By David Swarts

Loudon Motorsports’ Greg Harrison, John Jacobi and David Yaakov rode a 2001 Suzuki GSX-R1000 on Pirelli slicks to win the Engine Ice 200-Mile Team Challenge March 1st at Daytona International Speedway. Loudon’s Jacobi battled for the early lead in the race with Joe Gill on a 4&6 Cycle Yamaha YZF-R1 and Shawn Higbee on a KWS Motorsports / Millennium Technologies GSX-R750. When both Higbee and Gill made extended pit stops early on, Loudon was alone at the front. Loudon pitted twice for fuel and changed the rear tire—which was down to the cords on the left side–during the second, 30-second stop, and won the race by two laps. Besides taking the overall win, Loudon also topped the GTO class.

“The new Suzuki 1000 is just an awesome motorcycle,” said Harrison. “It’s incredible! We only had 200 miles on it when we got here. We just had the suspension done by Traxxion Dynamics and a M4 slip-on pipe, but it’s dead stable and fast on the banking. The Pirelli tires worked really well for us.”

Synergy Racing Technology’s Matt Wait and Marc Palazzo finished second overall and took the GTU class win on a Honda CBR600F4 with Dunlop DOT-labeled tires.

“It definitely feels good,” said Wait of his return to Daytona. “Being back here just brings back good memories. I’m happy and feeling well. I’m looking forward to the big race this weekend. I think this is going to be a positive year. My Synergy team, Honda motorcycles, and Dunlop tires are working out great.”

The results of the Engine Ice 200-mile Team Challenge at Daytona follow:

GTO: 1. Loudon Motorsports (Greg Harrison, John Jacobi, David Yaakov), Suz GSX-R1000; 2. Legal Racing (James Hooper), Suz GSX-R750; 3. Yapima Racing (William Siemens, James Gaal, James Melley, Jr.), Suz GSX-R750; 4. MBS Racing (Jeffery McKinney), Suz TL1000R; 5. Eksite Racing (Jonathan Glaefke, James Doerfler) Suz GSX-R750; 6. Bad Apple Racing (Arthur Wagner, Jr.) Suz TL1000R.

GTU: 1. Synergy Racing (Matt Wait, Marc Palazzo) Hon CBR600F4i; 2. Big Pink Machines (Mauro Cereda, Robert Fisher) Suz GSX-R600; 3. Brotz Motorsports (Richie Morris, Clint Brotz) Yam YZF-R6; 4. Speed Racing (C.J. Czaia) Suz GSX-R600; 5. Starnet 4&6 Racing (Russ Intravartolo) Yam YZF-R6; 6. Redlight Racing (Pedro Valiente) Yam YZF-R6.

By David Swarts

Former Superbike World Champion Scott Russell showed up at Daytona today with his HMC Ducati crew, sporting a black right eye.

Russell missed the 1999 Daytona 200 after suffering a broken cheekbone in a bar fight.

Russell and members of his team declined to comment on the cause of Russell’s most recent black eye.

Russell has won the Daytona 200 five times.

When asked about the eye, Russell said, “I was just f–king around back home in Atlanta. I didn’t get in a fight or anything like that.”

When asked about his new motorcycle, Russell said, “We’ve got a lot of work to do. The bike’s spinning real bad. The track’s as green as it has ever been. I couldn’t get a clean lap for anything.”

Russell will be racing CCS sprints this weekend.

Part Six
MBNA 250cc Grand Prix

The AMA 250cc Grand Prix season could be one to remember with many big names returning to the two-stroke wars. Seeking 250cc GP career win number 50, Rich Oliver will return on a Yamaha, Dunlop tires, and with his soon-to-be-wife Jocelin tuning for him. Oliver, 39, will have a familiar foe on the grid in the form of Jimmy Filice. Two-time former 250cc Champion Filice will be riding on James Siddal’s World Sports Yamaha team with none other than Ed Toomey doing the wrenching. The World Sports effort has received backing from seat maker Corbin.

Two-time defending Champion Chuck Sorensen, 28, has left the World Sports team to ride for Geoff Maloney’s GP Tech Yamaha program. Sorensen’s teammate will be 2000 Irish Stock Sport Series Champion Simon Turner. Turner, 31, also finished sixth in the 1998 British 250cc series. Chris Ulrich, who teamed with Sorensen on the World Sports Yamaha squad in 2000, has left the series after finished third in 1999 and fifth in 2000, seeking his fame riding four-strokes.

Michael Barnes finished the 2000 season fourth in points on a GP Tech Yamaha, but has left the team and is scheduled to campaign the prototype Tul-aris 780 in WERA and CCS action.

New to AMA 250cc action will be young gun Cory West riding a 2000 TZ250 for Harder Racing Development. West, 16, finished the 2000 season with a podium finish in the Daytona Aprilia Cup Challenge race. Already a dirt track Champion many times over, West comes from a racing family including a former AMA Superbike racing dad, Marvin West.

The 250cc class will also see at least two guest riders during the season. 1998 250cc Champion Roland Sands, 26, will race at Daytona on his Performance Machine Yamaha TZ250. In between stints as a four-letter-word-wielding magazine test rider, Sands will likely ride at other 250cc rounds in 2001.

Also planning on appearing at Daytona is Cruise America Grand Prix Racing’s Jason DiSalvo, the 1999 WERA 125cc National Champion. DiSalvo, 17, will ride his A-kitted 2001 Honda RS250 before heading back to Europe to chase the European and British 250cc Championships.


Looks like a great year to be an AMA road racing fan. As always in racing, anything can happen to upset even the most thoughtful predications. Riders crash, riders get injured, riders get “distracted”, bikes fall apart, tires come apart, teams fall apart, and the only thing not subject to change is that things are subject to change. But no matter what, you can count on getting the details of everything that’s going on, around, or behind the scenes at the racetrack here in Roadracing World.

Part Five
Buell Pro Thunder

Easily the most controversial class of the off-season, the Buell Pro Thunder class has gone through quite a few changes. First, Ducati 748s will no longer be able to displace 800cc as they have in the past. Second, the class will also be excluded from the AMA schedule on Superbike double-header weekends at Road Atlanta, Mid-Ohio and Road America, and the dropped races have been moved to WERA Nationals in preparation for the entire class being removed from the AMA National schedule in the future. The rule changes will most likely reduce participation in the most diverse class. Pro Thunder regular, BCM Ducati’s Bill St. John has already announced that he will not return to the AMA series.

Defending Pro Thunder Champion Jeff Nash will return with the Number One plate on his Advanced Motor Sports Ducati 748RS. Support from Ducati North America will allow Nash’s teammate Craig Connell to return from Australia for a full Pro Thunder season. Connell’s speed combined with the reliability of the AMS Ducati makes him the class favorite.

Series sponsor Buell will return to support the class and at least two teams. Don Tilley will return with his re-worked Buells and rider Tripp Nobles. Hal’s Performance H-D/ Buell will also be back with two-time F-USA Buell Lightning champ Mike Ciccotto.

Part Three:
Genuine Suzuki Accessories 750cc Supersport

The 750cc Supersport series returns in 2001 with new sponsor Genuine Suzuki Accessories, an increased Championship bonus program, and a new rule. No longer will 600s have a minimum weight requirement to enter the 750cc class, but the power-to-weight ratio of the latest GSX-R750 has made riding a 600cc in the class an exercise in futility. Defending 750cc Supersport Champion John Hopkins is not expected to campaign the whole season, but Hopkins’ younger Valvoline EGMO Suzuki teammate, 16-year-old Texan Ben Spies, will. Spies qualified on the front row for his first-ever 750 race at Mid-Ohio last year. A stronger and smarter Spies could eclipse his own teammate as the youngest AMA Champion ever if he gets the job done. Spies will be armed with pro-racer-turned-mechanic Shane Clarke setting up the bike like only a ex-racer can.

The strongest favorite for the 750cc Championship would have to be Jimmy Moore. Moore leaves the Ricci Motorsports team after many years to join a team returning to AMA competition after a similar length of time. Past race winner Moore will ride for Landers Sevier’s EBSCO Suzuki team, sponsored by Corona Extra. Moore, 33, will be teamed up with 17-year-old Tony “The Tiger” Meiring, perhaps the youngest beer-sponsored rider in U.S. road racing history. Champion dirt tracker Meiring struggled with a Honda CBR600F4 in Pro competition in 2000, but has quickly taken a liking to his Suzuki GSX-R750. EBSCO Suzuki will field a third bike with Czech immigrant Vaclav “Vincent” Haskovec at the controls. Haskovec, 26, has shown flashes of brilliance, especially at his home track Willow Springs, but has yet to put together a strong National season.

Two-time Suzuki Cup Champion Mike Ciccotto will be back with Steve DeCamp’s successful Hooters Suzuki program and could be a serious contender for the title.

Another strong contender in the Suzuki-spec class will be 1998 AMA 750cc Champion Richie Alexander. After a bout with Lyme disease derailed his promising career in 1999, Alexander, 28, is back for 2001 riding with Attack Suzuki on Dunlop tires.

Gary Ricci’s Bardahl-backed Ricci Motorsports team will return with back-in-racing Tony Lupo as well as Scott Gooch, with appearances by young gun Jake Holden. Lupo was a 750cc Supersport regular and podium finisher when he ran the series from 1995-1997. In the meantime, Lupo had some bad luck and a run-in with the law related to domestic violence. Lupo now returns to master the new generation GSX-R750 as well as his temper. Gooch comes from regional racing success in the Northwest for his first full AMA season. Holden will stay close to home while he still learns the ropes of professional racing and run in selected West Coast events.

Wild card entries in 750cc Supersport competition will include 21-year-old Chris Ulrich riding a Vesrah-backed Suzuki. Ulrich will be racing his first year of four-strokes after a successful teenage career on Grand Prix two-strokes. A second-generation 24-Hour Endurance race winner, Ulrich has already proven that he is in top physical shape and up to speed in pre-season testing. He’ll run Metzeler tires.

Arclight Suzuki is planning on making some AMA 750cc Supersport appearances like the one that saw Lee Acree podium at Daytona last spring. After a successful 2000 season in WERA and F-USA competition, Arclight has stepped their program up for 2001 with F-USA Sportbike and three-time Suzuki Cup Champion Acree teamed with Northern California’s Brian Parriott. As a true privateer, Parriott has shown in the past that he can ride with the factory stars. Now with Suzuki support, Parriott has a real chance to be a star himself. Both will ride on Pirelli tires.

Part Two:
Honda Pro Oils 600cc Supersport

The AMA 600cc Supersport series is very important to manufacturers in that it can be directly related to marketing and sales of the largest category of sportbikes for the street. But many of the top names will be missing from the 600 grids except for maybe at Daytona or a last-round appearance to help a teammate in the Championship. Aside from the Ducati riders being shut out along with the Italian company’s 748 model, Nicky Hayden, Mladin, and Chandler will not contest the entire 600cc series.

The only changes made to 600cc Supersport rules are the changes that affect every support class. New for 2001, the fastest qualifier in each class will receive a bonus point. In the past, only the Superbike Pole-sitter got an extra point. Also new for 2001, a rider must complete 50 percent of the race laps of the final event to score any points. Gone are the days of crashing on the first lap but still scoring points.

Most fans hope that Eric Bostrom, Jamie Hacking and defending 600cc Supersport Champion Kurtis Roberts will pick up right where they left off at the final round of 2000, at Willow Springs. Bostrom got a lot out of his Kawasaki ZX-6R in 2000, including speeds of 170 mph at Brainerd, and look for Team Green tuners Al Ludington and Joey Lombardo to get even more out of the same bike in 2001.

Roberts and Hacking, 29, will return with updated and new mounts respectively. Roberts’ Honda will get fuel injection for the first time along with an upgraded ram-air system and stiffer frame. Hacking will get the state-of-the-art GSX-R600. Roberts should not have any problem getting used to his new bike, but Hacking may have to adjust from the narrower Yamaha YZF-R6 to the wider Suzuki. In contrast, Aaron Yates will most likely find the new, fuel injected GSX-R600 leaner and meaner than his last Yoshimura Suzuki 600.

Although he was rumored during the off-season to be ready to give up 600cc racing, Honda has confirmed that all-time 600cc Supersport win leader (with 37) Miguel Duhamel will chase what could be his fifth title in the class.

But the most interesting news in Supersport racing is that Anthony Gobert will race 600s for the first time in his career. Gobert has been putting in a lot of laps on his YZF-R6 over the winter, even attending many WSMC and CCS club events where he has set track records on his YZF-R6. You can be sure that Gobert will be up at the front in the 600 races. Go-Show’s Yamaha teammate, Tommy Hayden, nearly won the 600cc title in 1999 on the YZF-R6 and returns on the blue bike for the third year.

Satellite teams have continued to grow with our sport and are now to the point in Supersport racing where they can run with the Factory teams. For instance in 1999, Josh Hayes and his Valvoline EMGO Suzuki GSX-R600 regularly out-qualified and beat the Yoshimura Suzuki 600s. It would not surprise many people in the industry for any of the following riders to be on an AMA 600cc Supersport podium in 2001.

Jake Zemke, 25, moves up to the Erion Honda squad for 2001. Zemke has steadily progressed through the ranks and now will be riding for the team that has won the 600cc Supersport Championship for the past two years. Although Zemke finished off 2000 strong, he will be going into Daytona with a freshly mended arm, broken while trail riding.

Josh Hayes, 25, struggled with injuries sustained in a 2000 Daytona 600cc Supersport race crash through most of last year. Only recently were the complete extent of Hayes’ injuries diagnosed and treated, in part with a nerve transplant in his right arm. Hayes will have to endure another healing year from the seat of his Bruce Transportation Group Honda CBR600F4i in 2001.

Hayes’ teammate will be the youngest Hayden brother. Roger Lee Hayden, 17, spent much of the 2000 season at or near the front of 750cc Supersport races, gaining speed and experience. Now Roger Lee has fallen in love with the Honda CBR600F4 i in testing and looks for good results. Jason Pridmore, the 1997 750cc Supersport Champion, 31, got bumped from his Yoshimura Suzuki seat for 2001, but that will only fuel his desire to win in the 600cc class aboard a GSX-R600 built by Richard Stanboli’s Attack Suzuki crew.

Graves Yamaha starts 2001 with the independent team’s best-ever rider line-up in their history. Riding YZF-R6s that have already proven themselves against the factory 600s in winter testing, Damon Buckmaster and 20-year-old Aaron Gobert will have to be reckoned with in the new season. Former Australian 600cc Supersport Champion Buckmaster, 27, rode well enough in 2000 to deserve a factory ride. Now Bucky will be out to make the factory teams curse their oversight. Relatively unknown, Anthony Gobert’s middle brother Aaron has shone brightly in first visits to every track he has tested on this winter. Recently, Aaron Gobert nearly beat Anthony and Tommy Hayden in a CCS club race despite the fact that Aaron was wrenching on his own bike.

Last but not least, comes the hungry trio of riders from a bigger-than-ever Valvoline EMGO Suzuki effort. Reigning Formula USA Champion Grant Lopez has taken to Suzuki’s new GSX-R600 well and will race AMA 600cc Supersport for the first time in his career. Lopez will lead the way for his teenaged teammates John Hopkins and Ben Spies. Hopkins won the 2000 AMA 750cc Supersport crown at age 17, has already been offered a 500cc Grand Prix ride for 2002 and will now mix things up with the country’s fastest men, under the guidance of tuner Barry McMahan. Nearly as swift as Hopkins and one year younger, Spies may also race the newest GSX-R600 Suzuki in selected events.

Although he will be concentrating on the F-USA series, look for former 500cc GP and former factory Ducati rider Matt Wait, 24, to make several West Coast appearances aboard a Synergy Racing Technologies Honda CBR600F4 i. New to 600cc competition, EBSCO Suzuki will field Jimmy Moore and Vincent Haskovec on Dunlop-shod Suzuki GSX-R600s with support from Corona Extra. Look for Moore and Haskovec to beat some of the factory riders on a regular basis.

Part Four:
Lockhart-Phillips Formula Xtreme

Formula Xtreme has a new rule for 2001 saying that the “Frame may be modified but at least 50% of the original structure must be retained and approved by the AMA Pro Racing Technical Department.” Although this would lead one to think that a complete R7 chassis with only a R1 steering head and VIN number grafted on to that chassis would be illegal, a bike like that has already been determined legal. The biggest determining factor will be the AMA approval part of the rule. With all four of the major motorcycle manufacturers producing a capable, liter-class sport bike now, there really is no longer a need to build a custom R7/R1 chassis in theory, but in practice that’s exactly what some Yamaha teams are doing.

Considering that the AMA Formula Xtreme Championship has been won by Erion Racing every year that the class has existed, it is not difficult to pick the Kevin Erion-owned team as the favorite. But the FX class has grown and now features serious teams on three different makes of bikes, all taking great exception to Erion’s favorite status.

With 1999 and 2000 Formula Xtreme champ Kurtis Roberts concentrating his efforts in 600cc Supersport and Superbike, the burden of keeping the Erion Honda streak alive is passed on to Jake Zemke and Mark Miller. Miller, 28, moves over from riding an R7/R1 hybrid for Attack Yamaha; Miller has won a race and set records while usually chasing the Erion CBRs. Now Miller will have to adapt to the CBR929RR, but has until May to do it because he will not be racing any other class and Formula Xtreme is not running at Daytona.

Zemke will be riding the same ex-Roberts bike that he rode to the season finale victory at Willow Springs in 2000. Josh Hayes finished third in the FX Championship in 2000 even while riding with a bad right arm and hand. Moving from the Erion camp to under the Erion-supported Bruce Transportation Group’s awning for 2001, Hayes will still be on the mend from nerve transplant surgery to that arm but will still be a rider to be dealt with.

Team EMGO Valvoline Suzuki comes back for 2001 armed with the new GSX-R1000. In the hands of the newly-enlarged, Keith Perry-led crew, the Suzuki 1000 could set new standards for horsepower as long as Michelin can keep the bike hooked up. With riders Grant Lopez, 29, and John Hopkins, Valvoline EMGO Suzuki could dethrone Honda as the new leader in Formula Xtreme.

Also on the newest GSX-R1000 will be Pridmore and Alexander with Attack Suzuki. Pridmore should have no problem adjusting to the 1000 Suzuki’s power coming straight from factory Superbike equipment, but Alexander may need an adjustment period to corral all of those horses.

Carrying the flag for Graves Yamaha aboard R7/R1s will be Damon Buckmaster and Aaron Gobert. Gobert has shown speed while adapting to his first 600cc racebike, but the R1 will require the climb of another steep learning curve. Buckmaster, on the other hand, has the talent and the drive to take the proven Graves R1 back to the podium where it finished the 2000 season with Vincent Haskovec riding.