“I never got into the wall,” Grant Lopez said of his big crash during Formula Xtreme practice this morning, which saw him slide at over 100 mph into the Air Fence modules lining a concrete wall outside turn 12.

“I was sliding head first with my arms out,” Lopez said, “and went into the Air Fence. My arm hooked on the (bottom) outside edge of the Air Fence. I never got into the wall.”

Lopez suffered a dislocated right shoulder and a bone chip in the shoulder socket.

TSN has mandated the replacement of play-by-play announcer David Hatch–who has held the position for seven years and has proven to be one of the more knowledgeable motorcycle road racing announcers on TV–by TSN motorsport host Vic Rauter. Racer Colin Fraser will continue to provide color commentary for the Canadian network’s coverage of the 2001 Parts Canada Superbike Championship. Shows covering the series will be replayed on the Outdoor Life Network this fall.

According to a press release issued by series organizers, TSN Senior Manager of Programming Phil Pizza said “Vic is our voice for motorsport and his reputation for motorsports is already established. It’s a synergy we wanted to have.”

The first show concerning the 2001 Canadian Series will be a series preview show seen on Sunday, May 20 at 12:00 p.m. but the release doesn’t specify which time zone that’s in and we’ll just have to assume it’s EDT.

The Parts Canada Superbike Championship Series opens this weekend at Shannonville, Ontario before moving to Race City Motorsport Park June 8-10 and then on to the recently-confirmed third round, June 15-17 at Namao Airport in Edmonton.

The Namao Airport date had been tentative because the Canadian Armed Forces owns the facility and had first right of refusal on its use. With the miltary declining to use the facility June 15-17, the race date was confirmed.

The Edmonton round of the series is sponsored by Suzuki Canada through three local dealerships, ALberta Cycle, Riverside Suzuki and Argyll Motor Sports.

AMA Pro Racing Director of Competition Merrill Vanderslice personally signed off on a special deal allowing Aaron Yates and Jamie Hacking to violate AMA rules restricting pre-race practice at Road Atlanta Tuesday and Wednesday.

On page 14 of the 2001 AMA Pro Racing Rulebook, the restriction on practice includes the following language:


“Riders in the following categories are not permitted to take part in any practices or schools at a track within 10 days preceding the first day of official practice of a national road race:

“1) Riders currently in the top 10 in points of Superbike or 600 Supersport

“2) Riders in the top ten in the final point standings of the previous year in Superbike or 600 Supersport.

“3) Former National Champions of Superbike and 600 Supersport within the preceding 5 years.”

Despite the rule, and in spite of refusing to bend when the same request was made for John Hopkins last year, Vanderslice gave permission for Yates and Hacking to instruct in the Kevin Schwantz Road Atlanta School on Tuesday and Wednesday before the AMA National at Road Atlanta. Hopkins was barred from teaching in the 2000 Team Hammer Advanced Riding School session held on Thursday before the AMA National at Road Atlanta.

Press releases issued by the Kevin Schwantz Road Atlanta School claimed that Mat Mladin would also instruct in Tuesday and Wednesday’s school sessions, but in fact, Mladin did not attend.

In AMA 2000 Superbike Series points, Mladin was ranked first, Yates was ranked third, and Hacking was ranked 10th. In 2000 AMA 600 Supersport points, Hacking was ranked third, and Yates was ranked sixth.

See related post on 5/16/01.

In addition to 15 new sections of Alpina Air Module being delivered to Road Atlanta in time for this weekend’s AMA Superbike Nationals, another 20 sections of Air Fence will be shipped by May 22 and should be available for the AMA National at Road America June 7-10.

The two shipments will bring the minimum number of Air Fence/Air Module sections available for use at AMA Nationals to 38, up from the 3 sections currently owned and deployed by the AMA.

The next guy to crash in the kink at Road America will no doubt thank the AMA as well as contributors to the Roadracing World Air Fence fund.

Last year at Road Atlanta, John Hopkins sat on an ATV in pit lane instead of instructing students in Team Hammer Advanced Riding School sessions held the Thursday before the AMA Big Kahuna Superbike National.

The reason? Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Hopkins was banned from participating in any on-track activities the week before the race because he was in the top 10 in points in AMA 600cc Supersport.

Rookie Hopkins had finished ninth in the restarted 600cc Supersport race at Daytona 2000, and so had to miss Thursday practice at Sears Point, a track he had never raced on. Then, when Sears Point was rained out, leaving post-Daytona points unchanged, Hopkins had to skip Thursday at Road Atlanta as well.

AMA Pro Racing Director of Competition Merrill Vanderslice denied a special appeal asking that Hopkins be allowed to instruct in the school–which he is required to do and is paid for under terms of his team contract–on a stock Suzuki GSX-R600 streetbike complete with OEM tires, stock pipe, stock suspension, turn signals and lights.

And when Team Hammer Track Ride participants head onto the track this Thursday at Road Atlanta, they’ll do so without Hopkins’ teammate, Grant Lopez, who is currently top-10 in AMA 600cc Supersport points.

The practice and on-track-activity restriction applies to riders who are in the top 10 in Superbike points as well as 600cc Supersport points, but does not apply to riders in 750cc Supersport, Formula Xtreme, 250cc Grand Prix or Pro Thunder, for reasons which have not been publicly explained by AMA Pro Racing.

Yet, according to a press release issued by Road Atlanta, the top-10-in-points rule apparently does not apply to AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin, currently leading the Superbike points.

The press release, issued by “Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School, Road Atlanta” started out as follows:

“The Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School at Road Atlanta will feature the Yoshimura Suzuki Superbike team racers as Guest Instructors for its school dates May 15th and 16th preceding the Big Kahuna AMA Superbike event.

“The Tuesday May 15th school will feature Mat Mladin and Jamie Hacking, in addition to the Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School’s already capable staff of instructors…On Wednesday the 16th, Aaron Yates will complete the team.”

In related news, during the Superbike race at Sears Point, Mladin ran data acquisition equipment specifically prohibited by AMA rules, with the blessing of AMA officials who said the equipment was allowed so television coverage of the event could include an on-screen graphic representation of the acceleration, braking and rpm turned by Mladin’s GSX-R750.

Similar graphics have been used in TV coverage of car races, in series which allow the use of data acquisition systems during races.

AMA Pro Racing’s stated purpose for banning the use of data acquisition systems is to prevent the use of traction control. AMA officials have not explained why a system set up to transmit real-time data for TV broadcast use cannot also be used to provide data to an electronic traction control or traction enhancing system.

Several teams in the past have been fined for leaving data acquisition sensors in place during qualifying sessions, after mechanics using the system (legally) in practice have forgotten to remove sensors prior to qualifying.

All of which may prove that whether or not a rule in the AMA Pro Racing rulebook applies to a given rider depends upon who he is and who he rides for, rather than what the rule actually says or the history of enforcement of that rule.

In what is either a sign than the apocalypse is upon us or a brilliant marketing move similar to the establishment of Freestyle Motocross, SFX Motor Sports has announced the formation of something called XSBA, which will sanction sportbike trick contests.

The move will give a sanctioned forum for the sportbike-riding stunters now typically seen doing stand-up wheelies through traffic on public roads, and will also save SFX some money since the competition purse is less than it would cost to hire professional stunt man Gary Rothwell.

A press release issued May 15 follows:


“XSBA formed and ‘Scene One’ Announced

“North Aurora, IL – Just when you thought organized extreme motorcycle racing was at an all-time pinnacle, another breed of speed has emerged. The X-Treme Sportbike Association, or XSBA has announced its formation and its first ever freestyle sport bike performance and competition.

“The XSBA will officially host and sanction invitational sport bike performances at select events around the county. The format will consist of up to 10 ‘teams’ of sport bike performance teams performing stoppies, fifth-gear wheelies, crosses, surfers and more stunts. Spectators will enjoy a judged competition, showcasing expert riders competing for series points and event purse money. (Not like any of these riders would carry an actual purse of course.)

“Extreme sport bike motorcycle stunts have seen a swift increase in popularity in the past two years. There have been several performances to date and a variety of videos on the market are already showcasing the stunts of the expert riders.

“‘Scene One’ of the XSBA begins at the Pocono Cyclefest at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania August 25th & 26th with The X-Treme Sport Bike Freestyle, XSBA Scene One, sponsored by Vanson Leathers, Air-Tech and Motorcycle Street and Strip Magazine. Saturday’s event will feature practice and qualifying on the front straight of Pocono Raceway and Sunday’s performance will be a mind-numbing finals competition. First place will win $1000. Second place is $400 and third place wins $400. Competition entry is $50 per rider for the weekend which includes two admissions to the Pocono Cyclefest Weekend. Event tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com.

“The competition is by invitation only, and XSBA will select the first available performers with valid expert experience. Riders and/or teams
wishing to compete must submit performance resume and videotape of live performance. Rules and regulations of the XSBA will be posted soon at the organizations official website; www.xsba.com.

“The XSBA officially sanctions freestyle sport bike events within the controlled environments of racetracks with existing safety standards including standby emergency support. The tricks and stunts performed within XSBA events are performed by expert riders and are encouraged to be practiced only within a controlled environment and not on public streets or highways.

“For more information, contact the XSBA at 630-966-9603 or email [email protected] or visit www.xsba.com.”