As this press release issued by racer Clinton Whitehouse demonstrates, the FIM/DORNA decision to abandon the 500cc format in favor of MotoGP has apparently left the door wide open for a new 500cc World Championship, based at Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond, California:

500cc World Championship Series to be Held at WSMC

In an exciting new development, GS Racing Organization Championship Series (GS-ROCS) Czar and spokesman Clinton Whitehouse today announced a new World Championship Series for Suzuki GS500 motorcycles. Starting January 19th 2003, the 2003 GS500 World Championship will be held the third Sunday of each month, through December 2003. It will run concurrently with the WSMC Lightweight Twins class.

Whitehouse said, “The GS-ROCS is happy to offer U.S. fans this opportunity to view a World Class event in person. Originally we were going to structure the class to allow prototypes with unlimited displacement and modifications, but decided that anyone with a budget of a few million dollars could build a winning bike under those conditions. In order to increase the challenge and technical savvy required to excel, it was decided to use the WSMC Lightweight Twins rules. This strikes a perfect balance of freedom to innovate, and constraints, to increase the challenge. Anyone can design a modern, 5-cylinder 4-valve engine that is fast, but how many can coax massive horsepower from a 25-year-old air-cooled Twin?”

Whitehouse continued, “On top of the honor and glory of competing in a prestigious series, lucrative cash prizes of $5.00 for first place, $3.00 for second and $2.00 for third will be awarded. In addition, attractive trophies will be given. Points toward the World Championship will be awarded at the same rate as in other WSMC classes. Points will accumulate all year to culminate in December with the awarding of the new World Championship.”

In order to avoid conflict of interest, if Whitehouse races a GS500 he will not be eligible for prizes or points in the GS-ROCS. Anyone else who wants to compete need only be eligible to run WSMC LW Twins and register themselves and their bike with GS-ROCS. There will be no entry fee beyond the normal WSMC entry fee to compete in GS-ROCS, as it is the racers who make this glorious production possible.

According to the Whitehouse, “I hope the ease of entering doesn’t make people take the series lightly. These are serious racing machines and the competition will be cut-throat, top-notch, and all of that. After all, a World Championship is at stake.”

The GS-ROCS can be contacted c/o [email protected]