Palmer to ride factory MV Agusta at TT 2006 Isle of Man resident Chris Palmer will compete in this year’s TT Races aboard a factory 1000cc MV Agusta, under the banner of FCL Racing. The Carlisle rider, who now resides in Castletown, will use the exotic machine in both the Superbike and Senior events and although not an official factory effort, the machine will ensure that there is further manufacturer representation at this year’s event. Having already lapped at over 121mph in last year’s Senior on an R1 Yamaha, the MV Agusta, which weighs less than a Yamaha R6 and is two stone lighter than the R1, should suit the diminutive Palmer and gives him a great chance of making a serious impression in the Superbike races. The stylish machine will also evoke memories from years gone by as the famous Italian marque dominated proceedings in the 1950’s, 60’s and early 70’s, and although Thomas Montano successfully competed on an MV in 2005, this will be the first time a factory machine has appeared on the Island since 1972. In addition to the MV Agusta, Palmer will also compete in this year’s TT on a Yamaha R1 Superstock courtesy of Myles Robinson and David Tonge, and on a Honda CBR 600RR in the Junior, courtesy of Joe Grant (Solway Slate & Tile). Speaking about the opportunity to race the MV, one of the most famous names in motorcycling, Palmer said: “It all came about when Chloe Flanagan contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in riding it. Having already ridden for her father Alistair at Macau last year, I jumped at the chance and I’m absolutely over the moon. This time last year I was struggling to find competitive machinery so it’s great to have everything all in place so early and I’m really looking forward to riding the MV around the Mountain Course. I’ve proved that I can ride a Superbike and with this machine being so light and compact, it should help me add a few more mph to my speeds and put me further up the leaderboard.” TT Team and Rider Liaison Officer Paul Phillips commented: “I must admit this has come as a bit of a surprise but I’m delighted that Chris has secured such a competitive machine for this year’s races. He’s proven over the last few years what an extremely talented rider he is and the MV Agusta is an exotic piece of machinery for him to excel even more. Thomas Montano rode brilliantly on a standard MV in 2005 so I’m looking forward to seeing Chris in action on the new bike and the combination of both rider and machine is certainly capable of challenging for honours. Not only is it great for Chris, it’s also great for the TT as it ensures there’s another top flight manufacturer represented in the races.” David Cretney, MHK, Minister for the Department of Tourism and Leisure added: “MV Agusta is not only one of the most famous names associated with the TT Races, it’s also one of the most famous names in motorcycling so it’s fantastic news that a factory machine will once again be gracing the Mountain Circuit. Chris has been a tremendous competitor over the last few years and it’s great to see all his efforts rewarded with such a competitive machine. I’m sure he’ll perform brilliantly and it’s just another boost to the entry, which is already first class.”

Question. What do you get when you combine 150 race-hungry bikers, the Daytona 200, and 20 orange-shorted women? Oh, only about $2000 for the Roadracing World Action Fund! Many thanks to a throng of race-starved individuals who joined TrackDaz and Advanced Kawasaki at Hooters Anaheim for some fun, frivolity and a raffle of items to benefit the Action Fund. And thanks to our sponsors there were so many items to raffle off that nearly everyone that bought raffle tickets was able to walk away with something. The actual raffle raised $988 cash American (psst”¦here’s 12 bucks, let’s call it $1000) and TrackDaz and Advanced Kawasaki each put in $500 dollars to match, and bring the total to $2000! No doubt that those that joined us had a great time! A few birthdays got celebrated, there was some dancing on stools that really shouldn’t have been allowed, and a lot of grins, guffaws, and even some guzzling of beer. Be sure you join us next year and don’t miss out on the fun! But you are definitely gonna want to get there early, we pretty much took up every table in the joint this year, and that was on a rainy day! Next year should be even bigger! Many thanks go to Hooters Anaheim for allowing us to host this there for the second year running, and for opening the doors so early. We think we saw someone walk in at 7:45 a.m. with orange shorts and a coffee IV, but couldn’t verify that for sure. Also, large thanks actually no”¦.positively *huge* thanks to our sponsors for providing all the cool swag for the raffle – Catalyst Racing Composites, Sidi Boots, Motorex Oil, Kawasaki, Toyride.org, Tucker Rocky, LPUSA, Sport Tire Services, and Motorcycle Performance Services. Thanks for all the support from all the riders that showed up. Like we say, if you keep coming out, we’ll keep doing this stuff! See y’all next year! Trackdaz, LLC http://www.trackdaz.com 909.234.4713 Advanced Kawasaki http://www.advancedkawasaki.com 714.521.2420 Hooters, Anaheim 2438 Katella Avenue Anaheim, CA 92806 714-634-9464

America’s Most Exciting and Unique Motorcycle Event Weekend The LA Calendar Motorcycle Show – July 15 &16th 2006 The Los Angeles Calendar Motorcycle Show Weekend takes place every 3rd weekend in July at the Queen Mary Event Park in Long Beach / Los Angeles. The July 15-16th 2006 weekend was the the Show’s 15th annual event. Its extraordinary growth and success is credited to its unique and exciting motorcycle pinup calendar theme based on the popular FastDates.com Calendars produced by Show producer Jim Gianatsis, and featuring America’s top custom builders, bikes, and manufacturers together with beautiful calendar models. The Calendar Motorcycle Show Weekend has grown to become the biggest Custom and Performance Streetbike Show in America (and possibly the World) focused on the custom, cruiser and high performance sport / streetbike markets. Spectator attendance reaches close to 20,000 hard core motorcycle enthusiasts at the exciting 2-day weekend. Exhibitors include 195 major motorcycle and parts manufacturers, with selected product and apparel venders added into the mix to keep it fun for the entire family. Spectators have a chance to meet top celebrity custom bike builders and attend free Iron & Lace Calendar Bike Builder Seminars with America’s top celebrity builders including Russell Mitchell, Jesse Rooke and Roland Sands and Chica. All weekend long you can watch or enter your own bike in the exciting Jardine World Record Horsepower Dyno Shoot Out. Then on Sunday see the world’s top custom bikes in the Performance Machine Calendar Show Bike Building Championship with a record breaking purse of our $70,000 in cash and awards featuring American’s premier custom V-Twin Bike Contest. New this year is the RoadBike Magazine Metric Class located in the exciting new Roadbike Metric Midway featuring Japanese Cruisers, along with classes for European and Japanese Sportbikes. All weekend long entertainment includes 2-Day Musical Festival showcasing top sexy rockin’ girl bands and singers including the Lead Zeppelin tribute band Zeparella, beautiful blues rocker Jesse Payo. The exciting Purrfect Angelz will be performing their exciting stage shows both days, including three different 1-hour Shows on Saturday including their USO performance for our troops in the Middle East. And don’t forget the world premier of the new 2007 FastDates.com Motorcycle Pinup Calendars with the beautiful Calendar Kittens in attendance, plus a Calendar Girl Model Search Pageant both days. Bike Show admission includes complimentary admission to the historic Queen Mary ocean liner, and the Saturday Night Calendar Bike Builder’s Party featuring the rock band Reckless Driver with Mary Falls.

There will be a 3-minute feature on the Jordan Suzuki team that will air on TNT March 21st at 8:00 p.m. (EST) during the NBA Pre-Game Show for Houston @ Dallas, as well as the NBA Post Game Show the same night after the Phoenix @ Utah game scheduled for 1:00 a.m. (EST). The same 3-minute feature will also run in July when TNT picks up the NASCAR coverage. Fans will also be able to view the video clip on NBA.com and TNT.com.

Terry Gregoricka has sold his Ducati Austin dealership to Jay Bernard, owner of Mototek Aprilia, which is also based in Austin, Texas. According to Bernard, the sale went through on February 28 and the combined dealerships will move into a new facility in about 90 days. Which explains why the the team that fields Ducati racebikes ridden by Ben Bostrom and Neil Hodgson is now known as Parts Unlimited Ducati instead of as Ducati Austin.

By John Ulrich This is my personal opinion and only my personal opinion. In stating my opinion here, I represent only myself, and do not speak for any other person or any organization. I write as a racer, as the father of a racer, as a team owner and as a 26-year member of the AMA. The storm of controversy currently swirling around professional racing in this country reminds me of watching news reports from the Middle East: Everybody is in a state of outrage and wants to kill everybody else, nobody wants to work together, everybody is focussing on the past and past wrongs and wants revenge instead of trying to make things better now and in the future. You killed my brother, therefore I will kill your brother. No, you killed MY brother, therefore I will kill YOUR brother. What we have here is an opportunity to finally address all the stuff that has made everybody involved in AMA Pro Racing crazy over the last several decades. The secret deals, the secret rules, selective involvement of some participants in the rules-making process and the exclusion of other participants. For whatever reason, a lot of stuff didn’t work right. Now is the chance to fix all that. It won’t happen overnight, it can’t happen overnight. But change is upon us, and the result can be a lot better. Give it six months or a year, then look around and see”¦ In the meantime, here, in my opinion, are examples of the kind of problems faced by the attempt to change things, and examples of possible payoffs from the attempt to change things: Examples Of Obstacles To Reforming AMA Pro Racing 1. I Got Screwed Back In (Insert Year Here), Therefore This Other Guy Has To Get Screwed Now! (Example 1: Wanting Ricky Carmichael To Be Docked 25 Points For Failing A Fuel Test Due To Trace Amounts Of Lead That Everybody Agrees Did Not Affect Engine Performance In Any Way, Because Chad Reed And Bubba Stewart Lost Points In Past Seasons. Example 2: Wanting The Buell XB-RR To Be Thrown Out Of Formula Xtreme Despite It Being Secretly Approved By The Guy Who Handled Machine Approval, Because Several Years Ago The Same Guy Secretly Approved Chuck Graves’ R1/R7 Hybrid And It Later Got Tossed Out Of Formula Xtreme. And Never Mind That The Responsible Guy Is Now Out Of The Picture Permanently”¦) 2. Yeah, We Know What The Intent Was And Actually Agree With It, But Because The Rule Wording Is Screwed Up, We’re Really Mad! (Example: Buell XB-RR. The Intent Of Formula Xtreme Was To Have A Class That Isn’t Made Up Entirely Of Four-cylinder Motorcycles–Except For Two Ducatis In Superbike–And To Encourage The Use Of All Sorts Of Diverse Machinery In Formula Xtreme By Giving Extreme Modification Exemptions To, For Example, Two-valve, Air-cooled, Pushrod Twins. And If A Bike Granted Such Xtreme Modification Exemptions Turned Out To Be An Overdog, To Put Weight On It To Maintain Competitive Balance. But Because The Rulebook Written By Two Guys Who Don’t Work There Anymore Doesn’t Explain That Very Well”¦) 3. We’re Mad That The Superbike Series Doesn’t Have A Title Sponsor, But We Want You To Fire The Marketing People Who Are Working On Getting A Title Sponsor And Who Just Landed A Giant Deal For AMA Motocross Because That Money Should Be Spent On Operational People And The Hell With Marketing! (Example: A Pundit Complaining About The Daytona 200 Pace Car Screw-up And Suggesting That Two AMA Pro Racing Vice Presidents Involved In Marketing And Communications Be Fired And The Money Used To Hire More Operations People, When In Fact The Budget For More Operations People Is In Place And The Search For The Right People Is Already On. Sponsorship Deals Don’t Just Fall From Trees, And Take Time And Effort To Develop. Getting Rid Of The Guys Who Work On Getting Such Deals Is Simply Madness”¦) 4. We’re Mad At The AMA Pro Racing Board Of Directors, The AMA Pro Racing CEO And The AMA Director Of Competition And Constantly Write Editorials Blasting Them As Being Incompetent, But Now That They’re Gone, We’re Gonna Blast The Person We Think Is Responsible For Getting Rid Of Them And Who Is Trying To Change Things! (Example: A Pundit Belittling The AMA CEO Who Was A Driving Force Behind Reforming And Reorganizing AMA Pro Racing, Because She’s Not A Racing Professional Like The People On The Dissolved Board Or Other Former Employees The Pundit Was Mad At Before The Reorganization Eliminated Them…And Every Debate Turns Into A Personal Attack…) Examples Of Potential Improvements On The Horizon For AMA Pro Racing 1. New rulebooks that make sense. 2. New, additional operational employees. 3. New structure that ends secret deals and approvals and guarantees teams and racers can be involved and have a voice in the rule-making and decision-making process. 4. Rules and enforcement targeted at things that actually affect on-track performance, versus rules and rules-enforcement for their own sake.

TEAMHURTBYACCIDENT.COM PLEASED WITH DAYTONA 200 EXPERIENCE SARASOTA, FLORIDA (March 14, 2006) After returning from their debut in the 65th annual Daytona 200 by Honda at Daytona International Speedway, team captain C.J. Czaia of the law firm Czaia & Gallagher, PA was quite pleased with his entire Palmetto, Florida based team’s efforts. Competing against factory-sponsored teams, Teamhurtbyaccident.com mounted a challenge as they fielded two riders. Roaring Toyz of Sarasota’s Robert Fisher and Tampa resident John Linder were both able to qualify at the last minute due to extraordinary efforts by the team’s technicians overcoming suspension difficulties and engine problems. Starting with a 12 second handicap in the second wave, the pit crew was able to change both tires and refuel Fisher’s Suzuki GSX-R600 in 12.5 seconds at the first stop and gain 10 positions in the field. They started in 58th position in the 71-bike field and Fisher finished in 19th place, gaining more positions than any other rider in the race. During their second pit stop, they gained four more. “If we had been able to qualify better, I’m sure we would have been in the top ten,” said Czaia. “The 12 seconds we lost by starting in the second wave would have put us up there; our lap times in the race prove that. We’re excited about applying what we learned and we’ll be back next year.” Czaia continued. Linder was victimized by the pace car incident and the confusion that followed, costing him several places in the finishing order. The American Motorcyclist Association is sanctioning a new endurance series beginning in October 2006 at Daytona, and Teamhurtbyaccident.com plans to field two teams in the series opener. Moto-ST will feature twin-cylinder motorcycles exclusively, running in two classes. The announcement on March 9 of the new series at Daytona was greeted with excitement and they plan to run a full schedule in 2007. Team owner and rider C.J. Czaia is a noted Florida attorney and also the Chairman of the Democratic Party in Manatee County, Florida. He’s active in community affairs and a leader in the Hispanic community. More, from a press release issued by Joe Rocket: ROCKET RACERS SOAR IN DAYTONA The Rocket Racing Team rolled out of the AMA Superbike Series opener in Daytona Beach, Fla., taking with them the plunders of victory. The rocket racing Team brought their best game and earned hard fought frequent flyer points via numerous rides to the Winners’ Circle at Daytona International Speedway during Bike Week 2006. Reigning AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin began his quest for a record 7th, AMA Superbike Championship, starting right where he left off by winning the season opening race in his typically dominant manner. Mat started the race from pole position to break away from the field with Yoshimura Suzuki Team mate, Ben Spies in tow. Mladin and Spies thrilled the crowd with multiple lead changes. The two rode nose to tail until the final lap when Mladin strategized a brilliant drafting maneuver that allowed him to sling-shot past Spies at the line to capture the checkered flag. Rounding out the podium in 3rd place was fellow Rocket Racer, American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel. Factory Yamaha pilot and new comer to the Rocket Racing Team, Jamie Hacking displayed his wizardry on the high banks in the Repsol Superstock race. Hacking, aboard his Graves Yamaha R1LE battled the field the entire race. Proving his race craft and cunning experience, Hacking used a last lap, last turn drafting pass on his teammate that delivered the Victor’s Champagne and the first place trophy to Jamie “Hacker” Hacking. In the “Pro Honda Oils” Supersport race that can only be described as a real barnburner, Factory Kawasaki pilot Roger Lee Hayden stood atop the podium after a lap for lap dogfight. Roger Lee was joined on the Supersport podium by fellow Rocket Racers Jamie Hacking (2nd) and brother, Tommy Hayden (3rd.) The 66th running of the Daytona 200 by Honda did not yield any trophies for the Rocket Racing Team but it did illustrate a prime example of true grit and determination on behalf of American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel. Rocket Racer, Miguel “The Warrior” was leading the Daytona 200 when unexpectantly, a nasty high side spat him from the saddle, slamming him headfirst into the ground at over 80 MPH. Duhamel immediately sprang to his feet, sprinted to his downed machine, re-mounted, re-fired and jumped back into the race. Bruised and battered, Miguel rode the remaining laps to the applause and cheers from the thousands of fans admiring the determination and toughness of one of racing’s greats. Miguel finished the Daytona 200 a commendable 5th. The Rocket Racing Team and the Rocket Nation return to racing action April 22-23 at the Barber Motor sports Park, in Birmingham, AL. More, from a press release issued by American Suzuki: Suzuki Dominates Daytona with Record-Breaking Race Weekend -AMA Supercross & Road Race Victories Round Out Successful Suzuki Weekend at Annual Speed Week- BREA, Calif. (March 14, 2006) – American Suzuki Motor Corp. (ASMC) is proud to congratulate its championship-winning race teams, which celebrated a victorious, record-breaking weekend, March 8 – 11 in Daytona Beach, Fla. “We at Suzuki are so proud of our riders,” said Mel Harris, ASMC vice president of the Motorcycle/ATV Division. “Without a doubt, we have the most talented and dedicated riders in the paddock – whether you’re talking about Supercross, road racing, flat-track or ATV. We are also able to provide those gifted riders with a selection of racing motorcycles and ATVs that are unmatched anywhere. We are truly looking forward to the 2006 race season.” Team Makita Suzuki Racing’s Ricky Carmichael rode his Makita Suzuki RM-Z450 to a fifth Daytona AMA Supercross victory, becoming the first rider to ever win five Daytona rounds. This also put Carmichael in the points lead for the 2006 Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Championship and marks Suzuki’s first Daytona Supercross win since 1981. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin and Ben Spies gave Suzuki an impressive one-two podium in the season-opening AMA Daytona Superbike race. This is Mladin’s third Daytona Superbike victory and he is the first AMA Superbike rider to achieve that goal. Mladin also captured pole position for the race after posting a track record-breaking lap time of 1:37.075. Suzuki Yoshimura’s Doug Gust carded his first Grand National Championship MX Series ATV win of 2006 in the Gatorback National in Gainesville, Fla. Gust’s victory marks the first of what will hopefully be many for Suzuki’s brand-new QuadRacer LT-R450. In Daytona flat-track racing, as in AMA Superbike, ASMC’s Kevin Varnes and teammate Jake Johnson dominated the field. Varnes and Johnson piloted their RM-Z450-powered Suzukis to a one-two Suzuki podium at round two of the Grand National Flat Track Championship. About American Suzuki The Motorcycle/ATV Division of American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC), Brea, Calif., was founded in 1963 by Suzuki Motor Corporation. ASMC markets motorcycles and ATVs via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. ASMC’s parent company, Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide automobile manufacturer. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, it has 120 distributors in 191 countries.