BUMPER CROP OF SBK TALENT FOR 2006 SEASON OPENER Losail, Tuesday 21th February 2006 The 2006 SBK World Superbike Championship® kicks off this forthcoming weekend at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar, the first of 13-rounds in what is expected to be one of the most closely contested series ever held. A high-class entry of almost 30 permanent riders, representing six manufacturers’ best hopes for ultimate glory in the most prestigious SBK™ racing series on the planet, will gather in Qatar, each with the knowledge that they are competing in the most evenly balanced Motorsports World Championship on two wheels. Riders young and old will add unrivalled variety to the field, from hopefuls barely out of their teens to seasoned veterans with more than 40 years and up to 20 racing seasons under their belts. The ever-present line-up of regulars will be added to by wildcards at certain rounds, but with each and every rider choosing from an extensive pool of control Pirelli tyres, to even-out the playing field in the fairest way possible. LOSAIL MAGNIFICENT – BY NO MYSTERY FOR TOP RIDERS Some teams have elected to make Losail one of their pre-season test tracks this year but for most of the other competitors the impressive 5.4km circuit, located near Qatari capital city Doha, will be already be a known quantity. Most gained experience of its contrasting fast and slow sections during last year’s inaugural SBK™ visit, while some others have ridden there in different global motorcycle competitions. With the race held on a Saturday once more, Losail is unique in many ways. Its 10 right and six left handed corners offer a host of differing challenges, while the featureless desert setting gives little away in terms of braking markers or corner entry points. A power-sapping 1.068km main straight allows the machines to sing in the higher octaves of their repertoires, even in top gear, while many of the faster corners offer a rare challenge in these days of tighter, slower circuits, most of which are built on a compact scale compared to Losail’s expanses. CORSER PLANS HIGH SPEED DEFENCE IN TITLE-WINNING TEAM 2005 World Champion Troy Corser (Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) returns to Qatar alongside the same team-mate with whom he shared individual Losail race wins last year, Yukio Kagayama. Despite facing a solid wall of competition on all levels this year, Corser is confident after some dazzling pre-season testing performances. Also champion in 1996, Corser goes for title number three this time around. Kagayama, fifth overall in his ‘rookie’ SBK™ season in 2005, will be out to prove that his mid-season dip in form was a never-to-be-repeated aberration, as he sets about his task with his usual mix of experience and unrivalled exuberance. Four permanent Suzuki riders this year include a third rider in Alstare colours, 2002 SS SBK™ World Champion Fabien Foret, plus the Celani Team Suzuki Italia GSX-R1000 of 2002 season European Superstock® Champion, Vittorio Iannuzzo. HONDA RIDERS LED BY TWO PROVEN CHAMPIONS Honda field five officially supported entries in this year’s series, from SBK™ first timers to the most experienced man in the entire championship. In the Winston Ten Kate Honda team, 2004 World Champion James Toseland undertakes his first ever four-cylinder season in SBK Superike World Championship®, aiming to finish higher up than his 2005 fourth. An SBK debutant last year, 2004 season World SS™ Champion Karl Muggeridge is just one of a raft of fast Aussie riders in the championship again, and yet another rider of proven class. He was part of the team that saw outgoing rider Chris Vermeulen score multiple race wins on his way to championship runner-up status in 2005, and Muggeridge now returns to continue his steep learning curve, hunting for his first SBK race win. HONDA RIDERS FORM STRONG CHALLENGE A one man Klaffi Honda team will feature the astonishingly experienced former MotoGP rider Alex Barros, with the popular Brazilian already a welcome addition to the SBK family. The Sao Paolo Superstar, who has great experience of SBK™ spec machinery (thanks to successful appearances in the Suzuka 8-Hour race in Japan), is nonetheless a rookie this season, if one with enough ability to challenge from the very outset. Despite being 36 years of age, Barros is by no means the elder statesman of SBK™ racing. That honour, along with many race wins over the years, goes to a certain Pierfrancesco Chili, who is currently 41 years young. Chili’s latest challenge is to run in an all-Italian Honda team, in conjunction with traditional SBK™ participants, DFX Treme. He shares garage space with a new talent to the Superbike ranks, Michel Fabrizio. The squad thus features the oldest rider in the series with one of the youngest, as Fabrizio is only 21. He gets a promotion from World SS™, where he enjoyed a modicum of success last year. Fabrizio’s raw talents have already delivered him the 2003 European Superstock® Championship, and his experience also includes four-stoke MotoGP rides, despite his tender years. BAYLISS AND LANZI HEAD DUCATI CHARGE Few riders have made such an impact in pre-season testing as 2001 World Champion Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox). Returning to his ‘alma mater’ after a MotoGP career punctuated by podium finishes, Bayliss has been on fire in testing, readapting to the latest Ducati twin in record time; all despite the lingering effects of a severe left forearm injury, suffered late last year. Forming the second prong in a fierce factory Ducati Xerox attack is double race winner Lorenzo Lanzi. His two 2005 SBK™ race wins came in his rookie season, and each success underlined that a new talent was in town, one with an intense desire to succeed and with little respect for reputations. DUCATI TEAMS IN ABUNDANCE Eight full time Ducati riders will be in attendance at Qatar, the factory squad heading an impressive array of proven desmo-powered talent, plus the odd new inductee. Spanish star Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Berik Ducati) teams up with Marco Borciani this year, even if he may not be able to ride in the first couple of rounds, thanks to an injury suffered in training. A serial race winner in the 2003 season, Xaus is expected to make a strong impact once fully fit. A serious challenge to the 250GP crown in previous years, Roberto Rolfo is another fast SBK™ rookie in the 2006 series, as he takes the field for the Ducati SC Caracchi squad. A one-man effort, the new partnership is nonetheless laden with exciting possibilities. His single rider effort is in great contrast to the three-rider festival of speed fielded by the Pedercini Ducati squad. The eponymous team-leader Lucio Pedercini heads up his countryman Ivan Clementi and the already proven talents of young German rider, Max Neukirchner. The latter is a first time Ducati pilot, yet has already impressed in winter testing – despite not having the newest tyres or a full factory machine at his immediate disposal. YAMAHA RIDERS OFFER TOP CLASS CHALLENGE Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) and Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) form a formidable obstacle to any would-be world champion. In Haga, Yamaha has a proven multiple race winner, and now he has opted to come back on the same machines as 2005, he is expected to at least replicate his third place finish of last year. Pitt’s battling qualities and front-running in ’05 got him re-signed for his second SBK™ season, and a podium finish is his first priority for 2006. Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France IPONE) is a rider who needs little introduction, despite struggling somewhat in his first SBK™ season last year. His team-mate of 2005, Sebastien Gimbert is back once more and the team also features more new talent, Japanese rider Shinichi Nakatomi, who will run a different suspension set-up from his immediate peers. KAWASAKI’s THREE POINTED STARS PROVE SHARP IN PRE-SEASON The PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse squad return to a green livery in Qatar, and more importantly, enjoys the benefits of a new design of ZX-10R machine, complete with greater manufacturer support than in 2005. The team has increased to a three-rider set-up, each of them a proven entity in many forms of motorcycle sport. Chris Walker scored a podium on the 2005 PSG-1 Kawasaki, and has already voted the 2006 version as a distinct improvement after good tests in Sepang and Phillip Island. Regis Laconi, 2004 season runner up, multiple SBK™ race winner last year, and one of the few riders in history to have SBK™ and MotoGP race wins to his credit, is a new face in the squad. Spanish star Fonsi Nieto carries on in the team he joined for just two races in 2005, and has already matched times with the more experienced Walker, as the man from Madrid continues the transition from a 250cc past to an SBK™ shaped future. Franco Battaini (Kawasaki Bertocchi) is another proven MotoGP and 250GP rider to opt for the charms of SBK™ in 2006, and much is expected of the privateer rider in his first SBK™ year. FOGGY SQUAD THREE BUT NOT EASY The orgy of technology that is the Petronas FP-1 triple will once more be campaigned by the Foggy Petronas team in the SBK™ series. 2005 signing Steve Martin returns after successful kidney surgery, having set impressive test times at Phillip Island in January. Young Briton Craig Jones may find the outgunned FP-1 not an ideal platform from which to launch his rookie SBK™ season, thanks solely to its 100cc capacity handicap compared to all other types of eligible SBK™ machines. His youthful enthusiasm will nonetheless see him gunning for the maximum possible rewards. SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP® Champion in 2005, Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) may not have things all his own way this year, as a frontal assault of talent and all-new machines attempt to depose last year’s clear winner. Charpentier’s new team-mate is the Superstock 1000 FIM CUP™ runner up from 2005, Kenan Sofuoglu, but his greatest challenge may come from the two-rider Yamaha Motor Germany squad, now equipped with the all-new R6. Both Broc Parkes and Kevin Curtain won races in 2005, despite their machines’ relative venerability, and with a full 15 new R6s on the grid, plus 13 well-proven Hondas, this year’s contest is expected to be a true class act on all levels. An all new Suzuki GSX-R600, plus some fast Ducatis and Kawasakis, makes WSS™ a five cornered manufacturers’ fight again, in what is a massively resurgent class. SATURDAY RACE FOR ALL IN QATAR Both Superbike and Supersport classes will race on Saturday at Losail, not the more traditional Sunday of all other venues. This means track action begins on Thursday 23, with Superpole® for the Superbike class on Friday and points scoring races on Saturday 25th. Shortly thereafter, the paddock decamps to Phillip Island for round two, on Sunday 5 March. More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: World Supersport and Superbike Championships 2006 Round 1 Losail International Circuit – Doha, Qatar Qatar Race Preview 23 – 25 FEBRUARY 2006 World Supersport Round 1 of 13 HONDA SUPERSPORT QUARTET ON SONG AHEAD OF OPENING RACE In terms of success in recent World Supersport Championships, Honda has an enviable record, thanks to four straight wins in the Riders’ Championship. The first came in 2002, with the CBR600FS model and then came the CBR600RR, netting overall victories in 2003, ’04, and ’05. For the past three years, Honda has also won the Supersport Manufacturers’ Championship. Last year’s champion, Sebastien Charpentier, returns to the fray once more on the latest version of the Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR, buoyed not just by his number one status, but by some excellent recent winter test sessions. For the 2006 season, the talented Turkish rider, Kenan Sofuoglu, will join Charpentier. Runner-up in the 2005 FIM Superstock 1000 Cup, Sofuoglu has adapted well to his new 600cc Honda, improving every time out. Each Winston Ten Kate Honda rider has some recent experience of Qatar from winter testing, while Charpentier will be looking to go one better than his second place from the 2005 race. The Losail circuit will be hosting World Supersport for the second time, with 2005 race winner Katsuaki Fujiwara (Team Megabike Honda) out to repeat the success he enjoyed when part of the Ten Kate set-up. His Italian-based Megabike team has already shown its potential in pre-season testing, most recently in Valencia, Spain. Alongside the experienced Fujiwara is a rider undertaking his first full WSS season, European Superstock 600 Championship runner-up in 2005, Yoann Tiberio. The youthful French rider has raced Supersport at National level in the past, but this year he is taking a jump to the highest level of competition imaginable, as part of the 35-strong list of permanent WSS riders. At 5.4km long, Losail is one of the most impressively proportioned global Motorsport venues, and its high level of facilities is second to none. Riders enjoy it for its challenging fast corners, especially when the circuit snakes out into the desert, and teams appreciate it for its fantastic all-round level of working facilities. Windblown sand can be an issue early on in a race weekend, necessitating occasional track cleaning and a cautious first practice session or two. Caution is not an intrinsic part of the 2005 World Champion’s make-up, and after running at record speeds in pre-season at Valencia, Charpentier is happy with his entire 2006 package. So much so that he has his eyes on a unique WSS prize this year. “We have tested in a few different places and the last test at Valencia was especially good,” said the defending champion. “We set very fast times there. I am OK, ready to race, and my energy is at the maximum. We have now tested many different solutions, and done a very good job. I think the team and I are completely ready for Qatar.” Sofuoglu lost some track time at the earlier Qatar tests for the team, but he should be at no disadvantage because of it, such was his level of progress when he did finally get on track. “Now I can say I am really happy with the bike and ready for the first race,” said Sofuoglu. “I achieved my ambition for the test season, because I wanted to be connected with the bike. I am getting closer to Sebastien, even if he is very fast right now. For me it would be great if Sebastien comes first and I could be in the top three.” Memories of Fujiwara’s victory in 2005 will play a large part in the build-up for the Japanese rider, whose potential season-long challenge for the crown was spoiled by injury at two key points. He also knows that although in a different team from last year, it is a proven one, and his new squad has already put fast bikes at his disposal. “I’m very happy about the bike because I know that she has a lot of power at high revs,” said Fujiwara. “From the first day we worked step-by-step to define our targets, for both the bike and myself. During the recent Valencia test I felt we showed good engine development and made real progress with the suspension, so I have confidence for the first race of the 2006 season.” At 19-years-old Tiberio finds himself in the thick of an incredibly tough series, a series which has experienced a major resurgence in both numbers and level of machinery this year. He is nonetheless ready for his first points scoring opportunity. “I may need more time to know the bike better,” acknowledged Tiberio, “because it is completely different from the Superstock machine that I used last season, certainly in terms of engine power. That doesn’t matter too much because I will arrive in Qatar with the smile on my face anyway. Day-by-day I have improved the feel of the machine and the working relationship with the technicians. I want to run a good race in Qatar. I have never seen the track before, but I will spend all my energies going for a top ten finish in the race.” World Superbike Round 1 of 13 HONDA’S HIGH FIVE LOOKING TO SCALE THE HEIGHTS IN QATAR The re-growth of World Superbike stretches to a new plateau of participation and power in 2006, with five supported Honda riders on the high-speed march towards ultimate glory in the 1000cc class. With a new model of CBR1000RR to compete with, all five can feel confident in their level of base machinery, yet with each team has arrived at their own tuning and chassis set-up, in readiness to take on the Superbike world. Karl Muggeridge returns for his second year in the Winston Ten Kate Honda set-up, and this year James Toseland – a race winner last year and the 2004 World Superbike Champion to boot – will join him. Despite his youthful appearance and only being 25-years-old, Toseland has had an eclectic ten year senior career, coming to prominence in British Nationals and then World Supersport, while competing on Honda machinery in both series. Now in the Winston ten Kate Honda team, Toseland is expected to find his four-cylinder feet quickly, and indeed he was second fastest in a recent pre-season test session at Valencia. In the Klaffi Honda team, Alex Barros swaps his MotoGP career for his first ever World Superbike contest, and the induction of the 36-year-old Brazilian into the series has providing one of the main talking points of the 2006 pre-season period. Now the world waits to see how quickly Barros can turn talent into silverware, against the best Superbike riders around. A two man DFX Honda team has shown pace and promise in pre-season testing, some of which was undertaken at Qatar. Experienced SBK Meastro Pierfrancesco Chili is teamed up with SBK rookie Michel Fabrizio, in an all-Italian dream team. Both riders were powered by Honda in 2005; Chili in the Klaffi Superbike team and Fabrizio in the Megabike Supersport squad. Toseland, keen to get into action after all the winter testing of recent weeks, knows that he has been given an opportunity to shine once more. Thus far his experiences have been nothing but positive with the Dutch-based Ten Kate squad. “I’ve spent a lot of valuable time in pre-season getting time on the new bike,” said Toseland. “I think we are nearly there now, largely because of the tests at Almeria and Valencia. I’m looking forward to Qatar, especially with the amount of improvements we have made since the last time we tested there. If we can keep improving like we had been doing in our most recent testing, then it’s promising for the race in Qatar.” Muggeridge, held back in his Losail ambitions last season due to illness and a relative lack of preparation time, is ready for his second season in the big class, and is looking for his first SBK podiums and race wins. “I think we are in a pretty good position,” said Muggeridge from Qatar, “especially compared to how things were this time last year, when I was ill before and during the races. The bike’s feeling good as well, and we’ve improved it a lot after some good winter tests. We’re definitely starting off on right foot, even though it’s impossible to do all the development and set-up work only in the winter tests.” Barros, a veteran in Grand Prix terms but a complete rookie in the SBK paddock, looks to his latest adventure with the confidence a 20-year career brings. “For sure I hope to be competitive and to be able to fight for podiums and victories,” said Barros, before acknowledging his relative lack of track time on his machine. “Before the Losail round there was only time for some test rides in Sicily, but I was happy with the result. The bikes performed well, the team worked hard and everyone is very enthusiastic – knowing that they have a real chance to fight for victories and good results.” For Chili, the prospect of another season in the SBK top flight is as natural as breathing, as the oldest rider in the class demonstrates a desire for success that eclipses many riders less than half his age. “We had a very good test at Qatar recently,” enthused Chili, “even though we did not have access to the same 2006-specification tyres as the Honda guys who tested there in December. We worked a lot with suspension and electronics, and at the end of three days we were quite happy. Maybe we cannot win the championship this year, but if I can make a battle for the podium, help my young team-mate Michel and have fun, then I will be happy.” Fabrizio looks to 2006 as a learning year, but one in which the main lesson will be learned at the fastest speed possible. “We tested in Qatar and I am happy with the base set-up that Frankie has developed,” said Michel. “I know it will be difficult, but I want to finish in the points at the first two races of the year. I like riding a Superbike more than a Supersport bike, it feels more like the MotoGP bike I rode a couple of years ago. My ultimate 2006 ambition is to be battling for podium places at the end of the season.” After the Saturday race at Qatar, both Supersport and Superbike series move swiftly on to Australia, for round two, 3-5 March, at the Phillip Island Circuit. The first European round of the year will be at Valencia, on 23 April.

Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki’s Jake Holden has switched helmet brands from Arai to Shoei. When asked why he made the change, Holden said: “My first choice was to stay with Arai but I didn’t get a returned phone call for a month. Bruce (Porter from Arai) took care of me in the past so I was going to be loyal and stay with him. All I wanted was a returned phone call. Now Bret (Milan) at Shoei said he will take care of me, so now it is Shoei. Arai did finally call, but it was the day I signed the contract with Shoei (laughs).” Holden has worn Arai helmets for the past six years.

The 2006 Superbike World Championship gets underway this weekend at the Losail circuit in Qatar with Yamaha Motor Italia looking to build on a race-winning debut season in 2005. Having tested twice at the Middle Eastern circuit during the winter break, riders Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt are more than familiar with the characteristics of the modern 5.4km circuit. The team has worked hard over the winter to increase the competitiveness of the YZF-R1. Most of the focus has gone into improving traction and rideability of the bikes over race distance. The new engine management system from Magneti Marelli has been well received by the riders, who commented on the improved power delivery and engine braking characteristics. “I’m happy with the bike,” explains Pitt. “The R1 is really feeling more comfortable now and it’s about evolution as much as anything else. Everything is looking good, we made some good progress at our December test in Qatar and I think that the team is well equipped to take on any problems that arise. The important thing is that I have a lot of confidence in the bike and that I really enjoy riding it now. The new electronics make it much easier to ride and we’ve pretty much found a good set-up for the race. The main thing we need to work on is finding a front tyre that will do the race distance. That was our big problem here last year, although it was our first race with the R1 and hopefully it won’t be a problem this year.” Having won two races and having outscored eventual champion Troy Corser over the second half of last year, Haga will undoubtedly be among the favourites for the 2006 title. It’s a challenge the popular Japanese rider is relishing as he looks to win the title that has so far eluded him. “I don’t feel any pressure,” he says. “It is hard for me to say if I can win the title or not because we have still not tested with our rivals. We have made some good tests in Qatar and the bike is stronger than last year. It looks like Yamaha has been able to make the improvements I asked for at the end of last year so for now I am happy with progress. It is still my target to win the title. Every year I am close: second position, fourth position, third position… but never number one. I will always try my best at each race but only when we race with the others can I know how strong we are. All I can say now is that the championship is the one thing that I have never achieved. Every year I always go in with the attitude and focus to win it and this year is no different.” Yamaha will be represented by a second distributor-backed squad in 2006. Yamaha Motor France will enter a three-rider team with Japanese rider Shinichi Nakatomi joining the incumbent Norick Abe and Sebastien Gimbert for his world superbike debut. In the world supersport race, Yamaha riders will make up the lion’s share of the grid, with 15 riders aiming for glory on the new YZF-R6. Expected to lead the Yamaha charge is the officially-supported Yamaha Motor Germany squad of Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes. The Australians were consistently among the front runners in the 2005 campaign and despite the early start to the season the German squad is as well prepared as possible, having tested successfully with the new bike at Valencia and Phillip Island.

Gobert to make world championship comeback In a surprise announcement, Australian Anthony Gobert has confirmed that he will compete in the opening two rounds of the 2006 Supersport World Championship in Qatar (February 25) and Australia (March 5). The immensely gifted 30-year-old, whose victory in the 1994 Australian Superbike Championship first propelled him onto the world stage, will deputise for injured Spanish rider David Checa, aboard the all-new Yamaha YZF-R6. The New South Welshman, whose battles with alcohol and drugs over the years have been well documented, is ecstatic about the opportunity afforded him by the French-based GMT 94 squad, and is hoping to really put some runs on the board in his home round at Phillip Island. “The whole deal came together really quickly,” said Gobert. “The GMT 94 team manager rang me over the weekend, and before I knew it the ride was locked in. “There’s no doubt I’m going to be on a steep learning curve at Qatar, but by the time I get to Phillip Island I hope to have everything sorted and put on a really good show. “And I reckon I’m on the best Supersport bike at the moment in the new YZF-R6. And one of my bikes will be straight from the Yamaha factory which I didn’t expect, but I’m delighted with!” Gobert already knows the fast way around Phillip Island, having won five of his eight World Superbike races at the iconic Victorian circuit. Gobert, who will turn 31 during the Phillip Island weekend, still longs for a full-time return to the international arena after a couple of season spent back home in Australia. “I’ve been travelling since I was 20, and to tell you the truth I’m getting a little bored back home in Oz,” said Gobert. “I would dearly love to race in another world title of some description, and if I do well I might be asked to complete in the rest of the Supersport World Championship. That would be awesome.” However, even if world title incumbency doesn’t eventuate in 2006, Gobert will still compete outside of Australia in the Spanish Formula Extreme Championship, and he’s also struck a deal to compete in the famed Le Mans 24-hour endurance race alongside the rehabilitated Checa. GMT 94 is an endurance specialist, having won the 2004 world title. “Yep, the Spanish deal is there, which would see me riding a Suzuki GSX-R1000 for one of the top teams (Austin Suzuki) in the Formula Extreme Championship,” continued the former 500cc GP rider. “I have always loved Spain, and I’ll base myself in Madrid during the season.” In the meantime, the Losail circuit in Qatar beckons, where Gobert will be joined on the grid by four countrymen: Yamaha Motor Germany pairing Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes, both on YZF-R6s; 2005 Australian Superbike and Supersport champion Josh Brookes (Ducati SC Caracchi 749R); and the UK-based veteran Dean Thomas (Team Gil Motorsport Kawasaki ZX-6RR), who will be replacing the injured Stephane Chambon. Meanwhile, in the top flight world Superbike division, reigning world champion Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra GSX-R1000) will lead the Aussie assault in Qatar, as he strives to move clear of a deadlock with American Colin Edwards on the all-time world Superbike winner’s list. Corser, who won his first world Superbike title in 1996, and Edwards currently reside on 31 wins apiece, behind four-time world champion Carl Fogarty (59). Corser won race one at Losail in 2005, before going onto win five of his next six outings including a superb double at Phillip Island. Meanwhile, 2001 world Superbike champion Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox 999F06), after three testing years in MotoGP, makes a welcome return to the production-based class at Qatar, while former world Supersport champions Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia YZF-R1SP) and Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) will be eager to hit the ground running after solid rookie years in 2005. The final Australian in action will be Steve Martin (Foggy Petronas Racing FP1), entering his sixth year of world Superbike competition. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Yamaha GMT94 has signed Australian rider Anthony Gobert to ride its YZF-R6 in the opening rounds of the Supersport World Championship. The eight-time world superbike race winner will substitute for the injured David Checa. Checa crashed in testing last week and broke his arm, forcing him out of the opening races in Qatar and Australia. After undergoing a successful operation on Friday the Spaniard is expected to return to the saddle by the end of March, leaving the team needing a replacement rider for the opening two races. Gobert, who celebrates his 31st birthday on the day of the Phillip Island race, rocketed onto the world superbike scene at the end of the 1994 campaign – taking pole position and a win at the Australian round. After three years in the championship ‘The Go-Show’ moved to 500cc Grands Prix before returning to the world superbike series in which he made his name in 2000. His win on the underpowered Bimota, again at Phillip Island, was as memorable as the race six years earlier and showed his undoubted natural talent as he won by almost 30 seconds in a wet race. His last world championship outing came in October 2000 when he rode a Yamaha YZF-R7 at Brands Hatch. In the intervening years he faced well-documented personal problems while racing in American and Australian national championships, but Anthony says he is fit and ready to race in what will be his debut world championship supersport races. “I’m really happy to have the opportunity to get back into the world series with a good team and bike,” he said. “I took a few years out to work out what I wanted to do and I’ve realized that it is to get back into racing. I raced in Australia last year and it looked like I might be doing that again, until this offer came to ride in the first few races. At first I was approached for the Phillip Island race but I really wanted some time on the bike beforehand, so the team invited me along to Qatar as well. “The first race will really be a test for us. I raced supersport for Yamaha US in 2001 and 2002 but the bikes have changed a lot since then. It’s a new track, team, tyres and bike for me and I haven’t ridden for five months, so the goal in Qatar to get a good set-up and hopefully a top ten. If we can get into the groove in Qatar then there’s no reason why we can’t be aiming at the top five in Phillip Island.” Round one of the Supersport World Championship takes place at the Losail circuit in Qatar this Saturday with round two at Phillip Island taking place eight days later.

Paul Young Racing & Jack Lilley Motorcycles team up for British Supersport assault British and Australian championship winning rider Paul Young will be racing the exciting new Triumph Daytona 675 in the British Supersport Championship this season. The Australian born, Hinckley-based rider has received backing from top Triumph dealership Jack Lilley Ltd. The Middlesex-based dealership has supplied one of two Daytona 675s that Paul will be using in the Supersport series this year, as well as setting up a supporters’ club for the team. Youngy knows the three-cylinder machine well, having been involved with the Triumph factory during the bike’s development. He’s put in many hours on the bike at test tracks in the UK and overseas, so he knows the potential of this British-built bike. He says: “I’ve done about 6000 miles on the bike over the past 14 months. One of my jobs outside of racing is as a contract test-rider for Triumph. As well as my personal interest in the machine, I have a soft spot for this bike and a strong belief in its racing potential. That’s why I decided to take on this project despite the factory’s decision not to race the 675.” At the moment the machines are being race prepped at Youngy’s Mallory Park workshop. Paul says: “It’s a bit like being a club racer again. I’m doing a lot of the work myself, with help from friends. Stripping down bikes ’til past midnight and doing as much as test riding work as I can during the day to help fund the racing. I’ve also been busy trying to rake in as much sponsorship for my 2006 effort as I can. I’ve got the bikes and most of the hardware sorted. The problem is that because there’s no race kit for the Triumph, all the special parts have to be designed, machined and developed from scratch, which costs, as does fuel and entry fees and all that sort of stuff!” Youngy is in no doubt as to the potential of the Daytona. “The first tuned engine is up and running and things are looking good, I’d say we will have at least as much power as the competition, possibly more. But the triple’s advantages won’t come from outright horsepower as much as the unbelievable torque it produces. I’m so excited by the prospect of riding a British bike in the championship and it’s so good to see Jack Lilley Ltd getting back involved with British Championship racing at this level. We are all really looking forward to it!”

2006 Conference Meetings The 2006 FIM Conference Meetings took place from 17 to 19 February, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel near Geneva Airport. The Management Council convened on Friday 17 and today. The Commissions and Panels had their working meetings on Saturday 18 February. The main decisions and modifications for the 2006 season (except otherwise indicated) are the following: Road Racing – The calendar of the 2006 Sidecar World Championship, counting eight rounds, is the following: Dates Country Circuit May 28 Germany Schleiz June 11 Great Britain Castle Combe June 24 Netherlands Assen July 16 Germany Sachsenring August 6 Austria Salzburgring August 13 Croatia Grobnik September 3 Netherlands Assen September 10 Sweden Karlskoga – Endurance World Championship : fuel tank (Superstock) : fuel tank filler caps may be altered or replaced from those fitted to the homologated motorcycle. The fuel tank filler cap can be replaced by two (maximum) valves “aviation type” for quick filling. The maximum diameter of the fillers must be 76 mm. – Homologation of new protective devices: the Alpina Airmodule AA and the SPM Energy Absorber Type A were homologated by the Commission. – A Dragster World Cup will be organised in 2006 over one event organized by AMA Pro-Star, which should be held in Florida next September (date and venue to be announced). – The calendar of the World Records attempts is the following : Private world record attempt, Lake Gairdner, Australia, 5-10/03/06 2006 Speedweek, Bonneville Salt Flats, USA, 3-7/09/06 International Motorcycle Landspeed Record Attempt, Mafikeng Airbase, South Africa, 22-24/09/06 SuperMoto World Championship The round scheduled in Jesolo (Italy) on July 22, will be held on July 23 in Sassari, Sardinia, Italy. The round schedule in Kinnekulle Ring, Sweden on August 20, is cancelled. The calendar is the following: Dates Country Circuit April 30 Europe (ITA) Castelletto di Branduzzo May 28 France Villars June 25 Austria Melk July 23 Sardina (ITA) Sassari September 10 Germany Sankt Wendel October 8 Monaco Monte Carlo October 15 Italy Latina November 5 Greece Athens October 1 SuperMoto of Nations : Belfast-IRL Mobility, Transport, Road Safety & Public Policy – Trial and Enduro machines: the exemption clause on emission requirements of the EU will expire on January 1, 2007. This means that vehicles homologated after that date will have to fulfill the Euro III standards. Women’s Commission Commission Féminine – The new FIM Women’s Commission had its first meeting during these Conference Meetings. Presided by Mrs Beaulah Schoeman (President of the African Continental Union and Managing Director of Motorsport South Africa), the Commission, with six members, discussed the aspects of motorcycling following a woman’s point of view: motorcycling sports, motorcycle road users, leisure motorcycling, manufacturers, accessories made for women including in the sport, etc. A survey about the situation in each country will be made through the National Federations, about subjects such as the presence of women in motorcycle Championships, the existing structures for women, any available statistics about numbers of female motorcycle users, etc. The International Women & Motorcycling Conference, organized by the AMA and the FIM, will be held from June 30 to July 3 next in Athens, Georgia, United States. Then, at the next meeting (Congress in October), further development plans will be discussed.

Listing of FIM homologated motorcycles for 2006 SUPERBIKE – SUPERSPORT – SUPERSTOCK – SUPERPRODUCTION Note: – New motorcycle models presented in January 2006 are in bold. SUPERBIKE Model/ Production period as from / until APRILIA RSV 1000 RP JAN 01 – end APRILIA RSV 1000 RP JAN 03 – end (+ optional fuel injection instrument) APRILIA RSV 1000 RR JAN 04 – present (+ optional fuel injection instrument) APRILIA RSV 1000 RR JAN 06 – present (+ optional fuel injection instrument) BENELLI TORNADO 3-900 LE JAN 01 – present DUCATI 996 R (H2) JAN 01 – end DUCATI 998 R (H2) JAN 02 – end DUCATI 999 R (H4) JAN 03 – end (+ optional fuel injection instrument) DUCATI 999 R (H4) JAN 05 – present (+ optional fuel injection instrument) HONDA CBR 900 RR (SC50) JAN 02 – end – (CBR 900 RR for euro model), – (CBR 954 RR’ for USA, J model) HONDA CBR 1000 RR (SC57) JAN 04 – present HONDA VTR 1000 SP2 (SC45) JAN 02 – present (+ optional fuel injection instrument) HONDA CBR 1000 RR (SC57) JAN 06 – present KAWASAKI ZX 9 R (F) JAN 02 – end KAWASAKI ZX 10 RR JAN 04 – present KAWASAKI ZX 10 RR JAN 06 – present MONDIAL PIEGA 1000 JUL 03 – present (+ optional fuel injection instrument) MV AGUSTA F4 1000 (MT) JAN 05 – present (Tamburini model) PETRONAS FP1 JAN 03 – JUL 03 (+ optional fuel injection instrument) SUZUKI GSX R 1000 (K1) NOV 00 – end SUZUKI GSX R 1000 (K3) JAN 03 – end SUZUKI GSX R 1000 (K5) JAN 05 – present YAMAHA YZF R1 (2002 model) JAN 02 – end YAMAHA YZF R1 (2004 model) JAN 04 present YAMAHA YZF R1 (2006 model) JAN 06 – present YAMAHA YZF R1-SP (2006 model) JAN 06 – present SUPERSPORT 600 – SUPERSTOCK 600 Model Production period as from DUCATI 748 R (H3) JAN 01 – end DUCATI 748 R (H3) JAN 02 – end DUCATI 749 R (H5) JAN 04 – present HONDA CBR 600 F JAN 01 – end HONDA CBR 600 FS JAN 01 – end HONDA CBR 600 F4i JAN 01 – end HONDA CBR 600 RR (PC37) JAN 03 – end HONDA CBR 600 RR (PC37) JAN 05 – present KAWASAKI ZX 600 K (ZX-6RR) JAN 03 – end KAWASAKI ZX 600 M (ZX-6RR) JAN 04 – end KAWASAKI ZX 600 N (ZX-6RR) JAN 05 – present SUZUKI GSX 600 R (K1) JAN 01 – end SUZUKI GSX 600 R (K4) JAN 04 – present SUZUKI GSX 600 R (K6) JAN 06 – present TRIUMPH DAYTONA 600 JUL 03 – present YAMAHA YZF R6 JAN 01 – end YAMAHA YZF R6 JAN 03 – end YAMAHA YZF R6 JAN 05 – present YAMAHA YZF R6 JAN 06 – present SUPERSTOCK 1000 & SUPERPRODUCTION Model Production period as from APRILIA RSV 1000 RP JAN 01 – end APRILIA RSV 1000 RP JAN 03 – end APRILIA RSV 1000 RR JAN 04 – present APRILIA RSV 1000 RR JAN 06 – present DUCATI 996 S JAN 01 – end DUCATI 998 S (H2) JAN 02 – end DUCATI 999 S (H4) JAN 03 – present HONDA CBR 900 RR (SC50) JAN 02 – end – (CBR 900 RR for euro model), – (CBR 954 RR’ for USA, J model) HONDA CBR 1000 RR (SC 57) JAN 04 – present HONDA CBR 1000 RR (SC 57) JAN 06 – present HONDA VTR 1000 SP (SC45) JAN 02 – present KAWASAKI ZX 9 R (F) JAN 02 – end KAWASAKI ZX 10 RR JAN 04 – present KAWASAKI ZX 10 RR JAN 06 – present MV AGUSTA F4S (Ư) JUN 01 – present MV AGUSTA F4 1000 S (Ư) MAY 04 – present SUZUKI GSX R 750 (K2) JAN 02 – end SUZUKI GSX R 750 (K4) JAN 04 – present (including LTD version) SUZUKI GSX R 750 (K6) JAN 06 – present SUZUKI GSX R 1000 (K1) NOV 00 – end SUZUKI GSX R 1000 (K3) JAN 03 – end SUZUKI GSX R 1000 (K5) JAN 05 – present YAMAHA YZF R1 (2002 model) JAN 02 – end YAMAHA YZF R1 (2004 model) JAN 04 – present YAMAHA YZF R1 (2006 model) JAN 06 – present YAMAHA YZF R1-SP (2006 model) JAN 06 – present