FPR’s Aussies Make Tracks at Phillip Island Test FPR’s Steve Martin and Garry McCoy made further encouraging strides forward during today’s second day of testing at Phillip Island, with extensive evaluation of engine and chassis developments proving successful. Another trouble free day of running enabled both riders to maximise track time and using the latest specification of engine development, Steve knocked off over a second from his best time of yesterday to post a 1:34.2, also an improvement on the team’s best lap time from the 2004 race weekend at the costal circuit. Team mate Garry made significant in-roads with the set up of this longer swing arm configured FP1 and was able to run half a second quicker than yesterday with a time of 1:35.7, although cooling conditions from mid afternoon denied him the chance of taking to the track on a qualifying tyre. Team Manager, Jack Valentine commented, “Overall I’m really pleased with how this test has gone. Having found a good race set up yesterday, Steve’s focus today was on testing the latest engine specification and we’re really happy with how that performed, so now we need to get working to bring that on line as soon as possible. Garry continued work with his longer swing arm in order to find a good race set up, and is now at a point where he is comfortable and confident on the bike, which again is great progress. Now we’re just looking forward to next weekend’s race and even more developments to get us to where we really want to be.” Steve said, “I know I say this at every test but I am really happy with how the last two days have gone. Each time we go out things just get better for me and that’s a great credit to all the team’s hard work. I’ve got a good set up for the race here at the Island and the latest engine specification I’ve been testing today is really good. It’s a shame we won’t have that in the bikes for this next race but it’s great to know that we’ve got some really good things to come.” Garry said, “Things have started coming together for me today. We continued where we left off yesterday with more set up work of the longer swing arm, as my aim for today was to get to a point where I felt comfy on the bike and had a good base set up for the race here. I had to go out on my second bike in the afternoon which doesn’t have some of the latest engine developments, and also, even though we moved over all the parts from my first bike, it still didn’t feel quite the same so we had to spend a bit of time working through that. But I feel we achieved what we set out to do at this test and I’m more comfortable on the bike now than I ever have been which is great. I’m looking forward to the race and carrying on with making even more development progress.”

PICKERINGTON, Ohio (March 28, 2005) — AMA Pro Racing today announced it will post live practice times on @theWireLive! during the upcoming two-day Barber Motorsports Park team test set for Tuesday, March 29, and Wednesday, March 30. The test is in preparation for Round Two of the 2005 AMA Superbike Championship, April 22-24 at the 2.3-mile Barber Motorsports Park near Birmingham, Ala. Scheduled to test are Yoshimura Suzuki, American Honda, Erion Honda, Kawasaki, Attack Kawasaki, Austin Ducati, Michael Jordan Motorsports, Yamaha Graves Motorsports and Team M4 EMGO Suzuki. The test is closed to the public. Fans and media can follow riders of all participating teams by visiting @theWireLive! on www.amasuperbike.com. For event and ticket information for the April 22-24 AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited log on to www.barbermotorsports.com. About AMA Pro Racing AMA Pro Racing is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle sport in the United States. Its properties include the THQ AMA Supercross Series, the AMA Motocross Championship, the AMA Superbike Championship, the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship and the AMA Supermoto Championship. For more information about AMA Pro Racing, visit www.amaproracing.com.

Heroic Reynolds scores double top 10 RIZLA SUZUKI British Superbike Champion John Reynolds scored two heroic top 10 finishes in the opening round of the British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch today while racing with a broken right leg. During the weekend JR went from 21st after first practice, to 12th on the grid, to two ninth-place finishes in the races. He battled through the pain barrier and refused to give in to his injured right leg or his rivals, fighting every lap of both races and scoring valuable Championship points in front of a huge 50,000-strong crowd. JR has an appointment with his surgeon on Wednesday and is planning on resting for the next two weeks to build his strength for the second round of the series. Rizla Suzuki racer Scott Smart crashed out of the season opener on lap six when he had to brake mid-corner to avoid colliding with another rider, hurting his left wrist and straining his back in the process. A still sore Smart started from third place on the front row in the second race and bravely finished in a solid eighth place to get his Championship challenge off the ground. Honda’s Ryuichi Kiyonari won both races. The second round of the British Superbike Championship is at Rizla Suzuki’s home track of Thruxton in Hampshire on April 10th, just 30-minutes away from the team’s Dorset HQ at the Crescent Performance Centre in Verwood. John Reynolds: “I am happy to have scored points today but in my heart I really wanted to be racing at the front. In fairness, the limiting factor today wasn’t the pain in my right leg, it was the lack of ground clearance on right hand corners because I was wearing a huge boot and cast that was dragging on the track. Put simply, I couldn’t lean my Rizla Suzuki any further and that was costing me time everywhere. “Saying that, my Rizla Suzuki technicians have been beyond brilliant this weekend. They have accommodated my injury and gave me a fantastic GSX-R1000 to race. They even gave me reinforced toe-sliders so I could complete 30-laps without wearing through my entire right boot! Well done to the team and thank you for having the belief in me to race – the 14-points I’ve scored today could make all the difference at the end of the season.” Scott Smart: “I’m disappointed in my results today because my Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000, my team and myself were capable of much better – we proved that by qualifying third on the grid. “Race one was unfortunate as I crashed avoiding another rider and hurt my left wrist and back. In race two I was mugged in the first two laps and found myself down in 12th. I felt weak because of my injuries but as the race wore on I built up my confidence and started to get a move on and that’s very encouraging. We are matching the Rizla Suzuki to my riding style and we will make very fast progress thanks to all the data we’ve got this weekend.” Robert Wicks: “I am ecstatic for JR to take two top 10 finishes against all the odds – it is more than any of the team could have hoped for and has lifted us all enormously. If he can get this sort of result with a broken leg, I can’t wait to see what he can do when he’s fit again. This is a long season and JR is going to be in the reckoning. “I feel for Scott as he had a lot of pressure and expectation on his shoulders because of JR’s injury and a front row starting position. He suffered a bit of bad luck in race one and spent race two rebuilding his confidence, which he did very effectively indeed. He posted his fastest laps of the race towards the end – times equaling the front-runners. He has the ability, he has the bike and when it gels for him he’s going to be spectacularly fast. “My first race weekend as Team Manager has been thoroughly exciting and I am delighted with the professionalism and dedication of the Rizla Suzuki team. We’ll go back to the workshops and regroup before Thruxton where I know we will be much stronger when we line up there in two weeks time.” Race One Result: 1: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 23:17.515, 2: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +10.242, 3: Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +10.432, 4: Michael Rutter (Honda) +10.533, 5: Sean Emmett (Yamaha) +14.168, 6: Karl Harris (Honda) +18.874, 7: Jeremy McWilliams (Honda) +24.408, 8: Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) +24.604, 9: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) +26.892, 10: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +32.289, SCOTT SMART (RIZLA SUZUKI) DNF. Race Two Result: 2: 1: Kiyonari 23:16.796, 2: Rutter +5.041, 3: Lavilla +8.027, 4: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +9.786, 5: Emmett +14.181, 6: Harris +14.421, 7: Richards +16.612, 8: SCOTT SMART (RIZLA SUZUKI) +24.002, 9: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) +24.439, 10: Gary Mason (Honda) +24.506. Championship Standings after Round One: 1: Kiyonari 50, 2: Lavilla 36, 3: Rutter 33, 4: Richards 25, 5: Emmett 22, 6: Harris 20, 7: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) 14, 8: Thomas 13, 9: Haslam 13, 10: Hill 10, 13: SCOTT SMART (RIZLA SUZUKI) 8.

Hopkins shows Bridgestone potential as busy winter test schedule ends in Jerez BRIDGESTONE ended an intensive winter testing schedule in confident mood ahead of the start of the 2005 MotoGP world championship after a positive three-day test session at the Jerez circuit in Spain. American rider John Hopkins confirmed the huge strides made in the close season by Bridgestone when he finished an impressive third fastest with a lap of 1:40.418 on the final afternoon. The Suzuki GSV-R rider impressed throughout the weekend in what was a dress rehearsal for the first MotoGP of the season back at the Jerez circuit on April 10. He was fastest on the opening day, clocking a best of 1:40.893 on Bridgestone’s new race rubber. It looked like the 21-year-old would finish the test fastest until a late surge by Marco Melandri and Nicky Hayden dropped him to third overall as Hopkins, ecstatic with his weekend’s performance, opted to finish earlier than his rivals. On a rain-hit second day, conditions gave riders the perfect opportunity to assess the new range of Bridgestone wet weather tyres for the first time this winter. All noted a major step forward in performance from last season. That was reflected in the time sheets as Kenny Roberts Junior and Hopkins set the top two times on a soaked track. With barely an hour of dry track time available at the end of the second day, Japanese Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano set the best time on the new Big Bang ZX-RR with a 1:42.112 lap. Loris Capirossi set the fifth fastest time overall, the Ducati rider posting a best of 1:40.550. Nakano eventually took eighth position, while German team-mate Alex Hofmann was 12th, two places ahead of Suzuki rider Kenny Roberts Junior. John Hopkins Team Suzuki MotoGP 3rd position “This test has given me a massive confidence boost before the first race. It’s been an excellent three days and I think we are ready for anything now. The first day was very exciting. With race tyres we spent the majority of the day at the top of the field and it was good. The improvements that Bridgestone and Suzuki have made during the winter are really starting to show. The Bridgestone rear tyre is just better in entire grip. Initial grip is so good when we first go out there it is like riding on a qualifier. It’s almost got to a point where when I go out in qualifying for the race, I’m not even sure yet if I need to use a qualifier. I might just need a new set of race rubber. The rate of improvement in the winter has been fascinating really. In just four or five tests Bridgestone has come back with a tyre that is exactly what we needed. I set my best time using a qualifying tyre that felt great. For the first part of the lap I was taking it easy just feeling where the grip was, and when we got to full throttle I could do that time no problem. Another big plus from this test is the chance we got to test some rain tyres. They seemed to be a major improvement on what we had last year, which is another positive sign for us with the season so close. I’m just ready to race now and can’t wait. Junichi Kawajiri Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Manager “We had three days of worthwhile testing here under several different weather conditions, and were able to confirm the positive progress we have made with our race tyres. John Hopkins and his team did a superb job and his consistently fast lap times proved just how fast he can ride on the GSV-R. We also had a chance to test our new wet tyres, and the progress we have made were evident as Kenny Roberts clocked the fastest time under heavy rain on the second day. Now we are looking forward to the opening race in just a couple weeks time, where we hope to achieve good results with our 2005 generation race tyres.” Bridgestone Results: 3. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki, 1:40.418; 5. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati, 1:40.559; 9. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki 1:41.328; 12. Alex Hofmann, (GER) Kawasaki, 1:41.454; 14. Kenny Roberts Junior (USA) Suzuki, 1:41.913. More, from a press release issued by Camel Honda: Winter testing ends. In two weeks the return to Jerez for MotoGP 2005 Today in Jerez, the final winter test session for MotoGP teams came to a close, and they were able to make to most of a dry track. The next time the teams start their engines will be for the free practice at the Spanish GP, on Friday April 8th. The two Camel Honda team riders today perfected the set-up of their machines, picking out a good base set-up for the imminent grand prix. Ramon Forcada Camel Honda (Alex Barros’s crew chief) “We have done all the work we had scheduled, in the end we found a good solution for the bike’s suspension both on the front and back. We are ready for the race, in the sense that we have a good basis from which to start from, because we mustn’t forget that Jerez is a track that is affected by even the slightest change in weather. After yesterday and today for example, and by yesterday I mean when the track was dry, the conditions were completely different.” Alex Barros Camel Honda 1:40.569 (laps) 6th fastest “In these Jerez tests we have really worked hard, especially today when I did over a hundred laps. We have honestly explored every avenue: electronics, front tyres, rear tyres, suspension, various geometries and at the end we managed to improve the bike where I wanted. Friday I was very nervous, today meanwhile I was able to ride cleaner, with a used tyre over 15 laps old I did a 1:41 and a half. With the qualifier I rode a 40.5 but I used my spare machine, so I think we can safely say things have gone well.” Santiago Mulero Camel Honda (Troy Bayliss’s crew chief) “With a beautiful day today we were able to do some good work. We have tried a variety of settings on the bike which were completely different to yesterday, and also we tested a lot of different tyre types. By the end, Troy has found a reasonably satisfying set-up and improved his time by a half-second compared to Friday.” Troy Bayliss Camel Honda 1:41.529 (92 laps) 13th fastest “All the tests are now finished, so the next time we get out on track will be for the race. I honestly can’t wait. Compared to the first test we had in Jerez, I rode slower today, but what counts is that during all the tests we have done throughout the winter there has been a constant improvement in my feeling with this bike.” Today’s official Lap times 1. Hayden (Honda) 1’39.983; 2. Melandri (id.) 1’40.291; 3. Hopkins (Suzuki) 1’40.418; 4. Rossi (Yamaha) 1’40.539 ; 5. Capirossi (Ducati) 1’40.559 ; 6. Barros (Honda) 1’40.569; 7. Gibernau (id.) 1’40.662; 8. Edwards (Yamaha) 1’41.284; 9. Nakano (Kawasaki) 1’41.328; 10. Tamada (Honda) 1’41.380; 11. Biaggi (id.) 1’41.431; 12. Hoffman (Kawasaki) 1’41.453; 13. Bayliss (Honda) 1’41.529; 14. Roberts (Suzuki) 1’41.913; 15. Aoki (Suzuki test) 1’42.121; 16. Elias (Yamaha) 1’42.387; 17. Xaus (Yamaha) 1’43.961; 18. Ellison (Proton WCM) 1’44.041; 19. Byrne (1’44.272); 21. Rolfo (Ducati) 1’44.395; 22. Guareschi (Ducati test) 1’44.447; 22. Battaini (Blata WCM) 1’45.379 More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda: Sete Gibernau and Marco Melandri finish at Jerez a very good pre-season Third and last day of testing at Jerez for the MotoGP teams gathered at jerez for the last test of the pre-season. In two weeks in fact the 2005 will start here with the Spanish GP. After a long and demanding pre-season the riders of the team Movistar are nor ready for the 2005 challenge. Sete Gibernau worked today on the set up of the bike, lapping 73 laps. He run in 1:40 with race tyres and left Jerez satisfied with the work done. His team mate Marco Melandri did a race simulation today lapping on a pace of 1:41 high. He also practised with qualifying tyres, finishing with the second fastest time of the day. SETE GIBERNAU (1:40.662 73 laps): “Today we worked in preparation of the race. Here in Jerez we found more problems than we expected and yesterday the rain spoiled our programme. Today I couldn’t make a long run because there was not enough time. All in all I am happy, we found a good balance of the bike and the our pace was good. In fact we ran on 1:40 with race tyres. This test session was very important to verify all the work done so far and I’m very happy, I’m stronger mentally and physically, at every test we have improved al lot.” MARCO MELANDRI (1:40″291 93 laps): “I’m very satisfied of these 3 day of testing because my race rhythm has improved, moreover I could test on wet and practice on a fast lap. Today I tested many tyres for Michelin and I’m very happy that they trust me. In the afternoon I did a long run (27 consecutive laps) on a pace of 1:41 high and finally I tested three qualifying tyres. Now I feel ready for the first race, I’m confident and concentrated on me and my team.” Lap times 1. Nicky Hayden (USA/Honda) 1’39″983 2. Marco Melandri (Ita/Honda) 1’40″291 3. John Hopkins (USA/Suzuki) 1’40″418 4. Valentino Rossi (Ita/Yamaha) 1’40″539 5. Loris Capirossi (Ita/Ducati) 1’40″559 6. Alex Barros (Bra/Honda) 1’40″569 7. Sete Gibernau (Esp/Honda) 1’40″662 8. Colin Edwards (USA/Yamaha) 1’41″284 9. Shinya Nakano (Jap/Kawasaki) 1’41″328 10. Makoto Tamada (Jap/Honda) 1’41″380

Suzuki Castrol Win Assen 500 Kawasakis Second and Third The Assen 500km opening round of the 2005 FIM World Endurance Championship has been won by Suzuki Castrol. Riders Vincent Philippe and Keiichi Kitagawa led from the first lap to the last lap, holding a comfortable advantage for much of the race. The race was incident packed from the start, with second placed qualifier Suzuki Nederland being one of the last teams to get off the line after their engine refused to start. By lap ten they had tucked into third place behind Suzuki Castrol and Yamaha Austria No.7, with Yamaha Austria No.77, Yamaha Phase One and Kawasaki Bolliger slipstreaming and fighting for position. The pace cars were called out after an accident on the entry to the start/finish line, bunching the field into two groups. When the incident was cleared Suzuki Castrol were 40 seconds ahead, with a real battle going on for second place. Yamaha Austria No.7 crashed while in second place, but rider Gwen Giabbani was able to bring the bike back to the pits for repair, and the team rejoined the race. The Yamaha Austria No.77 bike was less fortunate, also crashing out of second place but unable to continue. This allowed Kawasaki Bolliger to move up to second place, in front of their partner team Kawasaki Diablo, with Yamaha Phase One Endurance in fourth and Yamaha Shell Endurance Academy in fifth place. Suzuki Nederland repeatedly moved up through the field before slipping back again because their pit stops were not as fast as the other teams. Yamaha Austria No.7 were also on a charge, making up places as Ducati Spring Team crashed out of the top ten and Shell Endurance Academy made an unnecessary stop. Suzuki Castrol made a “splash and dash” fuel stop with just two laps to go but with their comfortable lead this was a precaution worth taking. They finished the race two laps in front of second placed Bolliger Kawasaki, who were themselves a lap ahead of Diablo Kawasaki. Yamaha Phase One were fourth despite Yamaha Austria No.7 having closed to within 38 seconds. The sixth to tenth placed finishers were all on the same lap, with only one and a half seconds separating Yamaha X-One and Kawasaki Team RMT21. Press Conference Quotes: Vincent Philippe Suzuki Castrol 1st Place: “The race was very difficult. The first session was too easy, but after that I had a hard rain tyre and it was very difficult to stay on the bike. I am happy to finish and to win.” Keiichi Kitagawa Suzuki Castrol 1st Place: “This is the first time I have ridden this course, and it is a very difficult course. I am happy with this result.” Dominic Meliand Suzuki Castrol team manger 1st Place: “No problems; a good race. The conditions were difficult; very mixed, but no technical problems. When the rain was light, it was hard to choose a tyre, but later it was an easy choice.” Marcel Kellenberger Kawasaki Bolliger 2nd Place: “It is a happy moment for all of us at Bolliger to be on the podium. The second relais was a little dangerous for me; it was hard to stay on the bike in the rain on slick tyres, but after that it was ok. I don’t think the rest of the season will be so easy.” Steve Mizera Kawasaki Diablo 666 Bolliger 3rd Place: “The beginning of the race was a bit difficult because after the safety car went in I couldn’t find my speed again. But we knew from testing that the Kawasaki had a very good set-up in the rain, and this was our advantage this weekend. James and Kevin gave their best, and we are pleased to be on the podium.” Provisional Top Ten Finishers 1. Suzuki Castrol Team FRA Suzuki GSX-R1000 Philippe, Kitagawa, 130 laps 2. Bolliger Team SUI Kawasaki ZX10R Kellenberger, Morillon, Mizera, -2 laps 3. Diablo 666 GBR Kawasaki ZX10R Mizera, Hutchins, Falcke, -3 laps 4. Yamaha Phase One Endurance GBR Yamaha YZF-R1 Cudlin, Notman, Nowland, -4 laps 5. Yamaha Austria 7 AUT Yamaha YZF-R1 Jerman, Giabbani, -38.788 seconds 6. Fagersjo-el.se SWE Suzuki GSX-R100 Andersson, Minim, Carlberg, -5 laps 7. Shell Endurance Academy GBR Yamaha YZF-R1 Rohtlaan, Wylie, Hogan, -18.136 seconds 8. Team X-One ITA Yamaha YZF-R1 Tessari, Ricci, -36.202 seconds 9. Team RMT21 GER Kawasaki ZX10R Jennes, Bruning, Roth, -37.585 seconds 10. Suzuki Nederland NED Veneman, Janssen, Steenbergen, -83.078 seconds Fastest Lap: Suzuki Castrol Vincent Philippe 1:24.993

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The All-Terrain Vehicle Association (ATVA) has announced that the ATVA has asked the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to deny a petition to ban the sale of full-sized ATVs for use by children under 16. ATVA Director Doug Morris and American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Legislative Affairs Specialist Royce Wood, along with representatives of the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, the ATV Safety Institute, and others, testified at a public meeting on March 22 in Bethesda, Maryland, asking the commission to follow a recommendation of the CPSC staff to reject the petition. Morris and Wood testified that proper training, the use of safety gear, parental supervision, and allowing children to ride right-size vehicles would do much to reduce ATV-related injuries and deaths involving children under 16. They also encouraged the commission to seek information from user groups when considering ATV-related matters. The full text of the testimony is available at http://www.atvaonline.com/News/05/Testimonies.pdf. (Adobe Acrobat required) The CPSC staff recommendation arose from a 2002 request by the Consumer Federation of America, Bluewater Network, and the Natural Trails and Waters Coalition. Those groups asked for a ban on all ATV use by those under the age of 16, but the panel said it didn’t have the authority to enforce such a ban. The groups also asked the commission to ban the sale of full-sized ATVs for the use of children under 16, which is something the ATV industry already voluntarily does. After several public hearings held by the commission in various parts of the country, and a thorough review of the testimony and facts by the CPSC staff, the staff on February 2 recommended that the commission reject the request. The All-Terrain Vehicle Association (ATVA) is dedicated to increasing members’ enjoyment of riding and owning ATVs by serving as a source of authoritative information about where and how to ride, products, events, and racing, and by protecting and promoting the rights of all ATV riders. The ATVA is part of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), the world’s most powerful voice for motorcyclists. For more information, visit the ATVA website at www.ATVAonline.com, or call 1-866-ATVA-JOIN.

Goodridge USA Expands Privateer Support with SportBikesWest.com Racing TORRANCE, CA – Goodridge USA is proud to announce its growing relationship with SportBikesWestRacing.com and team riders Lloyd Magruder, Willy Ivins and Mike Cain for the 2005 race season. Lloyd Magruder will be competing with a Yamaha R6, Yamaha TZ250, and Aprilia RS250 in Southern California’s WSMC, as well as AFM, & USGPRU. Willy Ivins will compete on a Honda RS125 in Southern California’s WSMC series, and has multiple wins in WSMC and brings with him an extensive amount of knowledge on suspension tuning to the team Mike Cain will race a CBR600RR in WSMC and recently placed 4th in his first race before being temporarily sidelined by an injury. Mike is Lead Instructor for Takeit2thetrack.net, and owner of Sportbikeswest.com website and race team. On the maintenance side, Mark Harris will serve as SportBikesWest.com Racing’s Crew Chief, bringing 7 years of mechanical experience to the team’s efforts. “Once again, Goodridge demonstrates its passion and support for motorcycle racing at every level. Already the choice of Factory AMA Teams, we’re now focusing energy to Privateer Racers. Part of our ‘Groundswell’ Campaign entails supporting Privateer Racers through various forms of product sponsorship, providing them with the same quality products used by the Factory Teams. Mike Cain and SportBikesWest.com Racing is a great investment for Goodridge and for motorcycling racing in general. We are pleased to be associated with them throughout the 2005 season.” says Adrian Limon Goodridge USA supplies high performance products to the motor racing and automotive industry. We offer a broad range of braking applications and products for Sportbikes, Off-Road, Cruisers and American Big Twins.

First and third row for inspirational Rizla Suzuki racers RIZLA SUZUKI’S Scott Smart will start from third on the front row while his injured team mate John Reynolds qualified in an amazing 12th place for tomorrow’s opening round of the 2005 British Superbike Championship at the Brands Hatch Indy circuit in Kent. Smart spent both of today’s 50-minute long sessions testing race tyres before slotting in a Dunlop qualifier and leaping up to third on the front row of the grid in the dying minutes. He was one of only three riders to break the 46-seconds barrier – more than half a second faster than he has ever lapped at Brands Hatch before. British Superbike Champion JR started qualifying in determined mood and slashed nearly 1.5-seconds from yesterday’s best lap time to get within half a second of the front row – despite riding with an injured right leg that he broke in five places during testing just 38-days ago. He will start from 12th and the third row of the grid behind pole sitter Leon Haslam on a Ducati, with the top 17 on the grid separated by just one second. Team SUZUKI MotoGP ace John Hopkins and Team Manager Paul Denning will be joining Rizla Suzuki to support the team as it begins the defence of its Superbike title tomorrow. Superbike racing starts at 13:45pm at Brands Hatch in Kent on Bank Holiday Monday, March 28th. Scott Smart: “We did nothing to my Rizla Suzuki race bike, but the big difference today was simple – I got my head into gear and I stopped trying so hard. Once I relaxed I was able to slash my lap times and lap consistently quickly. “My qualifying lap was a revelation – I entered Clearways thinking I was going far too fast but turned in as normal and my GSX-R held the line perfectly. I am building trust in the Rizla Suzuki and starting to reveal its true potential. Third is a front row start and I’m happy with that, in fact I am more than happy, I am ecstatic!” John Reynolds: “My Rizla Suzuki is working beautifully and my injured right leg isn’t bothering me when I’m riding. Last night I was disappointed but today we have got our act together and are within striking distance of pole position with a competitive race pace. “We are going to move the gear lever down because I missed a couple of shifts during my qualifying lap. My only other concern is my right toe-slider, I am grinding it down pretty quick and the team is going to reinforce it this evening so it will last 30-laps.” Gary Keogh, Rizla UK Brand Manager: “My first reaction is that there is nothing between first and 12th on the grid and both riders have excelled themselves on the all new Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000K5. “JR has been simply inspiring and I cannot give him higher praise than that. Scott rode fantastically to get third on the grid and we all know he is a better racer than qualifier, so we are confident for the races. This Championship is a marathon and not a sprint and this is a great start for the team.” Qualifying Positions: 1: Leon Haslam (Ducati) 45.784, 2: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +0.043, 3: SCOTT SMART (RIZLA SUZUKI) +0.155, 4: Sean Emmett (Yamaha) +0.226, 5: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +0.271, 6: Michael Rutter (Honda) +0.277, 7: Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +0.280, 8: Karl Harris (Honda) +0.331, 9: Jeremy McWilliams (Honda) +0.502, 10: Gary Mason (Honda) +0.544, 12: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) +0.614.