Race results Le Mans 24 Hours Le Mans France April 22 – 23, 2006. National Motos Honda victorious at Le Mans 24 Hours. 1. National Motos Honda CBR1000RR F.Protat FRA, O.Four FRA, D.Ribalta ESP 2. Suzuki Castrol Team/Suzuki GSX-R1000 V.Philippe FRA, K.Kitagawa JAP, M.Lagrive FRA 3. GMT 94 Yamaha YZF-R1 D.Checa SPA, S.Gimbert FRA, G.McCoy AUS, C.Guyot FRA 4. Bolliger Team Switzerland Kawasaki ZX10R D.Morillon FRA, P.Muff, SUI, H.Saiger AUT, M.Kellenberger SUI. 5. Infini Team Yohann Moto Sport Suzuki GSX-R1000 Ch.Michel FRA, J.Tangre FRA, V.Bocquet FRA. 6. No Limits & RT Moto Virus Suzuki GSX-R1000. R.Ruozi ITA, E.Monot FRA, F.Jond FRA, M.Codeluppi ITA. 7. Maccio Racing Kawasaki ZX10R S.De Rosa FRA, L.Fremy FRA, R.Moisan FRA. 8. Team Fagersjo-el Suzuki GSX-R1000 J.Hanson SWE, T.Andersson SWE, P.Johansson SWE, N.Carlberg SWE. 9. Team Endurance Moto 45 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Th.Perreau FRA, N.Duprez FRA, D.Briere FRA. 10. RMT 21 Racing Honda CBR1000RR S.Mizera GER, R.Chevre SUI, H.Steuer GER, T.Roth GER. 11. Team 18 Sapeurs-Pompiers Suzuki GSX-R1000 St.Molinier FRA, G.Grelaud FRA, G.Pialoux FRA. 12. Aprilia Motociclismo Test Team Aprilia RSV1000 F.Aliverti ITA, F.Pellizzon ITA, D.Veghini ITA. 13. Team LTG Yamaha YZF-R1 C.Huvier FRA, A.Moreno FRA, J.Cauchard FRA, L.A.Achon FRA. 14. Team Raffin Motos Kawasaki ZX10R D.Chene FRA, W.Veille FRA, St.Kokes FRA. 15. Team X-One Yamaha YZF-R1 P.Tessari ITA, G.De Matteis ITA, S.Sanna ITA, R.Repeti ITA. More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Racing: Apr 23, 2006 Reigning World Endurance Champions Suzuki Castrol clawed back from a heavy crash in the first hour to finish runners-up at the Le Mans 24-hour second round in France that finished this afternoon. The Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) of Keiichi Kitagawa, Mathieu Lagrive and Vincent Philippe were only two laps behind winners, National Motors Honda, after 817 laps of racing. Kitagawa put the GSX-R1000 to the front early on, closely pursued by Suzuki Castrol’s second team, but shortly after his first fuel stop he fell heavily, causing the safety car to be brought out which allowed the Suzuki 2 squad to take the lead. Suzuki No.1 then began their long climb back through the field from 49th position as the front-running Yamaha Austria team fell behind and then retired from the race with cylinder head problems. The order remained the same for much of Saturday with Suzuki No.2, Yamaha GMT94 and National Motos Honda filling the top three places until late into the night when GMT94 pitted with an electrical problem. This let the Honda through to second and Suzuki No.1 who had now climbed to third ahead of GMT94 and Kawasaki Bolliger. The order of the race leaders remained static through the night, but dramas continued behind them: Kawasaki Diablo retired with a broken gearbox, Yamaha Phase One with a blown cylinder head gasket, and Suzuki Innodrom with a broken gearbox. But with just four hours to go, any thoughts of a comfortable run to victory were dashed for Suzuki No.2; they pitted after a crash and eventually retired with machine damage. While Suzuki No.2 were in the pits trying to diagnose the problem, Gary McCoy crashed the GMT94 Yamaha heavily: He managed to limp the bike back to the pits but National Motos Honda took the lead and Suzuki Castrol No.1 moved to second place before GMT94 could rejoin the race. Said Lagrive: “For me the race was not very easy. With my injured hand I could manage 20 laps ok, but 30 laps was very difficult. This morning I had no sensation in the left hand; it’s not possible to ride the bike well with just one hand, but I stayed fast.” SERT Team Manager Dominique Meliand, added: “I didn’t worry that the No.1 bike would have the same problem as the other Suzukis; on the No.72 it was a head gasket and for No.72 the problem was changing the forks. For the No.1 bike it was necessary to score the maximum points rather than just having outright speed and going for the win. For No.2 it was different, it was win or nothing.” More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group: Honda Win Le Mans 24 Hour Suzuki 2nd – Yamaha 3rd – Kawasaki 4th The National Motos Honda CBR1000RR of Protat, Four and Ribalta has won the Le Mans 24 Hour round of the FIM World Endurance Championship. Second place went to the No.2 Suzuki Castrol GSX-R1000 of Philippe, Kitagawa and Lagrive, third place went to the Yamaha GMT94 YZF-R1 of Gimbert, Checa and McCoy, and fourth to the Bolliger Kawasaki ZX10R of Morillion, Muff and Saiger. The No.1 Suzuki Castrol bike led the first hour, pursued by the No.2 Suzuki Castrol and with the two Yamahas of GMT94 and Yamaha Austria close behind. Shortly after the first fuelling stop, Keiichi Kitagawa crashed the No.2 Suzuki heavily, bringing the pace out car for the first of many times during an incident packed race. Suzuki No.2 took the lead while the No.1 bike was repaired, ahead of National Motos Honda, Yamaha GMT94, Team Kawasaki France and Yamaha Austria. Suzuki No.1 then began their long climb back through the field. Yamaha Austria fell behind and then retired from the race with cylinder head problems shortly afterwards, and Team Kawasaki France were also forced to retire after a heavy crash. The order remained Suzuki No.2, Yamaha GMT94, National Motos Honda until late on Saturday night when GMT94 pitted with an electrical problem. This let the Honda through to second and Suzuki No.1 had now climbed to third while Kawasaki Bolliger had made their way to fifth place behind GMT94 after a steady and consistent performance. The order of the race leaders remained static through the night, but dramas continued behind them. Kawasaki Diablo retired with a broken gearbox, Yamaha Phase One with a blown cylinder head gasket, and Suzuki Innodrom also with a broken gearbox. With four hours to go, any thoughts of a comfortable run to victory were dashed for Suzuki No.2; they pitted after a crash and eventually retired. While Suzuki No.2 were in the pits trying to diagnose the problem, Gary McCoy crashed the GMT94 Yamaha heavily. He managed to limp the bike back to the pits but National Motos Honda had taken the lead and Suzuki Castrol No.1 second place before GMT94 could rejoin the race. Kawasaki Bolliger, meanwhile, had been running a classic endurance race; making up time on track through consistency and in pit lane through rapid and well polished fuel and tyre stops. Italian Suzuki squad No Limits & RT Racing Team ran a similar smooth race, as did Suzuki Fagersjo-el.se, Endurance Moto45 and RMT Racing Honda. The Le Mans 24 Hour is one of the toughest races on the calendar, with only 33 of the 56 starters making it to the end. The next stop for the World Endurance Championship is the Albacete 8 Horas Nocturnas on May 20th. Press Conference Quotes Frederic Protat, National Motos Honda, 1st place: “What a great race. It’s my first time at the Le Mans 24 hours, and it’s unbelievable. I’d like to thank my team mates Olivier and Daniel and the rest of the team.” Dominique Meliand, Suzuki Castrol team manager, 2nd place: “I didn’t worry that the No.1 bike would have the same problem as the other Suzukis; on the No.72 it was a head gasket and for No.72 the problem was changing the forks. For the No.1 bike it was necessary to score the maximum points rather than just having outright speed and going for the win. For No.2 it was different, it was win or nothing.” Mattheiu Lagrive, Suzuki Casrol, second place: “For me the race was not very easy. With my injured hand I could manage 20 laps but 30 laps was difficult. This morning I had no sensation in the left hand; it’s not possible to ride the bike well with just one hand, but I stayed fast.” Gary McCoy, Yamaha GMT94, 3rd place: “It’s great to be on the podium but I couldn’t do my last two rides so I left Sebastien and David with more work to do. Will I be at the Bol d’Or with GMT94? The team work well, I like the riders and it’s a great package. If we can do some more testing”¦ it’s a possibility.” Horst Saiger, Kawasaki Bolliger, 4th place: “For us this was a great success. To finish in the top four is perfect. We didn’t have the speed of the people in front, but we had enough and we could keep it going the whole race. It was not an easy race until the last few hours. A hard fight right from the start of the race.” Provisional Top Ten Finishing Positions 1st 55 National Motos Honda – FRA – Honda CBR1000RR – Protat, Four, Ribalta – 817 laps 2nd 2 – Suzuki Castrol – FRA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Philippe, Kitagawa, Lagirve – 815 laps 3rd 94 Yamaha GMT94 – FRA – Yamaha YZF-R1 – Gimbert, Checa, McCoy – 804 laps 4th 8 – Kawasaki Bolliger – SUI – Kawasaki ZX10R – Muff, Saiger, Morillon – 799 laps 5th 10 – Infini Team Suzuki – FRA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Michel, Tangre, Bocquiet – 793 laps (1st SPR) 6th 44 – Suzuki No Limits & RT – ITA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Ruozi, Monot, Jond – 789 laps 7th 83 – Kawasaki Maccio Racing – FRA – De Rosa, Fremy, Moisin – 788 laps (1st STK) 8th 12 – Suzuki Fagersjo-el.se – SWE – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Hanson, Andersson, Carlberg – 787 laps 9th 100 – Suzuki Endurance Moto45 – FRA – Perrerau, Duprez, Briere – 786 laps 10th 21 – RMT21 Racing Honda – GER – Honda CBR1000RR – Mizera, Chevre, Steuer +1.21.018

Pro Honda Oils AMA Supersport Championship Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, Alabama April 23 Provisional Race Results: 1. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-6RR) 17 laps 2. Jamie Hacking (Yam YZF-R6) -0.380 second 3. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R600) -19.164 seconds 4. Ben Attard (Kaw ZX-6RR) -19.379 seconds 5. Damon Buckmaster (Kaw ZX-6RR) -32.851 seconds 6. Danny Eslick (Suz GSX-R600) -33.056 seconds 7. Michael Barnes (Suz GSX-R600) -35.970 seconds 8. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR) -40.877 seconds 9. Blake Young (Suz GSX-R600) -42.564 seconds 10. Nicky Moore (Yam YZF-R6) -49.543 seconds 11. Chris “Opie” Caylor (Suz GSX-R600) -49.834 seconds 12. Michael Beck (Yam YZF-R6) -50.577 seconds 13. Tony Meiring (Suz GSX-R600) -50.919 seconds 14. Kevin Lacombe (Yam YZF-R6) -51.004 seconds 15. Matt Furtek (Suz GSX-R600) -59.187 seconds 16. Alastair Seeley (Yam YZF-R6) 17. Garrett Carter (Yam YZF-R6) 18. Giovanni Rojas (Suz GSX-R600) 19. Tyler McDonald (Yam YZF-R6) 20. Keith Marshall (Suz GSX-R600) 21. Chris Siglin (Suz GSX-R600) 22. Daniel Parkerson (Suz GSX-R600) 23. Barrett Long (Yam YZF-R6) 24. Shane Kuehler (Yam YZF-R6) 25. Skip Salenius (Kaw ZX-6RR), -1 lap 26. Christopher Ancien (Hon CBR600RR), -1 lap 27. Trey Yonce (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap 28. Gustava Laya (Kaw ZX-6RR), -1 lap 29. Michael Morgan (Suz GSX-R600), -1 lap 30. Johnny Rock Page (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap 31. Kenny Carlotta (Suz GSX-R600), -1 lap 32. Francis Martin (Suz GSX-R600), -6 laps, DNF, mechanical 33. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R600), -8 laps, DNF, mechanical 34. Shea Fouchek (Suz GSX-R600), -12 laps, DNF, crash 35. Clint McBain (Suz GSX-R600), -13 laps, DNF, crash 36. Jeffrey Tigert (Hon CBR600RR), -16 laps, DNF, crash

Repsol Lubricants AMA Superstock Championship Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, Alabama April 23 Provisional Race Results: 1. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 17 laps 2. Jamie Hacking (Yam YZF-R1 LE), -0.134 second 3. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1 LE), -3.262 seconds 4. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R1000), -12.574 seconds 5. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR1000RR), -15.831 seconds 6. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1 LE), -17.832 seconds 7. Steve Rapp (Suz GSX-R1000), -20.549 seconds 8. Jake Holden (Suz GSX-R1000), -21.083 seconds 9. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR1000RR), -27.313 seconds 10. Jason Pridmore (Suz GSX-R1000), -27.912 seconds 11. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000), -34.666 seconds 12. Cory West (Suz GSX-R1000), -35.268 seconds 13. Marty Craggill (Suz GSX-R1000), -35.418 seconds 14. Damon Buckmaster (Kaw ZX-10R), -47.749 seconds 15. Ben Attard (Kaw ZX-10R), -48.401 seconds 16. Akira Tamitsuji (Suz GSX-R1000), -53.953 seconds 17. Tom Kipp (Kaw ZX-10R), -55.371 seconds 18. Bryan West (Suz GSX-R1000), -62.493 seconds 19. Brad Hendry (Suz GSX-R1000), -62.798 seconds 20. Matt Lynn (Suz GSX-R1000), -71.416 seconds 21. Robertino Pietri (Suz GSX-R1000), -81.731 seconds, crash 22. Randall Kienast (Suz GSX-R1000), -88.082 seconds 23. Barry Teasdale (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap 24. Dan Wilson (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap 25. C.R. Gittere (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap 26. Fernando Amantini (Kaw ZX-10R), -1 lap 27. Robert McLendon (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap 28. Brad Puetz (Suz GSX-R1000), -l lap 29. Reno Karimian (Suz GSX-R1000), -3 laps 30. Dominic Jones (Kaw ZX-10R), -8 laps 31. John Haner (Suz GSX-R1000), -13 laps, DNF, crash 32. Michael Sanchez (Suz GSX-R1000), -13 laps, DNF, crash 33. Scott Carpenter (Suz GSX-R1000), DNS Provisional AMA Superstock Championship Point Standings (after 2 of 11 events): 1. Hacking, 69 points 2. Yates, 65 points 3. DiSalvo, 63 points NOTE: John Haner became the first rider to benefit from increased run-off room in turn one, tumbling well past where the steel barrier was positioned (outside the corner) prior to being relocated in recent weeks.

AMA Superbike Championship Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, Alabama April 23 Practice Times: 1. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:25.507 2. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:25.893 3. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:26.353 4. Tommy Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:26.484 5. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:26.490 6. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:26.598 7. Neil Hodgson (Duc 999F06) 1:26.653 8. Ben Bostrom (Duc 999F06) 1:26.720 9. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:26.602 10. Steve Rapp (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:27.627 11. John Haner (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:27.890 12. Jason Pridmore (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:27.952 13. Larry Pegram (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:28.460 14. Matt Lynn (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:28.786 15. Jason Curtis (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:29.279 16. Clint McBain (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:29.438 17. Jordan Szoke (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:29.640 18. Francis Martin (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:30.131 19. Eric Wood (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:30.193 20. Kevin Lacombe (Yam YZF-R1) 1:30.223 21. Brian Stokes (Yam YZF-R1) 1:30.740 22. James Stroud (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:30.894 23. Brad Hendry (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:30.961 24. Akira Tamitsuji (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:31.105 25. Michael Sanchez (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:31.202

1. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-6RR) 1:28.013 2. Jamie Hacking (Yam YZF-R6) 1:28.022 3. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R600) 1:28.536 4. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R600) 1:29.011 5. Ben Attard (Kaw ZX-6RR) 1:29.074 6. Damon Buckmaster (Kaw ZX-6RR 1:29.657 7. Pascal Picotte (Yam YZF-R6) 1:29.796 8. Danny Eslick (Suz GSX-R600) 1:30.143 9. Opie Caylor (Suz GSX-R600) 1:30.471 10. Michael Barnes (Suz GSX-R600) 1:30.697 11. Tony Meiring (Suz GSX-R600) 1:30.718 12. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR) 1:30.792 13. Alastair Seeley (Yam YZF-R6) 1:30.812 14. Blake Young (Suz GSX-R600) 1:31.064 15. Matt Furtek (Suz GSX-R600) 1:31.119 16. Kevin Lacombe (Yam YZF-R6) 1:31.478 17. Clint McBain (Suz GSX-R600) 1:31.495 18. Jeff Tigert (Hon CBR600RR) 1:31.557 19. Nicky Moore (Yam YZF-R6) 1:31.690 20. Shea Fouchek (Suz GSX-R600) 1:31.751

Two-time Canadian Superbike and Sport Bike Champion Pascal Picotte was taken to a local hospital for X-rays following a violent crash during AMA Superbike practice Sunday morning at Barber Motorsports Park. According to witnesses, Picotte was driving out of turn two and toward the turn three crest on his Picotte Performance Yamaha YZF-R6 when he lost rear traction and his bike began bucking wildly. Somewhere along the line, Picotte was thrown from the machine and tumbled to a stop on the track. As a result, the session was red flagged. Picotte, according to his crew, was taken to the hospital for X-rays on his knee and back. Picotte was participating in the AMA race weekend at Barber in preparation for his 2006 Parts Canada Superbike and Sport Bike campaigns. Privateer racer Nathan Hester also crashed his Yamaha YZF-R6 violently, during Saturday’s AMA Formula Xtreme race at Barber. According to AMA Pro Racing Superbike Media Manager, Hester was taken to a local hospital where he was diagnosed with a broken shoulder. More details will be posted as they become available. Update: Picotte suffered a fractured vertebra or vertebrae in his crash Sunday morning but no damage to his spinal cord or paralysis, according to his friend and manager Alan Labrosse.

FIM Superbike World Championship Valencia, Spain April 23 Race Two Results: 1. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F06), 23 laps, 37:06.508 2. Troy CORSER (Suz GSX-R1000), -0.790 second 3. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F06), -15.133 seconds 4. Norick ABE (Yam YZF-R1), -16.004 seconds 5. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1), -16.929 seconds 6. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R), -17.056 seconds 7. Chris WALKER (Kaw ZX-10R), -19.967 seconds 8. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R), -21.395 seconds 9. Andrew PITT (Yam YZF-R1), -21.801 seconds 10. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR), -32.166 seconds 11. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR), -32.259 seconds 12. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yam YZF-R1), -32.355 seconds 13. Fabien FORET (Suz GSX-R1000), -32.648 seconds 14. Alex BARROS (Hon CBR1000RR), -33.875 seconds 15. Steve MARTIN (Foggy Petronas FP1), -38.052 seconds 16. Roberto ROLFO (Duc 999F05), -40.284 seconds 17. Marco BORCIANI (Duc 999F05), -44.877 seconds 18. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Duc 999RS), -49.267 seconds 19. Jose David DE GEA (Hon CBR1000RR), -51.754 seconds 20. Giovanni BUSSEI (Hon CBR1000RR), -56.747 seconds 21. Franco BATTAINI (Kaw ZX-10R), -61.652 seconds 22. Nicola BRIGNOLA (Duc 999RS), -71.288 seconds 23. Gianluca NANNELLI (Hon CBR1000RR), -72.297 seconds 24. J. MONGE (Yam YZF-R1), -83.967 seconds 25. Craig JONES (Foggy Petronas FP1), -85.553 seconds 26. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Suz GSX-R1000), -2 laps, mechanical 27. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F05), -15 laps, DNF, crash 28. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suz GSX-R1000), -16 laps, DNF, crash 29. Ivan CLEMENTI (Duc 999RS), -17 laps, DNF, crash 30. Sergio FUERTES (Suz GSX-R1000), -17 laps, DNF, crash 31. Lorenzo ALFONSI (Yam YZF-R1), -19 laps, DNF, mechanical More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: TOSELAND STILL THIRD AFTER VALENCIA WEEKEND James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) battled hard around the twisty 4.005km Valencia circuit but could not replicate his pace in the opening two rounds of the season and finished only ninth and 11th. He remains third overall in the championship chase. Toseland’s team-mate for the weekend, Giovanni Bussei (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) experienced similar difficulties in finding a set-up that worked in either race and ended his Valencia weekend 18th and 20th. Karl Muggeridge, the second regular team rider, will be back at Monza, a race that all in the Winston ten Kate Team expect to be a much more fruitful affair than Valencia proved to be. In the first race Toseland gave his all, despite obvious problems exiting corners, to finish ninth, just ahead of factory Yamaha runner Andrew Pitt. Toseland was nonetheless top Honda rider on show, with his team-mate Giovanni Bussei finishing 18th. The race was won by Troy Bayliss, from Troy Corser, with Lorenzo Lanzi third. In the second 23-lap race the top three were a mirror image of race one, but Toseland found even more difficulty in pushing forward, and fought out a rearguard action at the head of a group of four riders. Ronald Ten Kate Team Manager “To say that it wasn’t a good weekend would be quite an understatement. We have been running behind all weekend here, and just couldn’t get the bike to handle, and especially grip, well around here. We knew it was going to be difficult when we came here but we never expected it to be this difficult. It’s purely in the nature of the track – so twisty – and for some reason we cannot get the bike set-up well. Luckily for us, we now go to a track of a completely different nature Monza which has long straights and fast corners. I prefer to look forward than to speak too much about the happenings here over the weekend. We will come back very, very strong.” James Toseland Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (Race 1: 9th position Race 2: 11th position Championship Position: 3rd with 86 points) “When we have the bike on its side for a long time, and then just tap on the power, the tyre can’t find any grip. It just wheel spins and wheel spins unless you pick it up. When the bike is on full lean round here you cannot do anything about it but sit on it and spin it. It’s very frustrating. We got some points and we’re still third in the championship but we were miles behind the leaders and that’s not good enough. We’ll have a think about it and see what we come away with for Monza.” Giovanni Bussei Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (Race 1: 18th Race 2: 20th Championship Position: No Points Scored) “Not so happy. I came here to be better. I understand that it is difficult but it was hard to find everything and be competitive. I was hoping to faster in the second race, but I think I still have too much weight on the front tyre. So at the beginning the rear grip was good, it was pushing a lot, and I nearly crashed many times. From half way it became better with less fuel in the tank helping as well. At the end I was doing the sort of lap times I expected.” More, from a press release issued by Team Klaffi Honda: Hard work for Alex! The Brazilian started from 16th position in the grid. But things became even worse in the first heat. Alex didn’t do a good start and was only on position 27 when he came back from the first lap. But Alex never gives up. He started an immense fight. It was nearly unbelievable how he coped with his task. Already in the second lap he passed Alfonsi and Clementi. And on he went pursuing the riders in front of him. Alex passed Iannuzzo, Rolfo, Bussei. From lap 21 on he was already 11th. Now he had his sights on Toseland and Pitt. But during the last three laps he couldn’t come close enough to them. So Alex finished 11th in the first race. At 15.3o pm Alex started for the second race and this time too he had some bad luck. After the start he was on 23rd position and again he had to fight. From lap 12 Alex was riding on 12th position. But then Foret and Nakatomi seized a chance. They repassed Alex and the Brazilian rider of the Klaffi Honda Team finished 14th in the second heat. In both races Bayliss was the winner in front of Corser and Lanzi. The fourth round of World’s Superbike Championship will take place at Monza on 05-07 May. The next chance for Alex to attack. Alex Barros: “It is needless to say that I’m disappointed. But sometimes things like that happen in racing. Now I have to go one, let this bad experience behind me and concentrate on the upcoming race.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: BRILLIANT BAYLISS TAKES A BRACE OF WINS FOR DUCATI XEROX TEAM AT VALENCIA DOUBLE PODIUM FOR LANZI Valencia (Spain), Sunday 23 April: Troy Bayliss notched up the 24th and 25th victories of his World Superbike career with a double win at the Valencia circuit as the Ducati Xerox rider and his fellow Australian Troy Corser (Suzuki) put on a spectacular display of racing today. The Spanish Round saw two similar races and identical podiums with Bayliss’s young Italian team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi grabbing third place on both occasions for his first podiums of the year. “Everything went really well in both races” declared Troy. “We thought about changing the tyre for race 2 but we didn’t and it was the right decision to stick with the hard tyre. I didn’t think Corser was going to be as quick as he was in that second race, I thought it would be the same as the first but he went really well. I know that the limit of my tyre on the rear is exactly 35.7 or 35.8, but it stays good for the whole race and when I saw him pulling away it was disheartening. I just kept my eye on the board and did every lap like a qualifying lap, just hoping he was going to run into the same sort of problems as the first one and he did. Then once I got there it took me a long while to put it together and get past him. A big thanks to the Ducati Xerox squad, Shell Advance and all our other sponsors, with who I want to share the joy for this double win today!” “Two fantastic podiums today!” declared Lorenzo. “I am pleased for Ducati Xerox and for me obviously because this podium in race 2 is worth the win at Lausitzring. It wasn’t a victory for but it was just as hard-fought. I pushed hard from the first to the last lap, never gave in, and to keep up with Abe I had to struggle because he had a superior pace at the mid-race distance. Then I caught Haga and managed to pass both of them, Haga on the penultimate lap and Abe on the last lap. It was incredible! Troy and I were the only ones to lap in 37.0 in the last few laps, so the choice of tyre was the right one to keep up the same pace until the very end. It is a perfect result for me in view of Monza in two weeks time!” More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: VALENCIA PROVIDES A TOUGH TEST FOR HONDA’S SUPERBIKE RIDERS James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) left the Valencia race weekend in third position in the championship after a challenging pair of races saw him finish ninth and 11th at the Circuito Ricardo Tormo. The 4.005km circuit, and its changeable nature, prevented any of the top Honda entrants from getting on podium terms. Toseland finished race two one place behind rookie SBK entrant Michel Fabrizio (DFX Honda CBR1000RR), but his points scores in Spain leave him third in the championship itself, with 86 points. Troy Bayliss beat Troy Corser to win both Valencia races. Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) endured two bad starts and some set-up problems and ended his weekend with only 11th and 14th places to his credit. Michel Fabrizio scored points with 13th place in race one, while the stand in rider for the Winston ten Kate Honda team Giovanni Bussei finished 18th and 20th. Gianluca Nannelli failed to finish the first event of the afternoon due to a technical problem, and was 23rd in race two. Toseland knew that Valencia would be a tough challenge for him and his fellow Honda riders, consoling himself with the knowledge that better results should be eminently possible at the next race, at Monza, on May 7. “When we have the bike on its side for a long time, and then just tap on the power, the tyre can’t find any grip,” said Toseland. “It just wheelspins and wheelspins unless you pick it up. When the bike is on full lean round here you cannot do anything about it but sit on it and spin it. It’s very frustrating. We got some points and we’re third in the championship, but we were miles behind the leaders and that’s not good enough. We’ll have a think about it and see what we come away with for Monza.” Fabrizio had a better race two than race one and put it down to chassis changes between the 23-lap events. “In race one there was too much wear on the front,” said Fabrizio, “and a lot of chattering. So we made some changes in set-up. In race two I could set better laps and could race with the others. I managed to pass James on the very last lap, on the very last corner.” Barros, who was on the podium twice after the previous races in Australia, was naturally disappointed not to be able to challenge once more. “I just had a bad start in race one and that stopped me finishing any higher,” said Barros, who endured a similar fate in race two, compounded by less grip from the front than expected. “For sure I am disappointed but sometimes things happen like this. This is racing. Now I have to go on and leave this experience behind me. The bad starts really did not help me at all.” Bussei, in his comeback ride as a replacement for Karl Muggeridge, could not find a good set-up, and like Fabrizio and Nanneli, did not qualify for Superpole. “Not so happy,” said Bussei after race two. “I came here to be better. I understand that it is difficult but it was hard to find everything and be competitive. I was hoping to faster in the second race, but I think I still have too much weight on the front tyre. So at the beginning the rear grip was good, it was pushing a lot, and I nearly crashed many times. From half way it became better with less fuel in the tank helping as well. At the end I was doing the sort of lap times I expected.” Nannelli’s weekend was not what he had hoped for, after misadventures in each race, but he has more chances to rack up points scores while team regular Pierfrancesco Chili recovers from his Misano testing injuries. “I think something broke in the steering in race one and that was that,” said Nannelli. “In race two I got involved in a crash between two other riders, got run off the track and I had to restart the race in last place. That made it very difficult for me, but I made some places up.” The next WSS and SBK rounds take place at Monza, on 5 7 May.

Repsol Lubricants AMA Superstock Championship Barber Motorsports Park Birmingham, Alabama April 23 Provisional Practice Times: 1. Jamie Hacking (Yam YZF-R1 LE) 1:26.719 2. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1 LE) 1:27.032 3. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:27.089 4. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1 LE) 1:27.216 5. Jake Holden (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:27.425 6. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:27.533 7. Jason Pridmore (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:27.785 8. Steve Rapp (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:27.822 9. Josh Hayes (Hon CBR600RR) 1:27.972 10. Damon Buckmaster (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:28.278 11. Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR1000RR) 1:28.296 12. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:28.453 13. John Haner (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:28.528 14. Matt Lynn (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:28.645 15. Cory West (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:28.755 16. Ben Attard (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:28.820 17. Marty Craggill (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:28.922 18. Tom Kipp (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:29.074 19. Robertino Pietri (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:29.820 20. Akira Tamitsuji (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:30.570 21. Michael Sanchez (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:30.945 22. Brad Hendry (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:30.947 23. Bryan West (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:31.218 24. Randall Kienast (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:31.326 25. Barry Teasdale Suz GSX-R1000) 1:32.054 26. Dan Wilson (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:33.116 27. Fernando Amantini (Kaw ZX-10R) 1:33.297 28. C.R. Gittere (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:34.254 29. Reno Karimian (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:34.718 30. Brad Puetz (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:37.001 31. Robert McLendon (Suz GSX-R1000) 2:05.927

FIM Superbike World Championship Valencia, Spain April 23 Race One Results: 1. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F06), 23 laps, 37:04.634 2. Troy CORSER (Suz GSX-R1000), -2.765 seconds 3. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F06), -14.225 seconds 4. Norick ABE (Yam YZF-R1), -17.126 seconds 5. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1), -18.225 seconds 6. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suz GSX-R1000), -18.495 seconds 7. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F05), -22.693 seconds 8. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R), -24.233 seconds 9. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR), -28.799 seconds 10. Andrew PITT (Yam YZF-R1), -28.946 seconds 11. Alex BARROS (Hon CBR1000RR), -34.558 seconds 12. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yam YZF-R1), -37.151 seconds 13. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR), -43.368 seconds 14. Jose David DE GEA (Hon CBR1000RR), -45.753 seconds 15. Fabien FORET (Suz GSX-R1000), -46.586 seconds 16. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Suz GSX-R1000), -49.648 seconds 17. Marco BORCIANI (Duc 999F05), -58.220 seconds 18. Giovanni BUSSEI (Hon CBR1000RR), -60.656 seconds 19. Franco BATTAINI (Kaw ZX-10R), -70.607 seconds 20. Norino BRIGNOLA (Duc 999RS), -71.443 seconds 21. Sergio FUERTES (Suz GSX-R1000), -71.752 seconds 22. Craig JONES (Foggy Petronas FP1), -75.123 seconds 23. Chris WALKER (Kaw ZX-10R), -100.231 seconds 24. Josep MONGE (Yam YZF-R1), -3 laps, pitted 25. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R), -6 laps, DNF, mechanical 26. Lorenzo ALFONSI (Yam YZF-R1), -7 laps, DNF, crash 27. Gianluca NANNELLI (Hon CBR1000RR), -9 laps, DNF, mechanical 28. Steve MARTIN (Foggy Petronas FP1), -10 laps, DNF, mechanical 29. Roberto ROLFO (Duc 999F05), -10 laps, DNF, mechanical 30. Ivan CLEMENTI (Duc 999RS), -13 laps, DNF, crash 31. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Duc 999RS), -13 laps, DNF, mechanical More, from a press release issued by Team Klaffi Honda: Hard work for Alex! The Brazilian started from 16th position in the grid. But things became even worse. Alex didn’t do a good start and was only on position 27 when he came back from the first lap. But Alex never gives up. He started an immense fight. It was nearly unbelievable how he coped with his task. Already in the second lap he passed Alfonsi and Clementi. And on he went pursuing the riders in front of him. Alex passed Iannuzzo, Rolfo, Bussei. From lap 21 on he was already 11th. Now he had his sights on Toseland and Pitt. But during the last three laps he couldn’t come close enough to them. So Alex finished 11th. Winner of the race was Bayliss in front of Corser and Lanzi. Alex Barros: “In the second heat today I have another chance. I’ll try my best to achieve a better result.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Suzuki’s World Superbike Champion Troy Corser raced his Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra GSX-R1000 to two second places at today’s third-round World Superbike Championship race in Valencia, Spain. He led Troy Bayliss (Ducati) for the best part of the two 23-lappers but had to give way to his fellow countryman in the closing stages both times. But team mate Yukio Kagayama had a weekend to forget: After his concussion yesterday and badly bruised right hand, he was far from fit but battled hard in the opening race for a well-deserved sixth place. The second race was following a similar pattern until he lost the front going into the first hairpin and crashed out. Fortunately he didn’t do any further damage to his right hand but hurt his right leg in the process. Alstare Engineering Corona Extra rider Fabien Foret scored his first points of the season with a 15th in race one and a 13th in race two. Troy Corser – Race 1: 2nd, Race 2: 2nd: “I’m happy, but also frustrated today. Happy because I took two seconds and also because I know I couldn’t have ridden any harder than I did. I tried my best, but I couldn’t overtake Troy Bayliss after he had passed me in both races. That was kind of frustrating, but I could see his bike was working the tyres less than mine and in the end the difference between us was marginal. “In race one I got a pretty good start and managed to pull out a bit of a gap, but in the later part of the race he caught me up when my tyres started to go. When he passed me I tried to get back at him, but he could run a bit faster than me and I just couldn’t do it. “It was much of the same in the second race: I built up a pretty good lead but I got a false neutral going into the first hairpin and was lucky not to crash. That was enough for Troy to close the gap. I had to adjust the clutch slip during the race and although it was only a tiny problem, that and tyre wear prevented me from catching and passing him.” Yukio Kagayama – Race 1: 6th, Race 2: DNF: “The weekend was not so good for me and maybe it’s better that I forget it. The crash yesterday meant that my right hand was not strong and, because Valencia is a very physical circuit, I couldn’t brake as hard as normal. Also it made changing direction much more difficult. “In the first race, I had a good fight with a group of riders and I enjoyed this battle. I could only use one finger to brake, so I could not go in as deep and hard as normal. If I hadn’t had the problem, I think I could’ve caught Haga and Abe ahead. In the second race I crashed at the hairpin, but I am not exactly sure why. I went into the turn, braked as usual and suddenly I was down without any warning. I was using a medium front tyre in race two – compared to a hard front in race one – so maybe that was part of the problem.” Fabien Foret – Race 1: 15th, Race 2: 13th: “All in all, I’m pretty happy with the weekend because it has been a good experience – my first ever Superpole yesterday and then scoring some points today. In the first race, I made a good start and the first five or six laps were not so bad. But, I think the tyre choice was wrong and that together with a small suspension problem didn’t allow me to lap as fast as I had expected. “My start in race two was ok and I was in a good group Toseland and Barros – and I enjoyed the battle and was happy because my lap times were consistent. This race weekend I feel I have made another step forward and gained a lot of experience. My next step is to qualify better and improve my finishing positions.” More, from a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing: Scant reward for FPR at Valencia Foggy PETRONAS Racing finished the third round of the Superbike World Championship at Valencia, Spain, with scant reward for their continued efforts. After the joy of qualifying on the front row, Steve Martin again had to battle hard for the team’s only point of the weekend when he finished 15th in the second race. Team-mate Craig Jones was able to gain encouragement from two race finishes, in which he showed further promise for the remainder of the season. Both race wins went to championship leader Troy Bayliss, who tracked his compatriot Troy Corser before pulling away in the final stages. The day began in disappointing fashion for FPR as Steve was forced to pull in during the first race, after experiencing deteriorating grip from the rear. In race two he was closing in on Alex Barros in 14th during the final stages. Craig completed the first race in 22nd, despite suffering an oil leak in the opening laps, and was challenging Giovanni Bussei, standing in for the injured Karl Muggeridge, on the Winston Ten Kate Honda for 20th in race two when he ran off into the gravel at the end of the start-finish straight. Craig said: “I had a good second race and felt that I made a lot of progress. I was doing consistent lap times throughout the race after a good start, when I got my elbows out for the first couple of corners to make up some places. When Bussei passed me I thought he would pull away but I found that little bit extra that I have been looking for and he was holding me up eventually. But, whether it was down to me or the bike, I experienced two or three false neutrals going into turn one and, when I couldn’t get it back into gear, I ran off into the gravel. I didn’t get the best of starts in the first race as I was beaten up in the first corner when Barros sat up, forcing me to sit up too. But then I managed to get past a few before, after about five laps, I had oil on my boots from a leak and my feet kept slipping off the pegs. If I had had a better feeling and better stopping power at the front I could have finished higher. Monza is a new track for me but I am looking forward to learning it and hopefully we can make more progress.” Steve said: “The bike is a million times better than at this time last year but we still need to find more horsepower in order to be race competitive throughout the year. I made an excellent start to the second race but, once again, was chewed up going into the first corner. You cannot afford to give away anything in such a competitive championship or you are going to go backwards, no matter how well the bike is handling. And although I didn’t finish the first race, I did feel as though we were racing until, on lap 12, I lost the rear a couple of times. I felt I had to come in to check there wasn’t a major problem, which there wasn’t, so maybe I was a little over-cautious. Once again, though, the effort of everyone involved has been faultless.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Yamaha’s world superbike riders overcame a lack of traction to bring home a good haul of points at round three of the series in Valencia today. Norick Abe was the leading Yamaha rider, ending the day with a pair of fourth places and only narrowly missing out on a podium finish in his second outing. The Japanese star was in superb form all weekend after his Yamaha Motor France squad brought along a new specification engine for the race. The team, which uses and is responsible for development of Yamaha’s YEC kit parts, worked hard after below par performances in Qatar and Phillip Island. In both races Abe made good starts and worked hard to battle with fellow Yamaha rider Noriyuki Haga. In the afternoon’s second race the two-time 500cc Grand Prix winner looked like coming home third for what would have been his first ever superbike podium, only to be passed by Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) on the final lap. Despite a little disappointment at missing out on third, Abe was delighted with the performance of his R1 and at being back running with the leaders. Yamaha Motor Italia riders Haga and Andrew Pitt had a tough day struggling with set-up problems. For Haga, the two races were virtually carbon copies of each other, holding third for much of the race but succumbing to Lanzi and Abe in the final few laps. The Japanese rider suffered electrical problems in both outings, affecting his machine’s quick shift system and the power delivery of the engine. Despite the first race problems, Haga was able to bring his R1 home in fifth place. Set-up changes and the replacement of various electrical components brought hope of a better result in race two and, after a good start, Haga was challenging eventual winner Troy Bayliss (Ducati) in the battle for second. Unfortunately for Haga the problem reemerged and his lap times dropped off, drawing him into the clutches of Abe and Lanzi. Despite his disappointment at not battling for the podium, Haga had the consolation of moving up two places in the championship, leaving Valencia in fourth place. Pitt also had two similar races, unable to fix the front end grip problems he faced all weekend. The Australian came home tenth in the first race following a bad start and finished ninth in race two, at the back of a three-way battle for seventh with Kawasaki riders Chris Walker and Regis Laconi. Yamaha Motor France’s improved fortunes allowed Shinichi Nakatomi to show his true colours. The Japanese newcomer grabbed two 12th places in a wonderful display of aggressive riding on his R1. After a somewhat lonely race one, the second outing saw Nakatomi was involved in an intense four-way battle for tenth that included no less than multiple Grand Prix winner Alex Barros (Honda) and former superbike world champion James Toseland (Honda). In the end Nakatomi finished just a tenth of a second behind Toseland, but claimed Barros as a scalp. Both Valencia races were won by Bayliss, with defending world champion Troy Corser (Suzuki) second both times. In the championship, Bayliss extends his lead to 22 points over second placed Corser with Toseland third and Haga fourth. Pitt slips back one place to sixth, with Abe’s 26 points taking him up to eighth place overall. The next round takes place at Yamaha Motor Italia’s local Monza circuit in two weeks’ time. Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) “Two good results today, so I am very happy with that. In the second race compared to the first I had a better feeling but in the beginning the top two were gone and in a different world. I caught up with Lanzi then tried so hard to catch Haga. When I passed him I tried to make a gap but by that stage the tyres were spinning a lot. I think the Ducati has good traction in that condition, because Lanzi was very fast at the end. So I am a little disappointed to miss the podium but the whole day was a big improvement over the first rounds, so I am very happy.” Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) “After qualifying we knew that this was going to be a tough race but the problems we had today made it impossible to fight for the podium. In the first race the traction was not so good but I thought I could take third until the engine lost power. For the second race the feeling with the bike was better but the problem came back and there was nothing I could do when Abe and Lanzi came past.” Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) “In the first race we also tried something different on the start and it didn’t work, which gave me a lot of work to do. We made some improvements to the bike after qualifying and between the races but I was still struggling for front end grip. The bike was actually quite good for the first ten laps but when it went off I couldn’t push as hard as I wanted to. I was able to run with guys like Toseland and Laconi but the confidence in the front end wasn’t there and I couldn’t make a pass.” Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Motor France) “I’m pleased to have two good races and score some championship points. The main difference this weekend was that the team has made the bike a lot better than at the first two races, so I could go fast and have some good battles in the second race. We had three days of testing here as well so that also makes a difference.” Martial Garcia (Team Manager – Yamaha Motor France) “We found the correct settings today and adapted well to the tyres. We made tests all winter with the old tyres but are now racing with the new ones, which are much better but they do increase chattering and sometimes that means we are lost in the set-up. In the Misano test we recovered confidence and we can see the results now.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator – Yamaha Motor Italia) “It has been a difficult weekend for us. Noriyuki’s bike developed an electrical problem which caused some problems with the engine power. We replaced the sensors between the races but it did not fix the problem. Andrew had problems with front end grip but rode well to get some good points. To be honest, we know that Valencia is not one of our best circuits but we are an ambitious team with a goal of winning the championship so even though we came here knowing it would be difficult we are never satisfied with fifth places. On the positive side, Noriyuki has moved up the championship table to fourth and when you consider that he was seventh in the championship this time last year we are clearly going in the right direction.”