ASSEN CIRCUIT HOSTS SBK ROUND FOR THE SIXTEENTH TIME DUTCH TREAT IN STORE FOR WORLD SUPERBIKE CLASSES Few circuits in the world have as much tradition and history as the track in the northern province of Van Drenthe, and for the 16th time in succession the World Superbike circus will be stopping off at the classic venue of Assen. Always evolving in terms of layout and facilities, Assen may be somewhat truncated from its previous versions, but it is still one of the tracks any rider with ambitions of greatness has high on his winning wish list. The Assen SBK weekend is traditionally held in September, but this year the late April date sees it forming the ‘end of the beginning’, rather than it being a venue where many a championship fight is all but decided. The weekend starts with an Open Paddock show on Thursday 26th, with the first on-track action taking place on Friday 27th. TOSELAND AHEAD BUT BIAGGI CLOSE BEHIND James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) won his fourth race in eight attempts this season when he secured the top step of the podium in race two at Valencia, but fifth place in race one, largely due to a tyre spinning on the wheel rim, ensured that he made little clear space to overall second place rider, Max Biaggi (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra). Biaggi is now 13 points behind Toseland and has to meet the challenge of another circuit new to him in SBK guise, as Assen was modified again only last year, when Biaggi was not active in any world series. HAGA AND CORSER THIRD AND FOURTH Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) and his team-mate Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia) sit third and fourth respectively in the 2007 championship chase, with Corser some 23 points behind his team-mate. On an all-new Yamaha R1 this year, this is already something of an achievement for each rider. Haga has winning form at the Dutch venue, having ridden the R7 Yamaha to a victory in 2000, but none of Corser’s 33 career race wins in SBK guise have come at Assen. BAYLISS READY TO BLAZE HIS WAY AROUND ASSEN Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) bounced back from a desperate Donington no-score with third and sixth places at Valencia, and he now sits fifth overall, albeit some 61 points down on Toseland. His three previous Assen wins include one in 2006, meaning that he is the only rider in the championship with a win at Assen in its current 4.555km layout. Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) is currently sixth in the overall standings but has yet to score a Superbike podium at Assen. He has been a winner here in the past, however, taking the honours in the Superstock 1000 class in 2003. XAUS THE MAN TO WATCH On a 2006 factory machine with a strong electronics package, Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Ducati) blew the opposition away at Valencia in race one two weeks ago, and he must also be considered a potential podium man at Assen. He won a Superbike race there in 2003 and a WSS race in 2000, and even though Assen has been through many changes in layout since then, Xaus has shown himself to be able to master tracks of all kinds. NEUKIRCHNER’S CONSISTENCY PLACES HIM SEVENTH Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Germany) maintained his advantage over official Honda entrant Roberto Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) after Valencia, and is still eighth after an impressive start to the season. On a private Suzuki, of largely 2006 vintage, Neukirchner is easily the best of the ‘real’ privateer riders so far. KAWASAKI MEN HOPING FOR A REPEAT OF 2006 The current championship top ten is completed by Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) recovering from a low-scoring start of the season to be the top Kawasaki rider after four rounds and eight races. Both his team-mate Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) and he will be hoping to emulate the win taken by 2006 team-member Chris Walker in 2006, when monsoon-like rains flooded the track. The Honda filling in the Kawasaki points standing sandwich comprises two ingredients, Michel Fabrizio (DFX Corse Honda) and Josh Brookes (Alto Evolution Honda), who share 32 points. Another factory rider with work to do to get back into the top ten places in Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) who is currently 14th overall after repeated injury and misfortune, one place up on Ducati rider Jakub Smrz (Caracchi SC Ducati). Karl Muggeridge (Alto Evolution Honda) will spend his weekend at Assen ensuring that he scores two good sets of points, to push himself back up the order after five no scores. WORLD SUPERSPORT – CHASING PACK OUT TO BRIDGE THE GAP Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) has been in imperious form this year so far, having scored three wins and one second place, the net result of which is a massive 44 point lead over the chasing hordes of frequently fallen and injured riders. Another astonishingly dramatic World Supersport race at the previous Valencia round saw Katsuaki Fujiwara (Althea Honda), then second overall, knocked off by a crash involving two other riders and dropping behind Australian race winner Fabien Foret (GIL Kawasaki) in the rankings. In fourth place currently, Robbin Harms (Stiggy Motorsports Honda) was also a Valencia no-scorer, as was Kevin Curtain (Yamaha SSP Racing) who now misses the Assen round after sustaining a long gash in his leg to go with an already broken collarbone. He will be replaced in the team by SBK regular Steve Martin, who now lines up alongside yet another Aussie rider, Yamaha SSP Racing regular Broc Parkes. Sebastien Charpentier (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) will be back into the mix again after his injury at Donington, and the Ten Kate team will swell to three this weekend, with Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) returning to help Sofuoglu, after placing second in the recent Spanish race. SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP – THIRD TIME LUCKY FOR PIRRO? After leading for more laps than any other rider in the big Superstock class this year, but not scoring wins in his rookie season yet, Michele Pirro (Team Lorenzini by Leoni Yamaha) may find his luck changing at Assen – but there are more than a handful of riders who may have something to say about this. Foremost among them will be race one winner Niccolo Canepa (Ducati Xerox 1098) and race two victor mark Aitchison (Celani Team Suzuki Italia). Third placed at present is Claudio Corti (Team Lorenzini by Leoni Yamaha), with Matteo Baiocco (Umbria Bike Yamaha) fourth and Ilario Dionisi (Cruciani Suzuki) fifth. SUPERSTOCK 600 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP – MAXIME IN POINTS Team Yamaha Trasimeno rider Maxime Berger’s impressive win in wet conditions at Valencia puts him into the lead in the 600 Superstock division, with Donington race winner Michele Magnoni (Bevilacqua Yamaha) second, only two points behind after two rounds. Dutchman Roy Ten Napel (MQP Racing Team Yamaha) is himself a native of Assen, and comes back home to race in third place overall, with Andrea Antonelli (Team Italia Megabike AX) currently fourth and Domenico Colucci (Ducati Xerox 749) fifth. MONZA THE NEXT DATE FOR THE SBK DIARY After Assen, Monza hosts round four of the championships, between 11 and 13 May. More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: World Supersport and Superbike Championships 2007 Round 5, Assen Netherlands Netherlands Race Preview 27 April – 29 April 2007 World Supersport Round 5 of 13 CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD FOLLOWS SOFUOGLU TO ASSEN Having been the leading light in this year’s championship since the very first round in Qatar, Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) now approaches the fifth round of the Supersport World Championship looking for win number four. His vast 44 point championship lead and his race statistics of three wins and one second place put him in an enviable position – and this weekend he can count on the additional support of not one but two Supersport World Champions in his team come raceday. Assen will see recently injured double world champion Sebastien Charpentier (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) return to the track, while the team’s new ‘super-sub’ Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) is back in Honda colours after an impressive second place finish at the most recent Valencia round, while standing in for Charpentier. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Althea Honda Team CBR600RR) has bounced back from frequent 2006 season injury to third overall at present, after some strong rides in race and qualifying situations. In the most recent race he was knocked off track while in a good position, recovering to finish only 18th, and deposing him from his previous second place overall. Lorenzo Alfonsi (Althea Honda Team CBR600RR) lies 18th in the standings, after three points scores out of four races, and will be looking to Assen – where he won a Superstock 1000 race in 2004 – to get back into contention for an overall top ten. For Sofuoglu, his Ten Kate team’s home circuit is well-known to him, as he won the race last season, and he cautiously optimistic about his chances of repeating that success. “I am still feeling very happy about the results in Valencia and want to thank the team once again for all the hard work that went into achieving the win,” said the Turkish star. “I am focusing on the future and I just want to keep getting good, consistent results for the team. This race is important because it is the home race for Ten Kate. I won here last year, so I am confident about the track but I know that anything can happen, so I’m just going to keep my head down and concentrate on bringing in the points.” Fujiwara has been a consistent force this year and is looking to Assen to regain his overall second place, before mounting an assault on Sofuoglu’s championship lead from there on. “I lost a big chance in Valencia because Sebastien was out and Kevin Curtain did not finish,” said ‘Kats’. “Another rider’s mistake has now taken me very far from Kenan in points. But our bike is great, I have a good feeling with the team and my target now is to reduce the gap to Kenan race-by-race.” The 2007 season has been a cruel one for Charpentier so far, but he knows that after early season ups and downs for most of the top runners, anything is still possible. “I am feeling a lot better and I’ll be coming to Assen with a clear mind,” said the recovering rider. “I’m determined to be back at the front and I just want to forget the beginning of the season and concentrate on the future. The championship is long and I’m going to give it everything I’ve got to get back the title.” The presence of the 2001 season champion Pitt in the Hannspree Ten Kate team has already had immediate positive effects, ones which Pitt wants to help improve further still at Assen. “I am really happy to be riding for Hannspree Ten Kate Honda again,” stated the Australian rider. “I had a great time in Valencia and I felt like I worked well with the guys so it’s an honour to be asked to ride in Assen. I understand how important this race is for the team so I’m going to come and do my absolute best – let’s hope we can go one better than Valencia and see a full Hannspree Ten Kate line-up on the podium.” Alfonsi knows that getting away from the Assen grid cleanly will put him in good shape for the race itself. “The last two races were complicated for me,” said the former Superstock 1000 champion. “In Valencia my race was compromised because of a bad start so I want to start well in Assen. It’s a fantastic circuit; I like the corners and the high speeds and I know that with the help of my fast bike I can run a good race. I’m not worried about the set-up, because we are working well with our Öhlins suspension and the technicians. I have confidence for this important round.” World Superbike Round 5 of 13 FOUR WINS FOR TOSELAND KEEP HIM ON TOP AS ASSEN APPROACHES James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) has scored an impressive four wins during his 2007 championship campaign so far and this rich seam of form has ensured that he has led the world championship since the end of the first round in Qatar. He is now 13 points in front of Max Biaggi, 27 ahead of Noriyuki Haga and 50 up on Troy Corser. The 2004 champion is ready for his team’s home race, and given the fact that previous incarnations of the CBR1000RR have won three races at Assen – and Toseland himself has won an SBK race at this venue in 2004 – the Englishman has many reasons to consider the frequently-updated track to be one laden with opportunities. Roberto Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) is particularly keen to get his championship challenge back up to the high levels he has displayed only fleetingly this season, but he is still the second highest placed CBR1000RR rider in the series itself, in ninth place. Michel Fabrizio (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) will not have the back up of his normal team-mate Steve Martin this weekend, as the team’s budgetary constraints have now made their mark. Fabrizio is currently 11th, on the same points as another Honda rider Joshua Brookes (Alto Evolution Honda CBR1000RR). At the recent Valencia race Brookes had his best weekend in the SBK class since joining the new-for-2007 Alto Evolution team and he currently sits 12th on 32 points. His team-mate Karl Muggeridge (Alto Evolution Honda CBR1000RR) is 16th, having missed out on the start or the finish of five races out of eight so far. Toseland can count on a doubly strong base of support at Assen. First of all the Dutch fans who will be cheering on all Ten Kate riders, and then the many British fans who make an annual pilgrimage to the classic venue in the van Drenthe region of the Netherlands. “So far we’ve won a race at every round so I’m hoping to keep this going at Assen,” said Toseland on the eve of race weekend. “It’s more or less like a home round for me with all the British fans that come over, and of course it’s the home race for the team, so it should be a good one. I’m really looking forward to the racing and hopefully I can keep, and extend, my championship lead.” Rolfo found the previous round a challenge after a very positive race at Donington prior to that, but he knows that Assen should suit his particular riding style. “Things did not go so well for me in Valencia – the feeling on the bike just wasn’t there and I struggled to get on the pace,” said the Italian. “I hope to be able to get back on track at Assen because although this is a challenging circuit, I think it will suit my style. We’ll see how things go. I am looking forward to racing at the team’s home track as there should be a lot of extra support in the crowd – it should be a good weekend.” Fabrizio’s season has not yet seen him on the podium, but he knows that there are reasons for this in such a season as 2007. He did, however, score a third place in the wet first race at Assen in 2006, when riding a CBR1000RR for his DFX team. “I believe that the World Championship in 2007 is the most difficult ever for a private team,” said Fabrizio. “We are working hard with the motorcycle and I am sure we can demonstrate that, starting from next race in Assen. Obviously I am not happy at the moment but I will fight to replay the same result of last year.” Brookes has experience of Assen in its current format, and will be relying on that help in his campaign this weekend. “I’ve been to Assen before,” said Brookes, “and we know the weather will play a big part for everyone. We all want to be winners but we just need to continue making the little steps we have been making. Hopefully we can continue to improve in the next race, but every new track opens up new opportunities and difficulties.” Muggeridge was a great fan of the Assen circuit of old, but knows that even if he favours the current layout less, it is an opportunity for him to recover from some recent bad luck. “It’s not really Assen any more,” said a wistful Muggeridge. “Parts of old track are still there but not much. I think we have a pretty good chance there next weekend and the team has strengthened our backroom personnel still further. That’s good but it may take a little bit of time to get going together. The bike seems pretty good now. I think we have good potential in our team and it’s just a case of getting the maximum out of things from now on.” After the Assen weekend is completed, first of three Italian rounds in the 2007 season takes place at another historic circuit, Monza, between 11 and 13 May.

After a week of thunderstorms and twisters, the bad weather has moved out and the ASRA Pro Series has moved into Topeka, Kansas. With a forecast of highs in the 70’s and virtually no chance of rain, it looks like the only high winds will be created by the racers here for this ASRA/CCS Twin Sprint event. There are 30 CCS sprint races on tap as well as a 250km ASRA Team Challenge leading up to Sunday’s ASRA Pro Series sprints at Noon It seems like so long ago when the ASRA Pro Series kicked things off at Daytona International Speedway on March 4th, but now it’s back to business for the series regulars such as defending Factory Pro Sportbike and SuperBike Champion Jeff Wood. “I just got done with a race at Barber, and while I’m much happier with my Yamaha, we still have a long way to go to get it right.” said the Bettencourt’s sponsored rider. Jeff also mentioned that the competition at Heartland Park-Topeka will feature lots of old “rivals” like Rob Jensen from Butler Machine Works in South Dakota. “Robbie is always a tough guy to beat and if I concentrate on him too much, it could allow another guy to sneak up on me and knock me off like what happened at Daytona.” referring to his third in Factory Pro SportBike behind winner Fredrick Watz and California’s David Anthony. Former ThunderBike Champion David Estok started his season with a bang, winning at Daytona with support from his new team, Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada, organized by Pascal Picotte and partnered with second team rider Darren James . Missing from the Daytona mix was Brian Bemisderfer, from Harley-Davidson of Fredrick MD, whose mechanical problems kept him from the opener entirely. “I just hope that I can climb back in this,” said Bryan, “With Dave leading the points, Darren and Danny (2006 ThunderBike Champion Dan Bilansky) between me and him, I’ve really got to put my head down if I want to get that championship trophy and ring at the end of the season.” The ASRA’s newest class SuperStock presented by Strapless Transport Stands, is a wide open affair featuring the talents of Jeff Wood, Rob Jensen and local favorite Matt Hall. Hall, from Kansas City, MO lies fourth in the points and sees an opportunity at his home track to surprise the establishment with a win. “While I’m proud to be the Track Addix GP Series Overall Champion, I know it is even tougher to win at this next level, and that would me a lot to me and my team.” said Hall about his chances at Heartland Park-Topeka. Strapless Transport Stands, owned by Troy Green of Dallas, TX, is proud to present the SuperStock Pole Winner of the Heartland Park-Topeka with a new STS stand that allows you to transport you motorcycles without the use of tie-downs that end up in a tangled mess. STS is also offering a 50% off coupon for any new lap record set in SuperStock, SuperBike, ThunderBike or Factory Pro SportBike. “STS is proud to be associated with the ASRA Pro Series and especially the SuperStock class at HPT, ” said Green, “having raced, and continuing to compete every chance I get, keeps me and my company focused on what these riders need and use everyday to get their bike to the next event without transport damage.” The gates open at 7:00am Thursday through Sunday Racing starts at Noon on Friday Saturday and Sunday, see www.hpt.com for ticket prices, for complete schedule information go to www.ccsracing.us and click on the HPT event info link. For more information about Strapless Transport Stands, please visit ststands.com.

HALOF Racing rider Scott Jensen #61 Superstock 10th place finish- After a successful start to their campaign for the 2007 Superstock Series at Daytona with an 8th place finish, HALOF Racing backed it up with a strong 10th place finish at Barber Motorsports Park. Friday mornings practice was the first opportunity the team had to ride their all new Suzuki GSX-R1000’s. ” We got the bikes all prepared but didn’t have any time to test with them”, said team principle Rodney Rayborne, ” the all new Ohlins suspension is really awesome, their support and help is second to none and we appreciate all the help we have received from them and all our sponsors with the new motorcycle. We did what we came to do which was get some time on the bike, get some points, now we will get through the next round and then have some time to test. Scott is doing a great job riding and we hope to help him keep the great finishes coming all year.” After struggling at the start of the practice sessions the HALOF Racing team seemed to find speed as the sessions went on. Qualifying a solid 11th on the grid and only a few tenths behind the next 5 guys looked to make for a great race. “I’m super excited this year to be riding for HALOF Racing and I am happy to bring home another good finish,” rider Scott Jensen stated, “It’s different for me to be riding for a team like this that has a crew and so much support. I can’t thank everyone enough for their help and I hope that some strong finishes will be a good way to re pay them.” When asked the main differences between this year and past years Jensen said the list would be real long. “In years past being a solo privateer, a come out and do it on your own guy I never had new bikes at the beginning of the year. I usually had to wait for a crashed one to pop up somewhere cheap. Now riding with a team that gets some support from Suzuki, Pirelli, and Ohlins, as well as all the other sponsors, it gives me the chance to ride a fully race prepped bike and start somewhat on a level playing field as the other guys and again I just can’t thank all the companies and the team enough for giving me this chance.” Superbike race 1 19th, race 2 17th The team’s main focus is Superstock but with Jensen racing Superbike for so many years it’s hard to keep him away from that class. Scott said, “We are here this year to concentrate on Superstock but we had enough bits to build a Superbike and I hope to ride it as much as I can this year. I like the superbikes but the grid is as strong as I can ever remember. We missed the Superbike setup a little but it was still a great race. I haven’t been feeling well all weekend and especially Saturday after the Superbike race, I was so sick I almost couldn’t stand. “It’s all about seat time”, said Rayborne, “If we can get Scott as much seat time as possible by riding Superbike then we feel it is something we need to do. Not sure if we will run it the whole year yet, we will just have to play it weekend by weekend right now. We are going to work as hard as we can to keep pace with the bigger teams and make a strong showing all year.” More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Bridgestone MotoGP: Turkish GP Debrief Q+A with Hiroshi Yamada – Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager Motorcycle Sport Wednesday 25 April 2007 Bridgestone enjoyed its most successful race weekend to date at the Istanbul Park in Turkey, a circuit which has previously offered the tyre manufacturer one of its toughest technical challenges. All five Bridgestone teams featured strongly in free practice sessions and, although its rivals held an advantage in qualifying, it was riders on Bridgestone tyres who dominated the 22-lap GP, taking the first six positions to mark the first ever Bridgestone 1-2-3 in MotoGP. Bridgestone riders dominated the Turkish GP, how would you assess the weekend? “Istanbul Park has always been a track where our tyres have struggled for performance, so our expectations for the weekend, right up to Sunday morning, were realistic rather than optimistic. To take our first ever 1-2-3 and to see so many of our riders involved in such a thrilling race was a proud moment for us and definitely the highlight of our MotoGP involvement to date.” What areas of performance has Bridgestone had to focus on since last year’s difficulties? “The major problem we encountered in the past was not being able to generate enough grip and durability. The track has smooth asphalt with a low friction co-efficient, which has always been where our tyres struggle for performance. Over the winter, we have looked deeply into this area and appear to have found a good direction based on the results in Turkey. We acknowledge that other factors have played an important role in the Istanbul race, for example, the new tyre restrictions and the first lap crash which unfortunately took two riders on rival tyres out of the race, but overall I think we should be very pleased with our improved competitiveness and with the excellent results.” Were there any specific problems over the course of the weekend? “The results from qualifying show that we still need to work a lot on Q tyres to make up ground to our rivals. We brought a new rear qualifying tyre to Turkey which performed quite well, but still not enough to get our riders on to the front row. The post race test in Turkey resulted in yet more improvements in qualifying performance, which we hope we will be able to benefit from in China. The other question mark over the race weekend was with the durability of the tyres, since we were not able to truly simulate a race distance in free practice. We put a lot of laps on the tyres and were still able to see good lap times in practice, but the track conditions were improving all the time, so it was hard to assess the true consistency of the tyre. In the end, the tyres lasted very well and gave good pace over all 22 laps. Most of our riders set their quickest race laps near the end of the race with Chris Vermeulen setting the fastest lap of the entire race on the penultimate lap. His best time of 1m54.026s was actually the quickest lap of the whole weekend on race tyres!” Bridgestone tyres have performed well in the opening three races of the season and have helped Casey Stoner score wins in Qatar and Turkey, two circuits where Bridgestone has not been victorious in the past can Bridgestone now be confident at every track on the calendar? “We have been pleased with the competitiveness of our tyres in Qatar, Jerez and Istanbul, but it is a very long season with a variety of track characteristics still to come. The wins in Qatar and Turkey mean a lot to Bridgestone because they have never been easy tracks for us. We are working hard to develop the tyres on a continuous basis, at the same time putting into practice what we have learnt in previous seasons. We must never take good results for granted, because the MotoGP field is very competitive this season and the new tyre restrictions have greatly reduced the margin for error. China is another complicated circuit, but John Hopkins finished fourth there last season for Suzuki and I am hopeful that Bridgestone supported riders can make it onto the podium in this year’s race.” More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad: SUCCESS FOR BMW MOTORRAD AT LE MANS Woodcliff Lake, NJ – BMW Motorrad returned to world championship motorcycle racing with impressive results this weekend at the grueling Le Mans 24 hour race in France, culminating with a win in its class and a highly impressive 16th overall on the modified R 1200 S sports boxer. Despite a difference in horsepower compared with their rivals, BMW Motorrad Motorsport team riders Thomas Hinterreiter, Rico Penzkofer and Marcus Barth hustled the flat-twin around the 4.18-kilometre Bugatti circuit, entertaining 90,000 sun-soaked spectators with daring late-braking maneuvers and impressive speed through the turns. Throughout the 24 hours and 776 laps of the race, the bike’s twin-cylinder engine never missed a beat. Considering that the BMW R 1200 S has only had one shakedown test – and that most of the top teams didn’t suffer any serious misfortunes or retirements – finishing 16th overall was a tremendous result and one that will give the whole team a huge boost for the forthcoming season, according to Markus Barth. “This was an amazing result and it’s largely due to the way the whole team works together,” said the German rider who had originally been the substitute rider until an injury to Stéphane Mertens meant that Barth got the ride at Le Mans. “All three of us put in very close and consistent lap times and that made us very competitive. I am very happy with this result because, before the race, I thought that we’d do well to finish in the top 20, so to get 16th is super. I want to thank all the mechanics and everybody involved in the race effort because they’ve all played an important part in our success. Considering we were down on horsepower, I think we’ve done really well. I had no problems at all during the race apart from a bit of a sore neck, but I’m looking forward to celebrating this success with the rest of the team.” This was a view shared by Barth’s teammate Thomas Hinterreiter. “This World Endurance Championship race result is a perfect start and I’m so happy because I never would have believed that we’d finish as high up as we did,” observed Hinterreiter. “Le Mans is a very tough place to race and most of our rivals had much faster bikes, so to do what we did was great,” he added. “We knew we’d be at a disadvantage compared with the rest of the field, but this is all part of the challenge. I didn’t have any problems during the race and I actually felt that the bike was getting better as the race wore on! We’ve not had much time with the R 1200 S before coming to Le Mans, so this result makes me very, very happy.” Rico Penzkofer was also very pleased with the team’s performance and result in this race, one of the toughest on the endurance calendar. “I was thinking about a top 25 place before this weekend,” commented Penzkofer. “We did very well to finish 16th, especially as very few top teams crashed out or retired,” he remarked. “Our result was due to hard work and effort. The team has done absolutely perfect work and the team spirit has been super throughout the weekend. This is a great start to the season and it gives us plenty of confidence for the next race.” Director of BMW Motorrad Motorsport, Berti Hauser, was delighted with the team’s first official outing and believes that Boxer fans can expect more of the same throughout 2007. “After five years of the Boxer Cup, we wanted a new challenge and we also wanted to give something back to the fans,” commented Hauser. “We wanted to participate in a major race but knew we couldn’t do Superbike with this bike (because of the regulations) so we chose what is probably the toughest discipline of all – endurance!” “Le Mans is probably the most famous and also the toughest endurance race on the calendar,” Hauser added, “and with many strong teams participating, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. However, I never expected we’d finish in the top 16 and I am both happy and delighted with this performance. The team’s motivation and spirit has been super throughout and this result is a great reward for everybody’s hard work and commitment. We’ve learned so much just from being part of this race and we’ve got a lot of ideas to work on that I know will help us improve the bike even more for the next challenge.” Results 1. S.E.R.T. – 818 laps. 2. S.E.R.T. – 818 laps. 3. Kawasaki Motor France – 817 laps. 4. Yamaha GMT – 811 laps. 5. Yamaha Austria Racing – 810 laps. 16. BMW Motorrad Motorsport – 776 laps. Open Class 1. BMW Motorrad Motorsport – 776 laps. More, from a press release issued by Damian Cudlin: SOLID START FOR CUDLIN & YART AT LE MANS Australian Damian Cudlin has kicked off his 2007 World Championship campaign with the Yamaha Austria Racing Team, finishing a gritty 5th at the season opener in Le Mans on the weekend. In front of over 100,000 screaming fans, the Le Mans 24hour race saw a record breaking race pace under the clear blue skies of France. The YART line up of Cudlin, Jerman and Scarnato rode a solid race, running as high as 2nd in the early stages, to eventually finish 5th only 8laps down on eventual winners Suzuki after 24hours of racing in arguably the toughest road race on the planet. “I don’t think I need to tell you how tough this race was”¦” joked Cudlin. “There are points in this sport when you question your own sanity. Usually at about 4 in the morning!” “I guess our story was really about being just outside of par in a few areas compared to the teams that beat us. We had fuelling problems, handlebar issues and a brake drama that cost us 4th spot, but I also really need to ride a bit faster to stand a chance of winning this year and beating Suzuki. Igor and Seb did great, the YART R1 worked well, and I gave it all I had but it just wasn’t good enough this weekend. I hope I can turn it around next week in Spain.” Team Manager Mandy Kainz was also left feeling slightly somber after the race, although is positive his squad can improve as the season progresses. “Everyone knows we didn’t come here to finish 5th, and after such positive testing it was disappointing not to finish on the podium, but congrats to Suzuki, Kawasaki and GMT for running a stronger race than us. It looks to me that this championship will be fought between SERT, KRT and ourselves, so at least we have some good points on the board and a platform to build on in Spain next week.” Kainz said. Round 2 of the World Endurance Championship will be held at Albacete in Spain on the 4/5th of May. More, from a press release issued by Bazzaz Performance: Bazzaz Performance Congratulates Team Jordan Suzuki for Barber Superstock Win Chino, CA April 25, 2007 Jordan Suzuki scored its breakthrough win this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, with a great ride by Aaron Yates. To make the victory even sweeter, Aaron’s teammate Jake Holden crossed the line just 1.2 seconds behind to take second place (another first for Jordan Suzuki) making it clear that the Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzukis were the bikes to beat on the weekend. Yates took the pole position in qualifying and proved that it was no fluke by winning Sunday’s Superstock race. Yates got the holeshot and never looked back, while Holden quickly moved from 5th position to ride shotgun for Yates for the remainder of the race. In the end the Jordan Suzuki riders finished 7 seconds ahead of 3rd place Factory Yamaha rider Ben Bostrom. Yates is now tied in the championship points for first place with Yoshimura Suzuki racer Ben Spies. Bazzaz Performance congratulates and thanks Aaron, Jake, and the whole Michael Jordan Motorsports crew for a great result and all of the technical feedback. “Although results in racing are very much in the here and now, the reality is that it takes years of cumulative work and dedication to achieve even a single win,” Ammar Bazzaz said. “In a series as competitive as the AMA it was a great milestone for the team, and also the for the sport”¦ Nice work guys!” Stop by and see the Bazzaz Performance sponsored Jordan Suzukis this weekend at California Speedway as the AMA Superbike Championship rolls into town.

WSMC racer and 2006 Top Rookie Expert Chris Speights and wife Rachel had a daughter, Chloe Nicole Speights, February 1 in Long Beach, California.

GPR STABILIZER BECOMES WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP SPONSOR GPR Stabilizer has signed on with FGSport as a technical sponsor with the World Superbike Championship. The sponsorship solidifies GPR Stabilizer as the world’s leading manufacturer of rotary steering stabilizers, and supports GPR Stabilizer’s expansion into new markets. “We’re very excited to be involved in the World Superbike Championship,” said Jeff Norman of GPR Stabilizer. “It’s a perfect fit for GPR, because we’re huge racing enthusiasts, all the bikes in the series are production-based, and we’re expanding our distribution into all the countries the championship visits. FGSport has been very accomodating, and the response in the paddock to our new GPR V4 damper has been fantastic.” Representatives from GPR Stabilizer will be present at virtually all rounds of the World Superbike Championship to promote and service the product. With their background in aerospace design and machining, GPR Stabilizer manufactures and sells the world’s finest steering dampers and accessories. All design, testing, machining, laser engraving, packaging and shipping of the finished kits is done in-house in San Diego, California. GPR Stabilizer kits are available through local dealers, and are distributed in the U.S. by Lockhart Phillips USA, Parts Unlimited and Tucker Rocky. For more information, please call (619) 661-0101 or visit www.gprstabilizer.com. In the U.K. and Europe, please call GPR Stabilizer U.K. at 44-01945-58-58-42. For information on the World Superbike Championship, please visit www.worldsbk.com .

OULTON TEST BOOSTS RIZLA SUZUKI After testing at Oulton Park last week, Rizla Suzuki is optimistic it can challenge at the front during this coming weekend’s third round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Silverstone in Northamptonshire. Cal Crutchlow tested a new linkage and suspension arrangement on his Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000 at Oulton Park, finding more rear end grip and feel. Chris Walker will use the same set-up at Silverstone, one of the circuits he knows well thanks to visiting it in recent years as part of the World Superbike series. The 2.13-mile long Silverstone International circuit is smooth, flowing and features a twisty infield section that allows plenty of overtaking and action in front of the spectator grandstands. The home of the British F1 Grand Prix and a round of the World Superbike Championship, it is a venue with impressive facilities for teams and spectators. Rizla Suzuki Team Manager Simon Buckmaster said: “There’s no denying Rizla Suzuki has struggled to match the pace of the front runners in the opening two rounds, but we are looking for a turnaround in fortunes at Silverstone. “More rear end grip, feel and conservation of tyre are what we need and the new link Cal tried at the Oulton Park test appears to have delivered improvements. That and a host of other minor improvements we found during the test should help us compete at the sharp end this weekend. “Silverstone is a home round for Cal and he will benefit from a lot of local support. Chris should also be on top form as he knows the track well. We desperately want good results for all our fans and sponsors and will be doing our best to deliver.” Superbike racing starts at 1240 on Sunday, April 29th.

BUELL 2007 HOMECOMING EVENTS TO CELEBRATE RACING HERITAGE July 6-8 Events in Wisconsin Include Road America Races, Drag Racing and Stunt Shows EAST TROY, Wis. – Buell Motorcycle Company has announced details of the 2007 Buell Homecoming activities in Wisconsin this summer. The events will take place July 6-8 at various locations, including the Buell Motorcycle Company facilities in East Troy, Wis. and at Road America, the legendary four-mile track in Elkhart Lake, Wis. “It’s always exciting to see the enthusiasm and passion of Buell owners at our events,” said Erik Buell, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer. “Buell Homecoming is a truly special opportunity for Buell owners, our employees and the public to celebrate our accomplishments, enjoy some riding and have fun in our own backyard here in Wisconsin.” Exclusive Buell owner Homecoming events include the following: – Buell owners gather Friday, July 6 in East Troy from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for free breakfast, self-guided factory tours, lunch with Erik Buell and Buell employees, technical seminars, autographs with Erik and Bubba Blackwell, and vintage Buell display. – Buell hospitality for owners at the ASRA Pro/CCS and MOTO-ST motorcycle races at Road America Saturday and Sunday, July 7-8, including hospitality tent, free parking, track and street demo rides, racer autographs, Buell on-track parade lap and Saturday Buell Happy Hour from 5-7 p.m. with free food, beverages and live music. – Discounted Lake Express high-speed ferry rates for Buell owners. Public events currently scheduled for Buell Homecoming 2007 include the following: – East Troy free activities from 9 a.m. 2 p.m. include factory tours, autographs with Erik and vintage Buell display. – Team Extreme stunt riders at Hal’s Harley-Davidson/Buell in New Berlin, Wis., on Thursday, July 5, followed by a ride to Great Lakes Dragaway in Union Grove, Wis. for the Midwest Shootout with free admission and Buell track time. – Uke’s Harley-Davidson/Buell ride from East Troy to Kenosha, Wis. on Friday, July 6, including Bubba Blackwell performance at Uke’s with cookout and museum tour. – CCS Festival of Speed at Road America on July 7-8 with 3-day tickets $40, Friday $10 and Saturday/Sunday $20 per day. See the owners section of www.buell.com for additional information and updates. Buell Motorcycle Company, a subsidiary of Harley-Davidson, Inc., produces sport motorcycles, motorcycle parts, accessories and apparel. To learn more about Buell motorcycles, visit your local Buell dealer today and experience the pure streetfighter attitude, style and performance only found on board a Buell. Pull into www.buell.com for the Buell dealer nearest you.

VICTORY DEBUT FOR NEW GSX-R1000 Team Yoshimura Suzuki rider Craig Coxhell gave Suzuki’s new 2007-model GSX-R1000 a stunning debut win in the fourth round of the Australian Superbike Championship at South Australia’s Mallala Motorsport Park on Sunday. Coxhell, the 2003 Australian Superbike Champion, won the opening 19-lap race by 0.109sec after a thrilling last-lap passing move on defending champion Jamie Stauffer three corners from the finishing line. The 24-year-old’s win was all the more impressive as he had not ridden the 2007 GSX-R1000 prior to Friday’s practice sessions at the circuit, with Team Yoshimura Suzuki team manager Phil Tainton and the team’s race technicians only completing the bikes for Coxhell and team-mate Shawn Giles on Thursday evening. In the second of the day’s two Superbike races, shortened to 16 laps by race officials due to time constraints, Coxhell finished just 0.163sec behind race winner Stauffer in another enthralling, race-long battle between the pair. Stauffer’s bonus point for qualifying in pole position gave him the overall round victory by one point from second-fastest qualifier Coxhell although the Team Yoshimura Suzuki rider scored some degree of payback in race two when he claimed a new Superbike lap record of 1:06.525 eclipsing the record previously held by Stauffer. Coxhell’s lap record is over one and a half seconds quicker than the V8 Supercar lap record for the 2.6km South Australian circuit, held by Commodore driver Greg Murphy. Three times Australian Superbike Champion Shawn Giles made it a double debut success for the new 2007 GSX-R1000 with two top-10 results – sixth in race one and 10th in race two – although the experienced Giles admitted it was taking longer for him to find a confident set-up on the new bike at Mallala than he would have liked. With race-kit parts for the team’s Superbikes only arriving from overseas a few days prior to the Mallala race meeting, the team was required to build two complete Superbikes in just one-and-a-half days. Team Yoshimura Suzuki satellite rider Robbie Bugden recorded ninth and seventh place finishes to end the round seventh overall on his 2006-model Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike and give the team three riders in the top nine. There was further success for the team in the Supersport class where Joshua Waters retained fourth overall in the eight-round national championship in his first season aboard the Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R600 – despite an off-track excursion while leading the second of the day’s two Supersport races. The 20-year-old missed a gear-change at the Turn Three hairpin and ran off the track. Waters recovered to finish fifth, backing up his fourth in race one to secure fifth overall for the round, equal on points with fourth-placed Jeremy Crowe. Round Five of the Australian Superbike and Supersport Championship will take place at Launceston’s Symmons Plains race circuit on May 18-20. Phil Tainton – Team Manager: “What more can you ask for than a win on debut and new lap record – I’m extremely happy with how things have gone this weekend with the new 2007 GSX-R1000 and also Josh on the GSX-R600 in the Supersport class. “We only got the race-kit parts for Craig’s and Shawn’s 2007 bikes a few days before the Mallala meeting and the bikes were still being finished on Thursday night. For Craig and Shawn to achieve the results they did with minimal development time was exceptional. “Josh rode two great races in the Supersport Championship and to hold the lead for as many laps as he did on a bike that’s still in its development stage shows a win is not far off. Congratulations to Jamie Stauffer on his overall Superbike round win today.” Craig Coxhell: “To win first time out on the new 2007 bike and to come away with the new lap record is a great reward for the whole team. I felt comfortable on the new bike right from the first practice session on Friday, which is a great credit to Phil Tainton and the guys. “I tried to make it two wins from two starts but I couldn’t find a way past Jamie Stauffer in race two. It was hard but fair racing between the two of us and congratulations to him on taking the overall win. “The Australian championship is extremely competitive and I knew it was going to be tough coming home after three seasons in Europe. I’m feeling more confident with each race meeting and with the 2007 bike I feel I’m now in a position to start shooting for round wins and challenging for the title.” Shawn Giles: “It’s been good to come away with points in both races, but it was one of those meetings where I struggled to get the new bike dialled in with settings I was comfortable with. “The 2007 bike is quite a bit different to the 2006 bike I’ve been racing and it’s a matter of setting it up to suit my riding style. The team did a great job in getting the bike built in time for the meeting and to have it turn a wheel for the first time on Friday was a massive effort from all. “Starting from row three was always going to present a challenge at this circuit but I felt it was important to use the new 2007 bike and work on developing it in race conditions. I just didn’t have the confidence to push any harder on race day. “My bike had good speed all weekend and I can’t say enough about the team and the performance of the tyres. It’s a long season with four rounds still to go.” Joshua Waters: “I’m happy with the weekend’s results and to be sitting fourth in the points at the halfway stage of the season. We’re still developing the Suzuki GSX-R600 and there’s more to come. “Holding onto the lead in race two showed the bike has good pace – until I overshot Turn Three when I missed a gear change and four bikes got by. I knew I could hold them off up the fast back straight as my bike would hook up really well out of that corner, so it was frustrating when I let them through. I actually changed up a gear instead of down in the chaos so I ended up accelerating off the track.” Robbie Budgen: “It’s been a mixed weekend and I guess seventh overall for the round isn’t too bad given some of the riders who finished behind me. It’s so competitive out there this season – it’s important to have the bike set-up spot-on, especially at a track like this where it’s difficult to pass. The pace was pretty hot today, as a new lap record in each race shows.” 2007 AUSTRALIAN SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP: Superbike Overall Results: 1 Jamie Stauffer, 2 Craig Coxhell (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 3 Glenn Allerton, 4 Wayne Maxwell, 5 Russell Holland, 6 Shannon Johnson, 7 Robbie Bugden (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 8 Daniel Stauffer, 9 Shawn Giles (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 10 Adam Fergusson. Superbike Championship Points: 1 Jamie Stauffer 193, 2 Daniel Stauffer 148, 3 Craig Coxhell (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 135, 4 Glenn Allerton 127, 5 Shannon Johnson 115, 6 Wayne Maxwell 111, 7 Shawn Giles (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 107, 8 Adam Fergusson 95, 9 Russell Holland 88, 10 Scott Charlton 87. Supersport Overall Results: 1 Jason O’Halloran, 2 Russell Holland, 3 Jamie Stauffer, 4 Jeremy Crowe, 5 Joshua Waters (Suzuki GSX-R600), 6 Chris Seaton, 7 Wayne Maxwell, 8 Nick Henderson, 9 Cameron Stronach, 10 Grant Hay. Supersport Championship Points: 1 Jason O’Halloran 185, 2 Jamie Stauffer 166, 3 Jeremy Crowe 141, 4 Joshua Waters (Suzuki GSX-R600) 134, 5 Russell Holland 133, 6 Bryan Staring 97, 7 Wayne Maxwell 82, 8 Chris Seaton 80, 9 Gareth Jones 80, 10 Mick Kelly 77. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing Team: Intense top-of-the-table battle sees Yamaha Racing Team emerge victorious at Mallala The Yamaha Racing Team has enjoyed a spirited round of competition at Mallala Motorsport Park this weekend, fending off all rival racers to take overall wins in both Superbike and Supersport classes. Rival riders threw down a number of challenges in both classes, with the team beaten to pole position in Supersport for the first time in almost 18 months. Determined to keep their impressive run of wins alive, Jamie Stauffer, Dan Stauffer, Jason O’Halloran and Jeremy Crowe gave the races their all, with Stauffer the overall victor on the R1 Superbike and O’Halloran edging in front on the R6 Supersport machine. The state of play in terms of class championship remains the same, with Stauffer and O’Halloran leading Superbike and Supersport respectively. Yamaha Racing Team Superbike. Jamie Stauffer has overcome strong opposition to his Superbike campaign at Mallala today, winning the round after finishing race 1 in 2nd and race 2 in 1st. Starting from pole position, he enjoyed an intense battle with Craig Coxhell, the two going blow for blow on each lap and fighting to find any advantage on the tricky South Australian circuit. Stauffer pulled out of the draft on the run to the line, missing out on the opening race victory by a tenth of a second. Determined not to let Coxhell get the better of him, Stauffer was in strong form in the second race, but could not shake the former Superbike champion from his tail. He crossed the line in first place, with both riders recording equal results from races 1 and 2. Stauffer was awarded the round win due to having taken an extra vital point for pole, and was pleased to have continued his run of round victories 4 from 4 in 2007. “It was an up and down weekend so I’m pretty pleased to have taken the Superbike win and increase my points lead by a fair margin,” said Stauffer. “It was very close at the front and I lost the opening race on the last corner which was disappointing, but that’s racing.” “I redeemed myself in the second and stayed ahead of Coxhell, which gave us the round win due to having qualified on pole.” “It was a different story in Supersport and a bout of arm pump in the opening race kept me back, in the second I was pretty close to the win but ran wide on that last corner once again which let Jason take the win.” “It’s a long season though and we’re looking pretty good, both bikes are great and the team is doing an awesome job.” Despite struggling for much of the weekend, Dan Stauffer has kept his championship hopes well and truly alive after finishing the round in 8th overall. If anything, he was consistent, qualifying 8th and finishing 8th in both races. “It was a tough weekend for me and disappointing to be back in the field, especially considering the good season we’ve had to date,” said Stauffer. “We’d made some good progress at testing at Mallala but I really couldn’t find a way to convert this to outright race pace.” “On the positive side, I keep a pretty good buffer over third for the championship and we head to Tasmania next, a track I enjoy and did pretty well at last year.” Qualifying. 1. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team, 1:06.057. 2. Craig COXHELL (VIC) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki, 1:06.332. 3. Shannon JOHNSON (VIC) / Kawasaki Racing Team, 1:06.429. 4. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) / Allect Racing, 1:06.604. 5. Scott CHARLTON (VIC) / Tarmac Civil Constructions, 1:06.618. 6. Wayne MAXWELL (VIC) / Kawasaki Racing Team, 1:06.756. 7. Russell HOLLAND (NSW) / Teknic Honda, 1:06.837. 8. Daniel STAUFFER (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team, 1:06.912. 9. Robert BUGDEN (QLD) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki, 1:07.003. 10. Adam FERGUSSON (VIC) / DVS Honda / Oleon Oils, 1:07.072. Race 1. 1. Craig COXHELL (VIC) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki 2. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team 3. Shannon JOHNSON (VIC) / Kawasaki Racing Team 4. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) / Allect Racing 5. Wayne MAXWELL (VIC) / Kawasaki Racing Team 6. Shawn GILES (NSW) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki 7. Russell HOLLAND (NSW) / Teknic Honda 8. Daniel STAUFFER (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team 9. Robert BUGDEN (QLD) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki 10. Adam FERGUSSON (VIC) / DVS Honda / Oleon Oils Race 2. 1. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team 2. Craig COXHELL (VIC) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki 3. Scott CHARLTON (VIC) / Tarmac Civil Constructions / Vern Graham Yamaha 4. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) / Allect Racing 5. Wayne MAXWELL (VIC) / Kawasaki Racing Team 6. Russell HOLLAND (NSW) / Teknic Honda 7. Robert BUGDEN (QLD) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki 8. Daniel STAUFFER (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team 9. Adam FERGUSSON (VIC) / DVS Honda / Oleon Oils 10. Shawn GILES (NSW) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki Yamaha Racing Team Supersport. Jason O’Halloran has won round four of the Australian Supersport Championship at Mallala Motorsport Park this weekend, improving one position over each session to take the overall win under enormous pressure. The championship leader qualified in third, with teammate Jamie Stauffer in second and Russell Holland on pole. Race 1 had barely gotten underway before the red flags came out, with riders only making it to turn 1 before backing off and reforming on the grid for a shortened 16-lap full restart. It was a much cleaner opening lap for the Supersport field as they sorted themselves into a race rhythm, and the Yamaha Racing Team riders were in the thick of battle, fending off challenges from all angles. O’Halloran found his way back into podium contention and passed Stauffer for second, and began to chase down Holland in the lead. Setting his fastest time on the final lap, O’Halloran finished only 3-tenths shy of the leader. Race 2 started in a similar fashion, with 4 laps run before red flags brought a halt to the proceedings. The second leg saw another battle of the brands up front, with O’Halloran and Stauffer charging down Holland’s timed lead. Less than a second separated the top 3 as the chequered flag was waved, with aggregate timed results declaring O’Halloran the victor over Stauffer. As a result, O’Halloran has consolidated his lead at the top of the standing with 185 points, Stauffer sits second on 166 and Jeremy Crowe, after a consistent pair of hard-fought races, sits in third on 141 points. “I made a bit of a bad start in the first race but got going really well after that, I was reeling in Russell and I think I really had his measure, we had pulled him right in but just missed out at the end,” said O’Halloran. “There was some confusion over the length of the race and most of the riders thought we had a few laps left to run.” “I knew I’d have to push hard in the second, and the restart meant we were not only racing for position but for time as well.” “I was racing pretty hard with Jamie for the lead, we were both racing for championship position so it was very tight, in the end we both finished ahead of Russell’s time and my 2nd and 1st placings gave me the round overall.” “I’m pretty pumped, this is now 4 rounds I’ve won in a row if you include the Phillip Island supports, I’m feeling really comfortable on the bike and looking forward to the next round at Tasmania.” Crowe was 5th in race 1, and 4th in race 2, confident he can build on the results and head to Tasmania, a round he won in 2006, with good form. “It wasn’t a bad weekend for me, I was a bit off in some areas but I’ve maintained my championship position and will look to try and close up the gap at the next round,” said Crowe. “The bike was working well, and the improvements we made were all positive, it was just a matter of getting everything working and delivering on each and every of the 19 laps each race.” “I’m really looking forward to heading down to Tasmania next month, I won the round there last year and enjoy riding there so I’m confident of being back on the podium and racing for the win with my teammates.” Qualifying. 1. Russell HOLLAND (NSW) / Teknic Honda, 1:07.354. 2. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team, 1:07.742. 3. Jason O’HALLORAN (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team , 1:07.752. 4. Jeremy CROWE (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team, 1:07.801. 5. Joshua WATERS (VIC) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki, 1:08.134. 6. Judd GREEDY (QLD) / Sunstate Racing, 1:08.463. 7. Christopher SEATON (QLD) / ElectroRegenesis Therapy / Bodi Health, 1:08.559. 8. Sam SMITH (NZ) / Yamaha Motor NZ/Dunlop, 1:08.587. 9. Gareth JONES (QLD) / ElectroRegenesis Therapy / Bodi Health, 1:08.590. 10. Shannon JOHNSON (VIC) / Kawasaki Racing Team, 1:08.615. Race 1. 1. Russell HOLLAND (NSW) / Teknic Honda 2. Jason O’HALLORAN (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team 3. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team 4. Joshua WATERS (VIC) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki 5. Jeremy CROWE (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team 6. Shannon JOHNSON (VIC) / Kawasaki Racing Team 7. Christopher SEATON (QLD) / ElectroRegenesis Therapy / Bodi Health 8. Gareth JONES (QLD) / ElectroRegenesis Therapy / Bodi Health 9. Wayne MAXWELL (VIC) / Kawasaki Racing Team 10. Mitchell CARR (NSW) / Joe Rocket Privateer Development Team Race 2. 1. Jason O’HALLORAN (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team 2. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team 3. Russell HOLLAND (NSW) / Teknic Honda 4. Jeremy CROWE (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team 5. Joshua WATERS (VIC) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki 6. Christopher SEATON (QLD) / ElectroRegenesis Therapy / Bodi Health 7. Mick KELLY (WA) / Aark Racing 8. Chris TROUNSON (VIC) / Sunstate Racing 9. Wayne MAXWELL (VIC) / Kawasaki Racing Team 10. Nick HENDERSON (VIC) / Taylor Racing / Beard Bros Motorcycles

American Nate Kern rode a BMW R1200S fitted with a new valve train at Le Mans over the weekend, and the bike is believed to be using overhead cams instead of high cams and short pushrods as previously seen on the new generation Boxer engines. Kern served as a reserve rider and did not actually get on the bike during the race, although he did 33 laps in practice. A press release issued by BMW after the race follows: 2007 World Endurance Championship Round 1, Le Mans, France – April 21/22 Crowd: 90,000. Weather: Dry, sunny 19-25 C. BMW BACK WITH A FLOURISH! BMW returned to world championship motorcycle racing with a flourish at the gruelling Le Mans 24 hour race, ending with a win in their class and a highly impressive 16th overall on their Sportsboxer bike. Despite being down on horsepower compared to their rivals, riders Thomas Hinterreiter, Rico Penzkofer and Marcus Barth and hustled the twin round the 4.180 kilometre Bugatti circuit, entertaining the sun-soaked spectators with their late-braking manoeuvres and speed through the turns. Throughout the twenty-four hours and 776 laps, the bike’s twin-cylinder engine never missed a beat. Considering that the bike has only had one shakedown test, and that most of the top teams did not suffer any grave misfortunes or DNFs, to finish sixteenth overall was a tremendous result and one that will give the whole team a huge boost for the season ahead. Marcus Barth It is an amazing result and it’s down to the way that the whole team has worked so well together. The three of us riders put in very close and consistent lap times – probably we were closer to each other then any other threesome – and that made us very competitive. I am very, very happy with this result because, before the race I thought that we’d do well to finish between 20th and 25th place. So to get 16th is super. I want to thank all the mechanics and everybody involved because they all played an important part. Considering we were down on horsepower, I think we’ve done really well. We were good on the brakes and in the turns, but on the exits our horsepower disadvantage showed. I’d pass riders on the brakes and then could only sit and watch them go past me on the straights time and time again. I had no problems at all during the race – apart from a bit of a sore neck – and now I want to celebrate a little with the rest of the team. Thomas Hinterreiter This is a perfect start to this new challenge and I’m so happy because I never would’ve believed that we’d finish as high up as we did. Le Mans is a very tough race and most, if not all, of our rivals had much faster bikes, so to do what we did is great. We knew we’d be at a disadvantage compared to the rest of the field, but this is part of the challenge. I didn’t have any problems during the race and I actually felt that the bike was getting better the longer the race wore on! We’ve not had much time with is bike before coming to Le Mans, so this result makes me very, very happy. Rico Penzkofer I’m very happy with this fantastic performance and result in this tough race. I was thinking about a top twenty-five place before this weekend, so we did very well to finish sixteenth. Not many good teams crashed out or retired, so our sixteenth was through our own hard work and effort. Our bike is very good on the brakes and quick in the corners; we just lose out on top speed and acceleration out of the turns, but that’s to be expected considering that we’re quite a bit down on horsepower and our bike is heavier than our rivals. The team have done absolutely perfect work and the team spirit has been super. This is a great start to the season and it gives us confidence for the next race. Berti Hauser (Director of BMW Motorrad Motorsport) After five years of the Boxer Cup, we wanted a new challenge and we also wanted to give something back to the fans. We wanted to do a big race and knew we couldn’t do Superbike with this bike (because of the regulations) so we chose probably the toughest discipline of all – Endurance! Le Mans is probably the most famous and also the toughest race, with many strong teams, so we knew this wasn’t going to be easy. I never expected we’d finish in the top sixteen and I am both happy and delighted with this performance. The team’s motivation and spirit has been super throughout and this result is a great reward for everybody’s hard work and efforts. From this race we’ve got a lot of ideas to work on and we know we can improve this bike for the next challenge.