FIRST SHAKEDOWN TEST FOR THE DESMOSEDICI GP7 Factory test-rider Vittoriano Guareschi carries out the first shakedown test of the Ducati Desmosedici GP7, fitted with a new 800cc engine in compliance with 2007 MotoGP regulations. Mugello (Italy), Tuesday 2 May 2006 – Alongside the development work being carried out by Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau for the 2006 MotoGP championship, the Desmosedici GP7 machine that will form the basis for the Italian manufacturer’s challenge for the 2007 season had its first shakedown test today at Mugello. Ducati factory test-rider Vittoriano Guareschi, who has steadfastly carried out this role since 2002, took to the track with the new 800cc powered prototype machine, marking the start of the first track test of the Desmosedici GP7 that will continue until Thursday. The scene for the shakedown test was Ducati’s ‘home’ circuit of Mugello, which was the venue for the debut of the first version of the Desmosedici way back on August 1, 2002. Filippo Preziosi (Ducati Corse Technical Director) “Today the new 800cc engine finally moved from the dyno to the track and we are quite satisfied with this debut. We started off by running a check on all the components of the new bike and over the next two days, if we don’t encounter any particular problems, we will move on to phase two and begin the first set-up work. Today is certainly very important, but it is just the start of a long path that we know lies ahead of us. A special thanks goes out to all the guys in Ducati Corse who have worked hard over the past few months to get the bike, with which we will race in next year’s championship, out onto the track today, as well as all of our suppliers and technical sponsors, above all Shell Advance, who with their technology, experience and availability are making a decisive contribution to our project”. Vittoriano Guareschi (Ducati Corse official test-rider) “I have to admit that the first lap with the GP7 was really exciting. I am used to testing new solutions on our bikes, but this was different to the others: it is a totally new machine, and so it’s even more exciting than usual. It seems just like yesterday that we were testing the Desmosedici GP3 here at Mugello for the first time, but four years have gone by! Today we made another important step forward in the MotoGP project: it is as if our family has given birth to a second ‘baby’ and the first noises it has made are not bad at all!”.

DOUBLE PODIUM FOR SICK BYRNE AT OULTON Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne scored brilliant second and third place podium finishes in today’s Bank Holiday fourth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park while racing with a stomach bug that left him feeling barely strong enough to stand. Shakey was given a saline drip by doctors before climbing aboard his Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000 for the first race. Despite feeling weak he showed his determination to lead the race and finish in second place to score the team’s first podium of the season. In the second event an exhausted Shakey battled for third place for the entire race. On the last lap he clashed with Honda’s Jonathan Rea and both riders went off track. Rea missed the Knickerbrook chicane and crossed the line in third while Shakey came back on track and finished fourth. He was later awarded third place after an investigation into the incident and both riders sportingly shook hands. Shakey is now up to fifth in the Championship standings. James Haydon was in contention for the win in the opening race and finished fourth just two seconds behind the winner. In the next race he was knocked off track by Kawasaki’s Dean Thomas at Shell Oils corner and despite rejoining the race, finished out of the points in 17th. Ducati’s Gregorio Lavilla won both races. Rizla Suzuki will test at Croft in North Yorkshire on Tuesday, May 9th before making the trip to Mondello Park in the Republic of Ireland for the fifth round of the Championship on Sunday, May 21st. Shakey Byrne: “A massive thank you to the medical staff who kept me hydrated and fit enough to race this weekend. I have had a serious stomach bug which meant I couldn’t eat or sleep and felt absolutely terrible in the races. “Before the first race Niall Mackenzie told me to do the warm up lap and if I felt bad then come in to the pits and go straight to bed. But when you receive the amount of support I do from Rizla Suzuki it wasn’t an option and I had to give it a go. I’m glad I did”¦ “In both races I wasn’t riding as well as I could have, I just wasn’t strong enough to muscle the bike around. Thanks to the team for giving me a great bike this weekend and also to Jonathan Rea for being such a good sport over our last lap clash and conceding third place. I’m sure we’ll both be fighting for more podiums again very soon.” James Haydon: “In the opening race there were four of us battling at the front. I was disappointed to end up fourth and made a minor change to the rear suspension to improve the bike for the next race. “I didn’t get as good a start in the second race and going into Shell Oils a Kawasaki collided with me and forced me off the track on to the wet grass where I dropped the bike. I got back on and fought my way through to 17th from dead last by the end. That’s a shame because I think I had the pace to compete for the podium and never got the opportunity.” Robert Wicks – Team Manager: “What a heroic ride by Shakey to score two podium finishes while being seriously ill. Most riders wouldn’t have got on their bikes but Shakey wasn’t going to let anything stop him. I am sure if he had been fully fit he would’ve been difficult to beat but he can leave here content in the knowledge he has the speed and potential to win races. “James rode a brilliant opening race to take fourth and was looking to match that or better in the second before bad luck and a Kawasaki took him off track and out of contention. Like Shakey, he can leave here knowing he has the bike and ability to challenge for race wins. “We have shown the real potential of the team and it feels great to be back in the thick of the racing. Rizla Suzuki has had a tough start to the season but today’s performances by the riders and the entire team have been a real inspiration. Our test at Croft should hopefully yield further improvements and we look forward to the next race at Mondello Park.” Race One Result: 1: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 27:41.446, 2: Shane Byrne (Rizla Suzuki) +0.429, 3: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.870, 4: James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) +2.087, 5: Karl Harris (Honda) +11.188, 6: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +19.467, 7: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +20.053, 8: Jonathan Rea (Honda) +20.196, 9: Michael Rutter (Honda) +20.878, 10: Glen Richards (Honda) +25.854. Race Two Result: 1: Lavilla 27:33.612, 2: Harris +0.058, 3: Shane Byrne (Rizla Suzuki) +12.004, 4: Rea +12.380, 5: Kiyonari +12.430, 6: Rutter +14.764, 7: Haslam +14.826, 8: Hill +22.645, 9: Richards +27.654, 10: Ben Wilson (Suzuki) +27.858, 17: James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) +54.143. Championship Positions (after four of 13 rounds): 1: Lavilla 182, 2: Haslam 121, 3: Kiyonari 108, 4: Harris 88, 5: Shane Byrne (Rizla Suzuki) 81, 6: Rea 75, 7: Rutter 61, 8=: Laverty and Hill 52, 10: Smart 50. 14: James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) 28. More, from a press release issued by Cartersport Motorsport Madia: Round 4 – Bennetts British Superbike Championship Meeting Oulton Park, Cheshire. Sunday 30th April and Monday 1st May 2006 TOMMY’S BACK IN THE POINTS AT OULTON OLLIE MISSES OUT AGAIN AT HIS BOGEY CIRCUIT”¦. After both riders failed to record a finish at their local track of Thruxton last time out, Etchilhampton near Devizes in Wiltshire brothers Ollie and Tommy Bridewell ventured north to Oulton Park for round four of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship and British Supersport Championship respectively, hoping for better luck. As so it proved for 17 year old Tommy who overcame the handling problems that he experienced at Thruxton aboard his 600cc Vivaldi Suzuki to bring the bike home in a battling 15th place at the end of a frenetic sixteen lap race around the Cheshire parkland track. Qualifying on row six of the grid for a second successive meeting, Tommy upped his game and became embroiled in a multi machine battle for the lower leaderboard places but bravely dug in and scored points for the third time in four races: “I enjoyed that much more than Thruxton and the bike handled a lot better. As the race progressed, my rear tyre started losing grip as I’d worked it very hard in the opening stages and for the last three laps, I was struggling a bit. Still, I’m happy enough to be in the points again although I do think I could have been a few places higher had things worked out better but it wasn’t to be” said a rejuvenated Tommy. Meanwhile elder brother Ollie, now fully recovered from the 160mph crash he experienced at Thruxton, was hoping to get back into the points for the Vivaldi Racing team but once again, Oulton Park proved to be a bogey circuit for the 20 year old. A row seven start saw Ollie end up in a demoralising 24th place in race one of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship before redeeming himself a little with a fighting eighteenth place in the day’s second race held in dry but blustery conditions. “I don’t know what it is about Oulton but I’ve left without a result again although I have to admit I learned a lot out there today. We’ve just got to move on now and that’s what I intend to do as we now go to tracks whereby I know I will be strong. I’m going to focus on learning the technical aspects of circuits from now on and that should help me progress as I really need to be racking up the points again soon” said Ollie. The next round of the respective championships takes place in three weeks time at Mondello Park in County Kildare, Ireland over the weekend of May 20/21st. More, from another press release issued by Cartersport Motorsports Media: Bennetts British Superbike Championship – Round 4 – Oulton Park, Cheshire- 30th April/1st May RUTTER BATTLES BACK TO SIXTH AT OULTON Following the disappointment of only finishing ninth in the opening race, Stobart Motorsport rider Michael Rutter bounced back with a battling sixth place in race two when round four of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship took place at a cool and blustery Oulton Park today. Having struggled with machine set up throughout the weekend, Rutter could only manage a ninth place finish in race one as he faded back following a promising start but in the second leg in front of the live ITV cameras, he led for the opening four laps as he battled with the Championship front runners. Eventually Championship leader Gregorio Lavilla (Airwaves Ducati) and HM Plant Honda rider Karl Harris pulled away leaving Rutter to battle for the last rostrum place but gradually he dropped back into the clutches of the pursuing pack to end up in sixth position at the end of the second 17 lap race. “The second race was a bit better. I got a good start and tried to hang in there with them but just lost a bit on each corner and couldn’t stay with them in the end. We can now go to the next round a bit stronger and a lot more positive” said Rutter. Meanwhile team mate Michael Laverty recorded two eleventh place finishes following a difficult weekend for the young Ulsterman. Laverty circulated with the leading bunch in the opening laps but decided to settle for two points scoring rides rather than risk a crash and score no points in the process. “It’s been an absolutely horrible weekend for me and I just couldn’t get a comfortable setting on the bike. I was riding hard just to get where I did but I couldn’t get the bike to do what I wanted. Hopefully when we move on to the tighter circuits the bike should be better. The next round is my home round so hopefully I can do better and get some decent results like I should be getting” said Laverty. Meanwhile team owner Paul Bird commented: “I was quite happy with the second race, it was a lot better but we’re still a long way off where we need to be. The riders upped their game in race two and they needed to as I’d hoped to be challenging for race wins by now. I’m looking forward to competing in the Manx Rally next weekend to let off some of my pent-up frustration!” The next round of the Championship takes place at Mondello Park in three weeks’ time whereby the Stobart Motorsport riders are hoping to challenge for rostrum places at the County Kildare circuit south of Dublin. Superbike Race One Result: 1, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 27m41.446s, 2, Shane Byrne (Suzuki) +0.429s, 3, Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.870s, 4, James Haydon (Suzuki) +2.087s, 5, Karl Harris (Honda) +11.188s, 6, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +19.467s, 7, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +20.053s, 8, Jonathan Rea (Honda) +20.196s, 9, Michael Rutter (Stobart Honda) +20.878s, 10, Glen Richards (Honda) +25.854s, 11, Michael Laverty (Stobart Honda) +25.945s. Superbike Race Two Result: 1, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 27m33.612s, 2, Karl Harris (Honda) +0.058s, 3, Shane Byrne (Suzuki) +12.004s, 4, Jonathan Rea (Honda) +12.380s, 5, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +12.430s, 6, Michael Rutter (Stobart Honda) +14.764s, 7, Leon Haslam (Ducati) +14.826s, 8, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +22.645s, 9, Glen Richards (Honda) +27.654s, 10, Ben Wilson (Suzuki) +27.858s, 11, Michael Laverty (Stobart Honda) +28.096s. Bennetts British Superbike Championship Standings (after round 4) 1, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 182pts 2, Leon Haslam (Ducati) 121pts 3, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 108pts 4, Karl Harris (Honda) 88pts 5, Shane Byrne (Suzuki) 81pts 6, Jonathan Rea (Honda) 75pts 7, Michael Rutter (Stobart Honda) 61pts 8, Michael Laverty (Stobart Honda) 52pts =, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) 52pts 10, Scott Smart (Suzuki) 50pts 2006 Bennetts British Superbike Race Dates R1: 2426 March, Brands Hatch, Kent (Indy) www.motorsportvision.co.uk R2: 79 April, Donington Park, Leics www.donington-park.co.uk R3: 1417 April, Thruxton, Hants www.barc.net R4: 29 April1 May, Oulton Park, Cheshire www.motorsportvision.co.uk R5: 1921 May, Mondello Park, Co Kildare www.mondellopark.ie R6: 24 June, Mallory Park, Leics www.mallorypark.co.uk R7: 16-18 June, Snetterton, Norfolk www.motorsportvision.co.uk R8: 1416 July, Knockhill, Fife www.knockhill.co.uk R9: 21-23 July, Oulton Park, Cheshire www.motorsportvision.co.uk R10:11-13 August, Croft, N Yorks www.croftcircuit.co.uk R11: 26-28 August, Cadwell Park, Lincs www.motorsportvision.co.uk R12: 15-17 September, Silverstone, Northants www.silverstone-circuit.co.uk R13: 29 September 1 October, Brands Hatch, Kent (GP) www.motorsportvision.co.uk

Team Morse Racing opens the MRA season with podium finishes! Team Morse Racing attended the Colorado-based MRA series opener at Pueblo Motorsports Park this past weekend and started the regional series off with a bang! Fresh off a WERA National podium finish at Jennings Florida, Dave Gallant was ready to begin the MRA regional series and concentrate solely on the setup for his new RacerSupply.com Suzuki GSXR 750. The MRA has attracted many new riders by announcing plans to travel to some fantastic new race tracks in the 2006 season. This coupled with the depth of talent already present in the premier MRA classes means that stepping off a Suzuki SV650 and onto a Racersupply.com Suzuki GSXR 750 and placing well is no easy task; but Dave Gallant was able to do just that his first weekend aboard the new bike. Friday night clouds parted Saturday morning to provide a cool but sunny morning practice session to an anxious crowd in Pueblo Colorado. Dave spent the morning practice sessions dialing in his new Suspension Solutions suspension while gathering tire temperature and tire pressure data with The Racer Supply Company”s Joe Page. Joe and Dave worked through the early sessions searching for the sweet spot between his fresh Ohlins suspension and his new Pirelli tires and as the green track”s temperature slowly came up as Dave”s lap times steadily came down. “While I am a most comfortable pushing a small displacement bike to its absolute limit, I am having a great time with this new challenge presented by my new Suzuki. Ryan at Suspension Solutions can almost read my mind now when it comes to how I like my forks set up, and the new Pirelli tires are even better than last year. Right now I just working through as many small changes as possible to see how good we can get this setup before this afternoon”s endurance races” commented Dave during the Saturday afternoon lunch break. With the afternoon came the first of the 2006 MRA Solo Endurance races, and first up was Mike Applehans aboard his Suzuki SV650 in Lightweight Endurance. The road to recovery from multiple broken ribs has proven to be a long one, but Mike rode hard to a second place podium finish. “The SV is a brand new bike but it is already quite easy to ride. I am glad to be right in the mix of things right away!” commented Mike on his podium finish. With the drop of the next green flag for the MRA”s first Heavyweight Endurance race of the 2006 season, it was clear that Dave”s morning setup work was going to pay off. Dave slipped into second place by turn one then along with a fellow GSXR 750 rider proceeded to slice and dice their way through the first wave of 1000cc motorcycles. At the checkered flag, Dave Gallant managed to bring home a strong second place podium finish in his first race on the RacerSupply.com GSXR 750. “Although I have a long way to go learning how to get this motorcycle around the track, this race was a great first step. The guys I was chasing are all on bikes they are very comfortable with, but I was able to learn a great deal about my new bike simply by stacking it up every corner and seeing where I am doing well and where I need to improve. I have never had as much rear end traction as this before, and can”t wait to get back out for a few more set-up sessions with what I learned in that last race” commented Dave Gallant. The sun came out even stronger for Sunday”s races with higher temps and a cleaner race track. Dave used various races throughout the day to continue to test suspension settings and tire pressures in preparation for the big Heavyweight Supersport race at the end of the day. When the Heavyweight Supersport race finally did get underway, all of the hard work was almost lost. “This 750 motor is very strong, and I was really abusing the clutch all day long getting off the line against those 1000cc monsters in my morning races. The clutch started slipping on the warm up lap of the Heavyweight race and my heart sank as I pulled up to the starting line. I had no idea if it had one more start in it or not, and even if I got off the line I wasn”t sure if the clutch would simply slip off every corner” Dave launched off his front row starting position hard enough to maintain his front row starting position, again slipping into second place by turn one; then never looked back. After a hard 8 laps of racing, Dave Gallant was able to bring home another strong second place podium finish for the weekend aboard his RacerSupply.com Suzuki GSXR 750. “While that wasn”t the prettiest race I have ever run, I am glad I could bring it home in second place. I really want to thank American Suzuki for continuing their support of regional events through their contingency programs. Not only does Suzuki make a fantastic motorcycle but they understand what it takes for a privateer roadracer to continue growing in their career, and year after year they provide programs that help make that growth possible. This weekend”s contingency payouts are going to make it possible for me to race again this month, and to top that off they are even giving away brand new Suzuki GSXR”s at the end of the season. Like most everyone else in the country, I want my shot at one of those bikes; and every race weekend like this will be a step closer to getting one.” More, from a press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports: Hotbodies Racing Mat Mladin Motorsports Suzuki’s Craggill in Top 10 at Fontana Before Red Flag FONTANA, Calif. – Hotbodies Racing Mat Mladin Motorsports Suzuki rider Marty Craggill was headed for a top-10 finish at California Speedway’s AMA Superstock race on Sunday in Fontana, Calif., when a red flag caused by a downed rider stopped the race. Craggill was unable to re-start the event. “The race was going good,” said a matter-of-fact Craggill afterward. “The Suzuki GSX-R1000 was going good and I was feeling better than I had yesterday. It’s a shame, but that’s racing. Now we’ll just focus on Infineon Raceway next month.” Saturday’s qualifying session saw Craggill post a best lap time of 1:26.636, resulting in a fourth-row starting position on the grid of the 2.8-mile, 21-turn track. “The Suzuki is pretty good,” said Craggill. “It’s really fast, even though my results don’t show it right now. Basically, we did really well on race tires but not so good on qualifiers. But I’m happy with the overall set-up and it’s the race that counts.” In the actual 17-lap race on Sunday, Craggill got a pretty good start and began to work his way through the pack. Unfortunately, the red flag stopped the race and Craggill pulled into the pits, where his crew discovered a problem with the bike’s rear axle. “Basically, a nut in the rear axle failed,” said team owner and reigning AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin. “It’s too bad and this was a tough lesson for the team, but they’ve learned from it and I don’t think it will happen again.” Hotbodies Racing Mat Mladin Motorsports Suzuki’s next AMA Repsol Superstock race will be at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., May 19 – 21, 2006. Marty Craggill, Hotbodies Racing Mat Mladin Motorsports Suzuki, #16 DNF – AMA Superstock 16th Place – Overall More, from a press release issued by Hawk Kawasaki: Mixed fortunes for Hawk Kawasaki Round 4 – Oulton Park – 1st May Hawk Kawasaki riders Dean Thomas (33), Craig Coxhell (23) and Peter Hickman (19) suffered mixed fortunes at the fourth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park on Monday (1st May). Qualifying in eighth position on the grid Dean Thomas got a flying start in the first race and settled nicely into fifth position. Leading a trio of factory riders including Honda’s Ryuichi Kiyonari and Karl Harris, Thomas was fighting a strong battle and fending off the chasing pack. As half distance approached the Chesterfield based rider began to struggle with grip and chatter problems and began to drop places, finishing in 12th position overall. He was only to see half a lap in the second race after another good start he got tangled up with Suzuki rider James Haydon at Shell Oils corner forcing Thomas to crash out. An injured Thomas said “Things definitely progressed this weekend and we made a number of alterations on the ZX10-R and we are now moving in the right direction and know where we want to be. I have broken a rib after the crash with James (Haydon) so I’m feeling a little second hand at the moment, which I could have done without. If I’m well enough, we have a test at Mallory Park this Friday, which I’d like to attend and continue making improvements with the bike.” Returning from injury his fellow Australian team-mate Craig Coxhell rode two impressive races to finish a creditable 17th and 15th places respectively. Coxhell who broke his left collar bone and tore the muscles in his right shoulder three weeks ago fought through the pain this weekend and battled around the demanding circuit. Coxhell said “Oulton is certainly a very difficult circuit to ride when you are fully fit so I was struggling a lot this weekend with my injuries. All I wanted to do was finishes both races and learn more about bike and the track for the next time we visit there in July. The bike was moving around a fair bit towards the end of the races so I was having to ride it harder than normal. I did struggle with bike fitness but this is just a time thing and hopefully I will be fully fit by Mondello in three weeks.” Youngest rider in the British Superbike Series, Peter Hickman gained a 20th and 19th position in the two races at the Cheshire circuit. Hickman who is contending his first year on a Superbike is learning the trade well, the Lincolnshire based rider was locked in a battle with experienced Superbike rider Kieran Clarke in race one and Clarke’s team-mate Billy McConnell in the second race. Commenting “It’s been a tough weekend but I managed two race finishes which I’m pleased about. I’m learning so much and realise what a tough class the Superbike series is. I’ve had a couple of crashes at the last few meetings and so my main aim at Oulton was to stay on, which I did. I still have a long way to go and still focusing on scoring some Championship points.” The Hawk Kawasaki Team will be testing at Mallory Park on Friday 5th May.

Suzuki’s Spies Tops AMA Superbike Standings Entering Infineon Raceway SONOMA, Calif. (IMMEDIATE RELEASE) “” Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies has wrestled away the reins of the AMA Superbike Championship from teammate Mat Mladin heading into the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown weekend at Infineon Raceway, May 19-21. The weekend is presented by Supercuts. Spies, a 21-year-old rider from Longview, Texas, completed a sweep this past weekend at California Speedway, giving him four consecutive Superbike victories and first place in the rider points standings after five races. He leads Mladin, the most decorated Superbike rider in AMA history with 44 career wins, by 19 points (182-163). Spies, who is seeking his first AMA Superbike Championship, as well as his first Superbike victory in the Sonoma Valley, powered his way to the checkered flag in both 28-lap main events in Southern California. The performance has set-up a great showdown between Spies and six-time AMA Superbike champion Mladin, who has won five of the last six Superbike features at Infineon Raceway. He holds the track record over the 12-turn, 2.22-mile road course with six career Superbike wins. “I don’t know if the rest of the races will be quite this easy, but we’ve got to keep on it because Mat is a six-time champion and he’s going to come back even harder,” said Spies, who pilots a GSX-R1000. “So, we’ll go home, do some homework and see what we can come up with for Infineon.” Spies has two career victories at Infineon Raceway, in Pro Honda Oils Supersport (2004) and Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme (2003). In two Superbike starts in Sonoma, Spies has placed third and fourth, both in 2005. “We just didn’t have it today, that’s it,” Mladin said after Sunday’s race in Fontana. “This is the fifth race into the championship and we had to shut it down today to bring it home. It’s good to have (Spies) here to help me pick up my game and I’m looking forward to the next race (Infineon).” 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.

MotoGP test Istanbul Park, Turkey. May 1, 2006. Honda riders work hard on May Day Following a sensational 22-lap Grand Prix of Turkey at the 5.340-km Istanbul Park circuit on Sunday many of the competing MotoGP stars stayed on for a day of tyre testing with French tyre supplier Michelin. The three Honda riders who dominated Sundays MotoGP podium, Marco Melandri, Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden took the opportunity to test new Michelin race tyres and try several alternative chassis and suspension settings on their 990cc five-cylinder 250PS plus grand prix machines. American Nicky Hayden, ‘Repsol Honda, whose third place finish in the race took him to the championship lead, was particularly busy man. Hayden, 24 from Owensboro Kentucky put in 86-laps while testing several chassis and suspension combinations before moving on to evaluating new Michelin front tyres. The former AMA Superbike Champion was pleased with his day’s work having improved the performance of the latest development of the Repsol Honda factory machine. Hayden’s Repsol Honda team mate, Dani Pedrosa, who crashed on the final lap of Sundays race when the front end folded in on him while holding third place, did some useful work despite the low 21 degrees track temperature. Pedrosa, the reigning double 250cc World Champion, is in his debut MotoGP season and is chasing a better feeling with his RCV late in the race. The young Spaniard was bitterly disappointed with the crash when under no pressure and vowed to learn from the mistake. Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda), who won Sunday’s Grand Prix of Turkey for the second consecutive season, put in a personally satisfying 81-lap stint while testing tyres for Michelin. Melandri grows in confidence each time he takes the 2006 RC211V out on track and today as no different. The young Italian and Michelin worked hard to improve the front tyre and ended the day in buoyant mood having found a front tyre better suited to his riding style. Melandri’s Fortuna Honda teammate, Toni Elias did not test RC21V today. The young Spaniard, who set the fastest lap of the race on Sunday on the penultimate lap of the 22-lap thriller, had little to test and decided to sit out the cold damp day Australian Casey Stoner, who almost held off last corner challenge of the more experienced Marco Melandri, was the fastest RC211V rider out on track today. Running Michelin race tyres Stoner put in lap at 1m 52.42s.42s, 1.8s faster than his best time in the race and did it on a front tyre that had already run 19-laps! Japanese star Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda) is beginning to shake off the front-end blues that have been holding him back since the start of the season. Tamada worked hard on developing his feeling for the RC211V with a new Michelin front tyre and ended the test with a very positive frame of mind. He performed better in Sunday’s race than his 10th place suggests and with renewed motivation he hopes to carry his current momentum into the Chinese GP in two weeks time. The Team Roberts KR211V struggled to find corner entry speed during qualifying and practice for the grand prix, which denied them the corner speed they need to have to be competitive. The combination of a lack of quality track time and having only one rider has hampered progress but today team rider Kenny Roberts Jnr put in a good performance on the Team Roberts chassis equipped with a Honda RC211V engine. Running race tyres Californian Roberts Jnr ran a 1m 53.6s lap, almost two seconds faster than the best lap time he set in Sunday’s grand prix. Honda rider lap times and quotes. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 1m 52.90s 86 laps. “We put in a nice day’s work and definitely sorted out a few little issues we had yesterday that we didn’t get time to test with the washout on Saturday. There were some suspension combinations and different springs that we wanted to test nothing major and few new Michelin tyres too. We found some settings we liked and few things that didn’t work, so it was definitely worth it and I appreciate all the boys from Repsol Honda and Michelin sticking around and working hard today.” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 1m 56.36s 48 laps. “Today we worked on some ideas we had over the weekend that are a little bit dangerous to test on a race weekend things that could help to improve our feelings during the race. We also tested three new front Michelin tyres because yesterday I had some problems with the front! The weather conditions weren’t ideal today it just didn’t warm up so it was difficult to get temperature in the tyres. Nevertheless, the really good thing was to feel the way the tyres were working and get some good information for Michelin to analyse. I still feel disappointed about yesterday because I crashed on the last lap with nobody pushing me, and I could have had another podium in my debut season. But it happened and I can learn from this.” Marco Melandri, Fortuna Honda: 1m 53.s 81 laps. “To be honest I was very tired when I arrived at the track this morning but it turned out to be a very good day for us. We worked hard with Michelin testing both front and rear tyres and the results were positive, especially with the front tyre. When you brake as had as we do now, and so many times each lap like the race here yesterday the tyre temperature builds up and the characteristic of the tyre changes late in the race. But today we found a tyre that keeps its performance level in the closing laps. Basically we are looking to find a tyre with the same grip level in a stronger construction and so far things have gone well because the tyre also suits my riding style. I am very happy with what we achieved today.” Toni Elias, Fortuna Honda: Toni did not test today. Casey Stoner, LCR Honda: 1m 52.42s 55 laps. “We spent the day bringing my second bike up to as close in performance to that of my race bike and then went on to tyre testing with Michelin. I just needed to try stuff we just don’t have time to try in GP practice. The team tried some new things on settings, swapped a few things from one bike to the other and it worked fine. When we got it where we wanted it I ran my fastest lap on race tyres and set the time with 19-laps on the front tyre so I have to be pleased with that. When I consider my lack of experience on a MotoGP bike I have to be happy.” Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda: 1m 53.22s 82 laps. “Today was dedicated to tyre testing and the results were not so bad, rather good for me. Working with Michelin we found a good development direction for me and I ran 10-laps at around 1m 53.5s, my fastest was 1m 53.22s. Michelin have some good solutions for the future and I am happy with what we did today.” Kenny Roberts Jnr, KR Honda: 1m 53.6s 75 laps. “I think we are about a second off the pace right now and can improve on that but we just don’t have the time we need. We have been unlucky with the weather loosing one day at two of the races due to rain. That and trying to develop a bike at flyaway races have made it pretty much impossible to take a big step forward. On the positive side we ran 1m 53.7s lap times with the alternative settings we didn’t have time to try here in practice. That’s a big improvement on yesterday. We will have our new chassis for Le Mans and hope that I can be at least about half a second faster than we are now. I don’t have a team-mate so that holds us back a little.” More, from a press release issued by Camel Yamaha: ENCOURAGING DAY’S WORK FOR CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM IN ISTANBUL Following yesterday’s Turkish Grand Prix, the Camel Yamaha Team stayed on to test in Istanbul today, making the most of a dry day after a rain-interrupted weekend as they searched for improvements to the 2006-spec YZR-M1. Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards, who finished fourth and ninth respectively in yesterday’s MotoGP race, had continued to experience problems throughout the weekend and were unable to find a perfect race set-up. Today’s test was therefore aimed at finding a better base setting and gathering yet more data in order to provide the Yamaha engineers with more information to work with ahead of the next race in China. It was a fruitful day’s work and the Team was able to make up for the time lost to the rain on Saturday, with both riders finding a marked improvement to their settings and posting some good lap times. Edwards completed 60 laps with a best time of 1’53.31, whilst Rossi’s fastest time of the day was 1’53.61 after 72 laps. The MotoGP paddock will reconvene in just over a week’s time for the fourth race of the season in Shanghai, China, where Valentino Rossi took victory in the rain last year. DAVIDE BRIVIO CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “Once again we decided to take the chance to stay on and test after the race, as we saw this weekend that we still have work to do. Today was a very important test for us as we continued from what we did during the weekend and tried a few more ideas in order to try to improve, and hopefully to fix, the problems that we’ve been having this season. We made some good progress with both riders and found a better setting for the bike and this was reflected in the lap times, which were better than those that Colin and Valentino set on Friday, when it was dry. Our work this weekend was interrupted by the rain on Saturday and we weren’t able to find a good setting in time for the race, but today we achieved that so hopefully that will help us in China. All this information will help the Yamaha engineers in their work over the next week, and now we look forward to a better situation for both our riders in China.” Camel Yamaha Team Times: 1. COLIN EDWARDS, 1’53.31 (60 Laps 2. VALENTINO ROSSI, 1’53.61 (72 Laps)

Tickets Now on Sale for Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals at VIR Alton, Va. (May 1) Tickets are now on sale for the 2006 edition of the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals, featuring the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, scheduled for the weekend of August 18-20 at VIRginia International Raceway. The event will be promoted this year by M1 Entertainment, a new company formed by Cameron Gray, who was previously vice-president of Race Promotion Management, which promoted the race last year. M1 has contracted with www.gettix.net to handle all pre-event ticket sales, which will make things easier both for the promoter and the fans. As always, the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals will offer a variety of ticket packages. Standard three-day general-admission tickets with paddock access will be available ($65 advance/$75 at gate), as well one-day tickets for Friday ($10/$20), Saturday ($45/$55) and Sunday ($45/$55). General car parking will be available for $5, and infield car parking is priced at $10. Motorcycle parking will be free. Those who wish to camp can purchase a weekend camping pass for $50 per vehicle (all persons in a campsite must have an admission ticket), and a parade lap of the track can be obtained for $10. Pit Walk Passes, which allow cold pit access, will be available for $20 in advance or $25 at the gate. There are only 1000 of this passes available, and access is good for all practice and qualifying sessions throughout the weekend. Fans are reminded that closed-toe shoes are required in the cold pit area. The Big Kahuna Super Ticket is sure to be popular with fans, and includes three-day admission, paddock access, a Pit Walk Pass, a Parade Lap, a car parking pass and an official 2005 Big Kahuna T-Shirt. This offering is limited to 2000, and is available for $99 (sold in advance only). There are two levels of Hospitality Passes available. The Big Dog Hospitality Pass includes three-day admission, Paddock Access, a car parking pass, an official event program and hospitality access to the banquet hall and balcony located above The Pagoda Grille in the main paddock on Saturday and Sunday. Only 400 Big Dog Hospitality Passes will be available, and are priced at $110 (sold in advance only). For children 5-12 years of age, the Little Dog Hospitality Pass is available for $40 (sold in advance only). Perhaps the most remarkable bargain for fans is the Trackside VIP Suite ticket, 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). There are only 40 Trackside VIP Suite tickets available, and they are expected to sell out quickly, 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. M1 Entertainment president Cameron Gray promises that fans will once again get well more than their money’s worth at the 2006 Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals. “We are totally psyched about this year’s Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals,” he enthused. “We raised the bar last year, providing fans with a weekend full of on- and off-track excitement, and we are going to put it completely out of reach this year! We have a mind-blowing collection of promotions, exhibitions, displays and vendors lined up that we will be revealing in the weeks to come, and we guarantee that the fans will go home happy, excited and exhausted. The 2006 Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals will be the can’t-miss Superbike event of the year. We have an awesome facility at VIR, the best motorcycle racing in America from the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited and the greatest, most knowledgeable fans in any form of the sport. That adds up to a knock-down, drag-out, weekend-long motorcycle party, and anyone who misses it is going to be sorry!” 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.

Superbike World Championship preview: round four – Monza Track length: 5792m Year opened: 1922 Superbike lap record: 1:47.434 (Troy Bayliss, 2002) Last year’s winners: Troy Corser (Suzuki) and Chris Vermeulen (Honda) Round four of the Superbike World Championship sees the series move to the historic Monza circuit in Italy, the fastest racetrack on the entire calendar. With top speeds often exceeding 300kph down the long home straight, the first of three Italian races this year is always an exciting slipstream battle on this unique circuit. For the Yamaha Motor Italia world superbike team this race takes on an extra importance, as their headquarters is based just a few kilometres from the circuit. While the points on offer are exactly the same as at the 12 other rounds of the championship, the emotional boost of a good result in their backyard will provide extra motivation for the team and their riders – especially after a difficult weekend at the last round in Valencia. Both the team’s riders struggled for traction at the Spanish circuit, with a pair of fifth places for Noriyuki Haga and a couple of top tens for Andrew Pitt, keeping both riders in the top six of the championship – Haga fourth and Pitt sixth. And while historically the Monza circuit may not be one of the strongest for Yamaha’s YZF-R1, both riders are confident that they can fight up front this weekend. Fans’ favourite Haga had a difficult time in Monza last year, finishing ninth and 11th in the two races. This season the Japanese rider has consistently been among the frontrunners, finishing third once, fourth twice and fifth twice in the five races he has finished. Surprisingly Haga has never won in his adopted homeland. The Japanese star has won 19 races in his illustrious superbike career, but his best results in Italy are two third places (Monza 2002 and Imola 2005). Despite this, Haga still looks forward to Monza, as he explains: “Monza is not such a difficult track and good fun… if you have a fast bike! Valencia was difficult for us in many ways but now we must put it behind us and look forward to the championship. Monza is a very important race for the team and I will be doing my best to get a good result for them. Monza was my worst race of 2005 but our bike is definitely much better now than it was this time last year and our top speed is generally quite good, so if we can find a good setting and get away with the front group then anything can happen.” With fifth and sixth place finishes, team-mate Pitt was the highest placed Yamaha rider at Monza last year. “Front end grip was the big problem at Valencia but it shouldn’t be a factor in Monza. At Valencia you are leaned over on the side of the tyre for so long but Monza is completely different, mostly long straights and slow corners. Because of the slipstreaming it is important to get away with the leading group at Monza. Our starts have been pretty good this year so there is no reason why we can’t be up there in the races.” Yamaha will also be represented by the Yamaha Motor France team in Monza. The squad travel to Italy in high spirits after gaining their best results of the season in Valencia, where Norick Abe scored two fourth places and fellow Japanese rider Shinichi Nakatomi scored his first world championship points with a pair of 12ths. The team’s other rider, Sebastien Gimbert, returns at Monza after missing Valencia due to his world endurance commitments. As always, Yamaha will be well represented in the supporting classes at Monza. In the Supersport World Championship, Yamaha Motor Germany riders Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes lie second and fourth in the points after three rounds. Italian young guns Massimo Roccoli and Gianluca Vizziello are both running in the top ten of the series and go to Monza having finished first and second in the Italian championship round there last weekend. One rider who will not be present in Monza is last year’s FIM Superstock 1000 champion Didier van Keymeulen. The Belgian had been riding a Yamaha YZF-R6 for the Moto 1 squad in world supersport but has split with the team following irreconcilable differences regarding machine and team set-up. Roccoli and Vizziello’s Yamaha Team Italia team-mate Claudio Corti was another winner in the national championship race, won the superstock class. After taking a top 10 in the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup opener in Valencia, the European Superstock 600 champion is looking for his first world championship win at his home circuit this weekend.