The Macintosh-using Honda racing team recently won the U.S. Superbike title in Virginia. Racer Nicky Hayden rode his Honda RC-51 to his ninth win of the 2002 Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike championship, taking the race win and the championship at Virginia International Raceway on Aug. 10.
The Honda teams use Macs for all of their data acquisition and setup needs. Titanium PowerBooks accompany them to all of the races, downloading information from sensors all over Hayden’s championship Honda, according to team spokesperson Herod Lowery. Suspension movement, engine data, wheel speed, every gearshift, all of that data and more can all be downloaded, studied and then used to set up the Honda in a way that best suits the rider and track conditions, he said.
The race win, Hayden’s 17th win in his young Superbike career, makes him the youngest U. S. Superbike champion ever. His teammate on the American Honda Superbike team, Miguel Duhamel, finished third in the 2002 championship. This was Honda’s sixth AMA Superbike championship in 16 years and the third title since 1995. Honda’s last three AMA Superbike titles had Macs on their side.
On the MotoGP world championship stage, the highest level of two-wheel sport (formally the 500cc Grand Prix Roadracing Championship), it’s Honda and Macintosh leading the way. Honda riders have won all nine races so far this year heading into this weekends Czech Grand Prix at Brno, Czech Republic.
The 2001 500cc World Champion, Valentino Rossi has won eight GPs in 2002. His teammate Tohru Ukawa took the other win with Rossi finishing second. Both riders and the Repsol Honda team also use Macs, Lowery said. Rossi and crew can been seen racing on TV this Sunday, in the U.S. and Canada on the Speed Channel at 12:30 (EDT).
“Winners chose Macintosh. Honda is a winner. Honda chooses Macintosh,” Lowery said.