Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The MRA Rules Committee will hold a meeting at 6:30 p.m. on January 4 in the Denver area, at a location to be announced (call 303-530-5678 to learn location). According to an MRA mailing to members, the meeting will include discussion of proposed 2002 season rule changes.

Proposed changes listed in the mailing include:

–Allowing a moving start (instead of the current no-movement-allowed start) as long as the rear axle does not cross the grid mark (ironically, the rule proposal cites AMA rules allowing a moving start even though AMA is moving from a moving start to a no-movement-allowed start for 2002).

–Reconciling contradictory rules regarding red-flag scoring.

–Breaking championship points ties by using the number of race wins.

–Listing all riders who do not show up on the grid as a DNS; listing riders who show up on the grid but don’t finish as a DNF; requiring riders to complete 1/2 race distance to be awarded points; determining if Race of the Rockies riders must show up on the grid to be eligible for purse money.

–Allowing air-cooled, two-valve Twins under 905cc and air-cooled, two-valve pushrod Twins of unlimited displacement in Middleweight Supersport.

–Changing SuperTwins GTU rules to require street-based case/frame combinations.

–Restricting Twins classes to four-strokes only.

–Splitting SuperTwins into three classes:

Lightweight SuperTwins allowing liquid-cooled, four-valve 650cc; air-cooled, two-valve 750cc; and Aprilia Challenge bikes. (Editor’s note: No explanation was given as to how adding a RS250 class will work with the “four-strokes only” proposal).

Middleweight SuperTwins allowing liquid-cooled, four-valve 750cc; air-cooled two-valve 950cc; air-cooled pushrod 1200cc.

Open SuperTwins allowing unlimited modifications.

–Removing “exceptions” now listed for SuperTwins GTU.

–Removing the “unlimited origin” clause for Lightweight Superbike for Singles or renaming the class Lightweight GP.

–Establishing endurance classes as Lightweight, Middleweight, Heavyweight and Unlimited Superbike, using Race of the Rockies rules.

–Changing dollar amounts for claiming parts.

–Allowing protesting riders to do so anonymously, thus denying protested riders the right to confront (or even know) who has accused them of cheating or otherwise violating rules.

From a press release:

Pacific Track Time Announces 2002 dates, Expands to Four Venues

Pacific Track Time, an upscale provider of track days with operations in Gilroy, California, announced their 2002 schedule today. Venues for 2002 will include Laguna Seca, Thunderhill Park, California Speedway, and the Streets of Willow Springs.

Todd Robinson, Director of Sales and Events, said, “We’re excited about covering both Northern and Southern California in 2002 with 27 dates. I
couldn’t be more pleased with the way things have come together and we’re looking forward to bringing our upscale approach to even more riders in the coming year”.

According to Robinson, the 2002 schedule will include:

Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway – Monterey, CA
January 2, 2002
January 3, 2002
December 18, 2002
December 19, 2002
December 20, 2002


Streets of Willow Springs – Rosamond, CA
March 19, 2002
March 20, 2002
April 16, 2002
April 17, 2002
May 21, 2002
May 22, 2002
September 17, 2002
September 18, 2002
October 22, 2002
October 23, 2002



California Speedway (short course) – Fontana, CA
February 1, 2002
February 2, 2002



Thunderhill Park – Willows, CA
June 27, 2002
July 23, 2002
July 24, 2002
August 21, 2002
September 2, 2002 LABOR DAY
October 9, 2002
October 10, 2002
November 5, 2002
November 6, 2002

More information is available from Pacific Track Time at (877) 809-2170 or on the web at: http://www.pacifictracktime.com

Pacific Track Time’s sponsors include Sidi, Arrow, Bohn, Wood-Ease, Evoluzione, SharkSkinz, and Ferodo.

EMGO International will sponsor Chris “Opie” Caylor in the AMA 750cc Supersport series in 2002.

Georgia-based EMGO International imports motorcycle parts and accessories and is owned by Emil Gomez.

Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin has won the AMA Superbike Championship for the last three years straight. So during the Dunlop tire tests at Daytona, we asked some of the other Superbike racers, what is it going to take to beat Mladin?

“It’s gonna take…you don’t really have to win every weekend to be the Champion,” said Mladin’s Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Jamie Hacking. “It takes consistency and being smart. When you know you don’t have it that weekend, just back off. You just don’t have to win every weekend.”

“Well, we don’t know if Mat’s the guy to beat,” pointed out Erion Honda’s Kurtis Roberts. “Mat has the number one plate, but you never know what could happen from Daytona on. Mat’s bike might blow up. The problem is if you think about just one guy, you’ve only thought about one guy. Someone can always crop up, and you weren’t expecting him and it kind of plays with your mind a little bit. Well, I’m not counting anyone out, and I’m not saying anyone’s the guys to beat right now. There’s however many factory Superbikes, and anyone of us can win the Championship. So it’s a matter of getting ourselves ready and, you know, we can beat anyone and they can beat us. Who knows who’s going to be the guy. Just gotta train hard this winter and get ready for the season.”

“It’s going to take consistency,” feels Kawasaki’s Eric Bostrom, the 2001 Superbike Championship runner-up. “We’re going to have to win a lot of races, and the ones we don’t win we’re going to have to finish on the box. Obviously, that’s what Mat’s done to win the Championship, and we’re going to have to do just that to take it away from him.”

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates had a longer list of needs to beat his teammate, saying, “Just being prepared, being ready and being consistent, going out there and riding hard, not throwing the bike down anywhere and being comfortable on the bike, having a good set-up and all. That’s the main thing. Just being ready for the race.”

“It’s gonna take…(long pause)…I’m going to have to try to finish every race and I’m going to have to finish every race either on the podium or close to it,” said Yamaha’s Anthony Gobert. “Mat Mladin is the Champion. He deserves everything he’s earned and got. He’s a hard guy to beat. On any day, I’ve proven that I can beat him, on a day. I beat him for a Championship in Australia in 1994. So I do know that I can beat the guy. It’s just a matter of I haven’t had the full package to do it. I’ve been letting myself down or the bike’s been letting me down. I do feel as long as we have no problems and finish the races and win some races, then that’s how were going to do it.”

“You don’t have to beat Mat,” Pascal Picotte said answering a question that he hasn’t had to answer in quite a while. “I mean you have to beat the whole team, the whole Suzuki Yoshimura crew. He’s a helluva rider. He’s doing an awesome job, but he does have a great team behind him. That’s the way it goes. You can’t just put a good rider on a motorcycle and expect him to win the Championship. It takes time. You gotta build a strong relation with your team, learning the bike, knowing the bike, really be comfortable 100% on it. When you have everything, you’re in a position to win the Championship. I think I’ll definitely have the equipment to beat him a couple of times. I hope so. But as far as winning the Championship, we need to build a momentum from the first race on and hopefully be a little stronger every weekend on.”

From AHRMA media and PR man Matt Benson:


I don’t know who your “insiders” are, but after reading a couple of posts on the Roadracing World website regarding the possibility of AHRMA running some AMA Pro Thunder rounds, I could find no one at our national office or in our road race program who has been contacted by the AMA about this. One of our road race officials noted that Pro Thunder and AHRMA’s Battle of Twins classes are too dissimilar to be easily mixed, and that at high-profile venues such as Mid-Ohio and Daytona we are already pressed to get our own program run on time.

With regard to Jonathan Glaefke’s post, when it comes to safety AHRMA’s record–for Vintage or modern racing–is second to none.




From racer “Super Dave” Rosno of Team Visionsports and Visionsports Riding Schools:

I’ve been watching everything unfold with the AMA Pro Thunder series possibly moving to AHRMA. Having raced a little bit of everything, I would have some concerns as a competitor.

AHRMA is a nice organization full of wonderful people. It is a “family” racing atmosphere that was originally set up for racing vintage motorcycles. At one time, some of those bikes were thought of as oil-puking machines that were, well, old. Now, they are still old, but they are beautifully prepared machines that are reliable.

The trick comes in with traffic in two forms: Traffic on the track and traffic in the number of races at an event. As AHRMA is relatively low-key, so, this is a good organization for a “recreational racer”, a guy who races infrequently or is not “racing” at a quick pace. Some of those riders just enjoy the opportunity to get their unique machines on the track. Because of this, some of the speed differentials between those slower riders and the faster riders is extraordinary.

I have ridden a 400cc Honda in AHRMA events off and on for quite some time. I usually ride it in the fastest session. The bike makes just a bit over 50 horsepower, and I have had closing speeds on bikes while on the brakes that I though was about 40 mph. Take a 110+ horsepower Buell out and just watch what happens.

AHRMA has a great number of races during their events for the various classes of bikes spanning decades of racing in addition to several modern “alternative” classes for Singles, Twins, Triples, and two-stokes. There are only so many minutes in the day to get these races completed.

So, my question is, how will Pro Thunder riders be separated in order to maintain their safety, along with other riders, in practice sessions? Will the AMA Pro Thunder series be relegated to an eight-lap race among 17 other races during a day? Will it be combined with other races? Heats during the day for grids or qualifying? I can’t see any space for it.

Beyond these simple concerns there are more. Will the AMA send a tech staff and equipment to support the AMA Pro rules for fuel, engine concerns, and the like? Indeed, the AHRMA staff is very nice, but I did not see them enforce published rules for the MZ Skorpion Cup series time and again.

AHRMA is “Fun on Old Wheels”. OK, and now some newer ones, too. But Pro Thunder is PRO. As I see it, there potential problems, but the most serious is the possibility of rider injury.

Azione Moto has moved to:

2310 NW 55th Ct., Suite 132
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309

(954) 535-2941
FAX (954) 535-2942
www.azionemoto.com
e-mail [email protected]

Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

AMA Pro Racing has changed the names of classes run at AMA road racing Nationals for 2002.

Superbike is now officially the AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship.

600cc Supersport is now officially the AMA Pro Honda Oils US Supersport Championship.

750cc Supersport is now officially the Superstock Class.

Pro Thunder is now officially the Pro Thunder Class.

Formula Xtreme is officially the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Class.

250cc Grand Prix is officially the 250 Grand Prix Class.

The name changes are part of AM Pro Racing CEO Scott Hollingsworth’s plan to concentrate attention on the Superbike and 600cc Supersport classes and to downgrade (and in some cases, eliminate) the other classes.

This just in:

Hello, my name is Jon Glaefke and I just wished to write to clarify an earlier reply to a post that appeared on the site on 12/10 concerning AMA combining Pro Thunder with us (AHRMA).

First off, I didn’t mean to imply that AHRMA doesn’t create a safe environment in which to race. As an AHRMA competitor and member, I was just hoping to have maybe a section or two of Air Fence deployed at any venue where Pro Racing chooses to combine Pro Thunder with our club.

Myself and many other AHRMA competitors have contributed to the Air Fence fund and was just hoping that I could raise some awareness and see it used at any such event.

The event that I spoke of that took place at Mid-Ohio was not AHRMA’s fault and I do not blame them. If a rider rides off course and chooses to ignore cornerworkers telling him to allow traffic to pass before re-entering the racing surface it is not the cornerworkers’ fault but that of the rider.

I feel in such an instance that the rider should be reprimanded severely. Most any organization has had riders that for one reason or another have created a dangerous situation and just thought that if such a event (Pro Thunder combined with AHRMA) came to pass that some preparation would be in order.

I apologize to AHRMA, its cornerworkers and its members for any misunderstanding. I hope any racer or fan who enjoys good friendly competition will catch an AHRMA event in the coming season. Thank you and again I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. I hope this letter may be posted soon as I wish to clarify what I really meant and not to create bad feelings between AHRMA, its employees or anyone else involved.

Clear Channel Entertainment has announced a new agreement that will see the U.S.-based multi-national media giant produce the new FIM Supercross World Championship in collaboration with DORNA, a Spanish company that already produces the FIM road racing World Championship Series. The text of a press release announcing the arrangement follows:

Clear Channel Entertainment and Dorna Announce Agreement to Jointly Produce FIM Supercross World Championship

AURORA, Ill. and MADRID, Spain (December 28, 2001) – Clear Channel Entertainment’s motor sports division and Dorna Off-Road announced today they have signed an agreement to jointly produce the FIM Supercross World Championship, beginning with the 2002-03 season.

The agreement between Clear Channel Entertainment and Dorna combines the resources of the recognized North American and international leaders in the promotion and production of motorcycle racing to position the FIM Supercross World Championship as the preeminent motorcycle racing series in the world, by creating one circuit comprised of events around the world.

The FIM, Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, is the only recognized body to govern motorcycling events at the international level.

Clear Channel Entertainment produces more than 200 motorcycle events annually, including EA SPORTS Supercross, the National Arenacross Series presented by Speed Stick, the Formula USA Arenacross Series of regional events, IFMA Freestyle Motocross events, the Formula USA National Dirt Track Series, the Formula USA National Road Race Series, and the CCS presented by Lockhart Phillips USA for sportsmen road racers. The company also stages 150 four-wheel events sanctioned by the United States Hot Rod Association and the International Hot Rod Association.

In addition to staging the FIM Supercross World Championship, for which it holds the rights from the FIM, the Dorna group holds the commercial, media and TV rights to produce the FIM Road Racing World Championship, Grand Prix “Moto GP”, the FIM Motocross World Championship and the Motocross Des Nations.

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO and managing director of Dorna, said, “Clear Channel Entertainment’s Supercross has long been recognized as the premier supercross series. The synergy of the resources between Clear Channel Entertainment and Dorna provide the strongest base possible to now expand the tradition and success of Clear Channel Entertainment’s Supercross program to the international level. Dorna is very pleased to have this opportunity to work with the Clear Channel Entertainment team to help bring supercross to the global marketplace and to the next level.”

Charlie Mancuso, president of Clear Channel Entertainment’s motor sports division, said, “This is a great day for supercross fans, racers, venues and the entire motorcycle industry. We have produced supercross racing events for 27 years and always dreamed of elevating our Supercross Series from a domestic championship to one that is worldwide. Realizing that dream could not have been possible without partners like the FIM and Dorna. We are excited to take supercross to the next level by promoting the FIM Supercross World Championship. In particular we want to acknowledge the support of the FIM, which for nearly a century has been recognized as the world’s foremost motorcycle sanctioning body, and whose affiliation will help immensely to continue to grow the sport.”

The FIM will commemorate its 100th anniversary in 2004. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, it has sanctioned international and World Championship motorcycle events since 1904. Each year, the FIM sanctions more than 1000 motorcycle events around the world in over 90 different classifications of motorcycle competition. The FIM structure includes over 80 affiliated national federations representing an equal number of individual countries, including the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in the United States.

The 2002-03 FIM Supercross World Championship calendar will shortly be announced by the FIM.


About Dorna:
Dorna is an international sports management group established in 1988 and focused on major international motorsports events. Headquartered in Madrid, Spain, with branch offices in Barcelona, London and Tokyo, the company is controlled by CVC Capital Partners, an independent private equity provider, with a 75% participation. The management controls the remaining 25%. The Dorna group holds the rights to Moto GP since 1992. This is the company’s leading activity, with 16 events across the five continents each year. In 2001, over five billion viewers in 208 countries watched the TV broadcasts. Since 2001, Dorna’s experience in motorsport was extended over the FIM Motocross World Championship, the Motocross Des Nations, and the FIM Supercross World Championship. Its TV images reached 112 countries in 2001. Dorna also markets ‘Ad-Time’ a rotating advertising system, in South America, Japan and Europe. The system in actively used in basketball, volleyball and soccer ((events)).

To fulfill the extreme requirements of such a competitive environment, Dorna counts on a multinational team of professionals with knowledge and expertise in advertising, sports, TV, media, technology and law. Currently 150 full-time employees and approximately 300 additional part-time contracted professionals during racing peaks make up Dorna’s workforce.

About Clear Channel Entertainment:
Clear Channel Entertainment’s motor sports division is the producer and promoter of 2002 EA SPORTS Supercross, and the recently announced 2003 FIM Supercross World Championship. Clear Channel Entertainment, a leading producer and marketer of live entertainment events, is a subsidiary of Clear Channel Worldwide (NYSE: CCU), a global leader in the out-of-home advertising industry. Clear Channel Entertainment currently owns, operates and/or exclusively books 135 live entertainment venues, including 44 amphitheaters in the U.S. and 28 venues in Europe. Each year, more than 62 million people attend approximately 26,000 events promoted and/or produced by the company, including: Live music events; Broadway, West End and touring theatrical shows; family entertainment shows; and specialized sports and motor sports shows.

In addition, Clear Channel Entertainment owns leading talent management businesses that specialize in the representation of athletes and broadcasters, including independently operated baseball, basketball and football businesses. Clear Channel Entertainment is headquartered in New York City.

About FIM:
The FIM, Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, is the body that governs motorcycling sport at world level. It groups together 85 affiliated National Federations and 6 Continental Unions, as well as Specialized Associations. The FIM is controlled by its statutes and standing orders, the Championships by the sporting code, and the specific rules of each discipline as well as by the technical rules and codes, disciplinary general to all disciplines. Its different executive, legislative and judicial bodies work for the development and the improvement of the motorcycling sport.

The FIM also takes care of matters concerning the non-sporting aspects of motorcycling: tourism, the motorcycle as a leisure vehicle, the subjects linked to public affairs and road safety. It is also concerned with aspects linked to the environment as well as the development of the motorcycle in general. It is present in Brussels by the intermediary of its representation office within the European Union where it fights for the defense of the interests of all users of mechanized two-wheel vehicles. With about 25 collaborators at FIM Headquarters, the Executive Secretariat takes care of the general administration of all the domains in which the FIM is involved.