2007 FIM Superbike World Championship Brno, Czech Republic July 20, 2007 Provisional Qualifying Results: 1. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1), 2:01.603 2. Troy CORSER (Yam YZF-R1), 2:01.724 3. Max BIAGGI (Suz GSX-R1000K7), 2:01.968 4. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:02.200 5. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F07), 2:02.295 6. Roberto ROLFO (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:02.315 7. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R), 2:02.523 8. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:02.556 9. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R), 2:02.638 10. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suz GSX-R1000K7), 2:02.990 11. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Suz GSX-R1000K6), 2:03.080 12. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F07), 2:03.111 13. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yam YZF-R1), 2:03.346 14. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Kaw ZX-10R), 2:03.545 15. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F06), 2:03.949, crash 16. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:03.986 17. Jakub SMRZ (Duc 999F05), 2:03.997 18. Jiri DRAZDAK (Yam YZF-R1), 2:05.635 19. Luca MORELLI (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:05.736 20. Christian ZAISER (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), 2:05.871 More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi: BRNO: HARD RETURN FOR NANNELLI IT has not easy the return to race for Gianluca Nannelli at Brno. The unlucky Italian rider finished quite back in the provisional gird and the pain to the injured knee is a big obstacle for moving on he bike with the same agility that the many “Esses” of the Czech course request. More the warm temperature of this first practice day, with the track temperature superior at 50°C limit, made everything more difficult for the qualifying practice, definitively compromised by a small technical snag. “We knew that it would be a rather difficult week end, and unfortunately it happened.” commented Gianluca Nannelli at the end of the day. “During the morning I tried to find a new feeling with the bike, but I have not jet my automatic reactions. During afternoon qualifying we were doing a positive work, but suddenly I did hear strange noise from the bike and I rejoined the pit. I did restart on the spare bike, but this machine were too stiff for my riding style and was sliding too much, so I’ve been not able to do better as 26th fastest. For tomorrow we’ll evaluate, together with the team, the set up to select. My fitness is in a quite difficult situation, but I’ll use the medicines just for Sunday’s race. It’s a nonsense in this moment to get risks, tomorrow morning we have to find the best set up and during the afternoon qualifying try to improve my grid position.” Jakub Smrz on the 999F05 Superbike has been focused in the difficult setting for a track which is not actually favourable for the Italian twins; his laptime is quite close to the best private record and tomorrow morning, during the decisive session to select the allowed riders to Superpole, he will try to in the group taking part to Superpole. “All today long we focused in the bike setting.” related Jakub Smrz al the end of practices “We selected a few operations to do and we suppose that the bike will be setted for tomorrow morning’s final qualifying session. I’m confident to be able to improve my lap time. By fortune the weather forecast shows that next Sunday, race day, will be a more fresh day, otherwise it would be very hard contest two heats. This is my home track and I want to make a present of my fans with a very good performance.” More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Superbike qualifying hots up in Brno The Automotodrom Brno in the Czech Republic hosted the first day of qualifying for round nine of the 2007 World Superbike Championship today. HANNspree Ten Kate Honda battled against the rising temperature and slippery track surface to complete a successful first session. James Toseland ended the official qualifying with the fourth fastest time while team-mate Roberto Rolfo finished in sixth position. Following a productive Pirelli test at the 5.403km circuit in June, the focus for today was on race distance and finding a good set-up and tyre choice for the hot conditions. Today’s Superbike qualifying took place in 33°C heat, with the track surface rising to an extremely high 50°C. Current series leader Toseland completed a full race distance and secured some impressive lap times in the process. He set the fourth fastest lap with a time of 2’02.200. Team-mate Rolfo also put in a strong performance, holding onto the third fastest time for much of the 45-minute session. He was forced down the table in the dying minutes and eventually finished in sixth with a time of 2’02.315. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager: This has been a very good day for us with both riders up at the front. The most important thing for us today was not to focus too much on a single fast lap, but on race distance. James has already done full distance where he was pretty fast. Tomorrow we will change the set-up and try some different tyres and see how the race distance goes there. All the work we did at the tests in Brno and Vallelunga has been really important for us. The team and the riders did a lot of hard work there so it’s nice to see it paying off here. It’s all good.” James Toseland: “The conditions here are really testing for us all – it’s about as hot as it can get in Europe. I’m really pleased because we have been able to find a good race set-up so early in the weekend. We also have the tyre to suit the conditions as long as the temperature cools down. We’ve got a few improvements to make overnight but we are almost ready to race.” Roberto Rolfo: “I am happy. We worked really hard today. Unfortunately, the test results are not very relevant this weekend because the conditions are so different. The track is very hot compared to the test. During the second session I improved a lot and put in a good fast lap in the middle. Towards the end I tried to go faster again but I got stuck in traffic and it was not so easy. In any case I am looking ahead to tomorrow and hope to improve even further then.” More, from a press release issued by Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra: 2007 Superbike World Championship Round 9, Brno, CZ Friday qualifying, 20th July Circuit: 5.403 kms Weather: Dry, sunny 31-35 C. MAX ON THE PACE! Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders Max Biaggi and Yukio Kagayama suffered slightly mixed fortunes at Brno in first qualifying at Brno today, with Max ending up third and Yukio tenth. The temperatures rose to the mid-thirties this afternoon, causing grip problems for all riders, and the conditions were nothing like when the teams tested here less then four weeks ago. Japanese rider Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) posted the day’s fastest lap, with a time of 2:01.603, just one tenth of a second ahead of his team mate Troy Corser. Third is Max, with series leader James Toseland (Honda) fourth. Max – 3rd When we tested here recently the grip level was much better – because the temperatures were lower – but now that it is much hotter, the grip level has dropped drastically. So, at the moment we are looking to try and improve the grip and also see how the tyres will last. I think, that whatever we do, after half race distance things are going to be quite interesting. Whatever set-up we decided to go with is probably going to have to be some kind of a compromise. We started the day with the set-up we found at the test and tomorrow we will try and improve it and get a better feeling for raceday. What I have to do here is be strong from lap one right to the end. I like this track, it’s nice to ride and once you have a good set-up it’s one of the most enjoyable tracks in the world. Yukio – 10th Conditions today were not similar to when we tested here and I’m sure all the riders feel this way today! We began with the set-up from the test here three weeks or so ago, but the feeling was so different, we had to make adjustments straightaway and that wasn’t so easy. This afternoon, I had problems with front and rear grip, so we have to work on improving the feeling and find a good set-up for the race. We have to find tyres that give good grip and will last a race distance and that is not going to be easy. For me today was not about trying to set a good lap time, but trying to find a set-up for raceday because that is more important. Today was physically quite demanding because when the grip level is down, you have to concentrate so much harder otherwise it’s easy to crash! You have to consider every corner carefully and when you do that sometimes you forget to breathe and that was a bit of a problem for me this afternoon. More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: BAYLISS (DUCATI XEROX) FIFTH IN OPENING QUALIFYING SESSION IN SWELTERING BRNO HEAT Brno (Czech Republic), Friday 20 July: Troy Bayliss took fifth place in today’s opening qualifying session for Round 9 of the World Superbike Championship at a sweltering Automotodrom Brno in the Czech Republic. The Australian double world champion was on the pace all day and was quite satisfied with his Friday performance on what has always proved to be a difficult track for the twin-cylinder Italian machines. Team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi had a much tougher day today, the Italian failing to sort out the front end set-up and suffering as a result down in twelfth place. “That was OK. We did a long run and it was better than what we did last year in the race so we’re making some good progress” said Troy. “We’ve got a couple more things to try tomorrow but we know that if we had put a softer tyre in there at the end we could have got a better time. I used the same tyres for most of the session and we’re pretty happy. Conditions are hot and hard out there, there are a few different ideas about what the weather is going to do this weekend but I think it’s going to be hot and I’m just working towards that. We’re struggling for power here, that’s for sure. I was with Rolfo and it’s just disheartening when you lose a few bike lengths out of every corner and then you’ve got to try and make up on the brakes and in the corners”. “It went worse than in the test, I couldn’t even do one good lap” commented Lorenzo. “I had a lot of problems with the front, but behind things are not bad, we sorted things out there and now we just have to do some good laps on the soft tyre. I think that with this tyre it will be possible to stay with the leading group because with the others I’m a lot slower. I didn’t think I was going to struggle that much, the bike is the same as the test but it’s handling differently so now we’ve got a few things to try tomorrow. We’ll change the front around a bit, there shouldn’t be two seconds difference from the test and I’m sure we can at least make a second up with an ideal setting.” More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: TROY A HOT SECOND! Troy set the second quickest lap in first qualifying at Brno in blisteringly hot conditions today. In the afternoon, the air temperature reached a scorching 36 degrees centigrade, which meant that the actual track temperature was over 55 C! In this kind of heat, the tyre performance usually drops and that was exactly what happened today, leaving riders and teams trying to find tyres that will last a race distance and also give good grip. Troy’s team mate Noriyuki Haga posted the fastest time of the day, with a lap of 2:01.606, just a tenth of a second quicker then Troy. Third quickest is Max Biaggi (Suzuki), with series leader James Toseland (Honda) fourth. Troy – 2nd I am reasonably happy with finishing the day second fastest, but not happy because we haven’t really found a good race setting. Also, I’m not getting enough grip and feedback from the tyres. At the moment, the tyre has grip for about five laps, then begins to slide, settles down for about another five laps, then the grip level goes down again. We think it’s because of the high track temperature here today and I’m sure others are having the same problems as us. We began the day with the set-up from the test in Vallelunga, but that didn’t work so we went back to one we found when we tested here three weeks ago. The track feels quite different to when we tested here though; it feels faster, but the lap times are more or less similar! If the conditions stay more or less the same as today we are just going to have to find some compromise between tyre life and grip, but whatever happens the last five or six laps of the race are going to be every interesting for sure!

Celtic Racing Yamaha’s Chaz Davies has been drafted into service by the Pramac Ducati MotoGP team at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Davies, a four-year veteran of World Championship racing, is riding Alex Hofmann’s Bridgestone-shod Ducati GP07 in Friday afternoon’s MototGP practice. Hofmann suffered a broken left hand when he was collected by crasher Sylvain Guintoli in Friday morning MotoGP practice at Laguna Seca. No formal announcement had been made by Pramac Ducati at post time.

1. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 1:24.700 2. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 1:24.973 3. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop, 1:25.703 4. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-10R), Dunlop, 1:26.037 5. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, 1:26.056 6. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 1:26.451 7. Tommy Hayden (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 1:26.495 8. Neil Hodgson (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, 1:26.683 9. Jake Holden (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 1:26.712* 10. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, 1:26.748* 11. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop, 1:26.961 12. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop, 1:27.162 13. Doug Chandler (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, 1:27.414 14. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, 1:27.765 15. Jeff Tigert (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, 1:28.669 16. Matt Lynn (MV Agusta 312R), Dunlop, 1:29.008 17. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), Dunlop, 1:29.128 18. Luca Scassa (MC Agusta 312R), Dunlop, 1:29.195 19. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, 1:29.582* 20. John Haner (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 1:29.915 21. Scott Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, 1:30.207 22. Gary Mason (Suz GSX-R-1000), Pirelli, 1:30. 393* 23. Robertino Pietri (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, 1:30.400* 24. James Randolph (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, 1:30.733* 25. Jason Curtis (Suz GSX-R1000), Pirelli, 1:30.874* 26. Martin Szwarc (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:31.431 27. David Weber (Suz GSX-R1000), Dunlop, 1:32.321 28. Chad Rolland (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop, 1:32.625 29. Cory Call (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:32.681 30. Dean Mizdal (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:32.685 31. James King (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:33.238 32. Dominic Jones (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:33.456 33. Andy Carman (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:33.665 34. Corey Sarros (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:33.801 35. Tim Knutson (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:34.493 36. C.R. Gittere (Suz GSX-R1000), Michelin, 1:34.868 37. Johnny Rock Page (Yam YZF-R1), Dunlop, 1:35.947 *Known to be on a Superstock bike

Marlboro Ducati’s Casey Stoner was the fastest man in Friday morning practice at the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California. Stoner piloted his Bridgestone-shod GP07 to a time of 1:23.410 around the freshly-repaved 2.2-mile circuit, which is just 0.3 second slower than Chris Vermeulen’s pole time for last year’s U.S.G.P. Gresini Honda’s Marco Melandri was just behind Stoner with a 1:23.597 on his Bridgestone-shod RC212V, which is the only satellite Honda to be equipped with engine upgrade parts from HRC. After leading the session early, Colin Edwards finished third with a 1:23.692 on his Fiat Yamaha YZR-M1, giving him the honors of top Michelin man and top American. For this weekend, Edwards said he pulled out the same cowboy hat that he wore at Laguna Seca in 2002, when he won both World Superbike races en route to winning that season’s World Championship. Edwards’ countryman John Hopkins was fourth-quick (1:23.753) on his Bridgestone-equipped Rizla Suzuki GSV-R800, just ahead of Edwards’ teammate Valentino Rossi (1:23.754). American “Wild Card” Roger Hayden put in an impressive performance Friday morning, recording the 10th-fastest time of the session on his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR. Hayden was 0.2 seconds slower than his teammate Randy De Puniet (7th, 1:24.311) and only 0.068 second slower than his older brother, reigning MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (8th, 1:24.516). Behind Roger Hayden in Friday morning’s practice were Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa (1:24.680) and Miguel Duhamel (16th, 1:25.550), who is filling in for Gresini Honda’s injured Toni Elias. Friday morning’s MotoGP practice was temporarily stopped halfway through so that Pramac Ducati’s Alex Hofmann could be transported from the impact zone of the Corkscrew to the Mobile Clinica. Hofmann was T-boned heavily by Dunlop Yamaha’s Sylvain Guintoli, who came into the corner almost as if he lost his brakes. Guintoli was able to ride his YZR-M1 back to his garage, but Hofmann suffered a broken bone in his left hand, according to his team. It is not known whether Hofmann (who was already participating with an injured right hand) will be able to continue riding this weekend. MotoGP’s second free practice is scheduled for 1:50 p.m. Friday afternoon. 2007 FIM MotoGP World Championship Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, California July 20, 2007 Provisional Practice Results: 1. Casey Stoner (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:23.410 2. Marco Melandri (Honda), Bridgestone, 1:23.597 3. Colin Edwards (Yamaha), Michelin, 1:23.692 4. John Hopkins (Suzuki), Bridgestone, 1:23.753 5. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), Michelin, 1:23.754 6. Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki), Bridgestone, 1:23.962 7. Randy De Puniet (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, 1:24.311 8. Nicky Hayden (Honda), Michelin, 1:24.516 9. Alex Barros (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:24.552 10. Roger Hayden (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, 1:24.584 11. Dani Pedrosa (Honda), Michelin, 1:24.680 12. Loris Capirossi (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:24.786 13. Makoto Tamada (Yamaha), Dunlop, 1:25.032 14. Carlos Checa (Ducati), Michelin, 1:25.097 15. Shinya Nakano (Honda), Michelin, 1:25.370 16. Miguel Duhamel (Honda), Bridgestone, 1:25.550 17. Anthony West (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, 1:25.570 18. Sylvain Quintoli (Yamaha), Dunlop, 1:25.745, crash 19. Kurtis Roberts (KR-Honda), Michelin, 1:26.058 20. Alex Hofmann (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:27.751, crash More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: STONER MAKES ANOTHER GREAT START, CAPIROSSI GETTING UP TO SPEED Ducati Team rider Casey Stoner got another great start to the weekend at Laguna Seca this morning, ending the first free practice session fastest. Team-mate Loris Capirossi, fresh from his brilliant podium result at last Sunday’s German Grand Prix, was 12th quickest. In warm Californian sunshine, World Championship leader Stoner was in masterful form around Laguna, a tortuous, undulating and bumpy racetrack that rewards riding finesse and commitment. Capirossi was also quick through the first two sections of the track but needs to refine his GP7’s set-up to improve his pace through the crucial final split. Although the new Laguna track surface is even bumpier than before, the track seems faster, with Stoner’s best lap already less than one tenth of a second outside the existing lap record, established in last year’s race. CASEY STONER, fastest, 1m 23.410s “This morning we had a few difficulties getting used to the track. For sure, the conditions feel a lot worse than they did last year. The surface is maybe a little better but the bumps are worse, the track is really bumpy now. Anyway, about halfway through the session we found a little bit better setting and we just slowly improved from there, and we ended up quite happy with the set-up we’ve got. This afternoon we will do some more tyre testing in hotter conditions and we’ll see where we are. We will work at finding a bit more traction and improving the turning. Overall, we are fairly happy with everything, we just need to test the tyres some more.” LORIS CAPIROSSI, 12th fastest, 1m 24.786s “Compared to last year the track is still full of bumps but the asphalt is a bit better, even if it’s still quite dirty. We are working hard on the bike set-up, because while I’m not so bad in the first two splits I’m quite slow in the third split, above all through the changes of direction. First of all, we need to set up the gearbox better and work on the rear weight balance. But I’m confident because I know we can improve. The tyres are okay, I used the same rear all through the session, and it looked not so bad after 30 laps.”

2007 Pro Honda Oils AMA Supersport Championship Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, California July 20, 2007 Provisional Practice Results: 1. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R600), Pirelli, 1:29.039 2. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-6R), Dunlop, 1:29.086 3. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR600RR), Dunlop, 1:29.175 4. Steve Rapp (Kaw ZX-6R), Pirelli, 1:29.274 5. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-6R), Dunlop, 1:29.377 6. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), Dunlop, 1:29.652 7. Ben Attard (Kaw ZX-6R), Pirelli, 1:29.674 8. Martin Cardenas (Suz GSX-R600), Pirelli, 1:29.801 9. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, 1:30.205 10. Tommy Hayden (Suz GSX-R600), Dunlop, 1:30.369 11. Cory West (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, 1:30.699 12. Chaz Davies (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, 1:30.745 13. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR), Dunlop, 1:31.067 14. David Anthony (Yam YZF-R6), Pirelli, 1:31.135 15. Shea Fouchek (Hon CBR600RR), Dunlop, 1:31.201 16. Jeremy Toye (Kaw ZX-6RR), Dunlop, 1:31.298 17. Ryan Andrews (Hon CBR600RR), Dunlop, 1:31.509 18. Bobby Fong (Suz GSX-R600), Michelin, 1:31.761 19. Danny Eslick (Suz GSX-R600), Dunlop, 1:31.899 20. Jason Perez (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, 1:31.972 21. Blake Young (Suz GSX-R600), Dunlop, 1:32.263 22. Fernando Amantini (Kaw ZX-6R), Dunlop, 1:32.478 23. Haek Mazzotta (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, 1:32.620 24. Garrett Carter (Yam YZF-R6), Dunlop, 1:32.721 25. Chris Siglin (Suz GSX-R600), Dunlop, 1:33.019 26. Michael Beck (Suz GSX-R600), Pirelli, 1:33.337 27. Chris Siebenhaar (Suz GSX-R600), 1:33.975 28. Darren Luck (Suz GSX-R600), Dunlop, 1:34.209 29. Grant Riggs (Suz GSX-R600), 1:34.379 30. Davie Sadowski (Suz GSX-R600), Michelin, 1:34.614 31. Mark Crozier (Suz GSX-R600), Michelin, 1:34.776 32. Dirk Sanchez (Suz GSX-R600), 1:34.987 33. Reno Karimian (Suz GSX-R600), 1:35.489 34. Morgan Murphy (Suz GSX-R600), 1:35.806 35. Scott Ryan (Suz GSX-R600), Michelin, 1:35.968 36. Matt Eccleston (Yam YZF-R6), 1:37.436 37. C.R. Gittere (Suz GSX-R600), Michelin, 1:39.935

10th Oschersleben 24 Hours classic to take place 11th 12th August The tenth edition of the Oschersleben 24 Hours race, the fourth leg of the QMMF Endurance FIM World Championship, is to take place in Germany on the 11th and 12th August. Created in 1998 and incorporated into the World Championship race calendar in 1999, the event is today one of the classics of world endurance racing. For the 18 permanent teams that will line-up at the start, the Oschersleben 24 Hours is a crucial juncture and marks the half-way point in the season. Thirty-five points are on offer for the winner in Germany. This race is particularly demanding both for the riders as well as for the motorcycles which, for 24 hours, must repeatedly confront the 14 corners of this especially winding circuit. Oschersleben spares no-one, least of all the favourites. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, winners of the event in 2005 and 2006, were forced to abandon because of a damaged engine in 2004. Among the permanent teams, two have also been victorious in the past at this race Endurance Moto 38 and Yamaha Phase One Endurance. Another point unique to the Oschersleben 24 Hours is its wide-ranging field of competitors. It is usual to see many motorcycle brands on the starting line that are rarely seen at other endurance races, such as BMW, Triumph, KTM, MZ and Harley Davidson. Once again, this year around ten machines entered into the Open category will be the unknowns of this 10th edition. These German teams will not be there simply to make up the numbers however. Last year KTM Duke Dealer Team II finished in 18th place, BMW K1200S Schubert in 26th and Harley Davidson Racing Bonn in 30th. These three teams will again be on the start line come mid-August. The presence of the two official BMW Motorrads as well as the Triumph Daytona and MZ1000S will also cause a stir. The BMWs had their first endurance outing at the last Le Mans 24 Hours. Several days after the Suzuka 8 Hours, the third leg of the QMMF Endurance FIM World Championship, is contested on the 29th July in Japan, the permanent teams will be back on the track on Thursday 9th August for the first set of free tests at Oschersleben. As well as being a huge date on the endurance racing calendar, the Oschersleben 24 Hours is also a big festival of motor sport. Alongside the big race, German Speedweek will also be entertaining the crowds with many events, concerts and races taking place, including the European Women’s Cup.

Roads specialist Keith Amor replaces Steve Plater for the Mallory round of the 2007 Bennetts British Superbike championship as Plater is still recovering form the injuries he picked up at Oulton Park last time out. Amor will ride the AIM Yamaha Superbike at Mallory to get in some practise prior to the Ulster Grand Prix. He will be joined at Mallory by fellow Scot, Steve Allan who will ride in the Maxxis Supersport round, again to familiarise himself with the bike that he may be riding for AIM Yamaha at the Ulster Grand Prix. Allan has been without a ride since winning last year’s 600cc Macau Grand Prix and if all goes well at Mallory he will be making his debut around the 7.4-mile circuit in August. ALISTAIR FLANAGAN Although Steve Plater is progressing well there is no point putting him on the bike when not completely fit. Mallory is a very demanding circuit with lots of twists and turns, which would perhaps aggravate his rib injury and prolong his recovery time. Keith Amor is to ride the bike at the Ulster Grand Prix and therefore this is an ideal opportunity for him to familiarise himself with the AIM Racing Yamaha. We have drafted in Steve Allan to ride the Supersport machine to see how he gels with it. If all goes well he too will be riding for AIM Yamaha at the Ulster Grand Prix. Free practise begins today at Mallory with qualifying on Saturday and racing on Sunday. The two Superbike races run over 30 laps of the short but tricky 1.41-mile Leicestershire circuit are set for 1pm and 3.40pm while the 28-lap Supersport race is due on track at 1.50pm.

2007 FIM Supersport World Championship Brno, Czech Republic July 20, 2007 Provisional Qualifying Results: 1. Kenan SOFUOGLU (Hon CBR600RR), 2:05.768, crash 2. Sebastien CHARPENTIER (Hon CBR600RR), 2:06.062 3. Robbin HARMS (Hon CBR600RR), 2:06.447 4. Vesa KALLIO (Suz GSX-R600), 2:06.534 5. Craig JONES (Hon CBR600RR), 2:06.567 6. Fabien FORET (Kaw ZX-6R), 2:06.636 7. Gianluca VIZZIELLO (Yam YZF-R6), 2:06.666 8. Broc PARKES (Yam YZF-R6), 2:06.800 9. Katsuaki FUJIWARA (Hon CBR600RR), 2:06.851 10. Barry VENEMAN (Suz GSX-R600), 2:06.962, crash More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: HANNspree Ten Kate Honda secures provisional top spots The ninth round of the 2007 World Supersport Championship kicked off at an extremely hot Automotodrom Brno in the Czech Republic today. HANNspree Ten Kate Honda completed the first day of qualifying in a positive mood, with Kenan Sofuoglu and Sébastien Charpentier securing respective first and second positions on the timesheet. Sofuoglu began the day on top form by leading the morning free practice from start to finish and setting the fastest lap five times. He followed this with a strong performance in the 45-minute qualifying session, which saw him claim provisional pole position. After suffering a minor crash twenty minutes in, the Turkish rider rejoined the track to set the fastest lap of the day at 2’05.768. Charpentier had an equally impressive session, setting the quickest lap at the halfway stage with a time of 2’06.062. The Frenchman was eventually forced into second position by team-mate Sofuoglu but the results see the front row of Sunday’s 18-lap race potentially dominated by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager: “It’s been a really good start to the weekend for us. The times are still quite a bit off from the Brno test results, which is a bit strange because the temperatures are pretty similar – only the wind has changed quite a lot and the grip level on the track seems to be different. I am hoping it will be a better tomorrow as we are still 1.5 seconds of the test lap time. We tested a lot of parts and settings on the CBR600RR machines at the Brno and Vallelunga tests and it’s nice to see that this is paying off at such an important round. Both boys are back on top of the timesheets. Kenan had a small off during the qualifying, but he is not injured and the bike is not seriously damaged so we are on track for tomorrow.” Sébastien Charpentier: “The first day did not start well for me, I had a few small problems this morning. This afternoon was better, but I think everyone had a problem with grip in the front and rear because the track temperature is so hot. I am second fastest so I’m happy, but it’s nothing special. If the weather stays like this for Sunday then I think everyone will struggle with grip during the race. Anyway, we are working hard to close the gap and tomorrow I hope it will be cooler and a bit easier.” Kenan Sofuoglu: “It was not too bad today, but it could have been better. I crashed when I tried to pass some other riders and lost the front end. After the crash I didn’t think I would get another fast lap in but I did so I’m pleased with that. I was faster round here at the test so I am hoping to improve my times tomorrow, but I have a good feeling about the weekend.”

Bazzaz Performance Launches New Engine Management Line Chino, CA Bazzaz Performance kicked off its new Z-Fi line of Fuel Injection and Traction Control units at an open house event on Wednesday evening at their new 8,500 sq. ft. headquarters in Chino, CA. Ammar Bazzaz, long time electronics guru to the top tier of Superbike racing has created a new line of piggy-back Engine Management Products that has substantially raised the bar on what is available to the general enthusiast public. Arriving on store shelves late September will be the Bazzaz Performance Z-Fi Fuel Control Unit, the Z-Fi QS with quick shift and the Z-Fi TC with traction control. These new units promise to take engine management to a new level for the general enthusiast. Finally, the science and know-how behind the electronics that are used by many pro teams including Michael Jordan Motorsports, will now be available to the general consumer in the form of affordable and user friendly fuel injection and traction control systems. “We developed the Z-Fi line of products to fill the performance gap between low end piggy-back systems and costly stand-alone engine management systems. The Z-Fi line was developed directly from race track testing and racing at the highest level in America,” Bazzaz said from his Chino, California headquarters. “We have joined forces with Tucker Rocky Distributing to bring this new line to the general public, and are very excited about this new relationship. Oddly enough, it was exactly one year ago that Steve Johnson, COO from Tucker Rocky, and I met at the US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca to discuss a plan to bring the Z-Fi to market. I think the basic enthusiast will really appreciate the technology here. Essentially, we are providing the performance enthusiast the same thing that we are using in Pro Racing, without the expense and the steep learning curve that comes with this technology.” The Z-Fi is an in-line unit that precisely controls fuel delivery to optimize engine performance. It is a plug and play unit that piggy-backs onto the stock ECU. Each unit comes with a model specific harness that utilizes OEM connectors for simple installation, and comes pre-programmed for either the stock exhaust or a slip-on. The Z-Fi also features a USB interface with easy to use software, allowing tuning modifications by the end user. The Z-Fi is the first piggy-back system on the market that can run up to 8 injectors independently. The Z-Fi can be run and/or tuned using the closed-loop self mapping feature with the purchase of the optional Z-AFM kit. The Z-Fi unit will have a MSRP between $299 and $399 depending on the model of bike. The unit is also available with an updated version of the popular Bazzaz Performance QS-4 Quick Shift integrated into one unit. The Z-Fi QS unit employs race proven “QCK” technology for seamless clutch-less up shifting. It has user adjustable gear dependant kill times allowing for optimal shifting in all gears. This unit will have a MSRP of $849.95. The Z-Fi TC is the first piggy-back traction control unit to hit the general marketplace, bringing traction control technology from the highest levels of professional racing down to the average racer. The Z-Fi TC does not require any additional sensors to be mounted to the bike, and is fully legal for AMA Supersport and Superstock competition. Traction control is easily adjusted by Throttle Position, RPM, and Gear to suit any track or riding condition. Adjustments on the fly can be made with an optional TC adjust switch, making tuning even more simple. The unit will have a MSRP of $999.99. The optional Z-AFM kit consists of an air fuel sensor and amplifier box that plugs into the any of the Z-Fi products, and allows for closed-loop tuning of the motorcycle. Closed loop tuning means that as the user rides the bike, on the street or on a dynamometer, the Z-Fi automatically makes adjustments to the fuel delivery in order to optimize performance. The user has the ability to set a target air fuel ratio, and view the recommended adjustments using the Z-Fi software. The Z-AFM kit offers optimal performance without the time or cost of a custom dyno tune. The unit will have a MSRP of $349.95. The Bazzaz Z-Fi product line is being supplied to dealers through Tucker Rocky Distributing and is expected to be on the shelves by late September. The Z-Fi line will initially be available for all the popular Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha sport bikes.

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca today welcomed the MotoGP World Championship’s arrival stateside for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, with a number of activities taking place in an already packed paddock. The most celebrated of such occasions was the induction of three-time 500cc World Champion Wayne Rainey into the Laguna Seca Hall Of Fame. The American was a popular and successful rider at his home circuit, and a small crowd clamoured to the scene of his induction, the eponymous Rainey Curve, to show their appreciation for the MotoGP Legend. Rainey was presented with a commemorative trophy and certificate signed by City of Monterey Mayor Chuck Della Sala on behalf of his constituency, and was also warmly received by Dorna Sports S.L. CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta and Laguna Seca’s Ken Lofink. Current MotoGP riders were also out in force at the circuit today, undertaking laps of the newly repaved track on scooters and checking out the ambience of a buzzing paddock. Five of the biggest stars in the World Championship also spoke to the media in the pre-event press conference, namely series leader Casey Stoner, twice Laguna Seca winner Nicky Hayden, Sachsenring victor Dani Pedrosa and the home pairing of Colin Edwards and John Hopkins. All five commented on the unique feel of the American visit, and how they expected tyres to play a crucial role in the weekend’s proceedings. Many riders will be unveiling a special colour scheme or design for the race, and Edwards has entered into the spirit things by unveiling a special ‘Texas Tornado’ livery for his homecoming. He proudly showed off the new design in pit lane after his press conference turn, also dusting off the famous ‘Edwards t-shirt gun’ to treat the crowd to some souvenirs. One home rider who will not be taking part in the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix is Kenny Roberts Jr, who had been scheduled to make his return after a self-imposed three round hiatus. Brother Kurtis, who has been stepping in for last year’s fourth place finisher, will continue onboard the KR212V for his debut appearance at Laguna Seca. Practice for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix begins tomorrow at 10am local time (GMT +7) Casey Stoner “Laguna is starting to feel like a second home GP, as we only have one in Australia. The atmosphere really impressed me last year, and I feel more at home here than at a lot of European circuit. “All of the U.S. riders have hit form, so it will be a hard battle. Most bikes will be pretty similar, so it should hopefully be a close race. The first part of the season was a bit of a surprise for us, but now we are discovering why we are ahead of the others.”