The World Endurance Championship is a unique and grueling test of motorcycle and rider power and endurance – a worldwide phenomenon that’s a massive hit with race fans, riders and teams alike. The Championship is one of only three world road racing championships officially sanctioned by the FIM. World Endurance races are known for their spectacular starts, which see the riders sprint across the track to their waiting motorcycles. Race weekends are hugely popular festivals with music and all kinds of entertainment for spectators. The 2006 World Endurance Championship will be decided at the final race of the season, the Bol d’Or. Championship leading French team Suzuki Castrol have a 28 point advantage over Yamaha Austria, but with 35 points available to the winner of the race the competition is far from over. Third place will also be hotly contested between British team Yamaha Phase One Endurance, Bolliger Team Kawasaki Switzerland and Fagersjo-el.se Suzuki from Sweden. There are six nations and four manufacturers represented in the top seven championship places. Race Schedule: The Oschersleben race weekend starts on Thursday the 14th September, with a program that runs from 11:00am to 10:40pm and sees the first timed qualifying sessions and night practice for the world endurance teams as well as support action for the Coupe Kawasaki, Classic and TZ Club and Pro Twins support races. There’s more world endurance qualifying and support race action on Friday 15th, as well as the traditional world endurance weekend entertainments both on and off the track. The 24 Hour race starts at 3:00pm on Saturday 16th September, after more support races and track displays, and runs until 3:00pm on Sunday 17th.

Time schedule for the start of the races: 125cc: 12h00 (CET: 4h00) 250cc: 13h15 (CET: 5h15) MotoGP: 15h00 (CET: 7h00) Wild-card riders: The wild-card riders who will race in the Australian Grand Prix, scheduled on the circuit of Phillip Island on September 17 next, are the following: 125cc Class: Start Number/Rider/Team/Nomination 57 Tom Hatton (AUS-Honda) Tom Hatton Racing MA 58 Brett Symonds (AUS-Honda) Tassie Windscreens MA 59 Rhys Moller (AUS-Honda) Rhys Moller Racing FIM 62 Brent Rigoli (AUS-Honda) Angelo’s Aluminium Racing FIM 67 Blake Leigh-Smith (AUS-Honda) Leigh-Smith Racing MA Maximum number and nomination of wild-cards riders: 125cc: 3 nominated by the FMNR (Organising Federation); 2 nominated by the FIM. 250cc: 3 nominated by the FMNR (Organising Federation); 1 nominated by MSMA (Motorcycle Sport Manufacturers’ Association); 2 nominated by the FIM. MotoGP : 1 nominated by MSMA, 1 nominated by the FIM/Dorna. – A compulsory briefing will be held for all the riders who will be participating for the first time in the current Championship, at 17h00 on the day preceding the day scheduled for the first practice session.

With barely enough time to catch their breath after an awe-inspiring race in Malaysia, the MotoGP world tour moves south for the GMC Australian Grand Prix, the second of three races on the flyaway leg of the season. Some riders will be looking to carry their form over from Sepang to Phillip Island, whilst for others it will be the chance to improve on their result in Malaysia. One of the riders wanting to do the latter is World Championship leader Nicky Hayden. The Repsol Honda rider took fourth place in the Marlboro Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix, and saw his lead at the top of the overall standings reduced to 22 points over title rival and team-mate Dani Pedrosa, and 26 over reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi. Pedrosa, suffering from a knee injury after an accident in practice for the Malaysian race, was a doubtful participant last weekend but, after taking the late decision to ride, defied the odds to take third. Taken immediately to the Clinica Mobile after ascending the podium, the rookie title contender has little time to recover after a hard Grand Prix. Valentino Rossi, victorious in the last round, is gathering momentum in his quest for a sixth premier class title. With the opportunity to leave the final race of the triple flyaway at the top of the classification, and two tracks where he has experienced success before coming up, the tide seems to finally be turning in Rossi’s favour after lots of bad luck this year. With his two main rivals either off-form or walking wounded, can the Italian star close the gap yet further? Loris Capirossi lies in fourth overall, having battled with Rossi in Malaysia. The Australian public will be eager to see a repeat of one of the numerous battles between the Ducati rider and Rossi which have provided some of the season’s most exciting moments so far. Marco Melandri could overtake his two compatriots in the standings at Phillip Island, and after failing to get on the podium in Malaysia he will be eager to pick up points in the next round. He is under little pressure from the chasing pack in the World Standings, 59 points ahead of Casey Stoner in sixth. LCR Honda’s Australian rookie heads to his home circuit for the first time as a MotoGP rider, and there is sure to be a huge turnout to support the local hero at the GMC Australian Grand Prix who will be keen to make up for disappointment last year when he crashed out of the lead in the 250cc race. A trio of American riders trail Stoner in the overall classification, with Kenny Roberts Jr, Colin Edwards and John Hopkins separated by just 12 points. Shinya Nakano completes the top ten as the riders head to Phillip Island expecting chilly conditions and bracing coastal gusts. 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 Alvaro Bautista arrives in Australia knowing that he only has to finish ahead of Mika Kallio to take his first 125cc world title. The Spaniard won his sixth race of the season in Malaysia, and Kallio’s second place couldn’t stop the gap between them extending. With an advantage of 74 points separating the two, the crowd at Phillip Island could well see a new champion crowned in their homeland. Kallio did manage to increase the points margin between himself and Mattia Pasini in Sepang, and is now 25 points ahead in what is surely a battle for his second consecutive runner-up spot in the championship. The first six also includes Sergio Gadea, Hector Faubel and Lukas Pesek. Circuit information Phillip Island, the self-styled home of Australian motorsport, is steeped in motor racing tradition, with the first car races having been held there on public roads in the 1920s. The first motorcycle races took place in 1931 and a permanent track was built in 1956. The circuit fell into disrepair during the late 70s and early 80s until it was bought in 1985 and given a AUS $5m facelift. MotoGP returned in 1989 and 1990 before becoming a regular fixture once more from 1997 onwards. The Phillip Island circuit is blessed with breathtaking scenery and beautiful ocean views and, as one of the fastest, most fluid, tracks on the calendar, it continues to provide some of the most spectacular racing in the MotoGP season. More, from a press release issued by Camel Yamaha: TITLE CHASE CONTINUES FOR CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM IN AUSTRALIA Australian Grand Prix Phillip Island, Australia 15, 16, 17 September 2006 The Camel Yamaha Team take their global points quest to the southern hemisphere this week as the MotoGP World Championship makes the transcontinental trip from Malaysia to Australia. Round fourteen of seventeen takes place at the Phillip Island circuit near Melbourne almost a month earlier than usual, promising brisk spring temperatures and another unpredictable weekend of top class motorcycling action. Valentino Rossi arrives Down Under on top form, having clinched his fifth victory of the season just last Sunday in Malaysia. That morale-boosting win over fellow title contender Loris Capirossi (Ducati) has left him just 26 points shy of series leader Nicky Hayden (Honda) with four rounds to go and his most successful premier-class circuit on the horizon. The 27 year old has taken MotoGP victory at Phillip Island for the past five straight seasons, adding to two previous successes there in the 250cc class. The target for Colin Edwards is a return to the early season form that culminated in a victory challenge at Assen in round seven. Like the Dutch TT circuit, Phillip Island is a place the Texan enjoyed huge success at during his World Superbike career and it provides the ideal scenario for him to work around the set-up problems he has encountered with the YZR-M1 machine in recent races. VALENTINO ROSSI: A SPECIAL PLACE Valentino Rossi can’t wait to get back on track after one of the most exhilarating races of his career at Sepang on Sunday. The Italian is relishing every opportunity he gets to close in on series leader Hayden and can’t wait for his next bite of the cherry at one of his favourite venues. “Honestly I always look forward to this race a lot, and especially now, when my M1 is working so well,” says Rossi. “Phillip Island and Australia in general is a special place, very beautiful. This race is very important for my team, because many of them are Australian and it’s their home race, like Mugello for me. I want to thank them for all their hard work by doing well!” “Phillip Island is a magic track for me. I’ve won a lot of races there and some championships too, I love it! It’s one of my favourite tracks, an ‘old style’ track. We didn’t test there this year but anyway the M1 always works well there and I love riding there. It’s very cold this year, so it’s going to be difficult with the tyres, but I am really looking forward to it. “After Laguna I didn’t entirely believe in my chances for the championship anymore, but then after Brno I said to myself ‘okay we still have a chance, we can try.’ Now my objective is to win as many races as possible, then we see in Valencia.” COLIN EDWARDS: THE NEXT CHALLENGE Colin Edwards also has a special affinity with Phillip Island having built a strong record at the track during his World Superbike career, finishing on the podium on no fewer than eight occasions, including a win in 2001. The Texan also benefits from the backing of strong local support, with friends and family always amongst the crowd. “My Dad is actually Australian so Phillip Island is always a bit of a home race for me,” explains Edwards. “The Australian fans are amazing and I always have a lot of mates there which makes it fun. I am looking forward to it; I just need to put Malaysia behind me and focus on the next challenge. “Like Valentino I really love the track and I’ve had some brilliant races there over my career, with the Superbikes as well. It seems to suit our bike, although it’s going to be pretty cold there at this time of year so it’s hard to predict the situation with the tyres. Obviously I had a tough time in Malaysia, where I was expecting to go well, so we’re going to have to find something new this week. I really need a good result here.” DAVIDE BRIVIO: KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE Camel Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio could not wish for a better venue to be heading to on the back of a successful weekend in Malaysia, with the riders sharing a fondness for the track layout and several of the mechanics hailing from Australasian shores. The second of three races in as many weeks, Phillip Island promises to be another stern challenge of the team’s organisation and mettle. “It’s great to be going to a place and a circuit that both our riders love,” says Brivio. “A lot of the team are Australian too and for them to be heading home after such a long and demanding season can only help them to recharge their batteries and stay fully focused for another important weekend ahead. From Japan to Italy, all our staff have been working extremely hard to keep the championship alive and that’s the goal again this Sunday. “These three races in such a short space of time put a lot of demands on the team but we are just keeping our heads down, keeping focused and taking each race as it comes. The win in Malaysia was a fantastic emotion for everybody and I’m sure the show will be just as spectacular on Sunday. Hopefully Colin can be involved up at the front too and help Valentino take another step closer to the top of the championship.” TECHNICALLY SPEAKING: PHILLIP ISLAND ACCORDING TO PIERRE ALVES Phillip Island demands far more than just a fast bike to make for quick and consistent lap times. The sweeping and flowing circuit is possibly one of the ultimate tests of machine control and throttle accuracy, not to mention the sheer bravery and forcefulness required of the rider. Its exposed location on the cliffs facing the Bass Strait means that weather is a constant talking point, especially this year, when tyre choice will be a crucial consideration. “It’s going to be a big change from what we’re used to at Phillip Island because we’ve never been there at this time of year and we’re expecting it to be very cold!” explains Pierre Alves, Michelin Tyre Technician for the Camel Yamaha Team. “Generally for Phillip Island you need a tyre that’s quite hard on the left side and much softer, but not too soft, on the right side. Because of the temperature it’s going to be much harder than usual to find the right combination and balance for the track, as tyre efficiency will be reduced with such a low track temperature. “Usually we have quite a good base to work from at Phillip Island, because we test there, but this year we didn’t so we don’t know so much about how the new M1 will go there. However the biggest factor, as far as tyres go, is the weather; it’s quite difficult because we’ve really never faced a situation like this! It’s certainly going to be one of the most challenging, and interesting, races of the year for us!” 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: 169 (110 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: 61 x MotoGP World Championships – 2 World Superbike Phillip Island Lap Record: Marco Melandri (Honda) 2005, 1’30.332 Phillip Island Best Lap: Nicky Hayden (Honda) 2005, 1’29.337 2005 Australian Grand Prix Results: 1. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Yamaha, 41’08.542 2. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda, +1.007 3. Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati, +4.215 6. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Yamaha, +33.200 More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Honda: PREVIEW AUSTRALIAN GP – WELCOME TO PHILLIP ISLAND A round the world trip continues for the MotoGP paddock this weekend, moving from Malaysia to Australia for the next race of the season at Phillip Island. The Australian Grand Prix is the fourteenth round of the season and promises to be crucial to the outcome of the title chase, with five riders still holding out hope of outright glory. Marco Melandri, fifth in the series on 168 points and with a 46 point gap to leader Nicky Hayden, is keen to once again show his true potential at a circuit he particularly likes .It was here that the Italian lifted the 250cc world title in 2002 at the age of 20 and he currently holds the MotoGP lap record there having clocked 1’30″332 last season. MARCO MELANDRI: “I can’t wait to race at Phillip Island, a track I really love. I’m glad to be getting straight back on my Honda after a disappointing race at Sepang. I’m motivated to have a good race and get back to the competitive level I know I should be at. The championship is really difficult for me now but I will still be going out to give it my best shot every Sunday. In Malaysia we worked hard over the three days to find the right feeling with the front end. Hopefully we can start off on the right foot at Phillip Island, a track which requires a perfect set-up.” TONI ELIAS: “The team are doing a great job at the moment and we’re taking steps forward every time. That’s why I’m really looking forward to the next round at Phillip Island, a circuit I really like a lot. The design is beautiful and the track is one of the fastest and most spectacular in the world. Just the speed makes it very technical and difficult to understand, it’s very demanding. I’ve always had good results here firstly in the 250s and then last year in MotoGP, when we had two really good days of practice and I qualified seventh. Hopefully I can do that again this year but with a better end result.” THE TRACK: Right on the coast, the Phillip Island circuit is perhaps the favourite of most of the riders, a simple and original layout that casts the mind back to days of old. Here there is no huge grandstand looming over the start-finish straight as there are at so many modern circuits; the grey of the track mixes with the rolling green hills and the bright blue of the ocean. Adding to the natural beauty of the place, the track is technical and complete, characterised by slow sections mixed with fast, hard acceleration, strong braking and frequent changes in line and elevation. A LAP WITH TONI ELIAS: “Phillip Island has some of the fastest corners in the world and it is a spectacular and fun place to be for the riders and for the fans. It is a technical track which requires a perfect bike set-up. The main unknown is the weather because the climate can change very quickly and within a matter of a few minutes it can go from bright sunshine to rain. There is also a constant wind that whips up onto the circuit from the sea.” Marco Melandri AND Phillip Island: Marco has celebrated victory at this track on two occasions in the past firstly in the 125cc class in 1999 and then secondly in 2002 when he took the win and the world title in 250. In total Marco has visited the Phillip Island three times. Last year he missed out by a hair’s breadth, finishing fourth in a truly spectacular race. FOCUS: PADDOCK TRAVEL The MotoGP World Championship circus continues its journey around the planet over the next couple of weekends as the season enters its final phase. Next Sunday the paddock will be ready to host another race some 17,000km away at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia, some 22 hours of flight time away from Europe and with an eight-hour time difference. The tiredness and pressure that the riders have to put up with at this stage of the season is not just limited to the track as they attempt to deal with the dramatic time changes, hours of travel, airport queues and climatic differences between the countries. Over the course of a season each member of a MotoGP team takes around 50 flights, without including the IRTA tests at the start of the season. Each team covers an average of 110,000km around eight and a half times around the world and each member of staff spends between 230 and 250 hours sat on board an aeroplane. The logistical arrangements of each team falls on the shoulders of one person, who is in charge of making all of the hotel bookings, car rentals and transport of team materials. Fulvia Castelli is the person in question for Team FORTUNA HONDA. Alongside the structure of each team, within the MotoGP World Championship paddock there is also a specialised travel agency, Fly Away Sports Travel, which also journeys around the world during the season. The agency has its own office with satellite connection so that it can connect to the Internet from anywhere in the world. It began in 1994 and currently employs nine people, three of whom regularly travel. “On occasions we’ve even bought flight tickets whilst travelling in the car!” says Massimo Bertozzi, who runs the business alongside his wife Daniela. TRAVEL IN NUMBERS 110,000 – the number of kilometres covered during a season by a MotoGP team around eight and a half times around the world. 50 – the number of flights taken by a member of a MotoGP team each year. 230 – 250 the hours spent on an aeroplane by a member of a MotoGP team each year. 17.000 the number of kilometres a team member must cover to attend the Australian GP.

FIM Supersport World Championship Eurospeedway Lausitz, Germany September 10 Race Results: 1. Kenan SOFUOGLU (Hon CBR600RR), 23 laps, 39:29.099 2. Kevin CURTAIN (Yam YZF-R6), -0.130 second 3. Fabien FORET (Yam YZF-R6), -9.654 seconds 4. Robbin HARMS (Hon CBR600RR), -10.564 seconds 5. Gianluca NANNELLI (Duc 749R), -19.925 seconds 6. Gianluca VIZZIELLO (Yam YZF-R6), -24.288 seconds 7. Christian ZAISER (Duc 749R), -24.980 seconds 8. Kai Borre ANDERSEN (Suz GSX-R600), -25.058 seconds 9. Matthieu LAGRIVE (Hon CBR600RR), -30.289 seconds 10. Stephane CHAMBON (Kaw ZX-6RR), -34.854 seconds 11. Staurt EASTON (Duc 749R), -35.811 seconds 12. Massimo ROCCOLI (Yam YZF-R6), -36.092 seconds 13. Mauro SANCHINI (Yam YZF-R6), -36.430 seconds 14. Chris PERIS (Yam YZF-R6), -36.845 seconds 15. Tatu LAUSLEHTO (Hon CBR600RR), -60.846 seconds 16. Vladimir IVANOV (Hon CBR600RR), -67.040 seconds 17. Vesa KALLIO (Yam YZF-R6), -67.258 seconds 18. Miguel PRAIA (Hon CBR600RR), -70.978 seconds 19. Gregory LEBLANC (Hon CBR600RR), -71.430 seconds 20. Lorenzo ALFONSI (Yam YZF-R6), -71.718 seconds 21. Gunter KNOBLOCH (Yam YZF-R6), -92.063 seconds 22. Katsuaki FUJIWARA (Hon CBR600RR), -2 laps, pitted 23. Tom TUNSTALL (Hon CBR600RR), -2 laps, pitted 24. William DE ANGELIS (Hon CBR600RR), -2 laps, DNF, mechanical 25. Alessio ALDROVANDI (Hon CBR600RR), -4 laps, DNF, mechanical 26. Alessio VELINI (Yam YZF-R6), -6 laps, DNF, mechanical 27. Yoann TIBERIO (Hon CBR600RR), -7 laps, DNF, mechanical 28. Sabastien LE GRELLE (Hon CBR600RR), -10 laps, DNF, mechanical 29. Johan STIGEFELT (Hon CBR600RR), -11 laps, DNF, crash 30. Andrea BERTA (Yam YZF-R6), -12 laps, DNF, crash 31. David CHECA (Yam YZF-R6), -15 laps, DNF, mechanical 32. Luka NEDOG (Duc 749R), -15 laps, DNF, mechanical 33. Sebastien CHARPENTIER (Hon CBR600RR), -15 laps, DNF, mechanical 34. Maxime BERGER (Kaw ZX-6RR), -19 laps, DNF, crash 35. Julien ENJOLRAS (Yam YZF-R6), -23 laps, DNF, crash More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: SOFUOGLU TWO FOR TWO AFTER CHARPENTIER RETIRES FOR AN INJURY Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) once more showed his true talent and class by winning the German round of the championship, being content to sit behind long term leader Kevin Curtain until the 19th lap of 23, then pouncing to score his second win in as many weekends. His team-mate Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR), who is chasing the overall title, was in some difficulty in the early laps and ran off the circuit on the seventh lap. He went down the escape road at turn one, but took a wrong turn in the tyre barrier area, hit the tyres as he attempted to pass between them, and restarted well down on the leaders. He pulled in to retire from the race on lap nine dropping valuable championship points. Sofuoglu also scored the new track lap record, on lap four, with a 1’42.090. In the championship Charpentier has an unchanged 144 points, with Kevin Curtain on 171 Sofuoglu now sits fourth, only two points from third. Ronald Ten Kate Team Manager “Of course I have very mixed feelings at the moment. Clearly we have lost some very important points for the championship with Sebastien, and the gap now means that we have no more opportunities to have the cards in out hand for the rest of the year; we have to wait for Kevin now. That is a big pity. On the other hand, when we look to the other side of the garage, we saw Kenan win again, and it was a strong win. He won in the wet at Assen and there were maybe more people even then who still doubted the abilities of Kenan in the dry, but he has answered that only a week afterwards. I think it is clear that he is going in the correct way. I am so happy for him.” Kenan Sofuoglu Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (First Championship Position: 4th with 117 points) “I am very happy because last weekend when I won in Assen it was in the rain but now in the dry I have won again and that is very satisfying. Now I have one race victory in each condition. I have to keep working like this; I have two races more and I should be on the podium. I would like to say thank you to Honda and Winston Ten Kate Honda Team because they have worked really hard with me for the second half of the year and now the results are coming. My career really started here in Germany, at this track in 2002, so it is fantastic to win a race here.” Sebastien Charpentier Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (DNF Championship Position: 2nd with 144 points) “When I ran off the track and then hit the tyre barriers I hurt my left hand a lot in the impact. I simply had to retire from the race after that. I fractured my ring finger but I should be able to race in Imola. It’s very disappointing to lose so many points today.” CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING: 1. Curtain – Yamaha – 171 points 2. Charpentier – Winston Ten Kate Honda – 144 points 3. Parkes – Yamaha – 119 points 4. Sofuoglu – Winston Ten Kate Honda – 117 points 5. Harms – Honda – 107 points More, from a press release issued by Beowulf Racing: BEOWULF’S McDOUGALL SHOWS COURAGE UNDER FIRE 2006 FIM Superstock 1000 Cup, Rd 8: Eurospeedway, Germany If races were won on sheer determination, Beowulf Racing’s Pat McDougall (Suzuki) would be the runaway leader of the 2006 FIM Superstock 1000 Cup. Sadly the young hotshot had to contend with another dose of setbacks in today’s shortened and accident-hit eighth-round race at the Eurospeedway circuit in Germany. McDougall made an excellent start to the race’s scheduled start this morning, jumping up three places to 22nd position as the bikes reached the first timed split on the opening lap. Following a horrific accident on the next, involving riders Ilario Dionisi (MV Augusta) and Alessandro Polita (Suzuki), which saw the machines bursting into flame and debris being scattered all over the track, there was no other option than to red-flag the race. Although the accident had happened well ahead of McDougall, he still had to ride past the fires and carnage on the circuit. The incident was so bad that Beowulf team boss Andy Stone gave him the option of not entering the afternoon restart, which would be run over a shortened distance of nine laps. Being the committed team player that he is, Pat confirmed that he had not come all this way not to race. When the bikes reconverged on the grid, McDougall made what appeared to be another excellent getaway. Sadly, it had been too good he had jumped the start and had to complete a mid-race ride through the pitlane as a penalty. With just three laps remaining, this effectively put paid to any chance of a decent result and many riders would simply have retired at this point. McDougall defiantly refused to quit, accepted his punishment and re-commenced battle. Being the last bike to cross the finishing line in 28th place, he had done well not to be lapped whilst his lap time of 1:48.013 was better than the two riders ahead had managed. On the tail of a host of machinery problems at last weekend’s Dutch round of the championship, Beowulf Racing are finding this year’s Superstock Cup tough going. Both the rider and team will be hoping for a better turn of events when the series begins its ninth round at the Italian circuit of Imola on September 29th. To learn more about Pat McDougall and Beowulf Racing visit www.beowulf-racing.com FIM SUPERSTOCK 1000 CUP, RD 8: GERMANY Race result 9 laps 1. Claudio Corti (Ita) Yamaha 15:39.368 2. Brendan Roberts (Aus) Suzuki +00:01.082 3. Loic Napoleone (Fra) Suzuki +00:04.486 28. Pat McDougall (GBr) Suzuki +01:12.437 Championship standings after 8 of 10 rounds: 1 Allessandro Polita (Ita) Suzuki – 137pts 2. Luca Scassa (Ita) MV Augusta 118pts 3. Claudio Corti (Ita) Yamaha 115pts More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: SOFUOGLU SCORES SECOND WIN IN SUCCESSION AS CHARPENTIER IS FORCED OUT After winning a torrentially wet aggregate race at Assen last weekend, Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) played a waiting game to score his first dry weather win in his rookie full season. He stalked the long-term leader Kevin Curtain until lap 20, passing to score a narrow but confident race win and promote himself to fourth in the championship, only two points from third place with two rounds to run. Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) like Sofuoglu, started the race from the front row but was overtaken in the early stages, and ran off track onto the turn one slip road on lap seven. While attempting to squeeze between the tyre barriers he made a sharp impact and suffered a fracture in his left hand. He carried on for a time, but retired on lap nine. With Curtain second in the Lausitz race and now on a total of 171 points, and with Charpentier 27 points behind with two rounds to run, the 2005 World Champion is hoping to be fit to battle on in the next two rounds at Imola and Magny-Cours. Sofuoglu is fourth, on 117 points and is now the new Lausitzring lap record holder, having set a 1’42.090 lap time fourth time around. Yoann Tiberio (Team Megabike Honda CBR600RR) and Katsuaki Fujiwara (Team Megabike Honda CBR600RR) each retired from the race, Tiberio on lap 17 and Fujiwara – finally – on lap 22, after pitting for two laps and changing a rear tyre. Sofuoglu was an impressive winner at one of his favourite tracks, and was particularly pleased to have won in dry conditions, after qualifying second on the grid. “I am very happy because last weekend when I won in Assen it was in the rain but now in the dry I have won again and that is very satisfying,” said the new fourth place rider. “Now I have one race victory in each condition. I have to keep working like this; I have two races more and I should be on the podium. I would like to say thank you to Honda and Ten Kate because they have worked really hard with me for the second half of the year and now the results are coming. My career really started here in Germany, at this track in 2002, so it is fantastic to win a race here.” Charpentier had no option to retire, and now hopes to be ready for the final season push to keep his championship hopes alive. “When I ran off the track and then hit the tyre barriers I hurt my left hand a lot in the impact,” said Charpentier. “I simply had to retire from the race after that. It’s very disappointing to lose so many points today and they think my hand is broken, but I will try to race at Imola.” Tiberio experienced problems with concentration and focus in the race, and eventually pulled in to retire, having qualified only 12th. “The set-up of the bike was not bad, not perfect, but the problem was my own, not the bike,” said Tiberio. “I found it very difficult to concentrate on the race today and I never felt at ease even from the start. When I dropped out of the points I came in to retire.” Fujiwara found the stress of racing on his frequently injured wrist difficult to bear in full race conditions, especially at a tight and twisty circuit like Lausitz. “Very soon after the start my wrist started to give me great pain,” said Fujiwara. “I carried on but then it got too much and I pulled in. A new tyre was fitted and I went out again, but basically just to test the tyre.” More, from a press release issued by Kel Edge Photography: 2006 Suzuki GSX-R750 European Cup Round 6, Eurospeedway Lausitz Circuit: 4.265 kms. Crowd: 51,000. Weather: Dry, sunny 23C. BRITON SYKES TAKES LAUSITZ GLORY Briton Tom Sykes took over the ride of William Dunlop for Lausitz and immediately carved his name in glory by winning the fifth round of this year’s Suzuki GSX-R750 European Cup. Sykes led from start to finish and never looked in trouble during the 12-lap race, held in front of a 51,000 strong crowd. Second was series leader Xavier Simeon, with Rene Mahr third. TOM SYKES -1st I made a good start, maybe because I practised one or two yesterday, and for the first few laps I made sure that I had heat in the tyres before I really got my head down. Fortunately I was able to pull out a bit of a gap on the other riders , but I couldn’t see my pitboard, so I used the hairpin to have a sneaky look round from time to time. I had a few little slides towards the end of the race and that kept me awake and smiling. It’s been a fantastic experience racing in front of a Superbike crowd and I really enjoyed myself this weekend. I can’t wait for the next one. XAVIER SIMEON – 2nd The bike was better today and I rode steadily to take points instead of doing anything silly. For the first few laps, Sykes was faster then me, but later I began to close in a little. My start was OK and I’m happy to take my second runner-up spot of the weekend and keep a good lead in the series. More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi: AT EUROSPEEDWAY GOOD RESULTS IN SUPERSPORT FOR NANNELLI AND EASTON Good results in Supersport race at Eurospeedway, where Gianluca Nannelli and Stuart Easton finished into the points their race. “At the start the riders in front of me started all well and in the confusion of the first corner, I’ve been not able to earn any position.” commented Gianluca Nannelli at the end of the race. “At the first lap I was seventh, but the leaders were already running with a three seconds advantage, while Zaiser and Charpentier were slowing our group and were very difficult to overtook too. I selected tyres with the guarantee of to finish the race, and in the early laps they were not performing at the best. When finally I passed I had in front of me Stigefelt and Harms, but they had a good advantage. I pushed to catch Harms, but then I made a mistake and I lost some time, so I preferred to avoid any risk to throw away a good result. Friendly I was hoping something better, but I’m however satisfied, we’re the best of 749R,I’m the first between Italian riders, finally I’m able to fight with the best, I’m satisfied as I’ll look to get something more.” Very well Stuart Easton too: after a very brilliant start that put him in 15th position at the first lap, Stuart finished the race as eleventh. “I got a good start.” – said satisfied Stuart Easton. “After a lot of troubles during the practice day the bike performed well and at the first lap I was just behind the leading group. It was not easy to fight against expert riders like Anderson, Chambon and Roccoli, but at the end I got a good result and I made a good experience. During the final laps both Roccoli and Sanchini tried to pass me in every corner, but I’ve been able to resist and end in front of them.” Unlucky today too Luka Nedog. After a new crash during the morning warm up session, during the race the bike had some problem and Nedog stopped along the circuit. “It a race to forget.” has been the bitter comment by Luka Nedog. “The team assembled at the best the bike after the yesterday’s fire and maybe something has been damaged out of our control. I had a good start, earning several position at the first split, but then the bike started to fail and I must stop along the track.” On the contrary in Superbike Roberto Rolfo lived a black day, with a stop at the last lap in race-1 and a wrong tyre selection in race-2. “During race-1 the bike stopped along the track during the last lap, so I’ve been not classified too.” said Roberto Rolfo at the end of the day. “For race-2 we made a wrong tyre selection and I had any chance to recover from my bad starting position. I’m rather disappointed; I hope that for Imola we’ll find all together a good solution because in Italy I’m looking for a good result

FIM Superbike World Championship Eurospeedway Lausitz, Germany September 10 Race Two Results: 1. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR), 24 laps, 39:58.796 2. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1), -0.210 second 3. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F06), -3.056 seconds 4. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suz GSX-R1000), -7.396 seconds 5. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Hon CBR1000RR), -11.653 seconds 6. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F06), -21.386 seconds 7. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R), -26.620 seconds 8. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR), -26.736 seconds 9. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F05), -29.428 seconds 10. Chris WALKER (Kaw ZX-10R), -29.544 seconds 11. Norick ABE (Yam YZF-R1), -29.779 seconds 12. Steve MARTIN (Foggy Petronas FP1), -38.463 seconds 13. Craig JONES (Foggy Petronas FP1), -45.259 seconds 14. Troy CORSER (Suz GSX-R1000), -45.922 seconds, jump start 15. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yam YZF-R1), -58.393 seconds 16. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Suz GSX-R1000), -58.633 seconds 17. Roberto ROLFO (Duc 999F05), -60.033 seconds 18. Ivan CLEMENTI (Duc 999RS), -64.858 seconds 19. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R), -65.825 seconds 20. Stefan NEBEL (Kaw ZX-10R), -66.149 seconds 21. Didier VAN KEYMEULEN (Yam YZF-R1), -68.295 seconds 22. Jiri DRAZDAK (Yam YZF-R1), -86.916 seconds 23. Josh BROOKES (Kaw ZX-10R), -1 lap, pitted 24. Alex BARROS (Hon CBR1000RR), -6 lap, DNF, crash 25. Kurtis ROBERTS (Duc 999RS), -13 laps, DNF, mechanical 26. Pierfrancesco CHILI (Hon CBR1000RR), -19 laps, DNF, mechanical 27. Andrew PITT (Yam YZF-R1), -21 laps, DNF, crash 28. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Suz GSX-R1000), -22 laps, DNF, mechanical FIM Superbike World Championship Point Standings (After 24 of 28 races): 1. Bayliss, 357 points 2. Haga, 270 points 3. Toseland, 264 points 4. Corser, 211 points 5. Pitt, 210 points 6. Barros, 186 points 7. Kagayama, 177 points 8. Walker, 134 points 9. Lanzi, 133 points 10. Nieto, 127 points 11. Fabrizio, 117 points 12. Xaus, 103 points 13. Muggeridge, 97 points 14. Abe, 93 points 15. Laconi, 84 points 16. Rolfo, 64 points 17. Nakatomi, 33 points 18. Neukirchner, 22 points 19. TIE, Foret/Martin, 19 points More, from a press release issued by Team Yamaha Motor France Ipone: POINTS FOR ABE AND NAKATOMI In the first race, Troy Bayliss (Ducati) was leading after one lap, while Norick Abe was 15th and Shinichi Nakatomi 25th. Bayliss crashed, and then restarted. Haga (Yamaha) took the lead, in front of Corser (Suzuki) and Kagayama (Suzuki). After the first third of the race, Abe was 15th and Nakatomi 21st. After the second third of the race, Abe was 16th and Nakatomi 20th. There was a great fight between the leaders, and Kagayama finally won in front of Haga and Corser. Bayliss ended up 7th, while Abe finished 16th and Nakatomi 17th. In the second race, Abe had a better start and fought with the group going for the 7th position with Fonsi Nieto (Kawasaki), Michel Fabrizio (Honda), Ruben Xaus (Ducati) and Chris Walker (Kawasaki). Norick did a beautiful race en ended up finally at the 11th place. Shinichi Nakatomi tried very hard and finished with the point of the 15th position. James Toseland won this race just 2 tenths of a second in front of Noriyuki Haga. Troy Bayliss finished in 3rd position. Norick Abe: “In race 1, I had different small problems. We made some changes for race 2 and it was much better. I could go quicker so I am happy.” Shinichi Nakatomi: ” It was a difficult weekend. In race 1, the set up was not very good on the bumps. We made some changes for race 2, but I had the same problem.” Martial Garcia (team manager): ” Both riders did not have the right choice of tyre for race 1. Afterwards, we modified the suspensions. Consequently, in race 2 Norick Abe could have better lap times and it makes me happy. Shinichi Nakatomi tried very hard and I am proud of him.” World Championship standings: 1- Bayliss (Ducati) 357 points, 2- Haga (Yamaha) 270, 3- Toseland (Honda) 264, 4- Corser (Suzuki) 211, 5- Pitt (Yamaha) 210 ; 14-Abe (Yamaha) 93, 17-Nakatomi (Yamaha) 33 11th round of the Supersport World Championship: October 1st at Imola (Italy) More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: TOSELAND WINS RACE TWO AS MUGGERIDGE HITS SEASON HIGH After a luckless race one finish of ninth James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) rode one of the races of his life to secure the 25 points from race two that keep him in the arithmetical title hunt with two rounds to go. His team-mate Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) had the best finishes of his season in sixth and fifth, and moved from 15th to 13th in the overall points table. In race one Toseland dropped out of contention for a top six finish when he ran off track but Muggeridge rode a clean race to finish sixth and equal his best finish of the season to that point. Yukio Kagayama won the race from Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser. In race two Toseland was a virtual start to finish leader, holding off frequent attacks from second place rider Haga, and winning by a mere 0.210 seconds. Bayliss was third, not scoring enough points to take the title at Lausitz. Muggeridge was a clear fifth, finishing ten seconds ahead of the sixth place rider. The top three championship point’s scorers now line up Bayliss 357, Haga 270 and Toseland 264. Ronald Ten Kate – Team Manager “I had a full champagne shower from James after race two, but I’m not angry with him for this, he can cover me and the team in champagne any weekend he wants to! It was a great win from him. In the first race we made a wrong choice of rear tyre, and he was struggling quite a bit. In race two we could all see even when he left the garage that he was very determined to make this win for him – and us. He had to fight hard for it but he led it from start to finish, and was riding very well. I think it is important to finish the season on a high, so from now on we will go for the single race wins. It was very positive for Karl, his best finish of the season, his best weekend of the season, not really far behind so we can also say he is also moving on. All in all I have been on the podium twice today to collect a winner’s trophy, so as team manager I must say that two out of three ain’t bad. But my dream is to make it three out of three. We have two more shots for that this year so we will be working hard to get it.” James Toseland – Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (Race 1: 9th position – Race 2: First position – Championship Position: 3rd with 264 points) “I was frustrated after race one because we chose a particular tyre because of the temperature difference from Friday and Saturday and it was not the way to go. So we went back to what we knew – and I knew right away I would be in with a shout in the second. We have two rounds and four races to go and I’m third now, just in behind Nori. It’s been a great season racing with Nori all year and it’s about time I was up here on the top step after winning the first race of the year in Qatar, so I owe a big thank you to the team. I’m just happy to be back up here.” Karl Muggeridge – Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (Race 1: 6th – Race 2: 5th – Championship Position: 13th with 97 points) “This was my best race weekend of the year and my highest single finish so I have to be happy with that. In race one I wasn’t too satisfied with the traction I was getting from the back end and in race two the front wasn’t quite as good as race one but I could ride consistently today. I’m now looking to the final two races of the year to score a podium finish and move up the table.” CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING: 1. Bayliss – Ducati – 357 points 2. Haga – Yamaha – 270 points 3. Toseland – Winston Ten Kate Honda – 264 points 4. Corser – Suzuki – 211 points 5. Pitt – Yamaha – 210 points 13. Muggeridge – Winston Ten Kate Honda – 97 points More, from a press release issued by FG Sport: TITLE GOES TO LAST ROUNDS AS KAGAYAMA AND TOSELAND TRIUMPH RED HOT FAVOURITE BAYLISS THWARTED IN THE GERMAN SUNSHINE After setting pole position and running into an early lead in race one at EuroSpeedway Lausitz, Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) looked like he was well on the way to scoring the championship win itself with two entire rounds of the series to go. But after he fell from race one, restarting to finish seventh, the chase was on again. After the second dramatic Sunday afternoon of SBK racing in succession, this time in glorious sunshine in Eastern Germany, Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) and James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) secured the race wins. The upshot is that Bayliss will now have to wait at least until round 1 at Imola, on October 1, to wrap up his second world title. He sits on 357 points, with double second place finisher Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) on 270 and Toseland on 264. RACE ONE A brilliant three way fight for the race win in the latter stages saw Kagayama take a win by 1.2 seconds from Haga, and Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra). Bayliss had led the 24-lap race before falling out of contention, remounting, and then running off track once more, finally finishing seventh. Kagayama paced his attack perfectly, making clear track on the final lap as soon as he saw the opportunity to get clear. Haga’s 20 points brought him closer to Bayliss, with James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) a disappointed ninth, after he too ran off track and lost places, having chosen the wrong rear tyre. RACE TWO In race two holeshot man Haga was reeled in by Toseland, who led every one of the 24 laps, with Haga his perpetual shadow. Bayliss had a push to try and win but had to drop pace at the end of the contest, finishing three seconds back on an overjoyed Toseland, who took his second win of the season. PITT UP AND DOWN AS CORSER GOES FOURTH Lausitz could not be described as one of Corser’s best afternoons in World Superbike but it was enough to put him back into fourth place in the championship fight, as Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) went from fourth in race one to a faller in race two. Only one point separates this all-Aussie battle, with Corser some 53 points behind Toseland. Corser was penalised with a ride through for a jump start in race two, but still worked his way up to 14th, scoring two points. Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda) was very close to a fourth place finish in race one, but fell from a top five in race two, being left behind somewhat by the Corser/Pitt duel in the championship table. MUGGERIDGE SCORES BEST SEASON FINISHES Karl Muggeridge (Winston ten Kate Honda) overcame the disappointment of a relatively poor Superpole to post a fine sixth and season-best fifth at Lausitz, making the German weekend his most successful to date. A lot of hard work from Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) gave him an eighth and a sixth, a far cry from his 2005 race win at Lausitz, but earning useful points for his championship placings. Kagayama’s brilliance in race one translated to fourth in the second running, as his forward motion in the early part of the race were curtailed by slides and lack of push later on. He remains seventh overall, some 43 points ahead of Assen race winner Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse). The English rider was 11th in race one and, despite a rear tyre that spun on the rim in race two, he finished tenth. NIETO TOP KAWASAKI FINISHER AT TOUGH TRACK FOR ZX-10R All three top Kawasaki runners found Lausitz a less than hospitable circuit for their motorcycles, but Fonsi Nieto’s tenth and seventh place finishes were strong enough to keep him in the top ten overall. Regis Laconi, like Corser, jump-started race two and finished 19th, after a first race 12th. PETRONAS IN THE POINTS AGAIN Steve Martin and Craig Jones each scored points in race two (for 12th and 13th respectively) adding to Martin’s 14th in the opener. It was Jones’ first point’s scoring weekend in SBK racing. Max Neukirchner (Alstare Engineering Suzuki) went 13th in race one but was forced to retire from race two on his home circuit. Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Berik Ducati) scored the last point in race one, but was much more competitive in ninth in race two, one place behind the incredible surge through the pack of Assen podium finisher, Michel Fabrizio (DFX Treme Honda). Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Treme Honda) started the races, but failed to finish either, having suffered a painful crash in qualifying. Kurtis Roberts was 19th in race one, a non-finisher in race two after changing the gearing between races. Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France Ipone) went 11th in race two. SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda) played a waiting game with long time race leader Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) to take the win at Lausitzring, after another disastrous day for his team-mate Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda). 2005 champion Charpentier looked to have trouble in braking and ran on early in the race, misjudging the width of an escape lane tyre barrier, and breaking a bone in his left hand after his machine hit it abruptly. He is hoping to be fit for Imola, but his biggest championship rival, Kevin Curtain, is now 27 points ahead, with only 50 up for grabs. Third in the Lausitz race was stand-in rider for the Yamaha Motor Germany squad, Fabien Foret, who replaced injured pilot Broc Parkes. Sofuoglu is now only two points from Parkes, still third despite missing the race. SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP Claudio Corti (Yamaha Team Italia) scored his second win in succession after the Superstock 1000 race was rescheduled, due to a huge crash in the early laps of the original contest. A shortened 9-lap race saw Corti hold off Aussie Brendan Roberts (HP Racing) once more second, and now sixth overall. Loic Napoleone (Celani Suzuki) was third, his best race finish, with Alessandro Polita (Celani team Suzuki) miraculously largely uninjured after the massive morning crash, ninth, and still 19 points ahead of Luca Scassa (EVR Corse Ormeni Racing), who was fifth in Germany. IMOLA NEXT STOP Imola hosts the 11th round of the Superbike and Supersport classes, on October 1. More, from a press release issued by Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra: YUKIO’S SUPERB WIN! TROY ON THE PODIUM ALSO Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Yukio Kagayama took a superb victory in the first race at the Eurospeedway Lausitz today. He had been in third place for most of the 24-lapper, but then charged past Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) and team mate Troy Corser with just two laps to go. From then on in, he was determined to stay in front and took the flag just over a second ahead of Haga, with Troy a close third. Yukio was ready to go all-out for victory in race two, but tyre problems prevented him from staying with the leading group of three. In the end, James Toseland (Honda) took a hard-fought for win, with Haga again second. Series leader Bayliss took third, but it was not a good race for Troy Corser. The starter held the lights for a longer then usual and many riders were moving slightly when the lights went out. Troy was judged to have jumped the start and had to pull into the pits for a ride -through penalty. The ride-though caused him to drop from fourth to twenty-third place and although he stormed his way through the field, in the end all he could manage was fourteenth. YUKIO Race 1: 1st, Race 2: 4th I was very, very happy after my win in race one, because it was such a hard race. My bike worked very well, except for a little braking problem. For the first fifteen laps or so, Nori made very good lap times and I was at my maximum just staying in third place! It was hard to overtake. In the last five laps of the race, his lap times started to come down and I saw that I had a chance. I went past my team mate Troy and Nori and was able to finish first. It was very enjoyable having a big battle like that. We used the same tyre for the second race, but it did not behave the same way and that is a bit strange. For the first few laps, the front had very little grip and my lap times were not so good and I lost touch with the leaders. Then, later on, the front tyre felt better and I began to catch up the leaders, but it was too late. The bike and the setting was the same for both races, so I don’t know why tyre behaved differently. TROY – Race 1: 3rd, Race 2: 14th It’d been a good weekend until the problem at the start of race two and the problem with my tyre, and it ended on a frustrating note and I am not at all happy. The bike worked pretty well in the first race and the tyre was all right as well. It was good to get back on the podium again, because it felt like it had been a long time. I really needed that result and I believed that another podium in race two would be possible. I’m not sure what happened at the start, because I felt that we were held for much longer then normal. I moved, but so did lots of riders, but I didn’t jump the start. Having the ride-though penalty ruined things for me, but I would’ve struggled in the race anyway because I had been having tyre problems before that. The rear tyre lost grip after one lap and I nearly highsided one lap later coming on to the start straight! The bike was virtually identical to race one and the tyre was the same, so I’m not sure what happened. Very disappointing. Very frustrated and very unhappy More, from a press release issued by Team Alstare Engineering: MAX IN THE POINTS! Team Alstare Engineering Corona Extra rider Max Neukirchner scored points in the first race at Lausitz today, but was forced to pull out of the second with a technical problem. Throughout the weekend, Max had been steadily coming to terms with the GSX-R1000 K6 Alstare bike and qualifying for Superpole had been a very positive step forward. Before today, Max had hoped for top ten finishes today, but it didn’t go to plan – especially in the second race. MAX – Race 1: 13th, Race 2: DNF I was happy enough with the first race, though it was tough. I’m still getting used to the bike and learning more and more as we race. I had a little problem with the feel of the front suspension when the fuel level in the tank dropped. The suspension seemed to work OK when the tank was full at the start of the race, but when the tank was half full, the suspension didn’t work as well. There’s not much to say about the second race, as I wasn’t on the track long enough to give much information. All in all, I guess I am a bit frustrated today, because I felt that we’d get better results then we did. More, from a press release issued by Team Klaffi Honda: BARROS WITH UPS AND DOWNS AT THE EUROSPEEDWAY Alex Barros (Team Klaffi Honda) rode to fifth place in the first SBK race at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz. The Brazilian fought back from ninth position and missed out fourth just by two tenth of a second. Barros was challenging for a podium in the second race, when he lost the front six laps before the end. Alex Barros: “We made some adjustments to the front for the second race, as I had some problems in fast corners. Beside that I got stuck a little bit behind Toseland and Muggeridge in race one, because it is really difficult to overtake here. In race two the bike felt a little bit better. I was catching to the guys ahead of me lap by lap. But then Bayliss threw some grass on the track with his knee, going through the last chicane. I almost saved the slide over the front, but then the wheel got grip again and I was thrown over the bars. It is a pity, as I didn’t make anything wrong.” Klaus Klaffenback, Team Manager: “In race one Alex showed a good performance. We had the best Honda bike out there. Second race was just bad luck. Alex was the fastest guy on the track once he had a clear track ahead of him.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Xerox: WEEKEND OF MIXED FORTUNES FOR BAYLISS (DUCATI XEROX) AT THE LAUSITZRING Lausitz (Germany): Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) had an up-and-down weekend in the tenth round of the World Superbike Championship at the Lausitzring. The championship leader, who could have clinched the title this weekend, crashed out on lap 5 of race 1 while leading and then recovered from 23rd to finish seventh as Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) took the win from Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha). “Like I said, you never know with racing!” declared Troy after the first race. “I got off to a good start and everything was going to plan. I built up a nice little lead and wanted to get it to 4/5 seconds. I just touched the ripple-strip and lost the front, it was just one of those little things that shouldn’t happen but did”. Race 2 saw a fascinating three-way battle between James Toseland (Honda), Haga and Bayliss, but the top 3 positions remained the same for the second half of the race and Bayliss had to settle for third. With 100 points up for the taking, Troy still has a comfortable 87-point margin over Haga and 93 over Toseland as the championship heads to Ducati’s home race at Imola for the penultimate round. “Hats off to James for his win, he rode a really good race, controlling things from the front. I was a bit more cautious but we also changed the front tyre and ran with the rear from the first race and I really struggled with some grip at the rear. In the end I thought it was better to finish a safe third than go for a win which I really wanted to do, but it was going to be very difficult. For me it’s been a bit of a mixed weekend but I’ve still got a healthy points margin, now we move on to Imola and take it as it comes”. After starting fifth on the grid, team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi could only manage an eighth and a sixth place in the two Lausitzring races. “An eighth and a sixth place were not exactly the results I wanted after my performance here last year”, commented Lorenzo. “However we made a bit of an improvement in race 2 after making a better choice of tyres. The problem is that after ten laps, when I was there with Barros and we were catching the leading group, I had a drop in performance at the front which forced me to drop the pace. I tried to defend my sixth position until the flag and that was it. Here last year was the turning-point in my championship, this year I still haven’t done what I hoped to do. There are two rounds and four races left at Imola and Magny-Cours, let’s see if we can end the championship on a high note”. More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: TOSELAND WINS SECOND LAUSITZ RACE IN DETERMINED STYLE James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) was made to rue his tyre choice in race one at Eurospeedway Lausitz, but he rode one of the best races of his career to score the win in race two. He dropped to third in the championship but the combined efforts of Toseland and second place championship challenger Noriyuki Haga mean that Troy Bayliss was not crowned champion at Lausitzring. Toseland’s team-mate Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) had the best raceday of the year, finishing sixth and fifth at a tight and twisty German circuit. Race one saw a three rider Honda battle in the early stages, with Toseland, Muggeridge and Barros ranged from fifth to seventh. Toseland was to run off track after Barros had passed both he and Muggeridge, with Barros finishing fifth and top Honda rider. Muggeridge went 6th and Toseland ninth. Both Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR) and his team-mate Michel Fabrizio (DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR) retired from the race. In race two Toseland’s aggression saw him take the lead on lap one, one he would keep for all 24 laps, yet he was to fight with Haga throughout, holding on for an 0.210 second margin of victory, with Bayliss third. Muggeridge had a lonely ride to fifth in the end, and Fabrizio had one of his best rides of the year, despite only finishing eight, as he had come through the field from 24th place on lap one. Barros fell on the 19th lap, failing to score but staying sixth overall. Chili once more retired and now sits 22nd overall. Toseland’s tyre choice in race one was soon forgotten with an impressive race win in the second, with Toseland feeling it was overdue. The championship points are now Bayliss 357, Haga 270 and Toseland 264. “I was frustrated after race one because I chose a particular tyre because of the temperature difference from Friday and Saturday and it was not the way to go,” said a regretful Toseland. “So we went back to what we knew – and I knew right away I would be in with a shout in the second. We have two rounds and four races to go and I’m third now, just in behind Nori. It’s been a great season racing with Nori all year and it’s about time I was up here on the top step after winning the first race of the year in Qatar, so I owe a big thank you to the team. I’m just happy to be back up here.” Muggeridge was happy with his weekend’s work, but is shooting for more at the next round. “This was my best race weekend of the year and my highest single finish so I have to be happy with that,” said Muggeridge. “In race one I wasn’t too satisfied with the set-up but I could ride consistently today. I’m now looking to the final two races of the year to score a podium finish and move up the table.” Barros lost some points to Pitt and Corser after his fall in race two, but was certain of its cause. “We made adjustments for race two, as I was having problems in some of the faster corners,” said Barros. “I also got stuck behind Toseland and Muggeridge for a bit, and it is difficult to overtake here. In race two the bike was a little bit better, I was catching the guys ahead lap by lap but then Bayliss put some grass onto the track with his knee at the final chicane section. I almost saved the front but the tyre gripped again and I was thrown over the bars. A pity, because I didn’t make a mistake.” Fabrizio had no choice but to retire in race one, but his run through the field was another high point in his rookie SBK season. “My lap times were very good in race two, so I am disappointed not to be further up,” said the young Roman. “I made a terrible start but a very good race after I got going.” Chili could not get his machine settings to suit him, especially after a heavy practice fall, after which he had to undergo a scan to check for undetected injury. Cleared to race his lost practice time left him without a useable set-up. “I didn’t find the settings to have a good race,” said Chili. “Every time I entered a long corner the bike wanted to run wide, and I made a mistake. I am happy for Michel because in race two I think we were the last two away and yet he came back strongly.” The SBK series now goes to Imola, for the penultimate round on October 1, with the final round at Magny-Cours one weekend later. More, from a press release issued by Pirelli: ROUND 10 LAUSITZ RACE REVIEW Lausitz (Germany) A cold weekend at times in Germany, but definitely a hot spectacle for all the SBK enthusiasts at home and on the trackside. Coming here with the clear intention of ending the Championship with two rounds to go, Troy Bayliss dominated practice, set the new track record (1’37.623) with race tyres, and took the Superpole win. A similar story in Supersport: Kevin Curtain came here as leader of the Championship, and underlined his position by being the fastest in all the sessions and improving the track record by an entire second (1’41.006 versus last year’s best from Charpentier, 1’42.017). Race 1 was the race of the day, with a world title waiting to be assigned. Troy Bayliss started the race in the best way: leading the group and racing towards a fantastic victory – until he made a mistake. Unusual for him maybe, but the races in this class are always unpredictable. Next lap he crossed the line 21st, a substantial way behind the new leader, Noriyuki Haga, who was fighting with the two Suzuki Alstare riders Troy Corser and Yukio Kagayama. James Toseland, in the meanwhile was following his team mate Karl Muggeridge, but ran off the track and re-joined 9th, behind a recovering Bayliss. Bayliss started pushing furiously, able to overtake the other riders with ease, until he sat in 8th position behind his team-mate. Then something went wrong again, and in overtaking Lorenzo Lanzi, Bayliss once more ran on, and rejoined again. The final results show Bayliss 7th (just ahead of Lanzi and Toseland), while on the podium Yukio Kagayama celebrated his victory, with Haga second and Corser third. In race one the race lap record was broken, as Troy Bayliss set a 1’38.635 on his fourth lap of the race, compared to the previous 1’39.679. Race2: After a dramatic Race 1 there was even more excitement in the paddock ahead of the second. Bayliss was so close to the title, and only Toseland and Haga could keep the championship alive for the next round at Imola. And they knew it”¦ as they started pushing from the very first lap. Toseland led, followed by Haga and then Bayliss. The spectators were breathless, as Haga was shadowing Toseland so closely it seemed impossible they would not touch and fall, but no one made any mistakes, just memories. After 24 laps, the race order ran out Toseland, Haga, Bayliss. Behind the three leaders Kagayama finished 4th after the win in race 1, while his team mate Troy Corser had to do a ride through penalty, and finished only 14th, looking for revenge. The racetime of this second race was almost the same as for Race 1, but much better for Toseland, who changed the rear tyre between races, from the hardest to the softest solution (from “D” to “A”) – because he learned in Race 1 that despite the warm dry track, the softest compound would go race distance. This warm temperature at the beginning created some problems for the riders, as no one had experience on this track – which offers a poor grip – in precisely these temperatures. Thus it was not an easy choice as to which rear tyre was the right one. Both the races today were won by riders with an “A” rear solution and the race was 22 seconds faster than the same 24-lap event in 2005. Championship Standings: Rider/Bike/Team/Points 1 Bayliss, Ducati 999 Fo6 Ducati Xerox 357 2 Haga, Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 270 3 Toseland, Honda CBR1000RR Winston Ten Kate Honda 264 4 Corser, Suzuki GSXR1000K6 Alstare Suzuki 211 5 Pitt, Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 210 6 Barros, Honda CBR1000RR Klaffi Honda 186 7 Kagayama, Suzuki GSXR1000K6 Alstare Suzuki 177 8 Walker, Kawasaki ZX10 R PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse 134 9 Lanzi, Ducati 999F 06 Ducati Xerox 133 10 Nieto, Kawasaki ZX10 R PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse 127

FIM Superbike World Championship Eurospeedway Lausitz, Germany September 10 Race One Results: 1. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suz GSX-R1000), 24 laps, 39:57.421 2. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1), -1.239 seconds 3. Troy CORSER (Suz GSX-R1000), -1.436 seconds 4. Andrew PITT (Yam YZF-R1), -8.725 seconds 5. Alex BARROS (Hon CBR1000RR), -8.975 seconds 6. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Hon CBR1000RR), -13.804 7. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F06), -23.569 seconds, crash 8. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F06), -23.846 seconds 9. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR), -27.217 seconds 10. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R), -28.712 seconds 11. Chris WALKER (Kaw ZX-10R), -29.543 seconds 12. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R), -29.869 seconds 13. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Suz GSX-R1000), -31.275 seconds 14. Steve MARTIN (Foggy Petronas FP1), -34.783 seconds 15. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F05), -37.010 seconds 16. Norick ABE (Yam YZF-R1), -46.339 seconds 17. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yam YZF-R1), -58.227 seconds 18. Craig JONES (Foggy Petronas FP1), -59.299 seconds 19. Kurtis ROBERTS (Duc 999RS), -72.867 seconds 20. Josh BROOKES (Kaw ZX-10R), -76.778 seconds 21. Didier VAN KEYMEULEN (Yam YZF-R1), -80.656 seconds 22. Roberto ROLFO (Duc 999F05), -1 lap, DNF, mechanical 23. Jiri DRAZDAK (Yam YZF-R1), -5 laps, DNF, mechanical 24. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR), -9 laps, DNF, mechanical 25. Stefan NEBEL (Kaw ZX-10R), -11 laps, DNF, mechanical 26. Marco BORCIANI (Duc 999F05), -15 laps, DNF, mechanical 27. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Suz GSX-R1000), -17 laps, DNF, mechanical 28. Pierfrancesco CHILI (Hon CBR1000RR), -18 laps, DNF, mechanical 29. Ivan CLEMENTI (Duc 999RS), -24 laps, DNF, crash