FIM Grand Prix Qualifying From Estoril, Portugal:

500cc Final Qualifying Results:
1. Max Biaggi, Yamaha, 1:40.076
2. Loris Capirossi, Honda, 1:40.258
3. Valentino Rossi, Honda, 1:40.324
4. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, 1:40.531
5. Jurgen vd Goorbergh, Proton, 1:40.540
6. Alex Barros, Honda, 1:40.670
7. Sete Gibernau, Suzuki, 1:40.713
8. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, 1:40.752
9. Garry McCoy, Yamaha, 1:40.894
10. Norick Abe, Yamaha, 1:40.901
11. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki, 1:40.969
12. Alex Criville, Honda, 1:41.037
13. Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, 1:41.139
14. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, 1:41.520
15. Oliver Jacque, Yamaha, 1:41.583
16. Jose Luis Cardoso, Yamaha, 1:41.887
17. Haruchika Aoki, Honda, 1:42.130
18. Anthony West, Honda, 1:43.173
19. Leon Haslam, Honda, 1:43.645
20. Johan Stigefelt, Sabre, 1:43.715
21. Barry Veneman, Honda, 1:44.446
22. Brendan Clarke, Honda, 1:45.593

Max Biaggi’s pole-position-winning time is over 2.1 seconds faster than Valentino Rossi’s pole position time from 2000.

500cc Top Speeds:
1. Ukawa, Honda, 183.6 mph (295.6 kph)
2. Capirossi, Honda, 182.5 mph (293.7 kph)
3. Biaggi, Yamaha, 181.9 mph (292.8 kph)
4. Rossi, Honda, 181.8 mph (292.7 kph)
5. Criville, Honda, 181.6 mph (292.3 kph)
6. Barros, Honda, 180.7 mph (290.9 kph)
7. Haga, Yamaha, 180.7 (290.9 kph)
8. McCoy, Yamaha, 180.3 mph (290.3 kph)
9. Jacque, Yamaha, 179.8 mph (289.4 kph)
10. Gibernau, Suzuki, 179.5 mph (289.0 kph)
11. Nakano, Yamaha, 178.8 mph (287.8 kph)
12. Checa, Yamaha, 178.7 mph (287.6 kph)
13. Roberts, Suzuki, 178.6 mph (287.5 kph)
14. Goorbergh, Proton, 176.2 mph (283.7 kph)
15. Abe, Yamaha, 176.29 mph (283.7 kph)
16. Cardoso, Yamaha, 175.9 mph (283.2 kph)
17. Haslam, Honda, 174.3 mph (280.5 kph)
18. Aoki, Honda, 170.4 mph (274.3 kph)
19. Stigefelt, Sabre, 168.0 mph (270.5 kph)
20. Veneman, Honda, 167.5 mph (269.7 kph)
21. West, Honda, 167.3 mph (269.3 kph)
22. Clarke, Honda, 166.6 mph (268.2 kph)

250cc Final Qualifying Results:
1. Tetsuya Harada, Aprilia, 1:41.993
2. Daijiro Katoh, Honda, 1:42.205
3. Jeremy McWilliams, Aprilia, 1:42.251
4. Fonsi Nieto, Aprilia, 1:42.588
5. Marco Melandri, Aprilia, 1:42.706
6. Emilio Alzamora, Honda, 1:42.775
7. Naoki Matsudo, Yamaha, 1:42.836
8. David Checa, Honda, 1:42.997
9. Roberto Locatelli, Aprilia, 1:43.019
10. Alex Debon, Aprilia, 1:43.273
11. Roberto Rolfo, Aprilia, 1:43.298
12. Randy De Puniet, Aprilia, 1:43.495
13. Lorenzo Lanzi, Aprilia, 1:43.544
14. Taro Sekiguchi, Yamaha, 1:43.751
15. Alex Hofmann, Aprilia, 1:43.949

29. Katja Poensgen, Honda, 1:47.808

Tetsuya Harada’s time is a new track record and his fifth consecutive pole position.

125cc Final Qualifying Results:
1. Manuel Poggiali, Gilera, 1:45.923
2. Youichi Ui, Derbi, 1:46.045
3. Simone Sanna, Aprilia, 1:46.439
4. Lucio Cecchinello, Aprilia, 1:46.651
5. Toni Elias, Honda, 1:46.676
6. Angel Rodriguez, Aprilia, 1:47.095
7. Jakub Smrz, Honda, 1:47.153
8. Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, 1:47.246
9. Alex De Angelis, Honda, 1:47.293
10. Jaroslav Hules, Honda, 1:47.301

Manuel Poggiali’s time not only earned him his first pole position, but was also 1.35 seconds faster than the 2000 pole time.

By Glenn Le Santo

Friday’s provisional World Supersport front row at Assen was undisturbed by Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session. Only Karl Muggeridge and Fabrizio Pirovano were able to force their way into the top 10, squeezing in a fast lap each early in the session when the track was drying out. The final qualifying was another case of wet-or-dry as mechanics struggled to keep pace with the changing weather. Typical of the day was Fabien Foret’s experience, as the track finally dried out he sat astride his bike, newly set-up for a full dry session, only for a heavy rain shower to fall on the circuit before he could turn a dry wheel. Foret, no fan of wet racing, got off the bike and took no further part in the session.

Meanwhile, Foret’s teammate Pere Riba gave the rest of the paddock a lesson in professional racing. While the rest of the riders sheltered from the high wind and heavy rain, Riba asked his team to give him a bike in full wet set-up and went out to complete some valuable laps in the rain. He also took the opportunity presented by the empty track to try some wet starts. His efforts could well pay off as the weather looks likely to remain changeable.

Tomorrow’s race, in which Suzuki’s Katsuaki Fujiwara will start on pole, could well turn into a tire lottery if the weekend’s weather so far is anything to go by.

Final Supersport qualifying times, Saturday:

1. Katsuaki Fujiwara, Japan, Suzuki, 2:08.497
2. Pere Riba, Spain, Honda, 2:08.553
3. Paolo Casoli, Italy, Yamaha, 2:09.015
4. V. Ianuzzo, Italy, Suzuki, 2:09.123
5. Karl Muggeridge, Australia, Suzuki, 2:09.141
6. Andrew Pitt, Australia, Kawasaki, 2:09.149
7. C. Cogan, France, Yamaha, 2:09.211
8. Kevin Curtain, Australia, Honda, 2:09.276
9. Iain MacPherson, Great Britain, Kawasaki, 2:09.317
10. P. Bontempi, Italy, Yamaha, 2:09.737


Marty Nutt was fastest in Superstock Qualifying. Times follow:
1. Marty Nutt, Great Britain, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:25.145
2. Mark Heckles, Great Britain, Honda CBR929RR, 2:25.187
3. Paul Mooijman, Holland, Yamaha YZF-R1, 2:26.447
4. James Ellison, Great Britain, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:27.188
5. Dario Tosolini, Italy, Ducati, 2:27.203
6. Andy Notman, Great Britain, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:27.489
7. Markus Wegscheider, Italy, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:27.812
8. Koen Vleugels. Germany, Yamaha YZF-R1, 2:28.706
9. Robert de Vries, Holland, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:29.065
10. Didier Vankeymeulen, Germany, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:29.401

From an AMA press release:

MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAME TO INDUCT CLASS OF 2001 THIS WEEKEND

WHEN
Reception: Friday, September 7, 2001, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Induction ceremonies: Saturday, September 8, 2001 at 2:00 p.m.

WHERE
The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, Pickerington, Ohio.

WHAT
The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2001 includes 28 legendary figures in the history of American motorcycling — racers, tuners, engineers, and media figures.

Among this year’s inductees are Mike Baldwin, five-time AMA road-racing champion; Mark Barnett, winner of four motocross and Supercross championships; Charles Clayton, who developed Cycle News into America’s weekly news magazine of motorcycling; Erv Kanemoto Jr., who helped Freddie Spencer and others win world road-racing championships; Larry Maiers, race announcer and TV personality; and Joe Parkhurst, founder of Cycle World magazine.

The goal of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, located on the campus of the American Motorcyclist Association in Pickerington, Ohio,, is to tell the stories and preserve the history of motorcycling. The Motorcycle Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed notably to the sport, and three major exhibitionhalls showcase the machines and memorabilia that have shaped motorcycling.

For more information, visit the Museum’s website at www.motorcyclemuseum.org, or call (614) 856-2222.

From a Ducati press release:

WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 12 – ASSEN (NED)
7-9 September 2001

PREVIEW

One week after Oschersleben, World Superbike heads to the daunting, ultra-fast Van Drenthe TT Circuit at Assen in the Netherlands and Ducati Corse arrives at the penultimate round of the championship after clinching a record tenth Constructors’ title in Germany, its fourth on the run.

With 100 points still up for grabs, the situation is hotting up in the battle for the Riders’ crown, where Troy Bayliss (Ducati Infostrada) saw his 53-point lead over reigning champion Colin Edwards (Honda) reduced to 24 after he recorded his first DNF this year. “We had a clutch problem in Oschersleben but sometimes you’ve got to put these things behind you and continue”, declared Bayliss. “I enjoy riding around Assen, whether it’s dry or wet and I’m looking forward to this weekend. I’ve only been here once and I had good intentions last year but I probably tried too hard and got undone a couple of times, but this time round it’s going to be different. Every time I come away I try and win but when I can’t, I just take what I can get. The plan is to get good points and go to the last round with a better lead than what I’ve got now”.

Another talking-point in Germany was the emerging talent of ‘rookie’ team-mate Ruben Xaus (Ducati Infostrada), who made it onto the podium and then triumphed in the second race. The 23-year-old is the first Spanish rider to win a WSBK race and with interest in Spain at an all-time high, Xaus is aiming for another prestigious result at a circuit where he tasted victory in the Supersport race last year. “For sure, my races at Oschersleben were incredible, it’s nice and I want to repeat it as soon as possible. It’s good to have Troy, Colin or Ben next to me on the podium and I want to get more used to it”, commented Xaus. “I will just try and do the same here at Assen, concentrate, be relaxed and do what I can do – ride my bike as well as possible. I like all tracks, the weather will probably be not so good but I will try and improve on my eighth position in the championship this weekend”.

After five wins on the run, Ben Bostrom (Ducati L&M) scored a podium finish in race 1 at Oschersleben and he followed this up with fourth place in the second race. The 27-year-old from Redding, California is 43 points adrift of Bayliss at the top of the table, but just 19 behind Edwards and will be doing everything possible at Assen to help Ducati take a possible 1-2 finish in the Riders’ championship. “I rode well at Oschersleben, the bike set-up was really good but we were just missing one key ingredient and were not quite there”, said Bostrom. “Last year I was enjoying the tracks and learning, this year I’m serious and I want to go out there and win. If I can’t win here at Assen, I’ll try and finish on the podium. I haven’t done too well in the wet so far, but if it rains, I’ll push hard and try not to lose my grip on third place in the championship”.


FOGARTY AWARD

On Sunday, four-times World Superbike champion Carl Fogarty is to be presented with a special award by the Assen TT Circuit. The award will be made to the Ducati legend, who won 12 out of the 16 Assen races he took part in, and Carl will also make a lap of honour of the circuit on a Ducati Monster Fogarty street-bike.

THE ASSEN CIRCUIT

The TT circuit, 2 km south-west of Assen, has been the home of the Dutch Round of the World Superbike Championship since 1992. Two years ago, it undertook a full modernisation of its facilities and the second of its three scheduled phases is now completed. The circuit now includes a new Race Control tower, 34 pit-garages, a new Media Centre and TV commentary booths, as well as an impressive 6200-seat grandstand. Track safety has also been improved, with new run-off areas at five corners.

CIRCUIT RECORDS

Lap Record, 2:03.914 (175.740 km/h) Fogarty (Ducati) 1999

Superpole, 2:02.678 (177.509 km/h) Edwards (Honda) 2000

Qualifying, 2:02.936 (177.136 km/h) Chili (Suzuki) 2000

1. Valentino Rossi, Honda, 1:40.513
2. Loris Capirossi, Honda, 1:41.398
3. Norick Abe, Yamaha, 1:41.544
4. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, 1:41.613
5. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, 1:41.656
6. Alex Criville, Honda, 1:41.761
7. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki, 1:41.805
8. Jurgen van den Goorbergh, Proton, 1:41.878
9. Alex Barros, Honda, 1:41.909
10. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha, 1:42.090
11. Jose Luis Cardoso, Yamaha, 1:42.100
12. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, 1:42.165
13. Garry McCoy, Yamaha, 1:42.189
14. Max Biaggi, Yamaha, 1:42.336
15. Sete Gibernau, Suzuki, 1:42.547

By David Swarts

Edge Motorsports’ Michael Fitzpatrick and Greg Leffler won the Engine Ice-sponsored Formula USA 200-Mile Team Challenge at Portland International Raceway Friday, on a Pirelli-slick-shod Suzuki GSX-R750. Edge was second at the start, passed early leaders Beaverton Honda Yamaha 35 minutes into the race, and went on to win by one lap.

Beaverton Honda Yamaha’s Todd Frey and Andrew Cox stretched one set of Dunlop slicks on a Yamaha YZF-R1 to place second at their home track. Any hopes Beaverton Honda Yamaha had of catching Edge Motorsports at the end were dashed when the team’s Yamaha got stuck in fifth gear due to a broken shift linkage. Beaverton Honda Yamaha still managed to lap fast enough–turning 1:12s–in the final 12 laps to maintain second place.

Loudoun Motorsports’ Greg Leffler and Bryan Bemisderfer hitched a ride for their Suzuki GSX-R750 from Virginia to Portland, worked without a pit crew, and made one set of Metzeler slicks last for 102 laps to take third overall.

The GTU class win and fifth overall went to Edge Junior Varsity’s Tony Tinsley, Paulo Maria and Anthony Cammack on a Suzuki GSX-R600. Edge Junior Varsity trailed GTU class points leader Brotz Motorsports early in the race until Brotz retired with a mechanical failure after 66 laps. Edge Junior Varsity cruised on to win the GTU division by 33 laps over Brotz. Annadale Racing finished third in GTU on a Kawasaki ZX-6R.

Engine Ice 200-Mile Team Challenge Final Overall Results:
1. Edge Motorsports, Suz GSX-R750, 104 laps
2. Beaverton Honda Yamaha, Yam YZF-R1, 103 laps
3. Loudoun Motorsports, Suz GSX-R750, 102 laps
4. Circuit One, Yam YZF-R1, 98 laps
5. Edge Junior Varsity, Suz GSX-R600, 97 laps
6. Powersports, Kaw ZX-9R, 90 laps
7. Brotz Motorsports, Yam YZF-R6, 66 laps
8. Annandale Racing, Kaw ZX-6R, 33 laps

The Roadracing World Air Fence Fund was recognized during the Motorcyclist Magazine Motorcycle Of The Year (MOTY)and Best of Motorcycling Awards Banquet, held in Tustin, California last night and hosted by Dave Despain.

The awards are also listed in the November print issue of Motorcyclist, and an early copy of the magazine distributed at the banquet described the award as follows:

BEST DEFENSE: THE AIR FENCE
Hats off to John Ulrich and the lads for levering the AMA off its ponderous ass and into deploying Air Fence in danger zones at this year’s AMA rounds. Motivated by his son Chris Ulrich’s participation in the AMA’s 750 Supersport class, the elder Ulrich felt it was his duty to make conditions as safe as possible, and he did. Ulrich started raising the money in an April editorial in Roadracing World, and had Air Fence up a few months later–following years of AMA dithering. There’s a message in there somewhere.

Valentino Rossi set a new pole record time in the first 500cc qualifying session at Estoril, Portugal. Times follow:
500cc
1. Valentino Rossi, Honda, 1:40.389
2. Norick Abe, Yamaha, 1:40.901
3. Max Biaggi, Yamaha, 1:40.902
4. Loris Capirossi, Honda, 1:40.946
5. Carlos Checa, Yamaha, 1:41.041
6. Alex Barros, Honda, 1:41.083
7. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha, 1:41.520
8. Sete Gibernau, Suzuki, 1:41.530
9. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki, 1:41.583
10. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha, 1:41.586
11. Jurgen van den Goorbergh, Proton, 1:41.753
12. Garry McCoy, Yamaha, 1:41.796
13. Tohru Ukawa, Honda, 1:41.832
14. Jose Luis Cardoso, Yamaha, 1:42.088
15. Alex Criville, Honda, 1:42.172

250cc
1. Tetsuya Harada, Aprilia, 1:42.656
2. Daijiro Katoh, Honda, 1:42.780
3. Marco Melandri, Aprilia, 1:42.797
4. Jeremy McWilliams, Aprilia, 1:42.863
5. Fonsi Nieto, Aprilia, 1:43.352
6. David Checa, Honda, 1:43.584
7. Naoki Matsudo, Yamaha, 1:43.638
8. Roberto Rolfo, Aprilia, 1:43.664
9. Randy de Puniet, Aprilia, 1:43.792
10. Emilio Alzamora, Honda, 1:43.827
29. Katja Poensgen, Honda, 1:48.967

125cc
1. Yoichi Ui, Derbi, 1:46.196
2. Manuel Poggiali, Gilera, 1:47.049
3. Joan Olive, Honda, 1:47.467
4. Luicia Cechinello, Aprilia, 1:47.491
5. Toni Elias, Honda, 1:47.639
6. Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, 1:47.765
7. Angel Rodriguez, Aprilia, 1:47.920
8. Simone Sanna, Aprilia, 1:48.028
9. Jaroslav Hules, Honda, 1:48.070
10. Noboru Ueda, Honda, 1:48.195