Sacramentans Drink and Drive at Raley Field During “Holiday Sobriety Challenge” SONOMA, Calif. (IMMEDIATE RELEASE) “” People were drinking and driving at Raley Field in Sacramento on Friday, Dec. 16, all under the watchful eye of the California Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies from around Northern California. Twelve people participated in the 9th “Holiday Sobriety Challenge,” a unique event featuring a controlled wine and beer tasting experiment that graphically illustrated the dangers of drinking and driving, even at levels well below the legal limit (.08-percent). The event was hosted by Infineon Raceway, the Jim Russell Racing Schools, which is based at Infineon Raceway, and the Sacramento River Cats, the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Oakland A’s. The Office of Traffic Safety was also a co-sponsor of the event. Twenty eight law enforcement agencies from Sacramento, Placer and Yolo counties participated in the Holiday Sobriety Challenge, which signaled the start of a concentrated 18-day mobilization against drunk and impaired drivers that will end at midnight on Jan. 2, 2006. This marked the first time in the nine-year history of the event that it had been held away from Infineon Raceway. “We began this event nine years ago with the hope of sending a very important message out to drivers, and we are glad that we could take this on the road to Sacramento and create even more awareness,” said Steve Page, president and general manager of Infineon Raceway. Testers were given anywhere from one to three glasses of wine or beer upon arrival, before submitting to a field of sobriety tests, including a breathalyzer analysis administered by a law enforcement officer. Once it was determined participants were at the appropriate level, they were asked to get behind the wheel of an automobile and drive through pre-determined courses. All drivers were accompanied by an instructor from the Jim Russell Racing Schools, and tests included lane changing, parallel parking, turning radius and speed drills. Twelve people, a combination of media members and citizens, took the test with blood-alcohol content levels ranging from .038-percent to .066-percent, well below the legal limit. Of the 12 testers, five failed the simple test. The event has had a 70-percent fail rate over the last six years. “This really showed me that even one drink can adversely affect my driving skills,” said Bill George, owner of Nimbus Marketing Inc., a public relations and advertising firm in Sacramento. “It really surprised me. I thought I’d be OK but this was a real eye-opener.” In 2004, 1,462 people were killed and 31,538 were injured in alcohol-related crashes in California, compared to 1,445 fatalities and 31,337 injuries in 2003. “Impaired driving is a violent crime that tops the traffic safety hit list in California,” said CHP Commissioner Mike Brown. “There will be no warnings and there will not be second chances. We’re going to be looking for impaired drivers and if we catch you and you’re convicted, you will go to jail.” More than 350 law enforcement agencies statewide are participating in the state’s most aggressive impaired driving crackdowns of the year. The event on Friday was held in connection with STAR (Statewide Traffic Action Response), a coalition of five traffic and safety related departments under the state Business, Transportation and Housing Agency.

Dunlop pleased with progress at Daytona International Speedway tire testing session Buffalo, NY Dunlop Motorcycle Tires concluded three days of tire testing Monday, December 12 at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) in preparation for the 2006 AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) Superbike series. The session has become an annual off-season tradition that allows Dunlop and its contracted racing teams to evaluate the latest designs and compounds in preparation for the season’s first races at DIS in March. “Daytona places demands on motorcycle tires unlike any other competition venue the world,” said Jim Allen, Dunlop’s manager of U.S. road racing. “We tested new construction designs for all four AMA classes and all showed improvement over last year’s race tires. We also evaluated some new compounds and made good progress there as well.” When the final results were tallied, new unofficial track records had been set in all four classes. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies was the top Superbike rider with a time of 1:37.309 on his GSX-R1000. Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s Jason DiSalvo was the fastest rider in the Superstock class (1:38.961) aboard a YZF-R1 and also took top honors in Formula Xtreme on a YZF-R6 with a time of 1:41.647. Teammate Jamie Hacking rode a YZF-R6 to the fastest lap of the Supersport class, 1:42.210. Dunlop brought more than 1400 tires of varying construction and compounds to the session. Superbike teams had a total of three front and 11 rear tire designs to evaluate; Superstock riders selected from seven fronts and 12 rears. Supersport offered five front and six rear options while Formula Xtreme provided three front and seven rear selections. Dunlop brought 24 engineers, technicians and tire fitters to the track to support the 250 team members and riders who attended. “The tires we bring here are formulated uniquely for this track, we don’t use them anywhere else,” said Allen. “We pull out all the stops to support our teams here. We take our commitment to safety and performance very seriously.” Just over a year ago, the course was reconfigured to better balance tire loads with the ever-increasing horsepower of the Superbikes. The elimination of the west banking was a positive step to reduce tire temperatures, but the track — always known to generate a lot of wear and heat in the left portion of the rear tire — added more infield turns, most of them lefts, so wear on the left side of the tread is still evident. In addition, last May the track was repaved from turn one through the new infield section, increasing available traction and subsequently wear. “Overall, we’re pleased with the results,” Allen said. “We’ll be ready for Daytona when we return in March and the beginning of the AMA series.” About Dunlop Tires Dunlop Tires is the largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in the U.S. and the only manufacturer of motorcycle tires in North America. With North American operations headquartered in Buffalo, NY, Dunlop has been making and selling high-quality tires in the U.S. since 1923. For more information, please visit www.dunlopmotorcycle.com.

January 18th – Wednesday – Mazda Laguna Seca February 28th – Tuesday – Infineon Raceway March 6th – Monday – Thunderhill Park April 3rd – Monday – Thunderhill Park April 17th – Monday – Thunderhill Park May 10th – Wednesday – Infineon Raceway May 15th – Monday – Thunderhill Park May 25th – Thursday – Thunderhill Park June 5th – Monday – Thunderhill Park June 21st – Wednesday – Thunderhill Park June 26th – Monday – Thunderhill Park July 17th – Monday – Thunderhill Park July 29th – Saturday – Buttonwillow Raceway Park July 30th – Sunday – Buttonwillow Raceway Park August 14th – Monday – Thunderhill Park August 28th – Monday – Thunderhill Park September 11th – Monday – Thunderhill Park September 27th – Wednesday – Thunderhill Park October 2nd – Monday – Thunderhill Park October 15th – Sunday – Reno-Fernley Raceway Season Passes available for a limited time. Tires & Tire Service Available On All Dates Additional dates may be added to the schedule. For additional information, e-mail [email protected] or call (530) 223-0622. ~http://www.pacifictracktime.com~

LA LEGGENDA RITORNA. ON THE 16th MAY 2006 THE GRAND MOTOGIRO D’ITALIA CHALLENGE RECOMMENCES In 2006 the historic revival of Italy’s oldest timed motorcycle road race will take place from the 16th to the 20th May, with departure from Rimini and five legs between Romagna, Marche, Abruzzo and Molise. Bologna, December 2005. From the 16th to the 20th May 2006 the Motogiro d’Italia, by now a point of reference for those passionate about vintage motorcycles, will cruise Italy from Romagna to Abruzzo, with its caravan of hundreds of motorcycles old and new. For the sixth consecutive time, the event is organized by Dream Engine and is supported by the main sponsor Ducati Motor that, since 2001, has chosen to associate its name to an event that brings back the glorious years of Italian motorcycling. The Motogiro d’Italia is much more than a simple event for vintage motorcycles: it recreates the electrical atmosphere, the team spirit and the adventure that were present in the original race. Hosting the most renowned Italian and foreign collectors with their most prized pieces and at the same time offering to its participants the opportunity to appreciate the wonders of Italian tourism, its territory and products. The previous editions, from 2001 to 2005 have seen a constant rise of interest and enthusiasm toward the Motogiro, from the 120 initial participants of the first edition numbers now reach 400 participants coming from all over the world. In order to keep alive the bond with history, the champions of the 1950’s Motogiro, have been guests of honour – Maoggi, Venturi, Tartarini, Mendogni and on the Italian roads it was possible to watch the best of Italian motorcycle production battle themselves: Ducati, Morini, MV Agusta, Moto Guzzi, Benelli, Bianchi, Piaggio, Gilera, Motobi. The 2006 edition will maintain the same this formula of success, starting from the Land of motorcycling by excellence, Romagna and then moving in legs of approximately 250 km each towards south until Abruzzo and Molise. Currently the route comprises the following legs: 15th May 2006: preliminary operations at Rimini. 16th May 2006, leg 1: Rimini-Ancona 17th May 2006, leg 2: Ancona-Ascoli Piceno 18th May 2006, leg 3: Ascoli Piceno-Ascoli Piceno 19th May 2006, leg 4: Ascoli Piceno -Ancona 20th May 2006, leg 5: Ancona-Rimini. The route is studied so as to prize the peculiar characteristics of the vintage motorcycles, with legs as “daisy petals” that is departure and arrival from the same city – of adequate length and type. A lot of attention is also put into the choice of unique routes with plenty of sceneries and tourist locations of particular interest in the coast and inland that gratify also the participants in the Tourist Class. Numerous rest points are assigned along the route, thanks to the collaboration of local agencies and motoclubs. At the end of each leg, participants are welcomed at the Motogiro Village set up in the city of arrival. In 2006, for the “gran finale” participants will be guests of the Municipality of Rimini for the prize giving dinner, during which the overall winner of the Vintage Class will be awarded a special Motogiro 2006 Ducati. The Motogiro d’Italia 2006 relies on the support of Ducati Motor the event’s main sponsor. The event is also made possible thanks to the support of: Shell, Marzocchi, Motociclismo d’Epoca, Iveco, Province of Rimini, Municipality of Rimini, Province of Ancona, Municipality of Ancona, Municipality of Ascoli Piceno, Umani Ronchi. The event organization is assisted by the Federazione Motociclistica Italiana, for the technical support Motoclub Terni “L. Liberati”. Participants in the Touring Class will be accompanied by FMI (Italian Motorcycle Federation) Federal Safe Riding instructors from the Curve&Tornanti team. The Motogiro is open to motorcycles authorized for road use of all marques and is divided into three classes: Vintage Racing Class With an overall limit of 120 participants, this class features motorbikes of up to 175cc manufactured prior to 1957 inspired on the motorcycles that raced in the original Motogiro. Competitors in the Vintage Racing Class ware subject to timed, competitive ability tests en-route. Taglioni Memorial Class This class is open to street legal motorbikes of all marques, 250 cc or higher, produced between 1968 and 1978, period, which highlights the decade where the Ducati engineer Fabio Taglioni created his legendary 2 cylinder motorbikes. Competitors in this class take part in ability trials and the winner will take home a special prize. Touring Class For riders of newer bikes, who wish to participate in the excitement of the Motogiro on a more relaxed, non-competitive basis. The touring class is open to motorbikes of all marques. For general information and registration on the Motogiro d’Italia 2006: Dream Engine Via Saffi 4 -40131 Bologna tel. +39 051 6494776 -fax +39 051 5286378 www.motogiroditalia.com – [email protected]

Cascade Tracktime announces its 2006 Transport Service Schedule. All transport trips begin and return to Portland, Oregon. For pricing and more detailed information go to www.cascadetracktime.com. Space is limited so book early to guarantee a spot. 1/13-15: Willow Springs Motorcycle Club Race Weekend (Rosamond, CA) 2/4-5: WERA West California Speedway (Fontana, CA) 2/17-19: Willow Springs Motorcycle Club Race Weekend (Rosamond, CA) 3/11-12: Buttonwillow Raceway Trackday (Keigwin’s) (Buttonwillow, CA) 4/21-23: AMA Superbike Barber Motorsports Park (Birmingham, AB) 5/8-9: Cascade Tracktime Miller Motorsports Park (Tooele, UT) 6/2-4: AMA Superbike Road America (Elkart Lake, WI) 6/16-18: AMA Superbike Miller Motorsports Park (Tooele, UT) 7/21-23: Moto GP/AMA Superbike Laguna Seca (Monterey, CA) 8/4-6: AMA Superbike Mid Ohio Sports Car Course (Lexington, OH) 9/1-3: AMA Superbike Road Atlanta (Braselton, GA) 9/4-5: Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School Road Atlanta (Combined Trip) 10/3-4: Cascade Tracktime Miller Motorsports Park (Tooele, UT) 11/17-19: Willow Springs Motorcycle Club Race Weekend (Rosamond, CA) 12/15-17: Willow Springs Motorcycle Club Race Weekend (Rosamond, CA) About Cascade Tracktime: Cascade Tracktime has 17 trackdays for 2006 between Portland International Raceway in Oregon and Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. The Cascade Tracktime transporter allows for customers to simply fly in and fly out of an event. Their bike, gear, stands, etc., are there at the track and returned a few days later. Transporting for trackdays and race weekends to some of the finest race tracks in the U.S. For more details go to www.cascadetracktime.com

March 6th – Monday – Thunderhill Park April 3rd – Monday – Thunderhill Park April 17th – Monday – Thunderhill Park June 5th – Monday – Thunderhill Park September 11th – Monday – Thunderhill Park October 2nd – Monday – Thunderhill Park Tires & Tire Service Available On All Dates Additional dates may be added to the schedule. For additional information, e-mail [email protected] or call (530) 223-0622. ~http://www.pacifictracktime.com~ ~http://www.afmracing.org~

Confederate Motor Company, Inc. Announces Relocation to Birmingham, Alabama, Home of Barber Motorsports Park and the World’s Finest Collection of Vintage Motorcycles Parent company incorporated as Birmingham Speed of America, Inc. Birmingham, AL, December 15, 2005 They are the hottest motorcycles in the world. Owned by movie stars, rock stars and at least one foreign prince, they have been celebrated on the covers and in the pages of leading magazines around the globe from the Robb Report and duPont Registry to Forbes, Fast Company and I.D. magazine. And soon, they will be made in Birmingham, Alabama, a city once proclaimed as “the Magic City” for its spectacular growth during the early part of the 20th Century and one that surely seems to be recapturing that magic during the early years of the 21st. Confederate Motor Company, Inc. of New Orleans, maker of the breathtakingly beautiful and incredibly expensive Hellcat and Wraith motorcycles, is moving its corporate headquarters and sole assembly plant to Birmingham’s Southside, just across Fifth Avenue South from another trendsetter known as WorkPlay, where some of Birmingham’s most creative talents work, hang out, and thrive. Coupled with the recent announcement of a loft condominium development in the same block to be called “LivWorkPlay” this announcement comes as more welcome news proclaiming that, to the “cool creative class” coveted by cities everywhere, Birmingham is hotter than ever as an urban destination for young, forward-thinking individuals and progressive companies. The motivation for Confederate’s move is an unusual blend of misfortune and good fortune. Tracing its roots to 1991, the company operated in an historic New Orleans warehouse from 2002 until August 29th of this year, when Hurricane Katrina smashed that building to the ground. Instead of looking for a temporary location where they could quickly recommence operations, the company’s management decided to take advantage of the unfortunate situation and rethink the company’s future as well as its growth plans. Thus began a disciplined tour of more than a dozen cities around the country including Atlanta, Austin, Birmingham, Boulder, Chicago, Dallas, Jackson, Pittsburgh, Shreveport and Santa Fe to see what potential each might offer. Among the major factors that clearly set Birmingham apart were the Barber Motorsports Park and Museum, encompassing the world’s largest and finest collection of vintage and modern motorcycles that could serve as inspiration for future Confederate models, as well as Alabama’s automotive manufacturing infrastructure and a highly trained automotive workforce from which the motorcycle manufacturer could draw employees. “We knew about George Barber and his consummate passion for motorcycling,” said Confederate’s founder and managing director Matt Chambers, the highly successful Baton Rouge lawyer who gave up a lucrative legal practice nearly 15 years ago to pursue his own passion for establishing a new American design philosophy. “But we didn’t expect to find such an incredible level of professionalism coupled with such incredible hospitality,” he added. “Mr. Barber and his team are dedicated to making things happen in Alabama in economic development and it’s not just talk they have a strong background and solid proof that their efforts are working.” The Confederate management team made several trips to the city, and what they discovered on their own from celebrated chef Frank Stitt’s world-class restaurants to Birmingham’s vibrant loft developments sold them on the idea that both working and living in this Southern city would be very appealing. “This is not a temporary move,” adds Ike LaRue, Confederate’s chief financial officer and operating director, “and to underscore that, we have incorporated a new holding company with Birmingham in our name ‘Birmingham Speed of America, Inc.’ Our products will still be branded as Confederate Motorcycles, but our corporate name will reflect the name of our new hometown.” The 8,500 s.f. facility at 2222 Fifth Avenue South should be in operation by January 2006, when Confederate will resume assembly of the 2006 Hellcat F113, which sells for $67,500, and begin assembly of the 2006 Wraith B 107, with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $55,000. Production goals for 2006 include at least 150 hand-crafted, high-end bikes for 2006, with that number expected to double in 2007, and grow to 900 motorcycles in 2008. The company’s current backorder includes at least a dozen Hellcats and 45 Wraiths, representing a revenue stream of nearly $3.3 million. “Our bikes are just fantastic,” says Matt Chambers. “They are the most fun to ride and most expressive of a sense of individuality. This is what we are about celebrating a sense of individuality and reasserting fundamental integrity back into American motorcycles. We are coming to Birmingham because we believe we can build very high quality, world-leading products in Birmingham with the resources here. New Orleans provided special inspiration for our earlier models, but the amazing collection of motorcycles in the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum will provide so much more inspiration. And Birmingham is blessed with good climate good year ’round riding climate. We took a lot of time to make this decision as a team, and we all know we made the right decision.”