Damon Buckmaster used a Dunlop qualifying tire to put his Graves Yamaha YZF-R1/R7 on the pole for tomorrow’s AMA Formula Xtreme race at Loudon. Bruce Transportation Group’s Josh Hayes was second fastest on his Honda CBR929RR, also on a Dunlop qualifying tire, followed by John Hopkins on a Valvoline EMGO Suzuki GSX-R1000 on Michelin race tires, Roger Lee Hayden on a Bruce Transportation Group Honda CBR9292RR on a Dunlop qualifying tire and Tom Kipp on an Attack Suzuki GSX-R1000 on a Dunlop qualifying tire. Times follow:

1. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha YZF-R1/R7, 1:11.809
2. Josh Hayes, Honda CBR929RR, 1:11.564
3. John Hopkins, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:11.727
4. Roger Lee Hayden, Honda CBR929RR, 1:11.727
5. Tom Kipp, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:11.843
6. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R1/R7, 1:12.046
7. Grant Lopez, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:12.773
8. Rich Alexander, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:12.781
9. Jake Zemke, Honda CBR929RR, 1:12.988
10. Mark Miller, Honda CBR929RR, 1:13.510
11. Des Conboy, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:14.511
12. Chris Voelker, Honda CBR900RR, 1:14.892
13. Rich Neenan, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:15.383
14. Michael Niksa, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:15.495
15. Jeff Nash, Ducati 748, 1:16.494

Competition Accessories Ducati has announced a unique promotion where a lucky fan can get join the team’s Superbike crew during the final AMA race of the 2001 season, at Virginia International Raceway September 28-30.

The winner of the “Pit Crew Weekend” will get an all-expenses-paid trip for two to the Virginia International Raceway round of the AMA Chevy Trucks Championship in Danville, Virginia. The prize includes air travel, hotel accommodations, pit crew credentials, and an official Competition Accessories Ducati team shirt.



There is no cost or purchase required to enter the contest. For more information and details, log on to the Competition Accessories website at www.competitionaccessories.com or call 1-800-543-8208.

Vesrah Suzuki’s Mark Junge and Glenn Szarek rode a Suzuki GSX-R1000 to win the fourth round of the WERA National Endurance Series, a 4-hour at Virginia International Raceway in Danville Saturday. Loudoun Motorsports Racing was second, 12 seconds behind Vesrah, followed by Team Clinton Cycles, Velocity Crew Racing and Army of Darkness.

The win gave Vesrah the overall series points lead. Former points leader Team Pennzoil was credited with 28th overall after both Chris “Opie” Caylor and Wade Buffington crashed during the first hour, Caylor suffering a separated right shoulder and Buffington suffering a broken right collarbone and a broken right elbow.

Although it was raining at the start of the race, the rain stopped and the track dried out after the first hour.

Results follow:

1. Vesrah Suzuki, Suzuki GSX-R1000, HWSB, 128 laps
2. Loudoun Motorsports Racing, Suzuki GSX-R750, HWSS, 128 laps
3. Team Clinton Cycles, Yamaha YZF-R6, MWSS 124 laps
4. Velocity Crew Racing, Suzuki GSX-R600, MWSB, 123 laps
5. Army Of Darkness, Suzuki GSX-R600, MWSB, 122 laps
6. J&J Motorsports, Suzuki GSX-R750, HWSS, 122 laps
7. Triad Racing, Suzuki GSX-R600, MWSS, 121 laps
8. Neighbor Of The Beast, Suzuki GSX-R600, 121 laps
9. Intrepid Racing, Suzuki SV650, LWSB, 120 laps
10. racersupply.com, Suzuki GSX-R750, HWSB, 120 laps
28. Team Pennzoil, Suzuki GSX-R750,HWSB, 89 laps

HWSB = Heavyweight Superbike class
MWSB = Mediumweight Superbike class
HWSS = Heavyweight Superstock class
MWSS = Mediumweight Superstock class

Photos by Brian J. Nelson.

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Photos Copyright 2001 Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Copyright 2001 Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

AMA riders will not ride in the rain at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire despite the recent application of traction sealer, and some are suggesting that the track be taken off the AMA schedule entirely.

“We’re not going to,” said AMA Superbike Operations Manager Ron Barrick Friday morning when asked if the AMA will run races in the rain at NHIS. “The track is aware and is going to work with us. We’re going to stay as long as we can to run the race. It it’s Saturday, we’ll try to run the race on Sunday. If it’s Sunday, we’ve got Monday.”

While the weather at NHIS is currently clear, thunderstands are forecast for Saturday and Sunday.

Several riders are adamently against racing in the rain at Loudon, or, for that matter, at racing at the track at all.

“It ain’t gonna happen,” said Jamie Hacking of the possibility of racing in the rain. “None of us are going to do it. It’s too dangerous. We shouldn’t be here in the dry. We had Phoenix taken off our schedule, and we feel this one has to be taken off for the same reason. It’s slick, bumpy, walls, there’s trees, there’s rocks. I’m sure you’ll get the same answer from anybody you ask.”

Local star Eric Wood had a different view, praising the sealer and other improvements, saying “Absolutely, without a doubt (the track can be raced in the rain). This place is way safer. I wouldn’t hesitate to send my own son out there. This place is no more dangerous than any other place I’ve ever been.”

Superbike Champion Mat Mladin objected strongly when AMA Media Relations Contractor Larry Lawrence suggested that Mladin should have at least given the track some credit for safety improvements in a highly critical interview published in this morning’s Manchester Union Leader newspaper.

“Have any of the walls been moved?” Maldin asked Lawrence in the press room at NHIS. “The track hasn’t made any improvements to make the track safer.”

Mladin also said, “I feel the motorcycles have outgrown the racetrack,” and said of the sealer applied to the track surface, “All the sealer has done is cover up the bumps.” Maldin also complained about gooey asphalt used to fill in cracks and joints in the pavement.

As Lawrence objected and said that he felt Mladin’s comments were “to the detriment of the sport,” Mladin said “It’s my personal opinikon that the motorcycles have outgrown the racetrack and I don’t care if you don’t like it, Larry.

“Tell you what. Get on the back of my bike, we’ll go out and I’ll knock you off and then you can hit a wall and see how you like it,” said Mladin before walking out of the pressroom.

At least one rider, roadracingworld.com’s Chris Ulrich, crashed after hitting the gooey asphalt applied to fill cracks and seams in the pavement, during practice yesterday. Another problem encountered during Thursday practice involved a large section of pavement which had come loose from its base at the apex of one corner in the esses, like a toupee gone awry. The piece of asphalt was marked with red spray paint before Friday practice started, and track Safety Director Jerry Wood hoped to glue the section back down with an epoxy compound during the lunch break.

Aaron Yates topped the first Superbike qualifying session at Loudon, Friday afternoon. Times follow:

1. Aaron Yates, Suzuki, 1:10.022
2. Mat Mladin, Suzuki, 1:10.065
3. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki, 1:10.405
4. Doug Chandler, Kawasaki, 1:10.819
5. Steve Rapp, Ducati, 1:11.119
6. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 1:11.228
7. Anthony Gobert, Yamaha, 1:11.229
8. Pascal Picotte, Harley-Davidson, 1:11.423
9. Larry Pegram, Ducati, 1:11.483
10. Jamie Hacking, Suzuki, 1:11.887
11. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 1:12.106
12. Andreas Meklau, Ducati, 1:12.163
13. Tommy Hayden, Yamaha, 1:12.549
14. Jordan Szoke, Harley-Davidson, 1:12.774
15. Mike Ciccotto, Suzuki, 1:13.115*
16. Mike Smith, Harley-Davidson, 1:13.352
17. Eric Wood, Suzuki, 1:13.646*
18. Rich Alexander, Suzuki, 1:14.043*
19. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki, 1:14.274*
20. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki, 1:14.434*
21. Michael Barnes, Suzuki, 1:14.480*
22. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki, 1:15.023*
23. Michael Gallagher, Suzuki, 1:15.150*
24. Dean Mizdal, Suzuki, 1:15.522
25. Michael Niksa, Suzuki GSXR750, 1:15.723*
26. Richard Neenan, Jr., Suzuki, 1:15.818*
27. Mauro Cereda, Suzuki, 1:15.939*
28. David McIntyre, Suzuki, 1:16.168*
29. David Dandrea, Suzuki, 1:16.559*
30. Tony Meiring, Suzuki, 1:17.058*

*750c Supersport entrant on 750cc Supersport machine

Munroe Motors, a San Francisco, California dealership known for sponsoring AMA Pro Thunder and Isle of Man racer Tom Montano, recently filled an order for 22 sidecar rigs built to look like a television set on wheels for a promotional campaign.

The machines were ordered by Seismicom.com, an advertising agency working for Ultimate TV, a new interactive television service from Microsoft. The promotional plan calls for riders, dressed in matching outfits, to ride the sidecars through major city centers, attracting attention for Ultimate TV.

Munroe Motors had three weeks to source, supply, build, and deliver the machines with sidecars, which were based on Royal Enfield 500cc Bullets built in India.

Anthony Gobert crashed his Yamaha YZF-R7 in the first half of the first Superbike qualifying session at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire Friday afternoon.

The session was red-flagged and restarted after Gobert was transported to Concord Hospital for X-rays.

According to Yamaha Crew Chief Tom Houseworth, Gobert suffered a suspected broken right arm and a suspected hyperextended neck. But, Houseworth said, “everything works.”

Gobert crashed in turn eight, a fast right-hand kink in the back section of the course.

Doctors in the Infield Care Center at NHIS later reported that Gobert suffered a compound fracture of his right elbow.

But X-rays at the hospital revealed that Gobert had not broken his elbow, although bone was visible with the skin torn away, and that he did not have a hyperextended neck. But he did separate his shoulder.

1. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha YZF-R1/R7, 1:12.428
2. Tom Kipp, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:12.579
3. Roger Hayden, Honda CBR929RR, 1:12.764
4. John Hopkins, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:13.008
5. Grant Lopez, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:13.420
6. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R1/R7, 1:13.447
7. Josh Hayes, Honda CBR929RR, 1:13.676
8. Mark Miller, Honda CBR929RR, 1:13.974
9. Rich Alexander, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:14.062

Despite injurying a foot when he crashed during qualifying, Kawasaki Canada’s Owen Weichel took his first-ever Canadian Superbike win in a wet race at Race City Motorsports Park in Calgary, ALberta, Canada. Before his tumble, Weichel earned the pole position with a time of 1:17.847 on the 2.0-mile Race City circuit. Weichel’s crew was up until 3:00 a.m. in the morning repairing the Toronto rider’s crashed ZX-7RR, and Weichel rewarded them with a 5.348-second victory over Yamaha YZF-R6-mounted Jean-Francois Cyr. Riding three weeks after breaking his pelvis, Francis Martin placed third on a Suzuki GSX-R1000, while defending Canadian Superbike Champion Steve Crevier finished fourth on his Honda RC51.

After two of seven rounds complete, Weichel now leads the point standings over Crevier, 106 to 96.

RESULTS
PARTS CANADA SUPERBIKE:
1. Owen Weichel, Kawasaki ZX-7RR
2. Jean-Francois Cyr, Yamaha YZF-R6
3. Francis Martin, Suzuki GSX-R1000
4. Steve Crevier, Honda RC51
5. Michael Taylor, Honda RC51
6. Ben Pilon, Yamaha YZF-R1
7. Kevin Lacombe, Yamaha YZF-R6
8. Greg Boki, Yamaha YZF-R1
9. Frank Trombino, Yamaha YZF-R1
10. Andrew Nelson, Honda CBR600F4i

POINT STANDINGS (After 2 of 7 rounds, all 7 count):
1. Weichel, 106 points
2. Crevier, 96 points
3. Martin, 74 points
4. Cyr, 71 points
5. Taylor, 67 points
6. Benoit Pilon, 52 points
7. Martin Hamel, 34 points
7. Nelson, 34 points
9. Jeff Williams, 27 points
9. Trombino, 27 points

Weichel’s expertise in the wet conditions carried over to the Yoshimura 600cc Sport Bike race. Riding a Kawasaki ZX-6R, the defending class Champion again beat second-place Cyr and his Yamaha YZF-R6. Suzuki’s Clint McBain was third on a GSX-R600.

Yamaha’s Frank Trombino and McBain had a terrific battle in the International Motorcycle Supershow Open Sport Bike final. Trombino and McBain battled down to the wire with Trombino, riding a YZF-R1, scoring the victory by 0.364-second ahead of McBain on a GSX-R1000. Honda’s Michael Taylor finished third on a CBR929RR.

The Parts Canada Superbike Championship is next in action 6/17-18 on the runways of Namao Airport in Edmonton, Alberta.