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Wood, Bilansky Win ASRA Nationals Monday At Summit Point Raceway

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Jeff Wood rode his Dunlop-equipped Arclight Suzuki GSX-R600 to wins in Sportbike and Superbike while Dan Bilanksy piloted his Pirelli-shod Hal’s Performance Buell XB-12R to victory in Thunderbike during the American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA) National Memorial Day Monday at Summit Point Raceway, in Summit Point, West Virginia. Wood was pursued closely in each race by Martinmoto.com’s Michael Himmelsbach, who rode a still-in-development Triumph Daytona 675 on Pirelli tires. Himmelsbach and his set-up were unable, however, to match Wood’s pace over the long, hot, 18-lap events. Local hero Tim Bemisderfer also raced closely with Wood and Himmelsbach during the start of each race, but Bemisderfer, who underwent a kidney transplant in 2005, said he did not have the endurance to stay with Wood and Himmelsbach. Bemisderfer, however, said he was happy to show his speed had returned and to have finished third in each race on his Dunlop-fitted Shenandoah Honda CBR600RR. Former Sportbike and Superbike Champion Robert Jensen made repairs to his crashed Butler Machinery Suzuki GSX-R600 overnight but chose to sit out the long ASRA National races to focus on running the shorter, contingency-paying CCS races Sunday at Summit Point Raceway. The 14-lap ASRA Thunderbike race was a three-way battle of the Buells between Bilansky, defending Thunderbike Champion Dave Estok, who rode a Pirelli-backed Veatch Motorsports XB-12R, and former Thunderbike Champion Bryan Bemisderfer, who rode a XB-12R backed by Harley-Davidson/Buell of Frederick. On the final lap, Bryan Bemisderfer put his home track knowledge to work to get in front of Bilansky, but Bilansky clearly had the strongest Buell and motored past Bryan Bemisderfer out of the final corner to take the win. Nate Kern maintained his ASRA Thunderbike Championship point lead by finishing fourth on his Main Line BMW R1100S. Shortly after the race, Kern, who had ridden in several races during the 90-plus-degree weekend, collapsed with heat exhaustion and was transported to a local hospital. RESULTS: ASRA SUPERBIKE: 1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Michael Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675); 3. Tim Bemisderfer (Hon CBR600RR); 4. Reuben Frankfield (Kaw ZX-6RR); 5. Jonathan Lawrence (Kaw ZX-6RR); 6. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6), crash; 7. Rick Beggs (Kaw ZX-6R); 8. Gustavo Laya (Kaw ZX-6RR), -2 laps, DNF, mechanical; 9. Nick Scoggins (Suz GSX-R600), -15 laps, DNF; 10. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R600), -17 laps, DNF, mechanical; 11. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-RR), DQ, failure to report to post-race tech. ASRA SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 3 of 8 races): 1. Wood, 97 points; 2. Scott Greenwood, 44 points; 3. Frankenfield, 43 points; 4. Patterson, 37 points; 5. Geoff May, 35 points; 6. Himmelsbach, 34 points; 7. TIE, Michael Barnes/Shawn Conrad, 30 points; 9. TIE, Bemisderfer/Mark Junge, 26 points. ASRA THUNDERBIKE: 1. Dan Bilansky (Buell XB-12R); 2. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB12R); 3. Dave Estok (Buell XB-12R); 4. Nate Kern (BMW R1100S); 5. Sam Rozynski (Buell XB-12R); 6. Gary Bunner (Duc 748); 7. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 8. Joe Rozynski (Buell XB-12R); 9. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650); 10. Sean Marston (Suz SV650); 11. Gilbert Schweitzer, III (Hon CBR600), -1 lap; 12. Chris Kalb (Suz SV650), -1 lap; 13. Jeff Gochenour (Buell XB-12R), -1 lap; 14. Jeff Dunn (Buell XB), -1 lap; 15. James Delk, Jr. (Buell XB-12R), -1 lap; 16. Patrick Wakefield (Buell 1200), -1 lap; 17. Chris Dunn (Buell 1200), -1 lap; 18. Chris Young (Buell 1200), -2 laps; 19. Walt Sipp (Buell XB-12R), -8 laps, DNF, mechanical. ASRA THUNDERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 3 of 8 races: 1. Kern, 81 points; 2. Bemisderfer, 79 points; 3. Bilansky, 73 points; 4. Sam Rozynski, 61 points; 5. Estok, 58 points; 6. Jeffrey Johnson, 44 points; 7. Sipp, 38 points; 8. Paul James, 36 points; 9. Ed Key, 35 points; 10. Young, 24 points. ASRA SPORTBIKE: 1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Michael Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675); 3. Tim Bemisderfer (Hon CBR600RR); 4. Kenny Martin (Kaw ZX-6RR); 5. Steven Giacomaro (Yam YZF-R6); 6. Shawn Scott (Kaw ZX-6RR); 7. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R600); 8. Michael Arwood (Suz GSX-R600), -1 lap; 9. Nick Scoggins (Suz GSX-R600), -8 laps, DNF, crash; 10. Jason Moss (Yam YZF-R6), -13 laps, DNF. ASRA SPORTBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 3 of 8 races): 1. Wood, 71 points; 2. Scott Greenwood, 56 points; 3. Himmelsbach, 51 points; 4. Robert Jensen, 31 points; 5. Arwood, 28 points; 6. Barrett Long, 26 points; 7. Matt Hall, 25 points; 8. Geoff May, 24 points; 9. TIE, Jason Farrell/Mark Schnettler, 23 points.

Sorensen Rides MV Agusta To Win AFM Formula Pacific Race At Infineon Raceway

Sorensen and MV Agusta take Infineon. 

On a beautiful Northern California Sunday, 3-time AMA 250 GP champion Chuck Sorensen took a wire to wire win in the AFM’s premier Formula Pacific class.

Starting from the outside of row one on the Munroe Motors MV Agusta F4-1000, Chuck put the Italian bike up the inside of Corey Sarros and Michael Earnest as the pack headed into turn two, to take the lead.

Using the excellent handling of the MV Agusta, Chuck established a gap of over a second as AFM #1 rider Dave Stanton on the Arclight Suzuki worked his way through from a third row start.

“I was watching my pit board and could see that someone – presumably Dave – was starting to catch slightly, but then I got a ‘plus 3’ and figured he’d had a problem” said Sorensen.

Stanton’s problem was a low-side crash in turn 11 at the end of lap three. “The front slid, I caught it, but then it just tucked and I was down” Stanton said.

From that point, Chuck put in some fast 1:38 laps and distanced himself from the chasing riders to take a clear and well-deserved victory by over six seconds.

“Chuck rolled the dice with the rear tire choice before the race – and we got lucky” said Nick Hayman, team manager. “I was hoping for a good battle with Stanton or someone, but Chuck was flying today”.

“We were cautiously optimistic this morning” said Matt Prentiss, team technical boss. “We knew Chuck could do it, and we believed the MV Agusta could do it for him”.

Rizla Suzuki Riders Looking To Lead To The End At Italian Grand Prix

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Rizla Suzuki MotoGP heads to the rolling Italian hills Rizla Suzuki MotoGP has made the short European journey to Italy for round six of the MotoGP World Championship and is looking to turn promising performances into impressive results. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racers John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen have both led the last three MotoGP’s at some point Vermeulen from his pole position in Turkey and Hopkins at Shanghai and at the last round in France and the team is focussed on building on the strong potential shown in these races. The Gran Premio D’Italia Alice will be staged at the famous Ferrari-owned Mugello circuit set in the beautiful Tuscan countryside, approximately 30kms north-east of Florence. The 5.2km long track is a challenge for riders and technicians alike, as the testing nature of the course with its blend of slow and fast turns, sweeping bends, off camber corners and fast straights make this one of the most complex tracks on the calendar. The circuit is a favourite amongst fans and riders alike and an enthusiastic and boisterous crowd can always be expected. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will also be joined on race-day by two special ‘Rizla Girls’ who will be wearing an innovative and radical new outfit as the riders line up for the race on Sunday 4th June at 14.00hrs local time (12.00GMT). Paul Denning Team Manager: “Both the riders have shown over the past few races that improved potential is there in the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R. The team and the factory are working flat out to get the best from the bike and both John and Chris are riding it as hard as they possibly can this was highlighted by John’s crash at Le Mans when he was pushing the bike to its limits to keep with the front runners and get that elusive first podium. But he showed true determination by picking the bike up and getting it back to the pits before continuing in the race and scoring a point that is the sort of commitment that will soon get him his reward. “Chris is coming to his third unknown track in a row, so he will need to do as many laps as possible to learn the fast and demanding nature of Mugello. He has shown that he can quickly adapt to his new surroundings and I know he will be hoping that the bad weather that seems to be following us around stays away, so that he can get as much dry track time as possible.”

Jensen Wins Two CCS Races, Sets New Track Record Sunday At Summit Point Raceway

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Butler Machinery’s Robert Jensen broke the overall motorcycle lap record for Summit Point Raceway en route to two CCS races wins Sunday at the West Virginia racetrack. Riding a Michelin-shod Suzuki GSX-R1000, Jensen won the six-lap Unlimited Supersport sprint by nearly eight seconds over Arclight Suzuki’s Jeff Wood, who rode a GSX-R750. Tim Bemisderfer came back from last place in the first corner to finish third on his Shenandoah Honda CBR1000RR. Jensen was back on his GSX-R1000 in the Unlimited Grand Prix (which was shortened from 10 to six laps to save time on the crash-and-clean-up delayed schedule) and immediately pulled away from GSX-R750-mounted Wood again. Even though he held a comfortable lead over Wood, Jensen continued pushing, breaking the CCS/ASRA lap record of 1:14.142 and Tray Batey’s overall motorcycle lap record of 1:14.085 with a best time of 1:13.922. Jensen won the Unlimited GP by five seconds over Wood. Visiting New Zealander Dominic Jones passed Joe Spina on the last lap to finish third on his Fab Shop Suzuki GSX-R1000. Although he finished second to Jensen in the Unlimited races, Dunlop-supported Wood beat Jensen in the Middleweight Supersport and Heavyweight Supersport finals. In the Heavyweight Supersport race, Wood rode a GSX-R750 while Jensen was on a GSX-R600. In the Middleweight Supersport event, both men were on GSX-R600s. Another multiple race winner Sunday was Main Line BMW’s Nate Kern. After starting the day with a mechanical-failure-related crash in Lightweight Supersport, Kern took victories in Lightweight Superbike and Lightweight GP on his Pirelli-shod R1100S Superbike. Sunday’s Provisional CCS Race Results (listed in chronological order): LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERSPORT EXPERT: 1. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650); 2. Sean Marston (Suz SV650); 3. Travis McNerney (Suz SV650); 4. Russell Masecar (Suz SV650); 5. Daniel Riter (Suz SV650); 6. Gilbert Schweitzer, III (Suz SV650). LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERSPORT AMATEUR: 1. James Delk, Jr. (Buell XB-9R); 2. Gary Sgarrella, Jr. (Suz SV650); 3. Vadim Tsires (Suz SV650); 4. Jon Oliver (Suz SV650); 5. Allan Edwards (Suz SV650); 6. Bobby Kim (Suz SV650). ULTRA LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Michael Kirk (Hon 650); 2. Sean O’Sullivan (Duc 750); 3. Brian Summers (Yam 600); 4. Andre Esser (Apr RS250); 5. Mark Evry; 6. Steven Fowler (Duc 750). ULTRA LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Robert Glittone (Duc 750); 2. William Surber, Jr. (Duc 800); 3. Thomas Noble (Yam 400). MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Robert Wilkey (Kaw ZX-6R); 2. Bret Garretson; 3. Henry Hoyle (Yam YZF-R6); 4. David Zylberberg (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Ernie Dix; 6. Danny Neron. MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Michael Himmesbach (Tri Daytona 675); 2. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Tim Bemisderfer (Hon CBR600RR); 4. Jonathan Lawrence (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-RR); 6. Gustavo Laya (Kaw ZX-6RR). HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Joe Spina (Suz GSX-R750); 2. Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Rick Beggs (Kaw ZX-6R); 5. Jonathan Lawrence (Yam YZF-R6); 6. Robert Lombardi (Suz GSX-R750). HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Chris Trickett (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Bret Garretson; 3. Henry Hoyle (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Antal Halasz (Kaw ZX-6R); 5. Martin Crotty (Suz GSX-R750); 6. David Zylberberg (Yam YZF-R6). LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Nate Kern (BMW R1100S); 2. Jeff Federici (Yam TZ250); 3. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 4. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650); 5. Sean Martson (Suz SV650); 6. Travis McNerney (Suz SV650). LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Vadim Tsires (Suz SV650); 2. Mike Aboyoun (Hon RS250); 3. Jon Oliver (Suz SV650); 4. Anthony Caligiuri (Buell XB-12R); 5. Bobby Kim (Suz SV650); 6. Allan Edwards (Suz SV650). MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERSPORT AMATEUR: 1. Bret Garretson; 2. Antal Halasz (Kaw ZX-6R); 3. David Neron; 4. David Zylberberg (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Ernie Dix; 6. Jason Palmer. MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERSPORT EXPERT: 1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R600); 3. Tim Bemisderfer (Hon CBR600RR); 4. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Donny Kelley (Suz GSX-R600); 6. Nick Scoggins (Suz GSX-R600). LIGHTWEIGHT GRAND PRIX EXPERT: 1. Nate Kern (BMW R1100S); 2. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 3. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650); 4. Travis McNerney (Suz SV650); 5. Steve Keener (Suz SV650); 6. Chris Kalb (Suz SV650). HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERSPORT EXPERT: 1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R750); 2. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R600); 3. Joe Spina (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R750); 5. Donny Kelley (Suz GSX-R600); 6. Justin Marm (Suz GSX-R750). HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERSPORT AMATEUR: 1. Chris Trickett (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Robert Wilkey (Kaw ZX-6R); 3. Bret Garretson; 4. David Zylberberg (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Danny Neron; 6. Martin Crotty (Suz GSX-R750). UNLIMITED SUPERSPORT EXPERT: 1. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. Jeff Woos (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Tim Bemisderfer (Hon CBR1000RR); 4. Dominic Jones (Suz GSX-R1000); 5. Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. Timmy Dennis (Yam YZF-R1). UNLIMITED SUPERSPORT AMATEUR: 1. Robert Wilkey (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. Lloyd Bayley (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. David Zylberberg (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Bryan Derr; 5. Gregory Walker (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. Jeff Koehler (Hon CBR1000RR). UNLIMITED GRAND PRIX EXPERT: 1. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Dominic Jones (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. Joe Spina (Suz GSX-R750); 5. Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. Christopher Rankin (Kaw ZX-10R). UNLIMITED GRAND PRIX AMATEUR: 1. Antal Halasz (Kaw ZX-6R); 2. Bret Garretson; 3. Robert Wilkey (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. Zsolt Bencze (Kaw ZX-6RR); 5. Lloyd Bayley (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. Dylan Scott (Suz GSX-R1000).

Chris Peris Sits Out World Supersport Race At Silverstone With Arm Injury

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By Dennis Noyes Chris Peris crashed near the end of World Supersport free practice at Silverstone on Friday morning and opened a deep gash in his right forearm that required stitches to close. He was declared unfit by the medical center and was unable to take part in the final Saturday qualifying and could not ride in the race. Peris was 10th-fastest in the opening free session on his Bikersday Moto 1 Yamaha YZF-R6, his best performance to date in his first full season of World Supersport.

Wild Card Entrant Takes Win In Third Round Of Suzuki GSX-R European Cup At Silverstone

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Aussie Brendan Roberts took victory in the third round of the Suzuki GSX-R European Cup at Silverstone today after a race-long battle with Briton Tommy Bridewell. The pair – both ‘Wild Cards’ – entertained the crowd throughout the race after early leader Xavier Simeon crashed out after four laps. Roberts was too strong for Bridewell and took the chequered flag by just over three tenths of a second. Third place went to Italian Simone Castellani ahead of Magnus Houston, Anthony Delhalle with Robert Barber sixth. With ‘wild cards’ ineligible for any points, Castellani took the 25 points and has now closed the gap on leader Simeon to just four points Brendan Roberts – 1st: “It took me a few laps to get going in the race, but once I got past Tommy, I knew it was going to be a fight between the two of us. We soon pulled away from the rest of the field and although he overtook me with one lap left, I knew what to do and where to do it. I knew I was stronger than him in certain points, so I made my move on the last lap, put my head down and held him off. It was always going to be a bit of a ‘do-or-die’ situation, but I felt pretty confident that I’d come out on top. This has been a fantastic experience for me and it’s been great racing in front of a large number of fans. I hope I can get another ‘Wild Card’ ride later in the season and have some fun all over again.” Result: B Roberts, 2 T Bridewell, 3 S Castellani, 4 M Houston, 5 A Delhalle, 6 R Barber. Championship Points (after 3 rounds): 1 Simeon 50, 2 Castellani 46, 3 Mahr 41, 4 Delhalle 37, 5 Hafenger 33, 6 Van Der Marel 33.

Jamie Stauffer Wins Round Two Of Australian Superbike Series Without Winning A Race

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Yamaha Racing Team’s elite road race squad have shown today why they are considered amongst the ‘best in the business’, again taking out round honours across both Superbike and Supersport classes at Perth’s Barbagallo Raceway, host of round two of the YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship. Once again it was dual championship leader Jamie Stauffer who claimed the spoils after a perfect pair of pole positions, though he received strong support from his teammates across both classes. The power and pace of both the YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 machines was more than apparent as they continued their dominance from the previous round across the course of the race meeting. The Yamaha Racing Team will have little time to regroup as the series travels back east to Mallala Motorsport Park, SA for round three. Yamaha Racing Team Superbike Squad Yamaha Racing Team’s man of the moment Jamie Stauffer has added another Superbike round win to his impeccable season 2006 record today, though he did it without winning a race. Stauffer’s consistency through two 2nd place finishes was enough to award him round honours as the winners of both races stumbled in their weekend campaigns. The racing was littered with red flags which halted any momentum the riders could build as the fast and sandy circuit claimed a number of victims. Stauffer said it was a strange situation in which to win a round but felt that he would have been more than capable of gapping the field had they been able to string more than ten laps together without stopping. “We were able to learn quite alot about the bikes today as the circumstances forced a major change to race strategy,” explained Stauffer. “It’s great to have taken the win and though a little of it may have been through luck, I feel as though we worked very hard for it as a team.” “It’s still fairly close as far as the championship is concerned, both Russell (Holland) and Shannon (Johnson) again put in strong race results and it will be interesting to see what we can do at Mallala.” Dan Stauffer experienced an up and down weekend aboard his YZF-R1 machine, but made some good ground in the second race of the day. Stauffer executed two perfect restarts, leaping up the order early as his rivals struggled to get the power down. Despite the good result in race 2 (5th), he was unable to make inroads on the points leaders as the race was declared and only half points awarded. Stauffer’s weekend result keeps him in the title hunt and he sits handily placed within the top 5. “It was a pretty trying weekend, we had some good speed but it was hard to convert it to results as there were constant interruptions and rain,” said Stauffer. “I was particularly pleased with the restarts though, the bike got off the line really well.” “I’ll take some of the things I learnt about the R1 to Mallala and try to further refine the bike into a race-winning package.” Yamaha Racing Team Supersport Squad Yamaha Racing Team’s Supersport trio have experienced a highly successful weekend in their quest for round victory, and all three riders shone in their pursuit of the top podium place. In the end it would once again be Jamie Stauffer who claimed overall honours, though he was capably backed up by his younger teammates Mark Aitchison and Jason O’Halloran. Aitchison and O’Halloran put in stellar performances across the course of the weekend and demonstrated the full potential of both themselves and their bikes. Aitchison had the measure of Stauffer for much of the weekend and only just fell short of his mark in terms of round points. “It’s been a really positive weekend for the team, and I feel like I am coming along leaps and bounds in terms of my own riding,” said Aitchison. “The R6 really is a complete package and was really suited to this style of track, and I think it showed as we stuck together at the front.” “Third and second places across both races is where I want to be, it was a great improvement over the Eastern Creek result and the bike was more reliable than ever.” Jason O’Halloran experienced a fairly successful weekend, the highlight being his magnificent comeback in race one. He was left with nowhere to go as the massive Supersport grid roared into turn 1, and ended up stranded deep in the sand. O’Halloran demonstrated a resilient attitude by single-handedly getting himself back onto the road and onto the back of the pack, and was later rewarded with a restart which gave him the opportunity to make up ground. By the end of Supersport race 1, O’Halloran had made up a number of spots, showing just how determined he was to catch the leaders. “It could have been a much better result for me personally, I really made a mess of the first race but was able to get a little back after the red flag,” said O’Halloran. “I’ve been really pleased to be able to run with Jamie up the front, I’m getting more and more confident each time we take to the bikes.” “Mallala will be a good test to see if I can challenge for race wins, I’m quietly confident of being there very soon.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Three-time Australian Superbike rider Shawn Giles suffered a broken foot and a laceration to his arm in a heavy crash during round two of the 2006 series at Barbagallo Raceway, Western Australia, yesterday. The Suzuki star crashed from the lead as a result of oil on the track left by a back-marker who also crashed only moments earlier. Left with nowhere to go, Giles’ GSX-R1000 hit the oil and the 35-year-old was sent skidding feet first into the sand The battered and bruised Champion was taken to hospital with initial fears of two broken ankles. Currently with his right foot in plaster and six stitches in his arm, he also has very sore ankles and hips as a result of the impact. The Team Suzuki rider has returned to New South Wales and is now recuperating at home with his family and has not yet been ruled out of next weekend’s Australian Superbike round at Mallala in South Australia.

Rossi Seeking Fifth Consecutive Victory At Italian Grand Prix

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‘HOME’ RACE PRESENTS FRESH CHALLANGE FOR CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM The Camel Yamaha Team heads into its home Grand Prix this weekend looking to turn a stuttering start to the season into a consistent challenge for MotoGP World Championship honours. The fast and flowing Mugello circuit in Italy presents an entirely different challenge to the tight complexities of recent tracks such as Le Mans and Shanghai and both Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards hope it can also deliver a similar contrast in the fortunes that have followed them around the world during a dramatic opening five rounds of the campaign. Rossi, in particular, is keen to get his fifth title defence back on track in front of his adoring Italian public. The Tavullia-born superstar, who was last week honoured with the ‘Spirit of Sport’ award at the prestigious Laureus Sports Awards, is aiming to add another prize to his trophy cabinet by claiming his fifth consecutive victory at the Mugello circuit. Edwards is equally focused on the top step of the podium after again demonstrating winning potential at the last round in France. The American was forced into the gravel in the first turn but he battled through from last place to take sixth overall and finish just eleven seconds down on the race winner. Like Rossi, he knows that if things play in his favour this weekend it can be a glorious return home for the Monza-based team. VALENTINO ROSSI: ELEVEN WINS SHOULD DO IT! After failing to score points at the last two rounds because of freak tyre and engine problems, Rossi now trails series leader Nicky Hayden (Honda) by 43 points and lies eighth in the championship his worst ever start to a World Championship season in any class. However, with a typical air of optimism based on confidence in his unrivalled ability, the Italian refuses to consider defeat at this early stage of the season and says this weekend is the ideal time to turn things around. “Mugello has been very good to me over the past few years it is a very special race and this season it is even more important than ever,” admits Rossi. “I have had some incredible emotions there over the years and it is always a very busy weekend for me, but it is crucial that we maintain our focus on the job because we have to be at 100% if we want to win again. The new chassis worked well at Le Mans and we have some good data from the test to improve it at Mugello so I have reason to be confident.” If Rossi did go on to win the title this year he would be the first rider ever to do so having had only one podium finish in the first five races of the year. It is the kind of challenge he relishes. “We have had a lot of bad luck but I don’t think 43 points is such a big gap when there are still twelve races left,” he says. “It will be difficult to win them all but I will settle for taking eleven wins and one second place! When you look at what has happened to us this season, mostly things out of our control, I probably lost 25 points in France, 16 in China and 14 in Jerez so if it wasn’t for all that I would be in a much better situation in the championship now. I think we showed our true potential last weekend and it is just a matter of our luck changing now. Mugello would be the perfect place for that.” COLIN EDWARDS: A FAMILY AFFAIR Colin Edwards has more than one reason to look forward to Mugello, both on and off the track. During a gruelling run of races visiting all corners of the globe over the last two months the Texan has not had much chance to see his young son Hayes, but the baby, who was born in December, will be making his first visit to Europe this week and staying on the road with the whole family during the upcoming run of races on the continent. The proud father hopes family life on the road can provide the foundation to a series of positive results. “Hayes will be coming over with my daughter Gracie and my wife Alyssia so obviously I’m really looking forward to that,” admits Edwards. “I love being with the family and living out of the motorhome instead of travelling all over the place staying in hotels. I find it helps me to focus on my performance on the track and hopefully it can give me an extra edge this weekend. That is the most important thing and at this stage of the season, with the way things have gone recently, we need every advantage we can get.” Another plus point for Edwards this week will be the delivery of a new chassis for his YZR-M1 machine, used by Rossi with positive results at the last round in Le Mans. “My bike has been the same since Turkey and whilst I have got comfortable with it now I think we have reached the limit in some areas. I did thirty laps with the new chassis at the Le Mans test and I could clearly see the extra potential. Now I’ll have one from the start at Mugello and so that’s something for us to get our teeth into from the first session and see how far we can go.” DAVIDE BRIVIO: EXCITEMENT AT HOME! Whilst recognising that recent results have not lived up to expectations, Camel Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio remains upbeat that his riders are still on course to meet their objectives for the season. The Italian has been encouraged by recent progress made by Yamaha’s engineers and says a simple turn in fortune is now all that is required for both Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards to be challenging at the sharp end of the field. “In the last race at Le Mans we had a lot of bad luck but it was a very important and encouraging weekend for us to confirm the general progress we are making with the bike,” says Brivio. “Valentino was riding steadily in the lead and probably would have won quite comfortably, whilst Colin also had an excellent race to come through from last place and finish sixth so we know we have something to build on and we want to continue with this progression. “We have twelve races left to get points back and the first stage of the recovery is this weekend at Mugello. All we can do is try to gather as many points from race to race and that means taking victory on Sunday. It is a home race for Valentino and for half of the team so it will be important for us to have the support of the big Italian crowd to help us do this. This has been an unpredictable championship so far but something we can be certain of at Mugello is that it will be very hot and very exciting!” TECHNICALLY SPEAKING: MUGELLO ACCORDING TO DANIELE ROMAGNOLI At 5.245km the Mugello circuit is one of the longer contemporary MotoGP circuits, in no small part due to the fact that it has retained its original length and layout. Running across two sides of an impossibly scenic Tuscan valley, Mugello differs from other fast circuits in its frequent changes of gradient and the speed of its chicanes. There is a mix of slower and high-speed corners, although even the slowest corners are wide, allowing several ‘ideal’ lines and putting the emphasis on rider skill as well as chassis set-up precision. “Mugello is a very technical track,” explains Daniele Romagnoli, Colin Edwards’ Italian Chief Mechanic. “Chassis set-up is perhaps the most important thing but you also need a good engine for the straight because there is around 950m with the throttle fully open. The gearing is also important at this point you need small gaps between fourth, fifth and sixth gear to get the most out of the engine. “Generally it is a very complex track and the rider can make the difference. It has a very hard braking into turn one, where the riders go from around 330km/h to just 85km/h. Then there is a sequence of ‘esses’ where it is important to have a bike that has good turning capabilities and agility. There are some quick changes in direction, with uphill and downhill turns, so you need a good compromise with the set-up to make it turn well in both types of corner.” Romagnoli adds that the delivery of a new chassis for Edwards at this round could not have come at a better time. “The new chassis has improved the performance of the front end of the bike, particularly in terms of turning and stability on corner entry. It has also improved the chatter problems that we have experienced and this will be crucial at Mugello because there are some very fast corners and a lot of lateral load on the bike.” VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION Age: 27 Lives: London, UK Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 GP victories: 80 (54 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 162 (102 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 40 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: 53 x MotoGP World Championships – 2 World Superbike Mugello Lap Record: Max Biaggi (Honda) 2005 1’50.117 Mugello Best Lap: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2005 1’49.223 2005 Results 1. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Yamaha, 42’42.994 2. Max Biaggi (ITA) Honda, +0.359 3. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati, +3.874

The Student Becomes The Master As Patterson Wins Two CCS Races Sunday At Summit Point Raceway

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AbsoluteCyclePerformance.com’s Ryan Patterson, 27, won two CCS sprint races Sunday at Summit Point Raceway over Michael Himmelsbach, the man Patterson credited with teaching him to road race.

Riding his Pirelli-shod 2006-model Yamaha YZF-R6, Patterson took the holeshots and the wins in the 25-minute GTU solo endurance race and in the six-lap Middleweight Grand Prix. Both wins came over Himmelsbach, who started each race from the back of the grid on his Martinmoto.com-backed Triumph Daytona 675.

“Everything I know about road racing he (Himmelsbach) taught me,” stated Patterson. “Me beating him is like a win-win for him. Either he wins the race or the man he taught wins the race.”

“Patterson did seven or eight session with me,” said Himmelsbach, who teaches advanced riding techniques at his Champion Sportbike Club. “He definitely had speed and talent. He just needed to be polished. It looks like he’s starting to get there

“Sure, I started from the back of the grid, but I caught him (in GTU) with three laps to go and he honestly beat me for those three laps. The bad part about racing against a guy I taught is it’s like racing a mirror image of myself. I taught him to be strong everywhere I’m strong, so it’s kind of tough to get past.”

Another multi-race winner Sunday was Veatch Motosports Buell’s Dave Estok, who won the Thunderbike sprint on his XB-12R by less than a bikelength over Harley-Davidson/Buell of Frederick’s Bryan Bemiderfer and then came back on an XB-RR (the same bike Jeremy McWilliams raced at Daytona and Infineon Raceway) to win the SuperTwins race by a much wider margin over Bemisderfer.

“That race (SuperTwins) was great,” said Estok. “I only rode the XB-RR once before that this weekend, and I was way off the pace this morning. Bryan (Bemisderfer) passed me on the brakes for turn one, and I turned my best lap of the race following him. Then I used the horsepower of the bike to pass him between turn nine and 10. When I led into turn 10, I knew there was no way he could beat me to the flag.

“I’m happy to get a win on the XB-RR for the Buell guys. Hopefully, I’ll get to race it at an AMA round.”

Other race winners Sunday included: Nate Kern on his Mainline BMW R1100S in GT Lights; Joe Spina on his Spina Construction Suzuki GSX-R750 in GTO; and Loikits Industries Racing’s David Loikits on an ex-Vincent Haskovec Suzuki GSX-R1000 in Unlimited Superbike.

Sunday’s CCS Race Results (listed in chronological order):

FORMULA 40 EXPERT: 1. Arnold Hastings (Suz GSX-R750); 2. Robert Lombardi (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Freric Marsallsi (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Gary Bunner (Duc 996); 5. Craig Moodie; 6. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R).

FORMULA 40 AMATEUR: 1. Phillip Doyle (Suz GSX-R750); 2. Martin Crotty (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Rick Gow (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Roger Wereb (Tri 600); 5. Miguel Betancourt (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. Edwin Bishop (Suz GSX-R600).

LIGHTWEIGHT FORMULA 40 EXPERT: 1. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 2. William Dietz (Duc); 3. Eric Helmbach (Hon CBR600); 4. Eric Wilson (Suz SV650); 5. Gilbert Schweitzer, III (Hon CBR600); 6. Russell Masecar (Suz SV650).

LIGHTWEIGHT FORMULA 40 AMATEUR: 1. Ross Wellwood (Suz SV650); 2. Pail Wernle (Kaw EX650); 3. Richard Dubarton (Suz SV650); 4. John Morgan (Suz SV650); 5. Ronald Shaw; 6. Rafael Garcia, Jr. (Hon RS125).

GTU AMATEUR: 1. Robert Wilkey (Kaw ZX-6R); 2. Bret Garretson; 3. Henry Hoyle; 4. Jason Palmer; 5. Zoltan Nemes (Suz GSX-R600); 6. Paul Garrison (Suz GSX-R600).

GTU EXPERT: 1. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 2. Michael Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675); 3. William Lindsay (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Gustavo Laya (Kaw ZX-6RR); 5. Jason Moss (Yam YZF-R6); 6. Rick Beggs (Kaw ZX-6R).

GT LIGHTS EXPERT: 1. Nate Kern (BMW R1100S); 2. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 3. Steve Kenner (Suz SV650); 4. David Yaakov (Suz SV650); 5. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650); 6. Sean Marston (Suz SV650).

GT LIGHTS AMATEUR: 1. Tim Duckworth (Suz SV650); 2. Gary Sgarrella, Jr. (Suz SV650); 3. Vadim Tsires (Suz SV650); 4. Rochard Dubarton (Suz SV650); 5. James Delk, Jr. (Buell XB-9R); 6. Ken Allen (Suz SV650).

GTO EXPERT: 1. Joe Spina (Suz GSX-R750); 2. David Loikits (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. Troy Meikle (Suz GSX-R1000); 5. Timmy Dennis (Yam YZF-R1); 6. Geoff Allen (Yam YZF-R1).

GTO AMATEUR: 1. Chris Trickett (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Lloyd Bayley (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Martin Crotty (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Dylan Scott (Suz GSX-R1000); 5. Bryan Derr; 6. Robert Wilkey (Suz GSX-R1000).

125cc GRAND PRIX: 1. Steve Gorrell (Hon RS125); 2. Joshua Steinberg; 3. Mark Dennis (Hon RS125); 4. Bill Clery (Hon RS125).

THUNDERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Dave Estok (Buell XB-RR); 2. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-12R); 3. Dan Bilansky (Buell XB-12R); 4. Steve Kenner (Suz SV650); 5. Walt Sipp (Buell XB-12R); 6. Joe Rozynski (Buell XB-12R).

THUNDEBRIKE AMATEUR: 1. James Delk, Jr. (Buell XB-9R); 2. Tim Duckworth (Suz SV650); 3. Ken Allen (Suz SV650); 4. Gary Sgarrella, Jr. (Suz SV650); 5. Anthony Caligiuri (Buell XB-12R); 6. Allan Edwards (Suz SV650).

MIDDLEWEIGHT GP AMATEUR: 1. Robert Wilkey (Kaw ZX-6R); 2. Jason Palmer; 3. Danny Neron; 4. Ernie Dix; 5. David Zylberberg; 6. Antal Halasz (Kaw ZX-6R).

MIDDLEWEIGHT GP EXPERT: 1. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 2. Mike Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675); 3. Michael Murray (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Steven Giacomo; 5. Joe Ford (Yam YZF-R6); 6. William Lindsay (Yam YZF-R6).

SUPERTWINS EXPERT: 1. Dave Estok (Buell XB-RR); 2. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-12R); 3. Jerod Willow (Duc 999); 4. Sam Rozynski (Buell XB-12R); 5. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 6. Steve Keener (Suz SV650).

SUPERTWINS AMATEUR: 1. George Wohlfarth (Hon 1000); 2. Ken Allen (Suz SV650); 3. Vadim Tsires (Suz SV650); 4. Brian Retallick (Hon 1000); 5. Anthony Caligiuri (Buell XB-12R); 6. Richard Dubarton (Suz SV650).

UNLIMITED SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. David Loikits (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. Joe Spina (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. Geoff Allen (Yam YZF-R1); 5. Nate Kern (BMW K1200); 6. Jonathan Lawrence (Yam YZF-R6).

UNLIMITED SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Bret Garretson; 2. David Zylberberg (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Bryan Derr; 4. Dylan Scott (Suz GSX-R1000); 5. Daniel Miller (Suz GSX-R600); 6. Eric Sampson (Yam YZF-R6).

Wood, Bilansky Take Pole Positions At ASRA National At Summit Point

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Arclight Suzuki’s Jeff Wood earned pole position for the American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA) Sportbike and Superbike Nationals during qualifying Sunday at Summit Point Raceway. Hal’s Performance Buell’s Dan Bilansky, meanwhile, was the fastest in qualifier in Thunderbike at the West Virginia racetrack. Riding a GSX-R600 on DOT-labeled Dunlops, Wood lapped the 2.0-mile, 10-turn course in 1:16.037 to take the pole for the Factory Pro Tuning Sportbike final. Martinmoto.com’s Michael Himmelsbach was second-fastest with a 1:16.420 on his Triumph Daytona 675. Shenandoah Honda’s Tim Bermisderfer was third-fastest with a 1:16.785 on his borrowed CBR600RR, and Jason Moss earned the final front-row starting spot with a 1:18.027 on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Riding the same GSX-R600, albeit with Dunlop slicks, Wood was also fastest in Superbike qualifying with a 1:16.057, just edging out Tim Bemisderfer’s second-fastest 1:16.192. Himmelsbach was third in Superbike qualifying with a 1:16.400, while Michael Murray took the final front-row starting spot with a lap of 1:17.658 on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Bilansky blew up his primary XB-12R Firebolt in practice Saturday but was still able to take pole position in Thunderbike with a lap of 1:18.865 on his Pirelli-shod back-up Buell. Harley-Davidson/Buell of Frederick’s Bryan Bemisderfer (Tim Bemisderfer’s older brother) qualified second with a 1:19.274 on his XB-12R. Defending Thunderbike Champion Dave Estok qualified third with a 1:19.325 on his Veatch Motorsports Firebolt XB-12R. Current Thunderbike Championship points leader Nate Kern grabbed the final spot on the front row by turning a 1:19.529, a personal record, on his Mainline BMW R1100S. Several noteworthy riders were present at Summit Point Raceway but absent from Saturday’s qualifying session. Former Summit Point Raceway lap record holder and Thunderbike race winner Dave Yaakov told Roadracingworld.com that he could not run Monday’s Thunderbike race because he had to work on his commercial property. Former Sportbike and Superbike Champion Robert Jensen planned on racing in the ASRA Nationals but crashed his Butler Machinery Suzuki GSX-R600 during Sunday morning practice and missed qualifying. At post time, Jensen, who was uninjured, did not know if his Suzuki GSX-R600 could be repaired in time for him to start Monday’s races from the back of the grid. Jensen did, however, turn a 1:14.853 on his Michelin-equipped GSX-R1000 to take pole position in Unlimited Grand Prix, the premier CCS class. Weather at Summit Point Raceway Sunday was sunny and hot, and similar conditions are forecast for race day Monday. ASRA National Championship Series Summit Point Raceway Summit Point, West Virginia May 28 Qualifying Results: Sportbike: 1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600), 1:16.037 2. Michael Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675), 1:16.420 3. Tim Bemisderfer (Hon CBR600RR), 1:16.870 4. Jason Moss (Yam YZF-R6), 1:18.027 5. Reuben Frankenfield (Kaw ZX-6), 1:18.139 6. Nick Scoggins, 1:19.529 7. Steven Giacomaro, 1:19.685 8. Gustavo Laya (Kaw ZX-6), 1:19.713 9. Tony Palarie (Suz GSX-R600), 1:20.893 10. M. Arwood (Suz GSX-R600), 1:21.227 Superbike: 1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600), 1:16.057 2. Tim Bemisderfer (Hon CBR600RR), 1:16.192 3. Michael Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675), 1:16.400 4. Michael Murray (Yam YZF-R6), 1:17.658 5. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6), 1:17.770 6. Bryan Bemisderger (Buell XB-RR), 1:17.971 7. Reuben Frankenfield (Kaw ZX-6), 1:18.457 8. Jonathan Lawrence (Yam YZF-R6), 1:19.012 9. Rick Beggs (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:19.696 10. Nick Scoggins, 1:20.777 Thunderbike: 1. Dan Bilanksy (Buell XB-12R), 1:18.865 2. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-12R), 1:19.274 3. Dave Estok (Buell XB-12R), 1:19.325 4. Nate Kern (BMW R1100S), 1:19.529 5. Sam Rozynski (Buell XB-12R), 1:21.053 6. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R), 1:21.426 7. Walt Sipp (Buell XB-12R), 1:22.148 8. Joe Rozynski (Buell XB-12R), 1:22.832 9. Sean Marston (Suz SV650), 1:23.231 10. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650), 1:23.676

Wood, Bilansky Win ASRA Nationals Monday At Summit Point Raceway

Jeff Wood rode his Dunlop-equipped Arclight Suzuki GSX-R600 to wins in Sportbike and Superbike while Dan Bilanksy piloted his Pirelli-shod Hal’s Performance Buell XB-12R to victory in Thunderbike during the American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA) National Memorial Day Monday at Summit Point Raceway, in Summit Point, West Virginia. Wood was pursued closely in each race by Martinmoto.com’s Michael Himmelsbach, who rode a still-in-development Triumph Daytona 675 on Pirelli tires. Himmelsbach and his set-up were unable, however, to match Wood’s pace over the long, hot, 18-lap events. Local hero Tim Bemisderfer also raced closely with Wood and Himmelsbach during the start of each race, but Bemisderfer, who underwent a kidney transplant in 2005, said he did not have the endurance to stay with Wood and Himmelsbach. Bemisderfer, however, said he was happy to show his speed had returned and to have finished third in each race on his Dunlop-fitted Shenandoah Honda CBR600RR. Former Sportbike and Superbike Champion Robert Jensen made repairs to his crashed Butler Machinery Suzuki GSX-R600 overnight but chose to sit out the long ASRA National races to focus on running the shorter, contingency-paying CCS races Sunday at Summit Point Raceway. The 14-lap ASRA Thunderbike race was a three-way battle of the Buells between Bilansky, defending Thunderbike Champion Dave Estok, who rode a Pirelli-backed Veatch Motorsports XB-12R, and former Thunderbike Champion Bryan Bemisderfer, who rode a XB-12R backed by Harley-Davidson/Buell of Frederick. On the final lap, Bryan Bemisderfer put his home track knowledge to work to get in front of Bilansky, but Bilansky clearly had the strongest Buell and motored past Bryan Bemisderfer out of the final corner to take the win. Nate Kern maintained his ASRA Thunderbike Championship point lead by finishing fourth on his Main Line BMW R1100S. Shortly after the race, Kern, who had ridden in several races during the 90-plus-degree weekend, collapsed with heat exhaustion and was transported to a local hospital. RESULTS: ASRA SUPERBIKE: 1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Michael Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675); 3. Tim Bemisderfer (Hon CBR600RR); 4. Reuben Frankfield (Kaw ZX-6RR); 5. Jonathan Lawrence (Kaw ZX-6RR); 6. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6), crash; 7. Rick Beggs (Kaw ZX-6R); 8. Gustavo Laya (Kaw ZX-6RR), -2 laps, DNF, mechanical; 9. Nick Scoggins (Suz GSX-R600), -15 laps, DNF; 10. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R600), -17 laps, DNF, mechanical; 11. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-RR), DQ, failure to report to post-race tech. ASRA SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 3 of 8 races): 1. Wood, 97 points; 2. Scott Greenwood, 44 points; 3. Frankenfield, 43 points; 4. Patterson, 37 points; 5. Geoff May, 35 points; 6. Himmelsbach, 34 points; 7. TIE, Michael Barnes/Shawn Conrad, 30 points; 9. TIE, Bemisderfer/Mark Junge, 26 points. ASRA THUNDERBIKE: 1. Dan Bilansky (Buell XB-12R); 2. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB12R); 3. Dave Estok (Buell XB-12R); 4. Nate Kern (BMW R1100S); 5. Sam Rozynski (Buell XB-12R); 6. Gary Bunner (Duc 748); 7. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 8. Joe Rozynski (Buell XB-12R); 9. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650); 10. Sean Marston (Suz SV650); 11. Gilbert Schweitzer, III (Hon CBR600), -1 lap; 12. Chris Kalb (Suz SV650), -1 lap; 13. Jeff Gochenour (Buell XB-12R), -1 lap; 14. Jeff Dunn (Buell XB), -1 lap; 15. James Delk, Jr. (Buell XB-12R), -1 lap; 16. Patrick Wakefield (Buell 1200), -1 lap; 17. Chris Dunn (Buell 1200), -1 lap; 18. Chris Young (Buell 1200), -2 laps; 19. Walt Sipp (Buell XB-12R), -8 laps, DNF, mechanical. ASRA THUNDERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 3 of 8 races: 1. Kern, 81 points; 2. Bemisderfer, 79 points; 3. Bilansky, 73 points; 4. Sam Rozynski, 61 points; 5. Estok, 58 points; 6. Jeffrey Johnson, 44 points; 7. Sipp, 38 points; 8. Paul James, 36 points; 9. Ed Key, 35 points; 10. Young, 24 points. ASRA SPORTBIKE: 1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Michael Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675); 3. Tim Bemisderfer (Hon CBR600RR); 4. Kenny Martin (Kaw ZX-6RR); 5. Steven Giacomaro (Yam YZF-R6); 6. Shawn Scott (Kaw ZX-6RR); 7. Shane Narbonne (Suz GSX-R600); 8. Michael Arwood (Suz GSX-R600), -1 lap; 9. Nick Scoggins (Suz GSX-R600), -8 laps, DNF, crash; 10. Jason Moss (Yam YZF-R6), -13 laps, DNF. ASRA SPORTBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 3 of 8 races): 1. Wood, 71 points; 2. Scott Greenwood, 56 points; 3. Himmelsbach, 51 points; 4. Robert Jensen, 31 points; 5. Arwood, 28 points; 6. Barrett Long, 26 points; 7. Matt Hall, 25 points; 8. Geoff May, 24 points; 9. TIE, Jason Farrell/Mark Schnettler, 23 points.

Sorensen Rides MV Agusta To Win AFM Formula Pacific Race At Infineon Raceway

Sorensen and MV Agusta take Infineon. 

On a beautiful Northern California Sunday, 3-time AMA 250 GP champion Chuck Sorensen took a wire to wire win in the AFM’s premier Formula Pacific class.

Starting from the outside of row one on the Munroe Motors MV Agusta F4-1000, Chuck put the Italian bike up the inside of Corey Sarros and Michael Earnest as the pack headed into turn two, to take the lead.

Using the excellent handling of the MV Agusta, Chuck established a gap of over a second as AFM #1 rider Dave Stanton on the Arclight Suzuki worked his way through from a third row start.

“I was watching my pit board and could see that someone – presumably Dave – was starting to catch slightly, but then I got a ‘plus 3’ and figured he’d had a problem” said Sorensen.

Stanton’s problem was a low-side crash in turn 11 at the end of lap three. “The front slid, I caught it, but then it just tucked and I was down” Stanton said.

From that point, Chuck put in some fast 1:38 laps and distanced himself from the chasing riders to take a clear and well-deserved victory by over six seconds.

“Chuck rolled the dice with the rear tire choice before the race – and we got lucky” said Nick Hayman, team manager. “I was hoping for a good battle with Stanton or someone, but Chuck was flying today”.

“We were cautiously optimistic this morning” said Matt Prentiss, team technical boss. “We knew Chuck could do it, and we believed the MV Agusta could do it for him”.

Rizla Suzuki Riders Looking To Lead To The End At Italian Grand Prix

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP heads to the rolling Italian hills Rizla Suzuki MotoGP has made the short European journey to Italy for round six of the MotoGP World Championship and is looking to turn promising performances into impressive results. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racers John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen have both led the last three MotoGP’s at some point Vermeulen from his pole position in Turkey and Hopkins at Shanghai and at the last round in France and the team is focussed on building on the strong potential shown in these races. The Gran Premio D’Italia Alice will be staged at the famous Ferrari-owned Mugello circuit set in the beautiful Tuscan countryside, approximately 30kms north-east of Florence. The 5.2km long track is a challenge for riders and technicians alike, as the testing nature of the course with its blend of slow and fast turns, sweeping bends, off camber corners and fast straights make this one of the most complex tracks on the calendar. The circuit is a favourite amongst fans and riders alike and an enthusiastic and boisterous crowd can always be expected. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will also be joined on race-day by two special ‘Rizla Girls’ who will be wearing an innovative and radical new outfit as the riders line up for the race on Sunday 4th June at 14.00hrs local time (12.00GMT). Paul Denning Team Manager: “Both the riders have shown over the past few races that improved potential is there in the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R. The team and the factory are working flat out to get the best from the bike and both John and Chris are riding it as hard as they possibly can this was highlighted by John’s crash at Le Mans when he was pushing the bike to its limits to keep with the front runners and get that elusive first podium. But he showed true determination by picking the bike up and getting it back to the pits before continuing in the race and scoring a point that is the sort of commitment that will soon get him his reward. “Chris is coming to his third unknown track in a row, so he will need to do as many laps as possible to learn the fast and demanding nature of Mugello. He has shown that he can quickly adapt to his new surroundings and I know he will be hoping that the bad weather that seems to be following us around stays away, so that he can get as much dry track time as possible.”

Jensen Wins Two CCS Races, Sets New Track Record Sunday At Summit Point Raceway

Butler Machinery’s Robert Jensen broke the overall motorcycle lap record for Summit Point Raceway en route to two CCS races wins Sunday at the West Virginia racetrack. Riding a Michelin-shod Suzuki GSX-R1000, Jensen won the six-lap Unlimited Supersport sprint by nearly eight seconds over Arclight Suzuki’s Jeff Wood, who rode a GSX-R750. Tim Bemisderfer came back from last place in the first corner to finish third on his Shenandoah Honda CBR1000RR. Jensen was back on his GSX-R1000 in the Unlimited Grand Prix (which was shortened from 10 to six laps to save time on the crash-and-clean-up delayed schedule) and immediately pulled away from GSX-R750-mounted Wood again. Even though he held a comfortable lead over Wood, Jensen continued pushing, breaking the CCS/ASRA lap record of 1:14.142 and Tray Batey’s overall motorcycle lap record of 1:14.085 with a best time of 1:13.922. Jensen won the Unlimited GP by five seconds over Wood. Visiting New Zealander Dominic Jones passed Joe Spina on the last lap to finish third on his Fab Shop Suzuki GSX-R1000. Although he finished second to Jensen in the Unlimited races, Dunlop-supported Wood beat Jensen in the Middleweight Supersport and Heavyweight Supersport finals. In the Heavyweight Supersport race, Wood rode a GSX-R750 while Jensen was on a GSX-R600. In the Middleweight Supersport event, both men were on GSX-R600s. Another multiple race winner Sunday was Main Line BMW’s Nate Kern. After starting the day with a mechanical-failure-related crash in Lightweight Supersport, Kern took victories in Lightweight Superbike and Lightweight GP on his Pirelli-shod R1100S Superbike. Sunday’s Provisional CCS Race Results (listed in chronological order): LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERSPORT EXPERT: 1. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650); 2. Sean Marston (Suz SV650); 3. Travis McNerney (Suz SV650); 4. Russell Masecar (Suz SV650); 5. Daniel Riter (Suz SV650); 6. Gilbert Schweitzer, III (Suz SV650). LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERSPORT AMATEUR: 1. James Delk, Jr. (Buell XB-9R); 2. Gary Sgarrella, Jr. (Suz SV650); 3. Vadim Tsires (Suz SV650); 4. Jon Oliver (Suz SV650); 5. Allan Edwards (Suz SV650); 6. Bobby Kim (Suz SV650). ULTRA LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Michael Kirk (Hon 650); 2. Sean O’Sullivan (Duc 750); 3. Brian Summers (Yam 600); 4. Andre Esser (Apr RS250); 5. Mark Evry; 6. Steven Fowler (Duc 750). ULTRA LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Robert Glittone (Duc 750); 2. William Surber, Jr. (Duc 800); 3. Thomas Noble (Yam 400). MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Robert Wilkey (Kaw ZX-6R); 2. Bret Garretson; 3. Henry Hoyle (Yam YZF-R6); 4. David Zylberberg (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Ernie Dix; 6. Danny Neron. MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Michael Himmesbach (Tri Daytona 675); 2. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Tim Bemisderfer (Hon CBR600RR); 4. Jonathan Lawrence (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-RR); 6. Gustavo Laya (Kaw ZX-6RR). HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Joe Spina (Suz GSX-R750); 2. Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Rick Beggs (Kaw ZX-6R); 5. Jonathan Lawrence (Yam YZF-R6); 6. Robert Lombardi (Suz GSX-R750). HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Chris Trickett (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Bret Garretson; 3. Henry Hoyle (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Antal Halasz (Kaw ZX-6R); 5. Martin Crotty (Suz GSX-R750); 6. David Zylberberg (Yam YZF-R6). LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Nate Kern (BMW R1100S); 2. Jeff Federici (Yam TZ250); 3. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 4. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650); 5. Sean Martson (Suz SV650); 6. Travis McNerney (Suz SV650). LIGHTWEIGHT SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Vadim Tsires (Suz SV650); 2. Mike Aboyoun (Hon RS250); 3. Jon Oliver (Suz SV650); 4. Anthony Caligiuri (Buell XB-12R); 5. Bobby Kim (Suz SV650); 6. Allan Edwards (Suz SV650). MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERSPORT AMATEUR: 1. Bret Garretson; 2. Antal Halasz (Kaw ZX-6R); 3. David Neron; 4. David Zylberberg (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Ernie Dix; 6. Jason Palmer. MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPERSPORT EXPERT: 1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R600); 3. Tim Bemisderfer (Hon CBR600RR); 4. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Donny Kelley (Suz GSX-R600); 6. Nick Scoggins (Suz GSX-R600). LIGHTWEIGHT GRAND PRIX EXPERT: 1. Nate Kern (BMW R1100S); 2. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 3. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650); 4. Travis McNerney (Suz SV650); 5. Steve Keener (Suz SV650); 6. Chris Kalb (Suz SV650). HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERSPORT EXPERT: 1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R750); 2. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R600); 3. Joe Spina (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R750); 5. Donny Kelley (Suz GSX-R600); 6. Justin Marm (Suz GSX-R750). HEAVYWEIGHT SUPERSPORT AMATEUR: 1. Chris Trickett (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Robert Wilkey (Kaw ZX-6R); 3. Bret Garretson; 4. David Zylberberg (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Danny Neron; 6. Martin Crotty (Suz GSX-R750). UNLIMITED SUPERSPORT EXPERT: 1. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. Jeff Woos (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Tim Bemisderfer (Hon CBR1000RR); 4. Dominic Jones (Suz GSX-R1000); 5. Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. Timmy Dennis (Yam YZF-R1). UNLIMITED SUPERSPORT AMATEUR: 1. Robert Wilkey (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. Lloyd Bayley (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. David Zylberberg (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Bryan Derr; 5. Gregory Walker (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. Jeff Koehler (Hon CBR1000RR). UNLIMITED GRAND PRIX EXPERT: 1. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Dominic Jones (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. Joe Spina (Suz GSX-R750); 5. Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. Christopher Rankin (Kaw ZX-10R). UNLIMITED GRAND PRIX AMATEUR: 1. Antal Halasz (Kaw ZX-6R); 2. Bret Garretson; 3. Robert Wilkey (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. Zsolt Bencze (Kaw ZX-6RR); 5. Lloyd Bayley (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. Dylan Scott (Suz GSX-R1000).

Chris Peris Sits Out World Supersport Race At Silverstone With Arm Injury

By Dennis Noyes Chris Peris crashed near the end of World Supersport free practice at Silverstone on Friday morning and opened a deep gash in his right forearm that required stitches to close. He was declared unfit by the medical center and was unable to take part in the final Saturday qualifying and could not ride in the race. Peris was 10th-fastest in the opening free session on his Bikersday Moto 1 Yamaha YZF-R6, his best performance to date in his first full season of World Supersport.

Wild Card Entrant Takes Win In Third Round Of Suzuki GSX-R European Cup At Silverstone

Aussie Brendan Roberts took victory in the third round of the Suzuki GSX-R European Cup at Silverstone today after a race-long battle with Briton Tommy Bridewell. The pair – both ‘Wild Cards’ – entertained the crowd throughout the race after early leader Xavier Simeon crashed out after four laps. Roberts was too strong for Bridewell and took the chequered flag by just over three tenths of a second. Third place went to Italian Simone Castellani ahead of Magnus Houston, Anthony Delhalle with Robert Barber sixth. With ‘wild cards’ ineligible for any points, Castellani took the 25 points and has now closed the gap on leader Simeon to just four points Brendan Roberts – 1st: “It took me a few laps to get going in the race, but once I got past Tommy, I knew it was going to be a fight between the two of us. We soon pulled away from the rest of the field and although he overtook me with one lap left, I knew what to do and where to do it. I knew I was stronger than him in certain points, so I made my move on the last lap, put my head down and held him off. It was always going to be a bit of a ‘do-or-die’ situation, but I felt pretty confident that I’d come out on top. This has been a fantastic experience for me and it’s been great racing in front of a large number of fans. I hope I can get another ‘Wild Card’ ride later in the season and have some fun all over again.” Result: B Roberts, 2 T Bridewell, 3 S Castellani, 4 M Houston, 5 A Delhalle, 6 R Barber. Championship Points (after 3 rounds): 1 Simeon 50, 2 Castellani 46, 3 Mahr 41, 4 Delhalle 37, 5 Hafenger 33, 6 Van Der Marel 33.

Jamie Stauffer Wins Round Two Of Australian Superbike Series Without Winning A Race

Yamaha Racing Team’s elite road race squad have shown today why they are considered amongst the ‘best in the business’, again taking out round honours across both Superbike and Supersport classes at Perth’s Barbagallo Raceway, host of round two of the YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship. Once again it was dual championship leader Jamie Stauffer who claimed the spoils after a perfect pair of pole positions, though he received strong support from his teammates across both classes. The power and pace of both the YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 machines was more than apparent as they continued their dominance from the previous round across the course of the race meeting. The Yamaha Racing Team will have little time to regroup as the series travels back east to Mallala Motorsport Park, SA for round three. Yamaha Racing Team Superbike Squad Yamaha Racing Team’s man of the moment Jamie Stauffer has added another Superbike round win to his impeccable season 2006 record today, though he did it without winning a race. Stauffer’s consistency through two 2nd place finishes was enough to award him round honours as the winners of both races stumbled in their weekend campaigns. The racing was littered with red flags which halted any momentum the riders could build as the fast and sandy circuit claimed a number of victims. Stauffer said it was a strange situation in which to win a round but felt that he would have been more than capable of gapping the field had they been able to string more than ten laps together without stopping. “We were able to learn quite alot about the bikes today as the circumstances forced a major change to race strategy,” explained Stauffer. “It’s great to have taken the win and though a little of it may have been through luck, I feel as though we worked very hard for it as a team.” “It’s still fairly close as far as the championship is concerned, both Russell (Holland) and Shannon (Johnson) again put in strong race results and it will be interesting to see what we can do at Mallala.” Dan Stauffer experienced an up and down weekend aboard his YZF-R1 machine, but made some good ground in the second race of the day. Stauffer executed two perfect restarts, leaping up the order early as his rivals struggled to get the power down. Despite the good result in race 2 (5th), he was unable to make inroads on the points leaders as the race was declared and only half points awarded. Stauffer’s weekend result keeps him in the title hunt and he sits handily placed within the top 5. “It was a pretty trying weekend, we had some good speed but it was hard to convert it to results as there were constant interruptions and rain,” said Stauffer. “I was particularly pleased with the restarts though, the bike got off the line really well.” “I’ll take some of the things I learnt about the R1 to Mallala and try to further refine the bike into a race-winning package.” Yamaha Racing Team Supersport Squad Yamaha Racing Team’s Supersport trio have experienced a highly successful weekend in their quest for round victory, and all three riders shone in their pursuit of the top podium place. In the end it would once again be Jamie Stauffer who claimed overall honours, though he was capably backed up by his younger teammates Mark Aitchison and Jason O’Halloran. Aitchison and O’Halloran put in stellar performances across the course of the weekend and demonstrated the full potential of both themselves and their bikes. Aitchison had the measure of Stauffer for much of the weekend and only just fell short of his mark in terms of round points. “It’s been a really positive weekend for the team, and I feel like I am coming along leaps and bounds in terms of my own riding,” said Aitchison. “The R6 really is a complete package and was really suited to this style of track, and I think it showed as we stuck together at the front.” “Third and second places across both races is where I want to be, it was a great improvement over the Eastern Creek result and the bike was more reliable than ever.” Jason O’Halloran experienced a fairly successful weekend, the highlight being his magnificent comeback in race one. He was left with nowhere to go as the massive Supersport grid roared into turn 1, and ended up stranded deep in the sand. O’Halloran demonstrated a resilient attitude by single-handedly getting himself back onto the road and onto the back of the pack, and was later rewarded with a restart which gave him the opportunity to make up ground. By the end of Supersport race 1, O’Halloran had made up a number of spots, showing just how determined he was to catch the leaders. “It could have been a much better result for me personally, I really made a mess of the first race but was able to get a little back after the red flag,” said O’Halloran. “I’ve been really pleased to be able to run with Jamie up the front, I’m getting more and more confident each time we take to the bikes.” “Mallala will be a good test to see if I can challenge for race wins, I’m quietly confident of being there very soon.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Three-time Australian Superbike rider Shawn Giles suffered a broken foot and a laceration to his arm in a heavy crash during round two of the 2006 series at Barbagallo Raceway, Western Australia, yesterday. The Suzuki star crashed from the lead as a result of oil on the track left by a back-marker who also crashed only moments earlier. Left with nowhere to go, Giles’ GSX-R1000 hit the oil and the 35-year-old was sent skidding feet first into the sand The battered and bruised Champion was taken to hospital with initial fears of two broken ankles. Currently with his right foot in plaster and six stitches in his arm, he also has very sore ankles and hips as a result of the impact. The Team Suzuki rider has returned to New South Wales and is now recuperating at home with his family and has not yet been ruled out of next weekend’s Australian Superbike round at Mallala in South Australia.

Rossi Seeking Fifth Consecutive Victory At Italian Grand Prix

‘HOME’ RACE PRESENTS FRESH CHALLANGE FOR CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM The Camel Yamaha Team heads into its home Grand Prix this weekend looking to turn a stuttering start to the season into a consistent challenge for MotoGP World Championship honours. The fast and flowing Mugello circuit in Italy presents an entirely different challenge to the tight complexities of recent tracks such as Le Mans and Shanghai and both Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards hope it can also deliver a similar contrast in the fortunes that have followed them around the world during a dramatic opening five rounds of the campaign. Rossi, in particular, is keen to get his fifth title defence back on track in front of his adoring Italian public. The Tavullia-born superstar, who was last week honoured with the ‘Spirit of Sport’ award at the prestigious Laureus Sports Awards, is aiming to add another prize to his trophy cabinet by claiming his fifth consecutive victory at the Mugello circuit. Edwards is equally focused on the top step of the podium after again demonstrating winning potential at the last round in France. The American was forced into the gravel in the first turn but he battled through from last place to take sixth overall and finish just eleven seconds down on the race winner. Like Rossi, he knows that if things play in his favour this weekend it can be a glorious return home for the Monza-based team. VALENTINO ROSSI: ELEVEN WINS SHOULD DO IT! After failing to score points at the last two rounds because of freak tyre and engine problems, Rossi now trails series leader Nicky Hayden (Honda) by 43 points and lies eighth in the championship his worst ever start to a World Championship season in any class. However, with a typical air of optimism based on confidence in his unrivalled ability, the Italian refuses to consider defeat at this early stage of the season and says this weekend is the ideal time to turn things around. “Mugello has been very good to me over the past few years it is a very special race and this season it is even more important than ever,” admits Rossi. “I have had some incredible emotions there over the years and it is always a very busy weekend for me, but it is crucial that we maintain our focus on the job because we have to be at 100% if we want to win again. The new chassis worked well at Le Mans and we have some good data from the test to improve it at Mugello so I have reason to be confident.” If Rossi did go on to win the title this year he would be the first rider ever to do so having had only one podium finish in the first five races of the year. It is the kind of challenge he relishes. “We have had a lot of bad luck but I don’t think 43 points is such a big gap when there are still twelve races left,” he says. “It will be difficult to win them all but I will settle for taking eleven wins and one second place! When you look at what has happened to us this season, mostly things out of our control, I probably lost 25 points in France, 16 in China and 14 in Jerez so if it wasn’t for all that I would be in a much better situation in the championship now. I think we showed our true potential last weekend and it is just a matter of our luck changing now. Mugello would be the perfect place for that.” COLIN EDWARDS: A FAMILY AFFAIR Colin Edwards has more than one reason to look forward to Mugello, both on and off the track. During a gruelling run of races visiting all corners of the globe over the last two months the Texan has not had much chance to see his young son Hayes, but the baby, who was born in December, will be making his first visit to Europe this week and staying on the road with the whole family during the upcoming run of races on the continent. The proud father hopes family life on the road can provide the foundation to a series of positive results. “Hayes will be coming over with my daughter Gracie and my wife Alyssia so obviously I’m really looking forward to that,” admits Edwards. “I love being with the family and living out of the motorhome instead of travelling all over the place staying in hotels. I find it helps me to focus on my performance on the track and hopefully it can give me an extra edge this weekend. That is the most important thing and at this stage of the season, with the way things have gone recently, we need every advantage we can get.” Another plus point for Edwards this week will be the delivery of a new chassis for his YZR-M1 machine, used by Rossi with positive results at the last round in Le Mans. “My bike has been the same since Turkey and whilst I have got comfortable with it now I think we have reached the limit in some areas. I did thirty laps with the new chassis at the Le Mans test and I could clearly see the extra potential. Now I’ll have one from the start at Mugello and so that’s something for us to get our teeth into from the first session and see how far we can go.” DAVIDE BRIVIO: EXCITEMENT AT HOME! Whilst recognising that recent results have not lived up to expectations, Camel Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio remains upbeat that his riders are still on course to meet their objectives for the season. The Italian has been encouraged by recent progress made by Yamaha’s engineers and says a simple turn in fortune is now all that is required for both Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards to be challenging at the sharp end of the field. “In the last race at Le Mans we had a lot of bad luck but it was a very important and encouraging weekend for us to confirm the general progress we are making with the bike,” says Brivio. “Valentino was riding steadily in the lead and probably would have won quite comfortably, whilst Colin also had an excellent race to come through from last place and finish sixth so we know we have something to build on and we want to continue with this progression. “We have twelve races left to get points back and the first stage of the recovery is this weekend at Mugello. All we can do is try to gather as many points from race to race and that means taking victory on Sunday. It is a home race for Valentino and for half of the team so it will be important for us to have the support of the big Italian crowd to help us do this. This has been an unpredictable championship so far but something we can be certain of at Mugello is that it will be very hot and very exciting!” TECHNICALLY SPEAKING: MUGELLO ACCORDING TO DANIELE ROMAGNOLI At 5.245km the Mugello circuit is one of the longer contemporary MotoGP circuits, in no small part due to the fact that it has retained its original length and layout. Running across two sides of an impossibly scenic Tuscan valley, Mugello differs from other fast circuits in its frequent changes of gradient and the speed of its chicanes. There is a mix of slower and high-speed corners, although even the slowest corners are wide, allowing several ‘ideal’ lines and putting the emphasis on rider skill as well as chassis set-up precision. “Mugello is a very technical track,” explains Daniele Romagnoli, Colin Edwards’ Italian Chief Mechanic. “Chassis set-up is perhaps the most important thing but you also need a good engine for the straight because there is around 950m with the throttle fully open. The gearing is also important at this point you need small gaps between fourth, fifth and sixth gear to get the most out of the engine. “Generally it is a very complex track and the rider can make the difference. It has a very hard braking into turn one, where the riders go from around 330km/h to just 85km/h. Then there is a sequence of ‘esses’ where it is important to have a bike that has good turning capabilities and agility. There are some quick changes in direction, with uphill and downhill turns, so you need a good compromise with the set-up to make it turn well in both types of corner.” Romagnoli adds that the delivery of a new chassis for Edwards at this round could not have come at a better time. “The new chassis has improved the performance of the front end of the bike, particularly in terms of turning and stability on corner entry. It has also improved the chatter problems that we have experienced and this will be crucial at Mugello because there are some very fast corners and a lot of lateral load on the bike.” VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION Age: 27 Lives: London, UK Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 GP victories: 80 (54 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 162 (102 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 40 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: 53 x MotoGP World Championships – 2 World Superbike Mugello Lap Record: Max Biaggi (Honda) 2005 1’50.117 Mugello Best Lap: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2005 1’49.223 2005 Results 1. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Yamaha, 42’42.994 2. Max Biaggi (ITA) Honda, +0.359 3. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati, +3.874

The Student Becomes The Master As Patterson Wins Two CCS Races Sunday At Summit Point Raceway

AbsoluteCyclePerformance.com’s Ryan Patterson, 27, won two CCS sprint races Sunday at Summit Point Raceway over Michael Himmelsbach, the man Patterson credited with teaching him to road race.

Riding his Pirelli-shod 2006-model Yamaha YZF-R6, Patterson took the holeshots and the wins in the 25-minute GTU solo endurance race and in the six-lap Middleweight Grand Prix. Both wins came over Himmelsbach, who started each race from the back of the grid on his Martinmoto.com-backed Triumph Daytona 675.

“Everything I know about road racing he (Himmelsbach) taught me,” stated Patterson. “Me beating him is like a win-win for him. Either he wins the race or the man he taught wins the race.”

“Patterson did seven or eight session with me,” said Himmelsbach, who teaches advanced riding techniques at his Champion Sportbike Club. “He definitely had speed and talent. He just needed to be polished. It looks like he’s starting to get there

“Sure, I started from the back of the grid, but I caught him (in GTU) with three laps to go and he honestly beat me for those three laps. The bad part about racing against a guy I taught is it’s like racing a mirror image of myself. I taught him to be strong everywhere I’m strong, so it’s kind of tough to get past.”

Another multi-race winner Sunday was Veatch Motosports Buell’s Dave Estok, who won the Thunderbike sprint on his XB-12R by less than a bikelength over Harley-Davidson/Buell of Frederick’s Bryan Bemiderfer and then came back on an XB-RR (the same bike Jeremy McWilliams raced at Daytona and Infineon Raceway) to win the SuperTwins race by a much wider margin over Bemisderfer.

“That race (SuperTwins) was great,” said Estok. “I only rode the XB-RR once before that this weekend, and I was way off the pace this morning. Bryan (Bemisderfer) passed me on the brakes for turn one, and I turned my best lap of the race following him. Then I used the horsepower of the bike to pass him between turn nine and 10. When I led into turn 10, I knew there was no way he could beat me to the flag.

“I’m happy to get a win on the XB-RR for the Buell guys. Hopefully, I’ll get to race it at an AMA round.”

Other race winners Sunday included: Nate Kern on his Mainline BMW R1100S in GT Lights; Joe Spina on his Spina Construction Suzuki GSX-R750 in GTO; and Loikits Industries Racing’s David Loikits on an ex-Vincent Haskovec Suzuki GSX-R1000 in Unlimited Superbike.

Sunday’s CCS Race Results (listed in chronological order):

FORMULA 40 EXPERT: 1. Arnold Hastings (Suz GSX-R750); 2. Robert Lombardi (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Freric Marsallsi (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Gary Bunner (Duc 996); 5. Craig Moodie; 6. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R).

FORMULA 40 AMATEUR: 1. Phillip Doyle (Suz GSX-R750); 2. Martin Crotty (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Rick Gow (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Roger Wereb (Tri 600); 5. Miguel Betancourt (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. Edwin Bishop (Suz GSX-R600).

LIGHTWEIGHT FORMULA 40 EXPERT: 1. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 2. William Dietz (Duc); 3. Eric Helmbach (Hon CBR600); 4. Eric Wilson (Suz SV650); 5. Gilbert Schweitzer, III (Hon CBR600); 6. Russell Masecar (Suz SV650).

LIGHTWEIGHT FORMULA 40 AMATEUR: 1. Ross Wellwood (Suz SV650); 2. Pail Wernle (Kaw EX650); 3. Richard Dubarton (Suz SV650); 4. John Morgan (Suz SV650); 5. Ronald Shaw; 6. Rafael Garcia, Jr. (Hon RS125).

GTU AMATEUR: 1. Robert Wilkey (Kaw ZX-6R); 2. Bret Garretson; 3. Henry Hoyle; 4. Jason Palmer; 5. Zoltan Nemes (Suz GSX-R600); 6. Paul Garrison (Suz GSX-R600).

GTU EXPERT: 1. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 2. Michael Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675); 3. William Lindsay (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Gustavo Laya (Kaw ZX-6RR); 5. Jason Moss (Yam YZF-R6); 6. Rick Beggs (Kaw ZX-6R).

GT LIGHTS EXPERT: 1. Nate Kern (BMW R1100S); 2. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 3. Steve Kenner (Suz SV650); 4. David Yaakov (Suz SV650); 5. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650); 6. Sean Marston (Suz SV650).

GT LIGHTS AMATEUR: 1. Tim Duckworth (Suz SV650); 2. Gary Sgarrella, Jr. (Suz SV650); 3. Vadim Tsires (Suz SV650); 4. Rochard Dubarton (Suz SV650); 5. James Delk, Jr. (Buell XB-9R); 6. Ken Allen (Suz SV650).

GTO EXPERT: 1. Joe Spina (Suz GSX-R750); 2. David Loikits (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. Troy Meikle (Suz GSX-R1000); 5. Timmy Dennis (Yam YZF-R1); 6. Geoff Allen (Yam YZF-R1).

GTO AMATEUR: 1. Chris Trickett (Suz GSX-R600); 2. Lloyd Bayley (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Martin Crotty (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Dylan Scott (Suz GSX-R1000); 5. Bryan Derr; 6. Robert Wilkey (Suz GSX-R1000).

125cc GRAND PRIX: 1. Steve Gorrell (Hon RS125); 2. Joshua Steinberg; 3. Mark Dennis (Hon RS125); 4. Bill Clery (Hon RS125).

THUNDERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Dave Estok (Buell XB-RR); 2. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-12R); 3. Dan Bilansky (Buell XB-12R); 4. Steve Kenner (Suz SV650); 5. Walt Sipp (Buell XB-12R); 6. Joe Rozynski (Buell XB-12R).

THUNDEBRIKE AMATEUR: 1. James Delk, Jr. (Buell XB-9R); 2. Tim Duckworth (Suz SV650); 3. Ken Allen (Suz SV650); 4. Gary Sgarrella, Jr. (Suz SV650); 5. Anthony Caligiuri (Buell XB-12R); 6. Allan Edwards (Suz SV650).

MIDDLEWEIGHT GP AMATEUR: 1. Robert Wilkey (Kaw ZX-6R); 2. Jason Palmer; 3. Danny Neron; 4. Ernie Dix; 5. David Zylberberg; 6. Antal Halasz (Kaw ZX-6R).

MIDDLEWEIGHT GP EXPERT: 1. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 2. Mike Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675); 3. Michael Murray (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Steven Giacomo; 5. Joe Ford (Yam YZF-R6); 6. William Lindsay (Yam YZF-R6).

SUPERTWINS EXPERT: 1. Dave Estok (Buell XB-RR); 2. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-12R); 3. Jerod Willow (Duc 999); 4. Sam Rozynski (Buell XB-12R); 5. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R); 6. Steve Keener (Suz SV650).

SUPERTWINS AMATEUR: 1. George Wohlfarth (Hon 1000); 2. Ken Allen (Suz SV650); 3. Vadim Tsires (Suz SV650); 4. Brian Retallick (Hon 1000); 5. Anthony Caligiuri (Buell XB-12R); 6. Richard Dubarton (Suz SV650).

UNLIMITED SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. David Loikits (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. Joe Spina (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. Geoff Allen (Yam YZF-R1); 5. Nate Kern (BMW K1200); 6. Jonathan Lawrence (Yam YZF-R6).

UNLIMITED SUPERBIKE AMATEUR: 1. Bret Garretson; 2. David Zylberberg (Yam YZF-R6); 3. Bryan Derr; 4. Dylan Scott (Suz GSX-R1000); 5. Daniel Miller (Suz GSX-R600); 6. Eric Sampson (Yam YZF-R6).

Wood, Bilansky Take Pole Positions At ASRA National At Summit Point

Arclight Suzuki’s Jeff Wood earned pole position for the American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA) Sportbike and Superbike Nationals during qualifying Sunday at Summit Point Raceway. Hal’s Performance Buell’s Dan Bilansky, meanwhile, was the fastest in qualifier in Thunderbike at the West Virginia racetrack. Riding a GSX-R600 on DOT-labeled Dunlops, Wood lapped the 2.0-mile, 10-turn course in 1:16.037 to take the pole for the Factory Pro Tuning Sportbike final. Martinmoto.com’s Michael Himmelsbach was second-fastest with a 1:16.420 on his Triumph Daytona 675. Shenandoah Honda’s Tim Bermisderfer was third-fastest with a 1:16.785 on his borrowed CBR600RR, and Jason Moss earned the final front-row starting spot with a 1:18.027 on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Riding the same GSX-R600, albeit with Dunlop slicks, Wood was also fastest in Superbike qualifying with a 1:16.057, just edging out Tim Bemisderfer’s second-fastest 1:16.192. Himmelsbach was third in Superbike qualifying with a 1:16.400, while Michael Murray took the final front-row starting spot with a lap of 1:17.658 on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Bilansky blew up his primary XB-12R Firebolt in practice Saturday but was still able to take pole position in Thunderbike with a lap of 1:18.865 on his Pirelli-shod back-up Buell. Harley-Davidson/Buell of Frederick’s Bryan Bemisderfer (Tim Bemisderfer’s older brother) qualified second with a 1:19.274 on his XB-12R. Defending Thunderbike Champion Dave Estok qualified third with a 1:19.325 on his Veatch Motorsports Firebolt XB-12R. Current Thunderbike Championship points leader Nate Kern grabbed the final spot on the front row by turning a 1:19.529, a personal record, on his Mainline BMW R1100S. Several noteworthy riders were present at Summit Point Raceway but absent from Saturday’s qualifying session. Former Summit Point Raceway lap record holder and Thunderbike race winner Dave Yaakov told Roadracingworld.com that he could not run Monday’s Thunderbike race because he had to work on his commercial property. Former Sportbike and Superbike Champion Robert Jensen planned on racing in the ASRA Nationals but crashed his Butler Machinery Suzuki GSX-R600 during Sunday morning practice and missed qualifying. At post time, Jensen, who was uninjured, did not know if his Suzuki GSX-R600 could be repaired in time for him to start Monday’s races from the back of the grid. Jensen did, however, turn a 1:14.853 on his Michelin-equipped GSX-R1000 to take pole position in Unlimited Grand Prix, the premier CCS class. Weather at Summit Point Raceway Sunday was sunny and hot, and similar conditions are forecast for race day Monday. ASRA National Championship Series Summit Point Raceway Summit Point, West Virginia May 28 Qualifying Results: Sportbike: 1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600), 1:16.037 2. Michael Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675), 1:16.420 3. Tim Bemisderfer (Hon CBR600RR), 1:16.870 4. Jason Moss (Yam YZF-R6), 1:18.027 5. Reuben Frankenfield (Kaw ZX-6), 1:18.139 6. Nick Scoggins, 1:19.529 7. Steven Giacomaro, 1:19.685 8. Gustavo Laya (Kaw ZX-6), 1:19.713 9. Tony Palarie (Suz GSX-R600), 1:20.893 10. M. Arwood (Suz GSX-R600), 1:21.227 Superbike: 1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600), 1:16.057 2. Tim Bemisderfer (Hon CBR600RR), 1:16.192 3. Michael Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675), 1:16.400 4. Michael Murray (Yam YZF-R6), 1:17.658 5. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6), 1:17.770 6. Bryan Bemisderger (Buell XB-RR), 1:17.971 7. Reuben Frankenfield (Kaw ZX-6), 1:18.457 8. Jonathan Lawrence (Yam YZF-R6), 1:19.012 9. Rick Beggs (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:19.696 10. Nick Scoggins, 1:20.777 Thunderbike: 1. Dan Bilanksy (Buell XB-12R), 1:18.865 2. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-12R), 1:19.274 3. Dave Estok (Buell XB-12R), 1:19.325 4. Nate Kern (BMW R1100S), 1:19.529 5. Sam Rozynski (Buell XB-12R), 1:21.053 6. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R), 1:21.426 7. Walt Sipp (Buell XB-12R), 1:22.148 8. Joe Rozynski (Buell XB-12R), 1:22.832 9. Sean Marston (Suz SV650), 1:23.231 10. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650), 1:23.676