Court of Arbitration for Sport Appeal of MV Agusta & Luca Scassa The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) convened in a hearing on 19 February 2007, in Lausanne (Switzerland) to judge the appeal lodged by MV Agusta Motors and the Italian rider Luca Scassa against the decision of the FIM Stewards. Scassa had won the Superstock FIM Cup race in Imola on 1st October 2006. Then he was disqualified by the Race Direction for non-respect of Art. 2.7.11 of the Regulations, following the report of the FIM Technical Director. The decision was confirmed in appeal by the FIM Stewards. The CAS communicated its decision last Tuesday. The FIM Stewards’ Panel decision of 1st October is cancelled. Mr Luca Scassa must be restored in his place as winner of the event in Imola, and thus in the Superstock FIM Cup classification of 2006 (see below complete classifications and decision on the website). The decision of the CAS is final. Imola, Superstock 1000 FIM Cup, race results: 1. Luca Scassa (ITA-MV Agusta); 2. Brendan Roberts (AUS-Suzuki); 3. Alessandro Polita (ITA-Suzuki); 4. Claudio Corti (ITA-Yamaha); 5. Ayrton Badovini (ITA-MV Agusta); 6. Matteo Baiocco (ITA-Yamaha); 7. Loic Napoleone (FRA-Suzuki); 8. Roberto Lunadei (ITA-Yamaha); 9. Danilo Dell’Omo (ITA-Suzuki); 10. Leonardo Biliotti (ITA-MV Agusta)”¦ 2006 Superstock FIM Cup: 1. Alessandro Polita, 173 points; 2. Claudio Corti, 153; 3. Luca Scassa, 143; 4. Ayrton Badovini, 120; 5. Matteo Baiocco, 86; 6. Brendan Roberts, 82; 7. Enrique Rocamora, 77; 8. Riccardo Chiarello (ITA-Kawasaki), 57; 9.Loic Napoleone, 57″¦ Manufacturers: 1. Suzuki, 204 points; 2. MV Agusta, 178; 3. Yamaha, 171; 4. Kawasaki, 103; 5. Honda, 55.

Ilmor GP Team Principal Mario Illien today announced that the team will not be attending the second round of the MotoGP World Championship next week in Jerez. The teams’ race attendance has been suspended for the immediate future however engine development will continue and Illien expects for the team to return to the MotoGP racing scene as soon as key financial partners have been secured. At this early stage in the project, racing and developing the engine and chassis has proved extremely costly for Ilmor’s owners. Since the team launched last year in Estoril at the penultimate round of the MotoGP Championship good progress has been made but further development is needed to become fully competitive on track. Commenting on the announcement Ilmor GP Team Principal and Part Owner of Ilmor Engineering Mario Illien said: “We discussed the situation in great detail internally and obviously it was an extremely difficult decision for us to make. However once we went through all the options, we decided that the best course of action for the sake of the project as a whole would be to put the racing side of things on hold and continue developing. “I would like to thank Dorna, IRTA, FIM and our technical partners and suppliers for their on-going support and patience during this time. My heart is still very much in the team we have had fantastic support from the public and the media with some great coverage worldwide. I would also like to say how enormously proud I am of what we managed to achieve in a short space of time we have a good group of people who have worked incredibly hard over the past few months. Both riders, Jeremy McWilliams and Andrew Pitt have given their best during a difficult development time I couldn’t have asked for more than that. “We have important meetings and discussions over the next few weeks which will help us to establish the future of the project and team I am determined to explore all opportunities available to us and I’m hopeful that there will be a positive outcome.”

COMPETITION LEAVES DAYTONA GREEN WITH ENVY Randy Robison, President of Robison’s Inc., owner of the Joe Rocket motorcycle apparel brand is thrilled to extend a hearty “congratulations” to the Rocket Racers who performed exceptionally during Bike Week’s 2007 road race events. While Bike Week revelers, race fans, and Rocket Nation enthusiasts roll home, toward their varied destinations throughout North America, there are likely very few who feel as good leaving Daytona Beach as two select riders of the Rocket Racing Team. Steve Rapp, an Attack Kawasaki pilot and native to Manhattan Beach, Ca. rode his Kawasaki ZX-6R to victorious glory in the 60th running of the Daytona 200 by Honda. When the starter’s light went green, Rapp found himself locked in a vicious dogfight with Daytona legend and fellow Rocket Racer Miguel Duhamel. Jake Zemke and Emgo Suzuki’s Michael Barnes were also involved, doing the drafting dance, each hell-bent on breaking away from the pack to blaze a trail up front; alone. It was on lap 23 that Rapp finally broke free from his entangled pursuers. With the Attack Kawasaki crew executing lightning fast pit-stops, Rapp was able to increase his lead with every lap until the checkered flag triumphantly waved for him as he crossed the finish line after 200 grueling miles. This is a self proclaimed “dream come true” for Rapp and race fans around the globe are excited to see the genuinely admirable, hard charging veteran win the Daytona 200 for the first time in his illustrious career. Indulging in the spoils of victory at Daytona for the 2nd time in his career was Roger Lee Hayden after winning a bar banging battle with Kawasaki USA teammate and fellow Rocket Racer Jamie Hacking. Thrilling fans with their aggressive racing, Hayden and Hacking left the others in the dust while the two of them seemed to get faster and more daring with every lap. In the end, Roger Lee made it to the checkers first. This marks his 2nd consecutive SuperSport victory at Daytona International Speedway. Look for the Rocket Racing Team when they return to action at Barber Motorsports Park, April 20-22, 2007. More, from a press release issued by AGV: Top ’07 Daytona 200 Podium Daytona Beach FL – An AGV helmet coming across the finish line first in a major motorcycle road race? No big deal. Happens all the time. Except it’s usually the melone of Valentino Rossi under that helmet. This time, in a shocker, the wearer was 35-year-old veteran Steve Rapp, whose cool AGV TiTech Evolution-shod head was certainly a factor in his upset win at the 2007 Daytona 200. As his surprise victory became imminent, “I backed off so much on the last few laps,” reported Rapp after the race. His conservative approach at the end of the race paid off, as he piloted his No. 15 Attack Kawasaki ZX-6R to first place by almost 22 seconds over teammate Ben Attard. Winning a big one may be a rare treat for Rapp, but it’s been standard fare for the AGV camp for 60 years. From Agostini to Sheene to Roberts to Rossi, AGV continues to earn its legendary status as the lid of champions. “This year was a big change for me,” said Rapp, who just moved over to the Attack Performance Kawasaki team and also began wearing the AGV TiTech thanks to the late Marcel Fortney, who until his recent passing handled AGV’s U.S. marketing and was a strong Rapp supporter. “I’m glad to reward (my sponsors) with the first big win of the year,” continued Rapp after his huge upset at Daytona. “It’s unbelievable. This is the biggest day of my life!” More, from a press release issued by R-Tech: R-TECH FUELS ATTACK KAWASAKI’S STEVE RAPP TO DAYTONA 200 WIN Attack Kawasaki rider Steve Rapp took his R-Tech Racing Fuels powered ZX-6R to dominating victory in the Daytona 200. The Daytona 200 was the first race that matched Attack Kawasaki with R-Tech’s latest generation of racing fuels. “I can not get over how excited I am for Attack Racing and riders Steve Rapp and Ben Attard. I have always admired the work ethic and performance of Richard Stanboli and the Attack Racing crew. This is our first season to work with them and what a way to start,” said Gary Ricci owner of R-Tech Racing Fuels. “I’m delighted that the benefits the team realized in off season testing of the AMA legal Pro v.1 fuel assisted in the results of the Daytona 200.” This was a first time win on a number of fronts, the first 200 victory for a ZX-6R, the first time an R-Tech fueled bike won the Daytona 200, and it was Rapp’s first win with his new team. “The bike was fast, the tires were good, and the team pulled out some great pit stops,” said Rapp. “To win at Daytona, that’s what you need. It feels great to not only win, but to be able to reward your team for the time they invest in you. You need sponsors like R-Tech to get on the top step, they really came through for the team.” Rapp’s teammate Ben Attard finished a close second with an impressive performance, giving R-tech and Kawasaki their first ever one two finish in the Daytona 200. In a race where fuel consumption and dependability is at the core or any team’s race strategy Attack Performance owner and team manager Richard Stanboli added, “Our mileage was spot on and our bikes were fast! We were able to run the R-Tech fuel leaner and save mileage compared to the guys that used the other fuels. Furthermore, the fuel has been really easy on our engines and fuel pumps. This is what we needed to win an extended race like the Daytona 200.” To locate an R-Tech reseller near you head over to http://www.r- techracingfuel.com More, from a press release issued by Pro-Line/Team Embry: Pro-Line/Embry Team has excellent debut at Daytona Key Personnel in key positions helped the entire Pro-Line/Embry supported Team Cyclespace.com racing succeed at Daytona International Speedway last week. Exceptional finishes at all levels made for an exciting first round. Clint McBain finished 11th in AMA’s Superstock race aboard his 2007 GSX-R 1000 after starting 20th. In the 66th running of the Daytona 200 by Arai Keith Marshall finished 13th after starting 23rd! Skip Salenius finished 22nd after starting back in 52nd. Everyone who knows racing knows Daytona comes up quick. Pro-Line Race Prep’s Vinnie Devita worked for weeks straight prepping the team’s motorcycles; between working with sponsors, team transporter maintenance, and the motor building and bike preparation process it was a dauniting task. But the at track crew help from team technicians Jerry, Robbie, Yamin, and Bill along with riders Keith Marshall and Skip Salenius, the whole team chipped in and delivered stunning results. Qualifying proved difficult for all, especially Canadian Clint McBain as his new GSX-R 1000 came together with growing pains on the racetrack. The new machine blew out a counter shaft seal dumping the oil onto the rear wheel. Luckily Clint managed to get the bike safely off the course and was not hurt during this mishap. Vinnie Devita went to work quickly and managed to repair the motorcycle just in time for Clint’s Superstock Qualifying effort. In his first trip to Daytona and with limited track time Clint still put in a great run to qualify for the Superstock race. Keith Marshall showed quick practice lap times to put him qualifying with the AMA front runners, this was the first goal he had for the weekend, his second was to qualify toward the front of the pack, running his quickest lap times to day Marshall got it right and at the end of the timed session was sitting on the 6th row in 23rd for the Daytona 200! Team Crew Chief Vinnie Devita discussed the weekend: “We really had a short week here, by having to leave to equipment every night and with the late release of the 2007 GSX-R1000 it really put us behind; but we came out of Daytona on top. Strong finishes by each rider shows how the Pro-Line package really does work. The Cyclespace.com guys, Mike Embry, and ALL of our amazing product sponsors really have given me the help to run a great team here. I am just so thrilled with how this entire weekend played out” In the AMA Superstock race on Thursday Clint McBain got a great jump of the line and by the end of the first lap Clint managed to get by a few people quickly. He held his own throughout the 18 lap battle, smart decisions, quick lap times, and hard work put Clint towards the front finishing in 11th place in his first trip to the famed high banks of Daytona International Speedway. The Daytona 200 sponsored by Arai proved to be the best Daytona yet for 3rd year Pro Keith Marshall. With a promising qualifying position Marshall was determined to finish inside the top 20 for the prestigious 68 lap 2 & ½ hour race. Marshall got a good start off the line and stayed very consistent for the first 1/3 of the race, staying in a pack with Hooters Suzuki sponsored rider Crozier and the two Safety first Suzuki sponsored riders before pitting for fuel on lap 21. After the pit stop the laps clicked by, at lap 41 Marshall thought about his next pit stop: “Our strategy was to go about 20-21 laps per tank of fuel, when my gas light wasn’t on at lap 41 I got excited thinking if I could just stay out 4 or 5 more laps I could make it on only 2 fuel stops! Well right when I thought that the gas light came on, so I went two laps and it changed from flashing to steady, I went one more lap and pitted on lap 45. I knew that was exactly what I needed!” Indeed, Team Cyclespace.com had a flawless pit stop, completely filling the fuel tank and slamming in a new rear tire as Marshall took in some fluids, and was storming out of the pits quickly. Crew Chief Vinnie Devita was just beginning to prep for the next fuel stop when he learned that Marshall said he is not coming in for another fuel stop! What a change in plans, but Devita knew with the gas mileage they had just received they should be able to make it to the end. Marshall’s calculation was right and by lap 67 he had worked his way up to 14th. He saw a rider in front of him as he took the white flag lap and showed what it takes to be a winner as he moved in closely on the brakes. On his 67 lap Pirelli front tire he managed to close in and run his fastest infield segment 2 lap split of the entire race! As he put a pass on the rider in turn 4 and moved up to 13th overall. Followed with a great run the final time out of the chicane Marshall was able to hold onto 13th in a dramatic last lap pass. Marshall discusses his Daytona 200 experience: “What a race, what a team, what a crew! I am just so thrilled to put my Cyclespace.com Pro-Line/Embry sponsored bike this far up front in a race like this, I mean that last lap pass just shows the quality of the Pirelli tires!. I trained so hard in the off season for this, working with my trainer Charlie Morris; owner of Charlie Morris Fitness, I was never tired on the bike all day, which is just what I needed. We built the motor to last the weekend so we knew we would sacrifice on the banking, but the crew did such a good job prepping this bike, I cant say enough about the crew and crew chief Vinnie Devita, the pit stops could not have gone better for both Skip and myself. This is a great Team to be with, Clint makes the pits so enjoyable and I learn more every day having him around. Skip has such a love of the sport it helps remind me exactly why we are all here. We are making it more and more fun every day”¦ And the results are there, I know they will improve every weekend!” Skip Salenius had a difficult time in qualifying but that showed no problem for the Roswell, GA rider as he moved up 30 positions in the 68 lap race. Skip kept his focus and showed determination as he slowly worked his way through traffic, stayed out of trouble, had great pit-stops and steadily moved to 22nd place at the conclusion of the Daytona 200! Salenius commented on the race: “First of all, I want to thank my team. Vinnie from Pro-line and his helpers, the guys from cyclespace.com, Mike Embry and my close friend Joseph Buffa. None of this could’ve happened without their help. I have waited 20 years to do this race; on my checklist of things to accomplish in my life, this is right there at the top. I can finally check it off, to finish 22nd is just icing on the cake for me. It was big to me just to finish the race. The last time i sat on a bike was here at the R.O.C. in October, I left the track with 7 broken bones. I needed to beat that track(daytona) for myself. I just hope to build on my finish from this past weekend and carry that momentum throughout the rest of the season. I’m glad the season is underway. It’s time to play! Team Cyclespace.com Racing will be in Savannah, GA for Round 1 of the WERA National Challenge Series Friday March 16th through Sunday March 18th. More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson: HARLEY-DAVIDSON FUNDRAISING EFFORTS RAISED $150,000 FOR MDA DURING DAYTONA BIKE WEEK MILWAUKEE — Harley-Davidson’s fundraising efforts for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) raised more than $150,000 during 2007 Bike Week at Daytona Beach, Fla. Harley-Davidson employees, MDA organizers and event volunteers participated in various activities to raise dollars during the event March 3-10. Harley-Davidson sponsored activities for MDA at Bike Week included the “Bankers Auction” hosted by Harley-Davidson, Inc. Chief Executive Officer Jim Ziemer and Vice President and Treasurer Jim Brostowitz, the Willie G. Davidson pledge ride to Daytona, the Harley-Davidson Ride-in Show and MDA public auction held at the Daytona Beach Ocean Center. Harley-Davidson and MDA volunteers also sold event pins and raffle tickets for a 2007 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy® Motorcycle customized by Willie G. Davidson with special Daytona graphics. As an added feature the motorcycle was fully accessorized with Genuine Motor Accessories™ installed by Harley-Davidson technicians on the Daytona show floor. Jimmie Gore of Pleasantville, LA won this one of a kind motorcycle. Harley-Davidson has been a national sponsor of the Muscular Dystrophy Association since 1980 and the family of dealers, riders, suppliers and employees has raised more than $60 million for MDA. The funds raised support life-saving research, comprehensive medical care for children and adults with neuromuscular disease and MDA summer camps.

FINAL DEVELOPMENT TESTS FOR THE DUCATI HYPERMOTARD Bologna Development of the Ducati Hypermotard, which is to be launched in Ducati Stores all over the world from this May, is continuing with great success. As announced in Milan during EICMA 2006, production of the motorcycle will begin during the next few months and final tests confirm that everything is progressing as scheduled. The Hypermotard has generated enormous interest all over the world and Ducati is now channelling significant resources into this exciting new motorcycle so as to meet all expectations and fully satisfy the ‘Ducatisti’ eagerly awaiting its arrival. In recent days a series of tests have been carried out at the Mores circuit in Sardinia by Vittoriano Guareschi, the official Ducati MotoGP Team test rider. His testing of pre-series prototypes has contributed greatly to the final set-up of the machine. “The bike is fantastic!” Commented Guareschi immediately after a track session. “It’s so much fun to ride that you lose all track of time, you never want to get off it. These tests have allowed us to define the set-up and make a few final modifications before going into production. Everything is on schedule and things really couldn’t be better. I reckon the Hypermotard is the bike that was missing and I’m sure it’ll be a great success. I’ve had a great time today, knee on the ground at every corner. The bike’s just perfect, well balanced, smooth and, above all, a true Ducati.”

American Honda Daytona 200 Press Release Torrance, CA: In the 2007 Daytona 200 by Honda event, the CBR600RR machines fielded by American Honda and Erion Racing all suffered fuel related problems that affected the outcome of the race. American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel, Jake Zemke, and Erion Racing’s Aaron Gobert, all dropped out of the race. Erion’s Josh Hayes, the reigning AMA Formula Xtreme champion, following a premature pit stop, was able to finish in sixth place after similar issues dropped him from the lead pack of riders. All four CBR600RRs had sufficient fuel in their tanks when they encountered problems during the race. The four machines all featured the same aftermarket quick-fill refueling dry-break system. Post-race evaluation of the bikes by American Honda has traced the fuel starvation problem to an apparent venting issue associated with the quick-fill dry-break fuel tank systems. There were no mechanical failures with any of the four machines. The CBR600RR of Duhamel, Zemke, Gobert and Hayes were the only CBR600RRs that suffered fuel starvation problems at Daytona, and they were the only bikes running this dry-break system. The other 14 CBR600RR machines entered in the Daytona 200 and Supersport class that did not use this dry-break system””including the Erion Honda CBR600RR Supersport bikes of Hayes and Gobert””did not experience any problems. American Honda would like to thank its sponsors and the Daytona organization for another successful Daytona event, and look forward to a season of close AMA road racing, commencing once again at the Honda Superbike Classic, April 20-22 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

Jennings GP in Florida will host its first bi-annual Woman’s Only Trackday along with Turn One Performance on Saturday April 14th, 2007. The track will be open from 9 am to 5 pm. There will be three group sessions with a maximum of 35 riders per group. Control Riders and Instructors will be provided with classroom sessions all day. Gear rentals will be available for first time riders. The track will also provide free camping and electricity. Trackside photography and a full service track shop for this event as well as a concession stand. Riders are welcome to stay for Sundays ride hosted by Turn One Performance by contacting John Cohorn at 850-636-0539. For further information please call Jennings GP at 386-938-1110 or emailing Jennifer Reese at [email protected].

Foremost Insurance Announces Partnership with LoJack Corporation to Combat Motorcycle Theft (Grand Rapids, MI) The country’s leading specialty insurer announced a new business partnership with a premier wireless recovery system provider for mobile assets. Foremost Insurance Company headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI and the LoJack Corporation of Westwood, MA will work together to provide Foremost motorcycle insurance policyholders with a proven vehicle recovery system. “We know as an insurance company that our customers make significant investments in their bikes. And as responsible riders our customers also take care of those investments,” says Brian Otolski, Director of Product Management, Foremost. “Recovering a stolen bike quickly, sometimes within hours, keeps our customers on the road and reduces theft loss costs which benefit everyone. Foremost is rolling out a countrywide deductible waiver of up to $500 for any of our customers with a LoJack system if their bike is stolen or damaged in a covered theft loss. It’s a unique benefit that our customers should expect from an industry leader,” says Otolski. Foremost Insurance serves 2.5 million customers countrywide and is the AARP Endorsed Provider for motorcycle insurance. In addition to a motorcycle program, Foremost’s product line includes coverage for mobile homes, landlord properties, motor homes, travel trailers, snowmobiles, off-road vehicles, boats, personal watercraft and collectible autos. LoJack Corporation, the company that invented the stolen vehicle recovery market, leverages its superior technology, direct connection with law enforcement and proven processes to be the undisputed global leader in tracking and recovering valuable mobile assets. The company’s Stolen Vehicle Recovery System delivers a better than 90 percent success rate in tracking and recovering stolen vehicles and has helped recover more than $3 billion in global assets. The system is uniquely integrated into law enforcement agencies in the United States that use LoJack’s in-vehicle tracking equipment to recover stolen assets, including cars, trucks, commercial vehicles, construction equipment and motorcycles. Today LoJack operates in 26 states and the District of Columbia, and in more than 28 countries throughout Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia. For more information about Foremost’s product line, visit www.foremost.com. For more information on LoJack systems, or where to find a dealer near you, visit www.lojack.com.

Enjoy the AMA Suzuki Superbike Weekend In Style with California Cycle Club SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. (March 14, 2007)– California Speedway invites race fans to enjoy the upcoming AMA Suzuki Superbike Challenge weekend (April 27- April 29) in style with the California Cycle Club package. This incredible package offers exclusive member benefits and is the ultimate way for businesses and race fans to experience all of the exciting two-wheeled racing action. “Cycle Club is a convenient, easy way to experience the sights, sounds and energy of the Suzuki Superbike Challenge,” stated Vice President of Corporate Sales and Marketing, Dave Allen. “Cycle Club is a ‘turn-key’ hospitality opportunity for your clients, employees or just friends and family.” Celebrating its sixth year, the California Cycle Club will offer its patrons many exclusive benefits, including access to a luxury Terrace Suite, which includes outdoor viewing from a Terrace Rooftop. Cycle Club also includes viewing from the Skybox (above the NASCAR grandstands) with outdoor stadium seats for a birds eye view of the entire race course, access to the pit area, paddock and garage, and a ticket for the Fan Rider Parade Lap. Cycle Club members will also enjoy a light continental breakfast and picnic style lunch, beverages and a cash bar. Members will receive VIP infield paddock motorcycle parking or vehicle parking outside the oval with limited shuttle services. The weekend (Saturday and Sunday) California Cycle Club package also includes a souvenir program and access to closed circuit televisions inside Suites and Skyboxes. Club hours will be from admission gates opening times until one hour after races on Saturday and Sunday. The Package starts at $125 per adult for either Saturday’s or Sunday’s races ($15 for children 12 and under) and $225 per adult for both Saturday and Sunday ($25 for children 12 and under). Come be a part of the Suzuki Superbike Challenge weekend at California Speedway. To purchase California Speedway Cycle Club packages call 800-944-RACE [7223]or log on to racetickets.com or www.californiaspeedway.com.

Bridgestone MotoGP: Qatar GP Debrief Q+A with Hiroshi Yamada Bridgestone Motorsport Manager Motorcycle Sport Wednesday 14 March 2007 Bridgestone Motorsport’s 2007 MotoGP championship got off to a positive start at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar last weekend as Ducati’s Casey Stoner secured his first ever MotoGP victory on his race debut with the Ducati-Bridgestone package. Further acknowledging the performance of the Bridgestone tyres in Qatar, Suzuki duo John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen finished in fourth and seventh place respectively, while Marco Melandri scored a fine fifth place result in his maiden race on Bridgestone tyres for Honda Gresini. How confident were you of the Bridgestone tyre performance in Qatar? “Qatar was one of a handful of circuits where our tyres have struggled for consistency and competitiveness in the past. Although Loris Capirossi finished in third place on the podium last year, the characteristics of the track have often caused us some durability issues, so we set out to improve the situation through a detailed test programme at the Qatar test in February. We noticed that there had been improvements to the grip levels at the circuit compared to last year, which in turn seemed to benefit our new generation tyres. We left the test in a positive frame of mind, but the level of competition is so high in MotoGP, race wins are never easy to come by.” Were you able to draw any conclusions from Thursday’s two practice sessions? “The biggest advantage we saw from running on Thursday was that there were no major issues with tyre performance. That allowed our teams to get straight on setting up the bikes without changing the tyre variable. The new regulations restricting riders to just 17 rear tyres and 14 front tyres over the weekend perhaps made teams a bit more cautious with tyre use. In both sessions, most riders used only one set of tyres and the lap times were still quite respectable. With more than a race distance on the same tyre, we could see that the durability trouble that we have seen in the past had been greatly reduced. I think by focussing on bike set-up, the teams were in good shape by Friday.” The first time with the new tyre restrictions, how were the 31 tyres decided with the teams? “Based on the results from the test, we already had a good idea of our teams’ preferences heading into the weekend. On the set-up day of each GP, our technical staff had a detailed tyre briefing with all teams to finalise the plan for the weekend. In Qatar, we knew that we would offer a medium and a hard spec to all of our teams and suggested that each rider had enough tyres available for two qualifying runs. There were some individual adjustments to the allocation, for example Randy de Puniet opted for three qualifying tyres, while Toni Elias asked for softer front and hard specs to fit with his riding style. Tyre allocation is ultimately the teams’ decision to make based on our advice.” After winter testing, were you satisfied with Bridgestone’s range of qualifying tyres in Qatar? “Development of qualifying tyres is something that we have been working on a lot over the winter and we could definitely notice the improvements in Qatar. The four manufacturers which we supply this year Ducati, Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki all had one of its bikes in the top eight on the grid with some very strong performances from Casey and Toni especially. It was also particularly pleasing to see that the top Honda bike (Elias) was on Bridgestone tyres.” And the race itself? “Casey showed himself to be a real contender this season with a controlled and mature victory, fending off pressure from Valentino throughout the race. From a tyre point of view, we were generally pleased with the durability of the tyres and the competitiveness which they showed in race trim. Casey set the fastest lap of the race on the final lap, a 1m56.528s, which was the fastest time he had set on race tyres over the entire weekend, while John Hopkins’ and Marco Melandri’s end results reflected their overall competitiveness. We took particular satisfaction from the year-on-year improvements made at Qatar, which became the sixth track on this year’s calendar where a rider on Bridgestone tyres has taken victory (after previous success in Jerez, Brno, Motegi, Sepang and Valencia)” Was the post-GP test productive for Bridgestone? “We had planned quite an extensive tyre test in Qatar with some of our teams on Sunday in preparation for the forthcoming GPs, but heavy wind prevented us from completing most of the programme. Our riders reported that although there was a lot of sand blowing on to the track, that the grip level was okay, it was just too difficult to ride. We were able to acquire some useful information for compound development in the morning, but the remaining test items will be carried out in the post-Jerez GP test, including further work on qualifying tyres.”

WERA Motorcycle Roadracing with AMA Co-Sanction will host Round #1 at the newly repaved Roebling Road Raceway in Faulkville, GA March 17th and 18th. Saturday will see the 4 Hour Bridgestone/WERA National Endurance take the track with 2006 Champions Vesrah Suzuki defending their title. The Bridgestone/WERA National Endurance Series has five classes including Heavyweight Superbike, Heavyweight Superstock, Mediumweight Superbike, Mediumweight Superstock and Lightweight Superbike. The Michelin/WERA National Challenge Series will take the track on Sunday with Sprint racing starting at noon. Riders entered so far include, Robbie Jensen, Dane Westby, Cyclespace.com riders Keith Marshall, Clint McBain and Skip Salenius, Vesrah riders, Mark Junge, Tray Batey, Chris Ulrich, Lee Acree and John Jacobi. The young guns will also be showing their talents riders like the Sassaman brothers, Payton and Brett, Tommy Aquino, Miles Thornton, Corey Rech and Ethan Ellis. WERA Motorcycle Roadracing has established itself as the proving ground for upcoming road racing talent and with the new Co-Sanction by AMA Racing the natural path to World Championships has been made easier for riders aspiring to take their abilities to the next level and beyond. For further information contact WERA at (770) 720-5010.