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COM

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 4
V8#

ROAD RACER X VOLUME 8 NUMBER 4

Valentino Rossi started the 2010

season with an unexpected win
in Qatar, but he was bested by
teammate Jorge Lorenzo at the
next to rounds. The Doctor’s tribe
hopes Father Time hasn’t finally
caught up to #46. Let us pray....
PHOTO BY GIGI SOLDANO/MONSTER ENERGY

COVER PHOTO OF JORGE LORENZO BY MARTIN HEATH. ELENA MYERS INSET BY RILES/NELSON; LEON HASLAM INSET BY WHEELER/BROWN

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FEATURES

WHEELER

WHEELER
38 60
ALUMNI DAY RISE AGAIN
Former World Superbike Champion Scott Russell sounds off With the signing of Leon Haslam, Alstare Suzuki has returned
on the Miller Motorsports Park SBK round. to the top of the World SBK field and now hopes to retake
the crown.
RILES/NELSON

GOLD & GOOSE

46 66
ELENA MYERS CAN KICK YOUR ASS THE BIKES OF LAGUNA
Elena Myers is as friendly as any high-school girl you’ll find— Experts agree that Laguna Seca is a rider’s track, but the
until you put her on a racetrack. motorcycles that have won there are impressive nonetheless.

REGULARS
HEATH

8 GRID
10 MASTHEAD
14 IGNITION
16 PIT PASS
20 MAILROOM
22 CHATTER
25 ROAD RACERHEAD
36 MAMOLA
76 THE POINT

54 78
80
82
HERITAGE
AV ROOM
2 TRIBES
THE PRINCE OF ENGLAND 84 5 MINUTES WITH…
The once-proud UK’s Grand Prix hopes could rest on the 88 DELUXE
shoulders of skinny, speedy 125cc ace Bradley Smith. 97 SPEED OF LIFE

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worldmags & avaxhome
worldmags & avaxhome
 DUCK TRACKER

The early part of the 2010 racing

season was uncharacteristically
rough for Ducati, as the Italian man-
ufacturer encountered problems in
both World Superbike and MotoGP.
Relief came at an unlikely venue
when Joe Kopp rode his Lloyd
Brothers-prepared, Ducati-powered
flat tracker to victory at Arizona’s
Yavapai Downs Mile. It was the first
time a non-Harley-Davidson had
won an AMA Pro Grand National
Twins race since 1998.

PHOTO BY BRIAN J. NELSON

8
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 CHRIS FILLMORE
PEACE AND WHEELIES | [Link]

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 304-284-0080

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Riding like a girl

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Performed on a closed course by professionals. Obey all traffic and safety laws.
Dunlop does not endorse or encourage exceeding safe, legal speed limits.

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OWN YOUR
FAVORITE ROAD
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 A Road Racer X column by CHRIS JONNUM

W
hen people ask how I got my job, mangling his left hand during his rookie Grand pain. After not sleeping well for a week despite
I like to say I tried racing but was Prix season; breaking both ankles while par- painkillers, Hopkins had the pin pulled, leav-
short on talent, so magazine work ticipating in the Crossover Supercross Chal- ing him worse off than pre-operation, as the
was my backup. Though that’s true, I suspect lenge; cracking ribs, breaking his left foot, trauma created massive amounts of scar tissue.
that what I lacked even more than skills was and blowing out his teeth at the Sachsenring; He had almost no wrist movement through the
bravery. Maybe my sense of self-preservation breaking three ribs and having a footpeg go up early part of this year.
is just too developed, but I’ve always been his anus at Motegi; breaking a scaphoid and After the second race, John had the scar
hesitant to flirt too closely with the edge of severing a tendon at Qatar; blowing out a knee tissue removed, but it didn’t really help. Dr.
Ting saw him after Road Atlanta and

BODY OF EVIDENCE reported that the lunate bone was so

discolored in the MRI that it was unfix-
able, a diagnosis that was confirmed by
MORTON

two other surgeons. When Dr. Ting says

to retire, most people pay attention, but
John eventually found a doctor in San
Diego who would operate. “I’m not
done racing by any means,” Hopkins
told me. “That’s why we searched so
long and hard for the surgeon—I wasn’t
ready to quit racing. Retirement was
just not an option.”
This doctor completely recon-
structed Hopkins’ wrist, re-breaking the
radius bone in his forearm and shorten-
ing it by 3mm, then plating that and in-
stalling eight screws and three external
pins. Cartilage and a donor tendon were
added as well. In early June, John said
the recovery was going well. He ex-
pected to have his cast removed around
the time this issue hits, after which he’ll
start a six-week rehabilitation period.
Realistically, that means his best hope is
to return in time for the VIR AMA Pro
round in mid-August.
I asked Hopkins if it’s possible that
he’s just avoiding the inevitable—re-
tirement—but he insisted that’s not the
case. “I’d be able to accept it,” he said.
John Hopkins has endured “It would be disappointing, for sure, but
more than his share of injuries. it is what it is. More important to me in
my life is the relationship with my wife.
control. I’ve had a few shoulder injuries, but and breaking his left ankle and tibia at As- We want to have kids in the future, and I want
despite the fact that I’ve ridden motorcycles sen; dislocating his hip and tearing ligaments to be able to play with them and take them mo-
for over three decades, I’ve never worn a cast around his femur at the same track a year later; tocross riding. I don’t want to jeopardize my
in my life. and, in a horrific crash last year at the Nur- quality time with my family.”
Obviously, that attitude wouldn’t cut it at burgring, suffering a massive brain contusion Nonetheless, he’s determined to give it
the sport’s professional level, where it’s rou- and cartilage damage to his wrist and shoulder. another try this summer. I almost always re-
tine to sacrifice one’s body to the racing gods. All in all, Hopper has undergone surgery an sist the cliched crutch of comparing sport to
It’s easy to envy the top pros’ paychecks and incredible twenty-two times. armed conflict, because I doubt that anything
fame, but few would actually be willing to John’s ’07 Qatar crash continues to haunt can hold a light to the horror of war, but it’s
submit to the requisite abuse. him. It happened early in the year, and because hard not to see parallels in situations like this.
Perhaps no rider epitomizes this more than Suzuki finally had a competitive bike, he con- There’s a line about war being the only thing
John Hopkins. When I recently asked him to tinued racing rather than taking time to have we have left to determine whether or not we’re
list the injuries he’s suffered in his career, he his wrist repaired. He rode that season and the courageous, but I’d say professional motor-
went on for four minutes. Among the “high- next, but his ’09 Nurburgring crash aggravated cycle racing might also handle that task.
lights” are breaking seven bones (including a the problem, and this time he elected to have it Whatever the case, I don’t care how much
femur) during his childhood motocross career; fixed. One of the pins installed during the pro- money or fame Hopper and his cohorts get; I’m
breaking a collarbone during his AMA days; cedure went through a nerve, causing intense glad I make my living as a journalist. X
14
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 RILES/NELSON
Getting Current
Considering the role nearby Silicon Valley has
played in technology’s march, it was only appro-
priate that Infineon Raceway host America’s first
electric motorcycle road race. The opening round
of the TTXGP North American Championship—
organized by Azhar Hussein, the man behind last
year’s historic electric race on the Isle of Man—
was part of AMA Pro’s weekend, and Zero-spon-
sored Shawn Higbee won on the same Agni bike
that topped the TT. Shown here are Spencer Smith
(19) and Zoe Rem (18).
Other North American rounds include Wis-
consin’s Elkhart Lake, Canada’s Mosport, and
Virginia International Raceway, while the rival FIM
e-Power series may add a U.S. round too.
RILES/NELSON

NORTHCOTT
CJ crushed grapes in Sonoma with an 1198.
WHEELER/BROWN

Blusen’s chief red-shoelace tester.

WHEELER/BROWN

Ah, to be Tom Sykes…. World Superbike meets World Cup.

16
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RILES/NELSON

NORTHCOTT
EJ hitched a ride with CU!
RILES/NELSON

De Puniet to self: “Should I try a Sykes?”

WHEELER/BROWN
How’s the bouquet on that merlot, Danny? Now that’s hardcore!

NORTHCOTT

Reunited?
With all of the top MotoGP riders’ contracts
up at year’s end, this was bound to be a silly
season for the ages, and it didn’t take long to get
started. After Round 2, a strong rumor surfaced
that Casey Stoner would follow former team
manager Livio Suppo from Ducati Corse to HRC.
Both sides denied it, but insiders insist it’s true.
Almost simultaneously, stories circulated that
Ducati had extended an offer to Valentino Rossi
that included not just financial considerations
but “philosophical” aspects. Italian fans would
love such a scenario, and though it might seem
unlikely, one doubts that both Vale and Jorge
Lorenzo will remain at Fiat Yamaha. With gossip
like this, who needs racing?

17
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 mailroom
HIGHRISE but the geometry differences between sport
Admitting you’re a dirt bike guy while editing bikes and SuMo bikes go beyond handlebar
a road racing magazine is pretty funny. Your position. That said, those riser kits make sense
article on the Ducati Hypermotard [“The in many ways (especially economically!),
Bridge” May/June] was nice, but there are and I appreciate you pointing them out. Now
lots of nice standard bikes out there with go to the bathroom already!… CJ
high bars (FZ1, Z1000, Tuono, et al). If one
wants to do the high-bar thing and save about I’m looking to get some exposure for my
$14,500 while keeping high performance, artwork. I’m getting a website constructed
you can just add a Spiegler LSL Superbike as we speak. I’m a big fan of MotoGP and
bar kit (or any of the adjustable, raising clip-

ARTWORK BY BARRESE
on kits like Heli, etc.) to your existing sport
bike to get the feel of a motocrosser or old-
school 1970s superbike. They make them
for most bikes, and aside from changing
the weight distribution and geometry a tad,
they’re quite nice and relatively cheap. I did
my Gixxer 750 with a Spiegler kit because I
have a broken neck with titanium Herrington
rods down the cervical and thoracic spine, so
I can’t bend down in the classic racer pose
anymore. It was either that or a rocking chair
for me. (I’d probably fall and hurt myself superbike. This pen-and-ink is of the “Kool-
HOG CALL in a damn rocker, so road racing is still the Aid Kid,” and it’s called “Rossi’s Ninth!”
Who cares that Harley-Davidson returned to safest option.) Your magazine and web site are terrific;
racing? They don’t make a competitive bike These kits can be changed to any size, maybe someday I can contribute to the mag.
that can challenge the rest of the industry and if you crash, it’s only anywhere from SAM BARRESE
(Japanese or Italian) and need a special class $25-1,000 to switch out the 7/8” standard Pittston, PA
of their own. They had a great opportunity to bars. The motocross/dirt bike guys and Sam, you just did. By the way, nice reference
challenge in the AMA with Buell and took gals love ’em. Wherever I go, I always to that old Kool-Aid letter! CJ
a championship with Danny Eslick piloting attract a big crowd (unfortunately not from
it, only to drop the brand. Why would I be the ladies, but from the dirt bike crowd MAD HATTER
interested in watching, riding, or racing a marveling at my “motocross Gixxer”). The After noticing the Monster Energy hat John
substandard product that would never be Hopkins is wearing in some of the recent
RILES/NELSON

televised in the first place? I welcome the RRX issues, I really want that hat. After
return of Eric Buell Racing and the real chance searching on Amazon and eBay with no
that America will once again begin the long luck, I figured I’d ask you people. Maybe
journey to the top of the racing podium. you can point me in the right direction?
KEN RYDER CHRIS HARDIN
Dallas, TX Grand Island, FL
Ken is referring to AMA Pro’s new Vance & Chris, we checked with Monster, and
Hines XR1200 series…CJ I’m sorry to report that those hats are for
sponsored athletes only and aren’t for sale.
JOINING JUMPMAN Maybe you can send in a resume!…CJ
Great cover on your May/June issue. I’m race guys in the pits now call me Captain
happy to see Jake Zemke landed on his feet America, Easy Rider, or Chopper Dude, due
this season with National Guard/Jordan
Suzuki, and he’s certainly making the most of
to the high bars (which are really only about
5” from stock clip-ons).
Write Now
the opportunity. Sometimes it seems that the Just an FYI. Keep up the good work If you have comments or questions, send
sport doesn’t realize how fortunate it is to have (and get a monthly going—tired of waiting them to us at:
Michael Jordan involved. I guarantee you he’s two months to go to the bathroom!).
not getting any richer through his racing efforts, STEVEN HOLT Letters@[Link] or
yet he’s continuing while many efforts that one Fallbrook, CA
Road Racer X Mailroom
would’ve presumed are more passionate have Good letter, Steven. For what it’s worth,
122 Vista del Rio Dr.
fallen by the wayside. Not only that, but his my point in that story is that our roots stay
Morgantown, WV 26508
celebrity power is drawing outside interest, with us, so despite the fact that I’m now
with ESPN’s recent E:60 being one good completely into road racing and mainly ride
example. Now that he’s winning at the top sport bikes, I still feel more natural when I Be sure to include your full name and
level, I hope MJ stays around for a long time. get on a Supermoto-style bike. I also love hometown. Letters may be edited for
JIM MASON standard bikes and think they’re actually clarity and length.
Atlanta, GA more versatile than Supermoto machines,

20
worldmags & avaxhome
World Superbike Champion 2009, Ben Spies

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 BROWN/WHEELER

“Solid race, but really wanted to be up on that podium

poppin bottles, with them monster girl models!”
@NickyHayden69, after the Monster-sponsored Le Mans
MotoGP, where he finished fourth for the third time in a row

“Almost forgot how good I am at making latte’s until I

knocked up two stunners this evening ;-)”
@chazdavies

“By all the comments I should have definitely chose

my words more wisely. How’s about ‘I created two
beautiful, delicious latte’s’!!”
@chazdavies, shortly after the previous comment

“At Phillip Island, the water is too cold, and there may
be sharks.”
“There’s Leon Camier, who’s got the Jorge Lorenzo (@lorenzo99), on why he won’t perform his Jerez
most decorous pair of elongated side- lake jump in Australia
burns that we’ve ever seen on a young
fellow since the heyday of the 1960s.” “Riding around on his motorcycle with no helmet…. That
Jack Burnicle, during the broadcast of the Portimao World pretty much defines him.”
SBK race/Eurosport Former NASCAR great Darrel Waltrip, on NFL player Ben Roethlis-
berger, who was injured in a 2006 bike crash and has been accused
“Ben needs to win and challenge for the podium in his of sexual assault/Sports Illustrated
first season.”
Wayne Rainey, on Ben Spies’ debut season in MotoGP/GP “Holy s--t, Mat Mladin’s following me!”
Week (UK) Laurel Allen, on her new Twitter fan

“When the pavement tries to persuade your bones to move “He is a very quick rider who also rarely falls, which is very
beyond their comfort zone, the Handroid answers no.” important to a lean team like ours!”
From a review of the Knox Handroid motorcycled glove/Wired Erik Buell Racing’s Facebook status, in reference to hiring Geoff May
to their American Superbike team
“Don’t push me too hard!”
Valentino Rossi, joking during a press briefing while wearing his Dai- NORTHCOTT

nese D-Tech “airbag” leathers

“You don’t despoil the American flag, do you?”

Jim Allen, on why he didn’t discard his Dunlop shirts upon retiring/ “I would
Superbike Planet feel like
a traitor
“I like to think that he’ll be the reigning 250 World Cham-
if I left
pion forever!”
Yamaha.”
Announcer Toby Moody, on Hiroshi Aoyama, who won the class’
Valentino
final title last year/Eurosport
Rossi, on the
prospect
“Well, they’ve gone green for the environment; they haven’t
of going to
used a lot of fuel tonight.”
Ducati
Steve Parrish, on the supposedly environmentally friendly Pramac
Racing team, after both riders dropped out of the Qatar Grand Prix
in the early laps/BBC

22
worldmags & avaxhome
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 Cover Me

NORTHCOTT
A
s fans, we’re lucky to be around leathers sponsor in Dainese, and his person-
during the reign of Valentino alized graphics are definitely comparable,
Rossi. His fellow Grand Prix with Valentino’s blue/white/yellow replaced
Page 28
racers probably don’t feel so fortunate, by Jorge’s blue/white/red and Rossi’s sun/
though—how would you like to be the moon theme mirrored by Lorenzo’s angel/ Call it a Comeback
best non-Doctor racer of this millenni- devil. During the Spaniard’s rookie season, Two of road racing’s most popular rid-
um’s first decade? The Italian has taken he even ran a #48, just two numbers off ers consider returning to their respec-
seven of nine premier-class titles since of his teammate’s famous #46 (Jorge has tive paddocks—Troy Bayliss to World
SBK and Eric Bostrom to AMA Pro.
2001, with only Nicky Hayden and Casey since switched to #99).
Stoner interrupting his run. Meanwhile, The emulation has extended to Loren-
notable riders like Max Biaggi, Sete Gib- zo’s victory celebrations, which call to

CJ
ernau, Marco Melandri, Dani Pedrosa, mind Rossi’s famous post-race skits. Vale

NORTHCOTT
and—last year—Jorge Lorenzo had to celebrated an ’07 Jerez Grand Prix win by
settle for second best. bowling down friends dressed as bowl-
ing pins, and less than three
MUSEAU

months later, Jorge’s rock-

star-costumed pals joined Page 30
him with guitars in a Barce-
lona gravel trap. Ask Nicky
The thing is, Lorenzo’s Ducati’s MotoGP American discusses
imitations of the great rider his unfinished business in flat track
and why dirt bikes are a valuable
don’t end off the track. In
training tool for road racers, despite
fact, three rounds into this the risks.
season, it appeared that
Jorge had the best chance of
COURTESYNATIVIDAD

knocking his teammate out

of the top slot. Though Vale
topped the season opener in
Qatar, Lorenzo was second,
and he came out on top at
the next two races, in Jerez Page 33
and Le Mans. Granted, the
momentum could well have
Deployed
shifted by the time you read Road race fans can be found in
some unlikely places, and thanks to
this, but it seems clear the
members of the U.S. military, so can
Spaniard has taken a step Road Racer X.
forward this year. Suffice
to say “Por Fuera” should
Jorge Lorenzo be fun to watch at Mazda
NORTHCOTT

Raceway Laguna Seca’s

It has to be a frustrating predicament Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix.
for men who would almost certainly be It’s tempting to chide Lorenzo for be-
champions in almost any other era. But ing derivative, and there’s no arguing that
while some can take satisfaction in com- he’s got a bit of an ego (he released his
peting with arguably the greatest of all first autobiography before he’d complet- Page 34
time, Lorenzo has consistently challenged ed a single premier-class race, whereas
Texas Two-Step
Vale head-on since entering the class in Rossi waited until he’d amassed five titles
Ever wonder what music the Monster
2008—to the point that he could almost in the division). That said, rare is the suc-
Energy Tech 3 Yamaha team blasts
be accused of impersonating Rossi. cessful racer who’s not at least a little after hours or before a race? Ben and
For starters, Lorenzo is on the same egotistical. And if you have to pick some- Colin have the answer.
team as Rossi, which means he’s armed one to emulate, you could do a lot worse
with identical equipment. He has the same than The Doctor. CJ

25
worldmags & avaxhome
 Call it a Comeback

C
omebacks are always in the saddle”) and openly contem-

CJ
NORTHCOTT
fashion, and despite the plating a return to racing. That idea
pitfalls that await many has been greeted with glee by fans,
racers unable to give up the ghost, but perhaps less so by the strug-
that’s particularly true in road rac- gling Ducati Xerox riders.
ing. At press time, the World Su- The U.S. paddock, meanwhile,
perbike and AMA Pro paddocks has welcomed the return of missing
looked set to welcome back two Boz Bro Eric Bostrom, who took a
of their most popular riders, the break from racing after an unsatis-
most notable being three-time SBK Could a Bayliss return be as factory 2008 season and promptly
World Champion Troy Bayliss. sweet as his departure? disappeared into a Brazilian-based
The Australian’s post-2008 re- narrative that encompassed man-
tirement was picture-perfect: he clinched the title a round early, goes, grapes, and shady real-estate deals. (If AMA Pro fans are
then put a stamp on it with a double victory at the final round; glad to have him back, Eric himself is even gladder.) The four-
Bayliss himself called it “the perfect end to my racing career.” By time AMA champion returns via a three-round Cycle World/At-
this May, however, he was lapping Mugello on a factory Ducati tack Performance deal and told RRX that the idea of a future
superbike (posting quick times and calling it “an easy return to full-time return does hold some attraction. LCA

Farewell, #100 (Erik) Buell is Back

T I
he past handful of seasons have been frustrating for f powerhouse OEM Harley-Davidson abruptly discontin-
two-time World Superbike champ Neil Hodgson, and it ued your product line mere months after you’d won an
seems the popular Brit has finally had enough. In late AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Championship, what would
April, while struggling with a shoulder injury aggravated at the you do? If you were Erik Buell, you’d take a day or two to
opening British Superbike round, he told Reuters news service recover from the shock and then use the next six months
that he’d decided to retire. “It will take time for me to come to to create Erik Buell Racing, begin offering three models of
terms with this,” he said, “but it is the right decision.” race-ready motorcycles, and announce the creation of your
Hodgson came to the AMA Pro series after a disappoint- own in-house AMA Pro American Superbike team with rider
ing ’04 season in MotoGP, but instead of dominating the U.S. Geoff May on board. “I love the people in racing,” Erik told
series—his stated RRX. “It’s always been in my blood, and quite frankly, we
RILES/NELSON

intention at the were too far away from it for way, way too long. I’m really
time—he often had happy to be back, and I don’t ever want to leave again.”
difficultly making the
RILES/NELSON

podium, fell afoul

of teams with their
own problems (em-
ployers Ducati and
Honda both left the
series during this
time), and saw his
’09 season derailed
by an MX training
accident. Through-
out it all, though, Neil
remained a fan fa-
vorite, as evidenced
by the outpouring
of support that fol-
Geoff May made his first outing on the
lowed his April an-
Neil Hodgson Buell at AMA Pro’s Infineon round.
nouncement.

26
worldmags & avaxhome
 RKT201SPEEDMASTERGPXSERIES

worldmags & avaxhome

 NICKY HAYDEN
While fellow Americans Colin Edwards and
Ben Spies struggled at the early MotoGP
rounds, the ’06 champ finished fourth in the
National Guard/Jordan Suzuki’s Jake Zemke has been first three races. In his words, he hoped to be
on the gas this season in American Superbike, turning “poppin’ bottles” soon.
in a string of podiums and top-five finishes that put
him top in points as this issue went to press. Because ELENA MYERS
Zemke’s no ordinary class leader, Leo Vince etched Proving she deserves her place on the AMA
him this extraordinary exhaust can, but if you’re jeal- Pro SuperSport grid, the 16-year old scored
ous, take heart: custom etching is available even for us her first win at Infineon Raceway—a historic
(slow) plebs. Check [Link] for details. moment in U.S. racing

MOTO2
Several rounds into the series, MotoGP’s
newest class continues to deliver bulging
grids and some of the closest racing we’ve
seen, earning rave reviews from fans and
riders alike.

KENNY NOYES
America’s sole Moto2 rider has been fast in
testing and qualifying—he took pole in Le
Mans—but through the first three rounds,
he’d had bad luck in the races.

The Perfect Date BEN SPIES

The Texan finished an impressive fifth in his
rookie MotoGP opener but had to retire from

I
f you plan to attend this year’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix Round 2 and crashed out of Round 3, proving
at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, take yourself to the that despite his massive talent and now-
movies—specifically, the inaugural Leo Vince Movie legendary rookie WSBK season, he’s still only
Night. Back in February, Leo Vince launched a contest for all human (though less human, it must be said,
motorcycle-loving aspiring filmmakers; the winning film (not than the rest of us).
yet chosen at press time) garnered its creators airfare, accom-
modations, and tickets to the race, where the film will have CASEY STONER
several showings. And unlike your local $17-per-ticket movie Many had picked the ’07 MotoGP champ for
theater, admission to the Leo Vince screenings is free. title number two before the season, but amid
rumors that he’s already signed with Honda,
he crashed his Ducati out of two of the first
three races.

NORIYUKI HAGA
A powerful championship runner-up for years
in World Superbike, Haga was expected to
seal the deal in 2010 with rival Ben Spies out
of the way. Instead, the Ducati Xerox rider
made the podium just twice in the first twelve
races and turned in a string of poor results
that have left Nitro fans confused.

28
worldmags & avaxhome
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View contingency online
worldmags & avaxhome
 by NICKY HAYDEN

ing possible while I’m still

NORTHCOTT
racing MotoGP. That said, I
300 haven’t put dirt track to bed
Grand Prix rounds Loris Capirossi yet—not by a long shot.
had started as of the Qatar season
opener. Nicky,
As someone who can relate
41 to dirt bike injuries, I’d like
to ask why road racers train
Entrants on the grid in the debut
on dirt bikes. How does it
Moto2 race, at Qatar.
help with road racing? Does
the rear really spin and step
10% out that much anymore in
Decrease in motorcycle deaths in MotoGP? Seems everyone
2009, according to a Governors is getting injured in the last
Highway Safety Association report. few years, including you,
Lorenzo, Rossi, Bautista,
Among the cited reasons for the
and Hodgson.
first recorded drop in twelve years
ERIC ZAHLMANN
is decreased riding because of the Las Vegas, NV
economy and a harsh winter. It really is a touchy subject.
I’m sure some people at
2011 home think, What are these
The season in which production- clowns doing, going off on
dirt bikes and getting hurt?
derived liter engines might debut
It’s not like that; there’s a
in MotoGP—one year earlier than
Nick, reason Rossi was out riding his dirt bike two
originally planned, depending on I signed Road Racer X’s petition to get days after he got home from winning the Qatar
manufacturers’ leasing prices of Ducati Corse to let you ride a Lloyd GP. If he just wanted to have fun, he’d be at the
800s for satellite teams. Brothers bike at the Indy Mile. Is this beach with his buddies, not out in sweaty mo-
just a pipe dream, or do you think there’s tocross gear at a hot track somewhere pound-
20 actually a chance this time? ing out laps. There’s a benefit to it. You can go
PAULA JENKINS to the gym and do curls, ride your bicycle, and
Years since an American had scored
Bishop, CA do cross-training, but the truth is that when it
pole position in Grand Prix racing’s
First, I’d like to say it’s awesome that Joe comes to training the mind and muscles how to
middleweight class when Kenny
Kopp won on a Ducati in Arizona. It would push the limits on a motorcycle, there’s really
Noyes did so at the Le Mans GP. The be a great story for me to try at Indy, but truth- only one way—riding motorcycles.
previous rider was John Kocinski. fully, it’s a pipe dream. As much as I’d love I know dirt bikes don’t always carry over
to go over there that weekend, with what I’ve exactly, but it’s surprisingly close. A motor-
27 got going on right now, something like that cycle’s a motorcycle, and the coordination and
Riders qualifying within one second could only happen in the movies. We’ve got balance needed to ride them are pretty consis-
a busy schedule this summer, and it wouldn’t tent. On the other hand, it can be very risky at
of pole in the Moto2 class at Le
be any fun to finish with MotoGP qualifying, times and cost people races and even seasons.
Mans, a record.
grab my steel shoe as I head out the door, slide You have to figure out how to take the least
over there to the fairgrounds, and run around amount of risk possible. Teams know riders do
1 mid-pack in a semi. Just because Chris Carr it, but it’s not something they really talk about
Females who have won professional did some road racing in his day doesn’t mean a lot. I’ve never had a team manager ask me
AMA Pro road races—16-year-old he’s going to come over and take Rossi and how my TT track is doing, but behind closed
Elena Myers became the first when Lorenzo to school, and those guys are the same doors, they make sure I’ve got plenty of parts
way in dirt track; they’re at the top of their and everything else I need to ride.
she topped the Race 1 SuperSport
sport, and trying to win against them would
contest at Infineon Raceway in May.
be just as hard. If I were to do it, I’d want to Keep up with Nicky this summer at
do it right, and it’s hard to imagine that be- [Link].

30
worldmags & avaxhome
worldmags & avaxhome
 ASK US

NORTHCOTT
ANYTHING
I’d be interested to hear why the Jack & Jones Moto2
team has decided not to run a front fender. I know
front fenders play a very important role in aerodynam-
ics for MotoGP bikes (to the point where regulations
are in place to actually limit the size and shape of
front fenders), and one would think that in a spec-
engine series, each team would go to any length pos-
sible to gain a top-speed advantage.
BRIAN CHILDREE
Salt Lake City, UT

We posed Brian’s question to Jack & Jones by Antonio

Banderas rider Kenny Noyes, who said the team planned
to test a front fender at the series’ Mugello round. “The “We have an awesome chassis,” he continued, “but
problem for the first three races,” Kenny said, “was that our weak point has been aerodynamics, and we’ve gener-
the front fender we had was pretty good for aerodynam- ally run toward the rear on top-speed charts. So that’s
ics, but it created cooling issues. We gained a little down what the team is working on now, and in addition to the
the straight, but we lost power and acceleration as the front fender, they’re working on a complete new faring
engine got hot, which, at the end of the day, my crew and ram-air intakes to get the Jack & Jones Promo Harris
chief figured would be worse. closer to the top of the charts.”

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 COURTESY NATIVIDAD
NAME: David S. Natividad
RANK: Sergeant First Class
BRANCH: U.S. Air Force
JOB DESCRIPTION: Small Arms Master Gunner
HOMETOWN: Laguna Beach, California

I
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livestock, and watershed improvements—bringing
them out of the 18th century and into the 21st! We
will be completing our year in August (and home
before September) after seeing more combat than
any of the other ADTs combined in this country.
But it’s a rewarding mission, especially seeing the
children who will grow up in the areas where we’re
seeing positive change. Hope to see you around
the circuits this year…. Loyal to RRX, even in the
combat zones of Afghanistan!

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worldmags & avaxhome
 TEXAS TWO-STEP
SCOTT RUSSELL
ZEEK
is a road rac-

NORTHCOTT
NORTHCOTT
ing legend also
known as “Mr.
Daytona” for his
five victories in
the 200, though
his Florida
exploits and ’92
AMA Superbike crown are arguably
matched by his ’93 World Superbike
title with Muzzy Kawasaki. He now Colin Edwards & Ben Spies On … MUSIC
does racing commentary for Speed
TV, and for this issue, he gave us his COLIN BEN
thoughts on the Miller Motorsports I’m at the stage in my life where music Music is actually pretty important in my
Park WSBK race. is not very important to me. I don’t have life, and I’m always keeping an eye out
time to think about it or download stuff. for something new on iTunes. Just with
MIKE FISHER I might catch a song here and there that the amount of training I do, having some-
began working I like, but that’s usually where it ends. thing good to listen to helps the time
for Road Racer X Sure, I’d love to have it on my iPod, but pass, and that’s also true with the travel
and Racer X as an I just don’t have time. we do. I’m definitely really into music.
intern five years I do a lot of listening to the radio, I’m pretty open-minded when it
COURTESY FISHER

ago and has since but even then it’s not usually music— comes to types of music. Honestly, I’ll
joined the crew I spend a lot of time on Sirius Patriot, listen to just about any kind of music
as a full-time which is a right-wing station. I’ve got except for techno—which is actually
designer, assisting kids, so I’m more interested in learning pretty common in Europe, unfortunate-
with magazines, event programs, and about what’s going to affect their future ly. What I listen to at a given moment
websites. A senior at the University than in listening to music. When I do depends on a lot of things: what hit
of Colorado, Mike resides at the foot want some music, I like old-time stuff. songs are coming out, what kind of
of the Rocky Mountains and spends If I had to choose something to listen weekend I’ve had, what kind of mood
his weekends racing motocross and to, it would just be anything from the I’m in throughout the weekend, things
enduros. He’s been known to squeeze late ’70s. Sometimes I’ll listen to Sirius like that. Sometimes you’ve got to find
in dual-sport adventure rides on his 1 Classic Rewind, which plays a lot of some speed and almost need to get
lunch break, blaming his four-hour dis- classic vinyl. a little angry, so you listen to harder
appearances on long lines at Subway. At the races, I’ve got an iPod next music; other times you’ve already got
to my chair in the garage that I’ll listen a good pace and you just sort of need
ALISSA MURPHY to, but that’s not really to pump my- something to keep you calm.
has been work- self up. In fact, if a good song comes Typically, though, I’ll listen to some-
ing in the Road on—maybe some Eazy-E or something thing a little faster before a race, just
Racer X office goofy—I’ll crank it to pump the team up to get me in the right frame of mind.
for two years more than anything. Sometimes they’re Sometimes, whatever song I listen to at
COURTESY MURPHY

now, doing just working on the same old stuff day-in that point will get stuck inside my head.
about every job and day-out, so I figure it’s a way to In fact, I’m glad there’s no microphone
possible. Having break the monotony. inside my helmet, because there have
moved up from Ten years ago it was different—I lis- been times I’ve been jamming stuff
organizing shelves, she now assists tened to a lot of music, including before out on the straightaway. I’ve looked at
in managing online advertising for I went out on the bike. I think it’s natural video of myself on the starting line, and
[Link] and www that as we get older, music takes a back I’ve seen my fingers moving on the le-
.[Link]. She’ll bid the RRX seat for some of us. It’s just not some- vers to the beat of the song. Believe it
crew farewell this month to spend thing I need anymore. That said, I’m or not, Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone”
her senior year of college in Australia not completely out of the loop on cur- from the Top Gun soundtrack is one of
but says she hopes to be back in the rent music. These days I’m an expert on my regulars before a race. It started out
office soon. (We hope she means it.) Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana, Pink, as a joke, but I’m not going to lie: that
and Taylor Swift—stuff my kids listen to! song gets me pumped up!

34
worldmags & avaxhome
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 A Road Racer X column by RANDY MAMOLA

W
hen Larry Lawrence contacted had a falling-out with Bimota and my man- I’ll give you an example: Once, he
me for this issue’s Heritage col- agement contacted Serge Zago’s team. At was having some jetting problems at Spa
umn on the original all-American the time, Baldwin was doing some races on Francorchamps and his bike was popping
Grand Prix rider roster—Kenny Roberts and a private Suzuki 500 that belonged to Zago, and barking. Finally, he stuck his front tire
Eddie Lawson in 1983—it got me thinking and he had an extra 350 that he was just against a wall and just did a big burnout.
about my own participation on an all-U.S. using to get extra track time during practice. There was smoke everywhere and we were
squad. That was the team Roberts started Serge took it upon himself to put 250 cylin- all looking at each other, puzzled. It was just
in ’86, and on which I was paired with Mike ders on the engine, and that enabled me to his way of getting the point across that it
Baldwin. In fact, because Roberts was the continue racing. wasn’t running right! Mike still makes me

ALL AMERICAN
laugh to this day, and by the
way, he looks the same at 55
as he did back then.
We raced with that roster
for two years, and it was a pret-
DON EMDE ARCHIVES

DON EMDE ARCHIVES

ty good team. I was third on the

year in ’86, with Mike fourth;
in ’87, I was second, while he
missed most of the season with
injuries and finished eighteenth.
One race that stands out is the
first round of our second year
together, at Suzuka, where
we should’ve finished 1-2. I
took off in the rain and he was
chasing me. I was ahead by
about twenty seconds before
I backed off, and he closed it
down to about twelve seconds
before he fell off.
One interesting footnote is
the Laguna Seca race. Back
then it was a national, but the
Randy Mamola Mike Baldwin executive director, Lee Moselle,
used to invite us international
owner, you could make a case that it was Leading up to the Dutch TT, there was a guys—me, Kenny, Eddie, and Freddie—to
even more American than either that ’83 ef- non-championship race in Belgium that I was do it on our Grand Prix bikes. Brown & Wil-
fort (which was an Italian operation) or Colin going to. Zago asked if I could take Baldwin’s liamson, the company that owned Lucky
Edwards and Ben Spies’ current Monster 500 engine and run it in for Assen, and I got Strike’s U.S. rights, wanted us to run Kool
Yamaha Tech 3 team (which is French). a kick out of riding the 500 there. Afterward, I livery, and the stuff looked awesome. I still
Prior to ’86, I’d raced Hondas for two got a call saying that Mike had broken his fe- have a set of the leathers.
seasons—first privately in ’84 and then on mur in the U.S. and asking if I wanted to also Our equipment was so good that there
Rothmans Honda with Freddie Spencer and race the 500 in the Netherlands. That was my was no way the series regulars could hang
Wayne Gardner. Kenny approached me and start on 500s; I rode in the last half of the with us, so we had an agreement that the
said they were putting together a team, that twelve-race series, got my first premier-class majority of those laps were playing around
Lucky Strike was the sponsor, and that he podium, and finished eighth in the world and we’d put on a show, pulling wheelies.
wanted me on it. championship. Eight years later, Baldwin and Of course Mike ignored that, pinned his
I was happy to be back on a Yamaha, as I became teammates on Roberts’ team. ears back, and went for it! Again, he was
I’d had a relationship with them since sign- Between that and Kenny and I know- just his own guy.
ing a two-year deal with the U.S. office in ing each other quite well—I’d raced against Anyway, riding with that team is a spe-
1975 when I was 14. When I started out in him and trained at his house—we had some cial memory, and I’m sure Colin and Ben are
the world championship in ’79, it was with good history even though it was a new team. enjoying something similar this year. It’s go-
a Yamaha 250 in a Bimota chassis. A few I enjoyed being Mike’s teammate. He has ing to be a lot of fun to cheer for them at the
races in, I was running second or third in the somewhat of a reputation, but we got along Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix—but just watch
standings with a couple of podiums when I okay—he just marches to his own drummer. out for those burnouts! X

36
worldmags & avaxhome
:P[[PUN6U;OL:PKLSPULZ
0Z5V[(U6W[PVU:WVY[IPRLZHYLHTHaPUNI\[MVYKLJHKLZ[OL`»]LILLU^LHYPUNH[HYNL[·HUK[OL(4(
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7YV[LJ[`V\YWHZZPVU1VPU[VKH`H[
(4,90*(546;69*@*30:;*64

worldmags & avaxhome

 he U.S has a proud tradition in World Super-
Seventeen years
bike, both because we’ve won more champi-
after winning the onships than any other country and because
World Superbike we pretty much invented the sport. I raced as a
card at all three Brainerd SBK rounds from 1989-’9 ’ 1,
title, an American and then I competed at Laguna Seca as a full-timer
legend analyzes the in ’97 and ’98. I’ve attended the last two rounds at
series’ visit to his Miller Motorsports Park as a Speed TV broadcaster.
Unfortunately, I’ve never won my home race, as
home country there was no American round when I was at the peak
BY SCOTT RUSSELL of my career—my AMA Superbike and World Super-
PHOTOS BY bike titles came in ’92 and ’93, respectively, between
ANDREW WHEELER the series’ stints at Brainerd and Laguna. Still, the
American rounds were always something special, and
I’ve enjoyed seeing the U.S. event evolve over the
years. The only problem with going to it now is that it
makes me want to put my leathers back on!
GOLD & GOOSE

38

worldmags & avaxhome

 WHEELER

39

worldmags & avaxhome

 I
really like the people at Miller, and it’s obviously a top-notch
facility—about as good as it can be, really, and the week-
end ran pretty smooth. Compared to last year’s event, they
did a much better job of promoting it, and judging by the
official three-day crowd of 55,000, moving the race to Mon-
day of Memorial Day Weekend was a good idea. Still, I have
to say that times have changed. Coming back to Laguna when I
was racing was a much bigger deal.
Part of that is because Laguna is just a more glamorous place,
and the way Miller is designed, the spectators get sort of spread
out. Also, there aren’t many places that have the character of
Laguna, which was able to build itself into an institution over a
number of years. Miller is doing its best to lay the groundwork
for a new tradition. Salt Lake City is a naturally beautiful area, so
maybe Miller will end up with its own unique vibe. It’s going to be
tough, but I hope they can do it.
Since I was at the race for the last two years, it’s clear to me
that the series could really use another top U.S. rider. Although the
crowd wasn’t as big in ’09, there was so much electricity with Ben
Spies doing well. Now that he’s in MotoGP it’s up to Roger Hayden
to represent, and he’s just not in a position to do that this year.
ZEEK

I’ve been asked if I can relate to Roger, since he’s an American

(Main) Max Biaggi, a

former Grand Prix rival
of the author, swept the
USA World SBK round.
(Top) Leon Camier was
runner-up in Race 2, giving
Aprilia its first SBK double
podium. (Left) If not for
WHEELER

mechanicals in both races,

Carlos Checa would al-
most surely have repeated
his 2008 double.
WHEELER

40

worldmags & avaxhome

racing the series on a Kawasaki like I was when I first went over there, there, and they worked with Spies last year. Also, a lot of the Ital-
but the situations are different. He’s jumped on a totally different team ians from Infront are still the same. When I came on that scene
where he doesn’t know anyone, whereas I got to take a nice support with Muzzy back in the day, we made a big splash with our wild
group with me—my Muzzy team, my cousin, and my trainer. We also team colors—and of course the fact that we kicked everyone’s
had as good a Kawasaki as anybody in the world at that time. He ass! The promoters liked that, and we got along well and had a
doesn’t have anything close to that. I feel for the kid, but it was either good time. I’m an outgoing guy, and I like meeting people. Those
stay home or go learn the tracks in Europe. He did the right thing. are some special memories, and when I see those people now,
I wish some top AMA Pro guys would come in as wildcards— we always have a big hug.
not only to help the race, but for their own sake. I remember when Also, some of the riders I used to race against are still out there
I did Brainerd, it was really exciting to be able to match up against going fast. I’m still buddies with Troy Corser, Nori Haga was my team-
the best in the world and use them as a measuring stick. Still, mate at Yamaha in ’98, and Ruben Xaus was around. Also, I’ve com-
we really need a top rider in the series full-time on a good team. peted against Carlos Checa and Max Biaggi in Grand Prix racing.
Coming back to Laguna as a former world champion was a real Honestly, it almost hurts seeing those guys still pulling down
big deal compared to doing Brainerd as a wildcard. It was defi- good money and doing what they love. The motorcycles are more
nitely one of the biggest races, and one I focused on a lot leading rider-friendly than they used to be, and some of those riders say,
into it. I wanted to do good in front of the home crowd. “It’s easier now, Scott. The bikes aren’t spitting you off left and
right like they used to, so you can go faster at an older age.” Look
GOING HOME at Biaggi. Watching him get both the wins in Utah, there’s still a
These days, coming to the U.S. round of World Superbike is part of me that says if I was still out there, I almost know I could
like a family reunion for me. You see a lot of familiar faces in the hang. I’m doing Grand-Am racing now, which is a lot of fun, but
paddock, from guys whose names you might not know to good it doesn’t really fill that hole. I kick myself now for hanging up my
friends. All the Yamaha guys I used to work for in Europe are still boots after I got hurt at Daytona, but at the time, it seemed like
ZEEK
ZEEK

ZEEK

(Clockwise from above left)

A classic-rock concert on
Saturday night brought new
locals to the track; with
perfect race-day weather,
the umbrellas were for sun,
not rain; a pre-race press
conference was held at the
state capitol building; crash-
es marred James Toseland’s
ZEEK

first visit to the track.

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 WHEELER
(Left) Points eluded Roger
Hayden in his first home race
as a World Superbike rider.
(Above) Utah has now hosted
two World Supersport races,
and Kenan Sofuoglu has
topped them both. (Right)
Miller Motorsports Park
WHEELER
acknowledged Memorial Day
by planting 2,010 American
flags on the infield.
ZEEK

the right thing to do. I’m not sure when that feeling will go away. cause I only had a few short sessions to prepare. They were happy
It’s also nice seeing the young riders challenging the veterans. because we won our class and finished second overall, so I can go
I’d say the guy I most identified with at this year’s race was Johnny home and sleep now. It was a good time, and it tempts me to come
Rea. He seems like a tough little guy, the kind you just have to hold out and do the Daytona 200, but there’s no way I could do that on
back because he’s always raring to go. I like the enthusiastic, fire- a 600. At one point, Josh Herrin’s little brother, Zack, was following
breathing young lions, and that’s what I see in him. me around on an identical bike. I looked over on the straight and
he just went flying by me. Those guys can get in that little bubble,
TIME MACHINE but I’m like a big parachute on a 600.
I never got to race at Miller during my career, but the week before
this year’s World Superbike event, I did a WERA endurance race NOW & THEN
with Dane Westby and Clinton Sellers on Team Zyvax. I really like Just like the American round, the World Superbike series itself
the racetrack. It flows well in spots, like Turn 1 through 5, and I like has changed a lot. When I was there, there were maybe three or
the long straightaway and how it dips into Turn 1, Sunset Bend. four guys who could win. There have been six winners already
From Turn 5 to 6 is a little weird, and I’d say through Witchcraft and this year, so the field’s deeper, with a lot of guys out there going
into the Attitudes is the most challenging part. It’s pretty straight- fast. I think that’s also because the bikes are easier to ride, but it’s
forward and not a real physical track, but it’s a joy to ride. always tough to win. I don’t care when you come through what
It was a good time, going out there to see if I have anything left, series—to be the man, you’ve got to be special.
and it gave me some perspective for calling the World SBK race on I’m not a big fan of all the engine management and rider aids
TV the next weekend. You look at these guys and wonder if you could they have now. I’d love to see them go back to your right hand being
do it, so it was nice to get my shot. In 2007, I had done a race there the only traction control, which would separate the guys some but
with Jimmy Filice and Andrew Trevitt for a Sport Rider story. I didn’t make the show more fun to watch. It might bring some more strategy
go that well, but this time was much better, probably because the into it, instead of everyone just being full-blast. We were on 750s, so
Yamaha YZF-R6 is so good. It’s turnkey—just get on it and go fast. they might not have worked the tires as much as these 1000s would
After being idle for a while, it was fun to be on pace, running re- without traction control, but it would be cool to see these guys have
ally close times to Westby and Clinton on a 600. I think I surprised to work harder. It would favor riders who can look after their stuff to
a few people (including myself) being in the ballpark, especially be- the end, and I think it would make the show ten times better.

42

worldmags & avaxhome

worldmags & avaxhome
 From a dicing-for-the-lead perspective, the races
at Miller were pretty uneventful this year—not nearly as
close as I’ve seen from the series leading into this event.
There was some crashing going on, but it was pretty
spread out at the front. More than the actual racing,
what stood out was the big-picture drama, like Checa
dominating both races, only to break down both times

SBK USA
with similar freak problems, or Leon Haslam crashing
out of Race 2 and losing the points lead to Biaggi.
I could relate to both of those situations. In 1984, I
had a 45-point lead by Round 4, when we went into Al- Like America itself, World Superbike is fairly young compared to its con-
bacete and I crashed in both races—in oil one time and temporaries. It’s been around for twenty-one years, while the Grand Prix
by myself in the other one. I lost my big advantage, and series got its start in 1949 and AMA Superbike kicked off in ’76. During
in the end, I lost the championship by five points be- that tenure, SBK has hosted sixteen U.S. rounds at three different venues.
cause of that. That same year at Mugello, I won Race 1
going away at Ducati’s home, on a Kawi—it was great. YEAR TRACK RACE 1 WINNER RACE 2 WINNER
The next race, I was leading by a country mile when I
1989 Brainerd International Raymond Roche (Duc) Raymond Roche (Duc)
had electrical problems like Checa. Raceway
Anyway, it was pretty cool to see Max pull the dou- 1990 Brainerd International Stephane Mertens (Hon) Doug Chandler (Kaw)
ble at Miller, and to see Aprilia go 1-2 in Race 2, for the Raceway
first time in this series. I also like what I saw out of the 1991 Brainerd International Doug Polen (Duc) Doug Polen (Duc)
BMWs; they keep getting better every weekend. Raceway
All in all, it was a good time to be at Miller Motorsports 1995 Laguna Seca Raceway Anthony Gobert (Kaw) Troy Corser (Duc)
Park for the World Superbike race. The riders did a great 1996 Laguna Seca Raceway John Kocinski (Duc) Anthony Gobert (Kaw)
job, and the track is going the extra mile to reach out
1997 Laguna Seca Raceway John Kocinski (Hon) John Kocinski (Hon)
to fans. Like I said, the one thing it really needs is a top
1998 Laguna Seca Raceway Carl Fogarty (Duc) Noriyuki Haga (Yam)
American rider. I wish it could be me. X
1999 Laguna Seca Raceway Anthony Gobert (Duc) Ben Bostrom (Duc)
2000 Laguna Seca Raceway Noriyuki Haga (Yam) Troy Corser (Apr)
2001 Mazda Raceway Ben Bostrom (Duc) Ben Bostrom (Duc)
Laguna Seca
2002 Mazda Raceway Troy Bayliss (Duc) Colin Edwards (Hon)
Laguna Seca
2003 Mazda Raceway Pierfrancesco Chili (Duc) Ruben Xaus (Duc)
Laguna Seca
2004 Mazda Raceway Chris Vermeulen (Hon) Chris Vermeulen (Hon)
Laguna Seca
2008 Miller Motorsports Park Carlos Checa (Hon) Carlos Checa (Hon)
2009 Miller Motorsports Park Ben Spies (Yam) Ben Spies (Yam)
2010 Miller Motorsports Park Max Biaggi (Apr) Max Biaggi (Apr)
WHEELER

Biaggi (middle) tallied his

third sweep of the season
and took over the points lead
from Leon Haslam (right).
WHEELER

44

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RILES/NELSON

46

worldmags & avaxhome

 She may be a pretty,
blonde 16-year old, but
you don’t want to get
between the finish line and
the first female to win a
professional AMA road race
BY MARK GARDINER

O
ne never knows in advance when history might
come calling. The best we can hope is that we
acquit ourselves as well as Cameron Beaubier
and Tyler O’Hara did after finishing second and
third, respectively, behind the first woman to win a
professional AMA road race. At a moment when the
racers might have made excuses or lacked grace,
both young men smiled, warmly congratulated Elena
Myers, and talked about the significance of what
had just happened in Infineon Raceway’s Saturday
SuperSport race.
The only semi-awkward moment came early in
the post-race press conference, when third-place
O’Hara referred to his past experience with his
fellow podium finishers. “I’ve rode Supermoto with
these guys—” he started, before a funny expression
crossed his face, “—with both of these people over
here, Elena and Cameron.”
Given Myers’ recent progress, some updates will
have to be made to the AMA Pro Road Racing pad-
dock’s lexicon.
RILES/NELSON

47

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 B
efore this season, no female rider had finished in the of experience with young racers and their families, and he echoes
top ten or even started on the front row in a profes- the sentiment: “In the last few years, I’ve seen a lot of kids who
sional AMA road race. It didn’t take Myers long to were racing because it was what was expected of them. It was
change that, leading some to wonder where this girl what they’d always done growing up, and it was driven by their
came from (and since we’re examining vocabulary, dads. Elena’s not like that; the motivation’s coming from her.”
girl is the accurate term in this case, as Elena is just 16). Although Myers enjoyed herself and was fast enough early
Myers has much in common with many of her competitors on, those first couple of seasons on pocket bikes and tiny Su-
(her father, Matt, is an ex-racer who put her on a tiny dirt bike permoto machines weren’t a revelation. Her initial breakthrough
when she was 7), but there are differences too. Some of her ri- came when, during an off-season, Matt fitted her tiny RM85 with
vals’ parents have spent well into six figures on equipment and bigger wheels and slick tires and she began to ride it in a road-
specialized coaching; Matt is a motorcycle mechanic at a small race style. “One time, we were on track with Tommy Hayden—he
shop in Stockton. He works at a local kart track on the side and was on his Supermoto bike training,” Matt recalls. “I watched El-
ran a pocket-bike racing series, which meant Elena had almost ena ride right around him on the outside of a turn. That’s when I
limitless track time at an impressionable age. thought maybe she could really go somewhere.”
“When you’re a parent,” Matt explains, “you naturally want to Toward the end of 2004, Elena’s parents took her and her 85 to a
find things to do with your kids. At first, that’s all it was. We didn’t Keigwins track day at Thunderhill Raceway Park, where Lance Keigwin
have the delusions that a lot of other arranged for her to borrow a 125cc GP bike. Both the bike
parents have. I’d meet them at the track (Below) Some kids hate and the track were bigger and faster than anything she’d
and their kids were 5 or 6, and they had getting hand-me-downs, ridden, and as is generally the case with Elena, her per-
their whole lives planned out.” but Elena Myers is gelling formance took a leap forward. Matt found a used Honda
As a coach for the Red Bull Rookies with DiSalvo’s old ’09 GSX- RS125, and Elena became the youngest rider ever to peti-
R600. (Bottom) Myers used
Cup and for Suzuki, 1993 500cc World tion the AFM for a race license. She was turned down.
the “hang-off” road racing
Champion Kevin Schwantz has plenty style right from the start. In early ’05, Matt convinced OMRRA (an Oregon
club that races at Portland International Raceway) to
allow Elena to take their new-racer course. She did so,
raced, and won—twice—against local experts. After the
weekend, she was given an expert license. “We knew
we couldn’t afford to travel to Portland every race,” Matt
recalls. “We thought that her OMRRA license would be
our ticket to racing in the AFM, because the two clubs
have a reciprocity agreement.” The plan didn’t work, as
the AFM said Myers was still too young.

A LITTLE HELP?
Despite the limited opportunities, Myers continued to
improve, and soon, expert racers began talking about
getting strafed by a young girl at northern California track
days. John Ulrich, who publishes Roadracing World
magazine and runs one of AMA Pro’s longest-standing
and most successful satellite teams, was impressed.
“I’ll never forget meeting her,” says Ulrich, who was
RILES/NELSON

an early supporter of Schwantz, John Hopkins, and Ben

Spies. “She walked right up to me, looked me in the eye,
MYERS FAMILY ARCHIVE

MYERS FAMILY ARCHIVE

48

worldmags & avaxhome

worldmags & avaxhome
 and said, ‘Hi, I’m Elena Myers.’ She had a firm grip, and I thought, I ics, Michael Tijon, on a bit of a spy mission to see how well set-up
haven’t met many 12-year-olds like this. We had a conversation like Elena’s bike had been. Tijon saw a lot of room for improvement.
the one I had with John Hopkins when he was 14.” Elena is pretty much in charge of her own rider-development
Based on that first impression, Ulrich was convinced Elena program. She sticks to herself at the track, though she’s benefited
was the one—the first female with a viable chance of becoming from some of Jason Pridmore’s coaching. Matt, a mid-pack club
a truly top-tier road racer. “Having raised two girls myself,” Ulrich racer in the ’90s who never scraped together the funds to run a
says, “and having always told them, ‘You can be whatever you set whole season, says he doesn’t really know where his daughter
out to be,’ I almost felt there was a moral imperative to help her.” got her speed. He speaks of his daughter with a measure of pa-
Ulrich arranged a better 125 for Myers and immediately laid rental pride but also a lot of respect. “She’s a straight-A student
out a plan that would see her arrive at Daytona as soon as she at school and takes a very methodical approach,” he says. “She
turned 16 and was eligible for AMA Pro Racing. Kawasaki PR just seems to understand how things work.”
manager Jan Plessner, a longtime supporter of women’s motor-
cycling, arranged a backdoor support program for Elena, with SHOWTIME
Hypercycle’s Cary Andrew tuning a Team Green-supplied 650cc Myers comes across as a pretty normal 16-year-old girl in conver-
twin and then a ZX-6R. Elena’s road racing education continued sation, but although she’s more articulate and confident than aver-
as she raced the 125 in the USGPRU series and then the Kawa- age, she’s not completely capable of explaining her success either.
sakis in WERA events. Although she wasn’t utterly Like most young riders, she has lofty goals.
dominant, she usually shared the podium with much As a girl in what has histori- “I’d like to win an AMA championship,” she
older and more experienced competition. cally been a man’s sport, says, “and then go to MotoGP.”
Cary Andrew attended a few events, but mostly it Myers is bound to get extra Myers acknowledges that her light
was just Elena and Matt going to races. When Myers attention. So far, she’s weight is an advantage, but she adds
happy to be cast in the role
went to the WERA Grand National Finals at Road At- that she’s been lifting weights to close
of female ambassador as
lanta, Ulrich dispatched one of his own team mechan- well as competitor. the strength gap on her middleweight-
bike competitors. She seems more com-
fortable talking about the physical side of
racing than the psychological, or about
her own motivation, but she’s perceptive
enough to add, “Being a girl, I get a lot of
extra media attention, and that helps.”
One of the conversations for this story
took place after Elena had spent an after-
noon doing three back-to-back live radio
and TV interviews. “It’s fun for me,” she says.
“I don’t think about what I’m doing, that it’s
live and all those people are seeing me.”
At the beginning of this season—right
RILES/NELSON

on Ulrich’s schedule—Elena rolled into

Daytona with a newly minted AMA Pro li-
cense and Jason DiSalvo’s GSX-R600 from
last year. To get a little time on the banking,
she did a few CCS races first. “I showed
up on the track on a Thursday and got out
onto the track the next day,” she says. “It
took the first part of the day to get over the
steepness of the banking. I wasn’t scared
but … nothing could’ve prepared me for
that. Then the AMA week was amazing. I’ve
been waiting four years for this to come,
and I was a racer and part of the show.”
Mostly, the “Elena Project” has been
a grassroots effort, with help coming from
sources like a Bay Area lawyer/track-day
addict, who has picked up a few airplane
tickets. This year, though, Richie Morris
Racing has given Myers room under its
awning alongside Danny Eslick, and Ed
RILES/NELSON

Sorbo has signed on as crew chief (Todd

Fenton handled those duties at Daytona).

50

worldmags & avaxhome

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worldmags & avaxhome
 Although some companies have been leery of sponsoring such ally stepped up,” Schwantz observed after the race. “There’s still a
a young racer, Myers has picked up support from Lucas Oil, and gap to those front three or four guys, but she’s closing it. She’s got
she enjoys working with a real squad. “I love having a teammate,” one thing that every great racer has, and that’s a huge heart.”
she says. “I use a lot of Danny’s settings!” (Jason DiSalvo isn’t Though few would have agreed with her, Myers decided after
much bigger than Elena, so the team has data for every track.) talking with her dad that she was still lacking aggression. “I need to
Although the SuperSport class is no longer the lion’s den it charge every single corner,” she said before the Infineon Raceway
was when Miguel Duhamel campaigned it on a factory Honda, round. “I need to make the bike wiggle on every corner exit and get
it’s still extremely competitive, with racers like Cameron Beaubier more comfortable with it moving around. When I see photos of my-
(a Grand Prix racer last season) and JD Beach (2008 Red Bull self from the last couple of races, I look like I’m on a Sunday ride.”
MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion), plus former Red Bull AMA U.S.
Rookies Cup frontrunners Joey Pascarella and Tommy Puerta. BREAKING THE CEILING
Although her pair of seventh-place Daytona finishes weren’t Myers implemented the new approach in Race 1 at Sonoma. After a
exactly a disappointment, Myers was caught up in a first-lap melee fifth-place start, she moved up a spot when Jake Gagne ran off the
at Auto Club Speedway and—worse still—crashed track, only for the race to be red-flagged.
on spilled fluids on the warm-up lap of the first race Myers’ first win came under This time she grabbed a second-place start
at Road Atlanta. That crash left her with a purple a red flag, but it was no and took over the lead when Pascarella ran
foot, but she limped to her bike the next day and fluke. Later that weekend, wide in a turn. Myers crossed the line with the
survived two more red-flag incidents for a top- she temporarily led the fast- lead, and when the red flag came out again
est young guns in the series,
five finish. She may be a high-school girl, but her at the halfway point, the race was called and
including East division points
toughness is not in question. “This year, she’s re- leader Cameron Beaubier. she was awarded the win. The cards had
fallen her way, but Elena took advantage. “I
was pretty surprised that it happened,” she
said afterward. “I’ve had a lot of bad luck the
last few rounds, and I was happy to finally
get some good luck. Things went my way.”
Predictions for Elena’s future are var-
ied. Her professional start has certainly
been promising, but like any hot young
racer, whether she’ll achieve her lofty goals
is still unknown. There have been other
women in AMA Pro Racing, of course, but
no female racer has been anywhere near
as fast at such a young age. After seeing
RILES/NELSON

her at Infineon, that’s something race fans

agree on to a man…. Er, person. X

THE FORGOTTEN LADY W hen Elena Myers won

the Infineon Race-
way AMA Pro SuperSport
had our fans, for sure, but they were a small
group of enthusiasts. I think the most I ever
won was maybe $500, but it was enough in
Sherry Friduss race, news flashed around the world instanta- those days to get us to the next race.”
neously. Over a quarter-century earlier, Sherry “What she did was amazing,” Endress, who
Friduss won a pair of AMA Battle of the Twins won at Daytona in ’84 and Pocono in ’85, says
Modified races aboard a Moto Guzzi, and she of Myers’ accomplishment. “That class is so
was lucky if people at the track knew about it. competitive, and she’s so young and pretty. I
Sherry (whose surname is now Endress) wish her more success. She has the talent to
contested BOTT when four classes raced on really make a difference in the sport. Hopefully,
the track at the same time, and while she won someday I’ll get to meet and congratulate her.”
her class, she might’ve been the twelfth rider Endress retired from motorcycle racing af-
to take the checkers. As a result, there wasn’t ter an unsuccessful ’87 Superbike stint aboard
much said about Sherry’s accomplishment, a Suzuki GSXR750, as she never adapted to
even in the motorcycling press. The AMA high-revving inline fours. After leaving racing,
categorized the class as amateur, although she got her master’s degree, divorced and
there was a modest purse. (As a result, deter- remarried, and tried competitive cycling and
mining the first female AMA winner is not power lifting. Today she lives in the foothills
LAWRENCE ARCHIVES

a black-and-white issue.) of northeast Georgia, and she still rides a twin

“Battle of the Twins fought to get recogni- (only now it’s a Ducati) with her husband and
tion back in those days,” Endress recalls. “We attends the occasional race. Larry Lawrence

52

worldmags & avaxhome

 ZZZOHRYLQFHXVDFRP

I
RQG&$W
%6RXWKWK6WUHHW5LFKP worldmags & avaxhome
 B
ritish riders have an enviable record in world championship premier-class
Once the stomping ground
racing. Since the inaugural 1949 FIM Grand Prix season, Great Britain
of dominant British riders, has taken seventeen world titles (second only to Italy) and finished sec-
Grand Prix racing’s premier ond or third in the points chase more than twenty times, even sweeping
the top three positions on three occasions (and once, the top five slots). “And
class has been inhospitable yet we’re looked at as a nation that maybe can’t be successful in MotoGP,” says
to the UK in recent years. 19-year-old Bradley Smith. “I believe that’s a myth. I believe we can have a British
One 117-pound redhead world champion, a MotoGP rider, without any problems.”
Though it’s likely to be at least three years before Smith gets to test that theory,
intends to storm the castle he’s one of just a few young riders who have been groomed specifically for that
BY LAUREL C. ALLEN purpose—to return British road racers to a status they haven’t enjoyed in more
than thirty years.

54

worldmags & avaxhome

 NORTHCOTT

55

worldmags & avaxhome

 FROM WHENCE IT CAME work on us—they knew exactly what we were about—and they
Back in 2003, 13-year-old Bradley was looking at a promising ca- decided to take me and grow me into a motorcycle rider instead
reer in motocross. Having ridden bikes since age 4—his father and of a motocross rider.”
grandfather ran a motocross track—Bradley had developed into a Bradley was called up to the Alberto Puig-run program (which
talented Schoolboy racer who’d already won a couple of MX and would later pick up sponsorship from Red Bull and be joined by
SX national championships. And then came that dreaded injury: the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup). At 14, he moved to Spain to
the tibia-fibula fracture. Though he switched to road racing not long test, train for, and contend the seven-round Spanish CEV cham-
after, Bradley says he’s “definitely still a motocrosser, through and pionship. “It was always the most important thing to do, because
through” who thinks “being able to slide it without worrying about if I wanted to get to Grand Prix, I had to do that,” he says. “But it
bike movement so much” has helped his bike handling significantly. was tough at a young age to get up and move and have to stand
Bradley began road racing in the UK’s Aprilia RS 125-based on your own two feet.”
Superteens series (the same place Casey Stoner got his start), It was in Spain, according to Bradley, that the first install-
and by 2004—his first full season—he was also riding a middle- ment of UK-rider-related mythbusting started. “Guys had been to
weight sport production bike in the same championship and had Spain before and not qualified or had struggled to make points,”
participated in a year-end tryout for the MotoGP Academy. he says, “so it was kind of like, ‘You British guys can’t be com-
“I think I got on the radar with those three things,” Bradley petitive over there.’ But we went there and in the first year I won
says. “The Dorna guys were looking into UK riders and my name three races, and the next year [fellow Brits] Danny Webb and
cropped up in a couple of conversations. They did so much home- Scott Redding podiumed races and were right there. We kind
of showed the younger generation
that Spain is an option and you don’t
have to move on to Supersport 600s,
which is what a lot of guys have had
to find themselves doing.”
It’s also what Bradley reckons he
would have done—follow that most
traditional path for British riders, which
generally does not lead to GP success.
“We were fortunate,” he says. “We were
shown the way by Dorna. They gave us
the opportunity to ride in their academy
and to ride in their championships, and
that’s definitely the way to go to Grand
Prix.” Bradley proceeded to do just
that in 2006, joining the Puig-managed
125cc Repsol Honda team.

RIDE THIS WAY

Bradley spent the next two seasons
with the Repsol team. In 2006, he was
named 125cc Rookie of the Year and
turned in a best finish of eighth; in ’07,
he took his first Grand Prix podium—
a third at Mugello, making him the
youngest British rider to stand on a
GP podium. He also turned in a long
string of top-ten finishes that put him
NORTHCOTT

tenth overall in the championship.

Clockwise from top: Smith

blossomed after joining the
hard-charging Aspar effort;
Bradley may have gotten
the short end of the stick at
this Monster Energy func-
tion, but he’s tough on the
track; a paddock with Rossi
in it is where any young
rider wants to be.
HEATH

HEATH

56

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worldmags & avaxhome
 Though the 2010 season
hasn’t been as smooth as
those previous, Bradley still
feels he’s well on his way
to being the kind of Grand
Prix standard-bearer that UK
race fans have long awaited.

NORTHCOTT

HEATH
In ’08, Bradley signed with Polaris World Aprilia and earned haven’t been brought up on race bikes, which means making the
three poles and four podium finishes, finishing sixth overall despite change would probably be a bit difficult, but the talent’s right there
midseason injuries. But it was last year that he really stepped out. in the UK. Unfortunately, it just seems like the [UK] guys who’ve
As a member of the powerful Bancaja Aspar effort, he began win- stepped up to MotoGP haven’t been given the same chance as
ning races, finishing runner-up in the championship to his older other guys, and then their efforts get classed as failures.
and more experienced teammate, Julian Simon. “It’s a bit frustrating, really, because it’s this myth that peo-
He remains with Aspar’s 125 effort this season despite nearly ple seem to just be accepting. But I’ve been given the chance,”
moving to the new Moto2 class, and he says he’s happy with that Smith adds. “It’s up to me to work my way up through the ranks
decision, even if he’s still excited for a possible 2011 class change. and carry the flag.” X
It’s been a tough season so far, however.
“It’s not been easy, to say the least,”
Bradley says. “Sometimes I’ve sat in the PAYING IT BACK
truck thinking, What have I done wrong?
radley Smith is fully aware of—and grateful for—the help he’s received
What have I done to deserve the bad luck?
But this is what racing brings, and I’ve been B in his career to this point, and he understands just what it’s going to
take to return UK riders to their former Grand Prix glory. All that has led di-
fortunate in the past few years that I’ve had
very few problems to deal with. This year it rectly to Team KRP, the British-based effort supported by Bradley and run
seems that everything that could go wrong, by Mark Keen. Says Smith, “I know how lucky I was to be given a chance,
has gone wrong, from a bike not wanting to and really, all it takes is for some-
start between practices to being down on thing to be set up to give people
power, seizures, electronic problems…. [But] that chance.”
the bike seems to be back on form now, and The team fields five young rid-
it’s just down to me to up my game and get ers in the British 125 and Spanish
back to the level I was at last year.” CEV championships, and some of
their names will already be familiar
WHAT WILL COME to road racing fans—Dakota Ma-
The pressure is certainly on for this season mola is the son of GP giant Randy,
and beyond—Bradley knows many are look- and Taylor MacKenzine is the son
ing to him to someday return the UK to the Smith with KRP rider of three-time BSB champion and
premier-class title board. In the meantime, Dakota Mamola. former GP rider Niall. Teammates
though, he’s got 125cc competitiveness Fraser Rogers, John McFee, and
to return to and four-stroke motorcycles to Wayne Ryan are just as determined to make names for themselves.
adapt to, beginning next year. The ultimate “It’s great to see their enthusiasm and to use what I’ve learned the past
goal, however, is rarely far from his mind. four or five years to try to speed up their learning process,” Bradley says.
“Look at the UK talent in World Su- “Hopefully, in the next couple of years, they’ll be ready to step up to the 125
perbike right now,” he says. “Those guys GP class and start being the next talented riders coming through.”

58

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worldmags & avaxhome
 After four years in the
wilderness, Alstare Suzuki
hopes Leon Haslam can
get the team back on top
in World Superbike
BY JESSE CECIL

T
he tension is palpable in the Alstare
Suzuki garage, but no higher than
the stakes. It’s the end of the last
practice session at the U.S. World Su-
perbike round and Alstare’s lead rider,
Leon Haslam, has a 15-point advantage over title
rival Max Biaggi. This is the team’s last opportunity to
solve any problems they have before qualifying, and
there are a few. Even so, this is far better than the posi-
tion they were in during their two previous visits here.

00 00
60
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 WHEELER

61
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 WHEELER

ZEEK
(Left) With Syl-
vain Guintoli and
Leon Haslam,
Alstare Suzuki
has its strongest
lineup in years.

(Above) Guintoli
is still exorcising
the ghost of a
bad leg injury in-
curred last year.

L
ast year was a difficult one for Alstare Suzuki. Pre- explains. “It was a little bit unknown, especially coming into this
sumed title contender Max Neukirchner missed team. You never know how you’re going to go, and as it hap-
much of the season with injuries, and the squad pened, it went really well.”
struggled. Perched on a pit-row concrete barrier and To partner with Haslam, Alstare hired Sylvain Guintoli. A for-
backlit by the late-day Utah sun, Alstare’s chief tech- mer Grand Prix rider, the Frenchman had ridden a Worx Crescent
nician, Bruno Bailly, recalls the difficulty. “The feedback we got from Suzuki well in last year’s British Superbike Series until another
Yukio [Kagayama, Neukirchner’s then-teammate] and replacement racer took him out in an accident that left Guintoli’s leg badly bro-
riders, it was horrible,” he says in French-accented English. “We ken below the knee. “I had twelve operations, and grafts,” Sylvain
completely lost the way.” Further adding to the malaise, Alstare and says in Utah, grimacing at the memory. “It was not good at all. It
Neukirchner underwent a bizarre and ugly split at year’s end. was a disaster. I didn’t know if I could race again.”
Alstare last won the World SBK championship in 2005 with Troy Though Sylvain’s confidence had been down, his early suc-
Corser, but the Belgian operation has struggled ever since, finish- cesses attracted the attention of Batta, who was looking for some-
ing last year as the lowest-placing factory effort (behind even some one who could handle a GSX-R1000 at speed. Sylvain’s decision
privateer squads). That doesn’t sit well with the team, but its frustra- was easier than Haslam’s. Given his situation, he thought it was a
tion changed to hope when Haslam signed on for this year. joke when Alstare made contact; only a call from Batta convinced
him, and he accepted without hesitation.
RECONSTRUCTION Haslam meshed with the Suzuki machinery almost immediate-
Held back by a largely undeveloped privateer Stiggy Honda, ly. “Literally, at the end of the two-day test, I was less than a tenth
Haslam hadn’t enjoyed a stellar 2009, finishing sixth on the year. off the quickest time and, I think, 1.8 seconds quicker than Spies’
“By the end of the season, when funds were drying up with the lap record,” Haslam says. “Straight away, I was quite happy.”
team, just to get in the top five was a big result,” the Brit explains. Bailly elaborates: “Now with Leon we get a very good rider.
“Once you’d been battling for seconds and thirds and finishing He’s so good about the feedback. He feels very well the complete
there, to accept fifths and sixths … was quite tough.” bike—not only the chassis, but also the engine and electronics, so
Haslam’s early release from the folded Stiggy team enabled it was a big help for us to improve the bike.”
him to entertain offers from several squads, and he felt Alstare Though not quite on Haslam’s pace, Guintoli also adapted
offered the best package despite the trouble they’d experienced well, and during the season-opening round at Phillip Island, the
in the last two seasons. Alstare boss Francis Batta saw enough team furthered its claim as a series frontrunner. Leon landed both
potential in Haslam’s extensive resume that they were anxious his first SBK pole position and first victory in Race 1, while Guintoli
to put a deal together. led much of the second outing before taking fourth.
What a difference half a year makes. Lounging in his rented mo-
tor home in the Miller pits, Leon is now a factory rider, and his de- REBIRTH
meanor resembles that of his predatory namesake: calm, in control, “Biaggi crashed!” Haslam yells. His normally calm voice carries
and powerful. Haslam is king of his tarmac jungle. an excited edge as heads swivel to the team’s closed-circuit
“When you’re inside the paddock, you kind of know the television. Among those in the Alstare garage are Leon’s fiancée,
bikes, and the Suzuki always looked like a strong package,” he Olivia, and his father, former Grand Prix racer Ron Haslam. Both

62
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worldmags & avaxhome
 ZEEK

attend every race; Ron typically circles

the track on a scooter, filming his son
and other riders for later analysis, while
Oli tends to Leon’s personal needs like
hydration and helmets. Leon benefits
greatly from their tireless presence.
The final practice session before
qualifying is nearing its end, and Biaggi
(who rode for Alstare in 2007) has made
the first major mistake of the weekend.
Fortunately, the Roman is okay, and al-
though Haslam’s crew has sorted out a
vibration issue, they’re now fighting a
problem with heavy mid-corner turn-in.
On the other side of the garage, Sylvain
had struggled early with inconsistency
under hard braking, but he seems to
have progressed through that. Still, nei-
ther rider is exactly where he’d like to be going into Superpole
ZEEK

1, and the team works in silence that’s interrupted only by the

occasional roar of an engine bouncing off its rev-limiter as a
bike exits the pits, reminding everyone of their competition.
Since that early success in Australia, Leon has ridden like a
champion, taking the points lead with two additional wins and six
podiums, then patiently extending it. Biaggi is equipped with the
grid’s fastest bike, the Alitalia Aprilia RSV-4, but although he has
been untouchable at some races, Haslam has remained close,
making Max fight for every point.
Sylvain, meanwhile, has struggled to repeat his race-leading
form, and that has been frustrating. “We were very surprised dur-
ing Phillip Island, because he did very beautiful races and now he
struggles a little bit,” Bailly says. “But we have confidence.”
A crash at the USA
ZEEK

The team plays it close in the three-round qualifying system,

round proved costly which rewards strategy, consistency, and outright speed. After a Su-
for Haslam, who lost perpole 3 red flag prevents him from completing his best lap, Haslam
the series points
earns the first spot on the second row, whereas Guintoli is eliminated
lead, but he’s deter-
at the end of Superpole 2 when he comes up just .02 seconds short.
mined to get back on
His pace is strong, but the class is so competitive that a miniscule
top over the second
half of the season. mistake can cost four places, which is exactly what happens. Biaggi
gets his hot lap in and will start from second position.
WHEELER

STUMBLING BLOCKS
Race day is also Haslam’s 27th birthday, and wanting only two
podiums as a gift, he pushes hard when the lights go out. His
Race 1 efforts are hampered when Jakub Smrz’s blown engine
lays down a smoke screen on lap one, but Leon battles forward
to a runner-up finish behind Biaggi. Race 2 is disastrous, as
Haslam crashes out while charging up from another bad start,
leaving Biaggi to march to a Utah double. Following a 30-point
turnaround for the day, Max now leads Leon by 15. Guintoli goes
8-6 on the day, retaining eleventh in points.
Miller has dealt a big blow to Alstare Suzuki, but as the team
heads into the season’s second half, members needn’t look far

00
64
months, the team is capable of running with anyone. .
for inspiration. Every champion faces setbacks during a title
campaign, and as Alstare itself has proven over the past few

worldmags & avaxhome

worldmags & avaxhome
 Over the eleven years that Laguna Seca
has hosted a Grand Prix, six motorcycles

GOLD & GOOSE

have claimed the premier-class win.
YAMAHA YZR500
Here’s how they did it

T
BY DAVID EMMETT

here’s no debating that Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has

GOLD & GOOSE

a special place in Grand Prix history, particularly among
American racing fans. (Daytona International Speedway
and Indianapolis Motor Speedway have each hosted two CAGIVA GP500

GPs, but when you think “United States Grand Prix,” you think
Laguna.) Since the world championship first visited the track in
1988 (though interrupted in ’92 and by an eleven-year hiatus that
started in 1995), the circuit has seen some of the sport’s greatest
NORTHCOTT

names battle it out on the most iconic motorcycles of their respec-

tive eras. From Eddie Lawson’s domination of the first race aboard HONDA RC211V
Yamaha’s YZR500 through Nicky Hayden’s triumphant return to
the U.S. on the Honda RC211V and Valentino Rossi’s artful outwit-
ting of Casey Stoner on the Yamaha YZR-M1, Laguna has hosted
COURTESY DUCATI

victories by the finest race bikes on the planet.

Yet even more than at most tracks, the rider plays a huge role
in success at Laguna. “It’s not so much the bike there,” Hayden
DUCATI DESMOSEDICI
says. “Laguna is a real scrapper’s track.” That, coupled with the
backing of the local crowd, partly explains the predominance of
home winners in Monterey. “The place has a magical effect on
Americans,” suggests MotoGP technical guru Neil Spalding, refer-
COURTESY YAMAHA

ring to both the electric atmosphere and the all-important local

knowledge, which combine to create a potent brew.
Still, even scrappers need able machinery, and at Laguna YAMAHA YZR-M1
Seca, that means a motorcycle with agility and decent accelera-
tion. Here’s a guide to the machines that have won at Laguna, and
how those victories came about.
COURTESY HONDA

HONDA RC212V

66

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 GOLD & GOOSE

67

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 YAMAHA YZR500 WAYNE RAINEY

O ne of two bikes (along with Honda’s NSR500) that heralded

the modern racing era, Yamaha’s YZR500, first introduced in
’73, had attained around 165 horsepower when Eddie Lawson
topped Laguna’s first Grand Prix in ’88. It touched 200 by the time
Luca Cadalora won in ’94 before the race took a long break.
The early models were inline fours, but the basis for the
Laguna-winning YZRs was a crankcase-reed-valve-induction

GOLD & GOOSE

500cc V4 two-stroke. By ’88, the soon-to-be-iconic exhaust
routing had been introduced, with pipes from the rear cylinders
exiting underneath the tail, while those from the forward bank
went under the engine before exiting on
the right—hence the gull swingarm, with 1988: Eddie Lawson – YZR500 OW98 they’d collected from the session.”
the right side describing a graceful arc to 1989: Wayne Rainey – YZR500 OWA8 Despite the bike’s early reign at La-
accommodate the expansion chambers. 1990: Wayne Rainey – YZR500 OWC1 guna (it won the first four GPs), it was the
The ’89 bike Wayne Rainey rode to 1991: Wayne Rainey – YZR500 OWC1 riders who made the difference. “Lawson
his first U.S. Grand Prix victory marked 1994: Luca Cadalora – YZR500 OWF9 and Rainey dominated at the track,” Noy-
the introduction of data recording. Com- es recounts. “It was a lot more dangerous
pared with today’s versions, the system was cumbersome and back then, and the Europeans all turned up and were horrified.”
delicate, with yards of requisite cables sometimes inadver- The sixth-gear Turn 1 kink was bordered by a hillside, while Turn
tently acting as an antenna and scrambling data. Even retriev- 6 had absolutely no runoff. The Corkscrew was still completely
ing the information was problematic: “The team used to post blind, and finding the fast way down required ample practice, giv-
a couple of guys to keep everyone away from the truck,” vet- ing the U.S. riders an advantage. Inspired by their home crowds,
eran GP journalist Dennis Noyes recalls. “Any sudden shocks and aboard the most agile bike of the time, the American legends
would cause the disks to crash and they’d lose all the data were not to be denied.

CAGIVA GP500 JOHN KOCINSKI

T here’s an argument to be made that of all the Grand Prix mo-

torcycles ever built, Cagiva’s were the most beautiful. “Like just
about anything built in Italy, they were sweet-looking,” remembers
Randy Mamola, who raced the GP500 from 1988 to ’90, giving
Cagiva its first podium at Spa Francorchamps in ’88. “It just wasn’t
very fast. Like they say, ‘If it doesn’t go, chrome it!’”
Still, thanks in part to Mamola’s work on the C587 version, the
following iterations were better, and the C593 may have been the best
(and best-looking) of the bunch. There were whisperings of secret
support from Yamaha, a rumor strengthened by the fact that many of
the parts were interchangeable with the YZR500. The bike benefited
GOLD & GOOSE

from Cagiva’s pioneering use of on-board diagnostics, and further

improvement came once Eddie Lawson signed on with the marque
in ’91. Lawson brought the motorcycle its first victory, but that was
mainly by gambling on cut slicks in the restart-
ed wet race at the Hungaroring in ’92. 1993: John Kocinski – GP500 C593 Cagiva’s improvement notwithstand-
“If it wasn’t a place that needed a lot of ing, the victory was down to Kocinski, who
horsepower and it was more to do with the rider, the bike could flogged the C593 around Laguna like a man possessed, eager
do pretty well,” Mamola explains, perfectly describing Laguna, to prove his talent and to exact revenge for a perceived slight
where the GP500 earned its first dry-weather win in ’93. John at the track during the previous Grand Prix there two years ear-
Kocinski had been dropped by Suzuki’s 250cc team earlier in the lier (John had crashed out of the ’91 250cc race and—infuriated
season, and he was snapped up by Cagiva. afterward—was arrested for reckless driving). Kocinski exorcised
“Kocinski turned that team on its head,” Dennis Noyes re- many demons in his racing career, and September 12, 1993, at
lates. “He came in after he was fired and turned them around.” Laguna was a prime example.

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 HONDA RC211V NICKY HAYDEN

H onda’s RC211V dominated and defined the 990cc era of

MotoGP. From ’02 through ’06, the bike won forty-eight of
the eighty-two Grand Prix rounds contested, often sweeping the
podium along the way. The bike’s genius was its engine, HRC
shrewdly exploiting the regulations allowing five-cylinder ma-
chines to weigh the same as fours.
The three-forward-two-aft layout gave the bike an exception-
ally narrow waist and the rider great freedom of movement. The
75.5º V angle offered excellent primary balance, a compact pack-
age allowing mass centralization and room to route a straight inlet
tract (a problem with narrower angles).
The motor was almost turbine-like. “It was good off the bottom,
good on top,” Nicky Hayden says of the bike he rode from his ’03

NORTHCOTT
rookie season to his ’06 championship year. “It just worked, for any
rider, any style.” If anything, the motorcycle on which Hayden scored
his debut Grand Prix win at Mazda Race-
way Laguna Seca in ’05 was the best of 2005: Nicky Hayden – RC211V “Original” the bike—it just works,” he says.
the bunch. “The bike was just perfect,” 2006: Nicky Hayden – RC211V “Brno bike” How different the following year’s race
he recalls. “If I had to list where I had the would be. Having been criticized for leading
perfect bike for a perfect track, it just worked around there.” the standings without winning races, Hayden was under pressure, and
Because the ’05 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix was the MotoGP the bike wasn’t cooperating at the track where his only win had come.
platform’s debut at the track, Hayden also had the advantage of “Whatever we did that weekend, nothing really worked,” he explains.
local knowledge, as he used gearing data from his AMA days. “It “I really don’t even know how I won the race. It was one of the hardest
was one of them special weekends where you don’t really touch races. I was fighting the bike, but I just dug deep and suffered.”

DUCATI DESMOSEDICI CASEY STONER

H onda’s dominance of the 990cc era was expected to con-

tinue into ’07 with the introduction of the 800cc platform HRC
had backed. Those expectations were destroyed in the first race
at Qatar, where Ducati’s first 800cc version of the Desmosedici
blasted past other bikes on the straight, its 90º V4 engine pump-
ing out at least 15 more horsepower than its rivals. Whereas the
Japanese had presumed that the new platform would be about
250-style agility, Ducati engineering genius Filippo Preziosi un-
derstood that horsepower would be king.
Surprisingly, changes between the 990cc GP6 and the new GP7
were minimal, the bikes using the same front end and most of the
COURTESY DUCATI

rear. The motorcycle featured a revised chassis to house the smaller

engine, but the biggest change was the switch from a tractable “big
bang” firing order to a standard “screamer” setup, which produced
more power but required significant electronic
control, despite the fact that the engine was slight- 2007: Casey Stoner – Desmosedici GP7 of its speed,” Stoner says. “It was
ly less over-square in order to retain some torque. a nice feeling to win on that circuit,
When the MotoGP circus alighted in California, Valentino Ros- where you can only get into fifth gear.”
si hoped to claw back some of the points he’d lost at horsepower If anything, Stoner’s victory came despite the Ducati, rather
tracks like Qatar, Shanghai, Istanbul, and Barcelona. Nobody be- than because of it. “Our 2007 bike had no acceleration, and La-
lieved the Ducati would work around Laguna’s tight layout, but guna’s an acceleration track,” the Australian explains. “You need
Casey Stoner would prove them wrong, being fastest in every to be on the ball, because it’s just corner after corner after cor-
session and winning the race. “For me, the biggest thing was that ner—there’s no rest, no breaks. It’s more about you being abso-
everybody was saying that the Ducati was only winning because lutely focused, lap after lap.”

69

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 NORTHCOTT
YAMAHA YZR-M1
“T he fastest bike in a circle” is how Colin Edwards described
the 800cc YZR-M1 when it was introduced in ’07, but it
was being beaten on the straights. Yamaha’s 800 was amazingly
similar to its inline-four 990cc predecessor, both visually and
technically, as project leader Masao Furusawa’s focus was on
improving agility. After the humiliation of ’07, including Valentino
Rossi’s veiled threats of retirement, the ’08 M1 had more horse-
power, gained mainly through reduced internal friction.
Rossi had demanded Bridgestones, necessitating major
setup changes. To capitalize on the outstanding grip of the front
tire, crew chief Jerry Burgess moved the center of gravity back to
improve rear traction.
VALENTINO ROSSI
Laguna was one of the few tracks where The Doctor was still
winless, and he arrived having suffered three
straight defeats to Casey Stoner; he and Bur- 2008: Valentino Rossi – YZR-M1 block Stoner in the tighter sections!
gess knew they had to stop the Australian. “It Vale had finished third in ’05 after trail-
was clearly a tactical race,” Burgess explains. “After qualifying, Wayne ing Nicky Hayden and Edwards through the Corkscrew. “He got
Rainey and I discussed that Casey’s mindset was to be in the lead, in a first-class education by following two Laguna Seca experts
control. What Casey hadn’t dealt with was the possibility of someone around,” Dennis Noyes says. Vale used that knowledge in ’08—
being in front of him, so that was my message to Valentino.” and added his own flair, passing Stoner through the dirt in the
Burgess won’t reveal the setup changes made for the morn- famous turn and blocking devastatingly to notch the win.
ing warm-up, saying only that they wanted enough acceleration Despite his role in creating one of recent history’s greatest
down the front straight that Rossi could keep ahead entering races, Burgess is no fan of Laguna, saying, “It’s a nasty little race-
Turn 2. Assuming he did that, the theory went, he could just track with low gearing and high rpm, and no rest at all.”

HONDA RC212V DANI PEDROSA

F rom the moment MotoGP switched to 800cc in ’07, HRC has

been a mere shadow of its former self, and Honda has argu-
ably brought it upon itself; as other manufacturers merely adapt-
ed their 990s, shrinking the engines and packaging things more
compactly, Honda introduced a brand-new machine.
Where the RC211V was a V5, its successor is a V4, housed in
a smaller chassis. When ’06 world champ Nicky Hayden saw the
motorcycle with which he was to defend his title, his reaction was
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” The bike was tiny, with a fairing
so minimal that the Repsol graphics had to be extended onto the
frame spars in order to fit.
By last season, the bike had grown closer to accepted norms.
NORTHCOTT

The fairing was broader and longer and the tail section larger,
providing better aerodynamics but sacrificing some agility. The
machine had gained pneumatic valves in ’08,
despite Dani Pedrosa’s protests that they 2009: Dani Pedrosa – RC212V in front, he was never seriously challenged.
made throttle response too aggressive. “Dani made a big step in his riding during that
One characteristic remained, however: the RC212V’s launch race,” Leitner says. “He understood very well that he had to man-
control was superlative, providing an advantage on starts. That age the bike in the beginning and maintain his rhythm.”
wasn’t all down to the bike, of course. “When you check the data, Pedrosa may have been channeling Kocinski by exorcising
Dani’s clutch control and throttle is absolutely spot-on,” Pedrosa a ghost from the previous year’s U.S. Grand Prix, where he’d
crew chief Mike Leitner says. “It’s perfect.” shown up badly hurt from a Sachsenring crash and withdrawn
Pedrosa’s trademark rocket getaway saw him grab the hole- after just one practice session. Says Leitner, “I think it was a very
shot at Laguna, and as is often the case when the Spaniard starts emotional ride from Dani, to go to Laguna and to do it.” X

70

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 BY CHRIS JONNUM
PHOTOS COURTESY ALPINESTARS

With its Electronic Airbag Technology, Alpinestars puts a

modern spin on an old concept to improve rider safety

74
worldmags & avaxhome
worldmags & avaxhome
 When you think about it, airbag and technology almost shouldn’t be
combined into one term. After all, using what is essentially a balloon to
cushion the body from impacts isn’t exactly revolutionary. It is effective,
however—air cushions enable stuntmen to avoid injury when falling from
tall buildings, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Board estimates
that 18,000 drivers are alive today thanks to automobile airbags.
The tricky bit comes in fitting a deflated airbag on a motorcycle
rider, in detecting when that rider is about to crash, and in inflating the
bag before impact—and the equipment that enables that to happen

The data-acquisition
equipment used in the
system’s development.

technology has improved dramatically since the project was started,

enabling improvements in the system; Alpinestars collaborated with
the UK’s Cosworth Electronics.)
Before the system can be armed, it must confirm that the rider is on
the bike, the bike’s engine is running, and that the bike is moving. Sen-
sors are able to do all of this; the GPS signal is not always guaranteed,
and its role is more to help with post-race analysis of data. Next, a clas-
sifier begins looking for indicators of a crash, making a search every two
Jeremy McWilliams is one of the riders milliseconds. Exactly what these indicators are is proprietary information,
who helped Alpinestars acquire data early on. but they amount to a mathematical definition of a crash. Despite what
can seem like an impossible assignment (many riders know the sensation
successfully is definitely high-tech. Alpinestars is one company that of being so close to a crash it seemed inevitable, only to miraculously pull
has been working hard in this area (Dainese is another), and they re- off a save), Colin Ballantyne, Alpinestars’ lead engineer on the project,
cently unveiled their version at their U.S. office in Torrance, California. insists that the system knows an impending fall when it sees it.
Alpinestars’ project started with the new millennium, and by the Nonetheless, the finding must be confirmed before action is
2003 German Grand Prix, then-Suzuki-mounted John Hopkins was taken, as the system features no fewer than six effective safety bar-
wearing data acquisition equipment. Other MotoGP riders who’ve riers. When all the rechecking is done and the system is satisfied, a
been involved since include Jeremy McWilliams and Casey Stoner, post-classifier gives the approval to fire, and one of the canisters in-
and it’s currently worn (not always in an armed state) by Mika Kallio, flates the bags. All the data processing happens in only about eight
Ben Spies, and Dani Pedrosa. milliseconds, and the trigger-to-full-inflation steps take .05 seconds.
In the past, some companies built relatively crude motorcycle- Deflation happens after five seconds, though the bags aren’t fully
airbag prototypes that were triggered via a tether attached to the empty until about twenty-five seconds have passed.
bike, but this is impractical, particularly for racing. The current sys- Though it’s still in prototype form, after a decade of development,
tem’s bags are deployed electronically. the Alpinestars’ Electronic Airbag Technology is almost ready for the
The new, compact system involves two relatively small bags that are market. The track version is expected to launch around the middle of
contained inside the leathers and cover the rider’s shoulders and col- next year, and retail price should be approximately $2,500 higher than a
larbones (a statistically high-injury area). Evolution to more or larger bags standard suit. A road version could be ready in a couple of years. X
would be straightforward, but in its current form, a racer can continue
in the unlikely event of an accidental deployment. The leathers contain
seven sensors at various points around the body, and the back hump
houses the rest of the system, including the batteries, a GPS, the pro-
cessor, and the nitrogen canisters that are used for inflation (two canis-
ters are provided—following an initial crash, the system can reset itself
and remain functional in a second accident). The system adds a total of
500 grams to the weight of the otherwise standard Alpinestars suit.
Notwithstanding its impressive hardware, however, the system
earns its technological merit badge with its software. Engineers in-
vested countless hours acquiring data on exactly how the body re-
acts in an impending crash, and this information was eventually used
to create highly complex algorithms so that the system’s sensors Alpinestars engineer Colin Ballantyne test-
can instantaneously predict falls and deploy the airbags. (Electronic deploys the airbag system on Mika Kallio..

76
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worldmags & avaxhome
 H ERITAGE

America’s first Grand Prix

champion, Kenny Roberts, in
action during the 1983 season.

78

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 HERITAGE
With Colin Edwards and Ben Spies now teamed
together at Monster Yamaha Tech 3, we look back
at the original all-American Grand Prix squad
Eddie Lawson (pictured
here in 1986) was teamed
with Roberts during his BY LARRY LAWRENCE
rookie GP season. PHOTOS BY GOLD & GOOSE

T
his season’s pairing of Texans Colin is happening with Spies. He’s coming in, obviously
Edwards and Ben Spies on the Monster with a lot of speed and talent, and he’ll be able to
Energy Yamaha Tech 3 team is a news- bounce ideas off of Edwards and get the benefit of
worthy turn of events, but it’s certainly Colin’s experience. He’s also on a solid team, and
not the first time the premier Grand Prix class has I think after a relatively short adjustment period,
seen an all-American squad. Perhaps the most ex- Spies will make an impact in the series.”
treme example came just three years ago, when The other similarity Roberts sees is Spies’ fo-
Kenny Roberts fielded sons Kenny Jr. and Kurtis cus and commitment to training. “He’s very much
for a single race on his ill-fated KR212s, at the ’07 like Eddie in that regard,” Roberts says. “He seems
Mugello Grand Prix (Kurtis rode just three laps on to be focused on what he’s doing, and as a result,
his brother’s backup bike). In addition, Junior and he’s not intimidated by going against the top riders
John Hopkins rode for Suzuki from ’03 to ’05, and in the world.”
Roberts Sr. fielded a longer-lived star-spangled ef- The addition of Lawson to the series brought
fort, with Californians Randy Mamola and Mike on a golden age of Grand Prix racing for American
Baldwin aboard Lucky Strike-liveried Yamaha riders, and that ’83 season was arguably the ze-
YZR500s, in ’86 (see “Mamola” in this issue). nith of U.S. domination. Freddie Spencer won the
The class’ original team with an all-American world title by just two points over Roberts, with
roster, however, raced in 1983. Once again, Roberts Mamola and Lawson third and fourth, respectively.
was involved—this time as a racer, matched with It marked the first sweep of the top four positions
fellow Californian Eddie Lawson on the factory in the premier class by a single country since 1963,
Marlboro Yamaha Grand Prix effort. The parallels when Mike Hailwood led a five-rider British con-
between that outfit and this year’s “Tex 3” team are tingent that ruled the series.
many. Like Spies, Lawson came into Grand Prix Roberts isn’t sure that the U.S. can ever get
racing with mainly superbike experience. Edwards, back to that kind of prominence in MotoGP, but
meanwhile, is the veteran with the opportunity he thinks the next few years may provide the best
to pass on his knowledge, much like Roberts did shot. “The Europeans saw what we were doing
twenty-seven years ago. with producing great riders in the 1970s and ’80s,
Like Edwards and Spies, Roberts and Lawson and they copied it and perfected it,” he claims.
came from the same state and shared a strong bond. “We still have the talent in America; it’s just with
In fact, Roberts was even willing to put his job on the way the series is now, they really don’t get
the line for Lawson. “I told Yamaha if they didn’t seen. Even if Spies comes through and does well,
bring Eddie over, then I wasn’t going to race,” which I think he will, I’m not sure that will create
Roberts explains. “They didn’t want to hire him another mad rush to hire American riders like there
because they had me and didn’t feel the need to go was in the 1980s. [Americans] just aren’t getting
to the expense of bringing Eddie over, but I knew the exposure they need to be in the minds of the
’83 was going to be my final year, and I thought people who hire the talent.”
Eddie had the talent to be world champion.” Roberts is rooting for the Americans in Mo-
Roberts thinks Spies has a lot in common with toGP, as he’d like nothing better than to see a re-
Lawson, as both came into Grand Prix racing under vival of the domination the U.S. enjoyed twenty-
nearly ideal circumstances. “I brought Eddie over seven years ago. Whether or not that ever happens,
and tried to make his transition to Grand Prix as one thing’s for sure: he’s certainly done his part for
painless as possible,” he recalls. “The same thing America’s success in Grand Prix racing.

79

worldmags & avaxhome

 The Road Racer X Audiovisual Review

Endurance 2009: FIM World Championship Book (Editions Reygondeau)

In any country outside of France, series’ top squads, plus thorough assessments of every round. Said
fans of endurance racing occupy reviews comprise synopses and results, as well as photos and cap-
a niche among motorcycle enthu- tions, and because the images are large and author Valerie Moreno’s
siasts, but what they lack in size text is provided in both English and French, they’re pretty lengthy—
they more than make up for in en- around fifteen pages each. Really, though, what makes the 175-page
thusiasm—hence our inclusion of book are Reygondeau’s photos. Because of its quirky nature, endur-
this book produced by David Rey- ance racing affords opportunities for unique photography, including
gondeau, the FIM World Endurance subjects like headlight-equipped bikes racing at night, racers battling
Championship’s preeminent photog- in the yellow light of sunset and sunrise, dramatic pit stops, examples
rapher. This overview of last year’s of the team component in action, Le Mans starts, and partying fans.
six-race series includes interviews (It also must be said that because of their length, races feature many
with the managers of the champion- crashes.) The book costs 45 euros (about $56) plus shipping, and can
ship-winning teams, profiles of the be had by emailing david@[Link]. CJ

The Brotherhoods: Inside the Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs Book (Allen & Unwin)

American ears will have a hard time with the idea that “bikies” can would be better served if Veno spent
be as intimidating as “bikers,” but it doesn’t take many pages of more time letting the bikies speak for
Arthur Veno’s book on Australian outlaw motorcycle culture before themselves. Instead, he devotes a lot of
the unfamiliar word starts to shed its cute connotation. Billed as words to an apparent effort to establish
“the definitive account of bikie culture in Australia,” Veno’s book himself as a character on par with the
covers the evolution of outlaw bike clubs and delves into specif- men he interviews—a theme that keeps
ics of rules, rituals, badges, violence, hierarchy, and more. There’s up throughout. A strong edit that took
interesting reading about members’ relationships with women— the focus off Veno would’ve made this
wives, girlfriends, and otherwise—and in sections that examine a much better book, but for anyone in-
(and often debunk) commonly held views about how racism and terested in biker/bikie culture, $17.95
politics manifest in bikie culture. The most interesting parts are will still pack a punch. Available through
the interview excerpts that appear every few pages, and the book [Link]. LCA

Joey Dunlop DVD (Duke)

The Isle of Man TT has a hundred-year- 2000—is included.) Jewels include Dunlop-narrated point-of-view
plus history, but it’s doubtful that any- footage from before the days of mini cameras, divers fishing mo-
one will ever eclipse the mark left by torcycles out of the Irish Sea following a trawler shipwreck, and
Joey Dunlop. This DVD pays homage Joey sneaking a smoke after another win. The various narrators’
to “yer maun’s” legacy, with footage British accents add charm, but ironically, soft-spoken Dunlop’s
from most of his Tourist Trophy ac- Irish brogue can be nearly unintelligible to American ears. Such
complishments. (Unfortunately, there’s a project was bound to stretch on, and at 207 minutes, it’s quite
no known video of Joey’s original vic- extensive. Still, it’s hard to imagine what could’ve been trimmed.
tory at the 1977 Jubilee TT, but just Joey’s gone now, but this film reminds us that, with twenty-six
about everything else—from his sec- victories in twenty-five years and 100 races on the island, the Ul-
ond win, three years later at the Clas- sterman will always be King of the Mountain. Available for $29.95
sic TT, through his three wins at 48 in at [Link]. CJ

PLAYLIST
What the Industry is Listening To

ROGER LEE HAYDEN LAUREL C. ALLEN ANDREW WHEELER

WHEELER

WILLIAMS

BROWN

Team Pedercini Kawasaki Road Racer X AutomotoPhoto

“OMG” Usher “Peking Spring” Mission of Burma “Conscience Killer”

“Got to Get It” Topic “Someday I Will Treat You Good” Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
“Rude Boy” Rihanna Sparklehorse “Tha” Aphex Twin
“Not Afraid” Eminem “North by North” The Bats “Vuja De” The Orb
“The Climb” Miley Cyrus “(I Was Born In A) Laundromat” “Vamp” Trentemøller
Camper Van Beethoven “Advanced Night Repair”
“Plateau” Meat Puppets The Pinker Tones

80
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worldmags & avaxhome

 BEST THING ABOUT HOME?
Chaz Davies: Three things, really:
family, Mom’s cooking, and we’ve got
the kart track there, so there’s always
CHAZDAVIES something to do.
Jason DiSalvo: Probably seeing my
puppies.

WHEELER/BROWN
YOUR COMPUTER’S DESKTOP?
CD: A computer-created, nice wooden
floor with lighting at the top.
JD: A picture of me ice-riding.
FAVORITE FOOD?
CD: Good Italian.
JD: Anything that my wife cooks.
FAVORITE TRACK?
CD: Laguna. It has character, and I
think part of it is whenever I first started
watching Superbikes, you just get
THRUXTON everybody talking about the Corkscrew.
I always wanted to ride at Laguna, and
now that I do, I just get a good feeling
when I go there.
JD: Road Atlanta. I liked it better with
the old Turn 12, but it’s still so fast and
undulating, and the elevation [change] is
cool. It’s definitely a rider’s track.
EVER BEEN IN TROUBLE WITH THE
LAW?
CD: No, just speeding tickets.
JD: No, nothing serious outside of
speeding tickets. We’re quite good family
friends with a couple of state troopers, so

T
here are two full-time riders on the
that helps.
World Supersport grid with AMA Pro
BEST GIFT YOU EVER RECEIVED?
backgrounds, and both are members CD: My Garmin bicycle GPS, and I got
of the same team—Triumph’s ParkinGo/BE1- a full data system for my minibike off my
sponsored squad. Both are also mom and dad for my 21st—a full data log-
nice guys with a lot of talent ger with GPS and lap timing. I love any
WHEELER/BROWN

and high aspirations, but that’s gadgets.

about where the similarities JD: My wedding ring, because my wife
bought it for me. It looks like it’s tungsten
end, as we were reminded
and carbon fiber, but it’s a $35 special.
while compiling this edi-
I told her to get the cheapest thing she
tion of 2 Tribes. could find, since it’s the meaning behind
it that matters, but it really is an awesome
ring as well.
TALENT YOU WISH YOU HAD?
CD: To be better at musical instru-
ments—drums. I get on okay at Rock
Band, but that’s about as good as it gets.
BANTAM CLUB
JD: I kind of wish I was a little bit more
artistic.
JASONDiSALVO SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOUR
HOMETOWN?
CD: Apparently there are seven famous
tapestries in the world, and they man-
aged to find four. It just happened that
82

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 WHEELER/BROWN
one was hanging in a church in Prest-
eigne [in Wales] and it’s hundreds of
CHAZ DAVIES
years old. It’s priceless.
JD: In Stafford, there’s the best-in-the-
world prime rib steakhouse. People
come from hundreds of miles away just
to eat there. It’s called the Red Oiser.
FAVORITE DRINK?
CD: Monster.
JD: I’ve grown pretty fond of European
coffee. My dad has an espresso machine
I never used to use, but lately I’ve been
firing it up every time I come home.
LAST BOOK YOU READ?
CD: Probably Tour de Force, a book on
the Tour de France. That was the second
time I read it.
JD: I usually read a lot of science-
fiction/fantasy, but I started reading
Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy. I CD: Lance Armstrong. YOUR BEST TROPHY?
just finished the second one, and it’s JD: Freddie Spencer. Winning both CD: The Daytona one’s pretty special.
phenomenal. the 250 and 500 championships in the JD: From the 600 Supersport race at
FAVORITE STORE? same year is unbelievable to this day. Daytona in ’04. The trophy is nice, but there
CD: Apple Store. FAVORITE WAY TO TRAIN? was a nice bonus tied to that one too!
JD: Probably GameStop. CD: Probably relaxed riding at FAVORITE PLACE IN THE WORLD?
FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM? home—Supermoto or motocross. CD: Home.
CD: I don’t really have one. There’s a Sometimes I go out with a purpose, JD: Wherever I’m currently calling home.
few cycling teams I like, but I don’t follow but there’s also days when I go out CRAPPIEST CAR YOU’VE OWNED?
football or sports. just to mess around and I don’t really CD: The first car. It was a Mercedes A-
JD: Buffalo Sabres, the professional care what my lap times are. Class, and it’s got the Mercedes name, but
hockey team. JD: I would’ve said cycling if you’d whatever’s inside it is fairly Chinese-quality.
LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED asked four months ago, but now I’m The electronics are terrible on it. It’s just
TWICE? going to have to go with running. I sitting there and the windows are down
CD: I watched Saving Private Ryan again didn’t have a bicycle the first three because they won’t go back up now.
the other day. months of this season, so I had to JD: The car we currently own in Europe.
JD: The Boondock Saints 2. resort to running. The more I did it, It’s a Citroen Picasso.
YOUR HERO? the more I enjoyed it. WORST PLACE IN THE WORLD?
CD: Motegi. I got bad food poisoning there,
NORTHCOTT

so all I have is bad memories of Motegi.

JASON DiSALVO JD: Economy class on an airplane during
the fourteenth hour of a fifteen-hour flight.
EVER BEEN IN A FIGHT?
CD: No. I came close in school but never
actually got down to it.
JD: Not since middle school.
WHICH ACTOR WOULD PLAY YOU
IN A MOVIE?
CD: I’ve been told I look like Owen Wil-
son a little bit, so I’ll say him.
JD: Tom Cruise.
EVER HAD A REAL JOB?
CD: No, but I worked on the kart track a
little bit.
JD: No, not yet!
WORDS TO LIVE BY?
CD: You get out of life what you put into it.
JD: Keep moving forward.
83

worldmags & avaxhome

 PETERCLIFFORD
Paddock Pundit
By Laurel C. Allen

Peter Clifford cofounded the World Championship Motorsports (WCM) fact that we started the year with an engine that still included a very
team with Bob MacLean in 1992. That effort fielded riders including Luca few parts of an R1 engine was just a function of the time we had to do
Cadalora, Troy Corser, John Hopkins, Noriyuki Haga, and Garry McCoy the build…. [Not being allowed to race] had nothing to do with the
and evolved into the Grand Prix-winning Red Bull Yamaha WCM team sport or the other GP teams, who gave us great support. It was just
in ’97. Clifford’s relationship with Red Bull has continued to this day; he politics and money.
currently serves as press officer for the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. The situation has not changed that much. There are even fewer fac-
tory bikes available now, and finally it has dawned [on organizers] that
a modification of the regulations to allow the use of production engines
COURTESY CLIFFORD

might be a good idea. The only thing that’s changed is that the president
of the FIM is now Vito Ippolito, whereas back when we had trouble the
president was Francesco Zerbi. It remains to be seen if the contract the
World Superbike promoters signed with Zerbi holds up in the same way
under Ippolito, who may wish to see it interpreted differently.
Do you think that platform would be a more tenable model for a
private team than leasing a factory 800?
The most important difference is not the capacity, as the factories will
abandon their gentleman’s agreement and build liter bikes themselves;
the important thing is that if you build your own bike, you own it and
can run it for a number of seasons. With the lease deal, you have nothing
at the end of the year.
A production-engine rule would allow a great many more teams to
get involved in the MotoGP class. In theory, at least, you could have
completely full grids, as there are currently in the Moto2 class—al-
though there’s a very significant difference, in that with a non-factory
engine, you’re not going to be racing for a top-six finish. And it will
still not be cheap. MotoGP teams sell their sponsors on the idea that
they’re racing factory bikes so that if the gods favor them with rather
special circumstances—Donington 2009 [a wet race in which satellite
riders Colin Edwards and Randy de Puniet finished second and third,
respectively]—they can get on the podium. With a non-factory bike,
that’s going to be a harder sell.
Can satellite teams ever be competitive with the factories?
A private team is never going to be competitive with the factories. The
factories make the rules through the MSMA, and they will make sure no
one challenges their superiority. The non-factory teams are there simply
as support players: the chorus that fills the stage, never to take the lime-
light. Keeping them in this background position is firstly ensured by the
factories’ domination of the electronics, but even if that’s overcome,
Peter Clifford with then-WCM rider Garry McCoy in 2000. they have the budgets to ensure that no one else comes close either
technically or in the rider market.
RRX: What are your thoughts on the proposed 2012 liter-bike rule? Unfortunately, the factory budgets are doubly important because
Peter Clifford: I think the return to 1000cc is good—or rather, the they so devalue the MotoGP sponsorship market that no one else is
change to 800cc made no sense. That was a knee-jerk reaction to Dai- able to raise real-world finance to mount a significant effort. When the
jiro Kato’s tragic crash, but even for that reason it never made sense. factories give away their own team-naming rights for a few hundred
Was Kato’s crash really caused by too much horsepower? “Cubes” are thousand dollars, why should any sponsor stump up the many millions
the most cost-effective way of making horsepower. If we banned the that it would cost to seriously challenge them with an independent ef-
electronics, then tire performance and rider skill would restrict its levels fort? The factories do have limitations and vulnerabilities, but it takes a
and the liter bikes would be great. Unfortunately, the manufacturers very special, sustained effort to exploit them.
have no intention of allowing the banning of the electronics. They have What are your plans for the future?
too much invested in it. Hopefully, the Rookies Cup will continue for many years. Apart from
WCM was once rapped on the knuckles for using parts derived that, I’d be very interested to be involved in almost any aspect of Grand
from an R1. Is it strange to see organizers actually implementing Prix racing. Despite the fact that the regulations are unfortunately be-
those same parts now as a platform? coming more and more restrictive, there’s a lot of engineering to be
For the 2003 season, WCM was forced to make its own MotoGP done. In some respects, the more restrictive the regulations, the greater
bike—there simply were no factory bikes available. A race team mak- the technical challenge to circumvent those restrictions, so stepping up
ing its own bike is madness, but it was either that or stay home. The to that would be a very welcome proposition. X

84
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worldmags & avaxhome
 MIKEMURPHY
Murph the “Mechanager”
By CJ

get a job in GPs. Eighteen months later I was driving mo-

CJ
tor homes for [Jeremy] McWilliams and IRTA. Then I was
doing hospitality areas for Red Bull and Rizla Suzuki. The
reality is, that was probably the best job I ever had in the
paddock, because I was done working Thursday night—
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I watched racing. I basically
got to tour around Europe on somebody else’s dime.
How did you transition into rider management?
In ’07, I was supposed to drive McWilliams’ motor home
again and help out Ilmor with their media and PR. We got
to Jerez for the first European round and the team basi-
cally folded. I flew back to California and Puma contacted
me and asked about finding some AMA road racers to in-
troduce their boot to the U.S. market. I recruited Danny
Eslick and Blake Young and some of the young guys and
kind of reestablished myself in the AMA. Then it just sort
of happened that people started asking me to help out with
this or that or to look at a contract. The guys at Hardcard,
Andy Leisner and John Farris, were starting their manage-
ment business. At the time, they were more negotiating be-
tween tracks and promoters, but they asked me to start up
a rider-management part of it. When the economy started
getting shaky, we came to the mutual agreement that I’d
start Syndicate Motorsport Management, and they focused
more on behind-the-scenes stuff, apart from doing a great
job representing Ashley Fiolek in motocross.
What are the pluses and minuses of the job?
They’re not mutually exclusive. One of the best parts is
traveling and meeting new people and seeing new cultures,
seeing things from a different view. But at the same time,
sixteen hours from San Francisco to Dubai isn’t very fun.
How badly did the economy affect you?
When a rider manager makes a percentage of what a rid-
er’s earning and so many riders really aren’t making any
money—or they’re having to bring money to the deal—10
or 15 percent of nothing is nothing. It’s affected me like
everybody else, but since I kept my overhead low, I’m not
worried about paying my mortgage or anything like that. In
Building a career with motorcycles can require flexibility, and few the AMA paddock, three or four years ago, you saw all sorts of people
people embody that truism more than Mike “Murph” Murphy. The coming in as rider managers and a lot of them have fallen by the way-
owner, secretary, and janitor of Syndicate Motorsport Management, side. They heard about $4 million deals and figured they were going to
the Californian can be found in road race paddocks all over the grab some of that, but those deals are really the exception to the rule.
world, from MotoGP to World Superbike to AMA Pro. We ran into him You’re kind of a one-man show at your company.
at Miller Motorsports Park. The biggest thing with being a rider manager is having the relation-
ship with your rider. I never want to have to call a rider and tell him,
RRX: You’ve got a pretty varied background. “My secretary screwed this up” or “My partner screwed this up.”
Mike Murphy: [Laughs] It’s been a pretty circuitous route to here. I Whatever happens—good or bad—I can look them in the eye and say,
graduated from UC Santa Cruz in ’95, went to MMI, and finished in “I did that.” But it’s taken on a whole new meaning this year. With
’96. I worked in a race shop in Phoenix and dabbled a little bit in CCS Anthony West riding for the MZ team in Moto2, maybe a week and a
Southwest and realized I had no talent when it came to motorcycles. I half before the season, some of the funding that appeared to be a slam-
moved back to California and ran a Honda/Ducati dealership in Sunny- dunk didn’t come through. They weren’t able to hire some people, so
vale for about two and a half years. I was doing really well financially, I volunteered to help out with whatever they needed. I showed up in
but I came to the point where I realized I wanted to do more. Toward Qatar, and we were truly a skeleton crew. I hadn’t turned a wrench on
the end of that tenure, Ducati sent me to Valencia for the end-of-year a race bike in ten or twelve years, and now I’m neck-deep in it, pull-
race. I saw that and was pretty astounded, and on the flight home I told ing those control motors and putting them back in! Luckily, you don’t
a friend that I was going to figure out a way to come back to Europe and forget how to do that. X

86
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 ,000 British Bikers who
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worldmags & avaxhome

 BRAND-NEW STUFF
By Jesse Cecil

DAINESE SANTA MONICA

PELLE B. JACKET
What it is: Inspired by America’s West Coast, the Dainese Santa Monica Pelle
B. is designed to be rugged and sophisticated while conveying the emotion of
cutting-edge Italian design and technology in true Dainese style. The jacket
features elevated levels of protection via removable elbow protectors and
titanium-shielded, co-injected shoulder armor, and the D-Skin leather con-
struction provides excellent resistance to abrasion and normal wear and tear.
The jacket also features elasticized fabric inserts for improved comfort and
fit, a removable thermal liner, and adjustable neck and side closures.

Details: Available in four color options in even-numbered sizes 44-60.

Online: [Link] /// Price: $799

BAZZAZ Z-BOMB
What It Is: Designed for ’09-’10 Honda CBR600RRs and most GSX-Rs, the Bazzaz Z-Bomb
timing-retard calibrator promises to maximize engine performance for up to a 6hp gain over stock,
and while the system does integrate with all Z-Fi EMS systems and other aftermarket tuning units,
an engine-management system isn’t necessary.

Details: A simple plug-in unit with a throttle-position sensor, the Z-Bomb requires just a screw-
driver, 5mm hex key, and a few minutes of your time for installation. Bazzaz claims customers
with aftermarket exhausts will realize horsepower gains greater than 6hp.

Online: [Link] /// Price: $149.95

VORTEX ZERO-DEGREE
CLIP-ONS
What They Are: Even the most minor crash can result in a
bent clip-on handlebar, and while most OEM clip-ons require
the replacement of the entire assembly, Vortex’s new Zero-
Degree clip-on is an economical option that offers the ability to
simply replace the handlebar tube in the event that one gets bent.

Details: The clip-on is machined from solid billet aluminum with a black finish, features stainless-steel
fasteners, and is available in a variety of sizes from 43–51mm. Replacement bars are sold separately and are
priced at $15.95 each.

Online: [Link] /// Price: $164.95

88
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worldmags & avaxhome
 TREKDESK
What It Is: A full-sized, height-adjustable workstation that
can attach to an existing treadmill, TrekDesk
allows you to walk slowly while you work,
allowing you to trade some time in the office
chair for some light exercise. While the health
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out there. TrekDesk asserts, however, that similar, higher-
priced systems are used in the corporate offices at some
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Details: Visit TrekDesk online for additional information.

Online: [Link] /// Price: $479

Leap s And Bo unds Over The Competi tion!

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worldmags & avaxhome

 YOSHIMURA RS-4 EXHAUST
What it is: Supermoto riders, this one’s for you. Made in a wide variety of applications for Suzuki and
Honda 250cc and 450cc dirt bikes, the Yoshimura RS-4 full exhaust system is a prime example
of the effort and expense Yoshimura puts into the testing and development of its products, both
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system features a polyresonant Duplex Chamber, a two-stage stepped baffle, full titanium
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Details: Go online to view specific applications. For noise considerations, 94 and 99 dB inserts are available.

Online: [Link] /// Price: $945-$995

AXO TOURING JACKETS AND PANTS

What It Is: Already well known in Europe and the motocross industry here, AXO is currently expanding
its street presence in the United States, and its newest stateside offering is the Touring line of pants and
jackets. The TT Zero Jacket and TK Evo Pants represent the pinnacle of that lineup and are equipped
with removable, reflective-aluminum quilted liners and a locking system that joins pants and jacket.
More affordably priced, yet still handsomely appointed, is the Mistral jacket-pant combination. Both
sets are constructed of high-tenacity polymide fabric and feature a Watertech waterproof membrane.

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worldmags & avaxhome

 Valentino Rossi 2009 Red Bull Indianapolis GP Nicky Hayden

Attention all Road

Racer X subscribers!
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway would like to invite
all Road Racer X subscribers and their families to come
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> 3-day ticket in the Southwest Vista

> 1 Red Bull Indianapolis GP official
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*Valid for new purchases only. **Date and time TBD.

If you are interested in tickets in other grandstands or a race day ONLY ticket, let us know as we may be able to accommodate your request.
worldmags & avaxhome
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 VENDOR ROW

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 AMA Legal in
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worldmags & avaxhome

 By Eduardo Soler
When: July 14, 1985
Where: Laguna Seca Raceway; Monterey, CA
How: Nikon FM2 body, 50mm macro lens; 1/30 sec. @ f8; Kodak Ektachrome 64 film

I made this photograph of Kenny Roberts at the Champion Spark Plug 200 event, and with the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix coming back
around at the same track, it’s nice to check it out again. The race ended up being between Roberts and Randy Mamola, and it was a
nonstop wheelie contest that’s currently a YouTube classic! At that time, with just a general-admission ticket, you were allowed in the pits,
where you could be standing next to your favorite racer. It was really exciting being in the pits, so close to the riders and listening to the
two-stroke engines!
My goal was to get a great image of Roberts, so I waited until he exited his pit area, and then I stepped forward to fill my frame. I
like using a slower shutter speed in order to capture movement. Here, that setting enabled me to show the Yamaha moving slightly and
Roberts’ hand letting the clutch out, yet his face is still sharp because I was panning my camera at the same time. I’m very happy with
this image—I call it a moving portrait of the King. I think it’s a classic, if I may say so myself!
96
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