A worldwide titanium shortage is affecting manufacturers of high-performance exhaust systems and may affect production of motorcycles designed to use titanium valves. Sources within the motorcycle industry say that exhaust pipe manufacturers have recently been unable to obtain titanium tubing at any price, following a steep run-up in prices earlier this year. The titanium shortage may be related to an increase in Chinese purchasing of the relatively rare substance. More details will be posted as they become available.

As the World Superbike and World Supersport teams leave behind the fly-away sector of the season, the much-used testing circuit of Valencia adopts the guise of full-on race venue once more. Starting a run of ten gruelling Euro based races, the Spanish round of the series may also offer some respite from the series of weather interruptions which have afflicted the season so far. The stadium style circuit of Valencia places particular strain on the left side of tyres thanks to the frequent low gear turns and lots of time spent at high lean angles. With three additional classes joining the championship this weekend, two all-new ones for the 2005 season, the 86 riders in the 2004 paddock have now grown to 156, stepping up the technical and logistical challenge for Pirelli to another level. The dominance shown thus far by Suzuki is expected to be challenged much more strongly, by high class entries from other four-cylinder manufacturers Yamaha, Honda, and Kawasaki, plus twin-cylinder kings Ducati and the three-cylinder runners Petronas. A podium finish in Australia by class rookie Max Neukirchner Honda) , has shown that the level playing filed offered by the adoption of high quality control tyres from Pirelli allows new talent to shine through. The close nature of the competition, through out the field is testimony to the effort put in by Pirelli, the scale of operations a testimony to the commitment of the entire Pirelli brand. In World Supersport the other protagonists will be trying to take a win away from Winston Ten Kate Team, as Sebastien Charpentier found the Pirelli’s new front tyre the perfect partner for his all-new front end suspension package in Australia. There are no less than three new classes to see at Valencia. The Superstock series, running since 1999, is once more aimed at the younger rider, but this year the monotyre series has been promoted to FIM World Cup status, and has seen the minimum age raised to 20. This has allowed the formation of a 600cc version, the Superstock 600 European Championship. This new initiative, on very stock machinery to reduce costs and performance parameters, will field riders between 15 and 20 years of age. The 1000cc Superstock category will run on Pirelli Dragon SuperCorsa tyres, like the Supersport class, with the 600cc version on Diablo Corsa tyres; racing street tyres to allow to these new young riders to face the challenges of a tough and competitive championship. This entry level championship features non-extreme machinery, making the Diablo Corsa tyres the perfect fitment. In addition to these new series, which will feature at five rounds of the main Superbike circus from now on, Valencia will host a Suzuki GSX-R European Cup 2005 race. This is an invitational category, featuring identically prepared GSX-R750s, supplied and maintained by Alstare. Looked after by Fabrizio Pirovano, the machines in the series will be liveried in the national colours of the riders, of which there will be 27, 22 permanent plus wildcards. The identical machines will feature Pirelli Diablo Corsa tyres on the rims. The same tyres you can fit on this bike to enjoy riding every day or on track days with your friends. Pirelli staff will enter the Valencia race celebrating the success of their products under the extreme conditions encountered by the GMT Yamaha squad of William Costes, Sebastien Gimbert and David Checa, victorious in the classic 24-Heures Du Mans endurance race on Pirelli tyres. Gimbert, now an SBK regular will be in attendance as usual in Spain, but adding to the mix will be the fulsome talents of Checa, riding as a wildcard and adding even more talent to an already high-quality grid. Last season results: Superpole: Laconi 1:33.427 Gara 1: Laconi, Vermeulen, Toseland Gara 2: McCoy, Vermeulen, Chili Superpole: Laconi 1:33.427 Gara 1: Laconi, Vermeulen, Toseland Gara 2: McCoy, Vermeulen, Chili More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group: LAUNCH OF THE SUPERSTOCK 600 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP Following on from the great success of the European Superstock Championship, FGSport will be unveiling another category aimed at younger riders, the Superstock 600 European Championship. This exciting new series will be run at all European rounds of the Superbike World Championship, with the inaugural round taking place at Valencia, Spain this coming weekend, April 22-23-24. The European Superstock Championship will feature the follow key elements.  Age Limits: Open to all qualifying riders from 15 to 20 years of age riders born not before the 1st of January 1985 and not after the 15th of April 1990.  Regulations: Features comparable technical regulations to those of the highly successful and affordable European Superstock class which itself continues as the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup. The regulations will be available on line soon at: www.uem-online.org;  Bike: 600cc 4-cylinder or 750 cc twin-cylinder engine configurations few modifications allowed to keep the bikes as standard as possible, reducing costs and limiting performance for safety reasons.  Tyres: Pirelli will be the single tyre supplier, continuing the visionary initiatives first introduced to the World Superbike and Supersport Championships, and the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup.  Calendar and Schedule: Rounds will be held alongside the European events on the 2005 Superbike World Championship calendar and each race will be on Saturday. This is the schedule: Friday TIMING CATEGORY PROGRAM 11.45-12.15 (30 MINS) SUPERSTOCK 600 FREE PRACTICE 16.30-17.00 (30 MINS) SUPERSTOCK 600 QUALIFYING PRACTICE Saturday TIMING CATEGORY PROGRAM 12.15-12.45 (30 MINS) SUPERSTOCK 600 QUALIFYING PRACTICE 17.40 SUPERSTOCK 600 RACE ( 11 LAPS KM.44.055)  Starting Grid: The starting grid will be made of 30 permanent riders and eight Wild Card riders. Of the eight Wild Card riders, six will be nominated by the National Federation of the country where the event will take place, while the remaining two by the UEM or FGSPORT;  Selection Criteria: The Teams will be selected based on certain criteria: such as the rider’s or the Team’s CV. FGSPORT will try to maintain an adequate balance between the nationalities of the riders.

Chinese Grand Prix 2005 MotoGP World Championship, round 3 of 17 April 29/30, May 1 2005 DUCATI MARLBORO MEN MAKE HISTORY IN CHINA The world’s biggest motorcycling nation plays host to World MotoGP Championship for the first time on May 1. And Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa aim to be in the thick of the action at this historic event, round three of the 17-race 2005 MotoGP World Championship. The renowned Bologna-based squad comes to the People’s Republic of China boosted by some promising performances at the recent Portuguese GP, where Checa scored the team’s first front-row start of the season and came close to securing fourth place in the rain-affected race. Both Checa and Capirossi suffered from injury at the season’s opening two races but should be fully fit for Shanghai, where they have high hopes of running up front in China’s first motorcycle GP. China is the world’s biggest nation, where the motorcycle provides everyday transport for hundreds of millions of people and annual sales of powered two-wheelers exceed 16 million units. It is one of three new countries on this year’s MotoGP calendar as the sport expands into important new markets. “This event is definitely something very special,” says Ducati Marlboro Team MotoGP project manager Livio Suppo. “MotoGP has never been to China before, it’s a fascinating country, with an incredible history and an exciting future. However, it’s difficult to predict the outcome of this race because none of the MotoGP teams have been to the track before. All we know is that Shanghai is a very impressive venue, with a massive infrastructure and an interesting-looking track. We’re looking forward to the event because both our riders enjoy discovering new tracks: Carlos took pole at Qatar last year and Loris is always quick to learn his way around new circuits”. The Ducati Marlboro Team marks its first visit to China with a Desmo party “Ducati Comes To China” on Thursday April 28, with the cooperation of Shell Advance, the Emilia Romagna region and Three On the Bund. Members of the media are invited to attend the press conference at 8pm, followed by a buffet dinner at 9pm, at Three on the Bund, 3 Zhong Shan Dong Yi Road, Shanghai (entrance on 17 Guandong Road). A shuttle service will leave the circuit at 6pm (TBC) and a taxi service will be available for return. CHECA MOVING FORWARD, FAST Carlos Checa’s storming ride to fifth place in treacherous damp conditions at Estoril proved his fast-improving pace on his Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP5. The Spaniard had already shown what he can do in qualifying, taking third place on the grid, just 0.254 seconds off pole position. He fought well during the race, recovering from a sluggish first few laps to briefly take fourth place, eventually finishing fifth. “We can consider that fifth-place finish to be a positive result,” says Checa, who was riding in some discomfort from the left shoulder he dislocated during preseason testing. “Now all I want to do is continue moving forward. Every race I learn a lot more about the bike and Shanghai will be especially interesting because it’s a new track, so things will be more equal for everyone. I watched a few laps of last year’s F1 race and the track looks very impressive. But at the end of the day all tracks are the same – just straights and corners! “I’m looking forward to my first visit to China. I always like to move about and discover new cultures. I expect there’ll be a big crowd, everyone seems to ride bikes in China, so I hope we can entertain them.” CAPIROSSI HOPEFULLY 100 PER CENT AGAIN Loris Capirossi endured a difficult start to his 2005 MotoGP campaign, contesting the back-to-back Spanish and Portuguese GPs with a cracked bone in his left ankle. But the gritty Ducati Marlboro Team man reckons he should be 100 per cent fit for China. “I know that the bike is working very well now, so I’m really looking forward to riding it fully fit,” says Capirossi. “We are making plenty of useful progress, working on suspension, engine mapping and tyre development. I think we will soon be fighting up front once again. “Shanghai should be an incredible weekend. I watched last year’s F1 race on TV and the track looks interesting. It looks quite different from a lot of the tracks we use, I just hope that the surface is good. The first corner looks very strange – it’s very, very long, so it’ll be almost like riding around a roundabout! I always like new tracks, and we have three this year – Shanghai, Istanbul and Laguna. I’ve been to Laguna before but I’ve only ever ridden 125s and 250s there, so it’ll definitely be a new track on a MotoGP bike!” THE TRACK The Shanghai International circuit, situated outside China’s prosperous metropolitan port city, hosted its first race just over six months ago but is already acknowledged as one of the most impressive race venues on earth. Vast grandstands overlook an equally impressive pits and paddock complex adjacent to the high-speed 5.451km/3.387 mile circuit. The track includes two very fast straights where bikes are expected to exceed 320km/199mph and a series of tight corners, including two long right-handers that take riders almost through 360 degrees. This is a new circuit to MotoGP bikes, so lap and race records have yet to be established. DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM RIDER DATA LOGS LORIS CAPIROSSI Age: 32 (born April 4, 1973) Lives: Monaco Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP5 GP victories: 23 (1xMotoGP, 2×500, 12×250, 8×125) First GP victory: Britain, 1990 (125) First GP: Japan, 1990 (125) GP starts: 218 (48xMotoGP, 59×500, 84×250, 27×125) Pole positions: 36 (3xMotoGP, 5×500, 23×250, 5×125) First pole: Australia, 1991 (125) World Championships: 3 (125: 1990, 1991, 250: 1998) CARLOS CHECA Age: 32 (born October 15, 1972) Lives: London, England Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP5 GP victories: 2 (500) First GP victory: Catalunya, 1996 (500) First GP: Europe, 1993 (125) GP starts: 170 (49xMotoGP, 92×500, 27×250, 1×125) Pole positions: 3 (2xMotoGP, 1×500) First pole: Spain, 1998 (500)

AMA PRO RACING ON TV THIS WEEK All programs on SPEED Channel (All times Eastern) AMA Pro Honda Oils Supersport Championship presented by Shoei, Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama Sunday April 24, 2-3 p.m. EST (LIVE) AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama Sunday April 24, 3-4 p.m. EST (Taped from Saturday) AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited, Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama Sunday April 24, 4-5 p.m. EST (LIVE) AMA Repsol Lubricants Superstock Series / AMA Lockhart Phillips USA Formula Xtreme Series, Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama Tuesday, April 26, 5:30-6:30 p.m. EST All times subject to change. Check local listings

SPANISH BACKDROP FOR TOSELAND AND LACONI (DUCATI XEROX TEAM) AT VALENCIA Valencia (Spain), Thursday 21 April: Two down and ten remaining as Ducati Xerox Team riders James Toseland and Régis Laconi arrive in Valencia, Spain for the first round of this year’s World Superbike Championship to be held on European soil. After two overseas events in Qatar and Australia, the Ricardo Tormo Circuit now provides the Spanish backdrop for the reigning world champion and his French team-mate’s assault on the 2005 title. Régis Laconi, currently lying third in the table with 54 points, is the only rider so far to really keep the pace of the leading Suzukis, and the 29-year-old Frenchman is convinced he can again do battle this weekend. “Three weeks since the last round is too long”, declared Régis, “so it just feels great to be back racing in Europe. We found some good solutions in Phillip Island for the settings and I hope they will work again at this track. Lap times were good in the tests here, so I think we can do a good job this weekend. Valencia is a very difficult circuit because it has a lot of hard braking but you need very good turning for the bike. That’s something almost opposite so you have to find a good compromise. “I feel my 999 is such a good package now but every small change makes a big difference and that’s what I need, just two or three tenths is important to stay at the front or try to pass. We are not down on power, our bike is very fast and we have good acceleration, but the most important thing is to get the front of the bike to go precisely where you want. Then you can open the throttle early and get the best drive out of the corners”, he concluded. James Toseland is languishing down in eighth place following the series of misfortunes and crashes that have marked his early-season title defence, but the 24-year-old won at Valencia last year and is sure to be a force to be reckoned with this weekend. “I’m pleased to be back at a race track after my shocker of a start in Qatar and Australia”, commented James. “Fortunately for me the problems that have been occurring, apart from the crash in Qatar, have been out of my control. As far as riding and my confidence goes, I feel good and just want to get back out there. Lap times and everything else are all there, they just need to come together now. “Valencia is totally different to the first two tracks, it’s a lot slower and tighter, and very technical. Because of the small gaps between corners you have to be very accurate and if your concentration is off your lap time is ruined. It’s all about keeping it flowing around here because every corner leads into the next one. Obviously you’ve got to get the bike to turn well but also keep some weight on the rear to have a fine balance. The whole package is capable of winning, we’ve just got to find the right form. This is where the season starts and we’ve got to knuckle down”, concluded Toseland. DUCATI XEROX TWO-SEATER: The first European round of the season will also mark the first appearance of the Ducati Xerox Two-Seater, which has been set up in collaboration with the team’s new sponsor, Xerox. The bike is an exact replica of the 999F05 of James Toseland, right down to the #1 on the front, and it will be used at every round of the season to provide a sensational experience for a selected group of clients, sponsors and VIPs. The rides will be provided by expert Italian racer Dario Marchetti, chief instructor at Ducati’s DRE (Ducati Racing Experience) riding school and the first pillion passengers on the two-seater at Valencia will be three lucky readers of Spain’s most prestigious daily newspaper ‘El Pais’. CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after 2 of 12 rounds): Riders – 1. Corser (Suzuki) 91; 2. Kagayama (Suzuki) 85; 3. Laconi (Ducati Xerox) 54 ; 4. Vermeulen (Honda) 50; 5. Neukirchner (Honda) 37; 6. Abe (Yamaha) 33; … 8. Toseland (Ducati Xerox) 22 ; etc. Manufacturers – 1. Suzuki 100; 2. Ducati 56; 3. Honda 53; 4. Yamaha 41; 5. Kawasaki 21; 6. Petronas 1. THE CIRCUIT – Name: Ricardo Tormo; Length: 4.005 km; Pole Position: Right; Corners Left/Right: 9/5; Finish Line Length: 876 m. STATISTICS – Best lap: Hodgson (Ducati) 1m34.633s (2003); Lap record: Hodgson (Ducati) 1m35.007s (2003); Superpole: Bayliss (Ducati) 1m34.814s (2002); Race distance: 2 x 23 laps/92.115 km. TV COVERAGE: Eurosport (Europe) – Sunday 24 April, 1200 Race 1 (live), 2300 Race 2 (delayed); British Eurosport (UK) – Saturday 23 April, 1500 BST Superpole (live); Sunday 24 April, 1100-1530 BST Race 1 & 2 (live); La7 (Italy) – Saturday 23 April, 1700 Superpole (delayed); Sunday 24 April, 1610-1900 Race 1 & 2 (delayed).

HODGSON AND BOSTROM TO ATTACK DIFFICULT BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK COURSE The Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin team travels to Birmingham, Alabama this weekend for rounds two and three of the 2005 AMA Superbike Championship. The scenic Barber Motorsports Park, located outside the city in the Alabama hills, will see the first race action in the series since last month’s Daytona opener. Racers Neil Hodgson and Eric Bostrom hope to capitalize on the team’s extensive testing of their factory Ducati 999 race machines since the first race of the season. For Hodgson, the former World Superbike Champion who has come to the U.S. this year in a bid to become the first man to win the British, World, and American Superbike titles, last month’s test at the Birmingham circuit known for its tight series of turns and blind corners was a valuable experience. “I’m learning all the tracks in America, and this one’s no different. I thought this track looked to be the most ‘normal’ of the tracks by watching the videos (of previous races). From riding at the test, it’s clearly different than I thought it would be,” said the Isle of Man resident currently second in AMA points. “For such a small circuit, it is still very technical and that’s the sign of a good track. I’ve not made friends with it yet and we’re still fighting,” laughed Hodgson. “The tricky part is that there’s a lot of off-camber braking and fast corners that you can’t see the entry. It’s quite difficult but I think it’s the type of place where you come back for the second time and feel a lot more comfortable. I’m really looking forward to getting back to racing after all this testing.” Eric Bostrom, winner of 12 AMA Superbike races in his career, is still working on adapting the powerful Ducati 999’s suspension settings to fit his distinctive riding style. Bostrom showed a marked improvement at recent tests, however. “It’s coming good. We’ve come a long way. Now we need to get the bike setup just a little bit better, then I think that will improve my riding as well,” says Bostrom. “We’re making progress and getting closer to where we want to be.” Eric agrees the Birmingham circuit is a challenging one, a track that doesn’t allow a mighty machine like the Ducati 999 to fully make use of its powerful engine. “The track is really a monster,” says Bostrom, who finished fourth and seventh in last year’s Barber Motorsport Park Superbike races. “Except for the Esses down by the museum, there aren’t a lot of flat turns. Even the Esses aren’t very flat, either. Every turn is a challenge because the bike is weighted and unweighted so much. You’ll brake uphill and then have to turn on a downhill. Setup is always a real compromise at Barber. It’s really a very cool racetrack, but it is very difficult.” “It’s going to be an interesting race weekend,” said Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin team manager Tom Bodenbach. “Despite all the time between races, things have been hectic and everyone in the team has been working hard to get ready. Our hope is that Neil and Eric will continue with their momentum in testing now that we’re racing again.” The two 28-lap Superbike races will be held on Saturday and Sunday. CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after 1 of 16 races): Mat Mladin (Suzuki) 38, NEIL HODGSON (PARTS UNLIMITED DUCATI AUSTIN 999) 32, Ben Spies (Suzuki) 29, Aaron Yates (Suzuki) 27, Jake Zemke (Honda) 26, Miguel DuHamel (Honda) 25 … ERIC BOSTROM (PARTS UNLIMITED DUCATI AUSTIN 999) 20 THE CIRCUIT Name: Barber Motorsport Park, 2.3 miles (3.70 kilometers), 16 turns with 80 feet of elevation changes. STATISTICS Lap record: Mladin (Suzuki) 1:23.176 (2003) Race distance: DuHamel (Honda) 40.41.42 (2004)

Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Turkish Grand Prix confirmed Following the agreement signed between the Turkish Motorcycling Federation (TMF) and Dorna Sports, the FIM confirms that the Turkish Grand Prix will take place on the circuit of Istanbul on October 23 next. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Yamaha Motor Germany’s Turkish superstock rider Kenan Sofuoglu had the honour of taking the first lap of the newly built race track of Istanbul, Turkey which will hold the first ever Turkish MotoGP race on October 23. Despite the fact that the circuit is far from ready, about 1000 men are still working non-stop to get it finished, Kenan rode a lap on a standard YZF-R1 to get a first impression on its lay-out. According to the 20-year-old, who has become a major star in his home country, the circuit will provide a stiff challenge for the MotoGP stars. “My first impressions are very positive it’s seems to become a great circuit and very challenging,” he said. “It’s undulating and there is even a section similar to the famous Corkscrew corner of the Laguna Seca race track in the US.” Also in attendance was Turkish Prime Minister. Recep Taytip Erdogan. The statesman and a delegation of the parliament were not only impressed by Kenan’s wheelie antics, Mr. Erdogan showed big interest in motorsports and Kenan’s function as role model for Turkish motorcycle racers. He has promised to try to find a gap in his busy schedule to visit one of Kenan’s races this season. While Kenan has ambitions to race in MotoGP himself on day, this weekend he starts his quest to win the 2005 FIM Superstock 1000 Cup. The winner of the 2002 German Yamaha R6 cup, Kenan finished third last year in his rookie season on the R1 season, behind his fellow YZF-R1 competitors Lorenzo Alfonsi and Gianluca Vizziello. With both the Italians moving on to the superbike class, Sofuoglu will start the year as one of the favourites for the title. “I want to win the title this year as a step to greater things to come, but the competition will be hard,” added the likeable youngster. “We have had some very good tests, but only the first race this weekend at Valencia will prove exactly where we stand.”