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/128349
Hodgson To AMA? Maybe So N only have you do AHA.' It's not like that at all. I've been put in a position where I've been offered either the top World Superbike ride or the AMA." Hodgson said he was offered the AMA ride two months ago. He also confirmed that the money was bet- e il Hodgson may know as soon as Wednesday, November 3. whether he'll be coming to America to race as Eric Bostrom's teammate for the Ducati Austin team in 2005 . "It's pretty close," the d'Antin Ducati rider said in the team 's hospitality area on Friday October 29, adding that he expected , to hear from his manager on October 30. One of the hold-ups is making sure he can get his crew chief of choice, "and that's part of why I haven't signed the contract yet, because I'm in negotiations . That's probably top of the list, absent the money. It's more about enjoying my racing and what I've experienced, especially this year. If I can have the right people around me, it makes it fun. And I don't mean fun as in you messing ter in America. Aside from the World Superbike event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Hodgson's other American experience was rac- ing at Daytona in 1995. He was surprised to learn that he wouldn't be racing in the Daytona 200, that It had been changed to a Formu la Xtreme race . Hodgson doesn't know much about the Ducati Austin team, but he does have considerable experience on the Ducati F04 with Michelin around. I mean fun as in getting results and having a good technician who I know is fan- tires . What does concern him is the tastic, who understands me ... whereas this safety level of many of the tracks . "I'm not going to sit here and say it doesn't concern me," he said. "Safety's always been really importantto me . It's important that all the riders can complain . You shouldn't go like, 'No, I'm not going to look at it, it's not there.' If you see danger, you should always be bullying the organizer to say, 'Come on, it's not part of the sport to see people break their legs.' Everyone likes a good crash , but you do n't want to hit something solid at the end . So yeah , it does concern me a little bit. I've got frie nds that are doing the champ ionship now that have done the British the British Championship, and Championship is not known for safe tracks. Honestly, honestly, honestly the tracks are year it's been literally the opposite - the total opposite. It's just been an absolute ... well, the blind leading the blind." Hodgson said he watches the AMA Superbike races on television and loves Laguna Seca, "and I really like America as a country. I've been there loads of times for loads of holidays. I've been allover. I actually did Daytona in '95 and was taken aback by everything . Just couldn't believe how cool it was . So It's almost like from being a child I've always sort of looked up to America in a way. I've spent a lot of time there. and every time I've been there I've enjoyed my holidays. It was a special sort of place for me." Hodgson's wife , Kathryn, works for Virgin Atlantic airlines and has been to America innumerable times. The couple has a I-year-old daughter, Hollie-Jean. Contrary to paddock rumors, Hodgso n's future doesn't depend on anyone else's move. "It's not that Ducat; have said, 'We can no worse in America. I believe they've got airbags now in a lot of the dangerous spots . One of the tracks was really dodgy, was it Loudon? They don't go there any more. So it's positive . I'm sure it's going in the right direction. No one wants to see young men Antunez To Field Arenacross Team Five-time Arenacross National Champion Buddy Antunez will run a Honda team in the 200S National Arenacross Series. according to his management team, The Agents. T he team 's major sponsor will be the Fun Bike Center in San Diego, California, and Brad Hagseth and Shane Bess will ride the team's bikes. Gregg Lynkwill manage the team . "I am pumped that Chad [Sage] at Fun Bike Center saw the possibilities in having a team in the Arenacross Series," Antunez said. "That coupled with backing from Honda should prove to be a team to be watched. My number-one goal is to provide the promotion of the team in an attempt to give the sponsors the publicity they seek . The riders are in great shape and will simply need to go out and ride at their full potemial. Ifeach does that , they will be riding for the championship . This season should be a lot of fun. We plan on providing a lot of promotion to the Fun Bike Center/Honda team and to all of the sponsors involved . We are also developing several unique ideas for the riders to get involved in, on and off of the track. It is going to be great, and I think everyone involved will like the results . This series and the fans are obviously very specialto me , and I hope I can provide the fans with a great show and give something back to those who have supported me for so long. I'll see you at the races." 10 NOVEMBER 10, 2004 • CYCLE NEWS getting paralyzed or seriously injured." Hodgson has seen the schedule and hasn't decided whether he'd commute from his home on the Isle of Man or set up a base in America. Part will depend on the test sched - "If the cornpeunon was slightly less, then I wouldn 't be that keen on going," he said. "I wanted the competition. I wanted to go. 1didn't want to go to a champ ionship where if you won everyone said it' s embar- ule, "and I want to test, as you can imagine. rassing, you shouldn't be going there. I want I'm not like, 'Let me go home for a bit.' Let's test a track I haven't been to . If I have to live to go somewhere where it' sgoing to be the somewhere in California , that 's not a bad thing. My wife is really keen . My wife has worked for Virgin Airways for 10 years , nying to America . She knows America. And we've got a little girl that's I year old. So I could think of a lot worse places to bring up a I-year-old girl. My initial thoughts was to maybe just think about commuting, but I think the best thing to do is just rent somewhere and make that home." Part of the appeal of racing in America is the level of the competition . tough est season of my life." Hodgson said he doesn't expect to return to MotoGP. "I'm a 30-year-old Englishman who is never going to get a factory Honda ride here. And ifyou're not really on a Honda.... Valentino Rossi is a totally different subject . Valentino Rossi is Valentino Rossi. If you're everybody else, really, you've no chance. You're battling for something else. That wouldn't bother me at all. I'd be happy to end my career in America, with pleasure." Henny Ray Abrams Definitely No American Round for World Superbike Championship is creat ing the World Supers conditions for a great expansion of the calendar in According to a press release from FGSport, t he promoters of t he World Superbike new circuits," said Maurizio Flarnmini, FGSport's chairman. "Two new countries. Q atar and the Championship, there won 't be an American Czech Republic, have been included in the 200S calendar and very likely others willbe added within December. Moreover, I'm sure that what many media call "the year of the World Superbike relaunch" will just mark the beginning of a great roun d of the series in 200S, but there are hopes that the race will return to the schedule in 2006. The 2005 World Superbike calendar features two new ent ries: Brno (in the Czech and successful revival. I also want to reveal now Republic) and Qatar. ':<\dding new races in the 2005, World Superbike could strengthen this leadership and get arou nd the temporary absence of the American date that willno doubt be back in the championship in 2006 , and maybe with more our goals for the short-term future of the World Superbike: keep and strengthen the leadership in Europe, adding new countries; bring America with races both in the USAand in South America - Japan and Malaysia back in the calendar; add China. where FGSport has been the first compa- than one round ," the release states. ny in motorsport to organize a road racing World "I want to underline that the enthusiasm produced by the great success of the 2004 Championship with the World Endurance, held on the 2nd of May, 2004, at Zhuhai." 40th Anniversary