Australian Repsol KTM rider Andy Caldecott fatally crashed on the 9th stage of the Dakar (Nouakchott Kiffa). The accident happened directly after the day off. This information has totally shocked us, we’re at a loss for words. The terrible accidents in the past 2 years caused us to start with mixed feelings and question our rally engagement. The presenters of the Dakar have tried to make the rally safer together with several manufacturers. A tempo limit has been adopted, a GPS system which enables each rider to be located and to allow him to communicate with the presenter. Riders can have more rests now due to shorter tank stops. A pretty sportive rally until yesterday’s day of rest eclipsed the pain of the past – today we were brutally pulled out of our dream to make this rally safe. Our thoughts are with Andy and his family. KTM Motorsport

Australia’s most successful Superbike rider, Suzuki’s Shawn Giles, is keeping the New Zealand Superbike Championship lead in his sights after racing to second place at the weekend’s Suzuki-dominated third round at Teretonga Raceway. Having not ridden this South Island circuit for over a decade, Giles was impressively quick to re-acquaint himself with the track layout, securing second place on the grid behind local hero Andrew Stroud. Giles and fellow GSX-R1000 rider Stroud were the only riders to dip under the one-minute barrier in Saturday’s qualifying session around the 2.570km circuit. Difficult and uncertain weather conditions for race one were highlighted by the series’ three leading contenders making vastly different tyres choices with Stroud running dry tyres, Giles on intermediate Dunlops and fellow Suzuki rider, Ray Clee opting for full wets. Giles’ decision paid dividends as he headed the field on lap two with Stroud in hot pursuit and he held him at bay for the majority of the race until a minor error allowed Stroud an opportunity to slip by, relegating Giles to second. The leading pair was only separated by a couple of bike lengths and crossed the finish line at the end of lap nine more than six seconds clear of third place. Race two was contested in full wet conditions and after making a strong start, Giles slipped back into an unfamiliar fifth place on the opening lap and was unable to regain track position in the wintry 10-lap battle. Fellow Australian, Suzuki privateer Scott Charlton, was the surprise package for race two, challenging Stroud from the start and eventually assuming the lead on lap four before extending his lead to almost five and a half seconds at the flag. Race three was cancelled due to torrential rain making it unsafe to continue with the meeting. Passing the half-way point in the series, Suzuki’s continued domination sees the internationally renowned GSXR-1000 hold the top four places. Said Giles: “In the first race there was only a very thin dry line and I ran a little wide coming on to the back section of the track – the track was so wet and slippery and that gave Andrew Stroud the opportunity he needed to get past me. “The weather conditions were wicked here this weekend, but we still managed to strengthen our position in second place. Now we just have to push hard in the next two rounds and hope that ‘Stroudie’ offers us an opportunity to close in on the championship lead.” Giles faces his next trans-Tasman challenge in Timaru on January 13-15th for the penultimate round of the New Zealand Superbike Championship. Championship Points: (after round 3 of 5): 1. Andrew Stroud (Suzuki) 177, 2. Shawn Giles (Suzuki) 141, 3. Ray Clee (Suzuki) 122, 4. Scott Charlton (Suzuki) 119, 5. Jared Love 81, 6. Dean Fulton 72, 7. Chris Haldane 67, 8. Jon Lowther 60, 9. Jason McEwen 56, 10. Michael Smith 46.

YAMAHA FACTORY RACING JOINS FORCES WITH JTI AND CAMEL Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. announces the start of a new partnership with JT International (JTI), a subsidiary of Japan Tobacco Inc., whose brand CAMEL will become the new title sponsor of Yamaha’s Factory MotoGP Team for 2006. The Yamaha Factory MotoGP Team, consisting of reigning-World Champion Valentino Rossi and his team-mate Colin Edwards, will be known as the “Camel Yamaha Team” in 2006. Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing Lin Jarvis commented “Yamaha is very excited to enter into this new partnership with JTI. JTI has been involved in motorsport at the highest level for many years and has been an active sponsor at the top level in the MotoGP class for the past three seasons. We look forward to working with JTI to enhance the respective images of our brands and to challenge together for victory, as Yamaha enters its “next 50 years” and aims to retain its MotoGP titles in 2006.” “A new chapter in the history of Camel in motorsport is just beginning”, commented Roberto Zanni, JTI’s Regional President for Europe, “After three years of great satisfaction in the premier class of the World Road Racing Championship, we are today launching a new challenge for the title. Our new partnership with Yamaha, the historic, championship-winning Japanese manufacturer, will be highly motivating for us and it will be an honour to be by their side throughout the 2006 season. We share the same passion and desire for victory and, I am sure, success will not be long in coming.” The Camel Yamaha Team will begin its 2006 campaign in Sepang, Malaysia with a three-day test on 23rd, 24th and 25th January.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: Thanks go out to Jeff Kufalk for providing me with a great lead-in to explaining one of our member benefits: Crash Assurance. If a NESBA member has the misfortune of going on an agricultural expedition prior to lunch at one of our events, and they cannot continue on for the remainder of the day, they are given a 50% credit for their event fee. If, by chance, they have registered for a multi-day event the member will receive 100% credit for each subsequent day they cannot ride (Crash on a Saturday and you are also registered for Sunday? You will get a 100% credit for Sunday in addition to any Saturday credit.) We know if you crash that not losing your event fee may be a small consolation, however we thought it would be another nice way to give back to our increasing member base. Dutch MacKenzie Director Mid Atlantic Operations Northeast Sportbike Association [email protected] Lancaster, Pennsylvania

ENDED AT VALENCIA THE THREE-DAY TEST OF SCUDERIA SC (Valencia 2006, January 8) Last day today at Valencia circuit for the three-day test organized by Scuderia SC Caracchi to allow the knowledge of bikes and tyres full new for the three riders who will defend the historical Italian team for 2006 season, Roberto Rolfo in Superbike, Josh Brookes and Luka Nedog in Supersport. The circuit went on to be wet until the afternoon and only around 3 p.m. the track dried, but at that moment started also the assault by all the gentleman riders present at the circuit and our riders haven’t any more the possibility to ride with free lines. The test however achieved the planned goal and the team owner Stefano Caracchi find very positive the test results. “Today too the track condition, very wet in the morning and full of sportsman riders in the afternoon didn’t allow us to work in the best conditions.” is his comment at the end of the test, while the riders were in meeting with their team staff. “Our goal was to give to the guys the possibility of a training exercise, looking that everything was quite new, and the goal has been full reached. All three got an excellent feeling with their technical crew, their report on the machines have been correct and that means they are going to know their new bikes. Of cours in those conditions there’s any meaning to speak about performances and lap times, however Roberto Rolfo recorded today 1’39″5, Josh Brookes scored 1’40″2 and Luka Nedog 1’43″8, results got with an half wet track and engines with have done by this time several miles. Now we could start to overhaul the bikes for the best looking at the next test session, scheduled at the beginning of February.”

RAIN AND COLD WEATHER FOR SCUDERIA SC’s TEST AT VALENCIA (Valencia 2006, January 7) Atrocious weather conditions for the second day test for Scuderia SC Caracchi on Ricardo Tormo circuit at Valencia: rain and cold, just 9°C the air temperature and more cold on the track didn’t allow to cover all the scheduled work, also because the tyres available for the team in this test hadn’t the right characteristics for today’s track conditions. Roberto Rolfo went on the work focused to know better his new machine and, despite the weather difficulties, looks to be satisfied for his job. “Cold and rain didn’t allow us to work a lot today.” commented Roby at the end of the day. “I’ve been able to complete only 15 laps, but I’m quite happy for the work done. I like both the team as the working method they use. Looking at today the tyres were too hard for the track conditions, so we focused our job for a better knowledge of the bike, most for the handling that gave me a positive sensation either in the yesterday test as well today on the wet track. Of course it’s a bike quite different of a MotoGP, the engine and all the machine, and I’ll have still to work for a better know the 999RS, but the first approach is with no doubt positive.” Also in Supersport Josh Brookes and Luka Nedog had to fight with the tyres not good for the Spanish track conditions, and both crashed today, but Stefano Caracchi is however happy of today’s test. “In this three-day test where everything is new for our riders, the bike, the tyres and for the couple of 749R the track too, most important is to get confidence with the new machine. I know that everyone has done it in the best way. The crashes of Brookes and Nedog were quite natural in wet conditions and hard tyres, but I’ve see that Brookes showed to be a first class rider. Nedog will need a longer apprenticeship time, looking is poor experience, but I’m confident in his possibilities. He needs only time.”