Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

A member of Nicky Hayden’s management team said Hayden has not signed a deal to ride a MotoGP Yamaha, despite a news report implying the contrary.

“I know what you’re calling about,” said Steve Dicterow Tuesday afernoon via his cell phone. Dicterow, along with Gary Howard, is part of Ohio-based International Racers, Inc., which manages Hayden.

“I can just say at this moment, the report is premature,” continued Dicterow. “I think within 48-72 hours we will know what we are doing. But right now, it is premature for anybody to be commenting on what we are doing. That is not appropriate yet. But I do expect by the end of the week, because everybody in the world wants to know what Nicky’s doing, I think by the end of the week, we will be able to comment further. But at this point, it is simply inappropriate for anybody to be speculating.”

When asked if, as stated in the news report, Hayden had faced any signing deadline issued by American Honda, Dicterow said, “I’m not aware of any deadline at this point. We are actively analyzing our situation, but we are not under the gun that way.”

RW: You mean you are not under any deadline except your own schedule?

Dicterow: “Exactly.”

Dicterow added that he would be pleased to speak to Roadracingworld.com later this week when Hayden’s plans are finalized.

Nicky Hayden flew from California to his home in Kentucky on an overnight flight, was sleeping in and was unavailable for comment mid-day Tuesday.

In a telephone call to Roadracingworld.com Monday, August 26, Hayden said that he still did not know what he would be doing next year.

From a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:

SUZUKI TESTS POSITIVE AT BRNO

Team Suzuki GSV-R Tests.
Brno, Czech Republic.
August 26th and 27th.

Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki team riders Sete Gibernau and Kenny Roberts and Team Suzuki development rider Akira Ryo, stayed on at the Brno circuit in the Czech republic after last weekend’s MotoGP event, to test a number of new parts and settings on the new-this-year GSV-R machine.

In addition to the new chassis that Roberts and Gibernau tried in qualifying for the MotoGP, the three riders tested new fuel system parts, new suspension parts and settings and a number of new tyres. Ohlins Suspension and Michelin Tyre technicians stayed on with the team to help the Suzuki engineers test and evaluate the latest developments.

Suzuki introduced the new 990cc V-four, four-stroke engined GSV-R at the start of this season, bringing the development program forward by a full 12 months, to meet the new MotoGP regulations. The original plan was to race the existing 500cc two-stroke RGV machine this season and to test the new GSV-R in selected Japanese events, but Suzuki took the brave decision to bring the whole program forward and develop the new machine ‘out in the open’.

The GSV-R made a brilliant debut at the first MotoGP of the season at Suzuka in Japan. Reigning All Japan Superbike Champion and chief test rider Akira Ryo made the best of a ‘wild-card’ entry and lead for most of the rain-lashed race, only losing out to World Champion Valentino Rossi in the closing laps. Although the team has yet to match that early success, the target of further rostrum places before the end of the year is clearly realistic, following Gibernau’s close-fought fight for third place in last Sunday’s MotoGP race at Brno.

The tests produced positive results in a number of areas and the whole team are looking forward to making another step forward at the next MotoGP race at Estoril in Portugal on September 8th.

Garry Taylor, Team Manager:
“The whole team is in a positive mood following Sete’s brilliant ride here on Sunday; and these two days of tests have also shown a marked improvement in the overall performance of the new GSV-R.

“The factory made a brave decision to develop the machine out in the open where our failures can be seen as well as our successes. But of course a mixture of success and failure is the reality of any development program – You just have to aim for more success than failure!

“I think that it is clear that we are now making progress in the important areas. It is at times a painfully slow process, because you make an improvement in one area and that can have an adverse result in another area, and so you have to multi-check every aspect, every time you make a small change.

“Suzuki’s senior management is fully committed to the GSV-R program and with the on-going developments, we believe that we are on schedule to be back at the front as a major contender by the start of next season.”


Kenny Roberts:
“These test have been very important for us and we really needed them, because Suzuki had quite a lot of new stuff chassis-wise that we tried over the weekend. We honestly tried too many things – too many un-tested items that really got us lost and really didn’t give us anything we could use for the race. I went back to my settings for the race and really struggled with that and the problem that everyone had with the tyres.

“These two days of tests have given us a chance to get back to a good base. We are now getting started to get hold of things and get started on the test items and its going to give us a good bike to go to Portugal and ride and change from there. It will certainly be an advantage not having to test a lot of things we tested here. So its something we had to do and now we have a better base to start with at Portugal.”


Sete Gibernau:
“My race result here showed that we are getting more competitive, but we know that we must keep on improving every area of the machine because all the other teams are improving all the time as well.

“These two days of testing have produced some good results and we know what areas we need to concentrate on in the immediate future. Now that we are making progress we need to keep the pressure on.”

From a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:

HAYDEN SHOOTS FOR ELUSIVE GRAND SLAM AT SPRINGFIELD LABOR DAY WEEKEND DOUBLEHEADER

PICKERINGTON, Ohio–In the nearly half-century since the AMA formed the Grand National Championship, there have been only four riders to earn the elusive Grand Slam: Dick Mann, Kenny Roberts, Bubba Shobert and Doug Chandler. The distinction is for riders who have won an AMA National in dirt-track’s mile races, half-mile, short-track and TT, and a road race or Superbike race. Since the AMA Flat Track and AMA Superbike Championships became separate championships in 1986, the Grand Slam has even become less common since flat track racers very rarely compete in Superbike racing. This weekend, Aug. 31-Sept. 1, Nicky Hayden can become the fifth Grand Slam winner with a win in the classic Springfield Mile on Sunday. On Saturday night, the Illinois State Fairgrounds will also host a Short Track Grand National, a the same track where Hayden won on in July.

The traditional Labor Day Weekend races at Springfield makes this event one of the biggest on the AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship calendar. The races on the Springfield Mile have a special place in the hearts of all motorcycle racing fans. Dating back to the beginnings of Class C racing in the 1930s, the winner of the Springfield Mile was crowned AMA National Champion from the late-1930s until 1954, when the Grand National Championship Series was established. Even today, this race is the most coveted in the championship.

Chris Carr comes into this year’s Springfield Mile as the heavy favorite. Carr, the defending champion from Fleetwood, Pa., leads the series coming into this weekend’s doubleheader and has won the last two Labor Day Springfield Miles. Another rider to watch this weekend on the mile is Harley-Davidson factory rider Rick King. King is on a roll, having won two of the last three rounds of the championship. Kevin Atherton and Jay Springsteen are also riders who always seem to excel at Springfield.

But it’s the entry of newly crowned AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike champ Nicky Hayden that’s causing the most stir. Hayden has won three of the five AMA Grand Nationals he’s entered this year, including a victory at the prestigious Peoria TT. That makes him the winningest rider on the circuit this year in a season of nearly unprecedented parity in which there have been 10 winners in the 14 races.

Honda is backing Hayden’s effort to win the Grand Slam and has reported to have shipped in special parts directly from Japan to put on Terry Poovey’s Honda RS750 that Hayden will be riding at Springfield. Honda last won the Springfield Mile in 1993 with the late Ricky Graham.

“I definitely have a goal to win on a mile, and Springfield would be a great place to do it,” said Hayden, who could become the youngest rider to ever accomplish the Grand Slam. “I mean you look at the riders who’ve been able to win the Grand Slam and it’s a pretty select group of legends. To have my name alongside Mann, Roberts, Chandler and Shobert would be unbelievable. All of the guys are heroes to me and I consider them the best in the history of our sport.”

Winning a dirt track mile may well be one of the hardest things to do in motorcycle racing according to American Motorcyclist magazine managing editor and dirt-track racing historian Bill Wood.

“Amateur dirt-track racers come up gaining a lot of experience on short-tracks, TTs and even half-miles to a lesser extent,” Wood explains. “But it takes a lot of experience to learn how to race the miles. It’s taken even some of the best riders years on the circuit to finally win a mile. Hayden certainly has the talent to do it, but if he does I’m sure he’ll consider it one of his greatest racing accomplishments.”

In addition to the Springfield Mile on Sunday, the fairgrounds will host a Short Track Grand National on Saturday night. Hayden and his brothers, Tommy and Roger Lee, would all have to be considered top contenders on that track. Nicky won the last race there in July. Bryan Bigelow, who is third in the series standings, was runner-up to Hayden at the July Short Track Grand National and should be a frontrunner. There will also be a 505 expert class support race on the Springfield Mile on Sunday.

For additional information contact the Illinois Motorcycle Dealers Association at (217) 753-8866 or visit www.illinoismda.com.


SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
AMA PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE U.S. FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
ILLINOIS STATE FAIRGROUNDS, SPRINGFIELD, IL SHORT TRACK

SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 2002
12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Registration at the track

12:30 p.m. – 2:40 p.m. – Tech Inspection at the track

2:45 p.m. – Riders Meeting

3:00 p.m. – Practice

4:15 p.m. – Qualifying heats

7:00 p.m. – Opening Ceremonies

7:30 p.m. – 7:40 p.m. – 1st Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

7:40 p.m. – 7:50 p.m. – 2nd Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

7:50 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – 3rd Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

8:00 p.m. – 8:10 p.m. – 4th Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

8:10 p.m. – 8:20 p.m. – 5th Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

8:20 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – 6th Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

8:30 p.m. – 8:40 p.m. – 1st Progressive Insurance Grand National Semi

8:40 p.m. – 8:50 p.m. – 2nd Progressive Insurance Grand National Semi

8:50 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – 3rd Progressive Insurance Grand National Semi

9:00 p.m. – 9:10 p.m. – 4th Progressive Insurance Grand National Semi

9:25 p.m. – 9:40 p.m. – AMA PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE GRAND NATIONAL FINAL

9:45 p.m. – Victory Circle for Grand National



SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
AMA PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE U.S. FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
ILLINOIS STATE FAIRGROUNDS, SPRINGFIELD, IL MILE
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2002

7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – Registration at the track

7:30 a.m. – 9:40 a.m. – Tech Inspection at the track

9:40 a.m. – Mandatory Riders Meeting

9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Practice (extra practice time for SuperTracker testing)

11:15 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Qualifying Heats

1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Opening Ceremonies

1:30 p.m. – 1:40 p.m. – 1st 505 Heat

1:40 p.m. – 1:50 p.m. – 2nd 505 Heat

1:50 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – 3rd 505 Heat

2:00 p.m. – 2:10 p.m. – 1st Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

2:10 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. – 2nd Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

2:20 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – 3rd Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

2:30 p.m. – 2:40 p.m. – 4th Progressive Insurance Grand National Heat

2:40 p.m. – 2:55 p.m. – 505 SUPPORT FINAL

2:55 p.m. – 3:05 p.m. – Victory Circle for 505 Support Final

3:05 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. – 1st Progressive Insurance Grand National Semi

3:15 p.m. – 3:25 p.m. – 2nd Progressive Insurance Grand National Semi

3:25 p.m. – 3:35p.m. – 3rd Progressive Insurance Grand National Semi

3:50 p.m. – 4:05 p.m. – AMA PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE GRAND NATIONAL FINAL

4:10 p.m. – Victory Circle for Grand National Final

From a press release issued by Monstermob Ducati:

MONSTERMOB DUCATI BRITISH SUPERBIKE TEAM

Round 10 – 2002 MCN British Superbike Championship, Cadwell Park

Hislop Does the Double

MonsterMob Ducati rider Steve Hislop increased his British Superbike Championship lead by 48 points at a cold and damp Cadwell Park this afternoon.

The 40-year-old Isle-of-Man-based Scot broke the lap record 4 times in 6 laps in race one before going on to record another double win and boost his Championship lead.

Race two was interrupted by rain but in the restart Hizzy led from the start to take victory once again over fellow Ducati rider Michael Rutter. Main championship rival Sean Emmett (Yamaha) recorded 5th in race one and 6th in race two.

“That was fantastic. I was hoping that Sean might struggle a bit. I really wanted to get to grips with the Championship here and hopefully this is the way to the end now” said a delighted Hislop.

MonsterMob teammate Stuart Easton scored a brilliant 2nd place in the Supersport race, which was also stopped due to the rain and despite suffering machine problems earlier in the day.

The 18-year-old Scot boosted his Championship lead also and now leads by 38 points with 3 rounds remaining.

“I scored some good points today. It’s great to get them in the bag. Oulton Park is my favourite circuit so I hope I can get back to my winning ways there” said Easton.

Team owner Paul Bird was delighted with his team’s performance. “We got what we came for today. All credit to the team. Now we can look forward to our home circuit at Oulton Park next weekend” said the Penrith businessman.

The next round is at Oulton Park, Cheshire on Saturday 31st August/Sunday 2nd September.



Results:

MCN British Superbike Race One: 1. Steve Hislop (MonsterMob Ducati) 27:03.104, 2. Shane Byrne (Ducati) 27:06.241, 3. Michael Rutter (Ducati) 27:12.013, 4. John Reynolds (Suzuki) 27:13.365, 5. Sean Emmett (Yamaha) 27:17.361, 6. Simon Crafar (Yamaha) 27:18.465, 7. Glen Richards (Kawasaki) 27:21.580, 8. Karl Harris (Suzuki) 27:28.172, 9. Gary Mason (Honda) 27:31.774, 10. John Crawford (Suzuki) 27:33.441.


MCN British Superbike Race Two: 1. Steve Hislop (MonsterMob Ducati) 26:01.046, 2. Michael Rutter (Ducati) 26:04.676, 3. Shane Byrne (Ducati) 26:06.737, 4. John Reynolds (Suzuki) 26:10.926, 5. Steve Plater (Yamaha) 26:15.327, 6. Sean Emmett (Yamaha) 26:18.796, 7. Karl Harris (Suzuki) 26:20.861, 8. John Crawford (Suzuki) 26:38.796, 9. Mark Burr (Kawasaki) 26:43.352, 10. Dean Ellison (Ducati) 26:46.013.


MCN British Superbike Standings: 1. Steve Hislop 370 pts, 2. Sean Emmett 322 pts, 3. Michael Rutter 289.5 pts, 4. Shane Byrne 237.5 pts, 5. John Reynolds 216.5 pts, 6. Steve Plater 191 pts, 7. Paul Brown 159.5 pts, 8. Simon Crafar 141 pts, 9. Glen Richards 130.5 pts, 10. Dean Ellison 101.5 pts

Supersport: 1. Michael Laverty (Honda) 20:47.382, 2. Stuart Easton (MonsterMob Ducati) 20:51.757, 3. Ben Wilson (Honda) 20:59.477, 4. Edward Smith (Yamaha) 20:59.714, 5. Kris Jennes (Yamaha) 21:01.556, 6. Callum Ramsay (Suzuki) 21:03.348, 7. Mark Davies (Kawasaki) 21:19.685, 8. Scott Smart (Honda) 21:25.954, 9. Jeremy Goodall (Suzuki) 21:27.742, 10. Matt Layt (Suzuki) 21:28.258

Supersport Championship Standings: 1. Stuart Easton 203 pts, 2. Scott Smart 165 pts, 3. Michael Laverty 104 pts, 4. Tom Tunstall 91 pts, 5. Pete Jennings 90 pts, 6. Jeremy Goodall 85 pts, 7. Ben Wilson 82 pts, 8. Simon Andrews 80 pts, 9. Chris Bishop 61 pts, 10. Callum Ramsay 59 pts

From a press release issued by Dr. Rob Tuluie:

Tul-aris Scores Another 1st Place and Three 2nd Places.

Tul-aris rider Steve Johnson piloted the Tul-aris to its 2nd win this year and an additional three 2nd places during the CRA races at Mid-America Raceway. During the 3-day race weekend, we completed a total of 96 laps, or 220 miles of racing at the twisty racing circuit without any mechanical problems or failures. In fact, not a single wrench was turned all weekend other than to make suspension adjustments, shock linkage ratio changes, swingarm pivot height changes and tire changes. We changed jets once, never changed the plugs and just enjoyed the super reliability and great acceleration of our Hot Seat Performance 780cc motor. Steve made every practice and race start to finish and never missed a lap. Some Formula One teams would kill for this level of reliability from a home-engineered machine.

While we could enjoy great reliability, we did spent most of our time chasing the optimum setup. A severe thunderstorm hammered the track Thursday night, creating infield lakes, washing mud across the track and removing any rubber that had been laid down previously. Hence Friday morning practice consisted of sliding our way around the track and wondering if Michelin DoT tires would be a more suitable choice than our Michelin Pilot slicks for this very peculiar track surface. Thankfully Tom Mason of Mason Racing Tires headed us in the right direction with his recommendations for tires compounds and pressures. So, while we might not have quite found the best combination, we certainly made significant improvements in tire life and grip thanks to Tom and Walt Schaeffer Michelin.

In addition, Tul-aris team member Stefan Herdel and I tried typical damping adjustments and preload changes in the search for more grip on corner exits, but this only yielded minor improvements. After studying the data from our PI data acquisition system, a change to a softer rear shock linkage ratio yielded a bit more grip, and a final change to the swingarm pivot height finally produced our fastest laptime (which was faster than the lap record we nearly broke here earlier in the year, but not quite fast enough for the new lap record, set by Robert Jensen this weekend).

After winning the Heavyweight GP class in the 12-lap Trophy Dash race, Steve and the Tul-aris were looking for our 2nd win during the Heavyweight GP sprint race. Steve gained the lead on the 2nd lap and held it for 1½ laps, but fell back to second place in a long left-hand sweeper exit where we had been struggling for grip all weekend long. Steve put his head down and the Tul-aris shot back into first place with great corner entry speed going into turn 1, only to be passed again on the pen-ultimate lap in the same sweeper exit. Unfortunately, Steve’s advantage (turn 1) is the first turn after the checker flag, so we ended up a very close 2nd place. In addition, Steve also finished a close 2nd in the Unlimited GP sprint race and in the Dash-for-Cash race as well.

With the lack of traction during the corner exits, it was incredible to watch Steve light up the rear tire, spinning it so you could clearly hear the changes in engine rpm, and then pulling big 100-mph power wheelies once the tire hooked up again!

In summary, I must congratulate our rider Steve Johnson on never crashing the Tul-aris all year in the dry (one minor get-off in the wet not withstanding) and riding the wheels off it. His feedback and setup skill are second to none. Thanks to Steve and our sponsors, we made significant improvements throughout the year, which netted us 2 wins, many top-3 finishes and one lap record. Our reliability has been fantastic all year, with mostly only rain causing Steve to pull in a few times this year. In fact, in eight race weekends (with several races each weekend) we only had 2 mechanical DNFs all year, one a slipping clutch and the other a failed power valve controller early in the year, which since than has been working flawlessly.

Our next event would be the Formula USA and CCS national championship races at Daytona, but is not certain that we will be able to make these at this point. Our final tally for the regular racing season is:

Two 1st places
Five 2nd places
Two 3rd places
One 4th place
One 7th place
One lap record (Blackhawk)

None of this success would have been possible without the support, advice and good-will of our sponsors and the volunteer support of all the Tul-aris team members. Our sponsors are: Walt Schaeffer Michelin, Hot Seat Performance, Nutec Racing Fuel, Mason Racing Tires, Ohlins USA, MTS Systems, Lofgren Racing/Manley Cycle, Yoyodyne Titanium, GP Tech, Headhunter Racing and DCM Services. Special thanks also to Jim Hubert, Chad Pierce and Eric Christensen. Steve Johnson is sponsored by Delano Sport Center, Hi-Per Sports, Mason Racing Tires, EBC Brakes and Lockhart Phillips.

From a press release issued by Marlboro Yamaha:

VICTORIOUS MARLBORO YAMAHA TEAM CONTINUES HARD WORK AT BRNO

Italian Max Biaggi did not have long to celebrate his first win aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1 before he was back in action for half a day’s testing at the Brno track. The Marlboro Yamaha Team man capped pole position on Saturday with a win in yesterday’s Czech Republic Grand Prix at Brno. He and Spanish teammate Carlos Checa carried out further tests on the latest development of M1 chassis today plus some tyre tests.

Biaggi had opted to race the existing version of M1 chassis having tested the new development during practice for the race. It proved to be a good decision as he emerged victorious, but he was still keen to carry out further set-up experiments with both versions today. In sweltering conditions he completed a total of 39 laps with a best time of 2:00.8, a second shy of the best-ever lap of the circuit that gave him pole on Saturday. Satisfied with the work he had done, Biaggi left the track just after lunch.

Carlos Checa, who took fifth place yesterday riding with the new chassis, rode a total of 63 laps today and finished with a best time of 2:00.7. Checa was also working on fine-tuning suspension set-up as well as testing new Michelin front tyres. He will return to the track tomorrow for further tyre tests.

Testing alongside the Marlboro Yamaha men were the Gauloises Tech 3 Yamaha, Red Bull WCM Yamaha and Telefonica Movistar Suzuki teams.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

This just in from Mark Miller, producer of the soon-to-be-released video, Superbike Life:

I wanted to give you a heads-up on a funny highlights piece from The Clayton Foundation’s first Pit Daddy beauty pageant/competition at VIR on Tuesday’s MotoWorld show (ESPN2, August 27th).

The footage briefly shows heaps of top riders (including Kevin Schwantz, Aaron Yates, the Haydens, etc.) gettin’ down and funky to help raise $16,000 towards helping injured riders pay their medical bills.

I produced the thing for MotoWorld ala, “Courtesy of Superbike Life.”

Thought the community wouldn’t want to miss it…

Mark Miller

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

125cc Grand Prix Results From Brno:

1. Lucio Cecchinello, Aprilia, 19 laps, 41:18.287
2. Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, -0.202 second
3. Arnaud Vincent, Aprilia, -0.278 second
4. Hector Barbera, Aprilia, -0.494 second
5. Manuel Poggiali, Gilera, -0.495 second
6. Steve Jenkner, Aprilia, -0.717 second
7. Simone Sanna, Aprilia, -0.901 second
8. Alex De Angelis, Aprilia, -1.309 seconds
9. Gino Borsoi, Aprilia, -5.579 seconds
10. Mika Kallio, Honda, -7.091 seconds

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP Race Results From Brno:

1. Max Biaggi, Yamaha YZR-M1, 22 laps, 44:36.498
2. Daijiro Kato, Honda RC211V, -2.755 seconds
3. Tohru Ukawa, Honda RC211V, -7.598 seconds
4. Sete Gibernau, Suzuki GSV-R, -11.889 seconds
5. Carlos Checa, Yamaha YZR-M1, -14.029 seconds
6. Loris Capirossi, Honda NSR500, -18.260 seconds
7. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton KR3, -24.840 seconds
8. Norick Abe, Yamaha YZR500, -26.572 seconds
9. Alex Barros, Honda NSR500, -28.741 seconds
10. Olivier Jacque, Yamaha YZR500, -29.156 seconds
11. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki GSV-R, -32.920 seconds
12. Jurgen v.d. Goorbergh, Honda NSR500, -38.670 seconds
13. Garry McCoy, Yamaha YZR500, -45.144 seconds
14. Akira Ryo, Suzuki GSV-R, -51.932 seconds
15. Tetsuya Harada, Honda NSR500, -62.171 seconds
16. Regis Laconi, Aprilia RS3, -62.238 seconds
17. Sylvain Guintoli, Yamaha YZR500, -73.465 seconds
18. Valentino Rossi, Honda RC211, DNF, -2 laps, mechanical
19. John Hopkins, Yamaha YZR500, DNF, -10 laps, mechanical
20. Nobuatsu Aoki, Proton KR3, DNF, -11 laps, crash
21. Shinya Nakano, Yamaha YZR500, DNF, -22 laps, crash
22. Pere Riba, Yamaha YZR500, DNS


World Championship Point Standings:

1. Rossi, 220 points
2. Ukawa, 140 points
3. Biaggi, 134 points
4. Checa, 96 points
5. Barros, 94 points
6. Abe, 90 points
7. Kato, 80 points
8. Capirossi, 75 points
9. Jacque, 48 points
10. Roberts, 45 points
11. Aoki, 43 points
12. TIE, Nakano/Hopkins, 41 points
14. Ryo, 36 points
15. Gibernau, 34 points


More, from Desiree Crossman:

Well, today wasn’t a good day for Red Bull. John (Hopkins) had a great start, the best one yet. He was going good on the first lap, sitting in 7th but he said Tohru Ukawa sprayed some rocks around a turn and they hit the windscreen, his helmet and the radiator, causing overheating. So by the 12th lap John came in due to overheating.

Garry (McCoy) also had a great start, but was pushed out in turn one so he dropped back into 16th. He eventually got back into 13th.

Valentino’s tire blew up so he came in and then got it changed. He wasn’t down a lap, he was behind Sylvain who was 18th, and he could easily caught up to 15th but he gave up and retired into the pits so he didn’t finish, either.

John is 13th in the championship and is only 4 points out of the top 10. The only person to have gained ground on him was Kenny Roberts. So s–t happens, and now we have to look on to Portugal.



More, from a press release issued by Red Bull Yamaha:

CZECH REPUBLIC GRAND PRIX
SUNDAY 25th August ­ RACE DAY

DISAPPOINTING DAY FOR RED BULL DUO

Red Bull Yamaha riders Garry McCoy and John Hopkins had hoped for better results today in Round 10 of the Moto GP World Championship, but it was just not to be. McCoy, starting from the front row, was relegated to 16th place by the end of the first lap as he was squeezed out by the pack in turns 1 and 2. McCoy, who qualified on the front row for the first time since the Malaysian Grand Prix in 2001, was hoping for much more today. In qualifying yesterday, the Slide King from Australia set the fastest ever lap of the Brno circuit by a rider on a 500cc machine.

Hopkins, who had “a hell of a start” according to the 19-year-old American rookie, retired from the race after 12 laps when engine trouble forced him back into 18th place.

Garry McCoy: 13th, scoring 3 points today
World Championship Classification,­ 20th with 21 points

“I made a good start but by turn one and two things were terrible, there were a lot of guys bumping into each other and I was forced to back off. A few guys got past me early and by later in the first lap I got bumped by Gibernau and lost some more places. So it wasn’t really a good start to the race. Just shows you have to get away with the leaders.

“By three laps into it, I thought I was making some progress but I just could not make any headway. We had a couple of race tyre choices and I guess I was hoping for better, but in the end the tyres really weren’t that bad but I could of done with carrying more corner speed.”


John Hopkins: Retired due to mechanical problems
World Championship Classification ­ 13th, with 41 points
“I got a great start off the line and held my position through the first corner when we all got bunched up. I had several sprays of stones from Ukawa and by the end of the first lap my windscreen was cracked with pieces flying off it and my helmet and visor got hit hard with the rocks. The next thing I noticed some liquid on the front inside of the windscreen so I knew I had some problems. By lap 12, I was forced to retire when the engine failed. I’ve since found out that one of the stones, courtesy of Ukawa, punctured the radiator and caused it to leak. So better luck next time I guess.

“I really want to thank my crew also for their effort this weekend; I had a minor problem on the grid and all of them worked so fast and professionally to have the bike ready.”


Peter Clifford ­ Director of Racing
“John thought it was a race, not a stone throwing contest. He was riding superbly but there is nothing much you can do against an overheating engine. Both guys got off the line great but it all went to hell in a basket for Garry in the first corner. It’s not what we expected after qualifying well.”


THE RED BULL YAMAHA TEAM WILL TEST IN BRNO TOMORROW. BOTH RIDERS PLUS OUR 2002 TEST RIDER JEAN-MICHEL BAYLE WILL BE TESTING AIRBOXES AND FURTHERING OUR TYRE DEVELOPMENT WORK WITH DUNLOP.



More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Max Biaggi (Marlboro Yamaha Team) put in a masterful performance in the Czech Republic, on August 25, to score the YZR-M1’s first ever MotoGP World Championship win. The Brno magician backed up his pole position performance on the four-stroke to take the holeshot, and the race win by 2.755 seconds over the ever-improving Daijiro Katoh (Honda) – now four-stroke mounted. Although Biaggi was regularly in the firing line of defending MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi (Honda), the Roman Emperor never faltered and led every lap until the chequered flag.

Misfortune struck Rossi on lap 15, of 22, when his rear tyre came apart and he was forced into the pits. With a new rear tyre fitted Rossi returned to the fray in 18th place only to withdraw a few laps from the finish. This left Tohru Ukawa (Honda) to take third from Sete Gibernau (Suzuki), with Carlos Checa (Marlboro Yamaha Team) completing the four-stroke dominated top five. The Spaniard produced the perfect start, entering turn one behind his teammate in second place, before struggling with set-up difficulties to finish the race 14.029 seconds behind Biaggi.

Norick Abe (Antena 3 Yamaha d’Antin) was the first of the Yamaha YZR500 two-strokes in eighth, followed closely by Alex Barros (Honda) and Olivier Jacque (Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3). After a relatively strong qualifying performance by the Red Bull Yamaha WCM team, Garry McCoy and John Hopkins ended the Brno MotoGP with a 13th and a DNF respectively – the latter withdrawing with a holed radiator.

Marlboro Yamaha Team
Max Biaggi 1st: “This victory means a lot to me, I gave everything I could. That kind of race is very tough, tyre choice is very difficult, so is bike set-up, and then you have to ride to look after the tyres. I rode hard from the start and my pit board told me just how close Rossi was. I was getting signals ‘+0.1, +0.2, +0.0′, so they would have overtaken me even if I’d made the tiniest mistake. So I stayed calm and used my brain to choose the right lines and save my tyres.

“When I saw ‘+2.0′ I was dreaming that this could be my first MotoGP victory but I never knew what had happened. I always look in front because I want to stay concentrated, so the only way I know what’s happening behind is from my pit board. I just thought Kato had overtaken Rossi.

“We struggled at the first three races this year but the bike improved and we recovered. It’s never easy, if it was, everyone would have a good bike. So I won this one for everyone in the team, thanks to them.”

Carlos Checa 5th: “We changed the set-up for the warm-up but the results weren’t so clear. So we started the race with a slightly different setting, but I immediately felt that I wouldn’t be able to keep the front-running pace. I think we lost our way with the set-up of the new chassis, we just need to spend more time experimenting with different settings, so tomorrow’s tests will be very useful.”

YZR-M1 project leader Ichiro Yoda: “I’m very happy, for sure. One year ago here Max crashed, so this is like a revenge for us. I’d like to thank Max and everyone else at Yamaha and in the team they have all worked so, so hard these past few months.

We’ve made many improvements to the M1 since the start of the season, but the most significant have been these: engine-management system for better throttle-to-tyre connection, engine-braking system for better corner entry, and a chassis with more front-end performance, for better turn-in. Now we will keep working because we want to take more victories and go for next year’s MotoGP title.”


Antena 3 Yamaha d’Antin
Norick Abe 8th: “I had some problems with the front sliding, but this was only after mid-race distance, around seven or eight laps in. But the start was great; I think on the first lap I was already eighth behind Kenny, which was so good considering. I followed him for a while and he was not so bad, but then I decided to make the pass and try for McWilliams. That’s when the front started to slide and I just couldn’t close the gap any further. If I tried any harder I’m sure I wouldn’t have made it to the end. I think today was enough.”

Pere Riba DNS: “After this morning’s warm-up I had a think about it, the leg and the situation, how far behind I was with my times, and I decided that it was better not to race. If I crashed in the race then it would only set me back further, and it would be for nothing, so I thought it was better to rest and see how things go for Estoril.”



Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3
Olivier Jacque 10th: “That was a difficult race. The handling of the bike was not so good, especially on the exit of the turns, while I was trying to get the power down, which made it difficult to keep my pace up. Near the end the bike started to feel better and my times improved, but it just wasn’t enough to make up what I had already lost.”

Shinya Nakano DNF: “I was hit from behind twice on that opening lap. The first time was into turn one, which pushed me wide and I lost a few places, the second unsettled the bike while I was entering the left-hander and I crashed. What can I say, other than I’m disappointed?”


Red Bull Yamaha WCM
Garry McCoy 13th: “I managed to get off the line really well but between turn one and turn two there was a lot of fairing bashing going on and it forced me wide, which let everyone by. It then happened again, and by the end of the first lap I’d gone from fourth to 16th. It just shows you’ve really got to get a good start to stay in with a chance. Once I got through that I thought I just try and make some headway. This was the best I could do today.”

John Hopkins DNF: “I got off the line well, and I was up there on the first few corners when Ukawa ran wide and showered me in rocks from the edge of the track. They hit my screen, which cracked, and my helmet, too. And after a little while I noticed water on the inside of the fairing. Soon after that I found my rhythm and started to improve my times when the bike lost power, forcing me out of the race. It turns out one of the rocks had also gone through the radiator and that caused one of the cylinders to seize up.”



More, from Telefonica Movistar Suzuki:

GIBERNAU FIGHTS FOR THE ROSTRUM AT CZECH GRAND PRIX

MotoGP – Round 10, Brno, Czech Republic, August 25, 2002
Team Telefónica MoviStar Suzuki rider Sete Gibernau rode his best race of the year in today’s Czech Republic GP, to come within one place of the top-three rostrum after pulling through from the third row of the starting grid.

Teammate Kenny Roberts Jr was 11th after heroic efforts to overcome a poor starting position were thwarted by niggling set-up problems, causing the former World Champion to drop back again after climbing to eighth from 19th on the grid.

Wild card Suzuki factory rider Akira Ryo was 14th, making it three out of three in the points for the new-this-year V4 four-stroke GSV-R 990cc machine.

Gibernau’s stirring ride saw the Spanish GP winner hold his ninth qualifying position on the first lap, and immediately start picking his way through the field, finally passing fast starting Loris Capirossi for sixth on the ninth of 22 laps of the sweeping 5.403km Brno circuit.

He wasn’t finished yet, however, and kept his head down to close on the pair disputing fourth. He passed compatriot Carlos Checa at half distance, and spent the rest of the race harrying eventual third-place rider Tohru Ukawa, inches away from his rear wheel until the very closing stages, when sliding tyres meant Sete was obliged to slacken his pace.

Roberts was 19th on the grid, though last-minute set-up changes meant he was able to set fifth-fastest time in morning warm-up. He got a good start to finish the first lap in 11th. He also picked up places and was behind Sete in eighth by lap four. Soon afterwards, however, he started to pay the price of not finding the correct bike settings during practice, and he started to drop back from the 10th lap, finally finishing 11th.

The race, 10th of 16 rounds in the MGP World Championship, was won by Italian rider Max Biaggi.

SETE GIBERNAU – Fourth Position
“That was a very hard race, and of course I feel I did my best to get fourth, my best result on this bike. But at the same time our aim is to win races, not finish fourth, and although I and my team did everything we could this weekend, we still need help from the factory to keep improving the new bike to get it to the highest level. It is very difficult to overtake with the bike as it is, but I was able to move through until I caught Ukawa. I kept pushing him, but for the last laps my front tyre was sliding a lot, and I thought I was going to crash, so I had to slow my pace a little to be sure of finishing. Overall, it was a good race – we’ve proved we’re capable of fighting hard, and that we’re capable of going for race wins. And that we will never give up.”

KENNY ROBERTS Jr – 11th Position
“Starting from the back of the grid meant I had a hard job from the beginning. I made a lot of places from the start, but the way we had the bike set up promoted heavy tyre wear, and the rear started to chunk from about the sixth lap. After that I lost a lot of my turn-in ability, and every time I touched the throttle the bike would snap sideways. I had to think about finishing rather than continuing to gain places. My problems were all set-up related, because we got started so late with getting the bike set during qualifying. We persevered with settings I’d never used before because we thought they could give us some advantage – but in the end we had to go back to old settings and start again this morning.”

GARRY TAYLOR – Team Manager
“A big thank you to Sete. This result was just what the whole team needed, and feeds enthusiasm back for our hard work. He rode with his head, and with his heart. Kenny managed to get from the back of the grid right up to eighth, but we paid the price for us not finding the proper direction until warm up this morning. When he got off the bike, he had lots to say about set-up, but nothing about the right arm that was so troublesome that he needed surgery. That’s one major problem solved. Now we stay on for two days of testing, to continue working on improving the bike and our overall situation.”


Note: In the post-race press conference, Biaggi said that his motivation is still high even though he is leaving the Yamaha team at the end of the season. The comment was Biaggi’s confirmation of rumors that he is leaving Yamaha. It is believed that Biaggi will ride for Ducati, which has landed Marlboro sponsorship, in 2003.