SPEED Channel DEBUTS AMA SUPERCROSS SERIES Network PROVIDING A MULTITUDE OF VIEWING OPTIONS FOR FANS SPEED Channel heads to Toronto, Canada this week to cover the season’s first Amp’d Mobil World Supercross GP/Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series event. SPEED’s one hour coverage, Sunday, Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. ET, will contain action from all the weekend’s heat races, finishing with the 20-lap feature. SPEED will carry 12 of the 18 Amp’d Mobil World Supercross GP/Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series events this season, beginning with this week’s debut in Toronto and ending with the finale in Las Vegas. Each broadcast will be aired one day following the actual event. SPEED also will carry all 18 Supercross Lite races, in one-hour formats a week after each event is run. The Series events will also be available via SPEED On Demand, which reaches more than 11 million homes in North America throughout the year. Those who want to catch the action via the Internet can go to www.speedondemand.com seven days post-race for $1.99 each event for up to 90 days. “The one missing jewel in SPEED’s motorcycle racing programming was Supercross,” commented Rick Miner Senior V.P. Production / Programming and Executive Producer for SPEED Channel. “It is great to add the Amp’d Mobil World Supercross GP/Amp’d Mobile AMA Supercross Series to an already outstanding lineup of the world’s great motorcycle racing.” SPEED’s Ralph Sheehan will head up the booth, teaming with former racer Denny Stephenson. Motor racing reporter, Krista Voda, will cover all the action in the pits. “SPEED fits in with what Supercross is about,” said Stephenson 1990 Supercross Lite East Coast champion. “SPEED has areas already in place where they can promote the series and with SPEED, it will reach the Supercross fan. I am a huge fan of the sport and it is an honor to do this.” 2005-06 Amp’d Mobil World Supercross Grand Prix Broadcast Schedule Toronto Sunday, Dec. 4 6:00 p.m. ET Vancouver, B.C. Sunday, Dec. 11 6:00 p.m. ET Phoenix Sunday, Jan. 15 6:00 p.m. ET Anaheim, Ca. Sunday, Feb. 5 5:00 p.m. ET Atlanta Sunday, Feb. 26 4:30 p.m. ET Indianapolis Sunday, March 5 6:00 p.m. ET Daytona, Fla. Saturday, March 11 1:00 p.m. ET Orlando, Fla. Sunday, March 19 6:00 p.m. ET Detroit Sunday, March 26 6:00 p.m. ET Houston Sunday, April 2 6:00 p.m. ET Dallas Sunday, April 23 6:00 p.m. ET Las Vegas Sunday, May 7 6:00 p.m. ET SPEED Channel is the nation’s first and foremost cable network dedicated to motor sports and the passion for everything automotive. From racing to restoration, motorcycles to movies, SPEED Channel delivers quality programming from the track to the garage. Now available in nearly 70 million homes in North America, SPEED Channel is among the fastest growing sports cable networks in the country and an industry leader in interactive TV, video on-demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services.

Season Finale at Homestead This Weekend The Championship Cup Series of Florida returns to the Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. A huge field of up to 800 entries is expected to compete in the 19 race program. Of the 40 class championships, 27 will be determined at this event. Gustavo Laya of Miami, Florida has won the Amateur Overall Championship. While Darren Luck of Bonita Springs, Florida has won the Expert Overall Championship and will carry the #1 plate for 2006.

POSITIVE DAY 2 AT JEREZ FOR DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM Ducati Desmosedici GP6 testing debut continued today with Loris Capirossi concentrating on engine management and new tyres while Sete Gibernau continued to get used to the Italian bike and the Bridgestone tyres. Jerez (Spain), Tuesday 29 November 2005 – Weather conditions improved at Jerez today, enabling the Ducati Marlboro Team to make the most of the second day of testing scheduled at the Spanish circuit. Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau first took to the track at 11.40 am due to the cold morning temperatures, but lapped until 5 pm exclusively with the new Desmosedici GP6. Loris Capirossi, who continued engine management work aimed at improving the bike’s ‘rideability’, was satisfied with the GP6’s immediate feeling. The Italian rider was also able to take advantage of the improved track conditions to test several new Bridgestone tyres as well as new the Ohlins suspensions. Capirossi completed a total of 60 laps, setting a quickest time of 1m41.489s. “We were lucky with the weather!” declared a smiling Capirossi. “Despite the fact that it was cold, the track was in a pretty decent condition. We were able to work better than yesterday and the positive impressions of the first day were confirmed. Today we also tested several tyres and new front and rear suspensions and the feeling was good right away. Everything is going well. Hopefully if the weather stays good tomorrow, I’ll do a few back-to-back tests with the GP5 but I can honestly say that our new bike has got off to a good start.” It was a positive day also for his new team-mate Sete Gibernau, who is becoming more and more familiar with his new Desmosedici machine. Today the Spanish rider concentrated mainly on suspension and set-up work. Sete totalled 66 laps around the Jerez track, with a best time of 1m41.466s “Today we focussed on set-up and suspension work” declared Sete. “It was useful to get to know exactly what I need to find the right feeling with the new bike. We made progress and managed to find a path that seemed right. With this set-up tomorrow we can concentrate more on the engine mapping. We are making small steps forward to avoid going in the wrong direction. I also tested the new tyres and started to give a few indications to the Bridgestone guys. I’m pleased with what we did today and hope to continue like this tomorrow.” Tomorrow will be the third and final day of testing for the Ducati Marlboro Team at the Spanish circuit before the winter break. The team will next be seen in action at Sepang, Malaysia from 23-25 January 2006. Temperatures: air 15° – 17° C, track 16° – 24° C

American Kenny Noyes (Folch Yamaha R1) qualified third and finished fifth in the final round of the Spanish 1000cc Formula Extreme Championship Sunday, his best result to date in Spain’s top national series. He ran second for the first two laps behind eventual winner Javier del Amor (Laglisse Yamaha) and hung on in the lead group composed of del Amor, Ivan Silva (Laglisse Yamaha), Dani Ribalta (Pontgrup Suzuki) and David Tomas (BQR Honda) until a couple of mistakes late in the race dropped him to fifth. Folch Yamaha’s second rider, Bernat Martinez, finished tenth. “This was really the first time we’ve had the bike working this well and the first time I’ve been on the front row in Formula Extreme. Today we had the pace to run with the leaders until I made two mistakes on the same lap when I was running with Ribalta and that let Tomas by too. We made a big step forward in the last couple of races, especially with suspension, thanks to a top Ohlins technician who really taught me a lot about how to set the Yamaha up. I learned a lot running with the fast guys at the front today. I can’t wait to start testing the new 2006 R1 with the new swingarm in a couple of weeks. I think we can be at the front next year,” said Noyes, who has signed with Folch Endurance to ride the Spanish Formula Extreme Championship, the Spanish Endurance series and to make wild card rides in World Endurance and World Superbike in 2006. Results Spanish Formula Extreme 1. Javier del Amor (Laglisse Yamaha R1) 30’23.230 2. Ivan Silva (Laglisse Yamaha R1) 30´24.152 3. Dani Ribalta (Pontgrup Suzuki GSX-R) 30´25.808 4. David Tomas (BQR Honda CBR1000RR) 30´30.228 5. Kenny Noyes (Folch Yamaha R1) 30´33.214 6. Josep Sarda (D´Antin Yamaha R1) 30´39.292 7. Sergio Fuertes (Reynolds Suzuki GSX-R) 30´40.183 8. Julian Mazuecos(Motoracing Yamaha R1)30´48.158 9. Enrique Rocamora (Reynolds Suzuki) 30´49.431 10. Bernat Martinez (Folch Yamaha R1) 30´59.304 Fastest lap: Tomas 1’46.052 32 bikes started, 29 finished, 6 were lapped

Gauloises Yamaha Team Test Sepang, Malaysia Tuesday 29th November 2005 Ambient temperature: 30.7 degrees Track temperature: 40 degrees Humidity: 62% ROSSI AND EDWARDS SPEED UP IN SEPANG Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards completed a positive second day of testing at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia today, both making marked improvements to their lap times from yesterday. Rossi topped the unofficial time sheets at the close of play and Edwards was also over eight-tenths of a second faster than on day one. Rossi spent most of the day testing Michelin tyres and getting to grips with Yamaha’s new prototype 2006-spec YZR-M1, which he rode for the first time yesterday, before switching back onto the 2005 bike towards the end of the day to continue working with Michelin. Edwards also tested several tyres, the American continuing to work exclusively on the 2005-spec bike before he tries the new prototype tomorrow afternoon. Rossi set a best time of 2’02.61, inside the lap record and over a second faster than his best lap of yesterday. He was followed by Melandri and Elias (both Honda) with Edwards in fourth with a time of 2’02.94. VALENTINO ROSSI 1st, 2’02.61, 60 LAPS “I am really happy with what we did today on the new bike and I am feeling quite positive about it. I have a good feeling on it and more stability than with the old M1, so this is very encouraging considering that it’s just the first day of work. Today we did a lot of work with Michelin while trying to understand and gather data for the new bike. At the end of the day I changed back to the old bike and continued testing tyres. Yesterday the feeling was not perfect with the 2005 bike but we changed some settings and today it began to feel much better. We had some problems here in the race and so it’s good to make these improvements. Tomorrow we have some more things to try with the new bike before we fly home for the holidays!” COLIN EDWARDS 4th, 2’02.94, 67 LAPS “During my first run this morning I went over half a second quicker than yesterday and then went even faster later, so it was a good day. We mostly concentrated on testing tyres in the morning and then the afternoon was spent trying out some other stuff for Yamaha. This new style is not so much about my position on the bike there are small changes to that but I think only a serious ‘Edwards fan’ could notice its more about my style of controlling the bike before and during a corner. My technique has definitely changed and it’s feeling better each day as I get more used to it. Tomorrow I think I need to do a long run and then I hope to get on the new bike in the afternoon. I am really excited about trying it out; Valentino seems very positive about it so I can’t wait to have a go myself!” DAVIDE BRIVIO GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “Both riders worked a lot for Michelin today and it was a positive day all round. Valentino made a good start with the 2006-spec bike and Colin also continued to make improvements to his performance, so it was another good day of testing. Tomorrow Valentino has a few more things to do on the new bike and then we hope to be able to give it to Colin for the afternoon to give him a chance to make his own evaluation.” UNOFFICIAL LAP TIMES 1. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Gauloises Yamaha Team, 2’02.61 2. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda, 2’02.65 3. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda, 2’02.78 4. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Gauloises Yamaha Team, 2’02.94 5. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda, 2’02.96 6. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda, 2’03.05 7. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki, 2’03.10 8. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda, 2’03.15 9. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki, 2’03.52 10. Casey Stoner (AUS) Honda, 2’03.56 11. Chris Vermuelen (AUS) Suzuki, 2’04.50 12. Randy du Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki, 2’04.50 13. James Ellison (GBR) Yamaha, 2’05.52 Sepang Lap Record: Nicky Hayden (Honda) 2005 2’02.993 Sepang Best Lap: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2005 2’01.731 More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Honda: MARCO AND TONI CONTINUE THEIR TESTING PROGRAMME AT SEPANG Sepang, the Fortuna Honda team riders continued their testing programme today at Sepang and enjoyed improved conditions compared to yestarday, allowing the riders to enter the track early on in the morning. Although Marco was not in perfect physical conditions, he continued to be one of the fastest riders on track: after having scored the best lap time yesterday, today the Italian posted the second fastest time. Alongside Marco, his team mate Toni Elias who, entering his second MotoGP season but his first for Honda, is building up experience on the RC211V. Toni completed 80 laps improving lap by laphis feeling with the bike. The Spaniard signed today’s third fastest time. MARCO MELANDRI (63 laps, 2’02″63 ): “Today we tested a range of front and rear tyres. I’m very satisfied of the work done today and I’m very happy to work with the Michelin technicians at the development of the tyres. I complet! ely 63 laps and made an endurance test covering half of the race distance. Tomorrow we have scheduled a race simulation. I’m very happy, the bike is working very well and I feel a bit better compared to yesterday.” TONI ELIAS (80 laps, 2’02″76): “Today we continued working on the setting of the bike, focusing especially on forks and the feeling with the bike has improved. I’m feeling more comfortable even though at the moment I’m not riding as I would like to ride. All in all, I’m very happy, we have adopted a step-by-step approach and I’m gaining confidence with the RC211V. Unfortunately today I was not feeling well but thanks to the doctors of the circuit, I could finish work programme scheduled for today.” UNOFFICIAL LAP TIMES 1. Valentino Rossi (Ita/Yamaha) 2’02″62 2. Marco Melandri (Ita/Honda)2’02″63 3. Toni Elias (Sp/Honda) 2’02″76 4. Carlos Chec! a (Sp/Honda) 2’02″90 5. Colin Edwards (Usa/Yamaha) 2’02″98 6. Nicky Hayden (Usa/Honda) 2’03″04 7. John Hopkins (Usa/Suzuki) 2’03″24 8. Dani Pedrosa (Sp/Honda) 2’03″35 9. Nakano (Jap/Kawasaki) 2’03″49 10. Casey Stoner (Aus/Honda) 2’03″53 More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: HONDA RACING INFORMATION HRC MotoGP test Sepang, Malaysia November 29, 2005. Second day of three-day test. Marco Melandri fastest Honda RC211V rider on day two of Sepang MotoGP test session The second day of the HRC MotoGP test at Sepang Malaysia saw the Honda supported teams and riders get down to serious work testing various chassis settings and a range of Michelin tyres. The RC211V riders took to the track in the same energy sapping hot and humid conditions they experienced on the opening day of the three-day test, 30 degrees of intense heat and humidity of over 70% and all set faster times than they managed on the opening day of the test. Fortuna Honda riders Marco Melandri and Toni Elias were the fastest Honda men on track with Melandri setting the best lap time of the six RCV riders testing today. Melandri, who won the final two MotoGP races of the 2005 season, was in sparkling form as he tested a range of Michelin tyres for the French manufacturer. The young Italian set consistently fast times as he confirmed his brilliant end of season form His best time of 2m 02.6s was almost four tenths of a second inside the lap record for the circuit, set by Nicky Hayden at 2m 02.993s at the 2005 grand prix. Elias was the surprise man of the day with a best lap time of 2m 02.74s, well over a second faster than his best lap time on the opening day of the three day test. The young Spaniard, making his debut on a Honda RCV, put together a string of 2m 03s laps that impressed his new team and the HRC engineers. Repsol Honda team riders Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa worked hard all day with American Hayden spending his time evaluating the latest version of the RCV chassis that HRC introduced late in the 2005 season. Pedrosa experimented with the suspension settings and the ride height of his RCV in a bid to find the machine set up most suitable to his style and size. Once he felt more at home on the machine Pedrosa improved his lap time by 0.5 seconds and pronounced himself satisfied with his day’s work. Teammate Hayden has yet to be convinced the latest chassis is a major improvement on the one he raced to fourth place at the Malaysian GP, held in September last. Team Honda Pons riders Carlos Checa and Casey Stoner both recorded faster lap times than they managed on the opening day. Both riders are testing the RCV for the second time with the vastly experienced Checa the faster of the two men. Checa covered 67 laps of the 5.548km GP circuit, his younger, inexperienced teammate only managed to get in 48 laps due to severe cramp in his forearms and thighs. Honda rider lap times and quotes. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 2m 03.00s – 69 laps. “Honestly I didn’t have the greatest of days and I didn’t improve much on my lap time of yesterday. We tested chassis stuff all day. I was using the chassis that Max (Biaggi) and Sete (Gibernau) used at some races after Donington Park. It has some good points but I felt the old chassis was a little better because I know it so well. This chassis turns in good but in the fast corners I was not so comfortable. We used the same tyre we had used at the GP back in September but tomorrow we will test for Michelin and look for a tyre to use with this chassis then smooth out and get consistent. Today was good in some ways but I’m not satisfied with my own performance, I could have been better.” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 2m 03.28s – 59 laps. “It was a difficult day, hard work in this heat and humidity. Today we tried several suspension settings and the ride height of the bike to try and make it more comfortable for me to ride. We did not change the type of tyre we were using because we don’t want to change too much at one time while we are trying to get the information we need for me to get the best out of the bike. I found the basic direction that I need to be working in but it is still too early for me to say if the front end is really good for me. The engine settings we used were basically the same as we used yesterday. I am happy with the test so far and we have definitely made some progress and that is the most important thing. MotoGP testing is so intense and we have quite a stiff programme of tests ahead of us, it’s much different to what I have been used to.” Marco Melandri, Fortuna Honda: 2m 02.60s – 63 laps. “Today was good for me we did a lot of laps and I’m pretty happy with the results. We tested for Michelin, just rear tyres. I tried five different tyres running about half race distance with each tyre. I found one that I really liked. We changed the geometry slightly and that was very interesting and I found I could run very fast with the set up and the good rear tyre. I am happy because I found a good rhythm with the bike in that condition and ran consistently fast times. The front end is still pushing a little but it has improved a lot from the GP race here. I’m satisfied with the work we did and, I hope, Michelin also. Tonight Michelin will analyse the results of the tyre test and if they are satisfied then tomorrow we will be looking to find more traction and drive ability.” Toni Elias, Fortuna Honda: 2m 02.74s – 80 laps. “I’m happy. We improved the front end a little and it’s better than yesterday but not enough. I’m not so comfortable with the front because I can feel it pushing in the corners but I like the way the rear of the bike behaves. But overall I am more comfortable on the bike than I was yesterday. I did some work for Michelin with both front and rear tyres, also trying the tyres on different width rims. But I don’t really have a clear indication of what is the best size to use. My rhythm was good I did a few laps at 2m 03s and that is good progress. We have more work to do if I am to be really consistent. We have not finished our work with Michelin so we will carry on testing tyres tomorrow.” Carlos Checa, Team Honda Pons: 2m 02.932s – 67 laps. “Today we spent our time making the bike more comfortable for me to ride. Basically we tested tyres and at the same time tried to get rid of the front-end vibration and wheel chatter we have. We tried about six or seven different tyres, profiles, compounds, etc and had improved a little by the end of the day. We tested different suspension parts and machine settings trying to clear up the problem I was having with the front end. If we fix this I can make some real progress with this bike. We are at the starting point and I have heard that the new chassis HRC is preparing is better than the one I used today so I am already looking forward to testing the new bike in January.” Casey Stoner, Team Honda Pons: 2m 03.56s – 48 laps. “Basically we improved but we are still trying to get rid of front wheel chatter. We tried to set the bike up and tried to improve my understanding of what I am capable of doing on this machine. So we just ran through the options we have here. We didn’t try anything on geometry just suspension settings, ride height and the riding position. We don’t have a big selection of tyres from Michelin, which is probably best because I have to get used to the bike. Unfortunately my arms were cramping up and we had to stop, I have to get fitter before the next test. So far the test has been very good for me and I’m really beginning to get a good feel for the bike. If I don’t get the cramps tomorrow we will carry on testing the general bike settings.”

HRC MotoGP test Sepang, Malaysia November 28, 2006. Opening day of three-day test. Honda teams open three day MotoGP test at Sepang, Malaysia. The final test of the 2005 MotoGP season began at the 5.548 km Sepang circuit close to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia today. Three Honda teams taking the opportunity to test their RC211V five cylinder 990cc grand prix machines before the winter break in a bid to provide HRC engineers with technical the vital feed back necessary to build the 2006 RCV. The test is scheduled to last three-days but the teams lost much of the morning session when overnight rain left the track surface wet delaying serious work until after 11.00 am. Once the session was underway the teams concentrated their efforts on finding optimum settings for the RCVs before moving on to test the latest chassis developments and a range of Michelin tyres in preparation for the first test of 2006 scheduled for Sepang in late January. The two-man Repsol Honda factory team will be comprised of Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa in 2006 with the two men approaching the Sepang test with vastly different objectives. Former US Superbike Champion Hayden, a three-year MotoGP veteran, will bear the brunt of RCV testing at Sepang with his new team-mate, reigning double 250cc World Champion Pedrosa continuing his education at the top level in the senior category of motorcycle racing. Hayden tested a combination of the latest chassis developments from HRC and a range of front and rear tyres. Pedrosa, from Barcelona, Spain, spent his day coring as many kilometres as possible on the 990cc 240 PS plus GP machine growing more and more confident as the day wore on. The Gresini Racing MotoGP Fortuna Honda of double 2005 GP winner Marco Melandri and Toni Elias took to the track with the same intentions as their Repsol Honda counterparts. Melandri, in his second season aboard an RC211V set the pace with a superb best lap time of 2m 2.019s while testing a range of new rubber for tyre supplier Michelin. Elias entering his second MotoGP season but his first for Honda was not chasing lap times as he adopted a step-by-step approach to the test. The test was run in temperatures of 30 degrees with humidity in excess of 70% so stifling that Italian Melandri, still suffering the after effects of a serious bout of influenza decided the team would be best served if he ended the opening day early in order to save his strength for the remaining two-days. Spaniard Elias began cautiously on the damp track eventually finding a comfortable rhythm that yielded a series of low 2m 04s laps. Team Honda Pons arrived at Sepang with their all-new line up for the 2006 season, Spaniard Carlos Checa and Australian Stoner. The team riders spent the opening day of the test acclimatising to the RC211V looking for the optimal base settings that will allow them to start testing in earnest tomorrow. For Checa, an experienced 500cc and MotoGP campaigner 2006 will be his first aboard a 4-stroke Honda. For Stoner next season will be his first ever season in the senior category of racing fooling his successful 125cc and 250cc 2-stroke career. On the fast 5.548km circuit Checa’s experience carried him to a best lap time of 2m 03.605s, with his young team-mate just over 0.5s slower, despite him loosing the front end of the RCV and sliding off into the gravel trap. Honda rider lap times and quotes. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 2m 03.027s – 52 laps. “Decent days work looking back on it. Good weather this afternoon and we just kept chippin away at the job all across the board and we made good progress in some places. A few things I really liked about the bike today we tried some chassis changes and they help a lot like going into the corners the bike is better and that was good for my confidence. We also tested front and rear tyres for Michelin, which seem pretty good. We have to work hard at this test and get more consistent. A lot of guys are working hard for me here and we have to take a lot out of this test.” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 2m 03.70s – 52 laps. “I was looking to get a good feeling on the bike try to find the best riding position for me get comfortable. Then just ride and get more information for the team and gain experience with the bike, engine chassis and tyres. The mechanics need experience with the new group everybody has to grow up together. Today I think we made big improvement in confidence compared to the test at Valencia, I am now much more confident on the bike. Braking hard on this high bike was much better than the last time I tested it. We only tried two different types of Michelin tyres today. I don’t have any experience of the Michelin tyres so we let Michelin do our thinking for me today because they know the tyres me and my chief mechanic, Michael Leitner, don’t have the experience yet. But I could feel the front end pushing but I think this is coming from the big rear tyre. The step up to MotoGP is very big, much bigger than from 125 to 250. I like the Sepang circuit and this will help during this test. ” Marco Melandri, Fortuna Honda: 2m 2.97s – 61 laps. “It’s only three weeks since I raced the bike I felt good and did a lot of laps. The track not in good condition but I found a decent rhythm. We spent the day working on the general bike settings for the bike before we started testing tyres for Michelin. I was injured when the race was held here but we improved the set up from the last time I tried the RCV here. We tried several front and rear tyres before I stopped my test one hour early. I was quite sick while I was in Japan last week so I didn’t want to get too tired because we have two more days testing. Tomorrow we will try some chassis changes and HRC want us to try something new on the electronics.” Toni Elias, Fortuna Honda: 2m 04.059s – 49 laps. “The conditions wee not ideal today the track was quite wet in the morning but we got in a lot of laps. I made a lot of kilometres today and found a good riding position. I didn’t get crazy with the set up by trying to many things just little adjustments. I felt more comfortable on the bike today than I did at the first test in Valencia I was very calm and comfortable not getting nervous about when we had some small problems. I am very happy with this team everything is completely new for my chief mechanic, Antonio Jimenez and me. Everybody has been very helpful and it has given me a lot of confidence for this test and the future. ” Carlos Checa, Team Honda Pons: 2m 03.605s – 38 laps. “I enjoy riding this bike seems very positive but I still have to learn a lot about the bike. I am still in a little pain from my crash at Valencia earlier this month. For me it’s a good experience to ride with this team. If you had told me at half way through the last season that I would be riding for the team with Santi Mulero as my chief mechanic I would have been very happy for my future. I feel we can grow together into a good team. At this test I want to do a lot of laps with the bike and try various set up options and test as many tyres as possible. Now we have found a good riding position I am ready to begin tyre testing tomorrow.” Sito Pons, Team Manager Honda Pons. “Today we have been working with the two riders to get them used to the feel of the bike and the tyres. Casey is completely new to the MotoGP class but he was very confident on the bike after just 10 laps today. He is a very talented rider and you can see how well he is riding already. Carlos is very experienced and will adapt to the RCV quickly. We have a good mix of experienced and raw talent in the team and I have confidence in both riders.” Casey Stoner, Team Honda Pons: 2m 04.259s – 59 laps. “The whole day was pretty good except for the crash, the front end just went away from me. I need a lot of laps on the bike but we made an improvement from the test at Valencia the team have made the riding position better for me the size of the bike suits me better than a 250. I felt good out there, really comfortable but I have to take the test step by step. After the crash I didn’t make much more progress.”

FIRST DAY OF TESTING FOR MARCO AND TONI AT SEPANG The 2006 championship started today for Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki. The teams of the four Japanese manufactures came back to action at Sepang, Malesia for the last test of the year, three days before the winter break, providing one last opportunity for the riders to continue preparations for next season before the end of 2005. It will be the final chance until next year as teams are not permitted to test between the 1st of December until the 20th of January. The first day of testing was very hot and humid (30 degrees the air temperature and over 70% of humidity). Because of the overnight rain, the track was wet in the morning and the Fortuna Honda riders could start testing only from 12.00. Both Marco Melandri and Toni Elias worked hard out there and were very positive. Marco worked mainly on set up and tyre testing while Toni, at his second debut on the RC211V after the test in Valencia, lapped in order to gain confidence with the bike. MARCO MELANDRI (61 laps, 2’02″96): “It’s only three weeks since I raced the bike I felt good and did a lot of laps. The track today was not in very good condition but I could find a decent rhythm. We spent the day working on the general bike settings for the bike before we started testing tyres for Michelin. I was injured when the race was held here so we needed to fix the best setting before testing several front and rear tyres. Unfortunately I had to stop my test one hour early. I’m not 100% well, I was quite sick while I was in Japan last week so I didn’t want to get too tired because we have two more days testing.” TONI ELIAS (49 laps, 2’04″059): “I like the bike and I’m very happy of today’s test session. The conditions were not ideal today because the track was quite wet in the morning but we got in a lot of laps. I made a lot of kilometres today and found a good riding position. I didn’t get crazy with the set up by trying to many things, just little adjustments. I felt more comfortable on the bike today than I did at the first test in Valencia. I was very calm and comfortable and lapped without forcing. I am very happy with this team and my chief mechanic, Antonio Jiminez. Everybody has been very helpful and it has given me a lot of confidence for this test and the future. “

Gauloises Yamaha Team Test Sepang, Malaysia Monday 28th November 2005 Ambient temperature: 30.2 degrees Track temperature: 40 degrees Humidity: 65% GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM GET BACK TO BUSINESS IN SEPANG Just three weeks after rounding off Yamaha’s victorious 2005 season in Valencia, Gauloises Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards were back in Malaysia at their most frequently-visited testing venue today, as they commenced their winter program at Sepang alongside Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha Tech 3. A short rain shower in the morning slightly delayed proceedings, but the weather then stayed dry and the team was able to continue working uninterrupted through to the end of the day. Rossi concentrated mainly on Michelin tyre testing, before getting on to the prototype version of the new 2006-spec YZR-M1 towards the end of the session. He completed a short run of the 5.548km circuit on the new bike and will begin more in-depth work on it tomorrow. Edwards spent the day focusing on the new riding style he has been adapting to over the last part of the season, working with settings and electronics on his M1 as well as testing some new tyres for Michelin. According to the unofficial lap times, the fastest man on the track today was Marco Melandri (Honda) with a time of 2’02.95. He was followed by Nicky Hayden, Carlos Checa and MotoGP rookie Dani Pedrosa (all Honda) with Edwards (2’03.78) and Rossi (2’03.80) fifth and sixth fastest. COLIN EDWARDS 5th, 2’03.78, 64 LAPS “As usual it was hot and humid out there, but it feels good to be back on the bike. We had a bit of a rain delay in the morning and got started a bit late, but once we did get going I instantly felt comfortable on the bike. I said in Valencia that I needed to get out and do lap after lap to really ingrain this new style in to my head, and this test is offering me that chance. As soon as I started I felt that it was coming much more easily than at the last two races; I didn’t have to make such an effort to consciously think about doing it and it felt more natural. We played around with some new settings and electronics and found that we are moving even more towards Valentino’s settings; it all felt good. We tested a couple of tyres for Michelin, but mostly today was about getting back into the swing of things and getting comfortable with my new style.” VALENTINO ROSSI 6th, 2’03.80, 60 LAPS “My first impressions of the new bike are very positive. The engine seems a little bit faster and it feels more stable. However I only did a short run; just a few laps, so it’s really too early to make any detailed observations about it at this stage. Tomorrow the real work will start and we will take some time to try to understand the new bike and begin to work on the set-up. Most of today we spent on the 2005 bike, testing tyres for Michelin and trying to understand the problems that we had here during the race in September. We made some investigations and tried to gather some information to help us, and we made some good progress. We will continue like this tomorrow as well as getting started working on the new bike.” DAVIDE BRIVIO GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “This morning the track was a bit wet so we had a delay to our starting time. It’s only the first day back but it was a positive start for both riders. Valentino made some laps on the new bike, just to get the initial feeling, and tomorrow we will start to work properly on it, trying to gather as much information as we can. Colin is continuing from where he left off in Valencia, getting used to his new style of riding and adapting his settings to match it. He will carry on like this tomorrow and then on Wednesday he will try the new bike also.” UNOFFICIAL LAP TIMES 1. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda, 2’02.95 2. Nicky Hayden (USA) Honda, 2’03.20 3. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda, 2’03.58 4. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Honda, 2’03.75 5. COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Gauloises Yamaha Team, 2’03.78 6. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Gauloises Yamaha Team 2’03.80 7. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda, 2’04.05 8. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki, 2’04.13 9. Casey Stoner (AUS) Honda, 2’04.29 10. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki, 2’04.90 11. James Ellison (GBR) Yamaha, 2’05.10 12. Chris Vermuelen (AUS) Suzuki, 2’05.56 13. Randy du Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki, 2’05.60 Sepang Lap Record: Nicky Hayden (Honda) 2005 2’02.993 Sepang Best Lap: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2005 2’01.731