FIM Superbike World Championship Silverstone, England May 28 Practice Results: 1. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F06) 1:27.252 2. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:27.386 3. Troy CORSER (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:27.501 4. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1) 1:27.539 5. Chris WALKER (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:27.635 6. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:27.662 7. Alex BARROS (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:27.780 8. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:27.823 9. Andrew PITT (Yam YZF-R1) 1:27.920 10. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:28.045 11. Tommy HILL (Yam YZF-R1) 1:28.115 12. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F05) 1:28.144 13. Ivan CLEMENTI (Duc 999RS) 1:28.295 14. Norick ABE (Yam YZF-R1) 1:28.368 15. Sebastien GIMBERT (Yam YZF-R1) 1:28.465 16. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:28.477 17. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F06) 1:28.531 18. Steve MARTIN (Foggy Petronas FP1) 1:28.635 19. Craig JONES (Foggy Petronas FP1) 1:28.710 20. Roberto ROLFO (Duc 999F05) 1:28.773 21. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:28.831 22. Fabien FORET (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:28.867 23. Vittorrio IANNUZZO (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:29.082 24. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Duc 999RS) 1:29.198 25. Josh BROOKES (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:29.418 26. Gianluca NANNELLI (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:29.500 27. Marco BORCIANI (Duc 999F05) 1:31.349

FIM Superbike World Championship Silverstone, England May 27 Superpole Results: 1. Tommy HILL (Yam YZF-R1) 1:38.001 2. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F06) 1:38.254 3. Chris WALKER (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:38.265 4. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1) 1:38.546 5. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:38.899 6. Alex BARROS (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:39.082 7. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F05) 1:39.388 8. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:40.023 9. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:40.042 10. Troy CORSER (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:40.181 11. Andrew PITT (Yam YZF-R1) 1:40.552 12. Sebastien GIMBERT (Yam YZF-R1) 1:40.574 13. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:40.729 14. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:41.004 15. Norick ABE (Yam YZF-R1) 1:42.069 16. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:42.262 The rest of the grid (established during Friday’s dry qualifying session): 17. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F06) 1:28.290 18. Ivan CLEMENTI (Duc 999RS) 1:28.492 19. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Duc 999RS) 1:28.492 20. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yam YZF-R1) 1:28.503 21. Josh BROOKES (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:28.561 22. Gianluca NANNELLI (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:28.766 23. Roberto ROLFO (Duc 999F05) 1:28.835 24. Craig JONES (Foggy Petronas FP1) 1:28.866 25. Fabien FORET (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:28.909 26. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:28.980 27. Steve MARTIN (Foggy Petronas FP1) 1:29.199 28. Marco BORCIANI (Duc 999F05) 1:30.533 More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: MUGGERIDGE ON SECOND ROW AFTER WET SUPERPOLE Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda) secured a second row start after setting the eighth best time in a ‘wet’ Superpole competition at Silverstone. James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) fought a lack of rear traction during his allocation of 12 laps and finished 14th quickest, taking a fourth row start for Sunday’s brace of Superbike races. With Friday being dry and Saturday soaking wet, all the Superpole qualifying times counted from day one, and the slowly drying track proved tricky for all involved. Toseland was particularly unlucky as he finished fifth in regulation qualifying (with Muggeridge eighth) and had hoped to improve to a front row start in front of his home fans. Local wild card Tommy Hill took his first ever Superpole win, with championship leader Bayliss second quickest. Ronald Ten Kate – Team Manager “After a good start to the weekend yesterday we really hoped for more than this result. The wet Superpole did not bring us what we were expecting. Karl is on the second row, which is still OK, but 14th place for James is not a good position for him to start the races from. Tomorrow, it seems the races will be held in dry conditions, and I also hope we can have a dry warm-up, so we can confirm our dry settings. I guess it will be a tough race for James, coming from where he will be. But we know he is a hard racer, and he won’t have any lack of motivation, especially as this is his home round.” James Toseland Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (14th position 1’41.004) “That was a really difficult day, especially after the first day, when things looked good. I was confident and the times were not bad. But today I could not believe how it turned out. The front of the bike was OK but as soon as I opened the gas it was hard to control the rear of the bike. I waited until the last few minutes to hope that there were better track conditions than at the beginning, but things were even worse, and most other riders couldn’t improve their times as much. Tomorrow, conditions should be better and I am sure that yesterday’s times have proved that if I’m aggressive in the first few laps, I can get into the top group again.” Karl Muggeridge Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (8th position 1’40.023) “In the wet we have had to work on getting more drive out of corners. The bike was just spinning like mad and also spinning quite early in the turns. The front was working nicely, we could get it in, brake and turn, but if you got in too fast the back would still come around. That was interesting, let’s say, several times. In the dry I think things will be working really well. We got some things changed in the chassis yesterday and it was good, so we’re making improvements all the time.” More, from a press release issued by Team Yamaha Motor France – Ipone Superpole for Gimbert and Abe The Team Yamaha Motor France – Ipone had 2 of its riders doing the Superpole, with the 12th time for Sebastien Gimbert, the 15th for Norick Abe and the 20th for Shinichi Nakatomi. On Friday morning, Sebastien Gimbert crashed spectacularly in Woodcote and that left him with some abrasions on his back. His R1 was damaged, including a bent frame. On Friday afternoon, Shinichi Nakatomi fell in Luffeld with no damage. He was not the only one as Bayliss also crashed (2 times), and Toseland, Lanzi, Martin, Walker, Borciani and Neukirchner. On Saturday morning, it rained a lot and it was impossible to go quicker than on the previous day. Gimbert and Abe were both qualified for the Superpole. As it kept raining, it was a wet Superpole, which means the riders had 50 minutes to do a maximum of 12 laps. The wild card rider Tommy Hill (Virgin Mobile Yamaha) surprised everybody when he was the quickest. Sebastien Gimbert ended up 12th, Norick Abe 15th and Shinichi Nakatomi 20th. Sebastien Gimbert: “Three crashes on a wet surface, it is way too many considering that the rain is my favorite playground. We worked a lot on the settings for a dry track, especially on the rear suspension rocker, but this was a handicap for the rain. We are now developing our bikes. But we are happy because I had the pole position during about 10 minutes on the dry yesterday. Tomorrow I want to do a good race and I need a good start. We still have a lot of work to do. I hope tomorrow I will not suffer too much physically from my crashes.” Norick Abe: “Yesterday when it was dry I was 16th. Today my feeling was not so good. I hope there will be no rain tomorrow. I need some time for the set up.” Shinichi Nakatomi: “This is the first time I race on this track. I did not have much time to find the right settings. Today it was raining and I do not like the rain. Tomorrow, the weather will maybe be dry and I shall try new settings during the warm up.” Martial Garcia (team-manager): “These practice sessions were a confirmation of the good health of our engines and our motorcycles. We were 11th yesterday in dry conditions. Sebastien Gimbert has more and more confidence in his settings. He had a few problems on the rain (3 crashes), which is not normally the case for him. Norick Abe gained one position during the Superpole, even if it rained and he does not like that weather. Shinichi Nakatomi is learning this very difficult track.” More, from a press release issued by Team Klaffi Honda: Non stop rain, immense slops and spray, which turned riding into a real blind flight. Those were the conditions during the second qualifying today. Some of the riders nearly preferred to stay in their pit garages but Alex was out and did a 1’45.802 lap time. Only Troy Corser (1’45.726) was faster than the Brazilian rider of Team Klaffi Honda. Only some minutes before Superpole the rain stopped but the surface of the track was still completely wet. At 4 pm the riders started for a “Wet Superpole”. The 16 fastest riders had 50 minutes during which they could do 12 laps to improve their lap times and the positions in the starting grid. Alex did a 1’39.082 lap time which means starting position 6 in the second row for tomorrow. Winner of the Superpole was wild card rider Tommy Hill. Alex Barros: “I hoped to be in the front row but I don’t do. I feel very well with the Fireblade today. The set up is perfect and the machine improved a lot. For tomorrow I hope it will be wet. This is what I prefer. If it is dry this would be a disadvantage for me because I only had one hour to be out under dry conditions. But whether it is dry or wet – a race is a race we will see.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: BAYLISS (DUCATI XEROX) TAKES SECOND PLACE ON STARTING GRID FOLLOWING WET SUPERPOLE AT SILVERSTONE Silverstone (UK), Saturday 27 May: Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) will line up on the front row of the starting grid in second place for tomorrow’s fifth round of the World Superbike Championship following a wet Superpole session at Silverstone. British Superbike regular Tommy Hill (Yamaha) used his wild-card status to good effect in the slippery conditions to power to the pole position, while the front row of the grid is completed by Chris Walker (Kawasaki) and Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha). “This place and this weather remind me of the British Championship in 1998 and 1999 with red flags coming out, bikes flying everywhere and mine’s done that three times this weekend,” declared Troy after Superpole. “I feel like I’ve been rolled, bowled and sat on but I’m sure I’m going to come up OK tomorrow. I made a little mistake in that session, I was supposed to stay out for another flying lap but there was one thing we’d changed when I went out and I wasn’t happy with it. I was on the limit and I’d been off three times this weekend and didn’t want to do it again. It was my mistake coming in but my time was not so bad and I’m quite happy. That’s racing, Tommy did a great job today. I’d like some dry weather tomorrow especially for the British fans, but I’m going to try and spoil the party for them.” Rain in the second and final qualifying session in the morning meant that Lorenzo Lanzi missed out on the Superpole cut today and the Italian will start from the fifth row of the grid. “I am a bit disappointed obviously because I didn’t take part in Superpole, it’s been some time since that happened. It was surely not the weekend I had dreamt about,” commented Lorenzo. “But I managed to get the right feeling in the wet conditions in the afternoon and did some good times, which is important for tomorrow because the conditions are not very clear. Anything can happen, the race is still open, I’m starting from the fifth row but I feel sure I can do two good races.” STARTING-GRID: 1. Hill (Yamaha) 1m38.001s; 2. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1m38.254s; 3. Walker (Kawasaki) 1m38.265s; 4. Haga (Yamaha) 1m38.546s; 5. Fabrizio (Honda) 1m38.899s; 6. Barros (Honda) 1m39.082s; 7. Xaus (Ducati) 1m39.388s; 8. Muggeridge (Honda) 1m40.023s; … 17. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox). More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Reigning World Superbike Champion Troy Corser suffered grip problems during today’s Superpole for the British World Superbike fifth round at Silverstone. The Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider finished a disappointing 10th in a wet qualifier with team mates Yukio Kagayama and Fabien Foret 16th and 25th. The top 16 riders from timed qualifying had 50 minutes in which to complete a maximum of 12 laps. Although it had stopped raining by the time Superpole started, the track was mostly soaking wet – conditions that turned out to be more difficult then when it had been raining steadily. Wild card rider Tommy Hill (Yamaha) surprised everybody by setting the quickest lap of the Superpole session with series leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati) second, Chris Walker (Kawasaki) third and Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) fourth. It was an unhappy Superpole for Kagayama who crashed after eight laps. He highsided at the end of the start-finish straight and landed heavily on his back and damaged the index finger of his right hand in the process. Fortunately he didn’t break any bones but he will be very sore when he lines up on the grid tomorrow. Troy Corser – 10th, 1:40.181: Obviously I’m not happy being so far down the grid, but I was lucky to complete Wet Superpole without crashing! I could’ve crashed on virtually every lap – that’s how bad my grip problem was. I didn’t want to hurt myself or damage the bike with two races to do tomorrow, so I just tried to stay upright and go as fast as I could. Every time I touched the throttle, the bike just wanted to come round. “Funnily enough, the grip felt better when the track was soaking wet. When the rain eased and then stopped, my problems began. The weather forecast says it’s going to be dry tomorrow and I know that we’ve got a pretty good set-up for a dry race, so if that’s so, all I need is a couple of really good starts.” Yukio Kagayama – 16th, 1:42.262: “I am so sore! I highsided at the end of the front straight and I went over the front of the bike while I was still holding on! I remember looking at my front wheel and thinking I would wait for the situation to improve, but it never did! I hit the ground very hard and cut my finger bad enough to have three stitches in the wound. When the track was fully wet, I think the grip felt ok. Maybe it is because we were going slower and controlling the bike better. In Superpole, the grip did not feel good at all and it was very difficult. I will have an early night tonight and hope I feel ok in the morning.” Fabien Foret – 25th, No Superpole time: “I don’t like the rain so much but I put in quite a few laps today because I need to understand how my bike works in the wet. I am disappointed not to have qualified for Superpole, but now I have to think about the races tomorrow and getting some good starts if I am to have any chance of a good result. I hope the track is dry because I know I can race much harder. This year we’ve lost some time due to rain at every round except one, so my understanding of my bike has not happened as quickly as I would’ve liked. But I am determined to get some good results tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group: Rain stalls FPR progress at Silverstone Atrocious weather conditions at Silverstone prevented progress for Foggy PETRONAS Racing in qualifying for tomorrow’s races. A full wet final qualifying session left Craig Jones and Steve Martin unable to better yesterday’s times, set in the dry, and in 24th and 27th positions on the grid for the fifth round of the Superbike World Championship. Steve, recovering from a heavy crash yesterday in which he suffered a badly bruised hip, took the opportunity for further recuperation, while Craig opted not to take unnecessary risks with better weather forecast tomorrow. British wild card Tommy Hill secured a shock pole position when he mastered the conditions for the wet Superpole session. Craig said: “It’s very frustrating because I know that I could have matched the time that would have had me in Superpole yesterday, although others would probably have also made progress if the conditions had allowed. I really wanted to be in Superpole because I know that I am fast around here. But it is not a massive difference between 16th and 24th and I am confident I can make up those positions at the start and then get my head down.” Steve said: “It’s a pity it was wet but in one way it worked in my favour because it provided an extra day’s rest, as I knocked myself about yesterday. I think that landing on my hip might have damaged the tendons around that joint and I am pretty sure I have broken a toe. But I am confident I will be all right by tomorrow and I still think there is a chance I can battle for points in the dry or wet, as my ideal time yesterday was in the mid 28s.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Yamaha-riding British wild-card Tommy Hill, who normally competes in his national championship, had a sensational world championship debut, taking pole position on his Virgin Mobile Yamaha YZF-R1 at Silverstone today. For the first time this year superpole was run under wet weather regulations, giving each rider 50 minutes and 12 laps in which to set their qualifying time, rather than the usual one flying lap in dry conditions. The 21-year-old former British R6 Cup champion did all his laps in one stint, riding spectacularly to head the times for much of the superpole session. Hill slid off on his final lap while try to improve his pole position time of 1:38.001. Despite the slip-up, no other rider could knock the Virgin Mobile Yamaha rider from the top of the time sheets and he will start his first ever world superbike races from the front of the grid tomorrow. Yamaha Motor Italia rider Noriyuki Haga grabbed a front row start at Silverstone, powering his YZF-R1 to the fourth fastest time at the British circuit. The Japanese star has been consistently strong in both the wet and dry, although he was forced to use his spare machine for the superpole after his number one machine developed a a vibration in the preceding free practice session. Haga used all his experience to stay upright in the slippery conditions and get a valuable front row start at a circuit where he has excelled in the past. With the rain stopping and the sun making its first appearance of the day the track prior to the session, the Yamaha Motor Italia duo stayed in the pits until 20 minutes into the session in the hope that the conditions would improve. With heavy rain falling throughout the day, the riders have been unable to work on improving the settings for what are expected to be dry conditions for tomorrow’s races. Haga’s team-mate Andrew Pitt was a disappointed 11th after superpole. The Australian rode strongly in the dry conditions, going into superpole as the sixth fastest rider, but the rider and his team could not find an ideal wet weather setting and Pitt struggled for grip in the wet superpole session. Yamaha Motor France riders Sebastien Gimbert and Norick Abe completed the five YZF-R1 riders competing in superpole. Gimbert crashed on his first lap in superpole, his third tumble of the weekend, but came back to 12th on his spare machine. Abe, no fan of the wet conditions, finished 15th after superpole – improving his position from regular qualifying by one position. Shinichi Nakatomi will start the race from 20th position after failing to make the top 16 in yesterday’s opening qualifying session. The Japanese newcomer is making his first visit to the historic British circuit and is looking to score some more championship points despite having completed only one session in dry conditions. Tommy Hill (Virgin Mobile Yamaha) “I can’t believe that I’ll be starting my first world superbike races ahead of the guys that I am used to watching on television! I’m not sure what to expect from the races and I think that it’ll only really sink in when I’m sitting on the grid tomorrow. It was probably just as well that I crashed as we are so far down the pit lane that I couldn’t read my lap board properly. I was feeling really comfortable and I would probably have stayed out even longer if I hadn’t come off and been penalized for doing too many laps! It’s great to be here and riding on the same tyres as everyone else. I like the wet but it’ll be nice for the fans if it’s dry tomorrow as we have had so many wet races in the British championship this year. In the dry I’d love to get a top eight but for now I’m just enjoying what we’ve achieved today.” Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) “This circuit has no grip and is very scary in the rain. We waited a while to see if the track would dry but it was still very slippery out there. I almost crashed many times so I am really happy to be on the front row. We have a good setting for wet or dry, so I think I can make a good race tomorrow. I hope for sunshine but this is England and no-one ever knows what the weather will do here!” Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) “We are struggling for rear grip in the wet and it didn’t matter what we did we couldn’t improve the situation. We’ve got a good set-up for the dry so I’m hoping that there’s no rain tomorrow. It will be tough from the third row of the grid though.” Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France) “Not so bad but I was not feeling 100 percent after the crash in superpole. I have had quite a few crashes this weekend and need to rest up and get ready for the race.” Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) “I am still trying to find a good feeling with the superbike and the Pirelli tyres in rain conditions, so I was not pleased that qualifying was wet today. The forecast for tomorrow is dry so I am hoping that we can have some good races.” Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Motor France) “I’d have liked at least one more hour in dry conditions today as it has been difficult trying to learn the circuit in these conditions. I have never ridden at Silverstone before and it was difficult to find out about the circuit while I am still learning the characteristics of this bike and the wet-weather Pirelli tyres.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator – Yamaha Motor Italia) “Nori is running strongly in both conditions and is ready to fight at the front tomorrow. His bike developed an unusual vibration before the superpole so we decided not to risk anything and switch to the spare bike. The set-ups are almost identical so this was not such a problem. Andrew had some problems with the back of the bike coming around when he backed off the throttle and this has dropped him back a little. Tonight we will follow the weather forecast. It looks like being dry but we will prepare a wet weather bike and a dry weather bike for each rider. In case of a dry race we already know which front tyre to use and will have the 20 minute warm-up to make our final decision on the rear.” More, from a press release issued by Beowulf Racing: Like the rest of the riders in the 2006 FIM Superstock 1000 Cup, Beowulf Racing’s Nick Henderson failed to better his Friday qualifying time at Silverstone today. Running the Beowulf Suzuki with a dry set-up on a wet track meant that Henderson finished today’s second qualifying session at the bottom of the timesheets and 17 seconds off the pace. Whilst the situation might seem like a disaster at first glance, it actually forms part of the team’s strategy for tomorrow’s 15-lap race. This morning’s half-hour free practice session was run on a mainly dry track in overcast conditions. Lapping a third of a second slower than yesterday, Henderson experienced problems stringing a consistent lap together particularly struggling at the Brooklands complex of hairpins which is perhaps more suited to a go-kart track than accommodating 180mph+ racing machines. With the afternoon timed qualifying period directly following a torrential downpour of rain, the team realised there would be no way that Nick could better his Friday times set in the dry. Instead of playing to the conditions, the squad elected to send the Australian out with a dry set-up, which automatically relegated him to the bottom of the scoresheet. Afterwards Team Manager Andy Stone explained the decision: “We ran Nick in the wet during the Friday morning free practice session and with the track the way it is now there was no way anyone was going to go faster than they managed yesterday afternoon. Although the weather is predicted to improve tomorrow, I’ll be surprised if it will be good enough to allow a clear-cut decision on tyres and suspension. If we’re caught in a position where the track is slightly damp, or there’s just a little bit of rain, we’ve got the data that will help us decide which way to go. Plus, Nick now has the experience of riding a “dry” bike on a wet track and that’s a position every rider finds himself in sooner or later.” With no rider in the field bettering his Friday times, and Henderson’s lap times tumbling as the track finally began to dry at the end of the session, the decision appears to be vindicated. The weather still has its part to play in the outcome of tomorrow’s race but Beowulf Racing may just have rolled the dice in a slightly more cunning fashion than their opponents.

FIM Supersport World Championship Silverstone, England May 27 Final Qualifying Results: 1. Sebastien CHARPENTIER (Hon CBR600RR) 1:30.516 2. Kevin CURTAIN (Yam YZF-R6) 1:30.711 3. Broc PARKES (Yam YZF-R6) 1:31.001 4. Pere RIBA (Kaw ZX-6RR) 1:31.492 5. Massimo ROCCOLI (Yam YZF-R6) 1:31.657 6. Matthieu LAGRIVE (Hon CBR600RR) 1:31.692 7. Javier FORES (Yam YZF-R6) 1:31.963 8. Johan STIGEFELT (Hon CBR600RR) 1:32.136 9. Katsuaki FUJIWARA (Hon CBR600RR) 1:32.320 10. Yoann TIBERIO (Hon CBR600RR) 1:32.450 11. Mauro SANCHINI (Yam YZF-R6) 1:32.533 12. Kai Borre ANDERSEN (Suz GSX-R600) 1:32.595 13. David CHECA (Yam YZF-R6) 1:32.649 14. Barry VENEMAN (Suz GSX-R600) 1:32.732 15. Gianluca VIZZIELLO (Yam YZF-R6) 1:32.755 From a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: CHARPENTIER’S TAKES POLE AGAIN AND SETS NEW RECORD TOTAL After a superb ride on the first day of qualifying, and a washed out second qualifying session today, Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) scored his fifth successive pole position in World Supersport, and now stands alone as the most successful ever in the history of the class, with 16 career poles. Charpentier’s fastest time was also the 31st such consecutive Honda success in World Supersport. Charpentier did not complete any laps in the sodden second qualifying session, which featured standing water on many sections of the Silverstone track. His 1’30.516 from Friday nonetheless puts him in perfect position for a fifth straight podium finish. Charpentier’s team-mate Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda) was less fortunate today, with the wet weather preventing him from improving his previous best qualifying time, and thus his grid position of 18th remains unchanged. Ronald Ten Kate – Team Manager “This was pretty much a wasted day for us. This morning we just had a couple of outings to see the behaviour of the bike in the rain. This afternoon we decided to sit it out, considering how many big puddles there were on the track. The forecast is good for Sunday, maybe it will even be sunny, and we decided to not risk anything. The work has been done yesterday for Charpentier, unlucky for Sofuoglu, who could not move up the grid. For Sebastien it is the fifth pole in five races, and he is top in the all-time pole winners. I think this is the 31st consecutive pole for Honda, which is an achievement in itself. But it was shame to have to sit out today for the most part.” Sebastien Charpentier Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (Pole Position 1’30.516) “It’s a good thing to take the new record for pole wins but it was strange because of the weather. Last night there was no rain and at least we have been able to work towards a race set-up, if raceday is dry. Today the rain came almost immediately and that was the day finished for everybody. I am happy because I am the new record man in terms of pole position, and my job yesterday was not bad. I hope things are dry tomorrow, and we will work in warm-up to make sure that things are OK even if during warm-up the track may not be completely dry. In England, nothing is sure with the weather. 28 laps will be a long race around here, but I start for the victory.” Kenan Sofuoglu Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (18th Position 1’33.274) “I really needed it to be dry for qualifying today but luck was not with me. I wanted to improve my position but all the hard rain from this morning on stopped that happening. The problem is that I will start from 18th position and I did not find a good set-up in the dry. I hope that we can use the 20 minutes of warm-up the best way possible. It is not so easy to overtake here but there are 28 laps, so I think I can pass many riders.” Results Qualifying 2: 1. Charpentier 1’30.516 2. Curtain 1’30.711 3. Parkes 1’31.001 4. Riba 1’31.492 5. Roccoli 1’31.657 18. Sofuoglu 1’33.274

Alex Barros was the fastest man in Saturday morning’s wet World Superbike qualifying session at Silverstone with a 1:45.602 on his Team Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR. FIM Superbike World Championship Silverstone, England May 27 Provisional Qualifying Results: 1. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F06) 1:27.011 2. Troy CORSER (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:27.068 3. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:27.205 4. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1) 1:27.364 5. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:27.418 6. Andrew PITT (Yam YZF-R1) 1:27.539 7. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:27.599 8. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:27.648 9. Chris WALKER (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:27.656 10. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:27.721 11. Sebastien GIMBERT (Yam YZF-R1) 1:27.730 12. Tommy HILL (Yam YZF-R1) 1:27.807 13. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F05) 1:27.810 14. Alex BARROS (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:27.940 15. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:28.078 16. Norick ABE (Yam YZF-R1) 1:28.246 17. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F06) 1:28.290 18. Ivan CLEMENTI (Duc 999RS) 1:28.492 19. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Duc 999RS) 1:28.492 20. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yam YZF-R1) 1:28.503 21. Josh BROOKES (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:28.561 22. Gianluca NANNELLI (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:28.766 23. Roberto ROLFO (Duc 999F05) 1:28.835 24. Craig JONES (Foggy Petronas FP1) 1:28.866 25. Fabien FORET (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:28.909 26. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:28.980 27. Steve MARTIN (Foggy Petronas FP1) 1:29.199 28. Marco BORCIANI (Duc 999F05) 1:30.533

SPIES AIMING FOR NEW AMA SUPERBIKE RECORD AT ROAD AMERICA PICKERINGTON, Ohio (May 26, 2006) — Ben Spies is just 21-years-old, but the Yoshimura Suzuki rider from Longview, Texas, comes to Road America’s Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader on June 1-4 in Elkhart Lake, Wis., on the verge of breaking one of the series’ long standing records. If Spies wins the first leg of the weekend’s doubleheader he will own the longest winning streak in AMA Superbike Championship history. Spies swept the doubleheader at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., on May 20-21, pushing his win streak to six straight. That tied the 1995 record of six consecutive AMA Superbike wins set by Miguel Duhamel in 1995. Duhamel is one of the riders hoping to put an end to Spies current run at Road America. “Ben is on a roll right now,” Duhamel said. “It was a shame that I couldn’t get up there and battle him to try to keep him from tying my record, but you have to give him a lot of credit for the way he’s riding. I’d like to give him a run for his money at Road America. I’ve done well there and it would be great to get a victory. It’s going to be tough.” Duhamel may have one of his better opportunities to run with Spies at Elkhart Lake. The 1995 AMA Superbike Champion has twice swept the Road America doubleheader. While records are on Duhamel’s mind, Spies is trying to stay focused amid all the hoopla of his current run. Speaking of tying the AMA Superbike record Spies replied. “That’ll probably hit me a little bit later. My mind’s pretty much on the championship now, and it’s definitely not in conserve mode yet, but we’ve just got to keep getting points, keep winning races, and keep getting poles, and when we’re not, we’ve got to finish second. And if we do that, it can hopefully happen this year. But it’s far too early to be thinking quite like that. We’ve just got to ride our own race and ride our own season and see where we end up.” Spies owns a 30-point lead over Suzuki teammate Mat Mladin coming into Road America. The six-time AMA Superbike champ is concerned, but not yet in anxiety mode over the gap to Spies in the standings. “As much as I’d like to say I’m not concerned, I’m quite concerned, but there’s still a long way to go,” Mladin said. “Thirty points in the championship is not a lot when there’s 12 races to go. We have a couple of race meetings coming up here in the next month, and if we get a good break… The championship will probably be won in the last eight or nine races when it heats up and we get back to the East Coast. Whether you’re 30 or 40 points behind, it really doesn’t matter at that point. We just need to keep Ben in check, and see how we go at the end of the season.” Britain’s Neil Hodgson is ranked fourth in the standings behind Spies, Mladin and Duhamel. The Parts Unlimited Ducati rider is still seeking another win in the series after taking the rain-soaked Saturday race at Road America last year. Hodgson is hoping to get his Ducati to a place that will allow him to go for another race win. “We’ve been searching from one extreme to the other on the bike setup,” Hodgson said. “I’ve gone faster at some of the tracks lately than I did the year before so I feel we’re going in the right direction. I’m not throwing my towel in yet – but it’s almost like there’s a battle for the third place spot, and Mat and Ben seem to have got us licked at the moment. That’s why we’ve got to keep searching for a better setup.” A lot of Road America fans from Chicago will be rooting for the Michael Jordan Suzuki riders. Veteran Jason Pridmore leads the way on Jordan Suzuki in the Superbike standings. He comes in with five top-ten finishes to his credit. Fans will get a full weekend of racing action at Road America. In addition to the full slate of road racing activities, the track is also hosting a round of the AMA Supermoto Championship presented by Parts Unlimited on the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex. The Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader will be nationally televised on SPEED. Saturday’s Superbike race will receive same-day tape-delayed coverage at 10 p.m. EST. Sunday’s Superbike race will be same day tape-delayed at 6:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, June 4. Tickets for the Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader can be purchased by calling 1.800.365.RACE or visiting www.roadamerica.com. Camping is available and children under 12 are admitted free. WHAT: Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader at Road America, rounds eight and nine of the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited. WHERE: Road America, located just East of Elkhart Lake, Wis. On Hwy 67. WHEN: June 1-4, 2006. COURSES: Road America’s 4-mile, 14-turn road course. 2005 WINNERS: Saturday’s race: Neil Hodgson (Ducati). Sunday’s race: Mat Mladin (Suzuki) SCHEDULE: Thursday, June 1 Test day.; Friday, June 2 Practice begins 8:30 am, qualifying at 2:00 pm.; Saturday, June 3 Practice begin at 8:30 am, Superbike race one at 3:30 pm, Formula Xtreme final at 4:30 pm.; Sunday, June 4 – Practice begins at 9:00 am, Superstock final at 11:30 am, Supersport final at 2:00 pm, Superbike race two at 3:15 pm and sidecars at 4:15 pm. TICKETS: Superticket: $70 (4-day ticket advance purchase only includes event program, deadline to purchase is May 26, 2006); Thursday: $10; Friday: $20; Saturday: $35; Sunday: $35 Infield parking: $25 (Thursday-Sunday) RIDE THE TRACK: Sentry Insurance Salute to Cycles Parade: $15 if purchased with an Advance Superticket (at time of purchase) / $25 with daily ticket. *All tickets include walk-in access to the paddock, free general parking, children 12 and under are free. About AMA Pro Racing AMA Pro Racing is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its properties include the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship and the AMA Supermoto Championship. For more information about AMA Pro Racing, visit www.amaproracing.com.

Australian ‘wild card’ rider Brendan Roberts finished on top at the end of the first qualifying for this weekend’s Suzuki GSX- R European Cup third round at Silverstone. Roberts, who is leading the British Superstock 1000 championship, adapted to his GSX-R750 Suzuki almost straight away and finished ahead of series leader Xavier Simeon. Third quickest today was another ‘wild card’ Tommy Bridewell, with Magnus Houston fourth. Brendan Roberts – 1st, 1:31.57: “It took me a little while to get used to the bike, but once I did I felt pretty comfortable. It’s a great pleasure to be racing at an International event like this and being seen by so many people. I had a little suspension problem today, but that was about it. I’m looking forward to the rest of the weekend.” Friday GSX-R Cup Qualifying: 1 B Roberts, 2 X Simeon, 3 T Bridewell, 4 M Houston, 5 R Barber, 6 S Castellani.

FIM Superbike World Championship Silverstone, England May 26 Provisional Qualifying Results: 1. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F06) 1:27.011, crash (twice) 2. Troy CORSER (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:27.068 3. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:27.205 4. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1) 1:27.364 5. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:27.418, crash 6. Andrew PITT (Yam YZF-R1) 1:27.539 7. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:27.599 8. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:27.648 9. Chris WALKER (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:27.656, crash 10. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:27.721, crash 11. Sebastien GIMBERT (Yam YZF-R1) 1:27.730 12. Tommy HILL (Yam YZF-R1) 1:27.807 13. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F05) 1:27.810 14. Alex BARROS (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:27.940 15. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:28.078 16. Norick ABE (Yam YZF-R1) 1:28.246 17. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F06) 1:28.290, crash 18. Ivan CLEMENTI (Duc 999RS) 1:28.492 19. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Duc 999RS) 1:28.492, crash 20. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yam YZF-R1) 1:28.503, crash 21. Josh BROOKES (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:28.561 22. Gianluca NANNELLI (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:28.766 23. Roberto ROLFO (Duc 999F05) 1:28.835 24. Craig JONES (Foggy Petronas FP1) 1:28.866 25. Fabien FORET (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:28.909 26. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:28.980 27. Steve MARTIN (Foggy Petronas FP1) 1:29.199, crash 28. Marco BORCIANI (Duc 999F05) 1:30.533, crash More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: BAYLISS (DUCATI XEROX) BOUNCES BACK FROM TWO QUALIFYING CRASHES TO TAKE PROVISIONAL POLE Silverstone (UK), Friday 26 May: It was an extraordinary first qualifying session for Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) at the Silverstone circuit as he bounced back from two crashes in difficult conditions to take the provisional pole position. The 37-year-old Australian, whose last Silverstone race was in 2002, albeit on the long circuit, ended up with a quickest time of 1m27.011s to head his closest championship rival Troy Corser (Suzuki) by a fraction. Fonsi Nieto (Kawasaki) and Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) took the other two top 4 places as four different manufacturers filled the front row. “Two crashes in one session, you wouldn’t exactly call that going to plan,” declared Troy. “It’s a typical British track, the sort of thing I remember from the British championship, you always encounter weather like this and it always makes for strange accidents. The first one was in the first series of rights before the back straight, I ran a bit wide but touched the wet ripple strip and it was like soap on a window. I went down quite hard on my hip but I was OK. I got going on the second bike and a lot of guys crashed on damp patches at the same corner, after you come under the bridge just before Priory. I went in and was looking at Toseland picking himself up, and then before I knew it the back came around and flung me through the air and down I went, cracking my head. James came and helped me up which was nice of him! I thought my session was finished but the guys had fixed the first bike which had mowed the grass basically and I got in a rhythm again and we ended up with the fastest lap which is what it’s all about.” Lorenzo Lanzi also crashed out in the slow Complex part of the track 25 minutes into the session and was unable to make the provisional cut-off mark for Superpole. “It’s a pity because for the moment I’m just out of the Superpole,” commented Lorenzo. “I went for a slide at the start of the session, where Troy, Toseland, Walker, Borciani and Martin all crashed so I’m in good company! The conditions of the track were very slippery but at the end we managed to recover a bit. The only problem was the others put on new tyres in the last ten minutes and we had used them half-way through the session so everyone improved at the end. That’s probably the only small mistake we made. Tomorrow let’s hope it’ll be dry, I must get into Superpole, I’ve always gone well here in the past, it’s a track I like a lot so I’m sure I can do it.” TIMES: 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1m27.011s; 2. Corser (Suzuki) 1m27.068s; 3. Nieto (Kawasaki) 1m27.205s; 4. Haga (Yamaha) 1m27.364s; 5. Toseland (Honda) 1m27.418s; 6. Pitt (Yamaha) 1m27.539s; 7. Kagayama (Suzuki) 1m27.599s; 8. Muggeridge (Honda) 1m27.648s; … 17. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 1m28.290s. More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: FIFTH FOR TOSELAND AND EIGHTH FOR MUGGERIDGE ON DAY ONE Despite a first qualifying session that was red flagged twice, and suffering a highside crash at the slow Priory corner, James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) scored the fifth fastest time of a disjointed first day. Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda) slotted into eighth place on the grid, with all the times improving as the track dried out after a wet opening unofficial practice session. Several riders fell during the single hour of qualifying, but Muggeridge kept his machine upright throughout, to qualify for Superpole with ease, should the final qualifying session on Saturday prove to be wet. Ronald Ten Kate Team Manager “I am quite happy about how the weekend has started for us on the Superbike side of things. James did very well all day; even in the wet this morning, he was up there. This afternoon we had a dry session, which started off really well, but then he hit some dirt or something on the track, which caused him to crash. We had to go to James’ second bike and we had to make some adjustments throughout the session to make the bike work the same as his number one machine. We are quite happy because in the first three sectors we are quite fast, but we have to focus a bit from now on the last sector. James was frequently up on the first splits only to lose his pole time in the final part. For Karl it is good to see him getting back up to fitness and getting on better with the bike. To have both riders in the positions they are in right now is good, but we know we have a lot of work to do to improve the bikes. I’m sure all the staff will work as hard as ever to make the bikes the best they can be.” James Toseland Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (4th Position 1’27.418) “I fell on some oil or dirt on the track. Troy Bayliss and I fell at the same time, and I landed on my ankle and my knee, but I am OK. We have quite a few things to try tomorrow, because we are losing a lot of time in just one particular section. I’m having to do it in first gear at the moment but I want to do it in second, like I did last year.” Karl Muggeridge Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (8th Position 1’27.648) “My back is a bit stiff right now but I will have a good rubdown and then I’ll be good for tomorrow. We are trying a lot of things on the bike at the moment, even which one to use as a number one bike. We are not really clear in that we need to achieve, so after this session it will become clearer when we sit down and work out what to do tomorrow. I’m not 100% satisfied right now and we basically need to improve the handling, so we can soak up the bumps and keep the line. We also need to get more traction and in different parts of the track we need to work on different things.” More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group: BAYLISS BUMPS AND GRINDS HIS WAY TO PROVISIONAL POLE – TWO CRASHES CAN’T HALT THE PROGRESS OF BAYLISS A day of crashes, stoppages, changeable weather and the usual intense Superbike competitiveness was finally put to rest by the impressive pace of Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox), who beat the existing race lap record with a 1’27.011 lap. His best circuit of the Silverstone track was set on race tyres, and came despite a double fall in the twice-interrupted first qualifying session in the afternoon. Just behind Bayliss, only 0.057 seconds down, Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) went second quickest, and in a dazzlingly close session, the top 26 qualifiers were all within two seconds of pole. The true competitiveness of the 2006 series was indicated again, even at an early stage, when five different manufacturers filled the top five places on the provisional grid. Third place went to the late charging Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse), fourth to the Yamaha of Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) and fifth to 2004 champion and 2005 Silverstone race winner, James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda). WET AND DRY FOR EVERYONE AS CRASH TOTAL MOUNTS With a high possibility of poor weather for Saturday’s final regulation qualification, today’s times may well end up as those which determine the top 16 to go forward to Superpole – and thus could be the times that determine grid positions for all the other competitors. The wet morning session limited the dry testing time for all riders, enough to make the qualifying period a real challenge of character and set-up skill, even before the two crash-inspired interruptions when possible grid positions were won and lost. An unidentified slippery patch caused havoc in the timed session, and as well as the second of Bayliss’ two crashes, a further five riders were to slide off or highside at the infamous 21st marshal’s post. The lead in the timed session changed no fewer than 16 times. PITT, KAGAYAMA AND MUGGERIDGE PROVE TEAM-MATE POWER Despite having to watch their team-mates finish ahead of them on the opening day’s time sheets, Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia), Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) and Karl Muggeridge scored provisional second row starts, with Pitt sixth and Muggeridge eighth. PSG-1 Kawasaki team-mates Chris Walker and Regis Laconi secured top ten finishes, one place ahead of two time leader of the pack in the first session, Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France Ipone) WILDCARD HILL CLIMBS INTO TOP 12 BSB regular Tommy Hill (Virgin Mobile Yamaha) enjoyed his first day in the top flight at Silverstone, pushing Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Berik Ducati) and Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda) to 13th and 14th places respectively. The wildcard rider is well used to the International Silverstone layout, as used in BSB racing. Michel Fabrizio (DFX Honda) and Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France Ipone) complete the current Superpole qualified 16. Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) has not currently qualified for Superpole, and will be wishing for dry weather on Saturday morning, to give himself a chance to improve. WORLD SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) got his Silverstone weekend off to a flying start by posting the provisional pole time, 1’30.516, after an opening qualifying session which was twice red-flagged to a halt. In the first incident Robbin Harms crashed out on his Honda and in the second, former full time WSS rider and current UK Supersport wild card rider Pere Riba fell from his Kawasaki. With only 45 seconds left on the clock, and the earlier delay, the session was halted at that point. Yamaha Motor Germany rider Kevin Curtain scores second quickest time, his team-mate Broc Parkes third and Riba, despite his crash, fourth. Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia) and Matthieu Lagrive (Intermot Czech Klaffi) went fifth and sixth fastest). SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP Claudio Corti (Yamaha Team Italia) took the fastest time in the Superstock 1000 class, with double 2006 race winner Alessandro Polita (Celani Suzuki) second, almost half a second down on his countryman. Luca Scassa (EVR Corse Ormeni Racing) went third on his MV Agusta, and the Lightspeed Kawasaki of Riccardo Chiarello made it four Italian riders in the top four, but four different makes of machines in the top positions to boot. EUROPEAN 600 SUPERSTOCK CHAMPIONSHIP Niccolo Canepa (Ducati Xerox 749R) boomed his way to provisional pole in the smallest Superstock division, finishing an impressive 0.790 seconds clear of second place rider, Davide Guigliano (Lightspeed Kawasaki). Another Lightspeed Kawasaki rider, Davide Guigliano, posted the third fastest time, in a field of 35 entrants. More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: MIXED CONDITIONS, BUT TROY EASILY SECOND The first day of qualifying at Silverstone saw very mixed conditions, so Troy rode used his head and took advantage of a dry track in the afternoon to finish second fastest. His fellow countryman Troy Bayliss (Ducati) posted the day’s best time, with a lap of 1:27.011. Third was Fonsi Nieto (Kawasaki), with Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) completing the provisional front row of the grid. The track was very wet in the morning session but, in the afternoon, conditions improved. Nearly half the timed qualifying session took place in the dry and that was when all the riders set their best lap times. TROY – 2nd, 1:27.068 Today went pretty well really and I’m reasonably happy. In the morning session it was very wet and we didn’t have the best set-up on our bike, so I took it fairly steadily. The weather improved a bit in the afternoon timed qualifying and I reckon we got about half an hour maybe of pretty dry track time. But there were still some damp patches around, so you had to take care of your line. Obviously some people didn’t, because there were quite a few crashes! When the track dried, we went back to the set-up we used here last year and it worked pretty well straightaway. Silverstone is very much a one-line track, so the last thing we all need is a wet race. I hope that it is dry tomorrow and it stays that way for Sunday, because then the racing will be much better for sure. More, from a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing: Superpole challenge after Silverstone misfortune for FPR Foggy PETRONAS Racing riders Craig Jones and Steve Martin came through an eventful first day of qualifying at Silverstone with work to do challenge for Superpole positions. Both riders suffered bruising in high-side crashes at the Brooklands hairpin, where many riders perished during the first day of qualifying for the fifth round of the Superbike World Championship. Craig bounced back from his morning mishap on a greasy section of the circuit, which caught out a number of riders throughout the day, to overcome further set-backs and finish just 0.6 seconds off the Superpole pace. Steve was taken to the medical centre mid-way through the afternoon session but returned to the track, although still in clear discomfort. Just two seconds separated the field at the shortest circuit on the calendar, with Troy Bayliss again leading the way, and the battle for Superpole positions tomorrow morning is expected to be intense, with variable weather conditions also a factor. Craig, 24th fastest, said: “Every time I was getting into a rhythm there was an interruption. I was black-flagged for no reason, next there was a red flag when Steve crashed, and then we had to test something for tomorrow right at the end of the qualifying session when I felt I could have gone quicker. While a lot went wrong, we still came out with a decent result which is not too far off the Superpole pace. And I have been concentrating on set-up today so I can chase times a bit more tomorrow. I am not too focused on making Superpole, as I don’t need to be on the first four rows to have a good start. But this year is all about learning for me and it would be nice to try a qualifying tyre. We are going to concentrate on gearing overnight and try and shorten the bike so that I have more grip through the twisty sections.” Steve, 27th fastest, said: “Things were looking good in the afternoon when I hit a patch where seven riders went down in the afternoon, so something was wrong with the track there. It was a massive high-side and I landed on my back and couldn’t really walk straight after. It is difficult to get back in a groove after a crash like that, particularly on my second bike. Hopefully it will be dry tomorrow so that we can make further improvements but it is going to be tough to make Superpole tomorrow, although this is the kind of place where a little set-up change can make a big improvement.” More, from a press release issued by Team Klaffi Honda: A new race track for Alex Barros on the first day at Silverstone the Brazilian rider of Team Klaffi Honda was busy to get the course under control. And this was not so easy, because after some heavy rainfalls the whole track was wet in the morning and the conditions were not so perfect. Even at the beginning of the first qualifying session some sections of the track were still very slippery and hazardous. Alex Barros: “This was my first practice here under dry conditions though it was slippery in the beginning. The track is new for me and I had some problems. There are still some things we have to try and to optimize. The Silverstone race track is not so much a technical but a physical challenge. I have to improve myself and I hope it will be dry tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by Beowulf Racing: BEOWULF’S HENDERSON SURVIVES SILVERSTONE SCARE 2006 FIM Superstock 1000 Cup, Rd 3 Silverstone, UK Qualifying session 1, Fri 26th May Despite a heart-stopping moment when he bounced the Beowulf Racing Suzuki along the grass, Nick Henderson lies in 25th place after the first day of Qualifying for the third round of the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup at Silverstone in the UK. The Australian, who rides for the British Shepton Mallet-based team, recorded a time of 1:33.430, just over 3 seconds behind Italian Claudio Corti’s (Yamaha) current pole-setting lap of 1:29.781. This weekend’s events are being run on the 2.2-mile International circuit, rather than the more familiar Grand Prix layout used for F1 racing. Although this morning’s half-hour free practice session was run on a saturated track, the overnight rain abated just in time for its start. Henderson’s mission was simple: to log the best time he could whilst ensuring the bike remained upright. Despite one scary moment when the former Australian champion hit the grass only to regain control when his machine slided forwards onto a fortunately-placed slip road, Nick succeeded in his mission bagging a time of 1:54.846. In contrast, the afternoon timed qualifying period was run under dry and largely bright conditions. It was clear to see how hard Henderson was trying with his machine squirming around as he braked heavily into the Abbey hairpin on every lap. Although Nick is far from happy with his final position, he’s confident he’ll be further up the grid by the end of tomorrow. “Although I’ve done a track day here before, it was on the shorter National circuit not this layout” he said. “It was a shame in a lot of ways that it didn’t stay wet in the afternoon, because the fresh conditions meant starting again. We’re moving forwards and with the usual overnight adjustments I’m sure there’s more to come tomorrow.” Asked about his early morning excursion onto the grass he commented: “Everyone’s been telling me what a scary moment I had but it really didn’t seem that bad at the time. I guess things must just look different when you’re sat in the saddle.” Team Manager Andy Stone was also in buoyant mood: “We’re a lot, lot closer to the top 15 than we were after the first day at Valencia or Monza” he said. “The aim is to get Nick a start for the race from the front four rows and if we’ve achieved that by the end of tomorrow we’ll be over the moon.” Saturday will consist of a second practice and qualifying period, lasting 30 and 25 minutes respectively. Sunday’s race is over 15 laps and with the Australian desperate to make more of an impact on the International scene, anything could happen at the famous Northamptonshire circuit. To learn more about Nick Henderson and Beowulf Racing visit www.beowulf-racing.com FIM SUPERSTOCK 1000 CUP, RD 3 SILVERSTONE Qualifying Session 1 Results 1 Claudio Corti (Ita) Yamaha 1:29.781 2. Alessandro Polita (Ita) Suzuki 1:30.280 3. Luca Scassa (Ita) MV Augusta 1:30.705 25. Nick Henderson (Aus) Suzuki 1.33.430 More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Troy Corser took his GSX-R1000 to the second fastest time in today’s opening World Superbike Qualifying session at Silverstone in Britain. On a day of mixed conditions, the Australian rode steadily and finished behind his fellow countryman Troy Bayliss (Ducati). The track was very wet in the morning session but in the afternoon conditions improved and almost half the timed qualifying session took place in the dry. Corser’s team mate Yukio Kagayama finished the day seventh quickest with Team Alstare Engineering Corona Extra rider Fabien Foret 25th. Troy Corser – 2nd, 1:27.068: “I’m reasonably happy with how today went – especially considering the wet conditions this morning. For the first session we didn’t have the best set-up and we struggled a bit. In the afternoon, when the track dried out, we went back to the set-up we used here last year and it worked pretty well straight away. There was some damp on the track but I tried to keep away from it as it really wasn’t the line I wanted. I hope that it is dry tomorrow because Silverstone is a one-line track at the best of times, so the last thing we need is a wet race.” Yukio Kagayama – 7th, 1:27.599: “My wrist and ankle is still a little sore, but once I am on the bike it is no problem. My experience allows me to be able to ride in this condition ok. When the track was full wet, the grip was so-so, but when the track was half wet it was difficult. Today I had many small problems and because we did not have so much dry track time, it was a little difficult to know which direction to take tomorrow. I will sit down with my technicians and we will decide which way to start. For me this track has four sections. I am ok in the first three, but the last one is where I am losing some time, so I need to improve this area tomorrow.” Fabien Foret – 25th, 1:28.909: “It was not such a good day for me and I am disappointed to be so far down the order. I have never ridden a Superbike here before so the first session this morning when it was wet was difficult for me. I didn’t want to do anything stupid, so maybe I was a bit too steady. We got some dry track time this afternoon but it was not enough to make good progress, so I am hoping that we can have two good dry sessions tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Yamaha Motor Italia rider Noriyuki Haga shone in first qualifying at a damp and windy Silverstone today, ending the day in fourth place with team-mate Andrew Pitt an equally strong sixth. Morning practice took place in wet conditions and although the track was mostly dry for the one-hour afternoon qualifying, the tricky conditions caught out many big name riders and led to two stoppages caused by riders crashing. Haga, who gave the Yamaha YZF-R1 its first world superbike podium finish at Silverstone 12 months ago, looked comfortable in both the wet and dry conditions, setting the third fastest time in the rainy morning session. The Japanese rider declared himself happy with the basic set-up of his Yamaha but will work overnight with his team to further improve the machine ahead of Sunday’s two 28-lap races. Pitt made a big improvement in the closing stages of the session to end as the day’s sixth fastest rider at one of his least favourite circuits. Having spent the session experimenting with the set-up of his YZF-R1, the Australian effectively switched back to his base settings to jump up the grid. With quarter of an hour to go Yamaha Motor France’s Sebastien Gimbert topped the leader board. The Frenchman had suffered a spectacular crash in the morning practice, when he slid off his R1 going down the start-finish straight. The accident wrecked his machine and left him with abrasions on his back. Despite the handicap he finished the day 11th. Yamaha Motor France’s Japanese duo had tougher days, with Norick Abe 16th and Shinichi Nakatomi 20th on his first visit to the circuit. Local wild-card Tommy Hill was 12th on another YZF-R1. Grid positions will be decided in tomorrow’s superpole session for the top 16 riders from qualifying. With rain a strong possibility tomorrow morning, the superpole participants could well be decided on today’s times. Fastest rider today was championship leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati), ahead of world champion Troy Corser (Suzuki) and Fonsi Nieto (Kawasaki). Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) “Not so bad although I am a little bit angry not to get pole as I had a small problem on what should have been my fastest lap. The feeling with the bike is already good in both the wet and dry but we will work more tomorrow to try and make it better for the races.” Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) “The track was a bit patchy: you’d go in on the dry but then hit a wet bit, but it went ok for us and I’m quite happy. We started the session off well but got a bit lost with the changes we made, before going back to basics to get the lap time. We’ve still got a bit of a problem with the bike wheelying too much but that’s the only point where I think I’m losing some time.” Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France) “I am happy with how things have gone today. The times are very close with just 0.7 second between me and the pole. It was good to be at the top of the timesheets but at the end I went out to test the race tyre rather than going for an improved time. Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) “This morning the feeling with the bike was not so good, but then I have never been able to feel comfortable with the superbike in wet conditions. The afternoon was not so bad but the conditions were quite strange, with many riders going down at one corner. Every lap I would see someone else go down there and as a result I was not able to fully attack that corner until the very end. I am still having some problems with the right hand I injured in Monza. This might cause me some problems in the race, as there is a lot of hard braking at this circuit. I am happy to be in the top 16 as I will be in superpole if it rains tomorrow morning, although I hope it is dry and I can show my best.” Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Motor France) “I had a crash at the same corner as all the other riders and this meant I could not be as high as I like. I went out on a different tyre option and it caught me out but I am not injured and hope we can have some dry conditions tomorrow.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator – Yamaha Motor Italia) “A good day. Nori’s lap times are very consistent and he seem to be as fast as anyone, while Andrew made just a few changes to the set-up we have used at Monza and Mugello, suggesting that he has found a base setting that really works for him. He started out by following Toseland for a few laps but found that he could pass and go faster on his own. Compared with last year he is looking very strong and I’m pleased because both the riders are happy with their set-ups and seem to have good tyre life around this circuit.”

FIM Supersport World Championship Silverstone, England May 26 Provisional Qualifying Results: 1. Sebastien CHARPENTIER (Hon CBR600RR) 1:30.516 2. Kevin CURTAIN (Yam YZF-R6) 1:30.711 3. Broc PARKES (Yam YZF-R6) 1:31.001 4. Pere RIBA (Kaw ZX-6RR) 1:31.492 5. Massimo ROCCOLI (Yam YZF-R6) 1:31.657 6. Matthieu LAGRIVE (Hon CBR600RR) 1:31.692 7. Javier FORES (Yam YZF-R6) 1:31.963 8. Johan STIGEFELT (Hon CBR600RR) 1:32.136 9. Katsuaki FUJIWARA (Hon CBR600RR) 1:32.320 10. Yoann TIBERIO (Hon CBR600RR) 1:32.450 11. Mauro SANCHINI (Yam YZF-R6) 1:32.533 12. Kai Borre ANDERSEN (Suz GSX-R600) 1:32.595 13. David CHECA (Yam YZF-R6) 1:32.649 14. Barry VENEMAN (Suz GSX-R600) 1:32.732 15. Gianluca VIZZIELLO (Yam YZF-R6) 1:32.755 More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: CHARPENTIER ON PROVISIONAL POLE AT SILVERSTONE A dramatic first qualifying session in Supersport saw Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) take the fastest lap, while his team-mate Kenan Sofuoglu slid to a lowly 18th. The day had dawned wet and wild, and the track had not fully dried before the start of qualifying, which was red flagged twice and finally terminated with 45 seconds remaining on the clock. The slowly drying track conditions meant that Charpentier’s best lap of day one was not close to his own previous record best at the short 3.619km English circuit, despite being clearly the fastest man once more, with a 1’30.516. Sofuoglu toiled hard to improve his best time, but had to settle for a 1’33.274, having crashed in the wet morning session, and struggled to find perfect machine set-up in the times session. Ronald Ten Kate Team Manager “A bit up-and-down because in these conditions it will always be difficult for all the riders, with the climate changing all the time. Even during the session it changed and Sebastien kept his head cool and took provisional pole in a very mature way. For Kenan – I feel sorry for him because our new strategy is to start more slowly and make progress through all the weekend. But in these conditions that will push you down the order. The weather forecast is a bit better for tomorrow, and I hope that he can improve quite a bit. We have some issues with his bike to resolve, as this is not the easiest track in the world to set-up suspension. We still have some work to do overnight, and I hope that we can have a dry session again tomorrow.” Sebastien Charpentier Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (1st Position 1’30.516) “Because of the changing conditions today it was important to try and go for a good lap at the correct time and managed to do that. This is a good opportunity because I am on ‘pole’ after the first day. In the wet session this morning I did not push to the maximum, but I got some feeling for the rainy conditions. I hope we have good weather tomorrow; for sure it was not possible to make a faster lap right at the end because another rider crashed. The set-up is not perfect yet, so we will try to find something even better.” Kenan Sofuoglu Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (18th Position 1’33.274) “It was very difficult for me today because of the wet weather this morning and I had a crash in that session as well. In the qualifying session it was partly wet and partly dry out on the track and that made some problems for us. I did not know what to do about gearing, and when I was riding in the rain it was completely different from when I was riding in the dry. I also tried to find the best suspension set up. If it is dry tomorrow, I am sure we can improve, because 18th is not normal for me.” RESULTS QUALIFYING 1: 1. Charpentier 1’30.516 2. Curtain 1’30.711 3. Parkes 1’31.001 4. Riba 1’31.492 5. Roccoli 1’31.657 18. Sofuoglu 1’33.274 More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Yamaha Motor Germany riders Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes gave a good showing on the opening day of supersport action in Silverstone, ending a damp day second and third on the overnight grid. After a morning of rain, supersport qualifying started in damp conditions. Running dry weather tyres the fastest men lapped around two seconds off lap record pace in the difficult conditions. Despite a clear dry line having formed around the circuit, the riders were faced with standing water streaming across the circuit at several points and the mental problem of a light drizzle being blown into onto their visors. Fastest in the session was championship leader Sebastien Charpentier (Honda), who set a best lap of 1:30.516 – one-and-a-half seconds off his own lap record. Curtain set a best of 1:30.711 in the closing stages of the session, with Parkes a further three-tenths behind on 1:31.001. Both YZF-R6 riders declared themselves happy with their day’s work, believing that they would have set quicker times had a red flag not stopped the session prematurely. Wild-card Pere Riba (Kawasaki) completes the provisional front row with Yamaha Team Italia rider Massimo Roccoli leading the second row. Spaniard David Checa was 13th fastest on the Yamaha GMT94 YZF-R6 with Gianluca Vizziello 15th on the other Yamaha Team Italia machine.