Opening Salvo
A Road Racer X column by JASON DiSALVO

By the time you read this, the 2004 season will have started, but as I write it, I’m wishing we were racing right now; I’m really looking forward to what promises to be one of the best seasons the AMA has seen in a long time. With the restructuring of a few of the classes and many of the manufacturers coming out with new models, more than one class will see some amazing races this year.

Last year went by so fast. From the Supersport race in Daytona to the Superstock race at Barber Motorsports Park, it was non-stop action for me the entire season. At the Pikes Peak race, I sat down after qualifying and thought, “How the heck did I end up here?” I was 19, riding for a factory team and getting ready to roll out onto the front row of a 600cc Supersport race with some of the best riders in the country. It’s not like I just woke up one day and decided I was going to be a factory racer; getting to that point was a lot of work.

The few years leading up to the 2003 season—which was my first with the factory Yamaha team—were tough ones. Two were spent across the pond bumping elbows and fairings with some of the best riders in Europe on 125 and 250cc Grand Prix machines, and learning the ropes of a professional team—one that happened to be run by my father. Then, my family and I—with some planning help from my riding coaches Jeff Haney and Freddie Spencer—decided to return to the States to contest the AMA 750cc Superstock class, as well as the 250cc GP class. We brought our Honda 250 back from Europe and bought a secondhand 750cc Suzuki here in America and started to build a team.

The 2002 season was a real eye-opener. I went out and rode on the American tracks and saw all the things I’d been missing while I was overseas. It was a grueling race season. Haney and I built a training program that we continue to use today, in modified form. Also, we did a lot of testing, trying to get time on as many of the series’ tracks as possible. One week, we tested at Elkhart with two mechanics, then flew overnight to be on another bike the next day in Sears Point with two crewmembers who showed up in a van. It seemed like my parents and I were on the go every day of the season, but in the end, it paid off. Yamaha began talking with us toward the end of the year, and some time after the season ended, we came to an agreement that I’d be riding blue for ‘03 and ’04.

Last year was a big learning season for me; I had to figure out how the whole factory thing worked, with all the P.R. stuff like the autograph signings and the bike intros. I had to get to know my mechanic Seamus Taffe, my crew chief Jeff Myers, and the rest of the team. Everything went as planned, and it’s great to have such a good relationship with a team after only one season. One other team member I had to become familiar with was the new Yamaha YZF-R6. We took to each other well; it’s definitely one of the most amazing machines I’ve ever ridden.

Now it’s 2004, and I’m really glad to stay on the R6, while also learning how to ride Yamaha’s new literbike, the YZF-R1. Since the first time I rode the new R1, all I’ve been able to say about it is, “It’s FAST, it’s VERY fast!” We started testing in November, at California Speedway, and on the tight infield section, all the power and torque was pretty tough to handle, but it was fun nonetheless.

From there, we moved on to Daytona, where again, the speeds and power were just blinding. It was great to hook up with some of the Superbike guys and take some notes on how to get the big bike through those tight turns. We ran into some trouble, though, on the second day, when I had a tire fail coming out of NASCAR 4 onto the front straight. That crash was easily my scariest moment in racing, ever. It took me a few weeks to recover, but I sustained no major injuries.

We had some time off after that test, so it was good that I had a while to get well for the next one, and I took full advantage of my time off with a little vacation. After a short stay in Vail, Colorado, doing some snowboarding and relaxing, it was back to work. I went straight from Colorado to Pahrump, Nevada, for two days of testing. Both days went well—I posted the fastest 600cc time and was happy with all the progress we made on both the R6 and the R1.

I then had a little more than a week off, which I spent at home doing some heavy cardiovascular training. I knew I had to be prepared for the next couple of tests—a two-day at Laguna followed directly by a two-day back at Daytona. The Laguna test went well. Again, I had the fastest 600cc time, but the R6 was the only bike I was riding because my R1 had been transported out to Daytona (kind of reminded me of the 2002 season).

The Daytona test was great. We made a lot of progress on the R1 Superstock bike and cut a best lap time of a 1.48.6, which is right up there with some of the Superbikes. Again, I was very pleased with how much progress we made. We’ve been doing quite a bit of testing the past month or so, and it’s not going to let up, either. I’m currently back home in Western New York training again and preparing for a test out at California Speedway. Things are looking good for the 2004 season, and I think everyone at Yamaha feels the same. Like I said before, this year is going to be one of the best the AMA has seen… ever. And, I know I can’t wait to be a part of it!

Check out Jason DiSalvo's new column in the current issue of Road Racer X, and check out his personal website here.