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.”

Rizla Suzuki’s James Haydon took a brilliant maiden pole position and set the fastest ever two-wheel lap of Brands Hatch in today’s qualification for the 13th and final round of the British Superbike Championship. Haydon set his record-beating lap in the morning session to take Rizla Suzuki’s first pole position of the 2005 season. His lap-times on race rubber were equally impressive, marking another step forward for the GSX-R1000. James Buckingham, standing in for the injured John Reynolds, made steady progress in qualification and will start from 22nd on the grid. Reynolds remains in a stable condition in the Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford after his heavy crash yesterday during first practice. James Haydon: “We made a step forward in performance at the last round and we’ve made more improvements here this weekend. I’m absolutely delighted with my Rizla Suzuki. Now we have found what we have been looking for and the GSX-R1000 is a fantastic package that is a pleasure to ride. “A huge thank you to the Rizla Suzuki team for working so hard and making the improvements to get us to pole position. It’s my first ever pole position in BSB and the fastest ever lap of Brands GP circuit to boot, so I couldn’t be happier.” James Buckingham: “The Rizla Suzuki is really quite different to my normal Suzuki race bike and it is taking time for me to get used to it. “I built myself up gradually through both qualifying sessions and I could really do with another session to get completely up to speed. We made a lot of changes to set-up today and I’m going faster and faster every lap. I’ll be using tomorrow’s warm-up session to improve further and I’m looking forward to race day.” Robert Wicks – Team Manager: “Well done to James Haydon and the Rizla Suzuki team for today’s outstanding performance and delivering our first pole position of the season. James is extremely happy with the development of his GSX-R1000 and that shows in his lap times. We are all hoping he can replicate his pole with a front-running performance tomorrow. “James Buckingham is having to learn about a bike with very different characteristics to his own in a very short period of time. He’s improving all the time and will continue to do so in warm-up and the races as he becomes more familiar with the Rizla Suzuki. His experience on the GSX-R at Castle Combe earlier in the year should hopefully stand him in good stead for tomorrow’s races. “Our thoughts at this time remain with ‘JR’ for a speedy recovery. We know he is receiving expert care and his wife Shelly has now joined him from Nottingham. His condition remains stable and a good sign is that there has been no immediate need to transfer him for further assessment, though this will almost certainly take place in the coming days purely as a precautionary measure.” Qualification: 1: James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) 1:25.920, 2: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.118, 3: Karl Harris (Honda) +0.350, 4: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +0.411, 5: Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) +0.498, 6: Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +0.560, 7: Gary Mason (Honda) +0.599, 8: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +0.754, 9: Michael Rutter (Honda) +0.780, 10: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +1.002. 22: James Buckingham (Rizla Suzuki) +2.321.

2006 SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OFFICIAL TESTS The 2006 Superbike World Championship Official Tests calendar has been defined. After a thorough analysis and thanks to the co-operation of all teams FGSport has fixed the dates for the entire 2006 Season. The Official Superbike World Championship Tests will be developed though the following dates: Valencia: 27th, 28th and 29th March Misano: 12th and 13th April To the tests of Valencia will take part Superbike, Supersport and for the first time Superstock 1000 Permanent Teams. The Misano tests will be opened only to Superbike and Supersport Permanent Teams. The Development Teams Tests dates are the following: Brno: 12th, 13th and 14th June Eurospeedway Lausitz: 15th, 16th and 17th July

Saturday Morning World Superbike Qualifying Results: 1. Lorenzo LANZI, Ducati, 1:40.450 2. Troy CORSER, Suzuki, 1:40.497 3. Yukio KAGAYAMA, Suzuki, 1:40.512 4. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Honda, 1:40.687 5. Chris VERMEULEN, Honda, 1:40.741 6. Chris WALKER, Kawasaki, 1:40.817 7. Karl MUGGERIDGE, Honda, 1:40.854 8. Andrew PITT, Yamaha, 1:40.935 9. Pierfrancesco CHILI, Honda, 1:41.113 10. Steve MARTIN, Foggy Petronas, 1:41.251 11. Noriyuki HAGA, Yamaha, 1:41.262 12. Ben BOSTROM, Honda, 1:41.311 13. James TOSELAND, Ducati, 1:41.350 14. Giovanni BUSSEI, Kawasaki, 1:41.372 15. David CHECA, Yamaha, 1:41.437 16. Regis LACONI, Ducati, 1:41.608 17. Sebastien GIMBERT, Yamaha, 1:41.695 18. Gianluca VIZZIELLO, Yamaha, 1:41.726 19. Norick ABE, Yamaha, 1:41.743 20. Mauro SANCHINI, Kawasaki, 1:41.891 21. Fonsi NIETO, Kawasaki, 1:41.929 22. Ivan CLEMENTI, Ducati, 1:41.999 23. Julien DA COSTA, Yamaha, 1:42.560 24. Marco BORCIANI, Ducati, 1:42.935 25. Vincent PHILIPPE, Suzuki, 1:43.060 VELINI 1’44.842 1’44.020 Ducati 999RS Team Pedercini ITA 26 25 A. 1’44.020

Final World Supersport Qualifying Results: 1. Michel FABRIZIO, Honda, 1:43.835 2. Kevin CURTAIN, Yamaha, 1:43.983 3. Fabien FORET, Honda, 1:44.080 4. Broc PARKES, Yamaha, 1:44.222 5. Katsuaki FUJIWARA, Honda, 1:44.295 6. Gianluca NANNELLI, Ducati, 1:44.545 7. Arie VOS, Honda, 1:44.695 8. Johan STIGEFELT, Honda, 1:44.767 9. Javier FORES, Suzuki, 1:44.905 10. Stephane CHAMBON, Honda, 1:45.263 More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: BOTH WINSTON MEN ON SECOND ROW IN FRANCE Winston Ten Kate Honda’s Katsuaki Fujiwara will start from the second row of the grid for tomorrow’s final 2005 World Supersport championship race at Magny-Cours in France. Pole position went to fellow-Honda rider Michel Fabrizio in this afternoon’s second qualifying session, with Fujiwara less than half a second off the Italian’s time. Replacement rider for this final round of the championship, Arie Vos, further impressed the Winston Ten Kate Honda team including 2005 world champion, Sébastien Charpentier and his fellow Supersport competitors by setting the seventh fastest time this afternoon. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “We just missed out on the front row with Kats but full marks to him for the way he has ridden through the pain barrier this weekend. When he puts his race face on tomorrow, I’m sure he’ll be up there at the front. I said yesterday that Arie might be the surprise of the weekend and, even though he’s not leading the charge, I think a lot of guys out there must be thinking: ‘Who on earth is that?’. He put in some consistently quick laps today but wasn’t able to put one fast one together for qualifying. A second row start is what we had hoped for and I’m sure he will run a good race tomorrow.” Katsuaki Fujiwara fifth fastest, 1m44.295s “The hand is a little better today but it’s going to be a very difficult race tomorrow. It’s really painful when I try to push hard and the bike is moving around a lot more especially under heavy braking when I’m changing down through the gears and using the clutch a lot. The bike set-up is not so bad but there are a couple of little things we would like to try in warm-up tomorrow. The race is 23 laps, which will be tough, but I’m a professional rider and once I start the race I will ride through the pain to finish it as best I can and, hopefully, stay in third place in the championship. You will see some of the Samurai spirit in me tomorrow!” Arie Vos seventh fastest, 1m44.695s “I’m very happy, especially because I am making progress every time I go out on the bike. It may be small progress but seventh is my best World Supersport qualifying performance. I’m really pleased with the help and motivation that Sébastien (Charpentier) has been able to give me. He has taught me really quickly and I owe a lot to him for my qualifying performance. I like the way he has the bike set-up and we hardly changed anything. With a good start in the race tomorrow, I think I can be up there and I’d just like to thank the Winston Ten Kate Honda team for the honour they’ve given me with this fantastic opportunity.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Double front row for Yamaha Germany duo 8/10/2005 Yamaha Motor Germany riders Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes will start tomorrow’s final round of the Supersport World Championship from the front row after setting the second and fourth fastest times at Magny Cours today. In a close session that saw Curtain end the day just over a tenth of a second behind pole man Michel Fabrizio (Honda) the Yamaha riders confirmed that they are in good shape for tomorrow’s 23-lap finale. Despite being guaranteed second in the championship regardless of the outcome of tomorrow’s race, Curtain pushed hard throughout the session and posted a 1:43.983 lap time to move to the top of the leader board in the closing minutes of the session, only to be eclipsed by the following Fabrizio’s 1:43.835 seconds later. Parkes ended the day fourth fastest and happy with his set-up for tomorrow’s race. The 23-year-old was leading last weekend’s race in Imola, only to slip back when the rain arrived, and is keen to end his first season with Yamaha on the podium. Tomorrow marks the final appearance for the current model YZF-R6 in world supersport. Next year Curtain and Parkes will ride the all-new R6 unveiled 10 days ago in Paris. Kevin Curtain “We tried a different tactic today but it didn’t quite work! Normally I go out and set a fast lap early on but that seems to just set a target for the other guys to aim at. Today I decided to stay in the pits and see what they could do and 10 minutes from the end I came out. Unfortunately Fabrizio was behind me and although I was in two minds whether to let him go or not I decided just to go for it or else I would be stuck in traffic on the next lap. I did get the pole position but it seems that I towed Fabrizio around as well! Still, the front row is fine and I expect a good race tomorrow. The times are very close and I expect that it will be a good battle between me, Broc, Fabrizio and possibly Foret for the win tomorrow.” Broc Parkes “I’m not much of a qualifier so I’m always happy to be on the front row. I probably could’ve gone quicker today but I made a bit of a mistake by going out too early on the best tyre option. I was slower today than my pole time from last year, but then no-one went any quicker than that, so I am not worried. We’ve got a good race set-up and a front row start, so we’re in good shape for the race.”

Rizla Suzuki’s John Reynolds crashed out of the 13th and final round of the British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch GP circuit today and will not be racing again this weekend. He is replaced by Suzuki’s Privateer Cup Champion James Buckingham. Reigning Champion Reynolds was on his third lap of the 2.6-mile circuit in morning practice when he crashed into the tyre wall between Druids and Graham Hill Bend. Following a thorough examination at the circuit medical centre, he was transferred to Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford where Dr Krishan Bhanot confirmed he had broken ribs on his right side, punctured his right lung and broken his left collarbone. He is currently undergoing a series of comprehensive scans to search for any further injuries. Medical staff at the hospital are pleased with his stable condition. Team mate James Haydon was third fastest in the opening practice session and ended the day ninth overall after testing tyres and suspension parts on his GSX-R1000. Buckingham crashed out of this afternoon’s practice session unhurt without posting a competitive lap time. John Reynolds: “I don’t know what happened to cause my crash today but I do know I didn’t want to finish my season this way. I’m in considerable pain from my broken ribs but the medical staff have been fantastic and I am receiving the best care possible, for which I am very grateful.” James Buckingham: “I wish that this opportunity to race for Rizla Suzuki had not come about in this manner and ‘JR’ was still able to race this weekend.” James Haydon: “My thoughts are with ‘JR’ right now and I hope he gets well soon. “This afternoon we tested parts on my Rizla Suzuki and I am sure we can run fast lap times consistently on race rubber. Now it’s down to tomorrow and doing my best to get a good qualification and grid position for the races on Sunday.” Robert Wicks – Team Manager: “I accompanied ‘JR’ to hospital and I am pleased to say he is in good spirits despite his heavy crash. He’s bitterly disappointed to have finished his season like this, but in true style, he is already looking ahead and planning his recovery down to the smallest details with his doctors. “He has been under expert care throughout, both at the circuit and at the hospital. The doctors are pleased at his stable condition. Today’s events have been a shock to the whole team and all our thoughts are with him. James Buckingham has stepped onto ‘JR’s’ Rizla Suzuki temporarily for this round and we look forward to seeing what he can achieve.” Practice times: 1: Leon Haslam (Ducati) 1:26.733, 2: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 1:26.802, 3: Michael Rutter (Honda) 1:27.156, 4: Glen Richards (Kawasaki) 1:27.215, 5: Gary Mason (Honda) 1:27.434, 6: Karl Harris (Honda) 1:27.569, 7: Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) 1:27.683 , 8: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 1:27.727, 9: James Haydon (Rizla Suzuki) 1:27.737, 10: Jeremy McWilliams (Honda) 1:28.161.

Friday Afternoon World Superbike Qualifying Results: 1. Yukio KAGAYAMA, Suzuki, 1:40.512 2. Karl MUGGERIDGE, Honda, 1:40.854 3. Andrew PITT, Yamaha, 1:41.169 4. Lorenzo LANZI, Ducati, 1:41.184 5. Troy CORSER, Suzuki, 1:41.224 6. Steve MARTIN, Foggy Petronas, 1:41.251 7. David CHECA, Yamaha, 1:41.437 8. Chris VERMEULEN, Honda, 1:41.473 9. Chris WALKER, Kawasaki, 1:41.520 10. Giovanni BUSSEI, Kawasaki, 1:41.597 11. Ben BOSTROM, Honda, 1:41.615 12. Noriyuki HAGA, Yamaha, 1:41.681 13. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Honda, 1:41.695 14. Sebastien GIMBERT, Yamaha, 1:41.760 15. Norick ABE, Yamaha, 1:41.812 16. Fonsi NIETO, Kawasaki, 1:41.929 17. James TOSELAND, Ducati, 1:42.033 18. Pierfrancesco CHILI, Honda, 1:42.124 19. Regis LACONI, Ducati, 1:42.249 20. Ivan CLEMENTI, Ducati, 1:42.414 21. Julien DA COSTA, Yamaha, 1:42.615 22. Mauro SANCHINI, Kawasaki, 1:43.196 23. Gianluca VIZZIELLO, Yamaha, 1:43.212 24. Vincent PHILIPPE, Suzuki, 1:43.358 25. Marco BORCIANI, Ducati, 1:43.644 More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: MUGGERIDGE SECOND FASTEST IN FRANCE Winston Ten Kate Honda rider, Karl Muggeridge, set the second fastest time in this afternoon’s opening qualifying session for the final World Superbike championship round at Magny-Cours, France on Sunday. The Australian was just three tenths of a second behind provisional pole sitter Yukio Kagayama. Muggeridge’s Winston team-mate, Chris Vermeulen, winner of four of the last five races, set the eighth fastest time; again, the 23-year-old opted not to use one of his available qualifying tyres from Pirelli, concentrating instead on perfecting his race set-up. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “Although both riders seem to be pretty close, we still have quite some problems to rectify. Tomorrow we’ll concentrate on fine tuning the settings further to find the right set-up for Sunday’s last two races of the season. Karl used a qualifier towards the end of the session but still found some problems, so we still have some work to do tonight. Chris used his normal strategy of no qualifier so his time is actually pretty good, although he is only in eighth place.” Karl Muggeridge second fastest, 1m40.854s “I’m really struggling with grip here today, especially in the corners around the top of the circuit. We tried a lot of things this afternoon to find some grip up, down, everything. We improved it slightly in that session but, unfortunately, that meant the bike not working properly around the rest of the lap. But our data guys have something they think will work in the rear so we’ll give that a go tomorrow morning. I want to stay where I am on the grid for Sunday’s race because it’s been a long time since I tasted some champagne. I’m feeling thirsty, for sure.” Chris Vermeulen eighth fastest, 1m41.473s “No real problems apart from the fact that it’s a lot colder than when we tested here in June and the grip level offered by the track surface has fallen off dramatically. But I did my fastest lap towards the end of that session on race tyres that were both around 20 laps old and the bike felt OK. There’s really only a choice of one front and one rear here nothing else is close. I’m happy enough to stay in about eighth place for Superpole tomorrow and then use a qualifier.” More, from a press release issued by Team Klaffi Honda: Last Round of World’s Superbike Championship at Magny Cours / France. For the two riders of the Klaffi Honda Team, Max Neukirchner and Frankie Chili, the first day was not as perfect as they expected before. In Qualifying I Max finished 13th, Frankie 18th. Max Neukirchner: “žSometimes less is really more! It is not so easy to get familiar with the track. Today my mistake was that I tried to take some sectors too fast. Therefore I lost the ideal line and I lost a lot of time. We have to analyse the whole day. Tomorrow things must be much better!” Frankie Chili: “žThe first day was quite okay for me. I finished 18th but we only have to work a little bit on the suspension. Then I think I may be much faster tomorrow! “Magny Cours is a good race track! Though I ride the first time here in France I like it very much. This morning I tested the different tyres and I think with a hard tyre you have the maximum grip. Tomorrow I still have to work on the ideal line. Especially the New Chicane just before the finishing line is difficult but not a real problem. Some laps more and we will see.” Tatu Lauslehto / Supersport “Magny Cours is a good race track! Though I ride the first time here in France I like it very much. This morning I tested the different tyres and I think with a hard tyre you have the maximum grip. Tomorrow I still have to work on the ideal line. Especially the New Chicane just before the finishing line is difficult but not a real problem. Some laps more and we will see.” More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi: FRONT ROW FOR LANZI AFTER THE FIRST PRACTICE DAY ON MAGNY COURS. GOOD RESULT FOR NANNELLI Good results after the first practice day on Magny Cours, final round of 2005 WSBK Championship, for the riders of Scuderia SC Caracchi. Lorenzo Lanzi recorded, with the fourth fastest, a position on the provisional front row, after set the fastest until a tenth of minutes to the end of the session. Quite good also the practices of Gianluca Nannelli in Supersport, where the Imola’s winner recorded the sixth fastest. “I believe we’ve done a very good work in this first day.” – said after the practices Lorenzo Lanzi. “Tosay, al quite always on Friday’s sessions, we didn’t use soft tyres and we worked a lot on the newrace tyres developed by Pirelli. I believe we’ve found a good selection for the race and with the selected tyres I made several laps with a very good race pace. Despite that I’ve been able in a lap time very close to the best lap ever recorded in the past in Magny Cours, by Neil Hodgson in 2003 season with Michelin tyres. I’m looking for a good race in this final round, also to forget the Imola’s disappointment, when the flood didn’t allow me to run a good race.” A bit let satisfied is on the contrary Gianluca Nannelli in Supersport, despite the good result set today with the sixth fastest in the provisional ranking. “Unlike Imola on this track I never had a good feeling, often due the misfortune.” related after the practices Gianluca. “In the first two splits I’m very fast, very close to the leaders. On the contrary in the last one I’m quite slow, most in the fast changing of direction when the bike is quite hard to ride. Tomorrow we’ll have to work on this problem which doesn’t allow me to have a constant pace. My shoulder is now good, on the contrary I have some pain in the foot, but the Clinica Mobile doctors are always with me.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: WSB : Pitt third in first qualifying Round: 12 – France Circuit: MagnyCours Date: 7 October 2005 Temp: 29ºC Weather: Sunny Andrew Pitt had a positive start to Sunday’s final round of the Superbike World Championship by taking his Yamaha Motor Italia YZF-R1 to third place in today’s opening qualifying session. The Australian spent the majority of the day working on set-up for Sunday’s races, but put on a sticky qualifying tyre to post a best time of 1:41.169, which he hopes will be good enough to put him into tomorrow’s grid-deciding superpole session for the top 16 riders after Saturday morning’s final qualifying session. Team-mate Noriyuki Haga had a typical Friday session, testing many different machine settings rather than going for an ultimate fast lap. The Japanese rider had a rare fall during the morning practice session, the result of pushing too hard on an unfamiliar front tyre, but came back to end the day 12th with a time of 1:41.681 despite still not being happy with the balance of his machine. Magny Cours is a familiar circuit for many Yamaha riders, not least the Yamaha Motor France team. Few riders know their way around the circuit as Sebastien Gimbert, who competed in the Bol d’or 24-hour endurance race just a few weeks ago. He ended the day 14th, one place ahead of team-mate Norick Abe – making his first race visit to the circuit but familiar with the layout from previous testing. David Checa, a member of Gimbert’s Yamaha GMT94 endurance team, is entered as a wild card and ended the day seventh fastest. In one of the closest qualifying sessions of the year the top 20 riders were covered by less than two seconds. Fastest man today was Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki), who set the fastest two-wheeled lap ever of the Magny Cours circuit with a 1:40.512. Karl Muggeridge (Honda), was second. Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) “We made some changes to the bike after the morning session and it made a real improvement. We’re able to do 1:41.9s on the race tyre but I got a good lap in there at the end and I think it should get me in to superpole no matter what happens tomorrow. Hopefully we can make a few little changes to improve it some more for superpole and the race.” Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) “The feeling is still not quite right but we still have a lot of things to try for tomorrow and I think that we will find the solution. We lost quite a bit of time because we spent 15 minutes changing things on the bike and then ended a little early because we knew what we have to change for tomorrow. I am not at all worried to be 12th. The race does not start until superpole, so until then we should use the time to get the feeling with the bike correct. Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France) “Of all the tracks in the championship this is the one I know best – I cannot think how many laps I have done here in endurance. We are able to run good consistent laps but were unable to go faster at the end of the session and slipped back a bit. I’m looking for an improvement tomorrow.” Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) “I’m happy because already I am faster than when I tested here in the summer, although the temperature is different and that means a change in the grip levels. Normally I am faster than my team-mate, but today Sebastien is one place ahead of me. He knows this track very well though, and I am sure we can both improve tomorrow.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator – Yamaha Motor Italia) “Quite a good day today. Andrew is looking strong here, as he was when he rode the supersport bike for us last year. Noriyuki will make some changes this evening although this is the way he always works: spending Friday getting the bike how he likes it and Saturday and Sunday going fast!” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: TOSELAND AND LACONI (DUCATI XEROX TEAM) FIND THE GOING TOUGH IN FIRST QUALIFYING AT MAGNY-COURS Magny-Cours (France), Friday 7 October: Both Ducati Xerox Team riders James Toseland and Régis Laconi uncharacteristically found the going tough in the first qualifying session for the final round of the World Superbike Championship at Magny-Cours. The 2004 world champion was down in seventeenth position following the first qualifying hour while his French team-mate was two places further adrift. Italian Lorenzo Lanzi on the third Ducati 999F05 machine, entered by the Ducati SC Caracchi team, was in good form again today, clinching a provisional front-row grid position behind pacesetter Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki), and the surprise Australian duo of Karl Muggeridge (Honda) and Andrew Pitt (Yamaha). Lanzi’s time was set on race tyres. Toseland, who set sixth quickest time in the morning’s free practice session, improved in the afternoon but his time of 1m42.033s left him outside the top 16. “It was a tough session. We had a few problems this morning and even though we were sort of going in the right direction, for some reason we haven’t found a good base setting yet” explained Toseland. “That’s strange because the base setting we’ve had for quite a few rounds has been all right and here it’s just not gelling. I’m trying my hardest, doing bad lap times and that’s the worst scenario. I know where the bike needs to improve, but we tried something and it didn’t really work. We just dropped the forks a bit from this morning, nothing major. I went point four of a second quicker but everyone else went so much quicker as well”. Laconi was still feeling the effects of his Assen crash which left him with tendon damage in his right arm. “I just can’t seem to be able to use my arm well enough and that causes a lot of bother because all the heavy braking is for the right-hand curves. I had a feeling it would be like this here even before Imola, which unlike Magny-Cours is an anti-clockwise track, and it proved to be true. For the first part of the lap it’s OK but when there is a change in direction I can’t brake well. Here unfortunately most of the hard curves are right-handers and coming down the hill to the last one, it’s terrible for me. Let’s hope things go better tomorrow”. More, from a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing: Steve Martin maintained Foggy PETRONAS Racing’s end of season progress by qualifying in sixth position after day one of the final round of the Superbike World Championship at Magny-Cours, France. With 20 minutes of the afternoon session remaining Steve was in third position on race tyres with a time of 1:41.5, the same time set by Troy Corser in achieving pole position here last year on the PETRONAS FP1. Then, with more than the usual quota of qualifying tyres available, he was able to set two times within a thousandth of a second of each other on qualifying rubber, just 0.7 behind the fastest lap of Yukio Kagayama. Steve said: “I am pretty happy that we are on the pace again and that we are pretty close to the fastest time. I did really good times on race tyres, although there is a problem with the rear suspension pumping after the first lap or so. That needs some work with the set-up and I also think we can get more out of the gearing, so there is more in the bag yet.” Team-mate Andi Notman, standing in for the injured Garry McCoy, made steady progress throughout the day having only arrived at the circuit late last night after fog delayed his flights to France. In his first taste of competition on the FP1, the former World Endurance champion improved his best morning lap time by three seconds in the afternoon and reduced the gap to Steve by 1.5 seconds between sessions. Andi said: “It has all been a bit of a whirlwind and we had to work through some things today that we should have been able to do yesterday. But it is really good to be working with a team that is so professional, with so many people requiring your input. That’s helping me focus on every single aspect of riding the bike. The main thing is for me to keep cool and not feel that I have to push harder, because you inevitably go slower when you push too hard. I was happy to improve my time in the afternoon by three seconds and we still have some work to do on the rear suspension.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Yukio Kagayama smashed Neil Hodgson’s 2003 lap record and took provisional pole position for Sunday’s Magny Cours World Superbike Championship round. Kagayama, who tested at the circuit recently, set a time of 1:40.512 seconds to head Karl Muggeridge (Honda), Andrew Pitt (Yamaha) and Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati). Kagayama’s team mate Troy Corser suffered with wheelspin throughout timed qualifying and finished fifth in the standings. Yukio Kagayama – 1st, 1:40.512: “I had a little problem with wheelspin today but it didn’t really affect my riding style here. The conditions this afternoon were good – similar to when we tested here – and the set-up of the bike was pretty good also. If the track and weather conditions stay the same, then I will only need a small adjustment to the bike for the race. It’s great to be at a track I have been to before – particularly as this is a track I find enjoyable to ride.” Troy Corser – 5th, 1:41.224: “Every tyre I tried seemed to give us wheelspin problems and it is hard to understand why. This afternoon the conditions were more or less then same as when we tested here so we cannot work out what is going on. I started with the Imola set-up which is virtually the same as my normal set-up, so maybe we will try something slightly different tomorrow morning.” More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: Wheelspinning Troy! Troy suffered unexpected wheelspin problems at Magny-Cours today in the first timed qualifying and ended the day with the fifth fastest time. His team mate Yukio Kagayama is on provisional pole, having smashed the lap record set by Neil Hodgson in 2003. Second is Karl Muggeridge (Honda), with Andrew Pitt (Yamaha) third and Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) fourth. TROY – 5th, 1:41 224 This afternoon was a bit strange because I tried quite a few different tyres and each time I suffered with wheelspin. It didn’t happen when we tested here recently, so we’re not sure what’s going on. We will have to look at the telemetry and see if we can make some adjustments tomorrow morning and cure the problem. Today we used the Imola set-up, which is more or less the same as I always use, but we will make some changes for sure. The conditions this afternoon were more or less the same as when we tested, so it’s a bit of a mystery really.

WERA Grand National Finals and Suzuki Cup Finals: Five Days of Racing at Road Atlanta BRASELTON, Ga. The 2005 WERA racing season will be concluded next week at Road Atlanta during the WERA Grand National Finals, five days of racing from October 12-16. Round 11 of the WERA Dunlop National Endurance Series and the WERA Michelin National Challenge Series will be joined by the Suzuki Cup Finals, Sportsman Series National Championships and the National Vintage Series. A crowd of more than 400 racers is expected for the invitation-only event. “We’ve had a great season of racing, and there are a lot of championships on the line,” commented WERA owner Evelyne Clarke. “It’s going to be an exciting week of racing, especially since we also have the Suzuki Cup Finals to look forward to. We’d like to thank our racers for their support and for making 2005 a great year.” The week’s schedule begins with a day of practice on Wednesday, October 12. The first races will be run Thursday afternoon, beginning at noon. The eight-lap sprint races will include classes from the Sportsman and Vintage Series. On Friday, the National Endurance Series gets things started at noon with a four-hour race. The championship is one of the closest in recent history, with Vesrah Suzuki and Team Velocity Racing both fighting for the crown. Five Sportsman Series sprint races will follow the endurance race. Saturday’s racing will conclude the Sportsman Series championships, beginning at noon, and the first of the National Challenge races. The day also features 15-minute qualifying sessions for the Suzuki Cup Final classes, including GSX-R600, GSX-R750, GSX-R1000, SV650 and SV1000. The WERA National Challenge Series championships will be wrapped up on Sunday, with 11 races in the expert and novice divisions. The ten-lap Suzuki Cup Finals will be a highlight of the day as racers compete in five classes for the prestigious Suzuki Cup championships. Tickets for the WERA GNF are $40 for the entire event, $35 for Friday through Sunday, $30 for Saturday and Sunday, and $20 for Sunday only. Camping is also available for $25 for the entire event. Children 12 and under are admitted free. Directions to Road Atlanta can be found at www.RoadAtlanta.com. The 2005 champions will be honored during the WERA Awards Banquet Sunday evening in nearby Gainesville, Georgia at the Gainesville Civic Center. Tickets will be available for sale at WERA registration at Road Atlanta. The complete schedule for the WERA GNF can be found at www.WERA.com.

Friday Morning World Superbike Practice Times: 1. Lorenzo LANZI, Ducati, 1:41.568 2. Chris VERMEULEN, Honda, 1:41.809 3. Troy CORSER, Suzuki, 1:41.990 4. Yukio KAGAYAMA, Suzuki, 1:42.034 5. Chris WALKER, Kawasaki, 1:42.352 6. James TOSELAND, Ducati, 1:42.493 7. Andrew PITT, Yamaha, 1:42.549 8. Sebastien GIMBERT, Yamaha, 1:42.584 9. Pierfrancesco CHILI, Honda, 1:42.613 10. Karl MUGGERIDGE, Honda, 1:42.636 11. Steve MARTIN, Foggy Petronas, 1:42.689 12. David CHECA, Yamaha, 1:42.862 13. Noriyuki HAGA, Yamaha, 1:43.052 14. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Honda, 1:43.172 15. Ivan CLEMENTI, Ducati, 1:43.339 16. Norick ABE, Yamaha, 1:43.468 17. Regis LACONI, Ducati, 1:43.666 18. Fonsi NIETO, Kawasaki, 1:43.720 19. Marco BORCIANI, Ducati, 1:43.861 20. Vincent PHILIPPE, Suzuki, 1:43.891 21. Giovanni BUSSEI, Kawasaki, 1:43.973 22. Ben BOSTROM, Honda, 1:44.182 23. Julien DA COSTA, Yamaha, 1:44.218 24. Mauro SANCHINI, Kawasaki, 1:44.400 25. Gianluca VIZZIELLO, Yamaha, 1:44.569

JACQUE REJOINS NAKANO FOR PHILLIP ISLAND The Kawasaki Racing Team will be back to full strength with two factory riders, Shinya Nakano and Olivier Jacque, for the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island. Jacque is making a speedy recovery from the lower back and shoulder pain that forced him to withdraw from the recent Qatar Grand Prix after the first practice session. The 32 year-old Frenchman has been having daily physiotherapy since returning to Europe, and has been given the all-clear by doctors to make a return to MotoGP at Phillip Island. Scans and tests have confirmed that Jacque did not suffer any fractures or internal injuries from the low speed crash at the Losail Circuit. As Kawasaki’s test rider, Jacque has been nominated to replace the injured Alex Hofmann at both the Australian and Turkish Grand Prix races. A return to racing at Phillip Island is a perfect scenario for Jacque, who rates the ultra-fast, 4.4 km seaside circuit as one of his favourites. Jacque last raced at Phillip Island in 2003 when he finished sixth in the MotoGP race, while in 2000 at the same track he clinched the 250cc World Championship after a memorable race with Nakano. Jacque’s most recent visit to the Island was in February this year, when he acted as an instructor at an international riding school, alongside Australian bike stars Wayne Gardner and Daryl Beattie. Since his impressive seventh place finish in the Qatar Grand Prix, Nakano has returned home to Japan to get accustomed to the Australian time zone in advance of Phillip Island. While in Japan, Nakano has also spent time aboard a factory Ninja ZX-RR race bike, although not on the track, but static in a wind tunnel. The wind tunnel testing is part of Kawasaki’s aerodynamic development programme for its MotoGP project. With nine top ten results out of 14 races, Nakano has set some clear goals for the three remaining events of the season – Australia, Turkey and Valencia. He is keen to end the season as he started it, by backing-up his brilliant fifth place in the opening race at Jerez with another top five finish. With its classic layout the Phillip Island circuit is rated as one of the most challenging tracks on the MotoGP calendar, combining a 320 kph straight with a flowing sequence of long, fast corners that require high lean angles and precise throttle control. The panoramic location, overlooking Bass Strait, provides its own unique conditions – often gusty winds and the ever-present challenge of low-flying seagulls. Shinya Nakano: #56 “It is not easy being on the bike in a wind tunnel running at 180 kph. It’s a surreal feeling, sometimes the wind force feels harder and more direct than at 300 kph out on the track. But it is an important job to assist the Kawasaki engineers to understand the aerodynamics for future development – and perhaps it is good training for Phillip Island. It is a great track, but sometimes the wind from the ocean can be a problem. As a rider you can have a lot of fun, especially in the high-speed sections. But for me the most important part, especially for overtaking, is through the hairpin and then the next turn, Siberia Corner – with the positive camber this is a challenging section, and a good set-up is critical. Top speed is also a key factor at the Island, and we have improved that with the latest engine upgrade, plus some more revs, so this should help to hold the slipstream with other riders. I want another top five place this season.” Olivier Jacque: #19 “I know every millimetre of the Phillip Island track, it is one of my favourites, and I have very happy memories there. When I worked at the riding school in February I was reminded of some of the things that make this such a fantastic track. Like the final curve onto the straight, the speed is amazing, you come off this corner like a rocket – it is a great feeling. And the uphill left-hander to Lukey Heights, which is completely blind as you bank the bike over and just wait for the curve to finish! I cannot wait. Shinya has shown the potential of the latest motor and the new Bridgestone tyres, plus the ZX-RR has precise handling, which is critical at the Island. My condition is improving quickly and I must thank the doctors from the Clinica Mobile who helped me so much, both at the track and for treatment at the Doha hospital. I expect to be fully fit for the Phillip Island race.”