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Lopez Breaks Track Record With 2001 GSX-R1000 At Homestead

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Grant Lopez used a 2001 Suzuki GSX-R1000 to break the motorcycle track record at Homestead Miami Speedway en route to winning the Unlimited Grand Prix race during a CCS regional event Sunday. Lopez, who had set the previous record at Homestead in December of 1999 on an 840cc GSX-R750 Formula Xtreme bike, broke the record three times during the six-lap race, eventually setting it at 1:26.62. The old record was 1:27.00.

“If I had another 30 minutes on it I’m sure I could have gone another second quicker,” said Lopez after the short race, in which he started well back on the grid, which was set by entry date. Lopez had gotten just three laps on practice on the machine Sunday morning, sharing it with teammate John Hopkins during the single 15-minute practice session. Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki mechanics changed the machine’s front end and altered its set-up Saturday evening after practice, replacing the stock front forks with a set of Ohlins racing forks.

“This thing is going to be fast,” Lopez continued. “Those other guys in Formula Xtreme are going to be in trouble this year.”

Lopez broke away from strong challenges by local stars Shane Prieto and Mauro Cereda and pulled away to a several-second margin of victory. Local star Marco Martinez was fourth followed by Texan Ben Spies, local star Manny Manusuthakis, California’s Chris Ulrich, local stars Mike Ciccotto and David McIntyre, and AMA 250cc GP Champion Chuck Sorensen of California. Carlos Macias of Florida was 11th, with Jason DiSalvo 12th.

Lopez also won the Heavyweight Superbike race on a Formula USA-spec GSX-R750 ahead of Cereda and Spies.

In other action at Homestead, DiSalvo won the Lightweight Grand Prix race, marking the first victory for a 2001 Honda RS250, with Sorensen three seconds behind at the finish on a TZ250 Yamaha.

The Expert GTO race saw Shane Prieto take his 2001 Suzuki GSX-R750 to victory ahead of 16-year-old Ben Spies, with Hopkins, who had collided with Ciccotto on the first lap and had been delayed aboard the GSX-R1000, coming close to catching Spies at the line. Prieto repeated this victory pattern twice in the short, six-lap races, taking advantage of better grid positions, stronger starts and near-flawless riding to beat Spies again in both Expert Unlimited and Heavyweight Supersport.

Riding his 2001 GSX-R600, 17-year-old Hopkins was unstoppable, winning three Middleweight races with Prieto, also on a GSX-R600, second in both the Middleweight Supersport and Middleweight Superbike. Martinez was second in Middleweight Grand Prix, followed by DiSalvo.

World Superbike Series Press Office Moves From Italy To England

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The press office of SBK, promoters of the Superbike World Championship, has moved from Rome to London. The press office is now located at 25, Upper Brook Street-Park Lane, W1Y 1PD, London, England. News of the move came in a subscription change of address form FAXed to Roadracing World by Renata Nosetto, SBK Press Officer.

Attention All International Racing Teams: Nigeria’s Mohammad Yussuf Now Available For Training And Competition

0

The following is an actual FAX received recently at Roadracing World headquarters, reproduced verbatim and without any (sic) references because using (sic) references would increase the length of the FAX by 10 or 20 percent:

Good day to you, how do you do?

In fact, I have been trying to get your address since long ago, to enable me confirm real information from you. And again to beg you for your candid assistance.

Sir, I am a escort rider/mechanic trained by Nigeria Police Force before I change my service to Nigeria Customs Service where I am still serving as a escort rider to the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, and I am very interesting to join any of the international racing team for any type of international competition.

And I don’t know anybody, I am from a poor family, because even when I got admission to America Motorcycle Institute Inc. at Daytona Beach, Florida and sent me form 1-20 and yellow paper for 20 weeks resident, Honda motorcycle mechanical training and my department said, they will not sponsor me, because I will not come back to serve them again, and hence I cannot afford it financially.

I am begging for your assistance or with any racing team to invite me to any training center in USA to release my dreams under your sponsorship an agreement as a private trainee.

And please, I want you to send me Roadracing World magazine through DHL Express.

I will be very grateful if my letter is considered and approve.

Thanks you, yours faithfully,

Mohammad Yussuf
Nigeria Customs Service
Headquarters Zone 3
Wuse Abuja
Nigeria

Racing Greats To Be Featured At AHRMA Event During Daytona Bike Week

0

A long list of motorcycle racing greats will be on hand for AHRMA’s Daytona Bike Week activities, scheduled for March 5-6 at Daytona International Speedway. Joe Leonard will serve as the AHRMA Grand Marshall at Daytona; Leonard was the 1954, 1956, 1957 AMA Grand National Champion; 1957 and 1958 Daytona 200 winner; and two-time USAC Indy Car Champion.

Plans call for AHRMA’s Great Men and Great Machines parade to also include the following riders, among others:

Bill Baird; Art Barda; Everett Brashear; Tommy Byers; Yvon Duhamel; Chet Dykgraaf; Ed Fisher; Paul Goldsmith; Bob Hansen; Bobby Hill; Neil Keen; Dick Klamfoth; Al Knapp; Tommy McDermott; Dick Mann; Bart Markel; Dave Mungenast; Bill Nilsson; Gary Nixon; Ronnie Rall; Carroll Resweber; Jeff Smith; and Bill Tuman.

Many of the riders will also take part in an autograph sessions on the afternoon of Sunday, March 4 at AMI, 3042 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach.

Lopez Fastest at Homestead on GSX-R1000

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Grant Lopez was the fastest man in practice for a CCS regional race at Homestead Miami Speedway Saturday on a 2001 GSX-R1000 Suzuki.

Lopez’s best lap was a 1:28.01, or about one second off the lap record he set in December of 1999.

Lopez turned his time with stock forks, and after practice concluded, his crew installed a set of Ohlins racing forks.

“I’m not optimistic that we’re going to break the record tomorrow,” said Lopez. “We’ve got limited time on this bike, not much practice tomorrow morning, and we just put a completely different front end on it. I’m just looking at this as being pre-season testing and development.”

Rausch Creek $20,000 Superbike Challenge Scheduled For Club Racers

0

Rausch Creek Motorsports Park in Valley View, Pennsylvania, has scheduled the $20,000 Rausch Creek Superbike Challenge for September 23, 2001, with participation limited to riders who have competed in CCS and WERA club events at the track during the 2001 season.

The $20,000 Challenge will include six Superbike class races: Expert Unlimited, Expert Middleweight, Expert Lightweight, Amateur Heavyweight, Amateur Middleweight and Amateur Lightweight. (In WERA competition, Novice = Amateur.)

The rider who earns the most points in eligible CCS and WERA classes throughout the year will be awarded the pole position and free entry to the equivalent Challenge race. Points from both CCS and WERA races will be counted. Other eligible riders will be invited to qualify for the Challenge races, and will have to pay a $50 entry fee.

The Expert Unlimited Superbike race at the $20,000 Challenge will pay $2000 to win with $1000 for second, $650 for third, $400 for fourth, $325 for fifth, $175 for sixth, $150 for seventh, $125 for eighth, $100 for ninth and $75 for 10th.

The Expert Middleweight Superbike and Expert Lightweight Superbike races at the $20,000 Challenge will each pay $1400 for first, $700 for second, $455 for third, $280 for fourth, $230 for fifth, $120 for sixth, $105 for seventh, $90 for eighth, $70 for ninth and $50 for 10th.

The Amateur Heavyweight Superbike race will pay $1200 to win with $600 for second, followed by payouts of $390, $240, $195, $105, $90, $75, $60 and $45 for 10th.

The Amateur Middleweight Superbike and Amateur Lightweight Superbike races will each pay $1000 to win and $500 for second, followed by payouts of $325, $200, $165, $85, $75, $60, $50 and $40 for 10th.

More information is available from Rausch Creek Motorsports Park, 978 Gap St., Valley View, PA 17983, (570) 682-4600, FAX (570) 682-9051, www.rauschcreekracing.com, e-mail [email protected]

All GPRA Licensing And Number Assignments Now Handled By SFX Motor Sports Group

0

SFX Motor Sports Group has taken over licensing and number assignments for GPRA, which is now running the majority of its races in conjunction with Formula USA and CCS races. SFX Motor Sports owns Formula USA and CCS.

Riders who have already applied for 2001 licenses with GPRA will have to resubmit their applications to Nancy Selleck, SFX Motor Sports Group, 2501 Parkview Dr. #105, Fort Worth, TX 76102, (817) 870-9151, ext. 102.

To retain their existing number, GPRA members must apply for a new license with SFX by February 15, and must specify that they are applying for a GPRA license.

GSX-R1000 To Make Race Debut This Weekend At Homestead

0

If all goes according to plan, the 2001 Suzuki GSX-R1000 will make its racing debut this weekend during a CCS event at Homestead Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida.

John Hopkins and Grant Lopez are scheduled to share a Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki GSX-R1000 at Homestead, with Hopkins racing in the GTO race Sunday morning and Lopez, the track record holder, racing in the final race of the weekend, Expert Unlimited Grand Prix.

With all stock internal engine components, the GSX-R1000 is already matching the power output of the fully developed 840cc GSX-R750s the team competed with in 1999-2000.

Aprilia Posts $40,000 RS250 Contingency Program

0

Aprilia USA, Inc. has posted a club-racing contingency program for the RS250 and will pay for top-three finishes in AFM 250cc Superbike, CCS Middleweight Sportsman, OMRRA Middleweight Superbike and WSMC 550cc Superbike classes.

The contingency has been posted for CCS races in six regions, including CCS/CMRA South Central, CCS Florida, CCS Midwest, CCS Mid-Atlantic, CCS/LRRS Northeast and CCS Southeast. All WSMC events include the contingency, as do six OMRRA events and eight AFM events.

The Aprilia contingency program pays $200 for first, $100 for second and $75 for third.

Aprilia USA is a subsidiary of Aprilia S.p.A., an Italian company which sells more than 300,000 motorcycles and scooters per year and employs over 1000 people.

More information is available from Aprilia USA at (770) 592-2261, www.aprilia.com

AMA Considering Special Events To Celebrate 25th Anniversary Of Superbike Class

0

AMA officials are considering special ceremonies to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Superbike class, including a possible reunion of former AMA Superbike Champions.

At Road America, track officials are planning to host a trackside party on Saturday night, complete with a huge birthday cake.

The Superbike class started as Superbike Production and was first proposed by racer Steve McLaughlin, who modelled the class after the AFM Superstreet class. The original proposal was ghostwritten by John Ulrich and was submitted to the AMA under the names of McLaughlin and fellow racer Hurley Wilvert.

Lopez Breaks Track Record With 2001 GSX-R1000 At Homestead

Grant Lopez used a 2001 Suzuki GSX-R1000 to break the motorcycle track record at Homestead Miami Speedway en route to winning the Unlimited Grand Prix race during a CCS regional event Sunday. Lopez, who had set the previous record at Homestead in December of 1999 on an 840cc GSX-R750 Formula Xtreme bike, broke the record three times during the six-lap race, eventually setting it at 1:26.62. The old record was 1:27.00.

“If I had another 30 minutes on it I’m sure I could have gone another second quicker,” said Lopez after the short race, in which he started well back on the grid, which was set by entry date. Lopez had gotten just three laps on practice on the machine Sunday morning, sharing it with teammate John Hopkins during the single 15-minute practice session. Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki mechanics changed the machine’s front end and altered its set-up Saturday evening after practice, replacing the stock front forks with a set of Ohlins racing forks.

“This thing is going to be fast,” Lopez continued. “Those other guys in Formula Xtreme are going to be in trouble this year.”

Lopez broke away from strong challenges by local stars Shane Prieto and Mauro Cereda and pulled away to a several-second margin of victory. Local star Marco Martinez was fourth followed by Texan Ben Spies, local star Manny Manusuthakis, California’s Chris Ulrich, local stars Mike Ciccotto and David McIntyre, and AMA 250cc GP Champion Chuck Sorensen of California. Carlos Macias of Florida was 11th, with Jason DiSalvo 12th.

Lopez also won the Heavyweight Superbike race on a Formula USA-spec GSX-R750 ahead of Cereda and Spies.

In other action at Homestead, DiSalvo won the Lightweight Grand Prix race, marking the first victory for a 2001 Honda RS250, with Sorensen three seconds behind at the finish on a TZ250 Yamaha.

The Expert GTO race saw Shane Prieto take his 2001 Suzuki GSX-R750 to victory ahead of 16-year-old Ben Spies, with Hopkins, who had collided with Ciccotto on the first lap and had been delayed aboard the GSX-R1000, coming close to catching Spies at the line. Prieto repeated this victory pattern twice in the short, six-lap races, taking advantage of better grid positions, stronger starts and near-flawless riding to beat Spies again in both Expert Unlimited and Heavyweight Supersport.

Riding his 2001 GSX-R600, 17-year-old Hopkins was unstoppable, winning three Middleweight races with Prieto, also on a GSX-R600, second in both the Middleweight Supersport and Middleweight Superbike. Martinez was second in Middleweight Grand Prix, followed by DiSalvo.

World Superbike Series Press Office Moves From Italy To England

The press office of SBK, promoters of the Superbike World Championship, has moved from Rome to London. The press office is now located at 25, Upper Brook Street-Park Lane, W1Y 1PD, London, England. News of the move came in a subscription change of address form FAXed to Roadracing World by Renata Nosetto, SBK Press Officer.

Attention All International Racing Teams: Nigeria’s Mohammad Yussuf Now Available For Training And Competition

The following is an actual FAX received recently at Roadracing World headquarters, reproduced verbatim and without any (sic) references because using (sic) references would increase the length of the FAX by 10 or 20 percent:

Good day to you, how do you do?

In fact, I have been trying to get your address since long ago, to enable me confirm real information from you. And again to beg you for your candid assistance.

Sir, I am a escort rider/mechanic trained by Nigeria Police Force before I change my service to Nigeria Customs Service where I am still serving as a escort rider to the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, and I am very interesting to join any of the international racing team for any type of international competition.

And I don’t know anybody, I am from a poor family, because even when I got admission to America Motorcycle Institute Inc. at Daytona Beach, Florida and sent me form 1-20 and yellow paper for 20 weeks resident, Honda motorcycle mechanical training and my department said, they will not sponsor me, because I will not come back to serve them again, and hence I cannot afford it financially.

I am begging for your assistance or with any racing team to invite me to any training center in USA to release my dreams under your sponsorship an agreement as a private trainee.

And please, I want you to send me Roadracing World magazine through DHL Express.

I will be very grateful if my letter is considered and approve.

Thanks you, yours faithfully,

Mohammad Yussuf
Nigeria Customs Service
Headquarters Zone 3
Wuse Abuja
Nigeria

Racing Greats To Be Featured At AHRMA Event During Daytona Bike Week

A long list of motorcycle racing greats will be on hand for AHRMA’s Daytona Bike Week activities, scheduled for March 5-6 at Daytona International Speedway. Joe Leonard will serve as the AHRMA Grand Marshall at Daytona; Leonard was the 1954, 1956, 1957 AMA Grand National Champion; 1957 and 1958 Daytona 200 winner; and two-time USAC Indy Car Champion.

Plans call for AHRMA’s Great Men and Great Machines parade to also include the following riders, among others:

Bill Baird; Art Barda; Everett Brashear; Tommy Byers; Yvon Duhamel; Chet Dykgraaf; Ed Fisher; Paul Goldsmith; Bob Hansen; Bobby Hill; Neil Keen; Dick Klamfoth; Al Knapp; Tommy McDermott; Dick Mann; Bart Markel; Dave Mungenast; Bill Nilsson; Gary Nixon; Ronnie Rall; Carroll Resweber; Jeff Smith; and Bill Tuman.

Many of the riders will also take part in an autograph sessions on the afternoon of Sunday, March 4 at AMI, 3042 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach.

Lopez Fastest at Homestead on GSX-R1000

Grant Lopez was the fastest man in practice for a CCS regional race at Homestead Miami Speedway Saturday on a 2001 GSX-R1000 Suzuki.

Lopez’s best lap was a 1:28.01, or about one second off the lap record he set in December of 1999.

Lopez turned his time with stock forks, and after practice concluded, his crew installed a set of Ohlins racing forks.

“I’m not optimistic that we’re going to break the record tomorrow,” said Lopez. “We’ve got limited time on this bike, not much practice tomorrow morning, and we just put a completely different front end on it. I’m just looking at this as being pre-season testing and development.”

Rausch Creek $20,000 Superbike Challenge Scheduled For Club Racers

Rausch Creek Motorsports Park in Valley View, Pennsylvania, has scheduled the $20,000 Rausch Creek Superbike Challenge for September 23, 2001, with participation limited to riders who have competed in CCS and WERA club events at the track during the 2001 season.

The $20,000 Challenge will include six Superbike class races: Expert Unlimited, Expert Middleweight, Expert Lightweight, Amateur Heavyweight, Amateur Middleweight and Amateur Lightweight. (In WERA competition, Novice = Amateur.)

The rider who earns the most points in eligible CCS and WERA classes throughout the year will be awarded the pole position and free entry to the equivalent Challenge race. Points from both CCS and WERA races will be counted. Other eligible riders will be invited to qualify for the Challenge races, and will have to pay a $50 entry fee.

The Expert Unlimited Superbike race at the $20,000 Challenge will pay $2000 to win with $1000 for second, $650 for third, $400 for fourth, $325 for fifth, $175 for sixth, $150 for seventh, $125 for eighth, $100 for ninth and $75 for 10th.

The Expert Middleweight Superbike and Expert Lightweight Superbike races at the $20,000 Challenge will each pay $1400 for first, $700 for second, $455 for third, $280 for fourth, $230 for fifth, $120 for sixth, $105 for seventh, $90 for eighth, $70 for ninth and $50 for 10th.

The Amateur Heavyweight Superbike race will pay $1200 to win with $600 for second, followed by payouts of $390, $240, $195, $105, $90, $75, $60 and $45 for 10th.

The Amateur Middleweight Superbike and Amateur Lightweight Superbike races will each pay $1000 to win and $500 for second, followed by payouts of $325, $200, $165, $85, $75, $60, $50 and $40 for 10th.

More information is available from Rausch Creek Motorsports Park, 978 Gap St., Valley View, PA 17983, (570) 682-4600, FAX (570) 682-9051, www.rauschcreekracing.com, e-mail [email protected]

All GPRA Licensing And Number Assignments Now Handled By SFX Motor Sports Group

SFX Motor Sports Group has taken over licensing and number assignments for GPRA, which is now running the majority of its races in conjunction with Formula USA and CCS races. SFX Motor Sports owns Formula USA and CCS.

Riders who have already applied for 2001 licenses with GPRA will have to resubmit their applications to Nancy Selleck, SFX Motor Sports Group, 2501 Parkview Dr. #105, Fort Worth, TX 76102, (817) 870-9151, ext. 102.

To retain their existing number, GPRA members must apply for a new license with SFX by February 15, and must specify that they are applying for a GPRA license.

GSX-R1000 To Make Race Debut This Weekend At Homestead

If all goes according to plan, the 2001 Suzuki GSX-R1000 will make its racing debut this weekend during a CCS event at Homestead Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida.

John Hopkins and Grant Lopez are scheduled to share a Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki GSX-R1000 at Homestead, with Hopkins racing in the GTO race Sunday morning and Lopez, the track record holder, racing in the final race of the weekend, Expert Unlimited Grand Prix.

With all stock internal engine components, the GSX-R1000 is already matching the power output of the fully developed 840cc GSX-R750s the team competed with in 1999-2000.

Aprilia Posts $40,000 RS250 Contingency Program

Aprilia USA, Inc. has posted a club-racing contingency program for the RS250 and will pay for top-three finishes in AFM 250cc Superbike, CCS Middleweight Sportsman, OMRRA Middleweight Superbike and WSMC 550cc Superbike classes.

The contingency has been posted for CCS races in six regions, including CCS/CMRA South Central, CCS Florida, CCS Midwest, CCS Mid-Atlantic, CCS/LRRS Northeast and CCS Southeast. All WSMC events include the contingency, as do six OMRRA events and eight AFM events.

The Aprilia contingency program pays $200 for first, $100 for second and $75 for third.

Aprilia USA is a subsidiary of Aprilia S.p.A., an Italian company which sells more than 300,000 motorcycles and scooters per year and employs over 1000 people.

More information is available from Aprilia USA at (770) 592-2261, www.aprilia.com

AMA Considering Special Events To Celebrate 25th Anniversary Of Superbike Class

AMA officials are considering special ceremonies to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Superbike class, including a possible reunion of former AMA Superbike Champions.

At Road America, track officials are planning to host a trackside party on Saturday night, complete with a huge birthday cake.

The Superbike class started as Superbike Production and was first proposed by racer Steve McLaughlin, who modelled the class after the AFM Superstreet class. The original proposal was ghostwritten by John Ulrich and was submitted to the AMA under the names of McLaughlin and fellow racer Hurley Wilvert.

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