Suzuki & Motorcycle Industry Contribute Considerably to Injured Rider’s Benefit Auction LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. American Suzuki Motor Corporation (ASMC) is one of the many members of the motorcycle industry that is participating extensively in the currently ongoing Vincent Haskovec Benefit Auction. The auction’s proceeds will go toward the M4 EMGO Suzuki rider’s bills that stem from his debilitating crash at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., in May. Among other items, ASMC is donating a brand-new 2005 GS500F to help offset the cost of Haskovec’s rehabilitation. Also, ASMC is contributing Suzuki 20th Anniversary Flags, and other donations include Scott Russell’s Lucky Strike Suzuki Leathers from his Grand Prix days, a Michelin MotoGP Slick signed by former World Champion Kevin Schwantz and other Michelin riders, two (2) two-day Star Racing Schools, a West Coast Supermoto School, two Shoei Helmets and much more. Also available is an autographed pair of Haskovec’s leathers, five 11×14 personalized photos of Haskovec. As well as a signed Team Hammer replica helmet. Finally, Arai donated two helmets — one signed by all the MotoGP riders and one signed by all the AMA riders. “The response from the riders and the overall motorcycling community has been overwhelming,” said Cycle News’ Sheri Russell, who helped organize the auction. “It’s hard to put into words how amazing everyone has been in their support for Vincent. I’ve never seen everyone get behind one rider they way they have for him, it’s certainly a testament to what a caring industry we’re a part of.” Bidding for the Vincent Haskovec Benefit Auction will end on August 19, 2005, and all payments must be complete by August 24, 2005. If any bidder is unable to provide full payment, the item(s) in question will automatically default to the next-highest bidder. All items will be shipped within 30 days of payment receipt. For more information on the Vincent Haskovec Benefit auction or to place a bid, log on to www.rpmcolorado.com.

Reg Pridmore’s CLASS Motorcycle Schools Announces Fall Schedule and New Riding Experiences The CLASS 2005 season heats up with Sweepstakes Winners, a Trip to Italy with a CLASS Day at the track, plus a Two-up school at Streets of Willow! SANTA PAULA, CA Three-time AMA Superbike champion, AMA Hall of Fame member and author Reg Pridmore’s CLASS Motorcycle Schools has just finished up the summertime run across the USA and the fall schedule is shaping up to be a winner. Congratulations to the “Lesson you Won’t Forget” Sweepstakes Winners! For the first half of the season, CLASS conducted a sweepstakes where everyone who enrolled in a CLASS was automatically entered in the drawing. Grand Prize winners are Laurence Sanders on the west coast and Lee Holmes on the east coast. Lawrence wins a free CLASS at Infineon Raceway in October, and Lee wins a free CLASS At Barber Motorsports Course the following week! They also won assorted CLASS gear and an autographed copy of Reg’s terrific book: Smooth Riding – the Pridmore Way. Congrats also go out to our 3 First Prize Winners: Jerry Poppo Sr., George Adrian and Mark Ellsworth who have won some great CLASS Motorcycle School clothing along with a copy of Reg’s book. · October 6th is the 3rd annual Two-Up School at Streets of Willow. It’s the perfect way to get that great riding partner involved in a really fun track day. Students will learn bike setup, body positioning, throttle management, braking, and a host of other skills. But most of all, they’ll learn just how smooth two-up riding can be-from the master – Reg himself! Pilot will work with their passenger on the track for the best practice any team can get. Plus the price is even $100 less than last year! Reg will be giving two-up rides to all participants who want one and it’s guaranteed to be a blast! This is one of the most fun days we do all year. Don’t miss it. The CLASS Italian Adventure with Reg Pridmore begins August 20th in Milan. We’ll tour the Tuscany Region and explore, on motorcycles, some of the best on Italy has to offer. There’s still time for one more rider to sign up! Lots of riders have taken advantage of Reg’s new price structuring that includes First Time Friends Days (save $50 when you bring a friend that’s never been to CLASS), Honda Riders Club of America (HRCA) members discounts, plus at least 6 other ways to save money on CLASS in ’05 not just token discounts, but true deals with serious traction! Check the CLASS calendar for dates and details. · Still going strong: The CLASS Safety First Challenge! Turn $50 into $100 toward a CLASS Motorcycle School in Reg Pridmore’s Safety First Challenge. From December 2004 through December 2005 if you purchase a new 2005 sport bike, Reg will offer you $50 toward any CLASS school and challenge your dealer to match his offer to total $100 off your CLASS Motorcycle School. It’s all to help teach and reinforce sport-riding safety and to hopefully save lives! See www.classrides.com for rules and eligibility. In addition to several west coast dates this fall, CLASS will be at Barber Motorsports Park for 3 days in October. Take 1, 2, or all 3 days for a real lesson you won’t forget! Are you out west wishing you could ride your own motorcycle at Barber Motorsports Park? We can make it happen for you because we have a couple of trucks to take your bikes from both Northern and Southern California to Birmingham. And we charge way less than the commercial carriers. Call us! (805) 933-9936 About CLASS Three-time AMA Superbike Champ and AMA Hall of Fame member Reg Pridmore has been teaching motorcyclists of all skill levels how to ride quickly, safely, and smoothly since 1974. CLASS (California’s Leading Advanced Safety School) was founded in 1986 and is conducted at leading racetracks around the country, from March through November.

Reynolds sends out a warning to his rivals RIZLA SUZUKI’S John Reynolds was the quickest rider on race rubber at Tuesday’s official MCRCB test at Silverstone in Northamptonshire. The reigning British Superbike Champion finished the day in second place overall pipped on the time sheets by only Ducati’s Leon Haslam who used a sticky qualifying tyre at the end of the day to set the headline fastest lap. JR tested numerous Dunlop tyre combinations and fine-tuned the suspension settings on his Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000 while completing 56 laps of the sun-drenched 2.21-mile track. Rizla Suzuki’s James Haydon clocked up 65-laps and was seventh fastest, only half a second behind his team mate. He spent time working on his rear suspension and minor geometry alterations to suit the fast-flowing but slightly bumpy nature of Silverstone. Team Co-ordinator Simon Green said: “JR was fastest on tyres that will last a race distance and has sent a warning to his rivals for when we come back here to race in just over two-weeks time he’s going to be tough to beat. He was impressive today and after all the injury problems he’s had, it’s great to have him back firing on all cylinders. “James set his quickest time during the second 50-minute test session out of three. He tried some radical changes to his bike for the third session that didn’t work and that is invaluable to learn as we will not follow that direction during the race weekend. He got through a lot of work on his Rizla Suzuki and is consistently fast and improving every time he rides, which is a source of encouragement for the whole team.” JR will be back on track next Sunday, August 7th, at the Rizla Race Day at Assen in Holland. He will be riding demonstration laps in front of the 50,000 strong crowd and then signing autographs and meeting the fans. Entrance to the circuit is by producing a packet of Rizla papers and the team’s appearance is just one of the attractions at this petrol-fuelled race weekend featuring some of the fastest vehicles in the world on two and four-wheels. Rizla Suzuki will be at the Crescent Open Weekend on Saturday and Sunday August 13-14th, with the riders, including triple BSB Champion Niall Mackenzie, signing autographs and answering questions at the Crescent Performance Centre in Verwood visit www.crescent-suzuki.com or call 01202-820170 for more details. The next round of the British Superbike Championship is at Silverstone on August 21st. Silverstone Test Times: 1: Leon Haslam (Ducati) 1:26.684, 2: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) 1:27.412, 3: Ben Bostrom (Honda) 1:27.702, 4: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 1:27.895, 5: Karl Harris (Honda) 1:27.983, 6: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) 1:28.036, 7: JAMES HAYDON (RIZLA SUZUKI) 1:28.049.

Springsteen raffle benefits injured riders Win a custom Fender “Springer” Stratocaster guitar and the shirt off Jay Springsteen’s back! Grandma’s Music And Sound and Chick’s Harley-Davidson/Buell are donating a Jay Springsteen commemorative, XR750-themed, Fender guitar to be raffled off at the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association Sandia Classic, Sept 16-18, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The grand prize package will also include one of Jay’s actual race team shirts, a signed number plate, t-shirts, Springer’s 30 Years of Racing book and other racing memorabilia, all signed and donated by Jay. All proceeds will go to AHRMA’s Benevolent Fund to assist injured riders. Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased through Chick’s (505-856-1600, [email protected]) or at the Sandia Classic (www.sandiaclassic.net). Springer will pull the lucky ticket on Sunday, Sept. 18, at the event. For more information on AHRMA, visit www.ahrma.org.

VICTORY: AMA APPLAUDS CONGRESS FOR FUNDING MOTORCYCLE STUDY — Off-highway riders also benefit from transportation bill — PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is applauding Congress for funding for the first nationwide motorcycle-crash study in almost 30 years. U.S. House and Senate conferees agreed to a compromise version of the $286.4 billion transportation bill, which was passed by both chambers late last week, reauthorizing transportation spending through September, 2009. The bill, which President Bush is expected to sign this week, includes nearly $3 million for a study of motorcycle crashes. It specifies that the research grants be provided to the Oklahoma Transportation Center, located at Oklahoma State University. “After more than a decade of decline, motorcycling fatalities have increased in recent years, and those increases have prompted endless speculation about the reasons why,” said AMA President Robert Rasor. “We’re pleased that Congress agrees that we need answers, not theories. We’re anxious for the study to begin, to help us understand how to prevent crashes and save lives.” “I’m happy we were able to include the provision providing grants to the Oklahoma Transportation Center for this important study,” said Sen. James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “It’s an important step in helping to improve motorcycle safety.” “I was pleased to work with the American Motorcyclist Association to update these statistics,” said Rep. Sam Graves (R-Missouri), who introduced the motorcycle-study language into the bill. “It has been over 20 years since we last studied what causes motorcycle accidents and now is the time to take another look.” The last comprehensive study on the subject, commonly called the “Hurt Report” after University of Southern California researcher Dr. Harry Hurt, was published in the 1970s. The AMA notes that the bill also preserves motorcycles’ access to High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, and that it specifies that local governments will continue to be prohibited from excluding motorcycles from roads maintained with federal funds. In addition, the bill calls for motorcycles to be included in research on Intelligent Transportation systems, and makes available $25 million to individual states for motorcycle-safety training and awareness programs. Off-highway motorcyclists and ATV enthusiasts will benefit from the transportation bill as well, through $370 million in gasoline taxes earmarked for the Recreational Trails Program.

Superbike World Championship preview – round eight: Brands Hatch Race date: 7 August 2005 Track length: 4221m Year opened: 1926 2004 winner: Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) Lap record: 1:26.755 Shane Byrne (Ducati) Fastest lap ever: 1:26.248 Shane Byrne (Ducati) The Superbike World Championship visits one of its spiritual homes this weekend as the series moves to the demanding Brands Hatch circuit in the heart of England. The British circuit is always one of the best attended rounds of the year and holds good memories for Yamaha Motor Italia rider Noriyuki Haga. The popular Japanese rider won both races at Brands Hatch last year and returns on the back of giving Yamaha its first world superbike victory of the season at Brno three weeks ago. Winning at Brno provided a huge boost to the team in their first season of competition at superbike level and the squad travels to Brands Hatch this weekend looking to build on the Czech result. “There’s certainly a slightly different feeling among the team,” said team co-ordinator Massimo Meregalli. “We always knew that the first half of the season would be very difficult as we developed a new bike and we always felt that it would be the second part of the season before we could challenge for wins. Noriyuki has been on holiday since Brno, but in the two or three days before he left he was a different person. Both he and Andrew (Pitt) know Brands Hatch very well and we looking forward to this weekend.” Haga is naturally enthusiastic about returning to Brands, commenting: “It was great to be back on top of the podium again and I hope to make another good result for the Brands Hatch fans. We’re still a little bit down on power but at Brno we found the perfect setting for the bike and if we can find good settings at Brands then we can be competitive. Since Brno I’ve been back in Japan to spend some time at home with the family. I’m feeling relaxed, fit and ready to go this weekend.” Team-mate Andrew Pitt had a weekend to forget in Brno, with tenth and a retirement seeing him slip back to tenth in the overall standings. The Australian is no stranger to the British circuit and finished second there on his way to the 2001 supersport world title, when Yamaha rider Jörg Teuchert pipped him on the line in a memorable photo finish that saw the top three riders covered by just 0.016 seconds at the flag. “At Brno we were up there in practice but the races didn’t turn out as well as expected,” said the 29-year-old. “But on the positive side, we were more competitive than at the previous two races. Noriyuki showed the potential of the bike and I just want to get out there and aim for a podium this weekend.” Brands Hatch technical guide Make no mistake, Brands Hatch is one of the most demanding circuits on the world superbike roster when it comes to finding a good bike set-up. It is always about finding a good compromise setting but here at Brands, with its fast blast up Hawthorn Hill, the curved start/finish ‘straight’ and difficult elevation changes at Paddock Hill and Surtees, the compromise is so much more than at other circuits. The natural elevation changes can cause the suspension to bottom out, especially at the end of the long Hawthorn Hill straight but riders must avoid the temptation to stiffen things up too much as this will sacrifice performance at many of the other corners. Riders will probably look for a good set-up through the more conventional fast corners, like Hawthorn, Stirling’s and the Clark, and use their body weight muscle the bike through the less than perfect set-up for the rest of the course. The track also features a lot of blind corners which can make it difficult for the riders to gain complete confidence in the circuit. Circuit knowledge can count for a lot here and the riders will have to make the most of the practice sessions if they are to find the optimum lines for what is usually a hectic race. Supersport World Championship – Yamaha Germany look to regain lost ground Yamaha Motor Germany riders Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes head to Brands Hatch in a positive mood despite a nightmare race last time out in Brno. The Australian duo both failed to finish in Czech, Curtain crashing out while contesting the lead and Parkes retiring. The lack of points failed to reflect the team’s pace in Brno and since that last outing the team has been busy with a two day test at the German Eurospeedway circuit. Coming to Brands, the target for both riders is to improve their championship placings. Curtain is the top YZF-R6 rider in the championship, in third, with Parkes currently sixth. FIM Superstock 1000 Cup – R1 riders prepare for another thriller Fans visiting Brands would be well advised to go early and catch Sunday morning’s FIM Superstock 1000 race. The championship, for riders aged up to 24 years and riding virtually stock 1000cc machines, has produced consistently stunning racing throughout the year and, as the season reaches its climax, expect nothing less this weekend. The series has been a tale of three Yamaha riders, Massimo Roccoli, Kenan Sofuoglu and Didier van Keymeulen, and the Suzuki of Australian Craig Coxhell. Roccoli leads the series by just four points from early points leader Sofuoglu, who returned from injury with a second place to Coxhell last time out in Brno. Van Keymeulen goes to Brands Hatch fourth in the championship but still right in contention thanks to his supreme consistency. This one looks like going to the wire.

Kawasaki Looks For Repeat Success at Atlantic Motorsport Park Parts Canada Superbike racing resumes August 4th, when the Canadian Kawasaki Team heads to Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia for rounds 6 and 7 of the series. Team Kawasaki hopes to repeat their past success after finishing rounds 4 and 5 at Mosport International Speedway with three podiums in the 600 supersport class. “Our team is getting stronger and closer to achieving our goals as each round progresses. I’m happy with our results and our programs continue to move forward. Both riders have proven they will be contenders in the upcoming round,” said Jeff Comello, Team Manager. It is undeniable that the team is feeling good and building momentum, leading into the races at Shubenacadie. Both Tom Kipp and Matt McBride are hungry for the coveted first place position in both the superbike and supersport classes, and will prove to be a force to be reckoned with at Atlantic Motorsport Park. A late season addition to the Canadian Kawasaki Road Race Team, is seasoned veteran and ex-Kawasaki rider Jeff Williams. After his efforts at Mosport and his desire to return to Canadian racing competitively, Williams and Kawasaki have agreed to terms for rounds 6 and 7. “Williams has proven his ability to master the technical and physically demanding track at Shubie. And as a past winner, we have high hopes for him at this event,” continued Jeff Comello. Be sure to catch the Canadian Kawasaki Team August 4-7th, 2005 at Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, NS.

ALSTARE AIMS FOR BRANDS PODIUM Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders Troy Corser and Yukio Kagayama are looking forward to the eighth round of the World Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch this weekend and both have podiums in their sights. The 4.221 kilometre circuit is well-known to both of them and it is also one that they count amongst their favourites. The twisty, undulating circuit is a regular on the calendar and is one of the few tracks where the spectators are close enough to feel part of the action! Current World Championship leader Corser had one of his best results on the Petronas FP1 there last year with fifth in race one, but crashed in race two after being hit by another rider. Kagayama did not take part, but raced there in the British Superbike Championship, taking a fourth and a third. Troy Corser: “Brands Hatch is a great circuit and the atmosphere there is usually tremendous. It is one of the few tracks where we can actually feel the presence of the spectators because they are very close to the action. It is an old style circuit and very demanding because there are some blind approaches and changes of camber and it is easy to get caught out if you are not careful. I like the track a lot and I will be going into the event completely relaxed on all fronts. “I am particularly happy that Sam gave birth last week to a beautiful baby girl because at one time it might have happened during the Brands Hatch weekend! That might have caused me a little less then 100% focus, but now I don’t have to worry about that at all. It was good to get back to winning ways in Brno and I can’t see any reason why I will not be on the podium at Brands Hatch – it’s what I’ll be chasing for sure.” Yukio Kagayama: “I am happy to be going to Brands Hatch – a circuit I know and like – after two circuits I did not know. Because I know Brands Hatch, I can be a bit more relaxed and just concentrate on getting a good set-up early on in practice. Brands is not an easy circuit but it is fun to ride. I think it is a circuit that suits my style and so I will be trying my best to end my run of bad luck and get a podium or two. Also, I will have many British fans there, so I am determined to do well and chase that second place in the championship.” 2004 Results: Troy Corser (Petronas FP1) – Race 1: 5th, Race 2: DNF. Yukio Kagayama – DNS.

OFFICIAL RESULTS AMA SUPERMOTO CHAMPIONSHIP USA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, SHAWANO, WISCONSIN JULY 30, 2005 AMA Supermoto Results (Race 1) Pos. No. Rider name Hometown Bike Laps Pts Team name 1 19 Doug A Henry Torrington, CT Yamaha YZ450F 15 25 Graves Motorsports Yamaha 2 28 Troy Herfoss San Diego, CA Husqvarna TC450 15 22 GP Husqvarna 3 45 Benjamin T Carlson West Bend, WI KTM 450SMR 15 20 Team HMC / Generations of Sonoma 4 5 Jurgen Kunzel Temecula, CA KTM 450SMR 15 19* Red Bull KTM 5 210 Massimiliano Gazzarata San Carlos, CA Honda CRF450R 15 16 JST Racing Motostrano.com ABMedic / AeffeM 6 1 Jeff Ward Newport Beach, CA Honda CRF450R 15 15 Team Troy Lee Designs Honda 7 11 Christopher S Fillmore Oxford, MI Honda CRF450R 15 14 Team Troy Lee Designs Honda 8 8 Kurt P Nicoll Temecula, CA KTM 450SMS 15 13 Red Bull KTM 9 128 Andrea Bartolini Richmond, CA Honda CRF450R 15 12 Team X3 LeoVince USA Calhoun Honda Yamaha 10 125 Max Verderosa Richmond, CA Honda CRF450R 15 11 Team X3 LeoVince USA Calhoun Honda Yamaha 11 428 Josh W Chisum Bakersfield, CA Honda CRF450R 15 10 Joker Machine QTM Warren 12 357 Gary R Trachy Orange, CA Honda CRF450R 15 9 CHM Exhaust Pro Honda Oils 13 73 Steve Drew Costa Mesa, CA Suzuki RM-Z450 15 8 Two Brothers Racing Suzuki Kawasaki 14 319 Justin Ross Hesperia, CA KTM 450SMR 15 7 Joker Machine QTM Warren 15 35 Cassidy J Anderson Provo, UT Honda CRF450R 15 6 CHM Exhaust Pro Honda Oils 16 55 Leonardo Bagnis Lodi, CA Husqvarna TC450 15 5 GP Husqvarna 17 415 Al Salaverria San Francisco, CA Honda CRF450R 15 4 Al Salaverria Racing Honda 18 22 Willie Reiter , KTM 450SMR 15 3 Red Bull KTM 19 60 Clay A Hoenshell Arlington, TX Honda CRF450X 15 2 Team Rockwall Honda 20 399 Alex McElyea Cave Creek, AZ Honda 450 14 1 Red Baron Racing 21 32 Nick Daniels Mattoon, IL Honda CRF450R 14 Scotty`s Speed Shop 22 232 Eric Bostrom Cary, NC KTM 450SMR 6 Red Bull KTM 23 23 David Baffeleuf Cournon D Avuergne, France KTM 450SMR 1 Team HMC / Generations of Sonoma 24 47 Alex Thiebault Antibes, France Honda CRF450R 0 CHM Exhaust Pro Honda Oils RACE TIME: 22:46.249 min. WINNER’S AVG. LAP TIME: 01:31.1 AMA Supermoto Results (Race 2) Pos. No. Rider name Hometown Bike Laps Pts Team name 1 19 Doug A Henry Torrington, CT Yamaha YZ450F 16 25 Graves Motorsports Yamaha 2 5 Jurgen Kunzel Temecula, CA KTM 450SMR 16 22 Red Bull KTM 3 125 Max Verderosa Richmond, CA Honda CRF450R 16 20 Team X3 LeoVince USA Calhoun Honda Yamaha 4 1 Jeff Ward Newport Beach, CA Honda CRF450R 16 18 Team Troy Lee Designs Honda 5 23 David Baffeleuf Cournon D Avuergne, France KTM 450SMR 16 16 Team HMC / Generations of Sonoma 6 47 Alex Thiebault Antibes, France Honda CRF450R 16 15 CHM Exhaust Pro Honda Oils 7 8 Kurt P Nicoll Temecula, CA KTM 450SMS 16 14 Red Bull KTM 8 128 Andrea Bartolini Richmond, CA Honda CRF450R 16 13 Team X3 LeoVince USA Calhoun Honda Yamaha 9 232 Eric Bostrom Cary, NC KTM 450SMR 16 12 Red Bull KTM 10 11 Christopher S Fillmore Oxford, MI Honda CRF450R 16 11 Team Troy Lee Designs Honda 11 73 Steve Drew Costa Mesa, CA Suzuki RM-Z450 16 10 Two Brothers Racing Suzuki Kawasaki 12 22 Willie Reiter , France KTM 450SMR 16 9 Red Bull KTM 13 428 Josh W Chisum Bakersfield, CA Honda CRF450R 16 8 Joker Machine QTM Warren 14 357 Gary R Trachy Orange, CA Honda CRF450R 16 7 CHM Exhaust Pro Honda Oils 15 415 Al Salaverria San Francisco, CA Honda CRF450R 16 6 Al Salaverria Racing Honda 16 35 Cassidy J Anderson Provo, UT Honda CRF450R 16 5 CHM Exhaust Pro Honda Oils 17 210 Massimiliano Gazzarata San Carlos, CA Honda CRF450R 15 4 JST Racing Motostrano.com ABMedic / AeffeM 18 399 Alex McElyea Cave Creek, AZ Honda 450 15 3 Red Baron Racing 19 32 Nick Daniels Mattoon, IL Honda CRF450R 15 2 Scotty`s Speed Shop 20 60 Clay A Hoenshell Arlington, TX Honda CRF450X 15 1 Team Rockwall Honda 21 45 Benjamin T Carlson West Bend, WI KTM 450SMR 15 Team HMC / Generations of Sonoma 22 28 Troy Herfoss San Diego, CA Husqvarna TC450 10 GP Husqvarna 23 319 Justin Ross Hesperia, CA KTM 450SMR 8 Joker Machine QTM Warren 24 55 Leonardo Bagnis Lodi, CA Husqvarna TC450 3 GP Husqvarna RACE TIME: 22:38.963 min. WINNER’S AVG. LAP TIME: 01:24.9 *Superpole Earns 1 additional point

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and Valentino Rossi are delighted to announce that Valentino will stay with Yamaha for a further year. Rossi will continue to race in Yamaha’s MotoGP line-up riding the Yamaha YZR-M1 in the 2006 MotoGP World Championship. Rossi won the 2004 MotoGP World Championship with Yamaha and is currently competing in his second season with the Japanese manufacturer’s factory team. The 26-year old Italian leads the 2005 MotoGP World Championship by 120 points, following his 8th victory at last weekend’s German Grand Prix. Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing, Lin Jarvis, stated, “Since we announced the signing of Valentino Rossi at the end of 2003 we had an astonishing first year with him, and are now enjoying great success again in 2005. This year is the 50th anniversary for Yamaha and is therefore a very special year for us. We hope our MotoGP efforts will culminate in a second world title for Valentino with Yamaha. We are obviously very happy to have Valentino with us for another year and to keep him with MotoGP in 2006. The partnership with Valentino is the key point that will now allow us to proceed with our total MotoGP strategy for 2006.” “I am so happy to be able to announce the continuation of my relationship with Yamaha” commented Rossi. “Last year was magic, to win my first race with Yamaha, and then to win the championship. I have a fantastic relationship with this factory and my team crew, who have worked so hard to make the M1 as competitive as it is now, and it just made sense to stay with Yamaha for another year.”