Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

An AMA rule designed to keep factory Superbike riders out of Thursday practice has snared privateer Brian Livengood, who is currently ranked 4th in AMA Superbike points. The AMA rule bans the top 10 riders in points from participating in Thursday practice.

“Give me a break,” said Livengood when asked how he felt about the ban. “It’s really hard for privateers to have one day to learn a track and set up their bikes.”

In a recent e-mail, AMA Pro Racing Director of Professional Competition Merrill Vanderslice stated that the rule was made to “protect factory teams from themselves.” But instead of specifying factory riders, the rule is based on points.

“I haven’t ridden many of the West Coast tracks and this makes it very difficult. At Fontana I had two practice sessions then went straight out to qualifying,” said Livengood.

Top 10 privateers campaigning more than one class will find the rule even more restrictive when they attempt to learn a track, and then set up two bikes. The rule does allow for other track testing, but not within the week before the race. Privateer riders like Livengood, (who relies on Team HSA for his transportation to the track), simply do not have the resources to set up or participate in independent test sessions like those held by factory teams.

BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
NORTH WEST 200
From a press release:

KING RUTTER TO DEFEND HIS NORTH WEST CROWN

Team Renegade Ducati are pleased to announce that Michael Rutter will contest this year’s North West 200 in Northern Ireland. Rutter will return to the North West as the undisputed champion, after winning the three main feature races and dominating the event last time out.

The 28-year-old West Midlander, who counts the North West 200 circuit as one of his all time favourites, will compete in both Superbike races aboard the same Team Renegade Ducati 998 Testastretta that he currently campaigns in the British Superbike Championship.

‘Everyone knows how much I love the North West,’ said Rutter, ‘and it’s great to be going there with Team Renegade Ducati. We’ve got a brilliant package here, which puts us in a very strong position for the two Superbike races. I’ve always hoped we could work something out in terms of competing at the North West this year and thankfully its all come together. There won’t be a better bike on the grid, but there’s a lot of hard work to do between now and then if we’re going to get it right. The way my season’s gone so far, though, I’m confident we will!’

Due to the clash between the Isle of Man TT and rounds 9 & 10 of the British Superbike Championship at Snetterton, the North West 200 will be the only real roads event that Rutter competes at this season.

‘Obviously it would have been great to go to the Isle of Man TT races as well,’ added Rutter, son of former World Champion and TT winner, Tony, ‘but unfortunately there’s a date clash with both British Superbikes and the Silverstone World Superbike round. I’ve got a really strong chance of winning the BSB title and there’s just no way we could afford to miss a round of the series.’

The North West 200, the most prestigious event on the Irish road-racing calendar, was last held two years ago; the 2001 race was cancelled due to the UK wide foot and mouth restrictions.

Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Aprilia USA has moved to new headquarters.

According to an announcement issued by the company, which distributes Aprilia motorcycles and scooters in the U.S., “Progress on the racetrack is measure in laptimes. Progress on the sales floor is measured in sell out. Progress for Aprilia USA is measured in square footage.”

The new address is:

109 Smoke Hill Lane, Suite 190
Woodstock, GA 30188
phone (770) 592-2261
FAX (770) 592-4878

This just in from Andy Edwards:

This is the text of a letter I have mailed to the AMA and to Roadracing World today:

This is my race report from Fontana. Unbeknownst to me, the AMA decided to do timed qualifying rather than heat races for the 250s. The cutoff is 112%. Historically I am usually at between 107 and 110% of Ricardo de Oliveri’s time in the heat race. (I want to quit work and do this full time, but my wife is not in favor of this plan – in the cold light of day neither am I really). If you look at the 250 times you will find that typically 112% will eliminate quite a few. I am not the only one with access to the laptimes, I think the AMA knows this too. The Pro Thunder class is the same – unfortunately there is a wider variation of equipment and possible equipment set-up than in the supersport classes. In the regulations that the AMA sent out for Fontana it states that the 112% rule does not apply to Pro Thunder. I wonder why it said that, seeing as how there was no Pro Thunder race at Fontana? Does the left hand know what the right is doing? However, I digress.

Clearly the aim of this change is to reduce the field – to the point that the class goes away. I say this because a moment’s thought will reveal that although the 112% limit is touted as a safety enhancement, it is not. Imagine that you are in a tight race on the last lap and you come upon a backmarker. Will he be easier to get past if he is running at 106% of your time or 115% of your time? If he is going only 6% slower, he is plainly going to be more difficult to get past than if he is going 15% slower. Maybe he should not be there at all. This thinking would have left six bikes in the superbike race on Saturday and seven bikes in the shortened superbike race on Sunday. Maybe we should have yellow flags and pace-cars to level the field like they do in NASCAR. I can’t believe that they still do this at Daytona after last year’s debacle. When will they realize that we are not NASCAR?

So I repeat, the unstated desire of the AMA seems to be to do away with all support classes until you are left with 600 and Superbike. (Why is it unstated, aren’t we the members, aren’t we paying the salaries, aren’t we the AMA?)

Anyway back to the race report. As there were about 15 or so that had run the club race the weekend before, or had run at Fontana at some point in the recent past, there were some problems matching their pace. The second session was cut short when Greg Esser crashed. We were allowed to go out for the last six or seven minutes and I got one lap before my engine grenaded on the front straight. I took the engine out in the hope that the crank was OK and I could wash the debris out of the cases. It became rapidly apparent that the crank was also history and there was a good possibility that the cases were too. The cause appeared to be that the wrist pin had exceeded its lifespan. I wanted to change the top end after the race at Daytona and before my flight as I would not see the bike again before Fontana, but I only managed to get the gearbox changed back to standard internal ratios, I wasn’t able to do anything to the top end. I planned to do it after practice on Friday at Fontana. There goes my kit cylinders. The original plan by the AMA was to have timed qualifying on Saturday. I started on the bike but it was dark pretty much immediately and I was dog tired so I resolved to work on it on Saturday pretty much giving up on racing for the weekend. However it rained all day Saturday stopping them from running qualifying so I thought I was in like Flynn. I finished putting the thing back together Saturday night (missing another practice which occurred Saturday afternoon late). Sunday morning the schedule came out which turned out to be 5 laps practice, 20 minutes qualifying and race at about 1.00. I did my best in qualifying but there was no time on the motor and I hadn’t had much practice so my best wasn’t good enough.

There were 32 entrants originally. 19 made the grid. There were approximately 10 who went to the grid to get thrown off. (Actually there was still some question as to what the deal was at that point). I was one of them. In the race there were 14 finishers if you count Thad Halsmer who pushed his bike across the line to be counted. So primarily as a result of the AMA’s actions there was a 13 bike race.

I don’t think that the way the AMA is going is good for bike racing in general. Why are they opposed to promoter practices? I have heard, third hand, that they have conducted market surveys and find that there isn’t any support from the spectators for the support classes specifically the 250s. Well whilst working on my bike I did my own market survey and found the exact opposite. There were people stopping by talking to me and looking at and photographing my broken engine parts all day Saturday. I’m not sure that the factory teams were letting them take pictures of the inside of their engines. I think that the motivation for people to go to the races to spectate needs to be examined. I went to the races when I was a teenager because I didn’t have the necessary wherewithal to get a bike and do it myself. I wanted to go and see what it was all about. That’s why my friends went. We wanted to be there, to vicariously ride with the racers, to identify with some of them. We wouldn’t have done it quite like Dave Croxford (factory Norton rider – seen him crash more times than you’ve had hot dinners) of course but we’d have been there. Now at the average race there are only a finite number of factory riders who have time to shoot the shit with you but there are usually any number of privateers that’ll discuss the weather, or two stroke tuning, or the rate of reproduction of the average wallaby. If you eliminate the support classes will this be the case? Will the average spectator who is usually a motorcyclist and probably even a club racer or at least has done the odd track day, sit still in the fourteen mile long grandstand and watch the show? Will he even show up? No, I think he or she wants to be involved based on my market survey. I looked in the grandstands and, as Mike Baldwin said just after they replaced racebikes with Superbikes at Daytona, there was nobody there.

Andy Edwards

From a press release:

Tul-aris Dominates Unlimited GP Trophy Dash, Finishes Second in Heavyweight GP and Comes Within 0.07 Seconds of the Lap Record at Mid-America Motorplex Races

The first race weekend at the Mid-America Motorplex saw Steve Johnson on the Tul-aris setting the pace from the first practice on Friday. New, solenoid-operated, exhaust-port power-valves help extend the powerband for this twisty and technical circuit. Previously, our powerband ranged from 6500 rpm to 8700, but now extends as far down as 4800 rpm, as was verified by our Pi data acquisition system and dyno runs at Lofgren Racing/Manley Cycle.

In the first race, the 20 lap Unlimited GP Trophy Dash, Steve rapidly outdistanced the rest of the field and opened up a 33 second lead by the 10th lap. On lap 17, with a huge lead, Steve pulled into the pits low on fuel. We use the 20-lap Trophy dash events for extended practice, as typically we do not quite have the fuel tank capacity to run the full distance of this mini-endurance event.

During the 8-lap Heavyweight GP race on Sunday, Steve, starting in 10th, moved quickly into the lead on the first lap and on the second lap almost broke the lap record. The official DBcom track timing device timed Steve at a 1:34:016, with the lap record at 1:33.955, a difference of only 0.07 seconds! His lead in the race was short-lived as the power valves (which worked for all of Friday and Saturday flawlessly) stuck closed shortly thereafter, which cost us about 30 HP on the top end. Even without the power valves, Steve still turned times in the 1:35 and 1:36 bracket in the remaining laps and finished the race in 2nd place.

We are now at a stage where the Tul-aris has become a dependable racing machine. Steve ran and finished every practice and race for the 3-day weekend (except running out of fuel during the Trophy dash). Our initial setup was close and only improved as we figured out Michelin tire compounds for this abrasive track with the help of Tom Mason of Mason Racing Tires.

The Ohlins suspension and our patent-pending shock linkage was working so well we only made minor damping adjustments. An additional small trail adjustment on the DCM Services adjustable triple clamp made it very exciting to see Steve carry huge cornering speed and lighting fast transitions through the chicanes. Some improvements remain, such as part-throttle carburetion and power valve reliability, but the strong points of the Tul-aris, such as the braking, cornering speed and quick steering are helping secure consistent podium finishes. The power valve design was brand new for this event, the electronics built by Jim Hubert of Deux Ex Machina and the mechanism machined in the Tul-aris workshop with the help of Tul-aris team members Dave Adolfson and Dave Heisserer. We’re pretty confident that we can make these work reliably for us at our next event at Road America near Elkhart Lake, WI at the end of April. Look for us there at the Headhunter Racing pit, who are providing our team with free transportation and pit accommodations. Additional support in the workshop and at the track was provided by our crew chief Dale Athman and team members Ivon Tortosa and Rob Paetzold.

In addition, we would like to thank all of our sponsors and supporters: Hot Seat Performance, Nutec Racing Fuel, Walt Schaeffer Michelin, Ohlins USA, MTS Systems, Lofgren Racing/Manley Cycle, Yoyodyne Titanium, GP Tech and Headhunter Racing. Steve Johnson is sponsored by Delano Sport Center, Hy-Per Sports, Mason Racing Tires, EBC Brakes and Lockhart Phillips.

From a press release:

HONDA RACING NEWS

Le Mans 24 hours, Endurance Race /14-04-2002

1. SUZUKI-CASTROL RACING TEAM / SUZUKI GSX-R1000 (Super Production), Bayle J.M. (FRA)/Dussauge N. (FRA)/Gimbert S. (FRA), 789 Laps

2. SUZUKI-CASTROL RACING TEAM / SUZUKI GSX-R1000 (Super Production),Lavieille CH.(FRA)/Morrison B.(GBR)/Dobe PH. (FRA), 789 Laps

3. YAMAHA FREE BIKE / YAMAHA R7 750 (Superbike),Deletang JM. (FRA)/Holon L.
(FRA)/Lagrive M. (FRA), 787 Laps

4. GMT 94 /SUZUKI GSX-R1000 (Super Production),Guyot Ch. (FRA)/Scarnato S. (FRA)/Costes W. (FRA),782 Laps

5. QB PHASE ONE ENDURANCE / SUZUKI GSX-R1000 (Super Production),Pridmore J. (USA)/Mertens ST. (BEL)/Nowland W. (AUT), 765 Laps

6. COTTARD MOTOS / SUZUKI GSX-R1000 Super Production),Morillas A. (FRA)/Bonhuil B
(FRA)/Muteau G. (FRA), 761 Laps

7. BERGMANN & SOHNE RACING / SUZUKI GSX-R1000 (Super Production),Seefeldt R. (DEU)/
Schulz K. (DEU)/Kitsch H. (DEU), 750 Laps

8. COTTARD MOTOS / SUZUKI GSX-R1000 (STOCK),Pringent A. (FRA)/Pinto CH.
(FRA)/Tanesie E. (FRA), 748 Laps

9. JUNIOR TEAM – LMS / SUZUKI GSX-R1000 (Super Production),Jond F. (FRA)/Da Costa J.
(FRA)/Dietrich G. (FRA), 748 Laps

10. TEAM MOTOSTART RACING / YAMAHA RN 044 998 (STOCK),Boutin F. (FRA)/Loustalet CH. (FRA)/Briere D. (FRA), 748 Laps

11. BOLLIGER TEAM SWTIZERLAND / KAWASAKI ZX-9R (Super Production),Kellenberger M.
(CHE)/Stamm R. (CHE)/Hinterreiter T. (AUT), 747 Laps

12. INFINI TEAM MOTO / SUZUKI GSX-R1000 (STOCK),Nystrom T. (SWE)/Baker R.
(GBR)/Gaillard F. (FRA), 747 Laps

13. TEAM TWO STAR RACING / SUZUKI GSX-R1000 (Super Production),Parisse E. (FRA)/Fourreau L (FRA)/Basle CH. (FRA), 743 Laps

14. FD MOTO SHOP / YAMAHA 998 (STOCK),Huvier C. (FRA)/Kieger F. (FRA)/Metz A. (FRA), 743 Laps

15. SCRATCH MOTO ANGERS / KAWASAKI ZX-9R (STOCK),Neff ST. (FRA)/Devoyon J.L (FRA)/Traccan TH. (FRA),741

From a press release:

FORMULA XTREME PROMOTIONS
MEDIA INFORMATION
For immediate release
14 April 2002

2002 Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State
Round 2, Winton Motor Raceway, Victoria
Race reports

BAIRD EXTENDS FORMULA XTREME LEAD AT WINTON

After the rain affected conditions of yesterday, Winton Raceway was bathed in sunshine for today’s action at round two of the Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State and it was defending Formula Xtreme Champion Robbie Baird who took full advantage of the conditions.

YAMAHA FORMULA XTREME
Defending Formula Xtreme champion Robbie Baird (Radar’s Team Yamaha YZF R1) shared today’s race win honours with teammate Kevin Curtain, with the pair scoring two wins apiece from today’s four eight lap sprint races.

With two wins, a second and a third, Baird totalled sufficient points to earn himself the round win and an extended points lead in this year’s series. With two rounds now completed, Baird has a total of 169 points, eight ahead of Curtain’s 161, with Craig Coxhell third with 114 on the third of the Radar’s Team Yamaha YZF R1’s.

The meeting also highlighted the talents of rising star Liam Magee. The 19-year-old from Ballarat qualified his Vicstate Distributors Suzuki GSX-R1000 second fastest during a wet qualifying session, but showed he has the skills in the dry to match the best riders in Australia. He finished today with a tally of two thirds and two fourths against some very fast opposition. He will be a talent to watch in the future.

Curtain took the opening race win after passing Baird at mid-race distance when the defending champion hit a false neutral as he down shifted for the esses at the end of the start / finish straight. The pair battled all the way to the flag, but Baird was unable to find a way past his teammate. Magee grabbed third ahead of Tony Rees (Bikebiz Yamaha YZF R1) and Coxhell.

Race two saw drama at the esses on the opening lap when Curtain and Josh Brookes (Team Honda CBR954RR) were forced off the track after tangling with other riders as the field streamed into the turn for the first time. Both riders were lucky not to have fallen in the wet infield and rejoined the race well down the order. Both showed immense courage and determination by moving into the top ten by the conclusion of the race.

With Curtain well down the field, Baird was joined at the front of the field by Coxhell and later by multiple New Zealand champion Tony Rees, who was charging on his Bikebiz Yamaha YZF R1. At the flag the trio were separated by just 0.725 of a second. Magee was fourth followed by Daniel Stauffer (Bio Magnetics Sport Yamaha YZF R1) and Curtain.

Race three turned into a battle between Baird and Curtain, but it was Baird who was able to hold on to score his second win of the day. Curtain had opted for a harder compound rear Dunlop that didn’t quite suit the conditions and didn’t give him the grip he needed. Magee grabbed third ahead of Rees, while Coxhell was promoted up one place after official penalised Jamie Stauffer for allegedly passing under a yellow flag.

The final race saw Curtain in a determined mood as he stormed to the lead and eventual race win ahead of Coxhell, Baird, Magee, Rees and Jamie Stauffer.

The $1000 Yuasa Batteries award to the rider who is credited with a new Formula Xtreme lap record at the conclusion of the round went to Jamie Stauffer. The Bio Magnetics Sport rider set a time of 1:26.649 in the fourth race to claim the cheque.

Yamaha Formula Xtreme, points after 2 of 6 rounds
1. R Baird 169; 2. K Curtain 161; 3. C Coxhell 114; 4. T Rees 98; 5. J Stauffer 88; 6. J Brookes 69; 7, L Magee 58; 8. D Stauffer 57; 9. C McMartin 40; 10. M Henderson 37.


YAMAHA SUPERSPORT
The Yamaha Supersport class is seen as one of the toughest classes to win and it wasn’t any further from the truth today.

Four different winners from four races was the order of the day, with wins going to Adam Fergusson (Cooper Racing Suzuki GSX-R600), Daniel Stauffer (Bio Magnetics Sport Yamaha YZF R6), Cameron Donald (Team Brown Gouge Suzuki GSX-R600) and series points leader Kevin Curtain (Radar’s Team Yamaha YZF R6).

The number of winners reflected the closeness of the racing, but at the end of the day it was former Australian Supersport Champion Curtain who came away with an extended points lead in this year’s series. With a total of 174 points, Curtain leads the series from Donald (111) and Jamie Stauffer (Bio Magnetics Sport Yamaha YZF R6) with 90.


FX PRO-TWINS
Defending FX Pro-Twins champion Craig McMartin (Ducati 996SPS) was in dominating form this weekend, making it a clean sweep in the four six lap races held.

The Wagga rider, who sees Winton Raceway as his home track has a commanding lead in the series points chase with a total of 183. Second is held by Peter Hinton (BEARS RACING / Bray Properties Ducati 916SP) with 123, with Aprilia RSV1000 mounted Mike Soderland (Gowanloch Engineering) third with 121.

Three different riders chased McMartin home in each race, they being John Lyons (Bears Racing Ducati 916sp), Hinton and Soderland in the remaining two
races.


EXEL APRILIA CHALLENGE
Caleb Stalder claimed the opening Exel Aprilia Challenge race wins on Saturday, but with a dry track it was Troy Elliott and Joshua Forster who rode to the top in the final two races held on Sunday.

Elliott cantered away to a somewhat easy win in race three, but race four saw Forster overcome a four-way battle for the race lead to claim victory.

After two rounds, Forster leads the EXEL Aprilia Challenge with 130 points, ahead of Dustin Goldsmith (122), Stalder (118) and Paul Simonson (108).


BUELL NAKEDBIKES
Craig Trinder (Bio Magnetics Sport Yamaha FZ1) kept a perfect scorecard all weekend, taking four wins from four starts and is the only rider in this years Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State to hold a perfect scorecard as he also went through the opening round at Eastern Creek unbeaten.

He was chased home hard by Dave Butler (Yamaha FZ1) who claimed three second places finishes to Trinder after finishing sixth in a wet opening race.

They were closely chased by Leo Cash (Pirelli Yamaha FZ1),Michael Thomas (Wet 4 U Kawasaki ZXR1100) and Benn Archibald aboard the Buell Dealer Team Buell X1.

Archibald showed his experience aboard the Buell in the opening race where he chased Trinder home and was consistently fast in the remaining races.


FORMULA OZ
Alistair Maxwell was the man to beat this weekend in the Formula Oz taking three race wins from four starts aboard his Kawasaki ZX-7R Superbike.

He held out defending champion John Allen (Aluma Lite Racing Honda) who finished the weekend with two seconds, a third and a win in the final race.

Allen leads Maxwell by just six points (181 to 175) after two completed rounds.

Conditions were difficult for Allen as he has the luxury of being able to switch between a Honda RS250 and an exotic Honda NSR-V500 grand prix machines. The choice can also have a down side as the 500 V-Twin is a handful to ride in wet conditions and he then switched to the 250. Maxwell on the other hand had his tried and tested Kawasaki at his disposal which he made full use of.


FORMULA X UNLIMITED
Honda CBR929 mounted Michael Wright took victory in the C&D grade Formula X Unlimited race held over 6 laps.

He was in full control of the race, taking victory by 7.321 seconds from Glenn Warlond (Yamaha YZF R1), Lindsay Brown (Central Coast Performance, Suzuki GSX-R1000) and Steve Vece (Doin’ Bikes Honda CBR929RR).