World Supersport Championship Round three: Donington Park, UK Saturday 31 March 2007 Qualifying report two Front row start for Sofuoglu at Donington Park World Supersport Championship leader Kenan Sofuoglu will start tomorrow’s 22-lap race at Donington Park from the front row for HANNspree Ten Kate Honda. The young Turkish rider finished second in this morning’s session and then led for most of the afternoon session in cloudy yet sunny conditions at the 4.02km Leicestershire track. Sofuoglu recorded consistent times throughout the second session – setting the fastest lap five times before eventually settling for third position behind Pere Riba and Simone Sanna. His best time of 1.34:382 is more than three seconds inside the existing lap record for the circuit – an impressive feat for the HANNspree Ten Kate Honda rider on his debut race weekend at Donington Park. The series leader is hoping to extend his seven-point lead at the top of the championship standings tomorrow in a weekend that has already brought mixed fortunes for HANNspree Ten Kate Honda. Team-mate and defending champion Sébastien Charpentier did not take part in today’s sessions. He will not compete in tomorrow’s race as a result of injuries sustained in Friday’s practice session. The Frenchman has stretched ligaments and a slight fracture in his pelvis but hopes to be back in action at round four in Valencia, Spain on 15 April. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager: “Third on the grid is good for Kenan. Of course with Sébastien not here, it has been a bit more difficult because we couldn’t get the usual feedback and data comparisons between the riders. He has done a very good job; it is the first time he has ridden at Donington so to be leading for nearly the entire session is really good. He tried to go for a fast lap right at the end but unfortunately he got held up by some slower riders, which pushed him back to third. We know that Kenan is a racer, not a qualifier so to be on the front row is great. Not having Sébastien around it a setback for the team. The latest news is that his collarbone is fine but he has a very slight fracture at the bottom of the pelvic bone. It is very painful for him but it should heal quite quickly and we are confident that he will be back for Valencia.” Kenan Sofuoglu: “I am feeling OK after today. This morning I took it easy because there were so many crashes during the practice. I was fastest for most of the qualifying session this afternoon – it was just on the last lap that I got caught in traffic and didn’t secure the quick time I had hoped to. I am on the front row though and that is always the main aim. I’m feeling confident about the race and with Curtain, Parkes and my team-mate now out of the running it will feel very different up at the front. I think I have a good chance of finishing on the podium.” Qualifying times: 1. P. Riba, 1’34.066 2. S. Sanna, 1’34.195 3. K. Sofuoglu, 1’34.382 4. B. Veneman, 1’34.470 5. Y. Tiberio, 1’34.609 6. L. Alfonsi, 1’34.670 7. F. Foret, 1’34.737 8. K. Fujiwara, 1’34.953 9. D. Checa, 1’34.959 10. S. Gimbert, 1’35.038 S. Charpentier, DNS

FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: STOLEN RACE RIG! The Harley-Davidson of Bloomington race team is in Phoenix for the AHDRA races. While the team was in a restaurant eating dinner, the entire race rig was stolen. The stats on the equipment are listed below. If you could help me get the word out, maybe the thieves are ignorant enough to try to sell it. As a matter of fact, if anyone sees them and wants to beat on them a little, feel free, but don’t kill them, leave some for us”¦ 2001 White Ford V10 Four Winds RV Indiana License No. 118132 VIN 1FDXE45S01HA35122 2007 Black Pace Race trailer (unmarked, a few weeks old), Indiana License No. 494679 VIN 40LWB20247P139433 2005 VRXSE VIN HDR7RC71A6K975719 2006 VRXSE VIN HDR7RC71K6K976993 2002 yellow/black Aprilia SR50 scooter VIN ZD4RLC1012S000972 Also stolen; all personal items, laptops, Vanson Destroyer racing leathers, tools, Yamaha scooter, Handy Air lift, H-D pop-up, and many other items too numerous to list. The incident happened late Wednesday evening. Jeff Stevens (owner) and the rest of the race team are working with police as the search warehouse and industrial areas and of course the road. If dealers keep and eye out, you never know. Thanks for helping me get the word out. I will be back in the office tomorrow, but I can be reached on my cell at 812-585-0117 if something comes up today. Jim Markland General Manager Harley-Davidson of Bloomington (Indiana) 800-667-7939 www.IndianaHarley.com

Rich Oliver’s Mystery School is proud to announce SHIFT RACING as their “Official Riding Apparel Supplier” for 2007 and 2008. Based in Morgan Hill, CA, SHIFT stormed onto the motorcycling scene in 1997 and has grown into an international brand, producing innovative riding apparel for markets around the world. SHIFT has always been the choice for those looking for something unique and fresh and they focus on fusing the creative influences from the world of motocross/sportbikes, lifestyle and fashion into all of their stylish performance products. No matter what, where or how you ride, SHIFT’s progressive designs, premium materials and advanced construction methods will give you the confidence to take your ride to the limit. SHIFT Brand Manager Brett Nicholas comments, “We’re extremely excited to be working with Rich Oliver through his School programs, as it’s a great way to showcase our riding gear with his students and allows them to experience first hand the performance, quality and style that SHIFT offers.” Rich Oliver adds, “We are really pleased to have SHIFT as our official apparel supplier, as SHIFT provides riding gear that is safe, comfortable and performs perfectly. This allows our students to spend time learning to ride properly and not worry about ill fitting or uncomfortable riding gear. SHIFT gear is so comfortable that it feels like it’s not even there, but it protects and ventilates to insure our riders confidence.” SHIFT provides Rich Oliver’s Mystery School students over the boot RECON pants and ASSAULT Racepants, PROFILE chest/back/shoulder protectors, ASSAULT gloves and jerseys, SHIFT knee/shin guards and REFLEX kidney belts. Sizing covers a complete range of apparel for kids, women and men from small to XXL. You can find out more information about the complete SHIFT line: www.shiftracing.com Information about Mystery Camps with Rich Oliver: www.richoliver.net 559-855-3089 More, from a press release issued by Komodo: ESLICK CHOOSES KOMODO GLOVES FOR 2007 Danny Eslick announced today that he will be wearing KOMODO race gloves for the 2007 AMA racing season. Eslick stated he first tried KOMODO products last year, and found that the gloves gave him exceptional feel during a race and proved to provide superior protection in the event of a crash! Eslick explained that KOMODO not only builds great products, but the top management show a genuine love for racing, and respect for the rider. For additional information, log on to www.komodogear.com.

2007 SBK CORONA EXTRA SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP® DONINGTON PARK 3rd ROUND 30th, 31st MARCH and 1st APRIL FIRST QUALIFYING PRACTICE Donington Park, Friday 30 March 2007 BAYLISS AND CORSER THE EARLY LEADERS AT DONINGTON – BAYLISS TAKES NEW CIRCUIT BEST LAP IN SBK DESPITE COLD WEATHER Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) pocketed the new circuit best lap on an SBK weekend with a stunning 1’32.333, with possibly more to come if the weather conditions improve for day two of qualifying tomorrow. Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia) also went under the previous best with his 1’32.817 lap time, but he fell towards the end of the session, without significant injury. The wet morning untimed session saw Corser fastest while in the afternoon a narrow dry line, around almost the entire circuit, allowed all riders to improve on their early marks. Both track and air temperatures failed to rise into double figures, with the air temperature only 8°C and the track 7°C. XAUS BACK IN THE TOP LEVEL ON 2006 FACTORY DUCATI Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Ducati) proved that he still has all the speed of his factory years on his year-old Ducati 999 machine, scoring third fastest lap of the session in tricky conditions. He was just ahead (by only 0.046 seconds) of current championship leader James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). Toseland’s old Ducati team-mate Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) was the quickest rider on a Kawasaki, and his inclusion in the day one top five put four different manufacturers into the top five places. PRIVATEER MUGGERIDGE BACK TO FITNESS AND GOOD PACE Karl Muggeridge (Alto Evolution Honda) has only recently recovered from a left ankle and foot injury but he still posted sixth fastest time on the opening day. Another rider who was involved in a race to be fit for Donington (Yukio Kagayama from the Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra Team) went seventh quickest before falling and having to visit the medical centre. He was finally declared unfit to ride after examination. His best time was just ahead of the final top ten riders, Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia), his team-mate Max Biaggi (who experienced clutch problems with his GSX-R near the end) and a fast rider in the wet morning session, Roberto Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). BUSSEI GETS A TOW TO GO 11th FASTEST Giovanni Bussei (Sterilgarda Ducati) was an impressive 11th fastest at Donington after towing his motorcycle to Donington behind a car, in the old-fashioned way. He was just up on countryman Michel Fabrizio (DFX Corse Honda), with the top 16 rounded out by Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse), Steve Martin (DFX Corse Honda), Muggeridge’s team-mate Joshua Brookes and German privateer Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Germany). WORLD SUPERSPORT – SOFUOGLU USURPED BY WET WEATHER SPECIALISTS In a wet qualifying session, also held in cold conditions, surprising results were the order of the first day when Matthieu Lagrive (Intermoto Czech Honda) qualified fastest with WSS rookie rider Davide Giugliano (Kawasaki Lightspeed) second. World championship leader Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) was third fastest, with replacement rider Arnaud Vincent (Tati Team Beaujolais Yamaha) fourth, just up on local rider and WSS regular Craig Jones (Reve Ekerold Honda Racing). Of great significance in the championship fight, three top riders fell and suffered injuries in the wet morning session. Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes both fell at the same Goddards corner in different incidents, and each injured their left collarbones, ruling themselves out the Donington race. Reigning champion Sebastien Charpentier hurt his previously injured collarbone and pelvis in another crash, and was finally declared unfit. SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP – PIRRO FASTEST AFTER ONE DAY Superstock new rider Michele Pirro (Lorenzini by Leoni Yamaha) was the fastest rider on show at the first session of the opening round of the 2007 season, with his own team-mate Claudio Corti second quickest, from 39 entered riders. Didier Van Keymeulen (TTSL MGM Racing Yamaha) the former champion of this class, was third fastest, with the first Suzuki proving to be that of Ilario Dionisi (Cruciani Moto Suzuki Italia). Ayrton Badovini (Biassono Unionbike MV Agusta) was the best MV rider, fifth fastest. Niccolo Canepa (Ducati Xerox 1098) made an impact in his first sessions on the 1098 Ducati, going seventh in the first practice rankings. SUPERSTOCK 600 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP – BERGER FOR FRANCE Maxime Berger (Team Trasimeno Yamaha) made the best of a drying track to score a 1’38.313 in the 600cc division, and take fastest time of the day. Michele Magnoni (Bevilaqua Yamaha) was next fastest, with local rider Greg Black (Politas Racing Team Yamaha) third. Sylvain Barrier (Coutelle Junior Team Yamaha) rounded out the top four, while Andrea Antonelli (Team Italia Megabike Honda) was the first CBR600RR rider on show. More, from a press release issued by HAHNspree Ten Kate Honda: World Superbike Championship Round three: Donington Park, UK Friday 30 March 2007 Qualifying report one HANNspree Ten Kate Honda performs well in the wet A cold and wet Donington Park played host to the first European leg of the 2007 World Superbike Championship today. The initial qualifying session of the weekend saw HANNspree Ten Kate Honda riders James Toseland and Roberto Rolfo secure some impressive lap times despite the bad conditions. Yorkshireman James Toseland started his first home race of the season as he means to go on. He secured a succession of fast lap times during the 45-minute session before taking a tactical decision to save his supply of dry tyres and continue on wets to the end. After spending much of the time in the top two, he finished fourth fastest with a best lap of 1’33.692. Roberto Rolfo proved that he is determined to claim a top six place in the standings as he put in a brilliant display of wet-weather riding. The Italian completed this morning’s free practice in fourth position overall and remained in the top five for the majority of the afternoon’s qualifying. The end of the session saw Rolfo unable to pass a group of slower riders that forced him back into tenth place. His final best lap stands at 1’35.363. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager: “I am quite happy with the start of the weekend for both riders. With conditions like this and the added pressure of a home round, it was even more difficult for James today. He was fastest for most of the session until the end when we decided not to go for a fresh tyre. We are expecting that the weather will be fine for the rest of the weekend so we want to preserve the tyres for that. Roby has made huge progress today compared with Phillip Island. He was running in the top six for the majority of the session. We have done a lot of work with Roby in the break between Phillip Island and Donington and his riding style has really improved as a result of that. He has changed his mindset and I praise him for that. So, let’s see what tomorrow brings – we have to shave off at least a second to be on the front row so we have some work to do overnight but I’m sure we can do it.” James Toseland: “The session was pretty good for me. It was drying up at the end there but even in the damp conditions I was second quickest at one point and that’s unusual for me so I was pretty pleased. The new package we have on the bike is giving me a lot of confidence even in these conditions. We were going to put on new tyres towards the end to go for pole position but we know the weather forecast is OK for tomorrow and Sunday so we’ve held some back. We’ve got plenty of tyres for the weekend so hopefully we can get the best out of them and I can concentrate on winning.” Roberto Rolfo: “It was not bad today. In the rain this morning I had a good feeling on the bike immediately. We tried to improve my riding style during the session and by the end I was much quicker than the beginning. In the qualifying I started with a rain tyre then changed to intermediate, then dry. My lap times improved and by the end I was confident that I could secure my fastest time, but I hit some traffic and lost about five tenths of a second. This was not so good because I know I could have gone faster but it’s not a problem – tomorrow it will be better.” Qualifying times: 1. T. Bayliss, 1’32.333 2. T. Corser, 1’32.817 3. R. Xaus, 1’33.646 4. J. Toseland, 1’33.692 5 R. Laconi, 1’33.729 6. K. Muggeridge, 1’34.203 7. Y. Kagayama, 1’34.549 8. N. Haga, 1’34.553 9. M. Biaggi, 1’34.593 10. R. Rolfo, 1’35.363 More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: Friday Mar 30 2007 Qualifying BAYLISS (DUCATI XEROX) SETS THE PACE AT DONINGTON Donington (UK), Friday 30 March: Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox Team) set the pace in first qualifying for the European Round of the World Superbike Championship at a cold and damp Donington Park today. The Australian’s time of 1m32.333s was well inside the long-standing best lap set by Neil Hodgson in 2000 although it is the first time World Superbikes have raced at Donington since 2001. Team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi was less fortunate, crashing in the one-hour session and ending up outside the top 16. “It’s a pretty good start to the weekend” declared Troy. “This morning we had very mixed conditions, around 6°, and the track was quite wet. We did OK but were a little bit hesitant and had to work our way into it. This afternoon the track finally arrived dry towards the end of the session and the times were quite good considering we hadn’t had any dry track time. I’m confident tomorrow if we get some good conditions we can go quite a bit faster, but overall the bike’s feeling good and I’m happy on it so we’ll move on to tomorrow.” “I could have done without that crash at the entrance to Coppice when I lost the front”, commented Lorenzo. “I haven’t been here for six years and I’m finding the conditions quite difficult. Tomorrow the forecast looks better and today I just didn’t want to take any risks. However I feel that potentially I can go a lot quicker because the bike set-up is pretty good. The crash led us astray a bit because we then made the wrong choice of front tyre, the softer one, and the track started to dry out and I was unable to set a quick time. Tomorrow I’ll try and improve, especially in the last part of the circuit from the chicane to the final hairpin.” Times: 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1m32.333s; 2. Corser (Yamaha) 1m32.817s; 3. Xaus (Ducati) 1m33.646s; 4. Toseland (Honda) 1m33.692s; 5. Laconi (Kawasaki) 1m33.729s; 6. Muggeridge (Honda) 1m34.203s; 7. Kagayama (Suzuki) 1m34.549s; 8. Haga (Yamaha) 1m34.553s; 9. Biaggi (Suzuki) 1m34.593s; 10. Rolfo (Honda) 1m35.363s; … 17. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 1m36.735s. More, from another press release issued by HAHNspree Ten Kate Honda: World Supersport Championship Round three: Donington Park, UK Friday 30 March 2007 Qualifying report one First Supersport qualifying session takes place in the wet The first European round of the 2007 World Supersport Championship kicked off at a cold and wet Donington Park today. It was a mixed day for HANNspree Ten Kate Honda with Kenan Sofuoglu putting in an impressive performance on his debut at the 4.02km track. Meanwhile, his team-mate Sébastien Charpentier was forced to sit out of the first qualifying session following a crash during the wet morning practice. Kenan Sofuoglu once again proved that he is a rider to watch in 2007. Despite having never ridden at Donington Park before, the young Turkish rider battled the far-from-perfect conditions to secure the third fastest time of the day. After putting in the fastest laps for much of the 45-minute session, he finished with a best time of 1’41.621. Sébastien Charpentier started the free practice well, but the conditions got the better of him as he slid off the track 35 minutes in. The Frenchman suffered damage to his pelvic ligaments and is under observation to determine whether he will participate in tomorrow’s second qualifying session at the Derbyshire circuit. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager: “Today didn’t start well with Sébastien crashing out in what was actually a very low speed incident. He has stretched some of the ligaments in his pelvis and we are investigating if there has been any movement of the metal plate in his collarbone injury from 2006. We still think he will be OK to ride tomorrow but for today he needed to rest. Kenan took to the track for the team and he found his way around a wet Donington Park pretty quickly. He was the fastest man out there for much of the session. We decided to keep going with wet tyres when other riders moved to intermediates or even dry tyres because he was doing so well and our aim is to be on the front row. We hope that tomorrow will be dry and we hope even more that Sébastien will be back with us and we will be a full team once again.” Kenan Sofuoglu: “I am happy with today. This morning it was completely wet and we had to make a lot of adjustments to the new CBR600RR to try to get the right set-up. For the qualifying session this afternoon, the conditions were much better – the track was starting to dry out. I actually like it when some parts are dry and some parts are wet, so it was not as bad for me as it was for the other riders. A lot of my main competitors were far behind in the timings. Having said that, I hope that tomorrow brings completely dry conditions! I think if it is dry tomorrow we will be able to make good progress on the set-up and I can do a lot better.” Qualifying times: 1. M. Lagrive, 1’40.239 2. D. Guigliano, 1’41.208 3. K. Sofuoglu, 1’41.621 4. A. Vincent, 1’41.639 5. C. Jones, 1’42.465 6. P. Riba, 1’42.539 7. M. Roccoli. 1’42.556 8. V. Kallio, 1’42.967 9. G. Nannelli, 1’42.989 10. L. Alfonsi, 1’43.04 More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi: COLD AND RAIN FOR THE FIRST DAY AT DONINGTON (Donington Park 2007, March 30) Rain and cold gave a bad welcome to the third round of World Superbike at Donington for this that should be a cheerful day to celebrate the 20th anniversary of World Superbike. Temperature just over the 0°C and a persistent and frozen rain did transform the Donington track into a hidden trap where run several of the favourites, out of the race just from the first free practice session in the morning. For this reason most of the riders stay quiet today and so the today’s result should be totally changed tomorrow. Gianluca Nannelli, at his debut on the severe Derbyshire circuit, recorded the 9th fast in Supersport qualifying. “That isn’t the best way to learn a track!” confessed a frozen Gianluca Nannelli at the end of the practice “The track, already famous for his sliding grip, owing the vicinity of East Midlands airport and the fuel drops that airplanes release during take off and landing. Also the set up of the bike is clearly not correct, however I’m quite satisfied for today’s result. But of course tomorrow, for the final qualifying, also who stay hided today for prudence, will come out and, if the track will be dry, the lines followed today will be modified.” Also Jakub Smrz in Superbike must fight against the cold; on the wet track in the morning he has been one of the fastest, then when during the afternoon the track dried he lost positions, but more important, he could not work systematically for the machine’s set up. “I know Donington circuit, as well I rode here before always in Summer, and for my forst time on a Superbike it would be better to find different weather conditions..” said Jakub Smrz after qualifying session. “During the morning’s session, in wet condition, I’ve been quite quick, 7th fastest, but then in the afternoon the rain stopped and we rode on a this, dry line. But in such condition it would be exit the dry line to fall or lose time. The handling is quite good, at least in such conditions, but the track is very cold, so it’s easy make a mistake and I don’t want it.” Superbike Friday Qualifying Pl., Rider, Nat., Bike, Lap Time 1. BAYLISS Troy, AUS, Ducati 999 F07, 1’32.333 2. CORSER Troy, AUS, Yamaha YZF R1, 1’32.817 3. XAUS Ruben, ESP, Ducati 999 F06, 1’33.646 4. TOSELAND James, GBR, Honda CBR 1000RR, 1’33.692 5. LACONI Regis, FRA, Kawasaki ZX 10R, 1’33.729 6. MUGGERIDGE Karl, AUS, Honda CBR 1000RR, 1’34.203 7. KAGAYAMA Yukio, JPN, Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K7, 1’34.549 8. HAGA Noriyuki, JPN, Yamaha YZF R1, 1’34.553 9. BIAGGI Max, ITA, Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K7, 1’34.593 10. ROLFO Roberto, ITA, Honda CBR 1000RR, 1’35.363 18. SMRZ Jakub, CZE, Ducati 999 F05 Scuderia SC Caracchi, 1’36.796 Supersport Friday Qualifying Pl., Rider, Nat., Bike, Lap Time 1. LAGRIVE Mathieu, FRA, Honda CBR 600RR, 1’40.239 2. GIUGLIANO Davide, ITA, Kawasaki ZX6RR, 1’41.208 3. SOFUOGLU Kenan, TUR, Honda CBR 600RR, 1’41.621 4. VINCENT Arnaud, FRA, Yamaha YZFR6, 1’41.639 5. JONES Craig, GBR, Honda CBR 600RR, 1’42.465 6. RIBA Pere, ESP, Kawasaki ZX6RR, 1’42.539 7. ROCCOLI Massimo, ITA, Yamaha YZFR6, 1’42.556 8. KALLIO Vesa, FIN, Suzuki GSX600R, 1’42.967 9. NANNELLI Gianluca, ITA, Ducati 749 R Scuderia SC Caracchi, 1’42.989 10. ALFONSI Lorenzo, ITA, Honda CBR 600RR, 1’43.004 More, from a press release issued by Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra: 2007 Superbike World Championship Round 3, Europe, Donington Park, UK Friday qualifying, 30th March Circuit: 4.023 km Conditions: Cold, mostly damp 6-8 C. Conditions during the first day of the third round of this year’s Superbike World Championship were difficult so Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders Yukio Kagayama and Max Biaggi started cautiously. The morning session was cold and wet and, although conditions improved marginally in the afternoon, the track still had several damp patches. It was one of these that Yukio hit towards the end of the qualifying session and which caused him to suffer a heavy fall, knocking him out for a few minutes He was taken to the Medical Centre for a check up and X-rays, but luckily suffered no broken bones or any other injuries apart from a sore back. His team mate Max Biaggi took today very carefully, using the two sessions to find a good base set-up for his GSX-R1000 K7, before beginning to push hard. Troy Bayliss (Ducati) posted the day’s fastest lap, over a second under the lap record. Second is Troy Corser Yamaha), with Ruben Xaus (Ducati) third and series leader James Toseland (Honda) fourth. YUKIO – 7th, 1:34.549 The conditions today were not easy and then I crashed! It happened at Craner Curves, when I hit a small damp patch on the track and lost control. I hit my head and knocked myself out for a little while, but there were no other injuries. My back is very sore, but I’m sure it’ll be OK after a good sleep. I would like to race this weekend, but it is not up to me. We shall see what happens in the morning. MAX – 9th, 1:34.593 Today was not so easy and I used the time to try and find a good base set-up for my bike. We had no data from here, so we had to start at the beginning and work our way through quite a few things. In these conditions it is difficult to try and choose tyres for the race because conditions could be very different tomorrow or Sunday. This afternoon, when the track was half wet and half dry was tricky and I didn’t want to push too hard and crash. A few times today I made small mistakes breaking too hard and having to run a bit wide. That was probably because we had some clutch problems and that was probably why I couldn’t go any faster at the end of the qualifying session. Friday qualifying 1 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati) 1:32.33, 2 Corser (Aus-Yamaha) 1:32.817, 3 Xaus (E-Ducati) 1:33.646, 4 Toseland (GB-Honda) 1:33.692, 5 Laconi (F-Kawasaki) 1:33.729, 6 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda) 1:34.203, 7 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:34.549, 8 Haga (J-Yamaha) 1:34.553, 9 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:34.593, 10 Rolfo (I-Honda) 1:35.363 More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Injuries mean an early return home for Yamaha World Supersport Team The third round of the World Supersport Championship got off to a bad start for the Yamaha World Supersport Team, with both Curtain and Parkes sustaining injuries during crashes in the free practice session on Friday. The crashes ended the team’s hopes of success for the weekend. Kevin Curtain was the first to fall early on in the wet session, high-siding the bike at Goddard’s corner in front of his team mate resulting in a clean break to his collar bone. It is not known yet whether Kevin will be fit enough to race at Valencia in two weeks. Broc spent the session focusing on putting some distance on the tyres and re-acquainting himself with the track not having ridden here since 2001, when he rode for Ducati in the World Superbike Championship. Unfortunately, in the closing stages of the session he high-sided the bike at the same corner as Kevin, leaving him with a small fracture to his collar bone. Broc Parkes (Yamaha World Supersport Team) “The track conditions were too cold today especially the last corner, which was really slippery. I was hoping for the track to dry quickly to really put in some good laps. It is frustrating to work so hard for the first two rounds and then this to happen here. Right now, it is hard for me to say when I’ll be back; I will do my best to be there.” Kevin Curtain (Yamaha World Supersport Team) “I’m all right. I now just want to concentrate on getting my collar bone fixed before Valencia in two weeks time. It is a good break at least, if there is such a thing. The conditions just weren’t good out there today. I aim to be back for Valencia, we will have to wait and see if that is realistic or not.” Despite the misfortunes of the Yamaha World Supersport team there was good news for other Yamaha-shod riders in the championship. Former French 125 GP World Champion and current entrant in the French Supersport Championship – Arnaud Vincent put in a best lap of 1’41.208 to take provisional fourth place in the afternoon’s qualifying session, while Massimo Roccoli set a best time of 1’42.556, placing him in seventh position. Yamaha GMT94 team members Sébastien Gimbert and David Checa finished the day in 12th and 13th places respectively. The fastest man in today’s qualifying session was Matthieu Lagrive (Honda), followed by Davide Giugliano (Kawasaki) and Kenan Sofuoglu (Honda). Arnaud Vincent completes the provisional front row going in to tomorrow’s final qualifying session. Arnaud Vincent (4th – 1’41.639 – Tati Team Beaujolais Racing) “In today’s qualifying I started with a wet rear tyre but then switched to a slick after ten minutes as the track was starting to dry. I hope tomorrow is wet because the wet conditions will even out the playing field and also I often ride well in the wet.” Massimo Roccoli (7th – 1’42.556 – Yamaha Motor Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) “During the qualifying session I mainly rode with wet tyres. During one pit stop I saw that the tyre was pretty much finished so I opted for an intermediate. Just before the session ended I managed to put in a good lap placing me in seventh overall. We have a good wet race set up now so I’m confident I will start from the second row on Sunday if it continues to rain. We will see how final qualifying goes tomorrow.”

ROUND 3 DONINGTON, GREAT BRITAIN 29th MARCH 2007 RACE PREVIEW March 2007, Donington (Great Britain) After the first two races outside the European arena, SBK is coming back to its normal scene, doing things in its usual way. And it is an amazing way. Ready to start from this weekend are the Superstock 600 and Superstock 1000 championships, which are joining the paddock, upping the total amount of riders to more than 130. This round is definitely something special, and there are many interesting issues to peruse. First of all we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the series, with a special party and a special ceremony held on the circuit that hosted the first ever SBK race 20 years ago and has now come back to the SBK calendar this season. Pirelli is proud to say that it has been a protagonist in SBK since the beginning, and many of the racing stars of yesteryear who are joining-in the fun this weekend used to race on Pirelli, as all riders in the contemporary championship do. Donington on April 1 will be quite unpredictable. Both the general temperature and the weather can be really changeable, so this has complicating the job for the Pirelli technicians charged with the task of bringing the right tyres to an almost ‘new’ racetrack. Once again they have to rely on the experience of the past and on the experience given by participation in National racing. Superbike riders will have at their disposal 3 choices of front tyres and options for 5 rear tyres plus a qualifier, together with intermediate and rain tyres. For Supersport the DIABLO SUPERCORSA will come in 3 different solutions, both for front and rear again to be added to the intermediate and rain tyres. Superstock 1000 is racing with DIABLO SUPERCORSA SC2 in the sizes 120/70 and 190/55 17″, and last but not least Superstock 600 is going to use the same impressive DIABLO SUPERCORSA SC2, but in sizes 120/70 and 180/55. The total amount of tyres to appear at Donington will be almost 6,000, and in the paddock the Pirelli working area is unmistakably large, creating a colorful yellow and red island.

WORLD SUPERBIKE CELEBRATES TWENTY YEARS AT DONINGTON Donington (UK), Thursday 29 March: Donington Park will roar to the sound of World Superbikes this weekend for the first time since 2001 as the European Round of the championship takes place at the East Midlands circuit. Six years on, the event holds special significance because it was 20 years ago, almost exactly to the day, that the World Superbike championship began. Despite winning the first of his two WSBK titles that very same year, the Ducati Xerox Team’s Troy Bayliss had a difficult time at Donington in 2001 and the Australian could only manage to string together a 13th and a 9th place in the two races after struggling with tyre problems. Troy goes into the third round of this year’s championship with one race win under his belt as he attempts to make up the 26 points on the current series leader and local favourite, James Toseland (Honda). Troy Bayliss, 3rd in championship (64 points) Troy Bayliss has been to Donington numerous times in British Superbike, World Superbike and in MotoGP and rates it as one of his favourite circuits. “The last time I rode there was in MotoGP in 2005 and it was a new surface but I crashed out in the rain. I’ve got fond memories of Donington and I do like racing there, especially the Old Hairpin part of the circuit, but I’ve never had the results I’d like to have had – like a double win! We’re going to go there and give it a shot and all we can hope for is we get a lucky break with the weather in England. This time of year we could have anything, there was even snow a few years back! Last year at this point in the championship, I only had one win, so I’m pretty much on track. It’s a tough schedule ahead with five rounds in Europe in the next two months, but I’m in good shape, everyone’s working well in the team and we’re looking forward to kicking on.” Lorenzo Lanzi, 6th in championship (44 points) Lorenzo Lanzi has only raced once at Donington, back in 2001 with a 250 GP team, but is confident that he can continue his positive start to the season this weekend. “I have already raced at Donington once, in 2001 with 250 GP but I haven’t been there for six years. That’s a long time and the conditions will undoubtedly be difficult at this time of year. I quite like the circuit, it’s very technical, very quick the first part and just plain slow the second so for sure we will give the brakes a good workout at Donington. As for the championship, it’s a pity about the electrical problem I had in Superpole at Phillip Island because we could have had another good race. However as a start to the season goes, it hasn’t been bad, now we’re going to Donington to try and make up for points we lost in the race in Australia.” 20 Years Ago The World Superbike championship got underway with a round at Donington twenty years ago on April 3rd 1988. The two winners on the day were current Ducati Xerox team manager Davide Tardozzi on a Bimota and Marco Lucchinelli (Ducati), but the overall win went to ‘Lucky’ as race results were combined for the first, last and only time in World Superbike history. In the nineteen editions since then there have been a total of 11 champions and 55 different race winners, with Carl Fogarty (4 titles and 59 wins) topping the lists ahead of double champions Troy Bayliss and Troy Corser (35 and 33 wins respectively). To celebrate the anniversary an array of stars, including former champion Fred Merkel (Honda) and 2003 winner Neil Hodgson (Ducati), will be riding their original race bikes on parade laps on Saturday and Sunday. The Circuit Name: Donington Park Grand Prix Circuit Length: 4.023 km Pole Position: left Finish line length: 564 m Corners left/right: 5/7 Race distance: 23 laps/92.529 km Statistics : Best lap: Fogarty (Ducati) 1m32.121s (1999). Lap record: Corser (Ducati) 1m33.470s (1996). Superpole: Edwards (Honda), 1m32.559s (2000). 2006 Results : no race 2001 Results : Race 1 – 1. Hodgson (Ducati); 2. Chili (Suzuki); 3. Hislop (Ducati). Race 2 – 1. Chili; 2. Hodgson; 3. Corser (Aprilia).

Bridgestone MotoGP: Jerez GP Debrief Q+A with Hiroshi Yamada – Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager Motorcycle Sport The sheer competitiveness of the MotoGP field at last weekend’s Jerez GP made it extremely tight at the top of the timesheets with just half-a-second separating the top twelve in qualifying and less than five seconds splitting race winner Valentino Rossi from fifth-placed Bridgestone-shod rider Casey Stoner. The top Bridgestone rider was Honda Gresini’s Toni Elias who spectacularly charged up to fourth place having started from eighth on the grid. How satisfied are you with tyre performance during the Jerez GP weekend? “In terms of the performance of our tyres, I think we can be very pleased, even if the end results from the weekend are somewhat disappointing. After the three free practice sessions over Friday and Saturday morning, we had five of our riders in the top seven of the combined standings and the tyres had shown good consistency over many laps. Qualifying was incredibly competitive and we only missed out on pole by just over a tenth-of-a-second, but that time, set by Casey Stoner, was only good enough for fifth place. In the race itself, our tyres were quick and consistent over the full 27 laps of the race and in the closing stages Toni and Casey were lapping over half-a-second quicker than everyone else. Although we missed out on the podium, we derived great satisfaction from the level of performance from our tyres in the race.” Do you think that qualifying performance was the key to success in Jerez? “I certainly think that our riders faced a bit of an uphill challenge by not being on the front row, but this is no reflection on them or the tyres. Several of our riders could have staked a claim for the front row and the top fifteen riders were separated by less than one second. Starting from further back on the grid allowed the guys at the front to pull out an all important lead, which was just slightly out of reach by the chequered flag. Toni and Casey’s advantage in the final laps reduced the deficit from almost ten seconds to just one second by the end of the race. I am sure a few extra laps would have made all the difference. Since winter testing, we have worked hard to improve our qualifying tyre performance and I was pleased to see a reduction in the gap to the front in Qatar and Jerez GPs. However we know that there is still work to do and we are always seeking continuous improvements in this area.” How influential were weather conditions over the weekend? “We enjoyed a dry weekend, but the track and ambient temperatures fluctuated a lot over the weekend. The track was as cool as 15°C on Friday morning, but as high as 40°C during qualifying. We provided our teams with medium and soft compound tyres in Jerez, both of which had performed well during practice sessions. The slightly cloudier, cooler temperatures we experienced on Sunday allowed us to run the softer specification of tyre which was still giving optimum grip on the final lap of the race. Toni posted his quickest lap of the race on the third lap, 1m41.395s, and set a 1m41.916 on the penultimate lap of the race, just half-a-second slower. Casey’s best of 1m41.443s came on lap seven, but his final lap of the race was under four-tenths slower, 1m41.825s.” What developments did Bridgestone make during the post-GP test session? “The weather even played a role after the race because the post race test with all five of our teams on Monday was hit by rain. We used the opportunity to evaluate the latest generation of Bridgestone wet weather tyres, since many of our teams have not had the chance to run their new 800cc machines in wet conditions. Although Tuesday’s weather was better, the rain-interrupted day on Monday meant that we did not have sufficient time to carry out much of our test programme. Concerning qualifying tyres, we were able to try one specification front and rear qualifying tyre. We worked with Honda Gresini, Kawasaki and Ducati on this second day and we saw some interesting lap times. Marco Melandri was quickest with a time of 1m39.484s which was 0.082s from Dani Pedrosa’s pole time on Saturday afternoon.” Will Bridgestone introduce front qualifying tyres in time for Turkey? “We hope that our front qualifying tyre development work will prove advantageous in the long-run, but we still need more time to evaluate the front spec, so it will not be introduced in Turkey. I believe that the rear tyre is where we will derive most benefit and improvement in qualifying performance. The initial test results from Tuesday were certainly promising and we are quite pleased with the progress made so far.”

Donnelly Group delighted to be main sponsors of 2007 Bush Road Races Preparations are well underway for the 2007 Bush Road Races, June 23rd 2007 through the town of Bush, Dungannon, North Ireland (full details www.bushroadraces.com) To help launch the 2007 Bush Road Races all motorcycle enthusiasts will be able to enjoy another great day out on Saturday 14th April 2007. Thanks to the Dungannon and District Motor Cycle Club and the Donnelly Group, there will be another Launch Day for the 2007 Bush Road Races at the Donnelly Group’s M1 Motorstore at Moy Road, Dungannon. The Donnelly Group, one of the largest car dealerships in the country are delighted to be the main Sponsors of the Bush Road Races for 2007. Mrs. Sheila Gilroy Collins, Group Marketing Manager said that “the Donnelly Group are absolutely delighted to be involved in such an exciting event and would like to wish the Dungannon & District Motorcycle Club every success with the running of the event in 2007 and in many more years to come.” The Launch Day will run from 12:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. On the day you can expect to see planned special guests, riders, signed photos , videos and DVDs of racing and viewing of the circuit. There will also be food and drinks, bouncy castles for the kids, minimoto racing, clowns, face painting, music, and much, much more. Plenty of information about the 2007 Bush Road Races will be there with maps and members of the Dungannon and District Motor Cycle Club will be happy to answer any questions and provide information on the course and the event itself. Bush Road Races merchandise will also be available such as badges, hats, etc. Everyone warmly welcome so come along and enjoy a great day out. More details on the Launch day will be available soon.

Jimmy Moore with DMD Racing for AMA Formula Xtreme Kent, WA Pacific Raceways DMD Racing tests second PROJECT 848 bike and signs Jimmy Moore. Jimmy Moore, #86, will race a DMD PROJECT 848 DUCATI in AMA Formula Xtreme for 2007, focusing on the West Coast events. The team concluded their second test of Privateer Powered PROJECT 848 along with running their second 848 machine on Wednesday, March 21st adding valuable suspension input to their previous test February 3rd & 4th, Fontana, CA where the team debuted the PROJECT 848 FX machine. A little less than two months ago DMD Racing developed and successfully tested the first AMA FX modified DUCATI 848 race bike for the 2007 Formula Xtreme series. With the AMA race season underway and the race at California Speedway approaching rapidly, DMD Racing arrived at Pacific Raceways to test their second 848 on a surprisingly sunny Pacific Northwest practice day. The test proved to be extremely valuable as the team made dramatic improvements with the chassis and suspension, which will prepare them for the opening round of WMRRA racing prior to Fontana. With new teammate, and two-time AMA Superstock Champion Jimmy Moore, the team anticipates exciting results for the Fontana round of the AMA FX Championship. Says Moore, “When this opportunity came up to run something as unique as this, a Ducati with a special motor, I jumped on board right away. The team is fairly new, but very hungry and I am looking forward to helping the project move forward”. Interest in the new bikes was high with local racers and track day enthusiasts curious about the performance of the new machine. For team owner Darren Murrey and DMD Racing, today was yet another big step for a privateer based team in their quest to be a two-pilot AMA FX contender. DMD Racing is now making a strong show of their passion for Ducati as well as national level racing. With the addition of a former AMA champion to their growing roster, which also includes a “Young Guns” program for upcoming talent with James Wadkins and Mario Alvarez II, DMD is now positioned to put their powerhouse team and arsenal of machines to use. The team will be using the competitively proven Rtech racing fuel which left its mark on the Daytona 200 this year and has worked perfectly in the 848 motors since the beginning of the project. The team is also extremely excited to work with the successful combination of Dunlop tires and suspension tuning by KFG/GP Suspension North. DMD Racing is a Pacific Northwest motorcycle road racing team founded in 2005 and participating in WMRRA regional racing and AMA national superbike racing. The team’s commitment to winning and their passion for the sport have made DMD Racing a formidable competitor at any racetrack. Teamwork is at the heart of winning championships and DMD Racing has assembled a team of talented individuals with a common goal of victory. Ducati is the machine of choice with the support and active participation of Eastside MotoSports Ducati of Bellevue, Washington. Eastside MotoSports, Bellevue, WA is not your traditional motorcycle shop, but a group of active enthusiasts dedicated to performance and customer care. Eastside MotoSports carries a broad line of Ducati, Yamaha, and Suzuki motorcycles, as well as a large selection of accessories and a Service Department that is second to none in the Northwest. “Performance is our passion” is their motto and we take that message to the racetrack!

World Supersport and Superbike Championships 2007 Round 3, Donington Park Great Britain European Race Preview 30 March – 1 April 2007 World Supersport Round 3 of 13 SOFUOGLU LEADS SUPERSPORT RIDERS INTO ANOTHER NEW DIMENSION Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) leads the world into the third round of the World Supersport Championship after an astonishingly effective start to the 2007 season. Having won one race and finished second in the other, he now enjoys a seven point lead and further proof of how effective the 2007 CBR600RR has been in its first season of competition comes from the fact that third place in the rankings is occupied by well-known championship challenger Katsuaki Fujiwara (Althea Honda Team CBR600RR). An unlucky and occasionally dramatic start to the season by 2005 and 2006 champion for Honda, Sebastien Charpentier (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR), sees the most successful Supersport rider ever languishing in ninth place at present. The obvious talent and determination that characterised his 2006 championship push are, however, expected to propel him upwards at the very next opportunity. Riding a 2006-specification CBR600RR Lorenzo Alfonsi (Althea Honda Team CBR600RR) will be racing at Donington Park for the first time in any form of competition. His excellent start to his 2007 campaign has nonetheless netted him a top ten race finish already, and he holds tenth in the overall rankings after two rounds. In 2001, the last time Donington was used for a World Supersport event, the very first CBR600RR was still under development, but since its appearance in World Supersport in 2003, all three model variants have been stunningly successful at garnering points and prizes. So much so that CBR600RR riders having won every World Supersport Riders’ Championship since 2003. As a complete novice to Donington Park, Sofuoglu is by no means alone in his inexperience in the Supersport pack heading to England this year, but few are as keen to get down to action as the remarkably talented Turkish rider. “I am so happy with the way things have gone so far and I’d like to thank the team for getting the bike to such a high standard,” said Sofuoglu. “I was so happy to get two podium finishes, but I am trying to look forward to the race ahead because you can’t take anything for granted. I have never ridden at Donington Park before so I can’t wait to get to grips with the circuit.” Charpentier is aware that a good result at Donington has now become a necessity, but he also knows that few will enter the latest fray in such good shape as he and his team. “It’s been a difficult start for me,” admitted Charpentier, “However the team has worked really hard on the development of the new bike so there is no reason why I shouldn’t be back at the top for Donington. I’m more than ready for the next race.” Fujiwara has been a revelation all over again this season, and is happy to go to Donington after a positive recent test at Valencia. “We had a good test in preparation for Donington, and we were able to experiment with the suspension a little bit and that was very useful,” said ‘Kats’. “I have been to Donington three times in the past, on Superbike and Supersport bikes, so I don’t think it will be too difficult to re-learn. The start to our season has been very good so far and I want to make it even better this weekend.” Alfonsi has scored strong points in races so far, in what is his first full Honda season in WSS racing. For Donington, he is equally happy to have tested only a few days before he heads off to England. “Donington is an all-new track for me, but I spoke with some other riders and they say it is not such a difficult track in some parts, tricky in others,” stated the former European Superstock 1000cc champion. “The only thing is the weather but our recent test in Valencia was a good preparation for us and my feeling with the bike was good again.” After the Donington race, Valencia in Spain is the venue for round four on March 15 and Assen takes an unseasonably early slot in the calendar this year, on Sunday April 29. World Superbike Round 3 of 13 TOSELAND THE LEADING LIGHT ON EVE OF DONINGTON EVENT James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) has had his best ever start to a Superbike campaign this year and leads second place rider Max Biaggi by an impressive 16 points, after two wins and two second places. Toseland’s excitement at returning to home tarmac for the first of three British races in the World Superbike championship has been evident after his race two win in Australia was concluded so successfully. He is looking for his first pre-race Superpole win of the 2007 season at Donington, but like many of his peers he will have to spend some time re-learning the track layout before laying down any possible pole-winning times. Roberto Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) is currently just outside the top ten in the championship order, but compared to most of his peers he has great recent experience of Donington, thanks to several year of competition there in 250GPs and then MotoGP. Michel Fabrizio (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR), his team-mate Steve Martin (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) and Joshua Brookes (Alto Evolution Honda CBR1000RR) are ranged out in order behind Rolfo in the championship standings, with Fabrizio 12th overall. Martin, despite being told he would not have a ride at Donington, or for the rest of the year, due to sponsorship issues, will be present in the DFX team until at least round six at Monza, and thus he will have the opportunity to score points at Donington this weekend. Karl Muggeridge (Alto Evolution Honda CBR1000RR) has suffered bad luck recently, but like Brookes found real progress in his machine’s set-up at a recent official test outing in Valencia, and thus returns to a circuit he knows well with hope of good results, and almost free of injury after a big pre-race fall at the previous round in his native Australia. Toseland has drawn confidence not only from his own form but the comments of other riders, with even more world titles than James’s single WSB crown from the 2004 season. “So far, the racing has been spot-on for me,” says an ebullient Toseland. “It’s an honour to be riding with such great competition and to hear the like of Troy Bayliss complimenting me at Phillip Island is very flattering. It’s a great feeling to be heading to Donington as the championship leader I couldn’t ask for a better way to be going into the first home race. I feel fitter than ever and I cannot wait to race in the UK. I’ll give it everything I have to get a win for the fans.” Rolfo now feels ready to move into the upper echelons of his chosen class, after some tough rides since joining his new team. “Although the first two rounds did not go as smoothly as I might have hoped, my aim was to be inside the top ten and that’s where I am,” said Rolfo before heading to England. “I feel more confident on the bike and I know that I can do well at Donington if I get my head down and concentrate on the task. I have ridden at the track before from my days in the 250cc World Championship so I’ll use that to my advantage and hopefully get the top six place we are aiming for.” Despite two retirements so far Fabrizio is still close to a top ten placing and holds memories of 2006’s three podium finishes dear as he enters a track he has limited experience of. “At the moment I am concentrated on the championship and all my personal resources are focused on getting the best results possible,” said Fabrizio. “After the second Australian race I have demonstrated that it is possible for us to get onto the podium again. I know the Donington circuit because I raced there when I was in the 125 GP World Championship. I am sure that my motorcycle and my team are ready for this challenge.” Martin, who was unsure of having a ride until Monday of this week, is now ready to deliver his usual large hit of talent and commitment to the next task in hand. He also thinks Donington will even things out through the field. “Donington is the first track we get to ride this year where the factory teams haven’t tested,” said Steve. “Although my bike is unchanged from Phillip Island I feel it will be easier to be closer to the front as no one will have benefited from any testing there.” For Brookes the most recent test was a real step forward and he hopes Donington will provide an even bigger one in his first year of Honda World Superbike competition. “Valencia was good, and it gave us the chance to look at the main areas of concern for us,” said the former WSS race winner. “The suspension is still not working the way we would like it to, but it’s better than it has ever been. I hope that Donington will see another Superpole qualification, and hopefully a little better result again from Phillip Island. I don’t know the circuit, but I’ve heard it rocks. Maybe the team and I can crack a couple of top tens in the races! We’ll see.” Karl Muggeridge is nearly back to full fitness. “We did a lot of good work at Valencia,” he stated, “and I can’t wait to get down to it at Donington. My foot is nearly healed after by crash in Australia but I can’t say it’s healed enough to let me go running on it just yet. But it should be good for the next race. I haven’t been to Donington for some time, but I have raced there a lot in the past.”