Mixed results for Speedfreaks in Ireland. The Speedfreaks Yamaha team had a tough weekend during rounds six and seven of the Metzeler National Superstock Championship at Mondello Park in Ireland. Gary Johnson pulled in a sixth place finish in the first race but was taken down in a first corner crash in race two. His team-mate Anton Kokshoorn had a similar fate with a nineteenth place finish in race one and a crash in race two. The third member of the team, James Edmeades crashed heavily in qualifying and had to sit both races out. Johnson’s sixth place was his best result to date and he was pleased with the outcome, “I didn’t get a bad start from the second row of the grid, but I boiled my front brakes so I just had no feeling in the lever and it took me a while to settle in. Once I had a few laps under my belt I got into my rhythm,” he said. Once he got into the swing of the race he was able to up his lap times and make inroads into the riders in front of him, “I was only 4 thousandths of a second off the fastest lap time so I was happy with that.” The crash in race two was unfortunate as Johnson was taken down by another rider, “I’m disappointed as I was running the pace and we had made changes to the bike which were positive and really a big improvement. I felt I was capable of winning and that is why I went for the hole shot. I’m disappointed with what happened but it was just a racing incident, I could hear the bike coming but there was nothing I could do. My knee is a bit swollen and my ankle hurts but I’m ok.” The result from Mondello has boosted his confidence and he is now looking forward to the next round at Knockhill. Kokshoorn had a fairly steady outing qualifying in eighteenth in the difficult wet conditions at the twisting Irish circuit. He made good progress until a moment dropped him down the order to twenty third place and he had his work cut out to get back up to nineteenth where he finished the race. His second race ended in the same way as Johnson’s getting caught up in a crash. Edmeades weekend was very much cut short by his crash in qualifying, “My weekend was up and down really. I was running twelfth and thirteenth but I was just struggling with confidence and knowing how hard to push in the wet conditions. The crash, well I’m not sure what happened but I’ve injured my wrist and banged my head. My wrist didn’t show any breaks but I’ve to give it two weeks and have it checked again but I should be ok for Knockhill.” The eighth round of the Metzeler National Superstock Championship is at Knockhill in Scotland on the 29thand 30th June and race day on 1st July. The Speedfreaks are hoping for improved results at the Scottish venue. More, from a press release issued by Steve Plater’s publicist: STEVE PLATER MONDELLO PARK After retiring from the first encounter at Mondello Park, Woodhall Spa rider Steve Plater went on to finish the second race in 12th place to pick up a handful of championship points in round six of the 2007 Bennetts British Superbike championship on Sunday. Heavy rain caused the riders a headache throughout the two days of practise with qualifying leaving them with no dry set-up for Sunday’s two races, which took place in the dry. After travelling from Magny Cours in France where he had been testing for Kawasaki France in preparation for the World Endurance series, Steve took one look at the near torrential downpour and opted out of the first practise session on Friday. “There is little point in going out in this,” said Steve. “There is little to be achieved.” The rain cleared away for the second session later in the day but although the rain had stopped the track was still very wet and slippery. Steve went out to test the AIM Yamaha R1 returning to the pits every few laps to make adjustments. The final session again was held on a wet track although the rain clouds had moved away. This time Steve felt more comfortable on the bike and was running within the top ten for most of the session. But by the time qualifying began on Saturday the rain had been falling steadily for over half an hour making track conditions treacherous. Steve held 12th place for much of the session but was knocked back a place when Greg Lavilla put in a fast lap in the dying minutes leaving Steve to start his two races from 13th place in a fourth row grid position. The rain cleared up for race day and an extended warm-up session was held to allow for lack of dry practise. As the first race got underway Steve settled into 12th place before overtaking Tom Sykes to hold 11th position. But on lap seven Steve returned to the pits to retire with a faulty gear shifter. Race two saw Steve get away to another good start to hold 12th spot for much of the race. But he was having problems with grip and after a battle with Scott Smart and Ollie Bridewell he finally succumbed to their pressure and fell back to 14th. It looked as if he would remain in 14th place but with the demise of two front-runners on the final lap Steve was promoted back to 12th crossing the finish line to claim four championship points and his best finish of the season. “We had some good racing today, but for the gear shifter developing a fault in the first race I could have been a lot further up field,” said Steve. “Then in race two we had a tyre problem, I could have easily finished in the top ten but it wasn’t to be.” Its on to Knockhill next on July 1 where the team will be working with Steve to make further progress with bike development to enable him to edge further up the results sheets and into the top ten. More, from a press release issued by Samsung Superbike Team: Samsung Superbike Team happy with Mondello Park progress. Dean Thomas aboard his Samsung Suzuki Superbike had a suitable result at round six of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Mondello Park in Ireland. He qualified in sixteenth place and finished race one in fourteenth and race two in thirteenth. While his new team-mate in the Metzeler National Superstock Championship, Sean Emmett surprised a few people on his first time out on the 1098 Ducati. Emmett qualified in sixth place and finished both races in thirteenth. Practice and qualifying were held in wet conditions while both races were in the dry which made life difficult for all concerned. Speaking after both races Thomas said, “It’s not been too bad, not quite to plan, we were hoping to run top ten which I feel we are capable of but I just got held up in the first one,” he explained, “By the time I got a rhythm and got through I couldn’t get to where I wanted to be. The times weren’t too bad for where we wanted to be, I’m back in the points but not far enough up the list for my liking.” Thomas admitted that he feels the way forward is to reduce horse power as he went on to say, “We don’t run traction control but nearly everyone else does so maybe we have learned something, maybe we need to know more horse power out of it and see how we go. A thirteenth and a fourteenth it will do I suppose. We’ll just move onto Knockhill and see what we can do.” Emmett meanwhile enjoyed his time on his new machine spending the weekend getting to grips with a completely new bike, new tyres and a new team; he even had to squeeze into former Samsung Ducati rider, Jon Kirkham’s leathers! Team Manager, Enzo Diclemente said, “We are really happy to have Sean on our bike and Ducati are happy too. He knows Ducati and we want him to develop the new 1098. The results this weekend didn’t really reflect what he is capable of. I mean when the weather was real bad in practice he was running third fastest on an unfamiliar bike. In both races he got shunted and tangled up in other people’s crashes which held him up. Its great to have him back and we are hoping for some good results in the near future.” Round seven of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship takes place at Knockhill in Scotland on the 29thand 30th June and race day on 1st July. More, from a press release issued by AIM Yamaha: AIM YAMAHA IN THE POINTS AT MONDELLO After retiring from the first encounter at Mondello Park, Team AIM Yamaha rider Steve Plater went on to finish the second race in 12th place to pick up a handful of championship points in round six of the 2007 Bennetts British Superbike championship on Sunday. Heavy rain caused the riders a headache throughout the two days of practise with qualifying leaving them with no dry set-up for Sunday’s two races, which took place in the dry. With only one bike available Steve took one look at the weather and decided against going out in the first free practise session. STEVE PLATER There is little point in going out in this. With no spare bike this weekend there is nothing to be achieved and a lot to lose if we slide off in the slippery conditions. The rain cleared away for the second session later in the day but although the rain had stopped the track was still very wet and slippery. Steve went out to test the AIM Yamaha R1 returning to the pits every few laps to make adjustments. The final session again was held on a wet track although the rain clouds had moved away. This time Steve felt more comfortable on the bike and was running within the top ten for most of the session. But by the time qualifying began on Saturday the rain had been falling steadily for over half an hour making track conditions treacherous. Steve held 12th place for much of the session but the session was red flagged with two minutes remaining and at the restart Lavilla put in one last flying lap to demote him one place and onto the fourth row. The rain cleared up for race day and an extended warm-up session was held to allow for lack of dry practise. As the first race got underway Steve settled into 12th place before overtaking Tom Sykes to hold 11th position. He was beginning to reel in Tommy Hill and had plans to overtake him but the gear shifter caused the engine to misfire and Steve reluctantly withdrew after completing seven laps. Race two saw Steve get away to another good start to hold 12th spot for much of the race. But he was having problems with grip and after a battle with Scott Smart and Ollie Bridewell he finally succumbed to their pressure and fell back to 14th. It looked as if he would remain in 14th place but with the demise of two front-runners on the final lap Steve was promoted back to 12th crossing the finish line to claim four championship points and his best finish of the season. STEVE PLATER We had some good racing today, but for the gear shifter developing a fault in the first race I could have been a lot further up field. Then in race two we had a tyre problem, there was just no grip. If the tyre had not let me down I would have been in the top ten for sure. ALISTAIR FLANAGAN After three weeks at the TT it was a quick turn around to prepare for Mondello. We only had the one Superbike ready for the races and so took the Supersport bike as well just in case we had any problems. As it turned out we used the Superbike and despite the non-finish in the first race it was running well in race two until the tyre problem began to take its toll. But Steve brought it home in 12th place to claim a few more championship points and we now move on to Knockhill. We have two new engines and a different chassis modification to test at Knockhill before going on to Croft for the two- day test there. The next round is north of the border at Knockhill on July 1 where Team AIM Yamaha will be hoping the new modifications will assist Steve to secure a brace of strong results. More, from a press release issued by Tom Tunstall Racing: More Points for Tunstall Hardinge Ice Valley Motorsport racer Tom Tunstall picked up yet more points in his hunt for the British Superbike Cup Championship in Ireland at the weekend, but it was far from a straight forward task”¦ With a short trip across the Irish Sea for the British Superbike teams, the latest of the 13 round championships took place at Mondello Park near Dublin. The tight and twisty 2.17mile track proved to be testing for Superbike rookie Tom Tunstall having not seen the track since 2004 which has been modified since his last visit. Inclement weather throughout practice and qualifying proved another challenge for the Huddersfield racer having never ridden the high powered 1000cc machine on anything but a dry track. Having qualified 5th fastest of the cup contenders Tunstall commented: “It’s been a tough weekend so far. I’ve learnt a lot about the feeling of the Superbike in the wet. I steadily built my confidence and understanding but it was harder being so unfamiliar with the circuit. The forecast for tomorrow [race day] is dry so I guess we’ll start from scratch again!” Although the forecast was correct, the circuit was still damp for the Sunday morning warm-up session meaning Tunstall was to start the race with no dry experience of the track. After being baulked in the opening corners Tunstall lost ground and took time to find pace but by lap five had found his feet and started to close on the riders ahead. First up was former Cup winner & current series leader James Buckingham. The Yorkshireman slashed a 2.5second gap in four laps and once past immediately pulled away by more than a second each lap. Next up was experienced cup runner Malcolm Ashley whose 3.5second advantage was eroded in just three laps. Tunstall eased past to take fifth which he held to the flag. “It took me a few laps to get going but once I did my pace was the same as the podium guys, considering the lack of experience here especially in the dry and we took an educated guess on set-up it was a good start. We’ll make some changes for race two and I hope to build from here”. In the second of the days races; Tunstall’s pace was slightly faster, knocking seven seconds off his race time but was unable to improve his position and ended the race in sixth. “I was hoping to be stronger in the second race but I brought it home and got some more points. I knew it was going to be tough here with the Irish guy’s home advantage. But it’s been stacked against us with the changing conditions and my lack of superbike experience. But then again there’s only one way to get experience and that by doing weekends like this. That’s the thing about racing, you never stop learning”¦” The next round of the Championship is north of the border at Knockhill in Scotland on 1st July. More, from a press release issued on behalf of Martin Jessopp: Top Ten For Jessopp Mondello Park Round 6 After missing round five of the Maxxis British Supersport series at Snetterton Circuit with a fractured hand, Martin Jessopp and the Riders Racing Ducati team made a welcome return to the Championship gaining ninth position. Still struggling with swelling on his hand Jessopp was pleased with the overall result. Having struggled throughout the weekend with qualifying after not riding a bike since Oulton Park at the beginning of May, Jessopp had to readjust to the bike and get a good feeling at the bumpy circuit of Mondello Park, in the wet conditions throughout the practice and qualifying sessions. A crash in Friday’s practice left the already wounded Jessopp in more pain and discomfort, not deterring him he could only gain 24th position over the two qualifying sessions which left him with a lot of work to do in the race. A good start saw the 21-year-old from Yeovil move through the field into a points scoring position. With the race being stopped and rescheduled and then stopped again, it was a long drawn out affair for the riders to remain focused on the job in hand. On the eventual restart and planned nine lap race Jessopp worked his way through the field and moved into ninth position. Gaining a good start he fought his way through to 12th by lap six he made a move on TT winner Ian Hutchinson and Honda rider Joe Dickinson and slipped into ninth place after passing Sam Owens on lap seven. Commenting he said “It’s been a strange and difficult weekend to be fair in all aspects, the weather, my injury and the crashes that occurred in the races. It was hard to remain focused and keep your mind on what we had to do. In the final restart I got a good start and really wanted to gain a top ten position. I’m still in a lot of discomfort with my hand still and it’s still very swollen. Hopefully I will be back on the pace at Knockhill in a couple of weeks time.” The Riders Racing Ducati team would like to express their sympathies to the family and friends of Guy Sanders who sadly lost his life in a racing incident yesterday in the Supersport race. Maxxis British Supersport Result Hobbs Honda Robinson Honda Lowry Suzuki McGuinness Honda Easton Kawasaki Grant Yamaha Fitzpatrick Yamaha Westmoreland Honda Jessopp Riders Racing Ducati Owens Honda More, from a press release issued by Bridewell Brothers Racing: POINTS FOR OLLIE, PAIN FOR TOMMY… Team NB racing brothers Ollie and Tommy Bridewell experienced contrasting fortunes when round six of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship took place at Mondello Park in County Kildare at the weekend. Fresh from a brilliant start to the season, both of the riders from Etchilhampton near Devizes in Wiltshire were hoping to continue their good form on their respective Suzukis and arrived at the Irish circuit in good spirits. Qualifying went well for 21 year Ollie who managed to post a row three start, just ahead of ex champion Gregorio Lavilla, but for 18 year old Tommy, a crash on Friday had hindered his progress and he was forced to start from row seven of the grid. In the opening race, Ollie and Tommy were battling for the lower leaderboard points when Tommy high-sided, crashing spectacularly out of 13th place and to compound the misery for the team, Ollie suffered an engine failure whilst holding 11th just five laps from home. With a battered and bruised Tommy unfit to take his place on the grid for race two, it was left to Ollie to uphold family and team honours and after a race long battle, was unlucky just to miss out on a top ten placing, eventually finishing in 11th place. “We struggled with grip all weekend long, but it was a compromise and we did the best we could” said Ollie. “Overall, it wasn’t too bad but I’m disappointed that I retired in race one and missed out on a top ten in race two but we now move on to Knockhill and look to score more points there.” “I was lucky to get away with so few injuries after crashing out” said Tommy. “I’m sore all over and going for a check up to make sure nothing is broken but I hope to be back at Knockhill. We need to work on the set up and to optimise the grip and once we have that sorted, we can improve.” As a result of the weekend’s events, Ollie moved ahead of his sibling into 14th in the overall points standings with Tommy just a point adrift in 15th going into the next round at Knockhill in two weeks time. More, from a press release issued by Centurion Racing: Points for Centurion at Mondello Park Maxxis British Supersport Round 6 Despite appalling weather conditions at Mondello Park this weekend the Centurion riders, James Westmoreland and Dan Cooper secured eighth and 15th place respectively in round six of the Maxxis British Supersport Championship. With rain hitting the Irish circuit throughout the weekend the team experience a number of different challenges before the final race result was finalised. Westy struggled during qualifying after his bike suffered a mechanical problem which took up valuable time throughout both qualifying sessions and therefore he only managed to get the Centurion Racing Honda to 30th position on the starting grid. Cooper rode cautiously during first qualifying but came strong in the second session when he set the fastest time of the wet session, pulling him up the starting grid to 17th place. Both riders gained a good start for the 18-lap race with Cooper up to 12th after the first lap and Westy moving to 26th. The race was red flagged on lap 10 due to an incident and was rescheduled for an nine lap sprint after the second British Superbike race. The riders lined up on the grid for the second time in the position in which they were when the first race was stopped, with Cooper starting from 15th and Westy from 17th. Once again the race was stopped after only the first lap after a serious crash. On the re start both got great starts and by lap two, Westy was 14th and Cooper in 16th, the pairing both worked their way through the field and made good progress gaining two sturdy results for the team. Westy commented “After a tough qualifying and only just scraping onto row eight, I knew it was going be tough going! The bike worked fantastic all weekend in the wet and dry, and I rode my heart out, from 30th to eighth. It was hard going but I made some strong passes and consistent lap times to pick my way through the pack. During the weekend I definitely made a big step forward with my confidence and riding, and now feel more complete as a Supersport rider. The Championship is tightening up and Knockhill is one of my favourite circuits so hopefully I can improve on my eighth position overall. I would like to thank the whole Centurion team for their effort and continued support.” Cooper said “Before Mondello Park I had never ridden a 600 in the wet so I was feeling a little apprehensive about how I was going to get on in the first sessions of the weekend. I seemed to pick it up really well and it gave me a lot more confidence knowing that I could ride the bike in wet conditions. Come race day and morning warm up, which was our only dry testing time of the weekend and I knew that I would have my work cut out in the short ten minute warm up session to get the bike set up right for the race. The day was mixed with the racing and it was stop start all day, I managed to get a great start in the final race but I had a huge slide half way through which cost me a lot of time but I still brought the old girl home in 15th place. My deepest sympathy goes out to all of Guy’s family and the Gearlink Kawasaki Team at such a difficult time. RIP Guy, gone but never forgotten.” The entire Centurion Team would like to pass on their condolences to the family and friends of Guy Sanders who sadly lost his life in the Supersport accident on Sunday. Maxxis British Supersport Result: Hobbs Honda Robinson Honda Lowry Suzuki McGuinness Honda Easton Kawasaki Grant Yamaha Fitzpatrick Yamaha Westmoreland Centurion Racing Honda Jessopp Ducati Owens Honda Hutchinson Honda Dickinson Honda Young Triumph Walker Honda Cooper Centurion Racing Honda More, from a press release issued by Hydrex Honda: Front row and top tens for Hydrex Honda in Ireland. Karl Harris and his Hydrex Honda team had a successful weekend with a front row start and a sixth and eighth place finish for round six of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Mondello Park in Ireland. Harris had to brave a rain soaked track to achieve his front row start as the typical Irish weather kicked in. Then for race day it dried up leaving the teams to sort out a dry set-up during morning warm-up. “It has been our best weekend so far, it has not been too bad,” said Harris, “The first race was good but in the second one I got punted by Cal Crutchlow and that let four or five riders pass me. I lost my run onto the straight, Tommy Hill made a break and by the time I got past him it was just too late. Obviously not enough laps to go so I was a bit disappointed, but a better weekend all round I feel.” The team have been working hard to improve and develop Harris’ bike and this weekend they had a new engine to try out, “I’ve got a new engine which is better bit I still need a bit more on the chassis work but I do feel we are getting there,” he explained. The next round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship takes place at Knockhill and Harris is looking forward to it. “Knockhill should be good. I don’t mind the circuit so we’ll just wait and see what comes our way,” he grinned. Round seven of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship takes place at Knockhill in Scotland on the 29thand 30th June and race day on 1st July. British Superbikes – Mondello Park Race One Result 1 – Leon Haslam – Ducati – Airwaves Ducati – 30.02.146 2 – Shane Byrne – Honda – Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport – 30.02.304 3 – Gregorio Lavilla – Ducati – Airwaves Ducati – 30.05.637 4 – Jonathan Rea – Honda – HM Plant Honda – 30.11.939 5 – Ryuichi Kiyonari – Honda – HM Plant Honda – 30.19.932 6 – Karl Harris – Honda – Hydrex Honda – 30.02.500 7 – Leon Camier – Honda – Honda – 30.20.589 8 – Cal Crutchlow – Suzuki – Rizla Suzuki – 30.20.831 9 – Chris Walker – Suzuki – Rizla Suzuki – 30.27.718 10 – Tommy Hill – Yamaha – Virgin Media Optoma Loans – 30.46.149 British Superbikes – Mondello Park Race Two Result 1 – Jonathan Rea – Honda – HM Plant Honda – 30.14.164 2 – Shane Byrne – Honda – Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport – 30.16.508 3 – Gregorio Lavilla – Ducati – Airwaves Ducati – 30.16.624 4 – Leon Haslam – Ducati – Airwaves Ducati – 30.17.395 5 – Ryuichi Kiyonari – Honda – HM Plant Honda – 30.22.285 6 – Leon Camier – Honda – Honda – 30.28.062 7 – Tom Sykes – Honda – Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport – 30.28.518 8 – Karl Harris – Honda – Hydrex Honda – 30.35.611 9 – Tommy Hill – Yamaha – Virgin Media Optoma Loans – 30.37.654 10 – Scott Smart – Kawasaki – Hawk Kawasaki – 30.53.159 More, from a press release issued by Hawk Kawasaki: Improvement in Ireland Mondello Park Round 6 It was another step in the right direction at Mondello Park Ireland for the Hawk Colchester Kawasaki Team. Both Scott Smart and Peter Hickman gained Championship points. With Smart securing a 12th and 10th position and Hickman scoring a 17th and 14th position the team are making progress and moving in the direction that they want to be going in. In torrential weather conditions during Friday and Saturday practice sessions and a very wet qualifying session on Saturday afternoon Smart qualified in 15th position with Hickman in 21st both riders had to work their way through the strong field to gain the overall results. Smart who has been making progress on the Kawasaki ZX10R throughout the season has made a number of changes to his machine to help him push himself forward on the grid and be more competitive in the ultra-tough Bennett’s British Superbike Championship. Commenting Smart said “We are steadily going forward and developing the bike and getting the set up right for racing. I had a few small problems this weekend, however, some were time consuming and I missed out on a bit of track time. I’m beginning to feel more confident on the bike and getting it working the way I like it. We have only just reached the half way point in the season and therefore there is still a lot of time to get it all perfect.” Hicky said “It’s been a fairly mad weekend, the weather conditions were very difficult to ride in and the track was very slippery. I had a crash coming out of the last corner on Friday when I got run wide and touched the white line. Thankfully I didn’t do much damage but I could have done without it. I’ve had a few offs at the last couple of races and it’s knocked my confidence a little. I’m just working as staying on and rebuilding my confidence and getting some good results. I’m content with the second race result and feeling happier about going to Knockhill in a couple of weeks time.” The next British Superbike race is at Knockhill, 29th, 30th June and 1st July. A full timetable can be viewed here: – ~http://www.mcrcb-events.co.uk/gallery/knockhill%20final.pdf~ N.B Hawk Kawasaki team up with Colchester Kawasaki East Anglian Kawasaki dealer Colchester Kawasaki have recently become sponsors of the Hawk Kawasaki Team which sees the Team now being named, with immediate effect, Hawk Colchester Kawasaki. This partnership with the Hawk Team will continue into 2008. Dealer Principals of Colchester Kawasaki, Ian Stewart and Julie Bentley are no strangers to the British Superbike Paddock after running Shaun Muir (now team owner of Hydrex Honda) in 1996 on an ex World Superbike Reve Racing Kawasaki ZXR 750 and having also run riders in the past including Ray Stringer, Jeremy McWilliams, John Roach and Phil Giles. Hawk Colchester Kawasaki Team Owner Stuart Hicken commented “We are very much looking forward to the partnership with Colchester Kawasaki. Ian (Stewart) and I have run riders together in the past and we see this tie up as something that can only benefit both parties”. It is their mutual desire to sell Kawasaki ZX10 and ZX6 race replicas on the road and various other related products. The partnership will commence with immediate effect.

A sort of homecoming for Rizla Suzuki MotoGP The British based Rizla Suzuki MotoGP team travels to Donington Park in England this weekend for the British Grand Prix, the next round of a so far profitable season, looking to continue with its fine run of form when it arrives on home-soil. Chris Vermeulen and John Hopkins arrive in England with 72 points each more than both riders together had accumulated at the same time last season looking to strengthen their positions in the championship on a track that both of them enjoy. The two Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racers qualified in second and fourth places last year respectively, and without a crash for Vermeulen and a late-race grip problem for Hopkins, could have both finished in higher positions. The Rizla Suzuki MotoGP team is based on the south coast of England and a large proportion of the crew are also from the UK, so this is a race that is very important to the team. Rizla also began its racing partnership with Suzuki in the UK, and still has a high profile team running in the national championship. Both racers also have a strong bond with the UK, Vermeulen competing in Britain when he first left Australia and winning the British Supersport and Superstock championships in 2000.Hopkins has family roots with the UK due to his English parentage, and although he was born in the USA, he has always regarded himself as Anglo-American. The large trackside support that he enjoys at Donington makes this feel like a home race for him. The 4.023kms long Donington circuit is set in a natural arena in the English countryside, and few sights in MotoGP can match the whole field of bikes streaming into Craner Curves on the first lap. The track also features many other exciting corners and elevation changes over its length, and you can expect to see Hopkins getting his elbow close to if not touching the asphalt at the Melbourne Loop! Track action for round eight of the MotoGP World Championship will begin on Friday, as Hopkins and Vermeulen take to the circuit for two free practice sessions. Saturday will have another practice session in the morning and the all important qualifying hour – to determine grid positions for the race – in the afternoon. The 30-lap race will get underway at 13.00hrs local time (12.00hrsGMT) on Sunday 24th June. Chris Vermeulen: “I really like the Donington circuit, it was a track I enjoyed racing on in the British Championships, and I got my best dry grid position – up to that time – there last year. We did a lot of work on the GSV-R at the test after the race in Catalunya and I am now ready to get back out there and start racing again. I know what I need to do as far as qualifying goes, because as I’ve shown this year I can be competitive in the race, I just need to be starting from higher up the grid. I am certainly planning to change things here and I’m really looking forward to what I hope will be a successful and profitable weekend for us!” John Hopkins: “It’s great to be coming ‘home’. I feel that’s what Donington is for me as I used to live close by and I have a lot of friends and family here. This is one of my favourite tracks of the year and I’m sure the new 800cc GSV-R will go well. I had a bit of a tyre problem last year but the Bridgestones have been working so well everywhere this season that I don’t see that being an issue at Donington. We tested many new tyres at Catalunya and some of the stuff they had for us was awesome! We just need to get out there and start showing what we can do straight from the off on Friday!”

Former World and British Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson will test the Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000 at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire this Wednesday and Thursday in a bid to boost the team’s performance during the second half of the 2007 BSB season. Isle of Man resident Hodgson (34) has been drafted in for this test by Rizla Suzuki so he can apply his considerable depth of experience and talent to the GSX-R1000 and suggest fresh ideas that will assist the team to be as competitive as possible. The 2000 British Superbike Champion and 2003 World Superbike Champion is no stranger to tight twisty tracks like the 2.173-mile long Cadwell Park after spending two years on the challenging circuits of the American Superbike Championship. Without a race seat in 2007, he has already been used by a leading MotoGP team as a test and development rider and will now use those skills for Rizla Suzuki. “I am thrilled and excited to have the opportunity to test the Rizla Suzuki,” said Hodgson. “My aim is to use my experience to give Rizla Suzuki another opinion or direction on the performance of its race bikes. I’ve been keeping in shape and I am sharp so I can’t wait to get going.” Rizla Suzuki’s regular riders will not be attending the test at Cadwell Park but will be keeping close tabs on progress through Team Manager Simon Buckmaster. “I have always maintained that Rizla Suzuki will use every means at its disposal to be as competitive as possible and Neil testing our bike and giving us a fresh opinion is simply another approach to improving performance,” explained Buckmaster. “We hope that we can come away from Cadwell Park with new direction and improved performance for us to take to Knockhill and the seventh round of the Championship in just over a week’s time.”

HACKING GETTING BACK INTO AMA SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP PICTURE PICKERINGTON, Ohio (June 18, 2007) Never count out Jamie Hacking. After a spectacular crash in round two of the Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei in Birmingham, Ala., in April, Hacking’s Monster Energy Kawasaki lay in shambles. His title defense hopes appeared to be in the same sad state. Now, as the series moves to Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, on June 24, Hacking has scratched and clawed his way back into championship contention. Hacking, the two-time and defending Supersport champ from Denver, N.C., has moved all the way up from 11th to third in the series standings in the last three rounds on the strength of a victory and two runner-up finishes. If he can repeat as Miller Supersport winner this coming weekend, he’ll move even closer to his goal of defending his 2006 crown. “I’m doing what I have to do to get back in this thing,” Hacking said after taking second in the most recent round at a wet Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., earlier this month. “I’m finishing ahead of the people I need to finish in front of. I’ve gained some very valuable points in the last couple of rounds and hopefully I can go to Utah and keep chipping away at it.” Hacking is second on the all-time AMA Supersport wins list with 20-career victories. He’ll be aiming for win number 21 at Miller. Josh Hayes leads the standings coming into the race. The Gulfport, Miss, native who rides for Erion Honda, has brought Honda back into prominence in the Supersport class. He is the only rider in the class to have more than one win so far this year. Hayes has an 11-point lead over Kawasaki’s Roger Hayden and is 25 points clear of the surging Hacking. “I know the Kawasaki boys are going to be tough in the second half of the season,” Hayes said. “But Honda has given me a great motorcycle this year and we’re going to give it our best to hold on to this series lead. There’s so much racing left. I’m going to have to keep going out there and trying for the win every weekend.” Roger Hayden won the opening round in Daytona Beach, but has been chasing Hayes ever since. “The second half of the season’s going to get real exciting,” said Hayden, who has twice finished runner up in the Supersport class. “I know we’re going to pull out all the stops to see if we can catch Josh. This championship will probably go down to the final race.” Erion Honda’s second rider Aaron Gobert won at Road America, becoming the fourth rider to win in five races. Two DNFs have hurt Gobert’s championship hope for this year but the likable Australian hopes to keep his name in the headlines by continuing to win. Year after year the Supersport class provides some of the most competitive racing in the AMA’s road racing championships. This year is no exception. Beside the series leaders other riders such as Attack Performance Kawasaki’s Steve Rapp and Ben Attard, as well as M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Geoff May and Martin Cardenas, Yoshimura Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden and Celtic Racing’s Chaz Davies, are all considered potential race winners. The Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei event is part of Miller Motorsports Park’s Honda Summit of Speed doubleheader round on June 22-24. Tickets are available for the event via Ticketmaster. You can also visit www.millermotorsports.com for additional ticket and schedule information. The Miller Supersport race will be telecast on SPEED on Tuesday, June 26 at 2:00 pm Eastern.

MICHELIN MEN ON THE PACE WITH NEW REAR SLICKS Michelin riders travel to Donington Park looking for further strong performances following some impressive rides at the last two MotoGP events. Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team RC212V-Michelin) both finished on the podium at Mugello and Catalunya, reinforcing their challenges for the 2007 MotoGP championship crown as the season nears its halfway point. Rossi won at Mugello in brilliant style and fought a dazzling battle for Catalunya victory with Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici), eventually missing out on the win by less than seven hundredths of a second. Pedrosa finished third in Italy but upped the ante for his home GP, where he chose one of Michelin’s new harder construction rear slicks for the first time, and ran with Stoner and Rossi throughout. Rossi has been using these latest construction slicks since post-French GP tests at Le Mans. MICHELIN AND THE TECHNICAL CHALLENGE OF DONINGTON PARK “Donington is a real challenge because the two sections of the track are very different, demanding different things from the tires,” says Jean-Philippe Weber, Michelin’s director of motorcycle racing. “Through the faster part riders need good maneuverability for the high-speed direction changes and good stability, especially through the longer corners like Hollywood and Coppice. For the slow part they need good traction. The track is also very asymmetric, with very few left-handers, so tire warm-up, especially on the left side is crucial “We use a medium range of rear tires at Donington because the tarmac isn’t so aggressive, because riders need good traction out of the slow turns and because there’s not a lot of long corners where riders are using a lot of throttle for long periods of time, much of the track is part throttle. We know from our experience what to do with compounds and constructions to offer more stability or more traction. All tracks demand some kind of compromise between these two, though Donington requires quite a big compromise. “We also use medium range fronts at Donington because although there’s some heavy braking it’s not from super-high speeds and riders certainly don’t need harder fronts like they did at Mugello and Catalunya, which both place much greater stresses on the front tire. “This track isn’t so easy, however, especially when you throw in the extra factor of unpredictable weather. Sometimes we get good weather at Donington, other times it’s very cold and wet, so we have to produce tires that cover a large range of temperatures. Also, we have to consider the likely temperature changes during the day. There could be a big difference between the morning and afternoons session temperatures, like at Jerez where it was very cold in the morning and 15 degrees warmer in the afternoon. It’s not so easy to cover that temperature range within the new tire rules, it’s a real challenge.” DEVELOPMENT OF MICHELIN’S NEW CONSTRUCTION REAR SLICK “We started working on a different family of stronger constructions after April’s Turkish GP and we’ve been improving step by step. We made some good improvements during the post-French GP tests at Le Mans ? Valentino won in Italy using a new construction he tested at Le Mans and came so close to winning again a Catalunya. Of course, we have to adapt tire stiffness of this new family of tires to suit the stresses experienced at each circuit. The construction we use at Donington may be close to what we used at the last two races but it won’t be the same because the British track isn’t as aggressive on tires as Mugello and Catalunya. “Not all of our riders prefer this family of stiffer constructions. Dani tested the harder tires at Le Mans and although he didn’t immediately want to go in that direction he did choose a stiffer construction at Catalunya, identical to the construction used by Rossi. In the past Dani preferred a slightly softer construction tire that gave him a good feeling in the early stages of a race, but it seems the harder tire gives him the chance to be more competitive over full-race distance.” MICHELIN IN THE UK Michelin has been in the UK for more than a century and currently employs 3,500 people in the region. Sports bikes dominate the market so Michelin’s Pilot Power 2CT, Power Sport and Pilot Road 2 tires ? all developed with MotoGP technology ? are in big demand. Further info at www.michelin.co.uk. DONINGTON PARK DATA (4023 m) Lap record: Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC211V-Michelin), 1:28.714, 163.253km/h-101.441mph (2006) Pole position 2006: Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC211V-Michelin), 1:27.676, 165.185km/h-102.641mph Recent winners of the British GP 2006 Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC211V-Michelin), 44:54.878 2005 Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin), 52:58.675 (wet race) 2004 Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin), 45:30.473 2003 Max Biaggi (Honda Camel Pons RC211V-Michelin), 46, 06.688 2002 Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda RC211V-Michelin), 46:32.888 2001 Valentino Rossi (Nastro Azzurro Honda NSR500-Michelin), 46:53.349 2000 Valentino Rossi (Nastro Azzurro Honda NSR500-Michelin), 52:37.246 (wet race) 1999 Alex Crivillé (Repsol Honda NSR500-Michelin), 47:06.290 1998 Simon Crafar (Red Bull WCM Yamaha YZR500), 46:45.662 1997 Mick Doohan (Repsol Honda-Michelin NSR500), 46:55.378 1996 Mick Doohan (Repsol Honda-Michelin NSR500), 47:11.135 Michelin’s 2007 Donington MotoGP riders Carlos Checa (Honda LCR RC212V-Michelin) Colin Edwards (Fiat Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda Team RC212V-Michelin) Shinya Nakano (Konica Minolta Honda RC212V-Michelin) Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team RC212V-Michelin) Jonathan Rea (Team Roberts KR212V-Michelin) Kenny Roberts Junior (Team Roberts KR212V-Michelin) Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) More, from a press release issued by Fiat Yamaha: FIAT YAMAHA TEAM BEGIN CRUCIAL NORTH RUN AT DONINGTON PARK The Fiat Yamaha Team trucks complete another gruelling journey across land and sea this week as the MotoGP World Championship trail heads from Spain to England for the first of three consecutive races in Northern Europe. The Donington Park circuit in Leicestershire hosts the eighth round of the campaign, with round nine set to take place just six days later at Assen in Holland before moving on to Germany’s Sachsenring circuit for round ten a fortnight after that. It promises to be a crucial few weeks for Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards, who will both be on the hunt for victories at some of their most successful circuits. Rossi is a seven-time Grand Prix winner at Donington Park, whilst Edwards scored his first MotoGP podium there in 2004 and took World Superbike victories in 1999 and 2000. The pair also have impressive records at Assen, where Rossi had not stepped off the rostrum in five seasons until his injury last year and Edwards has both WSB wins and MotoGP podiums to his name, whilst the Italian is a five-time winner at Sachsenring. Rossi’s immediate goal is to close down the gap to current series leader Casey Stoner, which currently stands at fourteen points. However, there is an interesting bonus up for grabs for ‘The Doctor’, who could usurp another Australian in the shape of Mick Doohan as the all-time top points-scorer in the premier-class. A top seven finish would secure that accolade for Rossi, who broke Doohan’s record for the most career podiums with number 96 at the last round in Catalunya. A dramatic viewing experience, Donington Park sits inside an amphitheatre style setting, with the spectators banked on the grass verges that surround the track. The prevalent off-camber nature of the circuit is one of the main factors at play during the British Grand Prix, with a large tendency for the front tyre to push, making the right, left, right flick down the Craner Curve section something of a high tension and the key to making up time. The stop-and-go nature of the final section, which features three hard braking zones, means the bike also has to be good under braking and makes set-up a quest for compromise between agility and stability. Valentino Rossi “MY SECOND HOME RACE” Valentino Rossi heads north to Donington Park after a brief stay in his hometown of London. The 28-year-old has lived in the English capital since 2000 and has built up an army of local fans, who have cheered him to victory on seven occasions at the East Midlands circuit. After conceding defeat to Dani Pedrosa when riding through injury to second place last year, Rossi is doubly keen to lead the celebrations again this time around. “Donington is always like my second home race because I live quite close, in London,” says Rossi. “It’s one of my favourite racetracks in the world and I’ve had some fantastic victories there in the past, including my first ever 500cc win back in 2000 after a great battle with Jeremy McWilliams and Kenny Roberts. Last year I had a bad injury after my problem in Assen but I was still able to finish second, which was a great achievement I think. “This year though it’s going to be really hard of course with Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa riding so well at the moment. Even though it hasn’t been one of his best tracks in the past I am expecting Casey to be strong again and Dani won last year so we can expect him to be fighting too. Anyway, it’s a great track, fun to ride, the straight is not too long and the fans there are wonderful, so I hope we can win again!” Colin Edwards “TAKING THE POSITIVES” It has been a difficult few weeks for Colin Edwards and relatively fruitless in terms of results, with the American struggling to get comfortable with his YZR-M1 machine ever since his good early season form was hit by a terrible run of bad luck. After struggling to finish in the top ten for the past four races, a good result is crucial for the Texan this weekend as he looks to increase confidence and performance levels in the build-up to his home race at Laguna Seca in a month’s time. “I had a lot bigger aspirations for this season than my recent results have shown,” concedes Edwards. “After our first few tests and first few races I thought we would be consistently in the top five, but unfortunately that hasn’t been the case recently so it’s a bit discouraging. At the same time I think you have to bring the positives out of every weekend and learn what you can. I think with Donington coming up we have the chance to turn things around; it’s a track that I’ve always liked – I’ve won a few races there, stemming back from my World Superbike days. “I’ve got nothing but high hopes going there – I know the track like the back of my hand so I’m staying positive. As far as I am concerned, the rest of my year involves winning some races. Winning races was my goal in March and it’s still my goal now and, despite the last few races, I know we can do it. I think the next two races at Donington and Assen are prime opportunities.” Davide Brivio Fiat Yamaha Team Director “A GREAT TRACK” Fiat Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio leads his staff to England in buoyant mood after another top performance from Rossi in Barcelona and a highly encouraging day of tyre tests with Michelin on the day following the race. With the former World Champion missing out on victory in the Grand Prix of Catalunya by just 0.069 seconds, Brivio is only too aware that a small step forward can make a massive difference in the quest for victory at Donington Park. “Donington has been a great track for both our riders in the past so we go there with high hopes,” says Brivio. “Unfortunately Valentino’s great record was blighted last year because of the injury he picked up at Assen so we want to make up for that and get him back to the top of the podium, but it won’t be easy. Our rivals are very strong this season and we go to each circuit looking to work hard, be competitive in every session and then see what happens on Sunday. “We had a good tyre test in Barcelona after the race, with Andrew Pitt also completing a lot of laps and giving us some valuable data. I think we will take some of the new tyres to Donington and hopefully they will help us take a step forward. At this high level of competition it is all about taking small steps, which can make the difference between victory and defeat. We are not even halfway through the season yet so there is a long way to go and we will keep fighting.” More, from a press release issued by Gresini Racing Honda: PODIUM HUNT HEADS TO DONINGTON BRITISH GP – PREVIEW round 8 After taking a week to recover from back-to-back races the MotoGP World Championship returns next weekend for the eighth round of the season. The British Grand Prix takes place on Sunday at Donington Park, located in the heart of England’s East Midlands, just a stone’s throw from the legendary Sherwood Forest. For different reasons both Team Honda Gresini riders are both keen to get back on track and put the Barcelona race behind them. Marco Melandri and Toni Elias were suitably disappointed with their results in Spain but are looking ahead to the next round with motivation and the hunger to bounce back. As always, the big question mark ahead of the race in England is the weather, with the area notorious for frequent changes between wet and dry conditions. Marco Melandri: “We always knew that Barcelona would be one of the hardest circuits for us. Now we head to Donington, which in theory should be much more favourable because it is more suited to the characteristics of our bike. The corners are not that fast and the straight shouldn’t be too much of a problem, since it only measures 564 metres. The unknown factor at Donington is the weather because the temperatures can vary drastically. If it rains I think us Bridgestone riders will have a good chance. I got on the podium last year, which was a massive achievement because physically I still wasn’t in great shape – just two weeks had passed since that big crash in Barcelona. I am hoping for a good race at what is a special circuit for me because I live only a few kilometres from the circuit.” Toni Elias: “This is a track I like a lot. I missed the race here last year because of the injury I picked up at Assen, where I fractured my shoulder, but I’ve always had good results previously at Donington. Hopefully we can do a good job here all weekend because the top speed factor isn’t as important at this circuit – it’s more important to have good handling on the bike. I’m looking for a good result to get over the disappointment of my home race at Barcelona, when I was forced to retire before the end. The asphalt at Donington can be very slippery – especially if the temperatures are low – so it will be important to make a good tyre choice.” A TECHNICAL TRACK: Donington is an historic circuit, perhaps even antiquated when it comes to the facilities and infrastructure, but remains one of the best tracks on the entire MotoGP calendar – both in terms of its attractiveness to the riders and to the spectators. The circuit layout is quite technical – fast in the first half and slower in the second. Hard braking areas in the tight final three corners make it easy to run wide and many races are won and lost in this difficult section. One of the most distinctive sections on the track is without doubt Craner Curves, a fast fifth-gear sweeper which needs to be tackled with bravery and caution, since it is downhill. It is fundamental to get the right line through this section. Because of the dramatic difference between the fast opening section and the slower final turns, it is crucial to find a good balance in the bike setting. You need a good compromise between agility, to deal with the flowing corners, and the stability required under heavy braking and hard acceleration. THE DONINGTON GRAND PRIX COLLECTION Unveiled as a motorcycle racing circuit back in 1931, Donington has also become a popular venue for car racing. The track layout has undergone several modifications, particularly after a long period of inactivity during the war. The most recent changes were made in 1985, when the current layout was established: a 4,023 metre track with 11 corners. Since 1987 it has been the home of the British Grand Prix, taking over from Silverstone. As a mark of homage to Britain’s prestigious motorsport heritage, Donington also houses a fantastic museum on the outskirts of the circuit, which is home to the biggest Grand Prix collection in the world. Over 130 cars are parked in five large exhibitions halls, covering some of the most important eras in the history of racing. There is a complete gallery of the now defunct Vanwalls models, a stunning collection of Williams and McLaren cars and special exhibitions dedicated to the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio and Ayrton Senna. Not to be missed.