Mad Kaw Racing takes 4th in Middleweight Superstock Class at Virginia International Raceway on Tomahawk Tires. Mad Kaw Racing had a disappointing start to the WERA National Endurance season on their cycletires.com ZX6-R. The Jennings GP round in March saw Team Owner Ivan Messina crash out at the start of the third hour, sustaining a broken scapula and spoiling the teams chance at a class podium finish. After missing the Autobahn Round, Mad Kaw Racing was back at V.I.R. with James Toohey and Tim Johnson rounding out the roster. The team gained ground by finishing 4th out of 15 entries in the Middleweight Superstock Class, and 18th overall out of 50 entries, and they did it on remanufactured Tomahawk Tires. “Tomahawk came on board as our primary sponsor late last year” says Ivan. “We had to prove to WERA that the tires were not a safety issue, which we did. I worked with WERA over the off-season and we came up with a rule that now allows the Tomahawks. There are some misconceptions among the public about remanufactured (retreaded) tires, and one of the things that can help educate consumers is a program like ours. Plus, I feel good knowing I just kept 10 tires from entering the waste stream.” A new pit crew helped the team at V.I.R. The team does not have any permanent pit staff, and is relying on volunteer help at each round. According to Ivan, “The crew at Jennings was good, but at V.I.R. we had WSMC #2 and California Superbike School Chief Mechanic Will Eikenberry as crew chief. He helped sort out some things that made a very big difference in getting the bike to work better. He also managed some very efficient pit stops, which can make all the difference in an endurance race. I have to thank all of our volunteers, we couldn’t do it without them.” More information on retreading is available at www.retread.org More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Racing: TAS SUZUKI WINS NORTH WEST 200 Team Suzuki Press Office Kiwi rider Bruce Anstey gave Suzuki its very first Superbike victory on British soil in 2005 at the weekend’s International North West 200 in front of 100,000 fans. Anstey on his TAS Suzuki GSX-R1000 was never headed during the five-lap race in difficult conditions, breaking the expected dominance – which never materialised – from the HRC factory bike of Michael Rutter. The victory also made up for the disappointment of losing the Superstock race earlier in the day after leading by an amazing 17 seconds, only to lose out in the final few corners to Welshman Ian Lougher. Anstey also made a visit to the podium in the Kennedy Group Supersport 600 race with third place, which was watched intently from the sidelines by TAS Suzuki British Supersport rider Tom Sykes. Adrian Archibald had a steady day in his build up to the Isle of Man TT with a podium in the opening Superbike race but the conditions, which included torrential rain, hail-stones, sunshine and showers, didn’t quite suit the Ballymoney rider and he settled for some safe finishes on his TAS Suzuki’s. Bruce Anstey: “I’m delighted to win the main race of the day at the North West 200 especially as my sister is listening on the Internet in Hong Kong! We only tested these new TAS Suzuki Superbikes last week and had a few problems during practice so to win the feature race for Suzuki and Pirelli is fantastic. The bike never missed a beat and I’m looking forward to riding it at the TT in a fortnight. “I made a bit of a mistake with my judgement in the Superstock race so I kept an eye on Richard during the main Superbike race to make sure I wouldn’t do the same again! The 600 race was a bit of a lottery in the conditions but I’m pleased to have given Suzuki and our sponsors another podium.” Adrian Archibald: “The conditions today were not favourable for me and I wasn’t prepared to take unnecessary risks. I am quite pleased with my podium in the opening Superbike race. We have found some good settings for the TT and I’m confident the TAS Suzuki’s will be strong again this year. The TT suits my style, where I can get into a rhythm and ride on my own. It is also a place where top speed alone is not the main ingredient for success.” Philip Neill – Team Manager: “We have to be pleased with that performance on a day when the weather caused many problems. If you have to win one race, then the only one that really matters at this event is the International North West 200 Superbike race, and to have a TAS Suzuki on the top step is pretty pleasing. “We had representation from all our major sponsors here today which included Ian Glen from Beacon and Sean Meyler from Rizla who have recently come on board. Motorsport is all about winning so I’m glad we could make their trip worthwhile. Pirelli worked extremely hard with us this week and both Bruce and Adrian have proved that the GSX-R1000 Superbikes are very capable machines in any type of company.”