Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.



Nicky Hayden took the provisional Superbike pole and set a new lap record Friday afternoon at Road America, ahead of Jamie Hacking and Eric Bostrom.

A timing & scoring system problem led to the Friday afternoon Superbike qualifying session being halted with 14 minutes remaining.

Before the session was stopped and the system reset, it registered a number of bogus times, for example showing privateer Justin Blake doing a 2:10 on his Superstock bike.

When the session was stopped, the fastest rider on a Superstock bike was actually Chris Ulrich at 2:15.467, 10th fastest.

When the session restarted, Jake Zemke immediately went to the top of the monitors with a 2:02. His time was quickly removed and replaced with a 2:12.

The fastest rider at the time was actually Eric Bostrom at 2:09.830.

In the closing moments of the session, Hacking jumped to the top of the monitors, but Hayden’s final lap set the record and took provisional pole. Times follow:

1. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 2:09.051
2. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki, 2:09.800
3. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki, 2:09.831
4. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 2:09.863
5. Aaron Yates, Suzuki, 2:10.182
6. Mat Mladin, Suzuki, 2:10.352
7. Doug Chandler, Ducati, 2:10.401
8. Jake Zemke, Honda, 2:11.530
9. Pascal Picotte, Ducati, 2:12.067
10. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki, 2:15.467
11. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki, 2:15.993
12. Lee Acree, Suzuki, 2:16.065
13. Jason DiSalvo, Suzuki, 2:16.338
14. Adam Fergusson, Suzuki, 2:16.575
15. Andy Deatherage, Suzuki, 2:16.681
16. Craig Connell, Suzuki, 2:17.011
17. Brian Livengood, Suzuki, 2:17.373
18. Rich Conicelli, Suzuki, 2:17.376
19. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki, 2:17.415
20. Alan Schmidt, Suzuki, 2:17.569
21. Larry Pegram, Suzuki, 2:17.747
22. Robert Jensen, Suzuki, 2:18.168
23. Scott Jensen, Suzuki, 2:18.427
24. John Dugan, Suzuki, 2:18.570
25. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki, 2:19.051
26. Shawn Conrad, Suzuki, 2:19.054
27. Brian Parriott, Suzuki, 2:19.158
28. Ty Howard, Suzuki, 2:19.218
29. Shane Clarke, Suzuki, 2:19.242
30. Dave Ebben, Suzuki, 2:19.304
31. Dean Mizdal, Suzuki, 2:19.471
32. Justin Blake, Suzuki, 2:19.903
33. Chris Voelker, Honda, 2:19.959
34. Marco Martinez, Suzuki, 2:20.542
35. Jame Compton, Suzuki, 2:20.651
36. Jeff Purk, DDS, Suzuki, 2:20.934
37. Eric Spector, Suzuki, 2:20.943
38. Shane Prieto, Suzuki, 2:21.070
39. Randall Mennenga, Suzuki, 2:21.409
40. Doug Duane, Suzuki, 2:21.488
41. Giovanni Rojas, Suzuki, 2:21.612
42. Jason Knupp, Suzuki, 2:22.978
43. Anthony Ruggiero, Suzuki, 2:23.450
44. Steve Johnson, Aprilia, 2:23.861
45. Leo Venega, Ducati, 2:24.885
46. Roger Hendricks, Suzuki, 2:25.539
47. Eric Dooyema, Suzuki, 2:27.196
48. Mike Walsh, Suzuki, 2:28.732


More, from a press release issued by Mladin’s publicist:

MLADIN DOWN TO BUSINESS AT ROAD AMERICA

Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, USA – After being the fastest rider on the Road America circuit during the morning free practice session, Australian Mat
Mladin concluded the first qualifying session for this weekend’s Double-Header round of the AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship to be
sixth overall on the time sheets.

Fastest during qualifying was championship points leader Nicky Hayden who set a new lap record, eclipsing the previous mark held by Mladin with a
2-min 09.051-secs lap of the fast 6.44km (4.00 miles) Elkhart Lake circuit. Second fastest was Jamie Hacking (Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki, 2:09.800) edging out last weekend’s race winner Eric Bostrom (Team Kawasaki, 2:09.831), with
Miguel DuHamel (American Honda) completing the provisional front row of the grid with a 2:09.863.

Row two is headed by the Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R750 mounted pair of Aaron Yates (2:10.182) and Mladin (2:10.352).

After the problems that have beset Mladin in recent rounds of the championship, he spent today concentrating on getting the best possible race
set up on his Suzuki for the two 16-lap races which are to follow over the next two days.

“Things have been going well so far for us today,” said Mladin. “I’m always a bit concerned when we are down a bit on our lap times, but we’ve
been concentrating on getting the bike right for the races. We didn’t use a soft qualifying tyre today that would have had us closer on the time sheet, instead we just concentrated on what we need for the races.

“It definitely won’t be easy around here. At the moment we are giving away something like 10 to 15kph on the lead twin cylinder Honda’s and Ducati’s in top speed, so it’s crucial that we get the bike set up and handling as well as it can so that we can get the best out of the bike and the tyres.”

Qualifying concludes on Saturday morning, with the first of the two 16-lap Superbike nationals taking place on Saturday afternoon.

Mladin, the three times AMA Superbike champion, heads into the weekend lying fourth overall on the points table, 72-points adrift of current leader Nicky Hayden.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Glenn LeSanto

Drying conditions make Supersport qualifying a lottery

Ten Kate Honda team manager Ronald ten Kate described the first qualifying session at a wet Lausitzring as “a lottery.” The session started on a very wet track but as it drew to a close a few riders gambled on a drier set up, and reaped the benefits.

Chris Vermeulen took provisional pole after selecting a tyre he described as between a full wet and an intermediate. “I guessed that the conditions might improve slightly in the last few minutes,” explained the young Australian who rides for Van Zon HondaTKR. “Pirelli gave me a new tyre that’s designed to cope with conditions that aren’t fully wet but aren’t dry enough for an intermediate. It worked a treat!”

Iain MacPherson, riding for Ten Kate Honda, also guessed right as the session came to an end, “I had less time left than I thought but the tyre I had fitted was working well so I stayed out and got in some quick laps.” MacPherson, who has taken a little longer than he had hoped to settle in with his new bike said he is now very comfortable on the Ten Kate Honda, “things are really gelling for me after a difficult start,” he said.

In provisional third was Kawasaki’s youngster James Ellison. While Ellison is new to Supersport racing he’s no beginner on the European tracks, having raced them all as a European Superstock rider where he enjoyed two back-to-back championships.

Piergiorgio Bontempi took provisional fourth on his Ducati. The session wasn’t a comfortable one for Werner Daemen. He recently had his injured right shoulder pinned but the pin came out under heavy braking. In the ensuing crash Daemen also injured his feet.

Friday World Supersport Qualifying Times:

1. Chris Vermeulen, Honda, 1:55.770
2. Iain MacPherson, Honda, 1:56.037
3. James Ellison, Kawasaki, 1:56.628
4. Piergiorgio Bontempi, Ducati, 1:56.732
5. Jorg Teuchert, Yamaha, 1:56.925
6. Stephane Chambon, Suzuki, 1:56.951
7. James Whitham, Yamaha, 1:56.959
8. Alessio Corradi, Yamaha, 1:56.985
9. Christophe Cogan, Honda, 1:57.087
10. Kevin Curtain, Yamaha, 1:57.127
11. Christian Kellner, Yamaha, 1:57.282
12. Robert Ulm, Honda, 1:57.349
13. Paolo Casoli, Yamaha, 1:57.440
14. Andrew Pitt, Kawasaki, 1:57.581
15. Stefano Cruciani, Yamaha, 1:57.896
16. Karl Muggeridge, Honda, 1:57.995
17. Matthieu Lagrive, Yamaha, 1:58.322
18. Christian Zaiser, Yamaha, 1:58.523
19. Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati, 1:59.372
20. Rico Penzkofer, Ducati, 1:59.599
21. Fabien Foret, Honda, 2:00.015
22. Sebastien Charpentier, Honda, 2:00.044
23. Diego Giugovaz, Yamaha, 2:00.459
24. David De Gea, Honda, 2:00.883
25. Werner Daemen, Honda, 2:01.081
26. Robert Frost, Yamaha, 2:01.418
27. Katsuaki Fujiwara, Suzuki, 2:01.443
28. Ron Van Steenbergen, Honda, 2:02.036
29. Antonio Carlacci, Yamaha, 2:02.061
30. Kyro Verstraeten, Honda, 2:02.306
31. Claudio Cipriani, Yamaha, 2:02.895

More, from a press release issued by Honda:

VERMEULEN HEADS SUPERSPORT TIMES

Honda’s Chris Vermeulen set the pace with the fastest lap time in Friday afternoon’s opening qualifying session for round seven of the World
Supersport championship at Lausitzring, Germany.

Vermeulen moved to the head of the leaderboard in the dying seconds of the 45-minute session, edging out James Ellison to second before Ten Kate Honda team rider Iain MacPherson moved into second place with the chequered flag out to signal the end of qualifying.

Ellison ended the day in third with Italian Piergiorgio Bontempi fourth to complete the provisional front row for Sunday’s race. Former champion Jorg Teuchert made the most of his home circuit knowledge to take fifth place in the wet conditions.

Stephane Chambon, the championship leader, was sixth quickest and the provisional second row is completed by Yamaha pair James Whitham and Alessio Corradi.

Honda’s Christophe Cogan and last year’s Lausitzring race winner Kevin Curtain complete the top 10. Honda UK’s Robert Ulm and Karl Muggeridge were 12th and 16th respectively ­ with Muggeridge suffering a crash, without injuries, in each of the Friday sessions.



More, from Vermeulen’s publicist:

VERMEULEN STARS IN WET

A stunning last minute lap has seen Aussie teenager Chris Vermeulen put his Honda CBR600F onto provisional pole position for the 7th round of the World Supersport Championship in Germany.

The rain that dogged the Lausitzring round of the 2001 championship and last month’s Silverstone event has followed the SBK circus to the Eurospeedway, but that hasn’t stopped the Queensland speedster from impressing.

The 19 year old pulling out 1:55.77 towards the end of the session to grab the number one position by almost .3 of a second.

“It’s tough going out there I watch three guys crash. The cars don’t race here in the wet, so that means the track holds a lot of the water and dirt. As it dries, it gets really slippery,” the teenager said.

“My best lap was just as the track started to dry out a bit, I didn’t realise we had pole until after the session when I rode in.

“I am really hoping for a dry race. The Pirelli guys have got a great race distance tyre. So I hope it fines up,” said the teenager.

He added, “Nobody knows what the weather is doing, I am standing outside now and it is fining up. The forecast says similar weather tomorrow and then fine on Sunday. If it rains, great I’m on pole, if it fines up we’ll have another crack tomorrow.”

At last year’s corresponding race Vermeulen took his machine from 26th on the grid to a top ten finish, however it seems the Australian will be much closer to the pointy end this weekend.

“I went alright at this track last year in the rain, hopefully I can give myself a chance at my first ever world supersport win.”

Vermeulen created history in May by becoming the youngest ever pole sitter in World Supersport racing, when he starred at the famous Monza circuit.

The Van Zon Honda rider is 9th in the World Championship standings. Final qualifying 9:15 Saturday night Australian time.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Friday Morning World Superbike Practice Times:

1. Troy Bayliss, Ducati 998F02, 1:57.082
2. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:59.157
3. James Toseland, Ducati 998F01, 1:59.188
4. Chris Walker, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:59.210
5. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, 2:00.048
6. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki GSX-R750, 2:00.721
7. Ruben Xaus, Ducati 998F02, 2:00.986
8. Noriyuki Haga, Aprilia RSV1000, 2:01.553
9. Broc Parkes, Ducati 998RS, 2:01.556
10. Colin Edwards, Honda RC51, 2:01.598
11. Peter Goddard, Benelli Tornado, 2:01.631
12. Ben Bostrom, Ducati 998F02, 2:01.889
13. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 998F01, 2:02.528
14. Serafino Foti, Ducati 996RS, 2:03.316
15. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 2:03.449
16. Steve Martin, Ducati 998RS, 2:03.626
17. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 2:03.838
18. Alessandro Antonello, Ducati 998RS, 2:04.533
19. Jiri Mrkyvka, Ducati 996RS, 2:04.942
20. Marco Borciani, Ducati 998RS, 2:05.095
21. Thierry Mulot, Honda RC51, 2:06.646
22. Mark Heckles, Honda RC51, 2:06.720
23. Yann Gyger, Honda RC51, 2:07.263
24. Alex Hofmann, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 2:08.007
25. Juan Borja, Ducati 998RS, 2:08.379
26. Teodor Myszkowski, Yamaha YZF-R7, 2:08.515
27. Giuliano Sartoni, Ducati 996RS, 2:19.942

From a press release:

DUCATI MOVES NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Pompton Plains, June 6, 2002 – Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. (NYSE: DMH, Borsa Italiana S.p.A: DMH), a leading manufacturer of high performance motorcycles, today announced that it is re-locating its North American subsidiary to California, in a move to get closer to the center of the US motorcycle industry.

The North American market is a priority for Ducati and represented 23% of total revenues in 2001. The re-location signals the Company’s determination to capitalize on the immense potential in California, already the largest market the US – representing about 20% of Ducati US retail sales – and is home to many of the America’s most important motorcycle manufacturers and media. A presence in California gives the Company access to a large, specialized talent pool, closer contact with opinion leaders, vicinity to major race tracks, and excellent weather conditions for dealer training, product tests and brand-building motorcycle events.

The re-location is part of a program aimed at re-organizing operations in North America. Ducati is currently stream-lining its US-based business by out-sourcing the management of spare parts and the distribution of motorcycles, based on the proven success of the Company’s business model.

“Our move to California is a key strategic move towards creating a structure which will be able to unleash the huge potential for Ducati of the US market –” said Joseph Piazza, CEO of Ducati North America. “We currently have a number of products which are proving to be a great success in California and beyond. In particular, we are excited about the popularity of the innovative, new fuel-injected Monster 620, which is bringing Italian design and style to city centers and twisty roads all over the country.”

Founded in 1926, Ducati builds racing-inspired motorcycles characterized by unique engine features, innovative design, advanced engineering and overall technical excellence. Ducati has won ten of the last twelve World Superbike Championship titles and more individual victories than the competition put together. The Company produces motorcycles in four market segments which vary in their technical and design features and intended customers: Superbike, Supersport, Monster and SportTouring. The company’s motorcycles are sold in more than 40 countries worldwide, with a primary focus in the Western European and North American markets. For more information about the Company, please visit our web site at http://www.Ducati.com.

This press release contains statements that are forward-looking and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, as described in the Company’s 2000 annual report, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 20-F, dated July 2, 2001.


Editorial Note: When reached by phone, Ducati press officer Myrianne Gaeta said that while Ducati North America had not decided on an exact location in Northern California, it will “probably” relocate in the San Francisco Bay area. Gaeta added that the move won’t take place until January 2003.

From a press release:

TORONTO, ON – Two-time defending Parts Canada Superbike champion Steve Crevier’s bid for a third straight crown has been dealt a critical blow.

The Maple Ridge, BC rider will not take part in this weekend’s second and third rounds of the seven-race series at Race City Motorsport Park in Calgary as he continues to recover from injuries sustained at the season opener three weeks ago.

Jordan Szoke, meanwhile, the 1998 Canadian Superbike champ, will be in action at Race City after completing a deal earlier this week to ride for the Coors Light Racing/Fast Company/Blackfoot Suzuki team for the remainder of the Canadian season.

Crevier crashed his Orion Motorsport Honda RC51 during practice at Shannonville Motorsport Park May 19, breaking his right kneecap. The legendary racer underwent surgery May 24 and had a second round of surgery last Monday after complications arose.

“The kneecap had shifted,” Crevier explained. “It’s a mess. I’m pretty upset. The Honda team’s got a big push on to win championships and I want to be a part of that.”

Crevier may return to action for the next round in St-Eustache, QC July 5-7.

Szoke made a surprise appearance with the Calgary-based Blackfoot Suzuki team at Shannonville and finished second in the Superbike race to Frank Trombino. The Brantford, ON racer is scheduled to compete in the U.S. with the Corona Extra Suzuki team, but visa problems have forced him to miss the past three events.

“I just want to be riding,” said Szoke, who won both Calgary Superbike races in 2000. “Right now I’m committed to the rest of the season up here.”

Trombino comes to Calgary with the Parts Canada Superbike Championship points lead. The Kleinburg, ON racer has 55 points to the 42 of Szoke and the 37 of Kawasaki rider Owen Weichel, last year’s Race City winner.

In addition to the pair of Superbike races, this weekend’s event will also feature the second round of the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Open Sport Bike and Yoshimura 600 Sport Bike national support classes.

Calgary’s Clint McBain leads both divisions after winning the opening event for each at Shannonville on his Blackfoot Suzukis.

The two Superbike races will be held on Saturday and Sunday. Both the Open Sport Bike and 600 Sport Bike features will take place Sunday afternoon.

This weekend’s races will be televised on TSN Saturday, July 6 at 1:30 pm and Sunday July 28 at 1:00 pm EDT. They will also be shown later this year on Quebec’s RDS and across Canada on the Outdoor Life Network.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Just days after it was announced that he will replace injured Hitoyasu Izutsu on the Fuchs Kawasaki at this weekend’s Lausitzring World Superbike race, German rider Alex Hofmann went testing with Red Bull Yamaha at the reconfigured Assen, Holland track on Wednesday, June 5.

Hofmann, age 22, may fill in for Red Bull Yamaha’s Jean Michel Bayle, who himself is filling in for injured Garry McCoy; Bayle suffered a muscle injury during the Le Mans MotoGP event and may miss the next MotoGP round, at Catalunya June 14-16.

McCoy isn’t expected to return to racing action until the British Grand Prix at Donington Park July 12-14.

Just two weeks ago, Hofmann, who is the 1998 German and European 250cc Grand Prix Champion, tested with Team Roberts on the Bridgestone-shod Proton KR3 at Almeria, say sources in Europe.

Also testing with Red Bull Yamaha at Assen is 19-year-old American John Hopkins, one of the team’s two full-time riders. In an e-mail to Roadracingworld.com, Hopkins reported that Assen’s new layout is three-miles long with 26 corners and is very distinctive.

The MotoGP event at Assen is scheduled for June 27-29.

From a press release:

MARLBORO YAMAHA TEAM PRIVATE TESTS
Valencia, 6 June 2002
Day 1 of 2

NO REST FOR MARLBORO YAMAHA TEAM

The Marlboro Yamaha Team was back to work today having travelled directly to Valencia after the promising performance of Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix in Mugello. Team-mates Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa lapped the Spanish circuit on their YZR-M1s in mostly sunny conditions, continuing to test the new chassis which gave them respective second and fourth positions in last Sunday’s race.

Both riders were given the chance to experiment with more radical geometries which they didn’t have the time to evaluate during practice and qualifying at Mugello.

“Tomorrow we’re hoping to refine the settings even more, and we’ll have the opportunity to test some more tyres,” explained Team Manager Geoff Crust. “It’s been a very hectic few weeks and both riders are quite tired, as of course are the rest of the team! We’ve taken a big step forward and it’s important to keep working.”

Max Biaggi, still in great spirits after his second-place finish at his home Grand Prix, completed a total of 51 laps during today’s test. “I’m a little tired after Mugello but happy to be here,” said the Italian. “The track was quite dirty to begin with today and the wind fairly strong. In some ways, the first day of this test has been more important for the team than for the riders as we are trying such a wide range of settings so we can understand which direction to go in with the new chassis.”

Carlos Checa, who qualified third and finished fourth at Mugello, added: “This was our first chance to play around with settings on the new chassis. We have swapped to a new engine and haven’t had the same problems we experienced in Mugello. We have found a good setting for the engine braking, and will continue to test this as well as some new tyres tomorrow.”

The Spaniard completed 72 laps on his YZR-M1 today.

No lap times were available.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Arclight Suzuki had transmission troubles with two of their bikes at Pikes Peak. As a result, team owner Chuck Warren drove the team’s transporter from PPIR to rider Lee Acree’s home in North Carolina to take the engine from Acree’s personal GSX-R750 and bring it to Road America. Warren said the trip, 2400 miles in four days, was no big deal because he regularly drives from his base in Concord, California to Road Atlanta in four days. Warren said he planned to build a second motor at the track Thursday.


Disqualified from fifth place in the Pro Thunder race at Pikes Peak, Right On Track Racing/www.cdlschool.com’s Leo Venega told Roadracingworld.com that the engine he ran at PPIR displaced 996cc. Venega will run the AMA Superbike class at Road America instead of Pro Thunder.


Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Barry McMahan said that the team stopped at Mark Junge’s race shop in Union Grove, Wisconsin on the way to Road America and built new engines for GSX-R1000 Formula Xtreme bikes ridden by Marty Craggill and Tom Kipp. “It’s obvious we were getting killed at fast tracks, like Road Atlanta,” said McMahan. “We didn’t have the power advantage that we had last year. Everyone else has stepped it up. So it’s been a scramble to find some extra power for the next two races at Road America and Brainerd.

“We just added some commercially-available engine internals, but we still don’t know if we’re on the same level as the competition. At Road Atlanta, our riders had more to say about the Attack (Suzuki) bikes than any others.”

Although he didn’t want to mention specific horsepower numbers, long-time Crew Chief Keith Perry said, “These are the most powerful Valvoline EMGO Suzukis ever.”

The team ran the new engines on the Dynojet mobile dyno at Road America on Wednesday, breaking them in and building fuel injection maps using Dynojet Power Commanders.


Corona Extra Suzuki’s Steve Rapp is expected to race in Formula Xtreme at Road America, according to Crew Chief Jeremy Daniel. After tuning Jimmy Moore to an AMA Superstock race win at Pikes Peak, Daniel will work with defending Superstock Champion Moore again this weekend at Road America. When asked why Moore’s original Crew Chief, Michael Tjon, wasn’t with the team at PPIR or Elkhart Lake, Daniel directed the question to team principal Tim Saunders, who was not available at post time.


Dunlop introduced a new, rear DOT-labeled race tire at the Sears Point round of the series in early May. The tire, called the D208GP-A or simply the “A”, comes with significantly less tread cuts on the tires’ outer edges. When asked about the new rubber, Dunlop National Road Race Manager Jim Allen told Roadracingworld.com, “It’s a direction we didn’t want to go in. We avoided using this tire for a long time because we feel that the tires used in the Supersport classes should be legitimate street tries. What’s on the track should reflect what’s on the street, and a street tire needs to be an all-weather tire.”

Allen added that the trend in Supersport racing tires, led by brands like Pirelli and Michelin, has been to go to slicker and slicker tread designs. “I feel there should be a specific land-sea ratio approved for use in Supersport racing.”

Allen stated that the “A” has been used in World Supersport racing since May of 2001, has the same compounds as the D208GP and that there is no plan to produce a D208GP-A front. “It was funny,” chuckled Allen. “(Aaron) Yates says, ‘Who said we needed more grip? My bike’s nice and balanced.’ That’s the first time I’ve had a rider complain about too much grip.”


According to sources inside Team Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki, Jamie Hacking’s Supersport crash at Colorado left him with only one GSX-R600 and no spare frames. When asked about the situation, Team Coordinator/Hacking chassis mechanic Rich Doan said, “He’ll have two bikes.”

With spare GSX-R frames in short supply in America, Doan was asked where the team would get a second bike for Hacking. In reply, Doan said, “From the Suzuki store.”

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Bruce Transportation Group Honda’s Jake Zemke hopes to race in three classes at Road America, while Erion Honda Superbike chassis tuner Danny Hull just hopes to get through the weekend.

American Honda’s Ray Plumb said Thursday morning that Zemke would probably not race in the Pro Honda Oils Supersport event at Road America, instead concentrating on riding Kurtis Roberts’ RC51 Superbike and his own Bruce Transportation Group Formula Xtreme CBR954RR. Zemke, however, said Thursday that he hoped to ride in all three classes, and all four races, taking a wait-and-see approach to his weekend.

“It’s important for everybody that I ride all three,” said Zemke, who is second in Formula Xtreme points and 11th in Supersport points coming into Road America.

American Honda Racing Teams Manager Chuck Miller told Zemke on Tuesday, June 4 that he would be riding Roberts’ bike, Zemke said.

“Chuck told me to just go have fun with the Superbike,” said Zemke. “He said if I didn’t want to race the Superbike, I didn’t have to; if I only wanted to race it once, that was fine; or if I only wanted to only ride it in practice, that was fine, too.

“Formula Xtreme is my priority right now, and the Superbike is the last thing I’m thinking about. But I don’t think I’ll have a problem racing all four (two Superbike races plus one race each in Formula Xtreme and Supersport). I think I’m in good enough shape to do it. My only concern is Saturday’s Superbike race. There’s only a 20-minute 250 qualifying session between the Superbike race and the Formula Xtreme race Saturday. But it’s not like it’s Sears Point, Mid-Ohio or Colorado where they’re physically demanding tracks. There’s a lot of room to rest out there, and the (Superbike) race is only 16 laps.

“Chuck made it real clear that it’s just a one-off ride. Kurtis should be back by Brainerd.”

Mechanic Hull suffered a back injury at Road Atlanta. “It’s just a muscle strain,” said Hull, limping through the paddock Thursday. “I just lifted a bike wrong and pulled the muscles in my back. I’ll be fine. I just need more rest.”

After being bed ridden for “a while” and missing the Pikes Peak round of the AMA Series, Hull is back, working in a limited capacity for Zemke. “I won’t be throwing wheels and tires around, but I can do little stuff, check the bike over and work on the bike while it’s on the bench. It’s still my bike.

“I believe he’ll do just fine,” said Hull, when asked what he expected Zemke to do on the Superbike. Hull added that he was very impressed when Zemke pushed his Formula Xtreme Honda up the turn 11 hill after crashing in the FX race at Road Atlanta, re-started the race from row six and finished third.

From a press release:

KAWASAKI UNVEILS 2003 OFF-ROAD MOTORCYCLES AND ALL TERRAIN VEHICLES

Company also provides updated information regarding Kawasaki-Suzuki Alliance



IRVINE, Calif. (June 6, 2002)—Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. has unveiled its 2003 off-road motorcycle and all terrain vehicle (ATV) line-up to a gathering of media serving those recreational vehicle categories. The company also took advantage of the product presentation to clarify its position regarding the announcement made in Japan last year of a strategic alliance between Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Suzuki Motor Corporation.

Kawasaki executives provided an overview of favorable market conditions in the off-road motorcycle category and showed a full complement of two-wheeled units to meet what they see as a significant industry-wide sales surge in the next two years. Models introduced included competition, enduro, and dual purpose motorcycles.

The company is equally bullish regarding the expanding ATV market, and sees industry retail sales for the four-wheeled vehicles moving close to 900,000 units by the end of next year. That would represent twice the total number of units retailed in 1998.

The most rapidly growing segments in the ATV area have been in the youth-sized and sport categories during the past 12 months, according to the company.

Kawasaki’s latest introductions are weighted to meet those consumer preferences, said Bob Shepard, Executive Vice President, Marketing Group.

Among the product shown to the media were two youth-sized ATVs and a model targeted at the hardcore sports riding enthusiast. These were complimented by introductions of an addition to the brand’s very successful Prairie line-up and units dressed in camouflage livery for the weekend hunter.

The alliance between Kawasaki and Suzuki is intended to increase competitiveness and profitability on a worldwide basis for both brands. Cooperation in development, supplying OEM products and commonizing and purchasing of parts compliments each other’s business resources.

OEM production of certain models, much like the auto industry has done for several years, will help provide each brand with a wider range of product offerings while allowing each to individually broaden its consumer base.

The two brands will maintain total separation and independence, especially in the areas of sales, marketing, and dealer distribution.

According to Kawasaki’s Shepard, “The outcome of this arrangement will be to strengthen the brand, strengthen our retail network, and ultimately provide the customers with more opportunities to join Kawasaki’s ‘Good Times’ family.” He made reference to the advertising tagline that the brand has used for nearly 30 years, and has become synonymous with Kawasaki’s expanding products in the motorcycle, ATV, personal watercraft, and utility vehicle categories.