Former Grand Prix World Champion Kevin Schwantz has been making the headlines a lot recently, and not necessarily for good reasons. But finally there’s some good news: Schwantz is  coming out of retirement to race in the 2013 Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race.

Schwantz is joining Yukio Kagayama‘s team for the July 28 race, riding a Japanese Superbike-spec Suzuki GSX-R1000. Schwantz will be Team Kagayama‘s third rider, behind Kagayama and former World Superbike star Noriyuki Haga.

The last month and a half had been a trying period for Schwantz when it should have been a positive experience with the first ever MotoGP race to be held in his home state of Texas. In a perfect world, Schwantz would have been the event’s promoter, playing the welcome host to the Grand Prix circus. Instead, Schwantz has been surrounded by controversy. Continue Reading »

This weekend, the MotoGP circus makes its way to the United States for round two of the world championship, held at the stunning new Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, the first time the track will host a world championship level motorcycle event. Expect to see the world’s fastest racebikes reach speeds over 200 mph on the 1 km (0.62-mile) back straight, and bring ear plugs — these bikes are loud!

Fresh off a 1-2 finish in the season opener in Qatar, Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi are looking to carry the momentum to CotA. Meanwhile, Repsol Honda riders Dani Pedrosa and Marc Marquez, who recently spent three days testing at the circuit, should be strong opposition for the factory Yamaha crew. And don’t forget Cal Crutchlow on the satellite Tech 3 Yamaha M1, as he’s sure to be a threat.

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In case you haven’t heard, at the recent MotoGP test at the new Circuit of the Americas (CotA) track, 1993 500cc world champion Kevin Schwantz was unceremoniously removed from the property. In protest to this rude (and in our opinion unwarranted) treatment of a motorcycling icon, a group of motorcycle racing enthusiasts have organized the FreeKevin34 movement, culminating in the FreeKevin34  weekend, April 19-21, the same weekend as the CotA round of MotoGP. Continue Reading »

CotA management obviously doesn’t fathom the depth of respect MotoGP fans have for Kevin Schwantz. It may be the newest and best racing venue in the U.S., but it seems as though CotA management is going out of its way to make motorcyclists dislike the place.

Statement by Kevin Schwantz:

“I have read several reports regarding my attendance at the MotoGP test last week in Austin. I would like to make this statement:

“I had been in Switzerland over the weekend where I was the guest speaker at the St. Gallen University. I returned to Texas on Tuesday evening and on Thursday I was at CotA for the MotoGP test, with a proper credential supplied by the Attack team, to coach Blake Young. Additionally I was an invited guest of the LCR Honda team.

“While there, CotA security informed me that CotA management requested I leave the track immediately and was not welcomed at the circuit. CotA’s security force also accused me of criminal trespass and warned I would be arrested the next time I entered the track.

“This comes as a tremendous disappointment to Honda, Blake Young, and myself. Especially because I am single-handedly responsible for bringing MotoGP to Texas and for the initial design of the facility to accommodate MotoGP racing.”

Last year Kevin Schwantz filed a suit against CotA owners saying he got squeezed out as promoter for the MotoGP round.

The Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, has officially been added to the 2013 MotoGP calendar, joining Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., and Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis to make three U.S. stops for the series.

MotoGP promoter Dorna Sports originally reached a deal with the circuit in April 2011 but various disagreements between the track owners and former World Champion Kevin Schwantz created much uncertainty. Even now, Schwantz has a lawsuit filed against the circuit’s owners over the rights to an Austin MotoGP round.

“We are excited to be working with Circuit of The Americas to expand our programming in the United States and bring our series to an exceptional new Grand Prix facility in Texas,” says Carmelo Ezpeleta, chief executive officer of Dorna Sports. “We see tremendous opportunities to market MotoGP and grow its fan base through this agreement and know Circuit of The Americas is the right promoter to help us achieve that goal.” Continue Reading »

Kevin Schwantz has taken control as event promoter to bring the MotoGP World Championship to Texas, but the former world champion may have his work cut out for him to make it happen.

According to a report by the Austin American-Statesman, Schwantz and his company 3FourTexas have assumed promoting rights for a MotoGP race at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas after his business partner Tavo Hellmund was ousted by track organizers.

Hellmund’s Full Throttle Productions worked with 3FourTexas and to forge an agreement with MotoGP promoter Dorna in April 2011 to bring MotoGP to the new Circuit of the Americas in 2013. Hellmund also played a role in landing Formula 1 racing at the Circuit of the Americas. Since then, however, construction of the circuit was halted due to conflicts between the track’s rights holders and Hellmund. Continue Reading »

Former 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz headlines a star-studded group of racers taking part in a parade lap during the 2012 Isle of Man TT.

Schwantz leads the group of six racers, past and present, selected by helmet-maker Arai to take part in the parade lap of the Isle of Man’s Mountain Course. Schwantz has visited the Isle of Man before, but this will mark his first closed lap of the circuit.

Joining the 1993 World Champion will be fellow American Randy Mamola, former TT racer Phillip McCallen, former British and World Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson, eight-time TT winner Ian Hutchinson, and MotoGP racer Cal Crutchlow. Continue Reading »