Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Corona Extra Suzuki has brought 27-year-old Australian Adam Fergusson in to ride in the AMA National at Road Atlanta this weekend, in place of visa-less Canadian Jordan Szoke, but as of Thursday, the team did not know which classes Fergusson would compete in.

During Thursday promoter practice, Corona team members said that they had no information on the status of Superstock/Formula Xtreme rider Jordan Szoke, but a representative from American Suzuki said that he did not expect Szoke to be at Road Atlanta. In response to the possibility of Szoke’s absence, Corona Extra Suzuki’s Tim Saunders reached Adam Fergusson, through a mutual contact, on May 9. Fergusson flew to America Tuesday, May 14, arrived at Road Atlanta Wednesday, rode in the Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School Wednesday, then participated in promoter practice on Thursday, May 16. Fergusson only rode Szoke’s GSX-R750, his first-ever ride on a 750cc machine, and was turning competitive lap times by the end of the day Thursday.

In 2000, Fergusson rode in the Australian Superbike series and, in 2001, rode a CBR600F4i for the Alpha Tecknic Castrol Honda team in the World Supersport Championship, finishing on the podium twice during the season.

Corona Extra Suzuki’s Steve Rapp is expected to come to Road Atlanta and attempt to ride. In the event that Rapp cannot compete, due to the broken collarbone and rib he suffered in a crash on his motocross bike two weeks ago, Rapp’s team has held discussions with veteran racer Tripp Nobles about riding their bikes. Nobles said Thursday that he wanted to ride, but the deal was being held up by a sponsor conflict.

Katja Poensgen, the German road racing star who rode for the Corona Extra team at Sears Point, is unavailable because she is racing in the German domestic series this weekend.