This weekend sees Germany’s Sachsenring hosting the 10th round of the 2007 MotoGP world championship and the Kawasaki Racing Team are heading to the circuit with high expectations of a great race. Riders Randy de Puniet and Anthony West are aiming to boost their season campaign on their 800cc Ninja ZX-RRs after a round of mixed blessings at the Dutch Assen TT nearly a fortnight ago. De Puniet, having laid claim to a brilliant front row grid position in qualifying, crashed out of the race itself but West showed he’s a force to be reckoned with after taking ninth place in only his second MotoGP outing for Kawasaki. The Sachsenring, near the town of Chemnitz in Eastern Germany, is a particularly twisty circuit, where the tarmac snakes through 10 left turns and just four rights, making the correct set up and tyre choice absolutely imperative. Both Kawasakis run Bridgestone tyres, which have more than proved their worth so far this season: a promising sign for the team. Furthermore, both de Puniet and West have enjoyed numerous top 10 finishes at the circuit in their 250cc days: with four and six respectively. Such experience at the track is a major plus point: its undulations and numerous, tricky corners mean there’s little room for overtakes and it’ll be the Ninjas’ low-down and midrange grunt that will come to the fore for this race, rather than their already-proven, and very substantial, top end. De Puniet, after last year’s disappointment when a mechanical failure forced him out of the German round, will be aiming to continue his recent good form (disregarding the hiccup at Assen) which has seen him getting increasingly impressive results including a fifth at Catalunya and a sixth, two weeks later, at Donington. Team newcomer West, meanwhile, aims to improve at every round, which, until now, he’s done. It means that, to keep himself smiling, he has to beat his own best position so far of ninth. Sunday’s 30-lap Alice Motorrad Grand Prix will no doubt be a belter but the weekend kicks off with the first free practice sessions this Friday. Randy De Puniet Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #14 “After four races in six weeks, we all needed a break but now I’m looking forward to the German GP. We really showed improvement in the last couple of races so I was disappointed about not finishing the Dutch TT. The bike was working perfectly, and we were highly competitive, but now that’s in the past and Sachsenring is going to be another story. My knee is still a bit swollen but last week I started running and cycling again. And my shoulder is improving although I still can’t lift much weight with it. It will be ok in about a month but, even though Sachsenring can be a demanding track, I’m sure I’ll deal with it. Last year, we had mechanical problems at the race and I couldn’t finish but, until then, we were doing fine. This year, apart from being a great-handling bike, which is important for the twisty bits, the Ninja has a powerful engine, which is important for the last part as there are very few overtaking points. Obviously, my aim is to be on the front row and get the best result on Sunday but the priority is to finish the race. I will try my best as it is important for me, for the team and for the championship.” Anthony West Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #13 “I needed a break as the last few weeks have been pretty busy but I still had to wait a little after Assen before relaxing. On the Monday after the race I did a physical test to assess my condition and, even though it can be improved, the result was positive. Then I went back to Austria and had some rest. It was strange, not having much to do, but now it’s back into action! I liked the Sachsenring on the 250cc bike as it’s not particularly fast. It’s going to be more difficult with the bigger bikes, though. It’s narrow and short and it will be important to find a good set up to avoid ruining the rear tyre, especially on the left side as there are ten left hand corners out of 14 in all. Still, as I learned at Assen, you also need to warm up the right side properly too, so you don’t end up on the ground! This weekend, the target is to keep improving. I guess that means to finish eighth”¦ I know it’s going to be difficult but I’ll just try to get the most out of every session. After that, we will see what happens in the race.”

STEVE PLATER READY FOR OULTON PARK AIM Yamaha rider Steve Plater is all set for the Oulton Park challenge in round eight of the Bennetts British Superbike championship which takes place at the Cheshire circuit on Sunday. Steve missed out on the earlier races at Oulton Park as he was busy winning the World Endurance round at Albacete for Kawasaki France but he is eagerly anticipating a strong result at Oulton Park, the scene of two previous victories for the Lincolnshire ace. “Because we missed the previous races at Oulton in May we are playing catch-up as we have no set up for the AIM Yamaha R1. But I am confident we can get that sorted out quickly and then concentrate on producing a couple of strong results for the team,” said the 34-year-old Woodhall Spa rider. Prior to the Oulton Park round the team took in the official two-day test at Croft. The first day was curtailed early as the weather closed in and laying water halted the afternoon sessions. “We needed some wet testing so the rain was welcome but as the day wore on the rain got worse and the track soon became waterlogged,” explained Steve. “We had more luck on Wednesday and completed a successful test in the morning. However we encountered some engine problems late on in the morning and decided to call it a day at lunchtime, which enabled the team to strip the bike down to discover and rectify the problem. “We are now all ready for Oulton Park and fingers crossed we get a fine, dry day after all this rain, for the fans as well as ourselves. It can’t be much fun for them to be soaking wet all the time.” The weekend kicks off on Friday where the Superbikes have two 50-minute free practise sessions followed by a third on Saturday morning. Qualifying is on Saturday at 2.45pm and racing is set for Sunday, the first 17-lap Superbike race scheduled for a 1.50pm start with leg two due on track at 4.15pm.

DEELEY BUELL RACERS ON ROAD AMERICA THUNDERBIKE PODIUM Estok and James Finish Two-Three; Estok Adds to Season Points Lead ELKHART LAKE, Wis. Deeley H-D/Buell Canada/Ruthless Racing rider David Estok rode a Buell XB12R to a second-place finish in the American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA) Pro Thunderbike National at Road America, adding to his lead in the Thunderbike National season points standings. Brian Parriott on a BMW R1200RS was the fastest qualifier for the event, turning a lap of 2:28.147 on the four-mile, 14-turn Road America course. Parriott got a jump on the field at the start of the six-lap Thunderbike National. Nate Kern on another BMW R1200RS gave chase in second, with Estok in third and Hal’s H-D/Buell Hal’s Speed Shop rider Dan Bilansky in fourth, after starting from the back row. The top three spread out and finished in that order, with Parriott crossing the finish line 4.412 seconds ahead of Kern. However, Kern’s motorcycle failed a post-race inspection, and he was penalized three positions to fifth place, elevating Estok to second and his Deeley H-D/Buell Canada/Ruthless Racing teammate Darren James to third. Bilansky, the reigning Thunderbike national champion, faded to a seventh-place finish. “I did not get a great start today, which pretty much ruined any chance I had to run at the front,” said Estok. “Once again the Deeley crew put a reliable Buell race bike under me, and we were able to extend our season-points lead. Now we just need to finish every Thunderbike round and bring home the championship.” After five of eight ASRA Pro Thunderbike rounds, Estok leads the series with 147 points. James moves up to second with 120 points, while Bilansky drops from second to third with 119 points. In Championship Cup Series (CCS) sprint racing on Saturday, Richie Morris Racing/Daytona Harley-Davidson/Buell rider Shawn Higbee rode a Buell XBRR to win the Expert SuperTwins event, while Joel Spaulding won Amateur GT Lights on a Buell XB12R. The next event on the eight-race 2007 ASRA Pro Thunderbike series schedule is the Barber Festival of Speed, August 11-12 at Barber Motorsports Park, Leeds, Ala. More, from a press release issued by Buell: RICHIE MORRIS RACING RIDES BUELL TO MOTO-ST CLASS VICTORY Bilansky and Higbee Take GST Win; James Gang Buell is Second at Road America ELKHART LAKE, Wis. The Richie Morris Racing/Daytona Harley-Davidson/Buell team won the Grand Sport Touring (GST) class with a Buell XB12R Firebolt at the Road America 500K, the fourth round of the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series. High winds and temperatures in the mid-90s at the four-mile road course handed an additional challenge to riders in the three-hour MOTO-ST endurance event. But Richie Morris Racing riders Shawn Higbee and Dan Bilansky never faltered and enjoyed perfect pit work to lead the GST class from start to finish. The team completed 66 laps and finished 10th overall. “Everything went smoothly for us today,” said Bilansky. “I was pretty busy with other races this weekend, and Shawn had the bike set up perfectly for us. The Richie Morris team did a great job on all of our stops, and we got great performance from our Pirelli tires. We knew there would be a lot of Buell fans at this race in Wisconsin, so we’re glad we could bring home a win for them.” The James Gang Racing/Hoban Brothers Buell XB12R sponsored by Hal’s Speed Shop and Buell of Appleton and ridden by Paul James and Jeff Johnson completed 65 laps and took second place in GST (13th overall), as Johnson passed the Team Ducati Indianapolis entry with just four laps remaining and was 2.2 seconds ahead at the finish. Team Ducati Indianapolis was later disqualified for being below the minimum weight limit of 390 pounds, elevating the Touring Sports Ducati team of Peter Friedland, Brad Phillips and Frank Shockley to third place (14th overall). After four of six MOTO-ST events, Richie Morris Racing Buell leads the GST team standings with 135 points, followed by Touring Sport Ducati with 122 points and James Gang Racing with 116 points. The overall MOTO-ST win and first place in the Buell Motorcycle Company SuperSport Twins (SST) class went to Aprilla USA Team 2 and riders Ty Howard and Troy Green, who covered 68 laps on an Aprilla RSV1000 Tuono. Aprilla USA Team 2 leads the Buell Motorcycle Company SST team point standings with 134 points. Speed Werks.com riders Brian Kcraget and Scott Ryan captured the Sport Twins (ST) class win on a Suzuki SV650. The next race on the 2007 SunTrust MOTO-ST schedule is the Iowa Speedway 500K, July 12-14 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa.

Dustin Dominguez was top dog at round six of the Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association’s championship series held at Oak Hill Raceway, claiming six Expert wins on the 1.8-mile course, near Henderson, Texas. The Newall, Oklahoma rider’s most spectacular win, perhaps, came in the Lightweight Twins Expert race where he battled race-long with fellow Suzuki SV650-rider Chris Romeo and finally claimed the victory after making a last-lap pass for the lead just two turns from the finish. Dominguez filled out his day by adding wins in the Liberty Motorsport Park B Superstock Expert, the Formula 2 Expert, B Superbike Expert, D Superstock Expert, and D Superbike Expert races. Randall Kienast rode a borrowed GSX-R1000 to claim his sixth-straight win in the Avteq A Superbike Expert class. The Suzuki rider also took the win in the Northwest Honda Formula 1 race after a fierce battle with fellow Suzuki rider Kevin Pate. Notable performances were turned in by Chase Vivion, Danny Kelsey and Tyler McDonald. Vivion, who is just returning to the track after suffering a horrific car accident several months ago, won the GMAN Productions 125cc GP race after a spectacular battle with Garet Tomlinson. Rookie Expert Danny Kelsey claimed his first-ever CMRA Expert win with a two-second victory over Craig Montgomery in the Island Racing Services C Superbike race. Meanwhile, McDonald came from the fourth row to win the South Central Race Center C Superstock Expert race, making a last-second pass on Craig Montgomery to do so. Other Expert-class winners included Marv Esterly, Eric Falt, Ryan O’Donnell, Kevin Pate, and Andy Galindo. In Saturday’s Shogun Motorsports Mini Endurance race, Desert-Mice Too managed to fend off mechanical gremlins long enough to take the win in the third round of the series. The Honda RS85-mounted team completed 195 laps during the six-hour event (shortened to five and a half hours due to a red flag), and finished with a one-lap margin of victory over second place finishers Hambone, while Kawasaki EX250-mounted No Homeless came home with third.

The German round of the 2007 MotoGP World Championship from Sachsenring in eastern Germany signals the start of the second half of the season, with Rizla Suzuki MotoGP looking to continue with the excellent form it has shown in the first nine races. The Team sits in third place in the MotoGP Team Championship and John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen have already collected 182 points between them almost double the amount the pair had scored between them at the same point last year. The Team has so far had one race win, two podium finishes, one pole position and five other top-five finishes. Hopkins is in fourth place in the riders’ classification and Vermeulen lies just one place behind him in fifth. Sachsenring is situated about 90km from Dresden and is one of the biggest attended races of the year, with over 200,000 people cramming into the stands around the 3.6km circuit during the three days. Last season over 50,000 people turned up on the first practice day to see the riders begin their preparations for the race. The German track is a true test of tyres and the circuit, unusually, has more left hand corners than right – with only Assen having more. The Suzuki GSV-R will use full throttle for less than 10 per-cent of a lap and smooth power delivery low down in the rev-range will be vital, something that the 800cc bike excels in. Hopkins and Vermeulen take to the track on Friday for two free practice sessions, followed by another free session the following morning. Saturday afternoon will see the excitement of qualifying as the riders battle it out for the best grid position for Sunday’s 30-lap race – which gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT). John Hopkins: “It’s been a tough summer up to yet, but one that has produced some good results for me and the team. Sachsenring is a difficult circuit and one that I still have a bit of trouble coming to terms with. We had some grip issues last year but with the way the Bridgestone tyres are working I don’t think that will be a problem this year. I am sure that I can keep my strong run going and finally get a good result in Germany. The new bike should go well there and I think we can be looking for another top-five finish at the very least!” Chris Vermeulen: “I had a pretty strong race at Sachsenring last year, even though I found it a difficult track to learn. That was the first time I had ever been there and got a seventh place finish. I really want a dry weekend as we have a lot to do with the bike and it is always better to race in dry and warm conditions than in the wet. I am still a bit annoyed about what happened in the race last week, but there is nothing I can do about that now, I just hope that somebody else doesn’t want to crash into me this week because three times this season already is more than enough!”

San Jose BMW (Brian Parriott/Tom Montano) and Aprilia USA 2 (Ty Howard/Troy Green), the two main protagonists in the inaugural SunTrust MOTO-ST Championship, battled each other and adversity until the last lap of the 500K at Road America. Two Safety Car periods threw both teams off their normal pit stop strategies and drew both into a game of gas-mileage chicken at the end of the race. Neither team blinked, and both stretched their fuel loads to the end. Aprilia USA 2’s Howard almost didn’t make it as his Tuono shut off on the final lap, long enough for him to radio to his crew, “We’re done.” But the Aprilia sudden sprang back to life, and Howard got back on the gas, well behind San Jose BMW. Then, San Jose BMW’s R 1200 S sputtered to a halt in the last few hundred yards of the race, handing the overall and Super Sport Twins (SST) class wins — and bigger Championship point leads in both — to Aprilia USA 2. With San Jose BMW dead on the side of the front straightaway, Aprilia USA 1 (Henry Wiles/Jon Francis) and Team Florida (Gustavo Laya/Armando Ferrer) held another race to the finish for what would become second place. Aprilia USA 1 had a horsepower advantage with its RSV1000 Tuono and beat Team Florida’s stock Ducati 749R to the finish line by a wheel. Team Florida, however, was robbed of its trip to the podium when another of MOTO-ST’s many timing and scoring mistakes during the weekend temporarily lost one of Team Florida’s laps. Surprised Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki riders Chris Ulrich and Mark Junge were directed to the podium, where they stood in Team Florida’s spot. Only after all of the podium ceremonies had been completed did MOTO-ST realize its mistake, acknowledge Team Florida’s third-place finish and invite the Team Florida riders and crew to celebrate their third-place finish at the podium”¦alone. Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki was ultimately scored in fourth overall on a SV1000S, and San Jose BMW was credited with fifth place overall and fifth in the SST category. Provisionally, the Grand Sport Twins (GST) class win went to Richie Morris Racing, which had Shawn Higbee and Dan Bilansky riding a Buell XB12R. Higbee said the team had a flawless race and perfectly-timed a pit stop during a Safety Car period. James Gang Racing’s Paul James and Jeff Johnson finished second on a Buell XB12R, one lap behind Richie Morris Racing due to what they said was a poorly-timed pit stop during a Safety Car period. Team Ducati Indianapolis’s Dr. Jeffrey Purk, DDS, Robert Oliva and Scott Harwood finished 2.2 seconds behind James Gang Racing to take third in GST on their Ducati 1000SS. The Sport Twins (ST) class was shaping up to be a close battle between Pair-A-Nines 9 (Jimmy Filice/Jay Springsteen) and Speedwerks.com (Brian Kcraget/Scott Ryan), but Pair-A-Nines 9’s Kawasaki Ninja 650R expired in the second half of the race. Speedwerks.com was able to bring its Suzuki SV650 home for its second consecutive class win, according to provisional results. Team Rightsforbikers.com 16’s Robert Fisher and Justin Filice (Jimmy Filice’s son) finished one lap behind Speedwerks.com, second in ST. Eagle Racing Suzuki’s Eric Konigsberg and Ryan Hall finished third in ST on a Suzuki SV650. The Safety Car was called out two times during the race. First, it was brought out when Pair-A-Nines 99’s Deb Barton, who teamed with Angie Loy, crashed the team’s Kawasaki Ninja 650R which landed close to the edge of the track in the final corner. The Safety Car stayed out when Touring Sport Ducati 77 (Peter Friedland/Frank Shockley/Brad Phillips) crashed its Ducati 1000SS in The Bend, picked it up and then immediately crashed it again in the next corner. The second Safety Car period came when Pair-A-Nines 9 suffered its mechanical problem and stopped on the edge of the track in turn 12. No serious injuries were reported during the race. At post time, not even provisional results had been issued in a hard-copy format and the status of several of the podium-finishing teams was still in question during post-race dyno testing and tech inspection. Update: Team Ducati Indianapolis, the second-place finisher in GST, and Team Rightsforbikers.com 89 (Christopher Boy/John Linder), the fourth-place finisher in GST, were disqualified for being under the class’ minimum weight limit of 390 pounds despite the Team Rightsforbikers.com 89 racebike weighing 394 pounds on the official scales on Saturday. Officials promoted Touring Sport Ducati 38 (Brad Phillips/Garrett Rick/Frank Schockley) to third in class. Team Rightsforbikers.com 16, the second-place finisher in the ST class, was disqualified for having 500cc too much fuel capacity despite running the same fuel tank that passed capacity checks at Daytona and Homestead. That promoted Eagle Racing to second in class and Go Big Racing (Ross Milson/Paul Glenn) to third in ST, in spite of a crash during the race. C.J. Czaia, owner of the penalized Team Rightsforbikers.com 89 and Team Rightsforbikers.com 16, said that MOTO-ST officials had moved the scales between Saturday and Sunday, relocating them on an angle, had changed the scale calibration, and had instituted a new method of measuring fuel capacity at Road America, resulting in his previously declared-legal, unchanged racebikes being disqualified. Czaia also said that he was told by MOTO-ST officials there was no protest or appeal process available to him, and that “it’s over.” Czaia, an attorney and Democratic Party official from South Florida who runs four teams in the MOTO-ST series and has been one of its strongest proponents from the start, said the DQs “took all the fun out of what is supposed to be a fun thing” and that he considered turning his two transporters around and heading back to Florida instead of continuing on to the race in Iowa next weekend. Provisional Overall Race Results: 1. Aprilia USA 2 (Ty Howard/Troy Green), Apr RSV1000 Tuono, SST, 68 laps 2. Aprilia USA 1 (Henry Wiles/Jon Francis), Apr RSV1000 Tuono, SST, -52.234 seconds 3. Team Florida Ducati (Armando Ferrer/Gustavo Laya/Rodolfo Ramirez), Duc 749R, SST, -52.287 seconds 4. Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki (Chris Ulrich/Mark Junge), Suz SV1000S, SST, -77.217 seconds 5. San Jose BMW (Brian Parriott/Tom Montano/Nate Kern), BMW R 1200 S, SST, -1 lap 6. Team Rightsforbikers.com Suzuki 69 (Mark Crozier/Nathan Dressman), Suz SV1000S, SST, -1 lap, 190.202 seconds 7. Wagner Motorsports Racing Aprilia (Mark Reynolds/Gus Holcomb/Jurgen Frasch), Apr RSV1000 Tuono, SST, -2 laps 8. Vallely Racing Suzuki 33 (Matt McBride/Dave Loikits), Suz SV1000S, SST, -2 laps, 9.701 seconds 9. Team Zyvax Suzuki (Steven Green/J.B. Layman), Suz SV1000S, SST, -2 laps, 43.735 seconds 10. Richie Morris Racing Buell (Shawn Higbee/Dan Bilansky), Buell XB12R, GST, -2 laps, 47.012 seconds 11. Speedwerks.com Suzuki (Brian Kcraget/Scott Ryan), Suz SV650, ST, -2 laps, 47.152 seconds Provisional Championship Point Standings, By Team, By Class: SST: 1. Aprilia USA 2, 134 points 2. San Jose BMW, 110 points 3. Vallely Racing 32, 102 points 4. Team Rightsforbikers.com, 99 points 5. Team Florida, 96 points 6. TIE, Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki/Vallely Racing 33, 95 points 8. Aprilia USA 1, 91 points 9. TIE, R&R Racing/Wagner Motorsports Racing, 89 points GST: 1. Richie Morris Racing, 135 points 2. Touring Sport Ducati, 122 points 3. James Gang Racing, 116 points 4. Team Ducati New York, 106 points 5. Team Rightsforbikers.com, 76 points 6. RPM Motorsports Keesee Racing, 63 points 7. Touring Sport Ducati 38, 54 points 8. Team Ducati Indianapolis, 51 points 9. Motorsports MG, 47 points 10. Drummer Racing, 26 points ST: 1. Pair-A-Nines 9, 128 points 2. GoBigRacing, 122 points 3. TIE, Speedwerks.com/Edge Racing, 102 points 5. Team Mid-Illini Motorsports, 78 points 6. Momentum Racing, 72 points 7. Team Rightsforbikers.com, 71 points 8. Blue Ridge Performance, 53 points 9. Eagle Racing, 32 points 10. Pair-A-Nines 99, 28 points More, from a press release issued by MOTO-ST: Aprilia USA 2 Wins SunTrust MOTO-ST Series Race at Road America ELKHART LAKE, WI (July 8, 2007) The final lap of Sunday’s three-hour SunTrust MOTO-ST Series race at Road America provided drama, jubilation and heartbreak for several of the contending teams. When all was said and done, Aprilia USA 2 team rider Ty Howard took the checkered flag on his No. 6 Aprilia Tuono 100R. But the Weatherford, TX resident rode a roller coaster of emotions during the final two minutes of the race, before claiming the victory. Brian Parriott (No. 46 San Jose BMW / R1200) led the first half of the race and took the white flag to start the 68th and final lap around the four-mile, 14-turn road course just 2.130 seconds ahead of Howard. Entering the first turn, Howard felt his bike sputter in turn 1 almost out of fuel leaving him dejected as he struggled to re-fire his engine. Somehow, he coaxed his bike back to life and set about chasing Parriott, who hails from Calistoga, CA. Parriott was also in dire straits with regard to his fuel situation, but he couldn’t have imagined how close it would be. With four laps to go, he and the San Jose BMW team made the decision to stay out on track and go for the win. Entering the 14th and final turn, Parriott’s engine started to miss. By the time he turned onto the front straight, his engine was completely silent and he realized his race was done, given that he was literally facing a long, uphill climb along the Road America Straight to the finish line. Howard’s Aprilia blasted past Parriott en route to the checkered flag earning a spot on the top of the podium for he and teammate Troy Green (Dallas, TX), adding to their Buell Motorcycle Company SuperSport Twins (SST) points lead in the process. “Late in the race, we were in second in good shape and I was running consistent lap times, not really pushing it very hard,” said Howard. “My crew told me I was gaining on him [Parriott] and were telling me they [San Jose BMW] had to pit. But I didn’t care. I couldn’t count on that, so I started pushing it. When we came by to start the last lap, I was within striking distance. But going into turn 1, my bike just died. I almost came to a complete stop, but it fired up and I took off. He [Parriott’s bike] died coming out of the last corner and he couldn’t make it up the hill. He got halfway up and stopped. We screwed up in the pits last race [at Virginia International Raceway], but we got it back this time.” Following the race, Parriott discussed his team’s decision to stay out, and the heartbreak of coming so close to the win. “With four or five [laps] to go, we decided we had to go for it. I asked my guys if we were going to make it. I heard a bunch of ‘maybe’, ‘possibly’ and ‘we hope'”¦ but never a ‘yes.’ But they felt confident about it and we came up an eighth of a mile short.” Asked about the sinking feeling he felt when his BMW began to coast within sight of the checkered flag, he said, “If I wasn’t so particular about the paintjob on my helmet, that thing would still be rolling down the road. I was furious. I don’t get upset, but that was really bad. I felt it [his engine] popping before coming to the last turns, and I knew I wasn’t going to make it.” Tom Montano of Berkeley, CA was the other rider of the No. 46 BMW. San Jose BMW’s misfortune turned into a dream finish for the Aprilia USA outfit as their No. 5 Aprilia Tuono 100R came across the line next, earning second place for riders Henry Wiles (Blanchard, MI) and Jon Francis (New Braunfels, TX). “You can’t beat a one-two finish on the Aprilia; we’re really stoked,” said experienced flat track racer Wiles, who did all but 12 of the 68 laps during the race. “This is about my third road race but I’m starting to feel comfortable on the bike and with a little more seat time, I know I can get the job done.” The third and final podium SST podium spot went to the No. 21 Team Florida Ducati 749 ridden by Armando Ferrer (Sunrise, FL) and Gustavo Laya (Miami, FL). “It was an unbelievable race and especially the last lap,” said Laya, of the team’s first SunTrust MOTO-ST Series podium result. “We stopped three laps before the finish line. When I exited the pit, the third-place Aprilia [No. 5 Aprilia USA] was with me. I passed him and then he passed me. I stayed with him and he passed me by like half a wheel by the start / finish line. I’m very happy with the result.” The No. 18 Roadracingworld.com Suzuki team of Chris Ulrich (Lake Elsinore, CA) and Mark Junge (Union Grove, WI) was originally scored in third-place, but after a review of the scoring, they were found to have finished behind the No. 21 Team Florida crew. Nonetheless, fourth-place was a very respectable outcome for the Roadracingworld.com Suzuki team as they battled to overcome engine trouble throughout the weekend at Road America, changing two motors on their Suzuki SV1000S during their stay. “I have to hand it to my crew for us even being here,” said Ulrich, after the race. “Everybody helped.” Rounding out the top five finishers was the No. 46 San Jose BMW, ridden by Parriott and Montano. Following four rounds of the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series, Aprilia USA 2 leads the standings with 134 points. Despite their troubles on the final lap, San Jose BMW sits second with 110 markers. The No. 32 Vallely Racing Suzuki of Mike Himmelsbach (Quaker Town, PA), Frank Trombino (Toronto, ON) and Tom Vallely (Flagler Beach, FL) are third with 102. In the BMW Grand Sport Twins (GST) class, the No. 8 Richie Morris Racing team of Shawn Higbee (Oconomowoc, WI) and Dan Bilansky (Waukesha, WI) took their Buell XB12 to a comfortable win over the No. 70 James Gang Racing Buell XB12 of Paul James (Waukesha, WI) and Jeff Johnson (Minneapolis, MN). At the finish, the gap between the top two GST bikes was one lap. “Everything went surprisingly smooth in the race,” said Bilansky. “We only had a little bit of practice time yesterday and we didn’t even end up using that bike because we had mechanical difficulties with it. The Pirelli tires were just unbelievable. We haven’t done a tire change at any of these races, yet. We’ve finished all of the races on the tires we started on. And I have to thank Shawn [Higbee] for going out and laying down the laps and letting me bring it home pretty easily without any fights.” Following a pair of disqualifications for bikes found to be too light in post-race technical inspection, the No. 38 Touring Sport Ducati II team of Frank Shockley (Greenville, SC), Brad Phillips (Greer, SC) and Pete Friedland (Columbia, SC) was elevated to third-place after crossing the line in fifth. On the strength of their third win in four outings, the No. 8 Richie Morris Racing team leads the GST standings with 135 points. Next is the No. 77 Touring Sport Ducati team with 122, followed by the No. 70 James Gang Racing team with 116. Earning the victory in the Sport Twins (ST) for the second event in a row was the No. 87 Speedwerks.com team of Brian Kcraget (Danville, VA) and Scott Ryan (Lemont, IL). Recording another dominant performance on their Suzuki SV650, Kcraget brought their bike home three laps in front of their closest rival, the No. 50 Eagle Racing team of Eric Konigsberg (Kalamazoo, WI) and Ryan Hall (Goodview, MN). “This is the longest race I’ve done, by far, other than the Daytona 200,” said Ryan in victory lane. “Everybody out there rode extremely well. The series is put on really great; I haven’t seen anything this professional in a while.” Said Kcraget, “I ride the best bike here in the ST class and I’m really fortunate to be racing with Speedwerks.com. This track is a lot of fun; it’s the first time I’ve ever been to Road America. It was very challenging”¦ I got some tips from Scott [Ryan] and he goes really well around here. I’m glad to have him as a teammate.” The #79 GoBigRacing Suzuki team of Ross Millson (Hamilton, ON) and Paul Glenn (Keene, ON) overcame a lap 52 crash in turn 12 to claim the final podium position in ST, thanks to tenacity and the post-race technical disqualification of a team that had originally finished in front of them. Millson and Glenn were 10 laps back of the class winner at the finish. Despite dropping out of the race with mechanical trouble on lap 40, the No. 9 Pair-A-Nines Kawasaki Ninja 650R of racing legends Jimmy Filice (Modesto, CA) and Jay Springsteen (Lapeer, MI) will leave Road America with the ST class lead. They have 128 points after four events. The No. 79 GoBigRacing team is next with 122. Sunday’s race-winning No. 87 SpeedWerks.com team is tied for third with No. 23 Edge Racing (with 102 points) after four events. Following this weekend’s race, the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series will head to Iowa for the Iowa Speedway 500k on July 12-13. The season concludes with the 8 Hours At Daytona Finale, October 19-20 at Daytona International Speedway. MOTO-ST is organized and sanctioned by Professional Motorsports Productions (PMP) of Toronto, Ontario, Canada and the Grand American Road Racing Association, based in Daytona Beach, Fla., provides the series with administrative and commercial support. The MOTO-ST advisory board features some of the most respected individuals in the world of motorsports, including Hall of Fame members, respected motorcycle racing journalists and renowned officials from various forms of road racing. Learn more about MOTO-ST at www.moto-st.com.

BAYLISS (DUCATI XEROX) SECOND IN FGSPORT OFFICIAL TWO-DAY TEST AT VALLELUNGA Sunday 8 July, Vallelunga (Italy): Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) was second quickest with a time of 1m36.556s, just a fraction behind Ruben Xaus (Ducati Sterilgarda), in two days of FGSport official testing action at a scorching Vallelunga circuit on the outskirts of Rome. This was the first time most of the WSBK teams had got to grips with the 4.110 km Vallelunga track in view of the penultimate round of the championship on September 30, although the Ducati Xerox Team had already tested here back in February, when conditions were much cooler. After almost ten hours of testing, Bayliss was satisfied with his time, set on the Sunday morning with a qualifying tyre. But also on race set-up, the Australian was pretty happy with the way the test had gone. “We’ve just done a lot of laps basically and didn’t really learn much here this afternoon because the track was hotter and not as fast and we didn’t try any more soft tyres” commented Troy. “But all in all the feeling’s reasonably good on the bike and now we’ve got a bit of a break until the next race in Brno, which is probably the most difficult race of the year for us. I did this morning’s time on a qualifier but we’re not too bad on race tyres either, even though we didn’t do a full long-run. When we come back here it’s going to be a bit cooler so it’s not really useful. The times are quite a bit quicker than in the February test but we didn’t have any other bikes here then and the other guys are all going pretty strong now”. Team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi, who set eleventh quickest time, was unable to complete the second afternoon of testing at Vallelunga as his right ankle was still swollen from the effects of a trial-bike accident earlier in the week. “Unfortunately these two days of testing were conditioned by a minor injury that I picked up during the week, which also prevented me from taking part in the final session” declared Lorenzo. “However we managed to find some good solutions for the race here in September. We also have a clear idea of what tyres to use seeing as the conditions in the race will probably be similar to those we have encountered over the last couple of days. Despite the fact that I wasn’t completely fit, I lapped just a few tenths of a second slower than Troy with race tyres. Unfortunately I was not able to get the best out of the qualifying tyres, but this result makes me optimistic for the race in September.” TIMES: 1. Xaus (Ducati) 1m36.382s; 2. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1m36.556s; 3. Corser (Yamaha) 1m36.731s; 4. Toseland (Honda) 1m36.783s; 5. Biaggi (Suzuki) 1m37.440s; 6. Laconi (Kawasaki) 1m37.455s; 7. Haga (Yamaha) 1m37.506s; 8. Rolfo (Honda) 1m37.647s; … 11. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 1m37.873s. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Yamaha Satisfied with Vallelunga Test Results Following on from a productive test session at Brno two weeks ago, the Yamaha Superbike and Supersport teams both headed to Italy this weekend for another test session, this time at Vallelunga. This circuit is new on the championship calendar for 2007 and is located just north of Rome. Built in 1959, the track was originally a sand mile oval. The most recent track alteration was in 2004 when it was extended by one kilometre to reach a total length of 4.11km. The main objective of this weekend’s test was for all riders to familiarise themselves with the circuit and, working with Pirelli, find the right tyres ahead of the race there in September. Both Haga and Corser put in a large number of laps over the two-day session in very hot conditions, laying down 120 and 106 laps respectively in order to get the most data and find the best set-up for the unknown circuit. Haga faired best on day one, taking third slot with a best time of 1’37.535 while Corser was only 0.2 seconds behind his team mate in fifth. The second day saw the best lap times of the day set in the cooler morning practice session before the track temperature soared towards 50°C. Corser took a second of his previous day’s best time and claimed third overall behind Xaus and Bayliss. Haga also managed to improve his best time but focused more on long runs than setting fast times. He ended the day in seventh with a 1’37.506 even though he is still suffering with some wrist pain since his race incident with Biaggi at Misano last month. The Yamaha World Supersport Team ran a two-man team during this weekend’s test, with the Australian Supersport rider Jason O’Halloran riding alongside permanent rider Broc Parkes. Jason O’Halloran is only 19 and is riding an R6 in the Australian Supersport Championship where he is currently lying in second place, six points behind the leader, with only one round to go. The objective for Jason and the team was to get an understanding of his set-up and riding skills as well as gather quality feedback on the YZF-R6. Parkes put a strong performance over the weekend to take third overall with 109 laps. His best time of the whole test came in the final fourth session when he put in a 1’40.032, showing the improvement the team had made over the duration of the weekend. O’Halloran showed determination, putting in 118 laps during the weekend to finish 13th overall, although his ideal times showed that he would have been higher up the board if he hadn’t been held up on one of his fastest laps. Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “We tried everything we wanted to and have found a good set-up for here as well as some extra things like better wheelie control to help us at Brno later this month. I’m reasonably happy with my lap times. The high track temperature this afternoon made it interesting it was about 50 degrees – and the sunshine made the track quite blistering for the tyres but I feel we found a good set-up for both cool and warm conditions. The layout of Vallelunga is quite technical, which I like though it is a bit bumpy in places. It’s actually a bit of a strange layout with the first half being quite fast, while the second half is slow. It takes some getting used to and is quite challenging for the right set-up. I’m happy with what we’ve achieved here, though.” Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “Today’s result was not as good as I would’ve liked, but I’m happy with the set-up information we got from the test. I did a few long runs and we started with the Brno setting, which we didn’t change much over the period of the test. I quite like the circuit; it is very tricky because of the combination of banking and blind corners but that makes it good fun! I am still suffering with a bit of pain in my wrist, which is annoying and I’m keen to let it rest now before the Brno race in a couple of weeks.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “Both Troy and Nori have put in a lot of laps this weekend. Nori did several long runs and focused more on finding the right race tyre. He seems to be happy with his set-up now despite having some pain in his wrist towards the end of the day. We still managed to test everything we wanted. Troy did his best time on race rubber and was very happy with result. This weekend he has focused on trying different set-ups and is happy overall. We are almost there now and the whole team is very positive and confident; we are now full of enthusiasm and ready to fight at Brno.” Broc Parkes (Yamaha World Supersport Team) “It has been a couple of good days testing. On the first day we found some speed quickly but today it was harder to make as much improvement, but I think we did well in the end. The Honda’s good here but we just kept at it and got some useful data on chassis side. We just now need to put it all together for the next race at Brno. The conditions were hot and pretty much what we wanted as it’s given us a good indication of what it’ll be like for the race. The circuit is technical, that’s for sure but I think we’ll go well here, come the race.” Jason O’Halloran (Yamaha World Supersport) “This weekend has been tough; I had a track, a bike and different tyres to learn but I think I came to terms with it all very quickly and am pleased with my progress. The team is very professional and everyone has been great at helping me find my feet this weekend. Over the course of the weekend we’ve made steps forward; I put in a long run today and it felt good, even though I still am not fully used to the tyres. In the Australian Supersport series there are only two or three guys consistently fast but in this championship everyone is fast. You need to be fast and good at every turn every lap which is tough. The circuit was enjoyable to ride with some fast sections. It’s very technical though; one small mistake could cost a lot of lap time.” Terrell Thien (Team Manager, Yamaha World Supersport Team) “We’ve had a couple of good days here. We tested with Jason who proved to have lots of talent and is very professional despite his youthful age. He is keen to learn, which is always good, and I think he found it a valuable experience working in a world level team. He put in a good number of laps on the first day and provided us with some good data. He definitely has a promising future. Broc also had a very good test this weekend. He focused on tyre testing and put in a few long runs. He wasn’t worried so much about setting the fastest lap; he was more concerned about finding the right set-up, which he did. The fast lap came with it, which is a very good sign. Broc was very consistent over the two days and I’m very pleased with his test. Overall, I am very pleased with how the weekend has gone. The track itself is tricky but that makes it a good challenge for us. It has been a good proving ground for the run up to the race.” WSB Fastest Times 1. Xaus: 1’36.382 2. Bayliss: 1’36.556 3. Corser: 1’36.731 4. Toseland: 1’36.783 5. Biaggi: 1’37.440 6. Laconi: 1’37.455 7. Haga: 1’37.506 8. Rolfo: 1’37.647 9. Kagayama: 1’37.655 10. Fabrizio: 1’37.817 WSS Fastest Times 1. Brookes: 1’39.550 2. Sofuoglu: 1’39.818 3. Parkes: 1’40.032 4. Alfonsi: 1’40.262 5. Charpentier: 1’40.262 6. Fujiwara: 1’40.275 7. Roccoli: 1’40.610 8. Jones: 1’40.714 9. Foret: 1’40.837 10. Riba: 1’40.951 11. Fores: 1’41.010 12. Vizziello: 1’41.041 13. O’Halloran: 1’41.283 More, from a press release issued by Team Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki: Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders Max Biaggi and Yukio Kagayama finished the two-day test at Vallelunga in Italy with the fifth and ninth fastest times respectively. For Biaggi, Vallelunga is like a ‘home’ event, so he was keen to do well in these two days in preparation for the race towards the end of the season. Yesterday and today’s afternoon sessions were both very hot, with the track temperature in the 50’s today and nobody was able to lap any quicker than the morning. Max Biaggi: “Generally these tests were not so bad, though I am always after something better and I know we still have work to do. We only used race tyres and put in many laps so I think that our fifth position is not so bad. Probably, if we only consider the times on race rubber, I would’ve been second quickest. At the end of these two days our package is not so bad and during the tests we tried many different things including mapping, suspension and engine-braking. We did a lot of work for sure!” Yukio Kagayama: “I am a bit disappointed because I lost some time because of some problems. This is my first time at this track and although the layout is not so bad, I feel it is a bit narrow in places and maybe not as safe as other tracks.” Overall best laps: 1 Xaus (E-Ducati) 1’36.382 2 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati) 1’36.556, 3 Corser (Aus-Yamaha) 1’36.731, 4 Toseland (GB-Honda) 1’36.783, 5 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1’37.440, 6 Laconi (F-Kawasaki) 1’37.455, 7 Haga (J-Yamaha) 1’37.506, 8 Rolfo (I-Honda) 1’37.647, 9 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1’37.655, 10 Fabrizio (I-Honda)1’37.817. More, from a press release issued by Team Yamaha YZF: Good tests for Nakatomi The riders of the Superbike World Championship were last weekend at Vallelunga, close to Roma, for two days of testing so they could know better this Italian track that is used for the first time this year in the WSBK. Shinichi Nakatomi did some good testing and found an interesting set up for this circuit. While Ruben Xaus (Ducati) was the quickest overall, the Japanese Yamaha rider was 12th fastest on qualifying tyres with a time of 1:38.138. Using race tyres, the R1 man did a 1:38.5. Martial Garcia (team manager): “The technical solutions chosen during these tests go in the right direction. This gives us some confidence for the remaining of the season. We are closer than ever to the leading riders and this shows our progression.” FG Sport tests (July 7 and 8, 2007): 1-Xaus (Ducati) 1’36.382 2-Bayliss (Ducati) 1’36.556, 3-Corser (Yamaha) 1’36.731, 4-Toseland (Honda) 1’36.783, 5-Biaggi (Suzuki) 1’37.440, 6-Laconi (Kawasaki) 1’37.455, 7-Haga (Yamaha) 1’37.506, 8-Rolfo (Honda) 1’37.647, 9-Kagayama (Suzuki) 1’37.655, 10-Fabrizio (Honda)1’37.817–¦ 12-Nakatomi (Yamaha) 1:38.138 Note: Ducati tests (February 2007): 1-Bayliss 1:38.5, 2-Lanzi 1:38.6 World Championship standings: 1-Toseland (Honda) 260 points, 2-Bayliss (Ducati) 239, 3-Haga (Yamaha) 234, 4-Biaggi (Suzuki) 217, 5-Corser (Yamaha) 182 –¦ 17-Nakatomi (Yamaha) 24 Official Vallelunga stats Practice record (June 8, 2007 / 3rd race of the Italian championship): 1:39.027 Marco Borciani (Ducati) 149.41 kph Lap record (June 10, 2007 / 3rd race of the Italian championship): 1:39.837 Norino Brignola (Ducati) 148.202 kph 9th round of the Superbike World Championship: July 22nd at Brno (Czech Republic)