AHMRA Sound Of Thunder races at Daytona International Speedway will include a fleet of Buell XB-RR racebikes, ridden by Rico Penzkofer, Jeremy McWilliams, Steve Crevier, Mike Ciccotto and Dan Bilansky. Penzkofer became the first man to win on a Buell XB-RR during CCS racing over the weekend. McWilliams flew back to Europe to fulfill prior testing commitments, and planned to return late Monday for AHMRA and AMA races this week; until McWilliams returns to Daytona, Bilansky is riding McWilliams’ XB-RR. Bilanksy and Penzkofer will race with AHRMA on Monday, while McWilliams, Crevier, Ciccotto and Penzkofer are scheduled to race with AHRMA on Tuesday. On Wednesday, AMA Pro Racing starts running at the Speedway.

MotoGP test Catalunya. Final day of three-day test March 5, 2006. Nicky Hayden second in rain lashed Catalunya timed shoot out The final day of the three-day IRTA MotoGP test at the 4.727m Catalunya circuit, on the outskirt of Barcelona was run in varying degrees of wet weather. On arrival the MotoGP riders were greeted by a damp track. The track surface had barely dried out when at lunchtime torrential rain took control of events restricting the teams and riders to testing wet weather tyres and machine set up in time for the shoot out timed session in mid afternoon. Repsol Honda team rider American Nicky Hayden, fastest Honda rider on all three days of the test, ended the wet timed session in second place headed only by fellow American MotoGP star Colin Edwards. Hayden has been working with the latest 2006 version of the five-cylinder 990cc Honda RC211V machine he will campaign in the 17-round world championship that opens at Jerez on March 26. Hayden’s team-mate, Spaniard Dani Pedrosa, a MotoGP debutante in 2006, spent the day getting used to his 240 hp plus RCV in the wet conditions and was not looking to make a name for himself in the timed shoot out. Pedrosa was happy with his performance and announced himself satisfied with the results of the three-day test. Fortuna Honda riders Marco Melandri and Toni Elias enjoyed mixed results on the final day. Italian Melandri the fastest of the two men finishing in 6th,just over a second down on Hayden. Elias didn’t get to grips with his RCV in the wet conditions leading up to the timed session and eventually finished down in 15th. Makoto Tamada spent the entire day working to find the best wet weather machine settings. The Konica Minolta Honda rider worked on a softer feeling. Once he had the feed-back from the bike that he needed Tamada moved onto rain tyre testing for Michelin before taking to the track for the timed session ending up in 12th place. Team Roberts wrapped up a successful three-days of testing with definite improvements to the KR211V. The major work has been done and the team is concentrating on detailed work to the latest version of the Team Roberts built chassis that houses the Honda RC211V five-cylinder engine. Team owner Kenny Roberts Senior was in buoyant mood as he discussed the next stage of development for the KR211V. Team Roberts rider, Kenny Roberts Jnr was setting faster an faster lap times as the shoot out wore on but the Californian slid off the KR211V when seventh place ruining any chance of top honours on the day. “Things are definitely moving in the right direction and we will use the data we gained at this test to build the next generation chassis in time for the GP at Jerez.” Explained Roberts Senior. Honda rider lap times and quotes. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 1m 58.921s. Official timed session. “It’s really nice to see a little bit of the winter’s work pay off and have a good feeling in the wet. I know this session doesn’t really mean anything but when I crossed the line and looked at the screen I was actually on top, so I was pretty excited there for a second. I’m not one of those guys to talk about how hard we’ve worked because normally those are the lazy guys! But this winter we’ve spent a lot time in the wet at Phillip Island and Sepang, finding a set up I like in the wet, so I’m pleased. It would have been nice to run in the dry today. We’ve got plenty of work to do at the next test so it would be nice to have some good weather in Jerez. I’m sure it will be a three full days of testing.” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 2m 07.326s. Official timed session. “Today we didn’t do many laps because only two of the runs were dry before the rain came. But this test was really useful because it was good to test at a different track for the whole team as well as for me. I’m still learning how to ride a MotoGP bike and I’m happy because I’m making the kind of progress that I’d hoped, taking things step by step and going forward. So the timed session wasn’t really important for me.” Makoto Tanaka Repsol Honda Team Manager “It’s a shame Nicky just missed out on top spot from the timed session! Nicky found quite a good set-up for wet conditions but hadn’t enough time to get the quickest time. I think Dani needs more experience, especially in heavy wet conditions, but he brought back his bike looking good! Over the three days of this test we had some very good results, especially on the engine side, but we still have an issue with rear traction. It’s disappointing that we couldn’t go as fast as we’d have liked here and we have a lot of work still to do, but we know what we have to work on.” Marco Melandri, Fortuna Honda: 2m 00.218s. Official timed session. “We have improved over this difficult weekend but we now have a clear view of our problem with the bike. In these wet conditions the bike is very easy to ride. But even in the conditions here we got a lot of interesting data to work with so even a wet day like today was not useless. Now we go to Jerez for the final test before the championship and we will run a race distance and hope we are ready for the season.” Toni Elias, Fortuna Honda: 2m 05.961s. Official timed session. “I’m sorry for the fans that came to watch us today, the weather conditions spoilt their day, and ours. It’s true that we are having some problems at the moment that we have to solve as soon as we can but today’s conditions didn’t help us too much. I’m positive with the situation and we will stay working hard day by day – stay focused and be ready for Jerez.” Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda: 2.02,197. Official timed session. “Today’s test day has been nearly unhelpful. I could only test the bike on wet conditions for the fist time this year. The impression is the same I had already had with a dry race bike setting, therefore, even in this conditions the last part of the corner approach, is still the phase to be improved.. I am not able yet to ride as I would like to, because I have to force the bike too much to make it lean. In Jerez, we hope to find better weather conditions in order to have all the necessary time to close this development phase of new Honda RC211V basic setting.” Giulio Bernardelle – Konica Minolta Honda Technical Director “There have not been the right conditions to work profitably, neither with dry ground nor with wet ground. The rain, which started falling around midday has never been constant therefore the grip conditions on the ground were continuously changing. For this, after the qualifying session, we decided to interrupt the test in advance because the work we have to do in this moment would not lead to any useful information if done in these conditions.” Kenny Roberts Junior, KR Honda: 2m 00.205s. Official timed session. “We have made good progress at this test especially now we have adjusted the seating position. I’m much more comfortable on the bike now and feel I have a better balance. We are much closer to the top group. Up until now e have been making big changes to make improvements but now it’s just small things, the closer you get to the top it gets like that. Generally I’m happy with everything the team has done this weekend in the conditions we faced, we have not had a single problem. The bike feels great, especially in the wet and I found a good rhythm in the timed session but I made a silly mistake and threw it away. It’s just one of those things. When you are getting close to he limit you push a little harder. But I’m happy as we can see the future is bright, there’s lots more to come.”

Jamie Stauffer and Yamaha Racing Team Dominates Island Support On World Stage Yamaha Racing Team flew the flag for the Australian operation in the best possible style at the weekend’s 2006 Yamaha Phillip Island World Superbike round, taking every race win in both the Superbike and Supersport support classes. Newcomer Jamie Stauffer was the standout performer of the event, registering all of the six race wins three in each class. On his debut outing for the Yamaha Racing Team, 26-year-old Jamie Stauffer claimed a trio of Superbike race victories aboard the tried and tested 2005 Yamaha R1 Superbike. As a dual-entrant across both Superbike and Supersport classes, Jamie looked to have his hands full with six individual races, but made light work of any challenge from his fellow Superbike competitors. The early pace of the Yamaha R1 was encouraging and kept him clear of the field when it counted. “The qualifying session was a little disappointing for me, I had only just started to come up to speed on the bike when the session ended, preventing me from going for pole,” Stauffer reflected. “It was a different story in the races though, with some very competitive dices in the first ten-lapper and then the short five-lap sprint, where I passed Glenn Allerton under slipstream right on the line for the win.” “It’s been an amazing weekend aboard the R1 taking all three races, and I just hope it is a sign of things to come,” said Stauffer. Stauffer started the weekend where he finished aboard the striking blue Supersport machine, taking pole position for Saturday’s first race before greeting each chequered flag as the first rider home. Experiencing one success after another had far surpassed Jamie’s expectations for the weekend. “We came into the weekend expecting to do well, knowing that we had a good race package beneath us, but this level of success has just been amazing,” Stauffer explained. “The Supersport wins on the new Yamaha R6 were particularly satisfying as I had only done a few laps on the bike before the first session, and its performance for a bike so close to showroom spec is really encouraging.” “It’s been a few years since I have been with Yamaha, and I can say it is great to be back it really is a fantastic team environment and Yamaha Motor Australia are a great company to be working with.” Team Principal John Redding was understandably ecstatic with the string of victories considering the YZF R1 and YZF R6 were close to showroom specification. “This has been a terrific result for Jamie and the entire Yamaha Racing Team,” Redding said.

MotoGP World Championship Catalunya, Spain March 5, 2006 Sunday Afternoon Test Times: 1. Colin EDWARDS, Yamaha, 1:57.102 2. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 1:58.921 3. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 1:59.360 4. James ELLISON, Yamaha, 1:59.619 5. Chris VERMEULEN, Suzuki, 2:00.001 6. Marco MELANDRI, Honda, 2:00.218 7. Kenny Lee ROBERTS, Roberts/Honda, 2:00.225 8. Carlos CHECA, Yamaha, 2:00.551 9. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 2:00.621 10. Randy DE PUNIET, Kawasaki, 2:01.249 11. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 2:02.177 12. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 2:02.197 13. Alex HOFMANN, Ducati, 2:04.003 14. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 2:05.073 15. Toni ELIAS, Honda, 2:05.961 16. Sete GIBERNAU, Ducati, 2:06.724 17. Jose Luis CARDOSO, Ducati, 2:06.846 18. Daniel PEDROSA, Honda, 2:07.326 19. Vittoriano GUARESCHI, Ducati, 5:13.977 More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team: DE PUNIET QUALIFIES TENTH IN CATALUNYA SHOOTOUT Kawasaki’s Randy de Puniet and Shinya Nakano faced difficult conditions in today’s annual qualifying shootout, after torrential rain hit the Catalunya circuit just one hour before the start of the 45-minute timed session. Fully recovered from his big crash in Friday’s opening day of testing, de Puniet continued to work with his crew on the set-up of his Ninja ZX-RR while conditions remained dry this morning. Just five laps into the session de Puniet dipped under his previous best lap time, before being forced back to the Kawasaki pit box by the deteriorating track conditions. The 25-year-old Frenchman made a cautious start to the wet qualifying session, increasing the pace only after assessing the level of grip available from a very cold and wet Catalunya track. While a number of more experienced riders were caught out by the slippery conditions, de Puniet rode consistently to finish his first MotoGP qualifying session in a creditable tenth position. Just one place behind his Kawasaki teammate, Shinya Nakano looked almost certain to break into the top five towards the end of the session, until a near highside forced the Japanese rider to back off the throttle on his final flying lap. Although disappointed not to have finished higher during the wet qualifying session, Nakano remained upbeat about the previous two days of testing in dry conditions. The Kawasaki rider was third fastest during testing yesterday, after making improvements to the set-up of his Ninja ZX-RR, and heads to next week’s IRTA test at Jerez confident of further improvements. The IRTA test at Jerez is the final pre-season test for the Kawasaki Racing Team before the 2006 MotoGP World Championship gets underway, again at Jerez, on Sunday 26th March. Randy de Puniet: #17 – 10th (2’01.249) “The bruising from my first day crash was better this morning and it only took five laps for me to improve on my best time from yesterday. Once again the team did a great job during this test. In dry conditions we found a good set-up and I was happy to finish yesterday with the sixth fastest time. The bike worked well during the wet qualifying session today, and I managed to improve my time with each lap completed, so I’m happy with that. But, of course, I would have been happier to finish higher than tenth position. I’m looking forward to testing at Jerez later this week, as it’s always been one of my favourite tracks and I think it will suit the Kawasaki very well.” Shinya Nakano: #56 – 11th (2’02.177) “The rain and cold made conditions for qualifying really difficult, the track was very slippery in places. But after so much testing it was good to ride competitively again, even if it was only for a 45-minute session. At the start I didn’t have a good rhythm on the bike, but this improved towards the end and as I got a feel for the level of grip available I was able to start improving my speed. But then, towards the end of the session, I lost the rear and the bike almost highsided me. That knocked my confidence a little and there just wasn’t enough time to get back up to speed before the 45 minutes were up. While I’m disappointed with 11th place in qualifying today, I’m happy with the progress we’ve made overall, and also with finishing third fastest in dry conditions yesterday.” Naoya Kaneko: Technical Manager “This morning we concentrated again on set-up with both riders, before preparing for this afternoon’s qualifying session. While I’m sure the riders would have preferred qualifying to have been dry, the wet conditions proved useful for our engineers today. Normally the riders don’t push so hard during a wet free practice, but today they were out to set a fast lap and we have collected some very useful data as a result. Overall, the test has been a positive one for us and we leave here with a clear direction for further development between now and the opening race of the season.” Harald Eckl: Team Manager “Catalunya is a fast circuit, and not one that has suited the Kawasaki in the past, but this weekend both riders have been closer to the top of the timesheets and this confirms our feeling from the overseas tests that in the new Ninja ZX-RR we have a very competitive package indeed. But we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. In the wet conditions today we could see that we still have some work to do on the electronics package, to improve driveability and to make the bike easier for the rider to control. But, overall, this has been a successful test for us, and I leave here quite satisfied with the performance of the bike and the riders, and I’m looking forward to the final pre-season test at Jerez next week.” More, from a press release issued by Camel Yamaha: EDWARDS DRIVES AWAY IN NEW CAR AFTER CATALUNYA SUCCESS Camel Yamaha Team rider Colin Edwards clinched the first MotoGP accolade of 2006 as he charged through treacherously wet conditions at the Catalunya Circuit to the fastest time of the 40-minute MotoGP Official Practice and the prize of a brand new car. After a brief appearance in this morning’s dry free practice, Edwards emerged with a string of fast laps at the end of the afternoon session to usurp his otherwise dominant team-mate Valentino Rossi, who was unable to respond with a late effort of his own after a falling whilst leading the time sheets on his twelfth lap. Today’s success concludes a positive weekend for Yamaha, which saw Rossi set the pace in dry conditions on Friday and Saturday, with Edwards and Carlos Checa (Yamaha Tech 3) in close attendance. The surprise of today’s session was Checa’s team-mate James Ellison, who showed his prowess in the wet with the fourth fastest time as he continued to adapt to the YZR-M1 machine. Checa also challenged for the car today but, like Rossi, slid out of the session in turn ten, where Kenny Roberts Junior’s (Team KR) efforts also ended as he too mounted a challenge for the fastest lap. The exciting curtain raiser to the season now gives way to three more days of official tests at Jerez, starting next Friday, before the season proper gets underway at the same circuit in three weeks’ time. COLIN EDWARDS (1st, 1’57.102, 15 laps) “When I saw the weather before the session started I thought to myself that the car would end up in the hands of whoever was prepared to take the most risks. In the end the times came quite comfortably and we were able to keep chipping away throughout the session, just getting faster and faster, and to be honest I think I could have knocked even more time off with another couple of laps. This is a confidence boost for me but I have been saying since the last couple of tests that we are in good shape and this proves it. The team have been working so hard to come up with a bike that works out of the box and I believe we have that now. When you have a bike like that and it works in the rain too, then you know you have something special. It is nice to win the car but every rider out there wants to win races. I feel I am in a position to do that this season.” VALENTINO ROSSI (3rd, 1’59.360, 11 laps) “After I saw that I could not win the car I thought the best thing was for Colin to win it, so I am really happy for him. We have been working hard together over the winter and he deserves this success. I was setting some fast lap times and my pace was good but I made a mistake in braking and unfortunately that was the end of my practice. Anyway the most important thing from this weekend is the way the bike performed in the dry on Friday and Saturday and also in the wet today. This gives us a lot of confidence for the season. Now we go to Jerez for another test and it will be interesting to see if we have solved the problem we had with the vibration. If we have done that, then we are ready for the first race.” DAVIDE BRIVIO CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “It is nice for the team to start the season by winning the first ‘trophy’ available. It was a pity there wasn’t a closer battle at the end between Colin and Vale but the important thing is that the car ended up at Yamaha! We have had a good winter of testing and now we head to Jerez to make the final preparations before the first race.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communication: Edwards storms to BMW M Award at MotoGP Official Test On a soaking wet Catalunya circuit in northern Spain today, Camel Yamaha’s Colin Edwards won this year’s BMW M Award at the MotoGP Official Test. The American rider joins Loris Capirossi, Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau in the list of winners of the prize car, having racked up his fastest lap towards the very end of the timed 40-minute session. After early quick laps from Briton James Ellison, fellow American John Hopkins and Edwards’ team-mate Valentino Rossi traded the top spot with the wet track keeping times far off those of previous days. Rossi then took charge, continually improving his pace, and with Hopkins crashing out it seemed the World Champion would cruise to another first place. However just a minute later Rossi himself went to ground and with ten minutes left, the car was still up for grabs. It would eventually be Edwards who would drive home the brand new BMW Z4 M Roadster, after the Texan put in a scorching lap of 1’57.102 with hardly any time remaining in the timed session. Upon being presented with the keys to his new car, a clearly delighted Edwards commented on the appalling weather, before expressing his hope that this could be start of great things for the season. “When I saw the weather before the session started I thought to myself that the car would end up in the hands of whoever was prepared to take the most risks, but in the end the times came quite comfortably and we were able to just keep getting faster and faster throughout the session. I think this is the kick-start I need for the season. It’s my first time riding the same bike in two consecutive years, we’ve been going well and hope to have a good year,” said the Yamaha rider, who is still to earn a pole position or race victory in MotoGP. Late in the session American riders Kenny Roberts Jr and Nicky Hayden came out all guns blazing in their quest for the BMW, but on a hot lap Roberts himself took a slide down the asphalt, whilst Hayden fell short of Edwards time by over a second. The surprise of the weekend, Carlos Checa looked on course for success in the final moments, but became the only other rider to fall during what was an exciting televised session. With Edwards the proud owner of a brand new car for his collection, Hayden trailed in second, with Rossi third ahead of a morale-boosting fourth for James Ellison. New recruit Chris Vermeulen also performed well on board the Suzuki in fifth, with Melandri, Roberts, Checa, Hopkins and de Puniet making up the top ten. The BMW M Award aside, reigning World Champion Rossi dominated the rest of the MotoGP Official Test. Fastest over the three day session, he had the nine best laps on Friday and continued to assert himself yesterday, setting the weekend’s fastest lap of 1’42.477. In the final free practice at the Circuit de Catalunya, only 11 riders elected to continue testing. None improved on their times from the previous, dry sessions. The MotoGP Official Tests continue in Jerez tomorrow, with two days each for 125cc and 250cc, with three more days of MotoGP testing starting on Friday. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Rizla Suzuki MotoGP shines in the Catalan rain Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racers John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen both shone in this afternoon’s timed session at the Official MotoGP Test at a wet and cold Catalunya. Hopkins was the quickest rider of the day in the dry with a time of 1’43.885 his best of the weekend – and was challenging for the top spot in the wet as well, trading fastest times lap-by-lap with World Champion Valentino Rossi. Unfortunately a fall with ten minutes of the session remaining dashed his hopes of winning the BMW car that was up for grabs. The Anglo-American showed his commitment by setting the fastest speed in the braking area on the start/finish straight during the timed session and led the leader board until his crash. Colin Edwards on a Yamaha set the fastest overall time and won the BMW Z4 Roadster. Vermeulen achieved a fantastic fifth fastest time in the wet conditions and the second highest top speed of all riders in the start/finish speed trap, just behind team-mate Hopkins. He clocked a time of 2’00.001 on the last of his 15 laps during the 40 minute session. In the morning free practise the rookie Australian was only able to complete five laps because the cold conditions aggravated his shoulder injury. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP now move onto Jerez in Southern Spain for a further Official MotoGP test next weekend before the season starts with the first race, also at Jerez, on Sunday 26th March. John Hopkins: “It was pretty dangerous out on the track this afternoon as there was hardly any temperature on the surface. I went out and got comfortable in the wet and ended up staying out there. The track got better and better and I think I just got too greedy too early on. I made a mistake and ended up going over the top and making a small high-side. I’d like to say I was not trying too hard because the first race is not for two weeks but I ended up crashing so I guess I must have been! We have done a lot of good stuff this weekend and it’s looking positive for Jerez – right now I’m pretty happy about the whole situation.” Chris Vermeulen: “Today from a test point of view was ok, in the fact that I got some wet time on the track which I needed. I’ve never ridden the new Rizla Suzuki GSV-R in the rain and have very little experience of the Bridgestones in the wet. The bike worked well and I was happy with my performance. I was not worried about winning the car as my goal was to get experience and to get quicker and quicker with every lap, but I am happy that I was quite competitive. This morning there was some dry time and I did five laps but my shoulder was quite stiff so I came in and got some treatment on it it feels ok now. We still have a lot of things to test in Jerez – which is another new track for me and I’m really looking forward to it.” Paul Denning Team Manager: “The third and final day of this Official MotoGP Test only brings Rizla Suzuki MotoGP more encouragement for the season ahead. In the very cold but dry conditions this morning, John did his fastest dry lap of the weekend again without a qualifying tyre. This afternoon in the wet timed session he had one target only and that was to win. It looked like a straight battle between John and Valentino Rossi, but I think they pushed each other to the limit and both ended up watching the last 10 minutes of the session. “Chris had never ridden the Rizla Suzuki GSV-R in the wet and took a different approach to the session. He gained experience with every lap and his customary steady progress made him the quickest Bridgestone rider and the fifth quickest overall. It was a fantastic job which will give him more encouragement as we go to Jerez and head towards the first race of the year.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: CAPIROSSI & GIBERNAU FAST IN THE RAIN IN SPAIN Ducati Marlboro Team rider Sete Gibernau recorded the fastest wet lap at Catalunya today, Loris Capirossi ending the day with the eighth fastest wet lap. Gibernau’s performance was particularly impressive considering that this was his first wet-weather outing with his Desmosedici GP6 and Bridgestone tyres, though it came too late for the official timed session at 2pm. Gibernau and Capirossi ended that 40-minute outing 16th and 14th quickest but continued working on set-up afterwards, obtaining good results. This afternoon’s rain followed two days of dry weather during which Gibernau and Capirossi were able to continue set-up work. Next weekend’s three-day team’s test at Jerez is the final session of the winter before the 2006 MotoGP World Championship begins in earnest at Jerez on March 26. LIVIO SUPPO, Ducati MotoGP project manager “We’ve learned a lot here, both in the dry and the wet. In cold, dry conditions this morning and yesterday afternoon Loris and Sete had a good feeling and recorded fast lap times. This means our tyres have come on a huge amount since last year, so thanks to Bridgestone for all their efforts this winter. This afternoon Sete had his first ride with the bike and tyres in the rain and he ended the day with the fastest wet time, so we’re happy with that. Now we have a more or less good knowledge of the GP6, so the goal at Jerez next weekend is to do some long runs, so we can give Bridgestone a good indication for the first race. We just hope the weather stays fine.” SETE GIBERNAU, 42 laps, 1m 44.098s (dry), 1m 56.355s (wet) “We ended up fastest in the wet and that’s what it’s all about – working and keeping our heads down. It was good to have some rain because I’ve never ridden this bike or these tyres in the wet. We found a good base for the rain, so thanks to the team and to Bridgestone for doing a great job. We’re all putting a lot of effort into this project and moving forward step by step. It keeps me motivated seeing us get better every time we go out. Now we just need to keep our motivation and concentration for the whole season, no matter what the results. At Jerez next week we just need to confirm everything we did here, keeping good consistency in the bike and the tyres because that’s what we need.” LORIS CAPIROSSI, 40 laps, 1m 44.924s (dry), 1m 59.560s (wet) “This hasn’t been a fantastic weekend for me. On the first day we had some engine-braking problems, then yesterday, when track conditions were at their best, I was sick, and today it was wet and very cold. Anyway, we solved the engine-braking problems and worked well on the set-up. I only did a few laps yesterday and today but we’re okay. We still need to fix the bike balance, which isn’t easy in cold conditions. Overall, I’m very happy with the progress made by Bridgestone at this track, which is the most critical thing for us. This makes us confident for the first races and for the future. Now we deserve a nice and sunny weekend at Jerez, so we can work properly and get ready for the first race.” More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Honda: FORTUNA HONDA CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS AT CATALUNYA TEST The final day of official IRTA tests at the Circuit de Catalunya was watched by 35,000 fans today although they and the MotoGP riders were forced to endure bitter weather conditions that made life difficult on the track and in the grandstand. The BMW Award that took place between 14:00 and 14:45 was spoiled slightly by the strong wind and rain that hit the circuit in the morning. American rider Colin Edwards eventually drove away in the magnificent BMW Z4 after clocking a lap time of 1’59.492, whilst FORTUNA HONDA riders Marco Melandri and Toni Elias were forced to settle for sixth and fifteenth place respectively. In the afternoon FORTUNA HONDA rider Toni Elías followed his testing programme for today despite the poor track conditions. Marco, meanwhile, decided not to return to the track after coming in at 14:45. Melandri wore a new helmet design today bearing the logo of the non-profit organisation “Emergency”, which will be auctioned for the charity next week on Ebay.com The FORTUNA HONDA team now heads to Jerez for the second and final set of official tests which take place on the 10, 11 and 12 March. MARCO MELANDRI (2’00.218) 6th fastest: “We took a step forward today. We continued making satisfactory progress in understanding the problems that affect us. In a roundabout way the track conditions actually helped us with the set-up of the bike but we still have to work hard to find a comfortable setting for corner entry. I’m already looking forward to the next set of tests at Jerez next week – we have to make the most of the remaining time available to us before the start of the world championship.” TONI ELIAS (2’05.961 ) 15th fastest “This is not an easy situation but we have to stay focused and try to find a solution as soon as possible. The conditions we had to ride in throughout the day didn’t make things easy for us but the key to results is to keep working day by day and I feel calm about that – I have complete confidence in myself and my team. Bit by bit things will come together for us. I feel sorry for the fans, who had to put up with the rain all day, but for us to ride in the wet was a good opportunity to check the reactions of the bike in these conditions. We have to gather all this data together now and save it in case we come up against similar conditions during the season.”

MotoGP World Championship Team Testing Catalunya, Spain March 5, 2006 Official Test Times: 1. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 1:43.885 2. Sete GIBERNAU, Ducati, 1:44.098 3. Carlos CHECA, Yamaha, 1:44.202 4. Randy DE PUNIET, Kawasaki, 1:44.482 5. Colin EDWARDS, Yamaha, 1:44.534 6. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 1:44.817 7. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 1:44.924 8. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 1:44.954 9. Marco MELANDRI, Honda, 1:44.972 10. Daniel PEDROSA, Honda, 1:45.228 11. Kenny Lee ROBERTS, Roberts/Honda, 1:45.253 12. Toni ELIAS, Honda, 1:46.099 13. Chris VERMEULEN, Suzuki, 1:46.252 14. Alex HOFMANN, Ducati, 1:46.434 15. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 1:46.612 16. James ELLISON, Yamaha, 1:46.696 17. Jose Luis CARDOSO, Ducati, 1:48.101 18. Vittoriano GUARESCHI, Ducati, 1:49.109 19. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, no time 20. Tadayuki OKADA, Honda, no time

Superbike World Championship Round 2 Phillip Island, Australia March 5, 2006 Race Two Results: 1. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati 999F06, 22 laps, 34:33.803 2. James TOSELAND, Honda CBR1000RR, -5.528 seconds 3. Alex BARROS, Honda CBR1000RR, -14.312 seconds 4. Noriyuki HAGA, Yamaha YZF-R1, -16.208 seconds 5. Andrew PITT, Yamaha YZF-R1, -17.656 seconds 6. Yukio KAGAYAMA, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -20.832 seconds 7. Roberto ROLFO, Ducati 999F05, -21.130 seconds 8. Ruben XAUS, Ducati 999F05, -25.224 seconds 9. Fonsi NIETO, Kawasaki ZX-10R, -25.638 seconds 10. Chris WALKER, Kawasaki ZX-10R, -26.007 seconds 11. Michel FABRIZIO, Honda CBR1000RR, -32.867 seconds 12. Norick ABE, Yamaha YZF-R1, -33.171 seconds 13. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Ducati 999RS, -33.211 seconds 14. Pierfrancesco CHILI, Honda CBR1000RR, -34.314 seconds 15. Steve MARTIN, Foggy Petronas FP1, -34.467 seconds 16. Regis LACONI, Kawasaki ZX-10R, -35.549 seconds 17. Ivan CLEMENTI, Ducati 999RS, -35.976 seconds 18. Fabien FORET, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -49.037 seconds 19. Shinichi NAKATOMI, Yamaha YZF-R1, -49.120 seconds 20. Sebastien GIMBERT, Yamaha YZF-R1, -49.214 seconds 21. Craig JONES, Foggy Petronas FP1, -80.378 seconds 22. Franco BATTAINI, Kawasaki ZX-10R, -82.805 seconds 23. Karl MUGGERIDGE, Honda CBR1000RR, -13 laps, DNF, crash 24. Lorenzo LANZI, Ducati 999F06, -13 laps, DNF, crash 25. Marco BORCIANI, Ducati 999F05, -13 laps, DNF, mechanical 26. Vittorio IANNUZZO, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -16 laps, DNF, mechanical 27. Lucio PEDERCINI, Ducati 999RS, -18 laps, DNF, mechanical 28. Troy CORSER, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -19 laps, DNF, crash Superbike World Championship Point Standings (after 4 of 26 races): 1. Bayliss, 75 points 2. Toseland, 74 points 3. Corser, 63 points 4. Barros, 55 points 5. Pitt, 45 points 6. Haga, 42 points 7. Rolfo, 32 points 8. Fabrizio, 25 points 9. Xaus, 24 points 10. Nieto, 19 points More, from a press release issued by Team Klaffi Honda: Alex did it again! “I enjoyed it! It is fine to have two races one after another. It is tough but I’m in a good shape and it is great fun!” In the second heat Alex Barros finished third. So the Brazilian rider of Team Klaffi Honda was twice on the podium today. Only the start was not so perfect. Alex dropped back to 7th position and immediately started to fight. He passed Muggeridge and was riding on position 6. Everything seemed to be okay but then it was Troy Corser who had a tremendous crash. The two Yamaha riders Haga and Pitt could draw aside. Alex had no chance. He touched Corser with one of his foot-rests and ripped Troy’s leather. Alex just avoided to crash himself. This action took a lot of time but then the Brazilian was on his way again. He took Pitt and then he pushed Haga to the limits. Alex passed the Yamaha rider in a breath taking way. Now he was on 3rd position. Alex finished 3rd. Winner was Bayliss in front of Toseland. Alex Barros: “Things become better and better. Only when Troy Corser crashed I lost a little bit of concentration. I was afraid that I injured him. But I in this moment I could not avoid to touch him. I’m happy that Troy had good luck and that he is okay. – I had some good fights, especially with Haga. I really enjoyed it! And it was a pleasure to work with the Klaffi Team. Thanks to the fantastic crew!” Team Manager Klaus Klaffenböck: “Alex did a great job today and I’m sure you’ll see a lot more of him this year!” More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: TOSELAND SCORES TWO PODIUMS AFTER RED HOT AUSTRALIAN RACES James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) followed up his great start to the season in Qatar with a hard fought double podium finish, scoring third in race one and second in race two, to end raceday only one point from the championship lead. For his team-mate Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) it was a less happy day, being forced to pull out of race one due to concerns over tyre wear and machine handling, then being taken out by another riders’ crashing machine in the second outing. Muggeridge now finds himself 15th in the title chase, with an unchanged 11 points. In the first race Toseland secured a fine third place finish, after early leader Troy Bayliss had used up his tyres in he desperate escape from a chasing pack, sliding down the order to finish sixth. Toseland held his nerve throughout, finishing seven seconds from the winner Troy Corser (Suzuki) and close second place man Alex Barros (Honda). In the second race Toseland stuck to the lead for the majority of the race but eventual race winner Troy Bayliss passed him on the 16th lap, leaving Toseland a clear second place finisher, five seconds adrift, but nine seconds up on Barros. Ronald Ten Kate Team Manager “We had some problems in the first race in preserving tyres, so we changed the settings a little but for the second race. It helped quite a lot. We could run a little longer on the pace, which is what James wanted. It was good to see him in front of Bayliss for so long, as Troy had been the fastest rider all weekend long here. Towards the end Bayliss managed to put a couple of quick laps in, and James could not follow. But in any case we are very happy to take two podiums away from here, and be just one point behind the lead. That’s a good way to come home again. For Karl I feel really sorry, because the problem James had in the first leg was even worse with Karl, so we also had to make adjustments to Karl’s bike. It was running a lot, lot better in race two, until he got T-Boned. It was a difficult weekend for him because the first day was such a nightmare we had to play catch-up. We just ran out of time but I am quite sure that he has got the potential in him to get the best out of the bike.” James Toseland SBK Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (Race 1: 3rd position Race 2: 2nd position Championship Position: 2nd with 75 points) “In race two I kept getting a plus zero on my pit board, because Troy was right behind. I didn’t make a mistake but Troy just out braked me into the hairpin and then he pulled away at the end there. It was a great race though, and I made sure I rode well in the places where it would be difficult for him to get past me. In the first race Troy was unlucky not to win. In race two I waited to see if he would have similar problems as race one but when it was obvious he was fast and I had to settle for second. But I’m happy; we had a good, consistent weekend again. We’re pushing them hard and we’re only one point from the lead right now.” Karl Muggeridge SBK Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (Race 1: DNF Race 2: DNF Championship Position: 15th with 11 points) “A terrible weekend in the office, but at least in the second race we had the bike a lot better. We made a bit of a mess on Friday so we had to catch up all weekend. Even though it was a crash from someone else that took me out of race two, I can walk away confident. The bike is a lot better now so we can do it for sure.” More, from a press release issued by Team Yamaha Motor France – Ipone Some points at Phillip Island The Phiilip Island weekend was difficult for Norick Abe, Shinichi Nakatomi and Sebastien Gimbert, the three riders of the Team Yamaha Motor France – Ipone. Only Norick manages to save the honour of the team with the points of 12th position in the second race. In the first race, Shinichi Nakatomi crashed and was happily unhurt, while Sebastien Gimbert came back to the pits and retired. Only Abe finished with a modest 17th position. In race 2, things went better with Norick finishing 12th, Nakatomi 19th and Gimbert 20th. Norick Abe: “After race 1, we changed the set up because I could only finish 17th because of chattering. The second race was better and I had a great fight with a group of good riders. It was hard for me to overtake because I was losing time in the main straight. It took me very long to pass each rider. I had some chattering problems, but the biggest trouble was the lack of power which made it hard to overtake the other riders.” Shinichi Nakatomi: “In the first race, I crashed when I lost the front while braking trying to pass another rider. In race 2, my rear tyre was sliding a lot. Not enough grip made it slippery.” Sebastien Gimbert: “I had some trouble shifting down in race 1. I could not use any more the 1st gear. I had some chattering, which was not the case during practice. In race 2, I did not have enough grip when I wanted to accelerate. The front was moving a lot. The lack of engine power did not help for acceleration and top speed. We have two months to work. I hope to prove I am a good rider at the next 24 Hours of Le Mans where I go to win.” Team-manager Martial Garcia: “Our January tests were very promising so this is a deception for me. We never could find this weekend the same level of grip. Our times were quicker, but not enough compared to the opposition. Abe saves our weekend with a few points, thanks to his great starts and his courage, because the chassis set up of our bikes is far from being perfect, therefore our top speed problems. We had some chattering problems that we could never solve during the practices and the races. So I cannot be satisfied, despite the exemplary courage of our three riders. We must work harder, including during the next tests in Valencia and Misano.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: BAYLISS (DUCATI XEROX) RETURNS TO WINNING WAYS AT PHILLIP ISLAND AFTER A FOUR-YEAR BREAK Phillip Island (Australia), Sunday 5 March: Troy Bayliss put a first race disappointment behind him to take the Ducati Xerox Team’s first win of the season and the Australian’s 23rd World Superbike career victory at Phillip Island. It was the former world champion’s first win since Laguna Seca in 2002 and helps to maintain a slim one-point lead in this year’s championship. Bayliss set a storming pace in the first race, but excessive tyre wear in the final stages dropped him down to sixth behind eventual winner Troy Corser (Suzuki). Troy made amends in the second race when he fitted a harder rear tyre compound on his Ducati 999 and rode a more defensive race. He out-braked Toseland (Honda) into Honda corner on lap 16 to take the chequered flag in front of an ecstatic home crowd. Earlier winner Corser crashed out on lap 4. “It’s been a really good weekend, obviously I was on a bit of a downer after race 1, but that’s racing”, declared Troy. “It all went well because we’ve got a smart team and they know what to do. We obviously did a race distance on the tyre before but something strange happened. Anyway we put that behind us and we decided to use the hardest tyre Pirelli brought along. Then I made my move on Toseland at two-thirds race distance and although I was nearly in the same situation with the tyres with three laps to go, I still managed to pull a good enough gap to win. We’re leading the championship again, so that’s a bonus. Now we move on to Valencia and Monza which are places we like so I hope to keep the momentum going”. Lanzi, who had to start from the pit-lane after encountering a clutch problem during the warm-up lap, powered up the field to eleventh place, but was unable to make further progress as he struggled to maintain the pace. In the second race he was attempting to move up amongst the mid-field runners when he high-sided on lap 11. “It has been a pretty tough weekend, we didn’t find the right direction immediately with the team and I made a few errors” commented Lorenzo. “This morning in the warm-up finally we found a good set-up to race maybe for the podium, but then we had bad luck with the clutch in race 1 and I had to start last. In race 2 I was recuperating places but I made a mistake and crashed. Muggeridge was ahead of me, and I brought him down when I high-sided. Now we’ve got a month and a half before the next race, so I can get back to 100% fitness, because here I was still in a bit of pain with my ankle and knee from the crash in Qatar”. More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: TOSELAND AND BARROS ON EACH PHILLIP ISLAND PODIUM Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) and James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) shared second and third place finishes at the Australian World Superbike round, and thus shared the honour of top Honda rider on display at the classic Phillip Island track. For other supported Honda riders, fortune was less kind, with Michel Fabrizio (DFX Honda CBR1000RR) next best with an 11th in race one, Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Honda CBR1000RR) only in the points once and Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) not scoring at all in his home event. In the first 22-lap race of the day, Toseland, who had qualified an impressive third in Superpole in only his second meeting on his new machine, secured third after long term leader Troy Bayliss faded to sixth. Troy Corser held off Barros for the win, with the Brazilian scoring his best ride of the season so far. He was to go third in race two, after a fight with Noriyuki Haga. Fabrizio fended off his team-mate to take the last point on offer in race one, improving from his 20th place in qualifying. In race two he was to improve to 11th, for overall eighth, on 25 points. Chili scored 14th in race two, despite fatigue and the effects of his recent Qatar crash. Muggeridge, who qualified sixth, had to retire from race one with set-up and tyre issues on the hot tarmac, and was then unceremoniously knocked out of the second race, when Lorenzo Lanzi’s Ducati skittled him at Honda hairpin. Toseland, who has now scored one win and two further podiums in the four 2006 season races so far, was satisfied with his race rhythm, on a day when warm track conditions made for some unpredictable results. He is now second in the championship race, with 74 points to leader Bayliss’ 75. “In race two I kept getting a plus zero on my pitboard, because Troy was right behind,” said Toseland. “I didn’t make a mistake but Troy just outbraked me into the hairpin and then he pulled away at the end there. It was a great race though, and I made sure I rode well in the places where it would be difficult for him to get past me. In the first race Troy was unlucky not to win. In race two I waited to see if he would have similar problems as race one but when it was obvious he was fast and I had to settle for second. But I’m happy; we had a good, consistent weekend again. We’re pushing them hard and we’re only one point from the lead right now.” Barros had two highly impressive rides on a machine which is still undergoing development; with the Brazilian’s experience of racecraft a valuable asset around Phillip Island’s high speed twists and turns. “Things are obviously getting better and better,” said Barros after his second podium of the day. “I lost a little bit of concentration when Troy Corser crashed right in front of me, and I could not avoid him. I was afraid that I injured him, but I was told he was OK. But in this moment I could not avoid hitting him. I had some good fights today, especially with Haga. I really enjoyed today’s races, and to get two podiums was great for our team at this stage.” Fabrizio ran off the track in race one, and finished the second lap dead last, which explained the discrepancy in his race one and two results. “My rear tyre was finished five laps before the end of race one,” said Michel. “I had the same problem in race two, but without the earlier problem, I kept my position better, and managed the lack of grip. I am 80% happy but for sure I must have more feeling with the bike in a short space of time.” Chili was philosophical about his Phillip Island experiences, as he scored a 16th and a 14th in difficult circumstances. “It was very taxing in race one because the bike had a lot of chatter,” said Chili. “It felt very hard and operating the clutch was very difficult for so many laps in a row, considering my broken finger on my left hand. That meant that I was completely finished before the end of race two.” Muggeridge was blunt in summation of his latest race weekend, but knows that all the indications are for better performances quite soon. “A terrible weekend in the office, but at least in the second race we had the bike a lot better,” said Muggeridge. “We made a bit of a mess on Friday so we had to catch up all weekend. Even though it was a crash from someone else that took me out of race two, I can walk away confident for the next few. The bike is a lot better now so we can do it for sure.” The first European round of the year will be at Valencia, on 23 April. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra experienced practically every sort of emotion in the second round of the Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island today with Troy Corser causing most of the ups and downs. He won the first race after a tremendous battle with Troy Bayliss (Ducati) and Alex Barros (Honda), then crashed out of the second race while challenging for the lead. In the opening race, Corser took the lead when Bayliss slowed because of trashed tyres. Barros was right with him and proved to be more than a handful in the closing stages, but Corser used his experience and took the chequered flag by almost half a second. Team mate Yukio Kagayama suffered clutch problems and was forced to overshoot Honda hairpin and rejoined the track in 21st place. He charged his way back up the field and managed 12th place before running out of laps. Fabien Foret was 13th after the first lap, but was forced to retire with a throttle problem after 10 laps. The second race was another one of drama for the team, starting with Corser’s crash after three laps when he highsided just after Lukey Heights. In the fall, he was hit by Barros’ Honda and was lucky to escape serious injury. The footpeg of the bike hit him just behind his head and the rest of the bike struck his shoulder, elbow and hip. He was taken to the Clinica Mobile but the X-Rays revealed no broken bones. To make sure, Corser went to Melbourne hospital for a precautionary check. Kagayama was 12th at the end of lap one before getting stuck in a group of riders. He had a difficult time getting through the pack but he fought hard and grabbed sixth position at the flag. Foret made a good start but had to run wide at the second turn to avoid another rider which dropped him well down the order. He ended 18th after being caught up for the second part of the race with the Yamahas of Shinichi Nakatomi and Sebastien Gimbert. Troy Corser – Race 1: 1st, Race 2: DNF: “Well that was a day and a half for sure. A fantastic win in the first race and then a crash in the second! I knew Bayliss would not be able to keep up that pace in the first race and that his tyres would not last. I got caught in a group at the beginning and knew that I couldn’t hang around with them too long, so when James Toseland made a little mistake and ran wide, I sneaked through. When I caught Bayliss, I could see he was having problems, so it was no surprise when I passed him – in fact he let me through. I then had a pretty good fight with Barros, but held him off at the end. In race two, on the approach to the turn after Lukey Heights, I lost the rear end suddenly and highsided. I felt a thud on my back and knew I had been hit by a bike. I went to a hospital in Melbourne for a check-up. I really don’t know why I crashed because the telemetry shows that I wasn’t doing anything different to the previous laps. But that’s racing!” Yukio Kagayama – Race 1: 12th, Race 2: 6th: “Not such a good day I think. I had problems with the clutch in the first race – similar to Qatar – and it was very difficult to ride the bike. The feeling was not consistent and sometimes it worked ok and sometimes it did not! I did my best to stay out and finished 12th. In race two, my start was not perfect and that meant I had a lot to do in the race. It is always hard to make a good result from the third row of the grid, but if I had made a better start then I think I could’ve challenged for a podium.” Fabien Foret – Race 1: DNF, Race 2: 18th: “It was a bit of a disappointment for me today but it’s all part of my learning process in Superbikes, I guess. I really thought that I would be able to score some points today, but the DNF in race one didn’t help. My throttle was not consistent at all – sometimes it would stay open after I had shut it – so I had to pull in. I made a good start in the second race, but had to run wide to avoid a rider who had made a mistake and that cost me many places. Then I got caught up in a battle with two Yamaha riders and that was that. I am looking forward to some tests before the next race because I need to understand this bike more than I do at the moment.” More, from a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing: Steve in the points for FPR at Phillip Island Steve Martin secured two finishes for Foggy PETRONAS Racing in a roller-coaster of a second round of the Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island, Australia. Having qualified on the front row of the grid, the Australian had to battle for the minor places when the starts to both races left him in the middle of the field. His 14th and 15th places were scant reward for the team’s efforts during the weekend. Steve finished the first race less than 30 seconds behind winner Troy Corser. A similar gap in last year’s race would have seen him finish in eight place. He was eventually involved in a battle for 11th with Lorenzo Lanzi, Yukio Kagayama and Regis Laconi, again highlighting the new strength in depth of the championship. Team-mate Craig Jones completed his first race in World Superbikes in 21st place in the afternoon after being unhurt in a high-side crash coming out of Honda Corner on the 11th lap of the opening race while running in 22nd place. Corser emerged victorious from a long tussle with Alex Barros after early runaway leader, Troy Bayliss, dropped back through the field in the closing laps of the opening race. Bayliss made amends in the second race, while Corser was taken to hospital after being hit by Barros following a spectacular high-side. Steve said: “I have three more points than I had at the same point last season. Even though the standard is tougher we are also closer to the leaders than we have been before. I feel as though I am riding well, we just need to work on acceleration and we have a few things to try with the handling at the two tests before the next round. I got a better start in the second race and I managed to stay up there until they came past one by one on the straight. The tyre started to wear and the others could then use their acceleration even more. I was just doing the best I could to hang on where I was. In the first race I got the best start I could but it is a longish run to the first corner and that doesn’t help us. I was racing in a quality group and was less than 30 seconds behind the winner. My bike was handling well compared to the bikes of the guys I was dicing with, but had less acceleration. So I was heaps quicker coming onto the straight but couldn’t do anything with it.” Craig said: “I had forgotten where parc ferme was! It was a long boring race but I am just glad to finish one. My times were really slow and I was struggling like anything but I was determined to finish no matter what. I definitely feel better for getting one under my belt and now I can build on that, starting with the two tests when I am going to be working on handling in general and getting a good base set-up. I have already been fast on the bike, I just need to get consistent and build on what we have got. In the first race I didn’t have any grip, which was causing the back to pump. I was in a rhythm and going steady and I can’t believe the bike sprung me off.” Team manager Jack Valentine said: “The team has done everything they possibly could with our current package. The bike was handling superbly and Steve rode as hard as he could. We are just losing a lot of speed on the straights and acceleration out of the turns. I’m pleased that Craig had his first finish in World Superbikes. He rode consistently and hopefully he can build on that to regain the confidence he had during winter testing.” More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi: AT PHILLIS ISLAND EXCELLENT ROBY ROLFO IN SUPERBIKE (Phillip Island 2006, March 5) Two splendid performances light up the day of Roberto Rolfo in Superbike today at Phillip Island. Forced to start from the fourth row after yesterday’s Superpole result Roby made two fighting races, recovering positions and positions and ending fifth in race-1 and seventh in race-2. For both races Roby made a couple of very good start, but then I found before him some slower rider, difficult to pass, and lost time on the leaders in the early laps. “I’m satisfied of today’s races, they have been amusing and extremely exciting.” relate Roberto Rolfo, with all his celebrating team around. “Unfortunately I’ve been penalized by my starting position because, also with a good start it’s always possible to find some rider that stops your action, so you see the leaders that are going away and you are no able to do anything. Today I’m confident I could stay together with the Yamahas, at the end of race-1 I could also catch Haga, that I believe was in tyre crisis, but he had too much advantage. Actually they have been a couple of excellent results, but most of alla I’m satisfied for the job we made during all the week end. After yesterday’s free practice and Superpole session, that bring us a little bit out, from the morning’s warm up I felt competitive. In this moment the teamm too has been important for me: they have done an high level work and helped me very much. We are already at a good competitive level, despite a few test time during the winter, now we have a couple of month to work with calme, with an important test in Spain that we have to use in the best way. The fight with Kagayama during race-2 has been very exciting, I passed him in corner 10, but he overtook me at the end of the finish line; then he’s been very skilful to keep all the door closed, but in a correct way, and I’m not been able to pass him once more, but it has been a nige fight too.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Yamaha Motor Italia rider Noriyuki Haga battled traction problems to grab a brace of fourth places at round two of the Superbike World Championship at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia. The popular Japanese rider rode hard in the day’s two 22-lap races to score 26 valuable points over the two races. Haga had run at the front of the day’s opening race but faded when his rear traction reduced at around half-distance. Despite running a somewhat lonely fifth for most of the race, the 31-year-old continued to ride hard to pass a fading Troy Bayliss (Ducati) and fend off a late charge from Roberto Rolfo (Ducati). Race two saw Haga make some further suspension changes to lead a thrilling battle at the front with Bayliss, James Toseland (Honda), Alex Barros (Honda), Troy Corser (Suzuki) and Yamaha Motor Italia team-mate Andrew Pitt. A nasty crash for Corser saw the Yamaha riders take avoiding action and let Bayliss and Toseland build a gap. The Yamaha pair was able to stay in touch with Barros in the battle for third but the lack of traction saw them settle for fourth and fifth place at the flag. Pitt was made to pay for an incorrect tyre choice in race one. The Australian chose a harder compound Pirelli tyre, which stopped him running at the same pace as the leaders in the opening laps. Stuck in a thrilling mid-pack battle for most of the race, he ended the race a subdued ninth. For race two he chose the same softer compound tyre as his rivals and was able to run with the leaders, eventually finishing fifth, just behind Haga. The Yamaha Motor France squad had a difficult weekend in Australia. Still running their 2005-specification engines, the team’s only points came from former MotoGP rider Norick Abe, who took 12th in race two. Fellow Japanese rider Shinichi Nakatomi crashed out of race one, before continuing his world superbike education with 19th in race two. The team’s third rider, Frenchman Sebastien Gimbert, retired from the opener with set-up problems before following home Nakatomi in 20th place in race two. Race one was won by Corser after a race long fight with Barros. Toseland finished third. Bayliss had led the opener by six seconds after obliterating the lap record on lap two. However, the Australian dropped back to eventually finish six, behind Haga and Rolfo. He gained revenge in race two, winning comfortably from Toseland, with Barros taking another podium in third. Bayliss now leads the championship on 75 points, one ahead of Toseland. Pitt leads the Yamaha riders, in fifth place with 45 points, with Haga sixth on 42 points. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) “I tried to push hard in both races but unfortunately at the end the tyre is gone and this means I cannot open the throttle and turn the bike properly in both races. The performance of the bike is very good at the beginning of the race but unfortunately after seven or eight laps the performance drops off quite a lot.” Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) “In the first race I used a different type of rear tyre to most of the other riders and it did not work all that well in the early stages of the race. We used a different compound rear tyre for the second race and this meant that I was at least able to get away at the start, although the consistency is still not there over the race distance.” Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) “From race one to race two we got on a little bit better, because we changed a lot of settings. We had no grip at the end of race one, sliding all the time, and lots of chatter as well. My lap times were into the 1:36s; slower than I expect. In the second race it was better but our engine was not fast this weekend so I could only follow other riders and had to catch up in the corner entries. Finally I got a 12th in race two, so we scored some points.” Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Motor France) “We did not have the grip from the rear we wanted and that held my lap times back. It was a very difficult weekend. I pushed hard in the first race and lost the front end trying to pass another rider. We finished race two, but to score no points is disappointing.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator – Yamaha Motor Italia) “It has not been an easy weekend for us but in the end we have scored some good points for the championship. There is less grip here than in Qatar and both our riders have struggled for traction all weekend. We did not test at Phillip Island over the winter and although we found a little bit more today, it wasn’t quite enough to allow us to run at the very front. There are a few other low grip circuits like this and we must work hard to improve our performances at these kind of tracks.” Martial Garcia (Team Manager – Yamaha Motor Italia) “A very bad day. We had many chassis set-up problems, and we did not find the same grip we had in January, when we were very happy with the settings. I think we did not make a good job, because we did not find a good solution. Phillip Island is a special circuit and a lot depends on weather. We have some tests before the next race and we will use our new engine, which is more powerful. Abe is mentally very strong and I know that he can come through this difficult period strongly. The others we must help to build their confidence.” More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: JOY AND DESPAIR FOR TROY It was a day of mixed emotions for Troy in the second round of the Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island. He won the first race after a titanic battle with fellow countryman Troy Bayliss (Ducati) and Brazilian Alex Barros (Honda) which had the fans jumping and down throughout the 22-lapper. In the second race he was tucked in behind leader Toseland (Honda) after two laps, but then highsided on lap four and was hit by the Honda of Barros as he slid along the track. It was a frightening looking crash because the bike’s footpeg narrowly missed Troy’s head and struck the back of his leathers. Troy was taken to the Clinica Mobile for X-rays, but no broken bones were revealed. However, just to make sure, Troy went to a hospital in Melbourne for a precautionary check-up. TROY – Race 1: 1st, Race 2: DNF All races at Phillip Island are hard but the first race was one of the toughest I’ve ever done for sure. I had a feeling that Bayliss would not be able to keep up that pace for the whole race and that his tyres would not last, and that’s how it worked out. When I got caught in a group behind Bayliss at the beginning, I knew that I couldn’t hang around with them too long, so when James (Toseland) made a little mistake and ran wide, at Honda, I was able to nip through. Then there was a clear track ahead of me, so I put my head and chased Bayliss. When I caught him, I could see he was having problems, so it was no surprise when I passed him. I then had a pretty good fight with Barros, but held him off at the end. Winning in Phillip Island is always sweet! I was well-placed in race two, but on the approach to the turn after Lukey Heights, the rear end suddenly went and I was highsided. I felt a thud on my back and realised I had been hit by a bike, but I thought I had got away with it. But, to make sure, I went to a hospital in Melbourne for a check-up. I really don’t know why I crashed, because the telemetry shows that I wasn’t doing anything different to the previous laps. But I guess that’s racing!. More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group: CORSER THEN BAYLISS AS PHILLIP ISLAND PROVES UNPREDICTABLE HOT FAVOURITE BAYLISS SCORES A SINGLE AFTER UNWANTED SIX Having dominated qualifying and Superpole, and having set another new track best of 1’31.908 in morning warm-up, Troy Bayliss was the hottest favourite imaginable for a double win on his home circuit. His lead in race one dropped off to an eventual sixth place, as Troy Corser (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) took a determined and committed win, from Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda) and a more distant James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda). Corser crashed out of contention in race two, as Bayliss finally got the much-desired first win of his prodigal SBK season, ahead of Toseland and Barros. The ups and downs for some of the top riders changed the complexion of the championship table, with Bayliss now in a single point lead over Toseland (75 to 74), with Corser third on 63, and Barros fourth on 55. RACE ONE Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) looked to have the first race trophy locked up safe and sound until a mid race loss of forward drive dropped him down the order at a rapidly accelerating pace. Troy Corser held off the attentions of Alex Barros in the first race of the day, with James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) scoring third place after the long time leader fell from eventual grace. With the return of the sunshine, after dull early morning conditions, Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) looked to have the first race in the bag long before the finish, such was his early pace and huge lead at half race distance. He set a new lap record of 1’32.402 on the second lap but with his times increasing dramatically in the final third, he was to finish only sixth. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) went fourth, with new SBK rider Robby Rolfo (Ducati SC Caracchi) a strong fifth, after a ride through the field from ninth on lap one. An incredible midfield battle saw nine riders fighting for the points for much of the race, in what was another all-time classic event. RACE TWO The second 22-lap event of the day took place in similarly warm ambient conditions as the opener, but with a much warmer track temperature showing up, some riders opted for harder compound tyre choices. One such was eventual winner Troy Bayliss, fired up by his problems in race one. He eventually passed long time leader Toseland with seven laps left, to take a hugely popular win. In third place, Alex Barros had the best of a three rider fight for much of the race, having survived a scary moment when Troy Corser crashed out of a podium place in front of him, exiting MG corner on lap four, and Barros could not avoid hitting the luckless Aussie. Corser escaped without injury, despite suffering a heavy impact on his crash helmet and neck area, plus his torso. For his own peace of mind, Corser has nonetheless opted to go for further checks in Melbourne, given his history of internal injuries. In race two Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) took his second fourth place finish of the day, beating his team-mate Andrew Pitt, who had finished race one in a slowly fading ninth. Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) slotted his Suzuki into sixth place in race two, after an unhappy race one 12th. ROLFO SHOWS HIS POWER WITH TWO STRONG FINISHES Roberto Rolfo (Ducati SC Caracchi) had an outstanding fifth place in the first race, mastering an incredible multiple rider fight for the top ten positions. At one stage of race two, there were 13 riders in one group, battling for supremacy behind the leading ranks, with a bewildering number of overtakes being put in throughout the duration of each 22-lap race. On a good day for the 2005-spec Ducati 999 riders, Ruben Xaus, once more overcame the need to use crutches when walking, to boom his Sterilgarda Berik Ducati to seventh in race one and eighth in race two. His Spanish countryman Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki) was one place behind each time, with Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki) twice finishing in tenth. Third PSG-1 rider Regis Laconi struggled hard through the day to finish 13th and 16th. MIDFIELD MAYHEM FOR THE FINAL POINTS Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Honda) narrowly missed out on a point in race one, but scored two in the second race, despite feeling the after effects of two hard races. His team-mate Michel Fabrizio had a better start to race two than the first, and duly finished 11th, making up for a disappointing 15th in the opener. Lorenzo Lanzi was to have another eventful day in Australia, as he had to start race one from pitlane, after returning to the pits for machine changes during the sighting lap. He battled to 11th, but in race two, he suffered a crash, which left race one retiree Karl Muggeridge (Winston Honda Ten Kate) out the points entirely after Lanzi’s crashing machine took out the Aussie star. Only one Yamaha Motor France rider scored points at PI, Norick Abe fighting to 12th in race two, one place up on Max Neukirchner’s Pedercini Ducati. PETRONAS BOYS MAKE FINISHES A front row start for local boy Steve Martin (Petronas FP-1) led to a 14th place in race one, then a 15th in race two. His team-mate Craig Jones crashed out of race one, but took a 21st place finish, his first of the year.

Supersport World Championship Round 2 Phillip Island, Australia March 5, 2006 Race Results: 1. Sebastien CHARPENTIER, Honda CBR600RR, 21 laps, 34:01.822 2. Kevin CURTAIN, Yamaha YZF-R6, -1.361 seconds 3. Broc PARKES, Yamaha YZF-R6, -7.796 seconds 4. Yoann TIBERIO, Honda CBR600RR, -16.788 seconds 5. Robin HARMS, Honda CBR600RR, -16.798 seconds 6. Josh BROOKES, Ducati 749R, -21.250 seconds 7. Johan STIGEFELT, Honda CBR600RR, -21.344 seconds 8. Dean THOMAS, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, -26.309 seconds 9. Christian ZAISER, Ducati 749R, -26.473 seconds 10. Maxime ROCCOLI, Yamaha YZF-R6, -26.515 seconds 11. Sebastien LE GRELLE, Honda CBR600RR, -29.839 seconds 12. Mauro SANCHINI, Yamaha YZF-R6, -34.988 seconds 13. Gianluca VIZZIELLO, Yamaha YZF-R6, -36.328 seconds 14. Didier VAN KEYMEULEN, Yamaha YZF-R6, -37.402 seconds 15. Javier FORES, Yamaha YZF-R6, -38.574 seconds 20. Chris PERIS, Yamaha YZF-R6, -83.477 seconds 25. Kenan SOFUOGLU, Honda CBR600RR, -10 laps, DNF, crashed twice 26. Anthony GOBERT, Yamaha YZF-R6, -10 laps, DNF, mechanical More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: CHARPENTIER EXPERIENCES ANOTHER PERFECT RACE WEEKEND Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) scored his second win of the 2006 championship season, after 21 hot and challenging laps of the classic Phillip Island Circuit. His winning margin of 1.361 seconds was earned the hard way after a race long fight with Kevin Curtain, and the race was only ended as a contest after Charpentier upped the pace on the last three laps. With Curtain second overall, Charpentier’s championship lead now stands at ten points, 50 points to 40. Kenan Sofuoglu was in a battle for fourth place when he fell on lap 12, at Honda corner, and he was unable to re-start. He suffered a hard impact on his right wrist, but examinations in the medical centre showed no fractures. A rookie at the Phillip Island circuit, Sofuoglu had enjoyed a good qualifying session, and looked set for a comfortable double-digit point score until his fall. Sofuoglu’s misadventure now puts him sixth overall in the championship fight, on 16 points. Ronald Ten Kate Team Manager “It was another good win for us and it is particularly pleasing because we didn’t have any pre-season testing at this track. We know that the two Yamaha guys had both been testing around here. That makes it all even better. Sebastien had to ride for his money today but it seems that he was ultimately in control. Just like in Qatar, he could go for a few quick lap times even at the end, opening up a gap. He leads the championship by even more points now, so we couldn’t be happier for him. It was a shame for Kenan, because he was riding very well in warm-up, after we had confirmed some things with his set-up. He was a little bit behind the leading bunch, and he made a few little mistakes under braking, so he had to work hard. But he was making the same lap times as the leading group, and then I think he maybe asked too much from the front tyre and fell. It’s a learning year for him, he’s on a steep learning curve, so we’ll see more of him when we arrive back in Europe.” Sébastien Charpentier WSS Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (1st position Championship Position: 1st with 50 points) “Another nice race, for sure. Kevin was very strong, he pushed me very hard but this is normal, and it was a home race for Kevin as well. I tried very hard to win today and it was a very hot race. There was a lot of spinning from the rear, but the bike was very good today, even if the Yamaha was very close. It will be necessary to work extra hard for the next race in Europe, in Valencia. It was a very good weekend here, two wins in the season so far, so I have to say thank you to Honda and Pirelli.” Kenan Sofuoglu WSS Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (DNF Championship Position: 6th with 16 points) “I tried too hard to catch the first group but I made a mistake and fell back down the order a little. There was a small gap to the leaders but I worked my way up to fifth position again, in the second group, managed to overtake another rider, and then I crashed. Not the best weekend result but I hope I can be strong again in Valencia.” More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: CHARPENTIER MAKES IT TWO WINS OUT OF TWO Reigning Champion Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) continued his perfect run of results with his second win of the season, scoring the Phillip Island victory after 21-laps under a warm Australian sun. Once more he took a win after scoring pole position, and once more he had to beat off a strong attack from his race-long companion, Kevin Curtain (Yamaha). Upping the pace in the final few laps, Charpentier took an eventual 1.361 second margin of victory, and now leads Curtain by ten points, 50 to 40. Eighth in qualifying, Yoann Tiberio (Team Megabike Honda CBR600RR) got his championship campaign off to a brilliant start, with a brave and rapid fourth, reversing a pass from another fast Honda rider, Robbin Harms (Stiggy Motorsports CBR600RR). His fourth place puts him 11th overall, on 13 points. Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) crashed out at half race distance, having qualified well in sixth place, on a track that was new to him. He now sits sixth in the table, thanks to his 16 points from Qatar. Charpentier was once more peerless when it really counted, but had to work hard throughout, being pushed by the pace of determined hometown runner, Kevin Curtain. “Another nice race, for sure,” said Charpentier, the master of understatement. “Kevin was very strong, he pushed me but this is normal, and it was a home race for Kevin as well. I tried very hard to win today and it was a very hot race. There was a lot of spinning from the rear, but the bike was very good today, even if the Yamaha was very close. It will be necessary to work extra hard for the next race in Europe, in Valencia. It was a very good weekend here, two wins in the season so far.” At only 19-years-old, and as a Phillip Island rookie, Tiberio could have been forgiven for adopting a gentle touch in his first race, but his cool-headed aggression delivered him an outstanding result. “After I had to miss Qatar,” said Tiberio, “this was my first race of the year. I qualified OK on the second row, but the race was much harder. Qualifying is only for one lap, but the race had 21, and it was quite hot. I wasn’t sure if I could get Harms before the finish line came up but I got on the gas earlier and just managed it.” After a great podium finish in Qatar, Sofuoglu’s Phillip Island experience proved a bitter one, but the young Turkish rider is ready to make amends. “I tried too hard to catch the first group but I made a mistake and fell back down the order a little,” said Kenan. “There was a small gap to the leaders but I worked my way up to fifth position again, in the second group, managed to overtake another rider, and then I crashed. Not the best weekend result, but I hope I can be strong again in Valencia.” More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi: IN SUPESPORT GOOD RESULT FOR JOSH BROOKES, NO LUCK FOR LUKA NEDOG (Phillip Island 2006, March 5) Joshua Brookes fighet as a lion, finishing an all attack race in 6th position, after a thrilling fight against the Swdish rider Stigefelt, and now is at the 5th place of Championship Standing: “In front of my fans I gave the 110% and at the end we reach a good result.” said finally smiling Brookes at the end of the race “For the warm up session we worked on the set up and we good positive answer. For the race I got a good start, at the first split I was 9th , then somebody touched me and I lost a couple of positions. However I recovered, at fourth lap I was 10th and at the thirteenth I was 7th. I fought for many laps with Stigefelt, but at the end I overtook him and on the straight I tried without success to get my trail, our Ducati 749R has too much power. I’m happy for this result, also at the beginning of the season I was confident to do better, but I’m sure that finally we got the right way.” No luck on the contrary for Luka Nedog that, after improving his qualifying lap time more as 2″ during the warm up, was hoping in a good race. On the contrary first a jump start ride trough penalty and the a crash stopped his race. “With the team during the warm up we made a totally new set up, and the result has been quickly excellent.” commented back in the pit Nedog “I recorded easily a 2″ faster lap time as during qualifying, so I was confident in a good race, also because the bike was very fast. On the contrary the track conditions was strongly changed at race time as in the morning warm up, and immediately in the sighting lap I feel subit the bike different. Then the jump start penalty, the following ride trough make me nervous and I crashed at the middle of the race in a strange way, I miss the rear tyre with the throttle totally closed. I haven’t any injury and the bike too isn’t damaged, but my race was finished.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Yamaha Motor Germany riders Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes took their first double podium finish of the year at round two of the Supersport World Championship in Philip Island. The Australian riders were involved in a race-long battle with world champion Sebastien Charpentier (Honda), with the two R6 riders breaking the lap record in the opening stages as they applied pressure to the Frenchman. Parkes demonstrated the new R6’s speed by setting a new lap record on lap three, just minutes after Curtain had lowered Katsuaki Fujiwara’s three year old record. Curtain passed Charpentier at MG corner to take the lead on lap five. However the two Yamaha riders succumbed to rear end traction problems in the later stages of the race, allowing Charpentier to take the win, while the Yamaha men rode sensibly to bring their machines home for valuable championship points. Yamaha Team Italia riders Massimo Roccoli and Gianluca Vizziello brought their R6s home in tenth and 13th places respectively. FIM Superstock 1000 Cup champion Didier van Keymeulen finished 14th, with Javier Fores gaining a point for 15th. Former world superbike race winner Anthony Gobert ran as high as fifth on his GMT94 entered R6 but retired with set-up problems. Charpentier’s win extends his championship lead to 10 points over second placed Curtain. Parkes’ 16 points for third place moves him to fifth in the standings with two of the 13 races gone. Round three of the race takes place at the Ricardo Tormo circuit close to Valencia in Spain on April 23. Prior to that, the Yamaha Motor Germany squad will undertake tests in Misano and Valencia, where they plan to have new parts to increase the competitiveness of their machines. Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) I got in front of Charpentier a couple of times but every time I thought I could get a break on him, he came past again. It was close racing but always fair, because Sebastien and I trust each other. It’s the first stage of race development for our new R6. So after Qatar and here, I think we can say that the first stage is going pretty well. I can’t wait for the second stage – can’t wait to get to Valencia now.” Broc Parkes (Yamaha Motor Germany) “It’s not my best result but I’m really happy to be on the podium here, because it’s my first one in Australia. Having only done a lap last week this was really my first race of the season. I struggled to get my lines flowing today and I probably geared the bike a bit too low. I was able to run with Kevin and Seb in the opening laps, but when I was in the slipstream the bike was hitting the rev-limiter, which I knew wasn’t good. I tried to stay with them but in the end it was better to take the third than try anything silly. I’m looking forward to Valencia as it is a track that suits my style.” Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia) “I am quite satisfied to finish in the top 10 in my first race at this circuit. I had a small problem with my braking, which meant that I could not brake as hard as I like into the hairpin but we have no problem with the traction and otherwise the bike was very good.” Gianluca Vizziello (Yamaha Team Italia) “I am happy to get some points today. The front of the bike was sliding quite a lot and this meant I could not push as hard as I liked in the fast corners. So, some points are definitely better than none!” Anthony Gobert (Yamaha GMT94) “I had excessive chatter in the front, but I felt like I could still get into the top five. It got so bad I had to stop. We looked at the bike and everything seemed OK, but the chatter just continued and I had to retire.” Terrell Thien (Team Manager – Yamaha Motor Germany) “The early season results have gone well for us. Always our plan was to get as many points as possible in these opening races so to get three podium finishes is as good as we can expect. We expect to have our next performance step for the Valencia race and as the championship goes to Europe we must now target race wins.” More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group: WORLD SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 2 The big guns of World Supersport fired loudest once more, as Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) took his second successive race win, ahead of Yamaha Motor Germany pairing Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes. Third was a good finish for Parkes on his own track, bit one rider could count Phillip Island as the race of his life. Young French pilot, Yoann Tiberio (Megabike Honda), put in a fourth in his first ever WSS tour of duty, just edging out another impressive rider, Robbin Harms (Stiggy Motorsports Honda). Josh Brookes (Ducati SC Caracchi) rode his heart out on home tarmac to take his 749 to sixth, the top finishing place for a Ducati rider. A possible sixth for Barry Veneman (Hoegee Suzuki) disappeared when his rear tyre punctured and he slipped down the order to retire. In the championship itself, Charpentier now leads by ten points, from Curtain on 40 and Harms on 21.