From a press release issued by Harris WCM:

Waldmann and Burns head Harris WCM Grand Prix attack

Ralf Waldmann and Chris Burns are the rider partnership that will campaign the Harris-WCM machines in the 2003 Moto GP World Championship.

Waldmann brings a huge weight of Grand Prix winning experience to the squad, which combines with Burns’ youthful talent to head a superb Grand Prix team. WCM has won five 500cc Grands Prix and with Waldmann adding his six 125cc and fourteen 250cc victories the squad has an enviable pedigree.

The German has had his greatest success in the 250 class, twice finishing runner up in the World Championship but he also campaigned a 500. He rode in the premier class on the three cylinder Modenas in 1998 for team Roberts. It was not a competitive year for the machine but he demonstrated that his ability was certainly not limited to the smaller classes.

At thirty six Waldmann is still a couple of years younger than fellow Moto GP star Jeremy McWilliams and certain that he very much wants to race at the front again. “I had stopped but I missed racing so much that I did three GPs last year with a small team I put together myself. I realised that I could still ride fast, I have the confidence that I can do it and I really love it.

“That is more than anything why I want to race, it is not the money, I love racing, I have raced in every class from 80cc, through 125, 250 and 500 to now MotoGP. I have also ridden Superbikes and Supersports 600s. I know that my style suites the big bikes because I am not really a high corner speed rider, I like to use the power and I found that when I rode Kenny¹s 500.”

Having ridden alongside Roberts Junior Waldmann knows he has what it takes. “That was an exciting year on the 500, I was at the same level as Kenny and I know that I can ride at that level. I am very happy to be joining the WCM team, a very professional group and I am sure it will be a very good year.”

Twenty two year old Burns has been riding four cylinder four strokes for much of the past five seasons, mostly in Britain but with enough winning experience in Europe in the Superstock category to wet his appetite. “I can¹t wait to get going, I know it’s going to be a steep learning curve, I’ve got to learn most of the circuits as well as the bike but I’m certainly up for it.

“It is great news that Ralf is in the team, I don’t know him personally yet but I hear he’s a good bloke and I certainly respect what he’s done, he’s got a huge amount of experience and I am looking forward to learning from him.”

Director of Racing Peter Clifford is naturally thrilled with the signings. “We already had a superb team of people putting the motorcycles together. Dave Hagen is preparing the engines and Harris Performance Products the rolling chassis. The WCM team that won GPs as Red Bull Yamaha brings that experience to the mix and we now have two guys well capable of making the very best of what we can provide.”

Chris Burns – Rider Profile

Date of Birth: June 12, 1980
Education: Ponteland High School, Newcastle. Domiciled, Newcastle, England

1983, Coming from a well known motorcycle racing lineage, Chris began riding motorcycles at the age of three.

1987, He began competing in schoolboy motocross at seven, winning the North East Motocross Club Championship in his first season.

1995, His off road racing successes continued into his teens when he made the switch to short circuit road racing. In this first full season riding a Honda RS125, he won 53 races from 59 starts.

1996, Entered the British Superteen Championship for riders between 15 and 20 years old, campaigning a 125 Cagiva. 1996 is recognised as the most competitive season ever for this British Championship, which Chris dominated, setting pole position and winning all but a few rounds.

1997, The prize for winning the previous year’s Superteen Championship was a Honda RS125 race bike to campaign in the 125 British Championship. He set five lap records, finished second once and won four rounds in the early part of the season before being head hunted by the German UGT 125 Grand Prix team. Here he partnered World Champion Kazuto Sakata in the remaining World Championship Grand Prix rounds before rounding off the season with a resounding lap and race record breaking win in the final British Championship round at Donington Park.

1998, Voted British Superbike teams’ “Young Rider of the Year” in his first season racing large capacity four stroke machines. Partnering 11 times Isle of Man TT winner Phillip McCallen in the Motorcycle City 600cc British Supersport Championship, Chris was a consistent top ten finisher proving himself to be mature beyond his years, adaptable and highly competitive in the closest fought championship of all.

1999, The objective was to compete in the blue riband British Superbike Championship as a privateer, but promised sponsorship funds failed to materialise. Chris was then offered a British 125 Championship ride some way into the season, setting three lap records en route to winning the last four rounds before being voted “British Supercup Privateer of the Year.”

2000, Entered the European Superstock Championship on a Yamaha R1, finishing second at the UK’s Donington Park round, before setting lap records and winning at Monza and Hockenheim. Injuries at the Misano (Italian) round sidelined him for the next two rounds, fighting back to finish third overall in the Championship.

2001, Entered the hard fought British Superstock Championship immediately demonstrating his ability to take the title. But the team sponsor withdrew after only five rounds whilst 2nd in the Championship race, forcing withdrawal from the next two rounds. Roundstone Suzuki stepped in to offer Chris a ride for the rest of the year, ending 7th overall.

2002, Re-signing for the Roundstone Suzuki team gave Chris the stability to gain the consistency required to achieve nine podium (top three) finishes, including four wins. Such success gained high profile wild card entries to the European Championship, providing him with the opportunity to again demonstrate his prowess on the world stage. He led both European rounds at the Silverstone and Brands Hatch World Superbike meetings from start to finish, (in front of a 127,000 gate at Brands Hatch, the biggest attended single day sporting event in the UK).
The 2002 British Championship was decided at the final Donington Park round where mechanical failure forced Chris to retire in the opening laps.

2003, Signs with Harris WCM – Moto GP

Ralf Waldmann – Rider Profile

Date of Birth: 14th July 1966 (36 years old)
Place of Birth: Hagen, Germany
Maritial Status: Married to Astrid with son Leo born in 1999

Career Summary

? First Race: 1986

? GP debut: 1986, Germany (80 cc)

? First GP win: Germany 1991 (125 – Honda), Italy 1994 (250 Honda)

? Most Recent GP win: Jerez Spain and Donington, UK (250cc), 2000 (250cc Aprilia)

? Total GP wins: 20 (6 in 125, 14 in 250)

? World Titles: Second twice in the 250cc World Championship (1996, 1997)

Highlights

1986, Debut Year – raced in his first GP in Hockenheim on a 80cc Seel

1990, 4th, Yugoslavian GP at Rijeka, 125 cc J.J. Cobas

1991, 3rd, 125cc World Championship winning the 125cc GP at Hockenheim and Assen (Honda)

1992, 3rd, 125cc World Championship, winning the 125cc GP at Suzuka, Japan, Eastern Creek, Australia and Jerez, Spain (Honda)

1993, 4th, 125cc World Championship winning the very last 125cc GP raced in Jarama, Spain (Aprilia)

1994, 5th, 250cc World Championship (Honda)

1995, 3rd, 250cc World Championship (Honda)

1996, 2nd, 250cc World Championship (Honda)

1997, 2nd, 250cc World Championship (Honda)

1998, Raced in the 500cc class for Modenas – Roberts

1999, 6th, 250cc World Championship (Aprilia)

2000, 7th, 250cc World Championship (Aprilia)

2003, Rides in the MotoGP Class for Harris WCM

Please note this correction for the Bio for Ralf Waldmann: Most recent win
Year 2000 – Jerez – Spain and Donington UK 250 cc Aprilia.