FORTUNA TEAM PRESENTS NEW IMAGE The teams which form the FORTUNA RACING set-up today unveiled their new image from this weekend’s Catalunya Grand Prix onwards, at an event which took place at the Miró Foundation, in the centre of the historic Montjuic Park in Barcelona. As had already happened at the opening round of the season, the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez, both the Yamaha MotoGP bikes as well as the Honda 250s which make up TEAM FORTUNA RACING, will ride with the special livery from this weekend. The image is inspired by the creativity of the universally popular painter Joan Miró, one of Spain’s most well-known artist on an international scale. The event was presented by model Paloma Lago, and took place in the most appropriate setting. The Miró Foundation is a building which is emblematic in Barcelona built by architect Josep Lluís Sert in 1975 and which houses one of the most important tourist and cultural centres in the city. With the impact of the livery in Andalucia, the FORTUNA management were moved to choose the modern style, which is both unique and daring, until the end of the current season. It will be present on all machines of the Spanish “Dream Team”, a set-up which focuses on national sporting stars. JORGE LORENZO, beaming after the second place he achieved last Sunday in Mugello, HECTOR BARBERA, RUBEN XAUS and TONI ELIAS were the main protagonists alongside the striking new decoration of the FORTUNA HONDA and YAMAHA FORTUNA machines, teams managed by Dani Amatriaín and Hervé Poncharal respectively. Elías, in fact, revealed that on Friday morning he would weigh up his chances of completing the weekend after the crash he suffered in tests following the French GP just three weeks ago and which prevented him from participating in Italy. As such, the Spanish rider will try the first free practice, using some specially adapted gloves and boots which will accommodate his injuries. Elías has medical approval for his decision to try the injuries tomorrow, thanks to the respected Doctor Xavier Mir. If the Yamaha rider is eventually unable to continue due to his physical conditions, he will once again be substituted by DAVID CHECA, who took his place last weekend. XAVIER MIR: “First of all I had my doubts, but Toni has once again surprised me with his recovery speed. The fractures are virtually healed but they won’t be completely bonded for another four weeks. On Friday Toni will test the bike and we will see what he feels like after.” TONI ELIAS: “Maybe I’m returning a little quickly, but I want to give it a try. I wanted to be there for the fans, this is a special Grand Prix. It’s worth trying out at least. I will ride with some special gloves and boots, thanks to Alpinestars. I want to thank everyone for their great support I have had throughout this time.” RUBEN XAUS: “I’m so motivated by the team around us! The results will come, it’s just a matter of time. We are working towards that moment. To ride here, in front of the fans, it gives you wings!” JORGE LORENZO: “We are not obliged to win races this year. It will be a difficult year, but I am obsessed by winning, and I won’t stop until I do so.” HECTOR BARBERA “The Catalunya race is a very special Grand Prix and I hope I can fight for the podium. I hope all the spectators enjoy themselves. If they have fun, it means that I will be enjoying riding the bike here.”

The MotoGP World Championship paddock has been assembled in record time this week as the series prepares for the second race in consecutive weekends at the Gran Premi Gauloises de Catalunya in Barcelona. Whilst several of the trucks and motorhomes have made their way from the Mugello circuit in Italy across firm European soil through France to Spain, the majority of the 260 tonnes of material required by the teams and organisers for each round of the championship was shipped over by boat, crossing the Mediterranean sea directly from the Italian port of Civitavecchia to Barcelona. The teams have worked feverishly since their arrival on Tuesday afternoon to prepare the team offices, hospitality units, pit boxes and machines in time for this weekend’s event, which gets underway with first free practice for the 125cc class at 9am on Friday. For some of the riders, the past two days have presented a brief chance for rest ahead of another intense weekend whilst for others, the demands of the Grand Prix have already begun. In particular the home favourite, Sete Gibernau, runner-up in the MotoGP World Championship for the past two seasons, has been under the spotlight after a crash in the last round at Mugello virtually wrecked his hopes of challenging Valentino Rossi for the title this time around. The Spaniard was back in his home city of Barcelona today for a charity football match with his MotoGP team-mate Marco Melandri against a team of Spanish celebrities and refused to admit that his championship is over. “My aim this weekend is to show anybody who thought that this championship was already over is wrong,” said Gibernau, who lies fourth in the championship behind Rossi, Melandri and Max Biaggi. “Barcelona is an important event for me but at the end of the day it is like any other race in that we need to start winning.” Gibernau’s compatriot Dani Pedrosa also took part in the football match, which involved major Spanish sports stars including Rafa Alkorta, Luis Enrique, Nani Roma and Ángel Nieto, as he prepares for his home Grand Prix in somewhat more favourable circumstances. The reigning 250cc World Champion leads the quarter-litre standings by 21 points from Andrea Dovizioso and is looking to extend his advantage still further in front of a crowd expected to exceed 100,000 people with all grandstand tickets sold out. “To not do well in front of so many people who are there for you is difficult to accept,” said Pedrosa, who was denied victory in last season’s 250cc race on the final lap by Randy de Puniet. “I remember my victory in 2003, which was very special, and I’m looking forward to enjoying this Grand Prix. It’s more difficult to concentrate because everybody wants to see you and be with you – you have to contain the euphoria, imagine that you’re not at home and just enjoy the atmosphere.” On the other side of the city a group of Gibernau’s MotoGP rivals were taking in the sights of one of Barcelona’s most famous landmarks, the Sagrada Familia temple, designed by the legendary architect Antoni Gaudí. Rubén Xaus, Alex Barros and Kenny Roberts, who all have homes in the area, all visited the world-famous cathedral as they enjoyed a relaxing start to the weekend. Later, the riders came together at the Circuit de Catalunya, on the northern limits of the region’s capital, as they plotted to overturn Valentino Rossi for only the second time this season. “For sure Sete will be going for it here so I will have to maintain my full focus throughout the weekend,” predicted Rossi. “Last year was a really hard race at the top level, and we went at a very hard pace – Sete and I were more than ten seconds ahead of the others. He is not my main rival in the championship at the moment because Melandri and Biaggi are closer but he will be very dangerous at his home circuit. Whoever is at the front, I hope I can be there and provide another great show.” Joining Rossi in the Yamaha camp this weekend is Toni Elías, who is planning to ride just over three weeks after breaking his wrist and fracturing his leg in a testing crash at Le Mans. Elías was given the green light by Dr Xavier Mir, who operated on the injuries at the Dexeus Clinic in Barcelona. Meanwhile, Olivier Jacque has been confirmed by Kawasaki as a full-time test rider for the rest of this season after his impressive performances as a substitute for Alex Hofmann at Shanghai and Le Mans. Jacque is also scheduled to race at Sachsenring and Valencia as a wildcard entry later in the year. One local rider who will not race this weekend is 125cc youngster Julián Miralles, who is recovering from a broken leg sustained in the last round at Mugello. Héctor Faubel and Mika Kallio, who both crashed out after fighting for the lead in the final corner of the race in Italy, are expected to ride as Kallio aims to recover his championship lead from Thomas Lüthi.

CHARPENTIER AT HOME IN FRENCH TEST Current World Supersport championship leader, Sébastien Charpentier, says he and his team have improved even further his Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR after a two-day test at his ‘home’ circuit of Magny-Cours in France. Alongside his Japanese team-mate, Katsuaki Fujiwara, the French rider spent yesterday and today testing new ignition and fuel-injection mapping components, as well as several new Supersport tyres from Pirelli. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “I’m very satisfied with the results of this test where both riders and team have worked very hard. We’ve been testing a new ignition system and fuel-injection mapping and have found more control for the riders and a little improvement in acceleration. We came here with a good basic set-up so we’ve been trying different extremes and getting the riders used to other settings to see if there is anywhere we can improve. Quite early, Sébastien was improving the lap times from last year’s Supersport race and went half a second faster than the pole position time. On day two, we’ve been confirming yesterday’s findings, doing longer stints on the new Pirellis and concentrating on a good setting for the race here in October. I’m very happy with our progress and now we go home to prepare for Misano.” Sébastien Charpentier best time, 1:43.2 “It’s fantastic for me to be testing in France and the good weather here has allowed us to get through a lot of work. I am very happy with the way the season has started and I feel very comfortable with the team and the CBR. But there are always areas to improve and we have worked hard with Pirelli here at Magny-Cours to test the new tyres they have brought. There were several new fronts to try because this has been an area of problem for me, especially at the first round in Qatar. The test has gone well and I think a 43.2s lap here is a good time. I am confident that the season can continue well for me when we get to Misano in two weeks.” Katsuaki Fujiwara best time, 1:43.9 “This has been very valuable for me as the tests in Spain at the beginning of the season were affected by bad weather. I am with a new team this season and on the Honda CBR for the first time so these two days have been good experience for me. During race meetings there is not so much time to test different settings on the bike so we have used the test to try perhaps more than fifty combinations which has helped me to understand the CBR a lot better. My mechanics must be very tired from making all the changes but it has been a worthwhile exercise because we go to Misano with a really good feeling.” Magny-Cours, France (4.41km) 2004 pole position time: Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda) 1:43.825 2004 fastest race lap: Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda) 1:44.457

KAWASAKI PAIR AIMING HIGH AT CATALUNYA The Catalunya Grand Prix is one of the most eagerly anticipated races on the MotoGP calendar, none more so than for Kawasaki factory rider Shinya Nakano. For Barcelona is Nakano’s base during the European summer, with the Catalunya Circuit just a 30-minute drive from his downtown, beachside apartment. The race is very much a second home Grand Prix for Nakano, after his personal favourite, the Japanese GP at Motegi. And after impressive points-scoring performances in last Sunday’s Italian GP, both Nakano and Ninja ZX-RR teammate Alex Hofmann come to Barcelona in a relaxed and competitive mood. Since the pre-season IRTA tests in Barcelona, the ZX-RR has been boosted by upgraded electronic systems and engine parts that have helped Kawasaki to third place in the Constructors’ World Championship after five races. In this race last year Nakano finished seventh, and he is again targeting a top ten result. For Hofmann, the Catalunya GP will be just his second race back after a fractured wrist, and comes just a week after his determined comeback ride into 12th place at Mugello last Sunday. Hofmann travelled to Barcelona via the 18-hour, Mediterranean Sea ferry crossing from Genoa, a trip that allowed the 25-year-old German to relax and further recuperate from his recent wrist injury. The long, flowing corners of the 13 turn Catalunya track place a premium on smooth riding, combined with precise chassis settings and tyre performance. It is not the easiest track to set-up for, although Kawasaki technicians have the benefit of the data gathered at the pre-season test here. The string of constant radius corners are balanced by a long, 320 kph straight, a combination that produces a stunning lap average speed of 162 kph (101 mph). This 4.72 km track was first used for a motorcycle GP in 1992 and remains a classic test of both rider and bike. Although resurfaced during the off-season the new tarmac has not completely eliminated all of the bumps and ripples. The Catalunya GP is the second of three races scheduled in 2005 for Spain, a country known for its passionate love affair with motorcycle racing. An attendance of over 100,000 spectators is predicted for Sunday’s sixth round of the MotoGP World Championship. Shinya Nakano: #56 “The ZX-RR has improved since the beginning of the season with new electronic and engine parts, so it will be interesting to see the potential of our bike at Catalunya. I was seventh here last year and this is a good racetrack, so that position is a good target for the team this week. I want to aim higher than the tenth position I got in Mugello, which was a difficult track for our bike. For me, this is a relaxing race, like a second home GP, because I can stay in my apartment and not in a hotel or at the track.” Alex Hofmann: #66 “Catalunya is usually one of the hottest races of the year but that suits me. I like the heat and this track, although it is a tricky place to find the best set-up. The new surface has smoothed out some of the bumps, but it also seems to have made some new ripples in different places. My wrist is improving every day and I’m ready to race again; it is the best therapy possible. The ferry ride was a pleasant start to the week, just relaxing and getting some sun. I had a good race here last year and I want to go top ten in my second ride back after the wrist injury.”

WINSTON MEN ON PACE IN FRANCE The Winston Ten Kate Honda team has declared itself satisfied with progress after two days testing in warm and sunny conditions at Magny-Cours in central France. The 4.4km circuit near Nevers will host the final round of the 2005 World Superbike championship on 9th October. With several new Pirelli tyres to evaluate, Chris Vermeulen and Karl Muggeridge have also spent the two-day test working with a number of different swing-arm specifications and rear suspension components to improve the power delivery on their Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RRs. Ronald Ten Kate team manager: “It’s been a very good test and we started with the general set-up that we know, with some information from the race here last year. When the riders were lapping around the best race times from last year, we moved on to testing the development parts that we brought and a selection of new tyres from Pirelli. We’ve basically been lacking good drive out of the corners this season and we’ve tested a lot of different parts to improve that area of the bike. Both riders have been testing different components and then swapping to confirm the information we’ve been getting. It’s been very positive and, after we’ve studied everything again back at the workshop, we can move on to Misano with confidence.” Chris Vermeulen best time, 1:41.5 (on race tyre): “I’ve done loads of laps here 89 yesterday and I think even more than that today. I’m pretty tired and the wrist that I injured last year has started to ache a little, but we’ve definitely found out a lot about which way we need to go. We’re looking for a little more flex in the swingarm to get the power down more easily so we’ve tried some different swingarm and rear linkage combinations to achieve that. Pretty early yesterday morning I went six tenths quicker than my best race lap last year and that was on a well-worn tyre. We’ve also tested a load of new stuff from Pirelli new constructions, compounds and shapes. Like a lot of the other parts we’ve tried here, they all had advantages and disadvantages. But when we put all the good bits together I know we’ll be in much better shape.” Karl Muggeridge best time, 1:42.2 (on race tyre): “It’s been a really valuable two days, finally getting to spend some time in good weather to try a heap of different things. It’s really been the first proper test time for me since I stepped up to Superbikes and the sunshine here has helped me make the most of it. The different swingarms and linkages we’ve mostly been trying have been good and we’ve made some progress in getting the grip down better during acceleration out of corners. The only slightly frustrating thing is that I haven’t been able to try all the good bits together. But we know which will be the best combination and hopefully that will set us up well for the next few races.” Magny-Cours, France (4.41km) 2004 Superpole time Troy Corser (Petronas) 1m41.547s 2004 fastest race lap Steve Martin (Ducati) 1m42.312s

Montmeló June 9th, 2005 Catalunya Grand Prix Preview Bridgestone looking forward to more excitement After the successful Italian Grand Prix in Mugello last weekend, where Ducati and Bridgestone celebrated the first podium finish in their young MotoGP partnership, both the Italian team and the Japanese tyre manufacturer look forward to this week’s Catalunya Grand Prix with excitement and anticipation. Inaugurated in 1992, the Catalunya circuit has been hosting both the MotoGP and Formula 1 championships, but it doesn’t feature stop-and-go characteristics that are so common on many other modern tracks. The circuit is fast and flowing instead, with long bends, up- and downhill corners, and another kilometre-long and ultra-fast main straight with top speeds in excess of 340 kph. The layout perfectly suits the characteristics of Ducati’s Desmosedici, and will provide Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa, who scored Ducati’s best result this season so far with third and fifth place in Mugello, with another thrill ride. “We had a good race in Mugello, and from now on, I expect things to go better and better for us. Catalunya is a great track, with a long straight and plenty of fast corners, which should suit the character of our bike. We tested here in March but the weather conditions didn’t work for us. This time, we come back with better tyres, because Bridgestone are improving all the time”, says Loris Capirossi, who had made racing history when he rode to Ducati’s first ever MotoGP victory on the Catalunya track in 2003. “There are a lot of long corners, and you are at maximum angle a long time, so tyres are very important”, adds his team-mate Carlos Checa who also has plenty of sweet memories in Catalunya: His first MotoGP victory in 1996, and a total of three podium finishes on his home track. “There are always a lot of friends and family in the paddock. I want to make them smile on Sunday”, says Checa. Japanese tyre manufacturer Bridgestone is also fully prepared for the challenge. After collecting a massive amount of data during the IRTA test session in March, the tyre technicians developed completely new tyres to suit the new surface of the 4.727 kilometre track, with special emphasis on grip, handling and braking ability on the front, and side grip, traction and overall grip consistency on the rear tyre. Out of a total of 1100 tyres that have been shipped to Montmeló, each of the three Bridgestone MotoGP teams will have the choice of 4-5 specs of front and 6-8 specs of rear tyre slicks. Hiroshi Yamada – Motorcycle Racing Manager Bridgestone Motorsport “Last week in Mugello, Ducati’s improved and well-balanced Desmosedici, Loris Capirossi’s skillfull and determined riding style, and our latest generation of tyres made for a fantastic package, and we were rewarded with our first podium finish with Ducati. The new tyres that we brought to Italy worked very well and deepened our confidence that we are heading in the right direction. The Catalunya Grand Prix this week is another very important race for us, with high hopes not only for Loris Capirossi, but within all our three strong partners Ducati, Kawasaki, and Suzuki. We are confident to be able to continue on our upward trend, and to achieve good results yet again!”

Bad News For M4 EMGO Suzuki At Mid-Ohio Test Team M4 EMGO Suzuki discovered today during testing at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course that rider Geoff May dislocated his right shoulder while riding a minibike Sunday night. May was celebrating his second-place finish in the AMA Superstock race at Road America and his 25th birthday. Alcohol was involved. May was only able to do a total of 9 laps at Mid-Ohio before giving up any hope of riding and heading off to see a doctor in Atlanta. The team will continue to test today and Thursday with rider Michael Barnes, and will decide upon a course of action after receiving a medical report on the extent of the damage done to May’s shoulder. “Just when we had climbed out of one hole and it looked like we were going to be OK, this happens,” said Crew Chief Keith Perry. “The team is here, the Pirelli engineer is here, the Pirelli crew is here, and our test plan has been disrupted because of something stupid that happened in a parking lot. To say we are disappointed would be the understatement of the century.”

Despite Crash, Team Velocity Racing Takes Heavyweight Superstock Victory at Willow Springs ROSAMOND, Calif. Chuck Ivey, Reuben Frankenfield and Mark Crozier had a challenge during round four of the WERA National Endurance Series after a crash set them back, but Team Velocity Racing wound up taking the Heavyweight Superstock class win during the six-hour race at Willow Springs Raceway on Saturday, June 4. The team initially rode their Yamaha YZF-R1 to a finish of third overall after a late-race battle with Army of Darkness, but their finish was elevated to second after another team was penalized for a technical infraction. Crozier started the race for Team Velocity Racing, getting the hole shot at the start and leading the opening lap. “The first hour was cool,” said Crozier. “I kept the leader in sight for a while, then I had some other guys running with me. I kept it steady and did a consistent pace. It was a good day. The crew did a great job and we never gave up.” After the first hour, Crozier handed the Yamaha over to Ivey. Early in his stint, however, Ivey crashed after a violent rear-tire slide. The bike was not too badly damaged, and Ivey was able to return to the pits. The crew had the bike ready to go again in just five minutes, and Ivey re-entered the race in 17th overall. During the remainder of his stint, Ivey was able to bring Team Velocity Racing back up to fifth overall. “I wasn’t happy with the times I’d done in practice,” commented Ivey. “On the second lap of my stint, I was already two or three seconds faster than I had been in practice. After the crash, I put my head down and went as fast as I could. The bike wasn’t perfect, but I put in some fast times and was able to make up some positions.” Frankenfield rode the third stint, followed by Crozier and Ivey again, as the team strove to make up for the time they had lost in the pits. During the last hour, Frankenfield was able to catch up to and pass Army of Darkness. As the race wound to a close, however, the Yamaha’s fuel light came on and he had to begin riding conservatively in an effort to avoid running out of fuel. Army of Darkness caught back up, but was unable to pass before the checkered flag came out and finished less than four seconds behind Frankenfield. “The fuel light came on when there were still ten minutes in the race. I’d done five laps with the light on in practice, but I didn’t know about ten minutes. I started short-shifting and not running at full throttle. Strategy really played into our finish,” said Frankenfield. The class win has furthered Team Velocity Racing’s lead in the Heavyweight Superstock championship. Their next chance to earn points will be at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on June 15, during round five of the National Endurance Series. Fans can keep up with Team Velocity Racing at www.TeamVelocityRacing.com. More, from a press release issued by WERA: Strong Turnout for WERA National at Willow Springs ROSAMOND, Calif. Last weekend at Willow Springs Raceway marked the first of two Western rounds for the WERA Dunlop National Endurance Series and the WERA Michelin National Challenge Series. Many of the series regulars made the trek across the country for the event, resulting in a strong turnout that included a number of local riders. For Saturday’s six-hour endurance race, 23 of the series’ regular competitors and four local teams took the green flag. Vesrah Suzuki earned their fourth overall victory of the season, taking the Heavyweight Superbike class win en route to winning by eight laps. Mark Junge, Tray Batey and John Jacobi shared the Suzuki GSX-R1000. Team Velocity Racing won Heavyweight Superstock, taking second overall with Chuck Ivey, Reuben Frankenfield and Mark Crozier on a Yamaha YZF-R1. Third went to Army of Darkness, who finished less than four seconds behind Team Velocity Racing. Sam Fleming, Ben Walters and Scott Fisher also won Mediumweight Superbike on the Army of Darkness Suzuki GSX-R600. Dalke Motorsports took their second consecutive Mediumweight Superstock win, with Josh Smith-Moore and Brian Dalke on a Suzuki GSX-R600. The Lightweight Superbike class win went to Cale Swiger, Chris Parrish and Russell Stoddard on the Ghetto Customs Suzuki SV650. Sunday’s National Challenge Series event featured 16 sprint races of eight laps each. In the expert division, local racer Michael Beck won A/Open Superstock and Formula 1. Tray Batey won B/750 Superstock and Heavyweight Twins Superstock. Chris Siglin took the win in C/600 Superstock, David Siminski won B/750 Superbike, and Josh Herrin won C/600 Superbike. Chris Parrish took another victory in Lightweight Twins Superstock, while Tommy Aquino won Formula 2. In the novice division, Nick Scoggins won C/600 Superstock and C/600 Superbike. Tony Palarie took first in both B/750 Superstock and B/750 Superbike. J.B. Layman won A/Open Superstock and Terry Heard won Formula 1. David Nguyen took the win in Heavyweight Twins Superstock. The WERA National Series will have a short break before teams return west for round five of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, June 25-26. Complete results from the weekend as well as updated championship points can be found at www.WERA.com. More, from a press release issued by Jessica Zalusky: JESSICA ZALUSKY IS CLOSE TO HOME AT ROAD AMERICA Elkhart Lake, WI – Kawasaki Team Green rider and Roadamerica fan favorite, Jessica Zalusky, raced in both Formula Xtreme and Supersport aboard her Kawasaki Ninja ® ZX-6RR’s at Roadamerica, June 4-5. In Formula Xtreme, Jessica finished in the 25th position, while struggling to race due to the wet conditions. “I am not a very experienced rain rider, but I wanted to finish,” Jessica said following the race. In near perfect conditions for Supersport, Jessica was able to gain positions to finish respectively in the 31st position. Jessica will race next at Laguna Seca on July 8-10. Jessica would like to thank her crew for their relentless efforts, sponsors and supporters for their support, and Doug Chandler for his guidance and track expertise.