VALIANT EFFORT BY HODGSON AS HE FIGHTS FOR THE AMA PODIUM Braselton (Georgia): Parts Unlimited Ducati’s Neil Hodgson fought one of the closest and most exciting battles of the 2006 season on Sunday, trying his best to earn a spot on the podium in the AMA Superbike race at Road Atlanta. Neil came up just 0.098 short of a rostrum finish as he and Aaron Yates raced for third position coming down the hill on the last lap at the Georgia track. Ben Bostrom was seventh on his Ducati 999 as he improved one spot on the final lap of the 25-lap race. Hodgson earned third spot for much of the race and the last laps saw him hold off Yates for most of the lap. Coming down the hill into turn 12 for the final time, Yates earned a slight advantage over the 2003 World Superbike champion and held it to the flag. “It’s tough to lose one like that, but what can you say?” said Hodgson. “As soon as Yates was level with me, I knew it was over because he had the inside line. I tried to square him coming out of the corner but I knew it wasn’t going to happen. The last turn pass hurts even more because you don’t have a chance to get him back. I had a small problem with four laps to go and it just cost us a little bit of time and that extra bit of drive. Nothing really big but we needed everything in our arsenal today if we were going to make the podium.” Ben Bostrom moved to seventh on the final lap of the race, passing rival Jake Zemke after the two once again battled for position in an AMA Superbike race. “I’m pretty disappointed because we weren’t racing for the podium, but I had a good battle out there,” said Bostrom. “We lost some ground in the early going but I had a lot of corner speed through the Esses and the bike handled pretty well. Jake and I, it seems like we’re magnets because we end up racing together in every one of these, lately. On the last lap, I had a move planned for the chicane but Jake ended up running wide and I ended up with the position.” The AMA season finale will be held at Mid-Ohio Sep 29-Oct 1. Results: 1. Mat Mladin, Suzuki 2. Ben Spies, Suzuki 3. Aaron Yates, Suzuki 4.Neil Hodgson, Parts Unlimited Ducati 5. Miguel Duhamel, Honda 6. Roger Hayden, Kawasaki 7. Ben Bostrom, Parts Unlimited Ducati 8. Jake Zemke, Honda 9. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki 10. Jake Holden, Suzuki Points standings (after 18 rounds): 1. Ben Spies, Suzuki 625 2. Mat Mladin, Suzuki 605 3. Miguel Duhamel, Honda 496 4. Aaron Yates, Suzuki 451 5. Neil Hodgson, Parts Unlimited Ducati 440 6. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki 430 7. Jake Zemke, Honda 424 8. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki 374 9. Ben Bostrom, Parts Unlimited Ducati 364 10. Larry Pegram, Honda 331 More, from a press release issued by M4 EMGO Suzuki: ANOTHER SUPERSPORT DOUBLE PODIUM FOR MAY AND BARNES OF TEAM M4 EMGO SUZUKI Team M4 EMGO Suzuki added to their trophy collection this weekend at Road Atlanta as Geoff May and Michael Barnes came through to claim their second consecutive double podium finish in the AMA Supersport class aboard their Pirelli-shod GSX-R600s. It was the third time in 2006 that May and Barnes have stood on the Supersport podium together. May put together a rock-solid outing, moving up into third on lap seven of fifteen and then taking over second place on lap nine. Teammate Barnes got off to another of his trademark quick starts, storming into the lead early before dropping back to fourth at mid-distance. The two M4 EMGO Suzuki riders turned it up late, with May holding down the runner-up position and Barnes moving into third and pressuring May to the checkered flag. May, from nearby Gainesville, GA, was pleased to have given his home fans what they came to see, particularly after his disappointing ninth-place Superstock finish earlier in the day aboard the team’s GSX-R1000. May’s fourth Supersport podium of the season saw him take over second place in the class’ title race with just one event remaining. Afterwards he said, “I feel like my guys deserve our spot in the points. We had a little problem at Miller and we’ve been fighting for every single point since then, just trying to scratch and get as many as we can. It feels good and hopefully that’s where we end up at the end of the year. That’s the gameplan.” Commenting on the race, the Georgian remarked, “‘Barney’ was riding really well. He really pushed me out there today. He put a lot of pressure on me and he rode clean, too. It was a good weekend, all in all. Pirelli keeps working harder and harder and I think that next year we’re really going to have some good stuff when they bring out the new World Supersport tires they’ve been working on.” For Barnes, the result was his third straight top-three and fifth Supersport podium finish of the year. He commented, “When a few guys passed me early I thought, ‘I can’t let this happen,’ so I picked it up. I was just trying to get with Geoff and he was putting together some really good laps. It was just a matter of trying to put together some real good laps at the end, which I did. The Pirelli tires have really come along real good this year. Especially this race, they were the strongest they’ve been at the end of the race all year I believe.” “I can’t just thank these guys enough for putting together such a solid team,” he continued. “These bikes are incredible. I’m looking forward to going back to Ohio again because it’s kind of like we’ve tested there. We’re going back there with some data and I’m planning on getting the holeshot again.” Shea Fouchek rounded out the weekend for Team M4 EMGO Suzuki with an 18th place ride in the Supersport race. The 2006 season will wrap up in just a few weeks with a return visit to Mid-Ohio for the AMA road racing finale on September 29-October 1. More, from a press release issued by Chris Ulrich Racing: IMPROVEMENT FOR PIETRI AT ROAD ATLANTA WHILE ULRICH HAS A DIFFICULT RACE FOR ROADRACINGWORLD.COM SUZUKI Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki put in a determined effort at the next-to-last round of the 2006 AMA road racing championships at Road Atlanta. The squad picked up a pair of hard-earned results in the ultra-competitive AMA Superstock class, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the season at Mid-Ohio in a few weeks time. After qualifying on the outside of the third row with the 12th best lap in the Superstock session aboard his Pirelli-shod GSX-R1000 at 1:25.242, Chris Ulrich battled his way up to tenth during the 15-lap race. The Californian was still climbing and looking capable of scoring his best result of the season before he began to struggle for grip, eventually forcing him down to 14th in the end. “I think 100% I had a very good weekend going until seven or eight laps into the race,” Ulrich said. “At that point I was in tenth, gaining on ninth, and the bike started backing itself into turn one and backing itself in at the top of the hill. That was an indication were we having some issues with grip. Unfortunately, as the laps wore on and I was having more and more problems. Coming down the hill with three or four to go I had a big front-end slide. The outside of my left foot was hanging off and the only thing that kept me on the bike was my knee. To have that happen in turn 12 at Road Atlanta is a pretty scary situation. “It’s very disappointing, especially being in a top-ten position and having to go backwards, watching guys pass me that I knew I was going to beat today,” said Chris. Robertino Pietri was in learning mode once again, the Venezuelan working diligently to learn the nuances of the tricky Georgian circuit. Building speed right up through the conclusion of the race, Pietri once again showed that he’s the fastest South American in the series by a wide margin en route to a 17th place result. Clear proof of his improvement was the fact that after qualifying 18th for the Superstock race with a best lap of 1:27.180, Robertino broke in the ’26s with a 1:26.931 on race rubber during the final. Pietri said, “I’m happy. I didn’t ride too much on Thursday at the promoter practice because of the weather. All these tracks are new for me and every time I get out on the track, I go a half second faster. I think with one more day I could be right up there, top ten or top twelve. These weekends go by so fast and it’s quite challenging. “I really want to thank Pirelli. They hooked me up with some new tires that I needed and I finished the weekend well. I finished 17th, which isn’t the best result of the year, but I went faster in the race than I did in any practice or qualifying session. I’m pleased with my race times. We have a good bike and my mechanics are doing a great job trying to make things as easy as possible for me. It’s really hard when you’re always going to a new track and learning which direction the corners go.” Both riders are carrying high hopes into their return visit to Mid-Ohio for the season finale weekend on September 29-October 1. The venue was perhaps the scene of Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki’s best overall outing of the year, in which Ulrich claimed a top ten and Pietri a top fifteen. Ulrich, who is currently just one point off of his season-long goal of a top ten ranking in the Superstock championship, commented, “I just got done discussing some things with my crew chief and we’re going to make some changes to the set-up that we just found out the last two weeks. I think they’re going to make me faster there than I was last time and our goal is a solid top ten. I want to finish the year out strong and there’s no reason we can’t do it.” Pietri is especially excited to compete at a track where he’s already spent considerable time. “The only place I raced this year that I also raced last year was Daytona and right there I got seventh place, a good solid top ten. I’m really, really looking forward to Ohio. I think we can do a good job there and I’m excited about that. I want to end the year with a strong result and build momentum for next year.” More, from a press release issued by Team Stargel Castrol: Team Stargel Castrol Scores Another Top Ten At Road Atlanta Team Stargel Castrol always welcomes racing at Road Atlanta. It is close to home, has a challenging layout, and allows us to make sweet iced tea from the high humidity atmosphere. It is our home track in every sense of the word. After turning only five laps on Thursday due to rain showers, Friday presented itself with a number of issues to resolve. With both Formula Xtreme and Superbike qualifying on the schedule for Friday afternoon, the team needed to work quickly, as well as intelligently. As has become the norm this season, the Yamaha R6 F/X bike yielded little resistance in our attempts to find a proper setup. The R1, on the other hand, was a more difficult animal to tame. While everything did not go to plan in F/X qualifying, Brian Stokes, rode the bike hard and secured a seventh place grid position for Saturday’s race with a time of 1:27.2. Both superbike sessions proved to be more work, and at their completion, Stokes qualified in 19th. Saturday morning, the team had a decision to make. Everyone felt that there was more to be had from the R6 if some more attention was paid to it. A decision was made to sit out of Saturday’s Superbike race to concentrate on an excellent finish in the F/X race. Stokes got a great start in the F/X race, but when he came around after one lap the team was surprised that he had lost position. He fell back as far as 16th, while his crew stood idly by wondering what the problem could be. Stokes was having a problem with lack of braking power, but continued to race on as best he could. The problem slowly improved, and by lap five, his brakes were working normally again. With this, he put his head down and began to move through the pack. Stokes finished the race in a strong ninth place to record his third F/X top ten finish of the year, while only participating in four rounds thus far. Sunday’s Superbike race was not the result that the team had hoped for, but was still quite respectable. Early on, Stokes hung onto to a pack of riders than spanned from 15th to 18th position. As the race went on, Stokes had some heat related issues with the bike, and his pace began to drop off. Brian crossed the line in 19th place and was the last rider still on the lead lap. Team Stargel Castrol will be competing at the final AMA round of the year at Mid Ohio on September 30th – October 1st. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing: HAYDENS AND KAWASAKI REMAIN RELENTLESS AT ROAD ATLANTA Braselton, Ga. Kawasaki Racing Team rider, Tommy Hayden, put forth a determined effort as AMA Superbike racing came to Road Atlanta Raceway in Braselton, Ga., this weekend. Tommy qualified in fifth which was just behind his younger brother, Roger, who qualified on the outside of the front row in fourth. As the green flag dropped on Saturday’s Superbike feature Tommy got the best jump off the grid by running in seventh as Roger was shuffled back into 11th. As the laps clicked away, Roger advanced four positions while edging out Tommy to take over seventh and Tommy stayed tucked in close behind Roger in eighth. During the final laps, Roger was forced to pull out of the race after his chain broke while Tommy continued on to finish seventh. The second race of the Superbike doubleheader on Sunday saw Roger running in fifth and Tommy in 12th after the start. As the race progressed, Roger tussled with a couple riders for fifth but stayed close behind the lead group while Tommy advanced into ninth. The final portion of the 25-lap feature saw Tommy engaged in an intense battle for ninth while Roger dropped one position into sixth. At the finish, Roger crossed the stripe in sixth while Tommy finished out the second race in ninth. Roger also contested in Supersport on Sunday and found himself in second just after the start and locked in a fierce contest with Jamie Hacking for the lead. The pair would battle back-and-forth for the next seven laps before Roger slipped back into third and then faded into fourth. With only four laps remaining Roger drifted back into the field due to mechanical problems and had to retire early. Attack Kawasaki riders, Ben Attard and Damon Buckmaster, remained engaged in an intense battle for seventh place throughout the duration of the 15-lap feature. The duo advanced two positions due in part to Roger’s bad luck and another rider who pulled out early which allowed Attard to cross the finish in fifth with Buckmaster in sixth. In AMA Superstock Action, Buckmaster put in a respectable ride aboard his Kawasaki ZX-10R by starting in 14th and advancing into tenth before the checkered flag dropped. Attard left the grid in ninth and was unfortunately shuffled back into 15th after the start. Undaunted by the setback, Attard advanced into 13th after the halfway point and held his position throughout the remaining laps of the 15-lap feature. Racing resumes when the teams head to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, September 29October 3.

MALAYSIA KICKS OFF DEMANDING THREE RACE RUN FOR KAWASAKI The Kawasaki Racing Team head for the Far East this week, and an intense schedule of three races in as many weekends, starting with the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang, and taking in the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island before bringing their whirlwind tour of Asia to an end with the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi. It’s a punishing schedule for both teams and riders alike, with Sepang in particular making huge demands on the physical fitness and endurance of Kawasaki’s riders, Shinya Nakano and Randy de Puniet, due to the strength sapping extremes of temperature and humidity experienced at the Malaysian circuit. But both Kawasaki riders head into this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix with their sights set firmly on a strong performance, and confident that hundreds of testing laps completed during the winter at the 5.548 km Sepang circuit will stand them in good stead once practice gets underway on Friday. For Shinya Nakano, Friday’s two free practice sessions will allow him the first opportunity to test a revised Ninja ZX-RR engine and exhaust system, designed by Kawasaki engineers in Japan to improve torque at the bottom of the rev range, as well as outright power at the top end – both essential characteristics at the Sepang circuit. The 28-year-old Japanese rider rates the Sepang track as one of his favourites, and is confident that the latest specification Ninja ZX-RR will suit the characteristics of the high-speed, but technical, Malaysian circuit. The Kawasaki pilot heads for Malaysia from his home in Japan determined to secure a good result for Kawasaki, as he builds up the momentum for his home Grand Prix at Motegi in three week’s time. Nakano’s Kawasaki teammate, Randy de Puniet, has been on a mission in recent weeks, to improve both his qualifying performance and his race starts. The 25-year-old Frenchman saw an improvement in qualifying at Brno, after regaining his confidence in Bridgestone’s super-sticky qualifying tyres during free practice, and a series of successful practice starts during the one-day, post-race test at the same circuit means that de Puniet heads for the Far East in determined mood. The rookie Kawasaki pilot likes the challenges offered by the Sepang circuit, where he completed three successful tests aboard the Ninja ZX-RR over the winter. And, the demanding conditions in Malaysia will certainly hold no fears for de Puniet, who is one of the fittest riders on the MotoGP grid. Sunday’s 21-lap Malaysian Grand Prix will get underway at 15.00 local time (GMT+8 and CET+6) on Sunday 10 September. Shinya Nakano: #56 “Sepang is definitely one of my favourite tracks, and one I know pretty well after completing so many laps there during winter testing. I’ve had some good results at Sepang in the past, and the fact that we head to Malaysia with a massive amount of data collected during testing means that I’m quietly confident ahead of this weekend’s race. The Ninja ZX-RR already suits the characteristics of the Sepang circuit very well, but this time around we have a revised engine and exhaust system to evaluate during free practice, and this could well give us a distinct advantage this weekend. Overall, I’m looking forward to racing in Malaysia, and I hope that I can pick up some good results here and in Australia, and then carry that momentum through to my home Grand Prix at Motegi.” Randy de Puniet: #17 “We completed three successful tests at Sepang over the winter, so I know the track pretty well. Of course, everyone else knows the track equally well, because all the other MotoGP teams were out in Malaysia testing at the same time! But I like the track, and the fact that we managed to find a good working set-up on the Ninja ZX-RR during our last test there in February should stand us in good stead when practice gets underway on Friday. I think it’s possible to get a good result in Malaysia, but I do need to look hard at my starts. Too often in the last few races I’ve lost places from the start, and then been forced to try and make them back up during the race. We did some work on this during the post race test at Brno two weeks ago, so I’m fairly confident going into the first of the three overseas races.”

Eternal Sunshine of the Sepang Kind Malaysian Grand Prix: Preview Monday 4 September 2006 MotoGP heads into an intense run of three intercontinental events this weekend as the Sepang International Circuit plays host to the eighth Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix since the circuit’s inception back in 1999. The event will be followed by the Australian and Japanese rounds on successive weekends, the results of which should set the stage for an enthralling season finale in October. Ducati rider Loris Capirossi laid down his own claim to the championship after a dominant victory on Bridgestone tyres at the last GP in Brno reduced his gap to the championship leader to 50 points with a maximum 125 still up for grabs. Capirossi and the Ducati Corse team, who last week announced an extension to their contract into the 2007 season, won in Malaysia last season and will undoubtedly be further buoyed by their performance in the Czech Republic a fortnight ago as they seek a repeat performance this weekend. The Brno win now means that Bridgestone-shod riders have won two GPs in each season since 2004. Now in just their fifth year of MotoGP racing, the Bridgestone crew will be looking to secure their third victory of the season in Sepang to cement 2006 as their most competitive yet. A second consecutive victory would also score the tyre manufacturer a 20th podium result in its comparatively short history at the pinnacle of motorcycle racing. Bridgestone was back in action directly after the Brno race for an intensive test session at the Czech track in preparation for the remaining events of the season. As a result, the team head to Sepang with a range of new compounds and tyre specifications at their disposal in order to combat the traditional Malaysian heat and humidity. At 5.548km in length, a lap of Sepang is the longest on the 2006 calendar with its two main straights each at almost 1km placing an emphasis on outright power at the start and end of each of the 21 laps making up the race. Capirossi’s pole time from 2005 sets the qualifying bar at 2m01.731s, but with the technological developments made year-on-year, Bridgestone riders could well be targeting times closer to the 2m mark to secure positions at the sharp end of the grid in Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session. Hiroshi Yamada – Bridgestone Motorsport – Motorcycle Racing Manager “The performance of Loris Capirossi and the Ducati Corse team in Brno was a great result for Bridgestone and leaves us motivated and optimistic for the forthcoming races in Malaysia, Australia and Japan. We scored one of our two victories last year in Malaysia and I hope that we can replicate that performance this weekend to challenge for our third victory this season. We conducted an intensive test at Brno after the race in order to test a wide range of new specification tyres, new shapes and compounds. We were able to derive some encouraging results for the five remaining rounds of this season, as well as gaining some useful information from the 800cc bikes as part of our development for next year. Looking specifically to Malaysia, we will encounter one of the hottest races on the calendar. It is unlikely we will endure the extreme heat we had at Laguna Seca in July, but we have certainly drawn from that experience in anticipation of the hot conditions that are guaranteed in Sepang. The humidity in Malaysia also brings the constant threat of thunderstorms and heavy tropical rain, so we will have a range of wet weather tyres close to hand. Whatever the weather, we are working hard with all three of our teams to make it two Bridgestone-shod victories in a row.” Bridgestone’s 2005 Malaysian GP Race Results Pos. Rider Motorcycle Race Time Gap P1 Loris Capirossi Ducati 43m27.523s WINNER P3 Carlos Checa Ducati 43m29.592s +2.069s P7 Kenny Roberts Suzuki 43m44.772s +17.249s P9 John Hopkins Suzuki 43m47.648s +20.125s DNF Olivier Jacque Kawasaki 8m47.858s +17 laps DNF Shinya Nakano Kawasaki 2m09.640s +20 laps

MotoGP World Championship, round 13 Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang September 8/9/10 MICHELIN MEN READY FOR TROPICAL SHOWDOWN The 2006 MotoGP World Championship moves closer to its climax at the Malaysian Grand Prix, the first of three back-to-back flyaway races that will play a crucial role in deciding who gets to wear motorcycling’s most sought-after crown. With fives races remaining, four Michelin men lead the hunt for the 2006 MotoGP title: Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin), Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin), Valentino Rossi (Camel Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) and Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda RC211V-Michelin). These four riders have won ten of the 12 races so far this year, Michelin’s nine MotoGP riders filling 30 of a potential 36 podium positions. Michelin has won 12 of the 15 premier-class GPs staged in Malaysia at three different tracks ­ Sepang, Shah Alam and Johor. Sepang, which joined the GP calendar in 1999, is a venue much visited by MotoGP teams, who regularly use the circuit for winter test sessions. MICHELIN’S RESPONSE TO THE CHALLENGE OF SEPANG “This will be a very interesting race for us because we were disappointed with our results at Sepang last year,” says Nicolas Goubert, Michelin’s motorcycle racing director. “The 2005 race was strange, less than two seconds faster than the previous year’s, because track conditions weren’t so good. Sepang is like that, the grip character can change very quickly and for no apparent reason, even though the surface looks the same and the temperature stays the same. At last year’s race the grip level was much less than during preseason testing, when we were very fast. This year’s preseason testing didn’t go quite so well for us at Sepang, partly because the bikes weren’t as ready as they had been in 2005, so we weren’t able to do so many long-distance runs. But maybe that means we will have a better race this time! “Sepang has been a very popular test track ever since we first went there in 1999. The reasons for this are straightforward: it’s a challenging circuit, with similar weather conditions throughout the year and it’s quite close to Japan. “The track isn’t one of the most aggressive for tires, but it is quite demanding, with high track temperatures, long straights, some heavy braking and many long right-handers which put a lot of heat into the right side of the tires. The front tire is very important at Sepang because it’s a very wide track, so the corner entries are quite long. This should be good for both our new front tires ­ the wider profile tire and the narrower profile with new construction ­ because these tires give better grip and more feel during the crucial corner-entry phase. Our 2006 rear should also help because its bigger footprint delivers improved edge grip which is particularly important through Sepang’s longer corners. So I think we should be quicker than last year. The big question is how strong our competitors will be. “We are now entering the final phase of the 2006 World Championship with four of our riders at the top of the championship. This moment of the season is always very exciting for everyone, including us, because the fight between the different riders and teams becomes even more intense. Our riders and the teams inevitably become even more demanding during this period when every championship point counts for so much, but we are used to this pressure, it is all part of the game, part of the interest.” SEPANG DATA Lap record: Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin), 2:02.993 (162.390km/h-100.904mph) Pole position 2005: Loris Capirossi (Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici), 2:01.731 Recent winners of the Malaysian GP 2005 Loris Capirossi (Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici), 43:27.523 2004 Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin), 43:9.146 2003 Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda RC211V-Michelin), 43:41.457 2002 Max Biaggi (Marlboro Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin), 44:01.592 2001 Valentino Rossi (Nastro Azzurro Honda NSR500-Michelin), 44:46.652 2000 Kenny Roberts (Telefonica Movistar Suzuki RGV500-Michelin) 31:58.102 (race stopped early due to rain) 1999 Kenny Roberts (Suzuki Grand Prix Team RGV500-Michelin), 44:56.033 1998 Mick Doohan (Repsol Honda NSR500-Michelin), race at Johor 1997 Mick Doohan (Repsol Honda NSR500-Michelin), race at Shah Alam 1996 Luca Cadalora (Kanemoto Honda NSR500-Michelin), race at Shah Alam Michelin MotoGP tire logistics The secret behind the success of Michelin’s MotoGP tires is their all-round performance potential. Logistics, however, are just as crucial in the quest for victory, particularly when races follow on from each other in quick succession. This year’s calendar takes teams from Malaysia to Australia and finally on to Japan in the space of just three weeks! Michelin provides tires for a total of 18 MotoGP machines for 9 riders at each race of the 17-round World Championship. Since the beginning of the 2006 season, Michelin runners have claimed 7 pole positions and 10 wins from 12 races. They have also secured 30 podium places from a possible 36. For the forthcoming visit to Asia and the Pacific Rim, Michelin’s tires were trucked to the airport in high security convoys. They were then loaded onto secure airfreight containers which left France on the Monday of the week preceding the Malaysian Grand Prix race week. Additional tires will be flown directly to Australia and Japan. To facilitate stock management and movements, all tires are identified by bar codes. The freight containing the tires and equipment needed for the paddock amounts to between 7 and 8 tons. Used tires are returned to Clermont-Ferrand after each race. Michelin’s MotoGP crew totals 16 staff: the program manager, five engineers, eight fitters, one press officer and one security guard to watch over the tires at night. Michelin takes around 1,000 tires to each GP. – Rear tires (60 per cent). – Front tires (40 per cent). Front tires are available in two profiles: 55 per cent are ‘wide’ profiles and 45 per cent are ‘narrow’ profiles. – 30 qualifying tires per race for all of Michelin riders. – The number of rain tires taken to each race fluctuates slightly as a function of the anticipated climate (slightly more are taken to Phillip Island where the chances of rain are higher). Rain tires account for around 10 per cent of the total package. Michelin’s nine riders generally use between 200 and 300 tires in the course of a GP weekend. The other 700 tires allow Michelin to respond to all track and weather conditions. MICHELIN MotoGP RIDERS 2006 Colin Edwards, Valentino Rossi (Camel Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) Nicky Hayden, Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin) Toni Elias, Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda RC211V-Michelin) Casey Stoner (Honda LCR RC211V-Michelin) Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V-Michelin) Kenny Roberts Junior (Team Roberts KR211V-Michelin)

CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM LOOK TO END DRAMATIC SEASON ON A HIGH One of the closest MotoGP World Championships in history heads into its final stage this weekend as the series heads out to Malaysia for the first of a five-race spell across three continents. Races at Sepang, Phillip Island (Australia), Motegi (Japan), Estoril (Portugal) and Valencia (Spain), will decide the destiny of a title which for the past five seasons has been lifted by Yamaha superstar Valentino Rossi. For the Italian to retain that honour he must turn around a 38-point deficit to current leader Nicky Hayden (Honda), although no fewer than nine riders still have the mathematical odds to take the honours. Rossi’s chances were given a huge boost at the last round three weeks ago in Brno, where a second place finish combined with ninth for Hayden saw the gap between the pair slashed by thirteen points. That race went down as the closest top-15 finish of all time in the sport, strengthening this season’s reputation as one of the toughest ever and highlighting the number of points to be won and lost over the remaining five events. Brno also witnessed Rossi’s 87th appearance on the podium in the premier class and another top-three finish in Malaysia would equal Giacomo Agostini’s tally of 88 a record bettered only by Mick Doohan. Rossi has finished on the podium at Sepang for the last five years, including a memorable victory for Yamaha in 2004 and a title-clinching second place behind Loris Capirossi (Ducati) last season. Colin Edwards says that his target for the remaining five races is to assist Rossi’s title quest in any way he can whilst turning a consistent run of points-scoring finishes into at least a string of podiums. Tenth place in the last round at Brno was the 33rd successive race at which he has scored points a MotoGP record again bettered only by Doohan on 37 but the Texan’s goal is a return to the potentially winning form he showed earlier in the season. VALENTINO ROSSI: ONE OF MY FAVOURITES Valentino Rossi is predicting a repeat of last year’s tough battle with fellow Italian Loris Capirossi this weekend as he looks to get one over on his compatriot after another memorable duel between the pair at Brno. The Yamaha man cites Sepang as one of his favourite tracks and he is hopeful that recent developments with the 990cc M1 machine will make it equally inclined towards the Malaysian venue. “As everyone knows, Sepang is one of my favourite tracks and it’s always great fun to ride the M1 there,” says Rossi. “We made some really good progress in Brno so hopefully everything will work well from Friday morning and we can fight at the top all weekend. Last year Loris was incredibly strong in Sepang, similar to how he was two weeks ago in Brno and I am sure that this will be the case again this time! “This year I can’t win the title in Malaysia so our aim once again is to finish on the podium and take as many points as possible in order to stay in the fight. These three races in a row are going be very important and at the end of them the championship could be much clearer. It’s always hard work, with a lot of flying and time changes in a short amount of time, but we will stay focused and do the best we can!” COLIN EDWARDS: NO LOOKING BACK Colin Edwards, who lives in his hometown of Conroe, Texas, is used to long haul trips and is therefore undaunted by the demands of three ‘flyaway’ races in as many weekends. The 32 year old insists that thoughts of a poor run of form over the summer are now firmly behind him as he simply concentrates on a grandstand finish to his season over the final five races. “Things really haven’t gone to plan lately and I think it’s fair to say that I hoped to be in a better situation going into the final run of races,” admits Edwards. “But there’s no point dwelling on the past – we made some positive steps at the test in Brno so we’ll see if that helps. We discovered last year that what works in Brno doesn’t necessarily work everywhere else but we definitely understand the bike better after that test so hopefully we will be in a better position come Friday morning in Sepang. “I really like the Sepang track and then Phillip Island is one of my all-time favourites, so I am definitely looking forward to these races. We have two aims one is to keep working with the team to find the best bike in order to give Valentino the tools to win the title, and the other is to get some good results and get on the podium. Having three ‘flyaway’ races in a row is always intense, but I am feeling ready for the challenge!” DAVIDE BRIVIO: THE FINAL PUSH Camel Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio is asking for one final effort from his team over the next two months as they cling on to the possibility of defending the crown they have won with Rossi for the past two seasons. The complicated logistics of five races across three continents always puts a further burden on every member of staff but Brivio is confident their extra exertions will once again be rewarded by results on the track. “After a very long and hard season, this is the start of the final ‘push’ for everyone and I know that the riders, the team and everyone involved will give 100% through these final two months,” explains Brivio. “After Brno we did two days testing, and these were extremely important for the final few races. We tried a lot of new things and made some big steps forward with the setting and we got some very important information from our riders, which we hope will help us to remain at a competitive level until the end of the season. “Our number one aim now is to give Valentino the means to stay in the running for the championship title, and then we will see what the situation is in Valencia. We hope that the Brno test has also given Colin plenty of confidence and we hope to see him getting some good results now and ending the season on a high. Sepang and Phillip Island especially are favourite tracks of both riders so hopefully these races will be good to us!” TECHNICALLY SPEAKING: SEPANG ACCORDING TO JEREMY BURGESS Sepang is one of the widest tracks on the calendar, measuring 16 metres across in some areas, and always features high track temperatures in the tropical climate. Races can be won and lost due to the ability of machinery to hold a line during turn-in at several points of hard braking. With four major hairpins and some fast and frequent changes of direction in its 5542m layout, Sepang provides a stern workout for the entire bike set-up and its largely predictable, if demanding, climate makes it the ideal winter testing venue. “With the exception of Brno we have been to some tight and fiddly tracks recently but I would call Sepang a ‘real’ Grand Prix circuit,” explains Jeremy Burgess, Valentino Rossi’s Crew Chief. “Sepang is a great test track because it has a bit of everything from two points that are fast enough for the riders to take in sixth gear to some tight and twisty first gear corners. As far as the corners are concerned there are some you accelerate through, some you stop at, areas where you are braking from high speeds basically every area of the bike gets a workout. “Last year we got caught out on tyres but we put a lot of laps in during the winter tests and over the last couple of races this is an area we have focused on. A good front-end set-up is also crucial at Sepang because there are lots of points where the riders are braking at full lean, so they need full confidence to know that the front won’t tuck. The heat is also an important factor and the rider must be careful not to push the tyres too early.” VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION Age: 27 Lives: London, UK Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 GP victories: 83 (56 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 168 (109 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 42 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: 60 x MotoGP World Championships – 2 World Superbike Sepang Lap Record: Nicky Hayden (Honda) 2005, 2’02.993 Sepang Best Lap: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2005, 2’01.731 2005 Malaysian Grand Prix Results: 1. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati, 43’27.523 2. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Yamaha, +1.999 3. Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati, +2.069 10. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Yamaha, +22.275

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP heads for sweltering Sepang Rizla Suzuki MotoGP gets back into action this coming weekend for round 13 of the MotoGP World Championship at Sepang in Malaysia, the first of three races in successive weekends. John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen will both be looking to get back into the groove again after a tough last race at Brno. Hopkins continued his run of top 10 finishes – that now stretches to seven successive races, his best ever sequence in MotoGP in the Czech Republic and will be looking to keep that run going at Sepang. Hopkins qualified on the front row for last years Malaysian Grand Prix and the Anglo-American star will be looking to at least emulate or improve on that this weekend. The 5.5km Sepang International Circuit is one of Suzuki’s winter test tracks and both riders have completed many laps there. The circuit features two long straights interlinked by a variety of corners including some very fast and testing sweepers. The oppressive heat of Sepang will take its toll on the riders as the high temperatures and humidity will mean that fitness and stamina of the racers is as important as the set-up of the bikes. The Sepang track is situated approximately 50km south of Kuala Lumpur and very near to the International Airport. The track is one of the newest on the MotoGP calendar and has fantastic facilities along with some of the best architecture at any racetrack in the world. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will begin its assault on Friday when it takes to the track for two free practice sessions. This is followed on Saturday by a further free practice session and the hour-long qualifying in the afternoon to determine the all-important grid positions. Sunday’s 21-lap race will get underway at 15.00hrs local time (07.00hrs GMT). Paul Denning Team Manager: “With only one race over the last month and a half it’s great to be getting back into action again, and these three back to back races throw the MotoGP teams right in at the deep end. Sepang is a circuit the riders know well, we know what to expect there in terms of conditions and we should have a good base set-up from where to start the weekend. We struggled a bit at Brno but the race itself saw both riders deliver strong performances and gain in confidence. “John and Chris are extremely fit and should be in the best possible condition for the strength sapping heat of Sepang. John goes particularly well there, and we are hoping for big things from him and Chris over these fly-away races as the tracks should suit the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R and the Bridgestone tyres. Suzuki keeps pushing things forward race by race, and we hope to compete to our full potential over the next three weekends, starting in Malaysia.”

A VERY DEMANDING GRAND PRIX MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX PREVIEW The MotoGP World Championship leaves European soil behind once again this weekend as it heads east for three races in as many weekends. The chase for the title promises to be an exciting affair as five riders stake their claim over the remaining five races, which will take place over the next eight weeks. The season-long battle looks certain to go all the way to the wire. Marco Melandri, who lies fourth in the standings behind Rossi, Pedrosa and Hayden on 161 points, is one of the firm candidates for the most treasured prize in motorcycle sport. MARCO MELANDRI: “Now is the time to take each race as it comes because we are in the final stage of the championship and we have to give our best all the time. I’m happy to be racing in Malaysia – a nice track but one that at the same time is also technical. It is not easy because of the amount of long corners. Sepang is always very hot, with not much grip, and it is easy to crash. The rider’s conditioning is one of the keys to success and from that point of view I feel very confident. My physical preparation is designed specifically for the level of demands you are put under at this track – from supermotard riding to motocross and mountain bikes. We’ve got three very contrasting circuits coming up but I like them all and I can’t wait to get on my RC211V. Last year I arrived in Sepang with 35 stitches in my foot so I wasn’t in the right physical shape. Now I’m feeling confident because we have a good base set-up for the bike which I think can help me be consistent at each of the remaining tracks. Tyre choice at Sepang will be another of the main keys to success.” TONI ELIAS, who rode his RC211V in Malaysia during the winter tests, returns there determined to show his true potential. “The two day test in the Czech Republic was crucial to be able to better analyse the reactions of the bike. We worked a lot on weight distribution under braking and we know we are on the right lines and that the hard work will bear fruit soon. I like Sepang because it is a technical track which has some really hard braking areas hidden amongst .We are working very hard with my team and I hope to get a good result starting from this race”. FOCUS: HIGH TEMPERATURES AND TYRE WEAR High temperatures can be extremely wearing on the physical condition of a MotoGP rider and the case is even more so for the tyres. At a certain point the intense heat begins to reduce grip levels and at a circuit like Sepang the lap times are almost always faster during the morning, when the track registers around 40ºC than in the afternoon, when it can reach as high as 50ºC. In order to tackle the difficulties this presents MICHELIN have come up with a special rubber compound. “Independently of the track temperature each tyre is constructed according to the characteristics of the track,” explains Nicolas Goubert, Michelin’s Director of Motorcycle Racing. “Its layout, the track surface (topology and design), the rider’s style and the machine. These are some of the most important factors to take into account. Track temperature can vary a lot during a single day at Sepang and go from 40ºC in the morning up to 55ºC by the afternoon.” When the tyres begin to go off, that is when the rider can make the difference. “Riding style is crucial to the lifespan of a tyre – especially when temperatures are as high as they are at Sepang, Laguna Seca or Qatar” continues Nicolas Goubert. “Heat reduces grip levels and then it is up to the rider not to slide too much and wear down the tyre – especially in the early stages of a race.” The experience gathered this season at Laguna Seca, where track temperatures soared to around 60ºC, has allowed the Michelin engineers to take another step forward in their analysis of tyre reaction to extreme heat. The experience on the American track could be useful next weekend on the Malaysian track. Heat in numbers 60ºC: Track temperature at Laguna Seca 2006 15°-20°: The lowest temperature recorded this season (during the IRTA tests at Barcelona). 48°: Track temperature during preseason testing at Sepang in 2006. 1,100: The number of tyres being taken to Sepang by Michelin for use over the weekend. SEPANG: CIRCUIT CHARACTERISTICS Inauguration: 1998 Latest modification:1999 Length:5.548 m Width:25 m Pole:left Right corners:10 Left corners:5 Longest straight: 920 m RECORD: Circuit record: 2005 Hayden (Honda) 2’02″993 Pole: 2005 Capirosi (Ducati) 2’01″731 Race 2005: 1st Capirossi (Ducati) 2nd Rossi (Yamaha) 3rd Checa (Ducati)

AMA Superbike Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited Road Atlanta Braselton, Georgia September 3 Provisional Race Results: 1. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), 25 laps 2. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000), -10.499 seconds 3. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), -16.319 seconds 4. Neil Hodgson (Duc 999F06), -16.417 seconds 5. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), -19.454 seconds 6. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), -23.800 seconds 7. Ben Bostrom (Duc 999F06), -31.002 seconds 8. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), -32.789 seconds 9. Tommy Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), -39.401 seconds 10. Jake Holden (Suz GSX-R1000), -40.352 seconds 11. Steve Rapp (Suz GSX-R1000), -40.474 seconds 12. Jason Pridmore (Suz GSX-R1000), -66.692 seconds 13. Matt Lynn (Suz GSX-R1000), -71.945 seconds 14. Jason Curtis (Suz GSX-R1000), -79.652 seconds 15. Eric Wood (Suz GSX-R1000), -79.823 seconds 16. Larry Pegram (Hon CBR1000RR), -80.510 seconds 17. Taylor Knapp (Suz GSX-R1000), -80.679 seconds 18. Gary Mason (Suz GSX-R1000), -80.776 seconds 19. Brian Stokes (Yam YZF-R1), -87.624 seconds 20. Cory West (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap 21. John Haner (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap, 24.590 seconds 22. Scott Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap, 26.867 seconds 23. Scott Carpenter (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap, 63.647 seconds 24. Dean Mizdal (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap, 63.770 seconds 25. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000), DNS 26. Roberto Pietri (Suz GSX-R1000), DNS 27. Marty Craggill (Suz GSX-R1000), DNS Provisional AMA Superbike Championship Point Standings (After 18 of 19 races): 1. Spies, 625 points 2. Mladin, 605 points (-20 points) 3. Duhamel, 496 points 4. Yates, 451 points 5. Hodgson, 440 points 6. Tommy Hayden, 430 points 7. Zemke, 424 points 8. Pridmore, 374 points 9. Ben Bostrom, 364 points 10. Pegram, 331 points More, from a press release issued by American Suzuki: Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mladin, Spies & Yates Dominate Suzuki Superbike Showdown at Road Atlanta –Next round, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, Sept. 29 Oct. 1, 2006– Round 10 AMA Superbike Series Braselton, GA Road Atlanta Sept. 1 – 3, 2006 In what looked like a repeat performance from Saturday, Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin, Ben Spies and Aaron Yates brought home first, second and third place, respectively, in the second AMA Superbike race of the Road Atlanta double-header weekend in Braselton, Ga. This race marks Mladin’s 50th Superbike career victory and his seventh win of the season, while Spies’ second-place finish means he leads the points chase going into the final round of AMA Superbike at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, at the end of the month. In Sunday’s 25-lap race, Spies nailed the start and took the lead immediately. In spite of his injured hand, the young Texan began gapping the field. Mladin got off the line a little farther back, but worked his way up to Spies quickly. The teammates swapped spots and Mladin took over the lead, and both held their respective positions until the race’s end. “I have to thank my Yoshimura Suzuki guys because we got some things sorted out with the GSX-R1000 a few weeks ago,” said six-time AMA Superbike Champion Mladin. “We came on strong at the end of the year and now I’m looking forward to next year. Getting a kick in the pants from Ben has lit a fire under me. I won’t make it so easy for him next year.” After Spies’ results this weekend, he only needs to finish 13th or better to wrap up the 2006 AMA Superbike Championship. “We definitely weren’t going to try to run Mat’s pace today,” said Spies. “But we did what we had to do. I ran at my pace and when he came up behind me, I let him go by and kept a decent gap on third place. The weekend went exactly the way I’d hoped. Now we just need to go to Mid-Ohio and ride around and hopefully seal this thing.” Meanwhile, Yates got away in sixth place and used almost all 25 laps to work his way up into a podium spot. Indeed, a daring last-lap pass gave Yates his third-place finish and Yoshimura Suzuki its second Superbike sweep of the weekend. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to make the pass for third place,” said Yates. “But I just kept my head down, and kept pushing. Being from Georgia, I wanted to represent all the Georgia folks at a Georgia track. Nothing is better than having three Suzukis on the podium on a Suzuki weekend.” Mat Mladin, Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, #1 1st Place AMA Superbike 2nd Place — Overall Championship Points Standings Ben Spies, Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, #11 2nd Place AMA Superbike 1st Place — Overall Championship Points Standings Aaron Yates, Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, #20 3rd Place AMA Superbike 4th Place — Overall Championship Points Standings More, from a press release issued on behalf of Dunlop: Dunlop Motorcycle Tires Race Report: 2006 AMA Superbike Series, Round 10, Road Atlanta Braselton, Ga. Yoshimura Suzuki’s six-time national champion Mat Mladin took both Superbike wins””the 49th and 50th of his career””and Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s Jamie Hacking captured the Superstock title at round 10 of the 2006 AMA Superbike Series at Road Atlanta, September 1-3. Hacking also snared the Supersport win after locking down that class title two weeks ago and, with just one round remaining, Erion Racing Honda’s Josh Hayes stormed to the Formula Xtreme victory and the series lead. For Dunlop teams it was a very successful weekend as 44 of 50 riders competing in the weekend’s five competitions took the top ten finishing positions. A capacity crowd enjoyed the Superbike doubleheader weekend at one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious road racing venues. While Georgia’s ever-present humidity reminded the racers and attendees alike that Labor Day weekend is just the halfway point in the region’s summer, the temperatures were mercifully moderate as clouds frequently shielded the 2.54 mile, 12-turn course from the sun. Road Atlanta is a “right-hand” circuit that generates significant heat in the right side of the rear tire, particularly after finishing the back straight. The surface is aging and bumpy in places and, due to the concrete patches in some turns, surface traction can be inconsistent. With track temperatures rising and falling under the scattered cloud cover, the racing teams played a guessing game with tire selections. Fortunately, Dunlop””prepared for every contingency””brought approximately 2100 tires to support the factory teams and support riders in Superbike, Superstock, Supersport and Formula Xtreme. Superbike Race One – Saturday Entering the penultimate round of the Superbike series, Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies has shown that he has the goods to earn his first Superbike championship””particularly after his gutsy performance at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) two weeks ago when he broke his hand. Teammate Mladin cut deeply into his lead with two VIR wins but Spies still managed to post 2-4 finishes and, coming into the Road Atlanta weekend, only 29 points separated the pair. A mistake by Spies was all that it would take to open the door for Mladin. Friday’s provisional qualifying round went to Mladin, but on Saturday Spies fought back in the second qualifying session and took the pole””and the point that goes with it””with a time of 1:21.685. In the race, Honda Racing’s Miguel Duhamel took the early lead but by lap two Spies was around him and into the lead. Mladin started off in fifth but, in trademark fashion, worked his way through the pack and by lap five he was around Spies as well. From that point Mladin opened up a gap on his GSX-R1000 and he was never headed, taking the win by 5.090 seconds over Spies. Teammate Aaron Yates was third after a spirited battle with Duhamel, assuring a Suzuki sweep of the podium. “The Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 was running great, the Dunlop tires were working well,” said Mladin of his third consecutive win. “All we can do is go and try and win some races and see if we can keep the pressure on a little bit.” The gap from Mladin to the first non-Dunlop rider across the line was more than 1 minute, 16 seconds as the first 10 riders to finish rode on Dunlop tires. Superbike Race Results, Saturday: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Mat Mladin – Suzuki 2. Ben Spies – Suzuki 3. Aaron Yates – Suzuki 4. Miguel Duhamel – Honda 5. Neil Hodgson – Ducati 6. Jake Zemke – Honda 7. Tommy Hayden Kawasaki 8. Steve Rapp – Suzuki 9. Jason Pridmore – Suzuki 10. Jake Holden – Suzuki Formula Xtreme Race – Saturday The most closely contested series of the year has pitted the CBR600RRs of Erion Racing Honda against the Graves Motorsports Yamaha-tuned YZF-R6s. Coming into this round only three points separated Graves Yamaha’s Eric Bostrom, the series leader, from his teammate Jason DiSalvo and Erion Honda’s Josh Hayes. Hayes, who has only won one competition this year but finished second on five occasions, was the first to draw blood with a scorching pole time of 1:24.430″”the only class this weekend to establish a new pole record. And it was Hayes who took the race lead from the start. Throughout the 15-lap affair Bostrom was tantalizingly close but he could never line up a pass. Hayes’ course mastery resulted in the win, a scant .823 seconds over Bostrom, with DiSalvo taking third. “I’ve had some great races and some close ones here,” said Hayes. “After all these years it’s finally good to get one in front of all my fans and all my friends from back home,” the Gulfport, Mississippi native continued. “They (Dunlop) basically brought four race tires for us to race, and I think you could’ve won on any of them. It’s neat that everyone on the podium was probably on a different race tire. Dunlop’s been stepping it up for us.” Hayes collected the maximum points possible for the weekend and takes over the series lead by three points over Bostrom, 321 to 318. DiSalvo remains within striking distance with 313 points and one round remaining. Dunlop riders turned in another dominant performance with eight of the top 10 finishers sporting the Flying D chevron. Formula Xtreme Results: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Josh Hayes (Honda) 2. Eric Bostrom (Yamaha) 3. Jason DiSalvo (Yamaha) 4. Aaron Gobert (Honda) 6. Ryan Andrews (Honda) 7. Ty Howard (Honda) 8. Eric Wood (Honda) 10. Tony Meiring (Suzuki) Superstock Race – Sunday Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s Jamie Hacking is having the season of his life. The 34-year old North Carolinian locked up the Supersport title at VIR and he came to Road Atlanta needing to win by six points or more over Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates to add the Superstock trophy to his mantle. Hacking lined up on the starting grid in second position with teammates Eric Bostrom (who took the pole) on one shoulder and Jason DiSalvo on the other. When the green flag dropped, it was Hacking who took the holeshot, followed closely by Bostrom, Erion Racing’s Josh Hayes and DiSalvo. Hacking never gave up the lead despite constant pressure from Bostrom all the way to the checkered flag. He took the win by .225 seconds, with third going to DiSalvo to complete Yamaha’s second consecutive podium sweep. “First of all I have to thank my crew,” said Hacking of Yamaha’s third class title. “The Graves Yamaha R1 guys did one heckuva job all season long getting this bike just the way I like it”¦ Last of all but not least, Dunlop Tires. I If I hadn’t had Dunlop Tires beneath me I couldn’t have run that race pace like I did.” Hacking becomes only the second rider to win both the Supersport and Superstock classes in one year””Doug Polen did it in 1988. With one round remaining, Hacking leads the class by an insurmountable 45 points over Yates with DiSalvo third (315 to 306 to 281, respectively). In typical Dunlop fashion, all but one of the top 10 riders rode on Dunlop tires. Superstock Results: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Jamie Hacking – Yamaha 2. Eric Bostrom – Yamaha 3. Jason DiSalvo – Yamaha 4. Josh Hayes – Honda 5. Steve Rapp – Suzuki 6. Jake Holden – Suzuki 7. Aaron Yates – Suzuki 8. Aaron Gobert – Honda 10. Damon Buckmaster – Kawasaki Supersport Race – Sunday As if to prove he will never let up, Hacking quickly suited up for the 600cc Supersport competition and proceeded to walk away with that victory as well. After trailing M4 Emgo Suzuki’s Michael Barnes briefly, Hacking surged into the lead on his factory Yamaha YZF-R6 and dueled for half of the 15-lap event with Kawasaki Road Racing’s Roger Lee Hayden. Hayden faded and eventually succumbed to a mechanical failure on lap 13, leaving Hacking firmly in control. He crossed the finish line 5.374 seconds ahead of M4’s Geoff May and Barnes was third. “I do love winning,” said an ebullient Hacking after winning his sixth race in row. “Yamaha has given me some top-of-the-class equipment right now and that’s what it takes. My bike runs unbelievably and handles like there’s no tomorrow. It was another great weekend for us.” Dunlop riders represented seven of the top 10 finishers and in the race for the series runner up, May leads MPT Performance’s Danny Eslick by two points, 233 to 231, while Attack Kawasaki’s Ben Attard is fourth with 225. Supersport Results: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Jamie Hacking – Yamaha 4. Danny Eslick – Suzuki 5. Ben Attard – Kawasaki 6. Damon Buckmaster – Kawasaki 7. Blake Young – Suzuki 9. Josh Herrin – Yamaha 10. Tony Meiring – Suzuki Superbike Race Two – Sunday The final race of the weekend was the second Superbike event and the result was a carbon copy of the first: a podium sweep for Suzuki led by Mladin, then Spies and Yates. Spies led early while Mladin worked his way forward from sixth position. By lap six he was in front for good while Spies settled into second. Mladin’s winning margin was 10.499 seconds over Spies while Yates clawed his way forward to rob Parts Unlimited Ducati’s Neal Hodgson of the final podium spot by just .099 seconds with a dramatic last-turn pass at the line. “It’s a shame it’s a little bit too late in the year, but I’ve got to thank my guys,” said Mladin. “We got some stuff sorted our a few weeks ago and we’ve had some really good races, really just trying to push hard and see what we could get out of everything. We tried a bit of a different tire today to see how it would go and it worked very well.” Despite sweeping the historic venue for the third time in his Superbike career (2000, 2004 and now 2006), Mladin still trails Spies for the championship by 20 points (625 vs. 605) going into the final round, where Spies only needs to finish 13th or better to secure the championship. Duhamel is third with 496 points. Overall the contest was another crowning achievement for Dunlop, whose riders took the top 12 finishing positions. Superbike Race Results, Sunday: Dunlop finishers in the Top 10 1. Mat Mladin – Suzuki 2. Ben Spies – Suzuki 3. Aaron Yates – Suzuki 4. Neil Hodgson – Ducati 5. Miguel Duhamel – Honda 6. Roger Lee Hayden – Kawasaki 7. Ben Bostrom – Ducati 8. Jake Zemke – Honda 9. Tommy Hayden – Kawasaki 10. Jake Holden – Suzuki Next stop for Dunlop and the 2006 AMA Superbike road racing tour is Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio, September 29 October 1. More, from a press release issued by Honda: American Honda Secures Third in AMA Superbike Championship American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel was guaranteed a third place finish in the 2006 AMA Superbike Championship, despite a frustrating weekend at Road Atlanta, site of the penultimate round of the championship. Saturday was the stronger of the two days for Duhamel. He led the first lap, ran second on the second lap, then settled into third for the duration. It was only on the 24th of 25 laps that he lost the spot to Aaron Yates, the Suzuki rider drafting pass on the long back straight. Duhamel countered with a strong move into the hard braking turn ten, but couldn’t find his away past the Georgian. The difference at the flag was .533 seconds. “I was frustrated,” Duhamel said. “After that race I was like, man, I let one get away.” Duhamel was determined not to let it happen again on Sunday. Again he started well and slotted into third, but was dropped to fourth on the 11th of 25 laps. Yates came past four laps later and, soon after, a lapped rider cost Duhamel any hope of keeping up with the lead pack. “That eight-tenths of a second, or whatever it cost me-I did a 26-something (1:26.084)-that was the difference between me getting back to those guys at the end of the race and getting a shot at third again,” Duhamel said. “So that was very frustrating, but at least at the end I found myself again.” With only the final round of the championship remaining, at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in a month’s time, Duhamel is an unassailable third in the championship. Teammate Jake Zemke spent the weekend trying to find a good set-up, not only for the race, but also for next season. Zemke and Duhamel both struggled with rear grip problems on Saturday, the result of the suspension overworking the tire, and had more success on Sunday. On Saturday Zemke was sixth and he came eighth on Sunday, but in a spectacular way. Zemke was smoking the rear tire of his American Honda CBR1000RR to keep up with the leaders. But eventually he wore the tire out and Zemke’s forward march was slowed. “Every time we’ve gone out on the track we’ve had a completely different motorcycle, just trying to find some answers for next year,” Zemke said. “We kind of did the same thing we did at the last race, just kind of said, ‘Alright, look, we need to figure out our stuff sooner than later and let’s not worry too, too much about our results and try and get the bike figured out.” The podium was identical both days, with Mat Mladin leading Suzuki teammates Ben Spies and Aaron Yates. Miguel Duhamel 4th/5th Saturday It was a really good result considering I overheated the rear tire and it chunked with 12 laps to go, like almost at mid-race. And the whole time I was thinking, ‘Should I just come in and change the tire.’ It went through my mind to point to the team and show them the tire. Even with the chunked tire I think my bike would’ve been good enough to get third. I made a little mistake in the chicane, which I was struggling a bit and (Yates) got away there and I just couldn’t get close enough to make a safe pass again, so Aaron got third. Sunday Today we tried a different set-up, tried to get more grip, made the bike a little shorter. We used the same tire, shaved down a little bit to help with the heat. The grip wasn’t as good as yesterday because of the shaving down, obviously, but at least it didn’t overheat. And I spun it ten times more than yesterday. I tried really hard to stay with the Suzuki for a while. I was kind of enthused about that, because I was staying with Mat (Mladin) and Ben (Spies). Nobody had nothing for Mat. But I was going ‘Wow, I might get Ben.’ Next thing you know I think I got caught by Neil (Hodgson) and Neil got by me and then (Aaron) Yates got by me and I was just trying to get used to the new set-up. It had different strengths and I had to try to find them before the end of the race and I found them about halfway. Jake Zemke 6th/8th Saturday We lacked grip quite a bit; most of the guys did. Everybody, I think, was kind of in the same boat. But being that we were searching around for a set-up, I think ours was a little bit worse and our bikes don’t make funny sounds (of traction control) coming off the corners and that doesn’t seem to help us at all either. Especially on a track like this where it’s pretty slippery. It’s definitely an advantage here. And when everybody you’re racing against, you can hear their bikes make funny noises, it’s a little tough. Sunday I got a little bit better start today for sure. At least I could see the front for a while. But the same thing; the bike was so different. The first time I rode it was the first lap of the race, basically. It was good until the tire started to drop off a little bit, after about eight laps, and then after that it was all downhill. We could run at a fairly good pace, at least for the guys fighting for third, but we couldn’t sustain that pace. We were definitely working the tire, but if I back off enough for the thing to have grip and not have it out of line, to keep the wheels in line, the guys just drive away from me. It’s the only way I could even keep up to where I was, to do what I was doing. Sunday Superbike: 1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 2. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 3. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 4. Neil Hodgson (Ducati) 5. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 6. Roger Lee Hayden (Kawasaki) 7. Ben Bostrom (Ducati) 8. Jake Zemke (Honda) 9. Tommy Hayden (Kawasaki) 10. Jake Holden (Suzuki) Saturday Superbike: 1. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 2. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 3. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 4. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 5. Neil Hodgson (Ducati) 6. Jake Zemke (Honda) 7. Tommy Hayden (Kawasaki) 8. Steve Rapp (Suzuki) 9. Jason Pridmore (Suzuki) 10. Jake Holden (Suzuki) Championship Standings: 1. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 625 2. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 605 3. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 496 4. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 451 5. Neil Hodgson (Ducati) 440 6. Tommy Hayden (Kawasaki) 430 7. Jake Zemke (Honda) 424 8. Jason Pridmore (Suzuki) 374 9. Ben Bostrom (Ducati) 364 10. Larry Pegram (Honda) 331

Pro Honda Oils AMA Supersport Championship Presented by Shoei Road Atlanta Braselton, Georgia September 3, 2006 Provisional Race Results: 1. Jamie Hacking (Yam YZF-R6), 15 laps 2. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R600), -5.374 seconds 3. Michael Barnes (Suz GSX-R600), -6.998 seconds 4. Danny Eslick (Suz GSX-R600), -18.801 seconds 5. Ben Attard (Kaw ZX-6RR), -22.232 seconds 6. Damon Buckmaster (Kaw ZX-6RR), -22.421 seconds 7. Blake Young (Suz GSX-R600), -31.618 seconds 8. Michael Beck (Yam YZF-R6), -34.990 seconds 9. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6), -35.055 seconds 10. Tony Meiring (Suz GSX-R600), -40.167 seconds 11. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600), -40.429 seconds 12. Taylor Knapp (Suz GSX-R600), -44.362 seconds 13. Garrett Carter (Yam YZF-R6), -54.597 seconds 14. Akira Tamitsuji (Suz GSX-R600), -59.138 seconds 15. Barrett Long (Yam YZF-R6), -59.464 seconds 16. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R600), -61.700 seconds 17. Brandon Parrish (Suz GSX-R600), -61.710 seconds 18. Shea Fouchek (Suz GSX-R600), -62.017 seconds 19. Keith Marshall (Suz GSX-R600), -71.338 seconds 20. Tripp Nobles (Kaw ZX-6RR), -82.935 seconds 21. Telly Steimel (Suz GSX-R600), -83.918 seconds 22. Ryan Clay (Yam YZF-R6), -85.856 seconds 23. Chris Siebenhaar (Suz GSX-R600), -90.116 seconds 24. Skip Salenius (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap 25. Dirk Sanchez (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 0.399 second 26. Michael Morgan (Suz GSX-R600), -1 lap, 18.448 seconds 27. Johnny Rock Page (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap, 30.808 seconds 28. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-6RR), -3 laps, DNF, mechanical 29. Gustavo Laya (Kaw ZX-6RR), -4 laps, DNF 30. Scott Ryan (Yam YZF-R6), -8 laps, DNF 31. Daniel Parkerson (Suz GSX-R600), -9 laps, DNF 32. Josh Day (Yam YZF-R6), -15 laps, DNF Provisional AMA Supersport Championship Point Standings (after 10 of 11 races): 1. Hacking, 332 points 2. May, 233 points 3. Eslick, 231 points 4. Attard, 225 points 5. Barnes, 220 points 6. Young, 204 points 7. Roger Hayden, 200 points 8. Meiring, 175 points 9. Beck, 153 points 10. Buckmaster, 152 points 11. Herrin, 121 points 12. Chris “Opie” Caylor, 107 points 13. Ben Spies, 106 points 14. Jeff Tigert, 97 points 15. TIE, Carter/Alastair Seeley, 90 points 17. Long, 88 points 18. Fouchek, 86 points 19. Ryan Elleby, 80 points 20. Tyler McDonald, 74 points More, from a press release issued on behalf of Pirelli: Pirelli and M4 EMGO Suzuki Win Two AMA Supersport Podium Positions At Road Atlanta, Geoff May and Michael Barnes posted the M4 EMGO Suzuki team’s third double podium for the AMA Supersport season, showing that Diablo has once again badly bruised Goliath. The Pirelli Diablo, that is. Sunday started with teammates Geoff May and Michael Barnes taking the AMA Supersport field to church during Sunday morning practice at Road Atlanta, Georgia. The two M4 EMGO Suzuki riders, with their Pirelli SuperCorsa Pros on their Suzuki GSX-R600s, set the second and fourth fastest times, showing consistency with their front-row grid positions earned in yesterday’s qualifying. Meanwhile, Graves Motorsports-sponsored Michael Beck rode his Pirelli-shod Yamaha YZF-R6 to ninth fastest. The young rider found more speed each time he was on track. In the Supersport race, Barnes nailed the holeshot, leading the field for more than a lap. May was held up a few positions at the start but soon ran down the battle for the lead, joining Barnes and eventual race-winner Jamie Hacking. By race’s end, the top three had cleared the rest of the field, with fourth place a full 11 seconds adrift. Joining May and Barnes in the top ten was Michael Beck, finishing an incredible eighth on Pirellis. May is now second in Supersport points with one round remaining, and this was his third second-place finish and fourth Supersport podium for the season. Barnes is fifth in points and this was his fifth podium in Supersport in 2006. In Sunday’s AMA Superstock race at Road Atlanta, Geoff May, on his M4 EMGO Suzuki GSX-R1000, finished ninth, while Millennium KWS Suzuki GSX-R1000 rider John Haner was 11th, and RoadRacingWorld.com sponsored Chris Ulrich was 14th. May is now fourth in Superstock points, with Ulrich sitting one single point from the top ten. In Sunday’s Superbike Race Two, Millennium KWS Suzuki privateer racer Matt Lynn finished 13th on his Pirelli Diablo Superbike Slicks. Lynn is now 15th in AMA Superbike points, on his Superstock-spec Suzuki. More, from a press release issued by American Suzuki: Suzuki Privateer Danny Eslick Pilots Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R600 to Top-Five Finish –Next round, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, Sept. 29 Oct. 1, 2006– Round 10 AMA Supersport Braselton, GA Road Atlanta Sept. 1 – 3, 2006 Substituting for injured factory-rider Ben Spies, Matsushima Performance Suzuki rider Danny Eslick rode the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R600 to an impressive fourth-place finish in Sunday afternoon’s AMA 600 Supersport race at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga. In Saturday’s qualifying, 20-year-old Eslick had a strong showing with a fastest lap time of 1:26.873. This posting was good enough for fifth position on the starting grid. “I would have liked to get on the front row, but I made a couple of mistakes and that cost me a little bit,” said Eslick. “Qualifying is important but it’s not the race. I think we have what it takes to get a good start in the race and if we can do that, then it should be pretty good.” The 15-lap race saw Eslick get a good launch off the line and settle into fifth place. The young Oklahoma rider put his head down and rode a consistent and smooth race and finished up in fourth position. “I got a good start from the second row on my Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R600,” said Eslick about his first ride on a factory bike. “It was a little hectic going into the first turn but everybody settled down after that. The leaders set a good pace but I wasn’t quite comfortable running that pace today. I might tear up Ben Spies’ bike and they might not let me ride it again! I didn’t want to do anything crazy; I just wanted to bring home a good finish for Yoshimura Suzuki.” Danny Eslick, Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R600, #69 4th Place AMA Supersport 3rd Place Overall