Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki’s Jason Pridmore and Steve Rapp and Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki’s Chris Ulrich gave rides on GSX-R1000s to members of the local media and V.I.P.s with the Champ Car series during a joint media day Wednesday at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The media event was a cross-promotion of this weekend’s AMA Superbike event at Road America and the Champ Car event at the Milwaukee Mile. It included a press conference with Pridmore, Rapp, Ulrich and Champ Car drivers Nelson Philippe and Will Power and rides in the Champ Car series’ Ford Mustang pace cars (with Champ Car’s normal pace car drivers at the controls), rides as passengers on sidecar rigs and rides on Pridmore’s STAR School Suzukis and Ulrich’s two-seat Superstock racebike. Media attendance at the event was light, but Pridmore had the opportunity to give John Pipines, Sports Director for WITI FOX-TV Milwaukee, a one-lap ride. “I just had the ride of my life,” Pipines told Roadracingworld.com. “It gives you such appreciation to go out with a professional (like Pridmore).” Ulrich gave several guests rides, including Champ Car pace car driver Kelly Williams, “The Face of Champ Car” Brandi Latimer and Champ Car racers Philippe and Power. All came away with excited comments and a new respect for motorcycle road racing, but Philippe and Power said they felt an even greater appreciation and stronger attraction to the sport. “It was really a lot of fun,” said 19-year-old Philippe, who drives a Ford/Cosworth-powered Lola for CTE Racing – HVM. “To be honest with you, the braking did not impress me, because it is around the same thing we do. Maybe we brake a little more. But the acceleration, you can’t compare. I don’t know how much the bike weighs. Compared to the car, the power-to-weight ratio is amazing. The acceleration is pretty amazing. It made me want to own a bike. I want to go and race with them now. I rode with him, but now I wish I could ride by myself. I used to do a little bit of riding, so it makes me want to go out.” “It was good, good fun,” said 25-year-old Power (who drives a Ford/Cosworth-powered Lola for Team Australia and is currently ninth in the Champ Car Championship) after rides with Rapp and with Ulrich. “I really enjoyed it. I think I’m going to have to get a bike now. I’ve got to do it myself. It was really, really good. “In our cars, you get a lot of braking G(-force)’s, but these have acceleration G’s. Being a passenger you have to hold on, so I guess you exert more energy. And I’m not used to not having anything around me.” Power pointed out that having Ulrich’s teammate Robertino Pietri ride his GSX-R1000 Superstock racebike in close proximity enhanced the experience. “It was good to have the other bike out there, too, just to get the experience of what it’s like when they race,” said Power. “He came up and brushed past me at maximum speed on the straight. That was a bit scary, but it was good fun.” Ulrich’s team has been doing media rides using two-seat racebikes for about five years. Because Pridmore is holding a STAR-school session at the track next week and the Jordan team’s race shop is located relatively nearby, Road America asked the Jordan team to also participate.