AMA PRO RACING RESCHEDULES CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDS BANQUET PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Sept. 13, 2005) AMA Pro Racing announced today that the AMA Pro Racing Championship Awards Banquet, scheduled to be held on Nov., 19, 2005 at Paris Las Vegas, will now be held the next day, Sunday, Nov. 20. The AMA Pro Racing Championship Awards Banquet honors the leading professional riders who have competed in AMA Motocross, Supercross, Superbike, Flat Track, Supermoto and Hillclimb. According to Kerry Graeber, AMA Pro Racing Vice President, Director of Communications, the change was made in order to accommodate the AMA-sanctioned Maxxis EnduroCross event which will be held on Saturday at the Orleans Arena. “By moving our banquet to Sunday evening, we cap off an entire weekend of motorcycle related activities, dubbed the ‘AMA Las Vegas Invasion’,” said Graeber. “The AMA Sports Award Banquet, where the nation’s top amateur riders are honored kicks off the weekend on Friday at the Orleans Hotel and Casino, the action continues on Saturday with the AMA Maxxis EnduroCross event and then we’ll culminate the weekend with our AMA Pro Racing Championship Awards Banquet. We are happy to make this change to accommodate everyone’s needs.” For more information or to purchase tickets to the AMA Pro Racing Championship Awards Banquet, please visit www.amaproracing.com. For more information on the AMA Sports Awards Banquet please visit www.amadirectlink.com. For more information about the AMA Maxxis EnduroCross please visit www.endurocrossusa.com.

FORMULA SMACK PACK BENEFIT RACE A SUCCESS AT CMRA EVENT The Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association (CMRA) hosted a charity race on Saturday, September 10th to benefit CMRA racer Gordon Bradeen, who was severely injured at Oak Hill Raceway on Saturday, June 25th, 2005. While Gordon continues to recover from his injuries, he has been unable to work and his medical bills continue to pile up. CMRA members came up with a novel approach to help Gordon out and have some fun at the same time. Dubbed the Formula Smack Pack Race, the idea of a benefit race was presented to the CMRA Board of Directors by members of the Formula Smack Pack, a loose group of CMRA racers that brag, talk trash and harass their fellow Formula Smack Pack members on the CMRA message board before and after each race weekend, all in fun. The Board approved, and by race time there were 44 entries for the 12-lap race, which was held at the end of the day on Saturday during round nine of the CMRA Championship Series. With a $40 minimum donation/entry fee, over $1,760 was raised by riders alone, but Brooks and Rese Gremmels doubled that amount with a generous contribution of $3,520, bringing the total to $5,280 that will go directly to Gordon Bradeen for his recovery. Billed as a “fun race”, the rules were minimal and “cheating” was rampant. At the LeMans-style start, several riders took off before the horn sounded. Motard riders consistently cut the course. Several riders stopped on pit road and did a Conga line around their bikes, then continued on their way. Costumes were encouraged, and many riders rode the race in a variety of outfits. Fun was had by all. Awards presented at the end of the race included: Winner – Karen Esterly (who didn’t actually ride, but talked the best smack), First Loser – Pierson Callahan (who did a spot-on imitation of Valentino Rossi during his acceptance speech), Second Loser – David Hirsch (who didn’t ride in the race, but threw a transponder back and forth across the timing loop for a new track record of 4.888 seconds), Third Loser – Bryan Middleton (who rode in a nurse’s outfit over his leathers) and Fourth Loser – Jason Keene (who rode in a polka-dot bikini over his leathers). Best Costume award went to Buck Beasley for his tutu and Nordic pigtails outfit, and the Tail of the Donkey award (Last Place) was given to Tyler McDonald (who actually “won” the race on the track). Everyone in attendance agreed that this was the First Annual Formula Smack Pack Race, and that there will be another race next year to raise funds for rider safety in the CMRA. For more information on Gordon’s progress, please visit www.cmraracing.com and click on the Gordon Bradeen link on the homepage, or send him a card at: Gordon Bradeen Health South 18550 I.H. 45 South, Room 2012 Conroe, TX 77384

GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM HEADS EAST FOR FIRST TITLE SHOT AT MOTEGI Gauloises Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi has his first chance to secure the 2005 MotoGP World Championship title next weekend, as the series heads east to the Twin Ring Motegi circuit for the Grand Prix of Japan. The twelfth round of the season is the first of a string of five ‘flyaway’ races in just six weekends and Rossi, his team-mate Colin Edwards and the whole of the Gauloises Yamaha Team are travelling full of confidence. As well as boasting a healthy lead in the teams’ world championship, Yamaha is also on top of the manufacturers’ standings and Edwards is in a prime position to attack for the runner-up spot in the riders’ standings behind Rossi. Any number of result combinations could see Rossi crowned World Champion for the fifth consecutive year this weekend, but the Italian knows that a top-two finish will be enough to guarantee him the title. Rossi has won nine out of the eleven races so far this season and his current points total of 261 is the highest he has achieved at this stage of the season in any class previously. Having finished on the podium at the last fourteen races, a top three finish in Japan would equal the longest string of podiums in the premier-class by a Yamaha rider since Wayne Rainey managed fifteen between 1989 and 1990. The omens are good for Rossi, who has a strong record at Motegi despite claiming that it is not one of his favourite tracks. He has finished on the podium in each of his five premier-class starts there, taking victory in 2001. The Italian is targeting a repeat result on Sunday, as he looks to improve on a career victory percentage that already stands him alongside the most celebrated names in Grand Prix history. Currently only John Surtees, Giacomo Agostini and Mike Hailwood can boast a better win ratio than the 26-year-old Italian in the premier-class, but Rossi could once again change history before the end of the season. Rossi and Edwards are two of only three riders in the MotoGP class to have scored points at each race so far this season, and the American will be hoping to keep that consistency going in Japan as he aims to narrow a six-point gap to second place in the championship. After finishing a disappointing seventh in the last round at Brno, Edwards benefited from two days of tests at the Czech Republic circuit, where he and his crew focused on ironing out the rear grip problems he suffered during the race, and he is now confident of getting back to his best form. Rossi also made steps forward in the Brno tests, trying out a new front fork setting and completing valuable work with the engine mapping, aimed at optimising the set-up of the YZR-M1 for what promises to be an intense season finale. VALENTINO ROSSI: SIX MATCH POINTS Whilst a top-two finish will suffice for Valentino Rossi this weekend, the flamboyant Italian is not one to settle for second best. Rossi has sealed each of his previous four premier-class titles with a victory and he is not planning on changing the habit this time around. Motegi is the first of six ‘match-point’ races for the 26 year old. “The advantage we have in the championship means that I can ride at each of the remaining six rounds without pressure and try to win every race,” said Rossi. “The championship victory is really near and we have a great advantage. At Motegi, as at every race, we will try to fight for the victory. Winning is the thing I like the most and this will be my main aim!” Rossi admits that Motegi, a remote countryside town located over 100 kilometres from the glitzy capital city of Tokyo, is not the ideal place for a celebration but he insists that any circuit in the world can become party territory when a world title is at stake. “Motegi is not one of my favourite tracks, and there are perhaps some places which are better for celebrating, but I won’t be thinking about this; a championship victory is the same anywhere, it doesn’t matter to me where we win, as long as we do! “We had a two-day test after the Brno race, which was quite hard as I wanted to relax! However it was important to keep working, as anything can still happen in the championship and we needed to be fully prepared for the flyaway races. We didn’t change anything big, since the bike is working well and we have a good set-up to take to Motegi, but it was a valuable test. We tried quite a lot of tyres for Michelin and I hope that this will help us over the last part of the season. It’s been good to have a short break since Brno before the flyaway races, it’s the hardest part of the year with so many races close together, so we need a lot of energy” COLIN EDWARDS: BOUNCING BACK FROM BRNO Colin Edwards travels to Japan in a determined mood after leaving the last round in Brno with mixed feelings. The American was disappointed with his seventh place finish in the Czech Republic but was encouraged by the progress made in the two days of tests and, with just six points separating him from second place in the championship, the incentive could not be much higher over the final six races. “We tested after Brno and I hope that we’ve solved the issues that followed us through the weekend,” said Edwards. “We really tried out a lot of things with the setting to try to fix the problem with traction and at the end of the two days I was feeling much happier about it. I think that we made some valuable progress with our race set-up, which will hopefully see us through to the end of the season. Fingers crossed, now we can really go for it over the last six races and try for the podium and the win everywhere! I’ve still got second place in the championship firmly in my sights.” One year ago Edwards was involved in an opening corner melee that saw six riders crash out of the race at Motegi, the only Grand Prix in which he has failed to pick up points since Valencia 2003, and he is determined to make up for that minor blot on his copybook this weekend. “Last year in Motegi I got caught in the pile-up at turn one, it was the only race of the year where I didn’t score points so it was pretty disappointing! I’ve only ridden at Motegi twice but I actually really like it. A lot of the riders don’t like racing in Japan but I’ve always enjoyed it, the fans are really keen and the atmosphere is always good. The track is interesting, I like the four corners after the tunnel exit, and there are plenty of good places to overtake.” DAVIDE BRIVIO: AROUND THE WORLD IN 50 DAYS Gauloises Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio is confident that his staff are ready for an intense finale to the season and primed to rack up the kilometres as they prepare to tackle five races across three continents in just six weekends. Brivio insists the team are not yet thinking about title celebrations and are simply focusing on meeting all of their objectives between now and the end of the season. “The next six weeks will be quite hard but we have an experienced team and they are used to the travelling, so we are only thinking about the job at hand,” says Brivio. “Our only target right now is to go to Japan and try to make sure that both our riders get the best possible results. When the chequered flag waves then maybe we can think about celebrating, but for the moment that is not in our minds. “We know Motegi will be difficult because it is the home circuit of one of our main competitors and also a local race for a rival tyre manufacturer so we can expect them to be strong, as they were last season. But it is also the only race we have in Japan so we want to put on a good show for all the Yamaha staff and supporters over there. “This is the start of a tough finale to the season but we can look forward to it with optimism. We are on top of the riders’, teams’ and manufacturers’ championships and we have Colin fighting at the top. So far the season has been excellent for us but we must also finish it in the right way, which means achieving all of our targets.” BLAST FROM THE PAST: CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF YAMAHA GLORY Grand Prix motorcycle racing arrived in Japan in 1987 and, for seventeen years, was held at the notoriously difficult Suzuka Circuit in the Mie Prefecture. During that time Suzuka witnessed some of Yamaha’s most famous victories, but none more so than that of one of Japan’s most celebrated racing heroes, Norick Abe. Abe made his name at Suzuka in 1995 when, at just 19 years of age, he clinched a stunning podium finish in his first full season of World Championship racing. However the youngster would etch his name firmly in the record books one year later, when he became the first home rider to win the 500cc Japanese Grand Prix, which turned him into a national hero overnight. “I can remember everything about that race,” smiles Abe, who went on to take two further 500cc victories for Yamaha at Rio in 1999 and Suzuka again in 2000. “It was my second season with Yamaha and I had been very fast in pre-season. The first two races of the year were in Malaysia and Indonesia but they both went very badly for me, worse than they had done in my debut season in ’95. The third round was my home Grand Prix at Suzuka and there was so much pressure on me to do well, it was unbelievable. “In practice and qualifying I was no good and by the time the race came around the pressure had built up so much that I couldn’t even think about what I was doing. In the end it worked in my favour because I just went out and raced as hard as I could. Everything came really easily and I was so fast, it was a bit of a surprise! I finished over six seconds ahead of Alex Crivill锦 I couldn’t believe it really. “I remember the next day the interest from the press, television stations and the fans was amazing. More importantly, people within the sport started taking me seriously. Some people weren’t so sure that I had the talent to win races but after Suzuka ’96 they started to look at me differently and trust in my ability. That race changed my life.” TECHNICALLY SPEAKING Now in its sixth year of inclusion in the MotoGP calendar, Motegi has matured into a challenging fixture. It has outstanding quality of build and facilities, although the tremendous paddock is not quite matched by the intricacies and character of a somewhat geometric circuit layout. A bump-free surface offers good levels of grip without being particularly abrasive, but the proliferation of second gear turns, linked for the most part by mini-drag strips, means braking and acceleration are the main prerequisite to a fast lap time, and consistency the key to a good race. A similar set-up to the hard-braking and hard accelerating required at Le Mans will be needed at Motegi, tailored to the particular nature of the Japanese track, which does enjoy some changes of elevation. The fast approach to the 90° Corner, followed by hard downhill braking and then a mini complex of corners, is often the final arbiter on who wins any Motegi race. Balance and stability under braking are the keys at Motegi and with both Gauloises Yamaha Team riders on the podium at the similar Le Mans track earlier this year, Motegi could offer the prospect of another top weekend for Yamaha at the Factory’s home race. VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION Age: 26 Lives: London, UK Bike: Gauloises Yamaha Team YZR-M1 GP victories: 77 (38 X MotoGP, 13 X 500cc, 14 X 250cc, 12 X 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 150 (59 x MotoGP, 32 x 500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 40 World Championships 6 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 3 x MotoGP) Motegi 2004 Results (Yamaha): Grid 3rd, Race 2nd COLIN EDWARDS: INFORMATION Age: 31 Lives: Conroe, Texas Bike: Gauloises Yamaha Team YZR-M1 First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP) GP starts: 43 (MotoGP) World Championships – 2 World Superbike Motegi 2004 Results (Honda): Grid 5th, Race DNF Motegi MotoGP lap record: Makoto Tamada (Honda), 1’48.524 2004 Circuit best lap: Makoto Tamada (Honda) 1’46.673 2004

Round 12: Twin Ring Motegi, Japan Track length: 4801 m Opened: 1997 Fastest Lap Ever: 1:46.673 (Makato Tamada, 2004), MotoGP lap record: 1:48.524 (Makato Tamada, 2004), Last year MotoGP winner: Makato Tamada, 2004 race summary Last year Valentino Rossi secured a second place result at the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi after a closely contested battle with that weekends’ fastest rider Makoto Tamada (Honda). Rossi led the early stages of the 24-lap race but lost his advantage to the Japanese rider from lap ten onwards. In front of a strong crowd, Rossi made an excellent start from his front row grid position, leading into the first corner and thus escaping a six-rider pile-up that claimed Colin Edwards (Motegi was his only race of the 2004 MotoGP season in which he failed to score points). Rossi and Tamada charged away from the remains of the pack, with the former leading until Tamada made a successful pass along the back straight on lap ten. From that point on Tamada built a gap over Rossi, and ended the race just over six seconds ahead of the Italian. Set-up report YZR-M1 Motegi is unsurpassed in its design and circuit quality – the surface is seamlessly smooth, offering high levels of grip, and the facilities are exceptional. Yet, despite this high attention to technical detail the Motegi layout is far from being a technically challenging circuit. The track can be characterized as a series of ‘drag strips’, linked together by continual radius second gear corners, a layout that isn’t liked by many and disliked by more. Even so it is still technically challenging enough that outright power isn’t the be-all and end-all when it comes to winning races. In fact in some respects too much aggressive power can be a hindrance at this particular venue. As a result this should prove to be of benefit to the 2005 YZR-M1, which beside shear horsepower also has a very predictable powerband with an excellent ‘throttle linearity’. This performance trait is essential since most of the +230 horsepower will be driven through to the rear wheel on the exit of second and third gear corners, only moments after completing some rather heavy braking. This combination of hard braking to hard acceleration complicates things further with the aggressive weight transfer being a catalyst for instability. For this reason a balanced and usable base geometry will be the focus point for those riding the M1. The main aim in both instances (acceleration and braking) is to cater for the aggressive weight transfer by minimizing the pitching effect. To do this the basic chassis package won’t be too far removed from what was run during the Le Mans test earlier in the year. The rear of the bike will be slightly lower and the front set slightly higher, when compared to other circuits, to offer the braking stability needed – reducing the likelihood of the rear wheel leaving the tarmac. The front fork springs will boast a slightly higher spring rate, but unlike Le Mans, the damping won’t have to cater for any real bumps during the period the front forks are compressed. The rear shock on the other hand will run a slightly softer spring with a high amount of preload. This will help to offer the feel and consistency under power while preventing the bike from squatting to the point which can cause it to run wide or, in extreme circumstances, wheelie. At the same time suspension technicians will also have to consider the effects of the rear shock pumping through its stroke – a common concern on a track where the bike is driving hard off a slow speed hairpin.

Rossi gets first chance to strike for MotoGP title at Grand Prix of Japan Valentino Rossi gets his first opportunity to clinch the 2005 MotoGP World Championship title in the twelfth round of seventeen at the Twin Ring Motegi Circuit this weekend. The Grand Prix of Japan sees Rossi arrive with a 132point advantage at the top of the standings and needing just 20 more to become only the third rider in history to win the premier-class crown on five separate occasions. A top two finish will definitely be enough for the 26-year-old although he could retain the status of World Champion with a lower finish depending on the results of the six other riders who still maintain a slim mathematical chance of winning the title. With six more races remaining for Rossi to collect the points he needs to put the gloss on season of unprecedented success, a more realistic target for Max Biaggi, Marco Melandri, Colin Edwards, Sete Gibernau, Alex Barros and Nicky Hayden over the next eight weekends is the battle for the runner-up spot in the championship. All six riders are separated by just 17 points, with Biaggi having moved to the head of the pack after his battling podium finish in the last round at Brno just over two weeks ago. Biaggi was the main beneficiary of another bout of bad luck for Gibernau, who looked certain to take second place behind Rossi after contesting the lead with the Italian until the final lap in the Czech Republic. However, a technical problem just two corners from the end denied the Spaniard 20 vital points and he now lies fifth overall. Biaggi’s cause has also been aided by the poor recent form of Melandri and Edwards, who have slipped to third and fourth place respectively after both showing glimpses of podium consistency earlier in the season. Melandri has totalled just 19 points over the last four rounds whilst Edwards slumped to eighth and seventh place finishes at the last two races. Hayden, Edwards and Biaggi will be doubly keen to score points at Motegi after being two of six riders sent tumbling into the gravel in the first corner of last year’s race when Loris Capirossi lost control of a dramatic surge from the starting grid on the Ducati. John Hopkins and Kenny Roberts were the other two unfortunate victims on that occasion and both riders have an extra incentive to do well this weekend, with Hopkins celebrating a newly-signed contract with Suzuki and current team-mate Roberts due to start his 100th Grand Prix for the factory. The former World Champion will be looking to relive his glory days at Motegi after celebrating victory in the first two races held there in 1999 and 2000. Hayden and Barros, the only two riders other than Rossi to have won a race this season, lie sixth and seventh in the championship respectively and they will be aiming to add consistency to their undoubted pace over the final six races. Hayden scored his debut podium at Motegi in 2003 after Makoto Tamada was controversially stripped of third place and the American youngster will be aiming to maintain the form that has seen him second only to Rossi in the points stakes over the past four events. Barros, like Rossi, Biaggi and Roberts, is a former winner at Motegi having famously taken victory in his first appearance aboard the four-stroke Honda RC211V in 2002. Motegi crowd favourite Tamada maintained an unbeaten record for the V5 machine at Honda’s home circuit when he took a stunning first MotoGP victory last season. However, the Japanese rider was then running on Bridgestone tyres and he has produced indifferent form after switching to Michelin this season. Shinya Nakano and Kawasaki, meanwhile, have stuck with the local rubber manufacturer and they will be looking to improve on their best ever result of third place in last year’s race, with Nakano even holding out hope of repeating his first Grand Prix win at Motegi back in 1999 in the 250cc class. Experienced Honda test rider Tohru Ukawa will also be targeting home glory after being called up as a late replacement for Troy Bayliss, who will miss this round after injuring himself in a motocross accident just six days before the race. Whilst Proton Team KR will not be travelling to Japan after their recent split with engine suppliers KTM, their place on the grid will effectively be filled by local independent manufacturers Moriwaki Racing. Former 250cc racer Naoki Matsudo is in line to make his MotoGP debut as a wildcard riding the MD211VF prototype, having gathered four-stroke experience this season competing in the Japanese Superbike Championship. Meanwhile, Blata WCM rider James Ellison faces a late fitness test after injuring his elbow in a crash at the Brno tests two weeks ago. Current 250cc World Championship leader Dani Pedrosa will also be facing the wildcard challenge this weekend, with his regular rivals for quarter-litre honours joined by the traditional sprinkling of top quality Japanese guest riders, including Honda team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama’s brother Shuhei. Yuki Takahashi will also have the task of racing against family this weekend, with younger brother Kouki one of the five local riders looking to make their name in the World Championship’s only visit to Japan this season. A good showing from the wildcards could actually help Pedrosa’s cause as he looks to distance himself from his closest pursuers in the championship. Unlike Rossi in the premier-class, Pedrosa’s title is far from secure although his 59-point advantage over Casey Stoner represents a healthy cushion with just six rounds remaining. Pedrosa won the 250cc race at Motegi last season from pole position whilst Stoner failed to finish a split 125cc event won easily by Andrea Dovizioso. This year’s 125cc race promises to be a much closer affair, with five riders separated by just 44 points at the top of the championship and six different winners in the series already this year. Swiss youngster Thomas Lüthi leads the way by eight points but the men immediately behind him, Mika Kallio, Gabor Talmacsi, Marco Simoncelli and Mattia Pasini, are among those to have won races this season and all four are still in with a realistic chance of challenging for the title. Five local wildcards will also be taking part in the 125cc event at Motegi although Spanish teenagers Nico Terol and Julián Miralles are both out through injury.

TRACK FACTS Honda constructed the 4.801km circuit, which also incorporates an Indy Car style oval, in 1997 in the hilly countryside 100kms north of Tokyo. It was a massive construction project and the complex also includes the famous Honda Museum and a hotel. The track has a comparatively long back straight but a series of slow corners and also two tunnels which allows the oval to run round the outside. The circuit staged its first grand prix in 1999, the very wet Japanese Grand Prix, which was won by the Kenny Roberts riding the Suzuki. Roberts won the Pacific Grand Prix the next year at the track but after that it became the domain of the circuit owners Honda and also the Honda Pons team. Valentino Rossi won the 500cc race at the Pacific Grand Prix in 2001 but after that Sito Pons’s Honda team have won three races in a row. Alex Barros won on his first appearance on the RCV four-stroke Honda in 2002. A year later Max Biaggi brought the Camel Honda team success and last year at the Japanese Grand Prix, Makoto Tamada totally dominated the proceedings. Not only did he win the 24 lap race, but he also started from pole position and set the fastest lap, riding the Camel Honda. Unfortunately Troy Bayliss will not take part in the Grand Prix of Japan at Motegi after injuring his wrist (Monday 12th September) whilst training on his motocross bike in Australia. Only a series of closer examinations will confirm the length of recovery time required by the Australian although he will definitely be forced to miss the next race. FROM THE SADDLE Alex Barros: “I like Motegi, it’s a track where I can look back at some great races, and not just the win in 2002, when I rode this Honda four-stroke for the first time, but also the podium from the year before. Last year’s race was also good for me, because after the first corner incident where lots of riders crashed out, I was in last place, at the back of the group. The whole race was a fightback for me, and finally I came fourth, just a couple of seconds off the podium, just behind Nakano. We will try to make the most of the team’s experience on this track, so we can have another great race.” Troy Bayliss: “There is not much I can say other than that I am very, very disappointed to be forced out of this race. I was really looking forward to racing at Motegi after the tests we completed at Brno and I was training on my own to try and be as best prepared as I could. Now we will have to find out what treatment I need but my objective is to get fit as soon as possible.” CIRCUIT – JAPANESE GRAND PRIX – 18/09/05 MOTEGI Track data Length: 4.801kms Pole Position: Left Width: 12-15 m Right corners: Eight Left corners: Six Longest Straight: 762m Constructed: 1997 Record lap: Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda) 1m48.524s – 159.261 km/h Record Pole lap: Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda) 1m46.673s – 162.024 km/h 2004 Race winner: Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda) 43m43.220s – 158.129 km/h Alex Barros/Troy Bayliss 2004 Barros fourth Bayliss dnf TECHNICAL INSIGHT – JAPANESE GRAND PRIX – 18/09/05 MOTEGI TECHNICAL INSIGHT The famous Twin-Ring Motegi was built in 1997 by the Japanese company Honda. Looking back over the last four years results we see that the first rider across the finish line was always an Honda rider. In 2002 out of the first seven places on the grid, five were Honda bikes and the first four bikes to finish were also Honda. One can certainly say that this is a Honda circuit. The two main characteristics of the Motegi track are rapid accelerations and sharp braking. In Twin-Ring Motegi there are six areas of acceleration where the bike goes from under 100 Km/h to over 230Km/h and in three of these straights speeds of more than 260 Km/h are registered. Elsewhere there are four areas of braking where the bike decreases from over 250 km/h to less than 90 Km/h. These characteristics influence the setting up of the bikes for the Japanese GP. With these braking areas, and taking into account that for 40 % of the lap the bike is decelerating, it is essential to find stability under braking and an engine brake correctly adjusted, in particular to avoid the rear wheel locking up, to gain fast times. To achieve this more weight is added to the rear of the bike than is usual which also increases grip under acceleration. As is normally the case, this weight adjustment does cause other problems, in particular “wheelies” where the front wheel loses contact with the track surface. Since the accelerations begin from low speeds, the first and second gear ratios are relatively short which also increases the tendency to do wheelies and make the bike uncontrolable. Often when this happens the riders must close the throttle to regain control of the bike. Also, since the braking is sharp, the front springs fitted are normally hard, and this too means that the bike front sits higher than normal. With more weight in the rear of the biké under acceleration, the front of the bike becomes lighter and this can lead to the appearance of catering in the front Wheel, especially in the esses. The gearbox settings are another critical factor at Motegi. All gears are used at one point or another of the circuit and since the first is short and the sixth is relatively long, the it is vital to set the correct ratios to avoid falling out of the power delivery zone. First gear is used in the corners, “5”, “V-Corner” and “Hairpin”. Second gear is used to negotiate the corners “2”, “3”, “4”, “90º corner” and “Victory Corner”. The “S-Curves” are taken in third and the “130R” in fourth. When finding the right engine settings we must take into account that 25% of the lap is taken with the throttle fully open which clearly affects fuel consumption. On this note the race distance has been reduced from 25 laps three seasons ago to 24 with the introduction of the MotoGP four-stroke bikes, since it was impossible for these bikes to complete the twenty seven laps (2+25) using the 24 litres of fuel that the regulations permitted. The accelerations and braking at this circuit influence the composition of the tyres used. In many circuits, the rear wheel becomes worn on one side, depending on the amount of left or right-handed corners. However at Motegi the centre section of the rear tyre becomes worn most easily. The constant acceleration and the long straights at the circuit mean that centre section of the tyre is manufactured with a harder compound than the lateral sections. The front tyre choice is also crucial since the constant braking also make the tyre suffer heavy wear in the centre section. Another special setting to be decided at this circuit is the size of the front brake discs so that the brakes perform correctly throughout the 24 laps of the race. With the numerous braking points at this circuit, many riders choose to fit larger discs than normal.

Tohru Ukawa to join Alex Barros at Camel Honda in Motegi After the confirmation that Troy Bayliss will not be able to compete at Motegi after fracturing his wrist whilst motocross training in his native Australia, the Camel Honda team have decided to recruit Honda test rider Tohru Ukawa as team-mate to Brazilian rider Alex Barros for the event. There will therefore be two yellow RC211V machines on track at the Grand Prix of Japan, whilst the whole team remain hopeful that Troy Bayliss can make a quick recovery and be back in action as soon as possible. It is a return to the yellow colours of Camel for Tohru Ukawa, with the experienced Japanese rider having raced for the team during the 2003 season alongside Max Biaggi.

Howard Breaks Record at Oak Hill Ty Howard broke the existing track record by 0.741-second en-route to a four-win weekend at round nine of the CMRA Championship Roadracing Series held at Oak Hill Raceway near Henderson, Texas this past weekend. The Adrenalix-sponsored Howard turned in a blistering 1:21.824 on his Kawasaki 636 during the RaceworX C Superbike Expert, which features a $150 purse, to set the record, topping the old mark of 1:22.565, set by Michael Sanchez on April 4, 2004. Howard’s only defeat on the weekend came at the hands of first-year CMRA Expert Randall Kienast in the Pace American Trailers Formula 1 Expert, which features a $1000 purse. Kienast claimed the win on his GSX-R1000, with Howard, riding his 636, taking second, while Sanchez, riding a GSX-R750, finished third. Kienast also won the Motorcycles Unlimited A Superbike Expert Race, which features a $150 purse, while Howard added wins in the Racing Performance Services B Superstock Expert race, which features a $150 purse, the C Superstock Expert, which features a $500 purse, and the Sum of all Parts A Superstock Expert, which features a $150 purse. Other multi-class Expert winners included Ronnie Lunsford, who won the AF1 Racing Heavyweight Twins Expert/Novice and the Formula 40 Heavyweight EX classes, Tyler McDonald, who claimed wins in the 125 GP and the Super Motard races, which each pay a $250 purse, Dane Westby, who won the Formula CMRA Heavyweight and the D Superstock races, and Chase Vivion, who took wins in the Unlimited Motard race and the South Central Race Center D Superbike Expert, which features a $150 purse. Notable performances were also turned in by Alan Tan, who won the Formula 2 Expert race, Dustin Dominguez, who won the Lightweight Twins Expert race, which features a $500 purse, and Ryan O’Donnell, who won the Formula CMRA Lightweight race. Top Novice performers were Cory Burleson, who took five class wins, while Brandon Spradling, Myles Turner and Derrick Smith each had two. The sixth and final round of the Shogun Motorsports Formula Mini Endurance Series was held on Saturday and Team K&N finished out a perfect season by taking their sixth-straight win of the year. Team K&N, with Tyler McDonald and Bill Syfan at the helm, claimed the overall and Formula 4 class wins by a two-lap margin over second place finishers RS Express, while Team Lean finished in third, another lap back. Team Extreme Powersports grabbed the Formula 5 win with a fourth overall finish and STD Racing finished first in the Formula 6 category with a 10th overall. RPG Racing took the Formula 7 win with a 14th overall finish. In Saturday’s Mini Sprint action, Tyler McDonald beat Zac Chapman and Will Hendrick to the line to win the Formula 4 class, while George Crain won the Formula 6 division ahead of Garet Tomlinson and Conner Blevins. Blake Fuller took the win in the Formula 5 class, ahead of Dennis Dudley and Rick Shelton and Walker Keene claimed the win in the Formula 7 division with Dirk Anderson and Conner Blevins finishing second and third. The CMRA will conclude its 2005 season with the finale at Texas World Speedway, near College Station, Texas, on October 1 & 2, with a full slate of sprint racing, the final round of the Shogun Motorsports Endurance Series and the USGPRU finals.