Friday’s 250cc GP Qualifying Results: 1. Sebastian PORTO, Aprilia, 1:57.408 2. Alex DE ANGELIS, Aprilia, 1:57.544 3. Casey STONER, Aprilia, 1:57.845 4. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Honda, 1:58.107 5. Jorge LORENZO, Honda, 1:58.233 6. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Honda, 1:58.263 7. Daniel PEDROSA, Honda, 1:58.441 8. Randy DE PUNIET, Aprilia, 1:58.463 9. Roberto LOCATELLI, Aprilia, 1:58.589 10. Alex BALDOLINI, Aprilia, 1:59.325 11. Yuki TAKAHASHI, Honda, 1:59.437 12. Alex DEBON, Honda, 1:59.523 13. Simone CORSI, Aprilia, 1:59.555 14. Martin CARDENAS, Aprilia, 1:59.757 15. Hector BARBERA, Honda, 1:59.908

Friday Afternoon’s 125cc Grand Prix Qualifying Results: 1. Mika KALLIO, KTM, 2:04.740 2. Hector FAUBEL, Aprilia, 2:04.997 3. Tomoyoshi KOYAMA, Honda, 2:05.026 4. Gabor TALMACSI, KTM, 2:05.161 5. Thomas LUTHI, Honda, 2:05.257 6. Fabrizio LAI, Honda, 2:05.511 7. Marco SIMONCELLI, Aprilia, 2:05.572 8. Sergio GADEA, Aprilia, 2:05.722 9. Joan OLIVE, Aprilia, 2:05.845 10. Mattia PASINI, Aprilia, 2:05.860

Friday Morning’s MotoGP Practice Times: 1. Marco MELANDRI, Honda, 1:54.639 2. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 1:55.138 3. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 1:55.292 4. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 1:55.397 5. Colin EDWARDS, Yamaha, 1:55.599 6. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 1:55.874 7. Toni ELIAS, Yamaha, 1:55.885 8. Olivier JACQUE, Kawasaki, 1:55.925 9. Carlos CHECA, Ducati, 1:55.935 10. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 1:56.201 11. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 1:56.926 12. Roberto ROLFO, Ducati, 1:57.158 13. Chris VERMEULEN, Honda, 1:57.427 14. Alex BARROS, Honda, 1:57.477 15. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 1:57.920 16. Shinichi ITO, Ducati, 1:57.952 17. James ELLISON, Blata, 1:58.816 18. Franco BATTAINI, Blata, 1:58.847 19. Ruben XAUS, Yamaha, 1:59.723

CCS RACE OF CHAMPIONS BOASTS 15 DUCATI RIDERS A full field of Ducati racers battle for the $10,000 grand prize as part of the Ducati Racing Contingency Program Cupertino, CA This year marked a strong building year for Ducati in professional AMA racing with a 3rd place finish in the championship and the announcement of a racing contingency program in North America for AMA and club level racing. With $850,000 in posted prize money, racers have flooded starting grids across the country with Ducati Superbikes and Supersports. One of the highlights of this season is the CCS Race of Champions held this weekend in Daytona Beach, Florida where Ducati posted a $10,000 first place purse in the SuperTwins expert class and $5,000 for Thunderbikes and Middleweight Supersport. Ducati racers are coming from all over the country to compete for the $10,000 prize. Local Ducati dealers, showing the passion for racing runs deep through the Ducati company and dealer network, sponsor many of the riders. Some of the Ducati faithful competing this weekend are: Eric Wood (BCM Motorsports), Jason Etter (Section 8 Superbike), Ryan Andrews (Ducati Waco), and Tom Fournier (Dunbar Motorsports). Eric Wood has already had a successful season racing in the CCS series and Ryan Andrews raced a Ducati 749R in select AMA Formula Extreme rounds this year. “We are proud of the success of our racing contingency program this year. It’s great to see so many Ducati’s on the racetrack, which is where our bikes have dominated for years in World Superbike. The technology from those successful racebikes is in every Ducati produced. Our racing heritage dates back to the years before many of today’s racers were old enough to ride. But I’m happy to say we’re back in the race contingency business,” said Michael Lock Ducati North America CEO. The CCS Race of Champions will be held at Daytona International Speedway on October 21-23rd with the 6 lap SuperTwins race on Saturday and 10 lap Thunderbike race occurring Sunday. Founded in 1926, Ducati builds racing-inspired motorcycles characterized by unique engine features, innovative design, advanced engineering and overall technical excellence. Ducati has won eleven of the last thirteen World Superbike Championship titles and more individual victories than the competition put together. The Company produces motorcycles in five market segments which vary in their technical and design features and intended customers: Superbike, Supersport; Monster, Sport Touring and Multistrada. The Company’s motorcycles are sold in more than 40 countries worldwide, with a primary focus in the Western European and North American markets. For more information about the Company, please visit our web site at www.ducatiusa.com !http://www.ducatiusa.com~ .

Team Yoshimura Suzuki rider Aaron Yates has signed on for yet another year wearing Sidi boots. Double A-Ron, Aaron Yates has once again (this is his 6th or 7th year in Sidi, since forever ago basically”¦) sign an agreement to wear Sidi’s Vertigo Corsa boots in the 2006 season. 2005 was a good year for Aaron; a Superstock Championship, a Superbike win and what? No lower leg or foot injuries”¦there is a great reason for that, Sidi boots! For more information log on to www.motonation.com

MotoGP riders discover delights of Istanbul The MotoGP World Championship paddock set up at the Istanbul Park circuit today as the series landed in Turkey for the first time in its 56-year history. The riders and teams have streamed into the country over the last few days, some finding time for a brief trip home whilst others travelled directly from Australia and spent the first half of the week uncovering the cultural delights of Europe’s gateway to Asia. Today Carlos Checa and Shinya Nakano visited some of the most famous places in Istanbul, including the Hagia Sophia mosque and the Grand Bazaar marketplace. Whilst much of the excited talk amongst the city locals surrounded the arrival of MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi this afternoon, much of the attention at the track was focused around Marco Melandri and Nicky Hayden. The pair have emerged as Rossi’s most consistent rivals over the second half of the season and they are currently locked in a thrilling battle for the runner-up spot, with the same number of points and only two races left to decide the outcome. “Even though it was a dream to finish second in the World Championship at the start of the season it is now my main objective,” admitted Melandri, who is in his first season with Honda after contesting two MotoGP seasons for Yamaha. “To achieve it would be a nice way to pay back (Team Manager) Fausto Gresini and Honda for believing in me. I’m looking forward to racing in Turkey because it is a new circuit. This year we already visited Shanghai, where nobody had any reference data, but I felt comfortable straight away and had a good race. The circuit looks nice and it’s another important race for me.” Hayden currently holds a slight advantage over Melandri in the championship having taken a single victory earlier this season at Laguna Seca. Like his home circuit Istanbul Park runs anti-clockwise and the former dirt-tracker thinks this could work in his favour. “I guess I grew up on circuits that run anti-clockwise whereas these European guys are used to it going the other way round so maybe it is an advantage for me,” said Hayden. “My results this season back that theory up but I’d like to think I can go both ways and be competitive over each of the remaining tracks this season.” Dani Pedrosa has his mind focused on the final two rounds of the 250cc World Championship despite having won the title with his seventh victory of the season at Phillip Island. The Spaniard will be moving up to the MotoGP class next season and wants to sign off from the quarter-litre category in style. “It was really important for the team to win the title in Australia and it was also a relief after a few tense weekends,” said Pedrosa. “Now there are two races left and we all have to concentrate as much as always and try to win. This has been a long trip but the reward has been worth it. They’re waiting for me at home and I’m sure they will be at Valencia, where I will be back with the fans who have supported me all season.” Pedrosa’s 250cc rival Randy de Puniet has similar objectives following an announcement four days ago that he would follow the Spaniard up to the MotoGP class in 2006. The Frenchman has been confirmed by Kawasaki as team-mate to Shinya Nakano for next season but he is also attempting to maintain his focus purely on this weekend’s events. “It is a massive opportunity for me and I am absolutely delighted but I am still an official Aprilia rider until the end of the season,” said De Puniet. “I want to win another race in the 250cc class and that is my aim for the last two races.” Whilst the titles have been decided in both the MotoGP and 250cc classes, the destiny of the 125cc World Championship is still up in the air. Thomas Lüthi currently leads the series by 12 points from his only remaining rival Mika Kallio but says he won’t be getting the calculator out just yet. “We are leading the World Championship but everything can change in one race,” said the Swiss teenager. “I had a bad day at Qatar but the same thing happened to Mika at Phillip Island. We’re in Istanbul to win the race and we won’t be points-watching.”

Turkish GP Preview Bridgestone confident for Istanbul’s new challenge After the long trip downunder to Phillip Island, one of Australia’s remote holiday destinations, the MotoGP circus stages its next show in the bustling Turkish capital of Istanbul. Designed by German architect Hermann Tielke, who also built the Shanghai and Sepang race tracks, the brand-new Istanbul Park Circuit was only inaugurated with a Formula 1 race recently, and has never hosted a motorcycle race before. Riders and technicians have derived their track knowledge from television images and computer layouts along with the data gathered during the Formula 1 weekend. Unlike the majority of venues in the MotoGP calendar, the 5.340 kilometre-track runs anti-clockwise, with eight of its 14 turns going left. The short main straight and a slow first lefthand corner are followed by a long right-hand corner which is one of the key points of the track: The MotoGP riders are expected to shift from second to fourth gear at high lean angle, and the rear tyres will have to withstand enormous amounts of stress and heat build-up, similar to the last left-hand corner of Phillip Island one week ago. A great variety of slow and ultra-fast corners with constant elevation changes follow, and thrilling cornering at full throttle and hard-braking from fast straights to second-gear turns will test chassis and tyre set-up to the max. Carlos Checa, who scored his second podium finish aboard his Bridgestone-fitted Ducati Desmosedici last weekend in Australia, is just in the right mood for the new challenge. “My aim is to continue the progress we’ve made in recent months”; says the 33-year-old Spaniard. “Even though we all start from zero at this track, we know our bike and tyres work well.” Checa will be joined by Shinichi Ito, Japanese Superbike Champion and Bridgestone’s tyre test rider. “I have good experience on the Ducati Desmosedici, having done many tests with the bike, and I’m looking forward to racing alongside all the full-time MotoGP riders”; says Ito. The 38-year-old Japanese comes in to replace Loris Capirossi, who returned back home to Italy and is now recovering from his internal injuries suffered at a horrific practice crash in Australia. Suzuki rider Kenny Roberts also fell heavily and broke his left wrist in the first practice session at the Australian Grand Prix, but will not be replaced for the race in Turkey. Hiroshi Yamada – Motorcycle Racing Manager Bridgestone Motorsport “In last week’s AustraliaGP, we obtained our 8th podium of the year on a track that is known to be hard on tyres. I am very pleased with this result as our tyre performance lasted throughout the entire race. However, I am also hoping for fast recoveries by Loris and Kenny who had unfortunate accidents at that race. This week’s TurkishGP will be a new challenge for us as it is hard to predict what kind of problems we will face at this new track. With the information we have from the F1 team, we have prepared around 4~5 specs of new compound and construction using our newest generation of tyres as its base. The compound variation is wide ranged to cope with what we predict to be a low grip surface and variable weather conditions. We hope for good results at this first ever GP with these tyres. Shinichi Ito will substitute for Loris Capirossi in this race, and he should be a big plus for our tyre development for this track.!”

TURKISH DELIGHT AWAITS KAWASAKI RACING TEAM IN ISTANBUL The world’s newest Grand Prix circuit, Istanbul Park, will take the Kawasaki Racing Team and factory riders, Shinya Nakano and Olivier Jacque, into uncharted territory this weekend. Built at a cost of 115 million Euros, Istanbul Park – the Otodrom – will host the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix, which is the latest addition to the MotoGP calendar. The 14 turn, 5.34km circuit was constructed on a 200 hectare site 55 kms outside Istanbul, and purpose-built to showcase MotoGP and Formula 1 events. It was designed by German architect Hermann Tilke, who was also responsible for the Sepang and Shanghai circuits. The track hosted its first F1 race in August, and this Sunday it will be the turn of the world’s fastest MotoGP riders and bikes. Features of the circuit include its width, 21 metres in places, and a series of dramatic plunges and climbs between turns one and eleven that evoke memories of Spa and Imola – two classic Grand Prix circuits. From the circuit layout the most challenging section appears to be the super-fast, triple-apex turn 8 – a long left-hand corner with a high-speed entry – followed by a flat-out downhill section to the turn 9 hairpin. Just how Nakano and Jacque will handle the circuit aboard their 990cc, Ninja ZX-RR machines is unknown, because there has been no previous MotoGP testing at the circuit. The opening free practice session on Friday morning, extended to 90 minutes because of the all-new circuit, will provide many of the answers as riders and technicians work towards an ideal race set-up. Nakano is in superb form, as demonstrated by his last lap burst into seventh place in last Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island, and he is targeting a continuation of that pace over the final two races in Turkey and Valencia. Meanwhile Jacque, again replacing the injured Alex Hofmann, is aiming for a more positive outcome than his Phillip Island outing, where he finished 16th. Practice for the Turkish Grand Prix starts just five days after riders, teams and cargo aircraft have made the rush trip from Australia to prepare for the penultimate round of the MotoGP World Championship. Shinya Nakano: #56 “I’ve never been to Turkey but I bought a travel guide, that’s as much as I know – I gather one side is Asian and the other side European. I will take time to look around Istanbul, but also I will try and understand the track before we start practice on Friday morning. I watched the F1 race on television and it seems there are some high-speed corners, and the track looks interesting, but it is difficult to know how it will suit the ZX-RR and our tyres. Like at Phillip Island, I just want to push for the best possible result, and hopefully we can achieve our maximum potential here.” Olivier Jacque: #19 “Another new circuit to learn, and all I really know about the track is the same as everyone else, from watching the F1 race. But learning new tracks is usually not a problem for me, and with the extra 30 minutes of practice on Friday and Saturday we should have enough time to find an ideal race set-up. I like experiencing new cultures, so I’m looking forward to the Turkey race, and also to putting the frustration of Phillip island behind me.”

MELANDRI AND HAYDEN TO FIGHT IT OUT IN TURKEY Honda stars Marco Melandri (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) and Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) will be fighting hard for the coveted MotoGP runner-up position this weekend at a track no rider in any class has experienced yet. Both men have 170 points after 15 races of this 17-race season and they will be eager to get to grips with this new track at the earliest opportunity the sooner they learn the specific demands of the circuit, the earlier they can get up to speed to gain all-important grid position in qualifying. But there are other riders in contention too. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) lurks in fourth place in the standings with 162 points and despite dropping points with his fall last weekend at Phillip Island Max Biaggi (Repsol Honda RC211V) is still in the hunt on 159 points. But there are other concerns for riders too. Hayden has won once this season at his ‘home’ track Laguna Seca in California, the young American desperately wants another ‘away’ win to confirm his arrival as a serious contender for next season’s World Championship. Melandri too has threatened to pull off his first win in the premier class this season, but remains with two second places to show for his considerable efforts in 2005. Now that his grievous foot injury, sustained at Motegi, is fully on the mend, he will be eager to make the most of the Istanbul Park track. This 5.430km track, situated on the Asian side of the huge city of Istanbul, is one of the better ‘new’ circuits to be built. It features six right-hand turns, a medium-length 720m straight and eight left-hand turns. Designed by Hermann Tilke, the man responsible for the new Shanghai track, the Otodrom International Circuit is something of a pastiche of existing circuits. Turns one and two are an unashamed copy of the Senna Esses at Sau Paulo while turn 11 mimics Eau Rouge at Spa Francorchamps. A degree of elevation makes many corner entries blind and challenging. Turn eight is a double-apex high-speed left that will demand inch-perfect precision riding and raw nerve of a rare degree. This corner is critical for a good lap time entry, mid-turn and exit are all equally important get any parts wrong and the time penalty will be a heavy one. Sete Gibernau (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) is desperate to make something of what has been a poor season for the Spanish star. He has yet to win in 2005 and will be hoping this new track can give him a chance to shine. Sete is undaunted and ready to give it his best again. He said, “Istanbul Park is a completely new track for all of us. I have seen the circuit and the layout of the track on TV but we can only have a clear idea on the first day of testing. We have no data, and this is a good chance to use that positively.” Hayden is as usual keen to get going here. He said, “New track, new country, new experience bring it on! It’ll be fun. We all start on a level playing field on Friday morning and that’s good. A lot of the guys here have had years of experience on the tracks we race at through 125s and 250s and it’s good to get to a place and just start from zero. At this level it doesn’t take long to learn a track but it’ll be fun to see who gets on the pace early.” Melandri is eager too and said, “I’m very happy to race in Turkey, a completely new track. It was the same in China Shanghai was a new track for all the riders, I liked it and had a good race. The Grand Prix of Turkey is a very important race. I have the same points as Nicky Hayden and at the beginning of the season second place in the World Championship was just a dream now it is my target. It would be the best way to thank Fausto Gresini, Honda and HRC who’ve all believed in me this season.” Max said, “Although the situation in the race was a disaster in Australia there was a small piece of sunshine in the morning practice when I was fastest and the bike felt good. I have to hold onto this memory of being at the top of the time sheets and aim for this situation again as soon as I get back on the bike next Friday.” Alex Barros (Camel Honda RC211V) said, “When I woke up on the morning after the Phillip Island race I stayed still for a moment, positive that if I had moved I would see stars. However things are going a little better than I expected. I still find it hard to move around, and my left side is hurting a lot, but I have to say it’s not as bad as I feared. It’s obviously not the best thing to be going to a new track in less than perfect physical condition, but I hope to make a quick recovery in these rest days.” Chris Vermeulen, standing in for the injured Troy Bayliss (Camel Honda RC211V), said, “With a race under my belt I hope things will be slightly easier this weekend, even though the track is completely new and there’s a lot to learn. The bonus is that it will be new to everybody. Now I’ve got a bit more knowledge about the bike and the tyres, and my objective is to do better than we managed in Australia. I would like to have a good practice and finish the race in the top ten.” For Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) this is a good chance to salvage something from a disappointing season. He said, “In the last two races of the season I absolutely must obtain good results. I have many motives: first for the Team who always give their best, and for Konica Minolta and Honda, who, despite this season’s results not being the best, have never stopped believing in us.” In the 250cc class Dani Pedrosa (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) secured his second consecutive 250cc World Championship in Australia last weekend in fine style with a win and now he can show just why he’s moving up to MotoGP next year with a celebratory display here in Turkey. His team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) will be eager to make his presence felt here after losing momentum slightly following a win from pole in Japan and a pole position in Malaysia. He has been largely outshone by rookie Andrea Dovizioso (Scot Racing Team Honda RS250RW) who now lies third in the overall points standings, 17 ahead of Aoyama. The Italian has been the most consistent of the new draft of 125c riders who have made the step up this season. Team-mates Hector Barbera (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) and Jorge Lorenzo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW), both 125 graduates have had different fortunes this year. Lorenzo has shown blistering speed from the outset, while Barbera has taken to longer to adapt but both can be expected to feature this weekend. Dani said, “Now the World Championship is won again I can concentrate on riding at this new track and enjoying learning it. My injured shoulder is now much better and I will be able to ride at close to a 100%. My bike was fantastic in Australia and I know my team will give me a fast machine here too.” “I’m really looking forward to this race in Istanbul”¦” said Lorenzo. “¦at a circuit no one knows. In Phillip Island I couldn’t really ride like I wanted but at the end we did OK. The only thing I know about Istanbul Park is what I’ve seen on TV during the F1 race, so it looks like a great circuit a fun one! I hope we can really enjoy this new track.” Barbera said, “Lately I’ve started to feel better on my bike and I am enjoying things much more now. During the race I was smiling because I started to get a better feeling. Now we have a good opportunity at this new circuit and I really want to profit from it so… let’s see what this Grand Prix brings us!” The 125cc class, as is almost always the case, is the last category to be decided. It has been tight and tense all season and now, as the deciding two rounds loom, the pressure on the only two men in contention is immense. Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R), after his crushing pole to flag victory in Australia last weekend, must now be the favourite for class honours, but his 12 point lead in the standings is slender with two races and still a maximum of 50 points available. His title rival Mika Kallio (KTM) had a wretched time in Australia in fifth place, but he could be strong here in Turkey and Luthi and his experienced team will be aware that this Championship is highly likely to run into the final race in Valencia in early November before it is concluded. Luthi said, “The track is new for all of us so things start equal. We are leading the World Championship now but everything can change in one race. I had a bad day at Qatar but the same thing happened to Mika (Kallio) at Phillip Island. We’ll be going to Istanbul to win the race. We won’t be points-watching.” Tomoyoshi Koyama (Ajo Motorsport Honda RS125R) is running into fine form now at the conclusion of his rookie season in this demanding class. The Japanese finished second in a tense finish at Phillip Island and will be looking to continue his late season run.

1. Josh Hayes, Attack Kawasaki ZX-10R 2. John Haner, Attack Kawasaki ZX-10R 3. Jason Perez, Rojo Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 4. Jeremy Toye, Roadracingworld.com Honda CBR1000RR 5. Michael Beck, Yamaha YZF-R1 6. Chris Ulrich, Roadracingworld.com Suzuki GSX-R1000 7. Tony Meiring, Mom-and-Dad-sponsored Suzuki GSX-R1000 8. Cesar Meza, Meza Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 9. Jeff Stern, Suzuki GSX-R1000 10. Dale Kieffer, Suzuki GSX-R1000 11. Scott Jensen, Suzuki GSX-R1000 12. Dean Mizdal, Suzuki GSX-R1000 13. Kenny Kopecky, Ducati 999R 14. Ben Welch, Suzuki GSX-R1000 15. Stuart Smith, Kawasaki ZX-10R 16. James Kerker, Honda CBR1000RR 17. Jason Caldwell, Suzuki GSX-R1000 18. Premek Glinz, Suzuki GSX-R1000 19. Brant Wiwi 20. Ross Delany 21. Marcel Graeber, Suzuki GSX-R1000 22. Matt Quigley 23. J.C. Gibbs, Yamaha YZF-R6 24. Rocky Caceras, Suzuki GSX-R750 25. Bryan Kovarick, Suzuki GSX-R750 26. Ken Pacheco 27. Horace Knight 28. Sam Carnibucci, Yamaha YZF-R6 29. John Dang Did Not Finish: Michael Montoya, Yamaha TZ250, crash Martin Szwarc KC Clarke Nobi Iso, Yamaha TZ250, crash Richard Headley, Suzuki GSX-R1000 Skye Girard Blair Sullenger, Yamaha TZ250 Bradley Adams, Yamaha YZF-R1 Mark Simon Corey Sarros, Suzuki GSX-R1000 Mike Hale, Suzuki GSX-R1000, mechanical Randy Haywood