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Interviews And Footage Of USGPRU Finale Available At OnTheThrottle.tv

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Interviews And Footage Of USGPRU Finale Available At OnTheThrottle.tv

Shock Media Productions would like to officially announce the launch of the their television style, video based website, www.OnTheThrottle.tv with coverage of the USGPRU finale from Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. The weather, circuit, and series combined to provide some of the best racing of the year at the new MMP complex. OnTheThrottle also has interviews and coverage from the ’06 AMA Championship Finale at Mid Ohio and the round at Miller Motorsports Park. As the winter deepens OnTheThrottle will continue posting several webisodes a week from our coverage of these and other events. Viewers will find webisodes on a variety of topics from tires, suspension, track and school profiles to detailed interviews with America’s top racers. Plans for 2007 include coverage from all rounds of the AMA Superbike Championship, coverage from selected regional club racing championships, track profiles of some of the country’s best circuits, and wrenching tips and techniques from the industy’s best tuners. For marketing opportunities with OnTheThrottle simply click on the telephone located in our virtual garage at www.OnTheThrottle.tv and choose a contact option from the list included there. Our goal is to provide the most informative and entertaining video coverage possible of the sportbike industry. Feedback is welcomed.

More From Last Weekend’s Races

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More From Last Weekend’s Races

DUCSHOP’S GRAND SEASON FINALE Ducshop Performance Center’s Mike Smith won both the Battle of the Twins Formula One and Sound of Thunder races at AHRMA’s final round at Barber Motorsports Park on Saturday. Racing the air cooled two-valve NCR Millona, Smith, who was still recovering from a virus that forced him to sit out the previous week’s WERA Grand National Finals, easily won against more powerful 749Rs and a Daytona 675. Sponsored rider Garrett Rick won the CCS Amateur Supertwins race at Daytona on his Ducshop prepped Ducati 749R. While Ducshop technician Zach Southard proudly helped the BMW Atlanta team to a historic victory in the Moto-ST 8-hour endurance race. This was the icing on the cake after Brian Stokes’ national Heavyweight Twins SB championship win on Ducshop’s Aprilia RSV Mille the previous weekend at the GNF, with Ducshop sponsored Dennys Passeto in third and a win for novice rider Tom Esposito. Ducshop also prepped the winning 1000SS and supplied the pit crew for WERA’s 4-hour Lightweight Superbike endurance race winners, Touring Sport Racing. Ducshop proudly supports at least fifteen riders nationwide who, combined, have won copious championships. For more information visit ~http://www.ducshop.com/ducshop_racing.php~ More, from a press release issued by Team Morse Racing: TEAM MORSE RACING ON THE PODIUM AT MILLER MOTORSPORTS PARK CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND! Dave Gallant of Team Morse Racing closed the 2006 season in spectacular fashion by qualifying on the front row and placing on the podium in all of his races at this past weekend’s championship round at Miller Motorsports Park. This special round in the “Masters of the Mountains” series was held in conjunction with the USGPRU finals, and a record number of entrants took the grid to race the twenty-three-turn 4.5 race course in picturesque Tooele Utah. Competitors from around the country showed up for the Friday morning practice and were greeted by brisk early morning temperatures. By mid afternoon however, all in the paddock were treated to clear skies and mid-sixty degree temperatures. After a full day of practice on Friday, Pirelli once again proved they had the best tire for the tricky 4.5 mile race course and the cool track temperatures. After the final suspension and gearing change was made on Friday, Dave Gallant was confident in his setup going into Saturday’s and Sunday’s racing schedule. Saturday morning temperatures were slightly cooler than Friday’s, however that did not slow down the competition. In the “King of the Mountain” race on Saturday, a premier race with double the laps, Dave Gallant was able to latch onto the leaders from the very start of the race and rode hard to a strong 3rd place finish. “Many of us are still figuring out how to put in really fast laps around this huge track. It flows quite well, but I am finding that my normal setup is just not quite right and it is mentally exhausting trying to remember where the perfect line for every corner is. Thanks to Aaron Clark of ClarkieMotoWorks.com the bike is now running perfect, so now we just have to find some time in the setup. Clarkie and Pirelli have some setup ideas for tomorrow, and we will test them out in qualifying tomorrow morning” commented Dave Gallant after his podium finish in King of the Mountain GTU. Sunday greeted race fans to slightly warmer temperatures, and by mid-afternoon the weather was perfect for some serious racing. As hoped, the suspension changes suggested helped Dave Gallant shave off 2 full seconds during qualifying and that performance was enough to put him on the front row for his afternoon races. With a fresh set of Pirelli tires, Dave Gallant stormed off the line in his first Sunday race to challenge Shane Turpin for the lead into turn one. While Shane’s times were just out of reach of Dave Gallant’s, no one was else was able to match the pair at the front as they pulled out a sizable gap over the rest of the field. At the line, Dave Gallant was in a comfortable 2nd place and had dropped another two seconds off the previous days times. “The bike was flawless today. I did everything I could to stay with Shane, but he is an amazing rider and it was just not to be. This was a fantastic end to the season however, and this is great motivation going into the off season testing to perfect what we have working now. Scott Morse and Team Morse Racing have some exciting plans for 2007 and I can not wait to start preparing for them! I want to congratulate Aaron Clark and Pirelli on winning the number one plate in the Masters of the Mountains series here in Utah. All of the competitors raced hard this year, but Aaron deserves it more than anyone” added Dave Gallant of Team Morse Racing. To close out the 2006 season and under much cooler temperatures, Dave Gallant once again put in a stellar ride to finish second in Middleweight Superbike behind Shane Turpin. More, from a press release issued by Team Motorrad: TEAM MOTORRAD TAKES CHECKERED FLAG AT INAUGURAL DAYTONA SUNTRUST MOTO-ST EVENT On Saturday October 21st at 9pm the checkered flag fell at the conclusion of eight intense hours of racing in the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series inaugural event at Daytona International Speedway. Team Motorrad/Touring Sport BMW crossed the line with rider Frank Shockley on board, finishing 16th overall and 10th in the premier SST class. Starting from Pole Position, Team Motorrad was one of three BMW R1200S entries in the SST class, all of which finished the race, with San Jose BMW in the coveted 1st position, and Daytona BMW in 4th position. Team Motorrad ran as high as 6th during the race, before a battery failure forced the team to a halt in lap 81. The R1200S shut down in the chicane with owner/rider Ivan Messina at the controls. After losing more than 15 laps returning to the pits, diagnosing, and repairing the problem the team was back out on track with rider Brad Phillips working to regain lost positions. “The battery problem was bad luck for us,” said Ivan. “We ran two 4-hour races prior to this race with no issues whatsoever, and this problem was a surprise for sure. Our pit crew was great, getting us in and out quickly during our tire changes and fuel stops, and without them we couldn’t have come back as far as we did from such a debilitating failure.” The team arrived in Daytona late Wednesday night, and took to the track on Thursday for practice. The day was spent adjusting the R1200S and monitoring fuel usage to help determine pit strategy, as well as testing some new components. “Cee Bailey’s Aircraft Plastics gave us a huge windscreen to test and it worked great. At first I thought it might be too big, but once behind it on the banking I couldn’t have been happier. We had absolutely no wind buffeting at all behind that screen, which helped all of us from suffering too much fatigue during our stints,” said Ivan. The team also used the available dyno time and their Wunderlich/Techlusion fuel injection controller to fine tune fuel usage. “We were able to get a little more fuel range without sacrificing drivability or power, and it is so easy to adjust I was able to do it in just a few seconds between dyno runs,” said Ivan. Friday the team worked on general service to the R1200S and lighting installation. PIAA USA helped the team to install a 4600K H.I.D. Super Cobalt PIAA lighting system on Saturday Morning. The light made a huge difference during the race, enabling the team to run similar lap times during the two hours of darkness to the times they did during daylight hours. “MOTO-ST did a decent job of lighting the track, but in the chicane and turn 5 in particular where the track was a little dark, the PIAA light really made a difference picking out the apexes and exits of the corners,” said Ivan. Another concern for the team during the race was oil usage in the big air/oil cooled 1200cc motor. “We thought the engine might be 1-2 quarts down at the end,” said Ivan. “Our Rock Oil equipped engine only burned about half of a quart of oil over the entire race. I was shocked when we checked the oil level after the finish and really have to thank Rock Oil for supplying us with a premium synthetic lubricant that kept the engine running cool and strong under such intense demands.” Team Motorrad plans to contest the entire MOTO-ST season in 2007.

AMA Superbike Champion Spies Earns AMA Pro Racing SPEED Athlete Of The Year Nomination

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AMA Superbike Champion Spies Earns AMA Pro Racing SPEED Athlete Of The Year Nomination

PICKERINGTON, Ohio Fresh from winning the 2006 AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, Ben Spies has learned that he is one of the honored nominees for the 2006 AMA Pro Racing SPEED Athlete of the Year Award. Spies earned the AMA Superbike title in only his second full year in the series and now the young rider from Longview, Texas, has earned his first nomination for AMA Pro Racing’s highest award. “It’s a real honor to be nominated for the Athlete of the Year,” said Spies, who is the second youngest rider ever to win the AMA Superbike Championship. “It would be nice to win the award, but being only 22 and in my second year of Superbike, I’m sure that it’s going to be tough considering who some of the other nominees might be. Still, I’m happy to be considered among the best in all of American motorcycle racing this year.” Spies has built an impressive list of accomplishments, well beyond what one would expect from such a young athlete. He was named AMA Horizon Award winner in 2000 as the country’s leading amateur road racer. In 2003 Spies won the AMA Formula Xtreme Championship. This year Spies had a record-setting season in Superbike riding for Yoshimura Suzuki. In 19 rounds Spies won a series leading 10 races and only finished off the podium twice. He also won a best-in-series seven poles at the 11 racing venues. Spies also tied the mark of six consecutive AMA Superbike wins established by Miguel Duhamel in 1995. “It was an awesome season,” Spies allowed. “The bike was great and my team worked awesome together. Next year I know what to expect and I plan on coming back more ready than I’ve ever been.” Spies hopes to follow in the footsteps of teammate Mat Mladin, who was the last road racer to win the Athlete of the Year Award. Mladin took the honor in 2000. The 2006 AMA Pro Racing SPEED Athlete of the Year will be named at the 32nd annual AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet on Sunday evening, Nov. 19 at Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Spies is the third nominee announced for 2006 and joins Josh Hayes and Ricky Carmichael. The remaining nominees will be announced over the next few days. About the AMA Pro Racing SPEED Athlete of the Year Award The AMA Pro Racing SPEED Athlete of the Year Award is the highest honor an AMA competitor can receive. Past recipients include such legendary racers as Bob Hannah, Scott Parker and Kenny Roberts, among others. The award goes to the rider judged to have had the most successful racing year. The rider’s career achievements can also be considered if the season complements a remarkable career. A selection panel made up of AMA and AMA Pro Racing staff, field staff and volunteer leadership is named by the AMA CEO and that panel evaluates nominations and determines the final winner.

Tigert Takes Formula Pacific Win In AFM Season Finale At Buttonwillow

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Tigert Takes Formula Pacific Win In AFM Season Finale At Buttonwillow

The final round of the 2006 AFM championship was held on the backwards Buttonwillow configuration, which many riders jokingly referred to as “Wolliwnuttob”. Opinions on the layout were mixed, as some riders preferred the flow of the backwards course, while others disliked the lack of passing areas. For safety reason, AFM officials chose to bypass the Lost Hills section of track, resulting in extremely high entry speeds into the Riverside, the fast banked turn in the far south-western corner of the track. No bikes entered Riverside faster than the leaders of the EMA / PVM Wheels Formula Pacific class, where Michael Earnest of Pacific Tracktime stormed off the line into an early lead, placing a solid 10 bike length gap on the field early on. As the race went on, Earnest slipped back, while Honda R&D rider Jeff Tigert methodically charged through the field on his Dunlop-shod CBR1000RR. Despite missing Saturday practice, Tigert came up to speed quickly in the morning practice sessions by running two bikes, eventually making his way by Corey Sarros at the halfway point to take the lead. Thanks to an Ethel Performance motor, competitors were awestruck by the speed of Tigert’s Honda, which was lofting the front wheel at over 160 mph at the end of the long drag strip. Sarros did his best to hang onto the fast Honda and keep the former number one plate holder honest, but it wasn’t enough as Tigert went on to win the final race of the 2006 AFM season by a three-second margin. Sarros crossed the line in second for his first ever Formula Pacific podium finish, with David Bell third. “Mike had a decent gap, and Siglin was going like crazy!” said Tigert after the race. “I was waiting for sparks to fly when he flew into that first turn. He made a bad mistake in the Mazda turn that let me by, and it took a little while to get by Corey. At one point, I had a tankslapper going into Riverside which took away my brakes I think I saw my life flash before my eyes! John Ethel who has built motors for the American Honda Racing Team built me an unbelievable motor. With the exception of the motor and the 16.5 inch wheels, the rest of the bike is stock. Stock revalved forks by Aftershocks, and nothing fancy. Even with all that power, the stock Honda chassis parts work really well. It was a good way to end the year!” While Tigert finished the day with wins in the GP Frame and Wheel Open Superbike and Take it 2 the Track Open Production classes, the biggest winner of the day was James Randolph, who claimed the 2006 Formula Pacific championship, hanging on to finish the race despite a broken header on his Pirelli-shod Cycle Pro Suzuki GSX-R1000. “It was a drama filled day,” said Randolph. “First, my cush drive broke in practice. Then my number three header broke in Formula Pacific. I thought the bike dropped a valve, but the motor was strong and finished the race. Zenzo of Cycle Pro who broke his collar bone this weekend has been my best friend. He’s the one who made this happen. Josh at Tiger Shark Racing, David Worthington, and my dad all played huge parts this year as well. Championships don’t come that often when you’re 36 years old you really appreciate them when you get them.” Bobby Fong and Eric Gulbransen both had pairs of strong performances on the weekend. Riding his Michelin-shod Net Moto Racing Yamaha R6, Fong dominated the Keigwins@theTrack 600 Production race and the Pacific Tracktime 600 Superbike race. After nursing his overheating Ducati 749 to a 4th place finish in 600 Superbike, Gulbransen came back with a pair of wins on his Moto Italiano Ducati 999R in the Desmoto Sport Open Twins race and the Scuderia West Formula 1 race. “Formula 1 we were really worried about Combs was passing me two weeks ago here like we were painted onto the pavement!” said Gulbransen. “It’s all about the holeshot here. We went good off the line every lap, every turn, we thought we heard him. But when we turned around, he wasn’t there! The guys at Moto Italiano deserve all the credit; they did a great job this year.” In 750 Superbike, Peter O’Sullivan was able to pass Robert Campbell in Riverside late in the race to take the lead, shortly before going on to take his first ever AFM victory. Campbell who wrapped up the 2006 AFM season by taking three different championships finished second, with David Bell in third. “I’m over the moon right now!” said O’Sullivan after the race. “I’ve been working hard all season Robert, Garry Combs, and Dan Sewell have all been going really well. I got Campbell on the inside of Riverside, and just never looked back. It feels great to end the year with a win!” In 650 Twins, Jay Avansino also took his first ever AFM victory on his Twin Works Factory Suzuki SV650, successfully holding off a last lap charge by his teammate Kurt Spencer. Spencer crossed the line in second, with Jeff Hagan in third. “I got a really good start, and heard all my teammates behind me,” said Avansino, “I thought they were gonna let the new guy have it! I knew Kurt was there the whole time I heard him, I saw him, but he never made the pass happen.” Hagan a former podium finisher in Formula Pacific came back later in the day to take the win in the Zoom Zoom Trackdays Formula 4 race. Early in the race, Spencer was holding down the lead on his Twin Works Factory SV650, when Hagan made a move on the brakes into Sunset at the end of the front straight. On the exit of the turn, Hagan came together with Spencer, breaking off Spencer’s shift lever. Using only 5th and 6th gear, Spencer limped home to take his second runner-up finish of the day, with Tom Dorsey taking third in the final race of his club racing career. “My goal since I came back was just to have a good time,” said Hagan. “I’m really happy with this win! I came from the 4th row, sliced and diced, then next thing you know, I was catching Kurt. I got by at the end of the straight, and held on for the win!” Mike Lohmeyer found himself with a new challenge in the form of an old rival, as Phil Douglas of Aftershocks Suspension dragged his CBR400RR out of storage to lead the first few laps of the 450 Superbike race. Lohmeyer, riding his VFR400, eventually made his way past Douglas to take the win, with Douglas finishing second and Craig Sanders third. “I was happy to see Phil out there,” said Lohmeyer, “he’s a good rider, who rode the class with us a few years back. But he’s on an underpowered bike, so he had to pull everything out to get up there. He blew the Bus Stop pretty hard but managed to get the pass, and ran up front for a little bit. Admittedly, this is a horsepower track so I got Craig back, then got Phil. I kept waiting for him to try something, but he never did!” Earlier in the day, Sanders was challenged by the FZR400 of Willow Springs racer Eric Angel in the 450 Production class, after Mark Elrod crashed out just past the halfway point, which also forced Greg Becker off-track. Despite a number of smart passes of lapped riders in different locations on the track, Angel was unable to hold onto the lead as Sanders came back on his Patrick Ho Performance Concepts ZXR400 with a draft pass on the last lap to retake the lead and the eventual win. Angel crossed the line in second, with Becker third. “That really surprised me when Eric came by on the outside in Riverside!” said Sanders. “Then he threw lappers at me in every corner, timing each one perfectly. I drafted him on the drag strip on the last lap, and stuck Gary Jaehne on his 250 between is going into Riverside I knew he wouldn’t be able to get back by me after that. Funny thing is, Eric’s on my old racebike from my novice year of racing. Before the race, I told myself I was going to win today, but he made me work for it! I couldn’t be happier.” The Aftershocks Suspension 250 Production championship came down to the wire at Buttonwillow, with David Crone leading newcomer Michael Corbino by 13 points heading into the final round. Crone’s race came to an early end in a first turn incident which took him out of the race, leaving the championship in the hands of Michael Corbino. The youngster’s luck didn’t last long, as the motor on his EX250 broke early in the race, giving Crone the class championship. With both championship contenders out, Gary Jaehne made a surprise appearance in the class and took the win, with Susan Urquhart finishing second. Unofficial Results AFM Round 8 October 23, 2006 Buttonwillow Raceway (backwards configuration) European Motorcycle Accessories / PVM Wheels Formula Pacific 1. Jeffrey Tigert (Hon 1000) 2. Corey Sarros (Suz 1000) 3. David Bell (Suz 1000) 4. Michael Earnest (Suz 1000) 5. Chris Siglin (Suz 1000) 6. Ken Hill (Hon 1000) GP Frame and Wheel Open Superbike 1. Jeffrey Tigert (Hon 1000) 2. David Bell (Suz 1000) 3. Corey Sarros (Suz 1000) 4. James Randolph (Suz 1000) 5. Rob Mesa (Suz 1000) 6. James J. King (Suz 1000) 750 Superbike 1. Peter O’Sullivan (Suz 750) 2. Robert Campbell (Suz 750) 3. David Bell (Suz 750) 4. Berto Wooldridge (Suz 750) 5. Dan Sewell (Suz 750) 6. Kim Nakashima (Suz 750) Pacific Tracktime 600 Superbike 1. Bobby Fong (Yam 600) 2. Grant Riggs (Suz 600) 3. Ken Hill (Hon 600) 4. Eric Gulbransen (Duc 749) 5. David Glenn (Suz 600) 6. Ryan Texeira (Kaw 600) 450 Superbike 1. Michael Lohmeyer (Hon 400) 2. Phil Douglas (Hon 400) 3. Craig Sanders (Kaw 400) 4. Eric Angel (Yam 400) 5. Greg Becker (Hon 400) 6. David Wallis (Hon 400) Kilowatt 250 Superbike 1. Andrew Duafala (Yam 250) 2. Richard Barnett (Apr 250) 3. Joe Rust (Yam 250) 4. Herb Abell (Apr 250) Take it 2 the Track Open Production 1. Jeffrey Tigert (Hon 1000) 2. Martin Szwarc (Suz 1000) 3. Andy Carman (Suz 1000) 4. James J. King (Suz 1000) 5. Mike Thompson (Yam 1000) 6. Tad Koklich (Suz 1000) Suzuki of Oakland 750 Production 1. Garry Combs (Suz 750) 2. Robert Campbell (Suz 750) 3. Berto Wooldridge (Suz 750) 4. Dan Sewell (Suz 750) 5. Martin Ayala (Duc 999) 6. Kim Nakashima (Suz 750) Keigwins@theTrack 600 Production 1. Bobby Fong (Yam 600) 2. Rick Corey (Yam 600) 3. Ken Hill (Hon 600) 4. Matt Eccleston (Yam 600) 5. David Glenn (Suz 600) 6. Ryan Texeira (Kaw 600) 450 Production 1. Craig Sanders (Kaw 400) 2. Eric Angel (Yam 400) 3. Greg Becker (Hon 400) 4. Zane Halvorsen (KTM 450) 5. David Wallis (Hon 400) 6. Scotty Storey (Hon 400) Aftershocks 250 Production 1. Gary Jaehne (Kaw 250) 2. Susan Urquhart (Kaw 250) 3. Adam Klinger (Hon 250) 4. Liza Mazurkiewicz (Kaw 250) 5. Andrew Boehm (Kaw 250) 6. Michael Corbino (Kaw 250) PowerStands Open Grand Prix 1. Corey Sarros (Suz 1000) 2. David Bell (Suz 1000) 3. Robert Mesa (Suz 1000) 4. Martin Szwarc (Suz 1000) 5. John Turmell (Suz 1000) 6. Mike Thompson (Yam 1000) Scuderia West Formula 1 1. Eric Gulbransen (Duc 999) 2. Garry Combs (Suz 750) 3. David Bell (Suz 750) 4. Peter O’Sullivan (Suz 750) 5. Robert Campbell (Suz 750) 6. Dan Sewell (Suz 750) Mazda Technologies Formula 2 1. Jeffry Hanford (Hon 250) 2. Phillip Torres (Yam 250) 3. Dan Cook (Yam 250) 4. Richard Denman (Hon 250) 5. Jay Pilster (Hon 125) 6. Ryan Corey (Hon 250) Formula 3 1. Jay Pilster (Hon 125) 2. James Eckerman (Hon 125) 3. Marcus Henderson (Yam 125) 4. Elaine Ou (Hon 125) Zoom Zoom Trackdays Formula 4 1. Jeff Hagan (Suz 650) 2. Kurt Spencer (Suz 650) 3. Thomas Dorsey (Suz 650) 4. David Civiello (Suz 650) 5. Jaya Avansino (Suz 650) 6. Aaron Tulchinsky (Suz 650) Desmoto Sport Open Twins 1. Eric Gulbransen (Duc 999) 2. Bud Anderson (Hon 1000) 3. Matthew Green (Duc 999) 4. Martin Ayala (Duc 999) 5. Scott Schwanbeck (Apr 1000) 6. Eddy Gonzales Jr. (Duc 999) 650 Twins 1. Jay Avansino (Suz 650) 2. Kurt Spencer (Suz 650) 3. Jeff Hagan (Suz 650) 4. David Civiello (Suz 650) 5. David Raff (Suz 650) 6. Thomas Dorsey (Suz 650) 500 Twins 1. Kevin Smith (Gib 500) 2. Joe Sickle (Suz 500) 3. Jonathan Forman (Suz 500) 4. Leonard Barker Jr (Kaw 500) 5. Patrick Aldinger (Kaw 500) 6. Gary Jaehne (Kaw 250) Formula Singles 1. Gerry Piazza (Yam 660) 2. Chris Keane (Hon 450) 3. Zane Halvorsen (KTM 450) 4. Billy Ray (Hon 450) 5. Christopher Stone (KTM 609) Super Dinosaur 1. Neil O’Reilly (Suz 750) 2. Jason McBreen (Suz 750) 3. Andrew Boehm (Suz 750 4. Charles Leca (Yam 600) 5. Paul Kieffer (Suz 750) Teresa McKinney Realtor Formula 40 1. Mike Thompson (Yam 1000) 2. John Turmell (Suz 1000) 3. Bud Anderson (Hon 1000) 4. Shawn Reilly (Suz 1000) 5. Rick McDaniel (Suz 1000) 6. Thomas Bolles (Suz 1000) Clubman Heavyweight 1. Ryan Gorman (Suz 750) 2. Justin Mastalka (Hon 1000) 3. Jeff Smith (Suz 1000) 4. Skip Brown (Suz 1000) 5. Chad Covington (Hon 1000) 6. Scott Williams (Hon 1000) Clubman Middleweight 1. Scott Tillery (Suz 600) 2. Freddi Guerrero (Kaw 636) 3. Andy Allen (Yam 600) 4. Tim Schultz (Yam 600) 5. Jason McBreen (Hon 600) 6. Chris Armantrout (Yam 600) Clubman Lightweight 1. Kevin Heiss (Suz 650) 2. Donald Babb (Duc 800) 3. Bryan Heistand (Suz 650) 4. David Sapsis (Suz 650) 5. Scott Reavey (Suz 650) 6. Braden Riley (Suz 650)

Barros To Ride Ducati Desmosedici GP7 With Pramac D’Antin For 2007 MotoGP Season

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Barros To Ride Ducati Desmosedici GP7 With Pramac D’Antin For 2007 MotoGP Season

The Team PRAMAC D’ANTIN MOTOGP has reached an agreement with ALEX BARROS to take part in the 2007 MotoGP World Championship. Next season, when the 800cc bikes will take the place of the 990cc powered machines in the premier-class, the fast Brazilian rider will have at his disposal the new DUCATI DESMOSEDICI GP7 that already showed to have a good potential during the first tests. ALEX BARROS: “I’m very happy to come back and race in the premier-class with the Team PRAMAC D’ANTIN MOTOGP. The new DUCATI DESMOSEDICI GP7 800cc already seems a very good project. I’m really confident, I know the Team and I’m sure that we will make a good job together. I can’t wait to be back to compete for the first positions with a MotoGP bike”. LUIS D’ANTIN (Team Manager): “We’re very happy to welcome in our Team a rider with such a big valour as ALEX BARROS. His arrival makes us really confident for the next season. BARROS is a rider that has a big experience and I’m sure that he will give us a lot of good performances. The objective of the PRAMAC D’ANTIN MOTOGP will be to compete at high level during the whole season, constantly aiming for the podium”. PAOLO CAMPINOTI (CEO PRAMAC Group): “I’m enthusiastic to go on with the adventure in the MotoGP premier-class with a winning rider as ALEX BARROS. His experience will allow our team to reach the results that we deserve. The PRAMAC Group believes a lot in the racing project and will keep on following it with the biggest commitment. For the 2007 season we will soon announce important news”.

WMRC Banquet To Be Held On November 4 In New Westminster, BC, Canada

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WMRC Banquet To Be Held On November 4 In New Westminster, BC, Canada

We will be holding our year-end banquet on Saturday November 4th at the Queensborough Community Center in New Westminster, located at 920 Ewen Ave, New Westminster. PLEASE NOTE THAT TICKETS WILL ONLY BE ON SALE UNTIL OCTOBER 30TH AND WILL NOT BE SOLD AT THE DOOR The caterer requires a head count one week prior and the hall does not allow ticket sales at the door, this is why we have to, unfortunately, cut off ticket sales in advance. Cost: $35.00 includes one drink and a full buffet dinner Cocktails: 6pm Dinner served at 7pm General fun and debauchery to follow. Tickets will be available Friday, October 6th at the following locations: -Mspeed Performance: 1570 Boundary Road, Burnaby 604-294-3354 -Carter Coquitlam (in the service department only, please see Troy): #11 – 1300 Woolridge Street, Coquitlam 604-519-0000 -Simon’s Automotive: 101-5763 198 Street, Langley 604-533-1162 You can also paypal your tickets and I can then leave them at the door, however you will need to note in the paypal comments that you are paying for tickets and note who you are, and then I ask that you email me for tickets to be put aside. The paypal account name is: Westwood Motorcycle Racing Club PLEASE NOTE THAT TICKETS WILL ONLY BE ON SALE UNTIL OCTOBER 30TH AND WILL NOT BE SOLD AT THE DOOR Regular volunteers are free but you do require a ticket. All class and club sponsors tickets are also free. Questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. I hope to see everyone there! Andrea Murphy WMRC Promotions Director 604-309-5932 www.wmrc.ca

Louisiana Ride For Kids® Raises $35,000 For Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation

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Louisiana Ride For Kids® Raises $35,000 For Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation

Motorcyclists and fundraisers in south Louisiana gave generously yesterday to the search for the cause and cure of childhood brain tumors. Together they contributed $35,685 at the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation’s fourth annual Louisiana Ride for Kids®. Cool, breezy weather welcomed the 200 ride participants who gathered at SLEMCO headquarters in Lafayette. Music filled the air as they lined up their bikes and greeted each other before the police-escorted ride through the scenic bayous of local parishes. The day grew warmer as the Celebration of Life program began under a big-top tent. There the ride participants heard from the stars of the day, local brain tumor survivors Cameron, 10, Darla, 18, and Brook, 20. Darla brought the crowd to its feet after singing “Hello Lord,” a song that she composed during one of her many hospital stays. The medical community was represented by Dr. Maria Velez, associate professor of pediatrics at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Thousands of children are diagnosed with brain tumors each year, she said, and “your fundraising is the key to their future.” The top individual fundraisers were Anita and Charlie Porche of Mandeville, who brought $5,405. The top chapter/club was GWRRA Chapter B of Lafayette with $9,309, while the customers of South Side Honda of Lafayette contributed $11,982 to make it the top motorcycle business. Wayne Brewer of Ticktaw, La., won the grand prize, a brand-new Honda motorcycle. Special thanks went to the Louisiana event’s task force leaders, Nancy and Bullet McGee and Mary Ann and Dewey Burke, visitation leaders Anita and Charlie Porche, the hardworking task force members, and event volunteers, for organizing an outstanding event. About the PBTF Ride for Kids® Since 1984, the national Ride for Kids® program and PBTF have promoted childhood brain tumor research and provided family support through free literature about brain tumors, educational newsletters, online conferences and college scholarships. With the help of America’s motorcyclists and motorcycle dealers, PBTF has become the world’s largest non-governmental source of funding for childhood brain tumor research. The next PBTF Ride for Kids® event is Sunday, Nov. 5 in Sarasota, Fla. For more information, go to www.rideforkids.org or call 800-253-6530.

Michelin Wins Either Way At Valencia

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Michelin Wins Either Way At Valencia

2006 MotoGP World Championship, round 17 Valencia Grand Prix, Valencia October 27/28/29 MICHELIN DUO SET FOR FINAL SHOWDOWN Michelin men Valentino Rossi (Camel Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) and Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin) go into the season-ending Valencia GP fighting for the last MotoGP World Championship of the 990cc era. This is the first time in 14 years that the premier-class title has gone down to the wire. The pair are separated by just eight points, Rossi ahead for the first time all season following the recent Portuguese GP, during which Hayden was the innocent victim of a mid-race collision. Last year at Valencia Hayden beat Rossi, but if the American is to wrest the MotoGP crown from the Italian, so far undefeated in the MotoGP series, he will need other riders in the mix on Sunday. Only one thing is certain – that the scene is set for a classic confrontation. Tire choice will, of course, be crucial to the outcome of Sunday’s race and therefore the World Championship. For example, Rossi and Hayden use different Michelin front tires, which offer contrasting advantages that will add an extra dimension of interest to their duel. Michelin has dominated all five years of the 990cc MotoGP era, taking all five world titles and winning 74 of the 81 races so far. Michelin has also won all seven premier-class races since the track hosted its first GP in 1999. MICHELIN’S RESPONSE TO THE CHALLENGE OF VALENCIA “It is obviously going to be an interesting and exciting weekend for everyone!” says Nicolas Goubert, Michelin’s director of motorcycle racing. “Nicky has been strong at Valencia since the beginning. He scored his first front row start there in 2003 and he finished just a fraction of a second behind Marco (Melandri, Fortuna Honda RC211V-Michelin) last year. Coming from the US he’s used to tracks with a lot of slow corners and he is also used to turning left from his dirt track days. On the other hand, Valentino says he’s not a great fan of the track, though everyone knows he will still be very strong. He got third at Valencia last year, even though he started from the fifth row of the grid. “The championship situation doesn’t change anything for us, we will do our job to the best of our ability as we always do. As usual we will make sure each rider gets the best tires, although that doesn’t mean they will all use the same tires because different riders choose different tires according to their riding styles and the requirements of their machines. “Nicky uses our wider profile front while Valentino has always preferred our narrow profile front. I think the performance of these tires will be similar at Valencia even though they should offer different advantages in different parts of the track. The narrow profile is slightly lighter through direction changes, while the wider profile gives a bit more grip into corners, especially downhill turns like the final left-hander, which could be useful if the race for the title goes down to the last corner or the last lap! “Valencia has always been quite a tough track. The layout is very asymmetric, the ground temperature can be very cool and there are some long corners, especially the last fast left which tightens into a very slow turn. This kind of corner prevents us with a very different challenge to the last fast left at Phillip Island, which opens up rather than tightens up. They thus require different tire characteristics. At Phillip Island the priority is traction for hard acceleration, at Valencia riders need maximum edge grip to get them through the tight final turn as fast as possible. Our 2006 rear, which delivers a bigger footprint for extra edge grip, should improve performance at Valencia, especially through that last corner. “But the biggest challenge at Valencia is finding the best combination of compounds for the left and right sides of the rear tire. You need good warm-up on the right, because there are only five right-handers and because the track temperature could be as low as 15 degrees if the weather is cool. On the left you need a much stronger compound to cope with the heat generated through the nine left-handers, especially that long, fast left at the end of the lap.” MICHELIN IN SPAIN Spain plays a vital role in Michelin’s motorcycling successes. Around 9000 people work for Michelin in the country, and the company’s massive Lasarte factory produces the bulk of Michelin’s global motorcycle tire output, around 1.5 million tires per annum, though MotoGP tires are still made at the company’s Clermont-Ferrand base in France. VALENCIA DATA Lap record: Marco Melandri (Telefonica Movistar Honda), 1:33.043, 154.961kp/h, 96.288mph, Pole position 2005: Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda), 1:31.874 Recent winners at Valencia 2005 Marco Melandri (Telefonica Movistar Honda), 46:58.152 2004 Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha YZR-M1-Michelin), 47:16.145 2003 Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda RC211V-Michelin), 47:13.078 2002 Alex Barros (West Honda Pons RC211V-Michelin), 47:22.404 2001 Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Suzuki RGV500-Michelin), 54:39.391 (damp race) 2000 Garry McCoy (Red Bull Yamaha WCM YZR500-Michelin), 48:27.799 1999 Regis Laconi (Red Bull Yamaha WCM YZR500-Michelin), 53:23.825 (damp race) MICHELIN MotoGP RIDERS 2006 Nicky Hayden, Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin) Toni Elias, Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda RC211V-Michelin) Casey Stoner (Honda LCR RC211V-Michelin) Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V-Michelin) Kenny Roberts Jr (Team Roberts KR211V-Michelin) Colin Edwards, Valentino Rossi (Camel Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) Garry McCoy (Ilmor SRT X3-Michelin)

Updated: More From Daytona

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Updated: More From Daytona

SPEEDWAY CELEBRATES ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL FALL CYCLE SCENE Thousands of bikers take part in “must do” activities at DIS DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Highlighted by an inaugural 8-hour endurance race more than 100 displays and vendors on site, thousands of bikers enjoyed the sites and sounds of Fall Cycle Scene at historic Daytona International Speedway over the weekend. “What a memorable weekend for racing fans and bikers who visited Daytona International Speedway last week,” said Speedway President Robin Braig. “From taking a spin around the 31-degree high banks of ‘The World Center of Racing’ in the Monster Dash to hob knobbing with master bike builders like legendary Eddie Trotta, to witnessing the historic inaugural SunTrust MOTO-ST Series race, there was something to do for everyone that stepped on the historic grounds of DIS last week.” DIS welcomed thousands of bikers from around the world, treating them to several “must do” activities at the “World Center of Racing.” In addition to the CCS and ASRA sprint races, DIS hosted the inaugural SunTrust 8 Hours at Daytona MOTO-ST Series race. The San Jose BMW team of Brian Parriott of Calistoga, Calif., Belgian Stephane Mertens and Nate Kern of Cherry Hill, N.J. held on to take a 14.856-second victory on their No. 46 BMW R1200 over the No. 18 M4 EMGO Suzuki SV1000S of Michael Barnes of Boca Raton, Fla., Geoff May of Gainesville, Ga. and Chris Ulrich of Lake Elsinore, Calif. In addition to claiming the overall win the BMW team took the Buell Motorcycle Company SuperSport Twins (SST) class. They took the endurance motorcycle series’ inaugural event on Saturday, a race which offered $100,000 in purse and lap money. Prior to the event, every rider participated in an autograph session to the delight fans that waited in line to get the autograph of their favorite rider. Friday’s highlight included what one rider called “the No. 1 thing I had to do when I got here to Daytona.” Led by a police escort and the Daytona 500 Grand Marshal Vehicle, more than 100 riders took part in the DIS Monster Dash a parade lap around Daytona International Speedway followed by a party that included the band “Taboo” in the NEXTEL FANZONE and the Budweiser Bistro. Proceeds from the Monster Dash went to the Halifax Medical Center Women’s and Children’s Program. Inside, bikers were invited through the historic Twin Tunnels and treated to International Master Bike Builder Row, a new display added to the 2006 Fall Cycle Scene activities list. Legendary builders from the International Master Bike Builders Association including Eddie Trotta, Indian Larry’s Legend Cycles, Matt Hotch and Dave Perewitz showed off custom choppers. Outside, motorcycle enthusiasts had their choice of free manufacturer demo rides from Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Buell, Yamaha, BMW, Vespa, Harley-Davidson, Victory, Boss Hoss and Bourget Bike Works. Thousands of bikers also perused the Daytona Motorcycle Marketplace where the nation’s top aftermarket parts, accessories and apparel companies proudly displayed their wares. Bikers also caught up with old friends at the Budweiser Cool Your Pipes Zone, located just outside the Speedway’s twin tunnels and a stones throw from the area’s largest vendor, display and demo ride marketplace. More, from a press release issued by Buell Motorcycles: BILANSKY RIDES BUELL TO ASRA THUNDERBIKE CROWN AT DAYTONA Estok and Bemisderfer Falter in Final Race of the Season DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Hal’s H-D/Buell-Hal’s Speed Shop rider Dan Bilansky executed a perfect last-lap pass to win the American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA) Thunderbike National Championship at the 23rd Annual Daytona Race of Champions at Daytona International Speedway. Bilansky, riding a Buell Firebolt XB12R, passed BMW rider Nate Kern to win the Thunderbike National race by about one bike length to claim the season championship by a single point. It was the third ASRA Thunderbike win of the season for Bilansky. Bilansky, from Waukesha, Wis., arrived at Daytona for the eighth and final round of the ASRA Thunderbike season in third place, trailing Veatch Motorsports rider Dave Estok by 27 points and H-D/Buell of Frederick rider Bryan Bemisderfer by 16 points. To win the championship, 28-year-old Bilansky would need to win the Daytona race and have Estok and Bemisderfer fail to finish, a turn of events that seemed unlikely. Qualifying for the Thunderbike National was cancelled due to scheduling problems on Saturday, which put points-leader Estok on the pole. At the start of the 10-lap national, Bilansky and Kern pulled away together, with Kern officially leading the first lap. Bilansky passed for the lead on lap two, but Kern passed the Buell rider back on lap three. Bemisderfer and Estok were not far behind, but both suddenly dropped out on lap four, Estok with a mechanical problem and Bemisderfer with a dead battery. Bilansky rode the last six laps of the race glued to Kern’s tail and in position to attempt a drafting pass on the long final straight leading to the finish. He timed the pass perfectly and beat Kern to the line for the win. Kern was later disqualified for failing to report directly to tech inspection following the race. Bimota rider Chris Boy officially finished second, followed by Ducati rider Tommy Eckfeldt in third. Appleton Buell/Hoban Brothers Racing rider Jeff Johnson was fourth on a Buell Firebolt, followed by Buell riders Joe Rozynski (Sound Waves/Hal’s Speed Shop) and Andrew Hamblin (Custom World.com/Hal’s Speed Shop), and Ducati rider Rhiannon Lucente in seventh position. Buell riders Sam Rozynski (Sound Waves/Hal’s Speed Shop), Tim Hall (Jim’s H-D/Buell) and Anthony Caligiuri (Liberty H-D/Buell) rounded out the top ten. Bilansky ends the season with 199 Thunderbike points, one point ahead of Estok and 11 points ahead of Bemisderfer. Sam Rozynski is fourth with 159 points, followed by Kern with 134 points. The ASRA Thunderbike title is the first national championship for the 28-year-old Bilansky, who finished second in Thunderbike points in 2005. “Because of the points situation, we really didn’t come to Daytona trying to make anything happen,” said Bilansky. “During the race I didn’t realize that Estok and Bemisderfer were out, and I didn’t know I needed to win to take the championship. My Buell was performing flawlessly today, and I was just going for one more win to end the season.” While he won three races in 2006 and finished on the podium at two others, Bilansky also failed to finish three Thunderbike events, including two in a row in the middle of the season. “That was a discouraging stretch, but our problems were really just racer’s bad luck,” said Bilansky. “We bounced back and won the last two races of the year. But I might not have made it to Daytona without some generous last-minute financial support from my family, friends and some local businesses. My dad even drove my truck down here for me.” Bilansky also won the five-lap CCS Expert Thunderbike National Championship on Friday at Daytona in a battle of CCS regional winners. Buell Team on MOTO-ST Podium On Oct. 21 at Daytona International Speedway, James Gang Racing (Paul James, John Fox and Greg Avello), sponsored by Hal’s Speed Shop/Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Buell/Kegel Motorcycle Co., raced a Buell XB12R Firebolt to a second-place finish (182 laps, 21st place overall) in the Grand Sports Twins (GST) class during the inaugural SunTrust MOTO-ST Series 8 Hours At Daytona endurance event. The class was won by Team Ducati Toronto (Pat Barnes, Robert Trottier and Matt McBride) aboard a Ducati (207 laps, 14th overall). Buell is the presenting sponsor of the MOTO-ST SuperSport Twins (SST) class and offered $10,000 of contingency support to privateer Buell racers aboard XB and XBRR model motorcycles at the inaugural Daytona event. To learn more about Buell motorcycles, visit your local Buell dealer today and experience the pure streetfighter attitude, style and performance only found on board a Buell. For the Buell dealer nearest you, pull into www.buell.com.

Nicky Can Expect No Help From These Honda Riders At Valencia

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Nicky Can Expect No Help From These Honda Riders At Valencia

HOPING FOR A REPEAT AT VALENCIA A party within a party. Toni Elias has more than one reason to look forward to the final round of the MotoGP World Championship as it heads to his home country for the Valencian GP this weekend. Just a few days after his emotional debut win in Portugal the Spaniard renewed his contract with Team Honda Gresini, meaning he will campaign the new Honda V4 800cc machine alongside his current team-mate Marco Melandri in 2007. Buoyed by the confidence of that first win at Estoril and the belief and support shown in him by Team Gresini, Elias is aiming for a repeat result in front of his home fans at Valencia. That stunning victory represented a huge turnaround in fortunes for the Fortuna Honda star in his second season of MotoGP action. “I have always believed in my own ability but now I know for sure that I can do it and I want to win again,” promises Toni. Marco Melandri is also keen to end the season with a top result. The Italian is ready to work hard from the opening free practice session on Friday as he aims to put himself in a position to repeat his success here from last season, when he clinched victory and the runner-up spot in the championship. This time he is fighting to defend his current standing of third place overall. THE TRACK. Designed as a huge stadium complex, where spectators get to view the whole circuit, Valencia is always packed out with passionate fans, creating an unbelievable atmosphere. Crowd figures regularly break records and this year promises to be no different, with all 225,000 tickets for the three days already sold out. Valencia looks certain to be the most exciting event of an incredible season: it is all set up for an intriguing shootout between Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi as they fight for the destiny of the world title. MARCO MELANDRI: “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. We will work hard to solve the problems we encountered at Estoril. 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.” TONI ELIAS: “The victory at Estoril was a wonderful surprise 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. In Portugal I just tried to have a good race – I never overstepped my limits – but when I saw the chance was there to go for the win I wasn’t going to let it slip. I feel really satisfied and now things have changed; now I know I can do it and be up front so I’m determined to do it again. Hopefully it can happen as soon as possible. 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. Hopefully we can work well all weekend and provide the encore. To have signed a contract for next year with Fausto Gresini gives me an extra boost. My priority was to continue working with Honda as part of Gresini’s team with my current chief mechanic Fabrizio Cecchini. Now that is in place I think I have the fundamental elements to continue growing and improving. Now I’m already looking forward and I can’t wait to start preparing for 2007. I’ll have an 800cc Honda and I can’t wait to ride it. There is no reason why we can’t have a really successful winter and prepare well for the new season.” THE OTHER TITLE: THE TEAMS’ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP The Honda Team led by Fausto Gresini has once again proved to be one of the standard-bearers in MotoGP, standing out as the only private team to successfully tackle the official representatives. Third in the championship on 323 points, Team Fortuna Honda has been bettered only by the major factory outfits – Repsol Honda, who have already won the series on 438 points, and Camel Yamaha. With four wins (3 for Marco Melandri and 1 for Toni Elias) and eight podiums in total, the squad run by the former double 125cc World Champion has taken the same amount of victories as the official HRC team and has one more than Ducati Marlboro, who are fourth overall. The constantly improving Team Honda Gresini has doubled its number of victories from 2005 to continue a run of success that has seen them twice finish with the runner-up spot and once with the third placed rider in the final standings over the past four years. TEAM HONDA GRESINI IN NUMBERS (up to Portugal 2006) 10 seasons in the World Championship (since 1997 with Barros on a Honda 500 NSR) 1 title – the 250cc World Championship in 2001 with Daijiro Kato 175 Grand Prix races contested 32 World Championship victories – 14 in MotoGP (8 with Sete Gibernau, 5 with Marco Melandri and 1 with Toni Elias) and 18 in 250cc (15 with Daijiro Kato and 3 with Loris Capirossi) 87 podium finishes (32 wins, 32 second places and 23 thirds) 3,027 points scored – 1,762 in the premier-class and 1,265 in 250 23 pole positions – 12 in MotoGP (11 with Sete Gibernau and 1 with Daijiro Kato ) and 11 in 250 (9 with Kato, 2 with Loris Capirossi) VALENCIA – THE TRACK Constructed: 1999 Latest modification: 1999 Length: 4,005m Width: 12m Pole position: Right Right corners: 5 Left corners: 9 Longest straight: 876m TRACK RECORDS: Circuit record: 2005 Melandri (Honda) 1’33″043 Pole position: 2005 Gibernau (Honda) 1’31″874 Race 2005: 1st Melandri (Honda) 2nd Hayden (Honda) 3rd Rossi (Yamaha)

Interviews And Footage Of USGPRU Finale Available At OnTheThrottle.tv

Shock Media Productions would like to officially announce the launch of the their television style, video based website, www.OnTheThrottle.tv with coverage of the USGPRU finale from Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. The weather, circuit, and series combined to provide some of the best racing of the year at the new MMP complex. OnTheThrottle also has interviews and coverage from the ’06 AMA Championship Finale at Mid Ohio and the round at Miller Motorsports Park. As the winter deepens OnTheThrottle will continue posting several webisodes a week from our coverage of these and other events. Viewers will find webisodes on a variety of topics from tires, suspension, track and school profiles to detailed interviews with America’s top racers. Plans for 2007 include coverage from all rounds of the AMA Superbike Championship, coverage from selected regional club racing championships, track profiles of some of the country’s best circuits, and wrenching tips and techniques from the industy’s best tuners. For marketing opportunities with OnTheThrottle simply click on the telephone located in our virtual garage at www.OnTheThrottle.tv and choose a contact option from the list included there. Our goal is to provide the most informative and entertaining video coverage possible of the sportbike industry. Feedback is welcomed.

More From Last Weekend’s Races

DUCSHOP’S GRAND SEASON FINALE Ducshop Performance Center’s Mike Smith won both the Battle of the Twins Formula One and Sound of Thunder races at AHRMA’s final round at Barber Motorsports Park on Saturday. Racing the air cooled two-valve NCR Millona, Smith, who was still recovering from a virus that forced him to sit out the previous week’s WERA Grand National Finals, easily won against more powerful 749Rs and a Daytona 675. Sponsored rider Garrett Rick won the CCS Amateur Supertwins race at Daytona on his Ducshop prepped Ducati 749R. While Ducshop technician Zach Southard proudly helped the BMW Atlanta team to a historic victory in the Moto-ST 8-hour endurance race. This was the icing on the cake after Brian Stokes’ national Heavyweight Twins SB championship win on Ducshop’s Aprilia RSV Mille the previous weekend at the GNF, with Ducshop sponsored Dennys Passeto in third and a win for novice rider Tom Esposito. Ducshop also prepped the winning 1000SS and supplied the pit crew for WERA’s 4-hour Lightweight Superbike endurance race winners, Touring Sport Racing. Ducshop proudly supports at least fifteen riders nationwide who, combined, have won copious championships. For more information visit ~http://www.ducshop.com/ducshop_racing.php~ More, from a press release issued by Team Morse Racing: TEAM MORSE RACING ON THE PODIUM AT MILLER MOTORSPORTS PARK CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND! Dave Gallant of Team Morse Racing closed the 2006 season in spectacular fashion by qualifying on the front row and placing on the podium in all of his races at this past weekend’s championship round at Miller Motorsports Park. This special round in the “Masters of the Mountains” series was held in conjunction with the USGPRU finals, and a record number of entrants took the grid to race the twenty-three-turn 4.5 race course in picturesque Tooele Utah. Competitors from around the country showed up for the Friday morning practice and were greeted by brisk early morning temperatures. By mid afternoon however, all in the paddock were treated to clear skies and mid-sixty degree temperatures. After a full day of practice on Friday, Pirelli once again proved they had the best tire for the tricky 4.5 mile race course and the cool track temperatures. After the final suspension and gearing change was made on Friday, Dave Gallant was confident in his setup going into Saturday’s and Sunday’s racing schedule. Saturday morning temperatures were slightly cooler than Friday’s, however that did not slow down the competition. In the “King of the Mountain” race on Saturday, a premier race with double the laps, Dave Gallant was able to latch onto the leaders from the very start of the race and rode hard to a strong 3rd place finish. “Many of us are still figuring out how to put in really fast laps around this huge track. It flows quite well, but I am finding that my normal setup is just not quite right and it is mentally exhausting trying to remember where the perfect line for every corner is. Thanks to Aaron Clark of ClarkieMotoWorks.com the bike is now running perfect, so now we just have to find some time in the setup. Clarkie and Pirelli have some setup ideas for tomorrow, and we will test them out in qualifying tomorrow morning” commented Dave Gallant after his podium finish in King of the Mountain GTU. Sunday greeted race fans to slightly warmer temperatures, and by mid-afternoon the weather was perfect for some serious racing. As hoped, the suspension changes suggested helped Dave Gallant shave off 2 full seconds during qualifying and that performance was enough to put him on the front row for his afternoon races. With a fresh set of Pirelli tires, Dave Gallant stormed off the line in his first Sunday race to challenge Shane Turpin for the lead into turn one. While Shane’s times were just out of reach of Dave Gallant’s, no one was else was able to match the pair at the front as they pulled out a sizable gap over the rest of the field. At the line, Dave Gallant was in a comfortable 2nd place and had dropped another two seconds off the previous days times. “The bike was flawless today. I did everything I could to stay with Shane, but he is an amazing rider and it was just not to be. This was a fantastic end to the season however, and this is great motivation going into the off season testing to perfect what we have working now. Scott Morse and Team Morse Racing have some exciting plans for 2007 and I can not wait to start preparing for them! I want to congratulate Aaron Clark and Pirelli on winning the number one plate in the Masters of the Mountains series here in Utah. All of the competitors raced hard this year, but Aaron deserves it more than anyone” added Dave Gallant of Team Morse Racing. To close out the 2006 season and under much cooler temperatures, Dave Gallant once again put in a stellar ride to finish second in Middleweight Superbike behind Shane Turpin. More, from a press release issued by Team Motorrad: TEAM MOTORRAD TAKES CHECKERED FLAG AT INAUGURAL DAYTONA SUNTRUST MOTO-ST EVENT On Saturday October 21st at 9pm the checkered flag fell at the conclusion of eight intense hours of racing in the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series inaugural event at Daytona International Speedway. Team Motorrad/Touring Sport BMW crossed the line with rider Frank Shockley on board, finishing 16th overall and 10th in the premier SST class. Starting from Pole Position, Team Motorrad was one of three BMW R1200S entries in the SST class, all of which finished the race, with San Jose BMW in the coveted 1st position, and Daytona BMW in 4th position. Team Motorrad ran as high as 6th during the race, before a battery failure forced the team to a halt in lap 81. The R1200S shut down in the chicane with owner/rider Ivan Messina at the controls. After losing more than 15 laps returning to the pits, diagnosing, and repairing the problem the team was back out on track with rider Brad Phillips working to regain lost positions. “The battery problem was bad luck for us,” said Ivan. “We ran two 4-hour races prior to this race with no issues whatsoever, and this problem was a surprise for sure. Our pit crew was great, getting us in and out quickly during our tire changes and fuel stops, and without them we couldn’t have come back as far as we did from such a debilitating failure.” The team arrived in Daytona late Wednesday night, and took to the track on Thursday for practice. The day was spent adjusting the R1200S and monitoring fuel usage to help determine pit strategy, as well as testing some new components. “Cee Bailey’s Aircraft Plastics gave us a huge windscreen to test and it worked great. At first I thought it might be too big, but once behind it on the banking I couldn’t have been happier. We had absolutely no wind buffeting at all behind that screen, which helped all of us from suffering too much fatigue during our stints,” said Ivan. The team also used the available dyno time and their Wunderlich/Techlusion fuel injection controller to fine tune fuel usage. “We were able to get a little more fuel range without sacrificing drivability or power, and it is so easy to adjust I was able to do it in just a few seconds between dyno runs,” said Ivan. Friday the team worked on general service to the R1200S and lighting installation. PIAA USA helped the team to install a 4600K H.I.D. Super Cobalt PIAA lighting system on Saturday Morning. The light made a huge difference during the race, enabling the team to run similar lap times during the two hours of darkness to the times they did during daylight hours. “MOTO-ST did a decent job of lighting the track, but in the chicane and turn 5 in particular where the track was a little dark, the PIAA light really made a difference picking out the apexes and exits of the corners,” said Ivan. Another concern for the team during the race was oil usage in the big air/oil cooled 1200cc motor. “We thought the engine might be 1-2 quarts down at the end,” said Ivan. “Our Rock Oil equipped engine only burned about half of a quart of oil over the entire race. I was shocked when we checked the oil level after the finish and really have to thank Rock Oil for supplying us with a premium synthetic lubricant that kept the engine running cool and strong under such intense demands.” Team Motorrad plans to contest the entire MOTO-ST season in 2007.

AMA Superbike Champion Spies Earns AMA Pro Racing SPEED Athlete Of The Year Nomination

PICKERINGTON, Ohio Fresh from winning the 2006 AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, Ben Spies has learned that he is one of the honored nominees for the 2006 AMA Pro Racing SPEED Athlete of the Year Award. Spies earned the AMA Superbike title in only his second full year in the series and now the young rider from Longview, Texas, has earned his first nomination for AMA Pro Racing’s highest award. “It’s a real honor to be nominated for the Athlete of the Year,” said Spies, who is the second youngest rider ever to win the AMA Superbike Championship. “It would be nice to win the award, but being only 22 and in my second year of Superbike, I’m sure that it’s going to be tough considering who some of the other nominees might be. Still, I’m happy to be considered among the best in all of American motorcycle racing this year.” Spies has built an impressive list of accomplishments, well beyond what one would expect from such a young athlete. He was named AMA Horizon Award winner in 2000 as the country’s leading amateur road racer. In 2003 Spies won the AMA Formula Xtreme Championship. This year Spies had a record-setting season in Superbike riding for Yoshimura Suzuki. In 19 rounds Spies won a series leading 10 races and only finished off the podium twice. He also won a best-in-series seven poles at the 11 racing venues. Spies also tied the mark of six consecutive AMA Superbike wins established by Miguel Duhamel in 1995. “It was an awesome season,” Spies allowed. “The bike was great and my team worked awesome together. Next year I know what to expect and I plan on coming back more ready than I’ve ever been.” Spies hopes to follow in the footsteps of teammate Mat Mladin, who was the last road racer to win the Athlete of the Year Award. Mladin took the honor in 2000. The 2006 AMA Pro Racing SPEED Athlete of the Year will be named at the 32nd annual AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet on Sunday evening, Nov. 19 at Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Spies is the third nominee announced for 2006 and joins Josh Hayes and Ricky Carmichael. The remaining nominees will be announced over the next few days. About the AMA Pro Racing SPEED Athlete of the Year Award The AMA Pro Racing SPEED Athlete of the Year Award is the highest honor an AMA competitor can receive. Past recipients include such legendary racers as Bob Hannah, Scott Parker and Kenny Roberts, among others. The award goes to the rider judged to have had the most successful racing year. The rider’s career achievements can also be considered if the season complements a remarkable career. A selection panel made up of AMA and AMA Pro Racing staff, field staff and volunteer leadership is named by the AMA CEO and that panel evaluates nominations and determines the final winner.

Tigert Takes Formula Pacific Win In AFM Season Finale At Buttonwillow

The final round of the 2006 AFM championship was held on the backwards Buttonwillow configuration, which many riders jokingly referred to as “Wolliwnuttob”. Opinions on the layout were mixed, as some riders preferred the flow of the backwards course, while others disliked the lack of passing areas. For safety reason, AFM officials chose to bypass the Lost Hills section of track, resulting in extremely high entry speeds into the Riverside, the fast banked turn in the far south-western corner of the track. No bikes entered Riverside faster than the leaders of the EMA / PVM Wheels Formula Pacific class, where Michael Earnest of Pacific Tracktime stormed off the line into an early lead, placing a solid 10 bike length gap on the field early on. As the race went on, Earnest slipped back, while Honda R&D rider Jeff Tigert methodically charged through the field on his Dunlop-shod CBR1000RR. Despite missing Saturday practice, Tigert came up to speed quickly in the morning practice sessions by running two bikes, eventually making his way by Corey Sarros at the halfway point to take the lead. Thanks to an Ethel Performance motor, competitors were awestruck by the speed of Tigert’s Honda, which was lofting the front wheel at over 160 mph at the end of the long drag strip. Sarros did his best to hang onto the fast Honda and keep the former number one plate holder honest, but it wasn’t enough as Tigert went on to win the final race of the 2006 AFM season by a three-second margin. Sarros crossed the line in second for his first ever Formula Pacific podium finish, with David Bell third. “Mike had a decent gap, and Siglin was going like crazy!” said Tigert after the race. “I was waiting for sparks to fly when he flew into that first turn. He made a bad mistake in the Mazda turn that let me by, and it took a little while to get by Corey. At one point, I had a tankslapper going into Riverside which took away my brakes I think I saw my life flash before my eyes! John Ethel who has built motors for the American Honda Racing Team built me an unbelievable motor. With the exception of the motor and the 16.5 inch wheels, the rest of the bike is stock. Stock revalved forks by Aftershocks, and nothing fancy. Even with all that power, the stock Honda chassis parts work really well. It was a good way to end the year!” While Tigert finished the day with wins in the GP Frame and Wheel Open Superbike and Take it 2 the Track Open Production classes, the biggest winner of the day was James Randolph, who claimed the 2006 Formula Pacific championship, hanging on to finish the race despite a broken header on his Pirelli-shod Cycle Pro Suzuki GSX-R1000. “It was a drama filled day,” said Randolph. “First, my cush drive broke in practice. Then my number three header broke in Formula Pacific. I thought the bike dropped a valve, but the motor was strong and finished the race. Zenzo of Cycle Pro who broke his collar bone this weekend has been my best friend. He’s the one who made this happen. Josh at Tiger Shark Racing, David Worthington, and my dad all played huge parts this year as well. Championships don’t come that often when you’re 36 years old you really appreciate them when you get them.” Bobby Fong and Eric Gulbransen both had pairs of strong performances on the weekend. Riding his Michelin-shod Net Moto Racing Yamaha R6, Fong dominated the Keigwins@theTrack 600 Production race and the Pacific Tracktime 600 Superbike race. After nursing his overheating Ducati 749 to a 4th place finish in 600 Superbike, Gulbransen came back with a pair of wins on his Moto Italiano Ducati 999R in the Desmoto Sport Open Twins race and the Scuderia West Formula 1 race. “Formula 1 we were really worried about Combs was passing me two weeks ago here like we were painted onto the pavement!” said Gulbransen. “It’s all about the holeshot here. We went good off the line every lap, every turn, we thought we heard him. But when we turned around, he wasn’t there! The guys at Moto Italiano deserve all the credit; they did a great job this year.” In 750 Superbike, Peter O’Sullivan was able to pass Robert Campbell in Riverside late in the race to take the lead, shortly before going on to take his first ever AFM victory. Campbell who wrapped up the 2006 AFM season by taking three different championships finished second, with David Bell in third. “I’m over the moon right now!” said O’Sullivan after the race. “I’ve been working hard all season Robert, Garry Combs, and Dan Sewell have all been going really well. I got Campbell on the inside of Riverside, and just never looked back. It feels great to end the year with a win!” In 650 Twins, Jay Avansino also took his first ever AFM victory on his Twin Works Factory Suzuki SV650, successfully holding off a last lap charge by his teammate Kurt Spencer. Spencer crossed the line in second, with Jeff Hagan in third. “I got a really good start, and heard all my teammates behind me,” said Avansino, “I thought they were gonna let the new guy have it! I knew Kurt was there the whole time I heard him, I saw him, but he never made the pass happen.” Hagan a former podium finisher in Formula Pacific came back later in the day to take the win in the Zoom Zoom Trackdays Formula 4 race. Early in the race, Spencer was holding down the lead on his Twin Works Factory SV650, when Hagan made a move on the brakes into Sunset at the end of the front straight. On the exit of the turn, Hagan came together with Spencer, breaking off Spencer’s shift lever. Using only 5th and 6th gear, Spencer limped home to take his second runner-up finish of the day, with Tom Dorsey taking third in the final race of his club racing career. “My goal since I came back was just to have a good time,” said Hagan. “I’m really happy with this win! I came from the 4th row, sliced and diced, then next thing you know, I was catching Kurt. I got by at the end of the straight, and held on for the win!” Mike Lohmeyer found himself with a new challenge in the form of an old rival, as Phil Douglas of Aftershocks Suspension dragged his CBR400RR out of storage to lead the first few laps of the 450 Superbike race. Lohmeyer, riding his VFR400, eventually made his way past Douglas to take the win, with Douglas finishing second and Craig Sanders third. “I was happy to see Phil out there,” said Lohmeyer, “he’s a good rider, who rode the class with us a few years back. But he’s on an underpowered bike, so he had to pull everything out to get up there. He blew the Bus Stop pretty hard but managed to get the pass, and ran up front for a little bit. Admittedly, this is a horsepower track so I got Craig back, then got Phil. I kept waiting for him to try something, but he never did!” Earlier in the day, Sanders was challenged by the FZR400 of Willow Springs racer Eric Angel in the 450 Production class, after Mark Elrod crashed out just past the halfway point, which also forced Greg Becker off-track. Despite a number of smart passes of lapped riders in different locations on the track, Angel was unable to hold onto the lead as Sanders came back on his Patrick Ho Performance Concepts ZXR400 with a draft pass on the last lap to retake the lead and the eventual win. Angel crossed the line in second, with Becker third. “That really surprised me when Eric came by on the outside in Riverside!” said Sanders. “Then he threw lappers at me in every corner, timing each one perfectly. I drafted him on the drag strip on the last lap, and stuck Gary Jaehne on his 250 between is going into Riverside I knew he wouldn’t be able to get back by me after that. Funny thing is, Eric’s on my old racebike from my novice year of racing. Before the race, I told myself I was going to win today, but he made me work for it! I couldn’t be happier.” The Aftershocks Suspension 250 Production championship came down to the wire at Buttonwillow, with David Crone leading newcomer Michael Corbino by 13 points heading into the final round. Crone’s race came to an early end in a first turn incident which took him out of the race, leaving the championship in the hands of Michael Corbino. The youngster’s luck didn’t last long, as the motor on his EX250 broke early in the race, giving Crone the class championship. With both championship contenders out, Gary Jaehne made a surprise appearance in the class and took the win, with Susan Urquhart finishing second. Unofficial Results AFM Round 8 October 23, 2006 Buttonwillow Raceway (backwards configuration) European Motorcycle Accessories / PVM Wheels Formula Pacific 1. Jeffrey Tigert (Hon 1000) 2. Corey Sarros (Suz 1000) 3. David Bell (Suz 1000) 4. Michael Earnest (Suz 1000) 5. Chris Siglin (Suz 1000) 6. Ken Hill (Hon 1000) GP Frame and Wheel Open Superbike 1. Jeffrey Tigert (Hon 1000) 2. David Bell (Suz 1000) 3. Corey Sarros (Suz 1000) 4. James Randolph (Suz 1000) 5. Rob Mesa (Suz 1000) 6. James J. King (Suz 1000) 750 Superbike 1. Peter O’Sullivan (Suz 750) 2. Robert Campbell (Suz 750) 3. David Bell (Suz 750) 4. Berto Wooldridge (Suz 750) 5. Dan Sewell (Suz 750) 6. Kim Nakashima (Suz 750) Pacific Tracktime 600 Superbike 1. Bobby Fong (Yam 600) 2. Grant Riggs (Suz 600) 3. Ken Hill (Hon 600) 4. Eric Gulbransen (Duc 749) 5. David Glenn (Suz 600) 6. Ryan Texeira (Kaw 600) 450 Superbike 1. Michael Lohmeyer (Hon 400) 2. Phil Douglas (Hon 400) 3. Craig Sanders (Kaw 400) 4. Eric Angel (Yam 400) 5. Greg Becker (Hon 400) 6. David Wallis (Hon 400) Kilowatt 250 Superbike 1. Andrew Duafala (Yam 250) 2. Richard Barnett (Apr 250) 3. Joe Rust (Yam 250) 4. Herb Abell (Apr 250) Take it 2 the Track Open Production 1. Jeffrey Tigert (Hon 1000) 2. Martin Szwarc (Suz 1000) 3. Andy Carman (Suz 1000) 4. James J. King (Suz 1000) 5. Mike Thompson (Yam 1000) 6. Tad Koklich (Suz 1000) Suzuki of Oakland 750 Production 1. Garry Combs (Suz 750) 2. Robert Campbell (Suz 750) 3. Berto Wooldridge (Suz 750) 4. Dan Sewell (Suz 750) 5. Martin Ayala (Duc 999) 6. Kim Nakashima (Suz 750) Keigwins@theTrack 600 Production 1. Bobby Fong (Yam 600) 2. Rick Corey (Yam 600) 3. Ken Hill (Hon 600) 4. Matt Eccleston (Yam 600) 5. David Glenn (Suz 600) 6. Ryan Texeira (Kaw 600) 450 Production 1. Craig Sanders (Kaw 400) 2. Eric Angel (Yam 400) 3. Greg Becker (Hon 400) 4. Zane Halvorsen (KTM 450) 5. David Wallis (Hon 400) 6. Scotty Storey (Hon 400) Aftershocks 250 Production 1. Gary Jaehne (Kaw 250) 2. Susan Urquhart (Kaw 250) 3. Adam Klinger (Hon 250) 4. Liza Mazurkiewicz (Kaw 250) 5. Andrew Boehm (Kaw 250) 6. Michael Corbino (Kaw 250) PowerStands Open Grand Prix 1. Corey Sarros (Suz 1000) 2. David Bell (Suz 1000) 3. Robert Mesa (Suz 1000) 4. Martin Szwarc (Suz 1000) 5. John Turmell (Suz 1000) 6. Mike Thompson (Yam 1000) Scuderia West Formula 1 1. Eric Gulbransen (Duc 999) 2. Garry Combs (Suz 750) 3. David Bell (Suz 750) 4. Peter O’Sullivan (Suz 750) 5. Robert Campbell (Suz 750) 6. Dan Sewell (Suz 750) Mazda Technologies Formula 2 1. Jeffry Hanford (Hon 250) 2. Phillip Torres (Yam 250) 3. Dan Cook (Yam 250) 4. Richard Denman (Hon 250) 5. Jay Pilster (Hon 125) 6. Ryan Corey (Hon 250) Formula 3 1. Jay Pilster (Hon 125) 2. James Eckerman (Hon 125) 3. Marcus Henderson (Yam 125) 4. Elaine Ou (Hon 125) Zoom Zoom Trackdays Formula 4 1. Jeff Hagan (Suz 650) 2. Kurt Spencer (Suz 650) 3. Thomas Dorsey (Suz 650) 4. David Civiello (Suz 650) 5. Jaya Avansino (Suz 650) 6. Aaron Tulchinsky (Suz 650) Desmoto Sport Open Twins 1. Eric Gulbransen (Duc 999) 2. Bud Anderson (Hon 1000) 3. Matthew Green (Duc 999) 4. Martin Ayala (Duc 999) 5. Scott Schwanbeck (Apr 1000) 6. Eddy Gonzales Jr. (Duc 999) 650 Twins 1. Jay Avansino (Suz 650) 2. Kurt Spencer (Suz 650) 3. Jeff Hagan (Suz 650) 4. David Civiello (Suz 650) 5. David Raff (Suz 650) 6. Thomas Dorsey (Suz 650) 500 Twins 1. Kevin Smith (Gib 500) 2. Joe Sickle (Suz 500) 3. Jonathan Forman (Suz 500) 4. Leonard Barker Jr (Kaw 500) 5. Patrick Aldinger (Kaw 500) 6. Gary Jaehne (Kaw 250) Formula Singles 1. Gerry Piazza (Yam 660) 2. Chris Keane (Hon 450) 3. Zane Halvorsen (KTM 450) 4. Billy Ray (Hon 450) 5. Christopher Stone (KTM 609) Super Dinosaur 1. Neil O’Reilly (Suz 750) 2. Jason McBreen (Suz 750) 3. Andrew Boehm (Suz 750 4. Charles Leca (Yam 600) 5. Paul Kieffer (Suz 750) Teresa McKinney Realtor Formula 40 1. Mike Thompson (Yam 1000) 2. John Turmell (Suz 1000) 3. Bud Anderson (Hon 1000) 4. Shawn Reilly (Suz 1000) 5. Rick McDaniel (Suz 1000) 6. Thomas Bolles (Suz 1000) Clubman Heavyweight 1. Ryan Gorman (Suz 750) 2. Justin Mastalka (Hon 1000) 3. Jeff Smith (Suz 1000) 4. Skip Brown (Suz 1000) 5. Chad Covington (Hon 1000) 6. Scott Williams (Hon 1000) Clubman Middleweight 1. Scott Tillery (Suz 600) 2. Freddi Guerrero (Kaw 636) 3. Andy Allen (Yam 600) 4. Tim Schultz (Yam 600) 5. Jason McBreen (Hon 600) 6. Chris Armantrout (Yam 600) Clubman Lightweight 1. Kevin Heiss (Suz 650) 2. Donald Babb (Duc 800) 3. Bryan Heistand (Suz 650) 4. David Sapsis (Suz 650) 5. Scott Reavey (Suz 650) 6. Braden Riley (Suz 650)

Barros To Ride Ducati Desmosedici GP7 With Pramac D’Antin For 2007 MotoGP Season

The Team PRAMAC D’ANTIN MOTOGP has reached an agreement with ALEX BARROS to take part in the 2007 MotoGP World Championship. Next season, when the 800cc bikes will take the place of the 990cc powered machines in the premier-class, the fast Brazilian rider will have at his disposal the new DUCATI DESMOSEDICI GP7 that already showed to have a good potential during the first tests. ALEX BARROS: “I’m very happy to come back and race in the premier-class with the Team PRAMAC D’ANTIN MOTOGP. The new DUCATI DESMOSEDICI GP7 800cc already seems a very good project. I’m really confident, I know the Team and I’m sure that we will make a good job together. I can’t wait to be back to compete for the first positions with a MotoGP bike”. LUIS D’ANTIN (Team Manager): “We’re very happy to welcome in our Team a rider with such a big valour as ALEX BARROS. His arrival makes us really confident for the next season. BARROS is a rider that has a big experience and I’m sure that he will give us a lot of good performances. The objective of the PRAMAC D’ANTIN MOTOGP will be to compete at high level during the whole season, constantly aiming for the podium”. PAOLO CAMPINOTI (CEO PRAMAC Group): “I’m enthusiastic to go on with the adventure in the MotoGP premier-class with a winning rider as ALEX BARROS. His experience will allow our team to reach the results that we deserve. The PRAMAC Group believes a lot in the racing project and will keep on following it with the biggest commitment. For the 2007 season we will soon announce important news”.

WMRC Banquet To Be Held On November 4 In New Westminster, BC, Canada

We will be holding our year-end banquet on Saturday November 4th at the Queensborough Community Center in New Westminster, located at 920 Ewen Ave, New Westminster. PLEASE NOTE THAT TICKETS WILL ONLY BE ON SALE UNTIL OCTOBER 30TH AND WILL NOT BE SOLD AT THE DOOR The caterer requires a head count one week prior and the hall does not allow ticket sales at the door, this is why we have to, unfortunately, cut off ticket sales in advance. Cost: $35.00 includes one drink and a full buffet dinner Cocktails: 6pm Dinner served at 7pm General fun and debauchery to follow. Tickets will be available Friday, October 6th at the following locations: -Mspeed Performance: 1570 Boundary Road, Burnaby 604-294-3354 -Carter Coquitlam (in the service department only, please see Troy): #11 – 1300 Woolridge Street, Coquitlam 604-519-0000 -Simon’s Automotive: 101-5763 198 Street, Langley 604-533-1162 You can also paypal your tickets and I can then leave them at the door, however you will need to note in the paypal comments that you are paying for tickets and note who you are, and then I ask that you email me for tickets to be put aside. The paypal account name is: Westwood Motorcycle Racing Club PLEASE NOTE THAT TICKETS WILL ONLY BE ON SALE UNTIL OCTOBER 30TH AND WILL NOT BE SOLD AT THE DOOR Regular volunteers are free but you do require a ticket. All class and club sponsors tickets are also free. Questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. I hope to see everyone there! Andrea Murphy WMRC Promotions Director 604-309-5932 www.wmrc.ca

Louisiana Ride For Kids® Raises $35,000 For Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation

Motorcyclists and fundraisers in south Louisiana gave generously yesterday to the search for the cause and cure of childhood brain tumors. Together they contributed $35,685 at the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation’s fourth annual Louisiana Ride for Kids®. Cool, breezy weather welcomed the 200 ride participants who gathered at SLEMCO headquarters in Lafayette. Music filled the air as they lined up their bikes and greeted each other before the police-escorted ride through the scenic bayous of local parishes. The day grew warmer as the Celebration of Life program began under a big-top tent. There the ride participants heard from the stars of the day, local brain tumor survivors Cameron, 10, Darla, 18, and Brook, 20. Darla brought the crowd to its feet after singing “Hello Lord,” a song that she composed during one of her many hospital stays. The medical community was represented by Dr. Maria Velez, associate professor of pediatrics at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Thousands of children are diagnosed with brain tumors each year, she said, and “your fundraising is the key to their future.” The top individual fundraisers were Anita and Charlie Porche of Mandeville, who brought $5,405. The top chapter/club was GWRRA Chapter B of Lafayette with $9,309, while the customers of South Side Honda of Lafayette contributed $11,982 to make it the top motorcycle business. Wayne Brewer of Ticktaw, La., won the grand prize, a brand-new Honda motorcycle. Special thanks went to the Louisiana event’s task force leaders, Nancy and Bullet McGee and Mary Ann and Dewey Burke, visitation leaders Anita and Charlie Porche, the hardworking task force members, and event volunteers, for organizing an outstanding event. About the PBTF Ride for Kids® Since 1984, the national Ride for Kids® program and PBTF have promoted childhood brain tumor research and provided family support through free literature about brain tumors, educational newsletters, online conferences and college scholarships. With the help of America’s motorcyclists and motorcycle dealers, PBTF has become the world’s largest non-governmental source of funding for childhood brain tumor research. The next PBTF Ride for Kids® event is Sunday, Nov. 5 in Sarasota, Fla. For more information, go to www.rideforkids.org or call 800-253-6530.

Michelin Wins Either Way At Valencia

2006 MotoGP World Championship, round 17 Valencia Grand Prix, Valencia October 27/28/29 MICHELIN DUO SET FOR FINAL SHOWDOWN Michelin men Valentino Rossi (Camel Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) and Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin) go into the season-ending Valencia GP fighting for the last MotoGP World Championship of the 990cc era. This is the first time in 14 years that the premier-class title has gone down to the wire. The pair are separated by just eight points, Rossi ahead for the first time all season following the recent Portuguese GP, during which Hayden was the innocent victim of a mid-race collision. Last year at Valencia Hayden beat Rossi, but if the American is to wrest the MotoGP crown from the Italian, so far undefeated in the MotoGP series, he will need other riders in the mix on Sunday. Only one thing is certain – that the scene is set for a classic confrontation. Tire choice will, of course, be crucial to the outcome of Sunday’s race and therefore the World Championship. For example, Rossi and Hayden use different Michelin front tires, which offer contrasting advantages that will add an extra dimension of interest to their duel. Michelin has dominated all five years of the 990cc MotoGP era, taking all five world titles and winning 74 of the 81 races so far. Michelin has also won all seven premier-class races since the track hosted its first GP in 1999. MICHELIN’S RESPONSE TO THE CHALLENGE OF VALENCIA “It is obviously going to be an interesting and exciting weekend for everyone!” says Nicolas Goubert, Michelin’s director of motorcycle racing. “Nicky has been strong at Valencia since the beginning. He scored his first front row start there in 2003 and he finished just a fraction of a second behind Marco (Melandri, Fortuna Honda RC211V-Michelin) last year. Coming from the US he’s used to tracks with a lot of slow corners and he is also used to turning left from his dirt track days. On the other hand, Valentino says he’s not a great fan of the track, though everyone knows he will still be very strong. He got third at Valencia last year, even though he started from the fifth row of the grid. “The championship situation doesn’t change anything for us, we will do our job to the best of our ability as we always do. As usual we will make sure each rider gets the best tires, although that doesn’t mean they will all use the same tires because different riders choose different tires according to their riding styles and the requirements of their machines. “Nicky uses our wider profile front while Valentino has always preferred our narrow profile front. I think the performance of these tires will be similar at Valencia even though they should offer different advantages in different parts of the track. The narrow profile is slightly lighter through direction changes, while the wider profile gives a bit more grip into corners, especially downhill turns like the final left-hander, which could be useful if the race for the title goes down to the last corner or the last lap! “Valencia has always been quite a tough track. The layout is very asymmetric, the ground temperature can be very cool and there are some long corners, especially the last fast left which tightens into a very slow turn. This kind of corner prevents us with a very different challenge to the last fast left at Phillip Island, which opens up rather than tightens up. They thus require different tire characteristics. At Phillip Island the priority is traction for hard acceleration, at Valencia riders need maximum edge grip to get them through the tight final turn as fast as possible. Our 2006 rear, which delivers a bigger footprint for extra edge grip, should improve performance at Valencia, especially through that last corner. “But the biggest challenge at Valencia is finding the best combination of compounds for the left and right sides of the rear tire. You need good warm-up on the right, because there are only five right-handers and because the track temperature could be as low as 15 degrees if the weather is cool. On the left you need a much stronger compound to cope with the heat generated through the nine left-handers, especially that long, fast left at the end of the lap.” MICHELIN IN SPAIN Spain plays a vital role in Michelin’s motorcycling successes. Around 9000 people work for Michelin in the country, and the company’s massive Lasarte factory produces the bulk of Michelin’s global motorcycle tire output, around 1.5 million tires per annum, though MotoGP tires are still made at the company’s Clermont-Ferrand base in France. VALENCIA DATA Lap record: Marco Melandri (Telefonica Movistar Honda), 1:33.043, 154.961kp/h, 96.288mph, Pole position 2005: Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda), 1:31.874 Recent winners at Valencia 2005 Marco Melandri (Telefonica Movistar Honda), 46:58.152 2004 Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha YZR-M1-Michelin), 47:16.145 2003 Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda RC211V-Michelin), 47:13.078 2002 Alex Barros (West Honda Pons RC211V-Michelin), 47:22.404 2001 Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Suzuki RGV500-Michelin), 54:39.391 (damp race) 2000 Garry McCoy (Red Bull Yamaha WCM YZR500-Michelin), 48:27.799 1999 Regis Laconi (Red Bull Yamaha WCM YZR500-Michelin), 53:23.825 (damp race) MICHELIN MotoGP RIDERS 2006 Nicky Hayden, Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin) Toni Elias, Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda RC211V-Michelin) Casey Stoner (Honda LCR RC211V-Michelin) Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V-Michelin) Kenny Roberts Jr (Team Roberts KR211V-Michelin) Colin Edwards, Valentino Rossi (Camel Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) Garry McCoy (Ilmor SRT X3-Michelin)

Updated: More From Daytona

SPEEDWAY CELEBRATES ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL FALL CYCLE SCENE Thousands of bikers take part in “must do” activities at DIS DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Highlighted by an inaugural 8-hour endurance race more than 100 displays and vendors on site, thousands of bikers enjoyed the sites and sounds of Fall Cycle Scene at historic Daytona International Speedway over the weekend. “What a memorable weekend for racing fans and bikers who visited Daytona International Speedway last week,” said Speedway President Robin Braig. “From taking a spin around the 31-degree high banks of ‘The World Center of Racing’ in the Monster Dash to hob knobbing with master bike builders like legendary Eddie Trotta, to witnessing the historic inaugural SunTrust MOTO-ST Series race, there was something to do for everyone that stepped on the historic grounds of DIS last week.” DIS welcomed thousands of bikers from around the world, treating them to several “must do” activities at the “World Center of Racing.” In addition to the CCS and ASRA sprint races, DIS hosted the inaugural SunTrust 8 Hours at Daytona MOTO-ST Series race. The San Jose BMW team of Brian Parriott of Calistoga, Calif., Belgian Stephane Mertens and Nate Kern of Cherry Hill, N.J. held on to take a 14.856-second victory on their No. 46 BMW R1200 over the No. 18 M4 EMGO Suzuki SV1000S of Michael Barnes of Boca Raton, Fla., Geoff May of Gainesville, Ga. and Chris Ulrich of Lake Elsinore, Calif. In addition to claiming the overall win the BMW team took the Buell Motorcycle Company SuperSport Twins (SST) class. They took the endurance motorcycle series’ inaugural event on Saturday, a race which offered $100,000 in purse and lap money. Prior to the event, every rider participated in an autograph session to the delight fans that waited in line to get the autograph of their favorite rider. Friday’s highlight included what one rider called “the No. 1 thing I had to do when I got here to Daytona.” Led by a police escort and the Daytona 500 Grand Marshal Vehicle, more than 100 riders took part in the DIS Monster Dash a parade lap around Daytona International Speedway followed by a party that included the band “Taboo” in the NEXTEL FANZONE and the Budweiser Bistro. Proceeds from the Monster Dash went to the Halifax Medical Center Women’s and Children’s Program. Inside, bikers were invited through the historic Twin Tunnels and treated to International Master Bike Builder Row, a new display added to the 2006 Fall Cycle Scene activities list. Legendary builders from the International Master Bike Builders Association including Eddie Trotta, Indian Larry’s Legend Cycles, Matt Hotch and Dave Perewitz showed off custom choppers. Outside, motorcycle enthusiasts had their choice of free manufacturer demo rides from Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Buell, Yamaha, BMW, Vespa, Harley-Davidson, Victory, Boss Hoss and Bourget Bike Works. Thousands of bikers also perused the Daytona Motorcycle Marketplace where the nation’s top aftermarket parts, accessories and apparel companies proudly displayed their wares. Bikers also caught up with old friends at the Budweiser Cool Your Pipes Zone, located just outside the Speedway’s twin tunnels and a stones throw from the area’s largest vendor, display and demo ride marketplace. More, from a press release issued by Buell Motorcycles: BILANSKY RIDES BUELL TO ASRA THUNDERBIKE CROWN AT DAYTONA Estok and Bemisderfer Falter in Final Race of the Season DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Hal’s H-D/Buell-Hal’s Speed Shop rider Dan Bilansky executed a perfect last-lap pass to win the American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA) Thunderbike National Championship at the 23rd Annual Daytona Race of Champions at Daytona International Speedway. Bilansky, riding a Buell Firebolt XB12R, passed BMW rider Nate Kern to win the Thunderbike National race by about one bike length to claim the season championship by a single point. It was the third ASRA Thunderbike win of the season for Bilansky. Bilansky, from Waukesha, Wis., arrived at Daytona for the eighth and final round of the ASRA Thunderbike season in third place, trailing Veatch Motorsports rider Dave Estok by 27 points and H-D/Buell of Frederick rider Bryan Bemisderfer by 16 points. To win the championship, 28-year-old Bilansky would need to win the Daytona race and have Estok and Bemisderfer fail to finish, a turn of events that seemed unlikely. Qualifying for the Thunderbike National was cancelled due to scheduling problems on Saturday, which put points-leader Estok on the pole. At the start of the 10-lap national, Bilansky and Kern pulled away together, with Kern officially leading the first lap. Bilansky passed for the lead on lap two, but Kern passed the Buell rider back on lap three. Bemisderfer and Estok were not far behind, but both suddenly dropped out on lap four, Estok with a mechanical problem and Bemisderfer with a dead battery. Bilansky rode the last six laps of the race glued to Kern’s tail and in position to attempt a drafting pass on the long final straight leading to the finish. He timed the pass perfectly and beat Kern to the line for the win. Kern was later disqualified for failing to report directly to tech inspection following the race. Bimota rider Chris Boy officially finished second, followed by Ducati rider Tommy Eckfeldt in third. Appleton Buell/Hoban Brothers Racing rider Jeff Johnson was fourth on a Buell Firebolt, followed by Buell riders Joe Rozynski (Sound Waves/Hal’s Speed Shop) and Andrew Hamblin (Custom World.com/Hal’s Speed Shop), and Ducati rider Rhiannon Lucente in seventh position. Buell riders Sam Rozynski (Sound Waves/Hal’s Speed Shop), Tim Hall (Jim’s H-D/Buell) and Anthony Caligiuri (Liberty H-D/Buell) rounded out the top ten. Bilansky ends the season with 199 Thunderbike points, one point ahead of Estok and 11 points ahead of Bemisderfer. Sam Rozynski is fourth with 159 points, followed by Kern with 134 points. The ASRA Thunderbike title is the first national championship for the 28-year-old Bilansky, who finished second in Thunderbike points in 2005. “Because of the points situation, we really didn’t come to Daytona trying to make anything happen,” said Bilansky. “During the race I didn’t realize that Estok and Bemisderfer were out, and I didn’t know I needed to win to take the championship. My Buell was performing flawlessly today, and I was just going for one more win to end the season.” While he won three races in 2006 and finished on the podium at two others, Bilansky also failed to finish three Thunderbike events, including two in a row in the middle of the season. “That was a discouraging stretch, but our problems were really just racer’s bad luck,” said Bilansky. “We bounced back and won the last two races of the year. But I might not have made it to Daytona without some generous last-minute financial support from my family, friends and some local businesses. My dad even drove my truck down here for me.” Bilansky also won the five-lap CCS Expert Thunderbike National Championship on Friday at Daytona in a battle of CCS regional winners. Buell Team on MOTO-ST Podium On Oct. 21 at Daytona International Speedway, James Gang Racing (Paul James, John Fox and Greg Avello), sponsored by Hal’s Speed Shop/Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Buell/Kegel Motorcycle Co., raced a Buell XB12R Firebolt to a second-place finish (182 laps, 21st place overall) in the Grand Sports Twins (GST) class during the inaugural SunTrust MOTO-ST Series 8 Hours At Daytona endurance event. The class was won by Team Ducati Toronto (Pat Barnes, Robert Trottier and Matt McBride) aboard a Ducati (207 laps, 14th overall). Buell is the presenting sponsor of the MOTO-ST SuperSport Twins (SST) class and offered $10,000 of contingency support to privateer Buell racers aboard XB and XBRR model motorcycles at the inaugural Daytona event. To learn more about Buell motorcycles, visit your local Buell dealer today and experience the pure streetfighter attitude, style and performance only found on board a Buell. For the Buell dealer nearest you, pull into www.buell.com.

Nicky Can Expect No Help From These Honda Riders At Valencia

HOPING FOR A REPEAT AT VALENCIA A party within a party. Toni Elias has more than one reason to look forward to the final round of the MotoGP World Championship as it heads to his home country for the Valencian GP this weekend. Just a few days after his emotional debut win in Portugal the Spaniard renewed his contract with Team Honda Gresini, meaning he will campaign the new Honda V4 800cc machine alongside his current team-mate Marco Melandri in 2007. Buoyed by the confidence of that first win at Estoril and the belief and support shown in him by Team Gresini, Elias is aiming for a repeat result in front of his home fans at Valencia. That stunning victory represented a huge turnaround in fortunes for the Fortuna Honda star in his second season of MotoGP action. “I have always believed in my own ability but now I know for sure that I can do it and I want to win again,” promises Toni. Marco Melandri is also keen to end the season with a top result. The Italian is ready to work hard from the opening free practice session on Friday as he aims to put himself in a position to repeat his success here from last season, when he clinched victory and the runner-up spot in the championship. This time he is fighting to defend his current standing of third place overall. THE TRACK. Designed as a huge stadium complex, where spectators get to view the whole circuit, Valencia is always packed out with passionate fans, creating an unbelievable atmosphere. Crowd figures regularly break records and this year promises to be no different, with all 225,000 tickets for the three days already sold out. Valencia looks certain to be the most exciting event of an incredible season: it is all set up for an intriguing shootout between Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi as they fight for the destiny of the world title. MARCO MELANDRI: “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. We will work hard to solve the problems we encountered at Estoril. 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.” TONI ELIAS: “The victory at Estoril was a wonderful surprise 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. In Portugal I just tried to have a good race – I never overstepped my limits – but when I saw the chance was there to go for the win I wasn’t going to let it slip. I feel really satisfied and now things have changed; now I know I can do it and be up front so I’m determined to do it again. Hopefully it can happen as soon as possible. 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. Hopefully we can work well all weekend and provide the encore. To have signed a contract for next year with Fausto Gresini gives me an extra boost. My priority was to continue working with Honda as part of Gresini’s team with my current chief mechanic Fabrizio Cecchini. Now that is in place I think I have the fundamental elements to continue growing and improving. Now I’m already looking forward and I can’t wait to start preparing for 2007. I’ll have an 800cc Honda and I can’t wait to ride it. There is no reason why we can’t have a really successful winter and prepare well for the new season.” THE OTHER TITLE: THE TEAMS’ WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP The Honda Team led by Fausto Gresini has once again proved to be one of the standard-bearers in MotoGP, standing out as the only private team to successfully tackle the official representatives. Third in the championship on 323 points, Team Fortuna Honda has been bettered only by the major factory outfits – Repsol Honda, who have already won the series on 438 points, and Camel Yamaha. With four wins (3 for Marco Melandri and 1 for Toni Elias) and eight podiums in total, the squad run by the former double 125cc World Champion has taken the same amount of victories as the official HRC team and has one more than Ducati Marlboro, who are fourth overall. The constantly improving Team Honda Gresini has doubled its number of victories from 2005 to continue a run of success that has seen them twice finish with the runner-up spot and once with the third placed rider in the final standings over the past four years. TEAM HONDA GRESINI IN NUMBERS (up to Portugal 2006) 10 seasons in the World Championship (since 1997 with Barros on a Honda 500 NSR) 1 title – the 250cc World Championship in 2001 with Daijiro Kato 175 Grand Prix races contested 32 World Championship victories – 14 in MotoGP (8 with Sete Gibernau, 5 with Marco Melandri and 1 with Toni Elias) and 18 in 250cc (15 with Daijiro Kato and 3 with Loris Capirossi) 87 podium finishes (32 wins, 32 second places and 23 thirds) 3,027 points scored – 1,762 in the premier-class and 1,265 in 250 23 pole positions – 12 in MotoGP (11 with Sete Gibernau and 1 with Daijiro Kato ) and 11 in 250 (9 with Kato, 2 with Loris Capirossi) VALENCIA – THE TRACK Constructed: 1999 Latest modification: 1999 Length: 4,005m Width: 12m Pole position: Right Right corners: 5 Left corners: 9 Longest straight: 876m TRACK RECORDS: Circuit record: 2005 Melandri (Honda) 1’33″043 Pole position: 2005 Gibernau (Honda) 1’31″874 Race 2005: 1st Melandri (Honda) 2nd Hayden (Honda) 3rd Rossi (Yamaha)

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