Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Four-time World Champion Doug Polen has moved from Texas to Camarillo, California.

“For the weather,” said Polen when asked about the move Sunday at the Streets of Willow in Rosamond, California. “My buddy told me I needed to move out here, and I love it. Plus it’s closer to Japan – four hours and one plane closer, anyway.”

When asked what drew him to Japan so regularly, Polen said it was his racing activities at the Suzuka 8-Hour and the 7-Hours of Motegi and that he had also been “testing bikes for Honda.”

Asked about the medical problems that sent him to the hospital last year, a much-lighter-looking Polen said, “They haven’t found what caused it yet. I’m expecting them to tell me something here pretty soon.”

In the meantime, Polen was coaching the son of a friend, Tristan Shoenewald, in his road racing debut during the CCS event at the Streets course February 1-2.

Shoenewald finished second in the Middleweight Sportsman Amateur race on a Kawasaki EX500.

Erion Honda’s Jake Zemke, another friend of the Shoenewald family, also came out to the track Sunday to see Tristan’s debut.