Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

and a final east/west shootout round held at Cooperland in Stillwater. Oklahoma. Three championships will be on the line: WORCS West Championship. WORCS East Championship. and an overall WORCS National Championship. "We have done this so that the privateer racer will be given the opportunity to compete for a championship in their region if he/she cannot afford to contest the national series." Hamel said. "The amateur series championships will consist of seven races in either the west or east regions. The amateur competitors will be allowed one throwaway in their respective series." For the Pros. all rounds will count toward an overall WORCS National Championship. but one throwaway will be allowed per region. The final shootout. however. is mandatory for the pro class. "Our goal is and has always been to bring all top pro riders together to compete in a series that incorporates all different types of off-road disciplines on a national scale." Hamel says. "With the venues we have obtained. we feel we have a truly rounded series. incorporating terrain from tight. nasty woods to wideopen desert racing. and everything in between. hitting 10 and possibly up to 12 off-road markets across the U.S .. truly highlighting the talents of the best off-road racers in the country. We are committed to bring off-road racing to a new level. to make it better for everyone and to unite every professional off-road racer. manufacturer. and fan in the U.S." The tentative 2003 WORCS schedule is as follows: January 11-12 Phoenix. Arizona. (west): February 8-9 TBA (west): February 22-23 Gilmer. Texas (east): March 1-2 Ocala. Florida (east): March 22-23 Lake Havasu. Arizona (west): April 19-20 Price. Utah (west): May 1718 Washougal. Washington (west>: June 7-8 Morrison. Illinois (east): July 19-20 Millville. Minnesota (east): August 3-3 Waukon. Iowa (east>: September 27-28 TBA (east): October 25-26 Milford. California (west): November 15-16 Stillwater. Oklahoma (east/west>. According to a press release from Glen Helen Raceway. a $2000 purse will be up for grabs in a new 40-Plus Pro @&J[f)D[J@~~D &J[JiJ@j [lj}&Jf?Df2J@[J@ c!J@D[JiJ [§)G!J@&J71D Ever since Marlboro announced that it was pulling its sponsorslUp from the Yamaha MotoGP team at the end of the current season, everytlting pointed to the fact that Ducati would be picking up the tobacco sponsorship for its new MotoGP team in 2003. Now it's official: Team Marlboro Ducati will run in the MotoGP World Championship in 2003, and they will do so with Troy Bayliss and Loris Capirossi. "We have signed a four-year contract with Marlboro wlUch will enable us to take part in the MotoGP Championship knowing that, at our side, we have a sponsor that has contributed to some of the greatest chapters in motorsport history, and with whom we will be tackling tlUs new challenge with great enthusiasm," declared Claudio Domenicali, Ducati Corse CEO, in a release issued by the company. "We are delighted with the trust granted to us by our main sponsor for the future." The aim of starting the 2003 World Championship with a top rider from MotoGP and one from World Superbike, originally announced during the presentation of the Ducati Desmosedici at Mugello in May, has now been achieved with the signing of Capirossi, a three-time World Champion. "We strongly wanted Troy and Loris because both have shown class at the White Brothers Vet World Championships at Glen Helen. November 15-16. The money is being proVided by the title sponsor of the class. Weekend Warrior Trailers. The race will be held on Saturday. Yamaha has made official what we reported here several weeks ago: That it will field two more YZR-M 1s in the final three rounds of the 2002 MotoGP World Championship. The two bikes will run under the Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3 colors. with one bike each going to Shinya Nakano and Olivier Jacque for the Malaysian. Australian. and Valencia MotoGPs. In the period leading up to the Malaysian MotoGP, due to be held at Sepang on October 11-13. the Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3 team will continue with its current fleet of YZR500 two-strokes - which will take in the Rio. Brazil (September 19-21l and Motegi. Japan (October 4-6) rounds. Three-time AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin will be one of three Australian riders who have been competing internationally who will return home to race in the sixth and final round of the 2002 Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State at Syd- themselves to be extremely talented riders, and above all because they are totally committed to our project: Domenicali said. "The desire to win and to face new challenges that we see in both of them was the deciding factor in our decision. Thanks to their experience, we are certain that we will make our MotoGP debut with a top-level team and with the right motivation to develop the Desmosedici as quickly as possible. For all of us in Ducati Corse, the fact that we have two champions in the team is a further motivation to tackle this great adventure with the enthusiasm and passion that distinguishes us. We are aware of the difficulties that lie ahead, but we are also aware that we have all the human, fmancial and technological resources to tackle them with maximum commitment and determination. We are also pleased that our choice respects the wishes of Ducatisti. In fact, Troy and Loris received the most votes in a recent poll on our website, www.ducati.com." Ducati Corse's technological partnership with Shell Advance has also been renewed for the next three years, according to Ducati. The testing of the Ducati Desmosedici will continue in the coming months, first with test-rider Vittoriano GuaresclU and, from October onward, also with Bayliss. Capirossi will begin testing the new bike at the end of the current MotoGP season. ney' s Eastern Creek Raceway on the weekend of September 28-29. according to a press release. Mladin. Marty Craggill and Kevin Curtain have all competed successfully on the international race scene and for the first time will go head to head on the track. Having won three AMA Superbike titles and an Australian Superbike title in 1992. Mladin is the best-credentialed rider to line up in this year's series. Craggill. on the other hand. is fresh from a season racing in the AMA Formula Xtreme Championship. where he took victory at the Brainerd round of the championship aboard his Valvoline EMGO Suzuki. Mladin has begun testing aboard his Mat Mladin MotorcycleslYoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000. with his first ride on the bike taking place at Eastern Creek on Thursday. September 5. It was the first time that Mladin had turned a wheel on the brand-new bike. and he was very pleased with the performance of the bike at this early stage of development. "I was really impressed by the Suzuki GSX-R 1000 when I rode it for the first time at Eastern Creek last week." said Mladin. "We have fitted the bike with a number of Yoshimura products. such as plus BMS filters. and it worked extremely well. Obviously. we don't have a lot of time to do a lot of headwork. etc. before the race. but other than that the bike felt really good as to how it ran anyway. We've built the bike up in such a way that any customer can come into our shop and either buy the parts or even the complete bike from us." Mladin was also happy to hear that Craggill had been able to secure a ride for the event. While racing in America this year. Craggill stayed with Mladin at his Los Angeles home. and the pair has worked closely together throughout the year. "It will be good to have another bike out there. and with a good peddler like Marty [Craggilll aboard it. should make for a very exciting final round of the series." Mladin added. "Marty rode well in the Formula Xtreme races in the States this year and has a lot of experience on the Suzuki." Honda's Ricky Carmichael received a small plug in the September 16 issue of Sports Illustrated. the weekly sports magazine mentioning RC's accomplishments in its "The Blotter" section. There's also a photo of Carmichael. shot by Cycle News contributor Steve Bruhn. exhaust system. cams and base gasket. Sportbike Night of Northern California in Sacramento. California. will hold an event on September 29 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. featUring three-time AMA Superbike Champion Doug Chandler. The festivities will take place at McGee's Grill in Sacramento. For more information. call 916/373-1557. MOVED: Answer RaCing/Pro Taper to 232 Granite Street. Unit 101. Corona. CA 92879. ACCEPTING: Answer Racing and Pro Taper are currently accepting SIGNED: A licensing agreement between Dunlop motorcycle tires and Dirt Rags Inc. that will see the company market a full line of motocross and streetwear for distributors and dealers. according to Dirt Rags. For more information. call 310/380-4726. JOINED: KTM has become the fifth new funding member of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSFJ. "KTM is committed to the safety of our riders. be they racers. commuters on the street. or youth riders just starting out." said KTM's Selvaraj Narayama. "Our membership in the MSF will show this to the world and bring us additional resources within the U.S. market and abroad." racer resumes through October 31. Resumes can be sent to Answer Racing and/or Pro Taper. attn: rider support. 232 Granite Street. Unit 101. Corona. CA 92879 Troy Lee Designs has been hard at work of late. producing custom paint and product to be featured in Charlie's Angels II. according to a release issued by Lee's company. Custom-designed Troy Lee gear, which is based on the company's SE and GP racewear. and stock '02 and '03 SE and GP gear. will be featured in the movie. along with several familiar motocross and freestyle faces. ACCEPTING: O'Neal Racing is currently accepting racer resumes through November 29 for the 2003 racing season. Resumes can be sent to O'Neal Racing. attn: mx race support. 9600 Topanga Canyon Rd.. Chatsworth. CA 91311 . MARRIED: Jack Stavana. group manager/product development for Mazda. to his longtime girlfriend. Cheryl Geering. on August 31 in San Juan Capistrano. Califomia. cue I • n _ - - - - - - - Continued on page 108 .... s • SEPTEMBER 25, 2002 3

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