Rizla Suzuki’s Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne will be taking inspiration from his home fans when he races in the 13th and final round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch in Kent this Sunday. Originally from nearby Sheppey, Byrne, who now resides in Zurich, has an enormous fan base near the 2.60-mile long picturesque Brands Hatch venue. Said Byrne: “I still have a house local to the circuit and every time I go home people recognise me and ask how the racing is going. My home fans are the best and I want to give them and Rizla Suzuki – something to cheer about on Sunday at the last round of the series. “The competition in BSB is tough and there’s a Championship to be decided but that doesn’t bother me. The last time I raced at Brands Hatch GP circuit was at the World Superbike round in 2003. I won both races and beat the best riders in the world that day. I want to do the same on Sunday.” Rizla Suzuki’s James Haydon will race at Brands Hatch in only his second meeting after missing the middle part of the season due to injury. After securing his only Superbike pole position and following it up with a podium finish on his last visit to the circuit, he is eager to get back on track. “Brands Hatch GP circuit is simply brilliant. It has everything you could want as a rider, from fast straights to blind crests and corners of all varieties,” explained Haydon. “It is one of my favourite tracks with plenty of happy memories of standing on the podium. I want to end the season with a flourish and some good results so I’ll be pulling the pin on Sunday and seeing what happens.” As a special treat for race fans, John Hopkins from the Rizla Suzuki MotoGP team will be attending the event demonstrating his awesome GSV-R990 race bike. He will be on track at 1450 on Saturday, September 30th and 1515 on Sunday, October 1st, each time for 10-minutes. He will then join the Rizla Suzuki Superbike team at its garage and hospitality unit and will be signing autographs and meeting the BSB fans. More, from a press release issued by Hawk Kawasaki: HAWK FEELING STRONG FOR FINAL ROUND Hawk Kawasaki riders Craig Coxhell and Peter Hickman and gearing up for the final round of the Bennett British Superbike this weekend at Brands Hatch Circuit, Kent, 29th September – 1st October. Not only is it the final round of the 13-round series but the two Superbike races are worth double points after the cancellation of Mondello Park earlier in the year. The two riders will both be on board the ZX10-R 2006 specification bikes, the first time that youngster, Hickman, has ridden this bike all season. Hickman’s Kawasaki ZX10 will also have a number of special features which will be displayed at Brands this weekend. It is set to be an epic battle with all Championship positions to be decided at the technical 2.62-mile circuit. One of the toughest tracks on the calendar, the expected 30’000 fans will not be disappointed with what is set to be one of the most exciting race weekends all year. 23-year-old Craig Coxhell commented “It’s been a long season and although I have struggled I have had some decent results over the year. The injury at the start of the year knocked me sideways a little and it seemed to take a fair while before I felt fully fit again. I have struggled at some circuits but Brands is a track I know reasonably well so I’m hoping that a positive result won’t be too much to ask for.” Rookie rider, 19-year-old Peter Hickman said “I’ve had a great year and learnt so much at each round. I’m happy with the progress I have been making through the season and I have consistently been in the points at the last few rounds. I’ve enjoyed my time and hope that I can continue to further my progress next season. I’m looking forward to Brands and trying not to think about the double points!” A full Race Schedule can be found at the link below http://www.britishsuperbike.com/race_schedule/brands_hatch_gp.pdf

BAYLISS POISED TO WRAP IT UP AT IMOLA IMOLA 11th ROUND 29th-30th SEPTEMBER and 1st OCTOBER BAYLISS OUT TO WIN THE TITLE IN DUCATI’S BACK YARD Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) is now firmly in the position of champion elect but he still has a little work to do at the magnificent Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari to land his second World Superbike crown. The 4.959km circuit is situated just a few junctions down the A14 Autostrada from Ducati’s home base of Borgo Panigale, Bologna, and it was at this venue in 2002 that Bayliss had to give best in the championship fight to Honda rider Colin Edwards, in the final round of the championship. This time around Bayliss is the one very much in the driving seat, even before first practice begins on Friday morning. SECOND PLACE BATTLE TOO CLOSE TO CALL Only two riders have a mathematical chance of preventing Bayliss from being crowned champion at Imola, second place rider Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) and third place man James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda). Each has found a rich seam of podium form in recent races, and will no doubt provide fireworks of the brightest intensity in Italy, as they fight not only Bayliss, but each other, in their attempt to guarantee second in the championship struggle. They have to rely on a serious streak of misfortune afflicting Bayliss to hope to prevent the ten-times race winner in 2006 from leaving Imola with the SBK Championship trophy, but with only six points between Haga and Toseland, the fight for second is expected to go all the way to the wire in the final round in Magny-Cours, next weekend. With 100 points left for any single rider who wins all four remaining races, Bayliss is 87 points up on Haga and 93 ahead of Toseland. CLASSIC CIRCUIT EMBRACES SBK ONCE MORE The undulations, fast corners and chicanes of Imola never cease to provide dramatic backdrops for the latter stages of any SBK season, but with many further alterations planned for the track over the winter, this year’s event may now take on a particularly important historical mantle. It will be a poignant race for all the Italian fans, who will have their final chance to see one of their undisputed heroes, Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Treme Honda) race in front of a home crowd in SBK. The 42-year-old, with strong personal and family ties to the local Emilia-Romagna area, is sure to get a rousing send off, having already taken part in more SBK races than any other rider – 274 pre-Imola. IMOLA A FAVOURITE FOR SBK FANS AND RIDERS The city centre venue of Imola has hosted five previous SBK rounds, and in terms of riders still current in SBK racing, two have won races before – Ruben Xaus and Regis Laconi, who have scored a remarkable three Imola wins each. Xaus (Sterilgarda Berik Ducati) and Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) were on twin-cylinder machinery when they took their wins, with Ducatis powering them home to five of the races victories, and Laconi scoring his lone win for Aprilia in 2001, on an RSV Mille. Last year, weather conditions saw to it that there was only one individual Imola race, instead of the normal two, and Chris Vermeulen (Winston Ten Kate Honda) won the race, but lost the championship to this season’s outgoing number one plate holder, Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra). CORSER AND PITT SEPARATED BY ONLY A SINGLE POINT Corser and his compatriot Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) enter the Imola round split by only a point in the championship table, and with each more than 50 points behind Toseland in third, they may realistically be fighting for fourth place. That will do little to dampen the competitive spirit of each of the ever-combative Aussie duo, as they also have a third rider in the hunt for a top four championship finish – and maybe even a fourth. Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) is only 24 points behind Pitt, and the Brazilian star sees Imola as a place at which he can really challenge for podiums, after a season of highs and lows. A mid-season re-ignition of Yukio Kagayama’s championship challenge on the second Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra GSX-R has seen him climb to seventh, within nine points of Barros. With all the riders filling fourth to seventh places clearly capable of a strong run to the very last race, the final two rounds hold great significance for all parties. WALKER LEADS KAWASAKI CHARGE Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) and Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) continue the run of closely contested championship positions pre-Imola, with the English rider only one point ahead of Lanzi – and with Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) only six points behind Lanzi, the fight in the final places of the top ten could hardly be more competitive. Add in the ever-improving multi-podium finisher in his rookie year, Michel Fabrizio (DFX Treme Honda – only ten points from Nieto) and the top ten battle deserves attention all the more. FORMER WINNERS LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION Aforementioned Imola race winners, Xaus (in overall 12th place so far) and Laconi (15th) may have to pray for rain to give them a repeat appearance on top of the Imola podiums, but few would ever write-off their abilities on their best days. Xaus has work to do to move up a championship place ahead of local rider Fabrizio, while Laconi has to find the consistency from his machine set-up that has marred many a promising meeting for the 11-times SBK race winner. Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda) and Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) are the two riders who separate Xaus and Laconi, with either rider capable of strong top five finish when set-up and good fortune are aligned. PRIVATE RIDERS AIM FOR SUPERPOLE, THEN POINTS Roberto Rolfo (Ducati SC Caracchi) has found Superbike a competitive and combative world since his arrival in the close season, but nonetheless he looks safe for a top 16 finish if he is able to rack up even single-digit points finishes through to the final round in France. Some 31 points behind him, another classy rookie, albeit from a very different background, Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Motor France) has had a fleetingly impressive first season in SBK, but he has to look out for the proven podium talents of Max Neukirchner (Alstare Engineering Suzuki) who will be out once more on the bike he has only made his own in the most recent two rounds. MARTIN TRIES TO HANG ONTO TOP 20 PLACING Steve Martin (Petronas FP-1) is on course to finish inside the championship top 20 in the final year of Petronas participation, while his team-mate Craig Jones (Petronas FP-1) will be out to repeat the points scoring finish he enjoyed at the most recent race at Lausitz. Aussie privateer Josh Brookes (Bertocchi Kawasaki) looks to Imola to increase his score in front of his team’s home crowd. SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP As an astonishing Supersport season enters its last two acts, the dramas are surely not over yet. After injury halted a runaway performance from the almost unbeatable Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) the second half of the championship season has been a melting pot of good and bad fortune for the top runners. Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) is now the hot favourite for the title, with a 27-point advantage over Charpentier. Broc Parkes (Yamaha Motor Germany) is aiming to be back to fitness at Imola, having sustained some serious injuries to his ribs and lung after a heavy crash at Assen in early September. The star of the current show, however, is full-season rookie Kenan Sofuoglu, winner of the two most recent WSS races, at Assen and Lausitz, and now seemingly poised to finish in fourth in the overall championship standings, if he continues in this vein. Robbin Harms (Stiggy Motorsports) is also in with the chance of a top three finish, with rookie race winners Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia) and Yoann Tiberio (Megabike Honda) currently sixth and seventh. SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP An all Italian war for supremacy as Alessandro Polita (Celani Suzuki Italia) has two races left in which to maintain his championship lead. Behind Polita, who currently has 137 points, a crowded second place battle is being fought out between Luca Scassa (EVR Corse Ormeni Racing – 118 points), Claudio Corti (Yamaha Team Italia – 115 points) and Ayrton Badovini (Biassono Unionbike MV Agusta – 109 points). All four riders have won at least one race this season, making their home event at Imola a delicious prospect for all concerned. SUPERSTOCK 600 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP Xavier Simeon (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) is now certain to lift the European Superstock 600 trophy at Imola, after his only championship rival Niccolo Canepa (Ducati Xerox Junior Team) crashed in an Italian championship race last weekend, and broke his arm. Davide Giugliano (Lightspeed Kawasaki) now has the opportunity to overhaul second placed Canepa, but has to make up a deficit of 31-points. MAGNY-COURS CLOSES THE SEASON ON OCTOBER 8 The now traditional season finale takes place at Magny-Cours between 6 and 8 October, giving the teams and riders little respite after the stresses and strains of the intense Imola weekend. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: ALSTARE WANT IMOLA PODIUMS World Superbike Champion Troy Corser and Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra team mate Yukio Kagayama are determined to make the podium at this weekend’s 11th and penultimate World Superbike round at Imola. Corser believes he can still make the top three in the series – after a roller-coaster season with good results at the Italian circuit and at Magny Cours in France the following week. Imola was a scene of celebrations for Team Alstare last year when Corser was crowned World Champion after the second race was cancelled due to a flooded track. His runner-up position in race one and the cancelled race two was enough for Suzuki and the GSX-R1000 to take their first ever World SBK title. Troy Corser: “I still think I can finish in the top three this year and that’s what I’ll be shooting for at Imola and Magny. It’s been a real up and down year – literally in some cases – but I’m aiming for strong consistent finishes in the remaining races and a good end to the season. I had mixed feelings last year when the second race was cancelled because I would’ve liked to have taken the title in normal conditions. But our team had worked so hard over the winter months and we were all set from the very first race – and so our title was well-earned. It’s not going to be so easy these last few races because Bayliss and his Ducati are working so well – particularly his traction control. Also, Imola is a ‘home’ race for Ducati because their factory is just down the road, but that’s a big incentive for me and the rest of the boys to put one over them. That’s what I’ll be trying to do, for sure.” Yukio Kagayama: “I do not have such good memories of Imola last year so I will be doing my best to get two good results this time – maybe podiums. Ever since mid season, when I was fully fit again, I have been feeling good on the bike. There have been changes to the bike from last season and it has not always been so easy to get a really good set-up at some race tracks. I think my riding style has changed a little during the year and I have learnt how to be more patient. It is not my natural style, but if it works, of course I will use it. It’s always a bit of a problem when you have back-to-back races but I want to take podiums in all the four races and end the year in a big way. 2005 results: Race 1: 1 Vermeulen (Aus-Honda), 2 Troy Corser (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 3 Haga (J-Yamaha). 15 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra). Race 2: Cancelled. More, from a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing: MARTIN AIMS TO DELIVER IN ITALY! Steve Martin will be hoping to deliver in more ways than one as he enters his penultimate race for Foggy PETRONAS Racing at Imola this weekend. The experienced Australian’s partner, Sandra Cork, is expecting their first child in the period between the start of this weekend’s 11th round of the Superbike World Championship in Italy and the following week’s finale at Magny-Cours, France. So, while FPR team-mate Craig Jones concentrates on building on recently improved results, Steve will also have one eye on off-track developments. Steve, whose home is on the Italian border with Switzerland, said: “Unless the baby is born in the next couple of days she will be coming to Imola this weekend and I have left it up to her whether she travels to Magny-Cours As long as we are always within half an hour of a hospital then everything should be okay. This project has always been on the edge, so it’s nothing new! “The last two rounds have shown that we can consistently score points on the PETRONAS FP1 so, if everything goes well and we have a bit of luck, we can score points again at Imola. It is one of the classically styled tracks like Brands Hatch or Phillip Island – not an easy track to ride and that helps us a little bit. I had my best result there last year with a fifth, when the conditions were a bit ‘iffy’. That’s when team-craft comes into play and the FPR team has always been strong in that department.” For Craig it will be a testing end to his rookie season as he visits two circuits for the first time. However, having scored his first points last time out in Germany, he is hoping to continue moving up his World Superbike learning curve. He said: “This is just a learning weekend for me. All I can really come away with is circuit knowledge, although it would be nice to get some more points. I will push as hard as I can but I am not setting myself any targets that I can’t achieve. I have only seen Imola on television and it looks a difficult circuit to learn, But if I can make more progress this weekend, then hopefully I can challenge for a result at Magny-Cours, which doesn’t seem as difficult to learn.” For more news visit our web site: www.foggyPETRONASracing.com More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: TOSELAND AND MUGGERIDGE READY TO END THE SEASON ON A HIGH The penultimate World Superbike Championship round is about to be held at Imola, on the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit, only one week before the season finale at Magny Cours, France. This stage of the season sees the Winston Ten Kate Honda Team in the role of one of the main championship protagonists, thanks to the efforts of James Toseland. The English rider, having won the most recent race in Germany, is still fighting to secure second position in the championship and Imola is an ideal track to make his decisive attack – and the circuit will also offer opportunities to Karl Muggeridge. Until now fortune has not smiled on him too often, but the Australian rider is back to good form as he aims to step on the podium for the first time this year, on a track which has previous delivered him two World Supersport Championship race wins. Ronald Ten Kate Team Manager “Last year, in the final part of the season, we were consistently fast and we are hoping to have the same results this year. At Lausitz we did quite well and I believe we are really on the right track for Imola – in every meaning of the word. The recent test at Magny-Cours went well, we tried some new electronic parts and got some positive feedback from both of our riders. Both Karl and James are in good form overall and we are determined to win some races in the next two rounds.” James Toseland Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider “I’m ready for Imola. The test in Magny-Cours has helped to set the bike up for the last race of the season, to be held on that very same track, and it also helped us to try some new parts for the bike. The victory at Lausitz lifted the team’s morale and I know all of us want to win again in these last four individual races. The fight for second place is still open and I will be doing my best to win it.” Karl Muggeridge Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider “We’re getting close to the end of the season and I really want to step on the podium at least once. It hasn’t been a lucky racing year for me, due the injury right at the beginning of the season, which held me back for a while. It was hard to recover from it, but in the last few races I’ve felt good again. In Imola I will give all I have to get on the podium. The weather forecast promises sunshine and warm temperatures, and this should help us to reach our goal.” More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: CHARPENTIER SET FOR A COMEBACK, PODIUM THE AIM FOR SOFUOGLU In the last two races of the season the World Supersport Championship will be decided, and the Winston Ten Kate Honda Team is ready to give maximum support to Sebastien Charpentier to enable him to mount a successful comeback. Because of an injury suffered by the French rider mid-season, the 2005 World Champion is now 27 points behind the leader in the standings, Kevin Curtain, But with 50 points up for grabs the Frenchmen is ready to give it all in the last two races of the season. His morale is back at a high level after the great performances he achieved in recent Magny-Cours tests and now Seb wants to win both races, starting with Imola. Assistance will be offered by his team-mate Kenan Sofuoglu, who has been in great form during this part of the season. Kenan has won the last two races and will surely be able to fight for the podium in the final two, primed as he is to help his team-mate reach his championship goal. Ronald Ten Kate Team Manager “The last two races gave us some mixed feelings. For Kenan, winning in Assen and Lausitz were really great performances. Sebastien has been struggling due to some residual effects from his injuries, but at the Magny-Cours test we saw his true colours again, with some really interesting long runs and the unofficial lap record of the track. Our aim is to win the last two races of the season, starting from Imola.” Sebastien Charpentier Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider “I am really happy on how Magny-Cours test went, I obtained really encouraging results, and I also beat the circuit lap record. I am more than sure that in Imola I will be competitive again. The situation for the championship has got a bit complicated but I never give up. Unless the maths prove impossible, I will try my best to win.” Kenan Sofuoglu Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider “These last few races have been incredible for me. I am really happy about how things are going at the moment and I hope it will continue this way. Me and the Team understand each other really well and it is thanks to this that we are achieving some great results. I hope to continue on the same track in the last two races of the season.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: ROUND 11 – IMOLA Race date: 1 October 2005 Circuit: Imola Country: Italy Track length: 4933m Opened: 1953 Fastest ever superbike lap: 1’48.075 (Chris Vermeulen) Superbike lap record: 1’48.389 (Troy Corser) Last year’s winner: Chris Vermeulen (Honda) Circuit telephone: +39 0542 31444 Circuit web site: http://www.autodromoimola.com The penultimate round of the 2006 Superbike World Championship takes place this weekend at the famous Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in the town of Imola, the championship’s third visit of the year to Italy. The technically demanding circuit is steeped in heritage thanks mainly to its history as a Formula One circuit but it is also famous as a bike venue too, having hosted the classic Imola 200 events during the Seventies and, more recently, Grand Prix and superbike racing. The circuit’s surface bears the scars of this history, with the old tarmac proving bumpy and providing the bike racers with a tough challenge to find good settings. Despite this, Imola is generally very popular with the riders – its challenging layout providing the sort of test that only the old-fashioned classic circuits can. Last year’s event took place in atrocious weather conditions that eventually led to the cancellation of race two. The Yamaha Motor Italia squad goes into the meeting looking to give another strong showing for their home fans and to help their riders meet their end-of-season targets. With Ducati’s Troy Bayliss looking like clinching the series thanks to a 87 point advantage, the team’s Noriyuki Haga is targeting more wins to add to solitary success so far this year and to consolidate his second place in the championship, which would equal his best ever end of season ranking. Team-mate Andrew Pitt has also taken one win this season, in Misano, and is looking to get back on track after crashing out of the second race in Germany. The Australian has been the man on form in the latter part of the season, with only a slower than hoped for start to the season and a double DNF in Brno denying him a crack at the title. Having been the top points scorer at Assen, Pitt was unlucky to slip off last time out in Lausitz. That failure to score moved him down to fifth in the championship, one point behind outgoing champion Troy Corser (Suzuki). “The result at Lausitz was disappointing because we made the wrong tyre choice in race one and then just touched the footrest down and crashed in the second,” said Pitt. “I was disappointed to slip back to fifth in the championship but the bike was working really well and we were lucky that Barros and Corser also missed out on the big points. Imola’s a circuit that I like. I’ve some good memories of the place, as I won the supersport title there in 2001. It’s a challenging track with a lot of blind corners. To go well there you need a lot of confidence in the bike, which is good for us as the R1 is working really well. Who knows where we can end the season? Second place is not out of the question but my aim is just to keep finishing on the podium in these last two weekends and then the championship positions will sort themselves out.” In the Supersport World Championship, Yamaha Motor Germany’s Kevin Curtain can lift the title at Imola. The veteran Australian goes to Italy 27 points ahead of current champion Sebastien Charpentier (Honda) and will win his first world crown should he leave Italy with at least 26 points over his rival going into the final round. “I never expected to go to Imola with such a big lead,” says Curtain. “I had hoped that maybe I could have something like 10 points advantage after Lausitz so to be in this position is something we couldn’t dream of. It’s all a credit to the team, who have worked so hard to put us in this situation. We had a new bike at the start of the season but straight away we have been competitive. With a lot of hard work we now have a bike which is as good as anything else out there. Imola is where I had my first ride with Yamaha Germany, in 2003, and I’ve gone well there in the past. I’m not thinking too much about the championship and am going with the same attitude as always, to pick up as many points as possible and let everything look after itself.” Curtain should be joined at Imola by his team-mate Broc Parkes. Parkes missed the race at Lausitz after crashing at Assen. The Australian will is ready to race but must undergo a final fitness test in Imola. Should he be declared fit by the circuit medics then he will look to consolodate his third place in the championship standings. More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: CHARPENTIER READY TO FIGHT TO RETAIN HIS CROWN World Supersport Round 11 of 12 As the final two races of the World Supersport season dawn on consecutive weekends there is still everything to play for in the case of 2005 World Champion Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR). Having spent much of the most recent part of the season recuperating from pelvic and collarbone injuries suffered in testing, yet still racing on to pick up points, his previous runaway domination of the championship was first negated and then overturned by fate. He now sits 27 points behind current leader Kevin Curtain, but with 50-points up for grabs for the winner of the last two races, and after a very positive team test at Magny-Cours last week, the reigning champion is still in position to fight for the ultimate Supersport prize. The brightest talent to emerge into the spotlight this season is Charpentier’s team-mate Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) who has now scored two race wins in succession – in vastly different track conditions – despite some early season inconsistencies in form. Sofuoglu now sits fourth, and has designs on improving that position before the end of the year, especially as his confidence is at an all-time high after his crushing wins at Assen and Lausitz. Having won a race at Monza in this his rookie WSS season, Yoann Tiberio (Team Megabike Honda CBR600RR) has seen the middle section of his season blighted by three retirements in total, and two in the most recent races. He still sits seventh overall, but knows a good result at Imola is important to him and his Italian-based team. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Team Megabike Honda CBR600RR) has found the healing of his frequently injured hand more of problem than he had hoped, and scored no points at the last two rounds. His injury has blighted his season almost throughout, and he sits an unaccustomedly lowly 16th overall, with a single podium finish to his credit. Charpentier looks to his increasing fitness and his highly encouraging tests at Magny-Cours as inspiration for his final push in the last two rounds. “I am really happy on how the Magny-Cours test went,” said Charpentier in the run-up to Imola. “I obtained really encouraging results, and I also beat the circuit lap record. I am more than sure that in Imola I will be competitive again. The situation for the championship has got a bit complicated but I never give up. Unless the maths prove impossible, I will try my best to win.” Sofuoglu is keeping his feet on the ground, despite obvious pleasure after his meteoric recent performances. He knows that advancement up the championship table is his main goal. “These last few races have been incredible for me,” said Sofuoglu. “I am really happy about how things are going at the moment and I hope it will continue this way. Me and the team understand each other really well and it is thanks to this that we are achieving some great results. I hope to continue on the same track in the last two races of the season.” Tiberio, who suffered a mid-race crisis of confidence at Lausitz, is determined to make amends at Imola. “The Lausitz weekend was not a happy one for me,” stated Tiberio. “Maybe I had some problems concentrating and could not show my best. My race set-up was not perfect and I was not aggressive enough. But I like Imola a lot and I am out to run a good race for my team and me. It will be an important race for my championship standings.” His own recent reversals have done little for Fujiwara’s championship position, but with two full weekends of healing and building strength, he hopes for the best in Italy. “I really hope that the Imola round will be better for me than Lausitz,” said Fujiwara. “My hand was not OK yet and Lausitz demonstrated that fact. With two weeks more rest and relaxation I hope my hand will be better during the Imola race. The track is difficult there, with lots of different types of corners, but I want to finish my season on a high note, starting at Imola.” IMOLA OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL HONDA SUPERBIKE RIDERS World Superbike Round 11 of 12 Imola has been the scene of victory for Honda in Superbike in the recent past and despite a minor change to the Variante Alta chicane since the last visit of the winged SBK hordes, the always-popular city centre venue should offer James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) and all his fellow Honda riders a weekend of opportunities. Currently third in the championship fight, Toseland is some 93 points behind current championship leader Troy Bayliss, yet only six down on second place rider Noriyuki Haga, with four individual points scoring races still to go. In his first season with Honda in World Superbike, Toseland has scored two races wins, plus seven further podium places. His most recent race victory was in the most recent race in Germany, a fact which boosts his pre-Imola confidence still further. Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) is looking to Imola as a possible best option for his first win in World Superbike, having raced for Honda at the classic Italian venue during his 500cc GP career, and finishing second there in 1999. Barros is now sixth overall, but has designs on finishing in the top four, being only 25 points away from that placing at present. Home tarmac should be a mighty spur for Michel Fabrizio (DFX Honda CBR1000RR) to show his increasingly well-rewarded talents, having finished on the podium three times in his rookie SBK season already. Just outside the top ten at present, he is fully intent on running back into the upper echelons at this race, on a track he can expect great support at. Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) enjoyed his best race weekend of the season so far in the previous round at Eurospeedway Lausitz, putting together two good races – sixth and then fifth – at a circuit few believed would be an ideal venue for any of the Honda riders. Imola will be an emotional final farewell in World Superbike rider guise for Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Honda CBR1000RR). The 42-year-old rider, already holder of the record number of SBK race starts at 274, and 17-times a race winner in the class, will retire at the end of the year, in large part due to the 2006-season injuries which are currently preventing him from riding in his usual place at the sharp end of the action. With the title now seemingly impossible to wrest from the grasp of Bayliss, Toseland only has race wins, and an eventual second place in the championship itself, on his mind as he approaches Imola. “I’m ready for Imola,” said Toseland. “The test in Magny-Cours has helped to set the bike up for the last race of the season, to be held on that very same track, and it also helped us to try some new parts for the bike. The victory at Lausitz lifted the team’s morale and I know all of us want to win again in these last four individual races. The fight for second place is still open and I will be doing my best to win it.” Barros is banking on several points which he knows will help his championship placing, and his chance of individual race victories at Imola. “It is quite a long time since I rode my last race in Imola, actually it was back in 1999,” affirmed Barros, “I finished second in the 500cc Grand Prix. The Imola track is beautiful and the layout suits my riding style. As the bike is more competitive since the Eurospeedway event, I think that I can challenge for a race victory. Ramon Forcada will be back as my crew chief for the final two meetings. I will take it race-by-race and I want to score a race win, as the gap in the championship is now too big to make up.” With prospects of last year’s deluge at Imola, which cancelled race two, seemingly not about to be a factor this year Fabrizio is out for the best possible showing at home. “Last year the rain was the main protagonist at Imola,” stated Fabrizio, “But I hope to be the most important man for Honda this year. Lausitz did not turn out the way I wanted so I hope to make up for it in Imola.” Muggeridge now feels that his physical condition matches his ambitions for results, after suffering a serious back injury earlier in the year. “We’re getting close to the end of the season and I really want to step on the podium at least once,” said Honda’s Australian rider. “It hasn’t been a lucky racing year for me, due the injury right at the beginning of the season, which held me back for a while. It was hard to recover from it, but in the last few races I’ve felt good again. In Imola I will give all I have to get on the podium. The weather forecast promises sunshine and warm temperatures, and this should help us to reach our goal.” Chili is expecting an emotional rollercoaster at Imola, but knows he needs to overcome his debilitated physical condition before he can have a realistic chance of going out with high-scoring Imola race results. “For me Imola will be very difficult because I have many wonderful memories of this circuit,” said Chili, “I know that ‘Frankie’ is now old but my passion for racing is the same as it was 20 years ago. My body is still suffering after the last big crash and I’m not sure if my staying power will be OK. I’m sure I will be in tears on Sunday evening but that’s life.” The final round of both Supersport and Superbike Championships take place one week after Imola, at Magny-Cours, between 6 and 8 October.

Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies and Mat Mladin go into this weekend’s final-round AMA Superbike Championship round at Lexington, Ohio both capable of lifting the title on their GSX-R1000s. Spies leads the series by 20 points from the six-time Champion. The 22-year-old Texan has won 10 races this year and he’s captured seven out of 10 pole positions. At this year’s first Mid-Ohio Superbike double-header weekend in August, Spies picked up a pair of wins and he hopes to lift his first AMA Superbike crown this time around. “I broke my hand at VIR and that’s been a bit of a challenge but it’s better now. It’s definitely healing,” said Spies, who only needs to finish in 13th or better to win the Championship. “It’ll be cool to see the whole new race format there’s no qualifying, no extra point to get for pole, just the point for leading the most laps. I just need to see who’s in my heat race and how hard I have to ride my Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 to get into the main race. Then it’s just a matter of getting in position and waiting for the flag.” Mladin, however, doesn’t plan to sit back and allow Spies an easy job of it. He is the only six-time AMA Superbike Champion ever and he has a record 50 AMA Superbike career wins and 48 AMA Superbike career pole positions. “It will be good to go back to Mid-Ohio,” said Mladin. “I have to thank my Yoshimura Suzuki guys for doing a great job because we came on strong at the end of the year and now I’m looking forward to next year. Getting a kick in the pants from Ben has lit a fire under me. I won’t make it so easy for him next year.” Third team rider Aaron Yates, meanwhile, earned two AMA Superbike podium finishes at the most recent double-header weekend at Road Atlanta in Braselton. A native of Georgia, he finished in third place in both Superbike races, helping Mladin and Spies create a Yoshimura Suzuki sweep of both the weekend’s races. “I’m looking forward to going back to Mid-Ohio,” said Yates. “We had a pretty good race going on the last time we were there and I feel like we can go better this time. We got a pretty good direction for the bike from last month and I feel like we can use that to improve our result in the race. Also, I’m looking forward to wrapping up the season.” Current Championship Points: ~http://www.suzuki-racing.com/championship_points.asp?SRS_ID=1~

SUPERBIKES RETURN TO MID-OHIO TO CROWN SERIES CHAMPION IN FIRST-EVER AMA SUPERBIKE SHOOTOUT DUBLIN, Ohio (September 26, 2006) The AMA Superbike Championship returns to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the second time in 2006 to crown its champion at the inaugural AMA Superbike Shootout, Sept. 29 Oct. 1. The Lexington, Ohio, road course has long hosted the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire, a mid-season doubleheader for the Superbike series. The AMA Superbike Shootout will be the track’s first time hosting the season finale. A unique qualifying format has been designed specifically for this championship-deciding event. The qualifying format will feature three Dunlop Tire Heat Races and a Dunlop Tire Last Chance Qualifier. The top five riders from each heat race and the last-chance qualifier will make up the grid for the exclusive 20-rider final. Those riders not making the final will compete in a consolation race immediately following the Superbike Shootout. The Dunlop Tire qualifying races will be held on Saturday of race weekend, while the AMA Superbike Shootout and consolation race will be run on Sunday. In addition to six Superbike races, the weekend also will feature season-ending events in the AMA Supersport, Superstock and Formula Xtreme classes. A select group of amateur riders from the previous weekend’s AMA Road Race Grand Championships also will compete in a special AMA Sports 600cc Superstock Shootout on Sunday. “This is truly the signature moment of the season for the AMA Superbike Championship, and we’re pleased to join the AMA in bringing it to life,” said TrueSports, Incorporated President Michelle Trueman Gajoch. “The championship chase couldn’t possibly be more exciting, and the fans are in for an exciting weekend from start to finish.” Series riders have been jockeying for position all season long in anticipation of this championship event. Ben Spies leads the AMA Superbike Championship by just 20 points over defending champion and Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Mat Mladin heading into the Shootout, and could tie Mladin’s all-time single-season wins record with a victory. Spies, who won both ends of the series’ August doubleheader at Mid-Ohio, will be racing with a broken right hand suffered late in the season, and Mladin has taken wins in each of the last four series races to dramatically close the gap heading into the finale. “I broke my hand and that’s been a bit of a challenge but it’s better now, it’s definitely healing,” said Spies. “It’ll be cool to see the whole new race format there’s no qualifying, no extra point to get for pole, just the point for leading the most laps. I just need to see who’s in my heat race and how hard I have to ride my Suzuki GSX-R1000 to get into the main race. Then it’s just a matter of getting in position and waiting for the checkered flag.” Teammate Mladin, however, doesn’t plan to sit back and allow Spies an easy job of it. “It will be good to go back to Mid-Ohio,” said Mladin. “I have to thank my Yoshimura Suzuki guys for doing a great job because we have come on strong at the end of the year and now I’m looking forward to next year. Getting a kick in the pants from Ben has lit a fire under me. I won’t make it so easy for him next year.” Although technically out of the championship hunt, Honda’s Miguel Duhamel will come to Mid-Ohio well in the frame for a race win. He earned consecutive podium finishes during the Wiseco Superbike 100 doubleheader at Mid-Ohio in August as well as a third-place finish at the series’ most recent round at Virginia International Raceway. Suzuki’s Aaron Yates and Ducati’s Neil Hodgson round out the top five in championship points with five podium finishes among them this season. Tickets and information for the AMA Superbike Shootout are available by calling 1-800-MID-OHIO or visiting www.midohio.com. A comprehensive motorsports facility, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course features a permanent road racing circuit with two primary configurations: a 2.4-mile, 15-turn, and a 2.25-mile, 13-turn circuit. The park-like, 330-acre complex in Lexington, Ohio, also features an amateur motocross venue. Located 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland near Mansfield, the track has been called the most competitive in the U.S. and annually hosts a diversity of locally, regionally and nationally sanctioned racing events for amateur, club and professional riders and drivers. Founded in 1981 and headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, TrueSports, Incorporated is a privately held motorsports entertainment enterprise. The company owns and operates Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and The Mid-Ohio School, and promotes a wide variety of motor racing, driver instruction, corporate, and family entertainment events throughout the year.

THREE RIDERS, ONE TITLE IN AMA FORMULA XTREME PICKERINGTON, Ohio — This year’s Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series has been one of the most competitive in the history of the class. Coming into the season finale this Saturday, Sept. 30, there are three riders very much in contention for the No. 1 plate. Either Erion Honda’s Josh Hayes or Yamaha’s Eric Bostrom or Jason DiSalvo will emerge as the 2006 Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series Champion. Yamaha made a major push in Formula Xtreme this year with Bostrom and DiSalvo. The team looked unbeatable on paper; especially considering Honda’s main factory squad departed the series after winning at Daytona, leaving its main support squad, Erion Racing Honda, to uphold company honors. And Erion has done a remarkable job staying in the hunt all season and emerging as the top team coming into the last race. Hayes quietly kept early leader DiSalvo in sight, but it was Yamaha riders winning four-straight rounds after Daytona. Hayes finally broke through with a victory in June at the new Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. Hayes’ win served notice that Honda wasn’t about to step aside and let Yamaha ride unchallenged to the championship. Hayes now finds himself the lone rider standing between Yamaha’s quest to win all three AMA road race support class titles this season. “For sure there’s a lot of pressure,” Hayes admitted. “But I like it. I think that when the pressure’s on is when true champions show what they can do. I look at Miguel last year, when he had to – the fight for the championship was so close that it was whoever led the most laps, on top of winning the race. I think it’s exciting. I think that this is when I’ll do my best work. I really try hard. I enjoy the pressure. I enjoy the challenge of racing, so I’m having fun with this.” The story of the second half of the season has been Bostrom’s incredible charge. After beginning the year with a fourth and 22nd-place finish, the youngest of the racing Bostrom brothers won six of the next seven rounds putting him back in the title chase. Bostrom enters Mid-Ohio in second, but just three points behind Hayes. “I think that no matter what happens, the season has been a success,” Bostrom said after Road Atlanta. “I’m optimistic going into the last race. It’s been a really good series, and it’s kind of cool that it’s come down to the last one.” Bostrom won the Mid-Ohio Formula Xtreme race in August. For DiSalvo, who is eight points behind Hayes, the equation is simple. “There’s nothing left now except for to win my last race of the year”¦ that’s it,” he said. While the Formula Xtreme championship is on the line at Mid-Ohio, the Repsol Lubricants Superstock Series was decided at the last race where Graves Yamaha’s Jamie Hacking clinched the championship. Hacking became the first rider in 18 years to win the AMA Supersport and Superstock titles in the same season. With the title already decided, the Mid-Ohio Superstock race will be pure unadulterated racing. Everyone wants to go out with a win. Hacking can ride freely and go for his seventh win of the year. That would be the most wins in the class since Jason Pridmore tallied eight victories in 1997. Suzuki’s Aaron Yates would also love to go out a winner in his final weekend with the Yoshimura Suzuki squad. It hasn’t been announced where Yates will ride next year, but if he hasn’t signed for 2007, a victory at Mid-Ohio would certainly increase his value to any team. Hacking’s Yamaha teammates Jason DiSalvo and Eric Bostrom both would like to set a tone for 2007. It’s rumored that the pair will compete in AMA Superbike with Yamaha next season and these Superstock machines are as close as it gets to the premier class in terms of horsepower. Then there are the support team riders who could take advantage of factory riders laying low in preparation for next season and sneak in a podium finish. Riders such as Steve Rapp with Jordan Suzuki, Geoff May with M4 EMGO Suzuki and Josh Hayes with Erion Honda may surprise fans at this weekend’s race. The Mid-Ohio Formula Xtreme race will air on SPEED on Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Tickets for the race are available by calling 1-800-MID-OHIO or 419-884-4000 or visit www.midohio.com .

Veteran racer Michael Barnes has agreed to race the 2007 AMA season with Team M4 EMGO Suzuki. “The team made me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” joked Barnes about his re-signing. “The crew and I have come into our own this year on the Supersport bike. We know each other well and work great together. I’m looking forward to next year with these guys.” Barnes, who has finished on the podium four times in Supersport this season, has performed admirably for the squad since joining the team in the middle of 2005. The Boca Raton, Florida native earned two podium finishes in Formula Xtreme last year. Despite a Daytona injury that left him in struggling for the first races of 2006, Barnes has fought his way to fifth in the championship with one round to go, competing at the front of the Supersport pack on his Suzuki GSX-R600. The last three races have seen the 37-year old lead the most laps at Mid-Ohio and lead the opening laps in Virginia and Atlanta. “It seems like we’re getting closer and closer for the Supersport win at every race. We’ve got the starts figured out. Tire development with Pirelli has come on strong all year as we get more and more data. We’ve also worked closely with Ohlins this year and made progress with the bike’s suspension as well. I know the team is looking forward to working hard this winter and continuing to develop our bikes.” With Barnes re-signing, Team M4 EMGO Suzuki retains their one-two punch in the Supersport class. Michael’s teammate Geoff May (currently second in AMA Supersport points) also agreed to remain with the Team M4 EMGO Suzuki for next season. “Barney has been a great addition to the team,” said Crew Chief Keith Perry. “He’s a smart, veteran racer that knows the ropes and he’s got the fire in him, too. It’s good to see a guy that’s been around the block more than once have success after working hard for his whole career. We’re looking forward to racing with him again next season. With both Michael and Geoff already signed up, we can look forward to continuing our momentum.”

ALEX BARROS AIMS FOR A RACE VICTORY Brazilian Alex Barros (Team Klaffi Honda) will give his first appearance at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola after a period of seven years. In 1999 Barros rode a Honda NSR at the 500cc Grand Prix in Imola. Ducati rider Troy Bayliss has the chance to secure his second world title after 2001, as the Australian heads to Imola with an 87 points margin ahead of Yamahas Noriyuki Haga. Alex Barros currently sits in sixth position in the world championship standings with two meetings left to go. Alex Barros: “It is quite a long time since I rode my last race in Imola, actually it was back in 1999. I finished second in the 500cc Grand Prix. The Imola track is beautiful and the layout suits my riding style. As the bike is more competitive since the EuroSpeedway, I think that I can challenge for a race victory. Raul Forcada will be back as my crew chief for the final two meetings. I take race by race and want to score a win, as the gap in the championship is now too big. Klaus Klaffenböck, Team Manager: “We are keen to finish this championship with some good results. I hope that Alex can show his good performance from the EuroSpeedway over both race distances this time. Our target in the championship is still fourth place.”

The Repsol Honda Team wrapped up a valuable testing programme today at the Motegi circuit with Nicky Hayden trying further clutch and chassis improvements in preparation for the final two MotoGP races of the season. The 25-year-old American completed 54 laps on his evolution RC211V, trimming his best lap-time on race tyres at Motegi down to 1m 47.18s. Hayden was due to get his first taste of Hondas impressive new 800cc MotoGP prototype today but rain this afternoon put paid to that plan. The world championship leader will get his chance to fully test the new bike after the final race at Valencia. Hayden’s team-mate Dani Pedrosa did not ride today having returned home to fully recover from the damage he sustained in a crash in Malaysia three weeks ago. HRC test rider Tady Okada was also testing for Honda today, completing 14 laps on the 800. The six-time grand prix winner gathered useful data before escaping unhurt from a crash exiting Motegi’s Turn Four in the wet. The exciting new 800cc machine will be officially unveiled in Repsol Honda colours at the Grand Prix of Valencia on the weekend of October 27-29. After a stretch of intense MotoGP activity, including races on three successive weekends in Malaysia, Australia and Japan, the Repsol Honda Team will now take a break for two weekends before the penultimate race of this captivating season. The Estoril circuit hosts the Grand Prix of Portugal on October 15. Nicky Hayden – Lap time: 1m 47.18s Laps completed: 54 “We spent the morning evaluating some machine settings and testing a few more clutch ideas so that were ready for these last two races. It was good to get in some more laps and I improved my pace with a 1m 47.1s lap which was a bit quicker than yesterday and over the weekend. I was getting ready to do a few laps on the 800 when it started to rain, but Ill get my crack at that bike soon plus I’ve got enough other stuff to focus on right now. The new bike looks really cool and the future seems bright for the new 800. I want to thank all the team and engineers for staying here and testing for a couple of days after nearly a month away from home its good to have them in my corner helping me. Now well just wait these two weeks out and get ready for Portugal its going to be a huge race.” Unofficial lap times: 1) Nicky Hayden Repsol Honda Team 1m 47.18s 54 laps 2) K. Akiyoshi Suzuki Test Rider 1m 48.7s 20 laps 3) N. Fujiwara Yamaha Test Rider 1m 50.2s 44 laps 4) Tady Okada HRC Test Rider 1m 50.3s 14 laps 5) N. Aoki Suzuki Test Rider 1m 50.6s 42 laps 6) Yoshiwara Yamaha Test Rider 1m 50.7s 53 laps 7) N. Matsudo Kawasaki 1m 50.8s 36 laps