MOTORCYCLE RIDERS CAN GET PLENTY OF SEAT TIME AT HPT IN ’06 TOPEKA, Kan. — For road racers that prefer two wheels instead of four, the 2006 season at Heartland Park Topeka will provide ample opportunities to get on track. With new amenities and ultra-smooth asphalt, motorcycle riders will find that the improvements made at the track have transformed the facility, and have also made Heartland Park Topeka motorcycle-friendly. The professional riders of the American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA) are on-track June 16-18, with a Heartland Park sponsored test day set for June 15. ASRA marks the first professional motorcycle road racing event at Heartland Park Topeka since 2003. The weekend will also include Championship Cup Series (CCS) Midwest and Great Plains regional racing. CCS racers are back at Heartland Park Topeka Aug. 5-6, with a Heartland Park test day set for Aug. 4. In addition to the ASRA and CCS dates, Heartland Park Topeka has partnered with Visionsports Riding Schools to provide instruction during six open track days. The Heartland Park Track Days include April 10, May 8, June 14, July 17, Sept. 11, and Oct. 23. Interested riders can sign up now at www.hpt.com. Sportbike Track Time (STT) will also provide limited endurance days and riding instruction on May 13 and Aug. 7, and a riding school June 24-25. STAR Motorcycle School will be at Heartland Park Topeka July 10-11. The 2006 motorcycle season at Heartland Park Topeka concludes with the Northeast Sportbike Association (NESBA) Nov. 4-5. A complete list of motorcycle events is below. Heartland Park Topeka, a multi-purpose facing facility located in Toepka, Kan. annually hosts NHRA POWERade drag racing, the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), and many other pro and amateur drag, road, and dirt track racing events throughout the race season. April 10: Heartland Park Topeka Motorcycle Track Day/Visionsports Riding School May 8: Heartland Park Topeka Motorcycle Track Day/Visionsports Riding School May 13: Sportbike Track Time Motorcycle School June 14: Heartland Park Topeka Motorcycle Track Day/Visionsports Riding School June 15: Heartland Park Topeka Motorcycle Test Day June 16-18: American Sportbike Racing Association National (ASRA), Championship Cup Series (CCS) Great Plains/Midwest Regional June 24-25: Sportbike Track Time Motorcycle School July 10-11: STAR Motorcycle School July 17: Heartland Park Topeka Motorcycle Track Day/Visionsports Riding School August 4: Heartland Park Topeka Motorcycle Test Day August 5-6: Championship Cup Series (CCS) August 7: Sportbike Track Time Motorcycle School September 11: Heartland Park Topeka Motorcycle Track Day/Visionsports Riding School October 23: Heartland Park Topeka Motorcycle Track Day/Visionsports Riding School November 4-5: Northeast Sportbike Racing Association

Nobody Does it Better: Hotbodies Racing’s World-Class World-Wide Race Support For 2006, Hotbodies Racing covers the paddock from privateers to Moto GP, providing multi-levels of race support for novices and World Champions alike. Hotbodies Racing has stepped to the pinnacle of road racing with its 2006 sponsorship of the American-owned Team KR in Moto GP. Team KR is operated by “King” Kenny Roberts, multi-time World Grand Prix Champion and legendary hero of motorcycle racing. Hotbodies Racing’s Bodywork and Windscreen sponsorship of Team KR might make them the only wholly American-owned company currently sponsoring a Moto GP team. Hotbodies Racing Bodywork will cloak the all-new 2006 chassis of the Honda-powered Team KR bikes, designed and manufactured through cooperative engineering with the England-based team. In the upper echelon of AMA Superbike, Hotbodies Racing is now the exclusive Bodywork and Windscreen sponsor of the Parts Unlimited Ducati factory team. World Superbike pilots Neil Hodgson and Ben Bostrom will compete on Ducati 999s, outfitted with Hotbodies Racing Grandprix Windscreens and Bodywork, looking to improve the team’s performance of winning the second most Superbike races in 2005. For its actual AMA team, Hotbodies Racing has changed manufacturers and will use Suzuki’s for 2006. Riding under the Hotbodies Racing colors for Mat Mladin Motorsports Suzuki is Marty Craggill, returning from a successful 2005 season. Australian Craggill will compete in AMA Superstock on a distinctive red, black and white 2006 Suzuki GSX-R1000, complete with Hotbodies Racing Bodywork and Windscreens. Once again Hotbodies Racing will be supporting talented privateers on their quest to fulfill their dreams. The Team Hotbodies Racing privateers for 2006 will be Garret Carter (17), Taylor Knapp (19), Barrett Long (19) and Cory West (21). Carter, new to the team, won the USGPRU 125 and 250 Grand Prix championships in 2005, as well as raced 250GP bikes in England and Spain. Taylor Knapp returns to improve on his top-ten finish in the Formula Xtreme championship and race in the entire WERA National Challenge series with technical assistance from Vesrah Suzuki, on racing his new Suzukis. Cory West, the 2004 AMA Superbike Rookie of the Year who finished 15th in the 2005 AMA Superbike championship, also returns this year to race in the AMA SuperStock class with crew chief Chuck Giacchetto. Barrett Long, son of John Long who finished second in the Superbike championship in 1978, is new to Hotbodies Racing. Last year Long finished 14th in Supersport and is the third generation of his family to be a motorcycle racer. Look for these riders at every AMA national pitted together under the big red Hotbodies Racing canopy. Other Hotbodies Racing sponsored teams include Matsushima Performance Suzuki with riders Blake Young and Danny Eslick, each riding Suzuki GSX-R600s in the Formula Xtreme and Supersport classes; Safety First Suzuki with racers Tony “The Tiger” Miering and Chris “Opie” Caylor, also competing in Formula Xtreme and Supersport on Suzuki GSX-R600s. Again sponsored by Hotbodies Racing are the Corona Racing and Hooters teams, both racing on Suzukis. Hotbodies Racing will also continue to support last years privateers Jeremy Toye racing in the AMA and WSMC series as well as the Isle of Mann and the Macau GP. Justin Filice, son of former 250GP champion Jimmy Filice, will also receive support from Hotbodies and is racing in the AMA Supersport championship. Hotbodies Racing also provides various sponsorship programs for all racers in nearly every American regional series. Hotbodies Racing specializes in manufacturing performance parts for performance bikes. Hotbodies Racing is the design leader in Undertails, Windscreens, Flush-Mount Signals, Huggers and full-race Bodywork. Hotbodies Racing supports the sport with sponsorship and its own in-house race team, and encourages dealer inquiries. For more information visit: hotbodiesracing.com. More, from another press release issued by Hotbodies Racing: Garrett Carter has entered into an agreement with Team Hotbodies Racing for the entire WERA National Challenge Series, and the AMA Superbike Series beginning at Barber Motorsports Park. Hotbodies Racing is fielding a separate team for the WERA races that includes Carter and his teammate, Taylor Knapp. This team will fold into Team Hotbodies Racing’s AMA team when campaigning the AMA Superbike Series. Carter is the current reigning United States 125 GP National Champion and the 250 GP National Champion. Carter won 8 out of 12 races on his way to the dual championships last year and set four class track records. Garrett also raced the entire Spanish championship last season with 2 satellite World GP teams, and competed in the 2005 AMA Grand Nationals at Mid-Ohio, finishing first in both the 125 GP and 250 GP classes. Additionally, Carter is one of Roadracing World’s Young Gun picks of last year. Carter began his racing career with the 125 GP class at age 13. Now, at age 17, Carter is moving into the 600cc classes where he will be competing on two 2006 Yamaha R6’s in the 600 Superstock and Superbike classes in WERA, and in Supersport and Formula Xtreme in the AMA Superbike Series. Hotbodies Racing principal Roger Davis said, “Garrett is exactly the type of racer we’re dedicated to helping as much as possible. He has a great attitude and unusual talents that he has already proven on tracks around the world. We look forward to assisting Garrett with getting experience on the 600s and earning the recognition he deserves.” The Royal Oak eleventh-grade racer, Carter, said, “The Team Hotbodies Racing deal is a great opportunity for me. Roger Davis has given me a chance to excel and I plan on making the most of it. Last year was a great way to finish my time on the 125 and 250 but as soon as I knew that I was going to race 600s, I started training all over again. Now after two days of testing at Jennings and three days with Freddie Spencer, plus our test at Barber that’s coming up, I pumped up to join Team Hotbodies Racing and start racing my R6’s.” Hotbodies Racing specializes in manufacturing performance parts for performance bikes. Hotbodies Racing is the design leader in Undertails, Undertail Exhausts, Windscreens, Flush-Mount Signals, Huggers and full-race Bodywork. Hotbodies Racing supports the sport with sponsorship and its own in-house race team, and encourages dealer inquiries. For more information visit: www.hotbodiesracing.com.

TEAM SUZUKI RIDES ROCKET! With the start of the much anticipated 2006 AMA Superbike Series at Daytona International Speedway just days away, Randy Robison, President of Joe Rocket Sports Gear is pleased to announce an official sponsorship agreement with the Suzuki Road Race Team. The agreement with American Suzuki, the AMA Superbike Champions, will see America’s leading sport bike apparel brand outfit the entire team in Joe Rocket designed gear. “Both Suzuki and Joe Rocket are championship brands,” said Robison, “and we are very excited to be associated with Suzuki and their pursuit of greatness.” “Our agreement with Joe Rocket is a natural progression of their long term relationship with riders Ben Spies and 6 time AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin,” said Mel Harris, Manager of Suzuki Road Racing. “Joe Rocket’s dedication to making championship caliber gear makes them a valuable addition to our program.” Editorial Note: Mel Harris is not “Manager of Suzuki Road Racing” but is in fact an American Suzuki Motor Co. Vice President.

FORD QUALITY CHECKED CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED BRAND EXTENDS SPONSORSHIP OF AMA FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP PICKERINGTON, Ohio (March 3, 2006) — AMA Pro Racing announced today that Ford Motor Company and the Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned brand will continue its title sponsorship of the AMA Flat Track Championship. Ford originally became title sponsor of the championship beginning with the 2005 season. According to Mike Dennis, Manager of the Ford Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned Program, sponsorship of AMA Flat Track continues to meet his company’s objectives. “The connection to motorcyclists that we’re achieving with this program has been a positive for Ford,” said Dennis. “We’re seeing increased exposure for our product, expanded sales leads, and an improved relationship with our customer base as a direct result of this sponsorship.” Bruce Bober AMA Pro Racing’s Flat Track Series Manager said Ford’s support of the championship has been tremendously worthwhile. “Flat Track racing has a loyal following and Ford is connecting itself to these passionate enthusiasts,” commented Bober. “The company’s title sponsorship not only helps Ford reach its business objectives, but also provides benefits to the fans and riders in terms of added exposure for the sport and a generous championship bonus program. AMA Pro Racing appreciates all that Ford does to support Flat Track racing.” In early November, AMA Pro Racing announced that the AMA Flat Track Championship, the oldest and most traditional form of racing sanctioned by the AMA, would see a dramatic change. Beginning with the 2006 racing season the championship will now feature two classes; one based on twin-cylinder equipment and the other based on single-cylinder equipment. “One of the primary reasons Ford supports AMA Flat Track is because of its American history and roots,” said Dennis. “At the same time, we want to see this championship grow by attracting new riders, fans and manufacturer support. We support AMA Pro Racing and want to continue what’s become a great relationship.” Chris Carr, the reigning and seven-time AMA Flat Track Champion will be among the top riders competing at the opening round of the 2006 racing season on March 8 at Daytona Beach’s Municipal Stadium. Other notable riders expected are Ken Coolbeth, Joe Kopp, Jared Mees and 2005 Ricky Graham Flat Track Rookie of the Year, Nick Cummings. Wednesday’s event will be followed up by a second event on Thursday, March 9, marking the first-ever Grand National doubleheader in Daytona.

MLADIN OPENS TITLE DEFENSE AT DAYTONA The 30th Anniversary of the AMA Superbike Championship begins PICKERINGTON, Ohio (March 3, 2006) — Mat Mladin comes to Daytona Beach, Fla., to open his title defense as the 2006 AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited kicks off on March 11. Mladin, the No. 1 Yoshimura Suzuki rider who turns 34 the day before the race, has the opportunity to win his seventh AMA Superbike title this season. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the launch of the AMA Superbike Championship. Daytona International Speedway hosted the very first race of the series on March 5, 1976. Motorcycle Hall of Famer Steve McLaughlin won that race on a BMW. Mladin feels confident that he and his team are ready to capture yet another AMA Superbike Championship in 2006. “We’ve had successful pre-season testing,” Mladin said. “Suzuki has given me a great motorcycle and I’m looking forward to the season. It’s always important to get through Daytona with a good number of points. That’s how I approach the race. If things come together and we have what it takes to go for the win, then that’s a bonus.” Mladin heads up an impressive factory Suzuki lineup that includes up-and-coming Texan Ben Spies and hard-charging veteran Aaron Yates, from Georgia. Last year the factory Suzuki trio took three of the four top finishing spots at Daytona. This year the team would love nothing better than to sweep the podium. Honda is placing more emphasis on the premier Superbike class this year. Like Mladin, Honda’s veteran Miguel Duhamel is a proven winner at Daytona. He feels the team has made major improvements since last year’s sub-par season. “We have the help once again of HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) with our Superbike program,” Duhamel said. “Combine that with what American Honda learned developing the CBR1000RR last year and I think we have a winning combination. After Daytona, Superbike is the only class I’m concentrating on, so that focus on a single championship should be a benefit as well.” Duhamel will compete in the Daytona 200 by Honda (the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme opener), as well as the Daytona Superbike race but is slated to just race in the Superbike class after the season opener. Jake Zemke is the other factory Honda entry in the AMA Superbike opener at Daytona. Zemke would love to earn his second-career AMA Superbike victory next weekend. Kawasaki is back in the AMA Superbike fray with a factory effort featuring the brother combination of Tommy and Roger Lee Hayden. Kawasaki has a rich tradition at Daytona, winning three Daytona 200s in the 1990s with Scott Russell. It’s been 11 years since Team Green last stood atop the podium, but with the Haydens, Kawasaki has two of the fastest riders in all of AMA racing making the team a contender in spite of this being the first test for the new Kawasaki ZX10R Superbike. Ducati has been a contender in the Daytona Superbike race nearly every year since 1976, but the Italian maker has only won the race one time in 1977 with Cook Neilson. Once again in 2006 the team hopes to score the ever-elusive Daytona victory with either Neil Hodgson or Ben Bostrom. Both have extensive Superbike experience at both the World and national level. Hodgson is a former British and World Superbike champ, while Bostrom claimed the AMA Superbike title in 1998. Jordan Suzuki has easily the strongest non-factory team entered in the Daytona Superbike race. Jason Pridmore, Steve Rapp and Jacob Holden are likely to race alongside the factory squads in the 70-kilometer race. Pridmore is the son of three-time AMA Superbike Champion Reg Pridmore and has a pair of AMA road racing titles to his own credit. A number of privateer riders hope to find the speed to mix it up with the factory riders at Daytona. Former AMA Superbike winner Larry Pegram is chief among those. The Ohio racing veteran is slated to ride a Pegram Racing Honda in the Daytona Superbike contest. New Englander Eric Wood is another top privateer expected to be among the leaders on his Hooter’s Suzuki. On March 11, SPEED will offer morning-to-evening coverage of Daytona Motorcycle Week racing. The day starts at 11 a.m. EST with flag-to-flag coverage of the 2006 AMA Superbike Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited season opener. For ticket information visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

MotoGP bikes on track for first day of official tests Today saw the start of the MotoGP Official Test for the premier class of MotoGP. Following on from the 125cc and 250cc categories’ sessions at the Circuit de Catalunya which have been running since Monday, the MotoGP teams took to the track for the first of three days of testing. After John Hopkins and Colin Edwards had started promisingly in the morning, it was World Champion Valentino Rossi who led the table at 1pm local time. The Yamaha rider had only begun testing just after 12.30, and within six laps he was already heading the timesheets. The Italian later clocked an even faster time of 1’43.608 to confirm his dominance. The flamboyant Rossi did however suffer a crash during the eight-hour long session, which brought out the red flags, and the Italian decided to call an end to his testing for the day after the incident, which occurred just after 3.30pm. Nonetheless, his time stood strong for the remainder of the afternoon, and he headed up a Yamaha one-two-three, with team-mate Colin Edwards and home-rider Carlos Checa trailing him on board the M1. It was something of a special occasion for Checa, who after moving from Ducati to Honda last year lost his MotoGP ride in early January. However a last-minute package was put together by the Tech3 team and Dunlop to allow the Spaniard to continue this season, and their faith in one of the most experienced riders in the sport got at least some small reward today. Behind the Yamaha trio came the newly-liveried Rizla Suzuki of John Hopkins, with Nicky Hayden top Honda rider in fifth, and Shinya Nakano in sixth place on the Kawasaki. Ducati’s new rider Sete Gibernau was seventh fastest at his home track, with former team-mate and last year’s championship runner-up Marco Melandri just behind him. Toni Elias was ninth fastest after his move from Yamaha to Honda over winter, with Makoto Tamada finishing tenth. Earlier this week, Jorge Lorenzo was the fastest 250cc rider on Wednesday, and subsequently repeated his leaderboard-topping form in Thursday’s eight-hour session. Having set a fastest lap of 1’46.563 he was only three-tenths off Dani Pedrosa’s pole-winning time from last season at this track. Despite suffering a crash half an hour before the end of the session, Alex de Angelis came in second quickest with a time of 1’47.232, whilst 250cc’s surprise package was Czech rider Jakub Smrz, who continued his intriguing success at the Circuit de Catalunya finishing third fastest. The big news from 125cc was the crash suffered by Thomas Lüthi. Switzerland’s reigning World Champion fractured his left collarbone in the incident, and doctors have recommended that he misses the MotoGP Official Test in Jerez next week in order to recover without surgery. The Swiss rider is still expected to compete in the first race of the season, the Gran Premio betandwin.com de España on March 26th. His main rival from last year, Finland’s Mika Kallio, topped the leaderboard with a fastest lap of 1’50.849, three tenths of a second off Hector Barbera’s 2004 lap record. Lukas Pesek and Alvaro Bautista came in second and third, whilst the top five was completed by Sergio Gadea and Angel Rodriguez. The weekend’s fastest laps are likely to occur on Sunday, when the third annual BMW M Award takes place. A forty-minute televised session in which riders compete to earn the fastest lap starts at just after 2pm local time, with a brand new BMW Z4 M Roadster going up for grabs for the winner. The previous winners of the competition are Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau. Cloud is predicted for tomorrow, Saturday, with a forecasted drop in temperature and light rain for Sunday’s final MotoGP Official Test day at the Circuit de Catalunya. More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: Catalunya MotoGP test Day one, Friday March 3 2006 DUCATI MARLBORO MEN GIVE GP6 FIRST EUROPEAN OUTING Ducati Marlboro Team riders Sete Gibernau and Loris Capirossi gave the Desmosedici GP6 its first European outing at Catalunya today, continuing the good work so far completed in Australia and Malaysia. In pleasantly mild conditions, with track temperature reaching 27 degrees this afternoon, the pair focused on engine-braking set-up and evaluating Bridgestone’s latest tyres. Also on track here is test rider Vittoriano Guareschi and the Development Team. Gibernau, Capirossi and Guareschi continue testing here over the next two days and on Sunday take part in the officially timed practice session, the traditional hors d’oeuvre to the World Championship which commences at Jerez on March 26. FILIPPO PREZIOSI, Ducati Corse director “We’re happy because Bridgestone have made good progress at this track. Today we did a lot of work on the engine-braking system, working with software, that’s why Sete and Loris didn’t get to ride any really fast laps. We hope the good weather continues over the next two days because today’s conditions were better than we had expected for this time of year.” SETE GIBERNAU, 63 laps, 7th fastest, 1m 44.556s “We’ve gone through a lot of stuff today, so we are more or less where I thought we’d be. Bridgestone have done a good job here, they’ve brought a lot of different tyres and we’ve found a good direction with both the front and the rear. As far as the bike goes, we’re still working to create a good base set-up. Right now, we don’t have one. We want to create a base here, confirm it during next week’s Jerez tests, then keep it through the year. We ran into a few engine-braking problems today but the team did a good job finding their way out of that. We have a way to go, we’ve got to keep our heads down, but both Bridgestone and the Team are doing a good job.” LORIS CAPIROSSI, 71 laps, 14th fastest, 1m 45.253s “Today we worked on a few things, we had to sort a small problem with the engine-braking, that’s why we didn’t go any quicker, because we were concentrating on fixing the engine-braking, rather than working on a bike set-up to that would give us faster lap times. It’s never easy to find a good set-up but we still have two more days here, so I’m happy with what we’ve done so far. Bridgestone have done some good work. Their latest front tyre is a big improvement over what we had here last year. The front is good now and the rear is not so bad, they’ve done well.” Temperatures: Ambient: 19 degrees C. Track: 27 degrees C More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing: SUPER SHINYA SIXTH FASTEST IN CATALUNYA Kawasaki’s Shinya Nakano ended the opening day of the Catalunya IRTA test sixth fastest, as the all-new Ninja ZX-RR made it’s European debut after a winter of development and testing overseas. With rain forecast for the weekend, Nakano started today’s test working with Bridgestone to evaluate another batch of new front and rear slicks from the Japanese tyre manufacturer. Still running with the same basic set-up on his Ninja ZX-RR from Malaysia, and cautious of the cold track conditions, Nakano quickly set about familiarising himself once again with the Catalunya circuit. The 28-year-old Japanese rider lapped consistently throughout the day, rarely dropping far from the top of the timesheet, and eventually finished sixth fastest overall. For Nakano’s Kawasaki teammate, Randy de Puniet, today’s test ended prematurely when the 25-year-old Frenchman was highsided from his Ninja ZX-RR early in the afternoon session. De Puniet was examined in the Clinica Mobile following the crash, but suffered only from bruising on his lower back and has been passed fit to continue testing tomorrow. The Kawasaki rider was disappointed to miss out on much of the afternoon session, after consistent improvements in his lap times had seen him inside the top ten fastest times for much of the morning. Although battered and bruised, de Puniet remains confident that further improvements are possible during the remaining two days of testing at Catalunya. Shinya Nakano: #56 – 1’44.399 (61 Laps) “It’s good to be back testing in Europe, because this is where most of our races are held and it’s important that we find a set-up that works on the European tracks, and in European weather conditions. Today we started on the same set-up we ran in Malaysia, because it was important to get tyre testing out of the way, as we’re not sure about the weather this weekend. Most forecasts seem to be predicting rain. The cold track temperature today meant we were unable to test as many tyres as we wanted, but we finished close to the top of the timesheet, so I’m happy with what we have achieved.” Randy de Puniet: #17 – 1’45.111 (59 Laps) “It was disappointing to have to end the test early because of the crash. We made good progress this morning and I was confident of improving further on my lap time, but the crash meant we were not able to continue with the two test runs we had planned for the afternoon. I don’t really know what caused the crash. I opened the gas in the same way as always, but this time the bike just highsided me. It was a big crash, and I came down quite hard on my back, but thankfully I’ve only suffered some bruising. For sure I’ll be sore in the morning, but it won’t stop me from continuing with the test, and I’m hopeful that I can continue to improve over the next two days.” More, from Camel Yamaha: MotoGP Official Test Circuit de Catalunya, Spain Friday 3rd March 2006 ROSSI AND EDWARDS TOP FIRST OFFICIAL TESTS AT CATALUNYA Camel Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards made their first formal track appearances of the year today as the MotoGP Official Tests got underway at the Montmelo circuit in Catalunya. The traditional pre-season curtain raiser runs for three days, with a timed 40-minute session determining the winner of a new car in an exciting climax to the action on Sunday afternoon at 1405h. Sporting their new bright-yellow Camel livery, both Rossi and Edwards were in sparkling form throughout the day, dominating the time sheets and ending the session with the quickest times. With barely any changes made to the base set-up of their 2006 version YZR-M1 machines following recent tests, the Italian and the American were quickly on the pace despite brisk morning temperatures, backing up impressive results in contrasting conditions at Sepang and Qatar. A positive first day for Yamaha was completed by Carlos Checa (Tech 3 Yamaha), who sealed the third fastest time on only his third appearance for the team. VALENTINO ROSSI (1st, 1’43.608, 54 laps) “The first day here in Catalunya has been very positive. The weather has been better than we expected, especially in the afternoon, so the tyres were running at the right temperature to be enable us to understand the performance of the bike. The data we are gathering will not be much use for the race here in May because it will be so much warmer, but at least we are moving forward with the setting of the bike. I’m pleased because the lap times have been very fast this is the third track we have ridden at with the 2006 machine and we have been very competitive at all of them. Since 20th January we have been thinking exclusively about race one on 26th March and we will continue with this attitude for the rest of the test.” COLIN EDWARDS (2nd, 1’44.063, 66 laps) “We didn’t change too much with the bike today just rolled out what we had at Sepang to see how it worked. It was freezing this morning but we did some tests for Michelin and things just got better and better for the rest of the day. I’m happy with the bike, I’m happy with everything really, but as good as it looks and feels we still have a lot of work to do. It’s nice to be running up at the top from the start and I must admit it’s hard not to have one eye on the car on Sunday! I don’t know what I would do with it if I won but we’ll figure that out when it comes!” DAVIDE BRIVIO CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “It is a positive surprise to see three Yamahas at the top of the time sheets and of course we are all very pleased. It’s only the first day of a long test but we hope it is a good sign of things to come. Things ran very smoothly today, we continued working to our testing programme, on the setting and on the tyres. The base setting seems to work well this is the third circuit with this bike and it’s encouraging that it has worked so well in so many different conditions. Both riders look relaxed and concentrated on the job at hand so let’s just keep working this way!” Lap Times: 1. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Camel Yamaha Team, 1’43.608 2. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Camel Yamaha Team, 1’44.063 3. Carlos Checa (SPA) Tech 3 Yamaha, 1’44.070 4. John Hopkins (USA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, 1’44.197 5. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team, 1’44.209 6. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team, 1’44.399 7. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team, 1’44.556 8. Marco Melandri (ITA) Fortuna Honda, 1’44.672 9. Toni Elias (SPA) Fortuna Honda, 1’44.702 10. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Konica Minolta Honda, 1’44.721 11. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team Roberts, 1’44.868 12. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team, 1’45.011 13. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team, 1’45.111 14. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team,1’45.253 15. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP, 1’45.968 16. James Ellison (GBR) Tech 3 Yamaha, 1’46.217 17. Jose Luis Cardoso (SPA) D’Antin Pramac, 1’46.603 18. Alex Hoffman (GER) D’Antin Pramac, 1’46.606 19. Vittoriano Guareschi (ITA) Ducati, 1’47.379 Catalunya Lap Record: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2005 1’43.195 Catalunya Best Lap: Sete Gibernau (Honda) 2005 1’42.337 More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Honda: MELANDRI AND ELIAS BACK ON TRACK First day of testing for the Fortuna Honda riders at Barcelona The Fortuna Honda Team is back on track for the first official appointment of the 2006 season: the Irta test on the Spanish track of Montmelò. After the hard winter pre-season test at Sepang and Phillip Island, Marco Melandri and Toni Elias face the new challenge with enthusiasm and motivation. Marco Melandri worked on the setting and tyre testing while his team mate Toni Elias worked on weight distribution in order to improve his feeling with the bike. MARCO MELANDRI (76 laps, 1’44.672, 8th best time): “We worked a lot and we still have a lot of work to do to find the pace we’d like to have. All in all I’m confident, this is only the first day of testing. ” TONI ELIAS ( 71 laps, 1’44.702, 9th best time ): “I’m quite satisfied of today’s testing on this track that is particularly dear to me because it’s my home circuit. Thanks to the work done on weight distribution and tyre testing, my feeling with the bike improved and my rhythm too. I’m confident to continue improving thanks to the work with my team and Michelin techs.” More, from Honda Racing: MotoGP test Catalunya. Day one March 3, 2006. The MotoGP teams returned to Europe this week for the closing stages of winter testing. The teams began a three-day test at the Catalunya circuit, close to Barcelona today with final testing taking place at the Jerez circuit in, Andalusia scene of the opening race of the 17-round world championship series. Cold weather and strong wind made for a difficult early morning but as soon as the track surface warmed the teams set about finding machine base settings the riders will need to get the best out of the three-day test. Fastest Honda rider on the opening day of test was American Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda). The former AMA Superbike Champion ran the whole day with the latest version of the all-new 2006 Honda RC211V five-cylinder 990cc GP machine he will campaign in the championship. Hayden spent his day finding a good base setting and machine balance for the RCV before working on a range of tyres for Michelin in a bid to find the optimum package before moving on to fine tuning and chasing fast lap times tomorrow. Hayden’s young teammate, Spaniard Dani Pedrosa was pleased with his day’s work, in fact surprised by his turn of speed on the latest development of the standard RC211V he will begin the season with. At the end of his 88-lap stint the reigning double 250cc World Champion admitted he has some work to do on his physical strength if he is to get the best out of the RCV when the season starts. Fortuna Honda rider Marco Melandri, the fastest Honda rider for much of the winter, did not find the pace at Catalunya that he had hoped for. The team worked hard on machine balance and suspension settings improving as the opening day wore. Sufficient progress was made to allow Marco to take on tyre testing for Michelin late in the afternoon. Team-mate Toni Elias concentrated on finding a good balance for his RCV before working on the suspension. Elias is in his second season of MotoGP racing. He lives within sight of the Catalan circuit but has no MotoGP experience of the circuit having missed the GP race at the track in 2005. Konica Minolta Honda man Makoto Tamada was a late starter on the opening day preferring to wait for the track to reach high temperatures before venturing out on his RCV. Tamada concentrated on finding a good enough set up to test a range of Michelin front tyres, the front end of his RCV was a particular problem for the popular Japanese rider in 2005. Tamada had made the switch to Michelin from a rival manufacturer and it has taken him some time to adjust to the feel of the Michelin shod front end of the RCV. Team Roberts arrived at Sepang with the third development version of their chassis that will house the RC211V engine. The British based team have worked wonders in producing a very competitive chassis is such a short time. To reach the third stage of development in little over 10 weeks is nothing short of astonishing. Kenny Roberts Jnr was delighted with progress and will spend day two of the three-day test fine-tuning the new chassis before looking for fast lap times. LCR Honda rider Casey Stoner has decided to wait until the opening GP of the season, at Jerez on March 26, before returning to the track. Stoner aggravated an old injury while physically training in February and has been advised by LCR team owner-manager Lucio Cecchinello to make sure he is 100% ready to cope with the physical demands required to handle the 240 hp plus RC211V. Honda rider lap times and quotes. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 1m 44.209s – 103 laps “It’s always really good to get back to Europe. The whole team’s working hard towards the beginning of the season, and the conditions and track temperature are so different to the last few tests. This morning it was really cold and we struggled a little to get good traction coming out of corners. But we tried some new stuff and this afternoon and it felt a lot better. We tried some different Michelins too which helped a lot – so a big thanks to the Michelin guys.” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 1m 45.001s – 88 laps. “It’s really nice to come here to my home circuit riding for the Repsol Honda team, I’ve had a great welcome from the fans. I’ve ridden the RC211V before at Valencia, Sepang and Phillip Island but today was the first time I’ve ridden it in really cold conditions, and it was windy too, so it actually wasn’t easy. My lap time is not really so important today and I’m looking forward to improving over the next two days.” Makoto Tanaka, Team Manager Repsol Honda. “Today we made some good progress with the new machine. This morning the weather meant that the times weren’t so fast but this afternoon it was fine “¦with new developments. Dani made some good progress too, improving on his time from November. We’re happy with the progress so far. We’re working step by step. The level is very high this year and with the new generation of riders it will be an exciting. I expect the racing to be very close at Jerez.” Marco Melandri, Repsol Honda: 1m 44.672s 76 laps. “We worked a lot and we still have a lot of work to do to find the pace we’d like to have. All in all I’m confident, this is only the first day of testing. “ Toni Elias, Repsol Honda: 1m 44. 700s 71 laps. “I’m quite satisfied of today’s testing on this track that is particularly dear to me because it’s my home circuit. Thanks to the work done on weight distribution and tyre testing, my feeling with the bike improved and my rhythm too. I’m confident to continue improving thanks to the work with my team and Michelin technicians.” Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda: 1m 44.721s 78 laps. “The track conditions only permitted me to get on my RC211V around midday. Today we have made some steps ahead towards the research of the best setting even if we cannot say that we have finished our work yet. During the afternoon I have been able to try some 2006 Michelin front tyres and I can state that the situation seems to be better than last year. I still have some problems to solve to be efficient at the exit of the corner when I start using the throttle again; for this I do hope tomorrow I’ll be able to test the new rear Michelin tyres which should guarantee a better performance” Kenny Roberts Junior, KR Honda: 1m 44.868s 80 laps. “I’m tired, we really did a lot of laps today, 80 I think. We have a lot of stuff to test here. We only went out on the third development of the chassis for the last run at the end of the day but it felt as if it has a higher potential. Tomorrow we will try back-to-back runs with the second version of the chassis and the new one. Basically we will refine the new chassis. So far everything has been positive and I could not find a negative point. We also did some tyre testing for Michelin running about five laps with each of six tyres. “

VP STATES POSITION ON SUPERCROSS FUEL PENALTY, CALLS FOR AMA RULES CHANGE SAN ANTONIO, TX — Steve Burns, director of research and development for VP Racing Fuels, issued the following statement regarding the penalization of Ricky Carmichael for the San Diego Supercross race due to a fuel violation: VP Racing Fuels is a supplier to Team Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki and KTM and has been involved in supplying fuel to professional motocross teams for 25 years. VP develops and manufactures fuels for both motocross and road racing for all these teams. In business since 1975, VP is the Official Racing Fuels of NHRA, the largest racing sanctioning body in the world, as well as a sponsor of more than 30 other racing associations in various capacities. VP produces more blends of racing fuels for unique applications than anyone else in the world. We like to think we have more technology in racing fuels than any other company. This is illustrated by the fact that in racing venues that do not have a spec fuel rule, more championships are won by VP-powered engines than any other fuel company. VP has earned its reputation as a world leader in racing fuels. It’s with great dismay that we learned of the latest incident regarding a points deduction due to a fuel violation at the Supercross race in San Diego. The matter is still being investigated and the jury is still out regarding the source of lead found in Ricky Carmichael’s fuel. Unfortunately, this marks the third time in the past three years one of AMA’s biggest stars was disqualified due to a situation of the AMA’s own making. The failure here is not the fault of the teams nor the fuel producer. The failure stems from a rule written to serve European interests. These disqualifications have also embarrassed three major corporations, essentially accusing them of cheating — violating a rule that is poorly written, based on a specification of .005 grams per liter set by the FIM for European competition, while the USA EPA limit is set at .013 grams per liter. These lead levels are so low they could not have affected the performance or octane of the fuel, nor could it have any effect on the outcome of the race. Significantly, VP has never been contacted by the AMA prior to the implementation of any rule pertaining to fuels which is very surprising given that VP supplies all the factory teams! The specification that needs immediate attention is the lead level. Based on the European limit, it translates to trace levels — parts per billion. The low limits set for lead in street fuels is to protect the catalytic converter from becoming coated over long term exposure, thus reducing the function of the converter. It is not a limit set for health reasons. Racing needs a wider tolerance for lead as the fuel is handled more frequently by more parties than pump fuels and in a more hostile environment. While pump gas typically goes from the manufacturer via pipeline or tanker to the gas station, then directly into the customer’s tank, racing fuel is typically shipped to the teams in drums, which are then opened for various purposes, e.g. to draw samples, run tests, transfer to smaller containers, dispensed into the vehicle, drained from the vehicle after the race for reuse, etc. The fact is all dirt contains lead in varying degrees and it is entirely possible that fuel could become contaiminated with trace levels of lead given the windy, dusty and dirty environment encountered at most race tracks. Significantly, none of the levels we are talking about have any affect on the fuel or its performance in the engine. The use of lead in racing fuels is allowed by the EPA Clean Air Act. There are no legal reasons for the elimination of lead from racing fuels. The other area of concern is the oxygen content of the fuels. As the rule is written, it would render many pump fuels illegal for use in AMA Pro Racing. The current AMA limit is 2.8%, while pump gas can have up to 3.7% in certain parts of the country. According to past conversations with Rob King, former AMA technical director, the current rules originally were written to ensure U.S. pump fuels would be legal for AMA Pro competition. The current rules fail that reasoning on both lead level and oxygen content. These problems do not need to be confronted again. They require an easy fix — rewrite the rules, while maintaining their intent. Suggestions were made to the AMA to this effect after the incident with Yamaha in 2004 but it fell on deaf ears. This is the third time the current rules have disqualified a racer that in no way was cheating or possessed an unfair advantage. It has made Yamaha, Kawasaki and now Suzuki look like cheaters, and made VP Racing Fuels appear incompetent. Yet, despite the recent claim by AMA’s Steve Whitelock that the problem “was explained away” in the earlier incidents, an analyzation of the facts in both incidents led to total exoneration of VP by the teams affected and all others involved. We anticipate the same will also be true when all the facts in the current case are analyzed. This whole situation is damaging to the health of AMA racing. It has cost the factories, the AMA, the racers, VP Racing Fuels and the fans wasted money, wasted time and misplaced emotions. It is time for the AMA to revise its fuel rules to reflect reality. More, from a press release issued by AMA Pro Racing: AMA PRO RACING TO INVESTIGATE FUEL SITUATION PICKERINGTON, Ohio – AMA Pro Racing announced that it will launch a special investigation into the fuel situation surrounding the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series. On Friday, Feb. 24, Ricky Carmichael was penalized 25 points for using illegal fuel at round six of the series at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Calif., on Feb. 11. As part of a routine post race technical inspection at the end of the San Diego event, the fuel from Carmichael’s motorcycle, along with seven others, was tested. The fuel from Carmichael’s motorcycle was found to be out of compliance with the rules and the Team Makita Suzuki rider was assessed a 25 point penalty. The fuel from the other seven competitor’s motorcycles was determined to be within the rules. The list of riders whose fuel was tested includes Mike Alessi, Grant Langston, Jeremy McGrath, Nate Ramsey, Chad Reed, Andrew Short and James Stewart. AMA Pro Racing has required the use of unleaded fuel in AMA Supercross and AMA Motocross competition since the 2004 racing season. In making the announcement that a special investigation will be launched, AMA CEO Patti DiPietro noted that while a fuel penalty is not an appealable offense, there is enough evidence in this case to warrant an investigation. “Our goal here is to get to the bottom of this ongoing fuel situation,” said DiPietro. “The rule on unleaded fuel is clear cut. If the lead content in fuel exceeds 0.005 g/l (grams per litre) it is illegal for competition. This is an objective, easily defined measurement that has been in place for three racing seasons. What concerns us here is that we keep finding fuel that is outside of the rule limits. We expect our competitors to take every possible step to ensure that their equipment is completely within the limits of the rules, but to penalize a competitor for an offense that is completely beyond his or his team’s control is not our purpose. “Furthermore, it is not our intention to have a ruling influence the outcome of the series unless completely and absolutely warranted. This investigation will objectively determine all of the facts surrounding this issue.” DiPietro stated that an outside consultant will be contracted to conduct the investigation. It is expected that teams as well as fuel suppliers, among others, will be interviewed in this process. The finding and recommendations of the consultant will be the foundation for any further action to be taken by AMA Pro Racing officials. Until the outcome of the investigation is determined, Carmichael’s penalty stands. More, from another press release issued by AMA Pro Racing: AMA/FIM REACH RESOLUTION ON CARMICHAEL PENALTY PICKERINGTON, Ohio (March 3, 2006) –The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) have announced a joint resolution to the points penalty imposed by the AMA on Ricky Carmichael following the February 11 San Diego round of the AMA Supercross Series and the FIM World Supercross GP. In a post-race tech inspection, the fuel in Carmichael’s motorcycle was found to contain more lead than allowed under a standard jointly adopted by both sanctioning bodies beginning with the 2004 racing season. The AMA has enforced that fuel regulation in its AMA Supercross Series and AMA Motocross Championship for the past two years. However, this is the first time that testing has revealed a fuel violation affecting a competitor entered in both the AMA and FIM series, and while the fuel standard is the same in both rule books, the two sanctioning bodies call for different testing protocols. The AMA initiated an investigation into the fuel requirement and testing protocols. It then became apparent that this difference in testing protocols would make consistent enforcement of this standard difficult, and the two sanctioning bodies have agreed to cooperate in the investigation, with the goal of creating a unified unleaded fuel standard and testing protocol for the 2007 season. Meanwhile, the AMA and the FIM jointly agreed that, because of the disparity in testing protocols, a points penalty would be inappropriate in this case. As a result, the AMA has rescinded the 25-point penalty imposed on Carmichael in the AMA Supercross Series standings, and the FIM has said that it will not impose a points penalty in the World Supercross GP standings. Both sanctioning bodies agreed, however, that a penalty is still appropriate for this fuel violation, and the decision was made to impose a $20,000 fine on the Suzuki team for which Carmichael rides. The AMA and the FIM will equitably donate the fine to the Asterisk Mobile Medical Center, which provides trackside medical support to riders at all AMA Supercross Series/FIM World Supercross GP series and AMA Motocross Championship events and to Riders for Health, a humanitarian organization working in Africa for 15 years reaching nearly 11 million people with regular health care workers riding motorcycles. “It was clear that the differences in testing protocols raised serious problems for enforcement of this rule,” said Steve Whitelock, AMA Motocross and Supercross Series manager. “We think this is a fair and equitable resolution of a difficult situation” said Wolfgang Srb, President of the FIM Motocross Commission. The AMA has announced that the fuel investigation will be conducted by the Southwest Research Institute’s Fuel and Lubricant Lab, an independent consulting organization with nearly 60 years of experience. It is expected that teams as well as fuel suppliers, among others, will be interviewed in this process.

Superbike World Championship Round 2 Phillip Island, Australia March 3, 2006 First Qualifying: 1. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati 999F06, 1:33.387 2. Alex BARROS, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:33.790 3. James TOSELAND, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:33.851 4. Troy CORSER, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:33.868 5. Yukio KAGAYAMA, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:34.461 6. Steve MARTIN, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:34.501 7. Noriyuki HAGA, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:34.577 8. Chris WALKER, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:34.589 9. Pierfrancesco CHILI, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:34.601 10. Fonsi NIETO, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:34.618 11. Roberto ROLFO, Ducati 999F05, 1:34.644 12. Ivan CLEMENTI, Ducati 999RS, 1:34.708 13. Karl MUGGERIDGE, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:34.756 14. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Ducati 999RS, 1:34.822 15. Sebastien GIMBERT, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:34.832 16. Andrew PITT, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:34.863 17. Norick ABE, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:35.010 18. Michel FABRIZIO, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:35.021 19. Ruben XAUS, Ducati 999F05, 1:35.024 20. Regis LACONI, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:35.033 21. Lorenzo LANZI, Ducati 999F06, 1:35.202 22. Marco BORCIANI, Ducati 999F05, 1:35.502 23. Fabien FORET, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:35.917 24. Shinichi NAKATOMI, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:36.080 25. Franco BATTAINI, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:36.126 26. Lucio PEDERCINI, Ducati 999RS, 1:36.151 27. Vittorio IANNUZZO, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:36.278 28. Craig JONES, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:36.408 More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: TOSELAND IN TOP THREE AFTER SUPERHEATED FIRST SESSION A keenly contested opening qualifying session at Phillip Island, held in high temperatures throughout, finally delivered third place to James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) as the Englishman fought it out with local riders Troy Bayliss and Troy Corser, plus former MotoGP rider, Alex Barros. The top four were all within less than half a second of each other, with the next rider, Kagayama, over one second from provisional pole. Toseland put his best time in late in the session, having completed tyre endurance tests and machine set-up trials in the earlier periods of qualifying. Following on from Toseland’s opening win of the year, one week ago in Qatar, his opening day performance In Australia proves that he and his bike are set to be perennially competitive in 2006. Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda) was not running at his full pace, seeming to be over-anxious to get into contention right away, and losing ground in both set-up and individual lap times. His top 13 placing, from 28 runners, is expected to be improved upon in the final qualifying hour, to be held on Saturday morning. Hot track temperatures of over 50 degrees did not help any of the top riders in their search for outright grip, and made for a physically gruelling session. Ronald Ten Kate Team Manager “Normally in the Superbike class we have a slow start to the weekend, so to see James up there already, and doing so well, is very positive. He has been doing longer runs as well and setting fast times during them. The bike is very fast around here in top speed too. We had to take some pieces from our fairing, because it seems to out of spec with the rulebook, and now we are even faster in top speed. So that was a nice thing to be directed to do by the technical director. Karl is playing catch up at the moment, but he will get there. Maybe he is trying too hard, in front of his home crowd. I am expecting him to get the front of the second row and the bike in general is working very well, even though there are some more things to try tomorrow.” James Toseland SBK Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (3rd position 1’33.851) “We stuck a new tyre in the bike near the end and still did a pretty decent time. This tyre was spinning towards the end a lot more than the others so I think if we had the same tyre in the rear as we had earlier we could have challenged even more. The power of the Honda is awesome now so we need to try and get as much grip as we can. It’s no good to have this power and just get it spinning. But the bike is good, and I’m happy that I’m riding consistently.” Karl Muggeridge SBK Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (13th position 1’34.756) We just started off today on the wrong leg, just racing, racing around to try and get everything sorted out. I’m putting too much pressure on myself to try and get it right, rather than being calm. So I made too many mistakes and not getting things right. It’s a little bit foreign at the moment to I just need to get it settled down. It’ll work out for sure.” More, from a press release issued by Team Klaffi Honda: Phillip Island – Alex Barros second fastest in Qualifying I Second in Qualifying I and fastest Honda rider of the day this was Alex’ impressive performance today. For the last part of the Qualifying session the Brazilian even held the provisional pole. Only Troy Bayliss was able to achieve a lap time under 1’33.790. He was 0.403 faster than Alex. The top four riders, Bayliss, Barros, Toseland and Corser, were all within less than half a second. After this successful day at Phillip Island everybody is excitedly awaiting what will happen tomorrow. Alex Barros: “I only had a few days for testing and we had to work hard on the settings of the Klaffi Honda Fireblade. Meanwhile I also got a good grip on the bike. And we are on the best way to reach our target. Conditions are nearly perfect now and I hope to improve my lap time tomorrow.” Results Qualifying I 1 Bayliss (Ducati ) 1’33.387 2 Barros (Klaffi Honda) 1’33.790 3 Toseland (Honda) 1’33.851 25 Weather Conditions: sunny and dry, 36°C More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: BAYLISS (DUCATI XEROX) STORMS TO PROVISIONAL POLE IN FRIDAY QUALIFYING AT PHILLIP ISLAND Phillip Island (Australia), Friday 3 March: Troy Bayliss continues to make the headlines for the Ducati Xerox Team on his return to World Superbikes. The Australian former world champion set a time of 1m33.387s in glorious conditions at the spectacular Phillip Island track to take the provisional pole today. Ducati Xerox team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi was fifth quickest in the cooler morning free practice session, but was outside the top 16 in qualifying. Brazil’s Alex Barros took advantage of a Bayliss slipstream to record second-quickest time while former Ducati Xerox rider James Toseland (Honda) and Troy Corser (Suzuki) make up the provisional front row. “Things went well this morning for the first exit, and I expected to go quite a bit faster in the second session but actually in the end the track was quite hot and a bit slower and I only bettered the time by a tenth of a second” said Troy. “I stayed out and did ten laps on the race tyre and my second-last lap was only two-tenths off my best. So it all went quite well but took a little while to get going, then in the end it all came together. We’ll see how tomorrow goes, we’ve got second qualifying first thing in the morning, when it’ll be cooler and I think it’s going to be better. I didn’t know Alex was behind me, which was when he did his time, but I know he’s going to be coming in the future anyway, that’s no problem. All I know is that I was consistent on my race tyre and that’s the main thing at the moment. At the end of the session the guys thought I was only going to do 3 or 4 laps to see how the bike was, but it was feeling really good so I ended up doing 10 and ran out of petrol on the way into Honda corner but luckily I could roll all the way back to the pits!” “We started off with a rear tyre that was too soft and this led us astray for a bit, and as we only have a limited number of tyres available, we couldn’t put on another set to do a quick time” declared Lorenzo. “This morning I went well so I’m pretty relaxed about everything. For tomorrow we had already decided to have the extra tyre that we didn’t use today. For sure tomorrow the weather will be fine and the times will come down because it won’t be as hot in the morning session. It’s a pity we made the wrong tactics because it meant that we went in the wrong direction immediately at the start of the session”. TIMES: 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1m33.387s; 2. Barros (Honda) 1m33.790s; 3. Toseland (Honda) 1m33.851s; 4. Corser (Suzuki) 1m33.868s; 5. Kagayama (Suzuki) 1m34.461s; 6. Martin (Petronas) 1m34.501s; 7. Haga (Yamaha) 1m34.577s; 8. Walker (Kawasaki) 1m34.589s; 9. Chili (Honda) 1m34.601s; 10. Nieto (Kawasaki) 1m34.618s; … 21. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 1m35.202s. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Troy Corser posted the fourth quickest time of Friday World Superbike Qualifying at Phillip Island in Australia despite clutch and grip problems. The high temperatures in the afternoon caused grip problems for many riders, but series leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati) overcame them to set the day’s fastest lap, with a time of 1:33.387. Second quickest is Brazilian Alex Barros (Honda), with James Toseland (Honda) third. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Yukio Kagayama also suffered with lack of grip and ended fifth fastest overall. Fabien Foret had problems with his bike set-up and finished 23rd fastest. Troy Corser – 4th, 1:33.868: “Today, and especially this afternoon, I had some problems with grip and also the clutch. The grip problems may have been to do with the high track temperature in the afternoon but I was just not entirely happy. The inconsistency of the clutch probably caused my little get-off – at Honda corner. The bike’s clutch didn’t seem quite right on the approach to the turn and then the bike just tucked under as I went in. It’s a slow corner and I wasn’t hurt at all, but it’s a bit of a worry if the clutch is going to continue to be inconsistent. It’s a new clutch for this year, but it worked perfectly well in the four day test at Phillip Island earlier in the year, so we are a bit of a loss to understand why it is playing up now. Either way, we will have to solve the problem soon or it will become a nuisance.” Yukio Kagayama – 5th, 1:34.461: “I also had some grip problems today and I think it was probably because of the heat and also some parts of the track were a bit dirty. The top section of the track was probably worse than the rest, but it is the same situation for all riders, so I must do better. There was quite a bit of traffic out there in qualifying but I did my best lap when I had other riders nearby. I used a very similar setting to when we tested here, but the bike didn’t feel the same at all! For tomorrow we will change the front end set-up and see if we can improve. I tried some different sets of clutches today and found two that worked ok, so I am keeping them for the race on Sunday!” Fabien Foret – 23rd, 1:35.917: “Today was not so good and I am not so happy. I did more or less the same lap times in the afternoon as I did in the morning and of course I should have improved quite a bit! At the moment, I think it is the front end that is giving us problems, so we will look at the data and see what changes should be made. I hope that we find a good solution so that I can improve my lap times a lot – I need to be much higher up the order. ” Friday WSB Qualifying: 1 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati) 1:33.387, 2 Barros (Bra-Honda) 1:33.790, 3 Toseland (GB-Honda) 1:33.851, 4 Troy Corser (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:33.868, 5 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:34.461, 6 Martin (Aus-Petronas) 1:34.501, 7 Haga (J-Yamaha) 1:34.577, 8 Walker (GB-Kawasaki) 1:34.589, 9 Chili (I-Honda) 1:34.601, 10 Nieto (E-Kawasaki) 1:34.618, 23 Fabien Foret (F-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:35.917. More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi ROBY ROLFO ELEVENTH ON SUPERBIKE IN AUSTRALIA A fantastic summer weather, with air temperature about 35°C and more as 50°C on the track welcomed the World Superbike riders for the first practice day on the 4.445 meters of Australian Phillis Island circuit. The track, lying in front of Bass Straght often curly by the strong Antarctic winds, is in splendid conditions. Roberto Rolfo recorded the 11th fastest in the first qualifying session, a result not too far from the leaders, but that let a bitter taste in the mouth of the SC Caracchi 999F05 Ducati rider. “True I’m not too happy about today first qualifying session.” said at the end of the day Roberto Rolfo. “In the last part of qualifying session I’ve been not able to find the set up I actually wish. During the morning’s session we made a good job and we improved a lot during the whole free practice session; in the afternoon, on the contrary, we tried some new solutions, the bike increased a bit, but not as I was waiting to increase as during the morning. However I’m a bit satisfied for the work we’ve done, both me and the team. We have in any case got several positive pieces of information and some clear guide-line that tomorrow we could follow to catch for a good result in final qualifying.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Noriyuki Haga was the fastest of the Yamaha men in today’s opening qualifying session for round two of the Superbike World Championship, held at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia. Haga, who yesterday celebrated his 31st birthday, ended the day seventh fastest, just over a second behind provisional pole sitter Troy Bayliss (Ducati). Having chosen to test in Qatar rather than Australia in the winter break, both Haga and his Yamaha Motor Italia team-mate Andrew Pitt struggled to find ideal settings for their YZF-R1s. Haga complained of a lack of rear traction, while Pitt started off using the same settings that took him to a podium finish in Qatar six days ago. The local rider, who this weekend is wearing a new helmet design based on that of 1987 500cc Grand Prix world champion Wayne Gardner, also had the added disadvantage of carrying a ‘flu virus. Despite this he still managed to make the top 16 in a time less than one and a half seconds from pole. Sandwiching Pitt on the provisional grid are Yamaha Motor France duo Sebastien Gimbert and Norick Abe. Having tested at the circuit in January, the squad came to Phillip Island with a good base setting for their machines – although they were unable to match their testing times in the scorching weather. Yamaha Motor France’s third rider, Japanese newcomer Shinichi Nakatomi was able to set a personal best time around the circuit to end the day 24th, despite an off-track excursion. All three suffered chatter problems but are confident of finding an improvement for tomorrow morning’s final qualifying session. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) “We need to try and find more rear traction tomorrow. We tried many things today but couldn’t quite find the correct setting. I think that it will be better tomorrow. We have a good idea of what we must do and the team will change many settings overnight. It is not so bad though. We did not test here, so we are starting from zero with the settings. Considering this we are quite close to the fastest times.” Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France) “When we came here at the start of the year I was able to do 1:34.6 lap times, so although we are close I am still two tenths of a seconds slower than at the test. I had some problems with chatter today but we have some ideas on how to improve this. The times are very close but I am confident we can make some improvements and make the superpole.” Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) “We are still trying to find a good balance around here. We tried the Qatar settings but they are just not working around here. I think we have found a good direction though. This is a more demanding circuit and we need to get more weight over the front to make it more stable. We’ll make a few changes overnight and see how things go in the morning.” Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) “I came here with different settings on my two bikes: one set-up as we used it in Qatar and the other with the settings we finished our test around here. I preferred using the settings from the test, although we weren’t able to match our testing times. In the afternoon we changed the settings and I think we went too soft as we had a chatter problem and traction was not as good. We went back to a harder setting at the end and were able to do a 1:35 lap, which was better but not good enough. We have found a good direction though, and I think tomorrow will be much better.” Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Motor France) “After Qatar last weekend it has been good to come to a track I know from our test. I was not fully fit when we were here in January so already we are going faster and finding things we have to change. I also had some problem with chatter and if we can fix this I can go faster tomorrow.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator – Yamaha Motor Italia) “Nori needs more rear traction but he has had a long discussion with his crew chief and suspension technician and they have a good plan tomorrow. Andrew has found it difficult here today but I am sure that he can turn it around and put in a good qualifying display in front of his home fans.” More, from a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing: Steve sixth after first day at Phillip Island Steve Martin qualified in sixth place for tomorrow’s qualifying sessions at the second round of the Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island, Australia. But, with just four tenths separating 5th to 16th places, the competition in this year’s championship remains as hot as the weather at the coastal circuit. Craig Jones continued to progress along his steep learning curve and gradually improved his times throughout the day on his second visit to the circuit, which was afflicted by typically blustery conditions that affected lap times throughout the field. Troy Bayliss set the early pace with a time of 1:33.387, closely followed by rookie superbike rider Alex Barros. Steve said: “The track is definitely a lot more slippery than at the test so it is difficult to do the same sort of times. The wind has been up and changing direction all day and our bike seems to be sensitive to which way the wind blows here. We still have a fair bit to try to see if we can eke out a few tenths because it is so tight at the top. I did a good run of consistently good lap times and I am concentrating on setting the bike up for the race, not for qualifying.” Craig said: “I listened to what everyone wanted me to do, which was to keep the bike upright and go steady. I wanted to find the limit slowly and, although I am still not down to the times I did at the test here, I think there is a lot of time to find in set-up, track knowledge and also in myself. We are gradually chipping away and we have cured the wobbling that we experienced at Qatar, which is a massive relief. I’m not exactly happy, because I am not pushing 110 per cent like I always do but at least I know I’ve got a little bit in reserve and I will try and turn the wick up a little bit tomorrow. But the main thing is to come away from here with confidence for the remainder of the season.” Friday qualifying, Superbike World Championship, round 2, Phillip Island, Australia: 1 Bayliss 1:33.387; 2 Barros 1:33.790; 3 Toseland 1:33.851; 4 Corser 1:33.868; 5 Kagayama 1:34.461; 6 Martin (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:34.501; 7 Haga 1:34.577; 8 Walker 1:34.589; 9 Chili 1:34.601; 10 Nieto 1:34.618; 28 Jones (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:36.408 Free practice: 1 Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1:33.483; 2 Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki) 1:33.755; 3 Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 1:33.951; 4 Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:34.163; 5 Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 1:34.208; 6 Haga (Yamaha Italia) 1:34.486; 7 Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:34.601; 8 Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki) 1:34.717; 9 Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 1:34.785; 10 Rolfo (Ducati SC Caracchi) 1:34.790; 13 Martin (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:34.877; 28 Jones (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:38.011 More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: PROBLEMS FOR TROY, BUT STILL ON PROVISIONAL FRONT ROW. Try finished the first day of qualifying with the fourth fastest time, despite grip and clutch problems. The afternoon high temperatures in qualifying caused grip problems for many riders, but Troy’s situation was compounded by an inconsistent clutch as well. Series leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati) set the day’s quickest time (1:33.387), with Alex Barros (Honda) second, James Toseland (Honda) third and Troy fourth. TROY – 4th, 1:33.868 Well that wasn’t the easiest of days and I could have done without any problems. But better to have problems today than raceday! This afternoon, in qualifying, I had problems with grip and with the clutch. The grip problems could’ve been caused by the very high track temperatures this afternoon and some parts of the track (the top section) seemed worse than the others. I had a small tip-off at Honda corner and that was because of the clutch, I’m sure. It felt a bit hesitant going into the turn and then the front just tucked under and I was down. Fortunately it is a slow corner and I wasn’t hurt, but it doesn’t make me feel too good. The clutch system is new for us this year but, in the four day tests at this same track in January, it worked really well and we had no problems at all. It is still working well – but not all of the time! That is going to be a bit of a problem. We need to get it sorted and we need it right, sooner rather than later.