WERA National Series Heads North for Round Five at Grattan BELDING, Mich. The WERA National Series hosts its first northern race of the season with this weekend’s round five at Grattan Raceway in Michigan. The weekend marks the halfway point of the season for the WERA/Bridgestone National Endurance Series and the WERA/Michelin National Challenge Series. The six-hour endurance race begins on Saturday, July 14 at 10:30 a.m. Vesrah Suzuki won at the track last season by a long two-lap margin of victory. Vesrah went undefeated this season until Cycle Jam at Road Atlanta two weeks ago, where they had an uncharacteristic equipment failure. Their loss was Brand X’s gain, and the rookie team took the overall win. Now that they have had a taste of victory, Brand X will be fighting for another win at Grattan. The National Challenge Series sprint races begin on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. The first of the ten-lap sprint races will be Open Superstock. Robert Jensen took that win last year, going on to earn top honors in two other classes during the day. This year, the outcome in the expert races is anyone’s guess. The competition has gotten much tighter in the National Challenge Series this season, and the list of winners has been adding up. Jensen, Lee Acree, Clint McBain, Cory West and Josh Day are just some of the riders who have taken home wins already. In the novice ranks, Russell Wikle has been the rabbit for the rest of the field to chase all year. A multi-class winner at every round this season, Wikle is definitely an up-and-coming novice to keep an eye on. Tickets to the WERA National Series at Grattan are $30 for the weekend, including practice and qualifying on Friday, $20 for Saturday and Sunday, and $15 for Sunday only. Directions to Grattan Raceway can be found at www.grattanraceway.com. More information about WERA, including a detailed schedule for the National Series weekend at Grattan, can be found online at www.WERA.com.

SZOKE STREAKING AGAIN STIRLING, ON – It is a new year, but for Jordan Szoke and his rivals in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship the 2007 season is looking a lot like 2006. As the national motorcycle road race series hits the halfway pole at Mosport International Raceway this weekend Szoke has won the first three races of the season and the Canadian Kawasaki Motors factory rider enjoys a commanding lead in the point standings with four rounds to go. Last year the Brantford, Ont. arrived at Mosport in a similar situation and proceeded to sweep the doubleheader on his way to his third Canadian Superbike crown. Szoke will also be aiming to stand alone as the winningest racer in Canadian National Superbike history this weekend. His sweep of the doubleheader two weeks ago at Calgary’s Race City Motorsport Park tied him with Steve Crevier on 23 wins. But the 28-year-old Szoke has hardly had things his own way this season. At Race City Suzuki Acceleration Racing’s Clint McBain finished a close second to his Kawasaki rival in the opener and lost certain victory in the second race with a fall just a few corners from the finish. The Cochrane, Alta. rider comes to Mosport third in the Parts Canada Superbike standings, just a point behind Kevin Lacombe. Lacombe has finished on the podium twice, including a second at Calgary, and the Team Toyota Yamaha / Brooklin Cycle rider gave Szoke a stern challenge last year at Mosport. A winner of two national rounds in 2006, the 24-year-old from Granby, Que. is due for a breakout performance. Also expected to challenge is the man Szoke tied for the lead on the all-time career wins list, Crevier. The Maple Ridge, B.C. veteran, a six-time national champion has been gaining confidence with each round with the Team Toyota Yamaha / Fast Company squad. Szoke’s rookie teammate Brett McCormick has also been making noise this year and the 15-year-old from Saskatoon finished an impressive fourth in both Calgary Superbike races. Along with McBain, Suzuki’s hopes rest on the Team Suzuki / Blackfoot / Picotte Performance duo of Pascal Picotte and Francis Martin. Picotte, however, comes to Mosport nursing injuries sustained in a fall in Calgary, including a chipped collarbone, chipped elbow and broken toe. His teammate Martin is coming off a pair of third place finishes in Calgary. This weekend’s racing will also include doubleheader action for the Yoshimura Pro 600 Sport Bike, Thunder twins and Suzuki SV650 National Cup series. Szoke leads the Pro 600 Sport Bike standings for Kawasaki, with wins in two of the three races, but he faces a strong challenge from the Yamaha duo of Crevier and Nepean, Ont.’s Andrew Nelson. Buell rider Michael Leon of Beaconsfield, Que. leads the Thunder standings and Orangeville, Ont.’s Derek Vammus tops the Suzuki Cup rankings. There will also be a round for the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike Championship this weekend. Keene, Ont.’s Paul Glenn leads the standings riding a Suzuki. Qualifying for the Superbike, Pro 600 Sport Bike, Thunder and SV Cup classes will be held Friday, with races set for Saturday and Sunday afternoon. The Amateur 600 Sport Bike competitors will have their qualifying session Saturday with their lone race of the weekend Sunday afternoon. For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com All Time Mosport Superbike Wins Pascal Picotte (Granby, QC) 5; Jordan Szoke (Brantford, ON) 4; Don Munroe (Halifax, NS) 2; Frank Trombino (Kleinburg, ON) 2; Rueben McMurter (London, ON) 1; Gary Goodfellow (Vancouver, BC) 1; Linnley Clarke (Barrie, ON) 1; Jeff Sneyd (Mississauga, ON) 1; Martin Gaudreault (Longueuil, QC) 1; Francis Martin (Rock Forest, QC) 1 Mosport Fast Fact .This weekend’s opening race will be the 20th Canadian Superbike national staged at Mosport International Raceway. Gary Goodfellow won the first in 1987 on a Suzuki. The first ever Canadian Superbike race was also held at Mosport in 1978. American John Long won on a BMW. 2007 Point Standings Parts Canada Superbike: 1. Jordan Szoke (Kawasaki) 156; 2. Kevin Lacombe (Yamaha) 105; 3. Clint McBain (Suzuki) 104; 4. Brett McCormick (Kawasaki) 91; 5. Steve Crevier (Yamaha) 90 Yoshimura Pro 600 Sport Bike: 1. Jordan Szoke (Kawasaki) 150; 2. Steve Crevier (Yamaha) 123; 3. Andrew Nelson (Yamaha) 97 International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike: 1. Paul Glenn (Suzuki) 116; 2. Israel Johnas (Kawasaki) 104; 3. Martin Ricard (Kawasaki) 85 Canadian Thunder: 1. Michael Leon (Buell) 116; 2. Chad Pasowisty (Ducati) 104; 3. Corey Warren (Ducati) 96 Suzuki SV650 National Cup: 1. Derek Vammus 134; 2. Martin Grande 123; 3. Andre Talbot 103 Provisional Weekend Schedule Friday July 13 1:15 p.m.-1:40 p.m. – Yoshimura Pro 600 Sport Bike Qualifying (for the Inside Motorcycles Pole Position Award) 1:50 p.m.-2:15 p.m. – Thunder (Twins) Qualifying 3:25 p.m.-4:10 p.m. – Parts Canada Superbike Qualifying (for the Inside Motorcycles Pole Position Award) 4:20 p.m.-4:40 p.m. – Suzuki SV650 Cup Qualifying Saturday July 14 1:00 p.m. – Yoshimura Pro 600 Sport Bike Race – 14 laps 2:00 p.m. – Thunder (Twins) Race – 10 laps 3:10 p.m. – Parts Canada Superbike Championship Race – 20 laps 4:00 p.m. -4:50 p.m. – International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike Qualifying 5:10 p.m. – Suzuki SV650 National Cup Race – 10 laps Sunday July 15 12:45 p.m. – Yoshimura Pro 600 Sport Bike Race – 14 laps 1:40 p.m. – Thunder (Twins) Race – 10 laps 2:20 p.m. – International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike Race – 12 laps 2:55 p.m. – Parts Canada Superbike Championship Race – 20 laps 3:45 p.m. – Suzuki SV650 National Cup Race – 10 laps

WILDCARD HAYDEN GETS KAWASAKI RIDE AT LAGUNA Roger Lee Hayden, brother of current MotoGP world champion Nicky, will ride a factory Ninja ZX-RR at the Red Bull US Grand Prix later this month, as a wildcard rider. Already representing the Japanese motorcycle manufacturing giant in both the AMA Superbike and Supersport series in America, the 24 year old from Kentucky will race a third bike for the Kawasaki Racing Team at the event in California, alongside regular riders, Randy de Puniet and Anthony West. Hayden rode Shinya Nakano’s 2006 Kawasaki 990cc MotoGP bike during a test at Valencia at the end of last season and also enjoyed a brief opportunity to ride the new ZX-RR at Japanese circuit, Autopolis, recently. With his considerable experience of the Laguna Seca track, the team hope he’ll raise their profile in front of a knowledgeable and enthusiastic American crowd and have some fun on the powerful, 800cc machine while he’s at it. The young Hayden boasts an impressive pedigree. As part of the Hayden family racing dynasty, he was put on a motorcycle at six and began racing just a couple of years later, eventually turning professional in 1999. He came second in the AMA Supersport championship in both 2004 and 2005, scored fifth in that series last year and is currently running second in the 2007 title fight. In 2006, he won Rookie of the Year in the AMA Superbike championship. Furthermore, he’s done well at Laguna Seca in the past, including gaining a Supersport win there in 2004. Both AMA Superbike and Supersport will feature as support races at the Monterey circuit over the course of the MotoGP weekend and Hayden will ride his Kawasaki ZX-6R in the latter, in addition to his wildcard ride. He won’t, however, race his ZX-10R Superbike that weekend as otherwise he’d never be off the grid! The Kawasaki Racing Team very much look forward to Hayden joining them in California for the race on 22nd July, in what will no doubt be a fast, hot and exciting crowd-pleaser. Roger Hayden Kawasaki MotoGP Wild Card Rider #95 “The test last week went pretty well and I felt comfortable on the Ninja ZX-RR straight away. It’ll definitely take a bit of getting used to but I’m really grateful for the support of Kawasaki, who flew me all the way to Japan so I’d already be a little bit familiar with the bike before the race. It’s a lot smaller than the bikes I normally ride, and revs a lot higher, but it handles really well and I feel I made the transition quite smoothly. It’s a dream come true to race a MotoGP bike at Laguna Seca and it’s been years since I raced against Nicky. I’m not putting any pressure on myself: I’d just like it to be a positive experience and if I can score some points, that would be awesome. With quite a few Americans on the grid, the crowd will certainly have something to cheer about, plus my family and friends are going to come along so it should all be pretty cool.” Michael Bartholemy Kawasaki Competition Manager “Originally we had no intention of running any wild card riders this year, but we were able to look again at the possibility after the Catalunya race and it quickly became apparent that there was an opportunity for us to run a third bike at Laguna Seca. America is a very important market for Kawasaki, so that’s why we’ve made the decision to be the first manufacturer to run an American wild card rider in the U.S. Grand Prix since it’s return to the calendar in 2005. We chose Roger Lee because he’s a long serving member of the ‘Kawasaki family’, representing Kawasaki in the domestic championships in the United States. We don’t have any particular expectations of him in the race, as his time on the bike so far has been limited, but we know that he will be out to secure the best result possible for himself, and I hope that he will enjoy the chance to ride Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-RR in front of his home crowd. Who knows? Maybe this will be the start of us using wildcard riders more in the future or, possibly, running a third bike full time in the championship next year.”

DANVILLE, VA. – The world famous Mast Farm Inn bed and breakfast will play host to three lucky fans courtesy of Club Ferdinand when they attend the AMA Superbike Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals at VIRginia International Raceway, August 17-19. In addition to lodging at the Inn before and after the races at VIR, the three lucky ticket buyers will each be given the use of a Club Ferdinand Porsche for the weekend. Famed for its multi-faceted accommodations and scenic beauty, the Valle Crucis, N.C. inn, located just a few minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway, will provide lodging on Thursday night before the event, a Porsche for the drive to the track and back, and lodging again Sunday evening before the lucky guests’ return home after VIRginia International Raceway’s summer keynote event, the AMA Superbike races. Learn more about the Inn at ~http://www.mastfarminn.com/~ . The lucky first prize winner will stay in the Loomhouse cottage and have use of a Porsche Cayman-S. Second prize will be accommodations in the Woodwork cottage and a Boxster S, while third prize is a stay in the Blacksmith cottage and a Cayenne S for the weekend. The prizes are valued between $1,600 and $2,000. For details on the cottages, see: ~http://www.mastfarminn.com/accommodations/cottages/loomhouse.html~ for the Loomhouse cottage; ~http://www.mastfarminn.com/accommodations/cottages/woodwork.html~ for the Woodwork cottage and ~http://www.mastfarminn.com/accommodations/cottages/blacksmith.html~ for the Blacksmith cottage. Club Ferdinand is providing the pace car for the weekend, a Porsche Carrera 4 Techart. Club Ferdinand is the first Exotic Car Sharing, or “Fleet-Sharing Club ~http://www.exoticcarclubs.com/~ “, in the world and is exclusively composed of the legendary Porsche ~http://www.porsche.com/~ s. Read more about the Club at www.clubferdinand.us “This is just another enhancement we’ve added for lucky ticket purchasers,” said promoter Cameron Gray. “Club Ferdinand and Mast Farm Inn are the kind of partners we want to attract and keep, in our drive to make this the best event in the nation. It’s already there, but we want to stay ahead of the crowd and make them try to catch up with us.” Three membership options ~http://www.clubferdinand.us/cf-membership.htm~ , plus a variety of part time and trial memberships enable members to benefit from the use of the club’s “Luxury Sports Car Fleet” of new Porsches, at any time available, for one day to one week at a time, between 45-60 days a year, using a reservation and points system assuring equitable-share usage of the fleet by all club members. With the Blue Ridge Mountains as its backdrop and a world-class reputation for service, food and accommodations, the Mast Farm Inn is one of only a few inns across the country to be recognized as a member of the prestigious Select Registry. Mast Farm Inn has been welcoming guests since the 1800s. While there have been extensive historically accurate renovations and improvements, the hospitality remains rural mountain, traditional, attentive and sincere. The Mast Farm Inn is in a serene rural valley surrounded by mountains, rivers and streams, only minutes from Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, Beech Mountain, Sugar Mountain, Linville, Boone, Grandfather Mountain, and The Blue Ridge Parkway. Under continuous renovation, restoration and enhancements, Mast Farm Inn was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, as “one of the most complete and best preserved groups of nineteenth century farm buildings in western North Carolina.” A result of these inspired restorations and excellent care, Mast Farm Inn operates today, providing delicious meals and comfortable period lodging as it did a hundred years ago in a beautiful setting. The Big Kahuna National is a full weekend of AMA Superbike racing at VIRginia International Raceway’s North Course, the 2.25-mile natural terrain race track just minutes east of Danville, Virginia. With a three-day slate of practice, qualifying and a complete schedule of races both Saturday and Sunday, the Big Kahuna brings some of the world’s best motorcycle road racers to compete. M1 Entertainment is promoting the AMA Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals Presented by Dunlop and Rockstar the weekend of August 17-19. AMA Pro Racing’s wildly popular Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals brings the best in the business to do battle on VIR’s challenging 2.25-mile North Course. The doubleheader format gives fans a pair of feature races for the headlining AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, with factory teams and the world’s best riders competing for corporate bragging rights. The manufacturer Superbike teams spend staggering budgets to produce some of the most technologically advanced bikes on the planet. Rounding out the program will be AMA’s other pro series, the Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei, AMA Repsol Lubricants Superstock Series and Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series, plus lots of off-track fun and excitement with live music, demonstrations and lots more for the whole family. Plan now to attend the most thrilling racing seen, plus all the excitement of the rest of the weekend. Get your tickets now for the AMA Superbike Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals and watch three full days of practice, qualifying and racing at America’s Motorsport Resort. Tickets are available through moto1usa at their web site: ~http://www.moto1usa.com/kahuna.php~ 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 ~http://www.amasuperbike.com/~

The tentative schedule of events for the 2007 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix July 20-22 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca includes more time for fans to walk across the track than for racers to practice on the track. The tentative schedule for the event includes 11 hours and 10 minutes of on-track fan crossings. The amount of time AMA Supersport machines and Superbikes and MotoGP racers will be on the track including the races — will be approximately nine hours and 50 minutes, if everything goes right. AMA Supersport racers will get 45 minutes to practice Friday morning, 25 minutes to qualify (for each of two qualifying groups), 20 minutes to warm-up Saturday morning and a 17-lap race Saturday afternoon, which took just over 25 minutes, flag to flag, last year. AMA Superbike riders will get one, 35-minute practice Friday morning, and will only see the track between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. for a single practice session Saturday morning. A 25-minute qualifying session (for each of two qualifying groups) Sunday morning, will give AMA Superbike pilots a total of two hours of track time before their 28-lap/40-minute race Sunday evening. MotoGP racers will get their normal three hours of practice, followed by a one-hour qualifying session Saturday afternoon. On Sunday morning, a 25-minute warm-up session will be followed hours later by the 32-lap Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, which took Nicky Hayden 45 minutes to complete last year. Over the three days there will be: 11 hours, 10 minutes of track crossings 1 hour, 50 minutes of on-track stunt shows 1 hour, 20 minutes of pace car rides 1 hour, 15 minutes of rides on the Ducati MotoGP two-seater 20 minutes of Red Bull NASCAR Demo laps 20 minutes of fans lapping the track on their motorcycles 20 minutes for the Yamaha Weekend of Champions Parade Lap Some of these activities will take place during the five hours of lunch breaks over the three days. To see the full, tentative schedule for the 2007 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, go to: ~http://www.amaproracing.com/prorace/pdf/Laguna%20GP%20schedule.pdf~

John Hopkins has notified his team, Rizla Suzuki, that he intends to leave them at the end of the 2007 MotoGP World Championship season, according to a source within that team, and the 24-year-old American rider is expected to announce this weekend at the German Grand Prix that he will join the Kawasaki MotoGP effort in 2008. Inquiries made directly with Hopkins and the Kawasaki MotoGP team were not answered at post time. Hopkins, the son of British-born parents (his father won a TT at the Isle of Man before being disqualified for being under age), got his racing legs in motocross near his home in Southern California. He switched over to CMRRA mini road racing before he was 10 and rode a Honda RS125 and a Yamaha TZ250 with WSMC as an adolescent. Hopkins was seen at road races in Southern California by Team Hammer, Inc. race team owner John Ulrich, the man credited with discovering World Champion Kevin Schwantz; Ulrich bought an Aprilia RS250 for 15-year-old Hopkins to ride in the Aprilia Cup Challenge spec series in 1999. Hopkins won three of the four races and the Aprilia Cup Championship. That year, after turning 16, Hopkins also rode a Team Hammer (then racing as Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki) GSX-R600 to fifth in his AMA debut race (the AMA 750cc Supersport event at New Hampshire International Speedway), won the Suzuki GSX-R600 Cup Final at Road Atlanta and captured five CCS National Championships at Daytona. In 2000, Hopkins rode for Team Hammer again and won the AMA 750cc Supersport Championship in his first full year of AMA racing. He also won seven out of 12 Formula USA Unlimited Superbike races and finished second in that Championship. “Hopper,” as he was dubbed by Team Hammer, then won the AMA (1000cc) Formula Xtreme Championship for the team in 2001, the first AMA title for the GSX-R1000. In between races in 2001, Ulrich arranged for Hopkins to test a YZR500 with Red Bull Yamaha, and Hopkins’ performance earned him a ride with the team in the 2002 MotoGP World Championship. It rained on Hopkins’ debut Grand Prix in Japan and he crashed — twice, but he picked his bike up both times, pitted for repairs once and soldiered on to finish 12th and score his first World Championship points. Racing his 500cc two-stroke against 990cc four-strokes, rookie Hopkins went on to finish in the top 10 four times in 2002. The never-say-die attitude that Hopkins demonstrated in his GP debut in Japan would serve him well as he signed to ride Suzuki’s troubled 990cc four-stroke in 2003. In spite of numerous technical problems with the Suzuki (some that put him on his head more than once) and it being generally uncompetitive, Hopkins continued giving Suzuki and tire partner Bridgestone 110% at all times. The GSV-R990 and Bridgestones improved somewhat in 2006, resulting in Hopkins’ first MotoGP pole position and him taking 10th in the Championship with the highest point total of his career. During his time on the 990cc Suzuki, Hopkins was forced to override the machine into and through corners to make up for its lack of straightline speed. This led to him developing a riding style with very late braking and very high corner speeds, a style that matched Bridgestone’s ever-improving tires and the much more competitive Suzuki GSV-R800 in 2007. So far this season, Hopkins has finished on the podium once, his first ever in MotoGP, and inside the top five six times in the first nine races. In fact, at the halfway point of the 2007 campaign, Hopkins has just 22 fewer points than he earned all year in 2006. It will be interesting to see what Hopkins can do on the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR. Hopkins’ new deal is rumored to be worth about $5 million a year.

Lloyd Brothers Motor-sports announce American Agip Sponsorship American Agip Co. Inc. manufactures and distributes a complete and superior line of lubricants in USA and Canada from its own industrial facilities in Cabot, PA. American Agip masters international state-of-the-art know-how for the formulation of products for vehicles (engine oils, special fluids and transmission oils) and industries (lubricants for hydraulic systems, industrial machinery and metal processing). The Agip brand stands for top quality products that meet the highest industry standards. “At American Agip we take a great deal of pride in the quality and performance of our products: our R&D activities which are on the cutting edge of the industry demands, meet today requirements with tomorrow expectations”. “We are delighted to race test the quality of our products with Lloyd Brother Motor Sports and Aprilia in the gruelling environment created by both endurance road racing and flat track racing” says Chester Cronin, Head of North America Agip Lubricants Division. “We are very excited to cooperate with Agip in not only our flat track efforts, but also to help us maintain our current Moto-ST points lead through the finish of the season” “Only the highest quality products consistently survive in endurance racing; with Agip and Aprilia we are quite confident in our ability to finish well in each event” reports team co-owner David Lloyd. To learn more about American Agip visit our web site www.americanagip.com. To learn more about Aprilia USA Moto-ST and Flat Track racing, log on to www.apriliausa.com

German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring 13, 14 and 15 July 2007 REPSOL DUO READY FOR TIGHT FIGHT IN GERMANY As round ten of this 18-race MotoGP series unfolds this weekend both Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) and reigning World Champion Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V) are set to show the fighting form they rediscovered at Assen two weeks ago. Nicky scored his first podium of the season and Dani came in a close fourth. The duo will be looking for better here and with good reason. This circuit has been a happy hunting ground for them both before. Dani has won here on a 250cc machine and Nicky was a very close third last year. Hayden’s third place in 2006 was part of a four-rider scrap for the win that went down in history as the closest finish in MotoGP so far with just 0.307 seconds covering the top four as they sped across the line. And there’s every chance the action will be just as frantic this weekend too. Dani will be itching to get on terms with the World Championship leaders Casey Stoner (Ducati) on 185 points and second-placed Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) who currently has 164 points. Dani lies third with 119 and the Spanish ace badly needs a win to claw his way back into the title reckoning. Dani has scored four podium finishes and has notched up three fourth places so far this season, but he knows this is not yet the form of a World Championship contender. After the encouragement of Assen, Dani knows that he must build on that progress with at least a podium finish here. Nicky enjoys riding here and is relishing the prospect of firing his RC212V out of the ten left-hand turns here in the dirt-track style he learned as a kid. Few riders are quite as spectacular as The Kentucky Kid here at the Sachsenring. All riders will need their considerable talents to tame this track. Set in the rolling heartlands of German motorcycle sport in the Hohenstein-Ernstthal region, this 3.671km former public roads circuit is close to the MZ motorcycle factory and huge crowds of up to 250,000 attended the event in its heyday. The tight twisting nature of the track demands acceleration rather than outright speed, six left-hand turns in succession put great stress on tyre edge-grip and a steep downhill plunge followed by an uphill section to the start/finish straight requires utter precision from riders and dependable stability from machines. A crowd of 220,000 attended the event over the three days last year and that figure is sure to be matched or exceeded even if the weather is set fair for the weekend. Either way the racing will be red hot and the man who scored a second place here last year, Marco Melandri (Gresini Honda RC212V), will hope to be in the thick of it again. The Italian star has only notched one podium so far this year and he is more than eager to put that right this weekend. His team-mate Toni Elias (Gresini Honda RC212V) will not ride until the end of August or early September after breaking his leg in Holland two weeks ago. He is replaced by Italian rider Michel Fabrizio. Dani said: “I’m looking forward to another good race at the Sachsenring. The track is quite tight and it’s a short lap which usually leads to some close racing. Last year the result wasn’t bad and I was very close to the podium, though having set pole position and the fastest lap of the race it was a little frustrating to finish fourth of course. We’ll see if we can improve on that this weekend. It’ll be interesting to see how the new 800cc machine differs to last year’s 990s. We could be quicker through the tight parts of the track, but then again the straight begins by coming out of an uphill corner which will test the engine, so we’ll have to wait and see whether the 800s are quicker.” Nicky said: “I am very excited going to Germany because I’ve found a much better set-up and feeling with the machine recently and it’s a lot more fun to be riding up front again. We’ve still got some work to do if we want to move up to where the real fun is though. I hope we can continue improving the set-up over the weekend and get the bike turning better. Also we need to dial in the clutch a little more to smooth out the corner entry. In the past the Sachsenring has been a good track to me. It’s quite tight, short and has been a little bumpy which meant you had to be pretty scrappy to get around there quickly. But I like it it’s got a few fast left-handers and the downhill Waterfall corner is pretty sick.” Melandri said: “The next two circuits are really interesting and the Germany-USA double header will be really demanding. Sachsenring is a unique circuit but I like it because it’s so flowing. At such a slow and twisty track the setting of the bike has to be perfect. Hopefully we can have a good session on Friday and find a good compromise for the set-up. From a rider’s perspective it is important to control the throttle and not be too aggressive.” Marco’s temporary team-mate Michel Fabrizio, standing in for the injured Tony Elias, raced once for the team last season. He said: “I’m very happy to have another opportunity to ride the Honda. I raced at the Sachsenring in 2004 and this experience may help me in the knowledge of the track. I’m enthusiastic and I thank Fausto Gresini for this great chance.” Shinya Nakano (Konica Minolta Honda RC212V) said: “It’s not a particularly fast track, but there are some fun corners and having had a fairly good result here last year as well as a rostrum in 2001, I’m hoping that this will help us for the coming weekend. After a number of races where the weather hasn’t been very good and has changed from wet to dry, let’s also hope that we will get some good, consistent weather for the whole race weekend!” Carlos Checa (LCR Honda RC212V) said: “This is another chance to get on terms with the leaders at a track where outright speed is not too much of an issue. If we can get the set-up right early on I have a good opportunity of doing well here.” Kurtis Roberts (Roberts KR212V) said: “We’re still working as hard as we can to get the chassis where we want it and this is just another race in a long line of events we can use to get closer to where we want to be. With Laguna Seca coming up the weekend after this we’re hoping for some positive progress here.” In the 250cc class Jorge Lorenzo (Aprilia) heads Andrea Dovizioso (Scot Honda RS250RW) by 23 points after taking six wins so far this season to Dovi’s two. Alex de Angelis (Aprilia) is tied in second in the Championship with Dovi. Lorenzo only managed third place last year in a race that was won by Dovi’s team-mate Yuki Takahashi (Scot Honda RS250RW). Alex de Angelis was second here in 2006 while Dovi came home fourth. Dovi said: “The Sachsenring is a kart track more than a circuit and I don’t like it. Last year we had a difficult race because of some gearing problems and we finished fourth. This weekend we have a good chance to recover from what was a disappointing race in Assen.” His team-mate Takahashi said: “Last year I won on this circuit and I like it a lot. It’s good for my riding style and I hope also this year it will be lucky for me. I’ll do my best, try to get on the podium and hope it doesn’t rain.” Julian Simon (Repsol Honda RS250RW) said: “The Sachsenring suits the Honda because of the track’s technical characteristics. I have never raced here with this bike but I think it is going to be well suited to the track. This is a circuit I like a lot. I’ve always done well here and it is not going to be any different this year. We tried some new things out in the Czech Republic in the test sessions we did last week and I am going to Germany very motivated.” His team-mate Shuhei Aoyama (Repsol Honda RS250RW) said: “Last year I didn’t get a very good result here because this is a difficult circuit for me, where I never get to feel very comfortable. In the testing sessions in Brno we worked hard to get a good set-up and get a good pace so as to completely prepare for this race at the Sachsenring, so I hope to get a good result there.” In the 125cc category Hector Faubel heads Gabor Talmacsi by seven points with Sergio Gadea third in the World Championship points table 26 points behind Talmacsi (all Aprilia). Bradley Smith (Repsol Honda RS125R) is in ninth overall. Smith said: “The Sachsenring is a little different to all the other circuits because it has a lot of left-handers. I hope my injured left leg stands up to racing as I’m dying to get back to racing again after missing out on the race at Assen. It’s no fun being at home doing nothing. With the leg injury I had it was difficult to do anything. The first thing I’ll do is see how the leg reacts and see if I can race. Once I have done that I’ll try to win some points so that I can maintain my position in the Championship.” His team-mate Esteve Rabat (Repsol Honda RS125R) said: “Last year Germany was where I got my worst result in qualifying. I had to start from the back row, but this year I am going to go there eager to do well and I think I’m ready to tackle this race in tip-top condition.”