AMA PRO RACING ON TV THIS WEEK (July 24-July 29, 2005) (All times Eastern) AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited (Superbike Race 1), Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio, Sunday, July 24, 2 p.m. (SPEED Channel) AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited (Superbike Race 2), Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio, Sunday, July 24, 3 p.m. (SPEED Channel) AMA Pro Honda Oils Supersport presented by Shoei, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio, Sunday, July 24, 4 p.m. (SPEED Channel) AMA Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio, Tuesday, July 26, 2 p.m. (SPEED Channel) AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited (Superbike Race 1), Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio, Wednesday, July 27, 4 a.m. (SPEED Channel) AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited (Superbike Race 2), Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio, Thursday, July 28, 4 a.m. (SPEED Channel) AMA Pro Honda Oils Supersport presented by Shoei, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio, Friday, July 29, 4 a.m. (SPEED Channel)

Round 9: Donington Park, United Kingdom Track length: 4023 m Opened: 1977 Fastest Lap Ever: 1:29.973 (Colin Edwards, 2004) MotoGP lap record: 1:29.973 (Colin Edwards, 2004) Last year MotoGP winner: Valentino Rossi 2004 MotoGP Race Summary Threatening rain in the early laps of the 2004 British Grand Prix could not stop Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi from picking up his fifth win of the year in commanding fashion. In front of 82,091 spectators Rossi’s one-man charge at the Donington track increased his championship lead to 22 points ahead of Honda riders Sete Gibernau and Max Biaggi. Rossi’s team-mate Carlos Checa made a determined ride to sixth place. Rossi took control of the British MotoGP from pole position into the first turn as he attempted an early breakaway. Passes from Loris Capirossi (Ducati) and Gibernau prevented him from such a tactic until the second lap, when he managed to pull out a short gap of 0.7 seconds. The distance between Rossi and the rest of the pack increased until half race distance, and his cushion of time had grown to over two seconds. The Italian continued his race domination to build a four second gap which he guarded throughout the final laps. Having eased off to enjoy a victory celebration he crossed the line with a margin of 2.945 seconds over his current 2005 team-mate Colin Edwards. 2005 Set-up report YZR-M1 Donington was a circuit born with a reputation for being challenging on both rider and machine, a reputation that only gained further strength with the 1987 extension – carried out to allow Donington to form part of the GP calendar. It’s this ‘modern’ extension that has added to the complexity of the circuit layout, which can be separated into two contrasting components. The first, from the start finish line to the right-hander called Coppice Corner, is a flowing sequence of medium to high-speed corners that drop down Craner Curves into the Old Hairpin before climbing back out on the approach to Coppice. In an extreme contrast the circuit is completed with a sequence of stop-and-go switchback and hairpins between Fogarty Esses and Goddard Corner. This one feature alone makes setting up a motorcycle chassis difficult, as a fast lap will come down to a compromise in all-round set-up. Add to that the lack of grip, which some say is due to the jet fuel residue left by the nearby East Midlands airport, and the best result will be achieved by the rider who can make the most of the situation. The main aim is to find a chassis that offers a good pitching balance during braking and acceleration – to increase the much needed grip levels. However too much and you lose stability under brakes in the second half of the lap; not enough and the bike will be difficult to turn through the faster sweeping opening sequence of turns. The catch is that the first half of the circuit lends itself to a fast lap-time, while a good set-up for the second half – the stop-and-go addition – is where many riders can make an easy pass. What also needs to be taken into consideration is that the undulating layout of the first part of the circuit pushes the front of the bike a great deal, while the second half is pretty much ‘highside’ territory. With this in mind softer spring rates front and rear will be used, with the fine-tuning left to the spring preload. This approach will improve drive and front-end feedback, although it will come at the expense of a little braking stability into the two hairpins. As for the YZR-M1’s in-line four-cylinder engine, its linear character will prove ideal for the slick layout. Still it will be tuned to offer a strong midrange and a progressive and predictable delivery. Confidence to use that power on a slippery surface infested with changing cambers is the key to success here.

MotoGP returns to Europe for betandwin.com British Grand Prix After a groundbreaking first Grand Prix on American soil in over a decade two weeks ago, the MotoGP World Championship returns to more familiar territory this weekend as the Donington Park circuit in England opens its gates to the series for the 19th consecutive season. The betandwin.com British Grand Prix is the ninth round of this year’s championship and sees Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi leading the standings by 79 points, with an intense battle taking place behind him for second place. After crashing out of the last round at Laguna Seca, Marco Melandri is now being closely chased by Honda colleagues Max Biaggi and Sete Gibernau and Yamaha’s Colin Edwards, who are all within 14 points of the youngster. Edwards, in particular, will be looking to make up further ground at a circuit where he took his best result of last season with a second-place finish behind Rossi and set the lap record. The American scored consecutive podiums for the first time in his MotoGP career in the last round at Laguna Seca and is now aiming to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Nicky Hayden by taking his first victory in the series to complete the hat-trick. Hayden’s debut win will no doubt see the Honda youngster arrive in Great Britain on top confidence and determined to prove that victory in his home Grand Prix was no fluke. Hayden finished fourth in last year’s race at Donington, only six seconds down on Rossi, and is looking to become the first rider to follow up his maiden win with another victory since his compatriot Kenny Roberts in 1999. However, whilst the competition for honours this weekend is sure to be tough, the man to beat again looks certain to be Rossi. The Italian took his debut win at Donington Park in 2000, following up previous successes there in the 125cc and 250cc classes, and has only failed to win on one occasion since, when he was stripped of victory after the 2003 race for overtaking Loris Capirossi under a yellow flag. Biaggi was consequently handed his first and only premier-class victory at the circuit to follow up 250cc success in both 1995 and 1996, and would like nothing better than a repeat result as he chases his first victory in almost a year. Whilst Biaggi hasn’t won since the Sachsenring last season, Gibernau has now gone eleven races without a Grand Prix victory since winning the inaugural race at Qatar last October. The Spaniard has endured his worst start to a season since joining Honda in 2003 but will be looking to turn things around at Donington, where he has finished on the podium for the last two years. The betandwin.com British Grand Prix also sees the return of the 250cc and 125cc classes, with MotoGP having been supported in Laguna Seca by the national AMA series. A four-week break will ensure that some of the most exciting young riders in the world will be doubly motivated at Donington Park, the first of two consecutive Grand Prix weekends before the summer break. In the 250cc class Dani Pedrosa continues his title defence with a 37-point advantage over Casey Stoner. Pedrosa’s current score of 143 points is the highest total any rider has amassed after seven rounds of the series since Max Biaggi in 1996 but Stoner will be one of several riders looking to halt his progress at Donington. The Australian knows the circuit well having competed there in the British Championship before making his Grand Prix debut at the track in 2001 and will be out to make up for his disappointment last year, when he missed the 125cc race with a broken collarbone. That particular race was won by Andrea Dovizioso, who led from start to finish after qualifying on pole. The Italian lies just four points behind Stoner in the championship and is targeting his debut victory in the class. Meanwhile, Sebastián Porto will be looking to follow up victory in the last round of the season at Assen with his first ever back-to-back success. In the 125cc class Gabor Talmacsi will be aiming to end a record sequence of forty-six races without a rider winning back-to-back races since Arnaud Vincent won at Donington and then Sachsenring in 2002. The Hungarian is tied on points with Mattia Pasini at the top of the championship, the first rider from his country to do so and the fifth rider to have headed the standings so far this year after Pasini, Marco Simoncelli, Mika Kallio and Thomas Lüthi. The minor category gets Sunday’s race action underway at the later time of 12:30 local time, with 250cc and MotoGP action to follow at 13:45 and 15:30 respectively.

Donington Park has hosted the British Grand Prix since 1987 when it took over from the Silverstone circuit which had been the venue for the previous ten years. Before then the British round of the World Championship was staged at the famous 60.721 kms TT circuit on the Isle of Man which was deemed too dangerous in 1977 and hence the switch to the mainland and Silverstone. To accommodate the grand prix, Donington Park was extended in length to its present day configuration of 4.023 kms which resulted in two completely different sections. The first part through the magnificent Craner curves and McLean’s and Coppice corners is loved by the riders while the new stop and start section, including the Melbourne hairpin and Goddards is not so popular but provides some fantastic finishes. Max Biaggi brought the Camel Honda team success at the circuit two years ago after Valentino Rossi crossed the line first but received a time penalty for overtaking under a yellow flag which relegated him to third place. Alex Barros has a good record at the circuit which is situated right next to East Midlands airport. The Brazilian, who rides the Camel Honda this year, has finished third on the podium in 1997, 2001 and 2002. His team-mate Australian Troy Bayliss has good memories of Donington in his British and World Superbike Championship days. He will get big support from the British crowd following his success in the British Superbike Championship. Perhaps Team Principle Sito Pons has the happiest memories of the track. He completed his 100th grand prix in 1989, won the 250cc to clinch his second world title. Unfortunately the facilities at Donington have not kept abreast with the track improvements. Cramped garages and the threat of the paddock flooding in heavy rain have caused the teams major problems in the past. A new pit complex will be built in time for the race next year. Traffic is another problem especially for the teams hoping to get away quickly for the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring the following weekend. FROM THE SADDLE Alex Barros 4: “I really like the Donington track, it’s got its very own character, fast at the beginning, then stop-and-go at the end, with some of the most crucial braking points in the championship. I’ve already had some good results there and I want another there now, especially now. At Laguna Seca I was very frustrated, angry even, but I cleared things up with Melandri, and now I want to get over it with a good result in England. After the crash in America I took another blow to the back which limited my movements for a few days, but I should be ok by Friday.” Troy Bayliss 12: “At Laguna Seca we did some brilliant work in practice, but in the race I couldn’t get the same feeling in the race. We did however show that we can be quick, now we need the consistency. I would love to have a good race in Britain, my first country after I moved from Australia to take part in the British Superbike series.” —————————————————————– CIRCUIT – UK GRAND PRIX – 24/07/05 DONINGTON PARK —————————————————————– Track data: Length: 4.023 kms Pole Position: Left. Width: 10m Right corners: Seven. Left corners: Four. Longest straight: 0.350 miles Constructed: 1931 Modified: 1985. Lap record: Colin Edwards (Honda) 1:29.973 – 160.968 kph Pole record: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 1:28.720 – 163.242 kph. Race winner 2004: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 45:30.473 – 159.124 kph 2004 results Troy Bayliss and Alex Barros. Bayliss fifth. Barros ninth. —————————————————————– TECHNICAL INSIGHT – UK GRAND PRIX – 24/07/05 DONINGTON PARK —————————————————————– In the present-day Donington track layout there are two distinct sections: the first is a fast, snaking section where the bike must be stable in the front to negotiate the fast downhill corners “Hollywood” and “Craner curves”, which are taken at more than 200 kph. This first section is all downhill and taken in fifth gear until the legendary “Old Hairpin” corner, where the braking is very delicate since it is the lowest point in the circuit and taken in third gear. After this corner the rider moves through the “Schwantz curve” in fifth gear and on to the “McLean’s Corner”. This is followed by the “Coppice Corner”, taken in third gear and where we often see riders sliding out of the exit of the corner, and then on to the longest straight on the circuit. On this straight, speeds do not normally exceed 275 kph because the straight is on the crest of a hill and when the bikes pass over it they literally take off causing a sudden boost in engine revs which momentarily stops the engine ignition. At this point in the straight each rider has his own particular way of reducing the time lost: some riders change from fifth to sixth at the take off point; others change their line slightly on the crest so that the bike is leaning slightly and this stops the front wheel leaving the ground, although the accelerator must be closed a little and speed must be reduced at the end of the straight. Directly after this straight comes the slowest section of the track with three corners taken at less than 70 Kph followed by three straight taken in fourth and fifth gear. One of these corners is the famous “The Esses”, a very slow chicane, and also the “Melbourne Hairpin”, a hairpin taken at 60 Kph and the slowest point of the track. With this amount of sharp braking the set up of the engine brake with the four-stroke bikes is crucial in allowing for late braking when overtaking. Ideally, at Donington, the riders would need two different chassis geometry’s for the different sections of the track. One would provide stability with a low centre of gravity to allow for rapid changes of direction. Another where the bike would be shorter with a higher centre of so that the bike can turn quickly through the slower, tighter corners. As usual, we must look for an adequate compromise which helps the bike through certain sections and does not lose too much time through the others. Donington is also a circuit with little grip which makes the set up work be even more complicated. There is a saying that this lack of grip is due to the fuel deposited by the aeroplanes that take off and land at the nearby East Midlands airport. Some teams claim that on rainy days you can see the fuel forming a fine film on the track surface making it very slippery. It is difficult to find an ideal setting for the gear ratios since all the gears are used. Since the gear ratios are very short and the lower gears must be used a lot, we find a problem with an excess of power delivery where the bikes do “wheelies”. Just like the Le Mans Bugatti Circuit, at Donington the rider changes gear many times in one lap, on average 33 times per lap, or nearly 1000 during the race. Donington is one of the circuits where there is a high degree of front tyre wear. The first section of the track which is downhill, with seven hard braking points, creates a lot of wear on the front during the race. Normally hard compounds are used in the rear, especially on the right side, mainly to counter the increased wear due to the fast acceleration and sliding when exiting the “Coppice Corner”.

HAYDEN HOPING TO HOLD ON AT MID-OHIO Defending AMA Supersport champ will ride with broken hand PICKERINGTON, Ohio (July 19, 2005) — Tommy Hayden comes to the Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 24, hoping to hold on figuratively and literally to his series lead. Hayden suffered a broken right hand in the Laguna Seca Repsol Superstock race on July 10 and underwent surgery the next day to plate a broken bone. Nevertheless, he plans on racing at Mid-Ohio and hopes to nurse his hand and points lead in the series with three rounds remaining. Hayden, whose brothers Nicky and Roger Lee have both won the Mid-Ohio Supersport race, will likely have to wait another year before he experiences a victory at the challenging circuit. He was uncharacteristically caught off guard while passing a rider at Laguna Seca during the Superstock final a week and a half ago and took a hard tumble. His injury means he will come to this weekend’s race looking to score some valuable points if he can’t challenge for the win. “It was just one of those things that happens every once in awhile in racing,” Hayden said of his crash. “I’ve made that kind of pass a hundred times before, but I cut it a little too close there and it got me.” Hayden expects to race at Mid-Ohio, but fortunately for the defending champ he has a large enough cushion in the standings that even if he finds he can’t race he would not lose his points lead. The maximum a rider can score in a single round is 38 points and Hayden’s lead is 41 points. Still, Hayden wants to maintain his comfortable margin. Second in the standings is fellow Kawasaki teammate and defending Mid-Ohio winner Roger Lee Hayden, Tommy’s youngest brother. Roger Lee rebounded from a terrible start of the season at Daytona and has rallied with a string of podium finishes, including a victory at Pikes Peak International Raceway in May. “I hate to see Tommy get hurt like that,” said the younger Hayden, who won last year’s red-flag-shortened race. “Even though it gives me a little bit of a chance for the championship, it’s not the way I wanted things to turn out. I’d like to defend my win at Mid-Ohio. The team has given me a really good bike and I think I have a good shot to repeat.” Roger Lee has the opportunity to become the first rider since 1988 to win back-to-back Mid-Ohio Supersport races. Yamaha’s Jason DiSalvo moved to third in the standings with a victory at Laguna Seca. It marked DiSalvo’s first win of the season and he hopes to get on a roll with a follow-up win at Mid-Ohio. Yamaha has not won the Mid-Ohio Supersport race since 1994. Ben Spies is another rider to watch at Mid-Ohio. The Yoshimura Suzuki rider is strong on the technical road course and is eager to give Suzuki its first Supersport win of the year. The Pro Honda Oils Supersport presented by Shoei race is part of the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire. The race will be televised nationally on SPEED Channel beginning at 4 p.m. EST on Sunday, July 24. For additional information contact Mid-Ohio at (614) 793-4600 or visit the website www.midohio.co

DETERMINED KAWASAKI PAIR HEAD FOR HALFWAY POINT AT DONINGTON As the MotoGP World Championship reaches its halfway point Kawasaki factory riders, Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann, return to European race action this weekend for the British Grand Prix at Donington Park. The race is the ninth in a marathon calendar of 17 events, and marks the turning point of a season that ends in Valencia in November. Nakano and Hofmann come to Donington after strong, points-scoring performances in last week’s American adventure, when they both made impressive debuts on the difficult Laguna Seca track. The Donington assignment aboard Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-RR race bikes will be to capitalise on those performances, and to continue the upward trend of machine and tyre development. And for the second half of the season the factory Kawasaki squad has a two-fold agenda; maintain the team’s third place in the Constructors’ Championship and boost the individual performances of the riders. After eight races Kawasaki are third in the constructors’ points and are the leading Bridgestone-tyre team, behind only Yamaha and Honda who use a rival brand of rubber. Meanwhile Nakano, 27, is out to protect his top ten standing in the riders’ championship. Currently he is equal eighth (with Ducati’s Loris Capirossi) and eight points clear of tenth placed Troy Bayliss on a factory Honda. Only once this season, with a mechanical DNF in China, has the super-smooth Nakano been out of the top ten. For Hofmann, the British GP will be his 30th start for Kawasaki in the premier class since his wildcard debut in the Catalunya GP of 2002. The 25 year-old German rider is eager to overcome a disappointing first half of the season, which was interrupted by injury. A fractured wrist forced Hofmann to sit out three races, but he showed that he is back to full fitness with a fighting 11th place at Laguna Seca, despite losing time with a minor gearshift problem. The Donington track rewards riding talent, not necessarily outright horsepower. The main feature is a flowing sequence of fast, downhill corners (Craner Curves) that link almost instantly with the demands of the Old Hairpin, McLeans and Coppice Corner that delivers riders onto the back straight. This is in dramatic contrast to the heavy-braking and hard acceleration of the Melbourne Loop section behind the pits, which completes the four-kilometre lap. This will be the 19th British GP at Donington since the switch from Silverstone, with Sunday’s race run over 30 laps of a circuit with a spectacular amphitheatre setting. Shinya Nakano: #56 “I’m looking forward to returning to Donington especially with the latest improvements to the ZX-RR engine management system, acceleration and Bridgestone tyres, which took a step forward in America. Donington is a technical track and you need sharp acceleration, precise front-end feel plus good tyre grip; both for the fast corners and heavy braking. I’ve never had the perfect feel for Donington and last year was my first at the track on Bridgestone tyres, so I’m looking for a much better result this year.” Alex Hofmann: #66 “I’m hoping the second half of the season will be kinder than the beginning. And I’m sure it will be. I was very happy with the way I rode at Laguna, coming from 15th to 11th twice after a small downshift problem. I just want to carry that momentum to Donington and through the rest of the season, and to score some good points at every race. I’m fit and have been training hard and I like fast corners, so the first part of Donington is a great section of race track for me. The stop-go part at the end of the lap is not so much fun, so you have to find a compromise in set-up. After 11th at Laguna I want to go forward from there.”

Eric caught up with me last week after his wire to wire victory in the AMA Superbike race at Laguna Seca, and saying that he was happy just doesn’t quite capture his mood. “Man, I am just having fun riding my Ducati. I was stoked getting a win for the Parts Unlimited Austin Ducati team, but the biggest thing was that I was having a blast riding the bike!” I had a ton of questions for EBoz, but he was one step ahead of me the entire time. “Matt, everyone has been asking me what is different with the bike, and the answer is NOTHING. We had the victory in Colorado and then we were running good at Road America, but the big thing is that we have been enjoying some success at our recent tests. We started getting some positive front end feel at Fontana, but the rear was still kind of vague. My team has been working their butts off and now we’re getting the feel that we need, and the bike is just a lot more fun to ride.” “It was the coolest thing, I was pretty fast out of the gate all weekend but we knew that we needed a little more for the race so we took a big gamble. I want to race for wins, and I know what the Ducati 999 is capable of and I know what the team is capable of, so we took some big risks with the bike set up before the race and it paid of. As soon as I set out on the warm up lap I just felt a big sense of relief, the bike had the feel I wanted. After that, the race was just enjoyable.” I had to ask The Boss how it felt to mix in an AMA weekend with a Moto GP race and again he had nothing but positive things to say. “It was great getting to showcase the talent here in American on a World Championship level and it was great for the fans. Having Red Bull at the race was the best, their hospitality was unbelievable. I got to hang out with Matt Lablanc and Brad Pitt, and Michael Jordan was there and Von Dutch was there, it was just awesome. I have to say that this was the coolest road race that I’ve ever been involved with and Red Bull was a big part of that.” I am also pleased to announce that Eric has tentative plans to race in some upcoming AMA Supermoto Events! Eric will be racing in Shawano, WI on July 30 and Reno Nevada October 1. Eric is also Scheduled to ride in the X-Games the weekend of August 6. I can’t wait to see what Eric does this weekend at the Mid-Ohio round of the AMA Superbike series. Until Then, Matt “Pooch” Repucci

The British GP, the ninth race of the season, sees the world championship enter its second phase. With the first eight races now behind them, Team MoviStar Honda MotoGP can boast seven podiums and two riders among the first five in the overall championship standings. Marco Melandri is lying in second place with 107 points and Sete Gibernau is lying fourth, just 5 points off from 3rd-placed Max Biaggi. The next race will be on 24th July at Donington Park the heartland of British racing tradition. Set in the countryside, just a stone’s throw from Sherwood Forest, this circuit is steeped in motorcycling history. Anachronistic in terms of facilities and logistics, it nevertheless remains one of the most beautiful race tracks of the entire championship. Consisting of a highly technical series of dips and rises, the track can essentially be divided into a fast initial section and slower second one, with the last three bends offering good overtaking opportunities: it’s no coincidence that most duels are resolved along this last tract. One of the most distinctive features of the circuit is undoubtedly the Craner Curve, a sweeping fifth-gear bend that riders would be wary of underestimating as it is notoriously deceptive and requires perfect maintenance of trajectory. Contradictory by nature, the Donington race circuit is something of challenge for technicians and engineers alike. The first, faster, section requires smooth error-free handling, while the second, slower section requires a more aggressive approach: the right set-up is the one that produces the right compromise between good braking performance and outstanding acceleration. In short the rider needs a precision motorcycle in the first section and an agile one in the second. HISTORY Built in 1931, the circuit later underwent extensive modifications following a long period of inactivity. The most important changes, made in 1985, resulted in the current configuration; 4023 metres long with 11 bends. LOCATION Donington lies at the centre of the East Midlands, about 60 km from Birmingham and 200 km from London. The nearest large towns are Derby, Leicester and Nottingham. MICHELIN PREPARES FOR DONINGTON PARK We asked Nicolas Goubert, Michelin’s motorcycle racing division manager, what sort of problems a track like Donington Park presents from a tyre manufacturer’s point of view: “Donington is not in itself a particularly difficult track to prepare for, especially since the new asphalt was laid last year. The difficulties at Donington, like Assen, lie in the fast-changing weather conditions and temperatures. The air and asphalt temperatures may vary a lot. That means we have to bring along a set of tyres that covers an extremely wide temperature range.” SETE GIBERNAU AND DONINGTON PARK “I don’t find the track easy at all. The bike has to be set up to perfection to handle the heavy braking and steep downhill sections. The Craner is notoriously difficult: there’s no visibility and the switch in direction has to be taken blind. The track consists of two very different sections: an initial fast section and a subsequent slower one with plenty of braking. My favourite tract is the last two bends, traditionally the setting for some spectacular overtaking. Because it’s so close to the East Midlands airport the track can be a little slippery on account of the burnt kerosene discharged by incoming aircraft. Fortunately, the new asphalt laid last year has improved the situation considerably. My best memory of this track? Last year I was on the podium – but it’s the test day after the race that I remember best. After analysing the problems encountered during the race, on the Monday we got some great test results and some valuable experience under our belts.” MARCO MELANDRI, READY FOR HIS SECOND “HOME” GP “Donington is something special, characterised by an exciting fast section and a second, slower section. Thanks to the new asphalt laid last year the track has improved enormously and now gives outstanding grip. It’s the section where the first two intermediate times are taken that I like best: the downhill tract and the sweeping uphill bend on the left: it’s pure exhilaration and requires every last drop of skill. The best spots for overtaking are the three slow bends towards the end of the track. The secret behind a good lap time at Donington Park? First and foremost, decisiveness and determination especially as you speed into the Craner (the downhill bend) on those qualifying tyres! You also need to be flexible enough to adapt to the characteristics of the track, being ready to switch from the fast bends at the start to the much slower ones that follow (especially the last three). The secret, then, lies in finding the right compromise between hard braking and smooth handling. In a way the Donington GP is my second “home” race as I live less than two miles from the circuit. Yet it’s a whole different atmosphere compared to Mugello. It’s good to see the number of spectators continuing to rise year after year, clear evidence of growing British interest in MotoGP, yet we’re a long way off from the passion of an Italian crowd! My best memory of this track is undoubtedly my 250cc victory back in 2002. And the worst memory is still fresh in my mind: the fall in the 2004 GP in which I broke my right thumb: it had to be operated on, and ended up conditioning the rest of the season.” DONINGTON PARK THE TRACK Name of the circuit: Donington Park Grand Prix: betandwin.com British Grand Prix Opened: 1931 Modified: 1985 Length: 4.023 km Width: 10 m Pole position: left Right curves: 7 Left curves: 4 Longest straight: 564 m MotoGP race: 30 laps RECORD: Track record 2004 Edwards (Honda) 1:29.973 pole position: 2004 Rossi (Yamaha) 1:28.720 2004 Race : 1st Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2nd Colin Edwards (Honda) 3rd Sete Gibernau (Honda)