Brands Hatch (UK): Troy Bayliss’s hopes of taking a second successive World Superbike title for the Ducati Xerox Team all but vanished today as he came away from Brands Hatch with disappointing results in the two races. The 2006 champion started from pole position but crashed out on lap 5 of race 1. Troy then struggled with tyre problems in race 2 and could only finish seventh as James Toseland (Honda) took a double win in front of a massive 126,000 crowd. Lorenzo Lanzi also had a disappointing day, the Italian only managing a ninth and a twelfth in the two races. “I’m a bit upset with myself actually” declared Troy after race 1. “I thought I’d jumped the start and every lap I was looking for the board to come out with the stop-and-go so I was a bit distracted for the first three laps. Then Nori bumped me, but I managed to get past Corser and was pushing hard at Druids when the bike came around. I didn’t hurt myself but after that I reckon the championship’s over”. Troy struggled for grip in race 2 to finish seventh. “I don’t understand how it can happen with such a difference in track temperature. We did low 26s this morning in the warm-up and it turned into this, just like Brno. It’s not the fault of anyone but our bike just doesn’t seem to like high temperatures, except at Misano where the grip is great. I honestly thought I could do a good job here but after one lap I realised it wasn’t happening, and then it was just a matter of bringing the bike home”. “Unfortunately I haven’t really got any explanations to give” declared Lorenzo. “I used the same tyres as this morning, when we did 16 laps at a good pace in the warm-up and had no problems. Unfortunately the track temperature in race 1 changed completely and after five laps I couldn’t make any progress. The same thing happened in race 2, the bike was almost impossible to ride. My times were a second a lap slower and I had no grip either in the front or in the rear. This weekend I went worse than last year and I am pretty disappointed because things were looking quite promising after the first couple of days”. RACE 1: 1. Toseland (Honda); 2. Corser (Yamaha); 3. Biaggi (Suzuki); 4. Xaus (Ducati Sterilgarda); 5. Fabrizio (Honda); 6. Rolfo (Honda); 7. Haga (Yamaha); 8. Laconi (Kawasaki); 9. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox); etc. RACE 2: 1. Toseland; 2. Haga; 3. Corser; 4. Fabrizio; 5. Kagayama (Suzuki); 6. Xaus; 7. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox); 8. Biaggi; …12. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox). POINTS (after 10 of 13 rounds): Riders – 1. Toseland 355; 2. Haga 289; 3. Biaggi 286; 4. Bayliss 258; 5. Corser 227; 6. Xaus 163; 7. Lanzi 161. Manufacturers: 1. Honda 369; 2. Yamaha 343; 3. Ducati 325; 4. Suzuki 305; 5. Kawasaki 130; 6. MV Agusta 1.

Solid Fifth for Roberts at Brands Brendan Roberts secured a fantastic result in the FIM Superstock Cup 1000 race at the technical Brands Hatch circuit, Kent this weekend. Roberts sealed a solid fifth place overall for the Ducati Xerox Junior Team in the 14-lap race, his best result in the dry this year with his still healing right wrist injury. In the blistering British sunshine in front of a huge British crowd Roberts got his head down throughout the weekend and worked on getting a good qualifying position on the Ducati 1098S. Struggling with a few front end issues throughout the weekend the youngster still managed to equal his best qualifying position this year of sixth place, which set him in a good position for the race. A good start saw the young Australian move up to fourth by the end of the first lap and a position he held until lap four when a small mistake saw him run onto the grass on the exit of Graham Hill Bend. Losing a place to Championship leader Matteo Baiocco, Roberts fought hard to stay with the leading pack and was still in a chance of a podium position. However his tyres began to wear in the latter stages of the race and he had to bring the bike home in a strong fifth position. Commenting he said “It’s been a pretty good weekend. I still only have about 45% movement in my right wrist and although I have been strong at the wet races this is my best result so far in the dry. It’s a good sign that hopefully my wrist is beginning to heal and also that we are making progress with the new 1098. It’s been a good weekend and the team took another win with my team-mate Nic and I’m hoping that I’ll be back on the podium at some point in the near future.” He went on to say “I’m at Croft next weekend for Buildbase in the National Superstock Championship and I’m hoping that the weather will be as good as it has been at Brands. After Oulton was cancelled due to the rain it would be nice to get a decent result back in the British Championship series.” A full timetable of events for Croft can be found at the link below: – http://www.mcrcb-events.co.uk/gallery/CROFT%20FINAL.pdf More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Yamaha Motor Italia Effort is Rewarded with Three Podiums The Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team today reaped the rewards of their weekend’s hard work to take three podium positions and regain their second place in the rider championship standings. Race one was an exciting start to the day with both Corser and Haga getting good starts to take second and fourth respectively in a four-man battle with Toseland and Bayliss. Haga set about moving forward through the pack and set the fastest lap of the race on lap four before a very close pass with Bayliss to take second behind Toseland. The two Troy’s were dicing for third when Bayliss crashed, giving Corser the advantage. Everything was settling down at the mid-race point when Haga ran hard into Surtees and had to take to the grass. He kept the bike upright and re-joined in 11th and dug in to climb back up to take seventh finishing place. Haga’s incident allowed Corser through to second, where he completed the race. Corser’s result in this race gave Yamaha their 150th WSB podium. Haga made another good start in race two to take the lead before Toseland forced his way through. Haga refused to let him get away though and the two riders broke away from the pack as they battled with each other for the race lead. Corser went into fifth place at the start and then had to work his way through the pack before joining the Haga-Toseland fight on lap 14. As the race wore on Haga and Toseland swapped places several times but Noriyuki was unable to maintain the lead and had to settle for second position as his tyres wore off. Haga took the second podium place with Corser riding shotgun to take third. Team Yamaha YZF riders Shinichi Nakatomi and Steve Martin were well-matched in their results today. In race one Martin finished in 11th while Nakatomi rode through his injuries sustained earlier this weekend to take 13th. In race two Martin took 15th with Nakatomi behind in 16th. Today’s results put Haga back in second championship place ahead of Biaggi. Troy Corser (2nd and 3rd – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “Both races were pretty much the same for me. The bike felt good even if it wasn’t quite 100%. There was a bit too much movement, although the tyres were pretty consistent over the race distance and over both races. I made some minor changes to the bike for the second race; suspension, mapping and fork settings mostly. I didn’t get a good start though, so just put my head down and worked my way through the field. I felt held back by some riders so it was good to get clear and catch Nori and James up. I was conscious of Nori’s championship points and was therefore content to settle for third. It’s been a good weekend with no problems; it’s all been very smooth.” Noriyuki Haga (7th and 2nd – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “In race one I was doing really well until I crashed. It happened because I was pushing the bike and tyres so much in order to catch James up. I was pleasantly surprised that nothing was broken on the bike, which allowed me to re-join the race and pick up nine valuable points. For the second race I kept the same tyres and made only some minor suspension changes, which gave me better feeling. After ten laps the bike started sliding and then I couldn’t push the bike so much and had to settle for second.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “After Friday I was a bit concerned as to how well we would do this weekend but it has turned out well and I’m pleased with our result. Nori’s crash in race one was unfortunate but we are very happy with three podium positions overall. Now we must keep focused despite the break before the next race.” Shinichi Nakatomi (13th and 15th – Team Yamaha YZF) “I’m happy to have two good results although I would’ve liked to have repeated my success from Brno. The bike is feeling good and stronger with every race. I am pleased to now have a few weeks to rest and recover from my crash.” Steve Martin (11th and 16th – Team Yamaha YZF) “The team has done a fantastic job this weekend and I’m happy that I did my best. Race one was quite good with 11th. Overall it’s a good weekend and I’d like to thank the team for their help.” Martial Garcia (Team Manager, Team Yamaha YZF) “I am happy with the achievements of both riders. Steve has helped us a lot this weekend and given us much to think about. I’d like to thank him for his efforts and wish him well for his British Superbike race. Tomi has done well considering his crash earlier this weekend and he has taken some very valuable points this weekend. ” Circuit Length: 4197 Temp: 27 Crowd: 120,000 Weather: Dry 2007 WSB Brands Hatch 05/08/2007 Race 1 – 25 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 James Toseland Honda GBR 36’35.120 2 Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 0’1.554 3 Max Biaggi Suzuki ITA 0’2.917 4 Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 0’10.202 5 Michel Fabrizio Honda ITA 0’14.133 6 Roberto Rolfo Honda ITA 0’14.323 7 Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 0’19.380 8 Regis Laconi Kawasaki FRA 0’22.676 9 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 0’24.259 10 Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 0’24.423 11 Steve Martin Yamaha AUS 0’33.365 12 Fonsi Nieto Kawasaki ESP 0’33.373 13 Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 0’33.548 14 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 0’48.283 15 Marty Nutt Yamaha GBR 1’4.655 Race 2 – 25 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 James Toseland Honda GBR 36’34.177 2 Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 0’1.686 3 Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 0’1.760 4 Michel Fabrizio Honda ITA 0’8.456 5 Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 0’8.988 6 Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 0’9.470 7 Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 0’18.313 8 Max Biaggi Suzuki ITA 0’19.116 9 Regis Laconi Kawasaki FRA 0’20.501 10 Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 0’20.586 11 Roberto Rolfo Honda ITA 0’21.808 12 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 0’24.883 13 Fonsi Nieto Kawasaki ESP 0’31.988 14 Karl Muggeridge Honda AUS 0’33.253 15 Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 0’36.868 Best Lap Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 1’26.590 Rider Standings 05/08/2007 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. James Toseland Honda GBR 355 2. Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 289 3. Max Biaggi Suzuki ITA 286 4. Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 258 5. Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 227 6. Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 163 7. Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 161 8. Roberto Rolfo Honda ITA 146 9. Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 123 10. Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 116 11. Michel Fabrizio Honda ITA 109 12. Regis Laconi Kawasaki FRA 98 13. Fonsi Nieto Kawasaki ESP 65 14. Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 58 15. Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 41 Manufacturer Standings 05/08/2007 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Honda 369 2. Yamaha 343 3. Ducati 325 4. Suzuki 305 5. Kawasaki 130 6. MV Agusta 1 Parkes Takes His Season’s Maiden Win Broc Parkes completed a textbook ride today to take his first win of the season. The victory was made all the sweeter for Yamaha as Massimo Roccoli finished third and Tommy Hill came home in fifth. At the beginning of the race Hill got a good start to take third with Parkes in fourth and Roccoli in fifth. Parkes made quick work of passing through the pack to take second behind Jones within one lap. Having set a new lap record on lap four, Parkes was on the charge towards the lead man when Jones crashed, leaving an open track ahead for the Yamaha rider. From there on it was a textbook ride for the young Australian as he increased his lead over Sofuoglu by 0.3 seconds per lap, eventually taking the win with a 3.6 second margin. With Parkes leading the way and Sofuoglu settled in second, Hill, Roccoli and Harms fought long and hard throughout the race for the final grid position. The riders swapped places and diced for position every lap with Roccoli winning the battle for third and Hill finishing in a well-earned fifth. Today’s result is Parkes’ second consecutive win at Brands and puts him fifth in the championship on equal points with Roccoli. Broc Parkes (1st – Yamaha World Supersport Team) “I got a good start and went pretty hard into the first corner; I knew I’d have to break free early on if I was to be in with a chance of winning. The bike felt really good and I saw Jones ahead so focused on catching him up. When he crashed I didn’t know which way the bike would go so I lost a bit of time avoiding that. The bike worked really well today and we found a good set-up this morning. It’s been a good day at the office! To get a win finally feels so good, this circuit has been good to me two years running now, and I look forward to coming back here next year.” Tommy Hill (5th – Yamaha World Supersport Team) “This race has turned out much better than I expected considering my crashes earlier in the weekend! I’m really pleased with my result and, although I felt I could’ve finished higher, I thought it was better to finish than crash. All three of us in that battle were riding on the edge by the end and I’m glad the tyre lasted the race distance. The team has worked really hard to get the bikes sorted for me and I’m very grateful. Knowing they were working late to repair the bike one night, I even brought them a crate of beer at one point! They’ve been great to work with and I’d like to thank the team for the opportunity to ride this weekend.” Terrell Thien (Team Manager, Yamaha World Supersport Team) “Today’s race was really good. Tommy improved a lot over the weekend and kept a good race pace. Without those crashes earlier this weekend I’m sure he could’ve been on the podium. He was wise to know when to back off though and not risk another crash. Broc’s victory was not as easy as it looked; we’ve had to do a lot of work on the set-up throughout the weekend but we found a suitable front tyre this morning and from there it all clicked into place. I’d just like to say thanks to the team, it has been a very busy one for them. I’m really pleased.” Massimo Roccoli (3rd – Yamaha Team Italia) “We’ve worked really hard this weekend to get the bike set up properly. Just after the start I knew I could do well. I knew that there were two places where I was faster than Harms and one of them was on the back straight. I took my chance there and it worked. I’d like to thank the team for their efforts.” Circuit Length: 4197 Temp: 24 Crowd: 120,000 Weather: Dry 2007 WSS Brands Hatch 05/08/2007 Race 1 – 23 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Broc Parkes Yamaha AUS 34’34.688 2 Kenan Sofuoglu Honda TUR 0’3.658 3 Massimo Roccoli Yamaha ITA 0’5.556 4 Robbin Harms Honda DNK 0’5.573 5 Tommy Hill Yamaha GBR 0’6.506 6 Fabien Foret Kawasaki FRA 0’10.113 7 Lorenzo Alfonsi Honda ITA 0’10.414 8 Barry Veneman Suzuki NED 0’14.236 9 Pere Riba Kawasaki ESP 0’15.978 10 Matthieu Lagrive Honda FRA 0’18.424 11 Gianluca Vizziello Yamaha ITA 0’25.083 12 Joan Lascorz Honda ESP 0’25.154 13 Sebastien Gimbert Yamaha FRA 0’25.442 14 Gregory Leblanc Honda FRA 0’28.957 15 Mauro Sanchini Kawasaki ITA 0’36.557 Best Lap Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time Broc Parkes Yamaha AUS 1’29.021 Rider Standings 05/08/2007 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Kenan Sofuoglu Honda TUR 206 2. Fabien Foret Kawasaki FRA 126 3. Katsuaki Fujiwara Honda JPN 87 4. Robbin Harms Honda DNK 83 5. Massimo Roccoli Yamaha ITA 75 6. Broc Parkes Yamaha AUS 75 7. Anthony West Yamaha AUS 66 8. Barry Veneman Suzuki NED 64 9. Lorenzo Alfonsi Honda ITA 45 10. Craig Jones Honda GBR 45 11. Gianluca Nannelli Ducati ITA 44 12. Andrew Pitt Honda AUS 40 13. Sebastien Charpentier Honda FRA 37 14. Pere Riba Kawasaki ESP 37 15. David Salom Yamaha ESP 34 20. David Checa Yamaha ESP 29 21. Sebastien Gimbert Yamaha FRA 25 22. Kevin Curtain Yamaha AUS 25 Manufacturer Standings 05/08/2007 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Honda 226 2. Yamaha 170 3. Kawasaki 137 4. Suzuki 71 5. Ducati 44 Corti Takes Fourth Podium of the Season Today saw a positive end to a good weekend for Claudio Corti with him finishing third having taken his second pole of the season yesterday. Matteo Baiocco put in a strong performance to finish in fourth while Pirro took ninth. Corti had shown his capability with his pole position and proceeded to get the holeshot at the start of the race to take the lead into the first corner. With Baiocco second and Van Keymeulen fourth it was shaping up to be a Yamaha battle. Unfortunately, Van Keymeulen ran wide and onto the grass on lap two and re-joined in 28th position but was forced to retire one lap later. Canepa put a strong pass on Corti at Druids on lap four, pushing Corti to second and Baiocco to third. Corti and Baiocco continued to fight for podium positions for the remainder of the race until a successful challenge from Simeon on lap 12 saw Corti move into third with Baiocco finishing just behind in fourth. Michele Pirro found himself embroiled in a midfield battle from start to finish in today’s race. Unfortunately, Pirro was unable to fend off some of the challenges and finished in ninth. As a show of appreciation to all the support from his British fans this weekend, Corti wore a special edition helmet this weekend. The helmet featured an Italian flag on the front and an English flag at the back. Corti also showed his alliance with his British fans with an ‘I love Brands Hatch’ T-shirt on the podium and a Union flag. Yamaha also did well in this weekend’s Superstock 600 double header. To make up for the cancelled round at Silverstone earlier in the season two races were held this weekend – one on Saturday and one on Sunday. In race one Yamaha made up five out of the top ten finishing spots with Berger taking the win and Magnoni third. Berger then repeated his win in race two today and now leads the championship with a 26 point lead. Claudio Corti (3rd – Yamaha Team Italia) “I got a good start and my pace was good until the rear tyre started sliding. I’m disappointed as this round was vital for me to improve my championship standing. But with three races to go I’m still in championship contention.” Matteo Baiocco (4th – Team Umbria Bike) “The race was very fast and many riders wanted to be on the podium. I was able to attack Simeon but when I was behind Corti I felt it would’ve been dangerous to try and challenge him. I’m still first in the championship though and we are one race nearer to the end of the season.” Michele Pirro (9th – Yamaha Team Italia) “This was my first visit to Brands and I was riding well in the first part of the race. Unfortunately I developed a pain in my right arm partway through, which I also suffered from at Misano and Brno. I need to work out why this is happening and resolve it before the next race.” Circuit Length: 4197 Temp: 25 Crowd: 120,000 Weather: Dry 2007 Superstock Brands Hatch 05/08/2007 Race 1 – 14 Laps Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time 1 Nicolo Canepa Ducati ITA 21’7.922 2 Xavier Simeon Suzuki BEL 0’0.654 3 Claudio Corti Yamaha ITA 0’2.212 4 Matteo Baiocco Yamaha ITA 0’2.394 5 Brendan Roberts Ducati AUS 0’3.130 6 Ayrton Badovini MV Agusta ITA 0’3.566 7 Ilario Dionisi Suzuki ITA 0’4.640 8 Mark Aitchison Suzuki AUS 0’5.763 9 Michele Pirro Yamaha ITA 0’10.051 10 Arne Tode Honda GER 0’10.284 11 Matej Smrz Honda CZE 0’13.642 12 Sheridan Morais Ducati RSA 0’14.439 13 Denis Sacchetti MV Agusta ITA 0’20.329 14 Danilo Dell’omo MV Agusta ITA 0’25.853 15 Barry Burrell Honda GBR 0’25.994 Best Lap Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time Mark Aitchison Suzuki AUS 1’29.317 Rider Standings 05/08/2007 Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points 1. Matteo Baiocco Yamaha ITA 128 2. Xavier Simeon Suzuki BEL 116 3. Mark Aitchison Suzuki AUS 108 4. Nicolo Canepa Ducati ITA 105 5. Claudio Corti Yamaha ITA 96 6. Ilario Dionisi Suzuki ITA 86 7. Michele Pirro Yamaha ITA 77 8. Didier Van Keymeulen Yamaha BEL 53 9. Brendan Roberts Ducati AUS 52 10. Matej Smrz Honda CZE 44 11. Rene Mahr Yamaha GER 43 12. Sheridan Morais Ducati RSA 33 13. Arne Tode Honda GER 24 14. Cederic Tangre Yamaha FRA 23 15. Marko Jerman Suzuki SVK 23 Manufacturer Standings 05/08/2007 Pos. Manufacturer Points 1. Yamaha 162 2. Suzuki 156 3. Ducati 130 4. Honda 60 5. MV Agusta 43 6. Kawasaki 4 More, from a press release issued by bp Concepts: WERA Middleweight Superbike endurance team “bp concepts” was back on top of the podium taking 1st in class for the third time during round 6 at Summit Point Motorsports Park this past weekend. Brandon Parrish comments: “The past two rounds we unfortunately had some bad luck with two DNF’s at about the 4 hour mark while running first in class at Road Atlanta and Gratten. This past week we were skeptical about how things were going to turn out because two of our riders could not make the 6 hour race. Andy Feuersthaler is out with an injured ankle due to a crash at Road Atlanta, and Ben Thompson was attending the AMA round at Mid Ohio. However, prior to the weekend we had made arrangements with Opie Caylor to ride with us the remainder of the season so we were not too worried and appreciate his help. As far as results, we couldn’t have asked for a better finish. Our NPSracing.com engines are always fresh; our Dunlop tires were awesome having one front and rear change at the half way point; our Gemini Motorsports quick change was super fast, our new gas tank made by Ricky Howerton was super nice, the modified dump can by Johnny at Wise Guys fabrication dumped very fast and all of our riders had flawless, fast paced stints to keep us at the front. Other than that, at Summit you can utilize the horsepower on the big bikes, so we were proud to be the first 600 behind the 1000’s for the overall finish of 6th place, finishing 2 laps ahead of RedStar and running an average of 2 seconds off the overall leaders pace. We look forward to round 7 at Talladega Gp on the 18th.” Opie Caylor Comments: “Just want to thank bp concepts for putting me on the bike this weekend. The bike performed great, as usual the Dunlop’s were excellent and kept us in the hunt, and we put in great stints and did what we had to do. I look forward to riding again.” More, from a press release issued by Team Moe’s/TVR: Team Moe’s/TVR on the WERA Endurance Podium Twice at Summit Point SUMMIT POINT, W. Va. Heat, humidity, an understaffed crew and a shortened rider roster were not enough to keep Team Moe’s/TVR from winning the Heavyweight Superstock class and finishing second overall in Saturday’s WERA National Endurance Series race at Summit Point. Chuck Ivey and Joshua Day were joined by Reuben Frankenfield for the six-hour race on the TVR Yamaha YZF-R1. Ivey and Day intended to share the riding, but former TVR regular Frankenfield stepped in to ride a stint when Day began having trouble with numbness in his hands and arms. Ivey started the race and rode three and a half stints before the checkered flag. Day put in two stints, and Frankenfield one. Ivey held down fourth overall in his opening stint, and from there the team moved up to the top of the Heavyweight Superstock class. After six hours of racing, the competition was still close between TVR and the other entries in the race. The Yamaha crossed the finish line with only 31.4 seconds over both Team Maxxis and Brand X. The close race for second overall was nearly lost in the final minutes of the race. The R1’s fuel tank capacity gave the team about 48 minutes between pit stops, but when Ivey got on the bike for the final stint there were 52 minutes left in the race. The fuel light came on with ten minutes to go, but Ivey decided to risk making it to the end. He conserved fuel as much as he could without allowing the other teams to close the gap. The gamble paid off and Ivey held onto second. For Ivey, taking another class win and standing on the overall podium was a rewarding end to the weekend. “I knew coming into the weekend we would have our work cut out for us,” said Ivey. “We just wanted to be consistent and run our pace; let everyone else wear themselves out and make mistakes. Josh and Reuben rode well and we got a new Pirelli front tire that let us save time on pit stops. We only had to change the front tire once. I would like to thank Keith, Chris, and Regina for their invaluable help in the pits.” “I knew going in that it would be a tough weekend,” said Day. “My first stint was pretty uneventful, but about halfway through my second stint my hands started to tingle and get numb. I finally signaled to come in, but I had to keep lapping until the team could get ready for a pit stop.” With the new Pirelli front, TVR hopes that no front tire changes will be required during upcoming four-hour races, significantly speeding up pit stops. Moe’s Southwest Grill serves fresh, healthy Mexican food with an emphasis on fast service and a fun atmosphere. The group of restaurants began in the Southeast U.S. and explosive growth over the past few years has made Moe’s Southwest Grill a household name. Moe’s locations can be found online at www.Moes.com. Fans can follow Team Moe’s/TVR’s quest for the Heavyweight Superstock title at www.TeamVelocityRacing.com.

The National Circuit at Donington Park plays host to a full action packed programme of the SuperClub Championship, supported by Honda, on Sunday 12th August. The event kicks off at 9.00am with Timed Practice. The competitive action starts at 11.30am and includes races for the big twin cylinder ‘Sound of Thunder bikes’, Grand Prix 250 and 125cc Pro-Bike Open and Sidecars. There are also races for the fascinating Bracken KTM 660 machines which are a transformed Supermoto bike with slick tyres – feet down action and sliding into corners brings a whole new dimension of wonder into this level of racing. The Ducati Desmo series is growing in stature and provides yet another full grid for their 12-lap-race. A staggering entry has been received for the Allcomers race which has required an additional two full grids to cater for the demand. The programme also features the ACU National Supermono Championship and these lusty singles bring their own distinctive sounds with them. The Formula 600 Class has long been the mainstay of bike racing at this level and Steve TOMES on his rapid Triumph 675 is locked in battle with Mark CRONSHAW from Rossendale in the chase for the title and the new 600 Honda which is up for grabs. Winterton’s Grahame FREER is snapping at CRONSHAW’s heels and is a mere eight points adrift at the moment. Points incidentally are scored on the Grand Prix basis. The season draws on; the competition is hot, and the Championship still has a long way to go. There are however, no runaway leaders take the Formula 400 class for example where leader of the series Barry POLL from Spalding only holds a 17 points advantage from nearest rival Jonty DIXON. It is even closer in the Honda Hornet Class for here Sean HARDWICKE leads Paul FRYER from Chertsey by a mere 10 points. The Honda CB500 series is really getting up to speed as after a good half seasons racing Andy BURBIDGE from Redditch finds himself leading Southamptons Ryan TYERS by the smallest possible margin of one solitary point. Sidecars are featured too, and here the competition is bound to be keen for among the prizes on offer is the prestigious Bill BODDICE trophy to be presented by the Donington Park Racing Association, long time supporters of all the races at Donington and the New Era Club in particular. A visit to Donington is always worthwhile perhaps more so at present for the World Championship Moto Cross will take place here just two weeks after this meeting on Sunday August 26th. Visitors will be able to witness the spectacular course which is currently being constructed and will see the World’s best Motocross riders going head-to-head in the UK. Admission to Donington for the New Era races on Sunday 12th August is £12 on the gate and car parking is free. For any further information please contact the New Era Office on 01920 444205 More, from a press release issued on behalf of Croft Circuit: SUPERBIKES ROAR INTO CROFT FOR THE BIG ONE! Britain’s premier motorsport series makes a welcome return to the race-starved North East when round ten of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship rolls into Croft Circuit near Darlington this weekend (10/11/12 August). And with the championship precariously poised and as close as it’s been all season, the North Yorkshire venue is sure to play a pivotal role part in deciding the destiny of the prestigious title. Just sixteen points separate the top two riders in the standings following a dramatic couple of rounds in recent weeks which has seen series leader and defending champion Ryuichi Kiyonari from Japan and HM Plant Honda team mate, Ulsterman Jonathan Rea, both crash out in two out of the last four races to throw the title race wide open. Hunting them down are the Airwaves Ducati pairing of English ace Leon Haslam and early season pace setter, Spaniard Gregorio Lavilla, who are both keen to end a winless streak at Yorkshire’s only permanent motorsport venue, whilst ex champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne will be looking to repeat his victory of last time out at Mallory for the local Stobart Motorsport team owned by Cumbrian businessman Paul Bird along with team mate Tom Sykes from Huddersfield. Another team with local interest involves the Hydrex Honda team run by Guisborough’s Shaun Muir and with riders Karl Harris and Guy Martin on board the Fireblades; they will be looking to add more silverware to what has been a successful season to date. Virgin Media Yamaha have local connections and their star rider Tommy Hill is another not to be discounted, as aren’t the Samsung Superbike Team with Leeds-based Aussie Dean Thomas at the helm and with the Rizla Suzuki pairing of Chris Walker and Cal Crutchlow showing a turnaround in their fortunes lately, they could well be at the front. Hoping to maintain local interest in the British Supersport Championship is Guisborough rider Dennis Hobbs aboard the Team Padgetts Honda and already this season, the 24 year old has sampled victory on three occasions and another local rider hoping for success is Middlesbrough’s Paul Veazey who returns from injury in the Metzeler Racetec National Superstock Championship aboard his 1000cc Krystal Yamaha. Darlington’s Jonathan Harrison (Superstock Cup) and Jamie Ferguson from Stockton (125cc) will be hoping for good rides at their local track in front of what is expected to be another bumper crowd. As well as the two, twenty lap feature races, a full support race programme is included during the weekend. Hereford rider Luke Jones leads the 125cc class with Nuneaton ‘s Tristan Palmer looking to increase his series lead in the British Superbike Cup. Ulsterman Michael Laverty leads the British Supersport Championship on his TAS Suzuki and Australian Glen Richards comfortably leads Metzeler Racetec National Superstock Championship aboard his Embassy Yamaha. Scotsman Norman Brunton leads Superstock Cup by a single point and another Ulster rider in the shape of BJ Toal heads the Virgin Media Cup on his Yamaha. Saturday’s action commences at 09.30 and sees the all-important qualifying sessions, including the session to set the grid for Sunday’s two superbike races (15.00) and the first of the weekend’s seven races takes place with the Metzeler Racetec National Superstock Championship race over 15 laps at 16.05. Due to stringent noise restrictions and to comply with local authority regulations, the action cannot commence until after 12.00 noon on Sunday whereby the action kicks off with the warm up sessions before the first race is scheduled to start at 12.40. However, during the morning, as well as there being an open paddock, there will be an hour-long ‘Pit Walk’ for fans to meet the riders and that is scheduled for between 10.00 and 11.00am .

Hopkins and Vermeulen rolling out for Rizla John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen return to action this weekend as the ‘guest stars’ for the annual Rizla Racing Day, as they demonstrate the awesome power and sound of the Suzuki GSV-R at the historic Assen Circuit in the Netherlands. The Rizla Racing Day is supported by Suzuki, and is a unique motorsport event that gives spectators a chance to witness many different forms of racing including; Formula 3 cars, Supercars, the European Superkart Championship and the latest rounds of the Dutch Superbike, Supersport and Superstock Championships all on one day. Plus for the first time in the event’s eight-year history the opportunity this year to witness the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R prototype MotoGP bike close-up-and-personal, as the two Rizla MotoGP racers put the machine through its paces around the 4.5km track. Hopkins and Vermeulen will first take to the track at 13.15hrs local time (11.15 GMT) for a five-lap demonstration, and then will follow this up with another five demo laps of the track at 14.00hrs local time. The Rizla Racing Day is a free-to-attend event with tickets and more information available by visiting www.rizla.nl The event takes place on Sunday 12th August, with the first race – a round of the CIK-FIA European Superkart Championship getting underway at 11.00hrs local time (09.00hrs GMT). John Hopkins: “This is a great event and one I’m really looking forward to being involved in. To see the different forms of racing that are there will be very interesting and it will be a good opportunity to open up MotoGP to a few new fans that have probably never heard or seen a MotoGP bike. We’ll certainly put on a good show for the spectators, that’s for sure!” Chris Vermeulen: “I’ve been really interested in this event since we were asked to attend; it is something so different it will be great to be involved. I have a big interest in cars as well as bikes so I’m hoping I get the chance to have a good look around the Supercars and see them in action. This is something quite unique having cars, bikes and karts on the same programme and I’m really pleased that we will be there as ‘special guests’ and show the Dutch fans what our bikes can do!”

Three Lucky Fans Will Win Mast Farm Inn/Club Ferdinand Hospitality for VIRginia International Raceway AMA Superbike Races VALLE CRUCIS, N.C. – With just a few more days to qualify, three lucky race fans will win hospitality from the famed Mast Farm Inn before and after the AMA Superbike Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals. Not just hospitality, but transportation to and from the track, as Club Ferdinand will provide the winners use of a new Porsche to drive to and from the race track. Fans who register before the looming deadline of August 6 will have an entry in the drawing for a chance to win lodging at the internationally-known Mast Farm Inn for the Thursday evening prior to the big race, and again for Sunday evening, following the event. In between, the three winners will have use of a new Porsche, courtesy Club Ferdinand, the first Exotic Car Sharing, or “Fleet Sharing Club” in the world, and has a fleet composed exclusively of Porsches. The three cars in line for the winners are: a Cayman S for first prize; a Boxter S for second place and a Cayenne S for third place. Besides the accommodations and cars, Club Ferdinand is providing the pace car for the weekend: a Porsche Carrera 4 Techart, to lead the pack around VIR for race starts. The accommodations are equally nice, with first place staying in the Loomhouse cottage. The Woodwork cottage will be occupied by the second place winner and third place will have the Blacksmith cottage for their quarters. Famed for its multi-faceted accommodations and scenic beauty, the Valle Crucis, N.C. inn has the Blue Ridge Mountains as its backdrop, just a few minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway. With its world-class reputation for service, food and accommodations, the Mast Farm Inn is one of the few inns across the country recognized as a member of the prestigious Select Registry. To learn more about the Inn, visit their web site at ~http://www.mastfarminn.com/~. The prizes, including the car and accommodations, are valued at between $1,600 and $2,000 according to the Inn and the Club. This is one of the ways we’ve found to say ‘thank you’ to our guests,” said promoter Cameron Gray. With partners like Mast Farm Inn and Club Ferdinand, we can enhance the experiences guests at our events have and add even more value to the weekend.” VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located just on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Virginia. Reopened in 2000, VIR today hosts nearly every kind of motorsport event possible. In addition to its 3.27 mile natural-terrain road racing circuit, VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America’s first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park; the Plantation Valley Kart Track, a 5/8 mile paved karting circuit; The Lodge at VIR, a 27-room trackside hotel; the VIR Paddock Suites and Garages, with 18 dual-purpose hospitality/lodging units and garages; Camp Motorsport; and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse. For more information on VIRginia International Raceway, visit the track’s website at www.virclub.com or telephone 434-822-7700. For more information on M1 Entertainment, visit their website at www.m1event.com or contact them via telephone at 303-377-3278. For more information on the AMA Superbike Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited, visit their website at www.amasuperbike.com.

Oschersleben 24 Hours set to be a decisive Championship race on 1112 August The fourth leg of the QMMF Endurance FIM World Championship, the Oschersleben 24 Hours in Germany, marks the start of the second half of the season and is set to be a decisive point in the race for the Championship. 35 points are on offer for the winner at Oschersleben on 12th August with only 25 points separating the two teams at the head of the classifications. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, second in the Superbike class at Suzuka, lead Kawasaki Motor France who did not take part in Japan. A thrilling battle therefore looks likely in Germany between these two official French teams. SERT have recorded two consecutive victories at Oschersleben, however Kawasaki France, winners at Albacete last May, will be formidable challengers for the top podium spot with everything at stake in this race. FCC TSR 778, the Japanese team that was victorious in the Superbike class at Suzuka and lie third in the overall classifications, is not taking part in Germany. This track, as highly demanding for the machines as for the riders, also offers certain permanent teams the opportunity to make an impact. Yamaha Austria Racing Team, fifth overall, along with Yamaha Phase One Endurance, Bolliger Team Switzerland Kawasaki and Endurance Moto 38, following their strong results at Suzuka, have all made an impressive leap up the classifications and could surprise a few people. Each of these permanent teams have been on the podium at Oschersleben in the past few seasons. The best performance has come from Endurance Moto 38 who were victorious in 2002 ahead of the Suzuki Zongshen and GMT 94, the top teams in the 2002 Endurance World Championship. As in every year, the 2007 Oschersleben 24 Hours will showcase a good number of German teams including one official team. 16th at the 2007 Le Mans 24 Hours, BMW Motorrad Motorsport will be using two R1200Ss in the Open category. Among the other peculiarities at this German race will be the sight on the track of the Harley Davidson VRSC RR of HD Racing Bonn as well as the two Super Dukes of the KTM Dealers team. One of the Super Dukes in fact finished in 18th position in 2006. Finally there will also be an MZ 1000 and four Triumph Daytonas entered into the Open category. Free practice will take place on Thursday morning and the first round of qualifying on Thursday afternoon before the night-time testing session. The second qualifying session is scheduled for Friday morning. The race itself will start on Saturday 11th August at 15:00. This German race is always supported by a festival of concerts, animations and shows. Oschersleben will welcome everyone to this tenth ever edition of the race. More, from a press release issued by Amadeus X-One: Will Gruy Comeback at Oschersleben 24 Hour Amadeus X One Welcome Back American Rider, Introduce Young Italian Nico Morelli for Classic German Race Nico Morelli, who comes from the Italian region of Tuscany, made his debut with Amadeus X One at Rijeka a few weeks ago and is an interesting addition to the team for the Oschersleben 24 Hour race. He will be the “reserve” rider on hand to replace Will Gruy if the injuries Gruy sustained in a road accident two months ago have not healed sufficiently. Gruy, of course, is determined to ride and to hold onto his place in the team: “All through the long process of recovery I have had in my mind the objective of being back at Ocshersleben, but I won’t hide the difficulties of this comeback. The German circuit is very tortuous and there’s no rest from physical effort. Also, a 24 hour race is surely the most difficult to face after a serious accident.” After a great race at Suzuka (finishing 2nd in SuperPorduction and scoring 5 vital points) on their Yamah YZF-R1, the team’s other riders Paolo Tessari and Riccardo Ricci are now endurance experts; reliable, consistent and fast like few others in the endurance paddock. More, from a press release issued by Steve Plater’s publicist: STEVE PLATER RETURNS TO ACTION After missing the last couple of outings because of injury, Woodhall Spa Superbike rider Steve Plater returns to action this week as he contests the fourth round of the FIM World Endurance Championship riding in a three man team for Kawasaki France in the 24-hour race at Oschersleben in Germany over Saturday and Sunday. The race marks the start of the second half of the season and is set to be a decisive point in the race for the championship. Thirty five points are on offer to the winner at Oschersleben and with only 25 points separating the two top teams it will be a highly competitive challenge for Plater whose Kawasaki team is running second to the Suzuki French team. Kawasaki France won the round at Albacete in Spain and was only a point adrift from Suzuki, but while the Kawasaki team did not compete in the Suzuka eight-hour race two weeks ago their closest rivals did and scored a strong second place to extend their series lead to 25 points. “Obviously we are looking for nothing less than the win at Oschersleben” said Plater. “We need to pick up as many points as possible over our rivals if we are to win the championship. I feel a lot better now and my ribs are healing well. I can actually sneeze or laugh now without any discomfort although I am still having a bit of difficulty getting into a comfortable position to sleep.” Plater is joined at Oschersleben by his two teammates Gwen Giabbani (France) and Julian Mazuecos (Spain) where free practice will take place on Thursday morning and the first round of qualifying on Thursday afternoon before the night-time testing session. The second qualifying session is scheduled for Friday morning. The race itself will start on Saturday, August 11 at 2pm and after a gruelling 24 hours ends on Sunday at 2pm (British time). Because the race clashes with the British Superbike round at Croft on Sunday, Keith Amor will once again deputise for Plater who will be back in action for the next round of the series which takes place at his local circuit of Cadwell Park on August 27.

Dunlop Motorcycle Tires Race Report: 2007 AMA Superbike Series, Round Eight, Mid-Ohio Lexington, Ohio–The eighth round of the 2007 AMA Superbike Series took on a Jekyll and Hyde character this weekend, August 3-5, as a beautiful day of racing on Saturday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was followed by a near total rainout on Sunday. Saturday’s race winners were Yoshimura Suzuki’s six-time Superbike champion Mat Mladin and reigning Formula Xtreme title holder Josh Hayes riding for Erion Honda Racing. Superbike race two went off late in the day on Sunday and again Mladin took the win. Darkness prevented the Supersport and Superstock races from running. As the dominant tire of the Superbike and support series–Formula Xtreme, Supersport and Superstock–Dunlop brought nearly 1900 tires to tame the storied Mid-Ohio circuit. Notable among the tire offerings were next-generation N-Tec Superbike and Superstock rear tires with enhanced grip and a multi-compound front tire (a first at this track) front tire for the Superbike, Superstock and Supersport riders with improved cornering feel. Despite the race-shortened weekend, Dunlop riders were dominant, capturing 28 of 30 possible top-ten finishing positions. Superbike Race One Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies, the 2006 Superbike champ, was in form leading up to the weekend’s first Superbike competition, ripping off a 1:24.424 in Friday’s practice session that was nearly a half-second faster than his qualifying record set last year. Then he qualified on Saturday with a 1:24.139, thanks in no small part to the next-gen N-Tec multi-compound rear tire and multi-compound front tire mounted on his Suzuki GSX-R1000. At the start of the race, Spies leapt into the lead and appeared en route to the victory when a red flag wiped out his six second lead over teammate Mladin. On the restart, it was Mladin’s turn to shine. He quickly worked his way up from fourth to challenge Spies and in the process turned several race-record laps, including an incredible 1:23.712. He took the lead on lap 18 and never looked back, winning the race by 4.807 seconds over Spies. “I’ve said that if I could get a good start I could race with Ben and when I found myself in fourth place just after the re-start, I knew I had to put my money where my mouth was,” said Mladin of his 58th career AMA Superbike win. “I tried to keep the pressure on and now we’ll try to come back tomorrow and get off the line a bit quicker.” Honda Racing’s Miguel Duhamel rode a spirited race and held off Jordon Motorsports Suzuki’s Aaron Yates by just .027 seconds at the checkered flag to take third, his sixth podium of the year. Dunlop riders took every one of the top ten finishing positions. AMA Superbike 24 Laps (shortened by red flag) Superbike results, Saturday, August 4: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Mat Mladin – Suzuki 2. Ben Spies – Suzuki 3. Miguel Duhamel – Honda 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 Honda Racing’s Josh Hayes brought a 34-point lead into the Formula Xtreme event at Mid-Ohio and he worked hard all weekend to build on it. Hayes qualified with a time of 1:26.661 on his CBR600RR, more than a second faster than last year’s pole-sitter, topping even Ben Spies’ 2003 class record of 1:27.229 when Formula Xtreme allowed 1000cc machines. In the race Hayes went flag-to-flag and his winning margin was just over five seconds. “The saving grace I had was my Dunlop tires and a fast motorcycle,” said Hayes of his fifth victory of the year. “The Hondas an amazing motorcycle. There’s a reason it’s got the number one plate on it, and we’re in good shape to keep it on there right now.” Celtic Performance Yamaha’s Chaz Davies rode an inspired race on a Supersport-spec YZF-R6 with Dunlop multi-compound tires front and rear, just missing second place by .107 seconds to take third. Eight of the top ten riders were on Dunlop tires. AMA Formula Xtreme 16 Laps Formula Xtreme results, Saturday, August 4: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Josh Hayes – Honda 3. Chaz Davies – Yamaha 4. Aaron Gobert – Honda 5. Larry Pegram – Ducati 6. Marty Craggill – Ducati 7. Ryan Andrews – Honda 8. Ryan Elleby – Honda 10. Chris Peris – Yamaha Formula Xtreme Championship Points after 8 of 10 races: Top three riders 1. Hayes – 249 2. Rapp – 199 3. Gobert – 186 Superbike Race Two After an all-day delay caused by incessant rain, a shortened 18-lap Superbike race took place after the riders concluded a brief 15-minute practice. Nearly all the Dunlop riders selected the same compounds they used on Saturday to compete on the drying track. Factory Yamaha’s Eric Bostrom took the lead going into turn one but by the end of the first lap, Spies had taken over. From a fourth-place start Mladin quickly worked his way forward on his GSX-R1000 and he was behind Spies by the end of lap two. Steady pressure and a string of ever-faster laps brought Mladin up to Spies’ rear wheel and he took the lead on lap six. Mladin slowly motored away, turning his fastest lap on the ninth circuit with a time of 1:24.803, and he took the checkered flag on his 59th career Superbike win with 1.868 seconds to spare. “The track was a little bit sketchy right after the rain and there was not quite as much rubber down,” said Mladin. “But we had a good race, I was happy to get the win and we look forward to the race a couple of week from now.” Spies took second and Kawasaki Racing’s Jamie Hacking took third, his second third-place finish of the year for his team’s first year in the Superbike series. Of the top-20 finishers, all but one rode on Dunlop tires. AMA Superbike 18 Laps (shortened from 26) Superbike, Sunday, August 5: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Mat Mladin – Suzuki 2. Ben Spies – Suzuki 3. Jamie Hacking – Kawasaki 4. Aaron Yates – Suzuki 5. Jake Zemke – Honda 6. Miguel Duhamel – Honda 7. Eric Bostrom – Yamaha 8. Roger Hayden – Kawasaki 9. Tommy Hayden – Suzuki 10. Matt Lynn – MV Agusta Superbike Championship Points after 14 of 19 races: Top three riders 1. Spies 486 2. Mladin 469 3. Duhamel 360 Supersport Championship Points after 7 of 10 races (no race at Mid-Ohio): Top three riders 1. Roger Hayden – 214 2. Hacking – 201 3. Hayes 185 Superstock Championship Points after 6 of 9 races (no race at Mid-Ohio): Top three riders 1. Spies – 215 2. B. Bostrom 176 3. Yates – 170 The next stop for Dunlop and the 2007 AMA Superbike Series is Virginia International Raceway, Alton, Virginia, August 17-19. Round nine features a Superbike doubleheader. More, from a press release issued by Team M4 EMGO Suzuki: SUPERSPORT AND SUPERSTOCK CANCELED IN OHIO Team M4 EMGO Suzuki did not race on Sunday as the Supersport and Superstock races were cancelled. While it rained much of Sunday, the support classes did not race after the Superbike due to what the race officials described as darkness and water on the circuit in turn one. “If it was up to me, we would have raced, but I can see both sides,” said Geoff May. “It’s disappointing we did not get a chance to compete this weekend but that’s the way it goes sometimes.” Team M4 EMGO Suzuki will next race at Virginia International Raceway, August 17-19. More, from a press release researched and written by Cycle News reporter and columnist Henny Ray Abrams for Honda Racing: Podium for Duhamel at Mid-Ohio American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel scored his sixth podium of the season in Saturday’s red flag-interrupted AMA Superbike race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Duhamel followed it up with a sixth in Sunday’s rain-delayed race, one spot behind teammate Jake Zemke. Zemke ran third in the early going on Sunday and battled to the end, but was slowed by clutch problems. On Saturday, Zemke fought front-end chatter to an eighth place finish. Duhamel was in fourth place when Saturday’s race was red-flagged on the 14th of 28 laps. Scoring reverted to the end of the 12th lap, the last one the entire field completed, and the race was shortened by two laps, as per new rules instituted at this race. Duhamel was quickly in the mix, soon fronting a thrilling battle for third among five riders, which included Aaron Yates, the Suzuki rider who narrowly denied Duhamel a podium at the previous race in Laguna Seca. Yates repeatedly probed Duhamel in turn one, but Duhamel wasn’t to be denied. And on a track where he’s won numerous Superbike, Supersport, and Formula Xtreme races, he added to his rostrum count with a fighting third. A spring change by his team in the interval between the two legs made the difference. “We made progress. We went faster,” Duhamel said. “Obviously, we need to go quite a bit faster tomorrow to at least be a little bit closer, and hopefully try to win one of these things, because that’s really what we’d like to do.” The gap to Yates was .027 seconds, with third through seventh covered by less than a second. Just behind that pack was American Honda’s Jake Zemke. Zemke had front chatter problems in both legs, though the front end was slightly better in the second leg. The team was able to alleviate some of the front-end chatter on Sunday, only to run into clutch issues. Sunday’s race was delayed until about a 7:15 p.m. start while the track was dried from morning and afternoon showers. Mid-Ohio is one of several tracks where wet racing is prohibited for safety reasons. Both races were won by Suzuki’s Mat Mladin over teammate Ben Spies. Miguel Duhamel, 3rd, 6th “We just try to do the best that we can out there. Aaron (Yates) showed me a wheel. I thought maybe it was Eric (Bostrom), but coming out of (turn) one, Aaron showed me a wheel a little bit. Then I thought, “Okay, it’s Aaron.” So I just rode as hard as I could. I had a good pace. I did some low 25’s; for us, it’s okay. I was able to hold him off. At the end of the last lap, I just made sure that I covered all my X’s and my O’s and brought the bike home. We had a great race at Laguna Seca. For sure I was thinking a little bit about that, going, “Well, this would be a fair trade.” I’m happy I was able to bring it home. The guys did a lot of work. I tipped it over twice in the Keyhole. No big damage to the bike. A little bit too me, but not too bad. They did a lot of work, so my point is I’m happy I brought it on podium for them for this weekend.” “It was almost a comedy of errors for me (on Sunday) and I take full blame for our poor result today. The bike was good, the CBR1000RR was awesome. I just got a little bit spun out when I went out on the warm-up up lap. I felt a vibration in the brakes and forgot we had new brakes. When we have hot brake pads and discs that are cold and it vibrated a bit and it threw me off to the point where I forgot to turn the traction control off for the start and that’s why my start was very average. I had to get that out of my head with the brakes and after that it was just a comedy of errors, braking too hard, getting off the track. Then the lapped riders totally went against me.” Jake Zemke, 8th, 5th “We had chatter in both legs on Saturday. Actually, it was probably a little worse in the first leg than the second leg. We went to a different front tire for the second leg, but it was still there. It doesn’t even matter, any time you lean the thing over, it chatters, even when you pick the throttle back up. We’ve got data showing the thing just actually getting worse in some spots when you pick the throttle back up. There’s off cambers and rises and stuff you’ve got to go over. It’s impossible to get the bike turned when it’s doing that. Even on the re-start it was doing it, but I really put my head down and I got right back up to the back of those guys. There’s a couple areas of the track where I could make time, but then I’d just lose it all. We’ll get it fixed for tomorrow, hopefully.” “I actually was in third for probably about a third of the race and then Jamie (Hacking) got by me in the second third and then Aaron (Yates) got me in the last third (on Sunday). I had to pass a couple of guys, I had to pass Aaron and I had to pass Eric (Bostrom) both to get up to third. I started in fifth. Took me a few laps to get by them and when I did I felt good and I felt confident I could get away. But we had another issue with our clutch today and it was really strange. We went up to that little practice, warm-up thing they had, I could feel it. Basically, the slipper clutch wasn’t slipping. It was working like a standard clutch. So if I released the clutch going into the corner, the back end would chatter off the ground. I had to adjust a little bit for that and try to remember how to ride a Supersport bike. By having to ride that way I wasn’t getting into the corner the way I wanted to or thought I would. So I was definitely losing some time going into the corners. We got rid of a lot of the chatter problems we had yesterday, but we’re still fighting a little bit of chatter too.” Road Race Team Manager Ron Heben “Saturday we were happy with Miguel (Duhamel) getting a third and Jake (Zemke) had a good ride too. If we had some more practice time today (Sunday) we could have put together a better package, but that’s racing. It certainly looked like we were going to have a good finish. Jake had a good start. Miguel kind of struggled a little bit on the start. Jake got himself in third and seemed to be moving along pretty well. The pack fighting for third was quite intense. It was looking good in the early part of race with Jake and Miguel. Then Jake ran into clutch problems and couldn’t maintain his pace. We made some headway on some things that we improved as far as yesterday’s set-up, but we’re still not good enough. Now we’re going to test at Road Atlanta and work on things that we’ve got to improve on and prepare for VIR (Virginia International Raceway).” Saturday Superbike: 1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 2. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 3. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 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) Sunday Superbike: 1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 2. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 3. Jamie Hacking (Kawasaki) 4. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 5. Jake Zemke (Honda) 6. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 7. Eric Bostrom (Yamaha) 8. Roger Lee Hayden (Kawasaki) 9. Tommy Hayden (Suzuki) 10. Matt Lynn (MV Agusta) Championship Standings: 1. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 486 2. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 459 3. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 360 4. Jake Zemke (Honda) 342 5. Tommy Hayden (Suzuki) 336 6. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 326 7. Jason DiSalvo (Yamaha) 300 8. Jamie Hacking (Kawasaki) 289 9. Eric Bostrom (Yamaha) 274 10. James Ellison (Honda) 256 More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office: Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin overcame inclement weather and an all-day rain delay to win Sunday’s AMA Superbike race and therefore sweep both AMA Superbike races of the weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. This is the second Mid-Ohio win for six-time AMA Superbike Champion Mladin and it’s his eighth win at the Lexington circuit. Additionally, this win is Mladin’s eighth of the 2007 season and his 59th career AMA Superbike victory. Team mate and defending AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies followed Mladin home in second place in both Saturday’s and Sunday’s races. This result means that Spies retains command of the AMA Superbike points chase. Yoshimura Suzuki team mate Tommy Hayden rounded out the weekend with two strong top-10 finishes by coming in ninth in both events. Mat Mladin: “It was a good race even though the track was a little sketchy after the rain. If I had to retire tomorrow, then I’d be a happy person by being able to win races and do what I’ve done. So I’m out there enjoying myself and racing a kid who’s got a bright future ahead of him. To be able to do that, that’s pretty good.” Ben Spies: “I gave it my all today but we just didn’t have what it took. After Mat got past me, we tried to rebound and be there but we just didn’t have it. It’s going to be tough to get it turned around but we had pretty good speed today. We made a mistake that was my fault, but the bottom line is that we’re not getting it done right now. But VIR is coming up and I’ve had some good speed there in the past. We’ve still got the points lead, though it’s not as big as we’d like it to be. If we’re going to win the title we have to win a couple races.” Tommy Hayden: “Today’s race was a lot like yesterday’s, to be honest — and not just because we got the same result. We didn’t have a red flag today but we had the rain that lasted all day. Also, we were still struggling with some specific areas of the track. But I’m working with my crew on getting more comfortable on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000. We have some testing to do next week and then we’ll be focusing on the Virginia race.” All of Suzuki’s road race teams will return for round nine of the AMA Superbike Series at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, VA, the weekend of Aug. 17 – 19, 2007. AMA Superbike Top 10 Finishers: 1. Mat Mladin (Yoshimura Suzuki) 2. Ben Spies (Yoshimura Suzuki) 3. Jamie Hacking (Kawasaki) 4. Aaron Yates (Jordan Suzuki) 5. Jake Zemke (Honda) 6. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 7. Eric Bostrom (Yamaha) 8. Roger Hayden (Kawasaki) 9. Tommy Hayden (Yoshimura Suzuki) 10. Matt Lynn (Suzuki) More, from a press release issued by Team Moto Xtreme Colombia: Santiago Villa finish 18th in the second Superbike race on Sunday and was the only Latin American on track after they cancel Supersport and Superstock. With this results (15th and 18th) in both races Villa is now 27th in Superbike and 24th in Superstock. “It was a difficult race. The track was dry but it was very slippery. I just try to stay up and make the pass on Johnny Rock Page and James Kerker,” said Villa. More, from a press release issued by Robertino Pietri’s publicist: PIETRI EN EL TOP TEN Logró el décimo mejor tiempo en las clasificaciones. El piloto venezolano Robertino Pietri correrá mañana en el circuito Mid-Ohio en la categoría Superstock en el marco de la octava válida AMA Superbike de este año. Pietri, quien en las prácticas oficiales del día viernes registró el séptimo mejor tiempo con 1:27.3, esta mañana se encontró con caracterísitcas totalmente distintas a la del día anterior. Ayer en la noche llovió en Ohio y a pesar de que no continuó en horas de la mañana, ningún piloto de la categoría pudo mejorar su record del viernes excepto el líder del torneo, Ben Spies. El factor lluvia hizo que Pietri y su equipo, Roadracingworld.com, no pudieron adaptar la motocicleta a las nuevas condiciones del circuito, por lo que el criolló registró un tiempo de 1:27.6 en la pole position, asegurando la décima casilla en la salida de mañana. A pesar de empeorar su marca, Pietri asegura sentirse preparado para la carrera. Afirma que él, junto a su ingeniero y a su mecánico ya están trabajando en su Suzuki GSX-R1000, para tratar de hacer una exitosa carrera y continuar la buena racha de suma de puntos que ha logrado en las últimas válidas. Actualmente está en el noveno lugar de la tabla general del campeonato. El norteamericano Ben Spies logró la pole position de esta válida al registrar un tiempo de 1:25.1, logrando así el reocrd de pista para la categoría Superstock. Spies también lidera el campeonato con 215 unidades acumuladas. More, from another press release issued by Robertino Pietri’s publicist: Las carreras de las categorías Supersport y Superstock fueron suspendidas PIETRI SE QUEDÓ CON LAS GANAS El venezolano no pudo sumar puntos en Mid-Ohio. Desde el jueves más de 500 competidores viajaron a la cuidad de Lexington en los Estados Unidos, donde se encuentra el circuito de Mid-Ohio, para disputar la octava válida del campeonato AMA Superbike 2007. La competencia empezó con toda normalidad el viernes, cuando se produjeron las prácticas oficiales de todas las categorías, pero al pasar este día todo cambió. El venezolano Robertino Pietri está participando en la categoría Superstock, el viernes practicó y logró el séptimo mejor tiempo y aseguró que se sentía muy cómodo en la pista, pero cuando arribó al circuito para participar en la pole position, vio como la lluvia había hecho de las suyas. Pietri, así como los demás pilotos, tuvo que hacer ajustes con el tiempo contado para poner su motocicleta a punto, pero no pudo mejorar su registro del día anterior y clasificó de décimo. Una vez terminada la clasificación, el anzoatiguense junto a su equipo, empezaron a trabajar para que la lluvia no fuera un factor sorpresa en la carrera del día siguiente. Las carreras del domingo estaban pautadas para empezar en horas de la mañana, la categoría donde participa el criollo tenía prevista correr de última, pero la fuerte lluvia volvió y no cesó sino a las dos de la tarde. A partir de ese momento el personal técnico del circuito trabajaron sin descanso para poner la pista en condiciones de carrera. Se hizo un nuevo calendario donde la primera se realizaría a las 6:15 de la tarde y donde se estudiaría la posibilidad de posponer la competencia para el lunes. Todas las categorías lograron realizar sus carreras menos la Supersport y la Superstock de Pietri. Esto debido a que no se cumplía con los requisitos mínimos de seguridad que debería tener la pista por ya tener que continuar la válida en horas de la noche. “Me siento frustrado porque me sentía preparado para correr en lluvia, la moto estaba en buenas condiciones. Pero eso ya es pasado, tengo que pensar en la próxima válida en Virginia” dijo joven de 22 año. Hasta ahora los organizadores de la competencia no han tomado una decisión de cómo los pilotos de las dos categorías afectadas van a recuperar los puntos que podrían haber sumado en Mid-Ohio pero aseguraron tener una respuesta a la brevedad. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Attack Kawasaki’s Attard Earns Second in Formula Xtreme in Ohio Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Hayden Rounds Out Top-Five in Superbike Lexington, Ohio-Attack Kawasaki’s Ben Attard captured a second-place finish in the AMA Formula Xtreme race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Roger Hayden came from behind to finish the AMA Superbike race in fifth. After just missing the podium at the last AMA Formula Xtreme in Utah, Attard put together another solid race aboard his Kawasaki ZX™-6R. He rode through a broken brake adjuster and was able to finish in the runner-up position, his second podium finish of the season. “It was definitely a great race,” said Attard. “We have been fast all weekend and it helped build up my confidence to know that I had the pace to be up front. There are a lot of turns here and the bike was flowing really well on this track. It helped to show we can be up there competing to win these races.” Attack Kawasaki’s Steve Rapp started on pace, but had to back off when he experienced a tire issue. He did his best to stay with the front-runners and ended the day with a respectable ninth place. “We are going to take what we learned about our tire choice from today and use it for tomorrow’s race,” said Rapp. In the first of two AMA Superbike races this weekend, Hayden continued to impressive aboard his Kawasaki ZX™-10R. He was running in seventh when the red flag came out on lap 14, and was able to come in, make a few adjustments and change tires. After the restart, he made several clean passes to eventually round out the top-five. “I actually benefited from the red flag and was able to go faster the second half of the race,” said Hayden. “We kind of struggled all weekend so this was a good finish for us. Hopefully tomorrow we can get another good start and get up to the front.” Monster Energy Kawasaki rider Jamie Hacking was running in fifth when he suffered a low-side crash during lap five. He was not injured but unable to return to the race. The AMA Supersport and second AMA Superbike races are set to race Sunday afternoon at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. AMA Superbike Championship Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, Ohio August 4, 2007 AMA Formula Xtreme Results 1. Joshua Hayes, Gulfport, Miss., Honda 2. BEN ATTARD, MURIETTA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI 3. Chaz Davies, Nyack, N.Y., Yamaha 4. Aaron Gobert, Murrieta, Calif., Honda 5. Larry Pegram, Pataskala, Ohio, Ducati 6. Martin Craggill, Boulder, Colo., Ducati 7. Ryan Andrews, Robinson, Texas, Honda 8. Ryan Elleby, Phoenix, Ariz., Honda 9. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI 10. Chris Peris, Calgary, Canada, Yamaha AMA Formula Xtreme Standings 1. Joshua Hayes, Gulfport, Miss., Honda, 249 2. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 199 3. Aaron Gobert, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 186 4. Larry Pegram, Pataskala, Ohio, Ducati, 156 5. BEN ATTARD, MURIETTA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 150 6. Bobby Fong, Stockton, Calif., Suzuki, 133 7. Chaz Davies, Nyack, N.Y., Suzuki, 131 8. Ryan Andrews, Robinson, Texas, Honda, 115 9. Ryan Elleby, Phoenix, Ariz., Honda, 110 10. Martin Craggill, Boulder, Colo., Ducati, 102 AMA Superbike Results 1. Mathew Mladin, Henderson, Nev., Suzuki 2. Ben Spies, Longview, Texas, Suzuki 3. Miguel Duhamel, Las Vegas, Nev., Honda 4. Aaron Yates, Milledgeville, Ga., Suzuki 5. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI 6. Eric Bostrom, Las Vegas, Nev., Yamaha 7. Jason Disalvo, Stafford, N.Y., Yamaha 8. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda 9. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki 10. James Ellison, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Suzuki AMA Superbike Standings 1. Ben Spies, Longview, Texas, Suzuki, 454 2. Mathew Mladin, Henderson, Nev., Suzuki, 432 3. Miguel Duhamel, Las Vegas, Nev., Honda, 335 4. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 316 5. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki, 314 6. Jason Disalvo, Stafford, N.Y., Yamaha, 300 7. Aaron Yates, Milledgeville, Ga., Suzuki, 299 8. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 260 9. Eric Bostrom, Las Vegas, Nev., Yamaha, 250 10. James Ellison, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Honda, 236 11. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 223