Rider Files

(NEWS RELEASE)

AMA Pro Racing is bringing a whole new and advanced way to watch this weekend's AMA Pro Flat Track event at Castle Rock Race Park in Castle Rock, Wash. with the expansion of the AMA Pro Live. (Dave Hoenig photo)

CASTLE ROCK, Wash. (August 3, 2012) – AMA Pro Racing is bringing a whole new and advanced way to watch this weekend’s AMA Pro Flat Track event at Castle Rock Race Park in Castle Rock, Wash. with the expansion of the AMA Pro Live beta test. Live streaming from multiple locations will put fans in the director’s chair, allowing them to watch the race through several different vantage points as the event unfolds for the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Lucas Oil and Motorcycle-Superstore.com.

The all-new AMA Pro Live streaming video system, designed in-house to complement Live Timing & Scoring, is a free online service located at www.amaprolive.com which gives fans insider access to the stars of the sport through up-and-coming technological advancements. AMA Pro Racing, working in conjunction with GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing promoter M1 PowerSports and team RoadRace Factory/Red Bull, is developing this system in order to bring the excitement of AMA Pro events to fans around the world.

“This is an awesome step for AMA Pro Flat Track,” said Danny Walker, team principal of RoadRace Factory/Red Bull and former AMA Pro racer. “You never get dirt track racing out of your soul, it just becomes a part of you. The coolest thing about AMA Pro Flat Track is how tough the riders are, and on T.V. you don’t get a chance to see that. Now with AMA Pro Live, you’ll get to see the heart and soul of these guys and girls, and that is what AMA Pro Flat Track is, the heart and soul of American motorcycle racing.”

Three channels will be available throughout the day on Saturday, August 4. The first camera will be located on top of the press box and will give a bird’s eye view of the live action and PA feed as the race unfolds. The second camera will be mounted under the tent of AMA Pro star J.D. Beach’s team, giving fans a perspective of the intensity and tenacity that it takes to run a successful race. The third camera is still in development, but fans will likely have the opportunity to watch the race unfold from an onboard camera mounted on the back of talented J.D. Beach’s Kawasaki.

Another way to keep the fans up to date, users can click on the Twitter tab to display the AMA Pro Live Twitter feed (@AMAProLive). Social media, live timing and the all-new streaming video system will be available throughout the duration of the event, including everything from heat one to the final Main Events for the veterans of AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Lucas Oil and Motorcycle-Superstore.com and the rising stars of the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles division.

Tickets are still available for this weekend’s AMA Pro Flat Track event at Castle Rock Race Park in Castle Rock, Wash. For more information, please visit http://www.mshmc.org/.

Stay connected with AMA Pro Flat Track at http://twitter.com/AMAProFlatTrack and http://www.facebook.com/AMAProFlatTrackSeries

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.

(NEWS RELEASE)

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — Some 70,000 acres of public land in California that has been off-limits to off-highway-vehicle riders since 2008 would reopen under legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), the American Motorcyclist Association reports.

On Aug. 2, Farr introduced a H.R. 6286 that would designate the popular Clear Creek Management Area near Hollister — which is controlled by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management — as a National Recreation Area. If the bill becomes law, it would provide for recreational access to the land as allowed under the BLM’s 2005 travel management plan.

The 70,000 acres have been closed to the public — including OHV riders and hikers — since May 1, 2008, because of fears over health dangers posed by naturally occurring asbestos in the soil. The land has remained off-limits, even though a later study showed that the health risk to motorcyclists from naturally occurring asbestos is minimal.

The San Benito County Board of Supervisors has been at the forefront of the movement to reopen the popular OHV area, petitioning Congress to consider Clear Creek a National Recreation Area that would allow motorized and non-motorized recreation.

Western Representative Don Amador of the BlueRibbon Coalition, a national trail-based recreation group, has also been hard at work in an effort to reopen the land.

“It’s very rare for legislation to be introduced in Congress to open riding areas to riders,” said AMA Western States Representative Nick Haris, who has worked with Amador on the issue. “Rep. Farr and the San Benito County Board of Supervisors deserve the thanks of all OHV enthusiasts for their efforts. And I personally want to thank Don Amador for his tenacious work in this area.

“With the elections coming up, I think it’s very important for California OHV enthusiasts to ask political candidates where they stand on this proposal,” Haris added. “We need to hold them accountable on this issue.”

About the American Motorcyclist Association
Since 1924, the AMA has protected the future of motorcycling and promoted the motorcycle lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life, and they navigate many different routes on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights organization, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists’ interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations, and the court of public opinion. Through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition and motorcycle recreational events than any other organization in the world. AMA members receive money-saving discounts from dozens of well-known suppliers of motorcycle services, gear and apparel, bike rental, transport, hotel stays and more. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, the AMA honors the heroes and the heritage of motorcycling for future generations. For more information, please visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

(NEWS RELEASE)

Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) posted the fastest lap of the first qualifying session at Silverstone in 2 minutes 06.115 seconds.

Silverstone (UK), August 3 2012 – Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) posted the fastest lap of the first qualifying session at Silverstone in 2 minutes 06.115 seconds, heading off Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) in the process. The session was held on a basically dry track, with the fastest lap times just over two seconds from the absolute best.

Third place in the early rankings went to new Pata Racing Team Ducati signing Sylvain Guintoli while local favourite Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) pushed himself to fourth place and was followed home by another British competitor Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing Aprilia). Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert) was sixth and Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) slotted into seventh. The provisional front row was completed by Guintoli’s Pata team-mate, Lorenzo Zanetti.

With weather conditions expected to be changeable over race weekend, qualifying inside the top 16 today may prove important if the second and final session on Saturday morning finally proves to be wet. Many top names ended up down the order on day one, with Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 12th and Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) 17th, one position up on Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team).

Times: 1. Sykes (Kawasaki) 2′06.115 average 168.475 kph; 2. Checa (Ducati) 2′06.148; 3. Guintoli (Ducati) 2′06.576; 4. Camier (Suzuki) 2′06.617; 5. Davies (Aprilia) 2′06.684; 6. Smrz (Ducati) 2′06.795; 7. Laverty (Aprilia) 2′06.851; 8. Zanetti (Ducati) 2′06.869; 9. Berger (Ducati) 2′06.967; 10. Hopkins (Suzuki) 2′07.007; 11. Badovini (BMW) 2′07.089; 12. Melandri (BMW) 2′07.244; 13. Haslam (BMW) 2′07.401; 14. Canepa (Ducati) 2′07.404; 15. Baz (Kawasaki) 2′07.499; 16. Fabrizio (BMW) 2′07.658; etc.

World Supersport
A confident session in wet conditions from Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda) saw him head the first qualifying times in the Supersport class, the French rider heading off local man Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda) by 0.739 with a time of 2 minutes 23.241 seconds. Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Lorenzini) made himself the fastest Kawasaki rider in third place, while Alex Baldolini (Power Team by Suriano Triumph) gave his British machine a happy early homecoming by qualifying fourth of all 32 Supersport entrants. Mathew Scholtz (Bogdanka PTR Honda) enjoyed a great first qualifying session by going fifth, with recent Brno podium finisher Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Products Honda), sixth.

Times: 1. Cluzel (Honda) 2′23.241 average 148.332 kph; 2. Lowes (Honda) 2′23.980; 3. Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) 2′25.235; 4. Baldolini (Triumph) 2′26.656; 5. Scholtz (Honda) 2′27.072; 6. Parkes (Honda) 2′27.177; 7. Leonov (Yamaha) 2′27.302; 8. Day (Kawasaki) 2′27.455; etc.

Superstock 1000
Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki) posted a great lap of two minutes 18.265 seconds at Silverstone in the first qualifying session to lead the next closest rider Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) by over two seconds on a damp track surface. A cosmopolitan top three included Eddi La Marra on his Barni Racing Ducati Panigale 1199. Having moved from Superbike to Superstock for this round, Leandro Mercado (Pedercini Team Kawasaki) was fourth. Ondrej Jezek (SK Energy Racing Team Ducati) went fifth, with local rider for a local team Kevin Coghlan (DMC Racing Ducati) sixth.

Times: 1. Guarnoni (Kawasaki) 2′18.265 average 153.670 kph; 2. Barrier (BMW) 2′20.431; 3. La Marra (Ducati) 2′22.632; 4. Mercado (Kawasaki) 2′23.833; 5. Jezek (Ducati) 2′24.111; 6. Coghlan (Ducati) 2′24.982; 7. Lussiana (Kawasaki) 2′25.616; 8. Savadori (Ducati) 2′25.644; etc.

Superstock 600
Team GOELEVEN Kawasaki rider Matt Davies was fastest man in a wet qualifying session at Silverstone, picking a clean line in tricky conditions to go over a second quicker than the next fastest rider Lee Jackson (Chris Walker Race School Kawasaki). MTM Racing Yamaha’s Gauthier Duwelz secured a strong third place, from another top regular, EAB Ten Kate Junior Honda Team man Michael van der Mark. Christophe Ponsson (MRS Kawasaki) put himself fifth in the early qualifying rankings.

Times: 1. Davies (Kawasaki) 2′31.473 average 140.271 kph; 2. Jackson (Kawasaki) 2′32.591; 3. Duwelz (Yamaha) 2′32.806; 4. Vd Mark (Honda) 2′33.514; 5. Ponsson (Kawasaki) 2′34.691; 6. Salvadori (Yamaha) 2′35.981; 7. Gamarino (Kawasaki) 2′36.507; 8. Vitali (Yamaha) 2′36.598; etc.

KTM European Junior Cup
Lukas Wimmer continued the recent run of good form that has taken him to the top of the table with the quickest time in the European Junior Cup’s sole free practice session for KTM Duke 690 machines at Silverstone. The young Austrian was half-a-second clear of his closest rival Javier Orellana, while another Spanish rider, Gaston Garcia, was a fraction behind in third, with Jean-Francois Demoulin from France in fourth.

Times: 1. Wimmer (KTM) 2′27.737 average 143.818 kph; 2. Orellana (KTM) 2′28.293; 3. Garcia (KTM) 2′28.401; 4. Demoulin (KTM) 2′28.986; 5. Pasek (KTM) 2′28.996; 6. Patterson (KTM) 2′29.539; 7. Daley (KTM) 2′29.799; 8. Wielebski (KTM) 2′31.020; etc.

(NEWS RELEASE)

The year 2011 marked the 25th anniversary of the creation of the first, of a now legendary line of Ducati Superbikes with their trademark Desmoquattro 4-valve V-twin motors hung below a lightweight trellis tube frame, race bikes that went on to dominate the then new World Superbike Championship for next quarter of a century. Arguably the most significant motorcycle engine design of any kind, and surely the most remarkable and successful volume production engine format ever used in world competition by any single manufacturer, the venerable Ducati 4-valve desmodromic engine has recorded to this date 14 World Superbike Championship titles in the 24 year history of the world’s premier production bike based world roadracing series.

The Ducati Corse World Superbikes by Alan Cathcart & Jim Gianatsis

This book chronicles the development and history all five Ducati Corse World Superbike generations from the first Desmoquattro 750cc prototype to the revolutionary new 1199 Panigale Superquadro together with interviews with the Ducati designers, team racers and managers. This unique insight is provided by renown motorcycle racer and journalist Alan Cathcart who has had the envious and often exclusive opportunity to test ride every one of the factory Corse race bikes over the last 25 years, those tests of which are featured here. Photography of the Corse factory bikes and riders is proved by the world’s most renown motorcycle roadracing photographers.

Adding icing to the cake, and to warrant this big collectors edition book, included are the incredible high definition photographs of the bikes taken by former racer, moto journalist and photographer Jim Gianatsis as featured in the Fast Dates World Superbike Calendars from those years with the beautiful Fast Dates Calendar Kittens who served as the official SBK and Team Ducati Corse grid girls at the races where the bikes were photographed.

This 224 page large format collectors edition book begins with a Forward by Massimo Bordi, legendary designer of the Desmoquattro back in 1974. Then it dives into the technical details, revealing photography and Cathcart’s exclusive tests of every one of the factory Ducati Corse Superbikes from the First Generation 851cc Daytona raced prototype, to Doug Polen’s Fast by Ferracci 888/926 World Championship winner. Followed by the Second Generation 916/955 machines, the Third Generation 999, the Fourth Generation 1098/1198, to the all-new Fifth Generation 1199 Panigale. Included along the way are interviews with all the factory riders and World Championship winners from Doug Polen, Carl Fogarty and Troy Corser, to Neil Hodgson, James Toseland, Troy Bayliss, Nori Haga and Carlos Checa. While the tradition continues with a detailed look at the new 1199 Panigale and a interview with the designers who created it, and an exclusive track test of the newest Generation 1199 bike by Cathcart and 3-time World Superbike Champion Troy Bayliss.

This is a must have book for every Ducati and motorcycle roadracing enthusiast. Gianatsis Design, publisher of the renown FastDates.com Calendars and Books, has produced and published this in a beautiful large format 12×12-inch hard cover design coffee table style Collectors Edition Book featuring 224 pages in full color printed on 100# dull coat art paper for the best possible reproduction and presentation. Books are individually shrink wrapped and have a printed cover wrapper.

Suggested Retail: USD $69.95 • UK £55.00 • EUR $55. The Ducati Corse World Superbike book is available in the USA on the FastDates.com Website and at Amazon.com.
Dealer Inquires please go to the Contents / Distributor Page at FastDates.com. In Europe the book is available from Orca Book Services, Star Book Services, Giorgio Nada Editore and on Amazon.com.uk.

A special hand signed Collector’s Edition Package including both Ducati Corse World Superbikes and the SBK 2013 Fast Dates World Superbike Calendar with Carlos Checa’s Althea Ducati on the cover is available for $125 at: http://www.FastDates.com

GTU winners celebrate on the podium after the EBC Brakes Challenge at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August of 1990. Standing atop the podium are GTU winners Thumper Brothers, Bill Cardell and John Condron (holding up plaque), who mastered the slippery conditions winning on a wet track. Northstar GTU (standing left) took second with Scott Ruehle and Mike Moores and third was Norben Racing’s Jim Kosar and Ralph Johnson (right).  All three teams raced Yamaha FZR600s. All three GTU  teams finished in the top-10 overall, the GTU being the smaller bikes (primarily 600cc machines) and GTO the big displacement bikes.

GTU winners celebrate on the podium after the EBC Brakes Challenge at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August of 1990. Standing atop the podium are GTU winners Thumper Brothers, Bill Cardell and John Condron (holding up plaque). Northstar GTU (standing left) took second with Scott Ruehle and Mike and third was Norben Racing’s Jim Kosar and Ralph Johnson (right). (Larry Lawrence photo)

(NEWS RELEASE)

Rome (Italy), 3 August 2012 – Infront Motor Sports announces that the Portuguese Round of the 2012 eni FIM Superbike World Championship at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve is to go ahead as planned.

In the last few weeks there had been considerable uncertainty as to whether the race would be held or not, but the World Superbike organizers and promoters can now confirm that the race will take place on its original date in the calendar.

Infront Motor Sports wishes to express its appreciation for the efforts made by the management of the Portimao circuit to respect its commitments and ensure that the event will go ahead as originally scheduled, in spite of the current difficult situation.

The thirteenth and penultimate round of this year’s championship will be held on the weekend of September 22-23 and as a result, all the rounds of the 2012 calendar will take place as scheduled.

Redding tests with Ducati
Scott Redding has concluded a positive two day test with the Ducati Test Team in Mugello. Read more.

Attack Performance faces uphill challenge after Laguna Seca struggles
Steve Rapp and the Attack Performance suffered a difficult weekend at last weekend’s Laguna Seca race, after the failing to qualify for the race with their ambitious CRT project. Read more.

Jonas Folger to join Mapfre Aspar Team from Indianapolis
Spanish team move to sign German youngster for the remainder of the 2012 season. Read more.

Stoner: “I am World Champion and I don’t give up easily”
In one of the closest seasons of recent years, reigning MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner has taken four victories to date. His most recent triumph came this past weekend at Laguna Seca, adding to a further three podiums from the opening ten races of 2012. Read more.