Alton, Va. VIRginia International Raceway is gearing up for its biggest event of the year, the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals featuring the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, this weekend. The event will feature three days of racing in America’s top motorcycle road racing championships on VIR’s technical and challenging 2.25-mile North Course. The headlining AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited will run a double-header event, with 28-lap feature races on both Saturday and Sunday. The Lockhart Phillips Formula Xtreme series will have a 17-lap race on Saturday afternoon, while the Repsol Lubricants Superstock and Pro Honda Oils Supersport presented by Shoei Helmets series will contest 17-lap races on Sunday. Off the track, the entertainment will be just as intense as the racing. On Friday night, the Big Kahuna Fan Party will get underway at 5:30 pm, located at the Speed Channel Mobile Theater in the paddock. There will be a DJ playing all the latest hot music, free Red Bull and water for everyone, plus umbrella girls and many of the top riders in the sport, including former World Champions, who will be available for autographs. There will also be a mind-boggling variety of prizes to be won by lucky fans. Ten fans will be able to win $100 cash prizes in a raffle drawing. There will be a number of signed helmets available to win: one from Arai signed by Moto GP and AMA Superbike stars, plus former World Champions; one signed by Suzuki Superbike stars Mat Mladin and Ben Spies; and one signed by Yamaha Supersport and Superstock star Jamie Hacking. Plus there will be cool gear available to be won by Speed Channel, Moto 1 and Joe Rocket, as well as motorcycle art prints from the renowned artist Tim Berry. In addition to all the give-aways, Speed Channel celebrities Ralph Sheheen and Dave Sadowski will man the microphones for a question-and-answer session with the series’ top riders, and there will be a special stunt show by Jason Britton and Eric Hoenshell of Team No Limit Extreme. To cap off the evening, there will be a special showing of the new Moto GP movie, “The Doctor, the Texas Tornado and the Kentucky Kid” on the Jumbotron screens. Another exciting component of the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals weekend will be the Boz Bros Bike Show presented by 2Wheel Tuner magazine and Parts Unlimited. Eric and Ben Bostrom, two of the world’s most renowned motorcycle racers, with experience in the World Superbike Championship and the AMA Superbike Championship, have created their own line of street bike exhausts, plus clothing and accessories. Their products will be on display at VIR, along with a rock-climbing wall, a bike dyno, Tourist Trophy game demos and a wheelie machine for fans to enjoy. In addition, the Bostroms will host a custom sportbike show, with five classes open for fans to display their customized rides, specialized awards such as Best ‘Busa, and an invitational class for builders that have been featured in the magazine. Eric and Ben, along with other top names in the industry, will judge the bikes on Saturday afternoon, and will be available to sign autographs for fans. The Speed Channel Mobile Theater will be open to fans all weekend, and its removable pods will enable fans to play the latest video games when they’re not enjoying the on-track action or other entertainment. Plus, there will be numerous Jumbrotron screens set up around the facility so fans can watch the action on other parts of the track. Also, Team No Limit Extreme will be proving stunt shows in the pit lane and at various locations on the track every day. A new feature this year will be the Big Kahuna Lounge, located at VIR’s Pavilion just outside the paddock. This will provide fans with a shady spot to relax during the weekend, with music and refreshments available. A DJ will be spinning the hottest new music all weekend, with valuable prize giveaways throughout all three days. “We have been promoting races for a long time,” said event promoter Cameron Gray of M1 Entertainment, “and we have learned that the Golden Rule of event promotion is to make sure the fans have fun. We have designed the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals to be more like a festival than an event. There is something for everybody to do, all the time, all weekend. If you like motorcycles, there is no way you can come to VIR this weekend and not enjoy yourself. The fans in Virginia are great, not to mention very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and we’re looking forward to putting on a show for them that they’ll never forget.” “Cameron Gray and M1 Entertainment continue to impress us more every year as the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals grows in quality and stature,” said VIR general manager Josh Lief. “The creative and innovative approach they bring to the table, with the emphasis on giving the fans more than just a race, sets the standard in event promotion. We think this year’s Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals is going to be the biggest and best yet, and the fans can look forward to great racing on the track as well as terrific off-track entertainment.” The Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals offers a variety of ticket packages designed to fit every budget, including standard general-admissions tickets, Big Kahuna Super Tickets, Big Dog Hospitality Passes, Little Dog Hospitality Passes, Pit Walk Passes, car parking passes and camping passes. All current military personnel will receive a 30-percent discount and free parking by presenting their ID card at the gate. Similarly, college students will be eligible for a 15-percent discount by presenting their ID card at the gate. Groups of 20 or more will also be eligible for a 15-percent discount, providing the order is paid for with one credit card. Discounts do not apply to Trackside VIP Suite and Big Kahuna Super Tickets, or to Big Dog Hospitality Passes or Pit Walk Passes. Children aged 12 and under will receive free admission, provided they are accompanied by a paid adult, but must have a Little Dog Hospitality Pass to enter the Big Dog Hospitality area. To purchase tickets, visit www.m1event.com or www.gettix.net. Tickets ordered too late to mail will be able to be picked up at Will Call at the track. VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Va., just north of historic Milton, N.C. In addition to its 3.27-mile natural-terrain road racing circuit, VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America’s first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park; the VIR Gallery, a sales showroom for high-end collector and racing cars; Plantation Valley Kart Track, a 5/8-mile paved karting circuit; The Lodge at VIR, a 27-room trackside hotel; the new VIR Paddock Suites and Garages, with 18 dual-purpose hospitality/ lodging units and garages; and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse. For more information on VIRginia International Raceway, visit the track’s website at www.virclub.com or telephone 434-822-7700. For more information on M1 Entertainment, visit their website at www.m1event.com or contact them via telephone at 303-377-3278. For more information on the AMA Superbike Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited, visit their website at www.amasuperbike.com.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION By John Ulrich The Red Bull Rookies Cup is a bad deal for the majority of the American kids “selected” to try out at Valencia, Spain later this month. Looking at the road racing experience (or lack thereof) of some of these kids, there either wasn’t much of a selection process or the selection was done by a cynic or a dumbass or both. The parents of the selected kids will probably spend around $5000 (some are holding fund raisers to try to get the money together) getting to the tryouts, which include 15 minutes of track time (on a new bike and a new track!) to impress the judges. Many of the American kids selected have never ridden a 125cc GP bike and some have never ridden anything on a paved road course. A few have experience racing RS125s and are actually front-runners in USGPRU and WERA 125cc Grand Prix events, an example being Cameron Beaubier. Others race in various Lightweight Novice classes. They will all face a contingent of European kids with experience racing 125cc GP bikes, many of whom have come up racing minis and 125s at Valencia. Even for the best of the Americans, to say the deck is stacked is an understatement. None of that was explained in TV commercials that touted the Red Bull program as the ticket to GP stardom during the network coverage of the U.S. GP at Laguna Seca. Asked about the program, Red Bull’s Jordan Miller wrote in an e-mail to Roadracing World, “Just so you know, the Red Bull Rookies Cup is being run out of Europe, and the focus this first year has been on emerging European riders. The activation and the program itself this year has been via word of mouth, especially here in the US, hence no press releases out of us here in the States. We are aware the cost of getting to Spain from the US is high as well, so that was part of why we didn’t focus on the US this first year. “Know that we are excited the young riders will have the opportunity to compete with Europe’s top talent, and we support them fully, especially with the success this season of MotoGP points leader Nicky Hayden, we are excited and hopeful that road racing continues to build in America.” What Miller doesn’t explain is how Red Bull, known for so many good programs promoting racing worldwide, can justify raising false hopes and inducing American families to undergo financial hardships chasing the dream, when their kids won’t even have a fair chance. If Red Bull really wants to “support them fully,” it should give each selected American kid a $5000 travel allowance, which at least would take the financial sting out of this charade of dreams. God knows they’ve got the money… Americans Selected For The Red Bull Rookies Cup Tryouts Tommy Aquino Brayden Bagley J.D. Beach Cameron Beaubier Chris Cid Rey Dominguez Frankie Garcia Katherine Keene Brent Lyskawa Tyler Meade Matt Myers Tyler Odom Andrew Price Nikola Radosavljevich Corey Rech Tyler Reed James Rispoli Toby Stay Erich Stender II Sarah Templeton Kris Turner And now, a parent’s reaction: FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: I have worked with kids from all over the country the last 6 years in our Coolskunk KyDs program in order to help young riders get new opportunities such as this. But let’s not waste anyone’s time or money. How about we hear something from the big guys here in America other than just Mr. Ulrich before it’s too late? For many of us the tickets are already non-refundable, however we can still save 50% of the cost! How about it Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, Freddie Spencer and Kenny Roberts…Are we wasting our kid’s time and our sponsor’s money with this experience or what? While my own rider has tons of experience dirt tracking and a modest amount of SuperMoto and 125cc GP, the program is billed around a possibility. If there is no chance in hell, why don’t some of the factory guys come out and say so? Maybe they can suggest a better investment this year here in the States! Philip Rispoli Attica, New York And now we hear from the father of World Supersport racer Chris Peris: FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: Just a comment on John Ulrich’s comment on Red Bull try-out: Although everything John Ulrich says is true about the Red Bull try-outs, I think it’s only fair to say, the experience is worth it. For most parents, it will be the first time in their lives they’ll get to see what sort of talent their son will be up against. It’s a real eye opener. As a father of a former Red Bull try-out in Mallory Park a long time ago. Seemed like a bank account ago, maybe 2001? Its true, $5000 is a lot of money, but that’s nothing, compared to what road racing will eventually cost the family. Consider this $5000, a warm-up. I think our trip to England was the cheapest part of Chris’ racing career. Chris recorded the second best time at the try-outs and I think, if we would have pulled a Casey Stoner, sold the house, moved from Australia to England and had the whole family live in a motorhome, who knows? Not implying anything about the talent, just pointing out, that’s the kind of commitment it takes to bring up a road racing star. Unfortunately, all those dreams have a rude awaking. However, all-in-all, it was a great experience. If the families can get the money together, it’s the start to, “how fast is your wallet?” Red Bull seems to be the only one doing these try-outs. I suppose with no-one else offering, a Red Bull try-out is the best option and you get to see Spain. Spain is a great country and Valencia is a great track. Take care and good luck, Fernando Peris Calgary, Alberta, Canada

FIRST PERSON/OPINION Shame On You By Ed Sorbo In recent years many new tracks have been built in the U.S. and many old tracks have undergone improvements; all of this costs a lot of money and we are lucky to be racing when it’s happening. I have raced and ridden on 34 different tracks around the world. I have owned a motorcycle shop, racing club, team and school and worked for motorcycle racing clubs and schools. I have owned a go-cart concession and worked for a car racing school. I currently work for a racing magazine and a race team. In short, my life has revolved around racetracks. I feel qualified to critique the people who own and operate racetracks. Good on you for doing the hard stuff: –Daytona: Changing the track so our tires are less likely to come apart and kill us. Making it easier to get into and out of the track. Motivating the security guards to be much nicer now. –Barber: For moving some of the Armco back and planning to move more. –Infineon: For gathering and acting on information from motorcycle racers when making your improvements and for giving the AFM an interest-free loan so they could buy more Airfence. Shame on you for not doing the low-cost stuff: –Daytona: The slippery lines across the entrance of turn one, on pit road and around the top of the banking. Redo them with grippy paint, or make the lines across turn one thinner, or dashed. Sandblast off the unused lines on pit lane. And the Armco on the inside of turn two can be moved back to the outside of pit lane. –Infineon: The lack of a PA system for the pits. –Laguna: Bringing GP races to the U.S. does not give you a pass on everything else. The restrooms in the paddock are pathetic. Last year one of the urinals was broken and overflowing. There was a three-gallon bucket under it. The bucket was overflowing. The drain in the floor is not at the low spot. Picture this, a urinal overflowing with piss into a overflowing three-gallon bucket of piss, leading to a puddle of piss in the middle of the floor. Add to that the backed-up toilets. I opened the windows and I found someone to complain to. This year I opened the windows again and the same urinal was still out of order without an out-of-order sign. Yes the fools who used that urinal are part of the problem too, you know who you are. –Mid Ohio: I drove up to the nice young woman at the gate to the pits with many cases of drinks and many bags of ice wanting to drop it off at my pit. She said she was sorry and please don’t yell at me like the last guy but my boss said no cars can go in the pits without a pass. I can’t get this pass and the boss won’t honor my AMA season parking pass. I was not surprised by this and was ready. I smiled and said thank you as I drove into the pits, unloaded and drove out to park. Someone in a golf cart and a Mid-Ohio shirt found me, I told him the problem and he said he knew and I could tell the boss, I said I could not take the time to go find the boss but if he came to my pit I would explain it to him. In the restrooms I have to step to the side of the toilet in order to close the door, one of the sinks didn’t work until Sunday and only then because I found the guy cleaning and told him, telling a number of people standing around in Mid Ohio shirts was a waste of my time. The pits were a mess, I had to sweep up the dirt behind pit wall. The boss guy parked his car in the middle of the lane behind pit wall so that everyone had to squeeze by to set up, and a Sheriff’s car showed up in the same place latter. The boss guy and the Sheriff were up in the tower doing something. Why couldn’t they park in the pits? Unfortunately I missed them when they came out. The PA is useless in the pits. I could go on and on but you get the picture. This stuff is easy to fix, there is no excuse. –Road Atlanta: Continuing the saga of bad restrooms. Don’t use the portable toilet trailer in the pits, your knees will hit the door when sitting, if you dare to sit, if they have been cleaned. Go up the hill to the old restrooms and use the rocking toilet. I was impressed when the deadly “gravity cavity” was replaced by the turn 10 chicane and the hill on the outside of turn 11 was moved back. I’m sickened by the turnstile that was installed at turn four instead of just moving the dirt hill on the outside of turn four back. Also the dangerous curb on the inside of turn three is still there. –All Tracks: Set up a system using low-power FM radio for the PA! They have it at Willow Springs and it works great. This list is incomplete, just because you are not on it does not mean you can’t do better. I decided to write this opinion piece because of the simple problems at many of our tracks. There is no excuse for dropping the ball on the basic stuff, and this is the responsibility of the track bosses/owners. (Also read “Shame on Us” in the October 2002 issue of Roadracing World for a list of things that we racers need to do better.)

2006 MotoGP World Championship, round 12 Czech Grand Prix, Brno August 18/19/20 The 2006 MotoGP series fires back into life at Brno, following the championship’s traditional month-long summer recess. The Czech Grand Prix also commences the final stage of the 2006 season six races, three in Europe, three in Asia and Australia, concluding with the Valencia round on October 29. So far, Michelin riders have been the dominant force of 2006, taking ten wins from the first 11 races, filling 28 of 33 podium places and currently occupying seven of the first eight championship positions, including the top four places. The battle for the 2006 title now seems down to those four men Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin), Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team RC211V-Michelin), Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda RC211V-Michelin) and Valentino Rossi (Camel Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin) who have used Michelin’s high-performing 2006 tires to take all of the company’s 2006 race wins and are currently separated by 51 points. Hayden, Pedrosa and Melandri have all won two races apiece, while Rossi has won four but also suffered three DNFs. Michelin has won the last ten premier-class GPs at Brno and has scored a total of 15 victories at the circuit since it hosted its first GP in 1987. MICHELIN’S RESPONSE TO THE CHALLENGE OF BRNO “Brno is a great track, a real rider’s track, quite fast with varied corners, some quite long and open, and also very undulating, so we enjoy going there,” says Nicolas Goubert, Michelin’s motorcycle racing director. “The surface is old now, so it’s quite bumpy, though after Laguna Seca it will probably seem pretty smooth to the riders!” “Front tire grip is important at Brno because there are a lot of downhill corner entries. We now have three different types of front tire being used by our riders the new, bigger profile 16.5in front and two different constructions of our narrower profile 16.5in. Different tires suit different riding styles and bikes. The new construction of the narrower profile tire which is now used by several of our riders should help at Brno because riders need a lot of feel and grip into the downhill corners, and they use a lot of trail-braking into these turns. The bigger profile tire should help in the same way. But Valentino proved at the Sachsenring that the older construction of the narrower tire can also do an amazing job! “Rear traction is also important at Brno because the surface is old and doesn’t offer a lot of grip. Finding good traction isn’t easy when you have both uphill and downhill sections, because the bike needs to put the right loads on the tires and it’s much easier to get the bike to do that consistently when you have a flat circuit. But Brno isn’t that demanding on rear tires because the tarmac is old and not aggressive. Our 2006 rear should definitely help, the tire offers more sidegrip which is important through long corners. Chatter can also be an issue at Brno because it’s quite bumpy and bumps can sometimes set off chatter. “Brno starts the last part of the season and we hope to have as much success during the last six races of the year as we had at the first 11. We won ten of those and filled most of the podiums, so although we are coming up to a few circuits where one of our competitors always does well, we are hopeful of some more good results.” BRNO DATA Lap record: Valentino Rossi (Camel Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin), 1:58.787s (163.745kmh/101/746mph) Pole position 2005: Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V-Michelin), 1:57.504 Recent winners of the Czech GP 2005 Valentino Rossi (Gauloises Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin), 43:56.539 2004 Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V-Michelin), 44:03.480 2003 Valentino Rossi (Repsol Honda RC211V-Michelin), 44:18.907 2002 Max Biaggi (Marlboro Yamaha Team YZR-M1-Michelin), 44:36.498 2001 Valentino Rossi (Nastro Azzurro Honda NSR500-Michelin), 45:01.044 2000 Max Biaggi (Marlboro Yamaha Team YZR500-Michelin), 45:31.918 1999 Tadayuki Okada (Repsol Honda NSR500-Michelin), 45:18.066 1998 Max Biaggi (Kanemoto Honda NSR500-Michelin), 45:12.043 1997 Mick Doohan (Repsol Honda NSR500-Michelin), 45:25.012 1996 Alex Crivillé (Repsol Honda NSR500-Michelin), 45:38.884 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 Jr (Team Roberts KR211V-Michelin)

In an AMA Pro Racing Press Release dated Aug. 11, 2006, an error was made in the specifications for the 990cc-1100cc 4-stroke/air-cooled machine. Should have read: “¢ 990cc-1100cc 4-stroke air/oil-cooled 2-valve desmo twin cylinders The corrected displacement and specifications are shown below: PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and AMA Pro Racing today announced changes to the equipment eligibility list for AMA Formula Xtreme beginning with the 2007 racing season. AMA Formula Xtreme is a support class of the AMA Superbike Championship, the nation’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Beginning next year, production motorcycles featuring engines with the following displacement and specifications will be eligible for competition in the AMA Formula Xtreme class: “¢ 550cc-600cc 4-stroke liquid-cooled 4-valve four cylinders “¢ 650cc-675cc 4-stroke liquid-cooled 4-valve three cylinders “¢ 650cc-850cc 4-stroke liquid-cooled 4-valve twin cylinders “¢ 990cc-1100cc 4-stroke air/oil-cooled 2-valve desmo twin cylinders “¢ 990cc-1200cc 4-stroke air/oil-cooled 4-valve pushrod twin cylinders “¢ 900cc-1350cc 4-stroke air/oil-cooled 2-valve pushrod twin cylinders In making the announcement, AMA Pro Racing Director of Technical Development, Kevin Crowther said the changes were consistent with the intent of the Formula Xtreme class and reflective of the current motorcycle marketplace. “The goal of the Formula Xtreme class is to feature highly-modified machines from the broadest list of models,” said Crowther. “These changes are consistent with that philosophy and should lead to increased brand and rider participation in the class.” Crowther added that emphasis was placed on equipment diversity as well as competitive balance. “If it becomes apparent that a specific model or type of machine gains an unfair performance advantage, AMA Pro Racing reserves the right to implement restrictions including, but not limited to, additional weight to restore competitiveness,” said Crowther. Crowther noted that this stipulation applies to the Formula Xtreme class only. The changes to the eligible model list are the result of actions taken by the newly-formed AMA Racing Committee created earlier this year as part of a re-organization of the AMA and AMA Pro Racing. Equipment standards for the remaining classes (AMA Superbike, AMA Supersport and AMA Superstock) remain unchanged. Rules adding 1000cc motorcycles to AMA Superbike, the premier class of the championship, were announced in 2002 for the 2003 racing season and will continue at least through the 2008 racing season. Current AMA Superbike rules feature 901-1000cc four-stroke engines with two or more cylinders, exclusively.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio Yamaha’s Jamie Hacking is in the middle of one of the best seasons in the history of the Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei. The North Carolinian is riding a five-race winning streak as the series moves to Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Va., on Sunday, Aug. 20. Not since Miguel Duhamel’s dominating performance in the series in 1995, when he won nine of 11 races, has a rider been in such command of the highly-competitive Supersport series. Hacking, 35, has won five straight coming into VIR, owns a massive 59-point lead in the standings, and gives much of the credit to his crew for his success this summer. “My bike is working great,” Hacking said after winning at Mid-Ohio. “I owe everything to my crew and everyone who has put in the long hours on that motorcycle and enabled me to do what I can do on it and that’s run off in the corners and be comfortable. I’m riding 110 percent every weekend. I’m not giving anybody any slack and I’m not backing off. I’m having to work for every one of these.” As tough as he’s been in the series Hacking is still seeking his first VIR Supersport victory this weekend. Defending VIR Supersport winner Roger Lee Hayden, of Owensboro, Ky., spent much of the first half of the season coming back from a broken leg. Now Hayden is healthy, but he’s found running with Hacking a tough assignment. “He’s running better everywhere on the track than I am right now,” Hayden admitted after finishing second to Hacking at Mid-Ohio. “This weekend we were closer [at Mid-Ohio] than we have been, so we have to build on that and move on. My leg’s not a problem on the bike, right now I just have to get better as a rider.” Hacking and Hayden are the class of the field at this point of the season, but a number of top riders are battling over third in the championship. Team M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Michael Barnes, a 37-year-old veteran from Boca Raton, Fla., showed impressive speed in the last round, leading major portions of the race. He pulled a gap on Hacking and Hayden early at Mid-Ohio, only to be caught just past the halfway mark. If Barnes manages to hold his lead and win one of these races it would mark his first Supersport victory since 1989. That would be the longest time span between wins in the history of the class. While Barnes has been a crowd favorite all season for his sheer staying power, Danny Eslick has wowed fans with his backing-it-into-the-turns riding style aboard his Matsushima Performance Suzuki. Oklahoman Eslick is showing his flat track racing roots with his eye-catching style of braking. Besides Barnes there is not another rider in the field that hardcore fans would love to steal a victory in Supersport than Eslick. Australian Ben Attard has been consistent all season on the Attack Kawasaki, but is still seeking his first podium. Attard is ranked fourth in the series behind Hacking, Hayden and Eslick. Geoff May, teammate to Barnes on M4 EMGO Suzuki, rounds out the top five in the series. May, who resides in Gainesville, Ga., is trying to find consistency in his Supersport rides, where he’s finished as high as second and as far back as 24th. The VIR Supersport race will be broadcast live nationally on SPEED. The show begins at 2:00 p.m. eastern this Sunday, Aug. 20. This weekend’s Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei is part of Virginia International Raceway’s Big Kahuna Nationals presented by Parts Unlimited in Alton, Va., on August 18-20. For additional information call 434.822.7700 or visit the website www.virclub.com.

Alton, Va. David Krukowski, a motorcycle racing enthusiast from Soddy Daisy, Tenn., is one lucky guy. Unbeknownst to him, his wife Michelle purchased tickets for David and his friend Sammy Maynor to attend this weekend’s Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals, featuring the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, at VIRginia International Raceway. When David got a phone call from race promoter Cameron Gray of M1 Entertainment last week to inform him that he had been selected as the winner of the 2006 M1 Experience package, he was stunned. “Holy crap!” David said as Gray went down the list of what he’d won. “This is amazing! We had such a great time last year at the race. VIR is an awesome track, and we planned our return trip as soon as we got home from last year’s race. I’ve been looking forward to going for months, but this is over the top!” The M1 Experience is an unprecedented package of access and amenities to create the ultimate weekend for the avid motorcycle racing fan. In order to be eligible, a fan was required to purchase two three-day passes for the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals. Fans got one chance for each two three-day passes purchased during the month of July. David and Sammy will receive the following: two event programs; two official Big Kahuna t-shirts; two sets of Speed Channel Gear; two trackside suite passes; two drink passes each; two laps of the track (if they ride their own bikes); one pace car ride for two; one hotel room at the track for Friday and Saturday night; present trophies on the podium for Saturday races; two Pit Crew Weekend Warrior Passes for the Jordan Suzuki Team; one helmet autographed by all the top racers at the Big Kahuna Nationals; and one lap on the Roadracing World two-seater Superbike with Chris Ulrich on Thursday. “As I said when we announced the M1 Experience promotion,” said Gray, “this is the ultimate. There has never been such a package of access and amenities offered to a racing fan at a Superbike race before. David and Sammy are in for the weekend of their lives, and they have Michelle to thank for it! We look forward to having them here at VIR for the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals, and to watching them enjoy the M1 Experience.” “Cameron Gray and M1 Entertainment continue to push the envelope when it comes to event promotion,” said VIR general manager Josh Lief. “The M1 Experience is an unparalleled package for a fan to win, and I’m a little jealous of David and Sammy myself! We hope they enjoy their weekend at the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals, and that they will continue to be regular visitors to VIR in the years to come.” The Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals offers a variety of ticket packages designed to fit every budget, including standard general-admissions tickets, Big Kahuna Super Tickets, Big Dog Hospitality Passes, Little Dog Hospitality Passes, Pit Walk Passes, car parking passes and camping passes. All current military personnel will receive a 30-percent discount and free parking by presenting their ID card at the gate. Similarly, college students will be eligible for a 15-percent discount by presenting their ID card at the gate. Groups of 20 or more will also be eligible for a 15-percent discount, providing the order is paid for with one credit card. Discounts do not apply to Trackside VIP Suite and Big Kahuna Super Tickets, or to Big Dog Hospitality Passes or Pit Walk Passes. Children aged 12 and under will receive free admission, provided they are accompanied by a paid adult, but must have a Little Dog Hospitality Pass to enter the Big Dog Hospitality area. To purchase tickets, visit www.m1event.com or www.gettix.net. Tickets ordered too late to mail will be able to be picked up at Will Call at the track. Advance tickets will be available online until 5:00 pm ET on Tuesday, August 15. After that, all ticket sales will be at the gate. VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Va., just north of historic Milton, N.C. In addition to its 3.27-mile natural-terrain road racing circuit, VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America’s first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park; the VIR Gallery, a sales showroom for high-end collector and racing cars; Plantation Valley Kart Track, a 5/8-mile paved karting circuit; The Lodge at VIR, a 27-room trackside hotel; the new VIR Paddock Suites and Garages, with 18 dual-purpose hospitality/ lodging units and garages; and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse. For more information on VIRginia International Raceway, visit the track’s website at www.virclub.com or telephone 434-822-7700. For more information on M1 Entertainment, visit their website at www.m1event.com or contact them via telephone at 303-377-3278. For more information on the AMA Superbike Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited, visit their website at www.amasuperbike.com.