FIRST PERSON/OPINION Via e-mail: Just a note to let you know the results for the Vintage Class AFM at Infineon May 29th are not posted correctly in the “Stanton” news clip. (Updated: Stanton Wins AFM Formula Pacific At Infineon Raceway, May 30, 2005) ~https://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=23008~ There are 3 AFM Vintage classes: 0-250 251-500 501-Unlimited. The 251-500 results are as follows :- #31 VINT 251-500Pos Pts AFM # Lic Name Mk/Yr Best Lap 1 40 133 E MELTON, RON NOR62 2:05:161 2 33 358R E BRODIE, PAUL AER72 2:06:998 3 27 144R E CAVENEY, BRID BSA72 2:11:701 4 22 498 N SPENCER, RALPH S75 2:12:720 5 17 284 E ECHOLS, CRAIG AER66 2:15:719 Thanks. Brid Caveney 2004 AHRMA Classic 60’s 650 National Champion www.westcoastracing.net Salinas, California

Pihokken Puts It On the Podium By Lisa Theobald Jim Pihokken used his Prieto Racing prepped GSX-R1000 to win the Unlimited Grand Prix race at Moroso Motorsports Park yesterday. The Unlimited Grand Prix was the most thunderous race of the day, and not just because rain clouds moved into the area and threatened to unload on the track. The purse offered a bonus payment for those who made the top 10 while running MotoGP style, with open, muffler-free exhaust systems. This bonus will continue to be offered at all of the remaining CCS Florida Region events run at Moroso Motorsports Park and Homestead-Miami Speedway. Dave McEnery used his brand new, Kinetic Motorsports prepped GSX-R1000 to nail the holeshot and lead the first lap of the race. Hot on his tail was Scott Ritchey on another brand-new GSX-R1000, Pihokken and Marco Martinez. Martinez brought out last year’s Championship-winning GSX-R1000 for the race instead of the Desmomaniacs Ducati 998 he had been riding throughout the day, which could not be run without the exhaust canister. Ritchey took over the lead early in the second lap and Pihokken also maneuvered his machine around McEnery to take over second place. Ritchey continued to lead until the halfway mark, when Pihokken maneuvered around him between turns one and two. As the white flag came out, Martinez also seized the opportunity to pass Ritchey and take over the number two spot. Pihokken maintained his advantage in the final run for the checkered flag to take the victory. Martinez finished second, followed by Ritchey, McEnery and Darren Luck. After the race, Pihokken commented, “Yeah, I knew Marco was coming. He’s on his bike and he’s fast on that bike. I was really worried about him. And then Scott, he got such a good start. I got a horrible start and it was everything I could do to get around Scott. He was holding it deep on the brakes. But, man, it was fun. It was a blast.” Pihokken also won the Unlimited Superbike race and finished second in the GTO race.

HAYDEN CAN SET NEW RECORD AT ROAD AMERICA SUPERSPORT RACE PICKERINGTON, Ohio (May 30, 2005) — There have been some great names who have won the AMA Supersport race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., over the years, but this weekend, June 2-5 at the AMA Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei, Tommy Hayden has an opportunity to set himself apart. If the defending series champ wins he will become the first rider to earn three Supersport race wins in a row at the storied circuit. Hayden, 26, of Owensboro, Ky., rides his Kawasaki ZX-6RR into Road America holding a slim eight-point lead over rival Yamaha’s Jamie Hacking in the series standings. Hayden comes into Elkhart Lake with the confidence that a two-time winner of the event naturally has. “I enjoy racing at Road America,” said the oldest of the three racing Hayden brothers. “It’s such a big track that there’s a lot to learn there and it seems like I figure out something new every year.” Hayden realizes he’s in a dogfight with Hacking over this year’s championship. “It’s going to be tough to hold Jamie off,” Hayden explained. “We’re halfway through the season now and he’s been solid and consistent all year. I think it’s going to come down to who can keep from making a mistake. If you make one error in this series it can drop you out of the picture for the championship.” Hayden could become the second all-time winner in AMA Supersport with a victory this weekend. Hacking has matched Hayden with two wins so far this season and finished on the podium in all five races. The British-born rider earned his very first AMA Supersport win at Road America and is hoping to get back atop the podium this Sunday. “Our bike handles really well,” Hacking said of his factory Yamaha R6. “At Road America it will be a question of horsepower more than handling. Hopefully I’ll be able to get in Tommy’s draft and we can get away from the field and have our own little race. That’s probably wishful thinking with the talent in the Supersport field. I’m just going to hope to have a good qualifying run and pick up points anyway I can.” If Hacking finds a way to win at Road America it would mark the first win for Yamaha in the race since Hacking’s 1999 victory. After finishing 21st at Daytona with equipment problems, Roger Lee Hayden has sprinted all the way back to third in the standings. He’s coming off a victory at the last round in Colorado and feels confident going into the second half of the season. “We really needed that win at Pikes Peak,” said the youngest Hayden bother. “I came into the season injured from a bicycling training accident, but my team and Kawasaki stuck by me and things are really starting to go my way. My brother has a pretty good lead in the championship, but I’m just going to keep trying to win races and see what happens.” Ben Spies on his Yoshimura Suzuki is fourth in the standings. The speedy Texan is still looking for his first win this season. There is a great “race within a race” for the top non-factory rider in the series. Currently Australian Ben Attard is leading the way ranked seventh on the Attack Kawasaki team, but he is closely followed in the points by Topline Printing Yamaha’s Chris Peris, Geoff May of the M4 EMGO Suzuki squad, Kneedraggers.com Yamaha’s Robert Jensen and flat tracker Danny Eslick on the MPTracing.com Suzuki. Only 15 points separate those five riders as the series enters the second half. Attard has been steadily getting better with each round and scored a season best fifth at Pikes Peak. His Attack Kawasaki has the kind of power that could put him in a real position to win at Road America. If he does he would be the first privateer rider to win the race since Todd Harrington did it on a Kawasaki in 1996. The Road America Supersport race will be televised live Sunday, June 5 on SPEED Channel beginning at 2 p.m. EST. For ticket information on the Suzuki Superbike Doubleheader call 1-800-365-RACE or visit www.roadamerica.com.

Schwantz to ride with Team EMGO Taiwan for Caylor at Road America Elkhart Lake, WI ( 31 May, 05) — 1993 MotoGP World Champion Kevin Schwantz will be returning to AMA road-racing at Road America this weekend aboard the Team EMGO Taiwan, Formula Xtreme, Suzuki GSX-R 600. Schwantz will be subbing for Chris “Opie” Caylor who will be with his wife Tracy at home awaiting their now over-due baby. “I have a responsibility to my sponsors but not only do they completely understand my situation, it’s actually them that are telling me to stay at home with my wife and soon to be family,” said Caylor. “There’s only a few people I would completely trust with my program and Kevin is definitely on the top of that list. He’s been helping me and Team EMGO Taiwan at every round with advice and mentoring and he was actually the one that brought up him riding for me!” “I look forward to returning to the fiercely competitive racing in AMA,” said Schwantz from his Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School at Road Atlanta. “Ope’s been an instructor for the school since the day it opened and I’m glad I can help him by riding for his team at [Road America]”. Schwantz’ return to the AMA will be assisted by Caylor’s and Team EMGO Taiwan’s crew chief: Craig “Huey” Stewart. “Of course, I wish Opie was here continuing to build his points but I certainly respect his commitment to his growing family,” said Stewart. “Who could ask for a better sub than a true icon?” More information about Kevin Schwantz and the Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School can be found on the web at www.SchwantzSchool.com.

MotoGP expecting warm welcome at Gran Premio Alice d’Italia The MotoGP World Championship resumes after a two-week break this weekend as the planet’s premier motorcycles and riders head for the heart of racing fanaticism in the hills of Tuscany, Italy. Traditionally one of the most colourful and passionate events of the year, the Gran Premio Alice d’Italia this season welcomes two home riders on top of the standings after four rounds, with Valentino Rossi leading the way from Marco Melandri by 37 points – the largest lead any rider has had at this stage of the year since 1993. The stunning scenery of the Mugello circuit will provide the backdrop to the latest chapter of an intriguing season as Melandri looks to add to 125cc and 250cc victories here and continue his pursuit of Yamaha’s reigning World Champion, with his Honda team-mate Sete Gibernau desperate to join the chase. Rossi has taken three victories already this season and it is imperative that Gibernau opens his account sooner rather than later as he looks to improve on his status as runner-up to the Italian for the past two campaigns. Whilst Gibernau produced his best performance of the season so far with a close second place in the last round at Le Mans, moving up to third in the championship, Rossi’s record at his home Grand Prix is impressive, having won twice for Honda before clinching Yamaha’s first win at Mugello in over a decade last season. The Italian is now looking to make his home circuit the sixth track at which he has scored four MotoGP victories and the first that he has won twice on a Yamaha. Rossi and Melandri are not the only two riders with their sights set on home victory, however, with Max Biaggi and Loris Capirossi both looking to ignite their seasons after disappointing starts for Honda and Ducati respectively. Capirossi is the only Italian rider other than Rossi to win at Mugello in the premier-class whilst Biaggi has had more podium finishes there than any other rider, having finished in the top three on ten occasions including his appearances in the 250cc class. One rider who will not be challenging for the podium this weekend is Spanish youngster Toni Elías. After making an encouraging start to his rookie MotoGP season, Elías crashed during a day of tests following the last round at Le Mans and fractured the radius and scaphoid of his left wrist, also rupturing ligaments and fracturing the outside of his left fibula. The Yamaha rider is battling to be fit in time for his home round at Catalunya next weekend and will be replaced at Mugello by David Checa, the reigning World Endurance Champion and brother to MotoGP regular Carlos. Meanwhile, Honda rider Makoto Tamada and Kawasaki’s Alex Hofmann are both set to return to MotoGP race action for the first time since missing the second round at Estoril. Both riders have been undergoing intense physiotherapy on wrist injuries and were replaced for the last two rounds by Jurgen Van Den Goorbergh and Olivier Jacque respectively, Tamada making a brief appearance in the first free practice session at Le Mans before ruling himself out for the rest of the weekend. Honda’s Dani Pedrosa arrives at the fifth round of the 250cc World Championship looking to break a run of eight years of Aprilia dominance at a circuit he has yet to enjoy victory in any class. The reigning World Champion recovered the series lead by four points from Andrea Dovizioso with victory in the last round at Le Mans but faces a stern challenge this weekend as his factory colleague looks to respond with home glory and seal his first win in the class. Pedrosa, who has finished in second place for the last two years at Mugello in the 125cc and 250cc class, will also be up against another strong front from Aprilia, who will look to defend their excellent record on home soil with Casey Stoner, Sebastián Porto and Randy De Puniet amongst the factory riders in with a chance of victory. Stoner, who will be making his 50th Grand Prix start, scored his first ever Grand Prix pole at Mugello when riding in the 125cc class in 2003 whilst Porto’s victory there last year was his first ever in dry conditions. This season’s 125cc World Championship is so far one of the closest in history, with the first four rounds having been won by four different riders, including three debut winners. The latest of those was Swiss teenager Thomas Lüthi, who took victory in the last round at Le Mans to move up to second place in the championship, 12 points adrift of early leader Mika Kallio. The racing promises to be as close as ever this weekend with the Mugello circuit having witnessed one of the tightest finishes of all time in last year’s 125cc race, when the top six riders were covered by less than one second.

Yamaha/Graves Yamaha rider Jamie Hacking will miss the AMA round June 3-5 at Road America after injuring both of his elbows in a bicycle crash while training Saturday, May 28 near Fort Collins, Colorado. In a telephone call to Roadracingworld.com, Hacking’s wife Rachel said that Jamie Hacking was riding bicycles with Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies. Hacking was following Spies at a relatively high speed. Spies swerved to avoid an object in the road, but Hacking was unable to miss the object and was sent over the bars of his bicycle. Hacking landed with his hands outstretched and dislocated both elbows upon impact. Spies called Rachel Hacking, who came to the scene and transported Jamie Hacking to a local hospital. Hacking was able to pop his right elbow back into place at the crash site, but the left elbow was more severely displaced and had to be relocated by emergency room physicians. At the hospital, it was also found that Hacking suffered small fractures to bones in both forearms, near the elbow. “He’s pretty devastated. He’s in a lot of pain,” said Rachel Hacking. Amazingly, famed orthopedic surgeon Dr. Arthur Ting was in Denver, Colorado over the weekend and was able to examine Hacking immediately. According to Rachel Hacking, Dr. Ting said Hacking will have to undergo surgery to set the displaced bone fragment in his left elbow, and an MRI will have to be done to see the full extent of the damage to Hacking’s ligaments and tendons. Hacking is scheduled to fly from Colorado to California Tuesday and undergo the MRI, followed by surgery at Dr. Ting’s Fremont, California offices. Dr. Ting has given Hacking an approximate recovery time of three to six weeks, ruling him out of the AMA races at Road America but making a return at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca round July 8-10 possible. “Luckily, we have that break after Road America and before Laguna,” said Rachel Hacking.

Jeff Wood swept all three of his Formula USA races Monday at Summit Point Raceway, in West Virginia, extending his Championship point lead in each class. Hometown boy Bryan Bemisderfer, meanwhile, took a significant victory in Thunderbike. Riding an Arclight Suzuki GSX-R600 shod with 16.5-inch Dunlop slicks, Wood came from behind in Superbike to overtake defending class Champion Robert Jensen and win by just under three seconds. In his run up to the front, Wood lowered his own overall motorcycle track record from 1:14.317 (which he set Sunday on his GSX-R750) to 1:14.303. Jensen took second in Superbike with Champions Martin Moto Yamaha’s Michael Himmelsbach third. Argo Cycles’ Scott Greenwood crashed his new Kawasaki ZX-6R on the first lap of the 20-lap Superbike final, and Greenwood’s sliding bike took out Wood’s teammate Scott Harwell. Greenwood and Harwell suffered mild concussions but were otherwise uninjured in the incident. In the Sportbike final, which ran under threatening and occasionally spitting skies, Wood and Kneedraggers.com Yamaha’s Greenwood ran nose-to-tail until the race was stopped on lap 16 of 20. The race was re-started, a controversial decision, for six more laps. Wood and Jensen raced closely, but Wood made a last-lap move and beat Jensen to the checkered flag by a fraction of a second. Himmelsbach, who ran a distant third in the main portion of the race, finished third, just ahead of Harwell and Greenwood. The rain came down before the start of the Formula Sportbike final, which was shortened from 20 to 10 laps. Wood, a specialist in rain riding, took the holeshot and ran away to win. Harwell and Team Stargel’s Brian Stokes swapped second several times until Stokes pulled away late in the race to secure the runner-up position. Harwell finished third, two seconds behind Stokes and well ahead of Jensen, who does not like riding at Summit Point in the rain. Earlier in the day, Harding Harley-Davidson/Buell teammates Bemisderfer and Dave Estok had a terrific race in Thunderbike. Unlike most Thunderbike races, which are often decided by attrition, the 16-lap final at Summit Point went right down to the last lap, and defending F-USA Thunderbike Champion Bemisderfer took his first Thunderbike victory at Summit Point, his hometrack. Estok finished runner-up, less than a second behind Bemisderfer. CAD Racing’s David Yaakov finished third on his Phil-Dodd-tuned Suzuki SV650, maintaining his Thunderbike Championship point lead. The day ended with the wet, seven-lap Unlimited Grand Prix, which was won by Stokes on his Michelin-rain-tire-equipped Suzuki GSX-R750. The big news, however, was that Tim Bemisderfer (who rode a Dunlop-backed Shenandoah Honda CBR1000RR) finished second (in spite of running off the track) in his first race back after undergoing a kidney transplant in February. Spina finished third. Jensen sat out the Unlimited GP even though there was Suzuki contingency money available. Formula USA Race Results: Sportbike (600cc): 1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600), 20 laps; 2. Robert Jensen (Yam YZF-R6), -0.209 second; 3. Michael Himmelsbach (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Scott Harwell (Suz GSX-R600); 5. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-6R); 6. Ryan Elleby (Suz GSX-R600); 7. Hector Jimenez (Yam YZF-R6); 8. Brandon Parrish (Suz GSX-R600); 9. Scott Harwood (Hon CBR600RR); 10. Chad Klock (Hon CBR600RR), -1 lap; 11. Alan Nelson (Kaw ZX-6), -1 lap; 12. John Vaccaro (Suz GSX-R600), -1 lap; 13. Donny Kelley (Suz GSX-R600), -3 laps; 14. Jonathan Lawrence (Yam YZF-R6), -5 laps; 15. Steve Vento (Kaw ZX-6), -6 laps; 16. Adam Dolney (Yam YZF-R6), -7 laps; 17. Trey Yonce (Yam YZF-R6), -9 laps; 18. Brian Roach (Yam YZF-R6), -10 laps. Superbike (600cc): 1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600), 20 laps; 2. Robert Jensen (Yam YZF-R6), -1.900 seconds; 3. Michael Himmelsbach (Yam YZF-R6); 4. Hector Jimenez (Yam YZF-R6); 5. Brandon Parrish (Suz GSX-R600); 6. Donny Kelley (Suz GSX-R600); 7. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6); 8. Ned Brown (Kaw ZX-6), -1 lap; 9. Alan Nelson (Kaw ZX-6), -1 lap; 10. Chris Rockwell (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap; 11. Robert Lombardi (Suz GSX-R600), -1 lap; 12. Jim Bonner (Yam TZ250), -1 lap; 13. Adam Dolney (Yam YZF-R6), -6 laps, DNF, crash; 14. Roy Cadoo, Jr. (Kaw ZX-6), -10 laps; 15. Scott Greenwood (Kaw ZX-6), -16 laps, DNF, crash; 16. Scott Harwell (Suz GSX-R600), -20 laps, DNF, crash. Formula Sportbike (750cc): 1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R750), 10 laps; 2. Brian Stokes (Suz GSX-R750), -2.503 seconds; 3. Scott Harwell (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R750); 5. Joseph Spina (Suz GSX-R750); 6. Joe Ribeiro (Suz GSX-R750); 7. Ryan Elleby (Suz GSX-R750), -1 lap; 8. Brandon Parrish (Suz GSX-R750), -3 laps, two crashes; 9. Rick Beggs (Kaw ZX-6), -9 laps, DNF. Thunderbike: 1. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB9R), 16 laps; 2. Dave Estok (Buell XB12R), -0.198 second; 3. David Yaakov (Suz SV650); 4. Randy Rega (Buell XB12R); 5. Arthur Diaz (Buell XB9R); 6. Clint Brotz (Buell XB12R); 7. Sam Rozynski (Buell XB12R); 8. Russell Masecar (Suz SV650); 9. Joe Rozynski, III (Buell XB12R); 10. Darren Danilowicz (Suz SV650); 11. Jeff Gochenour (Buell XB12R); 12. Greg Avello (Buell XB12R); 13. Gary Bunner (Duc 748); 14. Chris Kalb (Suz SV650), -1 lap; 15. Mark Evry (Suz SV650), -1 lap; 16. Daniel Riter (Suz SV650), -1 lap; 17. Walt Sipp (Buell XB12R), -1 lap; 18. Peter Alesso (Buell XB12R), -1 lap; 19. Matthew Buck (Suz SV650), -1 lap; 20. Dan Bilansky (Buell XB12R), -4 laps, DNF, mechanical. Unlimited Grand Prix: 1. Brian Stokes (Suz GSX-R750), 7 laps; 2. Tim Bemisderfer (Hon CBR1000RR), -15.069 seconds; 3. Joseph Spina (Suz GSX-R750); 4. Joe Ribeiro (Suz GSX-R750); 5. Michael Swank (Yam YZF-R1); 6. Arnold Hastings (Suz GSX-R750); 7. David Loikits (Suz GSX-R1000), -1 lap; 8. Robert Lombardi (Suz GSX-R750), -1 lap; 9. Ivan Iverson (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap; 10. Robert Jensen (Suz GSX-R750), DNS. Sportbike Championship Point Standings: 1. Wood, 95 points; 2. TIE, Jensen/Greenwood, 65 points; 4. Harwell, 62 points; 5. Elleby, 45 points; 6. Himmelsbach, 44 points; 7. Shawn Conrad, 43 points; 8. David Weber, 36 points; 9. TIE, Parrish/Geoff May, 31 points. Superbike Championship Point Standings: 1. Wood, 98 points; 2. Greenwood, 48 points; 3. Himmelsbach, 47 points; 4. Parrish, 46 points; 5. Rockwell, 39 points; 6. TIE, Jensen/Vincent Haskovec, 35 points; 8. Lombardi, 33 points; 9. Michael Barnes, 31 points; 10. TIE, Patterson/Dolney/Shawn Conrad, 30 points. Formula Sportbike Championship Point Standings: 1. Wood, 108 points; 2. Harwell, 82 points; 3. Elleby, 58 points; 4. Parrish, 51 points; 5. Jensen, 46 points; 6. Shawn Conrad, 43 points; 7. Ribeiro, 40 points; 8. Spina, 32 points; 9. TIE, Beggs/David Weber, 31 points. Thunderbike Championship Point Standings: 1. Yaakov, 79 points; 2. Bemisderfer, 64 points; 3. Estok, 62 points; 4. Brotz, 57 points; 5. Joe Rozynski, III, 54 points; 6. Danilowicz, 48 points; 7. Sam Rozynski, 41 points; 8. Robert Fisher, 38 points; 9. Michael Barnes, 36 points; 10. Ed Key, 35 points.

ROUND 5 – ITALIAN GP – PREVIEW SETE’S CHALLENGE AT MUGELLO Protagonist of an extraordinary race which led to a podium finish during the last GP of France on the historic track of the 24 hours of Le Mans, Sete Gibernau has returned to take up the position which best suits him: up front every Sunday, fighting for the victory. Able to use his RC211V to the maximum of its potential, Sete Gibernau finds himself recuperating positions in the championship and fighting again on June 5th on the Mugello track. A track where generally ‘home riders’ are favoured. Gibernau doesn’t let this bother him though. The Spanish rider has in fact an extraordinary feeling with the Italian fans and on the track of Mugello he can consider himself almost at home: Sete in fact racers for an Italian team, he is loved in Italy, so much that he is considered to be the fifth Italian rider in the MotoGP championship, by the Italian press. “I am taking on the Italian GP with my usual motivation. I am sure of my potential and the potential of my team. It will be a difficult race as the Italian riders, riding for their home fans, will have an extra motivation factor. Mugello isn’t really a track I particularly love, but this is irrelevant as every time I get onto the race track, I am there to race. I have many Italian fans and it would be a wonderful gift for my Italian mechanics and for my team if I win here. Last season the Mugello race was one of the best of the 2004 season: we were quickest on both Friday and Saturday qualifying sessions. I hope to boast the same good work this year as well. The Italian riders are extremely competitive on their home track, but they are also under a lot more pressure. On our side, we have to take advantage of their tension, it will be a very challenging weekend, but at the end of the day, it really isn’t very different than any other race. To be able to dispute a good race we will need a good qualifyin! g position, so that means we have to do a very good job during qualifying. The Italian riders will in fact try to obtain a good race pace from the very beginning; for this reason it is important to start from the first row or, at most, from the second row, in order to fight for the title.” READY FOR HIS HOME GP With two podiums and two fourth places Marco Melandri is defending his second place in the championship with 37 points dividing him and the leader, Valentino Rossi, and 5 points diving him with his team mate, twice vice world champion, Sete Gibernau. The twenty two year old rider, ex 250 World Champion, has demonstrated his best aspects : quick, consistent, in continuous growth Marco Melandri continues to acquire confidence with his RC211V and thanks to the support of HRC, Michelin and under the expert guide of his head tech, Fabrizio Cecchini, Marco has once again started to enjoy riding his bike, and, most importantly! , riding it quickly. MARCO MELANDRI’S COMMENTS ABOUT THE MUGELLO TRACK “The Mugello track can be defined as a real MotoGP circuit because it is quick, there is space to take advantage of the full gears and it gives a lot of riding satisfaction. The track is really good. The sessions I prefer are the Casanova Savelli and the two Arrabbiata corners. These two corners distinguish the track. Mugello is a fun track to ride on, there are different areas where it is possible to overtake: in particular while braking for the first corner, the San Donato, and the first variation as well. The secret to a good lap? To be quick here at Mugello you need to have a good rhythm, be fluid while taking on the corners but without being too aggressive. The part that makes the biggest difference is the downhill “s” and the Arrabbiata corners. It is fundamental to ride through these sectors well in order to make a quick lap time. The biggest! problem of the track? The only negative thing about this track is the condition of the tarmac. In fact there is quite a bit of unevenness to it. The atmosphere: it’s probably because I’m Italian and this is my home race, but it is an incredible feeling to ride looking at all those people all over the hills. When you ride a bike you can feel the warmth of the fans that come to fill the hills that surround the track, it is incredible. My best memory? My victory in 2002 when I was racing in 250cc class. My worst memory? The 2004 GP: I was racing with the leaders, I was in third place for a while, and after a while the front part of my arms just blocked and I could no longer ride.” A curiosity: 4 times in his career has Marco Melandri stepped onto the podium of the Mugello: the first time in 1998 in the 125 class at the age of 16. Marco steps up onto the second step of the podium in 1998 and repeats himself again the following year, again ! with a second place finish in the 125 class. In 2000 he finishes 4th, but returns to the podium in 2001 (3rd place 250 cc class) and in 2002 he wins the Italian GP in the 250 class. In the MotoGP class his best result was in 2004 when Marco Melandri finishes the race after having kept up for the most part with the leaders. A problem with his arms was the cause of his relenting and losing the pace with the front runners. THE TRACK On the hills of Mugello, not very far from Florence, is one of the most beautiful tracks of the championship: spectacular, very technical, and a track where the rider can make a difference during every moment of the race. But it is also a difficult track, characterized by slopes, very quick chicanes, speed changes, sloping corners and a very long straight where riders obtain some of the fastest speeds of the entire championship. Due to all the characteristics, time is a valuable asset when learning the secrets to! this track. “This is a challenging track, very technical. From a riders’ point of view it is amongst the toughest of the championship. The track is characterized by some of the most difficult and quickest sessions of the championship. The best point to overtake is definitely the San Donato corner, the first right corner at the end of the starting straight, but the session I prefer is the Arrabbiata 1 and 2. This is the Mugello ‘trade mark’, it is a quick session, unique of the entire championship. The best memory I have of this track? My pole in the 2004 GP with a time of 1’49″920. The Mugello is the home GP for the Italian ridres and the support of the ‘tifosi’ is very felt. It is lucky that I have a lot of Italian fans, my team is Italian and I have always received a warm welcome from the Italian public” comments Sete Gibernau. TECHNICAL DATA Name of the circuit: Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello Opened: 1974 Modified: 1999 Lenght: 5.245 m Width: 14 m Pole position: right Right corners: 9 Left corners: 6 Longest straight: 1141 meters Motogp race: 23 laps = 120,635 kms RECORD: Track record: 2004 Gibernau (Honda) 1’51″133 pole position: 2004 Gibernau (Honda) 1’49″920 2004 race: 1° Rossi (Yamaha) 2°Gibernau (Honda) 3° Biaggi (Honda)