Kawasaki Australia Racing Team On The Podium And In The Record Books! Australian Superbike Championship Round 6 Queensland Raceway In a much anticipated showdown, the KRT went to Queensland after a successful testing session the week before the Queensland round of the Australian Superbike Championship 2005. “We’re confident going into this race, we know our bikes are fast, we know both riders go well here and we’re hopeful the weather will remain dry to let our riders show their true potential”, said Kawasaki’s National Racing Manager, Murray Sayle. Superbike Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike rider Jamie Stauffer immediately showed that Murray was not joking about potential the young man from Kurri Kurri NSW dominating practice and qualifying. “I was fastest in every session except for the second qualifier,” said Jamie. “My first qualifying time was really good so we settled on going for a great race set up rather than getting a good qualifying time. The others got a bit closer, but didn’t beat my first qualifying time, so we got the best of both World’s”¦ Pole position and a great race set up. “The first race was an amazing set of highs then lows. I got a great start and tried to get a big gap on the field”¦ I put my head down and broke the lap record on my first flying lap! Then I settled down to hold a comfortable lead, but the race got red-flagged after 11 laps. If we’d gone on for one extra lap they would have called the race. But it was decided to run a restart for a 5 lap race and go on combined times. “I got a reasonable start in the second leg and was right there sitting in third place with the two Suzukis just ahead. Then Shawn Giles baulked his team mate Glenn Allerton who ran into me and ran me off the track. I kept it upright and got going again but I was way down the field. I only had four laps to catch up and got through the field but eventually finished 5th on combined time. I was really disappointed that race was mine for the taking. I can’t blame anyone but myself because it’s me on the bike, so I guess I was disappointed for all our sponsors and the guys in the team who did such a great job. Putting the disappointment from the first race in the back of his mind for the second, Jamie Stauffer was even more determined than usual to climb onto the top step of the podium. “Again I got a good start and got into the lead towards the end of the race, overtaking Shawn Giles with eight laps to go. I then just went as fast as I needed to in fact the tyres were holding up well and I could have gone faster. In the end I went on to win and what a relief it was! I’m very happy to have got this win, but really it should be my third”¦ I ran off the track at Mallala when I was leading and then there was the first race today. Anyway, that’s racing and we’re going to two races at Phillip Island next. I hold the Superbike lap record there, so I’m really looking forward to the GP support races and the last ASC round. But right now I need a holiday!” Supersport KRT teenager Josh Waters enjoyed a very successful weekend on the Ninja ZX-6RR. Practice was used to set up the bike to Josh’s liking, the stop-start nature of the track requiring good balance under both brakes and acceleration. Despite extremely blustery conditions, Josh used his bike to good effect and took provisional pole in the first qualifying session, then went even faster in the second. Unfortunately arch rivals Josh Brookes and Adam Fergusson went slightly faster still leaving Josh on the front row in third. The first of two Supersport races proved to be a cracker, with the top five bikes all lapping in the 1 minute and 13 second bracket for much of the race. Josh got a great start and lapped on second place for much of the race after sliding under Adam Fergusson in Turn One off the start. “I thought I could win that one, but this track is really hard on your arms with all the heavy braking. I got arm pump and thought it would be better to settle for second than bin it trying for a win. The bike’s going really well and we’re getting it to turn and grip better.” Said Waters. The second race was even more exciting with the top four all within reach of each other throughout. Josh again got a great start and led for the for the first lap. Brendan Clark managed to squeeze past on lap two and the front group battled for the remaining laps with the win going to Clarke followed by Waters just 0.3 seconds behind after the front pair broke away a little from third and fourth. “I struggled a little for rear grip in that race but the bikes are pretty even out there, ” he said. “My ZX-6RR is really fast so having got second overall here I know we can go one better at Phillip Island where the Kawasaki’s horsepower will be a great help. I love the way the bike’s going now and the tyres are giving me plenty to work with right down to the end of the race. I’m going to do some motocrossing to try and cure the slight problem I’m having with arm pump, but it shouldn’t be as bad at the Island where hard braking is not as important. I’m really looking forward to the GP and the last round of the championship. I’m pretty sure we’ll get a good result at both meetings.” The Kawasaki Racing Team’s Senior Teams Co-ordinator, Scott Breedin, was also happy with the team’s Superbike and Supersport performance. “After our test at Qld Raceway late the week before the race, both Jamie and Josh were confident of gaining improved results at the race meeting weekend.” Said Scott. “We spent a lot of time working on the settings for both the Ninja ZX-6RR and Ninja ZX-10R to improve drive grip and corner entry speed. The testing direction continued on the Friday and Saturday of the race meeting at Queensland Raceway and some positive results where achieved despite the challenging blustery conditions. Josh had a much improved weekend over Winton and is now showing his full potential to be able to win races, his bike settings are now much more to his liking and he is now able to ride his bike the way he desires. “Jamie’s also very happy with his bike after the test and was immediately up to speed. Unfortunately due to a red flag incident and a ‘race track coming together’ in the re-start of the first race that forced him off the circuit, he was unable to gain the result he deserved after leading the initial 11 lap part of the 1st race by up to 1.6 seconds. He eventually finished a disappointing 5th on corrected time. “The second race was much better for Jamie even though there was a red flag stoppage again. He finally broke through for his 1st win of the season in the re-started shortened 14 lap journey. “Overall the direction we have taken with both bikes proves promising for the remainder of the season and the team will continue to develop our package in this direction with the hope of improving our results at the remaining rounds at Phillip Island. Both Jamie and Josh rode extremely well on the weekend and have finally got a positive return on all their efforts from the first part of the season.” More, from a press release issued by Matt Myers: Young Gun Elena Myers Wins 125 & 250GP Races at P.I.R! Arclight Racing/UmbrellaGirlsUSA sponsored rider, Elena Myers, once again paid a visit to Portland Oregon this past weekend for race number 7 of OMRRA’s 8 race series. After achieving expert status with a victory at her first visit, Elena decided to enter both the 125 and 250GP classes. Though the 250cc class was fielded with mostly 125’s, it was nonetheless a great way to get track time and work on bike set-up especially since Saturday’s usual all day practice was cut short with a 4 hour endurance race. Race day…Greeted with mild weather with temps in the low 70’s, Elena riding her 97 Honda RS125, again tasted victory in not only the 125GP race but the 250cc class as well. Myers easily won both 10 lap mains by well over 20 seconds. In the 250 race, she nearly equalled the 125GP lap record, missing out by just a few 10ths with a lap of 1:15.1 and all while running into traffic from OMRRA’s usual multi bike, multi wave start. This last outing caps off Elena’s phenomenal 125GP debut with three victories in three starts. Quoting Elena “I wanna say thanks to all my awesome sponsors, family and fans for the great support this year, I can’t wait till 2006!”. For more info, please visit Elena’s new website at www.elenamyers.com

SUZUKI REGAINS SUPERBIKE SERIES LEAD Team Suzuki celebrated a sensational one-two finish in the penultimate round of the 2005 Australian Superbike season to reclaim the championship series lead at Queensland Raceway at the weekend. Three-time Australian Superbike Champion Shawn Giles was awarded the round victory after two hard-fought second place finishes in both of the day’s 16-lap races, giving the Suzuki rider a 10-point advantage in the championship with only one round remaining. Meanwhile Giles’ Suzuki team mate and Superbike rookie, Glenn Allerton scored his breakthrough race win aboard the GSX-R1000 and clinched second spot overall for the meeting. Getting the weekend off to a strong start, Giles posted the second fastest qualifying lap-time with his Suzuki, positioning himself well for Sunday’s racing action as his main championship rivals Josh Brookes and Adam Fergusson sat further a field in third and sixth places respectively. Sitting on top of the timesheets for most of Saturday’s qualifying session before being edged out into fourth spot in the dying minutes; Allerton’s confidence was boosted as he secured his first front-row grid position in the premier category. Race one saw Allerton launch into second place ahead of Giles in third with the pair chasing Jamie Stauffer until red-flags were brought out for a crashed bike that stopped the action on lap 11, creating a two-part race. The two Suzuki riders dominated the ensuing five-lap sprint with Allerton assuming the lead on the re-start closely followed by Giles, before the Superbike veteran muscled past his team mate to reverse the order. The Team Suzuki riders crossed the line together with Giles heading the field. However, Allerton’s lead over Giles in the first part of the race saw the 24-year-old take out his maiden race win in the Australian Superbike class by 0.626 seconds on aggregate time. Oil dropped on the circuit in the opening laps of the second Superbike battle saw another two-part contest halting the race with Giles and Allerton again in hot pursuit of Stauffer. Another brilliant start in the day’s second re-start saw both GSX-R1000’s shoot straight to the front of the pack with Allerton again leading Giles, but the former champion was quick to snatch the lead up the inside of the back straight. The most successful rider ever in the Australian Superbike class, Giles led for the much of the second race before a minor error allowed Jamie Stauffer to challenge for the lead. Lapped traffic held up Giles in the closing laps allowing Stauffer to draw out a few bike lengths, leaving the Suzuki rider to focus on collecting a solid haul of points and consolidating his championship position. “This track really suited the Suzuki”¦ it’s a big horsepower circuit and it’s really hard on brakes,” said Giles. “The speed and top-end power down the long straights is awesome and the GSX-R1000 is far superior under braking too – we had a definite advantage here this weekend. “Even more than usual, our Dunlops were the tyres to be on here this weekend we had much more grip while other guys were obviously struggling.” Allerton also produced another stunning ride in race two, setting the second fastest lap of the race even out-pacing Giles around the 3.1km Queensland Raceway track. The rising Suzuki star held on to third place for the majority of the race before former Suzuki privateer Robert Bugden slipped past. The pair battled to the end with Allerton finishing fourth. “I’m stoked. I won a race and came second overall while Shawn took out the round win”¦It’s the perfect result for the team,” said Allerton. Celebrating his birthday at the racetrack, Team Suzuki Team Manager, Phil Tainton was delighted with the performance of both his riders and their Suzuki Superbikes. “Shawn rode brilliantly as always and the GSX-R1000 really delivered,” he said. “Glenn has been showing continual improvement throughout the season and he really found his legs here he looked so comfortable on the bike all weekend. “This result will really lift Glenn’s confidence”¦ I think we’ll see a new rider in him at Phillip Island.” Team Suzuki will contest the non-championship MotoGP support races at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Victoria on 14 – 16 October. Heading into the final round of the 2005 Australian Superbike Championship with a ten point advantage, Giles will be chasing a record fourth Australian Superbike title at Phillip Island on 11 – 13 November. “It’s great going into the last round with a 10-point margin, but there’s still 50 points up for grabs so it’s a long way from being decided. We’ll be working hard to give the championship everything we’ve got,” concluded Giles. RESULTS ROUND 6 RACE 1: 1. Glenn Allerton 2. Shawn Giles 3. Adam Fergusson 4. Robert Bugden 5. Jamie Stauffer 6. Josh Brookes 7. Anthony Gobert 8. Nick Henderson 9. Shaun Geronomi 10. Russell Holland RACE 2: 1. Jamie Stauffer 2. Shawn Giles 3. Robert Bugden 4. Glenn Allerton 5. Josh Brookes 6. Adam Fergusson 7. Nick Henderson 8. Anthony Gobert 9. Scott Charlton 10. Shannon Etheridge OVERALL ROUND PLACING: 1. Shawn Giles 2. Glenn Allerton 3. Jamie Stauffer 4. Robert Bugden 5. Adam Fergusson 6. Josh Brookes 7. Nick Henderson 8. Anthony Gobert 9. Scott Charlton 10. Russell Holland CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1. Shawn Giles (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 241 points 2. Josh Brookes (Honda) 231 points 3. Adam Fergusson (Honda) 226 points 4. Jamie Stauffer (Kawasaki) 207 points 5. Robert Bugden (Yamaha) 182 points 6. Glenn Allerton (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 177 points 7. Scott Charlton (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 159 points 8. Tony Rees (Yamaha) 124 points 9. Daniel Stauffer (Yamaha) 119 points 10. Shannon Johnson (Yamaha) 118 points

Tony Meiring, who raced in the AMA Superbike and Superstock Championship series for Corona Extra Suzuki in 2005, will race a Fast50s.com/Slide Motorsports-sponsored Yamaha YZ450F in round five of the AMA Supermoto Championship September 24 in Nashville, Tennessee.

World Endurance Champions Suzuki Castrol has taken victory in the Bol d’Or 24-hour race in France. The Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) of Vincent Philippe, Keiichi Kitagawa and Matthieu Lagrive completed 806 laps on their GSX-R1000 to beat Yamaha GMT 94 by four laps after 24 hours of racing. Third were Suzuki Castrol’s second team of Guillaume Dietrich, Olivier Four and Daniel Ribalta on their Suzuki GSX-R1000 with 800 laps. Results: 1 Suzuki Castrol (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 806 laps, 2 Yamaha GMT 94 (Yamaha R1) 802, 3 Suzuki Castrol 2 (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 800, 4 Kawasaki Fuchs Agyltech Racing Team (Kawasaki ZX-10R) 797, 5 National Motos Playstation 2 (Honda CBR1000) 791, 6 Junior Team Suzuki MS (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 766, 7 Phase One Junior (Yamaha R1) 760, 8 Decibels Endurance 33 (Yamaha R1) 760, 9 3D Endurance Moto Centre (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 10 JLC Moto Ulteamatum (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 756. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Yamaha GMT94 overcome adversity to take second at Bol The final race of the Masters of Endurance series, the Bol d’Or 24 hours race, once again saw battle resume between long-time rivals Yamaha GMT94 and Castrol Suzuki. Christophe Guyot’s Yamaha team of Sebastien Gimbert, William Costes and David Checa had won the first round of the Masters of Endurance series, the 24 hours of Le Mans and were out to do the double at the Bol d’Or at Magny Cours in France. Their preparations were given a huge setback when, in the week before the race, their race transporter was broken into and both their endurance Yamaha R1s were stolen, along with the vast majority of their race equipment. Yamaha Austria team manager Manfred Kainz came to the rescue at short notice and provided both of their R1 Yamahas, along with team mechanics to help out their French colleagues. Troubles deepened when Checa had a huge highside crash in practice on the Wednesday prior to the race and had hurt his shoulder and foot but had pronounced himself fit to ride. Determined to overcome the loss and compete Yamaha GMT94 qualified second on the grid, just one tenth of a second behind the Suzuki. At the start, the race was over for the Swiss Bolliger team before the end of the first lap when their bike crashed out spectacularly while leading but, after three laps under the safety car, the race resumed and the GMT94 had taken the lead. There followed a thrilling first hour with Yamaha rider Checa and Suzuki’s Matthieu Lagrive both fighting for the lead. After the first relay it was clear that the Yamaha would have to pit earlier for fuel than their Suzuki rivals and a broken gear-lever four hours into the race would cost then even more time. The GMT94 Yamaha matched the Suzuki on lap times but without their stolen endurance fuel tanks and running a virtually stock engine the team would always have to pit earlier than their rivals. But the Yamaha team battled back hard through the night and for the next 22 hours were only three laps behind the leaders. Although the Suzuki team suffered some confusion in the pits while calling their bikes in for refuelling and rider Vincent Philippe made an unscheduled stop to change a punctured front tyre, this was not enough for the GMT94 Yamaha team to pull enough time back on the leaders and, after 806 laps and 24 hours of racing, Christophe Guyot’s Yamaha team crossed the line in second place. Team quotes Christophe Guyot “We lost two to three laps early in the race but during the night we were right on the pace. We also suffered a stop-and-go penalty because we couldn’t test our replacement speed limiters which were set at 72kph instead of the 60kph pit-lane limit, but I’m very happy with our results after all of our problems. Without our stolen fuel tanks we had to do two laps less than our competitors on every relay.” Sebastien Gimbert “For me the race was good after I got into the endurance rhythm but early in the race I was in superbike rhythm. We had some small unavoidable problems but, overall, I am happy with our result.” William Costes “It was difficult with the weather changing for the race; it was a lot colder on race day and difficult to get good settings with the replacement Yamaha. I broke my scaphoid bone a few years ago and the old injury was holding me back. It wasn’t the best race for me; my team-mates did a great job but I’m not really happy because I couldn’t ride at my best.” David Checa “It was easy at the start to get good times but after four hours we broke the gearshift and we had to do less laps than normal for a relay because of our smaller tanks. To finish second for us is really a victory in these circumstances and I really want to thank Manfred Kainz and Yamaha Austria for their help. My crash on Wednesday meant that late in the race it was very hard for me but we are fighters. It’s a shame to be second but you cannot win every time.” Editorial Note: Americans Tom Montano and Craig McLean teamed with British rider John Barton to finish 20th overall and seventh in the Superstock class on a Kawasaki ZX-10R.

AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES RETURNS APRIL 21-23 TO THE BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK (Birmingham, AL)- Zoom Motorsports, exclusive event promoter for the Barber Motorsports Park, is pleased to announce the return of the fourth annual Honda Superbike Classic as part of the AMA Superbike Championship Series the weekend of April 21-23, 2006. “We are excited to have this series return to the Barber Motorsports Park,” said Brett Collins, VP of Zoom. “We had our most successful AMA event ever in 2005 and look forward to a great 2006 race.” Last April’s AMA event was the highest attended weekend at the Barber Motorsports Park to date with more than 53,000 over 3-days. For additional information, log on to www.barbermotorsports.com or call (205) 298-9040.

JR looks to home crowd for inspiration DONINGTON PARK is John Reynolds’ home circuit and the Rizla Suzuki ace is hoping to improve on his recent run of podium results when he races there this weekend at the 12th and penultimate round of the British Superbike Championship. “Donington Park is close to my hometown of Nottingham and I hope that the Rizla Suzuki fans come out in strength this weekend,” explained JR. “Like any rider, I am lifted and inspired by the fans if they are cheering me on. “The Donington GP circuit is a fantastic technical track that is difficult to master. I’m back on top of my game and my Rizla Suzuki has benefited from a lot of development recently. It’s not going to be easy, but I’ll be doing my best to improve on the two thirds I finished up with at Oulton Park.” Rizla Suzuki tested at the 2.5-mile long Donington Park circuit in June with JR and his team mate James Haydon each completing more than 70-laps. James said: “I can’t wait to get racing at Donington Park. It’s a fast flowing circuit that rewards commitment and I’ll be giving it my all. My Rizla Suzuki is pretty much sorted and doing what I want it to do and I’m so hungry to win a race that it’s all I can think about.” Superbike racing starts at 1315hrs on Sunday, September 25th, at Donington Park in Leicestershire. All the action will be shown live on Sky Sports while a highlights programme will be broadcast on Channel 4 one week later.

PHILADELPHIA RIDE FOR KIDS® BREAKS ALL-TIME NEW EVENT RECORD; ST. LOUIS SHINES IN THE RAIN It was a red-letter day in Philadelphia and St. Louis on Sunday, Sept. 18, as a host of motorcyclists joined Ride for Kids® events to show their support for children with brain tumors. The Philly ride raised $67,445″”a record for a first-time Ride for Kids® event””while St. Louis brought in $66,102 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation’s medical research and family support programs. The Philadelphia morning dawned with a full moon competing for attention with the spectacular sunrise. An eagle landed on a nearby building during registration and, spreading its wings, watched as the motorcycles rolled into the parking lot. The police-escorted ride wound through Valley Forge National Historic Park, then traveled on twisting roads over covered bridges to reach Longwood Gardens, once a private estate of the DuPont family. There more than 630 motorcyclists, fundraisers, volunteers, and patient families took part in a moving Celebration of Life program with six young brain tumor survivors””the Ride for Kids® “stars” of the day. Tyler, Angelina, Emily, John, Kyle and Jessica were joined on stage by Dr. Jackie Biegel, professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Michelle Smith, host of Speed TV’s “American Thunder,” was also on hand to lend support. The top individual fundraisers were Allan Waer and Joan Tuttle of Sayre, Penn., who brought $11,700. The top club, GWRRA VA Chapter O, raised $5,067, while the customers of Bob’s Honda of Sayre made it the top motorcycle business with $11,700 in donations. Charles Rutter of Birchrunville, Penn., won the grand prize, a brand-new Honda motorcycle. Heartfelt appreciation went to Philadelphia’s task force leaders, Joel Samick, Mitzi and Lee Krauss, and Rex Alfes, along with their hardworking volunteers, for organizing such a wonderful first-year ride. Meanwhile, 275 people gathered at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Mo., for the fifth annual St. Louis Ride for Kids®, despite early-morning rainstorms. The police-escorted ride followed the backroads of Missouri past farms and lush prairies, then made its way to Meramec State Park in Sullivan. With the flowing Meramec River in the background, the participants settled in for the Celebration of Life program. Five young brain tumor survivors were on hand: Joshua, Ashleigh, Brian, Zachary and Ashley, a PBTF scholarship recipient. “Every year I wonder why you do it, and I am so grateful that you do,” Rhonda, Joshua’s mom, told the crowd. In turn, Brian’s mom, Erin, said, “As much as Brian has touched your hearts, you have touched ours.” Top individual fundraiser honors went to Dave Mungenast of Sunset Hills, Mo., who raised $6,000. The top club was Road Riders for Jesus, whose members brought $8,096. The customers of Niehaus Motorcycles of Litchfield, Ill., raised $12,081 to make it the top motorcycle business. Carl Crackel of Hillsboro, Mo., won the grand prize, a brand-new Honda motorcycle. Special thanks went to task force leaders Mary and Greg Hoette, Angie and Norm Riekena, and Roger Snyder, along with their dedicated volunteers, for putting together a super event. Proceeds of the events fund the medical research and family support programs of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Since 1984, the national Ride for Kids® program and PBTF have supported childhood brain tumor research and family support programs. Programs include free literature about brain tumors, the Helping Hand and Caring Hand national newsletters, the Informed Parent Internet Conference series and college scholarships for young brain tumor survivors. Thanks to the thousands of caring and generous motorcyclists and motorcycle dealers who have supported the program since its inception, PBTF has become the world’s largest non-governmental source of funding for pediatric brain tumor research. The next Ride for Kids® events are on Sunday, Sept. 25 in Birmingham, Ala., and Columbia, Md. For more information about the Ride for Kids® and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, please visit rideforkids.org or pbtfus.org, or call (800) 253-6530.

Vallelunga 200 25th September 2005 Championship Introduction The FIM World Endurance Championship is a unique and gruelling test of motorcycle and rider power and endurance – a worldwide phenomenon that’s a massive hit with race fans, riders and teams alike. The Championship is one of only three world road racing championships officially sanctioned by the FIM. World Endurance races are known for their spectacular starts, which see the riders sprint across the track to their waiting motorcycles. Race weekends are hugely popular festivals with music and all kinds of entertainment for spectators. Last year saw production based motorcycles from twelve manufacturers ridden by competitors from twenty different nations competing for overall honour. Suzuki Castrol have won three out of four races so far this season, building up an unassailable 45 point lead in the championship. However, the battle for second and third places rages on between Kawasaki Bolliger, Kawasaki Diablo and Yamaha Austria. Fifth placed Shell Endurance Academy are just one point ahead of their “senior” team mates Yamaha Phase One Endurance, and Suzuki No Limits & RT Racing Team are only one point behind Phase One. Vallelunga Race Weekend The Vallelunga 200 event has been ex-tended this year, with a packed programme of support events on track from Thursday 22nd onwards. SuperTwins, Open class, Stock, 600c and 125cc bikes will all be competing over the weekend. The main event will be the 200 mile World Endurance Championship race on Sunday, after which there will be a ceremony to mark the end of the season and the FIM World Championship prize giving. Race Curiosity The Vallelunga circuit has been redesigned and rebuilt for this years World Endurance Championship finale. The new circuit layout features a loop added to what was the back straight, bringing the length of the track up to 4.11km (2.56 miles), including the obligatory-for-bikes chicane after turn one. The circuit was inaugurated on Saturday the 27th of August, with over 500 riders sampling the new corners. The original Vallelunga circuit was first used 54 years ago, in 1951. The track was lengthened to a 1.746km “Club” circuit in 1958, and extended to the 3.228km “International” track in 1963. Moreno Codeluppi, team manager of No Limits & RT Racing Team: “The new uphill straight is splendid because you can give it full gas, and the new ‘Campagnano’ curve is well designed because you can take a fast line round the outside or the inside. The new motorcycle chicane really slows you down a lot and is very demanding, but overall it’s great fun and it’s a better lap with the longer circuit.” Warwick Nowland, Yamaha Phase One Endurance: “I’ve been fortunate enough to meet the circuit owners and they are very passionate motor racing enthusiasts. The owners have been continually improving the circuit and the latest changes are aimed at improving racing and their opportunity to stage more world championship events. I’m looking forward to the new changes when we arrive next week and as you can imagine, a race circuit situated just outside the city of Rome is a wonderful place to visit!” Mandy Kainz, team manager, Yamaha Austria: “Yamaha Austria racing team will only use one motorcycle at Vallelunga this year. Our reserve bike was so badly damaged after the crash at Oschersleben that it cannot realistically be repaired. Everyone in the team will be fully occupied with setting up the number three race bike, and with Giabbani, Jerman and Hinterreiter on board we have a good chance of winning.” Last Years Race Suzuki Castrol completely dominated the 2004 Vallelunga 200 round of the World Endurance Championship, winning the race by a comfortable 45 second margin and lapping the rest of the field up to third place. Vincent Phillipe started the race for Suzuki Castrol, and was able to quickly pull out a gap of more than half a second a lap on the chasing pack of 2004 World Endurance champions Yamaha GMT94, Yamaha Endurance Moto 38 and Yamaha Phase One. Each of these three teams held second place at some stage in the first hour, but none came close to catching Suzuki Castrol. The DRE Ducati held a place in the top four for much of the race, due to its ability to stay out on track for much longer on a single tank of fuel. However, with two compulsory pit stops having to be made the Ducati eventually slipped down to finish in sixth position. More, from a press release issued by Motorcycling Australia: Nowland and Cudlin desperate for a big finish After a 2005 FIM Endurance World Championship campaign which has rarely moved into top gear, Australians Warwick Nowland Damian Cudlin are desperate to finish on a high note at the revised Vallelunga circuit in Italy this weekend. The duo, who ride for the British-based Yamaha Phase One team on a YZF-R1, are well back in sixth spot on 37pts after four of five rounds, but can still finish as high as third in the final standings if they greet the chequered flag in the 200-mile (320km) event and some other teams falter. While the Aussies will be looking for redemption in Italy, one world endurance matter has already been resolved the French-entered Suzuki Castrol (Vincent Philippe, Matthieu Lagrive and Keiichi Kitagawa, GSX-R1000) holds an unassailable lead in the championship after winning three times in 2005, while the Kawasaki ZX-10R-riding Bolliger Team Switzerland (Marcel Kellenberger, David Morillon and Roman Stamm) is in a prime position to finish second. “Vallelunga will be another opportunity to halt the Castrol Suzuki charge,” said Nowland. “They may be on a high and aiming to wrap up the season with another win, but rest assured, Damian and I are also desperate to win.” With each team required to make two compulsory pit stops at the 4.11km Vallelunga layout, Nowland is hoping that Suzuki Castrol’s miserly GSX-R1000, which normally runs five or six laps more than the Aussie’s YZF-R1 on a comparable fuel load, will be brought back to the field a little. Moreover, 37-year-old Nowland is a past winner at Vallelunga, while Cudlin has two top 10 finishes to his credit during world endurance cameos in 2002-2003. “I think the new addition to the Vallelunga circuit will make racing better and it may just help us,” continued Nowland, who retired from last weekend’s non-championship but iconic – Bold d’Or 24-hour at the 19-hour mark. “Being a 200-mile race, it is possible to use a Superbike-specification engine. And, that’s what is sitting in our No. 3 Yamaha right now!” Last year’s Vallelunga race was won by Suzuki Castrol, continuing Suzuki’s domination of the race. Nowland won the inaugural hitout in 2002 on a GSX-R1000, the year he won his second world title, while another French Suzuki team won in 2003.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION: Via e-mail: Multi Irish champion and Isle of Man TT star Richard Britton, of Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, was killed instantly on Sunday, 18th September, when his 250 Honda seized and threw him into a stone wall. He was on the first lap of the 250 race at the Ballybunion road races, which were held on a closed street circuit in County Kerry, Rep of Ireland. Britton was also a regular Macau Grand Prix competitor and raced a number of times at Daytona (International Speedway) in F-USA and AMA events. He will be most remembered in the United States for his F-USA Team Challenge exploits with Mark Hamilton. Armed with a SV650, the pair made the rostrum three times at DIS, finishing third in February 2003, second in October 2003 and second again in Feb 2004. In 2004 Britton was leading the GT Lights division on the last lap when their Irish Bike Racing SV ran out of fuel. Britton was 34-years-old and married to Maria and had a son, Loris (8). Irish Bike Racing’s Simon Turner has also officially and definitely retired. The arrival of is son, Jake, last year, is the major factor. 10th in the Daytona 200 was his last USA appearance. Mark Hamilton Editor, Irish Bike Monthly Coagh, Northern Ireland