Yamaha MotoGP Star Colin Edwards to Appear at Cycle World International Motorcycle Show in Long Beach California December 4, 2006″¦Fresh off his test of the new 800cc MotoGP bike with team mate Valentino Rossi, Yamaha Motor Corporation is pleased to announce that factory MotoGP pilot Colin Edwards will be on hand signing autographs at this weekend’s Long Beach California Cycle World International Motorcycle Show. Colin will be in the new Yamaha display on Friday December 8th from 5-6 and 6:30-7:30PM and again on Saturday from 10:30-11:30AM and from 12:30-1:30PM. Be sure to stop by for your free autographed poster of the “Texas Tornado.”

Six-time AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin turned the fastest time during the multi-AMA-team Dunlop tire test Monday at Daytona International Speedway. Mladin lapped the 2.95-mile infield road course in 1:39.635 while evaluating new Dunlop tires on his 2006 Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike. “We just tested a few tires more than anything,” Mladin told Roadracingworld.com at the end of testing Monday. “There’s no point in doing too much with the [old] bike, and the track’s too cold. It could catch you out, maybe.” The 2007 GSX-R1000 Superbike Mladin tested in mid-November at Sepang, in Malaysia, was still in transit to Daytona on Monday, forcing Mladin’s crew to pull last year’s Superbike, complete with its Number One plate, off of the motorcycle show circuit and prepare it for action at Daytona. “It would be nice to have the new bike here,” said Mladin, “but it’s not a bad thing to be able to jump on this thing and give us a good comparative test, you know? You can see Ben’s [Spies] got going on the new Superstock bike already, so it’s promising.” Mladin added that his right shoulder felt good following post-season surgery to “clean-up” injuries suffered in a crash during testing at Phillip Island in January 2006. American Honda’s Jake Zemke had a promising day going Monday, until he crashed. Zemke had just posted the second-fastest time of the day, a 1:39.785, while dialing in new suspension and new engine management components and evaluating new Dunlop tires, when he crashed in turn one. “I just lost the rear, like immediately, as soon as I picked the throttle up in the corner the rear just came around. There was no way of saving,” Zemke told Roadracingworld.com. “I had already put four or five laps on [the tire]. I had just done my quickest lap. We went back and looked at all the data, and I was doing the exact same thing that I was doing the lap before: throttle application, engine rpm, wheel speed. Everything was exactly the same, within one percent.” Zemke was uninjured in the crash and continued testing on his second CBR1000RR Superbike. Zemke’s crashed bike did not suffer major damage. Eric Bostrom was the third-quickest rider overall, recording a 1:40.116 on his new Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike. Bostrom was cautiously optimistic at the end of the day, saying he and his bike had room for improvement. 2006 AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies posted the fastest time in the Superstock category, a 1:40.249 on his 2007 GSX-R1000. Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki debuted Aaron Yates Monday at Daytona, but Yates’ teammate Jake Holden was forced to sit on the sidelines. Holden had surgery just before Thanksgiving to have some hardware in his right wrist (the remnants of a 165 mph crash at VIR in 2005) replaced so that he will be ready to test when the team’s 2007 bikes are ready in January. AMA Team Test Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida December 4, 2006 Monday Afternoon Times (as provided by AMA Pro Racing timing & scoring): 1. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.635, Superbike 2. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:39.785, Superbike 3. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:40.116, Superbike 4. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:40.249, Superstock 5. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:41.091, Superbike 6. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:41.217, Superbike 7. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:41.418, Superbike 8. Akira Yanagawa (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:41.694, Superbike 9. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:41.813, Superbike 10. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1), 1:41.980, Superbike 11. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR600RR), 1:42.141, Formula Xtreme 12. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:42.811, Superstock 13. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:42.837, Superbike 14. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), 1:44.476, Supersport 15. Chaz Davies (Yam YZF-R6), 1:45.061, Supersport 16. Ryan Andrews (Hon CBR600RR), 1:45.540, Formula Xtreme 17. Jsoh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), 1:47.161, Supersport 18. Gary Mason (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:47.547, Superbike 19. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR), 1:47.774, Formula Xtreme More, from a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing: AMA SUPERBIKE TEAMS AT DAYTONA TIRE TEST The Dunlop Tire Test kicked off today at Daytona International Speedway, signaling the unofficial start of the 2007 AMA Superbike presented by Parts Unlimited season. The Dunlop-sponsored portion of the Daytona test runs December 4-6, and is followed by a Pirelli-sponsored test on Dec. 7 and 8. Live timing for the tire tests is available via www.amasuperbike.com’s @theWire, accompanied by news and expert analysis from AMA Superbike reporter Chris Martin. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin topped Monday afternoon’s Superbike timesheets with a fast lap of 1:39.635. Honda’s Jake Zemke was second fastest, with a time of 1:39.785, followed by Eric Bostrom’s 1:40.116 lap aboard his Yamaha R1. Reigning AMA Superbike Champ Ben Spies was fourth fastest with a time of 1:40.249.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., – During the first day of Dunlop tire testing at Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the Daytona 200 Week By Honda, the motorcycle world witnessed Aaron Yates in his new Jordan Suzuki leathers. Yates, who is leaving Yoshimura Suzuki after a long tenure, joins NBA Basketball legend Michael Jordan’s Jordan Suzuki motorcycle operation for the 2007 season and will compete in both the AMA Superbike and Superstock Series beginning with Daytona 200 Week By Honda on March 2-10. The talented Georgia rider brings with him three AMA Pro National Championships (750 Supersport, 1996; 600 Supersport, 2002; and 1000 Superstock, 2005) and 25 career AMA National wins. He joins returning rider Jake Holden on the Jordan Suzuki team and replaces Jason Pridmore, who retired following the 2006 season. “I’ve been anxious to get out here and get to work with the new team a little bit and ride these Jordan bikes,” said Yates during the lunch break of the annual Dunlop tire test. The Dunlop tire test is the major tune up for factory and factory-assisted teams before Daytona 200 Week By Honda on March 2-10. Among the many riders in attendance for the test include American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel (five-time Daytona 200 By Honda winner) and Jake Zemke (2006 Daytona 200 By Honda champion); Erion Honda’s Josh Hayes and Aaron Gobert; Kawasaki’s Jamie Hacking and Roger Lee Hayden; Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies (2006 AMA Superbike champ) and six-time AMA Superbike champion Mat Mladin; and Yamaha’s Ben Bostrom, Eric Bostrom, Jason DiSalvo and Josh Herrin. For Yates, the three-day Dunlop tire test is the first opportunity to ride with his new team. Yates describes the opportunity to ride for Jordan, a huge motorcycle enthusiast, as an “honor.” “I’ve seen (his enthusiasm) for the last couple of years,” Yates said. “His name being so big and it just draws in such a wider spread of people that don’t know anything about motorcycle racing. I think it’s a great thing for the sport and to be the main rider on the team, to be their Superbike guy, is a really neat feeling for me. I’m looking forward to going out there and doing the best I can for them.” Yates says changing teams from Yoshimura Suzuki to Jordan Suzuki will be a learning experience for him. “It’s been a great relationship with Suzuki and my team and the guys that have worked with me,” Yates said. “I hate leaving some of the people but it is exciting going to work with new people. New people have new ideas and different views on things. “It’s a big learning experience is the way I look at it. I’m always game for looking at things another way and learning about something and trying something different. It’s exciting coming to a whole new gig, especially with some competitive motorcycles, and hopefully we can put our bike on top of the box and on top of those factory riders.” The Dunlop tire test continues Tuesday and 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. More, from a press release issued by Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki: Jordan Suzuki Team Jumps Into 2007 with Aaron Yates Three-time AMA Champ Aaron Yates joins Jake Holden on Jordan Suzuki Team AURORA, IL., (Nov. 31, 2006) Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki announced today that three-time AMA National Champion and 2005 AMA Superstock National Champion Aaron Yates has joined the team for the 2007 season. Yates joins returning team rider Jake Holden and replaces the retired Jason Pridmore. Over the past 10 years, Yates has been one of the most dominant competitors on the AMA Pro circuit, earning pole positions, podium finishes, wins in every class in which he participates, and claiming three AMA Pro National Championships (750 Supersport, 1996; 600 Supersport, 2002; and 1000 Superstock, 2005). Yates jumpstart his AMA Pro Racing career in 1993 with several top-10 finishes in the 600 Supersport, 750 Supersport, and SuperTwins classes, earning his first AMA National win in 1994. Since 2005, Yates has posted 17 podium places with 7 wins (in 21 starts) in the Superstock class, and 23 top-5 finishes, 10 podium placements, with 1 win (in 36 starts) in the Superbike class. He has a total of 25 career AMA National wins. Yates will compete in the Superbike and Superstock classes on the new 2007 Suzuki GSX-R 1000, equipped with Dunlop tires, Ohlins Suspension, Yoshimura Exhaust, BPD electronics and motors designed and built (in-house) by Gemini Technology. “I’m really excited to work with the Jordan Suzuki team,” said Yates. “I’m really pumped about representing Jordan in this sport, and the opportunity to help win the team’s first AMA championship. I am looking forward to working with my new crew next week at Daytona and getting the new 2007 Suzuki GSX-R 1000 sorted out.” The Jordan Suzuki duo of Yates and Holden will ride together for the first time at the annual Daytona Tire Test on December 4-6, 2006. This will be their first outing on the brand-new 2007 Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superstock bike. Yates will also be testing the 2006 Jordan Suzuki Superbike previously ridden by the retired Jason Pridmore until the 2007 Superbikes are completed. The goal is to prepare for the AMA Superbike season opener in Daytona Beach, Florida, March 7-10, 2007. Jake Holden returns to the Jordan Suzuki team for the second year, after 2 top-5 finishes and consistent top 10 finishes in 2006. “I look forward to getting back out on the Jordan Suzuki GSX-R1000 after a month off,” said Holden. “We had some good results this past year and made a lot of progress. I’m really looking forward to building on that momentum. My team really works hard to give me great equipment, so now it’s up to me to go do my job. I’ve been training really hard since the last race, so I’m ready to go.” Legendary NBA star Michael Jordan formed Michael Jordan Motorsports in 2004 as a result of his passion for motorcycle racing. His mission is to bring a new level of excellence and style to the motorcycle racing industry. For more information on the team, visit the race team website at www.23RACE.com and the Jumpman website at www.Jumpman23.com. For more information and schedules, visit the AMA Superbike Series’ official information web site at www.AMASuperbike.com

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin turned the quickest time during Dunlop tire testing Monday morning at Daytona International Speedway. Riding his 2006-spec GSX-R1000 with basic set-up changes to suit the Daytona track and no new parts, Mladin turned a 1:39.934 on the 2.95-mile infield road course. Mladin’s Crew Chief Peter Doyle reported that the track surface was “really slick,” but Mladin’s time was faster than Jake Zemke’s 1:40.379 turned on the first morning of last year’s tire test at Daytona. Doyle said Mladin was sorting through some of Dunlop’s new tires Monday and trying to get some set-up information that will carry over to his 2007 GSX-R1000, which is scheduled to arrive at the track Tuesday. Third-fastest Monday morning was Eric Bostrom, who was conducting his third test of his new Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike while his teammate and brother Ben Bostrom was getting his first taste of his YZF-R1 Superstock machine. Jamie Hacking was the quickest Supersport rider with a 1:44.092 on his new Kawasaki ZX-6R. Hacking and teammate Roger Hayden were scheduled to test for three days at Barber Motorsports Park in November, but the test was essentially rained out. Corona Extra Racing Honda’s James Ellison got his first-ever taste of Daytona’s high banks and said, “It was very good fun.” Ellison said Gary Mason has joined his team to race in AMA Supersport. Dunlop tire Test Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida December 4, 2006 Monday Morning AMA Testing Times (as provided by AMA timing & scoring): 1. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:39.934, Superbike 2. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:40.547, Superbike 3. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:40.969, Superbike 4. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR600RR), 1:41.866, Superbike 5. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR600RR), 1:42.235, Formula Xtreme 6. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:42.355, Superstock 7. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1), 1:33.115, Superbike 8. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:43.253, Superstock 9. Akira Yanagawa (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:43,399, Superbike 10. Jamie Hacking (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:44.092, Supersport 11. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), 1:44.752, Supersport 12. Ben Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1), 1:45.097, Superstock 13. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:45.563, Supersport 14. Chaz Davies (Yam YZF-R6), 1:48.252, Supersport 15. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), 1:48.365, Supersport 16. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:49.035, Superbike 17. Gary Mason (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:51.531, Superbike

Dave McEnery used his GSX-R1000 to nab the top spot on the podium for the last race of the CCS Florida season, the Unlimited Grand Prix. It was Greg Melka who took the holeshot lead with his brand new GSX-R1000 with Marco Martinez and McEnery in hot pursuit. By lap two Martinez was out front on his GSX-R1000 with McEnery and Melka battling for second place. Halfway through the race, McEnery took over the lead with Martinez just behind him. Darren Luck had worked his GSX-R600 through traffic and into third place with Jeff Wood on a borrowed GSX-R750 close behind. Position swapping continued through the final lap of the race when McEnery hit the front straight with a twenty bike-length gap over Martinez, who took second place on the rear wheel. Another twenty bike-lengths behind him, Wood had claimed the third place spot and also crossed the finish line on the rear wheel. Luck and Melka rounded off the top five. After the race, McEnery commented on the race start, “I think my clutch just had enough, it just kept lurching and I couldn’t get off the line really well. Then when I saw Marco go by, I’m like ‘Well, I’d just better tuck in or he’s going to take off,’ and I just tried to stay behind him. I watched him for a couple of laps then I decided to make moves on him and finally got one to stick. And then once I got by him, I just knew there were two spots on the track I was just a hair quicker and I really tried to get through those well to get a little gap and I guess it worked because I won.” And, at the end of the day, this year’s number one rider Darren Luck, was again presented with the CCS Florida number one plate for the 2007 season. Luck had already wrapped up his position as points leader earlier during the season with a more than 600 point lead over Santiago Villa, next year’s number two plate holder. Unlimited Grand Prix Results: 1. David McEnery (GSX-R1000); 2. Marco Martinez (GSX-R1000); 3. Jeff Wood (GSX-R750); 4. Darren Luck (GSX-R600); 5. Greg Melka (GSX-R1000); 6. Rodolfo Ramirez (GSX-R1000); 7. Robert Wilkey (GSX-R1000); 8. J Seth Starnes (GSX-R1000); 9. Santiago Villa (R1); 10. Michael Rouleau (GSX-R1000).

Ending months of speculation following Ilmor’s launch in Estoril, Mike Janes was officially announced today as the Ilmor MotoGP team manager by team owner, Mario Illien. Selected for his talent and experience, Janes was a natural candidate having built himself a formidable reputation working within motorsport over the past 15 years. Commenting on the appointment Illien said: “I’m delighted that Mike has joined the team, I think he has a wealth of experience to bring and I’m looking forward to seeing him in action. I know that there have been a lot of rumours surrounding this appointment and as a team, we did not want to rush in to making a quick decision that we might later live to regret I’m a great believer in patience and timing – the team is my priority and I want to make sure that the internal infrastructure is a good as it possibly can be.” Janes has a predominantly Formula One background and his promotion from principal engineer at Cosworth encompassing names such as Williams, Jaguar then Red Bull Racing, to Ilmor team manager provides him, as with Illien the exciting challenge of making the move from success on four wheels to produce the same results on two. Commenting on his new role Janes said: “During my 15 years in motorsport I have worked alongside some of the most prominent personalities in the industry – I have had my fair share of challenges both on and off the track and I can honestly say that I’m taking on this role with relish. I have admired Mario’s work for years and when the opportunity to work with him on such a bold and exciting project came up, I had no hesitation in accepting the challenge. “I want to make the most out of the remainder of the winter season and really prepare for what will be a very interesting world championship next year. As a sport I think MotoGP has a lot to offer motorsport fans and I’m really enjoying the prospect of applying my knowledge from a different motoring discipline to this equally fast paced world.” Janes was thrown in at the deep end as he officially started working for Ilmor last week during the test in Jerez, however understandably, the announcement of his appointment was postponed due to Ilmor test rider Jeremy McWilliams’ crash on Thursday afternoon. McWilliams suffered a fracture to his left femur and had a suspected fracture to his collarbone. McWilliams had an operation over the weekend to pin the fracture in his leg and is expecting to be back at home by the end of this week. Despite the incident, reports overall in terms of the bike were generally positive. Test riders McWilliams and Pitt were chosen not only for their talent but also reputable communication skills, both riders provided comprehensive feedback during the test enabling the team’s mechanics and designers to iron out earlier teething problems and push forward towards the holy grail of the perfect set-up for the 2007 season. The team are confident that the data accumulated has left them in a strong position to make necessary changes ahead of the next official test and with the latest addition of team manager Mike Janes on the scene the mood amid the team remains buoyant and determined looking towards a competitive start for the 2007 race season. It is anticipated that the 2007 Ilmor rider line-up will be announced later this week.

The TT Races – 100 hundred years of Road Racing on the Isle of Man A hundred years on and thrill seekers still venture to the Isle of Man every summer for the same reason the gentlemen of 1907 did, the Tourist Trophy more commonly known as the Isle of Man TT. It was the spirit of competition and advancement that brought the original TT competition to the Island as racing on the highways and byways of Britain was impossible, forbidden by Act of Parliament and by the introduction in 1903 of a 20mph speed limit. The Secretary of the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland, Sir Julian Orde, set off in February 1904 for the Isle of Man because he had a fairly shrewd idea that the Manx authorities would adopt a more conciliatory attitude automobile racing on public roads. He was right. The Highways (Light Locomotive) Act 1904 gave permission in the Isle of Man for the 52.15 mile “Highlands” course for the 1904 Gordon Bennett Car Trial, the British trial for the fledging European car racing championships. It was not until the following year that a trial race for the motorbikes was to be introduced the day after the Gordon Bennett Car Trial. The inability of the bikes to complete the steep climbs of the mountain section led to the race being redirected and it didn’t return to the Mountains until 1911. The new route ran from Douglas south to Castletown and then north to Ballacraine along the A3 primary road, returning to the start at Douglas via Colby and Glen Vine along the current TT Course in the reverse direction. The event was won by J.S. Campbell in a respectable 4 hours, 9 minutes and 36 seconds. The new race was proposed by the Editor of “The Motor-Cycle” Magazine at the annual dinner of the Auto-Cycle Club held in London on the 17th January 1907. The races were run in two classes with single-cylinder machines to average 90 mpg and twin-cylinder machines to average 75 mpg. This was done to emphasise the road touring nature of the motor-cycles. The organisers also insisted there were regulations for saddles, pedals, mudguards and exhaust silencers. The 1911 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races took place for the first time over the “Snaefell Mountain Course”. The Auto Cycle Union (ACU), organisers of the race, announced an extension to the course with the reintroduction of the Mountain Course setting a four lap (150mile) Junior course and a five lap (189 mile) race for the Senior race. By now crowds were accommodated in Grandstands to watch the American bike manufacturer Indian take the first three places. The following year British pride was restored by the Yorkshire based two-stroke bike, Scott and in the Junior 350cc race by the Douglas’ taking first and second. The race meeting was close to being cancelled due to several manufactures threatening to boycott the race having struggled the year before on the Mountain course with the single gear bikes. It was during the early years that the Mountain Circuit was little more than a cart and horse track which included the odd gate between fields. It was the duty of the first rider round in the morning to open all the gates along the way, with the last rider responsible in shutting them. The 1914 TT was the last race before the outbreak of World War I; the meeting was not to be held again till after the War in 1920. Cyril Williams competing in the Junior race on an AJS valiantly pushed his AJS over the finish line in first place having broken down five miles previously. It was in 1921 that a young Stanley Woods first made the ferry trip over from Ireland to the Isle of Man as a one of the thousands of spectators now attending. The following year a seventeen year old Stanley Woods would enter his first ever TT. During the 1920s the road conditions began to improve and with this so did lap speeds. In 1920 the lap record was 55.62 mph and by the outbreak of World War 2 this rose to over 90 mph. The 1922 TT will be remembered for two things, Tom Sheard winning the 350cc race on the dominant AJS, the first ever Manxman to win at the TT and the seventeen year old Stanley Woods attaining fifth position on a Cotton with a time of 3hrs 50min 33secs despite having to contend with a broken exhaust pipe and a pit fire that set both man and machine ablaze. The 1923 competition saw the introduction of the first Sidecar race won by Freddie Dixon and passenger Walter Perry. In the Junior 350cc Stanley Woods was to record his first of ten TT victories, the last one being in 1939. By 1938 the lap speed record had reached 91mph, a record held by Harold Daniell for a further 12 years. Following a break of eight years the Isle of Man TT returned after the War in 1947, with Harold Daniell winning at a much slower speed than his previous record due to the poorer quality of petrol, setting speeds of 82mph. It was in 1949 that the TT first became a venue for the Motorcycle World Championships. It was also the last time the two great pre-war riders, Harold Daniell on a Norton and Freddie Frith on a Velocette were to be seen ridding at the TT, both winning the Senior and Junior races respectively. The 1950’s and the World Championship status brought along the world’s top riders to the TT. The decade was notable for the emergence of Italian manufacturers Mondial, MV Augusta and Gilera and their riders Carlo Ubbiali and Tarquinio Provini, Geoff Duke and Bob McIntyre. Bill Lomas and Ken Kavanagh on the Moto Guzzi’s were also prominent. Three years after Harold Daniell’s lap record was set, Geoff Duke set his own on the way to winning his first International TT on a Norton, reaching 93.33mph in the Senior class. In the same year, the 125cc category was introduced. In 1957, the Scotsman Bob McIntyre became the first rider ever to lap the Mountain circuit at 100mph, much to the annoyance of Geoff Duke who came agonisingly close the previous year, achieving 99.97mph. The late fifties and early sixties are known as the golden era of the TT, with riders like John Surtees, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, Phil Read and Jim Redman competing in entertaining battles with machine and each other. This era is also notable for the first appearance of the Japanese bike company, Honda. In 1961, Mike Hailwood won his first of 14 TT’s whilst becoming the first rider to finish with three wins in a week – 125, 250 on a Honda and the Senior race on a Norton. Hailwood would later go on to win five consecutive Senior titles, the first three on a Norton the latter two on Hondas. The battle between Giacomo Agostini on the MV and Hailwood on a Honda in the 1967 Senior TT is considered by many as the greatest ever race on the Island. Between 1965 and 1972 Agostini managed 11 race wins of his own, while in 1967 Hailwood set another lap record at 108.77mph, which would stand for a further 11 years. The record was to stand until 1975 when Hailwood’s absolute lap record was broken by Mike Grant on a two-stroke triple Kawasaki, raising it to 109.80mph. The following year saw the end of the Isle of Man’s association with the British Grand Prix but the TT’s introduction to the skills and talents of the now legendary Joey Dunlop. It was not long before Joey’s talents came to the fore. In 1977 he won the Jubilee Classic race, the first of an astounding 26. This same year saw the first Sidecar duo to exceed the 100mph mark, George O’Dell and Kenny Arthur taking their Yamaha round at 102.80mph. Also the American GP star, Pat Hennen, managed the first sub-twenty minute lap on board a 500 Suzuki in the Senior TT. Mike Hailwood after an 11 year absence returned to the TT in winning form in 1978 which he matched in his final race in 1979, with his 14th and final TT. The eighties were dominated by one man – Joey Dunlop. He recorded the first 115mph plus lap in 1980, and in 1983 won the first of six consecutive Formula One TT’s on the dominant Honda machines. Injuries sustained in a race at Brands Hatch prevented Dunlop from defending his title for the seventh consecutive time in 1989, a race won by Steve Hislop who broke Joey’s lap speed record, pushing it to 121.34mph. The arrival of World Superbike Champion Carl Fogarty to the 1992 TT saw the beginning of many epic races between Carl and Steve Hislop. 1992 was also the year Joey Dunlop equalled Mike Hailwood’s record of 14 TT wins by winning on his 125 Honda. A Norton, ridden by Hislop, was their first TT win since Hailwood’s 1961 victory. At the tender age of 48 Joey Dunlop recorded his 26th and final TT win at the start of the new millennium. For only the third time the TT races was cancelled in 2001, due to concerns over Foot and Mouth epidemic that was destroying the UK’s mainland. 2004 was marked by the a hat trick of wins for a John McGuinness, who last year reached average speeds of 129.4mph on the way to his 11th TT victory and new lap record and race records. The Centenary year looks set for more drama and exhilarating speeds from the likes of McGuiness being challenged hard by a host of up and coming riders, including newcomers from BSB. With a Centenary of racing on the Mountain Course itself fast approaching in 2011, it will not be long before we are celebrating a double century of the world’s most exciting road race.

The annual AMA Dunlop tire test started this morning at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida. Teams and riders present and planning to test are: American Honda with Miguel Duhamel and Jake Zemke; Erion Honda with Josh Hayes and Aaron Gobert; Rockwall Honda with Ryan Andrews and Ryan Elleby; Corona Extra Racing Honda with James Ellison and Gary Mason; Kawasaki with Jamie Hacking, Roger Hayden and veteran Japanese rider Akira Yanagawa; Yoshimura Suzuki with Ben Spies and Mat Mladin; Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki with Aaron Yates and Jake Holden; Yamaha/Graves Yamaha’s Eric Bostrom, Jason DiSalvo, Ben Bostrom and Josh Herrin; Celtic Racing Yamaha with Chaz Davies. Testing started shortly after 9:00 a.m. local time and is expected to continue through Wednesday afternoon. The local weather forecast is favorable with mild temperatures and little chance of precipitation expected over the three days. The biggest news so far is that Yoshimura Suzuki’s newest rider Tommy Hayden and the team’s 2007 GSX-R1000 Superbikes are not at the test Monday morning. Hayden is scheduled to have surgery on his fractured right wrist and possibly his broken foot at the hands of Dr. Arthur Ting today in Fremont, California, according to Hayden’s mother Rose Hayden. Tommy Hayden’s injuries are the result of a third-gear, 120 mph highside crash he suffered while testing his 2007 GSX-R1000 Superbike at Sepang, in Malaysia. The Superbikes Yoshimura Suzuki tested in Malaysia have not returned from overseas yet and were not available for testing Monday at Daytona. In the meantime, Mladin started the test on his 2006-spec Superbike (which still wears the number-one plate, much to the displeasure of 2006 AMA Superbike Champion Spies), and Spies used the time to do his first shakedown of his 2007 GSX-R1000 Superstock bike. Yoshimura Suzuki is expecting its 2007 machinery to be available on Tuesday morning. Other 2007 machinery at the test: American Honda has one 2007 Formula Xtreme CBR600RR; Erion Honda has one 2007 CBR600RR in Supersport trim; Roger Hayden and Hacking each have a 2007 ZX-6R; Eric Bostrom and DiSalvo each have a 2007 Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike, and Ben Bostrom has a 2007 Yamaha YZF-R1 Superstock bike; and Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki is hoping to complete one 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superstock machine Monday morning at the track for Yates and Holden to ride. Yates, meanwhile, is riding a 2006 GSX-R1000 Superstock bike. Kawasaki’s Yanagawa is present at the test to help the team get through its share of Dunlop’s new tires and to evaluate new parts for its ZX-10R Superbike. Yanagawa, a Superbike and MotoGP veteran, tested with Kawasaki’s AMA factory team in 2006 and raced a ZX-10R in the All-Japan Superbike Championship last season.

It turns out that Tommy Hayden broke the scaphoid bone in his right wrist when he crashed while testing a 2007 Suzuki GSX-R1000 at Sepang November 16. Hayden said he crashed at the top of third gear with no warning. Indications are that the bike suffered a mechanical problem. The newly discovered wrist problem means Hayden will not attend the Dunlop tire test at Daytona this coming week. Update: Speaking at Daytona International Speedway Monday morning, Yoshimura Suzuki Team Manager Don Sakakura said there was no evidence that a mechanical failure caused Tommy Hayden to crash while testing in Malaysia.