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Tigert Sets Track Record On CBR600RR At WSMC Streets Of Willow Series Opener

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Tigert Sets New Lap Record at WSMC Streets of Willow Race, On Revised Course

By Kurt Whittington

Jeff Tigert set a new motorcycle track record during WSMC’s first-ever event on the Streets of Willow Springs course this past weekend, March 30 April 1, 2007. All 27 classes ran under perfect weather conditions, culminating in a successful opening to this new WSMC series. For 2007 WSMC will be holding three more rounds of racing at the Streets of Willow Springs: May 5-6, October 6-7 and November 3-4.

Tigert set the fastest lap time of the day, and the new course motorcycle lap record with a 1:17.393 during the 650cc Superbike race according to official timing and scoring.

The track layout has been changed slightly in preparation for WSMC racing. The distance between turns three and four has been shortened and turn four is now wider. The curbing in the chicane between turns nine and ten has been modified to become rumble strips that can be ridden over, allowing a racer to pretty much straight line the chicane.

“The track’s way better now,” said Mach 1 Motorsports-sponsored Tigert. “The [chicane’s] way safer now and faster. People can do 16s, probably.”

Tigert won the 650cc Superbike and 600cc Superstock races at the Streets on his Dunlop DOT-labeled-tire-shod 2007 CBR600RR. In 650cc Superbike Tigert took the holeshot and lead unchallenged throughout the race. Young Gun Brad Adams held down second position for most of the race until he ran off the track in turn two on the final lap. Lenny Hale made a pass on James Brown into the Streets’ fast turn one to start the second lap, and with Adams not finishing, Hale took second in the race. David Sanders took third.

Pacific Power Sports sponsored Sanders won the 600cc Modified Production race on his GSX-R600 using Pirelli DOT-labeled tires in a close battle with Lenny Hale. Sanders’ pass for the lead was in turn 12, not a traditional passing zone due to the narrowness of the track at that spot.

“He was leaving the door open a little bit and it was a rough line, but I knew I had to do it,” Sanders said of his pass. Sanders crossed the finish line 0.4-second ahead of Hale.

Spears Racing’s David Raff took a hat trick of wins. Raff dominated the Middleweight Twins, Formula Twins Lightweight and 550cc Superbike races on his Pirelli-shod SV650. Raff, a regular in the AFM series, enjoyed racing at the Streets. “It’s a tight course, really makes you work hard. It’s similar to Sears Point, but I think a little more grueling,” Raff said.

Unofficial Results Below:

Track Daz 650cc Superbike 1. Jeff Tigert (Hon CBR600RR) 2. Lenny Hale (Yam YZF-R6) 3. David Sanders (Suz GSX-R600) 4. Bryce Prince (Kaw ZX-6RR) 5. James Brown (Hon CBR600RR) 6. Ricky Herd (Kaw ZX-6R)

Open Modified Production 1. Stuart Smith (Kaw ZX-10R) 2. Tim Knutson (Kaw ZX-10R) 3. Eric Ebert (Suz GSX-R1000) 4. Mickey Grana (Suz GSX-R1000) 5. Leo Ramirez (Suz GSX-R1000)

750cc Superbike 1. Eric Nolan (Duc) 2. J.C. Gibbs (Suz GSX-R750) 3. Frank Gray (Suz GSX-R750)

BOTT Middleweight 1. David Raff (Suz SV650) 2. John-Thomas Wood (Suz SV650) 3. Jim Chaconas (Buell XB-12R) 4. Stevan Correa (Suz SV650)

Vintage Lightweight 1. Clinton Whitehouse III (Yam) 2. Ed Milich (Duc) 3. Pierre Pfeffer (Duc) 4. Warren Spradlin (Yam) 5. Cody Burton (Hon) 6. Alice Sexton (Duc)

Inland Line-X 600cc Superstock 1. Jeff Tigert (Hon CBR600RR) 2. Corey Neuer (Suz GSX-R600) 3. Lenny Hale (Yam YZF-R6) 4. David Sanders (Suz GSX-R600) 5. Bryce Prince (Kaw ZX-6R) 6. Tyler Odom (Hon CBR600RR)

Open Superbike 1. Tim Knutson (Kaw ZX-10R) 2. Eric Nolan (Duc 998) 3. Mickey Grana (Suz GSX-R1000) 4. Leo Ramirez (Suz GSX-R1000)

750cc Superstock 1. Dustin Coyner (Kaw ZX-6R) 2. Chris Yakiligian (Kaw ZX-6R) WD: 1. Corey Neuer (Kaw)

BOTT Heavyweight 1. Eric Nolan (Duc 998) 2. Jim Chaconas (Buell XB-12R) 3. Christopher Lee (Suz TL1000R) 4. Lek von Kaesburg (Duc)

Motoyard.com 550cc Superbike 1. David Raff (Suz SV650) 2. Kurt Whittington (Suz SV650) 3. John-Thomas Wood (Suz SV650) 4. Chris Speights (Suz SV650) 5. Clinton Whitehouse III (Suz DR-Z350) 6. Stevan Correa (Suz SV650)

Motoyard.com 600cc Modified Production 1. David Sanders (Suz GSX-R600) 2. Lenny Hale (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Corey Neuer (Suz GSX-R600) 4. James Brown (Hon CBR600RR) 5. Matt Quigley (Kaw ZX-6RR) 6. Tyler Odom (Hon CBR600RR)

Rich Oliver’s Mysteryschool 250cc Grand Prix 1. Vincent Rolleri II (Yam TZ250) 2. Richard Barnett (Apr RS250) 3. Herb Abell (Apr RS250)

Formula Twins Heavyweight 1. Eric Nolan (Duc) 2. Christopher Lee (Suz)

500cc Modified Production 1. Richard Barnett 2. John Melich (Apr RS250) 3. Eric Angel (Yam FZR400) 4. Chris Speights (Kaw EX500) 5. J.C. Gibbs (Yam FZR400) 6. Hector Flores

Formula Singles 1. Kenny Kopecky (Husq SMR-510) 2. Cody Burton 3. James Provencher

Formula 2 1. Matt Quigley (Kaw ZX-6R) 2. Lloyd Magruder (Kaw ZX-6RR) 3. James Brown (Hon CBR600RR) 4. Matt Bergen (Hon CBR600RR) 5. James Davis (Yam YZF-R6) 6. Clinton Whitehouse III (Yam)

125cc GP 1. Tyler Odom (Hon RS125) 2. Kevin Murray (Yam TZ125) 3. John Fabijanic (Hon RS125)

GPR Stabilizer Open Superstock 1. Stuart Smith (Kaw ZX-10R) 2. Tim Knutson (Kaw ZX-10R) 3. Mickey Grana (Suz GSX-R1000)

750cc Modified Production 1. Ricky Herd (Kaw ZX-6R) 2. Dustin Coyner (Kaw ZX-6R) 3. Chris Yakiligian (Kaw ZX-6R)

Formula Twins Lightweight 1. David Raff (Suz SV650) 2. Chris Speights (Suz SV650) 3. Ed Milich (Duc) 4. Pierre Pfeffer (Duc) 5. Charlie Coyner (Suz SV650)

500cc Superstock 1. Kenny Kopecky (Husq SMR-510) 2. Eric Angel (Yam FZR400) 3. J.C. Gibbs (Yam FZR400) 4. Hector Flores (Yam FZR400) 5. Warren Spradlin (Yam)

500cc Singles 1. Kenny Kopecky (Husq SMR-510) 2. Chris Matty (Buell) 3. Tim Hurley (Buell) 3. James Provencher (MZ) 4. Cody Burton (Hon)

0-500 Novice 1. Seth Georgian (Suz) 2. Aaron Bush (Yam)

Formula 50 1. Ricky Herd (Kaw ZX-10R) 2. Lek von Kaesberg (Duc) 3. Charlie Coyner (Suz SV650)

Formula 40 1. Eric Ebert (Suz) 2. Leo Ramirez (Suz)

Two Stroke Production 1. Richard Barnett (Apr RS250) 2. John Melich (Apr RS250) 3. Herb Abell (Apr RS250) 4. Warren Spradlin (Yam)

BOTT Lightweight 1. Kenny Kopecky (Husq SMR-510) 2. Ed Milich (Duc) 3. Pierre Pfeffer (Duc) 4. James Provencher (MZ)

651-Open Novice Heavyweight 1. Vanik Aivazian (Suz GSX-R) 2. Tiras Banks (Suz GSX-R)

501-650 Novice Middleweight 1. Mike Kinoshita (Yam ZF-R6) 2. Michael Pesicka (Kaw ZX-6R) 3. Drew Porter (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Rodney Monroe (Kaw ZX-6R) 5. Marvin Meadows (Yam YZF-R6) 6. Richard Stampp (Kaw ZX-6R)

More, from a press release issued by Kenny Kopecky:

Riding a MotoForza prepared 2006 Husqvarna SMR-510 racer Kenny Kopecky won all four races he started at the Willow Springs Motorcycle Club’s first ever race at the Streets of Willow on Sunday, April 1st.

Having last raced a Single with WSMC in 1997, Kopecky quickly adapted and rode to uncontested wins in the Formula Singles and 500 Singles classes, but enjoyed rousing battles in 500 SuperStock and BOTT Lightweight classes on another warm and windy day at Willow. The 500 SuperStock contest ran nearly the entire length of the 8 lap race, with Kopecky getting a quick start and early lead, but was demoted to 2nd at the end of the 1st lap by hard-charging Eric Angel on his Yamaha FZR400. Kopecky stayed extremely close for several laps and seeing Angel fade a bit on lap 6 went for a pass in the esses heading to the Streets famous bowl turn. Running into the bowl faster then usual after the pass, Kopecky checked up a bit and inadvertantly caused Angel on his FZr to narrowly miss the Husqvarnas’ rear tire. The next lap would be Kopeckys’ fastest of the race, and with Angel unable to respond Kenny went on to win by 4.25 seconds. The battling pair had put nearly 30 seconds on 3rd place finisher (and multi-time WSMC 500 Class Champion) J.C. Gibbs at the end of the race.

Afterwards Kenny said “I know a number of the riders on Super-Moto type bikes run specific race tires or slicks, but we used one set of D.O.T. street-legal Dunlop D209’s throughout the whole weekend. The tires were great all weekend, and late in that race with Eric I think our combination of Dunlops and the awesome Husky suspension just made the track a little more comfortable for us.”

The bike was surprisingly stock, with the only performance changes by MotoForza being a gearing change for more top speed and a slip-on exhaust cannister with slight re-jetting. The WSMC rules allow a street-legal Single in a variety of classes, and Kopecky took advantage of this by also running the Husqvarna in B.O.T.T. Lightweight. “We had a good start and at the end of the first lap saw Chris Speights right on our tail at the skid-pad. We’d been really lazy there all day and figured we better try to ride a little harder to stay in front…following Eric in SuperStock was fun but I’d rather lead into the traffic than be 2nd.” While Kopecky ran his fastest lap of the weekend the pursuing Speights on his EX-500 lost the rear end coming out of turn 3 and crashed out of the race un-hurt. Kenny added “I’m really glad Chris was okay, I hate to see that happen. This Single is really well suited to the Streets of Willow course, and we had a ton of fun on the MotoForza Husqvarna SMR today! I hope more racers will come out to the next Streets meet…WSMC did a great job this weekend.”

Kopecky is planning to attend both the upcoming WSMC meet on the main Willow track April 13-15 and the next WSMC Streets of Willow meet on May 5-6.

Motorcycle Hall Of Fame Museum Establishes “Exhibition Endowment Fund”

$5 Million Project Gets Spirited Kick-Start from Dedicated Donors PICKERINGTON, OHIO – The non-profit Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum has announced the creation of an Exhibition Endowment Fund, designed to provide permanent funding and support for the Museum’s award-winning roster of exhibits, such as the current “Motocross America” and Dick Mann “SuperMann” retrospectives. Educating the public about American motorcycling’s significant contributions, as well as the sport and industry’s heritage and history, is an important part of the Museum’s mission. As a result, the Museum has partnered with The Columbus Foundation, a trusted philanthropic advisor and one of the ten largest community foundations in the country, to establish an Exhibition Endowment Fund with a $5 million goal. A number of long-time Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum supporters have helped kick-start the campaign through generous pledges and donations. Melbourne J. “Mike” and Margaret Wilson, both Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum Board members, were the first to donate $10,000 – along with a challenge to all motorcycling enthusiasts and industry supporters. Their challenge was immediately accepted by Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum Board member Ozzie Scofield and his wife Anne ($50,000), Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum Chairman and AMA Vice Chairman Stan Simpson ($60,000) and Vaughn Beals, former Chairman and CEO of Harley-Davidson Motor Company ($10,000 in appreciated stock). “I am pleased to support the Museum and assist in making the Exhibition Endowment Fund a reality,” said Ozzie Scofield. “I know the result will be preserving the heart and history of motorcycling.” “With quality educational exhibitions costing well over $100 per square foot, the Museum’s annual exhibition program is the single largest budgeted expense. While keeping that ‘nest egg’ amount safe with the Columbus Foundation’s investment work, the Exhibition Endowment will consistently provide these funds meeting our mission and keeping visitors engaged,” said Mark Mederski, Executive Director of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. Individuals interested in helping build the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum Exhibition Endowment should contact Mederski at 614.856.2222 or [email protected]. About the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum The goal of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is to tell the stories and preserve the history of motorcycling. Located on the campus of the American Motorcyclist Association in Pickerington, Ohio, the Motorcycle Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed notably to the sport, and three major exhibition halls showcase the machines and memorabilia that have shaped motorcycling. The Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; and is closed on New Year’s, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Adult admission is $10 per person; students 12 – 17, $3. AMA members $5. Seniors receive a $2 discount and members of motorcycle clubs and organizations are eligible for a $1 discount per ticket. A $25.00 family rate and group rates are also available. For more information, call (614) 856-2222, or visit the Museum’s website at www.motorcyclemuseum.org.

Yonce Wins Four CCS Races At JenningsGP

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CCS Florida/Southeast/Mid-Atlantic Jennings GP Jennings, Florida Trey Yonce won the Unlimited Grand Prix race during the CCS regional event April 1 at JenningsGP on a Suzuki GSX-R600. He was out front from the start of the race, which was interrupted on the first lap due to a red flag incident in turn 10. At the restart, Santiago Villa nailed the holeshot lead with his Suzuki GSX-R1000. But, Yonce, who was determined to be back up front, made his passing move in turn 11 and reclaimed his lead before the end of the first completed lap. Villa chased Yonce for the remainder of the race in a two-rider breakaway fight for the lead but was unable to get around. Yonce took the checkered flag in first with Villa close behind in second. Michael Rouleau finished third on his Suzuki GSX-R1000. Yonce was the biggest Expert winner of the weekend with four first-place finishes. He also won the GTO, GTU and Middleweight Supersport races. He finished second to Mike Smith in Middleweight Superbike. Garrett Rick was the second-biggest Expert winner with three first-place finishes. He won the SuperTwins, Lightweight Superbike and Thunderbike events. RESULTS: UNLIMITED GRAND PRIX (SHOOTOT): 1. Trey Yonce (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Santiago Villa (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Michael Rouleau (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. Darren Luck (Suz GSX-R750); 5. Shawn Conrad (Kaw ZX-10R); 6. Troy Meikle (Kaw ZX-10R); 7. Logan Young (Kaw ZX-10R); 8. Robert Lang (Suz GSX-R750); 9. Charlie Mavros (Yam YZF-R1); 10. James Ozyjowski (Suz GSX-R600).

More From World Superbike At Donington

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WORLD SUPERBIKE ROUND 3 DONINGTON 1 APRIL 2007 RACE REVIEW We expected it to be cold at Donington in late March and the weather did not miss its cue. We did not get three days of rain but the cold and a biting wind were in evidence throughout, for what was a vastly expanded Superbike paddock this weekend. The first day of practice and qualifying was of particular significance for the Supersport class, as the Yamaha Supersport Racing Team had both their riders ruled out with broken collarbones, while Sebastien Charpentier (Hannspree Honda Ten Kate) hurt his collarbone and pelvis, making it three top championship contenders out before the start of round three. In SBK Bayliss was the Superpole winner, and at record pace, even if the conditions were not ideal. A crash on his timed lap stopped Corser from challenging for another pole win, but he was fully fit to race. Race 1: AIR HUMIDITY 68% AIR TEMPERATURE 9°C TRACK CONDITION Dry TRACK TEMPERATURE 15°C On Sunday morning the Donington track surface was registering 6°C. The warm-up proved to be particularly important, as the difficult conditions meant that the riders would have to make the perfect choice to allow them to race competitively and yet still permit them to go full race distance. On the rear almost every single rider went for a Pirelli DIABLO SUPERBIKE SC1, a regular commercial product that Pirelli sells on the market, not simply designed for professional riders, and yet able to demonstrate an incredible potential on track. And duly a Superbike race for world championship points would be won by a commercially available product once again. The race started in combative style, with Bayliss and Toseland making a gap back to the following riders (although Bayliss was to crash and hurt himself, missing out on race two) while Corser and Biaggi were involved in an eventual chase to take the final podium places. Thus Toseland finished ahead of Corser and Biaggi, with the podium filled by diverse machines from three different manufacturers, all equally well underpinned by Pirelli’s high quality products. Race Standings Rider Bike Team Race time 1 Toseland Honda CBR 1000RR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 35’28.222 2 Corser Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 35’29.590 3 Biaggi Suzuki GSXR1000K7 Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra 35’30.670 4 Haga Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 35’37.461 5 Lanzi Ducati 999 F06 Ducati Xerox 35’46.250 Race2: AIR HUMIDITY 55% AIR TEMPERATURE 13°C TRACK CONDITION Dry TRACK TEMPERATURE 21°C With Bayliss out after his race one fall, Haga scored the holeshot from Toseland. It looked like these were the two to fight it out to the finish with Corser but Toseland was forced out on lap four, when his machine stopped at Redgate while leading. Most of the riders decided to stick with their race one choices, but the slight increase in temperature helped the competitors to put on a show with a climatic and emotional finish. The final corner was disputed by Biaggi and Haga, with Biaggi running wide and Haga winning, with Corser only just one second behind. None of the riders reported any problems, and the Pirelli DIABLO SUPERBIKE and the Pirellis continued to perform well right to the final curve: and the 25 points earned by Haga proved to be very important for his championship push, after some early bad luck. Race Standings Rider Bike Team Race time 1 Haga Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 35’26.734 2 Biaggi Suzuki GSXR1000K6 Alstare Suzuki 35’26.845 3 Corser Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 35’27.834 4 Xaus Ducati 999 F06 Team Sterilgarda 35’32.661 5 Lanzi Ducati 999 F07 Ducati Xerox 35’36.568 Championship Standings Rider Bike Team Points 1 Toseland Honda CBR1000RR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 115 2 Biaggi Suzuki GSXR1000K7 Alstare Suzuki 110 3 Haga Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 88 4 Corser Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 81 5 Lanzi Ducati 999F 07 Ducati Xerox 66 6 Bayliss Ducati 999 F07 Ducati Xerox 64 7 Neukirchner Suzuki GSX R Suzuki Germany 46 8 Xaus Ducati 999 F07 Ducati Sterilgarda 45 9 Rolfo Honda CBR1000RR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 36 10 Nieto Kawasaki ZX10 R PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse 30 World Supersport AIR HUMIDITY 61% AIR TEMPERATURE 11°C TRACK CONDITION Dry TRACK TEMPERATURE 22°C The front line of the grid at Donington featured a few ‘strangers’ and with Parkes, Curtain and Charpentier missing, this was inevitable. At the green light Kenan Sofuoglu was the most impressive starter, and he immediately gapped the rest. Behind the next places were disputed by Harms and Fujiwara about to be the ‘authors’ of a fantastic fight back and their racing provided a great spectacle. As Sofuoglu hit clutch trouble all three top riders started to mix it up, and after a crash behind, involving three different riders, the red flags came out to stop the race. An aggregate race was thus called for, with the times from race one being added to the times from the second leg. With only 11 laps to race in leg two, the riders could choose softer rear tyres, but the front tyre was already confirmed to be the DIABLO SUPERCORSA, in SC2 compound. Like the SBK riders, the WSS riders use tyres that can be bought in any shop, and like in SBK racing, the tyres provided a fantastic base for close competition. Turkish rider Kenan Sofuoglu once more took risks in the early parts of the second running and got a gap right away. And after managing the race masterfully after his early problems, he won from Harms and Fujiwara. Kenan’s team mate is World Champion Sebastien Charpentier and like the Yamaha Supersport runners, he was out through injury even before raceday. The 25 points Sofuoglu scored were highly important as he now has a clear world championship lead. Race Standings Rider Bike Team Race time 1 Sofuoglu Honda CBR600 RR Hannspree Ten Kate 34’56.601 2 Harms Honda CBR600 RR Stiggy Motorsport 34’57.365 3 Fujiwara Honda CBR600 RR Honda Althea Megabike 34’57.944 4 Jones Yamaha YZF R6 Revè Ekerold Honda Racing 35’06.816 5 Sanna Yamaha YZF R6 Racing Team Parkalgar 35’08.736 Championship Standings Rider Bike Team Points 1 Sofuoglu Honda CBR600 RR Hannspree Ten Kate 70 2 Fujiwara Yamaha YZF R6 Team Althea Megabike 43 3 Harms Honda CBR600 RR Winston Ten Kate 39 4 Foret Kawasaki ZX 6R Gil Motorsport 38 5 Curtain Honda CBR600 RR Yamaha Motor Germany 25 6 Riba Kawasaki ZX 6R Gil Moto Sport 22 7 Jones Honda CBR600 RR Revè Ekerold Honda Racing 19 8 Roccoli Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha Team Italia 17 9 Veneman Suzuki GSX R 600 Team Hoegee 17 10 Parkes Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha Motor Germany 16 1000cc Superstock AIR HUMIDITY 79% AIR TEMPERATURE 7°C TRACK CONDITION Dry TRACK TEMPERATURE 11°C Donington was the first Superstock 1000 appointment of the season, with only an official test for the form guide, some two weeks ago in Spain. This year the tyres used in Superstock are the Pirelli DIABLO SUPERCORSA SC2, in sizes 120/70 190/55; the sizes most often used by the modern generation of 1000cc sports machinery as original equipment. A crash spoiled things for Pirro and Badovini, who disputed the lead on the final lap, leaving the victory to Niccolò Canepa, on his new Ducati 1098 which this year offers the Superstock 1000 FIM CUP another interesting dimension. Fighting for the win with the twin from Borgo Panigale were the Yamaha 4-cylinder machines from Claudio Corti and Didier Van Keymeulen. Race Standings: Rider Bike Team Race Time 1 Canepa Ducati 1098 Ducati Xerox Jr Team 12’46.272 2 Corti Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Team Italia 12’46.419 3 Van Keymeulen MV Agusta TTSL-MGM Racing 12’47.255 4 Aitchison Suzuki GSXR 1000 Celani Suzuki Italia 12’48.627 5 Baiocco Yamaha YZF R1 Umbria Bike 12’50.471 Championship Standings: Rider Bike Team Points 1 Canepa Ducati 1098 Ducati Xerox Jr Team 25 2 Corti Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Team Italia 20 3 Van Keymeulen MV Agusta TTSL-MGM Racing 16 4 Aitchison Suzuki GSXR 1000 Celani Suzuki Italia 13 5 Baiocco Yamaha YZF R1 Umbria Bike 11 600cc Superstock AIR HUMIDITY 53% AIR TEMPERATURE 13°C TRACK CONDITION Dry TRACK TEMPERATURE 22°C It was a very difficult first weekend for the riders in 600cc Superstock, faced with a new untested circuit and such cold temperatures all weekend. One good tip for the top was early leader Antonelli, but after the first lap it was clear that it would be a hotly contested race, on a new tyre for this year’s machines, the DIABLO SUPERCORSA SC2, always capable of a high level of performance. Colucci, on his Ducati 749, set a new lap record on the ninth lap and it was less than three seconds slower than the new record in Supersport! The race provided a fine battle with the top three riders all within one second of each other. The Ducati rider finally finished third, behind the Yamaha of Magnoni, and the Honda of Antonelli. Race Standings: Rider Bike Team Race time 1 Magnoni Yamaha YZF R6 Bevilacqua Corse 16’16.888 2 Antonelli Honda CBR600RR Team Italia Megabike AX +0.528 3 Colucci Ducati 749R Ducati Xerox Junior Team +0.858 Championship Standings: Rider Bike Team Points 1 Magnoni Yamaha YZF R6 Bevilacqua Corse 25 2 Antonelli Honda CBR600RR Team Italia Megabike AX 20 3 Colucci Ducati 749R Ducati Xerox Junior Team 16 4 Barrier Coutelle Jr Team 13 5 Berger R6 Team Trasimeno 11

Updated: American Nicky Moore 15th In FIM Cup 1000cc Superstock At Donington

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FIM Cup 1000cc Superstock Donington Park, England April 1, 2007 Race Results: 1. Niccolo Canepa (Duc 1098S), 8 laps, 12:46.272 2. Claudio Corti (Yam YZF-R1), -0.147 second 3. Didier Van Keymeulen (Yam YZF-R1), -0.983 second 4. Mark Aitchison (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -2.355 seconds 5. Matteo Baiocco (Yam YZF-R1), -4.199 seconds 6. Ilario Dionisi (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -6.635 seconds 7. Xavier Simeon (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -6.927 seconds 8. Arne Tode (Hon CBR1000RR), -9.402 seconds 9. Sheridan Morais (Duc 1098S), -10.150 seconds 10. Rene Mahr (Yam YZF-R1), -10.846 seconds 11. Marko Jerman (Yam YZF-R1), -11.145 seconds 12. Dario Giuseppetti (Yam YZF-R1), -11.578 seconds 13. Marko Rohtlaan (Hon CBR1000RR), -11.922 seconds 14. Cedric Tangre (Yam YZF-R1), -16.027 seconds 15. NICKY MOORE (Duc 1098S), -18.843 seconds 16. Barry Burrell (Hon CBR1000RR), -19.008 seconds 17. Loic Napoleone (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), -19.738 seconds 18. Raymond Schouten (Yam YZF-R1), -22.783 seconds 19. Matej Smrz (Hon CBR1000RR), -23.181 seconds 20. Franck Millet (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), -23.562 seconds 21. Lorenzo Baroni (Duc 1098S), -24.506 seconds 22. Jonathan Howarth (Suz GSX-R1000K7), -29.153 seconds 23. Viktor Kispataki (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -29.749 seconds 24. Wim Van Den Broeck (Yam YZF-R1), -31.543 seconds 25. Raffaele Filice (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -41.766 seconds 26. Niccolo Rosso (Duc 1098S), -44.739 seconds 27. Olivier Depoorter (Yam YZF-R1), -45.344 seconds 28. Matt Bond (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -46.823 seconds 29. Robert Gianfardoni (Yam YZF-R1), -57.816 seconds 30. Michele Pirro (Yam YZF-R1), -84.092 seconds, pitted 31. Danilo Dell’Omo (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), -1 lap, pitted 32. Denis Sacchetti (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), -1 lap, DNF, mechanical 33. Ayrton Badovini (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), -2 laps, DNF, crash 34. Balazs Nemeth (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -5 laps, DNF, crash 35. Bram Appelo (Hon CBR1000RR), -7 laps, DNF, crash 36. Adam Jenkinson (Suz GSX-R1000K7), DNS 37. Timo Gieseler (Yam YZF-R1), DNS 38. Leonardo Biliotti (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), DNS 39. Luka Nedog (Duc 1098S), DNS

Updated: Haga Wins Second World Superbike Race At Donington Park

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FIM Superbike World Championship Donington Park, England April 1, 2007 Race Two Results: 1. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1), 23 laps, 35:26.734 2. Max BIAGGI (Suz GSX-R1000K7), -0.111 second 3. Troy CORSER (Yam YZF-R1), -1.100 seconds 4. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F06), -5.927 seconds 5. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F07), -9.834 seconds 6. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R), -12.203 seconds 7. Roberto ROLFO (Hon CBR1000RR), -22.287 seconds 8. Jakub SMRZ (Duc 999F05), -30.060 seconds 9. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Hon CBR1000RR), -37.734 seconds 10. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -39.893 seconds 11. Giovanni BUSSEI (Duc 999F06), -41.524 seconds 12. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR), -45.617 seconds 13. Steve MARTIN (Hon CBR1000RR), -52.547 seconds 14. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yam YZF-R1), -61.669 seconds 15. Josh BROOKES (Hon CBR1000RR), -80.586 seconds 16. Aaron ZANOTTI (Yam YZF-R1), -86.912 seconds 17. Luca MORELLI (Duc 999RS), -87.181 seconds 18. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R), -12 laps, DNF, crash 19. Dean ELLISON (Duc 999RS), -16 laps, DNF, mechanical 20. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR), -20 laps, DNF, mechanical 21. Christian ZAISER (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), -23 laps, DNF 22. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F07), DNS FIM Superbike World Championship Point Standings (after 6 of 26 races): 1. Toseland, 115 points 2. Biaggi, 110 points 3. Haga, 88 points 4. Corser, 81 points 5. Lanzi, 66 points 6. Bayliss, 64 points 7. Neukirchner, 46 points 8. Xaus, 45 points 9. Rolfo, 36 points 10. Nieto, 30 points More, from a press release issued by FGSport: 2007 SBK CORONA EXTRA SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP® DONINGTON PARK – 3rd ROUND – 30th, 31st MARCH and 1st APRIL RACE REPORT Donington Park, Sunday 1 April 2007 TOSELAND AND HAGA SHARE WINS AS BAYLISS SUFFERS INJURY A DAY OF TWO HALVES AT DONINGTON James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) scored the first race win after race leader and Superpole winner Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) crashed out at Coppice, injuring his right little finger badly enough to require immediate surgery. Bayliss still took a new lap record of 1’31.575, on lap four of race one, and it survived race two. In the second race of an incident-strewn day, Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) won a thrilling last corner battle with Max Biaggi (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) after early leader Toseland’s machine stopped on lap four. Toseland still leads the series, however, 115 points to Biaggi’s 110, with Haga third on 88. RACE ONE James Toseland’s chase of eventual faller Troy Bayliss left him on his own when Bayliss went out, and Toseland rode with a clear head to finish the race 1.3 seconds up on Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia), with Biaggi a slow starting, fast finishing third. 51,000 spectators witnessed the action at Donington this weekend, despite cold temperatures and rain on Friday. RACE TWO With Toseland out, the second 23-lap race settled into a fast rhythm (eventually two seconds faster than race one), which was punctuated by the occasional flurry of overtaking attempts by Haga and Biaggi. On the final corner, leader Biaggi ran wide and Haga zipped past to secure his first win of the year, making him the fourth rider on the top step of the podium in only six races. Corser, a close third almost throughout, was third in the final analysis and now sits fourth overall, with 81 points. XAUS AND LANZI FIGHT IT OUT Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Ducati) may have fallen in race one but he did secure a fine fourth in race two, beating the factory machine of Lorenzo Lanzi, who had been fifth behind Haga in race one. A war between the Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse riders Fonsi Nieto and Regis Laconi went the way of Nieto in race one (sixth) but Laconi scored that finishing spot in race two, with Nieto falling out of contention. The second race gave Roby Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) a seventh place, but Jakub Smrz (Caracchi SC Ducati) was the most impressive privateer of the day, scoring eighth in race two – after an almost equally good tenth in race one. NEUKIRCHNER EIGHTH AND TENTH Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Germany) scored eighth and tenth places at Donington to edge out some even more experienced riders again. Karl Muggeridge (Alto Evolution Honda) and Josh Brookes, his team mate, each scored points in two races for the first time this year. WORLD SUPERSPORT – SOFUOGLU WINS AFTER AGGREGATE RACE A two part 22-lap World Supersport race saw long term race leader and championship top man Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) the eventual winner on aggregate, leading over the line in each of the two halves of the race. A clutch problem in the opening leg could have made the outcome very different for Sofuoglu, in a race with many problems for some top riders. Second place went to aggressive Dane Robbin Harms (Stiggy Motorsports Honda) with Katsuaki Fujiwara (Althea Honda) third and local man Craig Jones (Reve Ekerold Honda Racing) a fine fourth. Gil Kawasaki riders Pere Riba and Fabien Foret had bad luck on raceday, with Riba punished for a jump-start and finishing 15th overall instead of on a possible podium, while Foret retired in leg one with an engine problem. In the championship, Sofuoglu is well clear on 70 points, with Fujiwara second on 43 and Harms third on 39. SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP – CANEPA GIVES DUCATI 1098 A WIN FIRST TIME OUT Niccolo Canepa and his Ducati Xerox 1098 were first time winners in the Superstock class of 2007, but only after a series of dramatic incidents. The race was shortened to eight laps, after a crash in the first start caused dirt to be deposited on the circuit. Michele Pirro (Lorenzini by Leoni Yamaha) led that contest but while lying second in the second leg, he crashed with just over a lap left, and took out the leader, Ayrton Badovini (Biassono Unionbike MV Agusta) in the process. Claudio Corti went second, with Didier Van Keymeulen (TTSL MGM Racing Yamaha) third. SUPERSTOCK 600 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP – MIGNONI THE WINNER Michele Magnoni (Bevilacqua Yamaha) scored his first win in the smaller Superstock class, from Andrea Antonelli (Team Italia Megabike Honda) and Domenico Colucci (Ducati Xerox Junior Team). More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: World Superbike Championship Round three: Donington Park, UK Sunday 1 April Race report Toseland maintains advantage in eventful home round HANNspree Ten Kate Honda’s James Toseland maintained his Superbike World Championship lead by the narrowest of margins at Donington Park today. The Yorkshireman suffered mixed fortunes in the two 23-lap races at the 4.02km track in front of a home crowd of 51,000 spectators. Toseland extended his championship advantage to 25 points after securing victory in race one. He quickly moved into second position on track during the opening lap and set about hunting down rival Troy Bayliss. The HANNspree Ten Kate Honda rider took the lead – after the Australian crashed out on lap five at Coppice – and maintained station with consistent laps to pass the chequered flag first. A strong performance from team-mate Roberto Rolfo saw the Italian move from 16th on the grid to a ninth place finish – securing further valuable points and demonstrating his increasing potential in the ultra-competitive championship. Race two was a different matter with Bayliss out of contention as a result of his injuries. The Australian was taken to Derby Royal Infirmary for plastic surgery to his right hand after he lost a finger, which became trapped underneath the bike during his accident. HANNspree Ten Kate Honda’s Toseland started the race as the firm favourite for victory. The 26-year-old moved into the lead on the opening lap and set about opening up a gap over Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser. However, misfortune struck on lap three when a mechanical problem caused the CBR1000RR to stop on the entrance to Redgate – ending Toseland’s race prematurely. A three-way dice for the lead ensued between Haga, Corser and Max Biaggi. It was Haga who emerged triumphant from a thrilling manoeuvre at the last corner on the final lap. The Japanese rider’s move past Biaggi ensured that HANNspree Ten Kate Honda’s Toseland remained ahead of his Italian rival in the standings by five points. Team-mate Rolfo once again enjoyed an improvement in performance equalling his highest finish to date – moving from 15th on the grid to seventh at the chequered flag and ninth position overall. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager: “Everything was going so well that we were almost waiting for something to go wrong and that’s exactly what happened. We had a perfect race one win from James and a perfect Supersport win from Kenan. We were hoping for another win from James and he was looking in great form. However, coming onto the main straight, the quickshift started to cut the ignition continuously, causing the bike to stop when closing the throttle for the first corner. We are checking the data from the sensors inside and around the engine now to try to discover the cause of the problem. On a positive note, we know that James is in great form and that the bike is capable of winning races, so we will come back in fighting form for the next round and Roby had two great races.” James Toseland: “To say I’m disappointed is an understatement. That double win has eluded me once again. I felt really confident about winning the second race, but unfortunately as I was shifting up the gear on the start/finish straight I felt a problem with the engine, which caused the bike to stop when I shut the throttle for the first corner. I don’t know what the problem was but it meant that I was unable to continue. This is as disappointing for the fans as it is for me and I’m sorry that I was unable to give them a better result.” Roberto Rolfo: “Race two was good – I enjoyed it very much. Race one was more difficult as I found it hard to find a good rhythm at the beginning because of some riders in front of me. It was not so easy for me to concentrate. In race two, I had a very good start and tried to push hard from the first to the last lap. I must say that I am happy because I improved my feeling on the bike. It wasn’t easy to start from the back but I think next time if I start from further up I can achieve a top five place. ” Race one results 1. J. Toseland, 35.28:222 2. T. Corser, +1.368 3. M. Biaggi, +2.448 4. N. Haga, +9.249 5. L. Lanzi, +18.028 6. F. Nieto, +18.956 7. R. Laconi, +29.998 8. M. Neukirchner, +30.296 9. R. Rolfo, +30.525 10. J. Smrz, +36.661 Fastest Lap, T. Bayliss, 1.31:575 Race two results 1. N. Haga, 35.26:734 2. M. Biaggi, +0.111 3. T. Corser, +1.100 4. R. Xaus, +5.927 5. L. Lanzi, +9.834 6. R. Laconi, +12.203 7. R. Rolfo, +22.287 8. J. Smrz, +30.060 9. K. Muggeridge, +37.734 10. M. Neukirchner, +39.893 DNF, J. Toseland Fastest Lap, N. Haga, 1.31:634 Championship standings 1. J. Toseland, 115 points 2. M. Biaggi, 110 3. N. Haga, 88 4. T. Corser, 81 5. L. Lanzi, 66 6. T. Bayliss, 64 7. M. Neukirchner, 46 8. R. Xaus, 45 9. R. Rolfo, 36 10. F. Nieto, 30 More, from a press release issued by Team YZF Yamaha: Good progress in race 2 Noriyuki Haga wins the first race this year for Yamaha in the Superbike World Championship. Shinichi Nakatomi finishes the weekend well after a difficult start. In race 1, Troy Bayliss (Ducati) takes the lead in front of James Toseland (Honda) and Regis Laconi (Kawasaki). Unfortunately, Bayliss crashes and hurts one of his fingers, which makes him unable to start the second event. So Toseland is a strong leader, in front of Troy Corser (Yamaha), Max Biaggi (Suzuki) and Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha). This is how they finish, which is very positive for Yamaha in the Manufacturers Championship. Shinichi Nakatomi has a difficult time because of a wrong tyre choice. He can finish only 17th. In race 2, Toseland has to retire early because of a technical problem. Haga, Biaggi and Corser have a beautiful fight together and Haga wins it with a tiny margin. Nakatomi this time is more at ease. He does a good race and finishes in 14th position. Shinichi Nakatomi: “The first race was really difficult, so we tried a new setting and selected another tyre. Everything was better in race 2. I was more competitive and I am happy I scored two points.” Team-manager Martial Garcia: “First of all, congratulations to Yamaha for the first victory this year in World Superbike. We ourselves had a tyre choice problem in race 1. And then, with a better choice and finally a good set up, we finished 14th with 2 points that will be precious for the championship. Nakatomi did his quickest time of the week end during race 2. We are going the right way.” Race 1: 1-Toseland (Honda), 2-Corser (Yamaha), 3-Biaggi (Suzuki), 4-Haga (Yamaha), 5-Lanzi (Ducati)…17-Nakatomi (Yamaha) Race 2: 1-Haga (Yamaha), 2-Biaggi (Suzuki), 3-Corser (Yamaha), 4-Xaus (Ducati), 5-Lanzi (Ducati), 14-Nakatomi (Yamaha) World Championship standings: 1-Toseland (Honda) 115 points, 2-Biaggi (Suzuki) 110, 3-Haga (Yamaha) 88, 4-Corser (Yamaha) 81, 5-Lanzi (Ducati) 66…18-Nakatomi (Yamaha) 12 4th round of the Superbike World Championship: April 15th at Valencia (Spain) More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: Sunday Apr 1 2007 Raceday BAYLISS CRASHES OUT OF DONINGTON SUPERBIKE RACE 1 AND INJURES RIGHT HAND Donington (UK), Sunday 1 April: Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) crashed out at Coppice corner on lap 6 of the first World Superbike race at Donington Park today, injuring his hand in the process. Troy was accelerating through Coppice while in the lead and the rear of the bike just snapped away from him and he high-sided into the gravel. In the early afternoon he was taken to the nearby Derbyshire Royal Infirmary for reconstructive surgery on the little finger of his right hand, which had been mangled in the crash. Lorenzo Lanzi was left to fly the flag for the Ducati Xerox Team but the Italian could only manage fifth in the two races as James Toseland (Honda) and Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) shared the two wins. “My team did wonders this weekend because I crashed twice” declared Lorenzo. “The first day was wet and I was unable to do many laps. The second day I crashed again when it was important to do a lot of kilometres. I started from row 2 so I think I can be quite satisfied with the result. We improved a lot in race 2 after making several minor changes, but I got a bad start. I was quicker in the second race and had the same pace as the guys up at the front in the final stages. It was a great battle with Ruben, but with a better start I could have fought for the podium with the top 3.” Race 1: 1. Toseland (Honda); 2. Corser (Yamaha); 3. Biaggi (Suzuki); 4. Haga (Yamaha); 5. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox); 6. Nieto (Kawasaki); 7. Laconi (Kawasaki); 8. Neukirchner (Suzuki), etc. Race 2: 1. Haga; 2. Biaggi; 3. Corser; 4. Xaus (Ducati); 5. Lanzi; 6. Laconi; 7. Rolfo (Honda); 8. Smrz (Ducati), etc. Points (after 3 of 13 rounds): Riders – 1. Toseland 115; 2. Biaggi 110; 3. Haga 88; 4. Corser 81; 5. Lanzi 66; 6. Bayliss 64; etc. Manufacturers – 1. Honda 124; 2. Suzuki 110; 3. Yamaha 98; 4. Ducati 94; 5. Kawasaki 40. More, from a press release issued by Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra: 2007 Superbike World Championship Round 3, Europe, Donington, GB Sunday 1st April 2007 Circuit: 4.023 kms. Crowd: 51,000. Conditions: Dry, sunny/cloudy 9-13C. SUPERMAX TAKES A SECOND AND A THIRD! Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Max Biaggi took a superb pair of podiums at Donington Park today. In mostly sunny, but very cold, conditions, Max took a hard-fought for third in the opening race after being ninth at the end of the first lap. But better was to come in the second race; Max made a better start this time and fought Yamaha team mates Corser and Haga throughout the 23-lapper after early leader James Toseland (Honda) went out with a mechanical problem after two laps. Max charged into the lead after fourteen laps and looked on course for victory until he made a small error exiting the final corner on the last lap, allowing Haga to take the chequered flag instead. Max’s points tally today moves him to just five points behind series leader James Toseland, with third-placed Haga twelve points behind. Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Yukio Kagayama was forced to sit out today’s races because of doctor’s orders and so could not increase his standing in the overall points total. MAX Well, I’m pretty happy in one way – I got two podiums – and a little bit disappointed because I should’ve won the second race. I led going into the final turn, but then ran a little wide and that was just enough for Haga to slip through and into the lead. The finish line is very close to the exit of the corner, so there was no chance of me being able to out-drag him to the line. We all make mistakes and although it cost me the victory, I still got second place and that, together with my third in race one, means that overall it was a good day. We didn’t make any changes to the bike from the first race to the second – apart from fresh tyres of course. In the first race I didn’t make a good start, so I had a lot of work to do to catch up the front three. It was about half race distance by the time I did that and then I had to try and catch James and Troy. James was too far away, but I did get pretty close to Troy by the end, but not close enough to get past. Race two was a great race. Luckily the weather was much better today and the fans who were here, saw some great racing. I had a big battle with Nori and Troy and nobody knew who was going to win. I took the lead and I’m not saying that it was an easy lead, but I felt pretty comfortable. I knew that Nori was very close and that Troy was not far behind either, but I was happy to be in front going into the last lap. Then, a bit of a mistake by me in the final corner and victory became a second! But that’s racing! I’m really enjoying my life here. I like the racing and I like the atmosphere off the track because it is much more human and also more relaxed. On the track we riders fight as hard as we can, but afterwards it’s good that we can smile together. YUKIO It was very frustrating for me being at the track, feeling OK and not racing. I don’t like it! Maybe the doctors made the right decision, but I still wanted to be out there fighting, fighting, fighting. But now, I will get ready for the next race in Valencia, where I hope to get two good results, because I want them and I need them. Results Race 1: Toseland (GB-Honda), 2 Corser (Aus-Yamaha Motor Italia), 3 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 4 Haga (J-Yamaha), 5 Lanzi (I-Ducati), 6 Nieto (E-Kawasaki), 7 Laconi (F-Kawasaki), 8 Neukirchner (D-Suzuki), 9 Rolfo (I-Honda), 10 Smrz (CZ-Ducati), Race 2: 1 Haga, 2 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 3 Troy Corser (Aus-Yamaha Motor Italia), 4 Xaus (E-Ducati), 5 Lanzi, 6 Laconi, 7 Rolfo, 8 Smrz, 9 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda), 10 Neukirchner, Points: 1 Toseland 115, 2 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 110, 3 Haga 88, 4 Troy Corser 81, 5 Lanzi 66, 6 Bayliss 64, 7 Neukirchner 46, 8 Xaus 45, 9 Rolfo 36, 10 Nieto 30, 12 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 23, More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi: VERY GOOD SMRZ AT DONINGTON, NANNELLI HAS A GOOD FINAL STAGE (Donington Park 2007, April 1) Cold and wind aalso for race day at bDonington, but the Sunday has been a Paradise if compared with the previous couple of days. The dry track allowed regular races, as well during the morning warm up we could see several crashes in all the classes. In Superbike Jakub Smrz has been author of two excellent races, despite a bad start in both the legs, closing quickly the gap and reaching the tenth and eight final position, after overtaking riders on factory or factory-supported bike. “Today I’m rather satisfied.” commented a smiling Jakub Smrz at the end of the day. “It’s a pity that in both the legs I made a bad start that forced me to earn several positions. More in race-1, when I reached the 12th position, somebody did hurt my steering bar, damaging my clutch and sending me behind three position. Well, I start to overtook once more and I finished tenth, but I’m sure that without this trouble I could earn a couple of position more. At the end of race-2 I could see Rolfo before me, but it was too late and I did like better to bring at the team a precious result as to try an attack in the final laps. I’m happy because I’m finding an always better feeling with this bike and we have still two rounds, Valencia and Assen, on circuits that I know, so I hope to get more good performances.” Gianluca Nannelli had a black and white day. After the warm up he did not find a good set up and for the race he had not a good start. When the race stopped with red flag after 11 laps he was only in 15th position. After a small modify to front set up during the interval, the new start for the second heath showed Gianluca have a good start and recording lap times like the leaders, and at the end of the eleven laps of the second heath he scored the 7th place. However the gap in the first heath put him in 10th position in the aggregate result. “I’m not actually happy for a tenth place!” said Gianluca Nannelli at the end. “But looking the race I’ve seen That in the second heath I recorded very good lap times. Probably I earn also more confidence in the bike and I was able to ride with fighting style as I’m using to do. During morning warm up the strong wind and the cold track caused several crashes, so we couldn’t test correctly all the set up we made after the prectices. But yoy know, races are in this way, sometime it’s sufficient a genial, small touch and you get more as after two days working.”

Orient Express Continues Sponsorship Of Team Hooters Suzuki

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Orient Express Racing 2007 Racing Sponsorship Orient Express Racing is excited to announce that for 2007 it is extending its racing sponsorships to include the AMA/ProStar Drag Racing Series. Orient Express Racing will be a major series sponsor for the AMA/ProStar Drag Racing Series, where competition and racing is fierce. With this sponsorship, Orient Express Racing will proudly support drag racing on a national level, in addition to existing sponsorship of: Bikes In The Valley Lebanon NY, Orient Express Top Street at Englishtown Raceway NJ, Orient Express Pro Sportbike at MIRock, and the Texas Shootout Series. Orient Express Racing will continue its long relationship with the AMA Superbike Racing series in 2007 with both series contingency and Team Hooters Suzuki sponsorship. Asked for comment, Orient Express Racing President Skip Dowling said, “We are really pleased to be involved with AMA ProStar in 2007. Orient Express has been racing and helping racers go fast since 1973, and 2007 is going to be the best year yet!” Orient Express Racing’s plan for 2007 is to expand its presence on a national level. With a combination of racing series sponsorships, contingency programs, racer sponsorships, and our own in-house racing program, Orient Express Racing reaches more racers than any other business in the industry. Additionally Orient Express Racing has committed support to AMA/ProStar with title sponsorship of the 2007 U.S. Motorcycle Nationals in Atco, NJ, September 29th to 30th 2007, now known as the 2007 Orient Express U.S. Motorcycle Nationals. The 2007 Orient Express U.S. Motorcycle Nationals is the oldest and most prestigious event in motorcycle drag racing, and has a 41-year history of groundbreaking performance. Orient Express considers Atco, NJ to be its ³home² track, where countless passes and race wins are in the record books. Orient Express Racing looks forward to the 2007 Orient Express U.S. Motorcycle Nationals, and each opportunity to become more involved with its customers and fans. Orient Express Racing hopes to see you and your team at the races! For more information regarding Orient Express Racing, and for regular news and updates over the course of the 2007-racing season, please visit the entirely new website: http://www.orientexpress.com . We encourage customers to sign up for regular email updates through the website. Have a great 2007-racing season!

Sofuoglo Takes World Supersport Victory On Aggregate Time In England

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FIM Supersport World Championship Donington Park, England April 1, 2007 Race Results (on aggregate time): 1. Kenan SOFUOGLU (Hon CBR600RR), 22 laps, 34:56.601 2. Robbin HARMS (Hon CBR600RR), -0.764 second 3. Katsuaki FUJIWARA (Hon CBR600RR), -1.343 seconds 4. Craig JONES (Hon CBR600RR), -10.215 seconds 5. Simone SANNA (Hon CBR600RR), -12.135 seconds 6. Davide GIUGLIANO (Kaw ZX-6R), -12.982 seconds 7. Yoann TIBERIO (Hon CBR600RR), -16.642 seconds 8. Massimo ROCCOLI (Yam YZF-R6), -16.664 seconds 9. David CHECA (Yam YZF-R6), -22.965 seconds 10. Gianluca NANNELLI (Duc 749R), -23.852 seconds 11. Sebastian GIMBERT (Yam YZF-R6), -24.862 seconds 12. Gianluca VIZZIELLO (Yam YZF-R6), -26.053 seconds 13. David SALOM (Yam YZF-R6), -26.512 seconds 14. Barry VENEMAN (Suz GSX-R600), -29.445 seconds 15. Pere RIBA (Kaw ZX-6R), -29.448 seconds 16. Chris PERIS (Yam YZF-R6), -43.818 seconds 32. Fabien FORET (Kaw ZX-6R), -15 laps, DNF Supersport World Championship Point Standings (after 3 of 13 rounds): 1. Sofuoglo, 70 points 2. Fujiwara, 43 points 3. Harms, 39 points 4. Foret, 38 points 5. Kevin Curtain (Yam YZF-R6), 25 points 6. Riba, 22 points 7. Jones, 19 points 8. TIE, Roccoli/Veneman, 17 points 10. Broc Parkes (Yam YZF-R6), 16 points More, from a press release issued by HAHNspree Ten Kate Honda: World Supersport Championship Round three: Donington Park, UK Sunday 1 April Race report Sofuoglu obliterates opposition on Donington debut Kenan Sofuoglu led both legs of today’s two-part World Supersport Championship race from start to finish for a convincing victory for HANNspree Ten Kate Honda. The impressive race win enables the young Turkish rider to extend his championship advantage from seven to 27 points over his nearest rival with a tally of 70. Sofuoglu got off to a strong start from third on the grid for his first race at Donington Park’s 4.02km track. He seized an early lead on the opening lap and set the pace with a blistering time of 1.34:577 – smashing James Whitham’s existing Supersport lap record of 1.37:565. Despite a clutch problem with the CBR600RR and convincing challenges from Robbin Harms, the HANNspree Ten Kate Honda rider maintained station until the race was red flagged on lap 12 due to a multiple rider accident at Redgate. The 22-lap race was re-started with 11 laps left to run and Sofuoglu – using his spare CBR600RR – once again stole the early advantage. However, Harms remained determined and passed the HANNspree Ten Kate Honda rider on lap 20. The series leader fought back to regain his place at the front of the pack one lap later and remained there until he passed the chequered flag. The race win was particularly significant due to the fact that Sofuoglu’s closest rivals were unable to complete the race. Kevin Curtain, Broc Parkes and team-mate Sébastien Charpentier failed to start the race due to injuries sustained during practice sessions and Fabien Foret retired early from the opening leg. Charpentier hopes to be back in action for round four of the championship at Valencia. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager: “Today Kenan had to do the honours for us with Sébastien out of the race and he really delivered. In the first part we could see he had some problems with his clutch so after his fantastic start he began to gradually drop back. You could say we were lucky that the red flag came out and we were able to change the bike. Again, he got off to a demon start and led the pack quite easily, but then he got a cramp in his forearms which slowed him slightly. Once again he has proved to be a great racer – he may not have been the quickest guy out there in the last laps, but for sure he fought hard for the lead and he maintains the championship lead. We don’t want to take anything for granted because as we have seen this weekend, anything can happen. I hope that all three of the riders that crashed out this weekend will be back with us in Valencia for some more exciting Supersport racing.” Kenan Sofuoglu: “I am really happy because I have been very lucky this weekend. I was experiencing a clutch problem in the first part of the race and I was thinking to myself I cannot finish this race. I thought I would be joining the other championship title contenders with a zero point finish. Then I saw the red flag and I thought this is my chance. I was able to change the bike and pick up where I had left off. I started pretty well but then my forearms were really in pain and the last few laps were difficult. I had a small advantage from the first race so I managed to hold on and I got the win.”

Toseland Wins, Bayliss Crashes In World Superbike Race One At Donington Park

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FIM Superbike World Championship Donington Park, England April 1, 2007 Race One Results: 1. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR), 23 laps, 35:28.222 2. Troy CORSER (Yam YZF-R1), -1.368 seconds 3. Max BIAGGI (Suz GSX-R1000K7), -2.448 4. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1), -9.249 5. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F07), -18.028 6. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R), -18.956 7. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R), -29.998 8. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -30.296 9. Roberto ROLFO (Hon CBR1000RR), -30.525 10. Jakub SMRZ (Duc 999F05), -36.661 11. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Hon CBR1000RR), -39.389 12. Josh BROOKES (Hon CBR1000RR), -48.045 13. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR), -51.290 14. Giovanni BUSSEI (Duc 999F06), -51.402 15. Dean ELLISON (Duc 999RS), -60.156 16. Luca MORELLI (Duc 999RS), -1 lap 17. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yam YZF-R1), -1 lap 18. Aaron ZANOTTI (Yam YZF-R1), -1 lap 19. Steve MARTIN (Hon CBR1000RR), -5 laps, pitted 20. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F06), -2 laps, DNF, crash 21. Christian ZAISER (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), -12 laps, DNF, mechanical 22. Alessandro POLITA (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -13 laps, DNF, crash 23. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F07), -18 laps, DNF, crash

April 2007

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MotoGP Notes: Yamaha And Honda To The Fore Intro: 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Spies Fastest At AMA Fontana Test Intro: Buell Lightning Super TT XB12STT 1000cc Sportbike Shootout, Part 1.5 Ducati’s 2007 MotoGP Team: Young And Old Riding With WERA National Champs Vesrah Suzuki Ed Tech: Hodgson’s Ducati 2007 Young Guns Gallery: 2006 Racing Retrospective Racing Grandma Debbie Westermeyer The Rookie Papers: Part Four Talladega GPR Updated Cribs: Jeff Wood WSMC At Willow Springs Letters To The Editor Inside Info 10 Years Ago The Little Motorcycle Numbers MotoGP Trivia New Products Lidz: Josh Hayes Jamie Hacking: Hacker! John Hopkins: Hopper! Book Review Racing Schools & Track Days Road Racing & School Calendar Guide To Road Racing Organizations The Crash Page MOTO-ST Newsletter ASRA/CCS Newsletter High-Performance Parts & Services Directory Want Ads Advertisers Index And Directory Chris Ulrich: Surprise Traction Control On The Front Cover: Sam Fleming rides the 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000 at Phillip Island.

Tigert Sets Track Record On CBR600RR At WSMC Streets Of Willow Series Opener

Tigert Sets New Lap Record at WSMC Streets of Willow Race, On Revised Course

By Kurt Whittington

Jeff Tigert set a new motorcycle track record during WSMC’s first-ever event on the Streets of Willow Springs course this past weekend, March 30 April 1, 2007. All 27 classes ran under perfect weather conditions, culminating in a successful opening to this new WSMC series. For 2007 WSMC will be holding three more rounds of racing at the Streets of Willow Springs: May 5-6, October 6-7 and November 3-4.

Tigert set the fastest lap time of the day, and the new course motorcycle lap record with a 1:17.393 during the 650cc Superbike race according to official timing and scoring.

The track layout has been changed slightly in preparation for WSMC racing. The distance between turns three and four has been shortened and turn four is now wider. The curbing in the chicane between turns nine and ten has been modified to become rumble strips that can be ridden over, allowing a racer to pretty much straight line the chicane.

“The track’s way better now,” said Mach 1 Motorsports-sponsored Tigert. “The [chicane’s] way safer now and faster. People can do 16s, probably.”

Tigert won the 650cc Superbike and 600cc Superstock races at the Streets on his Dunlop DOT-labeled-tire-shod 2007 CBR600RR. In 650cc Superbike Tigert took the holeshot and lead unchallenged throughout the race. Young Gun Brad Adams held down second position for most of the race until he ran off the track in turn two on the final lap. Lenny Hale made a pass on James Brown into the Streets’ fast turn one to start the second lap, and with Adams not finishing, Hale took second in the race. David Sanders took third.

Pacific Power Sports sponsored Sanders won the 600cc Modified Production race on his GSX-R600 using Pirelli DOT-labeled tires in a close battle with Lenny Hale. Sanders’ pass for the lead was in turn 12, not a traditional passing zone due to the narrowness of the track at that spot.

“He was leaving the door open a little bit and it was a rough line, but I knew I had to do it,” Sanders said of his pass. Sanders crossed the finish line 0.4-second ahead of Hale.

Spears Racing’s David Raff took a hat trick of wins. Raff dominated the Middleweight Twins, Formula Twins Lightweight and 550cc Superbike races on his Pirelli-shod SV650. Raff, a regular in the AFM series, enjoyed racing at the Streets. “It’s a tight course, really makes you work hard. It’s similar to Sears Point, but I think a little more grueling,” Raff said.

Unofficial Results Below:

Track Daz 650cc Superbike 1. Jeff Tigert (Hon CBR600RR) 2. Lenny Hale (Yam YZF-R6) 3. David Sanders (Suz GSX-R600) 4. Bryce Prince (Kaw ZX-6RR) 5. James Brown (Hon CBR600RR) 6. Ricky Herd (Kaw ZX-6R)

Open Modified Production 1. Stuart Smith (Kaw ZX-10R) 2. Tim Knutson (Kaw ZX-10R) 3. Eric Ebert (Suz GSX-R1000) 4. Mickey Grana (Suz GSX-R1000) 5. Leo Ramirez (Suz GSX-R1000)

750cc Superbike 1. Eric Nolan (Duc) 2. J.C. Gibbs (Suz GSX-R750) 3. Frank Gray (Suz GSX-R750)

BOTT Middleweight 1. David Raff (Suz SV650) 2. John-Thomas Wood (Suz SV650) 3. Jim Chaconas (Buell XB-12R) 4. Stevan Correa (Suz SV650)

Vintage Lightweight 1. Clinton Whitehouse III (Yam) 2. Ed Milich (Duc) 3. Pierre Pfeffer (Duc) 4. Warren Spradlin (Yam) 5. Cody Burton (Hon) 6. Alice Sexton (Duc)

Inland Line-X 600cc Superstock 1. Jeff Tigert (Hon CBR600RR) 2. Corey Neuer (Suz GSX-R600) 3. Lenny Hale (Yam YZF-R6) 4. David Sanders (Suz GSX-R600) 5. Bryce Prince (Kaw ZX-6R) 6. Tyler Odom (Hon CBR600RR)

Open Superbike 1. Tim Knutson (Kaw ZX-10R) 2. Eric Nolan (Duc 998) 3. Mickey Grana (Suz GSX-R1000) 4. Leo Ramirez (Suz GSX-R1000)

750cc Superstock 1. Dustin Coyner (Kaw ZX-6R) 2. Chris Yakiligian (Kaw ZX-6R) WD: 1. Corey Neuer (Kaw)

BOTT Heavyweight 1. Eric Nolan (Duc 998) 2. Jim Chaconas (Buell XB-12R) 3. Christopher Lee (Suz TL1000R) 4. Lek von Kaesburg (Duc)

Motoyard.com 550cc Superbike 1. David Raff (Suz SV650) 2. Kurt Whittington (Suz SV650) 3. John-Thomas Wood (Suz SV650) 4. Chris Speights (Suz SV650) 5. Clinton Whitehouse III (Suz DR-Z350) 6. Stevan Correa (Suz SV650)

Motoyard.com 600cc Modified Production 1. David Sanders (Suz GSX-R600) 2. Lenny Hale (Yam YZF-R6) 3. Corey Neuer (Suz GSX-R600) 4. James Brown (Hon CBR600RR) 5. Matt Quigley (Kaw ZX-6RR) 6. Tyler Odom (Hon CBR600RR)

Rich Oliver’s Mysteryschool 250cc Grand Prix 1. Vincent Rolleri II (Yam TZ250) 2. Richard Barnett (Apr RS250) 3. Herb Abell (Apr RS250)

Formula Twins Heavyweight 1. Eric Nolan (Duc) 2. Christopher Lee (Suz)

500cc Modified Production 1. Richard Barnett 2. John Melich (Apr RS250) 3. Eric Angel (Yam FZR400) 4. Chris Speights (Kaw EX500) 5. J.C. Gibbs (Yam FZR400) 6. Hector Flores

Formula Singles 1. Kenny Kopecky (Husq SMR-510) 2. Cody Burton 3. James Provencher

Formula 2 1. Matt Quigley (Kaw ZX-6R) 2. Lloyd Magruder (Kaw ZX-6RR) 3. James Brown (Hon CBR600RR) 4. Matt Bergen (Hon CBR600RR) 5. James Davis (Yam YZF-R6) 6. Clinton Whitehouse III (Yam)

125cc GP 1. Tyler Odom (Hon RS125) 2. Kevin Murray (Yam TZ125) 3. John Fabijanic (Hon RS125)

GPR Stabilizer Open Superstock 1. Stuart Smith (Kaw ZX-10R) 2. Tim Knutson (Kaw ZX-10R) 3. Mickey Grana (Suz GSX-R1000)

750cc Modified Production 1. Ricky Herd (Kaw ZX-6R) 2. Dustin Coyner (Kaw ZX-6R) 3. Chris Yakiligian (Kaw ZX-6R)

Formula Twins Lightweight 1. David Raff (Suz SV650) 2. Chris Speights (Suz SV650) 3. Ed Milich (Duc) 4. Pierre Pfeffer (Duc) 5. Charlie Coyner (Suz SV650)

500cc Superstock 1. Kenny Kopecky (Husq SMR-510) 2. Eric Angel (Yam FZR400) 3. J.C. Gibbs (Yam FZR400) 4. Hector Flores (Yam FZR400) 5. Warren Spradlin (Yam)

500cc Singles 1. Kenny Kopecky (Husq SMR-510) 2. Chris Matty (Buell) 3. Tim Hurley (Buell) 3. James Provencher (MZ) 4. Cody Burton (Hon)

0-500 Novice 1. Seth Georgian (Suz) 2. Aaron Bush (Yam)

Formula 50 1. Ricky Herd (Kaw ZX-10R) 2. Lek von Kaesberg (Duc) 3. Charlie Coyner (Suz SV650)

Formula 40 1. Eric Ebert (Suz) 2. Leo Ramirez (Suz)

Two Stroke Production 1. Richard Barnett (Apr RS250) 2. John Melich (Apr RS250) 3. Herb Abell (Apr RS250) 4. Warren Spradlin (Yam)

BOTT Lightweight 1. Kenny Kopecky (Husq SMR-510) 2. Ed Milich (Duc) 3. Pierre Pfeffer (Duc) 4. James Provencher (MZ)

651-Open Novice Heavyweight 1. Vanik Aivazian (Suz GSX-R) 2. Tiras Banks (Suz GSX-R)

501-650 Novice Middleweight 1. Mike Kinoshita (Yam ZF-R6) 2. Michael Pesicka (Kaw ZX-6R) 3. Drew Porter (Yam YZF-R6) 4. Rodney Monroe (Kaw ZX-6R) 5. Marvin Meadows (Yam YZF-R6) 6. Richard Stampp (Kaw ZX-6R)

More, from a press release issued by Kenny Kopecky:

Riding a MotoForza prepared 2006 Husqvarna SMR-510 racer Kenny Kopecky won all four races he started at the Willow Springs Motorcycle Club’s first ever race at the Streets of Willow on Sunday, April 1st.

Having last raced a Single with WSMC in 1997, Kopecky quickly adapted and rode to uncontested wins in the Formula Singles and 500 Singles classes, but enjoyed rousing battles in 500 SuperStock and BOTT Lightweight classes on another warm and windy day at Willow. The 500 SuperStock contest ran nearly the entire length of the 8 lap race, with Kopecky getting a quick start and early lead, but was demoted to 2nd at the end of the 1st lap by hard-charging Eric Angel on his Yamaha FZR400. Kopecky stayed extremely close for several laps and seeing Angel fade a bit on lap 6 went for a pass in the esses heading to the Streets famous bowl turn. Running into the bowl faster then usual after the pass, Kopecky checked up a bit and inadvertantly caused Angel on his FZr to narrowly miss the Husqvarnas’ rear tire. The next lap would be Kopeckys’ fastest of the race, and with Angel unable to respond Kenny went on to win by 4.25 seconds. The battling pair had put nearly 30 seconds on 3rd place finisher (and multi-time WSMC 500 Class Champion) J.C. Gibbs at the end of the race.

Afterwards Kenny said “I know a number of the riders on Super-Moto type bikes run specific race tires or slicks, but we used one set of D.O.T. street-legal Dunlop D209’s throughout the whole weekend. The tires were great all weekend, and late in that race with Eric I think our combination of Dunlops and the awesome Husky suspension just made the track a little more comfortable for us.”

The bike was surprisingly stock, with the only performance changes by MotoForza being a gearing change for more top speed and a slip-on exhaust cannister with slight re-jetting. The WSMC rules allow a street-legal Single in a variety of classes, and Kopecky took advantage of this by also running the Husqvarna in B.O.T.T. Lightweight. “We had a good start and at the end of the first lap saw Chris Speights right on our tail at the skid-pad. We’d been really lazy there all day and figured we better try to ride a little harder to stay in front…following Eric in SuperStock was fun but I’d rather lead into the traffic than be 2nd.” While Kopecky ran his fastest lap of the weekend the pursuing Speights on his EX-500 lost the rear end coming out of turn 3 and crashed out of the race un-hurt. Kenny added “I’m really glad Chris was okay, I hate to see that happen. This Single is really well suited to the Streets of Willow course, and we had a ton of fun on the MotoForza Husqvarna SMR today! I hope more racers will come out to the next Streets meet…WSMC did a great job this weekend.”

Kopecky is planning to attend both the upcoming WSMC meet on the main Willow track April 13-15 and the next WSMC Streets of Willow meet on May 5-6.

Motorcycle Hall Of Fame Museum Establishes “Exhibition Endowment Fund”

$5 Million Project Gets Spirited Kick-Start from Dedicated Donors PICKERINGTON, OHIO – The non-profit Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum has announced the creation of an Exhibition Endowment Fund, designed to provide permanent funding and support for the Museum’s award-winning roster of exhibits, such as the current “Motocross America” and Dick Mann “SuperMann” retrospectives. Educating the public about American motorcycling’s significant contributions, as well as the sport and industry’s heritage and history, is an important part of the Museum’s mission. As a result, the Museum has partnered with The Columbus Foundation, a trusted philanthropic advisor and one of the ten largest community foundations in the country, to establish an Exhibition Endowment Fund with a $5 million goal. A number of long-time Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum supporters have helped kick-start the campaign through generous pledges and donations. Melbourne J. “Mike” and Margaret Wilson, both Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum Board members, were the first to donate $10,000 – along with a challenge to all motorcycling enthusiasts and industry supporters. Their challenge was immediately accepted by Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum Board member Ozzie Scofield and his wife Anne ($50,000), Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum Chairman and AMA Vice Chairman Stan Simpson ($60,000) and Vaughn Beals, former Chairman and CEO of Harley-Davidson Motor Company ($10,000 in appreciated stock). “I am pleased to support the Museum and assist in making the Exhibition Endowment Fund a reality,” said Ozzie Scofield. “I know the result will be preserving the heart and history of motorcycling.” “With quality educational exhibitions costing well over $100 per square foot, the Museum’s annual exhibition program is the single largest budgeted expense. While keeping that ‘nest egg’ amount safe with the Columbus Foundation’s investment work, the Exhibition Endowment will consistently provide these funds meeting our mission and keeping visitors engaged,” said Mark Mederski, Executive Director of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. Individuals interested in helping build the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum Exhibition Endowment should contact Mederski at 614.856.2222 or [email protected]. About the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum The goal of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is to tell the stories and preserve the history of motorcycling. Located on the campus of the American Motorcyclist Association in Pickerington, Ohio, the Motorcycle Hall of Fame honors those who have contributed notably to the sport, and three major exhibition halls showcase the machines and memorabilia that have shaped motorcycling. The Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; and is closed on New Year’s, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Adult admission is $10 per person; students 12 – 17, $3. AMA members $5. Seniors receive a $2 discount and members of motorcycle clubs and organizations are eligible for a $1 discount per ticket. A $25.00 family rate and group rates are also available. For more information, call (614) 856-2222, or visit the Museum’s website at www.motorcyclemuseum.org.

Yonce Wins Four CCS Races At JenningsGP

CCS Florida/Southeast/Mid-Atlantic Jennings GP Jennings, Florida Trey Yonce won the Unlimited Grand Prix race during the CCS regional event April 1 at JenningsGP on a Suzuki GSX-R600. He was out front from the start of the race, which was interrupted on the first lap due to a red flag incident in turn 10. At the restart, Santiago Villa nailed the holeshot lead with his Suzuki GSX-R1000. But, Yonce, who was determined to be back up front, made his passing move in turn 11 and reclaimed his lead before the end of the first completed lap. Villa chased Yonce for the remainder of the race in a two-rider breakaway fight for the lead but was unable to get around. Yonce took the checkered flag in first with Villa close behind in second. Michael Rouleau finished third on his Suzuki GSX-R1000. Yonce was the biggest Expert winner of the weekend with four first-place finishes. He also won the GTO, GTU and Middleweight Supersport races. He finished second to Mike Smith in Middleweight Superbike. Garrett Rick was the second-biggest Expert winner with three first-place finishes. He won the SuperTwins, Lightweight Superbike and Thunderbike events. RESULTS: UNLIMITED GRAND PRIX (SHOOTOT): 1. Trey Yonce (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Santiago Villa (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Michael Rouleau (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. Darren Luck (Suz GSX-R750); 5. Shawn Conrad (Kaw ZX-10R); 6. Troy Meikle (Kaw ZX-10R); 7. Logan Young (Kaw ZX-10R); 8. Robert Lang (Suz GSX-R750); 9. Charlie Mavros (Yam YZF-R1); 10. James Ozyjowski (Suz GSX-R600).

More From World Superbike At Donington

WORLD SUPERBIKE ROUND 3 DONINGTON 1 APRIL 2007 RACE REVIEW We expected it to be cold at Donington in late March and the weather did not miss its cue. We did not get three days of rain but the cold and a biting wind were in evidence throughout, for what was a vastly expanded Superbike paddock this weekend. The first day of practice and qualifying was of particular significance for the Supersport class, as the Yamaha Supersport Racing Team had both their riders ruled out with broken collarbones, while Sebastien Charpentier (Hannspree Honda Ten Kate) hurt his collarbone and pelvis, making it three top championship contenders out before the start of round three. In SBK Bayliss was the Superpole winner, and at record pace, even if the conditions were not ideal. A crash on his timed lap stopped Corser from challenging for another pole win, but he was fully fit to race. Race 1: AIR HUMIDITY 68% AIR TEMPERATURE 9°C TRACK CONDITION Dry TRACK TEMPERATURE 15°C On Sunday morning the Donington track surface was registering 6°C. The warm-up proved to be particularly important, as the difficult conditions meant that the riders would have to make the perfect choice to allow them to race competitively and yet still permit them to go full race distance. On the rear almost every single rider went for a Pirelli DIABLO SUPERBIKE SC1, a regular commercial product that Pirelli sells on the market, not simply designed for professional riders, and yet able to demonstrate an incredible potential on track. And duly a Superbike race for world championship points would be won by a commercially available product once again. The race started in combative style, with Bayliss and Toseland making a gap back to the following riders (although Bayliss was to crash and hurt himself, missing out on race two) while Corser and Biaggi were involved in an eventual chase to take the final podium places. Thus Toseland finished ahead of Corser and Biaggi, with the podium filled by diverse machines from three different manufacturers, all equally well underpinned by Pirelli’s high quality products. Race Standings Rider Bike Team Race time 1 Toseland Honda CBR 1000RR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 35’28.222 2 Corser Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 35’29.590 3 Biaggi Suzuki GSXR1000K7 Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra 35’30.670 4 Haga Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 35’37.461 5 Lanzi Ducati 999 F06 Ducati Xerox 35’46.250 Race2: AIR HUMIDITY 55% AIR TEMPERATURE 13°C TRACK CONDITION Dry TRACK TEMPERATURE 21°C With Bayliss out after his race one fall, Haga scored the holeshot from Toseland. It looked like these were the two to fight it out to the finish with Corser but Toseland was forced out on lap four, when his machine stopped at Redgate while leading. Most of the riders decided to stick with their race one choices, but the slight increase in temperature helped the competitors to put on a show with a climatic and emotional finish. The final corner was disputed by Biaggi and Haga, with Biaggi running wide and Haga winning, with Corser only just one second behind. None of the riders reported any problems, and the Pirelli DIABLO SUPERBIKE and the Pirellis continued to perform well right to the final curve: and the 25 points earned by Haga proved to be very important for his championship push, after some early bad luck. Race Standings Rider Bike Team Race time 1 Haga Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 35’26.734 2 Biaggi Suzuki GSXR1000K6 Alstare Suzuki 35’26.845 3 Corser Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 35’27.834 4 Xaus Ducati 999 F06 Team Sterilgarda 35’32.661 5 Lanzi Ducati 999 F07 Ducati Xerox 35’36.568 Championship Standings Rider Bike Team Points 1 Toseland Honda CBR1000RR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 115 2 Biaggi Suzuki GSXR1000K7 Alstare Suzuki 110 3 Haga Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 88 4 Corser Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 81 5 Lanzi Ducati 999F 07 Ducati Xerox 66 6 Bayliss Ducati 999 F07 Ducati Xerox 64 7 Neukirchner Suzuki GSX R Suzuki Germany 46 8 Xaus Ducati 999 F07 Ducati Sterilgarda 45 9 Rolfo Honda CBR1000RR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 36 10 Nieto Kawasaki ZX10 R PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse 30 World Supersport AIR HUMIDITY 61% AIR TEMPERATURE 11°C TRACK CONDITION Dry TRACK TEMPERATURE 22°C The front line of the grid at Donington featured a few ‘strangers’ and with Parkes, Curtain and Charpentier missing, this was inevitable. At the green light Kenan Sofuoglu was the most impressive starter, and he immediately gapped the rest. Behind the next places were disputed by Harms and Fujiwara about to be the ‘authors’ of a fantastic fight back and their racing provided a great spectacle. As Sofuoglu hit clutch trouble all three top riders started to mix it up, and after a crash behind, involving three different riders, the red flags came out to stop the race. An aggregate race was thus called for, with the times from race one being added to the times from the second leg. With only 11 laps to race in leg two, the riders could choose softer rear tyres, but the front tyre was already confirmed to be the DIABLO SUPERCORSA, in SC2 compound. Like the SBK riders, the WSS riders use tyres that can be bought in any shop, and like in SBK racing, the tyres provided a fantastic base for close competition. Turkish rider Kenan Sofuoglu once more took risks in the early parts of the second running and got a gap right away. And after managing the race masterfully after his early problems, he won from Harms and Fujiwara. Kenan’s team mate is World Champion Sebastien Charpentier and like the Yamaha Supersport runners, he was out through injury even before raceday. The 25 points Sofuoglu scored were highly important as he now has a clear world championship lead. Race Standings Rider Bike Team Race time 1 Sofuoglu Honda CBR600 RR Hannspree Ten Kate 34’56.601 2 Harms Honda CBR600 RR Stiggy Motorsport 34’57.365 3 Fujiwara Honda CBR600 RR Honda Althea Megabike 34’57.944 4 Jones Yamaha YZF R6 Revè Ekerold Honda Racing 35’06.816 5 Sanna Yamaha YZF R6 Racing Team Parkalgar 35’08.736 Championship Standings Rider Bike Team Points 1 Sofuoglu Honda CBR600 RR Hannspree Ten Kate 70 2 Fujiwara Yamaha YZF R6 Team Althea Megabike 43 3 Harms Honda CBR600 RR Winston Ten Kate 39 4 Foret Kawasaki ZX 6R Gil Motorsport 38 5 Curtain Honda CBR600 RR Yamaha Motor Germany 25 6 Riba Kawasaki ZX 6R Gil Moto Sport 22 7 Jones Honda CBR600 RR Revè Ekerold Honda Racing 19 8 Roccoli Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha Team Italia 17 9 Veneman Suzuki GSX R 600 Team Hoegee 17 10 Parkes Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha Motor Germany 16 1000cc Superstock AIR HUMIDITY 79% AIR TEMPERATURE 7°C TRACK CONDITION Dry TRACK TEMPERATURE 11°C Donington was the first Superstock 1000 appointment of the season, with only an official test for the form guide, some two weeks ago in Spain. This year the tyres used in Superstock are the Pirelli DIABLO SUPERCORSA SC2, in sizes 120/70 190/55; the sizes most often used by the modern generation of 1000cc sports machinery as original equipment. A crash spoiled things for Pirro and Badovini, who disputed the lead on the final lap, leaving the victory to Niccolò Canepa, on his new Ducati 1098 which this year offers the Superstock 1000 FIM CUP another interesting dimension. Fighting for the win with the twin from Borgo Panigale were the Yamaha 4-cylinder machines from Claudio Corti and Didier Van Keymeulen. Race Standings: Rider Bike Team Race Time 1 Canepa Ducati 1098 Ducati Xerox Jr Team 12’46.272 2 Corti Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Team Italia 12’46.419 3 Van Keymeulen MV Agusta TTSL-MGM Racing 12’47.255 4 Aitchison Suzuki GSXR 1000 Celani Suzuki Italia 12’48.627 5 Baiocco Yamaha YZF R1 Umbria Bike 12’50.471 Championship Standings: Rider Bike Team Points 1 Canepa Ducati 1098 Ducati Xerox Jr Team 25 2 Corti Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Team Italia 20 3 Van Keymeulen MV Agusta TTSL-MGM Racing 16 4 Aitchison Suzuki GSXR 1000 Celani Suzuki Italia 13 5 Baiocco Yamaha YZF R1 Umbria Bike 11 600cc Superstock AIR HUMIDITY 53% AIR TEMPERATURE 13°C TRACK CONDITION Dry TRACK TEMPERATURE 22°C It was a very difficult first weekend for the riders in 600cc Superstock, faced with a new untested circuit and such cold temperatures all weekend. One good tip for the top was early leader Antonelli, but after the first lap it was clear that it would be a hotly contested race, on a new tyre for this year’s machines, the DIABLO SUPERCORSA SC2, always capable of a high level of performance. Colucci, on his Ducati 749, set a new lap record on the ninth lap and it was less than three seconds slower than the new record in Supersport! The race provided a fine battle with the top three riders all within one second of each other. The Ducati rider finally finished third, behind the Yamaha of Magnoni, and the Honda of Antonelli. Race Standings: Rider Bike Team Race time 1 Magnoni Yamaha YZF R6 Bevilacqua Corse 16’16.888 2 Antonelli Honda CBR600RR Team Italia Megabike AX +0.528 3 Colucci Ducati 749R Ducati Xerox Junior Team +0.858 Championship Standings: Rider Bike Team Points 1 Magnoni Yamaha YZF R6 Bevilacqua Corse 25 2 Antonelli Honda CBR600RR Team Italia Megabike AX 20 3 Colucci Ducati 749R Ducati Xerox Junior Team 16 4 Barrier Coutelle Jr Team 13 5 Berger R6 Team Trasimeno 11

Updated: American Nicky Moore 15th In FIM Cup 1000cc Superstock At Donington

FIM Cup 1000cc Superstock Donington Park, England April 1, 2007 Race Results: 1. Niccolo Canepa (Duc 1098S), 8 laps, 12:46.272 2. Claudio Corti (Yam YZF-R1), -0.147 second 3. Didier Van Keymeulen (Yam YZF-R1), -0.983 second 4. Mark Aitchison (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -2.355 seconds 5. Matteo Baiocco (Yam YZF-R1), -4.199 seconds 6. Ilario Dionisi (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -6.635 seconds 7. Xavier Simeon (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -6.927 seconds 8. Arne Tode (Hon CBR1000RR), -9.402 seconds 9. Sheridan Morais (Duc 1098S), -10.150 seconds 10. Rene Mahr (Yam YZF-R1), -10.846 seconds 11. Marko Jerman (Yam YZF-R1), -11.145 seconds 12. Dario Giuseppetti (Yam YZF-R1), -11.578 seconds 13. Marko Rohtlaan (Hon CBR1000RR), -11.922 seconds 14. Cedric Tangre (Yam YZF-R1), -16.027 seconds 15. NICKY MOORE (Duc 1098S), -18.843 seconds 16. Barry Burrell (Hon CBR1000RR), -19.008 seconds 17. Loic Napoleone (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), -19.738 seconds 18. Raymond Schouten (Yam YZF-R1), -22.783 seconds 19. Matej Smrz (Hon CBR1000RR), -23.181 seconds 20. Franck Millet (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), -23.562 seconds 21. Lorenzo Baroni (Duc 1098S), -24.506 seconds 22. Jonathan Howarth (Suz GSX-R1000K7), -29.153 seconds 23. Viktor Kispataki (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -29.749 seconds 24. Wim Van Den Broeck (Yam YZF-R1), -31.543 seconds 25. Raffaele Filice (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -41.766 seconds 26. Niccolo Rosso (Duc 1098S), -44.739 seconds 27. Olivier Depoorter (Yam YZF-R1), -45.344 seconds 28. Matt Bond (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -46.823 seconds 29. Robert Gianfardoni (Yam YZF-R1), -57.816 seconds 30. Michele Pirro (Yam YZF-R1), -84.092 seconds, pitted 31. Danilo Dell’Omo (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), -1 lap, pitted 32. Denis Sacchetti (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), -1 lap, DNF, mechanical 33. Ayrton Badovini (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), -2 laps, DNF, crash 34. Balazs Nemeth (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -5 laps, DNF, crash 35. Bram Appelo (Hon CBR1000RR), -7 laps, DNF, crash 36. Adam Jenkinson (Suz GSX-R1000K7), DNS 37. Timo Gieseler (Yam YZF-R1), DNS 38. Leonardo Biliotti (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), DNS 39. Luka Nedog (Duc 1098S), DNS

Updated: Haga Wins Second World Superbike Race At Donington Park

FIM Superbike World Championship Donington Park, England April 1, 2007 Race Two Results: 1. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1), 23 laps, 35:26.734 2. Max BIAGGI (Suz GSX-R1000K7), -0.111 second 3. Troy CORSER (Yam YZF-R1), -1.100 seconds 4. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F06), -5.927 seconds 5. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F07), -9.834 seconds 6. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R), -12.203 seconds 7. Roberto ROLFO (Hon CBR1000RR), -22.287 seconds 8. Jakub SMRZ (Duc 999F05), -30.060 seconds 9. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Hon CBR1000RR), -37.734 seconds 10. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -39.893 seconds 11. Giovanni BUSSEI (Duc 999F06), -41.524 seconds 12. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR), -45.617 seconds 13. Steve MARTIN (Hon CBR1000RR), -52.547 seconds 14. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yam YZF-R1), -61.669 seconds 15. Josh BROOKES (Hon CBR1000RR), -80.586 seconds 16. Aaron ZANOTTI (Yam YZF-R1), -86.912 seconds 17. Luca MORELLI (Duc 999RS), -87.181 seconds 18. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R), -12 laps, DNF, crash 19. Dean ELLISON (Duc 999RS), -16 laps, DNF, mechanical 20. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR), -20 laps, DNF, mechanical 21. Christian ZAISER (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), -23 laps, DNF 22. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F07), DNS FIM Superbike World Championship Point Standings (after 6 of 26 races): 1. Toseland, 115 points 2. Biaggi, 110 points 3. Haga, 88 points 4. Corser, 81 points 5. Lanzi, 66 points 6. Bayliss, 64 points 7. Neukirchner, 46 points 8. Xaus, 45 points 9. Rolfo, 36 points 10. Nieto, 30 points More, from a press release issued by FGSport: 2007 SBK CORONA EXTRA SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP® DONINGTON PARK – 3rd ROUND – 30th, 31st MARCH and 1st APRIL RACE REPORT Donington Park, Sunday 1 April 2007 TOSELAND AND HAGA SHARE WINS AS BAYLISS SUFFERS INJURY A DAY OF TWO HALVES AT DONINGTON James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) scored the first race win after race leader and Superpole winner Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) crashed out at Coppice, injuring his right little finger badly enough to require immediate surgery. Bayliss still took a new lap record of 1’31.575, on lap four of race one, and it survived race two. In the second race of an incident-strewn day, Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) won a thrilling last corner battle with Max Biaggi (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) after early leader Toseland’s machine stopped on lap four. Toseland still leads the series, however, 115 points to Biaggi’s 110, with Haga third on 88. RACE ONE James Toseland’s chase of eventual faller Troy Bayliss left him on his own when Bayliss went out, and Toseland rode with a clear head to finish the race 1.3 seconds up on Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia), with Biaggi a slow starting, fast finishing third. 51,000 spectators witnessed the action at Donington this weekend, despite cold temperatures and rain on Friday. RACE TWO With Toseland out, the second 23-lap race settled into a fast rhythm (eventually two seconds faster than race one), which was punctuated by the occasional flurry of overtaking attempts by Haga and Biaggi. On the final corner, leader Biaggi ran wide and Haga zipped past to secure his first win of the year, making him the fourth rider on the top step of the podium in only six races. Corser, a close third almost throughout, was third in the final analysis and now sits fourth overall, with 81 points. XAUS AND LANZI FIGHT IT OUT Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Ducati) may have fallen in race one but he did secure a fine fourth in race two, beating the factory machine of Lorenzo Lanzi, who had been fifth behind Haga in race one. A war between the Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse riders Fonsi Nieto and Regis Laconi went the way of Nieto in race one (sixth) but Laconi scored that finishing spot in race two, with Nieto falling out of contention. The second race gave Roby Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) a seventh place, but Jakub Smrz (Caracchi SC Ducati) was the most impressive privateer of the day, scoring eighth in race two – after an almost equally good tenth in race one. NEUKIRCHNER EIGHTH AND TENTH Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Germany) scored eighth and tenth places at Donington to edge out some even more experienced riders again. Karl Muggeridge (Alto Evolution Honda) and Josh Brookes, his team mate, each scored points in two races for the first time this year. WORLD SUPERSPORT – SOFUOGLU WINS AFTER AGGREGATE RACE A two part 22-lap World Supersport race saw long term race leader and championship top man Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) the eventual winner on aggregate, leading over the line in each of the two halves of the race. A clutch problem in the opening leg could have made the outcome very different for Sofuoglu, in a race with many problems for some top riders. Second place went to aggressive Dane Robbin Harms (Stiggy Motorsports Honda) with Katsuaki Fujiwara (Althea Honda) third and local man Craig Jones (Reve Ekerold Honda Racing) a fine fourth. Gil Kawasaki riders Pere Riba and Fabien Foret had bad luck on raceday, with Riba punished for a jump-start and finishing 15th overall instead of on a possible podium, while Foret retired in leg one with an engine problem. In the championship, Sofuoglu is well clear on 70 points, with Fujiwara second on 43 and Harms third on 39. SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP – CANEPA GIVES DUCATI 1098 A WIN FIRST TIME OUT Niccolo Canepa and his Ducati Xerox 1098 were first time winners in the Superstock class of 2007, but only after a series of dramatic incidents. The race was shortened to eight laps, after a crash in the first start caused dirt to be deposited on the circuit. Michele Pirro (Lorenzini by Leoni Yamaha) led that contest but while lying second in the second leg, he crashed with just over a lap left, and took out the leader, Ayrton Badovini (Biassono Unionbike MV Agusta) in the process. Claudio Corti went second, with Didier Van Keymeulen (TTSL MGM Racing Yamaha) third. SUPERSTOCK 600 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP – MIGNONI THE WINNER Michele Magnoni (Bevilacqua Yamaha) scored his first win in the smaller Superstock class, from Andrea Antonelli (Team Italia Megabike Honda) and Domenico Colucci (Ducati Xerox Junior Team). More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: World Superbike Championship Round three: Donington Park, UK Sunday 1 April Race report Toseland maintains advantage in eventful home round HANNspree Ten Kate Honda’s James Toseland maintained his Superbike World Championship lead by the narrowest of margins at Donington Park today. The Yorkshireman suffered mixed fortunes in the two 23-lap races at the 4.02km track in front of a home crowd of 51,000 spectators. Toseland extended his championship advantage to 25 points after securing victory in race one. He quickly moved into second position on track during the opening lap and set about hunting down rival Troy Bayliss. The HANNspree Ten Kate Honda rider took the lead – after the Australian crashed out on lap five at Coppice – and maintained station with consistent laps to pass the chequered flag first. A strong performance from team-mate Roberto Rolfo saw the Italian move from 16th on the grid to a ninth place finish – securing further valuable points and demonstrating his increasing potential in the ultra-competitive championship. Race two was a different matter with Bayliss out of contention as a result of his injuries. The Australian was taken to Derby Royal Infirmary for plastic surgery to his right hand after he lost a finger, which became trapped underneath the bike during his accident. HANNspree Ten Kate Honda’s Toseland started the race as the firm favourite for victory. The 26-year-old moved into the lead on the opening lap and set about opening up a gap over Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser. However, misfortune struck on lap three when a mechanical problem caused the CBR1000RR to stop on the entrance to Redgate – ending Toseland’s race prematurely. A three-way dice for the lead ensued between Haga, Corser and Max Biaggi. It was Haga who emerged triumphant from a thrilling manoeuvre at the last corner on the final lap. The Japanese rider’s move past Biaggi ensured that HANNspree Ten Kate Honda’s Toseland remained ahead of his Italian rival in the standings by five points. Team-mate Rolfo once again enjoyed an improvement in performance equalling his highest finish to date – moving from 15th on the grid to seventh at the chequered flag and ninth position overall. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager: “Everything was going so well that we were almost waiting for something to go wrong and that’s exactly what happened. We had a perfect race one win from James and a perfect Supersport win from Kenan. We were hoping for another win from James and he was looking in great form. However, coming onto the main straight, the quickshift started to cut the ignition continuously, causing the bike to stop when closing the throttle for the first corner. We are checking the data from the sensors inside and around the engine now to try to discover the cause of the problem. On a positive note, we know that James is in great form and that the bike is capable of winning races, so we will come back in fighting form for the next round and Roby had two great races.” James Toseland: “To say I’m disappointed is an understatement. That double win has eluded me once again. I felt really confident about winning the second race, but unfortunately as I was shifting up the gear on the start/finish straight I felt a problem with the engine, which caused the bike to stop when I shut the throttle for the first corner. I don’t know what the problem was but it meant that I was unable to continue. This is as disappointing for the fans as it is for me and I’m sorry that I was unable to give them a better result.” Roberto Rolfo: “Race two was good – I enjoyed it very much. Race one was more difficult as I found it hard to find a good rhythm at the beginning because of some riders in front of me. It was not so easy for me to concentrate. In race two, I had a very good start and tried to push hard from the first to the last lap. I must say that I am happy because I improved my feeling on the bike. It wasn’t easy to start from the back but I think next time if I start from further up I can achieve a top five place. ” Race one results 1. J. Toseland, 35.28:222 2. T. Corser, +1.368 3. M. Biaggi, +2.448 4. N. Haga, +9.249 5. L. Lanzi, +18.028 6. F. Nieto, +18.956 7. R. Laconi, +29.998 8. M. Neukirchner, +30.296 9. R. Rolfo, +30.525 10. J. Smrz, +36.661 Fastest Lap, T. Bayliss, 1.31:575 Race two results 1. N. Haga, 35.26:734 2. M. Biaggi, +0.111 3. T. Corser, +1.100 4. R. Xaus, +5.927 5. L. Lanzi, +9.834 6. R. Laconi, +12.203 7. R. Rolfo, +22.287 8. J. Smrz, +30.060 9. K. Muggeridge, +37.734 10. M. Neukirchner, +39.893 DNF, J. Toseland Fastest Lap, N. Haga, 1.31:634 Championship standings 1. J. Toseland, 115 points 2. M. Biaggi, 110 3. N. Haga, 88 4. T. Corser, 81 5. L. Lanzi, 66 6. T. Bayliss, 64 7. M. Neukirchner, 46 8. R. Xaus, 45 9. R. Rolfo, 36 10. F. Nieto, 30 More, from a press release issued by Team YZF Yamaha: Good progress in race 2 Noriyuki Haga wins the first race this year for Yamaha in the Superbike World Championship. Shinichi Nakatomi finishes the weekend well after a difficult start. In race 1, Troy Bayliss (Ducati) takes the lead in front of James Toseland (Honda) and Regis Laconi (Kawasaki). Unfortunately, Bayliss crashes and hurts one of his fingers, which makes him unable to start the second event. So Toseland is a strong leader, in front of Troy Corser (Yamaha), Max Biaggi (Suzuki) and Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha). This is how they finish, which is very positive for Yamaha in the Manufacturers Championship. Shinichi Nakatomi has a difficult time because of a wrong tyre choice. He can finish only 17th. In race 2, Toseland has to retire early because of a technical problem. Haga, Biaggi and Corser have a beautiful fight together and Haga wins it with a tiny margin. Nakatomi this time is more at ease. He does a good race and finishes in 14th position. Shinichi Nakatomi: “The first race was really difficult, so we tried a new setting and selected another tyre. Everything was better in race 2. I was more competitive and I am happy I scored two points.” Team-manager Martial Garcia: “First of all, congratulations to Yamaha for the first victory this year in World Superbike. We ourselves had a tyre choice problem in race 1. And then, with a better choice and finally a good set up, we finished 14th with 2 points that will be precious for the championship. Nakatomi did his quickest time of the week end during race 2. We are going the right way.” Race 1: 1-Toseland (Honda), 2-Corser (Yamaha), 3-Biaggi (Suzuki), 4-Haga (Yamaha), 5-Lanzi (Ducati)…17-Nakatomi (Yamaha) Race 2: 1-Haga (Yamaha), 2-Biaggi (Suzuki), 3-Corser (Yamaha), 4-Xaus (Ducati), 5-Lanzi (Ducati), 14-Nakatomi (Yamaha) World Championship standings: 1-Toseland (Honda) 115 points, 2-Biaggi (Suzuki) 110, 3-Haga (Yamaha) 88, 4-Corser (Yamaha) 81, 5-Lanzi (Ducati) 66…18-Nakatomi (Yamaha) 12 4th round of the Superbike World Championship: April 15th at Valencia (Spain) More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: Sunday Apr 1 2007 Raceday BAYLISS CRASHES OUT OF DONINGTON SUPERBIKE RACE 1 AND INJURES RIGHT HAND Donington (UK), Sunday 1 April: Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) crashed out at Coppice corner on lap 6 of the first World Superbike race at Donington Park today, injuring his hand in the process. Troy was accelerating through Coppice while in the lead and the rear of the bike just snapped away from him and he high-sided into the gravel. In the early afternoon he was taken to the nearby Derbyshire Royal Infirmary for reconstructive surgery on the little finger of his right hand, which had been mangled in the crash. Lorenzo Lanzi was left to fly the flag for the Ducati Xerox Team but the Italian could only manage fifth in the two races as James Toseland (Honda) and Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) shared the two wins. “My team did wonders this weekend because I crashed twice” declared Lorenzo. “The first day was wet and I was unable to do many laps. The second day I crashed again when it was important to do a lot of kilometres. I started from row 2 so I think I can be quite satisfied with the result. We improved a lot in race 2 after making several minor changes, but I got a bad start. I was quicker in the second race and had the same pace as the guys up at the front in the final stages. It was a great battle with Ruben, but with a better start I could have fought for the podium with the top 3.” Race 1: 1. Toseland (Honda); 2. Corser (Yamaha); 3. Biaggi (Suzuki); 4. Haga (Yamaha); 5. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox); 6. Nieto (Kawasaki); 7. Laconi (Kawasaki); 8. Neukirchner (Suzuki), etc. Race 2: 1. Haga; 2. Biaggi; 3. Corser; 4. Xaus (Ducati); 5. Lanzi; 6. Laconi; 7. Rolfo (Honda); 8. Smrz (Ducati), etc. Points (after 3 of 13 rounds): Riders – 1. Toseland 115; 2. Biaggi 110; 3. Haga 88; 4. Corser 81; 5. Lanzi 66; 6. Bayliss 64; etc. Manufacturers – 1. Honda 124; 2. Suzuki 110; 3. Yamaha 98; 4. Ducati 94; 5. Kawasaki 40. More, from a press release issued by Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra: 2007 Superbike World Championship Round 3, Europe, Donington, GB Sunday 1st April 2007 Circuit: 4.023 kms. Crowd: 51,000. Conditions: Dry, sunny/cloudy 9-13C. SUPERMAX TAKES A SECOND AND A THIRD! Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Max Biaggi took a superb pair of podiums at Donington Park today. In mostly sunny, but very cold, conditions, Max took a hard-fought for third in the opening race after being ninth at the end of the first lap. But better was to come in the second race; Max made a better start this time and fought Yamaha team mates Corser and Haga throughout the 23-lapper after early leader James Toseland (Honda) went out with a mechanical problem after two laps. Max charged into the lead after fourteen laps and looked on course for victory until he made a small error exiting the final corner on the last lap, allowing Haga to take the chequered flag instead. Max’s points tally today moves him to just five points behind series leader James Toseland, with third-placed Haga twelve points behind. Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Yukio Kagayama was forced to sit out today’s races because of doctor’s orders and so could not increase his standing in the overall points total. MAX Well, I’m pretty happy in one way – I got two podiums – and a little bit disappointed because I should’ve won the second race. I led going into the final turn, but then ran a little wide and that was just enough for Haga to slip through and into the lead. The finish line is very close to the exit of the corner, so there was no chance of me being able to out-drag him to the line. We all make mistakes and although it cost me the victory, I still got second place and that, together with my third in race one, means that overall it was a good day. We didn’t make any changes to the bike from the first race to the second – apart from fresh tyres of course. In the first race I didn’t make a good start, so I had a lot of work to do to catch up the front three. It was about half race distance by the time I did that and then I had to try and catch James and Troy. James was too far away, but I did get pretty close to Troy by the end, but not close enough to get past. Race two was a great race. Luckily the weather was much better today and the fans who were here, saw some great racing. I had a big battle with Nori and Troy and nobody knew who was going to win. I took the lead and I’m not saying that it was an easy lead, but I felt pretty comfortable. I knew that Nori was very close and that Troy was not far behind either, but I was happy to be in front going into the last lap. Then, a bit of a mistake by me in the final corner and victory became a second! But that’s racing! I’m really enjoying my life here. I like the racing and I like the atmosphere off the track because it is much more human and also more relaxed. On the track we riders fight as hard as we can, but afterwards it’s good that we can smile together. YUKIO It was very frustrating for me being at the track, feeling OK and not racing. I don’t like it! Maybe the doctors made the right decision, but I still wanted to be out there fighting, fighting, fighting. But now, I will get ready for the next race in Valencia, where I hope to get two good results, because I want them and I need them. Results Race 1: Toseland (GB-Honda), 2 Corser (Aus-Yamaha Motor Italia), 3 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 4 Haga (J-Yamaha), 5 Lanzi (I-Ducati), 6 Nieto (E-Kawasaki), 7 Laconi (F-Kawasaki), 8 Neukirchner (D-Suzuki), 9 Rolfo (I-Honda), 10 Smrz (CZ-Ducati), Race 2: 1 Haga, 2 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 3 Troy Corser (Aus-Yamaha Motor Italia), 4 Xaus (E-Ducati), 5 Lanzi, 6 Laconi, 7 Rolfo, 8 Smrz, 9 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda), 10 Neukirchner, Points: 1 Toseland 115, 2 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 110, 3 Haga 88, 4 Troy Corser 81, 5 Lanzi 66, 6 Bayliss 64, 7 Neukirchner 46, 8 Xaus 45, 9 Rolfo 36, 10 Nieto 30, 12 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 23, More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi: VERY GOOD SMRZ AT DONINGTON, NANNELLI HAS A GOOD FINAL STAGE (Donington Park 2007, April 1) Cold and wind aalso for race day at bDonington, but the Sunday has been a Paradise if compared with the previous couple of days. The dry track allowed regular races, as well during the morning warm up we could see several crashes in all the classes. In Superbike Jakub Smrz has been author of two excellent races, despite a bad start in both the legs, closing quickly the gap and reaching the tenth and eight final position, after overtaking riders on factory or factory-supported bike. “Today I’m rather satisfied.” commented a smiling Jakub Smrz at the end of the day. “It’s a pity that in both the legs I made a bad start that forced me to earn several positions. More in race-1, when I reached the 12th position, somebody did hurt my steering bar, damaging my clutch and sending me behind three position. Well, I start to overtook once more and I finished tenth, but I’m sure that without this trouble I could earn a couple of position more. At the end of race-2 I could see Rolfo before me, but it was too late and I did like better to bring at the team a precious result as to try an attack in the final laps. I’m happy because I’m finding an always better feeling with this bike and we have still two rounds, Valencia and Assen, on circuits that I know, so I hope to get more good performances.” Gianluca Nannelli had a black and white day. After the warm up he did not find a good set up and for the race he had not a good start. When the race stopped with red flag after 11 laps he was only in 15th position. After a small modify to front set up during the interval, the new start for the second heath showed Gianluca have a good start and recording lap times like the leaders, and at the end of the eleven laps of the second heath he scored the 7th place. However the gap in the first heath put him in 10th position in the aggregate result. “I’m not actually happy for a tenth place!” said Gianluca Nannelli at the end. “But looking the race I’ve seen That in the second heath I recorded very good lap times. Probably I earn also more confidence in the bike and I was able to ride with fighting style as I’m using to do. During morning warm up the strong wind and the cold track caused several crashes, so we couldn’t test correctly all the set up we made after the prectices. But yoy know, races are in this way, sometime it’s sufficient a genial, small touch and you get more as after two days working.”

Orient Express Continues Sponsorship Of Team Hooters Suzuki

Orient Express Racing 2007 Racing Sponsorship Orient Express Racing is excited to announce that for 2007 it is extending its racing sponsorships to include the AMA/ProStar Drag Racing Series. Orient Express Racing will be a major series sponsor for the AMA/ProStar Drag Racing Series, where competition and racing is fierce. With this sponsorship, Orient Express Racing will proudly support drag racing on a national level, in addition to existing sponsorship of: Bikes In The Valley Lebanon NY, Orient Express Top Street at Englishtown Raceway NJ, Orient Express Pro Sportbike at MIRock, and the Texas Shootout Series. Orient Express Racing will continue its long relationship with the AMA Superbike Racing series in 2007 with both series contingency and Team Hooters Suzuki sponsorship. Asked for comment, Orient Express Racing President Skip Dowling said, “We are really pleased to be involved with AMA ProStar in 2007. Orient Express has been racing and helping racers go fast since 1973, and 2007 is going to be the best year yet!” Orient Express Racing’s plan for 2007 is to expand its presence on a national level. With a combination of racing series sponsorships, contingency programs, racer sponsorships, and our own in-house racing program, Orient Express Racing reaches more racers than any other business in the industry. Additionally Orient Express Racing has committed support to AMA/ProStar with title sponsorship of the 2007 U.S. Motorcycle Nationals in Atco, NJ, September 29th to 30th 2007, now known as the 2007 Orient Express U.S. Motorcycle Nationals. The 2007 Orient Express U.S. Motorcycle Nationals is the oldest and most prestigious event in motorcycle drag racing, and has a 41-year history of groundbreaking performance. Orient Express considers Atco, NJ to be its ³home² track, where countless passes and race wins are in the record books. Orient Express Racing looks forward to the 2007 Orient Express U.S. Motorcycle Nationals, and each opportunity to become more involved with its customers and fans. Orient Express Racing hopes to see you and your team at the races! For more information regarding Orient Express Racing, and for regular news and updates over the course of the 2007-racing season, please visit the entirely new website: http://www.orientexpress.com . We encourage customers to sign up for regular email updates through the website. Have a great 2007-racing season!

Sofuoglo Takes World Supersport Victory On Aggregate Time In England

FIM Supersport World Championship Donington Park, England April 1, 2007 Race Results (on aggregate time): 1. Kenan SOFUOGLU (Hon CBR600RR), 22 laps, 34:56.601 2. Robbin HARMS (Hon CBR600RR), -0.764 second 3. Katsuaki FUJIWARA (Hon CBR600RR), -1.343 seconds 4. Craig JONES (Hon CBR600RR), -10.215 seconds 5. Simone SANNA (Hon CBR600RR), -12.135 seconds 6. Davide GIUGLIANO (Kaw ZX-6R), -12.982 seconds 7. Yoann TIBERIO (Hon CBR600RR), -16.642 seconds 8. Massimo ROCCOLI (Yam YZF-R6), -16.664 seconds 9. David CHECA (Yam YZF-R6), -22.965 seconds 10. Gianluca NANNELLI (Duc 749R), -23.852 seconds 11. Sebastian GIMBERT (Yam YZF-R6), -24.862 seconds 12. Gianluca VIZZIELLO (Yam YZF-R6), -26.053 seconds 13. David SALOM (Yam YZF-R6), -26.512 seconds 14. Barry VENEMAN (Suz GSX-R600), -29.445 seconds 15. Pere RIBA (Kaw ZX-6R), -29.448 seconds 16. Chris PERIS (Yam YZF-R6), -43.818 seconds 32. Fabien FORET (Kaw ZX-6R), -15 laps, DNF Supersport World Championship Point Standings (after 3 of 13 rounds): 1. Sofuoglo, 70 points 2. Fujiwara, 43 points 3. Harms, 39 points 4. Foret, 38 points 5. Kevin Curtain (Yam YZF-R6), 25 points 6. Riba, 22 points 7. Jones, 19 points 8. TIE, Roccoli/Veneman, 17 points 10. Broc Parkes (Yam YZF-R6), 16 points More, from a press release issued by HAHNspree Ten Kate Honda: World Supersport Championship Round three: Donington Park, UK Sunday 1 April Race report Sofuoglu obliterates opposition on Donington debut Kenan Sofuoglu led both legs of today’s two-part World Supersport Championship race from start to finish for a convincing victory for HANNspree Ten Kate Honda. The impressive race win enables the young Turkish rider to extend his championship advantage from seven to 27 points over his nearest rival with a tally of 70. Sofuoglu got off to a strong start from third on the grid for his first race at Donington Park’s 4.02km track. He seized an early lead on the opening lap and set the pace with a blistering time of 1.34:577 – smashing James Whitham’s existing Supersport lap record of 1.37:565. Despite a clutch problem with the CBR600RR and convincing challenges from Robbin Harms, the HANNspree Ten Kate Honda rider maintained station until the race was red flagged on lap 12 due to a multiple rider accident at Redgate. The 22-lap race was re-started with 11 laps left to run and Sofuoglu – using his spare CBR600RR – once again stole the early advantage. However, Harms remained determined and passed the HANNspree Ten Kate Honda rider on lap 20. The series leader fought back to regain his place at the front of the pack one lap later and remained there until he passed the chequered flag. The race win was particularly significant due to the fact that Sofuoglu’s closest rivals were unable to complete the race. Kevin Curtain, Broc Parkes and team-mate Sébastien Charpentier failed to start the race due to injuries sustained during practice sessions and Fabien Foret retired early from the opening leg. Charpentier hopes to be back in action for round four of the championship at Valencia. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager: “Today Kenan had to do the honours for us with Sébastien out of the race and he really delivered. In the first part we could see he had some problems with his clutch so after his fantastic start he began to gradually drop back. You could say we were lucky that the red flag came out and we were able to change the bike. Again, he got off to a demon start and led the pack quite easily, but then he got a cramp in his forearms which slowed him slightly. Once again he has proved to be a great racer – he may not have been the quickest guy out there in the last laps, but for sure he fought hard for the lead and he maintains the championship lead. We don’t want to take anything for granted because as we have seen this weekend, anything can happen. I hope that all three of the riders that crashed out this weekend will be back with us in Valencia for some more exciting Supersport racing.” Kenan Sofuoglu: “I am really happy because I have been very lucky this weekend. I was experiencing a clutch problem in the first part of the race and I was thinking to myself I cannot finish this race. I thought I would be joining the other championship title contenders with a zero point finish. Then I saw the red flag and I thought this is my chance. I was able to change the bike and pick up where I had left off. I started pretty well but then my forearms were really in pain and the last few laps were difficult. I had a small advantage from the first race so I managed to hold on and I got the win.”

Toseland Wins, Bayliss Crashes In World Superbike Race One At Donington Park

FIM Superbike World Championship Donington Park, England April 1, 2007 Race One Results: 1. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR), 23 laps, 35:28.222 2. Troy CORSER (Yam YZF-R1), -1.368 seconds 3. Max BIAGGI (Suz GSX-R1000K7), -2.448 4. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1), -9.249 5. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F07), -18.028 6. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R), -18.956 7. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R), -29.998 8. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -30.296 9. Roberto ROLFO (Hon CBR1000RR), -30.525 10. Jakub SMRZ (Duc 999F05), -36.661 11. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Hon CBR1000RR), -39.389 12. Josh BROOKES (Hon CBR1000RR), -48.045 13. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR), -51.290 14. Giovanni BUSSEI (Duc 999F06), -51.402 15. Dean ELLISON (Duc 999RS), -60.156 16. Luca MORELLI (Duc 999RS), -1 lap 17. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yam YZF-R1), -1 lap 18. Aaron ZANOTTI (Yam YZF-R1), -1 lap 19. Steve MARTIN (Hon CBR1000RR), -5 laps, pitted 20. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F06), -2 laps, DNF, crash 21. Christian ZAISER (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), -12 laps, DNF, mechanical 22. Alessandro POLITA (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -13 laps, DNF, crash 23. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F07), -18 laps, DNF, crash

April 2007

MotoGP Notes: Yamaha And Honda To The Fore Intro: 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Spies Fastest At AMA Fontana Test Intro: Buell Lightning Super TT XB12STT 1000cc Sportbike Shootout, Part 1.5 Ducati’s 2007 MotoGP Team: Young And Old Riding With WERA National Champs Vesrah Suzuki Ed Tech: Hodgson’s Ducati 2007 Young Guns Gallery: 2006 Racing Retrospective Racing Grandma Debbie Westermeyer The Rookie Papers: Part Four Talladega GPR Updated Cribs: Jeff Wood WSMC At Willow Springs Letters To The Editor Inside Info 10 Years Ago The Little Motorcycle Numbers MotoGP Trivia New Products Lidz: Josh Hayes Jamie Hacking: Hacker! John Hopkins: Hopper! Book Review Racing Schools & Track Days Road Racing & School Calendar Guide To Road Racing Organizations The Crash Page MOTO-ST Newsletter ASRA/CCS Newsletter High-Performance Parts & Services Directory Want Ads Advertisers Index And Directory Chris Ulrich: Surprise Traction Control On The Front Cover: Sam Fleming rides the 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000 at Phillip Island.