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/128315
Mr. Schumacher, M eet M r. Rossi Two mu ltitime World I Champions met in Au stralia, where one was beginn ing the defense of his title, and the other was preparing for his defen se . Schumacher began his qu est for a seventh F-I crown by winn ing his fourth Australian Gp, leading teammate Rube ns Barr ichello across the line for a Ferrari one-two finish. Schumacher completed 58 laps of t he Albert Park circuit 13.6 seconds in front of his teammate. Rossi has five World Championships: one in 125cc, one in 2S0cc , one in 5OOcc , and two in MotoGP. Rossi swapped to Yamaha in the off-season and is continuing his rigorous testing program in Australia . The Yamaha team has a three-day test at Phillip Island , beginning March 9. Rossi has dabbled in rally car driving and had an offer from Ferrari to test its F-I car last year. In an end of the season interview, he said it's mo re likely he 'd move to rally car than F- I at the end of his motorcy cle ra cing career. MotoGP W orld Chomp ion Volent ino Rossi holds 0 Ferrori steering wheel a nd takes a look inside the car while talking w ith Formula One Wo rld Cha mpion Micha el Schumacher prior to Sunday's season-opening Austra lia n Gra nd Prix in M elbourne. Lange To Supercross Schultz Killed In Car Accident Newly crowned Nat ional Arenacross Series Champion Darcy Lange is slated to race in the I25cc Eastern Regional THQ AMASupercross Series, beginning with the St. Louis round at the Edward Jones Dome on March 13. The 21-ye ar-old Canadian won 29 main eve nts o ut of a poss ible 48 en ro ute to his first Nat ional Arenacross Series Championship. Lange's champ ionship came after so me bad luck in 2003 , wh en he missed four ro unds due to a broken leg. Th is seas o n re igning champion Josh Demuth was sidelined fo r the remainder of the season when he crash ed in Baltimo re . Following Demuth's injury, Lange won at least three of the four main events in each of the last six races with 826 po ints to runner-up Tommy Hofmaster 's 748. ''I' m pumped to ride supercro ss, now that arenacro ss is over;' said Lange in a rel ease issued by Clear Ch annel. "I wa nt to see how NHRA Pro Stock racer Brian Schultz died Monday, March I, as the result of injuries suffered in an autom o bile accident. Schultz was 34 years old. According to NHRA, Schultz reportedly was traveling on Interstate 75 to his home in laBe lle, Flo rida, from a test session in nearby Bradenton, w hen the accident occurred. After serving as a crew chief fo r Reggie Showe rs in 2002, Schultz, the son of late sixtime NHRA Pro Stock Bike champ Dave Schultz, made his NHRA de but as a rider aboard Thomas Byrd's Suzuki at the 2003 Mac Tools Gatornationals. Schultz quaiified ninth at _ us arenacrossguys can compete against those ~ guys that have ridden supercross all season _ 00 long. I want to represent are nacro ss and just do the best that I can." Vermeulen Tests World Superbike rookie Chris Vermeulen continued his testing program with the new Honda CBR IOOORR when he and the Ten Kate team stayed on for a test se ssion at Valencia in Spain, on Monday, March I. With weather conditions roughly the same as they were in the dry second race of the World Superbike o pene r, Vermeulen lapped at I:37.2. The Australian had qualified at 1:36.977. "During the weekend we didn't wa nt to 8 test too much complete new settings since we wanted to concentrate on the race." Vermeulen said in a team release. "T he test on Monday was perfect. We tried various settings and parts, and we improved our lap times. It appears to me that we are using more and more of the Fireblade's [CBRI ooORRj potential. We just need to continue step by step, and that takes time. My techni cal crew has plenty of information to wo rk with now, and hopefully that wiil allow us to be with the front runners at Phillip Island." MARCH 17,2004 • CYCLE NEWS 40th Anniversary that eve nt with a career-best 7.273 run . More recently, Schultz was competing in AMA Pro Star events. He finished fifth in that association's Form ula Super Bike class in 2003 and also posted a 16th-place finish in Top Gas. The Schultz family has been synonymous w ith motorcycle drag racing fo r decades. Colon cancer claimed Dave Schultz, and Brian's mo ther, Meredith, has remained active in racing with the Vance & Hines NH RA Pro Stock program and with Vanson Leathers. In addition to Meredith, Amy, and Alexis Schultz , he is also survived by son Ryen, 10, daughter Riley, 6, and a sister, Kim.