Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Chinese Grand Prix: wild-card riders The wild-card riders who will race in the Chinese Grand Prix, scheduled on the circuit of Shanghai on May 1st next, are the following: Start number, Rider, Team, Nomination 125cc class 38, Cheung Wai On (CHN-Honda) Tba, FIM 39, Ho Wan Chow (CHN-Honda) Zongshen Racing Team, CMSA 85, You Rao Zhou (CHN-Honda) Chong Qing Yuan XGJAO Racing, CMSA 250cc class 58, Shi Zao Huang (CHN-Yamaha) China BG Racing, CMSA 59, Zhi Yu Huang (CHN-Honda) Chong Qing Yuan XGJAO Racing, CMSA 60, Zhu Wang (CHN-Aprilia) Zongshen Team of China, CMSA 61, Zheng Peng Li (CHN-Aprilia) Zongshen Team of China, FIM 62, Zi Xian He (CHN-Yamaha) China BG Racing, FIM Motogp class 72, Tohru Ukawa (JPN-Moriwaki) Moriwaki Racing, FIM/Dorna Rider replacing Alex Hoffmann (Motogp) 19, Olivier Jacque (FRA-Kawasaki) Kawasaki Racing Team

RETURN TO EUROPE HEIGHTENS EXPECTATIONS FOR HONDA RIDERS With the flyaway start to the 2005 WSS season now completed, after rounds at Losail in Qatar and Phillip Island in Australia, Europe calls for the five officially supported Honda riders competing in the series. With each race win taken by CBR600RR riders, and five out of six podiums also secured, the prospects for Valencia success seem to shimmer in what all hope to be bright Spanish sunshine. All teams have tested at Valencia, even after the start of the season, convening at the Circuito Ricardo Tormo in mid March, with Honda riders very much to the fore on the time sheets. Riding for the same squad that has won the last three World Supersport Riders’ Championships, Winston Ten Kate Honda teamsters Katsuaki Fujiwara and Sebastien Charpentier have taken a win apiece, with Charpentier’s second place in Qatar making him the championship leader at this point, holding 45 points from a possible 50. Team Italia Megabike rider Fabien Foret (2002 World Champion for Honda and Ten Kate) has been teamed up with 20-year-old Michel Fabrizio, with each rider having taken a personal high point of third place; Fabrizio in Qatar and Foret in Australia. A DNF for Fabrizio in Australia puts him seventh overall to Foret’s fourth, with each rider aiming for podium returns beyond the bronze position this weekend. Joining an illustrious band of Finnish racing exports, Tatu Lauslehto (Team Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) is a quietly spoken, if fiercely competitive, 21-year-old, inducted into the fold of the relatively new but repeatedly competitive Austrian based Klaffi team. Charpentier, who scored a magnificent 3.595 second margin of victory at one of the world’s great motorcycle racing venues earlier in the month, hungers for more visits to the to step of the podium. “I was so pleased to get that win in Australia after the frustrations I suffered at the first round in Qatar,” said Charpentier, “The team has been great to work with and the CBR is just amazing. We have been concentrating mostly on the front of the bike so far this season and this will be very important here in Valencia. We had a good test here in March when I was able to make many fast laps in a race simulation. As long as I can qualify well again, I hope we can repeat this in Sunday’s race and try for another win.” Fujiwara’s outstanding beginning to the season, running through from a poor start at Qatar to seize victory from the grasp of team-mate Charpentier, stuttered with a fourth in Australia. The Japanese rider, in his first season of WSS competition with a Honda, is looking to Valencia as at least another strong points scoring prospect. His desire to win is based on a proven ability at Valencia, having taken both the race win and pole, riding for Suzuki in 2003. “Conditions on race day in Phillip Island were very difficult and I found it very hard to control the bike,” said ‘Kats’, so I was not happy with fifth place. But each time I have gone out this season, in test or practice or qualifying sessions, I am getting to know the CBR better. It is a very good bike and I am lucky to have joined a very professional team. I want another win here at Valencia and because the test here was very positive, I am hopeful. But the other Hondas are also very strong so we must continue to work hard.” Foret, winner of the Valencia race for Honda in 2002, and twice the pole sitter to boot, has one simple goal in mind, paying homage to his new machine as he confirmed his desire for a top two finish. “I want to do better in Valencia than Phillip Island,” said a definite and determined Foret. “At the end of Australian race I finished third and so you can make your own conclusions. The bike increases in power output and the feeling from the cycle parts improves step by step. I believe that in Valencia we can run the race with the other official Honda CBRs, especially the Winston Ten Kate ones. It has taken only two races to take the measure of my Honda, after two season on other bikes, so now I’m ready to win – and I hope to do this in Spain.” In his first full season of World Supersport competition, Fabrizio will attack the Valencia weekend with his customary gusto, but with one note of caution from a recent harsh lesson at Phillip Island. “In Australia I lost a real chance to take good points for the championship,” acknowledged Fabrizio. “I could have finished fifth but I crashed in my attempt to take a podium. I know this, and I’m not happy, but I also know that I will arrive in Valencia with the expectation to stay with the leaders until the finish of the race. The bike is very fast, same as the best of the other bikes and I will be racing to take another podium.” Three new tracks in a row for 2004 European Champion Lauslehto is a disadvantage mitigated by a recent test at the forthcoming Spanish venue. “The race next weekend will be my first one at Valencia,” affirmed Tatu. “I know the track only from the official test in spring this year. But the Klaffi Honda feels good and I hope I can make a good race.” World Superbike Round 3 of 12 CBR1000RR RIDERS HUNGRY FOR PODIUM SUCCESS AT VALENCIA Thus far in the 12-round World Superbike Championship relative youth has been the key for Honda’s five-rider push, with 2003 World Supersport Champion Chris Vermeulen (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) and Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) leading the charge on the points table. Currently Vermeulen, with a year of experience under his belt on the CBR1000RR, sits fourth in the championship chase, thanks in part to a race one third place in the recent Australian round. Mirroring his achievements ‘down-under’ SBK rookie Neukirchner was a sensation, running with the leaders and only relinquishing third place in race one after an often tactile last few laps with Vermeulen. Karl Muggeridge will compete on the second Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RRs, in his rookie SBK season, while the most experienced SBK rider still active in the series, Pierfrancesco Chili teams with Neukirchner, despite a recent collarbone operation after his Aussie SBK qualifying crash. Chili fully intends to be racing in Spain, and travels to Valencia ready for combat, if his left collarbone can withstand the exertions of so many changes of direction at the tight and twisty 4.005km circuit. Ben Bostrom (Renegade Honda Koji CBR1000RR) returns to Valencia with a strengthened squad and an uprated machine, having toiled hard in the March tests. For Vermeulen, the forthcoming race will be a chance to prove himself and improve his set-up once more, after an outstanding rookie CBR1000RR-mounted SBK season in 2004. “It was good to get on the podium at Phillip Island but we still have some set-up issues that we need to deal with, especially with the front forks,” said Vermeulen. “They’re basically brand new for this year, prototypes really, so we’re still learning how to get the most out of them. But we’ve got some new things to try which will hopefully take us in the right direction. Valencia should be good as we had a really positive test there in March, which was our first real opportunity to get some decent time on the bike. Last year Valencia was our first Superbike race with the CBR1000RR, we qualified on the front row and got 12th and fifth in the two races. So I’m definitely hoping for better than that.” Muggeridge, who got married a week after the Australian Superbike race, has had a sometimes-dramatic introduction to World Superbike, after a dominant season in World Supersport. “It’s time to get back to business – back to what I thought was going pretty well in Australia until race day,” said Muggeridge. “After a pretty good test at Valencia last month, I can’t wait to have another go. We’ve got some new chassis and clutch parts to try and I’m really looking forward to seeing how well they all work.” Neukirchner showed his true, and yet still-developing, talent at Qatar, running with the leaders for long periods. His Phillip Island experience has been limited, but it will still prove highly beneficial to him. “The Valencia race track is the complete opposite of Phillip Island,” said quick-learner Max. “Valencia is tight and twisty, with only a couple of fast sections. It is very important is to have enough grip on the rear tyre this weekend, as it gets used a lot on so many corner exits. Valencia is not one of my favourite tracks but I won’t be happy with anything less than a top ten position.” For Chili, Valencia will be another test of spirit and fitness, but one the 40-year-old Italian is more than ready to match. “After my return from Phillip Island I had an operation,” he explained. “Only three weeks after Phillip Island the fracture is not completely healed. But I’m hoping to be fit for the race and my therapists have done their best. In 2004 I finished second in race one and fourth in the second leg. A repetition of this success would be great.” For Bostrom, Valencia has been the site of previous glories, and the memory of these, plus an elevated total race package, gives him increased confidence. “I like the track in Valencia, it’s a good place for the team and myself to get on our feet,” said Bostrom. “We haven’t been at that stage yet so it’s time to step up. I believe we’ll do it because the bike coming along really well. Should have a motor and lots of parts have now arrived. We started out very late so our team is gel together. We will have new people at this event and we know that Renegade can do a great job after the results they got last year. The rider now has to gel with the Pirelli tyres as well.” With the championship now grounded in Europe for the rest of the season, the classic amphitheatre of Monza hosts round four, May 6-8.

Former 250cc World Champion, Olivier Jacque, will make his racing return with the Kawasaki Racing Team for the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai and the French Grand Prix at Le Mans. The 31-year-old French rider has been drafted into the team as a temporary replacement for Alex Hofmann, who sustained fractures to the ulna and scaphoid bones in his left wrist when he crashed during a promotional event ahead of last weekend’s Portuguese Grand Prix, putting him out of action for five weeks. The severity of Hofmann’s injuries mean that the 27-year-old German rider will definitely miss the next two Grand Prix events in China and France, but is aiming to return to the MotoGP grid for the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello on 5th June. The decision to run a replacement rider was taken jointly by Kawasaki Racing Team Manager, Harald Eckl, and senior Kawasaki staff in Japan as soon as the extent of Hofmann’s injuries became apparent. Jacque received the call up late on Sunday evening and immediately jumped on a plane for Portugal, taking advantage of a planned test at the 4.1km Estoril circuit on Monday to familiarise himself with the Ninja ZX-RR ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix. Despite the fact that his MotoGP experience over the past 12 months has been limited to infrequent wild card appearances for Moriwaki, and a brief outing on the 2004 version of Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-RR for a magazine test, Jacque proved at Estoril that he’s lost none of the skills that took him to a World Championship title in 2000. Although the test was brief, it allowed Jacque the opportunity to reacquaint himself with the sheer speed of a MotoGP bike, always a problem when a rider returns to racing after a long absence. Jacque was reunited during the Estoril test with two people who played a very big part in his World Championship winning season back in 2000. Regular Kawasaki rider, Shinya Nakano, was the teammate that the Frenchman beat to the title by the narrowest of margins, while Kawasaki’s current MotoGP Technical Director, Ichiro Yoda, was the man responsible for designing the 250cc machine that both riders campaigned that year. Jacque will sport his trademark number 19 on his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR when he takes to the track for the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai in just over a week’s time. Olivier Jacque: #19 “I am really pleased to be back racing again, and this is a fantastic opportunity for me. It’s good to be riding again in the same team as Shinya, who is a friend as well as being a great competitor, and I’m happy to be working again with Yoda-san, for whom I have a great deal of respect.” “The test at Estoril was a short one, but I was immediately impressed with how much of an improvement this year’s Ninja ZX-RR is over the 2004 version I rode for a magazine test at the end of last season. The new engine seems to produce more power and the stability of the chassis is also much improved since last year. As Shinya has proved with his results this season, the bike definitely has potential.” “After seven months away from racing it takes some time to get back up to speed and to rediscover your feeling for the bike. The Chinese Grand Prix will provide an opportunity for me to find this feeling, to get more experience of the bike and to find a set-up I’m happy with ahead of my home Grand Prix at Le Mans. So, while I’ll be looking to do the best I can in the race in China, the main goal is to be competitive by the time we arrive at Le Mans for the French Grand Prix. To score a good result in Le Mans would be fantastic for me and for Kawasaki.” Harald Eckl: Team Manager “While it is unfortunate that Alex will miss the next two races through injury, we were lucky that someone of Olivier’s calibre was available to replace him at such short notice. Jumping on a MotoGP machine after such a long layoff is difficult for any rider, but Olivier adapted quickly during his brief test at Estoril and I’m sure that, as he becomes more familiar with the characteristics of the Ninja ZX-RR and our Bridgestone tyres, his lap times will continue to improve during practice and qualifying ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix. Nobody has raced in Shanghai before, so Olivier will not start next weekend at a disadvantage, and few riders know their way around Le Mans as well as he does. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do on our bike at his home Grand Prix.”

VALENCIA STARTS WORLD SUPERBIKE’S GRAND EUROPEAN TOUR SBK Teams Return To ‘Normal’ Theatres of Operation: After season-opening rounds at the long-haul destinations of Qatar and Australia, the 12-round Corona Extra Superbike World Championship returns to more familiar territory for the remainder of the championship season. Valencia, now something of a regular stop off point for SBK races and test sessions, is round three in the current series, hosting two SBK races on Sunday 24th April. Valencia History: First introduced to the championship in 2000, the 4.005 km Valencia race circuit is a largely twisty ribbon of tarmac, inside a stadium-style layout, with large spectator grandstands on three sides. Several of the current crop of World Superbike contestants have already taken race wins there, most notably James Toseland, Troy Corser and Noriyuki Haga. 2005 Stars So Far: The merest glance at the current championship standings tells the story of the early 2005 series, with Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki riding duo of Troy Corser and Yukio Kagayama having scored the lion’s share of the points on offer. With 91 from a possible 100 for Corser and 85 for Kagayama, the Suzuki squad could hardly be better placed as they enter the Valencia round. Corser currently has three wins (26 in his career) while SBK new-boy Kagayama has a single success; race two in Qatar. Twins Continue Challenge: Closest challenger to the dominance of the Suzukis has been the Xerox Ducati of 2004 season runner up, Regis Laconi. His two podium finishes so far in 2005, and two gritty rides against adversity in Australia leave him third in the championship table, with 54 points. Having an even tougher 2005 so far is reigning Champion James Toseland, running his Xerox Ducati in an unaccustomedly lowly eighth place, after some dreadful misfortunes and high-speed crashes. As a winner at Valencia last year, his rivals know that he could well bounce back to be in running for honours again come raceday. Honda Hopefuls: Youth has been given chances in high profile teams once more this year, as fourth placed rider Chris Vermeulen (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) and Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) battle it out for status of top Honda rider of 2005. Neukirchner, a promotee from WSS last year, will join Vermeulen on the 22-year mark, shortly before the Valencia weekend. In marked contrast, his team-mate the most experienced World Superbike riders there is is Pierfrancesco Chili. Suffering a broken collarbone in the Phillip Island event, Chili fully intends to ride in Spain, once more showing the grit that has underlined his long and glorious SBK career. Vermeulen’s team-mate, Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) enjoyed a stellar WSS career, and joins the SBK series for the first time this year as the reigning WSS champion. Having fielded the worst effects of illness at Qatar and misfortune in Australia, the 30-year-old Gold Coast rider, now based in Andorra and Switzerland, has a lot to look forward to at a track he has already tested on this season. Of the five top Honda entrants in the field, Ben Bostrom (Renegade Honda) will see his Valencia results most likely influenced by machinery, as his team continues to catch up time after an unavoidably late start to their 2005 preparations. Yamaha Hierarchy Firming Up: Thanks to four strong points scoring rides in real race conditions, Yamaha Motor France rider Norick Abe has secured the status of top Yamaha rider at this point, sitting sixth, just ahead of the Yamaha Motor Italia rider Andrew Pitt. Yet another former World Supersport champion, and yet another Aussie, now plying his trade in the new-look Superbike series, Pitt has impressed with his hard riding style and overall commitment. A double no-score from Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) at Phillip Island has dropped him down the order to 11th, while Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France) a true star of pre-season qualifying, has yet to find his feet in SBK race conditions. A return to the scene of some of his extreme pre-season competitiveness may be just what the Frenchman requires to get back on terms. Home Town Spaniards: Jose Luis Cardoso (Yamaha DFX Extreme Sterilgarda) will be looking to the familiar setting of Valencia to score his first points since joining the championship. His fellow Spaniard, Fonsi Nieto (SC Ducati 999RS) has a superb ride to fifth in the aggregate race at Phillip Island, securing for himself a top ten championship placing thus far, in what is also his rookie SBK season. His team-mate, Ducati’s favoured son Lorenzo Lanzi (SC Ducati 999RS), is yet another rider attempting to overturn some bad luck and show his true abilities in the biggest class of Superbike racing there is. Kawasaki On the Up: Chris Walker and Mauro Sanchini (PSG-1 Kawasaki) look like battling it out for supremacy in the ZX-10 camp, with Walker the pre-season favourite in this internal battle, yet suffering some outrageous misfortune thus far. The Bertocchi Kawasaki squad, comprising Giovanni Bussei and Ivan Clementi, are also capable of upsets on machinery supplied by the fourth major Japanese manufacturer represented in WSB this year. Petronas In Focus: A previous version of the unique and technically innovative Petronas three-cylinder machinery, similar to that utilised by Aussie duo Garry McCoy and Steve Martin in 2005, enjoyed some success at Valencia last year. It will be difficult to emulate this once more, given the huge increase in the numbers of potential winning machines on the grid, but in McCoy and Martin, Petronas has two battling competitors, ready to take any opportunity that comes their way. Supersport: Winston Ten Kate Honda rider Sebastien Charpentier scored the win at Phillip Island, to take the lead in the championship from his team-mate Katsuaki Fujiwara. The Honda duo have been the best of the bunch so far, each with a win, but Yamaha Motor Germany pilot Kevin Curtain has been a strong force throughout the early championship stages. Team Italia Megabike Honda runners Fabien Foret and Michel Fabrizio, are another talented pairing, the experience of 2003 WSS champion Foret contrasting and complimenting the exuberance of 2003 European Superstock champion Fabrizio. After a difficult start to the year, Jurgen van den Goorbergh (SL Ducati) got his season off to a better footing with a fifth place finish in Australia, at one of his favourite circuits.

Birmingham, AL April 20, 2005 Dunlop Motorcycle Tires arrived at the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama for the second round of the 2005 AMA Superbike Series, April 22-24, with a number of tire choices for the factory Superbike and support teams. This weekend’s Honda Superbike Classic occurs almost a month earlier than last year. The seasonably cooler weather, together with the track surface, will factor into the teams’ tire selections. “The track surface is not as green as last year and the asphalt is not as abrasive,” said Jim Allen, Dunlop’s U.S. manager of road racing. “We’re not seeing as much wear on the front tires, but overall the teams have been going with the harder compounds in practice sessions, not unlike last year.” Dunlop brought nearly 1500 tires to support the factory teams and support riders in Superbike, Superstock, Formula Xtreme and Supersport. For the factory Superbike teams, there will be four front and four rear tire compound selections. And for the first time at Barber, all Superbike rear tire options will be multi-compound “new generation” designs. “The teams have been using these tires since the mid-point of the 2004 season and they all prefer the combination of a harder center tread compound, which helps straight-line traction and stability, and a relatively softer compound on the shoulders of the tire for improved cornering,” said Allen. For the 1000cc machines of the Superstock class, Dunlop will offer four front and three rear compounds from which the teams can choose. The riders of the highly-modified 600cc Formula Xtreme machines will sort through three front and three rear compound options, and the 600cc Supersport factory teams will choose from two front and two rear compounds formulated for Dunlop’s new DOT-approved Sportmax GP tires. The Sportmax GP rear tire features a multi-compound design that performed extremely well in round one at Daytona in March the Sportmax GP took the first five positions on its way to a podium sweep. Spring weather in Alabama can turn stormy in minutes, but Dunlop is prepared. “We’ve brought along about 250 rain tires just in case,” said Allen. This includes “intermediate” tires for damp conditions – which are hand-cut versions of the compounds noted above and full rain tires, from which the riders can select from two front and two rear tread patterns. To read Dunlop’s race weekend summary, be sure to visit www.dunlopmotorcycle.com. About Dunlop Tires Dunlop Tires is the largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in the U.S. and the only manufacturer of motorcycle tires in North America. With North American operations headquartered in Buffalo, NY, Dunlop has been making and selling high-quality tires in the U.S. since 1923. For more information, please visit www.dunlopmotorcycle.com.

After the opening rounds in Qatar and Australia, the World Superbike championship returns to Europe this weekend at the tight and twisty Ricardo Tormo Circuit just outside Valencia in Spain where Winston Ten Kate Honda riders Chris Vermeulen and Karl Muggeridge will be looking to build on their development of the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade. With third and fourth placings in the two Phillip Island races last time out, 22-year-old Vermeulen retained fourth position in the championship; meanwhile his fellow Australian and team-mate Muggeridge was unable to maximise fully on a strong qualifying performance and his first Superpole event, finishing in eighth place in the first outing but crashing out in race two. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “Although the CBR’s engine specification is pretty much as we used in Australia, we have some new chassis parts to test here at Valencia and quite a lot of different options to go for. We’ll be using the practice sessions to test those parts on one bike and use the other with settings from our successful test here in March. Our aim here is clearly to move forward to regular podium finishes and, if all goes well, we should be battling for wins from here on.” Chris Vermeulen championship position 4th, 21 points: “Phillip Island was good, especially after starting on the third row, but we had some chassis issues which we’ll hopefully resolve with some new components in Valencia. The forks we’re using this year are virtually prototype so we’re still learning a lot about how to get them working really well. I’m looking forward to the weekend because we enjoyed a productive test here last month, which was our first real opportunity to get some time on the bike; and, despite an electronics problem in race one last year, I did OK in our very first outing here on the Fireblade.” Karl Muggeridge championship position 12th, 7 points: “I can’t wait to have another go at Valencia after a kind of mixed time in Australia. Practice and qualifying went OK there making those steady improvements I’m looking for, and then getting through my first Superpole in sixth. But race day at Phillip Island wasn’t so good, with a crash in warm-up and a couple of difficult races. At least I was able to put that out of my mind when Isabelle and I got married the following Friday and then had four days off. But now I’m just focused on Valencia, testing some new chassis and clutch parts and getting back to business.” Valencia World Superbike event schedule: Friday 22 April 10.30-11.30 free practice, 14.15-15.15 qualifying; Saturday 23 April 11.00-12.00 qualifying, 14.45-15.45 free practice, 16.00 Superpole; Sunday 24 April 09.20-09.40 warm-up, 12.00 race one (23 laps, 92.115km), 15.30 race two (23 laps, 92.115km). World Superbike championship points after two of 12 rounds: 1 Troy Corser AUS (Suzuki) 91, 2 Yukio Kagayama JPN (Suzuki) 85, 3 Regis Laconi FRA (Ducati) 54, 4 Chris Vermeulen AUS (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 50, 5 Max Neukirchner GER (Honda) 37, 6 Norick Abe JPN (Yamaha) 33, 7 Andrew Pitt AUS (Yamaha) 31, 8 James Toseland GBR (Ducati) 22, 9 Giovanni Bussei ITA (Kawasaki) 20, 10 Fonsi Nieto ESP (Ducati) 17, 12 Karl Muggeridge AUS (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 15.

Winston Ten Kate Honda’s World Supersport squad returns to Europe in buoyant mood this weekend for round three of the series at Valencia in Spain. The team’s riders Sébastien Charpentier and Katsuaki Fujiwara have been in imperious form at the opening two events, dominating practice and qualifying sessions and taking a victory each. The pair sits in first and second place respectively in the championship, with Charpentier in the ascendancy after second place in the Qatar opener was followed by his impressive win at Phillip Island. Fujiwara, meanwhile, won the first race and has shadowed his team-mate throughout as he continues to familiarise himself with the 2005 CBR600RR and his new team. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “It’s just a case of ‘more of the same please’ at Valencia! I’ve been so pleased with Sébastien for his focus and determination and Kats for the way he has adapted to a new machine and a new way of working. We don’t really have any major changes to the bike for this weekend, just one or two small items to try to improve the general base setting. The test here in March proved that the package is quite fast here so we’re simply looking to continue our string of victories in this class.” Sébastien Charpentier championship position 1st, 45 points: “I was so pleased to get that win in Australia after the frustrations I suffered at the first round in Qatar. The team has been great to work with and the CBR is just amazing. We have been concentrating mostly on the front of the bike so far this season and this will be very important here in Valencia. We had a good test here in March when I was able to make many fast laps in a race simulation. As long as I can qualify well again, I hope we can repeat this in Sunday’s race and try for another win.” Katsuaki Fujiwara championship position 2nd, 38 points: “Conditions on race day in Phillip Island were very difficult and I found it very hard to control the bike so I was not happy with fifth place. But each time I have gone out this season, in test or practice or qualifying sessions, I am getting to know the CBR better. It is a very good bike and I am lucky to have joined a very professional team. I want another win here at Valencia and because the test here was very positive, I am hopeful. But the other Hondas are also very strong so we must continue to work hard.” Valencia World Supersport event schedule: Friday 22 April 09.35-10.20 free practice, 13.15-14.00 qualifying; Saturday 23 April 10.00-10.45 free practice, 13.45-14.30 qualifying; Sunday 24 April 09.50-10.10 warm-up, 13.20 race (23 laps, 92.115km). Championship points after two of 12 rounds: 1 Sébastien Charpentier FRA (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 45, 2 Katsuaki Fujiwara JPN (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 38, 3 Kevin Curtain AUS (Yamaha) 33, 4 Fabien Foret FRA (Honda) 27, 5 Broc Parkes AUS (Yamaha) 19, 6 Stephane Chambon FRA (Honda) 17, 7 Michel Fabrizio ITA (Honda) 16, 8 Javier Fores ESP (Suzuki) 13, 9 Tauto Lauslehto FIN (Honda)13, 10 Jurgen vd Goorbergh NL (Ducati) 11.

The Safilo Group has signed a contract with Dorna, the company that manages MotoGP’s commercial and TV rights, for their sport brand Carrera to become MotoGP sunglasses supplier for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Following this agreement, Carrera is installing promotional structures in the public areas during the MotoGP events in Jerez, Estoril, Mugello, Barcelona, Sachsenring and Valencia. Promotions for the spectators are organised at the Carrera stand at each of the six GPs, with the major prize being the chance to win passes to meet the Carrera racing stars at the Carrera hospitality area in the MotoGP paddock. The new contract also means that all the Dorna staff at the MotoGP World Championship is wearing Carrera sunglasses. Carrera reinforces its presence in the world of motorcycling: the Safilo Group has been present in the MotoGP World Championship for five years now. The brand currently sponsor team Carrera Sunglasses LCR in the 250cc class, with Casey Stoner and Roberto Locatelli, and has four of MotoGP stars, Loris Capirossi, Toni Elías, Héctor Barberá and Mika Kallio, who are Carrera testimonials for 2005.

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra head to this weekend’s third world Superbike Championship round at Valencia hoping to continue its 100% win performance and increase its series lead. World Championship leader Troy Corser holds a six-point advantage over team mate Yukio Kagayama after both riders dominated the opening rounds at Qatar and Australia aboard their all-new 2005 GSX-R1000 Suzukis. The event at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Spain is the first race of the season in Europe. For many teams, the early start in Qatar in February, followed by the longest trip away to Phillip Island in Australia has been a bit of a trial, but not for Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra. The two rounds and four races have seen Alstare Suzuki take a clean sweep of four wins and series leader Corser has fond memories of the Valencia circuit, having done the double there in 2001 to add to his win in 2000. The 4.005 kilometre rack is one that is used extensively for testing, so even Kagayama has some knowledge of the circuit, which is regarded as one of the more technical circuits in the calendar. Troy Corser: “I guess we all know the Valencia circuit pretty well because we all test there a lot. It is quite a technical track and it helps to have a good bike set-up and be smooth. The first two rounds this year have been amazing for all of us in the team and the atmosphere is tremendous. The expectation within is very high and now our competitors know they are in for a tough time. It’s a really good feeling knowing that everybody is worrying about us and trying to catch us. “I certainly prefer to be leading and the others chasing than the other way round. At the moment, my strongest rival is my team mate Yukio. After all, we have the best bike and he is a hard rider, so he has to be my main challenger. However, now that we are back in Europe, I expect the others to start challenging us again. “Ducati will be desperate to put one over us and Yamaha and Honda are going to get stronger and stronger. It is a long, long season, so my aim is to stay consistent; get on the podium as many times as possible; and take each race as it comes. If I can do that, I should be in a good position at the end.” Yukio Kagayama: “Since the last round in Australia, I have moved to Belgium with my family and now I am ready for Europe. I also have my motorhome with me, so I have somewhere to go at every race. Valencia is a hard circuit – and really not one of my favourites – but I went pretty well there in the tests so I am hoping that I can carry on improving my knowledge of the bike and the tyres when we start practice. “The Alstare Suzuki is a very good bike and I am enjoying riding it. My style is a little ‘shaky’ and for me it does not matter if the bike is moving around – I like it! Troy-san is a smoother rider than me, but our bike set-ups are not so different. In fact, I think I could ride Troy’s bike without too much of a problem. I have had one victory this year, so my aim in Valencia is to take another one – with Troy in second place of course!” Valencia will host the opening round of the Suzuki GSX-R European Cup – a brand new one-marque five-round series for GSX-R750s. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra will host the series, which has been organised to celebrate 20 years of the race-bred GSX-R Superbike and to give Suzuki riders from across Europe an opportunity to taste champagne at one of the highest levels of World competition. In 2004, Spain’s Javier Fores proved to be rider to watch at the GSX-R World Cup Final at Road Atlanta, USA. After wowing the crowds with some sensational riding, he has now been snapped up by Alstare Suzuki to ride the GSX-R600 World Supersport bike. Twenty five riders from Europe and South Africa plus four wild-card Spaniards will contest the event on identically-prepped machinery. There will be an hour’s free practice on Friday from 5.10pm, 50 minutes more practice on Saturday at 6.20pm and a 12-lap 48km race on Sunday at 2.20pm local time. 2004 results: Race 1:1 Toseland (Ducati), 2 Chili (Ducati), 3 Walker (Petronas). Corser (Petronas), DNF. Kagayama DNS. Race 2: 1 Haga (Ducati), 2 Toseland, 3 Martin (Ducati), 11 Corser (Petronas). Kagayama DNS.