There could not have been a more fitting way for Yamaha to celebrate its 50th Anniversary than by winning the most prestigious title in motorcycle competition. Valentino Rossi’s second successive MotoGP World Championship with Yamaha is the twelfth time the factory has won Grand Prix racing’s premier honour, the Italian adding his success to those of an elite club of legendary names that have helped Yamaha contribute to some of the most memorable moments in the history of the sport. The last rider to win the World Championship for Yamaha before Rossi brought the title back to the factory last season was Wayne Rainey. The Californian clinched his third consecutive title on the YZR500 machine in 1992 and has kept a close eye on Rossi’s dominant form this season, which has seen the 26 year old take the title with nine wins from thirteen races. “Valentino has done a fabulous job and it is wonderful to see Yamaha winning races consistently again – basically for the first time since I raced,” says Rainey, who played a major part in bringing MotoGP back to the United States at Laguna Seca earlier this year. After dominating the 500cc series with 24 victories between 1988 and 1993 Rainey knows only too well about the psychological strength it takes to be a World Champion and says that this, as well as an abundance of talent, is Rossi’s main weapon. “To tell you the truth I think he’s just been playing with the other guys, he’s got them beaten even before they go out on the track,” he explains. “I think there are other riders out there with the ability to compete with him but every time they come out of their shells he just beats them back in again. That is probably his strongest asset and if the riders out there now want to beat him they will have to start rethinking their approach a little.” Rainey had followed the path to Grand Prix stardom marked out by his fellow American Eddie Lawson, who won the first of his three 500cc titles with Yamaha in 1985. Lawson’s total of 26 victories over six seasons remains a premier-class record for the factory but that could be beaten by Rossi next season. It won’t be the first time the Italian has emulated one of Lawson’s records, having become the only rider other than the American to win consecutive titles for different manufacturers in the history of the championship last season. “From what I have seen this year Valentino is simply in another league to the other riders, he is very impressive,” says Lawson, who attended his first Grand Prix in several years at Laguna Seca in July. “Above all I am pleased to see Yamaha winning races and titles again. I’ve still got a lot of friends there and I’m delighted to see them enjoying the success they definitely deserve. “Records are there to be broken and to be honest I was sure mine would fall much quicker than they are doing. I suppose if there is anybody out there who had to do it, it would be Valentino!” The man that opened the way for Rainey and Lawson’s World Championship achievements was their mentor Kenny Roberts. The former dirt-track champion revolutionised the way Grand Prix motorcycles were ridden when he began road racing in 1978 and allowed his compatriots to come through and dominate the sport for almost two decades. Still heavily involved in MotoGP, Roberts has kept a close eye on Rossi’s achievements, not only this season but throughout his career. “This year Valentino has had everything covered, he hardly ever makes a mistake,” says Roberts. “In fact, throughout his career I’ve barely seen him make a mistake, certainly not off the track, and that helps him to stay focused on it. He hasn’t had terrible motorcycles to ride but everything he rides he wins on”¦ everything. His PR, promotion and merchandising is head and shoulders above anything I would ever dreamt of having, plus he’s Italian! He’s got the whole package and it’s great to watch him winning races for Yamaha. To see him racing in the yellow and black colours of Yamaha USA at Laguna Seca earlier this season was a very proud moment for me.” However, the proudest of Yamaha’s past World Champions and the man most comparable to Rossi in terms of talent, charm and racing achievement was Giacomo Agostini, the first true megastar of MotoGP. The Italian won his last 500cc title for Yamaha in 1975 and has taken extra pleasure from watching the rise of his country’s new hero, the first Italian to truly dominate the sport since Agostini’s last victory at Brno in 1977. “Valentino is the kind of talent that comes along to any sport only once in a generation – there isn’t a Bobby Charlton born every year!” says Agostini. “The Italian people waited 20 years for the next Agostini and Valentino has given them great happiness. I think we should thank him and thank Yamaha for a wonderful season.” With Rossi taking the title for the fifth straight season and having already signed up with Yamaha to defend it at least once more, Agostini is well aware of the extra difficulties faced when trying to stay at the top of such a demanding sport. According to the former eight-time 500cc World Champion it is this continued desire to win that has been Rossi’s most impressive asset this season. “I think the motivation Valentino has shown this year is a demonstration of his love for the sport,” he says. “The quality of the opposition is strong but Valentino has something extra. Every race is a new adventure to him and he is excited to meet each challenge. It is a fantastic achievement. By moving from Honda to Yamaha he made a similar switch to me, when I went from MV Augusta to Yamaha, and he has kept his motivation high. He has shown his riding talents on different machinery over the past few seasons in MotoGP and everybody around the world seems to like him. I am very happy because I am still very close to the people at Yamaha. I very much enjoyed riding for the factory and they are still like a family to me. “This season I think Yamaha deserve just as much credit as Valentino does. The factory has done a good job, given him a good bike and he has been able to win virtually everything. For both of them, this year has been the best ever.”

MICHELIN TAKES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLE Sunday September 25, 2005 will go down in history as the day Michelin scored a unique double-World Championship, winning the Formula One* and MotoGP* titles on different parts of the planet. Yamaha-Michelin’s Valentino Rossi captured his fifth consecutive premier-class title in Malaysia, with four races still remaining. Some 12 hours later, Fernando Alonso (Renault- Michelin) made history as the youngest winner of the FIA Formula One Drivers’World Championship in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Michelin has dominated both series this year, winning 16 out of 17 times so far in F1 and taking 11 wins from 13 races in the MotoGP World Championship. The company is also assured of the F1 Constructors’ crown, as only Michelin-partners McLaren and Renault are still fighting for the coveted title. Michelin also leads the battle in the World Rally Championship, which this weekend may well see Sébastien Loeb (Citroën) claim his second consecutive Drivers’ title in the Rally of Japan. Should Loeb be crowned in Japan, it would give Michelin its 37th WRC title by far a record. The World’s leading tyre manufacturer also completed an amazing eighth successive win on the famous Le Mans 24 Hours race in June. In Formula One, Alonso finished third behind McLaren-Michelin duo Juan-Pablo Montoya and Kimi Räikkönen Michelin’s tenth clean-sweep of the podium this year to beat previous youngest record-holder Emerson Fittipaldi by more than a year. Alonso became the fourth driver to clinch the F1 title on Michelin tyres, but the first to have done so since the company returned to grand prix racing in 2001. Commenting on Michelin’s contribution to his protégé’s World title, Patrick Faure, president of Renault F1 Team said: “This title is a victory for Fernando Alonso and Renault, but it is just as much so for all of our technical partners and Michelin is naturally foremost among them. The company has supported us every inch of the way and we have worked extremely well together. It has been a perfect season for Michelin and I’d like to extend my compliments to its whole team.” On two wheels, the phenomenon called Rossi proved once again how brilliant he is: having scored an amazing nine wins from the first eleven races of the season, he wrapped up the title in Malaysia with his 77th podium finish from 93 top-class starts all scored on Michelin tyres. His title was Michelin’s 25th in 30 years in the premier class of motorcycling (500cc and MotoGP combined), a glorious era that began with the success of the late, great Barry Sheene (Suzuki -Michelin) in 1976. This is also the company’s 14th consecutive title win, a run of domination that began with Wayne Rainey (Yamaha-Michelin) in 1992. Michelin has won a record total of 334 500cc/MotoGP races. More, from a press release issued by Patriot Promotions: Patriot Promotions is proud to announce that clients Adopt a Kid Racer, and Alex Welsh post top tier showings at Virginia International Raceway. In the race at Virginia International Raceway on Sept. 25th, Alex Welsh, Sponsored by Adopt A Kid Racer and riding for the Infinity GP Race team showed his stellar talent by posting a both a 2nd place finish and the fastest lap time in the Infinity 250 GP Motorcycle race which due to lower than expected entries was held in tandem with the “super-twins” (a class of high powered V-twin motorcycles). Welsh remained within 2-3 bike lengths of the eventual winner until faced with his first experience with lapped traffic after lap 8. Alex Welsh, showing his poise pulled out a 2nd place finish while posting the fastest lap with a time of 1:32.16. Blake Dircks, of client Adopt a Kid Racer, finished 4th in the regional 125 GP class and took 5th in the Infinity 125 GP class. The Coolskunk Kydz racers P.J. Jacobsen and James Rispoli both finished very well with Jacobsen taking 2nd in regional and 3rd in Infinity 125 GP class. Rispoli finished 4th in Infinity 125 GP and 1st in Motard with an overallclass finish of 9 th in the lightweight class. Clear Channel Sports representatives told Frank Pate of Infinity GP Racing that they were very impressed with the showing of all of the young racers competing in their first GP races thanks to the assistance of Adopt a Kid Racer. Congratulations to Alex Welsh and the other Adopt a Kid Racer riders for their excellent showings this weekend!

SUPERSPORT CHALLENGE CONTINUES FOR HONDA RIDERS Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) sees out the end of the 2005 season secure in his status as new World Champion, but after an uncharacteristic no-score at the previous round at Lausitz he is determined to navigate his way back to the rich seam of form which has delivered him six wins so far. Charpentier has taken the majority of the points in what has been a successful campaign for the CBR600RR runners in the Manufacturer’s Championship, with Honda enjoying an unassailable advantage of some 94 points in the build-up to Imola. Charpentier’s fellow runner in his Dutch based team, Katsuaki Fujiwara (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR), lost his runner-up position in the championship at Lausitz, a development he intends to reverse over the next two races. A top three championship finish is the personal aim of both riders in Honda’s Italian based squad, with Fabien Foret (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) currently fourth and his team-mate Michel Fabrizio (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) fifth. With Italian Fabrizio and Frenchman Foret each with a home race to squeeze in before the end of the season at Magny Cours (the weekend after Imola) each now has an added motivation to succeed. WSS rookie Tatu Lauslehto (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) is still in the hunt for the status of best novice rider in the championship, as he approaches two tracks which offer up very different challenges. In tenth place overall, the young Finn is aiming for top eight after Magny Cours. Charpentier, feted across his native France since being crowned champion, knows Imola well, and is ready for another couple of hard battles as his championship winning season winds down. Despite his recent reversal at Lausitz, he is in the mood for more glory in Italy. “I have already forgotten Lausitz because it was a very bad weekend for me and the team after all the elation of the previous week in Assen,” confesses Charpentier. “It has been an amazing time since I won the title with a lot of coverage in France and posters all over my local département of La Charente! But the job is not finished because I have not yet won a race as world champion. I like Imola and finished third in the race here last year. But of course I am still hungry to show that I’m strong and that I have the best team and the best bike; this is why I won the championship and I want to prove it by winning at Imola this weekend.” Fujiwara is all out for a win at Imola, and is determined to move back into second in the championship race. “Lausitz was not a very good weekend for the team so I am very keen to put that right in Imola,” said Fuji, currently with two 2004 wins to his credit. “It is a circuit I like and I won the Supersport race at in 2002 but the last two years have not been so good for me. With the Honda CBR there is no reason why I cannot do well the bike has been amazing since I first rode it before the season started. I have won two races this year but not since Monza in May, so it is time to win again and secure second place again in the championship. First and second place with Sébastien and me is nothing less than my team deserves because they have worked so hard all season.” Foret, the only Honda finisher on the podium at Lausitz, is one of a total of four race winners in 2005 so far having scored a victory at Assen in early September. “This period of the season for me is wonderful,” acknowledges Foret. “I took more podiums and more good results and this was possible thanks to the work from my team, the suspension technicians and the increasing feeling I have from my Honda compared to the start of the season. I have run good races at Imola in past, especially when riding a CBR, and I know that I can repeat the previous results this week-end.” Fabrizio, on home tarmac, will be going for his first career WSS race win, and there will be no better place for it to arrive than Imola. “I know that I ran a bad race in Lausitzring, where I didn’t have a good feeling with either the track or the bike,” said a straight talking Fabrizio. “My target is to return to good race form, for Honda and for my team, who have believed in me from the start of the season. Imola is a fantastic track that I know very well; I love it because it is technical and fast and because I will run in front of my Italian fans.” Lauslehto’s targets are well defined in his mind, as he approaches the final two races of his rookie WSS season. “Rookie of the year is my goal and my competitor, Javi Fores from Spain, is only 4 points ahead,” said a confident Lauslehto, on the eve of competition at another new circuit for him to meet. “I’ve never been to Imola and Magny Cours before but I’ll try my best to make it work out well. In 2004 Max Neukirchner finished as Rookie of the Year and it would be great to continue this success story for the Klaffi Honda Team.” World Superbike Round 11 of 12 HONDA MEN UP TO THE CHALLENGE OF CLASSIC ITALIAN VENUE Chris Vermeulen (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) is the current form man in the championship chase, having won three of the last four races in the series, to add to his previous lone 2005 success. He will be going for far more than race wins five and six this weekend, however, as he attempts to take another significant chunk out of championship leader Tory Corser’s 60 point championship lead. With 100 points up for grabs, Vermeulen knows he has to win, and hope Corser hits problems, to go to the final round in Magny Cours with a chance of the title. The lure of race wins will be strong for him this weekend nonetheless, especially as he knows he was the winner at another fast Italian circuit in May this year – Monza. Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) has attacked his rookie season with the kind of aggressive riding that gave him the 2004 World Supersport trophy, but his fortune has not always matched his desire in his novice Superbike season. He continues to hunt for his first podium finish this weekend, sitting 11th overall. Strong points scores are the ambition of Pierfrancesco Chili (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) this weekend, as he attempts to stay inside the top ten until the end of his first year on Honda Superbike machinery. Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) is in his rookie SBK season per se, and after some highs and lows is hoping to have a solid weekend at Imola, with good finishes from both races. Ben Bostrom (Renegade Honda Koji CBR1000RR) is a big name World Superbike rider on the comeback trail in 2005, looking for a personal best of sixth in race two at Valencia to be improved upon at Imola. In the overall championship battle Vermeulen knows he is not entirely the master of his own destiny, but also knows that only wins are good enough. Vermeulen also tips his team-mate for a brace of good results this weekend. “I’m not feeling any pressure because, as I said after the last round in Germany, this is Troy’s title to lose,” opined a realistic Aussie. “The last two rounds were good and we took 50 points out of his lead, but we have to do even better than that over the last two rounds. We had a little hiccup at Imola last year but I won the Supersport title here in 2003 and I like the circuit a lot. I think the bike will work here as it really has been getting better and better all season, as the last few results have shown. But, as well as Troy trying to wrap things up, there are going to be some other quick guys at Imola the Ducatis were strong last year so Toseland should be in there, and Laconi if he’s fit enough. Haga will be fast and hopefully Karl (Muggeridge) can start to get the kind of results his qualifying form has suggested.” For Chili Imola is very much a hometown track, and he wants to sign off his 2005 season with good memories, for both himself and his many fans. “The many ups and downs are characteristic of Imola,” said the most experienced SBK rider of them all. “The different surfaces of the different parts make the track even more varied. I like Imola, because in 2004 I finished 2nd in the first heat and 4th in the second race. During the last weeks after the Lausitz race I did a lot for my physical fitness. Especially cycling and swimming totally sports. And my mechanics used the time to optimize my Fireblade even more. So the conditions for Imola are perfect. Bologna, my hometown, is only 30 minutes away and a lot of Frankie fans will come to Imola. I’ll give my all to make some good results for them.” Muggeridge is fully charged for a good weekend, and simply loves the curves, undulations and overtaking opportunities offered by the city centre circuit of Imola. “I like Imola and won the Supersport race in 2003 and again last year on my way to the title. I don’t see any reason why we can’t get a good result on the Superbike this time round,” said an ever-positive Muggeridge. “I know the race results haven’t been exactly spectacular this year but I’m actually feeling pretty confident in myself and in the bike. We just need everything to fall into place to unlock this thing. The season’s been pretty up and down I’ve had my share of bad luck and the good things that need to happen to get a good result just haven’t all happened together! Everyone in the team is trying really hard to make it happen and I really believe that it’s a question of ‘when’ now, not ‘if’. I’m looking forward to Imola and Magny-Cours – I like the fact that they’re back-to-back races, and I’m hoping to finish this year on a high.” Neukirchner’s desire to finish inside the top ten drives him on at Imola; a track he knows is one of the most difficult in world racing. “Last year I had my first ride at Imola and finished ‘only’ 14th in Supersport race,” said Neukirchner, wistfully. “Imola is really fast and risky and most of the turns are blind. It goes downhill and then immediately uphill again with full speed. It is a challenge for my Klaffi Honda Fireblade and me but I know we are in good form. Some top results at Imola and Magny Cours would be fine cause I’m longing to finish 10th in the Championship. With 98 points I’m on 13th position at the moment, only 20 points away from Lanzi, who is still 10th. With some good luck I will succeed!” Bostrom, who’s previous two race weekends had been hampered by injury from a crash while testing in race conditions at a BSB meeting, was glad of the break between the Lausitz race and this one. “I was just glad of a bit of time to heal properly,” said the popular American. “My internal injuries were bad at Assen but better at Lausitzring, so I’m just glad that my back has had some more time to heal up before Imola.” After the Imola weekend is completed there will be a dash to Magny Cours for all the competitors, to take part in the final weekend of the championship, 7-9 October.

MAX FACES TOUGH FIGHT FOR RUNNER-UP POSITION Max Biaggi (Repsol Honda RC211V) will have to draw on his vast reserves of grit and experience to secure runner-up in the World Championships now that the title has gone to Valentino Rossi (Yamaha). The Roman is under severe pressure from Loris Capirossi (Ducati) with just four rounds to go. Max currently enjoys a 17-point lead over his challenger who has revitalised his season with two consecutive wins from pole position in the last two races at Motegi in Japan and Sepang, Malaysia. But with a maximum 100 points available from the remaining four races Sete Gibernau (Team Movistar Honda RC211V), currently languishing in eighth place overall, is still a mathematical contender for the runner-up position. And even Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) in 11th overall, his season blighted by injury, is still in with a theoretical chance too. But reality dictates that the fight is between the five riders with 130 points or more, Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) on 134, Marco Melandri (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) on 137, Colin Edwards (Yamaha) with 139, Capirossi on 142 and Max with 159. Alex Barros (Camel Honda RC211V) has 122 points and as one of only two Honda men to have won a race this season (the other being Nicky Hayden), he is surely overdue another good performance if he can recapture the form he showed at Estoril in Portugal. The veteran Brazilian will be fired up for this race. Shane Byrne, standing in for the injured Troy Bayliss (Camel Honda RC211V), is still getting to grips with his RCV, but the chirpy Londoner lacks nothing in enthusiasm and he can always be expected to shine in difficult conditions. The Losail International circuit lies ten kilometres from Qatar’s capital of Doha. The 5.4km track is now a known quantity for most riders across the classes, but not for all. The track was only used for the first time last year. Losail, built in 2004, features more turns than any other track on the calendar, six lefts and ten right-handers in all. Nor is there a chicane of any description. This puts a high premium on machine agility and it also brings tyre wear issues into sharp focus. But the artificial grass placed along the track to allay riders’ fears of sand being blown onto the surface was only partially successful last year. Sand tended to collect on anywhere other than the racing line, making overtaking tricky. The same trouble is likely this year too. The heat will be relentless with track temperatures of up to 45 degrees expected. Ambient temperatures will be equally elevated and any rider not at absolute peak fitness will suffer in these oppressive conditions. Set-up will be directed at making the machines manageable with a minimum of physical input from the pilots. There is also the matter of a 1062m straight, 20m longer even than Catalunya. This puts power and top speed among the primary requirements and also braking at the end of a 320km/h blast flat out in top gear. Gibernau won here last year and is desperate for a change in fortune this season. “I look forward to the Grand Prix of Qatar,” he said. “Last year we won and this year we tested in winter. I hope the data gathered in the March pre-season tests will be useful for the set-up and I hope that next race represents a turning point in what’s been such a difficult season. It seems that when things go bad, they go really bad. But mentally I believe in myself more than ever.” His team-mate Marco Melandri said, “I did a lot of laps on this track last winter. I am sure that the data we accumulated will be helpful to find a good set-up. In 2004 Qatar was new for all of us, now we’ve all had the experience of a race and winter testing and this track will be more familiar for all of us. My right foot is healing correctly and I hope to I hope to arrive in Qatar in better shape.” Max said, “I go here with high expectations but things are not easy at the moment. The situation in the World Championship table looks better than it is. We have second place in the Championship even though we struggle at nearly every track this year. I can only dream about where we might be if things had gone well. However I never give up and will be looking to work hard with my team to get the machine to work well for the race next week.” Max’s team-mate Nicky Hayden said, “I struggled here last year and never felt that comfortable from the start. We’ve moved on as team a lot. We have a real tight group of guys at the moment and I’m sure we can come up with something that should feel good round here. I’ve got to keep up the pressure for the rest of the season. I don’t want to be finishing were I am now in sixth. I’m only 25 points behind second place and that’s where I’m aiming with 100 points still to play for.” Alex Barros said, “The track will be dirty and slippery on day one. I remember in last year’s first practice I hardly managed to even get my knee down. So we hope that this year it will be a bit better because the track is nice and technical, I really like it. We also hope that Michelin can bring something new, even though we will obviously be trying to do everything possible to get a better set-up for the bike.” His team-mate Shane Byrne said, “When I found out I would get this chance to ride the Honda, I thought to myself, ‘Fantastic, I can get into the top ten, maybe even the top five!’ But after Sepang, I’ve got a better idea of where we are and also how the bike works over a race and what it gives you. I don’t know the Qatar track, but I hope this weekend sees some more progress from us. I hope to be able to battle in the main group and take a few points.” Makoto Tamada said, “Because of two consecutive falls on Friday and Saturday at Sepang I didn’t have the confidence to push hard during the race. Last year Doha was good for me, I like the track and I hope to improve on last year’s result. I am tired of what has happened this season when I have only been really good in Japan. At Doha I hope to give something to those who’ve never stopped believing in me.” Dani Pedrosa (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) knows he needs a strong result here to take back the initiative in what is turning out to be a tense end to a season that at one stage looked as if it would be a relative breeze for the young Spanish star. But after his crash in Malaysia Dani is under pressure from his rival Casey Stoner (Aprilia) who won in Sepang. With a 38 point advantage there is no need to panic, but Dani knows he needs to notch up another win to add his tally of six so far this season to put the pressure back on Stoner. Dani’s team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) couldn’t get the result he wanted in Malaysia. He was keen to follow up his maiden class win at Motegi with at least another rostrum, but could do no better than fifth. He will be attacking this race hard. Andrea Dovizioso (Scot Racing Team Honda RS250RW) also fell at Sepang and the Italian 250cc rookie knows he needs a big score here if he is to overhaul Stoner for the runner-up spot this season. Jorge Lorenzo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) resumes racing this season here at Losail after his suspension in Malaysia for over-enthusiasm at Motegi. Dani, who finished second to Sebastian Porto (Aprilia) here last year, said, “The two days rest in Malaysia were good for my shoulder and hopefully this short break before practice on Thursday in Qatar will help me forget about it altogether and get back to riding to the best of my ability. Let’s see if we can get up there from the start and have a good weekend.” His team-mate Hiro said, “Qatar is really tough because I am not used to racing in such heat. Last year was the first time and we suffered, but at least we know what to expect now. It’s important to get used to the heat as soon as you arrive and drink lots of water during the day to stay hydrated. We had a good race last year and I finished third so I hope to be at a good level once again and try to improve on that result.” Dovi said, “I don’t really like the track at Doha, it’s a strange circuit. The track conditions are not very good I just hope it is better prepared than last year. One good thing is I don’t think it will be much more difficult to find a set up for the 250 than it was with the 125.” Jorge Lorenzo is itching to get back on the grid. He said, “I like Losail very much and after a weekend of no racing I am looking forward to this race more than ever. The track is very dirty so I hope the wind will not bring more sand onto the surface and affect the race. I need to take as many points as possible out of the last four races and this is a good starting point for me.” In the 125cc class brave Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R) takes up the challenge just a week after his remarkable win in Malaysia just a week after dislocating a shoulder in a huge crash at Motegi. The young Swiss is a fighter who locked in a tense battle with Mika Kallio (KTM). Luthi has 189 points to Kallio’s 181 and neither rider is giving an inch to the other as the season reaches its climax. Luthi will have drawn great strength from the fact that he beat Kallio while not at full fitness, but he knows that his eight point lead is a fragile one. Thomas said, “Doha is okay for me although I must say honestly that I don’t remember too much about it from last year. One thing for sure it’s going to be tough for all of us again in the high temperatures. But my bike is really strong and I will go there and spend time working on my injured feet and shoulder.” Fabrizio Lai (Kopron Racing World Honda RS125RW) said, “Last year, after the qualifying practice, I decided I didn’t like this circuit. During the race, I found a good feeling with my bike and finished fifth. This track will probably be very dirty like last year. If you go off the good line, you lose a lot of time.”

MotoGP gets traditionally warm welcome in Qatar After an intense operation to transport the entire paddock almost 6,000 kilometres across Asia in just three days, the MotoGP World Championship teams and riders were today able to begin their preparations for the fourteenth round of the season in the hot and dusty surroundings of the Losail International Circuit. With midday temperatures touching 40ºC and a strong breeze blowing clouds of sand over the arid land separating the circuit from the nearby capital city of Doha, the Marlboro Grand Prix of Qatar looks set to be another tough weekend for the riders after two consecutive races in Japan and Malaysia. With Valentino Rossi yet to arrive in the country from his World Championship celebrations in his native Italy, talk today turned to the battle for second place in the championship, with his team-mate Colin Edwards the centre of attention after his starring role in last year’s inaugural race. The American set the lap record on his way to second place behind Sete Gibernau and currently lies 20-points behind Max Biaggi as he aims to complete a championship one-two for Yamaha. “The fight for second place is almost like a championship within a championship,” said Edwards. “With four races to go this is definitely not the time to be making any mistakes and we’re all pushing very hard. I went well at this track last year and I’m confident about this weekend. At the start of the year I said I wanted to win a race and the next four rounds are all at tracks I like so the top step of the podium is definitely my goal this time.” On current form Loris Capirossi looks like the man most likely to dislodge Biaggi, having taken two consecutive victories in a blossoming relationship between Ducati and tyre partners Bridgestone. Capirossi failed to finish the race here last season but he is currently in the best run of form of his premier-class career and is looking to seal a hat-trick of victories this weekend. “This is my sixteenth year in World Championship racing and I think I’ve shown that my potential is still really strong,” he said. “The big issue this weekend will be the sand – if sand gets blown onto the track, like last year, it’s a big problem.” Capirossi’s team-mate Carlos Checa was one of a group of riders who had the opportunity to take a camel ride today in a host of traditional Qatari activities arranged within the circuit, including henna tattoos and local dancers. Casey Stoner and Thomas Lüthi also joined the camel convoy as they prepared to continue their chase for the 250cc and 125cc World Championships respectively. Stoner took maximum points at the last round in Sepang as the series leader Dani Pedrosa crashed out, leaving them separated by a margin of 38 points. “My main target for each of the remaining rounds is to finish ahead of Dani,” said Stoner. “If I can do that then there’s a good chance I can keep the championship alive until the final round, which would be a big achievement for us. I like this track a lot, it suits my style and I don’t think the sand will be as much of a problem for me as it might be for other riders.” Lüthi also clinched victory at Sepang but the margin from his main title rival was much less, with just 0.002 seconds separating him from Mika Kallio as they crossed the line. The Swiss youngster defends an eight-point advantage from the Finn this weekend. “Of course I know Mika is very close and everything can change in one weekend,” said Lüthi, who has finished with Kallio in the top two for the last four races. “Last year was not good for me in general but I’m in good form right now and looking forward to racing at Qatar again.”

Superbike & Supersport World Championships, Superstock FIM Cup Imola-ITA, 02/10/2005: Wild-card riders The wild-card riders who will race in the Superbike and Supersport World Championships and Superstock FIM Cup rounds scheduled on the circuit of Imola on October 2 next, are the following : Superbike 26 Andrea Mazzali (ITA-MV Agusta F4 1000 MT) Mazzali Racing Team 35 Luca Pini (ITA-Honda CBR1000RR) tba 36 Maurizio Prattichizzo (ITA-Kawasaki ZX-10R) PapaMoto Sport 72 Michele Gallina (ITA-MV Agusta F4 1000 MT) Gallina Team 92 Luca Conforti (ITA-Ducati 999R) Team Guandalini Supersport 57 Sergio Ruggiero (ITA-Yamaha YZF-R6) VMN Racing 161 Simone Sanna (ITA-Honda CBR600RR) Improve Racing Team Superstock 49 Simone Saltarelli (ITA-Yamaha YZF-R1) 44 Racing Team 70 Enrico Pasini (ITA-Suzuki GSX-R1000) Boselli Racing

DESERT SANDS AWAIT NAKANO AND JACQUE IN QATAR The blistering desert temperatures of Qatar will require little acclimatisation by the MotoGP circus, which has arrived directly from the tropical heat of Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix. And the Qatar Grand Prix, to be raced on Saturday October 1st, is eagerly anticipated by Kawasaki Racing Team riders, Shinya Nakano and Olivier Jacque. Both riders were early retirements from the Malaysian Grand Prix, in frustrating circumstances. Going the full distance of the 22-lap race at the Losail International Circuit, at a competitive pace, will go a long way towards erasing those memories. Nakano was unceremoniously bundled out of third place on lap two at Sepang, an incident that momentarily had his frustration level hotter than Qatar’s desert sand. But the Japanese ace has quickly turned his focus to the challenge of this track, where he qualified fifth last year – just 0.3s off pole position. He was then running strongly in third place in the race before a mechanical problem forced an early retirement Based on similarly hot conditions at Sepang last Sunday, Nakano believes the current Ninja ZX-RR and Bridgestone tyre package has a lot to offer this weekend. Jacque was also an early retirement from Sepang because of a minor technical glitch, and he is keen to build his race mileage after limited Grand Prix opportunities this season. The Doha experience will be all new for the Frenchman, who is making his first visit to the Losail International Circuit on the outskirts of Doha. That means learning the circuit and adapting to tricky opening day practice sessions, when sand blown onto the track creates low grip levels and a single, and slippery, narrow racing line. As the track is cleaned and more rubber laid down lap times drop dramatically, with the fastest conditions usually present for MotoGP race time on Saturday. Jacque is again replacing Kawasaki’s injured team rider Alex Hofmann. The 5.3 km Losail International Circuit was opened in 2004, in time to host the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix, bringing world championship motorcycle racing to the region for the first time. Shinya Nakano: #56 “This week I hope to see the chequered flag, if no one bumps into me like at Sepang. I just want the opportunity to race in conditions that I think will suit the ZX-RR and Bridgestone tyres, and I remember last year I was third before my bike stopped in the race. I like the track, especially the fast flowing parts like the long double-right corner after the hairpin, and our new motor specification should help at this track. The most important considerations at Losail are to be careful on Friday when the track is sandy and slippery, almost like rain, and to find a good feeling with the front. Fortunately Bridgestone have made very good steps with both front and rear tyres, as we saw in Motegi and Sepang, so this will be an advantage.” Olivier Jacque: #19 “The Losail circuit is completely new for me so I will take a scooter and try and learn the track before practice, plus study the telemetry map to get an idea of speeds and gears. But ever since I started racing I’ve never had a big problem memorising tracks so it should be okay. The worst part about not finishing the Sepang race is that it robbed me of racing laps on the ZX-RR, that’s what you need at this level, there is only so much practice and testing you can do. So I hope to be more competitive at Qatar and certainly the new Bridgestone tyres will be a big help, especially with the improvement in drive grip and traction.” Harald Eckl: Team Manager “I think the Kawasaki team can be very optimistic about the Qatar Grand Prix. The track layout fits our package very well, with Shinya’s fluid riding style combined with the current performance strengths of the ZX-RR. Combine this with the impressive tyre development programme of Bridgestone and it looks like we have a very good opportunity. The circuit does not place high demands on engine power, there are lot of rolling throttle and flowing sections, and I think we saw at Sepang that Shinya is quite capable of racing at the front.”