James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) will find a familiar face on the other side of the team’s Monza pit garage as his regular teammate Karl Muggeridge (Winston Honda Ten Kate CBR1000RR) returns to race action after injury. Having suffered compression injuries to two vertebra during official tests at Valencia, and having to miss the subsequent Valencia race itself, Muggeridge is making his return at one of the Honda riders’ most eagerly awaited circuits. Toseland, currently third in the championship fight, found Valencia just as hard a challenge as all observers expected, and finished only 9th and 11th. He looks to Monza as a path back to the form, which has already delivered him a race win in the opening round at Qatar. Another rider ready to step up to podium status once more is Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR), who will taste Monza for the first time in his nascent World Superbike career this weekend. The multi-MotoGP winner is out to build on his double Phillip Island Superbike podium, and with new engines all ready to go for Monza, he will be in with a great chance of scoring impressive points totals. The DFX Treme Honda squad will be without the talismanic figure of Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR) once more, as the 41-year-old Italian rider recovers from the broken pelvis he suffered in testing at Misano in mid-April. His replacement Gianluca Nannelli (DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR) is primed and ready to go at one of his favourite circuits, and will line up alongside SBK rookie, Michel Fabrizio (DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR) for the second time this year. Fabrizio has enjoyed a top five finish already and the impetus of a home race is expected to make up for what was a tough Valencia round for all Honda riders. Toseland, in his first year on a 1000cc four-cylinder machine, sees Monza as an opportunity to get his championship challenge firmly back on track. “I really like the Monza circuit,” stated the 2004 champion. “In the last couple of years I have stepped on the podium in three out of four races and therefore I am determined to continue this “tradition” especially now that I’m racing for the Winston Ten Kate Honda Team. But there is another reason why I want to do well in Monza: what happened in Valencia must remain an isolated incident. If we want to try to win the title we have to stay in the top positions at every race. This is why we have to think of Monza as a form of revenge. It’s also important because I’ve got a lot of supporters, and I don’t want to disappoint them.” Happy to be back at the centre of the Superbike world again, after extensive therapy in Australia and Europe, Muggeridge is ready to score his first points since round one in Qatar. “I am looking forward to getting back on the bike at Monza and I think everybody can understand why,” said Muggeridge. “I believe that not participating in the Valencia race was the right decision because I needed to get back to my best physical shape after the hard fall in the test. Now I feel good, I never stopped training and I am also mentally ready to do well. I hope to post good results right from Friday’s free practice, and it would be good for my morale to try and take a good result at one of my favourite tracks.” An unexpected dip in Spain should be overturned in Italy for Barros, with the Brazilian rider ready to take on the high speed Monza track, and its frequent hard braking for the safety-inspired chicanes. “The long and fast Monza race track is the complete opposite of Valencia with its vast array of slow corners, ultra-fast sweeps and rapid changes of direction,” said Barros. “Monza is a perfect circuit for the Honda Fireblade and I’m confident we will come off well after the upcoming weekend in Italy.” Fabrizio was top Honda scorer in race two at Valencia, but he wants to be top scorer of all at Monza, despite his team-mate Chili being once more forced out. “I am very happy for race two of Valencia, even if my motorcycle’s potential is much higher than the performance it gave in Spain,” said Fabrizio. “I hope to find optimal grip conditions at Monza to take advantage of my bike’s good maximum speed. In Monza my team leader (Frankie Chili) has always obtained top results, and I am keen to ride really well and dedicate this race to him.” With more Supersport experience at the top level than Superbike, Nannelli is looking to translate his unquestioned prowess on a middleweight machine to the full Honda-powered Fireblade package, and score his first points of the year. “For me, Monza is a great circuit because I love high speed,” said a plainly excited Nannelli. “My Honda allows me to keep up with the top riders. I only need to improve my qualifying performances to do better in the races. At Monza the “Nanna” will be very, very fast!” After Monza, the Silverstone circuit in England forms the venue for the fifth round of the 13-round SBK and WSS series.

ALSTARE AIM FOR THE PODIUM AT MONZA Reigning World Superbike Champion Troy Corser and Yukio Kagayama head to Monza in Italy this weekend for the fourth round of the series aiming for a repeat of their 2005 podium success. Last year, Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Corser took victory in the first race and a third in the second and team mate Kagayama took runner-up spot in the race one and then DNF’d in race two. Team Alstare Engineering rider Fabien Foret didn’t ride a Superbike last year, but has had lots of experience at Monza on a Supersport bike and is looking forward to his new challenge. Just a short step from chic and fashionable Milan, Monza has been part of the Superbike World Championship since 1990 and is a firm favorite amongst riders and race fans alike. The 5.792-kilometer circuit always provides fast, close-quarter racing, with tactics and slipstreaming playing an important part. Troy Corser: “Monza is a great track for fast racing and you must have good horsepower to do well. Having said that, it is a place where slipstreaming plays a big role and it’s possible to exit the final chicane third or fourth and still cross the line first! “After Valencia, it’ll be good to go to a fast track and hopefully my Suzuki GSX-R1000 will be able to out power the Ducatis so that I can go all-out for a couple of wins.” Yukio Kagayama: “I like Monza because I like fast tracks and high-speed turns – even though my results were mixed there last year. So far, this season has not gone according to plan and it is about time I made the podiums again. We knew that the competition would be stronger this year, but it is up to me to qualify better and not have to work so hard at the beginning of a race trying to catch the leaders. I need to be with them right from the start! This is my aim for Monza and the rest of the season.” Fabien Foret: “This will be my first time at Monza on a Superbike and it is going to be a very interesting experience for me because the track is so fast. I will have to forget about all my old braking points and learn to ride the track as if it was completely new to me. At Valencia, I was beginning to feel that the bike is now really mine and I enjoyed the races a lot! Would like to continue my progress at Monza by getting into Superpole and then going for a couple of top-10 places.”

Satisfaction after Valencia Norick Abe (Team Yamaha Motor France Ipone) had the best ever weekend of his Superbike World Championship career when he finished twice in 4th position of the last races in Valencia. Shinichi Nakatomi kept improving, scoring his first points with two 12th positions. Martial Garcia’s team is in good spirit coming to Monza. Thanks to his brilliant results, Norifumi Abe is now in the “Top 10″ of the World Championship standings with his 8th position. During the 6 races already done this year, Abe crossed the finish line 6 times. Out of the 27 permanent riders of the championship, only 6 could do it, including Abe and Troy Bayliss, James Toseland, Alex Barros, Andrew Pitt and Michel Fabrizio. The riders of the team finished 14 times out of 18 starts this year, without any technical problem. This proves the high quality of the Yamaha R1 and it is a reward for the technicians. For this Monza race, Sébastien Gimbert will be back with the Team Yamaha Motor France Ipone, coming from the 24 Hours of Le Mans where he was on the podium. For Martial Garcia (team-manager) “For his come back with us, Sébastien Gimbert will try to have better results here than last year. Our bike is actually working well. It was possible to see the progress in Valencia. Norick Abe should look for good results like this was the case in Spain. Shinichi Nakatomi is doing better and better at every track and we may see him shortly in the Top 10.” A track with a great history: Monza was built in 1922 (in only 100 days!) by the Milan Automobile Club. The “Autodromo Nazionale di Monza” is only 15 km from Milan. It is the oldest permanent racing circuit still used in Europe and the third such circuit to have been built after Brooklands (GB / 1907) and Indianapolis (USA 1909). The track is 5.793 km long and features a 2.405 km long oval, which is no longer used. The main straight is 1.195 km long. The first Grand Prix of the Nations (September 8, 1922) was won by Amadeo Ruggeri on a 1000 cc Harley-Davidson. In the 500 class, the winner was Italian Gnesa on 2-stroke 350 Garelli. A very special circuit: Monza is the fastest circuit on the World Superbike calendar. The track has two very slow chicanes, the “Prima variante” and the “Variante della Roggia”. It also has a long right-hander called the “Curva Parabolica”. Monza only has one real left-hander, the “Curva del Serraglio” after the Lesmo double right-hander. Monza is different because the bike is upright for so much of the lap, during acceleration, top speed and braking phases. Monza is unique in that the bikes are running more often in a straight line than in a corner, the opposite of the other World Superbike circuits. This is why Pirelli introduced 3 compound tyre especially designed for the track in 2005. World Championship standings: 1- Bayliss (125 points ), 2- Corser (103), 3- Toseland (86), 4- Haga (64), 5- Barros (62)”¦ 8- Abe (40)”¦ 20- Nakatomi (8)”¦23-Gimbert (3) Monza stats: Practice record (2003): 1’46.981 Neil Hodgson (Ducati) 194.940 kph 2005 Yamaha Motor France practice times: Norifumi Abe: 1’49.911 / 14th and Sébastien Gimbert: 1’50.353 / 16th Race 1 result 2005: 1-Corser (Suzuki), 2-Kagayama (Suzuki) 3- Toseland (Ducati) 4- Laconi (Ducati) 5- Pitt (Yamaha) 2005 Yamaha Motor France race 1 results: Norifumi Abe: 10th and Sébastien Gimbert: 17th Race 2 results 2005: 1- Vermeulen (Honda), 2-Laconi (Ducati), 3-Corser (Suzuki) 4-Muggeridge (Honda) 5- Toseland (Ducati) 2005 Yamaha Motor France race 2 results: Norifumi Abe: 12th and Sébastien Gimbert: DNF (retired on lap 6) Lap record (best race time 2002): 1’47.434 Bayliss (Ducati) 194.120 kph 5th round of the Supersport World Championship: May 28th at Silverstone (United Kingdom)

Infineon Raceway Increases On-Track Safety for Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown Weekend SONOMA, Calif. “” Infineon Raceway has added 102 pieces of Airfence that will increase on-track safety for motorcycle riders at the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown weekend, May 19-21. The weekend is presented by Supercuts. Raceway officials will also implement additional safety measures after a meeting with top riders Mat Mladin (Suzuki), Ben Spies (Suzuki), Jamie Hacking (Yamaha) and Jake Zemke (Honda) during a test session in March. “We are very reactive to rider input and many of the enhancements you’ll see are a direct result of the meetings we had with the riders at the test session in March,” said Jere Starks, vice president of facilities at Infineon Raceway and an avid motorcycle rider. “We’ve spent millions of dollars on improvements over the last four years and these are just more elements.” Infineon Raceway will deploy 102 pieces of Airfence around the 12-turn, 2.2-mile road course, plus an additional 38 pieces supplied by the AMA (total of more than 1,700 linear feet). The 140 total pieces will give the raceway more Airfence protection than it has ever had for an AMA visit, dating back to 1977. The 102 pieces provided by the raceway represents more than a 500-percent increase over the number of pieces Infineon Raceway provided in 2005 (20 pieces). The massive increase in Airfence is a joint effort between the raceway, the American Federation of Motorcyclists (AFM), Roadracing World Action Fund and the AMA. The raceway gave the AFM a $70,000 no-interest loan in January, with the AFM using the money “” in addition to AFM funding “” to purchase 92 pieces of Airfence. The additional 10 pieces were donated by the Roadracing World Action Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating people on the importance of deploying soft barriers. Infineon Raceway has agreed to store the Airfence for the AFM on its property, and will oversee maintenance, which includes installation and removal during motorcycle events “” at no cost. In addition to AFM and AMA events, the Airfence will be available for rental during motorcycle track days at Infineon Raceway. Airfence, which is a non-inflatable soft barrier that is designed to gradually absorb the energy of a crashed rider, will be placed at Turns 1, 2, 5, 8 and 10 on the Sonoma Valley road course (not including where AMA will place its Airfence). Airfence is the primary choice of riders “” AirBale, haybales and straw will also be placed at strategic points around the raceway. Other changes that will be implemented as a result of a meeting with the riders include: · The berm at the exit of Turn 1 will be reconfigured, with the pavement behind the berm being extended by approximately one foot. · An additional 40 feet of runoff has been created at Turn 3. · The protective wall and tire pack in Turn 6 (Carousel) has been moved to the top of the slope and away from runoff. · The protective wall on rider’s left at the approach to Turn 7 will be moved back an additional 10 feet. “We really appreciate that the people in Sonoma listen to what we have to say,” Zemke said at the test session in March. “It really shows that they care about what we do and that they’re trying to work with us on making things as good as they can be.” WHAT: Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Supercuts WHERE: Infineon Raceway, Highways 37 & 121, Sonoma, CA 95476 WHEN: May 19-21. COURSE: 12 turns, 2.22 miles. 2005 WINNERS: Mat Mladin (Superbike, both main events, Suzuki); Tommy Hayden (Supersport, Kawasaki); Jake Zemke (Formula Xtreme, Honda); Aaron Yates (Superstock, Suzuki). SUPERBIKE SCHEDULE (All times Pacific): Friday “” Superbike practice, 9:40-10:40 a.m.; Superbike qualifying, 2-3:30 p.m. Saturday “” Superbike qualifying, 9:50-11 a.m.; Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown main event #1, 3:50 p.m. (28 laps); Sunday “” Superbike practice, 10:20-10:50 a.m.; Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown main event #2, 3 p.m. (28 laps). TICKETS: $10-$65, 12-and-under free, parking is free. 800-870-RACE, www.infineonraceway.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Gates open at 7 a.m. each day.

It is official! Youth road racing for ages 10-16 is taking grip in the USA. AMA Sports, the Pro-Am and amateur racing department of the American Motorcyclist Association, has come on board to help move the sport of youth road racing forward. With events alongside WERA and USGPRU already on their schedule, USMINIGP is achieving things never before thought possible in the USA. USMINIGP with support from OZBIKE, METRAKIT and Cycle Imports has worked tirelessly for 4 years to get to this point. AMA Sports has added the 72cc Metrakit USMINIGP SPEC class as the first youth class that will earn an AMA Sports national number one plate during the Road Race Grand Championships, September 22-24, 2006 at the Mid Ohio Sports Car course in Lexington, Ohio. In addition, this event will serve as the US qualifier for the World Mini Festival set for Valencia, Spain in December. This is a breakthrough and milestone in US Road Racing on this side of the Atlantic Ocean (USA). It is no secret that with current club racing memberships excluding kids under 16 due to insurance or lack thereof, the sport was heading for a shortage of young talent in the very near future. USMINIGP and AMA Sports are now working together in the hopes of preventing this. “This most recent development is hopefully a sign of things to come.” Said Ozzie Saez of USMINIGP and OZBIKES. “This is very exciting for me on a personal level. I am sure when we get another 2-5 years under our belts the level of rider coming out of the US will rival the best Europe and Asia have to offer. Who knows, for the first time in a long time if not history, we may see an all American 125cc podium at the world level.” For more details call USMINIGP at (305) 889-1800 or visit www.minigp50cc.com and to obtain more information on the AMA Sports Road Race Grand Championships contact AMA Sports at (614) 856-1900 ext. 1345 or visit www.amadirectlink.com.

This Memorial Day weekend, TrackAddix invites you to view exciting motorcycle road racing at Mid-America Motorplex in Glenwood Iowa. Special events are planned in honor of our brave military personnel; gate entry fees are FREE for military personnel and their immediate family. Denver, CO — This Memorial Day weekend, May 27th, 28th and 29th, 2006, TrackAddix will host an exciting weekend of Championship Cup Series motorcycle road racing at Mid-America Motorplex (MAM) in Glenwood, Iowa. Come see some of the best club racers battle it out at speeds over 160 mph on MAM’s 15 turn, 2.23-mile road racing circuit. MAM is an excellent track for spectators, with the entire road course viewable from the grandstands. The paddock area will be open to the public so spectators can walk through the pits and meet the racers. It’s a TrackAddix GP event with Superbike racing all weekend, with a Friday racer practice hosted by MAM. Saturday will consist of practice and a Team Challenge two-hour endurance race that begins at 3:00 pm. Main events will take place on Sunday with opening ceremonies at 9:00 am, followed by 17 different races involving various classes and types of motorcycles. The weekend will be capped off on Monday by a TrackAddix track day open to racers and street riders alike. Special events will honor those who bravely guard our country. Gate passes will be free to military personnel and their immediate family (just present your military ID card). Admission on Sunday for the general public will be $15 with kids 12 and under free. Interested spectators, racers, and riders can learn more at www.trackaddix.com. TrackAddix is headquartered in Denver, Colorado and provides motorcycle track days, Bridgestone tire sales and support, and sales of parts and accessories for sport motorcyclists. In addition, TrackAddix operates an independent motorcycle road racing series (TrackAddix GP) under a sanctioning agreement with the Championship Cup Series. About Mid-America Motorplex (MAM)- Located in Glenwood, Iowa, just 18 miles south of Omaha/Council Bluffs, on Interstate 29. Lodging is available in nearby Council Bluffs, camping is allowed at the track. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT TrackAddix P.O. Box 857 Pine, CO 80470 (866) 92-TRACK [email protected] www.trackaddix.com

AMA Pro racer and 2005 WSMC Open Modified Production Champion Premek Glinz is now being sponsored by Monster Energy Drink. The deal includes Glinz’s racing efforts in all venues. Glinz rides a Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Traxxion Dynamics Gas Cartridge Development Goes Forward At Barber and Fontana Traxxion Dynamics has begun final testing on production versions of the world’s first supersport legal gas-charged fork cartridges. Rich Cronrath, owner of Innovative Motorcycle Research, took delivery of the first set of the new “AK-Gas Cartridges” in time for Mike Hale to use them in AMA Formula Extreme action at Barber Motorsports park last April 23rd. Tuner Don Finelli was on hand to install in the cartridges into a set of custom built OEM Buell XB forks. The initial results met all expectations, and Hale was notably impressed. Fernando Peris, owner of Topline Racing, took delivery of two more sets for their new Yamaha R-6 which they will use in AMA 600 SS competition for rider Chris Peris. Peris tested the cartridges at California Speedway on Friday April 28th, and was immediate on pace with them, turning fast times in the morning practice using Pirelli tires. That test gave Peris’ chassis tuner Max McAllister (Traxxion’s President) direction to go for valving changes prior to public release of the new components. According to Peris, “The new gas cartridges had really good feel on the brakes. I was able to go in really deep with a lot of control. But they were moving too freely over bumps, and Max says with a simple valving change, he should be able to get them working better than our existing Traxxion AK-20 cartridges. If he can do that, I will be stoked since what I have is already good enough to put me on the front row next to the best in the AMA!” “It’s the dawn of a new era in front fork technology for supersport racers” stated McAllister. “Existing fork cartridge design has been maximized by every manufacturer in the business. If anyone could make a fork cartridge that would be one second or two seconds faster, they would have done it. It just isn’t going to happen. The move from a simple recirculating damper to a gas-charged damper is the same step bikes took when they moved from carburetors to fuel injection. “A myriad of tuning and valving possibilities will exist with the new gas cartridges, and that will allow crew chiefs and tuners new avenues to try to make their bikes faster. The killer part of this whole deal for Traxxion customers is that anyone can buy them, not just factory teams. In this case, a privateer has access to technology that the factories don’t even have yet. “Mark Junge and Vesrah Suzuki will be testing tires for Pirelli at Autobahn on May 10th, and Junge will also take delivery of two sets of the new cartridges for his GSXR-600s. If the information we learned at Fontana lets us nail the setup after Mark rides on them, they will be available for sale to the public immediately thereafter. We hope to be winning races with them very soon!” For more information, contact Traxxion Dynamics by phone at 770 592-3823, or email [email protected].

Kawasaki, Hayden Back in AMA Superbike Picture for 2006 SONOMA, Calif. (IMMEDIATE RELEASE) “” Kawasaki Racing is back in the hunt for the AMA Superbike Championship, presented by Parts Unlimited, and veteran rider Tommy Hayden is leading the charge. Kawasaki Racing, which has not fielded a factory-backed Superbike program since 2003, will campaign the all-new ZX™-10R during the 2006 season, and the early results have been impressive. Northern California race fans will get their first glimpse of the bike at Infineon Raceway during the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Supercuts, May 19-21. Hayden has helped raise the confidence level for Kawasaki as it enters the race weekend in the Sonoma Valley. The Owensboro, Ky., native has posted five top-10 efforts in five starts to begin the Superbike season, including season-best efforts of fifth place at both Daytona Beach (Fla.) and Barber Motorsports Park (Ala.). Hayden sits in sixth place in the Superbike standings with 124 points through five rounds of competition. Suzuki’s Ben Spies leads the standings entering the Sonoma Valley with 183, and is followed by six-time Superbike national champion Mat Mladin (163), Honda’s Miguel Duhamel (140), Ducati’s Neil Hodgson (130), Suzuki’s Aaron Yates (126) and Hayden. Kawasaki will certainly be a factor in Sonoma and should challenge the likes of Mladin, who has won a track-record six Superbike features at Infineon Raceway. The weekend will feature 28-lap Superbike main events on both Saturday and Sunday. Hayden, 27, is joined in the Kawasaki program by younger brother Roger Hayden, 22, who hopes to compete in both Superbike and Pro Honda Oils Supersport in Sonoma. Roger is recovering after surgery to repair a broken right Tibia and Fibula at an AMA event in Alabama earlier this year. The younger Hayden opened the season with Supersport wins in Daytona Beach (Fla.) and Barber Motorsports Park (Ala.) and sits seventh in Supersport points despite missing last weekend’s event at California Speedway in Fontana. The brothers will certainly be tough to beat in Sonoma, if they both can compete. Tommy has won the last two AMA Supersport championships, and was victorious on the road course at Infineon Raceway in 2005 (Supersport), as well. Tommy will focus primarily on Superbike, while Roger will pull double-duty in Superbike and Supersport. “I’m excited to be back for another season with Kawasaki,” said Tommy. “It’s going to be a challenge to return to Superbike but it’s something I’ve wanted for a long time.” Roger placed runner-up to Tommy in the Supersport class in 2005, and he was fourth in Superstock. Roger had five wins combined in the two classes last year, including a dominating win in the Supersport season finale at Road Atlanta. “Tommy’s one of the best teammates to have and I’m hoping both of us will have some close battles,” Roger said. WHAT: Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Supercuts WHERE: Infineon Raceway, Highways 37 & 121, Sonoma, CA 95476 WHEN: May 19-21. COURSE: 12 turns, 2.22 miles. 2005 WINNERS: Mat Mladin (Superbike, both main events, Suzuki); Tommy Hayden (Supersport, Kawasaki); Jake Zemke (Formula Xtreme, Honda); Aaron Yates (Superstock, Suzuki). SUPERBIKE SCHEDULE (All times Pacific): Friday “” Superbike practice, 9:40-10:40 a.m.; Superbike qualifying, 2-3:30 p.m. Saturday “” Superbike qualifying, 9:50-11 a.m.; Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown main event #1, 3:50 p.m. (28 laps); Sunday “” Superbike practice, 10:20-10:50 a.m.; Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown main event #2, 3 p.m. (28 laps). TICKETS: $10-$65, 12-and-under free, parking is free. 800-870-RACE, www.infineonraceway.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Gates open at 7 a.m. each day.