Jack Pfiefer Takes First Toyota Cup Formula 1 Win at WSMC Las Vegas-based Jack Pfeifer had a hat-trick of wins at the 11th round of the 2006 WSMC season, including his first ever Toyota Cup Formula 1 win. Under perfect weather conditions the Pirelli-shod Pfeifer recovered quickly from a bad start and took the lead on the first lap of the 12-lap race. From there he checked out and went uncontested for the remainder of the race, running consistent laps in the 1:22 range. “I struggle with starts on the 1000, but once it gets rolling it comes on strong,” said Pfeifer from the top step of the podium about his ZX-10R. When asked if he ever looked back once in the lead, Pfeifer answered with a resounding “Nope! “I had visions of [Steve] Rapp getting me going into turn one, so I put my head down and kept it down,” continued Pfeifer. “I just tried to stay smooth.” Making his move coming out of the last turn on the last lap, Michelin race tire distributor Dale Keiffer took second place on his GSXR-1000 in the hotly contested battle for the remaining two spots on the podium. “I was gridded in the middle [of the pack] and with the fast guys out here I was going to be happy to get a top five,” said Keiffer. Keiffer kept with the group racing for second and said that he thought he had more tire left than his competitors in the second half of the race. “Four laps to the end I dug in glad I took that Viagra and saw that [Rapp] was skating around. I timed it just right on the last lap,” Keiffer said of the move he put on Rapp to take the second place Rapp had held for most of the race. What allowed Keiffer to out-drive Rapp coming out of turn nine was the fact that Rapp was on a 600, racing against the 1000s. This was Rapp’s first weekend racing an Attack Kawasaki ZX-6RR on Pirelli tires. Rapp’s game plan for the F1 race once Pfeifer checked out was to get out in front of the group battling for second and third and pull a gap. “I thought I could hold Dale off, but he was riding really well,” Rapp said. Rapp did take a hat-trick himself on the day by winning in the 650cc Superbike, 600cc Superstock, and 600cc Modified Production classes. “It was a good test because we normally don’t test until January or February,” explained Rapp about getting a head start on the 2007 season with a new team and riding on a different brand of tires than he has been on in the past. Jeff Tigert and Robbie Dowie rounded out the top five in the Formula 1 race. By scoring 30 points with two wins on a borrowed SV650, plus a fifth place in 600cc Superstock on his new YZF-R6, second-year racer Brant Wiwi clinched the overall 2006 WSMC Championship and will run the Number One plate next year at WSMC events. “At the beginning of the year I never thought I’d be in this position [to win the overall], but once I got into the [overall] points lead, it was pretty stressful,” Wiwi said. More, from a press release issued by Dunlop race tire vendor Sport Tire Services: With one round (Dec 17th) remaining in the WSMC Championship, Brant Wiwi of Hollywood, CA wrapped up the 2006 Overall #1 plate last weekend in Rosamond, CA! “We have a 62 point lead and no one can catch us in one event. I’m thrilled to be WSMC #1 for 2006 and humbled by the support from West Coast G.P Cycles , Moto-Tecnica both of Los Angeles, CA.” said Brant on the phone Tuesday after his championship winning weekend. “That makes 7 #1 plates in a row for Dunlop and Sport Tire at Willow Springs Raceway.” said Gabe Smith of STS, “Congratulations to Brant and his team! We are looking forward to working with him again in 07.” More, from a press release issued by Lindemann Engineering: Congratulations to Jack Pfiefer as he wins his first ever WSMC F-1 race at willow. Jack dips into the 1:21’s on his Superstock spec ZX during the race.

Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Robbie Bugden sealed third place in the 2006 Australian Superbike Championship and led the charge in Suzuki’s Manufacturer’s Championship victory at Eastern Creek Raceway on Sunday. Bugden and his team mate Shawn Giles wrapped up the 2006 season on a high note with both riders on the podium for the round, placing third and second respectively. In the overall championship standings, Suzuki starred with four riders in the top ten for the season with Bugden in third, Andrew Stroud close behind in fourth, Giles in ninth and Shannon Etheridge rounding out 10th place. The weekend began strongly for the Yoshimura Suzuki pair with Bugden and Giles both qualifying on the front row of the grid for Sunday’s two 13-lap races. Race one saw Giles positioned strongly in second place with Bugden on the attack and moving from fourth up into third spot aboard his GSX-R1000 Superbike until lap eight when an incident involving Wayne Maxwell brought out the red flags to stop the race. Resuming the first race battle with a five-lap sprint race, Giles made a rare jump start error and was issued a 10-second time penalty. Bugden continued his positive run and launched himself ahead of Giles and the Suzuki team mates enjoyed a good close duel until Giles eventually slipped by Bugden to see the pair cross the finish line in second and third places. However, Giles’ penalty dropped him back down the timesheets to third place and elevated Bugden to second. In scintillating form in race two, Giles took the lead from the race start and stretched a significant race lead on the opening lap, commanding the race lead until lap five when he was passed by Jamie Stauffer. Giles then maintained pace with the new champion and preserved second place to the finish line. Bugden was again on a mission and after prevailing in a fierce fight with Shannon Johnson, the Suzuki rider was impressive as he diced with the three-time Australian Champion. The Suzuki duo greeted the chequered flag line astern with Giles nudging out Bugden to maintain second for the race and the round overall. Bugden brought his Yoshimura Suzuki home in third place behind Giles in second with both riders scoring 38 points each for the round, with the latter awarded second spot overall for the meeting by virtue of his higher placing in the final race. Team Yoshimura Suzuki now turns its attentions to reclaiming the Australian Superbike Championship with preparations already underway for the 2007 championship assault. Phil Tainton Team Manager: “Congratulations to Jamie Stauffer on his championship win, today. “Robbie has had a great finish to the season and the team offers him big congratulations for his efforts. “To exit the season with a 2-3 finish today and Robbie third in the championship was a rewarding end to what has been a very tough year. Robbie Budgen: “The Team Yoshimura Suzuki is performing perfectly; the bike is doing everything I ask of it and the Dunlops are working brilliantly. “We’ve had a strong run in the closing rounds and I have to thank Phil and the entire Team Yoshimura Suzuki crew for providing such a fantastic race bike for me. “This has been an incredible learning year for me and a fantastic opportunity to race the factory Suzuki; to cap it off with third in the championship is a great finish to an amazing season.” Shawn Giles: “Full credit to Yamaha and Jamie for taking out the title and congratulations to Robbie for grabbing third in the championship. “I’ve had the most difficult season of my career this year and missed more rounds than ever before, but coming back and still placing inside the top 10 is testimony to the quality of the Suzuki product and how well Phil prepares the bikes. “I can’t say enough about the performance of the tyres and the bike this weekend. “After being off the bike for such a long time you lose a lot of race fitness and it’s tough to go back out and be competitive, so for me it’s great to end this year with a good result.” Superbike Overall Results – Round 7: 1 Jamie Stauffer, 2 Shawn Giles (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 3 Robbie Bugden (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 4 Bryan Staring, 5 Russell Holland, 6 Shannon Johnson, 7 Andrew Stroud (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 8 Glenn Allerton, 9 Trent Gibson, 10 Brenden Gurowski Final Superbike Championship Points: 1 Jamie Stauffer 320, 2 Russell Holland 264, 3 Robbie Bugden (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 204.5, 4 Andrew Stroud (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 201, 5 Scott Charlton 157.5, 6 Shannon Johnson 155.5, 7 Daniel Stauffer 150, 8 Wayne Maxwell 134, 9 Shawn Giles (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 130, 10 Shannon Etheridge (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 124.5. SUZUKI WINS AUSTRALIAN SUPERSTOCK TITLE: Suzuki rider Ian Andrews sealed victory in the 2006 Australian Superstock Cup in the final round at Eastern Creek on 19 November. The Kessner Suzuki privateer produced a string of dominant performances throughout the season, placing him in a strong position heading into the final round. Andrews had a difficult weekend for the final round including a crash in race one, but his points buffer was sufficient for the South Australian rider to clinch the title with a comfortable margin over second place, despite finishing 12th on the day. Beginning the season on a 2004-model Suzuki, Andrews stepped up mid-season to the 2006 version GSX-R600 with technical support from Team Yoshimura Suzuki. Capping off a stellar season, the talented young pilot was also awarded the Kirk McCarthy Memorial Award in recognition of his exceptional talent. Winning both the Superstock Cup and the Kirk McCarthy Memorial Award, Andrews’ achievements are the springboard to launch him into the Australian Supersport Championship aboard a new 2007-model GSX-R600. 2006 Australian Superstock Cup Championship Standings: 1 Ian Andrews (Suzuki GSX-R600) 418, 2 Chris Trounsen 406, 3 Josh Houwen 342, 4 Anthony Quinn 339, 5 Danny Higgins 280, 6 Scott Yates 239, 7 Bradd McConnell 213, 8 Anton Kokshoorn 211, 9 Darren Sciberras 193, 10 Tim Cowie 185. SUZUKI CAPTURES FORMULA XTREME CUP Suzuki Newcastle’s Michael Fraser capped off a dominant season to seal victory in the 2006 Formula Xtreme Cup at Eastern Creek Raceway (NSW) on Sunday. Making his national-level racing debut this year, 29-year-old Fraser quickly asserted himself as a series contender and ultimately claimed five of seven round wins, including the Eastern Creek finale. Fraser entered the closing round with a 33.5-point advantage and stretched the margin with pole position and three straight race wins to 69.5 points, wrapping up his sensational season with a supremely dominant performance which netted his first Australian championship. Michael Fraser: “This has been an awesome year for me”¦ the Suzuki GSX-R1000 has been faultless all season. “I’ve only ever raced at a couple of local club-level events before this year, so to have taken out a national title in my first attempt is a huge achievement. “I also have to thank Suzuki and especially Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Phil Tainton who’s given me a lot of technical support throughout the season and that has been invaluable.” 2006 Australian Formula Xtreme Cup Championship Standings: 1 Michael Fraser (GSX-R1000) 406.5, 2 Cameron Barnes 337, 3 Craig Domaschenz 313, 4 James Van Rooyen 266.5, 5 Shayne Whiteley 172, 6 Chris Trounson 135, 7 Chris Panayi 133.5, 8 Chris Williams 118, 9 Richard Parry 113.5, 10 Peter Grasser 112.

STEVE PLATER TAKES MAIDEN VICTORY AT MACAU Lincolnshire Superbike racer Steve Plater, from Woodhall Spa near Lincoln, has taken a resounding win in the Rio Hotel Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix 40th Edition after battling through from fourth place on the opening lap. Plater, who qualified in second place behind six-times winner Michael Rutter was riding the AIM Racing Yamaha R1 and competing in the Superbike class in Macau for the very first time. He had previously competed in the Supersport race on the Sanyo Honda 500 v-twin in 1998 and returned with Honda Racing in 2003 where he finished in third place. The rain clouds that had threatened to halt the event cleared away on race day and Steve lined up alongside his rivals in perfect conditions for the start of the 15-lap race. Rutter took command from the start swiftly followed by Ian Hutchinson leaving Plater to play catch up. He reeled in Hutchinson on lap three going on to hunt down Rutter passing him to take up the lead one lap later. As the race progressed Plater began to pull away but Rutter found a second wind and reduced the gap back down to just 0.346 of a second. Plater was seen to look over his shoulder on lap seven and realising Rutter was in his tyre tracks he stepped up the pace to re-establish a half second lead. But it all nearly ended in tears for both riders as they encountered a backmarker circulating considerably slower. Although he lost momentum Plater got through and continued on his way but Rutter was held up and lost ground. It was all down to the final two laps with Rutter reducing the gap to under a second. But Plater was not going to be denied his win and crossed the finish line 0.962 of a second ahead of Rutter who had to be content with second place and the lap record. Steve was overjoyed with his win and said: “The pace was hot and it was a dog fight between myself and Michael. I just didn’t want him to get away at the start, a leopard doesn’t change his spots and I knew for a fact that he was riding really well and the Stobart Honda is a good bike so I didn’t want to give him any breathing space.” Asked what his plans are for 2007 Steve replied: “Ideally I would like to contest both the British Superbike championship and the World Endurance series subject of course to there not being any date clashes. “I have a few options and hope to have my plans finalised within the next few weeks before settling down to a peaceful Christmas after which I will be preparing for the new season.” Asked if this win was the one that stuck out in his mind as the best this year he replied: “It took me eight years to win the North West 200 and after scoring some nearlys and not quites I managed it this year but the Macau GP to be the best for me as its my first time here on a Superbike and to win on my first attempt makes it even sweeter. “I wanted to finish my season off on a high and I am delighted to have been able to achieve that today!”

At age 19, USGPRU 250 ace and 2006 National Champion Alex Welsh has outgrown Infinity Repli-Cast GP Racing after 2 seasons with the youth focused team. 2006 was wildly successful for both rider and team as they excelled in the USGPRU 125 class and utterly dominated the 250’s. In 30 races started, Infinity Repli-Cast and Alex Welsh reached the podium together 22 times (that’s a .733 batting average for you baseball fans) and spent almost half of them atop the pyramid with 10 wins. “It was truly a remarkable year for us,” said Frank Pate, Infinity Repli-Cast’s manager of U.S. operations. “The USGPRU is an excellent environment for youth to develop their road racing skills and with Infinity Repli-Cast behind him Alex was able to maximize our equipment and decimate the competition in the 250 Class.” But, as with all development programs, athletes grow up and out of them. “We’re a youth road racing team and Alex has reached that inevitable point where his skills and desires to ride bigger, faster machines require him to move on to teams and sponsors who can providethose opportunities,” said Pate. “Of course, like a high school or college football team we’re sad to lose him, but at the same time we’re extremely pleased and proud to pass on a fine young man and winning racer to the lucky team who signs him for 2007.” For the most recent interviews and race footage of Alex and Infinity Repli-Cast’s success together log onto www.OnTheThrottle.tv and click on the race bike. You can learn more about Infinity Repli-Cast GP Racing’s outstanding youth programs at www.TeamInfinityReplicast.net.

Robertino Pietri ran away with both rounds of the FMV Venezuelan Superbike Championship Sunday at the Autodroma Internationale de San Carlos, winning rounds one and two of the FIM-sanctioned Latin American Superbike Championship. Race one was a runaway for Pietri. Leading every lap and running 1:29 lap times, he finished 20.3 seconds clear of defending Venezuelan Superbike Champion Fernando Amantini. Columbian Cesar Telles finished 12 seconds back from Amantini, wowing the crowd with supermoto-style corner entrances. In race two, Pietri had to work a little harder, but it was Telles, not Amantini, who was the challenger. Telles led the field into turn one, with Amantini and Pietri in close tow. Amantini crashed out of the race unhurt on the first lap in the turn known as El Bombillo (The Lightbulb), forcing Pietri to check up. Telles held a three-second lead across the stripe at the end of lap one. Pietri caught Telles and forced his way by on the inside of the 140-mph turn one on lap five, and then pulled away to an eventual 8.6-second victory over Telles. Venezuelan Franco Pellegrino finished third. Pietri currently leads both the Venezuelan and Latin American Superbike Championships, with the next event in one week back at Turagua in Maracay, Santa Cruz, Venezuela. Armando Ferrer put on another dominating performance in Sunday’s 600cc Supersport race, winning by over 10 seconds. Superbike Race One San Carlos, Venezuela November 19, 2006 1. Robertino Pietri, Suzuki GSX-R1000, Pirelli, 18 laps, 27:11.967 2. Fernando Amantini, Kawasaki ZX-10R, Dunlop, 27:32.272, -20.3 seconds 3. Cesar Telles, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 27:44.135, -32.168 seconds 4. Franco Pellegrino, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 28:02.728, -50.76 seconds 5. Ricardo Sune, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 28:02.778, -50.811 seconds Best Lap, Pietri, 1:29.617, 164.700 kph (102.245 mph) Superbike Race Two San Carlos, Venezuela November 19, 2006 1. Pietri, 18 laps, 27:22.223 2. Telles, 27:30.891, -8.668 seconds 3. Pellegrino, 28:37.496, -15.273 seconds 4. Franklin Reveron, Honda CBR1000RR, 28:40.471, -18.248 seconds 5. Norio Rivero, Yamaha YZF-R1, 28:42.345, -20.122 seconds Best Lap, Pietri, 1:30.264, 163.520 kph (101.611 mph) 600cc Supersport San Carlos, Venezuela November 19, 2006 1. Armando Ferrer, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 18 laps, 28:27.326 2. Miguel Boccardo, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 28:37.816, -10.49 seconds 3. Alexander Rodriguez, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 28:57.119, -29.793 seconds 4. Victor Chirinos, Yamaha YZF-R6, 29:07.427, -40.101 seconds 5. Juan Carlos Rodriguez, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 29:22.012, -54.686 seconds Best Lap, Ferrer, 1:33.433, 157.974 kph (98.165 mph)

Stauffer Does The Double 2006 Australian Superbike And Supersport Champion Jamie Stauffer has claimed his and Yamaha’s first ever Australian Superbike Championship at Eastern Creek today, capping off a brilliant season with two race wins. Stauffer was clearly ecstatic to secure the series crown, proudly flying the Yamaha flag on a deserved victory lap in front of a strong Sydney crowd at the YMF Loan Australian Superbike Grand Final round. He said the win was something he had dearly wanted to achieve, and felt his own performance and the handling of the bike had improved at each and every meeting. “It’s a great feeling to take my first Superbike title and to do it on a Yamaha is great – to dominate both the classes like we have really proves just how strong the bike is and how well the whole team works together,” said Stauffer. “The YZF-R1 has been the perfect race bike this season but the competition has been tough, there is an enormous amount of talent in the series and I’m very proud to have come out on top. “It will probably take a while for the news to sink in, and I’m actually already looking forward to next year and what looks to be an interesting new format.” His results today take his Superbike race win count to 9, with 7 pole positions to his name. He won 5 from 7 rounds in 2006. It is the third year in a row that a rider has recorded the Superbike/Supersport double – Stauffer joins Honda riders Adam Fergusson and Josh Brookes in this elite group. Interestingly, Stauffer’s stellar season kicked off in similar form at Eastern Creek at the start of the season. He fired from the blocks on debut with the team, taking every available win and sending a clear message to his rivals in the competitive field. So dominant was Stauffer in the earlier Supersport rounds, he was able to secure the Supersport title at the penultimate race meeting, and shift his focus back to clinching the premier Superbike class. He finished the 2005 season in 3rd position with the Kawasaki Racing Team, and made the switch to the distinct blue machines to join his brother Daniel on the YZF-R1 at the beginning of 2006. Stauffer recently put pen to paper to race with the Yamaha Racing Team again in 2007 aboard the new YZF-R1, citing the signing as ‘a very easy decision’. A strong challenge this weekend came from the Suzuki duo of Shawn Giles and Robbie Bugden, with the Team Yoshimura pilots trading podium positions in both races to finish the round equal on points. Giles narrowly claims the advantage over Bugden due to the order of his finishing positions, his 3rd and 2nd edged out Bugden’s 2nd and 3rd at the end of the day. The crowd was able to witness the typical style of the former champ as he looked to round out the season on the podium, and he certainly did not disappoint. “Full credit must go to Yamaha and Jamie for taking the title, they’ve been strong all year,” began Giles. “It’s certainly tough racing after being off the bike for such a long time, I can’t say enough about the tyres and the bike this weekend and I’m really pleased to finish on a high note.” Russell Holland struggled to find a comfortable race setup aboard his Demolition Plus Honda this weekend, but is certainly still a worthy recipient of championship runner-up place. “The pace just wasn’t there,” said Holland, post-race. “We were struggling with grip and just didn’t have anything to offer the leaders, which is disappointing considering the fantastic season we have had. “I can’t wait to get underway with the factory team in the new year.” Very rarely does a privateer come so close to challenging for a national series win, and he will certainly be one to watch in 2007 as he launches his assault on the championship with full factory support at Teknic Honda. Mark Aitchison proved unstoppable in today’s Supersport races, and has secured a strong second placing in the series with a dominant display at Eastern Creek. For the second round in a row, Aitchison took pole position and clean swept both races, surely making him favourite to challenge teammate and 2006 champion Jamie Stauffer next season. Jason O’Halloran completed an R6 1-2-3 in the category, cementing Yamaha’s position as the premier manufacturer in the 2006 series. The provisional 2007 YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship calendar was recently revealed, featuring an earlier start and two ‘double-header’ rounds at Queensland Raceway and Winton Motor Raceway. The series will return to Tasmania’s Symmons Plains after an immensely successful round this year, and the season is expected to conclude much earlier. YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship, Eastern Creek Race 1 1. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team. Yamaha R1 2. Robert BUGDEN (QLD) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki. Suzuki GSXR 3. Shawn GILES (NSW) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki. Suzuki GSXR 4. Russell HOLLAND (NSW) / Demolition Plus Honda / Pirelli Tyres. Honda CBR RR 5. Bryan STARING (WA) / Jardine Honda. Honda CBR RR 6. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) / Joe Rocket Honda. Honda CBR RR 7. Andrew STROUD (NZ) / Superbike New Zealand / Brother / SsangYong. Suzuki GSXR 8. Shannon JOHNSON (VIC) / Kawasaki Racing Team. Kawasaki ZX10R 9. Shannon ETHERIDGE (NSW) / Kirk McCarthy Award / Suzuki Aust. / Phil Tainton. Suzuki GSXR 10. Trent GIBSON (VIC) / Team Gibson. Suzuki GSXR YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship, Eastern Creek Race 2 1. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team. Yamaha R1 2. Shawn GILES (NSW) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki. Suzuki GSXR 3. Robert BUGDEN (QLD) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki. Suzuki GSXR 4. Bryan STARING (WA) / Jardine Honda. Honda CBR RR 5. Shannon JOHNSON (VIC) / Kawasaki Racing Team. Kawasaki ZX10R 6. Russell HOLLAND (NSW) / Demolition Plus Honda / Pirelli Tyres. Honda CBR RR 7. Andrew STROUD (NZ) / Superbike New Zealand / Brother / SsangYong. Suzuki GSXR 8. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) / Joe Rocket Honda. Honda CBR RR 9. Wayne MAXWELL (NSW) / 1300 Kawasaki / Pirelli. Kawasaki ZX10R 10. Ashley ROE (VIC) / Roe Motorcycles / Chemblast / Michelin. Honda CBR RR YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship, Eastern Creek Round Results 1. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) 51 2. Shawn GILES (NSW) 38 3. Robert BUGDEN (QLD) 38 4. Bryan STARING (WA) 33 5. Russell HOLLAND (NSW) 32 6. Shannon JOHNSON (VIC) 29 7. Andrew STROUD (NZ) 28 8. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) 28 9. Trent GIBSON (VIC) 20 10. Brenden GUROWSKI (QLD) 18 YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship Final Points Standings 1. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) 320 (2006 YMF Loan Australian Superbike Champion) 2. Russell HOLLAND (NSW) 264 3. Robert BUGDEN (QLD) 204.5 4. Andrew STROUD (NZ) 201 5. Scott CHARLTON (VIC) 157.5 6. Shannon JOHNSON (VIC) 155.5 7. Daniel STAUFFER (NSW) 150 8. Wayne MAXWELL (NSW) 134 9. Shawn GILES (NSW) 130 10. Shannon ETHERIDGE (NSW) 124.5 YMF Loan Australian Supersport Championship Final Points Standings 1. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) 305 (2006 YMF Loan Australian Supersport Champion) 2. Mark AITCHISON (NSW) 245 3. Jason O’HALLORAN (NSW) 218 4. Jeremy CROWE (NSW) 193 5. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) 180 6. Joshua WATERS (VIC) 170 7. Shaun GERONIMI (NSW) 153 8. Bryan STARING (WA) 153 9. Brendan CLARKE (QLD) 138 10. Judd GREEDY (VIC) 130