SUZUKI SUPERBIKE CHALLENGE TO INCLUDE SHOW STOPPING VENDOR DISPLAY AREA Race Fans Have Several Entertainment Options During AMA Superbike Weekend at California Speedway The California Speedway today announced a 280,000 sq. ft. vendor display area, tied with last year’s for the largest ever in the five-year history of the event, for the AMA Suzuki Superbike Challenge taking place at the Southern California motorsports facility on April 28-30. The gigantic area, located in the infield, will be filled with an assortment of major manufacturer’s displays, food & beverage courts, live music and an extreme half pipe stunt show. Many major motorcycle manufacturers will be at the vendor display area showcasing the latest and greatest bikes, gear and equipment for race fans to view and purchase. Some manufacturers, including Aprilia and Yamaha, will be offering demo rides on their latest models, while others, such as Suzuki, will be offering a hospitality tent with special parking for all Suzuki owners who ride their Suzuki motorcycle to the event behind their display (based on availability). Many of the riders are expected to sign autographs at their manufacturer/sponsor’s display at some point during the weekend. A stage will be set up within the vendor display area where live bands will perform throughout the Suzuki Superbike Challenge weekend; including Gia’s Fix on Saturday and Creature of Mercy on Sunday. On the other side, a live half pipe stunt show will take place, featuring some of the top pro BMX bikers, skateboarders and in-line skaters around. The 2006 vendor display area is sure to have something for everyone, and when you combine it with the great Superbike and Supermoto racing, the Suzuki Superbike Challenge is an experience you will not want to miss. Tickets for this weekend start at $10 for Friday and $30 for Saturday or Sunday, plus two different multi-day packages, and Cycle Club hospitality options. Make sure you are at California Speedway for the 2006 Suzuki Superbike Challenge on April 28-30.

Racer Nicky Moore caught his left thumb in the countershaft sprocket on his Yamaha YZF-R6 during a WERA West race on the Classic Course at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Classic Sunday. According to a race official, Moore reached down when he encountered a problem with his bike’s shifter. His glove was sucked into the uncovered countershaft sprocket and about 1-inch of his left thumb was severed. Moore had been banned from Saturday afternoon practice following an altercation with Chris Siglin at the exit of pit lane. Siglin said afterwards that he pulled up next to Moore following an intentional on-track punt that left his front brake lever bent outwards, flipped up his visor and asked Moore about the incident. In reply, Siglin said, Moore hit Siglin hard enough to knock him off his bike; Siglin said he then jumped up and tackled Moore off his bike and that the pair wrestled on the ground. Moore said that he unintentionally hit Siglin when Siglin suddenly slowed as if he had missed a shift, and that Siglin then followed him (Moore) into his pit, T-boned Moore’s bike, knocked Moore over and threw his (Siglin’s) bike on top of him. “Siglin T-boned me in the pit,” said Moore, who also said that Siglin had kicked at him on track and tried to ram him on track following the collision. “He came at me first. He rode his bike straight into my bike.” “That’s a blatent lie,” said Siglin. “I pulled up next to him at the exit from pit lane, next to the bathrooms there. All I did was flip my shield up and ask him WTF. He threw a right cross hard enough to knock me off my bike, and then I got up and tackled him and we kind of rolled around on the ground. While I was on top of him somebody was kicking me in the head.” Officials intervened and banned both riders from Saturday afternoon practice and at first also banned them from Sunday’s races. Both riders appealed and due to conflicting stories (from both the participants and from witnesses) of what actually happened, both were allowed to race on Sunday. Siglin said he suffered a broken finger in the melee. Moore said he would be consulting with a specialist for treatment of his severed thumb and hoped to be able to compete in the AMA National at Barber April 21-23; the severed piece could not be re-attached. Moore said he was not sure why the countershaft cover was not installed on his motorcycle. “We usually have that on,” he said. According to legal experts, the standard liability releases signed by racers do not cover intentional acts.

By Beth Dolgner Robert Jensen was the top rider during the WERA/Michelin National Challenge Series sprint races at Talladega Gran Prix Raceway on Sunday, ending the day as the only Expert rider to earn multiple wins in the 12-lap races. Jensen started the day with a win in Open Superstock on his Butler Machinery Suzuki GSX-R1000, beating Vesrah Suzuki’s Lee Acree by 2.660 seconds. Acree’s teammate Tray Batey held off Ben Thompson to finish third. Acree, Batey and Thompson were all riding Suzuki GSX-R1000s. The 600cc Superstock race proved to be tougher for Jensen, who crossed the finish line only 0.069-second ahead of Acree. The two riders pulled away from the rest of the field, leaving Brian Gibbs to circulate by himself in third. All three were on Suzuki GSX-R600s. Jensen seemed to have the 750cc Superstock race wrapped up, after taking the lead from Acree on lap 11. But after taking the white flag, Jensen low-sided in the high-speed sweeper turn on the back straight. The lead went to Acree on his Suzuki GSX-R600. Mark Junge was nearly two seconds behind on his Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R750, while Daniel Parkerson was another 13 seconds back on a Suzuki GSX-R600. Formula 1 was the final race of the day, and it belonged solely to Ben Thompson and his Suzuki GSX-R1000. Thompson took the lead at the start and immediately pulled away, leaving Jensen, Batey and Acree to battle for second. Acree finally got past Jensen and Batey and gave chase on his Suzuki GSX-R1000. Acree closed the gap on Thompson, but was never able to get past. Jensen finished third on his Suzuki GSX-R1000. Garrett Carter took the 600cc Superbike lead away from Parkerson on lap 10, going on to win by almost one second on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Parkerson, on a Suzuki GSX-R600, pulled away from Keith Marshall, who was also riding a Suzuki GSX-R600. Marshall found himself at the front in his next race, 750cc Superbike. Justin Marm led most of the race before high-siding in turn three on lap nine. Marshall inherited the lead on his Team Embry Suzuki GSX-R600, and he crossed the finish line about five seconds ahead of Andrew Nelson on a Yamaha YZF-R6. Tony Palarie followed on a Suzuki GSX-R600. Tray Batey got back to his old ways in Heavyweight Twins Superstock, pulling away from Taylor Knapp to win by 8.895 seconds. Cale Swiger followed in third. All three were on Suzuki SV1000s. Brian Suffridge and Jeff Walker battled early in Lightweight Twins Superstock, but Suffridge got past on lap two and never relinquished the lead. The two pulled away from a battle for third, which went to Steve Green. All three were on Suzuki SV650s. Walker later won the Formula 2 race, again on his Suzuki SV650. Green gained a position, running alone in second, while Tim Birdsong trailed in third. Green and Birdsong were also on Suzuki SV650s.

During AMA team testing Saturday at Miller Motorsports Park (MMP), riders complimented the fast, new racetrack but also said the racing surface was dirty. Eager to appease the AMA race teams and riders, MMP staff stayed at the facility until 1:30 a.m. local time pressure washing the track surface with water trucks and street sweepers. The plan backfired, however, as many riders felt the track was dirtier Sunday than Saturday, leading to an early end to the test for some riders and teams. “It wasn’t really good,” Kawasaki’s Roger Hayden said of the MMP racing surface. “I feel really bad for Dan (Solomon, MMP Director of Motorcycle Operations) and the guys here at the track because they are really busting their butts to make the track perfect for us. They stayed up all night washing the track. They thought they were doing something good, but it just wasn’t good. I couldn’t even put my knee down. It was just really slick. It was almost like riding in rain on intermediates kind of feeling.” “You see this parking lot here? That’s exactly what the track’s like,” said Yamaha/Graves Yamaha rider Jamie Hacking, pointing to the dirty paddock parking area. “The one really tight right-hand corner on the infield that brings you back this way, yesterday it was good. Now, it’s so muddy. It looks like a damn motocross track.” Due to the poor track conditions and an upcoming test scheduled at MMP in May, the Yamaha/Graves Yamaha team decided to stop testing at lunch time. “The track surface, right now, is pretty dirty,” said Yamaha Team Manager Tom Halverson, when asked why his team was leaving early. “They made a great effort last night to clean some of the dirt off the track, (but) that actually made it worse. It put some dirt on the bike line that wasn’t there yesterday. So it’s a little bit hard for the guys to go out there and do lap times that we would need to do any kind of set up on the bike and make any improvements. We’ve got to load the truck up at the end of this week to go to two races, at Barber and Cal Speedway, so we’re probably going to be safe, pack it in and call it a day.” “The track’s dirty, (but) it’s not even worth talking about,” said Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin, the six-time and defending AMA Superbike Champion. “The bottom line is this is a new racetrack and it needs time, it needs work, it needs people to ride and drive (on it) and it will become better. That’s all it is. It needs time, and it needs people going around the racetrack, more than the few that are here.” Mladin was one of the few riders who continued riding after the lunch break, during which MMP staff circulated the 3.06-mile, 15-turn road course with safety vehicles and race-prepared Ford Mustangs from their in-house driving school in an attempt to further clean off the racing line. Mladin and Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden, who also rode after the lunch break, both reported the extra clean-up efforts did not improve the track. Mladin stopped riding after a handful of laps, but Tommy Hayden did several stints on his ZX-10R Superbike Sunday afternoon. Some of the men who chose to continue riding after the lunch break Sunday did so in order to get familiar with a modified version of the final corner. In an attempt to prevent riders from crashing into an Airfence Bike-protected Armco barrier at the exit of the corner, orange traffic cones were placed at the apex of the final corner to slow mid-corner speed, force riders to finish the corner earlier and, in theory, pass the wall area more straight up and down and more in control. Riders had mixed reviews about the modification, but AMA Pro Racing Superbike Series Manager Ron Barrick said the May test at MMP would start with the last-corner modification in place. Sunday Morning Test Times (as provided by AMA Pro Racing timing & scoring): 1. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:57.44 Superbike* 2. Tommy Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), 2:00.240 Superbike 3. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-6RR), 2:00.592 Supersport 4. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), 2:00.668 Superbike 5. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1 LE), 2:02.109 Superstock 6. Cory West (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:02.292 Superstock 7. Ben Attard (Kaw ZX-6RR), 2:04.925 Supersport 8. Marty Craggill (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:06.145 Superstock 9. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R6), 2:07.289 Formula Xtreme 10. Damon Buckmaster (Kaw ZX-6RR), 2:08.934 Supersport 11. C.R. Gittere (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:14.899 Superstock 12. Jamie Hacking (Yam YZF-R6), 2:16.454 Supersport Sunday Afternoon Test Times (as provided by AMA Pro Racing timing & scoring): 1. Tommy Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:56.534 Superbike 2. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:57.52 Superbike* 3. Larry Pegram (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:59.507 Superstock 4. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:59.747 Superbike 5. Cory West (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:00.263 Superstock 6. Ryan Elleby (Hon CBR600RR), 2:04.737 Supersport 7. C.R. Gittere (Suz GSX-R1000), 2:06.259 Superstock * Times provided by Crew Chief due to bike not having electronic scoring transponder.

WORK CONTINUES FOR CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM IN DOHA Following Valentino Rossi’s hard-fought victory in yesterday’s Grand Prix of Qatar, the Italian was back out on track today alongside his Camel Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards for a one-day test today. Despite Rossi’s win, the team still saw remnants of their vibration problem arise during the weekend and today’s test was aimed once again at working to understand and finally eliminate this problem from the 2006 YZR-M1. As at the last one-day test in Jerez, Valentino Rossi completed a few laps on the 2005 M1 in order to compare its performance with the current bike and gather more information. Besides this Rossi and Edwards, who completed 58 and 66 laps respectively, spent the day trying out various different settings and both riders made some encouraging improvements with some consistently fast lap times. Just a small group of MotoGP riders stayed on to test alongside the Yamaha riders and the fastest unofficial lap was set by Marco Melandri (Honda) in a time of 1’55.95. Rossi was second quickest with a lap of 1’56.25 and Edwards third in a time of 1’56.35. The MotoGP paddock now has a two and a half week break before the third Grand Prix of the season in Istanbul commences on April 28th. DAVIDE BRIVIO CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “It’s always quite hard to get up early and go testing the morning after a victory, but today was really important for us and the riders; the whole team has worked hard all day and made the most of the time we had available. In truth we still haven’t completely solved our problem, but we’ve been able to gather a lot more important information and now we have to use this in the best possible way between now and Istanbul. We’ve definitely made some big improvements today, for both riders. We’ve tried many different settings which have made the problem much less critical, allowing the riders to ride the bike at a better level. Valentino was obviously able to win yesterday and in the race the problems virtually disappeared, but we knew that they were still there and today we managed to make some good steps forward. Colin had a difficult race and this test has been really important for him; he’s finished the day in a much better situation. “Valentino once again tested the 2005 bike so we could make some comparisons. We know that with this bike the situation is different and we don’t have vibration, but we also know that the 2006 bike is better in most other ways and has more potential. We also tested a qualifying tyre today as this was when the problem was at its worst during the race weekend, so this was interesting also. Overall it’s been a good day for us and hopefully Yamaha can use all this information to our advantage so that we are ready to fight with both riders at the front in Turkey.” Unofficial Lap Times: Marco Melandri (ITA) Fortuna Honda, 1’55.95 VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Camel Yamaha Team, 1’56.25 COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Camel Yamaha Team, 1’56.35 Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team, 1’56.36 Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team, 1’56.61 Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team,1’56.77 Toni Elias (SPA) Fortuna Honda, 1’56.86 More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: NON-STOP WORK FOR THE DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM Motivated by the extremely positive result in the Qatar GP, a circuit considered to be the most difficult in the MotoGP World Championship (3rd place for Loris Capirossi and 4th place for Sete Gibernau), the Ducati Marlboro Team men today continued their unrelenting development work on the Ducati Desmosedici GP6 and Bridgestone tyres. With less wind than yesterday’s race day, a very determined Loris Capirossi, the current Championship leader, started to test the engine, chassis set-up and tyres to prepare his Desmosedici for the Turkish GP. Sete Gibernau (Laps: 64 – Best lap time: 1’56.616) “It was a highly positive day. We worked to solve the front end chattering problem that I suffered with yesterday and to improve stability on the straights. The bike has improved and we have learnt one or two things which will be useful on those circuits where we have to race without having tested, like Turkey. We also continued our brilliant work with Bridgestone and today, my pace was better than yesterday. My feeling with my bike improves each time and I’m very happy.” Loris Capirossi (Laps: 40 – Best lap time: 1’56.770) “Another good day. We did several tests on the engine mapping and chassis, introducing small improvements which will be useful in the coming races. With the Bridgestone engineers, we also carried out some tyre tests and collected useful data to improve on similar tracks that lack grip. Yesterday my tyres were working well but we never stop trying to improve! This is a really positive time and we’ll do whatever it takes to continue being strong and competitive!” The Ducati Marlboro Team men are flying home feeling extremely positive about the opening two races of the season, looking forward to the next 15 races and determined to work hard to maintain the high level of competitiveness and equally high position in the World Championship standings. Temperatures: air: 32 ° – track: 35°/47 ° Today’s unofficial lap times: 1) Marco Melandri (Honda)1’55.95 2) Valentino Rossi (yamaha) 1’56.22 3) Colin Edwards (Yamaha)1’56.35 4) Nicky Hayden (Honda) 1’56.36 5) Sete Gibernau (Ducati) 1’56.61 6) Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 1’56.77 7) Toni Elias (Honda) 1’56.86 8) James Elison (Yamaha)1’58.18 More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Honda/Gresini Racing: MELANDRI SETS THE FASTEST TIME AT LOSAIL Work continues for Fortuna Honda team in Doha Losail (Qatar), Sunday, 9th April 2006, Motogp Test The Fortuna Honda riders were back out on track today for a one-day test today. Marco Melandri worked on the weight distribution in order to improve his feeling with the bike. Together with the Team, the Italian rider found some good solutions that allowed him to be fast and consistent. He made a very fast lap with race tyres (1’55″95) and lapped with a good pace. Very positive day also for his team mate Toni Elias who started from the race setting and worked on suspensions in order to improve his pace. The Spaniard leaves Qatar very satisfied for the work done. MARCO MELANDRI (1’55″95): “Today we did a very good job. We worked on weight distribution and tested some radical solutions that gave us a very positive result. We have found a good base that worked very well on this track and that we will verify on other tracks. I had fun riding and I found a good feeling with the bike. I’m very satisfied because today I could ride with the right feeling. I look forward to the next race, that will take place in Istabul, a track very dear to me.” TONI ELIAS (1’56″86): “This morning the weather and track conditions were similar to those of the race so that we could confirm the work done during the race weekend. We worked on suspensions in order to improve my pace and I can say that we have done another step forward. I’m very motivated for the next race.” The MotoGP paddock now has a two and a half week break before the third Grand Prix of the season in Istanbul commences on April 28th. UNOFFICIAL LAP TIMES : 1) Marco Melandri (Honda) 1’55.95 2) Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 1’56.22 3) Colin Edwards (Yamaha) 1’56.35 4) Nicky Hayden (Honda) 1’56.36 5) Sete Gibernau (Ducati) 1’56.61 6) Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 1’56.77 7) Toni Elias (Honda) 1’56.86 8) James Ellison (Yamaha)1’58.18

Yamaha Racing Team Dominate Round 1 of the 2006 YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship Yamaha Racing Team’s Jamie Stauffer has cruised away from the highly competitive Superbike and Supersport fields, taking four stunning consecutive victories at the first round of the YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship at Eastern Creek today. Stauffer extended his winning streak to ten straight after a similarly dominant showing at the non-championship round earlier in the year, and looks absolutely unstoppable aboard both machines. The factory backed team had a very successful weekend and is positioned at the top of the table in the race for championship honours in both premier classes. Yamaha Racing Team Factory Superbike Pole position for race one had Jamie Stauffer in the best possible position to continue his winning run, and a great start by the #27 bike put pay to the hopes of his competitors as they tore up the track for the first lap. A subsequent red flag from a mid-pack incident brought him back to the back, along with brother Dan, who had made an amazing start to climb to fourth spot in the first few turns. The field had to concede the weekend would be a battle for minor placing’s as Jamie streaked away with the lead, breaking his own race lap record set in 2005 in the process. “It’s certainly been a great weekend for us, the bike was perfect in every way and really used its tyres very well – there is a real synergy between the YZF-R1 chassis and the Dunlop race tyre package” said Stauffer. “The quality of the field was very high and I really had to keep focused on the job at hand with so many of the big name riders from Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki close behind.” “The test was obviously a big advantage to us this weekend and it was fun to be able to cruise around knowing the bike was well sorted.” “It’s a dream result to finish on top in both categories and has been a really professional effort from the team this weekend, I just want to try and keep doing what I’m doing and hopefully go a bit faster” Stauffer said. Dan Stauffer delivered a great supporting result for the team with a strong second race, sticking with the leaders for 5th position. Though not quite having the measure of his brother in terms of pace, he was able to mix it at the pointy end and was pleased with the finish. “It was a good result, we qualified tenth and finished sixth and fifth so that was a good move in the right direction,” said Stauffer. “I feel like I’m riding the best I can, we’re making inroads and though I’m a bit off the pace of Jamie, its only early and there’s a lot of racing to come.” “Fifth in the championship is a pretty good place to be, and I’m looking forward to building on that next month.” Yamaha Racing Team Factory Supersport YRT’s Supersport trio couldn’t have had a better preparation heading into the weekend and it was all too evident when the distinctive blue YZF-R6’s hit the track. Lead by man of the moment Jamie Stauffer, the youngsters Jason O’Halloran and Mark Aitchison provided the back-up as the team eclipsed every preliminary session leading up to Sunday’s race. Stauffer’s speed aboard the YZF-R6 was unbelievable and in each race he was able to cruise away comprehensively, grabbing the maximum haul of points on offer to take the early championship lead. Praising the bike and team, Stauffer also believed that the Dunlop tyre package was a major factor in keeping him clear of the field. “Everything has just been working perfectly, the team, the bike, the tyres, it’s a real winner,” said Stauffer. “The YZF-R6 is really good off the start which is important, allowing me to settle into a steady rhythm quite early in the race which saves the tyres over the distance.” “It’s been a dream start to the year with my new team; hopefully we can keep it up.” Jason O’Halloran rode with a maturity beyond his years, and while unable to catch Stauffer in the lead, looked comfortable and unthreatened in second and third places across the races. Taking 38 valuable series points behind Stauffer’s 50, O’Halloran was very pleased with the start he had made to the new season. “Race one with the second place was exceptionally good and third in that last race was a good way to back up”, O’Halloran. “I didn’t get the best start to the second race but held on and in the end we weren’t really challenged on the way to a 1-2-3.” “I finished with second overall that’s go to bed good for the championship, I’m already looking forward to Perth.” Mark Aitchison’s weekend went from the highest of highs to a crushing low, when, lining up for the start of the first Supersport race on the first row, he was forced to walk his bike to the side of the track with holed radiator caused by a small piece of debris picked up on the warm up lap. It was a disappointing way to begin his championship chase and very rare for a reliability issue to disrupt the professional Yamaha Racing Team’.s race plans, and he was determined to make amends. Aitchison recovered well in the second race of the day, leading momentarily before being passed by his teammate for a solid second place finish, but was still stinging from the earlier failure and sits lower in the championship than he would like. “It was a good start to the weekend, we were on top for pretty much the whole time there and had a good grid position before realising there was a hole in the radiator,” said Aitchison. “I was disappointed initially as I really wanted to be out there fighting for the win, but it made it even more important for me to score a good result in the second race, which I was able to do.” “I lead away the field for a while there and was really had the measure of Jamie in the second race, probably closer than anyone’s been for a while, but not to take anything away from him, he did a great job.” The Yamaha Racing Team will return home to debrief and regroup and look forward to the West Australian race, round two of the championship from May 26-28.

Rizla Suzuki racers Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne and James Haydon crashed out of both races at the second round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Donington Park. In the first race, Shakey was in fourth place and James in ninth when rain and hail started to fall. On slick tyres James crashed at the Old Hairpin and a minute later, Shakey high-sided at Schwantz at 140mph as the rain robbed the track surface of grip. The race was red flagged and taken back a lap with Shakey eventually being awarded fifth place behind winner Gregorio Lavilla on a Ducati. In the second, event Shakey crashed out on the warm-up lap on a track covered in standing water. Haydon made a brilliant start from eighth to second but then went grass-tracking before rejoining well down the field. He crashed on lap two at Goddards and showed his determination when he rejoined the race before crashing again and retiring on lap nine at McCleans as he struggled to find grip in the wet conditions. Vivaldi Suzuki’s Scott Smart won the race. Both Rizla Suzuki racers are battered and bruised after their crashes but have no serious injuries and are already looking forward to the third round of the Championship at Thruxton next weekend. Shakey Byrne: “In the first race I suffered one of the biggest crashes of my career flat out in fifth gear going through the Schwantz curve. It had started to rain and the back end of the bike just came round and I went flying. It was a big crash and I am well bruised after that. The only consolation is the race was declared from a lap earlier and I was awarded fifth place. “In the second race I went into Coppice on a closed throttle nice and steady on my out lap. The back end came round in slow motion and I couldn’t do anything about it and crashed out. I didn’t have a spare bike for race two after my first race crash and that was unfortunately the end of the day for me.” James Haydon: “In the opening race the rain started to pour down and going into the Old Hairpin the back end slid away. I held it for what seemed like forever before it high-sided and I crashed out. It was a real shame because I was enjoying the race and the bike was handling better than ever. “In the next race the wet and slippery conditions caught me out twice. The first time I remounted and was cutting back through the field towards the front when I crashed again and this time I couldn’t get restarted. It’s been a tough weekend and I hope the next round at Thruxton is dry.” Robert Wicks – Team Manager: “It’s been a hard day at the races for Rizla Suzuki with five crashes in four race starts. The conditions were awful and played their part in causing those accidents and we will count our good fortune that both riders can walk away from Donington with minor bruising injuries and nothing more serious. “This weekend we proved in the dry we have front running pace. That’s a step forward for us and we will take the positives from that to the next round at the team’s home circuit at Thruxton. “Well done to Vivaldi Suzuki’s Scott Smart on taking victory in a dramatic and wet second race. Seeing a GSX-R1000 win is encouraging for all of us.” Race One Result: 1: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 20:53.166, 2: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +0.134, 3: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +5.246, 4: Michael Laverty (Honda) +9.361, 5: Shane Byrne (Rizla Suzuki) +9.591, 6: Karl Harris (Honda) +10.540, 7: Michael Rutter (Honda) +11.533, 8: Jonathan Rea (Honda) +20.235, 9: Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) +22.451, 10: Scott Smart (Suzuki) +23.216. James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) DNF. Race Two Result:1: Smart 27:37.071, 2: Haslam +0.576, 3: Lavilla +2.297, 4: Gary Mason (Honda) +5.943, 5: Rea +30.768, 6: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +33.586, 7: Laverty +36.829, 8: Ollie Bridewell (Suzuki) +59.273, 9: Chris Martin (Honda) +59.297, 10: Malcolm Ashley (Kawasaki) +1:04.142,. James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) DNF. Shane Byrne (Rizla Suzuki) DNS. Championship Standings (after two of 13 rounds): 1: Lavilla 82, 2: Kiyonari 58, 3: Haslam 56, 4: Harris 41, 5: Smart 33, 6: Laverty 31, 7: Rea 30, 8: Shane Byrne (Rizla Suzuki) 26, 9: Rutter 25, 10: Thomas 23. 16: James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) 15.

GRITTY HAYDEN GRINDS OUT SIXTH SUCCESSIVE PODIUM Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) came a narrow second to Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) in a tense MotoGP race here in windy Qatar today. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) was third. This is Hayden’s sixth consecutive rostrum finish as he bids for his first win of the 2006 season. With a 33km/h wind, erratic in direction, blowing throughout the day, turns two and nine seemed to be the worst affected. There was also a 44 degree track temperature to contend with, although the elevated ambient temperature that is so often a debilitating factor here was ‘only’ 25-degrees now that this is an April race instead of an October fixture. Pole man Casey Stoner (LCR Honda RC211V) simply stormed away from the line as the lights went out and he looked strong as the field struggled to establish an order and make chase. Capirossi was nearest to the young Aussie, but the Italian couldn’t stay with him as the first lap unfolded. At the start of lap two the order was Stoner, Hayden, Rossi, Capirossi, Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki), Sete Gibernau (Ducati), then Marco Melandri (Fortuna Honda RC211V). Hayden put in an early fastest lap as he went all out to hound Stoner in those early stages. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC211V) was down in 11th place following a slow get away from the starting light. Then it was Rossi piling on the pressure as he chased Hayden, a fastest lap belonging to the Italian rider on lap three. On lap six Rossi and Hayden swapped places twice in both final loops as they fought for dominance in the struggle to reel in runaway Stoner. Rossi eventually got the upper hand and had a 0.77 second gap to close on the swift Australian. On lap ten Rossi nipped past Stoner into turn one, then it was Hayden’s turn to demote Stoner to third on the next lap. Rossi now held a 0.6 second advantage over Hayden and it was only another two laps before Capirossi squeezed past the Aussie to put the ‘old firm’ in charge at the front. As lap fifteen ran its course Rossi and Hayden had an advantage of more than a second over Capirossi and Stoner, with Gibernau losing ground in fifth. Hayden now knew he had to size up Rossi to see what his plan should be in the closing laps. He moved past Rossi at turn one on lap 19. Rossi repaid the compliment on lap 20 at the same place and Hayden could not respond and Rossi won by 0.9 seconds at the flag with closer to Hayden than the American was to Rossi. But Hayden rode a mature race and it can’t be long until the Kentucky Kid notches up a second career win in MotoGP. “We gambled overnight on some changes,” said Hayden. “The team got it right but I didn’t quite do it right today. I had fun though. The six podiums in a row are OK but we need to take another step up. We’ve got two weeks to put some hard work in to find the extra second a lap we need.” Stoner in fourth said, “The start was really good and I felt really good out in front. But as the fuel load went down and the pace went up I lost a bit of rear wheel grip. Physically I wasn’t 100% so today wasn’t a bad result. After 10 laps I had leg cramps.” Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda RC211V) finished a tight sixth after an intense battle with Melandri and said, “When I caught Melandri we had a big battle. My bike was really fast and I could overtake him, but he was braking so late! I’m not angry, but I’m upset because today I lost a good opportunity to be battling at the front. In the race I learned a lot of things and I know I performed as well as I could have. Although I’m frustrated today, the two races so far have been really positive.” Melandri was seventh after the epic duel with Dani and said, “It was a really difficult race. I got a good start and tried to make up some positions but I made a mistake towards the end of the race that cost me a position. I had a really good battle with Dani Pedrosa, he was passing me on the straight but I was able to get him back on the brakes. I’m still not riding as I’d like, but tomorrow we stay for a day of tests and hopefully it can help us take another step forward.” Toni Elias (Fortuna Honda RC211V), despite being ill with a stomach bug, finished eighth. He said, “We’ve done a great job over the two days of practice and I was hoping for more than this today. I didn’t get a good start and I paid the price for that. Then Hopkins’ engine began to drop oil and I had to get off the throttle, sending me even further back. My visor was covered in oil and after losing contact with the lead group it became a really hard race for me. I’m disappointed because I know I could have had a nice race today.” “The bike and tyres were great today,” said Kenny Roberts (Roberts KR211V) in tenth. “But I could have been better if I had got clear of the group quicker but with the oil incident you had to be careful. I have to thank the team for all they did this weekend, a great job. Still, if you had said in November that we would have finished the first two races in the top 10 we might not have agreed with you.” Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) finished 14th and said, “I didn’t expect to have such a difficult start to the season. I’m not able to ride my RC211V properly yet. It is hard to be fast in the corner without having the right feel from the bikee. I’m sorry about this.” The World Championship points standings look like this after two of 17 rounds: Capirossi 41, Hayden 36, Rossi 30. Jorge Lorenzo (Aprilia) won a thrilling 250cc race from Andrea Dovizioso (Humangest Racing Honda RS250RW) after the pair pulled well clear of the field by mid-race distance. Roberto Locatelli (Aprilia) was a fine third after running off track in the early laps and fighting back into contention. Locatelli made the run into turn one from the lights to head the field, but Dovizioso led across the line to begin lap two and set an early fastest lap of this 20-lap race. By lap three Dovi held a 1.36 second advantage over his Spanish rival Lorenzo. By lap 12 Lorenzo and Dovi were 13 seconds ahead of Barbera, but the recovering Locatelli was setting a fastest lap on his charge back into contention after his ‘off’. The race order up front was to remain fixed as Dovi shadowed Lorenzo waiting for the final lap. Lorenzo knew a Dovi challenge would come he just didn’t know where. With half a lap to go Dovi made his move up the inside but Lorenzo stayed with him to hold a tighter line into the right/right combination before the final two turns. Dovi hung close but could not make an impression across the line. Sebastian Porto (Repsol Honda RS250RW) finished seventh and Yuki Takahashi (Humangest Racing Honda RS250RW) was ninth. But the huge gap between themselves and the leading duo will be of some concern. “I have to be happy with this,” said Dovizioso. “After the warm up, I was convinced we’d be able to do a good race and I did a very good start. The team worked very hard and we were fast today. But I need more power. There is a long way to go this season and I know Honda will be working hard so that we can have an edge in the races to come.” Porto said, “Well it hasn’t been that bad. I’m happy with the race, obviously not with the result. You’re here to win, but given all the problems we’ve had and our current situation, finishing today has been very important to me, on a personal level. But there’s still a lot to be improved. We have to improve the chassis, and the engine didn’t work that well today either. I’ve given my best with what I had.” Takahashi said, “It’s been a tough race for me as I’ve had problems with the front throughout the whole weekend. In the warm up we tested other solutions but without getting benefits. Before the race, my team decided to fit new suspension that I’ve never tried and actually it solved the problem. Now we have to adjust the general set up, but Istanbul is similar to this track and so we will start from a good base.” The overall points standings at this early stage of the season show Lorenzo in the lead with 50 points after two consecutive wins, Dovi in second with 36 points and Locatelli on 25. Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia) won the 125cc race by 6.7 seconds from Mika Kallio (KTM) who just managed to overhaul third-placed Sergio Gadea (Aprilia) as the pair broached the finish line. Bautista has now posted back-to-back wins in the first two races of the season. It was Gadea who made the early running in this 18-lap race until Bautista upped the pace by lap five, stealing the lead and then setting a fastest lap of 2m 8.591 seconds as he stretched away from the rest of the field. Most Honda riders would prefer to forget this race. Mike Di Meglio (FFM Honda RS125R) retired at the start of the second lap, Sandro Cortese (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R) tangled with Juan Olive (Aprilia) and fell on lap two, while reigning World Champion Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R) managed a seventh place finish. Gabor Talmacsi (Humangest Honda RS125R) finished 11th after running with the leading group on the first few laps, but the Hungarian dropped back as the race unfolded and he was nearly 30 seconds adrift of the winner at the flag. Luthi said, “For some reason I was not good at the last two corners and the run onto the start finish straight. But we made a big step this weekend after a bad experience at the start of the season. We have some points and we can now make progress.” “Unfortunately we couldn’t find the right balance,” said Talmacsi. “We need better suspensions settings as I struggled too much today. Also, I wasn’t fast in the straight and 11th place is the best I could do today. The important thing, anyway, is that we have scored some more points in the World Standings.” Bautista leads the World Championship with 50 points after his perfect start to the season. Kallio has 33 points and Pasini 29 as the Turkish round looms at the end of April. QUOTES MOTOGP: Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 2nd “Battling for the win is so much more fun than battling for fourth place! I pushed Valentino hard today and I pushed myself about as hard as I could too. We had the bike that could win today, but on the last lap in a left-hander I got into a nice little slide, Valentino gapped me pretty good and it was hard to recover. We gambled a bit with set up today, we rolled the dice, and it worked well for me in the race, helping a lot in the fast corners. So a big thanks to my crew. Its my second year with my crew chief and were working really well together. All the guys have been working hard and making some good improvements on the bike. We’ve still got some work to do and well be back here in the morning testing, but the new bikes definitely getting better and were heading in the right direction. Six podiums on the trot is cool, but it would be nice to get a few wins along the way!” Casey Stoner, LCR Honda: 5th “The start was great and I felt really comfortable out front and just concentrated on doing my own thing but as the fuel got lighter I wasn’t able to up the pace as I lost some rear grip. My physical condition was also a factor today and I wasn’t feeling 100%. I thought I could have got a better result today. I missed a lot of pre-season training and then I had the flu and after ten laps my leg began to cramp up. When Valentino came passed for the lead I wasn’t surprised, it was only a matter of time, and over the second half of the race I had a good battle with Loris and Gibernau.” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 6th Its easy to say this now, but I believe I could have finished further up, at least in 4th, if Id made a better start. We had a problem with the clutch, like Nicky when he was practising his starts yesterday. At first I thought the wheel was spinning but actually it was the clutch. Then, when I was behind Elias and we were both overtaking Hopkins his bike put oil on our visors. Elias closed the throttle and we lost a lot of time on the leaders at least 3 or 4 seconds. When I caught Melandri we had a big battle. My bike was really fast and I could overtake him, but he was braking so late! Im not angry with the result, but Im upset because today I lost a good opportunity to be battling at the front. In the race I learned a lot of things and I know I performed as well as I could have. Although Im frustrated today, the two races so far have been really positive. Makoto Tanaka Repsol Honda Team Manager ” Ahhh! How disappointing today’s result is! Nicky has worked hard to finalise his set-up since he came here and he did a really excellent job both in yesterdays qualifying and today’s race. He’s become really strong mentally since last year and I want sincerely to praise his work today. Dani lost many positions at the start because of an uncertain feeling from the clutch which caused him to wheelie. However, he did very well to finish sixth. He’s a really professional rider who doesn’t stop racing until he crosses the line. We didn’t win, but Nicky took 2nd place and Dani is in 3rd place in the riders championship which bodes well for the rest of the season. We still have work to do to improve the bikes performance but I think we are close to our target. So, watch this space. Marco Melandri, Fortuna Honda: 7th “It was a really difficult race. I got a good start and tried to make up some positions but I made a mistake towards the end of the race that cost me a position. I had a really good battle with Dani Pedrosa, he was passing me in the straight but I was able to get him back on the brakes. I’m still not riding as I would like to – tomorrow we’ll stay for a day of tests and hopefully it can help us take another step forward.” Toni Elias, Fortuna Honda: 8th “We’ve done a great job over the two days of practice and I was hoping for more than this today. I didn’t get a good start and I paid the price for that. Then Hopkins’ engine began to drop oil and I had to shut off the throttle, sending me even further back. My visor was covered in oil and after losing contact with the lead group it became a really hard race for me. I’m disappointed because I know I could have had a nice race today.” Kenny Roberts Jnr, KR Honda: “10TH Start was not too bad but I got boxed in by a lot of guys in front of me who were not going to be racing for the lead. Some of them were loosing oil Chris Vermeulen was dropping oil all over me. I guess I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. When I got clear of those guys the gap to the riders in front of me was too big to close down. The bike and tyres were great today but I could have been better if I had got clear of the group quicker but with oil everywhere you have to be careful. I have to thank the team for all they did this weekend, great job. Still, if you had said in November that we would have finished the first two races in the top 10 we might not have agreed with you.” Kenny Roberts Senior, Team Owner KR Honda. “We are still looking for the ideal base set up and we’re trying too many things in a short time. You can loose your way a bit when you do that. We are also held back a little by having only one rider but all in all we have made progress so far.” Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda: 14th “I did not expect to have such a difficult season starting. I’m not able to drive as I would my RC211V yet. It is hard to be fast in the corner without having the right feeling. I am sorry I have not had to possibility to give any satisfaction to KONICA MINOLTA, to Honda and to all team guys that are constantly working to create the best conditions.” 250cc Andrea Dovizioso, Humangest Honda: 2nd “We struggle a bit in approaching the race and we are too much at the limit with the set-up of the bike. This doesn’t allow me to do the difference. But this morning, after the warm up, I was convinced to be able to do a good race and I did a very good start. However, Lorenzo has followed me and in the middle stages he was able to pass me. Taking some risk, I kept the contact with his Aprilia and when we begun the last lap my strategy was to suddenly pass him and try to take a bit of advantage in the first half of the track, where I was going more strongly, while he was being faster in the final curves. It didn’t happen, though, I went wide in a curve and he has passed me again. I could also have tried in last curve, but a sideslip has forced me to shut off the throttle. Actually, I hoped in the victory but we still need more horsepower to really fight for win. Sebastian Porto, Repsol Honda: 7th “Well, that it hasn’t been that bad. I’m happy, especially with the race, obviously not with the result. You’re here to win, but given all the problems we’ve had and our current situation, finishing today has been very important to me, on a personal level. But there’s still a lot to be improved. We have to further improve the chassis, and the engine didn’t work well today either. I’ve given my best with what I had. The best was the last part of the race. I was fourth in the group and I managed to overtake them all; finishing seventh isn’t bad. Let’s hope that this will be the beginning of an improvement and that the next race will be even better. We haven’t managed to have a good feeling on the bike with the new tyres yet. We loose a lot on new tyres, but then, halfway the race, it is the other way around. When the others start going down, this bike keeps the pace. That’s something I still have to improve, the initial part on new tyres, I need better grip. Now it’s time to enjoy and relax; I’m already looking forward to preparing the next race.” Yuki Takahashi, Humangest Honda: 9th “It has been a tough race for me as I had problems in the front throughout the whole weekend. In the warm up we tested other solutions but without getting benefits. Before the race, my team decided to put a new suspension that I’ve never tried and actually it solved the problem. Now we have to adjust the general set up, but Istanbul is similar to this track and so we will start from a good base” Martin Cardenas, Wurth Honda BQR: 11th “I made a good start and caught the fast group ahead of me. I couldn’t hold onto them and when they went away I concentrated on holding my position. The bike is really good and I am really happy with the season so far. I’m looking forward to Turkey I like the track down there.” Shuhei Aoyama, Repsol Honda: 13th “I’m obviously not happy at all, it’s a bad result. The bike worked quite well; we could have improved a bit the suspensions, but the overall setting was OK. But the rider hasn’t been at a good level today. I don’t know why, but I haven’t been able to be fast on this circuit at any time. I probably haven’t been focussed enough this weekend. I made a good start but several riders overtook me in the first corner. After the crash in Jerez I wanted above all to finish the race here, but I wanted to do it much more in the front.” Arnaud Vincent, Molenaar Honda: 16th “From the last qualifying session we had an engine problem. It’s difficult to know what it was because when we checked carburetion it looks really good. I was down on acceleration an top speed was not as good as it was on Friday morning. Pity because we made progress with the chassis. I like the track at Istanbul so if we find the engine problem I will have a better race for sure.” Arturo Tizon, Wurth Honda BQR: dnf crash “I got a good start and the bike was running really well. We made a compromise on suspension and I ran stiffer suspension settings on the rear and I had a much better feeling with the bike. But I was pushing too hard and lost the font end and crashed. The positive point about this race was that I know I can race with the riders in 250 and I’m looking forward to Turkey, it’s a track I learned last year.” Jordi Carchano, Stop and Go Racing: dnf – crash. “I lost the front end and crashed, on lap 16. It was a pity because the team had given me a good bike to race. The shifter problems we had all though qualifying were fixed and I was able to race as I wanted.” 125cc Thomas Luthi, Elit Honda: 8th. “I’m more happy than unhappy with this result. My target was to get a good start and be with the lead group. I managed to do it I could race with Faubel and Rodriguez but when Nieto came passed us I mad a small mistake and it cost me two seconds. For some reason I was not good at the last two corners and the run onto the start finish straight. But we made a big step this weekend after a bad experience at the start of the season. We have some points and we can now make progress, as I said I’m happy in the circumstances.” Gabor Talmacsi, Humangest Honda: 11th. “I did my best but the bike was competitive for a couple of laps not for the whole race. Unfortunately we couldn’t find the right balance during the weekend and the wind increased the problem. We have to adjust better the suspensions settings as I struggled too much today. Also, I wasn’t fast in the straight and 11th place is the best I could do today. The important thing, anyway, is that we have conquered some more points in the World Standings.” Aleix Espargaro, Wurth Honda BQR: 17th. “Not so bad when you look at my bad practice and qualifying sessions. I had a small problem with the clutch off the start and was only 20 – 21 at the end of the first lap. I was racing with Koyama but he was a little quicker than me today. I could hold him till the last few laps when my rear tyre started sliding and I had to let him go. I didn’t want a crash at the end of a bad weekend for me.” Bradley Smith, Repsol Honda: 22nd. “The start was OK. It wasn’t great but it wasn’t bad. I only lost a couple of places but the first corner was awful. I just got in there; I guess I was thinking too much, being really cautious. I looked at all the riders and it made me so nervous. I just need to get the blockage out of my head and be clear and go right into the corner. There were people around me that moved up to sixteenth on the first lap and I was back in thirtieth. It is possible I just need to be able to do it. The race was good, I made it up to nineteenth, the eighteenth was just in front and then I could see seventeenth and sixteenth in the distance, a few seconds ahead so I kept on pushing. Then I went wide in turn thirteen. I brought the bike back onto the track but pushed too much into the next corner. The bike got a bit squirrelly and then I had to go straight. I lost so much time and places. After that I just kept on putting my head down making sure I was putting in consistent laps to try to catch the riders in front. Now I’m just thinking what could have been but we’re going to sort everything out for Turkey.” Joey Litjens, Molenaar Honda: 27th. “I got a good start and caught the group ahead of me on the grid and enjoyed the race much more than at Jerez. The beginning of the ace was good and I caught and passed a lot of riders. Then on the sixth lap I made a mistake, ran wide nearly onto the grass. I had to close the gas and lost contact with the group. The engine was good but I had a small problem on set up. But things are definitely going in a good direction for me. Now I’m really looking forward to Turkey.” Lorenzo Baroni, Humangest Honda: 30th. “I’m not really happy with today’s race. We have had many problems with the front of the bike all over the weekend, we didn’t solve them for the race and the wind today didn’t help us at all. I started well but at the first turn I brake a bit too early and so the other riders passed me. In the final lap, I was fighting with two riders but I made a mistake with the gear and so I lost time. So, this is a race to forget, but it is good for gathering experience.” Sandro Cortese, Elit Honda: dnf – crash. “Not very good at all, I crashed with Olive. I was running my normal line in the corner when Olive came across in front of and I hit him, I had no place to go. I’m very disappointed because that’s twice I have crashed so far. Pity because I got a good start and the bike was running good.” Mike Di Meglio, FFM Honda: dnf – brake problem. “What an eventful race that was and I only lasted one and a half laps! Even then it was a big fight. My start was not so bad but one rider hit me in turn one and then I couldn’t keep the right line because of the wind. On the second lap the rider behind ran into me and hit my brake lever knocking it forward so I had no front brake and I had to pull in. Pity because we had found a good compromise on rear end settings and the chatter problems we had in qualifying were gone.” Fabrizio Lai, Valsir Seedorf Racing: 14th “I tried to do my best with this bike. I started very well and I recovered many positions. During the second lap I touched Pesek and I lost the front mudguard and consequently I lost in performance. The bike wasn’t very fast in the straight, even in slipstream I couldn’t have the same pace of the other riders. In this conditions is not easy to be competitive.” Michele Conti, Seedorf Racing World: 28th.”Our Honda are not ok. In straights all the riders of my group could pass me very easily. Then I could overtook them in curves. I need to learn to ride faster, but also the bike need to grow in power.”