PICKERINGTON, Ohio The fourth annual AMA Sports Awards Banquet will be held Nov. 17, 2006, at The Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. Nearly 400 national champions in more than a dozen forms of motorcycle and ATV competition will be honored for their achievements in 2006. The 2006 Awards of Excellence also will be presented to the year’s top riders, promoters and members of the media. The banquet will take place at a new venue in 2006, The Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, which will be the center of activity during the AMA Las Vegas Invasion weekend. Other weekend events include the AMA Pro Racing Championship Awards Banquet, also at the Rio, and the Maxxis EnduroCross at The Orleans Arena. The AMA Sports evening includes a reception at 6:30 p.m., dinner beginning at 7:30 p.m., and the awards presentations starting at 8:30 p.m. SPEED TV host Greg White and MX Sports’ Tim Cotter will share the master of ceremonies honors at this year’s banquet. In addition, a number of the 2006 AMA Sports Awards will be presented to the stars of tomorrow by today’s motorcycle-racing superstars. Reserve your seat or table at the banquet by registering online or by downloading a mail-in registration form. For additional information, contact Sue Mason at (614) 856-1900, extension 1244, or [email protected]. Nominees for major 2006 AMA Sports Awards: AMA Sports Athlete of the Year Geoff Aaron, Bailey, Colo. – Observed Trials Cory Burleson, Harrison, Ark. – Road Racing Greg Hancock, Costa Mesa, Calif. – Speedway Josh Hill, Yoncalla, Ore. – Motocross Juha Salminen, Finland – GNCC AMA Sports Veteran/Senior Rider of the Year Thomas Carringer, Salinas, Calif. – Dirt Track Charlie Coleman, Courtland, N.Y. – Road Racing Jimmy Evans, Riverside, Calif. – Motocross AMA Sports Female Rider of the Year Louise Forsley, Bernardston, Mass. – Observed Trials Tarah Geiger, Vero Beach, Fla. – Motocross Shayna Texter, Willow Street, Pa. – Dirt Track AMA Sports Youth Rider of the Year Walker Fowler, Rogers, Ohio – GNCC ATV and Bike Hayden Gillim, Owensboro, Ky. – Dirt Track / Road Racing Josiah Mizell, Cleveland, Texas – Observed Trials Jessy Nelson, Templeton, Calif. – Motocross ATVA Athlete of the Year Bill Ballance, Bowling Green, Ky. – GNCC Joe Byrd, Union City, Tenn. – Motocross Tim Farr, Massillon, Ohio – Dirt Track Wayne Matlock, Lakeside, Calif. – Hare & Hound Frank Wilson, Delbarton, W.V. – Hillclimb ATVA Amateur Rider of the Year Tyler Lenig, Shamokin, Pa. – GNCC Mitch Reynolds, Greenbrier, Ark. – Dirt Track / Motocross Josh Upperman, Louisville, Ohio – Motocross ATVA Veteran/Senior Rider of the Year Ken Marcou, Millston, Wis. – Dirt Track Dave Simmons, Painesville, Ohio – GNCC Tommy Tantillo, Manorville, N.Y. – Motocross ATVA Female Rider of the Year Angela Butler, Laveen, Ariz. – Motocross Traci Cecco, Shamokin, Penn. – GNCC Candace Lee, Four Oaks, N.C. – Dirt Track ATVA Youth Rider of the Year Walker Fowler, Rogers, Ohio – GNCC Richard Lindsey, Atco, N.J. – Motocross Kendall Webb, Branson, Mo. – Dirt Track / Motocross ATVA Organizer of the Year Pine Lake, Ashtabula, Ohio Racer Productions, Morgantown, W.V. Victory Sports, Blountville, Tenn. AMA Sports Broadcast Journalist of the Year Xtreme Speedway Action – Mark Williams Rodney Tomlin Jason Weigandt AMA Sports Photojournalist of the Year Harold Martin Shan Moore Tony Scavo AMA Sports Print Media Journalist of the Year Steve Berkner DeWanna Comer Charlie Williams AMA Sports Website of the Year www.atvriders.com www.flattrack.com www.sponsorhouse.com AMA Sports Motocross Organizer of the Year Millcreek Motocross / Bama Cycle Park, Pell City, Ala. Raceway Park, Englishtown, N.J. Red Bud, Buchanan, Mich. AMA Sports Off-Road Organizer of the Year Cycle City Promotions, Stillwater, Okla. Racer Productions, Morgantown, W.V. Trials Training Center, Sequatchie, Tenn. AMA Sports Track Racing Organizer of the Year Indianhead Cycle Club, Red Wing, Minn. Sideways Promotions, Westminster, Mass. USA Speedway, Mt. Vernon, Ohio About AMA Sports AMA Sports is the amateur and pro-am competition arm of AMA Racing. AMA Sports sanctions over 4,000 events in 24 different disciplines each year and supports over 80 thousand active members. For more information about AMA Sports, visit ~www.amadirecklink.com/amrace/amasports.asp~.

The Tech 3 Team is pleased to announce that the Yamaha-Dunlop project will continue in 2007 with a two-rider line-up. After signing Makoto Tamada last week, Tech 3 Yamaha has completed its 2007 squad with the addition of French 250cc rider and current Tech 3 test rider Sylvain Guintoli. Herve Poncharal, Team Principal of Tech 3 Yamaha, said “I am very grateful to Yamaha for supporting us for one more season and enabling us to have two riders on the new 800cc motorcycle. Furthermore, I am very happy to announce that Sylvain Guintoli will be our second rider alongside Makoto Tamada. The Tech 3 Yamaha Team will be the only team to run Dunlop tyres in MotoGP and we are delighted that we will have such a talented line-up to continue with the great work that we’ve done in 2006.” “It’s a dream come true for me to finally step up to the MotoGP class,” added French star Guintoli. “Herve and I have known each other for years and to be given the chance to ride with a Yamaha factory team is a fantastic opportunity for me. I want to thank Herve Poncharal and Yamaha for this chance and I can’t wait to begin working with them.”

Tickets Available At (800) 327-SECA, www.laguna-seca.com MONTEREY, Calif. Tickets for the 2007 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix July 20-22, 2007 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will go on-sale this Wednesday, November 1. All general admission tickets, grandstand seats, paddock passes and general camping will go on sale at 8:00 a.m. (PST) on-line at www.laguna-seca.com or by phone at (800) 327-SECA. For the fan wishing to upgrade their Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix experience, a very limited number of special access tickets, including the Flagroom and Laguna Club hospitality areas, are available by telephone only at (800) 327-SECA. Those tickets will go quickly on the first day of ticket sales, so those wishing to purchase these tickets are encouraged to call early to ensure they don’t miss out. In addition, a very limited number of Premier and Reserved weekend camping passes are available for the 2007 event. Those who aren’t able to get the Premier or Reserved camping but still want to camp on-site during the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix will find plenty of general camping passes available. A complete description of camping tickets is available at www.laguna-seca.com/tickets. A three-day general admission ticket for next year’s event remains $90. A weekend paddock pass, which admits the holder to both the MotoGP (with the exception to limited times prior to and just after on-track World Championship sessions) and AMA Superbike paddock, is $50 and must be purchased in conjunction with an admission ticket. Grandstand seats are $15 on Saturday and $25 for Sunday’s MotoGP World Championship Race. The 2006 Red Bull Grand Prix saw American rider Nicky Hayden capture his second consecutive home Grand Prix win, which propelled him to his first world championship. Over 144,000 fans witnessed the 2006 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. Due to an expected high-volume of sales, orders will be taken only via telephone or internet on November 1. No orders will be taken on-site at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during the first day of sales. More information on the ticket process is available by calling (800) 327-SECA or logging on to www.laguna-seca.com. Information on the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix is also available at www.RedBullUSGrandPrix.com.

The next generation of MotoGP machine is here in the shape of the Honda RC212V racing prototype. Built to conform to the new-for-2007 Grand Prix rules, the bike features an 800cc, V4 engine and a stunning all-new chassis built with mass centralization and ultimate handling in mind. Welcome to the future. Basic Concept: “Reading the rider’s mind” Takanori Okuma, the Honda R&D RC212V Large Project Leader, explains the principles behind the RC212V: “When we started development of the 800cc machine, effectively the “second generation” of Honda MotoGP bike, we gave top priority to the pursuit of excellent handling and drivability. For the newly-reduced engine capacity of 800cc, we decided a V4 was the most efficient layout. Rather than focusing solely on top end power, we also concentrated on producing good power delivery characteristics, which can have a significant effect on lap times. Using enhanced control systems, the result is an engine with good drivability in the low and mid ranges, and excellent power under acceleration when the engine is at the top of its range. “On the chassis side, we further enhanced the “mass concentration” package developed for the RC211V to improve the agility and quick handling characteristics of the bike. The outward appearance is aggressive and appropriately innovative for a new generation of bike, affording both drivability and aerodynamic efficiency. We will continue to evolve the bike before the season opener and throughout next season.” Technical Specifications Overall length : 2050mm Overall width : 645mm Overall height : 1125mm Wheelbase : 1440mm Road clearance : 125mm Weight (kg) : over 148kg Engine type: liquid-cooled four-stroke DOHC 4 valve V-4 Displacement : 800cc Maximum power : N/A Frame type : twin-tube Front Wheels (inch) : 16.5 Rear Wheels (inch) : 16.5 Front Suspension : Telescopic fork Rear Suspension : New Unit Pro-link Fuel tank capacity : 21 litre DANI PEDROSA’S FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE RC212V Following the Grand Prix of Japan at Motegi in September, Dani Pedrosa rode 30 laps on the RC212V prototype as the machine was revealed for the first time in public. Though the test was primarily for initial evaluation purposes, Pedrosa managed a highly respectable lap time of 1m 48.210s. Here he gives his thoughts on the bike he and newly-crowned World Champion Nicky Hayden will ride next year. What are your first impressions of the RC212V prototype? It’s a little bit difficult to make a good analysis of the bike because I’ve only had the possibility to ride a few laps. But my first impression is that the bike feels right which is very important when you check the first prototype. We didn’t work on the settings – only making some changes to the gearing – but it was clear that the package feels quite similar to the RC211V. Can you assess the handling characteristics? Definitely the bike is smaller, so for me it’s better because I can control the bike more easily. I could touch my knees with my elbows while sitting on the bike and that’s something I cannot do now with the RC211V. This is helpful when you ride a race bike. What can you say about the power delivery? The engine character feels a little different to the RC211V, but as I said it was just my first test and development is still going on so this feeling will continue to change. And also I didn’t push so much. Is it easier to ride than the 990cc? Yes, it seems easier to ride because some things about the bike feel smaller and the rear seat is much shorter which makes the whole bike look more compact. The bike has some characteristics which are a little more like a 250cc but it’s still a MotoGP bike. I don’t know if it will be faster in the corners because there are many hairpins in Motegi and the corner speed is very low. Which characteristics do you find better than the 990cc? For me, the dimensions. I’m not tall and this machine suits my size a little better than the 990cc. Even though the height and the weight are the same as the RC211V, the bike is smaller, more compact and this is good. SATORU HORIIKE – Managing Director of HRC “We are satisfied with the progress of the RC212V prototype. Under the leadership of Takanori Okuma, the project team has remained well on schedule with the development and testing programme set by HRC. We are confident that winter testing will be positive and look forward to being competitive in this exciting new era for MotoGP.”

Sixth Annual Drive Kicks Off Today SONOMA, Calif. Join Infineon Raceway this holiday season in collecting non-perishable food items during the 6th annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. As a gift for their generosity, participants will be rewarded with tickets to the 2007 Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Supercuts, at Infineon Raceway. Infineon Raceway again partners with Mary’s Pizza Shack, Froggy 92.9 FM, Destination RKA and Friends in Sonoma Helping (FISH) to help ensure that needy families in Sonoma County have enough to eat this winter. Infineon Raceway and its partners have donated more than 7,000 pounds of non-perishable food items to FISH since 2000. In 2005, 2,000 pounds of food were donated to FISH, marking one of the organization’s largest single donations of the holiday season. Those who donate four or more non-perishable food items will be rewarded with a free ticket to AMA Superbike qualifying on Friday, May 18, at Infineon Raceway. Only two tickets will be allowed per family. Those who donate food at any of the satellite locations (see below), or by mail, will receive their ticket vouchers by mail. The public is encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to the raceway during regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.) from Oct. 30 Nov. 17. The raceway is located at 29355 Arnold Dr., Sonoma, CA 95476 (800-870-RACE or www.infineonraceway.com for directions). Those who cannot make the trip to Infineon Raceway can still participate in the food drive. Satellite drop-off locations will be located at: · Destination RKA in Windsor, which is located at 930 Shiloh Rd, Bldg 41-C. For directions, call (707) 836-7659 or visit www.rka-luggage.com. · Froggy 92.9 FM radio station, located at 1410 Neotomas Ave., Suite #200 in Santa Rosa. Call (707) 543-0100 or visit www.froggy929.com for directions. · Any of the 10 North Bay Mary’s Pizza Shack locations. Visit www.maryspizzashack.com for restaurant locations and directions. · Food items can also mailed to: Diana Rose, Infineon Raceway, Highways 37 and 121, Sonoma, CA, 95476. FISH, the beneficiary of the food drive, has been helping Sonoma Valley residents in times of need since 1970. In addition to food, FISH also aids families in need of clothes and rental assistance. For more information, call (707) 996-0111. For more information on the food drive, please contact Diana Rose at (707) 933-3918 or by e-mail at [email protected].

VERMEULEN TAKES THE HELM OF AMERICA’S CUP YACHT Rizla Suzuki MotoGP star Chris Vermeulen today visited the Port America’s Cup Marina in Valencia and spent time on the Victory Challenge yacht. Vermeulen is a keen sailor himself and owns a boat back home in Australia. He was eager to get onboard the Victory Challenge SWE63 as it was put through its paces out at the sea. Vermeulen was even given the chance to sail the yacht and help with the rigging during the two hour test. The 17 man crew welcomed him onboard with a presentation of a shirt declaring him as the 18th crewman and Vermeulen reciprocated by giving all the sailors one of his distinctive Rizla blue hats, which they then all proceeded to wear throughout the days testing. Vermeulen will be back to the more frenetic pace of motorcycling this week, as team-mate John Hopkins and he begin a two-day test on the new Suzuki 800cc bike at Valencia in Spain on Wednesday. For more details on the Victory Challenge and the America’s Cup visit http://www.americascup.com/en/ Chris Vermeulen “The Port America’s Cup Marina looks incredible – it’s great to see what they have done. I expect that by race time is going to be fantastic. I feel really lucky to be on board. Maybe now that I know these guys I might come down more often and maybe see a race next year if I get the chance. “Motorcycle racing and sailing for the America’s Cup are very different, but you can still find many similarities. It’s exactly the same principle as in bike racing, but here there are 125 people working full time for the team and that’s more than our race team, including the designers and everything. All the technology involved is amazing to see, I didn’t realise how much was involved.”

Citing personal reasons, David Lamberth has announced his resignation as executive director of the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association. The 5,400-member vintage-racing organization is seeking applications for a replacement. Lamberth and his wife, Desiree, who serves as AHRMA administrative assistant, will maintain the AHRMA office and operations through December 31. He has pledged to work closely with his successor to ease the administrative succession. Lamberth was hired as Executive Director in November 2001. “We regret but fully understand Dave’s decision and want to thank him for his excellent service in advancing AHRMA during his tenure. It has been a real pleasure working with David and Desiree, and we will miss their family. We look forward to seeing them at our cross country events in the future,” commented Dave Janiec, chairman of the AHRMA Board of Trustees. AHRMA is seeking applicants with a motorcycle sports background, plus strong business, administrative and communication skills. Resumes and cover letters should be sent by Nov. 17 to the AHRMA national office, P.O. Box 1725, Goodlettsville, TN 37070. Lamberth, 44, is an avid cross country competitor and the former president of the Mid South Winter Hare Scrambles Series. He is a CPA in the state of Tennessee.

After finishing the 2006 MotoGP season in seventh place, Shinya Nikano has left Kawasaki Racing after three-years to join Konica Minolta Honda for the 2007 season. Konica Minolta Honda ended their contract with Makoto Tamada after two GP seasons. Click here to read more: ~http://www.konicaminoltahonda.com/~.

In 2007 Fortuna will concentrate its sponsoring activity around Jorge Lorenzo who will compete in the 250 cc MotoGP championship in the team managed by Dani Amatriain with the full factory technical support of Aprilia. After a very successful 2006 season crowned by the world title of Jorge Lorenzo in the 250 category, Fortuna would like to congratulate and to thank the Gresini Honda team for its 4 victories won by Marco Melandri (Turkey, France, Australia) and Toni Elias (Portugal). Fausto Gresini has definitely proved that he had the most professional team in the MotoGP world and Fortuna is particularly proud of this fair and winning 2006 partnership.