FIM MotoGP World Championship Motegi, Japan September 22 Best Combined Practice Times: 1. Valentino Rossi (Yam YZR-M1), 1:46.981, Michelin 2. Shinya Nakano (Kaw ZX-RR), 1:47.315, Bridgestone 3. Marco Melandri (Hon RC211V), 1:47.449, Michelin 4. Colin Edwards (Yam YZR-M1), 1:47.581, Michelin 5. Nicky Hayden (Hon RC211V), 1:47.610, Michelin 6. Toni Elias (Hon RC211V), 1:47.646, Michelin 7. Loris Capirossi (Duc GP06), 1:47.731, Bridgestone 8. John Hopkins (Suz GSV-R), 1:47.915, Bridgestone 9. Randy de Puniet (Kaw ZX-RR), 1:47.982, Bridgestone 10. Kenny Roberts (KR211V), 1:48.002, Michelin 11. Casey Stoner (Hon RC211V), 1:48.059, Michelin 12. Makoto Tamada (Hon RC211V), 1:48.160, Michelin 13. Sete Gibernau (Duc GP06), 1:48.313, Bridgestone 14. Kousuke Akiyoshi (Suz GSV-R), 1:48.317, Bridgestone 15. Dani Pedrosa (Hon RC211V), 1:48.389, Michelin 16. Naoki Matsudo (Kaw ZX-RR), 1:48.722, Bridgestone 17. Chris Vermeulen (Suz GSV-R), 1:49.488, Bridgestone 18. James Ellison (Yam YZR-M1), 1:49.683, Dunlop 19. Alex Hofmann (Duc GP05), 1:49.761, Dunlop 20. Carlos Checa (Yam YZR-M1), 1:49.889, Dunlop 21. Jose Luis Cardoso (Duc GP05), 1:52.138, Dunlop FIM 250cc GP World Championship Motegi, Japan September 22 Provisional Qualifying Results: 1. Jorge Lorenzo (Aprilia), 1:52.123 2. Hiroshi Aoyama (KTM), 1:52.250 3. Shuhei Aoyama (Honda), 1:52.425 4. Yuki Takahashi (Honda), 1:52.737 5. Alex de Angelis (Aprilia), 1:52.846 6. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda), 1:53.125 7. Roberto Locatelli (Aprilia), 1:53.412 8. Ryuji YOKOE (Yamaha), 1:53.546 9. Hector Barbera (Aprilia), 1:53.884 10. Ratthapark WILAIROT (Honda), 1:53.986 FIM 125cc GP World Championship Motegi, Japan September 22 Provisional Qualifying Results: 1. Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia), 1:57.627 2. Sergio Gadea (Aprilia), 1:58.320 3. Mike Kallio (KTM), 1:58.336 4. Mattia Pasini (Aprilia), 1:58.598 5. Hector Faubel (Aprilia), 1:58.765 6. Julian Simon (KTM), 1:58.839 7. Fabrizio Lai (Honda), 1:58.878 8. Lukas Pesek (Derbi), 1:58.948 9. Tomoyoshi Koyama (Malaguti), 1:59.068 10. Gabor Talmacsi (Honda), 1:59.316 More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: TITLE-CHASING ROSSI FASTEST AT MOTEGI AFTER DAY ONE On the first day of practice sessions for Sunday’s A-Style Grand Prix of Japan, the home fans got an indication of what could be both a successful date for the local riders and a pivotal moment in the premier class title chase. Continuing a recent trend in MotoGP, the premier class riders took to the track for the first day of practice today and finished off the session with a late burst on qualifying tyres on their bikes. It was another frenetic pair of sessions, one which Valentino Rossi took by the scruff of the neck with a scorching 1’46.981 lap to top the timesheets. It was inside circuit record pace, as were the top eight riders, but Rossi was the only rider able to break the 1’47 barrier, with home rider Shinya Nakano the best of the rest on the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR. Marco Melandri was also on the pace fresh from his win last weekend at Phillip Island, just over half a second behind his fellow Italian. Camel Yamaha’s Colin Edwards joined his team-mate in the upper section of the leaderboard, with World Championship leader Nicky Hayden and Fortuna Honda’s Toni Elias rounding off the top six. Having been expected to do well at Motegi after Ducati’s dominant showing last season, Loris Capirossi could only manage seventh, ahead of this morning’s fastest rider John Hopkins, Randy de Puniet and Kenny Roberts Jr. Light showers are forecast for the next couple of days at Motegi, which could make tomorrow afternoon’s qualifying session particularly interesting. With 21 points separating Hayden from Rossi at the head of the MotoGP standings, every result is crucial, beginning with the chance to start from pole position on Sunday. 250cc Jorge Lorenzo spoiled the party for the home riders in the first 250cc qualifying at Twin Ring Motegi. The Spaniard snatched the provisional pole position from the two Aoyama brothers, Hiroshi and Shuhei, and their countryman Yuki Takahashi. The two siblings had been fastest in the morning session at the track, but a 1’52.132 lap from World Championship leader Lorenzo was just enough to prevent them from repeating the feat in the final moments of the afternoon outing. Alex de Angelis and title contender Andrea Dovizioso trailed the Japanese trio, still less than a second off Lorenzo’s provisional top spot. Ryuji Yokoe, a Japanese wildcard riding a Yamaha this weekend, clinched eighth place ahead of Fortuna Aprilia’s Hector Barbera, whilst the top ten was finished by Thai rider Ratthapark Wilairot on a Honda. 125cc Alvaro Bautista is still the man to beat in 125s. After setting the fastest time this morning in the opening free practice session at Twin Ring Motegi, the newly-crowned World Champion once again topped the leaderboard in qualifying and took provisional pole for Sunday’s 125cc A-Style Grand Pix of Japan. The only rider to break the 1’58 barrier, Bautista came in ahead of team-mate Sergio Gadea with a lap of 1’57.627. In third, Mika Kallio was the only rider in the top five not to hail from the Master MVA Aspar team, in front of Mattia Pasini and Hector Faubel. Julian Simon, Fabrizio Lai, Lukas Pesek, Tomoyoshi Koyama and Gabor Talmacsi complete the top ten. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing: PROVISIONAL FRONT ROW FOR NAKANO AT MOTEGI Shinya Nakano led the Kawasaki charge at Motegi today, storming to a sensational second place on the provisional grid during this afternoon’s hour-long free practice session. A problem with braking stability, so critical at Motegi, meant that Nakano finished this morning a disappointing eleventh fastest, but changes to chassis and suspension settings transformed the 28-year-old Japanese rider’s Ninja ZX-RR ahead of the second hour of practice. Nakano claimed provisional pole just five minutes into this afternoon’s hour-long session, and remained top five on the timesheet until the leading riders started switching to qualifying tyres with ten minutes left to run. Having dropped down to sixth place, as his factory rivals put in fast laps on qualifying rubber, Nakano underlined just how much Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-RR has improved this season, by snatching second place on the provisional grid with a final flying lap that was almost half-a-second faster than his qualifying time for this race last year. And the Kawasaki pilot is confident that, with additional refinements to the set-up of his Ninja ZX-RR overnight, he can improve his lap times further ahead of tomorrow’s all-important qualifying session. Randy de Puniet finished the opening day of practice in a creditable ninth place, but like his more experienced team leader, the 25-year-old Frenchman is confident that there is more to come during tomorrow morning’s final free practice session. De Puniet worked closely with his crew to refine the set-up of his Ninja ZX-RR – fitted with the latest specification engine for the first time – during this morning’s practice session, before switching his attentions to evaluating two different tyres from Bridgestone. With rain forecast for tomorrow, de Puniet, like many riders, opted to try a qualifying tyre at the end of this afternoon’s session, and it was on this tyre that he set his fastest time. Also riding the latest specification Ninja ZX-RR for the first time was Kawasaki wild card rider, Naoki Matsudo. The 33-year-old Japanese rider made steady progress during both practice sessions, as he and his crew refined the set-up of the new engine, before switching to a qualifying tyre at the end of the afternoon, and recording the sixteenth fastest time. Shinya Nakano: 2nd – 1’47.315 “This morning we had some problems with braking stability, which made it very difficult to lap consistently. Between sessions we made some changes to the balance of the bike, which was a big improvement, and I was able to find a good rhythm very quickly this afternoon. Having said that, I think it’s still possible to improve things further, as I could still feel the rear hopping about when hard on the brakes this afternoon – and you’re hard on the brakes quite a lot at Motegi. Having the rear wheel trying to overtake the front on the brakes may look good on television, but it’s not so good for a fast lap time. We know what we need to do to improve this, so I’m confident that we can go even faster tomorrow.” Randy de Puniet: 9th – 1’47.982 “Overall, I’m happy with the progress we’ve made today. This is my first time at Motegi with the MotoGP bike, so I faced quite a steep learning curve this morning, but I think we’re almost there now. I tested a couple of different rear tyres from Bridgestone, and one definitely seems to offer an advantage here, but I still need to do more work on the set-up of the bike. At the moment I’m just over a second off pole position, but as we get the bike dialled in tomorrow, I think I should be able to close this gap significantly in qualifying.” Naoki Matsudo: 16th – 1’48.722 “This is the first time I’ve ridden the latest specification engine, so we knew we would have to spend some time this morning working on set-up. At first I wasn’t too comfortable with the engine braking, and the bike had a tendency to wheelie out of the turns, but now the set-up is much better. This is my one and only MotoGP race appearance this season, so this morning I was a little bit nervous to start with. But, once I’d settled into the practice session, and we’d made improvements to the set-up, I really enjoyed myself, and I’m looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Marlboro: DUCATI MARLBORO MEN SET FAST PACE IN RACE TRIM Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau ended today’s first two Japanese GP practice sessions seventh and 13th fastest. But the timesheets are somewhat misleading because neither the Italian nor the Spaniard used super-soft qualifying tyres today, unlike many of their rivals. Indeed both men are satisfied with their race pace, last year’s Motegi winner Capirossi the only man to run consistently inside 1m 48s and Gibernau certain that he is starting to get to grips with a circuit that he has always found difficult to master. Loris Capirossi, Ducati Marlboro Team, 7th fastest, 1m 47.731s “I’m very happy with what we’ve done today and with my race pace. I think we’ve been the best because I’ve done a lot of fast laps on race tyres. This afternoon I tried two new Bridgestone rears. The first I used for only a few laps, but I did a lot of laps on the second. My rhythm was very fast with that tyre, there’s no doubt I’m the only one who has done 1m 47.7s with race tyres, so my seventh place doesn’t reflect my real potential. I don’t understand why everyone is in such a hurry to use qualifying tyres! I hope the weather stays fine because I know we can improve our settings some more. I want to say a big thank you to my team. We have such a good relationship – they quickly understand what I say and understand what I need to go faster. We started today with two different set-ups, this afternoon mixed the positive aspects of each. The bike is good, the tyres are good and I’m ready to really use them!” Sete Gibernau, Ducati Marlboro Team, 13th fastest, 1m 48.313s “This is a track where I’ve never felt too confident, so today I just tried to stay out on race tyres to learn and to see what kind of direction we need to go in. Both sessions went okay, I feel like I’m starting to understand what I’ve got to do to go fast here, I just needed laps and it seemed like a waste of time to try a qualifier, even though it seems like that’s what everyone does these days. What I need to do for this track is adapt my braking, I think I am using the bike quite well but I think my braking is a little too long, so I need to brake for a shorter time. Braking is very important here. We tried different set-ups in both my bikes today and now we are trying to use half of one set-up and half the other for tomorrow. I think that should be pretty good, we’ll se what happens…” Afternoon session temperatures. Ambient: 24 degrees Track: 29 degrees More, from a press release issued by Pramac D’Antin: THE TEAM PRAMAC D’ANTIN MOTOGP IS WORKING CONFIDENTLY AT MOTEGI After the good performance in the animated race of Phillip Island, the PRAMAC D’ANTIN MOTOGP starts the last appointment of this long intercontinental travel with the right determination. ALEX HOFMANN obtained the 19th time at the end of the first free practice sessions of the fifteenth GP of the season, while JOSE LUIS CARDOSO is 21st. Both riders, determined to confirm the progresses showed in Australia here in Motegi, dedicated themselves to the tires selection and the definition of the ideal set-up for their DUCATI DESMOSEDICI GP06 “Sat” in view of Sunday’s race. Tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. (7:00 a.m. in Italy), there will be the MotoGP Official Practice session. ALEX HOFMANN #66 (19th – 1’49.761): “I’m enthusiast and confident after the good performance we made in Phillip Island. The Team is going on working very good, following my instructions and putting me in the best conditions to be able to push at the maximum. Unfortunately, today we tested some race tires and the best we found is a soft one that wouldn’t have enough duration to end the race in good conditions. Tomorrow, let’s hope that DUNLOP will bring us more tires that will be more effective for this unexpected meteorological conditions”. JOSE LUIS CARDOSO #30 (21st – 1’51.138): “This afternoon, the sensations improved from this morning. We worked with the tires we had at our disposal but as we found different temperatures than we expected we couldn’t make it any better today, we already are at the limit. Tomorrow, we will test more tires and I hope to make a good session of qualifying practice. I’m very determined in this final part of the season and in this GP, I want to obtain a good result!”. EMANUELE MARTINELLI Track Engineer of Alex Hofmann: “DUNLOP brought us hard tires as the temperatures should have been higher. Unfortunately these tires didn’t allow the motorcycle to be effective as we wanted. Anyway we’re confident for the race. The work we made today has been very useful to select the tire we will use tomorrow and on which we will work to define the final set-up for the race. Right now, the general balance of the motorcycle is effective with soft race tires. Tomorrow we will look for a set-up evolution to allow HOFMANN to make a good race and get some more points”. More, from a press release issued by Camel Yamaha: ROSSI AND EDWARDS ON THE PACE AT MOTEGI Camel Yamaha Team racers Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards began their preparations for the Grand Prix of Japan in ideal fashion today, lapping at the top end of the time sheets throughout both free practice sessions and ending the day with the first and fourth fastest laps overall. Both riders were able to work on their race setting, adapting the machine configuration from the fast and flowing demands of Phillip Island to the stop-start nature of Motegi, before fitting a softer compound rear tyre in a trial run ahead of tomorrow’s crucial qualifying practice. Rossi was on the pace in both instances, running second fastest in the morning free practice and stepping up the tempo with a string of fast and consistent laps in the afternoon. His best time on a race tyre of 1’48.044 was just a fraction outside lap record pace and is a positive reflection of his potential in Sunday’s race. Edwards, meanwhile, was delighted to follow up his positive progress in Australia with another impressive practice showing. The Texan topped the timing screens for lengthy spells in the afternoon as he also lapped in the low 1’48s before settling for the fourth fastest time overall as other riders also experimented with a qualifying tyre. VALENTINO ROSSI (1st 1’46.981; 44 laps) “I am very happy with today; we’ve made a really good start. The track has a good grip and also Michelin have made great progress since this race last year, especially with the front tyre. They have a new front tyre here which gives me much better grip when braking and so I was able to ride the bike at the maximum straight away today, which meant that I had great fun! My pace is okay, although there are many riders with a similar rhythm so I think it’s going to be a hard battle on Sunday! My best time today was done with the qualifying tyre and once again my bike worked perfectly in this situation, so this is good news for tomorrow. Colin was fast too today, as he was last weekend, which shows what good work we’ve done on our M1 over the last few races. This race is very important for the championship so it’s nice to start off on the right foot with this good result. Now we wait to see if we can continue in this way tomorrow.” COLIN EDWARDS (4th 1’47.581; 41 laps) “We found something in Phillip Island which seems to have made all the difference; we pulled the bike out this morning and it felt good straight away. We’ve basically just softened up the setting and it’s since felt like a completely different bike. Obviously Motegi is a very different track to Phillip Island but what we used today was pretty much the same bike with virtually the same setting just a few modifications that we thought would help us here. The crew have done a great job and we’ve still got another day to work on improving the setting ahead of the race. We used a qualifying tyre today, which we don’t usually do on a Friday, and I was really pleased with the lap time. Now we have to keep going, make sure we don’t take a single step backwards and head into Sunday’s race with confidence of a top result.” DAVIDE BRIVIO CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “For a start we are very happy to see Colin on top, more or less throughout the whole session today, so we have to keep going with him improving his feeling with the bike and continuing to give him a good package to work with. Valentino has also made a good start and it is always an advantage when both riders feel comfortable from the first moment because they can push hard and give you lots of valuable data to work from. It means that we have a good setting now on both bikes so even if it rains tomorrow, as they say it might, we can be confident for Sunday. As far as using the qualifying tyre in free practice is concerned, we had actually already started to do this before Malaysia, to provide some information for the qualifying session on Saturday afternoon. However, I don’t think there is any doubt that it is in the back of teams’ minds now to set a good lap time, just in case there is a similar situation with the weather to the one we had at Sepang.” More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Honda: GREAT START FOR MELANDRI AND ELIAS AT MOTEGI 3rd and 6th time for the Fortuna Honda Riders the first day of the Japanese GP The Fortuna Honda riders had a positive start at Motegi in the first day of the Japanese GP. With the third and sixth lap time, Marco Melandri and Toni Elias look confident to the race weekend. Marco Melandri, after the incredible race in Phillip Island, started with the set up that last Sunday allowed him to score his third win of the season. Marco worked on the set up of the bike, making only some small modifications. In the afternoon he tested the qualifying tyre in order to be ready for tomorrow qualifying session, finishing with the third best time. Very good start for the Spaniard Toni Elias who finished 6th. Thanks to the work done on the chassis and suspension, the bike was well balanced and Toni could ride with a good feeling. MARCO MELANDRI (3rd, 1’47″449): “I’m very satisfied of this first day of testing. Despite the track of Motegi presents different characteristics, we started here with the same setting we had last Sunday in Australia. The feeling with the bike was good and I think that we have found a good set up in the final part of the session. In the afternoon I tested a qualifying tyre because this has been so far my weak point. I scored the 3rd time. Honda is helping me to improve the performance of the bike and the team who is doing a great job.” TONI ELIAS (6th, 1’47″646): “I’m very happy because today the bike was well balanced and I could ride in the way i like. This morning we worked on chassis and suspensions and we found a good base. We still need to improve my feeling with full tank because I’m still struggling a lot in the first laps because I don’t have enough traction.” During the Grand Prix of Japan, Marco Melandri’s Honda RC211V will carry the image of Honda Italia’s 35th anniversary as a sign of collaboration and mutual respect. MARCO MELANDRI: “It’s a great satisfaction for me to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Honda Italia. When I was a child and I went to races, I was always dreaming of becoming famous. Now I’m the only Italian to ride a Honda MotoGP and I’m proud to represent Honda Italy in this special occasion.” FAUSTO GRESINI: “It is a great honour for us to be able to celebrate this 35th anniversary with Honda Itaia “We are an Italian team and with 3 victories and 6 podiums this season we are delighted to carry the image of the anniversary.” More, from a press release issues by Bridgestone Motorsport: STRATEGIES SPLIT AS NAKANO FLIES ON HOME GROUND Bridgestone Motorsport enjoyed a positive start to its home race preparations at the Twin Ring Motegi today with each of its teams adopting different strategies in free practice for this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix. Shinya Nakano, participating in his and Kawasaki’s home GP, used a late qualifying simulation to good effect to go second quickest but the Japanese rider has already completed a race distance on one of Bridgestone’s selected compounds and was among the frontrunners on race tyres throughout the day. The Ducati duo had strong pace in race trim masked by other riders’ late runs. Loris Capirossi was quickest on race tyres this afternoon, some three-tenths-of-a-second faster than the rest of the field. His time of 1m47.731s represents a 0.2s increase over his race-winning best lap from last season. He and team-mate Sete Gibernau ended the day in seventh and 13th place respectively having not run on qualifying tyres. Randy de Puniet made a late lap on qualifying tyres to secure ninth place, just a fraction behind Suzuki’s John Hopkins who laid down the gauntlet in this morning’s practice session by posting the quickest time. He ended the day in eighth position also on qualifying tyres. Hopkins’ Australian team-mate Chris Vermeulen, fresh from his first MotoGP podium at his own home GP last weekend, made his Motegi debut today in 17th place. There are two new additions to the MotoGP class this weekend with wildcard riders Kousuke Akiyoshi and Naoki Matsudo taking part in their home GP on Bridgestone tyres. The Japanese men acquitted themselves well on the opening day finishing 14th and 16th for Suzuki and Kawasaki. Bridgestone tyres will also be seen in the 125cc and 250cc categories this weekend as six wildcard entries compete alongside the established riders. After the first day, 250cc riders Ryuji Yokoe, Ratthapark Wilairot and Seijin Oikawa have made their presence immediately felt with encouraging results finishing in respective eighth, tenth and 13th positions in this afternoon’s qualifying practice. SHINJI AOKI – Assistant Manager Motorcycle Race Tire Development: “This afternoon’s practice results will need to be treated with some care as it seems many riders used the opportunity to simulate a qualifying run in the closing stages of the session. Looking at the detailed lap times, though, it would appear that Bridgestone tyres are performing well after the first day of practice. Loris and Sete did not complete a run on qualifying tyres, so their times today are a good indication of what we can expect in dry race conditions. The fact that Loris was 0.3s clear for most of the afternoon shows that Ducati can be strong contenders in Motegi this weekend. Kawasaki and Suzuki have also performed well preparing for their home GP. “Shinya conducted a long run in race conditions today and the tyre he used showed the required level of performance and durability. We evaluated five different compounds today and quickly found a good race rhythm in these weather conditions. Kawasaki and Suzuki also tried qualifying runs with satisfactory results. Friday afternoon has become a good time to simulate qualifying runs because conditions are more representative of those we will encounter during the actual qualifying session on Saturday afternoon. After day one, I think we are looking in good shape and can hope to perform well in our home GP on Sunday afternoon with all three of our teams.” More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Solid start for Rizla Suzuki MotoGP in Japan Rizla Suzuki MotoGP made a steady start to the A-Style Grand Prix of Japan, with all three riders getting through a lot of positive work in readiness for Sunday’s race. John Hopkins (P8, 1’47.915, 49 laps) was the quickest rider on the circuit during the morning session and found a dry setting that worked well. This enabled him to spend the afternoon’s hour long session to try many other settings on his Rizla Suzuki GSV-R to find additional performance. Hopkins and his crew learnt many things in the session and now have a clear direction for Sunday. Chris Vermeulen (P17, 1’49.488, 49 laps) is at Motegi for the first time and spent both sessions learning the Japanese track. He improved on his times dramatically over the day and is well placed to take huge steps tomorrow in the final free practice session and qualifying. Suzuki Wild-Card rider Kousuke Akiyoshi (P14,1’48.317, 34 laps) is competing in his first ever Grand Prix and made an impressive start to the weekend, and his fastest time was ahead of many experienced MotoGP riders. He is convinced that he can go quicker over the weekend and is determined to get in amongst the points on Sunday. Today’s free practice sessions were held in dry and cloudy conditions with temperatures reaching 25°C. The quickest time was set by reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP has one more free practice session on Saturday morning followed by the all-important afternoon qualifying hour to decide grid positions for Sunday’s 24 lap race that gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (05.00hrs GMT). John Hopkins: “This afternoon we went through a lot of settings and tried a lot of stuff. We tried many things to look for a good race set-up but basically it was one of those sessions where everything we tried didn’t help us go quick, but gave us important information. This meant we could never get into a really good rhythm, but we know we can do the lap times as this morning’s position showed. The Suzuki and the Bridgestone tyres are working excellently around here on this track. The position this afternoon is not really a true one, but in the dry we are ready and I think we can definitely have a good race here.” Chris Vermeulen: “This is my first time at Motegi and it is a really good racetrack I’m certainly enjoying it. There is a lot of grip here from the Bridgestone tyres and from this morning to this afternoon I made quite a big step. The biggest thing today has been learning the circuit, we made a few changes and tried some tyres but the main thing was finding my lines around here. I learnt a lot today and we have now got enough information to hopefully make the bike and me better tomorrow.” Kousuke Akiyoshi: “I am really pleased to be here in my first Grand Prix at Motegi. I have worked hard with my team and we are quite happy with how today has gone, but we also think that we can do better tomorrow and we will be trying to do so.” Paul Denning Team Manager: “A good steady day with no dramas and the whole team got through a lot of work. Rizla Suzuki and its three riders are very positive about the opportunities over the next few days in Motegi. John’s lap time this afternoon on race tyres wasn’t as good as this morning, but he got through a mountain of work and cleared a lot of things up direction wise he is confident he can go quicker when he needs to! “Chris has stuck to his task of learning the track as quickly as possible. He has none of the experience of his competitors here and I’m sure with a night’s sleep he will come back tomorrow and attack the track with a lot more confidence. “It’s great to see three Suzuki GSV-Rs out on the track and Akiyoshi san looks like he is having a lot of fun, and he certainly doesn’t look out of his depth in his first ever GP. I am sure he will be riding very hard over the weekend and giving some regular riders a hard time!”

MotoGP Practice #1 Motegi, Japan Friday, September 22, 2006 1. John Hopkins (Suz GSV-R), 1:48.222, Bridgestone 2. Valentino Rossi (Yam YZR-M1), 1:48.235, Michelin 3. Casey Stoner (Hon RC211V), 1:48.255, Michelin 4. Colin Edwards (Yam YZR-M1), 1:48.262, Michelin 5. Loris Capirossi (Duc GP06), 1:48.286, Bridgestone 6. Marco Melandri (Hon RC211V), 1:48.558, Michelin 7. Kenny Roberts (KR211V), 1:48.639, Michelin 8. Sete Gibernau (Duc GP06), 1:48.708, Bridgestone 9. Nicky Hayden (Hon RC211V), 1:48.713, Michelin 10. Toni Elias (Hon RC211V), 1:48.754, Michelin 11. Shinya Nakano (Kaw ZX-RR), 1:48.815, Bridgestone 12. Makoto Tamada (Hon RC211V), 1:49.109, Michelin 13. Randy de Puniet (Kaw ZX-RR), 1:49.273, Bridgestone 14. Kousuke Kiyoshi (Suz GSV-R), 1:49.587, Bridgestone 15. Dani Pedrosa (Hon RC211V), 1:49.774, Michelin 16. Carlos Checa (Yam YZR-M1), 1:50.037, Dunlop 17. Chris Vermeulen (Suz GSV-R), 1:50.320, Bridgestone 18. Alex Hofmann (Duc GP05), 1:50.763, Dunlop 19. James Ellison (Yam YZR-M1), 1:50.949, Dunlop 20. Naoki Matsudo (Kaw ZX-RR), 1:51.280, Bridgestone 21. Jose Luis Cardoso (Duc GP05), 1:51.735, Dunlop 250cc Grand Prix Practice #1 Motegi, Japan Friday, September 22, 2006 1. Hiroshi Aoyama (KTM), 1:53.382 2. Shuhei Aoyama (Honda), 1:53.451 3. Yuki Takahashi (Honda), 1:53.481 4. Alex de Angelis (Aprilia), 1:53.508 5. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda), 1:53.955 6. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia), 1:53.971 7. Hector Barbera (Aprilia), 1:54.053 8. Jorge Lorenzo (Aprilia), 1:54.328 9. Roberto Locatelli (Aprilia), 1:54.345 10. Jakub Smrz (Aprilia), 1:54.823 125cc Grand Prix Practice #1 Motegi, Japan Friday, September 22, 2006 1. Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia), 1:58.853 2. Julian Simon (KTM), 1:59.333 3. Mika Kallio (KTM), 1:59.420 4. Mattia Pasini (Aprilia), 1:59.575 5. Sergio Gadea (Aprilia), 1:59.591 6. Hector Faubel (Aprilia), 1:59.888 7. Lukas Pesek (Derbi), 2:00.060 8. Karel Abraham (Aprilia), 2:00.277 9. Thomas Luthi (Honda), 2:00.349 10. Nicolas Terol (Derbi), 2:00.388

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – There will be more things to do at historic Daytona International Speedway than watching the thrilling motorcycle racing on the 31-degree high banks of “The World Center of Racing.” Daytona International Speedway will once again host Kickstand City on Oct. 19-22. In addition to offering a wide-variety of overnight parking packages, Daytona International Speedway will offer several must-see activities for any motorcycle enthusiast. ·Free demo rides: Outside of historic Daytona International Speedway, motorcycle enthusiasts can test-ride the latest and greatest motorcycles with free manufacturer demo rides. Located in Lot 1 outside the frontstretch will be manufacturers such as Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Buell, Yamaha, BMW and Vespa. Located in the Fan Walk area outside of Turn 4 will be Harley-Davidson, Victory, Boss Hoss and Bourget Bike Works. Riders must hold a valid motorcycle driver license and DOT approved helmet in order to participate in the demo rides. Demo rides run Thursday, Oct. 19 through Oct. 21, 9 p.m. 6 p.m. and Oct. 22, 9 a.m. 3 p.m. ·Daytona Motorcycle Marketplace: Bikers can find the nation’s top aftermarket parts, accessories and apparel companies at the Daytona Motorcycle Marketplace, which will be located in the parking lot of DAYTONA USA. The Daytona Motorcycle Marketplace will be open Oct. 19-22, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. ·Fan Walk Displays: See the areas largest amount of custom bikes on display at Daytona International Speedway Fan Walk located outside of Turn 4. Get an up close look at what the American Cruiser and the custom bike builders have to offer in our spacious display areas. ·Budweiser Cool Your Pipes Zone: Cool your pipes with two great names”¦.Budweiser and Daytona International Speedway! Spend the day catching up with old friends at the Budweiser Cool Your Pipes Zone, located just outside the Speedway’s twin tunnels. Enjoy a cold Budweiser and great food next to the area’s largest vendor, display and demo ride marketplace. ·Specialty Vehicle, Overnight Parking: Specialty vehicles and overnight tent parking are available inside “The World Center of Racing.” Overnight Specialty Vehicle Parking (with hook-ups) is available for $275 and overnight specialty vehicle parking (no hook-ups) is $155. Both of those packages include two-Super four-day admissions. Motorcycle trailer parking is $25 and overnight tent camping is free with your daily admission ticket. For more information, call 1-800-PITSHOP. -day admissions. ·Monster Dash: Take a parade lap around Daytona International Speedway on Friday night, Oct 20 followed by a party that will include the band “Taboo” in the NEXTEL FANZONE and the Budweiser Bistro. The parade lap will begin once track activities are finished at approximately 7 p.m. with the party to follow in the NEXTEL FANZONE. Tickets for Monster Dash, which cost $30 per person and include two free draft beers, will be available on Speedway property on Thursday, Oct. 19 and Friday, Oct. 20 before the Monster Dash begins. Tickets can also be purchased by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or online at www.racetickets.com. ·International Master Bike Builder Row: New to the 2006 Fall Cycle Scene activities at Daytona International Speedway will be the International Master Bike Builder Row. Four legendary builders from the International Master Bike Builders Association will have custom choppers on display along Lake Lloyd in the specialty vehicle area for viewing by motorcycle enthusiasts. The legendary Master Bike Builders Association builders participating include Eddie Trotta, Indian Larry’s Legend Cycles, Matt Hotch and Dave Perewitz. The International Master Bike Builder Row is free to the public with access through the Turn 4 tunnel and will also contain numerous motorcycle vendors, concessions and merchandise. If there are any vendors interested in displaying on International Master Bike Builders Row, please contact Julie Dziak at (386) 947-6819. ·8 Hours of Daytona: In addition to the CCS and ASRA sprint races, DIS will be hosting the inaugural 8 Hours of Daytona MOTO-ST Series race. The new endurance motorcycle series’ inaugural event will be contested on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 1 p.m. and will offer $100,000 in purse and lap money.

SUSHI AND SCOUTING LAPS FOR MOTOGP RIDERS IN MOTEGI The MotoGP tour arrived in the paddock at Twin Ring Motegi today to prepare for the A-Style Grand Prix of Japan, the final flyaway race of a gruelling three-week schedule. Whilst the weather was fine for the riders as they underwent their scouting laps, there is an outside chance that a typhoon just off the coast of Japan’s main island may come close to the circuit this weekend, which could throw up more of the surprises which have become customary in the 2006 season so far. Ahead of tomorrow’s practice schedule, a number of riders were taken to a local sushi restaurant for a lesson in the art of preparing the traditional Japanese delicacy. Shinya Nakano, Colin Edwards, Kenny Roberts Jr. and Andrea Dovizioso also got the chance to play the popular board-game “Othello” under the guidance of three local Japanese champions. There was a special presentation for the riders as they tasted their handiwork, a disguised chef in appropriate ninja attire bringing out a tray of “Nakano’s Ninja Sushi” for them to try. Kawasaki rider Nakano was on double duty today, also attending the customary press conference. The local star was accompanied by World Championship leader Nicky Hayden, Valentino Rossi, last year’s winner Loris Capirossi and Marco Melandri, victorious less than one week ago in Australia. Just three rounds now remain in the title chase for MotoGP, and with a maximum 75 points still available, mathematically five riders are still in with a shout of the championship. Hayden (225) leads Rossi by 21 points, whilst Melandri and Dani Pedrosa lie 32 points behind the American. Capirossi is 45 points behind Hayden, but having won this race last year, can still admit to having an outside chance of the title. Practice for the A-Style Grand Prix of Japan starts tomorrow, ahead of the all-important race on Sunday afternoon. Nicky Hayden – Honda “Australia turned out alright, I actually liked the bike-changing in the pits, with a bit of tweaking I think it could work alright. It was a really tough first part of the race, so the rain helped me out. Last year I was terrible here, although in my rookie year I wasn’t so bad and I like the track. It isn’t my favourite race of the year, but it’s kind of fun and an important race for Honda. Screaming and pouting about yellow flags isn’t going to get you anywhere, so what happened last week is something that stays there. Valentino didn’t pass me personally under a yellow flag so I have no excuse.” Valentino Rossi – Yamaha “I gained important points in the last two races, but know we have three very different Grands Prix to face, where maybe Yamaha aren’t so strong. I have only won once here, back in 2001, and apart from a few second places it isn’t my best circuit. Last year especially I had braking problems and eventually had a crash with Melandri. I didn’t see the yellow flags in Phillip Island, but I have been unlucky with them before and I was lucky this time. Stoner retook me and I was saved by that.” Marco Melandri – Honda “I had some good fortune in Australia. It was a strange race. It is good to be back in the championship battle as, even though Nicky is quite a few points ahead of me, I have nothing to lose and can go all-out. I like this circuit, even though I had that bad crash last year.” Loris Capirossi – Ducati “Last year was my MotoGP debut here, and it was a great weekend. Watching Doohan and Gardner here back in the 80s and 90s and now getting to hopefully have a race like that this weekend is a dream come true. MotoGP is so different to any other class I’ve raced in here, and as it is earlier on in the year than usual I’m hoping that it will be a dry one.” Shinya Nakano – Kawasaki “It is an important race. Everybody is here, from my friends and family through to Kawasaki. I am confident after leading a race for the first time at Phillip Island. Personally I didn’t find the changing of the bikes too crowded”¦I was all on my own from pitting a lap later! In Malaysia we had some new engine parts, and these have been a huge step forward for Kawasaki, Motegi is difficult but a track where I go well. If the weather is as forecast then I think everybody will be using qualifying tyres tomorrow! I well be testing here on Monday, but not an 800cc machine I don’t think.” More, from a press release from Kawasaki Racing: KAWASAKI FIELD THREE RIDER TEAM AT MOTEGI The Kawasaki Racing Team will field three riders in this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, as test and development pilot, Naoki Matsudo, makes his only wild card appearance of the season alongside Kawasaki’s regular MotoGP riders, Shinya Nakano and Randy de Puniet. For Nakano, this weekend at Motegi is one of the most important of his season. The 28-year-old Japanese rider arrives for the final overseas race in confident mood, and determined to put in a strong performance in front of family, friends and his many Japanese fans. The expectations of his home crowd mean the pressure is on Nakano this weekend, but the Kawasaki pilot remains relaxed, and confident that a good result in Sunday’s 24-lap Japanese Grand Prix is well within his grasp. Nakano’s Kawasaki teammate, Randy de Puniet, is also confident going into this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, despite having no previous experience of the Motegi circuit aboard a MotoGP machine. De Puniet has already proved a fast learner on tracks he’s unfamiliar with, but the 25-year-old Frenchman has prior experience of the Motegi circuit on a 250cc machine, and is confident that the transition to Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-RR MotoGP machine will cause him no problems this weekend. Kawasaki test and development rider, Naoki Matsudo, is already an experienced World Championship campaigner, having started his Grand Prix career with a wild card ride in 1997, and then taking the first of two career Grand Prix podium finishes in the 1998 Japanese 250cc race, again as a wild card. The following year the 33-year-old Japanese rider went on to win five races, on his way to securing the All-Japan 250cc Championship title. In 2000 Matsudo started the first of five full seasons in the 250cc World Championship, after which he made one wild card appearance in the MotoGP class in 2005, before taking on the role of test and development rider with Kawasaki at the start of the 2006 season. Matsudo has logged many testing miles on Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-RR during the past nine months, and is now looking forward to putting this experience to good use in this, his debut race appearance for Kawasaki. Shinya Nakano: #56 “Of course, this is an important race for me, as it is my home Grand Prix and every rider wants to do well in front of their home crowd. Expectations are high, which does bring added pressure, but this pressure is not such a bad thing because it is motivating rather than stressful. This year I arrive at Motegi with my confidence high. Okay, the final result in Australia was not as good as we were hoping for, but we’ve made a lot of improvements to the Ninja ZX-RR recently, and I felt I rode strongly during practice and in the opening part of the race at Phillip Island. The Motegi circuit demands a bike that is stable under braking, but also quick to turn, and I think our Ninja ZX-RR fits these requirements very well, although the proof will only come once practice starts on Friday. Tyres are also important here, but Bridgestone is a Japanese company who know this track very well, and their tyres have always offered an advantage at Motegi in the past. I’m confident that this will be the case again this weekend. Overall, I’m looking forward to racing in front of the Japanese fans, and I hope I can repay their support with a good result on Sunday.” Randy de Puniet: #17 “I’m looking forward to this weekend’s race. It’s the last race of our overseas trip, and I think we’ve made some steps forward in Malaysia and Australia, although the final race results haven’t reflected this completely. I’ve never ridden this track on a MotoGP bike before, but I was fast on a 250cc machine here, and I like the circuit. It’s a very stop and go track, but also very technical. Exit speed from each corner is critical to a fast lap, so it’s important that you carry as much pace as possible through the turns. We think our Ninja ZX-RR will work well here, and we know that the tyres Bridgestone bring to this race will suit both the track and the conditions, so our confidence is high going into this race. If we can continue the momentum built up in the previous two races, then I think a good result is possible this weekend.” Naoki Matsudo: #8 “After many hours and many kilometres of testing, I am looking forward to my first race aboard the Ninja ZX-RR. I tested here at Motegi two weeks ago, and my lap times were consistent, but it will be good to measure myself against the level of the other MotoGP riders in a race situation. This will also help me when I resume my test and development duties for Kawasaki, because I will have a better idea of the level we need to achieve. This is my only race this year, so there is some pressure on me to do well, but I feel relaxed ahead of this weekend, and I’m excited about making my race debut for Kawasaki here.”

Alton, Va. Defending Championship Cup Series Mid-Atlantic and Southeast champion Nate Kern returns to Southside Virginia this weekend with his sights set on duplicating his accomplishments of last year in the combined CCS Mid-Atlantic and Southeast event at VIRginia International Raceway this weekend, September 23-24. Kern has made a name for himself over the past few years by winning consistently on a BMW motorcycle, swimming against the tide of Japanese and American motorcycles that customarily populate this form of motorcycle racing. Riding for Main Line BMW of Devon, Pa., Kern last year became the first person to win an overall motorcycle racing championship on a BMW in 30 years, since Steve McLaughlin’s historic win in the 1976 Daytona 200 on a BMW R90S. This year Kern has a new BMW R1200S to ride, and has positioned himself to sweep the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast championships again. Having only started racing in 2002, Kern’s meteoric success is all the sweeter thanks to his unconventional choice of racing machine. “There have been various opportunities to race other bikes, but the stellar performance of the new BMW motorcycles, and the desire to prove you cannot judge a book by its cover, has kept me racing these awesome machines,” said Kern. The fact that Kern can wrap up his pair of regional championships at VIR, with the technical support of BMW Motorcycles of Atlanta, is icing on the cake as Kern counts the historic Virginia circuit as his favorite. “VIR is special to me due to the fact that it was the site of my first race as an expert, which I won, and my first AMA race, the 2003 AMA Formula Extreme race, where I finished 12th riding for the Hooters Suzuki team,” Kern said. “I have won races there on three different BMWs and clinched two overall CCS championships there. The track is challenging, the facilities are first-class and the staff is very friendly. It is my favorite place to invite friends and family to watch me race. VIR’s willingness to keep improving safety and their accommodations will keep me there as long as I am racing.” This weekend’s racing action gets underway Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. with practice for all classes, with the day’s races starting at noon. Sunday’s schedule opens up with practice for all classes at 8:30 a.m., with feature races starting at 10:00 am, interrupted only by a lunch break from 11:00 a.m. to noon. Tickets for this weekend’s event at VIR will be available at the gate. Two-day tickets for Saturday and Sunday will be priced at $25, with single-day tickets (Sunday only) available for $15. VIR is a family-friendly facility, where children 12 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. Spectator camping is available. VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Va., just north of historic Milton, N.C. In addition to its 3.27-mile natural-terrain road racing circuit, VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America’s first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park; the VIR Gallery, a sales showroom for high-end collector and racing cars; Plantation Valley Kart Track, a 5/8-mile paved karting circuit; The Lodge at VIR, a 27-room trackside hotel; the new VIR Paddock Suites and Garages, with 18 dual-purpose hospitality/ lodging units and garages; and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse. For more information, visit the track’s website at www.virclub.com or contact VIR at 434-822-7700. For more information on the Championship Cup Series, visit their website at www.ccsracing.com.