MotoGP Qualifying Results From Brno: 1. Sete Gibernau, Honda, 1:57.504 2. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 1:57.551 3. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 1:57.685 4. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, 1:57.875 5. Marco Melandri, Honda, 1:57.999 6. Carlos Checa, Ducati, 1:58.185 7. Alex Barros, Honda, 1:58.223 8. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 1:58.377 9. Colin Edwards, Yamaha, 1:58.323 10. Max Biaggi, Honda, 1:58.337 11. Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki, 1:58.490 12. Makoto Tamada, Honda, 1:58.610 13. Troy Bayliss, Honda, 1:58.662 14. Alex Hofmann, Kawasaki, 1:58.793 15. Toni Elias, Yamaha, 1:58.815 16. Nobuatsu Aoki, Suzuki, 1:59.495 17. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki, 1:59.734 18. James Ellison, Blata, 2:00.529 19. Roberto Rolfo, Ducati, 2:00.879 20. Ruben Xaus, Yamaha, 2:01.535 21. Franco Battaini, Blata, 2:02.585 22. Jeremy McWilliams, Proton, 2:04.663 More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Gibernau launches season revival at Brno Sete Gibernau pulverised the pole position record at the Brno circuit to secure the front slot on the grid for Sunday’s eleventh round of the MotoGP World Championship in front of a packed crowd in the Czech Republic today. After finishing second to Valentino Rossi in the series for the past two seasons Gibernau has yet to win a race this season but his performance in hot and sunny conditions this afternoon suggested that he may be ready to repeat his victory at this track from one year ago and final ignite a stuttering campaign. The Spaniard lapped 1.265 seconds inside Rossi’s previous pole record, clocking a best a time of 1’57.504 to hold off late challenges from his Yamaha rival, as well as Honda rider Nicky Hayden and Ducati’s Loris Capirossi. “That was a difficult day but I think we’re doing a good job in the team and with Michelin,” said Gibernau. “Here at Brno the races are always very long and it’s difficult to get away – there are always a lot of people at the front of the race. There are lots of places to pass and overtake, many things can happen on the last lap, in last corner, and we’ll have to watch for that. Loris and Nicky are very fast so it will be close.” Rossi’s final effort fell 0.371 seconds short of Gibernau’s benchmark time and wasn’t even good enough for a front row position as Hayden and Capirossi took second and third place respectively. The series leader will start from the second row of the grid in fourth as he aims to pick up the first of just two more victories that would guarantee the title for the fifth successive season. Capirossi again made a flying start to the day, clocking the fastest time in the morning free practice as he had done yesterday before challenging for top spot throughout the afternoon. Hayden, meanwhile, continued a run of excellent qualifying form that had seen him take pole position for two of the previous three rounds. Marco Melandri will aim to hold off Gibernau for second place in the championship from the second row of the grid. The Italian youngster lies just one point ahead of his Honda team-mate, 120 points adrift of Rossi in the current standings, and he will aim to defend that position from fifth place at a circuit where he has already celebrated victory on three occasions in the minor categories. Carlos Checa qualified sixth fastest to seal the final spot on the second row and complete an encouraging day for Ducati. Lap record holder Alex Barros will launch his charge from the third row of the grid after qualifying seventh fastest ahead of American riders John Hopkins and Colin Edwards. Behind them, Max Biaggi and Shinya Nakano complete a list of eleven riders to have lapped within a single second of Gibernau’s pole time, ensuring close racing all the way through the order tomorrow. Jeremy McWilliams will make his first MotoGP appearance of the season for Proton Team KR after qualifying in 22nd place despite only completing three laps in this afternoon’s session before suffering from technical problems. Jorge Lorenzo continued his quest to take the challenge to 250cc World Champion Dani Pedrosa in the second half of the season after a stunning surge to smash Tetsuya Harada’s quarter-litre pole record, which had stood since 2001. Lorenzo followed up the fastest time in the morning free practice with a new record time of 2’02.261 in the afternoon to hold off Pedrosa by just 0.003 seconds. Casey Stoner, who trails Pedrosa by 50 points in the current championship standings, qualified third fastest and is joined on the front row of the grid by reigning 125cc World Champion Andrea Dovizioso, who finished second to Lorenzo in a thrilling race in the smaller category last season. Current series leader Thomas Lüthi took his second pole position of the season in final qualifying for tomorrow’s 125cc race, lapping just 0.032 seconds quicker than Mattia Pasini. Mika Kallio and his KTM team-mate Gabor Talmacsi failed to improve their lap times today after provisionally taking the front two slots on the grid yesterday, with Kallio slipping to third place and Talmacsi dropping to the second row after a late effort from Marco Simoncelli that sealed fourth. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing: BRNO PROVES CHALLENGING FOR KAWASAKI PAIRING Kawasaki riders, Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann, have qualified eleventh and fourteenth respectively for tomorrow’s Czech Republic Grand at Brno. Both made excellent use of the latest Bridgestone qualifying tyres, with Nakano’s best lap putting the Japanese rider within one second of pole position. Meanwhile Hofmann was just 0.4s off a top ten place on the grid. During today’s two hours of practice and qualifying both riders continued evaluation of the latest Bridgestone race tyres featuring new compounds and constructions, and confirmed their race day selections. But neither rider is underestimating the task facing the Ninja ZX-RR on the fast, bumpy and hugely challenging 5.4 km Brno circuit. Following a lack of front-end feel and chassis balance yesterday, both riders reported more competitive set-ups today after further adjustments to chassis and engine management settings. But after assessing the data collected, and a study of lap times, Kawasaki Technical Manager, Ichiro Yoda, says that Kawasaki have learnt a great deal about the future direction required for their MotoGP programme. Qualifying was conducted in warm and sunny conditions, with the track surface temperature rising to 40 degrees. Shinya Nakano: #56 – Eleventh – 1’58.490 “Today was much better than yesterday, I had better rear traction and front-end feel and I could enjoy riding the bike, although we are still too far from the times at the front of the grid. We have made a lot of adjustments to chassis and engine settings, and there are more to try in the warm-up tomorrow. I have made my race tyre choice from the new Bridgestone selection and race consistency looks good. Today the latest Bridgestone qualifying tyre also worked very well.” Alex Hofmann: #66 – Fourteenth – 1’58.793 “I would love to be somewhere in the top ten, but it was just not possible today – another 0.4s and I would be there. Only right at the end did I get a decent lap with a chance to get a tow to find some more speed on the straights. Overall the bike was more comfortable today, but my problem is still T1 – a straight, turn one and then another straight. The new Bridgestone tyres look consistent, so it will just be a matter of grinding out the laps, hopefully having some guys to race and get as many points as possible. And have some fun too of course.” Ichiro Yoda: Technical Manager “Our race pace is in the low two minute bracket, perhaps some 1’59s but this is not enough for this style of fast track. Firstly, we need more top end power, but what a track like Brno also shows us is that Kawasaki’s priority for next year must be a completely revised bike package – engine, power delivery, chassis and electronics.” Harald Eckl: Team Manager “We are facing a difficult time in tomorrow’s race. Fortunately with Shinya and Alex, I know we have two riders who will do their maximum to deliver as many points as possible. But it will not be easy with our current Ninja ZX-RR package.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: Czech Grand Prix, Brno Qualifying, Saturday August 27 2005 DUCATI MARLBORO MEN ENJOY BEST QUALIFYING SO FAR Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa were third and sixth fastest in this afternoon’s Czech GP qualifying session to put them on the first and second rows of the grid for tomorrow’s race, round 11 of the 2005 MotoGP series. Although today’s positions exactly matches the team’s qualifying performance at May’s Portuguese GP (with the riders reversed), Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli reckons that this is the best so far. Capirossi’s front-row start is the team’s third of the year, following his first in China and Checa’s first in Portugal. “This is our best qualifying this year because we are also very confident about the race,” said Cecchinelli. “Our bike works really well here and we’re happy because our race tyres seem like they’re even better than our qualifiers. Loris rode a very fast run on race tyres and Carlos managed a 59-flat on race tyres, which is really great. I think the pace for the podium will be mid-59s. Bridgestone’s latest tyres are a big step forward in warm-up performance and durability. The maximum potential of their tyres has always been good, now it looks like our riders should be able to use that performance from the beginning of a race to the end.” CAPIROSSI: SUPER FAST, SUPER CONSISTENT Loris Capirossi stormed to third place this afternoon, just 0.181 seconds shy of pole position, but while this was cause for celebration, his race pace was even more impressive. The Ducati Marlboro Team man rode a 16-lap run with 13 laps at 1m 59, the last at 1m 59.559s. In the previous three practice sessions Capirossi was twice fastest and once runner-up, so he is confident for tomorrow. “I’m very happy with the way our bike/tyre package works here,” said Capirossi, revelling in the performance of his GP5. “We’ve been able to find a good set-up, with the engine and tyres working well together. All the while we focused on race set-up, and I was able to be consistently fast every time I made a long run. I was also able to fully exploit the new Bridestone qualifying tyres, which I’m very happy about. Of course, much will depend on tomorrow’s conditions, but I’m confident we will be competitive.” CHECA LOOKING STRONG ON ROW TWO Ducati Marlboro Team rider Carlos Checa scored his best grid position since his third place in Portugal, recording the sixth fastest lap despite missing the first 20 minutes of the session, while he waited for his crew to solve a small transmission problem. The GP5 seems particularly well suited to Brno’s sweeping turns and high-speed straights, and Checa is raring to start his first race here aboard the V4. “It wasn’t easy because we lost the first 20 minutes,” said Checa, who thanked his team for making crucial improvements to his bikes. “The balance is much better now, so I have more grip, more stability and better turning. That’s why I was more than one and a half seconds faster today. But I didn’t find a qualifier I really liked until my third and last qualifying run, right at the end of the session. I had just one flying lap on that run, so I thought ‘okay, this is it, my last chance’. I have already chosen my race tyres which should be perfect.” More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Yamaha: GAULOISES YAMAHA RIDERS READY FOR BRNO BATTLE The eleventh round of the MotoGP World Championship looks set to be one of the most exciting yet after a dramatically close qualifying session at the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic this afternoon. Gauloises Yamaha Team riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards will start from the second and third rows of the grid respectively with less than two seconds covering the top sixteen riders. Rossi qualified fourth fastest after launching a late pole attack that saw him dip almost a full second inside his own previous pole record from 2003 with a best lap of 1’57.875. The Italian’s effort was just 0.371 seconds short of the eventual pole time set by Sete Gibernau (Honda) but it wasn’t quite enough to dislodge Nicky Hayden (Honda) or Loris Capirossi (Ducati) from the front row. Rossi’s Gauloises Yamaha team-mate Colin Edwards made another encouraging start to the day as he lapped third fastest in the morning free practice but the American again struggled to convert his good race pace to a top qualifying time as he lapped ninth fastest. VALENTINO ROSSI (4th 1’57.875; 24 laps) “Today we have done a good job with the set-up of the bike, especially on race tyres, and I am quite happy with the pace. I thought a 1’57.8 would be enough for the front row but Loris Capirossi put in a very fast lap at the end and I am fourth. Gibernau and Hayden are also strong and I think tomorrow will be a very close race because it is so difficult to escape here – it could be like Mugello earlier in the season. I hope so because I won that race! I have great rivals and the men on the front row tomorrow are strong, but I never, never give up until the finish. The championship is definitely not over yet and my only thought now is to try and win the race tomorrow.” COLIN EDWARDS (9th 1’58.323; 24 laps) “We made another good start to the day and I’m really happy with the way the bike is working on race tyres. Unfortunately when we put the qualifying tyre in, the front end started to hop around a little and I wasn’t comfortable enough to push for the time I think I was capable of. We’ve also got a little bit of work to do to make the right side of the race tyre a little happier after ten laps. If I can still be doing 59.5s or 59.6s in the second half of the race then we’ve got a chance of a good result. I’d love to say I’m going to go out and destroy everybody tomorrow but that’s not looking like the case at the moment. We’ll have a chat within the team tonight and see what we can come up with for the warm-up tomorrow.” DAVIDE BRIVIO GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR “Valentino has a good pace for tomorrow but he is not alone in that aspect and it looks like it’s going to be very close. I think several riders are going to be in the middle of it and I expect it will be a good battle. Even so, I don’t think it will be just about the guys at the front of the grid because there are riders further back who can join in and make it close hopefully Colin will be one of them. He still has some problems to solve but I have confidence they can be ironed out. Neither rider is starting from the front but that is not a problem because they will still fight a great battle for the best possible finish!” More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda: Gibernau pulverizes the pole record at Brno and gathers confidence for a difficult race Sete Gibernau will start tomorrow from pole position in the Czech Republic Grand Prix, the eleventh round of the season and the first of a series of races that the Spaniard has earmarked each as a ‘cup final’. It is Sete’s third pole of the campaign and the tenth of his career, taken at the end of an exciting qualifying session today. Sete was the first rider ever to lap under the 1’58″ mark at this track with 15 minutes of the session still remaining but he still hadn’t finished. On the penultimate lap of a total of 22 he recorded a stunning time of 1’57″504, 1.2 seconds inside Valentino Rossi’s 2003 pole record, to seal front spot on the grid. Nicky Hayden and Loris Capirossi will join him on the front row with his team-mate Marco Melandri not far behind after qualifying fifth fastest, less than half a second behind Gibernau. The Italian has taken two seconds off his best time over the course of the four sessions and is hoping to adjust some minor details with his bike set-up for a race that promises to be as tough as always at Brno. SETE GIBERNAU (1st, 1’57″504): “We’re ready to tackle a race that will be very tough, as it always is here at Brno. The races are very long at this circuit and it is very difficult to escape. They tend to be in a group and there are so many places to overtake so you have to be prepared for constant changes in the order. The race will demand a lot of concentration and every rider from the first to the tenth will count because the lap times are so close. We’ve got a good pace but the hardest part is still to come. We will have to be ready to fight until the final corner. We’ve done a good job and now we just need to finish that off by choosing the right tyre with Michelin”. MARCO MELANDRI (5th, 1’57″999): “Today we continued preparing for the race with a few small changes to the bike to improve my feeling on the rear end. I’m happy with fifth place because my objective was to get on either the front or the second row. It was a bit of a shame because on my final lap with qualifying tyres I made a few mistakes, which meant that I couldn’t improve on my grid position. Tomorrow I will have to get a good start and stay in the front group. I know it will be a long and hard race because there are so many places to overtake and it won’t be decided until the final lap.” More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda: ALEX AND TROY READY TO DO BATTLE IN BRNO An exciting qualifying session at the Brno Grand Prix forewarned of a fiery race tomorrow, with thirteen riders able to lap under Valentino’s pole position record from last season. The MotoGP riders have been pushing it hard since the very first laps on Friday morning and once the the official qualifying session got under way, they switched positions every two seconds, as they searched for the all important hot lap. Alex Barros made use of every last second of the practice to get his yellow RC211V set up correctly, finishing with the seventh fastest time and with laps regularly at race pace. Troy Bayliss also looks good in terms of race speed, but was unfortunate when on his last qualifying lap with the soft tyres. A minor technical glitch prevented him from using his final lap to set a quick time. Sito Pons Camel Honda “Alex has a good race pace going, similar to the fastest riders out there, and we are aiming to improve things for him in the warm-up tomorrow. Anyway, it isn’t too bad at all now, and if he gets a good start he could tag along with the front group and get involved in the race for victory. It’s a shame that Troy couldn’t use his last soft tyre due a slight technical hitch. Nevertheless he has made good strides forward again today, and in a hard-fought race like tomorrow’s promises to be, we are sure to see some of his famous fighting spirit.” Alex Barros Camel Honda 1’58.223 – 7th fastest “We have worked so hard on the set-up; up to the last minute before having to switch to the qualifying tyres to set a lap time. Suspension, settings, geometry, electronics, everything, much more than usual to try and get the best set-up. With so many tests and changes to the bike the rhythm isn’t perfect yet, but it’s not too bad at all. We’re lapping in the 1’59.5s or 1’59.7s, so perhaps we need to cut a couple of tenths off that to be up with Sete and Valentino. Generally I’m happy though with the work we have done, and I think that in tomorrow’s warm up we can improve yet further. Compared to Friday, Michelin brought us some different tyres which are working well. Tomorrow will be a very tough race, there’s lots of riders close together performance-wise, but I feel ready for it.” Troy Bayliss Camel Honda 1’58.662 – 13th fastest “I’m thirteenth, but that aside, things haven’t gone too badly this weekend. We have improved in every session and even this afternoon everything was going right until the last five minutes when I couldn’t get in my final lap with the soft tyres on due a minor part breaking. It’s a little annoying, but it’s something you can understand, I’m happy with the work we have done on the bike and I’m confident about the race tomorrow.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Third row start for Hopkins as Roberts Jr is sidelined by illness John Hopkins qualified his Suzuki GSV-R in eighth place for tomorrow’s Gauloises Grand Prix Ceske Republiky while team-mate Kenny Roberts Jr was only able to complete five laps during qualifying practice due to poor health. Hopkins (1’58.277) was within 0.8 of a second from pole position and kept up his good run of qualifying with his fourth consecutive top 10 starting position. He used both of today’s sessions to improve various settings on his GSV-R and is confident of finding more from his bike in the race. Roberts Jr (P17, 1’59.734) began this afternoon’s session complaining of a lack of energy and as a precautionary measure was taken to Dr Costa’s clinic where he was immediately put on an intravenous drip and tests were taken to find out the cause of his illness. It is hoped he will be able to compete in tomorrow’s race. Team SUZUKI MotoGP test rider Nobuatsu Aoki will be racing in his 165th Grand Prix at Brno tomorrow. The talented Japanese rider who celebrates his 34th birthday next week qualified in 16th place. Aoki (1’59.495) is riding in his first MotoGP of the season and qualified ahead of riders who have had a season’s worth of racing this year. Today’s sessions were again held in dry and sunny conditions and the fastest time of the day was set by Spaniard Sete Gibernau on a Honda. Tomorrow’s race will get underway at 14.00hrs CET. John Hopkins: “It was actually a pretty good session. We got through quite a bit. I put in a distance run on a set of tyres, which are the ones we plan on racing on tomorrow. There are still a few things we can do to improve lap times, but basically we are pretty pleased with how the weekend’s going. It’s the first time back since I had the surgery on my foot, the wound has healed and I’m at 100 per cent. I’m happy to be back out on the bike fully fit. “This is a track I really enjoy. Eighth place isn’t where we’d like to be we’d like to be higher but our slight lack of speed down the straightaway is kind of forcing us to where we are at the moment. There are some things we can do to compensate for it tomorrow and I will be doing my best to get a good finish.” Nobuatsu Aoki: “We have done a couple of things this afternoon from this morning. We improved the problem from yesterday. When I get qualifying tyre it seems like we need a specific and heavier spring on the back. It seems like the tyre is too spongy and is packing down. If I had time I would have tried heavier springs. I am now looking forward to the race as I have some good basic race settings.” Dean Miller Team Physio: “Kenny didn’t feel up-to-par on Friday. He thought it was a little bit of jet-lag. He came in today a little bit dizzy just before the qualifying session, so as a precautionary measure we decided to bring in Dr Costa and he felt that it was necessary to do some diagnostic analysis. “Kenny was still a bit dizzy so he and Dr Costa decided the best thing would be to have an IV and wait things out. He is now resting comfortably and we will see how things go for tomorrow one step at a time.” Paul Denning Team Manager: “Another great effort by John, he just missed out on the second row by a tenth of a second. We ran through three qualifying tyres and on his last run he was right on the pace, but the grip wasn’t there at the end of the lap and he only managed to marginally improve on his time. “We need to see if there is any more that we can get out of the GSV-R in the race to help us stay in the 59’s when the tyres have done a little bit of mileage. Concentrating on improving the bike is more important than a tenth in qualifying. “Kenny did a good lap time on a race tyre at the start of the session, but that was all he was able to do. He has some flu-like symptoms that have made him feel quite bad. He went to Dr Costa’s for the balance of the session and had an IV to put some energy back into him. It was hoped he would make it back to get out on a qualifying tyre but Dr Costa preferred to keep him there and get him ready for tomorrow. “Nobu has been steadily improving all weekend and his 16th position is not so far off the lap-times of many of the regular MotoGP riders who have a full season under their belts. In terms of lap-times and effort he is doing a great job, but it is always difficult coming to a Grand Prix after not racing for a year. Hopefully the information he has gained from these two days and then from tomorrow’s race plus two further days of testing next week will help us as we continue to search for improvements to the GSV-R.” More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: GIBERNAU AND HAYDEN POWER ONTO FRONT ROW Sete Gibernau (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) sped to his third pole position of the season here at sun-kissed Brno with Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) alongside him as second fastest qualifier. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) qualified third fastest to complete the front row. Gibernau confessed to feeling revitalised after the summer break and the Spaniard showed just how much he needed a holiday with a dominant performance on his return to action here at this majestic and undulating 5.403km circuit. Hayden was another rider who enjoyed his break back in the USA this month and he has shown he now has the measure of qualifying with a second fastest time just five one hundredths slower than Gibernau’s 1m 57.504s pole marker. The hour-long final session began with ambient temperature at 26 degrees and the track at 41 degrees, and at the halfway point Gibernau was fastest with Capirossi second quickest and Hayden always in touch in third. Once the essential work to achieve a workable race distance set-up on part-worn tyres was out of the way it was time for qualifying rubber and flying laps. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), who eventually qualified fourth fastest, was the first rider to knock Gibernau off the top spot, but his reign only lasted three minutes before Hayden powered his RC211V to provisional pole with ten minutes to go. Gibernau then responded to his rival’s effort with another pole lap that resulted in huge efforts from the front-runner to better the Spanish star’s lap. Hayden then topped Gibernau’s time by six hundredths of a second with two minutes left on the clock. Gibernau allowed the American the briefest hold on the front of the grid before putting in another fastest lap to snatch pole straight back and although Rossi was still circulating with a qualifying tyre on – he had no answer to Gibernau or Hayden’s domination of the session. Row two of the grid lines up with Rossi fourth fastest, Marco Melandri (Team Movistar Honda RC211V) in fifth and Carlos Checa (Ducati) sixth. Alex Barros (Camel Honda RC211V) heads row three. Pole man Sete said, “It will be a hard race tomorrow, there are a lot of places to pass and there is still a long way to go to the chequered flag tomorrow. Nicky is fast here, the Ducatis are fast, but luckily we have a good race pace and our tyres are working very well here.” Second fastest Nicky said, “That feels real good. I’m so happy for the team. It all feels so much better today than yesterday. We made a few small adjustments, nothing major – but it all helped. Things feel much more comfortable today and I’m really looking forward to the race. My last Michelin tyre felt so good. You can really let it all hang out with a qualifier on.” Marco in fifth said, “Today we continued preparing for the race with a few small changes to the bike to improve my feeling at the rear end. I’m happy with fifth place because my objective was to get on either the front or the second row. It was a bit of a shame because on my final lap with qualifying tyres I made a few mistakes, which meant that I couldn’t improve on my grid position. Tomorrow I will have to get a good start and stay in the front group. I know it will be a long and hard race because there are so many places to overtake and it won’t be decided until the final lap.” Alex in seventh said, “With so many tests and changes to the bike the rhythm isn’t perfect yet – but it’s not too bad at all. We’re lapping in the 1’59.5s or 1’59.7s, so perhaps we need to cut a couple of tenths off that to be up with Sete and Valentino. Generally I’m happy though with the work we have done, and I think that in tomorrow’s warm up we can improve yet further. Compared to Friday, Michelin brought us some different tyres, which are working well. Tomorrow will be a very tough race, there’s lots of riders close together performance-wise, but I feel ready for it.” Max Biaggi (Repsol Honda RC211V) qualified tenth. He said, “This is a bad situation. Things are not right and I’m very frustrated. As usual I’m trying 100% at a circuit I know so well and we have this result. I just have to keep positive and fight like I always do in the race tomorrow and look forward to Monday when we test here and I hope to find an answer to the problems we have at the moment – chatter.” Makoto Tamada (Konica Minolta Honda RC211V) qualified 12th and said, “I can’t consider myself satisfied with the results obtained today, but this is the maximum I could have done in these conditions. Today, in both the morning and the afternoon sessions, I have ridden many laps trying to find the best rear tyre to use during the race, but without finding a solution. The situation is better compared to yesterday, but it’s just not enough.” Troy Bayliss (Camel Honda RC211V) was disappointed with his 13th place qualifying performance and said, “I’m thirteenth, but that aside, things haven’t gone too badly this weekend. We’ve improved in every session and even this afternoon everything was going right until the last five minutes when I couldn’t get in my final lap with the soft tyres. It’s a little annoying, but it’s something you can understand, I’m happy with the work we’ve done on the bike and I’m confident about the race tomorrow.” Jorge Lorenzo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) rode to his third pole position of the season so far to pip Dani Pedrosa (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) to pole by a mere three thousandths of a second in a hard fought qualifying battle. Lorenzo said. “I am convinced that I will do well tomorrow. We will race hard and see what happens because it is the race that matters, not qualifying. However, I feel proud and happy to get my third pole of the year. It could be tomorrow I get my first victory but I could also not end up winning a race all season. We will see. If I keep being up there, first or second, that first victory will come at some point. I hope it’s a good race for the crowd tomorrow although I think it will be disputed by a big group of riders.” But Pedrosa as second fastest qualifier has secured his ninth front row start of the season, and try as Lorenzo might, Pedrosa’s Spanish rival has still not triumphed over the pre-eminent Iberian 250 rider yet in a race. Andrea Dovizioso (Scot Racing Team Honda RS250RW) qualified on the front row for the fifth time this season as fourth fastest, with Casey Stoner (Aprilia) third quickest qualifier. The Australian lies second in the overall points standings with his new-found improved consistency this season. Dani said, “It’s gone quite well today; I’m happy with the whole weekend so far. We continued to improve the bike and cleared up a few doubts that we had yesterday so the configuration is now good. The tyres are also chosen provided the conditions stay like this and it doesn’t rain. I know it will be a group race and everything could be decided at the end so we’ll have to be ready.” Hiroshi Aoyama (Team Movistar Honda RS250RW) qualified in eighth with his team-mate Yuki Takahashi (Scot Racing Team Honda RS250RW) ninth fastest. Hector Barbera (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) will start from row three in 12th. Aoyama said, “I finally managed to improve my time from yesterday in the last few minutes but I lost some places on the grid so I can’t be completely satisfied. But the important thing is the race and I know that I can do better than eighth place on the grid suggests. This afternoon I felt good and I’m confident I can run with the front group from the start. We’ll have to confirm the setting in the warm-up and just go for it.” Thomas Luthi (Elit Grand Prix Honda RS125R) was the man to beat in 125cc final qualifying – and no one could manage to topple the young Swiss star from pole here. Luthi’s time of 2m 08.638s was too much for Mattia Pasini (Aprilia) who is second fastest, 0.032 seconds adrift of Luthi. Mika Kallio (KTM) who is currently second to Luthi in the overall points standings qualified third fastest with Marco Simoncelli (Aprilia) completing the front row in fourth. Sandro Cortese (Klefer Bos Castrol Honda RS125R) showed well here qualifying sixth while Tomoyoshi Koyama (Ajo Motorsport Honda RS125R) is in the top ten as ninth fastest qualifier. “That session was great,” said Luthi. “In the first part of the session I tried to get the first part of the track right. Then I didn’t think I could go any faster, but found that I could. I ended up better on the second part of the track and got good speed on the hill up to the start/finish straight.” Koyama said, “This is my second time at Brno and I’m three seconds faster than I was before so I’m happy with my time. This morning I had some chatter but the team has now fixed that, so I’m comfortable. But the engine was not so fast this afternoon as it was this morning though, so we’ll look at that.” Honda Team Riders Quotes: MotoGP: Sete Gibernau, Movistar Honda, 1st: “We’re ready to tackle a race that will be very tough, as it always is here at Brno. The races are very long at this circuit and it is very difficult to escape. They tend to be in a group and there are so many places to overtake so you have to be prepared for constant changes in the order. The race will demand a lot of concentration and every rider from the first to the tenth will count because the lap times are so close. We’ve got a good pace but the hardest part is still to come. We will have to be ready to fight until the final corner. We’ve done a good job and now we just need to finish that off by choosing the right tyre with Michelin”. Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda Team, 2nd: “That feels real good. I’m so happy for the team. It all feels so much better today than yesterday. We made a few small adjustments; nothing major – but it all helped – feels much more comfortable today and I’m really looking forward to the race. The bike feels really loose around here race. My lap timer quit working halfway through the session and I was really hoping to get into the 57’s. My last Michelin tyre felt so good. You just kinda’ let it hang out a bit with a qualifier on – no risk – no reward. I’ll take that.” Marco Melandri, Movistar Honda, 5th: “Today we continued preparing for the race with a few small changes to the bike to improve my feeling on the rear end. I’m happy with fifth place because my objective was to get on either the front or the second row. It was a bit of a shame because on my final lap with qualifying tyres I made a few mistakes, which meant that I couldn’t improve on my grid position. Tomorrow I will have to get a good start and stay in the front group. I know it will be a long and hard race because there are so many places to overtake and it won’t be decided until the final lap.” Alex Barros , Camel Honda. 7th: “We have worked so hard on the set-up; up to the last minute before having to switch to the qualifying tyres to set a lap time. Suspension, settings, geometry, electronics, everything, much more than usual to try and get the best set-up. With so many tests and changes to the bike the rhythm isn’t perfect yet, but it’s not too bad at all. We’re lapping in the 1’59.5s or 1’59.7s, so perhaps we need to cut a couple of tenths off that to be up with Sete and Valentino. Generally I’m happy though with the work we have done, and I think that in tomorrow’s warm up we can improve yet further. Compared to Friday, Michelin brought us some different tyres which are working well. Tomorrow will be a very tough race, there’s lots of riders close together performance-wise, but I feelready for it.” Max Biaggi, Repsol Honda Team, 12th: “This is again a very bad situation. Things are not right and I’m very frustrated. As usual I try 100% at a cirtcuit I know so well and we have this result. I just have to keep postive and fight like I always do in the race tomorrow and look forward to Monday when we test here and I hope to find an answer to the problems we have at the moment – the problem of chatter and that the machine is not working in the way I want into the turns and out of them. We lose too much time. It will be a hard race for sure.” Makoto Tamada, Konica Minolta Honda: 12th:”I can’t consider my self satisfied of the results obtained today, but this is the maximum I could have done in these conditions. Today, in both the morning and the afternoon sessions, I have ridden many laps trying to find the best solution of rear tyre to use during the race, but without finding an appropriate solution. The situation has lightly got better compare to yesterday, but it’s just not enough. We have obtained, however, much useful information for tomorrow race setting of the bike. If I will make it to have a good start, I’m trustful to be able to remain with the group of the fastest riders.” Troy Bayliss , Camel Honda, 13th: “I’m thirteenth, but that aside, things haven’t gone too badly this weekend. We have improved in every session and even this afternoon everything was going right until the last five minutes when I couldn’t get in my final lap with the soft tyres on due a minor part breaking. It’s a little annoying, but it’s something you can understand, I’m happy with the work we have done on the bike and I’m confident about the race tomorrow.”

Final 125cc Grand Prix Qualifying Results: 1. Thomas LUTHI, Honda, 2:08.638 2. Mattia PASINI, Aprilia, 2:08.670 3. Mika KALLIO, KTM, 2:08.875 4. Marco SIMONCELLI, Aprilia, 2:08.953 5. Gabor TALMACSI, KTM, 2:09.045 6. Sandro CORTESE, Honda, 2:09.205 7. Fabrizio LAI, Honda, 2:09.472 8. Lukas PESEK, Derbi, 2:09.533 9. Tomoyoshi KOYAMA, Honda, 2:09.807 10. Raffaele DE ROSA, Aprilia, 2:09.896

Yamaha factory rider Jason DiSalvo was the fastest man in Saturday morning AMA Supersport practice, turning a 1:27.505 (half a second faster than any other rider) on his YZF-R6, but toward the end of the session a medical team was called to DiSalvo’s pits. Conversations over the AMA Pro Racing radio network indicated that DiSalvo hit his knee on an edge of a curbing in one of VIR’s corners and rode back into the pits in so much pain that he nearly fell off his bike. He was transported to a local hospotal with a possible broken lower leg. More details will be posted as they become available. Riders in Friday’s riders’ meeting had notified AMA Pro Racing officials of a depression in the dirt immediately preceeding the inside curbing in turn 10, which several riders had hit, losing kneepucks. Provisional Saturday Morning AMA Supersport Practice Times: 1. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha, 1:27.505 2. Roger Hayden, Kawasaki, 1:28.010 3. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 1:28.022 4. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha, 1:28.127 5. Ben Attard, Kawasaki, 1:28.188 6. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki, 1:28.195 7. Ben Spies, Suzuki, 1:28.382 8. Robert Jensen, Yamaha, 1:28.465 9. Geoff May, Suzuki, 1:28.771 10. Danny Eslick, Suzuki, 1:28.878 11. Chris Peris, Yamaha, 1:29.583 12. Blake Young, Suzuki, 1:30.138 13. Barrett Long, Yamaha, 1:30.604 14. Ryan Elleby, Suzuki, 1:30.896 15. Nathan Hester, Yamaha, 1:31.267 16. Nicky Moore, Yamaha, 1:32.015 17. Taylor Knapp, Yamaha, 1:32.159 18. Derek Keyes, Yamaha, 1:32.489 19. Donny Kelley, 1:32.658 20. Keith Marshall, Suzuki, 1:32.660 21. Armando Ferrer, Yamaha, 1:32.717 22. Trey Yonce, Yamaha, 1:32.898 23. Chad Klock, Honda, 1:33.173 24. Shea Fouchek, Suzuki, 1:33.186 25. Justin Filice, Honda, 1:33.216 26. Scott Jackson, Suzuki, 1:33.536 27. Victor Chirinos, Yamaha, 1:33.635 28. Joseph Ford, Yamaha, 1:33.637 29. Jason Moss, Yamaha, 1:33.775 30. Matthew Berry, Yamaha, 1:34.140 31. Mark Kittel, Honda, 1:36.264 32. Dillon Kao, Yamaha, 1:37.519

Provisional Saturday Morning AMA Superstock Practice Times: 1. Aaron Yates, Suzuki, 1:26.479 2. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha, 1:26.538 3. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 1:26.785 4. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha, 1:26.850 5. Geoff May, Suzuki, 1:27.031 6. Roger Hayden, Kawasaki, 1:27.189 7. Steve Rapp, Suzuki, 1:27.300 8. Michael Barnes, Suzuki, 1:27.952 9. Eric Wood, Suzuki, 1:28.328 10. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki, 1:28.340 11. Tony Meiring, Suzuki, 1:28.972 12. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki, 1:29.554 13. Lee Acree, Suzuki, 1:29.618 14. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki, 1:29.734 15. Akira Tamitsuji, Suzuki, 1:29.876 16. Jason Perez, Yamaha, 1:29.890 17. Blake Young, Suzuki, 1:30.165 18. Matt Lynn, Suzuki, 1:30.765 19. Brent George, Suzuki, 1:31.692 20. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki, 1:31.730

NTV Turkey signs with Dorna Sports to broadcast MotoGP MotoGP has secured a new television deal with a major terrestrial network in Turkey. The new agreement with NTV means that, starting at the recent Alice Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, all the events in the World Championship will be shown live through this national free-to-air network, with the premier MotoGP class always broadcast live alongside highlights of the 125cc and 250cc races, and all the races live for the Grand Prix of Turkey. The contract between NTV and Dorna Sports, the rights-holders to the MotoGP series, will last for two and a half years, until the end of the 2007 season, and follows the inclusion of Turkey in MotoGP calendar for the first time in 2005. The Grand Prix of Turkey will take place in the brand new circuit of Istanbul on October 23rd. With this new addition, the TV distribution list for MotoGP’s live broadcasts (or same day delayed on the different time zones) includes no less than 48 TV networks, covering more than 200 countries in all five continents. The average TV audience for each race is over 300 million viewers worldwide.

Saturday Morning MotoGP Practice Times: 1. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 1:58.196 2. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 1:58.611 3. Colin EDWARDS, Yamaha, 1:58.666 4. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 1:58.727 5. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 1:59.016 6. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 1:59.157 7. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, 1:59.195 8. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 1:59.333 9. Marco MELANDRI, Honda, 1:59.452 10. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 1:59.471 11. Troy BAYLISS, Honda, 1:59.637 12. Carlos CHECA, Ducati, 1:59.692 13. Alex BARROS, Honda, 1:59.752 14. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 2:00.388 15. Toni ELIAS, Yamaha, 2:00.457 16. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 2:00.573 17. Nobuatsu AOKI, Suzuki, 2:00.996 18. James ELLISON, Blata, 2:01.683 19. Roberto ROLFO, Ducati, 2:02.296 20. Ruben XAUS, Yamaha, 2:02.716 21. Franco BATTAINI, Blata, 2:02.847 22. Jeremy McWILLIAMS, Proton, 2:03.624 Combined Best MotoGP Practice Times: 1. CAPIROSSI, 1:58.196 2. HOPKINS, 1:58.611 3. EDWARDS, 1:58.666 4. ROSSI, 1:58.727 5. HAYDEN, 1:59.016 6. GIBERNAU, 1:59.157 7. ROBERTS, 1:59.195 8. BIAGGI, 1:59.333 9. MELANDRI, 1:59.452 10. TAMADA, 1:59.471 11. BAYLISS, 1:59.637 12. CHECA, 1:59.692 13. BARROS, 1:59.752 14. HOFMANN, 2:00.146 15. NAKANO, 2:00.227 16. ELIAS, 2:00.286 17. AOKI, 2:00.354 18. ROLFO, 2:01.435 19. ELLISON, 2:01.683 20. XAUS, 2:02.716 21. BATTAINI, 2:02.847 22. McWILLIAMS, 2:02.889

American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel and Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates will return with their current teams in 2006. “We came to an agreement with Honda for next year and the year after that; two more years of fun, sun and excitement. I’m very happy,” Duhamel told Roadracingworld.com Friday at VIR. “Right now, I think the plan is Superbike and (Formula) Xtreme for Daytona (only), unless things change.” Duhamel’s current teammate Jake Zemke is also expected to stay with American Honda next year. “It looks like I’ll be with Yoshimura Suzuki next year in Superbike and Superstock,” Yates told a SPEED Channel-organized Fan Party in the paddock of VIR Friday night. A press release officially announcing Yates, Mat Mladin and Ben Spies as Yoshimura Suzuki’s 2006 team could come before the end of the weekend. Current Kawasaki factory racer Roger Hayden, who told Roadracingworld.com earlier this week that he wanted to move up to the Superbike class, had been linked to Yates’ seat on the Yoshimura Suzuki team. Roger Hayden’s plans remain unknown, but his teammate and brother Tommy Hayden commited to Kawasaki in 2006. Also in the last week, Ducati dealers at the Ducati dealer meeting in Chicago, Illinois were told by Ducati North America CEO Michael Lock that former World Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson will be returning to the Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin AMA Superbike team in 2006, but a formal, public announcement will be withheld until the second rider on the 2006 team is decided. Hodgson’s current teammate Eric Bostrom said he would not make any decisions on future plans until the end of the current season next weekend. 2003 AMA Supersport Champion Jamie Hacking told Roadracingworld.com that he would be returning to the factory Yamaha team next year. The factory Yamaha team already has Jason DiSalvo under a multi-year contract and has already told Damon Buckmaster that he should look for a new job for 2006. The fourth factory Yamaha rider Aaron Gobert remains uncommitted for 2006. Mat Mladin Motorsports owner Mat Mladin told Roadracingworld.com that his 2006 team would definitely include current rider Marty Craggill riding a Dunlop-shod Suzuki. Former AMA Formula Xtreme Champion Jason Pridmore is in the middle of a two-year contract with American Suzuki and will spend 2006 racing in the Superbike and Superstock classes for his current team, Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki, according to friend and crew member Richie Alexander.

Alton, Va. (August 26) Former extreme snowboarding champion-turned-motorcycle racer Jessica Zalusky anchored the winning team in the inaugural Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals Superstars Kart Enduro Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway on Thursday. The race was a promotional event in advance of this weekend’s Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals at VIR featuring the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, and gave 10 race fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to race with some of the world’s top motorcycle races. Ten teams, each comprised of a Superbike racer, a media celebrity, a staff member from VIR, AMA or race promoters Race Promotion Management (RPM) and a fan, raced in an enduro format on VIR’s Plantation Valley Kart Track. Each driver got eight laps of the 5/8-mile circuit in identically-prepared 200cc Zip karts, and the fastest laps of each team’s four drivers were added together to create cumulative scores. The winning team consisted of Kawasaki Formula Xtreme competitor Zalusky, speedtv.com director Mark Mitchell, AMA Superbike Championship series manager Ron Barrick and fan Matt Boike of Charlotte, N.C. Their combined total time was 208.38sec, with Zalusky turning the fastest lap of the race at 48.10. “What an awesome event,” Zalusky said. “VIR’s Plantation Valley Kart Track is almost as much fun as the regular racetrack, and we had a ball. It was great to beat all the big guys, and I’m looking forward to defending my title next year. My teammates all did a great job, and the other teams put up a fierce battle. They may argue the point, but we are confident that the best team won. Plus, we have the trophies!” The second-place team consisted of Ducati Superbike star Neil Hodgson, Speed TV personality Greg White, RPM staff announcer Danny Walker and fan Paul Thorpe of Sicklerville, N.J. Their total cumulative time was 210.13sec. Hodgson was not pleased with the outcome. “I was completely robbed!” he said, with just the slightest hint of a smile. “I’m still waiting for a steward’s inquiry about Miguel Duhamel’s pass on me into the first corner. It was clearly a crazy and dangerous move. Someone could have been injured, so I’m really disappointed. You know, from an experienced, really old guy like him, you would expect a lot more maturity.” Hodgson also took exception to Zalusky’s claim of victory. “It’s still debatable,” he noted. “You know, our kart was not the fastest out there, but I think, based on driving performance, we far outshone the rest of the field. Next year, I’ll be tuning the kart like everybody else did. You learn from your mistakes, so I’ll be faster next year.” Finishing third was the team of Honda Superbike and Formula Xtreme veteran Duhamel, former Superbike champ Jamie James (serving as temporary correspondent for Cycle News), Speed TV event marketing supervisor Donato Bonaquisto and fan Mike Hummel of Greensboro, N.C. The team’s total cumulative time was 210.97sec. Duhamel took particular exception to Hodgson’s characterization of him. “Well, I might be old,” he said with mock indignation, “but the No. 2 plate is in my truck, so I don’t know where he finished! You know, I’m an old guy, and I don’t have time to go for the long lines like he does. I go for the short, tight lines. “And he ran into me! He was trying to turn into me. I was clearly in the right. I’m very pleased for the team. I just don’t understand what happened. I think, for sure, though, with Ron Barrick being in the picture there, something must have been done. There’s no way that guy could be part of any winning team in kart racing. Actually, he should have been docked 10 second for taking Josh Hayes out and bragging about it! That just doesn’t seem right to me. “In my heart, though, I know that I won. Not the team, me! You know, that’s the way I keep myself happy when I wake up. It’s always a beautiful day. “But it was a fun, fun event. I really liked it. The racing was great. I did bump Neil, and I’ll do it again if it’s for the win. So we’ll be back next year for the rematch.” Fourth place went to the team of Kawasaki Supersport star Roger Hayden, Speed TV announcer Brian Drebber, AMA tech official Kevin Crowther and fan Paul Guiomor of Long Branch, N.J., with a cumulative time of 211.16sec. Taking fifth place was the team of Suzuki Superbike title contender Ben Spies, Road Racer X editor Chris Jonnum, VIR staffer Burt Howerton and fan Dale McFaddin of Callands, Va., posting a time of 211.48sec. The sixth-place team of Ducati Superbike star Eric Bostrom, AMA Superbike media director Donnie Clark, RPM staffer Isan Hung and fan Lincoln Hurd of Knoxville, Tenn., would have finished second, but Bostrom was penalized three seconds for taking what the race stewards deemed a “creative” line through one of the corners that included much curb and grass, not to mention about .4sec less lap time than everybody else. A semi-recalcitrant Bostrom said later, ” I wasn’t really up front where I wanted to be, so, you know, a little cuttin’ the track,.. We deserved every bit of the penalty we got. I apologize to my team for cheating. I feel like I let them down, but I had more fun that way, and that was what the race was all about. I’ll be back next year, and hopefully I can do it legit!” The lucky fans got to compete with the racing superstars by purchasing advance tickets by August 12 and being entered into a lottery from which 10 names were drawn to compete in the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals Superstars Kart Enduro Challenge. Following the race trophies were presented to the drivers of the top three teams, and fan participants received a CD of photographs taken during the race. RPM vice president Cameron Gray said the event was a huge success. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the way the inaugural Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals Superstars Kart Enduro Challenge turned out,” he said, “Except, of course, for the fact that the kart I was driving was a dog and I was completely cheated out of what was certain victory. Other than that, though, we were thrilled with the way everything went. Speed Channel even showed up to tape the race for their ‘2 Wheel Tuesday’ show, and everybody is already talking about next year. I can guarantee you that I’ll be driving a faster kart next time around, and then we’ll see who’s bragging about a first-place trophy!” Gray also said that Matt Boike, the fan participant on the winning team, will be given a three-day pass to next year’s Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals so that he can come back to defend his title. Tickets for this weekend’s Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals can be purchased at the gate, with availability limited to three-day passes for $60 and pit walk passes for $40. The event schedule for the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals includes two feature races for the headlining AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited as well as feature races for the supporting classes including the Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei, AMA Repsol Lubricants Superstock Series and Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series. VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Va., and just north of historic Milton, N.C. In addition to its 3.27-mile natural-terrain road racing circuit (designed to be operated as two autonomous, full-service courses), VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America’s first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park; the VIR Gallery, which is a sales showroom for high-end collector and racing cars; the VIR Safety and Security Institute, which provides specialized training for U.S. Government and military groups; The Lodge at VIR, a 27-room hotel overlooking the track; and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse. VIR made history from 1957 to 1974 and is doing so again. The 2.25-mile VIR North Course circuit on which the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals will take place has 17 challenging turns and 130 feet of elevation change. In addition to spectator events, the track is also available to rent for testing, driving schools and club days. For more information on VIRginia International Raceway, visit the track’s website at www.virclub.com or contact VIR at 434-822-7700. For more information on Race Promotion Management, visit their website at www.rpmcolorado.com or contact them via telephone at 303-377-3278. For more information on the AMA Superbike Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited, visit their website at www.amasuperbike.com.

The Augusta Triumph/Ducati Racing Team would like to welcome Shawn Harris, our rider for the 2005 Suzuki Superbike Showdown at Road Atlanta, September 2 -4. Shawn, from New Plymouth, New Zealand, is the 2003 Isle of Man TT winner in both the 1000cc and 600cc production races. He has held several championships in New Zealand and debuted at the TT winning the best newcomer award. We invite our friends and supporters to stop by to say hello and welcome Shawn to the U.S. Editorial Note: Harris will ride a Triumph Daytona 600 in Formula Xtreme.

American Honda’s Miguel Duhamel pulled closer in the AMA Formula Xtreme Championship standings by earning his fourth pole position of the season during qualifying Friday at Virginia International Raceway — and the bonus Championship point that comes with it. Duhamel, who is the defending class Champion and currently second in the standings, succeeded Friday afternoon by turning a lap of 1:26.581 a new class lap record — on his Dunlop-qualifier-shod American Honda CBR600RR. Duhamel may have gone even faster had he not experienced a mechanical problem while on a fast lap with his second qualifying tire. Earning the bonus Championship point keeps Duhamel in a position where he can win the AMA Formula Xtreme Championship by taking the maximum points available in the final two race events. Duhamel’s teammate and the current Championship leader Jake Zemke (1:27.182) was satisfied with qualifying second, considering he missed a mid-season test at VIR while recovering from a minor injury, and the progress he made with his CBR600RR’s set-up Friday. Third-fastest Michael Barnes (1:27.270) just missed out qualifying Zemke on his Pirelli-qualifier-equipped Team M4 EMGO Suzuki GSX-R600. Young Australian Ben Attard earned the final spot on the Formula Xtreme front row with a time of 1:27.961 on his Dunlop-fitted Attack Kawasaki ZX-6RR. Provisional AMA Formula Xtreme Qualifying Results: 1. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 1:26.581 2. Jake Zemke, Honda, 1:27.182 3. Michael Barnes, Suzuki, 1:27.270 4. Ben Attard, Kawasaki, 1:27.961 5. Chris Peris, Yamaha, 1:28.558 6. Robert Jensen, Yamaha, 1:28.686 7. Chris “Opie” Caylor, Suzuki, 1:28.707 8. Danny Eslick, Suzuki, 1:29.008 9. Mike Hale, Honda, 1:29.945 10. Ryan Andrews, Ducati, 1:30.409 11. Alex Gobert, Honda, 1:30.764 12. Mike Ciccotto, Buell, 1:31.012 13. Trey Yonce, Yamaha, 1:31.464 14. Taylor Knapp, Yamaha, 1:31.618 15. Nathan Hester, Yamaha, 1:31.720 16. Robertino Pietri, Yamaha, 1:31.763 17. Shea Fouchek, Suzuki, 1:31.808 18. Armando Ferrer, Yamaha, 1:32.136 19. Nick Moore, Yamaha, 1:32.176 20. Victor Chirinos, Yamaha, 1:32.759 21. Tim Rinaldi, Yamaha, 1:33.103 22. Justin Filice, Honda, 1:33.482 23. Scott Harwood, Honda, 1:34.777 24. Jeff Johnson, Buell, 1:35.080 25. Lance Yeager, Kawasaki, 1:35.594 26. Mark Kittel, Honda, 1:35.987 27. Charles Sipp, Buell, 1:36.498 28. Jessica Zalusky, Kawasaki, 1:36.530 112% of fast time qualifying limit = 1:36.970 More, from a press release issued by M4 EMGO Suzuki: BARNES THIRD IN FX QUALIFYING AT VIR Team M4 EMGO Suzuki kicked off the second to last round of the 2005 AMA road racing season with a strong showing on Friday at Virginia International Raceway. By the conclusion of the day, the squad had locked up a front-row grid position and put in several other impressive performances. Michael Barnes continued to challenge the front-running factory riders in Formula Xtreme, qualifying his trick GSX-R600-based FX machine on the front row. The Floridian’s best lap of 1:27.270 was good enough to claim the third spot on the grid and less than a tenth of a second off the time set by his factory-backed rival who qualified second. Afterwards, Barnes said, “I feel pretty good. We were on race tires for at least the first half of the session and we were nice and comfortable in the ’27s on the race tires. So we accomplished one of our tasks for qualifying and that was to be comfortable on race tires. Then we went for something a little bit softer for a fast lap and they kept on coming and coming. I feel like if I just kept on throwing tires at it, I was going to keep on taking tenths off. The Pirellis worked awesome and my Suzuki just worked flawlessly the whole time. The competition is very tough and they’re making work hard, but I couldn’t be more pleased.” Teammate Geoff May qualified for tomorrow’s Superbike final aboard his Superstock-spec GSX-R1000. May outpaced all but the riders armed with dedicated Superbikes, putting his big-bore Suzuki ninth on the provisional order with a fast lap of 1:26.768. May was also in the top ten in the morning’s Superstock and Supersport free practices. The Georgian was a stellar fourth quick aboard his 1000cc GSX-R in Superstock with a best lap of 1:27.551. He backed that up by running tenth overall in Supersport aboard his GSX-R600 at 1:29.247. Barnes also got in the top ten in the Superstock practice, laying down the tenth fastest lap at 1:28.162. Team Crew Chief Keith Perry said of the day, “It went pretty well, actually. I think coming here a month or so back helped us to get things sorted out quickly, and things went smoothly. Geoff looks good in Superbike. We’re using that class to help work on a few things for Superstock, but we’re going to race Superbike as well and see how we do. Formula Xtreme qualifying went well too. Barney was third but really close to second. It’s always a big challenge to go up against the factory guys, whether it’s practice, qualifying, or the races.” On Saturday, Barnes will look to claim his second Formula Xtreme podium of the year, while May will contest the 28-lap Superbike race following final qualifying for the class in the morning. Superstock and Supersport qualifying will be completed as well in preparation of Sunday’s 17-lap races.