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/128368
Briefly... Continued from page T registered North American Pirelli road racers. The website for Trackside Racers Supply is incorrect. It should read www.tracksideracerssupply.com. I na pre-race press conference at the opening round of the World Superbike Championship, SBK CEO Paolo Flammini answered questions from the press, both local and international. He outlined where World Superbike would go in the near future, with the com- ment, "The basis of the new Superbike era has been created in the last two years, by putting the technical regulations in line with what the market reali- ty is. I think that these rules will stay stable for a long time and at least as long as the market stays on the IOOOcc capacity. Clearly, if the market goes into different directions, the Superbike rules have to follow. We have to represent what the 5BK boss Paolo Flammini. industry offers to the normal buyers. Of Flammini," he said. course, you can have fine-tuning of the rules from time to time, but we don't envisage any changes at this time." Said Flammini, tellingly. "I think we can only say one concept, and that concept is that the single tire rule has With Ducati already making some small rumblings about their place in the cerned. Pirelli did very well in 2004. So, scheme of things under the current rules - and with Aprilia's twin maybe back in next year - this point may be tested sooner than Flammini would find ideal. When asked about the expansion of new models into the series, and increased factory participation in general, he made a definite point, omitting one key japanese manufacturer from the 2005 list. "The point is that, as you see, in 2004 we only had participation in an official form from Ducati and Petronas." Flammini said. "This year, Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha have made a very big effort worked perfectly, as far as we are confor us, the concept of the single tire rule will remain in place forever." Strong words indeed given that it was the tire rules, not really the restric- tor rules, which precipitated the big MSMA fall out of the Superbike series. Flammin; continued, adding, "Of course the provider is subject to a contract, but at the moment, Pirelli and FGSport are very happy about the cooperation." When asked about what he thought was the biggest strength and biggest weakness Pirelli had realized about its own 2004 efforts, racing manager to take part, so this means that we have many teams running different machines, which compete at maximum level. In Giorgio Barbier, stated, "We were most 2006, we already know that Aprilia and MV Agusta are planning to make a degree consistency for everyone. One thing we have to improve and one thing we will never have to stop improving is the development. because if, after this return in Superbike. For Aprilia, it is a return to Superbike; for M\I, it is a return to racing itself, as we know that this was the legend of the Grand Prix racing in the '70s and '80s." Ugo Forner, one of Pirelli's top management, nown in specially for the conference. replied to a question about pleased that we could supply the same product to all the riders, with a high result, we think that we have solved all the problems - that we can just produce normal test solutions and that we can have cheaper management costs - then that may be the biggest mistake we ever made. We have to keep our interest in development, keep the class growing, so how much longer Pirelli would stay in. and if they even really wanted to. " I think the teams in SBK should stay outright performance of product. The relaxed, because we are here for at least another year. So before we have got any ultimate reason we are here is not just to protect our motorsports presence, confirmation about how long it wiiltake. the right person to ask is Paolo but to improve. the product." Gordon Ritchie that means improving lap time and the As reported here last week, the AHA confirmed that the AHA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited round at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia, tentatively scheduled for September 17-18, is now confirmed forthe weekend of August 26-28. Prior to the date change, the race was to be a two-day meet, highlighted by a single round of the AHA Superbike Championship. The expanded three-day format now calls for an AMA Superbike Championship doubleheader, along with all support classes, including the Pro Honda Oiis Supersport Championship presented by Shoei, the AMA Repsol Lubricants Superstock Series and the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series. The event will be promoted by RPM Productions. "The VIR date has been listed as tentative on our calendar since the schedule was originally released. In finalizing the championship schedule, we felt an earlier date, along with making the event a Superbike doubleheader, was a positive step for the series," AMA vice president of commercial development john Farris said, ':AJso, the addition of RPM Productions as a promotional partner should help ensure continued growth of the event." With the additional VIR Superbike round resulting from the doubleheader format, the 2005 AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited now includes 17 races on the season. The 200S schedule gets under way at Daytona International Speedway, March 9-12, and concludes this year at Road Atlanta, September 2-4, for a Labor Day weekend doubleheader. Doug Meyer has resigned from Rob Muzzy's Performance Products in Bend, Oregon, after 10 years with the company. Meyer said at the recent Powersports Expo that "my time with Rob has been interesting and exciting. but something came up that I just couldn't pass up. We're parting on friendly terms." That something is a market- ing position with the Lancair Aircraft Company, also based in Bend. A lifelong pilot, Meyer says: " I'll always be a motorcycle guy, only now it will be my hobby, and airplanes will be my job. Maybe now I can ride more." Speed Channel's American Thunder will celebrate its IOth anniversary on March 9 in Daytona Beach, Florida, at Performance Machine's compound located on Beach Street between noon and 3 p.m. The Board In a meeting of the AHA Board of Directors on February 21 in Indianapolis, Indiana, Mike Buckley and Kevin Schwantz were re-elected as members of the AHA Pro Racing Board of Directors. Additionally, Pj, Harvey was confirmed for another one-year term as chairman. Cary Agajanian, Ray Blank, Paul Dean, jeff Nash, Rob Rasor and john Ulrich remain seated on the AHA Pro Racing Board. AHA Pro Racing, a subsidiary of the AMA, maintains a separate board of directors and staff and is responsible for the overall management of AMA professional motorcycle racing in the United States, according to the AHA. Results of the election are effective immediately. The AMA has announced that Rod Bush of KTM Sportnnotorcycle USA and John Ulrich of Roadracing World Publishing have been elected to serve as corporate members of the AHA Board of Directors. Bush and Ulrich were elected during the annual corporate members' meeting, held on Saturday, February 19 in Indianapolis, Indiana, to fill the seats previously held by Mel Harris of American Suzuki Motor Corporation and Davey Coombs of Filter Publications LLC. Ray Blank of American Honda Motor Com- pany was re-elected to seNe as a corporate director. The AHA Board of Directors consists of 12 members. Six individual directors are elected by the general membership in their respective regions and serve three-year terms. Six corporate directors are elected by the corporate membership and serve two-year terms. The AHA Board of Directors meets four times a year. The AMA has announced that Members Tour 2005 will kick off its 19-event outdoor season at Daytona Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Florida, from Sunday, March 6 through Saturday, March 12. The Members Tour 2005 tractor-trailer rig, which will be the center of AHA activities at Daytona Bike Week, will set up across from Daytona International Speedway near the north end of the pedestrian bridge. AHA representatives will be on hand to greet AMA members and other motorcycling enthusiasts and to discuss the important issues facing American motorcyclists. Programs to be highlighted include: "Ride Straight, Alcohol and motorcycling don't mix - statistics have shown that more than 40 percent of fatally injured motorcyclists were impaired." a program that educates motorcyclists about the dangers of drinking and riding; "Loud Pipes Risk Rights - Few things contribute more to prejudice against American motorcyclists than excessive motorcycle noise," a program that conveys the message that the motorcycling community benefits when we ride with respect for our feliow citizens; and "justice for All - What's a reasonable sentence for a driver who kills or seriously injures another motorist?" This last program shows motor· cyclists how they can help focus the public's attention on the disturbing trend of inade- quate sentencing. Members Tour 2005 will offer the opportunity for motorcyclists to join the AMA at Daytona Bike Week, and current AMA members can renew their memberships. Also, the Members Tour 2005 display will feature a hospitality area and a free "jacket and helmet check" exclusively for AMA members. Between now and November, Members Tour 2005 will visit a series of other major motorcycle events, including Americade, Laconia, AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, Sturgis, the Golden Aspen Rally and Biketoberfest. For more information about Members Tour 2005, visit amadirectlink.com!joinama/membertour/2005/ index.asp or call 800/AMA-jOIN. James Lennard Kibblewhite, 82, died on Friday, February 25. Kibblewhite was the founder of Precision Machining, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, a business that has been serving the motorcycle industry since 1938. His PM-backed Honda 450 won the Daytona junior 100 miler in 1968. He also set several personal motorcycle land speed records, as well as supported many others. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Maria; his mother, Nellie Pulford (103 years old), and sister, Noeline (both of Northern New Zealand); and his 10 children, as well as 26 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Services will be held at St, Peter's Church in Pacifica, California, on Saturday, March S, 2005, at II a.m. For more information, call 650/359-4704. Continued on page J4 CYCLE NEWS • MARCH 9, 2005 9