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