By Glenn LeSanto

Neil Hodgson used a combination of judgement, effort and good luck to head the first timed qualifying session here in Lausitzring, Germany Friday. As a result he sits on provisional pole, with Australian Broc Parkes behind him in second on the NCR Ducati. Hodgson, riding for the British-based GSE Ducati Racing team, got a first and second in the two races at his home circuit, Donington Park just two weeks ago.

When the session started the track wasn’t dry, but it wasn’t fully weteither. Hodgson and his team knew that the forecast was for rain that afternoon and had prepared for an all-out effort early in the session. His strategy paid off, he set fastest time at 1:43.018 on only his sixth lap. Shortly afterwards the heavens opened and it rained hard – after which there was no chance of any riders bettering his time. According to his long time personal manager, ex-GP racer Roger Burnett, Hodgson spent the rest of the session getting a good full-wet set up. “Neil knows that it could all change on Saturday, it could be dry and he’ll have it all to do again. But he used this session well, working out a good set-up and tyre choice for Sunday – just in case the race is wet,” said Burnett. “He’s in a confident mood after Donington but he’s a realist, he takes each race as it comes. He knows that everything has to be right to get a good result in Superbikes nowadays, the bike, the tyres and the rider – they all have to be at their best.”

Further down the time sheet Tady Okada continued to show that he’s getting the hang of riding the RC51 Honda. The former GP rider was third fastest in the session, ahead of his team mate and defending champion Colin Edwards, who finished the practice down in tenth. The two Troys, Bayliss and Corser, were fourth and fifth respectively. Steve Martin, one of the paddock’s
acknowledged rain specialists, was sixth fastest on his DFX Ducati 996R, ahead of race two winner at Donington, Pierfrancesco Chili on the Alstare
Suzuki.

World Superbike Championship, First timed qualifying session
Lausitzring, Germany
Rider, Nationality, manufacturer, time

1.Neil Hodgson, GBR, Ducati, 1;43.018
2.Broc Parkes, AUS, Ducati, 1:43.319
3.Tadayuki Okada, JPN, Honda, 1:43.486
4.Troy Bayliss, AUS, Ducati, 1:43.536
5.Troy Corser, AUS, Aprilia, 1:43.929
6.Steve Martin, AUS, Ducati, 1:44.208
7.Pierfrancesco Chili, ITA, Suzuki, 1:44.511
8.Stephane Chambon, FRA, 1:44.731
9.Hitoyasu Izutsu, JPN, 1:44.785
10.Colin Edwards, USA, 1:44.960

1. Chris Ulrich, 2:16.272
2. Jimmy Moore, 2:16.325
3. Ben Spies, 2:16.437
4. Mark Junge, 2:16.553
5. Richie Alexander, 2:18.185
6. Tommy Hayden, 2:18.503
7. Josh Hayes, 2:18.564
8. Eric Bostrom, 2:18.748
9. Roger Lee Hayden, 2:19.020
10. Tony Meiring, 2:19.667
11. Anthony Lupo, 2:19.695
12. David Ortega, 2:20.058
13. Mauro Cereda, 2:20.416
14. Vincent Haskovec, 2:20.650
15. Jake Zemke, 2:20.727
16. Rich Conicelli, 2:20.739
17. Alan Schmidt, 2:21.272
18. Scott Gooch, 2:22.447
19. Shawn Conrad, 2:22.477
20. Randall Mennenga, 2:22.689

1. Rich Oliver, 2:18.122
2. Jimmy Filice, 2:20.350
3. Chuck Sorensen, 2:20.749
4. Perry Melneciuc, 2:21.721
5. Simon Turner, 2:22.987
6. Chris Pyles, 2:25.579
7. William Himmelsbach, 2:26.425
8. Michael Hannas, 2:26.537
9. Ed Sorbo, 2:27.339
10. Shane Breeding, 2:28.603
11. Ty Piz, 2:28.957
12. Eric Stephens, 2:28.998
13. Roy de Groot, 2:29.072
14. John France, 2:29.759
15. Greg Esser, 2:30.734

1. Eric Bostrom, 2:15.969, Kawasaki ZX-6R
2. John Hopkins, 2:16.185, Suzuki GSX-R600
3. Tommy Hayden, 2:16.901, Yamaha YZF-R6
4. Miguel Duhamel, 2:17.107, Honda CBR600F4I
5. Anthony Gobert, 2:17.270, Yamaha YZF-R6
6. Kurtis Roberts, 2:17.274, Honda CBR600F4I
7. Aaron Yates, 2:17.418, Suzuki GSX-R600
8. Jamie Hacking, 2:17.419, Suzuki GSX-R600
9. Aaron Gobert, 2:17.751, Yamaha YZF-R6
10. Roger Lee Hayden, 2:18.001, Honda CBR600F4I
11. Josh Hayes, 2:18.037, Honda CBR600F4I
12. Jimmy Moore, 2:18.108, Suzuki GSX-R600
13. Tom Kipp, 2:18.931, Suzuki GSX-R600
14. Jake Zemke, 2:18.951, Honda CBR600F4I
15. Vincent Haskovec, 2:18.996, Suzuki GSX-R600
16. Grant Lopez, 2:20.680, Suzuki GSX-R600
17. Shawn Conrad, 2:21.432, Suzuki GSX-R600
18. Steve Patterson, 2:22.143, Suzuki GSX-R600
19. Scott Hermersman, 2:22.591
20. Tyler Wadsworth, 2:23.029, Yamaha YZF-R6

The top eight riders are below Kurtis Roberts’ 2000 lap record of 2:17.564.

1. Mat Mladin, 2:10.112, Suzuki GSX-R750
2. Jamie Hacking, 2:10.775, Suzuki GSX-R750
3. Anthony Gobert, 2:10.847, Yamaha YZF-R7
4. Eric Bostrom, 2:11.101, Kawasaki ZX-7RR
5. Aaron Yates, 2:11.514, Suzuki GSX-R750
6. Miguel Duhamel, 2:11.572, Honda RC51
7. Tommy Hayden, 2:11.601, Yamaha YZF-R7
8. Kurtis Roberts, 2:11.758, Honda RC51
9. Doug Chandler, 2:12.456, Kawasaki ZX-7RR
10. Nicky Hayden, 2:12.563, Honda RC51
11. Andy Meklau, 2:12.695, Ducati 996
12. Larry Pegram, 2:12.913, Ducati 996
13. Mike Smith, 2:13.137, H-D VR1000
14. Steve Rapp, 2:13.201, Ducati 996
15. Pascal Picotte, 2:13.551, H-D VR1000
16. Jimmy Moore, 2:15.309, Suzuki GSX-R750
17. Jordan Szoke, 2:15.757, H-D VR1000
18. Vincent Haskovec, 2:16.484, Suzuki GSX-R750
19. Chris Ulrich, 2:16.713, Suzuki GSX-R750
20. Ben Spies, 2:17.375, Suzuki GSX-R750
21. Richie Alexander, 2:17.696, Suzuki GSX-R750
22. Mauro Cereda, 2:18.920, Suzuki GSX-R750
23. Anthony Lupo, 2:19.760, Suzuki GSX-R750
24. Tony Meiring, 2:19.914, Suzuki GSX-R750
25. Scott Hermersman, 2:20.984, Suzuki GSX-R750

WERA racer Jamie Lane skipped the May 27 WERA National Challenge Series sprints at Talladega Gran Prix Raceway to be present for the birth of his first son. Lane, who rides in the WERA National Endurance Series for current overall points leader Team Pennzoil, got the call from his wife Rebecca at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday night, after Pennzoil’s first overall endurance win. Lane drove five hours home to Jonesboro, Arkansas and arrived just in time for the birth of seven-pound, five-ounce Samuel Hayson Lane. Lane was back riding in WERA National Challenge Series sprints the following weekend, June 2-3, at Putnam Park Road Course in Mt. Meridian, Indiana.

1. Jimmy Moore, 2:16.979, Suzuki GSX-R750
2. Eric Bostrom, 2:18.004, Kawasaki ZX-6R
3. Mark Junge, 2:18.523, Suzuki GSX-R750
4. Chris Ulrich, 2:18.721, Suzuki GSX-R750
5. Tommy Hayden, 2:18.787, Yamaha YZF-R6
6. Anthony Lupo, 2:19.075, Suzuki GSX-R750
7. Ben Spies, 2:19.095, Suzuki GSX-R750
8. Tony Meiring, 2:19.516, Suzuki GSX-R750
9. Richie Alexander, 2:19.624, Suzuki GSX-R750
10. Roger Lee Hayden, 2:20.017, Honda CBR600F4i
11. Jake Zemke, 2:20.541, Honda CBR600F4i
12. David Ortega, 2:20.554, Suzuki GSX-R750
13. Josh Hayes, 2:20.653, Honda CBR600F4i
14. Daigoro Suzuki, 2:21.507, Suzuki GSX-R750
15. Mauro Cereda, 2:22.615, Suzuki GSX-R750

Attack Suzuki mechanic Jacob West asked to miss the Road Atlanta AMA National so he could stay at home and race in WSMC competition at Willow Springs Raceway the same weekend, May 19-20.

At Willow, West rode his personal Yamaha YZF-R6 to wins in GTU and 600cc Modified Production. West also took second place finishes in 600cc Supersport, 650cc Superbike and Formula Two in addition to a fifth place in the premier Toyota Cup Unlimited Grand Prix. West parlayed his
weekend off into nearly $2000 in Yamaha contingency and WSMC purse money.

Meanwhile, Valvoline EMGO Suzuki mechanic Shane Clarke is making plans to compete in the Suzuki Cup Finals at Road Atlanta next October. Clarke’s day job is building and tuning GSX-R750 Suzukis for Ben Spies.

Fast Freddie Spencer, who won the 1983 500cc World Championship and both the 500cc World Championship and 250cc World Championship in 1985, was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on Wednesday, June 6.

An AMA press release on Spencer’s induction follows:

“The Thirteenth Annual Motorsports Hall of Fame of America Induction Ceremony concluded last evening, June 6, with nine new ‘Heroes of Horsepower’ joining the impressive who’s who list of legends inducted into the Hall of Fame over the past 12 years. Among the newest Heroes of Horsepower is AMA road-racing legend ‘Fast Freddie’ Spencer.

“Spencer’s racing career started in dirt track events at the age of five, and he won numerous amateur events and titles before turning pro in 1978 at 18 years of age. Spencer chalked up impressive numbers during the 17-year span of his professional career. He has logged three Grand Prix World Championships, holds the record as the youngest 500cc Grand Prix World Champion (he was 21 at the time), is the only rider in history to win both the 250cc and 500cc Grand Prix World Championships in the same season (1985) and the only rider to ever win the AMA Superbike, 250cc (Formula II) and 500cc (Formula I) events in one race weekend, which happened at Daytona International Speedway in 1985.

“By 1988, Spencer had effectively retired from Grand Prix racing, but in the following years ‘Fast Freddie’ competed in select AMA Superbike events, officially hanging up his leathers in 1996. Several years later, Spencer again partnered with Honda and began his successful Freddie Spencer’s High-Performance Riding School at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“The Motorsports Hall of Fame, recognizing AMA Pro Racing as the premier motorcycle sanctioning body in the U.S., asked Scott Hollingsworth, CEO of AMA Pro Racing, to present Freddie with his ‘Horsepower’ award.

“‘I can think of no honor higher than to be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame,’ said Hollingsworth. ‘Freddie Spencer’s accomplishments, in terms of races and championships won, qualify him to take his place with all of you. But, it’s how he won those championships, and the span of time in which he won them, that elevates him to the top of the podium.’

“Freddie Spencer now takes his place alongside nine other previously enshrined AMA greats, including Carroll Resweber, Cannonball Baker, Kenny Roberts, Joe Leonard, Joe Petrali, Dick Mann, Roger DeCoster, Malcolm Smith and Jim Davis. Along with these legends of two-wheel motorsport is a laundry list of motorsports icons that includes the likes of Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, Carroll Shelby, Richard Petty, Henry Ford, J.C. Agajanian and the list just goes on and on.

“The Hall of Fame enshrines ‘Heroes of Horsepower’ into nine different categories from air racing to motorcycle racing, from the early part of the century to current champions. A panel of historians, retired competitors, journalists, and prior living inductees voted for the final selections. Each inductee receives the Hall of Fame’s prestigious ‘Horsepower’ award — an original bronze statuette created by Ann Arbor, Michigan sculptor Michael Curtis.”

Racer Ed Marchini and tuner Dave Pressler are at Road America pitted separately from the PJ1/Tech Star Industries/Team Turfrey 250cc Grand Prix team. When asked about the situation, Marchini said that he was not provided with what the team had agreed to provide him.

Team Owner Brian Turfrey was even more tight-lipped, saying “I’d rather not get into a bunch of mud-slinging. Ed’s a good guy. Let’s just say that we agreed to disagree and go our separate ways.”

Marchini is sixth in the MBNA 250cc Grand Prix point standings coming into Road America.

Meanwhile, Turfrey revealed that his team will not compete in the AMA 250cc Grand Prix Series next year, instead switching to 600cc Supersport.

“At the end of the year we’ll either have a really big sale or a really big bonfire,” Turfrey said.