It was free to come into Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Thursday, including full access to the paddock and pit lane. Was there anything to see? Absolutely. The MotoGP teams were setting up their garages, cleaning parts and putting heat cycles in new engines by running the racebikes on their stands on pit lane. Remember, ear plugs are a necessity this weekend. The AMA teams were setting up their pit areas. Yamaha’s AMA team has been charged with setting up a hospitality area to accommodate the Gauloises Yamaha team, including Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards, a total of over 60 people. The team has borrowed one of the factory off-road teams’ semi-truck for the job. In addition, many AMA riders are roaming the paddock, especially the MotoGP garage area. Yamaha may announce its 2006 AMA racing plans within the next two weeks, according to one highly-placed source within the team. The weekend at Laguna Seca will include many promotional events. At noon Thursday, Rossi, John Hopkins, Ruben Xaus and Makoto Tamada attended a media photo opportunity at the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco. At 4:00 p.m. local time, the MotoGP pre-event press conference is scheduled to take place. At 4:30 p.m. Eric Bostrom’s personal sponsor Cannondale will hold a bicycle riding event for the media, which will include unveiling Bostrom’s special replica bicycle and riding jersey. At 5:00 p.m. the Marlboro Ducati MotoGP team will host a meet-and-greet cocktail party in front of its garage on pit lane. Some of the events apparently have not been well thought out, however, as one helmet company’s media event takes place in off the track grounds in the middle of the afternoon on Saturday. At post time, the AMA teams were working with AMA Pro Racing and Laguna Seca Raceway officials on whether or not large canopies will be allowed on hot pit lane. Due to the small size of pit lane, it has already been determined that each rider, factory or privateer, is only entitled to 10 linear feet of pit lane. No canopies will be allowed to be set-up on hot pit lane in front of the MotoGP team garages and that area must be completely vacated before the start of any MotoGP practice or qualifying session. In addition to the 20 permanent garages, four additional, temporary garages have been placed along pit lane. Above the temporary garages, a huge stage has been erected for the podium ceremonies. A row of elevated hospitality suites and another, three-level temporary building have been placed along pit lane. All of the new curbing around the track has been painted red and white, and artificial grass has been placed between the curbing and the gravel traps in some locations, like turn 11. There is no mistaking that Red Bull is the sponsor of this event. Red Bull signage is dominant around the track. A large, temporary, enclosed Red Bull bar has been constructed in the paddock, just off pit lane. A Red Bull vending machine has even been placed in the media center. No major hotel problems have come to the attention of Roadracingworld.com. In fact, one AMA race team crew member who said his confirmed reservation was bumped by the Embassy Suites in Seaside is now staying at the Embassy Suites free of charge for the entire weekend. In addition to being an attraction for motorcycle fans, Laguna Seca could also be a field of dreams for computer hackers. There were no less than eight active wireless networks detectable in the paddock of Laguna Seca Thursday, and none of those belonged to teams. One veteran international race reporter is predicting that some of the top MotoGP riders will voice complaints about the safety of the Laguna Seca racetrack. Thursday’s weather forecast for the weekend did not call for rain or for heat. Low temperatures are expected to be in the 50’s with highs in the 60’s.

Several AMA Superbike teams claim to have made gains during two test sessions held during the break between the last race event, June 3-5 at Road America, and the start of this weekend’s event, July 8-10 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. American Honda, Yoshimura Suzuki, Attack Kawasaki and Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin all tested at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Virginia International Raceway (VIR) between the two races, and several teams claim to have made improvements to their Superbikes. American Honda crew members reported that they improved the handling of their kitted CBR1000RRs, something they and riders Miguel Duhamel and Jake Zemke have been working on all season. Attack Kawasaki has sorted out clutch problems on its ZX-10R that have hampered the starts and slowed the corner entries of rider Josh Hayes all season. Ducati Austin’s Neil Hodgson got some new, unspecified chassis parts and Eric Bostrom tested new chassis settings at VIR. According to each rider’s respective Crew Chief, the improvements are expected to show benefits at Laguna Seca. Yoshimura Suzuki tested some new exhaust pipes and a new radiator at VIR, “nothing major,” according to Mat Mladin Crew Chief Peter Doyle. Erion Honda opted to skip the Mid-Ohio and VIR tests, but Crew Chief Rick Hobbs said the team “made improvements” with Kurtis Roberts’ kitted CBR1000RR while testing during a Fastrack Rider’s track day at Las Vegas Classic Course in June. The next major, multi-team test in tentatively scheduled to take place at Road Atlanta in August, after the Mid-Ohio race.

Laguna Seca July 7th, 2005 US GP Preview Roller-coaster in Laguna Seca: Welcome to the wild, wild West The wild, wild West of the United States offers a new adventure: For the first time in racing history, 990cc MotoGP bikes will roar around the twisty Laguna Seca circuit with its steep ascents, tight corners, fast direction changes and the most famous drop-off zone of all circuits around the globe the notorious Corkscrew, a blind downhill S-curve so steep that it turns the stomach of the riders like a roller-coaster. Laguna Seca hosted its last GP eleven years ago, and considering the way the riders of the 500cc two-stroke prototypes battled back then to keep both wheels of their 180-hp machines on the ground, it’s open to wild imaginations which kind of show modern MotoGP racing will put on stage with its 240 hp, 340 kph machines. Located 170 kilometres south-east of San Francisco, near the Monterey Peninsula and its world-famous Pebble Beach Golf Course, the track has been upgraded with extensive safety modifications in order to match modern-day MotoGP racing’s requirements. More than two million Dollars were spent to move back walls, and to increase run-off zones. Over 15000 tons of gravel were trucked to the site to fill the extended gravel traps. “The event organisers have done their best to make the track safe”, confirms Kenny Roberts, former World Champion and one of the American idols aboard his Bridgestone-fitted factory Suzuki. “With the AMA championship and the Grand Prix on one day, the event will be huge I’m sure we will see in excess of 100000 spectators.” Hard-braking stability, good traction under acceleration, and sheer cornering speed are crucial in Laguna Seca, so grip and grip consistency will be decisive factors in the race. Due to the re-surfaced track, the grip level of the tarmac remains a question mark for all teams before the first practice session, that has been extended from one to two hours to give the riders and technicians enough time to come to grips with the new track. Bridgestone’s ongoing development program has once again produced new spec tyres for Laguna Seca, mainly with new rubber compounds. In order to give the six-rider line-up – Ducati-stars Loris Capriossi and Carlos Checa, Kawasaki riders Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann, and two local heroes Roberts and John Hopkins on Suzuki the best possible choice under any conditions, Bridgestone has shipped a total of 1100 tyres to Laguna Seca, with an extra-wide selection of five different front and 7-8 different rear tyre specs. Hiroshi Yamada – Motorcycle Racing Manager Bridgestone Motorsport “We are very excited about the comeback of the US-Grand Prix after eleven years, and we can’t wait to see MotoGP action on this unique and exciting track! It is a great thing to happen, especially in a huge motorcycle market such as the United States. We will do our best here to achieve good results. There is not much data available from this track, but we have brought new specs with new compounds in a broader range than usual, which should help us to make up for the lack of track experience. I am confident that our teams and riders will perform well here, and I hope that the race event will be a huge success for everybody!” More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing: MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2005 Download PDF ROUND 8 – RED BULL US GRAND PRIX, LAGUNA SECA 7 JULY 2005 – EVENT PREVIEW CALIFORNIA DREAMING – SUPER SHINYA READY FOR US GRAND PRIX Kawasaki factory rider Shinya Nakano will live out a boyhood dream when he races in the US Grand Prix in Laguna Seca this weekend. Nakano’s attraction to this northern California location was influenced by his racing hero Kevin Schwantz, the original sultan of slide who won the 1993 World Championship. Television coverage of Schwantz racing at Laguna in the late 1980’s helped inspire Nakano’s own desires to be a GP racer. No surprise then that the stylish Japanese ace says he is excited by the history-making return of the USGP to the MotoGP calendar. Equally as enthusiastic about the California visit is German rider Alex Hofmann, who shares racing duties aboard the Ninja ZX-RR in Kawasaki’s factory MotoGP squad. Hofmann, a keen motocross and supermotard rider, is a regular off-season visitor to California. And the 25-year-old Kawasaki pilot is now an officially certified ‘body-flyer’ having gained his license last week in a special test at a facility near his Swiss home in Zurich. Body-flying is a high-speed sport using an indoor, vertical wind tunnel with turbine generated wind speeds of 180 kph. Both Nakano and Hofmann arrived in America early to do some local training and recover from jet lag, and to soak up the ambience and tourism opportunities of the Monterey Peninsula. It is 11 years since the US Grand Prix was staged at Laguna Seca, and the return of the race to the North American market is a significant milestone in the increasing global expansion and popularity of the MotoGP championship. The roller-coaster style track has undergone a multimillion dollar safety upgrade to bring it up to international standards, with the infamous Corkscrew section and a sequence of fast, downhill curves highlighting the compact layout. In terms of number of laps, 32 in total, the US Grand Prix is the longest race of the season although the lap length, 3.58 km (2.22 miles) is actually the shortest on the 17 race MotoGP calendar. On this whirlwind 11-turn course, with dramatic gradient changes and fast downhill curves, the US Grand Prix promises to be a brutal test of bravery and rider fitness, both mental and physical. Nakano and Hofmann have used the Playstation racing game to gain early track knowledge, but will check the layout on scooters in advance of Friday morning’s extended, two-hour, free practice session. The US Grand Prix is the eighth race of the MotoGP World Championship, with organisers already confirming that the event is a sell-out, with 60,000 tickets sold in advance. Shinya Nakano #56 “It is like a dream come true for me to be racing at Laguna Seca. When I was a kid in Japan I remember watching Kevin Schwantz and Wayne Rainey on television, racing GPs here. Kevin is my racing hero, he was aggressive and fast, I really admire the way he raced. But I also now understand how much of a fighter and how good Wayne Rainey was as a rider. I checked the track on Playstation, although it was the Gran Turismo car racing game. It looks very technical and tough, and 32 laps will not be easy. I will do a lot of scooter laps before practice, but I think the Kawasaki has some potential here, we have strong acceleration with the latest motor and good handling. With 11 corners maybe top speed is not so important, but I will understand more when I ride the ZX-RR on Friday.” Alex Hofmann #66 “I’ve done a thousand laps on Playstation to get ready for Laguna Seca and I can’t wait, I’m ready for the challenge on a tough track. And now I’ve got my body flying license I’m ready for Batman and Superman also! Body-flying allows you to feel totally free, it’s a lot of fun. The track looks tricky and hard work, but also a lot of fun with not so many full throttle sections, which could benefit our latest ZX-RR engine set-up. I arrived in the US early to adapt to the time zone and take in the ambience of California, and do some training. I’m looking for a change of luck here, my recent results have been out of my control. Now I just hope I can go faster in real life at Laguna Seca than I did on the Playstation!”

Yamaha/Graves Yamaha’s Jamie Hacking will not attempt to ride in the AMA Championship series event July 8-10 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, according to his team. Hacking crashed his bicycle while training in Colorado in late-May and suffered bone fractures and ligament damage to both of his elbows. He had surgery in early-June and has been undergoing physical therapy for the last several weeks. “He’s not quite ready to ride,” Yamaha Team Manager Tom Halverson told Roadracingworld.com Thursday morning in the paddock of Laguna Seca. “Instead of risking it, we’re going to wait for him to be 100%. Maybe that will be at Mid-Ohio, maybe after. We’re just going to see how it goes. We all agreed that it was not in Jamie’s best interest to come back until he is 100%.” Hacking is at Laguna Seca and will participate in fan and sponsor activities, according to Halverson.

YAMAHA FACTORY RACING CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY The Yamaha Factory Racing Team and its riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards will contest this weekend’s US Grand Prix in Laguna Seca in a special yellow, white and black livery to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Yamaha Motor Company. The yellow, white and black livery which will be worn by the riders and team throughout the coming weekend, was originally used by Yamaha’s US racers in the 1970’s, most notably triple-World Champion Kenny Roberts. The colour change celebrates Yamaha’s racing history and particular success in the USA with American riders Roberts, Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey having won nine premier-class World Championships between them. “I am really happy to be racing in yellow, white and black here in the US, especially since yellow is my favourite colour!” said current World Championship series-leader Rossi, who this weekend races at Laguna Seca for the first time in his career. “It’s great to be recreating the livery of Yamaha US and Kenny Roberts, one of the most famous and recognisable racing liveries of all time. I am proud to be racing together with Yamaha at its 50th Anniversary, especially at this race, which everyone has been looking forward to for such a long time. Our special bikes will help to make the MotoGP ‘show’ even more of a spectacle for the American public!” Colin Edwards has the honour of being the first American Grand Prix rider in 25 years to carry the yellow, white and black livery. “It’s awesome!” exclaimed the Texan, facing his first race on American soil since he left the World Superbike Championship three years ago. “My home race is already such a big thing for me, but this makes it even more special and I’m really excited to be a part of something like this. I really like the livery and the bikes look great. It’s a great honour to be an American riding for Yamaha when there’s such a heritage with the brand and the American greats like Kenny, Wayne Rainey and Eddie Lawson. I really hope we can make this a great 50th Anniversary celebration with the right result on Sunday!” Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director Davide Brivio commented, “It’s very exciting to be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Yamaha here together in the US, and it’s really nice that Yamaha has been able to bring back this yellow, white and black livery that is such an important part of its racing history. The Team is proud to be here in this historic moment, and to have been chosen to be the ones to celebrate here in Laguna in this special way. Of course we will focus on the race and hope that we will be able to celebrate properly with an unforgettable race result on Sunday!” MESSAGE ON THE OCCASION OF THE AMERICAN MotoGP RACE By Takashi Kajikawa – President, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. “On July 1, 2005, Yamaha Motor Company celebrated the 50th Anniversary of our company’s founding. We have been able to reach this major milestone thanks to a proud tradition of the Yamaha “Spirit of Challenge” that began with our founding president, Genichi Kawakami in 1955, and has been handed down through the generations of Yamaha employees, and also thanks to the great efforts of our importers and dealers around the world, and finally thanks to the support we have always received from our customers. On behalf of Yamaha Motor, I wish to express our deep gratitude to all these people. Throughout our company’s 50-year history, racing has always been an arena for us to nurture the spirit of challenge and refine our technology. At the same time, it has been a very important way for us to realize our corporate mission of creating “Kando,” which is the Japanese word for feelings of excitement and deep satisfaction. And today, we are more aware than ever of the importance of winning races, because of the tremendous inspiration and motivation it brings to our customers and our business partners around the world. Looking back, the first overseas race Yamaha Motor ever participated in was the Catalina Grand Prix in the U.S. of 1958. Later, Yamaha would bring AMA star Kenny Roberts to the GP500 class of the World Championships and create a sensation, when he went on to win three consecutive world titles. Now I am very happy to see the pinnacle competition of world motorcycle road racing return to the U.S. for the first time in 11 years. In this race, Yamaha will be represented by our Factory Team’s Valentino Rossi, who is presently on a five race consecutive winning streak on the YZR-M1, America’s own Colin Edwards as well as the Fortuna Yamaha Team riders Tony Elias and Ruben Xaus. For this race the machines of Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards will be sporting the nostalgic Yamaha U.S. racing colours from the 1970s. Also, we are happy to hold events that will welcome 19 great Yamaha road race and motocross riders of the past and present including Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson and Giacomo Agostini. At the American GP venue this time, we hope that all the members of the media and the fans will have an opportunity to experience first-hand the excitement of another Yamaha racing legend unfolding. Yamaha Motor Company is dedicated to the promotion of racing as a form of “Kando” that can be shared not only within the Yamaha family but also with our customers and fans everywhere. That is why we actively pursue race programmes at all levels, from MotoGP to local races in all parts of the world, and not only for motorcycles but in a wide range of categories, from snowmobiles and ATVs to racing karts. We ask for your continued support for us in these activities.” YAMAHA CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY WITH SPECIAL MotoGP LIVERY Yamaha’s Factory MotoGP team goes to this weekend’s United States Grand Prix in celebratory mood, wearing the famous Yamaha USA colours of yellow, white and black. This special livery marks Yamaha’s 50th Anniversary and acknowledges the significant contribution made by American riders to the marque’s racing history. The Yamaha Motor Company was founded on July 1st 1955, just two weeks before the factory’s first bike, the YA1, won its first race, the Mount Fuji Ascent race. Since then three American riders have won nine premier-class World Championships with Yamaha ‘King’ Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey, each taking three crowns across three decades, the 70s, the 80s and the 90s. The livery that Yamaha Factory Racing YZR-M1 riders Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards will wear at Laguna Seca was first used by Yamaha USA in the late 1960s and won global renown when Roberts scored his World Championship hat-trick. Masao Furusawa, Senior General Manager of Yamaha’s Engineering Operations, finds that this is a perfect time for the company to celebrate its first half-century. “This is a moment of which we can be proud,” he said. “We will be celebrating our 50th Anniversary at Laguna as the reigning World Champions, while our factory MotoGP team leads the riders’, manufacturers’ and teams’ World Championships, so it’s great that we can celebrate in style.” Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing, explains the thinking behind the yellow, white and black colour scheme of the YZR-M1 50th Anniversary US Edition. “We chose to race in Yamaha USA’s historic colours as a tribute to the American riders who have played such an important part in Yamaha’s history,” he says. “It is also right that we should celebrate the return of Grand Prix racing to the USA, which is great for the American fans and also very important for the future of MotoGP. “Of course, this isn’t the first time that our YZR-M1 has carried the yellow, white and black colours. Some of you may have noticed the seat graphics on Valentino’s M1, which since last year have featured his dog Guido wearing an old-school Yamaha USA T-shirt! It will be fantastic to see Valentino racing in yellow, which is his favourite colour. And this is also a big weekend for Colin, his first US Grand Prix, plus he is the first American GP rider in 25 years to race in Yamaha USA’s traditional colours. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our 2005 title sponsor Altadis for their cooperation in permitting Yamaha to race in Yamaha-only livery for this special event.” Rossi’s and Edwards’ one-off livery is only one aspect of a busy weekend of 50th Anniversary celebrations during the US GP. The fun starts with a Friday night party for media and VIP guests at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

History of the USA Grand Prix Although in recent years there has not been a GP held in the USA, there have been a total of eight Grand Prix events held in the country previously and some facts and figures from the premier-class races at these events are given below: The first two GP events held in the United States in 1964 and 1965 took place at the Daytona circuit, both of which were won by Mike Hailwood. After a twenty-two year break the Grand Prix circus returned to the USA in 1988 at Laguna Seca and ran through to 1994 with the exception of 1992. Of the six premier-class races held at Laguna Seca the only rider from outside of the US who has won is Luca Cadalora. Yamaha riders have taken five victories at Laguna; Eddie Lawson in 1988, Wayne Rainey in 1989, 1990 & 1991 and Luca Cadalora in 1994. The only other successful manufacturer was Cagiva in 1993 with John Kocinski. Honda have never had a victory in the premier-class at Laguna Seca; their best results being second place with Wayne Gardner in 1988 and Mick Doohan in both 1990 and 1991. Suzuki has had riders finish on the podium on three occasions at Laguna; Kevin Schwantz in 1989 & 1991 and Alex Barros in 1993. Of the 18 podium positions available from the six premier-class GP races held at Laguna exactly 50% of them have been taken by riders from the US. At least one rider from the USA has finished on the podium in each of the previous premier-class GP’s at Laguna Seca. Yamaha and the USA have had three pole positions at Laguna Seca with Wayne Rainey in 1988, 1989 and 1991. Australia and Honda have also had three pole positions with Wayne Gardner in 1990 and Mick Doohan in 1993 and 1994. MotoGP facts & figures Following his victory at Assen Valentino Rossi has now finished on the podium at the last ten races. This is the longest run by a Yamaha rider since Wayne Rainey had fifteen successive podium finishes in the 1989 and 1990 seasons, this being a record for a Yamaha rider. Marco Melandri’s second place finish at Assen is his best result since joining the MotoGP class at the start of 2003. Max Biaggi finished on the podium in the 250cc race at Laguna Seca back in 1994 on his way to winning his first world title riding an Aprilia. At the Dutch TT Sete Gibernau finished behind two other Honda riders for the first time since the Malaysian GP last year. Alex Barros is the only rider still competing in Grand Prix racing who has competed in a premier-class GP previously at Laguna Seca. He rode the Cagiva at Laguna in 1990 and 1991 and a Suzuki in both 1993 and 1994. His best result at the circuit was in 1993 when he finished second behind John Kocinski. This was Barros’ first podium appearance riding the Suzuki and it was just two weeks later that he scored his first ever GP win at the FIM Grand Prix at Jarama in Spain. Colin Edwards has been the second Yamaha rider home in each of the seven MotoGP races of 2005. Edwards’ single victory from fourteen races in the World Superbike championship at Laguna Seca came in his final appearance in 2002.

The Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki team joins the MotoGP circus and the rest of the AMA Superbike Championship regulars this weekend, July 8-10, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for what promises to be a very special event. For the first time in over 10 years, the top class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing will compete on American tarmac, backed up by some of the best national series riders and racing in the world. The Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki team will be back in full force with riders Jason Pridmore, Steve Rapp and Montez Stewart, as well as special guests and executives from Nike/Jordan Brand, Upper Deck and other team corporate sponsors. In addition, the Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki team is proud to welcome Giant RV on board as a team sponsor. Giant RV is the # 1 RV dealer in California, and they are providing four 40-foot motorhomes for the team’s use during the event. Along with the racing and other activities, look for the launch of the 2006 Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki apparel line by Joe Rocket on Saturday, July 9. Through a licensing agreement with Jordan Brand (a division of Nike, Inc.), many of the graphics seen on and around team riders Jason Pridmore, Steve Rapp, and Montez Stewart will be utilized in the all new Michael Jordan Motorsports apparel brand. Jason Pridmore “I’m ready to go,” said Pridmore. “I’m feeling good, I’m fit and I really like Laguna Seca. I tested last week and we made some big improvements on the bike, so I’m looking forward to riding. The only downside to the weekend is being so close to Pebble Beach and not getting to play golf.” Steve Rapp “I’ve done pretty well at Laguna in the past,” said Rapp. “The only downside for this year is that we didn’t get to test there. So, the first day we may be a little off the pace while we sort out the gearing and stuff. We did test at Mid-Ohio a couple of weeks ago, so we’ll start with that set-up and go from there.” Montez Stewart “I was at Laguna Seca last year for the first time, and it was culture shock,” said Stewart. “The track is so technical, and the Corkscrew is something else. But I’ve been doing laps around Laguna on my Playstation, so I’m ready for it this year. The MotoGP is going to be cool, so awesome. It’s going to be crowded, so I’m staying at the racetrack.” Legendary NBA star Michael Jordan formed Michael Jordan Motorsports in 2004 as a result of his passion for motorcycle racing. His mission is to bring a new level of excellence and style to the motorcycle racing industry. And now, some reader reaction: FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: It’s nice to know that with the limited pit space at Laguna it will be fairly parsed (as per this from the press release): “The Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki team will be back in full force with riders Jason Pridmore, Steve Rapp and Montez Stewart, as well as special guests and executives from Nike/Jordan Brand, Upper Deck and other team corporate sponsors. In addition, the Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki team is proud to welcome Giant RV on board as a team sponsor. Giant RV is the # 1 RV dealer in California, and they are providing four 40-foot motorhomes for the team’s use during the event.” Will Eikenberry Littletrock, California