Circuit: Phillip Island Country: Australia Track length: 4448 m Opened: 1956 Fastest Lap Ever: 1:30.068 (Valentino Rossi, 2003) MotoGP lap record: 1:31.102 (Loris Capirossi, 2004) Last year MotoGP winner: Valentino Rossi The visit to Phillip Island will bring back sweet memories for the Gauloises Yamaha team and Valentino Rossi. About one year ago it was here where Rossi wrote history by winning the 2004 MotoGP World Championship, giving Yamaha its first title in the premier class since 1992, while Rossi won more victories (nine) in one season than any other Yamaha rider in history. By now this last record has already fallen at the previous victorious race in Qatar, adding the tenth race win to Rossi’s tally in 2005. Being one of Rossi’s favorite tracks he is the big favorite for success this year too, but like last year it won’t come easy. A year ago ‘The doctor’ had a race long battle with Sete Gibernau (Honda), winning the race by only 0.097 seconds. In a hard stopping moment Rossi almost ran off the track on lap one, giving Gibernau the chance to strike a gap. But by lap seven Rossi arrived at Gibernau’s back wheel and a terrific scrap saw both riders swapping the lead several times. Rossi, determined to be champion in true style, overtook Gibernau on the last lap just for a short moment, losing the lead again when he ran wide at Honda corner. The decisive move came when Rossi made a seemingly impossible and final pass on the inside going back into the entrance of Lukey Heights. He held on to take a magnificent victory by the smallest of margins. Not far behind the two race leaders Colin Edwards was having a great race too, fighting with Loris Capirossi and Alex Barros for the last podium spot. At the line Colin came 0.331 seconds short to finish the race in fourth position. Set-up report YZR-M1 Due to its fast flowing nature Phillip Island is a track most riders love to race on. It is one of the few circuits where they can unleash their manic 240+ horsepower machines. Contrary to some of the recent circuits where braking stability and front end feel is crucial, such as Motegi and Sepang, the fast and flowing nature of Phillip Island requires above all a good linear acceleration and turning stability. The key to a fast lap is a high-speed average, not just top-speed, carrying speed and momentum from one to the next long and high-speed sweeping corners is the key to success. ‘The Island’, as it is often referred to, offers a variety of cambers throughout its sweeping 4448m layout, both positive and negative, the rear suspension unit will need to be on the money so to speak. It will need to offer enough feedback and predictability, without pumping through its stroke as the rider tries to drive hard off the side of the tyre, or squatting as the weight transfers onto the rear. The latter will unload the front of the motorcycle, causing it to understeer and push wide – affecting exit speed and eventually lap times. On the other hand too stiff a rear shock will only lead to the front wheel rising while the rider powers off each of the slow and medium speed turns. It will also lead to the fast deterioration of the rear tyre and increase the likelihood of a highside crash. The rear shock must use a slightly soft spring rate, to aid feel, with a reasonable amount of preload to prevent rear-end squat. As for the damping, it will be dialed in to help balance out the package over some of the finer bumps, located in some of the high-speed corners. The front forks will mimic the rear set-up to ensure an overall balanced geometry. Too hard and the front will become vague in its feedback, and at these high speeds and lean angles this can be detrimental. Too soft and the basic feel will be too loose, not giving the rider the confidence he needs to carry the high speeds through the corners that is required to be competitive on the Island. The M1 engine will be mapped to reach a high top end performance, but not at the expense of a linear delivery. Acceleration off the side edge of the tyre is the key to a fast lap time, especially exiting the final fast turn where momentum can make the difference between winning and losing.

Chris Vermeulen debuts in MotoGP with Camel Honda team The whole of the MotoGP world is eagerly awaiting the debut of Chris Vermeulen, the Brisbane-born twenty-three year old who was recently confirmed as vice-champion in the World Superbike Championship. This Friday he will don Camel Honda colours and will take to the track at his home Grand Prix in Phillip Island, one of the most spectacular, technical and challenging circuits on the entire MotoGP calendar. It represents an exciting challenge for the talented young Australian, who on one hand will be having his first ride on board the Honda RC211V, but will be doing so at a track he knows every inch of, and which is a particular favourite. His new team-mate Alex Barros is also a fan of the Island circuit, where he has his own particular challenge, re-discovering a good feeling on the front end of his RC211V so he can battle for victory once more. Sito Pons Camel Honda “It’s a real shame that Troy hasn’t recovered in time for his home Grand Prix in Australia. We hope he is able to make a speedy recovery. In his place we have another Australian this weekend, Chris Vermeulen, who is a really quick rider but we mustn’t forget that it is his MotoGP debut. I think the fact that he knows the track so well will help him in his first experience on board the RC211V, and he can also rely upon an experienced team of expert technicians. We will also be trying our hardest to get the feeling back that Alex has missed in the last two or three races, and that should see him back on the pace.” Alex Barros #4: “Phillip Island is a track I really like, it’s one of the best on the calendar; it’s fast, technical, with super-fast corners where the front of the bike is worked really hard, and as such has to be set up perfectly. So I hope that, with Michelin’s help after a week of being able to analyse the problems we have had in the last few races, we can get back to finding a good set-up between the tyre-forks combination. Compared to Qatar and Malaysia, Phillip Island will be a lot cooler, so conditions will be very different. We’ll see, I hope to have a good race.” Chris Vermeulen #77: It’s especially exciting to be able to ride Honda’s RC211V at Phillip Island. It’s always good to ride at home because we only get one race there each year – nice to have friends and family there to support. 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 GP machine at something like 320kph! I’ve always struggled a bit on the two hairpins but that’s mostly because of the way I’ve had the bike set up. Because the rest of the circuit is so fast, there always has to be a bit of a compromise. Otherwise I love the place and Lukey Heights has to be one of my three favourite corners anywhere.

South African rider Hudson Kennaugh wrapped up the inaugural five-round Suzuki GSX-R European Cup with an emphatic win at Magny-Cours in France today. Starting from pole position, Kennaugh went off into the lead and was not headed for the rest of the race: His nearest rival in the Championship, Carmelo Morales – who started in second place – crashed on the second lap which allowed Kennaugh an easy route to victory. Said Kennaugh: “It really helped that I was also racing in the World Supersport event and then when I broke down in that race it gave me extra time to prepare for the ‘Cup’. I was also very angry after that breakdown which also helped! This has been a great series and I have enjoyed racing against all these guys. I want to say thank you to my team and also the GSX-R Cup organisers who have put on a really good show.” Top British rider on the day was 43-year-old Mike Edwards in eighth position, who also claimed the same position in the series despite missing his home round due to another riding commitment. He said: “I’m really pleased overall but I would have liked to have finished higher – it’s a shame I missed the Silverstone round. Today I had an altercation with another rider on the track which held me back. I’d love to do this series again; it’s been very well organised and it is a great opportunity for young riders – unlike me!” Second British rider home at Magny Cours was Rob Barber in 14th, who finished the series in 15th overall. He said: “I was a bit disappointed about being knocked off the track today on lap nine, which stopped me finishing higher in the race. I know I could have finished higher but I’m pleased with my lap times. This has been a great Championship and I’d like to thank Suzuki for the opportunity to ride in it.” Magnus Houston grabbed 15th position in the race and 17th overall in the series, despite carrying a wrist injury for the past two rounds. He said: “I got a really good flying start and made up five places before the first corner. It’s been a mega day for me and I felt better and stronger than I have for a long time. I had a great race all the way through with several riders. I’d really like to thank Suzuki GB, all the team and especially the British Team Manager Andy Parr for giving me this opportunity to race in the series.” Suzuki GSX-R Cup Results: 1 Hudson Kennaugh (South Africa), 2 Roman Stamm (Switzerland), 3 David Salon (Spain), 4 Xavier Simeon (Belgium), 5 David Fouloi (France), 6 Emerick Jonchiere (France), 7 Ismael Ortega (Spain), 8 Mike Edwards (GB), 9 Max Weymann (Germany), 10 Domenico Colucci (Italy), 11 Dominic Lammert (Germany), 12 Jarno Van Der Marel (Holland), 13 Rene Mahr (Austria), 14 Rob Barber (GB), 15 Magnus Houston (GB), 16 Gerard Jolivet (France), 17 Oliver Skatch (Germany), 18 Stephane Lacaze (France), 19 Marketa Janakova (Germany). Final Championship Points: 1 Kennaugh 103, 2 Salon 94, 3 Morales 83, 4 Fouloi 54, 5 Ortega 47, 6, Lammert 44, 7 Simeon 42, 8 Edwards 37, 9 Forster 30, 10 Skatch 28.

Season best for Haydon at finale RIZLA SUZUKI’S James Haydon scored his best result of the season with a podium third place at the 13th and final round of the British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch GP circuit in Kent today. After securing his maiden pole position, Haydon was on top form and determined to get on the podium and taste champagne in the opening event. His race-long fight with two other riders for third place eventually ended with his first visit to the podium in 2005 and enormous cheers from the fanatical crowd. In race two Haydon was in third place and the only rider able to follow the pace of the leaders when he crashed out on the exit to Druids. Ducati’s Gregorio Lavilla and Leon Haslam shared a win each with Lavilla taking the Championship title in the process. James Buckingham, standing in for the injured John Reynolds for this round, crashed out of the opening event and finished an impressive 14th after starting from 22nd on the grid in the second race. JR remains in Darent Valley Hospital under observation for injuries he sustained during a crash in first practice on Friday. His doctors are happy with his progress and are working to transfer him to his home hospital in Nottingham early next week. Rizla Suzuki will be on display at the International Motorcycle Show at Birmingham’s NEC between October 28th- November 6th and is already planning its pre-season test campaign in a bid to challenge for the Championship in 2006. James Haydon: “I didn’t want my last race of the season to be a DNF but after scoring my first pole position in BSB and my first podium of the year in the opening race, I really went for it in the second outing. I was following Gregorio out of Druids when the rear end low-sided, which is a really weird way to crash. I’m not sure what happened, but am gutted as my bike felt good and I wanted another podium. “Race one was great and I had to soak up a lot of pressure to take third place. That result shows the true potential of the Rizla Suzuki. Thanks to everyone in the team for a cracking weekend and a great season – I can’t wait to buy my technicians a beer this evening, they have thoroughly deserved it!” James Buckingham: “In race one a rider high-sided in front of me on the third lap. I couldn’t avoid him and ended up crashing at Surtees, which was disappointing as I was already five-places ahead of my starting position. “Race two was much better and I had a proper battle for the points scoring positions, ending up 14th and more comfortable on the Rizla Suzuki than ever before. I have enjoyed this experience with the team as a stand-in for JR but my thoughts are with him now in hospital and I wish him a quick and complete recovery. I have won the Privateers Championship and tasted life with a Factory Superbike team this year and that can’t be bad!” Robert Wicks, Team Manager: “James Haydon rode fantastically to take a thrilling podium for Rizla Suzuki. His pace all weekend shows the strides forward that we have made with the performance of the Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000. In race two he was the only rider that looked like he may have been able to compete with the Ducatis and that is encouraging. “James Buckingham put on an great performance in the second race to score points from a difficult 22nd place on the grid. He is a star of the future for sure. “This weekend shows we are moving in the right direction and we can go into our closed season testing regime with a strong base package that allows us to build for a title challenge in 2006. “According to his doctors JR had a good night in hospital and is in ever-improving spirits. Our thoughts are with him and getting him home to Nottingham as quickly as possible.” Race One Result: 1: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 29:07.520, 2: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.312, 3: JAMES HAYDON (RIZLA SUZUKI) +7.390, 4: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +7.498, 5: Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) +7.795, 6: Michael Rutter (Honda) +11.848, 7: Gary Mason (Honda) +20.394, 8: Steve Plater (Honda) +23.404, 9: Jeremy McWilliams (Honda) +30.839, 10: Jonathan Rea (Honda) +35.126. Race Two Result: 1: Haslam 28:58.591, 2: Lavilla +1.980, 3: Plater +18.938, 4: Kiyonari +19.291, 5: Thomas +19.539, 6: Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +20.231, 7: Mason +20.385, 8: Rutter +26.386, 9: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +34.100, 10: Rea +39.445, 14: JAMES BUCKINGHAM (RIZLA SUZUKI) +46.689. Final Championship Standings:1: Lavilla 461, 2: Kiyonari 429, 3: Rutter 371, 4: Haslam 350, 5: Richards 241, 6: Thomas 198, 7: Karl Harris (Honda) 195, 8: Mason 174, 9: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) 139, 10: Michael Laverty (Honda) 129, 11: JAMES HAYDON (RIZLA SUZUKI) 126.

Report on Round Five of the Spanish 1000cc Formula Extreme Championship at Albacete, Spain, October 9 2005. Reus, Tarragona, Spain Noyes Seventh in Spanish FX Despite Broken Clutch American Kenny Noyes took his third consecutive seventh place in the Spanish National 1000cc Formula Extreme Championship on his Folch Yamaha R1, this time at Albacete in round five of the seven-round series. On this occasion, however, he and his team left Albacete certain that only a broken slipper clutch kept him out of the scrap at the front which was won by former 500/MotoGP rider Jose David de Gea (BQR Honda CBR1000RR) ahead of former Spanish Supersport champion, Javier del Amor (LaGlisse Yamaha R1) and former 250 GP rider and Spanish 250 Champion David Tomas (BQR Honda CBR1000RR), the three separated at the flag by only .3 of a second. Kenny had his best ever qualifying, taking sixth fastest time, and was especially confident on raceday after a change to front fork settings in the warm-up improved the Yamaha’s handling under hard braking. But at the start the slipper clutch failed with a bang, sending the former dirt tracker wheeling off the line. “I thought I had a real good start off the second row and then it broke and dumped all the power in at once. But it got worse in turn one when I had absolutely no engine braking. Coming out of the corners the clutch was slipping if I got on it real hard. The spooky part was that sometimes going into the corner free-wheeling the clutch would suddenly come back in, like I had hooked a gear. I had to pull in the clutch at the same time I got on the brakes in case it happened again. It was scary and I even thought of coming in on lap two, but I found a way to ride it. I had to change my lines and ride the front very hard into the corners. But I really learned a lot this weekend. This was the first time I could stay with De Gea, Tomas, Silva and del Amor and, thanks to the help we got from Michelin and Öhlins, we finally understand the traction problem that has been dogging us all year. We know what to do now to make the R1 even better,” said Kenny. “It’s funny,” said Noyes. “I was happy to finish seventh in Catalunya. I was disappointed to finish seventh in Jerez when I had a set-up problem but finishing seventh here was just awful. It felt like being last. I’m tired of seventh now.” Noyes is now 17 points back of Carmelo Morales who holds sixth in the Spanish Championship which is led by de Gea who holds a 19 points advantage over del Amor. The final two rounds of the Spanish Nationals take place at the GP circuits of Valencia and Jerez on the last two weekends of November. Results round 4 of Spanish 1000cc Formula Extreme Championship 1 Jose David de GEA. Wurth Honda BQR Honda 29:28.246 2 Javier del AMOR, T.Laglisse Yamaha 29:28.442 -0.1 3 David TOMAS,Wurth Honda BQR 29:28.573 -0.3 4 Ivan SILVA, T.Laglisse Yamaha 29:33.845 -5.5 5 Jospe MONGE, Promoracing Yamaha 29:35.010 -6.7 6 Jose Oriol FERNANDEZ, T.Merson Yamaha 29:46.793 -18.5 7 Kenny NOYES, Folch Yamaha 29:47.820 -19.5 8 David GOMEZ,Megabike Kawasaki 29:59 -30.7 9 Juan E. GOMEZ, RPM Expert Suzuki 30:04.345 -36.0 10 Roberto PANDILLA, Saltoki Kawasaki 30:04.465 -36.2 11 Bernat MARTINEZ, Folch Yamaha 30:13.766 -45.5 12 Salvador CABANA, Motorrad Suzuki 30:14.497 -46.2 13 Mario A CARAZO,. Hotelplus Yamaha 30:37.977 -1:09.7 14 Antonio SALOM, Motos Salom Yamaha 30:42.636 -1:14.3 15 Víctor J. CASAS, ZK Pontgrup Suzuki 30:53.574 -1:25.3 32 starters. 25 finishers, 3 riders lapped

World Superbike Race Two Results: 1. Lorenzo LANZI, Ducati, 23 laps 2. Yukio KAGAYAMA, Suzuki, -6.662 seconds 3. Norikyuki HAGA, Yamaha, -10.722 seconds 4. Troy CORSER, Suzuki, -13.457 seconds 5. Chris WALKER, Kawasaki, -16.651 seconds 6. James TOSELAND, Ducati, -17.005 seconds 7. Andrew PITT, Yamaha, -20.863 seconds 8. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Honda, -22.280 seconds 9. Norick ABE, Yamaha, -22.713 seconds 10. Pierfrancesco CHILI, Honda, -31.108 seconds 11. Ben BOSTROM, Honda, -32.270 seconds 12. David CHECA, Yamaha, -38.195 seconds 13. Fonsi NIETO, Kawasaki, -45.314 seconds 14. Julien DA COSTA, Yamaha, -46.922 seconds 15. Gianluca VIZZIELLO, Yamaha, -50.604 seconds 16. Vincent PHILIPPE, Suzuki, -50.803 seconds 17. Mauro SANCHINI, Kawasaki, -51.434 seconds 18. Alessio VELINI, Ducati, -83.608 seconds 19. Michel NICKMANS, Yamaha, -1 lap 20. Laurent BRIAN, Kawasaki, -1 lap 22. Chris VERMEULEN, Honda, -5 laps, DNF. mechanical 23. Sebastien GIMBERT, Yamaha, -11 laps, DNF, mechanical 24. Ivan CLEMENTI, Ducati, -17 laps, DNF, mechanical 25. Marco BORCIANI, Ducati, -19 laps, DNF, mechanical 26. Andrew NOTMAN, Foggy Petronas, -19 laps, DNF, mechanical 27. Steve MARTIN, Foggy Petronas, DNS 28. Karl MUGGERIDGE, Honda, DNS 29. Giovanni BUSSEI, Kawasaki, DNS More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: VERMEULEN MISSES OUT ON FRENCH DOUBLE Chris Vermeulen was denied his second winning double of the season at Magny-Cours today when the chain jumped off the rear sprocket of his Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR. Having won the 23-lap opener of the final World Superbike championship round at the 4.4km French circuit, Vermeulen looked to be in control of race two, despite the close attentions of Italy’s Lorenzi Lanzi. On lap 19, however, Vermeulen cruised to a halt at the end of pit lane, realising that his 2005 World Superbike championship season was over. Lanzi went on to win the race from the Japanese pairing of Yukio Kagayama and Noriyuki Haga. The race was stopped on the first lap after Vermeulen’s team-mate, Karl Muggeridge, was involved in an incident with Andrew Pitt and three other riders. Muggeridge was unable to make the restart, suffering a laceration to the back of his neck that required stitches. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “Chris’s sprocket was damaged with one tooth particularly bad. We need to make some further investigations but maybe some debris got in between the chain and the sprocket, which basically cost Chris the race and his second double of the season. With what happened to Chris, and Karl getting taken out at the start, it’s almost too much to take in for just one race, let alone the last one of the season. Obviously, we’re all disappointed that the year has ended this way but, hopefully in about a week and a half, we’ll be in a position to announce our 2006 rider line-up. Then we’ll start preparing for next year.” Chris Vermeulen – DNF “I’m not happy, that’s for sure. We’ve only had two DNFs this season and neither of them have been my fault. I knew there was a problem because it was jumping for a few laps before the end, especially when I was accelerating hard. I was just trying to slow the pace down as much as I could and would have settled for second or third, because there was quite a big gap behind Lanzi. It’s better if that sort of thing happens on the first lap because after you’ve put in all that hard work, it hurts a bit. Our season started badly and it’s just ended badly, too; but there have been a lot of high points in between and we’ve certainly shown lately that we’ve got the bike working a lot better. It’s good to hear that Karl’s OK, though.” World Superbike, Magny-Cours race two results (23 laps, 101.453km): 1 Lorenzo Lanzi ITA (Ducati) 39m01.858s, 2 Yukio Kagayama JPN (Suzuki) +6.662s, 3 Noriyuki Haga JPN (Yamaha) +10.722, 4 Troy Corser AUS (Suzuki) +13.457, 5 Chris Walker GBR (Kawasaki) +16.651, 6 James Toseland GBR (Ducati) +17.005, 7 Andrew Pitt AUS (Yamaha) +20.863, 8 Max Neukirchner GER (Honda) +22.280, 9 Norick Abe JPN (Yamaha) +22.713, 10 Pierfrancesco Chili ITA (Honda) +31.108 Final championship points: Corser 433, Chris Vermeulen AUS (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 379, Haga 271, Toseland 254, Kagayama 252, Regis Laconi FRA (Ducati) 221, Walker 160, Pitt 156, Lanzi 150, Chili 131. More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: DUCATI XEROX TEAM ENDS 2005 SEASON WITH PODIUM FOR TOSELAND – LACONI DID NOT START DUE TO ARM INJURY Magny-Cours (France), Sunday 9 October: The 2005 World Superbike Championship came to a close at Magny-Cours with a third place finish for James Toseland (Ducati Xerox Team) in the first race, which was won by Chris Vermeulen (Honda). Toseland had to fight hard to hold off the challenge from Karl Muggeridge (Honda) for the podium, and then finished sixth in the second race of the day after battling with 2005 world champion Troy Corser (Suzuki) and Chris Walker (Kawasaki). Team-mate Régis Laconi had a disappointing end to his 2005 season. After checking on his condition in the morning warm-up, the Frenchman was unable to take part in today’s races due to his arm injury, which was causing him considerable difficulty around the Magny-Cours track. The day was a memorable one for Ducati however as Lorenzo Lanzi sensationally took his second win of the season in race 2. Lanzi, riding a third Ducati 999F05 for the Ducati SC Caracchi team with additional Xerox branding, took the factory machine to its sixth win of the year in an all-Italian triumph. “That was a good hard fight I had with Karl but it was very fair” declared Toseland, “I’ve cleaned the blue paint of my fairing and he can clean the red off his! We were a little bit wide in places, he left half a gap but it was a very close race. I was riding for my pride out there and so I just gave it all I had. It was great and I’m just so pleased to get on the podium after all the difficulties we’ve had this weekend” “There was nothing that could be done today because there are just too many right hand curves on this track” declared Laconi. “I have very little strength in my right arm and it was impossible to do more than a couple of laps. I tried this morning and it was not possible to race. It’s tough for me because it’s the final round but it would have been too dangerous for myself and all the others if I had taken part in the race. I will need another month to get back to full fitness, hopefully I will be ready for the winter tests and obviously also for 2006. That’s life, this injury has ruined the end of my season, it’s a real pity”. Ducati Corse Superbike director Paolo Ciabatti added: “It has been a difficult season for Ducati and the opposition has been very tough this year. But we have shown that the Ducati 999F05 is still a winning machine and that it has won in the hands of all three riders who have raced it, James, Régis and Lorenzo, and we look forward to the 2006 season. A big thanks to all of our partners who have accompanied us this year, in particular title sponsor Xerox, with whom we are in the first year of our partnership, and technical sponsor Shell Advance for all of their support”. RACE 1: 1. Vermeulen (Honda); 2. Kagayama (Suzuki) ; 3. Toseland (Ducati Xerox) ; 4. Muggeridge (Honda) ; 5. Corser (Suzuki) ; 6. Pitt (Yamaha) ; etc. RACE 2 : 1. Lanzi (Ducati SC Caracchi) ; 2. Kagayama; 3. Haga (Yamaha); 4. Corser; 5. Walker (Kawasaki); 6. Toseland; etc. FINAL POINTS: Riders – 1. Corser (Suzuki) 433; 2. Vermeulen (Honda) 379; 3. Haga (Yamaha) 271; 4. Toseland (Ducati Xerox) 254; 5. Kagayama (Suzuki) 252; 6. Laconi (Ducati Xerox) 221; etc. Manufacturers – 1. Suzuki 468 ; 2. Honda 403 ; 3. Ducati 385; 4. Yamaha 322; 5. Kawasaki 183; 6. Petronas 48. More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: ECSTASY AND AGONY FOR VERMEULEN ON LAST DAY OF SEASON A final day of high drama and shifting fortunes made for another delayed end to raceday in the Superbike class. Chris Vermeulen (Winston Ten Kate Honda) got the day off to a superb start with a transcendental win in front of the 56,0000 weekend strong sun-kissed fans, with a margin of victory of over eight seconds from second placed rider Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki). It was his sixth race win of the 2005 season. His weekend ended in an unforeseen fashion, as his chain jumped the sprockets after the rear sprocket appeared to get damaged by a foreign object. Leading the race from Lanzi until he was forced out, he retired on lap 19. Karl Muggeridge (Winston ten Kate Honda) equalled his season best of fourth in race one, then suffered a heavy fall on the race two start line, while Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) had the first of two eighth places in race one. His team-mate Pierfrancesco Chili (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) took a DNF from race one, but a tenth place from the re-run second race. Ben Bostrom (Renegade Honda Koji CBR1000RR) soaked up more points in each race, finishing 12th and 11th. In addition to taking the new outright track best in Superpole qualifying, with a 1’39.836, Vermeulen lapped under lap record pace in race one, with a 1’40.985 – a new race lap record until race two winner Lorenzo Lanzi improved it once again, to 1’40.601. In third place, James Toseland (Ducati) just held off Muggeridge for the final podium slot, after a final few laps of breathtakingly close contact between the two. In race two a five rider pile up, after Muggeridge and Andrew Pitt (Yamaha) collided shortly after the start, saw Muggeridge receive stitches to a head would caused when his bike landed on him, and two other riders, Giovanni Bussei (Kawasaki) and Steve Martin (Petronas) fail to make the restart. Vermeulen was delighted with his race one win, but mystified by his race two misfortune. His points total grew to a final 379, only 54 from champion Corser, despite two DNFs. “In race one it may have looked like it was a bit of a cruise but Yukio kept me honest,” said Vermeulen. “He was riding at 100% all the way to the flag. I’m not happy about race two, that’s for sure. We’ve only had two DNFs this season and neither of them has been my fault. It’s better if that sort of thing happens on the first lap because after you’ve put in all that hard work, it hurts a bit. Our season started badly and it’s just ended badly, too; but there have been a lot of high points in between and we’ve certainly shown lately that we’ve got the bike working a lot better.” Chili ended his inaugural Honda Superbike season in tenth place, once more spending raceday attempting to overcome chassis set-up issues for his particular riding style. “A very tough weekend,” said Chili in summation. “I felt the bike chattering and lost time in race one. Then I thought I had no chance to do better lap times so I retired. In the second race I tried to change everything – offset, spring on the rear, swingarm position – we tried to modify a lot. We needed to get rid of chatter and gain quick steering at the front.” Muggeridge, who was lucky to escape more severe injury than his cut head and bruised body, is only seven points behind Chili in the final table, on 124 points. After race one, Muggeridge was determined to score a podium in race two, after such a good showing. “I just braked a little too late into the hairpin on that final lap and ran maybe two meters wide, ” said Muggeridge of his race one experiences. “That allowed James through and I was just too late to do anything about it.” Neukirchner’s rookie season ended in another two secure points scores, as he once more ran with the leading groups of riders. “The first race was OK,” said Max of his Magny-Cours weekend. “I lost only ten seconds to the second placed rider, and the lap times and tyres were very good throughout. But in race two maybe because the track temperature went up the same tyres were not good for me. The last ten laps were very hard. I guess in the last few races I scored consistent points, so that was important for me.” In pain for the last few rounds, as he has struggled to throw off a back injury, Bostrom was glad to get Magny Cours over with, scoring nine points and finishing his year overall 15th, on 58 points. “I’m beat up again,” said Bostrom. “I need a few months off I think. The bike was quite good, but the clutch wouldn’t take two starts, so we couldn’t make a second good start in race two. I just let the clutch out and nothing. It was making so much noise I thought the fairing was dragging at one stage. I backed off and was almost coming in then the noise stopped. In the last five laps I lost a lot of grip from the front as well.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Yukio Kagayama raced to two second places at today’s 12th and final World Superbike Championship round at Magny Cours in France, lifting him to fifth in the overall series standings. The Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider’s team mate, World Champion Troy Corser, put in two heroic rides from the fourth row of the grid to claim fifth and fourth places. A broken chain was all that stood between Chris Vermeulen and two wins: The Australian Honda rider cruised to victory in race one and was fending off a hard-charging Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) in the second when his chain let go. Yukio Kagayama: “I had a good start to the season and a bad middle section which means that I am very happy to finish the season with two podiums. I enjoyed the second race very much dicing with Nori Haga. I am a crazy Japanese rider but I learnt my craziness from Haga-San. I want to thank my team for all the good work this season and hope next year will be even better.” Troy Corser: “Obviously I was always going to have my work cut out starting from 16th on the grid as it is very tricky to pass on this track unless you have a perfect set-up. I made a few mistakes in the first race which meant I was always trying to make up places again. I had a good start in the second race but then at the restart I got boxed in but had some great dicing along the way to fight my up to fourth. It’s not what I wanted but I feel I did as much as I could. I have to thank Yukio for all the good work he did, particularly in testing, and the whole team for making it a fantastic year.” World Superbike Results: Race 1:1 Vermeulen (AUS-Honda), 2 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 3 Toseland (GB-Ducati), 4 Muggeridge (AUS-Honda), 5 Corser (AUS-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 6 Pitt (AUS-Yamaha), 7 Walker (GB-Kawasaki), 8 Neukirchner (D-Honda), 9 Lanzi (I-Ducati), 10 Abe (J-Yamaha). Race 2: 1 Lanzi, 2 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 3 Haga (J-Yamaha), 4 Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 5 Walker, 6 Toseland, 7 Pitt, 8 Neukirchner, 9 Abe (J-Yamaha), 10 Chili (I-Honda). Final World Superbike Points: 1 Corser 433, 2 Vermeulen 379, 3 Haga 271, 4 Toseland 254, 5 Kagayama 252, 6 Laconi 221, 7 Walker 160, 8 Pitt 156, 9 Lanzi 150, 10 Chili 131. More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi NEW TRIUMPH FOR LORENZO LANZI IN MAGNY COURS New fantastic all-Italian triumph for Lorenzo Lanzi in Superbike in the final race of 2005 WSBK Championship on Magny Cours. Lorenzo rode once more the 999F05 and the team has been integrated, as in Imola, with Ducati Corse engineers, and didn’t let the occasion, recording in three rounds two wins and a pole position and ending the championship standing in ninth position, bets of Italian riders. “I’m on the seventh heaven.” – said after the victory Lorenzo Lanzi. “This win makes me up for the Imola delusion. During race-1 I suffered a lot for the front tyre which vibrates heavily and didn’t allow me to ride; I had the tears under my helmet because I could see the others close to me and I wasn’t able to fight them. During race-2 I had a good start, both in the first start as in the restart after the red flag interruption. When I catched Vermeulen we started studying eachother looking at the final laps. Then he suddenly slowed at 18th lap and I was lonely leading the race. Of course looking that from sporting point of view that’s be a pity, but also I was confident to win to see a rival like Vermeulen out makes everything easier. I wish to dedicate this victory to everybody were close to me, to my sponsors which are above all good friends, to the Scuderia SC Caracchi, to my crew engineer, to Ducati Corse that gave me a splendid factory bike and a factory rider service. I don’t know at the moment my 2006 program, but I hope to remain in this ambience that gave me so much.” Less satisfied is Gianluca Nannelli that in Magny Cours ended in 9th position after an hard race. After a bad collision just after the start that throwed him in 14th position at the first split passage, Nannelli earned some position ending ati fight with Chambon in the final corners, but the expert French rider has been able to resist. “I was right yesterday to fight for the front row!” commented Gianluca Nannelli after the race. “I got quite a good start, but just at the first corner somebody hit me on the rear and I lot a lot of positions. The bike with full thank was not handling and the tyres do deteriorate quickly. I earned some position, but I’m not very satisfied for this result. This season in Supersport on the 749R has been fantastic and allowed me to work side by side to special people like Franco Farnè and the team’s guys, but for next season I hope to be once more in Superbike that is better for my riding style, and I wish myself to still remain with Ducati.” Stefano Caracchi too is very happy for this new win that follows just an week later the one of Imola. “It looks not to believe.” said Caracchi. “two victories in a row for a small private team like we are is a strong incentive to go on. I must say that if the Supersport victory was a total fruit of our team for Lanzi’s victory we must be grateful to Ducati Corse that put at our disposition the fantastic 999F05 and the engineer for those last events, further the rider lended for the season. Lorenzo has been fantastic, after some difficulties for the new class at the beginning of the season, fron Misano on started to collect always better results until the victory on Lausitz and now is ready for join a factory team.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: WSB : Haga ends R1’s debut season in third Round: 12 – France Circuit: MagnyCours Date: 9 October 2005 Crowd: 56000 Temp: 20ºC Weather: Sunny Yamaha Motor Italia star Noriyuki Haga ended his 2005 season on a high with a rostrum finish at Magny Cours today. The Japanese star finished third in race two to end the season third in the world championship standings in the Yamaha YZF-R1’s first season in the Superbike World Championship. Earlier in the day Haga missed the chance to increase his run of eight consecutive podium finishes when he crashed out of the opening race, an innocent victim of some frantic opening laps that saw him fall after colliding with another rider. Nitro Nori hit back in race two with a race-long thrilling battle with fellow Japanese Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki). Kagayama got the better of the personal battle, but Haga’s third place gave him the points needed to secure his bronze medal championship finish. Team-mate Andrew Pitt had a tough race day after showing so much promise in practice. The Australian was involved in the battle for third place in race one, eventually finishing sixth, before being part of a huge five rider pile-up at the first turn of the second heat. With the accident causing the race to be stopped, Pitt was able to join the restart on his spare machine but was understandably detuned after the accident. Despite this, the Australian gave a typically gritty performance to work his way through to seventh place and retain his eighth place in the final championship table. Yamaha Motor France teamsters Norick Abe and Sebastien Gimbert had mixed fortunes at their team’s home race. Abe overcame a troubled qualifying session to take two top 10 finishes, although Gimbert was unable to replicate his impressive performances of 12 months ago and scored just one point for 15th in race one. Today’s races were won by Chris Vermeulen (Honda) and Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati). Troy Corser (Suzuki) ended the year as world champion with Vermeulen second and Haga third. Magny Cours marked the end of Yamaha’s first season since returning to the Superbike World Championship. Before the season Yamaha set a target of using the opening part of the season for development, with the goal of achieving podium finishes and race wins in the second half of the season. With Haga at the controls, the YZF-R1 was able to take 10 podium finishes from 23 races, including two wins – at Brno and Brands Hatch. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) “The first race was disappointing, especially because the crash was not my fault and I lost my run of podiums. The second was fun and I enjoyed making big fighting with Yukio. Almost every lap we touched each other – I think both of us are crazy! I am happy to finish third in the championship in the R1’s first year in world superbikes. We have been strong in the second half of the season and we know what is needed to improve the bike so that it can be fighting for wins at every race next year.” Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) “It was a big crash at the start of race two and I can say that we don’t think any bones are broken, but that’s about it. Muggeridge and I clashed – I got a good start and he got a bad start and we both drifted over to the right to get a better line for the first corner. The bikes were wheelying and then I felt him touch the back of my bike and then it felt like something touched my brake lever. For the first couple of laps I was in a bit of a daze and going backwards. My head was pounding and my hands were hurting but after a few laps I was able to focus and work my way through to seventh. I thought I could have got on the podium in the first one, but we just didn’t get there. ” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator – Yamaha Motor Italia) “Andrew did incredibly well after such a big crash in the first start of race two. Fortunately he just took skin off his hands but I think that he did a good job in the circumstances. I am very happy that Noriyuki was able to finish third in our first year of the championship. We reached a target we set and I am satisfied – and proud of everybody involved. I would like to thank all of the team. We only started this project in October last year and everyone involved worked so hard to get us ready to race. These results are a reward for our hard work. Now we must look to next year. This will not be easy, but we know where we must improve and everyone is looking forward to the challenge.” Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) “Yesterday everything went wrong and I could not ride smoothly. We had a lot of problems this weekend, but today everything went well, especially in the second race, the start went very well. We could do the same lap times as qualifying, so that was a good indication.” Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France) “In race one we scored a point but it was very difficult. We had many problems with the fork, the clutch and under braking, not a good weekend.” Martial Garcia (Team Manager – Yamaha Motor France) “A bad end for us. Two times the clutch went on Sebastien’s bike. I think he was very nervous to get good starts at his home race, so maybe he burned the clutch. The more he tried the worse it got. Norick was not so bad. He followed Pitt and made a good race so it was a good race day for him.” More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: Troy bags a fifth and a fourth. Troy Corser concludes the season in style at Magny-Cours. He made a mockery of his fourth row grid place to take a fifth and a fourth. A broken chain was all that stood between Chris Vermeulen and two wins at the last round of the Championship at Magny-Cours. The Australian Honda rider cruised to an easy victory in race one and was fending off a hard-charging Caracchi Ducati’s Lorenzo Lanzi in the second when his chain let go with more than half the race run. Chris’s retirement then allowed Yukio Kagayama to add a second 2nd place to the one he secured in the first encounter, with Toseland and Noriyuki Haga gaining a 3rd each. TROY – Race 1: 5th Race 2: 4th Obviously I was always going to have my work cut out starting from 16th on the grid as it is very tricky to pass on this track unless you have a perfect set-up. I made a few mistakes in the first race which meant I was always trying to make up places again. I had a good start in the 2nd race but then at the restart I got boxed in but had some great dicing along the way to fight my up to 4th. It’s not what I wanted but I feel I did as much as I could. I have to thank Yukio for all the good work he did, particularly in testing, and the whole team for making it a fantastic year.

2005 World Supersport championship, round 12 Magny-Cours, France – Sunday, 9 October 2005 FUJIWARA BATTLES TO BRAVE SEVENTH Katsuaki Fujiwara finished seventh in today’s final World Supersport championship race at Magny-Cours in France. The Japanese rider broke his hand in a practice crash at Imola a week ago and, despite qualifying in fifth place, fought through the pain barrier to complete 23 gruelling laps of the 4.4km French circuit. He was rewarded by retaining third place in the overall series standings. His team-mate for the weekend, Dutchman Arie Vos, enjoyed an eventful debut for the Winston Ten Kate Honda team as he replaced injured world champion Sébastien Charpentier. The 29-year-old had fought his way up to sixth place by mid-race distance but slid off on lap 16. Refusing to let go of his Honda CBR600RR, Vos remounted to finish a creditable eleventh. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “Well, the season didn’t finish on a high because of the situation with Sébastien and Kats struggling with injury, but there have definitely been some highlights this weekend. Kats managed to secure third place in the championship with his brave ride to seventh today. Arie’s substitute ride was great, apart from the small crash he had in the race. Before that, it was clear he was on for a top seven finish, which would have been a fantastic result for him. All our eyes are now focused on preparing for the 2006 season when we will be going all out for our fifth consecutive World Supersport title.” Katsuaki Fujiwara seventh “The race was very tiring and 23 laps on my hand was just a bit too much. I have had it in ice for most of the weekend when I have not been riding but trying to use the clutch with a broken finger is very painful. I tried my best and it was very important for me and the team to finish third in the championship. I am pleased about that and now I can go and pick up my FIM medal tonight. Thank you to the whole team for a fantastic season. Some more wins would have been nice but, for my first year on the Honda CBR, it’s not so bad.” Arie Vos eleventh “It’s just been an amazing experience and an honour for me to spend the weekend riding for the Winston Ten Kate Honda team. The whole set-up is so professional and well-organised and it’s been a privilege to be a part of it. Sébastien’s help was vital to help me learn the circuit and I was feeling quite comfortable until I lost the front. Luckily, it wasn’t too fast so I was able to pick up the bike and carry on. I’m sorry that happened because the team has been fantastic and it would have been great to bring the bike home in one piece for a better result.” World Supersport, Magny-Cours results (23 laps, 101.453km): 1 Broc Parkes AUS (Yamaha) 40m12.350s, 2 Kevin Curtain AUS (Yamaha) +0.750s, 3 Michel Fabrizio ITA (Honda) +1.215, 4 Fabien Foret FRA (Honda) +4.098, 5 Javier Fores ESP (Suzuki) +21.623, 6 Johan Stigefelt SWE (Honda) +23.448, 7 Katsuaki Fujiwara JPN (Winston Ten Kate Honda) +30.108, 8 Stephane Chambon FRA (Honda) +32.144, 9 Gianluca Nannelli ITA (Ducati) +32.408, 10 Mattieu Lagrive FRA (44.378, 11 Arie Vos NED (Winston Ten Kate Honda) +49.939. Final championship points: Sébastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 210, Curtain 187, Fujiwara 149, Foret 144, Fabrizio 38, Parkes 125, Chambon 94, Nannelli 88, Fores 71, Tauto Lauslehto FIN (Honda) 60. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Javi Fores finished the season with a hard-fought-for fifth at Magny-Cours today. The Spaniard made a good start, but Yamaha riders Parkes and Curtain together with the Honda duo of Fabrizio and Foret made a break early on and left Fores behind. Javi Fores – 5th: “I had a really good race after a good start, when I overtook Chambon. Halfway through the race I started having problems with my front tyre and had two big slides. From then on in, I decided to pace myself and get a good fifth place. I am very happy with the result and would like to thank my team who have worked so well for me.” Supersport Results: 1 Parkes (AUS-Yamaha), 2 Curtain (AUS-Yamaha), 3 Fabrizio (I-Honda), 4 Foret (F-Honda), 5 Javi Fores (E-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 6 Stigefelt (S-Honda), 7 Fujiwara (J-Honda), 8 Chambon (F-Honda), 9 Nannelli (I-Ducati), 10 Lagrive (F-Suzuki). Final Supersport Points: 1 Charpentier 210, 2 Curtain 187, 3 Fujiwara 149, 4 Foret 144, 5 Fabrizio 138, 6 Parkes 125, 7 Chambon 94, 8 Nannelli 88, 9 Fores (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 71, 10 Lauslehto 60. More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: FABRIZIO TAKES PODIUM FINISH AFTER POLE TRIUMPH Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) may have been forced out of participation in the final race of the Supersport season due to injury but the on-track action throughout the 23-lap Magny Cours event was as fast and furious as ever. Pole position rider Michel Fabrizio (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) took a new race lap record on his way to third place, one position ahead of his team-mate Fabien Foret (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) as they chased home Broc Parkes and Kevin Curtain (Yamaha). Katsuaki Fujiwara (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) battled hard to finish the race in seventh position, overcoming a painful finger injury, which plagued him with greatest severity around the heavy braking sections of the 4.411km Magny Cours circuit. Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR stand-in rider Arie Vos finished 11th, despite a mid race fall. Tatu Lauslehto ended his season with a 12th place in the Magny Cours race, but with a tenth place in the championship fight overall. Honda’s final margin of victory in the manufacturer’s championship was an impressive 78, scoring a total of 270 points from a possible 300. For Fabrizio, Magny Cours was a great end to a hard championship season, in which he finished overall fifth, on 138 points. “I had a big battle with Kevin Curtain and Fabien and it would have been easier to fight for the win if I did not have to get involved in such a big fight,” said Fabrizio. “But it was a great race for the fans.” Fujiwara’s determination to overcome his hand injury and recent spate of misfortune meant he held onto third in the championship itself, five points clear of Foret, 149 to 144. ‘Kats’ won two races in his debut Honda season, at Qatar and Monza. “The race was very tiring and 23 laps with my sore hand was a bit too much,” said Fujiwara. “Trying to use the clutch with a broken finger is very painful. I tried my best and it was very important for me and the team to finish third in the championship. I am pleased about that and I can go and pick up my FIM medal tonight.” Foret gave his all as usual, with the impetus of the local crowd not quite enough to overcome his mid race fade in pace. His championship fourth place was backed up by the race win at Assen. “I tried very hard to get away with the leaders but it wasn’t possible,” said Foret. “I had a big fight with Curtain and Michel, but at half distance my tyres were going off. I had to slow down or risk a crash. It’s very frustrating because I knew I had to finish on the podium to have a chance to take third overall.” Vos kept hold of his machine as he fell at low speed, remounting immediately to charge close to a top ten finish. “I was feeling quite comfortable until I lost the front,” said Vos. “Luckily it wasn’t too fast, so I was able to pick up the bike and carry on. I’m sorry that happened because the team has been fantastic and it would have been great to bring the bike home and in one piece for a better result.” Lauslehto scored good points at another new track for him, and in finishing 12th in the race, he went tenth in the overall championship fight. He was not satisfied with his raceday, however. “I had a lot of problems with grip today,” said Lauslehto, “and therefore I could not make the push I wanted to get closer to the top ten in race conditions.”

World Superbike Race One Results: 1. Chris VERMEULEN, Honda, 23 laps, 39:03.405 2. Yukio KAGAYAMA, Suzuki, -8.200 seconds 3. James TOSELAND, Ducati, -13.336 4. Karl MUGGERIDGE, Honda, -13.887 5. Troy CORSER, Suzuki, -14.299 6. Andrew PITT, Yamaha, -15.270 7. Chris WALKER, Kawasaki, -16.136 8. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Honda, -16.616 9. Lorenzo LANZI, Ducati, -18.201 10. Norick ABE, Yamaha, -31.100 11. David CHECA, Yamaha, -34.310 12. Ben BOSTROM, Honda, -34.493 13. Giovanni BUSSEI, Kawasaki, -38.601 14. Fonsi NIETO, Kawasaki, -38.914 15. Sesbastien GIMBERT, Yamaha, -40.508 16. Mauro SANCHINI, Kawasaki, -50.824 17. Ivan CLEMENTI, Ducati, -56.953 18. Vincent PHILIPPE, Suzuki, -58.385 19. Michel NICKMANS, Yamaha, -1 lap 20. Andrew NOTMAN, Foggy Petronas, -10 laps, DNF, crash 21. Pierfrancesco CHILI, Honda, -13 laps, DNF, mechanical 22. Steve MARTIN, Foggy Petronas, -13 laps, DNF, mechanical 23. Julien DA COSTA, Yamaha, -13 laps, DNF, mechanical 27. Noriyuki HAGA, Yamaha, -21 laps, DNF, crash 30. Regis LACONI, Ducati, DNS More, from a press release issued by Winston Honda: 2005 World Superbike championship, round 12 race one Magny-Cours, France – Sunday, 9 October 2005 WINSTON’S VERMEULEN WINS FRENCH OPENER Chris Vermeulen converted yesterday’s record-breaking qualifying performance into victory in race one of today’s final World Superbike championship round at Magny-Cours. The 23-year-old Winston Ten Kate Honda rider broke the lap record three times on his way to an eight-second victory over Yukio Kagayama. Vermeulen’s team-mate and fellow Australian, Karl Muggeridge, just missed out on his first podium of the season, finishing fourth to Britain’s James Toseland. Muggeridge fought his way back from eighth place on the first of 23-laps at the 4.4km Magny-Cours to take third on lap ten. But after some thrilling racing, Muggeridge ran wide at the Adelaide hairpin on the final lap, allowing Toseland through. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “That was a really outstanding race and, although Chris got into the lead early on and started to disappear, behind him it was fantastic. Chris was in unbeatable form and the scrap that Karl was involved with was all fair and square. It’s a shame he couldn’t climb up on the podium but we’ll certainly be looking for more in race two.” Chris Vermeulen – winner “If I can do that again in race two, I’ll be pretty happy; but, as ever, those other guys out there don’t make it easy. It may have looked like a bit of a cruise when I was out in front but Yukio (Kagayama) didn’t let up on the pressure at all so I was riding at 100% all the way to the flag. It’s nice to get the lap record to back up the Superpole lap yesterday, which was held in similar temperatures to what it’ll be like for race two; so we should have some information to go on.” Karl Muggeridge – fourth “I just braked a little too late into the hairpin on that final lap and ran maybe two meters wide. That allowed James through and it was just too late to do anything about it. It was an eventful race early on as well, as I took out a few of the cones with my fairing along the start finish straight. I may use that as a braking marker for race two! I’m not sure what we can do to make the bike better though, it was great. I enjoyed the race and hope I can enjoy race two a little more.” World Superbike, Magny-Cours race one results (23 laps, 101.453km): 1 Chris Vermeulen AUS (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 39m03.405s, 2 Yukio Kagayama JPN (Suzuki) +8.200s, 3 James Toseland GBR (Ducati) +13.336, 4 Karl Muggeridge AUS (Winston Ten Kate Honda) +13.887, 5 Troy Corser AUS (Suzuki) +14.299, 6 Andrew Pitt AUS (Yamaha) +15.270, 7 Chris Walker GBR (Kawasaki) +16.136, 8 Max Neukirchner GER (Honda) +16.616, 9 Lorenzo Lanzi ITA (Ducati) +18.201, 10 Norick Abe JPN (Yamaha) +31.100.

World Superbike Superpole Results: 1. Chris VERMEULEN, Honda, 1:39.836 2. Lorenzo LANZI, Ducati, 1:40.349 3. Noriyuki HAGA, Yamaha, 1:40.510 4. Karl MUGGERIDGE, Honda, 1:40.536 5. James TOSELAND, Ducati, 1:40.981 6. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Honda, 1:41.043 7. Yukio KAGAYAMA, Suzuki, 1:41.112 8. Andrew PITT, Yamaha, 1:41.241 9. Chris WALKER, Kawasaki, 1:41.264 10. Regis LACONI, Ducati, 1:41.398 11. Ben BOSTROM, Honda, 1:41.573 12. Giovanni BUSSEI, Kawasaki, 1:41.657 13. David CHECA, Yamaha, 1:41.744 14. Steve MARTIN, Foggy Petronas, 1:41.747 15. Pierfrancesco CHILI, Honda, 1:41.887 16. Troy CORSER, Suzuki, 1:42.659 1’41.695 1’41.760 17 43 1’41.695 156,149 More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: WINSTON’S VERMEULEN FINDS RECORD FLYER IN FRANCE Chris Vermeulen will start tomorrow’s two final World Superbike championship races of 2005 at Magny-Cours, France from pole position after setting the fastest qualifying time in today’s one-lap Superpole shoot-out. The Australian took his third pole of the season by lapping the 4.4km French track in a time of 1m39.836s, beating the 2003 best lap time of Neil Hodgson by almost second. Vermeulen’s Winston Ten Kate Honda team-mate Karl Muggeridge will also start from front of the grid for tomorrow’s two 23-lap races after setting the fourth fastest time in Superpole this afternoon. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “Having both riders on the front row for the final two races of the season is a great tribute to the incredibly hard work that the whole team has put in during the year to constantly improve the CBR1000RR. Having said that, I must pay tribute to Chris for a magnificent lap and for breaking the old record by such a margin. It really was an exceptional performance. And for Karl to achieve what he did after a free practice crash wrecked his number one bike is impressive, too. We’ll work hard tonight to have the bike fixed for tomorrow morning. It’s maybe a shame that the fat lady sung in the rain of Imola last weekend but there’s no doubt tomorrow’s races will be tough.” Chris Vermeulen pole position, 1m39.836s “I didn’t expect that time, to be honest, but you can bet I’ll take it! The bike’s just been getting better and better over the last few races and the team has to take a lot of credit for working so hard to get it how it is now. Troy (Corser) obviously had a bit of a problem in Superpole this afternoon but everyone gets a bit of bad luck sometime. I think we had our fair share in the early part of the season so it’s nice to finish it with a flourish. Everyone is pretty close on race tyres, though, so tomorrow’s races are not going to be easy. With Troy back in sixteenth place, I hope I can get away at the front but there’ll be some other guys with something to say about that.” Karl Muggeridge fourth fastest, 1m40.536s “There’s a bit of repaired tarmac half way round the first right hander here and I’ve been riding on the inside of it all weekend. With the qualifier in for Superpole I tried to run a little wider but hit it and that put me on the wrong trajectory. The rest of the lap wasn’t too bad and, considering I broke the best bike in the free practice crash, I’m happy to be on the front row. I don’t know what happened in the crash the only thing different is that I was doing about 3kph more into the corner that normal. The race set-up is pretty good for tomorrow but they’re going to be tight races and it’ll be hard to pass, so a front row start is important.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: WSB : Haga on front row at Magny Cours Round: 12 – France Circuit: MagnyCours Date: 8 October 2005 Temp: 23ºC Weather: Sunny Yamaha Motor Italia rider Noriyuki Haga will start tomorrow’s final rounds of the 2005 Superbike World Championship from the front row after posting a stunning lap during superpole today. The Japanese ace had been the sixth rider to start his superpole lap after ending the two one-hour qualifying sessions down in 11th place. In typical Nitro Nori fashion, Haga showed his ultimate speed to take over a second off his best time from Friday to hold pole for most of the session and end up third on the grid. Haga aims to consolidate his third position in the championship and extend his run of eight consecutive podium finishes in tomorrow’s 23-lap races. After holding third in the overnight standings, team-mate Andrew Pitt had an up-and-down day today. The Australian improved his time slightly during the morning qualifying session but had a crash early in the afternoon warm-up session after losing front end grip. Pitt did not lose too much track time as the session was delayed due to oil dropped by another rider, however it did mean that he was forced to use his spare machine for the remainder of the session. A scrappy superpole lap by his own smooth standards saw him drop down to eighth place and the second row of the grid for tomorrow’s season ending races. Yamaha Motor France riders Sebastien Gimbert and Norick Abe missed out on superpole after ending a troubled combined qualifying saw them 17th and 19th respectively. David Checa and his Yamaha Motor France-supported GMT94 squad, Gimbert’s team in the 24 hour endurance races, are making their third appearance in this year’s championship this weekend. The Spaniard was 15th in regular qualifying and will start from 13th on the grid despite failing to beat his fastest lap of the weekend in superpole. Pole position for tomorrow’s races goes to Chris Vermeulen (Honda), with Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) second and Karl Muggeridge (Honda) completing the front row. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) “I think we will be in good shape for the race. The feeling with the bike is already very good and I’ve already decided what tyre to use for the race. It’s always good be on the front row and I am confident that my pace can match anyone in the race.” Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) “The crash this afternoon caught us out a bit. I went out with an old front tyre and a new rear and I just lost the front end. I was able to go out and go quicker, but we lost some time in the pits which upset the rhythm. I made a few mistakes on the superpole lap and I’m disappointed to miss out on the front row because that’s where we’ve been all weekend. But second row’s what we’ve got and the race set-up is good, so we’ll hope for a good start and see what happens.” Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France) “All weekend we have had problems with the front end. Today we tried everything: making it higher, making it lower, but so far we have not found a solution. Tonight we must try some more things to look for a solution for the race.” Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) “Today we had many small problems that stopped me going for a fast lap. Four times I had to come into the pits and this cost me a lot of time. I think that we can be strong in the race though, we have to wait and see.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator – Yamaha Motor Italia) “I think we are looking good for the races. Andrew is strong around this circuit although I was a little bit worried about Nori until superpole, when he showed his real strength for tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: TROY ON THE FOURTH ROW! Troy suffered tyre pressure problems in Superpole at Magny-Cours today, but somehow he kept going and completed the lap. It was obvious from the first two corners that Troy was in serious difficulties, but he pushed as hard as he dared and crossed the line with the sixteenth fastest time. His Superpole lap of 1:42.659 was over two seconds slower then his best time in regular qualifying and now Troy faces a gargantuan task in tomorrow’s two 23-lap races. Chris Vermeulen (Honda) continued his recent run of success by taking Superpole, with a time of 1:39.836 – quicker then the lap record. Second is Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati), ahead of Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) and Karl Muggeridge (Honda). TROY – 16th, 1:42.659 What a disaster! On my Superpole warm-up lap, I never push too hard, so the first thing I knew about a problem with the rear tyre was when I started my Superpole lap in earnest. By the time I had done the first two corners, I knew that I had a serious problem with the rear. In hindsight, maybe I should’ve gone into the gravel and fallen over because then I would have ended up on the second row of the grid. But, it’s not in my nature to give up like that, so I just kept going as best I could. It’s going to be a very long, hard day tomorrow, but I’m going to give it all I’ve got. It would be interesting if I could win a race from the fourth row, don’t you think? More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: DUCATI XEROX TEAM AT MAGNY-COURS: TOSELAND EDGED OFF THE FRONT ROW BY LANZI – LACONI IN DIFFICULTY IN TENTH PLACE Magny-Cours (France), Saturday 8 October: James Toseland produced a good lap in Superpole qualifying for the final round of the World Superbike Championship at Magny-Cours to finish fifth on the starting-grid for tomorrow’s two races. The 2004 world champion was on the front row for much of the session after qualifying thirteenth but was then edged off by Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati SC Caracchi) at the last moment. “That wasn’t too bad, all things considered” said Toseland. “I got edged off the front row by Lorenzo. It wasn’t a perfect lap by any means, but the 39.8 was sensational by Chris. I’m a bit disappointed not to be on the front row, but from fifth, with the way the weekend’s been going, with the changes we’ve been making, I’ve got a chance of a good result for sure. We managed to sort most of the problems out, just one problem with the rear setting that needs to be seen to, but I’m quietly confident for tomorrow. I can get away with the leaders from fifth on the grid and hang in there at the front”. Régis Laconi was again in difficulty from his right arm and was unable to make much headway on the second Ducati Xerox 999. The Frenchman, sixteenth after the regular two sessions, ended the day in tenth position but was not optimistic about tomorrow’s two races. “That was a real surprise” declared Laconi. “Clearly with my arm I am just unable to ride and it’ll be like that for the race. With all the changes in direction and heavy braking I can’t ride the way I like. I can’t brake well because my arm is hurting and I haven’t got any power in my arm. In this condition I can’t do any good races because after a couple of laps I’m in difficulty. I can’t do much about that”. STARTING-GRID: 1. Vermeulen (Honda) 1m39.386s; 2. Lanzi (Ducati SC Caracchi) 1m40.349s; 3. Haga (Yamaha) 1m40.510s; 4. Muggeridge (Honda) 1m40.536s; 5. Toseland (Ducati Xerox) 1m40.981s; 6. Neukirchner (Honda) 1m41.043s; 7. Kagayama (Suzuki) 1m41.112s; 8. Pitt (Yamaha) 1m41.241s; 9. Walker (Kawasaki) 1m41.264s; 10. Laconi (Ducati Xerox) 1m41.398s. More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi FRONT ROW FOR LANZI, SECOND FOR NANNELLI AT MAGNY COURS After he recorded the quickest laptime during qualifying session Lorenzo Lanzi set the second fastest in Superpole at Magny Cours, final round of 2005 WSBK Championship. Lorenzo is a bit disappointed to miss the pole position, but most important is to start from the front row for tomorrow’s two races, and the goal has been reached. “I’m a biy disappointed to miss the pole.” – confessed at the end of Superpole Lorenzo Lanzi. “I tried to set a laptime under 1’40″, but a small mistake during the second split slowed my action.. Actually the 39″8 was sensational by Chris. I shall start from the front row and the first corner is on the left, so it would be important have a good start. For the race I’m quietly confident, the bike performs well and I have an excellent race pace. Both during the qualifying morning session as in the afternoon free practice session I made a long run with a good result and the tyres worked very well. I’m confident in a good race, now we must hope that weather conditions will remain good for this last race of the season.” Less satisfied is Gianluca Nannelli, that at Magny Cours tried without success to score the front row, missed just for three tenth of second. The Frenc track is not favourable for the twin, most in the final part where are slow corners and where some handling problems made Gianluca to lose precious time. “I’m very tired, also if the final result wasn’t too bad the bike asks in such conditions a heavy physical commitment.” said Gianluca Nannelli after the practices. “In the slowest part of the circuit, the final corners, we have a difficult handling and in that split I lose a lot of time. We changed the set up, but without any result,so for tomorrow’s race I have any illusion. Will be very important the first laps, we have o remain with the leader group otherwise there wi’ll be no story. Now we have to study with the team the tyres selection for the race, to stay with the leaders at the beginning and to have still grip for the final laps; I would end the season with a very good result.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: A rear tyre pressure problem almost prevented World Superbike Champion Troy Corser finishing his Superpole lap at today’s Magny Cours final round, but he persevered and crossed the line in 16th place, two seconds slower than his time in normal qualifying. His Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra team mate Yukio Kagayama also had a problem with rear end chatter, but grabbed a second row start in seventh. Chris Vermeulen (Honda) took Superpole – smashing the lap record in the process – with Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) second, Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) third and Karl Muggeridge (Honda) fourth. Yukio Kagayama – 7th, 1:41.112: “In Superpole I had a little problem with chattering from the rear end, but I pushed as hard as I could and maybe the second row is not so bad. We had the same chattering problems with race tyres but not as bad as with the qualifying tyres. I want to have two good races tomorrow and finish the season with very good results.” Troy Corser -16th, 1:42.659: “I knew I had a problem when I started my actual Superpole lap and it was a real problem! I kept it going, pushing hard all the time, but my lap time was slow and 16th was the result. I think the television cameras showed the rear tyre smoking and you can imagine what it was like to just ride the bike. The fourth row is a long way back so maybe I’ll get some binoculars to see the lights! It’s going to be a long, hard day tomorrow but I’ll still be trying my best to get on the podium for sure.”