Podium for Westy at Oulton Maxxis British Supersport Round 4 www.centurionracing.net Mixed weather conditions played havoc at the fourth round of the Maxxis British Supersport Championship for Centurion Racing this weekend at Oulton Park. The two riders Dan Cooper and James ‘Westy’ Westmoreland achieved 17th and 18th place respectively in the tough 16-lap race. With conditions changing throughout the Monday Bank Holiday tyre choice was always going to be critical. The two rookie Supersport riders both worked considerably hard all weekend to learn the track and adjust to how a 600 works around the technical 2.69-mile circuit. It was the first time this season that 19-year-old Cooper beat his team-mate Westmoreland. The Yeovil based rider commented “I’m pretty pleased with the result this weekend as even though the end result didn’t show it, the race was very close and all weekend my pace wasn’t too far off the front runners. I’m still learning everything and I’m sure every track will throw something new at me to challenge me. It was great fun riding a 600 round Oulton, it felt so much different but I felt pretty comfortably throughout the weekend. I’m keen now to get to Snetterton in a couple of weeks time.” Cooper who qualified in 22nd place but was moved to 21st after Irish rider Jack Kennedy missed the round though injury confidently, worked his way up through the field. After a bad start which saw him fall to 23rd place after the first lap the quiet young rider started working his way back through the pack and despite finishing just outside of the points he has taken a vast amount of knowledge and experience from the weekend. Westy once again rode well throughout the weekend and was consistently running in the mid 1.41’s and low 1.42’s. He ended the two qualifying sessions in 11th place and even with a reasonable start a wrong tyre choice saw the youngster from East Yorkshire slip down the time sheets. He still maintained third position in the Cup Championship and still leads the Cup by 24-points from his nearest rival, Craig Fitzpatrick. A disappointed Westy said “Unfortunately we had another disaster this weekend. Everything had once again gone well until race day. The tyre didn’t last race distance as the compound we choose was too soft. It went off after only five or six laps and unfortunately I wasn’t able to push myself higher up the field. I feel very good in myself and just disappointed at such a poor result. The Centurion team have worked so hard and deserved a lot more today. I am now motivated towards Snetterton as it is a circuit I feel we can be strong at.” Team manager Gary Stubbington commented “Once again I think Dan and Westy have ridden brilliantly. They must remember that this is their first year in the tough Supersport class and they have made a huge step up from the 125 series. Oulton Park is certainly a very difficult track for the pair to learn in three days and I think they both coped incredibly well. They are both showing huge potential and I’m sure it won’t be long before we see them moving up the grid and battling with the front runners.” The next Maxxis British Supersport it at Snetterton Circuit on the 20th May. More, from a press release issued by Tom Tunstall Racing: Tough Break for Tunstall The latest round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championships proved to be a rollercoaster weekend for Hardinge Ice Valley racer Tom Tunstall. Having led the cup race his continued progress aboard the 1000cc machine was cut short with a wrecked gearbox. The bank holiday weekend saw the UK’s most popular motorsport the British Superbike Championship continue at the picturesque Oulton Park circuit in Cheshire. The Hardinge Ice Valley Motorsport team had a hectic week after a 120mph crash had smashed the teams Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade into two pieces only five days before they were due to take to the track at Oulton. “The whole team have done a fantastic job. Not just to rebuild the bike, but also checkout all the components and provide me with a bike that I can have full confidence in” The twisty and undulating 2.69mile track is renowned for testing Superbike riders’ skills and was yet another learning curve for rookie Tunstall. In all practice session he made great strides forward culminating in his best qualifying of the year so far taking 2nd on the Superbike Cup grid. “I’m happy with how its going I was quick this morning on race tyres and underlined that with the qualifying. We’re more competitive and looking good for tomorrow’s races” The constant threat of showers held off for the first of the two 45mile races, as the grid was formed. A strong start and first lap saw Tunstall hold his 2nd place, closely behind cup leader Tristan Palmer and South African Hudson Kennaugh on the factory backed Yamaha. On lap two Palmer ran wide into the tight “Hislops chicane” Tunstall needed no second invitation and dived into the lead. Fellow Honda rider Palmer, who won both races last time out, fought back and retook the lead with Tunstall in close attendance. By lap 10 former cup champion joined the battle and sneaked past Tunstall. On lap 14 the gap was up to a couple of seconds but with Tunstall starting to close down the cup leaders. But just before Tunstall crossed the line to complete the lap disaster struck as he lost drive and with a loud rattle from the engine he knew his race was over. “I’m gutted. With only two laps to go it’s very disappointing to not get to the finish and back onto the podium. Hopefully we can get it ready for the next race in two a half hours” Immediately the team set to work swapping the engine and diagnosing the gearbox parts required. Unfortunately for all the hard work a replacement gearbox output shaft couldn’t be located meaning Tunstall was unable to make the grid for race two. “Frustration doesn’t cover it. Everyone has worked so hard before and during the weekend and we were going well. We must now spend the time before the next race ensuring we do all we can to avoid watching another race from pit lane & giving away more points. On the positive side I was fighting for the lead in race one which shows we’re getting stronger”. The next race takes place at Snetterton in Norfolk over the weekend of 18th 20th May. More, from a press release issued by Bridewell Brothers British Motorcycle Racing: More Points for Bridewell Brothers at Oulton Wiltshire brothers Ollie and Tommy Bridewell continued their impressive start to the 2007 Bennetts British Superbike Championship with another pair of sterling performances at Oulton Park in Cheshire over the Bank Holiday weekend. Aboard the Team NB Suzukis elder brother Ollie (21) got the better of his 18 year old sibling Tommy in both 17-lap races at the Cheshire track as the mixed weather conditions threatened to play havoc with proceedings. Having had to give way to Tommy in the opening rounds of the Championship, Ollie qualified in fourteenth place and followed that up with eleventh and thirteenth place finishes as he diced it out with the experienced Michael Rutter and Chris Walker, whereas the changeable conditions on qualifying day hampered Tommy’s bid and resulted in a row five start from which he posted twelfth and fourteenth in the day’s two races. Speaking about the weekend Ollie said “It was good to be battling with the likes of Rutter and Walker and I am a little disappointed that I didn’t get away with them and make a break when they did. But I’m reasonably happy with the way things went at the weekend and it’s very important to continue scoring good points for both myself and the team who have worked very hard so far this season.” Tommy meanwhile admitted his experience told at the weekend “It was only my fourth Superbike race and I guess weekends like this are all part of the learning process but that said, we’ve had a great start to the year and I’ll look forward to getting some more points scoring rides under my belt next weekend at Snetterton.” The Bennetts British Superbike Championship moves on to round five at Snetterton in Norfolk next weekend (18th/20th May). More, from a press release issued by Hawk Kawasaki: Highs and Lows for Hawk Oulton Park Round 4 Hawk Kawasaki discovered the highs and lows of racing this weekend at Oulton Park after two of the four riders had to sit out their races due to injury. Superbike rider Peter Hickman was forced to sit out after a 140 mph crash at Cascades during Sunday’s qualifying, which saw the 20-year-old from Willoughby damage his right wrist. Adding to that youngster Jak Wright, who rides for the Hawk Junior Team, missed his race in the Supersport Cup after a nasty crash at Shell Hairpin saw him break his collarbone. Despite this the two remaining riders Scott Smart and young David Hallett scored some encouraging results in their respective races. Smart gained a strong 11th in race one and finished just outside the points in 16th in the second leg of the two 17-lap Bennetts British Superbike races. Smart who made the return to Hawk Racing this year is adapting well to being back on the Kawasaki ZX10. Smart commented “I’m pretty happy with my first race result and we are heading in the right direction, I struggled in the second race with tyre choice and also the changing weather conditions didn’t help matters. We made a lot of progress with the Kawasaki through the weekend and I’m quite looking forward to Snetterton in a few weeks time to see how we fair there.” It was Dave Hallett who had a stunning ride gaining his first points in the ultra competitive Metzeler Superstock Cup race. Finishing in a great 10th position the youngster from Folkestone gained his first Championship points of the series at a circuit he had never ridden at before. The 21-year-old who has made the step up from the mini-twin series had qualified in 28th position on the grid, which he turned into a remarkable result at the end of the race. With varying conditions throughout the day the Superstock Cup race was started and restarted on a number of occasions due to heavy rain showers. The safety car was despatched early on in the race which bunched the riders together, choosing to run a wet front and dry rear tyre proved the ideal combination and it was not long before he was carving his way through the pack and settled into 14th place. A small mistake at the Chicane saw him run on and rejoin the track, loosing two places in the process. He soon regained his form and once again started to pick off the riders in front of him and gain his best result of the season so far. Commenting he said “It’s been a great weekend and I’m really happy to be able to get a top ten at only my fourth race on a 1000! The entire Hawk team have worked really hard all year and glad I’ve finally been able to return that with a strong result. Obviously the jump for me has been pretty big but I’m really enjoying the whole experience. It’s fairly difficult, as before this year I have only race at four of the circuits which are used on the BSB calendar, so most tracks are all new to me, obviously Oulton seemed to suite me pretty well and hopefully I will be able to get some more points at Snetterton.” Quarter Term Report Stuart Hicken, Team Owner, commented “It’s been a tough start to the season, but I am confident with the riders and the staff we have in place at the moment the results will improve tremendously. Just looking at Scott who has come from two poor seasons his confidence is building lap by lap and it certainly won’t be long before we are back at the sharp end. Peters’ early season form is where we expected him to be after a couple of heavy falls he has lost his way a little, but with full team backing and Peter digging deep he should be back in the points at Snetterton. The junior team of Jak and David are doing all that is required in learning the circuits and their new bikes, Jak unfortunately got bit by Oulton Park, but he will return raring to go. David had what only can be described as a brilliant ride at Oulton Park, having never seen the most difficult circuit on the calendar he rode with maturity and confidence all weekend. I see that all our sponsors and guests are enjoying the new corporate vehicle, and I’m well informed that all guests really enjoy the personal rider talks organised by Ian Paddison. We are looking forward to the rest of the season now.” More, from a press release issued by AIM Yamaha: AIM YAMAHA OULTON PARK REPORT Richard Cooper was the sole representative for Team AIM Yamaha at Oulton Park on Bank Holiday Monday where he completed his fourth round Maxxis British Supersport race in 14th position to claim two championship points for the team. Qualifying saw Richard consistently improve his lap times to put the AIM Yamaha R6 onto the fourth row of the grid for Monday’s 16-lap race. As the race got underway Richard moved into ninth place on the opening lap and up to seventh on lap three. But he was forced onto the grass at the hairpin and lost ground to complete his race in 14th position. RICHARD COOPER “I was running about eighth when someone came up the inside at the hairpin. I tried to cut back but then realised there was someone else there so had no choice but to run off the track for a short time which allowed several riders to get past me. “I got back up to 12th but eventually completed the race in 14th. I had been running well all weekend and it would have been nice to get a top ten for the team. But we will keep on trying and hopefully the results will come. “It’s on to Snetterton next, the bike is very quick and it should work well for us there. We have been there testing already this year which is a bit of a help.” ALISTAIR FLANAGAN “Early on in free practise Richard was off the pace but by second qualifying it all seemed to fall into place for him. He was looking for another half a second but when he went out to try and put in a fast time the rain had started to fall and the track became quite greasy, especially through Druids so he had to abort the lap. “In the race Richard got away to a good start but unfortunately again he got tangled up in a battle for position and was pushed off the track. It was a racing incident; just one of those things but it was a hard fight to get back in contention for a top ten finish. “It was a shame he was unable to capitalize on his good start as he was consistently fifth fastest through the speed trap all weekend but it just wasn’t clicking in terms of race pace. “We are trying to work with Richard on his race stamina as although he is a fit lad he is just lacking the aggression required to move further forward.” “Regarding Steve Plater, after his successful World Endurance race in Spain his connecting flight was delayed and he arrived late at the circuit and was unable to compete in the fourth round of the British Superbike campaign. “However, this leaves him fresh and fit for this year’s North West 200 which begins today, Tuesday, with the first qualifying session. Both Steve and the team are hoping he can repeat his performance from last year where he rode to victory in both Superbike races. More, from a press release issued by Samsung Racing: Samsung battle on at Oulton Park. The Samsung Superbike team worked hard at Oulton Park with Dean Thomas on the Suzuki Superbike finishing race two in tenth place following a disappointing DNF in race one. Jon Kirkham on the Ducati Superstock bike came home in sixteenth place which he had to work hard for. Thomas’ race one was ended prematurely when his rear shock lost a seal and sprayed his back tyre with oil. “Race one was not so good. It was only about six or seven laps into the race and all of a sudden I had a massive vibration from the back of the bike. At the time it felt like the wheel was falling off it was that bad. So I pulled over and had a look round and I could see oil all over my back wheel. I had actually burst a seal in the shock absorber. I’ve never had anything like that happen before and it just sprayed oil all over the place and the bad vibration was the shock just going crazy. So that was my race cut short.” His second race was much better and it showed the potential of the Samsung Suzuki as Thomas did battle with Chris Walker on the current Rizla Suzuki. “We’ve been working hard on the Samsung Suzuki to get it to where we need it to be. I spent most of the race fighting with Chris Walker and we have a few little things we need to work on with the bike and it was obvious Chris does as well. It was good to have a battle with him so tenth place I can’t complain,” said Thomas. Meanwhile on the other side of the garage Kirkham was struggling. He crashed in qualifying which didn’t aid his cause and left him in fifteenth on the grid. “I crashed in qualifying which pushed me down the grid and just made it all very hard work, ” he admitted, “The bike is down on straight line speed and that is where we are losing out. I mean I had to ride hard to finish sixteenth so that is not right. We need to regroup before Snetterton and make some changes.” Snetterton requires a lot of top end speed with its long straights, so the Samsung team will be digging deep with the Ducati Superstock machine in the hope that they can move further up the pecking order. The fifth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship and the Metzeler National Superstock Championship will take place on the 18th 20th May at Snetterton. More, from a press release issued by Hydrex Honda: Assorted results for Hydrex Honda at Oulton Park. The Hydrex Honda team raced in three different classes at Oulton Park, Karl Harris was in Superbike as usual, Guy Martin took on the Supersport class in preparation for the North West 200 and Allan Jon Venter ran in Superstock on the PSM back machine. Harris loves racing at Oulton Park and was hoping for strong top six results, he qualified in ninth place and finished race one in the same position. “Race one was going good but we had a real problem with chatter which we didn’t manage to solve all weekend. We did what we could but it didn’t solve the problem. It happened when we were mid corner and trying to get on the gas, it started to push the front and set off the chatter,” he said. As for race two, well that ended in the gravel when Leon Camier and Harris had a coming together as Harris explains, “Race two was going better and then Leon Camier took me out. He hit me full on and just washed out the front end. So it was all a bit of a downer really as we had been running in about sixth place when that happened.” He is now looking ahead to Snetterton where he hopes he will have better luck. Martin took his 600 Supersport machine out on track in anger for the first time this year and pulled in a superb eleventh place finish having qualified in eighteenth place. “I was twenty second at the start of the first lap but at the end of the race I was up to eleventh!” he grinned, “It was my first time on that bike so I’m pleased with how things went. I wasn’t sticking my neck out as I want to make sure everything is ok for the TT. It was lacking a bit out of the corners but it handles like a dream so I’m really looking forward to the North West on it now.” The final member of the team, AJ, had to learn the challenging Oulton Park circuit. He qualified in twenty seventh and finished twenty second. “This is a crazy track and it is a rider’s track so everyone who has experience goes well here. Qualifying was wet and dry so it was hard work. If it had been full wet or full dry we would have been fine,” he explained. Despite the lowly result he made big improvements in his lap times, “I went faster each session that I was out on track and improved by 1.5secs. In the race the first corner was just crazy; everyone was bumping into each other. I got boxed in but my lap times improved so that was good. I’m looking forward to Snetterton as I’ve tested there so I know the track and we had good settings. I’m now going to the North West 200 to support Guy.” The fifth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship and the Metzeler National Superstock Championship will take place on the 18th 20th May at Snetterton. British Superbikes – Oulton Park Race One Result 1 – Gregorio Lavilla – Ducati – Airwaves Ducati – 27.29.245 2 – Leon Haslam – Ducati – Airwaves Ducati – 27.29.464 3 – Ryuichi Kiyonari – Honda – HM Plant Honda – 27.29.749 4 – Jonathan Rea – Honda – HM Plant Honda – 27.31.088 5 – Tom Sykes – Honda – Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport – 27.31.358 6 – Shane Byrne – Honda – Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport – 27.31.750 7 – Cal Crutchlow – Suzuki – Rizla Suzuki – 27.38.55 8 – Leon Camier – Honda – Honda – 27.40.769 9 – Karl Harris – Honda – Hydrex Honda – 27.48.337 10 – Tommy Hill – Yamaha – Virgin Media Optoma Loans – 27.55.421 British Superbikes – Oulton Park Race Two Result 1 – Ryuichi Kiyonari – Honda – HM Plant Honda – 27.33.097 2 – Leon Haslam – Ducati – Airwaves Ducati – 27.35.274 3 – Shane Byrne – Honda – Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport – 27.36.660 4 – Gregorio Lavilla – Ducati – Airwaves Ducati – 27.37.138 5 – Jonathan Rea – Honda – HM Plant Honda – 27.40.500 6 – Tom Sykes – Honda – Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport – 27.40.761 7 – Tommy Hill – Yamaha – Virgin Media Optoma Loans – 27.40.883 8 – Leon Camier – Honda – Honda – 27.46.957 9 – Chris Walker – Suzuki – Rizla Suzuki – 28.04.460 10 – Dean Thomas – Suzuki – Samsung Superbike Team – 28.05.490 DNF Karl Harris British Supersport – Oulton Park Race Result 1 – Dennis Hobbs – Honda – Padgetts Motorcycles 2 – Ian Lowry – Suzuki – Relentless Suzuki by TAS 3 – Michael Laverty – Suzuki – Relentless Suzuki by TAS 4 – Guy Sanders – Kawasaki – Gearlink Racing 5 – John McGuinness – Honda – Padgetts Motorcycles 6 – Tom Grant – Yamaha – Virgin Media Yamaha 7 – Sam Owens – Honda – Premier Motorsport 8 – Paul Young – Triumph – Paul Young Racing 9 – Jamie Robinson – Honda – Margal 10 – Stuart Easton – Kawasaki – Isilon MSS Discovery Kawasaki 11 – Guy Martin – Honda – Hydrex Honda National Superstock – Oulton Park Race Result 1 – Howie Mainwaring – MV Agusta – X-Bikes MV Agusta 2 – Glen Richards – Yamaha – Embassy Racing 3 – Lee Jackson – Yamaha – Krystal Racing/Space Air 4 – Ben Wilson – Suzuki – Windmill Suzuki 5 – Luke Quigley – Suzuki – PDM Racing 6 – Kieran Murphy – Suzuki – Goldstar Suzuki 7 – John Laverty – Ducati – Buildbase Ducati 8 – Adam Jenkinson – Suzuki – Rocket Centre Racing 9 – Matt Whitman – Yamaha – Team STP Racing 10 – Gareth Glynn – Yamaha – Raceways Yamaha 11 – Kieran Clarke – Ducati – Buildbase Ducati 12 – Martin Buckles – MV Agusta – X-Bikes MV Agusta 13 – Steve Mercer – Yamaha – The Bikeshop Faversham 14 – Gary Johnson – Yamaha – Speedfreak Racing 15 – Kenny Gilberston – Kawasaki – Astro – KS Kawasaki 16 – Jon Kirkham – Ducati – Samsung Superstock Team 17 – John Ingram – Suzuki – SMT/Ingram Racing 18 – Alastair Seeley – Yamaha – NCT/Vanfit Yamaha 19 – Hudson Kennaugh – Yamaha – Raceways Yamaha 20 – Dan Stewart – Yamaha – Wilcock Consulting 21 – Daniel Hegarty – Yamaha – Ace Yamaha 22 – Allan Jon Venter – Honda – Hydrex Honda

STEVE PLATER WINS WORLD ENDURANCE RACE Woodhall Spa racing star Steve Plater rode to a tremendous victory with Team Kawasaki France in the second round of the FIM World Endurance series at Albacete in Spain on Saturday night to move to just one point away from the series lead after two rounds. The six-hour race took place from 6pm midnight local time with the two-man Kawasaki France team comprising of Steve and Spanish rider Julian Mazuecos starting from third on the grid. The two riders took turn about to ride the bike for a one-hour stint each time, switching riders at every fuel stop. “The starting positions were determined by the amalgamated times from the three riders and gave us a start position of third. Although all three took part in qualifying, it was just myself and Julian Mazuecos that actually went out in the race with Gwen Giabbani sitting it out this time,” explained Steve. “Because Julian is Spanish and was actually racing at Albacete a couple of weeks ago he elected to start the race. He didn’t get a brilliant start, being fifth on the first lap, but within four laps had hit the front on the green and black Kawasaki.” By the end of his first session after 41 laps and one hour, Julien had extended his lead to over 11 seconds and pretty much dominated the session, breaking the lap record in the process, setting a new best time of one minute 32.690 seconds. But when Steve set off on his first outing he chose a different compound for the front tyre and struggled a bit, losing time with each lap. Then it began to rain quite heavily and to cut a long story short Steve went for a safe ride to bring the bike home for the changeover with the lead reduced to just over three seconds. As the race progressed into the night the two riders rode well to extend their lead to over 20 seconds with Julian Mazuecos shaving a further tenth of a second from the lap record set earlier in the race, this time a lap of one minute 32.451 seconds was recorded. Throughout the closing stages Steve was pushing really hard and the lead was extended to around a minute and the Lincolnshire rider finally crossed the finish line at the end of the six hours with over a lap in hand to take the race win for Kawasaki France. “Because we are now very close to the series lead, just one point behind the Team Suzuki current world champions we will definitely be contesting the third round in Suzuka,” said Steve. “Its good to be back at the top of the podium and it feels really nice to be in contention for a world championship title.” Steve was originally heading directly to Oulton Park from Albacete to contest round four of the British Superbike campaign with AIM Yamaha but his connecting flight from Spain was delayed and he was unable to get to the circuit in time for qualifying. “We are not in the running for the title so it isn’t the end of the world,” said Steve. “I am now on my way over to Ireland for the North West 200. I will be riding for AIM Yamaha in the two Superbike races and possibly the Supersport race as well.” Steve won both Superbike races in 2006 and will be looking for more of the same this time around. Qualifying is on Tuesday and Thursday with roads closing at 10am Saturday in preparation for the first race due to begin at 11am.

Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown Teleconference Mat Mladin (Yoshimura Suzuki) Note: Six-time AMA Superbike champion Mat Mladin, who is the most decorated rider in AMA history with 54 career Superbike victories, took part in a teleconference with media members from Northern California in advance of the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Supercuts, at Infineon Raceway, May 18-20. Below is a transcript of the teleconference: Mat, you are certainly off to a tremendous start to the season. Can you talk about the start to the season and your motivation for recapturing the championship? MM: You know, this year’s been a good year so far. From a motivation side of things, there was a little bit of talk last year that maybe my time was up and maybe it was time to move over and let the young kids have a bit of a go, but the fact of the matter is I won’t go away that easily. I worked hard in the off season, and since Daytona we have wins in three of the last four races and have had a good, hard season so far. It really has been a contentious season so far, particularly with you and Ben Spies. Do you see any of yourself in Ben? Maybe when you were 20 years old? MM: I don’t know him that well, to be honest with you. We are teammates, but we don’t really see much of each other or speak to each other. When I was his age, I won a national championship back in Australia, so from a results standpoint there are certainly some similarities, but otherwise not really. There are a lot of young riders getting into the sport, what would your advice be to them? MM: I think it’s important that first and foremost these guys get themselves to (the) race track to go fast and stay off the street. All professional racers ride fast, but we do it safely and within the limits of the law. Unfortunately, there’s too much of this other stuff going on. Get yourself to a track day, to a day when all of the bikes are going the same way. Get yourself there and see how you go. Things like that are probably the easiest way to get an idea of where you stand. The AMA has scheduled the Hangtown event in Sacramento on the same weekend as the Superbike event in Sonoma. What do you see as being the big difference between two sides of motorcycle racing? MM: The main similarities are that they’re both motorcycles and they’ve got two wheels. That’s about it. I’ve done both on a professional side, including motocross in my early days, but they’re very, very different. Ben Spies swept the two races at Infineon Raceway last year, is that on your payback schedule? Is this one weekend you’ve marked on your calendar? MM: You know, he swept the two at Barber and the two at Fontana last year, as well, and we’ve taken three of the last four this year. It’s not something we’re taking on a negative note, perhaps it’s something he’s taking on a positive note. Certainly we’ve taken away that positive. I’m looking forward to getting together and putting a good solid race on, and getting inducted into the Wall of Fame will be fun. I’ll get to see me ingrained in that track for a long time, which will be fun. You passed Miguel Duhamel for the all-time Superbike win record a while back. Do goals like that cross your mind? MM: Not really. Miguel’s got wins in a bunch of different classes. My records have all been set in the premier class, in Superbike. I think Miguel might have 32 wins in Superbike, but I’ve got 50-something (54) and six championships to Miguel’s one. Do tracks where you’ve broken records become your favorites? MM: Every track has to be my favorite track. You can’t go to a track and say you’re not going to perform. You have to be comfortable on most of the tracks. I’ve always looked at racing that way. I’ve always said, a racetrack is just a bunch of corners, connected by a bunch of straights, and that’s how I look at them. Can you talk about the unique personality of Infineon Raceway? MM: Infineon is probably one of the most challenging tracks we go to. It has a bunch of corners connected by very few straights. It’s a rider’s track, that’s for sure. It has a lot of blind corners over little hills. It’s certainly one of the most challenging tracks each year. This season is shaping up to me one of the more competitive in AMA history, is that how you thought it would be? MM: I knew Ben would be tough, although I’m not sure that everyone was so confident that I’d be as tough as I’ve turned out to be this year. It’s going to be a competitive year since both of us are riding pretty good, and it’s just a mater of who’s going to get the most wins. The race in Fontana seemed to be a particularly exciting one. MM: The race in Fontana was a good race, and it was reasonably comfortable for us the first two-thirds or so. We had a bit of tire delamination that we were fighting, but then it was just a matter of staying strong and holding him off, and we managed to do that. Do you think the AMA needs more races like that to help generate interest for the casual fan? MM: For sure. Anyone who says that AMA races have been pretty boring so far needs a new set of bifocals, right? You mentioned that you’ve been working hard in the off season. What have you been doing to get ready? MM: There are a bunch of different types of trainings that we do. I actually started a training company, and you can join and see what I do, if you’d like. Would you have the motivation to push yourself like you do without Ben? MM: No, I think it would be very difficult. Things were pretty easy for a few years, and I got a little lazy and complacent. It all caught up with me in the end. You really like your privacy. Is that hard to balance when you’re a star of the sport? MM: As motorcycle racers, we have a lot on our plate at the race track and away at testing. Away from the track, we don’t do much press stuff. I certainly enjoy promoting the sport, but away from the track I like to spend time with my family and get away from it, but I certainly try to do what I’m asked to do to promote the sport and get it to the next level. Suzuki is dominant in Superbike, and has been for a while. Why is Suzuki so dominant? MM: To be honest with you, I think Suzuki makes great sport bikes. Also, over the years, Suzuki has become very strong and having the right riders to keep pushing you along, and good development riders, certainly helps develop the motorcycles into race-winning motorcycles. Is that because they put so much into the development? MM: Yeah, for sure. They’ve worked very, very hard at delivering us good bikes and over the years, Suzuki has certainly proven that when it comes to building good bikes, they’ve won a lot of championships and their record speaks for itself. With all of your wins at Infineon and with all of the improvements there, is it one of your favorites? MM: They’ve done a lot of work on the race track, and we tested up there a month or so ago. There is still some work that needs to be done, but they’ve come a long way. It’s certainly one of my favorites because it’s so challenging. I like a good challenge and Infineon is a fun track to race around, that’s for sure. What is your relationship like with Ben Spies? MM: We don’t have one, really, to be honest with you. He’s a lot younger than me and he does a lot of different things. We’re teammates and we’re competitors, and we seem to be the two guys on the track who seem to be fighting it out. There’s certainly no love lost between us. What are your expectations for Infineon Raceway? MM: My expectation is to win a couple of races. We need to do that to gain some points on Ben and really make a run for the championship. You’d mentioned that you may have become a little complacent after wining all the championships, how has Ben helped you rededicate yourself to winning championships? MM: Well, the biggest help was obviously kicking my butt last year. That was the number one thing. Number two, knowing how strong he is and knowing that he’s a very good motorbike rider. Knowing that I’d have to really work to keep up with him and beat him. I know I’m a pretty good rider, I’ve got a few wins myself, but at 35 years old, it certainly takes a lot of work to keep up with a 22 year old. Can you talk a little about the health of the AMA and how it’s grown the last few years? MM: For sure, we’re seeing record attendance at most races we go to these days, and certainly since the late ’90s and 2000, things have taken off quickly. Walking around the paddock and seeing how much money the manufacturers are spending and the good riders they’re putting on bikes, and the number of people and fans you get around the paddock, it’s very, very hard to miss it. It’s there in your face, and the growth of the series has been very good the last few years. When you first came into the series, Miguel Duhamel and Doug Chandler were the leaders, and you were the young-gun coming up. Do you recognize how things have come full circle? MM: Not really. I don’t see myself as somebody who’s been in the position to win and then decided to go away and not win anymore. I’ve seen myself dedicate myself for years to come, and I’m certainly not a rider who’s going to hang around when I believe I’m not able to get the job done anymore. I’ll be the first to admit when I can’t beat the younger kids or I can’t get the job done. Any idea how much longer you’ll keep racing? MM: It’s really year by year. Obviously I’m 35 and I’ve been a professional now for 15 or 16 years. I’ve been around a long time. I won my first Superbike championship in 1992. The thing that I look at is that I’m in better condition now than I’ve ever been in my life, and from a mental perspective I want this more than I ever have before. I don’t see why I wouldn’t be able to be competitive. I’m contracted with Suzuki through the end of next year, which means I give it all I can through 2008. If I still feel like I’m competitive then, I’ll make my decision. Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown WHAT: Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Supercuts WHEN: May 18-20 CIRCUIT: 12-turn, 2.22-mile road course 2006 SUPERBIKE POLE WINNER: Ben Spies (Suzuki) 2006 SUPERBIKE WINNER: Ben Spies (Suzuki) NOTABLE: The race weekend will feature a doubleheader of AMA Superbike racing, as well as Supermoto and SBFreaks Freestyle. TICKETS: $15-$35 single day/$60 weekend; 12-and-under FREE and parking FREE INFORMATION: 800-870-RACE, www.infineonraceway.com, www.ticketmaster.com

Local Rider Rapp Ready for Success in Sonoma Valley during AMA Weekend SONOMA, Calif. Local rider Steve Rapp is enjoying the best start of his career in the AMA Series, and he hopes that run continues at the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown at Infineon Raceway, May 18-20. The weekend is presented by Supercuts. Rapp, a graduate of Acalanes High School in Lafayette in the East Bay, recorded the biggest win of his career earlier this year in the 66th running of the prestigious Daytona 200. Honda was expected to dominate the race, but Rapp and teammate Ben Attard shocked the field by finishing 1-2 in Daytona Beach (Fla.) for Attack Kawasaki. “I was with a new team and on a new bike, and this was the first time where I came and started the year off with a win,” said Rapp. “To top it off with it being the Daytona 200 was pretty special.” Rapp demonstrated his victory in Daytona was no fluke as he sits near the top of the points standings for Pro Honda Oils Supersport and Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme. Rapp is second in Formula Xtreme after three races. He won in Daytona, was third at Barber Motorsports Park (Ala.) and sixth at California Speedway. He is also third in Supersport, with three top-seven efforts to begin the season. He is simply enjoying the best season of his AMA career, which began in 1996. “There were a lot of unknowns coming into the season, and to start off as good as it has been was beyond what anyone could have expected,” said Rapp. “I wanted it, but I couldn’t have expected it.” The 35-year-old hopes that roll continues at Infineon Raceway, which he considers his home track. He has never won on the Sonoma Valley road course, and last year he placed ninth in both Superbike races and seventh in Superstock. “Hopefully Infineon Raceway will be the turning point for me,” said Rapp. “I’m 10 points behind Josh (Hayes) in the Formula Xtreme championship, so hopefully I can start earning some points there. It is my home track. I started racing there, and I feel comfortable there. Hopefully it’ll be a great turning point for us.” Rapp will ride in the Formula Xtreme main event on Saturday, May 19, at 4:30 p.m., and the Supersport final on Sunday, May 20, at 2 p.m. Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown WHAT: Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Supercuts WHEN: May 18-20 CIRCUIT: 12-turn, 2.22-mile road course 2006 SUPERBIKE POLE WINNER: Ben Spies (Suzuki) 2006 SUPERBIKE WINNER: Ben Spies (Suzuki) NOTABLE: The race weekend will feature a doubleheader of AMA Superbike racing, as well as Supermoto and SBFreaks Freestyle. TICKETS: $15-$35 single day/$60 weekend; 12-and-under FREE and parking FREE INFORMATION: 800-870-RACE, www.infineonraceway.com, www.ticketmaster.com

Dalke Motorsports Scores podium finish in the second round of the WERA National Endurance at Barber Motorsports Park. Dalke Motorsports overcame Friday distractions of transporter breakdowns and paddock theft to bring their new Interstate Cycle Yamaha R6 to a 2nd place finish. The team used the 6 week break between rounds one and two to prepare the quick change and quick fueling equipment. The work really paid off as Dalke was able to fuel the bike in 20 seconds and keep putting in laps. The quick fuel stops and Pirelli’s harder compound front with the new rears were crucial in this round. With 24 600cc teams split evenly between Mediumweight SuperBike and SuperStock and 15 Heavyweight teams Dalke held on to 9th overall in a race where any team that stopped for more than a 30 second fueling dropped off the leaders board. Just 3 laps separated 3rd overall from 15th overall in the 43 bike field. A strong finish and the pit-stops worked out added to the expectation of Pirelli’s new “yellow” compounds for the front and rear tires have Dalke anticipating the next round at Jennings GP. To see more about Dalke Motorsports and view candid photos from Barber check the website @ dalkemotorsports.com after May 15. More, from a press release issued by Aquino Motorsports: Tommy (15) and Michael (11) Aquino both podiumed at Barber Motorsports this past weekend in the WERA National. At only his second national and first time ever at Barber, Tommy placed 3rd in the WERA 600 Superbike class. Michael, riding his 80, placed 1st on both race days. Thanks go out to WERA for supporting the Minis. For more info go to www.tommyaquino24.com More, from a press release issued by bp concepts: “bp concepts” # 8 WERA Endurance 600 Superbike team was on top of the podium last Saturday at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds Alabama, taking first place in class and fourth overall in their second round of the WERA Endurance Series. Team owner Brandon Parrish started the 4 hour race from row 5 putting in consistent lap times riding their Crosley Dunlop shod 2007 GSXR 600 powered by NPSracing.com setting the fastest lap of all the 600s in lap 23. He came into the pits first in class and second overall behind Vesrah Suzuki on lap 38 where Bo LeMastus took over for the next stint. Bo had a great run, maintaining a good pace and brought it back in for Andy Feuersthaler to start the third hour. Andy rode the longest stint of the 4 hours for the team putting in 44 solid laps bringing it in for fuel in 5th overall. Brandon finished up the 4 hours with a 23 lap stint to secure first in class and finish fourth overall 55 seconds behind third. Brandon Parrish comments: “It was a great weekend for our new team, Bo LeMastus and Andy Feuersthaler rode great, our help in the pits was just fantastic and our equipment was flawless. Coming into this race we were fourth in class from the first round at Roebling Road in Savannah, and with a new sponsor on board Wise Guys Fabrication out of Louisville Kentucky, we were able to get our gas tank enlarged, add the dry break system provided by Lockhart Phillips and utilize our Wise Guys Fabed dump can to allow for faster pit stops and longer stints. We have just a few things we want to modify for faster pit stops and we look forward to the 6 hour round at Jennings GP May 19th. We want to give a special thanks to all the sponsors that make this team possible.” Visit www.brandonparrish.com to learn more about the team! Go to www.wera.com for information about the WERA National Endurance Series. More, from a press release issued by 5150 Racing/Team moto-heaven.com: 5150 Racing / Team moto-heaven.com take second place at Barber for round 2 of the WERA/AMA National Endurance Series. Despite having an extremely challenging weekend, team owner Justin Marm and fill-in rider James Vanderhaar rode to 2nd place in the heavyweight supersport class during the 4-hour endurance at Barber Motorsports Park this past weekend aboard the Fast by Ferracci MV Agusta F4 1000R. The weekend did not start out good as Marm received news of a death in the family of team captain Phil Caudill. During the drive from Philadelphia, PA to Leeds, AL Marm attempted to get a replacement rider but none were available on such short notice. In conversation with fellow endurance racer James Vanderhaar of Team L.O.C., they decided that he would ride one stint, allowing Marm to remain in the race for the maximum allowed time. The plan was for Marm to start the race aboard the 5150 MV. Vanderhaar would ride the L.O.C. Yamaha R6 the first and final stint. Marm would stay on the MV up to the 2-hour point or until the second tank of fuel ran out, at which point Vanderhaar would take over. As soon as Marm rested for 30 minutes, he would signal for Vanderhaar to pit and resume riding duties until the end of the race. This all seemed simple, but neither rider realized just how physically exhausting it would be to turn consistent fast laps for that length of time. A rear tire problem during the beginning laps of the race created a problem for Marm that caused him to ride conservatively and cautiously for the first half of the race. “We discovered after the race that the rear Dunlop D.O.T. spun on the rim and lost air pressure during the opening laps. From that point on, the rear was stepping out under neutral throttle too often and rear drive was greatly decreased exiting corners. All this made the bike extremely physical to ride, which wore me out much quicker.” At the halfway point of the race, the rear tire stepped out, causing Marm to low-side exiting turn 8. After getting the bike picked-up, returning to the pits, changing the rear tire, & refueling, Vanderhaar took to the track for his turn on the MV. “I went through turn eight the same as I had every lap. I was aware of the decreased rear traction and just before I was getting on the gas, the rear stepped out. It was as if someone bumped me from behind, I was just sliding on the ground. Luckily there was no damage and I was able to return to the pits without loosing too many laps.” Vanderhaar still had one remaining ride aboard his LOC Endurance R6 so he piloted the MV for less than a full stint, but long enough to give Marm a much-needed break. Marm completed the remaining 1.5 hours, turning consistent lap times, bringing the 5150 / Team moto-heaven.com 2007 MV Agusta F4 1000R to the finish with a result of second in class, twelfth overall. “I haven’t ridden a 1000 in over a year and to ride the MV was fun. The bike handles great and has amazing power. Getting off the L.O.C. R6 onto the MV is quite a change and it took a few laps to acclimate myself to the power and torque difference,” explained Vanderhaar of the experience. “The second rear Dunlop felt good, but at that point I was physically drained and just wanted to complete the race in one piece to remain in the championship chase. This weekend has shown me how important Phil Caudill is to the team and to keeping things running smooth throughout the weekend,” said Marm. More, from a press release issued by AB-1 Motorsports. Aprilia on the l’edge James “the Rocket” Rispoli got the call to put the Aprilia 550 through its paces at the rough, tight and tumble Nelson Ledges Road Course this weekend. After a disappointing round at Summit Point where a blown oil seal caused James to retire early while leading, the AB-1 Motorsports team had a two week gap in the schedule to address some of the reliability issues with the help of sponsor Interstate Cycle of Cornelius NC. The work paid off as James put the Aprilia in the first spot in two classes, but that clearly wasn’t enough for this quick study. James ran the bike from the back of the light weight twins Superbike class and came through the field to chase down the top five front runners. James ended up winning the Supermoto class entered and rode all the way through the field to take a fourth place overall against the modified SV’s. The nimble 550 was quick, quiet and powerful allowing James to take some “whacked-out” lines as one fellow rider put it as he put on a charge. Aaron Brown team manager for AB-1 Motorsports had this to say, “I was feeling more and more confident after Friday’s practice and even more optimistic after testing on Saturday that everything would hold together. I knew if we could keep the gremlins in check James would be able to set a very fast pace and really show us what kind of potential the bike has. Nelson is a fast flowing course that allowed the Aprilia to show off its top end capability. Other than working on suspension set up the bike is right off the show room floor. I’m thrilled that both James and the bike did their job and we had awesome results. I think we’re getting to a good base and can work from there.” James also ran in several 600 expert classes where he is learning to ride the new bike and achieved 11th, 10th, 8th and 6th place finishes in that order as the day progressed. AB-1 Motorsports is known at the club level for their Ducati knowledge and expertise and is expanding their reach to work with young up and coming riders using Supermoto bikes as trainers. Watch out for the AB Motorsports trailer at WERA Regional and National events in 2007. More, from a press release issued by Millnic Media Honda: Round 2 of the WERA/AMA National Endurance Series is in the books and for Millnic Media Honda a mix bag of results and emotions. Round 2 was held at the famed Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama under partly cloudy skies with great track conditions. Armed with a new CBR600RR, new team shirts (courtesy of Frame By Frame Productions), new Tifosi sunglasses and a host of new sponsors Millnic Media Honda was ready to do battle on the track. With a 13th position on the grid the Millnic Media Honda team decided that new team rider Steven Breckenridge would start the race. Unfortunately within two laps a red flag came out when Nate Kern had a big highside stopping race action. When things got back underway Steven had a ripping start to put the Honda CBR600RR into 1st in class and 5th overall. The team’s strategy was to use one set of Dunlop tires for the entire 4 hour race. With Steven cutting impressive lap times and riding with former World Superbike Champion Scott Russell (who was on a 1000cc motorcycle) we knew this would be a good day. By the way, the CBR600RR Millnic Media Honda used for round 2 was brand new just 2 weeks ago. With only a slip-on pipe from LeoVince and full Ohlins suspension front and rear the CBR was basically stock. There were no engine mods, no DynoJet Power Commander (yet), no quickshifter… this motorcycle is stock with the stock header pipe. Some may think that put Millnic Media Honda at a disadvantage, but when the dust cleared Steven Breckenridge set the fastest lap time of the day for the Middle Weight Superstock Class at a 1.33.640. Twelve motorcycles were entered in the MSS class and the new CBR600RR set the fastest overall time in the class. That alone speaks volumes to the great Honda, Dunlop and Ohlins products that MMH uses. With Steven’s first stint in the books, it was Greg White’s turn to ride. That is when the Millnic Media Honda team settled into a rhythm on the track. Team Leader Melissa Paris was suffering from a bad cold and was only able to muster a half hour stint, but that half hour paid huge dividends in the end because the team only had two more pitstops until the checkered flag. In the end the Millnic Media Honda crew walked away with mixed emotions. The final results: 13th overall, 4th in class and fastest lap in class. In the overall position Millnic Media Honda improved one spot from Round 1, with 42 overall teams entered (7 more than round 1), and fourth in class with 12 teams entered, just off the podium in class, but with 2 more teams entered a positive sign. Although having the fastest lap of the race does nothing for the championship, it does tell a great story about the efforts of AMA Formula Xtreme Champion Josh Hayes and Melissa Paris’s efforts to get the brand new motorcycle up to speed right out of the box. http://www.mmhracing.com has the video blog from the race over the weekend. Hear what Melissa, Steven and Greg had to say.

JackAss Racing/314Racing.com take overall endurance win in 2007 CRA opener. The JackAss Racing/314Racing.com team of Jason Jenkins and Mark Nelson took the GP4 and overall win in the opening round of the 2007 CRA Endurance Series aboard their Michelin shod GSXR1000 on Saturday afternoon at BIR in north central Minnesota. Adam Dolney and Brian Bornhorst of Shockwave Racing #2 placed second overall and first in GP3 while piloting their 06 R6, while Shane Fletcher and Christian Schmidt of Shockwave Racing #1 finished #3 overall, second in GP4 on their CBR1000RR. Shawn Conrad took first place finishes in MWSSE, UNLSBE and MWSBE. Shane Fletcher two first, three second and one third place finishes. Andrew Hoeschen took his first win as well as two seconds and one third place finish. Many first year experts showed their stuff as Tony Kasper, Christian Schmidt and Robert Pretts all scored top 5 finishes throughout the weekend. The CRA returns to action at Brainerd International Raceway June 15-17th and will hold the annual Framsted Cup race. Endurance Round 1 Results: Overall: 1. JackAss Racing/314Racing.com – Suzuki/Michelin 2. Shockwave Racing #2 – Yamaha/Michelin 3. Shockwave Racing #1 – Honda/Michelin GP3: 1. Shockwave Racing #1 – Yamaha/Michelin 2. Jenspeed – Yamaha/Michelin 3. Mamba – Yamaha/Michelin GP4: 1. JackAss Racing/314Racing.com – Suzuki/Michelin 2. Shockwave Racing #1 – Honda/Michelin 3. Princess Fast – Honda/Michelin UNLSSE 1. Shane Keavney 2. Shane Fletcher 3. Mark Dargis HWSSE 1. Shane Fletcher 2. Matt Losen 3. Tony Kasper HWSSN 1. Andrew Hoeschen 2. Scott Christopher 3. Josh Jones MWSSE 1. Shawn Conrad 2. Shane Fletcher 3. Tony Kasper MWSSN 1. Jess Moeding 2. Andrew Hoeschen 3. Aaron Anderson LWSSE 1. Brent Bixby 2. Brad Zajic 3. Jesse Stoner LWSSN 1. David Holter 2. Patrick Beyers 3. Dennis Zajac ULSSE 1. Alex Freeman 2. Dan Bowden 3. Christian Schmidt ULSSN 1. Jason Dotay 2. Andy Martin 3. Jeremy Womack UNLSBE 1. Shawn Conrad 2. Shane Fletcher 3. Jace Porter HWSBE 1. Shane Fletcher 2. Matt Losen 3. Tony Kasper HWSBN 1. Jess Moeding 2. Aaron Anderson 3. Derrick Boone MWSBE 1. Shawn Conrad 2. Matt Losen 3. Shane Fletcher MWSBN 1. Jess Moeding 2. Andrew Hoeschen 3. Tucker Dally LWSBE 1. Brad Zajic 2. Brent Bixby 3. Jesse Stoner LWSBN 1. Tony Williams 2. Tony Legueri 3. Dennis Goman ULSBE 1. Alex Freeman 2. Sheldon Nelson 3. Christian Schmidt ULSBN 1. Jason Dotay 2. John Rowsick 3. Jeremy Womack UNLGPE 1. Christian Schmidt 2. Mark Dargis 3. Mark Miller HWGPE 1. Tony Kasper 2. Robert Pretts 3. Matt Losen HWGPN 1. Jess Moeding 2. Aaron Anderson 3. Derrick Boone MWGPE 1. Tony Kasper 2. Matt Losen 3. Robert Pretts MWGPN 1. Jess Moeding 2. Aaron Anderson 3. Andrew Hoeschen LWGPE 1. Brian Okubo 2. Jeff Japs 3. Brad Zajic LWGPN 1. Tony Williams 2. Tony Legueri 3. Dennis Goman ULGPE 1. Alex Freeman 2. Sheldon Nelson 3. Bruce Magee ULGPN 1. Jason Dotray 250GP 1. Brian Okubo 2. Alex Freeman 3. Bruce Magee SuperTwins expert 1. Brad Zajic 2. Kurt Procter 3. Brent Bixby SuperTwins novice 1. Tony Williams 2. Dennis Zajac 3. Ben Moore More, from another press release issued by CRA: Conrad takes victory at opening CRA weekend. Central Roadracing Association (CRA) May 5th and 6th, 2007 at BIR. CRA kicked off its season in 2007 at beautifully fast Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, MN. It was great to see all the faces of the CRA return for another season of the fastest type of fun. Our New Racer School produced 22 new racers to join our ranks. These new riders braved the rain and 25mph winds to complete their race test at the end of Friday’s practice. Congratulations gang! Saturday hosted our Supersport sprints and the first 2 hour endurance race for our 2007 endurance series. Middleweight SS expert was won by Shawn Conrad on a Kawasaki ZX6R with Shane Fletcher on a Yamaha R6 coming in second. Jess Moeding on a Honda 600RR and Andrew Hoeschen on a Yamaha R6 taking first and second for the novices. Ultralight SS was won by Alex Freeman on his Ducati Monster 620 for expert and Jason Dotay on a Suzuki GS500 for novice. The Lightweight SS winner was Brent Bixby on a Suzuki SV650 for expert and David Holter in novice on a SV650 as well. Winners in Heavyweight SS where Shane Fletcher on a Yamaha R6 in expert and Andrew Hoeschen on a Yamaha R6 in novice. Lastly the Unlimited SS victor in a rain race was Shane Keavney riding a Suzuki GSXR1000 for our expert class. The 2007 endurance series got off to a wonderful start with a damp track and high winds rewarding the racers who could tip toe fastest around the track. Thankfully the winds helped dry the track as well and the remainder of the race saw improving track conditions. Jackass Racing took first place in GP4 and the overall victory on a Suzuki GSXR1000 with Shockwave Racing 2 taking a close second overall finishing on the same lap with only a 13 second margin and first place in GP3 on a Yamaha R6. TeamPoop took 6th overall and first in GP2 aboard a Suzuki SV650. Another 2 hour race is scheduled for July 21st and the final endurance event 5 hour race on Sept. 16th. Sunday comprised our Superbike and GP races to close out the weekend. It continued to rain off and on Sunday morning with most races experiencing a light dash of moisture. By Sunday afternoon the sun decided to join us and make for a great afternoon of racing. Kurt Proctor won the Supertwins race for expert and Tony Williams riding a SV650 for novice. Middleweight expert races where won by Shawn Conrad and Tony Kasper while Heavyweight expert victories went to Shane Fletcher and Tony Kasper. Unlimited expert victory went to Shawn Conrad and Christian Schmidt. Jess Moeding winning all Novice races for Middle and Heavyweight in SB and GP. In Ultralight Alex Freeman for expert and Jason Dotay for novice taking the wins in SB and GP. Congratulations to all the racers and a huge “thank you” to our volunteer work staff who once again provided the best racing environment and service possible! For detailed results visit: http://cra-mn.mylaps.com Come join us June 15-17 for our next race weekend at BIR. For more information please contact the CRA at www.cra-mn.com or call (612) 332-4070.

Bridgestone MotoGP: China GP Debrief Q+A with Hiroshi Yamada Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager Motorcycle Sport Wednesday 09 May 2007 Ducati’s Casey Stoner took his third win in four races at the Shanghai International Circuit on Sunday to extend his championship lead to fifteen points. The victory also marked the third win on Bridgestone tyres this season with six of the last ten premier class races having been won by riders on Bridgestone tyres (Loris Capirossi in Brno and Motegi, Troy Bayliss in Valencia, Stoner in Qatar, Turkey and China). The last four victories on Bridgestone tyres have been at circuits where the tyre manufacturer has not previously been successful, showcasing the competitive advancements that Bridgestone has made in recent years. What was Bridgestone’s approach to this year’s Chinese GP? “Like Turkey, the Shanghai circuit has not been a track where we have had the chance to test our new generation of tyres with the new 800cc bikes, so it was another step into the unknown. Our approach was similar to that of the Turkish Grand Prix two weeks’ earlier, by using data acquired from previous MotoGP races in Shanghai combined with lessons learned with the new 800cc machines in the first races and tests of this season. Because the climate in China has typically been quite unpredictable, we opted to bring a wider range of tyre specifications to Shanghai to be prepared for any eventuality.” Did weather conditions affect the weekend preparations? “There seemed to be a permanent threat of rain all weekend, which never came during the day, so we had quite stable track conditions in all sessions. The weather itself was quite warm but overcast which left the track temperature around the 30°C mark. We had wet weather tyres on standby at all times, but we never needed them and gathered a lot of useful information in free practice sessions which helped us prepare accurately for the race.” Did Bridgestone’s range of tyres work well immediately from the first session? “We set a solid base from Friday practice with some riders showing good pace right away. Riders from all five of our teams were able to post encouraging times with John Hopkins leading the way for Suzuki. We evaluated a range of specifications in these first sessions and were also able to conduct a medium length run with some riders to verify the durability of the tyres. On the first day it is difficult to know what the opposition is working on, so we try not to draw too many conclusions, even if the tyres had shown a good level of initial performance.” Were you pleased with qualifying given John Hopkins’s front row position? “Valentino Rossi was in a class of his own in qualifying so John’s second place grid result was highly commendable. It was good to have a Bridgestone-shod rider on the front row again and to see John able to repeat his strong second place from 2006. Good laps from Casey Stoner, Marco Melandri, Randy de Puniet and Alex Barros ensured that all five Bridgestone-equipped teams were in the top eight which was very pleasing and produced our best all round qualifying performance of the season.” How much influence do you believe tyre performance had in the race itself? “I believe that tyres always play an integral role in the race result and we work hard with our teams to extract full performance and durability out of our tyres over the full race distance. Casey was again the man to beat and leads the championship after four events, but there were seven riders on Bridgestone tyres in the top nine which proves that our tyres were competitive with all four manufacturers that we are supplying this year.” Were you surprised by the race pace? “The pace of the race was exceptional and I was pleased that our tyres were able to respond to the demands that our riders required over 22 laps. For example, Casey completed ten laps in the race quicker than his previous best of the weekend on race tyres, while John managed 12 laps quicker than his best on race tyres in practice. Overall it was great to see the Ducati-Bridgestone package score another win and it was also fantastic to see John take his debut podium finish in MotoGP after another strong performance from the Suzuki team in China.”

First Person/Opinion An email from Ethan Gillim’s grandmother (forwarded to Roadracingworld.com by Earl Hayden): This is for family and special friends. Here is the actual visitation times and funeral etc times: Funeral arrangements by Glenn Funeral Home www.glennfuneralhome.com (address available on website) Visitation will be Wednesday, May 9th from 2pm – 8pm & again Thursday, May 10th from 10am – 12 noon. Prayer Service at the funeral home, Thursday, May 10th from 12pm – 1pm. There will be a processional with motorcycles to the church below…. Memorial Service at Masonville Methodist church from 2 pm – If you were planning to send flowers, instead of flowers, a monetary donation to the Gillim Family to help offset funeral expenses would be greatly appreciated. (if sending a check, please make a notation in the memo portion of your check that this donation is to be put toward Ethan Gillim’s funeral expenses). Please send your gifts to: The Gillim family C/O Shawna Hayden-Powell 2420 Daviess St. Owensboro, KY 42303 Thank you for all your prayers! Blessings

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra news 2007 Superbike World Championship Preview: Round 6, Monza, Italy, 13th May MAX’S FIRST HOME RACE. The sixth round of this year’s Superbike World Championship takes place at the legendary Monza circuit and it will be the first ‘home’ race for Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Max Biaggi. Max has never raced at Monza at either World Superbike or MotoGP level, so the 5.792 kilometre track is going to be a very new experience for the Roman. Last year Monza was not a happy hunting ground for Team Alstare Suzuki Corona EXtra rider Yukio Kagayama. He crashed early on in race one, after Toseland highsided right next to him, and was forced to retire in race with clutch problems. MAX Racing at Monza will be a new experience for me for two reasons: first, I have never ridden a Superbike there before and second, it will be the first time I will be racing a Superbike in Italy. I know that there will be extra attention on me from the Italian media particularly, but once I am on the bike I concentrate on what has to be done and do not let outside influences get in the way. For me, it’s not hard to focus on the work and Monza will be no exception. I will be at a disadvantage compared to the SBK regulars because they have all raced at Monza before and will have greater track knowledge then me. But normally I learn tracks pretty fast and I think I will be OK. I know that Monza is famous for slipstreaming and it is definitely something I need to be aware of in the races. But my first task is to learn the track, get a good bike set-up and then go fast. That’s my goal. YUKIO I would prefer to forget about Monza last year and think positively about this year. I must get better results this year for sure – as I don’t believe that I can have the same bad luck as last year. The crash in the first race was strange. Toseland high-sided right next to me and I could not avoid hitting him. But the impact of our collision caused him to land back on his bike, whereas I hit the tarmac and that was that! Second race was a technical problem, so no more to say. This year is still not going as I expect. I have had crashes, bad luck and some technical things to sort out, but I feel I must be due for some good results soon. Maybe Monza can be a change of fortune for me. I hope so, because I need it! 2006 results Race 1: 1 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati), 2 Barros (Bra-Honda), 3 Corser (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), YUKIO KAGAYAMA (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) DNF, Race 2: 1 Bayliss, Corser (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 3 Haga (J-Yamaha). YUKIO KAGAYAMA (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) DNF,