Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mladin, Spies & Yates Prepare for Superbike Championship Battle at Season-Ending Mid-Ohio Event BREA, Calif., (Sept. 18, 2006) Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies, Mat Mladin and Aaron Yates are gearing up for the AMA Superbike season finale, where the AMA Superbike Championship will be decided, at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, the weekend of Sept. 29 Oct. 1, 2006. Heading into this final round, Yoshimura Suzuki has won 17 out of 18 races for 2006. Currently Spies leads the title chase in AMA Superbike over teammate Mladin. After finishing second overall in his rookie AMA Superbike season last year, Spies returned to race his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 with a vengeance in 2006. The 22-year-old Texan has won an amazing 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. He hopes to pick up his first AMA Superbike championship 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 checkered flag.” Teammate Mladin, however, doesn’t plan to sit back and allow Spies an easy job of it. The defending AMA Superbike Champion is 20 points back in second place overall. Mladin is also 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.” Yates, meanwhile, earned two AMA Superbike podium finishes at the most recent double-header weekend at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga. A native of Georgia, Yates finished in third place in both Superbike races, helping teammates 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 Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 in Superbike 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 next week. Also, I’m looking forward to wrapping up the season.” For more information on Spies, Mladin, Yates and Yoshimura Suzuki Racing, log onto www.teamsuzuki.com.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION: Via e-mail: I lost a friend at the track on Sunday. Yesterday I got to race my TZ250 for the first time since the end of 2003. It was a blast! I was part of an epic 13-lap battle with eight other guys. We passed each other everywhere, went back-and-forth, side-by-side, inside passes and outside passes, hammer-and-tongs, tooth-and-nail, all that stuff. I don’t know the numbers or names of the others, I was too busy to pay attention to anything other than going just as fast as I could. This race was so fun because we all raced clean and smart. I have found that people who race well make great friends. That is why I know that Jesus Amezcua was my friend even though I did not know him personally. Jesus was one of the guys in my battle. I saw the crash from very close, I know that my friend went out trying hard and riding as fast as he could. Randy Renfrow had a toe transplanted onto his hand to replace one of his thumbs, which had to be amputated after being smashed in a crash. At a party in his honor at another track one of the other 250 GP guys, John France, coined a phrase “Toes Up Randy!” while giving the thumbs-up sign. Toes Up Jesus! Ed Sorbo Mentone, California FIRST PERSON/OPINION: Jesus Amezcua was a good guy, and a good rider, the kind of rider you didn’t mind racing with wheel-to-wheel because you knew he wouldn’t do anything to put you (or himself) in great danger. He really enjoyed his racing, and was getting faster every time I saw him. I talked to him Saturday evening, and on Sunday he died doing what he loved. Godspeed, Jesus. Godspeed. John Ulrich WSMC #29 Lake Elsinore, California FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: It’s hard for me to put into words how great the loss of my friend Jesus is to me. Every race weekend is great fun with great friends, but the energy that Jesus brought made the weekend that much greater. He would normally show up Friday night and get the pit set-up and put out cones to mark our spots. A spot next to Jesus was prime because you were in the heart of our pit area. There was such a good energy about him that you couldn’t help but love him. His laugh and his smile were contagious. He always made me feel like we were a team and would always strategize with me before the races. It was funny because I couldn’t keep up with him anymore, but he still included me in his grand scheme anyways. I will deeply miss you Jesus, you were a great racer, a great sportsman, and a true friend. Derek Dutt WSMC #721 San Diego, California FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: It was with extreme shock and sadness that I learned of the passing of friend and fellow competitor Jesus Amezcua after the Roadracing World 250/50. I had come to know Jesus just this year, having raced with him at WSMC and USGPRU events. I think it’s true that, even as racing goes, the two-stroke contingent is a pretty tight one; as we all come to depend on each other – be it for competition, comraderie or the occasional part. It’s a great feeling to know that we can all battle so hard on the track and yet come back to the pits and come together with tales of the race and good times. Jesus will be sorely missed on both sides of “the gold pit wall.” Godspeed to a great man, a great competitor and a friend that will be truely missed by many. Vincent Rolleri WSMC #224 Huntington Beach, California FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: I still sit here today in disbelief and shock that the person I shared “2-stroke alley” with is gone. Jesus was the most enthusiastic racer I knew and he wasn’t just enthusiastic about his racing, he was supportive of everyone. He always had an encouraging word, spare part, tool and especially a smile for everyone. He truly loved racing and gave it 100 percent. Half the reason I show up each month is to hang out in the pits with guys, it just won’t be the same without him. We will miss you Jesus, Godspeed. Steve Lambrick WSMC #545 El Paso, Texas

MotoGP heads to Japan for flyaway finale A-Style Grand Prix of Japan preview – Monday 18th September motogp After one of the most exciting Grands Prix of the season in Australia, the MotoGP tour sets off for Motegi for the third race in as many weekends; the A-Style Grand Prix of Japan. Nicky Hayden enters the land of the rising sun as the leader of a closely-fought 2006 MotoGP World Championship. Valentino Rossi has cut the gap between himself and Hayden for the last 3 races, and with third place in Australia he narrowed the Kentucky Kid’s advantage in the standings to 21 points. Both will be chasing a win at Motegi to put themselves in with the best chance of raising the MotoGP trophy this season. Behind the leading two are a duo who can’t yet be ruled out of lifting their first premier class title, although both had very different fortunes at Phillip Island one week ago. Marco Melandri took victory after the pouring rain caused riders to change machines and tyres midway through the Australian race, whilst Dani Pedrosa showed his aversion to wet conditions, especially whilst riding injured, and only managed a lowly fifteenth. Both have accrued 193 points so far this season but Melandri lies ahead having won three races to Pedrosa’s two. Loris Capirossi lies 45 points behind Hayden, perhaps just one step too far for the gutsy Italian. He is always in with a shout of victory though, and could add further intrigue to the title race at Motegi, where last year he claimed his second MotoGP triumph for Ducati. He leads Casey Stoner and the American triumvirate of Kenny Roberts Jr, John Hopkins and Colin Edwards. Australian rider Chris Vermeulen took his first MotoGP podium at his home race, and will want to do well for Suzuki in Japan. He completes the top ten in the overall classification. 250cc In 250cc, Jorge Lorenzo comes off a run of four victories in five races and holds a 12-point advantage over Andrea Dovizioso. With both consistent podium finishers, the title race could take many twists and turns over the next two weeks, with the Phillip Island race perhaps giving a better idea of who will take this year’s quarter litre crown. Alex de Angelis and Yuki Takahashi are separated by a single point in their battle for third place, whilst Roberto Locatelli and Hiroshi Aoyama round off the top six places. 125cc The 125cc category has already crowned its World Champion, 21 year-old Spaniard Alvaro Bautista. The Master MVA Aspar rider has been the dominant force in the class this season, with an incredible seven wins and only having been off the podium on one occasion (a fourth place at Le Mans). Mika Kallio is the frontrunner for second place in the championship, 29 points ahead of Mattia Pasini. The top six is completed by Sergio Gadea, Hector Faubel and Lukas Pesek. Circuit information Located amongst the vast natural beauty of the northern Kanto district, the Twin Ring circuit at Motegi in Japan consists of a 1.5 mile (2.41km) oval and a 2.9 mile (4.8km) road course constructed to international standards. Built by Honda as the ultimate test facility in August 1997, the road circuit became home to MotoGP in 2000 whilst the oval is designed to introduce American motorsports culture to the country. Twin Ring Motegi is a major attraction for motorsports fans all year round as it is the venue for the Honda Collection Hall, a museum which houses an illustrious collection of motorcycle, car and racing machines from throughout the ages. The complex also includes a safety and riding school, dirt track, go-karts, hotel, restaurant, shops and event halls and currently employs some 300 staff.

TITLE CHASE HEADS NORTH AS CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM TRAVEL TO JAPAN The final leg of an exhausting Grand Prix triple-header takes place in Japan this weekend as the chase for the MotoGP World Championship heads north from Australia with Camel Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi now the closest he has been to the series lead since the third round of the season in Turkey. Third place for the Italian at Phillip Island on Sunday moved him to within 21 points of Nicky Hayden (Honda), with this weekend’s event at the Motegi circuit in the Tochigi prefecture providing another opportunity to cut that gap even further before the series returns to Europe for two final races in Portugal and Spain. As well as lifting him up to second place in the championship, Rossi’s 89th top-three career finish in the premier class also moved him ahead of Giacomo Agostini in the all-time podiums list, with just Mick Doohan above him on 95. The 27-year-old’s goal is to add to that tally with his 59th victory at a circuit where he has already celebrated on the top step in 2001. The statistics don’t make such good reading for Rossi’s Camel Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards, whose impressive run of point-scoring finishes ended on 34 in Australia just three short of another of Doohan’s records. Edwards has a best finish of sixth at Motegi but he is doubly determined to improve on that in front of Yamaha’s army of Japanese fans, who last saw him retiring from the Suzuka 8 Hour race with a mechanical problem in July. VALENTINO ROSSI: NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE Valentino Rossi admits that Motegi is not high on his list of favourite destinations although that opinion could easily be changed by another top result on Sunday. The Italian has bounced back from a series of early-season setbacks to hit top form in recent weeks and with three rounds remaining he still has a realistic chance of wrestling the title from Hayden’s grasp. “Honestly it’s not a track I like very much and I haven’t had such a good time there in the past, but we’re going to have to do our best at Motegi,” says Rossi, who didn’t finish last year’s race after a collision with Marco Melandri. “Three races in a row like this is very hard, especially with this one as the third! We need to make the most of the practice time there because it is not a great track for us. Last year especially it was not a good weekend; we had a lot of problems during the practices and then the race result was very bad! “A gap of 21 points is still a lot but it’s not impossible so we can still try. Motegi is going to be a very important race for us, firstly because we know it’s going to be difficult and secondly because we have to try to get more points from Hayden in order to stay in the fight. My M1 has been pretty good recently and I think we’re going there in good shape, so hopefully we can make the most of the weekend and go back to Europe with an even better shot at the title.” COLIN EDWARDS: POSITIVE THINKING After enjoying the support of family and friends in Australia, Colin Edwards will again benefit from huge backing this weekend thanks to his army of Japanese fans. Twice a winner of the Suzuka 8 Hour race, one of those alongside Rossi, Edwards enjoyed plenty of success in Japan during his Superbike career and he hopes to revive the glory days by building on a good weekend of set-up work with the YZR-M1 machine in Australia. “I actually don’t mind Motegi too much as a track, although I wouldn’t say it’s one of my favourites,” says Edwards. “It’s a pretty interesting track and I really like the four corners after the tunnel exit. We were sixth last year, which was okay, but we did have a few problems through the weekend to deal with which hopefully won’t resurface this year. I’ve always enjoyed racing in Japan and I have loads of fans there, plus there’s always a great atmosphere so it’s generally a fun weekend. “Phillip island was obviously really disappointing, especially since we made such massive strides forward over the weekend and I was finally feeling like I was back where I should be in the way I could ride the bike. Basically I just have to forget what happened and think about the positives from the weekend and with any luck what worked there will work next week and we’ll be able to get on it from the start on Friday morning. It’s good in this way that we’ve got another race straight away no time to sit around dwelling on the past! DAVIDE BRIVIO: DESPERATE FOR POINTS Camel Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio is expecting a tough weekend for his riders at a circuit that has traditionally not favoured Yamaha machinery. However, the Italian insists that the team’s focus will not waver as they target another victory points haul in the quest to lift the MotoGP World Championship crown for the third successive season. “Now we go to Motegi, which was very difficult for us last year and is never an easy track,” admits Brivio. “We had a lot of set-up problems and then unfortunately Valentino crashed in the race and we came away with zero points! This year of course we are desperate for points so we need a very different weekend. “Over the last few races the situation with our bike has been pretty good, so with any luck this will be the case even in Motegi. We know it will be difficult of course, but we go there in good shape and ready to fight. Colin was in great shape at Phillip Island but sadly the rain stopped him from getting the result he deserved. We hope he won’t have any pain remaining from his fall and that he can keep working in the good way he was in Australia, as we all want to see him back on top again.” TECHNICALLY SPEAKING: MOTEGI ACCORDING TO ANDREA ZUGNA Designed in 1997 as a test venue, Motegi has ultra-modern facilities although the outstanding paddock is not quite matched by the intricacies and character of a somewhat geometric circuit layout. A bump-free surface offers good levels of grip without being particularly abrasive, but the proliferation of second gear turns, linked for the most part by mini-drag strips, means braking and acceleration are the main prerequisite to a fast lap time, and consistency the key to a good race. “Motegi is a stop and go track so it’s very important to be very strong and stable on the brakes,” explains Andrea Zugna, Colin Edwards’ Data Technician. “You need a good front fork setting and then the engine braking setting is also very important. You also need to be strong on the acceleration in order to be able to get away quickly, otherwise you’re going to be passed at the next braking point. It is quite stressful on the front tyre because of the long braking sections, so you need the right front setting to cope with this. “It wasn’t a very easy weekend for Colin last year; we didn’t really find a way for him to have enough confidence in the front tyre for the race, so this is something we really need to work on from Friday morning this year. The Yamaha’s strongest point is agility so it doesn’t necessarily play to our strengths, but the M1 worked okay in Malaysia so we can start from this setting and hopefully make improvements from there.” VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION Age: 27 Lives: London, UK Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 GP victories: 84 (57 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 170 (111 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 43 World Championships 7 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 4 x MotoGP) COLIN EDWARDS: INFORMATION Age: 32 Lives: Conroe, Texas Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP) GP starts: 62 x MotoGP World Championships – 2 World Superbike Motegi Lap Record: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2005, 1’47.968 Motegi Best Lap: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2005, 1’46.363 2005 Japanese Grand Prix Results: 1. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati, 43’30.499 2. Max Biaggi (ITA) Honda, +1.479 3. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Honda, +16.277 6. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Yamaha, +34.915 DNF: VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Yamaha

MRA and WERA Racer Jason Leleck married long-time girlfriend Beth Merrill September 9, in Denver, Colorado.

POINT SCORING WEEKEND FOR HAWK KAWASAKI British Superbikes – Silverstone – Round 12 The three Hawk Kawasaki riders had a positive weekend at Silverstone Circuit this weekend, 15th – 17th September. Dean Thomas, Craig Coxhell and Peter Hickman all gave a strong performance at the 2.2-mile Northamptonshire track. The Penultimate round of the Bennetts British Superbike series once again proved eventful. Dean Thomas struggled during qualifying to find a good set up on the Kawasaki ZX10-R that suited the fast circuit. Ending the 50-minute qualifying session in a low 15th place the 33-year-old Australian was left with a lot of work to do. Two strong starts in both races saw him gain two fantastic eighth place finishes in the two 20-lap races. Commenting Thomas said “It’s been a tough couple of months for me but this weekend I felt a lot fitter in myself and my results go to prove that. I am now finishing in the positions I was finishing before I had the accident in July. It’s been a long slow process to get back to this level and this is the first weekend that I’ve not felt completely shattered during the races. I am pleased with what I’ve achieved, as it’s been a testing few months. I would like to thank all the people who wished me well with my recovery, it meant a lot.” The youngest British Superbike rider on the field, Peter Hickman, once again proved that he is learning and improving on every outing on the Hawk Kawasaki. After out qualifying his team-mates, Thomas and Coxhell, in 11th, he was confident as he entered into the races. A poor start in the first race saw the youngster slip down the pack but he soon got his head down and gained 10th place. The second race proved eventful for him as an electrical problem on the sighting lap saw him pull into the pits and have to swap onto his spare machine. Unable to take his position on the grid he had to start from the back and still earned a creditable 15th place overall in race two. Speaking with him “I’m really disappointed with what happened today, I had a great qualifying session and I was feeling really comfortable heading into the races but I just seemed to have no luck. I got a poor start in race one but had a disaster in race two and had to start from the back. It’s just one of those things, I’m very happy with a top ten finish in race one and hopefully I will be able to get some strong results at the final rounds at Brands. If I piece everything together at Brands, qualifying, the start and race it should be a good one for me.” 23-year-old Craig Coxhell struggled to find his form this weekend, after qualifying in 14th place on the grid, it was going to prove a difficult race. A good start saw him moving through the field and was in a good point scoring position when he clipped the curve at Maggots corner and crashed out of race one. The crash caused damage to his bike and the young Aussie had to ride his spare bike in race two, not having had much time on this bike through the weekend it was not set-up how he would have liked. Different suspension and fork settings proved difficult and he could only salvage 14th place in race 2. A disappointed Coxhell said “I’m just gutted, I really wanted to get a good result this weekend for myself and also the team. I found it difficult to get a good set up on the bike and therefore I didn’t qualify very well. I wasn’t hurt in the crash but the bike had a bit of damage, which meant I had to use my spare bike which I’d hardly touched all weekend. I’m just hoping Brands will be a better one for me.” The Final Round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship will be at Brands Hatch on the 29th, 30th September and 1st October, the two Superbike races will be worth double points after the cancellation of the Mondello Park round. SUPERBIKE RESULT RACE 1: R Kiyonari Honda G Lavilla Ducati K Harris Honda J Rea Honda M Rutter Honda T Hill Yamaha B Wilson Suzuki Dean Thomas Hawk Kawasaki Glen Richards Honda Peter Hickman Hawk Kawasaki SUPERBIKE RESULT RACE 2: R Kiyonari Honda G Lavilla Ducati L Haslam Ducati S Byrne Suzuki J Rea Honda K Harris Honda M Rutter Honda Dean Thomas Hawk Kawasaki J Haydon Suzuki B Wilson Suzuki 14th Craig Coxhell Hawk Kawasaki 15th Peter Hickman Hawk Kawasaki More, from a press release issued by Centurion Racing: STUNNING ELEVENTH WIN FOR SPALDING British Supersport Cup Silverstone 19-year-old Pete Spalding once again put on an impressive performance in the Supersport Cup race at Silverstone at the weekend, 15th – 17th September. Not only did he take his eleventh win from eleven races but the teenager also secured eighth in the overall Supersport race. Spalding was back to his usual form after a disappointing race at Cadwell at the end of August and proved that he is a very talented rider who can gain some extremely positive results in the main Championship. Looking strong throughout the weekend the New Milton based rider gained a strong qualifying position of eleventh place for the 18-lap race. A good start saw him hold his position on the first lap and he was locked in a tight scrap with Richard Cooper and Jamie Robinson for the opening laps of the race. A tidy manoeuvre on James Hiller saw him sitting in ninth position and hunting down Honda rider Joe Dickinson, race leader Leon Camier crashed out with two laps to go which saw Spalding sitting comfortably in eighth position. Spalding was very happy with his result commenting “It’s been another good weekend for me and the team and I’m glad that I got a strong overall result here as I really struggled at Cadwell a few weeks ago. We have a double round at Brands which I am looking forward to and hope that I can continue with my 100% winning record, it would be a nice feeling to have won all the Cup races. Silverstone is a fast circuit but everything felt right and I was very happy with how the weekend panned out.” Team Manager Gary Stubbington added “It’s been another great weekend for Centurion Racing and Pete did a fantastic job. We were a little disappointed at Cadwell and knew that things had to be turned around this weekend, and they were. Everyone worked exceptionally hard as always and we got the results that we deserve. Pete is consistently now getting in the top ten in the main Championship which is a great achievement in our first main year of racing. We are really looking forward to Brands and hope that we can end the year on a high note.” SUPERSPORT RACE RESULT: C Crutchlow Honda T Sykes Suzuki D Hobbs Honda K Murphy Kawasaki J Vincent Honda J Robinson Honda J Dickinson Honda Pete Spalding Centurion Racing – Honda S Neate Honda R Cooper Yamaha SUPERSPORT CUP CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: Pete Spalding 250 A Walker 186 C Elkin 116