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Jensen Wins Four CCS Races And $7500 In Suzuki Contingency Monday At Summit Point Raceway

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Jensen Wins Four CCS Races And $7500 In Suzuki Contingency Monday At Summit Point Raceway

Butler Machinery’s Robert Jensen rode his Michelin-shod Suzuki GSX-Rs to four CCS race wins Memorial Day Monday at Summit Point Raceway, in Summit Point, West Virginia.

Jensen used his GSX-R1000 to beat David Loikits and Andy Feuersthaler in the Unlimited Grand Prix and the Unlimited Supersport races, his GSX-R750 to top Justin Marm and Shane Narbonne in Heavyweight Supersport and his GSX-R600 to defeat Ryan Patterson and Jonathan Lawrence in Middleweight Supersport. All four races paid Suzuki contingency money, and Jensen’s winnings totaled $7500. Jensen also set a new CCS lap record during the Unlimited GP at 1:13.614.

“The 750cc race was the hardest one of the day,” Jensen told Roadracingworld.com. “We rolled it out of the trailer, put tire warmers on it and went out in the race. I haven’t rode it at all this weekend. I think it still has the gearing for Barber on it.”

Other CCS race winners Monday at Summit Point Raceway included: Loikits Industries’ Loikits in Unlimited Superbike, Sprinkler Sales & Services’ Lawrence in Heavyweight Superbike, Himmelsbach Racing’s Michael Himmelsbach in Middleweight Superbike, www.smisigns.com’s Arnold Hastings in Lightweight Supersport and Lightweight Grand Prix, and Schaeffer Harley-Davidson/Buell’s Art Diaz in Lightweight Superbike.

After crashing and being airlifted to a local hospital with a concussion Sunday afternoon, CCS and USGPRU racer Bill Himmelsbach returned to the track Monday. His concussion symptoms had subsided and he suffered no other injuries, but he did not race Monday.

Monday’s CCS Race Results:

UNLIMITED SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. David Loikits (Suz GSX-R1000), 2: Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Terry Taylor (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. Adrian Jones (Suz GSX-R1000); 5. Antal Halasz (Kaw ZX-10R); 6. Lloyd Bayley (Suz GSX-R1000).

UNLIMITED SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Maximilian Broniseusley (Kaw ZX-10R); 2. Martin Lazor (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Rich Lettieri (Yam YZF-R1); 4. Bob Badger (Hon CBR929RR); 5. William Batton (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. Matt Dilorenzo (Yam YZF-R1).

LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERSPORT EXPERT: 1. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650); 2. Bob Michael (Suz SV650); 3. Joey Thomas (Duc 1000); 4. Travis McNerney (Suz SV650); 5. Steve Keener (Duc 1000); 6. Eric Helmbach (Suz SV650).

LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERSPORT AMATEUR: 1. Bobby Kim (Suz SV650); 2. Steve Klein (Suz SV650); 3. John Morgan, Jr. (Suz SV650); 4. Seth Buchbinder (Buell XB-12R); 5. Adam Wentling (Suz SV650); 6. James Tisdale (Suz SV650).

ULTRA LIGHT SUPERBIKE: 1. Michael Zirk (Hon 650); 2. Shigeru Honda (Duc 750); 3. Andre Esser (Apr RS250); 4. Robert Glittone (Duc 750); 5. Steve Kennedy (KTM 450); 6. Mark Evry (Yam FZR400).

HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Jonathan Lawrence (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Tony Kasper (Suz GSX-R600); 3. Corey Rech (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Steve Kennedy (Hon CBR600RR); 5. Gil Schweitzer (Suz GSX-R750); 6. Marty Crotty (Suz GSX-R750).

HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Ryan Meade (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Zsolt Bencze (Yam YZF-R6); 3. David East (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Maximilian Broniseusley (Kaw ZX-6R); 5. Martin Neron (Yam YZF-R6); 6. Marcus Brotten (Hon CBR600RR).

MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Greg Bordeleau (Hon CBR600RR); 2. Ryan Meade (Suz GSX-R600); 3. Jeffrey Weil (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Joe Prybylski (Kaw ZX-6R); 5. Joel Rogers (Suz GSX-R600); 6. James Easley (Hon CBR600RR).

MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Michael Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675); 2. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-6R); 4. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-RR); 5. Jonathan Lawrence (Suz GSX-R600); 6. Bret Garretson (Yam YZF-R6).

UNLIMITED GP EXPERT: 1. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. David Loikits (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Andy Feuersthaler (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-10R); 5. Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. Troy Meikle (Suz GSX-R1000).

UNLIMITED SUPERSPORT EXPERT: 1. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. David Loikits (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Andy Feuersthaler (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. Troy Meikle (Suz GSX-R1000); 5. Justin Marm (Suz GSX-R750); 6. Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R1000).

UNLIMITED SUPERSPORT AMATEUR: 1. Maximilian Broniseusley (Kaw ZX-10R); 2. Martin Lazor (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Rich Lettieri (Yam YZF-R1); 4. William Batton (Suz GSX-R1000); 5. Jonathan Adams (Hon CBR600RR); 6. David East (Suz GSX-R750).

MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERSPORT AMATEUR: 1. Ryan Meade (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Greg Bordeleau (Hon CBR600RR); 3. Zsolt Bencze (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Jeffrey Weil (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Martin Lazor (Suz GSX-R600); 6. James Easley (Hon CBR600RR).

MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERSPORT EXPERT: 1. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Jonathan Lawrence (Suz GSX-R600); 4. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R600); 5. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-6R); 6. Andy Feuersthaler (Suz GSX-R600).

LIGHTWEIGHT GP EXPERT: 1. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650); 2. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 3. Todd Puckett (Yam TZ250); 4. Daniele Lenarduzzi (Yam TZ250); 5. Travis McNerney (Suz SV650); 6. Des Conboy (Hon RS250).

LIGHTWEIGHT GP AMATEUR: 1. Bobby Kim (Suz SV650); 2. Alexander Lazo (Suz SV650); 3. Steve Klein (Suz SV650); 4. Timothy Morin (Suz SV650); 5. John Morgan, Jr. (Suz SV650); 6. Peter Alesso (Buell XB-12R).

HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERSPORT EXPERT: 1. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R750); 2. Justin Marm (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Jonathan Lawrence (Suz GSX-R600); 5. Andy Feuersthaler (Suz GSX-R600); 6. Zsolt Veres (Yam YZF-R6).

HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERSPORT AMATEUR: 1. Ryan Meade (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Greg Bordeleau (Hon CBR600RR); 3. Maximilian Broniseusley (Kaw ZX-6); 4. David East (Suz GSX-R750); 5. Jonathan Adams (Hon CBR600RR); 6. Wayne Hartpence (Hon CBR600RR).

LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 2. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650); 3. Travis McNerney (Suz SV650); 4. Bob Michael (Suz SV650); 5. Joey Thomas (Duc 1000); 6. Mark Evry (Duc 1000).

LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Alexander Lazo (Suz SV650); 2. Bobby Kim (Suz SV650); 3. Shannon Casey (Suz SV650); 4. Timothy Morin (Suz SV650); 5. Steve Klein (Suz SV650); 6. Peter Alesso (Buell XB-12R).

UNLIMITED GP AMATEUR: 1. Greg Bordeleau (Hon CBR600RR); 2. Maximilian Broniseusley (Kaw ZX-10R); 3. Martin Lazor (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. William Batton (Suz GSX-R1000); 5. Rich Lettieri (Yam YZF-R1); 6. Bob Badger (Hon CBR929RR).

Recent Birth

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Recent Birth

WERA racer Brad Duncan and wife Beth had a son, Aiden Bradley Duncan, May 11th in Atlanta, Georgia.

More From The World Superbike Weekend At Silverstone

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More From The World Superbike Weekend At Silverstone

Roberts Secures Win at Soaking Silverstone 25th 27th May The tables finally turned for young Australian Brendan Roberts, after taking a stunning win in the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup (formerly the European Superstock Championship) at Silverstone Circuit this weekend, 25th 27th May. The appalling wet weather conditions played into the hands of 22-year-old Roberts, who is still suffering the effects of a badly dislocated right wrist and breaking the connecting socket, which he sustained during testing back in March. Having surgery to pin the wrist, Roberts still only has 60% movement back after tearing the ligaments and tendons. The youngster based in Grantham secured a ride on the brand new Ducati 1098 in the Ducati Xerox Junior Team after winning the National Superstock Championships in the UK last season and also taking a number of podium positions as a wild card entrant in the European Superstock series towards the end of 2006. This was his third race meeting after having gained a seventh place at Assen and 15th in Monza, the win was long overdue. Still not fully recovered it was a great achievement for the Australian, having qualified in 13th position and being promoted to 12th after a rider was injured he still had a lot of work to do from the third row of the grid. With the rain starting early on Sunday morning and eventually seeing the cancellation of the second World Superbike Race, Roberts was second fastest in morning warm up and was eager to get racing. With the horrendous conditions the race was cut short to ten laps and therefore he had to ensure that he gained a good start when the lights changed. It was the ideal start from the talented rider and he was in a fantastic second place after the first lap and trying to ensure that leader, Michele Pirro, did not gain too much of an advantage. The pair diced for the lead on lap five and six and Pirro made a mistake on lap seven which allowed Roberts to gain the lead and take the win. Commenting a delighted Roberts said “It’s been a very tough season for me so far and I’m glad that I managed to take my first win and that it was in the UK. The weather certainly played in my favour as it took a bit of pressure off my wrist as the pace is slower in the wet. I managed to get a great start and had to make sure that I kept Michele in my sights. I managed to get past him but I started making mistakes so I slowed and let him past again to see if I could follow him. He was pushing very hard and I was finding it difficult to stay with him, I had a few near moments that had me out of the seat a couple of times so I backed off a little. He crashed out and remounted on the eighth lap, which allowed me to take the lead and win the race. It’s great to be back on the podium again and feels like it’s been a long time coming. The wrist injury has really been a big set back for me and I’m continually having physio on it to make it stronger each time I race, but it’s been a long process and finally glad I’ve got a good result and not only that but a win for the team, who all worked very hard this weekend.” Roberts has now moved to ninth in the overall Championship after missing two of the five rounds completed so far. His next race is at Misano on June 17th.

More Mugello MotoGP Previews: The Return Of Kurtis Roberts, And High Hopes For Italian Homeboys

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More Mugello MotoGP Previews: The Return Of Kurtis Roberts, And High Hopes For Italian Homeboys

Atmospheric Mugello awaits MotoGP for Gran Premio d’Italia Alice

Gran Premio d’Italia Alice – Monday 28th May Race preview MotoGP

The first third of the 2007 MotoGP season will conclude on Sunday 3rd of June at Mugello, with the sixth race of the year, the Gran Premio d’Italia Alice. The race is renowned for its classic action and some of the most fervent fans in the world, and on the basis of what has been seen at the opening five races the latest visit to Italy should be no exception.

The tremendous competitiveness of the riders on their new 800cc bikes mean that anyone is in with a chance of taking victory at Mugello. A number of riders achieved their best ever results at the rain-soaked previous round at Le Mans, including first time race winner Chris Vermeulen, Pramac d’Antin’s Alex Hofmann and 2007 rookie Sylvain Guintoli, who led a MotoGP race for the very first time at his home circuit.

The championship standings have Casey Stoner on top of the pile riding the Ducati Desmosedici GP7. The Australian has been as exciting as ever this season, with the added bonus of a consistency and maturity that was perhaps lacking last year. The 21 year old has rarely had to push his bike to the limit in order to make up places in 2007, having led more laps than any other rider, and can only improve as the season goes on. He has won three of the opening five races, and has only been off the podium on one solitary occasion.

Stoner leads the way by 21 points from Valentino Rossi, the five-time MotoGP World Champion. Rossi is on home soil at Mugello, and with a point to prove after being outwitted by Stoner in Shanghai and experiencing tyre problems in the wet at Le Mans. The Italian has always been a big game performer, and has won the last five races at Mugello in varying conditions. He is also assured of the vocal support of the Italian fans, who have a specially dedicated grandstand at the circuit from which to cheer on their idol.

Dani Pedrosa lies in third in the classification, forty points behind former 250cc rival Stoner and 19 behind Rossi. The 2006 Rookie of the Year has eleven points less on the board than last year, and is currently on his longest ever winless streak since his first 125cc victory in 2002. With both himself and Honda chasing a first 800cc win, Pedrosa could be a dangerous challenger to the top two at Mugello.

Second place in France has kickstarted Marco Melandri’s 2007 campaign, with the Italian showing himself to be a master of the flag-to-flag wet race. Melandri is always in with a chance of victory when on top form, and knows Mugello very well indeed. A consistent run of podium finishes could bring him right back into the thick of the title battle, although a few problems that he has been experiencing with the Honda RC212V will have to be resolved before Melandri is fully at ease on the 800cc bike.

Chris Vermeulen’s victory at Le Mans signalled his first victory in MotoGP, and is the pinnacle of Rizla Suzuki’s achievements since their setup was changed under Team Manager Paul Denning. The GSV-R is proving to be a highly competitive bike, further illustrated by sixth placed rider John Hopkins, who has come of age this season with his first MotoGP podium.

Olivier Jacque is expected to return for Kawasaki at Mugello, having been forced to sit out the race in France due to an arm injury. Another rider making his return, after a long absence from MotoGP action, is Kurtis Roberts, included on the entry list riding for his father’s Team Roberts outfit alongside brother Kenny. The team hope that Kurtis’ inclusion will help them further develop the struggling KR212V.

The Gran Premio d’Italia Alice takes place on Sunday June 3rd, with practice for the race kicking off on the preceding Friday.

250cc Grand Prix

Jorge Lorenzo continues to lead the 250cc World Championship, 32 points ahead of his nearest rival as he looks to defend his title. The Spaniard has just one solitary blotch on his record in 2007 the Grand Prix of Turkey- where he took second on the grid and in the race. Apart from his visit to Istanbul, Lorenzo has been top dog at every race so far this season, winning from pole and putting his flag in the ground to signify his conquering of four circuits on the quarter litre calendar.

Andrea Dovizioso is the only rider to have impeded Lorenzo’s progress this season, and is a consistent podium finisher. Normally this would be enough for him to keep touch with the series leader, but Lorenzo has been simply outstanding this year. The Kopron Team Scot rider will be hoping to close the gap with a win at his home circuit, which is sure to be an epic battle between this season’s talented 250cc field. Alex de Angelis and Alvaro Bautista, the third and fourth placed riders, have also provided more than their fair share of excitement battling for victory, with Hector Barbera and Julian Simon completing the top six in the standings.

125cc Grand Prix

The 125cc class has seen no rider take charge so far this year, with a different rider on the top step of the podium at every race. The most recent rider to take glory has been Sergio Gadea, who took his maiden World Championship victory at Le Mans, whilst series leader Lukas Pesek had his moment in the sun at China two weeks previous. Pesek leads the way by nine points from Gabor Talmacsi, having taken second in France to extend his advantage.

Hector Faubel lies just five points behind his Bancaja Aspar team-mate in third place, ahead of race winner in Turkey Simone Corsi. The top five in 125cc have all won races, with Gadea rounding off the first quintet, although one rider who really should have more to show than just six points on the board is Mattia Pasini. The Italian has been plagued by mechanical problems, and has finished just one race despite qualifying on pole for the last four races. He will hope for a reversal in fortunes at his home track.

Circuit Info

Located 30km north-east of Florence in the beautiful countryside of Tuscany, Mugello is a modern circuit with excellent facilities. Bought by Ferrari back in 1988, the 5.245km track has been renovated to a high standard and has a growing reputation as one of the world´s most up-to-date, scenic and safest race circuits. A blend of slow and fast turns with sweeping curves, long straights and off-camber corners make Mugello one of the most challenging circuits for the riders and engineers.

Having hosted its first MotoGP event back in 1976 the venue became a permanent fixture in 1991 after extensive refurbishment. Set within a picturesque tree-lined Tuscan valley, Mugello also offers ample viewing areas for a particularly boisterous and partisan Italian crowd.

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Marlboro:

Monday May 28 2007 Italian GP – Preview

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM ON FINE FORM FOR MUGELLO

BODY { font-family : Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; } The Ducati Marlboro Team goes into its home Grand Prix in fine form, with the remarkable Casey Stoner leading the World Championship with three victories and a third place from the first five races and Loris Capirossi confident of a resurgence after a difficult French GP at rain-lashed Le Mans.

This is the first time that the Bologna-based squad contests the Italian GP as World Championship leader, a landmark moment that attests to the talent and dedication of this very Italian operation. As Ducati Motor Holding CEO Federico Minoli says: “Despite being a very small company there is an almost magical combination of genius, technology and all-Italian passion within Ducati that allows us to compete at the highest level”.

Stoner and Capirossi are greatly looking forward to riding the Desmosedici GP7 at Mugello, an epic circuit where they have both scored success. Capirossi has put his Ducati on the podium three times from their last four visits and is the current lap record holder, while Stoner scored his first-ever GP pole position for the 2003 Italian 125 GP. The entire team can count on massive support from the Mugello crowd, including 3000 lucky Ducatisti, sponsors and factory workers who will fill a special Ducati grandstand at the Correntaio right-hander.

FILIPP0 PREZIOSI, Ducati Corse Director “Mugello seems to suit our bike, and it is also one of Loris’ favourite tracks, where he has always been very competitive. So, having listened to his feedback and analysed his data, we have prepared a new package to help him fight for the kind of results he’s accustomed to achieving. These changes aim to modify the GP7’s power delivery to offer rideability that’s better suited to Lori’s riding style. The changes include electronics – revised engine mapping and ride-by-wire set-up – and mechanics – revised cam timing and fluid-dynamics. The same package will also be available for Casey if he wants to try it.”

CASEY STONER, World Championship leader on 102 points “Mugello is one of my favourite tracks. We’ve had some pretty good results there, including my first-ever pole position and I’ve made the podium in 125s. I think the bike is going to be really strong, the track’s got a nice main straight which helps and some nice fast and flowing corners which the Ducati should like, so we should be able to do all right. It would be a nice one to win but it’s going to be really tough work beating Loris and the rest of the Italian riders. But I feel we’re fast enough, the Ducati and the Bridgestones are going really well and if we can find the right settings we’ll be there. At Mugello you need a bike that changes direction good because there’s a lot of high-speed direction changes and the faster you go, the harder it is to change direction. You need a pinpoint accurate bike because you’ve got to hit the right points at the right time, and if you don’t do that you lose a lot of time, that’s what makes this track so hard.”

LORIS CAPIROSSI, 7th overall on 38 points “Mugello is my home race and Ducati’s home race, so it’s a really big weekend for all of us. In fact it’s a big event for all the Italian riders, last year Valentino (Rossi) and I had a great battle for the win. The Mugello crowd is very enthusiastic, there’s always an amazing atmosphere. I love the track, it’s got some fantastic corners and some really interesting up and down sections, so it’s a lot of fun to ride and I usually have good races there. The circuit character should suit our bike well, even if my feeling with the machine isn’t 100 per cent at the moment. Ducati are working closely with me to refine the bike to suit my style because I am eager to get back on the pace and race up front again. Above all I’m convinced that we do have the potential to come back strong, we just need to stay focused and do our best at this race and at the following races.”

THE TRACK

Mugello is one of MotoGP’s greatest events – a challenging, high-speed circuit situated in a picturesque Tuscan valley packed with tens of thousands of enthusiastic fans. The track features one of the world’s longest straights which gives the Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP7 a chance to really stretch its legs. The fast and flowing circuit is also one of the most demanding, with a thrilling blend of high-speed turns, rapid direction changes and plentiful off-camber corners. Mugello’s complexities are further heightened by a bumpy surface, which, combined with numerous adverse-camber corners, makes front-tyre choice particularly crucial. Mugello hosted its first bike GP in 1976 but only became a regular venue after total refurbishment in the early 1990s.

Lap record: Loris Capirossi (Ducati Marlboro Team) 1m 50.195s, 171.351km/h-106.473mph (2006)

Pole position 2006: Sete Gibernau (Ducati Marlboro Team) 1m 48.969s

More, from a press release issued by Honda Gresini:

READY FOR THE HOME GRAND PRIX

PREVIEW GP ITALY

After splashing his way to the podium in the treacherously wet conditions of Le Mans, Marco Melandri is ready to wind the throttle open at one of the fastest circuits in the world: Mugello. Spurred on by the passionate home support, Team Honda Gresini arrive at their home Grand Prix ready for another exciting new challenge. Melandri’s objective is to repeat or even improve his best result of the season in front of his own fans, who are sure to pack the beautiful Tuscan hills surrounding the circuit.

Toni Elias, meanwhile, was able to put his unfortunate race crash in France behind him with two days of positive tests at Le Mans. The combative Spaniard is highly motivated and fully focused on getting back to the run of good results he had started in the previous races.

The Honda Gresini pair currently lie fourth and eight respectively in the championship: Marco has 61 points – just one less than fellow Honda rider Dani Pedrosa in third place. Toni has registered 35 points so far.

Marco Melandri : “It’s nice to be heading to my home race on the back of a podium at Le Mans, a result myself and the whole team had worked really hard for. Your home Grand Prix is always exciting but demanding at the same time – in fact, Mugello is one of the most technical circuits on the calendar. Over the two days of tests in France we worked a lot on suspension although we still didn’t fully solve the problems I’ve been having in corner entry. It will be a tough race but the mere idea of racing in front of the Italian fans is a nice boost. I still haven’t made it to the podium in the premier-class at Mugello, so to make it this time would be fantastic. As far as tyre choice is concerned, at Mugello we’ll be using a similar construction to Le Mans but with a different compound in order to cope with the technical demands of the track.”

TONI ELIAS : “Mugello is a very technical track with a lot of changes in direction, which makes it physically demanding. From a riding perspective it is one of the most difficult on the whole calendar. Last year I made a good recovery from twelfth on the grid to finish seventh, and this season I am aiming much higher. The test at Le Mans confirmed the great job we had done throughout the weekend on the race setting for dry conditions. We did a good race simulation so I was happy about that but Mugello will be a completely different challenge.

THE TRACK: Just a few kilometres from Florence, the hills of Mugello are adorned by the trail of one of the most beautiful race circuits in the world. Both spectacular and technical, Mugello is a circuit where the rider can make the difference at any point on the track. It is characterised by changes in elevation, super-fast “esses”, off-camber corners and an extremely long front straight.

MUGELLO: THE SHOW IS READY TO START Many changes have been made to the Autodromo del Mugello this year in the name of innovation, hospitality and safety. A new welcome centre designed in the shape of a helmet will greet the fans on their arrival at the circuit. The innovative design is set to become the new symbol for the circuit, which is owned by Ferrari, whilst the journalists will also get to enjoy the facilities at a new media centre. One of the biggest changes is the safety run-off at Arrabbiata 1: 11,500m² of gravel with an average run-off of 30m. Now the run-off at Arrabbiata 1 & 2 has merged to make one, measuring an extra 280 metres.Huge natural grandstands have been created at the Scarperia and Correntaio corners. In total some 20,000 extra bums will be on seats this year – 8,000 at Materassi, 3,000 at Correntaio, 5,000 in the main grandstand and 4,000 at Poggio Secco.Tickets sales have been excellent, with almost all grandstand tickets now sold and the remaining ‘grass banking’ entries expected to be snapped up too.

Hastings, Diaz Take Multiple CCS Race Wins Before Thunderstorm Hits Summit Point Raceway

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Hastings, Diaz Take Multiple CCS Race Wins Before Thunderstorm Hits Summit Point Raceway

Arnold Hastings and Art Diaz each took a pair of victories during Sunday’s CCS event at Summit Point Raceway, near Washington, D.C.

Hastings rode his www.smisigns.com-sponsored Ducati 999 to wins in the SuperTwins and Formula 40 races. Hastings also finished second in the GT Lights race, which was won by Diaz on his Schaeffer’s Harley-Davidson/Buell XB-12R. Earlier in the day, Diaz piloted his Buell to a win in the Formula 40 Lightweight race.

Other race winners on Sunday included Loikits Industries’ David Loikits, who came from behind on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 to beat Justin Marm in the GTO race; young gun Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen, who ran away with the 125cc Grand Prix race; Harley-Davidson/Buell of Frederick’s Bryan Bemisderfer, who took advantage of an error by Deeley H-D/Buell’s Dave Estok to win the Thunderbike sprint; local rider David Rose, who rode his Castles-and-Cottages Yamaha YZF-R6 to a win in the Middleweight Grand Prix race; and Mike Himmelsbach, who took his Himmelsbach Racing Triumph Daytona 675 to victory ahead of Butler Machinery’s Robert Jensen in the red-flag-shortened GTU event.

The day was marred by two incidents. First, Mike Himmelsbach’s father Bill Himmelsbach highsided his Yamaha TZ250 during the GTU race. He was knocked unconscious in the fall and transported to a local hospital by helicopter. Himmelsbach regained consciousness and was alert and responsive to safety workers before being loaded onto the helicopter, according to race officials.

The day ended early when a severe thunderstorm hit Summit Point Raceway. In fact, some race officials reported seeing a funnel cloud over the racetrack. During the storm, extremely strong winds ripped through the paddock, destroying canopies and pulling away a section of the timing and scoring building’s roof.

CCS Summit Point Raceway Summit Point, West Virginia May 27, 2007 Provisional Race Results (listed in chronological order):

FORMULA 40 EXPERT: 1. Arnold Hastings (Duc 999); 2. Craig Moodie (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 4. Marty Crotty (Suz GSX-R750); 5. Rick Beggs (Kaw ZX-6R); 6. George Federlin (Suz GSX-R600).

FORMULA 40 AMATEUR: 1. Max Broniseusley (Yam YZF-R6); 2. Edwin Bishop (Suz GSX-R600); 3. Liz Wemett (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Bill Sylvester (Duc 1000); 5. Sean Kerns (Apr RSV1000); 6. Coleman Howard (Hon CBR600).

FORMULA 40 LIGHTWEIGHT EXPERT: 1. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 2. Eric Helmbach (Hon CBR600F2); 3. Gil Schweitzer (Hon CBR600); 4. Joey Thomas (Duc 1000); 5. Max Grant (Duc 1000); 6. Eric Wilson (Suz SV650).

FORMULA 40 LIGHTWEIGHT AMATEUR: 1. John Morgan, Jr. (Suz SV650); 2. James Foley (Hon CBR600); 3. Bob Rothrock (Hon RS125); 4. Luke Wernle (Kaw EX650).

GTU AMATEUR: 1. Ryan Meade (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Greg Bordeleau (Hon CBR600RR); 3. Zsolt Bencze (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Martin Lazor (Suz GSX-R600); 5. Max Broniseusley (Yam YZF-R6); 6. Erick Kline (Suz GSX-R600).

GTU EXPERT: 1. Mike Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675); 2. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R600); 3. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Jonathan Lawrence (Suz GSX-R600); 5. Zsolt Veres (Yam YZF-R6); 6. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-6R).

GT LIGHTS EXPERT: 1. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 2. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650); 3. Bob Michael (Suz SV650); 4. Travis McNerney (Suz SV650); 5. Joey Thomas (Duc 1000); 6. Alex Marshall (Suz SV650).

GT LIGHTS AMATEUR: 1. Bobby Kim (Suz SV650); 2. Alexander Lazo (Suz SV650); 3. Timothy Morin (Suz SV650); 4. John Morgan, Jr. (Suz SV650); 5. Steve Klein (Suz SV650); 6. Adam Wentlink (Suz SV650).

GTO EXPERT: 1. David Loikits (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. Justin Marm (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Geoffrey Allen (Yam YZF-R1); 4. Antal Halasz (Kaw ZX-10R); 5. Lloyd Bayley (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. Ivan Milan (Suz GSX-R1000).

GTO AMATEUR: 1. Max Broniseusley (Kaw ZX-10R); 2. Martin Lazor (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. David East (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Erick Kline (Suz GSX-R600); 5. Rich Lettieri (Yam YZF-R1); 6. Bob Badger (Hon CBR929RR).

125cc GRAND PRIX: 1. Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen (Hon RS125); 2. Scott Smallwood (Hon RS125); 3. Steve Gorrell (Hon RS125); 4. Mike Orien (Hon RS125); 5. Stuart Aitken-Cade (Hon RS125); 6. Allen Campbell (Hon RS125).

THUNDERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-RR); 2. Dave Estok (Buell XB-9R); 3. Darren James (Buell XB-9R); 4. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 5. Dan Bilansky (Buell XB-12R); 6. Joe Rozynski (Buell XB-12R).

THUNDERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Alexander Lazo; 2. Bobby Kim (Suz SV650); 3. Timothy Morin (Suz SV650); 4. Jonathan Shap (Suz SV650); 5. Peter Alesso (Buell XB-12R); 6. Seth Buchbinder (Buell XB-12R).

MIDDLEWEIGHT GP AMATEUR: 1. Ryan Meade (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Greg Bordeleau (Hon CBR600RR); 3. Zsolt Bencze (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Martin Lazor (Suz GSX-R600); 5. Wayne Hartpence (Hon CBR600RR); 6. James Easley (Hon CBR600RR).

MIDDLEWEIGHT GP EXPERT: 1. David Rose (Yam YZF-R6); 2. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Zsolt Veres (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Terry Taylor (Suz GSX-R600); 5. David Hockenberry (Kaw ZX-6R); 6. Henry Hoyle (Yam YZF-R6).

SUPERTWINS EXPERT: 1. Arnold Hastings (Duc 999); 2. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-RR); 3. Dave Estok (Buell XB-9R); 4. Darren James (Buell XB-9R); 5. Dan Bilansky (Buell XB-12R); 6. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R).

SUPERTWINS AMATEUR: 1. Bobby Kim (Suz SV650); 2. Jason Magnavice (Duc 996); 3. John Morgan, Jr. (Suz SV650); 4. Tim Duckworth (Suz SV650); 5. Timothy Morin (Suz SV650); 6. John Mullen (Suz 1000).

Young Gun Jacobsen And Veteran Pyles Top USGPRU Qualifying At Summit Point Raceway

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Young Gun Jacobsen And Veteran Pyles Top USGPRU Qualifying At Summit Point Raceway

Patrick P.J. Jacobsen, 13, and former WERA National Challenge 125cc Champion and AMA 250cc Grand Prix regular Chris Pyles topped USGPRU qualifying Sunday at Summit Point Raceway, in West Virginia.

In spite of limited experience with Summit Point Raceway, Jacobsen topped the 40-rider 125cc field with a time of 1:20.919 on his Celtic Racing Honda RS125.

Pyles, who considers Summit Point Raceway his home track, was the fastest qualifier in the 24-entry 250cc field with a lap of 1:18.564 on his self-sponsored Yamaha TZ250.

USGPRU Summit Point Raceway Summit Point, West Virginia May 27, 2007 Provisional Qualifying Results:

USGPRU 125cc:

1. Patrick P.J. Jacobsen (Hon RS125), 1:20.919 2. Nobi Iso (Apr RS125R), 1:21.434 3. Scott Smallwood (Hon RS125), 1:22.038 4. Cassidy Heiser (Hon RS125), 1:22.085 5. Kris Turner (Hon RS125), 1:22.459 6. Michael Orien (Hon RS125), 1:23.699 7. Scott Moxey (Hon RS125), 1:24.314 8. Steve Gorrell (Hon RS125), 1:24.356 9. Lloyd Ramsey Worrell (Hon RS125), 1:24.388 10. John Hjelm (Hon RS125), 1:24.941 11. Miles Thornton (Hon RS125), 1:25.150 12. John Lemak (Hon RS125), 1:25.717 13. Tim Harrington (Hon rS125), 1:25.150 14. Merle Eschman (Hon RS125), 1:26.199 15. Glen Pison (Hon RS125), 1:26.625 16. Michael Aboyoun (Hon RS125), 1:26.626 17. Joshua Steinberg (Yam TZ125), 1:26.642 18. Scott Thompson (Hon RS125), 1:26.709 19. William Cole (Hon RS125), 1:26.884 20. Allen Campbell (Hon RS125), 1:27.271 21. Crystal Campagre (Hon RS125), 1:27.531 22. John Klaras (Hon RS125), 1:27.541 23. Bob Rothrock (Hon RS125), 1:28.121 24. Bill Clery (Hon RS125), 1:28.196 25. Sam Clark (Yam TZ125), 1:28.443 26. Jordan Reid (Hon RS125), 1:28.688 27. David Celento (Hon RS15), 1:28.860 28. Tomas Bohm (Hon RS125), 1:29.576 29. Bruce Lind (Yam TZ125), 1:29.608 30. Andrew Anderson (Hon RS125), 1:29.809 31. Marcus Matthews (Hon RS125), 1:30.043 32. Jonathan Shenk (Yam TZ125), 1:30.228 33. Reet Das (Hon RS125), 1:30.540 34. Bill Doran (Hon RS125), 1:30.984 35. Rebecca Henn (Hon RS125), 1;32.288 36. John Milliron (Hon RS125), 1;32.314 37. Brian McLaughlin (Yam TZ125), 1:32.977 38. Mark Dennis (Hon RS125), 1:33.718 39. Steven Belknap (Hon RS125), 1:34.784 40. Scotty Van Hatten (Hon RS125), 1:36.792

USGPRU 250cc:

1. Chris Pyles (Yam TZ250), 1:18.564 2. Eddy Brunet (Hon RS250), 1:18.738 3. Todd Puckett (Yam TZ250), 1:19.420 4. Mark Kelly (Hon RS250), 1:19.534 5. Alex Welsh (Hon RS250), 1:19.615 6. Sean Wray (Yam TZ250), 1:19.742 7. Bill Himmelsbach (Yam TZ250), 1:19.891 8. Christopher Quillman (Yam TZ250), 1:21.013 9. Mike Aboyoun (Hon RS250), 1:21.451 10. Des Conboy (Hon RS250), 1:22.976 11. Kris Turner (Hon RS125), 1:22.289 12. Mark Stiles (Yam TZ250), 1:22.503 13. Daniele Lenarduzzi (Yam TZ250), 1:22.839 14. Michael Orien (Hon RS125), 1:23.549 15. Bruce Lind (Yam TZ250), 1:23.714 16. Jim Bergey (Hon RS250), 1:24.322 17. Andre Esser (Yam TZ250), 1:24.447 18. Chris Manfrin (Yam TZ250), 1:25.120 19. Thomas Fournier (Yam TZ250), 1:25.453 20. Michael Rajotte (Yam TZ250), 1:25.770 21. Jim Bonner (Yam TZ250), 1:26.171 22. Tony Wang (Hon RS250), 1:26.571 23. Dave Celento (Hon RS125), 1:26.823 24. Sam Clark (Yam TZ125), 1:28.706

Jeff Wood Takes Three ASRA Pole Positions Sunday At Summit Point Raceway

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Jeff Wood Takes Three ASRA Pole Positions Sunday At Summit Point Raceway

Bettencourts Yamaha’s Jeff Wood captured three pole positions during ASRA qualifying Sunday at Summit Point Raceway, in West Virginia.

Wood turned a 1:13.927 on his Dunlop-shod YZF-R1 to capture pole position in the Superstock class. Wood then switched to his YZF-R6 and earned pole positions in Superbike and Factory Pro Tuning Presented by Strapless Transport Stands with times of 1:14.564 and 1:15.164, respectively. Wood’s time in Superbike was a new qualifying lap record for the class, beating the 1:14.848 set by Matt Wait in 2003.

“My Yamahas are great,” Wood, the defending ASRA Sportbike and Superbike Champion, told Roadracingworld.com. “At Heartland Park we went 1.5 seconds faster than last time we were there, and today in Superbike I went one second faster than I did here last year. I’m turning faster times with less effort. It’s great.”

Second-fastest man in Superstock and Superbike and the third-fastest rider in Superbike was Butler Machinery’s Robert Jensen. Jensen’s Superstock qualifying effort was derailed when the front Michelin on his 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000 suddenly and inexplicably — went flat early in the session. Then in Superbike qualifying, the bodywork on Jensen’s GSX-R600 came loose while on track, forcing him to pit for repairs. Jensen was happy with his Sportbike qualifying effort, however, especially considering he ran on used tires.

Wood and Jensen will face off in Monday’s final events, but Jensen will be chasing Suzuki contingency money in seven CCS and ASRA races while Wood will be focusing on only his three ASRA races.

In Thunderbike qualifying, former Champion Bryan Bemisderfer used a tow from current Thunderbike Champion Dan Bilansky to propel his Dunlop-equipped Harley-Davidson/Buell of Frederick XB-RR to pole position with a 1:18.359. Bilansky was second-fastest on his Pirelli-fitted Hal’s Speed Shop Buell XB-12R with a time of 1:18.636.

The ASRA Sportbike, Superbike, Superstock and Thunderbike final events will be held on Memorial Day Monday.

ASRA Championship Series Summit Point Raceway Summit Point, West Virginia May 27, 2007 Provisional Qualifying Results:

ASRA Superstock:

1. Jeff Wood (Yam YZF-R1), 1:13.927 2. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:14.814 3. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R750), 1:15.828 4. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:16.194 5. Justin Marm (Suz GSX-R750), 1:16.304 6. David Loikits (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:16.420 7. Andy Feuersthaler (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:16.487 8. Brendon Marshall (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:16.638 9. Adrian Jones (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:16.687 10. Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:17.228 11. Antal Halasz (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:17.804 12. Nate Panek (Kaw ZX-6), 1:19.784 13. Ivan Milan (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:20.496 14. Bill Egge (Suz GSX-R750), 1:22.602 15. Lloyd Bayley (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:24.272

ASRA Superbike:

1. Jeff Wood (Yam YZF-R6), 1:14.564 2. David Rose (Yam YZF-R6), 1:15.697 3. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R600), 1:16.131 4. Michael Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675), 1:16.224 5. Terry Taylor (Suz GSX-R600), 1:16.553 6. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6), 1:17.088 7. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-RR), 1:17.229 8. Jonathan Lawrence (Suz GSX-R600), 1:17.432 9. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R600), 1:17.574 10. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:17.657 11. Bret Garrettson (Yam YZF-R6), 1:17.896 12. Zsolt Veres (Yam YZF-R6), 1:18.307 13. Andy Feuersthaler (Suz GSX-R600), 1:19.028 14. Tony Kasper (Suz GSX-R600), 1:20.974 15. Chris Rockwell (Yam YZF-R6), 1:21.069 16. Steve Kennedy (Hon CBR600RR), 1:21.439 17. Craig Moodie (Yam YZF-R6), 1:21.443 18. Anthony Caligiuri (Buell XB-RR), 1:22.908

Factory Pro Sportbike Presented by Strapless Transport Stands:

1. Jeff Wood (Yam YZF-R6), 1:15.164 2. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R600), 1:16.043 3. Jonathan Lawrence (Suz GSX-R600), 1:17.077 4. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R600), 1:17.236 5. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:17.375 6. Bret Garrettson (Yam YZF-R6), 1:17.930 7. Andy Feuersthaler (Suz GSX-R600), 1:18.729 8. Bob Michael (Suz GSX-R600), 1:19.450 9. Nate Panek (Kaw ZX-6), 1:20.046 10. Tony Kasper (Suz GSX-R600), 1:20.478 11. Steve Kennedy (Hon CBR600RR), 1:21.064 12. Rich Dubarton (Yam YZF-R6), 1:23.299 13. Meghan Stiles (Yam YZF-R6), 1:24.914

ASRA Thunderbike:

1. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-RR), 1:18.359 2. Dan Bilansky (Buell XB-12R), 1:18.636 3. Dave Estok (Buell XB-12R), 1:18.911 4. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650), 1:19.611 5. Darren James (Buell XB-12R), 1:20.218 6. Joe Rozynski (Buell XB-12R), 1:20.889 7. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R), 1:20.983 8. Sam Rozynski (Buell XB-12R), 1:21.017 9. Sean Marston (Suz SV650), 1:21.234 10. Jeff Gouchenour (Buell XB), 1:23.527 11. James Delk, Jr. (Buell XB-12R), 1:23.718 12. Alex Marshall (Suz SV650), 1:23.992 13. Max Grant (Duc 1000), 1:23.999 14. Steve Kenner (Duc 1000), 1:26.533 15. Rich Dubarton (Suz SV650), 1:27.634 16. Bill Davenport (Suz SV650), 1:27.665 17. Ken Allen (Suz SV650), 1:28.059 18. Dave Granger (Buell XB-9R), 1:30.253

Practice Has Already Started For The 100th Year Of The Isle Of Man TT

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Practice Has Already Started For The 100th Year Of The Isle Of Man TT

ISLE OF MAN TOURIST TROPHY FESTIVAL 26 MAY – 8 JUNE McGUINNESS EXPECTS RECORD SPEEDS IN CENTENARY TT Some of the biggest names in motorcycle racing will be converging on the Isle of Man for this year’s Centenary TT Racing Festival – among them will be the sporting icons Giacomo Agostini, Carl Fogarty, Phil Read, John Surtees, Phillip McCallen and Charlie Williams, all taking part in parade laps, while with the modern day heroes will aiming for special place in the sporting annals by taking race victories on this special milestone for the 37.73 mile Mountain Course. Leading the entry is the eleven times TT winner and outright lap record holder John McGuinness, riding the powerful HM Plant Honda Fireblade, and eager for an action replay of his successes in the two ‘big-bike’ events, the opening Superbike TT (Saturday 2 June) and the prestigious finale, the Senior TT (Friday 8 June), both decided over six gruelling laps of this public roads course that winds around the Island, through towns and villages, and over the heights of Snaefell Mountain. The Lancastrian dominated them both, winning the Superbikes at an average speed of 124.76mph, and then in the Senior shattering the outright record with a remarkable lap of 129.45mph, and a race record speed of 126.17mph. “I didn’t think that was possible, and some say the speeds are insane but I felt that I had a bit in reserve on the Superbike. Last year the conditions were perfect.” McGuinness recalled. “People are going to push on this time because it is such a special year – we are there for 100 years and won’t be back for the 200 year celebrations which is why everyone will want to win. It is going to be intense. The riders are better, the teams stronger, the tyres improved and I am certain that the racing will get faster. “If the conditions are good, the 130mph lap will be broken. It is going to happen and I will just be concentrating and enjoying it. There is pressure but once you put your helmet on it is me, the bike and the road, and it will take a good man to beat me,” said a confident McGuinness who is gunning for his fourth consecutive Superbike victory and third Senior success.” He concluded. Ian Hutchinson rides the second HM Plant Honda while Ian Lougher, aiming to take his first ever ‘big-bike’ victory on the Island rides a Honda in Stobart Motorsport colours while Guy Martin riders for Hydrex Honda, Cameron Donald is aboard the Robinson Concrete backed Honda and there is Mark Johns Motors Honda for Ryan Faquhar. The Honda mounted entry will face stiff opposition from several-seasoned road racing specialist who have all tasted success around the formidable circuit. Michael Rutter returns to ride the event for the first time in seven years aboard a Kawasaki, as does Raymond Porter, while Adrian Archibald and Bruce Anstey are on Suzuki’s but Paul Hunt and Steve Plater, who makes his debut on the Island are aboard Yamahas. McGuinness, again riding in HM Plant Honda colours, will be bidding to end the two-year reign of Anstey in the Superstock TT (Monday 4 June). Then the rider whose love affair with the event began as a schoolboy when he accompanied his father on trips from their Morecambe home to watch the races, rides a Honda CBR600RR, in Padgetts colours, as he bids for a repeat of his victory in last year’s Supersport TT, (Wednesday 6 June), again over four laps. The entry for both of those events mirrors that for the two feature solo events. Sidecar racing has always been key to the Tourist Trophy races and it is a Manx rider who is again favourite to add to his record tally of victories. Dave Molyneux, passengered by Rick Long, rides the HM Plant Honda Windle outfit, engineered by the driver, against a strong field that includes last year’s Honda powered double race winners, also Isle of Man residents, Nick Crowe and Daniel Sayle. Former World Champions Klaus Klaffenbock and Christian Parzer are back for more aboard their Honda powered outfit while long time campaigners Roy Hanks and Dave Well rely on Suzuki power, with Yamaha driving the hopes of Steve Norbury and Scott Parnell. They have two races, each over three laps on Saturday and Wednesday. Around the races, there is time for nostalgia with a TT Lap of Honour, led by Jim Redman, riding a 1964 250cc Honda and a TT Centenary Parade of Champions on the closing afternoon of the festival. Practice begins on Saturday 26 May, with further sessions daily from Monday 28 May through Friday 1 June, with the race programme beginning on Saturday 2 June with the Superbike TT over six laps and the first of the two sidecar races over three laps. Race and events programme. Saturday 2 June: 12.00. Superbike TT – 6 laps. 15.00. Sidecar Race A – 3 laps. Monday 4 June: 10.45. Superstock – 4 laps. 15.00. TT Century Parade Lap of Honour Wednesday 6 June: 10.45. Supersport – 4 laps. 13.15 Sidecar Race B – 3 laps. Friday 8 June: 12.00. Senior TT – 6 laps. The Senior TT Race is followed by the Parade of Champions.

Auction Of Josh Hayes’ Leathers Will Benefit Injured Attack Kawasaki Crew Man Tom Sharp

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Auction Of Josh Hayes’ Leathers Will Benefit Injured Attack Kawasaki Crew Man Tom Sharp

As you may remember, Attack Kawasaki crew member Tom Sharp was seriously injured earlier this year during AMA team testing at California Speedway. Tom has, to this date, made a remarkable recovery from the serious brain injury that kept him hospitalized for nearly two months. He has rejoined his family in Sacramento and is receiving outpatient treatment locally to assist in his recovery. In a continuing effort to assist Tom and his wife Sherry, AMA Formula Extreme Champion JOSH HAYES was kind enough to donate a set of leathers from his 2005 Superbike season. These custom Attack Kawasaki leathers, made by Technic, are up for auction on E-Bay. The leathers are in near perfect condition and are hand signed by Josh. Please take a moment to check them out E-Bay Item #320118773727. All proceeds from the auction will go directly to Tom and Sherry Sharp. Mike Summers Sport Bike Night Sacramento, California

Another MotoGP Preview

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Another MotoGP Preview

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP looking for ‘La Dolce Vita’ in Italy Rizla Suzuki MotoGP travels across Europe to Mugello in Italy, for the next round of the MotoGP World Championship, still fuelled with confidence following Chris Vermeulen’s fantastic victory last time out at Le Mans. Vermeulen stormed to his and Suzuki’s maiden MotoGP victory last weekend, a result that followed John Hopkins’ podium in China the race before. Both results show that Suzuki has produced a motorcycle this season capable of performing in all conditions. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP has also been working hard improving the 800cc GSV-R in readiness for the forthcoming races. Both riders tested new engine parts at Le Mans on the Monday after the race and were impressed with the steps forward. The sixth round of the season will be held at the picturesque Autodromo Internazionale Del Mugello. The track is set in the beautiful Tuscan countryside just north of Florence. The 5.245km circuit is one of the fastest on the MotoGP calendar, with the start-finish straight running along the bottom of a valley and the rest of the track winding up and down the hills on either side. Mugello is used as Ferrari’s testing circuit and, with the 50 metres of altitude difference along the track’s length, offers a comprehensive stress test for men and machines alike. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will take to the track on Friday 1st June for the customary two hour-long free practice sessions. Saturday will see another free practice session in the morning followed by the excitement of qualifying during the afternoon. Sunday’s 23-lap race will get underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT), when thousands of excited Italian fans are expected to line every bit of hillside around the track. Chris Vermeulen: “Last weekend was a great result for me and the team, but that was last week and now we have to start all over again at Mugello. I struggled to get to grips with the circuit last year and only managed 14th in the race. I am determined to do better than that this year as I know I have improved and so has the bike. Monday’s test at Le Mans was pretty good and we will have the new parts for Italy. I am looking forward to getting back out there and we must now build on the wet win and podium and start doing it in the dry which I know we are capable of!” John Hopkins: “I was a bit disappointed at the end of the race at Le Mans as we had worked so hard in the dry and then that was spoiled by the weather. We will continue to work hard in Italy and hope that the weather holds this time. I really like the Mugello track, it is fast and flowing and I think it will suit the 800 well. We made a number of steps forward at Le Mans in the test. We will have the new parts in Italy and I think they will be a big help. I feel good about my riding and my chances of a good result in Italy!”

Jensen Wins Four CCS Races And $7500 In Suzuki Contingency Monday At Summit Point Raceway

Butler Machinery’s Robert Jensen rode his Michelin-shod Suzuki GSX-Rs to four CCS race wins Memorial Day Monday at Summit Point Raceway, in Summit Point, West Virginia.

Jensen used his GSX-R1000 to beat David Loikits and Andy Feuersthaler in the Unlimited Grand Prix and the Unlimited Supersport races, his GSX-R750 to top Justin Marm and Shane Narbonne in Heavyweight Supersport and his GSX-R600 to defeat Ryan Patterson and Jonathan Lawrence in Middleweight Supersport. All four races paid Suzuki contingency money, and Jensen’s winnings totaled $7500. Jensen also set a new CCS lap record during the Unlimited GP at 1:13.614.

“The 750cc race was the hardest one of the day,” Jensen told Roadracingworld.com. “We rolled it out of the trailer, put tire warmers on it and went out in the race. I haven’t rode it at all this weekend. I think it still has the gearing for Barber on it.”

Other CCS race winners Monday at Summit Point Raceway included: Loikits Industries’ Loikits in Unlimited Superbike, Sprinkler Sales & Services’ Lawrence in Heavyweight Superbike, Himmelsbach Racing’s Michael Himmelsbach in Middleweight Superbike, www.smisigns.com’s Arnold Hastings in Lightweight Supersport and Lightweight Grand Prix, and Schaeffer Harley-Davidson/Buell’s Art Diaz in Lightweight Superbike.

After crashing and being airlifted to a local hospital with a concussion Sunday afternoon, CCS and USGPRU racer Bill Himmelsbach returned to the track Monday. His concussion symptoms had subsided and he suffered no other injuries, but he did not race Monday.

Monday’s CCS Race Results:

UNLIMITED SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. David Loikits (Suz GSX-R1000), 2: Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Terry Taylor (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. Adrian Jones (Suz GSX-R1000); 5. Antal Halasz (Kaw ZX-10R); 6. Lloyd Bayley (Suz GSX-R1000).

UNLIMITED SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Maximilian Broniseusley (Kaw ZX-10R); 2. Martin Lazor (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Rich Lettieri (Yam YZF-R1); 4. Bob Badger (Hon CBR929RR); 5. William Batton (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. Matt Dilorenzo (Yam YZF-R1).

LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERSPORT EXPERT: 1. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650); 2. Bob Michael (Suz SV650); 3. Joey Thomas (Duc 1000); 4. Travis McNerney (Suz SV650); 5. Steve Keener (Duc 1000); 6. Eric Helmbach (Suz SV650).

LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERSPORT AMATEUR: 1. Bobby Kim (Suz SV650); 2. Steve Klein (Suz SV650); 3. John Morgan, Jr. (Suz SV650); 4. Seth Buchbinder (Buell XB-12R); 5. Adam Wentling (Suz SV650); 6. James Tisdale (Suz SV650).

ULTRA LIGHT SUPERBIKE: 1. Michael Zirk (Hon 650); 2. Shigeru Honda (Duc 750); 3. Andre Esser (Apr RS250); 4. Robert Glittone (Duc 750); 5. Steve Kennedy (KTM 450); 6. Mark Evry (Yam FZR400).

HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Jonathan Lawrence (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Tony Kasper (Suz GSX-R600); 3. Corey Rech (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Steve Kennedy (Hon CBR600RR); 5. Gil Schweitzer (Suz GSX-R750); 6. Marty Crotty (Suz GSX-R750).

HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Ryan Meade (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Zsolt Bencze (Yam YZF-R6); 3. David East (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Maximilian Broniseusley (Kaw ZX-6R); 5. Martin Neron (Yam YZF-R6); 6. Marcus Brotten (Hon CBR600RR).

MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Greg Bordeleau (Hon CBR600RR); 2. Ryan Meade (Suz GSX-R600); 3. Jeffrey Weil (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Joe Prybylski (Kaw ZX-6R); 5. Joel Rogers (Suz GSX-R600); 6. James Easley (Hon CBR600RR).

MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Michael Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675); 2. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-6R); 4. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-RR); 5. Jonathan Lawrence (Suz GSX-R600); 6. Bret Garretson (Yam YZF-R6).

UNLIMITED GP EXPERT: 1. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. David Loikits (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Andy Feuersthaler (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-10R); 5. Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. Troy Meikle (Suz GSX-R1000).

UNLIMITED SUPERSPORT EXPERT: 1. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. David Loikits (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Andy Feuersthaler (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. Troy Meikle (Suz GSX-R1000); 5. Justin Marm (Suz GSX-R750); 6. Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R1000).

UNLIMITED SUPERSPORT AMATEUR: 1. Maximilian Broniseusley (Kaw ZX-10R); 2. Martin Lazor (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Rich Lettieri (Yam YZF-R1); 4. William Batton (Suz GSX-R1000); 5. Jonathan Adams (Hon CBR600RR); 6. David East (Suz GSX-R750).

MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERSPORT AMATEUR: 1. Ryan Meade (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Greg Bordeleau (Hon CBR600RR); 3. Zsolt Bencze (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Jeffrey Weil (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Martin Lazor (Suz GSX-R600); 6. James Easley (Hon CBR600RR).

MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERSPORT EXPERT: 1. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Jonathan Lawrence (Suz GSX-R600); 4. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R600); 5. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-6R); 6. Andy Feuersthaler (Suz GSX-R600).

LIGHTWEIGHT GP EXPERT: 1. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650); 2. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 3. Todd Puckett (Yam TZ250); 4. Daniele Lenarduzzi (Yam TZ250); 5. Travis McNerney (Suz SV650); 6. Des Conboy (Hon RS250).

LIGHTWEIGHT GP AMATEUR: 1. Bobby Kim (Suz SV650); 2. Alexander Lazo (Suz SV650); 3. Steve Klein (Suz SV650); 4. Timothy Morin (Suz SV650); 5. John Morgan, Jr. (Suz SV650); 6. Peter Alesso (Buell XB-12R).

HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERSPORT EXPERT: 1. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R750); 2. Justin Marm (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Jonathan Lawrence (Suz GSX-R600); 5. Andy Feuersthaler (Suz GSX-R600); 6. Zsolt Veres (Yam YZF-R6).

HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERSPORT AMATEUR: 1. Ryan Meade (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Greg Bordeleau (Hon CBR600RR); 3. Maximilian Broniseusley (Kaw ZX-6); 4. David East (Suz GSX-R750); 5. Jonathan Adams (Hon CBR600RR); 6. Wayne Hartpence (Hon CBR600RR).

LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 2. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650); 3. Travis McNerney (Suz SV650); 4. Bob Michael (Suz SV650); 5. Joey Thomas (Duc 1000); 6. Mark Evry (Duc 1000).

LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Alexander Lazo (Suz SV650); 2. Bobby Kim (Suz SV650); 3. Shannon Casey (Suz SV650); 4. Timothy Morin (Suz SV650); 5. Steve Klein (Suz SV650); 6. Peter Alesso (Buell XB-12R).

UNLIMITED GP AMATEUR: 1. Greg Bordeleau (Hon CBR600RR); 2. Maximilian Broniseusley (Kaw ZX-10R); 3. Martin Lazor (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. William Batton (Suz GSX-R1000); 5. Rich Lettieri (Yam YZF-R1); 6. Bob Badger (Hon CBR929RR).

Recent Birth

WERA racer Brad Duncan and wife Beth had a son, Aiden Bradley Duncan, May 11th in Atlanta, Georgia.

More From The World Superbike Weekend At Silverstone

Roberts Secures Win at Soaking Silverstone 25th 27th May The tables finally turned for young Australian Brendan Roberts, after taking a stunning win in the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup (formerly the European Superstock Championship) at Silverstone Circuit this weekend, 25th 27th May. The appalling wet weather conditions played into the hands of 22-year-old Roberts, who is still suffering the effects of a badly dislocated right wrist and breaking the connecting socket, which he sustained during testing back in March. Having surgery to pin the wrist, Roberts still only has 60% movement back after tearing the ligaments and tendons. The youngster based in Grantham secured a ride on the brand new Ducati 1098 in the Ducati Xerox Junior Team after winning the National Superstock Championships in the UK last season and also taking a number of podium positions as a wild card entrant in the European Superstock series towards the end of 2006. This was his third race meeting after having gained a seventh place at Assen and 15th in Monza, the win was long overdue. Still not fully recovered it was a great achievement for the Australian, having qualified in 13th position and being promoted to 12th after a rider was injured he still had a lot of work to do from the third row of the grid. With the rain starting early on Sunday morning and eventually seeing the cancellation of the second World Superbike Race, Roberts was second fastest in morning warm up and was eager to get racing. With the horrendous conditions the race was cut short to ten laps and therefore he had to ensure that he gained a good start when the lights changed. It was the ideal start from the talented rider and he was in a fantastic second place after the first lap and trying to ensure that leader, Michele Pirro, did not gain too much of an advantage. The pair diced for the lead on lap five and six and Pirro made a mistake on lap seven which allowed Roberts to gain the lead and take the win. Commenting a delighted Roberts said “It’s been a very tough season for me so far and I’m glad that I managed to take my first win and that it was in the UK. The weather certainly played in my favour as it took a bit of pressure off my wrist as the pace is slower in the wet. I managed to get a great start and had to make sure that I kept Michele in my sights. I managed to get past him but I started making mistakes so I slowed and let him past again to see if I could follow him. He was pushing very hard and I was finding it difficult to stay with him, I had a few near moments that had me out of the seat a couple of times so I backed off a little. He crashed out and remounted on the eighth lap, which allowed me to take the lead and win the race. It’s great to be back on the podium again and feels like it’s been a long time coming. The wrist injury has really been a big set back for me and I’m continually having physio on it to make it stronger each time I race, but it’s been a long process and finally glad I’ve got a good result and not only that but a win for the team, who all worked very hard this weekend.” Roberts has now moved to ninth in the overall Championship after missing two of the five rounds completed so far. His next race is at Misano on June 17th.

More Mugello MotoGP Previews: The Return Of Kurtis Roberts, And High Hopes For Italian Homeboys

Atmospheric Mugello awaits MotoGP for Gran Premio d’Italia Alice

Gran Premio d’Italia Alice – Monday 28th May Race preview MotoGP

The first third of the 2007 MotoGP season will conclude on Sunday 3rd of June at Mugello, with the sixth race of the year, the Gran Premio d’Italia Alice. The race is renowned for its classic action and some of the most fervent fans in the world, and on the basis of what has been seen at the opening five races the latest visit to Italy should be no exception.

The tremendous competitiveness of the riders on their new 800cc bikes mean that anyone is in with a chance of taking victory at Mugello. A number of riders achieved their best ever results at the rain-soaked previous round at Le Mans, including first time race winner Chris Vermeulen, Pramac d’Antin’s Alex Hofmann and 2007 rookie Sylvain Guintoli, who led a MotoGP race for the very first time at his home circuit.

The championship standings have Casey Stoner on top of the pile riding the Ducati Desmosedici GP7. The Australian has been as exciting as ever this season, with the added bonus of a consistency and maturity that was perhaps lacking last year. The 21 year old has rarely had to push his bike to the limit in order to make up places in 2007, having led more laps than any other rider, and can only improve as the season goes on. He has won three of the opening five races, and has only been off the podium on one solitary occasion.

Stoner leads the way by 21 points from Valentino Rossi, the five-time MotoGP World Champion. Rossi is on home soil at Mugello, and with a point to prove after being outwitted by Stoner in Shanghai and experiencing tyre problems in the wet at Le Mans. The Italian has always been a big game performer, and has won the last five races at Mugello in varying conditions. He is also assured of the vocal support of the Italian fans, who have a specially dedicated grandstand at the circuit from which to cheer on their idol.

Dani Pedrosa lies in third in the classification, forty points behind former 250cc rival Stoner and 19 behind Rossi. The 2006 Rookie of the Year has eleven points less on the board than last year, and is currently on his longest ever winless streak since his first 125cc victory in 2002. With both himself and Honda chasing a first 800cc win, Pedrosa could be a dangerous challenger to the top two at Mugello.

Second place in France has kickstarted Marco Melandri’s 2007 campaign, with the Italian showing himself to be a master of the flag-to-flag wet race. Melandri is always in with a chance of victory when on top form, and knows Mugello very well indeed. A consistent run of podium finishes could bring him right back into the thick of the title battle, although a few problems that he has been experiencing with the Honda RC212V will have to be resolved before Melandri is fully at ease on the 800cc bike.

Chris Vermeulen’s victory at Le Mans signalled his first victory in MotoGP, and is the pinnacle of Rizla Suzuki’s achievements since their setup was changed under Team Manager Paul Denning. The GSV-R is proving to be a highly competitive bike, further illustrated by sixth placed rider John Hopkins, who has come of age this season with his first MotoGP podium.

Olivier Jacque is expected to return for Kawasaki at Mugello, having been forced to sit out the race in France due to an arm injury. Another rider making his return, after a long absence from MotoGP action, is Kurtis Roberts, included on the entry list riding for his father’s Team Roberts outfit alongside brother Kenny. The team hope that Kurtis’ inclusion will help them further develop the struggling KR212V.

The Gran Premio d’Italia Alice takes place on Sunday June 3rd, with practice for the race kicking off on the preceding Friday.

250cc Grand Prix

Jorge Lorenzo continues to lead the 250cc World Championship, 32 points ahead of his nearest rival as he looks to defend his title. The Spaniard has just one solitary blotch on his record in 2007 the Grand Prix of Turkey- where he took second on the grid and in the race. Apart from his visit to Istanbul, Lorenzo has been top dog at every race so far this season, winning from pole and putting his flag in the ground to signify his conquering of four circuits on the quarter litre calendar.

Andrea Dovizioso is the only rider to have impeded Lorenzo’s progress this season, and is a consistent podium finisher. Normally this would be enough for him to keep touch with the series leader, but Lorenzo has been simply outstanding this year. The Kopron Team Scot rider will be hoping to close the gap with a win at his home circuit, which is sure to be an epic battle between this season’s talented 250cc field. Alex de Angelis and Alvaro Bautista, the third and fourth placed riders, have also provided more than their fair share of excitement battling for victory, with Hector Barbera and Julian Simon completing the top six in the standings.

125cc Grand Prix

The 125cc class has seen no rider take charge so far this year, with a different rider on the top step of the podium at every race. The most recent rider to take glory has been Sergio Gadea, who took his maiden World Championship victory at Le Mans, whilst series leader Lukas Pesek had his moment in the sun at China two weeks previous. Pesek leads the way by nine points from Gabor Talmacsi, having taken second in France to extend his advantage.

Hector Faubel lies just five points behind his Bancaja Aspar team-mate in third place, ahead of race winner in Turkey Simone Corsi. The top five in 125cc have all won races, with Gadea rounding off the first quintet, although one rider who really should have more to show than just six points on the board is Mattia Pasini. The Italian has been plagued by mechanical problems, and has finished just one race despite qualifying on pole for the last four races. He will hope for a reversal in fortunes at his home track.

Circuit Info

Located 30km north-east of Florence in the beautiful countryside of Tuscany, Mugello is a modern circuit with excellent facilities. Bought by Ferrari back in 1988, the 5.245km track has been renovated to a high standard and has a growing reputation as one of the world´s most up-to-date, scenic and safest race circuits. A blend of slow and fast turns with sweeping curves, long straights and off-camber corners make Mugello one of the most challenging circuits for the riders and engineers.

Having hosted its first MotoGP event back in 1976 the venue became a permanent fixture in 1991 after extensive refurbishment. Set within a picturesque tree-lined Tuscan valley, Mugello also offers ample viewing areas for a particularly boisterous and partisan Italian crowd.

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Marlboro:

Monday May 28 2007 Italian GP – Preview

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM ON FINE FORM FOR MUGELLO

BODY { font-family : Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; } The Ducati Marlboro Team goes into its home Grand Prix in fine form, with the remarkable Casey Stoner leading the World Championship with three victories and a third place from the first five races and Loris Capirossi confident of a resurgence after a difficult French GP at rain-lashed Le Mans.

This is the first time that the Bologna-based squad contests the Italian GP as World Championship leader, a landmark moment that attests to the talent and dedication of this very Italian operation. As Ducati Motor Holding CEO Federico Minoli says: “Despite being a very small company there is an almost magical combination of genius, technology and all-Italian passion within Ducati that allows us to compete at the highest level”.

Stoner and Capirossi are greatly looking forward to riding the Desmosedici GP7 at Mugello, an epic circuit where they have both scored success. Capirossi has put his Ducati on the podium three times from their last four visits and is the current lap record holder, while Stoner scored his first-ever GP pole position for the 2003 Italian 125 GP. The entire team can count on massive support from the Mugello crowd, including 3000 lucky Ducatisti, sponsors and factory workers who will fill a special Ducati grandstand at the Correntaio right-hander.

FILIPP0 PREZIOSI, Ducati Corse Director “Mugello seems to suit our bike, and it is also one of Loris’ favourite tracks, where he has always been very competitive. So, having listened to his feedback and analysed his data, we have prepared a new package to help him fight for the kind of results he’s accustomed to achieving. These changes aim to modify the GP7’s power delivery to offer rideability that’s better suited to Lori’s riding style. The changes include electronics – revised engine mapping and ride-by-wire set-up – and mechanics – revised cam timing and fluid-dynamics. The same package will also be available for Casey if he wants to try it.”

CASEY STONER, World Championship leader on 102 points “Mugello is one of my favourite tracks. We’ve had some pretty good results there, including my first-ever pole position and I’ve made the podium in 125s. I think the bike is going to be really strong, the track’s got a nice main straight which helps and some nice fast and flowing corners which the Ducati should like, so we should be able to do all right. It would be a nice one to win but it’s going to be really tough work beating Loris and the rest of the Italian riders. But I feel we’re fast enough, the Ducati and the Bridgestones are going really well and if we can find the right settings we’ll be there. At Mugello you need a bike that changes direction good because there’s a lot of high-speed direction changes and the faster you go, the harder it is to change direction. You need a pinpoint accurate bike because you’ve got to hit the right points at the right time, and if you don’t do that you lose a lot of time, that’s what makes this track so hard.”

LORIS CAPIROSSI, 7th overall on 38 points “Mugello is my home race and Ducati’s home race, so it’s a really big weekend for all of us. In fact it’s a big event for all the Italian riders, last year Valentino (Rossi) and I had a great battle for the win. The Mugello crowd is very enthusiastic, there’s always an amazing atmosphere. I love the track, it’s got some fantastic corners and some really interesting up and down sections, so it’s a lot of fun to ride and I usually have good races there. The circuit character should suit our bike well, even if my feeling with the machine isn’t 100 per cent at the moment. Ducati are working closely with me to refine the bike to suit my style because I am eager to get back on the pace and race up front again. Above all I’m convinced that we do have the potential to come back strong, we just need to stay focused and do our best at this race and at the following races.”

THE TRACK

Mugello is one of MotoGP’s greatest events – a challenging, high-speed circuit situated in a picturesque Tuscan valley packed with tens of thousands of enthusiastic fans. The track features one of the world’s longest straights which gives the Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP7 a chance to really stretch its legs. The fast and flowing circuit is also one of the most demanding, with a thrilling blend of high-speed turns, rapid direction changes and plentiful off-camber corners. Mugello’s complexities are further heightened by a bumpy surface, which, combined with numerous adverse-camber corners, makes front-tyre choice particularly crucial. Mugello hosted its first bike GP in 1976 but only became a regular venue after total refurbishment in the early 1990s.

Lap record: Loris Capirossi (Ducati Marlboro Team) 1m 50.195s, 171.351km/h-106.473mph (2006)

Pole position 2006: Sete Gibernau (Ducati Marlboro Team) 1m 48.969s

More, from a press release issued by Honda Gresini:

READY FOR THE HOME GRAND PRIX

PREVIEW GP ITALY

After splashing his way to the podium in the treacherously wet conditions of Le Mans, Marco Melandri is ready to wind the throttle open at one of the fastest circuits in the world: Mugello. Spurred on by the passionate home support, Team Honda Gresini arrive at their home Grand Prix ready for another exciting new challenge. Melandri’s objective is to repeat or even improve his best result of the season in front of his own fans, who are sure to pack the beautiful Tuscan hills surrounding the circuit.

Toni Elias, meanwhile, was able to put his unfortunate race crash in France behind him with two days of positive tests at Le Mans. The combative Spaniard is highly motivated and fully focused on getting back to the run of good results he had started in the previous races.

The Honda Gresini pair currently lie fourth and eight respectively in the championship: Marco has 61 points – just one less than fellow Honda rider Dani Pedrosa in third place. Toni has registered 35 points so far.

Marco Melandri : “It’s nice to be heading to my home race on the back of a podium at Le Mans, a result myself and the whole team had worked really hard for. Your home Grand Prix is always exciting but demanding at the same time – in fact, Mugello is one of the most technical circuits on the calendar. Over the two days of tests in France we worked a lot on suspension although we still didn’t fully solve the problems I’ve been having in corner entry. It will be a tough race but the mere idea of racing in front of the Italian fans is a nice boost. I still haven’t made it to the podium in the premier-class at Mugello, so to make it this time would be fantastic. As far as tyre choice is concerned, at Mugello we’ll be using a similar construction to Le Mans but with a different compound in order to cope with the technical demands of the track.”

TONI ELIAS : “Mugello is a very technical track with a lot of changes in direction, which makes it physically demanding. From a riding perspective it is one of the most difficult on the whole calendar. Last year I made a good recovery from twelfth on the grid to finish seventh, and this season I am aiming much higher. The test at Le Mans confirmed the great job we had done throughout the weekend on the race setting for dry conditions. We did a good race simulation so I was happy about that but Mugello will be a completely different challenge.

THE TRACK: Just a few kilometres from Florence, the hills of Mugello are adorned by the trail of one of the most beautiful race circuits in the world. Both spectacular and technical, Mugello is a circuit where the rider can make the difference at any point on the track. It is characterised by changes in elevation, super-fast “esses”, off-camber corners and an extremely long front straight.

MUGELLO: THE SHOW IS READY TO START Many changes have been made to the Autodromo del Mugello this year in the name of innovation, hospitality and safety. A new welcome centre designed in the shape of a helmet will greet the fans on their arrival at the circuit. The innovative design is set to become the new symbol for the circuit, which is owned by Ferrari, whilst the journalists will also get to enjoy the facilities at a new media centre. One of the biggest changes is the safety run-off at Arrabbiata 1: 11,500m² of gravel with an average run-off of 30m. Now the run-off at Arrabbiata 1 & 2 has merged to make one, measuring an extra 280 metres.Huge natural grandstands have been created at the Scarperia and Correntaio corners. In total some 20,000 extra bums will be on seats this year – 8,000 at Materassi, 3,000 at Correntaio, 5,000 in the main grandstand and 4,000 at Poggio Secco.Tickets sales have been excellent, with almost all grandstand tickets now sold and the remaining ‘grass banking’ entries expected to be snapped up too.

Hastings, Diaz Take Multiple CCS Race Wins Before Thunderstorm Hits Summit Point Raceway

Arnold Hastings and Art Diaz each took a pair of victories during Sunday’s CCS event at Summit Point Raceway, near Washington, D.C.

Hastings rode his www.smisigns.com-sponsored Ducati 999 to wins in the SuperTwins and Formula 40 races. Hastings also finished second in the GT Lights race, which was won by Diaz on his Schaeffer’s Harley-Davidson/Buell XB-12R. Earlier in the day, Diaz piloted his Buell to a win in the Formula 40 Lightweight race.

Other race winners on Sunday included Loikits Industries’ David Loikits, who came from behind on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 to beat Justin Marm in the GTO race; young gun Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen, who ran away with the 125cc Grand Prix race; Harley-Davidson/Buell of Frederick’s Bryan Bemisderfer, who took advantage of an error by Deeley H-D/Buell’s Dave Estok to win the Thunderbike sprint; local rider David Rose, who rode his Castles-and-Cottages Yamaha YZF-R6 to a win in the Middleweight Grand Prix race; and Mike Himmelsbach, who took his Himmelsbach Racing Triumph Daytona 675 to victory ahead of Butler Machinery’s Robert Jensen in the red-flag-shortened GTU event.

The day was marred by two incidents. First, Mike Himmelsbach’s father Bill Himmelsbach highsided his Yamaha TZ250 during the GTU race. He was knocked unconscious in the fall and transported to a local hospital by helicopter. Himmelsbach regained consciousness and was alert and responsive to safety workers before being loaded onto the helicopter, according to race officials.

The day ended early when a severe thunderstorm hit Summit Point Raceway. In fact, some race officials reported seeing a funnel cloud over the racetrack. During the storm, extremely strong winds ripped through the paddock, destroying canopies and pulling away a section of the timing and scoring building’s roof.

CCS Summit Point Raceway Summit Point, West Virginia May 27, 2007 Provisional Race Results (listed in chronological order):

FORMULA 40 EXPERT: 1. Arnold Hastings (Duc 999); 2. Craig Moodie (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 4. Marty Crotty (Suz GSX-R750); 5. Rick Beggs (Kaw ZX-6R); 6. George Federlin (Suz GSX-R600).

FORMULA 40 AMATEUR: 1. Max Broniseusley (Yam YZF-R6); 2. Edwin Bishop (Suz GSX-R600); 3. Liz Wemett (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Bill Sylvester (Duc 1000); 5. Sean Kerns (Apr RSV1000); 6. Coleman Howard (Hon CBR600).

FORMULA 40 LIGHTWEIGHT EXPERT: 1. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 2. Eric Helmbach (Hon CBR600F2); 3. Gil Schweitzer (Hon CBR600); 4. Joey Thomas (Duc 1000); 5. Max Grant (Duc 1000); 6. Eric Wilson (Suz SV650).

FORMULA 40 LIGHTWEIGHT AMATEUR: 1. John Morgan, Jr. (Suz SV650); 2. James Foley (Hon CBR600); 3. Bob Rothrock (Hon RS125); 4. Luke Wernle (Kaw EX650).

GTU AMATEUR: 1. Ryan Meade (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Greg Bordeleau (Hon CBR600RR); 3. Zsolt Bencze (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Martin Lazor (Suz GSX-R600); 5. Max Broniseusley (Yam YZF-R6); 6. Erick Kline (Suz GSX-R600).

GTU EXPERT: 1. Mike Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675); 2. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R600); 3. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Jonathan Lawrence (Suz GSX-R600); 5. Zsolt Veres (Yam YZF-R6); 6. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-6R).

GT LIGHTS EXPERT: 1. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 2. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650); 3. Bob Michael (Suz SV650); 4. Travis McNerney (Suz SV650); 5. Joey Thomas (Duc 1000); 6. Alex Marshall (Suz SV650).

GT LIGHTS AMATEUR: 1. Bobby Kim (Suz SV650); 2. Alexander Lazo (Suz SV650); 3. Timothy Morin (Suz SV650); 4. John Morgan, Jr. (Suz SV650); 5. Steve Klein (Suz SV650); 6. Adam Wentlink (Suz SV650).

GTO EXPERT: 1. David Loikits (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. Justin Marm (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Geoffrey Allen (Yam YZF-R1); 4. Antal Halasz (Kaw ZX-10R); 5. Lloyd Bayley (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. Ivan Milan (Suz GSX-R1000).

GTO AMATEUR: 1. Max Broniseusley (Kaw ZX-10R); 2. Martin Lazor (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. David East (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Erick Kline (Suz GSX-R600); 5. Rich Lettieri (Yam YZF-R1); 6. Bob Badger (Hon CBR929RR).

125cc GRAND PRIX: 1. Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen (Hon RS125); 2. Scott Smallwood (Hon RS125); 3. Steve Gorrell (Hon RS125); 4. Mike Orien (Hon RS125); 5. Stuart Aitken-Cade (Hon RS125); 6. Allen Campbell (Hon RS125).

THUNDERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-RR); 2. Dave Estok (Buell XB-9R); 3. Darren James (Buell XB-9R); 4. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 5. Dan Bilansky (Buell XB-12R); 6. Joe Rozynski (Buell XB-12R).

THUNDERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Alexander Lazo; 2. Bobby Kim (Suz SV650); 3. Timothy Morin (Suz SV650); 4. Jonathan Shap (Suz SV650); 5. Peter Alesso (Buell XB-12R); 6. Seth Buchbinder (Buell XB-12R).

MIDDLEWEIGHT GP AMATEUR: 1. Ryan Meade (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Greg Bordeleau (Hon CBR600RR); 3. Zsolt Bencze (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Martin Lazor (Suz GSX-R600); 5. Wayne Hartpence (Hon CBR600RR); 6. James Easley (Hon CBR600RR).

MIDDLEWEIGHT GP EXPERT: 1. David Rose (Yam YZF-R6); 2. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Zsolt Veres (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Terry Taylor (Suz GSX-R600); 5. David Hockenberry (Kaw ZX-6R); 6. Henry Hoyle (Yam YZF-R6).

SUPERTWINS EXPERT: 1. Arnold Hastings (Duc 999); 2. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-RR); 3. Dave Estok (Buell XB-9R); 4. Darren James (Buell XB-9R); 5. Dan Bilansky (Buell XB-12R); 6. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R).

SUPERTWINS AMATEUR: 1. Bobby Kim (Suz SV650); 2. Jason Magnavice (Duc 996); 3. John Morgan, Jr. (Suz SV650); 4. Tim Duckworth (Suz SV650); 5. Timothy Morin (Suz SV650); 6. John Mullen (Suz 1000).

Young Gun Jacobsen And Veteran Pyles Top USGPRU Qualifying At Summit Point Raceway

Patrick P.J. Jacobsen, 13, and former WERA National Challenge 125cc Champion and AMA 250cc Grand Prix regular Chris Pyles topped USGPRU qualifying Sunday at Summit Point Raceway, in West Virginia.

In spite of limited experience with Summit Point Raceway, Jacobsen topped the 40-rider 125cc field with a time of 1:20.919 on his Celtic Racing Honda RS125.

Pyles, who considers Summit Point Raceway his home track, was the fastest qualifier in the 24-entry 250cc field with a lap of 1:18.564 on his self-sponsored Yamaha TZ250.

USGPRU Summit Point Raceway Summit Point, West Virginia May 27, 2007 Provisional Qualifying Results:

USGPRU 125cc:

1. Patrick P.J. Jacobsen (Hon RS125), 1:20.919 2. Nobi Iso (Apr RS125R), 1:21.434 3. Scott Smallwood (Hon RS125), 1:22.038 4. Cassidy Heiser (Hon RS125), 1:22.085 5. Kris Turner (Hon RS125), 1:22.459 6. Michael Orien (Hon RS125), 1:23.699 7. Scott Moxey (Hon RS125), 1:24.314 8. Steve Gorrell (Hon RS125), 1:24.356 9. Lloyd Ramsey Worrell (Hon RS125), 1:24.388 10. John Hjelm (Hon RS125), 1:24.941 11. Miles Thornton (Hon RS125), 1:25.150 12. John Lemak (Hon RS125), 1:25.717 13. Tim Harrington (Hon rS125), 1:25.150 14. Merle Eschman (Hon RS125), 1:26.199 15. Glen Pison (Hon RS125), 1:26.625 16. Michael Aboyoun (Hon RS125), 1:26.626 17. Joshua Steinberg (Yam TZ125), 1:26.642 18. Scott Thompson (Hon RS125), 1:26.709 19. William Cole (Hon RS125), 1:26.884 20. Allen Campbell (Hon RS125), 1:27.271 21. Crystal Campagre (Hon RS125), 1:27.531 22. John Klaras (Hon RS125), 1:27.541 23. Bob Rothrock (Hon RS125), 1:28.121 24. Bill Clery (Hon RS125), 1:28.196 25. Sam Clark (Yam TZ125), 1:28.443 26. Jordan Reid (Hon RS125), 1:28.688 27. David Celento (Hon RS15), 1:28.860 28. Tomas Bohm (Hon RS125), 1:29.576 29. Bruce Lind (Yam TZ125), 1:29.608 30. Andrew Anderson (Hon RS125), 1:29.809 31. Marcus Matthews (Hon RS125), 1:30.043 32. Jonathan Shenk (Yam TZ125), 1:30.228 33. Reet Das (Hon RS125), 1:30.540 34. Bill Doran (Hon RS125), 1:30.984 35. Rebecca Henn (Hon RS125), 1;32.288 36. John Milliron (Hon RS125), 1;32.314 37. Brian McLaughlin (Yam TZ125), 1:32.977 38. Mark Dennis (Hon RS125), 1:33.718 39. Steven Belknap (Hon RS125), 1:34.784 40. Scotty Van Hatten (Hon RS125), 1:36.792

USGPRU 250cc:

1. Chris Pyles (Yam TZ250), 1:18.564 2. Eddy Brunet (Hon RS250), 1:18.738 3. Todd Puckett (Yam TZ250), 1:19.420 4. Mark Kelly (Hon RS250), 1:19.534 5. Alex Welsh (Hon RS250), 1:19.615 6. Sean Wray (Yam TZ250), 1:19.742 7. Bill Himmelsbach (Yam TZ250), 1:19.891 8. Christopher Quillman (Yam TZ250), 1:21.013 9. Mike Aboyoun (Hon RS250), 1:21.451 10. Des Conboy (Hon RS250), 1:22.976 11. Kris Turner (Hon RS125), 1:22.289 12. Mark Stiles (Yam TZ250), 1:22.503 13. Daniele Lenarduzzi (Yam TZ250), 1:22.839 14. Michael Orien (Hon RS125), 1:23.549 15. Bruce Lind (Yam TZ250), 1:23.714 16. Jim Bergey (Hon RS250), 1:24.322 17. Andre Esser (Yam TZ250), 1:24.447 18. Chris Manfrin (Yam TZ250), 1:25.120 19. Thomas Fournier (Yam TZ250), 1:25.453 20. Michael Rajotte (Yam TZ250), 1:25.770 21. Jim Bonner (Yam TZ250), 1:26.171 22. Tony Wang (Hon RS250), 1:26.571 23. Dave Celento (Hon RS125), 1:26.823 24. Sam Clark (Yam TZ125), 1:28.706

Jeff Wood Takes Three ASRA Pole Positions Sunday At Summit Point Raceway

Bettencourts Yamaha’s Jeff Wood captured three pole positions during ASRA qualifying Sunday at Summit Point Raceway, in West Virginia.

Wood turned a 1:13.927 on his Dunlop-shod YZF-R1 to capture pole position in the Superstock class. Wood then switched to his YZF-R6 and earned pole positions in Superbike and Factory Pro Tuning Presented by Strapless Transport Stands with times of 1:14.564 and 1:15.164, respectively. Wood’s time in Superbike was a new qualifying lap record for the class, beating the 1:14.848 set by Matt Wait in 2003.

“My Yamahas are great,” Wood, the defending ASRA Sportbike and Superbike Champion, told Roadracingworld.com. “At Heartland Park we went 1.5 seconds faster than last time we were there, and today in Superbike I went one second faster than I did here last year. I’m turning faster times with less effort. It’s great.”

Second-fastest man in Superstock and Superbike and the third-fastest rider in Superbike was Butler Machinery’s Robert Jensen. Jensen’s Superstock qualifying effort was derailed when the front Michelin on his 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000 suddenly and inexplicably — went flat early in the session. Then in Superbike qualifying, the bodywork on Jensen’s GSX-R600 came loose while on track, forcing him to pit for repairs. Jensen was happy with his Sportbike qualifying effort, however, especially considering he ran on used tires.

Wood and Jensen will face off in Monday’s final events, but Jensen will be chasing Suzuki contingency money in seven CCS and ASRA races while Wood will be focusing on only his three ASRA races.

In Thunderbike qualifying, former Champion Bryan Bemisderfer used a tow from current Thunderbike Champion Dan Bilansky to propel his Dunlop-equipped Harley-Davidson/Buell of Frederick XB-RR to pole position with a 1:18.359. Bilansky was second-fastest on his Pirelli-fitted Hal’s Speed Shop Buell XB-12R with a time of 1:18.636.

The ASRA Sportbike, Superbike, Superstock and Thunderbike final events will be held on Memorial Day Monday.

ASRA Championship Series Summit Point Raceway Summit Point, West Virginia May 27, 2007 Provisional Qualifying Results:

ASRA Superstock:

1. Jeff Wood (Yam YZF-R1), 1:13.927 2. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:14.814 3. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R750), 1:15.828 4. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:16.194 5. Justin Marm (Suz GSX-R750), 1:16.304 6. David Loikits (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:16.420 7. Andy Feuersthaler (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:16.487 8. Brendon Marshall (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:16.638 9. Adrian Jones (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:16.687 10. Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:17.228 11. Antal Halasz (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:17.804 12. Nate Panek (Kaw ZX-6), 1:19.784 13. Ivan Milan (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:20.496 14. Bill Egge (Suz GSX-R750), 1:22.602 15. Lloyd Bayley (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:24.272

ASRA Superbike:

1. Jeff Wood (Yam YZF-R6), 1:14.564 2. David Rose (Yam YZF-R6), 1:15.697 3. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R600), 1:16.131 4. Michael Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675), 1:16.224 5. Terry Taylor (Suz GSX-R600), 1:16.553 6. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6), 1:17.088 7. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-RR), 1:17.229 8. Jonathan Lawrence (Suz GSX-R600), 1:17.432 9. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R600), 1:17.574 10. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:17.657 11. Bret Garrettson (Yam YZF-R6), 1:17.896 12. Zsolt Veres (Yam YZF-R6), 1:18.307 13. Andy Feuersthaler (Suz GSX-R600), 1:19.028 14. Tony Kasper (Suz GSX-R600), 1:20.974 15. Chris Rockwell (Yam YZF-R6), 1:21.069 16. Steve Kennedy (Hon CBR600RR), 1:21.439 17. Craig Moodie (Yam YZF-R6), 1:21.443 18. Anthony Caligiuri (Buell XB-RR), 1:22.908

Factory Pro Sportbike Presented by Strapless Transport Stands:

1. Jeff Wood (Yam YZF-R6), 1:15.164 2. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R600), 1:16.043 3. Jonathan Lawrence (Suz GSX-R600), 1:17.077 4. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R600), 1:17.236 5. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:17.375 6. Bret Garrettson (Yam YZF-R6), 1:17.930 7. Andy Feuersthaler (Suz GSX-R600), 1:18.729 8. Bob Michael (Suz GSX-R600), 1:19.450 9. Nate Panek (Kaw ZX-6), 1:20.046 10. Tony Kasper (Suz GSX-R600), 1:20.478 11. Steve Kennedy (Hon CBR600RR), 1:21.064 12. Rich Dubarton (Yam YZF-R6), 1:23.299 13. Meghan Stiles (Yam YZF-R6), 1:24.914

ASRA Thunderbike:

1. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-RR), 1:18.359 2. Dan Bilansky (Buell XB-12R), 1:18.636 3. Dave Estok (Buell XB-12R), 1:18.911 4. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650), 1:19.611 5. Darren James (Buell XB-12R), 1:20.218 6. Joe Rozynski (Buell XB-12R), 1:20.889 7. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R), 1:20.983 8. Sam Rozynski (Buell XB-12R), 1:21.017 9. Sean Marston (Suz SV650), 1:21.234 10. Jeff Gouchenour (Buell XB), 1:23.527 11. James Delk, Jr. (Buell XB-12R), 1:23.718 12. Alex Marshall (Suz SV650), 1:23.992 13. Max Grant (Duc 1000), 1:23.999 14. Steve Kenner (Duc 1000), 1:26.533 15. Rich Dubarton (Suz SV650), 1:27.634 16. Bill Davenport (Suz SV650), 1:27.665 17. Ken Allen (Suz SV650), 1:28.059 18. Dave Granger (Buell XB-9R), 1:30.253

Practice Has Already Started For The 100th Year Of The Isle Of Man TT

ISLE OF MAN TOURIST TROPHY FESTIVAL 26 MAY – 8 JUNE McGUINNESS EXPECTS RECORD SPEEDS IN CENTENARY TT Some of the biggest names in motorcycle racing will be converging on the Isle of Man for this year’s Centenary TT Racing Festival – among them will be the sporting icons Giacomo Agostini, Carl Fogarty, Phil Read, John Surtees, Phillip McCallen and Charlie Williams, all taking part in parade laps, while with the modern day heroes will aiming for special place in the sporting annals by taking race victories on this special milestone for the 37.73 mile Mountain Course. Leading the entry is the eleven times TT winner and outright lap record holder John McGuinness, riding the powerful HM Plant Honda Fireblade, and eager for an action replay of his successes in the two ‘big-bike’ events, the opening Superbike TT (Saturday 2 June) and the prestigious finale, the Senior TT (Friday 8 June), both decided over six gruelling laps of this public roads course that winds around the Island, through towns and villages, and over the heights of Snaefell Mountain. The Lancastrian dominated them both, winning the Superbikes at an average speed of 124.76mph, and then in the Senior shattering the outright record with a remarkable lap of 129.45mph, and a race record speed of 126.17mph. “I didn’t think that was possible, and some say the speeds are insane but I felt that I had a bit in reserve on the Superbike. Last year the conditions were perfect.” McGuinness recalled. “People are going to push on this time because it is such a special year – we are there for 100 years and won’t be back for the 200 year celebrations which is why everyone will want to win. It is going to be intense. The riders are better, the teams stronger, the tyres improved and I am certain that the racing will get faster. “If the conditions are good, the 130mph lap will be broken. It is going to happen and I will just be concentrating and enjoying it. There is pressure but once you put your helmet on it is me, the bike and the road, and it will take a good man to beat me,” said a confident McGuinness who is gunning for his fourth consecutive Superbike victory and third Senior success.” He concluded. Ian Hutchinson rides the second HM Plant Honda while Ian Lougher, aiming to take his first ever ‘big-bike’ victory on the Island rides a Honda in Stobart Motorsport colours while Guy Martin riders for Hydrex Honda, Cameron Donald is aboard the Robinson Concrete backed Honda and there is Mark Johns Motors Honda for Ryan Faquhar. The Honda mounted entry will face stiff opposition from several-seasoned road racing specialist who have all tasted success around the formidable circuit. Michael Rutter returns to ride the event for the first time in seven years aboard a Kawasaki, as does Raymond Porter, while Adrian Archibald and Bruce Anstey are on Suzuki’s but Paul Hunt and Steve Plater, who makes his debut on the Island are aboard Yamahas. McGuinness, again riding in HM Plant Honda colours, will be bidding to end the two-year reign of Anstey in the Superstock TT (Monday 4 June). Then the rider whose love affair with the event began as a schoolboy when he accompanied his father on trips from their Morecambe home to watch the races, rides a Honda CBR600RR, in Padgetts colours, as he bids for a repeat of his victory in last year’s Supersport TT, (Wednesday 6 June), again over four laps. The entry for both of those events mirrors that for the two feature solo events. Sidecar racing has always been key to the Tourist Trophy races and it is a Manx rider who is again favourite to add to his record tally of victories. Dave Molyneux, passengered by Rick Long, rides the HM Plant Honda Windle outfit, engineered by the driver, against a strong field that includes last year’s Honda powered double race winners, also Isle of Man residents, Nick Crowe and Daniel Sayle. Former World Champions Klaus Klaffenbock and Christian Parzer are back for more aboard their Honda powered outfit while long time campaigners Roy Hanks and Dave Well rely on Suzuki power, with Yamaha driving the hopes of Steve Norbury and Scott Parnell. They have two races, each over three laps on Saturday and Wednesday. Around the races, there is time for nostalgia with a TT Lap of Honour, led by Jim Redman, riding a 1964 250cc Honda and a TT Centenary Parade of Champions on the closing afternoon of the festival. Practice begins on Saturday 26 May, with further sessions daily from Monday 28 May through Friday 1 June, with the race programme beginning on Saturday 2 June with the Superbike TT over six laps and the first of the two sidecar races over three laps. Race and events programme. Saturday 2 June: 12.00. Superbike TT – 6 laps. 15.00. Sidecar Race A – 3 laps. Monday 4 June: 10.45. Superstock – 4 laps. 15.00. TT Century Parade Lap of Honour Wednesday 6 June: 10.45. Supersport – 4 laps. 13.15 Sidecar Race B – 3 laps. Friday 8 June: 12.00. Senior TT – 6 laps. The Senior TT Race is followed by the Parade of Champions.

Auction Of Josh Hayes’ Leathers Will Benefit Injured Attack Kawasaki Crew Man Tom Sharp

As you may remember, Attack Kawasaki crew member Tom Sharp was seriously injured earlier this year during AMA team testing at California Speedway. Tom has, to this date, made a remarkable recovery from the serious brain injury that kept him hospitalized for nearly two months. He has rejoined his family in Sacramento and is receiving outpatient treatment locally to assist in his recovery. In a continuing effort to assist Tom and his wife Sherry, AMA Formula Extreme Champion JOSH HAYES was kind enough to donate a set of leathers from his 2005 Superbike season. These custom Attack Kawasaki leathers, made by Technic, are up for auction on E-Bay. The leathers are in near perfect condition and are hand signed by Josh. Please take a moment to check them out E-Bay Item #320118773727. All proceeds from the auction will go directly to Tom and Sherry Sharp. Mike Summers Sport Bike Night Sacramento, California

Another MotoGP Preview

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP looking for ‘La Dolce Vita’ in Italy Rizla Suzuki MotoGP travels across Europe to Mugello in Italy, for the next round of the MotoGP World Championship, still fuelled with confidence following Chris Vermeulen’s fantastic victory last time out at Le Mans. Vermeulen stormed to his and Suzuki’s maiden MotoGP victory last weekend, a result that followed John Hopkins’ podium in China the race before. Both results show that Suzuki has produced a motorcycle this season capable of performing in all conditions. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP has also been working hard improving the 800cc GSV-R in readiness for the forthcoming races. Both riders tested new engine parts at Le Mans on the Monday after the race and were impressed with the steps forward. The sixth round of the season will be held at the picturesque Autodromo Internazionale Del Mugello. The track is set in the beautiful Tuscan countryside just north of Florence. The 5.245km circuit is one of the fastest on the MotoGP calendar, with the start-finish straight running along the bottom of a valley and the rest of the track winding up and down the hills on either side. Mugello is used as Ferrari’s testing circuit and, with the 50 metres of altitude difference along the track’s length, offers a comprehensive stress test for men and machines alike. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will take to the track on Friday 1st June for the customary two hour-long free practice sessions. Saturday will see another free practice session in the morning followed by the excitement of qualifying during the afternoon. Sunday’s 23-lap race will get underway at 14.00hrs local time (12.00hrs GMT), when thousands of excited Italian fans are expected to line every bit of hillside around the track. Chris Vermeulen: “Last weekend was a great result for me and the team, but that was last week and now we have to start all over again at Mugello. I struggled to get to grips with the circuit last year and only managed 14th in the race. I am determined to do better than that this year as I know I have improved and so has the bike. Monday’s test at Le Mans was pretty good and we will have the new parts for Italy. I am looking forward to getting back out there and we must now build on the wet win and podium and start doing it in the dry which I know we are capable of!” John Hopkins: “I was a bit disappointed at the end of the race at Le Mans as we had worked so hard in the dry and then that was spoiled by the weather. We will continue to work hard in Italy and hope that the weather holds this time. I really like the Mugello track, it is fast and flowing and I think it will suit the 800 well. We made a number of steps forward at Le Mans in the test. We will have the new parts in Italy and I think they will be a big help. I feel good about my riding and my chances of a good result in Italy!”

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