CORSER CHASES FIRST ASSEN WIN After the summer break, the Superbike World Championship resumes at the ever-popular Assen circuit in the Netherlands with both Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders Troy Corser and Yukio Kagayama looking for podium places. The fast, flowing circuit is a favourite amongst riders and fans and is consistently one of the best attended events in the Superbike World Championship calendar. World Championship leader Corser has been on the podium seven times at Assen but he has never won a race there – something he intends to rectify this year. After his recent run of bad luck and a couple of heavy tumbles, Kagayama is looking forward to Assen and kick-starting his season back to life. It is one of the few tracks this year that he has raced at before – in MotoGP two years ago – and one that he likes a lot. Troy Corser: “The week leading up to, and including, Brands Hatch was something special. Becoming a father to a beautiful baby girl six days or so before the race and then winning the first race and taking runner-up spot in the second was the perfect end to a wonderful week. “I always look forward to Assen because it such a great circuit and usually we get really good crowds there. I am still after my first win at Assen, but I reckon this year I am in a good position to do it – and that’s my goal. Like all fast tracks, Assen provides good racing and normally it’s not the kind of place where a rider can make a break from the rest and make it stick. Over the past few seasons, the track has had a few changes so most of us will be seeing this year’s layout for the first time. But, as long as they have not destroyed what the track is all about, I’m sure I will be in with a chance of a couple of podiums.” Yukio Kagayama: Brands Hatch was a painful experience for me – first my backside and then my ribs. On Saturday lunchtime, I did not think I would be able to take part in Superpole or the races, but I did. Superpole was very, very hard for me, but I had a chance to rest on Saturday evening and felt in better condition for the race. I wanted to race because I have many British fans and I did not want to let them down. And, in a way, that is a bit the same for Assen, because many, many British fans like going there and they make the atmosphere special. Although, I have not ridden a Superbike at Assen, I have raced there before, so I have an idea of which way the track goes! It is a fast track, but technical and it is a track where you need to put in many, many laps to shave off those last fractions of a second. It is one of those tracks where you always feel that maybe you could’ve gone faster afterwards. I should be fully fit again at Assen and it is one place you need to be 100% if you want a good result.” 2004 results: Troy Corser (Petronas FP1): Race 1:10th, Race 2: 7th. Yukio Kagayama – DNS. More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: World Supersport and Superbike Championships 2005 Round 9, Assen Netherlands Race Preview 2 – 4 SEPTEMBER 2005 CHARPENTIER ON THE BRINK OF HONDA’S FOURTH RIDERS’ TITLE Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) approaches Assen with the knowledge that a race win would guarantee him his first and Honda’s fourth consecutive World Supersport Riders’ Championship. Such has been his astonishing run of consistently competitive outings on his Winston Ten Kate machine that he sits 74 points ahead of his closest challenger, his own team-mate Katsuaki Fujiwara (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR). Charpentier’s raceday dominance has been a result of strong work behind the scenes by manufacturer and team, with Charpentier winning six of the eight races so far, and taking seven of the eight pole positions. Only Fujiwara and third placed rider Kevin Curtain (Yamaha) have even an arithmetical chance of overhauling Charpentier before the season ending race at Magny Cours on October 9th. Charpentier and Fujiwara are not alone in their quest to take the Assen win for Honda, as the Team Italia Megabike Honda squad has 2002 World champion Fabien Foret (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) and Michel Fabrizio (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) ready to do battle once more. With Foret fourth overall on 85 points and Fabrizio fifth on 82, Assen will be something of a personal duel between the former champ and the young contender. WSS novice Tatu Lauslehto (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) rates Assen as his favourite circuit of all, but this year he, like all his competitors, will have a new section of track to learn, after winter safety modifications at a number of corners on the circuit. For Charpentier, Assen is not just a chance to win in front of his Winston Ten Kate team’s home crowd; it is one of four remaining opportunities to become champion something he would rather not think about quite yet. “For sure, the championship is possible for me this weekend and I’m in very good physical condition,” stated Charpentier, who prefers to deal with this race as a single event like any other. “We know how strong the bike is and how well the team has been working all through the season, so I have to be hoping for a win or at least a podium finish. My approach to the weekend will be exactly the same as before and, although I cannot help thinking about the championship, when I am inside the box and inside my helmet, there is only one thing I am concentrating on. That is riding as well as I can and trying to get the best from a very good bike. I like the circuit at Assen but some of the GP riders were not so positive about the changes for this season so we’ll have to see what the new layout is like.” Fujiwara will be racing a Honda for the first time at Assen, but is undaunted by the challenge of the always impressive van Drenthe circuit. “This is my first time at Assen on the Honda but I think it will suit the bike,” he states. “Although I know there have been some changes for this year, we will have to see what effect they have on the track’s character. I like the circuit and took pole position for my first Supersport race there in 2001. I also finished in third behind Chris Vermeulen and Karl Muggeridge a year or so later. My back is much better after my crash in Japan last month, although it was a little sore after the race at Brands Hatch, I don’t expect any problems this weekend. I will have to be in good shape because I know I have to beat Sébastien at Assen to stop him winning the championship.” Foret has firm aspirations for his 2005 season, to finish top three despite his ups and downs. “The last two race weekends were no so good for me,” confessed Foret. “I’m fourth in the World Supersport championship and my target is to arrive on the final podium. This target will be possible only thanks to four fantastic races, from Assen to Magny Cours. I will make the best that is possible for me and I know that the team also has that as a target. Assen is a wonderful track and I want to return to the podium.” Fabrizio’s last experience of Assen came on a MotoGP bike in the rain, but whatever the conditions it is a track that he knows he can take a podium at. “I made a good race at Assen in the rain one year ago, but I’m not hoping for bad weather for Sunday, because I know that I can make a good race, again with the podium as the target, without the ‘help’ of the rain,” said Fabrizio. “The bike now has a good suspension set-up and good engine power. The victory? It’s my dream for this week-end but I know that Charpentier will be a hard rider to pass.” Lauslehto, tenth overall in the championship race in his rookie season, loves Assen and hopes to continue his affection for its new layout. “I like Assen a lot,” grinned the flying Finn. “Actually, it is my favourite track. It should be, because in 2004 I won my first European Championship race at Assen. I have a confident feeling for the next round. But I try always to think realistically and a position somewhere in the top ten seems possible.” For this race Lauslehto will have a temporary Klaffi Honda team-mate, Scandinavian Production 600 champion, Nicolai Sørensen, from Denmark. World Superbike Round 9 of 12 ASSEN BEGINS RUN TO FINAL HURDLES FOR HONDA’S SUPERBIKE MEN Chris Vermeulen (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) knows that only race wins with his name on them, and some bad luck for championship leader Troy Corser (Suzuki), will be enough to leave him a fighting chance of the title. This reality is merely a spur to his deep-seated desire to take his second and third race wins of the season, to add to his second leg success at Monza in May. A first podium is the fervent desire of his team-mate Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) as he begins the final third of his rookie SBK season, with his memories of his 2004 World Supersport championship win still fresh in his mind – including his Assen race win. His immediate Assen target is to break into the top ten in the championship, and he is currently only three points from it. Even the most experienced World Superbike rider of them all, Pierfrancesco Chili (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) has a new trick to learn this year, the Assen ace joining his fellow riders in having a new section of the track to assimilate, thanks to off-season safety modifications. Eighth overall, Chili will be looking for his first podium of the year at Assen. Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) had a superb start to the season but has been dogged by injury and slight misfortunes since then. Nonetheless, the German 22-year-old likes fast tracks, and is a big fan of Assen. In 13th place at present, he is determined to finish in the top ten in his rookie SBK season, and add to his lone Phillip Island podium finish. Using a recent British Superbike Championship race at Silverstone to get in some valuable testing miles, Ben Bostrom (Renegade Honda Koji CBR1000RR) suffered impact injuries to his back and internal organs, but hopes to recover sufficiently at Assen to improve on his overall 15th place in the rankings. Vermeulen is one of Assen’s many fans, and he has already won a Superbike race at the Dutch venue, taking the first leg in his rookie Ten Kate Honda season in 2004. “I like Assen and I’ve had some success there in the past, with a win and a fourth in Superbike last year and pole position in Supersport in 2002 and 2003,” recounts Vermeulen. “We need to get the bike working a little better to beat Troy (Corser) but we all know that we have the potential. I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be going for eight wins from the remaining eight races but it’s going to be tough to stop Troy with the points lead that he has.” For Chili the second highest placed Honda rider in the championship, recent Assen performances will be his incentive for great things this season. “The last three years I was always on the podium at Assen, so this is one good reason I like the track very much,” said Chili. “This time there is one renewed part of the race track I don’t know yet. I wonder if this will make a real difference. I’m looking forward to riding at Assen and I’ll give my all to be on the podium again.” Despite the new section of the track, and the broken hand he suffered at Brands Hatch on 7th August, Muggeridge reckons his task of learning circuits on a Superbike should be easier at this venue than any other. “Although I haven’t raced the Superbike there, I think Assen will suit the bike. It seems that the faster and more flowing the circuit, the better we can get the bike working. It’s difficult to compare with Chris’s results from last year but at least we should have a good base setting to start from – something we were lacking a little at the beginning of the season. I like all the circuits but I think I’m at last learning what we need to get the bike working properly. My hand is a lot better after a three week rest though, and I’m in good shape.” Neukirchner’s season has also been affected by a hand injury, but his youthful exuberance has been undimmed by his occasional bouts of bad luck and no scores. “Assen is one these fast tracks I like very much,” he enthused, “But this track is also a challenge which requires a lot of experience. Last year I finished 7th in the Supersport race at Assen. This was perfect. But I had to learn in the hard way before, because I crashed twice in the practice sessions. This time I hope to keep a little bit cooler in the beginning. In return I’ll open the throttle during the race. A top ten position would be great!” Bostrom fully expects Assen to be a painful trial but such was his encouragement after qualifying at his recent British Championship ‘testing’ weekend, that he is still ready for a new challenge. “After a good qualifying and some hard work finding improvements in set-up I had a fourth gear highside at the British Championship meeting at Silverstone, after hitting water left by another bike,” said the 31-year-old American. “It was the biggest highside of my life. It’s left me with an incredibly painful back and it messed up my insides quite a bit. I suppose the good news is that I’ve lost about ten pounds in weight, because the internal bruising has put me off eating. In the run up to the races I’m just looking to rest as much as possible, and get the bike as easy to ride fast just as soon as I can.” Both Supersport and Superbike classes decamp immediately from Assen to a former SBK venue of Lausitzring in Germany, for the tenth round of the series on 11 September

SERIES MOVES TO SPEC TIRE TORONTO, ON The Parts Canada Superbike Championship has concluded a deal with Pirelli to supply a spec, or control tire for its three major classes beginning with the 2006 racing season. The arrangement, which puts the Canadian tour on the cutting edge of a worldwide racing trend, will apply to the Parts Canada Superbike feature class, along with the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike and International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike national support divisions. The agreement is for three years. “Fairness and transparency are the key elements of this deal,” said Colin Fraser, President of Professional Motorsports Productions, which runs the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. “Teams will no longer carry their own tires or do their own mounting. Now everything will be centralized, just like it is in World Superbike, World Supersport and a number of European race series. Everyone, privateer and factory rider, will draw from the same choices of tire and compound.” The switch to a spec tire will remove a major variable from the Parts Canada Superbike series and is designed to create a more level playing field among competitors. Under the open tire format racers are able to purchase or import their tires from a range of different suppliers. Those with more money or better connections often have access to superior tires or can stockpile the choicest rubber options. “Under the previous format it has always been easy to point to tire selection as an excuse for performance,” Fraser said. “Now this has been ruled out.” The opportunity to provide the spec tire for the national series was tendered to the various suppliers in July and Pirelli submitted a proposal that was, in the eyes of PMP, considered to be the most favourable to the series and its competitors. A recent meeting in Toronto with key international Pirelli staff, Canadian Pirelli race tire distributor Kevin Graham of Orion Motorsport and the major motorcycle manufacturers confirmed the structure of the 2006-2008 arrangement. The meeting included Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli World Racing Manager and Alberto Warburg, the Canadian Account Manager. The arrangement is a marketing partnership between PMP, representing the partner manufacturers in the Canadian National series, and Pirelli, rather than a financial one. As the spec tire provider Pirelli will enjoy a strong corporate presence at each series round. The feature Superbike class, which uses slick tires, will offer the most choice and a specific tire will be independently selected from event to event. The series will conduct fall testing with a select group of riders to develop product for the headline category. The Amateur 600 Sport Bike classes will likely have a single DOT tire option. As an added cost saving measure, the number of tires used per race weekend will be restricted. Pirelli, which also supplies the spec tire for the World Superbike Championship, is planning to bring 16.5-inch diameter pure racing wheel performance, developed specifically for Canada, to the Parts Canada series. Canadian competitors will continue to compete with stock, 17-inch wheels. The Canadian Thunder class is not included in the spec tire deal yet. The Suzuki SV650 National Cup already runs with a spec Pirelli tire and that arrangement is expected to continue.

Tickets Will Be Available at (800) 327-SECA or www.laguna-seca.com on September 1 MONTEREY, Calif. (August 30, 2005) Tickets for the 2006 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix July 21-23, 2006 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will go on sale starting Thursday, September 1. All general admission, grandstand seats, paddock passes and general camping will go on sale at 8:00 a.m. (PST) by phone at (800) 327-SECA or on-line at www.laguna-seca.com. All remaining tickets, including Flagroom and Laguna Club hospitality areas, are available by telephone only. A three-day general admission ticket for next year’s event remains $90. A weekend paddock pass is $40 and must be purchased in conjunction with an admission ticket. Grandstand seats are $15 on Saturday and $25 for Sunday’s MotoGP World Championship Race. The 2005 Red Bull Grand Prix saw American rider Nicky Hayden capture his first MotoGP race win. This year’s event was a sell out, drawing the largest crowd ever to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca – 153,653 over the event weekend. Due to an expected high-volume of sales, orders will be taken via telephone or internet only on September 1. No orders will be taken on-site at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during the first day of sales. More information on the ticket process is available by calling (800) 327-SECA or logging on to www.laguna-seca.com. Information on the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix is also available at www.RedBullUSGrandPrix.com. About Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and SCRAMP: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca was built in 1957 and has been operated since its inception by the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP). The world-renowned 2.238-mile, 11-turn permanent road course has seen many of the all-time greats in motorsports grace its technically challenging layout that includes the spectacular signature Corkscrew (Turns 8 and 8A). Among the many who have raced here are the likes of Mario Andretti, Wayne Rainey, Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson, Michael Andretti, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Jackie Stewart and on and on through a virtual who’s who of automobile and motorcycle racing. SCRAMP is a not-for-profit corporation that donates net proceeds from each race season to the volunteer organizations that help put on the events at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

BROTHER VS. BROTHER AT ROAD ATLANTA FOR AMA SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP PICKERINGTON, Ohio (Aug. 30, 2005) — The 2005 Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei has come down to the final race. Tommy Hayden and his youngest brother Roger Lee Hayden will do battle at Road Atlanta for the number one plate during the Suzuki Superbike Showdown presented by Makita, which runs Sept. 2-4 at the challenging Braselton, Ga., circuit. When Tommy’s series archrival Jamie Hacking dropped out of the series after suffering a bicycling training accident in May it appeared that Tommy had a clear path to his second straight AMA Supersport title. Then younger brother and Kawasaki teammate Roger Lee caught fire, winning three of the last five rounds and rapidly moved up through the series standings all the way to second after suffering a mechanical failure in the opening round at Daytona Beach in March. With his win last week at Virginia International Raceway Roger Lee kept his title hopes alive. “I definitely want him to lose a little bit more sleep,” ribbed Roger Lee after his victory last week in Virginia. “I didn’t want to give it to him that easy. Fun and games I guess.” The youngest of the famous trio of racing Haydens from Owensboro, Ky., Roger Lee is the defending Road Atlanta Supersport winner. Tommy is clearly in a good position and the math is simple he needs to score a 23rd or better finish at Road Atlanta to win his second straight AMA Supersport Championship. If he wraps up the championship this weekend Tommy will become only the third rider in the history of the championship to win back-to-back titles, following in the footsteps of Doug Polen and Miguel Duhamel. Tommy is the second all-time wins leader in AMA Supersport racing. “I really wanted to get the championship wrapped up in Virginia and have a stress-free week at Road Atlanta,” said Hayden, who is seeking his first Road Atlanta Supersport victory. “Things didn’t quite work and we’ll try to finish up with a win this weekend.” Kawasaki is in an enviable position with its ZX-6RR Supersport bike poised to grab first and second in the championship. It will mark the fourth title in the prestigious and highly-competitive class for Team Green. Ben Spies is the only past winner of the race besides Roger Lee Hayden expected in the field on Sunday. Spies is ranked fifth in the series coming into Road Atlanta, primarily due to his focus being on the AMA Superbike Championship this year where he is a title contender in his first full year in that series. With nothing to lose it’s a sure bet that third-ranked Jason DiSalvo will go for broke at Road Atlanta and try to give Yamaha a victory to celebrate during the long off-season. DiSalvo already took a victory in the series at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in July. At 21, he is considered one of the young rising stars in AMA road racing. A number of privateers are making a good showing in this year’s championship. Chief among them is young Canadian Chris Peris who is ranked eighth on his Topline Printing / Bikecards.com / Yamaha Canada Yamaha R6. Peris has scored seven top-10 finishes in the series so far with a high of sixth at Pikes Peak, and will be hoping for a good showing at Road Atlanta to give the factory scouts something to ponder over the winter. Road Atlanta’s Supersport finale will be televised on SPEED Channel, Sunday, Sept. 11 beginning at 11 a.m. For additional information on the event contact (800) 849-RACE or visit the website www.roadatlanta.com. About AMA Pro Racing AMA Pro Racing is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its properties include the THQ AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Motocross Championship, the AMA Superbike Championship, the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship and the AMA Supermoto Championship. For more information about AMA Pro Racing, visit www.amaproracing.com.

Round 7: Assen, The Netherlands Track length: 6027 m Opened: 1955 Fastest lap ever: tbc Superbike lap record: tbc Last year Superbike winners: Chris Vermeulen (Honda) and James Toseland (Ducati) Yamaha Motor Italia riders Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt go to the Dutch round of the Superbike World Championship looking to write their own small piece of motorcycling history. This weekend’s races will be the last world championship event to be held on the legendary 6km circuit before the bulldozers move in to shorten the northern loop section of the track, making way for a new hotel and entertainment complex. The Yamaha riders go to the Dutch race well rested and in high spirits. Haga has been in inspirational form in the last two rounds, winning in both Brno and Brands Hatch to climb to fifth in the championship and move within five points of fourth placed Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki). “I was very happy after Brands Hatch,” commented Haga, who has spent the four weeks since the last race holidaying with his family. “I know that I cannot win the championship so my aim now is just to win races. I do not care about my championship position if it is not champion but I know that we can win races so I will be trying maximum for win is Assen. I also hope to try out a new engine. All season I have asked for more engine power. My feeling with the chassis is now very good and with more power it will make my job easier!” The long-awaited new specification engine has been track tested by Pitt, who completed a day’s testing at Alfa Romeo’s Bolloco test track. The Australian, who finished third on his on his debut with the team at last year’s Assen world supersport event and is hoping for a similar result at the famous circuit this year. “I love riding at Assen and we got a good result there last year,” he explained. “We got back on track at Brands Hatch. I felt a lot more comfortable on the bike and that gives you the confidence to push hard so, yes, I’m really looking forward to the weekend.” Team coordinator Massimo Meregalli was satisfied with the outcome of the shakedown runs, commenting: “Overall Andrew’s feeling was very good. He didn’t notice much change in the characteristics of the new engine but the dyno and datalogging figures all suggest that it is better in all areas. Since the test we have carried out reliability runs on the dyno without any problems. We are building up the engines now and will make the decision on which engine to race during the race weekend.” Another rider looking for a good result in Assen in Yamaha Motor France’s Norick Abe. The Japanese is no stranger to the circuit from his MotoGP days, and has proven to be quick on tracks he knows. He goes to Assen tenth in the championship, one place behind Pitt. Haga hits double milestone in Assen Noriyuki Haga is due to hit two important milestones in the second race at Assen: his 150th start in the Superbike World Championship and his 100th on a Yamaha. The ever popular 29-year-old Japanese made his debut as a wild-card rider at the 1994 Japanese round at Sugo. Riding a privately entered Ducati, Haga made an inauspicious start with a 12th place in race two. Two years later Noriyuki announced himself to with world after grabbing his first class podium at the same venue, taking his Yamaha YZF750 to second place in race one. After Sunday’s races, Haga will have made 100 starts riding Yamaha, 26 on Aprilia and 24 on Ducati. In his 148 races to date, he has scored 19 wins and 25 other podium placings. Supersport World Championship – Curtain targets second Having produced a stunning display to finish third at Brands Hatch, Yamaha Motor Germany’s Kevin Curtain heads to Assen looking for his first win of the season and a chance to move up to second in the championship. Championship leader Sebastien Charpentier (Honda) looks to have one hand on the title with a 74 point advantage going to the Netherlands. Curtain was one of the form men at Assen last year, only being denied a podium finish when another rider took him out at the final corner, and now he has his sights firmly set on the runners-up position presently occupied by Katsuaki Fujiwara (Honda), who is currently seven points ahead of the Australian Yamaha rider. Team-mate Broc Parkes is also aiming for a reversal of fortunes at Assen. The 23-year-old goes to the Dutch race on the back of two non-finishes that have seen him slip back to seventh in the championship. Parkes is also no stranger to the Assen track, having finished fourth there last season. Superstock – young guns going for it in Assen Yamaha R6 Cup graduates Kenan Sofuoglu and Massimo Roccoli continue to battle for honours in this series for young riders running virtually stock 1000cc sports machines, with Sofuoglu’s Brands Hatch win taking him back to the head of the championship. The Turkish rider is almost completely recovered from hand injury that saw him miss the Misano round in June and, with Roccoli crashing in Brands, he now has a 18 point advantage in the championship – the Italian slipping back to third behind Craig Coxhell (Suzuki). Last season Sofuoglu grabbed third place behind fellow Yamaha riders Lorenzo Alfonsi and Gianluca Vizziello, while Belgian team-mate Didier van Keymeulen took the lap record at what is his local race. Van Keymeulen currently lies fourth in the series and could kickstart a late bid for the title with a win in Assen. In the 600cc superstock class, Italian Yamaha R6 rider Claudio Corti goes to the Netherlands with a 26 point advantage at the head of the championship. More, from a press release issued by Pirelli: It’s time for Assen, a track that doesn’t need any introduction, being famously known as the ‘university of motorcycle racing’. In the last round, in England on 7th August, Noriyuki Haga and his Yamaha beat Troy Corser in race two, but the two races were a battleground, providing a great show, based on extreme outbraking and overtaking. It was simply a feast of racing, lapped up by 100,000 spectators. The Championship is living in a magic moment, with five different manufacturers in the first seven championship places, underlining the highly competitive nature of the show. In the leading place Corser still strides the table, but in Brands he proved he is racing with little thought of the Championship, competing as if every race were a championship decider. Everybody will race for the two wins on offer at Assen, a track which has been modified to be safer for all competitors. It is thus a little bit slower than previous years, but still highly demanding. The Dutch track needs a particularly careful choice of tyres, for a host of reasons. First of all the climatic conditions, both in terms of the temperature and the fast changes in the weather throughout the day, mean that things are always far from easy. For Pirelli this means a wide range of different solutions must be made available, in order to face all the different conditions with confidence. But this track always creates some troubles for the riders, who may be asked to take uneasy decisions when experiencing extreme conditions – like rain that falls only on some sections of the track, and not others. Nonetheless, in the case of rain the Assen tarmac performs well: offering good grip and efficient drainage properties. There’s something more that becomes a pivotal point of tyre choice at Assen. The tarmac also creates high temperatures on the central part of the tyre profile, due to the long fast corners and the high-speed changes of direction. Riders will find available to them for a dry race four different front tyres that they have already tried this season, while at the rear they will choose among five different solutions, plus two qualifying tyres. From the same ‘medium’ compound base Pirelli technicians wanted to obtain three different solutions. One made with a harder carcass (that will allow a more precise line) and one of 200mm width (still undergoing testing and development). The final fifth solution is made with a harder compound, but this one showed at Brno that it can work as well as the others. In any case, it will be interesting to see how the riders arrive at their personal decisions. Then there will be the two qualifying tyres, one of which is a multi-compound version. With all this rubber there will be also the intermediate and rain solutions, which drive the total amount of tyres brought solely for the SBK class close to 3,600. That total increases significantly for the entire paddock, as Pirelli is also the sole supplier for the Supersport, Superstock 1000 and Superstock 600 classes.

SUCCESSFUL TEST FOR NAKANO AHEAD OF HOME GRAND PRIX With Alex Hofmann having completed his test programme ahead of schedule yesterday, it was left to Shinya Nakano alone to continue development work on Kawasaki’s latest Ninja ZX-RR engine during today’s final day of testing at the Brno circuit. The revised engine, which Nakano tested for the first time yesterday, produces more peak power, but also retains the ‘driveability’ of the previous incarnation of Kawasaki’s 990cc, inline four-cylinder MotoGP motor. Nakano, together with his regular crew and development engineers from Kawasaki in Japan, concentrated today on evaluating changes to the engine management system, and assessing revisions to the front-end geometry on his Ninja ZX-RR. The 27-year-old Japanese rider also tested a new specification exhaust during the afternoon session, collecting valuable data for Kawasaki’s ongoing development programme. After a busy race weekend, followed by two days of intensive testing, Nakano will spend a few days at home in Japan recuperating, before starting preparations for his home Grand Prix at Motegi, scheduled for Sunday 18th September. Shinya Nakano: #56 – 1’59.74 (48 Laps) “It’s been two hard days of testing, both for me and my crew, but we’ve achieved a lot. We’ve done a lot of laps on the new engine and, while there is still some development work to be done to realise its full potential, my overall impression has been very positive. It has more top-end power, and the power doesn’t drop off so sharply on over-rev. Brno is not such an ‘engine circuit’ so it will be interesting to see what advantages the new motor offers at Motegi, where I hope to try it again during practice. Overall, although we haven’t seen much of an improvement in lap times, it’s still been a very productive two days of testing for us.” Ichiro Yoda: Technical Manager “This has been a very positive test for Kawasaki. The feedback and data we have collected during these two days will allow us to continue our engine development programme ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi. We now have a clear direction for our engineers, and I am confident that we can make further improvements to the engine before the next race. Motegi is an important race for Shinya, and also for Kawasaki, so we are focussing all our efforts on providing our riders with the best possible package for this event. The same is also true of Bridgestone, who have collected a lot of data on Motegi through their involvement in the Japanese championship. I’m sure that the tyres they supply to us for this race will offer some advantages over those of our competitors.” More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Yamaha: GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM READY FOR FLYAWAYS AFTER SUCCESSFUL BRNO TEST Following his ninth victory from eleven races in Sunday’s Czech Republic Grand Prix, Gauloises Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi and his team-mate Colin Edwards completed a two-day test at the Brno circuit today, preparing for the forthcoming run of five ‘flyaway’ races in September and October. Both riders worked hard over the two days on a variety of small but important set-up changes, as well as spending time testing different Michelin tyres, finishing the test with some encouraging lap times under their belts. Rossi and Edwards were joined on the track by most of the rest of the MotoGP field, as the teams all took the chance to spend some time out on track without the pressure of a race looming over them. According to the unofficial lap times, the fastest man over the two days was Ducati rider Loris Capirossi, third in Sunday’s race, with a time of 1’57.568. Nicky Hayden and Sete Gibernau (both Honda) followed, with Edwards (1’58.584) and Rossi (1’58.654) setting the fourth and fifth best times. The Team now has a two-week break before the Japanese Grand Prix in just in Motegi, the first of five races outside Europe in six weeks, before the MotoGP paddock returns to Spain for the season-ending finale at Valencia in November. Rossi can clinch the World Championship title by finishing in the top two in Motegi, whilst Edwards will be looking for more valuable points to keep him in the battle for second place. COLIN EDWARDS 1’58.584 “That was a really busy test! We just tried a bunch of stuff with the bike, playing around with settings, trying to get my weight right and get to the root of the problem that we had at the weekend. Every time we’ve had a bad race it’s been the same issue no traction and today we really tried a lot of things to get it fixed. We made some good steps forward and by the end of the test I was able to do low ’59s on a tyre that had done 24 laps. The mechanics worked incredibly hard over this test to keep up with me and my demands, so big thanks to them. We spent so much time working with the bike on race tyres that we actually tested less new tyres than usual with Michelin, probably only about six, but we got some good stuff from that too so all in all it’s looking much better for Motegi.” VALENTINO ROSSI 1’58.654 “Testing the day after a race is always a bit difficult, and when you have won the race it is even harder to feel motivated! However we know that we have to keep improving, because the championship is not over yet and anything could happen! For this reason it’s been a valuable test for us. The bike is good and we didn’t want to take any big risks with trying new parts, but we have tried a new setting for the front forks and done some work on the engine mapping. We have also done a lot of work with Michelin and they brought some good new tyres here for us to test, so this is encouraging for the remaining races. I did some good times both yesterday and today and I’m happy with the work we’ve done. Now I am glad to have two weeks to relax before we go to Motegi.” DAVIDE BRIVIO GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “This was the last test before the end of the season, so the work we’ve done here will be very important for the remaining six races. We didn’t test any big things, just some small details which are important for us. Our bike is good right now so we didn’t want to make any great changes by introducing new parts at this point in the championship. We tested some new settings in the front forks, as well as working on mapping and electronics, looking to improve the power delivery and make it smoother. We also tried some tyres for Michelin. The test also gave Colin the chance to work again on his race setting and try to find a good way forward after the small problems he had at the weekend. It’s been very positive for both of them and they did some good times on both days, so now we are looking forward to Motegi!” UNOFFICIAL LAP TIMES (OVER TWO DAYS) Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team 1’57.568 Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team 1’57.602 Sete Gibernau (SPA) Movistar Honda MotoGP 1’58.441 COLIN EDWARDS (USA) Gauloises Yamaha Team 1’58.584 VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Gauloises Yamaha Team 1’58.654 Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team 1’58.730 Marco Melandri (ITA) Movistar Honda 1’58.977 Alex Barros (BRA) Camel Honda 1’59.393 Makoto Tamada (JPN) Konica Minolta Honda 1’59.392 Max Biaggi (ITA) Repsol Honda Team 1’59.399 More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda: BRNO, SECOND DAY OF TESTING FOR THE MOVISTAR HONDA TEAM The MotoGp teams worked hard today for the second and last day of testing at Brno. Sete Gibernau continued to gather important data lapping with the bike he raced with on Sunday. In the afternoon he made few laps with the new bike. Marco Melandri continued the schedule of work started yesterday. He made comparative testing and tyre testing. Marco also made a race simulation in order to improve the performance of the bike in the second part of the race. In total he made 99 laps. SETE GIBERNAU (37 laps, 1.58″441): “Unfortunately we had not enough time to test the new bike and it’s too early to say something about the new bike. In fact, I only made four laps. For sure, Honda is doing a great effort to develop a new bike.” MARCO MELANDRI (99 laps, 1.58″977): “This test session has been very important for me. We have worked to improve the performance of the bike in the second half of the race. Today I made a race simulation and I had a very good feeling. In fact we succeeded to be more consistent. I’m happy and I look confidently to the next race.” UNOFFICIAL LAP TIMES 1. Loris Capirossi (Ita/Ducati) 1:57.568 2. Nicky Hayden (Usa/Honda) 1:57.717 3. Sete Gibernau (Sp/Honda) 1:58.441 4. Colin Edwards (Usa/Yamaha) 1:58.584 5. Valentino Rossi (Ita/Yamaha) 1:58.654 6. Carlos Checa (Sp/Ducati) 1:58.730 7. Marco Melandri (Ita/Honda) 1.58.977 8. Alex Barros (BR/Honda) 1:59.221 9. Makoto Tamada (Jap/Honda) 1:59.392 10. Max Biaggi (Ita/Honda) 1:59.399 11. Nobuatsu Aoki (Jap/Suzuki) 159.658 12. Shinya Nakano (jap/Kawasaki) 1:59.766 13. Roberto Rolfo (Ita/Team D’antin) 2.00.801 14. akioshi (jap/suzuki) 2.00.919 More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: Positive day for HRC at Brno – Biaggi and Hayden shine at the Czech circuit Honda Racing Corporation completed a successful two-day MotoGP test session at Brno, Czech Republic in positive mood. Repsol Honda team riders Nicky Hayden and Max Biaggi particularly pleased with the performance of their RC211V 5-cylinder 990cc grand prix machines. Both riders achieving the goals set for them by team engineers in preparation for the next round of the series at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit in Japan, on September 18. Former America Superbike Champion Hayden, 23-years old from Kentucky set a blistering pace around the 5.403km Czech circuit. Hayden tested a range of Michelin tyres and various machine settings eventually posting a brilliant lap time of 1m 57.717s, on race tyres. A time that easily bettered his best lap time of 1m 59.100s in Sunday’s MotoGP race at the circuit on his way to a fifth place finish. “We’ve improved the machine, found some good tyres and I think I’ve improved my riding as well over these past two days.” Said a delighted Hayden at the end of the day. Hayden’s Repsol Honda team-mate Max Biaggi tested his race machine and the evolutionary RC211V HRC are preparing for the run in to the 17-round MotoGP World Championship. HRC developed the new RC211V to help the riders steer the machine into the corners faster. Biaggi set his fastest time of the day aboard the new machine and pronounced himself satisfied with his new GP mount. In what was basically his first 20-lap shake down test on the machine Biaggi set a surprisingly fast lap time just 0.130s off his best lap in Sundays race. The Italian said. “The new machine has lots of potential and I can feel it is a little bit better than my 2005 machine in lots of areas. We found a lot of positive points for HRC to develop – especially the feel of the machine under braking and turning into corners.” The Movistar Honda team riders were also content with their work over the two-days at Brno. Vice World Champion Sete Gibernau spend his time running test aimed at finding solutions to the fuel management system problem that sidelined him in the Czech GP. Spaniard Gibernau was 4/10ths of a second faster today than on Sunday. The Movistar team engineers providing HRC with sufficient data to address the problem in time for the Japanese GP. Gibernau briefly tested the new RC211V but decided his cause would be best served by working on the 2005 machine in preparation for Motegi. He said. “It’s a little early for me to comment on the performance of the new machine but it is clear that Honda are making a big effort.” Italian Marco Melandri, on the second Movistar Honda, was running in close order with the race leaders in the opening laps of Sunday’s race but could not hold them over the closing stages eventually finishing in sixth place. Melandri spent the day working with his mechanics and Michelin in a bid to improve consistency over the entire race distance. Melandri shaved a few tenths of a second off his best time ever at Brno. Konica Minolta Honda Rider Makoto Tamada slashed a one whole second off his best ever lap time at the circuit and goes into his ‘Home GP’ at Motegi in a ore confident frame of mind. Tamada won at Motegi last year and hopes the hard work he and his team have done over the last two days will give him a fighting chance of a repeat victory. Honda rider quotes and best lap times: Nicky Hayden: Best lap: 1m 57.717s – 81 laps. “It’s been a really worthwhile test and we’ve achieved a lot. We’ve got the machine much better turning into corners and the Michelin race tyres I tried today were superb. To lap in 1m 57s on race tyres is a massive step forward and much better than I could have ever expected. We’ve improved the machine, found some good tyres and I think I’ve improved my riding as well over these past two days. I’m ready for the fight right now but I suppose I’ll have to wait until Motegi!” Max Biaggi: Best lap: 1m 59.399s – 47 laps. “It was good to get out on the new machine today. I managed about 20 laps and recorded my fastest lap of the day on the new machine. The new machine has lots of potential and I can feel it is a little bit better than my 2005 machine in lots of areas. We found a lot of positive points for HRC to develop – especially the feel of the machine under braking and turning into corners. I’m looking forward to racing the machine as soon as it’s available.” Makoto Tanaka, Repsol Honda Team Manager: “Nicky has had a really good day, especially with the performance he showed on the race tyres. His times would have been good enough to win Sunday’s race here comfortably. Nicky also improved the setting of the machine, which will help him in the remaining six races. Max tried the new machine and found many positive areas and gave us some idea of the areas of the machine which need attention. During the next few days we will decide a further test programme for the new machine and make a plan for its race debut.” Sete Gibernau: Best lap: 1m 58.441s – 37 laps. “It’s a shame we haven’t had more time to test the new bike – in the end I only managed four laps with it. That’s why it seems a little early for me to comment on its performance but it is clear that Honda are making a big effort.” Marco Melandri: Best lap: 1m 58.977s – 99 laps. “The two days of tests have gone really well for us. We concentrated fully on improving the performance of the bike in race conditions, particularly in the second half, and I’m satisfied with the result. We’ve tried a few different set-up solutions and I felt comfortable.” Makoto Tamada: Best lap: 1m 59.392s. “My lap times have been really constant over both of the days of the test. We have tested many tyres provided by Michelin and I have confidence with them has surely improved also thanks to the good condition of the track today. I leave for home tomorrow and I am really looking forward to Motegi where I hope to have my best race of the season in front of my fans.” UNOFFICIAL LAP TIMES 1.Loris Capirossi (Ita/Ducati) 1:57.568 2.Nicky Hayden (USA/Honda) 1:57.717 3.Sete Gibernau (Sp/Honda) 1:58.441 4.Colin Edwards (USA/Yamaha) 1:58.584 5.Valentino Rossi (Ita/Yamaha) 1:58.654 6.Carlos Checa (Sp/Ducati) 1:58.730 7.MarcoMelandri (Ita/Honda) 1.58.977 8.Alex Barros (BR/Honda) 1:59.221 9.Makoto Tamada (Jap/Honda) 1:59.392 10.Max Biaggi (Ita/Honda) 1:59.399 11.Nobuatsu Aoki (Jap/Suzuki) 159.658 12.Shinya Nakano (Jap/Kawasaki) 1:59.766

Superbike & Supersport World Championships, Superstock Cup Changes to the Rules The Superbike Commission, composed of Messrs. Paolo Flammini (FGSport), Claude Danis (FIM) and Giulio Bardi (Team representative), in a meeting held on August 29, unanimously decided to introduce the following modifications to the Road Racing Superbike & Supersport World Championship and Superstock Cup Regulations (for immediate application) : TECHNICAL REGULATIONS 2.3.6 Tyres Tyres may be replaced from those fitted to the homologated motorcycle. 1) With the exception of tyres: a) supplied by the Official Supplier. b) slick tyres. c) tyres marked “not for highway use”. The manufacturer must identify the tyre with the following: 1. The DOT mark and/or the E mark (used for “homologated tyres” or tyres marked for highway use only) 2. The name of the manufacturer 3. The year of manufacture (in code) 4. The tyre dimension 5. The speed rating 6. Any other features necessary for the correct use of the tyre 2) Fitting · The tyre must be mounted on the correct rim. · The rim must not be deformed or damaged. 3) Permitted maximum speed With the exception of tyres supplied by the Official Supplier, the minimum speed rating for use in Supersport and Superstock is (W). 4)”¦ 2.7.6.7 Tyres The rider can use a maximum of three (3) front and three (3) rear DRY weather tyres for each event. Only during free practices and warm up, riders will be allowed to use tyres allocated to them in a previous event, and an additional set of tyres (1 front and 1 rear).

Hurricane Katrina, a category four storm on the five-level Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, made landfall very close to Gulfport, Mississippi, home of Josh Hayes, the 2003 AMA Superstock Champion, at daybreak Monday morning, August 29. The storm brought with it sustained 140-mph winds, extremely heavy rains and a storm surge (an abnormal rise in the sea level) of 15-20 feet that flooded streets and homes as far as six miles inland. As many as 80 deaths may have occurred in Harrison County, Mississippi, where Gulfport is located, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour told the media. Hayes’ home is located two miles inland from the gulf coast, but the Attack Kawasaki rider was not at his home when Katrina hit. Hayes, 30, who raced in the AMA Superbike event at Virginia International Raceway (VIR), continued with his plan to stay near VIR Monday and travel directly to Atlanta, Georgia, Tuesday. The 2005 AMA season finale is scheduled this weekend at Road Atlanta, near Atlanta, Georgia. Hayes’ manager Gina Nadeau, however, left VIR Sunday morning, August 28 with plans to return to her powersports dealership located on Gulfport’s coast and prepare for the storm. Reached on his cell phone Tuesday morning, Hayes said he last spoke with Nadeau at 8:30 a.m. Gulfport time Monday. At that time, Nadeau reported that she and her family were taking refuge on the second floor of her new home while the first floor held three feet of flood water. Nadeau also informed Hayes that his Ford F250 pick-up truck, which she had been driving, was “gone,” presumably washed away by the storm surge. Hayes, who is single, was also able to contact two sets of relatives who were attempting to ride the storm out in their Gulf Coast homes, but one of the homes had already lost its roof Monday morning at the peak of the storm. Since Monday morning, communications with the Gulfport, Mississippi, area have been interrupted by the storm, but Hayes said he has exchanged text messages on his cell phone with a few more friends who expressed that they were “alright.” “Yeah, for sure, I’m terrified about my home and everything,” Hayes told Roadracingworld.com. “I won’t find out until a week from now what’s going on. There’s not much I can do right now except concentrate on what I need to do this weekend at Road Atlanta. “If you write anything about this, please tell everyone that I appreciate all of the calls of support I’ve received and thanks for thinking of me.”

KAWASAKI SHINES AT VIR Roger Hayden wins Supersport and takes second in Superstock ALTON, Va. Reigning AMA Supersport champion Tommy Hayden and series runner-up Roger Hayden gave another stellar performance aboard their Kawasaki NINJA® sport motorcycles as AMA motorcycle road racing returned to Virginia International Raceway last weekend. In the AMA Superstock race, Roger blasted off the grid in fourth and quickly advanced into second by the end of the first lap. As the laps wound down, the younger Hayden was determined to make it to the front aboard his NINJA® ZX™-10R and began to set up a pass on leader Aaron Yates, but a crash back in the field red flagged the race and Roger was forced to accept second place. Tommy elected to sit-out the race to protect his right hand which is still in the healing process following surgery to repair a broken bone back in July. “I wanted to wait until there was two laps to go before passing because I knew I was faster than him [Yates],” said Roger. “It is kind of hard that my best ride of the season got cut short but I guess that’s how it goes.” In the AMA Supesport race, Roger got the jump on the field aboard his NINJA® ZX™- 6RR and took the lead going into the first turn with Tommy close behind. However, Roger’s lead was short-lived as Tommy quickly passed him by turn three with Team Attack Kawasaki rider Ben Attard in fifth. As the first three laps were completed, Roger was determined to take back the lead and passed Tommy at the beginning of lap four. Tommy continued to keep the pressure on Roger for the duration of the event with Attard remaining close behind. On the final straight, Tommy made a final effort to pass Roger during an all out drag race for the finish that put him just .022 of a second short of capturing his second consecutive AMA Supersport championship. Ben Attard crossed the line in fourth. “All in all, it was a good race,” said Roger during the post-race press conference. “It was a difficult race because the board said +0 for 16 laps and I could still hear Tommy behind me and I didn’t want to make a mistake.” As Roger spoke about preventing his brother from clinching the championship with one race left, he joked, “I definitely wanted him to lose a little bit more sleep. I didn’t want to give it to him that easy. Fun and games I guess.” For his part Tommy commented, “I really wanted to get the championship wrapped up today and have a stress-free week. But it didn’t work and we’ll try to finish up with a win in Atlanta.” With his win, Roger kept his slim championship hopes alive as he inched even closer to Tommy in the points chase. However, with only one race remaining in the ’05 season, Tommy currently has 301 points to his second-ranked brother’s 270 and remains a strong favorite to earn his second consecutive Supersport title. During Saturday’s AMA Superbike race, Attack Kawasaki rider Josh Hayes captured his ninth top-ten finish of the season by keeping a consistent pace with the rest of the field despite two re-starts and rode to a seventh-place finish in the 28-lap event. Ben Attard qualified sixth for Saturday’s AMA Formula Xtreme event and rode a clean and consistent race to earn his sixth top-ten finish of the season after crossing the finish line in fourth place. Hayes also competed in the second Superbike race on Sunday and captured a sixth place finish for his efforts. Racing resumes when the teams head to Road Atlanta Raceway in Braselton, Ga., September 2-4. More, from a press release issued by Jason DiSalvo’s publicist: Disalvo tuffs it out at VIR with two pole positions and two podiums Jason Disalvo of Stafford New York competed in the American Motorcycle Association. SuperBike races August 26th, 27th and 28th at Virginia International Raceway. With practice on Friday, qualifying on Saturday and racing Sunday there is little time for rest. Friday proved exciting with Jason being among the fastest. Saturday continued ok until the second practice when he hit a curb at full speed with his left knee almost causing him to crash, and was able to return to the pit and needed assistance getting of the bike, after review by the medics he was transported to the hospital in Danville VA. for x-rays. With no apparent fractures Jason returned to the track for two qualifying sessions. In the 1000 SuperStock class Jason set the fastest lap to give him his 7th consecutive pole position. In the 600 SuperSport class Jason again set the fastest lap to gain his second pole of the day. During interviews after qualifying Jason commented, “I don’t know how race day will be with the damage to my knee, it’s a lot easier to run 1 or 2 fast laps in qualifying compared to a 17 lap race.” The 1000 SuperStock race started a 11:14 Sunday morning under cloudy skies with Jason running with the lead group until late in the race when he realized couldn’t mount a charge and settled for third place giving him another podium. Starting from his pole position in the 600 SuperSport class Jason was 5th after the first lap and worked his way up to third before the checkered flag came out giving him his 2nd podium for the day. Following the race Jason stated, “It was tough to keep the pressure on while my leg forced me to use the right side of my upper body to compensate for my left leg, I’m happy to come away with two podiums under the circumstances. The next race is Road Atlanta in a week son Jason will stay in Atlanta for some rehab prior to the race. Jason maintains his 2nd place position in the SuperStock class 21 points from the leader and keeps his third place position in the SuperSport class. More, from a press release issued by Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki: MICHAEL JORDAN MOTORSPORTS SUZUKI: HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AT VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY The Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki team continued its successful race season at round nine of the AMA Superbike Championship at Virginia International Raceway with four top ten finishes. Jason Pridmore raced to two strong eighth place finishes in the Superstock and Superbike races, while teammate Steve Rapp finished ninth in Sunday’s Superbike race and seventh place in the Superstock event to strengthen his overall third place position in the season point standings. Montez Stewart had a good weekend, continuing to find speed and lowering his lap times to a personal best on the picturesque southern Virginia road course. Jason Pridmore Sunday’s Repsol Lubricants Superstock Final – 8th Place “We’re testing every weekend, and the bike is definitely a testament to my guys,” said Pridmore. “We made a change last night, and it made the bike better. I got in that group of four or five of us, and we ran around together for a few laps at the beginning. Once I was able to get by John (Haner), I thought maybe I could run those three guys down again. I wasn’t going to give up. Then, coming down the front straight, I saw L2 on my board, and I felt something sucking me in (the draft), and then I felt a nudge going through the kink, and I thought, ‘That’s weird’. I thought I had a flat tire. As it turned out, it was Jake (Holden) running into the back of me. I was lucky to stay on the track.” Sunday’s Superbike Final – 8th Place “That’s a little bit more of what we like to see,” said Pridmore, pleased after a strong finish. “Right now, we’re where we should have been at Barber, making these improvements. Ammar (Bazzaz, crew chief) and the guys made some big changes to the bike last night, and made it a lot better. Now we can see those guys up ahead of us. We’ve got one race left this year. We’ll go there, do our best and then go to the off season and do some testing.” Steve Rapp Saturday’s Superbike Final – 11th Place “I had a good race going,” said Rapp. “I ran in eighth place for the majority of the race. I saw Josh (Hayes) up ahead by a couple of seconds, and I kept pushing to close the gap.” Sunday’s Repsol Lubricants Superstock Final – 7th Place “I got a good start and stayed with the leaders for a couple of laps,” said Rapp. “There were a couple of corners where I had little sidegrip issues. It kept happening as the race went on, and Geoff (May) and Aaron (Gobert) got around me right there at the end. The bike was good, but I just had to wait to get on the gas.” Sunday’s Superbike Final – 9th Place “I got a good start and Jason passed me five or six laps into it,” Rapp said. “I’m glad for him, because he was riding so well. He started to pull away, so at that point I had Kurtis (Roberts) behind me and he passed me. I followed him for four or five laps. He was having a hard time holding his lines, struggling with his bike, so I passed him back and I guess he pulled in. At that point I had a ten second lead over Marty (Craggill), and Jason was ten seconds in front of me, so I just rode a consistent race and stayed out of trouble.” Montez Stewart Sunday’s Repsol Lubricants Superstock Final – 29th Place / DNF “I had a really good race going,” said Stewart. “It’s a shame I fell, because I was going good. I had worked my way up, and I was sure I was going to get into the 1:30s (after qualifying at 1:31.838). I had a good chance at finishing really well.” Superbike Results – Race 1 – Round 9 – Virginia International Raceway, Alton, VA 1. Mat Mladin, Yoshimura Suzuki 2. Ben Spies, Yoshimura Suzuki 3. Aaron Yates, Suzuki 4. Jake Zemke, Honda 5. Miguel Duhamel, Honda 6. Eric Bostrom, Ducati 7. Josh Hayes, Kawasaki 8. Marty Craggill, Mladin Motorsports Suzuki 9. Jeremy Toye, Honda 10. Lee Acree, Millennium KWS Suzuki 11. Steve Rapp, Jordan Suzuki 27. Jason Pridmore, Jordan Suzuki Superbike Results – Race 2 – Round 9 – Virginia International Raceway, Alton, VA 1. Mat Mladin, Yoshimura Suzuki 2. Aaron Yates, Yoshimura Suzuki 3. Ben Spies, Yoshimura Suzuki 4. Miguel Duhamel, Honda 5. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 6. Josh Hayes, Kawasaki 7. Eric Bostrom, Ducati 8. Jason Pridmore, Jordan Suzuki 9. Steve Rapp, Jordan Suzuki 10. Cory West, Hotbodies Suzuki Superstock Results – Round 9 – Virginia International Raceway, Alton, VA 1. Aaron Yates, Yoshimura Suzuki 2. Roger Lee Hayden, Kawasaki 3. Jason Disalvo, Yamaha 4. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha 5. Geoff May, M4 EMGO Suzuki 6. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha 7. Steve Rapp, Jordan Suzuki 8. Jason Pridmore, Jordan Suzuki 9. John Haner, Lion Suzuki 10. Michael Barnes, M4 EMGO Suzuki 29. Montez Stewart, Jordan Suzuki 2005 Superbike Point Standings (After 15 Races) 1. Mat Mladin, 471 2. Ben Spies, 450 3. Eric Bostrom, 382 4. Aaron Yates, 377 5. Miguel Duhamel, 341 6. Neil Hodgson, 328 7. Marty Craggill, 290 8. Steve Rapp, 268 9. Lee Acree, 265 10. Josh Hayes, 252 20. Jason Pridmore, 144 2005 Superstock Point Standings (After 9 Races) 1. Aaron Yates, 301 2. Jason Disalvo, 280 3. Steve Rapp, 230 4. Roger Lee Hayden, 205 5. John Haner, 196 6. Jake Holden, 195 7. Aaron Gobert, 162 8. Tommy Hayden, 168 9. Damon Buckmaster, 165 10. Geoff May, 160 19. Jason Pridmore, 97 25. Montez Stewart, 57 More, from a press release issued by Jessica Zalusky’s publicist: Zalusky’s Debut at V.I.R. Gets Cut Short Making her first racing appearance at V.I.R., Kawasaki Team Green Rider Jessica Zalusky acclimated quickly and qualified 28th in the AMA Formula Xtreme class. At the start of the race, Zalusky had a great start and was able to keep her momentum going. As the race progressed, she continued to drop her lap times, closing in on the 19th position rider during the last lap. As Zalusky hit the apex of turn 7, another rider came on the inside and took them both out, just seconds from passing the checkered flag. “After I was well into the corner, I recall briefly seeing a bike coming right at me, leaving me no where to go,” Zalusky stated following being discharged from the hospital. As a result of the crash, she suffered a fractured collar bone, concussion, several bruises and muscle strains. Despite the crash, Zalusky finished respectively in 21st position, leaving her in 35th position in the AMA Formula Xtreme Championship. Zalusky would like to express her sincere gratitude to the many supporters for their concern following her crash. “I am overwhelmed by the kindness of so many people, thank you for the visitors at the hospital, emails, and phone calls.” Zalusky stated following her return to Minnnesota. As a result, Zalusky will end her AMA season with VIR, but will hopefully, depending on her recovery, defend her points chase with the Central Roadracing Association in October. For more information on Jessica Zalusky and for any “well wishes,” visit www.roadracinggirl.com.