Robertino Pietri qualified on pole for this weekend’s Latin American Championship races, setting a new lap record of 1:29.220 at Autodroma Internationale de San Carlos in Venezuela. Pietri is riding an AMA-Superstock-legal Roadracingworld.com Suzuki GSX-R1000 in the event, which features two FMV Venezuelan Superbike Championship races that count toward the FIM Latin American Championship. Saturday afternoon thunderstorms and schedule delays resulted in the first of the two planned Superbike races being moved to Sunday. Weather for Sunday looks promising. AMA Supersport regular Armando Ferrer won Saturday’s 600cc Supersport race by 12 seconds on a wet but drying track. FIM Latin American Championship Superbike Qualifying Saturday, November 18 San Carlos, Venezuela 1. Robertino Pietri (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:29.220 2. Fernando Amantini (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:29.750 3. Cesar Telles (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:31.637 4. Ricardo Sune (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:31.904 5. Franco Pellegrino (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:33.729 FMV 600cc Supersport Championship Race Results Saturday, November 18 San Carlos, Venezuela 1. Armando Ferrer (Kaw ZX-6RR), 17 laps, 29:19.537 2. Carlos Gulfo (Suz GSX-R600), 29:31.870, -12.333 seconds 3. Victor Chirinos (Kaw ZX-6RR), 29:41.763, -22.226 seconds 4. Miguel Boccardo (Kaw ZX-6RR), 29:45.145, -25.608 seconds 5. Juan Carlos Rodriguez (Kaw ZX-6RR), 30:42.132, -82.595 seconds

The scene is set for the final round of the YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship at Eastern Creek, with title favourite Jamie Stauffer maintaining his unblemished qualifying record, adding another pole position to his extensive list of 2006 achievements today. With just minutes remaining in the final session, Stauffer emerged from the pits and shattered his previous best effort, laying down a 1.30.321 – the fastest ever recorded lap of Eastern Creek by a motorcycle rider. The time shaved a narrow margin off the benchmark of Grand Prix rider, Spaniard Alex Criville set on a 500cc GP machine the last time the Aussie GP was run at Eastern Creek. Stauffer will now have started from the number 1 position on the grid at every Superbike race in 2006, and is just two races away from claiming the first ever number 1 plate for Yamaha. “This is fantastic news, when I did the lap I wasn’t actually aware I’d gone that fast, I had to wait until I’d ridden back into the pits for the guys to tell me,” said Stauffer. “The bike felt great out there today, things looked a bit grim after the first session where we finished third, but with a little more heat in the track and a different Dunlop tyre we were really able to work at that time.” “7 poles from 7 rounds in the season is really pleasing also, I wasn’t actually focusing on breaking any kind of record this weekend and it really is a testament to the bike and the team that I’m able to go out there and lap this quickly.” “Tomorrow should be a great day for racing, I really hope we can wrap up Yamaha’s first ever Superbike title and finish the season off with a few more wins.” Early pacesetter Shannon Johnson appeared to have extracted every last thousandth from his Kawasaki early in the piece, and was powerless to stop Stauffer as he disposed of the time by mid-session. Suzuki’s Shawn Giles laid down a late challenge, and slipped by Johnson to eclipse the 1-minute-32-second bracket. Teammate Robbie Bugden did well to hold onto the final front row placing, and is looking to go one better after finishing on the second step of the podium at the previous round. Suzuki is leading the charge in the Superbike manufacturer standings, overtaking Yamaha at the previous round and looking to build on its points advantage this weekend. Contributing the bulk of the points for the manufacturer this year has been New Zealand Superbike champion, Brother/SsangYong-backed rider Andrew Stroud, who was uncharacteristically off the pace today in qualifying. Shannon Etheridge delivered one of his best qualifying performances of the season, coming in close behind the factory GSX-R pairing to finish in 6th. Another strong performance came from Honda’s Bryan Staring, in his first round of racing the factory CBR1000RR. With teammate Adam Fergusson sidelined, Staring was quick to adapt and showed Honda why their decision to include him in their Superbike lineup next year was a good one 1.33.324 places him on the second row of the grid in 7th place. “I’m pretty happy with how the session went today, the Superbike is certainly very different to ride but I feel very comfortable on it already,” said Staring. “There’s considerably more power and obviously it’s a lot heavier, but it’s really very smooth through the corners and seems to suit Eastern Creek very well.” “I’m looking forward to getting out there tomorrow and stringing together some good results, we’re not in any kind of championship battle here so I can afford to really push the limits.” Each of tomorrow’s races is good for 25 points, and if the current pace is anything to go by, there is set to be a monumental fight for the minor placings within the top 10 tomorrow, with a number of riders needing every point to improve their championship berths. Racing begins at 9am, with the premier Superbike races set to kick off at approximately 11.30am. YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship, Eastern Creek Qualifying. 1. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team. Yamaha R1. 1:30.321 2. Shawn GILES (NSW) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki. Suzuki GSXR. 1:31.889 3. Shannon JOHNSON (VIC) / Kawasaki Racing Team. Kawasaki ZX10R. 1:32.055 4. Robert BUGDEN (QLD) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki. Suzuki GSXR. 1:32.812 5. Russell HOLLAND (NSW) / Demolition Plus Honda / Pirelli Tyres. Honda CBR RR. 1:33.124 6. Shannon ETHERIDGE (NSW) / Kirk McCarthy Award / Suzuki Aust. / Phil Tainton. Suzuki GSXR. 1:33.270 7. Bryan STARING (WA) / Jardine Honda. Honda CBR RR. 1:33.324 8. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) / Joe Rocket Honda. Honda CBR RR. 1:33.424 9. Wayne MAXWELL (NSW) / 1300 Kawasaki / Pirelli. Kawasaki ZX10R. 1:33.971 10. Andrew STROUD (NZ) / Superbike New Zealand / Brother / SsangYong. Suzuki GSXR. 1:34.596 YMF Loan Australian Supersport Championship, Eastern Creek Qualifying. 1. Mark AITCHISON (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team. Yamaha R6. 1:33.397 2. Jeremy CROWE (NSW) / Sydney Mesh & Steel / Yamaha. Yamaha R6. 1:33.553 3. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team. Yamaha R6. 1:33.763 4. Jason O’HALLORAN (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team. Yamaha R6. 1:34.474 5. Shaun GERONIMI (NSW) / Sydney Mesh & Steel / Geronimi Concreting. Yamaha R6. 1:34.478 6. Judd GREEDY (VIC) / Redwing Honda / Clearmake/Dickies. Honda CBR RR. 1:34.994 7. Christopher SEATON (VIC) Kawasaki ZX6RR. 1:35.441 8. Gareth JONES (QLD) / Electroregenesis Racing / Ausflo Water Industries. Yamaha R6. 1:35.692 9. Zac DAVIES (NSW) Yamaha R6. 1:35.747 10. Joshua WATERS (VIC) / Kawasaki Racing Team. Kawasaki ZX6RR. 1:36.071

40th Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix Macau, China November 18, 2006 Race Results: 1. Steve Plater (Yam YZF-R1) 37:19.879, 15 laps 2. Michael Rutter (Hon CBR1000RR) -0.962 second 3. Ian Hutchinson (Hon CBR1000RR) -27.192 seconds 4. Stuart Easton (Hon CBR1000RR) -32.294 seconds 5. Guy Martin (Yam YZF-R1) -32.385 seconds 6. John McGuinness (Hon CBR1000RR) -39.787 seconds 7. Thomas Hinterreiter (Yam YZF-R1) -40.292 seconds 8. Les Shand (Suz GSX-R1000) -41.500 seconds 9. Frank Heidger (Suz GSX-R1000) -1:30.280 seconds 10. Michael Weynand (Kaw ZX-10R) -1:33.484 seconds 11. Gerarl Muteau (Suz GSX-R1000) -1:33.673 seconds 12. Rui Reigoto Yam YZF-R1) -1:35.836 seconds 13. Steve Allan (Kaw ZX-6RR) -1:55.061 seconds 14. Luis Carreira (Hon CBR1000RR) -2:31.454 seconds 15. Martin Finnegan (Hon CBR1000RR) -1 lap 16. Callum Ramsay (Kaw ZX-6RR) -1 lap 17. Cheung Wai On (Yam YZF-R6) -1 lap 18. Craig Atkinson (Hon CBR600RR) -1 lap 19. Sou Se Hong (Hon CBR600RR) -1 lap 20. Sandor Bitter (Yam YZF-R1) -2 laps 21. Joao Fernandes (Suz GSX-R600) -3 laps 22. Keith Amor (Suz GSX-R1000) -6 laps, DNF 23. Jeremy Toye (Suz GSX-R1000) -7 laps, DNF 24. Jose Leite (Suz GSX-R1000) -8 laps, DNF 25. James McBride (Hon CBR1000RR) -10 laps, DNF 26. John Haner (Suz GSX-R1000) -11 laps, DNF 27. Paul Hunt (Kaw ZX-10R) -12 laps, DNF 28. Stephen Thompson (Suz GSX-R1000) -13 laps, DNF 29. Rico Penzkofer (Yam YZF-R1) -13 laps, DNF 30. Ian Lougher (Hon CBR1000RR) -13 laps, DNF 31. Mark Miller (Suz GSX-R1000) -13 laps, DNF More, from a press release issued by Stobart Motorsports: Rio Hotel Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix 40th Edition 16th to 18th November 2006 FOUR IN TOP SIX FOR STOBART AT MACAU Stobart Motorsport riders Michael Rutter, Ian Hutchinson, Stuart Easton and John McGuinness filled four of the top six placings to round off a successful event at the Rio Hotel Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix. Michael Rutter was unable to add to his tally of six wins after having to settle for second place behind Steve Plater, whilst Ian Hutchinson claimed the final rostrum position in third for the VK and Vent Axia backed Stobart Honda team. Scotsman Stuart Easton had a fine ride to take fourth place whilst eleven times TT winner John McGuinness rounded out the top six after having problems during the race. Commenting after the race, team owner Paul Bird said: “Whilst it’s not the win that we came for, two bikes on the podium isn’t bad at all and to get our other two riders inside the top six has been a pretty good achievement. No names mentioned but there was some pretty desperate riding going on out there and my riders were sensible enough not to get mixed up in it. But I’m delighted that we have come away from here with these results and we can now start building towards next year.” The Cumbrian businessman hopes to be announcing his line up for the 2007 British Superbike Championship next week. Rio Hotel Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix Result 1, Steve Plater (Yamaha) 37m19.879s, 2, Michael Rutter (Stobart Honda) 37m20.841s, 3, Ian Hutchinson (Stobart Honda) 37m47.071s, 4, Stuart Easton (Stobart Honda) 37m52.173s, 5, Guy Martin (Yamaha) 37m52.264s, 6, John McGuinness (Stobart Honda) 37m59.666s, 7, Thomas Hinterreiter (Yamaha) 38m00.171s, 8, Les Shand (Honda) 38m01.379s, 9, Franky Heidger (Suzuki) 38m50.159s, 10, Michael Weynand (Kawasaki) 38m53.363s.

Camel Yamaha Team Test Sepang, Malaysia Friday 17th November 2006 EDWARDS ROUNDS OFF FIRST 800CC TEST IN POSITIVE FASHION IN MALAYSIA Colin Edwards completed his first test of the 800cc era with another good morning’s work at Sepang today, making more progress on the development of Yamaha’s new prototype machine and finishing the day with the 3rd fastest time in the process. Edwards once again spent the time working on general set-up with his team, especially chassis and suspension, as well as testing some new tyres for Michelin. Suzuki rider John Hopkins was fastest again with a best lap of 2’01.64, followed by his team-mate Chris Vermeulen, who recorded a time of 2’02.04. Edwards was third with a time of 2’02.43 after 32 laps. The Camel Yamaha Team will reconvene for the final test of 2006 in Jerez, Spain, on 28th-30th November, when Colin Edwards will be re-joined by team-mate Valentino Rossi. COLIN EDWARDS (3rd – 2’02.43, 32 Laps) “Today was another really good day. I was quicker again and it felt really good to be able to consistently run fast times comfortably. We got a lot of great work done on a variety of things, even though we only tested in the morning. We did a fair bit for Michelin, they’ve got some good stuff and it seems pretty clear what the right direction is for us to go in with regards to tyres. We’ve played about with the chassis and the suspension, as well as a few other things, and when we came to add everything together you could see we were making some good progress. As far as getting input for the final bike they’re going to roll out for us next year, I think we’ve done a pretty good job during these three days. I’m really happy with my first test on the 800, we seem to get on okay and now I am looking forward to the next test in Jerez, where I am sure Valentino and I together can make even more progress.” DANIELE ROMAGNOLI – COLIN EDWARDS’ CREW CHIEF “This has been an encouraging first test for our team and for Colin with Yamaha’s new 800cc bike. We’ve changed quite a bit with the overall set-up and we’ve definitely made some big improvements from the bike we first tried on Wednesday. We’ve also worked quite a lot on tyres with Michelin and found some options that seem to be working well for us. The most important thing is that Colin already seems to be getting on very well with the bike, he can ride it well and he’s been fast all week. We’re very satisfied with this first test and it seems like we’re in good shape for this stage of development.” Unofficial Lap Times (800cc Bikes) 1. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki, 2’01.64 2. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Suzuki, 2’02.04 3. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Yamaha, 2’02.43 4. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda, 2’03.28 5. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Yamaha, 2’03.36 6. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda, 2’03.55 7. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda, 2’04.27 8. Tadayuki Okada (JPN) Honda Test Rider, 2’04.44 Sepang Lap Record: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2006, 2’02.127 Sepang Best Lap: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2006, 2’00.605 More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP dominates at Sepang test Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racers John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen finished the Sepang test at the top of the timesheets for the second day in succession, as the new Suzuki GSV-R800 continued its impressive introduction into MotoGP. Hopkins recorded a time of 2’01.63 – half a second inside the current lap record held by Loris Capirossi on a Ducati 990 and almost a second quicker than the best lap-time that he recorded at this year’s Malaysian Grand Prix. Hopkins used his 48 laps today to test and refine engine mapping characteristics and to complete thorough evaluations of Bridgestone’s latest tyre developments. The Anglo-American’s quickest lap was set using one of Bridgestone’s new development race tyres during a 5 lap run. Vermeulen was equally impressive and his time of 2’02.04 was also inside the current lap record, as he too found the new 800 to his liking. He completed 61 laps of the 5.5km Malaysian circuit and was able to post consecutively fast times throughout the day. Vermeulen worked tirelessly with his crew on engine and chassis settings as well as continuing with a thorough tyre test for Bridgestone. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will now re-group for the final pre-2007 season test at Jerez in Spain between the 28th and 30th of November, where everybody involved with Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will be hoping to develop further the high potential already shown by the 800cc GSV-R. John Hopkins: “It’s been a really good test and I’m happy with the way things have gone. I’ve gotta say I’m really impressed with the 800cc bike! Suzuki has stepped up to the plate and given us a good package right out of the box. We have been able to get straight into testing and work on engine strategies and all sorts of detailed stuff. We did a lot of tyre testing with Bridgestone and at the end of the day I found a tyre that really suited the bike and the track, and was able to set some fast and consistent lap-times. It’s great for the team to have such a good package at this time and moral is higher than it ever has been in my career at Suzuki. We don’t want to get too excited because there were a couple of very fast riders not at this test, but right now we can’t wait for the next test as it seems things are starting to happen!” Chris Vermeulen: “I’ve been to Sepang a few times with a 990, but this was the first time on the 800 and I felt quite comfortable out there today. I felt like I could lap consistently at the pace we were doing and Suzuki has certainly made some good steps with the bike coming to this test from Valencia. We tried many different engine and chassis settings, plus a lot of different Bridgestone tyres over the three days to find the best combination for the bike. I enjoyed riding the GSV-R800 a lot and we seemed to be competitive with the other bikes and riders here. Hopefully we can continue the progress at Jerez before our time off.” Paul Denning Team Manager: “Following on from the Valencia test our initial hopes for the new bike were reconfirmed at this three-day test, and the 800cc engine has shown superb promise. Nobu Aoki did a good job for the team on day one and helped us to get a good base engine setting for John and Chris to get down to some serious work. Both the riders put in a huge effort and their testing was all done at a very high rhythm. The information they obtained over the three days will be relevant to both Suzuki and Bridgestone as we work on getting the 800 to its full potential. “The lap-time of the new GSV-R800 has certainly surprised us! John and I had discussed that to get within two seconds of the 990’s lap-time at Sepang would be a reasonable result, but to be a second quicker is quite shocking! Some of our major competition was not present at this test, but nonetheless this result can only give us great hope as we move forward. “It is also very encouraging that the Factory has a clear target to develop the bike further and improve both engine and chassis performance. To have such a solid base to work from in November gives us good reason to hope Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will be competitive in 2007.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: MotoGP test Sepang November 17, 2006. Final day of three-day test. Hayden Fastest Honda rider on final day of Sepang MotoGP test. MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden ended the MotoGP test at Sepang as the fastest Honda rider over the three-day session. The American has always worked hard in testing and today was no different Nicky put in 70-laps of the 5.548 km track in dry conditions and ventured out for another 17-laps when the expected late afternoon rain storm arrived. Hayden tested various alternative chassis and suspension parts and settings over the 70-laps. He started with different front and rear suspension and with the steering head raised slightly. The front suspension changes were of no distinct advantage but he felt happier with the rear end than at anytime this week. Once comfortable on the RC212V Hayden began serious tyre testing for Michelin testing new tyres designed for the 800cc, which is easier on tyres than its 990cc predecessor. In sweltering heat he tried a selection of front and rear tyres giving the Michelin technicians quality feed back data that will help with their development work as they prepare for the Jerez MotoGP test later this month. Toni Elias and the Gresini Honda were again impressive. The young Spaniard worked diligently all day, including an 18-lap session on wet tyres at the end of the day. Elias did not spend too much time on chassis work apart from trying head angle variations in combination with a different rear suspension unit. The team changed the gearbox ratios overnight and also made changes to the mapping to provide slightly less engine braking. After several laps with that configuration Elias returned to the original ‘standard’ suspension unit then adjusted his riding position before dedicating the rest of the day to testing the Bridgestone tyres he will race on in 2007 Toni and the Bridgestone engineers began working on testing tyre construction and profiles before trying various rubber compounds. Elias ended the day faster than yesterday and more consistent with a best lap time of 2m 03.505s. Elias took to the wet track late afternoon and was impressed with the performance of the Bridgestone rain tyres. Toni completed 18-laps in the rain before calling an end to the three day test. Carlos Checa really began to get a feel for his RC212V around the 5.548 km circuit today. Checa put in another heavy-duty day of testing working step by step to get the best out of the prototype 800cc to provide the HRC engineers with valuable data to work with as they continue the development of the RC212V for the MotoGP test sessions in mid-January 2007. Carlos began the day working on refining the base-line settings of the machine by altering the castor angle by half a degree to improve front-end feeling before switching his attention to ride height and working on the electronic mapping in a bid to improve the engine braking characteristics. On day two of the test Checa thought he needed more help from the engine under deceleration but today he preferred a softer setting. The Spaniard the moved on to tyre testing for Michelin trying reacquainting himself with the various newly developed tyre since he last race on Michelins. He tried various constructions profiles and compounds produced for racing by the French manufacturer. The final Honda MotoGP test of 2006 will be held at the Jerez Circuit, Spain on November 27-29 Honda rider lap times and quotes. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 2m 03.30s – 70 dry laps, 17 wet laps. “We learned a lot about the bike at this test and I’m beginning to understand it better. We went through a lot of stuff here and today I tried some suspension changes and improved the rear and made it a little better than yesterday, we have good traction. We also raised the front end a bit but that didn’t give me what I needed it to so we went back to the original setting. We definitely need to find more power and speed to stay in touch with our rivals but I’m confident that Honda and the guys in my team will find that before I test the bike again. In the afternoon concentrated on testing tyres for Michelin all sorts of stuff, different constructions and compounds and found a front I like. When the rain came I went out on wet tyres and it was productive because they gave me a front tyre that worked well in the wet. The strong point is definitely my team they are so positive, I mean everybody is working so hard.” Toni Elias, Gresini Honda: 2m 03.505s – 49 dry laps, 18 wet laps. “I like the machine the seating position makes it easier to ride than the 990cc. I am very satisfied with the chassis although we didn’t work on that too much today apart from trying different rear shock and various suspension settings. We also changed the gearbox overnight because we were to close to the ratios we used on the 990cc machine. In the afternoon I concentrated on testing for Bridgestone and tried many different constructions and compounds. The Bridgestone’s are good in the wet and I did 18-laps in the rain and found a front tyre I really liked it gave me a good feeling with the wet track. I am getting more comfortable on the bike, not 100% yet but at the January test I’m sure we will finalise the base set up we need to make the bike perform the way we want it. We have a lot of work to do on the engine but I am confident HRC and my team will do their best to be ready for my next test.” Carlos Checa, LCR Honda: 2m 04.00s – 71 laps. “Basically we spent a lot of time looking for better chassis settings trying to establish a better base line to work from in future testing. We played with the castor angle and ride height of the bike looking for a better base line. Traction is good but I found it a little difficult find a good contact feeling from the front, the bike needs to turn faster. The weather didn’t help us today I had hoped it would have held off so I could use the last hour of the day but no luck. But Honda know which areas of the bike they have to work on and we have helped to clarify the parts that need improving. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with this team and it has been good to be here and get to know everybody better.” Overall lap times: John Hopkins, Suzuki: 2m 01.60s. Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki: 2m 02.00s. Colin Edwards, Yamaha: 2m 02.40s. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 2m 03.30s. Makoto Tamada, Yamaha: 2m 03.50s. Toni Elias, Gresini Honda: 2m 03.505s. Carlos Checa, LCR Honda: 2m 04.00s. Nobuatsu Aoki, Suzuki: 2m 05.65s. More, from a press release issued by Gresini Racing Honda: THIRD AND LAST DAY FOR TONI ELIAS AT SEPANG Third and last day of testing for the Motogp riders at Sepang. The Spaniard Toni Elias worked hard the whole day completing 67 laps, including 18 on wet conditions. The Gresini Honda rider didn’t make many changes at the set up in order to better understand the behaviour of the new bike with Bridgestone tyres. Together with the tyre engineers, Toni tested several front tyres. Elias took to the wet track late afternoon and was impressed with the performance of the Bridgestone rain tyres. Toni completed 18-laps in the rain before calling an end to the three day test. TONI ELIAS ( 2’03.505 – 49 laps on dry conditions, 18 laps on wet): “I like the machine the seating position makes it easier to ride than the 990cc. I am very satisfied with the chassis although we didn’t work on that too much today apart from trying different rear shock and various suspension settings. We also changed the gearbox overnight because we were to close to the ratios we used on the 990cc machine. In the afternoon I concentrated on testing for Bridgestone and tried many different constructions and compounds. The Bridgestone’s are good in the wet and I did 18-laps in the rain and found a front tyre I really liked it gave me a good feeling with the wet track. I am getting more comfortable on the bike, not 100% yet but at the January test I’m sure we will finalise the base set up we need to make the bike perform the way we want it.” UNOFFICIAL LAP TIMES John Hopkins, Suzuki: 2m 01.60s. Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki: 2m 02.00s. Colin Edwards, Yamaha: 2m 02.40s. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 2m 03.30s. Makoto Tamada, Yamaha: 2m 03.50s Toni Elias, Gresini Honda: 2m 03.505s. Carlos Checa, LCR Honda: 2m 04.00s. Nobuatsu Aoki, Suzuki: 2m 05.65s.

His fastest lap in Thursday’s qualifying session kept Stobart Honda’s Michael Rutter on pole position for the Macau Grand Prix even after Friday’s second and final round of qualifying on the Guia Circuit. British Superbike regular Steve Plater and 11-time Isle Of Man winner John McGuinness both clipped over a second off their times to round out the top three in final qualifying. “The level of competition this year; I mean the bar’s moved up. We’ve all moved up over the years; fantastic machines out there. It’s all fairly close, apart from the usual boring Mr. Rutter seems to be at the front again,” laughed McGuinness who has been runner-up to Rutter for the past six-years. For the second qualifying round Rutter ran race tires and a full tank of gas, counting on his first-round qualifying time to keep him in the lead. “It’s going to be competitive especially with these three,” Rutter said about competing with McGuinness and Plater as well as fourth-fastest Ian Hutchinson. The last time Plater raced at Macau was in 2003 on a 600cc machine, making his front-row qualifying effort a surprise. “As far as I can put it, there’s four green ‘Birdy’ bikes on the grid and there’s three down and one to go,” laughed Plater in reference to the Stobart Hondas owned by Paul Bird. All three Team USA riders improved their times, although KWS Racing’s John Haner was the only one to move up in the standings. “We did a little better this morning with the limited track time we had yesterday. We knocked three-plus seconds off our time from yesterday,” said Haner. “The Americans, Jeremy, he’s flying. He’s on race pace to win. He helped me out a little bit this morning, but I could see where his bike was better than mine. We’re working on fixing mine now. All-in-all, the improvements are definitely better.” Toye, recovering from a head cold, said he was struggling in the second qualifying session. “This is one of those places when you’re not comfortable, you better not ride,” said Toye about the notoriously dangerous circuit. “I came back in, had a long pause to try and gather my energy and then went back out and did start putting some fast laps together.” On one of Toye’s flying laps he recorded the fastest time in the first timing split, but got delayed later in the lap by a rider on his cool-down lap; passing is difficult on several parts of the narrow circuit. “I really think front row was possible for sure with that lap,” said Toye. 40th Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix Macau, China November 17, 2006 Combined Qualifying Results: 1. Michael Rutter (Hon CBR1000RR) 2:27.994 *Qualifying Record 2. Steve Plater (Yam YZF-R1) 2:28.794 3. John McGuinness (Hon CBR1000RR) 2:29.101 4. Ian Hutchinson (Hon CBR1000RR) 2:29.360 5. Guy Martin (Yam YZF-R1) 2:30.064 6. Stuart Easton (Hon CBR1000RR) 2:30.066 7. Jeremy Toye (Suz GSX-R1000) 2:30.719 8. Thomas Hinterreiter (Yam YZF-R1) 2:31.156 9. Les Shand (Suz GSX-R1000) 2:32.271 10. Stephen Thompson (Suz GSX-R1000) 2:32.499 11. Frank Heidger (Suz GSX-R1000) 2:32.620 12. John Haner (Suz GSX-R1000) 2:33.689 13. Martin Finnegan (Hon CBR1000RR) 2:33.715 14. Michael Weynand (Kaw ZX-10R) 2:34.096 15. Steve Allan (Kaw ZX-6RR) 2:34.557 16. Rui Reigoto Yam YZF-R1) 2:34.628 17. Ian Lougher (Hon CBR1000RR) 2:34.858 18. Mark Miller (Suz GSX-R1000) 2:35.115 19. Keith Amor (Suz GSX-R1000) 2:35.797 20. Gerarl Muteau (Suz GSX-R1000) 2:35.924 21. Rico Penzkofer (Yam YZF-R1) 2:36.286 22. Paul Hunt (Kaw ZX-10R) 2:36.740 23. Luis Carreira (Hon CBR1000RR) 2:37.400 24. James McBride (Hon CBR1000RR) 2:37.648 25. Callum Ramsay (Kaw ZX-6RR) 2:38.137 26. Pete Jennings (Hon CBR1000RR) 2:38.516 27. Sandor Bitter (Yam YZF-R1) 2:39.487 28. Cheung Wai On (Yam YZF-R6) 2:40.026 29. Jose Leite (Suz GSX-R1000) 2:41.044 30. Joao Fernandes (Suz GSX-R600) 2:41.348 31. Craig Atkinson (Hon CBR600RR) 2:42.415 32. Sou Se Hong (Hon CBR600RR) 2:43.139