Motorcycle News

WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH, 2008 |

Minneapolis Supercross preview

by Motorsport.com | post a comment

Monster Energy® Supercross Returns to Metrodome for the First Time Since 2004

AURORA, Ill. (March 11, 2008) -- Monster Energy® Supercross, an FIM World Championship, returns to Minneapolis' Metrodome for the first time since 2004 this Saturday. During the 11 races inside the Metrodome, spanning from 1994-2004, the event averaged 50,000-plus fans. The supercross fan four pack -- four $20 tickets all for just $45 at www.Ticketmaster.com has been added this year.

Media day will be held on Thursday, March 13 from Noon-2:00, featuring Monster Energy Kawasaki's Tim Ferry and Travis Preston as well as Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Ryan Villopoto and Branden Jesseman.

The AMA Supercross class race will air on SPEED Sunday, March 16 at 6:00 p.m. The AMA Supercross Lites class race will air on SPEED Saturday, March 22 at 6:00 p.m.

Last weekend at Daytona International Speedway, Torco Fuels Honda's Kevin Windham, of Centerville, Miss., made history when he passed Team San Manuel Yamaha's Chad Reed, of Tampa, Fla., on the race's last lap for the AMA Supercross class win. It was Windham's first race win at Daytona International Speedway.

"Tonight was definitely a race of different elements with the rain and what not, but it still lived up to the brutal Daytona deal," said Windham. "I think it was the most brutal race I have been in in my entire life."

In the Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites class main event at Daytona, Torco Fuels Honda's Trey Canard, of Elk City, Okla., reeled off his third consecutive win. A rookie, Canard extended his points lead over KTM's Ryan Sipes, of Vine Grove, Ken., to 24.

"Coming into that race, I wasn't really sure what to expect," Canard said. "I just wanted to go out there and do the best that I could. I did everything I could possible do during the week, and I think I was prepared as I could possibly be, so I could give it everything I had, every lap out there."

The world's top AMA Supercross and Eastern Regional AMA Supercross Lites racers will compete inside the Metrodome where the 500 truckloads of dirt be used to construct the course.

The largest attended AMA Supercross race at the Metrodome was in 1997 as 60,049 fans packed the stadium to watch seven-time supercross champion Jeremy McGrath win his fourth consecutive race in Minneapolis.

"The Metrodome is very happy that the Monster Energy® Supercross is making a return to the Minneapolis-St. Paul this weekend," said Dennis Alfton, director of operations, Metrodome. "It is one of the premier events in the stadium. As we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Metrodome, we recognize that an event such as the supercross is one of the reasons that the stadium has been very successful. In the 1990's it ranked as one of the highest attended events at the Metrodome, attracting over 60,000 fans in 1997."

McGrath, the all-time winningest supercross rider in history, won six consecutive races inside the Metrodome and holds the facility's all-time win record. Five-time supercross champion Ricky Carmichael won three consecutive races at the Metrodome (2001-2003). In AMA Supercross Lites competition Damon Huffman and Kevin Windham share a record two wins apiece. Windham is the only rider to win both classes in Minneapolis.

-credit: www.supercrossonline.com

Daytona Speedway: Misti Hurst race report

by Motorsport.com | post a comment

*Canadian roadracer Misti Hurst First Woman to Qualify and Race AMA 600 Supersport at Daytona International Speedway *

March 6th 2008, Daytona International Speedway- Canadian roadracer and California Superbike School coach Misti Hurst enjoyed an outstanding debut race at Daytona International Speedway last Thursday during the AMA 600 Supersport race.

According to all available sources, Hurst made history during qualifying on Wednesday when aboard her Slednecks Racing, Etechphoto supported Kawasaki ZX6, she became the first and only woman to ever make an AMA 600 Supersport Grid at the famous Daytona International Speedway. After only an hour of practice on the track she qualified 44th out of 51 riders with a time of 1: 48.93. "I'm so stoked that I qualified!" said an excited Hurst "With all that has gone wrong this week, this is amazing! Thank you to EVERYONE that helped out."

Hurst arrived at Daytona Feb 26th in order to get some practice time on the unfamiliar Daytona speedway during the local CCS races. Unfortunately, after only three sessions her connecting rod broke, pierced the starter, and destroyed her motor. She was on the banking doing approximately 160 mph.

With her spare bike still in Portland, Hurst called motor builder EDR Performance. "Within 4 hours they had the motor dropped, drained, wrapped, secured, delivered to Forward Air and en route to Daytona for me, complete with a "GO MISTI GO" note attached. Those guys rock!" said Hurst.

Her spare EDR motor arrived Tuesday morning and fiancee/mechanic John Parker and Slednecks Racing teammate Josh Galster worked all day to prepare the bike and have it ready for Wednesday's qualifying session.

The 22-lap AMA 600 Supersport race on Thursday saw her move up from 44thposition to finish a strong 41 st.

Teammate and fellow California Superbike School coach Josh Galster also enjoyed a great debut performance at Daytona. His first AMA pro race, Galster surprised many by qualifying a strong 37th aboard his Slednecks Racing Kawasaki ZX6 with an outstanding time of 1:47.26.

During the race on Thursday Josh got a great start and continued to pick his way through the field, moving up 11 positions to finish a very impressive 26 th place, with a personal best time of 1:45.69. "The banking was nuts at first, but once you got used to it, it was so much fun to use the famous Daytona drafting to help slingshot yourself along the straightaway. The race was incredible, and my Slednecks Kawasaki worked great! Thanks to all of my sponsors!

See Misti and Josh race at the next AMA Supersport Race at Barber Motorsports Park April 18th-20th.

Australian Superbike 2008 - Round One - Preview

by Mcnews.com.au | post a comment

Can anyone including MV Agusta mounted Kevin Curtain stop Jamie Stauffer and his potent blue Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1 from making it three Australian Superbike titles in a row in 2008?

That’s the question race fans are asking as the opening round of the 2008 Australian Superbike Championship gets ready to blast off at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway on March 14-16.

If the season-opening non-championship Australian Superbike support races at the recent Phillip Island SBK round on March 1-2 are any guide, then there are challengers aplenty in 2008.

There’s certainly enough talent in Australian Superbike ranks to stop Stauffer’s run - and enough variables and factory involvement to make for an intriguing season ahead.

At the SBK meeting the three Superbike races were decided by a combined winning margin of just 0.159sec, with Team Joe Rocket Suzuki rider Shawn Giles taking two wins (by 0.134sec and 0.011sec) and Stauffer the other (by 0.014sec).

The two went handlebar-to-handlebar in a thrilling display of high-speed Superbike racing, giving spectators a taste of what lies ahead in the 2008 Australian Superbike Championship. Co-incidentally, it is Giles’ record of three consecutive Australian Superbike Championships (2000, 2001, 2002) that Stauffer will be trying to equal in 2008.

Behind the duelling duo of Giles and Stauffer the action was no less fierce, with Teknic Honda recruit and reigning Australian Supersport champion Jason O’Halloran claiming a new lap record of 1:32.921 on his way to third overall in his first serious hit-out on a Superbike. It all points towards an exciting Eastern Creek Raceway encounter on March 14-16.

But the man with the target on his back in 2008 is undoubtedly Stauffer.

"We had two very good days of testing at Eastern Creek, which is really encouraging for the start of the season," 28-year-old Stauffer said.

Yamaha Racing Team manager John Redding is not underestimating the task ahead.

"Make no mistake, defending the years Jamie had in 2006 and 2007 is going to be a tough task," said Redding.

"I’m very happy with the results at the SBK meeting," said Giles, who some paddock punters had quietly suggested had passed his use-by date at the top level. "The Superbike class looks like being really competitive this year – one of the toughest yet."

Giles is in a perfect position to judge, having first raced in the series 18 years ago.

All four Japanese motorcycle distributors – Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki – will contest the 2008 championship with their factory-supported teams, with all four running in both the Superbike and Supersport championships. They’ll be joined in the Superbike class by exotic Italian marque MV Agusta with multiple Australian champion and international star Kevin Curtain the saddle, making for the greatest factory involvement in the series for many years.

The addition of Curtain and MV Agusta to the Superbike field will see nine full factory bikes on the grid in 2008, along with a number of factory-supported satellite riders.

In the Yamaha Racing Team brother Dan again partners Jamie on the second of the team’s two Superbikes, the 31-year-old finishing last year’s championship with the number-three plate.

While Yamaha was flying high in 2007, arch rival Honda had a season best forgotten with injuries to its two contracted factory riders. It’s therefore all change at Honda for 2008, with 2007 Supersport champion O’Halloran joining the squad from Yamaha, his defection causing plenty of controversy at the end of 2007. Last year’s top privateer Glenn Allerton is O’Halloran’s Superbike teammate at Honda, while Wayne Maxwell moves from the Kawasaki Racing Team to a Honda CBR600RR Supersport ride.

Kawasaki Racing Team enters 2008 with Shannon Johnson (Superbike), Scott Charlton (Superbike and Supersport) and Shaun Geronimi (Supersport) in an expanded three-rider team, with an all-new track-focussed ZX-10R at their disposal.

It’s steady as she goes at Team Joe Rocket Suzuki, which enters the new season with the same rider line-up as 2007. Last year’s runner-up Craig Coxhell is again teamed with three-times champion Shawn Giles on GSX-R1000 Superbikes, with Josh Waters aboard a GSX-R600 Supersport.
Team Joe Rocket Suzuki has attracted additional sponsorship for 2008 from American truck giant Mack, raising the profile of the series in the paddock as well as on the track with a state-of-the art transporter. Like TJRS, Yamaha Racing Team has also attracted support from a major truck manufacturer with German marque MAN on board for 2008.

The Australian Superbike Championship has a proud track record of unearthing future international stars, with riders such as Mick Doohan (500GP), Chris Vermeulen (MotoGP), Anthony West (MotoGP), Troy Bayliss (World Superbike) and Troy Corser (World Superbike) all having cut their teeth in the one of the world’s toughest racing series.

The Australian Superbike Championship will be held over seven rounds in 2008, visiting race circuits in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland. In addition to the high-profile Superbike category, a full support program of races will be held for Supersport, Superstock, Formula Xtreme, 125GP, NakedBike, ProTwin, FZ6 Cup, Forgotten Era, Junior Nationals and Sidecar. Not all classes will compete at every round with the Juniors and Sidecars making a number of appearances theough out the season.

What: Australian Superbike Championship, Round 1
When: Friday, 14 March to Sunday, 16 March
Where: Eastern Creek Raceway, Sydney, NSW
How to get there: Eastern Creek Raceway is located 40km west of Sydney CBD alongside the M4 Motorway.
What’s on:
Friday: Practice and qualifying from 9am
Saturday: Warm-up from 9am, qualifying and racing from 10am
Sunday: Warm-up from 9am, racing from 10am

How much:
Friday: Admission free
Saturday: Adult $20
Sunday: Adult $40
Children (age 6-15): $10 (valid 2 days)
Two-day ticket: Adult $50; Family $80 (2 adults, 5 children); Pensioner $20
Free parking and pit access.