The complete text of a Suzuki press release on the Grand Prix at Mugello follows:


“GIBERNAU CLAIMS BEST FINISH IN GRUELLING RACE

“Round Five, World Grand Prix, Race Result, Italian GP, Mugello, Sunday, June 3.

“Team Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki rider Sete Gibernau claimed a season’s best sixth place in today’s weather-stricken Italian GP, one of only 12 riders who overcame frightful conditions in drenching rain in a race stopped once because of the weather, and restarted in even worse conditions.

“Team-mate Kenny Roberts Jr did not finish. The defending champion was one of many victims of the flooded track, left unsighted in the spray, and crashing out of third place with just three of the 23 laps remaining. Roberts had led both legs of the race at some point, and escaped unhurt from the crash.

“Others to fall out of an extraordinary race included points leader Valentino Rossi, who fell on the sighting lap, and again on the last lap of the race.

“The bad weather began during the first race of the day, for the 125cc class, which was stopped and restarted. Proceedings were delayed by two hours by the time the 500s got to the grid for the main event of the day. The first start was dry, but after eight laps the rain began again, and the race was stopped and restarted, with further delays.

“At this point, early leader Roberts was lying a close sixth in the leading group, and Gibernau was tenth.

“After the restart Roberts led again, and was with the leading group when – unsighted in the clouds of spray – he crashed under braking for the first turn. He was not injured, but angry about his first non-finish of the five-race-old season.

“Gibernau started cautiously in the second leg, never having ridden the Suzuki in the rain. Once he felt comfortable, he picked up the pace, and picked up one place after another. At the finish, however, his visor covered with spray inside and out, he had to slow again, unable to see clearly enough to maintain his speed. By then he had moved through to a safe sixth place, which he kept to the finish.

“SETE GIBERNAU – Sixth Position

“‘That was the first time in the rain on this bike for me, and I really didn’t know what to expect. I was really cautious on the first laps after the restart, but after a time I found my pace, and I started catching up. By then I had taken a lot of water in my helmet, and for the last five laps I could barely see where I was going – my visor was completely misted up. I had to slow, but I think it was quite good just to finish this race.’

“KENNY ROBERTS – Did Not Finish

“‘When Abe came by me, I had a problem with my visor fogging, and it was very difficult to see anything. I was trying to be cautious, then at the end I found I was getting closer and I started pushing. I started to catch Barros. I couldn’t see much on the front straight, and basically I made a mistake at the end of the straightaway. At least I was racing for victory instead of sixth place! Before the race Michelin suggested we use a 16.5-inch tyre because it was better in the wet, and now I believe they were right.’



“GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager

“‘Sete rode a great race, with very much impaired vision. It’s great for him and his crew to get a good result finally. Kenny was also struggling to see where he was going. The important thing is he walked away from it without any injuries.’

Alex Barros won the restarted Gran Premio Cinzano d’Italia at Mugello Sunday, winning by a combined 8.359 seconds. In a combined-time battle between homeboys Loris Capirossi and Max Biaggi, Capirossi beat Biaggi by 0.35-second.

Reigning 500cc World Champion Kenny Roberts crashed with three laps to go, and current 500cc points leader Valentino Rossi crashed with one lap left.

The race was stopped at 3:34 p.m. local time when it started to rain with 7 laps completed, then was restarted at 4:06 p.m. local time. Total combined race distance was 23 laps, or 120.635 kilometers (74.962 miles).

500cc Results, Segment One, After 7 Laps (Red-flagged)
1. Max Biaggi, Italy, Yamaha, 13:36.960
2. Alex Barros, Brazil, Honda, 13:37.461
3. Valentino Rossi, Italy, Honda, 13:37.587
4. Loris Capirossi, Italy, Honda, 13:38.406
5. Kenny Roberts, USA, Suzuki, 13:39.607
6. Tohru Ukawa, Japan, Honda, 13:39.623
7. Alex Criville, Spain, Honda, 13:39.896
8. Norick Abe, Japan, Yamaha, 13:41.204
9. Carlos Checa, Spain, Yamaha, 13:41.576
10. Sete Gibernau, Spain, Suzuki, 13:42.506
11. Shinya Nakano, Japan, Yamaha, 13:42.750
12. Jurgen v.d. Goorbergh, Holland, Proton, 13:43.929
13. Chris Walker, GB, Honda, 13:44.548
14. Noriyuki Haga, Japan, Yamaha, 13:46.589
15. Jose Luis Cardoso, Spain, Yamaha, 13:49.400
16. Haruchika Aoki, Japan, Honda, 13:59.655
17. Anthony West, Australia, Honda, 14:10.783
18. Barry Veneman, Holland, Honda, 14:10.823
19. Mark Willis, Australia, Pulse, 14:10.915
20. Jason Vincent, GB, Pulse, 15:16.807

500cc Results, Combined Segment One and Segment Two, After 23 laps
1. Barros, 49:26.006
2. Capirossi, 49:34.365
3. Biaggi, 49:34.515
4. Criville, 49:35.002
5. Aoki, 49.46.657
6. Gibernau, 49:50.729
7. Ukawa, 49:53.751
8. Nakano, 49:58.774
9. Abe, 50:17.363
10. Haga, 50:34.511
11. Cardoso, 50:44.032
12. v.d. Goorbergh, 51:15.339
13. Willis, 50:26.333
14. Rossi, DNF, crash, 22 laps
15. Roberts, DNF, crash, 20 laps
16. Vincent, DNF, crash, 20 laps
17. Walker, DNF, crash, 11 laps
18. West, DNF, crash, 10 laps
19. Checa, DNF, retired, 7 laps


In 250cc action, Tetsuya Harada led total Aprilia domination, with the Italian marque taking the first five positions in the wet. Harada ran away, winning the 21-lap race by 12.729 seconds; it took Harada 46 minutes, 11.129 seconds to complete the 110.145-kilometer (68.4-mile) race.

Katja Poensgen earned her first Grand Prix points with a 14th-place finish.

250cc Results
1. Tetsuya Harada, Japan, Aprilia
2. Roberto Rolfo, Italy, Aprilia, -12.729 seconds
3. Marco Melandri, Italy, Aprilia, -37.673
4. Roberto Locatelli, Italy, Aprilia, -43.860
5. Fonsi Nieto, Spain, Aprilia, -47.149
6. Emilio Alzamora, Spain, Honda, -54.884
7. David Cehca, Spain, Honda, -57.903
8. Alex Debon, France, Aprilia, -59.092
9. Shahrol Yuzu, Malaysia, Yamaha, -1:00.763
10. Daijiro Katoh, Japan, Honda, -1:13.110
11. Lorenzo Lanzi, Italy, Aprilia, -1:13.110
12. Naoki Matsudo, Japan, Yamaha, -1:40.274
13. David de Gea, Spain, Yamaha, -1:42.351
14. Katja Poensgen, Germany, Aprilia, -1:42.515
15. Jeronimo Vidal, Spain, Aprilia, -1:42.911


Noboru Ueda won the 20-lap, 104.9-kilometer 125cc Grand Prix by 3.810 seconds over Gino Borsoi. Usual front-runner Youich Ui was 18th on the Derbi, one lap down.

125cc Results
1. Noboru Ueda, Japan, TSR-Honda, 45:15.046
2. Gino Borsoi, Italy, Aprilia, -3.810 seconds
3. Manuel Poggiali, San Marino, Gilera, -6.917
4. Toni Elias, Spain, Honda, -12.917
5. Simone Sanna, Italy, Aprilia, -13.280
6. Angel Nieto Jr., Spain, Honda, -14.127
7. Arnaud Vincent, France, Honda, -21.103
8. Masao Azuma, Japan, Honda, -21.250
9. Jarno Muller, Germany, Honda, -21.263
10. Alex de Angelis, San Marino, Honda, -25.424

Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Grant Lopez will appear at two locations in Phoenix Saturday as part of a charity promotion for Valvoline’s new line of motorcycle oil, being test-marketed in Phoenix-area Wal Mart stores.

A press release issued by Valvoline follows:

“VALLEY BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF PHOENIX REV UP JUNE WITH VALVOLINE’S CARING HANDS PROGRAM

“Motorcyclists Invited to Spend the Day with Professional Race Champion Grant Lopez while Supporting Valley Big Brothers Big Sisters of Phoenix

“Phoenix, AZ, June 2: Valley Big Brothers Big Sisters of Phoenix and professional motorcyclist Grant Lopez will be at the Steel Horse Saloon (1768 West Bell Road/ 9:00 a.m./12:00 p.m.) and the Hard Rock Cafe (2621 East Camelback/1:00-4:00 p.m.) today to collect tire prints from motorcyclists.

“Valvoline will donate $10 for each tire print to Valley Big Brothers Big Sisters (up to $4,000!).

“All participating motorcyclists will receive a free hat or T-shirt as well as be eligible for Caring Hands prize raffle giveaways featuring tickets to the NASCAR Winston Cup race at the Phoenix International Raceway (Oct. 28, 2001), black leather Valvoline Racing jackets, and other items.

“‘In the past, the Caring Hands program collected handprint donations from all over Arizona,’ said Laura Capello, Valley Big Brothers Big Sisters director of community and corporate relations, ‘However, when we heard that motorcycle racing champion Grant Lopez was cruising into town, we decided to put a twist on our program, get the city’s motorcycle enthusiasts together and really have some fun.’

“Valley Big Brothers Big Sisters of Phoenix have been changing the lives of Arizona children for more than 40 years. It’s one of the largest Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies in the country with 1100 child/mentor matches and a waiting list of 500 kids in need. Events like this Caring Hands motorcycle rally help raise much needed awareness and dollars for this successful program while promoting the need for new adult mentors. All monies raised during this rally will help take children off the ever-growing waiting list and place them with adult mentors for years to come.

“‘Our program is simple,’ said Capello, ‘It’s about sharing your time with a child, having fun in the process and as a result, making a huge difference within your community.’

“Grant Lopez, winner of the 2000 Formula USA Unlimited Superbike Championship, will be signing autographs and encouraging motorcyclists to get involved within their community. For the past six years, Lopez has been with Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki, winning the WERA National Challenge Series 1100, the WERA National Challenge Series 750cc Superstock, the 750cc Supersport National races at Road America and Loudon as well as many other world-class competitions to date.

“For years the motorcycle universe has held a sacred bond between their bikes and the freedom of the road. To help keep these treasured engines roaring for years to come, Valvoline has formulated a new line of premium base motorcycle-specific oils specially designed for peak performance.

“These oils are available at your local Wal-Mart stores while supplies last.

“The ‘Caring Hands’ program continues to be the most ambitious philanthropic endeavor ever undertaken by Valvoline in its 135-year career. The program started in 1999 with a $50,000 donation and a commitment to raise $1 million dollars and help recruit new adult mentors through various marketing initiatives for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

“To date, Valvoline’s Caring Hands program has raised more than $587,909 in two years as a result of trackside events, driver performances, Lube-A-Thons, the Valvoline Online Racing Auction and other community events around the country.

“The Valvoline Company, a division of Ashland Inc., has been serving American motorists longer than any other motor oil company and is a leading innovator and supplier of quality, high performing automotive and industrial products in more than 140 countries. Best known for its lubricants, Valvoline also markets Eagle One appearance products, Zerex antifreeze, SynPower Performance Products and Pyroil automotive chemicals. The company also has a stake in the growing quick-lube market with its Valvoline Instant Oil Change unit. Valvoline is a member of the Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) family of companies. For more information, visit the
company’s Web site at www.valvoline.com.

“Big Brothers Big Sisters of America have been the nationally recognized leader in youth mentoring for almost 100 years. Big Brothers Big Sisters provides meaningful mentoring relationships for millions of children through its more than 500 affiliated agencies reaching 5,000 communities. National research studies prove that children with a Big Brother or Big Sister have more positive attitudes towards school, achieve higher grades and have better school attendance. In addition, these children are less likely to use drugs and alcohol and exhibit violent behavior. For more information, visit the BBBSA Web site at www.bbbsa.org.”

Team Xtreme/Pennzoil Racing’s Chris “Opie” Caylor and Scott Harwell won the third round of the WERA National Endurance Series, a 4-hour at Putnam Park Road Course in Mt. Meridian, Indiana on Saturday, taking the overall series points lead in the process.

Caylor and Harwell finished one lap ahead of second-overall racersupply.com while Paramount Racing finished third overall, another lap behind. Army of Darkness finished fourth overall, on the same lap as Paramount; former points leader Vesrah Suzuki was fifth, another two laps behind.

Vesrah Suzuki suffered catastrophic clutch failure early-on, while leading, followed by the engine locking up solid. The team restarted the race on a back-up bike and at one point was seven laps behind.

Early contenders Loudoun Motorsports crashed in the first hour and eventually finished 21st.

Pennzoil now leads Vesrah in overall series points, 374.705 to 299.855 in the best-9-of-10-finishes-count, 10-race series.


Unofficial results follow:

WERA National Endurance Series
Putnam Park 4-hour
1. Team Xtreme/Pennzoil Racing, Suzuki GSX-R750, Heavyweight Superbike, 157 laps

2. racersupply.com, Suzuki GSX-R750, Heavyweight Superbike, 156 laps

3. Paramount Racing, Suzuki GSX-R1000, Heavyweight Superstock, 155 laps

4. Army Of Darkness, Suzuki GSX-R600, Mediumweight Superbike, 155 laps

5. Vesrah Suzuki, Suzuki GSX-R1000, Heavyweight Superbike, 153 laps

6. Team Chaos, Suzuki GSX-R600, Mediumweight Superstock, 153 laps

7. Leaning Lizards Racing, Kawasaki ZX-6R, Mediumweight Superbike, 152 laps

8. Firehawk #1, Yamaha YZF-R6, Mediumweight Superstock, 152

9. J&J Motorsports, Suzuki GSX-R750, Heavyweight Superstock, 152 laps

10. Pro Stock Performance, Suzuki GSX-R600, Mediumweight Superstock, 152 laps.

Reigning 500cc World Champion Kenny Roberts was second only to Valentino Rossi in final qualifying for Sunday’s 500cc Grand Prix at Mugello, Italy, despite Roberts having the 12th-fastest bike.

Roberts’ Suzuki RGV500 reached a top of speed of 299.9 kph (186.357 mph) on the long main straightaway at Mugello and was 12th fastest, while Rossi’s Honda NSR500 was the fastest bike, reaching 306.2 kph (190.273 mph).

Final qualifying times and top speeds follow.

500cc Qualifying Times
1. Valentino Rossi, Italy, Honda, 1:52.554
2. Kenny Roberts, USA, Suzuki, 1:52.688
3. Loris Capirossi, Italy, Honda, 1:52.834
4. Max Biaggi, Italy, Yamaha, 1:52.942
5. Alex Barros, Brazil, Honda, 1:53.021
6. Alex Criville, Spain, Honda, 1:53.142
7. Jurgen v.d. Goorbergh, Holland, Proton, 1:53.241
8. Carlos Checa, Spain, Yamaha, 1:53.253
9. Tohru Ukawa, Japan, Honda, 1:53.335
10. Shinya Nakano, Japan, Yamaha, 1:53.406
11. Norck Abe, Japan, Yamaha, 1:53.589
12. Stee Gibernau, Spain, Suzuki, 1:54.036
13. Noriyuki Haga, Japan, Yamaha, 1:54.091
14. Jose Luis Cardoso, Spain, Yamaha, 1:54.384
15. Chris Walker, GB, Hodna, 1:54.827
16. Jason Vincent, GB, Pulse, 1:55.780
17. Haruchika Aoki, Japan, Honda, 1:56.390
18. Anthony West, Australia, Honda, 1:57.119
19. Johan Stigefelt, Sweden, Sabre, 1:57.765
20. Barry Veneman, Holland, Honda, 1:58.009
21. Mark Willis, Australia, Pulse, 1:58.365

500cc Top Speeds
1. Rossi, 306.2 kph
2. Ukawa, 306.0
3. Gibernau, 304.8
4. Criville, 303.9
5. Haga, 303.3
6. Biaggi, 303.2
7. Nakano, 302.7
8. Abe, 302.3
9. Barros, 302.2
10. Capirossi, 301.9
11. Checa, 300.2
12. Roberts, 299.9
13. v.d. Goorbergh, 299.8
14. Cardoso, 299.7
15. Walker, 299.7
16. Vincent, 288.1
17. Stigefelt, 295.9
18. Vladimir Castka, Slovakia, Paton, 282.9
19. Willis, 279.7
20. West, 276.4
21. Aoki, 274.7
22. Veneman, 274.7


Meanwhile, 250cc Final Qualifying resulted in an all-Aprilia front row on the grid, led by former 250cc World Champion Tetsuya Harada. In fact, only one non-Aprilia made it onto the first two rows of the grid, being Daijiro Katoh’s Honda; Katoh was sixth-fastest. And the only other non-Aprilia on the first three rows was Sebastian Porto’s Yamaha in 11th.

250cc Final Qualifying Times
1. Tetsuya Harada, Japan, Aprilia, 1:53.922
2. Marcellino Lucchi, Italy, Aprilia, 1:54.585
3. Jeremy McWilliams, GB, Aprilia, 1:54.691
4. Randy de Puniet, France, Aprilia, 1:54.915
5. Roberto Locatelli, Italy, Aprilia, 1:55.018
6. Daijiro Katoh, Japan, Honda, 1:55.024
7. Franco Battaini, Italy, Aprilia, 1:55.248
8. Marco Melandri, Italy, Aprilia, 1:56.108
9. Alex Debon, Spain, Aprilia, 1:55.416
10. Roberto Rolfo, Italy, Aprilia, 1:55.426
11. Sebastian Porto, Argentino, Yamaha, 1:55.473
12. Fonsi Nieto, Spain, Aprilia, 1:55.492
13. Alex Hofmann, Germany, Aprilia, 1:55.709
14. Klaus Nohles, Germany, Aprilia, 1:56.775
15. N. Matsudo, Japan, Yamaha, 1:56.853


In the 125cc class, Youich Ui was quickest on the Derbi.

125cc Final Qualifying Times
1. Youichi Ui, Japan, Derbi, 1:59.246
2. Toni Elias, Spain, Honda, 1:59.656
3. Lucio Cecchinello, Italy, Aprilia, 1:59.878
4. A. Ballerini, Italy, Aprilia, 1:59.881
5. Stefano Perugini, Italy, Italjet, 2:00.165
6. Nobby Ueda, Japan, 2:00.231
7. Masao Azuma, Japan, 2:00.291
8. Gino Borsoi, Italy, Aprilia, 2:00.305
9. Steve Jenkner, Germany, Aprilia, 2:00.309
10. Angel Nieto, Jr., Spain, Honda, 2:00.420

This press release just came in from the Land of Oz:

“YAMAHA TRIO IN SEARCH OF AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP SUCCESS AT WINTON

“Winton Raceway in central Victoria hosts round two of the 2001 Shell Advance Australian Superbike and Supersport Championships this weekend, June 2-3. The round however, will be the first for the Radar’s Team Yamaha squad, as they did not make the trip to Wanneroo in Western Australia for the opening round. Team member Craig Coxhell did ride in WA, but rode as a private entrant. Mechanical problems plagued the Victorian teenager who emerged from the opening round in fourth position overall. Second place in race two of the new-look three-race Superbike format was the highlight of the meeting for Coxhell.

“At last year’s corresponding round at Winton, Coxhell finished third overall and will be looking to take the step to the top of the podium this weekend. ‘My aim at the start of this year was to win the Australian Superbike Championship,’ said Coxhell. ‘I’ve started the championship off okay at the first round at Wanneroo and now I just want to keep adding pressure to the other guys. I’m looking forward to Winton, as it is as close as I get to a home track. It’s a good little technical track and would really like to come away from there with the win. I’m 15 points behind Shawn (Giles) at the moment, but I feel that I can at least match him around Winton.’

“Joining Coxhell, and making his debut in the Australian Superbike Championship will be Jamie Stauffer. After finishing fifth in last years Australian Supersport Championship, Stauffer won a place in the Radar’s Team Yamaha squad and has shown that he has what it takes, as he currently leads the Yamaha Formula Xtreme Tri-State aboard his Yamaha YZF-R1. This weekend will be different though as he will be mounted on his Australian Superbike Championship spec YZF-R1 and will be up against some new opposition. ‘It will be interesting to see how competitive the Australian Championship is this year after we’ve run at three of the Formula Xtreme rounds so far,’ said Stauffer. ‘I raced the Yamaha R6 Supersport here last year and this will be my first visit there on the Yamaha R1 Superbike. It will obviously be a bit different on the ASC spec R1, but it is something that I’m looking forward to. I think it will be close at the end of the day.’

“Queenslander Robbie Baird, the third member of Radar’s Team Yamaha, will spearhead the team’s assault on the Australian Supersport Championship aboard his Yamaha YZF-R6. After finishing runner-up to teammate Kevin Curtain in last year’s Championship, Baird is looking at the top ranked position for 2001. ‘It will be a hard battle at Winton this weekend that’s for sure,’ said Baird. ‘It will be my first race meeting on the Yamaha YZF-R6 this year, so it will be interesting to see how we go against the others in the Supersport Championship. Winton isn’t one of my favorite tracks around the country, but that doesn’t mean that we won’t be trying hard to get maximum points. Josh Brookes has a handy lead in the championship, so we are going to have to produce something special if we are to overhaul him.’

“‘We’ve got a bit of work to do after missing the opening round at Wanneroo, but luckily no-one was a runaway winner there, so the points are still relatively close,’ said team manager Dave `Radar’ Cullen. ‘Our championship starts here and I still feel that we are a strong chance. Craig (Coxhell) is only fifteen points off the lead in the Superbike championship, while people have to remember that Robbie (Baird) was able to win six races straight in the Supersport Championship last year, so if he can repeat that, he’s in with a show.’

“2001 Shell Australian Superbike Championships (Points after 1 of 5 rounds) 1. Shawn Giles 52, 2. Damien Cudlin 42, 3. Stuart Adams 42, 4. Craig Coxhell 37, 5. Tony Rees 36, 6. Michael Edwards 29, 7. John Donohoe 29, 8. Craig McMartin 28, 9. Scott Tulk 23, 10. David Simpson 22

“2001 Shell Australian Supersport Championships: (Points after 1 of 5 rounds) 1. Josh Brookes 51, 2. Daniel Stauffer 32, 3. Scott Charlton 31, 4. Brendan Clarke 21, 5. Rodney Taplin 20, 6. Michael Brenton 16, 7. Greg Moss 16, 8. Jay Taylor 13, 9. David Johnson 13, 10. Dean Coote 11.

“2001 Shell Australian Superbike & Supersport Championships: 5-6 May Wanneroo (WA) 2-3 June Winton (Vic) 30 June – 1 July Queensland Raceway (Q’ld) 28-29 July Mallala (SA) 25-26 August Oran Park (NSW)”

Yamaha has announced that the new four-stroke YZR-M1 GP bike will be seen in public for the first time and will make demonstration laps during the Catalunya Grand Prix weekend, June 15-17.

The text of a Yamaha press release on the matter follows:

“Yamaha YZR-M1 rides at the GP Marlboro de Catalunya!

“Yamaha’s all-new four-stroke MotoGP prototype, the YZR-M1, is scheduled to commence the second leg of its European test program at the Catalunya
circuit in Barcelona, Spain, in the week after round six of the MotoGP World Championship. Taking advantage of the machine’s availability, Yamaha has the pleasure of announcing that the YZR-M1 will make its first public appearance
in action on Sunday prior to the day’s racing activities on June 17, 2001, 10:45 a.m. CET.

“The YZR-M1 is planned to be ridden on the Catalunya circuit by Yamaha test rider Norihiko Fujiwara, who will do two laps in front of an expected 100,000 strong crowd. It will be the first time ever that the public will have the opportunity to see and hear a 2002 MotoGP four-stroke prototype machine and get a taste of what the future holds for the pinnacle of motorcycle road racing.

“After the public appearance on Sunday, two YZR-M1 test machines will stay on to join the Marlboro Yamaha Team for a three-day test. Regular Yamaha factory race development riders Kyoji Namba and Norihiko Fujiwara will again
be joined by John Kocinski. Yamaha’s top men Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa will also test the bike to provide further pure racer feedback on the YZR-M1 development and compare the M1 with their latest two-stroke YZR500.

“The primary objective for Biaggi and Checa however, is to test the current YZR500 two-stroke machines as part of the team’s on-going monthly testing schedule. The aim is to further improve their 2001 YZR500s for the second half of the highly competitive MotoGP 500 World Championship season, concentrating on new engine parts and new aerodynamics.”

Tom Kipp will replace injured Jason Pridmore on Attack Suzuki’s Formula Xtreme racebike for at least the next two AMA Nationals, at Road America June 9 and Loudon June 16, and possibly at Laguna Seca July 7 and Mid-Ohio July 21 as well.

Pridmore underwent surgery by Dr. Art Ting in Northern California on Tuesday, May 29, to repair extensive damage done to one leg and ankle in a crash during the Formula Xtreme race at Road Atlanta May 19.

Kipp is a former AMA 750cc Supersport Champion and last rode last year, in British Superbike events.