American Honda’s Jake Zemke posted the fastest time so far in the three-day Dunlop tire test during Wednesday morning’s session at Daytona International Speedway. After spending the first two days of the test focusing on dialing in his new suspension and engine management electronics, Zemke was testing tires Wednesday morning when he recorded a 1:38.975 around the 2.95-mile infield road course. “I had 16 laps on that tire when I did that lap,” Zemke told Roadracingworld.com Wednesday. “As I was progressing through the new tires it was like, this one is a little bit better, this one is a little bit better. But here at the end this morning, I came back to an old tire to see where we were at, and the new stuff Dunlop brought is definitely better than last year.” Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies was the second-fastest rider, with a 1:39.125, as he continued to ride his 2007 GSX-R1000 Superstock bike. Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki’s Aaron Yates got his first taste of his 2007 GSX-R1000 Superstock machine and reported that the bike came off the corners well and had good power for being a very stock motorcycle. Jamie Hacking got into the 1:39s Wednesday morning, signifying the progress he has made adapting to his new factory Kawasaki ZX-10R Superbike. 2006 AMA Formula Xtreme Champion Josh Hayes did not ride anymore Wednesday morning after suffering a big crash exiting the infield portion of the course on the American Honda CBR600RR. Hayes was on his out lap on the machine when, “I went from being tucked in to sliding down the pavement in a blink of an eye,” said Hayes, who was not injured. Hayes said it was confirmed that a mechanical problem caused the crash. Dunlop Tire Test Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida December 6, 2007 Wednesday Morning Test Times (as provided by AMA Pro Racing timing & scoring): 1. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:38.975, Superbike 2. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.125, Superstock 3. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.472, Superbike 4. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.553, Superbike 5. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:39.671, Superbike 6. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.067, Superbike 7. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:40.282, Superstock 8. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:40.396, Superbike 9. Akira Yanagawa (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:41.057, Superbike 10. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:42.089, Superbike 11. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:42.613, Supersport 12. Ryan Andrews (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.704, Formula Xtreme 13. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:43.180, Superstock 14. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:43.191, Supersport 15. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.333, Formula Xtreme 16. Gary Mason (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:44.369, Superbike 17. Chaz Davies (Yam YZF-R6), 1:44.405, Supersport 18. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR), 1:45.927, Formula Xtreme 19. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), 1:46.263, Supersport

Activities were halted Wednesday morning, day three of the Dunlop tire test at Daytona International Speedway, due to a crash involving Erion Honda’s Josh Hayes. Hayes was on his out-lap on the American Honda CBR600RR Formula Xtreme bike when he crashed exiting the infield portion of the road course. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies was the first rider to come upon the accident scene and speculated from the location of the crash that Hayes highsided. Spies said Hayes was “jumping up and down and waving his arms” to warn his fellow riders that his bike was lying in a shaded portion of the racetrack. The track was shut down temporarily while crash debris was cleaned up, the track inspected and Hayes transported back to the paddock.

Former AMA Superbike race winner Larry Pegram will race Ducati 749Rs on Dunlops in the 2007 AMA Formula Xtreme Championship. The machines will feature Ducati Corse race-kitted engines modified to take advantage of the AMA technical rule allowing water-cooled V-Twins an 850cc displacement limit, and the effort will be backed by Ducati North America. Pegram planned to be at the Dunlop tire test at Daytona International Speedway, but his bikes were delayed in U.S. Customs. “We just picked them up [Monday] night in Chicago,” Pegram told Roadracingworld.com. “The earliest we could’ve been in Daytona was Wednesday morning, and that’s if we drove straight through. Plus, we need to get to work on the engines.”

2006 AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies’ first laps on his 2006 Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike put him at the top of the time sheets Tuesday afternoon at the Dunlop tire test at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida. Spies spent most of the first two days of the test working on his brand new 2007 GSX-R1000 Superstock machine, which he had never touched before coming to the test in Florida. Then at the end of Tuesday’s program, Spies jumped on his 2006 Championship-winning Superbike to make sure it was ready to go for tire testing Wednesday. Within three flying laps, Spies set the fastest time of the test, a 1:39.016, which was marginally faster than the 1:39.067 turned by Mat Mladin Tuesday morning and the 1:39.061 Spies turned on his Superstock machine Tuesday afternoon. “It was good today,” Spies told Roadracingworld.com. “I spent most of my time on my Superstock bike. We started working toward a baseline set-up on that bike, made little changes, little changes and now it’s good. On race tires I’m consistently faster than what they did here at last year’s race. “My Superbike, I didn’t race with this gearbox at all last year, and it was upside-down and backwards all through the infield. I was never in the right gear, banging off the rev-limiter, coming out of corners at 4000 rpm, having to shift down into first gear. It was my idea to put the gearbox in, and I’ll admit it was wrong. But to do a 1:39.0 on a bike I hadn’t touched the whole test, totally wrong gearing, the track was cooling off and I was using a baseline tire I couldn’t be happier.” The second-fastest rider Tuesday afternoon was Superbike rookie Jason DiSalvo with a 1:39.274 on his new Yamaha YZF-R1. DiSalvo said he spent most of his day riding a consistent pace to evaluate brakes, Brembos versus Nissins, and clutches. Then at the end of the day he was given the green light to go fast on one of Dunlop’s test tires, resulting in his fast time. Roger Hayden posted the third-fastest Superbike time, a 1:39.404, on his factory Kawasaki ZX-10R while testing engine management electronics, shock settings and tires for Dunlop. Hayden’s day ended with a heart-stopping moment, however. With about 30 minutes left in the day, Hayden suddenly pulled his smoking ZX-10R onto pit lane. After cleaning his oil-soaked leathers, Hayden later said, “I was scared to death. I was up there [on the banking] between [NASCAR] turns three and four and Kaboom!” Hayden’s crew did not know exactly what happened to Hayden’s engine before leaving the garages Tuesday evening. The second day of the test included an interesting surprise. Erion Honda’s Josh Hayes was given the opportunity to ride one of Jake Zemke’s American Honda CBR1000RR Superbikes for most of the afternoon. Using only two tires over 20 laps and while riding on Zemke’s set-up, Hayes turned a 1:39.62, which was just off Zemke’s best time of the day, a 1:39.467, and better than Miguel Duhamel’s best time, a 1:40.067. Hayes’ ride on the Superbike was partly a reward for him winning the 2006 AMA Formula Xtreme Championship for Honda and partly as a means for American Honda to get fresh feedback on some of the mechanical issues it is working on. Hayes, who impressed everyone including himself with his performance on the bike, may ride the Superbike more on Wednesday. Dunlop Tire Test Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida December 5, 2006 Tuesday Afternoon Times (as provided by AMA Pro Racing timing & scoring): 1. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.016, Superbike 2. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.061, Superstock 3. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.274, Superbike 4. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:39.404, Superbike 5. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:39.467, Superbike 6. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:39.62, Superbike* 7. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:40.067, Superbike 8. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:40.080, Superbike 9. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.304, Superstock 10. Akira Yanagawa (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:40.461, Superbike 11. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:41.339, Superbike 12. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:41.639, Superbike 13. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:41.775, Superstock 14. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:42.603, Superbike 15. Ryan Andrews (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.481, Formula Xtreme 16. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:43.720, Supersport 17. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.804, Supersport 18. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.870, Formula Xtreme 19. Gary Mason (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:44.007, Superbike 20. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR600RR), 1:44.186, Formula Xtreme 21. Chaz Davies (Yam YZF-R6), 1:44.565, Supersport 22. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), 1:44.76, Supersport* 23. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR), no time, Formula Xtreme *lap time supplied by rider’s team

Dunlop Tire Testing Day 2: Bostrom, Hacking Happy With New Homes DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 5, 2006) Jordan Suzuki’s Aaron Yates isn’t the only rider with new racing leathers during this week’s Dunlop tire testing at historic Daytona International Speedway. In what is a sneak preview for the March 1-10 Daytona 200 Week By Honda, Jamie Hacking has given up his blue Yamaha colors for Kawasaki green leathers while Ben Bostrom has exchanged his Ducati red leathers for Yamaha colors. “It took me a while to see me in green,” said Hacking, the defending Supersport and Superstock class champion, during the lunch break. “It doesn’t look odd to me but it does in a way. When I first started, I rode a Honda and it was painted Kawasaki green and I wore green leathers. I’ve always been a Kawasaki guy when I raced motocross. It does seem odd after riding blue for seven years coming over to green, it’s a big change.” Hacking, who’ll compete in Supersport sand Superbike classes for Kawasaki in 2007, finally got his elusive first victory at Daytona International Speedway after getting nipped at the start/finish line so many times over the years. Hacking outlasted Jason DiSalvo and Yates to win the 2006 Daytona Superstock event. “Daytona, I don’t know what it is about this place,” Hacking said. “I think it’s one of the most prestigious races and one everybody wants to win. It’s a tough track. Everybody knows that and the racing is really close and tough. If you can pull off a win here, you’ve played your cards right. “I outwitted everybody and outsmarted them (in 2006). After trying for so many years and getting beat some many times at the stripe, it was starting to sit in there. Getting one under my belt feels good. Hopefully when we come back in ’07, maybe I can pull off a win in Supersport. I’m not going to set my goals too high on the Superbike yet. I’m still learning a lot of things.” For Bostrom, he’s reunited with his brother Eric at Yamaha. The brothers were last teammates in 1998 with Honda when Eric filled in for an injured Miguel Duhamel for four races. Ben Bostrom is excited about spending the coming season as a teammate with his brother Eric. “You don’t hide information from your brother, you do from your teammate,” Ben Bostrom said. “You are going to talk (to your brother) and get the bike quite a bit better. If it was a teammate, you would be like, ‘I better not let that one out of the bag. That’s my information.’ “ Said Eric Bostrom: “It’s a perfect scenario. We’re going to share the same truck together. It couldn’t get any better. We live together and do everything else together so why not race on the same team and be able to share our thoughts. We’re going to be riding essentially the same motorcycle. His will be in Superstock trim but we will still have a lot to compare.” Signing on with Yamaha to compete in the Superstock class and being a teammate to his brother was an easy decision for Ben Bostrom. “The only other option was to go to Europe and I really wanted to ride here especially with my brother,” Ben Bostrom said. “This was the best seat available and I feel fortunate to be on it.” Tommy Hayden was also supposed to be in his new Yoshimura Suzuki leathers this week but is sitting out the test due to injury. The Dunlop tire test concludes on Wednesday and is free and open to the public with access to the Oldfield Grandstand available through DAYTONA USA. Tickets for Daytona 200 Week By Honda are available online at http://www.racetickets.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

FREE TIRES FOR TOP AMATEUR TORONTO, ON International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike champion Karl Daigle will have access to up to $12,000 of Pirelli tires in 2007 thanks to a new bonus program introduced by the Parts Canada Superbike Championship, its spec tire supplier and participating motorcycle manufacturers. The Pirelli Amateur Champion Bonus will award $2,000 in Pirelli DOT rubber to the previous season’s top Amateur 600 national class finisher for use in the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike Championship at each of the six rounds of the series. As the 2006 champion, Daigle will have first right to this bonus at each 2007 series event. Should the Amateur champion not appear at any round of the following season, the Pirelli Amateur Champion Bonus will go to the series runner-up at that event. If that rider doesn’t attend either, the tires will go to the next highest finisher from the previous season’s Amateur championship at that race. “One of our toughest challenges is finding ways to make the step up from Amateur to Pro more accessible to our talented young racers,” said Colin Fraser of Professional Motorsports Productions, which administers the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. “Thanks to the co-operation of Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha, and our spec tire supplier Pirelli, we now have a bonus that will help relieve some of the financial pressures from our Amateur champion.” If the previous year’s International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike champion lands a ride as a full factory racer in their rookie Pro season, they will not be eligible for the Pirelli bonus. “What makes this program especially exciting is that, if the Amateur champion is forced to miss a round or is fortunate enough to find a factory ride, the bonus will not go to waste,” said Brian Williams, Director of Competition for the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. “At every series round someone will stand to benefit, and that’s good for our rookie Pro racers as a whole.” Funding for the new program will be providing equally through Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Honda, Canadian Pirelli race tire distributor Orion Motorsports and PMP. When the Amateur 600 Sport Bike program was launched in 2003 the top prize for the champion included the use of a manufacturer-supplied bike for their rookie Pro season. That arrangement will be discontinued, making Daigle the last rider to potentially take advantage of this offer. The Roxton Pond, Que. teenager won the 2006 title at the final round aboard a Honda CBR600RR. Pirelli began a three-year contract as the spec tire supplier to all classes of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship last season. Its products are distributed at all series rounds by Orion Motorsports. The full schedule for the 2007 Parts Canada Superbike Championship as well as rules changes for the new season will be announced shortly.

Mat Mladin completed his tire testing program by the mid-day break Tuesday morning, the second day of the annual three-day Dunlop tire test at Daytona International Speedway, and because Yoshimura Suzuki’s 2007 GSX-R1000 Superbikes have been delayed in transit to the track, the six-time Australian is going home early. “We got through some bits and pieces that we had to get through, and we got through about 10 tires or more for Dunlop,” Mladin told Roadracingworld.com during the lunch break Tuesday at Daytona. “Dunlop had some more tires we could’ve probably tried this afternoon, but this isn’t really the proper place to test on those tires.” “Obviously, we’ve had some issues with our freight company,” said Don Sakakura, Yoshimura Suzuki Team Manager. “The new bikes might not get here. We’ll know more this afternoon, but it’s very likely that they won’t make it. Unfortunately, it’s out of my control. “It’s disappointing, because we had quite a lot to look at with the brand new motorcycle. We’re going to have to look at testing at another venue, but it’s a shame because this is our only opportunity to test here before March.” The airplane carrying the new Yoshimura Suzuki Superbikes developed mechanical problems en route to the United States and was forced to land in South Korea to make repairs, delaying its arrival, according to one member of the Yoshimura Superbike team. Mladin’s teammate Ben Spies continued testing his 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superstock machine Tuesday, recording the second-fastest time of the morning, a 1:39.536, while running a prototype Showa shock. Eric Bostrom was third-fastest on his Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike, but his best time, a 1:40.155, was roughly equal to the best time he turned Monday. Track conditions were reported to be better Tuesday morning than on Monday, when it was colder. Miguel Duhamel dropped a lot of time on his American Honda CBR1000RR Superbike, which is running a very interesting engine management unit that, judging from engine sound, drops spark to one or two cylinders mid-corner. Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki’s Aaron Yates spent more time with the team’s 2006 GSX-R1000 Superbike today, after testing the team’s 2006 Superstock racer Monday. The team is expected to have one Superstock-spec 2007 GSX-R1000 ready to ride before the test is over. Erion Honda’s Josh Hayes ran through Dunlop’s newest Supersport tires on the 2007 CBR600RR he has been sharing with teammate Aaron Gobert. After Gobert makes another run with the bike Tuesday afternoon, it will be fitted with Formula Xtreme suspension components. Hayes may also get an opportunity to test one of the American Honda CBR1000RR Superbikes Tuesday afternoon. No crashes were reported Tuesday morning, but several riders ran straight at turn one due in part to a moderate tailwind on the front straightaway. Dunlop Tire Test Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida December 5, 2006 Tuesday Morning Times (as provided by AMA Pro Racing timing & scoring): 1. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.067, Superbike 2. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.536, Superstock 3. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:40.155, Superbike 4. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR600RR), 1:40.244, Superbike 5. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1), 1:40.280, Superbike 6. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:40.492, Superbike 7. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:41.887, Superstock 8. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:41.910, Superstock 9. Akira Yanagawa (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:43.058, Superbike 10. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.119, Formula Xtreme 11. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:43.313, Superbike 12. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:43.610, Supersport 13. Ryan Andrews (Hon CBR600RR), 1:43.945, Formula Xtreme 14. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:44.623, Supersport 15. Gary Mason (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:44.863, Superbike 16. Chaz Davies (Yam YZF-R6), 1:45.570, Supersport 17. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), 1:46.260, Supersport 18. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR), 1:46.833, Formula Xtreme