Odenton, MD — During this weekend’s USGPRU National Championship weekend at Miller Motorsports Park, the drawing was held for all of the prizes in the first annual USGPRU Raffle. We gave away over $13,500 in prizes including the new 2006 Honda RS125 that was set-up by Mike Himmelsbach earlier in the year as shown in the June issue of Roadracing World Magazine. Tickets were available for purchase all year from the USGPRU website and were also earned by racers entering our race events. The prizes were displayed at various USGPRU events throughout the year. · Rising Sun Cycles Honda RS125 GP Bike – Randy Miller · RevIt! RS-1 Leathers – Tyler Henshaw · Powerstands Max Rear Stand – Daniel Qualtire · Powerstands Mark Front Stand – Mark Rozena · Powerstands Power Platform table – Tyler Odom · Bridgestone RS125 Race Tires – Mike Orien · Motion Pro Crank Case Splitter – Pat Dowd · Motion Pro Crank Case Splitter – Will Morton · Hjelm Motorsports $50 Certificate – Mark Rozena · Hjelm Motorsports $50 Certificate – Charlie Johnson · EBC Brakes Certificate – Jeffrey Burney · EBC Brakes Certificate – Patrick Kearns · EBC Brakes Certificate – Cameron Beaubier · EBC Brakes Certificate – Tyler Reiswig · EBC Brakes Certificate – John Lemak · Autographed Team Yamaha Poster – Darrin Kuebler The USGPRU would like to thank all of our great sponsors that helped to make this raffle such a huge success. We have already confirmed with Rising Sun Cycles that there will be another Honda RS125 available for the 2007 raffle. Any companies interested in donating prizes for the 2007 raffle should contact us via email directly at [email protected].

Tigershark Racing and Pirelli would like to congratulate James Randolph, Alan Schmidt, and Aaron Clark for their incredible performance in 2006. James Randolph took the Formula Pacific Championship, and the overall number 1 plate that goes with it, for the AFM, one of the oldest and largest roadracing clubs in the United States. James also took the AFM Open Superbike championship by a large margin. Alan Schmidt took the overall number 1 plate at OMRRA for an incredible 3rd year in a row, while also winning the 600 and 750 Superbike classes. Pirelli has been number 1 overall at OMRRA for the last 5 years. Aaron Clark moved out west earlier this year, raced a new bike, on new tracks, on new tires, the result? Overall number 1 at the Masters of the Mountain, making him the King of the Mountain, as well as the Open Supersport champion. Aaron also took the overall number 2 plate in the MRA. Tigershark Racing’s Josh Bryan says; “I am so proud of these guys and their achievements, these are great friends of mine, as well as great racers. Alan and I did our novice school together in 1993, James and I have known each other since 1994, and Aaron and I were teammates in the Aprilia Cup Challenge back in 2000. There’s nothing better than winning championships with old friends!” Pirelli gave us some great tires to work with this year, and these guys used them to their maximum potential. The tires they run and won the championships on, are the same tires available to everyone.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio Sam Halbert, Roger Lee Hayden and Ryan Villopoto have been named the 2006 AMA Rookies of the Year. Halbert earned the honor in AMA Flat Track racing, Hayden in AMA Superbike and Villopoto in AMA Supercross/Motocross. All three riders will be honored at the 32nd annual AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet on Sunday evening, Nov. 19 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. SAM HALBERT, 2006 RICKY GRAHAM AMA FLAT TRACK ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Halbert, the White’s Harley-Davidson rider from Graham, Wash., had a solid performance in his first full season of pro racing. Halbert scored points in eight rounds of the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship, both Grand National Twins and Singles Championships. One of the young up-and-coming riders of the series, Halbert is showing great promise at an early age. He just turned 19 the week before he was named Rookie of the Year. “It feels good to know that my name will go down in the history books as this year’s Rookie of the Year,” Halbert said. “Things started off great for me at Daytona then we had some problems and I learned a lot from that. It’s been fun racing in the series with my brother. My family has been behind us all the way and I want to thank them and everyone else that helped me win this award.” Halbert started the season with a bang scoring a surprising second-place finish at the Daytona Beach season opener in March. He went on to score four top-10 finishes and completed the season ranked 11th in the AMA GNC Singles Championship. He was 20th in GNC Twins. Halbert follows in the footsteps of some of the greatest riders in AMA Grand National racing history who were named Rookie of the Year. Riders such as Jay Springsteen, Scott Parker, Bubba Shobert, Doug Chandler, Chris Carr and Nicky Hayden are past recipients of the honor. Halbert becomes the first rider from the state of Washington to win the award. ROGER LEE HAYDEN, 2006 AMA SUPERBIKE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Kawasaki’s Roger Lee Hayden earned the 2006 AMA Superbike Rookie of the Year Award. Hayden won the award in spite of missing much of the Superbike campaign due to injury. Hayden scored five top-10 finishes in the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited on the factory Kawasaki ZX-10RR with a season best sixth place coming late in the year at Road Atlanta. “I wish I would have had more time on the Superbike this year, but we made some good progress towards the end of the season,” said Hayden, whose brother Tommy was the AMA Superbike Rookie of the Year in 1997. “Now that we’ve got a full year of development on the bike hopefully I can come back strong next year and get some better results.” Hayden was part of Kawasaki’s return to AMA Superbike racing in 2006. He finished the year ranked 17th in the final standings. He and Tommy are the first brother combination to be named Rookie of the Year. The Haydens hail from Owensboro, Ky. Roger Lee is the youngest of the three racing Hayden brothers. Tommy also competes in AMA Superbike, while middle brother Nicky is a former AMA Superbike Champion and is now a leading rider in the MotoGP World Championship. Roger Lee has been an AMA pro rider since 1999. He’s long been a standout in Supersport racing. RYAN VILLOPOTO, 2006 AMA SUPERCROSS/MOTOCROSS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: The AMA Supercross/Motocross Rookie of the Year also rides for Kawasaki. Ryan Villopoto won the AMA Supercross/Motocross Rookie of the Year on the strength of winning the 2006 AMA Toyota Motocross Lites Championship. He also finished third in the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Lites West Series. In addition, Villopoto was part of the winning Team USA Motocross of Nations squad. Villopoto captured his Motocross Lites Championship with a convincing 1-1 victory in the final round of the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship Presented by FMF Sunday at Glen Helen Raceway Park near San Bernardino, Calif., in September. That victory was the sixth of the year for the 18-year-old from Poulsbo, Wash., who rides for the Monster Energy/Pro Circuit Kawasaki team. Villopoto also won a round of the AMA Supercross Lites West Series at Texas Stadium in April. “I’ll never forget this season,” Villopoto said. “It started out with some ups and downs, but ending the year winning a motocross championship and then the Motocross of Nations with Ivan [Tedesco] and James [Stewart] was better than I could have hoped for.” Earning the Rookie of the Year Award is just the latest accolade for Villopoto. He was also the AMA Horizon Award winner in 2005, presented annually by AMA Sports to the individuals who have been selected as the most outstanding rider in AMA amateur competition. Villopoto is planning on racing in the Lites division in both Supercross and Motocross in 2007. He hopes to add a Supercross title to his name and plans on defending his motocross championship. Villopoto puts his name alongside a prestigious list of those who’ve won the Supercross/Motocross Rookie of the Year Award including riders such as James Stewart, Ricky Carmichael, Travis Pastrana and Kevin Windham.

AMA PRO RACING ANNOUNCES 2007 SUPERBIKE SCHEDULE PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Oct. 26, 2006) AMA Pro Racing has announced its schedule for the 2007 AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited. For 2007, a second round at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has been added. The 2007 AMA Superbike Championship schedule is as follows: DATE / LOCATION March 7-10 / Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL, The Daytona 200 by Honda 1.800.PITSHOP April 20-22 / Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, AL (Superbike Doubleheader), Honda Superbike Classic 1.800.240.2300 April 27-29 / California Speedway, Fontana, CA (Superbike Doubleheader), Suzuki Superbike Challenge 1.800.944.RACE May 18-20 / Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, CA (Superbike Doubleheader), Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown 1.800.870.RACE June 1-3 / Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI (Superbike Doubleheader), AMA Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader 1.800.365.RACE June 22-24 Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, UT (Superbike Doubleheader) Honda Summit of Speed 1.866.297.2636 July 20-22 / Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, CA **, The Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix 1.800.327.SECA August 3-5 / Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, OH, Honda Super Cycle Weekend, presented by Dunlop Tires (Superbike Doubleheader) 1.800.MID.OHIO August 17-19 / Virginia International Raceway, Alton, VA, Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals, presented by Parts Unlimited (Superbike Doubleheader) 1.800.327.7322 August 31-Sept. 2 / Road Atlanta, Braselton, GA, AMA Suzuki Superbike Showdown, presented by Makita (Superbike Doubleheader) 1.800.849.RACE Sept. 15-16 / Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, CA, AMA Superbike Championship 1.800.327.SECA Sept. 28-30 / Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, OH, AMA Superbike Championship Shootout 1.800.MID.OHIO **AMA & MotoGP combined weekend Total Events: 12 Dates and Locations Subject to Change

MILLER EVENT MANAGEMENT HIRED FOR PARKING & TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT AT 2007 RED BULL U.S. GRAND PRIX MONTEREY, Calif. (Oct. 26, 2006) – Miller Event Management, an industry leader in spectator management, has been hired to manage spectator parking and traffic flow for the 2007 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, July 20-22, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The 2006 event, while featuring thrilling on-track racing and improved spectator parking and traffic flow, will also be remembered for the record-breaking heat and the lengthy delays fans using the new shuttle service faced when leaving the circuit Sunday afternoon. “While we can’t control the weather, the horrendous delays fans experienced with the shuttle on Sunday afternoon could have been prevented. Our post-race analysis indicates they were the result of improper execution of our plan,” said Gill Campbell, CEO and general manager for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “The plan wasn’t bad, just the execution. The hiring of Miller Event Management provides better coordination of all elements, especially the shuttle system transporting spectators from the CSUMB (California State University Monterey Bay) parking area to the Wolf Hill parking lot at the track.” Miller Event Management has been working at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in 2006, but their role has been limited to managing spectator parking only at July’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix and last weekend’s Monterey Sports Car Championships. “We take our job very seriously and are committed to working with Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and the various transportation and law enforcement agencies to resolve the previous issues and ensure that they are not repeated,” said Jim Miller, president of the San Luis Obispo-based Miller Event Management. “Our role has been limited so far, but has provided a good foundation for us to increase our responsibility for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix.” While the final parking and traffic flow plan is still being refined in preparation for release early next year, following is an outline of what fans can expect in 2007. FREE SPECTATOR CAR PARKING – The free shuttle system returns with new management from Miller Events, more buses and more loading gates. Fans will continue to park at CSUMB, just off Hwy 1, and will be transported in motor coaches to the Wolf Hill parking area at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. FREE MOTORCYCLE PARKING – Free motorcycle parking, along with a motorcycle-designated entrance/exit, will again be provided. FREE Monterey-Salinas Transit Buses – The local MST bus service provides free rides to fans holding tickets to the event. Buses run throughout the weekend and operate from near hotels in Monterey, Carmel, Seaside and Salinas. Additional buses are being added for 2007. PAID ONSITE PARKING – An increased but still limited number of passes for parking in Wolf Hill are available for $50 for the weekend. Parking passes will go on-sale on November 1, along with all event tickets. Tickets for the 2007 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix go on sale November 1. Detailed information is available at www.laguna-seca.com or www.redbullusgrandprix.com.

The Futurists: According to my computer’s electronic dictionary, Futurism was “an early 20th-century artistic movement that attempted to express the dynamic nature of the modern age using technology as its subject.” It was also “a belief in the need to look to the future rather than reflect on the past, coupled with optimism that personal and social fulfilment lies in the future.” Fast forward one century and you can still use these broad concepts to illustrate where Rizla Suzuki MotoGP is heading with its rolling works of metallic art, just as soon as the chequered flag drops at the final round of the 2006 season at Valencia. With the advent of 800cc engines in MotoGP from now on, tomorrow is now, and we quizzed three key Rizla Suzuki New Futurists about their immediate off-season plans, starting with Team Manager Paul Denning. “The 800s mean new opportunities for everybody,” said Denning, who knows that the retention of Suzuki’s favoured V-four engine format is one of many reasons to be optimistic on the eve of a whole new MotoGP era. “Suzuki has developed a number of new technologies with the existing bike which will fit straight into the new bike. I don’t say that they will give us any advantage as such, but they will provide us with a nice platform to work from. With Chris Vermeulen going into his second year of MotoGP he will know all the tracks and John Hopkins has already moved further forward with his professionalism and his intelligence on the bike. If the bike takes more steps forward, everything we do in readiness for next year will be a positive investment.” The enthusiasm to develop the new-era 800cc machine looks like only being matched by the intensity of the imminent workload. Normally there is a single pre-embargo shakedown test, at Valencia, but this time around, with all-new bikes to be made ready, there will be two days at Valencia, then three days in Malaysia, then a final three more days in Jerez, before the testing embargo kicks in. And that’s all happening before the Christmas presents have been bought, never mind unwrapped. For Vermeulen, a new boy in Rizla Suzuki MotoGP this season, 2007 may be harder work then ever before, but he welcomes it. “I’m still learning as a MotoGP rider, so the more time I spend on the new bike the better,” says Vermeulen. “The 800s mean that it’s almost a re-start for everyone but a lot of the technology we use will be similar, as the Suzuki is basically downsizing. I don’t think it’s going to be any slower in testing, and we should be doing very similar lap times.” No question in his mind what the main opportunities in 2007 will be for him. “The thing I’m looking forward to most is not learning any of the circuits on a Friday. I’ll be going into every race weekend with the same frame of mind as I entered Valencia, Phillip Island and a few of other tracks I knew this year. It’s not that it’s that hard to learn new circuits but you can be a day behind most other riders in terms of set-up before you even reach race day.” Hopkins is about to have an even busier off-season than even Vermeulen, as he swaps two wheel GP power for four. “On the Tuesday after the last race I will get to drive the Toro Rosso Formula One car at Valencia. I’ve never done anything like that before, just driven go-karts, so it’s going to be great. I plan to take it easy at first and just see how it goes. It’s going to be an experience of a lifetime.” From then on, it will mostly be two wheeled testing and travel, on a frenzied global scale. Said John, “It’s definitely gonna be the busiest winter we have ever had. I don’t get much time at home in America, just the month of December, and then we are back into testing. And with 18 races, it’s going to be a tough and busy year.” As for the 800cc era, Hopkins believes it won’t take long before the lap times the current 990s are beaten. “I think in the long term the 800s will make the lap times quicker because the corner speeds will be higher. We will lose some time down the straightaways, but they won’t be much slower.” A record number of off-season tests, more races than ever before and a whole new machine to get used to – the winter months for the entire Rizla Suzuki MotoGP clan will hardly be spent in hibernation. The question now seems to be, will Sunday 29 October 2006 mark the end of the old season, or the earliest ever beginning to a new season? Given the tasks and opportunities that lie ahead, it could well be a bit of both.

The MotoGP paddock always attracts a large following, even on a pre-race Thursday without on-track action. The Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia welcomed an even larger crowd than normal as the riders prepared for their final battle of 2006, the Gran Premio bwin.com de la Comunitat Valenciana. Even the most casual follower of MotoGP is aware of the circumstances surrounding Sunday’s race. Valentino Rossi leads Nicky Hayden in the championship by eight points, and one of the two stars will leave Spain as the last ever MotoGP World Champion on a 990cc bike. Both riders were present in the customary pre-event press conference, joined by Hayden’s team-mate Dani Pedrosa, the victor 2 weeks ago in Estoril Toni Elias and last year’s race winner Marco Melandri. Along with fielding the inevitable questions about the title race, Repsol Honda duo Hayden and Pedrosa were also quizzed about the accident which dealt a serious blow to the American’s title chances in Portugal. Ahead of tomorrow’s practice sessions, there were a number of pre-event activities around Valencia. John Hopkins, Toni Elias and Randy de Puniet all headed down to the stunning new port area to meet members of the BMW Oracle Racing team, an outfit aiming to take part in the 32nd America’s Cup next year. They had the opportunity to see next year’s boat in all its glory in the dedicated boathouse. Dani Pedrosa also headed outside the hustle and bustle of the paddock, participating in a special event for the launch of the Official MotoGP videogame which goes on sale this week. The Spaniard pitted his gaming skills with some rapid thumb-work against five contestants, winning a two lap race which he said “would undoubtedly be easier than Sunday’s Grand Prix.” With the British version held at Donington earlier this year, Valencia was the setting for the Spanish “Day Of Champions.” A fundraising event put on by Riders for Health, MotoGP’s official charity, various activities were held on the day including a pit lane visit, a stunt show on the starting grid and the always-popular MotoGP auction, with items signed by various World Championship riders put on sale to the highest bidder, with all proceeds going to the good cause. Michelin gave a special presentation this evening to all their MotoGP riders, in which they presented them with tyres adorned with their national colours. Having announced his departure from Konica Minolta Honda earlier this week, Makoto Tamada also today confirmed his move to Herve Poncharal’s Tech 3 Yamaha team, keeping both rider and team in MotoGP next year. With the rumour mill running at full steam, it had been speculated that Loris Capirossi and returning rider Troy Bayliss would give the 800cc Desmosedici GP07 its first race run-out in Valencia this weekend. Ducati MotoGP Project Manager Livio Suppo dismissed a sneak preview of the new bike, stating that the Gran Premio bwin.com de la Comunitat Valenciana would hopefully mark the perfect end to the 990cc Ducati era. The weather at the Spanish track has been warm but overcast, with rain a distinct possibility for tomorrow. Practice for Sunday’s race begins tomorrow at 9am local time.