Cruise America’s Jason DiSalvo crashed out of round two of the European 250cc Grand Prix Championship at Vallalunga, Italy April 29. DiSalvo qualified an unusually low 19th due to persisting front suspension problems on his A-kitted Honda RS250. DiSalvo suffered for his poor qualifying as he was run into by two mid-pack riders during the red-flag-interrupted race. DiSalvo’s next action will be in the Spanish Championship series in Jarama, Spain near Madrid May 10-13.

DiSalvo, 17, is using the 2001 season as a final primer before jumping into the FIM World Championship series full-time in 2002.

Gus Conrades, CEO of Wrenchead.com, Inc., crashed and suffered serious injuries April 27, during practice for the first CCS event of the season at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. According to Conrades’ friend Richie Alexander of Attack Racing, Conrades collided with a slower rider, and the front brake lever of Conrades’ GSX-R600 hit the other rider’s bike. Conrades was thrown over his motorcycle and was then hit by another motorcycle while laying on the track. “The third bike did the real damage,” said Alexander.

Conrades suffered a shattered pelvis along with some internal injuries. The condition of Conrades’ internal organs stabilized, but Conrades is currently in traction in a rehabilitation facility in White Plains, New York where he will most likely be for the next two months. “He’s got rods sticking out through his stomach and stuff,” said Alexander.

Conrades described the incident as being “just racing.”

According to an e-mail from Conrades’ personal assistant Jeanette Thompson, “We here at Wrenchead, Inc. are treating this as a personal and private matter for Gus and his family. I just wanted to let you know that Gus is okay and doing well.”

Jerry Jirkovsky of California Racing Services has announced that he will have dual-compound Pirelli DOT-labelled tires available at the next WSMC Willow Springs Raceway event, May 18-20.

More information is available from Jirkovsky at (714) 305-6846.

AMA Pro Racing issued a press release May 9 announcing the hiring of John Farris, the new Vice President of Commercial Development.

The release read as follows:

“AMA Pro Racing announced today that John C. Farris, Jr. has been named Vice President of Commercial Development, a newly created position for the organization. Farris will collaborate with sponsors, promoters, teams and media representatives to strengthen the current line-up of AMA professional racing series and he will also focus his attention on a variety of existing projects as well as design and implement future plans for growth in racing.

“‘To have someone of John’s caliber joining AMA Pro Racing is a huge step forward,’ said Pro Racing’s CEO Scott Hollingsworth. ‘The motorcycling industry is undergoing a time of rapid growth and change, which makes it absolutely vital for us to staff up and apply strong guidance to our sport during this time of incredible opportunity. John’s knowledge of the industry and passion for the sport of motorcycle racing will be great assets to our organization.’

“Farris has ridden and raced motorcycles nearly all his life and owns eight motorcycles. He comes to AMA Racing from General Motors’ Brand Management organization, where he was most recently the Marketing Manager for the company’s highest volume brand, Chevrolet Silverado. Farris orchestrated the cooperative efforts that brought financial support from Chevy Trucks to individual race teams and entire AMA racing series – partnerships that introduced significant levels of sponsorship from a high profile, well-respected ‘outside industry’ source.

“‘The integration of Chevy Trucks into the sport of professional motorcycle racing was extremely gratifying to me both professionally and personally,’ said Farris. ‘As I became more involved with the motorcycle industry, I identified more and more opportunity to become directly involved with the sport of motorcycle racing, and I began to recognize how I could help AMA Pro Racing fulfill a larger overall potential. I’m excited to be coming on board in this vital capacity with AMA Pro Racing.’

“A native of the Detroit area, Farris worked for General Motors for 17 years. After graduating from Central Michigan University, he began his GM career as a district manager, moving rapidly up the ranks in key sales and marketing positions to eventually head the marketing for Chevy’s Silverado, a position he held since 1997. Farris is married and has four children, and he will continue to reside in the Detroit area.

“For immediate post-race results, rider information, AMA Pro Racing notes and news, log on to www.amaproracing.com.”

(See related May 3 Roadracingworld.com post, Former Critic Vreeke Now Advises AMA Pro Racing On PR Strategy)

Copyright 2001 Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

In a secret test held late Tuesday afternoon, May 8, Erion Honda joined AMA Superbike Operations Manager Ron Barrick at California Speedway to determine if it is feasible to hold an AMA race at the Fontana, California track.

After being tipped to the test by a mole deep inside AMA Pro Racing, Roadracing World assigned David Swarts to visit the Speedway and see what was going on.

But Swarts’ visit to the Speedway was cut short when Barrick asked him to leave the facility.

“The track wants to keep this real low key. They don’t want any publicity of this,” Barrick told Swarts.

Before leaving, Swarts was able to learn that the Speedway, best known for its 2.0-mile D-shaped banked oval, also has an existing 1.3-mile road course in the infield, although little if any of the existing track would be used for AMA Superbike racing if the track signs on as a promoter.

Barrick confirmed that there are plans in the blueprint stage to build a completely new infield road course to accommodate motorcycles and other road racing vehicles. “What they have now is just for testing purposes,” said Barrick, who added that a new road course could be ready in time to put it on the 2002 AMA schedule.

Erion Honda’s semi-truck transporter was casually parked in the huge paddock area, where two CBR600F4i and one 2000-spec CBR929RR Hondas were unloaded for Jake Zemke and Mark Miller to ride.

One of the 600s had Miller’s #24 on the plates even though he does not race 600s for Erion in the AMA series. The bikes did not appear to be equipped with data acquisition systems but were fitted with Daytona gearing, according to Erion Crew Chief Rick Hobbs. The initial plan was for the riders to ride the oval as it went “green” at 5:00 p.m. PDT, then to move on to the road course.

Miller asked Hobbs what he should do when he ran out of gearing and Hobbs replied, “Just roll out of it.”

Along with Barrick, Miller, Zemke and Hobbs, the test was attended by Erion Honda owner Kevin Erion, several members of the Erion crew, a large number of California Speedway safety crewmen, and many men in shirt and ties believed to be executives with the track or its parent company, International Speedway Corporation.

Orange traffic cones were arranged throughout the infield course, blocking crossroads and serving as braking markers. Cones were also placed on the front straight and entering turn one. Braking reference point boards, labeled 3, 2, 1, were attached to the oval track’s outside catch fencing approaching turn one.

The infield of the California Speedway is relatively flat and free from any major obstructions. This will allow some freedom of creativity in the design of the new road course.

The Speedway’s infrastructure is well developed, and the track recently hosted a sell-out crowd of 120,000 for a NASCAR event. There are permanent garage spaces for what looked to be close to 100 cars, water fountains and bathrooms on the end of every paddock building, a dedicated parking area for 18-wheelers with power hook-ups, 71 corporate hospitality suites above the garages on pit lane with rooftop viewing areas, and Sky Boxes on top of the 86,000-seat grandstand.

Built in just 18 months prior to its 1997 opening, California Speedway features 14 degrees of banking in the turns, 11 degrees of banking on the front straight, and four degrees of banking on the back straight. According to the California Speedway website, Mauricio Gugelmin used the track to set a record for the fastest lap around a closed course at 240.942 mph in 1997. The speedway racing surface is 75 feet wide with a 15-foot apron road around the bottom edge of the entire track. The facility offers extremely easy access for the Southern California area as it is located at the intersection of the I-10 and I-15 freeways, approximately 50 miles west of Los Angeles, 60 miles east of Palm Springs, 90 miles north of San Diego, and 250 miles southwest of Las Vegas. The track has paved parking for up to 32,000 vehicles and even features its own Metrolink train stop. The $133 million facility has been used in the making of several feature films, including “Charlies Angels” and “Driven”.

International Speedway Corporation bought the track from Penske in 1999. International Speedway Corporation owns several major racing facilities in the United States, including Daytona International Speedway, Michigan International Raceway, Phoenix International Raceway, Virginia International Raceway, North Carolina Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Nazareth Raceway, and Watkins Glen.

William France is the Chairman and CEO of International Speedway Corporation, which is based in Daytona Beach, Florida. Roger Penkse is the Vice Chairman of the Corporation.

International Speedway Corporation trades on the NASDAQ as ISCA and reached a 52-week high price of $48.00 per share on May 2, 2001.

Before Swarts left the track, Barrick asked how Roadracing World found out about the test.

“This is what we do,” Swarts told Barrick.

Recently retired Honda Racing Manager Gary Mathers showed up at the Sears Point AMA National wearing an AMA Pro Racing shirt, serving as a new Operations Consultant reporting directly to AMA Pro Racing CEO Scott Hollingsworth.

AMA Superbike Operations Manager Ron Barrick was quick to tell reporters that Mathers’ appointment made a wealth of valuable experience available to AMA Pro Racing.

But when a reporter asked Mathers about longer-than-normal Tech Inspection delays at Sears Point–it took team mechanics and individual riders about three times longer than normal to get racebikes through tech, with long lines stretching out of the tech garage–Mathers said he hadn’t paid any attention to tech.

Roadracing World and Ballzee Aggressive Wear will host a Friday evening, May 18 Air Fence Contributor Appreciation Party and Barbeque for contributors to our Air Fence Fund.

Contributors will also have an opportunity to autograph sections of Air Fence/Air Module that their contributions helped pay for.

The party is being organized by freelance public relations consultant Dorina Groves and will be hosted by John Ulrich.

A Speedvision crew may videotape the event.

Further details will be posted as they are available.

Willow Springs International Raceway will install gravel traps outside turn two prior to the AMA National scheduled for September 13-16 at the Rosamond, California track.

Willow Springs’ Greg Huth revealed the plan in a May 8 phone call to Roadracing World headquarters.

In the same phone call, Huth pledged $3000 on behalf of Willow Springs Raceway toward the Roadracing World Air Fence Fund.