Editorial Note: In a July 6, 2005, press release issued by World Endurance Championship organziers FGSport Group, Samuel De Nardi was billed as the first European woman to race at the Suzuka 8 Hours. SAMUELA DE NARDI RIDES WITH APRILIA IN THE SUZUKA 8 HOURS The 21-year-old from Castelfranco will become the first Italian woman to ride in the world’s most famous endurance race on the 31st July. Samuela De Nardi will soon become the first Italian woman to ride in the Suzuka 8 Hours, probably the most famous motorcycle endurance race in the world, to be run at the celebrated 5.864 km Nagoya circuit on the 31st July. In the previous 28 editions of the race, only seven women have ever taken part: two Japanese, two Americans, two Canadians and one Dutch. Ten years have gone by since the last woman rode at Suzuka, and the most recent European entry, by Geerie Van Rooyen from Holland, dates back to 1982. First raced in 1978, the Suzuka 8 Hours attracts a crowd of 250,000 spectators over one weekend of racing. The 8 Hours is famed for the massive crowds it attracts, for its role as an official race in the World Endurance Championship and for the fierce competition with which the four big Japanese manufacturers approach it, fielding prototypes developed specially for the event and the best riders of the day. It is no coincidence that Suzuka winners include names like Rossi (the only Italian to have won the event), Edwards, Ukawa, Kato, Barros, Haga, Gardner, Doohan, and Rainey, with top riders like Spencer, Kocinski and Gibernau relegated to the lower steps of the podium. The race is held in a torrid climate with incredibly high levels of humidity that test the resistance of riders and machines, both of which have to be cooled by massive doses of ice at every pit stop. Aprilia will be entering an RSV 1000 from Team Aprilia Motociclismo, and has decided to entrust the bike to professional rider Daniele Veghini, Motociclismo journalist Federico Aliverti, and of course Samuela De Nardi. Born in Castelfranco on the 19th March 1984, Samuela began her minimoto racing career at just 4 years of age. After gaining experience in motocross, she came thirteenth in the 2000 Aprilia 125 Challenge, and the year after won the Alpe Adria 125 Trophy. After a season riding a Honda GP 125, Samuela made her 2003 debut on the Aprilia Tuono 1000, and finished fourth in European Endurance Championship in Rijeka, and third in the women’s championship in which she only took part sporadically. At the end of the season Aprilia rewarded Samuela with an official team rider contract, allowing her to take part in the Superbike Trophy at the MotorShow on a championship-winning Aprilia SXV supermotard. In 2005 Samuela stepped up to the RSV and is currently leading the European Women’s Championship and running second in the Italian Championship. These brilliant results fully justify Aprilia’s decision to offer Samuela the opportunity to tackle Suzuka. It will be the first time for an Italian woman to compete as a works rider, and the appearance of Samuela’s name on the provisional entry lists has already caused quite a stir among the Japanese media, especially considering the prestigious Italian motorcycle she will be riding and her own goods looks. “I am delighted,” Samuela told us. The Suzuka 8 Hours is a racing legend, and the chance to take part at just 21 years of age is a great honour. Aprilia has already asked me to intensify my training to cope with the tough conditions there. At the last European championship meeting in Rijeka, before they confirmed my engagement, the team left me short of petrol in the trials to see if I could push the RSV a few kilometres back to the box, in full leathers and under a blazing sun. In Endurance racing, if you fall or break down, you have to push the bike back to the pits unaided. We shall be racing in the stock bike category, for machines closely derived from standard road-going models. Out of 76 entries, there are only three non-Japanese bikes (our Aprilia, a Ducati and a BMW). There are only eight teams from Europe and two of those are Italian. And I’m the only woman, so it’s a great responsibility for me. It’s going to be the sort of adventure I’ll want to tell my grandchildren about, like racing at Le Mans or Indianapolis for a car driver, I suppose. The bike is the same as the one I ride in the European Women’s Championship, so though my team-mates have more experience than me, I’m confident I won’t be far behind them in lap times. As far the result goes, you just can’t say what might happen in long races like this. Our aim is to be the best twin out there, and maybe even the best in our class. The RSV has shown how competitive it is in stock racing, in Italy and throughout Europe. What frightens me most are the Japanese riders. You can see from the GP championship that they’ve been riding at Suzuka all their lives. These guys know every inch of the track and live for this one race. And they’re determined to win. They tell me that Suzuka comes as a shock to European riders in Japan for the first time, like us. Especially for the first few laps of testing, while we’re still riding cautiously and getting used to the circuit, these Japanese guys whiz past you from all angles without even closing the throttle. For the moment the only way we can train at Suzuka is on videogames! Nevertheless I’m looking forward to getting to grips with the circuit there and showing what I’m made of.”

WEST BATTLES EAST TORONTO, ON The Parts Canada Superbike Championship is gearing up for a West / East showdown at Mosport International Raceway this weekend. Calgary’s Clint McBain comes into the doubleheader event holding a narrow five-point lead, 139-134, over Rock Forest, QC’s Francis Martin in the series point standings. This weekend’s races are the fourth and fifth rounds of the eight-race series. McBain is on a roll and his confidence should be sky high after he swept the previous two events on home turf at Race City Motorsport Park on his Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000. The wins were the first of the 32-year-old’s national Superbike career. Martin, 31, won the season opener at Shannonville Motorsport Park aboard the Snobgirls / Laval Moto Suzuki GSX-R1000 but the 1999 Canadian Superbike champion had to settle for a second and fourth place finish in Calgary. This weekend’s races aren’t likely to be strictly two-horse races, however. Brantford, ON’s Jordan Szoke lurks in third in the Parts Canada Superbike point standings with 117 points, and the Fast Company Honda CBR1000RR rider is coming off a season high second place finish in Calgary. The 26-year-old Szoke is a two-time Mosport winner. Fourth in points, with 97 is six-time Canadian Superbike champion Steve Crevier. Crevier, who turned 40 in June has a season-high finish of third on the Diablo Performance Honda CBR1000RR. Behind Crevier is McBain’s Blackfoot Suzuki teammate Kevin Lacombe. The 22-year-old from Granby finished third in both Superbike nationals at Mosport last year. He is currently fifth in points with 89. Just two points back of Lacombe in sixth is Trombino Yamaha Racing’s Frank Trombino. The 32-year-old Kleinburg, ON star has won twice at Mosport but was injured in a practice fall in Calgary and may not be at 100 per cent fitness this weekend. Fellow Yamaha rider Pascal Picotte is in a similar situation. The two-time defending Parts Canada Superbike champ swept the Mosport doubleheader last year but is still recovering from injuries he sustained at this year’s season opener at Shannonville. Riding for his own Picotte Performance Yamaha team, the 35-year-old sits eighth in points. Also in the thick of the hunt is Chardon, OH’s Tom Kipp. Riding for the Canadian Kawasaki Motors team the 37-year-old Kipp is seventh in the Superbike standings coming into Mosport. This weekend’s action will also feature the fourth and fifth rounds of the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike Championship national support series. Crevier comes into Mosport unbeaten through the first three races of the season on his Diablo Honda CBR600RR as he bids for a fourth 600 class crown. McBain is second in the standings for Blackfoot Suzuki thanks to a pair of runner-up finishes, while his teammate Lacombe sits third in points. Although he missed the opening round Calgary’s Chris Peris figures to be a factor at Mosport on the Topline Printing Yamaha YZF-R6. The 19-year-old finished second and third in the Race City races. The International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike Championship features a tie at the top of the standings, with Yamaha riders James Collins, from Woodstock, ON and Mark Douglas of Warkworth, ON even on 74 points. Suzuki rider Dave Stewart of Hamilton is close behind in third with 64 points. Mosport will also see the second and third rounds of the Canadian Thunder championship. Derek Vammus of Orangeville, ON leads the points after his win at Shannonville on a Ducati. North Vancouver’s Darren James placed second and Bill Card of Wellesley, ON was third in the season opener, both aboard Buells. The schedule also includes the fourth round of the Suzuki SV650 National Cup. Fifteen-year-old phenom Karl Daigle of Roxton Pond, QC leads the standings after sweeping both races in Calgary. Qualifying for the Parts Canada Superbike, Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike and Canadian Thunder series will take place Friday afternoon with feature races set for Saturday and Sunday. The International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike and Suzuki SV650 National Cup competitors will qualify Saturday for their Sunday feature. Action from this weekend will be shown later this summer in a one-hour show on TSN. For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com All Time Mosport Superbike Wins Pascal Picotte (Granby, QC) 3; Don Munroe (Halifax, NS) 2; Frank Trombino (Kleinburg, ON) 2; Jordan Szoke (Brantford, ON) 2; Rueben McMurter (London, ON) 1; Gary Goodfellow (Vancouver, BC) 1; Linnley Clarke (Barrie, ON) 1; Jeff Sneyd (Mississauga, ON) 1; Martin Gaudreault (Longueuil, QC) 1; Francis Martin (Rock Forest, QC) 1 Mosport Fast Facts Masters of Mosport “¦Of the 10 racers to have won a national Superbike feature at Mosport International Raceway, four are in this weekend’s field and they account for eight of the 15 victories at the track. Prior Mosport winners include Pascal Picotte (3 wins), Frank Trombino (2), Jordan Szoke (2) and Francis Martin (1). Picotte’s place? “¦By sweeping last year’s doubleheader, Pascal Picotte became the all-time leader in Mosport national Superbike wins with three. He also won the front end of the 2003 twin bill at the track. Still waiting “¦Although he has more Canadian national Superbike wins than any other rider, with 22, Steve Crevier has yet to triumph at Mosport International Raceway. The six-time class champion finished fifth in last year’s opener and crashed out of the second race; in 2003 he placed a close second to Francis Martin in the back end of the doubleheader. Hidden meaning? “¦For the past three years the winner of a Superbike national feature at Mosport International Raceway has gone on to claim the Canadian title in the same year. But until Jordan Szoke accomplished the feat in 2002, no Mosport winner had gone on to win that season’s national crown. 2005 Point Standings Parts Canada Superbike: 1. Clint McBain (Suzuki) 139; 2. Francis Martin (Suzuki) 134; 3. Jordan Szoke (Honda) 117; 4. Steve Crevier (Honda) 97; 5. Kevin Lacombe (Suzuki) 89 Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike: 1. Steve Crevier (Honda) 160; 2. Clint McBain (Suzuki) 127; 3. Kevin Lacombe (Suzuki) 95 International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike: 1. James Collins (Yamaha) 74; 1. Mark Douglas (Yamaha) 74; 3. Dave Stewart (Suzuki) 64 Canadian Thunder: 1. Derek Vammus (Ducati) 55; 2. Darren James (Buell) 46; 3. Bill Card (Buell) 37 Suzuki SV650 National Cup: 1. Karl Daigle 143; 2. Alain Lefebvre 128; 3. Norm Tang 124 Provisional Weekend Schedule Friday July 15 1:45 p.m.-2:10 p.m. Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike Qualifying 2:20 p.m. Canadian Thunder Qualifying Heat Race 8 laps 3:15 p.m.-3:55 p.m. Parts Canada Superbike Qualifying Saturday July 16 1:20 p.m. Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike Race 1 14 laps 2:20 p.m. Canadian Thunder Race 1 10 laps 3:10 p.m. Parts Canada Superbike Race 1 16 laps 4:00 p.m.-4:20 p.m. Suzuki SV650 National Cup Qualifying 4:30 p.m.-5:20 p.m. International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike Qualifying Sunday July 17 1:00 p.m. Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike Race 2 14 laps Canadian Thunder Race 2 10 laps International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike Race 12 laps 3:00 p.m. Parts Canada Superbike Race 2 16 laps Suzuki SV650 National Cup Race 10 laps

The seventh round of the Superbike World Championship takes place at Brno circuit in the Czech Republic this weekend, the first time the series has been there since 1996. And on that occasion, Troy Corser took a superb double and then carried on to win the world title, so the current series leader is looking forward to history repeating itself. Brno circuit is mostly fast and flowing and is usually a favourite amongst riders. Corser has not had any recent experience of the track and will have to learn it all over again, but it is a track he remembers with affection. For team mate Yukio Kagayama, it will be another track to learn from scratch, but the Japanese rider is a quick learner and hopes the layout will suit his style well. Troy Corser: “It’s been a long while since we raced at Brno but the last time we were there I did the double, so I am really looking forward to going back. I don’t know how much of the track has changed, but a couple of the teams tested there recently and their lap times were not significantly better than the ones I did nine years ago, so maybe there have been some important changes. I remember it as being pretty fast and flowing and I hope that the feeling of the track is the same. I went on to win the title after our last visit to Brno, so I am hoping the same will happen again.” Yukio Kagayama: “I have not been to Brno before so this will be a new experience for me – like many times this season. I understand that it is quite a flowing track and I think, once I have learnt it, my style should be good for it. The important thing for me though is to get back to the podium. My start this season was good, but the last three rounds of the championship have been disappointing and I need to be on the podium. Some of my recent results have been because of little mistakes and some have been down to bad luck, so it is about time this changed. There is no reason why I cannot get good results in Brno and I will be fighting my hardest for two podiums.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: LACONI AND TOSELAND (DUCATI XEROX TEAM) CZECH MATES AT BRNO WORLD SUPERBIKE ROUND Brno (Czech Republic), Thursday 14 July: Victorious in the last four Superbike races at Silverstone and Misano Adriatico, the Ducati Xerox Team duo of Régis Laconi and James Toseland will be looking to extend their winning streak at this weekend’s Czech Republic round at Brno, which hosts a World Superbike championship race for the first time in 9 years. Laconi’s double win in the Misano heat brought the Frenchman, who celebrated his 30th birthday last week, back into contention in the championship and he now lies in third place, 92 points adrift of leader Corser (Suzuki), while Toseland moved up to fifth place with two fourth places at the Italian circuit. Ducati Corse Superbike technical director, Ernesto Marinelli, explains the difficulties of the Brno circuit, following the Ducati Xerox Team’s recent test sessions. “We have tested here for four days recently, which is a bit of an advantage because at least it means that the track is not totally new. It’s a circuit that does not require any particularly aggressive riding, instead you have to ‘stroke’ your way through the curves at quite a good speed. The circuit has a lot of these corners and slow uphill chicanes, so it is actually quite difficult.” Régis Laconi comes to Brno on the crest of a wave after notching up two wins at Misano, where the second race also marked Ducati’s 600th WSBK podium. “For me Misano was perfect, they were two of the best races of my life. It was also great for Ducati because we understood that we can achieve anything, even though it will be extremely difficult to win both races every time to be able to aim for the title. However the championship is not over yet. I like the Brno circuit a lot because it’s wide and fast with some great cornering lines. Unlike Misano, maybe my aim here is not to try and overdo it and win both races because I think that I will only go well here if I enjoy myself out on the track. The biggest problem therefore will be to get the right set-up for the front, because to get the bike to go where you want you have to have precision cornering and be able to use your own natural riding style.” James Toseland has never raced at Brno before but had a good testing session in preparation for the Czech Round. “I’ve never raced here before but we had a great test both times and I’m really looking forward to racing here. It’s similar to Mugello, with the fast long chicanes and it seems to suit the Ducati and me. We have to win here, we can’t let Troy win again otherwise it’s going to be very difficult. We’ll run a slightly stiffer setting on the front fork because of the heavy braking and we can afford to go a bit stiffer at the rear shock as well because of the width of the track. You can pick the bike up earlier and it feels like it’s got 20 HP less because of the amount of room. It’s a really great track with a lot of passing places and I think it’s going to be a good race.” BRNO STATISTICS: The 2005 championship moves into the second half of the season with the Czech Republic round. The first Brno Superbike race was held in 1993 and saw the two wins go to Carl Fogarty (Ducati) and Scott Russell (Kawasaki). Since then the only other WSBK event to be held at the track was in 1996, when current points leader Troy Corser scored two wins on a factory Ducati 916 in his championship-winning year. Ducati are the manufacturer with the best victory record at Brno, three wins against Kawasaki’s one. The track records all belong to Corser, who set them in 1996 (pole position 2m04.019s/156.873 kph, lap record 2m03.825s/157.082 kph), but the circuit has not undergone any modifications since then and those times are surely destined to drop this weekend, when the two races will be run over a distance of 108.060 kms (20 laps). CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after 6 of 12 rounds) : Riders – 1. Corser (Suzuki) 254; 2. Vermeulen (Honda) 181; 3. Laconi (Ducati Xerox) 162; 4. Kagayama (Suzuki) 148; 5. Toseland (Ducati Xerox) 124; 6. Haga (Yamaha) 88, etc. Manufacturers – 1. Suzuki 263; 2. Ducati 200; 3. Honda 194; 4. Yamaha 129; 5. Kawasaki 100; 6. Petronas 17. More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information: World Supersport and Superbike Championships 2005 Round 7 Brno Czech Republic Race Preview 15 17 JULY 2005 CHANGE IN LINE UP FOR CZECH DATE A crash suffered by second top place World Supersport rider Katsuaki Fujiwara, during testing for the Suzuka 8-Hour race in Japan has altered the line-up of the Winston Ten Kate Honda team for the forthcoming Czech round. Championship leader Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) will now be joined by 20-year-old Briton Craig Jones (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR), a front runner on a Honda in the British Supersport series. As the previous round at Misano recently proved, there is no shortage of Honda talent on any race weekend, with Charpentier winning by 0.4 seconds from his fellow countryman Fabien Foret (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR), and Fujiwara third. Charpentier and Fujwara have scored four and two race wins respectively, in what has been a stellar season for the CBR600RR. Charpentier leads the series with 140 points to Fujiwara’s 106, with Foret fourth overall on 73. Foret’s occasionally luckless team-mate Michel Fabrizio (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) has already stepped on the podium this season, in this his first full year of active service in World Supersport. Two consecutive retirements have kept him in seventh place, on 42 points. Finnish new-boy Tatu Lauslehto (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) has been learning the art of World Supersport racing after winning the European version last year, and is a respectable ninth overall. Charpentier has been a sensation in partnership with his Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR, dropping only ten points from a possible 150 at the mid-season stage. “I was very sorry when I heard about Kats crashing in Japan and look forward to welcoming him back to the team at the Brands Hatch round,” said Charpentier on the eve of the Brno experience. “He has given me the strongest challenge this season and has taken two race wins to show how strong he is. But I’m looking forward to welcoming Craig to the team and giving him whatever help I can. It’ll be good to know that he’s on our side for this race because he was certainly impressive at Silverstone in May. I’ve heard a lot about the Brno circuit and think that it will suit both my style and the CBR’s characteristics. I know our main challengers from both Honda and Yamaha have tested there already so we will need to get up to speed very quickly to help the championship, which is our overall priority.” Fujiwara, unable to challenge for a potential third race win of the year at Brno, knows that he will be back soon, after his injuries have a chance to heal. “I am very disappointed to miss Brno, especially as I am second in the championship behind my team-mate Sébastien,” said a rueful Fujiwara. “I was looking forward to the opportunity to close the gap with him but it looks like that will have to wait until Brands Hatch.” Kats’ replacement at Brno, Craig Jones, regrets the way this opportunity came to pass, but is keen to make a positive impression. “I feel very sorry for Kats and hope he recovers quickly but, as you can imagine, I am very excited to have been given this opportunity. I hope the fact that most of the other riders haven’t been to Brno either will give me a level playing field to start with, but I understand the team won’t put any pressure on me. I’m just really looking forward to the whole experience.” Foret’s determination to win is legendary in World Supersport and with the mercurial Frenchman just missing victory at Misano last month, and having had a positive test at Brno recently, he feels a win is now within his grasp. “In Brno we made a good test last month,” said Foret. “I like the track and there we resolved the problems with the suspension that permitted our fantastic race in Misano. In Brno, Fujiwara will be out: I’m not happy about his problem but I know that this is a good week-end to take important points to try and get second place of the championship. Now the bike is ready and I will start to repeat the Misano race, with a better result.” Fabrizio looks to a new challenge at Brno to rekindle his points scoring form “Brno is a difficult circuit, with many aggressive corners,” said the young Roman. “The test we made there before Misano had a good result – for me, for the bike and the team. I hope only to finish the race, because I have been too unlucky for words during the last three rounds. I want to return on the podium and take important points. I know things may not look so great now, but I believe that I can finish top three by the end of the year.” Lauslehto has had the benefit of a recent test at Brno, as he goes for more good points in his rookie season. “In June we spent some days testing at Brno,” said the Finn. “That was my first time riding at this track but after a short time I had set some quite fast lap times. I like Brno very much and after the good experience in June I hope to achieve a top ten position in the race.” World Superbike Round 7 of 12 HONDA SUPERBIKE RIDERS READY FOR REVISITED BRNO With the Brno race approaching the quintet of supported Honda CBR1000RR riders has already proven adept at the art of Superbike racing in this most competitive of years. Foremost among them in the points table is 2003 World Supersport Champion Chris Vermeulen (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR), with a single 2005 SBK race win to his credit so far, and an overall second place in the Championship at midseason. Week-on-week consistency has been a difficult thing for most competitors in SBK to achieve this year; such are the numbers of closely matched machines from a variety of sources. The most experienced rider of them all, Pierfrancesco Chili (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR), is in eighth position in the points table after the Misano midseason. Vermeulen’s team-mate and compatriot Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) has made strides forward in his rookie season of SBK competition, the 2004 World Supersport Champion now sitting tenth overall out of 35 points scorers thus far. Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) continues to fight back to the dazzling form he showed early in the season, when he scored a podium finish at Phillip Island, in only his second ever SBK outing. Ben Bostrom (Renegade Honda Koji CBR1000RR) has had some dreadful misfortunes in races this year, but he and his new team have long since started to gel all the elements together step by step. Vermeulen is ready for another new World Superbike experience, at a track not used for SBK racing since 1996. “I’m looking forward to the new challenge that Brno brings and excited about going to a new track,” said Vermeulen, “I’ve spoken to a few other guys who have raced there in MotoGP and it seems to be one of their favourites because it’s fast and flowing. It’s a shame we haven’t been able to test there but with only two test tracks allowed, there’s always going to be a compromise. It’s certainly going to be difficult going out on the first day but we’ll hopefully get up to speed quickly enough because the bike’s been getting better and better over the last few rounds. I’ve spoken to the guys back at the workshop and they’ve got a couple of new things for us to try.” Chili’s advanced experience in SBK makes him only one of two current SBK racers to have previous Superbike race time at Brno. “When I saw that Brno was on the 2005 schedule I was really happy about it. In 1996 I finished only 10th and 8th at Brno but this time the conditions, with the Klaffi Honda Fireblade, are much better for me. After Misano we focused on the setting of the suspension. Now everything is perfect and – with some luck – a place on the podium may be possible.” Muggeridge looks to Brno as another challenge, especially given the spread of differing talents and testing experiences he will be up against. “I’ve heard Brno is pretty quick but pretty bumpy, too, so that could throw up one or two problems,” stated Muggeridge. “I’ll make sure I get lots of laps in on a scooter as soon as I arrive to get myself properly familiar with it. We’ll be playing a bit of catch up with those who have already tested and one or two ex-GP riders who I’m sure will remember which way it goes. The championship hasn’t been there for a few years either so hopefully that might give us a bit of an advantage.” Neukirchner positively glows with the prospect of racing a Superbike at Brno, an unusual circuit for him, in that he has great experience of it. “Brno is my favourite race track,” stated Neukirchner, with some feeling. “I have know Brno since my first years as a rider, when I participated in the German Junior Cup and the national 125cc championship. The long, fast turns and the general layout of the track are ideal, and in such conditions it is necessary to open the throttle as much as you can, especially uphill. I’m looking forward to riding there again.” Bostrom’s lack of experience at Brno will not help his attempt to get on fully competitive terms, but he remains as upbeat as ever. “I’ve never been there before, but I understand quite a few of our rivals have tested. We will have to put in a lot of hard work but that’s to be expected at a new track.” After the relative novelty of Brno, an old WSS and SBK favourite occupies the next place on the calendar Brands Hatch. The second British-based event of the year is held at the historic and undulating Kent venue on August 7th.

OFFICIAL RED BULL U.S. GRAND PRIX MERCHANDISE AVAILABLE ONLINE No Shipping Charges to the Continental United States Through July 20 MONTEREY, Calif. (July 13, 2005) Due to the high demand on official souvenir outlets during last weekend’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, online event merchandise sales will be available while supplies last at www.laguna-seca.com. Official event T-shirts and hats are being reordered, and a limited number of souvenir programs still remain. Because long lines and merchandise sell-outs prevented a number of spectators at the event from getting the items they had hoped for, all shipping charges will be waived for Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix merchandise within the continental United States through July 20. Merchandise will still be available for sale after that date while supplies last, but shipping charges will apply. Please allow 4-8 weeks for delivery of t-shirts, programs and posters. Customers will need to allow 3-4 months for delivery of the 2005 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix souvenir hat. An announced crowd of 153,653 people the largest crowd in the track’s 49-year history – attended the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix to witness the return of the MotoGP World Championship to the United States for the first time since 1994. Nicky Hayden joined a list of American riders that includes legends Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson and John Kocinski to win a United States Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. Tickets for next year’s Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix, to be held July 21-23, 2006, go on sale September 1, 2005 at www.laguna-seca.com and Ticketmaster. More information is also available at www.RedBullUSGrandPrix.com.

FIRST PERSON/OPINION By Steve Atlas On April 4th we reported that, as we were told by a track spokesperson, Mid-Ohio would host a half-day practice for AMA riders run by Sportbike Track Time on July 21st, the Thursday prior to the AMA National. But, in a phone interview today with Roadracingworld.com, Bonnie Strawser at Sportbike Track Time said that the event is actually a BMW-sponsored private track day and there will in fact be no AMA rider practice. Once again, privateers who were unable to get into factory team tests at Mid-Ohio get the short end of the stick. And as they struggle to set up their bikes in the official AMA practice sessions that start on Friday, privateers can look forward to the wrath of a few very vocal factory riders who will claim they’re in the way.

Tommy Hayden, the defending Champion and current points leader in the AMA Supersport Series, will race at the next round of the Championship, July 22-24 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course thanks to surgery on his broken right hand. Hayden suffered a “simple fracture” of the third metacarpal in his right hand when he mis-judged a pass on a backmarker in the July 10 AMA Superstock race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, bumped with the slower rider, ran off the track at high speed and crashed. Later that same day, he raced through pain to maintain his Championship point lead with a sixth-place finish in the Supersport final. On Monday, July 11, according to Hayden’s manager Steve Dicterow of International Racers, Inc., Hayden underwent a simple surgical procedure in which Dr. Arthur Ting plated the fracture to ensure “he will be riding next week at Mid-Ohio. That is a definite. There is not any uncertainty there.” Hayden is currently tending to business matters in Southern California and plans to return to his home in Owensboro, Kentucky Thursday. According to Dicterow, Hayden feels “great.”

MID-OHIO COMPLETES ONGOING SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS PICKERINGTON, Ohio (July 13, 2005) Officials from AMA Pro Racing and TrueSports Inc., the managing entity of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, today announced the completion of additional track safety improvements in preparation for this year’s Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire, July 22-24. Based on feedback provided by AMA Pro Racing officials and participating riders, TrueSports Inc. continued safety updates initiated with the track surface repair and reformation of Turn 11 barriers in 2004. Latest efforts include relocating the permanent wall along the back straight to the riders’ left an additional 30 feet off track and moving the Turn Seven wall on the riders’ right side an additional 35 feet off track. Other safety improvements included the purchase of 1000 linear feet of air module safety barriers for deployment in Turn Seven and around the track. These units will be used in addition to approximately 1000 linear feet to be transported and deployed by AMA Pro Racing. Gravel pit transitions have also been smoothed and additional gravel has been added. “At the conclusion of last year’s event, Ron Barrick and I discussed both short- and long-term improvements based on input from riders and officials,” TrueSports, Inc., President Michelle Trueman Gajoch said. “We feel these changes are an appropriate extension of our ongoing safety discussion with AMA Pro Racing. Moving forward, we will perform additional safety measures and obtain more safety barriers as part of our continual process of track improvement.” “Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is the home of one of our longest running and best attended events, and these safety efforts are a good step to ensure future events are equally successful,” AMA Pro Racing Road Race Series Manager Ron Barrick said. “With the horsepower and speed generated by modern Superbikes, it’s important for AMA Pro Racing and track promoters to continually evaluate all on-track safety issues and make appropriate changes, as Mid-Ohio is continuing to do.” This year’s Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop is the eighth of 10 AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited events. For additional information and tickets to this year’s event, visit www.midohio.com or call 1-800-MID-OHIO.

The Daytona International Speedway infield road course used by Rolex Grand-Am cars and used prior to 2005 by AMA and F-USA motorcycles was repaved in May. Part of that course was used, along with new pavement sections, to form a reconfigured infield course for F-USA and AMA motorcycle events held last March.