In the build up to this weekend’s A-Style Grand Prix of Japan, one of the busiest and most fashionable districts in Japan experienced the adrenaline and excitement of MotoGP first hand on Wednesday afternoon, as the world’s fastest motorcycles and best riders made a special appearance in Tokyo. A crowd of 3,000 MotoGP fans gathered in the Japanese capital’s Shinjuku Square for a full day of MotoGP activity, which included visits from current World Champion Nicky Hayden, series leader Casey Stoner and former multiple title winner Valentino Rossi. In a two hour session commencing at 5pm local time the trio of stars were joined on stage by premier-class colleagues Colin Edwards, Carlos Checa, Chris Vermeulen, Randy de Puniet and Anthony West in addition to home favourites Shinya Nakano and Makoto Tamada to answer questions from the crowd. On display throughout the day on a special stage were the Ducati Desmosedici GP7, the Yamaha YZR-M1, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR, the Suzuki GSV-R and the Honda RC212V. The supporters got a taste of the Motegi MotoGP atmosphere to come this weekend, as the riders signed autographs and umbrella girls handed out goodies to the fans. One lucky competition winner was invited onto the stage to meet Fiat Yamaha star Rossi and received a superb prize of an access all areas pass for the paddock at this weekend’s Grand Prix at Motegi. Joking with the crowd, Rossi at one point shouted: “I’ll meet you all for a meal across the road later!” The Doctor then commented: “It was fantastic to meet so many fans and again see the passion for MotoGP which they have here in Japan.” The fifteenth round of the MotoGP World Championship, the A-Style Grand Prix of Japan, takes place at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit this Sunday, 23rd September.

Yamaha has today confirmed that Troy Corser and Noriyuki Haga will remain with the Yamaha Motor Italia World Superbike Team in 2008. A flamboyant and much-loved character, Haga has worked with Yamaha for many years and his WSB career highlights include second in 2000 and third title position in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Currently Haga is fighting for the 2007 title with only 41 points separating him in second place from front man Toseland, having caught up 25 points at the last round in Lausitz. With only two rounds remaining on 30th September (Vallelunga, Italy) and 7th October (Magny Cours, France) Haga is taking the fight for WSB crown all the way to the wire. So far this season he has already won four races, including taking the double win at the team’s home circuit of Monza. This year has been Corser’s first season with the Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team but it has been a fruitful one, with him gaining eight podium positions so far this season. Corser has also had a good and close working relationship with Haga, with the two riders working together to help develop a championship winning machine in the YZF-R1. The two-times World Superbike Champion has 13 years of experience in the class, including 40 pole positions and an impressive 114 podium positions, 33 of which have been race wins. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “I feel great about how things have worked out, I’m very happy to stay with the Yamaha Motor Italia Team. This will be my fourth year with them; they are such a great team and I feel like I have known everyone for a long time. It’s like one big family! I’m pleased to be riding with Troy again next year; I know him quite well and we get along together, which always makes for a good atmosphere in the pit box. I’m looking forward to repaying Yamaha’s faith in me with, hopefully, my first WSB championship title this year and a second one next year! With my position for next year sorted I can now concentrate on chasing the title in the last two rounds. I never give up!” Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “I’m very happy to be staying with the team next year; this year has been a very positive learning experience for me so far. We’ve made a lot of progress with the bike, the chassis and the suspension and I’m confident we can make further improvements in winter testing. It’s not all been plain sailing but that’s to be expected when you join a new team and get on a new bike. We’ve got a good path forward for next year, though, and that’s the important thing. Nori and I have worked well this season with good communication between us about the bike and tyres. I’m sure that the close working relationship will strengthen even more during next year.” Laurens Klein KoerKamp (Manager, Yamaha Motor Europe Racing Division) “We are very pleased to continue with both Nori and Troy next year; both riders are proven front runners and we are confident that, by maintaining the team line-up, Yamaha will be a title candidate in 2008 again. The technical cooperation in development and sharing of set-up information between the riders was another important factor in the continuation of this pairing. Nori is very much part of the Italian family team and his time with Yamaha means he has become almost at one with the marque. His ‘full-attack and never give up’ attitude is so motivating for everyone involved in the team, as well as followers all around the world. Troy just fits in perfectly and is so fired up to get his third title, which motivates the team even more. His experience shows and next year he will have the full benefit of a year’s knowledge on the R1 behind him. It’s fantastic for Yamaha fans and our network to not only have two fast and spectacular riders, but also two such high profile characters.” More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: TROY WITH YAMAHA AGAIN IN 2008. Troy is happy to announce that he has re-signed with Yamaha Motor Italia to race in the World Superbike Championship in 2008 and is looking forward to his second year on the R1. Troy I am happy to stay with the team. I feel we have got to know each other well throughout the year and have got stronger and stronger together. It takes a bit of time to settle into a new team, but I’ve got a good working relationship with Dave (my chief mechanic), Maio (team manager) and the rest of the crew, so why change? I think that that there is more to come from the R1 engine and I’m looking forward to that. During the year, Yamaha found a few things that could work, but we haven’t had time to test them all, so the winter tests will give us a good chance to carry on the work. This year has been a little frustrating for me at times because I know the bike is good enough to win – it’s just that I haven’t done it yet! There’s still four chances for me to win this year, so I’m aiming to end the season on a high.

The 2007 Bennetts British Superbike Championship heads home next weekend to the circuit where the series first began 20 years ago. The first race took place at Donington Park in 1988 and will play host to the penultimate round of this year’s championship. HM Plant Honda team mates Jonathan Rea and Ryuichi Kiyonari will battle it out for the 2007 title at the Leicestershire track. This round may be the decider as to who secures the crown – the defending champion or the Superbike newcomer. Kiyonari, who has a clear 41-point advantage over Rea, has won nine races so far this season, compared with the Ulsterman’s five. With 100 points left to play for, Rea can still fulfil his dream of winning the Bennetts British Superbike Championship before his move to the World Supersport Championship next season. However, with the 41-point deficit to make up, Rea needs to focus on race wins to gain the title. However, the fight is still not over for Airwaves Ducati’s Leon Haslam. The local rider will be looking to re-establish himself as a serious title contender at his home track ahead of the final event at Brands Hatch on 14 October. Gregoria Lavilla also has an advantage at Donington Park as this is the track where, in 2006, he gained the fastest lap record with a time of 1:31.243. With at least three riders still in contention for the coveted crown, the penultimate round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship is set to be a thrilling showdown. All of the edge-of-the-seat action can be witnessed live at Donington Park on Sunday 23 September or on ITV1. “It’s fantastic to see so much competition in the world’s leading domestic motorcycle racing championship,” says Bennetts Marketing Director Mark Fells. “We are looking forward to an exciting final two events.” 2007 Standings (after round 11) British Superbike Championship 1. Ryuichi KIYONARI 388; 2= Jonathan REA 347; 3=. Leon HASLAM 313; 4= Gregoria LAVILLA 294; 5= Shane BYRNE 257. 6= Tom SYKES 230; 7=Leon CAMIER 199; 8= Chris WALKER 183; 9= Tommy HILL 135; 10= Cal CRUTCHLOW 125.

DANI HUNTS FOR A WIN TO SNATCH SECOND OVERALL Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) will be going all out to steal a second win of the season at Honda’s ‘home’ track to edge closer to second place overall in the World Champion ship points table. The 21-year-old Spanish master has been Honda’s main threat to series leader Casey Stoner (Ducati) this season and here is where he aims to score again. Motegi is where Dani first rode the RC212V last year and Dani believes Motegi’s 4.801km circuit should suit his 800cc machine especially after advances in set-up at Estoril last weekend enabled Pedrosa to fight for a race win after weeks of frustration and hard work. With four rounds left to race and with 188 points to second-placed Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi’s 211 and Stoner’s 287, Dani has everything still to ride for and still a mathematical chance of the title. Now he believes the RC212V is in shape to maintain performance throughout the 24-lap race on Sunday and at the racetrack home of the mighty Honda establishment Dani, Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V) and all the Honda riders will be aiming to pull out something extra special to salvage strong results from what has proved to be a difficult season. Hayden, the defending World Champion has had a torrid time this year, but the American ace has never let his head drop and after notching up three podium finishes in the second half of this season, the genial Kentucky Kid would really like to get back to winning ways with a victory here where he scored his first ever podium way back in 2003. Marco Melandri (Gresini Honda RC212V) has recorded two podium finishes so far in 2007 and the Italian speedster would like nothing more than to show his race winning capability here at Motegi before the end of what has been a difficult season for this tough campaigner. Injury has compromised 2007 for Marco and now he is nearing full fitness a win would be a welcome tonic. His team-mate Toni Elias (Gresini Honda RC212V) has had a similarly injury-ravaged season with a broken leg at Assen wrecking the second half of the Spanish man’s season. But even struggling for full fitness, Toni has never given less than his all and a strong result here at Motegi would be nothing less than he deserves. The ‘Twin Ring’ Motegi track, built in 1998, lies 150km north of Tokyo. It is owned by Honda and features an outer ‘Indy” style oval with a regular track in the infield. Its 4.801km feature a relatively short 762m main straight, eight right turns, six lefts, with a grippy, smooth and predictable surface. The largely constant-radius, second and third gear turns are linked by medium-length straights. Set-up requires a bike that’s stable both under fierce acceleration and equally severe braking. Front/rear balance and suspension settings are key, and the 800cc machines will require perfect engine management to maximise acceleration out of the turns. The track also features gradient and a spectacular tunnel, although nothing in the way of camber. The back straight is downhill into a tight right-hand bend. And although the main straight is only 0.762km long, the tunnel between turn five and the 130R turn more than makes up for a long main chute in terms of spectacle and rarity value. No other MotoGP track boasts subway sections. Dani said: “For sure the race in Portugal has given us a boost and so I’m really looking forward to going straight to Motegi and hopefully picking up where we left off at Estoril. We made some small changes to the machine during the weekend in Portugal and they helped us improve the speed in the race, so we’ll continue with those in Japan. I like this track and it seems to have suited me in previous years so I hope that’s going to be the same with the 800s. I rode this bike for the first time after last year’s race here so it shouldn’t feel totally unfamiliar. Also the weather can be quite unpredictable at Motegi but let’s hope for another fine weekend.” Nicky said: “This track has been a bit up and down for me in the past. I’ve had a few good rides here and also a few that weren’t so good. This time it’s a short turn around coming straight from Europe into Japan and we had a decent weekend in Portugal so I’m looking forward to the next one. Japan is always an exciting GP because it’s in the home country of most of the manufacturers, including Honda, which definitely adds a bit of an edge to it. Plus the Japanese fans are pretty cool and they’re always really good to me. The track has a lot of straights and our bike has been running better lately, especially in cooler conditions so hopefully the weather will be kind to us and give us cooler temperatures.” Melandri said: “The feeling with the bike has improved and the Bridgestone tyres should work very well. Bridgestone tyres dominated here in the last 3 years, so I’m confident. We’ll work hard to get the best out of the bike and to use all its potential. In Portugal I was still suffering a bit from the consequences of the crash at Misano, so in Japan I should be 100% fit. I’ve started to train again and I have to confess it wasn’t easy after more than 2 months of enforced rest.” Elias said: “I like Motegi and I’ve had two wins in the 250cc class here. I hope we can finally get some good results and turn this season around. The team is doing a great job and my feeling with the bike is improving. At Motegi it’s very important to find a good set-up because of the hard braking, and it’s important to have good balance too. The real secret is to find compromise between braking and acceleration.” Carlos Checa (LCR Honda RC212V) said: “Some of our early season races were difficult but we’re not giving up as the LCR team showed at Estoril and Misano. Motegi is a complicated track, it can be difficult trying to balance the heavy braking for the hairpins with the need for hard acceleration for the straights it’s basically a stop-go track. But we’ve found some good compromises with Honda and Michelin recently. And the team is very positive after the Portugal race and looking forward to Japan.” Shinya Nakano (Konica Minolta Honda RC212V) said: “As you can imagine I’m very much looking forward to my home race in front of both the fans, the Honda factory and my sponsors. Being a Honda track it’s very important to do well here. I like Motegi very much, but it’s a stop-and-go circuit with some hard braking and accelerating areas. The overall grip on the circuit isn’t too bad, although in the past I’ve found the circuit pretty tough on tyres, so we’ll see what happens with my 2007 package of the Honda RC212V and Michelin tyres. With the steady improvements we’ve made over the last few races, I think we’ll have a pretty good package here.” Kurtis Roberts (Roberts KR212V) had clutch trouble at Estoril and will be hoping for a glitch-free run here after a toirrid season. He said: “We’re expecting a bit of extra help from Honda here and we sure appreciate what the factory’s been doing for us all season. Hopefully we can repay that with a decent result after a long season.” In the 250cc class Andrea Dovizioso (Scot Honda RS250RW) has given everything in his bid to chase down series leader Jorge Lorenzo (Aprilia) and now he faces a threat from Alex de Angelis (Aprilia) who is closing on Dovi for second place in the World Championship points table. It looks as if Lorenzo, who has 257 points to Dovi’s 206 will take the title, but it’s not over yet and as long as Dovi has a mathematical chance of taking the prize he will give nothing less than his all for the remaining four races of the season. Julian Simon (Repsol Honda RS250RW) and Shuhei Aoyama (Repsol Honda RS250RW) will be aiming for something big here at Motegi too. The Repsol pair have never properly threatened the leaderboard yet this season and this represents a big chance for them to do just that. Simon said: “The Japanese GP is full of good memories for me since last year I finished third there. I am dying to repeat the same result and have a good race. It’s a pity that I started the year so well and then dropped back, so I will try to be up with the leaders any way I can. I’ll have to work hard, because things are going well again, and I hope the bike works well.” Aoyama said: “In the race in Portugal I had good sensations, so I hope that in the next race I can carry on along the right path. Bit by bit, in the last few races I have been getting better so I hope I can manage to finish one place higher and get a very good result. Moreover, this race is at home for me, and I would be delighted to finish on the podium in front of my own fans.” In the 125cc category Bradley Smith (Repsol Honda RS125R) and Esteve Rabat (Repsol Honda RS125R) have been flying the Honda flag with dogged determination. They have regularly been the top Honda finishers in the class and here they’ll be looking to equal or better their best results so far, which have been a third-placed podium each. Smith said: “I got my best result of the 2006 season at Motegi, so it’s not really a track I like but the fact I got a good result there motivates me. I think in the last race we took an important step forward, going back to the normal settings turned out to be quite a lot better, so I’m confident the bike will work well at Motegi and I’ll be able to get a good result.” Rabat said: “Motegi has a lot of places where you have to brake and some quite fast curves. It’s a very technical track and I raced there last year, but it didn’t go too well. But this year, with all I’ve learnt, I hope to have a better weekend as it has nothing to do with last season. This is Honda’s home circuit and our bikes normally go well here.” More, from a press release issued by Repsol Media Service: JAPAN, THE PERFECT SETTING FOR THE REPSOL HONDA TEAM RIDERS TO BATTLE FOR THE VICTORY After Dani Pedrosa`s second position in Portugal and Nicky Hayden`s fourth place, the two Repsol riders will fight to be on the top of the podium at Motegi, Honda`s home ground. With no time to rest, and after the exciting race just a few days ago at the track in Estoril, the World Championship starts its Asian tour with a quick visit to Japan; to the Circuit of Motegi which is owned by Honda. After this race there will be a two week rest for all those in the paddock before the next dates on the trot in Australia and Malaysia. After Dani Pedrosa`s and Nicky Hayden`s great race in Portugal last week the two Repsol Honda Team riders go to Honda`s home ground especially motivated and optimistic. The Honda and the Michelin tyres were competitive once again in Portugal, and Dani Pedrosa was very, but very, close to winning after Hayden got the pole position the day before, his first of the season. Motegi is a special circuit for both the Repsol Honda Team riders. Dani Pedrosa won at the track in Japan in 125cc in 2002 and in 250cc in 2004. Nicky Hayden has never won there, but in his first year in the category 2003 – he got his first ever podium finish. In 250cc, Shuhei Aoyama returns to his country to race in front of his own fans. Aoyama, who got better as the race went on last weekend in Portugal until a mechanical problem forced him to retire, hopes to get a good result at a circuit that he knows perfectly. For his teammate Julián Simón, as well as for the young Repsol riders in 125cc, Bradley Smith and Esteve Rabat, this is another chance to get the result that has been out of their reach so far this season. There are only four dates left until the 2007 season finishes. Quotes MotoGP Nicky Hayden “This track has been a bit up and down for me in the past. I’ve had a few good rides here and also a few that weren’t so good. This time it’s a short turn-around coming straight from Europe into Japan and we had a decent weekend in Portugal so I’m looking forward to the next one. Japan is always an exciting GP because it’s in the home country of most of the manufacturers, including Honda, which definitely adds a bit of an edge to it. Plus the fans are pretty cool here and they’re always really good to me. The track has a lot of straights and our bike has been running better lately, especially in cooler conditions so hopefully the weather will be kind to us and give us cooler temperatures. It’s really important to have a bike that’s stable on the brakes and lately that’s been one of the strong points of the RC212V. The team’s been doing some good work with the machine so we’ll get out there on Friday and see what sort of package we’ve got. Hopefully we can try to keep the little bit of momentum rolling from the last race.” Dani Pedrosa “For sure the race in Portugal has given us a boost and so I’m really looking forward to going straight to Motegi to hopefully picking up where we left off at Estoril. We made some small changes to the machine during the weekend in Portugal and they helped us improve the speed in the race, so we’ll continue with those in Japan . What was encouraging was that the performance of our package didn’t fall away during the race which has happened sometimes this year, so if this situation continues we’ll be aiming to challenge for the win again. Of course tyres are going to be critical to this and Motegi is a circuit where our tyre rivals have gone well in the past. But we’ll certainly give it everything. I like this track and it seems to have suited me in previous years so I hope that’s going to be the same with the 800s. I rode this bike for the first time after last year’s race here so it shouldn’t feel totally unfamiliar. Also the weather can be quite unpredictable at Motegi but let’s hope for another fine weekend.” 250cc Julián Simón “The Japanese GP is full of good memories for me since last year I finished third there. I am dying to repeat the same result and have a good race. It is a pity that I started the year so well and then dropped back, so I will try to to be up with the leaders anyway I can. I will have to work hard, because things are going well again, and I hope that the bike works well.” Shuhei Aoyama “In the race in Portugal I had good sensations, so I hope that in the next race I can carry on along the right path. Bit by bit, in the last few races I have been getting better so I hope that I can manage to finish one place higher and get a very good result. Moreover, this race is at home for me, and I would be delighted to finish on the podium in front of my own fans.” 125cc Bradley Smith “I got my best result of the 2006 season at Motegi, so it is not really a track that I like but the fact that I got a good result there motivates me more. I think that in the last race we took an important step forward, going back to the normal settings that turned out to be quite a lot better, so I am confident that the bike will work well at Motegi and so be able to get a good result.” Esteve Rabat “The circuit of Motegi has a lot of places where you have to brake and quite fast curves. It is a very technical track and I raced there last year, but it did not go too well. But this year, with all I have learnt, I hope to have a better weekend as it has nothing to do with last season. This is Honda`s home circuit and there our bikes normally go well, and me myself I am dying to race there and more than ready to carry on learning.”

LeoVince Pegram Racing Ducati Finishes Season Strong with Second at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Team Ends Season in Fourth Place Overall in AMA Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series Hebron, OH, September 18, 2007 – Larry Pegram, of the LeoVince Pegram Racing Ducati Team, finished the season strong with a second place finish in the Formula Xtreme class on his Ducati 848. Pegram started on the front row of the grid from the third position after qualifying with a 1:26.576 lap time. Pegram pulled the holeshot and led the first three laps before being passed by Aaron Gobert of Erion Honda. Pegram finishes the 2007 season in fourth place overall with 244 points, just three points behind third place at 247 points. “I am excited to be on the podium in second place at the last race of the season. I wanted to win at Laguna, but it looks like I will have to wait until next year. The team’s performance this year has been very strong, especially since the Mid-Ohio race. For the last four races we have consistently been in the hunt for a podium position. As a team, we accomplished a great deal this season making the best out of a late start and a limited budget. Next year we will be starting off strong, with solid sponsorship and full support of Ducati. I plan to win next year,” said Pegram. Larry Pegram came to Monterey early in the week for Ducati North America’s Dealer meeting. Last week, Ducati North America announced an exclusive endorsement with Foremost Insurance (the team’s associate sponsor) at the dealer meeting. Details about the new official insurance provider status can be found on the Ducati/Foremost Insurance web site at www.ducatiforemost.com. Senior executives from Foremost Insurance attended the dealer meeting and the race event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The AMA Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme race will be televised on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at 2 P.M. Eastern. About LeoVince Pegram Racing Ducati Hebron, Ohio-based Pegram Racing Ducati is a professional superbike race team competing in the AMA Superbike Championship Series. The team is owned and managed by Larry Pegram, a third-generation motorcycle racer. The team competes in the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme class on a modified Ducati 749. Additional information about the team can be found on their web site at www.pegramracing.com. More, from a press release issued by Corona Extra Racing Honda: CORONA EXTRA HONDA’S ELLISON TAKES EIGHTH AT LAGUNA SECA SUPERBIKE FINALE James Ellison, riding the Corona Extra Honda Racing CBR1000RR took a fine eighth place in the season finale held for the first time at Laguna Seca. In a special one-off ride arranged with American Honda and Cycle News, road test editor Steve Atlas rode the Corona Light Honda CBR600RR to an excellent seventeenth place in SuperSport, his first race in many years. James struggled in qualifying, trying to solve some handling issues that had surfaced in the first Laguna race in July. The crew tried a number of suspension components and tires before sorting out the problem. Unfortunately, with the two day format, track time was short and the issue was not resolved before qualifying. James tried his best but had to settle for eighteenth on the grid. Sunday morning practice saw James drop nearly a second and a half on his qualifying, boding well for the race. On the drop of green flag, James made a conservative start, following the clutch problem at Road Atlanta. He finished the first lap up four places though. From then on he dropped his lap times as he moved up the field, ultimately posting his fastest time of the weekend on the twenty-sixth lap. By lap nine he had broken into the top ten, another lap and he was up to ninth and then on lap twelve up to eighth. He held off a determined challenge from Jake Holden to secure the position at the checkered flag. After the race James said; “I have been really nervous at the start because of the clutch problems. It’s made more work for me getting through traffic. Once I got into my rhythm though everything went really well. We had sorted out some handling problems and got the bike turning good so my times got better and better!” James finished his first Superbike Season Championship in eleventh. Cycle News road test editor Steve Atlas joined the team to ride the Corona Light CBR600RR in the Supersport race for an article he is writing. In his first race in many years Steve and his crew put on a strong effort to get the bike set up to his liking and up to speed in the very short time for practice. He qualified twenty sixth in the strong field of forty riders. In the race Steve got a good start and was soon up three places when a red flag came out. On the restart he got into a pack of riders and started picking off one at a time, moving up the field lap by lap. At the finish he was in a seventeenth position, an excellent result. A clearly excited Steve said; “It was great, I really enjoyed the race, it was really gnarly getting through the traffic. It helped to be chasing guys too; I could follow their lines and learn! Look for the article in Cycle News soon! The event ended with the annual Corona Racing Team party for riders, crew and officials held at the Laguna Seca hospitality center – Ice cold Corona’s and Mexican food was enjoyed by all, a fitting end to an exciting season! More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Kawasaki: Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Hayden Earns His First AMA Championship MONTEREY, Calif. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Roger Hayden captured the first championship of his career in the AMA Supersport class at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. Coming into the race with a nine-point lead over Hacking, Hayden moved quickly off the line to get a fourth-place start. On lap seven, the red flag came out, and that put Hayden on the front-row during the restart. With a great jump at the restart, Hayden settled into the second position until a rider almost collided with him in the Corkscrew section of the track, causing him to fall back to fifth. After regaining his composure, Hayden rode with determination to a steady fifth place, which secured enough points to claim the AMA Supersport championship. “I was really nervous going into the race,” said Hayden. “After the restart, I made some clean passes to move up to second. I had a rider come in and make contact with me, knocking me off the track. I had to regroup and do the best I could to be in a good position. It seems like the laps got a lot longer than they should have been. I’m just glad it’s over.” With the championship still settling in, Hayden added, “Ever since I was younger, I dreamed of winning a championship. I’m very happy it finally came true.” Able to avoid the incident in the Corkscrew, teammate Hacking was able to use it to his advantage and move up to third. He would later move into second to capture the runner-up position. “After the red flag, I just bombed the start,” said Hacking. “I was stuck behind a lot of guys and it was hard to get by. Coming into the Corkscrew, I was able to avoid the mayhem and move up. After having such a bad start, I was glad to finish on the podium.” Hacking finished second in the final season point standings for the AMA Supersport class. Attack Kawasaki’s Ben Attard made the most of the situation in the Corkscrew, moving from fifth to second. Keeping a steady pace with the leaders, he would eventually come across the line with an impressive fourth-place finish. “We improved a lot over the weekend,” said Attard. “We were running really well after the restart and had a bit of luck coming out of the incident in second. Overall the race was good and possibly our best finish of the year in this class.” Teammate Steve Rapp got a great start after the red flag, but was caught up in the incident and was pushed off the track. Unharmed but pushed to the back of the pack, Rapp finished 10th in the final race of the season. For the most recent Kawasaki racing action, interviews and more visit www.kawasaki.com/racing AMA Superbike Championship Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, Calif. September 16, 2007 AMA Supersport Results 1. Josh Herrin, Dublin, Ga., Yamaha 2. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI 3. Martin Cardenas, Medellin, Columbia, Suzuki 4. BEN ATTARD, MURRIETA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI 5. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI 6. Blake Young, Madison, Wis., Suzuki 7. Aaron Gobert, Murrieta, Calif., Honda 8. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki 9. Garrett Carter, Royal Oak, Mich., Yamaha 10. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI AMA Supersport Standings 1. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 297 2. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 294 3. Joshua Hayes, Gulfport, Miss., Honda, 260 4. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 247 5. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki, 216 6. Blake Young, Madison, Wis., Suzuki, 212 7. Josh Herrin, Dublin, Ga., Yamaha, 209 8. Geoff May, Gainsville, Ga., Suzuki, 181 9. BEN ATTARD, MURIETTA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 178 10. Aaron Gobert, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 174 More, from a press release issued by Pirelli: Pirelli Crowns its AMA Superbike Season with 2 More Podiums, 2 More Fastest Race Laps Starting with its sweep of the Daytona 200 podium in March, to capping off the final round of the AMA Superbike series with two more podium finishes, Pirelli has posted its best year ever in professional road racing in America, totaling 21 podium finishes. This is half again more than the 2006 total of 14 podiums, proving the combination of top teams with competitive tires. Oh, the final race weekend also had Pirelli riders set two more fastest race laps in two classes. The final AMA Superbike round at Mazda Laguna Seca started off with Attack Kawasaki’s Ben Attard heading the times in Formula Xtreme practice, the only FX rider into the 26s during morning practice for a weekend of perfect, racing weather. His teammate, Steve Rapp, was fourth quickest with M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas laying down the fifth-fastest time. In the second FX practice Rapp moved to the top of the list with Attard setting the second quickest time and Cardenas moving up to fourth. Qualifying saw Attard take the number-two spot on the front row with Rapp and Cardenas on row two with the fifth and sixth best times. Cory West placed his Team Hunter Yamaha on row three in tenth. The Formula Xtreme race was a tight battle for the podium behind eventual race-winner Aaron Gobert, with Attard and Rapp fighting for second with Larry Pegram until Attard was caught out wide in turn two, running off the track. At the end, Rapp was on the podium with his Kawasaki ZX-6R in third with a hard-charging Cardenas riding his Suzuki GSX-R600 to fourth, after coming back from eighth place. Attard managed to pull off a tenth-place finish after getting back on track. Cory West finished a grand eighth to the pride of tuner Chuck Giacchetto. The fastest race lap in FX was set by Ben Attard, at 1:26.242. Steve Rapp finished the FX season for Attack Kawasaki second in the points behind champion Josh Hayes, taking his Pirelli Diablo Superbike Slicks to just one competitor short of the championship. Ben Attard is fifth, Cory West ninth, and Martin Cardenas finished the season ranked 13th , even after not participating in the first four rounds of the class. In Supersport, Geoff May led the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa riders in qualifying, putting is M4 EMGO Suzuki on the front row with the fourth-fastest time. His teammate Martin Cardenas qualified sixth, sharing the second row with Ben Attard and his Attack Kawasaki in eighth. Steve Rapp took the first place on row three with the ninth best time, with Cory West two spots over from him at 11th on the grid. The Supersport race began with five riders looking to own the same piece of pavement. Cardenas had dropped to seventh but quickly worked his way up to fourth. When trying to make a pass for second, the bidding war for real estate got heated, dropping Cardenas to sixth and Rapp from third to seventh. Behind them riders checked up causing Geoff May to fall. By race’s end Cardenas had worked his way back up to third, less than three seconds behind race winner Josh Herrin. Attard was just a second from him in fourth, with Rapp finishing an unusual tenth because of the incident. The fastest race lap in Supersport was set by Martin Cardenas, using SC2 front and SC1 rear Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa DOT racing tires, a full tenth of a second under the next racer’s fastest lap. Steve Rapp finished the season fourth in the points behind three factory racers. Superstock saw Geoff May qualify fifth for the M4 EMGO Suzuki team, with Roadracingworld.com Suzuki’s Chris Ulrich, Robertino Pietri and Gary Mason taking the ninth, tenth and 11th spots on the grid. HALOF racing’s Scott Jensen qualified 13th. May finished the Supersport race on his GSX-R1000 in fifth, after the race was shortened due to a red flag, with Ulrich, Pietri and Mason also finishing exactly where they each started. And so did Jensen. And so did all of the first 22 riders, which might be a record. Pirelli congratulates all of its AMA Superbike series riders for a great, record-setting season. More, from a press release issued by Millennium/KWS Suzuki: Millennium/KWS Suzuki Wraps up the 2007 AMA Superbike Season Monterey, CA Sep 2007 — Millennium/KWS Suzuki sponsored by Ron Ayers Motorsports had a difficult race weekend at Laguna Seca. Team rider David Weber found out prior to the event that his right his wrist was broken in a crash suffered at VIR. Determined to finish the season out on positive note Weber rode through the pain. Millennium/KWS Suzuki rider David Weber qualified in the fifteenth position in Superstock with a time of 1:28.978. Weber’s teammate John Haner qualified in the sixteenth position with a time of 1:29.406. Haner is one of the strongest riders in the series at starting, but this time he got a little ahead of himself and jumped the start. The AMA issued Haner a ride through penalty which dropped him to last place on the track. Haner quickly fought his way to eighteenth place before the race ended early with a red flag. Meanwhile, David Weber settled in a battle with his year long sparring partner Scott Jenson on the Halof Suzuki. David eventually finished fifteenth on the track. The actual race results are still pending because of a potential disqualification of the Jordan Suzuki’s for a technical violation. David Weber’s broken wrist would get gradually weaker each day with use. Weber was in a lot of pain after the Superstock race, but felt he would be fine for the Superbike race. Both Haner and Weber got good starts to the Superbike race, but Haner was knocked off course in turn two damaging his brake master cylinder. Haner tried to continue, but on lap four retired. David Weber raced until lap sixteen when his broken right wrist weakened to the point where he felt he was a danger to others on the track. John Haner “It was definitely not the weekend we had all hoped to end the season with but overall, it was a great season. This is the best team I have ever been on and the results on track don’t show how good they are. Thank you to the entire team and all the sponsors. Thank you.” David Weber “I just want to thank the entire Millennium/KWS Suzuki team. It was a great year, we all worked really hard, and had a great time. I am having surgery on my wrist next week and then it’s back to training and preparing for next season.” Kevin Hunt (Team Owner) “Nobody knows how hard these guys worked this season. We did the most this season with the least amount of people. These guys have been going non-stop since February and I can’t thank them enough. We have some of the best sponsors in the paddock. Their support is essential to what we do and saying thank you does not accurately describe our gratitude.” More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Attack Kawasaki’s Rapp Finishes the Season on the Formula Xtreme Podium MONTEREY, Calif. Attack Kawasaki’s Steve Rapp came from behind to earn the final podium position in the last AMA Formula Xtreme race of the year at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The final race of the day saw Rapp get a decent start off the line into seventh place. After working his way through the group of riders, he was able to make the necessary passes to finish out the 17-lap race in third place. “I didn’t get a great start, but I was able to pass a couple guys each lap,” said Rapp. “I got stuck behind second-place and I felt like I was faster but never found an opportunity to pass. Overall I was happy to end the season on the podium.” Teammate Ben Attard had a great start and was battling for the second position. On lap 14, he went into turn two and lost the front end, causing him to run off the track. He picked up his bike and made it back up to round out the top 10. “We were fast all weekend and had a winning package, but ended up losing the front,” said Attard. “We have made lots of improvements over the last month and I think it has shown in the last few races.” Rapp finished second in the championship points while Attard finished fifth, ending the season with the two Kawasaki ZX-6R bikes in the top five. In the AMA Superbike class, Jamie Hacking was running in fourth until he crashed on the fifth lap. Teammate Roger Hayden also suffered a crash, which took him out of the race during the first lap. Both riders walked away uninjured. “The superbike has shown a lot of improvement,” said Hacking. “Over the past month, we were able to show the potential the bike has for next season.” For the most recent Kawasaki racing action, interviews and more visit www.kawasaki.com/racing AMA Superbike Championship Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, Calif. September 16, 2007 AMA Formula Xtreme Results 1. Aaron Gobert, Murrieta, Calif., Honda 2. Larry Pegram, Pataskala, Ohio, Ducati 3. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI 4. Martin Cardenas, Medellin, Columbia, Suzuki 5. Chris Peris, Calgary, Canada, Yamaha 6. Chaz Davies, Nyack, N.Y., Yamaha 7. Ryan Andrews, Robinson, Texas, Honda 8. Cory West, Eureka Springs, Ariz., Yamaha 9. Ryan Elleby, Powder Springs, Ga., Honda 10. BEN ATTARD, MURIETTA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI AMA Formula Xtreme Standings 1. Joshua Hayes, Gulfport, Miss., Honda, 324 2. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 279 3. Aaron Gobert, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 247 4. Larry Pegram, Pataskala, Ohio, Ducati, 244 5. BEN ATTARD, MURIETTA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 231 6. Chaz Davies, Nyack, N.Y., Suzuki, 206 7. Ryan Andrews, Robinson, Texas, Honda, 179 8. Martin Craggill, Boulder, Colo., Ducati, 162 9. Cory West, Eureka Springs, Ariz., Yamaha, 157 10. Bobby Fong, Stockton, Calif., Suzuki, 155 AMA Superbike Results 1. Ben Spies, Longview, Texas, Suzuki 2. Mathew Mladin, Henderson, Nev., Suzuki 3. Aaron Yates, Milledgeville, Ga., Suzuki 4. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda 5. Eric Bostrom, Las Vegas, Nev., Yamaha 6. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki 7. Jason Disalvo, Stafford, N.Y., Yamaha 8. James Ellison, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Honda 9. Jake Holden, Eastonville, Wash., Suzuki 10. Matt Lynn, Ball Ground, Ga., MV Agusta AMA Superbike Standings 1. Ben Spies, Longview, Texas, Suzuki, 652 2. Mathew Mladin, Henderson, Nev., Suzuki, 651 3. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 468 4. Aaron Yates, Milledgeville, Ga., Suzuki, 465 5. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki, 454 6. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 403 7. Eric Bostrom, Las Vegas, Nev., Yamaha, 362 8. Miguel Duhamel, Las Vegas, Nev., Honda, 360 9. Jason Disalvo, Stafford, N.Y., Yamaha, 359 10. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 344 More, from a press release issued by Martin Cardenas’ publicist: MARTIN CONSIGUE SUBIR AL PODIO DE SUPERSPORT EN LA ULTIMA CARRERA DE LA TEMPORADA. DIA 1 Martin Cárdenas debiera de ser una amenaza en la carrera de 17 vueltas de Supersport el domingo para los pilotos que lucharan por el podio. El colombiano, que ha terminado en el podio en dos de las cuatro carreras de Supersport más recientes, saldrá desde la segunda fila de la grilla después de clasificarse como el sexto más rápido con un tiempo de 1:27.272. Cárdenas fue el quinto mas rápido durante la practica de Formula Xtreme el sábado (1:27.376) y se clasifico para la carrera del domingo en la mañana de 17 vueltas. DIA 2 El equipo M4 EMGO Suzuki concluyo la temporada del AMA de una forma impresionante, elevando su número de podios en el año a doble dígitos. El colombiano cárdenas de Nuevo demostró ser el piloto que mas promete en la categoría, consiguiendo su tercer podio en Supersport y el cuarto desde que se incorporo al equipo M4 EMGO Suzuki a mediados de la temporada substituyendo al lesionado Michael Barnes. El ex-campeón colombiano de Supersport lucho con el grupo líder de la carrera hasta el final abordo de su Pirelli-shod GSX-R600. Lucho duramente durante las ultimas cuatro vueltas de la carrera para ganarle una posición a cada piloto y eventualmente terminar tercero. “en la primera mitad tuve una Buena salida y después me pasaron algunos pilotos y yo me les pase de Nuevo,” Cárdenas explica. “estaba alcanzando a los lideres de la carrera, hasta que sacaron la bandera roja. En el comienzo de nuevo, Salí súper bien y al final llegue de tercero. Estuvo muy buena la carrera.” “Este año fue muy bueno para mi. Empecé en un equipo privado y cuando se lesiono Michael Barnes me dieron la oportunidad de correr con el Equipo M4 EMGO Suzuki. Estoy muy agradecido con el equipo y al final termino siendo muy buena decisión. El próximo año regresare con la experiencia de haber conocido las pistas y esto hará que sea una gran diferencia. Seguirá siendo difícil porque hay mucho pilotos que son muy rápidos en el campeonato pero espero que el próximo año sea mucho mejor.” En la temporada los puntos en la general son, May cuarto en Superstock y octavo en Supersport. Cárdenas es once en Supersport teniendo encuenta no haber ingresado ala categoría hasta la cuarta carrera de la temporada. También quedo de trece en Formula Xtreme pero no compitió las primeras cinco carreras de la temporada. “Gracias a Pirelli, a el Equipo M4 EMGO Suzuki y a mis mecánicos por todo el apoyo que me dieron para obtener tan buenos resultados, a mi familia por estar siempre ahí, incondicionalmente y a todos los que me apoyaron durante esta temporada en el AMA. Fue una excelente temporada y espero que la próxima sea muchísimo mejor. Ahora me dedicare a descansar y a disfrutar los podios conseguidos, y por supuesto durante estas vacaciones seguiré mi preparación física de cara ala temporada 2008 y a montar en mi cuatrimoto Yamaha YZF-450R y en la Yamaha R1 la cual disfruto montando por Medellín.” More, from a press release issued by Safety First Racing: Valliant Effort from Safety First Racing in Final AMA Race at Laguna Lady luck did not shine down from the Monterrey Peninsula skies onto the Safety First Suzuki race team for the last round of the 2007 AMA Superbike Season, but despite some setbacks, the team put in a 100% effort and was still able to secure 10th place overall in Formula Xtreme with Bobby Fong riding their Suzuki GSXR 600. “What I hope really stands out is that the guys on the team really worked hard and their effort is not going to be reflected in the post-race results”, commented team owner Kevin Hanson. “After the red-flag in the Supersport race, the team effectively scrambled and got Bobby’s crashed bike back out on the track. Bobby had to start from the back of the grid for the re-start, two laps down, but he rode with some fire in his eyes and was moving up in the pack, finishing in all actuality around 13th place. Scotty also rode hard, picking up a bike that crashed in corner 2 and was able to solider on to finish his race and not give up. I am proud of the way the team came together throughout the year, but it really came through during this last race weekend of 2008.” Bobby Fong- DNF (Classified 30th)-FX, 27th- Supersport “The weekend started out great as I dropped 2.5 seconds in my lap times from when we were here in July. Being 6th in practice made me look forward to qualifying and the race, but I ended up about four spots back from where I should have been for qualifying. The results of the actual races are not the way I wanted to finish the year. Chaz Davies took me out early in the Supersport race, but I do appreciate that he is a gentleman racer as he did come over to apologize for the incident. I can’t thank the guys enough for getting my bike back into race shape during the red flag stoppage. I heard that Speed Channel was also focusing on their effort. Once I got back out there, I wanted to make it worth it and I really put my head down and rode hard. If not for being taken out, based on how I rode from the second start to the finish, I am confident I could have finished in the top ten in Supersport. Formula Xtreme ended early with a mechanical issue, but we were able to maintain a top ten placing, which was my goal for my first year in pro racing and I think a great accomplishment and good reflection of the professionalism of the guys on the team. I have to really thank my team and the sponsors for allowing me to reach that achievement and I look forward to ratcheting that up a few more notches for next year.” Fong ended the season in 10th place overall for Formula Xtreme points and 18th for Supersport. Scotty Ryan- Finished 19th- FX, 26th-Supersport “I can see what kind of improvement I have had this year, as I shaved off 3 seconds in my lap times from when I was here in July. I saw what it takes to race at this level and it’s a full time commitment to not only honing race craft, but its developing the focus that is required for training and even diet that is necessary for success. I was able to learn a lot from Owen Weichel (rider coach) and some of his tips helped me evolve my riding style. If not for a few small niggling issues, I could have easily finished in the top 15 for Formula Xtreme. Knowing that possibility, it only makes me hungrier to take everything I learned this year and turn that into a solid effort for next year. I have to really thank the entire team. Without their work all this year, none of this would have happened. Our sponsors are important and I really appreciate all that they have done for me, Bobby and the team.” Ryan ended up in 29th for Supersport and 17th for FX. The team would like to thank all the sponsors, fans, promoters, tracks, corner workers and other volunteers, that without all their hard work and commitment, would not make it possible for us to take to the track. We look forward to seeing all of you again next year for the 2008 season. Safety First Racing was formed in 2004 by police officer/racer, Kevin Hanson, based out of Chicago, IL. For 2007, Safety First Suzuki will be competing in the AMA Superbike series in the Supersport and Formula Xtreme classes. More, from a press release issued by Evan Steel Performance: E.S.P. wraps up a successful AMA season with top ten finish at Laguna Seca. Rider Ivan Garza finished his first year of AMA racing twelveth in the Superstock championship, and earned his Superbike license by mid-season. Highlights were a 12th place finish at Miller Motorsports Park in Superstock, a 16th place finish in Superbike at Road Atlanta, as well as breaking two local lap records at regional races. Ben Thompson got a late start to the season but finished strong, with a career best 7th place finish at Laguna Seca in Superstock, despite taking his first laps of the track Friday afternoon on a scooter! He also impressed in Superbike, finishing 11th behind the factory MV Agusta of Matt Lynn. Tom Savoca had an eventful season as well, obtaining his AMA license at the start of the year and getting his first taste of pro racing at 49 years old! Tom first turned a lap on a race track in 2004, and was immediately hooked. He has won numerous regional championships since, and shows no signs of slowing down. With a best finish of 22nd this year, Tom says there is plenty more to come next year. Tom Savoca: “Getting a chance to go AMA racing is a dream come true, and I never would have done it without the help of the guys at E.S.P., thank you” Ivan Garza: ” I am really excited to be at the nationals. We set a goal of top ten in the championship, and just missed that. I’m looking forward to next season, this is the arena that I want to compete in and I definitely couldn’t be here without all my sponsors. I would like to thank them very much and ‘muchas gracias’.” Ben Thompson: “I’d like to thank E.S.P. and Suzuki for a great season. They are the ones who helped me to get back out to the races this year and came through when no one else did. They built some great bikes, and we ended up getting fantastic results even though we only started riding with four rounds to go and had to play catch up on getting the 07 Suzuki GSXR-1000 set up for me. We’ll be working hard this off season to try and build on the momentum that we got going this season. Thanks for all your hard work!” Phil Allison: “Well, it was a pretty tough year. There were definitely some high points to compliment the low points. But in the end, everybody put forth a great effort and we ended the season on a high note. I think we have a good team, and with a little more support next year will be even better.” Evan Steel: “I would like to thank my buisness partner Phil Allison, as well as Scott Bergen, Trey Schultz, and Kyle Sorge for all their hard work this year, at the shop and at the track. Also Tom, Ivan and Ben, these guys rode hard all year, and made our bikes look good! Special thanks to Dave and Mike at Ohlins for their help. I can’t wait for next year!” For more info about the shop or race team, visit www.evansteelperformance.com. More, from a press release issued by Joe Rocket: ROGER LEE HAYDEN COMPLETES THE HAYDEN SUPERSPORT DYNASTY Randy Robison, President of Joe Rocket is eager to congratulate the freshly crowned 2007 AMA Supersport Champion, Roger Lee Hayden and the entire Monster Energy, Kawasaki Road Race Team. This past weekend at Mazda Laguna-Seca Raceway, in what some are dubbing “the gnarliest road race of the season,” the AMA 600 Supersport race was encumbered by one red flag, numerous crashes, and even flying shrapnel from rogue sponsor signage that came un-secured from its mount. In some of the most aggressive racing that the series has hosted, Roger Lee was forced off-track at the top of Laguna-Seca’s famous corkscrew section with only minimal laps remaining. To the gasping praises of his supporters, Roger Lee managed to keep the bike upright and maintain his charge to the front. “It was definitely nerve-wracking. I’m sure it was on TV. Just guys crashing everywhere and people all over the place. That’s the way Supersport racing is,” Roger Lee said in a post race interview. Aboard his Monster Kawasaki ZX-6R, Roger Lee brought it home to the finish line with a 3 point margin over his team-mate Jamie Hacking; enough to earn himself the Supersport Championship. “I’m thrilled to see that what everyone close to him has known all along, is now a reality; Roger Lee Hayden is a Champion,” said Randy Robison. “Roger will prove to be a great Champion for many years to come,” he went on to say. On behalf of the Joe Rocket family, The Rocket Nation, and fans worldwide, we congratulate “Country Boy” Roger Lee Hayden, rhe 2007 AMA Supersport Champion! More, from a press release issued by Shift: AMA ROADRACING REPORT CORY WEST Check out privateer roadracer Cory West’s latest report from the final round of the AMA Supersport and Formula Xtreme Championships at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, CA. By Cory West At the beginning of the year, when I first looked at the 2007 schedule, I knew the season finale at Laguna Seca was going to be a cool race. Every year that the AMA goes to Laguna, there is always another organization there, like the MotoGP Championship or World Superbikes in the past. For the last race it was only the AMA regulars, and that meant I was going to get some real track time. When the AMA shares the weekend with some other organization, we never get any quality track time. This weekend I actually got to turn a bunch of laps, which helped out a lot because the track isn’t exactly easy. The only thing that was different for the last race was that the AMA decided to just make it a two day event. Practice and qualifying were on Saturday and all the races were scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Even though it was only a two day event, we still had plenty of track time to get up to speed. We started with our setup from the last time we were at Laguna and just got faster and faster. The fastest lap time that I turned when we were here in July was a 1:28.5, but I only turned a 1:29.1 in qualifying. My first practice session in Supersport, I got down to a 1:29.1 which felt pretty good for just getting back into the swing of things. The FX practice went even better and I got down to some low 1:28’s, and I ended that session just outside of the top ten. We made a few suspension changes to the bikes and got our tires picked for the afternoon Supersport qualifying session and we were aiming for a second row starting spot. I got going pretty quick right away in the Supersport qualifying session but everyone was riding really well. I sat inside the top ten for most of the session with a 1:28.1, but I knew that wasn’t going to last when everyone went for the qualifying tires. When I put mine on with 4 minutes to go I got lucky with plenty of open track to get one fast lap. I rode as hard as I could with my extra sticky tire and when the checkered flag flew I saw a 1:27.7 on my lap timer. When I came back into the pits, my time put me 11th fastest overall. I was hoping that would’ve put me higher up in the order but a third row start wasn’t horrible. The only thing left to do on Saturday was one more practice session for FX. I went out to do a long run on what was going to be our race tire and things went pretty well. I was able to turn low 28’s throughout the whole session and I ended up 8th fastest when it was over. Sunday morning we had a short practice session for Supersport and then our qualifying session for FX. The Supersport session went pretty well considering how quick I was starting to go on race tires. I got down to a 1:27.8 on what was going to be my race tire and I knew I would be able to keep that pace during the race. I think I was like 11th or 12th in that practice session but I knew if I got a good start I would be right there in the mix with everyone. For the FX qualifying we stuck to the same plan as the Supersport session and we were still hoping for a second row start. I got down into the 27 range pretty quickly and only needed about a half second to put ourselves on the second row. When I went out with my qualifying tire I was really hoping I could maybe pull off a high 1:26. I charged as hard as I could and ended up turning a 1:27.1 with my qualifying tire. I was so close to putting it on the second row but I ended up 10th, with another third row start. So all I really needed to do in both of my races was to get a good start and get going with the lead pack. I knew I could come out of both races with a top ten for sure and a possible top five if I played my cards right. I didn’t get the greatest launch off of the line in the Supersport race but I chose my lines just right in the first three turns and got myself up to around 8th place. I looked back once on the second lap and noticed there was nobody very close to me and that I was the last one hanging onto the lead pack. I felt comfortable with the pace that everyone in front of me was running and I was doing a good job hanging on to the group. I was definitely stronger in spots and weaker in spots but I wasn’t losing touch with the group by any means. Then on the fourth lap, when I was driving up the hill to the corkscrew, my bike totally lost power and started slowing down fast. I grabbed the clutch, hit the kill switch, and coasted all the way back down the hill and into the pits. My engine had gone sour and the race was over for me. I was pretty upset because of where I was running and how many laps were left. A lot of things could’ve happened in that race because there was a red flag just after I pulled in but I tried not to get too upset and just concentrate on the FX race. I calmed back down and regrouped for my last AMA race of the year. I knew what I was capable of and all I needed to do was go out and do it. My start was pretty crummy and I got held up by a few people right off the bat but it didn’t take me long to get around them and get going. After I got clear of those few guys, I took off after a pack of three not too far ahead of me. I was running in 9th but I just couldn’t make up anytime on the group ahead of me. On about lap 12 of 17, Marty Craggill rode off of the track with his bike on fire and that moved me up to 8th! Then on the next lap, Ben Attard was out in the gravel in turn two and that moved me into 7th. I kept riding as hard as I could but Ryan Andrews caught up to me with about three laps to go. We passed each other a few times but I led us into the last lap. He passed me on the short straight heading to turn 6 and I was just trying to figure out where I was going to get him back. I got a good run coming down the corkscrew and passed him back going into turn 10. He came back under me in the last corner but ran a little wide, and I had him squared up perfect to out drive him to the finish but his team mate, Ryan Elleby, ran right into me. We both stayed up but I lost my drive and ended up finishing 8th. I was a little frustrated at the end because I wanted to finish 7th but with my 8th place finish, that put me 9th overall in the points championship. I’ve never finished the season in the top 10 in points before, so I really felt like we did pretty well. I found out that we ended up 15th in points in Supersport, too, which considering all the problems we had throughout the year, isn’t all that bad either. Chuck and Don really worked their butts off in the last two rounds and we finished out the season pretty strong. I really have to thank all the people that were a part of our little team’s success because without everyone’s help and generosity, we wouldn’t have made it through the whole season. I feel like I have become a much better rider this season and I think with a little more help I can get to the next level and start fighting at the front of these races. And this isn’t the end for me and Chuck just yet, either. There are a few more club races that will keep us busy until the middle of next month, so I’ll keep everyone posted on how things go. I hope everyone has enjoyed my reports this year and I can’t wait to start another season! See ya next year!

AMA tech inspectors busted Jordan Suzuki and M4 EMGO Suzuki for changing the routing of the PAIR (Pulsed-AIR) anti-emissions systems on Jake Holden and Aaron Yates’ GSX-R1000s and on Martin Cardenas’ GSX-R600 after the Superstock and Supersport races at Laguna Seca. The PAIR system injects air from the airbox into the exhaust ports to reduce unburned hydrocarbons. Both teams had inserted a T-fitting into the crankcase breather hose, which is routed into the airbox, and added a hose leading directly to the PAIR system, reducing crankcase pressure and eliminating a problem with GSX-R crankcases developing excess pressure on high-speed tracks and blowing out the countershaft seal. The extra hose not only bleeds off peak crankcase pressure but also bleeds off peak airbox pressure, slightly reducing the effectiveness of the ram-air system. Jordan Suzuki’s Kenny Abbott said that his team’s mechanics had gotten permission from AMA Tech Director Kevin Crowther, who was not at Laguna Seca, to change the crankcase vent routing to prevent countershaft seal failures and resultant oil spills. AMA tech staffers on site at Laguna Seca said they knew nothing about any permission granted by Crowther. M4 EMGO Suzuki Crew Chief and manager Keith Perry said that his team had shown the routing to Crowther in 2006 and had gotten approval to run it then, and had been running the same PAIR valve hose routing for two years on its bikes, which have passed post-race tech at every event up to this point. Perry said that if the policy toward PAIR valve routing had changed, the teams should have been notified. Perry said that his team had again shown the routing to Crowther at Daytona earlier this year, after a rash of blown-out GSX-R countershaft seals and oil spills, and that Crowther had approved its use. Perry said “They knew exactly what we were doing both last year and this year, and they approved it. Crowther looked at the things multiple times, including when we had two bikes in tech at Road America (in June of this year). They’ve looked at this multiple times and said it was fine. They’ve okayed this in the past, over two years. There’s no wording in the rulebook to justify what they said here at Laguna and to change their position with no warning is just not right. This is supposed to be the new AMA and they just changed their mind and wanted to cut our head off with no warning, wanted to give people the death penalty for something they had said was okay and knew was going on for two years.” The last time AMA Tech inspectors busted a team for PAIR valve routing was at Fontana in April 2002, when Richard Stanboli’s Attack Performance was still running Suzukis, and rider Ben Spies was docked points, not disqualified. Problems with blown countershaft seals led AMA tech officials to allow the PAIR valve routing in subsequent years. Generally, any reduction in crankcase pressure will also produce a small horsepower increase. At one point last night at Laguna Seca, AMA officials issued a new set of provisional results showing Holden and Yates as being disqualified. Those results were then recalled. Contrary to some news reports, the involved motorcycles have not been confiscated and were returned to their teams, and no parts were confiscated. At post time, no information was available on how the issue will be resolved.

Cycle Dynamics Racing will field riders Ted Cobb, James Rispoli and Brett Sassaman in the upcoming SunTrust MOTO-ST 8 Hours At Daytona Final, October 20th . Racing aboard the #43 Charlie Benton tuned Kawasaki Ninja 650R in the ST division, the 3 rider team looks forward to the challenge from both Daytona International Speedway and the other competitors. Benton, who in 2005 tuned for Cobb in route to the inaugural Triumph Thruxton Cup championship, is no stranger to winning at NASCAR tracks with both two and four wheel teams. Cobb, who is a long time Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School Instructor, has also tasted sucsess at Daytona and has recently been testing a Ninja 650R in preparation for the upcoming race. 16 year old James Rispoli, hales from Attica, NY and in 2007 won 2 Dirt Track AMA Grand Championship titles along with 16 number one plates. Macon Georgia’s Brett Sassaman is the 2006 WERA Light Weight Twins Super bike National Champion and like Rispoli, currently races a Suzuki GSX-R600 with WERA.