Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

There may be only seven fully-fit, factory Superbike pilots lined up on the grid for round eight of the AMA Superbike Championship June 2 at Pike’s Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colorado.

“I won’t be 100% but I’ll be there,” said three-time AMA Superbike Champion Doug Chandler, via cell phone from his motorhome in New Mexico Tuesday. “I’ve got a hip pointer and it feels like I have about 50 pounds strapped to my (left) foot every time I try to lift it up. It feels like I’ve stretched everything in the front of my thigh. My (right) thumb’s still kind of crooked, but I’ve still gotta give it a go.”

When asked if the short, tight Pike’s Peak infield road course would play for or against his injuries, Chandler said, “I think the esses are going to be the toughest (for me), but it’s hard to say until I get on the bike.”

“We’re still not sure,” said American Honda Racing Teams Manager Chuck Miller when asked if Kurtis Roberts would ride at Pike’s Peak. “We’re waiting for a call back right now from his group, and as soon as we get something, we’ll issue it to everyone this week, hopefully late today or early tomorrow. They’re (the team) there prepping, getting everything ready as if he’s going to ride, but as of late last week, there was still some question as to whether he would make it or not.”

With Yamaha’s Anthony Gobert definitely out, Roberts questionable and Chandler ailing, AMA Superbike privateers like HSA Racing’s Brian Livengood and Rich Conicelli, White Tip Racing’s Brian Parriott and Woody’s Auto Service’s Andrew “Woody” Deatherage could be racing for seventh place and $2500 and maybe more, in terms of the next Championship points fund pay out after the Road America double-header.

Here are the Superbike point standings heading into Pike’s Peak:

1. Nicky Hayden, 253 points
2. Eric Bostrom, 173 points
3. Aaron Yates, 172 points
4. Pascal Picotte, 155 points
5. Mat Mladin, 154 points
6. Miguel Duhamel, 146 points
7. Brian Livengood, 138 points
8. Jamie Hacking, 131 points
9. Brian Parriott, 127 points
10. Anthony Gobert, 118 points
11. Andrew Deatherage, 108 points
12. Rich Conicelli, 107 points
13. Doug Chandler, 99 points

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Yamaha’s Anthony Gobert broke his right fibula in a crash during the Big Kahuna AMA Superbike National event at Road Atlanta, May 17. After giving some time for the dust to settle, Roadracingworld.com caught up to the 27-year-old Australian at his home in Lake Elsinore, California to check on his injury and recovery.

“The injury has turned out to be worse than what first thought,” said Go-Show. “It’s just a matter of seeing how it goes, really. I’ve got quite a few things wrong with my ankle. That’s going to be the thing that takes the longest.”

Gobert lowsided in Road Atlanta’s fast, downhill turn three and appeared, on videotape, to attempt to steer himself as he slid along the pavement at 80 mph before impacting inflatable air barriers placed in front of strawbales and a concrete retaining wall. “I had never slid into an Air Fence before,” pointed out Gobert. “So I didn’t know how good the Air Fence was. I just knew from watching people in the past(Alberto Puig, Wayne Gardner), if you go in feet-first, there’s a chance you could go under the Air Fence and break your leg.

“I was trying to get sideways to go in to kind of disperse the energy better. It just happened too quick, I suppose. It’s only when I watched the tape that one of my legs went straight in, and that was the one that I broke. I thought I was getting my legs out of the way, but obviously that didn’t (happen).”

Gobert was transported to Northeast Georgia Regional Medical Center where his fracture was X-rayed, diagnosed and immobilized in a half-cast within three hours. “In Atlanta, I just got some X-rays straight after it,” said Gobert. “They said to me I’d snapped the fibula, or whatever the back bone is. That was snapped pretty good and wasn’t really lined up. It was a bit out of whack and stuff. They just sort of put a half-sort of cast on it and pretty much kicked me out of the hospital pretty quick. It was pretty weird. I had never experienced anything like that before. I don’t know what the deal was, but they were in a big hurry to get me out of there.

“I just went back to the hotel in Atlanta and just sort of laid in bed. They can’t operate on you for a couple of days anyway, until the swelling goes down. I just chose to go back to the hotel in Atlanta and lay there with my leg up in the air to let the swelling go down for a couple of days, get the X-rays sent off to Dr. Ting for him to examine and decide where to go from there.

“(Dr. Ting) got the X-rays Monday morning and told me that he had to go in there for surgery immediately, because the main problem was I had dislodged my ankle from the impact. I sort of ripped the ankle joint apart nearly a centimeter (0.4-inch) and did the ligaments and all that around my ankle because of that. I suppose it’s like getting a hammer and whacking your ankle nearly a centimeter to one side.

“That’s really the main problem right now. I had to go and get the ankle screwed back together. That’s giving me the most trouble right now. The plate up the back of my leg doesn’t really seem to be a problem, but I’m getting quite a lot pain from the ligaments and the actual screws in the ankle. Luckily, nothing in the ankle was broken.”

Gobert received no definite timeline for his recovery, but indications are that he won’t be back on track any time soon. “They say to me that with the screws and the plate and all that, (Dr. Ting) reckons it’s still like six to eight weeks. In my case, it wasn’t the case of getting the plates to get (back) on the track any quicker. I didn’t have an option because of the injury I had,” said Gobert.

“It’s the kind of the thing where, I’m out of the Championship right now. Obviously, I’m not enjoying sitting on the couch everyday, but I don’t have any option for the first two weeks. I’ve been told I have to just lay on the couch with my leg up in the air. So I’m in the process of doing that, and it’s pretty frustrating. Obviously I want to be on the track riding and representing Yamaha. I just have no option. Right now, I’m just waiting on the two-week period to go back to Dr. Ting to see what the next step is.”

With both the Supersport and Superbike Championships out of the question now, Gobert’s goal is now to come back and win at Laguna Seca during the World Superbike weekend, but the July race weekend is within that six-to-eight-week recovery period. “It puts Laguna Seca in jeopardy,” admitted Gobert. “So we’ll just take it a week at a time and see what position we’re in. My goal is to just make sure my leg is 100% before I come back.

“The way that I ride and how dangerous, obviously, the racetracks in America are, it’s not much point in coming back half-ready and crashing and going into a barrier or something and making the injury twice as bad. That’s the kind of situation I’m in. I need to make sure the leg’s 100% before I come back so it’s strong enough to withstand anything else.”

When asked if the air barriers as installed helped him at all, Gobert said, “It doesn’t look like it on the tape. I’m kind of looking forward to going back to the races to try and sit down with the AMA and try and see what can be done about safety, really. I think right now that the standards in America are pretty poor. I think that it’s pretty stupid of us riders to keep going on like there’s no sort of problem. It’s kind of like, in practice, they never have the Air Fence in the right positions and they always have the most dangerous parts unprotected. It always takes someone to go into a barrier and get injured or we have to sort of bring it up to them.

“I think the way the AMA handled the situation at Sears Point — how they really got into us about saying about how poor the safety standards are at Sears Point — it shows the AMA’s true lack of care for the riders’ safety. Like they made it quite clear to me that they don’t care about the riders one bit. All they care about is themselves. I think it’s about time us riders stand up and try and get something done safety-wise.

“In my crash, it’s not really a huge injury, (but) it’s still an injury that shouldn’t have happened and could’ve definitely been prevented. A lot of people said that the Air Fence wasn’t strapped in properly and stuff like that. When you watch the tape, the Air Fence just rips away damn easy. I knew that there was something that wasn’t right. It all just ripped away. It should have absorbed me and it didn’t. I felt a little bit of Air Fence on my shoulder and that’s it.

“It’s pretty damned pathetic that I have to be sitting on the couch here because some f**king idiot didn’t put the Air Fence in properly. What is it? Is it a two-bit f**king circus or is it a professional f**king motorcycle organization?”

When asked for a possible solution, Gobert said, “I don’t know. I think the first start would be to make sure we have Air Fence and make sure that it’s strapped in, you know? It seems to me like there were a lot of people saying that the Air Fence wasn’t strapped in properly. I’d like to even get to the bottom of that and even see if it was. That’s just typical of the AMA for something not to be right and somebody to get injured. I mean, somebody had to get killed at Fontana until they realized, ‘Oh, we should put a big barrier up here (to) stop the bikes (from) going across.’ In the meantime, some poor guy has been killed and his family is at a severe loss.

“The AMA, they just don’t care about the riders’ safety. I think it’s about time all the riders kind of stood up and kind of got together and maybe form a bit of a riders-type union. Because, I mean Sears Point, there’s just no way that we should have been racing at Sears Point. That’s the most dangerous deathtrap I’ve ever had to race on in my entire life. That kind of put me off the whole weekend. I think it put a lot of riders off. I’m just thankful to God that I didn’t tuck the front and go into one of the barriers going four or five times faster, which would’ve happened at Sears Point. We just got lucky that no one went into any of the barriers, because I’m sure someone would’ve been killed if they had’ve crashed into the barriers.

“The guy from Sears Point is ringing me up telling me how I’m not gonna believe the track, how awesome the track is now and all this money they’ve spent on it, you know. It’s just a joke. Because, I went there and the track’s the most dangerous I’ve ever seen it. We have to really do something about this or more riders are going to get injured or killed. It’s just stupid.

“I’m glad you called, because I’d kind of like to get something out there, like my opinion. Obviously, it’s going to end up in a fine or something from the AMA, (but) people need to start standing up to the AMA because it’s our lives and everything and I think we have a right to preserve our own lives. Maybe you should go around at Pike’s Peak and ask, ‘Anthony says that something needs to be done. What do you guys reckon?’

I personally don’t think we should be racing at Daytona,” added Gobert. “I think that this year they made a major step forward with (Dunlop) trying to improve the tire life. That’s kind of a bonus, but I mean, still the tires keep coming apart. I had a tire come apart at about 175 or 180 (mph, in 2001), whatever it was. I tell you, that was pretty scary with the thing going sixth gear, wide open and having the tire come apart, lock up in the swingarm and have the bike go completely lock-to-lock down the front straightaway. That’s pretty scary to think the tires do come apart there quite often.

“I just think when I was following Miguel Duhamel over the start/finish line. What were the Hondas doing? 190-something mph? And he was sixth-gear flat out with smoke coming off the rear tire. I think that the motorcycles and everything have far outgrown Daytona.

“I don’t want to get into Daytona too much. I think we need more Air Fence, and we need to make sure that it’s put in properly or it’s useless. Obviously, it’s not being installed correctly. And I think a lot of the barriers are put in way too close, that the AMA should have a word to the tracks about trying to pull some of the barriers back. Even at Atlanta where I went in, there’s no reason why they can’t excavate that and pull that barrier out. There’s nothing there behind that. I don’t know. So many things really, really aggravate me with the safety standards in America and the unprofessionalism of the AMA. A lot of things need to be looked at.”


(Note: Air Fence is a trademark of Airfence Safety Systems of Australia, and the inflatable soft barrier Gobert encountered was actually an Alpina Air Module. Both brands are FIM homologated and are used for World Superbike and MotoGP events. There is some question as to whether or not the Alpina modules Gobert encountered were properly installed and secured at the top and bottom tie-down points.)

From a press release:

Preview Report: AMA Chevy Trucks Superbike Round 5

Track: Pikes Peak, Colorado

Track Length: 1.315 mile

Track lap record: 0’53.776 by N Hayden (01)

Situated high in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, Pikes Peak Raceway will host round five of the AMA Superbike Championships and the class’s first single-race weekend since Daytona. A mere 1.31 miles long, Pikes Peak is the shortest track on the AMA road racing schedule ¯ half the size of most other tracks, with lap times under a minute.


The high altitude here, almost 5,800 feet above sea level, will restrict the performance of the engines but the fast, flowing layout of the track promises high speed action. Like all speedway ovals, Pikes Peak includes sections of banking in its road racing track, notably the front and back straightaways. The run off the front straight banking onto the flat surface of the first corner is never smooth. This is amplified by a dip, which can disrupt the bike’s stability. But once you get into the second turn the fun begins. The layout seems to suit riders with a dirt track history. The long left-hander, from turn one to the in-field bends, reminds Doug Chandler of running a mile flat track, but it causes concern for the HMC Ducati technicians. The long bend has some negative camber and the combination can be rough on tires. Riders will be conscious to preserve their tires, being banked over on the left hand side for so long. Dunlop has a single compound tire made specifically for this track.

As the riders head into the infield bends the action will heat up. They can take a variety of lines to pass a competitor, especially into the tight and tricky hairpin. Riders must hug the inside of the bend, picking up the bike at the last minute and getting hard on the gas to give them a good drive into the esses. This section doesn’t have a lot of traction so the bikes will be moving around a lot. Unfortunately spectator viewing in this area is limited as it’s all infield but this will be where a lot of the action will take place. It is the last place riders can make a pass before the esses, then it will be follow-the-leader until they get onto the front straightaway. Slip streaming won’t happen until they get further around to the back straightaway where they’ll be carrying more speed. And being a little over a mile long, Pikes Peak doesn’t have much of a straightaway.


The race is an astonishing 48 laps, which, for the riders, seems to take forever. As the bikes are rarely upright the riders get very little opportunity to rest, making it one of the more demanding races of the season. The short distance makes it a relatively easy track for bike set-up and technicians will focus mainly on getting the bike turning in turn two and through the esses plus creating a bike that will conserve its tires. Most of the data taken from races so far this season will be irrelevant at Pikes Peak. Only Fontana offers some similarities.


Rider fitness will play a key part as the high altitude will not only reduce oxygen to the engine, it will reduce oxygen to the lungs. Doug Chandler left for Colorado last Friday to begin acclimatizing himself with the thin air. He won there in ’99 and is looking forward to a good result on Sunday.

From three press releases issued by AMA Pro Racing:

NICKY HAYDEN HAS SECOND CHANCE TO TIE DUHAMEL’S WIN STREAK AT PIKES PEAK

PICKERINGTON, Ohio – Honda Racing’s Nicky Hayden is fresh off two wins at Road Atlanta and a five-race win streak, and will arrive at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo., May 31-June 2 for round eight of the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited. The 20-year-old from Owensboro, Ky., has a strong hold on the championship with 253 points and while it’s still a little early to say, the 80-point advantage he has on second place factory Kawasaki rider, Eric Bostrom, makes him a favorite for his first AMA Superbike Championship.

Pikes Peak also marks Hayden’s second chance to tie his teammate Miguel Duhamel’s six-consecutive win streak. The first chance came at rounds two and three at California Speedway but Yamaha’s Anthony Gobert took the first win of the double-header event. Hayden is the defending Pikes Peak Superbike winner and with the season he’s having, it’s likely that he will defend his title as well as matching Duhamel’s win streak.

Speaking of Hayden’s teammate, Duhamel had two superbike podiums at Road Atlanta with a second and third for the double-header weekend. Duhamel and his crew appear to have figured out a powerful combination in setup and tires and it wouldn’t surprise many if he is the first rider in five races to stop Hayden’s win streak.

Bostrom, currently residing in Las Vegas, is second in points and in a nail-biting, last-lap thriller at Road Atlanta, he too is showing to be a serious threat to Hayden’s win streak. Bostrom’s season didn’t start out the way he had hoped but as evidenced at Atlanta, things are definitely turning around. Bostrom will arrive at Pikes Peak from England after his third showing in World Superbike at the Silverstone round with the Kawasaki World Superbike team.

The 2002 season has been no friend to three-time defending AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin of the Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki team. While the injury to his elbow at the opening round in Daytona Beach, Fla., didn’t help, he is past that and now the 30-year-old Australian has been fighting set-up and handling gremlins with his Suzuki GSX-R750. Sitting fifth in the point standings, the No. 1 Suzuki rider is still hopeful that a win is right around the corner.

Doug Chandler was last year’s third place finisher at PPIR on a Kawasaki. He will return to the 1.32-mile race track looking for a repeat of last years podium, but this time it will be on a HMC Ducati 998. Chandler wasn’t able to race the last two rounds at Road Atlanta after a crash in qualifying put him on the sidelines for the weekend.

Yamaha’s Gobert will be out of racing action for at least five weeks after a fall in Superbike qualifying in Atlanta left him with a broken right fibula. Also still on the injured list is Erion Racing’s Kurtis Roberts. Roberts is still recovering from an injury to his knee after falling at California Speedway. At his doctors have advised him to sit out the PPIR round.

Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates still leads the Pro Honda Oils U.S. Supersport point standings with 142 despite his first loss of the season at Road Atlanta. The loss came after a race long battle with teammate Jamie Hacking. Yates finished third at Pikes Peak in 2001 and is looking to get back on a winning streak. Yates, along with Hacking now stand as the sole factory riders racing both supersport and superbike.

With Hacking coming off a win on his Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R600, he knows the feeling of victory and based on the battle he fought to the end at Road Atlanta with Yates, he can never be counted out as wanting the win just as bad as all the others.

Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster is third in the AMA Supersport point standings, and still remains a strong contender for the championship. Road Atlanta marked his third consecutive fourth place finish and there’s no doubt that a podium finish is near.

Attack Suzuki’s Ben Spies first year in Supersport is going well and much like Buckmaster, he has had three consecutive fifth-place finishes. It won’t be long until you see this 17-year-old Longview, Texas native taking an AMA Supersport podium position.

Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden was Road Atlanta’s third-place finisher in the fiercely competitive class and the oldest of the three Hayden brothers, Tommy knows his way around PPIR. He is looking for a podium in this year’s event as he missed third last year by .025 seconds.

For ticket information visit Pikes Peak International Raceway’s website at www.ppir.com, or call toll-free at (888) 306-RACE (7223).


LEE ACREE TAKES HIS ARCLIGHT SUZUKI TO FRONT IN GENUINE SUZUKI ACCESSORIES SUPERSTOCK SERIES

Pickerington, Ohio – There’s been a changing of the guard in the AMA Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock Series and the new guard comes in the name of Arclight Suzuki’s Lee Acree of Jamestown, N.C. Acree took over in the points lead at Road Atlanta after a race long, bar-banging battle with second place newcomer Adam Fergusson from Australia. Acree will attempt to guard his 10-point advantage June 1 at Pikes Peak International Raceway, in Fountain, Colo.

Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden will attempt to take back the points lead that he had before Atlanta with his factory Kawasaki ZX-6R. Hayden is a veteran of the Superstock class (formerly 750cc Supersport) and considering the fight he put up for fourth in last year’s Supersport on his 600cc machine, he can’t be counted out as a season-long threat to become the first AMA Superstock Champion riding a 600cc motorcycle.

Team Cruise America’s Jason DiSalvo had another thrilling weekend at Atlanta and comes to PPIR full of confidence after three brilliant race performances in Braselton, Ga. It’s also rumored that the 18-year-old Stafford, N.Y., native will be receiving his high school diploma with a podium as the back drop for the obligatory “handshake” photo opportunity.

The AMA Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series is just about to get interesting as current points leader Damon Buckmaster will race a brand new Graves Motorsports Yamaha R1 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. It was recently announced that the motorcycle that he has been victorious on in 2002 was found to be illegal for competition. PPIR will not come without challenges as the friendly Australian has an unproven motorcycle to contend with.

Erion Racing’s Roger Lee Hayden (youngest of the three Hayden brothers) returned to racing at Road Atlanta and despite the knee injury he was still suffering from, fought to the end for a well-earned second-place finish. Hayden finished fourth in 2001 at PPIR.

Bruce Transportation Group’s Jake Zemke is also making regular podium appearances in the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme class. Though he had two hard get-offs at round three of the series at Road Atlanta, he came back strong after the final restart to take the last podium spot. Zemke knows PPIR well and he goes there looking for his first win of the season.

Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Marty Craggill is proving that he’s a quick learner. Craggill, another Australian and former Australian Superbike Champion, will be with the Valvoline EMGO Suzuki team for the remainder of the season.



1995 AUSTRALIAN SUPERBIKE CHAMPION KIRK MCCARTHY TO BATTLE FOR BUELL PRO THUNDER TITLE ON ADVANCED MOTORSPORTS DUCATI

Pickerington, Ohio – After shattering the track record in qualifying and easily winning the race at the opening round of the AMA Buell Pro Thunder Series in Daytona Beach, Fla., Australian Kirk McCarthy didn’t know if he would be back for the rest of the year aboard the Advance Motorsports Ducati. That question has been answered as McCarthy arrived back in the U.S. last week and will stay through the end of the season. Kirk is the current point’s leader in Buell Pro Thunder and is looking for his next win June 2 at Pikes Peak International Raceway, in Fountain, Colo.

The friendly Aussie has never raced at PPIR but showed at Daytona that he is fully capable of learning new race tracks very quickly.

Also returning to PPIR is Mike Ciccotto on his Hal’s Performance Advantage Buell 1200. Ciccotto lost the championship in 2001 by two points and is currently five back of point leader McCarthy going into round two. Ciccotto has proven time and again that he is able to save something for the last few laps of a race to take the win.

Defending Buell Pro Thunder champion Thomas Montano is looking for his first win of the season after he finished fifth at the opening round in Daytona Beach. Montano, a Berkeley, Calif. native will have Michael Barnes, Ciccotto and McCarthy to contend with in Sunday’s 29-lap main event, but the No. 1 plate holder is sure to arrive at PPIR with a plan of attack.

The AMA MBNA 250 Grand Prix Series has Stargel Aprilia’s Chuck Sorensen’s name written all over it as he sits first in points with a 31 point lead. Chuck has won the last two rounds but not without a battle from Team Cruise America’s Jason DiSalvo. Finishing 20th at the 2001 race, Pikes Peak International Raceway is a track where Sorensen will be looking for his first win. DiSalvo his looking for his first win of the year and it could come at PPIR as he has been on the podium at the last three rounds.

Veteran class champion Rich Oliver is still out with injuries sustained in Sonoma, Calif., and it is still unknown as to when he will return, but until that time, teammate Perry Melneciuc of Team Oliver Yamaha is holding his own and currently sits second in points.

Simon Turner is another rider in the two-stroke class that is drawing attention to himself, most recently with his third place finish at Road Atlanta. With the help of Priority Racing, Irishbike and Dunlop, Turner should be considered a viable contender for first place at the Pikes Peak round.

From Gordon Lunde of the Wegman Benefit Fund, which offers financial aide to injured road racers and their families, and of the Steel Shoe Fund, which does the same for injured dirt track racers and their families:

Jim Sumner, AMA National #45, died during practice for the Springfield Mile on Sunday May 26th.

I write about this dirt tracker on this road racing site because Jim is the son of my friends Al and Judy Sumner. Al and Judy are on the board of directors of the Wegman Benefit Fund and (Al is) the head of the Steel Shoe Fund.

Jim was the ultimate privateer. His equipment top notch, his attitude better and always looking for a way to the front. Now he’s there, forever.

Please take a moment for prayer for Jimmy and his family.

Cards may be sent to the Sumner family 4630 W. Mill Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53218.


More, from an AMA Pro Racing press release:

JIM SUMNER: A LIFE-LONG RACER

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — AMA Pro Racing dirt-track competitor Jim Sumner, 32, of Grafton, Wis., died Sunday, May 26, as the result of injuries sustained in a single-bike accident during practice for the Springfield Mile at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois.
Sumner, national number 45, was part of a racing family deeply rooted in motorcycle competition. AMA Pro Racing extends its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Jim Sumner. Sumner is survived by parents and long-time AMA Congress representatives, Al and Judy, sisters, DD and Chris, and brother, Bert.

Sumner was a life-long racer following in his father’s footsteps into the sport. He first earned his AMA Pro Racing license in 1986. Sumner never became a star on the AMA Grand National circuit; rather he was a journeyman racer who earned the respect of his fellow competitors by turning in some strong performances over the years. He was one of the riders in the series who raced for the sheer love of the sport. Sumner twice came back after suffering serious injuries, a testimony to how much he enjoyed racing.

Sumner’s best AMA Grand National result was a 10th-place finish at the Springfield Mile in May of 1995. His biggest successes came in the Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Series (formerly called the Harley-Davidson 883 Dirt Track Series) where he earned 11-career top-10 finishes including his only national podium finish, a third on the Springfield Mile in September of 1993.

Sumner worked for and was sponsored by Suburban Motors, a Harley-Davidson dealership in Thiensville, Wis. He had been with the company for over 11 years.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that a memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday at St. Philip Neri Catholic Church, 5566 N. 69th St., Milwaukee. The family is requesting donations to the St. Philip Neri Catholic School, local animal shelters or the Steel Shoe Fund — a benefit for injured dirt-track racers.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

AMA Superbike point leader Nicky Hayden is one step closer to fulfilling his dream of accomplishing the “Grand Slam” of AMA motorcycle racing after winning an AMA National TT race win at Springfield, Illinois last Saturday, May 25. Hayden, who rode a modified Honda CRF450F, now only needs to win an AMA National Mile to complete the Grand Slam.

The AMA Grand Slam consists of Mile, Half Mile, Short Track, TT and Superbike wins.

Hayden, 20, has coveted the Grand Slam for years and raced in both the AMA National Superbike and Flat Track series over the last two years trying to achieve the goal.

Nicky Hayden’s brothers, Tommy and Roger, finished second and third in the Springfield TT, ahead of AMA Champion Chris Carr.

Carr came back to win the Springfield Mile on Sunday, May 26, while Nicky Hayden, riding a Honda RS750 loaned to him by Terry Poovey, finished fourth. Tommy and Roger Hayden did not race the Springfield Mile.

Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship Round Four Race Results:
1. Nicky Hayden, Honda
2. Tommy Hayden, Yamaha
3. Roger Lee Hayden, Honda
4. Chris Carr, Rotax
5. Dan Stanley, Honda
6. J.R. Schnabel, Honda
7. Shawn Clark, Honda
8. Kevin Varnes, CCM
9. John Hlebo, III, Honda
10. Steve Beattie, ATK
11. Ken Coolbeth, Jr., KTM
12. Joe Kopp, KTM
13. Shaun Russell, Honda
14. Trenton Bailey, Yamaha
15. Gary Rogers, Honda
16. Bryan Bigelow, Honda
17. Mike Hacker, Honda
18. Terry Poovey, Honda

A release from MS Aprilia Racing Press Information, in which Melandri takes back his bike-and-team-bashing comments again, Laconi talks about the RS Cube and certain details of aerodynamic development are revealed:

Tuesday, 28 May 2002

PREVIEW

Italian Grand Prix, Mugello. Fifth round of the World Championship

Built in 1974, the Mugello International Racetrack hosted the first motorcycling Grand Prix in 1976. A modern, technical circuit with some unique features: there are fast curves followed by tight corners which are difficult to negotiate, and the track rises and falls continuously against the splendid backdrop of the hills of Tuscany. In the long final straight, which rises slightly towards the end, extraordinary speeds can be attained. Owned by Ferrari, which has made it the #1 circuit for F1, Mugello also boasts some exceptional characteristics for the Grand Prix. So it is hardly surprising that Aprilia should use it as its competition-bike test bed. The most recent of all, the RS Cube, has spent part of its adolescence right here. Mugello is the venue for the Italian Grand Prix and is thus a very important event for both riders and manufacturers. The hills around the circuit will be filled with fans of the great World Championship stars. In terms of colour, sound and “warmth”, it may well be considered as the most important event of the entire championship.

The circuit: 5,245 metres – left curves: 6 – right curves: 9 – longest straight: 1,141 metres – Maximum width: 14 metres – Year of construction: 1974.


2001 winners. 125 Class: Ueda (Jap) Honda – 250 Class: Harada (Jap) Aprilia – 500 Class: Barros (Bra) Honda.


Circuit records. 125: Locatelli 2’00.029 (2000) – 250: Nakano 1’54.462 (2000) – 500: Doohan 1’53,342 (1998).




Marco Melandri – 250cc Class – Aprilia RSW 250

Last week, Marco Melandri was called to the Racing Department of Noale for a meeting with Ing. Witteveen to clear up some misunderstandings which had cast a shadow over events at Le Mans. At the race in France, Marco had made some rather critical comments about the technicians and the company, expressing his unease in a harsh and impulsive manner. Last week’s meeting, however, cleared matters up and Marco expressed his regret for what had happened, pointing out that he had lost none of his esteem for his colleagues. He also had first-hand experience of the total commitment of the Racing Department to the 250 world championship in which he, Marco, is the lead player.

“The Le Mans race was very difficult in a number of ways: too many words, not enough understanding. I certainly didn’t mean to talk ill of those who work with me, and I’m very sorry about everything that happened. I’d like to thank them for the work they do with such dedication, for they give much more than 100% to give me a true competitive edge. When I’m out on the track, I represent them and the entire team. I just hope I’ve got their esteem once again and regained the feeling we’ve always had. They too are real enthusiasts: they believe in what they’re doing and they’re a family for me. At least, they sure are when I’m out racing. I still need to have a different frame and that’s what I asked for, because the one I’ve used so far doesn’t give me all the confidence I need. I’ll be able to try out a couple of solutions to find out which is best suited to my needs. Mugello is a really tough track, one of the most technical in the MotoGP, where the difference comes out in the most crucial sections: the Casanova, the Savelli, and the two Arrabbiate. That’s where you’ve got to be really competitive. We’ll see what the weather gets up to: Mugello normally requires pretty hard tyres but a lot depends on what the weather’s doing. I’ve got a few hours to relax now so I can reach Mugello with a clear mind so I’ll be all ready to take on the most important race of the year.

REGIS LACONI – MotoGP – Aprilia RS3

Back from a very important rendezvous – his “home” race in the French Grand Prix – Régis is now coming up to another key moment in this year’s championship: the Italian Grand Prix. Considering his dual nationality, he is getting ready for his second “home” race of the year. There is thus a dual responsibility, with both Régis and Aprilia racing an “Italian” race: but, of course, this is also where the RS Cube has clocked up many of the kilometres it has covered in its brief life. Both bike and rider know this track very well, so it should not present all the surprises that some of the other world championship circuits hold in store for the four-stroke from Noale when it comes on to them for the very first time – making the work really hard for all those involved. In the pause between the race in France and the Italian Grand Prix, no tests have been carried out, so Régis has been able to take a rest after the considerable pressure he was put under during the Le Mans weekend. In France, Laconi made ninth place – the RS Cube’s best placing so far on a dry track – and he was particularly pleased with this result, as he was with the ovation he received from the French public on his return from the GP. A few day’s rest in his chalet in the Swiss Alps and today he starts getting ready for the race at Mugello: two 50-kilometre rides on his racing bicycle and then into the gym where he will be working with his athletics trainer to build up his stamina.


“A few days’ rest has got me back on board: I was as much physically tired as nervously exhausted. It’s normal, really, at these important events where you’re so emotionally involved. Sure, I know I’ll be in for the same sort of pressure during the race in Italy – which is, after all, my second country – as well as being Aprilia’s home ground. We know all the ins and outs of the track and we’ve been round it lots of times, even though never in ideal weather conditions: there’s often been strong wind or driving rain, but it’s certainly where the RS Cube really started to take off. Mugello is where we’ve got the most information and data about how the bike behaves. We’re going to do our best, so we’ll immediately try to find the best set-up of the bike in the first test sessions on Friday. I’ll be talking things over with the technicians, but I think that for the very first sorties we’ll be using different set-ups so we can work out the best solutions. We’ll be concentrating on the choice of tyres, as the track is much more abrasive than the one we were on in the last race in France. I love this track – it’s extraordinarily technical and fast, and the two corners, Arrabbiata 1 and 2, have no equal the world over. This is where I want to get a great result. We need it – the time has indeed come.




TECHNICAL BRIEFS:


The Aerodynamics of the RS3

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Aprilia has always paid careful attention to the aerodynamic characteristics of its products, continually investing in research and development.

The aerodynamics of the RS3 was designed entirely within the Aprilia racing department, and heavily relied on the experience gathered during the years of racing motorbikes at the highest level, and the recent developments in aerodynamic analysis.

Within the motorsports industry aerodynamic analysis is undergoing continual development; where the main limitation lies within the competition rules and regulations, not to mention budget restrictions (unlike F1).

Currently the importance of the aerodynamics of racing motorbikes is inferior than in F1, due to the fact that the effect it has on the chronometer (lap time) is inferior. However, with further development this could quickly change.

Within the Aprilia Racing Department the aerodynamic development is concentrated in;

· the reduction of the drag coefficient, lift coefficient and pitching moments.

· the minimisation of the effect of lateral wind

· the optimisation between aerodynamics and motorcycle dynamics.

Aprilia uses different tools to development the aerodynamics of its motorbikes, these include;

· wind tunnel testing

· aerodynamic computer simulations (CFD)

· track tests.

All three methods described above are of vital importance for a rapid and correct aerodynamic application to a new project.

The most recent tool introduced in the aerodynamic analysis of racing motorbikes is computer simulations (a virtual wind tunnel). These simulations produce a multitude of data and information (pressure and velocity distribution, aerodynamic forces, flow lines, etc.) that is immediately accessible for consultation; this data constitutes a base for the initial definition of the aerodynamic project and for further development.

The progressive and continual evolving of the hardware and software tools used for computational simulations enables this analytical method the become more efficient and more effective.

Since Aprilia has set itself the objective to continually develop winning products, the company keeps a vigilant eye on the continual evolving of new technologies for aerodynamic development, evermore important within the motorcycle racing industry and always applicable to production bikes.