Provisional Friday Afternoon AMA Supersport Practice Times: (conditions: wet track) 1. Robert Jensen (Yam) 1:41.477 2. Chris Peris (Yam) 1:41.910 3. Roger Lee Hayden (Kaw) 1:41.916 4. Aaron Gobert (Yam) 1:42.186 5. Danny Eslick (Suz) 1:42.469 6. Ben Spies (Suz) 1:42.507 7. William Meyers, III (Yam) 1:42.617 8. Nicky Moore (Yam) 1:42.871 9. Tommy Hayden (Kaw) 1:42.908 10. Ben Attard (Kaw) 1:44.427 11. Damon Buckmaster (Yam) 1:44.823 12. Steve Crevier (Hon) 1:45.104 13. Blake Young (Suz) 1:45.883 14. Jeremiah Johnson (Suz) 1:46.262 15. Eli Edwards (Suz) 1:46.306 16. Jamie Hacking (Yam) 1:46.388 17. Trey Yonce (Yam) 1:47.307 18. Jason DiSalvo (Yam) 1:47.653 19. Justin Filice (Hon) 1:57.267 20. Barrett Long (Yam) 2:14.900

Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki’s Jason Pridmore walked away from a violent crash into a tire wall during Friday morning’s AMA Superstock practice at Barber Motorsports Park. Pridmore said he was exiting the very fast turn 8/9 chicane on the back straightaway when his rear tire broke traction and threw him out of the seat. He landed partially off the right side of the bike, which then veered off the track to the right. Once off the track, Pridmore and the bike separated before they both impacted a tire wall in front of an Armco barrier. After Pridmore fell off, his GSX-R1000 ghost rode into the tire wall hard enough that both the bike’s top and bottom triple clamps were broken in half, along with both fork legs. And Pridmore was tumbling at about 40 mph when he hit the tire wall, according to eye witness Geoff May, who was behind Pridmore on the track at the time of the crash. Pridmore hit his head hard enough to see “stars,” something he said hasn’t happened “in a while” and got his right hand caught under the bike, leading him to ice the hand after the session. Still, Pridmore got up from the crash, ran back to pit lane and took his back-up bike out in the same practice.

Heavy rains, high winds and lightning forced AMA Pro Racing officials to stop AMA Superstock practice Friday morning at Barber Motorsports Park. Race officials saw the severe weather approaching on weather radar and warned teams along pit lane during the Superstock session. As the rain began to fall and the winds picked up, teams scrambled to disassemble canopies on pit lane and seal and secure the larger canopies attached to their semi-trucks in the paddock. At least one large canopy in the paddock, that of the Parts Unlimited dealer hospitality area, was destroyed by the winds. AMA Pro Racing announced at the rider’s meeting, held at lunch time, that Friday’s activities would resume with Supersport practice following the lunch break, provided there was no lightning or severe winds. Barber is one of the few racetracks AMA Pro Racing will conduct activities on in the rain. The weather forecast for the rest of the weekend shows a decreasing chance of rain along with lower temperatures. The forecast high temperature for the Barber area for Saturday is in the low-to-mid 60-degree range.

1. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha, 1:27.138 2. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki, 1:27.367 3. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha, 1:24.429 4. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha, 1:28.138 5. Steve Rapp, Suzuki, 1:28.158 6. Aaron Yates, Suzuki, 1:28.216 7. Geoff May, Suzuki, 1:28.378 8. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 1:28.422 9. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki, 1:28.657 10. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki, 1:28.794 11. Roger Hayden, Kawasaki, 1:28.828 12. John Haner, Suzuki, 1:29.971 13. Lee Acree, Suzuki, 1:30.265 14. Blake Young, Suzuki, 1:30.422 15. Brent George, Suzuki, 1:30.790 16. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki, 1:30.804 17. Jake Holden, Suzuki, 1:31.095 18. Eric Wood, Suzuki, 1:31.118 19. Francis Martin, Suzuki, 1:31.364 20. Tony Meiring, Suzuki, 1:31.573 21. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki, 1:31.821 22. James Stroud, Honda, 1:32.129 23. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki, 1:32.263 24. Matt Lynn, Suzuki, 1:33.263 25. Eli Edwards, Suzuki, 1:33.843 26. Jeremy Haiduk, Yamaha, 1:34.005 27. Montez Stewart, Suzuki, 1:34.881 28. William Bush, Honda, 1:36.192 29. Jessica Zalusky, Kawasaki, 1:37.183 30. Brad Puetz, Suzuki, 1:38.291 31. Sean Wray, Yamaha, 1:38.686 32. Reno Karimian, Suzuki, 1:39.890

1. Sebastian CHARPENTIER (Honda CBR600RR), 1’38.351 2. Katsuaki FUJIWARA (Honda CBR600RR), 1’38.755 3. Fabien FORET (Honda CBR600RR), 1’39.741 4. Victor CARRASCO (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1’40.042 5. Kevin CURTAIN (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1’40.054 6. Michel FABRIZIO (Honda CBR600RR), 1’40.169 7. Javi FORES (Suzuki GSX-R600), 1’40.220 8. Gianluca NANNELLI (Ducati 749R), 1’40.373 9. Broc PARKES (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1’40.437 10. Arturo TIZON (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1’40.502 11. Stephane CHAMBON (Honda CBR600RR), 1’40.739 12. Barry VENEMAN (Suzuki GSX-R600), 1’40.775 13. Johan STIGEFELT (Honda CBR600RR), 1’40.915 14. Sabastian LE GRELLE (Honda CBR600RR), 1’40.959 15. Christophe COGAN (Suzuki GSX-R600), 1’41.017 16. Werner DAEMEN (Honda CBR600RR), 1’41.393 17. Jarno JANSEN (Suzuki GSX-R600), 1’41.413 18. Julien ENJOLRAS (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1’41.446 19. Tatu LAUSLEHTO (Honda CBR600RR), 1’41.509 20. Andrea BERTA (Ducati 749R), 1’41.852 More, from a press release issued by Ten Kate Honda: CHARPENTIER ON PROVISIONAL POLE IN SPAIN In warm and sunny conditions at the Ricardo Tormo circuit near Valencia in Spain this afternoon, Winston Ten Kate Honda rider and series leader Sébastien Charpentier took provisional pole position for Sunday’s third round World Supersport championship race. The Frenchman’s best time was 0.4s faster than his team-mate Katsuaki Fujiwara, who set the second fastest time in the 45-minute qualifying session. The Winston pairing continues to set the pace in this year’s championship, although a further qualifying session tomorrow afternoon will determine the final grid positions for Sunday’s 23-lap (92km) race. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “We tried some new fork settings in this morning’s free practice session which both riders seemed to like, and the overall setting is a little different to what we used for the test here last month. It’s something we picked up from the data when we arrived here but it seems to be a move in the right direction. I’m pleased with the progress we’re making because, although it may seem easy from the outside, we’re having to put 100% into each session to stay ahead. Today is a good start to the weekend and we can now concentrate on getting the best set-up for the race instead of working on one quick qualifying lap.” Sébastien Charpentier fastest, 1m38.351s “Valencia was difficult for me last year after I was disqualified for missing a jump-start penalty, so I am very keen to do well here. We tried some different tyre combinations this afternoon but the track temperature went up which made it a little more difficult. But it may be the same conditions for the race on Sunday so we’ll try some more tomorrow morning to see which will be the best tyre choice. The CBR is a very good package but it will be difficult to have the bike absolutely perfect for Valencia. We’ll make some more laps tomorrow but at the moment I have to say I’m very happy.” Katsuaki Fujiwara second fastest, 1m38.755s “It was very strange this afternoon because, after I was fastest in this morning’s practice, I went out on the same tyres and with the same setting on the CBR but the track was very different. It became very slippery and many riders were crashing so I did not push as hard because I did not want to go the same way. We’ve been trying many tyre combinations but it will be a difficult choice for the race because of the right side of the tyre. I will try to do a long session tomorrow to see what will be the best choice but I am very satisfied with the progress we are making here.”

Team M4 EMGO Suzuki’s Vincent Haskovec turned the fastest time in Friday’s first AMA Formula Xtreme practice session at Barber Motorsports Park, near Birmingham, Alabama. Haskovec turned a 1:28.542 on his Pirelli-equipped GSX-R600, less than a second off his own lap record time of 1:27.793. Haskovec said he used new tires Pirelli engineers recently made based on information gathered at a test his team had at Barber a few weeks ago. American Honda’s Jake Zemke (1:28.584) and Miguel Duhamel (1:30.111) were second- and third-fastest, respectively, on CBR600RRs equipped with Dunlop slicks and new-spec engines, compared with the conservative engine set-ups they ran in the Daytona 200. Fourth-fastest was Kneedraggers.com Jensen Racing’s Robert Jensen (1:30.294) on his Michelin-backed Yamaha YZF-R6. Fifth in the session was Mike Ciccotto (1:30.464) on his Pirelli-fitted Hal’s Performance Advantage Buell XB12R. Rain is in the forecast for the area of the Barber racetrack. Provisional Friday Morning AMA Formula Xtreme Practice Times: 1. Vincent Haskovec (Suz GSX-R600), 1:28.542 2. Jake Zemke (Hon CBR600RR), 1:28.584 3. Miguel Duhamel (Hon CBR600RR), 1:30.111 4. Robert Jensen (Yam YZF-R6), 1:30.294 5. Mike Ciccotto (Buell XB12R), 1:30.464 6. Chris Caylor (Suz GSX-R600), 1:30.906 7. Chris Peris (Yam YZF-R6), 1:30.963 8. Ben Attard (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:31.199 9. Pascal Picotte (Yam YZF-R6), 1:31.458 10. Steve Crevier (Hon CBR600RR), 1:31.822 11. Alex Gobert (Hon CBR600RR), 1:32.032 12. Ryan Andrews (Duc 749R), 1:32.158 13. Danny Eslick (Suz GSX-R600), 1:32.401 14. Tom Kipp (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:32.430 15. Matt Furtek (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:33.102 16. Matt McBride (Kaw ZX-6RR), 1:33.426 17. Nathan Hester (Yam YZF-R6), 1:33.479 18. Tim Knutson (Yam YZF-R6), 1:33.605 19. Jeremiah Johnson (Suz GSX-R600), 1:34.001 20. William Meyers, III (Yam YZF-R6), 1:34.394

1. Troy Corser (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 1:35.954 2. Chris Walker (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:36.731 3. Pierfrancesco Chili (Honda CBR1000RR), 1:37.003 4. Max Neukirchner (Honda CBR1000RR), 1:37.127 5. Karl Muggeridge (Honda CBR1000RR), 1:37.146 6. Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 1:37.159 7. Ivan Clementi (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:37.299 8. Steve Martin (Petronas FP-1), 1:37.332 9. Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati 999RS), 1:37.465 10. Norick Abe (Yamaha YZF-R1), 1:37.520 11. Regis Laconi (Ducati 999RS), 1:37.566 12. James Toseland (Ducati 999RS), 1:37.648 13. Jose Luis Cardoso (Yamaha YZF-R1), 1:37.650 14. Ivan Silva (Yamaha YZF-R1), 1:37.727 15. Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha YZF-R1), 1:37.763 16. Chris Vermeulen (Honda CBR1000RR), 1:37.878 17. Gary McCoy (Petronas FP-1), 1:37.942 18. Fonsi Nieto (Ducati 999RS), 1:37.947 19. Giovanni Bussei (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:37.970 20. Ben Bostrom (Honda CBR1000RR) 1:38.004 More, from a press release issued by Ten Kate Honda: MUGGERIDGE FIFTH FASTEST IN VALENCIA Karl Muggeridge set the fifth fastest time in today’s opening qualifying session for round three of the 2005 World Superbike championship at Valencia in Spain. In a hotly contested session, completed in warm and sunny conditions, Australian Troy Corser was fastest today with just over one second separating the next twenty riders. Muggeridge’s Winston Ten Kate Honda team-mate Chris Vermeulen was sixteenth fastest this afternoon as he continued with the development of the Honda CBR1000RR. Coming off a podium finish in race one of the last round in Australian, Vermeulen will be looking to tomorrow’s qualifying session and Superpole event to improve his starting position for Sunday’s two 23-lap (92km) third round races. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “Chris didn’t use a qualifying tyre this afternoon as he continued to look for the best setting on his CBR. We’re using a lot of new chassis components this weekend and he tried many different set-ups today. That continual testing makes it difficult to switch the concentration to one fast qualifying lap but he was in the top five in practice this morning so should be up there again tomorrow. Karl is happy with the progress we’re making and every adjustment we make to the settings seems to be an improvement for him. We’ve got a lot of data to study tonight, though, and some more things to try tomorrow.” Karl Muggeridge fifth fastest, 1m37.146: “I made a small mistake in turn six on that fast lap and very nearly lost the front. It was the biggest front end slide I think I’ve had on the superbike and it took all the strength I could muster to save it legs, arms, everything! The track seemed to get more slippery as the session went on and it became difficult to match our times from this morning. I was having to concentrate hard to get everything right but I certainly had some grip problems on the last two sectors of the circuit. We’ve tried lots of things today around the front forks and things are definitely improving. But I think we’ll all be spending a long time looking at computer screens tonight to understand what progress we’ve made.” Chris Vermeulen sixteenth fastest, 1m37.878: “I didn’t put in a qualifier this afternoon because we’ve been trying so many different things on the bike especially around the front forks. If I were this far back with a qualifying tyre I’d be a lot more worried than I am! We’re still suffering from not getting much testing in before the season started and that means we have to try new things during a race weekend which is never ideal. I was fairly competitive during free practice and for most of that qualifying session before everyone else put in qualifiers; but for sure we’ve still got a lot of work to do before we find a setting that will work well for the races on Sunday.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: LACONI AND TOSELAND (DUCATI XEROX TEAM) FOCUS ON RACE SET-UP IN VALENCIA FIRST QUALIFYING Valencia (Spain), Friday 22 April: Ducati Xerox Team riders Régis Laconi and James Toseland finished the first day of qualifying at Valencia in eleventh and twelfth positions today as both riders opted not to make a qualifying attack and instead focus on their race set-up. Before the last five minutes of the one-hour afternoon session began, the Frenchman and his British team-mate were both up near the top of the timesheets and will concentrate on setting a good qualifying time in tomorrow morning’s second and final session. “OK, the result today is not too good, but we have been working very hard for the race” declared Laconi. “I’m quite happy with the settings we got with the bike, and before everyone else put the qualifier on I was second. I thought I could risk not using qualifiers and stay in a high position but the others all improved in the last few minutes and I slipped down to eleventh, but that’s OK. Troy was still faster than me but I feel that we still have margin to improve. This track is very strange, the hotter it gets, the tyre seems to work less well. Tomorrow for sure it will be cooler and a lot better for the grip”. “We’ve got a bit of a problem with the suspension travel of the front forks and we haven’t sorted it out yet so the bike felt a bit harsh in that session” commented James. “The tyre is not allowing us to get away with it and as things go on the feeling gets worse. Everyone has similar problems with grip so as far as race times go, we’re all pretty similar. Lap times are slower because of the temperature, tomorrow will be faster for sure. The less grip there is on the tyre, the less the suspension is allowed to work. At the moment it’s a bit frustrating because the times are that close and I feel sure that when we sort the problem out, we’ll be up there at the front”. TIMES: 1. Corser (Suzuki) 1m35.954s; 2. Walker (Kawasaki) 1m36.731s; 3. Chili (Honda) 1m37.003s; 4. Neukirchner (Honda) 1m37.127s; 5. Muggeridge (Honda) 1m37.146s; 6. Kagayama (Suzuki) 1m37.159s … 11. Laconi (Ducati Xerox) 1m37.566s; 12. Toseland (Ducati Xerox) 1m37.648s. More, from a press releass issued by Foggy Petronas Racing: Martin on provisional second row at Valencia Foggy PETRONAS Racing’s Steve Martin recovered from a slow start to the third round of the Superbike World Championship at Valencia, Spain, to finish the first day of qualifying in eighth place. Team-mate Garry McCoy also made significant steps forward during a sunny afternoon qualifying session and was one of 16 riders within one second of third place. Using a new specification of engine, only previously tested for one day at Phillip Island, both riders were restricted in track time during the morning session during fundamental set-up work. But, on swapping to the softest rear tyre, Steve slashed nearly 1.5 seconds off his previous best in one lap and was lying in sixth place on race tyres before the end-of-session dash to record a time on qualifying rubber. Garry was also able to record a top speed of 282kmh, just 3kmh behind the pacesetting Troy Corser, the only rider to break into the 1:35s. Steve said: “It has been a tough day but I am still close to my fastest time around here. We are still working on the mapping of the new specification of engine at this tight track, as we have only previously tested it at Phillip Island where the throttle is open all the time. The gearing has also totally changed, so we will work on that overnight. We are also still trying to get rid of some chatter and trying to alter the balance of the bike a little bit. The new engine is definitely stronger but at this stage we still need a little more torque at lower revs, so that we can come out of the corners better.” Garry said: “The new specification of engine is definitely more aggressive and `peaky’, so I am still getting used to it and have had to be careful on the accelerator. But I can feel it is stronger and we are closer to the top speeds. I wasn’t able to do too many laps this morning and I am probably a bit disappointed to be one place out of Superpole, which means I have a little bit of work in front of me tomorrow. But I made a couple of mistakes on my fastest lap, probably because I had to push hard on the sighting lap in order to just get past the line before the end of the session. We have also made the wheelbase shorter than in Australia, which has changed the suspension characteristics.” More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi With a sunny weather and about 25°C of air temperature and a soft wind, which however gave any problem to the racing bikes, started today the third round of World Superbike Championship on the Spanish circuit R.Tormo in Valencia. Positive enough day for Scuderia SC Caracchi’s riders: the two 999RS Ducatis of Lorenzo Lanzi and Fonsi Nieto have been finally able to get a positive result, as well the 749R Ducati ridden by Gianluca Nannelli always close to te leaders, despite some technical trouble. Finally quite happy Lorenzo Lanzi, who looks to have result most of the problems that slowed him in the first races; the young Italian rider recorded the 9th fastest, first between Ducati bikes today. “The day started quite well today, just from the free practice session in the morning: we have been always in a position valid for the second or the thrid starting row.” commented at the end of the session Lorenzo Lanzi. “I’m rather happy because finally we al looking for the right way. That’s the first European round, quite near from home and surely there will be a lot of friends visiting Valencia to see the race, so it’s fantastic to be in the leader group. We have a lot of work to do, but this debut day gave us a good result as a prize for all the great work made by the whole of the team. Tomorrow we’ll have the final qualifying that are very important, but I’m confident to holt a final position in the second or third starting row, the in the two races of Sunday we’ll see what we could reach.” Fonsi Nieto too made a big step ahead and it’s not to look at the position because the Spanish rider is just 9/10 of second behind the third fastest, the veteran Frankie Chili. “Today we focused most on a new front fork.” says Fonsi Nieto at the end of the practice. “The set up need a lot of time, however we rode always with race tyres and at that moment I was in 7th position. Then in the last minutes I lost some position because when I get the soft tyre I found a lot of trafic and I lost the possibility to overwork it. I’m sure to improve my laptime tomorrow. I’m happy because finally I have a better feeling with the bike and I’m always faster.” Satisfied also Gianluca Nannelli, despite some small trouble which blocked his practice on the Ducati 749R Supersport. “It has been a quite suffert day.” has been the short final comment of Gianluca Nannelli. “In the morning we had electrical troubles on the first bike, the same as in the race in Australia. On the second bike suddenly I broken the gear shift lever while I was in the Charpentier’s trail, so I must stay long time in the pit. During afternoon practice the track was warmer as during the morning, with less grip; at the end a lot of small throuble that prevent me from improving my morning’s performance, when I was 4th fastest, almost a second faster.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Norick Abe finished as the top R1 rider during today’s first qualifying session for Sunday’s Superbike World Championship round in Valencia. The Japanese rider, not normally known for his pace in qualifying, set the 10th fastest time during this afternoon’s one hour timed practice, which saw a number of surprise names at the top of the leaderboard. Abe’s team-mate Sebastien Gimbert, fresh from winning the Le Mans 24-hour race with Yamaha GMT94 last weekend ended the day 15th, while Yamaha Motor Italia pairing Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt remained positive despite finishing way down the timesheets in 21st and 24th respectively. Both riders experienced set-up problems in the warm conditions. Having made good progress during the last round in Phillip Island, the team used the base settings from the Australian races during today’s action. However these proved less effective around the tight Spanish track and the team will revert to settings developed during last month’s test in Valencia. Both riders also opted to save their soft qualifying tyres for tomorrow morning’s qualifying session, which alone should lead to a significant improvement in time. Despite not using the soft rubber, Haga’s best time of 1:38.158 was just over a second behind third placed rider Pierfrancesco Chili (Honda) in a surprisingly close session. The Japanese star was fourth fastest during the morning session with a 1:37.470 lap. Pitt was also slower in the afternoon session, where he clocked a best of 1:38.291, with championship leader Troy Corser (Suzuki) taking provisional pole position with a 1:35.954. Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) “This is a track I know very well both from testing and MotoGP. Also I am more familiar with the R1 every time I ride it so I am optimistic for a good result this weekend. We had no problems today, so hopefully I can improve my time some more tomorrow.” Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France) “I am still very happy after winning Le Mans last week and I hope we can continue this form in Valencia. I am quite happy with today, I got pushed back a little late in the session but I know I can push a little harder tomorrow.” Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) “Some days are good and some days are not so good, but this is racing. Ok, I want to be higher but the times are very close and I expect that everyone will go faster if it stays dry tomorrow. The track was very slippery today so I think that tomorrow we can go and make a faster time.” Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) “It’s been a tough day today and I just haven’t felt comfortable on the bike. We actually put a qualifying tyre on right at the end, but we were not sure if we could beat the clock and get another lap in before the chequered flag so we decided to call it a day rather than waste the tyre. Looking back I think this was a good decision as we will be able to find a better set-up tomorrow and take full advantage of the soft tyre.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator – Yamaha Motor Italia) “We made a big step forward in Australia and so came here with the same settings. But they did not work here and tomorrow we will go back to the settings from our previous tests here. We also have the advantage that each rider can use two qualifying tyres tomorrow, so we are confident that we can make big improvements tomorrow and that both riders will make the superpole.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: World Championship leader Troy Corser put his Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra GSX-R1000 into provisional pole position for Sunday’s third-round World Superbike Championship round in Valencia, Spain. The former World Champion set a time of 1:35.954, more than three-quarters-of-a-second ahead of Briton Chris Walker (Kawasaki), while Corser’s team mate Yukio Kagayama – quickest in the morning Free Practice session – posted sixth fastest time with 1:37.159. Kagayama was lucky to not to crash in the afternoon session and only saved the bike and himself by deft use of his left knee and elbow: He lost the front in the left-hander before the back straight and as the bike tipped over he pushed it back upright with his knee. The force of the impact tore a hole in his leathers but he didn’t realise he returned to the pits. Troy Corser – 1st, 1:35.954: “Everything has been going good so far and I’m pretty happy with our start here. We began by using the same set-up we ran here in the tests before we went to Phillip Island for the race and then started to fine-tune it. We worked quite a lot on the clutch to try and improve the engine braking and we also worked on the suspension to make the front tyre feeling better and to improve its life. “When it was hotter in the afternoon, the grip went down and I set my quick time towards the start of the timed session. I knew that it was going to get hotter and that the grip would get worse. I did have a bit of a drama when I was on qualifying tyres – I lost the front at turn three – but I recovered it without a problem. At the moment, the balance of the bike is working for me and because of that I am having fun riding it, so let’s see what tomorrow brings.” Yukio Kagayama – 6th, 1:37.159: “I started today with my Valencia test set-up and for me it was so-so. And then we tried some more things and some other riders went faster than me. But, it’s not a problem because we learnt a lot of good information today and that will help us tomorrow for sure. “My only problem today was my near-crash: I lost the front end in the left turn onto the back straight and almost crashed. Somehow I managed to keep it up on my left knee and maybe my elbow for maybe a second before the tyres gripped again and then everything came back to normal! My heart was beating fast, but I was ok. I am a lucky man today!” More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group: SBK RIDERS START OUT UNDER WARM SPANISH SKIES Action Stations: Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki rider Troy Corser scored yet another early season high with the fastest time of the opening day, heading up both unofficial and official qualifying session at Valencia. The championship leader set a time of 1’35.954, almost 0.8 seconds faster than his closest rival, when it really mattered this afternoon. Each session was held in almost ideal conditions with just a gentle breeze blowing around the stadium-style circuit. Walker Strolls On: An outstanding first period for Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki) saw him well up the qualifying order from the start to the finish. Ultimately second quickest on his ZX-10, hard work in the chassis and suspension department, plus a machine capable of posting the highest top speed of the day, 288kmph, conspired to help the Englishman’s effort. Klaffinators: The Klaffi team has made a serious impact in World Superbike in 2005, a superb effort in its rookie season in the top category. Despite a recent collarbone operation for Pierfrancesco Chili, to repair the break he suffered at the Phillip Island race, the experienced Italian set third fastest time of all. He was closely followed by his rookie SBK team-mate, Max Neukirchner, who is still working on suspension set-up. Third in race two in Australia, Neukirchner has already shown his true talent, and at the first time of asking on his full spec machine at Valencia, he secured fourth best time, 1.173 seconds from provisional pole. Muggeridge Fifth: Winston Ten Kate riders Karl Muggeridge and Chris Vermeulen had differing fortunes on day one, with Muggeridge well in the leading mix; his more experienced Superbike team-mate Vermeulen in 16th place. Diversity was the key in the top positions at Valencia, as Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) and Ivan Clementi (Bertocchi Kawasaki) went sixth and seventh fastest respectively. Martin Up Front: A second row provisional qualifying position was a good reward for the Petronas team on day one, with Steve Martin taking eighth fastest time in a highly competitive session. His speed saw the fastest Petronas ahead of the fastest Ducati, to the immense satisfaction of the entire Petronas effort. That honour this weekend was taken by the SC Ducati 999RS of Lorenzo Lanzi, ninth fastest on his booming vee-twin. Yamaha Hanging Tough For Day Two: Fastest Yamaha R1 rider on display in Spain was Yamaha Motor France IPONE rider Norick Abe, an SBK rookie but a hugely experienced rider in other classes of global races. He was the last rider inside the top ten. Jose Luis Cardoso (DFX Extreme Yamaha) and Ivan Silva (LaGlisse) gave the first day its first smattering of Spanish flavour, going 13th and 14th respectively. Official entries from Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt, both Yamaha Motor Italia, and Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor Italia) struggled somewhat on day one. Gimbert crashed, yet still set 17 laps to go 15th. Haga was 21st, Pitt 24th. Ducati Doldrums: The competitiveness of the 2005 season was perfectly illustrated by the fact that the official factory Ducati pairing of Regis Laconi (Xerox Ducati 999F05) and James Toseland were in 11th and 12th positions after day one, behind a whole gaggle of fast multi-cylinder entries. Toseland was a race one winner last year, Laconi the winner of the greatest number of 2004 individual legs. Other Notable Names: Petronas rider Garry McCoy’s 17th place came after 21 laps of action, with local wild card rider Davide Checa (GMT94 Yamaha) scoring the top number of circuits, matching his qualifying position of 27. Local hotshot Fonsi Nieto (SC Ducati 999RS) is still adjusting to life on a big cc vee-twin, and ran out 18th fastest of the 33 prospective qualifiers. The SBK ‘big grid’ saw Ben Bostrom, aided by some new team personnel and machinery, 20th out of 33. Supersport: Winston Ten Kate Honda rider Sebastien Charpentier continued his magnificent early season form to take the best time on day one, pushing his machine to a 1’38.351 lap in glorious conditions. With temperatures in the mid twenties Charpentier’s own team-mate, Qatar race winner Katsuaki Fujiwara, was second quickest at this generally tight and twisty track. Some 0.404 seconds down on Charpentier, Fujiwara was nonetheless almost one second faster than another WSS legend, 2002 World Champion Fabien Foret (Team Italia Megabike Honda), who finished day one in third place. The top Yamaha runner was wild card man Victor Carrasco (LaGlisse Yamaha), the last rider on the provisional front row of the grid. Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) edged out Michel Fabrizio (Team Italia Megabike Honda) for fifth fastest, with top Suzuki rider proving to be Javier Fores (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki). On Saturday 23 April the final qualifying sessions for both Superbike and Supersport take place, with Superpole following on to determine final grid positions.

Honda Superbike Classic presented by McGraw Insurance Barber Motorsports Park April 22-24, 2005 Purse $120,000 AMA Superbike Total Purse – $82,500 Purse for each race: 1. $4300 2. $3300 3. $2550 4. $1975 5. $1825 6. $1700 7. $1650 8. $1600 9. $1550 10. $1500 11. $1425 12. $1375 13. $1325 14. $1275 15. $1225 16. $1150 17. $1100 18. $1050 19. $1000 20. $950 21. $850 22. $800 23. $750 24. $700 25. $650 26. $600 27. $550 28. $475 29. $425 30. $375 31. $300 32. $275 33. $250 34. $225 35. $200 Pro Honda Oils Supersport Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Repsol Lubricants Superstock $12,500 total purse for each class: 1. $1700 2. $1400 3. $1150 4. $900 5. $800 6. $750 7. $700 8. $650 9. $600 10. $550 11. $500 12. $450 13. $400 14. $375 15. $325 16. $300 17. $275 18. $250 19. $225 20. $200

GAULOISES YAMAHA TEAM READY FOR HISTORIC TRIP TO CHINA The Gauloises Yamaha Team will be at the forefront of a groundbreaking event in the history of the MotoGP World Championship this weekend, as the series visits China for the first time in its 56-year history. The Chinese public will get their first opportunity to see the world’s most advanced motorcycles and skilled riders at close quarters, having been able to enjoy the first two rounds of an already dramatic season on television for the first time. It has been a terrific start to the campaign so far for the Gauloises Yamaha Team, who lead the riders’ and teams’ standings after successful races in Spain and Portugal. Reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi opened his title defence with victory in the opening round at Jerez and followed up with a solid second place in difficult conditions at Estoril last week. The Italian’s advantage at the top currently stands at seven points over Alex Barros (Honda), whilst his team-mate Colin Edwards continues to gain confidence in his first season aboard the YZR-M1. Edwards now lies eighth overall after a determined performance in Portugal, which saw him finish sixth despite falling midway through the race. The Shanghai International Circuit presents a completely new challenge for both riders, who will look to build on exhaustive work during the winter testing period designed at finding an adaptable base setting for their YZR-M1 machines. An extra day of tests working to this end in Portugal last Monday should help them to swiftly adapt the bike to the demands of the Shanghai track, billed as the “race circuit for the new millennium” at its opening last year. The circuit was designed by architects Hermann Tilke and Peter Wahl and its layout was inspired by the shape of the Chinese character ‘shang’, which stands for ‘high’ or ‘above’. Other symbols represented in the architecture of the circuit facilities originate from Chinese history, such as the team buildings, which are arranged like pavilions on a lake to resemble the ancient Yuyan-Garden in Shanghai. One if the circuit’s most impressive features is the extraordinary main grandstand, which hosts some 29,000 seats and provides a spectacular view of almost 80 percent of the circuit. Whilst none of the MotoGP riders will have previously been able to test at the Shanghai circuit until free practice gets underway on Friday morning, its winding turns and high-speed straights promise plenty of opportunities for overtaking and are sure to provide more close MotoGP racing in Sunday’s inaugural Chinese Grand Prix. VALENTINO ROSSI: UNCHARTED TERRITORY Valentino Rossi faces an entirely new experience this weekend as he looks to extend his global phenomenon across new boundaries and into the Chinese market for the first time. His talent and charisma is sure to stretch his fan base even further, but the World Champion is typically focussed on events on the track and defending his early championship lead. “I’m really looking forward to being at the new track in China, a completely new place for us,” commented Rossi. “I think the circuit will be very good; it is wide, fast and technical. We have had two weeks between the Portuguese race and China and we need to make some improvements with the bike, so hopefully we can continue that in Shanghai during the practice sessions. There is not much more I can say about it because I have never been to the country or the circuit!” Rossi’s call for improvements were met by an intense day of tests at Estoril last Monday, ironing out some of the difficulties that restricted him to a relatively subdued charge to second place in Sunday’s race. Despite already proving to be competitive in the opening two rounds of the season, the 2005 version YZR-M1 is still in its development phase and Rossi is looking to make further progress in China. “As for the Estoril race, above all I was trying not to fall in the slippery conditions! It was quite a tactical race for me because of the wet patches on the track,” he said. “I had some problems at the start and found it difficult to get up front, but anyway we are looking good for points and hopefully Shanghai is the place to get even more.” COLIN EDWARDS: AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHT DAYS! Whilst most of the Gauloises Yamaha Team and the rest of the MotoGP paddock are making their way east to China this week, Edwards will be continuing his journey west after paying a flying visit to his hometown of Conroe in Texas. Edwards and his wife Alyssia stopped off in the USA to take a couple of days’ rest and to leave baby daughter Gracie in the hands of their family as they prepare for a new cultural and personal experience. “We headed home last Tuesday because we figured the distance to China from Portugal was pretty much the same whichever way around the world you go!” explained the 31 year old. “It’s been nice to be able to spend a couple of days at home but now myself and my wife Alyssia are ready to head for China and leave Gracie with Grandma! “I’m looking forward to China. I’ve never been there and I think it’s the kind of country everybody would like to go to at least once in their life, just to check it out and experience the culture and the people first hand.” Edwards is currently in just his third season in MotoGP after several years in the World Superbike series and, as such, has become accustomed to learning his way around new tracks. It is a factor that helped propel him to second place in the series’ first visit to Qatar last season and the American is hoping the experience can pay dividends in China after an encouraging weekend in Portugal. “I’ve seen the map, which looks very much in the style of a modern F1 circuit, but we’ll have to wait and see when we get there. The one thing I’ve got going for me is that I’ve had to learn a lot of new tracks over the last couple of years and I’m kind of in the habit. Judging by Qatar last year I can learn pretty quick and I’m looking forward to the challenge. I think Shanghai can be a good track for us. “I’m not getting carried away with the result at Estoril it was a definite improvement from Jerez but it’s still short of where we want to be. The important thing is that I felt comfortable with the bike, we got the balance of it right and we made even more progress in the test on the following day. Now we’ll head out to China and see how that work pays off.” DAVIDE BRIVIO: NEW TRACK, SAME GOALS Gauloises Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio is one of the only team members to have previously visited China, having recently made the trip over to check out the Shanghai International Circuit facilities. The Italian says he is looking forward to this weekend’s experience as much as anybody, but insists the main focus remains on defending the team’s early championship lead. “Everyone is quite curious to experience a new place and especially China, which is such a special country,” says Brivio. “I have actually been before to visit the Shanghai circuit and I can say it is very good. The facilities are nice and the track is very interesting. It has two long straights and some technical corners it’s a nice mix. “We head to China leading the championship and, as in the last round at Estoril, our aim is to continue that way. We were also very pleased with Colin’s performance in Portugal and he would have definitely finished in the top four if it wasn’t for his fall, so we know the work we are doing is good. The conditions were difficult for all the riders in the race so the test on Monday was important to work on the base setting of the bikes and we were able to solve some things.” Brivio added that an extra day of testing after each of the opening two rounds at both Jerez and Estoril have been crucial in accelerating evolution of the 2005 version YZR-M1. Finding a base setting for the machine has been the team’s target ever since the bike was wheeled out for the first time at Sepang in January and Brivio hopes they will be rewarded for their hard work in China. “The basic idea of all our winter tests was to find a base that normally works everywhere. We had some delays with the 2005 bike so we have continued that work into the first two races of the season and now we hope we have found what we were looking for. It is a completely new machine and it always takes time to get up to speed, so we’re curious to check how much progress we have made at a new track like Shanghai.” BLAST FROM THE PAST: CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF YAMAHA GLORY Whilst this is the first Motorcycle Grand Prix to be held on mainland China, international road racing has been running for almost forty years on the south-eastern peninsular of Macau, now a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China after several years of occupation by the Portuguese. The first edition of the Macau Motor Cycle Grand Prix was held in 1967 and was won by Yamaha, with Hiroshi Hasegawa taking the chequered flag on his Yamaha RD56 after 30 laps of the Guia circuit. Two years later, history was made in Macau when John MacDonald became the first and only man ever to have won both the car and motorcycle events, also riding a Yamaha. Another interesting date on Yamaha’s timeline at the Macau Grand Prix came in 1978, when Yamaha riders filled the podium with Sadeo Asami, Steve Parrish and Mike Trimby. TECHNICALLY SPEAKING Although the MotoGP teams have never been to the Shanghai International Circuit before, the 5,451m track promises to provide an interesting challenge for the engineers. With a virtually equal ratio of nine left and seven right-hand corners, as well as two long straights followed by hard braking zones, the emphasis will again be on finding a balanced base setting for the Yamaha YZR-M1. The longest straight runs parallel to the Dragster track between turns thirteen and fourteen and has a length of 1,175m, which should permit top speeds in excess of 320km/h, whilst technical corners such as a snail-like narrowing section between turn one and turn three are unlike any other corner in the world. Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards spent last Monday’s test at Estoril working specifically on their set-up for Shanghai, making further progress with the general setting of the 2005 version YZR-M1 and finding a comfortable base which they will now take to China. Whilst initial gearbox settings have already been calculated on the circuit layout, both riders will use Friday morning’s free practice session to gather data about the peculiarities of the track, such as bumps and grip levels, before making specific adjustments in the build-up to Sunday’s race. VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION Age: 26 Lives: London, UK Bike: Gauloises Yamaha Team YZR-M1 GP victories: 69 (30 X MotoGP, 13 X 500cc, 14 X 250cc, 12 X 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 142 (50 x MotoGP, 32 x 500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) GP Pole positions: 36 World Championships 6 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 3 x MotoGP) COLIN EDWARDS: INFORMATION Age: 31 Lives: Conroe, Texas Bike: Gauloises Yamaha Team YZR-M1 GP victories: – First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP) GP starts: 34 Pole positions: – First pole: – World Championships – 2 World Superbike More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Taobao.com announced as title sponsor for MotoGP’s first ever event in China Dorna Sports and Shanghai International Circuit are pleased to announce that the title sponsorship of the first ever MotoGP event in China, which will take place in Shanghai on May 1st, has been granted to taobao.com, one of China’s most successful e-commerce websites. Taobao.com was started in July 2003 and is now the leading e-commerce trade platform in China. In 2004 it was ranked amongst the top 25 most visited websites in the world, with over 56 million page views per day and more than 5.5 million registered users. Taobao.com have signed a one-year agreement to become the title sponsor of MotoGP’s Chinese round and therefore the upcoming event will be officially named Taobao.com Grand Prix of China. The title sponsorship agreement includes a strategic cooperative partnership with Shanghai International Circuit. This involves taobao.com becoming the exclusive Internet auction platform for the Shanghai International Circuit, participating fully in the life and event programme of the circuit. More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda: MOTOGP TAKES ON A NEW CHALLENGE IN CHINA GP OF CHINA PREVIEW The Championship debuts on the very modern, science fictional track of Shanghai, built just one year ago to hold the Formula 1 GP. This track can boast a record cost; the Chinese authorities in fact spent over 250 million dollars to build the track and its infrastructures. It is a spectacular sight that left our F1 colleagues speechless cause of the amazing architectural work undergone such as the two wings that cover the starting straight. From a technical point of view the track designed with the greatest technological expressions – is complete and presents a various mix of situations by alternating slow and quick stints where the power and velocity of these bikes can be used to their potential. The peculiarity of this track is the two long straights. The starting straight measures 1202 meters in length, the longest of the entire championship, even longer than that of the Mugello track which is 1141 meters long and Barcelona’s which is 1047 meters. The track is also characterized by two nearly 360º corners which will put the tyres to the test. Like the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, the Shanghai circuit is very large, designed for Formula 1, and presents many places where overtaking is possible. The IRTA, the association of teams and riders, tried to organize a winter testing session on this circuit, but failed to do so because of the difficult bureaucratic situation in this country. The track is new for everyone; there are no previous references for the bikes. The Motorcycle world arrives in China with a lot of curiosity and high expectations, as this is a country that allows for important commercial and economical opportunities for the various motorcycle manufacturers who are present in the championship. CURIOSITIES OF THE SHANGHAI TRACK: Time difference: + 7 compared to Italy Location: the track is situated 20 miles of Shanghai, north east of Anting Town next to the Shanghai International Automobile City. You need to allow for at least an hour and a half from the centre of town to the track. Remember: In China you cannot rent cars, the team will need to use a shuttle service provided by the hotels. Spectators: Last year 150.000 spectators gathered to watch the F1 GP. Tickets: You can buy tickets directly on line. Web Site: For all information you may log onto www.icsh.sh.ch, the official web site of the Shanghai circuit. SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT – TECHNICAL DATA Opened : 2004 Modified 2004 Length: 5281 m Width: 14 m Pole position: left Right Corners: 7 Left corners: 7 Longest Straight: 1202 m MotoGP Race: 22 laps, 116,182 kms Track Record: new track Pole position: new track #15 SETE GIBERNAU: A NEW TRACK FOR ALL Sete arrives in China, third GP of the season, with the desire to get back on track and compete. Absolute protagonist of winter testing where Sete busy developing the bike dominated for consistency, rhythm and speed. The Spanish rider demonstrated to have all the right cards to fight for the Championship title. “I’ve never been so strong” comments Sete Gibernau “thanks to the work done with the Team, HRC, Honda and Michelin, compared to last year I have grown and matured another year of experience. We all worked in the same direction during the winter tests. To strengthen the relationship between HRC, Honda and Michelin was one of my objectives, and I think I have succeeded. During the first two GP’s I have proved to be a stronger rider. Together with the team we did an incredible job and it is a real shame to not have been able to gain those precious points we hoped for. I think we did the most for what we could control. Even during the Portuguese GP we worked at the top level, proof being the large advantage I acquired compared to the rest of the group. I was conducing the race with a 1.2 second advantage on Alex Barros, and 11 seconds on Valentino Rossi. I couldn’t have done more and I paid because I was leading the race. Being the race leader I had no point of reference when it started to rain, the racing conditions were really difficult. In the end we’ve paid for it because the other riders saw the crash and dropped their pace by three seconds.” After the GP of Portugal, Sete spent a few days resting in Switzerland to undergo an accurate rehabilitation therapy to his left shoulder, which was hurt during the contact with Rossi on the last lap of the Spanish GP, and aggravated with his fall during the Portuguese GP. With Estoril behind him, Sete Gibernau looks with optimism to the Chinese race, a new track for all. “The only aspect we know of this track is th! e design of it. It is in fact new for all of us. The distinctive characteristics of this track seem to be the two long straights, and the two 360º corners, but the track still remains a big incognito. We will only be fully aware of our situation when we begin the first practice session. Not being able to undergo winter testing here, this Shanghai track will be a real challenge for both the teams and the riders. We all begin from scratch; there are no reference points for the bikes. It will be important to try and understand the track as quickly as possible in order to find the correct setting. We only have 4 practice sessions, that is 3 hours of free practice sessions, and a one-hour qualifying session. These hours will be decisive for the starting grid, learning to interpret the track, finding the right setup and being as competitive as possible. I am curious to race in China, an interesting country with a lot of tradition.” #33 MARCO MELANDRI! :”A TRACK WHERE WE ALL START FROM SCRATCH, A POSITIVE OPPORTUNITY TO USE TO THE BEST” Marco Melandri takes on the third race of the season with tranquillity and confidence which come from the great job he did during winter testing with his new team and a start to the season which has been better than he could ever have hoped for. The podium in Jerez, the third of his career for this young Italian rider in the MotoGP class, and fourth place in Estoril has allowed Marco Melandri to be in third position in the Championship ranking. “I am very happy and satisfied with the results of the first two races of the season. Just a short time ago I thought third place in the championship would have been impossible. The GP of Portugal was particularly difficult cause of the climatic situation; the track was wet in some places, dry in others. You couldn’t take advantage of the perfect setup of the bike and the tyres, as the track was very slippery, dirty and unreliable. It was easy to make a mistake, our goal was to finish the race and I am happy to have brought home a fourth place.” Now Marco looks positively to the third race of the season on the track of Shanghai, China. It is a new track where we are racing for the first time. This makes an even bigger challenge for all the techs, mechanics and riders as it means having to use to the maximum of their capabilities the four hours of practice sessions they are allowed hoping that rain doesn’t interfere with their plans. “I am very optimistic about the Chinese GP. I saw the design of the track for the first time only a week ago. It seems to be very interesting, strange, and innovative for sure. There are two particularly long corners, which will be hard on the front end of the bike, as it will be put under a lot of strain. The Shanghai track is a new track for everyone, we all start from scratch and this is a good occasion to use to our advantage. I am curious to go to China and race with the RC211V on this spectacular and modern track. I know a challenging weekend awaits us because we will only have four hours to use to the best of our abilities. Who adapts to the track quicker will logically have the advantage on the rest.” MICHELIN TAKES ON A NEW CHALLENGE IN CHINA For the first ever time the Championship arrives in China, to the Shanghai circuit, a racetrack yet to be explored. We asked Nicolas Goubert, Michelin’s Chief of motorcycling competitions, how the number one tyre manufacturer will be taking on this new challenge. It is the first time the Championship will be taking place in China, what problems do you think you will encounter? With which elements are you basing your choices on? “When you run on a new circuit, like Shanghai, we begin with a careful analysis of the track. The design itself gives us important data. Shanghai in partic! ular has two very long straights, the starting straight measuring 1202 meters, the longest of the entire championship, it is even longer than Mugello’s straight away which measure 1140 meters and Barcelona’s which is 1047 meters long. The track is characterized also by two nearly 360º turns, these are particularly dangerous for the tyres as they will get very hot in these points. We also analyzed the possible climatic situation; the temperatures shouldn’t be very high. Rain remains a fundamental risk factor. For example, last year Qatar was a new track for us and the stable climatic conditions allowed us to use the four practice sessions in dry weather to the max, and luckily enough, the race was dry too. In China, rain could ruin the work program, leaving very little time to tyre testing.” Being a new track will you bring a higher number of different types of tyres? “Every time we go to a new circuit we always bring! a vast range of tyres compared to what we would bring to an already known track where we have experience and reference points to use.” Have you sent a technician to study the track conditions? “No, we based ourselves on the design analysis of the track and on the experience of our Formula 1 colleagues.” In what way have you used the Formula 1 experience of this track? “We did a comparative analysis of the data our F1 colleagues gave us. The data they gave us was also useful to understand the type of asphalt of this track and the level of abrasiveness of it.” Looking at the Championship which has just begun, what progress has been made compared to last year and what have you looked to implement? “Compared to 2004, we have made a huge step forward, especially regarding the rear tyre. We have improved the grip on the maximum angle and the traction. Based on the indications! of our riders, this is the direction we began looking at during the pre season testing sessions. During the season we must adapt the various compounds of the tyres to the characteristics of the different tracks. Each time we must keep in mind three fundamental factors: the track characteristics, the asphalt conditions and the weather.” How important are the riders of the Team Movistar Honda MotoGP for the development of the tyres? “Sete Gibernau and Marco Melandri’s support gave us important indications during our winter testing session. We have worked a long time now with Sete, a rider of great experience. Marco was a very nice surprise. We worked a lot with Melandri as well because he is a rider capable of answer quickly to our requests; he gives precise indications and is capable of rapidly analyzing the characteristics of a tyre. The result of the first two races of this Championship season confirms what a valid rider he is.

1. Katsuaki FUJIWARA (Honda CBR600RR), 1’38.199 2. Sebastien CHARPENTIER (Honda CBR600RR), 1’38.461 3. Michel FABRIZIO (Honda CBR600RR), 1’38.755 4. Gianluca NANNELLI (Ducati 749R), 1’39.442 5. Broc PARKES (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1’40.092 6. Kevin CURTAIN (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1’40.244 7. Berry VENEMAN (Suzuki GSX-R600), 1’40.289 8. Fabien FORET (Honda CBR600RR), 1’40.296 9. Javier FORES (Suzuki GSX-R600), 1’40.297 10. Stephane CHAMBON (Honda CBR600RR), 1’40.335 11. Werner DAEMEN (Honda CBR600RR), 1’40.484 12. Arturo TIZON (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1’40.565 13. Victor CARRASCO (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1’40.876 14. Johan STIGEFELT (Honda CBR600RR), 1’40.892 15. Christophe COGAN (Suzuki GSX-R600), 1’41.092 16. Jarno JANSEN (Suzuki GSX-R600), 1’41.219 17. Sebastien LE GRELLE (Honda CBR600RR), 1’41.289 18. Andrea BERTA (Ducati 749R), 1’41.508 19. Jurgen VD GOORBERGH (Ducati 749R), 1’41.645 20. Antonello ANTONELLO (Kawasaki ZX-6RR), 1’41.994