The Spaniard Toni Elias will continue to ride for the Gresini Honda Team in MotoGP next season having signed a one -year deal with Fausto Gresini. After one season together, Fausto Gresini announced this morning the renewal of the contract with the 23 year-old Spanish rider who demonstrated, during the season, to be a determined rider. Last Sunday’s achievement of his first Motogp win at Estoril, was once again the confirmation of Toni Elias’ talent and strong potential. Toni Elias will be Marco Melandri’s team mate for the 2007 season, that sees MotoGP enters an exciting new era with the new 800cc rules coming into effect. FAUSTO GRESINI: “I’m very pleased to announce the renewal of the contract with Toni Elias for the 2007 season. We have always believed in his potential and we have supported him at the beginning of the year when he made his debut on the Honda RC211V and throughout the whole season. Last Sunday’s win at Estoril confirms that Tony is a talented rider with a great potential and enthusiasm. We are happy to continue the project that will see him next year on a Honda V4 800cc. We are motivated to grow and reach together important results. Toni Elias will continue working with the same team, an experienced and motivated staff. I’m happy to line up two young but strong riders for the 2007 season”. TONI ELIAS: “I’m very happy to have reached this agreement. The renewal of the contract gives me the opportunity to continue the project started this year with Honda and Fausto Gresini. My priority was in fact to work with Honda in the team run by Fausto Gresini, together with my chief mechanic Fabrizio Cecchini. In order to take this decision, I have considered first of all the technical, sports and human factors. I believe this is the best choice for my sports career and I think we have all the elements to make a good preparation during the winter test sessions, in order to grow, gain experience and fight for good results. I’d like to finish the last race of the season with a good performance. But I really look forward to next year, I’m excited to ride the new Honda V4 800cc.” TONI ELIAS RIDER PROFILE Born: 26.03.1983 Manresa (BCL) Spain Nationality: Spanish Residence: Spain Status: single Height: 163 cm Weight: 54 kg RACING RESULTS Seasons: 7 (1999-2005) GP disputed: 111(28 in motogp, 48 in 250, 35 in 125) Wins: 10 (1 in motogp, 7 in 250, 2 in 125) 2nd places : 10 (6 in 250, 4 in 125) 3rd places: 10 (7 in 250, 3 in 125) Podiums: 30 (1 in motogp 20 in 250, 9 in 125) Pole: 9 (5 in 250, 4 in 125) Fast laps 8 (1 in motogp, 6 in 250, 1 in 125)

The Ducati Marlboro Team have reached an agreement with Casey Stoner to take part in the 2007 MotoGP World Championship, with an option for the following year. The start of a new era for MotoGP, which will see 800 cc bikes taking the place of the 990 cc powered machines, also marks the start of a fresh chapter in Ducati. Following the first positive tests carried out with the Desmosedici GP7, the Borgo Panigale-based team are looking to the future with confidence and have decided to offer an opportunity to the talented young Australian. With the benefit of Loris Capirossi’s enormous experience and the support of the entire team, Casey can now get to grips with the new technical package that will be made available to him and fully demonstrate the great talent that he has already expressed this year on his debut in the top category. Casey Stoner “I am really happy to have been given this opportunity to race with the Ducati Marlboro Team next year. Ducati have made a lot of progress in the last couple of years and I think they can also do a great job with the new 800. It’s a great privilege for me to be Loris Capirossi’s team-mate. I watched him race before I started my career and now it’s a real honour to be in the same team as him on the same bike. Finally I’d like to thank Lucio Cecchinello. We have worked well together over the years but I feel that the possibility of racing in a factory team is the best thing for my future”. Claudio Domenicali (Ducati Corse Managing Director and Ducati Director of Product Development) “It’s always nice to welcome someone to our large family but it is just as difficult to say goodbye to someone who leaves. We are at the end of a season that has given us great satisfaction but which on the other hand has proved to have been particularly difficult for Sete. Despite his devotion and his undoubted talent, a number of factors have prevented him from obtaining the results to live up to everyone’s expectations. Our heartfelt thanks go out to him for his commitment and professionalism and we wish him all the best for his future. I am delighted to welcome Casey to Ducati. He is a very promising rider, with talent and determination in abundance. We are sure that with the help of our and Loris’s experience, he will get to know our bike and his experience will mature in line with the development of the GP7. With his enthusiasm and aggressive riding style, Casey is sure to give our fans some extraordinary emotions, in the best spirit of Ducati”.

The wild-card riders who will race in the Valencia Grand Prix (Gran Premi de la Comunitat Valenciana), scheduled on the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia (Spain) on October 29 next, are the following: 125cc Class Number/Rider/Bike/Team/Nomination 30 Pere Tutusaus (SPA-Derbi) RACC Derbi RFME 39 Daniel Webb (GBR-Honda) Repsol Honda RFME 54 Randy Krummenacher (SUI-KTM) Red Bull ADAC KTM Junior FIM 77 Daniel Saez (SPA-Aprilia) Quinto Almoradi RFME 78 Hugo van den Berg (NED-Aprilia) Varenhof Racing FIM 250cc Class Number/Rider/Bike/Team/Nomination 6 Alex Debon (SPA-Aprilia) Aprilia Racing MSMA 31 Alvaro Molina (SPA-Aprilia) Andalucia Team Mas RFME 45 Dan Linfoot (GBR-Honda) Winona Racing FIM 53 Santiago Barragan (SPA-Honda) Extremadura Junior RFME 57 Chaz Davies (GBR-Honda) Grillini Racing FIM MotoGP Class Number/Rider/Bike/Team/Nomination 8 Garry McCoy (AUS-Ilmor X3) Ilmor SRT FIM/Dorna Maximum number and nomination of wild-cards riders: 125cc: 3 nominated by the FMNR (Organising Federation); 2 nominated by the FIM. 250cc: 3 nominated by the FMNR (Organising Federation); 1 nominated by MSMA (Motorcycle Sport Manufacturers’ Association); 2 nominated by the FIM. MotoGP : 1 nominated by MSMA, 1 nominated by the FIM/Dorna. – A compulsory briefing will be held for all the riders who will be participating for the first time in the current Championship, at 17h00 on the day preceding the day scheduled for the first practice session.

Rojo Racing Jason Perez underwent surgery on Monday afternoon at the hands of Dr. Arthur Ting to repair two fractured metacarpals in his right hand. The injury occurred at the sixth AMA round held at Miller Motorsports during FX qualifying. Although his hand was x-rayed at both the Hospital in Utah and his orthopedic surgeon at home, there were no broken bones found on film. Since Laguna Jason has complained of grip strength issues but felt his hand would heal and gain strength over time. At the Toyota 200 after two days of chasing setup Jason began complaining of severe pain in his hand. A decision was made to compete in minimal sprint races on Saturday in hopes of saving his hand for the Big Race on Sunday. Monday after the Toyota 200 the wheels were put into motion to find the problem with his hand. After an MRI on Wednesday and a CT scan on the following Monday it was found that Jason had two compressed fractures (basically crushed) of the index and middle metacarpals near the base of his wrist. After options given by Dr. Ting, a decision was made to plate over the damaged bones. His recovery should be swift given Dr. Ting’s prognoses and will be ready to compete in the 2007 season. Jason can be contacted at [email protected]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. When riders line-up on the grid for the start of the inaugural SunTrust MOTO-ST 8 Hours At Daytona on Saturday, October 21, two-time FIM World Endurance Champion Warwick Nowland will be among those looking to make his mark in this all new series. Joining Mike Ciccoto of Sebastian, Fla., and John Haner of Austin, Texas, aboard a BMW R1200 sponsored by BMW Motorcycles of Daytona, Nowland, a native of Australia, will make the long trek from his homeland to the famed Daytona International Speedway with one goal in mind to win this inaugural race. “This is going to be a fantastic event,” says Nowland, who began his racing career in 1993. A definite hard charger, Nowland is known for his determination to win. “Once I started racing I couldn’t stop. Even now, I can’t live without it. I love the sport, I love what it can do for people and I love the ‘Team’ aspect about it and I always want to win everything. Winning races and World Championships is what drives me. Plus, I want to entertain the spectators and always have lots of fun with my team along the way.” One of the foremost names in World Endurance, Nowland and his teammates finished third in this year’s World Championship. “It was a good result for us,” he explains. “We did not have the same equipment as the two bikes that finished ahead of us. For me, it is okay. I have never finished outside the top three of the World Championship since I started in 2000 except for last year when we finished fourth, and I feel that that is a good record.” With the World season over, Nowland is now busy planning 2007. “Once again, I plan to race in the World Endruance Championship and of course, do everything I can to win another title. At the moment, I have four opportunities aboard four different makes of motorcycle. Putting everything in place to make a winning situation is the hard part. I want to get everything finalized as soon as possible. Coming to the United States will definitely be a nice break and one that I am looking forward to.” A tough competitor on the track, when not racing, Nowland enjoys water sports, riding off-road motorcycles, fishing, skiing, PlayStation, hanging out with his friends and having fun. Planning to continue his career in the World Endurance Championship Series, Nowland would like to end up with five World titles to his name and then to manage a team. The next order of business, however, is taking part in the inaugural SunTrust MOTO-ST 8 Hours At Daytona this weekend. “I’m ready for the race,” he says. “All we need is that green flag to signal the start.” The inaugural event of the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series will take the Green Flag on Saturday, October 21 at 1:00 PM (ET) with racers taking the Checkered Flag at 9:00 PM (ET). Tickets to the 8 Hours At Daytona may be purchased online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or www.racetickets.com or by calling 1-800-PIT-SHOP. MOTO-ST is organized by Professional Motorsports Productions of Toronto, Ontario, Canada and is sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) of Pickerington, Ohio. The Grand American Road Racing Association, based in Daytona Beach, Fla., provides the series with administrative and commercial support. The MOTO-ST advisory board features some of the most respected individuals in the world of motorsports, including AMA Hall of Fame members, respected motorcycle racing journalists and renowned officials from various forms of road racing. Learn more about MOTO-ST at www.moto-st.com.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio – Josh Hayes, winner of the 2006 Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series, earned his first AMA Pro Racing SPEED Athlete of the Year nomination. Hayes, 31, from Gulfport, Miss., won the Formula Xtreme title in a tight season-long battle with Yamaha riders Eric Bostrom and Jason DiSalvo. All three riders had a chance at the series coming into the final race of the year. Hayes earned the championship in spectacular fashion, winning a riveting battle over Bostrom and DiSalvo at the Mid-Ohio finale on Oct. 1. In all Hayes won three Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme rounds this year on his Erion Racing Honda CBR600RR and edged Bostrom by seven points in the final standings. Hayes’ Formula Xtreme title was his second AMA national championship. He previously won the AMA Superstock Series in 2003. This past season was Hayes’ 10th year of AMA professional racing. To earn an Athlete of the Year nomination at this point in his career was somewhat unexpected. “Who would have thought that I would earn this nomination,” said Hayes, who is ranked 10th on the all-time Formula Xtreme wins list. “It makes me feel good to know that people are paying attention to the Formula Xtreme class. It was a great series this year and beating someone of Eric Bostrom’s caliber made it that much more special to me. This is pretty awesome.” Hayes was a WERA National Champion before becoming a pro with the AMA. His early career was plagued by injury, but he completed this year healthy and it resulted in a championship. It marked the seventh Formula Xtreme Championship for Honda and the makers’ third straight in the class. AMA Pro Racing will honor the champions of American professional motorcycle racing at its 32nd annual AMA Pro Racing Awards Banquet on Sunday evening, Nov. 19 at Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The annual event attracts not only America’s best professional racers but also executives and personalities from the motorcycle industry. The banquet is the conclusion of the nearly year-long AMA Pro Racing season comprised of over 70 professional racing events. The highlight of the banquet each year is announcing the AMA Pro Racing SPEED Athlete of the Year recipient. Last year Ricky Carmichael became the first rider in AMA history to win the Athlete of the Year Award for the fourth time. Five nominees for the award will be announced over the next two weeks. 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. About AMA Pro Racing AMA Pro Racing is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its properties include the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship and the AMA Supermoto Championship. For more information about AMA Pro Racing, visit www.amaproracing.com. Accredited media outlets can also access AMA Pro Racing’s online Press Room at www.amaproracing.com/pressroom.