MotoGP returns to Europe with Grand Prix Alice de France The MotoGP World Championship continues apace this weekend with the fourth round of the season seeing the series return to much more familiar territory after its groundbreaking first sojourn to China two weeks ago. The historic Le Mans circuit has been a regular feature on the Grand Prix calendar since 1969 and this weekend it welcomes the world’s premier motorcycle racing series for the 18th time. Current World Champion Valentino Rossi leads the standings after three rounds and arrives in France looking to improve on a comparatively poor record at Le Mans. Fourth place last season was one of only three occasions the Italian actually finished a race outside the podium positions on his way to the title for Yamaha and he will be desperate to rectify that statistic this weekend as he aims to become the factory’s first rider to score seven consecutive top-three finishes since Wayne Rainey over a decade ago. Whilst Marco Melandri currently lies second in the championship, 25 points behind his compatriot, this weekend presents his Honda team-mate Sete Gibernau with the ideal chance to get his season on track after a disastrous start. The Spaniard, who has finished runner-up to Rossi in the championship for the past two seasons, is already 37 points adrift of his great rival and will look for his third consecutive victory at this circuit to repair the damage caused by a crash and a fourth place finish from the past two rounds. Rossi’s biggest challenge, however, could come from the unexpected source of home favourite Olivier Jacque. The Frenchman returned to MotoGP as a replacement for the injured Alex Hofmann at the last round in Shanghai and stormed to an incredible second place, Kawasaki’s best result in the premier-class since Mick Grant won the Isle of Man TT race in 1975. Jacque’s first podium finish in MotoGP was also the first for any French rider since Regis Laconi at Phillip Island in 1999 and the local hero will receive huge home backing as he aims for a repeat this weekend. Whilst Hofmann again misses out through injury, Makoto Tamada could make his return to action for Honda after undergoing intense physiotherapy on a wrist injury. The Japanese rider was replaced in China by Jurgen Van Den Goorbergh, who rode to a highly creditable sixth place, and will undergo a late fitness check in France before deciding whether to compete for a place on this Sunday’s starting grid. Meanwhile, Team KR have confirmed that they will return to action this weekend with British rider Shane Byrne in the saddle after missing the last round due to a lack of engine parts. 250cc World Champion Dani Pedrosa will be looking for a repeat of his victory at Le Mans last season as he aims to re-establish control of the quarter-litre class. The Spaniard lost his championship lead to Andrea Dovizioso for the first time in a year after missing out on the podium in the last two races, both won by Casey Stoner, and now lies in third place behind the Italian and the Australian respectively. The unpredictable nature of the 125cc class has continued this year with the opening three rounds all won by different riders. Mattia Pasini’s victory in China, following on from wins for Marco Simoncelli and Mika Kallio at Jerez and Estoril respectively, means the run of races without a back-to-back winner now stands at to forty-two races – a record which promises to be extended even further as consistent performer Fabrizio Lai looks to overturn Kallio’s one-point lead at the top of the championship with his debut win this weekend.

A SINGLE POINT SEPARATES ZEMKE AND DUHAMEL IN LOCKHART PHILLIPS USA FORMULA XTREME Five riders within 10 points in Repsol Lubricants Superstock coming into Infineon PICKERINGTON, Ohio (May 10, 2005) — It doesn’t get much more competitive than the Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme and Repsol Lubricants Superstock Series so far in the 2005 season. Coming into the May 13-15 Kawasaki Superbike Showdown weekend at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., Formula Xtreme leaders Jake Zemke and Miguel Duhamel have only one point between them and in Superstock the standings are in a logjam with any one of five riders having the real possibility of leaving Sonoma with the series lead. In this year’s Formula Xtreme there’s a bit of a roll reversal from 2004. Last year veteran Miguel Duhamel won the first three rounds and fellow Honda factory rider Jake Zemke spent the rest of the season trying to chase down his more experienced teammate. Now Zemke is coming off two straight wins and has taken the series lead, albeit a slim one. He is looking for his first win at Infineon Raceway. Until last week Zemke had never won at California Speedway either. He reflected on finally breaking through to win that race. “The race was really good,” Zemke commented. “Hat’s off to Miguel, he really stepped it up come race time, and was right there pushing hard. I thought I was going to have an easy ride, but he foiled my plan. But it was a good race. Most of these Formula Xtreme races turn out like that — they usually come right down to the last lap.” Duhamel is the defending race winner and hopes to repeat this coming weekend. Duhamel is tied for the all-time wins record in Formula Xtreme with Kurtis Roberts and Eric Bostrom with nine-career victories. Duhamel has been stuck on nine for a few races now and he would love nothing better than to finally get his tenth. He would then become the all-time wins leader in two classes of racing, Formula Xtreme and Supersport. M4 EMGO Suzuki rider Vincent Haskovec has been the one rider in Formula Xtreme who’s been able to keep the speedy Honda duo of Zemke and Duhamel in range. He’s scored a pair of third-place finishes and is trying to make up ground after scoring no points in the opener at Daytona. Oklahoman Danny Eslick is third in the standings on his MPTracing.com Suzuki. So far the former dirt track racer is easily meeting his pre-season goal of scoring points in every round. How competitive is Repsol Superstock this year? There have been three different points leaders so far this season and the series is only three races old. Vincent Haskovec, Aaron Yates and now Jason DiSalvo have all held the top spot in the standings, but it can be a tenuous position to be in. Yates led coming into California Speedway a few weeks ago, but after crashing and finishing 10th at that round he’s dropped all the way to fifth in the points chase. Yates is eager to get back on track at Infineon and he is still very much in the thick of the championship chase. Four former Infineon Raceway Superstock winners, Aaron Yates, Lee Acree, Tommy Hayden and defending winner Jamie Hacking, are all slated to compete in this weekend’s race. Missing from the lineup will be three-time Infineon Superstock winner Jason Pridmore. The likeable Pridmore, who rides with Michael Jordan Motorsports Suzuki was injured in a crash at the round in Birmingham, Ala., last month and will miss a chance this year to win a record extending fourth Superstock race at Infineon. Tickets to the Kawasaki Superbike Showdown Doubleheader can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets including Tower Records, Wherrehouse Music, Ritmo Latino, select Save Mart Supermarkets and Rite Aid stores. For additional inquiries or questions please contact the Infineon Raceway Ticket Office at 1-800-870-RACE. The Lockhart Phillips Formula Xtreme race from Infineon will air nationally on SPEED Channel on Tuesday, May 17, at 2:00 pm Eastern.

Kawasaki rider Olivier Jacque is set for a popular home-coming at Le Mans this weekend for the French Grand Prix, the fourth round of the MotoGP World Championship. Following his magical wet weather ride into second place in last week’s Chinese Grand Prix, Jacque has ensured that he will be the focus of attention at his home race this weekend. The China result was the best ever in the elite class of GP racing for both Jacque and the factory Kawasaki team. It also delivered Bridgestone’s first wet tyre podium finish since their entry into MotoGP. It is now two years since Jacque raced at Le Mans and he anticipates an ‘incredible atmosphere’ for the French Grand Prix. In 2003 Jacque finished fourth in this race. Jacque will again race alongside Kawasaki’s number one rider Shinya Nakano, as the temporary replacement for the injured Alex Hofmann. But despite his fairytale comeback in Shanghai, Jacque is under no illusions about the task he faces at Le Mans. The highly competitive nature of MotoGP ensures that last week’s glory will count for little once the race starts in France. The stop-and-go layout of the 4.18 km Le Mans circuit, with its emphasis on hard braking and sharp acceleration, will be a very different challenge to that faced in China. Since his superb performance in Shanghai, Jacque has been flat out in the build-up to Le Mans. After returning to his London home Jacque has been busy with both media interviews and his training schedule. He returned to France earlier this week to conduct a rider training course at the Dijon circuit, before travelling to Le Mans to continue preparations for his home GP. After the disappointment of his early retirement from the China race, Nakano is focused on delivering another polished performance at Le Mans. The French Grand Prix is one of Nakano’s favourite races, as the popular Japanese rider lived in France when he raced for the Tech3 squad. Nakano expects that the increasingly competitive performance of the Ninja ZX-RR will provide an opportunity for him to regain his place in the top six of the championship points. Shinya Nakano: # 56 “Le Mans is a very different type of circuit, acceleration and braking stability are very important because of the stop-go layout. In the past it has not been ideal for Kawasaki, but with our new engine and the latest electronic parts for the fuel injection I expect the Ninja ZX-RR will be much more competitive. This year our chassis is more stable at the rear, with better traction under acceleration and improved balance, which will help us at Le Mans; as will the latest generation of Bridgestone tyres. I’m always happy to be at this race because I lived in the south of France for four years, I have a good feeling here and I have some friends coming to the race.” Olivier Jacque: #19 “It is a long time since I have raced at Le Mans and there are always high expectations for the French riders, I’m sure the atmosphere will be incredible. But I’m not feeling stressed or under pressure. In fact, I’m appreciating the support from the fans and I’m really comfortable to be racing in my home Grand Prix; for sure it will be a big party. After my ‘magic’ race in Shanghai I’m not sure what to expect at Le Mans, it is difficult for me to predict the performance of the Ninja ZX-RR at this track because I still don’t have a lot of experience on the bike. But I’m aiming to be very competitive; the support of the Kawasaki team is giving me a lot of confidence, as are the Bridgestone tyres, which are very impressive both in the dry and wet, as we saw in China.”

Team SUZUKI MotoGP aims to get back to the front Team SUZUKI MotoGP travels to France this weekend looking to build on the exploits of the Chinese GP which saw both riders leading a race for the first time this season. Kenny Roberts Jr will be hoping that his recent run of bad luck will be behind him as he tackles the 4.1km Le Mans track in the Alice Grand Prix De France. Roberts Jr was leading the Chinese Grand Prix when a rare mechanical failure caused the former World Champion to retire. John Hopkins secured his best finish of the season so far at Shanghai and led a MotoGP race for the first time in his career, eventually scoring a creditable seventh place in atrocious conditions. Team Manager Paul Denning commented: “It was really exciting to have both the Suzuki GSV-R’s lead the race last week – a real bonus for all the team – but to see Kenny forced to retire was a massive kick in the teeth. “Having said that, the team has bounced back positively and we have been able to assess all the encouraging pointers that came from China. The GSV-R showed good potential in wet conditions and the performance from both Kenny and John was very strong. “We will be trying as hard as we can to make sure both the guys can be competitive this weekend. Shanghai showed that the bike has improved dramatically both in wet and dry conditions – John’s fourth place during qualifying in the dry and Kenny leading the race with ease in the wet proved that – but Le Mans is a track that requires high acceleration and we are under no illusions that we will have to work hard to find the optimum package. “Le Mans is very important for Team SUZUKI MotoGP as it is the home round for MOTUL – one of the Team’s major partners – so we will be aiming to give our lubricant supplier something to cheer about on their home soil. Team SUZUKI MotoGP will begin practice for the fourth round of the MotoGP World Championship on Friday morning followed by further practice session in the afternoon and on Saturday morning. The only qualifying practice will be held on Saturday afternoon in readiness for the main event to be staged at 14.00hrs CET on Sunday 15th May. As part of its development phase, Team SUZUKI MotoGP will remain in Le Mans for a further day after the Grand Prix to test newly developed parts for the prototype Suzuki GSV-R.

Alex and Troy looking for revenge in France After the Asian adventure barely two weeks ago in Shanghai, where the MotoGP World Championship discovered a brand new circuit with curiously long straights and several hard-braking areas, the series returns to Europe this week to a similarly taxing track, with a fast home straight and a number of violent braking zones, so much so that the riders dub it the ‘stop-and-go’ track. Alex Barros will be looking to make the most of his reputation as the latest of the late-brakers to put the ride through penalty of China behind him. With the pace the Brazilian showed in the treacherous conditions during the race, the penalty prevented him from fighting for victory without a doubt. In Le Mans he will be looking for revenge, alongside his team-mate Troy Bayliss, who has made giant leaps forward on his RC211V and who has already proved he is as determined as ever in the first three races of the year. Sito Pons Camel Honda “I hope that we won’t have the same kind of issues impeding our performance in Le Mans like the penalty did in China. After having been forced to come in during the race Alex was prevented from fighting for the podium positions. However that incident is behind us already, the championship is long and there are still lots of points to be won and lots of races we can be in the lead pack; it’s important that Alex continues to show the kind of form he has in the last two Grands Prix. I also hope that in Le Mans Troy will also get the chance to show the improvements he has made and that he can get into the top five in the race, something I’m sure he is well capable of.” Alex Barros #4: “Le Mans is a track that has always been rather tough for me, but that’s not to say that I won’t be aiming for a top result. The important thing is to prepare the bike well, not necessarily to get it one hundred percent perfect – I know things can’t always go as well as they did in Estoril for example – but still, as perfect as possible. In China we didn’t have the set-up spot on, but on Sunday, besides the penalty, I was quick and I was able to pick up a few points, so I hope I can go well in France too. I’ve still got a bit of pain in my side after I hit the kerb in the crash on Saturday morning, but I think I should be fine by the time of the Friday morning free practice.” Troy Bayliss #12: “I can’t wait to get to France because Le Mans is a track I love. Last year the race went quite well for me, but better still was the test day following it, I had a great day and rode really well. I think that if we can get the bike set up well, I will be able to make a good race.”

HACKING HOPING TO GET ON A ROLL AT INFINEON RACEWAY SUPERSPORT RACE Victory in Sonoma would be three in a row for former champ PICKERINGTON, Ohio (May 9, 2005) — Throughout most of his career Infineon Raceway was not kind to Jamie Hacking. Numerous crashes were about all Hacking had to show for his years of racing there. Two years ago the Yamaha road racer turned all of that around and earned his first victory at the difficult Northern California circuit. That win helped catapult Hacking to his first AMA Supersport Championship. Hacking hopes to repeat his 2003 performance on May 13-15, as the best Supersport teams and racers from across the nation will gather at Infineon Raceway for round four of the Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei, part of track’s Kawasaki Superbike Showdown. Hacking is riding a two race winning streak in AMA Supersport, taking victories at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., late last month and then again at California Speedway in Fontana on May 1. His triumph in Fontana moved Hacking, a 33-year-old British born, American raised rider from Denver, N.C., into the series lead and tied him with Aaron Yates and Tommy Hayden for third on the all-time AMA Supersport wins list. Hacking and Hayden have the chance to tie Mike Smith for second on the list this weekend. Yates is presently not racing in the series. “The one thing we see at Infineon (Raceway) that we don’t see anywhere else is the demanding nature of the track,” said Hacking, one of only four riders to win all four classes of AMA road racing. “It’s a good thing that it is so difficult to ride, and it’s not just physical. It’s as tough mentally as it is physically. There is nowhere to rest on the track, but it’s become so much more rider friendly the last few years that we’re not afraid to take risks.” Infineon Raceway has made yearly improvements to the historic 12-turn, 2.32-mile road course and as a result has become one the riders’ favorites. Defending series champ, Tommy Hayden, of Owensboro, Ky., is the other Supersport winner this year. Hayden took a commanding victory at Daytona in March and is hoping to find that winning combination again on his factory Kawasaki. A win at Infineon would be the oldest Hayden brother’s first Supersport victory at the circuit and give Kawasaki its first Infineon Supersport win since Thomas Stevens won at what was then called Sears Point Raceway in 1996. Hayden’s younger brother Nicky won the race in 1999. Hacking and Hayden have put a little distance in the standings on the rest of the ultra-competitive Supersport field after just three races, but third ranked Jason DiSalvo is hoping to close the gap with a good run in the upcoming race. The young New York rider’s best Supersport finish at Infineon was a fourth last year. Aaron Gobert, ranked fourth in Supersport, has fallen into a bit of a rut this year. The likable rider from the first family of road racing in Australia has finished fifth in all three rounds so far this season. Gobert has improved his finish every year at Infineon and he hopes that continues especially considering he finished you guessed it fifth in last year’s race. Defending Infineon Raceway Supersport winner Ben Spies comes into this year’s race fifth in the standings and the top Suzuki rider in Supersport. Some consider Suzuki to be a tad less competitive than Yamaha and Kawasaki in the class, but Spies has found ways to get the very best out of the GSX-R600 and he’s hoping to defend his title in Sonoma this weekend. A trio of Northern California riders will compete in front of friends and family at Infineon Raceway in the Supersport final this weekend. Nicky Moore, of Riverbank, Chris Siglin, of Dublin and Justin Filice, of Modesto, are all up-and-coming riders in Supersport. Moore, who at 18, already has international racing experience, scored a top-10 finish in the most recent round at California Speedway and looks to improve even further on his home track. Siglin was a 2003 winner of the Team Hammer Talent Search and is a leading AFM rider. Filice is the son of Motorcycle Hall of Famer and multi-time AMA racing champ Jimmy Filice. The young Filice is ranked 20th in the series riding a Hotbodies Racing Honda. SPEED Channel will provide national TV coverage of the Infineon round of the Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei final on Sunday, May 15 starting at 5:00 pm Eastern. Tickets to the Kawasaki Superbike Showdown Doubleheader can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets including Tower Records, Wherrehouse Music, Ritmo Latino, select Save Mart Supermarkets and Rite Aid stores. For additional inquiries or questions please contact the Infineon Raceway Ticket Office at 1-800-870-RACE.

The opening of a new Kawasaki dealership in Le Mans will provide Kawasaki factory riders, Shinya Nakano and Olivier Jacque, with an ideal opportunity to meet and greet their many fans ahead of this weekend’s French Grand Prix. To commemorate the opening of the new Best Way Kawasaki shop on Avenue du Panorama, Nakano and Jacque will appear at the dealership at 10 o’clock on Thursday 12th May, where they’ll sign autographs and pose for photographs with fellow Kawasaki riders. The appearance of the factory Kawasaki pilots at the Best Way Kawasaki event is expected to draw a big crowd, as both riders enjoy a huge following in France. As the only French rider in MotoGP, Olivier Jacque can count on the support of his home crowd, but his popularity is matched by that of Shinya Nakano, who built up a loyal following in France during his time with the French Tech 3 team. The two Kawasaki riders will get another chance to meet French race fans on the Thursday evening, when they appear at a public autograph session arranged by the promoters of the French Grand Prix. The autograph session, which always draws a large and enthusiastic crowd, will take place at the Place de la République in the centre of Le Mans, starting at 7 o’clock in the evening. Nakano and Jacque will be on hand to sign autographs, hand out posters and answer questions from their many French fans. For race fans unable to make it to Le Mans on Thursday there will be another opportunity to meet Shinya Nakano and Olivier Jacque on Saturday evening. The two Kawasaki pilots, together with Jacque’s Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR race bike, will be making an appearance on the Arlen Ness stand in the circuit spectator area starting at 5 o’clock.