Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

His manager and mother has confirmed that 27-year-old Australian Anthony Gobert has signed with Austin Bleu Bayou Ducati for the 2003 AMA Superbike season.

“Yes, Anthony has signed with Austin Bleu Bayou Ducati for 2003,” wrote Gobert’s mother and manager Sue Gobert in a September 17 e-mail to Roadracingworld.com. “We are very excited about next year. It is sad to leave Yamaha as Anthony has had a wonderful association with them. However, the thought of racing a Ducati again is so appealing that Anthony couldn’t resist.”

Which brand of tire Gobert will run is yet to be determined. The Austin Bleu Bayou Ducati team ran Michelins in 2002.

Anthony Gobert is currently in Australia recovering from surgery to remove the screws inserted into the leg he broke at Road Atlanta in May. Gobert originally planned to have the screws removed the Monday after the last AMA race at VIR but put it off for an extra month, according to sources on his former Yamaha team.

Aaron Gobert has another year left on his contract with Yamaha, while Alex Gobert is currently unsigned for 2003.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

The 2003-versions of the Honda CBR600RR and the Kawasaki ZX-6R are very good, say Miguel Duhamel and Tommy Hayden.

While spectating at the WSMC Toyota 200 on Sunday, September 15, American Honda’s Al Ludington reported that Duhamel rode the new, 2003-model CBR600RR at a photo shoot at California Speedway in Fontana, California in mid-August. According to Ludington, Duhamel said the street version of the all-new CBR600RR was faster than his 2002-model CBR600F4i racebike.

Ludington also confirmed that he will be the crew chief for both Duhamel’s Supersport and Superbike efforts in 2003.

Unable to keep from smiling any time the subject of his new, 2003 ZX-6R was brought up, Hayden said he got to test the new Kawasaki in Pahrump, Nevada two weeks before the AMA season finale at VIR and came away impressed.

“I rode a streetbike for a photo shoot,” said Hayden after taking fourth in the WSMC Toyota 200 on a hot-rod, 636-engined version of his 2002 AMA Supersport Kawasaki ZX-6R. “I couldn’t push it real hard because it was the only one in the country, and they told me I couldn’t crash it or I was in big trouble.

“I’m excited about it. I think it’s gonna have tons of potential with everything on it, and it’s really gonna be adjustable. I hope we can get it pretty soon so I can start testing on it because fuel-injection and a bunch of stuff is gonna be new to me. I want to be dialed in before we get to Daytona.”

With Joey Lombardo returning as his crew chief for 2003, Hayden (along with teammate Tony Meiring), will also race a 636cc version of the Kawasaki ZX-6R in AMA Superstock races.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Willow Springs International Raceway wants to bring the WERA National Endurance Series 24-hour race back to Willow Springs, says track owner Bill Huth.

“I’m going to talk to WERA about getting the 24-hour to come back,” Huth told Roadracingworld.com on Sunday September 15. “I like the 24-hour. It doesn’t make any money, but it’s a race and I like that. And the people like it.”

One of the keys to the race, according to Huth, is the time of year it is held. “Sometimes I think that race should go earlier, like in August or September because it’s warm at night. It gets cold in this desert at night. So it’s better to have it, I think, in July or August. Of course, it’s hot in the daytime. Certain things are good, certain things are bad.”

Located in the Mojave Desert in Rosamond, California, Willow Springs has hosted several WERA 24-hour races, most recently in 1999 and 2000.

WERA National National Endurance regulars have said the 24-hour race at Willow Springs causes financial hardships — the cost of tires, race fuel and travel for the one race effectively doubling their season budgets. Most WERA National Endurance teams are based in the Eastern half of the United States.

From a press release issued by the AMA:

AMA & NHTSA PARTNER TO COMBAT IMPAIRED MOTORCYCLE RIDING

PICKERINGTON, OHIO — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today announced a partnership on a national impaired-riding campaign. The program is intended to
educate motorcyclists about the dangers of drinking and riding.

In 2001, 41 percent of the fatally injured motorcycle riders were impaired, with blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 g/dl or greater – the legal limit of impairment in many states. Impaired-riding issues were listed among the urgent recommendations of the National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety, a national plan that was developed by the motorcycling community in late 2000.

“After contributing to the development of the National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety, it’s natural for the AMA to now take the lead in addressing the issue of impaired riding,” said Robert Rasor, President of the American Motorcyclist Association. “The AMA is proud to be the first national motorcycling organization to act on a recommendation of the National Agenda.”

“My years in law enforcement have shown me that alcohol and motorcycles are a deadly combination,” stated NHTSA Deputy Administrator Annette Sandberg. “I commend the American Motorcyclist Association for providing national leadership to help reduce impaired riding among its membership and all motorcyclists.”

The AMA’s “Ride Straight” campaign will develop messages specifically targeting motorcyclists and will incorporate segments of NHTSA’s current “Friends Don’t Let Friends Ride Drunk” campaign.

The AMA will launch Ride Straight in mid-2003.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The 2003 Suzuki GSX-R1000 has surfaced in Europe, and is being introduced to the public at the Intermot show.

The bike features stacked headlights in all-new bodywork, and has a new black frame with straighter main frame spars.

  

It is slightly lighter and makes slightly more power than the 2002 version.

The U.S. model GSX-R1000 is expected to be unveiled at American Suzuki’s dealer show, scheduled for September 23-25 in Las Vegas.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Riding a Suzuki GSV-R MotoGP prototype on Dunlop tires, Akira Ryo finished first in round seven of the All-Japan Road Race Series at Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Japan September 15. Starting from pole position with a time of 2:05.901, Ryo finished the 20-lap race in 42 minutes, 42.475 seconds, 15 seconds ahead of the next competitor.

Because prototype machines race only for exhibition in the All-Japan series, the actual Suzuka Superbike race win went to Atsushi Watanabe riding a Suzuki GSX-R750. Watanabe was just able to hold off Yamaha YZF-R7-mounted YSP Racing and Presto teammates Wataru Yoshikawa and Takeshi Tsujimura by a fraction of a second. Shinichi Itoh finished fourth among the Superbike on a Team Sakurai Honda RC51.

Watanabe now leads the All-Japan Road Race Series point standings by 21 points over Yoshikawa with two rounds and 50 points remaining.

Makoto Tamada was one point behind Watanabe coming into Suzuka, but Tamada crashed his Team Cabin Honda RC51 on lap 12 and DNF at Suzuka. Tamada is now third in the points, 26 behind Watanabe.

Ryo’s Suzuki teammate Yukio Kagayama turned the fastest lap of the race, a 2:06.938 on lap four, but crashed his Suzuki GSV-R prototype out of the race on lap 12.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Mike Sullivan set a new lap record for Spokane Raceway Park on Setember 1, during a WMRRA weekend.

Sullivan set the new record in the Formula Ultra race, riding a Suzuki GSX-R1000 on the 2.5-mile road course located in Spokane, Washington.

His time of 1:29.086 was verified by Troy Moe of Spokane Raceway Park, Inc.

From a press release issued by Team Orthopedics, a team sponsored by a surgeon with crew members all outfitted in scrub shirts like those TV stars:


Jack Pfeifer and Team Orthopedics battle the factories at the first annual Toyota 200 Grand Prix at Willow Springs Raceway!

“We had a great weekend,” says orthopedic surgeon Dr. Paul Canale, who organized Team Orthopedics Racing to sponsor Jack “The Fastest Man in Vegas” Pfeifer. Jack pulled the holeshot on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 to the first corner. After a blistering 10-second first pit stop Jack was handily holding off a great charge by factory Kawasaki rider Tommy Hayden for fourth place when he was black-flagged because a muffler support bolt backed out, a hard lesson for the crew that Loctite is no match for safety wiring. “We lost approximately 90 seconds fixing the problem and got Jack back out where he hammered it home and fought back to a sixth-place finish.”

Travis Ryan, Team Manager:
“In a short two months, we brought together a diverse and capable support team to mount a solid effort to back up our hugely talented rider, Jack Pfeifer, and place him into contention with the well-financed factory-backed efforts. We’re committed to helping Jack win big and establish himself as a recognized champion and we’ve been working feverishly on getting him onto more developed machinery and better equipment. Once we get closer parity on the equipment to the factory guys, Jack will beat them. He has finished top-10 at the AMA national level has an aggressive and sophisticated approach to riding and his training regimen.

“We need to get more power out of the motor and get the suspension dialed in. We have consulted some experienced suspension experts who have gotten us much closer, but we’re still fighting some handling gremlins and Jack can only compensate so much to control high-speed wobbles and loss of traction in the corners.

“We put on an impressive effort with only two months true development work, and our tentative plan is to continue the 2002 WSMC series where Jack is currently leading the points in two classes, and after acquiring more sponsor funding we will be a competitive AMA national team in 2003.”

Team Orthopedics and Jack Pfeifer would like to thank our sponsors, Elite Racing, Galfer brakes, Arrow Exhausts, VP racing fuels, Motorex, Skorpion racing/Texport leathers, Fastrack riders, Dunlop tires, Dynojet, Lockhart Phillips Racing, Hansen and Associates, Allstar Auto, Desert Motorsports, Miguel Duhamel, WSMC, for making Jack’s racing success possible!

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

BAM! Entertainment, makers of World Rally Championship, Dropship and Way of the Samurai, has released Riding Spirits, a new motorcycle riding/racing simulation video game for the Sony Playstation 2.

Similar to the driving simulation game series Gran Turismo, Riding Spirits players earn points by winning races and then use their points to purchase motorcycles and riding gear and to make upgrades to their machines and equipment. Players can choose from nearly 200 officially-licensed Vintage, current and prototype motorcycles from Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Honda and HRC and select from riding gear from Alpinestars, Arai, Dianese, Kushitani, RS Taichi, Shoei, Sidi and Takai.

Riding Spirits features 16 different tracks across Europe, America and Japan, both day and night racing, quick-play mode or career mode, one or two-player, split-screen racing action, several training courses and bonus challenges.

Developed by Spike of Japan over the last two years, Riding Spirits is rated E for Everyone and is available now for an MSRP of $49.99 at most consumer electronics stores.

For more information on Riding Spirits, go to www.ridingspirits.net or www.bam4fun.com

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Photos of a new Suzuki SV1000 have been springing up overseas.