Brookes and Stauffer soar in Superbike qualifying Formidable New South Welshmen Josh Brookes and Jamie Stauffer have started with a bang in the final round of the 2005 YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship at Phillip Island on November 12. The duo both eclipsed Brookes’ one-month-old lap record of 1:37.763 during today’s two qualifying sessions, with Brookes (Joe Rocket Honda CBR1000RR) finally stopping the clocks at 1:34.202, just in advance of Stauffer’s 1:34.252 on the Kawasaki Racing Team ZX-10R. It was Brookes’ first pole position on the year, with the bonus point moving him to just 9pts (241 to 232) in arrears of championship leader Shawn Giles (Team Suzuki GSX-R1000). Giles, 35, qualified in seventh with a 1:35.231. “That point could be the difference between winning and losing the championship,” said Brookes. “Now I’ve just got to lead the races and hope that there are a number of guys between me and Giles. “If that’s good enough to win, then so be it. If it’s not, I’ve still given it my best shot.” Hitherto, Brookes has won three Superbike races in 2005, the same number as Giles and teammate Adam Fergusson (Joe Rocket CBR1000RR). Moreover, he whitewashed the Superbike support races at last month’s Polini Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. Fergusson, seeking to become just the fourth multiple winner of the Australian Superbike title since its inception in 1987, is still in the hunt on 226pts, and will start from grid position four (1:34.936) alongside impressive privateer Russell Holland (1:34.912) on the Pirelli-shod CBR1000RR. Then it’s multiple world Superbike race winner Anthony Gobert (Redwing Honda CBR1000RR, 1:35.036) and Daniel Stauffer (Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1, 1:35.203). Gobert, 30, sat out session two with mechanical problems, but showed enough in practice and the opening qualifier to suggest that a podium finish may be on the cards tomorrow. Meanwhile, Giles’ attempt at winning a fourth Superbike title will be made harder by a second row start, but the venerable 35-year-old still holds onto a 9pt cushion and his record around Phillip Island is exemplary. Since 2002, Giles has won 50 per cent (seven of 14) of the Australian Superbike Championship races at Phillip Island and finished on the podium in an unnerring 100 per cent of them! Shannon Johnson (Team Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:35.488) completes row two, with 18 machines behind the reigning Australian supermoto champion. That throng includes 2005 race winners Robert Bugden (Northstar Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:35.787) and Glenn Allerton (Team Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:35.842), who will start from 10th and 11th respectively behind the rapidly improving Shannon Etheridge (Nova Honda CBR1000RR, 1:35.695). Budgen, who is tipped to make the ascension to factory rider in 2006, currently leads the privateer class ahead of Scott Charlton (Active Electrical GSX-R1000) and evergreen New Zealander Tony Rees (Bike Biz YZF-R1). In Supersport, 21-year-old Mark Aitchison (Fraser Motorcycles) slotted his Dunlop-shod Yamaha YZF-R6 into pole position after completing only six laps across the two 30-minute qualifying sessions! Aitchison, who defeated Brookes (Joe Rocket Honda CBR600RR) by just 0.001sec in the final Supersport support race at the Polini Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, uncorked a spritely 1:37.269 in this morning’s opening qualifier, which proved to be more than enough to claim his first pole position of the year. Aitchison only completed four laps in that session, and two in the second qualifier simply to scrub in a front tyre for tomorrow’s opening 12-lapper. “I’ve got a really good set-up at the moment, and the Dunlop tyres are working a treat,” said Aitchison. “So far, so good.” When asked if Brookes’ two-year-old lap record of 1:37.111 will be threatened in the races, Aitchison continued: “This morning, we pushed things fairly hard, but we still had a bit left in the tank. I reckon 36s may be possible, but we’ll see how it goes.” Aitchison will be joined on the front row of the Supersport grid by the Honda CBR600RRs of Bryan Staring (Allect Racing, 1:37.990), current championship leader Brookes (1:37.994), and reigning No. 1 Fergusson (Joe Rocket, 1:38.843). Brookes, who won the world Supersport race at Phillip Island in 2004, is currently 12pts (266 to 254) in front of teammate Fergusson, and another searing performance tomorrow will see the 22-year-old add to his sole Supersport title in 2001. Brookes has won five of the last six national-level Supersport races at Phillip Island, including a blitzkrieg of this year’s opening round in April. Meanwhile, Kawasaki Racing Team’s Joshua Waters (ZX-6RR, 1:38.488) and his 125 GP contemporary Jason O’Halloran (Rocket Racing CBR600RR, 1:38.891) were the last two riders to break into the 38-second bracket, and will start on row two alongside former Australian dirt track champion Chris Seaton (Ewington Racing Kawasaki, 1:39.062) and Jeremy Crowe (Rapid Bikes Magazine YZF-R6, 1:39.318). Waters, who won the 250cc four-stroke class at last weekend’s Australian Long Track Championship in Bathurst, is fifth in the standings on 197pts, behind Aitchison (207pts) and Staring (199pts).

Montreal’s Diablo Racing is pleased to announce the addition of Chris Peris to their 2006 team line-up. Having competed in forty-two races in 2005, Chris earned his place with the double championship winning team through his obvious perseverance and incredible enthusiasm. This past season was very successful for Peris Racing. In Canada, Chris participated in only six of the eight Hindle Pro 600 Sport Bike races, yet was able to secure a strong 3rd place finish, including two wins and podiums 100% of the time. In the AMA, Chris showed what he was made of by competing head-to-head with the fastest factory riders in the world placing in the top ten every race with a personal best of 4th in Formula Extreme and a 6th in Supersport. For the 2006 season, Chris will join veteran number one plate holder Steve Crevier to compete in both 600 Sport Bike and Parts Canada Superbike Championship races. Peris will be on the track at each Canadian round as well as all non-conflicting AMA Superbike and Supersport races throughout the US. “Knowing that he had other offers on the table, I was delighted to have Chris join our team,” said team manager Eddy Brunet. “Our recent success by capturing both number one plates in 2005 demonstrated Diablo’s dedication to the sport and it was undoubtedly a factor is Chris’ decision to play with the devil.” Engine builder Willie Vass will once again be in charge of building and tuning Chris’ sportbikes. Having built the bikes that Chris rode in 2005 will inspire the young rider with confidence. Suspension guru & engineer Dale Rathwell said, “I am excited to have the opportunity to work with Chris; he’s a talented rider who can really push the bikes to their limit. With his feedback I’m confident we can tune the chassis and suspension for whatever the Championship demands.”

Friday’s Overall Best Australian Superbike Practice Times: 1. Adam Fergusson (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:35.500 2. Anthony Gobert (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:35.554 3. Shawn Giles (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:35.631 4. Josh Brookes (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:35.741 5. Jamie Stauffer (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:36.014 6. Shannon Johnson (Yam YZF-R1), 1:36.423 7. Daniel Stauffer (Yam YZF-R1), 1:36.867 8. Robert Bugden (Yam YZF-R1), 1:36.881 9. Scott Charlton (Suz GSX-R1000), 1:36.893 10. Wayne Maxwell (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:36.996

Road racer Vincent Haskovec has checked out of Long Beach Memorial Hospital and returned to his home in Lake Elsinore, California. Haskovec was hospitalized October 7 due to an infection setting in around hardware installed to stabilize his spine following a crash during an AMA Formula Xtreme race at Infineon Raceway May 14. The hardware and infected bone and tissue were removed during surgery October 11, and bone grafts installed. In the place of the hardware, Haskovec has been fitted with an external brace. He is receiving antibiotics intravenously. “I’m happy to be out of the hospital and home, but I miss my team, I miss the people at the racetrack and I miss racing so much,” said Vincent. “I really look forward to getting email at [email protected] and I appreciate everybody’s support. I will be back at the track when I can. Because they had to take out the hardware in my back I have to wear an external brace and I can’t really move right now. It’s going to be at least five months before I can out of the brace and start rehab again. After that I want to get back out to the track to see everybody.” Haskovec rode for Team Hammer, Inc. during the 2004 and 2005 AMA seasons and won the 2005 AMA Superstock race at Daytona International Speedway. Team Hammer, Inc. currently races as Team M4 EMGO Suzuki.

After two seasons riding a V-twin powered Ducati 999F05 for the factory Ducati AMA Superbike team, Eric Bostrom will race a Yamaha YZF-R1 LE in AMA Superstock and a Yamaha YZF-R6 in Formula Xtreme in 2006, and Bostrom thinks the change in machinery will better suit his riding style. “I remember when I jumped on the V-twin, and everyone said, ‘Hey, these things are hard to get used to. How is it coming?'” recalled Bostrom. “The first time I rode the (Ducati) I was pretty much there on the thing. I mean, I felt pretty good and I felt like I could ride it pretty hard. But after a couple of years I’ve come to realize the bikes are different, more different than I thought. “On the twin, you really seem to have to be on the throttle so much earlier, because the bike loves to be almost full throttle at the apex. It’s really bizarre that it will take all of that, because if you were to try that on a four-cylinder it wouldn’t be pretty, you know? “That being said, on the four-cylinder, you get the turn finished, pick the bike up and drive off the (tutn) with the bike straight up and down. And I think that is what I prefer to do, for whatever reason. It’s just the way I like to ride.” “Leaving Ducati was difficult and they treated me really well, but I think my style will suit the Yamaha better. I think it will be a little better match for my riding style.” Bostrom is also excited about working with his new teams, the in-house factory Yamaha Formula Xtreme team and the Graves Motorsports Yamaha Superstock team. “The prospects for everything are really excited,” Bostrom told Roadracingworld.com. “I’m pretty pumped on the team and the personnel and how things keep going forward. It’s nice to have a team in the backyard and close to home again, so I can get down there and spend some time with them. That part’s been really nice, too. A lot of things have been really good.” As for his thoughts on which classes he will be and will not be racing in during the 2006 season, Bostrom expressed a somewhat unique viewpoint. “I think there’s definitely no premier class in the AMA at the moment, much to everyone’s dismay,” said Bostrom. “So we’re going racing. I’m going to go out and have a good time doing the best I can. I think there’s going to be some great racing in the classes I’m in. I’m sure there’s going to be some great races in classes I’m not in, and it’s unfortunate. “I’d love to see some (class) structure change where you have classes that are to bring up the talent and classes for the premier riders of the series. Until that happens, until there’s some vision, the problem that we have may continue. “Certainly Yamaha is motivated to win the Daytona 200 (Formula Xtreme race), and I’m going to go down there and try to do that for them.” Bostrom will make his debut for Yamaha during a two-day test just prior to Thanksgiving at California Speedway. That test, which may also include the factory Kawasaki and Attack Kawasaki teams, will be closed to the media. Yoshimura Suzuki will also hold a closed test session at California Speedway in November.

Wet day at Valencia for Hayden HRC and Michelin Repsol Honda rider Nicky Hayden spent a cold wet second, and final day of the HRC test at Valencia evaluating Michelin tyres for the Honda RC211V. American Hayden covered a total of 42 laps at the 4.005 km Spanish circuit trying a variety of full wet an intermediate tyres for the French manufacturer. Weather conditions ranged from a few brief showers to one hard downpour allowing the young American to gauge the performance of full wet rubber and a range of intermediate tyres under development at Michelin. The wet track temperature never rose above 14 degrees restricting the lap time to 1m 45.74s. With two successful and productive days of testing completed the team return to Japan to prepare the RCVs for the final MotoGP test of the year at Sepang, Malaysia, on November 28, 29, 30 next. The Fortuna Honda team of Marco Melandri and Toni Elias attended the opening day of the test only while the younger inexperienced RCV riders elected not to test in the harzardous half wet half dry track conditions. Lap time and quote: Nicky Hayden: 1m 45.74s 42 laps. “The weather is what it is, not ideal but we gained a little experience with the Michelin wet tyres and a couple of intermediates. It would have been nice to have hard rain today because I definitely didn’t set the world on fire in wet races this year. We tried a couple of suspension changes for damp conditions and a little different geometry on the bike. It feels fast when you are out there on your own but you don’t really have anybody to compare it with. We go to Malaysia next where the weather will be a bit warmer than its been here, that’s for sure.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: VALENCIA TESTING CALLED OFF DUE TO BAD WEATHER Bad weather conditions bring about the cancellation of the second day of scheduled testing for the Ducati Marlboro Team. Valencia (Spain), Thursday 10 November 2005 – Dreadful weather conditions forced the Ducati Marlboro Team to abandon the second and final day of testing scheduled at the Spanish circuit. Temperatures hovering around 10°C and intermittent rain meant that the track was totally unsuitable for normal testing. Loris Capirossi and his new team-mate Sete Gibernau therefore wrapped up their first winter testing session early. The Ducati Marlboro Team riders will next be seen on the track at the end of the month (November 28-30) at the Jerez circuit, where they will debut the Ducati Desmosedici GP6. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Weather ruins the day for Suzuki Team SUZUKI MotoGP had to abandon hopes of a full day’s testing at Valencia today due to bad weather. Both riders were forced to sit and wait as strong winds and frequent rain showers made track conditions inappropriate for the nature of testing that the team wanted to do. Even when the circuit did begin to dry out it was still too slippery for John Hopkins to continue with his Ohlins suspension test or to try out the latest tyre constructions from Bridgestone. Chris Vermeulen managed to briefly get out on the circuit and was able to do a short test on Bridgestone’s wet weather tyres to get himself acquainted with the feel of them. Team SUZUKI MotoGP has one final test in 2005, at Sepang in Malaysia later this month. Then the team and factory have a gruelling winter schedule of developing and designing more new parts for the prototype Suzuki GSV-R race bike, before Hopkins and Vermeulen return to track action again at a Sepang test in January. The provisional date for the start of the 2006 MotoGP World Championship is Sunday 26th March at Jerez in Spain.