OLIVIER JACQUE Olivier Jacque will make a welcome return to full time racing as part of Kawasaki’s new look MotoGP squad in 2007. The versatile Frenchman is one of the most experienced riders in motorcycling and can count the 250cc world championship in 2000 as the highlight of an outstanding career. Now 33, Jacque began racing at 17 and has been on two wheels ever since, progressing through the French national 125cc series, the 250cc European championship and then to the 250cc world championship with the Tech3 Yamaha Team. After winning the world title Jacque moved up to the premier 500cc class and then into the four-stroke MotoGP championship, his success rate only hampered by a series of injuries. Jacque came to the attention of the Kawasaki Racing Team as a wild card rider and his value as a test and development rider was quickly recognised, a role that has led to the rebirth of his race career in the factory team. As a wild card in the 2005 Chinese Grand Prix, Jacque scored Kawasaki’s best MotoGP result with a superb second place. This is just one of the 35 podiums, 17 pole positions and seven victories (in 250cc) that Jacque has scored in all classes of GP racing. Q: After two years as test rider for Kawasaki, what was your reaction when you were asked to become a full time race rider in MotoGP for the 2007 season? A: It was a dream come true, and in some ways it was a complete surprise, but a very pleasant surprise. Actually, I was hoping to have been a race rider with Kawasaki in 2006 but they selected a young guy instead and I can understand the reasons for that decision. At the end of the 2005 season my performances were not that strong so it made sense for Kawasaki to sign a young rider for the future. But now this race contract is like a new beginning in my career. Q: You stayed in the Kawasaki family as a test rider in 2006, but had you given up hope that one day you could return to MotoGP racing? A: Not really, but I was happy to accept the position of test rider which has been a very interesting experience. But I did become a little bored by not racing. I was doing many, many laps which was important for Kawasaki to improve the bike but this is not like the challenge of racing, which is a great personal satisfaction. And then, at the end of last season when I knew that Shinya Nakano was leaving Kawasaki I told the team that, if there was an opportunity, I wanted to race again, because I missed racing. Q: So you never lost the motivation to be back racing full time? A: No. I had a very strong motivation to race again, and a very strong desire that it should be with Kawasaki because I really like the way they work in MotoGP. Plus Kawasaki is a relatively new team to MotoGP and this project, now with the 800cc regulations, is very interesting. It was also an attraction to work with people I knew from my 250cc career, like Ichiro Yoda (Racing Director), who trusts in me. And the grand prix team is a young team, with a good outlook, this appealed to me. Q: Do you think your background as a test and development rider with Kawasaki will be of benefit now you are in the race team? A: Yes, this experience is an advantage for me because it will assist in better understanding the direction of the technical development of the bike. Q: And the new 800cc MotoGP class, what do you think? A: I like the concept, it’s an exciting new rule for MotoGP. Q: And what about riding style, is there any difference between the new 800cc bikes and the previous 990cc machines? A: I don’t think there is such a big difference in riding style between the bikes. When the 800cc machines first appeared there were actually many comparisons to the riding style of a 250cc two-stroke, but now I think this comparison is not so valid. At the beginning the relative lack of power with an 800, compared to a 990, is perhaps why some riders were comparing the bikes to 250s, but not anymore. Q: What do think is the potential of the 800cc Ninja ZX-RR and the Kawasaki team this year? A: I think the potential will be strong, and perhaps surprise a few people. When I first rode the 800cc ZX-RR in testing it was already a very good motorcycle and during the winter programme we have developed a strong base for this season. There have not been any major problems, but as always in racing it is difficult to make predictions, especially compared to your rivals before the season has started. What is certain is that we will have to continue to work hard to constantly improve the level of our own performance. Q: It appears there is now a lower level of electronic control on the new 800cc motors, compared to the more powerful 990s. What impact will this have on the riders? A: Yes, that’s correct. One outcome of this will be to make the competition closer between all of the manufacturers. And for the riders it will mean less electronics to deal with, and put more importance on rider input, especially over a race distance. Q: Your teammate this year is another French rider, the emerging MotoGP star Randy de Puniet. What do you think this all-French combination? A: For me this is a very good situation, and I have a good relationship with Randy. We have had some good times together socially, most recently in Japan. At the racetrack we have a strong working relationship, very professional. We can talk about the bike and compare our information and try to increase our speed together. It’s a friendly atmosphere, this is important. Q: How have you been preparing for the new season? A: As soon as it was confirmed that I would be a race rider in MotoGP this year I have been doing a lot of hard training over the winter; I want to show faith in Kawasaki for this opportunity. Mainly just a lot of fitness work in the gymnasium. Unlike many riders I don’t use bikes in my training, such as motocross or supermotard, I ride bikes enough during the grand prix season. Q: Long and exhausting pre-season test days are part of the MotoGP season. Is there a difference in the approach to testing and racing? A: In testing you have to use your experience and work time with the team in a different way, obviously to maximise the performance of the bike, and there is more time available. But during a grand prix weekend there are only two hours per day on the track before the race, so the focus is more on lap times and being ready for the race. It is more intense. Q: You have had a long and varied grand prix career, including winning the 250cc world championship in 2000. What are some of your personal highlights? A: The first would be winning the 250cc world championship, which was a very satisfying result for me. And the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai in 2005 was also a special moment, one that I could share with Kawasaki. It was a wet race, a lot of rain, and I finished second which was Kawasaki’s best result in MotoGP. And then signing on as a factory race rider with Kawasaki was a very happy moment for me. Q: In 2007 there are 18 races on the calendar, the longest ever GP season. What do think about this schedule? A: I’ll tell you at the end of the season, but for sure it is a lot of work! Q: Racing motorcycles has been your life, but if were not a professional rider, what would you be doing? A: I would like to open a sushi bar, because I love Japanese food. And I would probably be involved in the sport in some way, perhaps in a technical area with a team. Q: You live in London, what’s that like? A: I enjoy London a lot, although it can be quite cold in winter. And there are some good sushi restaurants there, and clubs to go to with my friends. There also are some great places, like Portobello, away from the tourist areas plus the theatre – I like musical comedy. I live near the King’s Road in Chelsea, the Sloane Street area, and there are always a lot of interesting things to do. Q: You have a new helmet design this year, is that of special significance? A: No, not really, there is no special meaning. I got together with my designer and we just wanted to make something very different for this season. Q: What are your personal goals for the 2007 season? A: Just to be racing at my top level, to get the best out of myself and the Kawasaki ZX-RR – that’s it. If I do that I’m sure some positive results will flow during the season.

WERA Talladega Opener Exceeds Everyone’s Expectations 210 Riders braved the cold mornings to race at the new Talladega Gran Prix Raceway in Alabama. The track was a little green in the beginning, but 586 entries over the course of the weekend brought the surface around. The races were run under sunny skies with temps in the high 40s on Saturday and mid 50s on Sunday. No transport for the weekend is a testimony that the new lay-out is a good one. WERA would like to thank the Upchurch Family who owns the facility and Ed Bargy who helped with the new lay-out you all did a GREAT job! Brian Stokes, WERA #34 set the new track record for this past weekend at the new Talladega Gran Prix Raceway, Stokes turned a 1:00.155 in A Superstock on a Kawasaki 636.

Corser and Haga complete their final preparations Private Test Session: Qatar Circuit: Losail, Doha Date: 11 – 12 February 2007 Temp: 23ºC Weather: Dry and sunny The all-new YZF-R1 was put through its final pre-season testing paces on 11 and 12 February by Yamaha Motor Italia riders Troy Corser and Noriyuki Haga. The test at the Losail circuit in Qatar, venue of the first World Superbike race of the 2007 season on 24 February, was a useful exercise for both riders, as they worked through various machine set-up options and the latest suspension developments. Corser was the fastest rider on show (1’59.1) in a test where the Yamaha Motor Italia team shared track time with the official Suzuki team. Haga fell on the first day of the tests, but recovered to go third fastest, with a 1’59.9 best lap. The Japanese star set a total of 61 laps, with Corser completing 49 laps. With a limited tyre supply on hand, long runs to test tyre duration were not a priority at this test. Corser in particular worked through a list of optional settings and components to ensure ultimate competitiveness come race weekend. Troy Corser: “We did enough laps to let us try everything we needed to try and we got all the parts we asked for after the last test. It was a definite improvement. We were not so concerned with doing long runs as the tyres Pirelli sent here are not the tyres we will use for the race anyway. So there was not a lot of point doing very long runs on tyres. I was more interested in getting a feel for what we have been changing on the bikes. We just tried different things and weren’t worried about lap times. I’d say the bike feels even better than it did in our last test in Doha. The track surface can change here day to day but the track wasn’t too bad; we just needed a few more bikes going round to put more rubber down.” Noriyuki Haga: “We have already found a lot of improvements here from the last test and the new suspension is working very well. It was difficult in some ways because the tyre possibilities were limited, so we need to wait for the tyres we will get for the race weekend. But so far, so good. We are pleased to have done this test.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator – Yamaha Motor Italia): “We started this test with four completely new bikes and we had to spend some time to adjust everything on them. Noriyuki had a small crash yesterday morning so he lost a small amount of time. It went well from then on and today everything went pretty good. We didn’t do so many long runs, but Noriyuki did 12 laps on one set of tyres at the end. All in all a good test.” Circuit: Losail, Doha Circuit Length: 5.380km Race Lap Record: 2’00.061 (Noriyuki Haga, 2006) Fastest Lap Ever: 1′ 58.1 (Troy Bayliss, 2006) Temp: 23ºC Unofficial laptimes: 1. Corser Yamaha Motor Italia 1’59.1 2. Biaggi Suzuki Alstare 1’59.3 3. Haga Yamaha Motor Italia 1’59.9 4. Kagayama Suzuki Alstare 2’00.3 More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: READY! The two days of testing in Qatar finished with Troy in an upbeat mood and ready for the first race in twelve days time. Once again the main work during the two days revolved around getting the new 2007 R1 Yamaha Italia bike ready for the first race, so Troy and the team weren’t trying to chase any lap times. TROY We had a handful of things (including chassis and some engine parts) to try out from the tests at Phillip Island in January and I think we achieved what we set out to do pretty well to do, so we’re all pretty happy. Everything worked well and we’ve improved the bike. Also, the tests went well because we had no dramas or close ones, so that was pretty good. Yesterday the track was a bit dusty and slippery in the morning but it improved in the afternoon due to us all going round and around. If there had been more teams here, then I think the condition would’ve been even better and the grip would’ve improved. This afternoon it got a bit hot for a while and then the level of grip went down but, as we weren’t chasing lap times or trying any race distances, it didn’t matter really. I am happy enough with my lap times and although a little bit more time on the new bike would be good, I think we’ll be ready for the first race! I’m looking forward to it already! See ya, Troy

DUCATI XEROX TEAM PREPARES FOR START OF CHAMPIONSHIP WITH FINAL WINTER TEST SESSION AT VALLELUNGA Vallelunga (Italy), 12th February 2007: The Ducati Xerox Team has concluded its pre-season testing schedule with two days at the Vallelunga circuit on the outskirts of Rome, where the penultimate round of the World Superbike Championship will be held in September. For two-times world champion Bayliss, it was his first taste of the Vallelunga circuit, while Lorenzo Lanzi has already raced here in 2003, on the old track before recent modifications lengthened it to 4.11 km. Sunday’s good weather was followed by wintry conditions today, but at the end of the two days both riders were pleased with the work done in view of the championship opener in Qatar in a couple of weeks time. The quickest time of the test, 1m38.5s, was set on Sunday by Troy Bayliss, who also had positive things to say about the Rome track. “I guess the most important thing for us was to actually come here because it’s the only place on the calendar this year that I haven’t seen” declared Troy. “We were limited with laps due to the weather but considering the time I had yesterday we did a pretty good job, setting 38.5 a few times when we only rode in the afternoon and today we made hardly any laps either. This afternoon I went out in the rain as well, which was confidence-inspiring because it’s been a while since I’ve ridden in the rain. I like the circuit because it’s got a bit of character about it, very up and down, and quite physical as well but I think it’ll make for a good race here. The championship starts in ten days time and I’m born ready!” Despite suffering from a nasty bronchitis, team-mate Lanzi also lapped quick on the opening day, the Italian setting a time of 1m38.6s, one-tenth of a second slower than the Australian. “These have been a couple of strange days due to the conditions but in the end we managed to test a few things in the sixty or so laps we did yesterday” commented Lorenzo. “I have come back to Vallelunga for the first time in three years and I have to say I quite like the track now. We already have some good reference data for the race here in September. The championship gets underway shortly, we have done a lot of testing during the winter, setting excellent times, so I would say we are ready. I hope to shake off this bronchitis and get back to form in time for the opening round. I’m feeling confident about the season ahead and can’t wait for it to start”.

VP’S SUPPORT OF MOTORCYCLE TEAMS PORTENDS CONTINUED DOMINATION SAN ANTONIO, TX (February 12, 2007) VP Racing Fuels, the industry leader in production and distribution of motorcycle racing fuels, will continue its sponsorship of many factory and factory-supported teams in 2007, according to Bruce Hendel, VP Sales Manager. “VP has enjoyed great success in the motorcycle market and our alliance with these teams helps enable us to stay on the leading edge with products for these applications,” Hendel said. “It’s a win-win as the teams help us with testing and feedback, while they enjoy the superior performance of the fuels we deliver and continue winning championships.” Teams aligned with VP in 2007 include: MX/Supercross Teams: Factory Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, KTM and the factory supported teams of L&M Yamaha; Factory Connection Honda; Yamaha of Troy; Pro Circuit; Moto XXX; MDK Honda; Motoworld Racing; Motosport Outlet; Cernics Kawasaki; and Rockstar Suzuki Superbike Teams: Factory Honda; Erion Honda; Factory Yamaha; Graves Yamaha; Yoshimura Suzuki; Factory Kawasaki; KWS Racing; M4 EMGO Suzuki; Hooters Suzuki; Attack Performance Kawasaki; Corona Honda; and Rockwall Honda Supermoto Teams: HMC KTM; Graves Yamaha; and Troy Lee Honda Off Road Teams: Factory KTM; Suzuki; Yamaha and Honda Mitch Payton, Pro Circuit’s president, attests to VP’s role in their success. “We’ve tested many other fuels, but VP has always made the most power,” Payton affirmed. “That’s why VP has fueled every championship we’ve won since 1991.” Coupled with its series sponsorships and contingency program support, VP has few peers in its support of motorcycle racing. VP posts contingencies in AMA Superbike, Supercross, Motocross and Prostar, as well as AFM, ASRA, CCS, NHRA, USGPRU and WSMC. In addition, VP is the Official Fuel of AMA Prostar, NHRA and WMA. Over its 31-year history, VP Racing has fueled champions in virtually every racing category and class — from drag racing, road racing and circle track to motocross, off-road and off-shore. VP has earned a reputation for producing high quality racing fuels with superior power and consistency–as illustrated by its sweep of all AMA Pro Racing Championships in Superbike, Supercross, Motocross and Supermoto in 2006. In addition to fuels, VP’s product line includes performance chemicals, specialty lubricants, traction compounds and racing-related accessories — each designed to produce the most power and best performance in their respective racing applications. More information can be obtained from VP’s website at vpracingfuels.com.