The Superbike World Championship moves from one famous Formula One circuit to another this weekend, with round five of the series taking place at Silverstone in the United Kingdom. From the cozy parklands of Monza the circus crosses the English channel to the vast and often bleak former aerodrome that is the self proclaimed ‘Home of British Motorsport’. Yamaha Motor Italia riders Andrew Pitt and Noriyuki Haga go into the race lying fifth and ninth in the championship in the YZF-R1’s first year of world superbike competition. The team made good progress last time out in Italy and are looking to continue that trend in the UK. With a new specification engine due to arrive in a few rounds’ time, the team will again focus its attentions to refining the R1’s chassis settings at Silverstone and working their way towards the podium placings at a circuit that has served them well in the past. In three outings, the Yamaha Motor Italia team twice won the supersport race at this venue. “Every race we’re learning more about the bike and improving bit by bit in all areas,” commented Andrew Pitt. “Monza showed what good progress we’ve made: our straight line speed was good and we’re managing to make our tyres last much better than at the start of the season. We always knew that the first half of the season would be about development work and racking up consistent finishes which is exactly what we have done so far. I was able to run with the leading group for much of the race in Monza so I think we can go to Silverstone confident of doing well.” While Pitt has started to feel at home on the R1, team-mate Haga admits his legions of fans have yet to see the best of him and the Yamaha. Nonetheless the Japanese ace remains upbeat, commenting: “I had two good races at Silverstone last year so I hope that this is a good sign. So far I have not been able to get the right feeling with the bike. Still we are working very hard and I think that we can make big improvements. Last year I won three out of the four races in Britain and I always like to ride in front of the British fans. I know that I will have a big support at Silverstone and I want to give them something to cheer. So far this year I have only been Normal Nori… but I want to be Nitro Nori again!” Making their Silverstone debuts are the Yamaha Motor France pairing of Norick Abe and Sebastien Gimbert who currently lie eighth and 14th in the championship. This will be the second circuit of the season of which Abe has no previous knowledge, but the Japanese rider hopes that his Monza outing, where he experienced set-up problems, will not be repeated. “At Monza we made progress in every session but the set-up changes for the second race and they just did not work at all,” he said. “Silverstone is a circuit which I do not know at all so it is important that I do not repeat the same thing there.” Added the world superbike calendar for the first time in 2002, the bikes will this year run on the shorter 3.6km International circuit instead of the 5km GP circuit used in previous years. This is the configuration used in the popular British Superbike Championship. The shorter layout provide the fans with more action, the International circuit also features two added overtaking opportunities: under braking, where the GP track turns right onto the International configuration at Becketts and also at the tight Abbey section where the bike course rejoins the Formula One circuit. Although the latest incarnation of Silverstone lacks much of the character and atmosphere it had 25 years ago thanks mainly to the large gravel traps separating the fans from the racetrack, spectator facilities are good and the wide tarmac and long straights generally promote good racing. Turn one, Copse, is a fearsome fourth gear corner that is one of the toughest tests of man and machine on the calendar, while the extremely slow chicane at the end of the lap is not so popular with the riders but a guaranteed action spot as the riders plan last gasp maneuvers. Silverstone is a circuit with long straights and a wide variety of corners, although the change to the short circuit will see the fastest section of the track, Hangar Straight, bypassed. The track is also extremely bumpy, a legacy of the Formula One cars which regularly test here, and it is this that makes a good bike set-up so difficult to find. These bumps cause chassis settings to be compromised. Ideally riders would like to run high compression damping and spring ratings to cope with the high G-forces generated on the fast corners like Copse and Abbey. But the stiffer suspension will not be able to absorb the bumps, so a softer compromise will have to be found. Riders will also have to look out for the suspension being upset by camber changes where the various layout configurations cross over, while wet weather – always a possibility in the UK – will make the surface extremely slippery. Supersport World Championship After struggling to get to grips with the 2005 YZF-R6 in the opening few rounds, Yamaha Motor Germany pairing Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes made good progress with suspension settings last time out in Monza. Silverstone, in the guise of the previously used GP circuit, has proved ideally suited to the R6 in the past with two wins, from Jamie Whitham in 2001 and Fabien Foret last year, one pole position and the outright fastest lap around the circuit. The team’s Kevin Curtain is currently third in the championship and a fan of Silverstone while new team-mate Broc Parkes, joint fifth in the order, finished third here last year – missing out on the win by just fractions of a second. FIM Superstock 1000 Cup Yamaha YZF-R1 riders go to Silverstone holding the top three placings in the inaugural FIM Superstock 1000 Cup for young riders equipped with virtually standard machines. Turkish 20-year-old Kenan Sofuoglu has won both the opening rounds and is keen to conquer the only circuit at which he failed to score points during he 2004 European Superstock Championship. Massimo Roccoli is a Silverstone rookie, but podium finishes in the opening two rounds suggest that he will be a threat in the UK, while Sofuoglu’s Yamaha Motor Germany team-mate Didier van Keymeulen could be the man to beat this weekend. The Belgian lies third in the points standings but is a real circuit specialist. He grabbed pole at Silverstone last year but crashed while leading. This year he is looking for his first win in the class after recording four podium finishes on the R1.

Mad Kaw Racing takes 4th in Middleweight Superstock Class at Virginia International Raceway on Tomahawk Tires. Mad Kaw Racing had a disappointing start to the WERA National Endurance season on their cycletires.com ZX6-R. The Jennings GP round in March saw Team Owner Ivan Messina crash out at the start of the third hour, sustaining a broken scapula and spoiling the teams chance at a class podium finish. After missing the Autobahn Round, Mad Kaw Racing was back at V.I.R. with James Toohey and Tim Johnson rounding out the roster. The team gained ground by finishing 4th out of 15 entries in the Middleweight Superstock Class, and 18th overall out of 50 entries, and they did it on remanufactured Tomahawk Tires. “Tomahawk came on board as our primary sponsor late last year” says Ivan. “We had to prove to WERA that the tires were not a safety issue, which we did. I worked with WERA over the off-season and we came up with a rule that now allows the Tomahawks. There are some misconceptions among the public about remanufactured (retreaded) tires, and one of the things that can help educate consumers is a program like ours. Plus, I feel good knowing I just kept 10 tires from entering the waste stream.” A new pit crew helped the team at V.I.R. The team does not have any permanent pit staff, and is relying on volunteer help at each round. According to Ivan, “The crew at Jennings was good, but at V.I.R. we had WSMC #2 and California Superbike School Chief Mechanic Will Eikenberry as crew chief. He helped sort out some things that made a very big difference in getting the bike to work better. He also managed some very efficient pit stops, which can make all the difference in an endurance race. I have to thank all of our volunteers, we couldn’t do it without them.” More information on retreading is available at www.retread.org More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Racing: TAS SUZUKI WINS NORTH WEST 200 Team Suzuki Press Office Kiwi rider Bruce Anstey gave Suzuki its very first Superbike victory on British soil in 2005 at the weekend’s International North West 200 in front of 100,000 fans. Anstey on his TAS Suzuki GSX-R1000 was never headed during the five-lap race in difficult conditions, breaking the expected dominance – which never materialised – from the HRC factory bike of Michael Rutter. The victory also made up for the disappointment of losing the Superstock race earlier in the day after leading by an amazing 17 seconds, only to lose out in the final few corners to Welshman Ian Lougher. Anstey also made a visit to the podium in the Kennedy Group Supersport 600 race with third place, which was watched intently from the sidelines by TAS Suzuki British Supersport rider Tom Sykes. Adrian Archibald had a steady day in his build up to the Isle of Man TT with a podium in the opening Superbike race but the conditions, which included torrential rain, hail-stones, sunshine and showers, didn’t quite suit the Ballymoney rider and he settled for some safe finishes on his TAS Suzuki’s. Bruce Anstey: “I’m delighted to win the main race of the day at the North West 200 especially as my sister is listening on the Internet in Hong Kong! We only tested these new TAS Suzuki Superbikes last week and had a few problems during practice so to win the feature race for Suzuki and Pirelli is fantastic. The bike never missed a beat and I’m looking forward to riding it at the TT in a fortnight. “I made a bit of a mistake with my judgement in the Superstock race so I kept an eye on Richard during the main Superbike race to make sure I wouldn’t do the same again! The 600 race was a bit of a lottery in the conditions but I’m pleased to have given Suzuki and our sponsors another podium.” Adrian Archibald: “The conditions today were not favourable for me and I wasn’t prepared to take unnecessary risks. I am quite pleased with my podium in the opening Superbike race. We have found some good settings for the TT and I’m confident the TAS Suzuki’s will be strong again this year. The TT suits my style, where I can get into a rhythm and ride on my own. It is also a place where top speed alone is not the main ingredient for success.” Philip Neill – Team Manager: “We have to be pleased with that performance on a day when the weather caused many problems. If you have to win one race, then the only one that really matters at this event is the International North West 200 Superbike race, and to have a TAS Suzuki on the top step is pretty pleasing. “We had representation from all our major sponsors here today which included Ian Glen from Beacon and Sean Meyler from Rizla who have recently come on board. Motorsport is all about winning so I’m glad we could make their trip worthwhile. Pirelli worked extremely hard with us this week and both Bruce and Adrian have proved that the GSX-R1000 Superbikes are very capable machines in any type of company.”

VAMMUS AND DUCATI SUPERSPORT WIN IN CANADA Derek Vammus kicks off the Canadian Thunder Series with a 1st place podium this weekend in Canada Shannonville, Ontario – Ducati rider Derek Vammus won the first round of the Canadian Thunder Series in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Shannonville Motorsport Park aboard his 2005 Supersport 1000. Taking the lead on lap four, he put his head down and never looked back, beating 2004 Champion Darren James in second place. Vammus, a Constable in Ontario, rides for Brampton Cycle in the Toronto area. Canadian Road Racing Crew Chief, Michael Taylor, helped Vammus with suspension changes and setup, and support came from other Ducati racers at the event. Vammus’s top Ducati challenger, Robert Trottier, crashed hard on Friday taking himself out of the races for the weekend. Still, Trottier assisted Vammus with a spare practice bike and parts. According to Steve Hicks, Ducati Event Coordinator, a team spirit could be felt around the trailer with Ducati racers helping each other all weekend, with success. The Canadian Thunder Series is a national event in 2005 at all of the eastern rounds of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. The series is co-sponsored by Ducati North America (DNA), Deeley Imports – Buell and BMW Canada. Motorcycle models eligible to race must comply with the class spec limits of: Air-cooled twins 95HP maximum 395lbs minimum Silhouette body/stock chassis parts Derek Vammus won $500 (Cdn) of the Ducati North America Contingency Program awards for taking 1st place. DNA Grand Prize award is $10,000 (Cdn) for first overall of the six event series ending in September. Parts Canada contingency monies are also posted for this series. Next round will be at the Mosport Parts Canada Superbike Championship in July. May 22nd, 2005 Shannonville – final results: 1. Derek Vammus Ducati 2. Darren James Buell 3. Bill Card Buell 4. Chris Duff BMW 5. Trevor MacDonald – Ducati

Just a quick note… The broadcast of the AMA Formula Xtreme and Superstock races from Pikes Peak Int’l Raceway have been re-scheduled for Tuesday May 24th at 2pm et. Thank you, Dan Parisi Sr. Associate Producer SPEED Channel 9711 Southern Pine Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28273

World Superbike Championship event preview Round five Silverstone, GB (27-29 May 2005) WINSTON’S SUPERBIKERS SEEK SILVERSTONE SUCCESS Winston Ten Kate Honda’s two World Superbike championship riders, Chris Vermeulen and Karl Muggeridge, head for the famous Silverstone circuit in Great Britain this weekend for round five of the 2005 series. Both riders will be looking to build on their success in the recent fourth round at Monza, Italy when Muggeridge recorded his season’s best results of sixth and fourth places, while Vermeulen took his first victory of the campaign in race two. Despite racing on Silverstone’s historic Grand Prix circuit in Northamptonshire since 2002, this weekend’s event marks the first time that the World Superbike championship will use the shorter, 3.561km International circuit. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “We have had quite some success at Silverstone over the past few years and took our first Superbike victory there last year. It would have been nice to go back to the same circuit to try and repeat that success but we’ll be using the shorter one this year. Still, it’s the same for everyone and we’ll be trying as hard as ever to score more victories. I believe we showed with Chris’s and Karl’s results at Monza that we have closed the gap with the championship leaders. We have now fully adopted the exhaust that Arrow developed especially for Monza and we’ll just carry on working on the general balance and geometry of the CBR1000RR.” Chris Vermeulen championship position 3rd, 115 points: “The second race win at Monza was long overdue but it felt pretty good all the same. It would have been a better points haul if I hadn’t had the DNF in race one but that’s how it goes sometimes. We found the right direction at Monza and we’ll definitely be looking to carry that progress through to Silverstone. We basically lifted the bike at the front and the rear and changed the offset to keep it steering good and it seemed to work pretty well. Silverstone is a place that holds good memories for me, having won the Supersport race there in 2003 and then taking my very first Superbike victory last year. I remember the shorter circuit from my days in the British championship but it’ll take a few laps to familiarise myself with it again.” Karl Muggeridge championship position 12th, 38 points: “It finally started coming together at Monza, although my raceday luck looked like continuing when I was hit at the start of the first race and lost the clutch lever. It was tough coming back from about 20th on the first lap to take sixth but the bike was that much better right through the weekend and that allowed us to qualify on the front row for the first time. I enjoyed race two at Monza and felt I might have got on the podium but for a mistake on the last lap. We’ll be getting some things underway again when we hit Silverstone and try to carry on that Monza form. The two tracks used to be pretty similar but now they’ve cut all that cool stuff from the back Silverstone the Hanger straight and Stowe corner which is a shame, I think. We’ll have more to say on Friday when we’ve been round the International circuit.” Championship points after four of 12 rounds: 1 Troy Corser AUS (Suzuki) 182, 2 Yukio Kagayama JPN (Suzuki) 130, 3 Chris Vermeulen AUS (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 115, 4 Regis Laconi FRA (Ducati) 87, 5 Andrew Pitt AUS (Yamah) 60, 6 James Toseland GBR (Ducati) 57, 7 Chris Walker GBR (Kawasaki) 54, 8 Norick Abe JPN (Yamaha) 54, 9 Noryuki Haga JPN (Yamaha) 52, 10 Pierfrancesco Chili ITA (Honda) 44, 12 Karl Muggeridge AUS (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 38. Silverstone World Superbike event schedule: Friday 27 May 10.30-11.30 free practice, 14.15-15.15 qualifying; Saturday 28 May 11.00-12.00 qualifying, 14.45-15.45 free practice, 16.00 Superpole; Sunday 29 May 09.20-09.40 warm-up, 12.00 race one (28 laps, 99.708km), 15.30 race two (28 laps, 99.708km). More, from another press release issued by Ten Kate Honda: World Supersport Championship event preview Round five Silverstone, GB (27-29 May 2005) WINSTON GOES FOR HIGH FIVE IN ROUND FIVE Winston Ten Kate Honda’s World Supersport pairing of Sébastien Charpentier and Katsuaki Fujiwara have each won two of the four races in the 2005 series and will be looking to extend the team’s winning run in round five of the championship this weekend at Silverstone in Great Britain. With two second places to add to his victories, Frenchman Charpentier has a slender seven-point advantage in the championship points table over his Japanese team-mate. Fujiwara, however, is intent on enjoying once again the winner’s champagne that he tasted most recently in the fourth round at Monza in Italy. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “Chris Vermeulen’s win at Silverstone in 2003 has been the team’s only Supersport success there, although we did get second and third last year. But that event was the last time we didn’t win a World Supersport race so, with the form that Sébastien and Katsuaki have shown so far this season, I’m hoping we can improve our record. The CBR package has been perfect for both riders so far and they’ve settled into the new team really well. The fact that they are both so competitive has given me a little heart trouble on the final lap of the last two races but I’m happy to put up with that as long as they are both in with a chance of victory!” Sébastien Charpentier championship position 1st, 90 points: “Everything is great for me this year fantastic bike, fantastic team and fantastic team-mate. I was disappointed not to win at Monza because I do not like to come second but it was a good result for the team and the championship. I am OK with Silverstone although I am sorry they have decided to race on the short circuit; but it is the same for everyone I guess, so we will just have to go out and put on another good show. I know who my strongest rival will be, although the team cannot relax for a minute. I haven’t had much success at Silverstone in the past so maybe the new circuit will be good for me after all!” Katsuaki Fujiwara championship position 2nd, 83 points: “I like to win so much, so Monza was very, very good for me! I enjoyed the first win of the season at Qatar but watching Sébastien win in Phillip Island and Valencia was not good for me. But he is riding very well so I have to push very hard. It is good for the team that we are leading the championship but it also shows how good the team is working and how strong the Honda CBR600RR really is. I have never finished on the podium at Silverstone so I will at least be aiming for that this weekend but winning races is the best thing so that is my real target.” World Supersport Championship points after four of 12 rounds: 1 Sébastien Charpentier FRA (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 90, 2 Katsuaki Fujiwara JPN (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 83, 3 Kevin Curtain AUS (Yamaha) 60, 4 Michel Fabrizio ITA (Honda) 42, 5 Fabien Foret FRA (Honda) 38, 6 Broc Parkes AUS (Yamaha) 37, 7 Gianluca Nannelli ITA (Ducati) 31, 8 Stephane Chambon FRA (Honda) 31, 9 Tauto Lauslehto FIN (Honda) 23, 10 Javier Fores ESP (Suzuki) 22. Silverstone World Supersport event schedule: Friday 27 May 09.35-10.20 free practice, 13.15-14.00 qualifying; Saturday 28 May 10.00-10.45 free practice, 13.45-14.30 qualifying; Sunday 29 May 09.50-10.10 warm-up, 13.20 race (28 laps, 99.708km).

CCS Florida racer Scott A. Coccoli married Tara L. Marriner, May 21 in Stuart, Florida.

HANER HAS GREAT RACE FINISHES AT PIKES PEAK John Haner of the Lion Racing Suzuki team had a great day of racing on Sunday at Pikes Peak International Raceway, round five of the AMA Superbike Championship, finishing eighth in both the 29-lap Repsol Lubricants Superstock final and the 48-lap Superbike race. John struggled to find a set-up through Friday’s promoter practice and Saturday’s timed qualifying, but his hard work paid off during the long races, passing riders for position in the last few laps of both races. With today’s results, John moves up to seventh place in the Superstock point standings. Sunday’s Repsol Lubricants Superstock Final – 8th Place “I didn’t get the greatest of starts, then I ran wide in one of the corners with Aaron Gobert, I think it was turn four,” said John, who had qualified tenth. “Then Steve Rapp got underneath both of us. I took a little too along to get around Aaron, I lost that little group. I just maintained my tires the best I could, you know, get in, get it turned, and then drive off. Everybody was having problems, I just maintained the problem better than some. Geoff (May) got around me and I followed him for a while, but I knew when I was gonna make my move. I passed Geoff with two laps to go, to catch him off-guard in case he wasn’t counting down the laps and was waiting for the white flag.” Sunday’s Superbike Final – 8th Place “It was survival, again,” joked John, who was gridded 13th. “I was around 10th, 11th, and people started fading, people coming in for pit stops. I think I was in 10th and Mladin went back by me, so I said, ‘I’m back in 11th, I’m gonna get me some of that Suzuki money (laughs), then I’m gonna get (Mark) Ledesma’, but then (Larry) Pegram started coming back to us. Then I got Pegram, and I’m in tenth. I get passed by Miguel (Duhamel), and I’m like ‘I’m back in 11th, screw this, I need some Suzuki money!’, so I stepped it back up. Anyway, it was a good race, and I wanted to beat a champion, you know, that guy’s one of the most proven winners in the world. It’s not that I won anything, but I feel accomplishment for having the equipment I have and the tires I have, and I beat him. Miguel gave me a high-five at the end, it made me feel good, like ‘Good job, kid’.” More, from another press release issued by Proforma: MILLENNIUM KWS SUZUKI RIDERS STRUGGLE AT PIKES PEAK Lee Acree and Blake Young of the Millennium KWS Suzuki team had a tough weekend at round five of the AMA Superbike Championship at Pikes Peak International Raceway, May 21-22. Both riders had problems finding set-ups for rear traction on their GSX-R1000s at the two-day event. It was Blake’s first time at the demanding 1.3-mile track. Lee Acree Sunday’s Repsol Lubricants Superstock Final – 13th Place “We just struggled a lot with rear grip,” said Lee. “I had to ride the front really hard to try and make up what I would lose coming off the corners. Towards the end of the race the front started giving. I did what I could to try and stay where I was. Everybodys got to deal with lapped traffic, and sometimes you get the good passes, and sometimes you don’t. I think there was a couple today that I got hung on the outside of them exiting turn two a couple of times, it ended up costing me too much.” Sunday’s Superbike Final – 15th Place Lee’s left handgrip came off over the course of the 48-lap race, making the race difficult on Lee’s still-tender left wrist. “The shock absorbing of the grip is more important than I thought,” kidded Acree. “It was about half-off by lap five. I was riding with two fingers straddling the flange on the grip, then one, then it was gone. It made for a long race.” Blake Young Sunday’s Repsol Lubricants Superstock Final – 16th Place “We just got off to a crummy start,” said a disappointed Blake after the race. “Trying to get up to pace took us a little bit, but once we got going, we started picking off guys. I actually kept going faster until we hit lapped traffic. I ended up getting all the way up to J.J. (Roetlin), and I think if it would have gone a little bit better with the lappers, maybe we could be 15th.” Sunday’s Pro Honda Oils Supersport Final – 15th Place “I got a good start, we were right there,” said Blake. “I got around Jimmy (Wood) a couple of times, but I just couldn’t make it stick. The tires were good, me and the bike just fell off the pace.” More, from a press release issued by Hotbodies: Hotbodies Racing Honda Race Report: Hotbodies Racing at Hot and Slippery Pikes Peak International Raceway A Gripping Story Larry Pegram #72 At Pikes Peak International Raceway, Larry Pegram qualified his #72 HRC-kitted Honda CBR1000RR in a promising tenth place. In the race Pegram moved up to eighth only to have his tires fade in the closing laps, dropping him back to 16th at the finish. Pegram said, “We’re getting better every weekend. We were sixth or seven with five minutes to go in qualifying and so we thought we were set but then a couple guys sneaked in faster laps. But we felt good for the race. I had a so-so start and then moved up to eighth and I was catching seventh. Then the rear tire went off. I should have come in to get another tire but by the time I knew that, it was too late in the race and it would have taken too long. The Pikes Peak track is okay; it’s something different for sure. I thought we’d be better but we’re still making improvements every weekend so we know it will get better.” Pegram is now eleventh in the points for the season. Zen and the Art of Racing Jeremy Toye #57 Jeremy Toye qualified his fully HRC-un-kitted Honda CBR1000RR in 18th for the Superbike race at Pikes Peak, finishing the race earlier than most, in 32nd. And as always, nobody expresses the drama better than Toye himself. “This qualifying was the only time we’ve ever done good in it so I need to put it on the calendar. But I followed that up with a horrendous start. I kind of went into the race and let everybody go by as I was pinched off into turn two. The tires’ performance decreased but then I got a happy feel for them and was moving up through the field, making up most of my time on the brakes until I lost all of my time on the brakes, crashing out while entering turn three. That was it; that was the total. There was suddenly much too much pavement in my windscreen. This was my first time here. This track is “different.” But somehow things were coming around”¦ well, until the front came around. The track maybe leaves a little to be desired but, if nothing else, it’s a different spice of life and we all have to deal with it together. So I like that part of it. Our bike isn’t actually an HRC-kitted CBR. We took the turn signals off after the second race and it has some headwork but that’s about all. For Road America we’ll have a much more competitive motor. I need to mention, we tried a new ingredient to the crew this weekend: Evans Steel. He worked with my regular guy, Phil Alison, and the two of them thought things through really well. It’s just too bad I couldn’t have them think for me on the track.” Justin Filice #170 For his first weekend at Pikes Peak, Justin Filice qualified his Honda CBR600RR in 18th for Formula Xtreme, finishing the race in 21st, putting him 15th in the points. Filice said, “I fell on Friday while trying to learn the track but other than that the event went pretty good. I got down to a “58” even though I was a little sore because of the highside. During the race we struggled with grip but I think that’s normal here. Overall I kept going faster as the weekend went on. I like the track it, it’s short but it’s fun. But I didn’t like the lack of grip. Although I’m a dirt tracker it’s a little awkward sliding a road racing bike. In the race the bike wasn’t running well because of the gas or something”¦ maybe the altitude. We couldn’t get it to pull the gears so I had to clutch it in some turns and it bogged on the start.” In Supersport Filice qualified 25th and finished the race 21st, leaving himself 17th in the points. “I had a really good start. I was probably up to about 18th on the first lap. The race went well considering how the weekend went in all. We had the gearing pretty well figured out and it seemed to work well for me. The crash made me sore all weekend, especially my foot, but nothing’s broken. The main thing is I was learning and going faster all weekend.” Team Hotbodies Racing Cory West #187 Cory West qualified his Suzuki GSX-R1000 in 21st for Superbike, finishing nine positions forward in 12th. West said, “Qualifying has been rough on me this year. I do the best I can but for some reason I’m always back further than I expect to be. But I knew I’d be good in the race so I wasn’t worried. I got a good start, passed a few guys and followed a group for a while until I saw I was faster than them into turn three. So I started doing my passing there. While I moved up some fast guys in front started coming back to me as they developed tire problems. I purposely paced myself in the first half of the race so my times during the whole race were consistent. I knew if I tried too hard at the beginning I’d burn my tire up. I picked people off during the last half and I don’t think anyone else passed as many guys as I did. The Gixxer works well here and the slides were all predictable with the Pirellis. All of my dirt track experience paid off this weekend. It reminded me of the old days, I just used my knee instead of my foot. It was my best superbike finish ever. I can’t wait until we get to Road America and let the Suzuki show its speed.” West is now 16th in Superbike points. Nicky Moore #28 Hotbodies Racing team member Nicky Moore competed in three of the classes at Pikes Peak, finishing well into the points in each race. In Superbike Moore qualified 30th and finished eleven places forward in 19th. Moore said, “Initially I was struggling to get the bike sorted out. This was only my second time on the Yamaha R1. I made many adjustments and the bike got better but I still wasn’t getting my times down. Then I kind of had a bad start, being so far back. But I like the track a lot. It was my second time here. It’s cool. It’s kind of like a flat track. Turn one is neat because you just go through it wide open, pitched sideways.” In Formula Xtreme Moore had an even better time, qualifying 12th and finishing the race in seventh, leaving him tied for fifth in the points. “In qualifying I hooked up with some other fast riders and that helped me. In the race I battled with another rider until he had an engine failure. You have to lug the big bike trough these corners and on the 600 you carry more corner speed. But both bikes are fun; different kinds of fun. I think riding is always fun” In Supersport Moore qualified his Yamaha YZF-R6 14th and finished 11th. Moore is now 13th in Supersport points. “I wasn’t happy with qualifying and I didn’t get a very good of a start. Again I battled with another rider for nearly the whole race. I’m trying to get myself a top ten. My elbow, from my fall at Barber, is still hurting a little but it’s definitely a lot better. I like high speed so I’m looking forward to the next race at Road America. That will be bitch’n.” Taylor Knapp #38 In Formula Xtreme Taylor Knapp qualified his Yamaha R6 in 20th and moved up to finish 15th. Knapp is now tied for seventh in the points. Knapp said, “In practice we were learning the track and going okay, and then we tried a gearing change that didn’t work. After trying other things we tried one more change on Sunday morning that was very good. I was 12th fastest in that morning’s practice so I felt good about the race. But I struggled during the race. The track had gotten hotter. Even so, I picked a few guys off and moved up and got some good points. Now we’re going to go home and try to make the bike faster for Road America. You need a lot of horsepower for that track. I didn’t like this track too much even though it can be learned quickly. I like the bigger, faster tracks. The track here doesn’t seem to match my riding style.” Heath Small #27 For Superbike, Heath Small qualified his Yamaha R1 in 28th, but only managed to finish 33rd after his rear tire lost traction. Small said, “Qualifying took us a little time because our settings were for another tack and they didn’t work here. We were pushing the front or losing the rear. We found a good combination this morning so we thought we were there. In the race though we had tire issues. On around the fifth lap the rear was spinning up. I figured I had gotten it a little hot and so I slowed but the grip never came back. It’s a difficult track on tires. I tried to just finish but at about halfway the rear was backing around on me going into turn one. There was no traction on or off the gas. It was 15 degrees hotter than on Saturday. We thought we had a good setting this morning because we were faster than yesterday, but with the latter heat we just got the tire too hot.” In Formula Xtreme Small had a much better performance, qualifying 14th and finishing the race in 11th. “In the race I was stuck behind another rider and he would drag his pegs so badly in turn two it was digging up dirt that was getting in my eyes. I kept trying to pass him in three but I was too far back to close the gap. And three is slick on the entrance because of some of the patches there. We had some good tires from Pirelli that worked well. It could have been better but it was a good race. This track is technical. Tire wear is crucial here. There are a few bumps coming out of one and eight and the pressures have to be correct.” More, from a press release issued by Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin: BOSTROM AND DUCATI VICTORIOUS AT PIKES PEAK Fountain, Colorado, May 22: Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin’s Eric Bostrom won the Pikes Peak Superbike race on Sunday, making a dramatic pass on the last lap to take the victory. Bostrom led much of the 48-lap race on his Ducati 999, but saved the best for last as he took his first win of 2005. His teammate Neil Hodgson had an unfortunate day, finishing 31st after a mechanical issue forced him to pit. Bostrom, winner of thirteen career Superbike races, took the lead at the start only to lose the position to Aaron Yates after some close, exciting racing between the two AMA veterans. Bostrom stuck closely to his rival through heavy lapped traffic and was able to make the pass exiting turn three on the last lap. “This is definitely a sweet win,” said Bostrom. “That race was a lot of fun. The start was perfect. I got a great jump off the line and tried doing laps in the 55 second range as long as I could. I thought the others would slow down as the race went on, but Aaron kept coming. I thought I was in big trouble when he came past. He was really quick through the infield but I was catching him back up in the sweeper (turn one). It was difficult to get close to him. Fortunately, we had the opportunity today and we got the win for Ducati.” For Bostrom and his mechanics, this win is a payoff for the hard work they have put in this season. “We have a better feel for the motorcycle now. We’ve had ups and downs, but the team has worked hard and got the bike working well for me. With the competition, racing AMA Superbike is always going to be a challenge but we have some momentum.” “What a race!” said team owner Terry Gregoricka. “Eric really showed what he can do today, fighting for the win for all 48 laps. What I thought was impressive was that he didn’t settle for second place after he lost the lead. He kept pushing and things went his way. The entire team has worked hard all year, along with Eric and Neil. It’s good to see the guys rewarded for their hard work and the Ducati 999 coming across the line in first place.” Neil Hodgson hoped for success in his first-ever race at Pikes Peak, but his quest ended quickly when he pitted. “I knew there was something wrong pretty much straightaway,” said Hodgson, whose bike had a water hose issue in the race. “I looked down and didn’t see anything, but my foot started slipping off the footpeg and I knew it was time to come in. That was the end. But that’s racing … the team’s been fantastic this year.” Hodgson returned to the race several laps down but finished 31st, just one spot out of the points. The next AMA Superbike event will be at Road America in Elkhart Lake Wisconsin, June 3-5. Sunday’s Results: 1. ERIC BOSTROM (PARTS UNLIMITED DUCATI AUSTIN 999), 2. Yates (Suzuki), 3. Spies (Suzuki), 4. Mladin (Suzuki), 5. Hayes (Kawasaki), 6. Rapp (Suzuki), 31. NEIL HODGSON (PARTS UNLIMITED DUCATI AUSTIN 999) Superbike Points (after 8 of 18 races): 1. Mladin (Suzuki) 255, Spies (Suzuki) 240, 3. Yates (Suzuki) 239, 4. ERIC BOSTROM (PARTS UNLIMITED DUCATI AUSTIN 999) 204, 5. NEIL HODGSON (PARTS UNLIMITED DUCATI AUSTIN 999) 201, 6. Duhamel, Honda 171 More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: Climate: Sunny Temperature: 28 degrees C Hondas Denied at Pikes Peak International Raceway American Honda’s Jake Zemke was in a podium position when he was began to slow and was eventually forced to pit for a tire change on the tortuous and tire-torturing Pikes Peak International Raceway in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Teammate Miguel Duhamel finished ninth, even though he was docked a stop-and-go penalty for jumping the start, a charge he strenuously denied. The results were a far cry from earlier in the day when Zemke won his fourth Formula Xtreme final in a row, again over teammate Duhamel. With Duhamel winning the season-opener at Daytona, American Honda has a perfect record in the class. Pikes Peak International Raceway is a tiny bullring of a track, at 1.315 miles the shortest on the 10 stop AMA calendar. With a preponderance of left hand turns, the track punishes the left side of the tire over the course of the 48 lap Superbike race distance. Zemke was third in the early going before settling in to a secure fourth. Then he was back up to third on the 35th lap when his tire gave notice. His lap times dropped from the mid 55-second range to over a minute the lap before he pitted. After changing his tire, Zemke soldiered on to finish 13th. “In hindsight, yeah, I probably should have come in quite a bit earlier than I did,” Zemke said, “but I wanted so bad just for some miracle to happen, maybe a red flag, or something, just so we could stay up in there.” Duhamel was pulled into pit lane for his penalty on the second lap. He rejoined the race in last place, officially 35th, before making a meteoric rise through the field. He finished ninth. “I know what I did,” Duhamel said. “I know I got a holeshot. I never jumped a start in my life here.” Miguel Duhamel, 9th, Superbike I didn’t jump. That was a perfectly timed start. It was like one of those quick draw competitions where you can see the amber and get a green light before everybody else. It looked like a jump, but it’s called a holeshot and you can do them from the second row too. And it’s not like I got to first place. Our lap times would have been comparable to about a top five finish. It would have been fun to be up there. Jake Zemke, 13th, Superbike Things are encouraging. We could see the front of the field at least and I could see the leaders for a little while and was actually able to reel Mat (Mladin) back in when his tire started going off and get back by him. It felt good to actually race with the guy for once. It’s pretty positive to see that we are making a bit of progress. Unfortunately our tire didn’t hold up today, but we’re definitely looking forward to going to Road America and seeing if we can’t stretch the legs on our Honda a little bit. Miguel Duhamel, 2nd, Formula Xtreme The major problem I had is Jake pulling away. So that was a problem right there. In turn one I did do a little bit of a knee save when I hit a bump. There’s a crack and I just lost the front big time and that made me think twice a little bit. I was right there, I was hanging on, but I wasn’t comfortable. I was really hanging on. So when that little thing happened and we got through traffic a bit and he already had a second on me, half a second about. It was really aggravating because he was pulling out like a tenth, half a tenth every lap and there wasn’t much I could do about it. Jake Zemke, 1st, Formula Xtreme Miguel (Duhamel) was right there pushing me in the beginning of the race and I was trying to push and push and same thing I lost the front a couple of times in turn one. I was like man, I need to back this thing off because I hadn’t rode with a full fuel load all weekend. And with a full fuel load it was a little heavy on the front end going in there and had to wait for a little while for the thing to lighten up a little bit before I could get into turn one like I wanted to. All in all everything worked out great. Superbike: 1. Eric Bostrom (Ducati) 2. Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 3. Ben Spies (Suzuki) 4. Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 5. Josh Hayes (Kawasaki) 6. Steve Rapp (Suzuki) 7. Mark Ledesma (Honda) 8. John Haner (Suzuki) 9. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 10. Brent George (Suzuki) Superbike Championship: 1. Mat Mladin (255) 2. Ben Spies (240) 3. Aaron Yates (239) 4. Eric Bostrom (204) 5. Neil Hodgson (201) 6. Miguel Duhamel (171) 7. Martin Craggill (160) 8. Steve Rapp (142) 9. Lee Acree (141) 10. Jake Zemke (132) Formula Xtreme: 1. Jake Zemke (Honda) 2. Miguel Duhamel (Honda) 3. Ben Attard (Kawasaki) 4. Chris Peris (Yamaha) 5. Danny Eslick (Suzuki) 6. Michael Barnes (Suzuki) 7. Nicky Moore (Yamaha) 8. Alex Gobert (Honda) 9. Ryan Andrews (Ducati) 10. Armando Ferrer (Yamaha) More, from a press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports: Mat Mladin & Mat Mladin Motorsports Suzuki Conservative at Pikes Peak FOUNTAIN, Col. – Five-time defending AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin finished a strong fourth at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, CO, on Sunday afternoon. Mat Mladin Motorsports Suzuki rider Marty Craggill finished 19th. Mat Mladin, Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mladin was more than prepared for the Pikes Peak Superbike race. Knowing that it’s not a track where he’s excelled in the past, he and his Yoshimura Suzuki crew drastically changed the set-up on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 to better suit the short 1.32-mile, nine-turn race track. “We’ve made so many changes to the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R that it doesn’t even feel like my bike,” said Mladin before the race. “The bike’s nothing like I usually have it set up but we’re hoping that this will help us go the whole 48 laps.” In some ways, they were successful. For example, Mladin earned yet another pole position at Pikes Peak and the point that comes with it – he’s won every pole position this season, which brings his career total to 42. “This isn’t my strongest track, and I’d like to thank my guys for putting in some extra effort for me this weekend,” allowed Mladin. “But at the same time, it’s our job to go out and win races and it’s not very satisfying when you don’t do your job properly. We had some problems here, but this race is done and we’re on to the next one. We go to Road America in two weeks and that’s a track where the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 goes really good.” Mat Mladin, Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, #1 4th Place – Pikes Peak 1st Place – Overall, AMA Superbike Marty Craggill, Mat Mladin Motorsports Suzuki GSX-R1000 Mat Mladin Motorsports Suzuki rider Craggill, meanwhile, finished 19th at the Colorado track. Even so, Craggill looked at the Pikes Peak race as an opportunity to continue working on the set-up for his GSX-R1000. He admitted that his team had struggled throughout the weekend but in the end they felt the experience could be viewed as a learning opportunity. Said Craggill, “We know the direction we want to go in with the Mat Mladin Motorsports Suzuki GSX-R1000 but these things just take time. I got a bit sketchy out there and almost fell a few times so I thought it would be better to finish the race than to crash.” Mat Mladin Motorsports Suzuki will next campaign round six of the AMA Superbike Championship Series at Road America in Elkhart lake, WI, the weekend of June 3-5. Marty Craggill, Mat Mladin Motorsports Suzuki, #16 19th Place – Pikes Peak 7th Place – Overall, AMA Superbike More, from a press release issued by M4 EMGO Suzuki: BARNES AND MAY RACE IN COLORADO Team M4 EMGO Suzuki completed a highly productive weekend of racing at Pikes Peak International Raceway on Sunday by claiming four top-ten finishes at the mountainside circuit. The results were all the more impressive considering that the team is still regrouping after the difficult loss of the popular Vincent Haskovec to injury just a week ago, and the fact that Michael Barnes was recruited on short notice to fill-in with the team. Barnes gave Team M4 EMGO Suzuki their top performance of the day, piloting a Pirelli-shod GSX-R1000 to fifth place in the 29-lap Superstock final. The Floridian broke free from the second group and set chase after the leaders. In the end, he fell less than a half second short of overtaking the polesitter for fourth. Afterwards, Barnes said, “I have to give Vincent and the crew a lot of credit for this result. They had this bike dialed-in so well it was basically ready to go right out of the truck. I’m really excited about how hard the team worked and I’m glad I was able to reward them by finishing as the top non-factory rider. It’s good to race against the more well-funded teams and show them we are a good team, too.” Teammate Geoff May also landed in the top ten of the Superstock contest, coming home in ninth aboard his GSX-R. Barnes took the team’s GSX-R600-based racer to sixth in the 60k Formula Xtreme final. While certainly a promising debut on the FX bike, he expects to improve as he gets more time on it. He explained, “You’ve got to ride any 600 hard, and I just haven’t had enough time yet to set the bike up so I can ride it as hard as I’d like to. But the bike has a ton of potential and we have some definite ideas about what direction we’d like to go with it. I’m looking forward to finding out what we’ll be able to do with it at Road America in two weeks.” May rounded out the day for the team by securing their fourth top ten of the weekend in Sunday’s Supersport final. The Georgian crossed the line in tenth after starting from the second row in the 29-lap race. Team M4 EMGO Suzuki will next travel to high-speed Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI, a track that stands in stark contrast to the tight 1.315-mile PPIR circuit. More, from a press release issued by Freeman/McCue Public Relations on behalf of Kawasaki: KAWASAKI WINS SUPERSPORT AT PIKES PEAK Roger Hayden wins first Supersport race of the season with Tommy in second FOUNTAIN, Colo. Reigning AMA Supersport champion Tommy Hayden and series runner-up Roger Hayden gave amazing performances aboard their Kawasaki NINJA® ZX-6RR motorcycles as AMA motorcycle road racing returned to Pikes Peak International Raceway last weekend. In AMA Supersport action, Tommy qualified third while Roger qualified fifth. When the race began Sunday afternoon, both Haydens were at the front of the pack and charging for the lead. Tommy attempted repeatedly to pass Jason Disalvo for the lead early in the race until Disalvo crashed in turn three on lap 19 and his bike nearly gathered up Tommy’s. The crash forced Tommy to dodge the sliding bike and ride off the track, which left the door open for Jamie Hacking and Roger Hayden to blast by and begin a battle of their own. With the checkered flag in his sights, Roger made quick work of Hacking to take the lead, as Tommy quickly collected himself and moved into third. He began to close in on the front-runners and the Haydens were running first and second by lap 24. The siblings would battle it out for the remainder of the race with Roger remaining undaunted by the pressure. Attack Kawasaki rider Ben Attard finished in fifth. “It was good,” said Roger immediately following the race. “I’d been struggling lately so I really needed this”¦It was like my first win again.” The win was Rogers first Supersport victory of the season and moves him into third place in the overall Supersport point standings with 131 points. Tommy remains in the lead with 173 points. In the AMA Superstock race, Tommy and Roger battled with several riders after the start with Tommy in fourth and Roger in seventh by the end of the first lap. As the pair battled for the front, Tommy reached third by lap 11 and Roger remained consistent in seventh. Tommy made a formidable charge on the lead group for the remainder of the race and held his third-place position while Roger crossed the line in seventh place. During the AMA Superbike race, Attack Kawasaki rider Josh Hayes kept a consistent pace with the rest of the lead group to claim fifth place and his fifth top-ten finish for the season. Hayes’ teammate Ben Attard qualified third for Saturday’s AMA Formula Xtreme event and captured his second consecutive podium finish of the season, taking third. Racing resumes when the teams head to Road America Raceway in Elkhart Lake, Wis., June 3 – 5. More, from a press issued by WMG Management: JAKE ZEMKE WINS FOURTH Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme RACE AT pikes peak Becomes All-time formula xtreme winner Fountain, CO – Jake Zemke won his fourth straight race on Saturday morning becoming the all-time Formula Xtreme winner. Jake moved into the top of the all-time list with his tenth FX win of his career and fourth win this season. From the start of the race Zemke took the lead and he maintained his advantage by almost four seconds. “The weekend went really good for us,” Zemke remarked, “We were able to roll the bike pretty much right out of the truck and make a couple real small adjustments to it and it was good — really good.” He explained that his confidence in his Dunlops allowed him to push throughout the contest. “It’s not too often, especially on a short weekend like this, when you really get a chance to do race distance on tires in practice. There was one tire we started off with that already had 15 laps on it, and I put 37 laps on the thing, and it was still just as good at the end. I knew tires weren’t really going to be an issue.” Zemke currently holds a 13-point lead over DuHamel, 180 to 167, at the season’s midpoint.