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Pedrosa Looking Forward To Home Grand Prix At Catalunya

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DANI AIMING HIGH AT HOME AFTER SECOND IN ITALY The MotoGP circus hits Catalonia this weekend and riders will be hoping there is no repeat of the turn one incident last year that not only caused race havoc, but also compromised the seasons of two World Championship contenders. And Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) was one of those affected. The 21-year-old Spanish star knows his hopes for a first race win of the season are more than realistic here. The disappointment of 2006, when he was involved in the initial melée and then crashed again in the restarted race, has been consigned to history. He won here on a 125cc machine in 2003 and again on a 250 in 2005, and knows he has the capability to notch a victory here in the 25-lap MotoGP showdown on Sunday. He is hungrier than ever for a race win after a dogged ride to second last weekend at Mugello in Italy. His team-mate, reigning World Champion Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V), has suffered a less than stellar start to his title defence season, but the genial American is characteristically upbeat about his chances, knowing that he has the talent to shine despite currently lying 11th overall in this year’s title race. Marco Melandri (Gresini Honda RC212V) was the other Honda man who failed to score points here in 2006 after being involved in the big crash. He’s now fourth overall in the table and has the leaders Casey Stoner (Ducati), Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) and Dani Pedrosa in third in his sights. Toni Elias (Gresini Honda RC212V) is a man who’ll be revelling in the raucous Spanish support he’ll get in the cauldron of Catalunya. After posting a dogged sixth place last weekend he’ll be buoyed up and ready to ride all-out for his fans here. Carlos Checa (LCR Honda RC212V) too will not be short of encouragement in his Spanish stamping ground. His all or nothing style has always endeared him to local race fans and the Spanish veteran will typically give it everything to show he still has what it takes. But whatever transpires in terms of the long haul of the 18-round World Championship, this seventh race of the year at the Montmelo circuit is highly likely to provide a captivating race. The track lies 20km north of Barcelona. It is 4.727km long and features two long straights. Two of the 13 turns at this track feature negative camber, making lean angle increase for a decrease in tyre grip. The rest of the corners are largely constant radius and hard on tyres especially the longer right-handers. Chassis set-up requires good front/rear balance so that the bikes are easy to turn-in under hard barking and also so they have enough weight transfer under hard acceleration to allow the rear tyre to ‘hook-up’ and drive the bike out of turns without too much wheelspin. A relaxed ‘flowing’ style from riders is the key to a fast lap here. And the highly vocal crowd will have an affect too. Last year 194,000 fans packed this hilltop venue over the weekend and there’s every sign that these sorts of numbers will be repeated this year making this one of the most atmospheric events of the season. Dani Pedrosa said: “I’m really looking forward to my home race at Barcelona. We’ve had quite good results in the last two races at Le Mans and Mugello so I hope I can keep this form going. Last year’s race here was a disaster because I was involved in the big first corner crash. I was not injured which was lucky but then I crashed again in the restarted race, so I hope things go a lot smoother this year. We had a good improvement from the Michelin tyres at the last race in Mugello compared to China and Turkey so there are positive signs for our competitiveness for the next few races.” His team-mate Nicky Hayden said: “Barcelona is a track I like and I’ve had some decent results here, including second last year, so I’ll be looking to find some answers and get a strong finish this weekend. It’s a really good circuit, really safe to ride and there’s always a good atmosphere because they definitely love their bike racing in Spain. This will be the first season we’ve come here having not tested in the winter. Normally we do one pre-season test, which gives us a pretty good base-setting, but this time there was no test so we’ll be riding the new 800cc bike for the first time here.” Toni Elias said: “A good result at a circuit as technical as Mugello (sixth) has given me a lot of confidence and helped me get over the disappointment of my bad results in France and China. Now it is the turn of the Spaniards to race at home. Riding in front of so many fans in Barcelona gives you an incredible feeling and that extra motivation can help me get a top result this weekend. I feel confident and highly motivated. I know it will be tough because Montmelò is a demanding circuit, with a very long straight that will make things even harder.” “Barcelona is a circuit I’ve always liked a lot,” said Marco Melandri: “I scored my first MotoGP podium here but I also have the bad memory of the big crash last year. It’s a nice circuit but the slow corners followed by hard acceleration and a start/finish straight of over a kilometre in length do not play in our favour. Luckily we’ll be going to a few more favourable tracks after Barcelona. In any case I feel motivated and I’m looking forward to putting the Mugello race behind me.” Shinya Nakano (Konica Minolta Honda RC212V) will be striving to get his season properly underway here and said, “I like Barcelona and I love racing at the Catalunya circuit, it is a very special place. We saw at Mugello that we need to solve the problem of chatter from the front-end of the bike as it stops me pushing harder in the corners, but at least we can clearly see our problem so we know exactly what we need to work on. I love racing anywhere in Spain as the Spanish fans have such a passion for bike racing.” Checa said: “We need to forget about Mugello and concentrate on this weekend. I don’t need any motivation to do well here because the fans provide that from the moment you get to the track. All riders will be unfamiliar with the 800cc bikes here, so it evens things out slightly. We need to make sure we waste no time in free training and qualifying.” Kenny Roberts Jnr (Roberts KR212V) will once again have his brother Kurtis on the second machine after he joined the team at Mugello. Kenny said, “Kurtis makes our development programme easier, but we both still have a lot of work to do. We’re getting closer to the mid-point of the season now and we’re still some way off where we need to be. Hopefully we can make some more progress here” There will be no shortage of interest in the 250cc class this weekend. With a raft of Spanish riders in the hunt for both a race win at Montmelo and World Championship honours overall, this promises to be an absorbing contest. Honda’s Italian 250cc star Andrea Dovizioso (Scot Honda RS250RW) beat current series points leader Jorge Lorenzo (Aprilia) here last year, out qualifying the Spanish man and relegating him to second place in the race. A repeat performance would do no harm to his World Championship aspirations this season. “Last year on this track I achieved one of the most beautiful wins of my career,” said Dovi. “I’d like to make the same performance but I know it won’t be easy because this year things are different. Anyway I like the circuit a lot and I’ll do my best to get the result we need.” Shuhei Aoyama (Repsol Honda RS250RW) said: “I live in Barcelona, and for the team, the sponsors, and even for me racing at the Circuit de Catalunya is almost like racing at home. It won’t be easy because despite it being a circuit I like a lot, it’s quite difficult. We’ll have to improve the work on the settings during practice and to try to climb a further step, like in Italy, to be able to improve the results as well.” Rising Spanish star Julian Simon (Repsol Honda RS250RW) said, “I’m really looking forward to it. Things are working out much better in the 250cc class and I hope to do really well at this race and be among the top riders. It’s our aim and it’s the result I want to achieve in Barcelona.” The 125cc grid will also be teeming with Spanish riders, among them Esteve Rabat (Repsol Honda RS125R), who missed the Mugello race due to injury. He may not yet be up to full fitness but the lure of racing in front of home fans is hard to resist. Rabat said: “They took off the plaster earlier this week and it looks as if I’m going to be able to race, though not at 100%. I’m looking forward to it but the most important is to see how the hand is doing and how I feel on the bike. Depending on how I feel, I’ll try to give it my all but it’s important to know first how we’re doing.” His team-mate Bradley Smith (Repsol Honda RS125R) said: “The next race is like a home race for the whole team, even for me, because I’ve raced here many times. We’re going to change a couple of things on the bike after finding out a few things in Italy, because I think the corners in Mugello are very similar to those in Montmelo. I’m really looking forward to getting here and improving my results.” French ace Mike di Meglio (Scot Honda RS125R) said: “I’m confident about Barcelona, I like the track and in winter tests I made a good lap time, considering we didn’t have the bike at 100% so I think now we should be OK. I’ve also improved my riding style.”

FIM Recognizes World Environment Day

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2007 World Environment Day Celebrations at motorcycle events In order to celebrate the “World Environment Day”, the FIM and the motorcycle sport community demonstrated its involvement in and concerns for the preservation of the environment at FIM events which took place last weekend, prior to the “2007 World Environment Day” on June 5. These events took place in particular during the Trial World Championship round in Motegi (Japan), the SuperMoto World Championship round in Villars-sous-Ecot (France), the Motogp Italian Grand Prix in Mugello, and in countries like El Salvador, South Africa, etc. The FIM will continue its involvement in preserving the environment, working notably on the diminution of the impact of motorcycling events. Its involvement increased recently by creating a working group for studying alternative energies to fossil, non-renewable fuels. For more information please consult our site: www.fim.ch, 2007 World Environment Day.

Melandri Says Characteristics Of Catalunya Track Do Not Play In The Honda RC212V’s Favor

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LEAD ROLE THE TARGET FOR BARCELONA PREVIEW GP OF CATALUNYA The MotoGP World Championship continues unabated on the back of the Grand Prix of Italy as the teams and riders prepare themselves for another challenge at the Grand Prix of Catalunya this weekend. It’s a race against time for the paddock staff to make it to Montmelò for the seventh round of the season. The circuit, on the outskirts of Barcelona, has become a firm fixture on the MotoGP calendar and its layout remains unchanged for motorcycle racing, despite the alterations made for Formula 1. Following on from his incredible fightback at Mugello, Honda Gresini rider Toni Elias is ready to tackle another demanding weekend, this time at his home circuit. Toni’s hometown of Manresa is only 30 minutes from Montmelò – an extra boost for the Spaniard, who is determined to get a top result in front of his home supporters. Marco Melandri is looking forward to getting back on track in Catalunya and putting the events of Mugello firmly behind him. The second of six races in just seven weeks leaves little time for reflection or distraction. TONI ELIAS: “A good result at a circuit as technical as Mugello has given me a lot of confidence and helped me fully get over the disappointment of my bad results in France and China. Now it is the turn of the Spaniards to race at home. Riding in front of so many fans in Barcelona gives you an incredible feeling and that extra motivation can help me get a top result this weekend. I feel confident and highly motivated. I know it will be tough because Montmelò is a demanding circuit, with a very long straight that will make things even harder.” MARCO MELANDRI: “Barcelona is a circuit I’ve always liked a lot. I scored my first MotoGP podium there but I also have the bad memory of the big crash last year. It’s a nice circuit but the slow corners followed by hard acceleration and a start-finish straight of over a kilometre in length do not play in our favour. Luckily we’ll be going to a few more favourable tracks after Barcelona. In any case I feel motivated and I’m looking forward to putting the Mugello race behind me.” FOCUS: HONDA AND TEAM GRESINI PUT THEIR FAITH IN YOUTH The “Honda Italian Racing Project” was presented by Honda Italy and HRC at Mugello, a programme designed at uncovering the next generation of riders in collaboration with Team Honda Gresini. In partnership with the FMI, the Italian Motorcycle Federation, the project will give 9-13 year olds the opportunity to enter a free trial in either the north or south of the country and claim one of 21 places. They will be taught about tactics and race strategy, as well sports psychology, and will receive athletic training. They will even gather experience in the world of MotoGP, with a work experience placement up for grabs at the San Marino GP with the Gresini Honda Team. The course will take place over the summer and autumn of 2007 and will be repeated in 2008. The youngsters will race on four-stroke Honda NSF100 machines – the Tokyo factory’s latest gem.

Harris In Critical Condition After Crash During Superstock TT Tuesday At Isle Of Man

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New Zealander Shaun Harris, 41, is listed in “critical” condition with multiple bone fractures and other serious injuries in the Intensive Care Unit of Noble’s Hospital, in Braddan, Isle of Man, after crashing his Suzuki GSX-R1000 during Tuesday’s Superstock TT race, according to a posting on the official Isle of Man website. Harris was in 26th place after the third lap of the four-lap race when he crashed.

Updated: The Last Round Of Press Releases From Last Weekend’s Various Races

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Mont-Tremblant, June 3rd, 2007 The 3rd race for the Women’s Cup Challenge was held at Mont-Tremblant during the Canadian Championship. Nadine Lajoie obtained a podium with a 3rd place once again. She had a difficult weekend; she sure was put to the test. Unfortunately, some other problems occurred with her motor on Friday. The week-end ended up being filled with worries on the track and in the pits. In the end, her own motorcycle could not be used for the race. She had to take another Honda CBR600RR that she had borrowed, which was not well adjusted for her at all. Nadine Lajoie states: “I am so happy with my 3rd place! Since I did not have my own motorcycle, I could not race it to the max; I only had one session to practice on that motorcycle. I had no time to concentrate on my race since I had to run left and right all weekend.” She had high expectations due to last year’s results, 4th place in qualifications with men. This year however, she qualified 17th on 51 racers and she ended up 12th at the race. “I was a bit disappointed, riding 2 seconds slower than last year and especially for my new sponsor Excel Moto Honda. They had come to see me for the first time along with other sponsors. But what can you do, it’s part of the game!” The motorcycle should be fixed for the next regional race at Shannonville (June 23rd -24th ) that will be followed by the Calgary event (June 30 th July 1st ) for the second National round. More, from a press release issued by Team Inkjetmall.com: Injured Shane Narbonne comes back to win Loudon Middleweight Grand Prix Dash for Cash. Monday, June 4, 2007, East Topsham, Vermont Team InkjetMall.com’s Shane Narbonne won his first-ever Loudon Middleweight Grand Prix Dash for Cash at Loudon, NH on Saturday June 2nd, despite being injured earlier while crashing out of the lead in the first race of the day. The weekend started with great excitement in Race 1 GTO as Shane Narbonne took the hole shot with his Dunlop shod Suzuki GSXR 750, breaking away from the pack with Jeff Wood pulling right behind. After two laps of back and forth between Narbonne and Wood, Shane took the lead only to lowside on the still somewhat “green” racetrack in Turn Ten, giving Jeff Wood the lead and ultimately the win. Narbonne said, “I got the holeshot and I just tried to keep my head straight because Jeff Wood was behind me. The track was a little greasy and I was going probably a little too hard and I was down on the ground before I could do anything to correct it.” With an injured arm Shane went on to place second in both Middleweight Supersport and Unlimited Supersport later in the afternoon. The day ended with Shane Narbonne taking his first win ever in the $1,500 Middleweight Grand Prix Dash for Cash. Under extremely hot and humid conditions, Shane took the holeshot on his Dunlop equipped Suzuki GSXR 600 and led every lap ahead of Scott Greenwood and his Team Argo Cycles Kawasaki ZX 600. Shane opened an early lead building a half second advantage per lap until he and Greenwood came into traffic on Lap 8 of the 10 lap contest. The 17-year-old Narbonne showed great maturity as he slipped easily through slower traffic to maintain his advantage over Greenwood, eventually finishing 3.5 seconds ahead for the win. Shane Narbonne said, “I tried to think the pain wasn’t there and tried to win it. It was hard but I did it.” Shane’s father and chief mechanic, Al Narbonne has been able to maintain the advantage on Shane’s stock Suzukis this year at Loudon. The entire LRRS racing community has been restricted to new track rules that maintain a fuel policy that limits all racers to the C-12 race gas from VP Racing Fuels. Al Narbonne said, “Our Suzuki GSXR 600s and 750 are running great. Our tuner Eric Paquette at DASPERFORMANCE.COM has done a great job mapping the bikes for the new fuels requirements. The VP Fuels are working great at both the AMA and ASRA levels, as they are at the CCS levels.” X-rays of Shane’s arm on Sunday showed a possible broken forearm bone, forcing Shane to sit out the day of racing. He’ll be healed up and ready to go for the Loudon Classic on Father’s Day weekend. Shane has plans to do double duty at both Loudon’s roadraces and in the 15th Annual New England Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Dealers Association Ben Campanale Laconia 1/2 Mile. InkjetMall team leader Jon Cone said, “Shane has more drive and hunger for winning than any racer I have seen over the years.” Cone added, “Saturday’s final event shows just how tough he is too. Loudon is one of the most technically challenging tracks in the country, and to witness Shane rebound from injury and deal with the physical pounding from the track’s bumps and win is a testament to his rising talent. I’m really proud of him and honored to have him on our team.” Vermont PhotoInkjet, LLC, the world’s leading developer and supplier of black and white photo-inkjet inks and software sponsor team InkjetMall.com. Shane Narbonne who is one of the top racers in the Loudon Road Racing Series spearheads the team. The team also includes developing amateur racers Ofir Abergal, Jon Cone, Michael Lombardi, and Kevin Quinn. More, from a press release issued by Team Toyota Yamaha/Fast Company: CREVIER GETS A PODIUM ON DEBUT Fast Company rider third in Pro 600 at Mont-Tremblant; fourth in Superbike BRESLAU, Ont. – Team Toyota Yamaha / Fast Company’s Steve Crevier opened the 2007 Parts Canada Superbike Championship in strong fashion at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant last weekend. The Maple Ridge, B.C. racer took his Scott Miller prepared Yamaha YZF-R6 to a third place finish in the Yoshimura Pro 600 Sport Bike feature on Sunday and followed that up with a fourth in Superbike on his new Yamaha YZF-R1. Crevier qualified third for the Pro 600 Sport Bike race and battled for the lead throughout the 10-lap race with Kawasaki’s Jordan Szoke, and Suzuki riders Pascal Picotte and Francis Martin. Crevier was second behind Szoke at the start of the final lap and looked to be in an excellent position as the leaders encountered traffic entering the Namerow hairpin, the last turn of the track. Szoke managed to get through the backmarkers on the inside, while Picotte was able to slip by Crevier in the run to the checkered flag to finish second. “There was just too much traffic at the end,” said Crevier, a four-time class champion. “We chose a motor with more torque and less top end, and when I was behind Pascal I couldn’t draft up to him. I could only outbrake him.” Poor weather and track conditions forced series officials to cancel Parts Canada Superbike qualifying on Saturday and morning practice times were used to set the grid. This was unfortunate for the Team Toyota Yamaha / Fast Company squad, as Crevier had only posted the eighth best time on Saturday after being third fastest on Friday. The six-time Canadian Superbike champion spent the first two laps of the 16-lap race stuck behind Kawasaki rookie Brett McCormick before finding a way into sixth. “McCormick was really aggressive off the start and stuffed me into turn 1,” Crevier said. “The problem was he was about a second or a second and a half slower than I was. By the time I got past him I was three seconds down to the leaders.” Martin retired from the lead battle and Crevier passed Clint McBain, who was fading with a punctured rear tire, two laps from the end to net fourth. “For Team Toyota Yamaha / Fast Company it was a good first outing,” Crevier said. “We’ve made a lot of changes since testing at Jennings last month and I think we can build on it. I think I’ve got a fighting chance.” The Parts Canada Superbike Championship continues with a doubleheader at Calgary’s Race City Motorsport Park June 29-July 1.

Race Added To Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Series

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Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup at KTM Festival 2007 The KTM Festival, being held at the Hungaroring from September 7-9, is one facet richer with the news that it will host an additional race in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies 2007 series. The 23 starters in this high class, next generation racing series on asphalt has already thrilled the crowd at the premiere in Jerez on the occasion of the Spanish MotoGP and at Mugello for the Italian GP. Thousands of fans, the international media and the entire GP pits community have been very impressed with the efforts and the skills of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup participants. In addition to the seven races in the series, in which the best young international racers are competing for entry into professional road racing on identical 125ccm KTM racing machines, the 13-17-year-old rookies will also be racing at the 7th KTM Festival. The riders will be able to show off their skills on the famous Grand Prix circuit situated close to Budapest. This is also a perfect opportunity for KTM aficionados from all over the world to cheer on the 22 boys and Lucy Gloeckner, the only girl in the field of racers from 10 different countries. A detailed look at the fascinating technology of the 45 hp Rookies Cup racing machines being used at the Hungaroring is also recommended. Spectators will certainly be surprised to witness the speed of the youngest KTM road racers participating in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. In turn the young Cup competitors will in turn be amazed at the orange-coloured passion of all those participating in the KTM festival. Ready to Race! At the KTM Festival 2007 from September 7-9 at the Hungaroring.

The MotoGP High Life Beckons At Laguna Seca

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SuperBikeTour.com Announces The Last Remaining Corporate VIP Suite Tickets for the 2007 Red Bull US Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca July 20-22, 2007 With just under two months remaining until the 2007 Red Bull US Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, SuperBikeTour.com has just a few Corporate VIP Suite tickets remaining for sale to the discriminating VIP moto-enthusiast. Ever since the return of the MotoGP circus to the USA in 2005, SuperBikeTour.com has offered a truly unique experience for the dedicated motorcycle race fan. If you want to experience the best VIP service in two-wheeled racing, check out www.SuperBikeTour.com! With an expansion to three Corporate VIP Suites in Turn 4 for 2007, including both upper and lower suites for multiple viewing angles of the racetrack and Paddock Area, SuperBikeTour.com is pleased to offer a one-of-a-kind VIP experience. Set up to the rider’s left just past the Dunlop Pedestrian Bridge, Corporate VIP Suites attendees can view and hear up close and personal the roar of the new 800cc MotoGP bikes ridden in anger. SuperBikeTour.com VIP guests are seated in shaded suites and can watch in cool comfort the closed-circuit TV broadcast of all practices, qualifying sessions, and races for both MotoGP and AMA racing during the three day weekend. A Paddock Pass is included with every Corporate VIP ticket, as well as an official Event Program. Catered food and beverages are offered throughout the day, and you are guaranteed not to run out of your favorite libation! On-site parking at the racetrack is also provided for Corporate VIP Suite attendees, as well as personal transportation around the racetrack during the race weekend in two SuperBikeTour.com Mini Carts. You won’t leave the weekend empty handed or have to wait in long lines at the vendor tents! A custom SuperBikeTour.com Crew Pit Shirt is included with every Corporate VIP ticket, and numerous special event items are contained in our exclusive SuperBikeTour.com Swag Bag! Surprise guests are scheduled to visit the SuperBikeTour.com Corporate VIP Suites during the race weekend, and SuperBikeTour.com has set up a Welcome Reception, Dinner Party, and a Post-Race Celebration for all Corporate VIP ticket holders at great restaurants and wineries in the nearby area. Other surprise Corporate VIP goodies and events will be announced at the racetrack, so make sure you don’t miss the chance for a unique experience of the MotoGP scene. If you need hotel accommodations, SuperBikeTour.com has made exclusive reservations at one of the best VIP hotels in the area. Only a few rooms are still available, so make your reservation soon! Please contact [email protected] directly to inquire about room availability. Visit www.SuperBikeTour.com today to review Corporate VIP Suite package details and reserve your tickets today! The Corporate VIP Suite packages and hotel rooms won’t last long, so don’t hesitate to experience the best that SuperBikeTour.com has to offer for the 2007 Red Bull US Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca! About SuperBikeTour.com SuperBikeTour.com is run by motorcycle enthusiasts for motorcycle enthusiasts. With over three decades of riding, racing and motorsports experience, Doug and Tom McCloskey and Scott Rehl have joined together to bring you the ultimate experience in motorsports racing. Offering road tours, track day rides, and the best that a race weekend has to offer, SuperBikeTours.com is a leading manager in the ultimate VIP experience for moto-enthusiasts. Quality is the cornerstone of our business we will do everything in our power to help you enjoy a unique VIP moto-experience! More, from a press release issued by Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca: RIDERS FOR HEALTH, THE OFFICIAL CHARITY OF MOTOGP, OFFERS UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE FOR FANS OF THE RED BULL U.S. GRAND PRIX Day Long Event Benefits Less Fortunate While Placing Race Fans In The Heart of the MotoGP Experience MONTEREY, California While slots are going fast, exclusive passes are still available for motorcycle racing fans to join a unique opportunity to become an insider in the MotoGP World Championship paddock and enjoy a day that any motorcycle fan would envy during the first Riders For Health Day at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Thursday, July 19. Three-time World Champion and Monterey resident Wayne Rainey, motorcycling legend Randy Mamola, and other superstars past and present are scheduled to meet and greet fans and supporters during the day’s activities. Among the highlights include a motorcycle rally through the scenic Central California countryside, parade laps around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, and pit and paddock tours. Nearly 150,000 people will attend the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix July 20-22, but thanks to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Riders for Health 100 fans will take part in this amazing day, supporting the official charity of the MotoGP World Championship and the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Born out of the world of motorcycle racing, Riders for Health provides healthcare workers in Africa with access to reliable motorcycles and the means to maintain those bikes so they can reach even remote villages with the kind of regular, reliable health care that most of the world takes for granted. These limited edition Riders for Health Day tickets are available for $500 with all proceeds going to the charity. This special ticket includes: “¢ A morning motorcycle tour of scenic Central California through Carmel Valley and Monterey’s up-and-coming wine country “¢ Lunch in the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca paddock “¢ An exclusive tour “¢ A three lap parade ride around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, including the Corkscrew “¢ Chances to meet MotoGP riders past and present, including Grand Prix legend Randy Mamola and Wayne Rainey “¢ An auction of exclusive racing memorabilia, including memorabilia from World Champion Nicky Hayden Those who purchase a ticket but don’t wish to ride a motorcycle will be given a shuttle tour of Carmel Valley, including wine tasting stops along the way and a tour on-track of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The general public will be invited to the live auction including race memorabilia, which will begin at 4pm. Admission to the auction will be free. More details on the auction, including items available, will be released at a later date. To purchase a ticket for Riders For Health Day, call the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca ticket office at 1-800-327-SECA. The Riders For Health Day ticket does not include admission to the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. Those tickets may be purchased at the above number, or on-line at www.laguna-seca.com.

ASRA Previews This Coming Weekend’s Team Challenge Race At Roebling Road

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ASRA Team Challenge Roebling Road Raceway Bloomingdale, Georgia June 10, 2007 Event Preview Chucktown Moto Team Seeks Home Track Advantage As the ASRA Team Challenge Series rolls into Georgia this weekend, it’s the surprising Chucktown Moto Team, with Team Captain Kenny Rodriguez, leading the Overall Standings by 1- point over current runner-up, Moon’s Cycle Repsol led by Captain Rick Beggs. This turn of events has to suit Rodriguez and his fellow riders Matt Huber and Mark Regalbuto, as the series comes to their “home-track”, Roebling Road Raceway on Sunday, giving them the opportunity to extend their Overall point lead. While no one is counting out multi-time series champion Moon’s Super Cycle, captained by Calvin Martinez, the 19-point deficit is difficult to over come when its your own teammates you’re chasing. Roebling Road Raceway, with a freshly paved surface, will be the intangible in the mix since none of these teams have had a chance to test its grip yet. In past years, fresh pavement and good weather meant record times at Roebling and this weekend should be no exception. Forecast for the Noon start of Sunday’s event is a comfortable 85 degrees and a slight chance of afternoon thundershowers. Class Previews: GTO: Fast and steady, that’s the way to describe the best contenders for the 2007 Championship. And that is exactly what the South Carolina team of Chucktown Moto has done to pull within 10 points of the class leading Moon’s Repsol team. All that while the defending 2006 GTO Champion Moon’s Super Cycle have met with some difficulties over the last two events and now find themselves in third, 13 points back of first place and 10 points back of second in the title chase. This fourth round will be exciting as the top four teams in the class are all registered and ready to go on Sunday. GTU: The 600cc machines of the GTU class are the most popular race bikes in the United States today, and at Roebling Road Raceway, they will be a real threat to capture the Overall as well as their own class win. Now that defending National GTU Champions RNR Cycles (formerly Fast Lane GTU) class is the 2007 point leader, it will be up to second place JHK Motorsports, with Michael Murray and Jonathan Lawrence aboard, to overcome the deficit caused by missing the Heartland Park event. While it is possible to catch up over the final four events and put themselves back in the lead, JHK Motorsports first has to handle RNR Cycles as well as current third place challengers, D2 Cycles out of Illinois to make it happen. GTL: In the lightweight class, defending 2006 National Champions Mighty Lumina Racing are right on track for another national title after winning two out of the three previous rounds. Their 58 point lead gives them a comfortable cushion for this event. A&J Recognition Solo Challenge: It’s Krishna Pribadi atop the A&J standings after two straight wins at Carolina and Heartland Park by 18 points, leaving Ivan Milan and Gary Cain to battle it out for second place at the Roebling Road event. Milan has second place by 3 points, but after swapping positions the last two events, it’ll be anyone’s guess who will come out on top of this fight. Gates open at 7:00am, racing starts at Noon both days. The American Sportbike Racing Association LLC is the proud promoter of the ASRA Pro Series, the ASRA Team Challenge Championship and the USA’s largest sportsman motorcycle road racing series, the Championship Cup Series. For more information on any of our 60+ sanctioned events, call us at 817-246-1127 or check out our website at www.ccsracing.us.

WSMC Race Director Larry Cochran Replaced By Jay Tanner

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Effective June 1, Jay Tanner has been named the new Race Director of the Willow Springs Motorcycle Club (WSMC). Tanner is a 25-year AMA, WSMC, AFM and WERA West racing veteran who holds several current and past championships. He has been one of the Novice Rider School Instructors for the Fastrack Riders Association the past five years, as well as the WERA West New Racer School Instructor the past two years. Tanner is ex-husband of Willow Springs International Raceway (WSIR) and Willow Springs Motorcycle Club (WSMC) General Manager Stephanie Huth, and they are the parents of Ashley and Megan Tanner. WSMC members know the girls very well because Ashley runs the front office and Megan administrates all of the riders’ licenses. Although divorced for many years, Huth and Tanner have maintained a close and highly respectful relationship in their personal and professional lives. Asked why she decided to make a change in WSMC officials, Huth said, “WSMC is one of the best breeding grounds for up-and-coming riders–just look at our past. And we continue to grow by giving back to the riders through great contingency and purse programs. The Toyota 200 pays $1000 for the final (40th) finishing position. But you can always make things better and it’s time!” Asked why she chose her ex-husband to be the new Race Director, Huth said, “Jay has been racing for a long time with us and with many other racing associations. Because he is a long-time racer, I have a lot of respect for his opinions about racing, racetracks in general and what it would take to make things better for the sport overall. He really cares about the racers, because he is one!” Tanner said, “At first I couldn’t believe she really wanted me to do this! But then I thought, as good as WSMC is, maybe I can make it better! It’s easy to stand back and criticize. I think I’m about to see what it’s like to be on the other end, and I’m up for the challenge!” More, from a press release issued by Larry Cochran: After more than 10 years of service at WSMC and in my third year as Race Director I was informed by letter of my termination. Myra (Cochran) and Hope have (also) been relieved of their duties at WSIR/WSMC effective immediately per a FAX and FedEx received on May 31, 2007. Larry Cochran Santa Barbara, California

More From The AMA National Weekend At Road America

Safety First Suzuki Riders Remain Steady In The Wet; Notes from Road America Racing at the four mile circuit of Road America can be daunting enough on its own, but throw in some changing track conditions complete with standing water and it ratchets up several more notches in difficulty. Team Owner Kevin Hanson stated “I know I am sounding a bit like a broken record, but I am really impressed with the way Bobby (Fong) and Scott (Ryan) are riding this year. Their consistency is really paying off in gaining them loads of pro-level experience. Bobby, the youngest rider in the AMA paddock, is sitting in 5th place in Formula Xtreme. What more can you ask of a 16 year-old in his first year of AMA racing? The last two rounds we benefited from having Bobby familiar with Infineon and Scott having prior club racing experience at Road America. The guys are working together better that anyone could imagine and its elevating both their games. They are moving up the overall standings after each round.” Bobby Fong: Results: 12th- FX, 13th- Supersport “I definitely want to thank Ron and everyone at Michelin. The rain tires worked very well. It was my first rain race ever, so I was pretty nervous, but after a few laps, I got used to what kind of traction I would have and I was able to crank out lap times about the same as the guys in the top eight or so during the race. The FX race went well and the 4&6 Racing tuned Suzuki GSXR 600 is running perfect. The scoreboard tells the tale; I am the highest placed rider for both Michelin and Suzuki in FX. That says a lot about my equipment and my team.” Fong remain in 5th place overall in Formula Xtreme and 17th overall in Supersport series points. Scott Ryan: Results: 18th – FX, 25th- Supersport “It helped that we did the Monday and Tuesday track days here. Wednesday and Thursday, we did several kids helmet safety presentations at the school, which was great as a lot of the students were out at the track on the weekend and had Bobby and I to root for. I qualified inside the top 20 for the first time this year in FX, which was great. I had an uncharacteristic bad start there and had to make up even more spots. I came together with another rider in Canada Corner (Turn 12) which resulted in me losing the draft with the group I was in, so I wasn’t able to move up past 18th place. I did lower my personal best lap time for this track by over a second faster than ever before during the FX race which was great. The mixed conditions seen in Supersport qualifying would have had me on the second row if they would have went by lap times, but the rules are the rules. It was my first rain race in years and the Michelin rain tires worked real well, but it took me some time to acclimate to the conditions. I want to really thank all the friends and family that came out this weekend in support. I can definitely see me in the top 15 overall in Formula Xtreme, maybe even higher!” Ryan moved up overall in both classes and is now in 17th place overall for Formula Xtreme and 30th in the ultra-competitive Supersport class. Next up for the team is the WERA event at Miller Motorsports Park in two weeks time, followed immediately by the AMA Superbike Series. Safety First Racing was formed in 2004 by police officer/racer, Kevin Hanson, based out of Chicago, IL. For 2007, Safety First Suzuki will be competing in the AMA Superbike series in the Supersport and Formula Xtreme classes. More, from a press release issued by Jordan Suzuki: JORDAN SUZUKI RIDERS EARN TOP-10 FINISHES Rainy Conditions at Road America AMA Superstock Race Elkhart Lake, WI The conditions were rainy and hurried at Sunday’s AMA Superstock race at Road America, in Elkhart, WI. The race, originally scheduled as the first race of the day, was postponed due to inclement weather conditions and to accommodate Speed TV’s live coverage. Under these less than optimal circumstances, Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki riders Aaron Yates and Jake Holden were forced to mount their GSX-R1000s for the 10-lap race immediately following the AMA Superbike event, with no time to rest between races. Holden and Yates finished the race in sixth and eighth places, respectively. Once underway, Aaron Yates got off to a great start and moved into fourth place, with teammate Jake Holden right behind in fifth place. Both Jordan Suzuki riders diced with other riders as they shifted back and forth between the upper positions in the top-10. With varied track conditions on the 14 turn, 4.05 mile course, Yates and Holden raced conservatively as they struggled to find tire grip on the track surface. Once his tire started to come into play, Holden’s lap times went from 2:25.214 during lap seven to a 2:22.514 on lap 10, moving into sixth place during the white flag lap. Yates, too, was able to better his position when he moved into eighth place on lap eight where he remained through the waving of the checkered flag. Yates’s fastest lap of the race, 2:23.042 came on lap nine. Jordan Suzuki AMA Superstock Race Results and Point Standings: Yates #20 Race 8th place 4th in overall points Holden #59 Race 6th place 9th in overall points The next stop for the Jordan Suzuki team and the AMA Superbike Series is Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah June 22-24, 2007, featuring a doubleheader in Superbike racing action. Legendary NBA star Michael Jordan formed Michael Jordan Motorsports in 2004 as a result of his passion for motorcycle racing. His mission is to bring a new level of excellence and style to the motorcycle racing industry. For more information on the team, visit the race team website at www.23RACE.com. More, from another press release issued by Jordan Motorsports: AARON YATES GRABS SUPERBIKE HOLESHOT Finishes in 4th at Road America in Superbike Race 2 Elkhart Lake, WI – Aaron Yates brought a ray of sunshine to the Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki team, grabbing the holeshot in the restart of race two in the AMA Superbike series doubleheader at a rainy Road America, in Elkhart Lake, WI. Sunday’s racing action at the famed 4.05 mile road course was interrupted by heavy downpours, high winds and thunderstorms, causing a red flag to stop the track activities. As determined by the AMA, the first few laps of race two were stricken from the record books and a complete restart began after lightning passed through the area. Yates, who started Sunday’s AMA Superbike race from outside on the front row, quickly grabbed the rainy restart lead going into turn one. Yates ran strong for the 16 lap event and finished just shy of the podium in fourth place. Yates’ fellow Jordan Suzuki rider Jake Holden attacked the field from the drop of the green flag from his 14th place start on row four. By lap 12, Holden moved himself solidly into eighth place, but gave fans a scare when he ran off the track in turn one on lap 14. Holden quickly regained his composure and completed the race in seventh place at the checkered flag. Holden earned his fourth top-10 finish of the 2007 AMA Superbike series, moving him to 12th in overall points for the championship. Jordan Suzuki AMA Superbike Race Results and Point Standings: Aaron Yates #20 Race 1 – 17th place (crash) Race 2 – 4th place 8th in overall points Jake Holden #59 Race 1 – 10th place Race 2 – 7th place 12th in overall points More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Kawasaki: Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Hacking Earns Double Podium at Road America Hayden Takes Third in AMA Supersport ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (June 3, 2007) Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking turned in two second place finishes in wet conditions during the second AMA Superbike race and AMA Supersport at Road America. Teammate Roger Hayden rode a strong AMA Supersport race where he rounded out the podium in third. After driving rain soaked the track, Monster Energy Kawasaki and Attack Kawasaki riders lined up for the start of the AMA Supersport race. Hacking wasted no time and immediately got past the front runners, eventually holding on to a second-place finish. “I just wanted to stay up out there,” said Hayden. “It was a really slick race and I knew I had to play it safe to keep the bike off the ground.” Hayden, who started on the third row, worked his way up to the front on the first few laps and when the checkers dropped, he earned his third podium of the season. “I had a good start and a great first lap,” said Hayden. “Some people came by me after I worked my way to the front but I felt comfortable with my speed and didn’t want to throw away my chances for the championship. I just rode smart and was able to finish in the wet conditions.” With his podium finish, Hayden retained second place in the point standings and is just 11 points out of first. Attack Kawasaki riders Steve Rapp and Ben Attard hung on in the soaked conditions for an eighth and eleventh finish, respectively. After thunder and lighting caused a full restart in the second AMA Superbike race, Hacking used his excellent rain-riding skills to move up from ninth to fourth on the first lap. He patiently made passes on the riders in front of him to finish the race in second. “There were a lot of factors in the race,” said Hacking. “I was pretty worried about the rear wheel. I didn’t want to slide it sideways. Also there was a lot of spray and I had to use a rag in my dash to wipe my helmet a few times. The bike felt really good on the brakes and I was able to use it in some of the corners to pass.” During the fourth lap, Hayden hit some standing water and slid off the track. He was uninjured but was unable to finish the race. The next round of the AMA Superbike Championship is set for June 22-24 at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. AMA Superbike Championship Road America Elkhart Lake, Wis. June 3, 2007 AMA Supersport Results 1. Aaron Gobert, Murrieta, Calif., Honda 2. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI 3. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI 4. Joshua Hayes, Gulfport, Miss., Honda 5. Blake Young, Madison, Wis., Suzuki 6. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki 7. Chaz Davies, Nyack, N.Y., Yamaha 8. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI 9. Geoff May, Gainsville, Ga., Suzuki 10. Ryan Elleby, Phoenix, Ariz., Honda 11. BEN ATTARD, MURRIETA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI AMA Supersport Standings 1. Joshua Hayes, Gulfport, Miss., Honda, 161 2. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 150 3. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 136 4. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 128 5. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki, 125 6. Blake Young, Madison, Wis., Suzuki, 103 7. Chaz Davies, Nyack, N.Y., Yamaha, 97 8. Geoff May, Gainsville, Ga., Suzuki, 92 9. BEN ATTARD, MURIETTA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 91 10. Aaron Gobert, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 86 AMA Superbike Results 1. Ben Spies, Longview, Texas, Suzuki 2. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI 3. Mathew Mladin, Henderson, Nev., Suzuki 4. Aaron Yates, Milledgeville, Ga., Suzuki 5. James Ellison, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Honda 6. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda 7. Jake Holden, Eatonville, Wash., Suzuki 8. John Haner, Austin, Texas, Suzuki 9. Eric Bostrom, Las Vegas, Nev., Yamaha 10. Dominic Jones, Indianapolis, Ind., Honda AMA Superbike Standings 1. Ben Spies, Longview, Texas, Suzuki, 307 2. Mathew Mladin, Henderson, Nev., Suzuki, 305 3. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 232 4. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki, 225 5. Miguel Duhamel, Las Vegas, Nev., Honda, 224 6. Jason Disalvo, Stafford, N.Y., Yamaha, 206 7. Eric Bostrom, Las Vegas, Nev., Yamaha, 203 8. Aaron Yates, Milledgeville, Ga., Suzuki, 197 9. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 188 10. James Ellison, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Honda, 153 11. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 144 More, from a press release issued by Rockwall Honda: TWO TOP TENS FOR ROCKWALL HONDA AT ROAD AMERICA Rockwall Honda’s Ryan Elleby and Ryan Andrews earned two top ten finishes in a difficult Road America weekend. The Wisconsin rain made life interesting for the young Rockwall Honda riders as they were forced to race in the inclement weather at the challenging 4-mile circuit. Ryan Andrews earned eighth in Saturday’s Formula Xtreme race and was 20th in the Supersport race. Elleby finished tenth in Sunday’s Supersport race and fourteen Saturday’s 10-lap Formula Xtreme race and Sunday’s Supersport event. FORMULA XTREME Ryan Andrews earned an excellent eighth place in Saturday’s Formula Xtreme race. The Texan ran a fast and remarkably consistent contest, with all of his race laps within a 1.15 seconds grouping. Ryan was ninth on the first lap but moved to eighth by lap three, where he remained for the last seven laps. “It went pretty well,” said Andrews. “I had a little bit of a battle with Cory West at the beginning but after that I was by myself. I wish I could have gotten by him sooner because I might could have hung with the group of riders in front of that in front of me. I thought the bike was great and it felt like we had more power this weekend, which is always nice.” Elleby’s FX race did not go as planned. “The FX race was a bummer for me,” said Elleby. “I qualified ninth with a good time of 2:19.7 and this year I’ve been going faster in the races than qualifying. Our hope was that we’d finish sixth or seventh. Then we had an electronics problem in the race that really slowed us down and our race laps were about three and a half seconds slower than qualifying. I had problems getting out of the turns and that also hurt our top speed. Still, we finished the race and got some points.” SUPERSPORT The highlight of Elleby’s weekend was the battle with Geoff May in the wet Supersport race. Ryan made the pass for ninth, but last year’s second place finisher in the championship got back by Elleby on the last lap. “It was awesome. I like racing in the rain,” said Elleby. “I got a great jump but turn one was tough with everyone going for it. The race settled down and I started picking people off. Geoff May, Steve Rapp, Chaz Davies, and Ben Attard had a good gap on me but we started closing in. I passed Attard and then caught up with May. I passed him twice but he got me back each time. In the last corner on the last lap, I got him again but he passed me back on the straight. I wish I could have gotten ninth but I was stoked that we had a good battle with some tough riders.” Ryan Andrews was 20th in Supersport. “The Supersport race was a weird deal. I didn’t get to ride in the wet before the race,” said Andrews. “I didn’t get to ride at all until I qualified so I was in the slower group. With the rain qualifying, that slower group was gridded behind the other group for the race. That put me behind some guys that we are usually faster than most weekends. ” “So we started near the back and with the weather situation, it was tough,” said Andrews. “My shield was covered with dirt and water from the beginning, so I was lucky to finish. I did the best I could with what we had. At least we salvaged a finish. I couldn’t hardly see anything.” Elleby is optimistic as the season heats up. “It’s a work in progress for us. Things are going well as we get up to speed. We’re looking to continue improving at the next few races,” he said. “It’s always tough when it rains, not just for the riders but for the crew as well. Everyone worked hard this weekend and did a good job,” said team owner Michael Worrell. “We had two top tens and are really happy with those results. We had some issues, too, but both Ryans managed to finish both races and we learned a lot. We’re looking forward to going to Utah next.” More, from a press release issued by Millennium/KWS Suzuki: Millennium/KWS Suzuki Excels in the Rain at Road America with Two Top-10s and a Top-Five Finish Elkhart Lake, WI June 2007 — Millennium/KWS Suzuki sponsored by Ron Ayers Motorsports overcame rain, injuries, and two difficult calls by AMA officials to achieve career best results by riders John Haner and David Weber. Road America was John Haner’s first race back after his violent practice crash at California Speedway in April. Although fit to ride, Haner’s right ankle is still very tender and required treatment after every session. David Weber was also riding through an injury, but has been improving every weekend and was looking to pick up his first AMA top ten result. In Superbike qualifying David Weber used his previous Road America experience to slot his Dunlop shod Suzuki GSX-R1000 on the fifth row with a time of 2:18.654 for nineteenth position. Teammate John Haner struggled with his ankle and lack of set up time but was still able to put in a time of 2:19.659 for twenty-first position. Superstock qualifying was broken into two groups based off Friday’s practice times, with the faster riders in the first group and the slower riders in the second group. Heavy rain blanketed the Wisconsin track as the first qualifying group started the session. David Weber was in the first group and did a great job to put the Pit Bull Sponsored GSX-R1000 on the third row with a ninth place qualifying time of 2:58.882. John Haner was in the second group and on lap three set the fastest time of both sessions to put the Millennium/KWS Suzuki on pole with a time of 2:51.131. This would have been Haner’s first career pole, but the AMA decided that since it was not raining as hard in the second session and that conditions had changed “significantly” that they would put the entire second group behind the first group. This left Haner starting from the fourteenth position and the team praying for rain on Sunday. Saturday’s Superbike Race One was declared a wet race by the AMA but the conditions were dry and sunny. David Weber got an excellent start and worked his way up to twelfth place and was battling with Halof Suzuki’s Scott Jensen when both riders started to run out of gas on the last lap. Fortunately, Weber was able to nurse his GSX-R1000 around to finish fourteenth. Haner got a great start as well, but set up issues and the strain on his injured ankle saw the Texan struggle to a sixteenth place finishing position. The pace of the rain dance under the Millennium/KWS Suzuki canopy increased. All of the hoping and praying worked as Sunday’s Superbike Race Two was run in a soaking Wisconsin spring rain. Haner got an excellent start from the sixth row working his way up to ninth place on lap one and by lap ten had fought his way to the fifth position. On lap thirteen while in fifth place with a comfortable lead on sixth, the AMA pulled Haner off track no less than three times because of calls from the corner workers that Haner’s GSX-R1000 was smoking. After Haner’s Suzuki was given a clean bill of health several times, he was allowed to return to the race and finished in the eighth position. Weber meanwhile rode a smooth and consistent race to finish in the eleventh position, equaling his best AMA Superbike finish of his career. The Superstock race was held immediately after Superbike Race Two. The rain had let up and the sun came out making tire choice a major factor in the outcome of the race. The track was drying, but the team decided that an intermediate rain tire was going to be the best choice to for Haner and Weber to put them in the best position for a good finish. Haner and Weber both got incredible starts with Haner moving from the fourteenth to second and Weber going from ninth to fourth on lap one. Haner battled for the lead with M4 Suzuki’s Geoff May and Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies. On lap five Spies passed May for the lead and relegated Haner to third. Haner and Weber were able to maintain their pace throughout the race on the intermediate tires, but the riders on slicks were able to increase their pace on the rapidly drying track. Haner finished the race in the fifth position to tie his best AMA result and Weber finished in the ninth position, his best ever AMA result. John Haner “A top ten and a top five in my first weekend back is pretty good. I really want to thank my team and the sponsors. KWS, Millennium, Suzuki, Dunlop, and Penske gave me the tools I needed to do well this weekend. Michael Godin, Kevin Hunt and Chip Spalding worked really hard on the bike and I can’t thank them enough.” David Weber “I was really happy with the results this weekend. The bike is working great and the Dunlop rain tires are awesome. I have to thank Rick Matheny, Matt Hill and the rest of the KWS team for all their hard work this weekend.” Kevin Hunt (Team Owner) “What a weekend! Lots of emotional ups and downs. John and David rode three incredible races and even when the cards were stacked against them they still came home with some great results. The AMA made some hard calls, but they are looking out for everybody’s safety and I can respect that. Hopefully next time those calls will go our way. I want to thank everybody on the team for all their hard work and I especially want to thank our friends at Millennium Technologies for coming out and supporting us. We couldn’t do it without you.” More, from a press release issued by Pegram Racing Leo Vince Ducati: LeoVince Pegram Racing Ducati Team Takes Fifth at Road America Small Glitches Keep Team Off Race Pace Hebron, OH June 5, 2007- Larry Pegram finished a respectable fifth at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Small problems limited the team’s track time and kept Larry off his race-pace until about midway through the 10-lap race. Larry qualified in sixth position with a 2:18.994, putting him on the second row at the start. After race five, Larry is in fourth position overall with 113 points. There are five Formula Xtreme races left in the series. “I just got going a little too late this weekend. It wasn’t until the end of the race that I was turning in strong lap times. I would have liked to have finished on the podium, but I am happy with the results and proud of the team’s efforts. The bike is performing well. I also want to thank Scorpion and Leo Vince for sponsoring the Race Industry Night party at Lake Street Café – the team and my family had a great time,” commented Larry. Corse Superbikes was the hospitality sponsor this weekend. The LeoVince Pegram Racing Ducati Team hosted Corse Superbikes’ customers and employees on Saturday and Sunday. Corse Superbikes is a multiline motorcycle dealer based in Saukville, Wisconsin. Corse Superbikes sells Ducati, MV Agusta, Suzuki, KTM, Aprilia and Schwinn. About Pegram Racing Leo Vince Ducati Hebron, Ohio-based Pegram Racing Ducati is a professional superbike race team competing in the AMA Superbike Championship. The team is owned and managed by Larry Pegram, a third-generation motorcycle racer. The team competes in the Formula Xtreme class on a modified Ducati 749. Additional information about the team can be found on their web site at www.pegramracing.com. More, from a press release issued by Team West/OneFastGirl Racing: Rhiannon Lucente completes her first AMA round Team West/OneFastGirl Racing’s Rhiannon Lucente qualified and finished in the Supersport class of the AMA Road America round this weekend. After a drying qualifying session and a wet race, Team West/OneFastGirl is happy have another goal accomplished. Rhiannon started 42nd out of 48 riders, and by the end of the race she had moved up to 32nd. The Team West/OneFastGirl Racing program is a small entity, run only by Sam West and Rhiannon Lucente, making this a big step for their season. Team West is proud to welcome their newest member of the team, Matt Prentice. Matt was an integral part of all the success this weekend, as he took a commanding roll as chief mechanic. With Matt being an accomplished racer in the CRA and AMA, he has the experience and knowledge to contribute to Team West/OneFastGirl Racing’s continued success. Rhiannon will be campaigning various races across the country, and looks forward to competing in future AMA Supersport rounds. None of this could have happened without out the help and support of the great people around her and the strong sponsor support structure for Team West/OneFastGirl Racing. Rhiannon would like to send a special thank you out to Hooters Suzuki, Matushima Motorsports and Jason Farrell of SpeedTech for the extra help this weekend. For more information, please visit www.myspace.com/onefastgirl . More, from a press release issued by HALOF Racing: HALOF Racing’s Scott Jensen finishes 3rd in AMA Superstock race at Road America Jensen and the HALOF Racing team were looking to break the infamous 8th place curse at Road America, round 5 of the AMA Superstock Series. The trip started off bad with their tow vehicle having a mechanical on a holiday which held everything up for a day and the team arriving to the track a day late. Then things got worse when the rains started to fall on the opening sessions. “I’m not a fan of racing in the rain,” said Jensen. “Being from Arizona in the middle of the desert you don’t get a lot of practice in the rain at club races. We did a lot of work to the bike to be able to make it so I could just bring it home safe and in one piece in the rain. Then on Sunday it looked like we might get a dry race and we found a tire that might help us break the curse.” The curse of 8th place as it has been come to be known is describing the teams three 8th place finishes in the first four races. “When the rains came and they moved the races around I got a little worried about what would happen,” Stated Jensen. “We ran the Superbike race in the rain in hopes to prepare us for the Superstock race and then it dried up on us. My crew chief just kept watching the skies and the track to see what was going to happen. The crew was standing by while we decided which bike and which tires we were going to run. Then with seconds left Rodney decided which tires we would run the warm up lap on and brought a few different ones to the line incase we needed to make a last minute change. As it turns out we didn’t need it.” With the qualifying rounds being run in the rain there were some issues that changed the grid which resulted in a 14th place starting position. “The plan was to go out and go as hard we could from the start of the race in hope that those with rains or intermediates would slow up at the end and those with full slicks would need a few laps to get going,” said a delighted Jensen. “I am just so happy. I have been running the AMA for a few years now and I knew this year would be my best chance to get my highest finishes with the hopes of a podium, and it’s happened. We ran down the guys we needed to and we held off the ones we had to, we beat some big teams and names with those guys still racing at the end, we beat them heads up without them crashing or breaking.” Asked about his trip to victory lane that took a bit longer then the top two finishers Jensen said laughing, “I didn’t know where to go. I went straight to tech I wanted an official with my bike the whole time. He told me where to go and to go backwards on the track and asked him if he was sure cause I didn’t want to get disqualified for doing something dumb or wrong. I’m just so excited I need to thank everyone, HALOF Racing owner Rodney, the crew Chris, James, Jason, and Mike even though he didn’t make it this weekend, just everyone that has helped out.” Probably the second most excited person in victory lane if not tied with Scott was HALOF Racing team owner Rodney Rayborne as he was all smiles. “It feels pretty good right now and will for awhile I’m sure,” said Rayborne. “I have been to victory lane before with some other teams that I have worked for, but to be here with my team is pretty special. Scott did a great job he kept his head in the game and rode as hard as he could to get us here, I can’t thank him enough. I just can’t thank Suzuki and Pirelli and all our sponsors enough. Our crew held up during the weather and worked their butts off in the cold and wet.” When asked about the tire choice Rayborne said it was kind of a gamble but Pirelli thought it would work. “It was too dry for full wets, and too wet for slicks was my thought,” said Rodney. “So I figured half and half should work ok. Use the intermediate front to help get in the corners while it is still a little damp and the slick rear for the drive out of the corners in the dry. I’m just happy it worked, Pirelli makes some great tires and I’m happy to be working with them.” Look for HALOF Racing and Scott Jensen to keep their momentum going at the next AMA Superstock race at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele Utah June 22-24.

Pedrosa Looking Forward To Home Grand Prix At Catalunya

DANI AIMING HIGH AT HOME AFTER SECOND IN ITALY The MotoGP circus hits Catalonia this weekend and riders will be hoping there is no repeat of the turn one incident last year that not only caused race havoc, but also compromised the seasons of two World Championship contenders. And Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC212V) was one of those affected. The 21-year-old Spanish star knows his hopes for a first race win of the season are more than realistic here. The disappointment of 2006, when he was involved in the initial melée and then crashed again in the restarted race, has been consigned to history. He won here on a 125cc machine in 2003 and again on a 250 in 2005, and knows he has the capability to notch a victory here in the 25-lap MotoGP showdown on Sunday. He is hungrier than ever for a race win after a dogged ride to second last weekend at Mugello in Italy. His team-mate, reigning World Champion Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC212V), has suffered a less than stellar start to his title defence season, but the genial American is characteristically upbeat about his chances, knowing that he has the talent to shine despite currently lying 11th overall in this year’s title race. Marco Melandri (Gresini Honda RC212V) was the other Honda man who failed to score points here in 2006 after being involved in the big crash. He’s now fourth overall in the table and has the leaders Casey Stoner (Ducati), Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) and Dani Pedrosa in third in his sights. Toni Elias (Gresini Honda RC212V) is a man who’ll be revelling in the raucous Spanish support he’ll get in the cauldron of Catalunya. After posting a dogged sixth place last weekend he’ll be buoyed up and ready to ride all-out for his fans here. Carlos Checa (LCR Honda RC212V) too will not be short of encouragement in his Spanish stamping ground. His all or nothing style has always endeared him to local race fans and the Spanish veteran will typically give it everything to show he still has what it takes. But whatever transpires in terms of the long haul of the 18-round World Championship, this seventh race of the year at the Montmelo circuit is highly likely to provide a captivating race. The track lies 20km north of Barcelona. It is 4.727km long and features two long straights. Two of the 13 turns at this track feature negative camber, making lean angle increase for a decrease in tyre grip. The rest of the corners are largely constant radius and hard on tyres especially the longer right-handers. Chassis set-up requires good front/rear balance so that the bikes are easy to turn-in under hard barking and also so they have enough weight transfer under hard acceleration to allow the rear tyre to ‘hook-up’ and drive the bike out of turns without too much wheelspin. A relaxed ‘flowing’ style from riders is the key to a fast lap here. And the highly vocal crowd will have an affect too. Last year 194,000 fans packed this hilltop venue over the weekend and there’s every sign that these sorts of numbers will be repeated this year making this one of the most atmospheric events of the season. Dani Pedrosa said: “I’m really looking forward to my home race at Barcelona. We’ve had quite good results in the last two races at Le Mans and Mugello so I hope I can keep this form going. Last year’s race here was a disaster because I was involved in the big first corner crash. I was not injured which was lucky but then I crashed again in the restarted race, so I hope things go a lot smoother this year. We had a good improvement from the Michelin tyres at the last race in Mugello compared to China and Turkey so there are positive signs for our competitiveness for the next few races.” His team-mate Nicky Hayden said: “Barcelona is a track I like and I’ve had some decent results here, including second last year, so I’ll be looking to find some answers and get a strong finish this weekend. It’s a really good circuit, really safe to ride and there’s always a good atmosphere because they definitely love their bike racing in Spain. This will be the first season we’ve come here having not tested in the winter. Normally we do one pre-season test, which gives us a pretty good base-setting, but this time there was no test so we’ll be riding the new 800cc bike for the first time here.” Toni Elias said: “A good result at a circuit as technical as Mugello (sixth) has given me a lot of confidence and helped me get over the disappointment of my bad results in France and China. Now it is the turn of the Spaniards to race at home. Riding in front of so many fans in Barcelona gives you an incredible feeling and that extra motivation can help me get a top result this weekend. I feel confident and highly motivated. I know it will be tough because Montmelò is a demanding circuit, with a very long straight that will make things even harder.” “Barcelona is a circuit I’ve always liked a lot,” said Marco Melandri: “I scored my first MotoGP podium here but I also have the bad memory of the big crash last year. It’s a nice circuit but the slow corners followed by hard acceleration and a start/finish straight of over a kilometre in length do not play in our favour. Luckily we’ll be going to a few more favourable tracks after Barcelona. In any case I feel motivated and I’m looking forward to putting the Mugello race behind me.” Shinya Nakano (Konica Minolta Honda RC212V) will be striving to get his season properly underway here and said, “I like Barcelona and I love racing at the Catalunya circuit, it is a very special place. We saw at Mugello that we need to solve the problem of chatter from the front-end of the bike as it stops me pushing harder in the corners, but at least we can clearly see our problem so we know exactly what we need to work on. I love racing anywhere in Spain as the Spanish fans have such a passion for bike racing.” Checa said: “We need to forget about Mugello and concentrate on this weekend. I don’t need any motivation to do well here because the fans provide that from the moment you get to the track. All riders will be unfamiliar with the 800cc bikes here, so it evens things out slightly. We need to make sure we waste no time in free training and qualifying.” Kenny Roberts Jnr (Roberts KR212V) will once again have his brother Kurtis on the second machine after he joined the team at Mugello. Kenny said, “Kurtis makes our development programme easier, but we both still have a lot of work to do. We’re getting closer to the mid-point of the season now and we’re still some way off where we need to be. Hopefully we can make some more progress here” There will be no shortage of interest in the 250cc class this weekend. With a raft of Spanish riders in the hunt for both a race win at Montmelo and World Championship honours overall, this promises to be an absorbing contest. Honda’s Italian 250cc star Andrea Dovizioso (Scot Honda RS250RW) beat current series points leader Jorge Lorenzo (Aprilia) here last year, out qualifying the Spanish man and relegating him to second place in the race. A repeat performance would do no harm to his World Championship aspirations this season. “Last year on this track I achieved one of the most beautiful wins of my career,” said Dovi. “I’d like to make the same performance but I know it won’t be easy because this year things are different. Anyway I like the circuit a lot and I’ll do my best to get the result we need.” Shuhei Aoyama (Repsol Honda RS250RW) said: “I live in Barcelona, and for the team, the sponsors, and even for me racing at the Circuit de Catalunya is almost like racing at home. It won’t be easy because despite it being a circuit I like a lot, it’s quite difficult. We’ll have to improve the work on the settings during practice and to try to climb a further step, like in Italy, to be able to improve the results as well.” Rising Spanish star Julian Simon (Repsol Honda RS250RW) said, “I’m really looking forward to it. Things are working out much better in the 250cc class and I hope to do really well at this race and be among the top riders. It’s our aim and it’s the result I want to achieve in Barcelona.” The 125cc grid will also be teeming with Spanish riders, among them Esteve Rabat (Repsol Honda RS125R), who missed the Mugello race due to injury. He may not yet be up to full fitness but the lure of racing in front of home fans is hard to resist. Rabat said: “They took off the plaster earlier this week and it looks as if I’m going to be able to race, though not at 100%. I’m looking forward to it but the most important is to see how the hand is doing and how I feel on the bike. Depending on how I feel, I’ll try to give it my all but it’s important to know first how we’re doing.” His team-mate Bradley Smith (Repsol Honda RS125R) said: “The next race is like a home race for the whole team, even for me, because I’ve raced here many times. We’re going to change a couple of things on the bike after finding out a few things in Italy, because I think the corners in Mugello are very similar to those in Montmelo. I’m really looking forward to getting here and improving my results.” French ace Mike di Meglio (Scot Honda RS125R) said: “I’m confident about Barcelona, I like the track and in winter tests I made a good lap time, considering we didn’t have the bike at 100% so I think now we should be OK. I’ve also improved my riding style.”

FIM Recognizes World Environment Day

2007 World Environment Day Celebrations at motorcycle events In order to celebrate the “World Environment Day”, the FIM and the motorcycle sport community demonstrated its involvement in and concerns for the preservation of the environment at FIM events which took place last weekend, prior to the “2007 World Environment Day” on June 5. These events took place in particular during the Trial World Championship round in Motegi (Japan), the SuperMoto World Championship round in Villars-sous-Ecot (France), the Motogp Italian Grand Prix in Mugello, and in countries like El Salvador, South Africa, etc. The FIM will continue its involvement in preserving the environment, working notably on the diminution of the impact of motorcycling events. Its involvement increased recently by creating a working group for studying alternative energies to fossil, non-renewable fuels. For more information please consult our site: www.fim.ch, 2007 World Environment Day.

Melandri Says Characteristics Of Catalunya Track Do Not Play In The Honda RC212V’s Favor

LEAD ROLE THE TARGET FOR BARCELONA PREVIEW GP OF CATALUNYA The MotoGP World Championship continues unabated on the back of the Grand Prix of Italy as the teams and riders prepare themselves for another challenge at the Grand Prix of Catalunya this weekend. It’s a race against time for the paddock staff to make it to Montmelò for the seventh round of the season. The circuit, on the outskirts of Barcelona, has become a firm fixture on the MotoGP calendar and its layout remains unchanged for motorcycle racing, despite the alterations made for Formula 1. Following on from his incredible fightback at Mugello, Honda Gresini rider Toni Elias is ready to tackle another demanding weekend, this time at his home circuit. Toni’s hometown of Manresa is only 30 minutes from Montmelò – an extra boost for the Spaniard, who is determined to get a top result in front of his home supporters. Marco Melandri is looking forward to getting back on track in Catalunya and putting the events of Mugello firmly behind him. The second of six races in just seven weeks leaves little time for reflection or distraction. TONI ELIAS: “A good result at a circuit as technical as Mugello has given me a lot of confidence and helped me fully get over the disappointment of my bad results in France and China. Now it is the turn of the Spaniards to race at home. Riding in front of so many fans in Barcelona gives you an incredible feeling and that extra motivation can help me get a top result this weekend. I feel confident and highly motivated. I know it will be tough because Montmelò is a demanding circuit, with a very long straight that will make things even harder.” MARCO MELANDRI: “Barcelona is a circuit I’ve always liked a lot. I scored my first MotoGP podium there but I also have the bad memory of the big crash last year. It’s a nice circuit but the slow corners followed by hard acceleration and a start-finish straight of over a kilometre in length do not play in our favour. Luckily we’ll be going to a few more favourable tracks after Barcelona. In any case I feel motivated and I’m looking forward to putting the Mugello race behind me.” FOCUS: HONDA AND TEAM GRESINI PUT THEIR FAITH IN YOUTH The “Honda Italian Racing Project” was presented by Honda Italy and HRC at Mugello, a programme designed at uncovering the next generation of riders in collaboration with Team Honda Gresini. In partnership with the FMI, the Italian Motorcycle Federation, the project will give 9-13 year olds the opportunity to enter a free trial in either the north or south of the country and claim one of 21 places. They will be taught about tactics and race strategy, as well sports psychology, and will receive athletic training. They will even gather experience in the world of MotoGP, with a work experience placement up for grabs at the San Marino GP with the Gresini Honda Team. The course will take place over the summer and autumn of 2007 and will be repeated in 2008. The youngsters will race on four-stroke Honda NSF100 machines – the Tokyo factory’s latest gem.

Harris In Critical Condition After Crash During Superstock TT Tuesday At Isle Of Man

New Zealander Shaun Harris, 41, is listed in “critical” condition with multiple bone fractures and other serious injuries in the Intensive Care Unit of Noble’s Hospital, in Braddan, Isle of Man, after crashing his Suzuki GSX-R1000 during Tuesday’s Superstock TT race, according to a posting on the official Isle of Man website. Harris was in 26th place after the third lap of the four-lap race when he crashed.

Updated: The Last Round Of Press Releases From Last Weekend’s Various Races

Mont-Tremblant, June 3rd, 2007 The 3rd race for the Women’s Cup Challenge was held at Mont-Tremblant during the Canadian Championship. Nadine Lajoie obtained a podium with a 3rd place once again. She had a difficult weekend; she sure was put to the test. Unfortunately, some other problems occurred with her motor on Friday. The week-end ended up being filled with worries on the track and in the pits. In the end, her own motorcycle could not be used for the race. She had to take another Honda CBR600RR that she had borrowed, which was not well adjusted for her at all. Nadine Lajoie states: “I am so happy with my 3rd place! Since I did not have my own motorcycle, I could not race it to the max; I only had one session to practice on that motorcycle. I had no time to concentrate on my race since I had to run left and right all weekend.” She had high expectations due to last year’s results, 4th place in qualifications with men. This year however, she qualified 17th on 51 racers and she ended up 12th at the race. “I was a bit disappointed, riding 2 seconds slower than last year and especially for my new sponsor Excel Moto Honda. They had come to see me for the first time along with other sponsors. But what can you do, it’s part of the game!” The motorcycle should be fixed for the next regional race at Shannonville (June 23rd -24th ) that will be followed by the Calgary event (June 30 th July 1st ) for the second National round. More, from a press release issued by Team Inkjetmall.com: Injured Shane Narbonne comes back to win Loudon Middleweight Grand Prix Dash for Cash. Monday, June 4, 2007, East Topsham, Vermont Team InkjetMall.com’s Shane Narbonne won his first-ever Loudon Middleweight Grand Prix Dash for Cash at Loudon, NH on Saturday June 2nd, despite being injured earlier while crashing out of the lead in the first race of the day. The weekend started with great excitement in Race 1 GTO as Shane Narbonne took the hole shot with his Dunlop shod Suzuki GSXR 750, breaking away from the pack with Jeff Wood pulling right behind. After two laps of back and forth between Narbonne and Wood, Shane took the lead only to lowside on the still somewhat “green” racetrack in Turn Ten, giving Jeff Wood the lead and ultimately the win. Narbonne said, “I got the holeshot and I just tried to keep my head straight because Jeff Wood was behind me. The track was a little greasy and I was going probably a little too hard and I was down on the ground before I could do anything to correct it.” With an injured arm Shane went on to place second in both Middleweight Supersport and Unlimited Supersport later in the afternoon. The day ended with Shane Narbonne taking his first win ever in the $1,500 Middleweight Grand Prix Dash for Cash. Under extremely hot and humid conditions, Shane took the holeshot on his Dunlop equipped Suzuki GSXR 600 and led every lap ahead of Scott Greenwood and his Team Argo Cycles Kawasaki ZX 600. Shane opened an early lead building a half second advantage per lap until he and Greenwood came into traffic on Lap 8 of the 10 lap contest. The 17-year-old Narbonne showed great maturity as he slipped easily through slower traffic to maintain his advantage over Greenwood, eventually finishing 3.5 seconds ahead for the win. Shane Narbonne said, “I tried to think the pain wasn’t there and tried to win it. It was hard but I did it.” Shane’s father and chief mechanic, Al Narbonne has been able to maintain the advantage on Shane’s stock Suzukis this year at Loudon. The entire LRRS racing community has been restricted to new track rules that maintain a fuel policy that limits all racers to the C-12 race gas from VP Racing Fuels. Al Narbonne said, “Our Suzuki GSXR 600s and 750 are running great. Our tuner Eric Paquette at DASPERFORMANCE.COM has done a great job mapping the bikes for the new fuels requirements. The VP Fuels are working great at both the AMA and ASRA levels, as they are at the CCS levels.” X-rays of Shane’s arm on Sunday showed a possible broken forearm bone, forcing Shane to sit out the day of racing. He’ll be healed up and ready to go for the Loudon Classic on Father’s Day weekend. Shane has plans to do double duty at both Loudon’s roadraces and in the 15th Annual New England Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Dealers Association Ben Campanale Laconia 1/2 Mile. InkjetMall team leader Jon Cone said, “Shane has more drive and hunger for winning than any racer I have seen over the years.” Cone added, “Saturday’s final event shows just how tough he is too. Loudon is one of the most technically challenging tracks in the country, and to witness Shane rebound from injury and deal with the physical pounding from the track’s bumps and win is a testament to his rising talent. I’m really proud of him and honored to have him on our team.” Vermont PhotoInkjet, LLC, the world’s leading developer and supplier of black and white photo-inkjet inks and software sponsor team InkjetMall.com. Shane Narbonne who is one of the top racers in the Loudon Road Racing Series spearheads the team. The team also includes developing amateur racers Ofir Abergal, Jon Cone, Michael Lombardi, and Kevin Quinn. More, from a press release issued by Team Toyota Yamaha/Fast Company: CREVIER GETS A PODIUM ON DEBUT Fast Company rider third in Pro 600 at Mont-Tremblant; fourth in Superbike BRESLAU, Ont. – Team Toyota Yamaha / Fast Company’s Steve Crevier opened the 2007 Parts Canada Superbike Championship in strong fashion at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant last weekend. The Maple Ridge, B.C. racer took his Scott Miller prepared Yamaha YZF-R6 to a third place finish in the Yoshimura Pro 600 Sport Bike feature on Sunday and followed that up with a fourth in Superbike on his new Yamaha YZF-R1. Crevier qualified third for the Pro 600 Sport Bike race and battled for the lead throughout the 10-lap race with Kawasaki’s Jordan Szoke, and Suzuki riders Pascal Picotte and Francis Martin. Crevier was second behind Szoke at the start of the final lap and looked to be in an excellent position as the leaders encountered traffic entering the Namerow hairpin, the last turn of the track. Szoke managed to get through the backmarkers on the inside, while Picotte was able to slip by Crevier in the run to the checkered flag to finish second. “There was just too much traffic at the end,” said Crevier, a four-time class champion. “We chose a motor with more torque and less top end, and when I was behind Pascal I couldn’t draft up to him. I could only outbrake him.” Poor weather and track conditions forced series officials to cancel Parts Canada Superbike qualifying on Saturday and morning practice times were used to set the grid. This was unfortunate for the Team Toyota Yamaha / Fast Company squad, as Crevier had only posted the eighth best time on Saturday after being third fastest on Friday. The six-time Canadian Superbike champion spent the first two laps of the 16-lap race stuck behind Kawasaki rookie Brett McCormick before finding a way into sixth. “McCormick was really aggressive off the start and stuffed me into turn 1,” Crevier said. “The problem was he was about a second or a second and a half slower than I was. By the time I got past him I was three seconds down to the leaders.” Martin retired from the lead battle and Crevier passed Clint McBain, who was fading with a punctured rear tire, two laps from the end to net fourth. “For Team Toyota Yamaha / Fast Company it was a good first outing,” Crevier said. “We’ve made a lot of changes since testing at Jennings last month and I think we can build on it. I think I’ve got a fighting chance.” The Parts Canada Superbike Championship continues with a doubleheader at Calgary’s Race City Motorsport Park June 29-July 1.

Race Added To Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Series

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup at KTM Festival 2007 The KTM Festival, being held at the Hungaroring from September 7-9, is one facet richer with the news that it will host an additional race in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies 2007 series. The 23 starters in this high class, next generation racing series on asphalt has already thrilled the crowd at the premiere in Jerez on the occasion of the Spanish MotoGP and at Mugello for the Italian GP. Thousands of fans, the international media and the entire GP pits community have been very impressed with the efforts and the skills of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup participants. In addition to the seven races in the series, in which the best young international racers are competing for entry into professional road racing on identical 125ccm KTM racing machines, the 13-17-year-old rookies will also be racing at the 7th KTM Festival. The riders will be able to show off their skills on the famous Grand Prix circuit situated close to Budapest. This is also a perfect opportunity for KTM aficionados from all over the world to cheer on the 22 boys and Lucy Gloeckner, the only girl in the field of racers from 10 different countries. A detailed look at the fascinating technology of the 45 hp Rookies Cup racing machines being used at the Hungaroring is also recommended. Spectators will certainly be surprised to witness the speed of the youngest KTM road racers participating in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. In turn the young Cup competitors will in turn be amazed at the orange-coloured passion of all those participating in the KTM festival. Ready to Race! At the KTM Festival 2007 from September 7-9 at the Hungaroring.

The MotoGP High Life Beckons At Laguna Seca

SuperBikeTour.com Announces The Last Remaining Corporate VIP Suite Tickets for the 2007 Red Bull US Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca July 20-22, 2007 With just under two months remaining until the 2007 Red Bull US Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, SuperBikeTour.com has just a few Corporate VIP Suite tickets remaining for sale to the discriminating VIP moto-enthusiast. Ever since the return of the MotoGP circus to the USA in 2005, SuperBikeTour.com has offered a truly unique experience for the dedicated motorcycle race fan. If you want to experience the best VIP service in two-wheeled racing, check out www.SuperBikeTour.com! With an expansion to three Corporate VIP Suites in Turn 4 for 2007, including both upper and lower suites for multiple viewing angles of the racetrack and Paddock Area, SuperBikeTour.com is pleased to offer a one-of-a-kind VIP experience. Set up to the rider’s left just past the Dunlop Pedestrian Bridge, Corporate VIP Suites attendees can view and hear up close and personal the roar of the new 800cc MotoGP bikes ridden in anger. SuperBikeTour.com VIP guests are seated in shaded suites and can watch in cool comfort the closed-circuit TV broadcast of all practices, qualifying sessions, and races for both MotoGP and AMA racing during the three day weekend. A Paddock Pass is included with every Corporate VIP ticket, as well as an official Event Program. Catered food and beverages are offered throughout the day, and you are guaranteed not to run out of your favorite libation! On-site parking at the racetrack is also provided for Corporate VIP Suite attendees, as well as personal transportation around the racetrack during the race weekend in two SuperBikeTour.com Mini Carts. You won’t leave the weekend empty handed or have to wait in long lines at the vendor tents! A custom SuperBikeTour.com Crew Pit Shirt is included with every Corporate VIP ticket, and numerous special event items are contained in our exclusive SuperBikeTour.com Swag Bag! Surprise guests are scheduled to visit the SuperBikeTour.com Corporate VIP Suites during the race weekend, and SuperBikeTour.com has set up a Welcome Reception, Dinner Party, and a Post-Race Celebration for all Corporate VIP ticket holders at great restaurants and wineries in the nearby area. Other surprise Corporate VIP goodies and events will be announced at the racetrack, so make sure you don’t miss the chance for a unique experience of the MotoGP scene. If you need hotel accommodations, SuperBikeTour.com has made exclusive reservations at one of the best VIP hotels in the area. Only a few rooms are still available, so make your reservation soon! Please contact [email protected] directly to inquire about room availability. Visit www.SuperBikeTour.com today to review Corporate VIP Suite package details and reserve your tickets today! The Corporate VIP Suite packages and hotel rooms won’t last long, so don’t hesitate to experience the best that SuperBikeTour.com has to offer for the 2007 Red Bull US Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca! About SuperBikeTour.com SuperBikeTour.com is run by motorcycle enthusiasts for motorcycle enthusiasts. With over three decades of riding, racing and motorsports experience, Doug and Tom McCloskey and Scott Rehl have joined together to bring you the ultimate experience in motorsports racing. Offering road tours, track day rides, and the best that a race weekend has to offer, SuperBikeTours.com is a leading manager in the ultimate VIP experience for moto-enthusiasts. Quality is the cornerstone of our business we will do everything in our power to help you enjoy a unique VIP moto-experience! More, from a press release issued by Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca: RIDERS FOR HEALTH, THE OFFICIAL CHARITY OF MOTOGP, OFFERS UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE FOR FANS OF THE RED BULL U.S. GRAND PRIX Day Long Event Benefits Less Fortunate While Placing Race Fans In The Heart of the MotoGP Experience MONTEREY, California While slots are going fast, exclusive passes are still available for motorcycle racing fans to join a unique opportunity to become an insider in the MotoGP World Championship paddock and enjoy a day that any motorcycle fan would envy during the first Riders For Health Day at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Thursday, July 19. Three-time World Champion and Monterey resident Wayne Rainey, motorcycling legend Randy Mamola, and other superstars past and present are scheduled to meet and greet fans and supporters during the day’s activities. Among the highlights include a motorcycle rally through the scenic Central California countryside, parade laps around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, and pit and paddock tours. Nearly 150,000 people will attend the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix July 20-22, but thanks to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Riders for Health 100 fans will take part in this amazing day, supporting the official charity of the MotoGP World Championship and the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Born out of the world of motorcycle racing, Riders for Health provides healthcare workers in Africa with access to reliable motorcycles and the means to maintain those bikes so they can reach even remote villages with the kind of regular, reliable health care that most of the world takes for granted. These limited edition Riders for Health Day tickets are available for $500 with all proceeds going to the charity. This special ticket includes: “¢ A morning motorcycle tour of scenic Central California through Carmel Valley and Monterey’s up-and-coming wine country “¢ Lunch in the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca paddock “¢ An exclusive tour “¢ A three lap parade ride around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, including the Corkscrew “¢ Chances to meet MotoGP riders past and present, including Grand Prix legend Randy Mamola and Wayne Rainey “¢ An auction of exclusive racing memorabilia, including memorabilia from World Champion Nicky Hayden Those who purchase a ticket but don’t wish to ride a motorcycle will be given a shuttle tour of Carmel Valley, including wine tasting stops along the way and a tour on-track of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The general public will be invited to the live auction including race memorabilia, which will begin at 4pm. Admission to the auction will be free. More details on the auction, including items available, will be released at a later date. To purchase a ticket for Riders For Health Day, call the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca ticket office at 1-800-327-SECA. The Riders For Health Day ticket does not include admission to the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. Those tickets may be purchased at the above number, or on-line at www.laguna-seca.com.

ASRA Previews This Coming Weekend’s Team Challenge Race At Roebling Road

ASRA Team Challenge Roebling Road Raceway Bloomingdale, Georgia June 10, 2007 Event Preview Chucktown Moto Team Seeks Home Track Advantage As the ASRA Team Challenge Series rolls into Georgia this weekend, it’s the surprising Chucktown Moto Team, with Team Captain Kenny Rodriguez, leading the Overall Standings by 1- point over current runner-up, Moon’s Cycle Repsol led by Captain Rick Beggs. This turn of events has to suit Rodriguez and his fellow riders Matt Huber and Mark Regalbuto, as the series comes to their “home-track”, Roebling Road Raceway on Sunday, giving them the opportunity to extend their Overall point lead. While no one is counting out multi-time series champion Moon’s Super Cycle, captained by Calvin Martinez, the 19-point deficit is difficult to over come when its your own teammates you’re chasing. Roebling Road Raceway, with a freshly paved surface, will be the intangible in the mix since none of these teams have had a chance to test its grip yet. In past years, fresh pavement and good weather meant record times at Roebling and this weekend should be no exception. Forecast for the Noon start of Sunday’s event is a comfortable 85 degrees and a slight chance of afternoon thundershowers. Class Previews: GTO: Fast and steady, that’s the way to describe the best contenders for the 2007 Championship. And that is exactly what the South Carolina team of Chucktown Moto has done to pull within 10 points of the class leading Moon’s Repsol team. All that while the defending 2006 GTO Champion Moon’s Super Cycle have met with some difficulties over the last two events and now find themselves in third, 13 points back of first place and 10 points back of second in the title chase. This fourth round will be exciting as the top four teams in the class are all registered and ready to go on Sunday. GTU: The 600cc machines of the GTU class are the most popular race bikes in the United States today, and at Roebling Road Raceway, they will be a real threat to capture the Overall as well as their own class win. Now that defending National GTU Champions RNR Cycles (formerly Fast Lane GTU) class is the 2007 point leader, it will be up to second place JHK Motorsports, with Michael Murray and Jonathan Lawrence aboard, to overcome the deficit caused by missing the Heartland Park event. While it is possible to catch up over the final four events and put themselves back in the lead, JHK Motorsports first has to handle RNR Cycles as well as current third place challengers, D2 Cycles out of Illinois to make it happen. GTL: In the lightweight class, defending 2006 National Champions Mighty Lumina Racing are right on track for another national title after winning two out of the three previous rounds. Their 58 point lead gives them a comfortable cushion for this event. A&J Recognition Solo Challenge: It’s Krishna Pribadi atop the A&J standings after two straight wins at Carolina and Heartland Park by 18 points, leaving Ivan Milan and Gary Cain to battle it out for second place at the Roebling Road event. Milan has second place by 3 points, but after swapping positions the last two events, it’ll be anyone’s guess who will come out on top of this fight. Gates open at 7:00am, racing starts at Noon both days. The American Sportbike Racing Association LLC is the proud promoter of the ASRA Pro Series, the ASRA Team Challenge Championship and the USA’s largest sportsman motorcycle road racing series, the Championship Cup Series. For more information on any of our 60+ sanctioned events, call us at 817-246-1127 or check out our website at www.ccsracing.us.

WSMC Race Director Larry Cochran Replaced By Jay Tanner

Effective June 1, Jay Tanner has been named the new Race Director of the Willow Springs Motorcycle Club (WSMC). Tanner is a 25-year AMA, WSMC, AFM and WERA West racing veteran who holds several current and past championships. He has been one of the Novice Rider School Instructors for the Fastrack Riders Association the past five years, as well as the WERA West New Racer School Instructor the past two years. Tanner is ex-husband of Willow Springs International Raceway (WSIR) and Willow Springs Motorcycle Club (WSMC) General Manager Stephanie Huth, and they are the parents of Ashley and Megan Tanner. WSMC members know the girls very well because Ashley runs the front office and Megan administrates all of the riders’ licenses. Although divorced for many years, Huth and Tanner have maintained a close and highly respectful relationship in their personal and professional lives. Asked why she decided to make a change in WSMC officials, Huth said, “WSMC is one of the best breeding grounds for up-and-coming riders–just look at our past. And we continue to grow by giving back to the riders through great contingency and purse programs. The Toyota 200 pays $1000 for the final (40th) finishing position. But you can always make things better and it’s time!” Asked why she chose her ex-husband to be the new Race Director, Huth said, “Jay has been racing for a long time with us and with many other racing associations. Because he is a long-time racer, I have a lot of respect for his opinions about racing, racetracks in general and what it would take to make things better for the sport overall. He really cares about the racers, because he is one!” Tanner said, “At first I couldn’t believe she really wanted me to do this! But then I thought, as good as WSMC is, maybe I can make it better! It’s easy to stand back and criticize. I think I’m about to see what it’s like to be on the other end, and I’m up for the challenge!” More, from a press release issued by Larry Cochran: After more than 10 years of service at WSMC and in my third year as Race Director I was informed by letter of my termination. Myra (Cochran) and Hope have (also) been relieved of their duties at WSIR/WSMC effective immediately per a FAX and FedEx received on May 31, 2007. Larry Cochran Santa Barbara, California

More From The AMA National Weekend At Road America

Safety First Suzuki Riders Remain Steady In The Wet; Notes from Road America Racing at the four mile circuit of Road America can be daunting enough on its own, but throw in some changing track conditions complete with standing water and it ratchets up several more notches in difficulty. Team Owner Kevin Hanson stated “I know I am sounding a bit like a broken record, but I am really impressed with the way Bobby (Fong) and Scott (Ryan) are riding this year. Their consistency is really paying off in gaining them loads of pro-level experience. Bobby, the youngest rider in the AMA paddock, is sitting in 5th place in Formula Xtreme. What more can you ask of a 16 year-old in his first year of AMA racing? The last two rounds we benefited from having Bobby familiar with Infineon and Scott having prior club racing experience at Road America. The guys are working together better that anyone could imagine and its elevating both their games. They are moving up the overall standings after each round.” Bobby Fong: Results: 12th- FX, 13th- Supersport “I definitely want to thank Ron and everyone at Michelin. The rain tires worked very well. It was my first rain race ever, so I was pretty nervous, but after a few laps, I got used to what kind of traction I would have and I was able to crank out lap times about the same as the guys in the top eight or so during the race. The FX race went well and the 4&6 Racing tuned Suzuki GSXR 600 is running perfect. The scoreboard tells the tale; I am the highest placed rider for both Michelin and Suzuki in FX. That says a lot about my equipment and my team.” Fong remain in 5th place overall in Formula Xtreme and 17th overall in Supersport series points. Scott Ryan: Results: 18th – FX, 25th- Supersport “It helped that we did the Monday and Tuesday track days here. Wednesday and Thursday, we did several kids helmet safety presentations at the school, which was great as a lot of the students were out at the track on the weekend and had Bobby and I to root for. I qualified inside the top 20 for the first time this year in FX, which was great. I had an uncharacteristic bad start there and had to make up even more spots. I came together with another rider in Canada Corner (Turn 12) which resulted in me losing the draft with the group I was in, so I wasn’t able to move up past 18th place. I did lower my personal best lap time for this track by over a second faster than ever before during the FX race which was great. The mixed conditions seen in Supersport qualifying would have had me on the second row if they would have went by lap times, but the rules are the rules. It was my first rain race in years and the Michelin rain tires worked real well, but it took me some time to acclimate to the conditions. I want to really thank all the friends and family that came out this weekend in support. I can definitely see me in the top 15 overall in Formula Xtreme, maybe even higher!” Ryan moved up overall in both classes and is now in 17th place overall for Formula Xtreme and 30th in the ultra-competitive Supersport class. Next up for the team is the WERA event at Miller Motorsports Park in two weeks time, followed immediately by the AMA Superbike Series. Safety First Racing was formed in 2004 by police officer/racer, Kevin Hanson, based out of Chicago, IL. For 2007, Safety First Suzuki will be competing in the AMA Superbike series in the Supersport and Formula Xtreme classes. More, from a press release issued by Jordan Suzuki: JORDAN SUZUKI RIDERS EARN TOP-10 FINISHES Rainy Conditions at Road America AMA Superstock Race Elkhart Lake, WI The conditions were rainy and hurried at Sunday’s AMA Superstock race at Road America, in Elkhart, WI. The race, originally scheduled as the first race of the day, was postponed due to inclement weather conditions and to accommodate Speed TV’s live coverage. Under these less than optimal circumstances, Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki riders Aaron Yates and Jake Holden were forced to mount their GSX-R1000s for the 10-lap race immediately following the AMA Superbike event, with no time to rest between races. Holden and Yates finished the race in sixth and eighth places, respectively. Once underway, Aaron Yates got off to a great start and moved into fourth place, with teammate Jake Holden right behind in fifth place. Both Jordan Suzuki riders diced with other riders as they shifted back and forth between the upper positions in the top-10. With varied track conditions on the 14 turn, 4.05 mile course, Yates and Holden raced conservatively as they struggled to find tire grip on the track surface. Once his tire started to come into play, Holden’s lap times went from 2:25.214 during lap seven to a 2:22.514 on lap 10, moving into sixth place during the white flag lap. Yates, too, was able to better his position when he moved into eighth place on lap eight where he remained through the waving of the checkered flag. Yates’s fastest lap of the race, 2:23.042 came on lap nine. Jordan Suzuki AMA Superstock Race Results and Point Standings: Yates #20 Race 8th place 4th in overall points Holden #59 Race 6th place 9th in overall points The next stop for the Jordan Suzuki team and the AMA Superbike Series is Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah June 22-24, 2007, featuring a doubleheader in Superbike racing action. Legendary NBA star Michael Jordan formed Michael Jordan Motorsports in 2004 as a result of his passion for motorcycle racing. His mission is to bring a new level of excellence and style to the motorcycle racing industry. For more information on the team, visit the race team website at www.23RACE.com. More, from another press release issued by Jordan Motorsports: AARON YATES GRABS SUPERBIKE HOLESHOT Finishes in 4th at Road America in Superbike Race 2 Elkhart Lake, WI – Aaron Yates brought a ray of sunshine to the Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki team, grabbing the holeshot in the restart of race two in the AMA Superbike series doubleheader at a rainy Road America, in Elkhart Lake, WI. Sunday’s racing action at the famed 4.05 mile road course was interrupted by heavy downpours, high winds and thunderstorms, causing a red flag to stop the track activities. As determined by the AMA, the first few laps of race two were stricken from the record books and a complete restart began after lightning passed through the area. Yates, who started Sunday’s AMA Superbike race from outside on the front row, quickly grabbed the rainy restart lead going into turn one. Yates ran strong for the 16 lap event and finished just shy of the podium in fourth place. Yates’ fellow Jordan Suzuki rider Jake Holden attacked the field from the drop of the green flag from his 14th place start on row four. By lap 12, Holden moved himself solidly into eighth place, but gave fans a scare when he ran off the track in turn one on lap 14. Holden quickly regained his composure and completed the race in seventh place at the checkered flag. Holden earned his fourth top-10 finish of the 2007 AMA Superbike series, moving him to 12th in overall points for the championship. Jordan Suzuki AMA Superbike Race Results and Point Standings: Aaron Yates #20 Race 1 – 17th place (crash) Race 2 – 4th place 8th in overall points Jake Holden #59 Race 1 – 10th place Race 2 – 7th place 12th in overall points More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Kawasaki: Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Hacking Earns Double Podium at Road America Hayden Takes Third in AMA Supersport ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (June 3, 2007) Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking turned in two second place finishes in wet conditions during the second AMA Superbike race and AMA Supersport at Road America. Teammate Roger Hayden rode a strong AMA Supersport race where he rounded out the podium in third. After driving rain soaked the track, Monster Energy Kawasaki and Attack Kawasaki riders lined up for the start of the AMA Supersport race. Hacking wasted no time and immediately got past the front runners, eventually holding on to a second-place finish. “I just wanted to stay up out there,” said Hayden. “It was a really slick race and I knew I had to play it safe to keep the bike off the ground.” Hayden, who started on the third row, worked his way up to the front on the first few laps and when the checkers dropped, he earned his third podium of the season. “I had a good start and a great first lap,” said Hayden. “Some people came by me after I worked my way to the front but I felt comfortable with my speed and didn’t want to throw away my chances for the championship. I just rode smart and was able to finish in the wet conditions.” With his podium finish, Hayden retained second place in the point standings and is just 11 points out of first. Attack Kawasaki riders Steve Rapp and Ben Attard hung on in the soaked conditions for an eighth and eleventh finish, respectively. After thunder and lighting caused a full restart in the second AMA Superbike race, Hacking used his excellent rain-riding skills to move up from ninth to fourth on the first lap. He patiently made passes on the riders in front of him to finish the race in second. “There were a lot of factors in the race,” said Hacking. “I was pretty worried about the rear wheel. I didn’t want to slide it sideways. Also there was a lot of spray and I had to use a rag in my dash to wipe my helmet a few times. The bike felt really good on the brakes and I was able to use it in some of the corners to pass.” During the fourth lap, Hayden hit some standing water and slid off the track. He was uninjured but was unable to finish the race. The next round of the AMA Superbike Championship is set for June 22-24 at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. AMA Superbike Championship Road America Elkhart Lake, Wis. June 3, 2007 AMA Supersport Results 1. Aaron Gobert, Murrieta, Calif., Honda 2. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI 3. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI 4. Joshua Hayes, Gulfport, Miss., Honda 5. Blake Young, Madison, Wis., Suzuki 6. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki 7. Chaz Davies, Nyack, N.Y., Yamaha 8. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI 9. Geoff May, Gainsville, Ga., Suzuki 10. Ryan Elleby, Phoenix, Ariz., Honda 11. BEN ATTARD, MURRIETA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI AMA Supersport Standings 1. Joshua Hayes, Gulfport, Miss., Honda, 161 2. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 150 3. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 136 4. STEVE RAPP, MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 128 5. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki, 125 6. Blake Young, Madison, Wis., Suzuki, 103 7. Chaz Davies, Nyack, N.Y., Yamaha, 97 8. Geoff May, Gainsville, Ga., Suzuki, 92 9. BEN ATTARD, MURIETTA, CALIF., ATTACK KAWASAKI, 91 10. Aaron Gobert, Murrieta, Calif., Honda, 86 AMA Superbike Results 1. Ben Spies, Longview, Texas, Suzuki 2. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI 3. Mathew Mladin, Henderson, Nev., Suzuki 4. Aaron Yates, Milledgeville, Ga., Suzuki 5. James Ellison, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Honda 6. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda 7. Jake Holden, Eatonville, Wash., Suzuki 8. John Haner, Austin, Texas, Suzuki 9. Eric Bostrom, Las Vegas, Nev., Yamaha 10. Dominic Jones, Indianapolis, Ind., Honda AMA Superbike Standings 1. Ben Spies, Longview, Texas, Suzuki, 307 2. Mathew Mladin, Henderson, Nev., Suzuki, 305 3. Jake Zemke, Paso Robles, Calif., Honda, 232 4. Tommy Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki, 225 5. Miguel Duhamel, Las Vegas, Nev., Honda, 224 6. Jason Disalvo, Stafford, N.Y., Yamaha, 206 7. Eric Bostrom, Las Vegas, Nev., Yamaha, 203 8. Aaron Yates, Milledgeville, Ga., Suzuki, 197 9. JAMIE HACKING, DENVER, N.C., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 188 10. James Ellison, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., Honda, 153 11. ROGER HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY., MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 144 More, from a press release issued by Rockwall Honda: TWO TOP TENS FOR ROCKWALL HONDA AT ROAD AMERICA Rockwall Honda’s Ryan Elleby and Ryan Andrews earned two top ten finishes in a difficult Road America weekend. The Wisconsin rain made life interesting for the young Rockwall Honda riders as they were forced to race in the inclement weather at the challenging 4-mile circuit. Ryan Andrews earned eighth in Saturday’s Formula Xtreme race and was 20th in the Supersport race. Elleby finished tenth in Sunday’s Supersport race and fourteen Saturday’s 10-lap Formula Xtreme race and Sunday’s Supersport event. FORMULA XTREME Ryan Andrews earned an excellent eighth place in Saturday’s Formula Xtreme race. The Texan ran a fast and remarkably consistent contest, with all of his race laps within a 1.15 seconds grouping. Ryan was ninth on the first lap but moved to eighth by lap three, where he remained for the last seven laps. “It went pretty well,” said Andrews. “I had a little bit of a battle with Cory West at the beginning but after that I was by myself. I wish I could have gotten by him sooner because I might could have hung with the group of riders in front of that in front of me. I thought the bike was great and it felt like we had more power this weekend, which is always nice.” Elleby’s FX race did not go as planned. “The FX race was a bummer for me,” said Elleby. “I qualified ninth with a good time of 2:19.7 and this year I’ve been going faster in the races than qualifying. Our hope was that we’d finish sixth or seventh. Then we had an electronics problem in the race that really slowed us down and our race laps were about three and a half seconds slower than qualifying. I had problems getting out of the turns and that also hurt our top speed. Still, we finished the race and got some points.” SUPERSPORT The highlight of Elleby’s weekend was the battle with Geoff May in the wet Supersport race. Ryan made the pass for ninth, but last year’s second place finisher in the championship got back by Elleby on the last lap. “It was awesome. I like racing in the rain,” said Elleby. “I got a great jump but turn one was tough with everyone going for it. The race settled down and I started picking people off. Geoff May, Steve Rapp, Chaz Davies, and Ben Attard had a good gap on me but we started closing in. I passed Attard and then caught up with May. I passed him twice but he got me back each time. In the last corner on the last lap, I got him again but he passed me back on the straight. I wish I could have gotten ninth but I was stoked that we had a good battle with some tough riders.” Ryan Andrews was 20th in Supersport. “The Supersport race was a weird deal. I didn’t get to ride in the wet before the race,” said Andrews. “I didn’t get to ride at all until I qualified so I was in the slower group. With the rain qualifying, that slower group was gridded behind the other group for the race. That put me behind some guys that we are usually faster than most weekends. ” “So we started near the back and with the weather situation, it was tough,” said Andrews. “My shield was covered with dirt and water from the beginning, so I was lucky to finish. I did the best I could with what we had. At least we salvaged a finish. I couldn’t hardly see anything.” Elleby is optimistic as the season heats up. “It’s a work in progress for us. Things are going well as we get up to speed. We’re looking to continue improving at the next few races,” he said. “It’s always tough when it rains, not just for the riders but for the crew as well. Everyone worked hard this weekend and did a good job,” said team owner Michael Worrell. “We had two top tens and are really happy with those results. We had some issues, too, but both Ryans managed to finish both races and we learned a lot. We’re looking forward to going to Utah next.” More, from a press release issued by Millennium/KWS Suzuki: Millennium/KWS Suzuki Excels in the Rain at Road America with Two Top-10s and a Top-Five Finish Elkhart Lake, WI June 2007 — Millennium/KWS Suzuki sponsored by Ron Ayers Motorsports overcame rain, injuries, and two difficult calls by AMA officials to achieve career best results by riders John Haner and David Weber. Road America was John Haner’s first race back after his violent practice crash at California Speedway in April. Although fit to ride, Haner’s right ankle is still very tender and required treatment after every session. David Weber was also riding through an injury, but has been improving every weekend and was looking to pick up his first AMA top ten result. In Superbike qualifying David Weber used his previous Road America experience to slot his Dunlop shod Suzuki GSX-R1000 on the fifth row with a time of 2:18.654 for nineteenth position. Teammate John Haner struggled with his ankle and lack of set up time but was still able to put in a time of 2:19.659 for twenty-first position. Superstock qualifying was broken into two groups based off Friday’s practice times, with the faster riders in the first group and the slower riders in the second group. Heavy rain blanketed the Wisconsin track as the first qualifying group started the session. David Weber was in the first group and did a great job to put the Pit Bull Sponsored GSX-R1000 on the third row with a ninth place qualifying time of 2:58.882. John Haner was in the second group and on lap three set the fastest time of both sessions to put the Millennium/KWS Suzuki on pole with a time of 2:51.131. This would have been Haner’s first career pole, but the AMA decided that since it was not raining as hard in the second session and that conditions had changed “significantly” that they would put the entire second group behind the first group. This left Haner starting from the fourteenth position and the team praying for rain on Sunday. Saturday’s Superbike Race One was declared a wet race by the AMA but the conditions were dry and sunny. David Weber got an excellent start and worked his way up to twelfth place and was battling with Halof Suzuki’s Scott Jensen when both riders started to run out of gas on the last lap. Fortunately, Weber was able to nurse his GSX-R1000 around to finish fourteenth. Haner got a great start as well, but set up issues and the strain on his injured ankle saw the Texan struggle to a sixteenth place finishing position. The pace of the rain dance under the Millennium/KWS Suzuki canopy increased. All of the hoping and praying worked as Sunday’s Superbike Race Two was run in a soaking Wisconsin spring rain. Haner got an excellent start from the sixth row working his way up to ninth place on lap one and by lap ten had fought his way to the fifth position. On lap thirteen while in fifth place with a comfortable lead on sixth, the AMA pulled Haner off track no less than three times because of calls from the corner workers that Haner’s GSX-R1000 was smoking. After Haner’s Suzuki was given a clean bill of health several times, he was allowed to return to the race and finished in the eighth position. Weber meanwhile rode a smooth and consistent race to finish in the eleventh position, equaling his best AMA Superbike finish of his career. The Superstock race was held immediately after Superbike Race Two. The rain had let up and the sun came out making tire choice a major factor in the outcome of the race. The track was drying, but the team decided that an intermediate rain tire was going to be the best choice to for Haner and Weber to put them in the best position for a good finish. Haner and Weber both got incredible starts with Haner moving from the fourteenth to second and Weber going from ninth to fourth on lap one. Haner battled for the lead with M4 Suzuki’s Geoff May and Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies. On lap five Spies passed May for the lead and relegated Haner to third. Haner and Weber were able to maintain their pace throughout the race on the intermediate tires, but the riders on slicks were able to increase their pace on the rapidly drying track. Haner finished the race in the fifth position to tie his best AMA result and Weber finished in the ninth position, his best ever AMA result. John Haner “A top ten and a top five in my first weekend back is pretty good. I really want to thank my team and the sponsors. KWS, Millennium, Suzuki, Dunlop, and Penske gave me the tools I needed to do well this weekend. Michael Godin, Kevin Hunt and Chip Spalding worked really hard on the bike and I can’t thank them enough.” David Weber “I was really happy with the results this weekend. The bike is working great and the Dunlop rain tires are awesome. I have to thank Rick Matheny, Matt Hill and the rest of the KWS team for all their hard work this weekend.” Kevin Hunt (Team Owner) “What a weekend! Lots of emotional ups and downs. John and David rode three incredible races and even when the cards were stacked against them they still came home with some great results. The AMA made some hard calls, but they are looking out for everybody’s safety and I can respect that. Hopefully next time those calls will go our way. I want to thank everybody on the team for all their hard work and I especially want to thank our friends at Millennium Technologies for coming out and supporting us. We couldn’t do it without you.” More, from a press release issued by Pegram Racing Leo Vince Ducati: LeoVince Pegram Racing Ducati Team Takes Fifth at Road America Small Glitches Keep Team Off Race Pace Hebron, OH June 5, 2007- Larry Pegram finished a respectable fifth at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Small problems limited the team’s track time and kept Larry off his race-pace until about midway through the 10-lap race. Larry qualified in sixth position with a 2:18.994, putting him on the second row at the start. After race five, Larry is in fourth position overall with 113 points. There are five Formula Xtreme races left in the series. “I just got going a little too late this weekend. It wasn’t until the end of the race that I was turning in strong lap times. I would have liked to have finished on the podium, but I am happy with the results and proud of the team’s efforts. The bike is performing well. I also want to thank Scorpion and Leo Vince for sponsoring the Race Industry Night party at Lake Street Café – the team and my family had a great time,” commented Larry. Corse Superbikes was the hospitality sponsor this weekend. The LeoVince Pegram Racing Ducati Team hosted Corse Superbikes’ customers and employees on Saturday and Sunday. Corse Superbikes is a multiline motorcycle dealer based in Saukville, Wisconsin. Corse Superbikes sells Ducati, MV Agusta, Suzuki, KTM, Aprilia and Schwinn. About Pegram Racing Leo Vince Ducati Hebron, Ohio-based Pegram Racing Ducati is a professional superbike race team competing in the AMA Superbike Championship. The team is owned and managed by Larry Pegram, a third-generation motorcycle racer. The team competes in the Formula Xtreme class on a modified Ducati 749. Additional information about the team can be found on their web site at www.pegramracing.com. More, from a press release issued by Team West/OneFastGirl Racing: Rhiannon Lucente completes her first AMA round Team West/OneFastGirl Racing’s Rhiannon Lucente qualified and finished in the Supersport class of the AMA Road America round this weekend. After a drying qualifying session and a wet race, Team West/OneFastGirl is happy have another goal accomplished. Rhiannon started 42nd out of 48 riders, and by the end of the race she had moved up to 32nd. The Team West/OneFastGirl Racing program is a small entity, run only by Sam West and Rhiannon Lucente, making this a big step for their season. Team West is proud to welcome their newest member of the team, Matt Prentice. Matt was an integral part of all the success this weekend, as he took a commanding roll as chief mechanic. With Matt being an accomplished racer in the CRA and AMA, he has the experience and knowledge to contribute to Team West/OneFastGirl Racing’s continued success. Rhiannon will be campaigning various races across the country, and looks forward to competing in future AMA Supersport rounds. None of this could have happened without out the help and support of the great people around her and the strong sponsor support structure for Team West/OneFastGirl Racing. Rhiannon would like to send a special thank you out to Hooters Suzuki, Matushima Motorsports and Jason Farrell of SpeedTech for the extra help this weekend. For more information, please visit www.myspace.com/onefastgirl . More, from a press release issued by HALOF Racing: HALOF Racing’s Scott Jensen finishes 3rd in AMA Superstock race at Road America Jensen and the HALOF Racing team were looking to break the infamous 8th place curse at Road America, round 5 of the AMA Superstock Series. The trip started off bad with their tow vehicle having a mechanical on a holiday which held everything up for a day and the team arriving to the track a day late. Then things got worse when the rains started to fall on the opening sessions. “I’m not a fan of racing in the rain,” said Jensen. “Being from Arizona in the middle of the desert you don’t get a lot of practice in the rain at club races. We did a lot of work to the bike to be able to make it so I could just bring it home safe and in one piece in the rain. Then on Sunday it looked like we might get a dry race and we found a tire that might help us break the curse.” The curse of 8th place as it has been come to be known is describing the teams three 8th place finishes in the first four races. “When the rains came and they moved the races around I got a little worried about what would happen,” Stated Jensen. “We ran the Superbike race in the rain in hopes to prepare us for the Superstock race and then it dried up on us. My crew chief just kept watching the skies and the track to see what was going to happen. The crew was standing by while we decided which bike and which tires we were going to run. Then with seconds left Rodney decided which tires we would run the warm up lap on and brought a few different ones to the line incase we needed to make a last minute change. As it turns out we didn’t need it.” With the qualifying rounds being run in the rain there were some issues that changed the grid which resulted in a 14th place starting position. “The plan was to go out and go as hard we could from the start of the race in hope that those with rains or intermediates would slow up at the end and those with full slicks would need a few laps to get going,” said a delighted Jensen. “I am just so happy. I have been running the AMA for a few years now and I knew this year would be my best chance to get my highest finishes with the hopes of a podium, and it’s happened. We ran down the guys we needed to and we held off the ones we had to, we beat some big teams and names with those guys still racing at the end, we beat them heads up without them crashing or breaking.” Asked about his trip to victory lane that took a bit longer then the top two finishers Jensen said laughing, “I didn’t know where to go. I went straight to tech I wanted an official with my bike the whole time. He told me where to go and to go backwards on the track and asked him if he was sure cause I didn’t want to get disqualified for doing something dumb or wrong. I’m just so excited I need to thank everyone, HALOF Racing owner Rodney, the crew Chris, James, Jason, and Mike even though he didn’t make it this weekend, just everyone that has helped out.” Probably the second most excited person in victory lane if not tied with Scott was HALOF Racing team owner Rodney Rayborne as he was all smiles. “It feels pretty good right now and will for awhile I’m sure,” said Rayborne. “I have been to victory lane before with some other teams that I have worked for, but to be here with my team is pretty special. Scott did a great job he kept his head in the game and rode as hard as he could to get us here, I can’t thank him enough. I just can’t thank Suzuki and Pirelli and all our sponsors enough. Our crew held up during the weather and worked their butts off in the cold and wet.” When asked about the tire choice Rayborne said it was kind of a gamble but Pirelli thought it would work. “It was too dry for full wets, and too wet for slicks was my thought,” said Rodney. “So I figured half and half should work ok. Use the intermediate front to help get in the corners while it is still a little damp and the slick rear for the drive out of the corners in the dry. I’m just happy it worked, Pirelli makes some great tires and I’m happy to be working with them.” Look for HALOF Racing and Scott Jensen to keep their momentum going at the next AMA Superstock race at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele Utah June 22-24.