KONICA MINOLTA Honda Team completes successful test at Brno Shinya Nakano and a number of his fellow MotoGP riders remained at the 3.36-mile Brno circuit in the Czech Republic today to take part in the last test session of the 2007 season. The main aim of the test for the KONICA MINOLTA Honda Team has been to evaluate a range of new components received from HRC in time for last weekend’s race. Nakano took to the track at 10am this morning, focussing on some new chassis and suspension settings for his Honda RC212V. After lunch the 29-year-old’s work continued, this time trying some new Michelin front tyres. The test ended prematurely at 4.30pm when rain began to fall. In total Shinya completed 45 laps during the day, setting a best lap-time of 1’59.760″. The MotoGP season now enters its final six races, with the series returning to the revised Misano circuit for the first time since 1993 in just over a week’s time. Shinya Nakano Rider, KONICA MINOLTA Honda (54 laps 1’59.760″) “Even if we didn’t find a final solution for the chattering problems which have afflicted us here last weekend, at the end of the day I can say that we were able to find some improvements in the bike’s settings and improve our choices for the front tyre. We completed all the necessary tests that enable us to understand a little better how the new chassis works. Today has been very useful for us and vital for the next race in Misano.” Giulio Bernardelle Technical Director, KONICA MINOLTA Honda “Today we have been able to make adjustments to the updated bike and see if there are any improvements out on track. This is very important for us, as the next MotoGP race will be at a completely renovated track, which is very different to the last time GP bikes rode there. Therefore at Misano, it will be important to start with a machine setting that we already have and one that Shinya understands so he can be confident on track as soon as possible. Today has allowed us to find some improvements in our performance even if we didn’t find a final solution to the chattering problem. This remains the most important aspect of our machine that we need to solve at the next GP.” More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: POSITIVE TESTING SESSION FOR THE DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM The day after the fantastic victory of Casey Stoner in the Czech Republic GP, the Ducati Marlboro Team were out on the track again for a supplementary two-days testing session at the Brno Circuit. Stoner and Capirossi were able to make the best use of the time available before the rain put an early end to the test at 4:00 p.m. Casey Stoner, 50 laps – best lap with race tyre 1’58.254 – best lap with qualifying tyre 1’56.901 Today was reasonably busy – we didn’t do a lot of laps but we did some very good and very important test with some new equipment. We had a new fairing which went very well. We had good results with and this is a positive thing for the rest of the season. We had also a lot of tyres to test and there were a couple of rears we were very happy with. We tested the new fairing in the afternoon and we didn’t have new tyres so we use an old ones: we were do consistently 1’58.7, 1’58.9 already with seventeenth laps on the tyres so it was working quite well: we were happy with it and with everything we tested today. We are not sure exactly when we will use the new fairing in race because I think we have to find a little bit more information with it but this is the right direction. I did 1’56.901 with a qualifying tyre, which is not so bad, so I’m pretty happy with the job I’m doing with my team. Loris Capirossi, 50 laps – best lap with race tyre 1’58.767 Today with a lot of time available we could work a lot on the set up and we could try many things. For sure I made a mistake when I chose my tyre allocation on Thursday because today I tested the front tyre I hadn’t available and I lapped a lot faster than in the yesterday’s race. We bettered also the bike’s set up and the new fairing seems promising and can be interesting for the next races. We tested also a couple of new tyres which I like, but we have to work a bit more on them”. More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda: Monday August 20, 2007. Brno Circuit, Brno, Czech Republic HAYDEN AND PEDROSA PUT IN THE MILES AT BRNO TEST The Repsol Honda Team remained at Brno on Monday for the first of two days of testing following yesterday’s Grand Prix of the Czech Republic. Fresh from their third and fourth place finishes, Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa were joined by most of the MotoGP field as the factory Honda pair began a full schedule of testing, including further analysis of the RC212V ‘s updated chassis and the latest evolution of the 800cc engine. In the morning Nicky Hayden carried out tests of new chassis components in pursuit of further handling improvements at the 5.403km (3.357-mile) Brno circuit. During the afternoon the World Champion began a series of evaluation runs on new tyres from Michelin until rain at 16.30 brought the test to a finish. Hayden lapped consistently in the 1m 58s bracket and was able to log a best lap time of 1m 58.42s nearly three tenths of a second inside his fastest lap from yesterday’s 22-lap race. Dani Pedrosa also increased his pace today, lapping in 1m 58.55s which was an improvement of 0.4s on his best from yesterday. The 21-year-old Spaniard spent the day analysing the RC212V’s uprated frame in combination with the latest engine the Repsol Honda pair used over the race weekend. Weather permitting, Pedrosa will begin tyre testing for Michelin tomorrow before the trucks are loaded up once again ready for the trip to the Misano World Circuit in Italy where the Grand Prix of San Marino takes place on September 2. Nicky Hayden Best lap time: 1m 58.42s 76 laps “Today’s session went okay. This morning we tested some new components and worked on the set-up of the machine with the updated chassis. In the afternoon we mainly tested some different tyres for Michelin and we were able to string some 1m 58s laps together. Doing it on Monday is always a little bit late but certainly we had a lot more consistency today and some more speed too. Then in the afternoon we tested tyres until the rain came and we called it a day. We’ll see what the weather throws at us tomorrow and get back to work.” Dani Pedrosa Best lap time: 1m 58.55s 66 laps “We concentrated on testing some new parts for the RC212V today things that we were not able to use over the race weekend. They were not big changes and the differences are subtle but I think we found some useful information from the test. Today we didn’t take a big step forward though we have some ideas of where we can improve things further. We were concentrating on the chassis and engine so we didn’t test tyres today. If the weather is kind to us we’ll continue with this and test tyres tomorrow.” Unofficial lap times and tyres (Q= Qualifying tyre used) 1. Casey Stoner (Ducati), 1:57.07Q 2. John Hopkins (Suzuki), 1:57.71Q 3. Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda Team), 1:58.42 4. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), 1:58.55 5. Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki), 1:58.60 6. Loris Capirossi (Ducati), 1:58.83 7. Colin Edwards (Yamaha), 1:58.90 8. Carlos Checa (Honda), 1:59.08 9. Alex Barros (Ducati), 1:59.10 10. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), 1:59.20 11. Randy De Puniet (Kawasaki), 1:59.35 12. Anthony West (Kawasaki), 1:59.47 13. Shinya Nakano (Honda), 1:59.78 14. Sylvain Guintoli (Yamaha), 1:59.80 15. Makoto Tamada (Yamaha), 2:00.23 16. Kurtis Roberts (KR-Honda), 2:00.31 More, from a press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: FIAT YAMAHA TEAM PUSH ON WITH INTENSIVE DAY’S TESTING IN BRNO After the disappointment of yesterday’s Czech Grand Prix, it was back to the drawing board today for Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards as they embarked on the traditional two-day test at Brno, alongside almost the entire MotoGP paddock. The sun shone until mid-afternoon when it clouded over, eventually giving way to rain at about 4.30 pm. The main focus of the test for both riders is tyre testing with Michelin and they worked through a variety of new material today as they seek to find a better package for the remaining six races, following recent issues. Rossi also got the chance to complete some laps with a new-specification engine, with which he will continue working tomorrow. Colin Edwards Position: 6th Time: 1’58.81 Laps: 51 “Michelin brought a lot of new stuff for us to try here today and I think, in total, I tried about four fronts and maybe five rears before the rain came. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem like we’ve found a miracle yet! We’re in a difficult situation but I am determined to give 110% to help Michelin get back to where they should be. I tried a new shock for Ohlins as well and some starting maps and electronics and everything else seems to be feeling pretty good. We’ve got another day tomorrow so let’s hope it stays dry so we can get through the remainder of our testing programme.” Valentino Rossi Position: 10th Time: 1’59.20 Laps: 66 “We tried a new engine today and I completed about 25 laps with it. Initially we haven’t found that it’s a lot faster, but anyway this is only the very first step so we need some more time to understand it better and to see how it can help us. Tomorrow we will continue to work with it again, for part of the day at least. We also did some work with tyres, but so far we haven’t found anything special. We tried some new fronts but then, when we started to work with some new rear tyres it started to rain and so we weren’t able to finish our work. Hopefully tomorrow we will be able to use the whole day, because we still have a lot of work to get through and this is a very important test for us.”

ALTON, Va. (August 20, 2007) – Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking was taken to the hospital shortly after the final AMA Superbike race on Sunday at Virginia International Raceway as a precautionary measure to treat possible dehydration. After racing back to back events on Sunday, Hacking debriefed and returned to his motor home where he complained of feeling weak and a little nauseous. With the weather conditions being hot and humid, taking precautions was felt to be the best thing for the defending AMA Supersport champion. “Kawasaki and Jamie’s family felt with the heat and possible dehydration, it was best to have him checked out at the hospital. He was hooked up to an IV, had a few blood tests, and was immediately released from the hospital.” All the test results reported that Hacking was in good health and he was able to travel home to Denver, N.C. on Monday.

The Kawasaki Racing Team will field a third rider at the Japanese round of the MotoGP world championship next month. Current leader of the All Japan Superbike Championship, Akira Yanagawa, will join team stalwarts, Randy de Puniet and Anthony West, on a Ninja ZX-RR at the Motegi circuit as, for the second time this year, the team will put three riders on the grid. Like Roger Lee Hayden, who rode to an impressive tenth place as a wild card for Kawasaki at Laguna Seca back in July, Yanagawa is looking forward to pitting himself against the best riders in the world at his home circuit. Yanagawa is already well known to race fans the world over. From winning the Japanese 250cc championship in 1990, he progressed to his domestic superbike series in 1993 then on to World Superbikes in 1997, getting an excellent fourth in the championship in his rookie year. Between then and 2002, he made it on to the podium 23 times, including celebrating three wins. He was also the rider who developed the original Kawasaki ZX-RR MotoGP bike during 2002 and rode it at its debut in the Pacific Grand Prix, at Motegi, towards the end of that year’s season. However, the 36-year-old crashed out, breaking his pelvis in the process, so Andrew Pitt was drafted in to replace him for the remaining three rounds. Yanagawa now rides a Kawasaki ZX-10R for Team Green in the Japanese superbike series. After five rounds, he’s claimed one victory, at Tsukuba circuit, and a second, at Autopolis, putting him two points ahead of nearest rival, Atsushi Watanabe, with just three rounds remaining. After the disappointment of 2002, Yanagawa has unfinished business with the Ninja ZX-RR and is looking forward to riding its latest incarnation, the 800cc machine, again at Motegi. The Kawasaki Racing Team look forward to his joining them again on the track. Akira Yanagawa Kawasaki Wild Card Rider #87 “The first time I raced the Ninja ZX-RR was also at Motegi, when Kawasaki made their long awaited return to Grand Prix racing after an absence of more than two decades. On that occasion I crashed out of the race, so I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to finally finish what I started five years ago. I’m under no illusions about how tough it will be, racing against the very best riders in the world, but I hope that I will be able to finish in the points and also provide important feedback for Kawasaki’s development engineers. For me, race day will be about enjoying the chance to race the latest version of Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-RR and finishing as high up the order as I can.” Michael Bartholemy Kawasaki Competition Manager “Obviously, as a Japanese factory team, the Grand Prix at Motegi is an important race for us. For this reason we have decided to field three riders, with Akira Yanagawa joining Randy de Puniet and Anthony West aboard a third Ninja ZX-RR for this event. Akira last rode the Ninja ZX-RR in a Grand Prix back in 2003, as a wild card at Catalunya, but he’s kept his racing skills sharp competing in the All Japan Superbike Championship, which he’s currently leading aboard a Kawasaki ZX-10R. I think it will be interesting for Akira to see just how far the Ninja ZX-RR has progressed since he last raced it, and we’re certainly looking forward to seeing him finish his home MotoGP race aboard the bike this time around.”

Climate: Hot, sunny Temperature: 37 degrees Crowd: 61,500 (3 days) Zemke Maintains Championship Third on Difficult Weekend American Honda’s Jake Zemke kept his hold on third place in the AMA Superbike Championship despite a difficult race weekend in the broiling heat of Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Va. The track features predominantly right-hand corners, which proved abusive to even the latest evolution tires. Many riders suffered, including Zemke, who was slowed by a deteriorating rear tire in Saturday’s 28-lap Superbike race. He finished eighth. The team worked overnight to solve the tire grip issues and approached Sunday with renewed enthusiasm. They also switched motorcycles in an effort to lighten the strain on the rear tire. But early on it was clear the day wouldn’t be without problems. An engine misfire cropped up almost immediately and Zemke had to deal with that, while in the middle of a battle with Tommy and Roger Lee Hayden, the brothers of Repsol Honda’s Nicky Hayden. As the race wore on attrition took its toll and Zemke’s persistence was rewarded with a sixth place finish. It kept him third in the point standings with three races remaining. Zemke was on his own this weekend in the absence of teammate Miguel Duhamel. Duhamel suffered serious injuries, including a lacerated liver, punctured lung, collapsed lung, and broken right ankle, in a testing accident at Road Atlanta more than a week ago. He was ruled out of this weekend’s race and will almost certainly miss the penultimate round at Road Atlanta on Sept. 2. Both of this weekend’s races were won by Suzuki’s Mat Mladin over teammate Ben Spies. The series resumes in two weeks time at Road Atlanta, north of Atlanta, Georgia. Jake Zemke, 8th, 6th ” We had a little trouble with our rear tire Saturday. We blistered it pretty bad all the way around the right side of the tire. It was basically just slipping and sliding all the way to the end. That was really about it. Just trying to keep Tommy (Hayden) at bay, keep Tommy behind us. And earlier in the race I thought we were OK, but the thing lost grip pretty quickly and started throwing chunks of rubber. Towards the end of the race the boys said they heard my bike missing, but I never felt it.” “Today we had a serious misfire. We had switched bikes too, which was really odd that both of them were doing it. It just kept progressively getting worse and worse and the bike kept getting slower and slower. They pulled out the motor and are trying to get everything back to the shop to figure out what was going on. It was missing higher in the rpm’s for sure, but the thing felt really flat and it started surging and it was doing that by halfway in the race. I was actually wondering if we were going to make it to the end. You can beat on those things for quite a while and they last. So, luckily, we were able to solider on and with a little bit of attrition we ended up sixth, so that helps us out in the points a little bit. Keeps us in third for now. We’ll just have to figure out what went wrong and head on to Atlanta” American Honda Road Race Manager Ron Heben “We’re really disappointed in the Honda effort this weekend for the fact that we thought we had a pretty decent test in Atlanta with Jake (Zemke). Jake last year had some good results here. A lot of the issues that Jake had had in the past we felt that we’d addressed, and coming in we felt pretty positive. Obviously, yesterday was really a disappointment for everybody on the team. And then the team got together last night and they looked at a lot of different things. We came out this morning and we were right back in it with some lap times that were relatively competitive. So at that point we were looking at a positive outlook for the overall weekend, which again, could help us to get on track for Atlanta. And Jake came out at the beginning and right from the get-go had issues and multiple issues. It wasn’t just pinpointed to one element. So obviously we’re re-thinking it, looking at it, looking at all the elements that are holding us back and hopefully we can rebound in Atlanta.” Sunday Superbike: 1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 2. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 3. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 4. Jamie Hacking (Kawasaki) 5. Tommy Hayden (Suzuki) 6. Jake Zemke (Honda) 7. Luca Scassa (MV) 8. Matt Lynn (MV) 9. Jake Holden (Suzuki) 10. Roger Lee Hayden (Kawasaki) Saturday Superbike: 1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 2. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 3. Jamie Hacking (Kawasaki) 4. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 5. Roger Lee Hayden (Kawasaki) 6. Eric Bostrom (Yamaha) 7. Jason DiSalvo (Yamaha) 8. Jake Zemke (Honda) 9. Tommy Hayden (Suzuki) 10. James Ellison (Honda) Championship Standings: 1. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 550 2. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 544 3. Jake Zemke (Honda) 390 4. Tommy Hayden (Suzuki) 384 5. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 382 6. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 360 7. Jamie Hacking (Kawasaki) 345 8. Jason DiSalvo (Yamaha) 324 9. Eric Bostrom (Yamaha) 315 10. Roger Lee Hayden (Kawasaki) 293 More, from a press release issued by VIR: Mladin’s Suzuki Broom Sweeps VIRginia International Raceway AMA Superbikes DANVILLE, VA. – Mat Mladin, riding on his American Suzuki /Yoshimura US Suzuki GSX-R1000, swept both halves of the AMA Suzuki Big Kahuna Superbike Nationals presented by Dunlop and ROCKSTAR Energy Drink. Mat Mladin continued his domination of the race when in Sunday morning’s final practice session he turned a lap nearly a full second quicker than teammate Ben Spies’ lap. Mladin’s lap time of 1:23.862 fell short of his pole-winning time of 1:23.698 while Spies’ time was even further behind his qualifying time: 1:24.731 in practice vs. 1:24.216 in qualifying. The pair of Suzuki riders both headed fellow Suzuki rider Aaron Yates’ time of 1:24.827 and Jamie Hacking’s 1:25.098 in the final practice, as the lap times Sunday mirrored the order set in qualifying. “It’s the second time we’ve done it this year (swept the weekend) said Mladin. “We’re just fighting to come back as strong as we can,” he continued, talking about the point challenge. “We threw some chunks out of the tire, so we knew we weren’t going forward,” said Spies after the race, describing how he could not challenge for the win. In the race, Mladin jumped to a lead of nearly a half second over his younger partner and with only few exceptions, increased the gap every lap, eventually beating Spies by 5.591 seconds. Mladin has ten wins for the 2007 season, to Spies’ six, but Spies has yet to finish lower than second, giving him a slender six point lead in the championship over Mladin. Combined, the pair have won every race for their team in 2007, with Jake Zemke third in points following the Virginia rounds, some 160 points behind leader Spies. The day’s action was not limited to the Superbikes as in preliminary races, Spies swept to victory in the Superstock Series presented by Dynojet, followed by Aaron Yates and Jake Holden, all on board stock Suzuki GSX-R1000 motorcycles. Yates and Holden race for the team owned by NBA superstar Michael Jordan. The second preliminary race of the day went to Joshua Hayes, on his Honda CBR600, followed by Martin Cardenas and Jamie Hacking, riding a Suzuki GSX-R600 and a Kawasaki ZX-6R in the Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei feature race. Cardenas has never raced at VIR prior to this weekend. The next race featured on the AMA Pro calendar is another Superbike double-header for Labor Day weekend, August 31-Sept. 2, the AMA Suzuki Superbike Showdown, presented by Makita at Road Atlanta. VIR’s next major event is the GT Live/Koni Challenge event, the weekend of October 5-7. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office: Sunday afternoon’s AMA Superbike race at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia was all about Suzuki as the manufacturer swept the podium with Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin and Ben Spies taking first and second place and Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki’s Aaron Yates rounding out the podium in third place. This marks the third podium sweep for Suzuki this year. Mladin’s and Spies’ Yoshimura Suzuki team mate Tommy Hayden carded a strong fifth-place finish. For six-time AMA Superbike Champion Mladin, this is his 10th win of the year and his sixth-straight at Virginia. Overall, it’s his 61st career AMA Superbike victory. Defending AMA Superbike Champion Spies remains in command of the championship points chase, but this victory puts Mladin just six points behind his team mate. Mat Mladin: “The Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 – what can you say? All three spots on the podium and so many wins in a row, it’s unheard of in AMA Superbike racing. I’d like to thank my guys for working hard this weekend and giving me a good motorbike to race… I’m enjoying this season more than any I’ve had so far, because it’s such a good challenge for the race and to get the measure of Ben and, to be honest, I hope we can win the next couple in Atlanta because I really want to be able to go to Laguna Seca and winner take all, because that would just be the ultimate. Laguna’s never been one of my strongest tracks, but to me it’s a challenge that I’d really enjoy — to be able to have to go there and put it on the line at Laguna Seca and win one.” Ben Spies: “I didn’t get a great start and I definitely didn’t get it done today, though the start didn’t help matters. Obviously, second place isn’t getting it done. I’m not upset because I rode 100 per cent; I rode as hard as I could. At the start, I ended up having to work my way up from sixth or seventh place and when I got into second, I tried to be as consistent as possible. But I had a few tire problems and just tried to bring home second.” Aaron Yates: “The Jordan Suzuki did a hell of a job out there today. We made some changes to the bike last night that helped the GSX-R1000 get through the turns a little easier and flick a little better. It felt good to keep Ben in sight for the whole race — that was the first time this year I’ve been able to do that. It just shows you how the Jordan Suzuki is coming along. And it’s great to have Suzuki on the podium one-two-three.” Tommy Hayden: “Today went better all the way around. I got a better start on my Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 and my pace was considerably quicker the whole entire race. My result was better than it’s been in a long while. Also, I’m having a nice little battle for third place in the Superbike Championship points standings. I need to pick things up a little bit because it would be a good end to the season if I could end up in third place. That’s what I’m going to shoot for the rest of the year.” All of Suzuki’s road race teams will return for round 10 of the AMA Superbike Series at Road Atlanta in Braselton, GA, the weekend of Aug. 31 – Sept. 2, 2007. AMA Superbike Top 10 Finishers: 1. Mat Mladin (Yoshimura Suzuki) 2. Ben Spies (Yoshimura Suzuki) 3. Aaron Yates (Jordan Suzuki) 4. Jamie Hacking (Kawasaki) 5. Tommy Hayden (Yoshimura Suzuki) 6. Jake Zemke (Honda) 7. Luca Scassa (MV Agusta) 8. Matt Lynn (MV Agusta) 9. Jake Holden (Jordan Suzuki) 10. Roger Lee Hayden (Kawasaki) More, from a press release issued by Build Momentum: LeoVince Pegram Racing Ducati Team on the Podium Again in Formula Xtreme Larry Pegram Finishes Second After a Tough Battle with Josh Hayes Hebron, OH, August 20, 2007 – Larry Pegram, of the LeoVince Pegram Racing Ducati Team, worked his way to a second place finish after starting on the front row in fourth position on the grid. Pegram qualified with a 1:27.762. This is the second podium finish for the team this season in the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme series. Once again fans were treated to a great race in Formula Xtreme class; with Pegram pulling the holeshot and running in first place for lap one. He stayed right on the leader, Josh Hayes of Erion Honda, for most of the race. Hayes even commented in the media session after the race that he could hear Pegram’s bike. Towards the end of the race Hayes was able to pull a small gap but Pegram held on to finish second. As the AMA Superbike Championship comes to down to the final two races of the season Pegram is showing champion speed on his Ducati 749R. He is currently in fourth place overall with 188 points, only 21 away from third place. “This podium feels great, especially after what happened at Mid-Ohio. I am very comfortable running at Josh’s pace and just have to ride without making any mistakes. The team has been working very hard and the results are there now. We got a late start, but everything is spot on at this point. I am feeling very strong and looking forward to Road Atlanta in two weeks,” said Pegram. The team’s next race will be the AMA Suzuki Superbike Showdown, presented by Makita on August 31 – September 2, 2007, in Braselton, Georgia at Road Atlanta. About Pegram Racing Leo Vince 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 Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki: MICHAEL JORDAN MOTORSPORTS SUZUKI EARNS PODIUM FINISH IN PREMIER CLASS Aaron Yates Third in Superbike at Virginia International Raceway Alton, VA Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki rider Aaron Yates earned a third place podium finish today in the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals at Virginia International Raceway (VIR). Yates, who started the race in third position, qualified for the front row with a time of 1:24.871. This was Yates’ fourth front row start and his second podium finish in AMA Superbike for the Jordan team this season. In today’s race two of the AMA Superbike doubleheader event, Yates started and finished in third place, after briefly losing position, in the 28 lap event. “The Jordan Suzuki crew did a heck of a job for me,” said Yates. “We made a few changes to get the bike to go through the turns easier.” With his podium finish, Yates moves into fifth in the overall championship points, two points from fourth and eight points out of third. With only three races left in the 2007 AMA Superbike Championship, Yates is aiming to end the season in the top three. Teammate Jake Holden, who qualified his Superstock spec Suzuki GSX-R1000 in 11th place with a time of 1:26.439, gained one position at the start of the race, ultimately crossing the finish line in ninth place, and earning the young Washington-based rider another top ten finish. Holden moves to 14th in the overall points standings. Jordan Suzuki’s riders and crew have two more race weekends in the AMA Superbike Championship: a Superbike doubleheader at Road Atlanta August 31-September 2 in Braselton, Georgia and the season finale September 14-16 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. For more information on the Jordan Suzuki team, visit the race team website at www.23race.com. Legendary NBA star Michael Jordan formed Michael Jordan Motorsports in 2004 as a result of his passion for motorcycle racing. His mission is to bring a new level of excellence and style to the motorcycle racing industry. More, from another press release issued by Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki: JORDAN SUZUKI RIDERS REACH SUPERSTOCK PODIUM AT VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY Yates Finishes Second With Teammate Holden in Third Alton, VA Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki riders Aaron Yates and Jake Holden both earned podium finishes in Sunday’s Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals at Virginia International Raceway (VIR). Yates, who started the race from the front row in third position, rode a strong race and finished in second place. With a third place finish, Holden earned his third AMA Superstock podium finish of the season, giving the Suzuki brand a podium sweep. Yates’ second place finish earns him his fourth podium finish of the year, moving him within one point of second place in the Superstock standings. He qualified for Sunday’s race with a time of 1:25.815 and ran the second fastest lap of the race at 1:25.698. Yates got a good start leading into turn one and quickly moved into second place on lap three, where he charged after race leader Ben Spies. “I was pushing hard and making some progress”¦I wanted to bring the Jordan Suzuki bike home.” Holden qualified with a time of 1:25.897 and started in fifth place from row two. With the abbreviated race schedule in July and the weather-related cancellation of the last scheduled Superstock event at Mid-Ohio Car Course, Holden hadn’t raced AMA Superstock since late June. At the wave of the green flag Holden dropped two positions, then put his head down and began a strong charge to the front. By lap seven, he moved his Suzuki GSX-R1000 to fourth place then swiftly moved into third, where he rode to the checkered flag. “At the last minute we made a gearing change and it helped me get to third place,” Holden noted. He is currently ninth in overall points for the AMA Superstock championship. With the season nearing completion, Yates, Holden and the Jordan Suzuki crew have two more races remaining in the AMA Superstock class: Road Atlanta, August 31-September 2 in Braselton, Georgia and the season finale, September 14-16 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey California. For more information on the Jordan Suzuki team, visit the race team website at www.23race.com. To learn more about Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals, visit www.virclub.com/vir. Legendary NBA star Michael Jordan formed Michael Jordan Motorsports in 2004 as a result of his passion for motorcycle racing. His mission is to bring a new level of excellence and style to the motorcycle racing industry. More, from a press release issued by HALOF Racing: HALOF Racing’s Scott Jensen impresses at the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals at VIR Superstock 9th, Superbike race 1 15th, Superbike race 2 11th After missing the Mid-Ohio Superstock race due to bad weather, Scott Jensen was excited to get back to racing his HALOF Racing, BG Oils Suzuki GSXR 1000 Superstock bike. “The weather deal at Mid-Ohio was just dumb luck,” said Jensen. “We had a pretty strong weekend there on the Superbike and I was looking forward to a great Superstock race.” After qualifying an impressive 17th for Superbike the team was looking forward to some great racing with good finishes. However, that was diminished slightly when Jensen lost the front end of his Superstock bike going into turn 1 only 3 laps into the qualifying session. “That was just horrible. I tipped it in and it felt like it came out of gear and then pop back in before I could get to the clutch,” Jensen stated. “Next thing I know I went tumbling to the outside of turn 1 for a very long way. I couldn’t get back to the pits in time to go out on the backup bike, but at least we got a time quick enough to get us in the field straight away.” After a lack luster start for Saturdays Superbike race 1 aboard his HALOF Racing Leo Vince Exhaust Suzuki GSXR 1000 Superbike, Scott rode around the pain to bring home a 15th place finish. “It was actually a little boring,” a sore and sad Jensen said. “The crew worked so hard all weekend and I couldn’t really repay them with a great finish. We have a new clutch for this weekend and I need a little time to get use to it.” When asked about any injuries Jensen said, “I wouldn’t say that I’m hurt or anything like that but just a little sore, a good night sleep and I will be fine.” On Sunday morning it was back to business for the HALOF Racing team. After a great start for the Superbike race it was an all out fight between Jensen and Chris Ulrich on his RoadracingWorld.com Suzuki as they were closing in on the pair of MPT Racing teammates. It all ended when they came upon a slower rider and Jensen made the wrong choice. “I saw Chris let up a little to go to the inside so I pinned it to go around the outside,” remarked Jensen. “But the slower rider stood his bike up to let Chris by not knowing I was there. All I could do was run it off into the grass and make sure not to crash the thing. It just one of those things, had he tried to make the corner we may have only lost a few seconds but instead we lost like 10 seconds a position.” A position he wouldn’t have time to regain. It was still a strong finish and valuable in points as this first year team tries to finish 5th or better in the championship. Sunday’s Superbike race was equally exciting. After another poor start, Scott Jensen made a strong race through the field to finish 11th. “Man I feel like a rookie with some of these starts. I have been dead last into turn one both races this weekend,” said Jensen. “I really need to work on my starts. I practiced 4 or 5 of them this morning and 2 were pretty good, I guess it will just take more practice. It was a great race, the pace was fast at the beginning and then it slowed up a bit. Man my Pirelli tires were just awesome all weekend, I ran the fastest laps I have ever turned here this weekend.” Look for the HALOF Racing Suzuki team at Road Atlanta August 31- September 2 where the teams Superstock bike will be carrying a unique paint job in hopes to bring awareness to the charity Locks of Love. Locks of Love is an organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. “It’s an honor to be able to do this for the kids and bring some of them out to the race track for a day or two,” said HALOF Racing team owner Rodney Rayborne. “I have been donating to Locks of Love for a few years now and hope we can use this race to let others know how they can help and what a great thing they can do by something as simple as a haircut.” You can learn more about Locks of Love at www.locksoflove.org More, from a press release issued by American Suzuki: Team M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas Captures Second AMA Supersport Podium Round 9 AMA Supersport Series Alton, VA Virginia International Raceway Aug. 17 – 19, 2007 Team M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas picked up his second AMA Supersport podium of the 2007 season at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) on Sunday afternoon. The afternoon’s 17-lap race was red flagged and re-started after a rider crashed. Cardenas was running in fifth place when the red flag was thrown but improved his standings with the restart. Cardenas was out in front right off the line before settling into second place and holding it for the remainder of the race. Cardenas was initially a replacement rider for the team’s injured Michael Barnes, however, the 25-year-old Colombian rider has since been signed to the satellite Suzuki team for 2008 and with options for the 2009 season. This result moved Cardenas from 18th to 14th in the AMA Supersport championship points standings. Martin Cardenas: “In this race, the red flag really helped me. I got a good start at first, and then another great start after the red flag and then tried to stay in the front. Both starts were good, but on the first start I went in too hot in Turn One and a couple guys went past me. The re-start really helped me. I tried another tire and got a good start and was first going into turn one and then Josh (Hayes) came by and I couldn’t hang on. It’s tough to come to the U.S. and learn all the new racetracks in just two days. Some are more difficult than others. In the race, when I was behind someone I just tried to follow their lines and learn as much as I could. This is my second podium in AMA Supersport and I am very happy. I want to thank my whole M4 EMGO Suzuki team and Pirelli Tires and all the guys who work with me. I hope that soon I’ll get a win, for sure, and I know the Laguna Seca track from the first race there, so we will see how it goes.” All of Suzuki’s road race teams will return for round 10 of the AMA Superbike Series at Road Atlanta in Braselton, GA, the weekend of Aug. 31 Sept. 2, 2007. More, from a press release issued by Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki: TOP TEN RESULTS FOR TEAM ROADRACINGWORLD.COM SUZUKI Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki was back in action following an extended two-month AMA Superstock layoff at Virginia International Raceway. Anxious to get back to work, Chris Ulrich and Gary Mason enjoyed strong outings this weekend, claiming a pair of top tens for the team. After qualifying on the second row for the 17-lap Superstock final with the eighth best time (1:27.337) on Saturday, Californian Ulrich led the charge on the Sunday. Pushing with the lead pack in his sights much of the race, he ultimately settled into a fine seventh place finish aboard his Pirelli-shod GSX-R1000. Red Devil Roadracingworld.com’s Gary Mason also outperformed his qualifying position in the race, taking 10th after qualifying 11th (1:28.740) in his first ever visit to the tricky VIR circuit. Robertino Pietri, the reigning Latin American and Venezuelan Superbike champion, appeared to be in line for a successful weekend as well, unfortunately, a pair of falls damaged the frames on both his machines and prevented him from racing on Sunday. Ulrich, who now stands seventh in the Superstock championship race, summed up the VIR round: “I think I had a pretty good weekend. We went around on Thursday and worked with some settings and then on Friday morning we got down to it pretty quick. It felt pretty good. My attitude this weekend was very good; I was calm and relaxed — I had a little bit of time off. It’s been a little stressful lately and I stayed pretty mellow all weekend and just kind of did my own thing and it worked out really well for me. “My two guys, Rick Kress and Scott Crawford, do a great job. We had a bit of a breakthrough at the Atlanta test. We really got our heads down and got the communication and feedback working better. We carried that momentum into here and we hope to carry that momentum through the rest of the year. “For sure it feels good to finally race again. It’s been a couple months. It’s been a good weekend. Gary got a good top-ten finish and it’s his first time here. ‘Tino was going pretty good in practice and I was happy with his progression through the weekend. Unfortunately, he crashed his main bike on Thursday and broke the frame. And then I think he was going for a good lap and he crashed his back-up bike and broke the frame again. At that point we’re out of frames. It’s unfortunate — we only carry so many spares. I guess two strikes you’re out.” Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki will be back in action in two weeks at Road Atlanta on August 31-September 2 for the second-to-last round of the 2007 AMA Superstock season. More, from a press release issued by Robertino Pietri’s publicist: PIETRI SIN FORTUNA EN VIRGINIA El venezolano no pudo correr la novena válida del campeonato debido a un accidente sufrido en las clasificaciones. El piloto criollo, Robertino Pietri empezó el fin de semana en el Virginia International Raceway (VIR) con el pie derecho, consiguiendo un respetable octavo lugar de veinticinco competidores en las prácticas oficiales. Pero luego de lograr este registro, Pietri sufrió una caída la cual lo privó de poder disputar la clasificación. El joven de veintidós años salió airoso del choque pero no así su moto. El personal de su equipo, Roadracingworld.com hizo todo lo posible para reparar los daños de la motocicleta pero Pietri no pudo participar en la clasificación de su categoría. Ingenieros y mecánicos siguieron con trabajando con el fin de que la Suzuki GSX-R1000 estuviera lista para al día siguiente y así el piloto venezolano pudiera correr aunque sea partiendo de la última casilla de la grilla. Al final no se pudo poner la moto a punto para que Robertino Pietri pudiera competir en esta novena válida. La próxima válida será del 31 de agosto al 2 de septiembre en el circuito Road Atlanta.

Roadracing World Grand Prix Editor Mat Oxley asked American Colin Edwards about news reports claiming that he will ride a Tech 3 Yamaha in MotoGP in 2008 with James Toseland as a teammate and that Edwards will then return to the AMA Superbike Championship with Yamaha starting in 2009. Edwards’ answers follow. On the Tech 3 deal, with Toseland, who was his teammate at Castrol Honda Superbike/Supersport in the late 1990s: “If it happens I’ll be happy about it. Yamaha is saying they want four competitive bikes and at the end of the day I think they will take care of me.” On doing AMA in 2009: “I’d like to, I’ve been talking with Yamaha U.S. I’ve never won a Superbike Championship there, so I’m very interested to go back there and race after next year. The tracks used to be scary. Three or four years ago I would never have even dreamed of going back there to race. This year I’ve been watching most of the races, keeping a keen eye on them to see what the safety factor is. Growing up in the U.S., and it’s the same in England, there’s corners you know you absolutely cannot crash in, you cannot make an aggressive pass there, you cannot risk putting your nuts on the line in this particular corner because you might die. European guys don’t really grow up with a whole lot of that stuff, it’s basically just getting back in that mode. There’s still a couple of dangerous corners in AMA circuits but for the most parts they’ve weeded out the worst tracks. I’ve been watching and it looks all right.”

Colombian Martin Cardenas finished second in the AMA Supersport race at VIR Sunday, riding a Suzuki GSX-R600 on Pirelli tires. Two-time FMV Venezuelan Superbike Champion Fernando Amantini finished 18th in the AMA Supersport race at VIR Sunday, riding a Kawasaki ZX-6R on Dunlop tires. Colombian Santiago Villa finished 16th in the AMA Superstock race at VIR Sunday, riding a Suzuki GSX-R1000 on Dunlop tires. FIM Latin American and FMV Venezuelan Superbike Champion Robertino Pietri missed Superstock qualifying (and the race) because he crashed both his bikes and his team ran out of repair parts.

At about 5:00 p.m. Sunday evening, Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking, 36, was loaded into an ambulance and transported to a local hospital complaining of upper arm and chest pains. Paramedics were summoned to Hacking’s motorhome in the VIR paddock, and subsequently decided to transport him. Hacking had competed in the back-to-back Supersport and Superbike races Sunday afternoon at VIR, in hot and steamy conditions. Details will follow when available.

WEATHER RUINS THE ULSTER GRAND PRIX Torrential rain ruined this year’s Ulster GP with the first Superbike race red-flagged after just three laps and the rest of the programme abandoned because of poor visibility and flooding to the track. Qualifying had gone well for AIM Yamaha rider Keith Amor who took third place in both the Superbike and Supersport categories in readiness for Saturdays racing. In the run up to the Ulster GP Amor rode in the Dundrod 150 Superbike event where he qualified in fourth place and, after a race long battle with Adrian Archibald rode through to complete the six lap event in seventh position. Teammate for the week was Stephen Thompson who finished the Dundrod 150 Superbike race in 11th place on the second AIM Yamaha. The rain came down in torrents on race day causing the officials to delay the start of racing for more than two hours because of surface water on the track. But when the action finally got under way last year’s Best Newcomer Keith Amor got away to a good start in the Supersport race. He tucked in behind early leader John McGuinness but became boxed in allowing five or more riders to come past. He managed to battle his way back up to fourth and engage in a race long battle with Cameron Donald. But both riders made a mistake on the final lap when trying to outbrake each other and went straight on at the hairpin. Ian Lougher was quick to take advantage and nipped past to claim fourth at the chequered flag leaving Amor to finish fifth and Donald a distant sixth. KEITH AMOR I am a bit disappointed with that result, but for the mistake at the hairpin I would have been a bit further up the finishing order. It’s a shame really as the little bike was so good, one of the best on the track. If I could have got away from Donald earlier then things would have been a lot different. But on the whole, considering the wet conditions it was a good race. The Superbike race was next on the agenda and both Amor and Thompson lined up for AIM Yamaha. But although the bikes ran well the conditions were atrocious with visibility down to near zero. As the riders began the fourth lap the race was red-flagged as conditions worsened and a result declared at three laps distance with Amor being awarded eighth place and Thompson 16th. KEITH AMOR It was just not safe out there and the decision to stop it was correct. Racing at speeds of up to 180mph and not being able to see a thing is really not ideal! I feel sorry for the team who have put a lot of effort into the bike to solve the niggling problems we encountered in qualifying. The bike was running well but the result was always going to be down to luck in those conditions. ALISTAIR FLANAGAN Well what can I say; the weather has beaten us. It’s disappointing for everyone but nothing we can do about the rain and the decision to stop the Superbike race was sensible given the visibility and the surface water. I can only reiterate what Keith has already said regarding the sterling work put in by the team to get the bikes in tip top shape for racing. It’s just a shame the rain came and curtailed the meeting. AIM Yamaha return to the mainland to prepare for the forthcoming Cadwell Park round of the Bennetts British Superbike championship at the weekend where Steve Plater will be back in the saddle after returning from injury. Free practise is on Saturday with a final free session on Sunday morning followed by qualifying at 2.40pm. Racing is on Bank Holiday Monday with the first 18-lap Superbike race at 1pm followed by race two at 4.30pm. The Maxxis British Supersport race is set for a 3.40pm start. More, from another press release: Johnson best new comer at Ulster Grand Prix. Gary Johnson from Boughton near Brigg in North Lincolnshire had a hugely successful debut at the Dundrod 150 and Ulster Grand Prix in Northern Ireland. He came away with the award for best new comer along with a second place finish in the McKinstry Skip Hire Dundrod 150 National race. “It was a bit of an eye opener the ultimate speed that you get round here is awesome,” said Johnson as he commented on the fastest road race in the world. “Round the back sections there are some fast blind corners which are really dangerous as you need to know where you are going or it will catch you out. It is really good fun.” The Dundrod 150 road races run in the week before the Ulster Grand Prix and Johnson secured a front row start for the National race. “I got the hole shot and cleared off and left them all,” said the Speedfreaks Yamaha rider, “I looked behind me down the straight and I had a good lead so I decided to practice my braking. I out braked myself going into Cochranstown and had to go down the side road, turn it round and ended up second by 12 secs. I was happy, I should have kept it together and not been practicing. I was happy with a podium anyway.” The Dundrod Superbike race should have produced a top ten finish for Johnson but some confusion with the officials on the grid saw him start from twenty second instead of sixteenth. “There was a bit of a mix up. I qualified sixteenth but somehow I got missed off the grid sheets so they put me in at twenty second. I pulled up to thirteenth but it would have been nice to have been further up there with the top lads. It would have made the first corner a little less daunting. Following in five abreast four rows back all doing about 140mph, it is a scary first corner. I pushed past them and I got held up on the first lap so I couldn’t make up anymore positions as I’d lost the tow. It was good, we came back well.” Race day for the Ulster Grand Prix was a very wet affair and the Belfast Telegraph Superbike race had to be red flagged after three laps due to deteriorating weather conditions. Johnson finished the tough race in twenty first on the stock Yamaha against superbike regulars and he was the first new comer over the line. Johnson and his Speedfreaks Yamaha team will be back on track at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire 25th -27th August for round nine of the Metzeler National Superstock Championship. More, from a press release issued by Hydrex Honda: Wins at wet Ulster for Hydrex Honda. Guy Martin took two race wins, a second place, and a fifth place finish at the Dundrod 150 and the Ulster Grand Prix on his Hydrex Hondas. The Dundrod 150 races run in the week ahead of the Ulster Grand Prix and Martin had to dig deep in the McKinstry Skip Hire Dundrod 150 Superbike race to beat HM Plant Honda’s Ian Hutchinson who led for the bulk of the race. Martin tailed him in second place until the final lap when he made his decisive move. “I was on his back wheel and the only place that I was faster was on the big fast corners. I thought “I can’t pass him there,” but it got to the last lap and I thought, “I’m going to have to pass him there.” If I want to win I’ve got to pass him he who dares wins,” he said. Dry weather for the Dundrod 150 saw the lap record beaten by the top five, the record settled with John McGuinness with a speed of 131.717mph but Martin was just 0.388mph off that setting the second fastest lap. The Ulster Grand Prix was hit by heavy rain and the event was delayed by two hours. The first race on track was the Lisburn City Council Superstock race and Martin finished in fifth place. He was back in tenth place during the first lap but picked his way through to fifth place, “It was real damp and not the best conditions to be racing in and I just struggled a bit with tyres,” he said. Next up was the Investment Romania UGP Supersport race which Martin won. He started the race back in third place and had a battle with Ryan Farquhar and Conor Cummins to claim the win. He closed them down and by the end of lap four he had gone from third to first “I’m over the moon. I was thinking a couple of laps into it, “I’ll be doing well to get onto the podium here,” and then I thought, “I’ll be doing well to get third.” I kept plugging away and the track was getting drier and drier so I could push a little bit harder as I was on inters and the rest of the lads were on full wets and it worked to my advantage in the end. I reeled them in and passed them by a second or two,” he explained. The weather started to deteriorate just as the Belfast Telegraph UGP Superbike race kicked off. Martin was running second to HM Plant Honda’s Ian Hutchinson and gradually reeled him in the difficult wet conditions. “I thought the weather was getting better and then five minutes before the Superbike race it was lashing down.” The race had to be red flagged due to the weather going from bad to worse leaving Martin in second place. The final two races of the day were also cancelled as the weather refused to improve. “I was starting to reel Ian Hutchinson in when it was red flagged. We had a new rear Dunlop in and I was just getting the feel of it to see how hard I could push. It was mint really but it took a few laps to get my head round how hard I could go on it. By then Hutchy had a bit of a gap. I think it was about 7secs and I got it back to a couple of seconds and then they red flagged it. Coming out of Wheelers you were doing well to see your hand in front of your face. Good decision,” he concluded. Martin and his Hydrex Honda team will be back in action at round eleven of the Bennetts British Superbike on the 25th -27th August at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire.

2007 AMA Superbike Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited VIRginia International Raceway Alton, Virginia August 19, 2007 Provisional Race Two Results: 1. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 28 laps 2. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, -5.591 seconds 3. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, -13.889 seconds 4. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-10R), Dunlop, -21.925 seconds 5. Tommy Hayden (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, -35.101 seconds 6. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, -58.370 seconds 7. Luca Scassa (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), Dunlop, -69.879 seconds 8. Matt Lynn (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), Dunlop, -78.388 seconds 9. Jake Holden (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, -82.287 seconds 10. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), Dunlop, -1 lap 11. Scott Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, -1 lap, 20.398 seconds 12. Ben Thompson (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, -1 lap, 21.921 seconds 13. Dean Mizdal (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, -1 lap, 63.785 seconds 14. Scott Carpenter (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, -1 lap, 92.530 seconds 15. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop, -3 laps, DNF, mechanical 16. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -15 laps, DNF 17. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, -23 laps, DNF Provisional 2007 AMA Superbike Championship Point Standings (after 16 of 19 races): 1. Spies, 550 points 2. Mladin, 544 3. Zemke, 390 4. Tommy Hayden, 384 5. Yates, 382 6. Duhamel, 360 7. Hacking, 345 8. DiSalvo, 324 9. Bostrom, 315 10. Roger Hayden, 293 11. Ellison, 277 12. Jensen, 236 13. Scassa, 220 14. Holden, 201 15. David Weber, 199 16. Lynn, 197 17. Dominic Jones, 191 18. Mizdal, 189 19. John Haner, 149 20. Doug Chandler, 93 More, from a press release issued on behalf of Dunlop: Dunlop Motorcycle Tires Race Report: 2007 AMA Superbike Series, Round Nine, Virginia International Raceway Alton, Va.–Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin won his 60th and 61st career AMA Superbike victories this weekend, August 18-19, at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in Alton, Va., to continue his inexorable charge to overtake his teammate, 2006 champion Ben Spies, and claim his seventh AMA Superbike title. In support class action, Erion Racing Honda’s Josh Hayes collected victories in Formula Xtreme and Supersport while Spies notched a Superstock win. VIR is predominantly a fast “right-hand” track that generates significant heat in the right side of the rear tire, particularly along the front straightaway which curves to the right after the start finish line and all the way through turns one and two. To tame the tarmac, Dunlop brought approximately 2300 tires to fortify the factory and factory-support teams competing in Superbike, Superstock, Supersport and Formula Xtreme. Among them were a number of next-generation N-Tec multi-compound front and rear tires designed to improve grip and enhance feel. By the conclusion of the race weekend, Dunlop riders had collected all but one of the 15 podium positions and secured 39 of 50 possible top-10 finishing positions. Superbike Race One Mladin began his assault on teammate Ben Spies series’ lead by snagging the provisional pole position on Friday with a time of 1:24.372 on his GSX-R1000. It was considerably below his 2005 record of 1:23.986. “The track’s slippery,” he said. “We can’t get any grip on the edge of the tire at all. The tires we’re using, we’ve used them now at a couple of races and they’re very, very good, better than what we’ve had before. So we just can’t get the thing to hook up anywhere and obviously nobody can.” In Saturday’s morning qualifying session, the track was cooler and rubber was accumulating on the racing lines, helping Mladin set a new pole record with a time of 1:23.698. “We made some changes and we were pretty sure what we needed to do, just by looking at the data, where the bike needed to be for it to feel a little bit better and that seemed to happen straight out of the pits this morning”¦ We have essentially four rear tires here and they’re all possible race tires.” At the start of the race, Jordan Motorsports Suzuki’s Aaron Yates and Kawasaki Road Racing’s Jamie Hacking jumped into the lead. Both were passed by Mladin and Spies by lap two and Yates and Hacking fought tooth and nail throughout the race for a podium position. Spies stayed close to Mladin until, with 10 laps to go, a mistake allowed Mladin to pull a gap and the six-time Superbike champ rode flawlessly to take the win over Spies by 10.359 seconds. “It was a good race for us,” Mladin said of his sixth VIR victory. “There was definitely some slippery going out there today but the lap times weren’t too bad. Commenting on his 60th career win, he added, “It was only three years ago or so that I had about 30 wins and we’ve had a lot of wins in the last few years on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R and boosted that number up. No way do I think that 60 is going to be my last win. I’m certainly working as hard as I can to extend my career and continue to be a force in Superbike racing.” Third place went to Hacking, who held off Yates by a scant .098 seconds, followed by 10 more riders on Dunlop tires. Of special note Honda Racing’s Miguel Duhamel, third in the series coming into VIR, suffered internal injuries in a crash at an August 8 test session at Road Atlanta and did not attend. He is recuperating at his home in Canada. AMA Superbike 28 Laps Superbike Race One results, Saturday, August 18: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Mat Mladin – Suzuki 2. Ben Spies – Suzuki 3. Jamie Hacking – Kawasaki 4. Aaron Yates – Suzuki 5. Roger Hayden – Kawasaki 6. Eric Bostrom – Yamaha 7. Jason DiSalvo – Yamaha 8. Jake Zemke -Honda 9. Tommy Hayden -Suzuki 10. James Ellison – Honda Formula Xtreme Race Erion Racing Honda’s Josh Hayes continued his nearly flawless defense of the 2006 Formula Xtreme title with a dominant race performance on his Honda CBR600RR. At the outset the competition was lively as Pegram Racing Ducati’s Larry Pegram took the initial lead with Hayes in hot pursuit. Hayes slipped past him after one lap but Pegram stayed close for the first half of the race. Meanwhile Boulder Motorsports Ducati’s Marty Craggill put on a charge and closed the gap on Pegram late in the race. In the process he set the fastest lap of the race with 1:27.028 on lap 13. Hayes crossed the finish line with a 3.8 second margin of victory over Pegram, who held off a charging Craggill by just .005 seconds. “The Dunlops are so good and they worked really well, I was able to maintain my pace throughout the race distance,” said Hayes of his first-ever win at VIR. “Dunlop’s done a fantastic job and so has the crew that has worked on my bike. Honda’s built such a great bike this year and I’m riding the best I’ve ever ridden in my life.” Indeed, with a 63 point lead and two races remaining, Hayes needs to finish only 18th or better at the next round to salt away the title. In addition to sweeping the podium, Dunlop riders numbered six in the top 10. AMA Formula Xtreme 17 Laps Formula Xtreme results, Saturday, August 18: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Josh Hayes – Honda 2. Larry Pegram – Ducati 3. Marty Craggill – Ducati 6. Chaz Davies – Yamaha 8. Aaron Gobert – Honda 10. Jeff Wood – Yamaha Formula Xtreme Championship Points after 8 of 10 races: Top three riders 1. Hayes – 286 2. Rapp – 223 3. Gobert 209 Superstock Race The Superstock series went into a summer siesta this season with no scheduled round at Laguna Seca and a rainout at Mid-Ohio. But for Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies and his GSX-R1000 the layoff made no difference as he continued his series’ domination with his sixth win in seven tries. Factory Yamaha’s Ben Bostrom took the lead off the start but Spies, M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Geoff May and Jordon Motorsports Suzuki’s Aaron Yates slipped by on lap one. Spies slowly built a gap on Yates and he was never challenged, winning by over three seconds ahead of Yates. Third went to Yates’ teammate Jake Holden, who charged through the pack from a seventh-place start. “It was a good race for us,” said Spies of his first win at VIR. “We just put in the fastest lap we could on the first lap and got a gap. That’s definitely the hardest I’ve ridden the bike all year”¦ It was slick but the Yosh boys put together a good GSX-R1000 and the Dunlop tires were good all the way to the end.” A seventh-place finish or better at Road Atlanta is all Spies needs to clinch the title. Dunlop’s podium sweep was complemented by a seven-out-of-10 performance in the finishing order. AMA Superstock 17 Laps Superstock results, Sunday, August 19: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Ben Spies – Suzuki 2. Aaron Yates – Suzuki 3. Jake Holden – Suzuki 4. Ben Bostrom – Yamaha 5. Blake Young – Suzuki 6. Danny Eslick – Suzuki 8. Ben Thompson – Suzuki Superstock Championship Points after 7 of 9 races: Top three riders 1. Spies – 254 2. Bostrom -203 3. Yates – 202 Supersport Race In the red-flagged, two-segment Supersport race, Erion Racing Honda’s Josh Hayes rode a tactical pace on his CBR600RR to capture his third win of the season and tighten the championship points chase with two rounds to go. Hayes led at the start but was closely followed by Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s Josh Herrin, who turned the fastest lap of the race, a 1:27 flat, on lap three. Herrin passed Hayes on lap seven but Hayes countered on lap eight. Several turns later Herrin crashed, forcing the red-flag restart. On the restart Hayes immediately went to the lead again, this time passing Matsushima Racing Suzuki’s Blake Young and M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas on the first lap. From there he slowly pulled away to win by 1.448 seconds over Cardenas. “Fortunately for me, he (Cardenas) had to race against my Honda,” said Hayes of Honda’s first Supersport win at VIR. “This is the Pro Honda Oils class and it’s great to win for those guys… Formula Xtreme is looking good and each bike carries over to the other and I just have to keep my momentum going until the end of the year.” Kawasaki Road Racing’s Jamie Hacking took third and Dunlop took six of the top 10 positions. AMA Supersport 17 Laps Supersport results, Sunday, August 19: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Josh Hayes – Honda 3. Jamie Hacking – Kawasaki 4. Roger Hayden – Kawasaki 6. Chaz Davies – Yamaha 8. Chris Peris – Yamaha 9. Jeff Wood – Yamaha Supersport Championship Points after 8 of 10 races: Top three riders 1. Hayden – 241 2. R. Hacking – 230 3. Hayes – 223 Superbike Race Two Mat Mladin’s 10th win of the season and his 61st career Superbike win came with little theater and yet the result injected a great deal of drama into the championship chase with just three races to go. Mladin had an uncharacteristically flawless start on his GSX-R1000, a result he attributed to a recent change in clutch designs. He led every lap while his teammate and series points leader Ben Spies struggled from a sixth place start to finally work his way into second position by lap six. Mladin’s 5.59-second win over Spies put an exclamation point on his charge back into contention for the championship. “I enjoy racing at the front and I enjoy when someone’s behind me trying to push hard to catch me and overtake me,” said Mladin. “I’m enjoying this season more than any I’ve had so far because it’s such a good challenge to race Ben and to get the measure of him. I hope we can win the next couple in Atlanta because I really want to go to Laguna Seca and winner take all.” Jordon Motorsports Suzuki’s Aaron Yates claimed the third podium slot, assuring a podium sweep for Suzuki and putting him in contention for third in the championship. As in race one on Saturday, Dunlop took all of the top 10 finishing positions. AMA Superbike 28 Laps Superbike Race Two results, Sunday, August 19: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Mat Mladin – Suzuki 2. Ben Spies – Suzuki 3. Aaron Yates – Suzuki 4. Jamie Hacking – Kawasaki 5. Tommy Hayden – Suzuki 6. Jake Zemke – Honda 7. Luca Scassa MV Agusta 8. Matt Lynn MV Agusta 9. Jake Holden – Suzuki 10. Roger Hayden – Kawasaki Superbike Championship Points after 16 of 19 races: Top three riders 1. Spies 550 2. Mladin 544 3. Zemke 390 The next stop for Dunlop and the 2007 AMA Superbike Series is Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., August 31-September 2. Round 10 features a Superbike doubleheader.

2007 Pro Honda Oils AMA Supersport Championship Presented by Shoei Helmets VIRginia International Raceway Alton, Virginia August 19, 2007 Provisional Race Results (race distance shortened by 2 laps due to red flag): 1. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR600RR), Dunlop, 15 laps 2. Martin Cardenas (Suz GSX-R600), Pirelli, -1.449 seconds 3. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-6R), Dunlop, -2.177 seconds 4. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-6R), Dunlop, -2.231 seconds 5. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R600), Pirelli, -3.840 seconds 6. Chaz Davies (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -4.703 seconds 7. Steve Rapp (Kaw ZX-6R), Pirelli, -7.426 seconds 8. Chris Peris (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -9.425 seconds 9. Jeff Wood (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -11.796 seconds 10. Nicky Moore (Kaw ZX-6R), Pirelli, -13.753 seconds 11. Taylor Knapp (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -14.397 seconds 12. Shea Fouchek (Hon CBR600RR), Dunlop, -14.667 seconds 13. Tommy Hayden (Suz GSX-R600), Dunlop, -14.874 seconds 14. Ryan Andrews (Hon CBR600RR), Dunlop, -15.467 seconds 15. Blake Young (Suz GSX-R600), Dunlop, -16.826 seconds 16. Danny Eslick (Suz GSX-R600), Dunlop, -20.679 seconds 17. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR), Dunlop, -22.670 seconds 18. Fernando Amantini (Kaw ZX-6R), -25.226 seconds 19. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), Dunlop, -26.034 seconds 20. Chris Siglin (Suz GSX-R600), Dunlop, -26.117 seconds 21. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -35.910 seconds 22. Scott Ryan (Suz GSX-R600), Michelin, -40.087 seconds 23. Scotty Van Hawk (Kaw ZX-6R), -44.669 seconds 24. Eric Pinson (Yam YZF-R6), -45.044 seconds 25. Reno Karimian (Suz GSX-R600), -45.482 seconds 26. C.R. Gittere (Suz GSX-R600), Michelin, -48.388 seconds 27. Patrick Johnson (Yam YZF-R6), -52.744 seconds 28. Misiti Hurst (Kaw ZX-6R), -70.065 seconds 29. Jessica Zalusky (Kaw ZX-6R), Dunlop, -72.533 seconds 30. Hawk Mazzotta (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -78.059 seconds 31. Jonathan Lawrence (Yam YZF-R6), -5 laps, DNF, mechanical 32. Craig Moodie (Yam YZF-R6), -5 laps, DNF 33. Ben Attard (Kaw ZX-6R), Pirelli, -8 laps, DNF, mechanical 34. Chris Siebenhaar (Suz GSX-R600), -8 laps, DNF, crash 35. Cory West (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, -8 laps, DNF, mechanical 36. Bobby Fong (Suz GSX-R600), Michelin, -9 laps, DNF, crash 37. Jason Moss (Yam YZF-R6), -9 laps, DNF 38. Garret Carter (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, -9 laps, DNF 39. Michael Beck (Suz GSX-R600), Pirelli, -12 laps, DNF, mechanical Provisional 2007 AMA Supersport Championship Point Standings (after 9 of 11 rounds): 1. Roger Hayden, 241 points 2. Hacking, 230 3. Hayes, 223 4. Rapp, 202 5. May, 176 6. Tommy Hayden, 175 7. Young, 162 8. Gobert, 150 9. TIE, Herrin/Davies, 145 11. Eslick, 133 12. Attard, 131 13. Andrews, 120 14. Cardenas, 104 15. West, 101 16. Elleby, 96 17. Siglin, 87 18. Fong, 75 19. Michael Barnes, 72 20. Beck, 69 More, from a press release issued by Pirelli: Una chimba! Columbian sensation Martin Cardenas showed the sensation at Virginia International Raceway, finishing second in AMA Supersport for the M4 EMGO Suzuki team, teaching us how to say “Cool!” in Columbian at the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals. Cardenas had qualified in eighth for Supersport on his Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa-shod Suzuki GSX-R600. Quickly into fifth place in the race, Cardenas was credited with a fourth-place grid position on the front row after a mid-race red flag. Nailing the hole shot for the final nine laps, Cardenas led into turn one and out of turn three, marking the first time for Cardenas to unofficially lead an AMA Superbike series race, giving up the lead before crossing the start-finish line. Cardenas hounded eventual race-winner Josh Hayes to the checkered flag, finishing just 1.4 seconds behind. This was Cardenas’ first time at VIR and it’s Pirelli’s 17th podium in the AMA Superbike series in 2007, starting off with Pirelli’s sweep of the Daytona 200 podium. Finishing in fifth in Supersport was Geoff May, Cardenas’ teammate at M4 EMGO Suzuki, who coach Cardenas on the technical VIR circuit. Also finishing near the front of the pack on Pirelli’s were Steve Rapp on his Attack Kawasaki in seventh, and Nicky Moore and Taylor Knapp in 10th and 11th. In Sunday’s Superstock race, M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Geoff May was holding third until his motorcycle became undynamic at mid-point in the race. Meanwhile, Chris Ulrich took another top ten with his seventh-place finish on his GSX-R1000, while British rider Gary Mason, new to Chris Ulrich’s Roadracingworld.com team, finished tenth, each using Pirelli’s Superbike Slicks on the big bikes. Team HALOF’s Scott Jensen earned ninth on his GSX-R1000. Jensen also competed in AMA Superbike, finishing in 11th.