2007 AMA SUPERSTOCK SERIES HARD TO PREDICT Spies pre-season favorite, but Yates and Bostrom set to challenge PICKERINGTON, Ohio (March 5, 2007) The opening round of the 2007 AMA Superstock Series, on Thursday, March 8 at Daytona International Speedway, will go a long way in helping to figure out which riders and teams will step up to be leading contenders for the title. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies seems the obvious choice as the pre-season favorite, but a number of other riders are likely to put even more focus on the class than Spies will. Riders such as Ben Bostrom, Aaron Yates and Geoff May, to name a few, could easily pull ahead of the pack in this wide open class. With reigning series champion Jamie Hacking vacating his title to focus on the Superbike class, a new champion will be crowned this year. Spies thinks the factory Yoshimura Suzuki is so strong that it should make things much easier for him than the other riders in the series. “My goal is to win two championships this year. I don’t see any reason why it can’t happen,” Spies confidently said. “Our Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superstock bike is so good that we should have a good chance to win every time out. The bike is going to have to be good out of the truck because with so much emphasis on Superbike we won’t have a lot of time to dial it in on race weekends.” Spies has plenty of incentive, especially at Daytona. “Daytona and Road America are the two tracks where I haven’t won,” Spies explained. “I’m really going to be focused to get a win at Daytona this year. That being said, you can’t win the championship there, but you can definitely lose it so it’s important to come out of there with the maximum amount of points possible. We should have the bike to win, so it’s up to me to get out there and make it happen.” Chief among the riders who have a great deal of motivation to do well in the class this year is Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki’s new rider Aaron Yates. Yates lost his ride with Yoshimura Suzuki at the end of last year and he’s not only looking to prove a point, but he wants to bring Jordan Suzuki much deserved success. “We’ve had some great results in testing and I think I have a good shot at winning back this title,” said Yates, who won this championship in 2005 and 1996 and is the only former Daytona Superstock winner in the field. “I definitely want to bring the spotlight to the Jordan team. These guys have worked hard to build a team that’s up there with the factories and it would be nice to be the rider to give them the success they’ve been looking for.” Yates is trying to become only the third rider to win three AMA Superstock titles. Scott Russell and Tom Kipp both won the series three times back when it was the 750 Supersport class. Yates also points to his teammate Jake Holden as a rider he sees as a top contender in Superstock. “I think Jake may surprise some people,” Yates said of Holden. Geoff May is expected to be another leading competitor in the series riding a potent M4 EMGO Suzuki. That team has had a great deal of success in the season opener in years past with riders like Vincent Haskovec, John Hopkins and Josh Hayes earning first round victories at Daytona. May is a former AMA Superbike Rookie of the Year. Matsushima Performance Suzuki’s Danny Eslick is stepping up to the Superstock class this year after spending most of his time on 600cc machine in the last few seasons. The Oklahoman is considered one of the top up-and-coming riders in all of AMA road racing. Trying to hold off the Suzuki hoard in Superstock will be Graves Yamaha’s Ben Bostrom. Bostrom may be the most experienced rider in the field having been a former AMA Superbike Champion and a star in World Superbike. Signing with Yamaha to compete in the Superstock class and become a teammate to his brother was an easy decision for Ben Bostrom. “The only other option was to go to Europe and I really wanted to ride here especially with my brother,” Ben Bostrom said. “This was the best seat available and I feel fortunate to be on it.” Other top riders such as Roadracingworld.com Suzuki’s Chris Ulrich, a two-time Superstock national race winner, John Haner, on the Millenium Tech/KWS Motorsports Suzuki, and Suzuki Canada’s Pascal Picotte, could also be factors in the Daytona opener. The race will be televised live nationally on SPEED, Thursday March 8. The AMA Superstock race is the first road race final at Daytona this year. The green flag is scheduled to fly at 3:50 pm Thursday afternoon. Tickets for this and other Bike Week races at Daytona can be purchased at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com. About AMA Racing AMA Racing is the competition arm of the American Motorcyclist Association and is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its professional properties include the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship, the AMA Supermoto Championship and the AMA Pro ATV Championship. In amateur and pro-am competition, AMA Racing sanctions over 4000 events in 24 different disciplines and supports over 110 thousand active members. For more information about professional racing, visit www.amaproracing.com.

Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar – Monday 5th March Preview The wait is finally over for MotoGP participants and fans alike. Just four months on from the final race of a thrilling 2006 season, the MotoGP World Championship returns for 18 rounds of breathtaking action, starting this weekend at the Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar. The preseason has been one of the busiest to date, as all involved in the MotoGP class have had to adapt to new 800cc bikes brought in this season. On track since the morning after the Valencian race, and only pausing for an enforced six-week testing ban, both riders and machines have come on leaps and bounds since their early developmental stage. The Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar will be the first chance to see an all-800cc grid go tooth and nail in a race setting, but early indications point to an extremely competitive playing field in MotoGP. World Champion Nicky Hayden will be looking to start his title defence with a bang at a track where he finished second last year. His latest visit to the Losail International Circuit saw him crashing twice in testing and concluding the test low down on the timesheets, and this is sure to provide the already motivated ‘Kentucky Kid’ with added incentive to push for victory and answer the critics. He will have a tough task ahead of him though, as he tries to beat 2006 runner-up and five-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi at a circuit where the Italian has quite a pedigree. ‘The Doctor’ has won the last two visits to Losail, and is renowned for starting the season well. Last year’s opening Grand Prix at Jerez was the first time since 2000 that he had failed to win the opening race of the campaign, and recent Official Test performances at Qatar and Jerez- where he took the BMW M Award for the fastest lap in a 40-minute timed session show that both he and the Yamaha M1 are shaping up well for 2007. Second at the timed shootout, and fastest last time out in testing at Qatar, Dani Pedrosa is also one of the form riders of the moment. The Spaniard’s 250cc experience seems to be a perfect compliment to the riding style required by the Honda RC212V, and Pedrosa’s recent results and impressive debut season make him a serious title contender this year. Other riders and teams to shine during preseason include Colin Edwards, a regular at the business end of the timesheets over the past few months, Honda satellite rider Marco Melandri and the Suzuki duo of Chris Vermeulen and John Hopkins. The latter will be making his return to the track where last year he suffered mechanical failure in the race, and which in turn gave him a huge highside at last month’s Official Test, causing injuries which ruled him out of the final preseason test. Changing teams for 2007 are last season’s Qatar pole position man Casey Stoner (Ducati), Makoto Tamada (Yamaha), Carlos Checa (Honda) and Shinya Nakano (Honda), whilst there are MotoGP returns for veterans Alex Barros (Ducati), Jeremy McWilliams (Ilmor), Andrew Pitt (Ilmor) and Olivier Jacque (Kawasaki). After last year’s influx of young talent, only one newcomer, Yamaha satellite rider Sylvain Guintoli, undertakes his rookie season this year. 250cc In 250cc, reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo returns to the scene of his 2006 victory with a number of riders aiming to knock him off his pedestal. Old rivals Andrea Dovizioso and Alex de Angelis have the Spaniard in their sights, alongside other impressive quarter-litre contenders such as Hiroshi Aoyama, Hector Barbera and Roberto Locatelli. This season sees an invasion of 125cc standouts in the class, with World Champions Alvaro Bautista and Thomas Lüthi, alongside twice runner-up Mika Kallio and Spanish talent Julian Simon, taking the next step up on the world stage to challenge for the top spots. 125cc With the exodus of last year’s frontrunners, the 125cc category will also be an extremely closely fought championship this year. Hector Faubel, Mattia Pasini, Sergio Gadea and Gabor Talmacsi lead the Aprilia charge, but should be pushed for glory by the likes of Derbi’s Czech standout Lukas Pesek and KTM’s Tomoyoshi Koyama. The official Honda team continue to put their efforts behind British youngster Bradley Smith, this year teaming him up with young Spanish hope Esteve Rabat. Circuit info The Losail International Circuit lies on the outskirts of Doha, the capital city of Qatar. Built in little over a year, the track cost $58 million and required round-the-clock dedication from almost 1,000 workers in order to get it ready for the inaugural event on October 2nd 2004. The track itself is a flowing layout of 5.4 kilometres, surrounded by artificial grass designed to prevent sand from the neighbouring desert from blowing onto the circuit. The main straight is over a kilometre in length and there is a good mix of medium and high-speed corners, including a couple of quick left-handers which have proved particularly popular with the riders.

Yamaha Factory Team racers ready for 800cc opener Yamaha Factory Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards begin their assault on the 2007 MotoGP World Championship next weekend as the most eagerly anticipated season in recent history finally fires up in Qatar. Saturday’s race is the first of eighteen mouth-watering events across thirteen countries and four continents that will decide the destiny of the most coveted prize in motorcycle racing. For the first time since the turn of the millennium, Rossi starts out as a challenger to the throne. After finally conceding his title to Nicky Hayden (Honda) in a dramatic last chapter to the 2006 campaign at Valencia in November, the ever-popular Italian has worked tirelessly alongside his engineers on development of Yamaha’s all-new YZR-M1, which features an 800cc capacity engine in accordance with new technical regulations. The revised rulebook also stipulates a reduced fuel capacity of 21 litres and a maximum of 31 tyres (14 front and 17 rear) per rider during a race weekend, piling extra pressure on the teams and adding even more intrigue for the fans as the season gets underway. Rossi’s hopes of a winning start are substantiated by two victories from three previous visits to the Losail International Circuit since its inauguration in 2004. His confidence has been further boosted by an outstanding performance in the final pre-season test at Jerez, where he set the fastest lap in a televised 40-minute ‘qualifying’ session and capped an excellent winter of development work that has taken in seventeen days of hard graft at circuits in Spain, Malaysia and Qatar. The equally diligent work of Rossi’s dependable team-mate Colin Edwards, who was close behind Rossi in third during last week’s ‘qualifying’ session, has contributed greatly to the swift evolution of the 800cc version YZR-M1 and the pair are now bursting to go racing. The ‘Texan Tornado’ is promising to whip up a storm in the desert and maintain a strong front throughout the year, as he looks to capitalise on a pre-season that has seen him side-by-side with Rossi at the top end of the time sheets at virtually every circuit they have visited. Bike set-up at the Losail International Circuit is complicated by a host of slow corners that are preceded by fast changes of direction. The tight hairpin at turn six, for example, comes with a quick right-left change under braking, calling for a delicate balance between stability and agility. The most important section is the three fast rights at the end of the lap because this is where the rider can make up the most time, making stability at maximum lean angle an absolute must so that he has confidence to open the throttle with the bike still on its side. Valentino Rossi – “Fast and fun” The sight of Rossi and his new M1 in high-speed harmony during that final pre-season test at Jerez will have mesmerised his fans and demoralised his rivals, sending out a clear warning that the most successful motorcycle racer in recent history wants his title back. The 28-year-old has had just one thought in his mind since shaking hands with Nicky Hayden on the warm-down lap at Valencia and he is convinced that this season’s ambitions will not be hampered by the misfortunes that ultimately denied him tenure of the number 1 plate for a sixth straight year. “After the great test in Jerez we’re going to the first race feeling confident and happy,” says Rossi. “Last year we had some problems at the final test that left us feeling worried going to the first race but more than anything Jerez proved that we’re in a very different situation to last year and confirmed the great job we’ve done with the new M1 over the winter. Now it’s finally time for the first race and it’s time to see if all our hard work pays off. Everyone is very excited and very motivated after what happened last year and our aim is very simple – to win!” “I like Qatar a lot, it’s fast and fun to ride and I have won there twice. Of course it’s quite hot and dusty so tyre choice will be very important, especially with the new rules. The other key factor is going to be the fuel consumption – I think it is something everybody is worried about this season but we are all in the same boat. We know the bike should work well at the first two races but the championship is very long. Dani Pedrosa has looked the most consistent in testing but I think Nicky Hayden, Loris Capirossi and my own team-mate Colin Edwards will be in the fight for the title.” Colin Edwards – “A level playing field” After stating earlier in the pre-season that the YZR-M1 is the best 800cc bike in the field, Colin Edwards has seen nothing to change his mind over the past two tests and the 33-year-old is now on the brink of what he hopes can be his best season since joining MotoGP in 2003. The former double World Superbike Champion has scored six podiums in that time, one of them coming at Losail in 2004, and he is confident of adding significantly to that tally this year – starting on Saturday at a circuit he feels provides a level playing field between him and more seasoned Grand Prix riders. “Qatar is a great track, I love it and I always feel that it’s a level playing field because we’ve only been there a few times as opposed to some of the European circuits where other riders have basically grown up,” observes Edwards. “I’m feeling really confident going back there for the first race, especially after our last test there when I was pretty fast every day, and the progress we made at Jerez last week. The track suits my style and I felt really comfortable there during the test, so hopefully we can translate that to the race conditions.” “We had some problems in the race last year but I am feeling completely different now because this bike is a whole new ballgame. After working really well on smooth tracks like Sepang and Qatar we managed to adopt it to the bumps at Jerez with a completely different setting so I’m really confident that we have a great package for the whole season. I’ve said throughout pre-season that the target this season is to win races, so I’m looking forward to getting started.” Davide Brivio – “Let’s go racing!” Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director Davide Brivio echoes the confidence of his riders after watching them lap in record pace at all three of the circuits the team have visited during their exhaustive winter testing programme. Last Sunday’s success in the competitive timed session provided an extra injection of excitement and motivation to the team’s mood, as the Italian reports, the riders are not the only members of staff who are counting down the days to the new season’s opening showdown. “Finally we’re going racing!” smiles Brivio. “I think this season will be very interesting because it is the first time in several years that Valentino isn’t starting as the defending champion and there are many young riders who are now ready to fight for the title. We have had a good winter of testing and we feel that we have made a good job of preparing for the new season. Now we’re excited to go racing and see exactly how prepared we really are.” “Qatar will be the first time everybody shows their cards for real and we are all very curious to see what level we are at compared to our rivals. The mood in the team is optimistic because both Colin and Valentino have been amongst the top riders all through the winter so providing everything goes OK then we can expect to be competitive. Let’s go racing!” Valentino Rossi : Information Age: 28 Lives: London, UK Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 GP victories: 84 (57 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 174 (114 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 45 World Championships: 7 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 4 x MotoGP) Colin Edwards: Information Age: 33 Lives: Conroe, Texas Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP) GP starts: 66 x MotoGP World Championships: 2 World Superbike Qatar Lap Record (990cc) Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006, 1’57.305 Qatar Best Lap (800cc) Casey Stoner (Honda) 2006, 1’55.683 2006 Qatar Grand Prix Results 1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 43’22.229 2. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda +0.900 3. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati +1.494 9. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha +22.920

Canadian Racers Millson and Glenn Third in Moto-ST’s ST Class at Daytona Daytona Beach, Florida The all-Canadian Go BIG Racing team took third spot on the podium in the Sport Twins (ST) Class, and placed thirteenth overall at the SunTrust MOTO-ST season opener, Daytona USA 300, held at the Daytona International Speedway. With a third place finish in the ST class, Keene, Ontario’s Paul Glenn and Hamilton, Ontario’s Ross Millson matched their outstanding finish from last October’s inaugural MOTO-ST 8 Hours at Daytona. The Daytona USA 300, endurance race began under clear skies with Millson at the controls of the #79, Go BIG Racing Suzuki SV650. Starting from the inside of row 19, Millson methodically worked his way up to through the field before handing over the bike to Glenn. “Our crew gave us incredible pit stops, and kept us in the hunt!” exclaimed Millson. “Having the quick-fill fuel cans this year definitely made a difference in our stops” added Glenn. Glenn ran a consistent pace, gradually picking up additional positions throughout his stint on the team’s Suzuki SV650, before handing off the bike back to Millson. In the final laps, Millson put in a concerted effort to catch the second place # 87 SpeedWerks.com, Suzuki SV650, while holding off the charging #99 Pair-A-Nines, Kawasaki EX650 Ninja. After completing 100 laps, the #79 Go BIG Racing Suzuki crossed the finish line, taking third in the Sport Twins (ST) class and thirteenth overall. “A third place finish is an excellent way to kick-off Go BIG Racing’s 2007 race season” said Millson. “We’re a small team competing against some well funded riders and have shown what we can do with the support of our existing sponsors, crew and family” said Glenn. With the help of additional sponsor support Millson and Glenn are hoping to return to Florida for Round 2 of the SunTrust MOTO-ST series in Homestead, April 13-14, and go for the win in the Sport Twins class. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office: Team Yoshimura Suzuki riders Shawn Giles, Craig Coxhell and Joshua Waters all finished in podium positions in the Australian support races at the second round of the Superbike World Championship race meeting at Victoria’s Phillip Island race circuit at the weekend. In a strong showing for the new-look team, Giles finished overall second in the Superbike class behind reigning Australian champion Jamie Stauffer, and like Stauffer was the only rider to secure a top-three result in all three Superbike races. Giles’ results were all the more impressive as the three-times Australian Superbike Champion had not raced at the fast and challenging 4.45km Phillip Island circuit for over 12 months. The 36-year-old proved he was back to full-race fitness after last year’s lay-off due to injury and was straight down to business when he was quickest in the opening Superbike qualifying session, then led two of the three races. In Saturday’s opening 10-lap race Giles finished a close second, just 0.337sec, behind the race winner, backing up with third in race two later that afternoon. Another second in race three on Sunday, this time 0.898sec behind the race winner, gave Giles the overall runner-up position for the weekend. Team mate Coxhell, showing the talent and determination that brought the Shepparton, Victoria rider the 2003 Australian Superbike Championship, charged through the pack in race three to secure third place, just 0.07sec behind Giles after momentarily getting ahead of his team mate two corners from the finish. Coxhell hadn’t raced at the Victorian circuit since 2003, the year he won the Australian Superbike Championship aboard a Team Suzuki GSX-R1000 before he headed overseas for the next three seasons. The lack of track time at the world’s fastest race track left the 24-year-old in 12th position on the grid after the two short qualifying sessions on Friday, making Sunday’s third place all the more impressive. Twenty-year-old Waters was another to impress. Following his strong debut showing aboard the Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R600 at the opening round of the Australian Supersport Championship at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway two weeks ago, 20-year-old Waters continued that momentum in the three Supersport support races at Phillip Island. A third in Sunday’s final Supersport race was backed up by fourth place in each of the earlier two races on Saturday to give Waters fourth overall for the weekend. Team Yoshimura Suzuki race manger Phil Tainton was quick to praise Waters for his results on a motorcycle that has not long been out of its packing crate and is still in the early stages of its development. Tainton now turns his focus to Round Two of the eight-round Australian Superbike and Supersport Championship which takes place at Victoria’s Winton Raceway on March 22-25. Phil Tainton – Team Manager: “I couldn’t have asked for more from the riders this weekend – all three scored podium finishes at some stage. “Our Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbikes already have a lot of development behind them and Shawn and Craig showed how competitive they and the bikes can be, but I was especially pleased with progress with the new GSX-R600 Supersport. “It’s only in its second race meeting, and it’s never been raced in the wet before. Josh’s performance on the damp track on Sunday morning, when he finished third, was impressive. “We showed we have good speed from the bikes and all three riders can run at the front in both classes. “Congratulations to Jamie Stauffer and Jason O’Halloran on their Superbike and Supersport wins this weekend.” Shawn Giles: “It’s good to turn around the bad luck of two weeks ago at the opening round of the Australian Superbike Championship and get some good results. “The last time I raced at Phillip Island was at the same World Superbike meeting at this time last year, as I missed the GP meeting in September due to injury. “To lead two of the three races at some stage and to stand on the podium in all three races was a great result for the team in view of the limited practice time we had. “The bike had good speed all weekend and I can’t say enough about the team and the performance of the tyres. “Second overall on the weekend is good, but it’s one place short of where I want to be.” Craig Coxhell: “Third in the final race was a great way to finish off the weekend and I’m happy with the improvement in my lap times across the three days. “The last time I rode at Phillip Island was in 2003 and with only two short qualifying sessions it took a little while to get up to speed on the fastest track on the world calendar. “My best lap in race three was only one tenth off the fastest lap time set by the race winner and I had a great battle in that final race with my team mate Shawn – although he got me by 0.07sec in the run to the flag. “The team has been working on getting me comfortable on the bike and adjusting the settings to suit my riding style and the results are beginning to show.” Joshua Waters: “I’m happy with fourth overall on points from the three races as we’re still in the early stages of developing the Suzuki GSX-R600. “I hadn’t ridden the bike at Phillip Island before this weekend so with the limited track time under our belts it’s a pleasing result. “Getting on to the podium in the final race of the weekend shows that we’re heading in the right direction.” Superbike Overall Results: 1 Jamie Stauffer, 2 Shawn Giles (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 3 Scott Charlton, 4 Glenn Allerton, 5 Daniel Stauffer, 6 Adam Fergusson, 7 Craig Coxhell (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 8 Bryan Staring, 9 Shannon Johnson, 10 Anthony Gobert. Supersport Overall Results: 1 Jason O’Halloran, 2 Jeremy Crowe, 3 Jamie Stauffer, 4 Joshua Waters (Suzuki GSX-R600), 6 Gareth Jones, 7 Wayne Maxwell, 8 Bryan Staring, 9 Alex Tomassetti. 10 Brendan Watson. More, from a press release issued by Buell: BUELL RIDERS SHINE IN ASRA THUNDERBIKE AND MOTO-ST OPENERS Estok Wins Wet Thunderbike Race; Bilansky and Higbee Take GST Class Win DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Deeley H-D/Buell Canada/Ruthless Racing rider David Estok rode a Buell Firebolt XB12R through heavy rain to win the opening round of the 2007 American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA) Thunderbike series on Saturday, and on Sunday, Daytona H-D/Buell/Richie Morris Racing’s Dan Bilansky and Shawn Higbee took a hard fought class win in the MOTO-ST Daytona USA 300 GrandSport Twins class (11th overall) to wrap up a successful season-opening weekend of racing at Daytona International Speedway. In the Thunderbike race, Estok led from the start of the rain-soaked event and was chased by his Deeley H-D/Buell Canada/Ruthless Racing teammate, Darren James. The 2006 Thunderbike champion, Hal’s H-D/Buell Hal’s Speed Shop rider Dan Bilansky, slotted his Buell Firebolt into third position. The pole-sitter for the event, San Jose BMW rider Brian Parriott, moved up through the field after a poor start and managed to pass first Bilansky and then James to claim second place. James finished third, with Bilansky in fourth position. Because of the rain and slick track, the race was shorted from the scheduled 10 laps to seven laps. This was the first race with the Deeley/Ruthless Racing team for Estok, who won the Thunderbike championship in 2005. “Daytona is always challenging and even more so in the rain,” said Estok. “The Deeley squad put me on a great bike and our set-up was perfect for the conditions. This is a great way to start a new season of racing.” James, the 2006 Canada Thunder champion, plans to contest the entire 2006 ASRA Thunderbike championship. Buell riders claimed five of the top six positions in the race. Hal’s Speed Shop/Badger Motorsports rider Greg Avello finished fifth, followed by Joe Rozynski on his Sound Waves/Hal’s Speed Shop Buell Firebolt. Also on Saturday at Daytona, Estok rode his Deeley H-D/Buell Canada/Ruthless Racing Buell to victory in the Championship Cup Series (CCS) SuperTwins Expert class, a five-lap sprint race. The next event on the eight-race 2007 ASRA Pro Thunderbike series schedule is the Heart of America Cycle Fest, April 27-29 at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan. Buell Teams Score in SunTrust MOTO-ST Daytona USA 300 On Sunday, March 4, Daytona H-D/Buell Richie Morris Racing riders Dan Bilansky and Shawn Higbee won the GrandSport Twins (GST) class in the Daytona USA 300, the first round of the 2007 SunTrust MOTO-ST series. Riding a Buell Firebolt XB12R, Bilansky and Higbee spent much of the race in a fierce battle with the Hal’s Speed Shop/James Gang Racing Buell shared by Paul James and Greg Avello, who led 25 laps in the GST class during the event. Pacing the class by about 45 seconds, Higbee came in for a splash of fuel with just two laps left in the race and managed to maintain the lead, completing 100 laps in the 3-hour 20-minute endurance event, and finishing 11th overall. “It’s a fantastic win,” said Higbee, who was competing in his first motorcycle race since being injured at Daytona in 2005. “Making it to the finish was our number one priority and we hit the set-up pretty well. It was tough because the James Gang Racing Buell was pushing us pretty hard.” The Ducati SS1000 of Pete Friedland, Brad Phillips and Frank Shockley finished second in the GST class and 15th overall, while the James Gang Racing Buell placed third, just 3.1 seconds behind, and 16th overall. The next race on the 2007 SunTrust MOTO-ST schedule is the Homestead 500K, April 13-14 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Buell Motorcycle Company, a subsidiary of Harley-Davidson, produces sport motorcycles, motorcycle parts, accessories and apparel. To learn more about Buell motorcycles, visit your local Buell dealer today and experience the pure streetfighter attitude, style and performance only found on board a Buell. For the Buell dealer nearest you, pull into www.buell.com. More, from a press release issued by Pirelli: Pirelli Dominates Daytona CCS/ASRA: 15 Wins, 34 Podiums The all-new Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa DOT race tire, and Diablo Superbike Slick, proved Pirelli’s performance advantage at the CCS/ASRA races at Daytona International Speedway with wins in nearly every class the tires were raced in the 2007 Bikeweek event. Cold and wet or hot and dry, Pirelli racked up record numbers of wins, podiums, and top ten finishes in Expert and Amateur classes, on the high banks of “The World Center of Racing.” A highlight of Pirelli’s weekend of domination include Columbian sensation Martin Cardenas, winning expert Unlimited Superbike, with fellow Pirelli-rider Chris Ulrich finishing second. Earlier this season, Cardenas nearly set a new track record at Homestead-Miami Speedway in difficult conditions on his first visit to the track. Pirelli tires owned the show in sprint racing on the new layout of the speedway that uses only the east banking and a modified infield, and Pirelli tires showed their speed is matched with reliability. In the Pirelli-spec MOTO ST endurance series nearly 40 teams took the start of the 3.5 hour-long race, without a single one of them having a hint of any type of tire failures, something that has often plagued other brands at Daytona. Pirelli congratulates all of the competitors and, race winners, Aprilia USA 2 and its riders Federico Aliverti and Giancarlo De Matteis. Pirelli’s Expert winners in the CCS/ASRA event include: Middleweight Superbike, Cory West; SuperTwins, Dave Estok; Middleweight Grand Prix, David Anthony; Superstock, Geoff May; Thunderbike, Dave Estok; Middleweight SuperSport, Geoff May; Lightweight SuperSport, Kyle Keese; Heavyweight SuperSport, Michael Barnes; Thunderbike, Brian Parriott; Unlimited Superbike, Martin Cardenas; GT Lights, Brian Parriott; GTU, Michael Barnes; GTO, Geoff May. Pirelli-shod Experts placing second include: Heavyweight Superbike, Mike Debrabant; Superstock, Chris Ulrich; Thunderbike, Brian Parriott; Pro Sportbike, David Anthony; Thunderbike, Nate Kern; Unlimited Superbike, Chris Ulrich; GTU, Michael Beck; GTO, David Loikits, while third placing Experts are: Lightweight Superbike, John Linder; Superstock, David Loikits; Superbike, Alexander Miniaci; Middleweight SuperSport, Cory West. Amateurs who rode Pirelli tires to the podium include: Multi-winner Larry Karpinsky, Brian Sexton, Ryan Meade, and Dennis Espinoza. Congratulations to all. With this astounding success of the introduction of new Diablo Supercorsa, Pirelli eagerly anticipates competing in the AMA Superbike series at Daytona, this weekend. More, from a press release issued by Steve Martin’s publicist: Steve Martin made strides forward with the set-up and handling of his Honda CBR1000RR at this weekend’s second round of the 2007 Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island, Australia. Set-up changes throughout the weekend enabled the Aussie to make progress with his lap times over the three days and take 11th place on the grid in Superpole, followed by a 10th place finish in race one. Further improvements in results were hampered in race two however when clutch troubles forced Steve to retire on the first lap of the 22 lap race. Steve commented, “After the first round at Qatar I knew there was a lot of work we still needed to do on set up, but when I went out for the first session at Phillip Island the bike felt completely wrong. “For that to happen at a track I know like the back of my hand and also somewhere where I normally go really well, I knew right away what we needed to change in order to get an ideal base setting for my riding style. And by the end of the second qualifying on Saturday morning I was feeling much happier with the bike’s set up and handling. “So it was very frustrating when I was out on my final fast lap at the end of that qualifying session and it started to rain, as I had to back off towards the end of the lap and wasn’t able to improve my time or qualifying position. “The qualifying tyres also weren’t working too well and I was experiencing a lot chatter, so for Superpole I just had to ride round and my 33.9 got me 11th which I was actually surprised at!” As is tradition at the picturesque costal circuit of Phillip Island, Sunday morning’s warm up session brought rain and while still on slick tyres, Steve was able to run competitively with the other machines out on the damp track. Recounting the first race on Sunday Steve said, “I got a pretty good start and passed a few guys. My lap times were consistently in the 1:33 bracket and I was able to catch Nieto. I knew I could get past him but was struggling for opportunities and instead of waiting for a bit longer which I should have really, I took a bit of a chance to outbrake him going down into Honda corner and ran off, allowing Neukirchner to pass me and put me back to 10th rather than taking 8th which I was aiming for! And that’s where I stayed until the end of the race.” Steve pulled another good start in race two but knew by the first corner there was a problem with the clutch. “I felt really good off the start but some how fried the clutch, which I’m not sure how as we use launch control! But that was my race over as the clutch was slipping too badly to ride and so I had to pull in at the end of the first lap. “Considering we are one of the very few teams who didn’t test at Phillip Island over the winter prior to racing here, I’m encouraged by what we achieved in terms of set up and progress for going forward. There’s still a lot more work to be done on the electronics as the bike is too rough and aggressive on the throttle, but that’s our next area to look at and hopefully we’ll then make more strides forward, both with the bike’s performance and also with results.” Steve now returns home, just a few hours drive north of Phillip Island, for a final week with friends and family, before returning to Europe with Sandra and Axel for the start of the European rounds of the WSBK Championship. Steve’s Phillip Island weekend round-up: Friday Free Practice 1: 14th – 1:35.644 Qualifying Practice 1: 12th- 1:33.748 Saturday Qualifying Practice 2: 12th – 1:33.678 Free Practice 2: 8th – 1:33.641 Superpole: 11th – 1:33.994 Sunday Warm Up: 9th – 1:34.346 Race 1: 10th – Best lap 1:33.409 Race 2: DNF (retired on lap 1 due to clutch problem)

CONFIDENT KAWASAKI HEAD FOR QATAR After a long and intense period of pre-season testing in which Kawasaki riders, Randy de Puniet and Olivier Jacque, covered more than 7000 km aboard their Ninja ZX-RR machines, the first race of the 2007 season has finally arrived. This week the Kawasaki Racing Team head for Qatar for the opening race of the season at the spectacular Losail International circuit, which is located in the desert on the outskirts of the Middle Eastern emirate’s capital city, Doha. The demanding 5.380 km Losail track has not always been kind to the Kawasaki Racing Team in the past, but a successful pre-season test at the circuit less than three weeks ago means that de Puniet and Jacque head for the middle east with high expectations of a strong race debut for Kawasaki’s new 800cc Ninja ZX-RR. De Puniet crashed out of last year’s Grand Prix of Qatar on the opening lap, but heads for this year’s race confident of making amends, after topping the timesheet during the final day of testing at Jerez just one week ago. The 26-year-old Frenchman has concentrated specifically during pre-season testing on improving his consistency over race distance. De Puniet completed three race distance simulations in as many days during last months test at Qatar, with positive results, although the long runs highlighted how critical tyre choice will be for the opening race of the season. De Puniet’s Kawasaki teammate, Olivier Jacque, also heads for Qatar determined to put the memory of a crash behind him. The 33-year-old Frenchman was forced to sit out most of the recent three-day test at the Losail circuit as a result of injuries sustained after high-siding his Ninja ZX-RR on the opening day. Jacque is under no illusions about his return to racing this weekend. The Kawasaki pilot has worked hard during testing to provide engineers with the feedback so critical to Kawasaki’s development programme, but now the former World Champion needs to switch back to race mode ahead of Thursday’s opening free practice session. The new regulations for tyres and fuel consumption could prove a major factor in the final results in Qatar, an exposed track where wind, sand and an abrasive surface also play a critical part. With the ambient temperature expected to exceed 30 degrees centigrade, and with recent tests cancelled due to sandstorms, the race in Qatar, which is only one of two held on a Saturday, promises to be another test of endurance for all the MotoGP teams. Randy de Puniet: #14 “After such a heavy test schedule I’m really looking forward to finally getting down to racing again. I think we’ve shown our competitiveness over the past few weeks and I’m happy with the performance of both our Ninja ZX-RR and myself. The test is Qatar went well, although we struggled a little with identifying a race tyre, but we were able to do some more work on this at Jerez where we made a big step forward. We’re still missing a bit of top speed, which will be a slight handicap at Qatar with the long straight, but we’ve already shown that we can make up this deficit through the turns thanks to the balanced handling of our bike. The track at Qatar is normally quite dirty, which means there is normally only one racing line. This means that it’s difficult to overtake and makes a good starting position even more important. I will be looking to qualify as high up the grid as possible, and I will be happy if we leave Qatar with a top ten finish in the opening race of the season.” Olivier Jacque: #19 “I can’t wait for the first race; I’m really excited about making my racing return at Qatar. We’ve had a good pre-season; progressing and always evolving after each test, now we need to carry that momentum into the opening race. Losail is a special circuit for me. I have done many tests in Qatar, and despite the fact that I’ve crashed there a few times I really like the circuit. It’s a good track, fast and flat, although it can also be tricky because the wind blows sand onto the track, making surface conditions unpredictable. There is a long main straight, and our top speed is not yet the best, but I think we can compensate for this through corner speed, which has proved to be one of the strengths of the new Ninja ZX-RR during testing. My target for the coming weekend is to improve my lap times, gain some consistency and battle it out with one of the groups in the race. I don’t know if a top ten finish is possible, as I’m still not completely up to race speed, but I’m sure it’s going to be a close and fun race. This race is sure to give me a boost; I have been waiting a long time to be part of a full factory team and I want to make the most of this opportunity, starting this weekend.”

Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki’s race gas bill for the Moto-ST weekend at Daytona totalled $198.60, including fuel used in practice, the 500-kilometer race and a fuel tank capacity check in post-race tech. Moto-ST requires use of a spec fuel at $6.00 per gallon. The 33.1 gallons of fuel used by the team would have cost about $662 if the team had run the most popular blend of AMA-legal rocket fuel, which sells for about $20 per gallon.

SunTrust MOTO-ST Championship Daytona USA 300 Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida Practice Times: 1. Aprilia USA 2 (Aliverti/De Matteis), Apr RSV1000 Tuono, SST, 1:51.113 2. Vallely Racing 32 (Himmelsbach/Day/Vallely), Suz SV1000S, SST, 1:51.959 3. Roadracingworld.com (Ulrich/Acree), Suz SV1000S, SST, 1:52.786 4. Team Florida (Ramirez/Laya/Martinez), Duc 749, SST, 1:53.530 5. JC/R&R Racing (Estok/Luke), Apr RSV1000 Tuono, SST, 1:53.789 6. Aprilia USA 1 (Howard/Green), Apr RSV1000 Tuono, SST, 1:53.815 7. Vallely Racing 33 (Crozier/Ribiero/Vallely), Suz SV1000S, SST, 1:54.473 8. Team Zyvax (Layman/Layman/Green), Suz SV1000S, SST, 1:57.914 9. San Jose BMW (Parriott/Kern), BMW R 1200 S, SST, 1:58.324 10. Team Lady Luck (Martire/Hudson), MuZ 1000, SST, 1:58.548 11. Pair-A-Nines (Springsteen/Filice), Kaw EX650, ST, 1:58.723 18. Touring Sport Ducati (Friedland/Phillips/Shockley), Duc 1000SS, GST, 2:01.718