From a press release issued by Team Oliver Yamaha:

Team Oliver Yamaha’s Rich Oliver and ace mechanic Robert Ward capped off their year in winning style at the beautiful Barber Motorsports Park race facility. Rich rode his venerable TZ250 Yamaha, aka the “Blue Rocket,” to the team’s 11th 2003 victory, and Rich’s 71st AMA 250 Grand Prix win.

Rich tells us more, “I had a great time at the Barber track, I actually got to meet Mr. George Barber on Wednesday because he has my 1990 Daytona winning Yamaha in his museum! Brian Drebber from Speed Channel calls me on my cell, and says “get over here and meet Mr. Barber, sign the gas tank, and check out the museum.” I went tearing out of the pits on my scooter, flipped a u-turn back to the tent to get my helmet, and then blasted to the museum. I went in the secret door because it wasn’t open to the public yet, and Brian and Mr. Barber showed me around the place, then I signed my old bike. What an amazing sight, if you ever get the chance check it out. I especially liked the old board-track racebike display. They have an old picture of three board-track racers on the line before their start, and you can see by the look in their eyes nothing was different back then, those boys looked serious!

“The Barber racetrack itself is unbelievably great, the pavement, curbs, grass, sculptures, the staff, all are first class. But the layout is the best part. A roller coaster of uphills, drops, camber changes and blind corners. Totally cool and challenging. I never rode on such an exciting track, and that includes some of the best in the world, not just the United States.

“The race itself was good, but leading up to it the weather was driving Robert crazy as I made him change from full rain tires, to intermediates, finally to slicks for the drying track conditions. Slicks turned out to be perfect, as by the time we got out there it was 99% dry. I got the start, and pushed hard for five laps, but only had about four seconds on Sorensen. Chuck was riding great, so I had to dance through the traffic and hope he would get slowed by it a bit. In the end I had a few more seconds on him, but I didn’t let up, because I was having too much fun out there on live TV! Karin was waiting for me in the pits, and she and Robert were able to congratulate me before I took the checkered flag and did one more lap for the crowd. I actually screwed up in the race and mistook the checkered for the white, and did an extra flying lap, but why not have a little more fun while you can! Only I know if I did it on purpose!

“Well, what a year we had, just phenomenal! Really though, it was hard at times and we all had to pull together as a team to make it happen. I never gave up, or gave in, nor did Robert or Karin. We all had the goal of executing our plan to the highest level of sport, and I think we did that pretty well, if I may say so.

“I’m saddened by the class ending, what the hell is the AMA thinking on that anyway, I guess we’ll never know till a few seasons go by. But what a final year, I have loads of magnificent memories that will be replayed over in my mind at times in the future.

“If you ever see me smiling, I could just be up on the Daytona banking, or going into turn one at Brainerd, or maybe flicking through the corkscrew at Laguna, or flying off the curbing at Barber.

“Or maybe I’m just happy to see you!”