Relentless Suzuki’s Ian Lowry put in a strong performance to podium at Sunday’s British Supersport 10th round after leading for 17 of the 18 laps. Third place gave him a further 16 points, closing the gap on series leader and team mate Michael Laverty who suffered a minor electrical problem that put him out of action. Ian Lowry: “In respect to not winning the race, I’d have to say I’m not a happy camper, but then on a positive note I’ve given myself a better chance in the championship race by closing the gap on Michael to only 16 points. The team did a great job this weekend and we did have an almost perfect set-up on the Relentless Suzuki. After leading from lap one I do feel a bit hard done by not to have taken the win, but after pushing so hard I’d unfortunately used the best of my tyre. Dennis made a bit of a strong move on me at the end to push me down a step on the podium, but I’m now in a stronger second place in the championship coming out of Croft, so I have to be happy.” Michael Laverty: “It was one of those weekends where you just have niggly problems from start to finish and it certainly wasn’t down to the effort put in by either the team or by myself. It’s disappointing to score no points after the times I was doing on race tyres in qualifying, but there is nothing you can do in this situation. The team have worked tirelessly all year and I’m still leading the championship with only three rounds to go, so I must thank Relentless, Suzuki and all our other sponsors for the big effort. I’m off to the Ulster Grand Prix this week to do a demonstration lap on my Relentless Suzuki before going to Cadwell, so that should be fun.” Philip Neill – Team Principal: “It’s disappointing days like these in racing that make the good ones all the sweeter. As far as I’m concerned it’s a small setback, and only that. We have given both riders a great package all year on the Relentless Suzukis and Michael’s minor electrical problem that caused him to retire is the first time one of our bikes has stopped on track all year in both racing and qualifying. I am disappointed for Ian but it’s another learning experience for him, even though it has to be said he was a little hard done by today by anyone’s standards. It’s easy to complain when things go against you but I’m just pleased that the top two riders in the championship are on Relentless Suzukis. That shows strength and consistency, which we’ll endeavour to pick up again in two weeks time at Cadwell Park. “Michael experienced a list of minor mishaps this weekend but on a positive note he continued to show his class, especially in the qualifying sessions when he obliterated the lap record on race tyres despite his problems.” Results: 1 Billy McConnell [Yamaha] 25:45.686; 2 Dennis Hobbs [Honda] +1.136; 3 Ian Lowry [Relentless Suzuki] +1.475; 4 Ian Hutchinson [Honda] +8.340; 5 Stuart Easton [Kawasaki] +9.412; 6 John McGuinness [Honda] +11.766. More, from a press release issued by AIM Yamaha: MIXED RESULTS AT CROFT FOR AIM YAMAHA Croft threw up a mixed bag of results for AIM Yamaha when Keith Amor rode the AIM Yamaha to a brace of finishes in round 10 of the 2007 Bennetts British Superbike championship while Steve Allan was unfortunate to crash on the first lap of the British Supersport race. Qualifying went well for both riders; Amor, who is more accustomed to road racing posting a fast enough time to secure a sixth row start to the set of two races in 21st position and Steve Allan securing a fifth row start in 18th place for his race. Amor who is using the track time to become acquainted to the AIM Yamaha that he will ride in the Ulster Grand Prix this weekend, was struggling for grip throughout his two races but went on to complete race one in 23rd place and improved both his finish and lap time with a 21st place in the second encounter. KEITH AMOR I have been struggling for grip all weekend to be honest. Apart for when we had the qualifying tyres on and we put in some faster laps I just couldn’t seem to find a tyre I could get on with. However this weekend was more about getting some more time on the bike although it would have been nice to be a little bit more competitive. But we brought the bike home in one piece, which is the main thing. Steve Allan was not so lucky. After qualifying in 18th place he was optimistic of a good result. But as the race got underway he went into the second corner at Hawthorn and highsided. Although initially taken to the medical centre for examination his injuries proved to be minor and apart from a badly bruised wrist and some painful bruising to his chest Steve is thankfully ok. STEVE ALLAN I have no idea what happened, maybe I went in a bit hot, I don’t really know. But I am ok and should be back on the bike at Cadwell. ALISTAIR FLANAGAN Keith put in a fair amount of time on the bike this weekend and is now acclimatised to it and prepared for the weekend at the Ulster GP. He will be riding in three classes, the Superbike, Superstock and Supersport races at Dundrod. Steve was unlucky to crash in his race but thankfully he is ok. Unfortunately it has left us with little time to make repairs to the Supersport machine. But we have a good set up at AIM Yamaha and I am sure the crew will pull out all the stops to have the bike up and running in time for Keith to ride it in the Supersport race at Dundrod. More, from a press release issued by Brendan Roberts Racing: British Weather Upsets Roberts Hopes Brendan Roberts suffered a disaster this weekend in the National Superstock Championship at Croft Circuit. After running consistently in second place for most of the practice and qualifying sessions Roberts was only let down in the race by the unpredictable British weather conditions. A brief but heavy shower made Roberts and the Buildbase Ducati team opt for full wet tyres, which could only see him struggle to ninth position in the 14-lap race. In the baking conditions on Friday and Saturday the young Australian looked comfortable on the Ducati 1098 and fresh from his fifth place in the European Championships at Brands Hatch last weekend, it looked like he was to make a welcome return to the podium in the British Championships. After the cancellation to the round at Oulton Park he was eager to get back onto the podium steps in the UK but it sadly was not to be this weekend at Croft. The brisk shower left the track very damp but rapidly drying and it was a tough decision as to what tyres to run with. The Buildbase Team and Roberts stuck with their original decision but the 2.12-mile circuit soaked up the excess water quickly and as the lights turned green Roberts slowly went backwards. Fighting with the 1098 and the tyres wearing out on every lap he had to ensure that he brought the bike home. Battling hard he could only salvage ninth place. A disappointed Roberts commented “I’m really gutted about the results today as the entire Buildbase Ducati team have worked so hard throughout the weekend to get everything perfect. We’d run well all weekend and had a great set up for the bike in the dry conditions. It was a real gamble as to what tyres we used and in the end stayed with the wets, which was obviously the wrong decision. It was the only rain shower of the day and totally turned it up-side-down. I felt very comfortable on the bike during practice and qualifying and was hoping to get the team a podium place for all their hard work and dedication. I’m hoping that we’ll be able to get some decent results at Cadwell Park in a couple of weeks time.” Brendan’s next race in the UK is at Cadwell Park on the 25th 27th August. A full timetable of events can be found at the link below: – ~http://www.mcrcb-events.co.uk/gallery/cadwell%20park%20final.pdf~ National Superstock Results Croft Circuit Neill Suzuki Kirkham Yamaha Seeley Yamaha Kennaugh Yamaha Laverty Buildbase Ducati Jackson Yamaha Brogan Honda Venter Yamaha ROBERTS BUILDBASE DUCATI Ingram Suzuki More, from a press release issued by Centurion Racing: Highs and Lows for Centurion Centurion Racing suffered a mixed weekend of results at round ten of the Maxxis British Supersport Championship at Croft Circuit, North Yorkshire. Running strong throughout the weekend riders James Westmoreland and Dan Cooper achieved a varied set of results with Westmoreland gaining a confidence boosting eighth place and Cooper crashing out whilst lying in a fantastic eleventh position. The youngsters soon got to grips with the technical 2.12-mile circuit and made good progress throughout practice and qualifying sessions. With Westmoreland consistently running within the top ten and just dropping back to 13th in overall qualifying. Whilst Cooper was making steady in roads all weekend and moving up the time sheets seeing him qualify 12th, his best qualifying position to date. Holding his position off the line Cooper gained a great start and remained 13th after the first lap. Making a move on Sam Owens on lap four he soon began to calve his way through the pack. Looking strong and setting consistently fast lap times, the youngster from Stroud entered the first corner on lap nine too fast and tucked the front forcing him out the race. Dislocating his right shoulder Cooper was unable to remount and finish, after seeking medical attention he is hoping to be fully fit by Cadwell Park. A disappointed Cooper commented “I’m totally gutted, that’s the first time in three years that I’ve crashed in a race. It’s a real shame as I’d improved throughout the weekend and I felt really happy with the way things were going. I’m totally gutted and feel sorry for the team and all my mechanics that worked so hard at Croft. We’d made some big progress here and I was hoping that I could get a decent result to say thanks. My shoulder is very sore but hopefully I will be fully fit by Cadwell in a couple of weeks time.” 19-year-old Westmoreland got tangled up in a number of first lap incidents which pushed him down to 18th position after the first lap. With the safety car being dispatched onto the circuit whilst the stricken debris was cleared Westy was unable to make a move until the car pulled back into the pits. Losing four valuable laps to the safety car the youngster rode an awesome and mature race to bring him back through the pack. As he mastered and manoeuvred his way through the field he was sitting happily in a top ten position by lap 11 of the 18-lap race. With Michael Laverty retiring and passing Alex Lowes, Westy gained a healthy eighth place and another Cup win for the Centurion Team. He said “After a tough qualifying day on Saturday, I refocused myself and came up with the goods on race day. I got a really bad start and gave myself a lot of work to do but I chipped away and managed to finish eighth. The times I did should have been good enough for fourth or fifth position but these things happen and I will take the positives out of the weekend and look forward to Cadwell. I’d like to thank the whole team, my family, fans and Dunlop for a job well done.” The next Supersport race is at Cadwell Park on the 25th 27th August. More, from a press release issued by Hawk Colchester Kawasaki: Smart in the Points as Camier makes Impressive Debut Hawk Colchester Kawasaki gained some more Bennetts British Superbike points this weekend with Scott Smart who gained a 14th and 11th place respectively at round ten of the series at Croft, North Yorkshire. Rookie to the team Alex Camier excelled at his first outing on the Hawk Superbike and gained two creditable results of 21st and 17th place. 32-year-old Smart struggled throughout qualifying to find a comfortable set up and a number of changes to the Kawasaki saw him only manage to gain 20th position on the grid for both of the 20-lap races. A good start in the first race saw him raise to 15th position by the end of lap three and he was locked in a tight battle throughout the race with Dean Thomas and Chris Martin, getting the better of the pair as he crossed the line. Another good start in race two saw him swiftly move through the pack and was sitting in a comfortable 13th place by the end of lap five. He soon was up to 11th and looking content. Commenting he said “It’s been a pretty good weekend. We were changing lots of things on the bike during practice and qualifying with some things working well and some not working. We are just trying to develop the bike still and it’s trial and error, we did find some good things this weekend and each time I feel more comfortable. I was disappointed at where I qualified and it’s a shame I wasn’t higher as judging from my results I could have gained a couple of top ten positions, which would have been nice.” 19-year-old Alex Camier exceeded himself this weekend on his debut appearance in the Superbike class in the UK. Each time the youngster rode the bike throughout the weekend he continued to improve his times and by the two races began to feel more comfortable and confident. Speaking with him he said “It’s been a big step for me this weekend, I’ve only riding for Hawk at two meeting so stepping up to the Superbike class for them was a huge opportunity for me. I had a small off early on in the weekend but thankfully didn’t do much damage. They take a lot of getting used to, how they work, handle and also the different tyres. I’m happy with the way things have gone and I’ve learnt an awful lot in three days. It’s been good and hopefully the team will give me a similar opportunity again in the future.” The Hawk Colchester Kawasaki Superstock Cup rider David Hallett suffered this weekend with extremely bad tendonitis and managed to bring the ZX10 home in 31st position. Hallett is likely to receive surgery on the damaged arm in the near future and will be hoping to be back at Cadwell or Donington Park. The next British Superbike race is at Cadwell Park on the 25th 27th August. More, from a press release issued by Martin Jessopp Racing: One Point Salvaged for Jessopp after Nightmare weekend The Riders Racing Ducati Team are hoping for a change of luck when they go to Cadwell Park in a couple of weeks time, after another problem struck weekend at round ten of the Maxxis British Supersport Championship at Croft this weekend. 21-year-old Jessopp from Yeovil was hindered throughout the weekend with mechanical and electrical problems on his Ducati 749’s. A variety of issues hit the team which tested them and also meant that the youngster only managed to gain a total of 15-laps throughout the entire practice and qualifying sessions and he was unable to find a comfortable set-up on the Ducati without being hindered in the process. Despite the issues, which saw him qualifying in a low 27th position he got his head down during the 18-lap race and managed to secure 15th place, a strong result considering the circumstances. In front of a huge crowd at the Yorkshire circuit Jessopp really had to focus and battle his way through the packed grid. With two incidents on the first lap, the safety was dispatched to allow debris to be cleared, which meant that Jessopp had to hold his position until the end of the fourth lap. Once the car came in, Jessopp was soon battling his was through the riders in front and was 15th by lap 15. Sadly the front runners had already bridged a big gap in front of Jessopp and although he was putting in some strong lap times he was unable to claw back the distance they had made. A disgruntled Jessopp said “I’m just really disappointed. I could do with a bit of luck heading my way as I’ve had a pretty bad year so far and hoping that we can take a turn for the better at the final three rounds of the Championship. We had a total disaster with the bikes this weekend and both of them seemed to have small problems. Once we fixed them another problem seemed to occur, I don’t know what was going on. The race was difficult as being so far back on the grid meant I had a lot of work to do to try and catch the front runners. With only having done a few laps throughout the weekend I didn’t have the set up I wanted on the bike and didn’t feel as comfortable as I would have liked to. I’m hoping Cadwell sends me a bit of good fortune.” The next Maxxis British Supersport race is at Cadwell Park on the 25th 27th August. More, from a press release issued by Littlewood Racing: Bittersweet Croft For Littlewood Racing Gavin Littlewood was looking for a good result at the Croft circuit for round eight of the 2007 Metzeler Racetec National Superstock Cup Championship after recently winning the Ken Redfern Trophy on his RNR Coatings Ltd Suzuki GSXR1000. The weekend started well with Gavin qualifying in eleventh place, less then a second off of the fourth placed front row qualifying time and leaving Gavin confident that he could improve on his position during the race. Gavin got an excellent start and was away with the leaders in sixth position. Although the front three riders pulled away Gavin battled for position in the group fighting for fourth place were he looked to be the fastest rider and Gavin was confident he could take the position. On lap nine Gavin entered the chicane clipping the apex and was thrown out of the seat. Although Gavin suffered no serious injuries in the crash himself the bike cart wheeled viciously down the track causing lots of expensive damage. Gavin is now in need of some financial assistance if he is to get back out on track for the next round at Cadwell Park on the 25/26/27 August. Anyone wishing to help out financially please contact Gavin at [email protected] Gavin Littlewood: I clipped the apex exiting the chicane, which sent the bike out of control and launched me out of the seat. Luckily I walked away with just cuts and bruises but unfortunately the bike cart wheeled to a halt resulting in extensive damage. My riding has moved up a level now and it would be a shame if I could not take advantage of this due to budget constraints. Without some financial help my season will have ended at the Croft chicane. With the improvements I have made in my riding I feel I can make the podium before the season ends if I can get back out on track for Cadwell. More, from a press release issued by Hydrex Honda: Hard weekend for Harris and Hydrex Honda at Croft. The Hydrex Honda team had a difficult weekend at round ten of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Croft. Karl Harris qualified in tenth place, finished race one in eleventh and unfortunately, through no fault of his own, he suffered a DNF in race two. The team did test at Croft a number of weeks ago but Harris crashed and injured his back, so they were unable to benefit from the additional track time which then had a knock on effect this weekend. “We’ve struggled all weekend for set up to be honest,” explained Harris, “We made some changes to the bike this morning and they worked, it was a good setting for race one.” With the progress they made in race one the Hydrex crew decided to make further changes, “We made a few more changes for races two and I got into the 1min 20s, the bike felt a lot better,” commented Harris. He was running in a competitive ninth place when it all went wrong. “Unfortunately, Chris Walker put a move on me at the hairpin which wasn’t going to work. He lost the front and took me down,” said the disappointed Harris. Although he hasn’t suffered a serious injury he did tweak his knee in the fall, “Walker’s bike was spinning and I got my leg tangled up with it. It popped my knee out and back in again. The pain was unbelievable at the time but once it popped back in it eased up,” he said. The team and Harris now have two weeks to regroup before the eleventh round at Cadwell Park. Harris loves racing there and is spectacular over the perilous Mountain section of the track. “I can’t wait to get to Cadwell bring it on!” he grinned. The eleventh round of Bennetts British Superbike Championship is on the 25th -27th August at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire and the Ulster GP takes place in Northern Ireland on the 15th 18th August where Hydrex Honda’s Guy Martin will be in action. More, from a press release issued by Tom Tunstall Racing: Another Double Podium for Tunstall Hardinge Ice Valley racer Tom Tunstall came away from the latest round of the British Superbike Championship [BSB] with another two rostrum results making it his forth podium double of the year so far. With the Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire playing host, Yorkshireman Tunstall was keen to put in a strong performance at his local track. The Huddersfield rider excelled in the three free practice sessions and topped the timesheets of the Superbike Cup riders. In the single qualifying session he posted a lap averaging 91.97mph, placing him forth on the grid. “I didn’t get a good run on the qualifying tyres, which is an area I need to build on, but I know I’m quick with the race set-up which looks good for tomorrows races” In the first of the days two races Tunstall struggled off the line and ended the opening lap in fifth. Settling into a fast and consistent pace the Honda mounted rider was up to third by lap 13 and grafting to close down the gap 2.5 second gap to former Cup winner James Buckingham. Starting the final lap it was down to under a second and Tunstall was close enough to attack. As the two riders crossed the line the gap was only 0.02 of a second to the favour of Buckingham. “As a racer I’m disappointed not to have got second as it was so close, I was only two and a half seconds off the winner and I lost two of those on the first lap after a bad start, still third place is good, I’ll see what I can do in race two”¦ “ In the second of the days two 20 lap outings Tunstall was once again fifth after lap one, and up to third by lap five. Having closed down the near three second gap he was unable to get past before the chequered flag collecting third place and his tenth podium of the year. “It’s been a good weekend, another couple of podiums. I’m happy as we’ve had a strong pace in every session and if we keep the momentum going it shouldn’t be too long before I’m on that top step.” The next round takes place at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire on the August 27th Bank Holiday weekend.

ASRA Championship Series Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, Alabama August 12, 2007 Provisional Race Results: Factory Pro Sportbike: 1. Jeff Wood (Yam YZF-R6), 10 laps 2. Cory West (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Robert Jensen (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Taylor Knapp (Kaw ZX-6R) 5. Nicky Moore (Yam YZF-R6) 6. Keith Marshall (Suz GSX-R600) 7. Jonathan Lawrence (Suz GSX-R600) 8. Christopher Fillmore (Kaw ZX-6R) 9. John Spinelli (Suz GSX-R600) 10. Bob Michael (Suz GSX-R600) Superbike: 1. Cory West (Yam YZF-R6), 8 laps 2. Robert Jensen (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Taylor Knapp (Kaw ZX-6R) 4. Brian Hall (Kaw ZX-6R) 5. Jonathan Lawrence (Suz GSX-R600) 6. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6) 7. Keith Marshall (Suz GSX-R600) 8. Daniel Parkerson (Yam YZF-R6) 9. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-RR) 10. Jeff Wood (Yam YZF-R6), crash Superstock: 1. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000), 8 laps 2. Jeff Wood (Yam YZF-R1) 3. Ben Thompson (Suz GSX-R1000) 4. Andy Feuersthaler (Suz GSX-R1000) 5. Ivan Milan (Suz GSX-R1000) 6. Seth Starnes (Suz GSX-R1000), -5 laps Thunderbike: 1. Dave Estok (Buell XB12R), 8 laps 2. Nate Kern (BMW R 1200 S) 3. Dan Bilansky (Buell XB12R) 4. Joseph Rozynski (Buell XB12R) 5. Alex Marshall (Suz SV650) 6. Greg Avello (Buell XB12R) 7. Sam Rozynski (Buell XB12R) 8. David Myers (Buell XB12R) 9. James Delk, Jr. (Buell XB9R), -3 laps

SHUBENACADIE, N.S. – Steve Crevier passed Kevin Lacombe three laps from the end to win the sixth round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Atlantic Motorsport Park on Sunday. Crevier, from Maple Ridge, B.C., took his Team Toyota Yamaha / Fast Company Yamaha YZF-R1 down the inside of Lacombe entering turn 1 at the start of lap 19 of the 22-lap race and held on to win by 1.867 secs. Lacombe settled for second on the Team Toyota Yamaha / Brooklin Cycle R1 and Cochrane, Alta.’s Clint McBain placed third riding the Suzuki Acceleration Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000. “I settled in behind Lacombe and managed to conserve a lot of energy,” said Crevier after his 25th career national Superbike win. “I was hoping to get him at the end, and he made a little bobble in the Tower Turn and that let me get a drive on him into turn 1.” The victory moved Crevier into second place in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship standings with 236 points, 26 behind leader Jordan Szoke, who finished fourth at AMP on his Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R. McBain is third in the championship with 225 points heading into the final round at Shannonville Motorsport Park on the Labour Day Weekend. A race win is worth 50 points. The win was especially sweet for Crevier as he was battling a very sore back after a heavy practice fall on Friday, and was also struggling with flu-like symptoms on Sunday. “I really can’t believe I pulled it off today,” said the 42-year-old six-time national Superbike champion. “But I was a lot more comfortable in that race than in the Pro 600 race earlier in the day.” Lacombe was trying for his third straight Superbike national win at AMP and grabbed the lead off the start, holding off Crevier, McBain and Szoke in a tight four-way lead battle. “Everything was going all right and we were setting a fast pace,” said Lacombe, from Granby, Que. “But I just made a small mistake and that’s all it took for Steve.” Fifteen-year-old Brett McCormick of Saskatoon moved up from eighth on the opening lap to claim fifth at the finish on his Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R, and in the process locked up the HJC Pro Rookie of the Year title. In other action at AMP, Szoke took his Kawasaki ZX-6RR past the Yamaha YZF-R6 of Crevier just a few turns from the finish to snatch the win in the Yoshimura Pro 600 Sport Bike feature and extend his lead to 19 points over Crevier in the standings, 258-239. Vaughan, Ont.’s Frank Trombino placed third riding the Prostar Suzuki GSX-R600. Local ace Brian Blaawendraat of Truro, N.S. won the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike race on his Honda CBR600RR, beating the Kawasaki ZX-6R of Oak Lake, Man.’s Israel Johnas by 4.418 secs. Series leader Paul Glenn of Keene, Ont. placed third riding a Suzuki GSX-R600 and will take an 11-point lead into the Shannonville season finale. Toronto’s Michael Taylor won the Thunder race on his BMW Motorrad Canada BMW R1200S and closed to within five points of runner-up finisher Michael Leon for the championship lead. Martin Grande of Montreal extended his lead in the Suzuki SV650 National Cup standings with his third victory of the season. This weekend’s racing will be shown on TSN and TSN HD on Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 1:00 p.m. For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com Results of Sunday’s sixth round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, N.S., showing finishing position, rider name, hometown, type of motorcycle, laps completed and reason out if available: 1.Steve Crevier, Maple Ridge, B.C., Yamaha YZF-R1, 22; 2. Kevin Lacombe, Granby, Que., Yamaha YZF-R1, 22; 3. Clint McBain, Calgary, Alta., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 22; 4. Jordan Szoke, Brantford, Ont., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 22; 5. Brett McCormick, Saskatoon, Sask., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 22; 6. Frank Trombino, Vaughan, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 22; 7. Andrew Nelson, Nepean, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R1, 22; 8. Jeremy Burgess, Hammonds Plains, N.S., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 22; 9. Jean-Paul Tache, North Bay, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 22; 10. Andrew Dunlap, Truro, N.S., Kawasaki ZX-6R, 22; 11. Pascal Picotte, Granby, Que., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 22; 12. Adam Roberts, Hammonds Plains, N.S., Yamaha YZF-R6, 21; 13. Bill Clark, Stillwater, N.S., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 21; 14. Francis Martin, Sherbrooke, Que., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 21; 15. Terry Steeves, Dartmouth, N.S., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 21; 16. Dave Young, Woodstock, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 21; 17. Rick Langille, Nauigewauk, N.B., Honda CBR600RR, 21; 18. Cory Canfield, Oakfield, N.S., Suzuki GSX-R600, 21; 19. Gene McKay, Halifax, N.S., Honda CBR600RR, 21 Did Not Finish Ross Millson, Hamilton, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 8, Accident; Matt McBride, Mississauga, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 0, Mechanical Margin of Victory: 1.867 secs. Average Speed: 83.94 mph Fastest Lap: 1:08.607 by Kevin Lacombe on lap 2 Parts Canada Superbike Championship point standings after 6 of 7 rounds showing position, rider name and point total: 1. Jordan Szoke, 262; 2. Steve Crevier, 236; 3. Clint McBain, 225; 4. Kevin Lacombe, 210; 5. Brett McCormick, 179; 6. Andrew Nelson, 138; 7. Francis Martin, 137; 8. Pascal Picotte, 127; 9. Jean-Paul Tache, 114; 10. Frank Trombino, 100; 11. Ross Millson, 68; 12. Erick Beausejour, 63; 13. tie Matthew McBride, 52; 13. tie Sean Heydorn, 52; 15. Terry Steeves, 39; 16. Dany Jourdain, 37; 17. Dave Young, 35; 18. Csaba Werner, 33; 19. Dave Stokowski, 30; 20. tie Adam Roberts, 25; 20. tie Andrew Dunlap, 25; 22. Jeremy Burgess, 23; 23. Franklyn Dominguez, 20; 24. Yoshi Hamaguchi, 17; 25. Matthew Cooper, 15; 26. tie Jeremy Stepper, 13; 26. tie Bill Clark, 13; 28. Chris Murray-Audain, 12; 29. Larry Orde, 10; 30 tie. Steve Bourdeau, 8; 30 tie. Karl Meema, 8; 30 tie. Zenon Nelson, 8; 30 tie. Alain Campagna, 8; 34. Rick Langille, 6; 35. Cory Canfield, 4; 36. Gene McKay, 2

KAWASAKI CZECH IN FOR BRNO As the three-week, MotoGP summer break draws to a close, Kawasaki Racing Team riders, Randy de Puniet and Anthony West are, yet again, ready to get back on their 800cc Ninja ZX-RRs and face the remaining rounds of the 2007 world championship. The 12th race of the season takes place next weekend at the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic with the 5.4km track hosting the 22 lap contest. De Puniet has especially good memories of the place, having claimed no less than five top ten finishes there in his 250cc days, including a win in 2003 and a podium in 2004. Having left the paddock with a spring in his step after an excellent 6th place at Laguna Seca, the 26-year-old Frenchman aims to ride his Bridgestone-shod Ninja to an equal, if not better, position at Brno. Currently standing 13th in the championship, de Puniet hopes to add to his tally of 50 points, which has already placed him ahead of Toni Elias, Makoto Tamada and Carlos Checa. West has also visited the circuit on numerous occasions when he was riding in the 250cc class, including getting a fourth position in 2004, but this will be his first race at the track on a MotoGP machine. Having joined the Kawasaki squad late in the day (at Donington Park in June), he’s already put his stamp on the championship, racking up 29 points in just four races, with three out of those four seeing him finish in the top ten. Working increasingly well with his ‘new’ team, the 26-year-old Australian has so far embraced, with both talent and enthusiasm, the sudden learning curve of joining the premier class and, after some intense training during the break, hopes to maintain this remarkable momentum. Brno provides some great, and scenic, racing, with its wooded hillsides, sweeping undulations, numerous corners and short, sharp straights. Opened in 1987, it replaced the old road racing circuit just 10km away, where cars and bikes had raced since the early 1900s. The track, roughly 200kms from Czech capital, Prague, proves an enduringly popular round of the MotoGP calendar: its central European location making it a Mecca for motorcyclists from many surrounding countries. The current circuit record holder is Loris Capirossi who, in 2006, put in a time of 1’58.157; while the highest recorded top speed at this championship round is a staggering 311.24kmh, ridden by current World Superbike rider, Max Biaggi, in 2004. Whether or not those records will be broken this time around remains to be seen but there’s going to be no shortage of fantastic racing to be had as the teams and riders return with a vengeance to make their mark on the second half of this year’s nail-biting championship. Randy De Puniet Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #14 “I had a holiday with friends in Los Angeles after Laguna but, after arriving home in Andorra, I’ve been training hard, doing a lot of sport to get my fitness back after the injuries I sustained earlier in the year. I’ve been riding my bicycle, motocrossing and running and now I feel very fit and ready for the rest of the season. Also, I like Brno. I won there in 2003, got a second in 2004 and had many top ten finishes there, when I was riding in the 250cc world championship. I think the Ninja ZX-RR is going to perform well there, too, with good power for the straights and plenty of acceleration. I’m looking forward to it.” Anthony West Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #13 “I’ve spent the break doing a lot of fitness work although I had a bit of time off in Santa Cruz at the start of the break, which was a good holiday even if it was a bit short. I can’t wait to get back on the bike though. Before the break, I’d been riding almost non-stop so, without that, I’ve been feeling a bit lost. Now I want to carry on where I left off. I wasn’t expecting to get such a good result in Laguna but figure if I can do that on a track I don’t know, then hopefully I can keep on improving when I’m back on a track I do know. I’m more familiar with the bike now, too. I’m looking forward to seeing the team again and working together and I’m having a lot of fun on this bike so yes, Brno should be good.”

DOUBLE PODIUM FOR SUPER SYKES 2007 Bennetts British Superbike Championship Round 10 Croft, North Yorkshire Sunday 12th August 2007 Stobart VK Vent Axia Motorsport rider Tom Sykes emerged from his local circuit of Croft with a superb double podium in both of today’s 20 lap Bennetts British Superbike Championship races. After qualifying on the front row of the grid, the 21 year old Yorkshireman ran with the leading bunch in both races as rain clouds threatened overhead, but showing maturity beyond his years, Sykes muscled his way up on to the podium in front of another bumper BSB crowd. The result moves him up to sixth in the Championship going into the next round at Cadwell Park in two weeks time. But if Croft was a success for Sykes, then for team mate Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne it didn’t reap the rewards he was hoping for. The 30 year old Londoner suffered two crashes during qualifying and was hampered by a row three start but he salvaged a couple of top ten positions from the weekend to remain in fifth position in the Championship. The next round of the Championship takes place at Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire over the bank holiday weekend. Tom Sykes: “It’s great to repay the team with a double podium and I’m over the moon. I got a good start in both races and in the first race I realised I had a little bit left and thought about going for second but it was a bit of a do or die manoeuvre and I didn’t want to risk anything. I felt quite comfortable in the second race but I knew Greg Lavilla was going to have a go at the hairpin but I held him off and it was brilliant to get on the podium again. Thanks to the whole team and to Dunlop for their support. Hopefully we can carry this momentum on for the next round.” Shane Byrne: “Unfortunately today, that was all I had to give. The two crashes yesterday didn’t help, but all credit to the boys who worked really hard to get the bikes ready, I had hoped to repay them with a podium. The first race was a nightmare but the second one started off OK but then I just dropped off and it got harder and harder. We’ve got ten days off now so I’m going home to get my head together, do some training and come back to Cadwell Park back on form.” Paul Bird: “I’m absolutely made up for Tom, the kid deserves this so much and I’m really pleased for him and to do it at a local track is magnificent for the team, the sponsors and the fans. It didn’t work out for Shakey this weekend but that sometimes happens and I’m looking forward to both of the boys being on the podium at Cadwell.” Race 1 Result: 1, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 26m51.398s, 2, Jonathan Rea (Honda) +1.301s, 3, Tom Sykes (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) +1.488s, 4, Cal Crutchlow (Suzuki) +1.758s, 5, Leon Haslam (Ducati) +2.124s, 6, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +7.165s, 7, Leon Camier (Honda) +12.752s, 8, Chris Walker (Suzuki) +18.487s, 9, Shane Byrne (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) +18.744s, 10, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +24.845s. Race 2 Result: 1, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 26m51.188s, 2, Jonathan Rea (Honda) +1.763s, 3, Tom Sykes (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) +2.157s, 4, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +2.583s, 5, Leon Camier (Honda) +4.305s, 6, Leon Haslam (Ducati) +4.628s, 7, Shane Byrne (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) +8.964s, 8, Michael Rutter (Kawasaki) +35.969s, 9, Simon Andrews (Yamaha) +39.549s, 10, Chris Walker (Suzuki) +39.600s. Bennetts British Superbike Championship Positions after Round 10 1, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 348pts 2, Jonathan Rea (Honda) 322pts 3, Leon Haslam (Ducati) 288pts 4, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 269pts 5, Shane Byrne (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) 244pts 6, Tom Sykes (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) 203pts 7, Leon Camier (Honda) 199pts 8, Chris Walker (Suzuki) 165pts 9, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) 116pts 10, Karl Harris (Honda) 107pts Round 1 7th to 9th April Brands Hatch GP, Kent Round 2 14th/15th April Thruxton, Hants Round 3 27th/29th April Silverstone, Northants Round 4 5th/7th May Oulton Park, Cheshire Round 5 18th/20th May Snetterton, Norfolk Round 6 15th/17th June Mondello Park, Co Kildare Round 7 30th June/1st July Knockhill, Fife Round 8 13th/15th July Oulton Park, Cheshire Round 9 20th/22nd July Mallory Park, Leics Round 10 10th/12th August Croft, North Yorkshire Round 11 25th/27th August Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire Round 12 21st/23rd September Donington Park, Leics Round 13 12th/14th October Brands Hatch Indy, Kent More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Rizla Suzuki’s Cal Crutchlow took a career-best fourth in the opening race at the 10th round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Croft after starting from his first ever pole position – marking another step forward in performance for him and the team. He got off to a great start in the opening race and settled into a close third on the track, dicing for the lead the entire race. On lap 17 he was relegated to fourth and despite his best efforts had to settle for the position – less than two seconds behind the winner at the chequered flag. In the second race, ‘Cal’ was battling for the podium in fourth when he ran on to the grass and crashed. He gamely remounted and finished 13th, scoring valuable points. Chris ‘Stalker’ Walker started ninth and finished eighth in the opening race, showing an impressive turn of speed as the race progressed. In the second race he crashed while passing Honda’s Karl Harris on the slow hairpin before remounting and finishing 10th. Honda’s Ryuichi Kiyonari won both races at the North Yorkshire track. Rizla Suzuki returns to race action at the bumper Bank Holiday Monday 11th round of the series at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire on 27th August. Cal Crutchlow: “I might have crashed in the second race but there’s no stopping me smiling. The fact is I have recorded my first ever pole position and finished fourth, my highest ever placing in a Championship race. I’ve taken another step closer to the podium I think the whole Rizla Suzuki team deserves. “In the opening race I thoroughly enjoyed riding at the front and while being pipped to the podium was a bit disappointing, I think I proved the Rizla Suzuki and I are capable of challenging at the sharp end. I proved it again in the second race before a false neutral put me on the grass and I crashed out of fourth – but at least I was able to remount and salvage a few points. It’s been a good day’s work and there are lots of positives for us to take to Cadwell Park in a fortnight’s time.” Chris Walker: “It’s been a long time since I last raced at Croft so it took me a little longer to get up to speed this weekend than normal. On Saturday afternoon we made big improvements in the bike set-up but it just didn’t give us enough time to catch up with everyone else, so an eighth and then 10th after crashing and remounting was as good as we could get. “I think Cal’s performance this weekend shows the team’s potential and I’m very confident for the last three rounds of the Championship at Cadwell, Donington and Brands Hatch as they are all circuits I like and think will suit the Rizla Suzuki. Bring it on.” Simon Buckmaster – Team Manager: “This has been an incredibly important weekend for Rizla Suzuki as Cal’s efforts have proved we can genuinely fight for the podium in BSB. His pole position was awe-inspiring and his fourth place in the opening race just behind the winner shows we have race pace as well. He did incredibly well in both races – congratulations to Cal and his crew on a professional performance. “Chris never got to grips with a good set-up on his Rizla Suzuki and that showed in the results. He crashed in the test at Croft last month and lost valuable track time and that would have helped enormously on setting his bike up this weekend. Chris is a much better rider than today’s results suggest and the team will leave no stone unturned in its efforts to support him, we all want to see Stalker back at the front where he belongs…hopefully dicing with Cal.” Race One Result: 1: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 26:51.398 2: Jonathan Rea (Honda) +1.301 3: Tom Sykes (Honda) +1.488 4: Cal Crutchlow (Rizla Suzuki) +1.758 5: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +2.124 6: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +7.165 7: Leon Camier (Honda) +12.752 8: Chris Walker (Rizla Suzuki +18.487 9: Shane Byrne (Honda) +18.744 10: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +24.845 Race Two Result: 1: Kiyonari 26:51.188 2: Rea +1.763 3: Sykes +2.157 4: Lavilla +2.583 5: Camier +4.305 6: Haslam +4.628 7: Byrne +8.964 8: Michael Rutter (Kawasaki) +35.969 9: Simon Andrews (Yamaha) +39.549 10: Chris Walker (Rizla Suzuki) +39.600 13: Cal Crutchlow (Rizla Suzuki) +58.283 Championship Positions (after 10 of 13 rounds): 1: Kiyonari 348 2: Rea 322 3: Haslam 288 4: Lavilla 269 5: Byrne 244 6: Sykes 203 7: Camier 199 8: Chris Walker (Rizla Suzuki) 165 9: Hill 116 10: Harris 107 11: Cal Crutchlow (Rizla Suzuki) 101

Suzuki Endurance Racing Team continues to be the lone leader this morning at the Oschersleben 24 Hours. SERT’s duel with Team Kawasaki France came to an end yesterday evening after two falls put the ZX-10R out of contention. SERT, as it has so often in the past, used the night session to consolidate its lead. This morning at 09:00 the Suzuki of Vincent Philippe, Matthieu Lagrive and Julien Da Costa was eight laps ahead of the Yamaha Austria Racing Team, who have also had an impressive race so far. The Austrian Yamaha had begun the race at the back of the pack following a fall from Igor Jerman. Solidly maintaining the third place that it has had since early on, Yamaha Phase One Endurance is also having a superb race. Having been slightly behind since the qualifying session, the English team of Russell Benney has now got its sights firmly on the podium. Phase One will need to keep an eye, however, on the impressive resurgence of Kawasaki France. Gwen Giabbani, Julian Mazuecos and Steve Plater have nothing to lose and have been setting very fast times in their attempt to return to the front of the course. At 09:00 Kawasaki France were in fourth position, only two laps behind Yamaha Phase One. Bolliger Switzerland emerged during the night to move into fifth spot after having had a difficult start to the race. The Swiss Kawasaki lost time on Saturday afternoon after a fall for Patric Muff. The surprise at Oschersleben has come from BMW Motorrad. The two R1200Ss entered by the German factory are still in the top ten. The first of those BMWs is in sixth thanks to a fast team crew and longer shifts on the track than most of the other teams. Hats-off also to Raffin Motos who lie seventh overall and first in the Superproduction class. The ZX10R Raffin has been ticking over nicely. Up until 07:00 the Superproduction class had been lead by Endurance Moto 38. Unfortunately a fall saw Yamaha Endurance Moto 38 move back to tenth. The Diablo 666 Bolliger team, who had been running in fifth on Saturday evening, encountered problems with the fuel pump which has seen them lose time at the head of the race. A series of falls or mechanical problems have also forced other teams to abandon. Qatar Endurance Racing Team, Suzuki Sweden, Zone Rouge Belgique, LTG 57, Amadeus X-One and FCC TSR Eurosport Benelux have had to retire. The big surprise of Sunday morning at Oschersleben has been the weather! Finally the sun has started to shine gently on the German course and the race looks like it will finish on a dry track. The race is scheduled to end at 3:00 p.m.

The long-awaited duel at the Oschersleben 24 Hours between Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and Team Kawasaki France didn’t last longer than four hours. After a neck and neck start to the race between the two official machines, the tension eventually took its toll with a fall for the Kawasaki just after 19:00. By the finish SERT had confirmed its dominance with the victory, finishing 12 laps ahead of the Kawasaki. The win means that the Suzuki team has further increased its lead in the QMMF Endurance FIM World Championship classifications. The Bol d’Or is now on the horizon and promises to be a decisive race in the Championship, before the final round takes place in Qatar in November. In finishing second behind Suzuki, Kawasaki France has earned valuable points. Delayed by the first fall of Gwen Giabbani and then by a second from Julian Mazuecos, the Kawasaki nevertheless did begin to make up the lost time and mount a recovery, before benefiting from the problems of Yamaha Austria Racing Team at the end of the race to take second place on the podium. YART had a two lap lead on Kawasaki France and had looked like they had done enough to clinch second spot, before an engine heating problem caused them to loose several minutes at around 14:00. Their misfortune allowed Kawasaki to gain a place with YART finishing in third, eight laps behind. Yamaha Phase One Endurance was the most unfortunate team during this race in Germany. All was going well until 11:00 this morning. Sitting in third position since the beginning of the race, Phase One was forced into the pits with what looked like a clutch problem. A short while later the English Yamaha was forced to abandon with a broken engine, less than three hours from the finish. “We had a dream race with Warwick Nowland, Stefan Nebel and Pedro Vallacaneras”, said Russell Benney, team manager of Phase One. “We were racing well all weekend but had a horrible result. But we have already put this behind us and our preparations for the Bol d’Or begin tomorrow.” Bolliger Switzerland, who had started the race from the back following the fall of Patric Muff, made a great recovery, finishing in fourth position. The Kawasaki Bolliger finished five laps ahead of the astonishing BMW entered by BMW Motorrad. Thomas Hinterreiter, Rico Penzkoffer and Markus Barth finished fifth on the R1200S which will return to action at the Bol d’Or. The other BMW Motorrad finished ninth, and having been entered into the Open class, did not register any points towards the overall World Championship. The winners in the Superproduction category, Kawasaki Raffin Motos, recorded their best results of the season finishing in sixth place while earning the points for fifth, just ahead of Kawasaki Diablo 666 Bolliger who were slowed by fuel problems, and another Kawasaki of Jadoul Motorsport. Among the other permanent teams who finished in the points, Endurance Moto 38 looked capable of finishing high up, but a fall lost them fifth place and they ultimately came in tenth. RMT 21 Racing made a great start to the race. In seventh position after 22 hours the German Honda also lost time thanks to a fall and finished in eleventh. Endurance Moto 45 recorded their first points of the 2007 Championship thanks to its 15th place, earning points for 13th. Suzuki Superstock lost ground due to a problem with a wheel axel. Maco Moto Racing had also been well-placed on Saturday afternoon but two falls and then clutch problems slowed their progress. Maco Moto ultimately finished in 17th, 14th in the classifications. Finally, a fall and then a fuel pump failure saw RT Racing & Moto Virus finish in 15th in the classifications. The Oschersleben track is very demanding for both riders and machines and there were many retirements. Well-placed at the beginning of the race, Qatar Endurance Racing Team retired in the middle of the night following three falls. Zone Rouge Yamaha Belgique, who had been in firth place over the first few laps, also pulled out after two falls from Olivier Depoorter. In the Amadeus X-One team, Mauro Lucchiari broke his collarbone in a fall and was unable to bring the Yamaha back to the pits. Suzuki Sweden’s machine was too damaged to continue racing following two crashes. After a big fall and a broken selector switch, LTG 57, were relegated to the back of the race and chose to retire. FCC TSR Eurosport Benelux also abandoned after two falls at about 05:00 in the morning. Among the machines entered in the Open category, several were unable to make the full 24 hours of racing. The Triumph Daytona 675 of PS LSL, who had been well-placed at the beginning of the race, abandoned along with the Harley Davidson Racing Bonn. The next race in the QMMF Endurance FIM World Championship will take place over 24 hours at the Bol d’Or on the 15th and 16th September at Magny-Cours in France. More, from a press release issued by Amadeus X-One: SERT Suzuki Win Oschersleben 24 Hour Race Team Kawasaki France Second Yamaha Austria Third Amadeus X One forced to retire after 11 hours, while holding 10th overall, 2nd in class The Oschersleben 24 Hour round of the QMMF Endurance FIM World Championship has been won by SERT Suzuki, with Team Kawasaki France second and Yamaha Austria third. Suzuki had held a comfortable lead for much of the race, but the battle between Yamaha Austria and Kawasaki France ran for many hours and saw Kawasaki crash twice and Yamaha suffer engine problems in the final hours of the marathon event. La Fortezza Amadeus X One like many other teams gambled on tyre choice at the start of the race and were forced to pit early. After this initial set back they quickly established themselves in tenth place overall and second in the SuperProduction class. They held this position comfortably until around 2:30am on Sunday morning, when Mauro Lucchiari crashed and injured his collarbone, forcing the team to retire from the race. Until then the team had been very pleased with the performance of their Yamaha YZF-R1, and they are now looking forward to the next round of the championship, the Bol d’Or 24 Hour at Magny Cours in France on September 15/16th. More, from a press release issued by Kel Edge Photography: BOXERS PUNCH ABOVE THEIR WEIGHT! FIRST AND SECOND IN THEIR CLASS AND FIFTH AND NINTH OVERALL! Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport recorded superb results in the fourth round of the 2007 QMMF Endurance World Championship at Oschersleben, finishing fifth and ninth overall and first and second in their class. During the twenty-hour marathon, both bikes hardly skipped beat on their way to their best result of the year. The number 17 bike ridden by regulars Thomas Hinterreiter, Rico Penzkofer and Marcus Barth finished fifth, with only a minor problem during 873 tortuous laps, while the number 71 bike ridden by Richard Cooper, Peter Ottl and Jose-Luis Nion went from start to finish without any problems whatsoever. The Suzuki Endurance Racing Team of Vincent Philippe, Matthieu Lagrive and Julien da Costa took advantage of a mistake by the Team Kawasaki France of Steve Plater, Gwen Giabbani and Julian Mazuecos on lap one and from then on in were never headed on their way to their second win of the year. Team Kawasaki France suffered two small crashes, but fought their way back up to second place – albeit twelve laps adrift. Third place went to Yamaha Austria (Igor Jerman, Sebastian Scarnato and Steve Martin), with Team Bolliger Switzerland (David Morillon, Patric Muff and Horst Saiger) fourth. Team Manager: Berti Hauser I am absolutely so happy for the whole team. They’ve worked so hard since Barcelona and their will to get a good result has been so strong. To get fifth and ninth overall competing against the best teams and riders in the World Endurance Championship is a fantastic achievement and to get first and second in our class is also pretty special. These results are better then we dreamed about and it’s all down to the way we all worked together as a team – and I’m talking about both bikes. Everybody here pushed hard to get the best possible result for BMW Motorrad and I feel proud to be part of this team. We had hardly any problems at all during the race. Bike number 71 ran like a Swiss clock throughout, whilst bike number 17 had a minor problem with the rear drive. Thomas (Hinterreiter) heard a noise coming from the rear end, so we changed the rear drive, just as a precaution. The mechanics did a superb job, worked very quickly and we were back on the track without losing any places! Overall – it’s been fantastic and I can say no more! Bike No 17 (Thomas Hinterreiter, Rico Penzkofer, Marcus Barth) – 5th overall, 1st in Open Class Thomas: That was a perfect race for us and I must say that I am a bit surprised by the result. I didn’t expect such a good result – especially when you consider that we were fighting against riders from the World Championship. So get get fifth overall against such high-level teams is a fantastic result for us. In the Open Class, I sort of expected us to win – if we had no problems – but fifth overall in the race is amazing. This is only our second world championship race and already we’ve had two great results! Rico: Before the race, I never believed such a result would be possible and I’m almost speechless! I thought tenth would be good! Our overall performance (both our bikes) is more important then any one result this weekend and I want to say thank you to all the mechanics and everybody concerned for doing such a great job. This track is quite technical and physically demanding, but the bike was easy to ride and I really enjoyed myself out there. Marcus: I’m surprised a little about how good our result is, though secretly I thought a top five might have been possible – if it rained. So to get a top five in the dry is great. I’m proud of what we’ve all achieved this weekend against top world championship teams and I want to say that I’ve ridden many endurance races on this track before, but riding this BMW has been the least difficult and the most fun. It’s an easy bike to ride and it changes direction so well. It is a very good package and it was easy following the top guys and keeping up with them. The only place we lost out on was on the fast straights. Bike number 71 (Richard Cooper, Peter Ottl, Jose-Luis Nion) – 9th overall, 2nd in Open Class Richard: I am very happy because all I had expected was a good top fifteenth place. So ninth in a World Championship event is fantastic. This track doesn’t give you much time to rest, but the bike is easy to ride and I didn’t find it tiring at all! In fact, it’s surprising what you can do with it! The team has been perfect to work with and they made my job so much more easy. It’s hard to believe that this is only my first twenty-four race, but now I’m looking forward to the next one! Peter: I’m a bit tired, but very happy! I had a bit of a feeling that we would get a good result – if there were no problems and that’s the way it worked out. I was very confident in the whole team and their experience this year was so valuable this weekend. At the end of the race, our bike was running just like it was at the start. It is an easy bike to ride and that’s important in Endurance racing. It has been a pleasure working with all these BMW guys and I hope to do it again! Jose-luis: I am very happy with our result and it’s been great working with this team. I was a bit nervous at the start, but after a while I began to relax and then I began to enjoy myself. I managed a good rhythm in the night and had no problems throughout the race at all. I didn’t think we’d finish as high as we did, but I’m happy that we got such a great result. Results: 1 SERT 905 laps, 2 Kawasaki France 893 laps, 3 Yamaha Austria 885 laps, 4 Bolliger Switzerland 878 laps, 5 BMW Motorrad Motorsport (Hinterreiter, Penzkofer, Barth) 873 laps, 6 Raffin Motos 871 laps, 7 Diablo 666 Bolliger 870 laps, 8 Jadoul Motosport 868 laps, 9 BMW Motorrad Motorsport (Cooper, Ottl, Nion) 868 laps, 10 Endurance Moto 38 866 laps, 2007 QMMF Endurance FIM World Endurance Oschersleben, Germany August 11-12, 2007 Final Results: 1. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (Vincent Philippe/Matthieu Lagrive/Julien Da Costa), Suz GSX-R1000, SBK, 905 laps 2. Team Kawasaki France (Steve Plater/Gwen Giabbani/Julien Mazuecos), Kaw ZX-10R, SBK, 893 laps 3. Yamaha Austria Racing Team (Igor Jerman/Steve Martin/Damien Cudlin), Yam YZF-R1, SBK, 885 laps 4. Bolliger Switzerland (David Morillon/Patric Huff/Horst Saiger), Kaw ZX-10R, SBK, 878 laps 5. BMW Motorrad Motorsport 17 (Thomas Hinterreiter/Rico Penzkofer/Markus Barth), BMW R 1200 S, Open, 873 seconds 6. Raffin Motos (Damien Chene/Stephane Kokes/Pascal Grosjean), Kaw ZX-10R, SPP, 871 laps 7. Diablo 666 Bolliger (James Hutchins/Alexander Cudlin/Dario Giuseppetti), Kaw ZX-10R, SBK, 870 laps 8. Jadoul Motorsport (Didier Jadoul/Gregory Fastre/Denny La Undo), Kaw ZX-10R, SPP, 868 laps 9. BMW Motorrad Motorsport 71 (Peter Ottl/Richard Cooper/Jose-Luis Nion), BMW R 1200 S, Open, 868 laps, 52.935 seconds 10. Endurance Moto 38 (Erwan Nigon/Julien Millet/Joao Contente Fernandes), Yam YZF-R1, SPP, 866 laps

SHUBENACADIE, N.S. – Parts Canada Superbike Championship points leader Jordan Szoke won a wild battle for pole in qualifying for the sixth round of the series at Atlantic Motorsport Park Saturday. The Brantford, Ont. rider turned a lap of one minute, 7.789 seconds around the 2.56km (1.6-mile), 11-turn track on his Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R to claim the $500 Inside Motorcycles Pole Position Award and a critical four points in his bid to claim his second straight national Superbike title. “I was actually on a better lap, but I had some problems through turns 1 and 2,” said Szoke, who now has a 42-point lead, 230-188, over Clint McBain in the series standings. “But I managed to put the rest of the lap together. Still, I couldn’t believe it.” Maple Ridge, B.C.’s Steve Crevier was a close second with a time of 1:07.869 on his Team Toyota Yamaha / Fast Company Yamaha YZF-R1 and Cochrane, Alta. racer McBain placed third at 1:07.957 riding the Suzuki Acceleration Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000. Granby, Que.’s Kevin Lacombe completes the front row for Sunday’s 22-lap feature race after recording a fastest lap of 1:07.993 on the Team Toyota Yamaha / Brooklin Cycle Yamaha YZF-R1. Only 0.204 secs. covered the top four in qualifying Saturday and all four riders set their times in the final 10-minute shootout. Crevier, who has been nursing a very sore back after a big fall on Friday, put up his time first, only to have Szoke top it almost immediately. “To be honest, I think I got pushing too hard,” said Crevier, who closed up to within two points of McBain in the standings with 186 points. “I’m bummed. I tried really hard. I made a big effort.” McBain was quickest in practice Friday and, like Szoke, said he had problems on his fast lap. “When I saw I was into the [one minute] sevens I thought that was going to do it [get pole],” McBain said. “It was not a clean lap. I was out of the saddle a few times.” This weekend’s race is the penultimate round of the national series, which wraps up at Shannonville Motorsport Park near Belleville, Ont. Aug. 31-Sept. 2. In other action at AMP, Crevier set a new class lap record in taking the pole for the Yoshimura Pro 600 Sport Bike class, recording a time of 1:08.500 on his Yamaha YZF-R6. The result was worth four points to Crevier, and moved him a point closer to championship leader Szoke in the class standings. Szoke qualified second on a Kawasaki ZX-6RR with a time of 1:08.850 and now has 206 points to the 197 of Crevier. Truro. N.S.’s Brian Blaauwendraat qualified on pole for Sunday’s International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike race with a time of 1:11.501 on his Honda CBR600RR. Points leader Paul Glenn was third fastest on his Suzuki GSX-R600, just behind his closest title challenger, Israel Johnas on a Kawasaki ZX-6R. Beaconsfield, Que.’s Michael Leon took the pole for the Thunder twins race on his Laval Harley-Davidson Buell XB12R, eclipsing his own track record with a time of 1:11.302, and Montreal’s Martin Grande led the Suzuki SV650 National Cup class at 1:14.093. Feature races for all five national classes will go Sunday. Practice begins at 9:00 a.m. with the first race slated for a 1:15 p.m. start. For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com Starting line up for Sunday’s sixth round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, N.S., showing starting position, rider name, hometown, type of motorcycle and qualifying time: 1. Jordan Szoke, Brantford, Ont., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:07.789 2. Steve Crevier, Maple Ridge, B.C., Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:07.869 3. Clint McBain, Cochrane, Alta., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:07.957 4. Kevin Lacombe, Granby, Que., Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:07.993 5. Francis Martin, Sherbrooke, Que., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:08.555 6. Matthew McBride, Mississauga, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:08.667 7. Andrew Nelson, Nepean, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:08.715 8. Brett McCormick, Saskatoon, Sask., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:08.784 9. Frank Trombino, Vaughan, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:08.886 10. Jeremy Burgess, Hammonds Plains, N.S., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:09.028 11. Pascal Picotte, Granby, Que., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:09.055 12. Andrew Dunlap, Truro, N.S., Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:10.847 13. Jean-Paul Tache, North Bay, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:11.026 14. Ross Millson, Hamilton, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:11.062 15. Stephane Chabot, Oshawa, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:11.248 16. Terry Steeves, Dartmouth, N.S., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:11.617 17. Cory Canfield, Oakfield, N.S., Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:12.004 18. Adam Roberts, Hammonds Plains, N.S., Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:12.018 19. Mark MacDonald, Sydney, N.S., Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:12.375 20. Bill Clark, Stillwater, N.S., Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:12.407 21. Dave Young, Woodstock, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:12.409 22. Rick Langille, Nauwigewauk, N.B., Honda CBR600RR, 1:12.543 23. Alain Campagna, Mascouche, Que., Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:12.646 24. Nicolas Audet, St-Isidore, Que., Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:12.710 25. Zenon Nelson, Bowmanville, Ont., Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:12.913 26. Gene McKay, Halifax, N.S., Honda CBR600RR, 1:13.632 27. Alain Larouche, St-Bruno, Que. Honda CBR600RR, No Time 28. Karl Daigle, Granby, Que., Honda CBR600RR, No Time 29. Craig Atkinson, Toronto, Ont., Yamaha YZF-R6, No Time 30. Jeremy Stepper, Calgary, Alta., Yamaha YZF-R6, No Time* * — Disqualified for leaving hot pit during session

Front Row Start for Sykes at Croft 2007 Bennetts British Superbike Championship Rounds 19 & 20 Croft, North Yorkshire Sunday 12th August 2007 Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport rider Tom Sykes continued his impressive form by qualifying on the front row for round ten of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at a warm and sunny Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire today. The 21 year old Huddersfield rider was holding provisional pole position time for most of the 50 minute session as he continued to impress in his rookie season, but towards the end of the session he dropped back to fourth position but importantly will start tomorrow’s two 20 lap races from the front row of the grid. If the qualifying session was good for Sykes it was a disaster for team mate Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne who slid off not once, but twice and as a result will start from row three of the grid on what is only his second visit to the Yorkshire circuit. Byrne had a technical problem during this morning’s free practice session and was hoping to improve but a couple of mistakes hampered his bid as he goes into tomorrow’s two races. Shane Byrne: “There’s not a lot I can say. I’m extremely disappointed and I’ve given myself a mountain to climb tomorrow. I will be giving it my all and we’ve yet to find out whether it will be wet or dry which could have a bearing on our result.” Tom Sykes: “I’m happy enough with my race set up and I was one of the quickest on race tyres. We put a qualifier in early on and that paid off as I got a clear lap and posted my fastest time. Towards the end of the session I got caught up in a lot of traffic but a front row start is perfect and is what we were aiming for. I just want a decent start tomorrow and hope I can get away with them and I’m looking forward to it.” Paul Bird: “I’m pleased for Tom with a front row start but we needed both riders on the front row. I hope Tom can carry it forward tomorrow and I wouldn’t write him off for his first win. I just hope Shakey has got all his crashing out of the way today.” The first of the Bennetts British Superbike races gets underway at 13.20 with the second one screened live on ITV1 at 15.20. Qualifying: 1, Cal Crutchlow (Suzuki) 1m19.108s, 2, Jonathan Rea (Honda) 1m19.191s, 3, Leon Haslam (Ducati) 1m19.209s, 4, Tom Sykes (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) 1m19.269s, 5, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) 1m19.373s, 6, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 1m19.456s, 7, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 1m19.462s, 8, Leon Camier (Honda) 1m19.589s, 9, Chris Walker (Suzuki) 1m19.920s, 10, Karl Harris (Honda) 1m20.257s, 11, Shane Byrne (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) 1m20.362s. Sunday 12th August 12.00 12.15 Warm Up 13.20 Race 1 – 20 laps 15.20 Race 2 – 20 laps ITV4 Broadcast: 12.30 14.30 ITV1 Broadcast: 14.30 16.00 Sky Sports Xtra: 21.00 – 00.30 Round 1 7th to 9th April Brands Hatch GP, Kent Round 2 14th/15th April Thruxton, Hants Round 3 27th/29th April Silverstone, Northants Round 4 5th/7th May Oulton Park, Cheshire Round 5 18th/20th May Snetterton, Norfolk Round 6 15th/17th June Mondello Park, Co Kildare Round 7 30th June/1st July Knockhill, Fife Round 8 13th/15th July Oulton Park, Cheshire Round 9 20th/22nd July Mallory Park, Leics Round 10 10th/12th August Croft, North Yorkshire Round 11 25th/27th August Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire Round 12 21st/23rd September Donington Park, Leics Round 13 12th/14th October Brands Hatch Indy, Kent More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office: Rizla Suzuki’s Cal Crutchlow blitzed his first ever front row starting position by taking pole position for tomorrow’s 10th round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Croft in North Yorkshire – the team’s first pole since Brands Hatch in October 2005 with James Haydon. The Superbike rookie puts the success largely down to an inspired plan for the qualification session hatched by his Chief Technician Pete Jennings, who insisted he use one pre-qualifying and two qualifying tyres. After three superb practice sessions – when he found a competitive race setting and tyre – he rode with confidence and ability to deservedly head the field in qualification. Chris ‘Stalker’ Walker left his fastest lap right until the end of qualifying and will start from the front of the third row in ninth. Superbike racing starts at 1320 at the 2.13-mile long flat but twisty Croft circuit near Darlington in North Yorkshire on Sunday, August 12th. Cal Crutchlow: “Before the session I had a discussion with Pete about what tyres I should use during qualification. I wasn’t sure about his idea for one pre-qualifier and two qualifiers but I agreed it with him and I have to say it worked a treat – my first ever front row is a pole position and you can’t ask for any more than that. Well done to the whole Rizla Suzuki team and Dunlop – the hard work is starting to pay off. “Pole position puts a lot of pressure on me for the races but this is what we have been working for all year. I’m hoping I can score a podium for Rizla Suzuki, the team deserves it and that’s my target.” Chris Walker: “It’s been a tough weekend as we have worked to find a comfortable set-up for me at this circuit. On the first day we went too soft on my Rizla Suzuki and this morning we put that right and made pretty big strides this afternoon. “Ninth is ok and I’ll be going for a trade-mark good start and see what we can achieve if I can get away with the front runners. Congratulations to Cal on his pole position. It was an awesome ride.” Simon Buckmaster – Team Manager: “Congratulations to Cal Crutchlow and the Rizla Suzuki team on achieving pole position – it is something they have worked incredibly hard for and richly deserve it. Cal has not changed a setting on his Rizla Suzuki all weekend and has concentrated on making the most of the package and has reaped the rewards of a very fast motorcycle, professional preparation and his own undoubted talent. “Racing is different from qualifying and although there is a lot of pressure on Cal for a good result tomorrow; it will not be coming from the team. We have already had a good weekend and if he converts to strong results, that’ll be the icing on the cake. “Chris and his crew have applied themselves tirelessly to find a competitive set-up for him and at the end of the qualifying session made a break-through. If he can get a good start then he should be targeting the top six.” Qualification Times: 1: Cal Crutchlow (Rizla Suzuki) 1:19.108 2: Jonathan Rea (Honda) +0.083 3: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.101 4: Tom Sykes (Honda) +0.161 5: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +0.265 6: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +0.348 7: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +0.354 8: Leon Camier (Honda) +0.481 9: Chris Walker (Rizla Suzuki) +0.812 10: Karl Harris (Honda) +1.149

Oschersleben 24 Hours Suzuki Endurance Racing Team alone at the front after four hours The two-way tussle, which began during qualifying, continued on the race track today at Oschersleben, but the race changed dramatically just after 19:00. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team now finds itself alone at the front after over four hours of racing side by side with Kawasaki France. A fall for Gwen Giabbani saw the official Kawasaki lose contact with the leader. The battle between Gwen Giabbani of Kawasaki France and Vincent Phillipe of Suzuki Endurance Racing Team started as soon as the green light signalled the start of the race at 15:00. Making the most of a small error by Vincent Phillipe on the first lap, Gwen Giabbani led for the first half-hour of the race. SERT then reclaimed the lead and were closely followed by the official Kawasaki. After four hours of racing, Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and Kawasaki France were at the front in the same order, separated by about 30 seconds. Kawasaki, however, now have everything to do to catch the leader. Slightly behind the front two during qualifying, Yamaha Phase One Endurance made a great start to the race. The permanent English team is currently in third place. A drying track at the start of the race and a tricky choice of tyres meant that a few surprises were likely. The Suzuki Superproduction of AM Moto Racing Compétition, found itself in the top three for a while along with one of the R1200Ss of BMW Motorrad. At 19:00 they were in fourth and seventh position respectively. Delayed at the start by a bad choice of tyres, Endurance Moto 38 mounted a brave comeback and have been battling with AM Moto Racing for fourth place. Several falls sent some of the pre-race favourites to the back of the race within the first hour. Bolliger Switzerland were in the top three before a fall by Patric Muff wiped-out their good start. There was also a fall for Olivier Depoorter on the Yamaha Zone Rouge, who went from fifth place to the back of the pack. A further fall came the way of Kawasaki Qatar Endurance Racing Team just after the two hour mark. QERT, who had been in fifth, dropped to last place. Finally, riding for the Yamaha Austria Racing Team, Igor Jerman also fell. YART, however, are the only team to have mounted a serious comeback, and are now in eighth place going into the night. Many of the permanent teams were grouped together in the top 12 at 19:00. Diablo 666 Bolliger, who have consistently been going well, are in sixth. RMT 21 Racing are in ninth, while Maco Moto Racing is battling with Jadoul Motosport for tenth, ahead of Amadeus X-One. The return of the rain, which has been predicted for the coming hours, could make racing tricky during the night. More, from a press release issued by Amadeus X-one: SERT Suzuki Lead Kawasaki France by 30 Seconds Amadeus X One 10th After Four Hours Four Hours into the 10th Oschersleben 24 Hour race, SERT Suzuki are ahead of second placed Kawasaki France by just 30 seconds; a gap which has stayed constant pitstops apart for the last three hours. The race started with a wet track but no rain, and many teams found themselves with the wrong tyres on their bikes as the conditions quickly improved. The leaders were quickly able to stretch out a lead over the rest of the field as bikes that had started the race on “wet” rain tyres were forced to pit for rubber more suited to the conditions. La Fortezza Amadeus X One were in exactly this position and pitted for slick tyres just 20 minutes into the race. With that setback out of the way, Amadeus X One’s riders Paolo Tessari, Riccardo Ricci and Mauro Lucchiari have been able to climb steadily through the field and are currently lying in 10th place. The Oschersleben round of the QMMF FIM Endurance World Championship continues through the night, finishing at 15:00 CET tomorrow.