The AMA Appeal Board had no choice but to uphold the non-sensical disqualification of Jamie Hacking from the second Superbike race at Road America, due to wording of the rulebook, reader Don Potter says.

An e-mail to RoadracingWorld.com from Potter included this information:

“With all due respect, I’d like to draw your attention to the following in paragraph 14e on page 80 of the 2001 AMA Pro Racing rulebook.

“‘It is the responsibility of the appeal board to rule on the matter at hand within the context of existing AMA rules and regulations. Appeal boards are encouraged to make recommendations regarding such rules and regulations but have no power whatsoever to waive or modify rules that were in place at the time of the matter under appeal.'”

Which means that even though Hacking was disqualified for breaking an old rule intended to help enforce another rule that has since been changed, the Appeal Board was forced by this third rule to not do the logical thing and overturn Hacking’s disqualification.


Editorial Opinion: The AMA rulebook, the appeal process and AMA Pro Racing itself are corrupt and need to be exorcized immediately.

See related post dated 7/20/01, Hacking Loses Appeal Of Road America Disqualification.

Richie Morris will return to AMA racing at Brainerd this weekend, about five months after he was seriously injured in a starting-grid accident at Daytona. Early on, doctors considered amputating Morris’ badly mangled left forearm. Morris refused to allow that, and has been recuperating ever since.

While Morris returned to racing by finishing second in a Formula USA Buell Pro Thunder race at Virginia International Raceway July 1, the race at Brainerd will be his first AMA-sanctioned event since Daytona.

In an e-mail to Roadracing World, Morris wrote:

“For the What It’s Worth column, I have been asked to ride the Hal’s Factory Buell at Brainerd this upcoming weekend. Mike (Ciccotto) will still ride, I will just be on the B bike. I just wanted to let Buell and Hal’s know that I am honored to be chosen, especially with my arm still in pretty sorry shape. It should be real fun to be back at an AMA race for the first time since Daytona.”

Mat Mladin on his approach to this weekend’s AMA National at Brainerd International Raceway, from a press release issued by his publicist, Steve Reeves:

“We’ve just got to keep bring it home from here to the end of the season,” said Mladin. “I am aiming for anther strong finish and then
hopefully we can start thinking about the championship.

“Brainerd is actually one of my favorite tracks in America,” added Mladin. “I haven’t won there before, but did finish a very close second to Miguel DuHamel last year. The new Suzuki GSX-R750 has been running strong and fast and this has given me the confidence of a good result this weekend.”

This just in from Jason DiSalvo’s PR man:

DRAMA FOR RUNNER UP DISALVO AT MOST

YOUNG JASON ENDURES A WEEKEND OF WOE ONLY TO BE TOLD HE’S GOT ANOTHER GRAND PRIX WILD CARD!

Cruise America Grand Prix Racing Team rider Jason DiSalvo endured a weekend of frustration but still managed to secure a fine second place finish in the Czech Championship 250cc race at the Most circuit yesterday (Sunday).

The 17-year-old from Batavia, New York enjoyed a good start on Friday in practice before setting third-fastest time in Saturday’s opening qualifying session which he hoped to improve on in the afternoon but mechanical problems intervened at the start of the session which meant DiSalvo had to sit it out.

The problem was diagnosed and fixed overnight and Jason responded by setting the fastest time of the weekend in the Sunday warm-up and all was looking good for the race but DiSalvo very nearly didn’t make it as Team Owner Jim DiSalvo explained:

“We were working with the original race schedule and unbeknown to us, they changed it and brought the race forward an hour. We were sitting around when we noticed the 250s assembling on the grid and that’s when we realized what was happening. Jason threw on his gear and the team ran up with the bike but it was too late to take our place on the grid and instead Jason had to start from pit lane in last position”

Despite the setback, DiSalvo rocketed through the field to take five places on the opening lap before gradually climbing the leaderboard throughout the race. In the end, Jason managed to get as high as second place at the checkered flag but remained philosophical about the result:

“I should have won that race but it wasn’t to be. I guess I should be happy given the problems we’ve had and at least we’ve had a good test for the European Championship race here next weekend,” said DiSalvo who was also hit with a fine for allegedly entering the track late for practice despite the timer showing two minutes left!

Jim DiSalvo summed up the weekend with one word:

“Theatrical! There has been a comedy of errors over the weekend but we’ve made light of the situation. This has been a good warm up for us next weekend and we feel very strong at the minute.”

But DiSalvo had better news after the race when he was approached by the officials as he explained:

“As a result of us doing well in the Czech Championship, the organisers have awarded Jason one of their country’s wild card entries at the Czech Republic Grand Prix at Brno on August 26th. Obviously GP racing is where we want to be so we’re happy to take the ride and in doing so, this will be our third European GP of the season. That’s another record I guess!” said Jim referring to the fact that his son is currently the youngest American to take part in 125cc and 250cc Grands Prix.

The tentative 2002 World Superbike calendar was released today by the FIM and follows:

3/10 Valencia, Spain
3/24 Phillip Island, Australia
4/7 Kyalami, South Africa
4/21 Sugo, Japan
5/12 Monza, Italy
5/26 Silverstone, England
6/9 Lausitzring, Germany
6/30 Misano, San Marino
7/14 Laguna Seca, Monterey, California, USA
7/28 Brands Hatch, England
9/1 Oschersleben, Germany
9/8 Assen, Holland
9/29 Imola, Italy
10/TBA TBC, France

The Kyalami, Monza, Silverstone, Misano, Laguna Seca, Brands Hatch, Oschersleben, Assen, Imola and TBA France circuits must be re-homologated for 2002.

Frank Trombino rode a Yamaha YZF-R1 to win the Parts Canada Superbike Championship race at Mosport in Ontario, Canada on Sunday. Trombino, who had qualified on pole for the event with a record lap, led the entire race and finished 14.616 seconds ahead of Francis Martin on a Suzuki GSX-R1000. Owen Weichel was third on a Kawasaki ZX-7RR.

During the race, Trombino lowered the lap record again, to 1:22.140.

Series points leader Steve Crevier finished fourth and leads Martin by 42 points with 60 points still available in remaining two rounds of the series.

Trombino also won the Open Sport Bike race while Crevier won the 600 Sport Bike race.

Superbike Results
1. Frank Trombino, Yamaha YZF-R1
2. Francis Martin, Suzuki GSX-R1000
3. Owen Weichel, Kawasaki ZX-7RR
4. Steve Crevier, Honda RC51
5. Jeff Williams, Honda CBR929RR
6. Benoit Pilon, Yamaha YZF-R1
7. Mike Taylor, Honda RC51
8. Greg Boki, Yamaha YZF-R1
9. Jean-Francois Cyr, Yamaha YZF-R6
10. Martin Hamel, Kawasaki ZX-9R

Points
1. Crevier, 252
2. Martin, 210
3. Weichel, 207
4. Taylor, 135
5. Pilon, 133
6. Trombino, 129
7. Cyr, 115
8. Williams, 110
9. Hamel, 81
10. Andrew Nelson, 74

Tentative 2002 World Championship Grand Prix Calendar

4/7 Suzuka, Japan
4/21 Welkom, South Africa
5/5 Jerez, Spain
5/19 Le Mans, France
6/2 Mugello, Italy
6/16 Catalunya, Spain
6/29 Assen, Holland
7/7 Donington Park, England
7/21 Sachsenring, Germany
8/25 Brno, Czech Republic
9/8 Estoril, Portugal
9/22 Valencia, Spain
10/6 Motegi, Japan
10/13 Sepang, Malaysia
10/20 Phillip Island, Australia
11/2 Rio, Brazil

The Suzuka, Welkom, Jerez, Le Mans, Mugello, Catalunya, Assen, Donington Park, Brno, Estoril and Motegi circuits must be re-homologated for 2002.

A group of privateers campaigning mostly 750cc Supersport bikes in the Superbike class have protested payment of AMA Privateer bonus awards to Jordan Szoke, claiming that the young Canadian should be excluded from the incentive program because he has the use of factory Harley-Davidson engines and of Dunlop tires that are not available to non-factory riders.

Organized by Andy Deatherage, the riders signed a petition and presented it to AMA officials at Mid-Ohio.

Other riders who signed the petition were Mauro Cereda, Eric Wood, Tony Meiring, Dean Mizdal, Scott Carpenter, Brett Ray, Rick Narup, Doug Duane, Todd Snyder, Alan Schmidt, Rich Alexander, Jimmy Moore, Rich Conicelli, Greg Fryer, Mike Walsh, Jeff Purk, Scott Hermersmann, Scott Van Scoik and Jim Doerfler.

The text of the petition read:

We the true privateers in the AMA Superbike are filing a formal protest against bike 101 Harley-Davidson bike (sic). It is a FACTORY BIKE not available to true privateers. They receive parts and ENGINES DIRECT from Harley, and SPECIAL TIRES from Dunlop. Lap times always two seconds a lap faster than the real privateers. Please do the right thing and remove bike 101 from list!

From an AMA press release:

“The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) announced today that the third AMA Women & Motorcycling Conference will be held June 29 through July 3, 2002, at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, West Virginia.

“‘The AMA is pleased to once again host the Women & Motorcycling Conference,’ said Robert Rasor, President of the AMA. ‘Based on the success of
our two previous conferences, we’re confident that the 2002 event will be a valuable experience for all who attend.’

“The first two AMA Women & Motorcycling Conferences were held in 1997 and 2000. More than 700 women and men attended the 2000 conference, from 46 states, Sweden, Australia and Canada.

“West Virginia Wesleyan College, located in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains, was chosen as the site of the 2002 AMA Women & Motorcycling Conference for its excellent facilities, and for its proximity to great motorcycle riding.

“The AMA will announce more details about the 2002 AMA Women & Motorcycling Conference in the coming months.”