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/128344
Alstare Suzuki To ReturnWith Corser? Byrne Out for the Year tified serious ligament damage in the wrist, Shane Byrne § . CJ o It now appears as though the Alsta re World ~ o CJ Superbike team is close to rejoining the ~ World Superb ike Cham pionship with Suzuki machinery, although in a semi-official fashion. With Australian Troy Corser in its sights and a desire to also land Noriyuki Haga, the ~ and Byrne was due to fly back to Italy on Wednesday, Septem ber 29 for the operation. Byrne scored a bes t finish of 10th place in the ItalianGP earlier in the season and scored points in six of the nine races he contested. He will spend the next three to five weeks with a lightweight cast fitted to the wrist before he can begin rehabilitation in an effort to be fit for winter testing in November. "I am devastated, but I know the operation is the best course of action." Byrne said. After such a tough season on almost corn- "I could probably carry on riding, but then you risk crashing again. I agree d with Aprilia that it was best to have the operation now so plete ly unco mpe titive Suzuki Superspo rt that I am fit and rar ing to go for winter test- ambition of the team is undimmed in the postfactory era of World Superbike racing. ing. I would n't be able to do myself justice anyway with the wrist like it is. The scaphoid is quite badly broken and I also nee d the liga- machinery, Vittorio lannuzzo made a request to his team boss Francis Batta to return to the European Superstock Championship class for the last two races . The 22-year-old Iannuzzo was the 2002 Supers tock Champ ion and still ments reconstructing. I'm just concentrating on getti ng back to full fitness and appreciate the understanding that Aprilia have shown at qualifies for inclusion. Some were dismayed at such a backward step into a class which is supposed to projec t young riders up the lad- what is a very frustrating time." MS Aprilia Racing management confirmed that Jeremy McWilliams will be the team 's lone entry in the October 3 Qatar GP. Factory bosses are now consideri ng possible rep lacements for the Sepang, Phillip Island originally thought. Byrne crashed at the Czech Republic The eve nt was or iginally planned for September 17- 19, but was res cheduled due it in two days instead of th ree, which will help The rescheduled final ro und of the AMA Ch evrolet Superbike Ch ampionsh ip at Go rdon Ritchie his wrist will require surgery. Co sta also iden- VIR for Two Days tled yout h. returned to finish 13th in the Japanese Grand Prix on September 19. After consulting with doctors following his return from Japan, a badly broke n scaphoid bon e was diagnosed . The 27-year- old flew to see Grand Prix doctor Claudio Co sta in Italy on Saturday, September 2S, where it was confirmed that round of the series at the Brno Circuit, then der. not become an escape hatch for disgrun- British road racer Shane Byrne has bee n ruled out for the remainder of the 2004 MotoGP Wor ld Championshi p. The MS Aprilia factory MotoGP ride r will miss the last four races, to complications arising from H urricane Ivan. sched ule like this is not somethi ng we'd normally like to do, but the importance of this the injury to his right wrist more serious than V irginia Inte rnational Racew ay in Alton, Virginia, will be a tw o-day event instead of thr ee , as was originally planned . The primary reason for making it a twoday eve nt is to help offset the added costs that were incurred due to the original event's postp one me nt, acco rding to AMA Pro Racing. 6 oaOBER 6,2004 • CYCLE NE WS The event will now be held on October 9-10. AMA Pro Racing Supe rbike Series manager Ron Barrick said that eliminating one day on the weekend wo uld he lp save money for everyone involved. "We're still planning on running two Superbike races as we ll as the Super sport, Supe rstock and Formula Xtreme classes," said Barrick. "The differe nce is now we'll do 40th Anniversary and Valencia races. An announcement is expected in the comi ng days, according to Aprilia. the teams wi th expenses. Compressing the race and the need to lower everyone's out- of-pocket costs justifies this approac h." Of the four classes run under the AMA Chevrolet Superbike Cham pionship, only the Formula Xtreme Ch ampionship has been det ermined . Championship title s for Superbike , Supersport and Superstock willbe determined at the VIR finale.