Daytona International Speedway – The Center of Biketoberfest Demos, Displays, Vendors, Racing, Entertainment, Overnight Parking DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., — In between watching the thrilling motorcycles tackle the twists and turns of the newly configured 2.95-mile road course at the legendary Daytona International Speedway, there will be numerous activities for bike enthusiasts to check out during Fall Cycle Scene on Oct. 20-23. On the track: The CCS Race of Champions brings together hundreds of amateur and semi-pro riders from across the country. The top racers from each region compete all year in their home region to earn the right to race on DIS’ road course. The Formula USA National Road Race Series, which kicked off their season in Daytona in March, will return to DIS to crown their season champions. Some of the top riders expected to be in attendance for Fall Cycle Scene include Daytona 200 mileage record holder Rick Shaw, Michael Barnes, William Meyers, Lee Acree, Jeff Wood and Robert Jensen. The advance Super 4-Day ticket for all of the motorcycle racing action is available for $35. Kickstand City: Daytona International Speedway will once again host Kickstand City in the historic infield. The legendary facility will provide overnight parking as well as entertainment. Demo rides: Outside Daytona International Speedway, motorcycle enthusiasts can ride the latest and greatest motorcycles with free manufacturer demo rides. Motorcycle enthusiasts can check out displays and demo rides from manufacturers such Honda, Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Triumph, Buell, Yamaha, Aprilia, Moto-Guzzi, BMW, Victory, Boss Hoss and Bourget Bike Works Riders must hold a valid motorcycle driver’s license and DOT approved helmet in order to participate in the demo rides Daytona Motorcycle Marketplace: The Speedway will also host the Daytona Motorcycle Marketplace, where bikers can find the nation’s top aftermarket parts, accessories and apparel companies in one central location in the DAYTONA USA parking lot. DAYTONA USA: DAYTONA USA, “The Official Attraction of NASCAR” located outside Turn 4 of the Speedway, will have something for both bike enthusiasts and race fans. DAYTONA USA’s Pepsi IMAX Theatre, one of only four 3D IMAX Theatres in the state of Florida, shows “NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience” and “Daytona 500: The Movie” daily and visitors will be able to get up close and personal with Jeff Gordon’s 2005 Daytona 500 winning No. 24 DuPont Automotive Finishes Chevrolet in Gatorade Victory Lane.

Former Suzuki GSX-R750 Cup Champion and reigning World GSX-R Cup Champion Robert Jensen was injured Thursday when he crashed out of a WERA Sportsman race during the Grand National Finals at Road Atlanta. Jensen had just taken the lead in the eight-lap B Superstock sprint race early Thursday afternoon when he highsided his Kneedraggers.com Suzuki GSX-R750 in turn two. The North Dakota rider was transported to a local hospital where X-rays showed that he had no broken bones. He did, however, suffer a separated right shoulder, a concussion and a muscle strain that is making it difficult for him to walk. According to his mechanic Rick Bretl, Jensen will wait and see if he feels well enough to ride Friday.

Rossi ready for a fresh battle at Phillip Island Valentino Rossi is predicting another tough battle as he looks to extend a four-year unbeaten run at Phillip Island in this weekend’s fifteenth round of the MotoGP World Championship. Rossi, who already sealed the title in Malaysia two rounds ago, has enjoyed some of his most famous successes at this unique circuit and has contributed to some incredibly close racing his final lap pass on Sete Gibernau last year still remembered fondly by locals as the riders were greeted to the island by typically brisk spring temperatures this week. With Marco Melandri and Nicky Hayden both hitting form and an intense six-rider struggle for second place in the championship taking place behind him, the Italian is expecting more of the same this Sunday. “This is like a magic circuit for me, I have had some great, great battles here in the past,” reflected Rossi. “Two years ago I managed to escape from Capirossi but last year was a hard fight with Gibernau until the last lap, also in 2001 it was a great fight with Biaggi. Also Hayden and Melandri will be strong. I have many rivals who can do well here so we will see this weekend. Phillip Island is a great track, maybe my absolute favourite, and I have some wonderful memories, especially winning the 500cc championship for the first time in 2001 and also for Yamaha last year, which was probably the best title of them all.” One man who doesn’t expect to be challenging Rossi for victory, but who nevertheless has high hopes for the weekend, is local favourite Chris Vermeulen. The 23-year-old is scheduled to make his MotoGP debut as a replacement for his injured compatriot Troy Bayliss having recently finished as runner-up in his rookie season in the World Superbike Championship. Bayliss, who was replaced by Shane Byrne for the past two rounds, is recovering from a wrist injury and is currently fighting to be fit for the remaining races at Istanbul and Valencia, giving Vermeulen his first true taste of the Grand Prix paddock. “I’m really excited about the opportunity to ride in MotoGP, especially here in Australia,” said Vermeulen. “I had a test scheduled for the end of last season but had to miss that because of an injury, so I’m really happy that this chance has come round again – I’ve made no secret of the fact that MotoGP is where I want to go with my career. Phillip Island is one of the best circuits in the world; it’s fast and flowing and that really suits my riding style. You get a great view of the ocean coming down the start-finish straight but maybe I won’t get the chance to appreciate that so much on a factory Honda machine at something like 320kph!” Vermeulen will be backed by an expected crowd of around 50,000 fans, who will also have plenty to shout about during the 250cc race, with Casey Stoner chasing current World Champion Dani Pedrosa for the title and coming into his home race on the back of two consecutive victories. Stoner celebrates his 20th birthday on Sunday and will be hoping for a special present from the podium dignitaries as he aims to close down a 26-point deficit to the Spaniard. “At the moment I’m still taking it race by race but my target is to take the championship down to the final round,” said Stoner. “Whatever happens in Valencia, I’ll be satisfied that I have done everything I can. This weekend is obviously very big for me but I’m definitely not racing to finish second.” Thomas Lüthi gave his weekend a jump-start by joining MotoGP stars Max Biaggi and Toni Elías on a visit to the Phillip Island Wildlife Park, home to a herd of kangaroos and a host of other local animals. Lüthi will be hoping the visit can help him bounce back from his first non-podium in four rounds at Qatar, which left him trailing Mika Kallio by two points in the 125cc World Championship ahead of what promises to be another nail-biting weekend for the minor category. “I had a bad race here last year, in fact after my poor season I think it was the lowest point of my career,” said Lüthi, who like Kallio has yet to score a single career point at Phillip Island. “But look how far I have come since then! I am confident going into the race because I have had a chance to rest the shoulder injury I sustained in Japan last month.”

Ford Quality Checked-backed Chris Carr To Represent United States In Belgium’s 19th Annual Trace Superbikers Race World’s top supermoto racerss converge on rural Belgium track for two day event FLEETWOOD, Pa., This weekend the reigning AMA/Ford Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned Flat Track Championship champion Chris Carr will jet over to Belgium to participate in the 19th running of the Trace Superbikers in Mettet, Belgium. Carr, who raced the event last year, is excited about the opportunity to showcase his skills against some of Europe’s top motorcycle racers in this supermoto-style race. “It’s an event that takes a bit of getting used to I’ve only raced it once (2004) but I’ll return knowing the track better and will hopefully improve on my finish from last year,” said Carr. “I did well enough (8th in his qualifier, 17th overall) that I was kindly invited back by the promoters and KTM Europe.” To make the main event, a 1.5 mile temporary track that’s run though an area of highway in rural Belgium, Carr will face 22 of the world’s top non-supermoto specialists. Last year this included racers like FMX legend Mike Metzger and road racer Scott Russell. And if these sorts of athletes make the competition tough, 180 of Europe’s top supermoto specialists many of which could easily run with the top ten racers in America’s AMA Supermoto Championship will battle it out to make the eventual 46-man gate. “The competition’s going to be tough this year, especially because it’s an off week for both the FIM World Supermoto Championships and the AMA Supermoto Championship has already concluded,” said Carr. “So I’ll be pleased if I can put up results similar to those we achieved last year.” Note: Carr figures he’ll be riding one of Jurgen Kunzel’s spare KTM 450 bikes. The German-born Kunzel recently won the overall 2005 AMA Supermoto Championship title. Carr said that the course is a bit more street oriented than the classic AMA Supermoto courses, which he feels suits his style better. “The coolest section is this 4th gear left-hander on pavement,” said Carr. “That’s an area of the track where my flat track skills allowed me to pick up some time on the other racers.” The two day event is expected to draw more than 50,000 spectators. Carr jets out tomorrow morning with his wife, Pam, and longtime tuner Kenny Tolbert. After the race Carr said he and his wife will take in Paris for a few days, then added with a laugh: “We’ll be sending Kenny back home.” The current AMA Flat Track champion, winningest active racer in the sport with 72 wins and seven time AMA Flat Track championship titles, the Chris Carr legend continues. For more information on Chris Carr, visit his website at www.chriscarr.com

Haskovec Update Motorcycle racer Vincent Haskovec underwent successful surgery at Long Beach Memorial Hospital in Long Beach, California on Tuesday, October 11, dealing with complications related to spinal injuries he suffered in a crash at Infineon Raceway last May. Surgeons removed infected tissue and bone from Haskovec’s back, at the site of surgery done immediately after his injury to insert two titanium rods and 10 screws in his spine. The hardware was also removed, and the removed bone was replaced with bone grafts from the hospital’s bone bank. Haskovec is expected to remain hospitalized for several weeks. Well wishes can be directed to Haskovec at [email protected] or c/o Team Hammer, Inc., Team M4 EMGO Suzuki, P.O. Box 183, Wildomar, CA 92595-0183.