Grand Prix of Valencia October 27, 28 and 29 2006 This is the MotoGP showdown race fans have been waiting for with 225,000 tickets already sold in advance for Sunday’s 30-lap duel between Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) and Valentino Rossi (Yamaha). And Valencia track expert Hayden has it all to do here in this make or break race. Nicky, having led the World Championship all season, is now eight points adrift of the leader Rossi after Estoril. A win here for Nicky with Rossi finishing third or lower would be enough for an overall victory for Hayden in this 17-race World Championship series. The omens are good for Hayden here. Last season Nicky was second to Marco Melandri by just under one tenth of a second with Rossi third. Hayden rates it one of his favourite tracks, while Rossi, despite winning here in 2003 and 2004, is not a fan of this largely second and third gear circuit. There are other factors in Hayden’s favour. Three other Honda riders have proved they can win in the premier class this season: Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC211V), and the Fortuna men Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda RC211V) and Toni Elias. This can help Nicky if they can get between him and Rossi. Casey Stoner (LCR Honda RC211V) and Kenny Roberts (Roberts KR211V) are also capable of figuring high in the points, although no one should underestimate the resolve of Rossi. Nicky has to win to stand any real chance of denying Rossi another World crown. If Hayden can only manage second place, then Rossi only needs a fifth place finish to clinch the title. If Hayden manages a third place, then Rossi only needs a ninth, so the American will be all out for the win hoping that his team-mate Dani can do him a favour here. Pedrosa is three times winner here, twice on a 250 and once on a 125. The 4.005km Ricardo Tormo track was designed to fit in the ‘bowl’ of a natural amphitheatre, so that the huge crowds (200,000 plus) can track the progress of riders almost all the way around a full lap. With 14 turns (five rights and nine lefts) packed into this tight space, and only a short 876m straight, it’s ideal for spectators but hard work for riders. There is no time to rest here. With many turns in quick succession and only the short chute on which to ‘relax’, the ‘Cheste’ track is punishing. Despite a slow average lap time at around a 150km/h average speed (the second slowest on the calendar next to Estoril) the bikes are on the edge of their tyres for long periods precisely where riders need to apply maximum concentration. The two fast turns at either end of the main straight are hard on rubber too, so set-up means making the most of available grip and having a machine that turns easily without too much physical effort from the pilot. Progressive acceleration out of those turns is vital too. Nicky said, “When I think about the last race I still feel pretty sick but the truth is I’ve got to get over it. My shoulder is feeling a little better, the clutch is finally better and my boy Elias did me a huge favour at Estoril and gave me hope! Valencia is a track I really like, and the atmosphere there is unreal it’s as good as it gets as far as a crowd to race in front of. So I go there with nothing to lose I need to win and hope that Rossi has a bad weekend.” Dani said, “It’s been quite a difficult time since the race at Estoril, for obvious reasons. It’s hard to just forget such an incident, especially when it was so important for Nicky and the team, but that is what I must do now. I have to put it behind me and focus on getting the best possible result this weekend. I’ll do everything I can to help Nicky we have a big challenge ahead but we can make it. Valencia is a small circuit, but it’s a good test of the bikes. On a MotoGP machine it’s going to feel very tight and the key will be to get a good balance from the bike in the many medium and slow corners.” Melandri said, “After such a tough race in Portugal I still managed to hold on to third in the Championship and on Sunday I’ll try to defend that. I’d like to end the season with another good result and I’ve had a lot of joy at this circuit in the past you only have to think about my victory here last season. Hopefully we can find a good compromise between the bike and tyres and be up there from the start. Sunday will be a highly-charged race with a tense atmosphere and I think the title won’t be decided until the very last corner of the very last lap.” “The victory at Estoril was a wonderful surprise,” said a happy Elias. “But also the fruit of a lot of hard work from the team, confirming that we are working in the right direction. I want to thank the whole team, especially my chief mechanic Fabrizio Cecchini, who always believed in me and made me feel relaxed and confident. It would be great to put in another top performance at Valencia, in front of the Spanish fans. I don’t really like the track itself but the fact it is in Spain, with so much support and an incredible atmosphere, makes up for that.” Stoner said, “We have done a good job this year and even though we’ve made some mistakes, I’m hoping to finish the season with a decent result at Valencia, a track where I have always been competitive.” Kenny Roberts said, “We’ve shown what we can do this season and it would be great to finish really strongly with a podium or better. The bike has the potential for that and it’s up to us to make sure we get everything dialled in early so we can concentrate on qualifying well.” Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) said, “Racing in Spain is always special for the passion transmitted by the fans. The track is not difficult but it is fun. On Sunday’s race, I’ll try to be a protagonist and obtain a good result to thank the Team for the job done during these four years in MotoGP. I’ll do my best from the start in order to obtain a good position on the starting grid.” The 250cc World Championship is still alive with the dogged Andrea Dovizioso (Humangest Racing Honda RS250RW) just 13 points behind series points leader Jorge Lorenzo (Aprilia). Dovi’s sheer consistency and his ability to make the most of any situation through guile and mature racecraft have kept him in the title chase. He has only won two races to Lorenzo’s eight victories but he has scored points at every round, including nine podiums to add to the two wins Lorenzo has failed to finish two races and that’s where Dovi’s reliable finishing has punished the Spanish title contender. The tight twists of Cheste should suit Dovi’s Honda and the pressure is on Lorenzo here at his home track while Dovi is the title chaser and he has nothing to lose here. However he must win here, hoping that Lorenzo finishes no higher than fifth. Dovi said, “It is hard to recover 13 points in just one race, but I’ll do my best to make Lorenzo’s life difficult. He is still the favourite for the title and the only advantage I have is psychological as I haven’t got anything to lose and I can ride with less pressure. The breathtaking win in Portugal gave great motivation to the team and I think we will face this Grand Prix in the best conditions at a track where last year Pedrosa was able to do great things with this bike. It will be a tough race and my goal here is just to win, then we will see what happens.” His team-mate Yuki Takahashi (Humangest Racing Honda RS250RW) said, “Valencia is a track I like and it suits my riding style. Also, during the winter test I was very fast so I face this race with lots of hope. This year my performances have improved a lot compared to 2005 and my aim is to finish in the best way this season with a view to 2007. My goal is to get a podium finish.” Shuhei Aoyama (Repsol Honda RS250RW) said,”I know the circuit in Valencia because I’ve already been testing at the beginning of the season and I like it. This is going to be the last race of the season so I hope to be able to close the season with a podium finish. I’m already looking forward to it.” David de Gea, standing in for the injured Martin Cardenas, (Repsol Honda RS250RW) said, “Valencia is one of the few left-hand circuits, a Spanish-style track, very technical and with slow corners, which are better for my riding style than fast ones. I’m really looking forward to getting here because every time I’ve been to Valencia, no matter in which class, I’ve had good results. So I hope to give the team something to be happy about as well as to all the people who have trusted in me, to show them that I can be there.” The 125cc world title was wrapped up long ago by Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia), but for Gabor Talmacsi (Humangest Honda RS125R) aiming to finish as highest Honda rider in the World Championship or for rookie Bradley Smith (Repsol Honda RS125R) garnering as much track experience as he can there is still everything to ride for. Talmacsi said, “I like this circuit and last year I finished second. So I feel optimistic but it will be important to find the right set up of the chassis since the beginning. In this way I can concentrate on the race. It would be important for me and for the team to finish with a good result; I’m the best Honda rider in the final classification and I want to keep this position.” “It’s the last race of the season,” said Smith. “So it should be really good with all the people coming out to watch. I remember last year; I went there and saw everyone though I was only looking. But it will be nice to race again on a track I know, Donington is a track I know and I had a good result there so hopefully I can take the performance of the last few races, put it all together, and hopefully make a good race in Valencia. Actually, the last time I raced there was in the Spanish Championship. It was a wet race and I won, so I’m looking forward to racing there again.”

LRRS racer #248 Chris “Jersey” Orcutt was injured Sunday, October 8th while racing at New Hampshire International Speedway. He was on life support until late last week — while healing from his injuries he contracted pneumonia and couldn’t keep any food down for weeks. He was moved out of ICU recently, and had wrist surgery on the 23rd. His friend Alex Dunstan, a Red Bull distributor, contacted colleague Geoff Hannen at Red Bull’s headquarters and got a pair of gloves donated. (See description below) They will be raffled in an event to be known as the “Jersey Drunkathon” on Nov. 11th @ the Players Pub, 369 Route 108 in Somersworth, NH. Winner need not be present at drawing. Each raffle ticket is $20. They will be sold at the time of the drawing, or by Paypal’ing $20 to [email protected]. That address belongs to Mark Connolly, who has raced against Chris since they attended the Penguin Racing School together. Online Paypal payment will close down on November 8th. Buyers will receive an email with their ticket number. (Alex writes: “I’m basically going to assign everyone a random number, put them all in a box, and have Jersey pick one out to declare the winner.”) All proceeds will be presented to Chris to help cover the incidental costs of his hospitalization. Please let any of your other roadracing friends know as the more the merrier for this once-in-a-lifetime product. Direct any questions to [email protected] Well-wishes can be sent to Jersey care of his sister’s email: [email protected] The Raffle will be for a pair of extremely limited edition Alpinestar GP Tech gloves. These gloves normally retail for $215.00, however, these aren’t a normal pair. This run was produced for the 2006 Red Bull US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca and were handed out to a very small number of V.I.P. guests at the event. The gloves were made in the USGP colors and have the event logo branded onto the gauntlet. This pair has been personally autographed by US MotoGP star Nicky Hayden! Alpinestars GP Tech Gloves – Develped with input from professional racers on the MotoGP circuit – PU knuckle and finger sliders for superior impact and abrasion resistance – Patented third and fourth finger bridge protects against “finger roll” and potential seam bursting during impacts – Strong, supple kangaroo leather palm is reinforced with Pittards digital leather and an advanced direct-inject Kevlar panel – Fingers have external seams for comfort – Kevlar stitching throughout for strength – PU-injected wrist closure for a secure, comfortable fit – Perforated cuff and ventilated finger forchettes keep your hands cool

Bridgestone’s most successful season at the pinnacle of motorcycle racing comes to a conclusion this weekend at the Valencia Grand Prix in Spain, the final event of this year’s highly competitive 17-race MotoGP championship. Suzuki, Kawasaki and Ducati have all contributed to the three wins, six pole positions and nine podiums achieved on Bridgestone rubber so far this season with Ducati’s Loris Capirossi staking his claim to the trio of wins, including Bridgestone’s debut victories on European soil at Jerez and Brno, as well as a dominant win at the corporation’s home race in Motegi, Japan last month. Suzuki’s pairing of John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen have scored their debut pole positions on Bridgestone qualifiers with an incredible three poles between them. Hopkins took the honours in Assen and rookie Vermeulen led the field in the wet at Turkey and in the scorching heat of Laguna Seca. Vermeulen also scored his debut MotoGP podium in his home race at Phillip Island with a sensational second place. Kawasaki’s Shinya Nakano has enjoyed four front row starts so far in 2006, one of which he was able to convert brilliantly into a runner-up podium position in Assen. Sete Gibernau – who is unable to participate in his final race for Ducati in Valencia after requiring further treatment to a collarbone injury aggravated by a crash in the Portuguese GP – also has three front row starts and five top five race results to his credit in 2006, including a spectacular pole in Mugello. At just 4km in length, Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia is one of the shortest laps of the season with a combination of nine left-hand corners and just five right-handers. The circuit is also run in an anti-clockwise formation and comprises thirty laps over a total distance of 120.15km, making it one of the longest race distances of the year after Donington and Mugello. The thirty-lap Valencia GP will bring the season-long combined race distance to a staggering 1,990km. Hiroshi Yamada – Bridgestone Motorsport – Motorcycle Racing Manager “Valencia is a short track, but also a demanding one with its asymmetrical layout and composition of slower corners which place a premium on edge grip. We have nine left-hand corners and five right-handers over 30 laps, so performance and durability on the left-hand side of tyre will be important, especially through the final corner. Of the 17 venues on the calendar, Valencia is one of five that is run in an anticlockwise direction which inevitably adds to the disparity between left and right-handers. “We have enjoyed a competitive season with some excellent race results on Bridgestone rubber including those three victories with Ducati and Loris. However, all three of our teams have demonstrated their potential with highlights for Ducati, Kawasaki and Suzuki throughout the season. We are putting our full resource and efforts into this weekend’s race, as we do at every event, to support our teams in the best way possible. We are sorry that Sete is not able to race due to his ongoing injuries, but we wish him a quick and full recovery. “All eyes will be on our rivals as the championship reaches its thrilling culmination, but we hope to see Bridgestone-shod riders in the hunt for some good results this weekend. We started the season with a victory in Spain, our first on European ground, so we will also be targeting a strong Spanish result to cap off our most successful MotoGP season to date.” Bridgestone’s 2005 Valencia GP Race Results Pos. Rider Motorcycle Race Time Gap P4 Carlos Checa Ducati 47m16.870s +18.718s P7 Loris Capirossi Ducati 47m21.294s +23.142s P11 Shinya Nakano Kawasaki 47m39.288s +41.136s P13 John Hopkins Suzuki 47m44.659s +46.507s P14 Alex Hofmann Kawasaki 47m48.008s +49.856s DNF Nobuatsu Aoki Suzuki 12m47.346s +22 laps

YAMAHA RACING TEAM DOMINATES THE COMPETITION AT WINTON The Yamaha Racing Team has shone at Winton Raceway this weekend, with Jamie Stauffer taking Superbike honours and Mark Aitchison the winner in the Supersport field. The factory operation completed a clean sweep of both classes at round 6 of the YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship, and Stauffer and Aitchison were unchallenged on their way to dual wins. Cloudless blue skies may have been an indication of things to come, and the team certainly has its competition scratching its head as to where the extra pace is found. A successful pre-round test session put the team in good stead and the riders took full advantage of the setup improvements that were made. The team has now secured an unbeatable lead in the Supersport class and stretched its Superbike points advantage to 37, with just 51 points on offer for the final round at Eastern Creek next month. Superbike Jamie Stauffer has displayed a relentless dominance at today’s round of the YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship at Winton Raceway, blasting away from pole position to record dual race wins. Stauffer was simply unstoppable, and only needed a few corners before he began to put clear air between himself and his rival competitors. He completed the challenge with ease, and at the end of race 2 he had put 17 seconds between himself and second place. He shattered the Winton lap record easily, and cruised home in the closing stages as riders behind him struggled to break free of their own battles. He now leads the YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship by 37 points, with his closest rival struggling this weekend and failing to finish on the podium. “I’m very pleased with the result today, it was fairly easy I had a fantastic bike beneath me and as usual the Dunlops were up to the task,” said Stauffer. “The setup was spot-on and I felt very confident about setting fast lap times consistently around here, its good to take maximum points away from the weekend as that makes the job that little bit easier at Eastern Creek.” The only low point of the weekend for the Superbike team was Dan Stauffer’s spill in Saturday’s opening qualifying session, with the third-placed championship rider tumbling from his bike and dislocating his shoulder. As a result, he was unable to continue on the R1 for the weekend, and will spend the next few weeks resting and preparing himself to return to racing at Eastern Creek. The non-starts in today’s Superbike races means Stauffer drops to 5th in the championship, and he is determined to bounce back as soon as possible. “It’s a real shame not to have been out there today, I went into turn three yesterday and just found myself with no front brakes,” said Stauffer. “It was a fairly quick and awkward crash, I ended up skidding into the dirt and actually hit my head against the wall before coming to a stop.” “It’s obviously disappointing too in terms of the championship, especially with the strong form we had been showing. On the other hand it is a great result for the team in terms of Jamie’s win and I’m looking forward to returning for Eastern Creek.” Supersport The penultimate round of the YMF Loan Australian Supersport Championship has been a resounding success for the Yamaha Racing Team’s Supersport division, with positions 1 to 4 filled by the dominant R6 machines. Mark Aitchison took the round honours after he recorded back-to-back victories in the two 17-lap races, an unique achievement in his professional motor racing career. Aitchison was relentless in his pursuit of the round win, delivering the team a convincing pole position yesterday and not looking back when the racing got underway. His maximum points haul from the round 51 points elevated him to second place in the championship with a single round remaining. He was elated with the result, one he had been chasing all season, and was glad to have shaken off the bad run of luck which had plagued him in the past. “It’s definitely a long time coming, a few things haven’t gone our way this year but this was the round to make up for it, it was absolutely awesome,” said Aitchison. “I can’t thank the guys enough within the team and all the hard work they’ve done throughout the year.” “It’s looking great for the championship now, so we’ll try to carry on at Eastern Creek.” “I think it’s the first time I’ve done the double in my career, it’s very satisfying.” Jason O’Halloran provided strong backup for his teammate, riding to a solid second position on the back of two second place finishes in the races. O’Halloran kept the fight for race victory alive, and his pace helped to push Aitchison and was a visible motivator for both riders. He also made gains in his own championship campaign, climbing to third overall on the ladder. “I went with Mark for the first few laps of the last race, I was pushing pretty hard but he was just too fast today, I was struggling to keep up,” said O’Halloran. “I just wanted to bank some good points, and it puts me in a good position for the championship. Thanks to the team who did a great job, and bring on Eastern Creek.” While Jamie Stauffer seemed to keep a low profile this weekend in the Supersport races, he only had one thing on his mind championship points. At the conclusion of the Winton round the team was ecstatic to discover Stauffer had bridged the points gap between himself and second place, building an unassailable lead and effectively taking the title with a round still remaining. Stauffer kept a close eye on his teammates as they set the pace ahead of him, and cruised to third overall for the round. He was understandably pleased to learn his championship lead could not be beaten, and thanked the team for the contribution they made to his stellar Supersport season. “I’ve had a really good year, the bikes and tyres have worked very well in my favour and made it easy for me to wrap up the championship today,” said Stauffer. “It wasn’t really about going out there and going for the win, I’ve concentrated on the Superbike for the last few rounds so I’m happy to have scored enough points to win the championship with a round left.” He will be officially crowned 2006 YMF Loan Australian Supersport Champion when the series heads to Eastern Creek in mid-November, with the team looking to round out of the most dominant seasons in motor racing in fine style. YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship, Winton Round Race 1. 1 Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team 2 Robert BUGDEN (QLD) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki 3 Shawn GILES (NSW) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki 4 Andrew STROUD (NZ) / Superbike New Zealand / Brother / SsangYong 5 Russell HOLLAND (NSW) / Robern Racing Honda / Pirelli Tyres 6 Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) / Joe Rocket Honda / Honda Australia 7 Joshua WATERS (VIC) / Kawasaki Racing Team 8 Wayne MAXWELL (NSW) / Floyd Parkes Kawasaki / Pirelli / Michelin 9 Shannon ETHERIDGE (NSW) / Kirk McCarthy Award / Suzuki Aust. / Phil Tainton 10 Ashley ROE (VIC) / Roe Motorcycles / Chemblast / Michelin YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship, Winton Round Race 2. 1 Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team 2 Robert BUGDEN (QLD) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki 3 Andrew STROUD (NZ) / Superbike New Zealand / Brother / SsangYong 4 Scott CHARLTON (VIC) / Tarmac Civil Constructions 5 Russell HOLLAND (NSW) / Robern Racing Honda / Pirelli Tyres 6 Shawn GILES (NSW) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki 7 Wayne MAXWELL (NSW) / Floyd Parkes Kawasaki / Pirelli / Michelin 8 Joshua WATERS (VIC) / Kawasaki Racing Team 9 Shannon ETHERIDGE (NSW) / Kirk McCarthy Award / Suzuki Aust. / Phil Tainton 10 Ashley ROE (VIC) / Roe Motorcycles / Chemblast / Michelin YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship, Winton Round Overall Points. 1 Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) 51 2 Robert BUGDEN (QLD) 40 3 Andrew STROUD (NZ) 35 4 Shawn GILES (NSW) 33 5 Russell HOLLAND (NSW) 32 6 Wayne MAXWELL (NSW) 27 7 Joshua WATERS (VIC) 27 8 Shannon ETHERIDGE (NSW) 24 9 Ashley ROE (VIC) 22 10 Cole ODENDAAL (QLD) 19 YMF Loan Australian Supersport Championship, Winton Round Race 1. 1 Mark AITCHISON (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team 2 Jason O’HALLORAN (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team 3 Jeremy CROWE (NSW) / Sydney Mesh & Steel / Yamaha 4 Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team 5 Bryan STARING (WA) / Jardine Honda / Honda Australia 6 Joshua WATERS (VIC) / Kawasaki Racing Team 7 Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) / Joe Rocket Honda 8 Shaun GERONIMI (NSW) / Sydney Mesh & Steel / Geronimi Concreting 9 Christopher SEATON (VIC) 10 Judd GREEDY (VIC) / Redwing Honda / Clearmake / Dickies YMF Loan Australian Supersport Championship, Winton Round Race 2. 1 Mark AITCHISON (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team 2 Jason O’HALLORAN (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team 3 Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) / Yamaha Racing Team 4 Jeremy CROWE (NSW) / Sydney Mesh & Steel / Yamaha 5 Joshua WATERS (VIC) / Kawasaki Racing Team 6 Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) / Joe Rocket Honda 7 Craig SHIRRIFFS (NZ) / Team Yoshimura Suzuki 8 Christopher SEATON (VIC) 9 Shaun GERONIMI (NSW) / Sydney Mesh & Steel / Geronimi Concreting 10 Judd GREEDY (VIC) / Redwing Honda / Clearmake / Dickies YMF Loan Australian Supersport Championship, Winton Round Overall Points. 1 Mark AITCHISON (NSW) 51 2 Jason O’HALLORAN (NSW) 40 3 Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) 35 4 Jeremy CROWE (NSW) 35 5 Joshua WATERS (VIC) 31 6 Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) 29 7 Christopher SEATON (VIC) 25 8 Shaun GERONIMI (NSW) 25 9 Craig SHIRRIFFS (NZ) 22 10 Judd GREEDY (VIC) 22 More from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: BUGDEN RACES TO 2ND AT WINTON Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Robbie Bugden raced to a stunning second place, while three-time champion Shawn Giles made a triumphant return from injury to finish fourth in round six of the Australian Superbike Championship at Winton Raceway on Sunday. Starting the weekend in very competitive fashion, Bugden qualified second while Giles was quick to get back up to speed and was fourth fastest, putting both Suzukis on the front row of the grid. Race one saw Giles make a blinding start and lead the pack through the first turn and heading the field for the opening two laps around the 3km circuit. Bugden climbed into second place and decisively assumed the lead. Both Team Yoshimura Suzuki riders settled into a rhythm and pulled a solid gap on fourth placed Suzuki privateer Andrew Stroud. In a stellar effort, Giles preserved his third place across the full race distance and was closing in on Bugden in the final laps with the pair greeting the chequered flag in third and second places respectively. Giles took another stunning holeshot in race two, but was again passed by Stauffer and Bugden in a replica of the opening contest. Withstanding massive pressure in the closing stages, Bugden prevailed by a narrow margin and brought the GSX-R1000 home in second place again to claim second overall for the round. Meanwhile Giles’ tenacious effort saw the Suzuki veteran cross the finish line in sixth, rounding out the weekend in fourth overall. Bugden’s outstanding performance at the rural Victorian circuit elevated him to fourth overall in the championship with third place in sight for the final round of the series. Team Yoshimura Suzuki now heads to Sydney as the 2006 Australian Superbike Championship wraps up with round seven at Eastern Creek Raceway on November 17-19. Robbie Budgen: “Winton is a track that I am very comfortable on I finished second here last year as a privateer and it’s good to back that up again this year with Team Yoshimura Suzuki. “The balance and horsepower of the GSX-R1000 was fantastic and I was running in second spot virtually all weekend with qualifying and both races which is a great result for me and the team. “We’ve now moved up the championship table into fourth place with a podium in sight, so hopefully we can finish the year on a high in the next round at Eastern Creek.” Shawn Giles: “After so many months off the bike I was fairly nervous heading into this weekend and it’s really good to have that first round under my belt. “It was great to be out on the GSX-R1000 in race conditions instead of looking on from the sidelines. “I’d set myself a goal of a top five finish for this weekend, so I’m pretty happy to come away with fourth overall. “There’s only one round to go this year and I’ll be chasing a podium and hopefully a race win to end 2006 on a positive note and set us up for the 2007 title challenge.” Phil Tainton Team Manager: “Robbie was very quick in testing here at Winton two weeks ago and I knew he would be a serious contender for this event. “I’m very pleased with his performance across the whole weekend and he set us up for a strong run home in the final round. “Robbie’s up into fourth now, only six and a half points off third spot, so hopefully the Yoshimura Suzuki can snatch the final podium place in the championship at Eastern Creek next month. “It was great to have Shawn back on the bike this weekend. He got back up to speed extremely quickly and really exceeded our expectations. “He did a brilliant job to qualify up in fourth and he put in a fantastic effort across both 17-lap races. “With such a big break from riding, we didn’t know how well Shawn’s race fitness would hold up, but he’s a real racer and he showed his true measure it’s that combination of talent and determination that won him three titles with Suzuki.” 2006 AUSTRALIAN SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP Superbike Class Overall Results: 1 Jamie Stauffer 51, 2 Robbie Bugden (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 40, 3 Andrew Stroud 35, 4 Shawn Giles (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 33, 5 Russell Holland 32, 6 Wayne Maxwell 27, 7 Joshua Waters 27, 8 Shannon Etheridge 24, 9 Ashley Roe 22, 10 Cole Odendaal 19. Superbike Class Championship Points (After 6 rounds: 1 Jamie Stauffer 269, 2 Russell Holland 232, 3 Andrew Stroud 173, 4 Robbie Bugden (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 166.5, 5 Daniel Stauffer 150, 6 Scott Charlton 147.5, 7 Shannon Johnson 126.5, 8 Wayne Maxwell 122, 9 Shannon Etheridge 112.5, 10 Ashley Roe 97.

Giacomo Agostini, Valentino Rossi, Loris Capirossi”¦ with Scuderia Toro Rosso being an Italian F1 team, that just about exhausts its knowledge of Italian motorcycle racers, but are we about to add the name of grand prix star Tonio Liuzzi to that list? And apart from Phil Hill and Mario Andretti and now Scott Speed, the US of A is not exactly a home to many Formula 1 car racers, but Rizla Suzuki MotoGP’s John Hopkins is going to try a taste of racing with a wheel at each corner. On the last day of October, Hopkins and Liuzzi will be taking part in a Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Scuderia Toro Rosso “Seat Swap” at the Valencia circuit in Spain. The Italian F1 driver will cock his leg over the saddle of John Hopkins’ Rizla Suzuki MotoGP bike just two days after the Anglo-American will have raced it at the same Spanish circuit at the final round of the MotoGP championship. Hopkins, will get the opportunity to sit behind the wheel of the Toro Rosso F1 car, sporting a Rizla-blue fire suit and an Arai car helmet painted in his distinctive Red Bull colours. Liuzzi is having a special set of leathers made for this event, as well as switching to a motorcycle specification helmet. Like most Italians, Tonio is mad about bikes, using one to ride round the F1 race tracks prior to race weekends, as well as riding superbikes back in his native Italy, where he regularly heads out on the road on a Suzuki GSX-R750. He has also been know to indulge in the occasional track day, but don’t tell his team-boss as it is probably strictly forbidden in his contract. You can imagine what the other customers think when Liuzzi, an instantly recognisable figure in his homeland, turns up, pays a few Euros and heads out on the track with all the other amateurs! But on Tuesday 31st October, Hopkins and Liuzzi are not going to meet one another on the track as, in the name of safety, they are not being allowed out of the pits at the same time! Just think of the insurance premiums. “I’m looking forward to this very much,” said Tonio. “Especially as I was supposed to do it earlier but John had had an accident and it was not possible. I had some preparation riding a 750 Suzuki round Silverstone and riding at Valencia should be very interesting as I will be able to compare my times to what the ‘real’ racers did on the Sunday before.” “I’m really excited about this,” commented Hopkins, “it’s the first time I’ve been given the chance to drive a F1 car properly and the team are telling me to give it a bit of throttle which makes me excited but a bit nervous too! I think it will be a really interesting day, with Liuzzi on the bike and me in the car, and our respective crews having to work with different guys using their machines. It’s going to be an experience of a lifetime and I’m really grateful to Red Bull and Rizla Suzuki for making it happen. I’m really pumped up for it and can’t wait for it to happen!”

Alex Barros will not be with Team Klaffi Honda in 2007. The 36 years old Brazilian decided to move back to MotoGP in the forthcoming season. Barros scored sixth in the World Superbike Championship with a total of six podium results and one victory in Imola at the penultimate round. The Klaffi-Honda-Team is in serious talks with several other top riders for 2007 and wants to line up with two riders in the World Superbike Championship in 2007. Klaus Klaffenböck: “We offered Alex a potential package for 2007, but unfortunately he decided to quit and go for another challenge. I have to thank him for his efforts and wish him all the best. We had ups and downs with some great performances. At the end of the season we had a very competitive bike. Alex proved that with strong performances in Lausitz and Imola. Especially the weekend in Imola was stunning for our team. We achieved our first race victory, although 2006 was only the second year since we started with SBK.”

After a magnificent season and one of the most exciting races of all time in the last race at Estoril, the breathtaking 2006 MotoGP World Championship will go right down to the wire. The final race of the year, the Gran Premio bwin.com de la Comunitat Valenciana, will welcome a sell-out crowd into the Ricardo Tormo circuit ready to see either Valentino Rossi or Nicky Hayden take the ultimate accolade in motorcycle racing. The five-time MotoGP World Champion Rossi leads the championship for the first time this season, and could not have chosen a better race to enter with an 8 point advantage. The Italian has made an outstanding comeback against all odds after a series of DNFs gave him his worst ever start to a premier class season. Since his last mechanical failure at Laguna Seca, the reigning World Champion has been on a run of five consecutive podium finishes, his last victory coming in Malaysia at the start of the triple flyaway. In its simplest form, if Rossi can make it six wins this season at Valencia, or finishes above rival Nicky Hayden in the race, then he will take a sixth consecutive premier class title and become the only champion of the 990cc MotoGP era. There are also possibilities based on Hayden finishing ahead of the Camel Yamaha rider. Having led the championship for nearly the entire season, Nicky Hayden suffered a crushing blow in Portugal when team-mate Dani Pedrosa took him out of the race on lap five. Hayden has offered the opinion that the Spaniard could make it up to him with a second place at the Cheste circuit this weekend, which combined with a Hayden win would send the crown to Kentucky. For the first time this year, the title is out of the American’s hands, and the 51-point advantage that Hayden held after his last win at Laguna Seca has been slowly converted into the current 8 point deficit. With nothing left to lose, the Repsol Honda rider will be going all-out in what may be his best ever chance of a premier class title. Although a discreet result in Portugal ended Marco Melandri’s title hopes, the Italian could still catch Hayden for second place. 19 points behind his American rival, the rider who recently renewed his contract with Fausto Gresini’s team for 2007 will have last year’s race in Valencia fresh in his mind, where he took glory and edged out Hayden to become the 2005 MotoGP World Championship runner up. Loris Capirossi, one of the season’s outstanding performers, also saw the mathematical possibility of a title slip away at Estoril. Capirossi is the only other rider apart from Hayden and Rossi to lead the championship this season, and will hope to cement Ducati’s best ever finish in the series by sneaking third from Melandri. As mentioned previously, Dani Pedrosa will want to make amends for the all-Repsol Honda crash in the last round by helping his team-mate win in the Spanish rookie’s home country. His final race on a 990cc machine before the introduction of new rules which could favour Pedrosa’s build and style more, he will be eager to show the kind of riding that left him with a possibility of maiden season glory until lap five in Portugal. Kenny Roberts Jr’s season has continued to improve alongside his KR211V bike. As new parts have been added and chassis modified, the American has climbed up the standings to currently lie in sixth. Roberts was even battling for the win until the very last lap at round 16, admitting later that he was expecting to see the chequered flag one lap earlier than it appeared. The aftermath of Estoril created much excitement in the premier class, with a number of developments on Sunday night. Lucio Cecchinello confirmed last Monday that it would be all change in his LCR Honda team next season, with Casey Stoner leaving the team and veteran Carlos Checa moving to the Italian’s one-rider outfit. Speculation abounds as to the future of Herve Poncharal’s Tech 3 Yamaha team as a result of the switch, whilst Stoner later confirmed that he will race for Ducati in a one year deal with the option of an additional season. Surprise victor on Portuguese soil Toni Elias has also renewed his contract with Fausto Gresini, once again accompanying Marco Melandri next season. Sete Gibernau will miss his home race after breaking one of the plates inserted into his collarbone when he crashed with Stoner two weeks ago. The Spaniard has already been forced out of four races this season after the spectacular crash in Catalunya back in June, three of those times replaced by Alex Hofmann in the Ducati Marlboro team. However, it is Troy Bayliss, the rider who lined up for Ducati’s first MotoGP outing in 2003, who will give the 990cc Desmosedici its final run-out. Practice for the Gran Premio bwin.com de la Comunitat Valenciana get underway on Friday, with the crucial MotoGP race taking place on Sunday at 2pm local time (GMT+1 after clocks go back on Sunday morning). 250cc In 250cc, Andrea Dovizioso will need a repeat of the kind of performance that took him to victory in Portugal if he wants to take the quarter litre title this season. He lies 13 points behind Jorge Lorenzo, who could have already been crowned 250cc champion if results had gone his way last time round. Both riders will continue their rivalry next year in the quarter litre category, Dovizioso becoming the latest rider to confirm that he is staying in 250cc for another year. The battle for third place rages on too, with Alex de Angelis holding a ten point advantage over Hiroshi Aoyama. The Japanese rider confirmed this week that he will stay in 250cc despite receiving an offer from a MotoGP team, revealed by Harald Bartol and Harold Eckl to be Kawasaki Racing. De Angelis, yet to win a grand prix in any class, could complete his best ever season in the category by taking the bronze in the overall classification. 2006’s best privateer Roberto Locatelli and Yuki Takahashi complete the top six in MotoGP’s second tier. 125cc Alvaro Bautista, the dominant force in 125cc racing, has been breaking yet more records since his championship win in Australia. The Spaniard, on his debut ride on the latest version of the 125cc Aprilia, was the runaway leader in the bwin.com Grande Premio de Portugal as he took his seventh victory of 2006. Bautista also overtook Valentino Rossi and Kazuto Sakata as the rider with the most podium finishes in the category in a single season, having taken a rostrum place on 14 occasions this year. The Italian and Japanese were both title winners in the year of their records, in 1997 and 1993 respectively. Bautista’s 325 points earned this season also puts him above Rossi’s 1997 total of 321, the previous record. Mika Kallio’s third place at Estoril, coupled with Mattia Pasini’s crash at the same race, confirmed the Finn’s second consecutive runner-up finish in the 125cc category. The KTM rider moves up to 250cc next season. Hector Faubel, Sergio Gadea and Lukas Pesek round off the lower cylinder class’ top six. Circuit information The Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana – Ricardo Tormo was completed in 1999 and held rounds of the MotoGP and Spanish Motorcycle Championships in the same year. The Cheste track has several layouts, running anticlockwise with varying lengths. MotoGP events are held on a 4km track comprising of five right handed corners, eight left handers and a 650m straight. Although the track is regarded as quite small, the pit complex contains 48 garages whilst the stadium style grandstands can seat up to 125,000 spectators. The circuit layout which allows all parts of the circuit to be seen from any stand helps to create a unique atmosphere enjoyed by Spanish and international riders alike and as the last race of the season there is always a party feeling to the Grand Prix, which was voted best GP of 2005 by IRTA, to be presented to the circuit this weekend.