Infinity GP Racing, LLC based in Dallas TX announced that it has contracted 17 year old Alex Welsh of Canada as a full support “A” bike rider for the Infinity 125 stable. “Alex has only raced 4 races on road racing bikes and has been on the podium everytime”. “We were fortunate enough to find Alex with the help of our Canadian friends who manage the Can Am Challenge Series” stated Frank Pate of Infinity GP.

Top Speeds From Friday Afternoon MotoGP Practice At Catalunya: 1. Loris Capirossi, Ducati, 205.932 mph 2. Marco Melandri, Honda, 205.124 mph 3. Makoto Tamada, Honda, 205.000 mph 4. Carlos Checa, Ducati, 204.876 mph 5. Max Biaggi, Honda, 204.006 mph 6. Nicky Hayden, Honda, 203.198 mph 7. Sete Gibernau, Honda, 202.949 mph 8. Alex Barros, Honda, 201.955 mph 9. John Hopkins, Suzuki, 201.831 mph 10. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, 200.836 mph 11. Colin Edwards, Yamaha, 200.836 mph 12. Troy Bayliss, Honda, 200.588 mph 13. Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki, 199.594 mph 14. Shane Byrne, Proton KR, 199.345 mph 15. Tony Elias, Yamaha, 198.164 mph 16. Kenny Roberts, Suzuki, 198.102 mph 17. Roberto Rolfo, Ducati, 197.916 mph 18. Ruben Xaus, Yamaha, 197.232 mph 19. Alex Hofmann, Kawasaki, 195.430 mph 20. Franco Battaini, Blata, 188.222 mph 21. James Ellison, Blata, 184.494 mph

Rizla Suzuki signs James Haydon JAMES HAYDON will join British Superbike Champion John Reynolds and Team Rizla Suzuki for the remainder of the 2005 British Superbike Championship. James agreed terms with Rizla Suzuki today. The 30-year-old Andorra resident already has experience with the team after racing at Oulton and Mondello Park on the GSX-R1000 while substituting for an injured JR earlier in the season. Prior to that, he took five Superbike race wins for Crescent Suzuki in 1998 and 1999. It was at Oulton Park on May 2nd that James recorded the team’s best result of the season so far with a 4th place finish. That impressive performance matched to a professional approach to racing meant he was first choice to join the team following the departure of Scott Smart. “I am honoured to have been asked to join Rizla Suzuki and want nothing more than to repay that faith in me with race wins,” enthused James. “Racing for the team for two rounds earlier in the year really whetted my appetite. The approach of the team to racing is so professional and positive – I really enjoyed myself and this is a dream come true. “I have missed too many rounds to challenge for the title in 2005, but I have been tasked with winning as many races and scoring as many podiums as possible in the second half of the season. That’s my only aim now and with a bike as good as the Rizla Suzuki, I can’t wait to get started.” James joins the team immediately at Donington Park for a two-day test on the 14th and 16th of June, where he will reacquaint himself with the Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000 and spend time working on his set-up in readiness for the races. He will be joined by JR at the test and is looking forward to working with the Champion. James said: “This is a great opportunity for my long term career and I don’t intend to let anything get in my way. JR and I have been team mates before and we bring the best out in each other on track and I am looking forward to us motivating each other to go faster and win races. This is my dream team and I am the happiest man in Superbikes! Roll on the test at Donington!” Rizla Suzuki Team Manager Robert Wicks said: “It was a pleasure working with James earlier in the season and we are delighted to have him on board. His talent is beyond question and he has already shown what he can do with very little practice on the Rizla Suzuki. With the next test under his belt he will be able to go to the seventh round of the Championship at Knockhill – where he won a race and took a second place in 2004 – ready to challenge at the front for race wins. “With James in the team and a revitalised and fit JR returning to racing, I think this is the turning point of the season for Rizla Suzuki. There is a tangible optimism in the team now and it is only a matter of time before everyone’s hard work is rewarded with podium results.”

Friday’s Provisional 250cc GP Qualifying Results: 1. Jorge LORENZO, Honda, 1:46.748 2. Randy DE PUNIET, Aprilia, 1:46.825 3. Alex DE ANGELIS, Aprilia, 1:47.090 4. Sebastian PORTO, Aprilia, 1:47.411 5. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Honda, 1:47.495 6. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Honda, 1:47.584 7. Casey STONER, Aprilia, 1:47.656 8. Daniel PEDROSA, Honda, 1:47.779 9. Hector BARBERA, Honda, 1:47.819 10. Simone CORSI, Aprilia, 1:48.182 11. Sylvain GUINTOLI, Aprilia, 1:48.459 12. Mirko GIANSANTI, Aprilia, 1:49.126 13. Andrea BALLERINI, Aprilia, 1:49.132 14. Erwan NIGON, Honda, 1:49.185 15. Jakub SMRZ, Honda, 1:49.192

Friday’s Provisional 125cc Qualifying Results: 1. Mattia PASINI, Aprilia, 1:52.009 2. Mika KALLIO, KTM, 1:52.319 3. Marco SIMONCELLI, Aprilia, 1:52.397 4. Tomoyoshi KOYAMA, Honda, 1:52.646 5. Gabor TALMACSI, KTM, 1:53.098 6. Alexis MASBOU, Honda, 1:53.170 7. Manuel POGGIALI, Gilera, 1:53.191 8. Hector FAUBEL, Aprilia, 1:53.242 9. Thomas LUTHI, Honda, 1:53.265 10. Lukas PESEK, Derbi, 1:53.348

Friday Morning 250cc GP Practice Times: 1. Jorge LORENZO, Honda, 1:47.274 2. Alex DE ANGELIS, Aprilia, 1:47.393 3. Casey STONER, Aprilia, 1:47.505 4. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Honda, 1:47.594 5. Randy DE PUNIET, Aprilia, 1:47.691 6. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Honda, 1:47.945 7. Daniel PEDROSA, Honda, 1:48.167 8. Sebastian PORTO, Aprilia, 1:48.286 9. Hector BARBERA, Honda, 1:48.716 10. Simone CORSI, Aprilia, 1:48.935 11. Andrea BALLERINI, Aprilia, 1:49.108 12. Sylvain GUINTOLI, Aprilia, 1:49.419 13. Mirko GIANSANTI, Aprilia, 1:49.592 14. Alex BALDOLINI, Aprilia, 1:49.651 15. Chaz DAVIES, Aprilia, 1:49.738

TT Circuit Assen secures MotoGP for 10 more years A special ceremony took place on June 8th in Assen, Holland, where a new ten-year contract between the Dutch circuit and Dorna Sports was announced, meaning that MotoGP will be hosted in Assen until at least 2016. The announcement was made by the TT Circuit Assen president, Jos Vaessen, and Dorna Sports CEO, Carmelo Ezpeleta. The same event was used to officially open the new floating grandstand that was built in front of the start/finish line, allowing the run-off area required for safety reasons to be underneath it. This new facility is called the Geert Timmer Grandstand. The Gauloises TT Assen reaches its 75th anniversary in 2005 with round number 7 of the MotoGP World Championship. Assen is the only racetrack that has been present in every single edition of the FIM World Championship since 1949.

Friday Morning MotoGP Practice Times: 1. Colin EDWARDS, Yamaha, 1:43.651 2. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 1:43.652 3. Marco MELANDRI, Honda, 1:43.694 4. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, 1:43.928 5. Alex BARROS, Honda, 1:44.105 6. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, 1:44.138 7. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, 1:44.139 8. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, 1:44.157 9. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, 1:44.268 10. Troy BAYLISS, Honda, 1:44.448 11. Carlos CHECA, Ducati, 1:44.569 12. Max BIAGGI, Honda, 1:44.720 13. Roberto ROLFO, Ducati, 1:44.793 14. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, 1:44.854 15. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, 1:44.906 16. Ruben XAUS, Yamaha, 1:45.061 17. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, 1:45.193 18. Toni ELIAS, Yamaha, 1:46.702 19. Shane BYRNE, Proton KR, 1:46.703 20. Franco BATTAINI, Blata, 1:48.259 21. James ELLISON, Blata, 1:48.274

Red Bull gives Team SUZUKI MotoGP wings in America! Team SUZUKI MotoGP has teamed up with world-leading energy drink brand Red Bull for a one-off partnership at the Red Bull US Grand Prix on July 10th at Laguna Seca. Red Bull is already title sponsor of the US Grand Prix – the first time the race has been in the States for 10 years. It has now further developed its participation in the event that it helped to re-create, by forming an alliance with the Suzuki Factory team. Team SUZUKI MotoGP racer John Hopkins is already a Red Bull athlete. He was introduced into MotoGP by Red Bull in 2002 and has been with Red Bull since. His helmet design features the same famous sun and bull graphics which will now fully adorn the Suzuki GSV-R at Laguna Seca. Hopkins said: “Red Bull is such a great company to be with, they are always into all forms of extreme sport and it doesn’t get a lot more extreme than MotoGP! I can’t wait until Laguna, I’ve been doing laps in my head since the date was announced. I was excited when I heard Red Bull were partnering the event, now I’ve heard I’m riding a Red Bull Suzuki in the race I desperately want to show them that they’ve made a great decision. I’m ready to get my wings at Laguna!” Hopkins’ team-mate and 2000 World Champion Kenny Roberts Jr will also run in full Red Bull livery, while the title of the team will change to `Red Bull Suzuki’. Suzuki’s team Manager Paul Denning is excited by the announcement: “Suzuki and Red Bull have a lot of synergies and we are honoured to be representing them so closely at the USGP. “Red Bull has put a lot of effort into making the USGP happen and by teaming up with John, Kenny and Suzuki it will now also be in the thick of the MotoGP action. We are going to Laguna to get a great result for Suzuki and for Red Bull, as well as for our other loyal partners. “Red Bull is one the most recognised brands in the world and to see the charging bull on the side of the GSV-R, with two American riders going full gas on their home-track, will be just fantastic!” The Red Bull US Grand Prix, including John Hopkins and Kenny Roberts Jr on their Red Bull Suzukis, will be held at Laguna Seca near Monterey in California on Sunday 10th July.