PICKERINGTON, Ohio – Josh Hayes captured the 2006 Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series title by taking a dramatic victory in the series finale at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Sunday, Oct. 1. Formula Xtreme was the most closely contested series in AMA championship road racing this year. Hayes, Eric Bostrom and Jason DiSalvo came into Mid-Ohio all with a good shot at winning the title. Hayes turned in one of the best races of his career to secure his second AMA title. He rode an Erion Racing Honda CBR600RR-based machine to a 2.355-second margin of victory over Yamaha’s Bostrom. In the end the two were separated by just seven points, 358-351. “I’m proud of myself in a lot of ways because to beat a guy with the reputation of an Eric Bostrom on the track was such a hard thing to do,” Hayes said. “My team did such a good job and Honda was behind me so much. We were very fortunate. We kind of found some things and we found a good bike and I felt like I was riding the thing better and better, especially towards the end of the season. And I learned a lot from Eric, just racing with him.” This year’s Lockhart Phillips Formula Xtreme championship is the second national title for Hayes. The 31-year-old Mississippi native also won the 2003 AMA Superstock Championship. For Hayes to keep Formula Xtreme in the Honda camp was a major accomplishment. Yamaha made a major push in the class this year with Bostrom and DiSalvo. Honda’s main factory squad departed the series after winning at Daytona with Jake Zemke, leaving its primary support squad, Erion Racing Honda, to uphold company honors. Erion and Hayes did a remarkable job staying in the hunt all season and emerging as the top team. Hayes quietly kept early leader DiSalvo in sight in the first half of the season before breaking through with a victory in June at the new Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. Hayes then closed the season with a flourish, winning the final two rounds at Road Atlanta and Mid-Ohio. “We came against a truly formidable opponent who put a lot of effort into making sure that they squashed us,” Hayes said of Yamaha. “They came fully loaded with big guns. I didn’t really have a lackluster part of the season. I have one race I wish I could give back and try again. But Eric deserves so much. The guy won more races than anybody in the series. There’s no doubt he deserves a lot. I just was able to put the pieces together and win the right races at the right time.” Bostrom was gracious in defeat. “I think that Josh is one of those guys that’s had a career that’s kind of stumbled because of bad luck, but is immensely talented, so it’s cool,” Bostrom said. “As bummed as I am, it’s cool to see somebody that’s so well deserving, and that’s had so many tough breaks, to come out on top. That makes it worthwhile.” Hayes’ three wins this year put him 10th on the all-time Formula Xtreme wins list. He is the eighth winner of the series that began in 1997. The title was the seventh for Honda in Formula Xtreme and the third straight.

Bologna (Italy): A fifth place in race 1 at Imola on Sunday was sufficient to crown Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) as World Superbike Champion for the second time in his career. With a comfortable lead of 87 points as the championship headed into its final two rounds, all Troy had to do was finish fourth or better in race 1 to clinch the title had his closest rival Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) won the race. That didn’t happen however and Troy even eased off at the Variante Bassa to allow Haga through into fourth as he knew that the title was his for the second time. With all the pressure off, Bayliss, wearing a set of specially-made ‘rainbow jersey’ world championship leathers and helmet, then dominated the second race of the day on the Ducati 999F06 to take his first-ever win at Imola. This latest victory is another remarkable chapter in the success story of the 37-year-old from Taree, Australia. Signed up by Ducati Corse in 2000 as a replacement for the injured Carl Fogarty, Bayliss won two races in his sensational debut year on the 996 and then took the world title the following year. A season-long battle with Colin Edwards in 2002 concluded at Imola in front of 100,000 spectators with a narrow win for the Texan, and although Troy moved to MotoGP for the next three years, that was not the last World Superbikes was to see of the Australian. After two years on the Ducati Desmosedici and one on the Honda in MotoGP, Troy accepted an offer from Ducati Corse at the end of 2005 to return to the championship where he had made his name. The rest is recent history, as Troy followed up two seconds and a sixth place in the opening three races with an unbeaten run of eight wins to stamp his authority on the championship. Things were not as smooth in the second half of the season as other riders and manufacturers came on strong, but it all came good at Imola on Sunday. “It’s really been a perfect day for me and everyone involved in Ducati” declared Troy at the end of the day. “I said to my guys ‘it’s win or crash’ and I wasn’t going to lose the second race. 21 laps round Imola is enough, I’m destroyed after today. The whole weekend’s taken its toll, it’s been a lot of hard work but I’m really happy to have taken the championship and my first-ever win here at Imola in front of all the Ducati fans”. Ducati Corse Superbike Program Director Paolo Ciabatti, who together with Team Manager Davide Tardozzi, was responsible for bringing Troy Bayliss back to World Superbikes with Ducati, was enthusiastic about having the #1 plate back again after one year. “Bringing Troy Bayliss back to Superbike was a challenge that we accepted with great enthusiasm,” he declared. “No one had any doubts about his great talent but to win the championship here at Imola with one race remaining gives us great satisfaction because it means that we have won that challenge. We are delighted that Troy has won his second championship with us and taken a first title for the Ducati Xerox Team”. Troy’s championship victory was greeted with immense satisfaction within the team’s title sponsor, Xerox. After entering the World Superbike championship with a satellite Ducati squad in 2004, the multinational document management and technology solutions company joined up with Ducati Corse in 2005 and this title win comes in their second season as sponsor of the factory Ducati Superbike team. “We are absolutely thrilled that Troy has won the 2006 world championship,” said Anthony Hyde, Head of Brand and Marketing Communications, Xerox Europe. “He has an enormous amount of focus, determination and dedication to the sport and his team – something that is very admirable and inspirational. Troy deserves this win, and we at Xerox are certainly proud to be in partnership with this outstanding team!”. TRANSCRIPT OF TROY BAYLISS PRESS CONFERENCE Immediately after the podium and the celebrations at Imola had died down, Troy Bayliss took part in the customary winner’s press conference in the circuit’s media centre. This is a transcript of the conference. “Hello guys, you’ve all seen what happened today, I’m really happy with the way it went I’m happy for Ducati, all their guests, sponsors, everybody who had anything to do with this year with our team. And of course you can also say that Imola is a bit of a home track, only 50 kms or so from Bologna, so to take the championship in front of all the Ducati fans and also take the win was perfect for me today. That’s about it really, we move on to Magny-Cours. Although I’ve taken the championship, we still have the Manufacturers’ championship to wrap up. I think we’re looking pretty good in the points but it’s not over till it’s over so we move on and hopefully we can have a good weekend at Magny-Cours.” OBVIOUSLY YOU WERE HAPPY TO COME BACK TO THE WORLD SUPERBIKE PADDOCK, WITH A LOT OF OLD FRIENDS THERE. AT THE START OF THE SEASON AFTER THE FIRST TEST, HOW CONFIDENT WERE YOU THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE YOUR YEAR? “Well, obviously I was a little bit worried because I’d never ridden the 999 before and also the one-tyre rule which has everybody on Pirelli, and after the first test we had in Valencia I was still recovering with my wrist from the year before which wasn’t very nice but as soon as I hopped back on the bike in Valencia, I felt like ‘Wow! I was back in my old chair.’ Straightaway I got a reasonably good feeling with the Pirelli tyres and when I finished the test second I thought that I was going to be a front-runner next year and maybe a contender for the championship. I think after that we moved onto Qatar, made a few changes to the bike and straightway I dropped like a second a lap, felt really at home on the bike and since then it’s just been going through the motions. I’ve had some great races this year, I’ve got a great team behind me, which are very smart. I’ve put a lot of wins together as well in the first part of the season so we’ve really done our homework with the winter tests and made a really good first half, or I think two-thirds of the season, and since then it’s been a little bit up and down. All the other manufacturers seem to be getting very strong towards the end of the year. I think next year is going to be a great championship, a little bit more difficult for us but we’re not here for an easy job.” AT THE START OF THE SEASON THE PRESS HAD TALKED ABOUT THE BATTLE OF THE TWO TROYS. WERE YOU A BIT SURPRISED MID-WAY THROUGH THE SEASON THAT IT WASN’T YOUR FELLOW COUNTRYMAN GIVING YOU THE TROUBLE BUT OTHER RIDERS LIKE HAGA AND TOSELAND, THE HONDAS AND PARTICULARLY THE YAMAHAS? “Yeah, I was a bit surprised because honestly I thought Troy was going to be the main guy to beat this year. He’s always very but consistent but I’m not sure what happened, it’s not like him. He did some great races earlier on the year but towards the second half it didn’t go his way. But there’s lots of great riders there and actually lots of good bikes as well, we’re all on the same tyres, which makes it very even and I think it’s great for the championship. It’s going to be harder next year, we’ve got Max arriving which should be good for the championship, but we’re going to do our homework, work hard over the winter tests and I’m sure we’re going to be contenders again next year.” HOW DOES THIS VICTORY COMPARE WITH YOUR FIRST VICTORY IN 2001? “Honestly there’s nothing like the first time and that goes for anything, the first one is always the best! This was also great, but we sort of expected it. My first win here at Imola however was very special and to take the championship in front of all our fans here was very nice.” IN RACE 1 DID YOU HAVE A PROBLEM AND WHAT HAPPENED AT THE LAST CORNER WHEN HAGA PASSED YOU? “I just wasn’t interested!! I got a little bit hooked up with the race in the first two-thirds and realised that we didn’t have the tyre. We chose the hardest tyre there was what Pirelli brought here today just to be safe and I really struggled. If we didn’t have the championship on the line, I would have gone for it and not given in. The second race we chose a different tyre but also with about six laps to go it was difficult, Alex was coming through very strong but I wasn’t going to give in, it was either ‘crash or win’. And also I thought that I could have finished on the podium but Andrew was riding very well and I didn’t want to get mixed up in a cat-fight towards the end of the race. I only needed fourth, Haga was behind me, he needed to win so I really relaxed down. In these situations you make mistakes and I made a couple and in the end I thought that if I finished fourth or fifth I wouldn’t have to go to the Paddock Show but I had to go anyway!” I’VE HEARD FROM THE DUCATI ENGINEERS THAT THEY FEEL THAT THE 999 IS REALLY UP AGAINST THE WALL AS FAR AS DEVELOPMENT IS CONCERNED AND IT’S GOING TO BE DIFFICULT TO BRING ANY MORE OUT OF IT AND THAT BASICALLY YOU’RE RACING NEXT YEAR WITH WHAT YOU’VE HAD THIS YEAR. YOU’VE ALSO GOT A 1200 THAT’S GOING TO HAVE TO BE DEVELOPED. DOES THAT CONCERN YOU THAT THE HONDAS ARE COMING ON SO STRONG, THE YAMAHAS AS WELL, LOOKING TOWARDS NEXT YEAR AND, SECONDLY, WHEN DO YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN THE 1200 PROJECT? “What 1200 project! We’ll see, well like I said next year is going to be difficult because we’re going to have basically the same bike, we’re not going to get many more horsepower. Since I rode the bike in 2002 it’s only gained a few more horsepower, but it’s a beautiful bike to ride and we’re going to go away and do our homework and it’s going to be ready for next year. As far as anything new that comes, I won’t get involved until it gets close to race time.” HOW IMPORTANT OR HELPFUL HAS YOUR WONDERFUL TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM BEEN IN ALLOWING YOU TO PUT IN THE KIND OF LAPS OR COME OUT OF CORNERS WHERE YOU CAN COME OUT THIS YEAR? “Well as far as traction control goes, you can only go as fast as how much grip you have. So if you have no grip, the traction control won’t let you go past that point. It all depends on the settings so you have to work on the settings and who hasn’t got it.”

BATTLE FOR SECOND PROVIDES EXCITEMENT AT MAGNY-COURS BAYLISS AND CO. OUT FOR MORE WINS AT LAST CHANCE SALOON Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) may have wrapped up the championship itself at last weekend’s Imola round but for most other riders there is still everything to play for – from the very top to the very bottom of the championship table. Bayliss, who has now scored 11 wins, is head and shoulders over the rest in terms of maximum scores, but no fewer than eight riders have won at least one race in this frequently unpredictable season. All five major global manufacturers have also scored at least one victory, proving that the combination of Pirelli’s one make tyre support and evenly matched technical rules have once more delivered more than mere theoretical opportunities for all. WEST MEETS EAST IN BATTLE FOR SECOND PLACE After James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) edged out Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) in each Imola race he now enters the final round in France with a slender two-point advantage. Magny-Cours was the scene of Toseland’s first World Championship success in 2004, and doubtless the British rider will add that to the list of pluses as he enters the final round. Just to add more spice to the dish, each has already won a race at Magny-Cours, in the 2004 season. PITT AND BARROS ON THE UP BUT CORSER IN THE DOLDRUMS In current fourth and fifth place respectively, Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) and Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda) have both added their names to the list of SBK race winners, and their personal battle for fourth overall has now taken on an extra layer of significance, after Barros finished first and second at Imola, drawing himself to within eight points of Pitt in the process. The Aussie rider is nonetheless on good form, having scored third and fourth in Italy, so this match-up will be one well worth watching. 2005 Champion Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) had another meeting to forget at Imola, but he will be out to show his battling qualities in his last ride for the Alstare squad this year, attempting to narrow an eight-point gap to Barros, and possibly even a 21-point margin to Pitt. KAGAYAMA AIMS FOR CORSER AS TOP TEN BATTLE HARDENS Some 25-points behind his own team-mate Corser, Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) will have to pull out two special race finishes to catch and pass Corser in the final standings – but only Bayliss has won more races than Kagayama this year. His total of three victories could well be improved on in France, and realistically, one of last year’s race winners, Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) is almost certainly too far behind to make up the 41-point gap to the Japanese. Lanzi may find the memories of Magny-Cours 2005 the spark that ignites his first full-factory season, but he has to work hard in any case to stop the two following riders, Chris Walker and Fonsi Nieto (both PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) from re-passing him in the championship stakes. Walker will be looking to finish his season on a similar high note to his Assen race win, while Nieto goes for win number one, to follow up his podium finish in race two in Holland. Only a single point separates Walker and Nieto, who are in turn only 12 points behind Lanzi. PRIVATE RIDERS GOING FOR IT IN FINAL THROW OF THE 2006 DICE Thanks to a grid full of competitive machines and riding talent the battle for places just beyond the fringes of the top ten will be as immense at Magny-Cours as it has been at every other race this year. Michel Fabrizio (DFX Treme Honda) and Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda) are about to experience the denouement of their own Honda civil war, while Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) is out to leapfrog both of them. A double no-score for Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Berik Ducati 999) at Imola has dropped him down the order but as a former race winner in France (in 2003) he knows his way around Magny-Cours on a Ducati. Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) is used to being the top placed French rider in SBK, but as he is currently only 15th in the championship and has never won a race in France his motivation will have a keen edge to it this weekend. The fact that he has yet to score a podium of any colour in 2006 is another unnecessary reminder to watch the number 55 Kawasaki in action at his home track. TOP TWENTY FEATURES CLASS APLENTY Roberto Rolfo (Ducati SC Caracchi) has had occasional high points in his 2006 SBK rookie season, but Magny-Cours will be the final chance to end a disappointing recent run. Well behind Laconi in the current point standings, he is nonetheless well ahead of another SBK rookie, Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Motor France). Despite missing some of the season, and no-scoring in Imola, Alstare Engineering Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner is overall 18th, with Petronas rider Steve Martin and the third YMF competitor Sebastien Gimbert close behind. Magny-Cours will be the final outing for the Petronas triple, and the second rider in the team, Craig Jones, who will be looking to Magny Cours as another chance to get more points on the board. LAST RACE FOR CHILI IN SBK™ Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Treme Honda) has now started a record 276 World Superbike races, and at Magny-Cours he will make it 278, before finally hanging up his racing leathers for good, ending a glittering career in top flight racing. Arguably the most globally popular rider in the near 20-year history of the SBK series, Chili is sure to receive an emotional send-off, irrespective of his final race or championship positions. SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP A perfect first place for Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) and a hardly less impressive second for Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda) at Imola have kept the battle for supremacy in the World Supersport championship alive until the very last round of the year. With championship leader Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) third at Imola, he now has his lead trimmed back to 18 points overall – but is still very much in the driving seat to take his first World Supersport crown, and Yamaha’s first Riders’ Championship since 2000. Another fight, for third overall, is more finely balanced, with Sofuoglu on 137 and Broc Parkes (Yamaha Motor Germany) on 129. Robbin Harms (Stiggy Motorsports) may still be looking for his first season win from what is an eminently defendable fifth overall, but this season there have already been six different race winners – the top four, plus Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia – in overall sixth) and Yoann Tiberio (Megabike Honda – in overall seventh). SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP Alessandro Polita (Celani Suzuki Italia) has now wrapped up the championship title but the campaign itself has one more pitched battle to go. With the disqualification of Luca Scassa (EVR Corse Ormeni Racing) at Imola, there is now a three way fight for second, with Claudio Corti (Yamaha Team Italia) second, Ayrton Badovini (Biassono Unionbike MV Agusta) third, and Scassa fourth. Only 13 points cover those three, and with the unpredictable nature of Superstock racing, all are still in with a chance of second. Eventual Imola winner Brendan Roberts (HP Racing) is fifth, the only rider outside the top four to have won a race in 2006. SUPERSTOCK 600 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP Xavier Simeon (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) is close to home ground at the French round at Magny Cours, but the Belgian has already made himself at home in the status of European Champion, having seen his title rival Niccolo Canepa (Ducati Xerox Junior Team) ruled out even before Imola. The fight for second is now between the still-injured Davide Giugliano (Lightspeed Kawasaki) and Canepa, who is now only six points ahead. More, from a press release issued by Team Klaffi Honda: BARROS LOOKS FOR ANOTHER VICTORY Team Klaffi Honda rider Alex Barros arrives, with the excitement of a perfect weekend at Imola still fresh in his mind, to the Circuit of Nevers at Magny-Cours for the ultimate round of the 2006 Superbike World Championship. The track, near the city of Nevers in the centre of France, is not a complete unknown place for Barros. Last time the Brazilian rode there was in 1992 on a Cagiva at the 500cc Grand Prix of France. Barros currently lies in fifth in the Superbike World Championship, only eight points behind fourth placed Andrew Pitt. Alex Barros: “I caught a little bit of a cold after Imola, but it should be okay for the weekend. Last time I rode in Magny-Cours was back in 1992, so the track will be a kind of new for me. They also put in a new chicane before the finish line. I think that our bike will be competitive again. At the moment I do not consider about finishing on a certain position, I only think about a victory.” Klaus Klaffenback, Team Manager: “We want to continue where we stopped in Imola. It is quite a long time since Alex was in Magny-Cours last time. The track should suit him and our bike very well, as it has three very hard braking points. An important fact is also that Ramon Forcada will be again the chief-mechanic for Alex.” Track: Circuit de Nevers, Magny-Cours, France. Track Length: 4411 m. Lap Record: 1:39,836 (Chris Vermeulen, Honda, 2005). Winners 2005: Race 1: Chris Vermeulen (Honda), Race 2: Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati). More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: CHARPENTIER ENTERS HOME RACE IN DETERMINED MOOD Having reduced his points deficit from 27 to 18 after his victory at the Imola race last weekend Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) is still in a position to retain his world champion status, despite the magnitude of the task in front of him. Should he be able to score second or better, and see current leader Kevin Curtain post either a no score or a very low single digit points finish, Charpentier would make history by becoming the only rider to successfully defend a World Supersport crown. His injury-blighted season has been a challenge to the French rider since breaking his pelvis in testing at Brno, but he has easily outscored all his rivals in terms of race wins, with a total of five so far. Charpentier’s recent championship push has been aided immensely by his resurgent team-mate, Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) who has himself scored race wins at Assen and Lausitz. He finished second to Charpentier at Imola, taking valuable points from Curtain, who was a distant third. The 23-year-old Turkish rider has been in potent form for most of the 2006 season, and has comprehensively recovered from a dip in form in the mid-part of the year, having now scored a total of six podiums, four in the last four races. He is now third in the championship table, eight points up on his nearest rival, Broc Parkes. Both Winston Ten Kate Honda riders had positive results in recent Magny-Cours tests, and have contributed significant points towards Honda winning the Manufacturers’ trophy at the previous round in Imola. Yoann Tiberio (Team Megabike Honda CBR600RR) has been looking forward to his first race in front of a home crowd since his promotion from the Junior Megabike Honda team last year. He has happy memories of his race in the European 600 Superstock Championship during the Magny-Cours SBK race weekend last year, taking the race win on a Megabike Junior Team Honda CBR600RR. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Team Megabike Honda CBR600RR) demonstrated at Imola that he has lost none of his inherent speed, qualifying in third grid position, even if his niggling wrist injury once more affected his ultimate race result. Charpentier need only remember the Imola result to see what is possible in Magny-Cours, even without the aid of a vociferous home crowd. “In Imola we had a fantastic race,” said Charpentier, as he moves back to home ground for round 12. “It was good to run away from the rest of the riders with my team-mate. In Magny Cours it will be another race, difficult of course, but we will give our best, as usual. I feel good again and this is very important: it has been a hard time for me after the injury and trying to get back in shape. Now I can say I am back. And this is thanks to the support of everyone, my family and my team. Magny Cours will be my home race and I hoping to have many supporters cheering for me. I will try not to disappoint them.” Sofuoglu just wants to keep his run of fabulous form going, and is ready once more to work for a mutually beneficial team result. “These last few races have been fantastic for me,” affirmed Sofuoglu. “I am really enjoying riding for the Winston Ten Kate Honda Team. It is a big family; everybody is always ready to help each other. The race at Imola went well, I am happy Sebastien has reduced his gap to Curtain and he still has another opportunity in Magny-Cours next weekend. My goal is, as always, to reach the podium and this is what I will aim for in the French race. I am feeling good and I am only sad that the season is about to finish so soon.” Tiberio found some confidence again at Imola, even if his issues with rear tyre traction held back his ultimate results. He now enters his home round ready to put on a good show for his fans, aiming for at least a top five finish. “Imola was better than the previous race at Lausitz,” stated Tiberio, “and that gives me even more confidence for more of an improvement at Magny-Cours. It is my track, near my hometown, and I want to make my best, because I know what is possible. My target will be to finish inside the top five and maintain my championship position of seventh. If I want this, I have to run a perfect race.” Fujiwara saw a marked improvement in pre-race speed and is out to end an injury-blighted season on the highest note possible. “I was much happier after the Imola race and this makes me confident for Magny-Cours,” said Fujiwara. “My injured hand has improved a lot really in the last period, thanks to the training that I did on it. This will be the last race of the season and so I really want to race for a good result. This has not been a lucky season for me, but I know I can finish off 2006 well. The set-up of my bike is OK and my team is organised to support me in the best possible way.” TOSELAND OUT TO WIN RACES AND SECURE OVERALL SECOND World Superbike Round 12 of 12 James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) has two clear personal aims in mind as he enters the final round of the World Superbike Championship at Magny-Cours; win both races and consolidate his current second place in the overall championship. He has a two-point advantage over Noriyuki Haga in the standings at present after out-pointing him in each recent Imola race. In race one at Imola Toseland only had to give best to another top-level Honda entry, Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) who was the best rider on the day, with a first and second. Victory was an important step in the development of Barros as a Superbike rider, after his vast experience of Grand Prix racing and Barros now has two more opportunities to secure wins before the end of the year. Michel Fabrizio (DFX Honda CBR1000RR) three times a podium finisher in this his rookie SBK year already, will be out for at least another top three as he heads to France. Last year he scored a third place for Honda in the Supersport class, and thus the challenge of Magny-Cours holds no fears for him. One rider looking for his first SBK podium finish is former World Supersport Champion Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR). Injury and simple misfortune have conspired against him securing a top three thus far but Muggeridge has his mind set on conquering another personal ambition before the season ends on Sunday afternoon. Having said goodbye to his homeland last weekend, Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Honda CBR1000RR) heads to France to complete the last scene of his SBK career. He retires after the races on Sunday, with more SBK race starts than any rider in history already under his belt. With the title decided at Imola, Toseland was not quite able to add to his total of two race wins so far, but knows it will be the perfect way to ensure an overall second in the championship chase. “Not the luckiest weekend at Imola, but as everyone knows, luck turns around,” said Toseland, who won his world championship title at this very circuit in the last race of the 2004 season. “We have to be positive; we finished both races in front of my end-of-season rival Haga, and this put me in second position in the world standings. This position is still not safe, but I will do my best to maintain it in the two Magny-Cours races. I feel good and I’m looking forward to starting another weekend of racing.” Barros, looking to make up eight points on fourth placed rider Andrew Pitt, is out for wins and nothing less in France. “I caught a little bit of a cold after Imola, but it should be okay for the weekend,” said Barros. “Last time I rode in Magny-Cours was back in 1992, so the track will be a kind of new for me. They have also put in a new chicane before the finish line. I think that our bike will be competitive again. At the moment I do not consider just finishing in a good position – I only think about victory.” Memories of his recent double non-finish at Imola are the spur for Fabrizio’s weekend in France, as is the desire not to slip down the finishing order from his current 11th place. “I am still quite upset about the results I did not get at Imola,” stated Fabrizio, “and I am completely determined to make up for that disappointment in France.” Muggeridge is out for one thing only at Magny-Cours, a top three finish in one or either race. “I really want to get on the podium before the end of the season,” said the frequently luckless Muggeridge. “The past weekend wasn’t too good overall; our times weren’t the fastest from Friday on. We hope to start much better in Magny Cours to finish in better positions in Sunday’s races. The team is ready and I’m ready.” Chili approaches Magny-Cours as ready as he can be to score as highly up the finishing order as possible, in what will be his last race in SBK. “It is true, it’s my last race in World Superbike, and as usual I will be starting for the best results I can get,” said Chili. “I hope to leave with something good from this race and I have been training to be able to finish on the podium – even if I think that it is a dream. But it is good to dream. I like the Magny-Cours track, most of it is nice; just that last chicane is not the best.”

Read it here: ~http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061003/SPORTS/610030337~

TESTING, TESTING, TESTING How winter testing lays the foundations of Michelin’s MotoGP success MotoGP is all about racing and winning but success during the summer racing season can usually be attributed to behind-the-scenes work during winter testing. Indeed riders cover many more laps during winter tests than they do actually racing. Nicolas Goubert, Michelin’s director of motorcycle racing, explains how the French company goes about its winter testing program in order to be best prepared for the next MotoGP World Championship. The some of Michelin’s best MotoGP riders take their turnÅ  Q: How does the Michelin winter testing program work? A: We try to concentrate first on tire profile and size, because these are the most difficult factors to change and because they need to be confirmed as soon as possible so the teams can tune bike set-up. The first thing we do is give the basic dimensions of a new tire to the teams so they can set up their bikes ­ ride height, gearbox and so on. Then we start work on tire construction and finally we look at compounds. So the main focus points during the inter-season are profile, size and construction because when you work on compounds you are only really working for each individual racetrack, so we continue working on compounds even as we go from track to track during the season. When we do work on compounds during the inter-season it is more likely to be more experimental, trying something very different. Q: How do you decide on tire profile and size? A: From the feedback we get from our MotoGP riders and teams during the previous season and from our own simulations and bench testing. We start off with computer simulations. Say, for example, we wanted to increase the size of the tire contact patch at medium lean angle as the rider is leaning into corner. We create a virtual tire and look at the contact patch that profile would give us at 25 to 40 degrees lean angle, as well as what force that profile would create. Once you’re happy with the results achieved by the computer simulation you build a tire and test it on a tire dyno to make sure you get the same kind of results you were aiming for in the simulation. If the tire works well on the dyno you then try it on a motorcycle on a racetrack. We usually start this program in the late summer, so we have already had a lot of races at a lot of different racetracks, which means we’ve got a good idea of what we want for the next season. Q: What about this winter, with the new 800s on the way? A: This winter will be a bit different because everyone is using new bikes for 2007. Our MotoGP partners Honda and Yamaha have given us an indication of where they want to go with the 800s, what kind of character they expect from their bikes, plus an indication of horsepower outputs. We take all that into account plus riders’ comments from the season. Then we decide on a direction, so we are ready as soon as possible to test in November. We are looking forward to the first serious 800 tests once this season is over, then we can look really carefully at what kind of profiles will be best suited to the bikes. Q: How many different tires do you test during a typical winter? A: We don’t actually test many different profiles because making a tire takes a lot of time and money, that’s why we do so much work on computer simulations. Last winter we tested two different rear profiles. And we quickly decided which of those two we would race with, following comments from different riders with different bikes. Q: Once you’ve started testing, how long does it take to produce a new profile? A: It could take maybe a month to produce a new profile, so you could do that during the winter, though if you wanted something drastically different it might take much longer. We have some programs that go on for ages, maybe a few years. Q: And how long to produce a new construction? A: Again, it depends on how much you want to change things. If you were making just a small adjustment to a construction you could do it in a few days, while a major change could take one or two years. Q: What is the process once you start testing? A: You always work by comparison. You bring the previous season’s profile to the early winter tests, in a compound that has worked well during the GP at that track, then you make comparisons with different riders. Even the first four or five laps with each rider can give you a good first impression of what the tire is like. If the riders are happy with the tire and there’s no problem with tire temperature or wear, we quickly move on to race-distance testing, because endurance is always the key, that’s where the results come from. It may be easy to find half a second a lap with a new profile, but that’s of no use to us if tire performance drops off after a few laps. If the endurance results are good, we move on to try the same tire at other racetracks before we can really decide if we are moving in the correct direction. Just because a tire works well at one track, doesn’t mean it will immediately work well at others. And if it works really well at one track but doesn’t work at the next two or three, then we have to put it aside. Q: How do you work with your riders? A: We ask them to be as precise as possible in the comments they give to us, but essentially the way we work with our riders during testing is the same as the way we work with them at races. Q: What does it take to be a good test rider? A: First of all the rider must be very fast! If we are to get really good feedback and information from a rider he also needs to be happy and confident on the bike and he mustn’t be distracted by any kind of problem. In addition to all of those factors the rider needs to have a very good feel for what’s happening out on the racetrack and he needs to be able to explain what’s happening, because feeling is one thing, explaining in language that can be understood is another. To mention a few, Valentino (Rossi, Camel Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) and Colin (Edwards, Camel Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) are very gifted at this, also Dani (Pedrosa, Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin), and Kenny (Roberts Junior, Team Roberts KR211V-Michelin) is also very precise and experienced. THE RIDERS’ VIEWPOINT Kenny Roberts Jr. and Colin Edwards are two of Michelin’s best MotoGP test riders and crucial contributors to Michelin’s R&D program. So what do they think is the secret to being a good tire tester? Kenny Roberts Jr. Q: Why are you good at testing? A: I’ve always needed a lot of grip and a lot of turning from my tires, and to get that you end up spending a lot of time getting to know the tires. I don’t know, it’s just something I’m good at, I give good feedback. You just try and tell the Michelin guys what the tire feels like, turning-wise, grip-wise, under braking and so on. It’s basically all about understanding how a tire works. Q: How important is winter testing? A: There are a lot of things we go through during the winter, a lot of stuff that we need to get ready for the new year, but I’d say that tires are the biggest thing. Tires and the progress of your suspension set-up are probably 60 to 70 percent of your testing load. Q: Why do Michelin have the edge in MotoGP? A: From what I can see the company seems to be very motivated and very focused on what their achievements need to be. They want to win the championship, they want to win every race and they want to win qualifying. For them it’s not just an engineering exercise, it’s also a competition. Plus they’ve got a tremendous amount of experience. Q: How many tires do you test at each winter test session? A: Anything from ten to 30. You’ll do between five and seven laps on each tire to get an idea of what it’s like, then you may go try a race-distance run. Q: Is it more difficult to push a front to the limit and thus to test it fully? A: In some ways it’s easier to get the initial feeling of a front tire. But you can only really base what you think about a front on the feeling and the turning it’s giving you, rather than from sliding it into the corners. You don’t slide much with the front, not on purpose anyway! Colin Edwards Q: What does it take to be a good test rider? A: First off, a good rider has to know what he wants. I think that’s the important thing because you can get lost. I’m a racer, not an engineer or some suspension guru, so I just translate stuff the best I can to my guys. A lot of testing is just elimination, you’re eliminating certain ideas that the team has to get the bike to handle better, to stop better or whatever. Q: How difficult is it to push a new tire to the limit? A: For me it’s easiest to test tires, because the tires are the things touching the ground and you can usually tell within a lap or two if a tire is better or worse. With some other stuff it’s difficult to feel any difference. But, of course, testing tires isn’t at all easy. You’re riding 98 or 99 percent, at 100 percent some laps, because that’s the only way to get accurate information. You can’t go out there and run at 90 percent. Q: You seem to enjoy testing more than some riders, why? A: A lot of people despise having to ride lap after lap but when I was doing World Superbike I really started buckling down and going to Ladoux (Michelin’s Clermont-Ferrand test track) three times a year and burning a couple of thousand laps, I started to see how much we progressed their tires. To me it feels like we do more testing than racing, but once you see the results it’s all worth it. You go to a few different tracks and if something works, you keep it, but often it’s not better than your base line, so you eliminate it. A lot of time it feels like you’re doing lap after lap after lap for nothing but you’re always building data. Ninety percent of testing involves tires, some of it long-distance stuff when Michelin wants to know if a good tire will go the distance.

Fast by Ferracci is likely to make a return to the AMA Superbike Championship series in 2007, racing in the Superstock class with MV Agusta F4 1000s. That’s the word from Eraldo Ferracci, a former racer who led the Fast by Ferracci Ducati road race team to two Superbike World Championships and two AMA Superbike Championships in the early 1990s. Ferracci, who was at the AMA Superbike finale this past weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for meetings, told Roadracingworld.com that he was “80%” sure his team would return to AMA Pro road racing in 2007. Current plans call for a two-rider team with possibly one American rider and one Italian rider. The tire supplier has not been chosen yet, but Pirelli and Dunlop are the primary choices, based on rider preference. Ferracci said his team would have backing from the MV Agusta factory and would be very much like when he ran his past Ducati teams, including working out of the same straight truck and Willow Grove, Pennsylvania-based race shop. Ferracci and his potential riders are expected to test at Mid-Ohio in approximately two weeks. Ferracci’s son, Larry Ferracci, is the CEO of Cagiva USA, the exclusive North American importer of MV Agusta motorcycles.

ALSTARE AIMS TO END ON HIGH NOTE The 12th and final round of this year’s Superbike World Championship takes place at Mangy-Cours in France this weekend and Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders Troy Corser and Yukio Kagayama are aiming to end the season with a flourish. This year has been a roller-coaster ride for the duo but both are in a positive frame of mind as they head to the last races of the year. Last weekend in Imola was good – until race day. Kagayama was hit from behind in the first race – unfortunately by Alstare Engineering Corona Extra rider Max Neukirchner – but bounced back to take a superb third place in race two. And Corser suffered another poor weekend, retiring in the first race with a technical problem and ending ninth in race two after severe tyre problems. Troy Corser: “This season started ok but recently I have been asking myself what’s been going on. It seems that every round has thrown up problems – and usually those problems have been on race day, not qualifying or practice. Most of my recent problems have been due to the tyres and I feel that they have not performed consistently. Last year, in Magny-Cours, a tyre problem in Superpole ruined my chances of a good result, but I was very happy to take fifth and a fourth after starting from the fourth row of the grid. Before last weekend, I really believed I had a chance of ending the season with third place, but now that idea has gone. My position in the Championship is irrelevant now so I might as well go all-out in Magny-Cours and try and shoot for the top as I’ve nothing to lose.” Yukio Kagayama: “If I had not have been taken out in the first race last weekend, there was a good chance of leaving Imola with two podiums instead of just the one. I know Max did not intend hitting my bike – it was a just a racing accident. Fortunately I was not injured in the fall. Imola was very hard work and the second race was a very big battle, but it is the kind of fight I enjoy. We had a good test at Magny-Cours recently and last year I took two podiums there so I am really looking forward to finishing the season with a couple more podiums and maybe even a win! 2005 results: Race 1: 1 Vermeulen (Aus-Honda), 2 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 3 Toseland (GB-Honda), 5 Troy Corser (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra). Race 2: 1 Lanzi (I-Ducati), 2 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 3 Noriyuki Haga (J-Yamaha), 4 Troy Corser (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra).