Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Kousuke Akiyoshi raced to his first career win and the team’s first of the season in today’s final eighth-round All Japan Superbike Championship event at Motegi. The factory MotoGP development rider started the 18-lap race in second position behind team mate Atsushi Watanabe and moved to the front on lap three before pulling out a three second lead. On the eighth lap, Watanabe was passed by Shin-ichi Nakatomi (Yamaha) and Shin-ichi Ito (Honda), who then moved to second but could not close on the Suzuki rider. Said Akiyoshi: “In the last two races I got a pole position but I couldn’t keep my position in the race because of some problems. But today I made a good start and had no problems. I would like to thank Suzuki and Yoshimura for giving me the opportunity to enter the race.” Team manager Fujio Yoshimura added: “Akiyoshi did Great job! It is only his third race this season but he showed his true potential with a very good performance. We were a little disappointed for Atsushi Watanabe but overall we feel very happy to give Suzuki this big win.” SUPERBIKE RESULTS: 1 Kousuke Akiyoshi (Yoshimura Suzuki). 2 Shin-ichi Ito (Honda). 3 Tatsuya Yamaguchi (Honda). 4 Shin-ichi Nakatomi (Yamaha). 5 Akira Yanagawa (Kawasaki). 6 Atsushi Watanabe (Yoshimura Suzuki). 7 Osamu Deguchi (Honda). 8 Yoshiteru Konishi (Honda). 9 Chojun Kameya (Honda). 10 Shogo Moriwaki (Honda). Final Standings: 1 Ito 140 2 Yamaguchi 111, 3 Yanagawa 111, 4 Nakatomi 94, 5 Tsujimura 91, 6 Watanabe 71. Editorial Note: American Mark Junge DNF, dropping out on lap four. Junge rode a Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R1000.

NEIL HODGSON AND BEN BOSTROM TO RACE FOR THE PARTS UNLIMITED DUCATI AUSTIN TEAM IN 2006 AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP Bologna (Italy), Saturday 29 October 2005: Ben Bostrom is to partner the already-confirmed Neil Hodgson in the Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin team that will compete in next year’s AMA Superbike Championship with factory Ducati 999 bikes. 2006 will mark the second season in America’s premier racing category for Hodgson, 31 years old from Burnley, England. The former World Superbike champion finished sixth in his debut AMA Superbike season, winning one race at Road America and stepping onto the podium a further five times in the 10 round/17 race series. Hodgson now has a great opportunity to make use of his learning year to aim for the title and thus fulfil his ambition of becoming the only rider to win the ‘triple crown’ of British, American and World Superbike titles. “I’m really looking forward to the challenge in 2006” commented Neil. “I know the 999 will be improved and now I understand how to approach AMA. It’s going to be tough to beat Mladin but I’ve studied everything hard this year and I’ve got a plan for how to beat him! I really enjoyed working with Eric and it will be equally great to work with his brother Ben …. It’s just a pity he’s not better-looking!” Bostrom, also 31 years old and born in Redding (California) in 1974, will step onto a factory Ducati Corse machine again after a three-year gap in which he rode for Honda in AMA Superbike and the World Superbike championship. He returns home after one year on the world stage to take the place of his younger brother Eric, who won four races with the Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin 999 in the last two seasons of AMA racing. “You know, this year was a tough one on the racetrack” declared Ben. “So I’m real excited to be back with a factory that I’ve had so much success with in the past. We’ve shared lots of good memories, Ducati and I, and I’m looking forward to a strong season together, and to creating new memories with them.” Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin owner Terry Gregoricka commented on his team’s new line-up: “Neil had a great first season with us, winning one race and always fighting hard throughout the season and I’m convinced he can challenge for the title in 2006. Ben has had great success with Ducati in the past and I feel sure he will remember that and get on the gas! His crew chief Gary Medley has worked with him before and that’s also sure to be an advantage. I believe Neil and Ben will work well together as a team and knowing each other will certainly help. 2006 is going to be even tougher than this year but I am convinced that our two riders will go well and that they can both win races throughout the season.” Ducati Corse Superbike director Paolo Ciabatti added: “We are officially involved in the AMA Superbike Championship for a second year with the Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin team and once again we will have two world-class riders. The American market is very important to Ducati: our participation in the AMA championship with a factory effort shows our strong commitment to the series and is a key element of the company’s marketing strategies in this area of the world.”

A Cannondale Synapse carbon-fiber road bicycle custom made for AMA Superbike racer Eric Bostrom is being auctioned off on eBay with all of the proceeds from the auction to be donated to the American Red Cross’ hurricane relief effort. Bostrom has autographed the bicycle, and a custom Eric Bostrom riding jersey will be included with the bicycle. The auction is due to end November 7. You can go to the auction by clicking the following link: ~http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:31&item=7192879667~

GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM READY FOR SEASON FINALE AT VALENCIA The MotoGP World Championship takes its traditional curtain call at Valencia next weekend in the final round of what has been an unforgettable season for the Gauloises Yamaha Team. With the riders’, teams’ and constructors’ titles already in the bag, Yamaha will aim to put the seal on it’s 50th Anniversary celebrations with another successful weekend at the Ricardo Tormo circuit, where both Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards will be aiming for a podium finish to end the season on a high note. After an exhausting trip across Asia, Australia and the Middle East, Rossi returns to Spain for the third time this season looking to add to his earlier victories at Catalunya and Jerez and continue his love affair with the Valencia crowd, which is expected to top 120,000 people. Rossi has won there for the last two years, his 2004 Valencia success with Yamaha his ninth of the year, more than any other Yamaha rider had previously managed in a single season. This time he has the chance to go a step further by equalling Mick Doohan’s all-time record of twelve wins in a season. The MotoGP World Champion, who took his seventh world championship title three races ago at Sepang in Malaysia, followed up his championship success with victory at Qatar and second place at Istanbul, confirming his motivation to finish the season on a high note and taking his points total to a mammoth 351. By finishing ninth or higher at Valencia, Rossi would also set a new points record for the premier-class, surpassing his tally of 357 in the 2003 season. Rossi’s Gauloises Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards is also aiming for a points finish this weekend as he looks to end the campaign with a 100% point-scoring record. The American is the only MotoGP rider to have scored points in each of the sixteen rounds so far this year, a show of consistency which sees him tackling the last race of the year still holding an outside chance of finishing as the championship runner-up in only his first season with Yamaha. VALENTINO ROSSI: LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Valentino Rossi heads to Valencia this weekend with one eye on the past and one on the future. The emergence of Marco Melandri and Nicky Hayden as key challengers over the course of the season has given the World Champion extra motivation as he looks ahead to defending the title for a fifth time in 2006, and he is expecting a strong challenge from them and other riders this weekend. “Some new young riders have come to the front of the field over the last few races,” says Rossi, “and I am sure we’ll have another big battle in Valencia. “Of course I am not old and I hope that I have a few more years at the top yet! I am looking forward to Valencia and we hope our bike works well there and that we can find a good setting straight away. “In Valencia we will really try for the win again; last year we won there with Yamaha and I also won the year before; I like ending the season with a victory! It is still possible for me to equal Doohan’s win record and beat my own, and this is my aim for the last race. Our bike goes well in Valencia and it’s always a great race. It is Spain, there are many people and the fans are wonderful. It’s always a big party for everyone!” COLIN EDWARDS: PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT With second place in the championship now only a distant possibility, Edwards will nonetheless be looking to take as many points as possible in Valencia with an eye to finishing higher than his current fourth spot. Valencia will also provide a chance for him to work on continuing to perfect the new riding style he adopted at Istanbul. After struggling to make the step up from podium regular to victory contender in 2005, the experienced Texan has decided that it is time to re-evaluate his approach to MotoGP racing following several years of success in the World Superbike series. “I hate to be where I am in my career and having to learn something completely new but that is the situation we are in,” explained Edwards. “I’m trying to put more corner speed into my riding, adding aspects of a 250cc style to my Superbike instincts, but I need more laps to get used to it before I can challenge to win races in MotoGP. I don’t like thinking that the last race of the season will be like a test for me but we have to look to next season and see how we can improve. Hopefully this is the answer. “I have ridden at Valencia for many seasons so it will definitely be a big help to be working on the new style at a track I know well. Melandri and Hayden are on fire at the moment so it will be very tough to beat either of them in the championship, but of course I am still going to try! I never give up and so I’ll keep fighting until the end and see what happens this Sunday. I’ve had some highs and lows this season, but it would be really nice to finish off with a podium and a nice memory to take home over the winter!” DAVIDE BRIVIO: SIGNING OFF ON A HIGH Gauloises Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio has challenged his staff to end the season on a high note this weekend as they look to put the gloss on a sparkling year of celebrations for Yamaha’s 50th Anniversary. Motivation within the camp has remained high even with the riders’, teams’ and constructors’ titles already decided and the Italian is asking for more of the same, with three more days’ of intense effort required before the end of season celebrations can begin. “This weekend is the last race of what has been a very good season for us,” says Brivio. “It has been a great pleasure to help bring so much success to Yamaha in its 50th Anniversary year and we want to finish it in the best possible way. We took the victory at Valencia last season and it would be nice to do the same again. “We have two targets for the weekend really. One is for a Yamaha victory and the other is to improve Colin’s fourth position in the championship. It will be difficult because the riders in front of him have a good advantage now and they are looking strong but it is not over yet so we will be trying our best. We have a lot of guests and VIPs from around Europe and Japan coming to the race so it would be nice to put on a good show for them and enjoy the celebration party together.” BLAST FROM THE PAST: CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF YAMAHA GLORY In its short history the Valencia circuit has proven to be a happy hunting ground for Yamaha, with Regis Laconi winning the first race there on the YZR500 in 1999 and Garry McCoy following up with victory on the same bike one year later. However, the factory’s most memorable success at the Spanish circuit came last season when Valentino Rossi capped off a remarkable first year as a Yamaha rider with his ninth victory of the season, a record for the factory, and his third win in succession. “To win nine races in my first season with Yamaha was unbelievable for everybody and we also won the team award at Valencia, which was not so bad either!” said Rossi. “The finish of the season was perfect for us, with three wins in a row. It was more difficult for me at Valencia than the two previous races at Sepang and Phillip Island because generally I find the track worse than them. I slid at the start and lost some time but after two or three laps I was able to recover. “Makoto Tamada was looking very strong, and I had a tough fight with him until he slowed and dropped back. My rhythm improved and I was able to push 100% to the end. Then there was a fight with Max Biaggi behind, and he was also very strong. It was incredible to win the final race of the season at Valencia especially in front of such a great crowd. The 2004 season was really unforgettable for me, my mechanics and Yamaha.” TECHNICALLY SPEAKING Advertising itself as a circuit that is also a stadium, the Valencia track is a beautifully appointed, if somewhat cramped, facility where slower corners are the norm. Occupying a small footprint off the side of the Madrid/Valencia freeway, the Ricardo Tormo circuit features a seemingly never-ending burst of tight corners, connected by short straights. The long penultimate looping left-hander and the fast entry to turn one contrast violently with the otherwise geometric flip-flop chicanes and slow speed corners of the infield. More suitable for the smaller classes, Valencia is an awesome challenge in its own way for any MotoGP rider; an intense exercise in concentration and preparation, as the track can easily catch out the unwary, especially in the frequently wet conditions of late October and early November. The continual stop-start nature of Valencia means that suspension setting must offer the correct balance between beneficial weight transfer, which aids alternately front and rear grip, and firm enough settings for spring rates and compression damping, to prevent the machine oscillating as the power is turned on and off. With short but highly loaded periods of front end grip required throughout a lap, and with a lot of corner entries with the brakes still applied, the balance between agility and stability has to fall on the side of greater manoeuvrability. Nonetheless the bike has to be planted enough not to lose corner speed through the quick penultimate corner, which runs over the brow of a hill, or induce tail hopping under hard braking from 300km/h. Instantaneous and yet linear throttle response is a highly desired commodity at Valencia, its point and squirt nature demanding a combination of controlled throttle openings on the many low speed corner exits, with a clean and crisp power off nature required on entry. The relatively low gearing of Valencia exacerbates the potential for highsides even further, as most of the lap is spent in second gear, with an entire three-corner complex taken in first gear. Nonetheless, most crashes come from a loss of front grip on the high number of downhill corner entries. VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION Age: 26 Lives: London, UK Bike: Gauloises Yamaha Team YZR-M1 GP victories: 80 (41 x MotoGP, 13 x 500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 155 (64 x MotoGP, 32 x 500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 40 World Championships 7 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 4 x MotoGP) COLIN EDWARDS: INFORMATION Age: 31 Lives: Conroe, Texas Bike: Gauloises Yamaha Team YZR-M1 First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP) GP starts: 48 x MotoGP World Championships – 2 World Superbike

John Haner will replace Jeremy Toye on the Roadracingworld.com/Lee’s Cycles Honda CBR1000RR in the Macau Grand Prix, an annual through-the-streets race scheduled for Saturday, November 19th. Macau is a former Portugese colony now ruled by China. Toye separated a shoulder when he crashed his motocross bike while training last Friday. Other riders on the North American team include Steve Crevier on a Honda on Pirellis and Mark Miller on a Suzuki on Dunlops. Haner will compete on Pirelli tires.

Haydon and Rizla Suzuki set sights on 2006 JAMES HAYDON, one of the most exciting and aggressive riders in motorcycle racing, will campaign a Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000 in the 2006 British Superbike Championship. James joined Rizla Suzuki mid-way through the 2005 season and played a key role in developing the GSX-R1000 race bike. He will stay with the team and put that experience to good use during an extensive winter testing programme and with a view to challenging for top honours next year. “I am thrilled and excited to be staying with Rizla Suzuki,” enthused James. “To know that I will be racing on the best bike with the support of the best team behind me is a dream come true. “Staying with the team gives us continuity and we will be aiming to capitalise on the good work and strong end-of-season results from 2005. We finished this year in good shape and now we will build on that confidence and competitiveness through the winter. “I’m over the moon thank you to Rizla and Suzuki for their faith in me and I can’t wait to get racing again and repaying that loyalty with the podium finishes the team deserves!” James scored his best result of the 2005 season at the final round of the Championship at Brands Hatch with a pole position and third place podium finish. His experience and growing confidence in the Rizla Suzuki will make him a force to be reckoned with in 2006. Team Manager Robert Wicks said: “It is great news that we are able to keep James on the Rizla Suzuki. He knows the bike intimately and that will greatly assist our winter testing programme and allow us to start the 2006 season in the best possible condition, ready to challenge from the off. “James is a determined, talented racer and the excitement and passion he brings to the team is infectious. We’re hoping he will be to realise his full potential next year and will be giving him our full support to do so.” A further announcement on a second rider to join James at Rizla Suzuki will be made soon. The 2006 British Superbike season starts at Brands Hatch in Kent in March.

Chris Vermeulen signs for Team SUZUKI MotoGP Suzuki and Chris Vermeulen have agreed terms for the next two years, which will see the rising Australian star race the Suzuki GSV-R in the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Vermeulen joins Team SUZUKI MotoGP from a successful season in the World Superbike Championship riding for Ten Kate Honda, the 23-year old finishing the season in second place overall. He will ride the Suzuki GSV-R for the first time in the forthcoming Valencia test on Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th November. Born in Brisbane in Australia, Vermeulen began racing dirt track bikes from the age of 12, before moving onto 250 and 600cc machines in the Australian Championship. In 2000 his talent was noticed by former Suzuki World Champion Barry Sheene, and the late Sheene persuaded Vermeulen to travel to Britain to race. A year in the British Supersport and Superstock championships followed and Vermeulen scored his first Supersport win at Donington Park, accompanied by five wins in the Superstock championship. For the 2001 season Vermeulen moved onto the world stage with a ride in World Supersport and in 2003 raced to the title in only his third season in this very competitive championship. Vermeulen then made the progression into Superbikes in 2004, developing his machine into a serious contender and notching up four victories. Vermeulen has already shown, at a young age, his talent to develop a racing motorcycle and his hunger for victory. It is these attributes, coupled with his natural racing talent, which have persuaded Suzuki to offer him the position recently vacated by ex World Champion Kenny Roberts Jr as team-mate to John Hopkins. Chris Vermeulen: “I’m so excited about the prospects for next year. It’s obviously going to be a difficult season to begin with – there are a lot of new tracks to learn, a new bike and a new team, but I know I am up for the challenge. “I’ve known Paul Denning since I came to England in the year 2000 and I’m really looking forward to working with him as well as the whole team. I’ll try to take that step up to fill the shoes of Suzuki World Champions like Barry Sheene – Barry was the guy that gave me my first chance – Kevin Schwantz and Kenny Junior. These are all guys that I really respect “I’m also looking forward to working with Bridgestone as well as Suzuki. It’s another new tyre manufacturer for me. I’ve never ridden on them before, but I’ve heard and seen a lot of good things and hopefully we can do well together. “I want to thank Suzuki for giving me this chance in MotoGP and for trusting in my ability. Suzuki has been very honest about the current position, and about its future plans. I am very happy to be part of those plans and I’ll be doing everything I can to make sure Suzuki’s faith in me is repaid.” Paul Denning Team Manager: “Suzuki is delighted to have secured the services of Chris. He is one of the rising stars of motorcycle racing and will undoubtedly inject some new life into Team SUZUKI MotoGP. He has already shown his hunger for success and his ability to learn new situations very quickly. “He is joining the team after a very successful year in World Superbikes where he pushed the eventual World Champion – Suzuki’s Troy Corser – all the way. Neither Chris nor Suzuki is under any illusions at the size of our MotoGP task ahead, but we are all confident that Chris is the right choice for the future. We are very grateful to the Ten Kate team for releasing Chris early from his contract, this will enable him to get to know his new crew and ride the GSV-R at Valencia. “It has been helpful that Chris had the opportunity to ride in MotoGP at the end of this season, but Suzuki’s enthusiasm to sign him was established well before this chance came up. His mature performances in these races have only served to justify that enthusiasm! “On a personal basis, I first met Chris as a fresh-faced 17-year old when he came over to England with Barry Sheene. He quickly established himself as a tough competitor on the track, but a very likeable young man off it. I have watched his career progress and know that now is the right time for him to make the switch to MotoGP and show the true talent and potential that he possesses. “Suzuki’s rider line-up of John and Chris is young, aggressive, exciting and shows faith in the future. We all have a lot of work to do now let’s get to it!”