-R750, 0:58.242
18. Brian Livengood, Suzuki GSX-R750, 0:58.250
19. Colin Gilbert, suzuki GSX-R750, 0:58.369


Supersport Practice Lap Times:

1. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki, 0:56.474
2. Aaron Yates, Suzuki, 0:56.667
3. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki, 0:56.723
4. Jake Zemke, Honda, 0:56.914
5. Roger Lee Hayden, Honda, 0:56.972
6. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha, 0:57.291
7. Tom Kipp, Suzuki, 0:57.300
8. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki, 0:57.418
9. Ben Spies, Suzuki, 0:57.430
10. Tony Meiring, Kawasaki, 0:57.496
11. Mike Hale, Honda, 0:57.942
12. Jimmy Filice, Kawasaki, 0:58.176
13. Andrew Nelson, Honda, 0:58.227
14. Ty Howard, Suzuki, 0:58.748
15. Tyler Wadsworth, Yamaha, 0:59.114
16. Shane Turpin, Suzuki, 0:59.414
17. Elton Curry, Yamaha, 0:59.726
18. Mark Ledesma, Honda, 0:59.752
19. Matt Zurbuchen, Suzuki, 0:59.929
20. Chris Siglin, Suzuki, 1:00.062


Pro Thunder Practice Lap Times:

1. Kirk McCarthy, Ducati, 0:57.332
2. Shawn Higbee, Buell, 0:57.782
3. Mike Ciccotto, Buell, 0:57.999
4. Tripp Nobles, Buell, 0:58.408
5. Dave Estok, Buell, 0:58.860
6. Tom Montano, Ducati, 0:59.188
7. Heath Small, Ducati, 0:59.859
8. Carlos Macias, Ducati, 1:00.326
9. Shane Turpin, Ducati, 1:00.522
10. Clark Freatman, Ducati, 1:01.321

250cc Grand Prix Practice Lap Times:


1. Jason DiSalvo, Honda, 0:56.601
2. Rich Oliver, Yamaha, 0:56.685
3. Chuck Sorensen, Aprilia, 0:56.747
4. Simon Turner, Yamaha, 0:57.014
5. Perry Melneciuc, Yamaha, 0:57.417
6. Colin Jensen, Aprilia, 0:58.606
7. Ed Sorbo, Yamaha, 0:59.228
8. John France, Honda, 0:59.800
9. Frank Aragaki, Yamaha, 1:00.380
10. John Williams, Yamaha, 1:00.440

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Mugello MotoGP Race Results:

1. Valentino Rossi, Honda RC211V, 23 laps, 43:40.837
2. Max Biaggi, Yamaha YZR-M1, -2.404 seconds
3. Tohru Ukawa, Honda RC211V, -11.289 seconds
4. Carlos Checa, Yamaha YZR-M1, -11.408 seconds
5. Alex Barros, Honda NSR500, -15.371 seconds
6. Loris Capirossi, Honda NSR500, -20.010 seconds
7. Norick Abe, Yamaha YZR500, -26.447 seconds
8. Regis Laconi, Aprilia RS3, -30.333 seconds
9. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha YZR500, -37.715 seconds
10. Tetsuya Harada, Honda NSR500, -30.759 seconds
11. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha YZR500, -34.162 seconds
12. John Hopkins, Yamaha YZR500, -37.715 seconds
13. Jean Michel Bayle, Yamaha YZR500, -77.803 seconds
14. Jurgen vd Goorbergh, Honda NSR500, -79.800 seconds
15. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton KR3, -5 laps, DNF, mechanical
16. Sete Gibernau, Suzuki GSV-R, -9 laps, DNF, mechanical
17. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton KR3, -14 laps, DNF, mechanical
18. Daijiro Kato, Honda NSR500, -14 laps, DNF, crash
19. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki GSV-R, -15 laps, DNF, crash
20. Pere Riba, Yamaha YZR500, -22 laps, DNF, crash


MotoGP World Championship Point Standings:

1. Rossi, 120 points
2. Ukawa, 77 points
3. Capirossi, 55 points
4. Abe, 52 points
5. Biaggi, 43 points
6. Checa, 40 points
7. Barros, 40 points
8. Kato, 39 points
9. Aoki, 28 points
10. Laconi, 26 points
11. Jacque, 22 points
12. Harada, 21 points
13. Akira Ryo, 20 points
14. Roberts, 19 points
15. Hopkins, 18 points
16. Nakano, 16 points
17. Shinichi Itoh, 13 points
18. v.d. Goorbergh, 12 points
19. Gibernau, 11 points
20. Garry McCoy, 7 points
21. McWilliams, 6 points
22. Bayle, 5 points
23. Riba, 3 points


More, from a Red Bull Yamaha press release:

ITALIAN GRAND PRIX – MUGELLO

SUNDAY 2ND JUNE – RACE DAY

John Hopkins 12th Place
World Championship Classification 15th with 18 points
“I didn’t get the start I wanted and I got squeezed out early on. I was riding behind Jean-Michel and could not get around him for what seemed to be a long time. I ended up passing JMB and vd Goorbergh under brakes going into Turn 1, which is where I passed McWilliams later in the race. It was close racing with McWilliams we bumped off each other all through turn 1 and into the apex on 2.

“These are the hottest conditions I have raced in all year and I feel happy that I have scored points again for my team and myself. I saw a few of the guys go off during the race and the track invasion at the end was unbelievable. I saw Abe get taken off his bike by a fan and Nakano who was in front of me locked it up big time to avoid hitting another person. I was maybe an inch away from hitting someone on the front straight myself. Its good that the fans love racing and support the Grand Prix but it is really dangerous out there at the end.”

Colin Davies (Race Engineer – John Hopkins)
“John was running times in the second half of the race that could of put him up into sixth or seventh position. We are very pleased with the progress he is making this his first season. Last night the mechanics did a good job in getting John’s bike ready for the race and I thank them for all their effort.”

Jean-Michel Bayle – 13th place, scoring 3 points
“I got a good start and went okay in the beginning of the race but my left forearm began to hurt and it slowed me down through the chicanes. The softer tyre performed better than I thought it would throughout the race and we are making good progress with Dunlop.

“I knew to expect the crowd invasion so it was no surprise for me. This week I will test the Red Bull Yamaha at Assen and I will concentrate on the tyres and the set-up for that race. Also I have to learn my way around a few new corners in Assen.”

Christophe Bourguignon (Race Engineer – Jean- Michel Bayle) “We are pleased with the weekend, we again learnt a lot about the tyres and each weekend we are making steady progress. Today we rode with a soft medium front and back tyre. Jean-Michel rode with pain in his left forearm and this caused him some concern toward the end of the race. JMB slid on the front tyre a few times and he paced himself toward the finish.”

Peter Clifford – Team Manager
“A good ride for John again today, finishing in 12th place. For the second half of the race he was running similar lap times as the riders in the Top 6. I really appreciate the effort that Jean-Michel Bayle has put in today in taking a risk to try a softer tyre which might not have gone the full distance, but it has been worthwhile.”


More, from a Marlboro Yamaha press release:

MARLBORO YAMAHA M1’s BEST RESULT YET

Marlboro Yamaha Team riders Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa rode to second- and fourth-place finishes at red-hot Mugello this afternoon, the team’s best result of the new MotoGP era. Biaggi led the race for six laps and Checa missed the podium by just 0.119 seconds, proving that Yamaha’s latest improvements for the M1 are working very well. Biaggi and Checa had new chassis and seat/tank units here, allowing them both to qualify in the top three for the second race in a row.

“We’ve taken another step forward,” said YZR-M1 project leader Ichiro Yoda. “We got third in France and now we’re able to fight with both Honda four-strokes. Watching the race on TV, it looked like the difference between us and Honda is acceleration, so our next step will be to work at improving engine performance. Also, Carlos’ bike didn’t seem quite as fast as it should’ve been today, so we’re checking his machine. Like Max, he rode a great race, especially since he didn’t have so much time to set up his number-one bike. Next week we test at Valencia, where we’ll work to get the best out of the new chassis and hopefully get an even better result at the next races.”

The Marlboro Yamaha Team tests in Spain next Thursday and Friday.

BIAGGI LEADS ITALIAN GP, FINISHES CLOSE SECOND
Watched by 65,000 mad-keen fans, Marlboro Yamaha Team rider Max Biaggi led six laps of today’s Italian GP, eventually finishing the race in second, just 2.4 seconds behind arch-rival Valentino Rossi (Honda), his best-ever four-stroke MotoGP result. The pair were together for much of the 23 laps, hounding each other around the sun-baked, high-speed Mugello circuit, until Rossi upped the pace in the final stages.

“Second isn’t first but I’m totally satisfied because I did my best today and because we weren’t so far away from winning,” said Biaggi, who started the race from second on the grid, his best-ever M1 qualifying performance. “I’d like to thank Yamaha for recovering so well after the first few races. We got a new chassis that works a little better than the last one, so now we can start making some more improvements. This morning we tried a different geometry set-up in warm-up but went back to the older, safer set-up for the race. I started well, but when Rossi was behind me, I felt like he was just waiting.”

Biaggi also set the second fastest lap of the race, behind third-finisher Tohru Ukawa (Honda) and his M1 was the second fastest bike at Mugello, clocking 322.8kmh (200.6mph).

CHECA MISSES PODIUM BY A FRACTION
Carlos Checa rode an utterly determined race to fourth place this afternoon, crossing the line just a few metres behind Tohru Ukawa. But the Marlboro Yamaha Team man’s result could’ve been better if his bike hadn’t lost a touch of speed which made it difficult for him to better his Japanese rival, who was riding the fastest machine in the race. Quickest in qualifying on Friday, luckless Checa’s problems began yesterday when his number-one bike, running the impressive new chassis, suffered a glitch during final qualifying.

“We had some problems in practice which lost us valuable time in preparing for the race,” said Checa. “I got away well and managed to pass Max and Ukawa a few times but in the end I couldn’t stay with them. I tried hard to find a way back past Ukawa on the final lap but just couldn’t do it. After the flag at the end of the start-finish straight there were a lot of people already on the track which was very dangerous as we were still doing over 300kmh; for sure the organisers must work on this problem. Now we go testing at Valencia, where we will work at finding the best settings for the new chassis and resolving the problems we had here.”

ROSSI MAKES IT AN ALL-ITALIAN DAY
MotoGP leader Valentino Rossi won his first premier-class Italian GP today, following winning performances from compatriots Manuel Poggiali (125) and Marco Melandri (250). Rossi bounced back from a tumble in warm-up to score his fourth victory of the year. “I made a mistake this morning, which put me under some pressure, so I tried to ride the bike more sweetly for the race,” he said. “I pushed from the start but couldn’t break away, so I waited, tried again and it was okay. It’s a good emotion to win at home.”