Onward and Upward With a completely new and much-improved 2006 version of the GSV-R MotoGP machine, and with backing from Rizla showing on its flanks, the Suzuki MotoGP team had every reason to look forward to the current 17-round season. After some promising tests and points scoring rides for both John Hopkins and new recruit Chris Vermeulen at the opening race of the year in Jerez, things looked well on track for better results soon thereafter. And then came the Qatar GP”¦. After the very rude surprise of the most difficult race weekend imaginable – and a double DNF – came the Turkish GP. Suzuki answered its critics in the best way possible with pole position and a strong performance in the race, and from that point onwards the season has moved forward at a stunning pace for the Rizla Suzuki MotoGP team. Ultimate race results have not quite kept pace with the recent qualifying prowess of both Hopkins and Vermeulen, not yet at least, but the potential is clear to see and marks a massive step forward from 2005. Since the Turkish weekend, points have been scored by each rider in almost every race, including two top fours for the more experienced Hopkins. In terms of sheer pace, Vermeulen’s wet pole in Turkey and Hopkins’ similar performance in the dry at Assen have shown that when all things mesh together as desired, Rizla Suzuki is now on a competitive pace with any team in the MotoGP paddock. Said Hopkins, who has started from the front row four times in the last seven races, “There is a real satisfaction in running up the front but basically the best thing about scoring pole was getting it out of the way at last”¦ I had been on the front row many times but never on pole so it was good to take the first one. It was a huge weight off my shoulders! We know that we have what we need with the team, the bikes and myself,” said John, who has been ready to step up to full pace since before the season even started. “Qatar was just a bad and now forgotten incident, because I knew that I could get a good result. The overall machine performance is tremendously better than last year and has improved race after race.” For MotoGP rookie Vermeulen the few reversals and many plus points in his rapid growth aboard the GSV-R only underlined how much the machine has been improved over the 2005 version. “It wasn’t like anything has changed hugely in the bike or in the team itself since the start of this season, and I really believe from the point of view of the team everything is in place to win championships,” said rookie Chris. “All the little things that have been added with each passing race do make a big difference.” The last word goes to the man who is the conduit between the team itself, Suzuki’s engineering efforts and the riders, Team Manager Paul Denning. “As Chris says, in between the early season races and now, nothing very fundamental has changed. The biggest change between last year and this year is the design and potential of the bike, plus the Suzuki factory working in a far more focused way on the priorities. They’ve done a great job in terms of the improvement since 2005 and the reaction speed to the problems we suffered earlier this year. It’s a combination of a lot of small things and a lot of small details. Getting the simple things right is what’s made the difference to the team’s potential the riders and team now have a bike they can believe in!” It has ever been this way in racing, where the biggest results usually come from meshing together all the small pieces of the jigsaw, not trying to start a mechanical revolution once the season has started. Despite the odd positive or negative anomaly, which almost unavoidably affects racing results, one look at the 2005 v 2006 mid-season statistics show that the final picture for Suzuki’s current high-speed jigsaw is approaching completion fast.

Race To Be Broadcast Live On SPEED, With One Week Delay Nationwide on ABC MONTEREY, Calif. In a landmark moment for the sport, MotoGP World Championship round during the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will be broadcast on network television across the United States this summer after an agreement was reached between ABC and MotoGP’s commercial rights-holders Dorna Sports. The deal will see the 2006 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, July 21-23, on a tape-delay broadcast during an hour-long program on July 30th at 1:00-2:00pm ET and 3:00-4:00pm PT. The show will include not only the coverage of one of the most thrilling races of the season, but exciting features, news and interviews of one of the most spectacular sporting events to take place on American soil. The race will also be broadcast live on SPEED, at 2:00pm PT (5:00pm ET). The program is an important step for MotoGP which continues to expand its network of broadcasts to worldwide audiences. Currently the MotoGP World Championship reaches 207 countries, with 184 of those in live or same day delayed format. An average of 142 million spectators see the live/SDD broadcasts, with a total average audience per Grand Prix of 311 million viewers. “We are happy to have the 2006 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix on ABC,” said Tag Garson, Sr. Director of Programming and Acquisitions. “It is an exciting event, which takes place at one of racing’s most renowned venues, and showcases some terrific action.” Dorna Sports’ Managing Director, Manel Arroyo added, “It is great news for the sport to be broadcast across the United States on network television. Working alongside a prestigious network such as ABC will certainly help us achieve our objective of bringing MotoGP to the attention of a more mainstream audience.” MotoGP is the world’s premier motorcycle championship, featuring the best racers on the planet riding multi-million dollar, prototype machines that can reach speeds in excess of 200mph. MotoGP takes its glamorous circus to all corners of the globe. The machines produce more than 240 horsepower and weigh in at just 325lb (148kg), demanding the ultimate in riding skill, which is personified by the likes of Valentino Rossi and American contenders Nicky Hayden, John Hopkins, Colin Edwards and Kenny Roberts Jr. For the first time since 1994 MotoGP returned to the U.S. last year, with 153,653 fans enjoying the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix throughout the weekend at legendary Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca circuit in Monterey, California. Helping to make the deal possible between the two parties was Van Wagner Sports Group, who will coordinate production matters with ABC and will work as Dorna’s US TV ad-sales agent. For those on-site, a number of spectator amenities have been announced to improve the 2006 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. A new traffic flow plan is in place to help increase the positive fan experience. Highlights of the plan include all general admission parking off-site, with spectators transported via shuttle bus; a motorcycle-only entrance; and increased staffing and directional signage. Additionally, the number of concession stands has been increased dramatically, the official souvenir store will now be housed in an 8,000 square foot tent in Yamaha Marketplace, and more and better-located restrooms will be available throughout the facility. More information is available at www.laguna-seca.com. Tickets are on sale now for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s 50th Season of Racing including the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix July 21-23, the 33rd Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races August 18-20 and the Monterey Sports Car Championships featuring the American Le Mans Series October 20-22. Tickets and more information are available by calling (800) 327-SECA or on-line at www.RedBullUSGrandPrix.com.

Back into the routine after a week off, the MotoGP teams and riders today descended on the Sachsenring Circuit, scene of the betandwin.com Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. The historic German track experienced sunny weather, hot temperatures and one isolated sharp shower ahead of tomorrow’s first practice sessions. Out of action for the past two races after collarbone surgery, Sete Gibernau returns to the World Championship this weekend. The Spaniard spoke to the media today about his comeback, indicating that, “I’m getting better every day. We have been recovering all the time, doing hard work. My doctors did a great job, myself, my physical trainer and also the team have been talking every day. They’ve been encouraging me and I also felt that the fans that have been pushing me along. Right now I feel in a position to at least I try to jump on the bike and see how it goes.” Toni Elias also makes his return, having suffered a shoulder injury in Assen. The Fortuna Honda rider remarked, “After three weeks I still have some pain. Last week the injury was better, I improved a lot and I decided to try racing at Sachsenring. But it is difficult because this track has many left handers and it is on my left that I have the problem. I’m happy to come back and to be with my team and my bike again.” The customary Thursday press conference was attended by five MotoGP stars. Championship leader Nicky Hayden spoke about his desire to make amends after a disappointing performance at Donington, whilst team-mate Dani Pedrosa described the difficulties of the Sachsenring Circuit, and home rider Alex Hofmann assessed his two race stint in the factory Ducati Team and return to Pramac d’Antin this weekend. Two riders who have been racing injured, Valentino Rossi and Marco Melandri, detailed their current physical state. Rossi noted the benefit of a week of recuperation, whilst Melandri- who this week discovered that he had been racing with a fractured collarbone- indicated that the left hand turns of the Sachsenring Circuit would not be a problem with his injury. A selection of MotoGP riders also took part in a round robin football tournament against a local club and a team of German sporting all-stars. Amongst those taking part were John Hopkins, Alex Hofmann, Jose Luis Cardoso, Roberto Locatelli, Pablo Nieto, Lukas Pesek, Marco Simoncelli, Jordi Carchano and Dirk Heidolf from the paddock, whilst German Olympic Bobsleigh Gold medallists Wolfgang Hoppe and Andre Lange (bobsleigh), Sylke Otto (Luge), Frank-Peter Roetsch (Biathlon)and World Champion Cyclist Michael Hubner lined up for the all-stars. Nicky Hayden (Honda): “A week off felt like a long time for me, I was training a little bit at home and it was nice to have a break. I plan to come out strong on Friday, as I like Sachsenring and have had good results here. The first half you just follow the leader, then you let it go on the second half.” Dani Pedrosa (Honda): “The first part of the track is slow, and it’s hard on the tyres when we take all the left-handers. I want to carry on from my performance at Donington, but we’ll see tomorrow. I’m still learning this class, although I think I’m doing well, but what happens in the previous races doesn’t count at the following ones.” Valentino Rossi (Yamaha): “The week off was important for us. My wrist is a lot better in terms of power and movement; although I have some pain in my hand I can still open the throttle and brake. Sachsenring isn’t my favourite track, but I won last year.” Marco Melandri (Honda): “The day after Donington it was impossible to sleep. The doctors in Barcelona had only checked my left shoulder, so I didn’t know that anything was wrong until I went back to Italy and was checked out. I feel good now, a week off has done me a lot of good. Sachsenring is ideal for me now because the left hand corners cause me less pain than right-handers.” Alex Hofmann (Ducati): “The races with Ducati probably weren’t the right ones for me. MotoGP is so competitive that if you are one second off the pace then you are basically out of the game. I don’t think anybody is happy with the track because it’s tough, but the fans here really deserve the race.”

The journey to this weekend’s German Grand Prix was a short one for the Kawasaki Racing Team, whose headquarters are just 200 kilometres south of the historic Sachsenring circuit, in the Bavarian town of Vohenstrauss. The ten-day break between the last race at Donington Park and this weekend’s German Grand Prix has been important for Randy de Puniet. Time off the bike has allowed the Kawasaki pilot to finally recover from a niggling back injury, which was sustained in the first corner crash that saw him exit prematurely from the French Grand Prix at Le Mans back in May. The 25-year-old Frenchman arrives in German fully fit and determined to improve upon his twelfth place finish last time out at Donington Park. De Puniet likes the tight and twisty nature of the Sachsenring circuit and, after watching his Kawasaki teammate, Shinya Nakano, finishing within five seconds of the race winner here last year, he knows that the 3.671 km circuit also suits well the characteristics of his Ninja ZX-RR MotoGP machine. Forced to retire from the British Grand Prix two weeks ago due to a mechanical failure, Shinya Nakano arrives in Germany determined to get his championship campaign back on track, at a circuit that suits both his Ninja ZX-RR and his Bridgestone tyres. Nakano finished last year’s race in a creditable sixth position, after struggling during qualifying, but more importantly he crossed the line less than five seconds behind race winner, and reigning World Champion, Valentino Rossi. The 28-year-old Kawasaki pilot already has his strategy mapped out for this weekend, with the first sector of the Sachsenring circuit already identified as the place where Nakano feels he must concentrate his efforts during practice, and where he can make up the most time on his factory rivals. The current Sachsenring hosted its first Grand Prix event in 1998, although the layout was altered in 2001 and the 3.671 km track is now a combination of ten left-hand corners and only four rights, linked by short straights. The rear tyre gets a heavy workout at this track, which features steep, up and down sections with its hillside location. Probably the most spectacular corner on the whole circuit is the downhill, right-hand turn eight, which is taken at 220 km/h in fifth gear and has been likened to dropping off the edge of the world on a MotoGP bike. Adding to the excitement of this turn is the fact that it is only one of four right-hand corners on the whole circuit, and coming as it does after a long series of left-hand turns, it’s not unusual for MotoGP riders to have the bike almost sideways, with the rear tyre spinning and smoking, as they crest the rise at the top of the hill! Randy de Puniet: #17 “The ten day break between Donington Park and Sachsenring is just what I needed to sort out the back injury I sustained in the first corner crash at Le Mans. I was able to start training properly again after Donington, so I arrive in Germany for this weekend’s race fully fit and ready to go. Shinya finished sixth in this race last year, less than five seconds behind the race winner, so I know already that this circuit suits the characteristics of both our Ninja ZX-RR and our Bridgestone tyres. Sachsenring is one of the shortest circuits on the MotoGP calendar, which means that we will race over 30 laps on Sunday, but I like this circuit and, if we can pull everything together during practice and qualifying, then I hope to put in a good race performance in the Kawasaki Racing Team’s home Grand Prix this weekend.” Shinya Nakano: #56 “I like the Sachsenring circuit, it’s one of my favourites, but I’m not sure whether this is because of the track layout or because I finished on the podium here in 2001, which was my debut season in the premier class. Either way, I always look forward to the German Grand Prix, especially as it is the home Grand Prix of the Kawasaki Racing Team, which is based just two hours down the road from Sachsenring, in Vohenstrauss, Bavaria. So, we are definitely looking for a good result this weekend, and based on past results here, I think top six is a realistic possibility. I need to focus on finding the fastest line through the first part of the circuit, as the first corner is one of the few overtaking places on this track, and because I think there is time to be made up around the slower turns at the start of the lap. Because passing places are limited it is very important to qualify well here, and we’ll definitely be aiming for a front row start during qualifying on Saturday. I’m looking forward to getting things underway on Friday, and I just hope we can give the team a great result in their home race on Sunday.”