2007 FIM MotoGP World Championship Catalunya, Spain June 8, 2007 Free Practice One Results: 1. Dani PEDROSA (Honda), Michelin, 1:43.099 2. Casey STONER (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:43.543 3. Toni ELIAS (Honda), Bridgestone, 1:43.551 4. John HOPKINS (Suzuki), Bridgestone, 1:43.605 5. Loris CAPIROSSI (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:43.631 6. Valentino ROSSI (Yamaha), Michelin, 1:43.705 7. Colin EDWARDS (Yamaha), Michelin, 1:43.768 8. Marco MELANDRI (Honda), Bridgestone, 1:43.816 9. Carlos CHECA (Honda), Michelin, 1:43.866 10. Alex BARROS (Ducati), Bidgestone, 1:44.011 11. Chris VERMEULEN (Suzuki), Bridgestone, 1:44.037 12. Randy DE PUNIET (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, 1:44.436 13. Alex HOFMANN (Ducati), Bridgestone, 1:44.528 14. Nicky HAYDEN (Honda), Michelin, 1:44.689 15. Olivier JACQUE (Kawasaki), Bridgestone, 1:44.742 16. Makoto TAMADA (Yamaha), Dunlop, 1:44.815 17. Shinya NAKANO (Honda), Honda, 1:44.842 18. Sylvain GUINTOLI (Yamaha), Dunlop, 1:45.150 19. Kenny Lee ROBERTS (KR-Honda), Michelin, 1:45.467 20. Kurtis ROBERTS (KR-Honda), Michelin, 1:45.871

AMA Hillclimb Championship, Professional Hillclimb Promotion, Haydenville, Ohio Friday, June 8, 9 am (MavTV) AMA Hillclimb Championship, Professional Hillclimb Promotion, Haydenville, Ohio Friday, June 8, 2 pm (MavTV) AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, High Point Raceway, Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania AMA Motocross Sunday June 10, 6 pm (SPEED) AMA Hillclimb Championship, Professional Hillclimb Promotion, Haydenville, Ohio Monday, June 11, 9 am (MavTV) AMA Hillclimb Championship, Professional Hillclimb Promotion, Haydenville, Ohio Monday, June 11, 2 pm (MavTV) AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, High Point Raceway, Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania AMA Motocross Lites Tuesday, June 12, 3 pm (SPEED) AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, High Point Raceway, Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania AMA Motocross Tuesday, June 12, 9 pm (SPEED) AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, High Point Raceway, Mt. Morris, Pennsylvania AMA Motocross Lites Tuesday, June 12, 10 pm (SPEED) AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Illinois Thursday, June 14, 9 pm (MavTV) Check local listings Subject to Change

Paddock awaits on-track action at the Circuit de Catalunya Gran Premi Cinzano de Catalunya – Thursday 7th June The MotoGP paddock was experiencing a ‘calm before the storm’ of sorts at the Circuit de Catalunya today, with a number of riders taking things easy ahead of what will be an electric Grand Prix. Sylvain Guintoli and Carlos Checa two riders who suffered crashes in wet conditions at Le Mans last month- had the opportunity to improve their skills on water when they took a trip to Barcelona’s Olympic Port. The duo have previous experience of riding personal watercraft machines, and were able to demonstrate their skills under the Spanish sun. After pulling a number of tricks onboard the four stroke vehicles, Checa and Guintoli returned to the circuit on the outskirts of Spain’s second city. Five more MotoGP riders had business to attend to at the Circuit de Catalunya, that of the customary pre-event press conference. World Championship leader Casey Stoner was accompanied by eight times Catalunya racewinner Valentino Rossi, Pramac d’Antin’s Brazilian veteran Alex Barros and home riders Toni Elias and Dani Pedrosa. The quintet spoke amongst other things- about the accident that shaped the race last season, and how they feel this year will be different. Five-time MotoGP World Champion Rossi was also the guest of honour at the opening of a new ride at Portaventura, a local theme park. ‘The Doctor’ cut the ribbon for ‘Furios Baco’, a structure resembling a Russian mountain which goes from 0-130km/h in just over three seconds. He then took a turn on the stomach-turning ride and chatted to the local press. Despite some unwanted drama at the start of the race, the 2006 event was voted the Best GP Of The Year by IRTA, an award given for event organisation, and today the coveted prize was presented to the circuit by IRTA President Herve Poncharal and General Secretary Mike Trimby. Practice for the Gran Premi Cinzano de Catalunya begins tomorrow at 9am local time, as the riders prepare for Sunday’s all-important race. Casey Stoner “I always did very well here, until the Formula One races started here in 2004. Now it is a bit too bumpy for me. We went to Mugello knowing that we weren’t going to be so strong, and in the end I couldn’t get onto the podium, but a worse result of fifth isn’t bad. We have some different settings to try, so we’ll see if we can get back onto the podium.”

MICHELIN AIMS TO BUILD ON MUGELLO SUCCESS Michelin goes to Catalunya fresh from its superb one-two at Mugello, where Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team RC212V-Michelin) dominated in fine style. Rossi now lies just nine points off the World Championship lead following his second victory of 2007, while Spanish hero Pedrosa lies third, a further 24 points down. Rossi’s Mugello success confirmed that Michelin is working in a good direction with its 16-inch front slick, introduced at the start of the 2007 season, and with its new construction rear slick, introduced at last month’s Chinese GP. Michelin is currently focusing a lot of effort on its rear tires to enable riders to exploit the performance characteristics of the new 800 MotoGP machines. “MotoGP is now witnessing an aggressive battle between the tire companies, with tire performance at a very high level, which is great for the sport,” says Jean-Philippe Weber, Michelin’s director of motorcycle racing. “We have to work very hard to find the best solution for each race, so although Mugello confirmed that we have taken a good direction with our new rear casing, we know that we have to keep working and keep thinking to give our riders what they need at Barcelona and at the subsequent races. We will keep pouring all our efforts into our development program because we know the fight will continue to be tough.” MICHELIN AND THE TECHNICAL CHALLENGE OF CATALUNYA “Catalunya features aggressive tarmac and some pretty long corners, so the circuit is much more aggressive on tires than Le Mans and Mugello,” explains Weber. “The circuit is very asymmetric, riders stay leaned over on the right side of the tires for long periods of time, so that’s the main factor at this track — there’s a lot of stress on the right side of the rear tire. “There are four particularly long corners at Catalunya — Renault, Repsol, Europcar and New Holland. These corners are very important to the lap time, especially the last two right-handers that lead onto the long main straight. The rest of the stress at Catalunya comes from the tarmac, which was new in 2005. “Of course, the front is also important at Catalunya. There are a few downhill corner entries, though nothing like as extreme as the downhill sections at Mugello. So far our riders are very happy with our new 16-inch front, we can run quite hard compounds with this tire. DEVELOPMENT OF MICHELIN’S NEW CONSTRUCTION REAR SLICK Michelin introduced new construction rear slicks at last month’s Chinese GP, following input from Rossi. “We are working primarily on stability and edge grip, and the tires are getting better and better,” explains Weber. “Valentino asked us for more stability, and the harder constructions we are developing work well for riders who use the rear tire more aggressively. They aren’t right for everyone, so as always we are working on other constructions for other riders. “The new constructions are better when the rider is at maximum lean and already using a small amount of throttle, so he’s got more corner speed and then he can use more throttle earlier because at this point of the corner the new tire gives more stability and better grip. This is very important, especially because our riders don’t have such good top speed at the moment. That’s why they need good corner speed and the confidence to get use more throttle at high lean angles for a good corner exit.” MICHELIN IN SPAIN Michelin has a big manufacturing presence in Spain. About 9000 people work for Michelin in the country, many of them at the massive Lasarte factory that manufactures the majority of Michelin motorcycle tires used around the world. Michelin MotoGP tires are still produced at the company’s Clermont-Ferrand HQ in France. CATALUNYA DATA Lap record: Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin), 1:43.048, 165.139km-h/102.613mph (2006) Pole position 2006: Valentino Rossi (Camel Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin), 1:41.855 Recent winners of the Catalan GP 2006 Valentino Rossi (Camel Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin), 41:31.237 (shortened restarted race) 2005 Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin), 43:16.487 2004 Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin), 44:03.255 2003 Loris Capirossi (Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici-Michelin), 44:21.758 2002 Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin), 44:20.679 2001 Valentino Rossi (Nastro Azzurro Honda NSR500-Michelin), 44:57.142 2000 Kenny Roberts (Telefonica Movistar Suzuki RGV500-Michelin), 51:31.504 (wet race) 1999 Alex Crivillé (Repsol Honda NSR500-Michelin), 44:55.701 1998 Mick Doohan (Repsol Honda NSR500-Michelin), 44:53.264 1997 Mick Doohan (Repsol Honda NSR500-Michelin), 44:56.149 1996 Carlos Checa (Fortuna Honda NSR500 Pons-Michelin), 44:56.885 Michelin’s 2007 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) Kenny Roberts Junior (Team Roberts KR212V-Michelin) Valentino Rossi (Fiat Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin)

KAWASAKI PAY THEIR RESPECTS AT CATALUNYA The Kawasaki Racing Team head for northern Spain this week, hoping to further their MotoGP offensive at the Gran Premi de Catalunya in Montmelo, near Barcelona. After a few difficult rounds, which have seen both their riders injured and a disappointing lack of championship points, the aim is to get back on form at a track hugely popular with racers and spectators alike. Both Randy de Puniet and Olivier Jacque have won races here in the past and they’re optimistic they can turn their recent run of bad luck in to something more positive on their ever-evolving Ninja ZX-RR machines. With the recent arrival of new engines revealing increased horsepower, combined with the impressive performance from their Bridgestone rubber in the season so far, the prospects look good for the two Frenchmen. After 250cc wins at Catalunya in 2003 and 2004, de Puniet will be looking to better his luck here over last year, when he was forced off the track after unwittingly becoming entangled in a pile-up involving Sete Gibernau, Loris Capirossi and Marco Melandri, then crashing out again after a restart. Although fully recovered from the shoulder injury he sustained at Le Mans, de Puniet was left with an injured left knee after his Mugello crash less than one week ago. While the injury is not causing the 26-year-old Frenchman any pain, accumulation of fluid around the joint means that he arrived in Catalunya with a knee the size of a football! De Puniet will visit the Clinica Mobile to have the excess fluid drained from the knee ahead of the first free practice session on Friday. The Kawasaki pilot’s goal this weekend is clear; he must finish the race and, if possible, improve on his career best eighth place finishes in Istanbul and China. Jacque, meanwhile, reached the top of the podium here, also in the 250cc world championship, in 2000 and, as he regains strength in his left arm, which was badly injured in Shanghai, he will be hoping for a fine performance on his MotoGP machine. Against the odds, Olivier succeeded in completing a hard race at Mugello last weekend and he’s feeling positive he can improve on his current four championship points. As a mark of respect for Jan de Groot, Kawasaki’s Grand Prix motocross team manager who passed away on Monday, Kawasaki Racing Team riders, de Puniet and Jacque, will run black numbers on their Ninja ZX-RR MotoGP Machines at this weekend’s Gran Premi de Catalunya. Randy De Puniet Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #14 “I have really good memories of Montmeló. I won there twice in 250cc, achieving my first victory in a Grand Prix there in 2003, then winning again in 2004, and I’ve always enjoyed riding the circuit. I like the entire track but especially the last section: the Stadium curve and the last two corners in particular because they are fast and thrilling to ride. Everybody remembers last year’s first corner massacre and, even though I was among the riders who crashed, I came out of it well as I was able to restart the race on my second bike. I got as far as ninth position but, as I pushed to overtake Tamada, I crashed again. Our main problem there last year was the lack of top speed but that is not an issue with the 800cc Ninja ZX-RR. Not only is Catalunya one of my favourite tracks but also I’m really looking forward to getting there and making up for my crashes in the last two races. My shoulder isn’t giving me problems any more and the knee I hurt in Mugello will be alright in a couple of days. I’ll be fully fit by the time I jump on the bike and I’m sure we will run a good race there. That’s what I’ll be working for: to give my crew and the whole team a good reason to be proud of me.” Olivier Jacque Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #19 “It was good to assess my physical condition by going the full distance during a dry race at Mugello and the only thing I suffered from was lack of strength. I will keep working on that in preparation for the GP in Barcelona and, even though I don’t have much time, I’m sure I’ll feel a huge difference. Montmeló is less physically demanding than Mugello because it is a fast and fluid track, without too much hard-braking, and there’s plenty of time to rest in between the technical parts. In theory, it is also well suited to the Ninja ZX-RR: the most important thing here is to have a powerful bike with good top speed, and the new engine Kawasaki introduced in Italy proved to be a definite step forward. And having a good-handling bike is important for La Caixa and the Stadium curves. How the tyres perform is going to be the biggest issue. Last year, Bridgestone struggled a bit in Montmeló but, looking at the Japanese tyres’ performance so far this year, I’m confident about this weekend’s race.” Michael Bartholemy Kawasaki Competition Manager “Our target for both riders this weekend is quite clear; they must stay on the bike, avoid crashing and finish the race. Between them Randy and Olivier have only managed six finishes out of a possible twelve so far this season; as a factory team, this is not the position we expected to be in at this point in the season. Now our riders need to focus on staying upright and giving their current injuries a chance to heal; only then can we start thinking about achieving the results we know our new Ninja ZX-RR is capable of. Both riders will ride with black numbers this weekend in memory of Jan de Groot, who sadly passed away earlier this week. Jan was a well known and well respected figure in the Motocross Grand Prix paddock and his presence will be sorely missed by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him or working with him. We would like to offer our sincere condolences to Jan’s family and friends at this difficult time.”

Former racer Tim O’Kennedy and wife Marilien had a son, Torin Peter Gijs O’Kennedy, June 5 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Isle of Man TT Supersport TT June 6, 2007 Race Results: 1. Ian Hutchinson (Hon CBR600RR), 1:13:29.11, 123.225 mph, Silver 2. John McGuinness (Hon CBR600RR), 1:13:31.95, 123.145 mph, Silver 3. Guy Martin (Hon CBR600RR), 1:13:35.92, 123.035 mph, Silver 4. Bruce Anstey (Suz GSX-R600), 1:13:38.27, 122.969 mph, Silver 5. Nigel Beattie (Yam YZF-R6), 1:15:03.59, 120.640 mph, Silver 6. Conor Cummins (Yam YZF-R6), 1:15:10.08, 120.466 mph, Silver 7. Ryan Farquhar (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:15:14.46, 120.349 mph, Silver 8. Steve Plater (Yam YZF-R6), 1:15:14.93, 120.337 mph, Silver 9. Chris Palmer (Hon CBR600RR), 1:15:15.20, 120.330 mph, Silver 10. Ian Lougher (Hon CBR600RR), 1:15:34.94, 119.806 mph, Silver 13. Martin Finnegan (Hon CBR600RR), 1:16:05.56, 119.002 mph, Silver 15. Jimmy Moore (Hon CBR600RR), 1:16:22.98, 118.550 mph, Silver 33. Mark Miller (Hon CBR600RR), 1:19:33.88, 113.809 mph, Bronze More, from a press release issued by Hydrex Honda: Lap record and another podium for Martin. Guy Martin and his Hydrex Honda team continued their successful run at the Isle of Man Centenary TT races with Martin finishing in third place in the PokerStars Supersport race and taking the lap record. The lap record tumbled a total of six times during the close fought race but it finally came to rest in the hands of Martin on the final lap with an average speed of 125.161mph. “The last lap felt like I dawdled but I can’t have done as I took the lap record so it was spot on,” said Martin, “I got all the back markers in fairly good places. Farquhar took some getting passed as he is about ten foot wide when he is on the track, his elbows and knees stick out, he held me up a little bit but then I just cracked on. All the back markers I got them over the Mountain in fairly good places and it can’t have been that bad as I got the lap record, mustn’t grumble.” Martin is still chasing that elusive TT win but was fairly happy to be standing on the podium for a second time during race week at the Centenary event. “I’m not going to moan and complain, I’m third and I got the lap record so I’m happy really. I had a good half of the first lap and then I caught Ian Lougher, he didn’t hold me up at all I got straight passed him but when I got passed him I was thinking he would come flying passed me again and that messed me up a bit really,” he explained. With it only being a four lap race Martin had to pull out all the stops on the last two following his smooth pit stop, “Last couple of laps I just watched my pit boards and tried to do the best job that I could. I saw I was P3 and P4 so last couple of laps I couldn’t make any mistakes. I concentrated on getting my gear changes right, hitting my apexes and keeping the throttle on for a long as possible. It went alright,” he concluded. Martin’s final opportunity this year for a win at the TT is on Friday 8th June during the PokerStars Senior TT race which takes place at 12.00. PokerStars Supersport TT Race Result 1. Ian Hutchinson Bike Animal Honda 01 13 29.11 2. John McGuinness Padgetts Honda 01 13 31.95 3. Guy Martin Hydrex Honda 01 13 35.92 4. Bruce Anstey Relentless Suzuki 01 13 38.27 5. Nigel Beattie CD Racing Yamaha 01 15 03.59 6. Conor Cummins Millsport Racing Yamaha 01 15 10.08 7. Ryan Farquhar Harker Kawasaki 01 15 14.46 8. Steve Plate AIM Yamaha 01 15 14.93 9. Chris Palmer Solway Slate Honda 01 15 15.20 10. Ian Lougher Team Blackhorse Honda 01 15 34.94 More, from a press release issued by Optoma Loans Yamaha: IMPRESSIVE EIGHTH FOR STEVE IN JUNIOR TT Steve Plater rode the Optoma Loans Yamaha R6 to a stunning eighth place finish in the Junior TT at the Isle of Man TT races on Wednesday picking up yet another silver replica to add to the two he won for his performance in the Superbike and Superstock races earlier in the week. Steve, from Woodhall Spa near Lincoln, was out on the R6 Supersport machine for the four-lap Junior TT and started from 31st place moving straight up to 15th on the first lap of the 37.73-mile mountain road course. Lap two saw Steve gain further places to return to the pits for refuelling in 13th position. The pit crew pulled out all the stops to get Steve back on the road having refuelled and cleaned the screen in double quick time. On passing the grandstand to start his last lap Steve was lying in 10th place and put in his fastest lap of the race on the final circuit being fourth fastest rider through the speed trap at Sulby with a time of 165.300mph. He was running at the same pace and alongside Scottish rider Keith Amor who like Steve is a newcomer to the TT course. Throughout the final lap the pair were embroiled in a tremendous battle on the road, although Steve was running well ahead on time. As they crossed the finish line more or less together Steve was delighted to find he had secured eighth place and a silver replica as well as posting his fastest lap of the race with a scorching time of 18m 25.74 seconds 122.84mph. STEVE PLATER That’s better, much better than 15th on the Superstock bike yesterday. I was having a bit of fun with Keith Amor on that last lap and it was brilliant, really enjoyable. I was pushing a bit harder on the first lap this time, I was a bit annoyed at myself in the Superbike race as I wasn’t too comfy on the bike and didn’t really try to hard on the first lap. But I set my stall out right from the start this time and it paid off. I am well happy with this result, it’s another top ten and I am really happy for the Optoma Yamaha team and the pit crew who did another fantastic job for me. ALISTAIR FLANAGAN This is more like it. Steve has done very well today for the team and is obviously feeling more confident around the circuit. The pit crew have been doing a splendid job getting the refuelling etc completed quickly to send Steve back out on the road without delay. We have just one more race to go and we sent Steve out on the practise lap this afternoon to make sure the Superbike was running ok. He posted his fastest practise lap of the fortnight with a speed of 124.011mph and was eighth fastest overall so it’s looking promising for Friday.” After three of his four races on the island Steve has picked up a silver trophy from each outing and will be looking to add to his haul of silverware with another good result from the final race of the week, the blue ribbon Senior TT to be run over six laps of the TT course on Friday with a scheduled start time of 10.45am. More, from a press release issued by Honda: Isle of Man Centenary TT Festival. Supersport TT and Sidecar B TT. June 6, 2007. Weather: Sunny. Temperature: 22 degrees. Crowd: 50,000. Ian Hutchison takes maiden TT victory as Honda sweep podium places in dramatic Junior TT Molyneux and Long compete Sidecar TT double victory. Ian Hutchinson scorched to an emotional first Isle of Man TT victory at race record pace aboard the HM Plant backed Honda CBR600RR. John McGuinness and Guy Martin completed a Honda 1-2-3 in the Centenary Supersport TT race. The determined Yorkshire rider, Hutchinson, took charge of the four lap race after a traumatic mid-race pit-stop by Bruce Anstey. He had forged clear, but then struggled to fire up his Suzuki after the mid race stop to refuel. It was a traumatic time for the popular Kiwi, as he lost vital seconds and was left playing catch-up. Hutchinson, having no worries after his rapid pit-stop, fully exploited the problems of his rival to take charge. Hutchinson was finally able to dispel the bitter disappointment of his exclusion from the corresponding race of last year when his hard ride into second place came to nothing as a minor breach of the technical regulations, of which the rider knew nothing, was discovered at scrutineering. “I just want to forget about that at the time it killed me being disqualified but now I have set the record straight by winning this Centenary TT race. There are so many people over here this year that have never been to the event before, there has been so much close, safe racing, that the event is on the crest of a wave,” reflected Hutchinson. Hutchinson had been in contention throughout, although it looked as if he would have to settle for a top three finish as Anstey continued where he had left off from his sixth winning ride on the Island in the previous afternoon’s Superstock race. Anstey powered in a record breaking 124.055mph opening lap to be two seconds ahead of McGuinness with Guy Martin and Hutchinson disputing third. There was faster speeds to come on the next lap with Anstey again providing the magic as he charged around the 37.73 mile Mountain Course in 18m 06.27secs, a speed of 125.041mph. That put him almost five seconds clear, but that counted for little as he pushed his bike three quarters of the way along the pit-road before it finally fired up but by then Hutchinson was ahead by a third of a second up on McGuinness. Martin moved third just ahead of Anstey who was keen to get back in the hunt, but Hutchinson was unaware that the Kiwi had experienced problems. “I didn’t realise it was Anstey until he came past me on the road at Kirk Michael. I thought then, I only have to stay with him now to win,” explained Hutchinson. He was enjoying being out front and extended his lead over Padgetts Honda rider McGuinness to six seconds although the Lancastrian upped his challenge on the final lap, running at 125.096mph to finish just three seconds down on a jubilant Hutchinson. “It was a perfect run, no problems. The pit-stop was superb and I don’t think I made a mistake all of the way through. I can still hardly believe that I’ve done it. On the final lap I knew that John (McGuinness) was closing in on me, but felt comfortable that I could hold him. I didn’t want to push too hard in case I made an error. I was concentrating really hard just to ensure that I took my first win, and I’m really delighted,” said Hutchinson. McGuinness had to settle for second best: “It was a fantastic race and Hutch deserved his victory. He’s done a good job and I am pleased for him, though maybe I’ve taught him a bit too much.” Martin on the Hydrex Honda was not complaining about third: “It’s good, mint, but I’ve got to try harder, and will be going for it in the Senior, no doubt about that.” Anstey, finishing fourth, took some consolation as he upped his own record on his final lap in an incredible time of 18m 05.35secs, an average speed of 125.147mph, although Martin out-paced him at 125.161mph. Dave Molyneux completed a winning Sidecar double, though not without the unexpected help of a stray dog. The victory in the opening race was racing against time to fix and electronic problem that threatened his participation in the three lapper when race officials called a 15 minute delay to allow marshals to catch the dog that was wandering on the course at Loch Glen. Molyneux worked wonders, and was running fourth on the opening lap as his fellow Manx driver Nick Crowe, passengered by Daniel Sayle, forged clear, upping the record on the second lap to 116.667mph, but within minutes he had ground to a halt with a blown engine. Molyneux, who had carved a way through, was ahead and powering away, with Rick Long in the chair, his HM Plant Honda to his thirteenth victory on the Island. “Unbelievable, these are the two most unexpected victories of my career. A week ago I didn’t think it would happen. At the start we had an electronic problem, but the start was delayed and that gave me time to fix it. I didn’t know the reason at the time, but though I hate dogs, I’ll have this one as pet. I’ll love it for ever.” John Holden.Andrew Winkle (Suzuki) took second place ahead of Yamaha crew Steve Norbury and Scott Parnell. Results Supersport TT Pl / Name / Machine / Team / Time / MPH 1 / Ian Hutchinson / 2007 Honda CBR 600cc / H M Plant Honda Racing / 1h 13′ 29.11″ / 123.23 2 / John McGuinness / 2007 Honda CBR 600cc /Padgetts Honda / 1h 13′ 31.95″ / 123.15 3 / GUY MARTIN / 2007 Honda 600cc / Hydrex Honda / 1h 13′ 35.92″ / 123.04 4 / Bruce Anstey / 2007 Suzuki GSXR 600cc /Relentless by TAS / 1h 13′ 38.27″ / 122.97 5 / Nigel BEATTIE / 2007 Yamaha R6 600cc / CD Racing / Millsport / 1h 15′ 03.59″ / 120.64 6 / Conor Cummins / 2007 Yamaha YZF R6 600cc /Team Millsport / 1h 15′ 10.08″ / 120.47 7 / RYAN FARQUHAR / 2007 Kawasaki ZX6 600cc /Harker Racing / 1h 15′ 14.46″ / 120.35 8 / Steve Plater / 2007 Yamaha R6 600cc / AIM Racing / 1h 15′ 14.93″ / 120.34 9 / CHRIS PALMER / 2005 Honda CBR 600cc / Solway Slate & Tile / 1h 15′ 15.20″ / 120.33 10 / Ian Lougher / 2007 Honda CBR 600cc Team Blackhorse Racing / 1h 15′ 34.94″ / 119.81 11 / Dan Stewart / 2006 Yamaha R6 600cc / Wilcock Consulting / 1h 15′ 41.99″ / 119.62 12 / Keith Amor / 2005 Honda RR 600cc / Wilson Craig / Uel Dunc / 1h 15′ 45.03″ / 119.54 13 / Martin Finnegan / 2007 Honda CBR 600cc /Alpha Boilers Racing / 1h 16′ 05.56″ / 119 14 / Ian Pattinson / 2006 Honda CBR 600cc /Martin Bullock Racete / 1h 16′ 08.61″ / 118.92 15 / Jimmy Moore / 2007 Honda CBR 600cc / Team Blackhorse / 1h 16′ 22.98” / 118.55 More, from a press release issued by Steve Plater’s publicist: IMPRESSIVE EIGHTH FOR STEVE IN JUNIOR TT Steve Plater rode to a stunning eighth place finish in the Junior TT at the Isle of Man TT races on Wednesday picking up yet another silver replica to add to the two he won for his performance in the Superbike and Superstock races earlier in the week. Steve, from Woodhall Spa near Lincoln, was out on the Optoma Loans Yamaha R6 for the four-lap Junior TT and started from 31st place moving straight up to 15th on the first lap of the 37.73-mile mountain road course. Lap two saw Steve gain further places to return to the pits for refuelling in 13th position. The pit crew pulled out all the stops to get Steve back on the road having refuelled and cleaned the screen in double quick time. On passing the grandstand to start his last lap Steve was lying in 10th place and put in his fastest lap of the race on the final circuit being fourth fastest rider through the speed trap at Sulby with a time of 165.300mph. He was running at the same pace and alongside Scottish rider Keith Amor who like Steve is a newcomer to the TT course. Throughout the final lap the pair were embroiled in a tremendous battle on the road, although Steve was running well ahead on time. As they crossed the finish line more or less together Steve was delighted to find he had secured eighth place and a silver replica as well as posting his fastest lap of the race with a scorching time of 18m 25.74 seconds 122.84mph. “That’s better, much better than 15th on the Superstock bike yesterday. I was having a bit of fun with Keith Amor on that last lap and it was brilliant, really enjoyable. “I was pushing a bit harder on the first lap this time, I was a bit annoyed at myself in the Superbike race as I wasn’t too comfy on the bike and didn’t really try to hard on the first lap. But I set my stall out right from the start this time and it paid off. I am well happy with this result, its another top ten and I am really happy for the Optoma Yamaha team and the pit crew who did another fantastic job for me.” Steve rode to a strong 15th place in the Superstock race on Tuesday to finish as second fastest newcomer behind fellow county rider Gary Johnson. At the end of the first lap Steve was placed at 23rd but made up time during the second lap and was 16th fastest rider when he came in for a fuel stop. He had clocked up the fifth fastest speed through the Sulby speed trap with a flyer at 177.1mph and made it up to 15th on the final lap. “I am happy with that result,” said Steve. “I now have another silver trophy to add to the one I picked up last night for the Superbike race. As a newcomer to the Island races I didn’t expect too much but I have exceeded my expectations so far and improved my lap times with each passing lap in this race today.” After three of his four races on the island Steve has picked up a silver trophy each time and will be looking to add to his haul of silverware with another good result from the final race of the week, the blue ribbon Senior TT to be run over six laps of the TT course on Friday with a scheduled start time of 10.45am. More, from a press release issued by Alpha Boilers Honda: Martin Finnegan riding the Alpha Boilers Honda Supersport machine finished the PokerStars Supersport TT race in thirteenth place. Finnegan broke a foot peg on his very first lap and that hampered his race as he explained, “Going off the line and first time through the bottom of Bray Hill the right hand foot rest bent and worked its way loose then so I spent the whole race trying to hold my foot up.” With 37.73 miles per lap of bumps , jumps and tight turns it was never going to be easy with no foot peg as he admitted, “It was tough, I struggled with right handers as I couldn’t push on the pegs so I just did the best I could and took it home.” He was not overly happy with the result as he had felt strong on the Supersport machine as he said, “I’m disappointed as I would have liked top six so to have finished thirteenth is not what I had planned but sure you can’t have everything.” The final race of TT week is the PokerStars Senior TT which takes place on Friday 8th June at 12.00. Finnegan is feeling confident in his Superbike saying, “We just made a couple of small changes and did one lap there in practice and it was the fastest lap we’ve done all week so I’m feeling good.”