Gregorio Lavilla, the newly crowned British Superbike Champion, has signed to continue with GSE Racing for 2006 and will partner Leon Haslam in the Airwaves Ducati squad for a second year. Lavilla was highly sought after having had a stunning season, his decision to stay with Airwaves Ducati to defend his title is exciting news for the whole team and for next season’s Championship. The Spaniard today commented on his decision to stay with Airwaves Ducati, “I have decided to stay with the team for one more year in British Superbikes because, having spoken lots to Darrell and Colin, I believe that we can do good things together. This year the atmosphere within the team has been very good and that is very important to me and I know that if I stay with the team we can achieve even more. Next season’s Championship will be good and I want to try to raise the level of it and of course try to win the Championship again.” The Spaniard added his thoughts on next season, “I expect there will be a lot of competition and some tough races but I will be ready for that, the team will be ready for that and the bike will be ready too.” Gregorio joined the Airwaves Ducati team as a late replacement for the injured James Haydon in March. With little or no knowledge of many of the British Superbike Circuits when he joined, he quickly proved himself as one of the best riders and a title contender. Having developed a good relationship with Leon, the team went from strength to strength and would like to continue that into next year. Team Principle Darrell Healey “We are absolutely delighted Greg has decided to stay with us for next year, we appreciate that he is very hot property and I’m sure his decision was not an easy one to make. It’s been our best season ever! After having a year out in 2004 no one could have predicted we would win the championship on our return. We are very proud of our team and the effort they all make”. Team Manager Colin Wright “We have proved to be the strongest team in the Championship, we have enjoyed 33 podium finishes, 8 lap records, only missed out on the podium in one race. Greg and Leon have given us six one two’s resulting in Airwaves Ducati scoring 11 more points than its nearest rival! It’s been a true team effort. For Greg to join us at Brands Hatch in March and then go on to win the championship is outstanding. Now, having secured him for 2006 it’s yet another reason for the team to celebrate.” Ducati Corse Director Paolo Ciabatti also confirmed what bikes the riders will be racing on next year “We are very pleased for GSE Racing, the result was fantastic and we are very happy with their rider line up. I can confirm that we will provide GSE Racing with Ducati 999 F’06 machines, the same as the factory team will use in World Superbike, next season.” With Leon and Gregorio set to race on the most up to date Ducati machinery next season the Airwaves Ducati teams return to British Superbikes in 2006 is likely to be as eagerly anticipated as their comeback at the start of this season. By continuing with the same riders, sponsors and with the help of Ducati Corse, GSE Racing is confident they will successfully defend their Bennett’s British Superbike title in 2006.

MotoGP Qualifying Results From Phillip Island: 1. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 1:29.337 2. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 1:29.443 3. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 1:29.729 4. Carlos CHECA, Ducati, 1:29.775 5. Colin EDWARDS, Yamaha, 1:29.943 6. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 1:30.070 7. Toni ELIAS, Yamaha, 1:30.094 8. Marco MELANDRI, Honda, 1:30.322 9. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 1:30.624 10. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 1:30.628 11. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 1:30.667 12. Alex BARROS, Honda, 1:30.757 13. Olivier JACQUE, Kawasaki, 1:31.079 14. Chris VERMEULEN, Honda, 1:31.654 15. Ruben XAUS, Yamaha, 1:31.728 16. Roberto ROLFO, Ducati, 1:33.495 17. James ELLISON, Blata, 1:33.673 Not qualified (Out 107%) 1’35.590 18. Franco BATTAINI, Blata, 1:35.933 19. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, did not ride in qualifying 20. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, did not ride in qualifying More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team: NAKANO QUALIFIES TOP TEN AT SUNNY PHILLIP ISLAND Kawasaki rider, Shinya Nakano, recovered from a harmless crash to qualify in tenth place for tomorrow’s Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island. While Nakano heads the fourth row of the grid, his French teammate, Kawasaki test rider Olivier Jacque, will start from thirteenth in his return to racing after missing the Qatar Grand Prix. Track conditions were near perfect for qualifying, sunny and cool, with the usually gusty winds of Phillip Island staying calm for the one hour session that saw Nicky Hayden qualify on pole position. After crashing at the first hairpin Nakano returned to the track on his spare Ninja ZX-RR and posted his fastest lap, half a second under the track record, with 12 minutes remaining. Unfortunately Nakano’s spill upset his normally fast and smooth qualifying rhythm, and the Japanese ace was disappointed not to be starting further up the grid. Overnight improvements to machine set-up, and further evaluation of a new range of Bridgestone tyres, have allowed Nakano to find a consistent race package. In his first race appearance at Phillip Island on the Ninja ZX-RR, Jacque has made a dramatic improvement over two days of practice and qualifying, dropping his times by more than three seconds. Jacque was more comfortable today with improved grip levels and more stable set-up, although he is still finding the limits of braking performance, especially on the hard braking required for the first hairpin. Again today the 4.4km Phillip Island circuit, with its dominant sequence of fast left-hand curves, presented the problem of generating heat and grip into rear tyres. Tomorrow’s 27-lap race is the 15th round of the MotoGP World Championship, with Nakano aiming to consolidate his top ten position in the championship standings. Shinya Nakano: #56 – Tenth – 1’30.628 “I’m okay after the crash, I just bumped my head a little and have a small bruise on my right foot – but for sure I can race at 100%, luckily I have nothing broken. I crashed on entry to the first hairpin while trying a different specification rear tyre, but the the right-side was not working at all. I was hoping for a stronger qualifying, but for the race I think we have a consistent package, our race tyre performance is good, but it will not be easy to stay with the front group. There is no big problem, just many small things that we could improve for better overall lap time – even small improvements to braking stability and traction would help a lot.” Olivier Jacque: #19 – Thirteenth – 1’31.079 “Today was a more comfortable day, I’m much happier with the grip level, and I am now more confident for my first time here on the ZX-RR. My times have come down in every session since Friday morning and I think there is more to come, but now it is time to race. However, another two hours of practice would be good! It’s just a matter of set-up, especially in the fast corners and for braking stability. I went straight-on a couple of times at the Hairpin, so in the race I know I have to be less optimistic about braking performance. And through the fast left handers I need to concentrate on finding more corner speed and traction. In two days we have made some good steps, hopefully I can move forward in the race.” Harald Eckl: Team Manager “Shinya was unlucky to crash in these circumstances and it put him out of rhythm for the session. Compared to other circuits this appears not be one that favours Shinya and I expect this will not be an easy race for the Kawasaki team.” More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Yamaha: GAULOISES YAMAHA PAIR SEAL TOP FIVE STARTS AT PHILLIP ISLAND Gauloises Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards both lapped inside the previous pole record time at Phillip Island today in a highly competitive battle for grid positions ahead of tomorrow’s Australian Grand Prix. Rossi shaved almost six tenths off the record time he set here two years ago to secure a front row start in second place behind pole setter Nicky Hayden (Honda). Team-mate Edwards was in equally impressive form, knocking almost two seconds off his best effort from yesterday as he became one of only five riders to dip under the 1’30 mark at the legendary track. After tussling with Carlos Checa (Ducati) at the top of the time sheets for the majority of the session, Rossi launched his attack for pole in the final few minutes but was held up by another rider in the final two corners of his fastest lap. The Italian chose not to finish the lap and came in to switch to a fresh tyre for one last attempt, which didn’t quite match the pace of his first and fell 0.106 seconds short of Hayden’s record-breaking effort of 1’29.337. Edwards improved as the session progressed, ironing out some set-up difficulties with the YZR-M1 before clocking his personal best time at this circuit and sealing a second row start in fifth place. VALENTINO ROSSI (2nd 1’29.443 31 laps) “I was quite confident for pole position because the team have done a great job with the bike this weekend and it worked well from yesterday. I lost my best opportunity to take pole when I was held up by Xaus in the final corner; I tried to overtake him but I wasn’t able to so I came in and tried again with another tyre. Anyway, sometimes that happens. I tried my best and my lap time was very fast but in the end Nicky was faster so congratulations to him it was a great ride. I am quite happy because the bike is good and second place is not so bad. It will be a hard race, especially for the tyres, but hopefully the good weather will continue tomorrow!” COLIN EDWARDS (5th 1’29.943 28 laps) “When you look back to yesterday the situation today is miles better. It looked like we were going to have a rough weekend but the team have worked really hard and we’ve worked the majority of the problems out. The truth is that we’ve still got room for improvement but if we can make progress in tomorrow’s warm-up in the same way we moved forward today then we should be in even better shape for the race. I must admit that I’m a little relieved because it’s a big race for me and after the first couple of practice sessions I wasn’t too confident. Now I’m looking forward to tomorrow and hopefully I can put on a good show for the family, friends and fans who have come down to support me.” DAVIDE BRIVIO GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “There was a lot of traffic on the track today and a lot of riders trying to follow Valentino to set a good time. The penultimate tyre he used was probably the best, but he got held up by Xaus and he was very sensible to come in and take a fresh tyre for another attempt. Anyway, even without the pole position Valentino has shown himself to be very strong today and he has a good race pace. Colin has also taken some big steps forward since yesterday, so we are confident both our riders can have a good day tomorrow. We have already won the Riders’ and Teams’ titles and we hope we can complete the trio with the Manufacturers’ championship tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Hayden clinches third pole with fastest ever lap of Phillip Island Nicky Hayden became the fastest rider ever to complete a lap of the legendary Phillip Island circuit as he obliterated the pole position record in today’s single qualifying practice for the Polini Australian Grand Prix. The American set a time of 1’29.337 despite being held up by a slower rider just two corners from the end, his effort beating Valentino Rossi’s previous record here by 0.731 seconds and holding off the Italian’s own challenge by a single tenth. “My goal was to lap below 1’29.5 but the qualifying tyres just got better and better and on the last one I was really going for it,” said Hayden, who also started from pole at Laguna Seca and Sachsenring this season. “The bike is working well, the tyres have plenty of grip and that’s when I love it. It’s always nice to be on pole but it’s tomorrow that counts. Everybody in the team is doing their bit and they’re all right behind me so all I can do is try to put on good show and see what happens.” Rossi was also held up by a slower rider on his fastest lap, eventually abandoning a potential pole effort to change tyres and launch one final attempt with just two minutes remaining. However, the World Champion was unable to match his previous pace and had to settle for second place on the grid as he looks to score his fifth straight MotoGP victory at this circuit in tomorrow’s race. Sete Gibernau gatecrashed the front row in third place at the expense of his Spanish compatriot Carlos Checa, who dominated for much of the session but will start from the front of the second row in fourth place. Colin Edwards knocked almost two seconds off his best time from a problematic first day as he moved up to fifth place overall and secured a second row start between Checa and Max Biaggi, who flirted with the front row positions before eventually dropping to sixth. Marco Melandri will challenge Biaggi for second place in the championship from eighth on the grid after being out-qualified by rookie youngster Toni Elías, who continued his recent form after recovering from a wrist injury to record his best MotoGP qualifying position in seventh place. Further back on the grid Chris Vermeulen will make his MotoGP debut as a replacement for the injured Troy Bayliss from fourteenth place after an impressive display. The Australian lapped within a second of his Honda team-mate Alex Barros and just 2.317 seconds off Hayden’s pole time, the pace of which was highlighted by the fact that WCM rider Franco Battaini did not meet the official qualifying time after failing to lap within 107% of pole. Vermeulen’s compatriot Casey Stoner will start his home race from pole position after setting the fastest ever lap of this circuit by a 250cc machine with a time of 1’32.756 in the second qualifying session for the quarter-litre class. Stoner is targeting his third consecutive victory as he looks to close the 26-point gap to series leader and reigning World Champion Dani Pedrosa, who starts from the second row of the grid after qualifying sixth fastest. The Australian is joined on the front row by Jorge Lorenzo, who escaped unhurt from a high-speed crash in turn one just seconds after setting his fastest lap, Alex de Angelis and last year’s winner Sebastián Porto, who failed to improve on his provisional pole time from yesterday after suffering from mechanical problems with ten minutes of the session remaining. 125cc World Championship leader Mika Kallio will start from the second row of the grid after seeing his nearest title rival, Thomas Lüthi, clinch pole position. Lüthi, who lies just two points behind Kallio in the current standings, clocked a time of 1’37.543 to seal his fourth pole of the season with a 0.161 second advantage over Mattia Pasini. Gabor Talmacsi and Marco Simoncelli complete the front row, with the top twelve riders separated by less than a second. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Hopkins working hard down under Team SUZUKI Racer John Hopkins has qualified in 11th position for tomorrow’s Polini Australian Grand Prix, where he will be Suzuki’s sole representative for the race. Hopkins (1’30.667) used this morning’s final practice session and a big slice of this afternoon’s qualifying to fine tune the set-up of his Suzuki GSV-R for Sunday’s 27-lap race. He used the latest generation Bridgestone race tyres designed to cope with the high speed Phillip Island track and increased temperatures – to their full extent, and was able to prove their consistency and durability over a race distance. He still has a number of things to iron out before the race starts tomorrow, and will be working hard with his crew this evening – and in morning practice – to make sure he gets the very best from both machine and tyres in the race. Hopkins is racing on his own due to the unfortunate injury that sidelined team-mate Kenny Roberts Jr yesterday. Roberts Jr has suffered a fracture to the left wrist and is already on his way back to America for further tests and treatment. He hopes to be fit for the final round of the MotoGP World Championship at Valencia next month. The qualifying session was held in sunny conditions with the fastest time and pole position set by Nicky Hayden on a Honda. He will be joined on the front row by Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau, when round 15 of the championship gets underway tomorrow at 14.30hrs (local time), 06.30hrs CET. John Hopkins: “We have been struggling a little bit throughout the weekend. We are working really hard with the set-up and we have tried to improve the edge-grip. This we have done but we now have a bit of a chatter problem. We are trying everything we can but unfortunately we haven’t found a solution yet. There are a couple more things that myself and the team will work on this evening and hopefully find that solution. Fourth row is obviously not where we want to be, but one of the positives that has come out of it is that we are nearly one and a half seconds quicker than we were last year so that shows the improvements made to the bike. I’m confident that we can come up with a solution and find about half-a-second a lap and fight for a top-10 position tomorrow.” Paul Denning Team Manager: “John made a big effort today. The qualifying result is a long way away from the best we have seen this year but the effort and application from the team has been the same as ever. We’ve worked through a large combination of chassis settings to help the grip and done lots of laps on the chosen Bridgestone race tyres. The tyres will easily complete race distance at a consistent pace. We are struggling with ultimate speed on the lap-times and we could do with more punch off the corners to help us at this circuit. John is certainly making every effort he can but hopefully he can tidy things up a little, and the bike can improve further plus without Kenny here John doesn’t have a gauge. He has qualified in a decent position on the fourth row and if he gets a good start I’m sure that he will be able to keep with the faster guys and go for another top-10 finish.” More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda: ALEX HAS GOOD RACE PACE, CHRIS RAPIDLY IMPROVING Alex Barros will start the Australian GP from the fourth row of the grid tomorrow, despite having showed over two days of practice he is capable of being much closer to the front in the race. Chris Vermeulen has impressed the team with how quickly he is picking up confidence with the machine and the tyres. The young Australian made huge strides forward in the four hours of practice, lowering his times by a second in every session and cut his gap to the top rider by half a second compared to yesterday. Sito Pons Camel Honda “It’s a shame that Alex was unable to use his final qualifying tyre because I think that he could have taken three or four more tenths off and started further up the grid. Nevertheless, his race pace is quite good so I think that tomorrow he could improve. As regards Chris, I think he’s doing a great job, and has improved in every session so far. He’s capable of riding at the limit from the very first lap and that’s a positive thing because if he gets a good start that quality will help him have a good race. Anyway, I think tomorrow he can go out on track with no pressure on him, the only aim is to pick up experience. This is how he will get the best possible result.” Alex Barros Camel Honda 1’30.757 12th position “I’m abjectly disappointed with today’s practices because it’s not easy to overtake here and to start this far back is a handicap. We calculated the time wrong today and I couldn’t use the last qualifying tyre to take a few more tenths off. My pace in race configuration is okay, in the low 1’31s, but 1’30s are what’s needed really. In any case, I’m not beaten yet and tomorrow I will do everything I can to get a good result.” Chris Vermeulen Camel Honda 1’31.654 14th position “It’s fantastic to ride with this team and this bike. We made improvements in every session starting out at 1’34 and ending up at 1’31. I think that is a good margin in four hours and I’m delighted with it. We’re working together well and I am also getting on with the Michelin engineers. The qualifying tyres offer incredible grip and even though I didn’t make the most of them I still enjoyed myself using them. So tomorrow I hope to be able to improve my times even further and lap at a constant rhythm. My aim is to finish in the points and as close to another Honda rider as possible.” More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda: SETE ON THE FRONT ROW AT PHILLIP ISLAND Gibernau and Melandri will have to work on their race pace in the warm-up AUSTRALIAN GP – MOTOGP QUALIFYING PRACTICE The Telefónica Movistar Honda MotoGP team endured a particularly difficult day at Phillip Island today. Sete Gibernau and Marco Melandri were both unable to follow up their positive feelings after yesterday’s free practice with a good performance in this afternoon’s qualifying session. Sete Gibernau managed the third fastest time and will start from the front row of the grid for the twelfth time this season tomorrow but the Movistar rider revealed that his fastest lap is not a fair reflection of his situation and says he is still lacking race pace. His team-mate Marco Melandri will start from the third row after making several modifications to his set-up that did not improve the performance of the bike today. The Italian is confident that he can find a better balance for the bike in tomorrow’s warm-up, however, as he looks ahead to a particularly special Grand Prix for him. Phillip Island is one of his favourites circuits and he has won races here in both 125cc and 250cc in the past. SETE GIBERNAU (3rd, 1’29″729): “My fastest lap doesn’t reflect the true situation we are in. We lapped really well at this circuit in preseason and now we were unable to do so. I can’t be happy at all because we haven’t got a good race pace. The team is analysing the data now to see if they can come up with something for the warm-up that will at least give us the chance to fight for the podium.” MARCO MELANDRI (8th, 1’30″322): “We made a few modifications this afternoon to try and improve the performance of the bike but we haven’t had the results that we had hoped for. We’ll work hard with the team to try and find a solution before the race.” More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: FLYING HAYDEN STORMS TO THIRD POLE OF SEASON Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) notched his third pole position of the season with a storming lap of 1m 29.337 seconds here at the demanding 4.448km Phillip Island circuit in Australia. His effort was 0.731 seconds inside the previous best qualifying time. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) qualified second and Sete Gibernau (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) also achieved a front row start for the 12th time this season. Carlos Checa (Ducati) was the early pacesetter here heading the grid in the early stages of the hour-long qualifying session before Rossi put in a 1m 30.621 second lap in the first quarter. With five minutes to go the Spaniard was the fastest man on the track, but Hayden’s last gasp lap was more than he could respond to. Max Biaggi (Repsol Honda RC211V) showed well in the early stages, and even with 12 minutes left on the clock the Roman lay third in the order. But as the pace hotted up with ultra-grippy qualifying tyres fitted in the final ten minutes he was bounced down to the second row of the grid. Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) was another man who showed good pace with his race set-up, briefly occupying third place with 45 minutes to go to qualify ninth eventually. At the halfway point the front row was Checa, Rossi and Hayden with Tamada, Biaggi and Gibernau on row two. Hayden now seems to have got the measure of qualifying tyres and the long left-hand turn onto the start/finish straight suited his long dirt-track apprenticeship the man from Kentucky fired his RC211V onto the chute with real venom in the final minute to make pole his own. Marco Melandri (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) never quite got to grips with the track this time and ended up eighth fastest qualifier. Alex Barros (Camel Honda RC211V) managed 12th while Chris Vermeulen, standing in for the injured Troy Bayliss (Camel Honda RC211V), qualified a creditable 14th. Nicky said, “Pole’s pretty cool. The Michelin qualifiers today were really good. I used three sets and they seemed to get better and better. There are times round here when you really shouldn’t be opening the gas but the tyres just gripped amazing. We’re struggling a little on race pace to be honest so we’re definitely going to have to dig in tomorrow but I’ll enjoy the pole now.” Gibernau said, “My fastest lap doesn’t reflect the true situation we’re in. We lapped really well at this circuit in pre-season and now we can’t. I’m not happy at all because we haven’t got a good race pace. The team is checking the data now to see if they can come up with something for the warm-up that will at least give us the chance to fight for the podium.” Max said, “I can’t say I’m totally happy to be on the second row, but considering where we’ve qualified recently this isn’t so bad. What’s encouraging is that the bike seems to be more balanced than we’ve had it all weekend. We’ve had trouble getting weight on the front and traction at the back but it definitely seems things are getting better. We seem to be able to make some regular fast laps on race tyres.” Eighth fastest qualifier Marco Melandri said, “We made a few modifications this afternoon to try and improve the bike, but we haven’t had the results we hoped for. We’ll work hard with the team to try and find a solution before the race.” Tamada, ninth fastest today, said, “Today we tried many settings and things have improved. During the afternoon session I found myself just behind Colin Edwards for a few laps and I could maintain his rhythm. This gave me more confidence and made me understand that if I start well tomorrow near the leading group I can battle with everybody.” Barros, in 12th, said, “I’m deeply disappointed with today’s practice because it’s not easy to overtake here and to start this far back is a handicap. We calculated the time wrong today and I couldn’t use the last qualifying tyre to take a few more tenths off my lap. My race pace is OK; in the low 1m 31s, but 1m 30s are what’s needed really. In any case, I’m not beaten yet and tomorrow I will do everything I can to get a good result.” Aussie stand-in Chris Vermeulen said, “It’s fantastic to ride with this team and this bike. We made improvements in every session starting out at 1m 34s and ending up at 1m 31s. I think that’s a good margin in four hours and I’m delighted with it. We’re working together well and I am also getting on with the Michelin engineers. The qualifying tyres offer incredible grip and even though I didn’t make the most of them I still enjoyed using them. Tomorrow I hope to be able to improve my times even further and lap at a constant rhythm. My aim is to finish in the points and as close to another Honda rider as possible.” HONDA TEAM QUOTES: MotoGP: Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda: 1st: “Pole’s pretty cool. The Michelin qualifiers today were really good. I used three sets and they seemed to get better and better. There are times round here when you really shouldn’t be opening the gas but the tyres just gripped amazing. On that last lap I just hung in there. Me and Rolfo almost came together! I was pretty committed so I just had to stick the bike up the inside and hope. I thought it wasn’t going to be pretty but it worked out OK. We’re struggling a little on race pace to be honest so we’re definitely going to have to dig in tomorrow but I’ll enjoy the pole now. The guys have done a great job all weekend and we’ve kinda’ snuck up to the front little by little.” Sete Gibernau, MoviStar Honda: 3rd: “My fastest lap doesn’t reflect the true situation we are in. We lapped really well at this circuit in preseason and now we were unable to do so. I can’t be happy at all because we haven’t got a good race pace and the worst thing is that at the moment we don’t know how to put things right. The team is analysing the data now to see if they can come up with something for the warm-up that will at least give us the chance to fight for the podium.” Max Biaggi, Repsol Honda: 6th: “I can’t say I totally am happy to be on the second row but considering where we have qualified recently this is not so bad. What is encouraging is that the bike seems to be more balanced than we have had it all weekend. We’ve had trouble getting weight on the front and traction at the back but it definitely seems that things are coming better. We seem to be able to make some regular fast laps on race tyres which is good for the race. Tomorrow we still have a lot for work to do before we are ready for the race.” Marco Melandri, MoviStar Honda: 8th: “We made a few modifications this afternoon to try and improve the performance of the bike but we haven’t had the results that we had hoped for. We’ll work hard with the team to try and find a solution before the race.” Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda: 9th: “Today we have tried many setting solutions and things have sensibly improved. During the afternoon session I found my self just behind Colin Edwards for a few laps and I could maintain his rhythm. This has given me much more confidence to continue the qualifying session and made me understand that if I will start well tomorrow remaining near the leading group I can battle with everybody. In the afternoon I tried three soft rear tyres, with the first I didn’t feel good, while with the last set I committed a small mistake which didn’t allow me to improve my best performance. I hope to start well tomorrow and I mostly hope that my physical conditions will get better because this influenza has surely not helped me during these first two days of work.” Alex Barros, Camel Honda: 12th: “I’m abjectly disappointed with today’s practices because it’s not easy to overtake here and to start this far back is a handicap. We calculated the time wrong today and I couldn’t use the last qualifying tyre to take a few more tenths off. My pace in race configuration is okay, in the low 1’31s, but 1’30s are what’s needed really. In any case, I’m not beaten yet and tomorrow I will do everything I can to get a good result.” Chris Vermeulen, replacement rider for Troy Bayliss at Camel Honda: 14th: “It’s fantastic to ride with this team and this bike. We made improvements in every session starting out at 1’34 and ending up at 1’31. I think that is a good margin in four hours and I’m delighted with it. We’re working together well and I am also getting on with the Michelin engineers. The qualifying tyres offer incredible grip and even though I didn’t make the most of them I still enjoyed myself using them. So tomorrow I hope to be able to improve my times even further and lap at a constant rhythm. My aim is to finish in the points and as close to another Honda rider as possible.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: ONE-MAN DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM ON THE PACE The Ducati Marlboro Team is down to one man at Phillip Island, Carlos Checa doing a fine job in today’s practice and qualifying sessions while team-mate Loris Capirossi continued his recovery in a Melbourne hospital from yesterday’s high-speed tumble.Checa ran fastest or second fastest through much of the morning and afternoon sessions, eventually taking fourth spot on the grid, just 0.046 seconds off a front-row start. “It’s a pity that Carlos missed the front row by so little, because he’s been doing an incredible job today,” said Ducati MotoGP project manager Livio Suppo. “On race tyres Carlos and Valentino Rossi were well ahead of the rest, but we still lack a little with qualifying tyres. Carlos did some very fast, consistent runs with the same tyres in both morning and afternoon sessions, and that’s the main thing, that we are looking good on race tyres, which makes us feel pretty confident about tomorrow. Our thanks to Bridgestone for their big effort. Of course, it’s a great shame that Loris isn’t here because he really loves this track, he’s the lap record holder and he’s finished on the podium the last two years. We wish him all the speediest of recoveries.” CHECA CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY Carlos Checa celebrated his 33rd birthday today with some stunningly fast runs on his Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici, suggesting that he will be in the hunt for victory tomorrow. Greeted at the end of qualifying by his team with two birthday cakes and sparklers, the Spaniard is feeling confident even if his performance on qualifying tyres wasn’t quite enough to get him onto the front row. “Getting older. and faster!” grinned Checa, who became the first man to ride a sub-one and a half minute lap of Phillip Island with 15 minutes of this afternoon’s session remaining. “Today was a really good day for us, good testing and good work. I feel comfortable on the bike and I’m very happy with the race tyres we’ve got here, so I was able to do some fast runs. For the race I feel we have the potential to be in the fight for victory. My thanks to Bridgestone and to the team for all their work. and the birthday cakes! I will have a quiet evening tonight so I’m ready for tomorrow. Maybe we’ll be able to have a good birthday party tomorrow night. ” CAPIROSSI STABLE IN MELBOURNE Loris Capirossi is stable and comfortable in Melbourne’s Cabrini hospital, following his heavy tumble at Turn One during Friday afternoon practice. The Ducati Marlboro Team rider suffered chest injuries in the fall and is still having bleeding from around his right lung drained. He is expected to leave hospital within the next day or two but has already been ruled out of next weekend’s inaugural Turkish MotoGP event. “Loris is in hospital, being very well looked after by local doctors and a member of the Clinica Mobile staff, he is in some pain but in good spirits,” explained Livio Suppo. “We will decide over the next day or so when he will return home to Europe. There are two options: he may be able to fly in a few days, with the chest drain still attached, or wait 12 days or so and fly home normally. For sure he will miss Turkey, which unfortunately means we’re now considering a replacement rider for that race.”

Final 250cc GP Qualifying Results: 1. Casey STONER, Aprilia, 1:32.756 2. Jorge LORENZO, Honda, 1:32.843 3. Alex DE ANGELIS, Aprilia, 1:32.882 4. Sebastian PORTO, Aprilia, 1:33.117 5. Hector BARBERA, Honda, 1:33.624 6. Daniel PEDROSA, Honda, 1:33.691 7. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Honda, 1:33.733 8. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Honda, 1:34.134 9. Randy DE PUNIET, Aprilia, 1:34.341 10. Roberto LOCATELLI, Aprilia, 1:34.715 11. Yuki TAKAHASHI, Honda, 1:34.739 12. Steve JENKNER, Aprilia, 1:34.998 13. Alex DEBON, Honda, 1:35.028 14. Sylvain GUINTOLI, Aprilia, 1:35.087 15. Taro SEKIGUCHI, Aprilia, 1:35.104

Final 125cc GP Qualifying Results: 1. Thomas LUTHI, Honda, 1:37.543 2. Mattia PASINI, Aprilia, 1:37.704 3. Gabor TALMACSI, KTM, 1:37.731 4. Marco SIMONCELLI, Aprilia, 1:37.796 5. Mika KALLIO, KTM, 1:37.906 6. Tomoyoshi KOYAMA, Honda, 1:37.930 7. Mike DI MEGLIO, Honda, 1:37.983 8. Lukas PESEK, Derbi, 1:38.177 9. Fabrizio LAI, Honda, 1:38.182 10. Joan OLIVE, Aprilia, 1:38.208

Combined MotoGP Practice Times From Phillip Island: 1. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 1:30.046 2. Carlos CHECA, Ducati, 1:30.264 3. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 1:30.696 4. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 1:30.825 5. Marco MELANDRI, Honda, 1:31.019 6. Toni ELIAS, Yamaha, 1:31.149 7. Alex BARROS, Honda, 1:31.200 8. Colin EDWARDS, Yamaha, 1:31.279 9. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 1:31.336 10. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 1:31.609 11. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 1:31.616 12. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 1:32.076 13. Chris VERMEULEN, Honda, 1:32.145 14. Olivier JACQUE, Kawasaki, 1:32.320 15. Ruben XAUS, Yamaha, 1:32.699 16. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 1:32.963 17. Roberto ROLFO, Ducati, 1:33.337 18. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, 1:33.520 19. James ELLISON, Blata, 1:33.927 20. Franco BATTAINI, Blata, 1:35.626

Combined Qualifying Results 1. Josh Hayes, Attack Kawasaki ZX-10R, Dunlop 16.5, 1:19.493 2. Jeremy Toye, Roadracingworld.com/Hotbodies Honda CBR1000RR, Michelin 16.5, 1:20.828 3. John Haner, Attack Kawasaki ZX-10R, Dunlop 16.5, 1:21.919 4. Jason Perez, Rojo Racing Yamaha YZF-R1, Dunlop 16.5, 1:21.964 5. Michael Beck, Yamaha YZF-R1, Dunlop 16.5, 1:22.280 6. Robbie Dowie, Advance Kawasaki ZX-10R, Dunlop 16.5, 1:22.631 7. Mike Hale, Lion Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000, Pirelli 16.5, 1:22.911 8. Chris Ulrich, Roadracingworld.com Suzuki GSX-R1000, Pirelli 17.0, 1:23.066 9. Tony Meiring, Mom & Dad-sponsored Suzuki GSX-R1000, Dunlop 17.0, 1:23.115 10. Dale Kieffer, Racers Edge Suzuki GSX-R1000, Michelin 16.5, 1:23.404 11. Richard Headley, Suzuki GSX-R1000, Dunlop, 1:23.522 12. Dean Mizdal, Suzuki GSX-R1000, Pirelli 16.5, 1:24.188 13. Nobi Iso, Yamaha TZ250, Bridgestone 17.0, 1:24.589 14. Bradley Adama, Yamaha TZ250, Dunlop 17.0, 1:24.592 15. Blair Sullenger, Yamaha TZ250, 1:24.597 16. Stuart Smith, Kawasaki ZX-10R, Dunlop, 1:24.616 17. Jeff Stern, Suzuki GSX-R1000, Michelin, 1:24.657 18. Scott Jensen, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:24.670 19. Skye Girard, 1:24.703 20. Kenny Kopecky, Ducati 999R, 1:24.754 21. Cesar Meza, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:25.099 22. Mark Simon, 1:25.218 23. Jason Caldwell, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:25.283 24. Premek Glinz, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:25.331 25. James Kerker, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:25.522 26. Brant Wiwi, 1:25.742 27. Rocky Caceras, Suzuki GSX-R, 1:25.962 28. Bryan Kovarick, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:26.032 29. Corey Sarros, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:26.202 30. Martin Szwarc. 1:26.338 31. Marcel Graeber, 1:26.486 32. Ruben Rodriguez, 1:26.607 33. Sam Carnibucci, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:26.799 34. Ben Welch, 1:26.982 35. Randy Haywood, 1:27.247 36. Horace Knight Jr., 1:27.537 37. Ken Pacheco, 1:27.655 38. Matt Quigley, 1:28.035 39. Ross Delong, 1:28.451 40. KC Clark, 1:28.648

WMRRA’s 2005 race season has come to a close and the top 5 overall number plates have been awarded. Eli Edwards won the club’s overall championship and the #1 plate that goes with it. En route to the overall, Eli won an amazing five class championships in the club’s fastest and arguably most competitive classes: 600 Supersport, 750 Supersport, Open Supersport, 750 Superbike and Formula Ultra. 2nd overall went to Alan Schwen who won class championships in 650 Supersport Twins and Middleweight GP Twins and finished runner-up in Open GP Twins. 3rd overall went to Ken Holme who won a class championship in Lightweight Early GP and finished 2nd in both Heavyweight Early GP and 600 TFS. 4th overall went to Darren Murray who won class championships in Formula Thunder and Open GP Twins and finished 4th in both 600 Supersport and Formula Ultra. Dan Lippis rounded out the top 5 by finishing the season 2nd in 750 Superbike, 2nd in 750 Supersport, 2nd in Formula Ultra and 3rd in Open Supersport. WMRRA’s overall championship is awarded to the racer with the most points in his/her best 3 classes. All WMRRA classes are eligible and overall championship number plates are given to the top 5 racers.

Stargel Aprilia’s Brian Stokes won the WERA Sportsman Heavyweight Twins Superbike eight-lap sprint race Friday at Road Atlanta and in doing so earned a $10,000 Championship contingency bonus from Aprilia USA. Stokes rode a Michelin-shod, Aprilia RSV1000R Mille owned by Tim Robinson and prepared by DucShop to a 28.6-second margin of victory over Touring Sport’s Frank Shockley, who also rode an Aprilia, and Brad Duncan, who rode a Suzuki SV1000. Stokes’ main challenger for the win and the Aprilia contingency looked to be Seacoast Sport Cycle’s Aaron Clark, a former Aprilia Cup Challenge Champion who built a 150-horsepower RSV for the race, but Clark highsided on the first lap of the sprint coming out of turn five. The race was red-flagged as Clark’s Aprilia was lying in the track and on fire, briefly, but Clark was able to ride his machine back to the pits and make repairs. Clark, however, missed the green flag of the re-start and started well behind the field, eventually finishing fourth in the six-rider contest. Clark and Stokes will go for another $10,000 Championship contingency bonus from Aprilia next week, October 21-23, at the CCS/Formula USA Race of Champions at Daytona International Speedway, where Ducati will also have a $10,000 Championship contingency bonus posted in CCS SuperTwins. Friday’s WERA Sportsman Race Results From Road Atlanta: B SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Ryan Elleby (Suz GSX-R750); 2. Keith Marshall (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Brandon Parrish (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Andy Feuersthaler (Suz GSX-R750); 5. David Siminski (Kaw ZX-6R); 6. Troy Meikle (Yam YZF-R6). HEAVYWEIGHT TWINS SUPERSTOCK EXPERT: 1. Cale Swiger (Suz SV1000); 2. Brad Duncan (Suz SV1000); 3. Tim Birdsong (Suz SV1000); 4. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV1000); 5. Joseph Ball (Suz SV1000); 6. Van Salt (Suz SV650). HEAVYWEIGHT TWINS SUPERSTOCK NOVICE: 1. Scott Sheehan (Hon RC51); 2. Brock Garman (Duc 999); 3. David Johnson (Duc 999); 4. Paul Stevens (Hon RC51); 5. Louis Schalow (Hon RC51); 6. Scott Morris (Apr RSV1000). C SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Josh Herrin (Yam YZF-R6); 2. Chris Normand (Kaw ZX-6R); 3. Ryan Elleby (Suz GSX-R600); 4. Bryan Land (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Giovanni Rojas (Suz GSX-R600); 6. Andy Caldwell (Kaw ZX-6RR). A SUPERSTOCK EXPERT: 1. Mike Smith (Suz GSX-R1000); 2. Brian Stokes (Suz GSX-R1000); 3. Ben Thompson (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Matt Lynn (Suz GSX-R1000); 5. Byron Barbour (Suz GSX-R1000); 6. James Stroud (Suz GSX-R1000). A SUPERSTOCK NOVICE: 1. Michael Dillon (Yam YZF-R1); 2. Charlie Coleman (Suz GSX-R750); 3. Tony Palarie (Suz GSX-R1000); 4. Scott Sheehan (Yam YZF-R1); 5. Donnie Hendry (Suz GSX-R750); 6. Bob Henderson (Hon CBR600RR). HEAVYWEIGHT TWINS SUPERBIKE EXPERT: 1. Brian Stokes (Apr RSV1000R); 2. Frank Shockley (Apr RSV1000R); 3. Brad Duncan (Suz SV1000); 4. Aaron Clark (Apr RSV1000R); 5. Billy Odom (Suz SV1000); 6. Mark Garrett (Duc 748). HEAVYWEIGHT TWINS SUPERBIKE NOVICE: 1. Scott Sheehan (Hon RC51); 2. Paul Stevens (Hon RC51); 3. Brook Garman (Duc 999); 4. Michael Kelly (Hon RC51); 5. Louis Schalow (Hon RC51); 6. David Haselhorst (Duc 853).

Friday Afternoon MotoGP Practice Times: 1. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 1:30.349 2. Carlos CHECA, Ducati, 1:30.619 3. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 1:31.016 4. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 1:31.316 5. Alex BARROS, Honda, 1:31.459 6. Marco MELANDRI, Honda, 1:31.530 7. Colin EDWARDS, Yamaha, 1:31.900 8. Toni ELIAS, Yamaha, 1:31.951 9. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 1:31.988 10. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 1:32.065 11. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 1:32.364 12. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 1:32.667 13. Ruben XAUS, Yamaha, 1:33.098 14. Chris VERMEULEN, Honda, 1:33.178 15. Olivier JACQUE, Kawasaki, 1:33.346 16. Roberto ROLFO, Ducati, 1:34.373 17. James ELLISON, Blata, 1:34.456 18. Franco BATTAINI, Blata, 1:35.656 19. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, no time 20. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, no time More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Rossi reigns on day one at Phillip Island Valentino Rossi continued to reign supreme as MotoGP returned to Phillip Island today with the recently crowned World Champion on top form in free practice at his favourite track. After taking victory here for the past four seasons Rossi made his intentions of extending his reign for a further year perfectly clear with a scorching lap of 1’30.349 a time which was inside the current circuit record and over a second too fast for all but three riders to contend with. “This was a fantastic first day for us, especially the afternoon,” said Rossi. “In the race at Sepang a few weeks ago we had a few problems even though we had been very fast in preseason, and here it has been the opposite way around. We had a few difficulties in the morning but we worked them out in the afternoon and found a really good setting. The balance of the bike is excellent and when you have a good feeling at this circuit you can have a lot of fun.” Kenny Roberts and Loris Capirossi will both miss out on the rest of the weekend’s action after falling at high speed in this morning’s opening session. Roberts fractured his left wrist when he crashed his Suzuki in the notoriously difficult Doohan curve, only to be followed to the medical centre by Capirossi after a virtually identical crash in the same corner. After initial tests the Italian appeared fit enough to return to the track for the afternoon session but further tests at the nearby Dandenong Private Hospital revealed internal bruising and ruled him out of Sunday’s race. In Capirossi’s absence his Ducati team-mate Carlos Checa was the only man able to get close to Rossi today, with a late lap from the Spaniard closing the Italian’s advantage down to 0.270 seconds. Nicky Hayden and Sete Gibernau were the only two other riders within a second of Rossi’s best time, with fifth-fastest Alex Barros some 1.110 seconds adrift of the World Champion, who is aiming for his eleventh victory of the season. Sebastián Porto followed up his clean sweep of pole position, lap record and race victory last season with the fastest time in today’s first qualifying practice for the 250cc race. Porto took provisional pole position ahead of local favourite Casey Stoner with a time of 1’33.117, with the Australian the only rider to get within half a second of the Argentinean. Hector Barberá and Jorge Lorenzo completed the provisional front row with reigning World Champion and current series leader Dani Pedrosa in sixth place. Mattia Pasini set provisional pole position for the 125cc race after a late lap of 1’38.665 denied French youngster Mike Di Meglio by 0.163 seconds. Pasini and Di Meglio moved to the top of the time sheets to eclipse an impressive performance from Ángel Rodríguez, who returned to action as a replacement rider in the last round at Qatar and dominated today’s session before ending up in third place. Fabrizio Lai completed the provisional front row with the fourth fastest time. More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Yamaha: ROSSI RETURNS TO DOMINANT FORM DOWN UNDER Gauloises Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi continued his love affair with Phillip Island on the opening day of the Australian Grand Prix as he dominated today’s first free practice sessions in warm spring temperatures and bright sunshine. The MotoGP World Champion was quickly inside the pace he set on his way to victory here last season, dipping well under the circuit record with a time of 1’30.349 to comfortably hold off the attentions of Carlos Checa (Ducati) after a series of quick laps at the end of the afternoon session. Checa produced a late effort of his own to reduce the gap to 0.270 seconds, with Nicky Hayden (Honda) and Sete Gibernau (Honda) the only other riders able to lap within a second of the Italian. Colin Edwards was 1.511 seconds adrift of his Gauloises Yamaha team-mate today as he looked to combine the setting improvements found for the YZR-M1 machine over the course of the season with the base set-up data gathered for this circuit during winter testing. The American ended the day with the seventh fastest time but he is confident of making major improvements tomorrow as he looks to recover the excellent pace he set here in preseason. VALENTINO ROSSI (1st 1’30.349; 51 laps) “This was a fantastic first day for us, especially the afternoon. In the race at Sepang a few weeks ago we had a few problems even though we had been very fast in preseason, and here it has been the opposite way around. We had a few difficulties in the morning but we worked them out in the afternoon and found a really good setting. The balance of the bike is excellent and when you have a good feeling at this circuit you can have a lot of fun. It is an old style track very fast and very technical and you need courage to set a quick lap time. Normally we start the weekend behind a few people but today we’ve been in front and held the advantage all afternoon so I’m really happy. We have some more work to do tomorrow, mainly with the rear tyre, but at the moment the pace is good. The motivation in the team is still very strong even though we already won the championship and we want to stay that way for the final three races of the season.” COLIN EDWARDS (7th 1’31.900; 49 laps) “This is my favourite track but I didn’t enjoy it too much today. I had some setting and tyre problems and we definitely have some things to work out! I’m having to fight to turn into the corners and we’re nowhere near the level of feeling that I had with the bike during the preseason tests here. The main reason seems to be that we’ve improved the setting of the bike at the majority of the tracks we’ve been to this season and here we might just have to take a step backwards. I set a 1’30.2 during the winter so we know what we’re capable of if we can find the right setting, which I’m confident we can do tomorrow. I want to be leaving Australia in second place in the championship so that I can hang on for that runner-up spot in the final two rounds.” DAVIDE BRIVIO GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “It’s been a good Friday for Valentino, he has quite a good pace and seems to be comfortable on the bike. Now we will see what further improvements we can make. Colin is having some problems but the team will work hard tomorrow to bring him close to the same level as Valentino. He is challenging for second place in the championship and we have to do everything we can to put him in the right place to fight for it on Sunday.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Roberts Jr crashes out at Phillip Island Team SUZUKI MotoGP racer Kenny Roberts Jr will take no further part in this weekend’s Polini Australian Grand Prix after injuring himself in this morning’s practice session. Roberts Jr had already topped the time-sheets on a drying Phillip Island circuit and had just changed bikes to evaluate the new cowlings that Suzuki has produced for the GSV-R prototype race bike. He crashed heavily at the end of the front straight just as he was going into turn one. The 2000 World Champion was thrown violently from his bike and landed heavily in the gravel. He was immediately taken to the medical centre and following lengthy investigations and x-rays it was discovered he had a fracture in the wrist area of his left hand. Roberts Jr will return to California for further examinations and will not be fit to race at next weekend’s inaugural Turkish Grand Prix so Team SUZUKI MotoGP will run a one-man team. John Hopkins has had a very productive day and used both practice sessions to find the correct Bridgestone tyre for race day. He believes he has found the compound that is best suited to the cooler conditions at Phillip Island and will continue to get the optimum set-up from his GSV-R during tomorrow. He also tested the latest fairing and will do a comparison test on Saturday between the new version and the existing design. Today’s sessions were held in dry sunny conditions with track surface temperatures only reaching 28 degrees. The fastest time was set by World champion Valentino Rossi. Team SUZUKI MotoGP will have a further practice session on Saturday morning and then Hopkins will be lone Suzuki rider going for the best qualifying position he can get during the afternoon timed session. Kenny Roberts Jr: “The bike felt better today than it did in testing in January which is a positive step forward in development for Suzuki. As far as the session and the crash go there is not a lot that makes sense at the moment. I thought initially there would have been a mechanical failure or something to that effect, because I’ve never high-sided going 200k’s at the end of the straight like that before. The guys are looking over the bike now but there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong. It’s disappointing to have a crash that takes you out for the whole weekend when you didn’t do anything to cause you to fall down in such a way it just happened! Loris Capirossi had a similar sort of crash and high-sided at speed in the same place as I did. I’ve heard that he thought the same as I did – that it was something mechanical, so I don’t know whether it was just a chain of events or circumstances that led up to it. We were in the top three during the session and I was still on used tyres so I know what the situation would have been for the weekend, and I was looking forward to a strong finish. “I’d like to thank Dr Wei and everybody at the medical centre. I was having a bit of a hard time when I first got there and was struggling to stay in the situation because I had hit my head pretty hard when I got thrown around. Dean, Gerry Biasi, the doctors and everybody from the team were great and tried to make everything as comfortable as possible. We will now try everything we can to get better from here and try to get back as soon as possible.” John Hopkins: “It was a consistent day for us, but a bad day for Suzuki. Unfortunately Kenny hurt himself – best wishes to him and it sucks that we won’t have him this weekend. Two bikes are always better than one out on the track and we could have made some more progress with the machine especially the new cowling. That just leaves us to do everything we can. From this morning we have been working to find race tyres, fortunately we ran a tyre at the end of the session which I would say is the best tyre that we have for the weekend. We still need to work on the set-up to have a good package so that we are able to go out and do some decent lap times tomorrow and some long runs.” Dean Miller Team Physio: “Kenny had a big get off today and despite bumps and bruises all over his body, no internal issues seem to have come up and he seems to be fine, apart from a fracture in the articulation area of the thumb and his left arm. It doesn’t appear to be too serious but it could be difficult for him to ride and put pressure on it in the race. He has decided not to risk it and will travel back to California and see Dr Ting – his surgeon – and take it from there. As to when he will return that is still up in the air, it will be based on how well we heals. He definitely won’t be in Turkey next week but we can’t rule out the possibility of him riding at Valencia next month.” Paul Denning Team Manager: “We are all very disappointed for Kenny but there is a sense of relief that his injuries are no greater than a fracture. A high-side is never pleasant but a fourth gear high-side into turn one at Phillip Island is about as bad as it gets. The injury is particularly frustrating given that Kenny has, over the last three of four races, got into a strong rhythm and was feeling a lot more positive and enthusiastic about the direction the whole package was taking. He won’t be available for Turkey and regarding Valencia that is a wait and see situation, which will be dependent on further investigations in the States. “John has been running the new cowling that Suzuki has developed specifically for here to cope with the strong cross winds. It has some advantages at this stage but we need to evaluate it against the original GSV-R cowling tomorrow to make sure it is the way forward. John is searching for a bit more performance in all directions but Stuart Shenton his Crew Chief – and the guys seem to have a clear idea for tomorrow in order to maximise our potential for race-day.” More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda: A GOOD DAY’S WORK Sete Gibernau started work at Phillip Island with a series of tyre tests as Marco Melandri focused on suspension and gearbox settings AUSTRALIAN GP – MOTOGP FREE PRACTICE The Telefónica Movistar Honda MotoGP team worked in two different directions today as the Australian Grand Prix got underway at Phillip Island. Whilst Sete Gibernau concentrated on comparing data to the information gathered here during the preseason tests, Marco Melandri preferred to begin lapping with a very similar setting to the one he used in the last race at Qatar. A morning shower had an effect on the 125cc session but it gave way to sunshine and in the afternoon the temperatures eventually rose to 16 ºC (34ºC on track). Sete Gibernau (4th) and Marco Melandri (6th) were both quick enough for hypothetical second row starts, with the Spaniard running through a number of race tyre options and setting a fastest lap of 1’31″216. Melandri worked mainly on his suspension and gearbox, clocking a best lap of 1’31″530. SETE GIBERNAU (4th, 1’31″316): “In the morning we made a good start on our programme for the weekend, starting with the data we gathered during the winter test, and in the afternoon we got a little distracted but that is what Fridays are for testing things out and deciding which things are good for the race and which are not. We’ve got the right set-up for the bike and we’re working hard on the tyres. At this circuit the left hand side gets very hot because you spend a lot of time leaned over and so tyre choice here is fundamental.” MARCO MELANDRI (6th, 1’31″530): “In winter we suffered a little during the test and so instead of working with that data we’ve gone back to the base set-up from Qatar. It’s been a really good day for us, working mainly on the suspension and the gearbox. Tomorrow we have to keep working like this because for now we have a good balance. I feel that I have matured a lot over the last few races because I am focusing more on getting the bike set up than trying to set a quick lap from the first day.” More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda: BARROS AND VERMEULEN START WELL AT PHILLIP ISLAND The first day of practice at Phillip Island went well for both the Camel Honda riders today. Alex Barros seems to be back on good terms with the front end of his bike and was second quickest in the morning and fifth overall on the day after focusing hard on set-up. Debutant Chris Vermeulen, in his first outing on the MotoGP Honda machine, made light work of the tricky mixed track conditions after light morning rain hit the first half hour of practice, slotting into the top ten after a few laps on board the bike. The young Australian has hit if off straight away with his team, and without a single mistake managed to consistently improve his pace throughout the two sessions, setting respectable times as he made his first adjustments to the RC211V. Sito Pons Camel Honda “I’m happy with this first day because both Alex and Chris have worked hard. Alex is close to the top three, apart from Rossi, who is a cut above at the moment. There’s obviously still work to do tomorrow, but it seems the problems from the last couple of races have been resolved. As for Chris, I have to say that he’s making a great debut so far. He has only ridden the bike for a couple of hours, and still has a long way to go before understanding the bike fully, and in terms of performance, but we’re really happy with his approach, with his work ethic, with the way he has slotted so easily into the team, and with the way he has absorbed all the little technical details that he has come up against all at once.” Alex Barros Camel Honda 1’31.459 5th fastest “Although we’re missing an important member of the team here, our telemetrist Lluis, work continues and things have improved considerably in the front end in comparison to Qatar. It’s working well here, there’s no problem for me here. We are using the same set-up as a year ago, given that the bike is the same apart from the rear shock, and in general I’m happy with how it is going. We still haven’t found a rear tyre that gives enough grip, but I think that Michelin will analyse all the data now, and I hope that tomorrow they will propose something else we can try.” Chris Vermeulen Camel Honda 1’33.178 15th fastest “This morning it was tough at the start with the wet track, but in general I’m really happy and I’m really making the most of this. The team is working superbly and are being really patient with me and with all the things I still don’t know. The bike is completely different from the one I’m used to, especially in the front end, with the feeling of the front tyre under braking. It’s something that I have to get used to now. Obviously, it’s not only this, the power of the engine and the way it’s delivered is so different, it’s incredible really. Another thing that strikes me about the RC211V is how smooth and light it is. Also, even though it wasn’t necessarily the windiest ever day here at Phillip Island, it really made a difference to how you rode the bike, and it’s something else to bear in mind.” More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team: KAWASAKI RIDERS BATTLE TRICKY CONDITIONS AT PHILLIP ISLAND Mainly sunny, but cool, conditions greeted Kawasaki riders, Shinya Nakano and Olivier Jacque, at the ultra-fast Phillip island circuit for today’s two hours of free practice in preparation for the Australian Grand Prix. It was an intense day, with the riders and Kawasaki technicians working to improve tyre grip and chassis balance in the tricky conditions. Nakano posted the 12th fastest time, with Jacque 0.7s behind in 16th position. Jacque was back on track after missing last week’s Qatar Grand Prix because of back pain following a crash in practice. The 32-year-old Frenchman completed 28 laps across two sessions today without problems. After brief showers made the track damp early in the morning session, conditions were clear and dry with only a slight wind in the afternoon. Today’s spring time track temperatures, around 28 degrees, were lower than for pre-season testing at the Island. Both Nakano and Jacque had to work hard to build-up tyre temperature for their fast laps. Jacque had a couple of scary, 315 kph moments with rear-end slides entering turn one at the end of the downhill front straight. The layout of the Phillip Island circuit, with its predominance of fast, left-hand turns, means lower right-side rubber temperatures and reduced grip. Both Nakano and Jacque are confident of a more responsive set-up and increased grip for tomorrow’s practice and qualifying sessions, but are looking for significant improvement to close the gap to their rivals. Shinya Nakano: #56 – Twelfth – 1’32.667 “I’m losing most of my time in the first and second sectors, compared to the top guys and it was very difficult to go any faster today. The main problem is braking stability, at the front, and the bike feels heavy in the fast changes of direction. But the latest engine spec feels strong here, good top end revs, so that is an improvement compared to last year at this track. With the tyres I don’t have enough grip on the right side, which is always a problem here because the track is mainly left turns. We need to find some more grip to help improve the lap time.” Olivier Jacque: #19 – Sixteenth – 1’33.346 “Finally, at the end of the session I gained a lot of confidence and I did my fastest time at the end of a four lap run – and I felt no pain in my back. I think I have a good base setting now, we just need to improve the balance of the bike for the hard braking and fast sections. And I would prefer a little more tyre grip, it was cool today and difficult to get temperature into the tyres. Early in the session I nearly lost the rear going into turn one a couple of times, but then we switched to a different spec rear tyre and that was much better. I think we can improve more over the weekend and hopefully have a competitive race package.” More, from a press release issued by Fortuna Yamaha: COLD AND WINDY FIRST DAY IN AUSTRALIA Toni Elias and Rubén Xaus had to take a strong wind into account as they began work today at Phillip Island. Elías was satisfied with 8th place provisionally after the first day, whilst Xaus wants to rediscover his form from previous visits to the track, where he has appeared on the podium on various occasions. A half-hour rain shower hit the start of the first free MotoGP session, and not until 30 minutes of the session had gone did the riders manage to get full on the throttle. It was a complicated day due the cold and wind, and it saw Loris Capirossi taken to hospital with a severe contusion to his chest after a crash, ruling him out of Sunday’s race, whilst Kenny Roberts Jr will also miss the event after breaking his left wrist. TONI ELIAS First free practice: 12th, 1’33.314, + 1.763 from Gibernau Second free practice (Combined): 8th, 1’31.951, + 1.602 from Rossi “It’s not at all bad. In the morning we began by having a few problems, because it’s a much quicker track than the previous few. We got through those problems though, until more came along in the afternoon. I’m happy though because we’ve made some progress and 8th is good for the time being. It’s very cold and there’s a lot of wind, but everyone has to deal with that I suppose.” RUBEN XAUS First free practice: 16th, 1’34.362, + 2.811 from Gibernau Second free practice (Combined): 14th, 1’33.098, + 2.749 from Rossi “I feel much stranger than I wanted to at this track. I’ve had some great experiences here, and have been on the podium on many occasions after some great races. I’d like to be able to ride differently. There are areas where I was quicker last year, or where I rode quicker before. It’s because of my riding style though, because when I try to anticipate opening the throttle the tyre doesn’t absorb the power and it slides much more than it should. My position isn’t too bad, the track conditions make it very difficult, and we still need to test a few tyres. The track was cold today and to be honest, when you slow down to follow somebody, it’s a risk afterwards.” Antonio Jiménez, Toni Elías’ Chief Mechanic “It has been a tough day. In the morning we were only able to test for half an hour because the track was wet. But I think we reacted quickly and we anticipated the circumstances; what we tested worked out. We are quite happy now, but we shouldn’t rest on our laurels because everyone will improve further tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: BITTERSWEET DAY FOR DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM The Ducati Marlboro Team had a bittersweet day one at Phillip Island, Carlos Checa running a close second fastest in the opening two practice sessions, Loris Capirossi ending his weekend when he crashed heavily in this morning’s session. The Italian was taken to a local hospital where tests revealed minor internal bleeding. “We’re really sorry for Loris, we wish him a speedy recovery,” said Ducati MotoGP project manager Livio Suppo. “It’s a real shame for him because we know he was so keen to secure second place in the World Championship. In Loris’ absence, Carlos did a very good job today. He tested several different tyres and was consistently fast throughout this afternoon. It was a bit of a strange session, with more than a second covering the first five riders, so I think we can be very happy with our pace. It seems that our tyre/bike package works very well here, so it’s disappointing for Loris that he won’t be able to enjoy that for the rest of the weekend.” CHECA A CLOSE SECOND FASTEST Carlos Checa played an impressive lone role for the Ducati Marlboro Team this afternoon, clocking second fastest time of the day, just 0.27 seconds behind World Champion Valentino Rossi. The next rider was almost four tenths slower than Checa around this super-fast track. “I’m quite satisfied so far,” said Checa. “We did a good job all day, focusing on race set-up. We didn’t even use qualifying tyres at the end of the afternoon because we lost some time in the morning because the track was damp for the first few minutes, so we wanted to devote all our time to race settings and race tyre choice. We have some clear conclusions from the tyre tests we’ve done, we are going in the right direction, so if we can continue like this the result will come. The Desmosedici definitely likes this track – it is fast and it’s stable, which is what you need here.” CAPIROSSI OUT FOR THE WEEKEND Loris Capirossi will take no further part in this year’s Australian GP following a high-speed crash at the 200kmh Turn One during the latter stages of this morning’s first practice session, run in cool and windy conditions. Although an initial examination by the Clinica Mobile revealed no broken bones, it was later deemed necessary to take Capirossi to a private hospital in Dandenong, about 70km from the Phillip Island track. “Loris felt generally okay after the crash, but after a while he felt some pain in his chest, so he was driven to Dandenong,” said Livio Suppo. “He underwent a scan that showed he had some internal bleeding in his right lung. He is having that bleeding drained and is expected to stay in hospital for two to three days. We wish him well and hope he gets better very soon.”