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NEWS ARCHIVE - JANUARY 2005

WHERE IS WOKKA? - UPDATE
From Warwick Nowland: "After 4 successful years, I will no longer be a part of the Zongshen Team. The decision, just after Christmas, was a big surprise to me. 2004 was my first of 2 years in SBK and I knew the team and I would need 2 years to establish ourselves. I‘ve had opportunities in the past to enter SBK but not with competitive teams. I wanted to wait until I could start with a good team. I built my profile in Endurance, won 2 World Championships, won many races in 2003.
In 2004, the plan was to work together and build a competitive structure aimed at winning the Superbike World Championship in 2005 or 2006.

2004 was difficult for both myself and Zongshen and we have both lost our dominant image that we carried from Endurance.

My main focus is to rebuild my image.

At present, I am uncertain what I will be doing this year. It is very late to find a good position and last Friday I realised, I would not race in the 2005 Superbike World Championship. Now I am trying to finalise something in the Endurance World Championship and I am excited about returning to the nicest paddock in Motorsport. I am far from finished with SBK but my plan of returning to Endurance is to build my confidence again, win the title again and then go back to SBK with a competitive team. I’m addicted to the 2 World titles I have but they are not enough. I want more! I do wish the Zongshen Team and their riders good luck for the future and I hope one day they will be at the front again."

PHASE ONE 2005 SENIOR TEAM - FINAL RIDER LINE-UP

Australia's Damian Cudlin (from Victoria) will ride for Yamaha Phase One Endurance in 2005 alongside Dean Ellison and Andi Notman. 22 year old Cudlin made his debut with the team at the Bol d'Or in 2002, and rode with the Phase One Junior team in 2003.

After a year competing in the Australian Superbike championship in 2004 where he ended the season in 6th place, Damian is happy to be back with Phase One. "I'm wrapped to have been given this opportunity and just can't wait to start the season. I've worked with Phase One before and know they are one of the best teams in the paddock."

HONDA AUSTRIA UPDATE
The good news is that Erwin Wilding is out of intensive care after his serious crash in Macau - but what's worrying is that he remains in a coma. We have had our fingers crossed for months and remain hopeful.

WHERE'S WOKKA?

DAYTONA 2005...
Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin riders Neil Hodgson and Eric Bostrom completed three promising days of testing with their Ducati 999s at the Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday. Both riders recorded impressive top speeds on the recently revised 3.0 mile (4.8 km) circuit. Hodgson's Ducati 999 was the fastest bike at the test, having motored through the speed trap at 194.635 mph according to the AMA's timing equipment. Neil was particularly impressive, turning in a 1:40.711s on the final day, which was good enough for third quickest overall.
"It's really good to be here. I love Daytona and its history and I like racing on classic circuits like this. It was a bit of an eye-opener, coming here. It looks a lot easier on television, that's all I can say -- you know, the banking and everything. But it's exciting!"

Eric Bostrom turned in a best lap of 1m41.1s late on Wednesday, good for fifth quickest over the course of the three-day test.
"We learned some things when I rode Neil's bike. His settings did some things a little better than mine and we'll have to see if that can translate to my set-up or not. I think there's a lot to learn from having a team-mate and I look forward to
 

MASTER OF ENDURANCE SERIES
 So, the dates are in for the "series"...17th/18th April for Le Mans and 17th/18th September for the Bol d'Or...does two races make a series?

ZONGSHEN - WHAT'S HAPPENING?
Something we'd all like to find out...and SOON...
As Zongshen are now in partnership with Piaggio...and Piaggio now own Aprilia...and it looks like they are taking delivery of four 250cc Aprilias with the intention to go racing in the GP's. This is from a communiqué from the Zongshen Team...

Michel Marqueton's ZONGSHEN TEAM will be engaged for 5 races (China, France, Germany, Malaysia, Spain) as wild cards with 2 machines with Chinese riders. 3 Chinese pilots will be selected after the China round to go to France to participate in testing (with Stéphane Mertens and Bruno Bonhuil). The fastest of the 3 will participate in meetings of essays on of the 250CC in order to familiarize itself with these bikes. Four 250 Aprilia should arrive from here the beginning of the year in the workshops of the team Zongshen in order to familiarize itself with this equipment. The team of 2004 remainder practically it even but must recruit a boss mechanic + another more specialized mechanic in the 2 times. " THIS IS a will from China and CMSA (China Bike Sport Association) to arrive to the highest level of the competition bike with a Chinese team. The MotoGP does so left of the projects of the China to more or less long term"
 (sorry about the iffy translation - it's done at www.freetranslation.com)

MORE...
It looks like (according to www.motograndprix.it) it will be Piergiorgio Bontempi and a "promising Chinese rider" who will be contesting selected rounds on Aprilia GP250 machines in 2005 as wildcards, with the intention of going full-time in 2006...
So...what's happening to former World Endurance Champion Warwick Nowland? - and Zongshen's supposed World Superbike team on the new GSXR Suzukis? We'd like to know...

My guess is that if some team gets it's act together pretty quickly, they can get a World Champion on board for 2005...

HONDA AUSTRIA
Erwin Wilding has finally been allowed to fly back home from Macau and arrived back in Austria on Christmas Eve. We wish him a speedy and full recovery.
This report on what actually happened, courtesy of the Yamaha Austria boys...

"Erwin suffered bad head injuries and was taken at the Conde de S Januario hospital after crashing into the barriers at about 200 km/h and being flung almost 70 metres. The bike burst into flames, sending a huge plume of white smoke in the air. Organisers immediately cancelled the session. Erwin was seen lying prone on the ground for about 10 minutes as a safety car and an ambulance rushed to the scene. There was no movement at all from him as he was rushed to hospital, but Horst (Saiger) and Tom (Hinterreiter), who were running immediately after Erwin's crash to the scene of the accident, saw Erwin breathing. "It didn't look good. From the speed at which he was going when he crashed, he will be very lucky if he comes out with just injuries." said one fellow rider after the accident."

JASON PRIDMORE UPDATE
Michael Jordan Motorsports will make its on-track debut at the Daytona tire tests January 3, the same day that the team is officially announced.

Jason Pridmore, Steve Rapp, and Montez Stewart will share one Jordan Brand-backed, Yoshimura Suzuki-equipped Suzuki GSX-R1000 during the three-day test, January 3-5. The Suzuki will likely run in Superstock trim for the first test. For the 2005 season, Pridmore will concentrate on Superbike and Superstock, with Rapp and Stewart focused more on Superstock, though they’ll also make appearances in the Superbike class.

The 2005 team increases the involvement of six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan in motorcycle racing.  Pridmore and Jordan struck up a fast friendship through shared passions, motorcycles and golf. Jordan rescued Pridmore’s team at the eleventh hour when it was clear he didn’t have the resources to finish the final two races of the 2004 season on the Star Motorcycle School Suzukis.

JAMES ELLISON UPDATE...ONCE AGAIN WORLD ENDURANCE SHOWS IT'S MUSCLE
24 year old James Ellison, Kendal resident and Cumbrian racing motorcyclist, was crowned the Cumbria Sports Awards Personality of the Year at this year's awards ceremony in the Low Wood Hotel, Windermere.

He's had a fantastic year, winning the British Superbikes Privateer Championship, debuting in World Superbikes at Silverstone and Brands Hatch where he finished top British rider of the day beating the established British factory stars. These achievements gave him the opportunity to ride in the prestigious Moto GP World Championships, widely regarded as the pinnacle in motorcycle racing for six events this year with the Harris WCM team substituting for the injured Chris Burns. James also rode the "8 Hours of Suzuka " for Yamaha Austria.

 James has also set a unique record this year in scoring points in the four premier four stroke championships in the world in one season, MotoGP, World Superbike, World Endurance and British Superbike.
When only 17 he became the British 600cc Champion. In 2000 aged 19 he became European Champion, a feat he repeated the following year. By 2003 he was the youngest ever World Champion in endurance racing, and he took his place at a glittering awards presentation in Dubai with every other motorcycle world champion of that year.

His achievements this year have catapulted him to the attentions of the big teams, and he has now signed a contract to ride in motorcycling's premier competition, the Moto GP World Championships in 2005, for the Blata WCM Team.


James' comments:- "I was there with my mum, dad, Sarah, her mum and dad and my nan and grandad. I really didn't expect to win so I never invited my sponsors up, I thought it would just be a waste of time for them although it would have been really nice to have everyone there who have helped me get that award, it wasn't just for this year, it was because of what I have achieved over all the years I've been racing.

One of our Olympic 4x4 relay runners was a guest speaker after all the awards were handed out to encourage more young people to participate in competition sports.

I know its not big but it meant a lot to me and my family even just to get short listed for the award because it has been so hard and we've had so many set backs over the years trying to make it to where I am now. It was nice just to get my efforts recognised by people outside our sport.
I'm not sure how the award was decided or who voted for me but I owe an awful lot of people a big thank you. Thanks very much to everyone who voted for me!"

Phase One have signed up Andi Notman to ride with them in the World Endurance Championship in 2005. Andi's coming back from a pretty bad arm injury (the scars are well-wicked) but is fitter, leaner and hungry for success in the 3-times World Championship-winning team. Andi (seen here with Scottoiler  inventor and Phase One sponsor Fraser Scott) will join another Brit, Dean Ellison...which begs the question...who will be the third rider?
...AND WILL HE ALSO BE A BRIT??

THE RAIN IN SPAIN FALLS MAINLY ON THE...RIDERS
Wet Spanish weather has hampered an unoffical two-day test for World Superbike and Supersport teams at Valencia.

Over the two days of the test (December 13-14), intermittent rain and cold temperatures saw Lorenzo Lanzi post a fastest unofficial time of 1:40.0 following his switch to the WSB Scuderia Caracchi 999 from World Supersport in 2004.

World Endurance Champion David Checa was there with the GMT Endurance team, posting a time of 1:40.1, with Yamaha Italia's Andrew Pitt third with 1:40.5
 Other Yamaha riders who were present at Valencia were Sebastien Gimbert on the Yamaha Motor France, and the three DFX Yamahas of Jose Luis Cardoso, Miguel Praia and Marco Borciani.

PSG-1 Kawasaki team-mates Chris Walker and Mauro Sanchini also clocked up plenty of laps testing different shocks and swing-arms, with Walker posting a best time of 1:41.5. Fellow Kawasaki rider and former World Endurance rider Giovanni Bussei was also at the test.

DAVID CHECA GETS NEW PARENTS
Co-World Endurance Champion David Checa has now been recognized as a "son" of Sant Fruitós de Bages (Barcelona) after a sort of party/celebration at the villages' local town hall...brother Carlos from the Ducati GP team was also there.
Carlos said “Obviously I am very proud of what David has done and he has become the best in the world at his discipline, this is very important. David and I were, and still are, very close and this title is proof in his capabilities as a rider Also, to celebrate here in our birth town and before our friends, is excellent.”

Carlos presented his brother with the ‘Trophy of Champions’

For his part, David Checa was thrilled with the reception and honour that took place on the 17th December: “Of all the parties and celebrations I have had in taking the title of World Endurance Champion this has been the more special and was more emotional because it was done by my people,”

“I was looking forward to showing off this title and giving appreciation for all the support I have received ever since I started to shine riding a bike. It was great to have my brother Carlos together with me here because he helped a lot when I was starting out and was always a fantastic example of the ‘older brother’. I owe him a lot and I will keep striving so that he can be proud of me.”