Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

AMA team testing scheduled for Monday, January 6 at California Speedway in Fontana, California was postponed due to high winds.

American Honda, Parts Unlimited PJ1 Erion Honda, Annandale Honda and the Kawasaki factory team planned on starting a two-day test Monday, but wind gusts measuring as high as 90 mph prevented riders from attempting any laps of the 2.36-mile infield road course.

“Not only is the wind blowing too hard to ride,” said Parts Unlimited PJ1 Erion Honda rider Kurtis Roberts, “it’s very inconsistent. It’s hard enough just to walk around here.”

“We thought the roof was going to come off the garage, at one point,” said Roberts’ crew chief, former racer David McGrath.

Wind gusts did begin to tear away the metal roof of the paddock garage sheltering the Annandale Honda team. California Speedway personnel responded by using the lifting portion of a large fork lift/loader to place weight on the loose roof edge, which was facing directly into the wind.

High winds have played havoc with the greater Los Angeles area beginning Sunday night, resulting in several wind-driven brush fires. While one fire threatened homes in the Malibu area, another fire forced Interstate 15 — a major North-South throughfare near California Speedway — to be closed for several hours Monday afternoon. Overturned trucks, downed powerlines and fallen trees were some of the other problems caused by the extreme winds.

According to reports on the Weather Channel, the warm, dry winds are being caused by “El Nino,” a cyclic weather phenomenon in which the temperature of the Eastern Pacific Ocean rises, with dramatic effect on the weather of the United States.

Forecasters say the high winds will continue Tuesday; McGrath said that American Honda, which organized the test, is working on rescheduling for next Monday and Tuesday, January 13-14.