AFM AIRFENCE ASSEMBLY Help your favorite rider by donating time to an important cause. Thanks to all who have signed up to help assemble the newly purchased sections of airfencing. Your stepping up to the challenge is MUCH appreciated. However, we are in need of more volunteers for this large undertaking. We are critically short-staffed for the following dates: March 6th through March 10th. This project benefits the entire riding community, which includes everyone from your favorite factory rider to the first time trackday participant. This will have a profound effect for many years to come and help make the track a safer place to play. Any and all help is welcome. Work one day or several days. Bring out the family and make a day of it! We would also like a few people to be trainers that can help for multiple days. Once again we are looking for help on the following dates: Dates: March 6th through the 10th Place: Infineon Raceway Starting: 9:00 a.m. Lunch provided Additional items needed: 10 gallon or larger air-compressors 40 ft or longer extension cords If you can help out please contact: [email protected]

Thursday’s FIM 250cc GP Official Test Times From Catalunya: 1. Jorge LORENZO, Aprilia, 1:46.563 2. Alex DE ANGELIS, Aprilia, 1:47.232 3. Jakub SMRZ, Aprilia, 1:47.275 4. Hector BARBERA, Aprilia, 1:47.430 5. Roberto LOCATELLI, Aprilia, 1:47.726 6. Yuki TAKAHASHI, Honda, 1:47.875 7. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Honda, 1:47.882 8. Shuhei AOYAMA, Honda, 1:47.897 9. Sebastian PORTO, Honda, 1:48.316 10. Arturo TIZON, Honda, 1:48.445 11. Marco SIMONCELLI, Gilera, 1:48.524 12. Dirk HEIDOLF, Aprilia, 1:49.251 13. Hiroshi AOYAMA, KTM, 1:49.440 14. Anthony WEST, Aprilia, 1:49.524 15. Sylvain GUINTOLI, Aprilia, 1:49.530 More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Aprilia: JORGE LORENZO SETS FASTEST TIME AT MONTMELÓ AS TEAM-MATE HECTOR BARBERA LAPS FOURTHJORGE LORENZO SETS FASTEST TIME AT MONTMELÓ AS TEAM-MATE HECTOR BARBERA LAPS FOURTH The first official IRTA tests at the Montmeló circuit ended today with all of the teams taking part in the 2006 250cc World Championship present. FORTUNA APRILIA riders JORGE LORENZO and HECTOR BARBERA worked hard over the two days of tests with the intention of continuing development of the bikes they will ride for the next two seasons in the 250cc World Championship. The objective of these two days of tests on the Aprilia was not to set fast lap times but for the riders to continue with their preseason programme. Even so both riders showed consistent pace over the two days, with Jorge Lorenzo fastest on day one with his team-mate Hector Barberá in third. Today the FORTUNA APRILIA riders Jorge Lorenzo and Hector Barberá dominated for the majority of the session, setting the first and fourth fastest times respectively. Dani Amatriain’s two star pupils left a positive impression. The FORTUNA APRILIA riders will now travel to Jerez for the second session of official tests before tackling the first race of the season at the same circuit in just over three weeks’ time. JORGE LORENZO (48) (55 laps on day one, 86 laps on day two) Best lap time: 1’46.563 “I’m leaving Barcelona with a good taste in my mouth. I feel really good on the bike and this is important to be able to lap comfortably. I’m satisfied with the job my team is doing although we still have plenty of room for improvement. My dream has always been to ride an APRILIA and I don’t intend to let this opportunity slip through my fingers. I’m feeling confident and I’m hoping for a good result at Jerez because it is a circuit that hasn’t been good to me in the past.” HECTOR BARBERA (80) ( 53 laps on day one, 79 laps on day two): Best lap time: 1’47.430 “The track was dirtier today at the start although the situation improved later and we ended the test feeling pretty satisfied. I have a good set-up and that allows me to maintain a good pace. I finished fourth but I have to say I feel really comfortable. Now we’ve got the Jerez tests to look forward to before a slight break ahead of the first race of the season. I can’t wait for it to start. Catalunya Circuit Record, 1.47.3 Dani Pedrosa Pole position 2005, 1.46.2 Dani Pedrosa Fastest lap: Jorge Lorenzo: 1’46.220

BAYLISS (DUCATI XEROX TEAM) RETURNS TO HOME ROUND AT PHILLIP ISLAND WITH TWO-POINT CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD Phillip Island (Australia), Thursday 2 March: Following last weekend’s thrilling series opener in Qatar, Troy Bayliss returns to Phillip Island, Australia for the second round of the World Superbike Championship with a two-point lead in the standings. The 36 year-old Aussie from Taree finished runner-up in both Losail races to lead the world championship for production-based machinery for the first time since Assen 2002. That year Troy lost out on his second successive title, but the tough Aussie, who has returned to Superbikes this year after a spell in MotoGP, is determined to regain his crown from last year’s champion and Aussie rival, Troy Corser (Suzuki). “I’m back here at Phillip Island with the Ducati Xerox squad and it’s a team where I’ve spent most of my career in Superbikes, which makes me very happy because I feel much more at home” declared Troy. “In Qatar we did a really good job, despite having to use the hardest front tyre that Pirelli had, but everyone had this problem, whereas at Phillip Island we’ll be able to use the front tyre we like and feel more comfortable with. There was plenty of action in Qatar because all the manufacturers are up at the front and that’s exactly what the public wants to see, different brands of bike fighting for the win. A lot of guys like myself have also come back from MotoGP and everyone seems to be capable of doing a good result, which is exactly what the championship needs. Obviously we want to be consistent because points is what’s going to win us the championship in the end, but I love to win races as well and the last time I was at Phillip Island in Superbikes we did that twice. It’s not going to be easy this time but I’m feeling confident”. Lorenzo Lanzi had a weekend of mixed fortunes in Qatar on his first outing as full-time rider for the Ducati Xerox Team. The 24-year-old Italian scored a front-row slot alongside poleman Bayliss in Superpole, but a high-side in the first race left him slightly bruised for race 2, in which he could only finish sixth. “My start to the season wasn’t the best, apart from qualifying, but luckily the nasty crash I had in race 1 didn’t have any serious consequences. In race 2 I didn’t really like my sixth place, but I couldn’t do much better because of my physical condition” declared Lorenzo. “Now we are at Phillip Island and I am convinced that I can get some good results here. I like the track, hopefully I can get off to a good start in free practice by finding the right settings and doing a qualifying session like in Qatar. I would be happy to get on the front row here, which will give me a chance of fighting on equal footing with the best. The track is great from the mid-point of the lap onwards, the final part. It’s so fast and I like fast tracks, but it’s not going to be easy to set things up as I’ve never ridden here with this bike before”. THE CIRCUIT Name: Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. Length: 4.445 km. Pole Position: left. Corners Left/Right: 7/5. Longest straight: 835 metres. CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after 1 round of 13): 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 40; 2. Corser (Suzuki) & Toseland (Honda) 38; 4. Pitt (Yamaha) 27; 5. Fabrizio (Honda) 19; 6. Barros (Honda) 19; 7. Haga (Yamaha) 16; 8. Rolfo (Ducati) 12; 9. Muggeridge (Honda) 11; 10. Abe (Yamaha) 10. Manufacturers – 1. Ducati 40; 2. Honda & Suzuki 38; 4. Yamaha 32; 5. Kawasaki 7. STATISTICS: Best lap: Corser (Ducati), 1m32.193s (1999). Lap record: Corser (Ducati), 1m33.019s (1999). Superpole: Corser (Ducati), 1m32.193s (1999). 2005 RESULTS: Race 1 – 1. Corser (Suzuki); 2. Kagayama (Suzuki); 3. Vermeulen (Honda). Race 2 – 1. Corser; 2. Kagayama; 3. Neukirchner (Honda). TV COVERAGE: Eurosport (Pan European): Sunday 5 March – 0200 SBK race 1 (live), 0730 SBK race 2 (delayed); Eurosport 2 (Pan European): Sunday 5 March – 1545 SBK race 1 (delayed), 1715 SBK race 2 (delayed). La7 (Italy): Sunday 5 March – from 1400 onwards SBK races 1+2 (delayed). Fox Sports (Australia): Saturday 4 March – 1545 Superpole (live); Sunday 5 March – from 1130 onwards SBK races 1+2 (live).

World Supersport and Superbike Championships 2006 Round 2 Phillip Island Australia Phillip Island Race Preview 3 5 MARCH 2006 World Supersport Round 2 of 13 HONDA RIDERS MAKE READY FOR SECOND RACE IN EIGHT DAYS The second flyaway round of the 2006 World Supersport season takes place at Phillip Island in Australia on Sunday 5 March, with the leading Honda competitors having recently undergone their first points’ scoring test of the year. Winston Ten Kate Honda rider Sebastien Charpentier scored the win at the opening round in Qatar, making it the perfect start to his title defence. To add to the achievement, his rookie team-mate, Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR), secured an impressive third place last weekend, and is now looking to build on his success with another top three finish. An unhappy Losail race for Katsuaki Fujiwara (Team Megabike Honda CBR600RR) saw him crash out of the leading group, breaking his scaphoid and ruling himself out of contention for the Phillip Island race. Yoann Tiberio (Team Megabike Honda CBR600RR) is now pencilled in to take his place in Australia, despite the lingering effects of an injury that put him out of the Qatar round, before he had even started. The contrasting fortunes of the Winston ten Kate and Megabike Honda teams could not be more stark, with Charpentier especially having a near faultless weekend in Losail, setting him up for what he hopes to be another chance of a win. “We proved in Qatar that there are still a lot of possibilities open to us,” said round one winner and 2005 champion Charpentier. “There are some new bikes competing against us again this year, but it’s always difficult, year-after-year. I will be working to win again and have a nice performance at Phillip Island. We did a lot of work over the winter, especially with the tyre supplier, so we hope that will pay off in Australia.” For Sofuoglu, Phillip Island is the second peak on a stiff learning curve, but as his performance in Qatar showed, he is a willing and energetic climber. “I was pleased to get a podium finish in Qatar,” said Sofuoglu, “especially because I knew I could stay near the front for most of the race. I just hope now I can carry this on for the rest of the year, starting at Phillip Island. There have been so many things to learn for me in the pre-season, having just come up from Superstock to ride a Honda Supersport bike, but I am enjoying it a lot.” At 19-years-old Tiberio is hoping to be fit, after having to miss the Qatar round when he suffered a cycling injury. He has been called back into action after his regular team-mate, Fujiwara broke his scaphoid and lost his chance of competing in Qatar. Fujiwara had to be flown back to Japan for surgery, in an effort to be ready for the Valencia round, on April 23. “When my team manager called to tell me to come to Australia,” said Tiberio, “I knew that it was important. I don’t know how things will be but for sure my ankle will be better than it was before I was supposed to go to Qatar.”

HONDA’S LITRE CLUB GOING FOR GLORY UNDER AUSTRALIA’S BIG SKY A perfect start to the season after the first race at Losail saw James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) temporarily top the rider’s championship after scoring a deserved win in dramatic circumstances. Clawing his way up to the leading five riders, after a bad start from the outside of the front row, Toseland looked sure for third until the two leaders crashed out, allowing him to take his first win on a Honda in World Superbike. The 2004 World Champion now sits joint second overall, but he is only one of five supported Honda riders with realistic ambitions of something special at Phillip Island. Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) is looking to match fast pre-season and Losail regulation qualifying performances with his race results, especially at his home event. Muggeridge is in his second World Superbike year, the second for Winston Ten Kate Honda, hoping to score not just his first podium, but his first career Superbike win on home soil. Losail witnessed a wondrous display of assured riding from Superbike rookie Michel Fabrizio (DFX Honda CBR1000RR). He showed a complete lack of trepidation as he took giant strides all weekend, and at Phillip Island, another natural rider’s track, Fabrizio will have the chance to exercise his intuitive skills to the full. Recovering from injury after a heavy race two fall last weekend, Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Honda CBR1000RR) had a strong run in race one in Qatar. Despite suffering a broken left ring finger, and a welter of contusions and swellings, he is expected to line up for qualifying and the race itself. Toseland, winner of the first race at Qatar and now joint second in the championship race, paid homage to those who had shown faith in him after a tough championship defence in 2005. “At one stage I was looking at having no job in World Superbike this year,” said the Englishman, “so to be able to repay the faith Honda and the team showed in me with the first race win of the year was special. To win for them was all credit to them. Phillip Island is a fast track but I also have a fast bike, so I think we can go there in pretty good shape.” Muggeridge is ready for another race, and knows that his machine will be back to full fitness, after an eventful Qatar weekend. “I feel confident about Phillip Island,” said Muggeridge, “because I was competitive at Qatar until the crash, when my bike got damaged. It seems that the chassis was bent, although we couldn’t see how at the time, so with a new bike we should be right back in there. The lap speeds and race pace should be good this year, thanks to the power of the new bike and the advances made with the control tyres.” Barros, who will still have a relatively early engine development specification on his Klaffi Honda for Phillip Island, knows that it will be another tough weekend, in terms of the track itself, as much as anything else. “The Phillip Island track is always a real challenge,” said Barros, who knows the circuit well from his GP days. “It’s a fascinating combination of fast straights and sweeping corners. And the weather may also play a part, especially the high winds you get there frequently. I can’t wait for the race to line up with the Australian riders, all of whom will be very fast at their home track. But I always race to win!” For Chili, injury at Qatar, in the form of a broken finger, should not inhibit his usual unquenchable desire to perform as well as possible. “I am sure I can run well at Phillip Island,” said Chili. “I like the track, it is a real challenge, and despite the fall in Qatar, I am hoping for a good result in each race. My broken finger should not hold me back too much.” Fabrizio had an outstanding introduction to World Superbike at Qatar, and on another circuit he knows, he may be in for another pair of strong results. “It was great to score results in Qatar,” said Michel. “The whole team has worked very hard over the winter months and we have already scored good race finishes in my first races. I expect the circuit at Phillip Island will feel very different on a Superbike than a Supersports bike.” The first European round of the year will be at Valencia, on 23 April, with an official SBK test taking place shortly beforehand.