Orange County, California District Attorney Tony Rackauckas has charged WSMC racer Ruben Munoz, Jr. with 15 felony counts involving stolen vehicles and operation of a chop shop. Munoz is currently awaiting arraignment later this afternoon on the charges in Department 7 of the Superior Court of California, County of Orange, North Justice Center. According to a copy of the Felony Complaint obtained from the DA’s office by Roadracingworld.com, the charges against 27-year-old Munoz involve a 1991 Toyota, a 2003 KTM 125SX, a 2001 Kawasaki, a 2004 Honda, a 2005 Suzuki, a 2003 Suzuki, a 2003 Kawasaki, a 2002 Suzuki, a 2001 Suzuki and a 2005 Kawasaki. Munoz is also charged with possession of a stolen laptop computer and possession of methamphetamine. Munoz runs WSMC #714. Included in the list of bikes involved in the case is one belonging to WSMC #812, Calvin Beck, and stolen from Willow Springs Raceway about a year ago. The investigation is continuing and additional persons may be involved, according to a spokesman from the Anaheim, California Police Department. Persons with information regarding the case should contact Detective Dave Herman at (714) 765-1821. More information will be published as it becomes available.

PROGRESS IN AUSTRALIA FOR MUGGERIDGE AND VERMEULEN Karl Muggeridge and Chris Vermeulen set the fifth and sixth fastest times in this afternoon’s opening qualifying action for round two of the World Superbike championship at Phillip Island. Enjoying the support of family and friends, the two Australian riders continued to improve their lap times on the Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR Fellow Aussie, Troy Corser, grabbed provisional pole position for Sunday’s two 22-lap races around the fast and undulating 4.4km Phillip Island circuit but both team and riders are confident of further progress in tomorrow’s practice and qualifying sessions. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “I’m extremely happy with the steps forward we have made here today, even though we are a little further back on lap times than we would want to be. We have a lot of work to do on the bikes tonight but we have found the direction we need to go in to close the gap tomorrow. Every single lap at Phillip Island is important to the riders because it is such a fast and technical circuit. Unlike some other teams, we didn’t test here before the season started so Karl and Chris are having to use each lap to become familiar with its characteristics once more.” Karl Muggeridge fifth fastest, 1:34.364: “My first lap here on a superbike this morning was really funny! I came down the start-finish straight thinking: ‘When is this thing going to stop accelerating?’ It was kind of mad and makes the 600 feel like you could make a cup of tea going down the straight. The power lifts the front wheel as you go over the crest and then the wind wants to send it sideways, so it’s kind of interesting! The bike’s great but we’ve worked on two different fork settings today and I’m looking for something between the two; so we’ll aim for that tomorrow.” Chris Vermeulen sixth fastest, 1:34.405: “It’s so fast at Phillip Island and I haven’t ridden here for a year so you have to spend a while reminding yourself just how quick you can go. You think you’re at the edge and then find that there’s still more there. We came with a range of suspension settings: from Phillip Island last year, the first race at Qatar and the test at Valencia. We’re definitely going in the right direction but I didn’t really make the most of the grip from the qualifying tyre today. But I put in some consistent quick laps on a race tyre so I’m pretty happy with that.” World Superbike, Phillip Island provisional qualifying times: 1 Troy Corser AUS (Suzuki) 1:33.191, 2 Yukio Kagayama JPN (Suzuki) 1:33.787, 3 Regis Laconi FRA (Ducati) 1:34.084, 4 Andrew Pitt AUS (Yamaha) 1:34.094, 5 Karl Muggeridge AUD (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 1:34.364, 6 Chris Vermeulen AUS (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 1:34.405, 7 Garry McCoy AUS (Petronas) 1:34.491, 8 Steve Martin AUS (Petronas) 1:34.499, 9 Mauro Sanchini ITA (Kawasaki) 1:34.676, 10 Pierfrancesco Chili ITA (Honda) 1:34.775. More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group: GLORIOUS WEATHER FOR OPENING DAY OF PHILLIP ISLAND QUALIFYING Phillip Island 1st April – Round Two Begins: With temperatures nudging 30°C and a stiff breeze from the landward side, the 29 riders present at Phillip Island found the first day of track action a challenge on several levels. The leading lights from the opening Qatar round, Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki riders Troy Corser and Yukio Kagayama, went 1-2 on the early leader board, after the usual final flurry of attempts to be the overnight leader. With Kagayama leading the series, and Corser just behind, it is currently shaping up to be another good round for the Suzuki pairing. Corser’s best lap of 1:33.191 was fully 0.596 seconds faster than his team-mate, and only the top four where within one second of the 1996 World Champion. Regis Continues Good Form: 2004 season runner up, Regis Laconi (Xerox Ducati 999F05) secured third place on day one, underlining his current form as the fastest Ducati rider around. His team-mate, James Toseland, has struggled in his bid to make a fast single lap of qualifying thus far, thus he is languishing in 15th place. He is more competitive on race tyres, rather than the qualifiers most riders adopted in the final stages. Toseland even led the times at one point of the first qualifying hour, as did Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki ZX-10R) Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia R1) and Steve Martin (Petronas FP-1), before Corser hit the top and stayed there to the end. Aussie Home Rules: A solid entry of Australian riders gave the top of the time sheets a top-heavy local feel. Corser was the lead rider in that regard, but he is joined on the provisional front row by fourth place rider Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia). From fifth to eight, the second provisional row of qualifying is an unbroken wall of Aussie talent, with Winston Ten Kate Honda riders Karl Muggeridge and Chris Vermeulen fifth and sixth – SBK rookie Muggeridge 1.173 seconds behind Corser. An outstandingly competitive showing by the Petronas pairing of Garry McCoy and Steve Martin has them seventh and eighth after one day. Sanchini Leads Kawasaki Charge: Despite Chris Walker’s early good showings he was to be upstaged by the late run of his PSG-1 Kawasaki team-mate Mauro Sanchini, who scored ninth fastest time with a 1:34.676. Walker ended day one 14th, as the last laps witnessed many a rider make a personal best on a qualifying tyre. Experience Shows: Pierfrancesco Chili (Klaffi Honda) took the last top ten time, heading off the Yamaha Motor France pairing of Norick Abe and Sebastien Gimbert. Although not quite up to the standard of his first Qatar qualifying sessions, Jose Luis Cardoso (Yamaha DFX Sterilgarda Extreme) was 13th, ahead of both Walker and Toseland. The last of the top 16 riders proved to be an Italian rider in an Italian squad, Giovanni Bussei (Bertocchi Kawasaki). Top Riders In Middle Places: Ben Bostrom (Renegade Honda KOJI) battled against a still not 100% race ready machine to record 19th fastest time, not helped by a technical problem at one stage. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) struggled hard to record his 20th place finish, fully 2.5 seconds behind Corser. The Scuderia Caracchi Ducati squad of Lorenzo Lanzi and Fonsi Nieto were toiling under the strain of day one pressure, recording times only good enough for 22nd and 29th respectively. Lone wildcard rider Andrew Stroud to his Suzuki to 26th place, with stand in for Alessandro Velini (Pedercini Ducati) proving to be Alessio Corradi, a rider who is still recovering from injury. Supersport: Winston Ten Kate Honda pilot Sebastien Charpentier started his Phillip Island qualifying campaign the way he left his pre-race Qatar preparation in a dominant top slot. His lap time of 1:35.999 outpaced his closest challenger, Michel Fabrizio (Team Italia Megabike Honda) by 0.328, with the top Yamaha runner Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) almost one second off Charpentier’s best. Fabien Foret (Team Italia Megabike Honda) and Qatar race winner Katsuaki Fujiwara (Winston Ten Kate Honda) sit fourth and fifth respectively, with Swedish rider Johan Stigefelt (Stiggy Motorsports) sixth on his Honda. On Saturday 2 April the final qualifying sessions for Superbike and Supersport take place, with Superpole on the Superbike class following on at 4pm local time. On Sunday 3rd, two 22-lap SBK rounds sandwich a 21-lap Supersport outing. More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: RECORD TOP SPEED OF 316 KM/H FOR DUCATI XEROX RIDERS AT PHILLIP ISLAND: LACONI THIRD AS TOSELAND FOCUSES ON RACE SET-UP Phillip Island (Australia), Friday 1 April: Régis Laconi turned in the third quickest time in today’s opening qualifying session for the second round of the World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island as his team-mate James Toseland concentrated on gaining a good set-up for Sunday’s two races. Both Ducati Xerox Team riders showed blistering speed on their factory 999 machines today, Laconi establishing an outright WSBK championship record of 316 km/h around the spectacular 4.4 km island track in the morning, a top speed that was equalled later in the day by Toseland. Despite running a fever throughout the day, the 29 year-old Frenchman’s time of 1:34.084 put him on the provisional front row of the grid behind the two Suzukis of Aussie Troy Corser and Yukio Kagayama from Japan but a fraction in front of a clutch of five more Australian riders on their home circuit. “I am quite pleased with what we did today, we got through a lot of work” declared Laconi. “I did a lot of laps but I have no more strength left in me because I’ve had a high temperature since this morning. Nothing to worry about however because I don’t feel sick. Our 999 bikes are going really quick here but we know that in top speed we are second to no one. Still a few more things to do to get the bike the way I like it but I’m sure we’ll make further progress tomorrow. At the end I put on a qualifying tyre, just to be on the safe side because you never know what the weather will be like tomorrow. We didn’t come testing here this winter and the bike is very different from last year’s so we virtually have to start from scratch. I really love this track, I might not be Australian but let’s just pretend that I am, OK?”. Toseland was the only top rider not to fit a qualifying tyre at the end of the session and ended up fifteenth quickest, but the reigning champion was not too concerned, having preferred to focus on his set-up for Sunday’s two races. “It looks worse than it is because on race tyres we are in the top 3!” he joked. “We haven’t used a qualifier, everyone else in front of me did so I’m feeling pretty good. I just stayed out there on a race tyre and put the work in. Around here you’ve got to know what the bike is going to do underneath you, and I remember from previous years that qualifying is one thing but the last six laps are another. I’ve worked hard today, I put a lot of laps together and my consistency is really good so I am happy. Ignore the timesheet, we can put a qualifier in at any time tomorrow and beat those times. I’m feeling good, every time I cross the line, I’m pleasantly surprised with the times I’m doing”. TIMES: 1. Corser (Suzuki) 1m33.191s; 2. Kagayama (Suzuki) 1m33.787s; 3. Laconi (Ducati Xerox) 1m34.084; 4. Pitt (Yamaha) 1m34.094s; 5. Muggeridge (Honda) 1m34.364s; 6. Vermeulen (Honda) 1m34.405s; 7. McCoy (Petronas) 1m34.491s; 8. Martin (Petronas) 1m34.499s “¦ 15. Toseland (Ducati Xerox) 1m35.344s. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders Troy Corser and Yukio Kagayama grabbed first and second places in the first day of qualifying for Sunday’s World Superbike Championship second round at Phillip Island, Australia. Corser was in superb form and blitzed his way round the 4.45 km circuit with a time of 1:33.19, almost six-tenths-of-a-second faster than Kagayama. Third quickest was Frenchman Regis Laconi (Ducati) with Andrew Pitt (Yamaha) just behind. Current World Champion James Toseland (Ducati) had a disappointing opening day and could only manage the fifteenth quickest time. Troy Corser – 1st, 1:33.191: “I knew my quick lap would be good, but I didn’t expect it to be as fast as it was. I was sort of expecting somewhere in the mid 1:33s, but 1:33.191 came as a bit of a surprise – especially as I wasn’t really pushing very hard. We had a bit of clutch problem this morning, but that was fixed and it’s been ok ever since. The wind was a bit of a problem this morning, but in the afternoon it was more consistent. “Today, each time I went a bit quicker all the other riders seemed to improve as well. I didn’t want to go any faster today – I’ll keep that for tomorrow. The GSX-R1000 is working really well and I’m having fun riding it. The bike is good enough to win a championship, so it’s up to me and Yukio to try and do that.” Yukio Kagayama – 2nd, 1:33.787: “I’m very happy today and I want to thank all my team for giving me a good bike to work with. We still have some work to do though because I would like to improve the bike some more. At the moment I think we can improve the handling and the way it goes though the turns, so tomorrow we will make some small suspension adjustments and see if we can make it better. “I had some problems with the wind this morning, but it was not so much of a problem in the afternoon and that was when I think we all improved our lap times. Troy-san knows his way round here very well but I aim to chase him all the way round to the flag on race day.” Friday World Superbike Qualifying: 1 Troy Corser (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:33.191, 2 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:33.787, 3 Laconi (F-Ducati) 1:34.084, 4 Pitt (Aus-Yamaha) 1:34.094, 5 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda) 1:34.364, 6 Vermeulen (Aus-Honda) 1:34.405, 7 McCoy (Aus-Petronas FP1) 1:34.491, 8 Martin (Aus-Petronas FP1) 1:34.499, 9 Sanchini (I-Kawasaki) 1:34.676, 10 Chili (I-Honda) 1:34.775. WORLD SUPERSPORT QUALIFYING: Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Javi Fores struggled with sickness today and could only manage the12th fastest time in first qualifying. The Spanish rider decided to get on his GSX-R600 so that he could start to learn his way round the challenging circuit, but in the afternoon, he was so unwell he was physically sick in his helmet. Frenchman Sebastien Charpentier (Honda) topped the standings with a time of 1:35.999, three tenths of a second ahead of Michel Fabrizio (Honda). Third fastest was Aussie Kevin Curtain (Yamaha), with Fabien Foret (Honda) fourth. Javi Fores – 12th, 1:38.922: “I felt rough this morning and really didn’t feel much better later in the day. Phillip Island is a very hard track when you are 100%, so I found it very tough out there today. I suppose that 12th today is not so bad for my first time here, but realistically I must make a big improvement tomorrow. My first target will be a 1:37 lap and we will see how we will go from there. I hope I feel better tomorrow so I can attack this track much harder. It is a great track, so I really want to ride it well.” Friday World Supersport Qualifying: 1 Charpentier (F-Honda) 1:35.999, 2 Fabrizio (I-Honda) 1:36.327, 3 Curtain (Aus-Y amaha) 1:36.932, 4 Foret (F-Honda) 1:37.075, 5 Fujiwara (J-Honda) 1:37.177, 6 Stigefelt (S-Honda) 1:37.912. 12 Javi Fores (E-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:38.922. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Local hero Andrew Pitt gave his home fans something to cheer today, placing his Yamaha Motor Italia YZF-R1 fourth in today’s first qualifying session for Sunday’s round two of the Superbike World Championship at the Phillip Island circuit. The 29-year-old from New South Wales, fifth in the championship after the first round, started the session using settings gained during January’s three-day test at the Australian venue. Warm and sunny conditions, combined with a strong tailwind down the long main straight, led to fast times and high top speeds in the opening session, allowing Pitt to post a number of consistent laps in the 1’36 bracket while working his way methodically through a number of set-up changes to improve the set-up of his R1. Pitt fitted qualifying tyres in the closing stages of the session to post a best of 1’34.094, less than a second behind provisional polesitter Troy Corser (Suzuki). Yamaha Motor France’s Norick Abe found himself as high as second on the timesheets, before a late charge by his rivals saw him shuffled back down to 11th at the end of the session. The hard working Japanese once again racked up more mileage than his rivals, completing 24 laps of the 4.5km circuit with a best of 1’34.775, despite feeling the effects of a fever which left him short of energy. Abe’s team-mate Sébastien Gimbert steadily improved his pace throughout the weekend, to finish just behind, in 13th place with a best of 1’35.178. However, Pitt’s team-mate Noriyuki Haga however found himself in an uncharacteristically low 20th place on the grid after suffering from chatter problems. The Japanese ace will need to improve by at least four places in tomorrow morning’s second session to qualify for the superpole session. Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) “We got through a lot of work today, comparing the changes we’ve made with the bike to the data we got from our test here earlier in the year and eliminating a few little problems we had there. We’ve found the best front tyre to use in the race and we’ve got the rear down to a choice of two, so that’s obviously important for Sunday. Sure, I’d like to have gone a little quicker but that time should get us into superpole and we have some improvement still to make.” Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France IPONE) “I have had a very bad fever this week so I was not feeling so good today. My time was quite good but it is normal that the other riders come out and do a fast lap on a qualifier late on. But overall my feeling is ok in the conditions. I will go to my hotel early and get some rest, so hopefully I will be able to give some more tomorrow.” Sébastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France IPONE) “This is our first time here with the R1 so there was no need to ride crazily today. I am happy because we have found some good settings. Tomorrow we can work on making some more improvements and going for some faster lap times.” Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) “Today, yes, what can I say? We have a very bad chatter problem and this means I cannot push like I want to. We are working with the Ohlins technician to look to solve the problem. We will improve things tomorrow and that will make our lap times better.” Massimo Meregalli (Team coordinator, Yamaha Motor Italia) “Andrew has done a good job here at his home circuit. I could see that he is very motivated to do well here this weekend and this is also motivating for the whole team. Hopefully we can continue to make good progress tomorrow and give him the best chance of a good result. For Noriyuki, he likes this circuit and I am sure that when he solves this problem he will be back at the front.” Round: 2 – Phillip Island Circuit: Phillip Island Circuit Length: 4448 Lap Record: 1′ 33.019 (Troy Corser, 2001) Fastest Lap Ever: 1′ 32.193 (Troy Corser, 2001) Date: 1 April 2005 Temp: 42ºC Session 1 : Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. 1st Qualifying 1 T. Corser Suzuki AUS 1′ 33.191 2 Y. Kagayama Suzuki JPN 1′ 33.787 3 R. Laconi Ducati FRA 1′ 34.084 4 A. Pitt Yamaha AUS 1′ 34.094 5 K. Muggeridge Honda AUS 1′ 34.364 6 C. Vermeulen Honda AUS 1′ 34.405 7 G. McCoy Petronas AUS 1′ 34.491 8 S. Martin Petronas AUS 1′ 34.499 9 M. Sanchini Kawasaki ITA 1′ 34.676 10 P. Chili Honda ITA 1′ 34.775 11 N. Abe Yamaha JPN 1′ 34.960 12 S. Gimbert Yamaha FRA 1′ 35.178 13 J. Cardoso Yamaha ESP 1′ 35.237 14 C. Walker Kawasaki GBR 1′ 35.282 15 J. Toseland Ducati GBR 1′ 35.344 16 G. Bussei Kawasaki ITA 1′ 35.381 20 N. Haga Yamaha JPN 1′ 35.715 21 L. Alfonsi Yamaha ITA 1′ 35.787 23 M. Borciani Yamaha ITA 1′ 36.130 24 G. Vizziello Yamaha ITA 1′ 36.556 More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi: On the Australian circuit of Phillip Island practices have not started at the best for Scuderia SC Caracchi riders, with a strong wind which hindered the setting operations as well lighted the temperature of a splendid end of summer day, with 32°C of the air and 42°C on the track. The 999RS Ducatis of Lorenzo Lanzi and Fonsi Nieto are, at the moment, out of the group of riders allowed to run the Superpole session. Better made the Supersport, with the 749R Ducati 749R ridden by Gianluca Nannelli in 9th position after a first free practice session spent to look for the best set up for the quick and technical Australian track. “It has been a strange day, with good moments as well with other less happy.” – has been the final comment of Gianluca Nannelli. “We made a great work with the team looking for a good set up, first of all in the rear, and I believe that we found a good result. But both during the free practice in the morning and during the afternoon qualifying the bike had a technical trouble hich forced me to stop before the session’s end. So i haven’t the possibility to earn some position in the grid. Now we are investigating to understand what happened and remove the trouble. The bike is very fast, we recorded the second quickest top speed and I feel that we could be faster and faster and earn a better starting grid position. I like this track and I’m confident to record a better lap time.” Less tranquillity in Superbike crews, where Lorenzo Lanzi suffered the same problems he got in Valencia during the last test session, increased by the stong wind which distorted the rider’s sensibility to evalue the different setting to test. Lanzi recorded so only the 22nd qualifying fastest. “The machine is always in the group of the faster bikes”. – said at the end of the practices Lorenzo Lanzi, disappointed for the final result. “The situation is quite the same as in Valencia, I have any feeling, as well during the afternoon session I increased my performance. We have also to take into consideration that we worked only with race tyres and, until the moment that everyone set the soft tyres we were in 10th – 12th position. We decided to work only with race tyres because, with only two tyrs available for the week end, we preferred to spare them for tomorrow, hoping to get a small advantage looking the other rider who used soft tyre today. Actually it’s a pity my feeling’s missing, first of all on this track that I love. With Maurizio Perlini we are working for a solution and tomorrow I’m confident to increase my position in the grid.” Really nervous Fonsi Nieto who went out in the gravel during the qualifying session, damaging the better machine and forced to stop for long time in the garage, ending early the qualifying session. “Unfortunately I went out in a corner, in the gravel.” – said Fonsi Nieto after the practices. “I didn’t crash, but something entered the engine installed on the better machine and I must join the pit. In the morning free practice, as well I rode just to set the bike, I was quite satisfied. Then I lost a lot of precious time joining the pit and setting the spare bike, so I’ve been not able to score a better result, while my main problem is just that I need to practice and practice with this bike. Now we must be totally focused in the tomorrow’s final qualifying.”

CHARPENTIER FASTEST ON THE ISLAND Winston Ten Kate Honda’s Sébastien Charpentier set the fastest time in today’s first qualifying session for Sunday’s second round World Supersport championship race at Phillip Island in Australia. His Japanese team-mate and championship leader, Katsuaki Fujiwara, was fifth fastest. In warm sunshine, Frenchman Charpentier continued his recent good form, lapping the 4.4km circuit near Melbourne in a time of 1:35.999 the only rider to break the 1:36 barrier and was 0.3s faster than his nearest challenger, Honda-mounted Michel Fabrizio. Ronald ten Kate team manager: We’re pretty happy with the way things have been going on our first day here at Phillip Island. We’ve still got some more work to do to improve the bike for both Sébastien and Katsuaki but we’re progressing in the right direction. There are a lot of areas where we can improve the bike a little bit, like gearing, suspension and geometry. Phillip Island is also very technical, very much a riders’ circuit, and I’m sure we’ll see both riders improve their times as they get more laps under their belt. Sébastien Charpentier fastest, 1:35.999 Yes, it’s all going OK and I really enjoy riding here at Phillip Island. We’ve been working on different tyre and suspension combinations today and it’s going fine. We have a few more things to try but I think we’re pretty close to deciding what tyres we want to use in the race. We’ll try to give that set-up a longer test tomorrow and try to get pole position like we had at the first round in Qatar. Katsuaki Fujiwara fifth fastest, 1:37.177 We’re trying to get the right feeling for the bike and I think we have lots of work to do tonight and tomorrow. It’s a good circuit but the wind is blowing quite hard and it pushes the bike wide when we go through the long left-hander at turn two. Apart from that we have some more time tomorrow but it is really Sunday that counts so, as long as I can start near the front, it should be OK. World Supersport, Phillip Island provisional qualifying times: 1 Sébastien Charpentier FRA (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 1:35.999, 2 Michel Fabrizio ITA (Honda) 1:36.327, 3 Kevin Curtain AUS (Yamaha) 1:36.932, 4 Fabien Foret FRA (Honda) 1:37.075, 5 Katsuaki Fujiwara JPN (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 1:37.177, 6 Johan Stigefelt SWE (Honda) 1:37.912, 7 Christophe Cogan FRA (Suzuki) 1:37.983, 8 Broc Parkes AUS (Yamaha) 1:38.021, 9 Gianluca Nannelli ITA (Ducati) 1:38.242, 10 Stephane Chambon FRA (Honda) 1:38.424. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Yamaha Motor Germany’s Australian duo Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes enjoyed a productive first day in preparation for their home round of the Supersport World Championship, finishing the day’s opening qualifying session in third and eighth place respectively despite not finding the ideal suspension set-up for their YZF-R6s. Sunny conditions allowed the local heroes to spend the day working on set-up of their R6s ahead of Sunday’s 21 lap race, with Curtain setting his best time of 1’36.932 midway through the session, despite not being totally happy with grip levels from the rear of his machine. Parkes also struggled to find a good setting on his R6 and finished just over a second behind his team-mate, with a 1’38.021 on his final lap pushing him up to a provisional second row spot. Fastest rider of the day was Frenchman Sebastien Charpentier (Honda) with a lap time of 1’35.999. Final qualifying to determine Sunday’s grid position takes place tomorrow afternoon at 13:45 local time. Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) “We’re really struggling for rear grip today and it’s quite strange as it just shouldn’t be the case with the improvement we made to the bike. Last year we struggled all year for front grip and struggled with the rear, but here it is the opposite: the front is great but the rear grip isn’t what we expected. I was following Charpentier for about a lap, until his team put out the board to say I was following and he let me past. I could keep up with him until the exits of turn 11 and turn 12, where I was just sliding. That’s a big problem here because if you can’t get good drive out of the last corner you’re going to get hosed down the straight. That shouldn’t be the case on a new tyre so we’re going to have to have a long think about it now to try and find a solution for tomorrow.” Broc Parkes (Yamaha Motor Germany) “Not the best qualifying I’ve had. We’ve not quite had the set-up today and it’s a bit of a surprise after the improvements we made at the last test in Valencia. I was actually faster when we tested here in January so I know that I can go faster tomorrow – I have to, because the front few guys were really on it today.”

Familiar territory for FPR at Phillip Island Foggy PETRONAS Racing riders Garry McCoy and Steve Martin intend to capitalise on their familiarity with the Phillip Island circuit when Superbike World Championship action resumes in Australia this weekend. The Aussie pair, who were involved in a head-to-head battle for the second race win last year before a blown engine ended Steve’s challenge and opened the door for Garry’s first World Superbike victory, made significant progress on the PETRONAS FP1 during a two-day test at their home circuit last weekend. The riders were also able to carry out further valuable set-up at a test in Spain earlier in the month and, with further engine developments imminent, are confident of working their way up through a competitive championship field. Team owner Carl Fogarty, who is returning to the circuit where he suffered his career-ending crash in 2000 for the first time, said: “I am definitely hoping for better results than those we had at Qatar – and I think we will be able to achieve that. Steve and Garry have now had more time on the bike and tested here just last weekend, so top ten finishes are now realistic targets. We already know how tough the competition is going to be this season but we are confident that we are moving in the right direction.” Steve, who was on pole position last year, said: “I am really excited about this weekend. I hope we can keep the ball rolling after the test we had here as I am very happy with the direction in which we are going. This is my home track but there are a lot of Aussies out there and a lot of the other guys have tested here, so I am not sure there will be that much home advantage. It’s a fantastic circuit to ride and will suit our bike better than Qatar, as there are not so many stop-start corners. If we can get a good start anything can happen and, while I am hoping for a dream result, a top six finish would be an achievement.” Garry said: “Our test last weekend went pretty well and we were able to sort a few things out. It was important to get quite a few laps under my belt and get the bike more comfortable for my riding style. While I am still not 100 per cent comfortable, I am happy with the way things are going. The team is still working on the development of the bike and I am sure there is still a lot more to come.” Circuit information: Phillip Island, Australia Best lap: Troy Corser, 1:32.193 (Superpole, 1999) Lap record: Troy Corser 1:33.019 (1999) Best lap on PETRONAS FP1: Steve Martin 1:34.27 (2005 test) Pole position: Left Circuit length: 4.445km Corners: 7 left, 5 right Corner radius: 20m maximum, 23m minimum Maximum slope: 57m uphill

DUCATI XEROX TEAM HEADS DOWN UNDER FOR ISLAND ACTION Phillip Island (Australia), Thursday 31 March: The second of the two overseas rounds of this year’s World Superbike Championship takes place this weekend at the Phillip Island circuit, situated south of Melbourne on the State of Victoria’s spectacular Bass Coast. The opening round in Qatar one month ago saw Ducati Xerox Team riders Régis Laconi and James Toseland meet with alternating fortunes, as the Frenchman took home a third and a second place in the two races, while his British team-mate had to settle for two sixth places. The Phillip Island track has an entirely different layout to the desert sands of Losail, but both Laconi and Toseland are relishing the challenge as it is a fast and flowing circuit where rider ability can make all of the difference. 29-year-old Laconi knows that he is capable of producing a winning performance at the 4.4 km track, having claimed the first of his seven victories in 2004 here one year ago. “I was very happy about the result of the first race because we worked very hard during the winter with Ducati to try to be fast” declared Laconi. “Now that all the factories are back, it has become even harder for us to win. The result at Qatar was good but we still have more work to do to be faster. “Last year things went quite well for me here but I only won one of the races, while in the other I crashed out. For me Phillip Island is a track where the rider can change a lot of things on the bike to improve the settings and performance and for this reason our rider motivation is always high at this circuit. “Maybe maximum engine performance isn’t the thing that counts the most at Phillip Island because it’s more important to get the bike set up right, in particular for the last part. As the track is difficult, the racing is always fantastic and I’ve always gone well here. Hopefully I will have a good result and maybe even get my first win of the year this weekend”. 24-year-old Toseland finds himself in the unenviable position of trying to recapture his 2004 form after a spate of crashes in testing at Qatar and Valencia left him battered and bruised. A couple of weeks rest since the Spanish test has given the reigning champion an opportunity to focus on the task of putting together a good result this weekend. “I had a difficult round at the first race in Qatar, where I had a massive crash. I wasn’t injured but I did feel a bit battered about”, declared Toseland. “Now I’ve had a chance to go back home and sort my head out a bit, I’m now looking forward to this second round at Phillip Island, where you’ll see me as determined as ever. “We had a good race here last year although hopefully you won’t see as much tyre-smoking from me! Phillip Island always produces exciting racing and those last two curves are quite demanding on the tyres. I’ve been fast round there in the past, and after the Valencia testing we have found a decent setting on the bike, so I will go out there and hopefully have a bit more luck than we had have so far this season”. CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after 1 of 12 rounds): Riders – 1. Kagayama 45, 2. Corser 41, 3. Laconi 36, 4. Vermeulen 21, 5. Pitt & Toseland 20. Manufacturers – 1. Suzuki 50, 2. Ducati 36, 3. Yamaha 22, 4. Honda 21, 5. Kawasaki 7, 6. Petronas 1. THE CIRCUIT Name: Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Length: 4.445 km Pole Position: Left Corners Left/Right: 7/5 Finish Line Length: 835 m STATISTICS Best lap: Corser (Ducati) 1:32.193 (1999) Lap record: Corser (Ducati) 1:33.019 (1999) Superpole: Corser (Ducati) 1:32.193 (1999) Race distance: 2 x 22 laps/97.790 km

FISHERMEN’S TALES It’s difficult to imagine two more contrasting sports the peace and tranquillity of fishing against the frenetic pace of world championship motorcycle racing. But, according to Ronald ten Kate and Katsuaki Fujiwara of the Winston Ten Kate Honda team, it is that very contrast that makes the two activities so mutually compatible. As team manager and World Supersport rider respectively, the pair is hooked on fishing as the perfect antidote to the everyday pressures of running a race team and riding a high performance Honda CBR600RR; and round two of the 2005 championship gives both the perfect opportunity to indulge. The Australian round is always looked forward to by riders and teams alike. Phillip Island, nestling 180 kilometres south east of Melbourne, is about as perfect a location as you could find to go racing. The technically demanding circuit is surrounded by quite stunning scenery and sea views and the relaxed pace of life is perfect to offset the rigours of competition. The seas surrounding the island, where the Bass Strait runs into the Pacific Ocean, also offer a quite different selection of fish to those found in Holland, where ten Kate and Fujiwara return home between races. And both have used this season’s visit to Phillip Island to find some sharks. “I began fishing with my father when I was about eight years old,” says ten Kate. “He taught me all about it but, as his business started to grow and he had less and less time to spend on it, he gave me his rods and I carried on.” The advantage with Holland, he concedes, is that there is plenty of water everywhere and, because everyone travels by bicycle, it was easy for the young ten Kate to get to the nearest canal just 500m from his house. “I loved the sensation of catching fish,” he continues, “and I became obsessed with recording each one species, size, date it was caught and so on. I suppose it was my first experience of data-logging, which is now such an important aspect of the team’s performance!” Fujiwara’s introduction to the sport came a little later, when he was in his early teens, and it was also his father who taught him. “We lived near the sea,” he says, “and there was also a lake nearby. But I didn’t do so much fishing back then as I do now.” Fujiwara had other distractions such as the pocket bikes he’d been racing since the age of six and his passion for fishing wasn’t re-kindled until seven years ago. “I was in one of the thousands of games arcades at home in Japan,” he explains, “and there was a computerised version of big game fishing. You have the rod, which is real, but the sea and everything else is on the screen. It was very realistic and exciting so I went and bought some equipment so I could do it for myself again.” Rather than sea fishing, however, Fujiwara opted for a lake near his home town of Chiba; and instead of big game fish, he set his target on the black bass. “It requires constant work and full concentration,” he says, “a little like fly fishing because the black bass feeds on the surface. I very quickly learned to love it again.” Despite the competitive nature of their current profession, however, neither Ronald ten Kate nor Fujiwara have been greatly motivated by fishing competitions. Ten Kate won a few organised by his school “No trophies, just a matter of honour!”, he says and Fujiwara recently entered one in Japan in which he came second by the small margin of 50g. Like his Japanese rider, ten Kate went for many years without picking up a rod, concentrating instead on a successful motocross career. “My racing was beginning to get serious,” he says, “so between the ages of 14 and 30 I just didn’t have time for it.” But it was Phillip Island’s charms that got him back into the sport three years ago, when he witnessed a local shark specialist losing his rod and tackle to a big fish. “It triggered the old bug in me again,” he continues, “and I just went straight to a fishing shop and bought about 200 Euros’ worth of equipment. The adrenalin rush is completely different to racing and it allows me to stop thinking about work completely. Also, when you get that detached from everyday life, you can sometimes see things more clearly.” He now also has a new fishing pal in Fujiwara, who lives close to the Winston Ten Kate Honda workshop in Niewleusen in Holland, where the pair fish for pike in the canals. “I just have to pick up the phone and he’s there,” says ten Kate. “We also have a little competition each time if I win he has to clean my car, and if he wins I have to clean his race bike!” Recent form allowed Fujiwara the pleasure of watching his team manager working hard to polish his Honda CBR600RR after a fishing expedition on the Arabian Gulf during February’s first 2005 World Supersport round in Qatar. He is also hoping to pass on his passion to his two-year-old son Hiroto, having already bought him a rod, tackle and, more importantly, a small life jacket. “At the moment, he just uses the rod to hit things,” laughs Fujiwara, “so maybe I’ll wait a little while!” For the Japanese ace, however, fishing remains a great way to relax, as well as offering a huge excitement. “When you catch a big one, it’s a real thrill,” he says. “I think my heart is beating faster then than it does on the start line for a race!”

World Superbike Championship leaders Troy Corser and Yukio Kagayama are looking forward to more success at the second round of the series at Phillip Island, Australia this weekend. The Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra dominated the first round in Qatar and is approaching Phillip Island in a positive frame of mind. The duo tested there in January this year. Both recorded good lap times and know they will be in good shape for the weekend ahead. Phillip Island is a fast-flowing, technically-challenging track and one of the best-loved circuits in the calendar and a particular favourite of Corser. Before he arrived on the world stage, the Australian spent many weekends charging round the 4.445 kilometer circuit on a variety of different machinery and got to know the place probably better then any other current World Superbike competitor. In recent years though, he has only ridden there as often as most current riders, but he still regards the track as ‘home’. Troy Corser: “Although I live in Europe these days and probably don’t put in any more laps of Phillip Island than any other rider, I still love the track. It is fast, flowing and technically quite hard, but it’s a real blast to ride and great fun when you get it right. It’s a track that demands good circuit knowledge because, if you want to go fast, you’ve got to know it inside out. Last year, I was on a different bike, so I am really looking forward to being on a very good and fast bike this year. “My team mate Yukio is leading the championship at the moment, but I am confident that I can get a couple of good results here and then hopefully the tables should be reversed and I’ll be on top of the standings. That’s not to say he will not be a threat, because he will. He is so aggressive everywhere! Also, I expect the Ducati boys, Toseland and Laconi to be strong and perhaps also Vermeulen and Muggeridge. And you cannot rule out Haga and Pitt. It’s going to be a great day for the fans though, so I hope we get a good crowd.” Yukio Kagayama: “Phillip Island is not an easy track, but I like it a lot. It is a challenge for sure, but when you put in a good lap, it is a very good feeling. Troy-san has been round it many times so he has a lot more circuit knowledge then me, but I was not so far behind at the tests and I know I can make progress. Last year, I was not involved in the World Superbike Championship, so I did not race here, but that is not a problem for me. “Of course, I am happy to be leading the championship right now, but it is very early days in the season and I expect that many other teams will become stronger during the year. I don’t know if I can beat Troy at Phillip Island, but I will try my hardest as usual. If Troy and I can leave Phillip Island in first and second in the championship, we will all be very happy.” 2004 Phillip Island results: Race 1: 1 Laconi (F- Ducati), 2 Vermeulen (Aus-Honda), 3 Martin (Aus-Ducati). 13 Troy Corser (Aus-Petronas), Yukio Kagayama DNS. Race 2: 1 McCoy (Aus-Ducati), 2 Vermeulen, 3 Chili (I-Ducati). 5 Troy Corser (Aus-Petronas), Yukio Kagayama – DNS.