2005 AMA MOTOCROSS AND AMA SUPERBIKE SEASON HIGHLIGHTS DVDS NOW AVAILABLE PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Dec. 15, 2005) Feature-length DVDs capturing all the excitement from the 2005 AMA Motocross Championship and 2005 AMA Superbike Championship are now available for order on www.amasuperbike.com and www.amamotocross.com. Each DVD is over two hours long and includes coverage from every round of each series’ championship. The AMA Motocross Season Highlights DVD re-caps Ricky Carmichael’s phenomenal 2005 accomplishments including a race-by-race look at his third undefeated season. Carmichael is the all-time AMA Supercross and AMA Motocross wins leader and nearly achieved another perfect motocross season. Also included is complete coverage from the 125 class including an in-depth interview with 125 champion Ivan Tedesco. The AMA Superbike Year-In Review DVD includes coverage of every round of the 2005 campaign including Superbike, Supersport, Superstock and Formula Xtreme action. Also featured is exclusive on-board coverage where viewers will “ride along” on a camera bike and see first hand what each track looks like at speed. John C. Farris, Jr., AMA Pro Racing vice president of commercial development says no serious race fan will want to miss out on these DVDs. “Our first AMA Motocross Championship DVD was a big hit last year and we sold thousands of copies,” said Farris. “For 2005 we added a companion Superbike version and included special features that won’t be found anywhere else. These DVDs capture all the sights, sounds and drama that can only be found in AMA championship racing.” The cost for each DVD is only $24.95 and both can be ordered at www.amasuperbike.com and www.amamotocross.com. For more information or dealer inquiries contact Gus Niewenhous at [email protected]. About AMA Pro Racing AMA Pro Racing is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its properties include the Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Motocross Championship presented by FMF, the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship and the AMA Supermoto Championship. For more information about AMA Pro Racing, visit www.amaproracing.com.

First test for Shakey as Rizla Suzuki’s 2006 preparations begin ANY THOUGHTS of an early start to the festive season for Rizla Suzuki are on hold as new signing Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne travels to Almeria in Spain for the team’s initial winter test on December 19th-20th, as preparations for the 2006 season commence. The 29-year-old former British Champion is eager to climb aboard his new Superbike. “This pre-season test shows just how serious Rizla Suzuki and I are about challenging for the British Superbike Championship next year,” he said. “I have not ridden the GSX-R1000 before so this will allow me to get acquainted with it and find a good direction for future tests and races. I can’t wait to get riding, it’s going to be mega. “I only hope the weather isn’t the typical Christmas scene with snow and ice”¦” Shakey will be the lone rider at the test as his team mate James Haydon will remain at home in Andorra with his wife Jo and newly born son Zach. He said: “I’d love to attend but I’m needed at home now as a new daddy and a husband. I’ve chatted through the test programme with my technicians. I’m happy with the work they will be doing and will join the test programme in the New Year.” Rizla Suzuki will have a full complement of technical staff on-hand at the test. James’s chief technician Stewart Johnstone is leading the GSX-R1000 development and has a host of new suspension and engine parts for Shakey to try. He will be joined by Shakey’s chief technician, Lez Pearson, who returns to Rizla Suzuki after a two year absence. “This is an important test for the team and will help to define the technical direction for several certain key components of the race bike,” said team manager Robert Wicks. “Shane is certainly fired up for the test and looking forward to acquainting himself with the Suzuki for the first time. The 2005 season was very tough for the team and we view this test as an important step in our preparations for running as competitively as possible next season.” Shakey will be meeting fans in his first public appearance since joining Rizla Suzuki at Crescent’s Christmas sale at the Performance Centre in Verwood this Saturday, December 17th, between 11am 3pm. At the same time he will be joined by triple BSB Champion, fans favourite and Rizla Suzuki legend John Reynolds, who will be making his first public appearance since announcing his retirement. For further details, call 01202-820170 or visit www.crescent-suzuki.com.

POWER SURGE FOR SUPERBIKES TORONTO, ON Engine tuners in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship have received an early Christmas present from series technical officials. For the 2006 season, maximum horsepower limits have been increased by 10hp in both the Parts Canada Superbike feature class and the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike national support category. The limit for Superbike is now 180hp while Pro 600 Sport Bike goes up to 125hp. Horsepower in both classes is measured post-race on the series official Dynojet Dyno. “Motorcycle evolution continues at a frantic pace,” said Colin Fraser of series organizer Professional Motorsports Productions. “Our rules should keep step with new developments while still honouring the concept of affordable and accessible racing that forms the basis of our series.” Minimum weights in both classes remain unchanged for next season 360 lbs. in Superbike and 350 lbs. in Pro 600 Sport Bike. The increases in horsepower limits are among several rules changes for the classes that make up the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. Maximum horsepower has also been adjusted in the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike division, although not as dramatically as in the Pro 600 class. After careful consideration of competitor input, series officials have bumped the limit up 3hp to 118. In a significant development, the series will implement a fresh concept for the Canadian Thunder class. The twins category will use a sliding scale based on a weight to power ratio of 3.8:1. In the Suzuki SV650 National Cup, horsepower remains capped at 75hp and minimum weight stays at 365 lbs. Both the Pro and Amateur 600 Sport Bike classes have been opened up to include twins of up to 750cc, making the Ducati 749 two-cylinder eligible. Homologation requirements have also been set through 2008. For Japanese manufacturers, 100 units per year of a particular model must be produced to make a motorcycle eligible for the Canadian national series. For non-Japanese manufacturers that number is 10 units per year, but the constructor must apply for committee approval before the particular model will be accepted. There have also been changes to the 600 Sport Bike regulations for next season, all designed to keep the bikes as close as possible to their stock form. Triple clamps, shock linkage, gas cap, battery, starter and charging system must all be O.E. (original equipment) stock. Steering head inserts and fork braces are no longer allowed. Additionally, the ignition and ECU must be stock, made by the O.E.M. as kit, or produced for consumer use by Dynojet Research. “What was considered a major performance add-on not too long ago is now stock equipment on these bikes,” Fraser pointed out, “and there is no longer a need to allow as much modification.” After much debate, “quick-shifters” are still not eligible for the Parts Canada Superbike series. Data acquisition for chassis or suspension is no longer approved for any of the national classes, and all machines must meet a 106dB noise limit and employ effective silencing (i.e. no straight pipes). For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com

Americans get noticed in Spain among 130 racers from 12 countries. The third Metrakit MiniGp world Festival has just concluded this Dec 10-11, 2005. This third edition of the event took place for the second time in Valencia’s “Circuito Ricardo Tormo” and was truly a sight to see. Over 10,000 spectators walked through the gates for the two day event and the largest racer participation in the world for a kids MiniGP event. The two Americans that made the trip from the USA included Rey Dominguez of Miami, FL. age 12 and Hayden Gillim of Owensboro, KY age 11. Hayden was immediately noticed not for his relationship to the Young American MotoGP star but for his fantastic podium finish worthy of admiration considering he had never seen this track outside of his PlayStation. Metrakit provided a Nicky Hayden replica, REPSOL bike complete with the number 69 (Gillims race number in the US) which was later replaced with a federation issued #18 as #69 belonged to another racer that weekend. Hayden got a weak start that put him in 6th but immediately made a pass for first in turn one and battled in a three man (boy) dogfight for most of the race. Hayden was in second place on lap 6 of 9 when a lapped rider caused a two second gap between him and the now second place rider. In the 3 remaining laps Hayden rode his heart out and closed the gap again but was unable to regain the second spot. Rey Dominguez was equally impressive aboard his Metrakit XL80 bike. This was Rey’s first ever visit to The famous Valencia Circuit. The XL80 class was comprised of 33 riders in all. The high level of tuning of these 80’s made the unforeseen low temperatures of the weekend a nightmare in the garage. Rey got three laps of a 20 lap practice session and only got out in time for the last lap of the second session on cold tires. This meant he would have to get all his track knowledge in the warm up session on Sunday before the race. Rey was worried but determined and interestingly confident. In the total 4 laps of practice he dropped from an expected 2:12 lap time to an unexpected 2:07 which proved he was quick to adapt and comfortable on the bike. Ozzie Saez of USMINIGP says “I knew the bike was not all it could be (of course I did not share this with the team) Still I expected problems to come not from the bike but from Rey’s state of mind and downed spirits as a result of Saturday’s problems. A lack of confidence and excitement is typical in these circumstances. Man was I surprised when the red light went out!” To sum things up Rey started from behind mid pack which made for a less than impressive start but immediately made his way forward. The pace was brutal and even scary at points but he made it past the seemingly more “careful” riders only to get hung up in a battle that slowed his times down for two laps. Got passed that rider and opened a huge gap. He rode solo the remainder of the race while closing the gap on the group just in front of him. Rey’s times continued to drop during the 9 lap race which proved he was still just learning his way around the track. His best and final lap was a 2:03 only 2 seconds behind the 9 rider group in front of him. This was good for a 12th place finish. Worthy of mention is that the two front runners checked out with a 1:59 best lap on 166KPH bikes. Also worthy of mention is Dakota Mamola (Randy Mamola’s son). This boy can ride and has a wonderful personality as does his little sister and Mother who were there to cheer him on. Dakota was taken/crashed out on the last turn of the last lap in a 4 way battle. He was OK and when asked what happened and how he felt, he said “sh_ _ Happens”. Although perhaps improper language for a little guy his age it was quite a funny response and proof of his great personality/attitude. Although the Mamolas live in Spain they felt like part of the American team and shared in the team pictures and ambiance. In the name of equality, three of the bikes torn down for verifications were disqualified in both groups. For those interested in learning more about this program see; www.minigp50cc.com or www.cycleimports.com

Yamaha Motor Germany completed a promising two-day test at Valencia today, the first outing for the team’s 2006 model YZF-R6. Experienced Australian Kevin Curtain was satisfied with the performance of the new machine, recording a best lap time of 1:38.6 on a machine that is still in its first stage of development as a race bike. The 39-year-old was able to enjoy two dry and trouble free days on the circuit, allowing him to complete a full test programme, evaluating numerous suspension and tyre options on the R6. Curtain’s team-mate Broc Parkes was only able to complete a handful of laps today after crashing at the final corner on his first session of the morning. The 24-year-old lost rear end grip, no doubt due to the low track temperature. Parkes took a knock to his ankle but escaped serious injury, although his bike fared less well and his test was curtailed due to a lack of spare parts. His best lap time was a 1:38.8, set yesterday. Yamaha Motor Germany’s next test is scheduled to take place at Phillip Island in Australia next month. Round one of the 2006 Supersport World Championship takes place at the Losail circuit, Qatar, on 25 February. Three other R6 riders were in attendance at the test. David Checa rode a machine fitted with prototype YEC 2006 kit parts while the Lorenzini by Leoni squad was also in attendance. The Yamaha Motor Italia supported squad only received their bikes last week, although Massimo Roccoli and Gianluca Vizziello recorded respectable times despite their machines being virtually stock. Kevin Curtain “I’m really happy with how things went over the past two days. The guys did a really great job to get the bikes ready in time and running without any problems, although it shouldn’t be a surprise as they are such a meticulous team. The temperatures were still a bit low today but we were able to get through pretty much everything we planned. I’ve been really impressed with the bike. The engine has so much more mid-range than the R6 I rode last season and the chassis, especially the levels of front end grip, is amazing. I’m going home to Australia confident that the bike can challenge for the title next year.” Broc Parkes “It was a big crash I’m hurting all over and I can’t move my left ankle much, but at least it seems that nothing’s broken. It was early and cold and I got caught out, lost the back end and that was it. It’s a shame I wasn’t able to get more time on the bike but at least we were able to get through most of what we needed to yesterday. Despite everything though it’s been a good first test and we’ve already got a good base to work from. I’m heading back to Australia tomorrow and the boys will no doubt have made some more developments for our test in Australia next month. After three days in Phillip Island we should be in good shape for the start of the season.” Terrell Thien (Team Manager) “It’s been a positive first test, although it was a shame that Broc wasn’t able to finish his test programme today. The track temperature was only about 5°C and he lost the back end. Unfortunately the bike was too badly damaged to continue and we do not yet have enough spares to rebuild the bike. Overall though it has been very positive. At present our bike is maybe only 50 per cent of its potential, so it’s very encouraging to already be at the level of last year’s bike. We have three days testing at Phillip Island next month, after which we should be in good shape for the start of the season.” Lap times Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany YZF-R6) 1:38.6 Broc Parkes (Yamaha Motor Germany YZF-R6) 1:38.8 Massimo Roccoli (Lorenzini by Leoni YZF-R6) 1:39.7 Gianluca Vizziello (Lorenzini by Leoni YZF-R6) 1:39.9 David Checa (Yamaha GMT94 YZF-R6) 1:39.9 Nakatomi debut ends on a low note 15/12/2005 Shinichi Nakatomi’s first ride for the Yamaha Motor France team with whom he will compete in the 2006 Superbike World Championship ended on a low note after the Japanese rider ended the day in hospital with a hand injury. The 27-year-old joined team-mates Norick Abe and Sebastien Gimbert at the two-day test at the Valencia circuit in Spain, impressing on what was his first ride on any circuit outside his native Japan, despite ending the day in the medical centre after crashing during his final session. Like many riders at Valencia, Nakatomi lost the front after pushing too hard on a cold tyre. He has been taken to hospital and is undergoing further examination. The team worked on development of Yamaha’s YEC kit parts and tested numerous parts, including new suspension and swingarms, with Abe and Nakatomi running new Soqi suspension today and Gimbert concentrating on engine development. The team will use the data gained from the test to build its 2006-specification machines over the winter. Abe ended the test as the fastest rider, setting a best lap of 1:36.8, with Gimbert recording a 1:37.0 and Nakatomi 1:38.2. Also in the Yamaha Motor France garage was David Checa, who was running a YZF-R6 fitted with prototype YEC racing parts. Norick Abe “We tried three different types of front suspension and one new rear. On one of the front forks I was able to do a 1:36.8, which is probably my best ever testing lap around here! I was quite happy with this fork and I would like to carry out further tests when we go to Phillip Island next month so that we can decide which brand to use on the race bike.” Sebastien Gimbert “Quite a good test. I concentrated on evaluating the engine parts and I think we have found some good improvements from the bike I rode last year. I’m feeling fit and I’m happy with my times, especially considering the cold weather makes grip levels low at these tests.” Shinichi Nakatomi “I had been enjoying my first experience in Valencia until the crash. I was making good progress to learn the bike and tyres and I was happy with my lap times. Now I must wait for a full diagnosis from the doctor and hope that the injury is not too serious.”

Paul “Hogman” Stephensen passed away on Sunday, December 11th. He had been battling cancer the last few years. ~http://www.legacy.com/Link.asp?Id=LS15982104X~ For those of you too young to remember the mid ’70s and early ’80s…. “The Hogman” was unbeatable in CMRA competition, riding mostly Honda 750s sponsored by Dave Rash at D & D Exhaust. He was also just as unbeatable on everything from Honda 400 fours to the six-cylinder CBX. Funeral services will be held Friday, December 16 at 2 p.m. at: First United Methodist Church 201 South Locust Denton, Texas Phone # 940-382-5478

Photos from Yamaha’s World Supersport shakedown test at Valencia.

CMRA and TMGP racer Yuliya Dvorak married Andy Marcer, owner of Metric Motorcycles and ATVs and founder of Marcer Racing, in Houston, Texas, December 10.

Yamaha Motor Germany riders Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes had their first outing on the race-spec YZF-R6s they will race in next year’s Supersport World Championship at the Valencia circuit in Spain today. The two Australians flew into Spain especially for the test and spent the day making shakedown runs on their bikes, respectively completing 72 and 60 trouble-free laps around the 4.05km circuit on the first of two days testing. The German squad has been working hard in conjunction with its suppliers over the past months to prepare two immaculate machines for the test. Both bikes have been fitted with Öhlins race suspension, although further development work is still to be carried out on the engine prior to the first race of the season, at Qatar in late February. Sunny conditions ensured that the riders were able to get maximum track time, although cool track temperatures meant that grip levels were limited. Today’s test programme concentrated mainly on checking systems and machine familiarisation for both the riders and mechanics rather than setting outright lap times. Tyre supplier Pirelli has also brought along a range of rubber for the team to test. Sharing the Valencia circuit were the Yamaha Motor France world superbike team, who gave Japanese newcomer Shinichi Nakatomi his first outing on their YZF-R1 alongside team-mates Norick Abe and Sebastien Gimbert. Also at the test were the Yamaha Motor Italia-supported Lorenzini by Leoni team, which will enter Massimo Roccoli and Gianluca Vizziello in the world supersport series and Claudio Corti in the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup. David Checa, riding a YZF-R6 for the Yamaha GMT94 team, and the Virgin Mobile Yamaha British superbike team are also in attendance. Kevin Curtain “I really can’t say how happy I am with the new bike. Even at this stage everything is an improvement over the R6 I rode last year. At the moment we’re still running one of Öhlins off-the-shelf shocks but even so I felt really confident with the chassis. I really noticed it when I had a slide coming out of one of the right hand corners – I was half expecting it to pitch me off, but instead it was really predictable. Of course there were a lot of little things we had to fix today, like the gear lever and handlebar positions, but overall it’s a very positive start. My lap times are already matching what we did last season and I can’t wait for when we’ve got everything finished and how I want it.” Broc Parkes “For a first day it’s been perfect really. The bike feels good and so are the times. The track temperature has been too low to really push the bike but already my lap times are close to what we did last year, although that wasn’t really the point of today. It’s been two months since I last rode and so it was as much a case of remembering where the handlebars are as much as anything else! We’ve still got heaps of improvements to make, especially with the suspension settings, but that’s the whole point of today and we’ve got a good idea of the direction to take.” Terrell Thien (Team Manager) “It’s been a good start. This is our first time running these bikes yet any problems we encountered today were small – like the gearlever position not being to Kevin’s liking – but generally everything has worked well. All the electronics: the YCC-T system and our Motec engine management system, have worked perfectly and the rider’s comments have both been good. The chassis is a major step forward and this bike has been built to race. Our lap times are already good and we will find improvements tomorrow. I’d like to thank all of our suppliers for their hard work in supplying us with the parts we needed to be ready for this test, especially Becker Carbon and Gillies Tooling, and to our mechanics, who have worked constantly for the past month, often through the night, to get the bikes ready.”