FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: It takes a lot to get me to write in on an editorial but this Thursday practice discussion is one I think is important. If you are going to read this response read the entire response do not read just part of it. I do not think that factory riders should be banned from Thursday practice. I think Thursday practice should be mandatory at all tracks. On the other side of the coin I think that all private testing should be outlawed. There should be a rule put in place that states: “If a rider has competed in 75% of the AMA Nationals in the preceding year then that rider cannot ride on an AMA National track in any form of private testing that is not open to the general public for registration. Once a rider has competed in more than 75% of the AMA Nationals in the current calendar year then that rider cannot ride on an AMA National track in any form of private testing that is not open to the general public for registration.” This rule might sound a little difficult to enforce but really it should not be. If an AMA rider gets caught private testing then that rider will be forced to sit out one weekend. If they get caught more than once the penalty goes up. This type of rule will still allow the privateers that race a couple of AMA Nationals a year to practice at their local tracks. This type of rule will also allow the new up-and-comers to get the extra track time they will need to learn the track to be competitive. There are many issues that face private teams in the AMA paddock right now and private testing is one that should be at the top of the AMA list. Many race organizations around the world have put rules in place to control testing because they know the benefit and how it can create a separation in the results. Motorcycles are becoming more complicated every year with more adjustments and more electronics. Keep in mind that more adjustments means more time spent figuring out what works and what does not. If the AMA does not do something to control private testing than the gap between the factory teams and the private teams will continue to grow. As that gap grows attendance at the race will continue to be stagnant or even begin to decline. If the AMA wants to fill the stands and become profitable then they need to start putting controls in place to close the gap between the factory teams and the private teams. C.R. Gittere Gittere Motorsports Inc. Charlotte, North Carolina

1. Marco Melandri, Honda, Bridgestone, 1:42.563 2. Casey Stoner, Ducati, Bridgestone, 1:42.634 3. Dani Pedrosa, Honda, Michelin, 1:42.706 4. Carlos Checa, Honda, Michelin, 1:43.206 5. Alex Barros, Ducati, Bridgestone, 1:43.214 6. Randy de Puniet, Kawasaki, Bridgestone, 1:43.315 7. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, Bridgestone, 1:43.475 8. Alex Hofmann, Ducati, Bridgestone, 1:43.673 9. Toni Elias, Honda, Bridgestone, 1:43.687 10. Shinya Nakano, Honda, Michelin, 1:43.817 11. Colin Edwards, Yamaha, Michelin, 1:43.845 12. Chris Vermuelen, Suzuki, Bridgestone, 1:44.052 13. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, Michelin, 1:44.494 14. Olivier Jacque, Kawasaki, Bridgestone, 1:44.659 15. Makoto Tamada, Yamaha, Dunlop, 1:45.081 16. Sylvain Guintoli, Yamaha, Dunlop, 1:45.208 17. Vittoriano Guareschi, Ducati, Bridgestone, 1:45.603 18. Shinichi Ito, Ducati, Bridgestone, 1:45.826 19. Nicky Hayden, Honda, Michelin, 1:45.901 20. Kenny Roberts, KR212V, Michelin, 1:45.937 21. Kousuke Akiyoshi, Suzuki, Bridgestone, 1:47.191 22. Jeremy McWilliams, Ilmor, Michelin, 1:47.696 23. Andrew Pitt, Ilmor, Michelin, 1:49.365 More, from a press release issued by Dorna Sports: Melandri quickest on wet MotoGP Official Test opener at Jerez Friday 23rd February Jerez, Spain MotoGP Official Test With MotoGP’s two-stroke classes concluding their designated testing days at Jerez yesterday, the premier MotoGP class today took to the track for the first of three Official Test day sessions. As has been the case throughout the week, meteorological conditions at the Spanish circuit hampered any early outings for the teams. With the track still wet from yesterday, and skies overcast, turns on track were taken at a leisurely pace due to the inability to test either wet or dry settings. A downpour at around 12pm local time finally provided the grid with fully wet conditions, and this prompted a buzz of activity in the garages. First out were the test riders for Ducati and Suzuki, joined shortly after by Kawasaki Racing regular Olivier Jacque. From then the pace picked up, as the skies cleared slightly and the track slowly dried. Marco Melandri was the fastest rider of the day, heading the field for the first time this preseason. He clocked a time of 1’42.563 on his Honda RC212V, which was presented this morning as one of a series of team photos. Also on the pace was Ducati’s Casey Stoner, who was less than a tenth of a second off the former 250cc World Champion’s hot lap. Both riders were using Bridgestone tyres, having made the switch from Michelins at the end of last season. Home rider Dani Pedrosa was the only other MotoGP star to break the 1’43 barrier, continuing his recent run of good form. The Spaniard rounded off the previous visit to Jerez, at the final test of 2006, as the quickest rider at the Spanish circuit, and seems to be well adapted to the new 800cc Honda. Another local favourite, Carlos Checa also had an excellent day of testing on the RC212V. The veteran managed 48 laps on day one, one of the most active of the regular MotoGP riders. Alex Barros and Randy de Puniet completed a top six comprising of as many different teams, within a second of Melandri’s fastest time, illustrating the competitive environment provided by the 800cc machines. On a good day for Bridgestone, Loris Capirossi, Alex Hofmann and Toni Elias all added to the Japanese tyre manufacturer’s presence in the top ten, which was rounded off by Shinya Nakano. Both World Champion Nicky Hayden and last year’s runner up Valentino Rossi were outside the fastest ten, with the former 19th quickest and the latter 13th. A number of teams were on track bright and early this morning, albeit only for their 2007 team photograph sessions. Honda, Ducati and Suzuki all posed for the cameras with their new bikes and uniforms. The latter had already presented their new livery yesterday at an event held in their team garage, whilst Kawasaki went slightly further afield to the Royal Andalusian School Of Equestrian Art for their team launch last night. MotoGP action continues tomorrow and Sunday, as the riders prepare for the season-opening race on March 10th in Qatar. The final day of practice in Jerez plays host to the 40 minute “qualifying session” where one member of the premier class grid will drive away with a brand new BMW. MotoGP Official Test Jerez Day 1 Official Times 1. Marco Melandri (Honda Gresini) – 1’42.563 2. Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro Team) – 1’42.634 3. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) – 1’42.796 4. Carlos Checa (Honda LCR) – 1’43.206 5. Alex Barros (Pramac d’Antin) – 1’43.214 6. Randy de Puniet (Kawasaki Racing Team) – 1’43.315 7. Loris Capirossi (Ducati Marlboro Team) – 1’43.475 8. Alex Hofmann (Pramac d’Antin) – 1’43.673 9. Toni Elias (Honda Gresini) – 1’43.687 10. Shinya Nakano (Konica Minolta Honda) – 1’43.817 11. Colin Edwards (Yamaha Factory Racing) – 1’43.845 12. Chris Vermeulen (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP) – 1’44.052 13. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha Factory Racing Team) – 1’44.494 14. Olivier Jacque (Kawasaki Racing Team) – 1’44.659 15. Makoto Tamada (Dunlop Yamaha Tech 3) – 1’45.081 16. Sylvain Guintoli (Dunlop Yamaha Tech 3) – 1’45.208 17. Vittoriano Guareschi (Ducati Marlboro) – 1’45.603 18. Shinichi Ito (Ducati Marlboro) – 1’45.826 19. Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda) – 1’45.901 20. Kousuke Akiyoshi (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP) – 1’47.191 21. Kenny Roberts Jr. (Team Roberts) – 1’45.937 22. Jeremy McWilliams (Ilmor GP) – 1’47.191 23. Andrew Pitt (Ilmor GP) – 1’49.365 More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: DUCATI MARLBORO MEN ON PACE IN WET & DRY Ducati Marlboro Team riders Casey Stoner and Loris Capirossi made the best of changeable weather conditions at Jerez today, continuing development work on the Desmosedici GP7. Both men ran up front in the wet and the dry, Stoner second fastest overall, Capirossi a close seventh quickest. This morning’s rain did at least allow the Australian and the Italian to test the 800 for the first time in wet conditions. The circuit started to dry this afternoon but damp patches and cool track temperatures (a maximum of 24 degrees) prevented them from getting close to lap-record pace. Nonetheless the team is happy that the GP7 seems to have improved since they tested here last November. This three-day outing is the final test session before the 2007 MotoGP World Championship commences in Qatar on March 10, so the team hopes for good weather over the next two days. Casey Stoner, 32 laps – 2nd fastest, 1m 42.634s “We were competitive in the dry and the wet today but it wasn’t really a useful day for anybody because the weather was so on and off. We did get some dry time at the end, though there was still some water around, so we couldn’t really get any good sense from anything and we couldn’t use proper tyres because the track was too cold and wet. When it started drying out we worked on a problem I’ve had with the rear-end pumping when I’m on the gas. We had it here last November and we seemed to solve it in Phillip Island and Qatar, so if we get decent weather over the next couple of days we should be able to get it sorted out. I only got a few laps in the rain, so I was getting used to the Bridgestone tyres because I’ve never ridden them in the wet. I’m very, very happy with the front, it’s similar to the dry, it gives a very good feeling.” Loris Capirossi, 21 laps – 7th fastest, 1m 43.475s “It’s been a strange day with track conditions always changing. At first we did some laps in the wet and the bike felt good with rain settings. When the track improved I felt that the bike works a lot better than it did last November, when we had a few problems. I’m pretty happy because the GP7 worked well during tests at Sepang, Phillip Island and Qatar, and if it works well here too that suggests we can be competitive at all the races. I stopped a bit early today because there was no point trying to go faster when the track isn’t in really good condition. Tomorrow I plan to do a long run, if conditions are good enough.” Jerez Official Record : Valentino Rossi (Yamaha – 2005), 1’40.596 Jerez Pole Record : Loris Capirossi (Ducati – 2006), 1’39.064 Temperature: Air 19 ° C – Ground 22° C More, from a press release issued by Ilmor: Official MotoGP Test Jerez Day One Circuito de Jerez de la Frontera 23.02.07 Despite being delayed by poor weather conditions during the first half of today’s test, the team made reasonable progress this afternoon continuing to build on the developments made last week at the Losail Circuit in Qatar. It was an interesting day for Jeremy McWilliams as he made his first return to the Spanish circuit in Jerez since his spectacular crash in November however both Ilmor GP riders focussed on the job in hand clocking up a total of 50 laps of the 4.42km track. The team have a lot to do over the next 48 hours the test this weekend in Jerez is the final run out for McWilliams and Pitt before March 10th sees Qatar play host to the MotoGP World Championship opener so everyone is hoping for drier weather in the coming days to ensure as much track time as possible. Jeremy McWilliams #99 Laps: 27 Fastest Lap: 1.47.696 Top Speed: 259.2 Andrew Pitt #88 Laps: 33 Fastest Lap: 1.49.365 Top Speed: 259.2 Jeremy McWilliams, Ilmor GP Rider: “The track condition today was awful, it was really wet this morning and very patchy in places even when it began to dry out which made for dangerous riding. It’s too risky to really go flat out when the surface is so unpredictable. We only really picked up some speed in the final hour or so today. Dry weather would definitely help tomorrow. “Even though I crashed here back at the test in November it feels good to be back in spite of the weather I still have a little difficulty getting on and off the bike but riding feels very natural.” Andrew Pitt, Ilmor GP Rider: “It was an interesting day for me today. I was trying out a new engine set-up so I would have loved to have a dry track to test it properly however even in the poor conditions I can tell that the changes have made the engine smoother and changed the way the bike turns. It feels different, the throttle feels better and I’m looking forward to really pushing it over the next couple of days.” Mike Janes, Team Manager: “I think Jeremy did fantastically today given his limited amount of time onboard the bike since his recovery. With Andrew, the 2007 engine seems to be a positive step in the right direction although we do have one or two issues to iron out. Both riders have given us some great feedback today and we have plenty of work to do over the remainder of the test. We have a long way to go still and I’m hoping to get as much track time as possible with both riders.” More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Racing: Weather ruins first day at Jerez Rizla Suzuki MotoGP endured a frustrating first day at the Official MotoGP Test in Spain, as heavy showers this morning meant that today’s testing schedule was severely disrupted. Chris Vermeulen managed to complete a number of wet laps in the morning, but as the track dried out it was too dangerous for either wet or dry tyres and he had to wait for the 4.4km Jerez track to dry out. He managed to get back on track later in the afternoon and set his quickest time during this session. John Hopkins was present at the test and underwent further physiotherapy as he recovers from the heavy crash he had in Qatar last week. The Anglo-American racer will not participate at this test as he sets his target on being fit for the first round of the MotoGP season also in Qatar in two weeks time. Kousuke Akiyoshi completed 55 laps today as he acquainted himself with the Spanish circuit. Suzuki’s All-Japan Championship rider was appearing at Jerez for the first time as he prepares himself for his race debut here next month. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will have two further days of testing at Jerez, culminating with a 40-minute all-action timed session on Sunday afternoon where the rider with the quickest time will win a BMW car. Chris Vermeulen: “Yesterday there was a lot of rain here so we started today with a wet track and although it looked like it would dry up more heavy showers made sure that it didn’t. It was pretty good to start with as I was able to get out and do some wet testing and we learnt quite a bit in the wet with both chassis settings and engine mapping. Then the track got too dry for wet testing and not dry enough to get some race tyres on. We sat out and waited till later this afternoon when the track dried out which seemed to take ages and some of the other guys started to go a bit quicker. I didn’t feel like there was that much to be learnt as the track was still wet in places. So I kept it upright and just did a few laps to get the feel of the bike. Hopefully we’ll have some good weather tomorrow so we can get a lot more done.” More, from a press release issued by Gresini Honda: VERY GOOD START FOR MELANDRI AT JEREZ The Gresini Honda Team began the final pre-season test at Jerez today ahead of the 2007 MotoGP Championship which begins with the Grand Prix of Qatar in two weekend’s time. The changeable weather and resulting variable track conditions limited the amount of useful time available to the teams today, though better weather is expected for later in the weekend. The Italian Marco Melandri put in the first fastest lap of the day as the track conditions began to improve towards the second part of the day. Marco could verify the improvements of the bike done during the winter test. In progress also his team mate Toni Elias (9°) who tested some new tyres brought by Bridgestone with positive feelings. MARCO MELANDRI (1°, 34 laps, 1’42″563): “I’m happy because we could verify the improvements done during the winter test sessions. Today the track conditions were difficult, especially this morning because it was neither wet nor dry. In the afternoon we could start the work programme scheduled for today. I like the rolling chassis and now I really start to have fun in riding. Today we started working on the power delivery of the engine and did a few tyre testing. Tomorrow we will try some more tyres and I’d like to do a race simulation and try the qualifying tyre in order to be prepared for Sunday.” TONI ELIAS (9°, 51 laps, 1.43″687): “Today we did an important step forward and it’s a pity that we couldn’t test the whole day, because of the rain. Bridgestone brought us some new tyres that should help me and in fact the feeling was immediately better. Tomorrow we have more tyres to test and I’m confident that we can improve. If we have enough time, I’d like to do a race simulation because I haven’t done one during the Irta Test. There is still a lot of work to do but I’m confident because we are going in the right direction.” More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: MotoGP test Jerez, Spain. Day one of three-day test. February 23, 2007. Melandri shines on good day for Honda riders on day one of final pre-season MotoGP test. Gresini Honda rider Marco Melandri set the pace on the opening day of the three-day MotoGP test at Jerez, Spain the final test session before the season opens at Qatar on March 10. Five Honda RC212V riders ended the day among the fastest top ten. Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda, set third fastest time of the day with the LCR Honda of Carlos Checa fourth. Melandri’s tam-mate, Spaniard Toni Elias and Shinya Nakano, Konica Minolta Honda taking ninth and tenth places respectively. The day got off to a slow start with dull overcast weather that turned to rain as the morning session began. The riders waited until the sun began to filter through the clouds before going out to begin their final shake-down test of the year. Melandri was immediately fast out of the box, in both damp and dry track conditions. The former 250cc world champion took to the track with the same base set up that Team Gresini had used at the November test at the 4.423 km Andalusia circuit and Melandri fine-tuned the suspension of the RCV then worked on the power delivery before trying two new tyres for Bridgestone. But track conditions were far from optimal and the Italian called a halt to his day 20-minutes before the track closed. Repsol Honda factory team rider Dani Pedrosa was held back slightly by the weather conditions and was not able to test as many developments as planned. The young Spaniard kept an eye on track conditions before deciding on tyres but as the day wore down the track cooled and Pedrosa called a halt hoping or better track conditions on day two of the test. MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden experienced an unrewarding day to say the least. Having missed the test at Jerez last November Hayden was debuting his 800cc RC212V at the circuit but the track top still had several damp patches when the Champion went out and he said. “I was just uncomfortable and it felt a bit sketchy.” Consequently the American was unable to call upon prior experience to improve his understanding of his RCV in the prevailing track conditions. Melandri’s Gresini Honda team mate, Toni Elias took a big step forward today his confidence in the Bridgestone tyre engineers rewarded with new tyres specifically produced to suit his riding style. Having waited so long for improvements Elias was held back by the tricky track conditions but is confident Bridgestone and Team Gresini have found the best direction for him to work in. LCR Honda rider Carlos Checa worked on engine braking and chassis set up but put in only 48 laps on the ever-changing track surface but despite his cautious approach Checa took fourth fastest time of the day. Konica Minolta rider Shinya Nakano continues his steady progress towards finding his feet with the RC212V, his new team and Michelin tyres. The Japanese star made the best of the two hours of track time he had concentrating on general machine balance and suspension in order to have suitable settings for the tyre testing session planned for tomorrow, weather permitting. Kenny Roberts Jnr was thwarted in his efforts to set up his two machines in identical spec. Roberts ran with his number on bike early I the session, always in the top six while chasing a base set up for Jerez. However, his fortunes changed somewhat when he took his second machine out on track. The American returned to the pits immediately complaining of severe handling problems. Team Roberts technicians discovered the triple clamps were bent the undetected legacy of a freighting accident! Honda rider quotes and lap times. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 1m 45.901s 63 laps.”We’ve made good progress during some of the winter tests but the weather didn’t help us here today. The track was still damp in some places and where it was still patchy I was just uncomfortable and it felt a bit sketchy. Also I didn’t test here at the last test in November, which probably didn’t help either. It’s not really how we’d wanted to start this test but hopefully we’ll get some better weather over the next two days and we’ll be able to move forward.” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 1m 42.706s 50 laps. “Today we were able to put in some good laps, though the weather stopped us from testing too much on the bike. For a lot of the time we were unsure what to do – whether to go out on rain tyres, on slick tyres or to wait in the garage. We just kept an eye on the conditions and tried to do some laps when things dried out. The track improved at the end of the day, however there were still two or three damp corners and the temperature was going down so we’ll look to make more progress tomorrow.” Marco Melandri, Gresini Honda: 1m 42.563s 34 laps. “I’m happy because we could verify the improvements done during the winter test sessions. Today the track conditions were difficult, especially this morning because it was neither wet nor dry. In the afternoon we could start the work programme scheduled for today. I like the rolling chassis and now I really start to have fun in riding. Today we started working on the power delivery of the engine and did a few tyre testing. Tomorrow we will try some more tyres and I’d like to do a race simulation and try the qualifying tyre in order to be prepared for Sunday.” Toni Elias, Gresini Honda: 1m 43.687s 51 laps. “Today we did an important step forward and it’s a pity that we couldn’t test the whole day, because of the rain. Bridgestone brought us some new tyres that should help me and in fact the feeling was immediately better. Tomorrow we have more tyres to test and I’m confident that we can improve. If we have enough time, I’d like to do a race simulation because I haven’t done one during the IRTA Test. There is still a lot of work to do but I’m confident because we are going in the right direction”. Carlos Checa, LCR Honda: 1m 43.206s 48 laps. “Today the conditions were not the best but I continued my adaptation to the new 800cc machine. We worked especially on the engine braking and on the chassis set up. I circulated in the wet for 10 laps to gather information for the wet settings. As the circuit began to dry out the conditions were too tricky for slick tyres so we spent time in the box but towards the end I put in some laps on intermediate tyres. Even though we didn’t put in too many laps today it was a productive test for the team.” Shinya Nakano, Konica Minolta Honda: 1m 43.817s 38 laps. “When in the afternoon we decided to enter the track its surface was not completely dry and so I decided not to push too much and avoid useless risks. During the first laps I used Michelin rain tyres for the first time but the time was so short to have a precise idea of their characteristics. Together with my staff we started making some comparisons between the setting defined in Qatar and the one of last November in Jerez. Weather permitting, tomorrow we will work on the definition of the front suspension because I’m still suffering chattering problems and we will try to find the right combination permitting me to have a good rear grip.” Kenny Roberts Jnr, KR212V: 1m 45.937s. “Not my day! When I first went out we were running well, always around fourth fifth on lap times. When I went in to take out my second bike it felt real weird. The guys in the team had to work hard to find out what was wrong with the thing. They took two hours to figure it out and fix it. Believe me or not the triple clamps had been bent in transit somehow. Tomorrow we will try different set ups on the two bikes and start tyre testing.” More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing: ADVERSE WEATHER ON OPENING DAY AT JEREZ It was relaxed return to the track today for the Kawasaki Racing Team and their MotoGP rivals, as a storm yesterday followed by intermittent rain this morning saw most riders opting to await the arrival of better weather and dryer track conditions in their respective pit boxes. The rain finally stopped mid-morning, after which both Randy de Puniet and Olivier Jacque took the opportunity to test the wet weather balance of their 800cc Ninja ZX-RR machines for the first time, completing a total of fifteen laps between them. With the skies clear by midday, and an increasing breeze helping to dry out the track surface, de Puniet and Olivier were left with only three hours of track time when they finally got down to testing proper. Despite the improvement in the weather, track conditions remained unpredictable, so both Kawasaki pilots concentrated on further refining the set-up of their Ninja ZX-RR machines, at a track that differs completely in character to Sepang and Qatar, the only other circuits at which the Kawasaki Racing Team have tested this season. Although not looking for a fast lap on the opening day, de Puniet managed to complete 33 laps in total, to finish sixth fastest overall with a time of 1’43.315s. Jacque, now completely recovered from the crash that sidelined him from the recent Qatar test, completed 31 laps during the late afternoon, eventually ending the session 13th fastest with a time of 1’44.659s. Randy de Puniet: 6th – 40 Laps – Best Lap 1’43.315 “It was a hard session today because of the weather. In the wet my feeling with the bike was quite good. In the afternoon, we had to wait a long time before the track dried out a little and we could try in almost dry conditions. There were some wet patches in a couple of turns, so it made no sense to push too hard. I concentrated on getting used to the circuit and found a base set up to work on for tomorrow. The most important days will be tomorrow and Sunday.” Olivier Jacque: 13th – 39 laps – Best Lap 1’44.659 “Yesterday I was a little bit worried but today I can say that I am almost 100% fit, but certainly recovered from the crash. Due to the bad weather we only had two hours in the afternoon to work and it was important not to rush. It was a long time since I rode here last and coming from two fast circuits, this one is surprisingly small! Anyway, I got used to it quickly and enjoyed riding the bike a lot. For the first day, everything worked all right.” Naoya Kaneko: Technical Manager “Today, we tested our new machine in wet conditions and the first impressions were quite good. We confirmed that the balance of the machine works well in wet conditions without doing any major changes. We need to be faster but, for being the first time, speed wasn’t so bad. In the afternoon session, we were able to try in the dry and we saw many points where we need to improve to get consistent lap times. Our base set up, though, is working here as well, we just need to make some small adjustments.”

This Saturday February 24th, Too Much Fun Promotions is pleased to invite you to a very special day of Motocross Riding, on a tribute to a motocross legend… Mr. MARTY MOATES a long time friend of Baja! (Marty died Dec. 2006) Join us from 9AM to 5PM at the new track K107 MOTOCROSS www.k107motocross.com in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico. Only an hour from San Diego/Tijuana and a few minutes East from the Tecate Border on the free road. For directions and details visit: www.k107motocross.com We recommend you to book a room in advance at Los Chabacanos Ranch, starting only $62 dllrs per person (two nights and dinner). Proceeds will benefit the Marty Moates Memorial Fund. Come thirsty and hungry, cause we’ll have cold Coronas and a great Carne Asada! We look forward to seeing you there. ——————————————————————————– Este Sabado 24 de Febrero, Too Much Fun Promotions se complace en invitarte a un dia muy especial para andar en moto, al brindarle trubuto a una leyenda del motocross… El Senor MARTY MOATES un viejo amigo de Baja! (Marty fallecio en Dic. 2006) Acompananos de 9AM to 5PM en la nueva pista K107 MOTOCROSS www.k107motocross.com en Tecate, Baja California, Mexico. A solo una hora de San Diego/Tijuana y a solo unos minutos al Este de la ciudad de Tecate en la carretera libre. Para direcciones y mas detalles visita: www.k107motocross.com Te recomendamos reservar tu habitacion a tiempo en el Rancho Los Chabacanos, con habitaciones a solo $62 dllrs por persona (dos noches y con cena). Todas las utilidades serán donadas a la Fundacion de Marty Moates. Vente con sed y hambre, ya que tendremos frias CORONAS y rica Carne Asada! Te esperamos! ——————————————————————————– Have a Too Much Fun Day! Armando Carrasco Too Much Fun Promotions President (619) 819-6323 San Diego (661) 612-2525 Rosarito Beach

AMA STATEMENT ON SUPERCROSS FUEL RULING PICKERINGTON, Ohio (February 23, 2007) After additional investigation and consideration, AMA Racing officials have concluded that the fuels in question from the January 20, 2007 Anaheim, Calif., round of the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series were correctly found to be in non-compliance with the 2007 AMA Supercross/Motocross rulebook. Testing has shown that the illegal substance Methyl Butynol is being added to the majority of fuels being used in Supercross. Because of the apparent widespread use of fuels using this substance in the Supercross paddock, and the fact that AMA Racing and its competitors could not have foreseen these circumstances, the following rule will be waived until April 15, 2007 regarding these fuels in their current configuration and any other fuels using the same illegal substance, so long as they meet all other fuel specifications: Chapter 4 Offenses, Penalties, Protests and Appeals; A. General Information; Section 1. “each participant agrees to abide by AMA Pro Racing’s rules and procedures. In addition, AMA Pro Racing-licensed riders are held responsible for the actions of their crew members.” Points, purse and trophies of penalized riders, Nicholas Wey and Joshua Hill will be reinstated. AMA Racing will continue to test race fuel for compliance of fuel rules as stated on Page 10 section L in the AMA Supercross/Motocross rulebook.

FIM Superbike World Championship Losail International Circuit, Qatar February 23, 2007 Superpole Results: 1. Troy CORSER (Yam YZF-R1), 1:58.402 2. Max BIAGGI (Suz GSX-R1000K7), 1:58.724 3. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:59.005 4. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1), 1:59.294 5. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F07), 1:59.537 6. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F07), 1:59.668 7. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suz GSX-R1000K7), 1:59.964 8. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Suz GSX-R1000K6), 2:00.098 9. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R), 2:00.240 10. Roberto ROLFO (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:00.414 11. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F06), 2:00.429 12. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:01.085 13. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R), 2:01.176 14. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:01.411 15. Josh BROOKES (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:01.581 16. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yam YZF-R1), 2:02.301 More, from a press release issued by Team Yamaha YZF: 2 pole positions for Yamaha, Nakatomi 16th For the first race of the year, Yamaha is in pole position in Superbike with Troy Corser and in Supersport with Kevin Curtain. Shinichi Nakatomi, who qualified for Superpole, is in 16th position. There is a good progress for Shinichi Nakatomi who is 1.4 seconds quicker than he was last year. This is a very good result because Nakatomi did not have the opportunity to do much testing over the last winter. The new Yamaha R1 is efficient, and both team mates Troy Corser and Noriyuki Haga will start from the front row tomorrow. Nakatomi’s Yamaha is using the racing kit parts that the team is helping to develop, and the Kayaba suspensions that show a very good efficiency. Martial Garcia (team-manager): “We had no major trouble. Our rider needs some mileage because he could not do much practice last winter. So this race is for us some kind of real test session. To participate to the Superpole is satisfying.” More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Toseland on the front row as Rolfo continues to improve The HANNspree Ten Kate Honda World Superbike team finished final qualifying today with a tense Superpole session in the hot sun at Losail International Circuit in Qatar. James Toseland and Roberto Rolfo will start the opening race of the 2007 World Superbike Championship in third and tenth grid positions respectively. James Toseland has proved the competitiveness of his CBR1000RR by being at the top of the timesheets for most of this weekend’s event. The British rider stormed to the top of the rankings and smashed the existing Qatar Superbike lap record with an impressive time of 1’58.681 in this morning’s qualifying session. This set him in good stead for the Superpole one-lap dash this afternoon and as the sun set over the Losail circuit he secured a third place starting position. Toseland’s Superpole lap of 1’59.005 didn’t match his previous best lap of the weekend set on a race tyre, but it was within six-tenths of a second of fastest rider Troy Corser. Roberto Rolfo has continued to improve over the course of the first round qualifying sessions. The Italian rider’s lap times in this morning’s session were his fastest yet at the 5.4km Qatar track as he recorded a best time of 2’00.244. He entered Superpole in a strong position and put in an impressive lap to reach tenth place on the grid for the start of tomorrow’s race. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager: “The track conditions have been variable all weekend with the wind changing direction everyday. It is always difficult to be the fastest rider and go last in the Superpole qualifying competition. James has done a great job all weekend and whilst I felt we had a chance of pole position, a front row start is what really matters. Roby has made steady progress all weekend and I am confident of two good race results for both riders tomorrow.” James Toseland: “I was really disappointed about the outcome of the Superpole, just because it’s been going so well all weekend that I felt that it was time for a pole position. For the race tomorrow we have a good set-up, I’ve had a meeting with the team since the Superpole to fine tune the bike for tomorrow and I’m feeling confident. I think there will be four or five of us in the serious battle for first place so it should be a good race” Roberto Rolfo: “This is my first Superpole performance with the CBR1000RR and I am still learning how to get the best from the bike. I am happy to be starting from tenth position as I am confident of improving even further in tomorrow’s races. The strong wind died down towards the end of Superpole. This caused me a few problems but I don’t think it effected the outcome. I am looking forward to tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra: 2007 Superbike World Championship Round 1, Losail, Qatar Final qualifying, Friday 23rd February Circuit: 5.380 kms. Conditions: Dry, mostly sunny 22-25 C. SUPERMAX! Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Max Biaggi stunned everybody by storming to second place in Superpole despite never ever having done a Superpole lap before. He had qualified fifth overall in regular qualifying, but a super smooth lap of 1:58.724 saw him finish just behind Superpole winner Troy Corser (Yamaha). Third quickest was James Toseland (Honda), with Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) fourth. Max’s team mate Yukio Kagayama made a few mistakes on his Superpole lap and ended seventh and so will start tomorrow’s pair of 18-lap races from the second row of the grid. MAX – 2nd, 1:58.724 Superpole was another new experience for me and I can tell you that I was a bit nervous before I started it. I didn’t want to make any mistakes or crash, so I tried to ride as smoothly as I could and get round in the best time. I am very happy because my Superpole lap was the fastest lap I’ve done this weekend and it means that I am well-placed on the front row of the grid. The bike is working well and I am enjoying all these new experiences, but what matters now is what happens in the races tomorrow. I think we can make a good result and for that I have to thank my Alstare team for all the work they’ve done. I am just sorry that Francis (Batta) is not here to see us and I hope he watches it on TV and we can give him a good result. YUKIO – 7th, 1:59.964 I think I made small mistakes almost all round the circuit in my Superpole lap and that lost a lot of time. That was mainly because I did not have a good feeling with the qualifying tyre. Maybe I was a bit too aggressive in the first part and by the time I smoothed myself out, it was too late. But my set-up for the race is good – better then for Superpole – and I am confident that I can make good results. After all, second row at this track is not so bad, because the first turn is a long way from the start. As long as I make a good start, I can be on the podiums. More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: SECOND ROW START FOR DUCATI XEROX TEAM RIDERS IN QATAR Losail (Qatar), Friday 23 February: The first Superpole session of the 2007 World Superbike championship was a tough one for the Ducati Xerox Team at the Losail circuit in Qatar with riders Lorenzo Lanzi and Troy Bayliss posting fifth and sixth quickest times in the one-lap dash. “Well, that was something different!” declared Troy about his Superpole. “I think everyone will be happy to see that but not us! We haven’t been at our best all weekend actually. It’s really strange because the last test I did here I did a 58.1 and now the best I’ve done all weekend has been a 59.5 with exactly the same setting from last time. We’re just having some difficulty in getting comfortable on the bike, my Superpole lap didn’t feel good and it just didn’t happen. That’s it really, now we put it behind us and hopefully we can do a good race tomorrow. We knew it was going to be a hard weekend but it’s just looking a bit harder than normal. Honestly my long run is the only good thing I’ve done this weekend, 10 laps in 1m59s, so that’s a good sign and I’m feeling pretty confident that I will be OK in the second part of the race.” “I really hoped to get on the front row of the grid because all weekend I’ve always been in the top 4 and it was important for the start” declared Lorenzo. “Now Troy and I are both on the second row, we have to hope for a good start and do the first few laps well. We’re pretty clear on the choice of tyres, we’ll just have to see how they work tomorrow and what sort of weather conditions there are because the cooler it is the better it is for us. The bike set-up feels OK for the race, unfortunately I made an error in my Superpole lap at the final corner and lost those vital tenths of a second that would have put me on the front row of the grid.” More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group: CORSER OUSTS BIAGGI TO SCORE SUPERPOLE WIN No. 39 TC EXTENDS SUPERPOLE ALL TIME RECORD Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia) overcame two practice crashes earlier in the weekend to score his 39th Superpole win at Losail, after qualifying second quickest in regulation practice. Corser’s lap of 1’58.402 was the fastest of the weekend, and was set on race tyres, in his first ever meeting for his new Yamaha team. BIAGGI A CLOSE SECOND IN HIS FIRST EVER SUPERPOLE A stunning lap by Max Biaggi (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) in his first ever Superpole contest was a remarkable feat for the new SBK force, and looked for some time like his 1’58.724 would be the Superpole winner. He was only 0.322 seconds from Corser in the final analysis, and ran qualifying tyres in his flying lap. Pre-Superpole fastest rider James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) was last rider away but he made a couple of small errors in his Superpole lap, losing the chance of the win. In scoring third place he nonetheless earned a coveted front row start. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) went fourth fastest on his new R1, and joins the cream of the Superpole crop on the front row for Saturday’s two 18-lap races. LANZI AND BAYLISS HEAD UP SECOND ROW STARS Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) slipped and slid to fifth fastest time in Superpole, and was one place ahead of a strangely subdued Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox), who only went sixth. Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) once more rounded out the top seven after a hot day of qualifying at the 5.380km Losail circuit. A quite brilliant second day for Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Germany) saw him take a 2006 specification GSX-R1000 to a second row start. in eighth place, impressing all who watched with his maturity in the pressurised scenario of Superpole. NIETO OVERCOMES ILLNESS TO SCORE NINTH SPOT Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) only rated his fitness at 75% today but he punched hard in Superpole to take ninth best time out of 23 riders, despite his machine suffering from chatter and requiring a high degree of steering effort. Roby Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) set a workmanlike lap to earn second spot on row three at Losail – and the last place inside the psychologically important top ten. Ruben Xaus (Team Sterilgarda Ducati) went 11th, with the hard pushing style of Michel Fabrizio (DFX Corse Honda) taking him to a third row starting place. LACONI IN 13th PLACE AFTER TOUGH WEEKEND OF PRACTICE Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) could not get the front end feel from his machine that he needed to set a lap better than the 13th fastest in Superpole, after qualifying 12th in regulation. He now starts from row four, one place ahead of the still developing Alto Evolution Hondas of Karl Muggeridge (14th) and Josh Brookes (15th). Yamaha YZF Team rider Shinichi Nakatomi was the last rider who made the Superpole cut and the last rider after Superpole was completed. DFX Corse Honda rider Steve Martin failed to make Superpole by one place, with the LBR Racing MV Agusta of Christian Zaiser just under 0..3 seconds from Martin, in 18th place. British privateer Dean Ellison (Team Pedercini 999RS) was 20th, one place behind rookie Alessandro Polita (Celani Team Suzuki Italia). PIRELLI DIABLO SUPERBIKE The new generation of DIABLO SUPERBIKE tyres confirmed the results of the Pirelli tests at Losail in December. The best lap of last year was just destroyed by James Toseland in regulation qualifying, dropping the record on race tyres by 1.4″ (after a 1’58.6 lap). Then In Superpole Troy Corser scored an even better time, also on race tyres. After the second SBK qualifying session, the free sessions were saved for ‘long runs’, which indicated that with Pirellis and the right setup it’s possible to compete for the whole race at record pace. In Superpole, the riders earned first row starts using both qualifying rubber (Biaggi, Toseland) and race tyre solutions (Haga, Corser). If raceday temperatures will allow it, some riders could race with the same tyre choice as Superpole, confirming the incredible level of performance reached by Pirelli’s race tyres, thanks to the development carried on during the off-season. WORLD SUPERSPORT The top four Supersport riders put clear distance between themselves and their peers in the 600cc division, with Kevin Curtain (Yamaha World SSP Racing) taking only his third career pole, with an impressive new WSS best lap of 2’02.081. Close behind, only 0.102 adrift, was reigning double champion Sebastien Charpentier (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) with first-day provisional pole man Katsuaki Fujiwara (Althea Honda) now third, even after improving on his Thursday time. Fourth, and last man on the front row of the grid, was Charpentier’s team-mate, Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). The second row of the grid will be led away by GIL Kawasaki pairing Fabien Foret and Pere Riba (GIL Kawasaki) in an outstanding showing for the all-new ZX-6R. Broc Parkes (Yamaha World SSP Racing) and Gianluca Nannelli (Team Caracchi Ducati SC 749R) finished of the second row, with the fastest GSX-R rider on show being Barry Veneman (Hoegee Suzuki) 11th. Every one of the 36 riders in the field qualified for Saturday’s 18-lap race. More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi: SECOND ROW FOR NANNELLI IN QATAR (Doha 2007 February 23) Gianluca Nannelli will start tomorrow from the second row in Supersport race, after recording the eight fastest in qualifyin practice. Today the Scuderia SC Caracchi Ducati had some difficulties: the Supersport morning session, when external conditions look to be different as yesterday, the team tested some new set that did not give the attended result. On the contrary in Superbike a small technical trouble, that has been possible to recover just after the end of the session, did not allow Jakub Smrz to join the Superpole, but during the second free practice session the young Czech rider did improve clearly his record. “Today I’m less satisfied as yesterday.” said a disappointed Nannelli at the end of qualifying “This morning the conditions were too different from what we could presume for the race, so we tried some new solution that could be interesting, but we have not been satisfied about that. So in the afternoon we worked most with race set up. I suppose a race pace maybe around 2’03″ and in such condition I’ll be able to stay with the leaders. Tomorrow I’ll start from the second row, I have to hope for a good start and du the first few laps well, but if I’ll be able to stay with the leading group I’ve seen that in race condition I can have the same pace.” Jakub Smrz in Superbike has not been to catch the Superpole, but in the decisive qualifying session he’s been actually unlucky. “We got a small trouble and we could recover it just at the end of the session, when it was too late.” commented Jakub Smrz rejoining the garage. “In the afternoon, during free practice session, I improved clearly my lap time, and for tomorrow I believe to be able to fight for the points. Of course I was hoping to start from a better position, and with just a whisker of fortune I could be able to do it.” More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: ‘MR SUPERPOLE’ DOES IT AGAIN! There is a reason where Troy is called ‘Mr Superpole’ and today he once again showed why he has been given that title. Despite this being the very first race weekend with a new bike and a new team and despite a crash in the afternoon session just before Superpole, Troy stormed round the 5.380 Km Qatar circuit in 1:58.402 – one and a half seconds inside the lap record! And all this was achieved with a very sore left hand, hurt when the hand was trapped under the bike when Troy fell in the second turn this afternoon! TROY – 1st, 1:58.402 I’ve had two crashes this weekend and that’s two too many for me! This afternoon, I just tipped off at turn two when my Yamaha came round on me and down I went. My left hand was caught under the bar and then the clip-on broke and my hand got jammed in the fairing and it was that or the track that gave it a thump. I may have broken a small bone in the top of the hand, but I can work my fingers and wrist OK and it didn’t give me any trouble at all on my Superpole lap. I’m pretty happy with how the bike is working, especially after we made some adjustments to the fork settings today. It’s something Nori has been working on and I’ve tried it today and it’s an improvement for sure. I’ll fine-tune it to my own feelings and that should pretty much be it. I know what tyres I’m going to use, so it’s just a case of getting a couple of good starts and following up with a couple of good results. It was good to win Superpole today, but I was honestly just making sure of a front row grid place. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Corser on pole as 2007 R1 continues impressive debut Troy Corser lived up to his reputation as the king of superpole in Qatar today, setting a blistering lap time to grab pole position for his first races with the Yamaha Motor Italy WSB Team. The new-for-2007 YZF-R1 has made an immediate impact in its first world championship outing with Noriyuki Haga setting the pace yesterday and Corser taking pole today. Haga continued his great form in superpole and will join his team-mate on the front row for tomorrow’s races. Corser, who will sit on pole for the 39th time tomorrow, didn’t have the ideal preparation for his superpole lap after crashing at the end of the preceding free practice session. The Australian rider had gone out to test the soft qualifying tyre used for superpole but slid off as he entered the second turn. His job looked doubly difficult when superbike newcomer Max Biaggi (Suzuki) became the first man to record a sub 1:59 lap time in superpole. Corser, who elected to run a tried and tested race tyre rather than the super-sticky qualifier, simply put the crash behind him and stormed to a 1:58.402 lap – one-third of a second quicker than the Italian and the fastest ever superbike time around the Losail circuit. Team-mate Haga was delighted to secure an all-important front row start for tomorrow’s 18-lap races. The Japanese star also opted not to use the softer qualifying tyre, preferring to use the softest race option instead. Haga’s lap was, by his own admission, less than perfect but the combination of the R1’s power and Haga’s own skill and determination helped him stop the clock in 1:59.294, good enough for fourth place on tomorrow’s grid. Team YZF Yamaha rider Shinichi Nakatomi was the first rider to set off on his superpole lap after ending the two hours of qualifying in 16th position. The Japanese rider was unable to improve his time or qualifying position and will start the races from the fourth row after recording a time of 2:02.301. Despite failing to go faster on the soft superpole tyre, Nakatomi feels he has a good set up for the races and can make up positions as he regularly did last season. Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italy WSB Team) “I’m delighted to get the pole, although I think that Yamaha and the team are even more excited! You always just go out to have a clean lap and not make any mistakes. The front row is what you want but pole is always a nice bonus. “I had a little crash just before the superpole. I went out on the qualifier and I don’t really know what happened. I guess that I was probably taking it too easy because the back end just slid away as I turned in for the second corner. It was unfortunate. I got caught out yesterday as well, when went down on some oil, but I’m thankful that I slid down the way I did, because it could have been a nasty highside. “It’s a new bike and Nori and I are working really well together in the box. We’re both doing our own things but we’re also sharing a lot of information, especially on the suspension settings and tyre selections, to get the best out of the bike. I’ve got a really good feeling with the team and even though we’ve only been working together a short time we’re working together well and it can only get better. The track is getting better the more we ride on it and I thought the tyres worked pretty well today. I did a lot of laps with James (Toseland) in practice and our lap times were pretty good. If we can make a good tyre choice then I think we should be up the front tomorrow.” Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italy WSB Team) “I’m very happy to be on the front row. During the superpole I made a mistake with my braking early in the lap, so I pushed hard and made another small mistake. But the lap time was good and the front row is always the target. We did a lot of work on the suspension today as we are trying to get the maximum from the tyre in race condition and I think that we can feel the benefit of this tomorrow.” Shinichi Nakatomi (Team YZF Yamaha) “I think we are ready for the races. This is what we concentrate on during the practice and I have been able to make lots of consistent laps. We are learning more about this new bike all the time and I think we can improve more tomorrow.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator – Yamaha Motor Italy WSB Team) “We did not really expect to make the pole after Troy’s crash but he was very focused and did a great job. Noriyuki’s superpole lap was also done on the soft race tyre, rather than the qualifier, because he prefers to use this. So Troy on pole and Nori on the front row is a great result for the team and I hope we can continue the good results in the races tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by Steve Martin’s publicist: Steve Martin Qualifies 17th in Qatar Steve Martin will start tomorrow’s opening race of the 2007 World Superbike season in Qatar from the fifth row of the grid, after missing out on superpole by just three tenths of a second with his time of 2:01.359. Having not been able to ride his Honda at another circuit other than Valencia prior to yesterday’s opening day of the championship, the Aussie spent much of his time during the two free practice and qualifying sessions concentrating on bike set up for the 5.4km desert circuit of Losail. Steve commented, “It’s really good to be back in the paddock and on track in a race weekend environment again. Whilst I’m not overly happy with my qualifying position on the grid for tomorrow’s races as 17th just isn’t where I want to be, I am encouraged that I was able to go faster during every session on track over the last two days and also posted 12th in the timesheet during this afternoon’s second free practice. “We’ve made a number of changes to the set up and tested different clutch settings, with the 2007 spec rear shock and new electronics package also fitted for this race, so it just takes a lot of time to work though everything and get the bike working as a whole package. “And we’re still waiting for some further new development parts so things are definitely heading in the right direction. With comfortably warm temperatures, rather than the sweltering heat experienced in the past at Losail, Steve completed a long distance run in the afternoon with consistent lap times to establish a good direction for final tweaks to his Honda overnight, in readiness for tomorrow’s races. “The long run highlighted that we need to do some more work on the bike’s turning, so we’ve got some changes to make overnight in that area to try during warm up tomorrow morning, as well as making a few tweaks to the set up to try and give the tyres a slightly easier time. “I’m not 100% confident with the bike set up at the moment, but it’s building all the time and I think that completing two race distances on the Honda in race conditions tomorrow will make me feel much more comfortable, having experienced its handling and characteristics then in a full range of situations. Talking about Losail, Steve said, “It’s a pretty easy circuit to learn and this is the third year we’ve raced here. But it doesn’t matter how many times you go round, if you are not on the ball it’s easy to make a mistake as there are a lot of turns that look the same. About Losail The Losail International Circuit, purpose-built on the outskirts of the capital city of Doha, was constructed in little over a year after an investment of some $58 million USD and round-the-clock dedication of up to 1,000 workers. The track itself is a flowing layout of 5.4 kilometres, featuring a long main straight of 1100 metres, surrounded by artificial grass designed to prevent sand from the neighbouring desert from blowing onto the circuit. What happened for Steve in 2006? Just four months after major kidney surgery, Steve valiantly qualified in 9th at the opening round of the season, just four hundredths of a second off the second row of the grid. Steve’s qualifying lap time was three seconds faster than his quickest lap at the Losail circuit in 2005, providing an indication of the progress he had made in developing the Petronas during that period. In race one, Steve unfortunately dropped a number of places on the fifth lap after hitting neutral going into the hairpin, but he fought back to take 18th place at the chequered flag, followed by a further 18th place finish in race two. What happened for Steve in 2005? Steve was denied a double points-scoring weekend when an engine failure on the penultimate lap of the second race denied him the chance to repeat his first race position of 15th.

FIM Supersport World Championship Losail International Circuit, Qatar February 23, 2007 Final Qualifying Results: 1. Kevin CURTAIN (Yam YZF-R6), 2:02.081 2. Sebastian CHARPENTIER (Hon CBR600RR), 2:02.183 3. Katsuaki FUJIWARA (Hon CBR600RR), 2:02.376 4. Kenan SOFUOGLU (Hon CBR600RR), 2:02.752 5. Fabien FORET (Kaw ZX-6R), 2:03.266 6. Pere RIBA (Kaw ZX-6R), 2:03.342 7. Broc PARKES (Yam YZF-R6), 2:03.396 8. Gianluca NANNELLI (Duc 749R), 2:03.477 9. Yoann TIBERIO (Hon CBR600RR), 2:03.806 10. Massimo ROCCOLI (Yam YZF-R6), 2:03.921 16. Chris PERIS (Yam YZF-R6), 2:04.691 More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: HANNspree Ten Kate Honda riders secure front row starts The first race of the 2007 World Supersport Championship in Qatar will see HANNspree Ten Kate Honda riders Sébastien Charpentier and Kenan Sofuoglu start from the front row. Today’s final qualifying saw the pair fight hard for the top spots in an exciting session that took place in the dry desert heat. Sébastien Charpentier put in an impressive display and even managed to smash the Qatar Supersport lap record, which he set himself during the 2006 series. His best lap for 2007 now stands at 2’02.183 – nearly one full second faster than his previous record. The Frenchman held on to the best lap until the final 30 seconds of the 45-minute session when Kevin Curtain stole it with a time of 2’02.081. Kenan Sofuoglu fought just as hard for his front row position, changing places with the top four riders throughout the session to finally finish in fourth place. The 22-year-old set his best lap times of the week so far with a final recording of 2’02.752. He hopes to continue this form in tomorrow’s race now that the new CBR600RR has been adjusted to his preferences and is ready to go. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager “To be honest, this a good result for the first event with a new bike. We didn’t test here so this is the first time the new CBR600RR has been on this track. Second and fourth is good because it is important that we start tomorrow’s race from the front row. Pole position would have been an extra bonus, but we just had it grabbed away from Sébastien in the closing stages. It’s not too much of a problem though – we are making step-by-step improvements to the bike and the riders are becoming more and more familiar with the CBR600RR. I’m still confident that we can race to win tomorrow.” Sébastien Charpentier “To be in second place is not what I wanted but it is OK. I am really happy with the set-up of the bike and the team has worked really hard to make sure the bike is good enough to get the best lap times. I have a plan for tomorrow, I know the other riders and I am ready for the race. I think I have a good chance to finish in front tomorrow.” Kenan Sofuoglu “I can’t say I am really happy but the good thing is that we are in the first row, which is the important thing. I’m also happy to have got my lap time down and if I can keep this up for the race it will be good. Today’s times were much better than in yesterday’s sessions and tomorrow is a new day so I hope we improve further for the race. The bike is now set up and ready to go, we have no more changes to make so in the warm up I can concentrate on my riding and getting ready to race. Hopefully I can get a win for the team.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Yamaha’s Curtain storms to Qatari pole Kevin Curtain made his intentions for the 2007 Supersport World Championship clear by blasting his Yamaha YZF-R6 to pole position for tomorrow’s opening race at the Losail circuit in Qatar. The Australian had endured a tough day in yesterday’s practice, destroying his preferred machine when he was an innocent victim of a pile-up during the first practice session, but the Yamaha World Supersport team rider gave a virtuoso performance in today’s second session, improving his time by almost two seconds. Curtain instantly improved his Thursday time and topped the timesheets for most of the session, although it was his perfectly timed run right at the end of the session that finally grabbed the pole and gave his rivals no time to respond. The Yamaha man’s 2:02.081 lap was a whole second quicker than last year’s pole position and gives the 2006 championship runner up the third world championship pole of his career. Curtain’s team-mate Broc Parkes battled set-up problems throughout the qualifying sessions and will start tomorrow’s 18 lap, 97km, race from the second row after improving his time and one place from yesterday’s opening session. Parkes stopped the clock at 2:03.396 on the second of his three qualifying runs and although he went out to try and move up the grid at the end of the session, he was unable to improve his time. Italian youngster Massimo Roccoli improved his opening day time by over a second to make round out the top ten and make it three YZF-R6s in the first three rows. Joining Curtain on the front row for what is expected to be a closely fought race will be Sebastien Charpentier, Katsuaki Fujiwara and Kenan Sofuoglu (all Honda). Last season’s race saw Curtain finish second to eventual champion Charpentier on the still-developing R6’s race debut. Kevin Curtain (Yamaha World Supersport team) “Today’s been a great start for us and, to be honest, a little unexpected after what happened yesterday. I was a big victim of the oil on the track yesterday and I have to thank my mechanics for building me a brand new bike overnight, because the other one was destroyed. Thanks to them we were able to get on and concentrate on the work we wanted to concentrate on yesterday. The bike is working very good here and we’ve been able to do a lot of work on the chassis and suspension over the winter, so hopefully we can take advantage of that here this weekend.” Broc Parkes (Yamaha World Supersport team) “It’s been a frustrating few days so far because when we came testing here I was able to do 2:02 laps all day long but so far this we’ve had a lot of problems with chattering and we can’t quite put our finger on why that is. We’ve virtually turned the bike upside down but we’ve not been able to make much progress. We know that the bike’s quick because Kevin’s right on it, which is great for the team but frustrating for me. I know we’ll try a few things for tomorrow and hopefully that will help us solve the chatter problem and put in a good race.”

FIM Superbike World Championship Losail International Circuit, Qatar February 23, 2007 Qualifying Results: 1. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:58.681 2. Troy CORSER (Yam YZF-R1), 1:58.922 3. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1), 1:58.955 4. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F07), 1:59.286 5. Max BIAGGI (Suz GSX-R1000K7), 1:59.369 6. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suz GSX-R1000K7), 1:59.457 7. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F07), 1:59.507 8. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Suz GSX-R1000K6), 1:59.830 9. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:59.919 10. Roberto ROLFO (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:00.077 11. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F06), 2:00.244 12. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R), 2:00.329 13. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:00.350 14. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:00.839 15. Josh BROOKES (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:00.936 16. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yam YZF-R1), 2:01.076 17. Steve MARTIN (Hon CBR1000RR), 2:01.359 18. Christian ZAISER (MV Agusta F4-1000R), 2:02.436 19. Alessandro POLITA (Suz GSX-R1000K6), 2:02.717 20. Dean ELLISON (Duc 999RS), 2:03.073

FIM Supersport World Championship Losail International Circuit, Qatar February 23, 2007 Practice Times: 1. Kevin CURTAIN (Yam YZF-R6), 2:03.154 15 2. Sebastian CHARPENTIER (Hon CBR600RR), 2:03.347 3. Massimo ROCCOLI (Yam YZF-R6), 2:04.135 4. Kenan SOFUOGLU (Hon CBR600RR), 2:04.260 5. Broc PARKES (Yam YZF-R6), 2:04.350 6. Fabien FORET (Kaw ZX-6R), 2:04.377 7. Javier FORES (Hon CBR600RR), 2:04.487 8. Yoann TIBERIO (Hon CBR600RR), 2:04.510 9. Gianluca NANNELLI (Duc 749R), 2:04.711 10. Pere RIBA (Kaw ZX-6R), 2:04.772 24. Chris PERIS (Yam YZF-R6), 2:06.460