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”.

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)

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.

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)

Valencia Grand Prix Valencia, Spain 27, 28, 29 October 2006 One of the most exciting seasons in the history of the MotoGP World Championship reaches an intense climax next weekend as Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden (Honda) go head-to-head for the title in a final-round shootout at Valencia. The amphitheatre-style surroundings of the Ricardo Tormo circuit on the outskirts of the Spanish city provide the perfect stage for the ultimate instalment of a 17-round epic that began on the Iberian peninsular in less than perfect fashion for Camel Yamaha rider Rossi nine months ago. Since being knocked from his bike in the first corner of the first race at Jerez, the Italian has been through virtually every emotion known to a motorcycle racer. A dramatically unpredictable season of twists and turns has seen Rossi visit the gravel traps, the hospital and the top step of the podium in almost equal measures, with technical problems also robbing him of vital points in the first half of the season. However, since finding himself a massive 51 points behind Hayden after round eleven at Laguna Seca, the five-time World Champion has shown his true colours with a string of five consecutive podium finishes. His latest, second place in the Grand Prix of Portugal at Estoril, coupled with a crash for Hayden, finally lifted him above the American to the top of the standings for the first time this season and opened up an eight-point gap between the pair with one round to go. It means that for the first time in fourteen seasons the destiny of the MotoGP World Championship will be decided in the final round, with the drama set to unfold in front of a sell-out crowd in excess of 120,000 people in the firecracker atmosphere of Cheste. Colin Edwards will once again be looking to play the role of good team-mate after his star performance at Estoril just over a week ago. The Texan was back to his best form in Portugal, qualifying second on the grid and providing a crucial helping hand to Rossi in the early stages of the race only to narrowly miss out on his second rostrum of the season as he took fourth place at the line. This weekend Edwards’ clear objective is to go at least one position better and make sure he is celebrating alongside Rossi on Sunday evening. VALENTINO ROSSI: MY ONE CHANCE Valentino Rossi travels to Spain this week knowing that he cannot afford to let this incredible opportunity slip after admitting that a fifth title defence was effectively out of his hands just five rounds ago. Hayden’s well-publicised misfortune in Portugal has perhaps overshadowed the fact that it is Rossi’s own form a run of nine top-three finishes from the last eleven races that has propelled him to the top of the standings and fulfilled his target of arriving at the final round with a sixth consecutive premier-class title in sight. “Things went very well for us in Estoril – we’ve achieved our goal of coming here still fighting for the championship and for this I have to thank everyone in the team so much,” says Rossi. “Each person has worked at 100% to bring us back to this position and now we’re all very excited about this final race. Of course it’s not going to be like other times, when I have won the championship with some races to spare and less pressure. Now I only have one chance. It’s a big pressure for everyone but it’s great for the show. “Valencia isn’t one of my best tracks and we also know that Hayden is really strong there, so it’s definitely not going to be easy. On the other hand we know that the M1 works quite well there and in the race last year it was very good in the second half of the race especially. If we can start from the front then I think we can try for the win, but whatever happens it’s going to be a really exciting race. Hopefully Colin and I can be at the front together like in Estoril and we’ll just see what we can do!” COLIN EDWARDS: A TEAM PLAYER Colin Edwards says his number one aim this weekend is to help out his great friend and team-mate Valentino Rossi in his quest to win the title. The best way to do that, of course, is for the Texan to keep his excellent form going and continue with the recent progress the pair have made with the set-up of their YZR-M1 machines. Edwards’ attitude is a reflection of a tight team ethic at Camel Yamaha and it is something he hopes will pay dividends when the chequered flag greets the 2006 MotoGP World Champion on Sunday. “I’m pretty excited about the last race of the season, it’s going to be pretty close I reckon,” says Edwards. “Estoril worked out well for the team and I was able to help Valentino out, which was the number one aim. Obviously I was disappointed not to be on the podium but my bike worked great and I think that we’re in good shape to do it all again at Valencia. “I’ve raced at Valencia for years so I know it really well and I know I am quite fast there. Like in Estoril, the aim is going to be to get on the front row alongside Valentino and then just to help him out in the race as much as possible. Of course this time out I want to be on the podium too, a Yamaha one-two would be the perfect end to the season!” DAVIDE BRIVIO: THE FINAL PUSH For Camel Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio the Grand Prix of Portugal epitomised the togetherness and spirit shown by his riders and staff since bouncing back from the brink of failure midway through the season. With just one round remaining the Italian is asking for one final, definitive push before a well-earned break and the start of the new 800cc era in 2007. “Since the summer break we have just taken the races one-by-one, working our hardest and keeping our focus, and the results have been excellent,” reflects Brivio. “Our objective from Brno onwards was to keep fighting until the end of the season and try to get to the last round with a mathematical chance of winning the title. After Portugal that mathematical chance is a lot stronger than we expected but it is not over yet and, as we all know from our experience this season, anything can still happen. “It looks like being another dramatic weekend but from our point of view the objective is just the same as it has been for the last five or six races to keep our heads down, work hard and stay focused on the job of giving our riders the best possible package for Sunday. If we can do that then I’m sure Valentino and Colin will do their part too, and hopefully we can celebrate together on Sunday.” TECHNICALLY SPEAKING: VALENCIA ACCORDING TO JEREMY BURGESS With its unique stadium-style surroundings the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia is a spectacular, if somewhat cramped facility characterised by a never-ending burst of tight corners, connected by short straights. The long penultimate looping left-hander and the fast entry to turn one contrast violently with the otherwise geometric flip-flop chicanes and slow-speed corners of the infield. “Valencia isn’t one of Valentino’s favourite tracks because it is so tight and twisty, but we won there in 2004 and finished third last year after starting well down the grid, so we know the M1 works well,” says Jeremy Burgess, Chief Engineer to Valentino Rossi. “One of the big lessons we have learnt this season is that if you want to win in this class nowadays then you really have to start from the front so we will again be using the free practice sessions to make sure we have the right bike settings for both qualifying and the race. “Technically there is not much to say about Valencia other than the obvious fact that it has a lot of low gear usage and very little throttle with the back straight and the start-finish straight being the only two high speed sections. The last long left is different to any other corner in the world and it can be crucial to the outcome of the race so for that reason it requires special attention when setting the bike up to make sure you have the speed coming towards the line. The rest is slow and anti-clockwise there’s not much else to say about it really!” VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION Age: 27 Lives: London, UK Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 GP victories: 84 (57 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 172 (113 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 44 World Championships 7 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 4 x MotoGP) COLIN EDWARDS: INFORMATION Age: 32 Lives: Conroe, Texas Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP) GP starts: 65 x MotoGP World Championships – 2 World Superbike Valencia Lap Record: Marco Melandri (Honda) 2004, 1’33.043 Valencia Best Lap: Sete Gibernau (Honda) 2005, 1’31.874 2005 Valencia Grand Prix Results: 1. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda, 46’58.152 2. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda, +0.097 3. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Yamaha +2.959 8. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Yamaha, +25.678

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (Oct. 22, 2006) — Daytona 200 By Honda all-time mileage leader Rick Shaw is hanging up his leathers. After competing in Saturday’s 8 Hours At Daytona SunTrust MOTO-ST Series, Shaw announced that the inaugural motorcycle endurance race would be his final event of his career. “This is my last official motorcycle race,” Shaw said. “That’s after 35 years of professional riding, about 40 years total racing. I think I’ve had enough laps to satisfy my jones.” Shaw will leave the sport of motorcycle racing as the all-time mileage leader in the Daytona 200 By Honda, the prestigious motorcycle event held in March that kicks off the AMA season. “I have it now,” Shaw said of the record. “Ricky Orlando’s still looking good, but he’s probably four or five years behind me. John Ashmead is three or four years behind me. Who knows? If they start getting close, and if I can pick up the pace again, I just might come out just to keep the record, but I’m really going to have to want it pretty bad.” Shaw competed in his first Daytona 200 By Honda in 1981 and has amassed 3,728.33 miles. “I appreciate having the record,” Shaw said. “It’s been a thrill and an honor to be able to race here against all of the people. If you think about all the champions who have raced here in the Daytona 200 the past 25 years, I’ve had the honor to race with some of the best in the world and the best that motorcycles has seen in a truly golden era of superbike and Formula One racing.” Shaw, who has recently moved to nearby Port Orange from the Miami area, rode with his nephew Brian in the 8 Hours At Daytona and finished 10th overall. He says his future plans will include participating riding schools and maybe managing a SunTrust MOTO-ST Series team. “I might manage a team, maybe, sit back and watch. We’ll see what happens,” Shaw said. “I really like instructing. I’ve been doing a lot of instructing for the Team Hammer School, the Penguin School and the Track Day School. I really enjoy teaching the kids how to ride. I’m still good enough where I can stay out in front of some of them, and I think that’s probably my future, to be able to impart some of the skill and knowledge that I’ve accumulated over the years and help these kids come along.” Sunday’s Fall Cycle Scene activities concluded with CCS Sprint races and the ASRA Finals. Motorcycles will return to Daytona International Speedway in March for Daytona 200 Week By Honda on March 2-10. Tickets and more information are available online at http://www.racetickets.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

Valencia finale awaits Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racers John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen will be aiming to end the season on a high at the final round of 2006 at Valencia in Spain. Hopkins will be looking to add to his current points tally with a high scoring finish. The Anglo-American star is currently the most consistent points scorer in the MotoGP Championship, having scored points in the last 14 consecutive races. He is still searching for that elusive first podium finish and will be going all out to get that on race-day. Vermeulen will be visiting a circuit that he knows well from WSB racing and MotoGP testing, and will be hoping to secure the points he needs to make him only the second Suzuki rider in history to score over 100 points in a season on a 990cc MotoGP bike a feat first achieved by Hopkins earlier this year. Valencia has now become the traditional venue for the final race of the season. The 4km long circuit is the is the only stadium track on the calendar and the huge crowds that visit the race can see almost all the action from any point around the arena. The final race looks like producing a breathtaking finish to the 2006 World Championship with both Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden capable of lifting the trophy. Whatever happens it will certainly be greeted by a huge firework display at the end of the race, lit by the winner of the 30-lap event. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will take to the track on Friday for two free practice sessions, followed by another on Saturday morning. Both riders will be battling to secure the best starting position for Sunday’s race during the hour-long qualifying session on Saturday afternoon. The 17th and final round of the season gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (13.00hrs GMT) on Sunday 29th October. John Hopkins: “Valencia is the race everyone wants to go to. It’s the grand finale of the season and people from all walks of life will be there for the last race of the year. It’s the only track that is held in a stadium environment and that gives it an even more special feeling. The Spanish fans there are great if not a bit crazy – and I’d certainly love to be the one lighting the fireworks at the end.” Chris Vermeulen: “A race track I know well, we have been here racing and testing a lot in Superbike and it was also the first place I tested for Suzuki. My favourite turn is the long left hander leading into the last turn, sometimes the bike slides here a lot and feels like my old dirt tracking days. I want to finish the season on a real high and will be going all out to achieve that. Also being another race in Spain, where the crowds are just amazing, will certainly add to the drama that I am sure will unfold.”