no Kawas in AMA SBK?

http://venus.13x.com/roadracingworld/scripts/NewsInsert.asp?insert=7869
"Kawasaki's decision to not run a Superbike in the 2004 AMA series"

Is this correct? Will they be in WSB? Or will the only SBK Kawa ZX-10Rs
be in BSB and AJRR?

And where does that leave Eric B?
http://venus.13x.com/roadracingworld/scripts/NewsInsert.asp?insert=7869

 

As one of several classes ranging from Superstock to MotoGP all on the
track at the same time. Judging by the Sugo round this year, there are
no or few competitive SBKs any more.

I'm sure it's not meant but that always reads as a put down. Hawk Kawa
will be racing. They almost certainly will be racing ZX10Rs. And they'll
be hand built in England using all the stuff available from the UK
racing industry. A big slice of it will be off the shelf or custom built
from Harris. Although some bits of last year's bikes were factory hand
downs, a lot of it was built in the same way. And they managed podiums
with that if not wins.

We don't yet know who's riding for Monstermob, Renegade or ETI Ducati
teams, if anybody. With Reynolds and Kagayama on Suzukis and Plater back
on the new Virgin Yam R1, this could easily be the year when Ducatis
don't win much. The unknowns are Haga and GSE racing. With Plater gone,
we also don't know what's to become of the Honda team. Amazing to see
them go from running Edwards to a world championship to a national
championship with no riders.

So is BSB going to be the last hold out of SBK?

 

Well officially the free seat is at Repsol HRC. If you read the last news,
looks like the negociations between Honda and Yamaha are hard.

 

It looks like WSB, at least as we knew it is over. MotoGP is just "eating
up" the resources available. As long as GP is four stroke oriented WSB won't
get the factories support at levels we've all grown used to seeing. Oh
well....
T3

http://www.amasuperbike.com/2003-Nov/031115a.htm

 

You'd like to see Fonsi to be promote to MotoGP just to wave your JIS flag.
Won't happen.
More interesting is Elias as a lot see him as the future spanish champion
and he switches to Honda for next year. The fact is he didn't win any
championship yet, comparing to Poggiali whos has already 2.

 

Xaus confirmed at D'Antin, so that's another seat gone.

With Corona Suzuki announcing they'll have no SBK bike, will Lavilla end
up in the US?

 

Max Biaggi might be the other Repsol rider. You heard it here first...

IG
'95 VFR750

 

Or Repsol could switch to another team....d'Antin for example...

 

Heh! Just because there was no smiley doesn't mean it wasn't humorous.

Hell, I don't know. Maybe he'd bring all that Suzuki setup knowledge
with him and work as a test rider for them or maybe for Honda as they
try to make the CBR competitive.

So which moderately good guys are now out in the cold? Or at least
unsigned.
- Aoki
- Haga
- McCoy
- Lavilla
- Nakano
- Eric Bostrom
- Kurtis Roberts
- Chili

What about Hopkins and Roberts? Are they definitely with Suzuki?

I thought once Rossi announced it would all fall into place quite
quickly, but the mess in SBK worldwide and the escalating Honda-Yamaha
battle means that it's all still a mess.

 

Haga looks to be headed for BSB with Monstermob Duc

Nakano is almost sure of the second green MotoGP seat ( thanks to
Bridgestone )

I can't help but think that he'll be racing one of daddy's bikes in
MotoGP next year

Has already signed with his current team for another year in WSB, has
been trying to get his hands on a 2003 999 but has to settle for one of
the 2002 bikes GSE where racing this year

Both of them have a contract for next year, but I wouldn't be surprised
if one of them left

Yup, seems like we'll just have to wait until the start of the first
races to be sure who will be riding what and where.

Phil.

 

Eric Bostrom will ride the latest Ducati 999 with Italian Corse guyz there
fettling it in -- AMA Superbike!

On the latest Michelin WSBK spec. tires.

Nice compensation for his season's end!
--
Ed Light

Smiley :-/
MS Smiley :-\

Send spam to the FTC at

Thanks, robots.

 

Might be a stupid idea, but does anyone think Rossi can insist on
testing the Honda until his contract is ending?

 

No. Honda doesn't have to let Rossi ride. As long as they continue to pay
him, they have no obligation to use him.
Unless there is some secret clause in the contract, this is pretty standard
deal in sports.