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/128353
D ucati Unlikely for Daytona 200? Attard To Attack Kawasaki I n an expected announcement, Kawasaki has announced th at it has re-signed Tommy and Roger Lee Hayden to compete in the AMA Supersport and Superstock classes in 200S and t hat jos h Hayes w illalso return to the Attack Kawasaki team and w ill race in the Supe rbike class. New to the team, however, is Kiwi Ben Attard, the fo rmer Corona Suzuki rider headed to Attack Kawasak i to compete in the Formula Xtreme and Supersport classes. "I w ould love to be in th e Dayton a 200," finishing eighth in the 2004 AMA Superbike Championship on the team's ZX-I OR. "josh did an e xcellent job on the ZX-I OR and w e' re happy , that he and Attack Kawasa ki are going for the Supe rbike title in 200S ," Pre ston said . Ducat i No rt h Am e rica CEO Michael Lock said during a Wide- ranging interview last week th at w ill ap pe ar in an upcoming issue of Cycle News. But, he added less tha n o pt imist ically, " I w ould rate our chances at the moment at less than SO-SO." Attard is new to the team, Lock spoke to Cycle News just be lore t ho ugh he did ride for Attac k in the Toyota 200 at Willo w em barking on a tri p to t he Ducati lactory in Italy, where o ne 01 the items o n his "It was amazing to see these two guys from Kentucky battling each other for every inch of the racetrack." - Mike Preston " It was amazing to see these two guys Irom Kentucky [the Haydens] battl ing each ot he r lor eve ry inch of the racetrack," team manager Mike Preston said. "Kawasaki was e xtremely pleased with their pe rformance, and we're happy to have the m riding lo r us again in 2oo S, It will be interesting to see how t he new season deve lops - Tomm y's determ ined to kee p his num ber-on e plate , but Roger would love to take it Irom him in 'OS," Hayes returns to Attack Kawasaki after agenda was convincing D ucati Corse to en ter the 200. Th e main obstacle is t he reliability 01 the 749R over 200 m iles, "We wo uld have to race with the Springs t his year, finishing third 749R, but Ducati Corse have not devel- in the race. It was enough to op ed attract the attention of team owne r Richard Stamboli. " Be n pro ved himsell to be the tal ented ride r we were lo o king fo r," Stamboli said, "an d w e're exci ted that he's riding for us. Betwee n jo sh and Ben , o ur 200S effort is look ing very st ron g." mach ine," Lock said. "T hat's the botto m th e 749R as an e nd urance line 01 the prob le m, II I can con vince them to build me one over the win te r - ClJoron~ Fvho. Ben Attard will ride an Attack Kawasaki next year. and bel ieve yo u me I'm try ing everything I've go t - we would love to be part of that , And we t hink if they cou ld build the machine, we could be competit ive. So I wo uld love to do it , bu t I'm not ho lding my breath." Henny Ray Abrams Canadian Superbike Series Gets Busy Th e busiest season in Canadian Super bike said Colin Fraser, of se ries organ izer racing's 26-year history will consi st of eight Prol essio nal Motors po rt Pro duct ion s. "Ove r t he past lew yea rs we have added races over seven weekends, and the tour w ill visit six different venues across C anada. some impressive new venues and events to For the first time in almost a decade the o ur sc he du le, and t hat has allowed us to season w ill not end at Shannonv ille produce the most interesting and diverse Motorsport Par k on Labor Day weeke nd. Inst ead, the champion will be crowned a sc hedu le in our history lor 200 S." week later at the M ont-Trem blant circuit in The series schedule is as follow s: Quebec. And the race he ld in conjunction w ith the Mo lso n Indy Montreal Champ Car May 20-22 Shannonville Motorsport Park (Pro Track) Shannonville, Onta rio July 1-3 Race City M otorsport Pa rk Calgary, Alberta Ju ly 15-17 Mosport International Raceway Bowmanville, Onta rio J uly 15-17 Mosport International Raceway Worl d Series event will now count as a points round of the series instead of running as a no ncham pio nship invitational. O nly the Superbike feature class w ill run in Mo ntrea l, how eve r, not the Pro and Amateu r 600 Sport Bike national support classes. The Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Spo rt Bike division w ill pro bab ly run a do ublehead er at Bowmanvill , Onta rio e one of the existing series stops, giving it the same number of points races as the Superbike class . The event at Mospo rt Internationa l Raceway in mid-july w ill once again ru n as a do uble heade r. But after also featu ring a doubleheader format last season, the sec- o nd ro und 01 t he series at C algary's Race City Moto rspo rt Park will return to a singlerace se tup, although it is the mo st likely ven ue lor a second Pro 600 Sport Bike ra ce . "This w ill be an exciting season for the Part s Ca nada Supe rbike Cham pio nship," 8 DECEMBE R 8 , 200 4 • CYCLE NEWS 40th Anniversary August 5-7 Atlantic Motorsport Pa rk Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia August 26-28 Molson IndyMontreal (Superbike only) Montrea l, Quebec 5eptember2-4 Shannonvill Motorspo rl Pa rk e (Long Track) Shan nonville, Ontario 5eptember9-11 Le CircuitMont-Tremblant Mont-Tremblant, Quebec