Rizla Suzuki’s James Haydon made his comeback ride after injury at the 12th round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Silverstone today, finishing on the fourth row and with confidence he can cut his lap times ahead of the races. Haydon, who missed four rounds of the Championship after injuring himself at Snetterton in mid-June, eased himself back into riding, but still managed to slash over half a second from his lap times from the morning to afternoon sessions and finished 15th on the time sheets. Rizla Suzuki’s Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne also took more than half-a-second from his lap times throughout the day and ended up sixth fastest. Honda’s Jonathan Rea was quickest. James Haydon: “I need to familiarise myself with riding a motorcycle at race speed. I eased myself in gradually this morning and then in the afternoon pushed a bit harder. My bike is quick but I need it to hold its line through corners a little better and then I can go even faster. “It’s great to be back – there is nothing worse than missing races when you are itching to ride. I can’t wait to make more progress tomorrow.” Shane Byrne: “I tested both my bikes and found that one was significantly better suited than the other to Silverstone’s fast flowing corners. The engine and power delivery is awesome and now we need to work on getting through the corners a bit quicker. “We have found a tyre that is potentially a good option for the races on Sunday but it needs a bit more testing. Overall we are close to the front but hope to be a lot closer this time tomorrow after qualifying.” Niall Mackenzie – Race Operations Manager: “It’s great to welcome James back to the team and given how long he’s been off a bike, he is doing well. He’s approaching practice with controlled aggression and catching up with the riders in front of him. Hopefully he will be able to challenge for the second or third row in qualifying. “Shane isn’t doing a lot wrong and looks tidy and fast. His only issue is with the first corner where potentially he is losing a lot of time. He is riding precisely when perhaps power sliding his GSX-R1000 through the first corner might be the fastest route. He should be competing for the front row tomorrow.” Practice Times: 1: Jonathan Rea (Honda) 1:25.928, 2: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +0.098, 3: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.254, 4: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +0.302, 5: Karl Harris (Honda) +0.666, 6: Shane Byrne (Rizla Suzuki) +0.692, 7: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +0.895, 8: Michael Rutter (Honda) +0.915, 10: Billy McConnell (Yamaha) +1.473. 15: James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) +1.795.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has announced that effective October 1, 2006, participant legal liability insurance for AMA-sanctioned events will be offered through Wisenberg Motorsports, a division of Acordia of Texas, and provided by ACE American Insurance Company. Wisenberg Motorsports, the broker for the new AMA program, is the country’s largest motorsports insurance agency, working with NHRA, IHRA, SCCA and other motorsports organizations. ACE American Insurance Company, the insurance carrier, is rated A+ by AM Best Company. “As the world’s largest motorsports-sanctioning body, the AMA knows the importance of cost-effective insurance coverage,” said Patricia DiPietro, AMA Chief Executive Officer. “The AMA made the decision to replace Naughton Insurance, with which we’ve had a great business relationship, only after a long and thorough search. In today’s tough motorsports-insurance market, we believe that the Wisenberg program is an excellent choice for our promoting organizations, combining cost-effective coverage, stability in the marketplace, a solid carrier, and extensive motorsports experience.” The AMA sanctions more than 4,000 events annually, through more than 1,200 AMA-chartered organizations. AMA-chartered organizations should direct their questions about the AMA’s new insurance program to Mary Hurley at (614) 856-1900 ext. 1221 or [email protected].

Motorcycle fanatic Lachlan Murdoch rode three laps of the high-speed Phillip Island track this afternoon aboard the Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici two-seater. The ride, behind former GP winner Randy Mamola, was a 35th birthday present arranged by his wife Sarah. “It was excitement all the way, I enjoyed it a lot,” said Murdoch, who rides on the street and the racetrack. “Randy was a fantastic rider but it’s hard to put my feelings into words. You don’t realise the performance of these bikes, especially the braking, until you’ve been on them. It was a wonderful birthday present, so thanks to my wife and everyone involved.” Murdoch, based in Sydney, rides a Ducati 996SPS on the street. He has ridden several racetracks including Laguna Seca and Willow Springs in the States and Australia’s Eastern Creek.

National Motos Honda Second, Suzuki Castrol “1” Third Suzuki Castrol’s “second” bike, running with the race number zero, has take pole position for tomorrow’s Bol d’Or round of the FIM World Endurance Championship. Qualifying sessions yesterday afternoon and this morning have taken place on a very wet track in persistent rain, with times significantly slower than the 1:42 laps seen in the dry free practice sessions yesterday morning. Suzuki Castrol No 1’s Vincent Philippe was fastest in the first group of riders on the track this morning, with a time of 2:02.059. In the second group, Suzuki Castrol 0’s Julien da Costa (2:00.841) and National Motos Honda’s Olivier Four (2:01.566) both went faster than Philippe, demoting him to third overall. Team Kawasaki France were fourth and Yamaha GMT94 fifth. Domenique Meliand, Suzuki Castrol team manager; “I am not so happy this weekend. The top three bikes are all on the same tyre so there is no advantage; to go faster our riders just need more laps on the bike, for their confidence. Bike “0” will be going for the race win, but bike “1” must race for the championship title.” Steve Plater, Kawasaki France: “I’ve never ridden anywhere so slippy. People were going down all around me this morning, so I settled for a safe time; I’m the only one of my team not to crash.” Kawasaki Bolliger’s Patric Muff put the team eighth on the grid, but is unlikely to be fit to race after crashing twice and suffering a suspected broken collar bone. Reserve rider Marcel Kellenberger will take his place. Top Ten Provisional Qualifying Positions: 1st 0 – Suzuki Castrol 0 – FRA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – J.Da Costa – 2:00.841 2nd 55 – National Motos Honda – FRA – Honda CBR1000RR – O.Four – 2:01.586 3rd 1 – Suzuki Castrol 1 – FRA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – V.Philippe – 2:02.059 4th 111 – Team Kawasaki France – FRA – Kawasaki ZX10R – P.Piot – 2:03.653 5th 94 – Yamaha GMT94 – FRA – Yamaha YZF-R1 – D.Vankeymeulen – 2:04.318 6th 83 – Kawasaki Maccio Racing – FRA – Kawasaki ZX10R – L.Fremy – 2:04.828 7th 10 – Infini Team Suzuki – FRA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – C.Michel – 2:05.111 8th 8 – Kawasaki Bolliger Team – SUI – Kawasaki ZX10R – P.Muff – 2:05.150 9th 72 – Junior Team Suzuki LMS – FRA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – A.Delhalle – 2:05.515 10th 91 – Dap 91 Profil – FRA – Honda CBR1000RR – B.Stey – 2:05.649 Championship challengers Yamaha Austria could only manage 11th place after struggling to find grip in the wet conditions. Sebastien Scarnato had two minor crashes during this morning’s qualifying session. “There is a lot of spray coming from the tyres, there is no dry line at all but unless you are right behind another bike, it is not a problem to see where you are going. The biggest problem is grip.” Yamaha Phase One’s Warwick Nowland explains the conditions, “It’s like riding on glass. I’m in third gear where I would normally be in first, trying to get some drive. Normally in the wet you would expect to be 10 or 12 seconds slower than in the dry, but here everyone is at least 20 seconds off the pace. It might be because the circuit has been polished by Formula 1 cars.” Tyres are likely to be a key factor in tomorrow’s race, even though conditions are expected to improve. We spoke to riders who use Bridgestone, Dunlop, Michelin and Pirelli tyres. Paolo Tessari, Yamaha X-One, Bridgestone: “The Bridgestones are very good in the wet.” Tessari was seventh fastest in his group in this morning’s qualifying session. Martin Kuzma, Yamaha Maco Moto, Dunlop: “Tyres are not a problem for us; our Dunlops are very good.” Agosto Rosival, Suzuki Innodrom, Michelin: “I had a little crash this morning, but that was because the tyres were cold; the rest of the time they have been okay.” Steve Mizera, RMT21, Pirelli: “I crashed this morning, I am okay but an engine case on the bike was cracked. One minute the grip is there, the next; nothing. It’s dangerous.” The Bol d’Or 24 Hour race starts at 3:00pm tomorrow afternoon. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: SUZUKI CASTROL TOP BOL D’OR QUALIFYING Suzuki Castrol’s number two team rider Julien da Costa has taken pole position on his GSX-R1000 for tomorrow’s final-round Bol d’Or World Endurance Championship round in France. Amid persistent rain throughout the day, World Champions Suzuki Castrol’s Vincent Philippe was fastest in the first group of riders on the track in the morning session with a time of 2:02.059. In the second group, da Costa went faster with a 2:00.841 to beat National Motos Honda’s Olivier Four on 2:01.566. Suzuki Castrol team manager Dominique Malian said: “I am not so happy this weekend. The top three bikes are all on the same tyre so there is no advantage. To go faster our riders just need more laps on the bike for their confidence. Bike “0” will be going for the race win, but bike “1” must race for the Championship title.” The Bol d’Or 24 Hour race starts at 3pm tomorrow afternoon.

FIM MotoGP World Championship Phillip Island, Australia September 15 Best Combined Practice Times: 1. Randy de Puniet (Kaw ZX-RR), 1:29.745, Bridgestone 2. Loris Capirossi (Duc GP06), 1:30.310, Bridgestone 3. Nicky Hayden (Hon RC211V), 1:30.471, Michelin 4. Sete Gibernau (Duc GP06), 1:30.693, Bridgestone 5. Shinya Nakano (Kaw ZX-RR), 1:30.716, Bridgestone 6. Casey Stoner (Hon RC211V), 1:30.768, Michelin 7. Marco Melandri (Hon RC211V), 1:30.863, Michelin 8. Valentino Rossi (Yam YZR-M1), 1:31.045, Michelin 9. Kenny Lee Roberts (Hon KR211V), 1:31.077, Michelin 10. Carlos Checa (Yam YZR-M1), 1:31.137, Dunlop 11. Makoto Tamada (Hon RC211V), 1:31.346, Michelin 12. John Hopkins (Suz GSV-R), 1:31.496, Bridgestone 13. Colin Edwards (Yam YZR-M1), 1:31.514, Michelin 14. Chris Vermeulen (Suz GSV-R), 1:31.846, Bridgestone 15. Alex Hofmann (Duc GP05), 1:31.978, Dunlop 16. Toni Elias (Hon RC211V), 1:32.034, Michelin 17. Dani Pedrosa (Hon RC211V), 1:32.304, Michelin 18. Jose Luis Cardoso (Duc GP05), 1:32.419, Dunlop 19. James Ellison (Yam YZR-M1), 1:32.778, Dunlop FIM 250cc GP World Championship Phillip Island, Australia Selptember 15 Provisional Qualifying Results: 1. Jorge Lorenzo (Aprilia), 1:34.001 2. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia), 1:34.336 3. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda), 1:34.475 4. Alex de Angelis (Aprilia), 1:34.619 5. Hector Barbera (Aprilia), 1:34.798 6. Marco Simoncelli (Gilera), 1:34.863 7. Hiroshi Aoyama (KTM), 1:35.247 8. Anthony West (Aprilia), 1:35.285 9. Dirk Heidolf (Aprilia), 1:35.336 10. Jakub Smrz (Aprilia), 1:35.691 FIM 125cc GP World Championship Phillip Island, Australia Selptember 15 Provisional Qualifying Results: 1. Mika Kallio (KTM), 1:36.664 2. Thomas Luthi (Honda), 1:37.311 3. Hector Faubel (Aprilia), 1:37.330 4. Joan Olive (Aprilia), 1:37.369 5. Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia), 1:37.384 6. Lukas Pesek (Derbi), 1:37.419 7. Mattia Pasini (Aprilia), 1:37.643 8. Sergio Gadea (Aprilia), 1:37.689 9. Julian Simon (Ktm), 1:37.793 10. Mike Di Meglio (Honda), 1:37.826 More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing: DOMINANT DE PUNIET TOPS THE TIMESHEET AT PHILLIP ISLAND Kawasaki’s Randy de Puniet got his Australian Grand Prix weekend off to the best possible start, by taking provisional pole position aboard his Ninja ZX-RR during this afternoon’s second free practice session at Phillip Island. The 25-year-old Frenchman wasted no time this afternoon, taking pole position just fifteen minutes into the session, ahead of his Kawasaki teammate, Shinya Nakano. The Kawasaki pairing remained at the top of the timesheet until the session was well into the final ten minutes, when a fast lap by Ducati’s Loris Capirossi netted the Italian second place, and relegated Nakano to third. With less than two minutes of the session remaining, de Puniet was finally knocked from the top spot by Nicky Hayden, who, in turn, was relegated to second place by Capirossi just seconds later. Already on his out lap, and unaware that he’d been pushed back to third place, de Puniet started his flying lap just seconds before the chequered flag was brought out to mark the end of the hour-long practice session. The Kawasaki rider was fastest at the third split, but suffered a big slide out of the final turn, which he controlled by holding the throttle wide open and relying on his Bridgestone tyres to find the grip necessary to bring the bike back in line. His tactic worked perfectly, and he crossed the line to take provisional pole, and to become the first rider to dip below 1’30s so far this weekend. After running second on the timesheet for much of this afternoon’s hour-long session, Nakano eventually finished fifth fastest, but is confident that there is more to come tomorrow. Although satisfied with the handling of his Ninja ZX-RR during today’s two practice sessions, the 28-year-old Japanese rider will make further refinements to suspension settings overnight, to improve the feeling from the rear of the bike when exiting Phillip Island’s faster corners hard on the gas. Randy de Puniet: 1st – 1’29.745 “Sometimes you turn up at a racetrack and the bike just seems to work; that’s what happened here today. From the first lap this morning I felt comfortable on the bike, and we’ve changed very little during the two practice sessions. This has allowed us to test a number of different tyres from Bridgestone, and it has also given me time to perfect my lines at the corners where I wasn’t so quick during winter testing. Both the bike and the tyres have improved considerably since we tested here in February, which is down purely to hard work on the part of Kawasaki and Bridgestone, so I have to thank them for that. I didn’t feel like I was pushing so hard on my last lap, but I had a big slide exiting the final turn. But, our bike is very predictable when it slides, so I was able to hold the throttle wide open and, as a result, I didn’t lose so much time. This is something we need to keep in mind for qualifying tomorrow, when I think it’s possible to go even faster if the conditions remain the same.” Shinya Nakano: 5th – 1’30.716 “Today’s result just goes to show the progress made by Kawasaki and Bridgestone since the winter test here back in February. We’ve been able to run near the top of the timesheet from the start of free practice this morning, eventually finishing top five this afternoon. Overall, the bike and tyres are working well here, but we still have some small issues when I’m hard on the gas, especially out of the fast left-hander that leads onto the front straight. We will make some minor changes to the suspension settings overnight that should improve things in this area, and I’m confident that this will lead to an improvement in my lap times tomorrow. Already I have a good feeling about this weekend, and I’m looking forward to getting back on track tomorrow morning.” Harald Eckl: Team Principal “It seems that we have made a significant improvement to our Ninja ZX-RR since the winter test we completed here, and it’s pretty obvious that Bridgestone have matched this improvement also. The bike and tyres have worked well for both riders from the beginning today, and I think this is the best start we’ve ever had to a MotoGP weekend. I hope we can carry this momentum into qualifying tomorrow, and then on to Sunday’s race.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: DE PUNIET SPRINGS A SURPRISE ON FIRST DAY AT PHILLIP ISLAND Whilst a steady stream of fans were treated to various exhibitions and presentations at the Phillip Island Circuit today, including autograph sessions and talks given by some of the most influential figures in MotoGP, the undoubted crowd-drawer was an exciting day of practice sessions for the GMC Australian Grand Prix. There was a surprise in the afternoon session as French rookie Randy de Puniet topped the timesheets for the first time this season. The Kawasaki rider’s 1’29.745 time was the only lap under the 1’30 mark and took him faster than Loris Capirossi, Nicky Hayden, Sete Gibernau and team-mate Shinya Nakano. The Ducatis were fastest in the morning’s opening practice after a stellar start for tyre manufacturers Bridgestone on Australian soil. Local rider Casey Stoner was unable to beat his morning’s fastest lap in the afternoon and he rounded off the top six on the combined time sheets for the day. Marco Melandri and Valentino Rossi were somewhat discreet in seventh and eighth respectively, ahead of Kenny Roberts Jr and one of last year’s impressive performers, Carlos Checa. Chris Vermeulen could only manage 14th at his home circuit, whilst Dani Pedrosa limped home in 16th, two seconds off the pace, as he continued to struggle with a knee injury sustained in Malaysia last week. Jorge Lorenzo stamped his authority on preparations for Sunday’s 250cc race with provisional pole position in the first qualifying session. A lap of 1’33.215 was enough to take the Spaniard to the top of the timesheets, ahead of Sylvain Guintoli by over six tenths of a second. Third place went to Alex de Angelis, with Hiroshi Aoyama pushing Andrea Dovizioso into fifth. Hector Barbera joins the Italian on the provisional second row at Phillip Island, alongside Jakub Smrz and Marco Simoncelli. Anthony West and Shuhei Aoyama complete the top ten. Mika Kallio came back from a problematic morning session to put himself on provisional pole in the 125cc category. The rider who currently lies second in the overall standings dropped more than six tenths of a second off Stefano Perugini’s 2003 pole record with a 1’36.664 lap. Thomas Luthi’s first appearance in the top three at official sessions put him halfway towards a front row start in second, ahead of Hector Faubel and Joan Olive. Having the chance to win the world title this weekend, Alvaro Bautista appears to be taking things steadily but he was by no means off the pace in fifth position. Lukas Pesek, Mattia Pasini, Sergio Gadea, Julian Simon and Mike di Meglio rounded out the top ten. More, from a press release issued by Ducati Marlboro: DUCATI MARLBORO MEN UP FRONT ON RACE TYRES Ducati Marlboro Team rider Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau kicked off their Australian Grand Prix in fine style today, running second and fourth fastest in the first two practice sessions. The pair focused on preparing themselves for Sunday’s race at MotoGP’s fastest racetrack, running only race tyres, rather than using qualifying tyres for one-off fast laps. Capirossi’s race pace was particularly impressive for a first day, the Italian clocking his best lap of the day on the 15th lap of a 17-lap run. Both men also tried a new-profile Bridgestone 16.5in rear slick which increases traction performance through Phillip Island track. LORIS CAPIROSSI, 2nd fastest, 1m 30.310s “I was worried that it would be really cold here but in fact the conditions aren’t bad. We started today with a different set-up, then we changed one of the bikes and I think we found a good direction. The bike and tyres are competitive, so this afternoon I was able to do my best lap of the day on the 15th lap of a long run. After the Czech GP we had a long meeting with Bridgestone to prepare for these three flyaway races and I am very happy with the work they’ve done, they have perfectly responded to the feedback we gave them for Sepang and for here, especially considering the low track temperatures. In the past we have had problems with the low temperatures here but we have now solved that and I think we can be competitive for the last few races. So far we are okay, we will aim for another step forward tomorrow. I predict we will have a good bike for Sunday and it will be another tight race here.” SETE GIBERNAU, 4th fastest, 1m 30.693s “Not so bad so far, we’re pretty consistent on lap times. Also I’m getting better physically and I’m more relaxed about my left shoulder [Gibernau broke his left collarbone in June and has since undergone two operations to fix the injury] but I still need to get some more confidence back. The team is helping me to do that and Ducati and Bridgestone are working really hard too. We still need to make a bit of an improvement with our set-up for the race here. We have got the bike working on one set of tyres but we think that the new rear has got more potential, so we need to get the bike to work better with that extra grip.” Afternoon session temperatures: Ambient: 18 degrees. Track: 28 degrees More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Honda: BACK ON TRACK IN AUSTRALIA First day at Phillip Island marked by cool temperatures The first day of free practice for the Australian Grand Prix took place at Phillip Island in fresh spring temperatures with the thermometers registering 15ºC in the morning and 18°C in the afternoon. It was a good morning for Marco Melandri, who set the fourth fastest time (1’30″863). The Italian spent the session adapting his bike setting for the race, with the aim of improving his feeling on the front end. In the afternoon he ended with the eighth fastest time but he is looking forward to Sunday’s race with confidence and optimism at a circuit where he celebrated the 250cc World Championship in 2002. Toni Elias, determined to do well at one of his favourite circuits, struggled to get to grips with it on the first day. The Spaniard was fourteenth in the morning and dropped to eighteenth in the afternoon. MARCO MELANDRI (8th, 1’31″154): “We’ve gone from 40ºC in Malaysia to 15 degrees here in Phillip Island. I’m happy to be back at a circuit where I have so many good memories. This morning the bike worked quite well and I was able to lap at a pace we didn’t manage to improve on in the afternoon. We are focused on preparing for the race, testing a lot of tyres alongside Michelin. We’re not far off but we have to improve the balance of the bike. I’m still struggling to control the front under braking and on the entry into the corner. I’m still confident though because the distance to the front guys is not so much and it looks as though a few of them even used a qualifying tyre this afternoon.” TONI ELIAS (18th, 1’32″696): “Today was a quite difficult day for us. We’ve worked really hard to solve the problems with the suspension and chassis. We don’t seem to be able to find enough traction to get the rear tyre up to temperature. Obviously the cold track temperatures are not helping with this. So alongside the team and Michelin we will analyse the problem and try to improve tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by Camel Yamaha: ROSSI AND EDWARDS MAKE COOL START AT PHILLIP ISLAND Camel Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards were welcomed to the Phillip Island circuit by bright blue skies and cool ambient temperatures of 18ºC today, as the paddock breathed a sigh of relief that dismal recent forecasts were denied on the first day of practice for the Australian Grand Prix. The relatively good weather gave the riders ample opportunity to begin set-up work on their YZR- M1 machines as they worked to find an ideal configuration to suit the demands of the fast and flowing circuit over 27 laps on Sunday. However relatively fresh track temperatures of 28ºC, compared to 45ºC on the first day in Malaysia one week ago, made life difficult for the Italian and the American as they tried to adapt their bikes to cope with the lower grip levels. Both riders struggled for rear traction and after ending the day in eighth and thirteenth place respectively they will aim to work specifically on this area in tomorrow morning’s final free practice session before qualifying takes place in the afternoon. Randy de Puniet (Kawasaki) set the pace today with a best lap of 1’29.745. VALENTINO ROSSI (8th – 1’31.045; 58 laps) “Friday is always a difficult day for us because we have to make a lot of changes to the bike from one circuit to the next and today was no different. Especially here, since the track temperatures and the conditions are a big change from Malaysia, which makes life especially difficult and we have some work to do. The grip levels are lower than in past years and I think both Colin and I are struggling with the rear. For me it is taking me four or five laps to get the tyre up to a temperature where I can ride at the maximum so obviously this is not the ideal situation for me. We have to find a setting and a tyre that can deal with these cooler conditions better tomorrow because this is a very important race for us and I want to do well in front of the Australian fans. However we have gathered a lot of data today and we have some good ideas for tomorrow, so we’re quite confident that we can improve the situation.” COLIN EDWARDS (13th – 1’31.514; 55 laps) “It hasn’t been a bad first day despite how it may seem on the time sheets. My only problem at the moment is on the rear it steps out if I brake too hard, runs off line if I’m too fast through the corner and spins up if I get on the gas too early. The front end is great but the low track temperatures are really not helping the bike to work with the rear tyre we have at the moment. This will be our main focus tomorrow and I think once we get that sorted out then the lap times can come down dramatically. It seems Valentino has some similar problems and between both sides of the garage we have some good ideas, so let’s see what happens tomorrow.” DAVIDE BRIVIO CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “Today was quite cold and we have found ourselves in a completely different situation to Malaysia, which we expected. Valentino spent a lot of time working to find a good race tyre, whilst Colin worked hard on adapting the setting of his bike after struggling at Sepang. We didn’t test here in February like the other teams so we have a lot of work to do compared to them. Already we can see that our rivals are setting a strong pace and they will be hard to beat on Sunday, but we are confident we can make the right steps forward tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone Motorsport: BRIDGESTONE RIDERS SET FRIDAY PACE ON PHILLIP ISLAND Kawasaki’s Randy de Puniet led the way on Bridgestone tyres after the first day of free practice for this weekend’s Australian GP on Phillip Island. His late lap of 1m29.745s, achieved using a set of Bridgestone qualifiers, outclassed the rest of the field by 0.6s, but it is the Frenchman’s pace in race trim that leaves Bridgestone optimistic for the remainder of the weekend. De Puniet’s Japanese colleague Shinya Nakano proved that Kawasaki are contenders in Australia by posting the fifth quickest time of the day (1m30.716s) on race tyres, just one-tenth shy of his team-mate’s best “race” lap (1m30.696s). Bridgestone’s great start to the weekend was supported by the achievements of Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau, who wound up second and fourth quickest (1m30.310s and 1m30.693s respectively) in today’s combined practice standings for the Ducati Corse team. Ducati, who finished third at this event with Carlos Checa in 2005, focussed on race preparations today in an effort to continue their recent fine form following victory in Brno and a close second place in Malaysia. Both riders tried a new profile rear which allows for an increased contact patch between tyre and asphalt, aiding grip and traction. The Kawasaki and Ducati riders were the only four to lap under 1m31s in both of today’s two free practice sessions. Suzuki, meanwhile, struggled on the opening day with John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen in 12th and 14th (1m31.496s and 1m31.846s respectively). SHINJI AOKI Bridgestone Motorsport – Assistant Manager Motorcycle Race Tire Development: “It would appear from initial results that we have put into good practice what we learned from our success at the Phillip Island circuit last season and the information we collected at pre-season testing here back in February. From those experiences, we have adjusted the compounds accordingly for this track to cope with the stresses placed on the tyres, especially on the left-hand side. The selection of tyres that we evaluated with each of our teams today seems to be consistently competitive, but it is too early to draw results. It is only Friday and we have seen how quickly things can alter over the course of a weekend. With Kawasaki, we adopted a similar strategy to Malaysia, which allowed Randy to try one specification of our qualifying tyres at the end of the session. This proved a useful decision, as we can see that a slightly different specification will work better over the complete lap in tomorrow’s all-important qualifying session. Nevertheless, it is important not to look just at Randy’s qualifying simulation, as both he and Shinya have shown an impressive pace on their Bridgestone race tyres. Ducati has demonstrated another strong performance in free practice, which has all the signs of a competitive weekend for both Loris and Sete. In the second session, both riders tried a new profile rear tyre with a greater contact patch with the asphalt to enhance grip and traction. Both riders are pleased with this tyre and were able to lap in the low 1m30s at the end of the session. Suzuki has not had an easy day, but they are all working hard to improve the set-up of their bikes and we, too, are collaborating to equip their bike with the most suitable tyres for their package.” More, from a press release issued by Pramac D’Antin: FIRST STEPS IN AUSTRALIA FOR THE PRAMAC D’ANTIN MOTOGP TEAM During today’s free practice sessions of the fourteenth round of the MotoGP World Championship, the riders of Pramac D’Antin MotoGP worked carefully and diligently to find their best set-up. ALEX HOFMANN placed 15th this afternoon, and JOSE LUIS CARDOSO 17th, and they didn’t loose the opportunity to prepare themselves to the utmost for Sunday’s race. Both PRAMAC D’ANTIN MOTOGP riders focused on the overall balance of their DUCATI DESMOSEDICI “Sat” machines,and on the DUNLOP tires they will choose for the race. With the weather conditions completely different from the winter tests, and also from last week’s race in Malaysia, each rider coped well, and rode carefully and consistently to improve step by step. The qualifying practice will start tomorrow at 14:00 local time (GMT+10, CET+8). ALEX HOFMANN #66 (15°th – 1’31.978): “It’s always nice to be back in Australia, and I like this track. We improved a lot with respect to this morning’s session, and while we are consistent with the laptimes, we have to improve the general race pace. We have rear traction problems and so the bike becomes nervous to ride. Going in the corners is ok, but we have to improve the grip for the acceleration. My difference from other riders was reduced during the second session, but we have to work a lot this evening to cope with these conditions to achieve a good result tomorrow in qualifying. JOSE LUIS CARDOSO #30 (17th – 1’32.419): “This is one of my favorite tracks, and I want to have a good showing. We are not far from the other riders, but we have to improve a lot to solve our traction difficulties. I had problems while braking, and during acceleration out of corners the bike slides too much. Tomorrow we test different tyres and I hope to find the best one for the race”. ANDRE LAUGIER – Track Engineer of Jose Luis Cardoso:: “We focused on the general setting of the bike and on tire selection, but we are not satisfied. We have to improve the grip from the rear, and therefore we will work on our suspension set-up. The general balance of the bike is not ideal, but tomorrow we will do further tests. A good pace for the race is our aim”. More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK FROM DIFFICULT FIRST DAY Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will be looking to improve significantly on today’s first day of the GMC Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island, with both its riders confident of doing so. John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen struggled to find the best setting on the Australian track and were disappointed with their first day’s efforts, but both riders are certain of better things during tomorrow’s final practice and the afternoon qualifying sessions. Hopkins clocked the 12th fastest time overall during his 52 laps in the two sessions. His time of 1’31.496 was recorded in the morning as the Anglo-American tried many different setting patterns in the afternoon but was unable to better his earlier time. Vermeulen (P14, 1’31.846, 46 laps) also worked hard with his crew to find the best set up and they were quite pleased with the steps that they made throughout the day. Randy de Puniet was the quickest rider today on his Bridgestone shod Kawasaki. Tomorrow will see Rizla Suzuki MotoGP have one more practice session before the hour long qualifier in the afternoon to decide grid positions for Sunday’s 27 lap race. John Hopkins: “I have to say that this has not been one of the best first days of a Grand Prix. We know there is a lot of grip with the tyres because Bridgestone are doing really well out there on other bikes. There are a few things we need to work out with the bike. We have to get it turn a bit better but I’m confident that I can sit down with Stuart and the boys and get the best possible solution for tomorrow. We know there’s grip so it’s time for us to go out there and get it done!” Chris Vermeulen: “We made quite big steps with the bike today. We didn’t really know where we were going to start because last year Kenny had an accident on the first day so we didn’t have a lot of data, plus we didn’t test here in the close season like a lot of others did. I am quite happy with the steps we made, but we are still looking to get the best out of the rear grip that the Bridgestones are giving us. The guys are working hard and I’m sure we will be a lot stronger tomorrow.” Paul Denning Team Manager: “Not an easy day’s work for either rider today. On race tyres we are about a second off the pace, which doesn’t sound too much, but it is quite a gap to close. The Bridgestones front and rear are working particularly well and seem to have good consistency, but we’re struggling to generate the grip that our Bridgestone competitors are, so therefore we have to look for ways to assist the tyre as much as we can and find a setting for the GSV-R that will put us right up there with the others. “Both guys look like they are trying hard maybe even over-trying on such a flowing circuit and the whole team is now focussed on improving our potential and bouncing back from a difficult situation.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Tech 3 Yamaha Team shines in Australian sunshine at Phillip Island With unusually mild temperatures and pristine blue skies blessing the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit, the Tech 3 Yamaha Team confirmed the ongoing improved developments of the latest range of Dunlop MotoGP tyres as Carlos Checa again recorded a time to place him in the top ten of the field after the opening two free practice sessions at the picturesque Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit. In the second session Carlos was up to seventh fastest but with the combined times dropped back slightly, although still in an encouraging tenth fastest position just 0.092 second behind fellow Yamaha rider and defending world champion Valentino Rossi. Teammate James Ellison continued his long season of disappointment to finish the day in 19th spot in a session where Kawasaki rider Randy De Puniet recorded the fastest time of the day Carlos Checa (10th, 1’31.137, 43 laps) “Today was one of the best sessions we have had all year. I am very happy with the progress of the Dunlop tyres and today confirms the steps that we have achieved. To be so close to Valentino and in front of Colin Edwards is very encouraging for me although also being on a Yamaha I wish them all the best in their setup troubles. Phillip Island is one of my favourite tracks and to come here and records these times, shows that we are improving all the time. It is not only the time I am happy with as we are now getting very good consistency with the tyres and the durability is improving all the time. Also, we have much better side grip of the rear tyre compared to the troubles we had last week in Malaysia and this is allowing us better drive. Side grip is very important at a place like Phillip Island as we are on the edge of the tyre for very long periods, especially coming onto the straight and this is vital for a good lap time. I am looking forward to the sessions tomorrow as the weather seems to be getting better all the time so if we have a fine weekend we are expecting a very good result James Ellison (19th1’32.778, 44 laps) “I wish I could be as happy as Carlos but today has been a continuation of the rest of the year so I am pretty disappointed. It is very frustrating to me and the rest of the team because no matter what direction we decide to go nothing works. All I can hope for is that we can decide something overnight that will help us in the morning as I am determined to finish this season on a high note. I love this Philip Island track and I don’t think people realise how well I want to do here so I have to have the attitude that tomorrow is another day and that things will improve Herve Poncharal – Tech 3 Yamaha Team Director “It is so good to be back in Australia and everyone really looks forward to coming to Phillip Island. Surprisingly the weather has been exceptional and it looks like it will get better as the weekend goes on. We are very happy after today and it is more satisfying because we did no testing here during the winter. The Dunlop tyres are working really well and this new batch have performed exceptionally from the first time out and the times and performance has been as good as we could have hoped. We are also putting in consistent lap times on race tyres and that makes us all smile at a place like Phillip Island as this track is so very hard on tyres. We are hoping for even more improved performance and wear with the tyres as the weather is expected to get warmer and this is very good for the Dunlops.”

FIM MotoGP World Championship Phillip Island, Australia Friday, September 15, 2006 MotoGP Practice #1 Times: 1. Loris Capirossi (Duc GP06), 1:30.653, Bridgestone 2. Sete Gibernau (Duc GP06), 1:30.693, Bridgestone 3. Casey Stoner (Hon RC211V), 1:30.768, Michelin 4. Marco Melandri (Hon RC211V), 1:30.863, Michelin 5. Randy de Puniet (Kaw ZX-RR), 1:30.949, Bridgestone 6. Shinya Nakano (Kaw ZX-RR), 1:30.952, Bridgestone 7. Kenny Lee Roberts (Hon KR211V), 1:31.077, Michelin 8. Valentino Rossi (Yam YZR-M1), 1:31.143, Michelin 9. Nicky Hayden (Hon RC211V), 1:31.460, Michelin 10. John Hopkins (Suz GSV-R), 1:31.496, Bridgestone 11. Colin Edwards (Yam YZR-M1), 1:31.514, Michelin 12. Carlos Checa (Yam YZR-M1), 1:31.553, Dunlop 13. Makoto Tamada (Hon RC211V), 1:31.930, Michelin 14. Toni Elias (Hon RC211V), 1:32.130, Michelin 15. Chris Vermeulen (Suz GSV-R), 1:32.130, Bridgestone 16. Alex Hofmann (Duc GP05), 1:32.510, Dunlop 17. Dani Pedrosa (Hon RC211V), 1:32.578, Michelin 18. Jose Luis Cardoso (Duc GP05), 1:32.998, Dunlop 19. James Ellison (Yam YZR-M1), 1:34.028, Dunlop 250cc Grand Prix Practice #1 Times: 1. Jorge Lorenzo (Aprilia), 1:34.001 2. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia), 1:34.336 3. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda), 1:34.475 4. Alex de Angelis (Aprilia), 1:34.619 5. Hector Barbera (Aprilia), 1:34.798 6. Marco Simoncelli (Gilera), 1:34.863 7. Hiroshi Aoyama (KTM), 1:35.247 8. Anthony West (Aprilia), 1:35.285 9. Dirk Heidolf (Aprilia), 1:35.336 10. Jakub Smrz (Aprilia), 1:35.691 125cc Grand Prix Practice #1 Times: 1.Fabrizio Lai (Honda), 1:37.884 2. Thomas Luthi (Honda), 1:38.007 3. Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia), 1:38.154 4. Mattia Pasini (Aprilia), 1:38.260 5. Gabor Talmacsi (Honda), 1:38.373 6. Mike di Meglio (Honda), 1:38.483 7. Nicolas Terol (Derbi), 1:38.505 8. Hector Faubel (Aprilia), 1:38.534 9. Bradley Smith (Honda), 1:38.543 10. Joan Olive (Aprilia), 1:38.762

What does 350.884 MPH on two wheels feel like? World-record setting speed, for one. Two Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductees teamed up last week and set the new absolute motorcycle land-speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah during the AMA/FIM International Motorcycle Speed Trials by BUB. Chris Carr, who was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2004, piloted BUB’s No.7 streamliner to the record by running a two pass 350.884 MPH average. The streamliner was built by Denis Manning, who will be inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame this October. The legendary run by Carr will place him in the Guinness Book of World Records for the fastest motorcycle ride ever. Speed freaks can check out the No. 7 streamliner at the Charity Newsies Dirt Track race in Columbus, Ohio on September 23. Afterward the streamliner heads for the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in Pickerington, Ohio where it will remain on display through October 7. In addition to the No. 7 streamliner, Denis Manning will be at the Museum for the Hall of Fame ceremonies the weekend of October 6 and 7. Chris Carr is expected to find room in his heavy travel schedule to join Manning for the ceremonies. All Hall of Fame events are open to the public, allowing fans the opportunity to meet the designer and driver of the fastest machine on two wheels.