TOMMY HAYDEN NOMINATED FOR AMA PRO RACING SPEED CHANNEL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR PICKERINGTON, Ohio Tommy Hayden, 27, of Owensboro, Ky., earned his first nomination for the AMA Pro Racing SPEED Channel Athlete of the Year by virtue of his outstanding performance in this year’s Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei. Hayden won the highly competitive Supersport title for the second straight year becoming only the third rider in the history of the series to accomplish that feat. Hayden won the title despite breaking his hand three-quarters of the way through the season. He held off a determined charge by his youngest brother and Kawasaki teammate Roger Lee Hayden to secure his second AMA road racing championship. “I’m honored to be nominated,” said Hayden, who is the oldest of the three racing Hayden brothers. “The season got a lot more challenging after I was injured, but fortunately Kawasaki gave me a great bike and I was able to finish the season strong to defend the title.” Hayden kicked off his 2005 campaign with a victory in the Daytona Supersport race. He won three of the first six rounds and took command of the series standings after archrival Jamie Hacking was sidelined from injuries suffered in a bicycling accident. Then came a crash at Mazda Laguna Seca in July, which left Hayden with a broken right hand. His crew fabricated a special throttle grip so he could race the Laguna AMA Superstock event and he was able to finish sixth though riding in considerable pain. From there Hayden did what he needed to do to win the championship, scoring a pair of runner-up finishes to his brother and a fifth in the season finale at Road Atlanta to secure the title. It was a gutsy performance for the veteran rider. This year Hayden passed Mike Smith to move into second on the all-time wins list in AMA Supersport racing history. I had the best bike, for sure, by far,” Hayden said after wrapping up the championship. “That made things a lot easier. I think it showed at Daytona at the beginning of the year. I was just really comfortable and really, really quick right out of the gate. It gave me a good advantage straight out to start the season. And then about halfway it was just about finishing up and staying ahead.” Hayden is an 11-year AMA Pro road racer. He was named AMA Superbike Rookie of the Year in 1997. Hayden is also an established flat track racer. He won an AMA Grand National race, the Springfield (Ill.) TT, in 2001. Kawasaki has announced a return to the premier AMA Superbike class in 2006 and Hayden is set to be a part of that effort. The AMA Pro Racing SPEED Channel Athlete of the Year Award is the highest honor an AMA racer can receive. Past recipients include such legendary names as Bob Hannah, Scott Parker and Kenny Roberts, among others. Generally speaking, the award goes to the rider judged to have had the most successful racing year. A “lifetime achievement” approach can also be considered if the season complements a remarkable career. A selection panel made up of AMA and AMA Pro Racing staff, field staff and volunteer leadership is named by the AMA Pro Racing CEO and that panel evaluates nominations and determines the final winner. The 2005 AMA Pro Racing SPEED Channel Athlete of the Year will be named at the AMA Pro Racing Championship Awards Banquet, on Sunday, Nov. 20, at Paris Las Vegas. The five nominees will be announced in the weeks leading up to that event. 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.

MotoGP tees off with charity day at Valencia The MotoGP World Championship paddock was boosted by the arrival of several thousand fans as well as the return of a host of injured riders today as the traditional Day of Champions welcomed the series to Valencia on the eve of the final Grand Prix of the season. Whilst the first free practice session for the Gran Premio betandwin.com de la Comunitat Valenciana gets underway on Friday morning, the Riders for Health charity was the main beneficiary of the intense passion for MotoGP in this part of the world today, with a host of events, including a pit-lane visit, stunt show and auction, raising crucial funds for ongoing medical relief projects in Africa. Whilst the majority of MotoGP riders had already got the fund-raising underway with a charity golf tournament yesterday, for Loris Capirossi and Alex Hofmann the main challenge is to get their racing season back into full swing as they make timely returns from injury. Capirossi missed the last round in Turkey after damaging his chest and lungs in a free practice crash at Phillip Island but he was given the all-clear by MotoGP’s Doctor Claudio Costa after a CT scan at Imola Hospital last Saturday. The Italian was determined to return to the Ducati fold this weekend and even a motorhome fire on his way through France did not stop him. “I’m really happy to be able to return to racing,” said Capirossi, who had taken two wins, three pole positions and one second-place finish from the previous four races before his misfortune in Australia. “It was tough to watch the racing and qualifying in Turkey from home, especially since the decision was forced upon me by my physical condition. I still can’t fly so I have travelled here in my motorhome. Unfortunately we had an engine problem near St. Tropez and the whole motorhome was destroyed by the fire but my desire to race is so great that I would have walked all the way to Valencia if I had to!” Hofmann had sixteen screws and two plates inserted to correct eight fractures to his left ankle and foot following a crash at Motegi in September. Over the past six weeks the German has undergone an intense programme of rehabilitation and physiotherapy – between four and six hours per day – in a bid to be fit for Valencia, where he will make his final appearance for Kawasaki before being replaced by Randy de Puniet next season. “I can’t wait to be back, I have watched far too many races on TV this season,” said Hofmann, who will race alongside regular team-mate Shinya Nakano and wildcard entry Olivier Jacque. “I reckon I’ve got more screws in my ankle than the mechanics have in their toolboxes! The Motegi crash was the worst I’ve had in terms of injuries, but that is behind me. I want a positive finish to the season in my final race with Kawasaki.” Ryuichi Kiyonari becomes the fourth rider to replace the injured Troy Bayliss for Honda, making his return to MotoGP from the British Superbike series, where he has won twelve races this season. Bayliss’ replacement for the last two rounds, Chris Vermeulen, will be one of an estimated 120,000 crowd watching from the grandstands on Sunday although the Australian is likely to get his chance on track next week. Vermeulen is expected to complete his first laps on the GSV-R machine after being confirmed as a full-time MotoGP rider for 2006 with Suzuki. The 23-year-old will take the place of former World Champion Kenny Roberts, who is currently injured and will be replaced this weekend by factory test rider Nobuatsu Aoki. 250cc World Champion Dani Pedrosa will contest his final Grand Prix in the class before stepping up to MotoGP in front of a passionate home crowd, who will also be supporting the likes of Jorge Lorenzo and Héctor Barberá. Pedrosa has been the centre of attention since returning to Spain from Turkey last week with the title under his arm and he is expecting a big reception on Sunday. “Since I got back from Turkey I have been receiving constant messages of support and congratulations from everybody,” said Pedrosa. “It has been a tough and stressful end to the season and when you are so focused on things you don’t realise what you have achieved or the support you have been getting until you come home and see it for yourself. I can just imagine what Valencia will be like this weekend!” Thomas Lüthi needs just three points to win the 125cc World Championship regardless of Mika Kallio’s result after a close battle between the pair took a dramatic twist when the Finnish rider crashed on the final lap of the last round. “Everybody in the team knows exactly what we have to do in Valencia,” said Lüthi. “We will prepare for the race in just the same way as we have for all the others. I normally prefer fast tracks – Valencia is different – but I still like racing here. The most important thing for us is to keep a cool head during practice and qualifying. If we do that we will be okay.”

SILVERSTONE NAMED BY FANS AS THEIR NUMBER ONE BENNETTS BRITISH SUPERBIKE CIRCUIT Bennetts, title sponsor of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, has revealed that Silverstone has been voted by the fans as their favourite race circuit. Motorcycling fans have been casting their votes in the official Bennetts British Superbike Fans’ Awards by logging onto the Bennetts website (www.bennetts.co.uk), and also filling out questionnaires at the final rounds of the Championship, to have their say – the survey of results have now been published. Silverstone, which hosted round nine of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship this year, polled the most votes ahead of Brands Hatch and Cadwell Park in the eleven circuits used in the racing calendar. Silverstone, one of the country’s most famous race circuits hosts a number of high profile motoracing events in the sporting calendar including the British Grand Prix. The Northamptonshire circuit has been revealed as the Bennetts British Superbike fans’ premier choice for viewing all the race action and witnessing all the high speed overtaking, and also topped the poll as the number one circuit for atmosphere. More than 15,000 fans attended round nine of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at the world famous circuit in August, and witnessed two thrilling races as leading contenders for the championship crown Gregorio Lavilla and Ryuichi Kiyonari each recorded a victory on the day. Richard Phillips, the Managing Director of Silverstone Circuits Limited, on learning the circuit received the thumbs up from fans said: “We are delighted that bike fans have voted Silverstone as their favourite circuit. The Bennetts British Superbike Championship is one of the most prestigious dates in our racing calendar and we are looking forward to welcoming the fans for another thrilling days racing next year. We are due to meet with organisers in the hope that we will soon be able to confirm and announce our 2006 date.” In other categories of the fans’ survey, Michael Rutter has been named Rider of the Year after finishing third in the Championship, while Airwaves Ducati rider Leon Haslam has been named as the most improved rider. Silverstone was also voted as the fans’ favourite circuit for both all-round racing action and atmosphere. Former Rizla Suzuki rider John Reynolds, who has recently announced his retirement, and enjoyed a long and highly successful career that included three British Superbike Championship titles, received the most votes as the rider the fans would most like to ride pillion with. John confirmed his status as the fans’ favourite rider when he topped the poll of which rider they would like to invite around for dinner, and came a close second in the Rider of the Year accolade. Kal Samra, Director of Bennetts, said: “The Bennetts British Superbike fans’ survey has been very revealing. We have been delighted to be title sponsors of the British Superbike Championship for 2005 and it was a thrilling climax to the series. The fans’ survey has been just one of a number of initiatives we introduced to get the fans closer to the action.”

HIGHS AND LOWS THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS The release of the 2006 official (unless F1 Change their minds again) MotoGP calendar made you think, just where has 2005 gone. It seemed like yesterday Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau were involved in their own private arm wrestling contest on the last bend of the first race of the year at Jerez in Spain. That was seven long months of of highs, lows and certainly plenty of travel, ago. It’s been another amazing season dominated by a certain Valentino Rossi, who chases his 12th grand prix victory of the season before the end of season party on the beach in Valencia. The MotoGP travelling show closes the curtains on their season on Sunday in Valencia. What has the last seven months on the road been like for half a dozen vital components to the success of the travelling show. Check out their highs and lows. CAMEL HONDA. Highs – Surely the highlight of the season was the victory of Alex Barros in just the second grand prix of the season at Estoril in Portugal. The Brazilian veteran fought off the challenge of both Valentino Rossi and Max Biaggi to win by almost three seconds in difficult conditions. Also the impressive performances of Australian Chris Vermuelen, when he replaced the injured Troy Bayliss, must have given Sito Pons great satisfaction. Lows – The injury to Troy Bayliss while training on a Moto-Cross bike back home in Australia wrecked the end of the season for likeable Australian. He’d had a tough time adjusting to the Honda after his two years with Ducati but both Bayliss and the team were confident those last six races would have yielded some decent results. THE ORGANISERS AND PROMOTERS Highs – Spreading the MotoGP word to new countries such as China and Turkey and the re-emergence of America as a grand prix venue. Also the two wins by Ducati in Japan and Malaysia to break the Japanese domination and the maiden grand prix wins by Nicky Hayden and Marco Melandri, surely the MotoGP future if and when Valentino Rossi retires. Lows – The loss of a couple of major sponsors and a terrestrial broadcaster. The sport could be in for a tough time unless new sponsors are persuaded to support to the second biggest Motorsport Championship in the World. THE INTERNATIONAL RACING TEAMS ASSOCIATION (IRTA). Highs – Getting through all the logistics to actual arrive and race at new venues and away from their European basses for the last five races. Those last five races have ensured a massive operation involving three cargo jumbo jets to reach destinations in different continents on time. Despite plenty of moaning and groaning, everybody and everything arrived on time which is an enormous credit to all involved. Lows – The 2005 calendar which involved so much travel in the last six weeks. Hopefully the 2006 calendar looks a lot easier ( Please don’t change it). THE RIDERS Highs – Getting through practice, qualifying and race without any serious accidents at Laguna Seca. Not having to come in to pit lane to change bikes when the rain arrives. Good communication between riders and organisers about safety, resulting in no major accidents. The chance to race through turn 11 in Turkey, the newest and fastest bend in MotoGP. Lows – The 2005 Calendar producing some very tired bodies and minds in Turkey. The injuries to Kenny Roberts and Loris Capirossi in Australia. THE MEDIA Highs – Valentino Rossi signing a new contract with Yamaha and his ‘involvement’ in Formula One has ensured thousands of column inches to keep the food on the table for the hungary journalists. Rossi’s presence means world-wide media interest continues while the likes of Marco Melandri and Nicky Hayden are emerging as the new stars challenging the Doctor. Six hundred media applications including radio and television have been received for Valencia this weekend showing the global interest in the sport. Also the introduction of wireless systems at many of the MotoGP venues has greatly helped with communication between news papers and the media centres. Lows – The 2005 calendar which ruled out some of the long haul venues for tight budgets. Fernando Alonso’s victory in the Formula One World Championship has meant a massive surge in four wheels coverage in Spain which has not been good news for a number of the large contingent of Spanish MotoGP journalists. The death of Swiss photographer Maurice Bula who’s been involved in grands prix racing since that first year in 1949 as a rider, sidecar passenger and photographer. He’s sadly missed. THE TEAMS Highs – Air conditioning in Qatar. The Hotels in Qatar. The size of the garages in Turkey and China. The return of their hospitality units to Valencia after five consecutive fly aways. Lows – The 2005 calendar and the laundry facilities in Turkey. Not being able to test out the new regulations about coming into change bikes if it starts to rain. The Donington Park paddock. Airline food and lack of leg room in economy. THE FANS Highs – Mugello. Witnessing probably the greatest Motor Cycle racer the World has ever seen in action. Watching Nicky Hayden and Marco Melandri win their first MotoGP races. Being able to brag to their Formula One friends about witnessing more overtaking in one lap than in a complete Formula One grands prix. Lows – Donington Park. Camping in the Sachsenring and traffic at Donington Park and Laguna Seca. Ticket prices in Turkey and the lack of somebody to chat to in the Qatar grandstand. That was the year that was !

Loris Capirossi and Alex Hofmann: Comeback for a great season’s final For the 17th and final round of the 2005 season, the MotoGP paddock not only gears up for a final showdown on the track, but also for one of Spain’s overwhelming fiestas. Like the season-opening race in Jerez, the final round in Valencia traditionally attracts massive crowds. One reason is the strong line-up of Spanish Grand Prix riders such as Ducati and Bridgestone’s Carlos Checa; the other reason is the unique stadium atmosphere of the circuit where the fans on the grandstands can overlook almost the entire track from wherever they are seated. With 4.005 metres in length, the track consists of a sequence of nine left- and five right hand corners that require a very precise and clean riding style. Agility and overall balance are crucial in terms of bike set-up, good handling and lots of edge grip are the basic requirements for the tyres. Unpredictable weather at this time of the year means another challenge, which Bridgestone has met with an unusually wide range of compounds and constructions. A total of approximately 1100 tyres were shipped to Spain, with 4-5 different front and 6-8 different rear specs to choose for each rider. The Ducati Marlboro Team is especially keen to go racing in Valencia, with local hero Carlos Checa set for another success after scoring two podium finishes in the last four races, and with their Italian star Loris Capirossi back in action after missing the races in Australia and Turkey due to chest injuries. The 32-year-old Italian, winner of the Grand Prix in Japan and Malaysia, got the thumbs up for the final race after an extensive medical check-up. Even though he hasn’t yet recovered all of his former strength, Capirossi can’t wait to get on the bike again. “It was tough to watch the Turkey GP on television. I want to race so bad that I would walk all the way to Valencia if I had to”, he said. Another long-awaited comeback takes place in the Kawasaki Racing Team. German Alex Hofmann, who suffered a multiple fracture to his left ankle in the Japanese Grand Prix, will be back alongside his Japanese team-mate Shinya Nakano for the final race of the season. “I have more screws in my ankle than the mechanics in their toolbox”; jokes Hofmann whose bones had been pinned with two platinum plates and 16 screws. “But I have trained harder than ever, between four and six hours a day, to overcome the injury, and I’ll try my best to finish the season on a high note.” Suzuki rider Kenny Roberts, who broke his left wrist in the first practice session at the Australian Grand Prix, will also miss the Valencia Grand Prix, and will be replaced by Nobuatsu Aoki, Suzuki and Bridgestone’s development rider. Hiroshi Yamada – Motorcycle Racing Manager Bridgestone Motorsport “We are excited to return to Europe for the last race of the season, as the generation of tyres we’ve been using in the overseas rounds will be put to its final test. We’re very happy to have Loris Capirossi back riding the Ducati, and Alex Hoffman riding the Kawasaki, as they have both demonstrated amazing courage to bounce back from their injuries. We are also excited to have Nobu Aoki on the Suzuki, who has always played an integral part in our tyre development program. Our tyres have been upgraded further with some late modifications for Valencia, and I’m confident that we will get some good results to finish this season on a high note!”

FAUSTO GRESINI, THE CHALLENGE OF AN ENTIRE YEAR Together with Fausto Gresini, team Manager and owner of the Team Movistar Honda MotoGP, let’s go through the championship which will conclude Sunday, 6th November in Valencia. THE PROGRAMS “The program at the beginning of the season was clear. The team had two top riders in its line up. With Sete Gibernau, strong of his second place standing in the championship, with a factory bike, we were aiming for the title. As second rider we took bet on a young rider, with the goal to nurture him so that he could produce some great results in the future.” THE SEASON “We began the season very strong and motivated. With 4 GP wins, Sete was the only rider able to challenge Valentino Rossi. Unfortunately we didn’t start brilliantly. In Jerez Sete raced a fantastic race but, when he and Valentino touched each other, he lost stability and the victory. Many rumors followed the contact between the two. The second race, disputed with bad weather conditions under heavy rain didn’t help the race leader. Slipping during the 16th lap, Sete was leading the race and Valentino was 11″ behind, and this really hit us hard. During the next race in China, Sete immediately made himself noticeable. After a warm up which saw himself strong and determined, he faced with some problems during the race and finished 4th. These first races really had their toll during this long and difficult championship. Gibernau always proved to be determined and consistent, very quick in the trial sessions, but for various reason was just not able to pick up the results during the races. His standing today of 6th in the championship does not reflect his true potential. It is a whole different story for Marco Melandri. It is incredible to think of the results which Marco was able to obtain, especially following the past two very difficult years. I always believed in him, he is a very able rider who never gives up. In continuous growth he was able to get past the difficult moment that afflicted him mid-season. Marco has had a fantastic season and I am sure he is one of the best riders of the future.” THE END RESULT “I think it has been a positive season for the team who is defending its second place standing in the championship. Marco’s second place would signify three consecutive years at the top of the championship (Sete Gibernau won two second places with Gresini in 2003 and 2004). Undoubtedly it is a fantastic result for both the team and the riders.” THE WORSE RACE “There have been various difficult moments. I remember the English GP: in one lap both riders fell. We left with zero points and two fallen riders. There have been some opaque races in which we really had difficulty to reach our usually high standards of racing.” MOMENTS OF FEAR “Japanese GP: another terrible moment. When Marco fell we were very worried about the physical consequences the accident could have on him. We valued with caution the situation, it was a very delicate moment during the season.” THE TURN “The GP of Qatar where Marco conquered his second place with an incredible race. Following that was the fantastic 4th place in Australia and his mega job in Turkey where Marco demonstrated his true champion potential.” THE VICTORY “When you win it is thanks to everyone: first of all the rider, then the team, Honda who has given us a competitive bike, Michelin who helps us to choose the right tyres and who has given us super performing tyres as well. The victory at Istanbul has a very important significance for Marco and for his team. It’s a group of technicians who has suffered a lot, a team who worked with Daijiro Kato and who hasn’t gone back to winning since his tragic loss. I am very happy for Fabrizio Cecchini and all the other guys, this victory has a very particular taste to it. With Marco, there are many hearts beating with the same desire to look forward, to get great results. Marco’s victory has given it all a very special meaning.” THE LAST GOAL “As a team we always aim high, our competitiveness is our trademark. With Marco we want to fight for this second place in the championship. Moreover, as team we are 3rd in championship but we’d like to improve this position.” TECHNICAL SUPPORT “On a technical level we have always been able to count on Honda. During the whole year Sete has contributed to the development of the factory bike while Marco has raced with a RC211V fps (a satellite bike). Thanks to the technical support that Honda HRC puts at disposal of all his riders, we have always counted on very high quality bikes with which we have reached great results. With the increase in power and performance of the bikes, tyres have become a fundamental element for the success. Sete and Marco have worked during this year with Michelin technicians to develop the tyres. Thanks to Michelin tyres the performance of the bikes is increased and we are proud to have given our contribute to the development of Michelin tyres, number one in performance and research.”

To commemorate Yamaha’s 50th Anniversary and its extraordinarily successful year in racing this season, Yamaha has decided to race the last round of the 2005 MotoGP World Championship in the company’s traditional red, white and black racing color scheme. This follows the Yamaha Factory Team’s earlier showing of the yellow and black traditional US racing colors in the US MotoGP round at Laguna Seca. As a result the YZR-M1 machines of Yamaha Factory Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards will sport the red, white and black colors as seen on many of Yamaha’s past factory racing bikes. In fact in 1975, exactly 30 years ago, Yamaha won its first GP500 world championship with Giacomo Agostini riding the then revolutionary two-stoke OW23 YZR500, also painted in Yamaha’s corporate racing colors. The team will present itself with the riders and bikes on Thursday, November 3 at 17.00 on the main straight for a photo call. Yamaha has enjoyed probably the most successful year in racing ever, winning no less the seven world titles across the MotoGP, MX1 and MX2 World Championships in truly dominant style. By racing in the traditional corporate racing colors Yamaha endeavors once more to exceed expectations and touch people’s hearts, making sure the 2005 racing season will be remembered for a long time to come as Yamaha enters “the next 50”.

Middle Creek Motorsports Club, a country club-style road race track being proposed in Louisburg, Kansas, just south of Kansas City, will have its re-application for a conditional use permit discussed in a public meeting November 15. On its website ( ~http:www.middlecreekmotorsports.com~ ) Middle Creek Motorsports Club is soliciting supporters of the track to attend the meeting in person or submit support feedback online via a form it provides. The proposed track is designed to have 2.2-mile and 1.6-mile road courses that can be run separately and simultaneously or that can be combined into a single, 3.8-mile road course. There is no mention of a track designer on Middle Creek Motorsports Club’s website, but a version of the track design labeled “Middle Creek Country Club” appears on the website of noted track designer Alan Wilson. The proposed track’s website mentions the possibility of hosting sanctioned race events and the ability for it to expand to accommodate large spectator events, but the website never specifically mentions motorcycles.