Hale And Pridmore Set To Make Comebacks At Road America PICKERINGTON, Ohio (May 31, 2005) — Comebacks will be the theme in the Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme and Repsol Lubricants Superstock Series races at Road America during the Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader, June 2-5 in Elkhart Lake, Wisc. In Formula Xtreme Texan Mike Hale returns to the series for the first time in three years riding an Erion Honda prepped CBR600RR backed by RockwallHonda.com. The other big news is the return of Michael Jordan Motorsports lead rider Jason Pridmore after suffering the most serious injury of his racing career in Birmingham, Ala., in April. Hale’s return to Formula Xtreme will add another big name to the series. The former AMA Flat Track Rookie of the Year made a successful move to road racing in the mid-1990s and was the up-and-coming rider of that era after winning two AMA Superbike nationals in 1995. He now comes back to the series a veteran and is eagerly anticipating getting back to being a regular on the circuit. “I’ve done some private testing and was able to turn in lap record times,” said Hale, who finished second in the Road America Formula Xtreme race in 2002. “I even surprised myself at how comfortable I was on the bike. I’m coming to Road America to do my best and see where that puts me. There are a lot of talented riders in the series and I’m looking forward to getting in there and mixing it up with those guys.” Honda’s Jake Zemke comes into Road America riding the longest Formula Xtreme winning streak in five years. His victory at Pikes Peak International Raceway two weeks ago was his 10th-career win in Formula Xtreme and made him the all-time wins leader in the class. Zemke is hoping to earn his first Formula Xtreme title after being a leading contender in the series for five years. “Honda has given me a bike this year that is ready to go right out of the truck,” Zemke explained. “We make a few adjustments and I’m up to speed right away. I think that’s given me a lot of confidence.” This will mark Zemke’s sixth Formula Xtreme appearance at Road America. The Californian has scored two podium finishes in past appearances but is seeking his first victory at the high-speed circuit. Zemke’s teammate Miguel Duhamel is the defending winner of the Road America Formula Xtreme race. With just four rounds remaining No. 1 rider of 2004 needs another win to close the 13-point deficit to Zemke in the series standings. MPTracing.com Suzuki’s Danny Eslick will be making his second appearance at Road America. He finished 12th in the Formula Xtreme race last year, but is expecting a much higher finish in this year’s event. The young Oklahoman is ranked a surprising third in the series coming into this weekend’s race. Jason Pridmore is making his comeback just in time to compete at what is considered the Chicago-based Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki’s home race. Pridmore underwent emergency surgery in Birmingham, Ala., after a serious crash during Repsol Lubricants Superstock qualifying at Barber Motorsports Park on April 24. Less than a week later he was released from the hospital after making a rapid recovery. “I’m looking forward to getting back on the track,” said Pridmore, an AMA and World Endurance road racing champion. “I’ve been trying to get healthy doing as much training as I can. I’ve been cleared by my doctor and I’m going to do a riding school so I’ll have some track time before coming back to Road America.” Pridmore is a former Superstock and Formula Xtreme winner at Road America. He won his first race in Elkhart Lake in 1992. Graves Yamaha’s Jamie Hacking leads by a scant two points in the Repsol Lubricants Superstock standings at mid-season, but he suffered a bicycling accident while training for Road America and will miss the race. Hacking’s misfortune opens the door for Yoshimura Suzuki’s Aaron Yates and Hacking’s teammate Jason DiSalvo who are tied for second in the standings. Yates is back in the Superstock class for the first time since winning the title in his first year as a factory Suzuki rider in 1996. DiSalvo is looking to earn his first AMA championship. Tommy Hayden is not far back in fourth and is looking to repeat his Elkhart Lake victory of last year. “We have a good base set up for the Superstock machine,” said Hayden, who rides a factory Kawasaki ZX-10RR. “A win would put us right up there in the battle for the championship. We’ve been consistent all season, but we need a few firsts to put us in the hunt.” Jordan Motorsports Suzuki’s Steve Rapp stands fifth in the series and hopes to make a good showing for the team this weekend. The Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader at Road America Lockhart-Phillips USA Formula Xtreme and Repsol Lubricants Superstock races will be televised on SPEED Channel on Tuesday, June 7 beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern. For additional information on the race call 1-800-365-7223 or visit the website www.roadamerica.com.

Team SUZUKI MotoGP looking for improved results Team SUZUKI MotoGP will be competing in the fifth round of the MotoGP World Championship at Mugello in Italy this weekend, with a clear target to translate promising test and qualifying performances into better race results. The Gran Premio Alice D’Italia will be run over 23 laps of the 5.2km circuit set in beautiful Tuscan countryside just north of Florence. Famous for its fantastic scenery and fanatical spectators, Mugello also features some of the fastest top-speeds of the year. Added to this are high-speed chicanes and some tricky and bumpy corners, making this a tough test for the Suzuki GSV-R and riders Kenny Roberts Jr and John Hopkins. Both racers are heading to Italy following an encouraging post-race test at Le Mans last month. New chassis developments and a successful Bridgestone tyre test helped Roberts Jr and Hopkins put the disappointment of the French GP behind them and look forward to the rest of the season. Team Manager Paul Denning is hoping for improvements this weekend. He said: “We have showed that we can do well in test and qualifying sessions but we must make sure that these results repeat themselves in the race – something that has not happened so far. “We have made some positive developments to the GSV-R since the start of the year and the whole package is improving. We just hope that the results will soon start to reflect the hard work that has been put in by the Factory and the team this season. “We have certainly had our share of bad luck, such as Kenny suffering troubles while leading in Shanghai and John having to start from the pit-lane at Le Mans. But we need to move on, leave the bad luck behind us and push for the best possible results.” Team SUZUKI MotoGP will be racing in the Gran Premio Alice D’Italia at 14.00CET on Sunday 5th June.

By Michael Gougis The MotoGP circus headed for Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca July 8-10 may mean a “No Vacancy” sign at the paddock gate for many of those who typically participate in and do business with the AMA Superbike series. Mazda Raceway spokesman Ed Nichols said this week that track officials are still waiting for final equipment space requirements from the International Race Teams Association (IRTA), the organization that represents MotoGP teams. Until that information arrives, many people seeking places for motorhomes often used as at-track accommodations for riders and team members and trucks in the AMA paddock are stuck on a waiting list, Nichols says. “It’s going to be very, very, very tight,” Nichols says. “It’s a giant jigsaw puzzle, and there’s not space for everyone. But we’re contractually bound to provide IRTA with everything they need.” Laguna Seca will charge $1000 to park a motorhome in the paddock, plus $225 to occupy it overnight, with as few as 18 spaces available. That price, Nichols says, has not changed from prior events. But it is far more than AMA racers and teams have paid in the past. Nichols added that part of the problem is that some people seeking paddock access had provided inaccurate measurements. “We went to Infineon and measured some trucks, and ones they were telling us were 60 feet were actually 75 feet,” he said. With the Big Show coming to town, Nichols says, there is a much higher demand for everything pit crew member passes, passes for friends, media passes. This means some people will not get the passes and access they have had at prior events, he says. “We know that there are people who aren’t going to have the experience that they’ve had in the past,” Nichols says. “There’s going to be a trade-off for this step up. The World Superbike events were great, but this is a level beyond.”

WERA National Series Returns to Willow Springs for First of Two Western Rounds ROSAMOND, Calif. WERA National Series competitors hit the road this week for California, where round four of the WERA Dunlop National Endurance Series and the WERA Michelin National Challenge Series will be held at Willow Springs Raceway this weekend, June 4-5. The National Series races are being combined with the WERA West region’s Sportsman Series events, and a strong turnout of local racers is expected. Willow Springs will be a new track for many of the National Series competitors, so the series regulars will have the challenge of learning the track and getting up to speed. This weekend marks the first time in nearly a decade that the WERA National Series has competed at Willow Springs. “We’re really excited about going back to Willow Springs,” commented WERA owner Evelyne Clarke. “The track is popular with our WERA West riders and it has a tradition of great racing. It was time to bring our National Series back to Willow.” The WERA Dunlop National Endurance Series will have a six-hour race on Saturday, beginning at 11:00 a.m. PDT. Vesrah Suzuki has won all three rounds this season, but the competition has grown with veterans Army of Darkness and Team Velocity Racing challenged by new arrivals Red Star and Team Eclipse. As always, there will be five classes on Willow Springs’ 2.5-mile track during the endurance race, giving fans an array of motorcycles and class battles to watch. The WERA Michelin National Challenge Series and the WERA West Sportsman Series races will be held on Sunday. There will be 16 races, beginning at 12:30 p.m., because of the combined event. Each race will be eight laps in length. Notable races which will feature points for both the National Series and the Sportsman Series include Open, 750 and 600 Superstock, and Formula 1. Tickets for the WERA National at Willow Springs are $10 for all three days; kids 8 and under are free. More information about the track, as well as driving directions, can be found at www.willowspringsraceway.com. A complete schedule for the weekend and more information about the series can be found at www.WERA.com.

BEMISDERFER TOPS ESTOK FOR SUMMIT POINT THUNDERBIKE WIN Seven Buell Riders in Top Ten at Formula USA Thunderbike National SUMMIT POINT, W.Va. Evo-Twin Racing/Harding Harley-Davidson rider Bryan Bemisderfer rode a Buell Firebolt to a close win over his teammate, David Estok, at the Formula USA Thunderbike National at Summit Point Raceway. It was the first National win for Bemisderfer at a course he considers his home track, and the first of the season for the reigning Formula USA Thunderbike champion. Estok was the top qualifier for the Thunderbike National, with a lap time of 1 minute 19.46 seconds on the two-mile, 10-turn Summit Point course. Estok and Bemisderfer battled for the entire 16-lap race, with Bemsiderfer taking the win by less than a second. “There’s no question I know my way around this track, but I’ve had bad luck here in the past,” said Bemisderfer, who failed to finish the 2004 Summit Point Thunderbike race. “David and I had a great battle out there today.” Suzuki rider David Yaakov, another regular at Summit Point, was third, followed by Williams Harley-Davidson/Buell rider Randy Rega in fourth, Schaeffer’s and Classic Harley-Davidson Buell rider Arthur Diaz in fifth, and Daytona Harley-Davidson/Buell and Richie Morris Racing rider Clint Brotz in sixth position. Kenwood/Sirius Satellite Racing riders Sam Rozynski and Joe Rozynski III finished seventh and ninth respectively, both riding Buell Firebolt motorcycles. With 26 entries, the Thunderbike field was the largest of the four Formula USA National races of the day. Fourteen of the Thunderbike entries were Buell motorcycles. After three of eight Formula USA Thunderbike National events, Yaakov leads in series points with 79, followed by Bemisderfer with 64, Estok with 62 and Brotz with 57. The next event on the Formula-USA schedule is the 82nd Annual Loudon Classic, June 16-19 at New Hampshire International Raceway, Loudon, N.H. The Formula USA National Thunderbike series is a horsepower-to-weight ratio restricted class, open to a variety of production-based motorcycles. Buell-mounted riders compete in the eight-event 2005 Thunderbike series race for a share of the $70,500 contingency fund posted by Buell Motorcycle Company. To learn more about Buell motorcycles, visit your local Buell dealer today and experience the pure streetfighter attitude, style and performance only found on board a Buell. For the Buell dealer nearest you, pull into www.buell.com.

KING AND SCREAMIN’ EAGLE TEAM TAKE VICTORY AT SPRINGFIELD MILE Rich King Nips Carr, Kopp and Coolbeth with Last-Lap Pass to Win SPRINGFIELD, Ill. Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts rider Rich King continued his dominance at the Springfield Mile by winning round four of the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship, his fourth win in the past five AMA Grand National events at the fabled track on the Illinois State Fairgrounds. King led 16 laps during the 25-lap main and passed from fourth position on the last lap to take the win over Quality Checked Pre-Owned Ford/Lancaster Harley-Davidson rider Chris Carr and KTM/Mid-America Harley-Davidson rider Kenny Coolbeth. “Anytime you win at the Mile, it’s a huge victory,” said King, who now has 19 AMA Grand National race victories. “The Screamin’ Eagle team put a great bike under me with the set up needed for the race, and we came out on top in a really competitive field.” The Springfield Mile program was delayed almost three hours due to the rain. King won his qualifying heat and then took the lead on the first lap of the main. He found himself in a race-long battle with a group of Harley-Davidson-mounted riders that included Carr, Coolbeth, Latus Harley-Davidson/Jones Powersports rider Joe Kopp, Gerencer’s Harley-Davidson/Kerstings Cycle rider Kevin Atherton, and Bartels’ Harley-Davidson rider Shaun Russell, each of whom led at least one lap. “The day was kind of a roller coaster with the rain, which made the track tough to navigate since there were a lot of different racing lines,” said King. “It was like a 25-mile sprint race, and we were battling each other the whole time.” As the race wound down on lap 22, King led a pack that included Carr, Kopp and Coolbeth, but the Screamin’ Eagle rider found himself shuffled back to fourth place as Coolbeth led at the white flag for the final lap. The group was four abreast into the first corner. King was on the low side and wrestled his way into the lead coming out of it. He led the rest of the race, beating Carr and Coolbeth across the line by less than a second at the checkered flag. “The team has worked really hard in the last year navigating the changes we’ve had, and it all came together with today’s win,” said Harley-Davidson Racing Manager Anne Paluso. “Rich rode with such determination and did a terrific job. The team is really looking forward to the next event.” With his second-place finish, Carr added to his lead in the AMA Flat Track Championship season points race. After four of 13 events, Carr has 67 points. Coolbeth and Kopp are tied for second with 53 points, and American Suzuki rider Jake Johnson is fourth with 50 points. Round five of the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship series is scheduled for June 11 at the Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Ill. In the first round of the 2005 Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance National, Lima Harley-Davidson/Jeff Eibling rider Scott Stump prevailed after a race-long battle with Doc’s Harley-Davidson/Jim Wagner Racing rider Merle Scherb. Defending class champion Chris Hart was third aboard a Harv’s Harley-Davidson Racing/KK Motorcycle Supply entry. Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts are inspired by and built in the spirit of the raw adrenaline and power of motorcycle racing. Screamin’ Eagle Pro parts are specifically designed for race-use applications, while Screamin’ Eagle parts offer street-use performance options for the Harley-Davidson motorcycle owner. Visit www.harley-davidson.com for more information. The Screamin’ Eagle Flat Track team is sponsored by Matco Tools.

The Wegman Benefit Fund will be in attendance at the Road America round of the AMA Superbike series. The Wegman Fund is a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible, non-profit organization in business to assist seriously injured motorcycle road racers. Our mission is to financially assist seriously injured racers with medical bills that insurance won’t cover as well as other needs due to racing injuries. Gordon and Laurel Lunde, principals of the organization, will be in the paddock at Road America to answer any questions racers and their family or sponsors may have. We also have Wegman attire on hand for a donation to the fund. The Wegman Fund has agreed to manage the donations for Vincent Haskovec and we will be available from Wednesday through Sunday for that purpose. Donations may also be made through www.wegmanfund.org by credit card or checks may be made payable to the Wegman Benefit Fund. Be sure donations for Vincent are earmarked for him. Donations may also be made to the general fund. Those funds are available to all licensed road racers across the country who are seriously injured in a racing accident. All donations collected for Vincent Haskovec that exceed his needs will remain in the general fund for other injured racers. We would also like to collect items for our upcoming 19th annual auction to be held August 27th at Blackhawk Farms Raceway in South Beloit, IL. If anyone would care to donate to the auction please bring your items to Road America this weekend or send to Wegman Benefit Fund 3741 S. 71 St. Milwaukee, WI 53220-1814. All donations to the Wegman Fund are tax deductible. We look forward to a great weekend of racing and fund raising for injured racers at RA .