The Superbike World Championship moves from one famous Formula One circuit to another this weekend, with round five of the series taking place at Silverstone in the United Kingdom. From the cozy parklands of Monza the circus crosses the English channel to the vast and often bleak former aerodrome that is the self proclaimed ‘Home of British Motorsport’. Yamaha Motor Italia riders Andrew Pitt and Noriyuki Haga go into the race lying fifth and ninth in the championship in the YZF-R1’s first year of world superbike competition. The team made good progress last time out in Italy and are looking to continue that trend in the UK. With a new specification engine due to arrive in a few rounds’ time, the team will again focus its attentions to refining the R1’s chassis settings at Silverstone and working their way towards the podium placings at a circuit that has served them well in the past. In three outings, the Yamaha Motor Italia team twice won the supersport race at this venue. “Every race we’re learning more about the bike and improving bit by bit in all areas,” commented Andrew Pitt. “Monza showed what good progress we’ve made: our straight line speed was good and we’re managing to make our tyres last much better than at the start of the season. We always knew that the first half of the season would be about development work and racking up consistent finishes which is exactly what we have done so far. I was able to run with the leading group for much of the race in Monza so I think we can go to Silverstone confident of doing well.” While Pitt has started to feel at home on the R1, team-mate Haga admits his legions of fans have yet to see the best of him and the Yamaha. Nonetheless the Japanese ace remains upbeat, commenting: “I had two good races at Silverstone last year so I hope that this is a good sign. So far I have not been able to get the right feeling with the bike. Still we are working very hard and I think that we can make big improvements. Last year I won three out of the four races in Britain and I always like to ride in front of the British fans. I know that I will have a big support at Silverstone and I want to give them something to cheer. So far this year I have only been Normal Nori… but I want to be Nitro Nori again!” Making their Silverstone debuts are the Yamaha Motor France pairing of Norick Abe and Sebastien Gimbert who currently lie eighth and 14th in the championship. This will be the second circuit of the season of which Abe has no previous knowledge, but the Japanese rider hopes that his Monza outing, where he experienced set-up problems, will not be repeated. “At Monza we made progress in every session but the set-up changes for the second race and they just did not work at all,” he said. “Silverstone is a circuit which I do not know at all so it is important that I do not repeat the same thing there.” Added the world superbike calendar for the first time in 2002, the bikes will this year run on the shorter 3.6km International circuit instead of the 5km GP circuit used in previous years. This is the configuration used in the popular British Superbike Championship. The shorter layout provide the fans with more action, the International circuit also features two added overtaking opportunities: under braking, where the GP track turns right onto the International configuration at Becketts and also at the tight Abbey section where the bike course rejoins the Formula One circuit. Although the latest incarnation of Silverstone lacks much of the character and atmosphere it had 25 years ago thanks mainly to the large gravel traps separating the fans from the racetrack, spectator facilities are good and the wide tarmac and long straights generally promote good racing. Turn one, Copse, is a fearsome fourth gear corner that is one of the toughest tests of man and machine on the calendar, while the extremely slow chicane at the end of the lap is not so popular with the riders but a guaranteed action spot as the riders plan last gasp maneuvers. Silverstone is a circuit with long straights and a wide variety of corners, although the change to the short circuit will see the fastest section of the track, Hangar Straight, bypassed. The track is also extremely bumpy, a legacy of the Formula One cars which regularly test here, and it is this that makes a good bike set-up so difficult to find. These bumps cause chassis settings to be compromised. Ideally riders would like to run high compression damping and spring ratings to cope with the high G-forces generated on the fast corners like Copse and Abbey. But the stiffer suspension will not be able to absorb the bumps, so a softer compromise will have to be found. Riders will also have to look out for the suspension being upset by camber changes where the various layout configurations cross over, while wet weather – always a possibility in the UK – will make the surface extremely slippery. Supersport World Championship After struggling to get to grips with the 2005 YZF-R6 in the opening few rounds, Yamaha Motor Germany pairing Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes made good progress with suspension settings last time out in Monza. Silverstone, in the guise of the previously used GP circuit, has proved ideally suited to the R6 in the past with two wins, from Jamie Whitham in 2001 and Fabien Foret last year, one pole position and the outright fastest lap around the circuit. The team’s Kevin Curtain is currently third in the championship and a fan of Silverstone while new team-mate Broc Parkes, joint fifth in the order, finished third here last year – missing out on the win by just fractions of a second. FIM Superstock 1000 Cup Yamaha YZF-R1 riders go to Silverstone holding the top three placings in the inaugural FIM Superstock 1000 Cup for young riders equipped with virtually standard machines. Turkish 20-year-old Kenan Sofuoglu has won both the opening rounds and is keen to conquer the only circuit at which he failed to score points during he 2004 European Superstock Championship. Massimo Roccoli is a Silverstone rookie, but podium finishes in the opening two rounds suggest that he will be a threat in the UK, while Sofuoglu’s Yamaha Motor Germany team-mate Didier van Keymeulen could be the man to beat this weekend. The Belgian lies third in the points standings but is a real circuit specialist. He grabbed pole at Silverstone last year but crashed while leading. This year he is looking for his first win in the class after recording four podium finishes on the R1.

Mad Kaw Racing takes 4th in Middleweight Superstock Class at Virginia International Raceway on Tomahawk Tires. Mad Kaw Racing had a disappointing start to the WERA National Endurance season on their cycletires.com ZX6-R. The Jennings GP round in March saw Team Owner Ivan Messina crash out at the start of the third hour, sustaining a broken scapula and spoiling the teams chance at a class podium finish. After missing the Autobahn Round, Mad Kaw Racing was back at V.I.R. with James Toohey and Tim Johnson rounding out the roster. The team gained ground by finishing 4th out of 15 entries in the Middleweight Superstock Class, and 18th overall out of 50 entries, and they did it on remanufactured Tomahawk Tires. “Tomahawk came on board as our primary sponsor late last year” says Ivan. “We had to prove to WERA that the tires were not a safety issue, which we did. I worked with WERA over the off-season and we came up with a rule that now allows the Tomahawks. There are some misconceptions among the public about remanufactured (retreaded) tires, and one of the things that can help educate consumers is a program like ours. Plus, I feel good knowing I just kept 10 tires from entering the waste stream.” A new pit crew helped the team at V.I.R. The team does not have any permanent pit staff, and is relying on volunteer help at each round. According to Ivan, “The crew at Jennings was good, but at V.I.R. we had WSMC #2 and California Superbike School Chief Mechanic Will Eikenberry as crew chief. He helped sort out some things that made a very big difference in getting the bike to work better. He also managed some very efficient pit stops, which can make all the difference in an endurance race. I have to thank all of our volunteers, we couldn’t do it without them.” More information on retreading is available at www.retread.org More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Racing: TAS SUZUKI WINS NORTH WEST 200 Team Suzuki Press Office Kiwi rider Bruce Anstey gave Suzuki its very first Superbike victory on British soil in 2005 at the weekend’s International North West 200 in front of 100,000 fans. Anstey on his TAS Suzuki GSX-R1000 was never headed during the five-lap race in difficult conditions, breaking the expected dominance – which never materialised – from the HRC factory bike of Michael Rutter. The victory also made up for the disappointment of losing the Superstock race earlier in the day after leading by an amazing 17 seconds, only to lose out in the final few corners to Welshman Ian Lougher. Anstey also made a visit to the podium in the Kennedy Group Supersport 600 race with third place, which was watched intently from the sidelines by TAS Suzuki British Supersport rider Tom Sykes. Adrian Archibald had a steady day in his build up to the Isle of Man TT with a podium in the opening Superbike race but the conditions, which included torrential rain, hail-stones, sunshine and showers, didn’t quite suit the Ballymoney rider and he settled for some safe finishes on his TAS Suzuki’s. Bruce Anstey: “I’m delighted to win the main race of the day at the North West 200 especially as my sister is listening on the Internet in Hong Kong! We only tested these new TAS Suzuki Superbikes last week and had a few problems during practice so to win the feature race for Suzuki and Pirelli is fantastic. The bike never missed a beat and I’m looking forward to riding it at the TT in a fortnight. “I made a bit of a mistake with my judgement in the Superstock race so I kept an eye on Richard during the main Superbike race to make sure I wouldn’t do the same again! The 600 race was a bit of a lottery in the conditions but I’m pleased to have given Suzuki and our sponsors another podium.” Adrian Archibald: “The conditions today were not favourable for me and I wasn’t prepared to take unnecessary risks. I am quite pleased with my podium in the opening Superbike race. We have found some good settings for the TT and I’m confident the TAS Suzuki’s will be strong again this year. The TT suits my style, where I can get into a rhythm and ride on my own. It is also a place where top speed alone is not the main ingredient for success.” Philip Neill – Team Manager: “We have to be pleased with that performance on a day when the weather caused many problems. If you have to win one race, then the only one that really matters at this event is the International North West 200 Superbike race, and to have a TAS Suzuki on the top step is pretty pleasing. “We had representation from all our major sponsors here today which included Ian Glen from Beacon and Sean Meyler from Rizla who have recently come on board. Motorsport is all about winning so I’m glad we could make their trip worthwhile. Pirelli worked extremely hard with us this week and both Bruce and Adrian have proved that the GSX-R1000 Superbikes are very capable machines in any type of company.”

VAMMUS AND DUCATI SUPERSPORT WIN IN CANADA Derek Vammus kicks off the Canadian Thunder Series with a 1st place podium this weekend in Canada Shannonville, Ontario – Ducati rider Derek Vammus won the first round of the Canadian Thunder Series in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Shannonville Motorsport Park aboard his 2005 Supersport 1000. Taking the lead on lap four, he put his head down and never looked back, beating 2004 Champion Darren James in second place. Vammus, a Constable in Ontario, rides for Brampton Cycle in the Toronto area. Canadian Road Racing Crew Chief, Michael Taylor, helped Vammus with suspension changes and setup, and support came from other Ducati racers at the event. Vammus’s top Ducati challenger, Robert Trottier, crashed hard on Friday taking himself out of the races for the weekend. Still, Trottier assisted Vammus with a spare practice bike and parts. According to Steve Hicks, Ducati Event Coordinator, a team spirit could be felt around the trailer with Ducati racers helping each other all weekend, with success. The Canadian Thunder Series is a national event in 2005 at all of the eastern rounds of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship. The series is co-sponsored by Ducati North America (DNA), Deeley Imports – Buell and BMW Canada. Motorcycle models eligible to race must comply with the class spec limits of: Air-cooled twins 95HP maximum 395lbs minimum Silhouette body/stock chassis parts Derek Vammus won $500 (Cdn) of the Ducati North America Contingency Program awards for taking 1st place. DNA Grand Prize award is $10,000 (Cdn) for first overall of the six event series ending in September. Parts Canada contingency monies are also posted for this series. Next round will be at the Mosport Parts Canada Superbike Championship in July. May 22nd, 2005 Shannonville – final results: 1. Derek Vammus Ducati 2. Darren James Buell 3. Bill Card Buell 4. Chris Duff BMW 5. Trevor MacDonald – Ducati

Just a quick note… The broadcast of the AMA Formula Xtreme and Superstock races from Pikes Peak Int’l Raceway have been re-scheduled for Tuesday May 24th at 2pm et. Thank you, Dan Parisi Sr. Associate Producer SPEED Channel 9711 Southern Pine Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28273

World Superbike Championship event preview Round five Silverstone, GB (27-29 May 2005) WINSTON’S SUPERBIKERS SEEK SILVERSTONE SUCCESS Winston Ten Kate Honda’s two World Superbike championship riders, Chris Vermeulen and Karl Muggeridge, head for the famous Silverstone circuit in Great Britain this weekend for round five of the 2005 series. Both riders will be looking to build on their success in the recent fourth round at Monza, Italy when Muggeridge recorded his season’s best results of sixth and fourth places, while Vermeulen took his first victory of the campaign in race two. Despite racing on Silverstone’s historic Grand Prix circuit in Northamptonshire since 2002, this weekend’s event marks the first time that the World Superbike championship will use the shorter, 3.561km International circuit. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “We have had quite some success at Silverstone over the past few years and took our first Superbike victory there last year. It would have been nice to go back to the same circuit to try and repeat that success but we’ll be using the shorter one this year. Still, it’s the same for everyone and we’ll be trying as hard as ever to score more victories. I believe we showed with Chris’s and Karl’s results at Monza that we have closed the gap with the championship leaders. We have now fully adopted the exhaust that Arrow developed especially for Monza and we’ll just carry on working on the general balance and geometry of the CBR1000RR.” Chris Vermeulen championship position 3rd, 115 points: “The second race win at Monza was long overdue but it felt pretty good all the same. It would have been a better points haul if I hadn’t had the DNF in race one but that’s how it goes sometimes. We found the right direction at Monza and we’ll definitely be looking to carry that progress through to Silverstone. We basically lifted the bike at the front and the rear and changed the offset to keep it steering good and it seemed to work pretty well. Silverstone is a place that holds good memories for me, having won the Supersport race there in 2003 and then taking my very first Superbike victory last year. I remember the shorter circuit from my days in the British championship but it’ll take a few laps to familiarise myself with it again.” Karl Muggeridge championship position 12th, 38 points: “It finally started coming together at Monza, although my raceday luck looked like continuing when I was hit at the start of the first race and lost the clutch lever. It was tough coming back from about 20th on the first lap to take sixth but the bike was that much better right through the weekend and that allowed us to qualify on the front row for the first time. I enjoyed race two at Monza and felt I might have got on the podium but for a mistake on the last lap. We’ll be getting some things underway again when we hit Silverstone and try to carry on that Monza form. The two tracks used to be pretty similar but now they’ve cut all that cool stuff from the back Silverstone the Hanger straight and Stowe corner which is a shame, I think. We’ll have more to say on Friday when we’ve been round the International circuit.” Championship points after four of 12 rounds: 1 Troy Corser AUS (Suzuki) 182, 2 Yukio Kagayama JPN (Suzuki) 130, 3 Chris Vermeulen AUS (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 115, 4 Regis Laconi FRA (Ducati) 87, 5 Andrew Pitt AUS (Yamah) 60, 6 James Toseland GBR (Ducati) 57, 7 Chris Walker GBR (Kawasaki) 54, 8 Norick Abe JPN (Yamaha) 54, 9 Noryuki Haga JPN (Yamaha) 52, 10 Pierfrancesco Chili ITA (Honda) 44, 12 Karl Muggeridge AUS (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 38. Silverstone World Superbike event schedule: Friday 27 May 10.30-11.30 free practice, 14.15-15.15 qualifying; Saturday 28 May 11.00-12.00 qualifying, 14.45-15.45 free practice, 16.00 Superpole; Sunday 29 May 09.20-09.40 warm-up, 12.00 race one (28 laps, 99.708km), 15.30 race two (28 laps, 99.708km). More, from another press release issued by Ten Kate Honda: World Supersport Championship event preview Round five Silverstone, GB (27-29 May 2005) WINSTON GOES FOR HIGH FIVE IN ROUND FIVE Winston Ten Kate Honda’s World Supersport pairing of Sébastien Charpentier and Katsuaki Fujiwara have each won two of the four races in the 2005 series and will be looking to extend the team’s winning run in round five of the championship this weekend at Silverstone in Great Britain. With two second places to add to his victories, Frenchman Charpentier has a slender seven-point advantage in the championship points table over his Japanese team-mate. Fujiwara, however, is intent on enjoying once again the winner’s champagne that he tasted most recently in the fourth round at Monza in Italy. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “Chris Vermeulen’s win at Silverstone in 2003 has been the team’s only Supersport success there, although we did get second and third last year. But that event was the last time we didn’t win a World Supersport race so, with the form that Sébastien and Katsuaki have shown so far this season, I’m hoping we can improve our record. The CBR package has been perfect for both riders so far and they’ve settled into the new team really well. The fact that they are both so competitive has given me a little heart trouble on the final lap of the last two races but I’m happy to put up with that as long as they are both in with a chance of victory!” Sébastien Charpentier championship position 1st, 90 points: “Everything is great for me this year fantastic bike, fantastic team and fantastic team-mate. I was disappointed not to win at Monza because I do not like to come second but it was a good result for the team and the championship. I am OK with Silverstone although I am sorry they have decided to race on the short circuit; but it is the same for everyone I guess, so we will just have to go out and put on another good show. I know who my strongest rival will be, although the team cannot relax for a minute. I haven’t had much success at Silverstone in the past so maybe the new circuit will be good for me after all!” Katsuaki Fujiwara championship position 2nd, 83 points: “I like to win so much, so Monza was very, very good for me! I enjoyed the first win of the season at Qatar but watching Sébastien win in Phillip Island and Valencia was not good for me. But he is riding very well so I have to push very hard. It is good for the team that we are leading the championship but it also shows how good the team is working and how strong the Honda CBR600RR really is. I have never finished on the podium at Silverstone so I will at least be aiming for that this weekend but winning races is the best thing so that is my real target.” World Supersport Championship points after four of 12 rounds: 1 Sébastien Charpentier FRA (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 90, 2 Katsuaki Fujiwara JPN (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 83, 3 Kevin Curtain AUS (Yamaha) 60, 4 Michel Fabrizio ITA (Honda) 42, 5 Fabien Foret FRA (Honda) 38, 6 Broc Parkes AUS (Yamaha) 37, 7 Gianluca Nannelli ITA (Ducati) 31, 8 Stephane Chambon FRA (Honda) 31, 9 Tauto Lauslehto FIN (Honda) 23, 10 Javier Fores ESP (Suzuki) 22. Silverstone World Supersport event schedule: Friday 27 May 09.35-10.20 free practice, 13.15-14.00 qualifying; Saturday 28 May 10.00-10.45 free practice, 13.45-14.30 qualifying; Sunday 29 May 09.50-10.10 warm-up, 13.20 race (28 laps, 99.708km).

CCS Florida racer Scott A. Coccoli married Tara L. Marriner, May 21 in Stuart, Florida.