Triple R Racing Wins at Jennings GP! Triple R Racing returned to endurance racing this weekend at the opening round of the 2006 WERA National Endurance Series held in Jennings, Florida. The six-hour long event began with over 45 teams fighting for class wins as well as the overall win. Triple R’s Brian Stokes began the race and quickly started working his way to the front of the field. Stokes was able to move the team into second place in class, seventh overall after his stint. The Team’s founding rider, Mike Reed, then took the controls and was able to move the team into first in class, sixth overall. After a pit stop and a new Michelin rear tire, Scott Harwell climbed aboard the team’s Yamaha R6. A weekend that began with a theme of “Returns” continued as Harwell, who was returning from a serious hip injury, began to extend Triple R’s class lead. A final pit stop to fuel the bike and change riders meant that Brian Stokes would finish the race. However, the race was stopped in the final hour so that race officials could tend to an on-track incident. This set up a late-race dual between Triple R’s Stokes and the Dalke Motorsports entry. Running some of the fastest laps of the race, Stokes pulled away to earn the (Middleweight Superstock) class win for Triple R! The team’s next event will take place April 8th at the Talladega Gran Prix Raceway in Oxford, Alabama. More, from a press release issued by Team Morse Racing: Team Morse Racing rides to a podium finish at Jennings GP WERA National! Colorado based Team Morse Racing braved the seventeen hundred mile journey to compete in the opening round of the 2006 WERA National Challenge series this past weekend March 26th & 27th at the Jennings GP track in Jennings Florida. Although the team arrived early, most of Thursday was spent preparing the machines under the comfort of the canopies as rain poured down most of the day. With the sunrise on Friday morning however, the skies cleared and the rest of the weekend was perfect for racing. The Friday morning practice session was the first time team riders Dave Gallant and Mike Applehans got to experience this motorcycle-only racetrack. While they immediately felt comfortable in the tight-twisty sections of the infield, neither had experienced such a wide open flowing race track such as Jennings. “We have heard many stories about how difficult the infield here is to master, although that section really is the easiest for both of us. Our Colorado tracks are notorious for being tight and twisting, and we feel right at home there. To be honest, we are learning what to do with forty feet wide worth of race track and more than one entrance to any given fast corner. We will get our bikes dialed in and I am sure that by Sunday we will be going better. The track is amazing; easily the smoothest track I have ever ridden and the layout is great fun!” commented Dave on Friday”s events. Under sunny skies, Sunday’s racing in every class was an intense way to begin the 2006 season. Due to time limitations both Dave and Mike chose to race only their Suzuki SV650 twins, and with each practice and race their lap times steadily decreased. With some top five finishes in their Twins Supersport races, both riders began feeling more confident in their race pace. “I didn’t get the start I wanted, but I felt really comfortable on the bike so far today. We have had really limited off-season testing and only a handful of laps around this track, but I really felt pretty good out there. With a little more track time, I think we are both going to be right there” stated Mike Applehans of Team Morse Racing. “The lightweight twins supersport race was a good one, although it really wasn’t until the last few laps that things started working for me. I made some changes to my bike to suit this fast flowing track, and that coupled with finding some better entries into the faster corners has really helped me drop my times. I held myself up in the first few laps in traffic and the top four guys got away, but during the last few laps I pulled 3rd and 4th place back to me relatively easily. This track is not hard to learn, but for me is turning out difficult to master. The next race should be a good one – I have got things better figured out now” commented Dave Gallant. With that prophetic statement, Dave started the Formula II race on the third row and stormed to a 2nd place finish at waving of the checkered flag! “What a great race! By the time I got up to my pace, the leader had gapped me a bit – but I never stopped trying to chip away at it. These guys are all really flying out here, and simply being in the mix with them is fantastic!” commented an excited Dave Gallant after his 2nd place finish. Scott Morse, owner of Morse Racing Products & GP Composites bodywork was ecstatic with the news back at the team”s race shop. “These guys have been working so hard all winter. It is one thing to race at tracks 4 hours away with competitors you know well. It is another thing to drive over thirty hours, learn a new track in two practice sessions, then put your bike on the box at a WERA National race.” commented Scott Morse.

By Shan Moore Ty Howard claimed four Expert wins, while Tyler McDonald, Craig Montgomery and Ronnie Lunsford each claimed two wins to top the racing action at round two of the CMRA Championship Series held at MotorSport Ranch in Cresson, Texas. Howard claimed wins in the Racing Performance Services B Superstock Expert race, which pays a $150 purse, the Komodo Racing C Superstock Expert race, which pays a $250 purse, the Pace American Trailers Formula 1 race, which pays a $1000 purse, and the Sum of all Parts A Superstock Expert race, which pays a $150 purse. Howard’s attempt at a fifth win was thwarted when he crashed while battling with KNMotorcycle.com’s McDonald in the Motorcycles Unlimited C Superbike Expert race, which pays a $150 purse. Howard lost the rear wheel in a fast right-hander while pursuing McDonald and ended up in the dirt, while McDonald cruised home with the win. McDonald added a win in the B Superbike Expert, while Montgomery claimed his wins in the South Central Race Center D Superbike Expert race, which pays a $150 purse, and the D Superstock Expert race. Lunsford’s wins came in the Formula 40 Expert and Heavyweight Twins Expert divisions. Howard also claimed the Island Racing Fast Lap of the Weekend award, which pays $150 for the fastest transponder-timed lap, for posting a 1:16:015 during his win in the B Superstock Expert race. A grid-filling 621 sprint entries, plus 47 Big Bike Endurance teams and 40 Mini Endurance teams enjoyed warm and windy weather and fast action over the two day program. In Saturday’s Shogun Motorsports CMRA Endurance Series, Steve Atlas joined forces with Tyler McDonald to win the four hour race, topping Desert-Rats.net by four laps. The second overall finish gave Desert-Rats.net the win in the A Superstock division. Third overall and first place in the Formula 1 division went to defending series champs Northwest Honda Racing, while Lone Star Track Days finished fourth overall and first in the C Superstock class. Faltless Racing won the Formula 2 class with an eighth overall finish. In the Formula CMRA Mini Endurance race, Mini Backmarker Racing came from behind to beat Team K&N by only six seconds after two hours of racing. Moose Racing rounded out the podium and the Formula 4 division scoring, while Excel Racing grabbed the top position in the Formula 5 class with a ninth overall finish. STD Racing won the Formula 6 division, in 14th, and On Road Off Road Racing took the Formula 7 win in 20th. In Saturday’s Mini Sprint action, Kent Moffitt won the Formula 4 class and Dustin Dominguez claimed the Formula 6 win in the opening race of the day. Then Hayden Gillim took the win in the Formula 5 class, while Dominguez returned to win the Formula 7 class. Brandon Altmeyer won the Junior Motard race. The CMRA returns to action on April 21-23 with a full slate of sprint racing, plus an eight hour endurance race at Texas World Speedway in College Station, Texas.

Six-time and defending AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin was unofficially the fastest rider during an AMA team test Monday at Barber Motorsports Park, in Birmingham, Alabama. Riding his Dunlop-shod Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike, Mladin lapped the 2.3-mile, 16-turn road course in 1:25.5, not far off his lap record of 1:25.047, which he set during qualifying for last year’s Superbike race. No crashes were reported by sources at the track. The weather at the track was mild Monday, but rain is forecast for Tuesday. Here is a sample of lap times taken Monday: Superbike: 1. Mat Mladin (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:25.5 2. TIE, Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R1000)/Jake Zemke (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:26.0 4. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:26.2 5. Neil Hodgson (Duc 999F06), 1:26.3 6. Tommy Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:26.5 7. Ben Bostrom (Duc 999F06), 1:26.6 8. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:26.7 9. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:26.8 Superstock: 1. Jamie Hacking (Yam YZF-R1 LE), 1:26.85 2. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:27.20 3. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R1 LE), 1:27.21 4. Aaron Yates (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:27.50 5. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R1 LE), 1:27.6 6. Marty Craggill (Suz GSX-R1000) 1:28.1 7. TIE, Damon Buckmaster (Kaw ZX-10R)/Steve Rapp (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:28.2 9. John Haner (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:28.42 10. Jason Pridmore (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:28.6 11. Chris Ulrich (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:28.8 12. Jake Holden (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:28.9 13. Matt Lynn (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:29.918 14. Robertino Pietri (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:32.0 Supersport: 1. Jamie Hacking (Yam YZF-R6), 1:28.5 2. Roger Hayden (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:29.0 3. Ben Spies (Suz GSX-R600), 1:29.3 4. Geoff May (Suz GSX-R600), 1:29.4 5. Damon Buckmaster (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:29.7 Formula Xtreme: 1. Jason DiSalvo (Yam YZF-R6), 1:27.4 2. TIE, Josh Hayes (Hon CBR600RR)/Aaron Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), 1:28.5 4. Kurtis Roberts (Suz GSX-R600), 1:28.9 5. Eric Bostrom (Yam YZF-R6), 1:29.4.

By Mike Solis After a slow start, David Stanton charged to the front to take the win in the European Motorcycle Accessories Formula Pacific race, riding his 2006 GSX-R1000 on Dunlop D209 DOT tires. Ken Hill finished a strong second on his Michelin-shod CBR1000RR, with Honda test rider Jeff Tigert in third, setting the fast lap of the race with a 1:47.994 on a CBR600RR that was also on Dunlop D209 DOT tires. “The start was just crazy, with guys shuffling positions everywhere,” Stanton said after the race. “I almost crashed twice in the sweeper – once when I touched my front tire to Earnest’s rear tire, and another time just a few moments later when the bike kicked me out of the seat when I got on the gas! For my first weekend on DOTs, I was really, really happy.” Tigert achieved his goal for the weekend, adding to his Formula Pacific podium finish with wins in 600 Superbike and 600 Production. Tigert’s excellent weekend followed his excellent performance at the Daytona AMA National, where he finished 12th in 600 Supersport – the top Honda in the finishing order. “I’m still just working hard, trying to get my break,” stated Tigert after the event. “Since the end of last season, I’ve lost 30 pounds, and we were able to find another 5-6 horsepower on my CBR600RR. I’ve been riding at Willow Springs every month as well – everything just feels good right now!” Former AFM Number One plate holder James Randolph made yet another step in his AFM comeback, riding his Pirelli-equipped Cycle-Pro GSX-R1000 to victory in Open Superbike. Ken Hill crossed the line in second, with Corey Sarros third. “It’s good to be back and win a race, I’m definitely having some fun,” said Randolph. “I had a rough start when I went off track in one of my earlier races, but to end the day with a win is just great!” Sarros improved on his third place Open Superbike finish in the Open Grand Prix race, taking the win on his Dunlop-shod Central Coast Sportbikes Suzuki GSX-R1000 over former number one plate holder Rob Mesa. “I just stayed behind Rob for a few laps, studying him, looking for a way past,” explained Sarros. “I found my way past after the wheelie hill. I like going right by the dirt over there – it’s kinda fun!” There were several double winners on the day, with Dave Stanton taking wins in Formula Pacific and Open Production, and Tigert taking wins in both 600 races. Rob Campbell was another double winner on the day, riding his Michelin-shod GSX-R750 to wins in 750 Superbike and Formula 1. Kurt Spencer had a great weekend as well, riding his Twin Works Factory Suzuki SV650 to wins in 650 Twins and Formula 4. Some young AFM talent made their mark at Buttonwillow as well. 14 year old Tommy Aquino took the win in the Formula 3 class on his Foster Enterprises Honda RS125, finishing just ahead of WSMC regular Jay Pilster. Young Michael Corbino had a good weekend, taking the win in 250 Production on his Desmoto Sport Kawasaki EX250 after a good battle with class veterans David Crone and Vlastimil Kotyza. 500 Twins featured an exciting four rider battle at the front, with Patrick Aldinger taking his first AFM victory on his EX500 over class champion Jon Forman, Joe Sickle, and AFM president Kevin Smith. Forman was looking good for the win, when the leader of another wave made his way past on the last lap, only to take his time through lapped traffic. This gave Aldinger the chance he needed to close the gap and make the pass on Forman, taking the win by a wheel. The grids for 2006 had a new look to them, with a number of new rule changes being implemented. With grey market bikes now legal in production classes, Craig Sanders took his first AFM win in the 450 Production class on his Kawasaki ZXR400RR. With aftermarket exhausts now legal in production classes, the contingency money followed, giving new life to the Suzuki of Oakland 750 Production class, and additional depth to the Take it 2 the Track Open Production class. Buttonwillow was also the debut of the Clubman classes, where new racers were able to gain experience, without the large grids of expert racers battling it out for contingency money and class championships. The next round of the 2006 AFM Championship is scheduled to take place on April 22, 23 at Infineon Raceway. AFM Round 1 March 26, 2006 Buttonwillow Raceway Unofficial Results European Motorcycle Accessories Formula Pacific 1. David Stanton (Suz 1000) 2. Ken Hill (Hon 1000) 3. Jeffrey Tigert (Hon 600) 4. James Randolph (Suz 1000) 5. Corey Sarros (Suz 1000) 6. Rob Mesa (Suz 1000) GP Frame and Wheel Open Superbike 1. James Randolph (Suz 1000) 2. Ken Hill (Hon 1000) 3. Corey Sarros (Suz 1000) 4. Martin Szwarc (Suz 1000) 5. Rob Mesa (Suz 1000) 6. Kim Nakashima (Suz 1000) 750 Superbike 1. Robert Campbell (Suz 750) 2. Peter O’Sullivan (Suz 750) 3. Kim Nakashima (Suz 750) 4. Jeremiah Grant (Suz 750) 5. David Siminski (Kaw 636) 6. Dan Sewell (Suz 750) Pacific Tracktime 600 Superbike 1. Jeffrey Tigert (Hon 600) 2. Ken Hill (Hon 600) 3. Bobby Fong (Yam 600) 4. Tim Kamholz (Hon 600) 5. Grant Riggs (Suz 600) 6. Lenny Hale (Yam 600) 450 Superbike 1. Michael Lohmeyer (Hon 400) 2. Ross Wells (Yam 450) 3. Jose Quintanar (Yam 400) 4. Craig Sanders (Kaw 400) 5. Greg Becker (Hon 400) 6. Patrick Aldinger (Kaw 500) Kilowatt 250 Superbike 1. Shawn Herrera (Yam 250) 2. Andrew Duafala (Yam 250) 3. Cliff Farrar (Yam 250) 4. Joe Rust (Yam 250) Take it 2 the Track Open Production 1. David Stanton (Suz 1000) 2. Corey Sarros (Suz 1000) 3. Martin Szwarc (Suz 1000) 4. Christopher Weiss (Suz 1000) 5. James Randolph (Suz 1000) 6. David Kunzelman (Suz 1000) Suzuki of Oakland 750 Production 1. Robert Campbell (Suz 750) 2. James Randolph (Suz 750) 3. Danny Yamasaki (Suz 750) 4. Jeremiah Grant (Suz 750) 5. Berto Wooldridge (Suz 750) 6. Don Rudolfs (Suz 750) Keigwins@theTrack 600 Production 1. Jeffrey Tigert (Hon 600) 2. Ken Hill (Hon 600) 3. Chris Siglin (Suz 600) 4. Bobby Fong (Yam 600) 5. Berto Wooldridge (Suz 600) 6. Brant Wiwi (Yam 600) 450 Production 1. Craig Sanders (Kaw 400) 2. Evan Harsha (Yam 400) 3. Mark Elrod (Hon 400) 4. David Wallis (Hon 400) Aftershocks 250 Production 1. Michael Corbino (Kaw 250) 2. David Crone (Hon 250) 3. Vlastimil Kotyza (Kaw 250) 4. Andrew Boehm (Kaw 250) 5. Michael Jones Jr. (Kaw 250) 6. Richard Lesher (Kaw 250) PowerStands Open Grand Prix 1. Corey Sarros (Suz 1000) 2. Rob Mesa (Suz 1000) 3. Martin Szwarc (Suz 1000) 4. J.D. Grow (Suz 1000) 5. Mike Thompson (Suz 1000) 6. Chris Weiss (Suz 1000) Scuderia West Formula 1 1. Robert Campbell (Suz 750) 2. Peter O’Sullivan (Suz 750) 3. William Morton (Hon 250) 4. Tim Kamholz (Hon 600) 5. Kim Nakashima (Suz 750) 6. Lenny Hale (Yam 600) Mazda Technologies Formula 2 1. William Morton (Hon 250) 2. Dan Cook (Yam 250) 3. Jeffry Hanford (Hon 250) 4. Richard Denman (Hon 250) 5. Shawn Herrera (Yam 250) 6. Philip Snowden (Hon 250) Formula 3 1. Tommy Aquino (Hon 125) 2. Jay Pilster (Hon 125) 3. Steve Magri (Hon 125) 4. Ryan Corey (Hon 125) 5. Marcus Henderson (Hon 125) 6. Michael Caravatta (Hon 125) Zoom Zoom Trackdays Formula 4 1. Kurt Spencer (Suz 650) 2. David Raff (Suz 650) 3. Everett Dittman (Suz 650) 4. Aaron Tulchinsky (Suz 650) 5. Michael Lohmeyer (Hon 400) 6. Jay Avansino (Suz 650) Desmoto Sport Open Twins 1. Eric Gulbransen (Duc 749) 2. Patrick Blackburn (Duc 999) 3. Bud Anderson (Hon 1000) 4. Craig McLean (Duc 749) 5. Scott Schwanbeck (Apr 1000) 6. Simon Williams (Duc 999) 650 Twins 1. Kurt Spencer (Suz 650) 2. John Daker (Suz 650) 3. Everett Dittman (Suz 650) 4. Jay Avansino (Suz 650) 5. David Civiello (Suz 650) 6. David Raff (Suz 650) 500 Twins 1. Patrick Aldinger (Kaw 500) 2. Jonathan Forman (Suz 500) 3. Joe Sickle (Suz 500) 4. Kevin Smith (Gib 500) 5. Eric Schiller (Kaw 500) 6. Robert Clifford (Kaw 500) Formula Singles 1. Chris Keane (Hon 450) 2. Brandon Merkel (Hon 450) 3. Robert Helmering (Hon 500) Super Dinosaur 1. Ross Wells (Yam 450) 2. Michael Nishita (Yam 400) 3. Andrew Boehm (Suz 750) 4. Gwyn Lewis (Yam 400) 5. Len Tavares (Yam 350) 6. Neil O’Reilly (Suz 750) Teresa McKinney Realtor Formula 40 1. Mike Thompson (Yam 1000) 2. Don Rudolfs (Suz 750) 3. Bud Anderson (Hon 1000) 4. John Turmell (Suz 1000) 5. Spencer Stuart (Yam 600) 6. Shawn Reilly (HD 1200) Clubman Heavyweight 1. Richard Serne (Apr 1000) 2. Tad Koklich (Suz 1000) 3. Martin Ayala (Duc 999) 4. Mark Montalvo (Suz 1000) 5. David Hutton (Yam 1000) 6. William Bouch (Suz 1000) Clubman Middleweight 1. Frankie Garcia (Suz 600) 2. Freddi Guerrero (Kaw 636) 3. Michael Arnella (Suz 750) 4. Matthew Bergen (Hon 600) 5. Robert Wilson (Kaw 600) 6. Randy Kaneko (Kaw 600) Clubman Lightweight 1. David Ben-Jamin (Suz 650) 2. William Fox (Suz 650) 3. Brian Esslinger (Suz 650) 4. Tom Shao (Suz 650) 5. Ozzie Fregoso (SUz 650) 6. Leonard Barker Jr (Kaw 500) Vintage 1. Jim Hoogerhyde (Mon 250) 2. Michael Polkabla (Hon 160) 3. Paul Turek (Hon 160) 4. Wallace Riddle (Hon 160)

March 25, Jennings, Florida The opening round of the WERA National Endurance Series was the debut of Blue Ridge Performance’s new Kawasaki 650R’s. Finishing touches were still being done friday morning at the track, as one of our suppliers was not able to get our parts finished in time, and Chief Mechanic / Traxxion Dynamic Tech / Lead Rider Martin Musil had to fabricate parts at the last minute. Only being able to get 1 pratice session in we were doing our best getting a base setup. Saturday morning a shock swap was made, and we were as ready as we could be. With Martin being the only member from past years, and a new pit crew, were hoping for the best. Martin took the start, and built a lead, but soon the more powerful SV’s caught and passed us. Numerous red flags actually worked againist us, but mistakes by other teams, and the lack of mistakes on our part worked out for the best. After the 6 hour race ended, we won by a full lap. Both Martin Musil, and new rider Matt Lapham rode perfectly running consistant laps times to give Blue Ridge and Kawasaki it’s first Light Weight win of the year. More, from a press release issued by Wizard Racing: The Wizard Racing, 4 bike National Endurance team has posted strong finishes at Jennings GP WERA National Endurance. With all 4 bikes in the top 5, 2 podium finishes and 3 motorcycles in the top 11 overall. The Pro-Line race prep tuned Wizard Racing GSXR 1000 heavyweight Superbike entry finished 2nd in class behind Vesrah Suzuki, with riders Timmy Ranaldi, Dave Girardin and Skip Salenius. The Wizard Racing II, GSXR 600 Middleweight Superbike entry, finished 3rd in class, with riders Mike Daniels, Ed Sullivan and John Fraschilla. The Wizard Racing III, SV 650 Lightweight Superbike finished 3rd in class with riders Jen garner, Sarah Irvin, and Cathy White. The Twisted Wizard satellite team, Yamaha R6 Middleweight Superstock entry finished 4th in class, with riders Aaron Aaronson, Shawn Hill and owner Shar Hill. Damien McConnell, and Joe Irvin provided flawless pit support for the teams. Wizard Racing team owner Jim McConnell and Manager Julie Daniels were more than happy to see the amount of effort they have put into these teams in the off season pay off. Even the $250.00 fine imposed by Jennings track management for the burnout celebration on pit road at the end of the event did not spoil moment for the Wizard Racing crew. “I am so proud of the effort the team has put forth in this event”

DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM SET QUICK TIMES ON RACE TYRES IN ONE-DAY AT JEREZ Just 24 hours after the celebrations over the victory of Loris Capirossi in the opening round of the 2006 MotoGP season, the Italian team was back at work today at Jerez for a one-day scheduled test on the Andalusian circuit. The Italian rider focussed mainly on testing new Bridgestone tyres and continuing the Ducati Desmosedici GP6’s development schedule. Loris lapped consistently around the 1m41s mark, ending the day with a best time of 1m40.798s. Sete Gibernau put aside his Jerez race disappointment to immediately set the quickest time of 1m40.504s on the fourth lap of his opening run of the day. A harmless slide interrupted the Spanish rider’s session for a few minutes but the Spanish rider was able to successfully conclude the test in preparation for the next round of the championship in Qatar. Temperatures: air 23° / track 31° C 1) Nicky Hayden (Honda) 1:39.910 2) Sete Gibernau (Ducati) 1:40.504 3) Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 1:40.798 4) Casey Stoner (Honda) 1:40.821 5) Daniel Pedrosa (Honda) 1:40.845 6) Carlos Checa (Yamaha) 1:40.932 7) Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 1:40.966 8) John Hopkins (Suzuki) 1:41.096 9) Shynja Nakano (Kawasaki) 1:41.178 10) Toni Elias (Honda) 1:41.193 11) Makoto Tamada (Honda) 1:41.234 12) Marco Melandri (Honda) 1:41.400 13) Colin Edwards (Yamaha) 1:41.442 14) Cris Vermullen (Suzuki) 1:41.554 15) Kenny Roberts (KRHonda) 1:41.861 16) James Ellison (Yamaha) 1:42.924 More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Honda: MARCO MELANDRI AND TONI ELIAS BACK AT WORK Jerez, Motogp test The protagonists of the MotoGP class came back to work today for a testing session after the Spanish GP, the opening race of the 2006 Championship. The Fortuna Honda riders started around 12.30 and tested till 18.30 using all the opening hours of the track. Marco Melandri who yesterday conducted intelligently a difficult race, concentrated on comparative test in order to understand better his RC211V. Marco tested different solutions in order to improve his feeling with the front and consequently his speed in the turn. Positive day for his team mate Toni Elias who, in his home GP, produced yesterday a superb ride, demonstrating once again his undoubted potential.. A small crash without consequences didn’t stop him from testing the whole afternoon. TONI ELIAS (1’41.16, 67 laps): “Today we worked a little bit on the setting in order to improve my pace. We worked mainly on the suspensions without changing too much yesterday configuration. In fact we have found a good base that I like a lot. In the afternoon we started the preparation of the GP of Qatar. I leave Jerez satisfied and confident for the second race of the season.” MARCO MELANDRI (1’41. 400, 78 laps ): “I’m quite satisfied because compared to yesterday I lapped consistently improving my lap time. Unfortunately, at the moment, I am still not able to use all the potential that the bike has.” Temperatures: air: 23°- asphalt: 31° UNOFFICIAL LAP TIMES 1) Nicky Hayden (Honda) 1’39. 910 2) Sete Gibernau (Ducati) 1’40.504 3) Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 1’40.798 4) Casey Stoner (Honda) 1’40. 821 5) Daniel Pedrosa (Honda) 1’40. 845 6) Carlos Checa (Yamaha) 1’40. 932 7) Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 1’40. 966 8) John Hopkins (Suzuki) 1’41.096 9) Shynja Nakano (Kawasaki) 1’41.178 10) Toni Elias (Honda) 1’41.16 11) Makoto Tamada (Honda) 1’41. 234 12) Marco Melandri (Honda) 1’41. 400 13) Colin Edwards (Yamaha) 1’41. 442 More, from a press release issued by Camel Yamaha: YAMAHA FIND SOME SOLUTIONS TO THEIR JEREZ TROUBLES DURING TEST The Camel Yamaha Team remained in Jerez today for an intense afternoon of testing in an effort to find some answers to the problems they faced over the course of the season’s opening weekend. Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards completed 72 and 76 laps respectively and made some positive steps towards understanding the cause of the vibration that kept their lap times down during the weekend’s practice sessions and forced them to start from the fourth row of the grid for yesterday’s race. Rossi, who was brought down by another rider at the first corner of the race after a lightening start, also completed one run today on the 2005-specification YZR-M1, in order to compare its performance with the 2006 bike and gather more data to help the engineers find a final solution ahead of the next race. The Camel Yamaha Team now have a week’s rest before they travel to Qatar early next week for the second MotoGP race of the season. DAVIDE BRIVIO CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “After such a disappointing opening weekend to the season, it was important for us to have the chance to test today. It was a very useful and interesting day for us and we were able to collect a lot of important information which we believe will help us. It was good to be able to go back to some of the settings that we tried over the weekend and to evaluate them in a more relaxed atmosphere, without the time pressure of a race weekend. “In addition we decided to have Valentino ride the 2005 M1 for a few laps so we could compare its performance at this track with that of the new bike. It was interesting to see the difference a few things about the ’05 bike are better at the moment, but overall it seems the ’06 bike is still a more improved package and Valentino’s fastest times today were on the 2006-spec M1. Anyway the data from this comparison should help us a lot as we continue to develop the new bike. Valentino was able to make some good improvements to the performance of the ’06 bike so this is encouraging for Qatar. Colin’s test wasn’t quite as positive but after today we now have a better idea of what to do in order to bring him back to the level he was at in Barcelona. It’s been an important day for us and now the Yamaha engineers will work hard to evaluate the data gathered so that we can come to Qatar and fight at the front with both riders where they belong.” Times: Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team, 1’39.910 Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team, 1’40.504 Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team,1’40.798 Casey Stoner (AUS) Team LCR, 1’40.821 Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team, 1’40.845 Carlos Checa (SPA) Yamaha Tech 3, 1’40.932 VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Camel Yamaha Team, 1’40.966 John Hopkins (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, 1’41.096 Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team, 1’41.178 Toni Elias (SPA) Fortuna Honda, 1’41.193 Makoto Tamada (JPN) Konica Minolta Honda, 1’41.234 Marco Melandri (ITA) Fortuna Honda, 1’41.400 COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Camel Yamaha Team, 1’41.442 Chris Vermuelen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, 1’41.554 Kenny Roberts (USA) Team KR, 1’41.861 James Ellison (GBR) Yamaha Tech 3, 1’42.924 T. Okada (JPN) 1’43.265 More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: Nicky Hayden fastest at Jerez post race MotoGP test. Honda MotoGP teams completed a valuable one-day post race test at the Jerez circuit on Monday following an impressive display in the opening race of the 17-round world championship held at the circuit on Sunday. Repsol Honda rider Nicky Hayden was the fastest of the RC211V riders on Monday. Hayden, from Kentucky, struggled to find rear end grip during Sunday’s 27-lap race and the HRC engineers made changes to the geometry of the RCV in a bid to eradicate the problem without surrendering the advances made with front end performance. The hard charging young American was happy with the results and feels the 2006 factory RCV is beginning to fulfil its potential. Hayden set fastest time of the day while testing a newly developed Michelin qualifying tyre. Hayden’s team-mate Dani Pedrosa made a dream MotoGP debut on Sunday when he raced his RC211V to second place to give the team a podium double. Pedrosa, the reigning double 250cc World Champion, experienced a few front wheel slides in the closing laps of Sunday’s race and spent Monday working on the front end of his RCV and made some progress towards improving front end feel. Fortuna Honda riders Marco Melandri and Toni Elias worked hard on improving base settings for their RCVs. Melandri, world championship runner up in 2005, is taking time to adjust to his new mount machine and despite setting consistently improved lap times he still has to get the best from the bike. Elias grows in confidence each time he takes the RCV out on track. The young Spaniard was involved in a first corner clash in Sundays race but battled through the field to take fourth place at the finish. The team experimented with suspension settings that improved the base line settings of the machine as they prepare for the Qatar GP on April 8. Young Australian Casey Stoner (LCR Honda), another MotoGP debutant in 2006, finished sixth in the GP a magnificent effort considering he had undergone shoulder surgery in February and sitting out the last nine days of winter testing. Stoner tested suspension settings in combination with several Michelin tyres as he improved his understanding of the big five-cylinder 990cc four-stroke. He lapped faster than in qualifying for the race and is confident the knowledge gained on Monday will help him perform well in the Qatar race. Japanese star Makoto Tamada has yet to find sufficient front end grip on his Konica Minolta Honda. The problem is affecting his normally high corner entry speed. Various front and rear suspension combinations were tried out in a bid to improve the base line set up. Tamada goes into the Qatar race with more work to do in order to find that elusive front end feedback he needs if he is to be successful in 2006. Team Roberts used Monday’s test to evaluate several chassis and suspension options they had hoped to try in practice and qualifying for the GP. Poor weather on the opening day of practice and a crash on oil in final qualifying prevented them making any progress. Kenny Roberts Jnr gave the KR211V an impressive GP debut finishing eighth in Sunday’s race and goes to round two of the series in better shape following on the back of a successful days work on Monday. Honda rider lap times and quotes. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 1m 39. 910s – 77 laps. “Today we’ve been doing a lot of geometry changes to try to get some more weight on the rear and get better traction. I was able to get into the 1m 40s lap times on the exact same tyre that I was on in yesterday’s race which is definitely an improvement. We tried some settings I liked, although I don’t think we found anything that’ll make up the nine seconds we finished behind the leader yesterday. We weren’t testing new parts today but we confirmed a few things that we’d tried over the weekend. At the end of the day Michelin had a new qualifying tyre they wanted to check and so that’s where my best lap time came from and it’s always nice to finish on top.” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 1m 40. 845s – 65 laps. “Yesterday was a great result but I know we still have a lot of work to do for the season. This was only one race and the other riders will be working really hard to beat us next time. Today we were working on race set-up and trying to improve the slight lack of front end grip we had in the race yesterday. We also tested some Michelin tyres to help this and we found some improvements, but today the conditions were much better than yesterday and we had more grip because it was a little bit colder so the tyres were working better for the conditions. The rear tyre especially was working better and we got some good information for the race at Qatar and the next few races.” Marco Melandri, Fortuna Honda: 1m 41. 400s – 78 laps. “I’m quite satisfied because compared to yesterday I lapped consistently improving my lap time. Unfortunately, at the moment, I am still not able to use all the potential that the bike has.” Toni Elias, Fortuna Honda: 1m 41.16s – 67 laps. “Today we worked a little bit on the setting in order to improve my pace. We worked mainly on the suspension, front and rear, without changing too much on yesterday’s configuration. In fact we have found a good base that I like a lot. In the afternoon we started the preparation of the GP of Qatar. I leave Jerez satisfied and confident for the second race of the season.” Casey Stoner, LCR Honda: 1m 40. 821s. Stoner unavailable for comment due to his tight post race travel schedule. Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda: 1m 41. 234s “After we changed front and rear suspension, the machine handling was good and I could ride well much better than yesterday. Next race in Qatar, During Rd1 weekend, I struggle machine set up until the last minute. It was not possible to enter the corner smoothly because handling was heavy. In today’s test the investigation of the cause and also we had tried the second machine’s basic set up and tyre testing. It came to be able to run well by changing the front and rear suspension compared with yesterday. I think today’s track condition was not bad and I think my lap time was good. As for the following race at Qatar, the track has less grip and I will need a different set up which priority more control ability. I think it’s might be suitable for the characteristic of the machine today. So, I’m looking forward next race.” Kenny Roberts Jnr, KR Honda: “We used the test to try some of the stuff we brought for the GP but didn’t get the chance to test. We were not looking for lap times today just working on the overall balance of the bike trying a few suspension options with a lot of work on the front forks. When we got a better feeling Michelin gave us a really good front tyre and we had a lot more feed back from the front and got rid of the slides we had during the race. We are ready for Qatar and really looking forward to qualifying with the stuff we have now.”

CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER BAYLISS (DUCATI XEROX TEAM) CONTINUES SUPERB FORM ON FIRST DAY OF SUPERBIKE TESTING AT VALENCIA Valencia (Spain), Monday 27 March: Troy Bayliss continued his superb run of form in this early part of the season when he set quickest time for the Ducati Xerox Team on the opening day of a three-day test in Valencia, Spain. The test, together with the subsequent one at Misano Adriatico on April 12/13, has been slotted into the calendar schedule after the opening two rounds of the series by FG Sport to enable all the Superbike teams to reach peak preparation in view of the remaining rounds of the 2006 series. Points leader Bayliss showed more of his recent race-winning form as he lapped the 4.005 km Ricardo Tormo circuit in 1m35.220s, set during the morning session, to head the timesheets on the first day of action. His time was a full eight-tenths of a second quicker than second-placed Troy Corser (Suzuki). Ducati Xerox team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi was in sixth position, but just three-tenths off the pace of Corser. “Everything went OK for me today” declared Bayliss. “The only problem is the track, which is slower than when we tested here in February because it’s a lot hotter and windier. Even though we don’t have anything major to test, I went well in the morning and was on the pace right away. Then in the afternoon the track was dirtier and I was unable to improve so we packed in half-an-hour before the end of the session.” “I am quite pleased with the way things went today” declared Lanzi. “We immediately found the right settings and I was one of the few riders who managed to lower their times in the afternoon session. There are still a couple more days left to improve but for the moment I’m pretty sure we’re going in the right direction”. TIMES: 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1m35.220s; 2. Corser (Suzuki) 1m36.080s; 3. Barros (Honda) 1m36.292s; 4. Haga (Yamaha) 1m36.309s; 5. Muggeridge (Honda) 1m36.327s; 6. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 1m36.360s; 7. Walker (Kawasaki) 1m36.420s; 8. Kagayama (Suzuki) 1m36.725s; etc. More, from a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing: Progress for FPR after day one of Spanish test Both Foggy PETRONAS Racing riders made strides forward during the first day of the official Superbike World Championship test at Valencia, Spain, today. Steve Martin finished the day 13th fastest out of the full World Superbike field, with a time of 1:37.07 which bettered his previous fastest at the circuit on the PETRONAS FP1, despite experiencing an engine failure towards the end of the first session which caused a spectacular high-side from which he escaped uninjured. Team-mate Craig Jones also made in-roads into his previous best time at the circuit as he gained further valuable track experience and set-up knowledge. The team were also able to compare a new engine development, featuring a new cam-shaft designed to improve the mid-range power spread, to that used at Phillip Island in the recent races. Troy Bayliss, who is leading the championship after the opening two races, set the pace once again with a time of 1:35.220. Steve, who was 10th fastest after the morning session, said: “I was lucky to get away with the crash but, although this may sound strange, I am glad that it happened in one respect. I haven’t really given my body a knock since my operation last year and it is good to get it over and done with and know that I am just as strong as I used to be. I have not been too worried about lap times as I only used two rear tyres in each session and I am sure I could have bettered my time if I had stuck a softer one in at the end. Our aim is to do consistent times on race times so that we can fully evaluate the different engine configurations. There is no doubt that the new camshaft provided more torque, but at the expense of top speed down the main straight. However, on race tyres, I was able to match my qualifying time from the race weekend last year, and was able to lap in the low 37s throughout the day.” Craig said: “I am reasonably pleased because, although I did not do any quick times today, we have made progress and have a direction to go in with the bike’s set-up. I have found a front end set-up that I quite like and a back-end set-up that I also quite like. It’s just a question of putting together the whole package now. I have gone a second quicker than when we tested here last year and we have got a game plan for tomorrow to reduce the times further.” First day times, Superbike World Championship official test, Valencia, Spain: 1 Bayliss 1:35.220; 2 Corser 1:36.080; 3 Barros 1:36.292; 4 Haga 1:36.309; 5 Muggeridge 1:36.327; 6 Lanzi 1:36.360; 7 Walker 1:36.450; 8 Kagayama 1:36.725; 9 Pitt 1:36.740; 10 Nieto 1:36.808; 13 Martin (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:37.072; 28 Jones (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:40.226 More, from a press release issued by Team Klaffi Honda: Business as usual the first practice session on Monday morning went according to plan. Alex and the crew were busy to adjust the settings of his Klaffi Honda Fireblade. The Brazlian rider of Team Klaffi Honda did 33 laps. With a 1’37.109 lap time he was 11th fastest. In the afternoon the Superbike riders started for their second practice session at 16.oo. Two hours to do some faster lap times. But it was only Alex to succeed. He did a 1’36.292 lap time and finished third. Only Bayliss and Corser were faster than Alex. Team Manager Klaus Klaffenböck: “We had a very tough but successful day. It was only a pity that Alex had a small crash five minutes before the end of the second session. But he is okay and all things considered we are very pleased with the results.” Official Test at Valencia 27.03.2006 1 Bayliss T. Ducati 1’35.220 2 Corser T. Suzuki 1’36.080 3 Barros A. Klaffi Honda. 1’36.292 4 Haga N. Yamaha 1’36.309 5 Muggeridge K. Honda 1’36.327 6 Lanzi L. Ducati 1’36.360 7 Walker C. Kawasaki 1’36.450 8 Kagayama Y. Suzuki 1’36.725 9 Pitt A. Yamaha 1’36.740 10 Nieto F. Kawasaki 1’36.808 11 Barros A. Klaffi Honda 1’37.109 More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: FIRST DAY OF WORK AT THE RICARDO TORMO CIRCUIT IN VALENCIA Perfect weather welcomed the World Superbike Championship riders on the first day of testing at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia. A high of 30 degrees the air temperature were recorded, while the track reached just over 40 degrees, allowing the Winston Ten Kate Honda Team riders to take positive early steps. Two more days are still available for the four white and blue Winston Ten Kate Honda Team’s musketeers to improve and prepare their bikes for the third round of the Superbike World Championship programmed on April 23, also at Valencia. Ronald Ten Kate Winston Ten Kate Honda Team Manager “It’s good to be back racing in Europe even if we have already had some satisfying results in Qatar and Phillip Island. We are doing a good job around here, the weather conditions are similar to what we will expect at the end of April, therefore we are working well to find the right race set up. I am surprised for the times we have registered today because we still have two days to improve them. The start of the test is really good. I am quite impressed with what Kenan is doing so far on the track that he knows. We still have to test some different pieces and we’ll concentrate a lot on that. So we’ll see what happens tomorrow. Regarding the Superbike boys, I am very happy to see Karl back strongly in the top five, after the first two races in which he had some difficulties. He is improving step by step. With James, we are trying different parts and pieces but we still haven’t found the right setting. Here in Valencia the track situation is always strange because it changes so much from the morning to the afternoon and it hasn’t been easy to adjust the bike from one session to the other. But this is why it’s good to be here for the test, it is useful to learn more and more about the bike and about our riders’ preferences. I am quite sure we’ll be able to pick it up tomorrow.” James Toseland – SBK Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (11th position 61 laps Fastest lap 1’36.922) “Today didn’t go too well. We worked hard trying many solutions in our settings but we didn’t make any big progress. We are looking forward for the next two days of work to improve and reach a satisfying set up for the bike. I would simply like to forget about today and start over from tomorrow. I am sure we can be a lot quicker.” Karl Muggeridge – SBK Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (5th position 57 laps Fastest lap 1’36.327) “The first day has been pretty good for us. We made some adjustments to prepare our bike and results have come. The problems I had during the Australian races are mainly gone and I am positive about the work we will be able to do in the next couple of days. I fell during the afternoon session because I expected the front tyre I was trying to be a lot better, but I guess I pushed a bit too much and found myself on the ground. Not a big problem as that was a quite slow turn and luckily I didn’t hurt myself, which is the main thing.” Sebastien Charpentier WSS Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (1st position 30 laps Fastest lap 1’37.877) “Today was OK. It is an important test because the temperature will be similar when we’ll be back here at the end of April for the third round of the championship. The bike is good, we made some changes compared to this morning and the bike went better. The problem at the end of the session was the traffic, which didn’t allow me to improve my best lap time. But this is not so important at the moment. It’s important to have a good set up of the bike in race configuration. The front of the bike is OK; tomorrow we’ll test some different parts to improve my feeling with the rear of the bike. I am satisfied about how the first day of testing went.” Kenan Sofuoglu WSS Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (2nd position 38 laps Fastest lap 1’38.411) “I am very happy on how the day went because the last time I was on the bike in Australia I crashed and today I regained the feeling with it. Today I have already set some good lap times; I hope we can keep improving in the last two days. I am working hard to allow the Winston Ten Kate Honda Team to maintain, in every race, the first two positions. Right now it’s not so important for me to stay in front of Sebastien. Tomorrow we’ll try different setting and if we’ll have the time we may try a race simulation on the last day, to try to understand what we’ll be able to do in the race at the end of April.”

Tom Hanks all set for TT return Sidecar aces Tom Hanks and Phil Biggs will make their return to the Isle of Man TT Races this year after seven years away from the event, during which time they have been chasing World Championship glory in the F1 class. Hanks last appeared on the Island in 1999 when he was partnered by Steve Wilson on their way to third in the Sidecar A race and in 1997 he was the overall winner of the event, finishing second and third in the two races. In that same year, Biggs partnered Roy Hanks, Tom’s uncle, to victory in the first Sidecar race and also had his last appearance on the Island in 1999. Tom made his TT debut as a driver in 1996 after competing as a passenger with uncle Roy since 1987 when still a teenager but he was quickly up to speed, so much so that he was able to take the overall prize in 1997. His fastest TT lap is a more than respectable 108.84mph, also occurring in 1997, and although this was set almost a decade ago it still makes him the ninth fastest driver ever to have lapped the Mountain Course. Since 2000 the duo have been contesting the World Championship in a F1 Windle outfit finishing third in 2004, fifth in 2001 and 2002 and sixth in 2003, securing thirteen podium finishes along the way. The pairing only contested a handful of rounds in 2005 but they still managed ninth overall in the championship table and were again on the podium at Rijeka and Assen. For their TT return Hanks and Biggs will pilot the ex Klaus Klaffenbock DMR Yamaha outfit, courtesy of Clive Stirrat, riding under the Hani Racing Team banner. Speaking about his return to the TT Hanks said: “I’m delighted to be returning to the Isle of Man and having the chance to race there again. It’s played a huge part in my career and although it’s been a few years since I last drove there we have everything in place to give a good account of ourselves. Obviously, the speeds have risen during that time and I haven’t driven a F2 outfit for a long time so we’ll have to build ourselves back up but we plan to make a serious attack on the results sheet and ensure there’s another Hanks name at the sharp end of the field.” Speaking about the return of the former winner TT Team and Rider Liaison Officer Paul Phillips commented: “We’ve been working really hard behind the scenes with the sidecar class and the return of Tom is a huge boost to the entry list and signifies our aim to ensure that it possesses a line-up second to none. With Andy Laidlow also returning there will be a terrific battle for the podium places and with Tom being a former winner, this year should see one of the finest ever years for the sidecar class. I’m really pleased to have secured Tom’s entry and it really is a star studded field. I would like to thank Dave Molyneux for all his help in getting Tom back to the TT. It wouldn’t have been possible without him.” David Cretney, MHK, Minister for the Department of Tourism and Leisure concluded by saying: “The Sidecars always have been and always will be an integral part of the Isle of Man TT Races so it is important we look after them equally as much as we do the solo riders. Attracting drivers of Tom Hanks’ calibre to the races proves our intent and the Sidecar entry is certainly a strong one. I’d like to wish Tom and Phil the very best of luck on their return and hopefully they’ll enjoy themselves and once again become a regular fixture on the entry list in the years ahead.”

Round 1 – Bennetts British Superbike Championship Meeting Brands Hatch, Kent. Friday 24th to Sunday 26th March 2006 OLLIE AND TOM RACK UP THE POINTS The 2006 British Championship season got underway in superb style yesterday at Brands Hatch in Kent with Etchilhampton near Devizes in Wiltshire brothers Ollie and Tommy Bridewell both scoring points on their championship debuts. Racing in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship for the very first time, 20 year old Ollie followed up a superb 15th place in his debut outing with a brilliant top ten placing ahead of former champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne in a wet and windy race two to end the day in joint 14th in the series aboard his 1000cc Vivaldi Suzuki. “It was really tricky out there but I’m pleased with my results and to end up highest placed Vivaldi rider in race two was great. It felt like thirteen laps rather than thirty and the tyres were fantastic but all credit to the team for providing me with a great bike, I guess I’ll be buying the drinks now!” said a delighted Ollie. Meanwhile younger brother Tommy overcame a crash during qualifying to end up in 15th place on his debut ride in the British Supersport Championship. Despite the handicap of a finger injury sustained during pre-season testing, the 17 year-old claimed a single point for fifteenth place aboard the Vivaldi Suzuki following the red-flag which curtailed the race a few laps short. “I’m pleased with the result especially as we had so little track time and it was tough out there. This is the most competitive championship I’ve ever raced in and whilst I didn’t underestimate the opposition, it’s proving even harder than I expected but I’m confident that I can secure a better result next time out” said Tommy. The next round of the respective championships takes place in two weeks time at Donington Park, Leicestershire over the weekend of April 7/8/9th More, from a press release issued by Hawk Kawasaki: Strong Performance for Hawk Riders Brands Hatch Indy 24th – 26th March The three Hawk Kawasaki riders made a good start at the opening round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch this weekend (26th March). Two of the riders, Dean Thomas and Craig Coxhell left the two races at Brands Indy confidently placed in the top ten in the overall Championship table with youngster Peter Hickman making huge progress throughout the weekend. With varying weather conditions over the three days it was difficult to judge which way it would swing come race day. With a dry first race and wet second race the riders had to adapt to various different race set-ups but each in turn adjusted well and gained creditable results at the end of the day. Australian Dean Thomas secured a fantastic front row qualifying position of 4th place and rode two strong races against the factory set-up of Honda, Ducati and Suzuki and finished with a 7th and 8th place respectively. Leaving Thomas with a comfortably 6th position in the overall Championship. Thomas commented ‘It’s been a good weekend in general considering the lack of testing time we have had compared to some of the other teams. We still have a long way to go with the bikes but they are definitely competitive and I know once we sort a couple of aspects out, that we will be able to run up at the front and gain some strong results.’ His Aussie team-mate Craig Coxhell suffered a mixed array of results with a 18th position in race one and an outstanding 4th position in the second race. Nerves got the better of the 23-year-old in race one, which saw him make a few costly mistakes. Once settled in, and having got the first race out of the way Coxhell was extremely impressive in only his second race for Hawk Kawasaki and was delighted with the result. Speaking with him ‘I was really nervous in the first race and although I managed to get a good start I got boxed in at the first and second corner which lost me a lot of time. I was perhaps pushing it a little too hard in race one, which forced me to make some errors. I was a lot more relaxed in the second race and throughly enjoyed racing which showed in my overall result. The bike felt perfect in the wet and has given me a lot more confidence. I’ve not ridden on the British tracks since 2004 and even then I only had one year to learn the circuits so I am still on a steep learning curve.’ At only 18-years of age Peter Hickman is the youngest British Superbike rider and was making his debut Superbike appearance, he did himself and the Hawk team proud. Constantly improving on his times throughout the weekend and progressing forward through the pack on every outing, he was unlucky not to score points in both races with a 22nd and 17th finishes. The quiet youngster said ‘I’m fairly happy with how things have gone this weekend. It’s a whole new experience for me, I’d never ridden in the wet on a Superbike or on wet tyres so each time I am out on the bike I am learning something new. This is a whole new ball game for me but I’m really enjoying the opportunity.’ Team Manager Stuart Hicken was very content with the progress of the riders saying ‘All I wanted this weekend was six finishes and that’s what I got so I certainly can’t complain. We’ve had no testing time and probably only done around 60 miles in total on the bikes and they have all run without problems this weekend. The mechanics have done a fantastic job and have worked exceptionally hard to ensure that things were in place for this round. We’ve learnt a lot about the new ZX10’s and are certainly hoping to be stronger for Donington. I’m extremely pleased for everyone especially the sponsors of Hawk Kawasaki.’ Speaking on behalf of the Hawk racing teams main sponsor Andrews Sykes Group, Kelvin Fogwill, said “We have found that our continued investment in sponsoring the Hawk Superbike team has paid dividends by enabling us to continually raise the awareness of both the Andrews and the Sykes brands. In addition to raising our profile it is a great morale booster for employees”. He continued, “More than 1000 of Andrews Sykes’ VIP customers attended British Superbike rounds during the 2005 season. The successes of the Hawk Kawasaki team on the track are always celebrated across the group”. National hire specialists Andrews Sykes are in their sixth year of sponsorship with Hawk Kawasaki. Race 1 Result 1.G Lavilla (Ducati), 2. K Harris (Honda), 3. M Rutter (Honda), 4. R Kiyonari (Honda), 5. J Rea (Honda), 6. S Byrne (Suzuki), 7. M Laverty (Honda), 8. D Thomas (Hawk Kawasaki), 9. G Richards (Honda), 10. J Haydon (Suzuki) 18. C Coxhell (Hawk Kawasaki), 21. P Hickman (Hawk Kawasaki) Race 2 Result 1. R Kiyonari (Honda), 2. L Haslam (Ducati), 3. G Lavilla (Ducati), 4. C Coxhell (Hawk Kawasaki), 5. K Harris (Honda), 6. T Hill (Yamaha), 7. J Haydon (Suzuki), 8. D Thomas (Hawk Kawasaki), 9. G Richards (Honda), 10. O Bridewell (Suzuki), 17. P Hickman (Hawk Kawasaki) Championship Positions after Round 1 Lavilla 41 Kiyonari 38 Harris 31 Haslam 20 Rutter 16 Thomas 16 Byrne 15 Haydon 15 Richards 14 Coxhell 13