Foggy PETRONAS Racing on a Misano Mission Foggy PETRONAS Racing return to a happy hunting ground for this weekend’s sixth round of the Superbike World Championship at Misano, Italy. The San Marino round provided the highlight of last season for FPR when current championship leader Troy Corser claimed the team’s best race finish with a second place in the damp first race. Current FPR star Steve Martin also has good memories of the circuit, situated near the Adriatic coast, as he clinched pole position and a podium finish last year. He also claimed provisional pole on Pirelli tyres in 2003, the year before the introduction of the one-make tyre rule. Team owner Carl Fogarty has realistic ambitions to build on the positive aspects of the previous round of the championship at Silverstone. He said: “I am hoping we will be closer to the front than at recent tracks we have been to. We finally achieved some consistency and finishes at Silverstone and, with the reliability returning, I would like to see if we can break into the top ten again. I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be able to do that as you come onto the back straight from a long fast corner and the only place we might struggle is coming out of the final corner.” Team Manager Jack Valentine said: “We have been working to find more punch coming out of the corners by getting more out of our new engine management system. I do not think we have had the full benefit of that yet. I want to finish the weekend being pleased with the reliability, to have had both riders in Superpole and for both riders to have scored good points in both races.” Steve said: “I feel good about this weekend. We made a change to the bike for the second race at Silverstone which reduced the chatter I had been experiencing and allowed me to get on the pace until a problem with the frame caused problems. Misano is a place where I have never had any problems finding speed. It’s also got one the fastest and ballsy corners on the calendar – coming onto the back straight. I’ve raced there four times now so I’ve got a pretty good idea of how we’re going to want to get the bike set up.” Garry said: “I first raced a 125cc grand prix there in 1993 and I like the track. The weather last year made it a difficult weekend and I was taken out in the first race. But, now we have beefed things up a bit, we will be looking for a little bit more torque off the bottom end of the power range because, other than the one long straight, there are quite a few turns. I was disappointed that I made a mistake at Silverstone and crashed in the first race because I thought I was on for an easy top ten result – even as high as sixth. We are still taking things step by step but I am definitely looking for top ten finishes.” Circuit information: Misano, Italy Best lap: Neil Hodgson, 1:46.981 (Superpole, 2003) Lap record (race): Troy Bayliss 1:47.434.913 (2002) Pole position: Left Circuit length: 5.793km Corners: 5 left, 8 right Corner radius: 610m maximum, 12.5m minimum Maximum slope: 2.4 per cent

FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: I would like to add that I have also been bumped by Embassy Suites today, I had my reservation since Sept 7, 2004. I was informed by Jim Van Deusen of Embassy suites(whom you had talked to) that the hotel was overbooked and my reservation has been cancelled and they are giving me one free night at the Scotts Valley Hilton which is aprox 45 miles to Lauguna Seca. I can only wonder how long it will take to get to the track and then back to the hotel each day. I kept pressing for an answer to the question, are you trying to tell me that the hotel was completely booked before Sept. 7, or are reservations after Sept. 7, 2004 being accepted and I am getting bumped? I never got a straight answer, one minute I was told the race teams got the rooms, and he was sorry but nothing he could do for me but get me a room in Scotts Valley and that my reservation has been cancelled and could not be reinstated. The part that is the most frustrating is he could not tell me how he decided who got bumped, was it by date of reservation? Or by importance; for example, Yamaha stays at the hotel, can they add rooms and the average person is cancelled? Also I was told I am lucky as some hotels were putting people in San Jose which is even further away. I have attached a copy of confirmation from the hotel, showing a booking date of Sept. 2004. I hope you can run an article in your magazine, about what has happened and let other readers know how Embassy and the Hyatt treats the average person. I have stayed for the past few years at the Embassy hotel for the World Superbike races and I have stayed there when I do track days, but I will not be staying at any Embassy, Hilton or Hyatt hotel in the world as my small protest to the way I have been treated. Yours truly, David Morro South San Francisco, California This just in: Embassy Suites’ promise to make good on B.J. Worsham’s cancelled reservation has apparently crashed and burned… FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: It seems I’ve reached an impasse … In the past week, by way of my cc’s to your e-mail address, you’ve possibly read a few of the messages I’ve sent to Embassy Suites. I’ve also made numerous phone calls and, at your suggestion, fwd’d details of the issue to Hilton’s main site last week. My latest call was a VM left on Alicia’s line approximately 4:00 PM EST yesterday. (Wednesday) In all of these contacts I’ve asked for an e-mail or FAX of their remuneration intentions — a written confirmation, so to speak — as I don’t want to let this get to the last minute and have them tell me to shove off. In all, I have two auto-respond type messages from CSR’s at Hilton saying my info was “forwarded to the GM of the Embassy Suites” and promising a response within 3 days. However, since last Wednesday — the day you posted the transcript of the call with Jim Van Deusen and I had a later conversation with him in which we came to an agreement — I have received no reply from either Alicia, Jim, or anyone from Embassy Suites. This lack of response from the “Official Hotel of Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca” is unacceptable … they pledged financial remuneration for canceling my reservation and forcing me to lodge at a different hotel, yet since the “One Reader’s Problem With Cancelled Embassy Suites Reservation Is Resolved” post, they’ve completely blown me off. Is there someone at Laguna Seca itself that I can contact directly, to report my concerns about the poor service being exhibited by their official hotel? Thanks, B.J. Worsham Old Westbury, New York

Thursday’s Provisional 250cc GP Qualifying Results: 1. Sebastian PORTO, Aprilia, 2:05.530 2. Jorge LORENZO, Honda, 2:05.665 3. Casey STONER, Aprilia, 2:05.691 4. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Honda, 2:05.906 5. Alex DE ANGELIS, Aprilia, 2:05.982 6. Daniel PEDROSA, Honda, 2:06.200 7. Hector BARBERA, Honda, 2:06.255 8. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Honda, 2:06.311 9. Simone CORSI, Aprilia, 2:06.809 10. Randy DE PUNIET, Aprilia, 2:06.884 11. Jakub SMRZ, Honda, 2:07.963 12. Sylvain GUINTOLI, Aprilia, 2:08.253 13. Yuki TAKAHASHI, Honda, 2:08.649 14. Roberto LOCATELLI, Aprilia, 2:08.665 15. Chaz DAVIES, Aprilia, 2:08.765

ADRIATIC RIVIERA GREETS ITALIAN RETURN FOR DUCATI XEROX TEAM Misano Adriatico (Italy), Thursday 23 June: Much has changed in the time since the previous World Superbike race in Italy, almost two months ago at Monza. Following a difficult start to the season, the Ducati Xerox Team has now emerged as a winning force in this year’s championship after James Toseland and Régis Laconi both claimed their first victories of the season at Silverstone. This weekend the Santamonica circuit on Italy’s Adriatic Riviera will greet the Superbike regulars for round 6 of the championship. After last year’s unfortunate rain-affected experience in April, this year the Misano counter moves back to its regular June slot and with the hot Italian summer already getting into full swing, a large crowd is guaranteed for Ducati’s home race. Ducati Corse Superbike technical director, Ernesto Marinelli, explains what the Ducati Xerox Team riders will be up against at the Misano track. “We always go well at Misano, it’s a track that our bikes seem to like” declared Marinelli. “Last year the weather in April and the fact that there weren’t many competitive bikes on the grid stirred things up a bit. This year it will be a completely different situation, but we will start off from last year’s base settings. The Misano circuit is varied and medium-fast, it doesn’t have any particularly slow corners, but it does have a lot of changes in direction, as well as the long ‘Curvone’ which puts a lot of pressure on the left side of the tyre”. Régis Laconi’s last four results at Misano have been impressive to say the least, a second, a first, a fourth and a third, giving the impression that the 29-year-old Frenchman has a special feeling with the 4.060 km circuit. “Misano is a track that I like because it’s a technical circuit, it’s usually very warm here and it’s close to the beach!” joked Régis. “Seriously speaking, I like all the parts of this track apart from the new section, where I seem to have a bit more difficulty. But we are working well with the bike and this year I don’t have the problems that I had last year. It will be very warm here, and that makes a big difference, even from the morning to the afternoon and maybe we also have to set the bike up differently depending on the temperature. It will be a hard race because it’s a very physical track and there is not much time to recover. Now we are winning, so I feel a lot happier than in the early part of the season”. James Toseland has never won at Misano, his best result being second when he pushed fellow Brit Neil Hodgson (Ducati) hard in 2003, but the 24-year-old feels that Silverstone was a turning-point in his season. “Ducati has worked really hard after Suzuki caught us out at the beginning of the season and everything came good at Silverstone for us”, declared James. “Unfortunately we’ve lost points but it’s not over yet. My results at Misano have been a bit up-and-down, I had a terrible weekend here last year in the damp conditions but the year before was pretty good. We can go round here as fast as anybody, with the bike development, the testing and my confidence, so there’s no reason why we can’t get a couple of wins here. I pencilled off another notch on my list with my first win at Silverstone and the next one down is my first double-win! I’ll definitely be going for it here!” SANTAMONICA STATISTICS: The 2005 championship reaches its half-way point with this year’s fifteenth edition of the Santamonica event. The first race was held in 1991 and saw two wins go to Doug Polen (Ducati). Since then all the Superbike greats have added their names to the list of winners: Falappa (4 times), Polen, Kocinski and Bayliss (3), Lucchiari, Slight, Fogarty, Corser, Xaus and Chili (2), Russell, Bostrom and Laconi (1) last year. Among the manufacturers, the undisputed queen of Misano is Ducati with 22 wins, followed by Honda (3), Aprilia (2) and Kawasaki (1). Four riders are top of the pole position category: Falappa, Fogarty, Hodgson and Corser with 2 each, followed by Polen, Russell, Kocinski, Yanagawa, Bayliss and Martin with 1. The track records all belong to Troy Bayliss (Ducati), who has set them in 2002: Superpole 1m33.525s (156.279 km/h), Lap record 1m34.913s (153.994 km/h). The two races will be run over a distance of 101.500 kilometres (25 laps). ON THE BEACH: Activities on Thursday Press Day at the Santamonica track will include a beach volley challenge between Riders and Media on the sands of the Misano seafront. The tournament, organised by FGSport and Superbike Italia, will take place in the ‘Romina’ beach club belonging to Pierfrancesco Chili and his wife. It will see the participation of the top Superbike riders, including Ducati Xerox Team’s James Toseland and Régis Laconi, as well as representatives from Supersport and Superstock. DUCATI STORE IN THE PADDOCK: At the Misano round, Ducati will also be present from Thursday thru Sunday with a stand selling clothing and accessories. A Ducati sales point will be set up inside the circuit, close to the main entrance, in the heart of the Superbike Paddock. Misano fans at the race will be able to purchase a selection of Ducati Corse products, including T-shirts, scale models, caps and gadgets. In this area there will also be a display of Ducati bikes, articles and products of Ducati’s partners, as well as a corner dedicated to the DRE (Ducati Riding Experience), Ducati’s world-famous Imola riding school. CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after 5 of 12 rounds) : Riders – 1. Corser (Suzuki) 222; 2. Kagayama (Suzuki) 144; 3. Vermeulen (Honda) 141; 4. Laconi (Ducati Xerox) 112; 5. Toseland (Ducati Xerox) 98; 6. Walker (Kawasaki) 74 ; etc. Manufacturers – 1. Suzuki 231; 2. Honda 154; 3. Ducati 150; 4. Yamaha 109; 5. Kawasaki 86; 6. Petronas 4. CIRCUIT INFO: Name – Autodromo di Santamonica. Length – 4.060 km. Pole Position – Left. Corners Left/Right – 4/4. Finish Line Length – 510 m. 2004 RESULTS: Race 1 – 1. Laconi (Ducati); 2. Corser (Petronas); 3. Chili (Ducati). Race 2 – 1. Chili (Ducati); 2. Laconi; 3. Martin (Ducati). TV COVERAGE: Eurosport (Europe) – Sunday 26 June, 1200 race 1 (live), 1530 race 2 (live). La7 (Italy) – Saturday 25 June, 1700 Superpole (delayed); Sunday 26 June, 1405 race 1 (delayed), 1530 race 2 (live).

Thursday’s Provisional 125cc GP Qualifying Results: 1. Mattia PASINI, Aprilia, 2:12.742 2. Mika KALLIO, KTM, 2:12.745 3. Sergio GADEA, Aprilia, 2:13.170 4. Marco SIMONCELLI, Aprilia, 2:13.370 5. Julian SIMON, KTM, 2:13.403 6. Alexis MASBOU, Honda, 2:13.407 7. Hector FAUBEL, Aprilia, 2:13.459 8. Mike DI MEGLIO, Honda, 2:13.926 9. Manuel POGGIALI, Gilera, 2:13.938 10. Thomas LUTHI, Honda, 2:13.957

Thursday Morning MotoGP Practice Times: 1. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 2:01.003 2. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 2:01.736 3. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 2:01.758 4. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 2:01.946 5. Marco MELANDRI, Honda, 2:02.077 6. Colin EDWARDS, Yamaha, 2:02.117 7. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 2:02.409 8. Carlos CHECA, Ducati, 2:02.449 9. Alex BARROS, Honda, 2:02.628 10. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 2:02.862 11. Ruben XAUS, Yamaha, 2:02.986 12. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 2:03.015 13. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 2:03.116 14. Troy BAYLISS, Honda, 2:03.360 15. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, 2:04.297 16. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 2:04.766 17. David CHECA, Yamaha, 2:05.055 18. Roberto ROLFO, Ducati, 2:06.437 19. Shane BYRNE, Proton KR, 2:07.188 20. Franco BATTAINI, Blata, 2:08.079 21. James ELLISON, Blata, 2:08.756

Screwing with confirmed hotel reservations for a race weekend at Laguna Seca is nothing new. Here’s a local newspaper’s story on a case from a couple of years ago… ~http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/local/4879176.htm~

Special Advance-Ticket Offers for Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals at VIR Alton, Va. (June 22) – When the AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited returns to VIRginia International Raceway this year, a lot will be different. The event will have a new name, the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals, a new date, August 26-28, a new promoter in RPM Promotions and lots of added features including trackside jumbotron screens, an expanded vendor village, stunt shows, a fan party and more. Another new feature will be the Tiki Man Promotion offered to fans who purchase their tickets early. While supplies last, each fan who purchases an admission ticket prior to July 8 can choose from one of four free items: free parking (cars only), a free official event t-shirt, a free official event program or a free parade lap of the VIR circuit. “We’re really excited about promoting the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals at VIR,” said RPM Promotions vice-president Cameron Gray. “We plan to make this the premier event on the AMA Superbike circuit, and we’re making this offer to our fans to let them know that we mean business. We have the best motorcycle road racing in America at one of the world’s most beautiful racing facilities. We have the most enthusiastic and knowledgeable fans in all of motorsport, and this offer is just the first step in showing our appreciation to them. “We will have more announcements in the weeks to come regarding extra features that we will be providing to our fans, and they will be spectacular, so stay tuned!” There are a number of advance ticket packages available for the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals at VIR. Advance packages include the Flag Room (three-day admission, paddock access, car parking pass, official event program and hospitality on Saturday and Sunday), for $140; Youth Flag Room (5-12 years of age) for $50; the Big Kahuna Super Ticket (three-day admission, paddock and pit walk pass, lap of track, car parking pass and official 2005 Big Kahuna t-shirt) for $99; three-day general admission with paddock access for $55; and pit walk passes (limited availability, good for all practice and qualifying sessions, requires closed-toe shoes) for $30. At the gate, ticket availability will be limited to three-day passes for $60, single-day tickets (Friday only) for $10 and pit walk passes for $40. To purchase advance tickets, visit www.virclub.com or www.rpmcolorado.com. The event schedule will include three days of racing action, including two feature races for the headlining AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited as well as feature races for the supporting classes including the Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei, AMA Repsol Lubricants Superstock Series and Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series. VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Va., and just north of historic Milton, N.C. In addition to its 3.27-mile natural-terrain road racing circuit (designed to be operated as two autonomous, full-service courses), VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America’s first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park; the VIR Gallery, which is a sales showroom for high-end collector and racing cars; the VIR Safety and Security Institute, which provides specialized training for U.S. Government and military groups; The Lodge at VIR, a 27-room hotel overlooking the track; and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse. VIR made history from 1957 to 1974 and is doing so again. The 2.25-mile VIR North Course circuit on which the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals will take place has 17 challenging turns and 130 feet of elevation change. In addition to spectator events, the track is also available to rent for testing, driving schools and club days. For more information on VIRginia International Raceway, visit the track’s website at www.virclub.com or contact VIR at 434-822-7700. For more information on RPM Promotions, visit their website at www.rpmcolorado.com or contact them via telephone at 303-377-3278. For more information on the AMA Superbike Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited, visit their website at www.ussuperbike.com.