Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The first bikes went on course at California Speedway at 10:20 a.m., following a delay while track workers cleaned dirt off the track surface; the dirt was deposited by recent wind storms, with gusts reaching 100 mph according to local news reports. Blowing dust and dirt is a major problem in the area surrounding the Speedway.

Curbing replaced cones previously used to define the turn one chicane, but riders reported that the chicane layout is different than it was during the last tests they attended at the Speedway, and is tighter.

The Yoshimura Suzukis showed up at California Speedway wearing stickers from Blimpie’s (a sandwich chain). According to Team Manager Don Sakakura, “They’re a potential sponsor. From the size of the sticker it looks to be a pretty big deal, but I don’t know any dollar amounts. All of the negotiations are through American Suzuki but it’s an outside-of-the-industry sponsor, so that’s nice.”