FIM Supersport World Championship Losail International Circuit, Qatar February 22, 2007 Provisional Qualifying Results: 1. Katsuaki FUJIWARA (Hon CBR600RR), 2:03.258 2. Gianluca NANNELLI (Duc 749R), 2:03.477 3. Kenan SOFUOGLU (Hon CBR600RR), 2:03.608 4. Sebastian CHARPENTIER (Hon CBR600RR), 2:03.744 5. Fabien FORET (Kaw ZX-6R), 2:03.862 6. Kevin CURTAIN (Yam YZF-R6), 2:03.941 7. Pere RIBA (Kaw ZX-6R), 2:03.949 8. Broc PARKES (Yam YZF-R6), 2:03.991 9. Robbin HARMS (Hon CBR600RR), 2:04.308 10. Barry VENEMAN (Suz GSX-R600), 2:04.484 19. Chris PERIS (Yam YZF-R6), 2:06.010 More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: New CBR600RR performs well for HANNspree Ten Kate Honda HANNspree Ten Kate Honda’s World Supersport riders are well on the way to securing a front row start for this Saturday’s race following the first qualifying practice at a sun-drenched Losail International Circuit in Qatar. Despite slippery track conditions due to an oil spill in morning practice, Kenan Sofuoglu and Sebastien Charpentier battled it out in the top four for the majority of the session. The final times were incredibly close but ended with Sofuoglu setting the third best time and team-mate Charpentier just behind him in fourth. After setting the best lap time in the morning practice session, Sofuoglu completed 13 laps of the 5.4km track during qualifying to secure a final time of 2:03.477 – only 0.360 seconds behind fastest rider Katsuaki Fujiwara. The Turkish rider will be experimenting with the gearing on the new Honda CBR600RR to improve his position in tomorrow’s final qualifying session. Defending World Champion Charpentier finished the day on a final best lap of 2:03.744.The Frenchman currently holds the Supersport lap record at the Losail circuit, which he set during the 2006 Qatar round and he has no plans to surrender it. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager: “I’m quite happy with the start of the season. We have had to do a lot of work to the bikes to find a set-up that suits the track butboth riders are happy. We will try some softer tyres tomorrow as we only had hard ones today, so I’m confident that that we can make an improvement on the times. All in all I’m really pleased – there were a lot of CBR600RRs up at the front so we know that Honda did a good job for us developing the bike over the winter. We will have to go faster tomorrow if the conditions are the same to establish a front row start.” Sébastien Charpentier “I am feeling OK about today. It is not so bad because we were still in the top four despite the track conditions. There were a lot of crashes in the practice laps. I just made a mistake on the last corner when the bike slipped because there was still some oil residue on the track. We did not test at this circuit over the winter, therefore we have to be happy with today’s performance.” Kenan Sogouglu: “We did not do a test here so we have had to find the right set-up for the bike in the practice sessions. Tomorrow we will try a different gearing and hopefully it will work better. I think if we find a good set-up then we have a strong chance of staying on the first row.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: R6 men show Middle Eastern promise The Yamaha World Supersport team made a promising start to Saturday’s opening round of the 2007 Supersport World Championship at a hot and sunny Losail circuit in Qatar today, ending first qualifying with both riders on the provisional second row. Last year’s championship runner-up Kevin Curtain was the fastest of the YZF-R6 runners, setting a best lap of 2:03.941 around the long and fast desert circuit. Team-mate Broc Parkes was just five hundreds of a second behind his fellow Australian to take eighth place in a tight session that saw the top eight all in the 2:03 bracket. Encouragingly both of the Yamaha Motor Europe entered machines were able to run consistently at race pace, putting in consistent 2:04 lap times during their runs. The season certainly got off to a spectacular start when Curtain’s R6 was destroyed in a pile-up just minutes into the morning practice session. The accident claimed four Yamaha riders with Yamaha GMT94’s David Checa and Sebastien Gimbert, as well as Italian privateer Gianluca Vizziello, all going down on oil deposited by another rider’s machine. Thankfully all riders escaped without injury and were able to return to the circuit when the session was restarted, allowing the protagonists to work on finding a good set-up for Saturday’s 18 lap race. Yamaha Motor Italy Lorenzini by Leoni rider Massimo Roccoli ended the day 11th on his YZF-R6, with supersport newcomer Gimbert and team-mate Checa ending the day 17th and 21st places respectively. Fastest man on show was Japanese rider Katsuaki Fujiwara (Honda) who recorded a 2:03.258 lap in the last minute of the session. Italian Gianluca Nannelli (Ducati) and Honda team-mates Kenan Sofuoglu and Sebastien Charpentier complete the provisional front row. Kevin Curtain “Not a bad day but the crash this morning was a real downer. Someone blew up right on the racing line and four of us went down, with Broc and a few others doing real well to stay up. The bike was totally destroyed in the crash and that set me back as the spare bike wasn’t set up quite the same. That’s a shame but we know we are competitive and can make some improvements for tomorrow.” Broc Parkes “It’s been a decent enough start today. I almost crashed on the oil in the morning session and the two big delays were a little strange. The times are all very close and we’re on the pace. I think that we are already in decent shape but hopefully we can get further up the grid tomorrow.”

The Support Races at the 2007 Superbike World Championship round at Phillip Island are not part of the 2007 Australian Superbike Championship, meaning that Superstock competitors are required to use the tyres from the ‘2007 Tyre Homologation list for Road Race’. Also, with the combining of the Supersport and Superstock classes at the event, Superstock riders will be allowed to run wet tyres if the race is declared wet. If there are any queries relating to these or any other rules that will be in effect over the weekend of the Superbike World Championship, please do not hesitate to contact Daniel Hutchinson on 03 9684 0500.

Californian Steve Bonsey, the teenage dirt tracker whose road racing experience consisted of only a few weekends as a WERA Novice on an SV650 before he landed a factory KTM ride for the 2007 125cc World Championship Series, was 29th-fastest in testing at Jerez Wednesday. Mattia Pasini was fastest at the test, turning a 1:47.727 on an Aprilia. The fastest KTM man was Tomoyoshi Koyama, fifth at 1:48.175. Bonsey’s best lap was a 1:51.897. The slowest man at the test was Roberto Tamburini, 31st-fastest on an Aprilia at 1:52.682.

Pirelli Breaks Jennings GP Track Record with M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Geoff May Last week, during pre-season testing at Jennings GP in north Florida, Team M4 EMGO Suzuki rider Geoff May set a new motorcycle track record of 1:14.51, on the new 17-inch Pirelli Superbike Slicks. May was riding a 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000, under development for the 2007 AMA Superbike Series. May’s record was just a 10th short of a full second faster than the track record of less than a year ago. May said, “The conditions were far less than favorable. It was cold and the track was pretty green. So we’re continuing to feel really good about our chances in the AMA Superstock championship this year, not to mention Supersport.” The Jennings GP track record was recently reset by Fast by Ferracci rider, Luca Scassa, to 1:14.81, on a production MV Agusta F4 1000R, in late fall of 2006, in favorable conditions and on Pirelli tires. The record prior to that was owned by Pascal Picotte at 1:15.44, set while testing for the 2006 Canada Superbike Series, also on Pirelli tires. This is an official track record verified by Jennings GP track owner Borge Larsen and Jennings GP Office Manager Jennifer Reese. Reese said, “And what a track record it was. We were all timing him so it’s official.” More, from a press release issued by North Texas Superbikes: North Texas Superbikes, Dunlop supported riders Michael Sanchez, Randall Kienast, and Marv Esterly, all took wins in this weekends CMRA racing series opening round at Oak Hill Raceway in Henderson, TX. Sanchez put his new Dunlop shod Yamaha R6, and ex Corona Suzuki GSXR1000 on the box 7 times with 4 wins including B Superbike, A Superstock, C Superbike, and the hotly contested Northwest Honda Formula 1 Expert race. “My R6 was brand new to us, just off of the street this week, so we weren’t sure what to expect, but it worked good with the tires right out of the box. And we switched from the 195 to the 205 rear and we definitely were hooked up better than ever on the 1000.” said Sanchez. In his first race weekend on Dunlop’s, Randall Kienast, dramatically won the A Superbike and finished 2nd in Formula 1, almost setting a new track record. Traffic came into play on the 4th lap allowing Kienast, to snatch the win from Sanchez’s grasp. His fastest lap and the fastest of anyone during the weekend set during Formula 1, a 1:22.159, came in just a few tenths shy of a track record. “I know I can get another second out of my setup with the new Dunlop tires. They just allow you so much traction, and feedback, they were awesome!” said Kienast. Marv Esterly handily won Formula 40 continuing where he left off from last season as 2006 class champion. “We ran softer that usual Dunlop’s, due to the extremely cold conditions, but they really worked. Holding up for multiple races.” cited Marv, “I can’t wait to get to NPR for the next race.” North Texas Superbikes, CMRA’s exclusive dealer for Dunlop race rubber, will return to action at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, Louisiana, on March 16-18. Please contact us for all of your Dunlop Tire needs at 972-966-0932 or on the web at www.northtexassuperbikes.com. More, from a press release issued by Sport Tire Service: Jeremy Toye is Sport Tire Services “Rider of the month!” Hey Jeremy! Here you go, my friend! Job well done last Sunday at Willow. That race between you and Jeff Tigert, sure reminded me a lot of Curtis Adams and Chuck Graves going at it 10 years ago. ~http://www.dunlopracing.com/sts_rider.htm~ Again, thanks for your help out there…….YOU GUYS ROCK! Dennis Smith Sport Tire Services Paso Robles, California

FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: Kudos to Team Hammer owner John Ulrich for having the balls to stop the bullsh-t complaints with all of the a–holes that seem to always have a problem with privateers. As a long-ago privateer team owner, I am well aware of the cost of racing, and practicing. I don’t remember ever being invited, at any cost, to participate in the closed factory tests. I do however, remember many factory rider complaints about the backmarkers(backmarkers make up 93% of the Superbike field at Daytona by the numbers) and how dangerous it is for the factory teams. I will also say that I have heard a lot of gripes from non-factory people about backmarkers–mostly spectators who have never had the balls to turn a wheel on the track. I also did not see any of the factories nor sanctioning body (AMA) offering to sponsor a track day prior to any events for any racers on their bikes. I did, and do hear factory team personnel complaining about the speed differences and hazzards posed by the backmarkers. I need to consult Harvick and Martin about those dammed backmarkers, as they have a much higher sustained average lap speed, and as we are all aware, the consequences of a crash or mistake by a “backmarker” are MUCH more dramatic, witness this last Sunday afternoon last lap “backmarker” problem. Come to think of it, I don’t think anyone in NASCAR can even spell “backmarker” let alone bitch about it. After all, if it was just a race with the factory riders only, the last place guy would still qualify as a backmarker. Mark Lewellen Ozark, Missouri FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: Factory Riders Banned From Team Hammer Events! To Team Hammer, THANK YOU! Privateer teams like mine need every bit of support we can get, and this is a huge boost of support towards keeping our smaller budget teams in the AMA paddock as much as possible. Your Thursday practice days make the difference for new AMA talent to gain the valuable set-up time needed for moving up the grid. Darren Murrey Owner, DMD Racing, LLC Tacoma, Washington FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: I’ve spent several years wondering and questioning my inquiry to the AMA on their actions and publishing their response on a website as a good thing or bad thing. Especially after the understandably irate call I received from John Ulrich after Vanderslice’s e-mail made the rounds. I’ve come to the conclusion that it was the right thing to do to bring it to light. I’m an outsider (just a fan) but even I could see there is no logic to killing Thursday practice. The fact that you were lied about by the AMA (or as MV put it “¦presumptuous statements made”¦”) and that the internet article spread like wild fire and caused you some consternation goes with the territory you occupy as an insider, journalist and AMA critic. We are known by our actions and yours as well as the AMA’s are evident. I will continue to support my local racers and I’ll continue to watch what you and the AMA do from the outside. Mark Webster (AMA Dupe) Sand Springs, Oklahoma FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: I have been following along the last couple of weeks regarding the AMA rules change and subsequent issues surrounding it. I also just read that Team Hammer is banning factory teams. I say good! I had a chance to race at Road America in 2004 with the AMA and I had never been to Road America before. I will say that had I not had the Thursday before I feel I would not have been able to qualify that weekend. I think its great that you offer a day before a race weekend without all the stress for a privateer to gout and find his groove before the weekend. Keep up the good work. Sean Edgett CRA #23 Minneapolis, Minnesota FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: While the decision does not effect me directly, I applaud it. AMA Racing (and the world in general…) needs more people with the mettle to speak plainly and bluntly when necessary. Steve Bem AHRMA #84 Dundas, Ontario, Canada