Saturday 125cc Qualifying Results From Donington Park:

1. Gino Borsoi, Aprilia, 1:48.754
2. Casey Stoner, Honda, 1:48.814
3. Jakub Smrz, Honda, 1:49.323
4. Youichi Ui, Derbi, 1:49.361
5. Masao Azuma, Honda, 1:49.412
6. Toni Elias, Honda, 1:49.505
7. Arnaud Vincent, Honda, 1:49.632
8. Max Sabbatani, Aprilia, 1:49.895
9. Alex De Angelis, Honda, 1:49.931
10. Alessandro Brannetti, Aprilia, 1:50.137

1. Mat Mladin, Suzuki, 1:26.214
2. Aaron Yates, Suzuki, 1:26.551
3. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki, 1:26.863
4. Doug Chandler, Kawasaki, 1:26.920
5. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 1:26.985
6. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki, 1:27.339
7. Steve Rapp, Ducati, 1:27.721
8. Larry Pegram, Ducati, 1:27.874
9. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 1:27.971
10. Tommy Hayden, Yamaha, 1:28.125
11. Pascal Picotte, H-D, 1:28.448
12. Andreas Meklau, Ducati, 1:28.522
13. Michael Smith, H-D, 1:29.128
14. Jordan Szoke, H-D, 1:29.208
15. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki, 1:30.108*
16. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki, 1:31.344*
17. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki, 1:31.459*
18. Richie Alexander, Suzuki, 1:31.597*
19. Ben Spies, Suzuki, 1:31.656*
20. Anthony Lupo, Suzuki, 1:31.805*
21. James Randolph, Suzuki, 1:32.103
22. Tony Meiring, Suzuki, 1:32.240*
23. Rich Conicelli, Suzuki, 1:32.470*
24. Alan Schmidt, Suzuki, 1:32.690*
25. Mike Sullivan, Honda, 1:32.883

*denotes 750cc Supersport machine

Graves Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster came from behind to win the Formula Xtreme final at Laguna Seca with a dramatic last-lap, last-corner out-braking move on Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s 18-year-old John Hopkins.

Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Final Results:

1. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha
2. John Hopkins, Suzuki
3. Roger Lee Hayden, Honda
4. Jake Zemke, Honda
5. Mark Miller, Honda
6. Grant Lopez, Suzuki
7. Josh Hayes, Honda
8. Andrew Deatherage, Suzuki
9. Mike Sullivan, Yamaha
10. Cory Call, Suzuki

31. Tom Kipp, Suzuki, 10 laps, DNF, crash

36. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 2 laps, DNF, crash

Margin of Victory: 0.122 second


Formula Xtreme Point Standings Following Laguna Seca:

1. Buckmaster, 163 points
2. Hopkins, 138 points
3. Lopez, 127 points
4. Miller, 115 points
5. Hayes, 114 points
6. Aaron Gobert, 106 points
7. Zemke, 105 points
8. Hayden, 98 points
9. Richie Alexander, 71 points
10. Chris Voelker, 55 points

1. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha, 1:28.715
2. Tom Kipp, Suzuki, 1:28.733
3. Josh Hayes, Honda, 1:29.050
4. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 1:29.137
5. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 1:29.388
6. Jake Zemke, Honda, 1:29.714
7. Roger Lee Hayden, Honda, 1:29.933
8. Mark Miller, Honda, 1:29.942
9. Grant Lopez, Suzuki, 1:30.364
10. Shawn Higbee, Suzuki, 1:30.834

Air Fence Fund contributors will have an opportunity to sign a section of Air Fence tonight, Saturday July 7, at 7:00 p.m. Those wishing to take part in the signing should gather at the Speedvision Production trailer in the paddock near the start/finish line pedestrian bridge. An up-to-date list of contributors will be on-site. Those wishing to do so will be able to make initial or additional contributions.

This Just In from Steve Reeves of Australia:

The final round of the 2001 Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State Series is shaping up as one of the closest fought rounds gauging from the lap times posted at the end of today’s two qualifying sessions.

Current Yamaha Formula Xtreme points leader, Radar’s Team Yamaha rider Robbie Baird, will start from the second position on the grid after his time was beaten in the final minutes by Honda’s Alex Gobert.

Baird had sat atop the leaders board for much of the final session with a time of 1:34.155, before being pipped by Gobert who stopped the clocks with a 1:34.197.

“It would have been great to have grabbed pole, but I’m happy with the times that we set,” said Baird. “I was a bit surprised as I was able to get into the 1:33s yesterday, but couldn’t get close to that today. I think the higher track temperature had something to do with that.”

Completing the front row were New Zealander Tony Rees on the Bikebiz Yamaha YZF-R1 and Honda-mounted Josh Brookes.

Craig Coxhell and Jamie Stauffer will start their Radar’s Team Yamaha’s off the second row of the grid after setting the sixth and seventh-fastest times respectively.

“I got caught up a lot in the traffic of the first qualifying session and that didn’t allow me to get a quick time down before the afternoon session,” said Coxhell. “In the afternoon session we tried a different tire that we haven’t used previously, but it didn’t work as planned. All I can hope for is a few good starts tomorrow to give me a chance at the leaders.”

“Everyone is going quite hard out there, showing that the pressure is on at the final round,” said Stauffer. “I felt quite good on the bike today, but my lap times didn’t reflect that. We tried a few different rear tires, but it didn’t seem to make much difference. Going by the lap times the others have set, I think we are in for one hell of a race tomorrow.”

Combined Yamaha Formula Xtreme qualifying
1. Alex Gobert,Redwing Honda1:34.155
2. Robbie Baird, Radar’s Team Yamaha 1:34.197
3. Tony Rees, Bikebiz Yamaha 1:34.239
4. Josh Brookes, Geoff’s Auto Spares Honda 1:34.273
5. Luke Phillips, Optus World Honda 1:34.687
6. Craig Coxhell, Radar’s Team Yamaha 1:34.749
7. Jamie Stauffer, Radar’s Team Yamaha 1:34.880
8. Damien Cudlin, Bikebiz Yamaha 1:34.884
9. Steven Cutting, Bar Ristretto Suzuki1:35.496
10. Jay Taylor,Taylor Racing Kawasaki1:35.820

Yamaha Formula Xtreme points after 4 of 5 events
1. Robbie Baird, 279 points
2. Jamie Stauffer, 246
3. Craig Coxhell, 239
4. Tony Rees, 203
5. Damien Cudlin, 178
6. Alex Gobert, 168
7. Josh Brookes, 130
8. Luke Phillips, 116
9. Graeme Morris, 100
10. Stephen Tozer, 84

During a pre-event press conference held during lunchtime Thursday at Laguna Seca, Superbike World Champion Colin Edwards used the word “asshole” in referring to AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin without suffering any official penalties. Things got interesting when track announcer Richard Chambers handed the microphone to Edwards and encouraged Edwards to lead the press conference.

Edwards was given the microphone after Chambers had already interviewed Honda teammates Nicky Hayden and Miguel Duhamel, Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mladin, and Edwards himself. Troy Bayliss, Peter Goddard, Ben Bostrom, Regis Laconi and others were still waiting to be interviewed.

By the time Edwards received the microphone, Mladin had quietly left the overcrowded head table, almost as if to make room for Edwards to sit down. Mladin also looked to return to his pits as the AMA Superbike racers’ one and only qualifying session was scheduled for shortly after the Thursday lunch break. As Mladin walked away from the press conference area, Edwards called to Mladin over the small, press conference P.A. system, “Where ya going, Mat?”

Mladin didn’t appear to hear Edwards and continued walking. Edwards then told the crowd consisting of national, international, and local media members, “Now I understand why you guys think he’s an asshole.” Half of the crowd laughed while the other half mumbled to one another. In addition to “asshole”, Edwards also said the word “ass’ twice during his time speaking to the press.

The next racer to be interviewed was Benelli Tornado development rider/racer Peter Goddard. Goddard asked, “I wonder if Colin is going to get fined for that?” referring to the $5000 fine Mladin received for using the word “shit” and criticizing the track and other riders during an AMA press conference at New Hampshire International Raceway.

When asked after the press conference about the possibility of AMA officials fining him for his choice of words, Edwards said, “They’re gonna have a good time getting it out of me. I don’t give a shit. I don’t care. It wasn’t an AMA press conference. For a World Superbike press conference that’s normal lingo.”

Asked if he thought that the use of curse words is detrimental to the sport of motorcycle road racing—as claimed by AMA officials–Edwards said, “I don’t care. That’s who I am. I can be a robot and get up there and say the same thing over and over, but that’s not what the fans want. The fans want to know who I am. I’ll show you my whole deck of cards right there. This is who I am. If I say a few cuss words here and there that’s part of my personality.”

When asked about his comments concerning Mladin, Edwards said, “I was just wondering where he was going. I mean, it looked like the press conference was just getting kicking and then he left. I was just saying, ‘Where the Hell are you going?’ You just don’t get up and leave a press conference normally. I think nothing less of him. Now I just understand why everyone thinks he’s an asshole.” Then Edwards clarified saying, “I didn’t call him an asshole. I just said that I understand why people think he’s an asshole.”

After the press event was over, AMA Media Relations Contractor Larry Lawrence confirmed that the press conference had not been an official AMA press conference. Lawrence later asked his World Superbike series press counterpart, Renata Nosetta, about Edwards’ conduct. According to Lawrence, he was told by Nosetta that the World Superbike series allows their riders to be more free in expressing themselves than the AMA does.

New AMA Pro Racing Superbike Operations Manager Gary Mathers was asked at Laguna Seca Friday about the new chain of command since he was hired. In response, Mathers said, “I work for Merrill (Vanderslice, AMA Pro Racing Director of Competition), and Ron (Barrick) reports to me.”

Barrick formerly held the title of AMA Superbike Operations Manager. Barrick’s new title has not been determined yet.

1. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki, 1:29.480
2. Aaron Yates, Suzuki, 1:29.670
3. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 1:30.181
4. Anthony Gobert, Yamaha, 1:30.203
5. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 1:30.309
6. Roger Lee Hayden, Honda, 1:30.424
7. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki, 1:30.524
8. Tommy Hayden, Yamaha, 1:30.567
9. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 1:30.723
10. Josh Hayes, Honda, 1:30.776
11. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki, 1:31.214
12. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki, 1:31.846
13. Lance Isaacs, Honda, 1:31.974
14. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 1:31.974
15. Tom Kipp, Suzuki, 1:32.022
16. Jake Zemke, Honda, 1:32.669
17. Takaharu Kishida, Kawasaki, 1:32.969
18. Marc Palazzo, Honda, 1:33.019
19. Grant Lopez, Suzuki, 1:33.112
20. Daigoro Suzuki, Kawasaki, 1:33.540