Pedrosa closes Official Test on top in Qatar MotoGP Official Test Day 3/3 – Losail International Circuit, Qatar – Thursday 15th February The first Official Test of 2007 came to a close today in Qatar, with the MotoGP riders bringing their ‘A-game” on the last of three sessions. Although rain did not directly affect the riders during their time on track, light rainfall overnight after day one left the track in difficult conditions, but still enabled them to put on qualifiers and push to leave the Losail International Circuit at the top of the timesheets. After a late charge of hot laps, Dani Pedrosa was the fastest rider today, with a scorching time of 1’55.471 building on a promising morning run. The Spaniard was quicker than Casey Stoner’s 990cc pole position from 2006, and put Honda on top for the first time after two days of Yamaha dominance. The second quickest at Qatar, today was nonetheless a bad day for Suzuki’s John Hopkins. The first rider to go out on qualifiers, in three-lap bursts, the Anglo-American clocked a time just over three tenths of a second slower than that of Pedrosa. However, a nasty crash before the end of the morning left Hopkins out of the afternoon session, probably set to miss next week’s MotoGP Official Test in Jerez and with a possible fracture in his hand. Despite this setback, he is still fully expected to line up alongside the rest of the premier class grid for the first race of the season on March 10th. Valentino Rossi, winner of last year’s Qatar Grand Prix, was the only other rider to break the 1’56 barrier. It is the first time at this test that he has finished above team-mate Colin Edwards, with his fellow factory Yamaha man still a speedy fifth fastest as both undertook race simulations. Separating the duo was Pramac d’Antin’s Alex Hofmann. The German was the fastest of all the Ducati riders for the first time on an 800cc bike, which is an extremely positive step for the team coming after team-mate Alex Barros’ impressive outing at Phillip Island. Rounding off the top six was Kawasaki rider Randy de Puniet, rejoined today by colleague Olivier Jacque after the older of the two Frenchmen sat out yesterday’s proceedings. A Ducati trio followed within two tenths of De Puniet, consisting of Loris Capirossi, Casey Stoner and Alex Barros. After a somewhat discreet test, Marco Melandri picked up the pace on day three, continuing his adaptation to Bridgestone tyres and the 800cc RC212V as he completed the top ten. World Champion Nicky Hayden was nearly two seconds off team-mate and fastest rider Pedrosa, still searching for pace after coming back from shoulder surgery. The ‘Kentucky Kid’ spent last week in California with doctors analysing his progression, and yesterday suffered two crashes onboard his 2007 bike. The MotoGP teams head on to Jerez, in preparation for next week’s second Official Test. It will be the final chance to fine-tune their 800cc prototypes before they return to the Losail International Circuit next month to kick off what is sure to be an exciting season. MotoGP Official Test: Qatar Day 3 Official Times 1. Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda – 1’55.471 2. John Hopkins, Rizla Suzuki – 1’55.825 3. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha Factory – 1’55.954 4. Alex Hofmann, Pramac d’Antin – 1’56.315 5. Colin Edwards, Yamaha Factory – 1’56.371 6. Randy de Puniet, Kawasaki Racing – 1’56.753 7. Loris Capirossi, Ducati Marlboro – 1’56.807 8. Casey Stoner, Ducati Marlboro – 1’56.834 9. Alex Barros, Pramac d’Antin – 1’56.950 10. Marco Melandri, Honda Gresini – 1’56.980 11. Shinya Nakano, Konica Minolta Honda – 1’56.980 12. Makoto Tamada, Dunlop Yamaha Tech3 – 1’57.232 13. Toni Elias, Honda Gresini – 1’57.246 14. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda – 1’57.269 15. Chris Vermeulen, Rizla Suzuki – 1’57.365 16. Kenny Roberts, Team Roberts – 1’57.408 17. Carlos Checa, Honda LCR – 1’57.497 18. Sylvain Guintoli, Dunlop Yamaha Tech3 – 1’58.379 19. Shinichi Ito, Ducati TTT – 1’58.974 20. Andrew Pitt, Ilmor GP – 2’00.455 21. Olivier Jacque, Kawasaki Racing – 2’02.081 22. Jeremy McWilliams, Ilmor GP – 2’02.612 More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team: DE PUNIET SIXTH FASTEST ON CLOSING DAY AT LOSAIL The curtain finally came down on the first official test of the 2007 season after three non-stop days at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar, with Randy de Puniet closing out the test with the sixth fastest time of the day aboard his Ninja ZX-RR. Once again the 26-year-old Frenchman was left to fly the flag alone for Kawasaki, as the after effects of his day one crash again forced Olivier Jacque to sit out most of his planned test session today. The former World Champion completed 12 laps of the 5.380 km Losail circuit this morning, enough to convince him that he hadn’t recovered sufficiently and that to continue testing would have only risked further injury for little return in terms of usable feedback. With his teammate once again sidelined, de Puniet completed a marathon 96 laps today. The Kawasaki pilot worked his way through an accelerated tyre testing schedule in order to identify a suitable rear race tyre for when the Kawasaki Racing Team return to Qatar, for the opening event of the season in just four weeks time. Although not completely satisfied with the race tyre options tested today, de Puniet still managed to post a lap time this morning on a qualifying tyre that was more than a second better than his best lap aboard the 990cc machine on a qualifier last year. But, after completing his flying lap, the Kawasaki pilot was convinced he could find even more speed when he returns here for the race. The Kawasaki Racing Team now heads back home for a brief four-day rest before travelling again to Jerez, Spain, for the last test of the 2007 pre-season, starting on Friday 23rd February. Randy de Puniet: 96 Laps – Best Lap 1’56.753 “It’s been a long and exhausting day; I have done almost 100 laps! In the afternoon we did a complete race simulation first, followed by a half-race distance, and the lap times were not so bad. We still need to improve our performance from the middle of the race until the end. We found a very good rear tyre but it seems that the front choice was not the best one for a whole race, as it dropped after ten laps. I kept my rhythm steady but for sure without the movement I could have ridden three or four tenths faster. I was tired then but I wanted to try another qualifier. Unlike this morning, I couldn’t get the most out of it though. Apart from that, it was good to see the potential of the bike over race distance. There is still some room for improvement in both tyres and bike performance, but we are heading in the right direction.” Olivier Jacque: 12 Laps – Best Lap 2’02.081 “This morning I thought that I was fit enough to ride, but when I got on the bike I realised that I was not. After a couple of laps I started to feel a little bit dizzy. My sight wasn’t right and I couldn’t ride the bike as always. It was too dangerous to continue and we decided to stop instead of doing a bad job and worsening the situation. I’m really disappointed because I really like this track. I did many tests here in the past and was expecting a lot from these three days. Anyway, now this is past and I only have Jerez in my mind. I will try and make up the time there.” Ichiro Yoda: Kawasaki Racing Director “My assessment of this three-day test is positive. We found a good base set up but still we have to make some modifications, mainly in chassis balance, but we are happy with our performance. It is really important that we haven’t suffered any relevant problems, either electronic or mechanical. Finding a good package was important too and Bridgestone has done a very good job providing different tyres, which allowed us to improve day by day. We have a clear idea about which is going to be our rear tyre choice for the race but still some doubts with the qualifying tyre. Our rider’s lap time on a qualifying tyre today was below our expectations. Anyway, it is nothing to worry about because we still have more to try at Jerez. Unfortunately, Olivier could only test for one day. It has been a shame for him, because he needs to ride, and for us as well as he is a great testing rider and would have given us a lot of useful information. We hope he will be completely fit for Jerez.” More, from a press release issued by Gresini Racing Honda: CONSTRUCTIVE TEST FOR GRESINI HONDA RIDERS The curtain came down on the three- day MotoGP Official Test at Losail in Qatar with the the Gresini Honda riders, , feeling that the Qatar test had been very useful in preparation of the first Grand Prix race that will take place on this track in a few weeks. Marco Melandri and Toni Elias completed the third test of the 2007 season, having accumulated a large volume of important data for the forthcoming season. Marco Melandri made an important step forward in the development of the Honda-Bridgestone package. While Elias was struggling a bit to find the right tyres for his characteristics and he looks forward to next test session in Jerez, the last of the winter season, in order to make further improvements.The third day of testing was characterized by comfortable weather conditions. Melandri completed 62 laps, 1’56″980 his best time. 71 laps for his team mate Toni Elias, 1’57.246 his best time. Now the Motogp riders will have one week to dedicate to their usual schedule of training and some days of relax, before resuming back on track for three days starting from Friday the 23rd of February for the Official Motogp Irta test session at Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, with Tv coverage. MARCO MELANDRI (62 laps, 1.56″980): “The team is doing a great job. I like the bike, I have a good feeling when I’m riding. I feel very comfortable with chassis and suspensions. Now we have to work on the engine to make a further step forward. We continued tyres testing with Bridgestone and we found some interesting solutions that can be good in preparation for the race. In the afternoon I tried also a qualifying tyre to gather some data and prepare for the season. I couldn’t use the qualifying tyre at his best, while my race pace was quite good. I trust a lot our partners so I’m confident”. TONI ELIAS (71 laps, 1.57.246):): “We are struggling a bit because in this moment we cannot find a good compromise in the package Honda – Bridgestone, we still haven’t found the tyre that it’s good for my riding style and my characteristics. I’m confident because we are working hard with the Bridgestone technicians. We will get probably some new stuff to test in Jerez for the next Irta test session, this would be very important for us “. MotoGP Official Test: Qatar 1. Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda – 1’55.471 2. John Hopkins, Rizla Suzuki – 1’55.825 3. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha Factory – 1’55.954 4. Alex Hofmann, Pramac d’Antin – 1’56.315 5. Colin Edwards, Yamaha Factory – 1’56.371 6. Randy de Puniet, Kawasaki Racing – 1’56.753 7. Loris Capirossi, Ducati Marlboro – 1’56.807 8. Casey Stoner, Ducati Marlboro – 1’56.834 9. Alex Barros, Pramac d’Antin – 1’56.950 10. Marco Melandri, Honda Gresini – 1’56.980 11. Shinya Nakano, Konica Minolta Honda – 1’56.980 12. Makoto Tamada, Dunlop Yamaha Tech3 – 1’57.232 13. Toni Elias, Honda Gresini – 1’57.246 14. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda – 1’57.269 15. Chris Vermeulen, Rizla Suzuki – 1’57.365 16. Kenny Roberts, Team Roberts – 1’57.408 17. Carlos Checa, Honda LCR – 1’57.497 18. Sylvain Guintoli, Dunlop Yamaha Tech3 – 1’58.379 19. Shinichi Ito, Ducati TTT – 1’58.974 20. Andrew Pitt, Ilmor GP – 2’00.455 21. Olivier Jacque, Kawasaki Racing – 2’02.081 22. Jeremy McWilliams, Ilmor GP – 2’02.612 More, from a press release issued by Marlboro Ducati: POSITIVE END TO QATAR TESTING FOR DUCATI WITH RACE SIMULATION The final day of testing in Qatar for the Ducati Marlboro Team concluded positively with both riders satisfied with their race simulation today. As in Sepang and Phillip Island, Loris Capirossi and Casey Stoner found a good compromise for the bike and tyre set-up in race configuration which enabled them to lap at an excellent pace. Despite today’s progress, the team still has to find the best solution for the qualifying set-up. Stoner is becoming more and more familiar with his Desmosedici GP7 machine even though today the Australian did not complete many laps because he first had a gearbox problem and then, like several other members of the team, felt sick and opted to wrap up testing early. The team now returns to Italy and will almost immediately head off again next week for the official IRTA MotoGP tests at Jerez in Spain from 23-25 February. On the Sunday, as per tradition, the one-hour timed practice session will be broadcast live on television at 14.05 CET. Loris Capirossi (62 laps, best time: 1m56.807s): “I am quite pleased with the way things went today in race configuration. I did a complete 22-lap race simulation at a good pace. The tyres remained pretty constant throughout and we look to be in pretty good shape in comparison with the others: the bike has improved and so have the tyres. There’s still a lot of work to do with qualifying tyres however. For the moment we are unable to get the best out of them. We have to work a lot with Bridgestone to avoid starting too far down the grid and risk jeopardizing the race. If we analyse everything today, we are quite happy with the situation. We still have to improve the set-up of the bike when there is not much grip, like yesterday, but we are OK if track conditions are good. We went well at Sepang, Phillip Island and here. Next week Jerez will be an important session to bring these winter tests to a conclusion” Casey Stoner (36 laps, best time: 1m56.834s): “It was another positive day. I was unable to finish the race simulation I was doing because they put the red flags out after 14 laps after someone crashed, but I was going well until then. We tried several different tyres which were satisfactory, so was happy with that. Today I didn’t do many laps because I didn’t feel well, like several other guys in the team, and I decided to call it a day before the end of the session and not test the qualifying tyres. In the last three days, and since the start of the 2007 tests in Sepang, we have gradually improved and the feeling with the Ducati is getting better all the time. It will be interesting to go back to Jerez next week. For the first time we will test at a circuit where we have already been and this will help to check on the progress we have made so far ” Losail lap record : Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006, 1m57.305s Losail pole record: Casey Stoner (Honda) 2006, 1m55.683s Temperature: air 22° / track – Unofficial times, Thursday 15 February: Dani Pedrosa (Honda), 1m55.471s John Hopkins (Suzuki), 1m55.825s Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), 1m55.954s Alex Hoffmann (Ducati), 1m56.315s Colin Edwards (Yamaha), 1m56.371s Randy De Puniet (Kawasaki), 1m56.753s Loris Capirossi (Ducati), 1m56.807s Casey Stoner (Ducati), 1m56.834s Alex Barros (Ducati), 1m56.950s Marco Melandri (Honda), 1m56.980s Shinya Nakano (Honda), 1m56.980s Makoto Tamada (Yamaha), 1m57.232s Toni Elias (Honda), 1m57.246s Nicky Hayden (Honda), 1m57.269s Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki), 1m57.365s Kenny Roberts (KR-Honda), 1m57.408s Carlos Checa (Honda), 1m57.497s More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Factory Racing Team: Yamaha Head Back to Europe after Successful Qatar Test The final day of MotoGP testing in Qatar today saw the times tumble yet again, as several riders opted to try qualifying tyres and three of them, Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi included, dipped under the 1’55 mark. As usual on the final day of a test, both Rossi and team-mate Colin Edwards tried their 800cc Yamaha’s on a long-run, enabling them to gather crucial information about tyre performance and fuel consumption ahead of the first race here in three week’s time. Edwards’ was in fact forced to do two extended sessions after his initial long-run, started towards the end of the morning, was red-flagged when Suzuki rider John Hopkins crashed, breaking a bone in his foot. After topping the time sheets for the last two days, the Yamaha pair slipped down the order a little today, Rossi coming in third behind Dani Pedrosa (Honda, 1’55.471) and Hopkins (1’55.825) with a time of 1’55.954, set in the morning session using a Michelin qualifying tyre. After running into a few small problems with the qualifying tyre, Edwards was unable to better his time from yesterday and finished the day fifth with a best lap of 1’56.371. The Yamaha Factory Racing Team will now head to European shores for the first time since December for the Official MotoGP Test on 23rd, 24th and 25th February, at Jerez de la Frontera in southern Spain. This will be the final pre-season test before the Grand Prix paddock reconvenes in Qatar for the first race of the season on 10th March. Colin Edwards Position: 3rd Time: 1’55.954 Laps: 62 “It’s been a good test overall, despite running into a few problems. Like I said yesterday, it’s better to find the problems now so we have the chance to fix them! As I expected, the other riders have improved a lot over these three days and Colin and I weren’t able to stay at the top today. Still, we’re quite fast and our bike is quite good, so we’re happy. The long run was okay, the situation with the rear tyre wasn’t perfect but we knew it wasn’t going to be and nothing happened that we didn’t expect. Anyway, we’re not worried about it and we know how to go from here. I was still able to do 1’56.5, so I think if the race was tomorrow then we would be in a position to fight for the victory, as would Colin. We still have one more test in Jerez so we’ve got the chance to do some more good work and try to make our bike perfect for the first race. We’re still working on the suspension and stability, we’ve talked a lot with our engineers and we’ve got some good ideas to try next week. We’ve been sharing a lot of information in our garage between Colin and I; he’s tried my settings and I’ve tried his which has been very helpful. Now I’m looking forward to seeing how the bike will go in Jerez next week.” Valentino Rossi Position: 5th Time: 1’56.371 Laps: 61 “We were a little bit unlucky today; we wanted to finish up early so we started our long-run in the morning and it was all going well when the red flags came out after about 14 laps. I was doing pretty good times in that and was happy with how things were going, so it was pity I had to stop. Anyway, our engineers needed me to have another go this afternoon as we really needed to get some information about the fuel consumption. Unfortunately we couldn’t have the same tyre again and we had to use something a bit older, so the second long run wasn’t so great, but we got all the information we needed. We tried a qualifier this morning and actually we had a tiny bit of movement with that which was a surprise after how fantastic it was in Sepang. I couldn’t quite better my time from yesterday, when I was on race tyres. Valentino had a go later and I think he fixed the issue, so we’re not panicking about that. It’s been a really good test and I think we’ve got a lot of options with this bike. Now it’s on to something different again in Jerez so we’ll see how things go there, hopefully we can continue the good work.” Davide Brivio Team Director “It’s been a very interesting and important test for us and both riders have shown that they’re in a position to fight at the top. We’ve got a few areas which we need to work on, but overall we’re happy. It’s nice to see both riders being consistently fast and having fun riding the bike and it’s great to see such good teamwork, with both crews working closely together and sharing all their information. This really helps us in the task of developing the bike. Now we go to Jerez for the final test and it’s going to be another very important three days for us all; our rivals are strong and we need to be in the best possible shape when we come back here for the first race.” Unofficial Lap Times 1. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda 1’55.471 2. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki 1’55.825 3. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha 1’55.954 4. Alex Hofmann (GER) Ducati 1’56.315 5. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha 1’56.371 6. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki 1’56.753 7. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati 1’56.807 8. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati 1’56.834 9. Alex Barros (BRA) Ducati 1’56.950 10. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda 1’56.980 11. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Honda 1’56.980 12. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha 1’57.232 13. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda 1’57.246 14. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda 1’57.269 15. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki 1’57.365 16. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team KR 1’57.408 17. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda 1’57.497 18. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Yamaha 1’58.379 19. Shinichi Ito (JPN) Bridgestone Test 1’58.974 20. Andrew Pitt (AUS) Ilmor 2’00.455 21. Olivier Jacque (FRA) Kawasaki 2’02.081 22. Jeremy McWilliams (IRE) Ilmor 2’02.612 Qatar Lap Record (990cc): Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006 – 1’57.305 Qatar Best Lap (990cc): Casey Stoner (Honda) 2006 – 1’55.683 More, from a press release issued by Ilmor GP: Ilmor GP end the Middle East test on a positive note after making some further changes to the bikes set-up today. Jeremy McWilliams was back out on track following an enforced rest day yesterday after sustaining an injury to a muscle in his left leg on Tuesday. Both McWilliams and Pitt started the day strongly as the team continue to adjust the bikes to best match their individual riding styles. McWilliams had a reasonable amount of running time, although still suffering a little from the injuries he acquired during the crash in Jerez, the team were pleased with both his and Pitt’s performances over the test. Despite a strong start this morning Pitt suffered an engine issue that took longer than initially anticipated to fix during the midday break meaning he remained off-track for the rest of the afternoon. The test has provided another good learning curve for the team and after making good progress on the engine side of things, focus has shifted slightly on to making adjustments to the chassis which has had a positive impact on the bikes performance. The team have a lot of work to do during the short break between the tests in Qatar and Jerez but the mood in the Ilmor GP camp remains focussed and optimistic. Jeremy McWilliams, Ilmor GP Rider: “I don’t think we can underestimate how much work we still have ahead of us. I’m definitely not where I want to be speed wise yet but we will have some new engine parts to play with in Jerez so hopefully that will make a difference. On a positive note, I tried out a new 16 inch front tyre from Michelin today and it was great, it really helped on the corners.” Andrew Pitt, Ilmor GP Rider: “We tried out some different settings this morning at the rear of the bike with the shock and pivot and I definitely felt the benefits of the changes we made to the chassis. It was frustrating not being back out this afternoon but as I said on Tuesday we are definitely making progress, we’re starting to catch up with the rest and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do in Jerez next week.” Steve Miller, Ilmor GP Managing Director: “We’ve learnt a lot over the past three days actually over both recent tests. We needed to understand the exact requirements of the engine before we could really play around with the chassis the engine has such an enormous impact on the bikes rideability, the riders can’t position the bike on the track effectively if the engine isn’t doing exactly what they want it to do. Now we’ve spent a lot of time working with the engine and we can start to make some changes to the chassis set-up. I think Andrew really felt a difference today and his performance reflected that. I’m also really impressed with Jeremy’s performance, it makes such a big difference having both of the rider’s feedback to work with. We are slowly beginning to catch up on the rest of the pack and I think we’ll find ourselves in a better starting point for the test in Jerez.” More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: MotoGP test Losail, Qatar. Final day of three-day test, February 15, 2007. Dani Pedrosa and the RC212V set fastest lap time at Qatar MotoGP test The final day of the last pre-season MotoGP test at the Losail circuit, Qatar was a crucial day for many of the teams present. With just 21 days to go before the opening race of the 18-round world championship series, hosted by the same Losail circuit, Honda teams, technicians and riders worked hard to complete the development programme set out by HRC. The majority of teams head back to Europe to prepare for the final pre-season, at Jerez, Spain on February 23-25 with sufficient technical data to establish good base lines for overall machine set up. Dani Pedrosa was particularly satisfied with his three-days in Qatar. The diminutive Spaniard made few set up changes to his four-cylinder 800cc RC212V for today spending most of his time testing Michelin tyres. Pedrosa ran fast consistent times on race tyres before conducting a 22-lap race simulation during which he ran one lap at 1m 56.835s, 0.5 seconds inside the existing lap record set on a 990cc machine. The precocious 21-year old then fitted a set of qualifying tyres to his RCV and set fastest time for the three-day test with a scintillating time of 1m 55.471s! For MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden it was a bounce-back day. The Repsol Honda factory rider suffered two crashes yesterday and needed to run laps and get comfortable on his RCV instead of chasing lap times. He spent his day working towards getting a better feeling from the front end with encouraging results to carry into the final pre-season test at Jerez, Spain on February 23-25. He left Qatar in positive mood confident HRC will provide the solutions necessary to improve the Champions prospects of opening his title defence with a victory. Gresini Honda rider Marco Melandri ended the three days of testing with his RCV in very buoyant mood. The former 250cc world champion has worked methodically all winter and he has nothing but praise for his technical crew who have established a solid base line with chassis and suspension for the Honda. That has allowed Melandri the freedom to ride confidently and at a consistent fast pace on the Bridgestone tyres he will race on for the first time in his career. Melandri’s team-mate, Toni Elias continues to struggle as he adapts to the Bridgestone tyres Gresini Honda will race with in 2007. Despite not finding the tyres to suit his style the young Spaniard improved drastically today slashing 1.7 seconds off his best time of yesterday. Elias is not despondent with the situation he looks to the hard working combination of Bridgestone and the Gresini technicians to resolve his problems in time for the Jerez test next week. Japanese star Shinya Nakano has adapted well to the RC212V and grows in confidence each time he rides the bike. He is beginning to understand the characteristics of the Honda and has resolved the front end problems he experienced at previous test. LCR Honda rider Carlos Checa is satisfied with the work they have done and the results achieved. The team have found a good direction to work in and at Jerez will fine tune the RCV ready to race in three-weeks. Team Roberts took a step forward on the final day at Qatar. Team rider Kenny Roberts Jnr had been hampered by front end problems that caused major tyre wear. Working on weight transfer and suspension modifications the team have almost eradicated the problem and go into the Jerez test confident they will complete their pre-season testing schedule. Honda rider quotes and lap times. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 1m 57.269s 97 laps. “After yesterday I just needed to come in and do some laps to try to get the feeling back, so today I got comfortable and didn’t get too carried away chasing lap times. I’ve been trying to get some more feeling from the front – that’s what we’re working towards. I’d have liked to have gone a bit faster today but we’re still positive and we’ll go back to work in Jerez and make some improvements. Things started out so good on the first morning here – since then it’s been a tough couple of days. Sometimes this is a hard a game and you’ve got to adjust to it – I go away from here healthy and hopefully we’ll go to the next test and get some things sorted out with me and the bike. I want to thank my team because yesterday was pretty hard on those guys and they were really cool about it.” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda 1m 55.471s 87 laps “On the final day we didn’t test too much on the bike. We took the best settings from yesterday and the day before and put in a good number of laps to get a better feeling for how the tyres will behave during the race. I also did a race simulation and put on qualifying tyres at the end of the day. Definitely this was as a test for myself more than for the bike and that’s good. It was really important to get a good feeling here because the first race of the season will be held here and now I hope that when we come back the conditions are similar and we can take advantage of this test. But it wasn’t only us that had a good test: also Yamaha and Suzuki are fast, Ducati as well. We will continue to see how the tyres work and that’s why we cannot relax. We wanted to see the performance of the bike at the end of the race and we’ve got some information about this which is important. Now we have to keep improving”. Marco Melandri, Gresini Honda: 1m.56.980s 62 laps. “The team is doing a great job. I like the bike, I have a good feeling when I’m riding. I feel very comfortable with chassis and suspensions. Now we have to work on the engine to make a further step forward. We continued tyres testing with Bridgestone and we found some interesting solutions that can be good in preparation for the race. In the afternoon I tried also a qualifying tyre to gather some data and prepare for the season. I couldn’t use the qualifying tyre at his best, while my race pace was quite good. I trust a lot our partners so I’m confident”. Toni Elias, Gresini Honda: 1m.57.246s – 71 laps. “We are struggling a bit because at this moment we cannot find a good compromise in the package Honda – Bridgestone, we still haven’t found the tyre that it’s good for my riding style and my characteristics. I’m confident because we are working hard with the Bridgestone technicians. We will get probably some new stuff to test in Jerez for the next IRTA test session, this would be very important for us “. Shinya Nakano, Konica Minolta Honda: 1m 56.980s 73 laps. “During these three days on the Losail track, I did the best I could and rode hard. I’m happy about the level of feeling I’m now getting from the front tyre, as this was our target during this test and we’ve achieved that. Every test I make with the new bike, I’m able to make a further step forward and I hope to move ahead again next week during the IRTA test. This is vital if I’m to be in the best shape for the first race of the season here in Qatar in 2007.” Carlos Checa, LCR Honda: 1m 57.497s. 83 laps. “I know that today’s result is not so positive compared to Pedrosa’s best lap time but I feel pretty satisfied about these days’ work. Honestly we still have to improve on qualifying tyres but the pace we got on this machine makes me very confident for the beginning of the season. Since the first test in Sepang last November we have been working very hard to find the right direction to go and I can easily say the things are going in the right way. Today I rode also a race simulation and the feeling with the bike is getting better day after day. Now we move to Jerez for the last test session before the season’s kick off and we will use those days to fix up the last things”. Kenny Roberts Jnr, KR212V: 1m 57.408s “There was quite a lot of wind and we struggled at times with the work we were trying to do on the bike. We had been tearing up a lot of front tyre in the corners so we worked on weight transfer and the suspension and it was a lot better today. We tested some tyres for Michelin and we ended the day running a race simulation on the race tyres we got the most out of on Tuesdays good laps. The time wasn’t too bad lap times could have been a couple of tenths faster but the sun was going down and it was difficult to se where the edge of the track was. One thing for sure, we are closer to the front at this stage last year. We’ll be OK in Jerez.” MotoGP Official Test: Qatar. Day 3 Official Times 1. Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda 1m 55.471s 2. John Hopkins, Suzuki 1m 55.825s 3. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha 1m 55.954s 4. Alex Hofmann, Pramac d’Antin 1m 56.315s 5. Colin Edwards, Yamaha 1m 56.371s. 6. Randy de Puniet, Kawasaki 1m 56.753s. 7. Loris Capirossi, Ducati 1m 56.807s. 8. Casey Stoner, Ducati 1m 56.834s. 9. Alex Barros, Pramac d’Antin 1m 56.950s. 10. Marco Melandri, Honda Gresini 1m 56.980s. 11. Shinya Nakano, Konica Minolta Honda 1m 56.980s. 12. Makoto Tamada, Dunlop Yamaha Tech3 1m 57.232s. 13. Toni Elias, Honda Gresini 1m 57.246s. 14. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda 1m 57.269s. 15. Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki 1m 57.365s. 16. Kenny Roberts, Team Roberts 1m 57.408s. 17. Carlos Checa, Honda LCR 1m 57.497s. 18. Sylvain Guintoli, Dunlop Yamaha Tech3 1m 58.379s. 19. Shinichi Ito, Ducati TTT – 1’58.974 20. Andrew Pitt, Ilmor GP – 2’00.455 21. Olivier Jacque, Kawasaki Racing – 2’02.081 22. Jeremy McWilliams, Ilmor GP – 2’02.612 More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Hopkins on the pace but out of luck in Qatar Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racer John Hopkins set the pace early on during the concluding day of the Official MotoGP Test in Qatar, but a heavy crash just before lunch curtailed his involvement and saw him taken to hospital for x-rays. Hopkins had up until his accident – clocked the day’s fastest time of 1’55.825 testing new Bridgestone qualifying tyres. Following his crash, he was taken to the Doha hospital where his injuries have been assessed. He has suspected fractures in his right hand and foot. As soon as we have more information we will post it on www.rizla-suzuki-motogp.co.uk but the team are hopeful that he will be able to attend next week’s test in Spain. Hopkins had been smooth and consistent throughout the three day test and was looking extremely quick this morning. He conducted many geometry setting tests throughout the three days, as well as a full race distance run to assess the durability of the new generation Bridgestone race tyres designed especially for the demanding 5.3km Losail International Circuit. Hopkins’ time today gave him second place overall on the timesheets behind Dani Pedrosa on his factory Honda. Chris Vermeulen continued with his disciplined test routine as he set about getting the best from the GSV-R800 at this desert track. He constantly improved on his times over the three days. His best time of 1’57.365, set on race tyres, was almost a second and a half quicker than his best race lap at last year’s Qatar Grand Prix aboard the 990cc machine. Vermeulen was unable to test qualifying tyres today, but would almost certainly have been higher up the timesheets if he had. Both he and his team believe there is a lot more to come from the new 800 and will be looking to further enhance the development of the bike during next week’s test. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP travels back to Europe next week for the second Official MotoGP Test at Jerez in Spain. This will be the final test before the 2007 MotoGP season kicks off with the first round in Qatar on Saturday 10th March. John Hopkins: “I’m feeling pretty beat up at the moment a 120mph high-side does that to you! I’ve got bruises on all four limbs and a couple of broken bones. I’m flying straight back to England to see a specialist first thing tomorrow, and then we’ll know a bit more about the injuries. It was a sad way to end the test because we had made good progress here. I am quite happy with the way the three days went and we got through everything we needed to before the crash. I’m sure we’ll be in a good position when we come back here in about three weeks and I’ll certainly be at the first race just try and stop me!” Chris Vermeulen: “We made a lot of progress over the three day test in the engine, chassis and tyre areas. I did a race distance run of 22 laps today and although we are still looking for a little bit more speed we are certainly in a much stronger position now than we were 12 months ago. The track temperatures dropped this afternoon so I didn’t get the chance to test some qualifying tyres, but we have got John’s information on them so that’s good. I would like to pass on my best wishes to John, obviously he had a big crash today and I hope he’s alright and will be back riding at Jerez. He did a lot of good work here and we hope he is fully fit soon.” Paul Denning Team Manager: “Overall this has been a really positive test for the whole team with the exception of what happened to John today. We have run full race distances with both riders and the bikes have given us 100% consistency. Chris never got the chance to run qualifiers, but John did this morning and he was extremely quick. The durability of the Bridgestone tyres has been very good which is great – Qatar has always been a difficult track to get the tyre choice right. We are very pleased to be as close to the pace as we are and there is still a bit more to find to run right at the front. “John has had some x-rays here and he has possible fractures to his hand and foot. We will know more on Monday because the swelling in his hand was too much to get a clear indication of what he has done. Once he has been assessed we will know whether he will be at Jerez for the test next week. “The whole team worked really hard here and the two riders were again fantastic. The dedication shown by all team members and the fitness levels of the two guys has been great throughout the whole test season, and, despite this small set back for John, we are looking more and more ready to take that next step up every time we go out on track!” Overall Unofficial Lap Times: 1. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 1’55.471: 2. JOHN HOPKINS (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 1’55.825: 3. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 1’55.954: 4. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) 1’56.296; 5. Alex Hofmann (Ducati) 1’56.315: 15. CHRIS VERMEULEN (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 1’57.365:

Deeley Harley-Davidson/Buell Canada, Ruthless Racing Inc, and Picotte Performance will be fielding a Buell XB12R in the upcoming Moto-ST event at Daytona. Steve Crevier the all time winnings racer in Canadian Road Racing, is sponsored by Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada and Picotte Performance. Darren James the 2005&2006 Canadian Thunder National Champion, is sponsored by Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada and Ruthless Racing inc.com

WORLD SUPERBIKE MAKES EARLY START TO 20th BIRTHDAY PARTY – UNPRECEDENTED INTEREST IN SBK AS NEW SEASON APPROACHES As World Superbike enters its 20th continuous year of competition this unique championship series has many reasons to celebrate its latest anniversary. Interest in the championship is at a modern-day zenith, demonstrated in the fact that there is an almost unprecedented strength-in-depth of officially-supported teams representing the big five racing manufacturers – Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha – plus a classic name from racing’s past. In terms of potential race winners, both current trends and historic evidence point to the possibility that the total of eight different race victors in 2006 may well be beaten, and this year each rider will have two more chances to take a victory, as the championship calendar now comprises 26 individual contests, two at each of the 13 meetings. DUCATI BACK TO STAY ON TOP Despite the championship winning Ducati Xerox team retaining its 2006 line up of champion Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) and Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) there are many changes in the line-up of the traditional powerhouses of World Superbike, and an injection of new machinery for two of the main manufacturers, Yamaha and Suzuki. HONDA HORDES FEATURE BIG NAMES 2006 season runner-up James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) is joined in the Ten Kate squad this season by second-year SBK veteran, Roby Rolfo, while a further four supported Honda riders take to the tracks in 2007. Steve Martin and Michel Fabrizio ride for the DFX Corse Honda squad, while ambitious Australians Karl Muggeridge and Josh Brookes ride for the Alto Evolution team. NEW YAMAHA RIDDEN BY PROVEN SBK POWERS Yamaha’s official entry, the Yamaha Motor Italia team, has retained multi-race winner Noriyuki Haga and added an old SBK hand to help develop its all new R1 machine – Troy Corser – the champion in 2005 and 1996. 2006 season rookie Shinichi Nakatomi also returns to the SBK fray, in the renamed Yamaha YZF team. ADDITION OF BIAGGI A GREAT BOOST TO SERIES Arguably of most media interest in the build-up to the 2007 season is the addition to the Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra team for 2007 of a certain Max Biaggi. A multiple MotoGP winner, Biaggi is offering himself up to the challenge of competing in a race series of such a high standard that 2006 champion Troy Bayliss could win the final MotoGP race of last season, at Valencia, even when riding as a one-off wild card. Biaggi is fully aware of the task in front of him, but has already set some good testing times, and few in World Superbike will need reminding of his competitive spirit before the first race of the season at Qatar on February 2007. Qatar has been a happy hunting ground for Alstare’s other highly talented 2007 rider, long time Suzuki servant Yukio Kagayama. TOP KAWASAKI TEAM COMES BACK LEANER AND FITTER Kawasaki’s two man official team features returning riders Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) and Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse), running on the latest development of the ZX-10R. Laconi is a proven winner of 11 previous SBK races, with Nieto hungry for his first race win this year. Having streamlined itself into a two-rider team, the PSG-1 effort hopes to make another upward step-change in expectation levels this year. PRIVATEER ENTRY INCLUDES TALENT – AND ONE LEGENDARY NAME In the privateer ranks, Ruben Xaus is a standout figure, having won nine previous SBK races in his early career. Equipped with a 2006 factory spec 999 in his Sterilgarda team, he may stand a more than fair chance of trapping more SBK silverware. A grid of 22 regular riders will be bolstered at several events by wild card entries, and the rest of the private entry features some exciting talents, like ex-GP rider Jakub Smrz, Dean Ellison, Superstock champion Alessandro Polita, Max Neukirchner and Jiri Drazdak. There is even a classic name making a full time return to SBK racing for the first time – MV Agusta. Austrian rider Christian Zaiser from the LBR team will run what is very much a privateer spec four-cylinder Italian machine, but the appearance of a season-long MV Agusta nonetheless bolsters the total of competing manufacturers to six. SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP The World Supersport championship proved to be a dramatic contest right until the end last year, and the main protagonists for the final podiums of the year are all back in place for 2007, two of them with all-new machines. Sebastien Charpentier (champion for the last two years) and Kenan Sofuoglu spearhead the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda squad’s efforts on the new CBR600RR in 2007, while Yamaha R6 competitors Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes now ride for the renamed Yamaha SSP Racing team. Kawasaki re-enters Supersport with an official effort this year, with former champion Fabien Foret and proven race winner Pere Riba running in the GIL Kawasaki squad, on the latest ZX-6RR. Ducati’s effort is led by the combination of Gianluca Nannelli and a Team Caracchi Ducati 749R. Suzuki is once more represented by the Hoegee Suzuki team’s GSX-Rs, with Barry Veneman now backed up by Vesa Kallio. The 13-Round series starts at the Losail circuit in Qatar on Saturday 24 February, with round two coming just one weekend later, at Phillip Island, Australia, on Sunday 4 March.

Join Team Klaffi for some VIP treatment at the TT Centenary. With this year’s TT being a very special affair why not make it an event to remember by joining Team Klaffi for some VIP Hospitality? The team has put together an extensive programme of sidecar taxi rides, garage tours and chat shows with their riders, three times Irish Champion Martin Finnegan Champion and former World Sidecar Champion Klaus Klaffenbock. There are still some tickets available from Saturday the 2nd to Friday the 8th of June. Packages start from a very reasonable £95 up to £120, and tickets can be picked up at the Team Klaffi hospitality from the 31st May. For further information on the packages and availability follow the link to the Klaffi site ~http://www.klaffi.at/~ or email [email protected]. Tickets are selling fast so book early to avoid disappointment.

Loudon Road Race Series (LRRS) racer Joseph Coppola, 38, of Darien, Connecticut, died February 9 after crashing his motocross bike at an indoor motocross facility in Windsor, Connecticut called “Mototown.” Read more at ~http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-ctwdsfatal0210.artfeb10,0,5132682.story?coll=hc-headlines-local~

Richie Morris Racing will field a Buell XB12 in the upcoming Moto-ST event at Daytona. The bike will be sponsored by Daytona Harley Davidson Buell. Shawn Higbee and Dan Bilansky will be the riders. Higbee is sponsored by Bartels and New Castle Harley Davidson Buell. Bilansky is sponsored by Hals Harley Davidson Buell. “I took a year off from the track to get my leg and back straightened out. Now all is good and it will be great to be back. I am very fortunate to have 2 riders with the talent and experience that my guys have. Dan is the current Thunderbike national champion and everyone knows what Shawn is capable of doing. So I feel we will be very competitive.” Says Morris

Mondello Park’s on-going development works continue apace as the Kildare circuit prepares for another exciting circuit racing season in 2007. Upgrading work is currently underway on the drainage systems with some resurfacing also on the list. The drainage up-grade has been prompted by the cancellation of Mondello Park’s British Superbike round last May, due to unprecedented levels of rainfall. There was a general acceptance at that time that no race track could have handled the deluge and still provided a circuit safe for motorcycle racing. Furthermore, virtually every other sporting event in Ireland was either cancelled, abandoned or where possible postponed. Nonetheless, Mondello Park’s management are determined to do all they can to prevent a recurrence at any time in the future. Managing Director John Morris explained: “when the event was cancelled last year, we made a commitment to look at every aspect of the venue, to see if we could do anything differently in the future. We undertook a full review of the circuit’s drainage system and identified areas where we felt we could extend, re-route or install additional drainage, which should help dissipate water from the track surface more efficiently than before” The drainage system upgrade is currently ahead of schedule and has also seen moling under the track at strategic points to alleviate the possibility of water running across the circuit. Along with improving conditions for competitors, the hospitality area used for BSB and BTCC events is also to have a new drainage system installed. Morris again explains: “The lower part of the BSB hospitality paddock was particularly badly affected last year but our engineers have identified a way to drain this area into one of the outlet pipes taking water off circuit and we’re confident this solution will be completely successful”. Mondello Park is also planning some more resurfacing for late March, just in time for the recommencement of circuit racing activities. In addition, spectators will also see an improvement in facilities around the main straight grandstand, where any soft margins have been replaced by tarmac and there will be some improvement work carried out in the main bike and car parks before this years feature events.