Leo Vince/Pegram Racing Honda’s Ryan Elleby will not race in the Pro Honda Oils AMA Supersport or Lockhart Phillips USA AMA Formula Xtreme events at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) due to an injury suffered in a crash during promoter practice Thursday. Elleby was riding his CBR600RR when he crashed in turn three, a medium-fast left-hander. It was an ordinary lowside crash, but Elleby broke a bone in his left hand. Initially, Elleby planned to have his father, a physician, numb the hand so he could continue riding, but an examination of the hand at a local hospital revealed the fractured bone could become displaced and require surgery if he continued to use it. On top of that, the hand swelled up so much Elleby could not close it. Elleby told Roadracingworld.com Friday morning that he planned to return to his home and seek the care of a hand specialist his father knows and try to come back for the next AMA event, at Road Atlanta. Elleby is currently 12th in Formula Xtreme points and 15th in the Supersport Championship in his rookie AMA season.

FIM 125cc World Championship Brno, Czech Republic August 18 Provisional Qualifying Results: 1. Lukas PESEK (Derbi), 2:08.810 2. Alvaro BAUTISTA (Aprilia), 2:08.853 3. Mika KALLIO (KTM), 2:09.176 4. Mattia PASINI (Aprilia), 2:09.276 5. Julian SIMON (KTM), 2:10.035 6. Gabor TALMACSI (Honda), 2:10.058 7. Fabrizio LAI (Honda), 2:10.183 8. Nicolas TEROL (Derbi), 2:10.258 9. Pablo NIETO (Aprilia), 2:10.660 10. Hector FAUBEL (Aprilia), 2:10.696

Suzuki Castrol, Yamaha Austria Finale World Endurance Championship Still Open Despite Suzuki Castrol winning the Oschersleben 24 Hour round of the FIM World Endurance Championship last weekend, the title will not be decided until the final round of the series next month. Yamaha Austria pursued Suzuki Castrol through the night to finish the race in second place and to hold Suzuki Castrol’s championship lead to just 28 points. With 35 points available to the winner at the Bol d’Or season finale, the slightest slip by the Suzuki team will see the Austrians win the World Endurance Championship for the first time. Yamaha Phase One Endurance still have a slim chance of finishing the year in second place, but their toughest battle will be to defend the third place that they currently hold. After an 18 hour long battle with Bolliger Team Kawasaki at Oschersleben the two teams are just 13 points apart, with Team Fagersjo-el.se Suzuki also still in a position to challenge to for third. Diablo 666 Bolliger Kawasaki move from 8th to 6th place in the championship, and German team RMT21 Racing Honda have moved up to 7th in the championship after finishing in 7th place at Oschersleben. The final round of the FIM World Endurance Championship is the Bol d’Or at Magny Cours in France on the 16th and 17th of September. FIM World Endurance Championship Standings after 6 Races 1. Suzuki Castrol Team (Suz GSX-R1000), 150 points 2. Yamaha Austria Racing Team (Yam YZF-R1), 122 points 3. Yamaha Phase One Endurance (Yam YZF-R1), 89 points 4. Bolliger Team Switzerland Kawasaki (Kaw ZX-10R), 76 points 5. Team Fagersjo-el Suzuki (Suz GSX-R1000), 68 points 6. Diablo 666 Bolliger Kawasaki (Kaw ZX-10R), 40 points 7. RMT 21 Racing Honda (Hon CBR1000RR), 36 points 8. National Motos Honda (Hon CBR1000RR), 35 points 9. Team Endurance Moto 45 Suzuki (Suz GSX-R1000), 29 points 10. Shell Endurance Academy Yamaha (Yam YZF-R1), 27 points

FIM MotoGP World Championship Brno, Czech Republic August 18 Friday Morning Practice Results: 1. Nicky HAYDEN (Hon RC211V), 1:59.387, Michelin 2. Valentino ROSSI (Yam YZR-M1), 1:59.434, Michelin 3. Marco MELANDRI (Hon RC211V), 1:59.529, Michelin 4. Kenny Lee ROBERTS (Hon KR211V), 1:59.600, Michelin 5. Dani PEDROSA (Hon RC211V), 1:59.675, Michelin 6. Casey STONER (Hon RC211V), 1:59.731, Michelin 7. Shinya NAKANO (Kaw ZX-RR), 1:59.871, Bridgestone 8. Toni ELIAS (Hon RC211V), 1:59.893, Michelin 9. Colin EDWARDS (Yam YZR-M1), 2:00.107, Michelin 10. Loris CAPIROSSI (Duc GP06), 2:00.110, Bridgestone 11. John HOPKINS (Suz GSV-R), 2:00.226, Bridgestone 12. Randy DE PUNIET (Kaw ZX-RR), 2:00.266, Bridgestone 13. Carlos CHECA (Yam YZR-M1), 2:00.515, Dunlop 14. Makoto TAMADA (Hon RC211V), 2:00.529, Michelin 15. Alex HOFMANN (Duc GP06), 2:00.687, Bridgestone 16. Chris VERMEULEN (Suz GSV-R), 2:01.074, Bridgestone 17. James ELLISON (Yam YZR-M1), 2:03.114, Dunlop 18. Jose Luis CARDOSO (Duc GP05), 2:03.408, Dunlop 19. Ivan SILVA (Duc GP05), 2:05.588, Dunlop

FIRST PERSON/OPINION: Via e-mail: The whole Red Bull thing is something that plays on the hearts of every parent of a young racer. My son, Peter Lenz, is just now transitioning from pocketbike racing to racing a NSR50 in MiniGP races. We were lucky enough to have the opportunity through his pocketbike team (BMS Factory Racing) to take a trip to France and Spain this past March. It was our first trip to Europe, we learned a few things, the hard way. The most financially insightful was those bits of information related to airline baggage. Most US carriers allow each passenger two pieces of checked luggage. Each one of these pieces can weigh up to 50 lbs., for a total passenger allowance of 100 lbs (45 kg). Most Europeans carriers don’t come close to this limit. As an example RyanAir only has a total passenger allowance of 15 kg (33 lbs). That is only a third of the allowance of a typical US carrier like United Airlines. Ready for the real kicker? RyanAir charges eight Euros for each kg over the weight limit. Eight Euros multiplied by the 30 kg difference in checked luggage allowance equals”¦ a heck of a lot of money to be surprised with at check in… 240 Euros to be exact. Multiply that by four passengers and you have a 960 Euro ($1,165) bill handed to you at check in. Keep in mind RyanAir is a jumper airline. This bill we were handed was for a 2 hour flight from France to the UK. We were lucky enough that we were able to hand off some of our baggage to a local contact that agreed to ship it for us. Unfortunately even after handing some of the baggage off we were still stuck with a 400 Euro ($485) overweight luggage bill. It was a costly education on airline baggage policies, now we know. As with every adventure there are lessons to take from it all. No matter what don’t exceed 15 kg of checked baggage if you are going to use a secondary carrier. Be aware that most airline’s liability limit is a joke and won’t even pay for a good riding suit. Consider spreading the gear across passengers to minimize value of a single passenger’s bags. Though we paid our own way to get there, we were guests of the BMS factory in France and over the two weeks, we racked up a $4100 bill. As Fernando Peris mentioned, we didn’t know where the boys stacked up in comparision, and the only way we found out was to make a trip. It would have been nice for someone to put together a ‘thing you should know before heading to Spain’…it would have saved us at least $485. We have four years until he is old enough to even do the Red Bull event. At least next time we will pack properly and not walk in blind. The last thing we learned was most important, those European pocketbikers are fast but not untouchable. Michael Lenz Father of Peter Lenz (~http://peterlenz.com~) 2006 CMA Canadian National Pocketbike Champion Vancouver, Washington FIRST PERSON/OPINION: Via e-mail: Opinion: Red Bull Rookies Cup A Bad Deal For American Kids While some of these kids have racing experience, many of them have little or none. How can they expect to go to Spain and compete against riders who have been riding 125s extensively? If a young racer has potential he will be noticed here in the United States. Several of our racers have been fortunate to move up into the Pro Ranks such as John Hopkins, Josh Herrin, Jason Perez, Michael Beck, Chris Ulrich and the list goes on and on. The initial $5000+ cost is only the beginning. What happens if and I say if you’re chosen? Who is going to pay for going to school while racing in Europe, who is going to chaperone you while you’re there, who is going to pay for all the other expenses associated with this program? Since I don’t believe any American riders will be selected over the Europeans, my suggestion is stay home, use that $5000 to hone your racing skills and gradually move up. If you’re good you will get noticed. Al Lyons, President CMRRA (~http://www.racecmrra.com~) Lake Elsinore, California FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: I know how you feel about the U.S. kids going to Spain. Thanks for looking out for us. Hopefully someone at Red Bull U.S. can help. I contacted them last week. They said someone would be in touch, but I haven’t heard back yet. I understand what you’re saying and it all makes sense. It is a bit disturbing that we were invited not knowing what the kids were being accepted for, under what criteria, etc. We’re also going over there not knowing what they’ll be looking for. The kids are going to see a whole new level of riding, that’s for sure. Is this a push in the pants that’s needed to get some companies motivated to put together a U.S. series for kids? It would be nice to see and I think it’s needed so we can stop saying that the Europeans are ahead of us. For years there hasn’t been anything like this here and now that we’re invited to go over there to participate, people want to talk reality and say we’re not prepared. That’s not good for any kids confidence if they’re reading these claims (true or not). What would it take to have someone put a U.S. Jr. series together”¦not just a series to run and compete every few weeks, but a series that’s about kids and helping with their development, etc. We can’t keep saying that we’re going to get our asses handed to us by the Spanish kids and do nothing about it. I can’t keep quiet about this anymore”¦”¦I have to question Red Bull USA’s involvement in this as well. Are they going to be looking out for every U.S. rider’s benefit, or is it already determined what is going happen? I know of a very talented 13-year-old who missed the cut off by one month, so he wasn’t even able to apply. The Red Bull website wouldn’t even let him continue filling out the application because of his birth month, but I know for sure someone who’s younger got accepted and is going”¦so did they lie or are they connected and just going? Who’s going to be paying attention and verifying everyone’s credentials? It’s not fair if someone got accepted because of who they are affiliated with. I know this happens all of the time, but this is just another example of how this needs to be better laid out. This same team also was saying that no other U.S. kid should even apply because their kid was already chosen for the U.S. spot. I wonder what we’re walking into”¦..Your opinion on what should be done would be greatly appreciated. But, it’s too late”¦I’ve already paid for the tickets”¦ Jeremy Pupillo Liverpool, New York USGPRU (~http://www.usgpru.net~) already has a very competitive racing series for 125cc Grand Prix racebikes, and Roadracingworld.com is one of the series sponsors. What USGPRU needs now is to solve the last-minute insurance problem that prevents kids under age 16 from competing in USGPRU races held in conjunction with CCS races; younger kids can compete in USGPRU races held in conjunction with other events, including the AMA Sports Grand Nationals scheduled for next month at Mid-Ohio and the USGPRU finals at Miller Motorsports Park. And any future Rookie Cup program should involve existing racing organizations in the U.S., including USGPRU. In the meantime, the best advice for a young racer is, compete on as many different tracks as possible, as often as possible, whether it is with USGPRU, CMRRA, WERA, OMRRA or another organization in your area…John Ulrich, Roadracing World. FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: I travelled with Young Gun – Garrett Carter in spring of 2005 to Spain to watch him compete in the Spanish National Series for 125 GP. His father had broken the bank to make sure his son had a fighting chance in the series getting the best team he could with his budget. The race I was at – his spanish “pro” teammate qualified in second of a group of almost 70 riders. At the time Garrett was the national – or on his way to – national USGPRU 250 and 125 Champion. In Spain, Garrett could only manage to qualify in the last 10 positions of that group and never made the A race – having to race the B race throughout most of the year. His other young teammates from England – all accomplished winners – also had an equally difficult time even making the A race. While the young spanish rider – with some MotoGP wildcard rides in 125GP was top five – and riding on the same team. This gives you an indication of the incredible depth of talent that exists in europe – especially the 125 class that regularly draws more media and sponsors than our AMA Superbike classes. Garrett has gone on to start posting incredibly good finishes and qualifying in AMA Supersport and FX this year. A testament to the obvious talent and ability we all saw in him early. With some interest from major teams he looks set to make the step to pro rider. It is hard to say whether his spanish experience added to his racing future. I will say that after running at the front of the best 125 GP and 250 GP series in the US only to languish in the last few positions of the spanish series was incredibly tough – tough for even the strongest of competitors. Especially for someone so young. Enough to end a career – easily. Getting lapped teaches you nothing – racing for position is invaluable. In Garrett’s defense he never gave up and had nowhere to go with the USGPRU in North America. He was a bit too young to be thrown on a Supersport so it did seem like the best decision at the time. The Red Bull program looks to be a good one and Red Bull seems to be on the up and up. However; I would suggest that money would be better spent getting your kid on a bike – the more the better. If Garrett had spent a full year on a Supersport bike – and spent some of that money on building up a bike and getting a few more sets of tires per weekend – he might possibly be in a better chance to get even further ahead of the factory team riders he is regularly passing now. Hindsight is worth… My advice is to spend the money at home and get your kids on a bike – the more the better and the more diverse the better – super motard, moto, dirt track and even trials. Get them riding all the time and the talent will shine through. The fragile and intangible aspects of a young psyche are best protected at this age and when they are ready they will be ready. Dean de St. Croix Toronto, Canada FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: We’ve recently read your opinion article about the Red Bull Rookies Cup project on roadracingworld.com and would like to take the opportunity to thank you for your positive criticism. Since the Red Bull Rookies Cup still is a young project, all constructive comments are truly welcome. Thus, please be sure that we will take your arguments to heart and attempt to improve things for the future. With best regards from Austria, Heidi Ramsauer Red Bull GmbH Motorsports Fuschl am See, Austria

The Camel Yamaha team return from a three-week holiday next weekend to tackle the first of a final spell of six races that will determine whether reigning MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi can turn around his fortunes and make a sixth consecutive defence of the title he has held since 2001. The Czech Republic Grand Prix takes place at the legendary circuit of Brno, located just over 200 kilometres south-east of the capital city of Prague, where last year Rossi took victory and the lap record as he edged towards his fifth straight title. The scenario is dramatically different for Rossi this time around but a similar performance is required as the Italian aims to close down the 51-point gap to series leader Nicky Hayden (Honda). It is a tough task but certainly not impossible, as Yamaha legend Wayne Rainey proved in 1992 when he pipped the injured Mick Doohan to the title despite lying 65 points behind with only five races remaining. Fittingly this weekend marks the thirteen-year anniversary of Rainey’s final 500cc victory for the factory at Brno and is also precisely a decade since Rossi took his maiden Grand Prix win at the very same circuit in the 125cc class. Since then Rossi has added to his Brno tally with a further 250cc success and three wins in MotoGP – including last year’s dominant display on the Yamaha. Colin Edwards can’t wait to reacquaint himself with his YZR-M1 machine after riding a specially prepared YZF-R1 SP Superbike alongside Noriyuki Haga in the Suzuka 8 Hour two weeks ago. The prestigious Japanese race proved to be a brief but eventful affair for the American after he was knocked to the ground on lap one and then mounted a stunning recovery, only to suffer a mechanical failure a few laps later – continuing a run of bad luck almost comparable to that of Rossi. Despite the shortened holiday Edwards was able to take crucial time out to recharge his batteries at home in Texas and he returns to Europe even more determined to turn things around. Valentino Rossi: Race by race This time last season Valentino Rossi arrived in the Czech Republic knowing that two more wins would be enough to seal the MotoGP World Championship title but, for only the second time in his premier-class career, ‘The Doctor’ must now accept that with six races remaining his destiny is out of his hands. The latest chapter in a catalogue of misfortune came immediately before the holidays at Laguna Seca, where a win for Nicky Hayden combined with a breakdown for Rossi left the Italian focusing simply on his performance in each approaching race. “This year I’ve had a lot of bad luck and Laguna could not have been worse, but now we have had twenty days of holiday to relax and forget about what happened there,” says Rossi. “Hopefully after this rest we can try to do something better in Brno. It isn’t one of my favourite tracks but last year it was a great race for me; almost perfect, with the fastest lap and the victory. I know that everyone at Yamaha and Michelin has been working hard in the break and hopefully in Brno we can come out fighting on Friday morning and make the most of the weekend. “I don’t know what to say about the championship to be honest. We only have six races left which is maybe not enough to make up the difference but anyway I want to try to have some fun and win as much as possible. Right now I’m not even thinking about the championship. I want to take it race by race and try to find a better way forward with this bike and these tyres so I can have some fun and try to win some more races.” Colin Edwards: Refreshed and relaxed If anyone has endured as much bad luck as Rossi this season it is his Camel Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards, whose Suzuka misfortune came on the back of illness at his home Grand Prix in the USA and, just a few weeks previously, a last-corner crash that denied him of his first MotoGP victory at Assen. However, after spending some time with his young family at home in America, the ‘Texan Tornado’ is confident he can kick up a storm at Brno. “It’s been really good to have a holiday because this season, especially during June and July, has been incredibly hard and I definitely needed some time off to relax with my friends and family,” says Edwards. “Now I am feeling ready to get back on my bike and enjoy the last six races. After the disappointment of Laguna I went to Suzuka for the Eight-Hour and sadly that didn’t work out either – it was a long way to go for six laps! Anyway, I’ve since had two weeks holiday at home in Texas with my family and I’m feeling refreshed and relaxed now and ready to get going again for the last six races. “Things haven’t worked out exactly how we would have liked up until now but I know that when our package is working we can fight at the top and this is what I am determined to do for the rest of the season. Brno is a track I really like and I’ve been racing there a long time so I know it pretty well. There’s always a good atmosphere there as everyone’s nice and chilled out after their holidays! I’m going to give the weekend everything I’ve got and hopefully the bike will work well so we can get a good result under our belts to set us up for the three flyaways” Davide Brivio: Keeping the faith Camel Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio echoes Rossi’s sentiments about the championship being a ‘race by race’ affair but outlined the determination of his staff to back up their World Champion with 100% commitment until the end of the season. The Italian admits his team faces a tough challenge over the final six rounds but insists that they will not give up on the title until it is a mathematical impossibility. “Brno is the start of the final stage of the season and we go into it finding ourselves in a difficult situation,” admits Brivio. “We are obviously not where we would like to be in the championship with six races to go but we will not give up and every member of the team is ready to fight until the end. Of course we still want to win the title and we still believe we can do it. We have had a lot of misfortune during the season but we still have faith in our potential. “The break was good for everybody but after Laguna Seca we are looking forward to getting back on the track and trying to win races again. That is Valentino’s goal for every Grand Prix between now and the end of the season. Because of the Eight-Hour Colin barely had a day off for seven weeks before the holiday so I think he needed the break more than anybody and we are looking forward to seeing him back in good shape. Our target for both riders is simply to improve our level of performance and try to win every race.” Technically speaking: Brno according to Matteo Flamigni The current Brno circuit is encircled by the tendrils of the various ‘real’ road layouts that made up the Czech Grand Prix venues of yesteryear. Used for a Grand Prix for the final time in 1977, the old track was replaced in 1987 by what is basically the current incarnation, subtly altered in 1996 to measure 5.403km in length. Brno has come a long way since riders used to judder across its cobblestone sections but its winding chicanes and dramatic elevation changes still provide an interesting challenge for the riders and their engineers. “Firstly Brno is a difficult track for the riders because it is so wide – around 15m in some parts – and that makes it easy for them to run off line and make mistakes,” explains Matteo Flamigni, Data Engineer for Valentino Rossi. “From a set-up point of view we have to give the rider a bike which is strong under braking because there are many areas where a rider can pass or be passed in downhill turns, which adds to the normal stress of braking. The bike must also be stable in the long fast corners, such as turns one, nine and thirteen, and then agile for the chicanes. This is always a compromise situation at any circuit but especially at Brno, where the chicanes are also combined with elevation changes. “The balance of the bike is critical towards the end of the lap because there is a lot of weight transfer between hard uphill acceleration, which naturally lifts the front end, and braking into the chicanes, where the rider must wait for the front to load up again before turning in Brno is one of the circuits where you can most clearly see the evolution of the MotoGP bikes since changing from two-stroke to four-stroke because a good lap time has come down by around five seconds, even though the track hasn’t changed. As well as showing the general improvement of the bikes and tyres, this outlines the need for a lot of horsepower on the long uphill straights, where gearbox settings are also crucial.” 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: 167 (108 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 41 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: 59 x MotoGP World Championships – 2 World Superbike Brno Lap Record: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2005, 1’58.787 Brno Best Lap: Sete Gibernau (Honda) 2005, 1’57.504 2005 Czech Republic Grand Prix Results: 1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha, 43’56.539 2. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati, +1.837 3. Max Biaggi (ITA) Honda +3.444 7. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Yamaha, +13.532

The Kawasaki Racing Team return to racing this weekend, with Shinya Nakano and Randy de Puniet determined to get the final part of the season off to a flying start, after spending time relaxing at home with family and friends during the three-week summer break. The race, at the classic and fast 5.4 km Brno circuit, is the 12th round of the MotoGP World Championship. It is the first of a hectic schedule of races that will see six events conducted in ten weeks to close the season at Valencia on October 29. While de Puniet managed to stay away from the racetrack for the entire three weeks of the summer break, Nakano was unable to resist the opportunity to attend the Suzuka eight-hour endurance race while at home in Japan. But it’s back to work at Brno this weekend for both Kawasaki riders, at a circuit that Nakano feels has certain sections that will suit the characteristics of the 2006 Ninja ZX-RR MotoGP machine. The 28-year-old Japanese rider got his weekend off to a dramatic start on Wednesday evening, as he finished second in the annual go-kart endurance challenge organised by Kawasaki Czech Republic. As a result, Nakano heads into this weekend hopeful of repeating his podium performance in Sunday’s 22-lap race. Despite being one of the fastest go-kart drivers on track, Nakano’s Kawasaki teammate, Randy De Puniet, finished well down the order with his team in the two-hour challenge, but remains confident of a better result with his Ninja ZX-RR this weekend. De Puniet has endured what can only be described as a difficult start to his debut season in MotoGP, but the 25-year-old Frenchman is hoping that the next six races will see an upturn in his race results, starting this weekend at Brno. Located 200 kilometres southeast of the Czech capitol, Prague, the current Brno circuit was constructed in 1987. Before that, Grand Prix races were held on a public roads circuit, with literally hundreds of thousands of Czech motorcycle racing fans turning out to watch from the roadside. While the crowd for this weekend is likely to somewhat smaller, the enthusiasm of the present day Czech race fans can be relied upon to easily match that of their predecessors from the 1970’s. Shinya Nakano: #56 “It was good to get away from the racetrack and relax for a while, especially after the tight programme we had in the run up to Laguna, but I didn’t manage to stay away from the racetrack for the whole three weeks. While I was in Japan I went to the Suzuka eight-hour endurance race. I’ve never raced endurance, so it was interesting to see what goes on, and it was good to get the opportunity to meet the fans without the distraction of having to race myself. But now the break is over, and it’s back to work at Brno. I like the Brno circuit, and I won here on the 250cc, but it’s not been such a good track for me on the MotoGP bike in recent years. The track is fast, but I think the critical part is from the halfway point, where it’s all up hill to the finish line. You need to be quick through this section to guarantee a fast lap. After three weeks away from MotoGP, it would be good to start the last part of the season with a good result, and that’s exactly what we’ll be aiming for this weekend.” Randy de Puniet: #17 “It seems like a long time since the Laguna Seca race. After the US Grand Prix I spent a week in America, travelling up to Los Angeles and Las Vegas before heading back to France and then Andorra. To be honest I’ve not done much since returning to Europe. It’s just been a case of relaxing as much as possible, after a particularly demanding run of races leading up to the summer break. It was good to get away from the racetrack for a while, to recharge the batteries, but now I’m looking forward to getting back to work at Brno this weekend. I like this track; it’s enjoyable to race at and I’ve had some good results here on the 250cc machine in the past. Like many of the circuits this season, it’s sure to look different from the seat of a Ninja ZX-RR MotoGP machine, but I’m confident that I can make the necessary adjustment during free practice, and I hope we will have a good weekend here.”