FIM MotoGP World Championship Sepang, Malaysia September 8, 2006 Friday’s Best Combined Practice Times: 1. Loris Capirossi (Duc GP06), 2:01.711, Bridgestone 2. Dani Pedrosa (Hon RC211V), 2:02.021, Michelin 3. Kenny Roberts (KR211V), 2:02.563, Michelin 4. John Hopkins (Suz GSV-R), 2:02.719, Bridgestone 5. Casey Stoner (Hon RC211V), 2:02.847, Michelin 6. Makoto Tamada (Hon RC211V), 2:02.918, Michelin 7. Valentino Rossi (Yam YZR-M1), 2:02.970, Michelin 8. Sete Gibernau (Duc GP06), 2:02.981, Bridgestone 9. Marco Melandri (Hon RC211V), 2:03.049, Michelin 10. Shinya Nakano (Kaw ZX-RR), 2:03.100, Bridgestone 11. Nicky Hayden (Hon RC211V), 2:03.174, Michelin 12. Colin Edwards (Yam YZR-M1), 2:03.355, Michelin 13. Randy de Puniet (Kaw ZX-RR), 2:03.418, Bridgestone 14. Chris Vermeulen (Suz GSV-R), 2:03.432, Bridgestone 15. Carlos Checa (Yam YZR-M1), 2:03.706, Dunlop 16. Toni Elias (Hon RC211V), 2:03.908, Michelin 17. Alex Hofmann (Duc GP05), 2:04.706, Dunlop 18. James Ellison (Yam YZR-M1), 2:05.403, Dunlop 19. Jose Luis Cardoso (Duc GP05), 2:05.958, Dunlop FIM 250cc GP World Championship Sepang, Malaysia September 8, 2006 Provisional Qualifying Results: Provisional Qualifying Results: 1. Hector Barbera (Aprilia), 2:08.266 2. Jorge Lorenzo (Aprilia), 2:08.404) 3. Hiroshi Aoyama (KTM), 2:08.556 4. Roberto Locatelli (Aprilia), 2:08.902 5. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda), 2:08.945 6. Alex de Angelis (Aprilia), 2:09.104 7. Shuhei Aoyama (Honda), 2:09.414 8. Martin Cardenas (Honda), 2:09.415 9. Yuki Takahashi (Honda), 2:09.583 10. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia), 2:09.769 FIM 125cc GP World Championship Sepang, Malaysia September 8, 2006 Provisional Qualifying Results: 1. Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia), 2:12.846 2. Mika Kallio (KTM), 2:13.974 3. Mattia Pasini (Aprilia), 2:14.121 4. Joan Olive (Aprilia), 2:14.681 5. Hector Faubel (Aprilia), 2:14.711 6. Nicolas Terol (Derbi), 2:14.964 7. Lukas Pesek (Derbi), 1:15.043 8. Fabrizio Lai (Honda), 2:15.078 9. Tomoyoshi Koyama (Malaguti), 2:15.394 10. Sandro Cortese (Honda), 2:15.402 More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: CAPIROSSI CONTINUES TO SHINE AS PEDROSA SUFFERS INJURY BLOW The humid Sepang Circuit opened for business today for the MotoGP World Championship, as they started the first practice sessions of a decisive three-race run. Loris Capirossi knocked more than one second off his morning time (the fastest of the first free practice session) to continue one step ahead of the pack in Malaysia. Ducati Marlboro’s Italian star carried on from his victorious Brno masterclass on day one with a 2’01.711 lap, ahead of Dani Pedrosa in second. However the young Spaniard’s participation in this weekend’s Marlboro Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix, and perhaps even in the following race in Australia, has been cast into serious doubt after he suffered a crash in the second free practice session at the Sepang Circuit. Repsol Honda’s Spanish rookie, who lies second in the championship, opened up a gash in his right knee after flying off his RC211V at the midway point in the session, and the awkward location of the injury means that the rider’s movement in his leg is severely limited. A small fracture in his left big toe adds to Pedrosa’s woes. He will be examined tomorrow morning by the Clinica Mobile team and his chances of competing in the 13th race of the 2006 season will be assessed. Third place went to Kenny Roberts Jr, ahead of countryman John Hopkins and last year’s 250cc race winner Casey Stoner. Makoto Tamada rounded off the top six ahead of Valentino Rossi, who lies around a second off Capirossi’s flying lap. The returning Sete Gibernau was eighth, with Marco Melandri and Shinya Nakano completing the fastest ten. Championship leader Nicky Hayden languished in eleventh place as he desperately aims to come back from disappointment in the Czech Republic. 250cc Hector Barbera topped off an excellent first day performance at the Sepang Circuit with a provisional pole, after a 2’08.266 lap put him at the head of the 250cc table. The Spaniard was joined at the top of the leaderboard once again by Jorge Lorenzo, his Fortuna Aprilia team-mate who had joined him in the top two this morning. The current championship leader, one and a half tenths behind Barbera, came in ahead of Hiroshi Aoyama, Roberto Locatelli, title rival Andrea Dovizioso and Alex de Angelis. Shuhei Aoyama, seventh, was more than a second slower than Barbera’s provisional pole lap, with Martin Cardenas, Yuki Takahashi and Sylvain Guintoli completing the top ten. 125cc Alvaro Bautista followed up on his fast early times to take provisional pole for the 125cc Marlboro Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix, clocking a 2’12.846 lap – more than a second faster than second placed Mika Kallio. Behind the two riders to break the 2’14 barrier, Mattia Pasini, Joan Olive, Hector Faubel and Nico Terol completed the top six. Lukas Pesek suffered a crash, but still finished seventh, ahead of Fabrizio Lai, Tomoyoshi Koyama and Sandro Cortese. The riders will be back on track tomorrow for the all-important qualifying sessions for the Marlboro Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing: REVISED ENGINE INSPIRES CONFIDENCE IN KAWASAKI’S NAKANO Kawasaki’s Shinya Nakano ended today’s free practice tenth fastest overall, but the 28-year-old Japanese rider is confident that the latest engine revision on his Ninja ZX-RR MotoGP machine will lead to a significant improvement in his lap times ahead of tomorrow’s all-important qualifying session. Nakano started this morning’s hour-long free practice aboard a Ninja ZX-RR fitted with the older specification engine, but quickly switched to the latest version of Kawasaki’s MotoGP bike, on which he was immediately able to match his previous best lap time. Nakano’s initial comments were that the latest specification 990cc motor, which also features a revised exhaust system, offered a significant improvement in top speed along Sepang’s trademark twin straights, but that throttle response – especially out of slower turns – still required some refinement. The Japanese rider, together with his crew and engineers from Kawasaki in Japan, continued to make improvements to the ignition mapping and set-up of the engine throughout this afternoon’s free practice, but the increasingly hot conditions conspired against Nakano, as he tried to improve his lap time towards the end of the hour-long session. Nakano remains confident that the latest specification Ninja ZX-RR engine will prove an advantage at the Sepang circuit, once he and Kawasaki’s technical staff have had more chance to refine the set-up during tomorrow’s two hours of track time. Kawasaki’s MotoGP rookie, Randy de Puniet, finished 13th fastest overall, after struggling through both of today’s free practice sessions with front brake problems on his Ninja ZX-RR. With an inconsistent feeling from the front brake, the 25-year-old Frenchman was unable to string together the consistent laps required to collect the data necessary to improve the overall set-up of his Ninja ZX-RR. Although disappointed to have effectively lost a whole day of track time, de Puniet is confident that his crew can come up with a solution to the brake problems overnight, to give him at least two track sessions tomorrow during which to refine his set-up and identify a suitable race tyre for Sunday’s 21-lap Malaysian Grand Prix. Shinya Nakano: 10th – 2’03.100 “Our revised engine is working well here, and there is a definite improvement in top speed on Sepang’s two long straights. However, we’ve only been running this engine for two hours today, so there is still some set-up work to be done tomorrow. At the moment we’re about 70% there with the set-up – it’s still a little bit too aggressive out of the turns – but I’m confident that, with more track time tomorrow, we can improve things in this area. We also worked today on refining the chassis balance, which is important at this circuit, as well as trying a selection of tyres from Bridgestone. Conditions this afternoon were very difficult physically, because the temperature has increased considerably during the course of the day, but I was still a little disappointed not to improve my lap time towards the end of the session. Having said that, I’m happy overall with what we’ve achieved today, and I’m confident that we will make further improvements tomorrow.” Randy de Puniet: 13th – 2’03.418 “Today was not the start to the weekend I was hoping for. It’s strange, because the bike felt good during the early part of this morning’s free practice session, but then as the pace increased we started to suffer with front brake problems. The braking force is just not consistent from lap to lap and corner to corner, which doesn’t inspire confidence at a fast track like Sepang, and also makes it difficult to work on the set-up of the bike, because it’s impossible to lap consistently. We’ve made changes to try and eliminate the problem, but without success so far. We need to sit down tonight and go through the data from today, to see if we can come up with a solution. But, while I’m confident my crew can fix the problem, it doesn’t change the fact that we’ve effectively lost one whole day of track time, and I think this will be difficult to make up tomorrow.” Naoya Kaneko: Technical Manager “For Shinya it was a very positive start to the day, as his lap times on the revised engine were similar to those on the older specification motor. With any major revision to the engine there is extensive set-up work to be done, so I’m confident that we’ll be able to make further improvements with more track time tomorrow, which should allow Shinya to close the gap to the top of the timesheet ahead of qualifying. With Randy we need to identify the problem that’s causing his lack of feeling on the brakes. We made many changes to the brake set-up on both his bikes today, but the problem has persisted and we now need to look a little more deeply into the causes using the data collected from his bikes today. Until we’ve fixed this problem, it will be difficult for Randy to progress with setting up his bike for this track.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Marlboro: DUCATI MARLBORO MAN CAPIROSSI SETS BLAZING PACE Ducati Marlboro Team rider Loris Capirossi has started the Marlboro Malaysian Grand Prix the way he means to carry on, setting a blazing pace to lead both of today’s practice sessions, run in typically steamy hot conditions. Following his dominant victory in last month’s Czech GP, Capirossi is aiming to take another bite out the points leaders this weekend to put himself right back in the hunt for the 2006 MotoGP crown. Meanwhile team-mate Sete Gibernau is making an impressive comeback following further surgery to the collarbone he broke in June’s Catalan GP. The Spaniard first returned to action at July’s German GP but the plate screwed to his broken left collarbone later cracked, forcing him to undergo another operation which meant he had to miss the Czech GP. He last rode a bike at the US GP on July 23. LORIS CAPIROSSI, ‘provisional pole’, 2m 01.711s “We started with one bike using a set-up based on what we used at Brno, the other with a set-up similar to what we ran here during winter tests. I preferred some characters of each, so we are working to create the best combination. Halfway through the afternoon session we did encounter some problems but my guys are working really well, so we quickly found the right way again. We are working well together and getting the results we deserve but we have to stay united and focused because our target is to stay in front of the others. Today I went faster than I managed on qualifiers last year though partly because it’s cooler now. I don’t think it will be possible to go much faster than today but we will keep working to allow me to be more natural on the bike. Even though Friday results aren’t so important I want to dedicate today to my manager Carlo Pernat who isn’t here because of a family bereavement. He will be here tomorrow which is great news because I miss having him with me.” SETE GIBERNAU, 8th fastest, 2m 02.981s “I’m quite happy with how things are going, though I’m not fully physically fit yet. On the bike I get tired quite quickly because I’ve not been riding for a long time but mentally I’m okay. I should probably never have raced at Laguna but I was there and I wanted to do my best. That weekend the plate over my collarbone was broken so it was pinching every nerve and every muscle, so I couldn’t use the arm. The arm is still weak now, though only because I’ve not been able to follow my usual training programme. The bone is much better. It’s going to take time, so for me to be close to the top guys on the first day here gives a lot of credit to Ducati and to Bridgestone who are doing a great job. The guys in the team are helping me out a lot once again, so I want to thank Ducati for all the support they’ve given me before I came here and now that I am here. My congratulations also to Loris who is already really fast.” Afternoon session temperatures: Ambient: 32 degrees. Track: 45 degrees More, from a press release issued by Camel Yamaha: ROSSI AND EDWARDS BEGIN SET-UP CHALLENGE IN SEPANG HEAT Camel Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards completed a hard day’s work with their Yamaha YZR-M1 machines today, as preparations got underway for the Malaysian Grand Prix with two free practice sessions. Both riders were eager to test the performance of their bikes at this circuit after a positive recent test in the Czech Republic, however it quickly emerged that the setting the team found at Brno was not as well suited to this layout or track temperatures in excess of 45ºC, which put the tyres under extreme stress. After making dramatic changes to the bike for the afternoon session, reigning World Champion Rossi was able to knock almost a full second off his time within the first six laps, giving him renewed confidence after a disappointing morning when he could only manage the eleventh fastest time. Edwards suffered similar problems but was unable to solve them in time for an assault on the top positions today. The American is hoping to find a quick solution in tomorrow morning’s final free practice before qualifying takes place in the afternoon. Last year’s winner Loris Capirossi (Ducati) set the pace today, dipping under pole record time with a lap of 2’01.711. There was bad news, however, for fellow title candidate Dani Pedrosa (Honda), who suffered a knee injury in a high-speed crash this afternoon. VALENTINO ROSSI (7th 2’02.970; 41 laps) “It’s been a difficult first day more so in the morning than the afternoon, which means we are working in the right way. I was confident after the Brno test, especially about the tyres and the way they are working now with our M1. Unfortunately in the conditions we have found here that setting doesn’t work so well and we had a few problems with tyre life. So in the afternoon basically we adapted the setting using the data we gathered in the January tests, when I was very fast, and things improved a lot. Tomorrow we’ll move even closer to that setting and I’m very confident we can make a big improvement again. Loris was very fast today and it looks like it will be a tough challenge to beat him, but we have good base data for this circuit and I’m sure we can get back to the pace I know I am capable of here.” COLIN EDWARDS (12th 2’03.355; 41 laps) “That was a really hard day and not what we were hoping for at all. I’m pretty disappointed after the good test we had at Brno because I expected to be in good shape from the start here. I couldn’t find the right set-up today and there was no way for me to ride the bike properly. We’re going to have to work in a completely different direction tomorrow and try to sort the situation out before qualifying. Valentino seems to have improved by going back towards the settings from January, despite the fact that the bike we have now is very different from the one we had then, so maybe this is the way to work. We will have a think about things tonight and start again tomorrow!” DAVIDE BRIVIO CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “Today everyone has had to work very hard! Both riders have been testing different things and now we have to put it all altogether to find the right package and make sure we are competitive both in tomorrow afternoon’s qualifying session and Sunday’s race. Valentino is very close to the top and I think with a little bit more work he can be in good shape tomorrow. Colin is struggling a little at the moment but hopefully he too can improve in the morning. Tomorrow the weather might change things but we hope that it stays dry so that we can continue to make progress.” More, from a press release issued by Pramac D’Antin: HOFMANN AND CARDOSO WORK FOR THE RACE IN MALAYSIA The PRAMAC D’ANTIN MOTOGP team begins the final push of the 2006 MotoGP World Championship season with fierce determination during the first two practice sessions at the Sepang circuit. The ever-optimistic ALEX HOFMANN worked very hard in conjunction with his crew to find the best setting for his DUCATI DESMOSEDICI GP06 “Sat” with DUNLOP tyres, posting the 17th fastest time of the day with a 2’04.706. JOSE LUIS CARDOSO wants to end the season with good results, ending the second session in 19th place with a time of 2’05.958, and having focused on finding the optimum bike set-up which will allow him to race to his full potential in Sunday’s Grand Prix. Tomorrow, there is a third free practice session which precedes the official qualifying session at 14:00, and every minute will count as both riders continue to strive for the best results possible. ALEX HOFMANN #66 (17° – 2’04.706): “I am very happy to be back home with my team after a nice experience with the DUCATI factory team in Brno. I wanted to start working again with my technicians, and today we tested several tires looking for consistency during the race. We used almost every possibility at our disposal to discover more grip from the rear. The whole team worked hard, but we have to take more steps forward to find the consistent traction we will need during the race – which will be quite difficult because of the warmth and humidity. Tomorrow, we are testing other tires and pushing to lower our times for a good performance on raceday”. JOSE LUIS CARDOSO #30 (19° – 2’05.958): “We improved a lot with respect to this morning’s session, thanks to the job of our technicians on the bike’s set-up. I’m having some problems with the grip of the rear that’s forcing me to ride more conservatively. While the bike is sliding I’m losing time. The soft tyre seems to be the better choice, while the hard one has less grip. Tomorrow we will work very carefully on tire selection, and I hope to find the best one for the race. We will also do a long practice run to verify our final choice”. EMANUELE MARTINELLI Track Engineer of Alex Hofmann: ” During the today’s free practices we tried to find the best race tires for Alex. We tried to improve the rear grip using almost all of the suspension combinations available to us, but we were unable solve the problem. The aim for tomorrow is to continue working on the race set-up”. More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: BRIDGESTONE MAKES STRONG START AS CAPIROSSI TAKES CHARGE Malaysian Grand Prix – Free Practice Bridgestone-shod Ducati rider Loris Capirossi picked up from where he left off in Brno by setting the pace on the opening day of this weekend’s Malaysian GP in Sepang. The Italian took charge in style by breaking his pole position record from 2005 on race tyres to finish three-tenths-of-a-second clear of his nearest challenger, Dani Pedrosa. Capirossi’s best lap of 2m01.711s was 0.02s faster than his pole time from last season and one second faster than his pace-setting morning time. All three of Bridgestone’s teams, Ducati, Suzuki and Kawasaki, enjoyed strong presence within the top half of the field in today’s free practice sessions. Suzuki’s John Hopkins was within a second of Capirossi’s best lap to claim the fourth quickest time (2m02.710s), while Capirossi’s team-mate Sete Gibernau returned to form from his recent injury woes to clock the eighth quickest time of the day (2m02.981s). Shinya Nakano rounded off the top ten (2m03.100s) with an encouraging performance for Kawasaki. His team-mate Randy de Puniet and Suzuki’s Chris Vermeulen finished the day just 0.014s apart in 13th (2m03.418s) and 14th (2m03.432s) respectively. Shinji Aoki Bridgestone Motorsport – Assistant Manager Motorcycle Race Tire Development “That was a pretty trouble-free and encouraging day for Bridgestone. The fact that Loris was able to better his pole position time from last season in race trim is impressive. We evaluated a selection of different tyre specifications today in order to gauge the correct direction for the rest of the weekend. The track conditions have a big influence on tyre performance at Sepang and the slightest fluctuation in temperature has a dramatic effect on the overall lap time. As always at Sepang, the circuit was somewhat dirty and not as hot during the morning session, but as rubber went down and the track rose to 45°C in the afternoon session, the lap times dropped significantly. While we are satisfied with the results of each of our three teams, today was about obtaining an initial feeling from the tyres and a clearer picture will only be revealed tomorrow when we begin the endurance and longevity tests over race distance. That said, to see Ducati, Suzuki and Kawasaki consistently in the top ten throughout the day certainly bodes well for Bridgestone’s Malaysian Grand Prix.” Bridgestone Combined Free Practice Session Resuls Pos. Rider Motorcycle Best Lap Time Gap P1 Loris Capirossi Ducati 2m01.711s Quickest P4 John Hopkins Suzuki 2m02.710s +0.999s P8 Sete Gibernau Ducati 2m02.981s +1.270s P10 Shinya Nakano Kawasaki 2m03.100s +1.389s P13 Randy de Puniet Kawasaki 2m03.418s +1.707s P14 Chris Vermeulen Suzuki 2m03.432s +1.721s Weather: Air 32°C, Track 45°C, Humidity 30% (afternoon session) More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Top four pace for Hopkins in Malaysia Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racer John Hopkins recorded the fourth fastest time during today’s free practice sessions at the Sepang International Circuit, in preparation for Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix. Hopkins (P4, 41 laps) had shown good pace during this morning’s session, finishing fifth quickest. The Anglo-American star stepped up a gear in the afternoon to clock a time of 2’02.710. His fastest lap was also well inside the current lap record and bodes well for the rest of the weekend. Chris Vermeulen (P14, 2’03.432, 36 laps) is suffering with a head cold that was aggravated by the high humidity at Sepang and forced him to end the afternoon session early. The rookie Australian worked hard with his crew on set-up as he battled against the illness. By the end of the second session he had bettered his morning time by well over a second and is confident of making a recovery for tomorrow. Today’s sessions were held in dry and warm conditions with track temperatures reaching 45°C. Loris Capirossi on his Bridgestone shod Ducati set the quickest time. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP has one more practice session tomorrow morning followed by the important afternoon qualifying session. Sunday’s 21-lap race gets underway at 15.00hrs local time (07.00hrs GMT). John Hopkins: “Basically this morning went pretty well. It was good to get back out there and lay some rubber down. I like this track quite a lot and it was good to get some laps in. We have some new parts from Suzuki and they seemed to work well and we were also able to get well on with the tyre test ready for Sunday. This afternoon was completely different though. I had a malfunction with my drink bottle that is fitted inside my race suit and ended up with a sticky energy drink all over me. It cost us a bit of time as I tried to fix it myself out on track and I lost a few laps but you have to try out these things! That left me a bit unhappy – we never really got into a rhythm and didn’t get a lot of work done. It was almost like having a rain session! But we still ended up fourth so it shows we are on the pace and should do pretty good here. Tomorrow we will try to continue where we left off this morning and keep working hard and find the best tyre for the race.” Chris Vermeulen: “Today was quite hard work as I have been suffering with a cold and it really sapped my energy. I have visited the clinic and had some treatment and hopefully I can shake it off overnight. We were only 0.9 of a second off the top three and that lap was not a difficult one to do, so I know we are capable of a better time and we will be pushing as hard as we can tomorrow to achieve better.” Paul Denning Team Manager: “It’s been a difficult but promising first day for the team. Bridgestone looks to be repeating the promise shown here 12 months ago and in particular our front tyre durability is much improved from then, and from the winter tests. Chris struggled to find his rhythm and a good setting for the first session and a half, but as he got himself dialed into the circuit and Tom got the bike set-up working well, his times became a lot more competitive later on. Unfortunately he has a head cold which is affecting his performance and his main focus is now to get that cleared up for tomorrow. “John’s been quick all day but he is still not happy with his bike so that is encouraging for him improving further tomorrow. He still needs to clear up a few settings issues that are restricting him and I believe he can go a lot better over the weekend. The fastest two guys out there seem to have a lot of pace – let’s hope we can close the gap tomorrow!” More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Honda: FINAL STRETCH UNDERWAY IN MALAYSIA The sound of MotoGP four-stroke machines bellowed around the Sepang circuit today after a three-week break as the first day of practice for the Malaysian Grand Prix got underway in searing heat. FORTUNA HONDA riders Marco Melandri and Toni Elías endured something of a difficult day and were forced to settle for eleventh and sixteenth place respectively. Marco Melandri, who enjoyed a positive first session in the morning, when he lapped fourth fastest, suffered a crash in the afternoon which he blamed on the fatigue caused by the demanding climatic conditions. His team-mate Toni Elías spent the day working through a series of set-up difficulties that prevented him from setting a better lap time. MARCO MELANDRI (11th , 2’03″248): “In the morning we did a good job but in the afternoon when we tried something new we didn’t get the result we were hoping for. Despite that I am still confident I can have a good race on Sunday. We’re not far off the top times and we have room for improvement. Ten minutes from the end of the session I got the wrong gear and crashed but luckily I wasn’t hurt.” TONI ELIAS (16th, 2’03″908): “It’s been a tough start, especially because of the difficult conditions we had to ride in today. We still have a day left and we need to use it to improve on my speed through the corners. I’m confident and I think we can look forward to a good race.”

MotoGP Practice #1 Sepang Circuit, Malaysia Friday, September 8 1. Loris Capirossi (Duc GP06), 2:02.769, Bridgestone 2. Casey Stoner (Hon RC211V), 2:02.847, Michelin 3. Dani Pedrosa (Hon RC211V), 2:02.908, Michelin 4. Marco Melandri (Hon RC211V), 2:03.049, Michelin 5. John Hopkins (Suz GSV-R), 2:03.063, Bridgestone 6. Nicky Hayden (Hon RC211V), 2:03.174, Michelin 7. Shinya Nakano (Kaw ZX-RR), 2:03.311, Bridgestone 8. Sete Gibernau (Duc GP06), 2:03.444, Bridgestone 9. Kenny Roberts (KR211V), 2:03.507, Michelin 10. Makoto Tamada (Hon RC211V), 2:03.555, Michelin 11. Valentino Rossi (Yam YZR-M1), 2:03.837, Michelin 12. Randy de Puniet (Kaw ZX-RR), 2:03.927, Bridgestone 13. Colin Edwards (Yam YZR-M1), 2:04.251, Michelin 14. Toni Elias (Hon RC211V), 2:04.280, Michelin 15. Chris Vermeulen (Suz GSV-R), 2:04.774, Bridgestone 16. Carlos Checa (Yam YZR-M1), 2:05.275, Dunlop 17. Alex Hofmann (Duc GP05), 2:05.663. Dunlop 18. James Ellison (Yam YZR-M1), 2:07.198, Dunlop 19. Jose Luis Cardoso (Duc GP05), 2:07.277, Dunlop 250cc Grand Prix Practice #1 Sepang Circuit, Malaysia Friday, September 8 1. Hector Barbera (Aprilia), 2:09.018 2. Jorge Lorenzo (Aprilia), 2:09.089 3. Hiroshi Aoyama (KTM), 2:09.240 4. Roberto Locatelli (Aprilia), 2:09.344 5. Alex de Angelis (Aprilia), 2:09.444 6. Andrea Dovizioso (Hon RS250), 2:09.956 7. Yuki Takahashi (Hon RS250), 2:10.425 8. Manuel Poggiali (KTM), 2:10.796 9. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia), 2:11.097 10. Aleix Espargaro (Hon RS250), 2:11.145 125cc Grand Prix Practice #1 Sepang Circuit, Malaysia Friday, September 8 1. Mika Kallio (KTM), 2:13.695 2. Alvaro Baitista (Aprilia), 2:13.995 3. Gabor Talmacsi (Hon RS125), 2:14.626 4. Fabrizio Lai (Hon RS125), 2:15.275 5. Nicolas Terol (Derbi), 2:15.298 6. Mattia Pasini (Aprilia), 2:15.403 7. Hector Faubel (Aprilia), 2:15.595 8. Joan Olive (Aprilia), 2:15.605 9. Julian Simon (KTM), 2:15.636 10. Sergio Gadea (Aprilia), 2:15.672

Thursday, Sept. 28 3:00pm – 7:00pm Registration: For Riders, Crew, Sponsors & Guests 3:00pm – 7:30pm Tech Inspection 6:30pm Post-Entry Closed for all Classes Friday, Sept. 29 7:30am – 4:00pm Registration: For Crew, Sponsors & Guests 8:00am – 5:00pm Tech Inspection 7:45am Mandatory Rider Briefing 8:30am – 9:30am Pro Honda Oils Supersport presented by Shoei Helmets Practice 9:40am – 10:40am AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Practice 10:50am – 11:50am Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Practice Noon – 1:00pm Repsol Lubricants Superstock Practice 1:00pm – 2:00pm Lunch Break 2:00pm – 2:40pm Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Qualifying Group 1 2:50pm – 3:30pm Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Qualifying Group 2 3:40pm – 4:20pm AMA Sports Practice Saturday, Sept. 30 7:30am – 3:00pm Registration: For Crew, Sponsors & Guests 8:00am – 5:00pm Tech Inspection 8:30am – 9:00am Repsol Lubricants Superstock Practice 9:10am – 9:40am Pro Honda Oils Supersport presented by Shoei Helmets Practice 9:50am – 10:20am AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Practice 10:30am – 11:00am AMA Sports Practice 11:10am – 11:40am Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Practice 11:40am – 12:40pm Lunch Break – Autograph Session 12:40pm – 1:10pm Repsol Lubricants Superstock Qualifying Group 1 1:20pm – 1:50pm Repsol Lubricants Superstock Qualifying Group 2 2:00pm – 2:30pm Pro Honda Oils Supersport presented by Shoei Helmets Qualifying Group 1 2:40pm – 3:10pm Pro Honda Oils Supersport presented by Shoei Helmets Qualifying Group 2 3:25pm AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Heat Race 1 (5 laps) 3:50pm AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Heat Race 2 (5 laps) 4:15pm AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Heat Race 3 (5 laps) 4:40pm Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Race (60k – 16 laps) 5:20pm AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited LCQ Heat Race (5 laps) Sunday, Oct. 1 8:00am – Noon Registration: Crew, Sponsors & Guests 8:30am Tech Inspection Open 8:30am – 8:50am AMA Sports Practice 9:00am – 9:20am Repsol Lubricants Superstock Practice 9:30am – 9:50am Pro Honda Oils Supersport presented by Shoei Helmets Practice 10:00am – 10:20am AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Practice 11:00am Repsol Lubricants Superstock Race (60k – 16 laps) 11:50am AMA Sports Race – 600 Superstock (10 laps) 12:30pm – 1:30pm Lunch Break 1:45pm Pro Honda Oils Supersport presented by Shoei Helmets Race (60k – 16 laps) 3:00pm AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Race (100k – 26 laps) 4:15pm AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited Consolation Race (60k – 16 laps)

SuperSport Twins Class Presented by Buell as well as Contingency for all Classes EAST TROY, Wis. Buell Motorcycle Company recently announced support for the new MOTO-ST endurance racing series, which will begin with the 8-Hours at Daytona on October 21, 2006. Buell will be the presenting sponsor of the MOTO-ST SuperSport Twins (SST) class and will offer $10,000 of contingency support to privateer Buell racers aboard XB and XBRR model motorcycles at the inaugural Daytona event. The Buell contingency bolsters the $100,000 total event purse recently announced by MOTO-ST. “We’re really excited about the MOTO-ST endurance series and we’re proud to support the privateer Buell racers who will step up to the challenge,” said Erik Buell, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer of Buell Motorcycle Company. “Endurance racing is a true test of man and machine and the sights and sounds of all those V-Twins thundering around the high banks of Daytona for eight hours is going to be awesome.” Buell will award Buell racers in the SuperSport Twins class with $2,000 to win; $1,000 for second; $750 for third; $500 for fourth; and $350 for fifth. Buell racers in the GrandSport Twins and Sport Twins class will receive $1,000 to win; $750 for second; $500 for third; $300 for fourth and $200 for fifth. Complete details of the $700,000-plus 2006 Buell contingency program, including the racer registration form, are available at www.buell.com in the Racing Support Section. MOTO-ST is organized by Professional Motorsports Productions of Toronto, Ontario, Canada and is sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) of Pickerington, Ohio. The Grand American Road Racing Association, based in Daytona Beach, Fla., provides the series with administrative and commercial support. The MOTO-ST advisory board features some of the most respected individuals in the world of motorsports, including AMA Hall of Fame members, respected motorcycle racing journalists and renowned officials from various forms of road racing. Learn more about MOTO-ST at www.moto-st.com. Buell Motorcycle Company, a subsidiary of Harley-Davidson, Inc., produces sport motorcycles, motorcycle parts, accessories and apparel. To learn more about Buell motorcycles, visit your local Buell dealer today and experience the pure streetfighter attitude, style and performance only found on board a Buell. Pull into www.buell.com for the Buell dealer nearest you.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio Jamie Hacking’s amazing 2006 season got even better on Sunday at Road Atlanta when he clinched the 2006 Repsol Lubricants Superstock Series championship with his sixth victory of the year. The title gave Hacking, the 35-year-old veteran racer who lives in Denver, N. C., the honor of being only the second rider in history to win both the Repsol Superstock and Pro Honda Oils Supersport presented by Shoei titles in a single season. Hacking’s run at earning the Superstock Series title got off to a great start when he was victorious in the opening round at Daytona International Speedway in March. He went on to take wins at Infineon Raceway, Miller Motorsports Park, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Road Atlanta riding his Graves Motorsports Yamaha R1. He clinched the title with a round still remaining on schedule. He will ride in the series finale at Mid-Ohio on Oct. 1 as the newly crowned champ. It was appropriate for the rider nicknamed the “Bulldog” to win his title in Georgia, home of the Georgia Bulldogs. “I’m speechless,” said a jubilant Hacking after winning at Road Atlanta. “I just can’t thank my team and Yamaha enough for giving me such a great bike. It was so good that it really made my job almost too easy. I think I really matured as a rider. I came back from injury and learned that when I couldn’t win I took the best finish I could get. Plus I settled into races and came to the front a lot of times as things progressed. Maybe in the past I would push too hard to try to win every time or try to get to the front too early and that cost me. “One part of me wishes I would have learned what I know now earlier in my career, but I really can’t complain. To have a season like this is a once in a lifetime deal and to be only the second rider ever to win both championships is really an honor that I’ll never forget.” The 2006 Superstock title is the third AMA Championship for Hacking, who has raced in AMA pro events since 1997. He won the Supersport title in 2003 and clinched it for a second time at Virginia International Raceway round last month. Winning both championships is a rare feat and it gives Hacking claim to perhaps one of the best seasons ever among support class riders. Doug Polen also won both of what was then called the 600 and 750 Supersport titles in 1988. At Mid-Ohio Hacking could also match Miguel Duhamel’s AMA Supersport single-season win streak record of eight straight. Hacking said all of these records and potential records makes him exceedingly proud. “To be considered among riders like Doug Polen and Miguel Duhamel”¦ well it’s just almost too much to take in,” he said with emotion in his voice. “Those guys are the elite in AMA racing and to be considered up there with them is really special to me.” Hacking jumped from ninth to sixth on the all-time AMA Superstock wins list, moving past Britt Turkington, Doug Polen and Fred Merkel. A victory in the Mid-Ohio finale could tie him with Aaron Yates and Tommy Hayden for fourth on the all-time wins list. The championship was the third for Yamaha in the class. The maker previously won with Tom Kipp in 1995 and Aaron Gobert in 2004.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has announced that “A World of Adventure” — an AMA-licensed video documenting the 2006 AMA/FIM International Women & Motorcycling Conference presented by Harley-Davidson & Buell — has been released by Solitude Ranch Communications of Emigrant, Montana. The 2006 AMA/FIM International Women & Motorcycling Conference presented by Harley-Davidson & Buell, which was held June 30 through July 3 in Athens, Georgia, drew 915 attendees from the U.S. and seven other countries. The 23-minute DVD is divided into five segments encompassing the major aspects of the conference: Overview, People, Demo Rides, Riding Skills and Vendors. “The AMA is thrilled with the success of this year’s women and motorcycling conference, and we’re equally pleased with ‘A World of Adventure,'” said Patricia DiPietro, AMA Chief Executive Officer. “This DVD is a great memento for those who attended the conference, as well as a fitting tribute to women’s important role in the American motorcycling community.” “We had so much footage to go through from the conference, it took six weeks to put the finishing touches on the production,” says Genevieve Schmitt, president of Solitude Ranch Communications and Women Riders Now. “I believe the result was worth the wait, and I’m confident that viewers will agree.” Credit-card orders for “A World of Adventure,” which is priced at $15 plus $5 shipping and handling, can be placed online at WomenRidersNow.com or by calling (406) 333-4491. Mail orders, accompanied by a check payable to Solitude Ranch Communications, can be sent to P.O. Box 435, Emigrant, MT 59027.

September 9 September 14, 2006 (All times Eastern) AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, Steel City Raceway, Delmont, Pennsylvania AMA Motocross Championship, Saturday, Sept. 9, 4 p.m. (OLN) AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, Steel City Raceway, Delmont, Pennsylvania AMA Motocross Championship, Sunday, Sept. 10, 4 a.m. (OLN) AMA Supermoto Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado, Sunday, Sept. 10, 4 p.m. (OLN) AMA Supermoto Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado, Monday, Sept. 11, 4:30 p.m. (OLN) AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, Steel City Raceway, Delmont, Pennsylvania AMA Motocross Lites Championship, Monday, Sept. 11, 5:30 p.m. (OLN) AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, Steel City Raceway, Delmont, Pennsylvania AMA Motocross Lites Championship, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 5:00 a.m. (OLN) AMA Supermoto Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 6 p.m. (OLN) AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, Steel City Raceway, Delmont, Pennsylvania AMA Motocross Championship, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 1:00 a.m. (OLN) AMA Supermoto Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado, Thursday, Sept. 14, 5 p.m. (OLN) AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, Steel City Raceway, Delmont, Pennsylvania AMA Motocross Championship, Thursday, Sept. 14, 6 p.m. (OLN)

The MotoGP World Championship reaches a crucial stage this weekend, with the teams and riders heading to Sepang for the first in a run of three Grands Prix in as many weekends; the Marlboro Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix. A strong showing in the Malaysian, Australian and Japanese races could see the overall classification turned on its head, and whoever finishes the triple flyaway in the driving seat will be a clear favourite to take the title. Repsol Honda’s Nicky Hayden is the current leader, having taken two victories and shown tremendous consistency thus far this season. However, the Kentucky Kid will be eager to bounce back from a disappointing ninth place at Brno, his lowest finish in 2006, and further extend his advantage at the top of the leaderboard. His closest challenge is found on the other side of the garage, with team-mate Dani Pedrosa lying 25 points behind the American as he continues his incredible adaptation to the premier class. Pedrosa has been playing down his title chances, but if he continues his podium-placing form demonstrated so far this season, then nobody can afford to overlook the 20 year-old rookie. Although 38 points behind Hayden and plagued by bad luck in 2006, Valentino Rossi can never be written off. Camel Yamaha’s Italian star is a big fan of the Sepang circuit, a track where a second place finish in 2005 handed him the title. The Italian will need to put in a big performance over the next three races to make up ground on Hayden, but will thrive on the challenge. Marco Melandri finds himself in much the same position as his countryman, and last season’s World Championship runner-up approaches the flyaway races in peak condition. Having battled through pain at various points this season, a fully fit Melandri could yet challenge the favourites for the top positions. The last time the championship experienced three races in succession, Loris Capirossi started as joint leader. However, a huge crash and subsequent injuries in Catalunya derailed his season and he has dropped down the standings as a result of the after-effects. Having dominated in the Czech Republic, and this week confirmed for a seat on Ducati’s new GP7 project for next season, Capirossi is still on course for his most successful season in MotoGP. Even more importantly, Capirossi won this race last year on board the Italian machine, and fresh from the win in Brno, the 50 points gap to leader Hayden could yet still be breached. The remainder of the top ten are some way off the leading spots. Casey Stoner, impressive in the early part of the season before a series of crashes, is still experiencing a fantastic start to his premier class career, whilst a resurgent Kenny Roberts Jr leads a pack of three Americans, the others being Colin Edwards and John Hopkins. Shinya Nakano completes the top ten for Kawasaki. Sete Gibernau will return for Ducati Marlboro after sitting out the Brno date as he recovered from a second shoulder operation. With the Spaniard back with the team, temporary replacement Alex Hofmann rejoins Pramac d’Antin for the Asian race. 250cc In 250cc, the two-horse race for the title between Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso continues. Lorenzo has won six races already this season, and in Brno announced that he would continue with Aprilia in the category next year. Dovizioso has been the season’s consistent performer, with only one win to his name but a bag of podium positions which keep him in title contention. Behind them, Yuki Takahashi, Hiroshi Aoyama, Alex de Angelis and Roberto Locatelli are fighting amongst themselves in an incredibly tight battle for what seems an inevitable third place in the standings. 125cc Alvaro Bautista is the runaway leader in 125cc, 69 points ahead of nearest rival Mika Kallio. The Master MVA Aspar Team have another three riders; Mattia Pasini, Sergio Gadea and Hector Faubel, in the top six, ahead of Derbi’s Lukas Pesek. Repsol Honda’s Bradley Smith is a big doubt for the Malaysian race, with all signs pointing to a possible replacement from the Red Bull MotoGP Academy occupying his spot whilst he recovers from a fractured wrist. MOTOGP RIDERS ARRIVE FOR DECISIVE WEEKEND IN MALAYSIA The MotoGP tour arrived in Malaysia today, although not for the first time this season for the majority of riders. The track has already played host to a number of tests over the preseason, adding to the familiarity of the popular Sepang Circuit, and the teams soon settled into their regular routines as the paddock filled up in preparation for the Marlboro Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix. Three of the riders in contention for the 2006 title were present in the traditional Thursday press conference, as championship leader Nicky Hayden and rivals Valentino Rossi and Loris Capirossi were joined by John Hopkins and Randy de Puniet to face the media. As well as giving their views on the battle for this season’s crown and the exciting race three weeks ago in Brno, the riders also commented on their first impressions of the 800cc bikes, which a number of them had tried out for the first time after the Grand Prix held in the Czech Republic. New MotoGP regulations mean that bikes will have a maximum engine capacity of 800cc from 2007. Malaysia offers some spectacular scenery for the visitor, and a group of riders got to experience first hand one of the country’s main attractions as they were taken to see the Petronas Towers, the tallest twin set of buildings in the world. MotoGP riders Makoto Tamada and Chris Vermeulen were joined by 250cc contender Andrea Dovizioso, runaway 125cc leader Alvaro Bautista and KTM rising star Michael Ranseder as they ascended the 88 floors of the tower, designed by Argentinean architect Cesar Peli. Sete Gibernau made his return to the paddock today after his enforced absence from the race in Brno. Now fully recovered and given the all-clear to take part in the Marlboro Motorcycle Grand Prix, the Spaniard will be back onboard the Ducati Desmosedici GP6 tomorrow morning for the first practice session at the Sepang Circuit. Nicky Hayden (Honda) “The result in Brno wasn´t what we needed, and now we are coming up to crunch time in the championship. I’m looking forward to it, and think that I have a legit chance of taking the title. There are many contenders, so I’m just focusing on myself and doing my best. The competition makes it really exciting this year,” “I’ve had three fourth places at this track, I like it but want to take a step up. Tyres are most important here, and if it rains I won’t mind so much. I feel a lot better now about wet weather riding.” Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) “It isn’t easy, but I’m quite confident after Brno. It was a good weekend, especially as we were able to stay in the top three during the practices.” “Pole positions will be important now. You can have a performance like in Sachsenring, starting from further back and coming through to win, maybe once in a season. It’s a one-time performace, not something that you can do all the time. My target is a repeat of Brno. This track is true MotoGP track, and good for my riding style.” Loris Capirossi (Ducati) “Every year is different. A good performance here last year doesn’t mean anything. We have some good plans for tomorrow. 50 points isn’t impossible”¦.but I think it is impossible! I will try my hardest to make up the advantage anyway.” “I tried out the 800cc bike, and I liked it. It seems a good bike, and the lap times weren’t too bad. It’s closer to a 250cc, it’s smaller but not really lighter.” John Hopkins (Suzuki) “We are consistent, but not exactly where we are position wise. I would like to get up to seventh in the championship. We are stepping up with some new parts, although it’s strange to have people working on the 800cc bike as well. Most of the parts will simply be transferred next year to the new Suzuki model.” “I am looking forward to racing here. I’m going to get my head down, work hard and hopefully I can have a good race.” Randy de Puniet (Kawasaki) “The first part of the season was really bad, but since Sachsenring it has been ok. In Brno I had a little bit of a problem, which lost me some time, but here should be good for me. I tested well here during the winter, and I think I can have my best result this season since Jerez.”

September 2006, Eurospeedway Lausitz (Germany) The World Superbike Championship is about to face the final acts of its latest exciting season, with a championship standing that may feature a substantial advantage for leader Bayliss, but is also promises a fantastically open contest behind Troy B. At the Lausitz track the battle will be to keep the Championship open, to postpone the victory party for Ducati and Bayliss that now seems almost sure. But more than this: Toseland and Haga are fighting closely for second position in the Championship, and with them there will also be Pitt, looking for a prestigious result to convince Yamaha he’s still a rider who deserves the investment of another season. There are also the two Suzuki Alstare riders and Lorenzo Lanzi, who became a star here last season, winning a race and convincing the team Ducati Xerox outfit to offer him an official bike in 2006. With them in the upper echelons are the green Kawasakis, which can now score important results, as they proved last round at Assen, where they took a win (Walker) and a third place (Nieto). Alex Barros, with his Klaffi Honda, is also expected to figure strongly – especially after a solid test here earlier in the year. Easy then to predict another two exciting races for this round, on a racetrack which has proved to be technical and quite tortuous in previous visits. For the SBK class Pirelli has brought the DIABLO SUPERBIKE in three different front solutions (of which the “A” and “C” are those that everyday riders are used to buying under the name of “SC1″ and “SC2″) and four different rear solutions – plus as usual the qualifying tyre. This is the choice, if we have a dry race, otherwise riders will move from the slick tyres to grooved products – “Intermediate”, “Rain” and “Full Rain” tyres. Aside from the SBK class, the Supersport category will be the most closely conteseted, as Australian rider Curtain proved when he leapfrogged 2005 World Champion Charpentier to take the series lead at Assen. The single rider maximum of 75 points to be assigned from now on in offer us the prospect of a grandstand season finish. Also for the Supersport class, Pirelli has brought more solutions: 2 front and 2 rears, but the rules do not allow the use of a qualifier. SS is raced with DIABLO SUPERCORSA tyres, the new 17″ DOT tyre presented by Pirelli for the first time at the Misano round. Adding the wet weather tyres, the two Superstock 1000 (Pirelli DRAGON SUPERCORSA PRO SC2) choices and Superstock 600 (Pirelli DIABLO CORSA III- Three zone compound) materials, we reach the total of almost 6,000 tyres in Lausitz, brought by Pirelli to provide a weekend of ultimate emotions and adrenaline overload. More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: TOSELAND READY TO DEFEND SECOND PLACE AT WORLD SUPERBIKE ROUND IN GERMANY Notwithstanding that the Assen race didn’t go quite how the Winston Ten Kate Honda Team hoped, the Dutch race delivered an important result: second position in the World Championship standings for James Toseland. This is the primary objective for the tough English rider for the last three rounds of the season; going out to defend his overall second, starting off by aiming for two podium placings in Germany. The team also expects a good performance from Karl Muggeridge, who is looking for his first podium of the season. The Australian rider was unlucky in Assen race 1, when he slipped on the wet track while he was in fourth position, but fortunately there were no resultant injuries. On Sunday the Eurospeedway races will give him a chance to step up to at least one plateau of the German podiums. Ronald Ten Kate Team Manager “The Race in Assen didn’t go as we wished, also because of the weather conditions, which didn’t allow us to work with any great continuity. What comforts me is that both Karl and James never gave up, especially James who picked himself up after a fall and a straight-on, which saw him on the grass. At the end of the races all of us weren’t so happy, but I saw in my riders’ eyes their desire for immediate revenge.” James Toseland Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider “The only positive thing to come out of Assen is that I took back second position in the world standing. I think this has become the main the objective of the season, because I think Bayliss is now a bit too far ahead; but I’ll try my best as usual anyway. From Lausitz, it will be the start of start my defence of second position, while still trying to win as many race as possible.” Karl Muggeridge Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider “I can’t deny that I want to just forget about the Assen weekend really soon. In particular I still have a bitter taste in my mouth about how race one went while I was in fourth position: I had a great feeling with the bike and I was sure I could have stepped on the podium. I’m happy we have the Lausitz race straight away and I can have another shot at stepping on the podium, something that for one or other reason I’ve missed out on so far.” CHARPENTIER LOOKS TO REGAIN WORLD SUPERSPORT LEAD AT LAUSITZ The objectives of the Winston Ten Kate Honda Team at Lausitz, for the tenth round of the SS World Championship, could not be clearer. To recover at least seven points in the championship for one rider, and confirm the Assen victory for another. The principal attentions are of course concentrated on Sebastien Charpentier, who will try his best to recover this leadership in the World standings, helped by his physical condition, which is now back to normal like at the beginning of the season. In his assault on Curtain’s lead, the French rider will surely be able to count on Kenan Sofuoglu, who is putting together a great final part of the season, mostly thanks to his victory in Assen. The Eurospeedway track is also one of Kenan’s favourites, and he is determinate to achieve the same result he gathered in Assen. Ronald Ten Kate Team Manager “For Supersport the Assen weekend was full of satisfaction. Because Kenan won a great race, his first career WSS race win, and because we have seen Sebastien in the back to the same condition as in the beginning of the season – apart from a bit of pain in his back. I am sorry to have lost the leadership of the championship but I am convinced that we have all that is needed to get it back. Of course from now on Seb cannot make any mistakes, but I know he can win all the races. Kenan can also help him out, after he showed us what his true value is.” Sebastien Charpentier Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider “Despite the fact that I lost the leadership of the championship I am sort of satisfied, with Assen, because I could finally understand that my physical condition is back to normal. At Lausitz on Sunday I will feel even better. I just need to solve the little problem I had at my back. I have seven points to recover but there are still 75 points available, therefore everything is possible.” Kenan Sofuoglu Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider “My first victory gave enormous satisfaction to me and I think also my team. I have to thank them so much for all the support they gave me, even when things didn’t go so well. I am only sorry that Sebastien didn’t make it to the podium for only two tenths of a second but in the next three races I will do my best to give him a hand. Lausitz is one of my favourite tracks. I count on continuing the positive form I have shown for three races now.” More, from a press release issued by Millet Racing Yamaha Junior Team: SAVARY 7TH IN WORLD SUPERSTOCK 600 CHAMPIONSHIP HEADING INTO LAUSITZ Michael Savary did a beautiful race in Assen last Sunday when he finished 9th and he is now 7th of the championship. Franck Millet ended up in 19th position. The Millet Racing Yamaha Junior Team is nom ready for the 8th race of the season to be held next weekend in Lausitz (Germany). During the Assen practices, the situation was initially difficult with Savary in 21st position and Millet in 23rd. On race day, Michael Savary had an excellent start and was 7th at the end of lap 1. Franck Millet was then 17th. At the end of the race, Michael Savary finished 9th and Franck Millet 19th. The great performance of Savary allows him to be now 7th of the championship and first of the Yamaha R6s. THE EUROSPEEDWAY LAUSITZ RACE TRACK Lausitz was opened on August 20th 2000. The racing complex follows current trends and includes an oval and a road circuit. This type of configuration originated in the United States but can now be found more and more frequently elsewhere. Examples are Rockingham (near Northampton in England), Jacarepagua (Brazil) opened in 1978, Welkom (South Africa, opened in 1999) and Motegi (Japan, opened in 1997). Stretching over 570 hectares, the Lausitz EuroSpeedway offers sprint events like Superbike a 4265km long circuit. But F1 racing can also be catered for, over a 4.5km long course, Endurance racing has a 11.3km circuit while the Super Speedway tri-oval is 3.2km long. There are a total of 120,000 seats for spectators with 96,000 of them giving a full view of the circuit. Total tarmac surface is an impressive 90,000m2. Compare that to Valencia’s already large 49,066m2 or Oschersleben’s 60,000m2. EUROSPEEDWAY LAUSITZ STATS Practice record (2005): 1’46.822 Niccolò Canepa (Kawasaki) 143.730 kph Lap record (best race time 2005): 1’47.365 Yoann Tiberio (Honda), 143.007 kph Race results 2005: 1- Berger (Honda) 2- Tiberio (Honda) 3- Simeon (Suzuki) 4- Antonelli (Kawasaki) 5-Jezek (Kawasaki) Championship: 1-Siméon (Suzuki) 160 points, 2-Canepa (Ducati) 126, 3-Giugliano (Kawasaki) 100″¦7-Savary (Yamaha) 41″¦11-Millet (Yamaha) 30 More, from a press release issued by Ducati Xerox: TENTH WIN TAKES BAYLISS CLOSER TO SECOND WSBK TITLE Lausitz (Germany): Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) took a major step forward towards winning a second World Superbike title just a few days ago at Assen, where the Dutch round of the championship was held. A win in the second race, with two DNFs for his closest rival Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha), took Troy’s championship lead to 100 with three rounds and 150 points remaining. “It has been pretty much on my mind this week” declared Troy about his chances this weekend. “I realise that if I have a good weekend here then I could wrap it up but maybe for the Ducati fans it would be better if I won the title at Imola! Seriously speaking, I am just thinking to get on my bike and plan to win like I always do! But now I’m here, we can start tomorrow like any normal weekend. This is my third time at the Eurospeedway, I haven’t raced here for a few years, but we had a good test in the summer. I’ve had three wins and a second from four starts which is a good record and I enjoy riding here. Actually Lausitz is quite a hard track for us because it seems that the fours have more acceleration, but our bike works well over the full lap. It’s not going to be easy this weekend, that’s for sure”. After a difficult season that has netted him just two podiums, Lorenzo Lanzi hopes to recapture some of the form that took him to a sensational maiden World Superbike win just twelve months ago at the Eurospeedway. “We come from the race at Assen, which could have gone better given the expectations we had during practice and qualifying” declared Lorenzo. “The Lausitzring race is a race that last year marked a major change in my career because it helped me to join the factory team. Luckily the weather looks good this weekend so we shouldn’t have the same problems we had at Assen. Lausitz is not one of my favourite tracks and I won’t have the ‘surprise’ factor anymore but we went well in testing and I’m sure I can do a couple of good races”. The Eurospeedway Lausitz is now a permanent fixture on the World Superbike calendar. Built as a tri-oval for Indycars with a twisty infield section, the imposing structure hosts the German round of the championship for the fourth time. Troy Bayliss has already won three races at the German track, in 2001 and 2002, while the other Ducati win went to Lorenzo Lanzi last year. Honda are the only other manufacturer to triumph at the Lausitzring, with Colin Edwards taking the honours in 2001 and Chris Vermeulen in 2005. THE CIRCUIT Name: Eurospeedway Lausitz Length: 4.265 km Pole Position: right Finish line length: 650 metres Race distance: 2 x 24 laps/102.360 km CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after 9 of 12 rounds): Riders – 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 332; 2. Toseland (Honda) 232; 3. Haga (Yamaha) 230; 4. Pitt (Yamaha) 197; 5. Corser (Suzuki) 193; 6. Barros (Honda) 175; 7. Kagayama (Suzuki) 139; 8. Walker (Kawasaki) 123; 9. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 115; etc. Manufacturers – 1. Ducati 351; 2. Yamaha 299; 3. Honda 292; 4. Suzuki 282; 5. Kawasaki 181; 6. Petronas 13. STATISTICS: Best lap: Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 1m39.019s (2005). Lap record: Xaus (Ducati) 1m39.679s (2002). Superpole: Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 1m39.019s. 2005 RESULTS: Race 1 – 1. Vermeulen (Honda); 2. Haga (Yamaha); 3. Corser (Suzuki). Race 2 – 1. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox); 2. Vermeulen; 3. Haga.