GREAT BATTLE SHAPING UP IN AMA SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP PICKERINGTON, Ohio (April 18, 2006) — Kawasaki has it and wants to keep it, while Yamaha and Suzuki both want it back. The prize these manufacturers all covet is the AMA Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei. One of the most hotly contested series in the history of AMA road racing, the Supersport series is once again shaping up to be another barnburner in 2006. Kawasaki’s Roger Lee Hayden brings a four-point lead over Yamaha’s Jamie Hacking coming into round two of the 11-race series at Barber Motorsports Park on Sunday, April 23. Hayden feels like it is his time to win the Supersport title. The youngest of the three racing Hayden brothers from Owensboro, Ky., has been runner-up in the series to his oldest brother Tommy for the last two years. This season Tommy is going to concentrate solely on the Superbike class leaving baby brother alone to fight off the horde of Yamaha and Suzuki riders trying to win back the championship. If Roger manages to win the series it would mean that all three Haydens brothers have won the title. Middle brother Nicky is racing for the factory Honda team in the Motorcycle Grand Prix World Championship. After winning at Daytona last month Roger Lee said he feels like he’s up to the task of finally earning his first AMA road racing title. He sees 2003 champ Jamie Hacking as his primary competition. “I’m pretty happy that I came through Daytona with a good result,” said Hayden, who is beginning his eighth year as a pro. “It’s going to be a long year. This class is competitive. I know there’s always some other guy that’s going to be strong all year. I know Jamie [Hacking] is fast. He has been the last few years. He just got hurt a few times. I know he’s capable of being up front every race.” Hacking’s primary goal for 2006 is to stay healthy so he’ll have the chance to win back the championship he won three years ago. “It’s going to be a tough battle all year,” Hacking said of the Supersport championship. “We’ve been in this situation before, and hopefully we can have a trouble-free season. The last couple years for us have been pretty bad. So hopefully we can have a clean season and work on our bike some more in testing this next month, and get the thing dialed in just a little bit better. I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a good season.” Hacking and Hayden are both former Barber Supersport winners. While the focus is primarily on the battle between Hayden and Hacking, Suzuki has a secret weapon in the class in the form of Ben Spies. Most have considered the young Texan to be a Supersport overachiever on the Suzuki, which has been just a slight click off the Kawasaki and Yamaha Supersport bikes in the last couple of seasons. This year however the new GSX-R600 seems to be closer if not equal to the other factory rigs and Spies hopes to do some damage in the class this season. Suzuki also has depth in the class. In addition to factory rider Spies there are a host of support riders who could contend for podiums throughout the season. Chief among them is former flat tracker Danny Eslick, who is coming on strong on the Matsushima Performance Suzuki, and M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Geoff May. Eslick is fifth in the standings coming into Barber, May seventh, by virtue of their Daytona finishes. Suzuki is looking for its first victory in the Barber Supersport event. Another team to watch for at Barber is Attack Performance Kawasaki with the Aussie pair of Damon Buckmaster and Ben Attard. Both are capable of winning on any given weekend. Honda has no factory entry in Supersport this year, but is represented in the class by California speedster Jeffrey Tigert on his Pro Honda Oils backed team. Tigert is 12th in the standings coming into Barber. The Pro Honda Oils Supersport race is part of Barber Motorsports Park’s Honda Superbike Classic that runs from April 21-23. The Barber Supersport final will be televised nationally on SPEED at 3 p.m. EST Tuesday, April 25. To obtain tickets for the Honda Superbike Classic call 800-240-2300 or visit the website www.barbermotorsports.com. About AMA Pro Racing AMA Pro Racing is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its properties include the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship and the AMA Supermoto Championship. For more information about AMA Pro Racing, visit www.amaproracing.com.

Nowland and Cudlin third at Assen Australians Warwick Nowland and Damian Cudlin have kicked off the 2006 world endurance title in strong fashion, securing third place in the season-opening event at a revamped Assen layout on April 17. After starting from grid position five on the Yamaha Phase One Endurance YZF-R1, the duo circulated consistently for the entire 500km race, eventually finishing two laps down on the victorious Suzuki Castrol combination of Vincent Philippe and Japan’s Keiichi Kitagawa (GSX-R1000). The podium was completed by Yamaha Austria, with Igor Jerman and Sebastien Scarnato at the helm of the team’s YZF-R1. “I had a couple of little problems during the race, but to finish on the podium gives us a lot of confidence heading into the big 24-hour (Le Mans) next weekend,” said Cudlin, who finished fourth at Assen last year. “We changed the bike a little bit in warm up and it wasn’t spot on for me, and when the wind picked during the race up it was a little bit unstable.” Meanwhile, reigning world champion Suzuki Castrol enjoyed the perfect weekend, kick-started when its full complement of riders Matthieu Lagrive is the third went fastest in their individual qualifying sessions. Lagrive was then set aside for the 110-lap race, leaving Philippe and Kitagawa to deliver Suzuki Castrol’s third successive win at Assen and Suzuki’s fourth in a row after Nowland was successful in 2003. The duo was a lap ahead by the 250km mark, and could afford to cruise in the closing stages but not before Philippe set the fastest lap of the race (1:43.659) on the extensively remodelled circuit in northern Holland. “It was an easy race for the team,” said Philippe. “I made good start, and tried to stay constant during the race. I saw Yamaha Austria had a problem, so I kept a good lap time but not too fast; I was thinking about Le Mans next week. It’s been a pleasure to ride at Assen.” Yamaha Austria did manage to keep Castrol Suzuki on its toes in the opening laps, before it was forced to pit early for a new front tyre. Twenty-eight teams completed the distance, with nine DNFs. Round two of the 2006 Endurance World Championship will be held at Le Mans this weekend the first time the iconic 24-hour event has been on the calendar since 2001. A third Australian will join Nowland and Cudlin at Le Mans Damian’s younger brother Alex, who will ride for Kawasaki Diablo 666 on a ZX-10R. Diablo finished eighth at Assen. Provisional results 1st 2 Suzuki Castrol FRA Suzuki GSX-R1000 Philippe, Kitagawa 110 laps 2nd 7 Yamaha Austria AUT Yamaha YZF-R1 Jerman, Scarnato – 1 lap 3rd 3 Yamaha Phase One Endurance GBR Yamaha YZF-R1 Nowland, Cudlin – 2 laps 4th 12 Suzuki Fagersjo-el.se SWE Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Hanson, Andersson, Carlberg 3 laps 5th 8 Kawasaki Bolliger SUI Kawasaki ZX10R Muff, Saiger, Morillon 4 laps 6th 4 Team X-One Yamaha ITA Yamaha YZF-R1 Sanna, Demaneis, Tessari – +35.371 seconds 7th 21 RMT21 Racing Honda GER Honda CBR1000RR Mizera, Seidel – +1:05.900 8th 666 Kawasaki Diablo 666 GBR Kawasaki ZX10R Rohtlaan, Hutchins, Cudlin 5 laps 9th 100 Suzuki Team Endurance Moto45 FRA Suzuki GSX-R1000 Bernon, Briere – +48.871 seconds 10th 199 Yamaha Team Acropolis Zone Rouge FRA Yamaha YZF-R1 – vdBoreck, Pirot, Botton 6 laps

Round 3 – Bennetts British Superbike Championship Meeting Thruxton, Hants. Sunday 16th and Monday 17th April 2006 THRUXTON WOES FOR BRIDEWELL BROTHERS OLLIE CRASHES AT 160MPH AS TOM HITS TROUBLE”¦ Following on from their superb starts to the 2006 British Championship season, Etchilhampton near Devizes in Wiltshire brothers Tommy and Ollie Bridewell both suffered setbacks when round three of series took place at Thruxton in Hampshire today (Easter Monday). Riding at their local track and in front of a sell out record crowd at the historic circuit, neither rider made it to the finish of their respective races due to a number of problems throughout the weekend aboard their respective Vivaldi Suzukis. 17 year old Tommy was hoping to add to his points tally where he was inside the top fifteen at the opening two rounds but handling problems on his 600cc Suzuki hindered his progress in the British Supersport Championship. Faced with an uphill struggle from a lowly sixth row grid position, Bridewell made a good start but following on from a near crash on the opening lap which had him out of the saddle, he decided to call it a day instead of risking a crash around Britain’s fastest race track: “I’m bitterly disappointed as Thruxton is one of my favourite tracks but we just couldn’t get the bike to handle all weekend long. If I’d continued in the race, I would have crashed and the last thing I needed after regaining my fitness was another injury so discretion was the better part of valour today” said a bitterly disappointed Tommy. Meanwhile elder brother Ollie was once again impressive aboard the 1000cc Vivaldi Suzuki which he had taken to top ten placings in the first two rounds of the series but any hopes he had of increasing his score in front of his local fans were thwarted in both 22 lap Bennetts British Superbike Championship races. The 20 year old set an impressive 14th fastest time during the Audi Performance Qualifying session on Sunday but an electrical fault meant he had to retire form race one in the early stages. Determined to put his misfortune behind him, Ollie got a rip-snorter of a start in race two and and inside the top eight for the opening laps when he had to take avoiding action as Rizla Suzuki rider James Haydon crashed in front of him. Undeterred, Ollie set about chasing the leading bunch again when he lost the front end at the 160mph plus Church Corner and crashed out spectacularly, luckily without major injury: “That was the fastest crash I’ve ever had and the bike is looking a little worse for wear now which I’ve apologised to the team for. I was so mad as I was running with the leading bunch and I knew I had the pace to stick with them but I tried just a little hard and down I went. Still, apart from some missing skin, I’m OK and hope to get back to scoring points next time out at Oulton Park” said Ollie. The next round of the respective championships takes place in two weeks time at Oulton Park, Cheshire over the weekend of April 30th and May 1st. More, from a press release issued by Cartersport Motorsport Media, on behalf of Stobart Motorsport: STOBART HONDA RIDERS RACK UP POINTS AT THRUXTON Stobart Motorsport riders Michael Rutter and Michael Laverty emerged from round three of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship with some more solid points following on the first dry meeting of the 2006 season at Thruxton in Hampshire today. In front of a record crowd and just prior to celebrating his 32nd birthday, Leicestershire rider Rutter scored a sixth and seventh place finish in both 22 lap races following on from problems encountered during qualifying and as a result goes into the next round at Oulton Park in joint seventh position in the Championship. Meanwhile Michael Laverty also struggled during qualifying to get a race set up but bravely battled on to record a tenth and eleventh place finish to score valuable points and in doing so left Thruxton in ninth position in the Championship. “Everything we tried didn’t work. We went back to the standard setting but we were 22 seconds off in the first race and 30 in the second so we haven’t done very well at all. We had a good set up at Donington and hopefully it is just the circuit here that just didn’t suit how the bike was set up” said Rutter. Laverty added “I just had a nightmare weekend. Everything we tried, we just couldn’t make any improvement. I just couldn’t get anything to work and I rode around like a beginner. I just couldn’t ride it fast, I just had to ride it safely. I’m just frustrated but at least I got some points at the end of the day. Like Michael (Rutter), I believe it’s just the circuit because the bike worked well at Donington and Brands and Thruxton is a unique circuit.” Meanwhile Crew Chief Phil Borley commented “We’ve learned a lot of lessons this weekend and we hope to be challenging a lot higher up the leaderboard at Oulton Park. We now have two weeks to re-group and turn things around before the next round.” The next round of the Championship takes place at Oulton Park in two weeks’ time on Mayday Bank Holiday Monday (1st May). Superbike Race One Result: 1, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 28m47.270s, 2, Leon Haslam (Ducati) +4.460s, 3, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +12.742s, 4, Jonathan Rea (Honda) +18.921s, 5, Shane Byrne (Suzuki) +19.058s, 6, Michael Rutter (Stobart Honda) +22.866s, 7, Glen Richards (Honda) +30.839s, 8, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +30.974s, 9, Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) +34.210s, 10, Michael Laverty (Stobart Honda) +34.252s. Superbike Race Two Result: 1, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 27m58.085s, 2, Leon Haslam (Ducati) +6.337s, 3, Karl Harris (Honda) +15.230s, 4, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +15.566s, 5, Jonathan Rea (Honda) +21.323s, 6, Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) +25.437s, 7, Michael Rutter (Stobart Honda) +30.305s, 8, Shane Byrne (Suzuki) +34.977s, 9, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +38.501s, 10, Scott Smart (Suzuki) +42.610s, 11, Michael Laverty (Stobart Honda) +42.842s. Bennetts British Superbike Championship Standings (after round 3) 1, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 132pts 2, Leon Haslam (Ducati) 96pts 3, Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 87pts 4, Karl Harris (HM Plant Honda) 57pts 5, Jonathan Rea (Honda) 54pts 6, Shane Byrne (Suzuki) 45pts 7, Scott Smart (Suzuki) 44pts 7, Michael Rutter (Stobart Honda) 44pts 9, Michael Laverty (Stobart Honda) 42pts 10, Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) 40pts 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 More, from a press release issued by Hawk Kawasaki: Top Ten Finishes for Hawk Kawasaki Round 3 – Thruxton – 17th April Hawk Kawasaki rider Dean Thomas secured two top ten finishes at the third round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship on Bank Holiday Monday (17th April). 33-year-old Thomas gained a ninth and sixth place in the two Superbike races at Thruxton Circuit. After a fantastic qualifying position of fourth place on the grid, his second front row start this season, it was always going to be a difficult task to stay with the factory machines of Ducati and Honda at the super fast 2.4-mile track. It was the first dry race day so far this season and with a bumper crowd of 35’000 spectators it was a great day for some fantastic racing. Hawk Kawasaki Team Manager Stuart Hicken made the decision to pull the injured Craig Coxhell out of the two races to avoid further damage to his injured shoulders. Coxhell made a valiant attempt all weekend to try and bear the pain but it was obvious the 23-year-old Australian was in a lot of discomfort. Youngster of the pack, 19-year-old Peter Hickman was once again unlucky not to score his first points of the season. Tied up in some of the best battles of the race Hickman was dicing for 14th place in the first race and ended just outside the points in 18th after a fraught battle with Gary Mason, Steve Plater and Privateer Champion James Buckingham. In race two, Hickman lead a freight train of five riders for 12th position but sadly ended up crashing on lap 19 of the 22. Sheffield based Thomas was content with his results saying “I had a disaster with tyres in the first race and to avoid crashing I just wanted to ensure that I brought the bike home. This made it difficult for me to stay with the front runners, as I had no grip what so ever. The second race was much better and the ZX10 felt a lot smoother to ride. I knew we would struggle with horsepower here and the likes of Kiyo and Lavilla came past me like I was stood still. I tried to conserve my tyres a little more and managed to get past Michael (Rutter) in the closing stages of the race. We still have a lot of work to do with the bike but we are definitely getting there.” Lincolnshire rider Hickman was disappointed not to have scored points saying “It’s very frustrating not ending up in the points as I know there is a strong possibility that I can do, I think I proved that this weekend. I really enjoyed the racing today but riding a Superbike round here, certainly is a scary affair and so fast it’s untrue. It’s a very difficult circuit to learn in such a short space of time, I’ve been here on a Superstock bike but the Superbike is like an animal around here. I’m not sure what happened in the crash as it all happened so quickly but I’m just thankful I walked away from it uninjured. I’m looking forward to Oulton as it’s a track I know.” Injured Coxhell said, “I really wanted to ride this weekend to try and get some Championship points. Although I made a big effort all weekend I knew that it was going to be nearly impossible for me to finish the races in the points. Both shoulders were sore all weekend but during morning warm up I was in the slip stream of Scott Smart and pulled out the pass him and got the bike into a huge tank-slapper which ripped the muscle in my right shoulder. It was so painful and knew then that I couldn’t ride in the two races. I’m hoping to be fit for Oulton in a few weeks time.” The Hawk Kawasaki riders will be testing at the official British Superbike Test Day at Oulton Park this Friday (21st April) and will race there on the May Bank Holiday weekend (29th, 30th April and 1st May). For more details please see www.hawkkawasaki.co.uk. BSB Race 1 Result: 1.Gregorio Lavilla – 22 Laps, 2. Leon Haslam + 4.460, 3. Ryuichi Kiyonari + 12.742, 4. Jonathan Rea + 18.921, 5. Shane Byrne + 19.058, 6. Michael Rutter + 22.866, 7. Glen Richards + 30.839, 8.Tommy Hill + 30.974, 9. Dean Thomas + 34.210 (Hawk Kawasaki), 10. Michael Laverty 34.252, 18. Peter Hickman + 53.786 (Hawk Kawasaki) BSB Race 2 Result: 1.Gregorio Lavilla 22 Laps, 2. Leon Haslam + 6.337, 3. Karl Harris + 15.230, 4. Ryuichi Kiyonari + 15.566, 5. Jonathan Rea + 21.323, 6. Dean Thomas + 25.437 (Hawk Kawasaki), 7. Michael Rutter + 30.305, 8. Shane Byrne + 34.977, 9. Tommy Hill + 38.501, 10. Scott Smart + 42.610 Championship Standings after Round 3 Lavilla 132 Haslam 96 Kiyonari 87 Harris 57 Rea 54 Byrne 45 Smart 44 Rutter 44 Laverty 42 Thomas 40 15th Craig Coxhell 18 R13: 29 September 1 October, Brands Hatch, Kent (GP) www.motorsportvision.co.uk

HAYDEN BROTHERS TO APPEAR ON DISCOVERY CHANNEL IRVINE, Calif. Reigning AMA Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden and series runner-up Roger Hayden are to appear on the Discovery Channel’s newest show, “Speed on Two Wheels,” scheduled to air Wednesday, April 19th. The Kawasaki Racing Team riders will be appearing alongside their crew as the show progresses through the many technical aspects of what it takes to be competitive in the AMA Superbike series. Produced by Cry Havoc Productions, “Speed on Two Wheels” also takes the viewer into the world of the modern sportbike. Viewers will learn the artistry and engineering of these two-wheeled rocketships and what makes them tick. The program covers everything from how the average consumer can learn better riding skills to how top racers dial-in their finely tuned machines. Depending on the cable provider the show is scheduled to air on either the Discovery Channel or the Discovery Science Channel. Be sure to check your local listings for time and channel. Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) markets and sells at wholesale Kawasaki motorcycles, ATVs, personal watercraft and utility vehicles through a network of more than 1,500 independent retailers, with an additional 8,400 retailers specializing in power products and general purpose engines. KMC and its affiliates employ nearly 2,400 people in the United States, with more than 350 of them located at the Irvine, California headquarters. Kawasaki’s tagline, “Let the good times roll.™”, is recognized worldwide and the brand is aggressively carrying its heritage of leading-edge power, performance and exhilaration into the 21st century. Information about Kawasaki’s complete line of recreational products and Kawasaki affiliates can be found on the Internet at www.kawasaki.com.

Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne took two inspirational and determined top-10 finishes on his Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000 after starting well down the grid in both of today’s races at the third round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Thruxton. In morning warm-up, Byrne missed the chequered flag and was penalised for riding too fast on a red flag lap by being moved back eight places from ninth to 17th on the grid. But he gritted his teeth and fought his way through to fourth before eventually ending up fifth after a race-long battle with Honda’s Jonathan Rea. On the sighting lap for the second race, he was forced into the pits to change to his spare bike after discovering a problem with the front wheel. He had to start the race from the final position on the grid before again showing his determination to finish eighth. Starting from fifth on the grid, team mate James Haydon was taken out of race one at the first corner when Karl Harris’s Honda skittled him. In the second race he crashed out on the opening lap unhurt. Ducati’s Gregorio Lavilla won both races. Rizla Suzuki will attend an official British Superbike test on Friday at Oulton Park in Cheshire before returning to the same circuit for the fourth round of the Championship on Bank Holiday Monday, May 1st. Shakey Byrne: “I made a genuine mistake in morning warm-up and missed seeing the chequered flag. I kept going flat out for a few corners before I realised the session was over and ended up being penalised and put back on the grid by eight places. That fired me up and I gave it my all and fifth was a good result from that starting position. “In the second race I had to start from dead last after a problem on my out lap and I put my head down and went for it again. I got up to eighth in the end and was wishing for more laps as I was stating to catch the riders in front of me. “We made good progress with the Rizla Suzuki this weekend and I think I could have overtaken anything on the straights as it is a missile. It’s just a shame I wasn’t able to start from a decent grid position in either race as I am sure we had the pace to threaten the podium.” James Haydon: “I am bitterly disappointed with both races. In the first race I got side-swiped by Karl’s bike as he crashed in front of me. In the second race I lost the rear and ended up on the grass. Both crashes were on the first lap and my races were over before they started. “Through practice and qualification we found good speed and chassis balance and I’ll take those positives to our test later in the week and the next round at Oulton Park.” Robert Wicks – Team Manager: “Shakey showed the real potential of Rizla Suzuki as he fought his way through the pack in both races. The GSX-R1000 is lightning fast and Shakey proved his class and determination to record two strong results. He showed how hungry he is for success and for the last four or five laps in the second race he was the fastest rider on the circuit bar none. His ‘never-say-die’ mentality was a hit with the huge crowd. “James deserved better after showing such great form throughout practice and qualifying and he will come back stronger and more determined at Oulton Park. “This has been another character-building weekend for the team, typified by all the hard work in the garage to rebuild James’s bike in time for the second race. “A big thank you to Murray Walker who joined the team to cheer on both Shakey and James he’s a real gent and bike enthusiast who we are proud to call a friend of Rizla Suzuki.” Race One Results: 1: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 28:47270, 2: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +4.460, 3: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +12.742, 4: Jonathan Rea (Honda) +18.921, 5: Shane Byrne (Rizla Suzuki) +19.058, 6: Michael Rutter (Honda) +22.866, 7: Glen Richards (Honda) +30.839, 8: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +30.974, 9: Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) +34.210, 10: Michael Laverty (Honda) +34.252. James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) DNF. Race Two Results: 1: Lavilla 27:58.085, 2: Haslam +6.337, 3: Karl Harris (Honda) +15.230, 4: Kiyonari +15.566, 5: Rea +21.323, 6: Thomas +25.437, 7: Rutter +30.305, 8: Shane Byrne (Rizla Suzuki) +34.977, 9: Hill +38.501, 10 Scott Smart (Suzuki) +42.610. James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) DNF Championship Standings (after three of 13 rounds): 1: Lavilla 132, 2: Haslam 96, 3: Kiyonari 87, 4: Harris 57, 5: Rea 54, 6: Shane Byrne (Rizla Suzuki) 45, 7=: Smart 44, 7=: Rutter 44, 9: Laverty 42, 10: Thomas 40, 16=: James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) 15.

The first European round of World’s Superbike Championship at Valencia takes place at Valencia on 21-23 April. It starts with a fantastic event. The most important riders of the Championship take part in a press conference on Port America’s Cup on a boat on Thursday 20 April. Alex Barros is one of the selected riders to join this unique event at sea. After the last two official tests at Valencia and Misano Alex is confident to achieve some excellent results in the races on the upcoming weekend. The setting of his Klaffi Honda Fireblade is perfect. The new aerodynamic package, which he tested at Misano, is another successful step in the right direction. Alex himself is well prepared and in a perfect shape. He knows the Ricardo Tormo Circuit of Valencia with its rapid changes of directions very well and knows how to take the slow corners and the fast sections of the course. Team Manager Klaus Klaffenböck: “We passed some tough weeks working hard on the Fireblade. The results are promising. Now it is Alex turn to bring out the best. Above all I’m sure he will be pleased with the new decoration of our pit garage. It is painted in the colours of the Brazilian flag, yellow, green and blue. With his Brazilian coloured Klaffi Honda Fireblade and his leathers it is a perfect look!” Ricardo Tormo Circuit Length: 4 005 m, finish line 876 m Turns: 5 right, 9 left Max. slope: down 5,33%, up3,58% Lap record: Troy Bayliss 2006 1’33.758

Suzuki Castrol Win Assen 500 Yamaha Austria Second, Yamaha Phase One Third 7 Nations and 4 Manufacturers in Top 7 Suzuki Castrol have won the Assen 500km round of the FIM World Endurance Championship in convincing style after leading from the first lap. By half distance they were a lap ahead of the rest of the field, and rider Vincent Philippe also set the fastest race lap with a time of 1:43.659. Second place went to Yamaha Austria, who were forced to pit early after wearing out their front tyre while pushing to catch Suzuki Castrol. Third place was held by Yamaha Phase One Endurance, and fourth went to Suzuki Fagersjo-el.se; both teams ran good smooth races. Kawasaki Bolliger Team started well then had to pit to replace a damaged rear sprocket unit. This dropped them down the field but they climbed back to finish fifth overall, just passing sixth placed Yamaha X-One in the closing minutes of the race. RMT21 Racing Honda had looked set to take fifth or sixth place but they had to make a last minute “splash and dash” pit stop, dropping them into seventh place behind X-One but in front of Kawasaki Diablo 666, who finished the race with only two gears working. The top Superstock class finisher was Suzuki Team Endurance Moto45 in ninth place overall, and the top Superproduction class finisher was Yamaha Team Acropolis Zone Rouge 199 in tenth place. The top seven finishing teams came from seven different nationalities; France, Austria, Great Britain, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy and Germany. The same seven teams represented four different manufacturers; Suzuki (1st and 4th), Yamaha (2nd, 3rd and 6th), Kawasaki (5th) and Honda (7th). The next round of the championship is the Le Mans 24 Hour race which takes place next weekend, the 22nd and 23rd of April. Press Conference Vincent Philippe, Suzuki Castrol, 1st Place: “It was an easy race for the team. I made a good start, and tried to stay constant during the relais. I saw Yamaha Austria had a problem so I kept a good lap time but not too fast; I was thinking about Le Mans next week. It’s a pleasure to ride at Assen; for us no problems.” Sebastien Scarnato, Yamaha Austria, 2nd Place: “It will be very hard to beat Suzuki Castrol. At this race we had some small problems, and I think with these problems we could not beat them. We can be very much closer but I don’t know. On some circuits Pirelli will be better than Dunlop, but here Dunlop was better.” Damian Cudlin, Yamaha Phase One Endurance, 3rd Place: “I had a couple of little problems. We changed the bike a little bit in warm up and it wasn’t spot on for me; when the wind picked up it was a little bit unstable.” Provisional Top Ten Finishing Positions 1st 2 – Suzuki 0123 Castrol – FRA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Philippe, Kagayama – 110 laps 2nd 7 – Yamaha Austria – AUT – Yamaha YZF-R1 – Jerman, Scarnato – 1 lap 3rd 3 – Yamaha Phase One Endurance – GBR – Yamaha YZF-R1 – Nowland, Cudlin – 2 laps 4th 12 – Suzuki Fagersjo-el.se – SWE – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Hanson, Andersson, Carlberg – 3 laps 5th 8 – Kawasaki Bolliger – SUI – Kawasaki ZX10R – Muff, Saiger, Morillon – 4 laps 6th 4 – Team X-One Yamaha – ITA – Yamaha YZF-R1 – Sanna, Demaneis, Tessari – +35.371 seconds 7th 21 – RMT21 Racing Honda – GER – Honda CBR1000RR – Mizera, Seidel – +1:05.900 8th 666 – Kawasaki Diablo 666 – GBR – Kawasaki ZX10R – Rohtlaan, Hutchins, Cudlin – 5 laps 9th 100 – Suzuki Team Endurance Moto45 – FRA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Bernon, Briere – +48.871 seconds 10th 199 – Yamaha Team Acropolis Zone Rouge – FRA – Yamaha YZF-R1 – vdBoreck, Pirot, Botton – 6 laps More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Reigning World Endurance Champions Suzuki Castrol won the Assen 500km opening round of the FIM World Endurance Championship in Holland today after leading from the start. Although one rider down after Mathieu Lagrive crashed and injured himself yesterday, the SERT GSX-R1000 had pulled a lap ahead by the half-way point of the four-hour event and team rider Vincent Philippe also set the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1:43.659. Second place overall and a lap down went to Yamaha Austria, who was forced to pit early after wearing out their front tyre while pushing to catch the Suzuki. Third place was taken by Yamaha Phase One Endurance and fourth; Suzuki Fagersjo-el.se aboard their GSX-R1000. The top Superstock class finisher was Suzuki Team Endurance Moto45 in ninth place overall and the leading Super Production class finisher was Yamaha Team Acropolis Zone Rouge 199 in 10th place. The top seven finishing teams came from seven different nationalities; France, Austria, Great Britain, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy and Germany. The same seven teams represented four different manufacturers; Suzuki (1st and 4th), Yamaha (2nd, 3rd and 6th), Kawasaki (5th) and Honda (7th). Said Philippe: “It’s a pleasure to ride at Assen and for us there were no problems. It was an easy race for the team. I made a good start and tried to stay constant. I saw Yamaha Austria had a problem so I kept a good lap time but not too fast. I was thinking about Le Mans.” The next round of the championship is the Le Mans 24 Hour race which takes place next weekend, April 22nd/ 23rd. 1: Suzuki Castrol – FRA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Philippe, Kagayama – 110 laps. 2: Yamaha Austria – AUT – Yamaha YZF-R1 – Jerman, Scarnato – 1 lap 3: Yamaha Phase One Endurance – GBR – Yamaha YZF-R1 – Nowland, Cudlin – 2 laps 4: Suzuki Fagersjo-el.se – SWE – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Hanson, Andersson, Carlberg – 3 laps 5: Kawasaki Bolliger – SUI – Kawasaki ZX10R – Muff, Saiger, Morillon – 4 laps 6: Team X-One Yamaha – ITA – Yamaha YZF-R1 – Sanna, Demaneis, Tessari – +35.371 seconds 7: RMT21 Racing Honda – GER – Honda CBR1000RR – Mizera, Seidel – +1:05.900 8: Kawasaki Diablo 666 – GBR – Kawasaki ZX10R – Rohtlaan, Hutchins, Cudlin – 5 laps 9: Suzuki Team Endurance Moto45 – FRA – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – Bernon, Briere – +48.871 seconds 10: Yamaha Team Acropolis Zone Rouge – FRA – Yamaha YZF-R1 vd Boreck, Pirot, Botton – 6 laps

MLADIN LOOKS TO BUILD ON WINNING STREAK AT BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK PICKERINGTON, Ohio (April 17, 2006) — Defending AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin comes to the Honda Superbike Classic doubleheader, at Barber Motorsports Park on April 21-23, looking to extend his three-race winning streak at the scenic Birmingham, Alabama circuit. Mladin leads the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited point standings after coming out on top in a thrilling battle with Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Ben Spies in the series opener at Daytona International Speedway last month. Mladin easily swept both legs of the Barber doubleheader last year after starting from the pole. It was perhaps the Australian’s most dominating performance of his stellar 2005 season. If the memory of last year’s performance weren’t enough for his competitors, Mladin clocked the fastest lap time riding under the existing track record in testing at Barber a few weeks ago. “We’ve been pretty strong at Barber,” Mladin said understatedly. “It’s always a good thing to come to a track that places a premium on a rider’s skill and a properly set-up motorcycle versus some tracks where all you have to do is to be able to draft to stay in a race.” While Mladin might be the favorite to repeat his sweep at Barber this year, at least one rider came away from Daytona with newfound confidence that he could run with the champ and that is teammate Ben Spies. Spies ran dead even with Mladin at Daytona before Mladin pulled off a brilliant last-lap maneuver to put him in a position to draft past Spies before the finish line. “No one likes to lose a race, but at least I came away from Daytona knowing that I can hang with Mat on the same bike,” said Spies, who is second in the standings. “My bike worked really good in the infield at Daytona, so hopefully that’s a sign for the rest of the season. Mat’s definitely the man to beat and I’m doing everything I can to get up there and match his speed.” The third member of the Yoshimura Suzuki squad is Aaron Yates. Yates is very familiar with Barber Motorsports Park, having provided input on the design off the track. He’s also a former winner of the race and is hoping to continue a strong return after suffering a pre-season testing crash and injuring his shoulder. Honda has renewed hope of reestablishing its team as an AMA Superbike contender this season after a sub-par 2005. Direct help from HRC in Japan combined with the experience American Honda gained by building its own CBR1000RR race bike last year have made the superbikes ridden by Miguel Duhamel and Jake Zemke very competitive. Duhamel finished third in the Daytona Superbike race and at Barber he hopes to earn his first AMA Superbike victory since 2004. Ducati’s Neil Hodgson comes into the Barber doubleheader ranked fourth in the standings. The British rider led early in the Sunday leg of last year’s doubleheader. With a season of AMA experience under his belt Hodgson is expected to be a more consistent challenger this season. Hodgson’s teammate Ben Bostrom joins Mladin and Duhamel as the only former AMA Superbike champions in the field. Kawasaki fans will finally get to see their beloved factory green machines at Barber for the first time. Brothers Tommy and Roger Lee Hayden are continuing to perfect the factory Kawasaki ZX-10RRs. It will be interesting to see how the newest of the factory superbikes handle on the technical 2.26, 16-turn Barber circuit. Jordan Suzuki’s Jason Pridmore returns to Barber this year fully recovered from the serious injuries he suffered in a crash there last year. Pridmore and his teammates Jake Holden and Steve Rapp are expected to challenge the full-factory riders at Barber. To obtain tickets for the Honda Superbike Classic call 800-240-2300 or visit the website www.barbermotorsports.com. Saturday’s Superbike race will be televised nationally on SPEED beginning at 4 p.m. EST on Sunday, April 23, followed by coverage of Sunday’s Superbike final at 5 p.m. About AMA Pro Racing AMA Pro Racing is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its properties include the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Toyota Motocross Championship presented by FMF, the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship and the AMA Supermoto Championship. For more information about AMA Pro Racing, visit www.amaproracing.com.