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/128401
Briefly... Lavilla To Stay Continued from page 9 A nother piece of the Ducati puzzle fell into Mplace on Friday, October 14, with the behind Vesrah Suzuki. A crash for the race leader brought out the red flag in the first half hour. On the restart, Crozier led for two laps before former World Champion announcement that newly crowned British Superbike Champion Gregorio Lavilla will return to the GSE Racing team in 2006 to defend his title. Lavilla will be joined on the Airwaves Ducati team by Leon Haslam, the young Brit returning Kevin Schwantz, whose team went on to win overall, was finally able to get past. Inlineon Raceway and West Coast Supermoto will be holding a level-one Supermoto class Monday, November 14, at for a second season with the team. "I have decided to stay with the team for one more year in British Superbikes because, having spoken lots to Darrell [Healey] and Colin [Wright], I believe that we can do good things together. This year, the atmosphere within the team has been very good, and that is very important to me, and I know that if 1stay with the team, we can achieve even more. Next season's championship will be good, and I want to try to raise the level of it and of course try to win the championship again. I expect there will be a lot of competition and some tough races, but I will be ready for that. The team will be ready for that, and the bike will be ready, too." Lavilla joined the Airwaves Ducati team as a late replacement for the injured James Haydon in March. Despite little or no knowledge of many of the British Superbike circuits, he quickly became Infineon Raceway's cart track. For more information, call Darrick Lucchesi at 415/298-4963. Harley-Davidson announced record earn- ings for its third quarter ending September 2S, 2005. Third-quarter diluted earnings per share (EPS) were 96 cents, a 24.7-percent increase compared with 77 cents last year. Net income for the quarter was $26S.0 million, up $36.0 million, or 15.7 percent. Revenue for the quarter was $1 .43 billion, compared to $1.30 billion in the year-ago quarter. "Harley-Davidson had a great third quarter:' said Jim Ziemer, chief executive officer of Harley-Davidson Inc. firmed that the team will get the best Ducatis and "Our motorcycles sold at a brisk pace in all of our worldwide markets. In the U.S., retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles rose 12 percent during the quarter, and in Europe and Japan, retail sales were up 1I.5 percent and 13 percent, respectively. Year to date, Harley-Davidson worldwide retail sales were up approximately 7 percent. We are pleased with these third-quarter retailsales results and the positive response to our exciting line of 2006 motorcycles. We introduced six brand-new models and support. "We are very pleased for GSE Racing," Ciabatti made significant enhancements to each of our motorcycle families this year, and the a title contender. "We are absolutely delighted Greg has decided to stay with us for next year; we appreciate that he is very hot property, and I'm sure his decision was not an easy one to make," team owner Darrell Healey said. "It's been our best season ever! After having a year out in 2004, no one could have predicted we would win the championship on our return. We are very proud of our team and the effort they all make." Ducati Corse director Paolo Ciabatti has con- said. "The result was fantastic, and we are very happy with their rider lineup. 1can confirm that we will provide GSE Racing with Ducati 999 F06 machines, the same as the factory team will use in World Superbike, next season." changes have been very well received by I Gregorio lovilia will defend his British Superbike Championship. our dealers, the motorcycle press and our retail customers. Our third-quarter results keep us on track with our previously dis- closed guidance for 2005 and move us closer to achieVing the company's 20th consecutive year of record revenue and earnings." Biaggi and Checa To Camel Honda? Depending on who you believe, the Camel Honda MotoGP deal, with Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa as riders, is done or isn't done. Team owner Sito Pons wasn't talking, and when he did talk, he contradicted what others had said. "Really, I cannot say anything about next year:' Pons said at the Australian Grand Prix. "Many things need to happen to finalize everything, and I don't want to make any comments until these things are finally decided in whatever way it is." For his part, current Camel Honda rider Alex Barros said he was out. "I'm a little bit disappointed about some things that go on inside:' he said. ''I'm not really happy." to ride a Camel Honda next year, he said he was unable to comment. However, a uni- formed member of the Camel Honda Pons team said that both Checa and Pons had signed a three-party agreement and that all that was needed now was approval by Camel, but the source would not go on the record. "If you print this, you won't be wrong:' the source said. If the Camel Honda team is set, it means that Chris Vermeulen may have to spend another year in World Superbike. "Now that I've ridden this bike, I don't want to go back to World Superbikes, if that's possible," Vermeulen said after racing the bike at Phillip Island. "I feel like I've got so course, depends also from the results. When you race, the results are everything. So at the moment is just learning, so too early. Of course, if they are great results after Istanbul or Valencia... at the moment, frankly, it seems difficult. The ideal situation from Honda Europe is to win or try to win again the World Superbike and after move definitely in 2007 in MotoGP." Vermeulen spoke while reviewing the flight and hotel plans he'd been given by the team for next week's Turkish Grand Prix. But Pons said the trip wasn't certain. "For the moment, we need to communi- cate if he is going to race in Turkey:' Pons said. "Is not completely Ioo-percent sure. And then we need to find out this. And then later on, after this, when we are in Turkey, we will Barros said he'd spoken to a number of much to learn to come here, and the earlier I find out if he can continue racing with us in Valencia or not. But it's still not yet decided." teams, but that no offers had been tabled. 'I\t the moment I have zero," he said. "Still waiting for something, I don't know. I'm still get here, the quicker I'm going to learn. I'd love to stay in this paddock, but a lot depends It would depend on the health of the injured Troy Bayliss. waiting." we'll wait and see." Checa told Spanish journalists on Saturday, October 15, that he was told in Qatar that Honda Motor sporting director Carlo Fiorani said that he didn't see Vermeulen Ducati would not renew his contract in 2006 moving to MotoGP in 2006. "In my opinion, it seems difficult:' said Fiorani, long a booster of the Australian. "Of and that he should look for another ride. Asked about whether he had signed with Pons on what's going to happen with this team, so "Looks like, for the moment, there's a very small pOSSibility he [Bayliss] will be ready for Turkey. That's why we think that it's not completeiy definite about the possibility that Chris will race in Turkey. But we need to find With the recent addition of 19 new 30-foot inflatable Airfence sections as well as five used sections, AMA Pro Racing's inventory of soft barriers has reached an all-time high, according to AMA Pro Racing. The new sections were purchased by the Roadracing World Action Fund for deployment by AMA Pro Racing, using donations from fans, riders and businesses interested and involved in motorcycle road racing. More information on the fund is available online at http://actionfund.roadracingworld.com. The Roadracing World Action Fund also delivered 13 new sections to the Illinois Motorcycle Dealers Association (IMDA) for use at AMA flat-track events, including the Springfield and DuQuoin Miles. "Running the Roadracing World Action Fund is both encouraging and discouraging," said John Ulrich, who is editor and owner of Roodrocing World magazine, as well as an AMA Pro Racing board member. "On one hand, it's encouraging to continue to get donations along with individual notes from contributors who genuinely care about making rac- out a little bit more." Henny Ray Abrams Continued on page 13 CYCLE NEWS • oaOBER 26,2005 11