Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128135
.-- t.. --... __ J ,,-- -----...., l--. Continued from page 2 I - - -~ - -- _/ , __ team, based in Florence, is made up three members of the Guidotti family, Fabrizio, Giacomo and Francesco, who have already been the main men behind the official Aprilia factory squad for the past two seasons. Haga is pleased to be back in World Superbike, after finding GP racing, both on and off track, not to his liking. "I'm excited about coming back to four-stroke bikes but more than anything because I'll have an official Aprilia RSV Mille in 2002," said Haga. "This bike's a winner. What's more, I'll have the plea......J sure of being with an Italian team which has already notched up countless successes. I've been able to see the bikes close up and I must say I'm really impressed. " C r Despite the se,ond day of a two-day test being washed out by poor weather Colin Edwards was far from unhappy about the previous day's action in his Suzuka test. "The dry weather testing proved more than worthwhile," said Edwards who recorded an encouraging fastest lap of 2:07.51. "The 2002 machine is really shaping up. We made a lot of changes during the test and there's every reason to be believe I can regain the title next year. My best lap on Wednesday was about a second faster than I've ever gone around Suzuka and after beating the lap record at Sugo six weeks ago we're all going into the Christmas period with a smile on our faces." Edwards' continued lone-star testing run suggests that he will be all alone in the Castrol Honda team in 2002, although there could still be another official rider, or a pair of satellite riders. Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A., has announced they've signed young Californian Tony Meiring to ride alongside reigning AMA 600cc Supersport Champion Eric Bostrom and recently signed Tommy Hayden. Together with Hayden, 18-year-old Meiring will contest the 600cc Supersport class only. In 2001, Meiring competed in the AMA's 750cc Supersport class, finishing sixth overall. Clear Channel Entertainment's motor sports division has announced the 2002 Formula USA National Road Race Series schedule. Formula USA's schedule will begin and end again at Daytona International Speedway, with a return to several of America's premier racing facilities, and a new visit to New Hampshire International Speedway, in Loudon, according to Clear Channel. The Less bikes, less riders, less teams, less agreeable weather. That's how the annual December Dunlop Daytona tire tests began late on Monday, December 10. Overnight rains soaked the track and It wasn't until after 11 :30 a.m. that the first motorcycles took to the track, and then not for long. Sprinkles soon after turned to a brief shower and the track was dosed for over an hour on the first day of the three-day test. That said, a few of the riders new to teams got favorable first impressions in only a handful of laps, chief among them Pascal Picotte (pictured). Picotte ended his two-year run at Harley-Davidson somewhat disconsolate and with few prospects. The likeable French-Canadian was talking with the Corona Extra team about a Supersport ride, but Superbike was where he really wanted to be, and on a competitive bike if possible. By moving to the HMC Ducati team he achieved both goals. The team recently took delivery of one of the two 2002 World Superbike spec Ducatis they'll have this year, along with five motors. The new bike is 15 pounds lighter and has 10 more horsepower than the 1999 Vance [, Hines Ducatis that Steve Rapp rode last year, and that Picotte rode for a few laps between rain drops early on Monday. Even with that little track time, the grin was back on his face. "I think it's been two years since I passed someone going down the front straight: Picotte said after an early run. "I saw Kurtis [Roberts) and Aaron [Yates] and went by them so fast they must have been at half throttle. "The bike has so much potential. It's going to be awesome. The brakes are awesome. The power's linear; it never breaks loose. It's light on top. It's easy to flick left to right. Engine braking is just right going in. It has a good tuck position. And that's just the old bike: Picotte said. Picotte last rode Ducatis in 1994, the year he put the Fast by Ferracci Ducati on the pole for the Daytona 200 and won his 50-mile qualifying race. In the race, his chain came off. To get back on the Italian brand, Picotte went to Wisconsin to visit team owner Mitch Hansen. Picotte said they'd been in contact since August, but he wanted to sit down face to face with Hansen and let him know how much he wanted to be a part of the team. "It was up in the air with Ducat!. Whether it was going to be a one-rider or two-rider team. Whether you had to bring money,Picotte said. There was also some question about Ducati's support. At their dealer show, Ducati said they wouldn't be supporting Superbike racing in the U.S. Picotte said that brought such a strong reaction from the dealers that they rethought their plans. For 2003, expect Ducati to be even stronger in the U.S. "' told them' was dedicated to the program: Picotte said. "I'll do it. I want to get back on competitive equipment, have fun, and smile. Get some good results." Mike Hale feels the same way. After struggling for two years on non-competitive machinery, Hale sat out most of the past two seasons while pursuing a car-racing career. Except for a brief test on a Ducati at last year's Dunlop test, Hale hasn't ridden on a racetrack schedule also features Formula USA's first-ever Canadian competition with a July 19-21 event at Mosport International Raceway in Toronto. The 2002 Fonmula USA National Road Race Series schedule is as follows: February 27-March 3: Daytona Int'I Speedway, Daytona Beach. Florida: May 23-26: Summit Point Raceway. Summit Point, W. Virginia: June 1416 - New Hampshire Int'I Speedway, Loudon, New Hampshire: July 19-21 - To cast your vote. log on to http://www.cyclenews.com. cyclenews.com reader poll question of the weel< u c •• n _ ... s in dose to two years. Now was the time to get back. And to get back with Honda, and on Dunlop tires, the combination he left at the end of the 1995 season, seemed the perfect fit. Hale began talking with Chuck Miller of American Honda halfway through last season. In 2002, he'll race the 600cc Supersport and Formula Xtreme classes, "I really just wanted to come back into the sport and get reestablished: he said, adding that he wasn't aiming for a Superbike ride this year. "I'm perfectly happy with the 600 Supersport and Formula Xtreme." As to why now, Hale said, "I'm in the prime of my life. I've been pursuing the car racing thing, but don't think there's any reason I can't be racing bikes and getting results while pursuing a car deal: For 2002, Hale's trying to put together a limited, five- or six-race deal to race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. "There's no deadline on it because I made motorcycles a priority. But car racing is something I'm going to continue to pursue: he said. The last time Hale rode a 600 was in 1995, the year he finished second in the championship to Miguel DuHamel. After three flying laps, wearing his Proton KR Modenas leathers from 1999, Hale's initial impression was the F4i seemed slow for Daytona. "The 600 feels slow around this track because it's so big: he said. "Superbikes are the last thing I rode around here. " There were nine factory Superbike riders, down from 16 last year, though the feeling was that quantity was lost, but not necessarily quality. Those in Florida may be here for an extra day. Clouds and intermittent rains may force Dunlop to extend the test through Thursday, the 13th. Henny Ray Abrams Mosport Int'I Raceway, Toronto, Ontario, Canada: August 1-4 - Road America, Elkhart Lake. Wisconsin: August 22-25 Pocono Raceway, Long Pond. Pennsylvania: September 5-8 - Portland Int'I Raceway. Portland, Oregon; October 16-20 Daytona Int'I Speedway. Daytona Beach, Florida. The 26th Annual World Cup ICE Speedway Championship Series kicks off December 26th at the Augusta Richmond County Civic Center in Augusta, Georgia, and Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, December 29th. Events are planned for 16 different cities running through March 2002. For a complete schedule and additional information about racing or attending events, visit ICE at www.icespeedway.com or email at ice@pscinternet.net, or call 843/234-2777. eN