The website for Scott Jensen and JQ Moto Racing has been moved from www.moto-garage.com to www.moto-garageracing.com and has completely redone. So please check out the new site to keep up to date on the life and racing career of AMA Superbike privateer Scott Jensen, AMA Superbike #61.

Suzuki Castrol’s Vincent Philippe has taken pole position for this weekend’s Oschersleben 24 Hour round of the FIM World Endurance Championship, setting a best lap time of 1:28.816 in today’s second session. He was less than a second faster than Yamaha Austria’s Gwen Giabbani (1:29.493), setting the scene for a very competitive race tomorrow. Suzuki Castrol team manager Dominique Meliand was pleased with the performance of all his riders: “We set good times on qualifying tyres and good times on race tyres so I am happy. If it rains tomorrow then that makes it difficult to race; there are a lot of people on the track here and a lot of tight turns – but then that is Oschersleben.” Yamaha Austria rider Sebastien Scarnato is really looking forward to the race; “I think we can be equal to Suzuki Castrol here. Everything is working very well; the riders and the bike, and the tyres are good in the dry and in the rain.” In third place was Bolliger Kawasaki’s Patric Muff (1:30.103) and in fourth was Yamaha Phase One’s Damian Cudlin (1:30.246), just over a tenth of a second behind. The first four teams were over a second clear of the rest of the field, but fifth to tenth places were covered by just over a third of a second. Fifth place went to wildcard team Yamaha PS-LSL Beck Racing, sixth to Kawasaki 666 Diablo, seventh to Suzuki Fagersjo-el.se, eighth to Yamaha Acropolis Zone Rouge 99, ninth to Suzuki Austria Team 76 and tenth to Yamaha Racing Team Hepplemann. The Oschersleben 24 Hour race starts at 3:00pm tomorrow afternoon. Top Ten Qualifying Positions: 1st 1 – Suzuki Castrol Team – FRA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – V.Philippe – 1:28.616 2nd 7 – Yamaha Austria – AUT – Yamaha YZF-R1 – G.Giabbani – 1:29.493 3rd 8 – Kawasaki Bolliger Team – SUI – Kawasaki ZX10R – P.Muff – 1:30.103 4th 3 – Yamaha Phase One Endurance – GBR – Yamaha YZF-R1- D.Cudlin – 1:30.246 5th 13 – Yamaha PS-LSL Beck Racing – GER – Yamaha YZF-R1 – R.Penzkofer – 1:31.439 6th 666 – Kawasaki Diablo 666 – GBR – Kawasaki ZX10R – J.Hutchins – 1:31.542 7th 12 – Suzuki Fagersjo-el.se – SWE – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – T.Anderson – 1:31.555 8th 99 – Yamaha Acropolis Zone Rouge – BEL – Yamaha YZF-R1 – M.Fissette – 1:31.661 9th 76 – Suzuki Austria Team 76 – AUT – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – S.Herbst – 1:31.745 10th 92 – Yamaha Racing Team Hepelmann – GER – Yamaha YZF-R1 – R.Kraechter – 1: 31.790 More information about the FIM World Endurance Championship can be found at www.worldendurance.com More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Racing: SUZUKI CASTROL ON OSCHERSLEBEN POLE Suzuki Castrol’s Vincent Philippe and the SERT GSX-R1000 have taken pole position for this weekend’s Oschersleben 24 Hour sixth round of the FIM World Endurance Championship with a time of 1:28.816. He was just under a second faster than Yamaha Austria’s Gwen Giabbani (1:29.493), setting the scene for a very competitive race tomorrow. Suzuki Castrol team manager Dominique Meliand said: “We set good times on qualifying tyres and good times on race tyres so I am happy. If it rains tomorrow then that makes it difficult to race; there are a lot of people on the track here and a lot of tight turns – but then that is Oschersleben.” Behind pole setters Philippe, Mathieu Lagrive and Keiichi Kitagawa and Yamaha Austria is the Kawasaki Bolliger Team and Yamaha Phase One. Suzuki Fargersjo-el se hold seventh and Suzuki Austria ninth. The Oschersleben 24 Hour race starts at 3pm tomorrow afternoon.

British Superbikes Round 10 Croft Circuit – 11th – 13th August After a three-week break, the Bennetts British Superbike series returns this weekend to Croft Circuit, North Yorkshire (11th – 13th August). The three Hawk Kawasaki riders, Dean Thomas, Craig Coxhell and Peter Hickman are all hoping to be out on track to tackle the 2.2-mile circuit. Thomas will return to racing this weekend after his huge crash at Snetterton Circuit two months ago where he sustained broken ribs and a punctured lung. The Sheffield based Australian is looking forward to a return to the series but will be taking each day at Croft as it comes and building himself back up to bike fitness. Commenting Thomas said “It’s been a long time since I raced and I’ve been missing it a lot, I need to get out on a bike. I know it will be tough, but the only way to get bike fit is to be on your bike. I’ve had a few tests with Hawk before now and I’ve not felt so bad. If I am unable to race, I won’t as I don’t want to risk further injury. I have been working hard down the gym and I’d like to get a couple of decent results at Croft, which is a circuit I like.” Coxhell and Hickman enjoyed a successful test at the Yorkshire Circuit at the beginning of July. Looking at finding a good race set up for the ZX10-R’s the two younger riders in the team are eager for some good results. “I’ve been working really hard all year to progress things forward and I’ve had a few positive results. It’s now got to that stage in the season where I am looking at pushing myself further forward in the aim to strengthen my position in the overall Championship.” Said Coxhell. Rookie Hickman commented “I’m still enjoying the season even though sometimes it’s a little frustrating not getting in the points and being so close to it. I’m looking forward to Croft and I’ll be very happy with two top 15 places and that’s what I’ll be aiming for.” The two Superbike races will be shown on ITV1 on Sunday 13th August from 15:45 – 17:00. Sky Sports Xtra from 21:00 – 00:30 and again on Sky Sports Xtra on Monday 14th August from 08:00 – 11:30.

ARNCHU Racing Appeals WERA DQ, Appeals Board Agrees. The outcome of the WERA National Endurance 6-hour race at Grattan Raceway on July 15th was released with details noting that two teams were disqualified based on their use of aftermarket master cylinders. However, the two teams involved, ARNCHU Racing and 5150 Racing, have been awarded their on-track finishing positions and resulting contingencies. ARNCHU Racing filed an eight-page appeal to WERA who then supplied the document to an Appeal Board. The board overruled WERA’s initial decision. ARNCHU Racing finished 1st in the Heavyweight Superstock class, taking the championship points lead from the #1-plated team. ARNCHU also moves up to 2nd in the overall championship. WERA is now considering making some aftermarket parts that are legal according to its 2006 rulebook illegal for 2007. Information about the team’s successes and the appeal can be found at www.arnchu.net And now some reader feedback: FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: I just thought that I would say how impressed that I am by ARNCHU Racing’s appeal of the DQ from a recent endurance round at Grattan raceway. The appeal was properly researched well written, and it appears that the dialogue between WERA and ARNCHU was civil, professional, and proper in all aspects. Good points that would serve well as an example for other teams and sanctioning bodies were brought up, and it would do well for all to read it. As this has played out in the media somewhat, it was nice to see that it was done in a civil manner for a change. It is exposure like this that is actually good for the sport and would go a long way towards demonstrating both the way problems should be addressed, and the growing professionalism in the sport. I see that it has resulted in an overturn of the protest, (good for the team) and a review and probable clarification of the rule book by WERA. (Good for everyone). Kudos to ARNCHU Racing and WERA both on the professional manner that it appears this was handled in. More issues should be handled like this by everyone. Mark Lewellen Ozark, Missouri

Ciabatti: “Unless the AMA adopts World SBK Rules we will have to withdraw.” Speaking in the paddock at Brands Hatch last weekend, Ducati Superbike Director Paolo Ciabatti said that Ducati will not continue in the AMA Superbike series unless there is some last-minute agreement in the AMA to adopt World Superbike rules, including an increase to 1200cc displacement for Twins whenever the FIM approves it. “Just having traction control legalized in the AMA is not enough to allow a Twin to compete with Fours,” Ciabatti told Roadracing World. “We need the compensations that we have in World Superbike. We need to be able to run a lighter crankshaft and to change primary gear ratios as we do here. Unless the AMA adopts World SBK Rules we will have to withdraw. Otherwise our 999 Twin under AMA rules is running at too big a disadvantage against the four-cylinder bikes.” Adopting World Superbike rules across the board would make AMA Superbikes faster than they currently are, a sticking point since the bikes are already considered too fast for many AMA tracks. Ciabatti plans to attend the AMA Superbike races at VIR August 18-20.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — Jeff Ward, an eight time AMA national champion, will be honored with induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America at its annual induction ceremony on Thursday, Aug. 17, 2006 at the State Theatre in Detroit. Ward, 45, began his professional racing career in 1978. After winning seven AMA Motocross and Supercross titles, primarily in the 1980s, Ward switched to open-wheel cars. He was named Indy 500 Rookie of the Year in 1997 and went on to have a successful stint in the Indy Racing League. In addition to winning one race and finishing as high as sixth in the final season standings, Ward had finishes of second (1999), third (1997) and fourth (2000) in the Indianapolis 500. In 1999, Ward was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame on the campus of the American Motorcyclist Association in Pickerington, Ohio. Ward then made an unexpected return to national motorcycle racing in the AMA Supermoto Championship in 2003. Despite competing against riders half his age, Ward showed that he still possessed the aggressive and smooth racing style that won him his earlier titles. In 2004 Ward won the AMA Supermoto Championship. It marked his eighth AMA national title. Ward leads the 2006 AMA Supermoto Championship mid-way through the season. The Newport Beach, Calif., resident continues to build on his already impressive resume. This past Sunday, Aug. 6, Ward became the oldest male gold medalist and the oldest Moto X medalist in X Games history by winning the AMA-endorsed X Games Supermoto race in dramatic fashion. Ward edged silver medalist Mark Burkhart by 0.572 second. “It’s a big honor to be put in the Motorsports Hall of Fame,” said Ward, who will attend the induction ceremony. “There are only a handful of motorcycle racers in there and when you look at the names it’s pretty humbling to be considered in the category with those riders.” Ward joins a select group of motorcycle racers who have been inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, including Jay Springsteen, Don Vesco, Gary Nixon, Eddie Lawson, Freddie Spencer, Bob Hannah, Bart Markel, Carroll Resweber, Jim Davis, Malcolm Smith, Roger DeCoster, Dick Mann, Joe Petrali, Joe Leonard, Kenny Roberts and Cannon Ball Baker.