Last year, Kevin Schwantz rode in the AMA Formula Xtreme race at Road America in place of friend and Schwantz Suzuki School instructor Chris “Opie” Caylor, who could not attend the race due to the impending birth of his first child. Although the weekend ended with a harmless crash in the wet race, it was Schwantz’s first AMA race appearance since the 1988 Daytona 200. The retired former 500cc Grand Prix World Champion was back in action again Thursday, riding a Matsushima Performance Suzuki GSX-R600 during promoter practice at Road America, Blake Young’s Supersport bike, to be exact. But Schwantz is not planning to race this weekend. “I just wanted to go out and ride for fun, without the pressure of having to race,” Schwantz told Roadracingworld.com. “Plus, it gives me an opportunity to watch some of the Suzuki support guys ride first-hand.” Schwantz works as a mentor and riding coach to American Suzuki’s AMA support riders. The Matsushima Performance Suzuki team also benefited because it needed the new engine in Young’s Supersport bike broken in.

On May 23, Josh Herrin turned 16, the minimum age to ride in an AMA Pro Racing road race, and the Dublin, Georgia resident will make his AMA professional racing debut this weekend at Road America. “I’m just getting ready for the weekend, trying to learn the track,” Herrin told Roadracingworld.com Thursday during a break in the promoter practice day. “I’m not really feeling any pressure. I’m just going to ride how I want.” Herrin, the 2005 C Superbike WERA National Challenge Series Champion, hopes to finish in the top five of the AMA Supersport race this weekend on his Graves Yamaha YZF-R6.

Mallory Park, Leicestershire, is the scene for round six of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship. Hawk Kawasaki are looking forward to competing at the teams local circuit, riders Dean Thomas (33), Craig Coxhell (23) and Peter Hickman (19) are keen to get back on board their Dunlop-shod Kawasaki ZX10’s. After Mondello Park was cancelled a couple of weeks ago it has now been a month since the Superbikes have been out on track. With Mondello Park being cancelled the decision has been taken by the Organisers MCRBC not to re-run the Superbike Race. Instead all the Superbike riders will be awarded double points for the two races at Brands Hatch at the end of the season. After making progress at Mondello, Hawk are now keen to test the new modifications on the bike at Mallory at the weekend (3rd 4th June). Not only have the bikes had a revamp but the tiny 1.4-mile circuit has also seen some changes since visiting there last season. The fast Gerard’s corner has been altered after a number of red flagged races last year the decision was taken to adjust the corner with a view to making it safer. Hawk managed to get to the British Superbike test day at Mallory and have had some time to learn the new chicane. Australian Craig Coxhell is looking forward to the weekend commenting “It seems like a long time since we last raced. It was a complete wash out at Mondello and I’m hoping that the weather will be a bit fairer to us this weekend. I like Mallory but I’m not sure what will happen with the new chicane as it’s pretty technical and fairly narrow. I’m hoping that the practice we got there will benefit us, it’s very blind and I think everyone might be a little cautious on the first lap!” Fellow Australian Dean Thomas scored a strong sixth and fourth position at last years round at Mallory Park and is keen to gain similar results this time round. “The Hawk bikes worked really well around Mallory last year and I hope that they will again this year. I’m looking forward to the weekend and getting things back on track. I hope the new chicane works well for everyone and that we get some decent weather. Ideally I would like to be on the front row after qualifying and get a good start, as I feel the first lap could be tight into the new chicane.” Youngster of the team Peter Hickman said “I had an average race at Mallory last year in the Superstock Championship. Hopefully I can improve on my qualifying position, as I’ve struggled to qualify well this year. I’m still learning every time I go out on the bike and feeling more confident, I’m still extremely determined to keep improving and looking at getting some top 15 positions.”

Whilst the Thursday before a Grand Prix is usually a somewhat quiet affair, with teams and riders slowly arriving at the circuit, Mugello as always does things a little differently. With the Gran Premio d’Italia Alice set for Sunday, there has already been some exciting news from the Italian Circuit. The big story of the day has of course been the official announcement from Yamaha that Valentino Rossi has made the decision to ride with them in MotoGP next season. After months of speculation and a statement from Rossi last week that he would not be leaving the World Championship, today’s news was welcomed by all involved in the series. Rossi could also have the pleasure of riding in two home Grands Prix in 2007, with the news that Misano Adriatico could hold a race next season subject to FIM approval. The agreement between Dorna and the Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini will be for a duration of five years (2007-2011) and will see a long-term economic investment from all three public and private parties involved in the project. The local Borgo Panigale Ducati factory chose the perfect occasion of the Gran Premio d’Italia Alice to present their new production prototype. The Desmosedici RR is a replica model of the MotoGP 2006 transformed into a street bike. Invited guests were presented with all the details of the bike, scheduled to go on sale in June next year. It will be produced as a limited edition of 400 models. The presentation was held by Federico Minoli, managing director of Ducati Motor Holding, alongside Ducati Corse director Claudio Domenicale and MotoGP riders Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau alongside test rider Vittoriano Guareschi. As is customary at a MotoGP event, both a press conference and a pre-event local visit were also held. The former saw Rossi, Nicky Hayden, Marco Melandri, Dani Pedrosa and Loris Capirossi answering questions for the press, whilst the latter was a visit to the Basilica de la Santa Cruce attended by James Ellison, Mattia Pasini and Alex de Angelis. The paddock at the Mugello Circuit is already filled up with trucks, hospitality areas and motorhomes, at an event which always sees a spectacular attendance from some of the most passionate fans in the whole of motorsport. Unfortunately the Italian weather is proving more difficult to predict, and sunny spells have been interrupted by sharp heavy showers, with more predicted for tomorrow. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) “It was an important decision, one which I took my time over. I had the chance to drive the best race car in the world, the best machine in Formula 1, and understand my potential. Bikes are better for me to be at the top level. There are good riders and bikes. After the test here in November I really thought about going. I had a great test in Fiorano, about a second off the lap record, and that made the decision difficult. Then I went to Valencia and drove alongside the other drivers, experiencing the atmosphere and the media pressure, and then I decided. In the future I’m sure that I will do car racing, but maybe not Formula 1. I think that maybe if I was going to make the change then now would be the time. I have to win this weekend, it’s the number one event of the year and it feels like a win here serves as more than double the points. I need to close the gap, and after Le Mans the new chassis is good and very rideable. This is the key moment of the year.” Nicky Hayden (Honda) “I had a bout of Bronchitis in Le Mans, but it’s over now. No excuses here, I feel good and it’s one of the best tracks on the calendar. The fans are passionate and we all love being here. We’re right in the Italian riders’ backyard, they’ve put in a lot of laps here and it’s up to the rest of us to spoil it for them. The weather is iffy but we can’t help that, we’ll hope for dry weather tomorrow because we’ll need all the dry time we can get on the track. It’s still early to say how we’ll do, but we need to come back and answer the bell after having had problems in Le Mans. Rossi is tough, I’m glad that he is staying because then if you win a race you know that you have done so by beating the best. At times I wish that he would go, but it’s great for us riders and the series that he stays. If I was scared of him I’d have stayed in AMA.” Marco Melandri (Honda) “It will be a very hard weekend. I think that it is a must-win race for Valentino. The race last year was one of the best of my life, even though I didn’t manage to get on the podium. Riding against Loris for the third place was great, and a podium finish on Sunday would make me very happy. 45 minutes at 100% is tough here for all riders. I am happy that Valentino is staying. It means that we have one more chance to beat him next year if nobody manages it in 2006.” Loris Capirossi (Ducati) “Ducati are always fast here, but this year is a little different in the fact that we aren’t focusing on our top speed as much as overall performance and rideability. Last year was great, the all-Italian podium was a good moment. This year it might be different though, we have to wait and see what kind of weather we get. Le Mans wasn’t a good track for us, but here we are definitely in our element. Valentino staying makes me really happy. It always feels better when you win knowing that you have beaten the World Champion.” Dani Pedrosa (Honda) “I think that I have to learn quickly here like at every track. It is a question of getting used to the circuit and then starting to work. It’s not been too bad a start, I have made a few mistakes but because the riders are so strong here you have to fight for everything.”

EAST TROY, Wis. Buell Motorcycle Company announced today that two race teams will enter Buell XBRRs in the Formula Xtreme class during Round 5 of the 2006 AMA Superbike Championship June 2-4 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Deeley H-D/Buell Canada’s Steve Crevier, who tested the XBRR at Road America during the American SportBike Racing Association (ASRA) event in April, will return to the AMA Formula Xtreme series for the first time since competing in the Daytona 200. Classic H-D/BuellMillville H-D/BuellInnovative Motorcycle Research rider Mike Hale will also contest the Formula Xtreme round at Road America. Hale tested his XBRR at Summit Point last week, but it will be his debut event on the bike. “Steve and Mike are both great riders with a lot of experience. I’m as excited as anyone at seeing these XBRR riders take to the track. And they’ll have plenty of fans cheering them on Road America,” said Chairman and Chief Technical Officer Erik Buell. Indeed there will be many Buell owners on hand at Road America, as the Formula Xtreme race will serve as one of the highlights of the Buell Riders Adventure Group (BRAG) Homecoming event held that weekend. Update: Crevier, Hale To Race Buell XB-RRs At Road America Multi-time Canadian Superbike Champion Steve Crevier and former 500cc Grand Prix racer Mike Hale rode Buell XB-RR Firebolts during Thursday’s promoter practice and are expected to compete in this weekend’s AMA Formula Xtreme race. Deeley Harley-Davidson/Buell’s Crevier rode the same pre-production Buell XB-RR he raced at Daytona in March and tested with at Road America in April. Hale, however, had never ridden a Buell XB-RR until his team, Fastbuells.com, got the machine that Rico Penzkofer raced earlier this year at Daytona last week. Hale tested the bike at Pocono International Raceway in Pennsylvania, near his team’s headquarters in New Jersey, before heading to Summit Point Raceway, in West Virginia, for another test. While testing at Summit Point Raceway, the oil filter was blow off Hale’s Buell, causing an oil leak and a high-speed crash. “I’m real sore,” Hale told Roadracingworld.com. “I tumbled for a long time. I broke some bones in my right foot, and I bruised my ribs and my back on the right side.” Although his XB-RR has been repaired and he has also received another XB-RR — the first one off the production line, Hale said he did not know if he would be able to race this weekend or not. Buell Motorcycle Company is shooting a television commercial at Road America this weekend, a weekend that also includes “homecoming” activities for the Buell Riders Adventure Group (BRAG).

YAMAHA AND VALENTINO ROSSI TOGETHER AGAIN IN 2007 Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd is delighted to announce that Valentino Rossi will remain with the Japanese factory in 2007, racing for a fourth year with Yamaha’s Factory Team in the MotoGP World Championship. Rossi will continue to spearhead Yamaha’s Grand Prix challenge and bike development, as MotoGP enters a new era of 800cc racing in 2007. Rossi has enjoyed huge success with Yamaha since he joined the factory just over two years ago and every one of his races has captured the true spirit of ‘Kando’, the Japanese word for the sensation of intense excitement that we experience when we encounter something of supreme quality. The Italian won the championship with the YZR-M1 on his first try in 2004 and again in 2005, when Yamaha took a clean-sweep of Riders’, Team and Manufacturers’ Championships in the year of it’s 50th Anniversary. 2006 has proved more difficult for the World Champion, with just one win so far this season after a series of unfortunate occurrences, but Yamaha has every faith that Rossi will recover his winning-form, starting at his home Grand Prix in Mugello this weekend. Speaking from Mugello today, Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis commented, “We are firstly delighted that Valentino has chosen to stay in MotoGP. He is a great ambassador for motorcycle racing in general and extremely important to the global image of this sport. He is the most talented and the fastest rider on the grid and the benchmark to which others aspire. “We are extremely happy that Valentino has chosen to continue his illustrious MotoGP career with Yamaha in 2007. Yamaha and Valentino have an excellent relationship and we have enjoyed great success together since our partnership was born in 2004. It’s exciting news for Yamaha’s fans; Valentino’s worldwide appeal unites them under one banner and brings more and more people daily into the Yamaha ‘family’. “Of course it’s of key importance to us that Valentino will now be in a position to lead the development of Yamaha’s new 800cc project for 2007. His input will be invaluable and we believe we will be able to challenge to win the title next year with the new bike. Both Valentino and Yamaha relish the new challenge ahead. “In the meantime our short term goal is to provide him with the means to defend his MotoGP title this year. We are confident that Valentino can recover from an unlucky start to his title defence, starting at our Factory Team’s home race in Mugello this weekend.” “I’m very pleased to be staying with Yamaha next year”, announced the 27-year-old from Tavullia, “These past two years with Yamaha have been two of the best of my career and I am extremely happy to stay with them and with my team. I believe I have made the right choice and I am very excited about the challenge of a new class of racing with Yamaha next year.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Valentino Rossi will remain in the MotoGP World Championship in 2007 after Yamaha today confirmed the seven-time World Champion will stay with the Japanese factory for another year. MotoGP will be entering a brand new era with the introduction of 800cc four-stroke machines into the class next year, and Rossi has blown away months of speculation about a possible move to four wheels or even another factory team, by deciding to head up Yamaha’s challenge for another season. Rossi boasts five consecutive MotoGP World Championship titles, two of which have come with Yamaha, and without a doubt a major factor in his decision to stay in MotoGP will be the renewed challenge seen from numerous young riders in the class. The likes of Nicky Hayden, Marco Melandri, Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner have lit up an incredible MotoGP season so far, and have left Rossi down in eighth position in the championship, 43 points behind leader Hayden before this weekend’s Gran Premio d’Italia Alice. The 27 year-old superstar remarked, “I’m very pleased to be staying with Yamaha next year. These past two years with Yamaha have been two of the best of my career and I am extremely happy to stay with them and with my team. I believe I have made the right choice and I am very excited about the challenge of a new class of racing with Yamaha next year.” Meanwhile, Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis commented, “We are firstly delighted that Valentino has chosen to stay in MotoGP. He is a great ambassador for motorcycle racing in general and extremely important to the global image of this sport. He is the most talented and the fastest rider on the grid and the benchmark to which others aspire.” Jarvis went on to add, “We are extremely happy that Valentino has chosen to continue his illustrious MotoGP career with Yamaha in 2007. Yamaha and Valentino have an excellent relationship and we have enjoyed great success together since our partnership was born in 2004. It’s exciting news for Yamaha’s fans; Valentino’s worldwide appeal unites them under one banner and brings more and more people daily into the Yamaha ‘family’.”

CONFIDENCE HIGH AS KAWASAKI HEAD FOR MUGELLO Kawasaki Racing Team riders, Shinya Nakano and Randy de Puniet, arrive in Mugello for this weekend’s Gran Premio d’Italia Alice determined to put the disappointment of Le Mans behind them. Although de Puniet’s race ended at the first corner in Le Mans, where he was the innocent victim in a chain reaction started by Valentino Rossi’s overtaking manoeuvre on the entry to the new chicane, the 25-year-old Frenchman heads to Mugello full of confidence after an impressive performance during practice and qualifying for his home Grand Prix. De Puniet suffered some ligament damage to his back in the Le Mans crash, but returns to racing at Mugello fully fit, after undergoing treatment on the injury in Paris immediately after the French Grand Prix. For Shinya Nakano the Italian Grand Prix has proved a difficult race in the past. The fastest crash ever recorded in MotoGP two years ago was followed by a hard fought tenth place in the race last year, but Nakano arrives this time around confident that the new Ninja ZX-RR will be better suited to the 5.245km, ultra-fast Mugello circuit. Nakano will be aided in his quest for a strong performance in Sunday’s 23-lap Gran Premio d’Italia Alice by a new fairing on his Ninja ZX-RR, designed specifically to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of Kawasaki’s MotoGP machine. Designed by Kawasaki engineers in Japan, in conjunction with the same Institute of Technology involved with aerodynamic development of both aircraft and the famous Japanese bullet train, Sinkansen, the new fairing should offer some advantage along Mugello’s 1100 metre main straight, where aerodynamic efficiency can have a big impact on top speed. Randy de Puniet: #17 “I remember nothing about the Le Mans crash, but it was very disappointing not to finish in my home Grand Prix. I suffered some ligament damage in my back, but this is now okay and I’m looking forward to getting back on the bike at Mugello. Despite the crash at Le Mans I am confident ahead of this weekend’s race. In France we made some big steps with the bike, as could be seen by my lap times in practice and qualifying, and I hope that we can continue at the same level this weekend in Italy. I like the Mugello circuit a lot, and I think we can put in a good performance here this weekend.” Shinya Nakano: #56 “In the past this has been a difficult race for us, but the same can be said of Le Mans, and I think our practice and qualifying performance in France shows that the new Ninja ZX-RR is a definite improvement over the old. For this reason I think we arrive in Mugello with more confidence of a good result that in previous years. Mugello is a real high-speed circuit, where braking points are critical to a fast lap, but you also need to find a good rhythm around the fast turns here. If you find a good set-up during practice and qualifying then racing here is really enjoyable. But, if you fail to find a set-up you’re comfortable with then you know that Sunday’s race will be real hard work! We will run a new fairing on our Ninja ZX-RR machines this weekend, which should offer some advantage along Mugello’s long main straight, where outright top speed is important.”

Yesterday afternoon in a meeting between all parties, a provisional agreement was reached for the organisation of the MotoGP Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini which would take place at the Misano Adriatico circuit. Present at the meeting were Carmelo Ezpeleta – CEO of Dorna Sports, MotoGP commercial rights holders, Paride Andreoli – Minister for Tourism and Sport in San Marino, Andrea Gnassi – Tourism and Sport Delegate for the Province of Rimini, Mariano Spinarelli – President of Santamonica SpA and Umberto Trevi – Administrative Delegate for Santamonica SpA . The announcement of the agreement came during a press conference following the meeting. The agreement between Dorna and the Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini will be for a duration of five years (2007-2011) and will see a long-term economic investment from all three public and private parties involved in the project. The public investment will contribute to the acquisition of the event and to its promotion, whilst the private sector will supply the funds to perform the necessary track improvements and to sustain the massive organisational challenge that such an event requires. Statement from Paride Andreoli – Minister for Tourism and Sport in San Marino “It is a very important day for the Republic of San Marino, because today sees the culmination to a process which began four years ago with the first meetings between the Secretary of State for Tourism and Sport and Dorna. We are delighted to be joined by two partners, the Province of Rimini and the Autodromo Santamonica, with whom a strong bond and constructive spirit has been formed, crucial to reaching our objective. The challenge begins now however, and that means working closely together to promote the event and at the same time offering a place which we call “The Land of Motorsport”. For the Republic of San Marino it’s a privilege to join the exclusive circle of countries who boast the three most important motorsports events: Formula 1, MotoGP and Superbike.” Statement from Andrea Gnassi – Tourism and Sport Delegate for the Province of Rimini “Today is really a very important day. The MotoGP World Championship, along with Formula 1 is the biggest event in world motorsport. The Riviera will be in view for the whole world to see. Our objective is to transform this enormous international event into a virtual tourist product linked to the passion of the motorcycling world. Alongside San Marino and the Autodromo Santamonica we have work hard to achieve this objective. Now we have to push hard to promote it and to commercialize it along with many other parties in the territory. Our area, with the sea, the hills and its natural vocation as the land of motorcyclists, is the perfect scenery for an event which will make the Riviera di Rimini one of the main protagonists.” Statement from Umberto Trevi – Administrative Delegate for Santamonica SpA . “Our company is firmly dedicated to bring the most important motorcycle event on the calendar back to the Autodromo di Misano for many years to come. Now there will be a great deal of effort needed to develop the event, with the participation of all institutions, who from this moment will need to solve all the issues concerned with the complex and multidimensional needs of MotoGP as regards the territory and its infrastructures. Santamonica Spa, thanks to the tireless collaboration from the Misano Adriatico Community, will start works immediately, which in time for the event will give us a ‘new’ circuit, with the track completely renovated and which will see racing in a clockwise direction, opposite to the current running of it. In thanking the Republic of San Marino, the Province of Rimini and Dorna, we must not forget the massive investment and extraordinary organizational processes that our company must undertake with the hope, or certainty that with the presence of a large number of fans from the 2007 event, it will be demonstrated how our land and our circuit are the perfect match between passion and emotion, and which will show the positive aspects of a public-private partnership in the strategic development of our community and the whole country.” Statement from Carmelo Ezpeleta – CEO Dorna Sports “It is also an important day for Dorna, because after several meetings, firstly with Minister Andreoli and then with the other parties, we have made the agreement which will allow us to propose to the FIM to insert the Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini on the official 2007 calendar, to take place at the Autodromo Santamonica di Misano. With this move we have satisfied a strong demand, both on riders’ and fans’ behalf to have another MotoGP event in Italian territory.”