30th ‘Coca Cola Zero Suzuka 8 Hours’ kicks off 29th July in Japan The third leg of the QMMF Endurance FIM World Championship, the ‘Coca Cola Zero Suzuka 8 Hours’, will be fought out next Sunday on the famous Japanese circuit of Suzuka. The free tests will take place on the Thursday, with qualifying on the Friday. The race starts on Sunday 29th July at 11:30 local time, and will finish at 19:30. 85 teams have registered to take part. The 18 permanent World Championship teams will go head to head with a number of Japanese teams among whom are the well-known factory teams. There are several permanent teams who are well-placed to do well at this particular course. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team has the most experience of all the competitors at Suzuka with more than twenty appearances at the race. SERT won the Suzuka 8 Hours in 1983 and has finished on the podium many times. Partnering Vincent Phillipe and Matthieu Lagrive is Julien Da Costa who is making his first appearance at the Suzuka 8 Hours. The official French team Suzuki will be looking to put the performance of 2006 to the back of their minds when they had several falls and finished in 38th place. Yamaha Austria Racing Team were the best placed permanent team in 2006. YART finished 10th overall and 1st in the Superbike category. Their objectives will be the same this year to finish in the top ten. In the absence of Sebastien Scarnasto who is resting his injuries from the start of the season, YART has turned to Australian rider Steve Martin to ride alongside Igor Jerman and Damian Cudlin. Another team experimenting in Suzuka is Yamaha Phase One Endurance who have finished in the top 20 in the past three seasons. At Suzuka the German Stefan Nebel replaces Didier Van Keymeulen alongside Warwick Nowland and Glen Richards. Many permanent teams have already tried their chance in the past at Suzuka – Bolliger Switzerland would probably rather forget its engine breakdown on the first lap of the course last year. While other teams are also hoping to improve on their performance in 2006, including Suzuki Sweden (23rd overall last year, third in the Superbike category), Diablo Bolliger 666 Kawasaki (31st in 2006, 11th in the Superbike category), Endurance Moto 45 (42nd, 1st in Superstock) and Zone Rouge (not classified last year). Eurosport Benelux, who will take part at the Suzuka 8 Hours for the first time, have formed a partnership with another team FCC TSR winner of the 2006 Suzuka 8 Hours. On the seat of the Honda FCC TSR will be Heinz Platacis alongside two Japanese riders who are specialists in this event. Their objective is a top ten finish. For many other teams this race is likely to be a baptism of fire. Endurance Moto 38 Yamaha, Raffin Motos Kawasaki, LTG 57, ABG Performance, RMT 21 Racing Honda, Amadeus X One and Maco Moto Racing will all be appearing for this first time at this Japanese race. The same goes for Qatar Endurance Racing Team. However QERT has recruited two Japanese riders to guide its Kawasaki and partner up with Mashel Al Naimi. Absent from Suzuka is the No Limits team who have been replaced by RT Racing & Motovirus. Riding the Suzuki is Eric Monot, previously the rider for No Limits, and two Japanese riders. The line-up for this Suzuka 8 Hours is almost exclusively Japanese, the only exception being the Ducati 999R La Belezza Speed registered by a Japanese team.

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Another Podium for Tunstall Hardinge Ice Valley racer Tom Tunstall was on the podium once again, as the British Superbike Championship took to Mallory Park in Leicestershire over what was a difficult weekend. With the scheduled practice and qualifying session abandoned due to torrential rain and the tragic fatal accident of fellow Superbike rider Ollie Bridewell the grid positions for Sunday’s races were decided by championship positions. And boosted by his strong performance last time out at Oulton Park Tunstall was posted the 3rd of the Cup riders. An extended 35 minute free practice session on Sunday morning was the only opportunity for the Superbike riders and teams to set up there high powered 1000cc machines to suit the tight 1.41mile circuit. After the session Tunstall commented; “It was a difficult session as I had quite a few issues to try and iron out to make the bike work. I’ve never raced on this current circuit layout before which doesn’t help. On corner entry I was struggling with stability and on the exit I didn’t have any grip we’re going to take a bit of a gamble on set-up going into the first race” Showing total commitment the Yorkshirman gained places taking an outside line in the first chicane and ended lap one in 2nd. Heading into “Edwina’s Chicane” on lap five Tunstall selected a false neutral causing him to run off the track losing vital time and positions. By the flag he had dropped to fifth and once back in the pits explained further; “The first lap went really well and I was working at making a fast rhythm. I’m really annoyed about getting the neutral as I’m convinced I could have held 2nd or at least made a good fight for it. I was still struggling with the bike. We’ll see if we can improve it for race two” Second time wasn’t so lucky for the Honda mounted Tunstall as he ended the opening lap of race two back in 6th. Keen not the lose touch with the cup leaders he pushed his way to 5th on lap two picked off another place two laps later. Lapping faster than in the previous outing, Tunstall was working hard to close the three second gap to the riders ahead. On lap nine however Cup riders James Buckingham and Marty Nutt collided along with Aaron Zanotti promoting Tom up to 3rd and sealing his 8th podium finish of the year. “Race two was tough as I still couldn’t ride the bike as hard as I would like, the bike was fighting me a bit too much and in some parts of the track I had to ride slow to keep it stable and stay on the track! The set-up changes we made helped in some areas but made the bike worse in others. The lack of set-up time has hindered me more than most due to my lack of superbike experience and data. All things considered though, I’m happy to come away with another podium. “It’s been a very difficult weekend on many levels, and Ollie’s accident has affected everyone in the paddock as he was such a great, genuine guy – he will be deeply missed.” The next round of the Championship takes place in Tom’s home county of Yorkshire at the Croft circuit on August 12th. More, from a press release issued by Hawk Colchester Kawasaki: Confident Result for Hawk Colchester Kawasaki Mallory Park Round 9 Despite weather conditions much more suited to Sykes Pumps throughout the weekend at Mallory Park the Hawk Colchester Kawasaki riders Scott Smart and Peter Hickman gained some solid results for the team. Scott gained two 10th places and Hicky a 14th and 16th in the two gruelling races at the small circuit. Only turning a wheel on the Kawasaki ZX10’s on Sunday morning, where they were allocated a half hour practice session, the first of the weekend the two riders quickly adjusted to the twisted track. The Friday and Saturday sessions were cancelled due to very poor weather conditions and only a few of the teams ventured out on Saturday afternoon. The weather took a change for the better on Sunday morning and it was all systems go. The Hawk team got their first opportunity to test the bikes and find a good set up for the two 30-lap races that afternoon. They ended the session with Smart in 12th and Hicky in 21st, both riders were to take to the grid in their overall Championship positions. This saw Smart starting in 14th place and Hicky in 17th. The pair gained good start in the race one and at the end of lap two Smart had moved through the pack and was sitting in 10th place and Hicky had been passed by Tristan Palmer and was pushed down to 18th. Whilst Smart was locked in a three way battle for ninth place with Cal Crutchlow and Leon Camier, Hicky was fighting to get in the points and was making progress through the field. Reigning British Superbike Champion Ryuichi Kiyonari crashed out at Edwina’s on lap 22, hoisting the riders another place. Smart gained 10th and Hicky a confidence boosting 14th. Smart gained another good start in the second race and settled into 11th position after lap one, Hicky got blocked into the first chicane and ended up in 19th place after the opening lap. With the safety car being deployed on lap nine the riders were able to bunch up and prepare for the restart. Smart was locked in a tight battle with factory Honda’s Leon Camier for the duration of the 30-lap assault, with Smart eventually coming out victorious and securing a strong 10th place. Hicky battled his way through the field and just missed out on the points in 16th place when the race was red flagged when Honda rider Jonathan Rea crashed out at the Bus Stop Chicane. Smart commented “It’s been a difficult weekend by all accounts. Losing my team-mate from last year, Ollie Bridewell, certainly put a downer on the whole occasion. Once again Stuart Higgs and his team did a fantastic job and made some difficult decisions this weekend. With only having half an hour on Sunday morning we were always going to be a little bit on the back burner as to what settings to use. Thankfully the races went without any major hick-ups and I gained a pair of tenth places, which I am pretty pleased about.” Hicky said “I only heard my bike started up for the first time on Sunday and I knew with me starting from my Championship position at Mallory that the race was always going to be difficult as it’s such a hard track to pass at. I got my head down and did the best I could, I’m pretty happy and stayed on which is always a bonus. I would like to pass on my thoughts and condolences to all the Bridewell family, he’ll be sadly missed around the paddock.” All of the Hawk Colchester Kawasaki Team would like to send their thoughts and sincere condolences to the Bridewell family. The next race is at Croft Circuit on the 10th 12th August. More, from a press release issued by Centurion Racing: More Points for the Centurion Boys In difficult circumstances at Mallory Park this weekend the Centurion Racing Team secured another set of strong results in round nine of the Maxxis British Supersport series. After the tragic loss of Ollie Bridewell during the first British Superbike practice on Friday. Plus activities being cancelled on Friday and the majority of Saturday due to the torrential weather conditions, James Westmoreland and Dan Cooper gained a confident 12th and 13th place respectively in the race. The two youngsters only had one full practice session on Sunday morning in the glorious sunshine before going into the 28-lap race. Under the circumstances the riders qualifying positions were taken from their current Championship positions. This meant Westy was sitting in ninth place on the grid and Cooper in 14th. Both gained a reasonable start and held their position at the end of the first lap. At the technical 1.41-mile circuit passing opportunities are limited but both made a valiant effort to work their way through the field. Cooper passed a number of riders and was on a mission to catch his team-mate, and was sat behind him after fighting his way past Aaron Walker on lap 18. Westy took the Supersport Cup race win and extended his lead in the Cup championship commenting “After a difficult weekend I’m pretty satisfied with 12th place. With hardly any dry track time I felt like I did a good job to bring the bike home where I did. Although 12th doesn’t sound very impressive, Mallory has always been a track that I struggle at and now I’m happy to put it behind me and look forward to Croft. I would like to thank the Centurion Team and Dunlop for doing a great job once again.” Cooper rode and exceptional race, after losing his best friend Ollie on Friday, he battled through the very difficult circumstances saying, “It’s been an emotional weekend for me, Ollie and I were very close and losing him like this was very hard. The team gave me the choice if I wanted to race or not but I know Ollie wouldn’t want it any other way and I wanted to have a good race for him. I did a few laps in the wet on Saturday and it was hard to focus on the job in hand but I regained my focus and ended up in fourth place. I started from 14th position on the grid and got a reasonable start, the new bikes are fantastic and Mallory is a very tricky circuit to pass on, I mastered my way past a few people and had to settle behind Westy as I was pushing my tyres to its limit. I was happy to bring the bike home and in the points, I’m going to spend some time with the Bridewell family this week and my thoughts are with Marc, Liz, Tommy and Charlotte at this time, he was a great person and I thought of him like a brother. I’d like to thank the entire team for supporting me the way they have this weekend, they have all been great.” Team Manager Gary Stubbington said, “The boys, once again, did a fantastic job. This is the first time that the pair have ridden the new bikes in the dry and both scored exceptional results and both were in the points. Dan rose to the occasion after the sad loss of Ollie and really got his head down and focused himself on the race. Mallory is a hard circuit and the lap times that the pair were setting were great and it has proved that once they fully adjust to the new bikes then there will hopefully be more to come at the remaining rounds in the season. The team are all very pleased with the results that we gained today.” Paul Rees and Gary Stubbington and the entire Centurion Team wish to send their condolences to the family and friends of Ollie Bridewell who sadly lost his life on Friday. The next British Supersport race is at Croft Circuit on the 10th 12th August. More, from a press release issued by Riders Racing Ducati Team: Points but more bad luck for Jessopp The Riders Racing Ducati Team were once again struck with bad luck this weekend at the ninth round of the Maxxis British Supersport Championship at Mallory Park, Martin Jessopp secured a solid 11th place. Torrential rain suspended play after the first practice session on Friday and a brief wet session was held on Saturday, where the Rider Racing team opted not to go out in the extremely wet conditions. Race day on Sunday proved to be sunny and dry and for the first time throughout the weekend the riders were allocated a half an hour slot to have a practice session and find a good set up for the bike. Jessopp suffered minor electrical problems on both the 749 Ducati’s during the practice sessions which, without having the practice and qualifying sessions as normal the team were unable to discover these problems earlier. He ended the dry session in 13th place. This left the mechanics some work to do on both machines before the start of the 28-lap race a couple of hours later. Unable to test the bike Jessopp took the chance and took his place on the grid, running from overall Championship positions this put him in 12th position. A difficult start saw Jessopp slip down the pack, having to swerve to miss an accident into Charlie’s chicane, taking the wide line he had to run down the grass on the run into Edwina’s. Crossing the line after the first lap in 22nd place the youngster from Yeovil had a lot of work to do to get back in the points at the tight twisty 1.4-mile circuit. Working his way through the field Jessopp was on a mission and was passing riders every lap. Moving quickly and setting some steady and consistent lap times he was pushing hard and was soon into a points position. A last minute lunge saw him move up to 11th place as he crossed the line. Speaking with him he commented “It’s been a very strange weekend and I can’t say that I’ve been in a situation like that before. Due to the bad weather we hardly got any track time and when we did finally manage to get out we had a few problems which we had to try and rectify in a small space of time. I got involved in a first lap incident which put me at a fairly big disadvantage and I really had to work hard at the position that I got. It was once again another sad weekend and I would like to pass on my thoughts to the family of Ollie Bridewell who sadly lost his life in a crash on Friday.” The next Maxxis British Supersport race is at Croft on the 10th 12th August. More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Racing: RELENTLESS DOMINATES MALLORY Relentless Suzuki British Supersport riders Michael Laverty and Ian Lowry dominated the ninth round of the series at Mallory Park on Sunday. Laverty stalked both Lowry and early race leader Dennis Hobbs for just over two-thirds distance before pulling the pin to take the hard-fought victory. Lowry, who led the race for three laps, held off Dennis Hobbs to take second place and 20 valuable championship points. Michael Laverty: “I didn’t push too hard too soon today as I wasn’t sure how the tyres would last due to the lack of practice this weekend and to be totally honest I was cruising in the early stages. Halfway through the race I did make a move on Dennis but he ran me wide and that let Ian through as well. After that I pressed on and took the lead. I was able to gap both Ian and Dennis which left it comfortable for me at the end of the race. I’m happy with that performance, which to be fair to the boys in the team, was won in the garage. I really do have to thank the team today and with a three week break before the next round I think I have stamped my authority on the championship.” Ian Lowry: “I got away in about fifth place but when I got past Jamie Robinson I was able to settle down into a pace that I was comfortable with. I put in a pretty good lap about mid distance and I was planning a move on Michael. At the same time Michael was trying to get past Dennis, they both ran wide and I nipped into the lead. I think I lead for about four laps but when Michael hit the front he was able to pull a gap over us and in the end he got through the backmarkers better than me. My GSX-R600 Relentless Suzuki and Pirelli tyre combination was great today thanks to the hard work by the team prior to the race. It’s great to be back on the podium after the past couple of rounds, but it was very physical here today. I think some time in the gym will do no harm before the next round at Croft.” Philip Neill – Team Principal: “I’ve said it before I know, but it just can’t get any better than this. It has been quite a season. This is the second one-two we have posted this year, seriously proving the capabilities of the GSX-R600 Suzuki in this class. Michael also went within a whisker of the lap record here today when posting the fastest lap of the race, but despite comments being made about the lack of lap records being broken this season, they don’t win you a championship. “The weekend initially looked like a non-starter due to the atrocious weather conditions so to bring the boys home on the first two steps of the podium is testament to the team effort going on within our garage. Other than the warm-up this morning no one had time to find the perfect set-up. Thankfully we were able to use our 2006 information as a guide and it worked perfectly. “With only four rounds left, and with the form that Michael Laverty is currently showing, it would be crazy for us not to be hopeful of success although nothing can be taken for granted. Michael is not only showing his ability on a motorcycle this season, his experience is also allowing him to attack at just the right time. “Ian is just getting better and better and he should be very proud of himself. He is up against two other riders fighting for the championship, and they have much more experience than he has. I’m also very pleased he had the foresight to ride within his limits, producing an almost flawless performance this weekend. “As always our sponsors play a very important role, and the biggest thanks today must go to Pirelli who helped us make the right choice for the conditions. Michael did a race simulation this morning and Pirelli pulled the tyres out of the bag – superb. Thanks as always to Relentless, Beacon Security, Putoline Lubricants, WP Suspension and of course Suzuki. “On behalf of everyone at Relentless Suzuki and TAS Racing, I would like to offer my sincere condolences, both to NB Racing and of course the Bridewell family circle after Friday’s tragic circumstances when Ollie lost his life. Our thoughts are with you all at this very tough time.” Maxxis British Supersport Championship: 1 Michael Laverty [Suzuki] 27:20.538; 2 Ian Lowry [Suzuki] +2.743; 3 Dennis Hobbs [Honda] +4.776; 4 Billy McConnell [Yamaha] +12.935; 5 Ian Hutchinson [Honda] +14.735; 6 John McGuinness [Honda] +15.264. More, from a press release issued by AIM Yamaha: AIM YAMAHA MALLORY PARK The weekend’s racing at Mallory Park didn’t go entirely to plan for the two new AIM Yamaha riders as both Keith Amor who was standing in for the injured Steve Plater, and Steve Allan who was riding the Supersport machine missed out on vital testing and qualifying time because of the torrential rain that hit the midlands on Friday and Saturday. But despite this handicap both riders were able to secure a result on the day and bring some all-important feedback to the team. Amor was more fortunate as he did at least take part in the first free practise session, completing 11 laps before the session was brought to a tragic end with the fatal accident involving Ollie Bridewell. Along with the majority of teams, AIM Yamaha decided not to run either rider in the free practise sessions open to them on Saturday afternoon and they resumed work on Sunday morning in bright and dry conditions. Because qualifying had been suspended due to the weather, the grid was formed on championship points, leaving Amor to begin his campaign from the very back row. From the off in race one he discovered a problem with the gearing and eventually retired from 26th position to enable the team to rectify the fault in time for the second encounter later in the day. Race two saw the 33-year-old rider from Falkirk in Scotland get away to a better start and move through from 27th to complete his race in 22nd position after passing Brian McCormack on the penultimate lap. KEITH AMOR Having never ridden at Mallory before and this being my first outing on the AIM Yamaha, I was at a bit of a disadvantage without any real practise time. But the second race went a lot better and I was enjoying myself out there. I should be more competitive at Croft – if we get some good weather and a full quota of practise and qualifying. Fellow Scot Steve Allan from Perth has joined the team and will ride the AIM Yamaha Supersport machine for the remainder of the season. Again Steve was at a disadvantage having not ridden a bike since the Macau GP back in November and then unable to get any real practise in prior to race day because of the weather. A race start was in doubt because a full grid of regular riders took preference over Steve. But a lottery was held to draw the remaining available grid positions and Steve was lucky enough to make it onto the back row. As the race got underway he settled into 18th position but dropped back to end the 28-lap affair in 20th place. STEVE ALLAN Macau was my last time out when I won the 600cc race back in November of last year. We got a little bit of wet practise in on Friday at Mallory but that’s about all. The bike is very strong and fantastic to ride so I just hope I can do it justice. I am a bit disappointed with my result today as I felt I could have got up into the points. I got a really, really good start and the little bike was working well. But lack of race craft and fitness on my part was my downfall and as the race went on I really struggled. But I started from 32nd on the grid and came through to 20th place at the finish so I am quite happy with that and looking forward to Croft when I can get a full practice and qualification on the bike. ALISTAIR FLANAGAN Both riders put in a good performance on Sunday in difficult circumstances and we came away with some fairly good results. Keith Amor had never ridden the circuit before and lack of practise didn’t help his cause but apart from the technical problem in the first race he learned a lot and soon got to grips with the AIM Yamaha. With Steve Plater still out of action he will ride the bike again at Croft mainly as a preparation for the Ulster GP in August. Steve Allan also put in a good performance on his first outing with the team and will ride the AIM Yamaha Supersport bike for the remainder of the year. It will take him a couple of races to ease himself back into the swing of things but once he has regained his race fitness he should be on the case and bringing us some top results. There is a three-week break from racing but AIM Yamaha will be back at Croft on August 12 with both Scottish riders contesting their respective championship rounds. More, from a press release issued by Samsung Suzuki Superbike: Points at Mallory Park for Samsung Superbike. Heavy rain at the ninth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Mallory Park made for an extremely difficult weekend for the Samsung Suzuki Superbike team and rider Dean Thomas. Despite that he put in two solid rides to claim twelfth place in race one and fourteenth in race two. The grid was dictated by the rider’s Championship points due to the weather negating any on track action for most of Saturday. Therefore Thomas had to start from fifteenth on the grid and he had his work cut out passing riders on the intricate circuit. “Considering how the weekend has been with everything that has happened, I’m happy to get points. We only had half an hour in the dry on track so we just rolled out with the setting we had and didn’t make any changes,” he said. After race one the team decided to make some changes to their set-up, “Race two we changed the front and it was better but the rear got worse and it was a tighter race, everyone was all bunched up. Then it got red flagged and that was that!” Thomas was happy with how the latter part of race two went saying, “I’m reasonably happy as in the second half of the race I was running the same times as Lavilla. I started from fifteenth and I had a lot of traffic to try and get through so I shouldn’t complain really.” His rib injury from Knockhill was still causing him some pain, “My ribs are not so bad, I was struggling on the last three to four laps before the red flag came out in race two. I had enough of a gap to keep going and I was hanging onto Harris but that was hard work. I’ll be fully recovered by Croft so I’m looking forward to that.” The tenth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship and the Metzler National Superstock Championship takes place at Croft on the 10-12th August. The Samsung Superbike team would like to pass on their condolences to the Bridewell family and the Naturally Best team following the sad loss of Ollie Bridewell during the Mallory Park weekend. More, from a press release issued by Hydrex Honda: Harris struggles while Martin claims podiums. The Hydrex Honda team had two very different race meetings with Karl Harris contesting round nine of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Mallory Park while his team-mate Guy Martin took part in the John Donnan Kells Road Races in Ireland. Harris had a tough time at the Leicestershire circuit and left with a DNF in race one and a thirteenth in race two. Due to torrential ran qualifying had to be abandoned and the grid was set from Championship points, so Harris started from ninth on the grid. In race one Harris’ tyre spun on the rim leaving it out of balance and forcing him to retire mid race. In race two further gremlins held up his progress as he explained, “I had rear traction problems I was just spinning up everywhere. I also had a problem with my brakes and I kept running wide because of it. On top of everything else I had a vibration on the bike too.” The team were lacking on track time to gain set-up information and not having tested at Mallory Park they had no previous settings to work from. There is now a break in the BSB season and Harris is looking forward to getting back to his training, “With the brake now I’m going to get back into the gym as I’ve not been training due to the muscle damage to my back from my crash at the Croft test. It is starting to come right now so I can hit the gym,” he said. Across the Irish sea Martin took a race win, two second places and was declared ‘Man of the Meeting’. “In the 600 race I past Cameron Donald on the second last turn and then he got me on the final turn. He just got me and it was by about half a wheel!” said Martin, “I won the Superbike race, Cameron broke down and it was me and Ryan Farquhar having a right ding dong. I managed to gap him and take the win.” The last race of the day was the Grand Final didn’t go quite to plan as Martin explained, “I got a bad start and was caught in traffic. Think I was fifth into turn one and I had Archibald, Farquhar and Cummings to deal with. By the time I got through Cameron had pulled a gap. I must say he was riding well.” The tenth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship is on the 10-12th August at Croft and the next pure road event for Martin in the Ulster Grand Prix on the 12th 18th August at Dundrod in Northern Ireland. The Hydrex Honda team would like to extend their sympathies to the Bridewell family and the Naturally Best team on the sad loss of Ollie Bridewell who lost his life during a racing incident at Mallory Park. British Superbikes – Mallory Park Race One Result 1 – Shane Byrne – Honda – Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport – 28.21.458 2 – Jonathan Rea – Honda – HM Plant Honda – 28.24.237 3 – Leon Haslam – Ducati – Airwaves Ducati – 28.24.396 4 – Chris Walker – Suzuki – Rizla Suzuki – 28.27.516 5 – Gregorio Lavilla – Ducati – Airwaves Ducati – 28.28.880 6 – Tom Sykes – Honda – Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport – 28.30.595 7 – Tommy Hill – Yamaha – Virgin Media Optoma Loans – 28.48.721 8 – Leon Camier – Honda – Honda – 28.51.216 9 – Cal Crutchlow – Suzuki – Rizla Suzuki – 28.51.316 10 – Scott Smart – Kawasaki – Hawk Colchester Kawasaki – 28.51.642 Not Classified Ryuichi Kiyonari – Honda – HM Plant Honda Karl Harris – Honda – Hydrex Honda Michael Rutter – Kawasaki – Isilon MSS Discovery Kawasaki Keith Amor – Yamaha – AIM Racing British Superbikes – Mallory Park Race Two Result 1 – Ryuichi Kiyonari – Honda – HM Plant Honda – 21.24.315 2 – Leon Haslam – Ducati – Airwaves Ducati – 21.26.095 3 – Shane Byrne – Honda – Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport – 21.28.812 4 – Tom Sykes – Honda – Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport – 21.29.772 5 – Cal Crutchlow – Suzuki – Rizla Suzuki – 21.30.239 6 – Chris Walker – Suzuki – Rizla Suzuki – 21.30.597 7 – Gregorio Lavilla – Ducati – Airwaves Ducati – 21.31.294 8 – Michael Rutter – Kawasaki – Isilon MSS Discovery Kawasaki – 21.38.981 9 – Tommy Hill – Yamaha – Virgin Media Optoma Loans – 21.39.796 10 – Scott Smart – Kawasaki – Hawk Colchester Kawasaki – 21.40.067 13 – Karl Harris – Honda – Hydrex Honda – 21.43.941 More, from a press release issued by Michael Niblett’s publicist: Michael Niblett, the 23-year-old road racer from New Arley, Warwickshire, was robbed of the chance to return to the top level of the sport at Mallory Park on Sunday, thanks to the weather and the Leicestershire circuit’s small starting-grid. Back in racing action this season in the EMRA club series at Mallory Park after missing most of last year after a big crash in the opening round of the National Superstock Cup series at Brands Hatch, Kent, Niblett wanted to race in the British Supersport Championship round. Backed by Coventry dealership Kestel Honda where he is sales executive and his former sponsor, Astro Racing, based in Cannock, Staffordshire, Niblett entered the event knowing he faced a tough task. The heavy rain meant that there was no opportunity to qualify, though, and despite clocking quick times in the three, free practice sessions Niblett was told that the starting grid would be formed based on championship positions. With only 32 places available on what is the smallest grid in the whole competition, it meant that he and another rider making a one-off appearance in the series would not be allowed to start. It was a big blow to Niblett, who had been impressive in practice on the Honda 600 that he rides in the EMRA series, clocked the slowest bike through the speed trap, ten miles an hour down on anybody else. He was 15th quickest out of 37 in the first session, 12th best out of 25 in the next and then 29th fastest out of 34 in the third, but that was not enough to earn him a start in the race. Niblett’s next race meeting will be round five of the EMRA championships at Mallory Park on July 29 More, from a press release issued by the Bridewell Brothers’ publicist: OLLIE BRIDEWELL Following on from Ollie Bridewell’s tragic accident at Mallory Park on Friday 20th July 2007, his parents Marcus and Liz, brother Tommy and sister Charlotte would like to express their sincere thanks and appreciation for the messages and tributes that have been received to date. Funeral details have yet to be finalised but it is expected that this will take place on Wednesday 1st August 2007 and further details regarding a time and location will be advised in due course. It is requested that there are family flowers only with any donations being made to a suitable charity, the details of which will also be advised in due course. We have been inundated with requests for details so as a result, anyone wishing to send messages of condolence and/or cards can do so to the following address in the interim: Wayside Garage, Etchilhampton, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 3JT The family wish to also thank the MCRCB medical and event staff, in particular Mr. Toby Branfoot, the marshals, officials and everyone at Team NB for their efforts and kindness during this very sad time.

Fowlers Motorcycles ACU Dunlop Tyres MotoStar and Superbike Grand National Race Meeting Castle Combe, 28/29th July 2007 BIKES SET FOR CASTLE COMBE BONANZA Castle Combe Circuit’s only motorcycle race meeting of the season sees a packed 21 race programme over this forthcoming weekend of Saturday and Sunday 28th & 29th July. The Fowlers Motorcycles Dunlop Motostar meeting is headed up by two 15 lap races for the ACU Replicast British 250 Championship. It’s the fifth round and there is much local interest centred around Darrell Higgins from Melksham on Dennis Trollope’s Spondon Yamaha 250. An HGV Fitter by trade, Higgins will mount a strong challenge in this class, being something of a Castle Combe specialist, having won over twenty races there over the last ten years. The Dunlop Motostar 125 Grand Prix races have Bath’s Ross Ashman, Chippenham’s Freddie Nickless and Bristol’s Martin Glossop on Honda 125s, with Swindon’s Aiden Simmons on the Fab Racing Metrakit 80. The Fowlers Superbike Grand National is well supported by local riders, including the aforementioned Richardson, Bradford On Avon’s Richard Dobson, Marlborough’s Nick Pusey and Bridgwater’s Chris Pope, all Yamaha 1000 mounted. Swindon’s Darren Neal has a Honda 998. Many other local riders feature throughout the packed programme, with a plethora appearing in the two races for the ACU Clubmans Open championship. Radstock sends Jeremy Thomas (Yamaha 1000) and Rob Jones (Suzuki 600), Bath has Sean Ridley on a Suzuki 1000, there’s Charlie Bishop from Paulton on a Yamaha 600, whilst Chippenham’s David Hockham has his Suzuki 1000. The ‘Sound of Thunder’ races for big hunky twins, triples and 750 classics comprises two seven lap races with local riders including Bristol’s Chris Richardson, Swindon’s Duncan Abbott and Dursley’s Simon Knowlson all on Ducatis. Abbott and Stonehouse’s Graeme Melvill are the local riders in the Ducati Desmo Due races, whilst Colin Rowe from Salisbury features in the Bracken KTM 660 series races. Spectators loved this event when it appeared at Castle Combe last year, the interest being that these are basically moto cross machines on slick tyres, with ‘feet down’ cornering a feature! Sidecars are always popular at Castle Combe and with points in the ACU Yokohama Dunlop Tyres British F2 Championship up for grabs the 12 lap race is likely to provide plenty of thrills. Nostalgia lovers have plenty to keep them occupied too. There is the welcome return of the Bonhams and National Motor Cycle Museum supported Lansdowne thoroughbred Series catering for original bikes from the sixties, together with a special tribute to Mike Hailwood. Nine times World Champion, ‘Mike the Bike’ was a regular winner at Castle Combe and this weekend will mark the 50th anniversary of his second ever race, back in 1957, in which he finished 4th on a 125cc MV. There will also be a number of lunch time displays and parades of classic bikes, both on and off the track, including the Ducati replica of the machine which won the 1977 Isle of Man TT. The event gets under way on both days with practice from 08-45 am, with the first race on Saturday at 1.20pm. Sunday’s first race is at 10.25. Admission prices are £20 for an adult weekend ticket, £10 for OAPs. Saturday tickets are £8 and £15 on Sunday. OAPs, £4 on Saturday and £7-50 on Sunday. Paddock transfer is free on Saturday and £2-50 on Sunday. with accompanied children under 15 free on both days. Full details of the event will be found on the Castle Combe website at www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk and for further information please contact Rodney Gooch, Castle Combe Circuit Ltd., Castle Combe, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 7EY. Telephone: 01249 782417, E-mail: [email protected]

Record Numbers of AHRMA Racers Headed to Mid-Ohio VMD AHRMA (American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association) racers prepare to attend AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, July 27 29, in record numbers. AHRMA Executive Director Cindy Cowell reports entries are topping previous years in all disciplines and AHRMA is anticipating their biggest VMD event to date. Friday events include road race practice, a Speed and Sport trials round and VMC Racing Frames dirt track racing. Saturday and Sunday will feature two complete rounds of Works Performance road racing. Also on Saturday is Legends of MX vintage motocross racing (for bikes 1974 and older). Northwest Maico and CZ post- vintage motocross (for bikes from 1974- the mid ’80s) hits the track on Sunday. All events except dirt track take place at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The dirt trackers run at the Ashland County Fairgrounds, about a half-hour away. This is the biggest event on the AHRMA calendar. About 40,000 visitors are expected. There’s the gigantic swap meet, the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum Auction, bike shows, the VMX Champions Race, a Tony DiStefano MX school, new-bike demo rides, stunt shows, seminars and much, much more. If you’ve been, you know what to expect””a weekend of vintage biking nirvana. First-timers will be greatly rewarded for making the trip. Please visit ahrma.org for the latest information on this and other AHRMA events. Visit the AMA event Web site, amadirectlink.com/vmd/2007/home.asp for the latest on all that’s taking place at VMD 2007.

ROSSI FOURTH IN TOUGH RACE FOR MICHELIN Fourth-placed Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) was Michelin’s top finisher at Laguna Seca today. The Italian finished five seconds off the podium and five seconds ahead of fellow Michelin man Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V-Michelin), winner of last Sunday’s German Grand Prix. The result maintains the pair’s second and third positions in the World Championship point standings. The race was won by Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP7), the Australian setting a new race record at the newly resurfaced Californian track. “That was a very tough race for us, much harder than last weekend,” said Jean-Philippe Weber, Michelin’s director of motorcycle racing. “The race was more than 40 seconds faster than last year’s US GP because of the new surface, which was very aggressive on our compounds, so our riders couldn’t get the performance they wanted out of our tires. Last weekend’s race at the Sachsenring put more stress and temperature into the tires but it seems the new asphalt here quickly caused our compounds to wear, so we needed some harder compounds. The wear was mostly on the edge of the tires, with the front pushing first and then our riders having some difficulty with the rear later in the race. “We will keep working during the break. I’m sure it’s the same for all the tire manufacturers–because we must do our best for our partners. Obviously we want better results at the upcoming races, so we will be working very hard in other to bring the best tires to Brno.” The next MotoGP race takes place in the Czech Republic on August 19.

AMERICAN MOTORCYCLIST ASSOCIATION TAPS MOTORSPORTS PROFESSIONAL TO LEAD AMA RACING PICKERINGTON, Ohio (July 24, 2007) The American Motorcyclist Association is pleased to announce the appointment of Dennis Rhee as Senior Vice President for Racing, overseeing the AMA’s extensive racing properties. A professional with nearly two decades in motorsports, Rhee brings a strong background in race promotion and sports management to the job. “Finding the right person to guide AMA Racing has been one of my highest priorities as we continue restructuring our race programs,” said AMA President/CEO Robert Dingman. “Dennis very clearly rose to the top, with years of experience in racing, business and management that make him a natural fit for the leading national sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the world.” Rhee’s background in motorsports dates from 1990, and includes positions and consulting work with a host of racing organizations, including TrueSports Inc., the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Skip Barber Racing School, Lime Rock Park and NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway. Said Rhee: “I’m looking forward to joining the AMA Racing team, and I’m enthusiastic about the future of the AMA’s successful racing brands, from its grassroots amateur racing to some of the top motorcycle-racing series in the world.”

Miller Motorsports Park Performance Training Center Launches New Website TOOELE VALLEY, UT (July 23, 2007) The Performance Training Center at Miller Motorsports Park has grabbed a lower gear and is rapidly picking up speed this summer. The facility has launched a brand-new website that is packed with information presented in a user-friendly format. The website can be found at www.millermotorsportspark.com/mmpschools. The Miller Motorsports Park Performance Training Center offers a variety of classes and programs, including the Ford Racing High Performance Driving School, Karting School, Supermoto Riding School, Car Control/Highway Survival Clinics and Teen Driving Academy. The instructors at the Miller Motorsports Park Performance Training Center are highly trained racing professionals, many of whom are currently active in various forms of professional motorsports within the United States. The facility’s team of instructors will work with you personally to ensure your driving expectations are met. Whether you goal is to master the basics of high-performance driving or push the limits of man and machine, the Miller Motorsports Park Performance Training Center instructors can help you achieve your goal. The Ford Racing High Performance Driving School is your ticket to experience Miller Motorsports Park at its best, behind the wheel and on the racetrack, at America’s only Ford Racing-affiliated driving school. A variety of programs are offered geared to your specific high-performance driving needs on any of our four challenging track configurations, utilizing our Miller Mustang GTs, Mustang Challenge race cars or Ford GT supercars. Available programs range from professional Hot Lap Sessions to the Three-Day Supercar Experience. The Car Control/Highway Survival Clinic is designed for both individuals and corporate groups. Participants will be taught in a 2007 Ford Focus and learn proper vehicle operation and positioning with exercises emphasizing braking, vision placement, acceleration and distraction avoidance. Students will receive feedback from professional drivers. Breakfast and lunch are also provided. The Teen Driving Academy includes classroom instruction and one-on-one instruction specifically designed for young drivers in a brand-new 2007 Ford Focus. Students will be taught proper accident avoidance, parking procedures and ABS usage. Participants in the course will also be able to hone their car-control skills in a specially-modified skid car. Breakfast and lunch are also provided. The Supermoto Riding School is instructed by reigining AMA Supermoto Lites Champion Cassidy Anderson. All participants enrolled in the school will be riding Honda CRF150s. The classroom instruction of the school includes defining position and operation of motorcycles. There will be braking and cornering exercises, along with lapping with feedback and continual corrective instruction. Introductory and advanced karting courses are also offered at the Miller Motorsports Park Performance Training Center on our state-of-the-art Miller Kart Track. At 0.89 miles, with a main straight approaching 900 feet in length and 30 feet in width, the kart track is one of the fastest in the nation, yet still has a challenging selection of different-speed corners. The track’s subtle elevation changes and multiple configurations make it perfect for all classes of racing. The curriculum offers a variety of karting courses to cater to your experience level, suitable for all ages starting as early as 5 years old. 100cc Birel karts are used and speeds can reach up to 75 mph. The Miller Motorsports Performance Training Center offers individuals and groups the opportunity to receive professional driver or rider instruction at one of the world’s most advanced motorsports facilities. For more information on the Miller Motorsports Park Performance Training Center, telephone (435) 277-8790 visit the new website at www.millermotorsportspark.com/mmpschools. For general information on Miller Motorsports Park, telephone (435) 277-8000 or visit the track’s website at www.millermotorsportspark.com.