Thanks to the efforts of Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR), and most recently to rookie Yoann Tiberio (Megabike Honda CBR600RR), Honda has a four-from-four winning record in the 2006 Supersport championship series – a run of success Honda’s quartet of supported riders will be aiming to continue at the Silverstone Round on May 28th. Charpentier’s opening three wins were textbook lessons on how to carry out a championship defense, but a slightly over-eager start (and a subsequent ride-through time penalty) at the most recent round in Monza deprived Charpentier of a chance to add a fourth win to his three victories and four pole positions of the 2006 season so far. Tiberio, a rookie in World Supersport this season, had a hard fought win at Monza, battling incessantly with Yamaha rider Kevin Curtain and fellow Honda rider Robbin Harms (Stiggy Motorsports Honda CBR600RR) until Curtain was forced to retire and Tiberio’s determined front running saw him stretch away from Harms as the final laps approached. Tiberio’s win has pushed him to fourth place in the championship, despite missing the opening round at Qatar. The Frenchman knows the 3.619km Silverstone circuit very well, having finished second in the European Championship 600 Superstock race there in 2005, when riding for the junior wing of the Megabike Honda team. Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) is aiming to overcome two DNFs this season, and he sits ninth in the championship table at present. The talented Turkish rider was a Silverstone podium finisher in the 2005 Superstock 1000 FIM Cup race, and thus should start the race at Silverstone at no great disadvantage, despite this being his rookie WSS season. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Team Megabike Honda CBR600RR) has suffered great misfortune this year, up to and including a debilitating wrist injury, but the talented Japanese rider has lost none of his proven race winning pace. Silverstone offers him the opportunity to score his second podium of the year, a realistic ambition after qualifying on the front row at every race he has been fit to compete in this year. Charpentier, the Silverstone race winner in 2005, approaches Silverstone in the same confident manner as every other race, especially after extending his championship lead over Curtain at Monza. “Silverstone should be good for us, and I will be working in the same way as normal to get the best result,” said the Frenchman. “The track is only so-so in the short version, for sure it not the historic Silverstone. It is slow and there are lots of slow corners, and a really slow chicane. It’s not so enjoyable as the previous version, which had much faster corners. But it is the same for all the riders.” Sofuoglu, along with most of the 2006 Silverstone visitors, will have one eye on the skies in the run up to the weekend, given some of the pessimistic weather forecasts. “I feel OK for this weekend, but I’m not so sure about the weather,” said Sofuoglu. “The forecast does not look good, but in any case I feel strong. I think our bike will be particularly good here, and for me it should be easier than last year, when I had to work hard to force a big 1000cc roadbike through the really slow chicane. My priorities are the same as always, find a good set-up and ride for a good result.” Tiberio, on a high from his Monza race win, has his feet firmly on the ground, but plainly likes the short Silverstone layout, finishing second in the European Superstock 600 Championship race there last season. “I will try to finish in the first five positions, my real target for all the races this season,” said Tiberio. “The victory of Monza was a big emotion for me but I know that repeat the exploit is very difficult, because I need to have more experience with the Supersport bike. And the other riders are so fast! I have a fantastic team and a bike that permits me to make good results.” Fujiwara enters Silverstone determined to shake off the misfortunes of his early season experiences. “I’ve not been so lucky during this first period of the season,” said Katsuaki, proving a master of understatement. “In Monza I knew that I could win but a crash stopped me. I want to make a good race at Silverstone, with the target being to really start my season there. The bike is very good and the victory of Yoann in Monza was the best demonstration of that. I hope that my black period is finished.” World Superbike Round 5 of 12 TOSELAND HEADS STRONG HONDA SUPERBIKE ENTRY AT SILVERSTONE James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) is the current leading Honda rider in the 2006 World Championsip, now a 12 round-affair after the cancellation of what would have been the season-ending South African round. Being chased closely in the points table by Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) at present, Toseland is out to repeat not only his opening race win of the 2006 season, at Qatar, but his win in race two at Silverstone in 2005. Barros sits only two points from Toseland in the current championship table, with Toseland third overall, behind runaway leader Troy Bayliss and the only other rider to have won more than a single 2006 race, Troy Corser. Barros has never raced on the shorter 3.619km Silverstone race before, and thus the entire weekend will be another rapid learning process for the seven times MotoGP race winner. Karl Muggeridge (Winston Honda Ten Kate CBR1000RR) has tasted Silverstone champagne during his successful WSS career, and will be pushing to take his first SBK podium finish. Having largely recovered from a recent spinal injury, he proved his return was not premature at Monza, scoring sixth and seventh places. These results put him into the top 15 overall – all despite no scores or no starts in half of the 2006 races thus far. Once more the DFX Treme Honda squad will race without team-leader Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR), despite Chili attempting to race in a recent Italian championship race at Mugello. His replacement is once more Gianluca Nannelli (DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR) who lines up alongside SBK rookie Michel Fabrizio (DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR). Fabrizio has had both high and low points this year, but his fifth place in the opening race at Qatar is certainly within his grasp again if the ultra-competitive qualifying results and Superpole contest go his way. Toseland, about to enjoy the first of two British rounds in the SBK championship series, is in determined mood before the start of the Silverstone round. “I believe that the team will come up with the goods and I will come up with the goods,” said Toseland. “It’s nice to race in Britain and we are fortunate that two of the biggest and most popular races of all are in the UK – Silverstone and Brands. I’m sure there will be a great turnout at Silverstone and we need great results to get the championship back.” Barros, showing just how extensive his pre-Superbike career has been, acknowledges that he has raced at Silverstone before, but at a very different version than that which will greet him in first practice on Friday 26th May. “The last time I raced at Silverstone was in 1987,” stated the talented Brazilian. “I know the old course, and it seems the latest one in World Superbike is combination of the old and the new, with some modifications to the old track. It seems the whole track will be pretty much completely new for me, so I don’t really know what to expect. It seems Silverstone will be surprise, and I hope a nice one.” Muggeridge is ready for the challenge of the shorter and more physical Silverstone circuit, and he recovers full fighting fitness with every passing day. “I feel pretty good now,” said Muggeridge. “My back injury is much better and there is nothing I can’t do with it. Getting some more hours on the bike will help a lot, because it’s hard to simulate that during training. When I first got injured the doctors’ opinions ranged from three months to six months recovery time, so we’re ahead of that already. I’m maybe not 100% yet, because I want to be even fitter than I was before. I want to move the bar a bit. The short Silverstone will maybe be one of the hardest tracks for us this year. It’s just the way things are at the moment, for our particular bikes.” Fabrizio underwent a test session in Brno after the Monza race earlier in May, and made good set-up progress on his CBR1000RR. “After the test in Brno my motorcycle feels OK,” said Fabrizio. “The suspension and the electronic package have improved, even if the racetrack at Silverstone will be very difficult. It’s a shame about the circuit; to cut the fastest parts is not good, because our motorcycle suffers most in the slow curves. But we will be trying as hard as ever to qualify for Superpole and finish in the top positions.” Nannelli, a WSS race winner as recently as 2005, is a high-power understudy to Chili, but still feels he has to learn more about the bike before the results can reflect his obvious talent. “I have high hopes for the next race in Silverstone because my team has been fantastic,” said Nannelli. “I will run for Domenico Brigaglia, my technical supervisor, and Frankie Chili. This race may be difficult because the Silverstone circuit might not suit the Honda CBR1000RR as well as some others. But the bike itself is very good and I’m sure we can make a good race.” Round six of the 2006 series, marking the end of the first half of the competitive year, takes place at Misano, Italy, between 23 and 25 June, with all classes once more represented.

Elkhart Lake, Wis., -The AMA Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader returns to Road America, June 1-4, 2006, to headline a huge weekend of motorcycle racing. The weekend will include Superbike, Supermoto and Sidecar races. Road America’s turns, curves, changes in elevation and scenic beauty make the track a unique favorite among riders and fans. In the Superbike series, four classes will run on the 4.048 mile track: Superbike, Supersport, Superstock and Formula Xtreme. Current point leaders include Ben Spies, Matt Mladin, Miguel Duhamel, Neil Hodgson and Aaron Yates. Practice, qualifying and final rounds will be held Thursday through Sunday. The Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader will run final rounds on Saturday and Sunday. AMA Supermoto, Unlimited, and Supermoto Lites will tackle Road America’s .94 mile, purpose-built track at the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex. Riders will be challenged by its combination of dirt and paved sections, long, high-speed straightaways, jumps and corners. Top riders will include Doug Henry, Jeff Ward and Wisconsin-native Ben Carlson. Supermoto events are being held on Friday and Saturday of the event weekend. Friday, June 2, is a promoter test day for all the groups and classes. Superside America is the only motorsport that requires two racers to act and react together. Both racers (driver and passenger) are fully exposed to the elements at up to 170 mph without roll cages or safety harnesses. The passenger moves across the back of the Sidecar with split-second timing. The Sentry Insurance Salute to Cycles gives fans an awesome opportunity to experience the track on their own motorcycles. Registration is necessary with a fee of $25 on Saturday and $25 on Sunday plus daily ticket admission. Fans can also visit the Sentry Insurance booth to register to win a 2006 Big Dog Pitbull motorcycle. Road America offers diverse racing venues, amazing viewing opportunities, fantastic concessions and high-speed excitement to thousands of spectators each year. Located midway between Milwaukee and Green Bay in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, it offers 628 grassy, rolling acres which include the 4.048 circuit and the .94 mile purpose-built paved and dirt supermoto track. Daily track admission during the AMA Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader event is $10 on Thursday, $20 on Friday, $35 on Saturday and $35 on Sunday. Daily tickets include paddock access and autograph sessions. Toyota Truck Day on Sunday will allow the driver and one adult passenger in a Tacoma or Tundra free admission to the AMA Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader on Sunday. This promotion is not applicable with previously purchased tickets or other discount programs. There is a limit of one pair of tickets per Toyota Truck owner. Children age 12 and under are admitted free at Road America. For more information, please visit www.roadamerica.com or call 800/892-RACE (7223).

PRESTIGIOUS BRITISH TRACK TO HOST SUPERBIKE ONCE AGAIN The humble beginnings of Silverstone, a former airfield, belie its current globally recognised status. Britain’s F1 track is now a firm favourite on the SBK calendar, originally hosting the global SBK series over its full layout in 2002 and most recently in its shorter, but more intense, National layout, used for the first time in 2005. The 3.561km circuit features a plethora of challenges, with the slow corners of the Brooklands and Luffield complexes ensuring that any advantages for the absolutely fastest machines on the straights can be made up during braking, delivering close battles throughout the field. NOT ONE BUT TWO CHANCES TO MEET THE STARS The second open paddock of the season will take place at Silverstone, and to give the public the maximum chance of meeting their favourite riders, and getting a treasured autograph along the way, there will be two open paddock sessions, one on Thursday 25th May (from 2pm) and one on Saturday 27th May (from 12.30pm to 12.45pm). On Thursday, in anticipation of the forthcoming World Cup football competition, key World Superbike riders will also don their national colours for the ‘Silverstone World Cup’. This crowd-pleasing contest is a ‘beat the keeper’ penalty competition, against the clock. The ‘Silverstone World Cup’ will take place in the middle of the circuit, close to the paddock. SBK STARS SET TO DAZZLE AT SILVERSTONE For the majority of the SBK stars about to descend on Silverstone there is one clear mission in mind. Beat the championship leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox), and in all probability score both wins in the process. Bayliss has been in stunning form of late, winning the last five races on the bounce, but his rivals will take even more heart from the fact that he has never ridden on the current layout, while in World Superbike trim. Chasing Bayliss is 2005 champion Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), with British favourite James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) in third. Toseland and his old Ducati factory team-mate Regis Laconi shared Silverstone wins last year, yet each runs a four-cylinder machine at present. Such is the multi-rider competitiveness behind the consistent Bayliss and Corser that Toseland leads Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda) and Noriyuki Haga (Team Italia Yamaha) by only two and four points respectively. Barros is looking for his first SBK win, while Haga is looking for his first win in 2006. Currently Bayliss has five victories, Corser two and Toseland one. PITT HEADS UP A SCRUM OF MID-SEASON TALENT Andrew Pitt (Team Italia Yamaha), the 2001 World Supersport champion, lies sixth in the championship currently, partly thanks to his first career World Superbike podium at Qatar, but mostly due to an impressive level of front running consistency, whatever his final race positions. In overall seventh place Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) has shown flashes of the sheer brilliance we saw at the tail end of 2005, and his double podium placing at Valencia, in round four, demonstrate that he still has the ability to run at the front when all the pieces mesh together. Thus far the most consistent, and highest scoring private rider is former MotoGP runner Roberto Rolfo (Ducati SC Caracchi). Almost crowned champion in the 250 GP class in 2003, Rolfo has powered his booming vee-twin to a personal best of fifth in Australia race one, and for him Silverstone will be another new experience. A super-talented top ten currently hosts Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) in ninth place, with the top Kawasaki runner Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki) only three points behind Abe. MIDFIELD MAESTROS READY TO MOVE ON UP Such has been the increased level of talent and equipment in World Superbike this season that many big names still reside outside the top ten places overall. One exceptionally good, or unexpectedly bad, meeting for any rider outside the cadre of current winners, and a multitude of places can be gained or lost. From 11th to 15th in the current championship demonstrates this point perfectly. Michel Fabrizio (DFX Treme Honda), Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Berik Ducati), Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki), Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki) and Karl Muggeridge (Winston Honda Ten Kate) are currently, after eight individual races, separated by only six points. For Walker, Silverstone is a home race, and with huge local support, he will be going all out to turn the Kawasaki’s obvious potential into a solid gold podium result. YUKIO GOES ‘HOME’ AS FOGGY PETRONAS BOYS MAKE A SHORT JOURNEY Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), currently in an artificially low 16th place overall, enjoys any race in the UK, having been a leading runner in the British series before his move up to World Superbike. For the Foggy Petronas squad, based in Burton-Upon-Trent, Silverstone is a short cross-country hop away, and the tight nature of some parts of the track will be good news for Steve Martin and Craig Jones. Local boy Jones will have his first chance to impress in front of his home crowd, and after many years of UK competition, knows all the intimate secrets of the Silverstone track. British fans, robbed of the chance to see Pierfrancesco Chili on track, due to injury, will nonetheless be able to get their programmes signed by the most experienced rider in SBK in the pre-race autograph sessions. Ebullient Italian Gianluca Nannelli once more replaces Chili, while former WSS rider Josh Brookes takes over the Bertocchi Kawasaki ride vacated by Franco Battaini. WORLD SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP Until the previous Monza round, 2005 champion Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) was in danger of providing a virtual whitewash in this normally highly competitive class – but it was not to be in Italy. Third for Charpentier, after a jump-start penalty and a further excursion up an escape road, seemingly left the way open for his biggest challenger so far, Yamaha Motor Germany rider Kevin Curtain. A technical failure for his machine, however, finally left the way open for two of a new breed of rock-hard youthful Supersport talents, Yoann Tiberio (Megabike Honda) and Robbin Harms (Stiggy Motorsports Honda). Tiberio’s win, in only his fourth World Supersport race, ignited the championship’s profile all over again, and with Harms second the immediate battle for second is a fascinating prospect for Silverstone. There are several other potential Silverstone podium finishers. Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda) and Curtain’s fellow Yamaha rider Broc Parkes are two obvious candidates, plus of course the immense Supersport talent that is Katsuaki Fujiwara (Megabike Honda). Once more Scottish rider Stuart Easton will ride the Ducati SC Caracchi machine, after an impressive sixth place at Monza. British WSS series regular, Tom Tunstall (Hardinge Ice Valley Honda) will also be looking to Silverstone as his first real chance for a ride into the very top echelons. SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP Alessandro Polita (Celani Suzuki) has taken both race wins so far, at Valencia and Monza, but in this class for younger riders, on DOT tyres and machines very close to road spec, anything can happen from race-to-race. Ayrton Badovini (Biassono Unionbike MV Agusta) provides the closest challenge to Polita in the championship fight right now, with experienced rider Riccardo Chiarello (Lightspeed Kawasaki) third overall. Luca Scassa (EVR Corse Ormeni MV Agusta) rides the second MV in the top four, in this series dominated by all kinds of 1000cc four-cylinder equipment. EUROPEAN 600 SUPERSTOCK CHAMPIONSHIP Just like Polita in Superstock, Xavier Simeon (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) has been fastest out of the blocks in the Junior Superstock class, designed for even younger riders than the 1000cc version, and using 600cc four-cylinder or twin-cylinder 750cc machinery. Davide Giugliano (Lightspeed Kawasaki) has moved from sixth in the championship to second after his Monza runner-up finish, while Niccolo Canepa (Ducati Xerox Junior team) now fills third place, after a second place at Valencia and an unfortunate DNF at Silverstone.

With three rounds of the FIM World Endurance Championship now completed, Suzuki Castrol have consolidated their first place in the championship standings with a 39 point lead. There are still 125 championship points remaining to be won, and the race is on to see who can take the fight to the French Suzuki squad. Yamaha Austria’s podium finish at Albacete has lifted them to second place, and Bolliger Kawasaki’s fifth in Spain has left the Swiss team just two points behind the Austrians. Bolliger are showing the consistency that has become their trademark, scoring good points in every race so far. Swedish team Fagersjo-el Suzuki have a similar 100% record and are just six points behind in fourth place. Team Endurance Moto 45 Suzuki are the only other team to have scored points at every race; they are in ninth place. Yamaha Phase One’s fourth place at Albacete has moved them up to sixth place overall and helped them recover from a disappointing result at Le Mans. The British team are six points clear of top Italians No Limits & RT Suzuki in seventh place. Only three wildcard teams are in the top ten; National Motos Honda in fifth place are rumoured to be considering an entry at the next round and Yamaha GMT94 in eighth place are expected to do at least one more event. Four manufacturers (Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Honda) and seven nations (France, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Great Britain, Italy and Spain) are represented in the top ten, with teams from Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Slovakia and representing Aprilia also amongst the 30 that have scored points so far this year. The next round of the World Endurance Championship is the Zolder 6 Hour in Belgium on June 18th. 25 points are available to the winner of this race. Championship Standings -Top 10 After 3 Rounds 1 Suzuki Castrol Team (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 83 points 2 Yamaha Austria Racing Team (Yamaha YZF-R1) 44 points 3 Bolliger Team Switzerland Kawasaki (Kawasaki ZX10R) 42 points 4 Team Fagersjo-el Suzuki (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 36 points 5 National Motos Honda (Honda CBR1000RR) 35 points 6 Yamaha Phase One Endurance (Yamaha YZF-R1) 32 points 7 Suzuki No Limits & R.T. Suzuki (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 24 points 8 Yamaha GMT94 (Yamaha YZF-R1) 22 points 9 Team Endurance Moto 45 Suzuki (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 21 points 10 Yamaha Folch Endurance 2 (Yamaha YZF-R1) 19 points

Canadian Air Force flys to a Win in CMRA 125GP Canadian Grand Prix rider Alex Welsh brings some cool air to a 96 degrees hot and steamy Oklahoma racetrack over the weekend. The 18 year old Infinity GP Racing rider patiently pressured the leader for 7 of the 8 lap 125GP sprint race at Hallett Motor Race Track on Sunday only to make a last turn draft pass for the win. Welsh, in his second full season with the Frisco, Texas based Infinity GP race team is riding both 125GP and 250GP race machines. Welsh is tuning up for his scheduled debut this summer at a few rounds of the European GP series. In addition, this weekend James “the Rocket” Rispoli a 14-year-old amateur dirt track champion flew in from Attica NY to give the Infinity GP team a second podium with a lonely third-place finish. The Team went first and third in the CMRA premier GP class. Rispoli, who joined the Infinity GP team at the Texas World round will finish out the season as an Infinity GP team rider for 2006. More, from a press release issued by USGPRU: Iso And Reiswig Win In Third Western Round Of USGPRU In Portland Odenton, MD. Portland International Raceway track master Nobi Iso was in typical form for 125gp qualifying as he took pole with a 1:13.869 lap. Tyler Reiswig and OMRRA youngster hero Elena Myers were 2nd and 3rd quickest with 1:15.409 and 1:15:610 respectively while 125gp veteran Jon Schendel completed the front row with a 1:15.681 lap time. Thirteen year old Cameron Beaubier, who won the last round in Reno, suffered mechanical issues all weekend after a nasty highside in turn 2. He started the 125 race, but problems forced him out of the race early. The 125 race started with the top five gapping the rest of the field in short order. Iso had strong competition from Kids: Don’t Smoke/Roadracingworld.com’s Elena Myers as those two slowly put space between third place Tyler Reiswig. Catching fourth place rider Schendel in fine fashion was Hard Charger Award winner Kyle Ferris who started from the back of the grid. Ferris was able to pass Schendel and make a formidable charge to Reiswig. Meanwhile, Myers drafted past Iso for the lead on lap 12 and tries to break away. The long straights at Portland normally provide plenty of drafting opportunities and Iso made sure he took some by setting fast lap with white flag in sight shot around Myers and never looked back. To the dismay of many fans, Myers lowsided in turn two while being stuck to Iso’s rear wheel. Local OMRRA racer Dave Heinricks inherited fifth postion. Chico Power Equipment’s Tyler Reiswig ate his Wheaties for 250 qualifying and immediately went to work setting a lap of over one second faster than 2nd quickest Nobi Iso on a TZ250 with a 1:11.349 and 1:12.579 lap respectively before crashing. Ryan Ferris, battling tuning issues all weekend was right behind with a time of 1:12.876 and Vincent Rolleri completed the first row with a 1:14.295 lap. Excitement quickly mounted for the 250 race even before the green flag fell. Pole sitter Reiswig got distracted in his pits by his fans, missed the warmup lap and was forced to start from pit lane. Ryan Ferris took the holeshot with Rolleri, Iso and Schendel in tow. Looking to redeem himself, Reiswig set the fast lap early on and passed Ferris for the lead on lap 4 and kept his head down. Ferris was able to hang on to Reiswig for the remainder of the race until Ferris suffered a heartbreaking mechanical with only two turns to go. Iso experienced clutch issues and retired after a few laps. Vincent Rolleri ran solo in third for much of the race with Schendel and Myers not far behind. Pete Ross rounded out the top five. USGPRU 125GP Race results: (Fast lap shown) 1. Nobi Iso Apr 125 1:13.9 2. Tyler Reiswig Hon 125 1:15.3 3. Kyle Ferris Hon 125 1:14.3 4. Jon Schendel Hon 125 1:15.4 5. Dave Heinricks Hon 125 1:16.3 6. Debra Kuick Hon 125 1:18.5 7. Michael Rajolle Hon 125 1:19.0 8. Charlie Johnson Hon 125 1:18.2 9. Mike McDonough Hon 125 1:18.9 10. Phill Krenn Hon 125 1:19.3 11. Darrin Kuebler Hon 125 1:22.0 12. Britt Arechiga Hon 125 1:23.0 13. Steve Buckner Hon 125 1:26.3 14. Shellie Matthews Hon 125 1:25.4 15. Elena Myers (DNF) Hon 125 1:14.4 USGPRU 250GP Race results: (Fast lap shown) 1. Tyler Reiswig Hon 250 1:11.8 2. Vince Rolleri Yam 250 1:13.2 3. Jon Schendel Hon 125 1:15.4 4. Elena Myers Hon 125 1:15.5 5. Pete Ross Yam 250 1:16.6 6. Mike Stubbs Yam 250 1:16.5 7. David Matthews Yam 250 1:16.9 8. Mike Lytle Yam 250 1:17.5 9. Daniel Qualtire Yam 250 1:17.3 10. Kurt Husted Yam 250 1:17.8 11. Herb Wagner Yam 250 1:19.6 12. Ryan Ferris (DNF) Hon 250 1:12.2 13. Phill Krenn (DNF) Hon 125 1:20.2 14. Nobi Iso (DNF) Yam 250 1:12.3 15. Sean Pagel (DNF) Hon 250 -:–.- 16. Kyle Ferris (DNF) Hon 125 -:–.- More, from a press release issued by USGPRU: Smallwood And Brunet Win In Second Northeastern Round Of USGPRU At Shannonville Odenton, MD. The USGPRU joined the Can-Am series at Shannonville this weekend for the second round of the North East regional championship. The weather was uncooperative all weekend, mixing rain and sun with blasts of sleet and freezing rain. The skies opened up only 30 minutes prior to the start of the 125GP main event. It appeared to be a rain race, but the rain quickly broke and the sun came out and started drying the track. Racers where scrambling to find the right tire combination. Scott Smallwood made the right choice when he selected full rains. He was declared the 125GP race winner after local racer Richard Irwin was disqualified after the rain soaked event. Scott was followed by local speed demon, Mark White. Twelve year-old, PJ Jacobson, was putting his dirt track experience to good use as he slid his RS125 to a spectacular third place finish. The skies were threatening to saturate the 250GP event, but held off long enough for Eddy Brunet to take the victory. Eddy and Alain Broult swapped for the lead for the entire race, with Eddy holding off Alain’s attack all the way to the final set of turns. John Crook came in a distant third after an early race battle with Matt Cooper. The USGPRU would like to extend our thanks to the Can-Am series for hosting us this past weekend. The fine Canadian hospitality easily made up for the less than desirable weather. 125GP Race results: 1 Scott Smallwood Honda RS125 2 Mark White Honda RS125 3 PJ Jacobson Honda RS125 4 Merle ‘sandbagger’ Eschman Honda RS125 5 Richard Kjar Honda RS125 6 Stu Aitken-Cade Honda RS125 7 Crystal Campagna Honda RS125 8 Don Murfin Honda RS125 9 Doug Brown Honda RS125 10 Matt Cooper Honda RS125 11 Rick BulmannHonda RS125 12 David Shaw Honda RS125 13 Laird Shingleton Honda RS125 14 Mark Welsh Honda RS125 DNF 15 Barry Gilsenan Honda RS125 DNF 16 Dean Hoelsher Aprilia RS125 DNF 17 Paul Hopkins Honda RS125 DNF 18 Dave Monahan Honda RS125 DNS 19 Richard Irwin Yamaha DQ 250GP Race results: 1 Eddy Brunet Honda RS250 2 Alain Brault Yamaha TZ250 3 John Crook Honda RS250 4 Matt Cooper Honda RS250 5 Marc St. Amand Yamaha TZ250 6 Nick Colley Yamaha TZ250 7 Andre Kipin Honda RS250 8 Jim Bergey Honda RS250 9 Gord MacKay Yamaha TZ250 10 Jerry Saddler Yamaha TZ250 11 John Chamello Yamaha TZ250 12 Paul Hopkins Honda RS125 13 Laird Shingleton Honda RS125 14 Rick Bulmann Honda RS125 DNS 15 Rosario Tomaino DNS 16 Dave Monahan DNA 17 Richard Irwin Yamaha DQ

The wild-card riders who will race in the Italian Grand Prix, scheduled on the circuit of Mugello on June 4 next, are the following: 125cc class classe 125cc Roberto Localendola (ITA-Honda) Racing World SA FMI Daniele Rossi (ITA-Honda) Racing World SA FMI Nico Vivarelli (ITA-Honda) Racing Service FMI Hiroaki Kuzuhara (JPN-Honda) Grillini Racing FIM Luca Verdini (ITA-Aprilia) RCGM FIM 250cc class classe 250cc Alex Debon (SPA-Aprilia) Aprilia Racing FMI Dan Linfoot (GBR-Honda) Winona Racing FIM Omar Menghi (ITA-Aprilia) VET Racing FMI Alessandro Branetti (ITA-Fantic) Grillini Racing FMI Nicklas Cajback (SWE-Aprilia) Agesta Racing FIM Maximum number and nomination of wild-cards riders: 125cc: 3 nominated by the FMNR (Organising Federation); 2 nominated by the FIM. 250cc: 3 nominated by the FMNR (Organising Federation); 1 nominated by MSMA (Motorcycle Sport Manufacturers’ Association); 2 nominated by the FIM. MotoGP : 1 nominated by MSMA, 1 nominated by the FIM/Dorna. – A compulsory briefing will be held for all the riders who will be participating for the first time in the current Championship, at 17h00 on the day preceding the day scheduled for the first practice session.

The Kyalami race has been officially cancelled, which means that after 4 events out of 12 the Superbike World Championship comes to Silverstone ready for the second third of the season. It is time for the Team Yamaha Motor France – Ipone to look back at what happened during the beginning of this year. The two best results for the team are the two beautiful fourth positions of Norick Abe at Valencia. The three riders of the team started so far 22 times (Sebastien Gimbert could not race in Valencia as he was participating on the same week-end to the 24 Hours of Le Mans). They finished 18 times, and 12 times with points. Norick Abe started 8 times, and finished 7 times, including 5 with points. Shinichi Nakatomi started 8 times and saw 7 times the finish line, including 4 times in the top 15. Sebastien Gimbert started 6 times, finished 4 times, of which 3 in the points. Generally speaking, the test sessions for development (one of the main purposes of the team) and settings were successful. For instance, it was the case recently in Brno where two riders of the team did very well on race tires. Gimbert did 2:02.6 and Nakatomi 2:03.4, compared to the unofficial record of the track belonging to Troy Corser (Suzuki) with a time of 2:02.694 since last year. So the team can reasonably hope positive results in the future. Norifumi Abe could not participate to these tests at Brno because he had to rest after his very impressive crash at Monza during practice. Happily, his head was not badly hurt and he is back in a great shape in the United Kingdom. Silverstone Story Silverstone was built on the site of a WWII RAF airfield. The first race was held there in 1948, Luigi Villoresi winning the R.A.C. Grand Prix in his Maserati. From May 13th 1950 to July 15th 2001, 35 Formula One GPs have been raced at Silverstone. Alain Prost holds the record for the biggest number of wins: 5 with Renault, McLaren, Ferrari and Williams. Silverstone also played host to the British Motorcycle Grand Prix from August 14th 1977 to August 3rd 1986. Kenny Roberts (Yamaha) won the biggest number of 500 GPs there and Kork Ballington (Kawasaki) did the same in 250s. Both won three times while Angel Nieto won six 125 GPs (three with Minarelli and three with Garelli). Silverstone started life as a very high-speed circuit. In essence, it was all straights joined together by a few fast turns. Over the years, the track layout was changed to slow it down. Today there are six possible track configurations: Grand Prix (5.140 km), International (3.624 km), South (3.170 km), National (2.637 km), Stowe (1.281 km) and Rally Sprint (1.920 km). This permanent racing circuit is 15 meters wide, can accommodate up to 90,000 spectators and has 60,000 grandstand seats. Silverstone is 100 kms north of London, 25 kms south/west of Northampton, 74 kms north/west of Oxford and 5 kms west of Towcester in Northamptonshire.

Virginia Rally, Boz Bros Bike Show to be Part of Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals at VIR Alton, Va. Last year, the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals, featuring the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, at VIRginia International Raceway demonstrated how much more of an event a motorcycle racing weekend could be. This year’s event, scheduled for August 18-20, is going to push the envelope even further. For 2006, event promoter M1 Entertainment is adding even more off-track events and excitement for fans. One unique addition will be The Virginia Rally, a two-day motorcycle rally that will offer participants 200-mile poker runs on Thursday and Friday, August 17-18. The runs will originate from the tri-city area around Danville, and will incorporate some of the country’s most scenic roads through the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway. At the end of the tour, Virginia Rally participants will ride to VIR for the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals, where they will be invited to ride a lap of the same 2.25-mile VIR North Course on which the best motorcycle racers in the world will be competing. Rally organizer Jim Lorimer points out that adding The Virginia Rally to the itinerary is a great way to turn a two-day, whirlwind weekend trip in to a four- or five-day motorcycling vacation. “Between The Virginia Rally and the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals, we are going to have so much going on, it wouldn’t surprise me if motorcycle enthusiasts come in from states as far away as Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia and South Carolina for this combined event. Visit www.TheVirginiaRally.com for more details. Another exciting component of the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals weekend will be the Boz Bros Bike Show presented by 2Wheel Tuner magazine and Parts Unlimited. Eric and Ben Bostrom, two of the world’s most renowned motorcycle racers, with experience in the World Superbike Championship and the AMA Superbike Championship, have created their own line of street bike exhausts, plus clothing and accessories. Their products will be on display at VIR, along with a climbing wall, a bike dyno, Tourist Trophy game demos and a wheelie machine for fans to enjoy. In addition, the Bostroms will host a custom sportbike show, with five classes open for fans to display their customized rides, specialized awards such as Best ‘Busa, and an invitational class for builders that have been featured in the magazine. Eric and Ben, along with other top names in the industry, will judge the bikes on Saturday afternoon, and will be available to sign autographs for fans. Those wishing to enter their bike into the show can visit www.m1event.com and click on “get tickets.” Todd Lamb, publisher of 2Wheel Tuner, explains: “With the growing popularity of customized sportbikes, we wanted to put a show like this together for the fans to display their work and be the stars of the event. The right mix of people came together at the right time: Eric and Ben are great to work with, and Parts Unlimited is a natural fit. We are all very excited about bringing the sportbike lifestyle to the Big Kahuna Nationals.” Fans are reminded that two special Big Kahuna promotions are quickly drawing to a close. With the Pit Crew Weekend Warrior promotion, you can gain access to see what it’s really like to work in the pit and be a part of the thrill of putting together a winning team. You can be part of the action in the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals at VIR! Two lucky winners’ names will be drawn from all those who purchase tickets during the month of May to be Pit Crew Weekend Warriors. This promotion ends May 31, so act now see what the racing is like from the other side of the pit wall! Also during the month of May, M1 Entertainment is partnering with Moto1 (www.Moto1USA.com), the official merchandise and apparel company for M1 Entertainment, to offer a $5 Short Sleeve Rider Shirt to all ticket orders sold in the month of May. That’s right, buy your tickets early and get a Rider shirt for only $5 at the race. This offer also expires on May 31, so be sure to get your tickets early and take advantage of this special offer! (Excludes event shirts and long-sleeve Rider shirts. One T-shirt per order; sizes are not guaranteed; T-shirts are sold on a first-come/first served basis.) The Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals offers a variety of ticket packages designed to fit every budget, including standard general-admissions tickets, Big Kahuna Super Tickets, Big Dog Hospitality Passes, Little Dog Hospitality Passes, Pit Walk Passes, car parking passes and camping passes. Response has been overwhelming for the new Trackside VIP Suite tickets, priced at $245 (sold in advance only). This ticket includes three-day admission, paddock access, a Pit Walk Pass, car parking pass, official event program and access to one of VIR’s brand-new pitside suites overlooking the pit lane. Each climate-controlled suite can accommodate 20 people, and features closed-circuit coverage on a flat-panel plasma TV, private bathroom and catered continental breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack with drinks (cash bar service also available). Of the 40 Trackside VIP Suite tickets made available only 25 still remain, so interested fans are advised to act quickly to reserve theirs. All current military personnel will receive a 30-percent discount and free parking with a copy of a current military ID (advance) or by presenting their ID card at the gate. Similarly, college students will be eligible for a 15-percent discount with a copy of a current college ID (advance) or by presenting their ID card at the gate. Groups of 20 or more will also be eligible for a 15-percent discount, providing the order is paid for with one credit card. Discounts do not apply to Trackside VIP Suite and Big Kahuna Super Tickets, or to Big Dog Hospitality Passes or Pit Walk Passes. Children aged 12 and under will receive free admission, provided they are accompanied by a paid adult, but must have a Little Dog Hospitality Pass to enter the Big Dog Hospitality area. Advance ticket sales will end at 5:00 pm on August 14. Tickets ordered too late to mail will be able to be picked up at Will Call at the track. To purchase tickets, visit www.m1event.com or www.gettix.net. VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Va., and just north of historic Milton, N.C. In addition to its 3.27-mile natural-terrain road racing circuit, VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America’s first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park; the VIR Gallery, a sales showroom for high-end collector and racing cars; Plantation Valley Kart Track, a 5/8-mile paved karting circuit; The Lodge at VIR, a 27-room trackside hotel; and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse. For more information on VIRginia International Raceway, visit the track’s website at www.virclub.com or telephone 434-822-7700. For more information on M1 Entertainment, visit their website at www.m1event.com or contact them via telephone at 303-377-3278. For more information on the AMA Superbike Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited, visit their website at www.amasuperbike.com. For more information on The Virginia Rally, visit their website at www.thevirginiarally.com.