SETUP REPORT - 18/09/2006

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SETUP REPORT - 18/09/2006

Title chase heads north as Camel Yamaha Team travel to Japan

The final leg of an exhausting Grand Prix triple-header takes place in
Japan this weekend as the chase for the MotoGP World Championship heads
north from Australia with Camel Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi now
the closest he has been to the series lead since the third round of the
season in Turkey. Third place for the Italian at Phillip Island on
Sunday moved him to within 21 points of Nicky Hayden (Honda), with this
weekend's event at the Motegi circuit in the Tochigi prefecture providing
another opportunity to cut that gap even further before the series
returns to Europe for two final races in Portugal and Spain.

As well as lifting him up to second place in the championship, Rossi's
89th top-three career finish in the premier class also moved him ahead
of Giacomo Agostini in the all-time podiums list, with just Mick Doohan
above him on 95. The 27-year-old's goal is to add to that tally with
his 59th victory at a circuit where he has already celebrated on the top
step in 2001.

The statistics don't make such good reading for Rossi's Camel Yamaha
team-mate Colin Edwards, whose impressive run of point-scoring finishes
ended on 34 in Australia - just three short of another of Doohan's
records. Edwards has a best finish of sixth at Motegi but he is doubly
determined to improve on that in front of Yamaha's army of Japanese fans,
who last saw him retiring from the Suzuka 8 Hour race with a mechanical
problem in July.
Valentino Rossi: Nothing is impossible
Valentino Rossi admits that Motegi is not high on his list of favourite
destinations although that opinion could easily be changed by another
top result on Sunday. The Italian has bounced back from a series of
early-season setbacks to hit top form in recent weeks and with three rounds
remaining he still has a realistic chance of wrestling the title from
Hayden's grasp.

"Honestly it's not a track I like very much and I haven't had such a
good time there in the past, but we're going to have to do our best at
Motegi," says Rossi, who didn't finish last year's race after a collision
with Marco Melandri. "Three races in a row like this is very hard,
especially with this one as the third! We need to make the most of the
practice time there because it is not a great track for us. Last year
especially it was not a good weekend; we had a lot of problems during the
practices and then the race result was very bad!"

"A gap of 21 points is still a lot but it's not impossible so we can
still try. Motegi is going to be a very important race for us, firstly
because we know it's going to be difficult and secondly because we have
to try to get more points from Hayden in order to stay in the fight. My
M1 has been pretty good recently and I think we're going there in good
shape, so hopefully we can make the most of the weekend and go back to
Europe with an even better shot at the title."
Colin Edwards: Positive thinking
After enjoying the support of family and friends in Australia, Colin
Edwards will again benefit from huge backing this weekend thanks to his
army of Japanese fans. Twice a winner of the Suzuka 8 Hour race, one of
those alongside Rossi, Edwards enjoyed plenty of success in Japan
during his Superbike career and he hopes to revive the glory days by
building on a good weekend of set-up work with the YZR-M1 machine in
Australia."

"I actually don't mind Motegi too much as a track, although I wouldn't
say it's one of my favourites," says Edwards. "It's a pretty
interesting track and I really like the four corners after the tunnel exit. We
were sixth last year, which was okay, but we did have a few problems
through the weekend to deal with which hopefully won't resurface this year.
I've always enjoyed racing in Japan and I have loads of fans there,
plus there's always a great atmosphere so it's generally a fun weekend."

"Phillip island was obviously really disappointing, especially since we
made such massive strides forward over the weekend and I was finally
feeling like I was back where I should be in the way I could ride the
bike. Basically I just have to forget what happened and think about the
positives from the weekend and with any luck what worked there will work
next week and we'll be able to get on it from the start on Friday
morning.It's good in this way that we've got another race straight away - no
time to sit around dwelling on the past!"
Davide Brivio: Desperate for points
Camel Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio is expecting a tough weekend
for his riders at a circuit that has traditionally not favoured Yamaha
machinery. However, the Italian insists that the team's focus will not
waver as they target another victory points haul in the quest to lift
the MotoGP World Championship crown for the third successive season.

"Now we go to Motegi, which was very difficult for us last year and is
never an easy track," admits Brivio. "We had a lot of set-up problems
and then unfortunately Valentino crashed in the race and we came away
with zero points! This year of course we are desperate for points so we
need a very different weekend."

"Over the last few races the situation with our bike has been pretty
good, so with any luck this will be the case even in Motegi. We know it
will be difficult of course, but we go there in good shape and ready to
fight. Colin was in great shape at Phillip Island but sadly the rain
stopped him from getting the result he deserved. We hope he won't have
any pain remaining from his fall and that he can keep working in the good
way he was in Australia, as we all want to see him back on top again."
Technically speaking: Motegi according to Andrea Zugna
Designed in 1997 as a test venue, Motegi has ultra-modern facilities
although the outstanding paddock is not quite matched by the intricacies
and character of a somewhat geometric circuit layout. A bump-free
surface offers good levels of grip without being particularly abrasive, but
the proliferation of second gear turns, linked for the most part by
mini-drag strips, means braking and acceleration are the main prerequisite
to a fast lap time, and consistency the key to a good race.

"Motegi is a stop and go track so it's very important to be very strong
and stable on the brakes," explains Andrea Zugna, Colin Edwards' Data
Technician. "You need a good front fork setting and then the engine
braking setting is also very important. You also need to be strong on the
acceleration in order to be able to get away quickly, otherwise you're
going to be passed at the next braking point. It is quite stressful on
the front tyre because of the long braking sections, so you need the
right front setting to cope with this."

"It wasn't a very easy weekend for Colin last year; we didn't really
find a way for him to have enough confidence in the front tyre for the
race, so this is something we really need to work on from Friday morning
this year. The Yamaha's strongest point is agility so it doesn't
necessarily play to our strengths, but the M1 worked okay in Malaysia so we
can start from this setting and hopefully make improvements from there."
Valentino Rossi: Information
Age: 27

Lives: London, UK

Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1

GP victories: 84 (57 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc)

First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc)

First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc)

GP starts: 170 (111 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc)

Pole positions: 43

World Championships - 7 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 4
x MotoGP)
Colin Edwards: Information
Age: 32

Lives: Conroe, Texas

Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1

First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP)

GP starts: 62x MotoGP

World Championships - 2 World Superbike

Motegi Lap Record: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2005, 1'47.968

Motegi Best Lap: Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 2005, 1'46.363
2005 Japanese Grand Prix Results:
1. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati, 43'30.499

2. Max Biaggi (ITA) Honda, +1.479

3. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Honda, +16.277
6. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha, +34.915 DNF: Valentino Rossi (ITA)
Yamaha

 

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FREE PRACTICE REPORT - 22/09/2006

Rossi and Edwards on the pace at Motegi

Camel Yamaha Team racers Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards began their
preparations for the Grand Prix of Japan in ideal fashion today,
lapping at the top end of the time sheets throughout both free practice
sessions and ending the day with the first and fourth fastest laps overall.
Both riders were able to work on their race setting, adapting the
machine configuration from the fast and flowing demands of Phillip Island to
the stop-start nature of Motegi, before fitting a softer compound rear
tyre in a trial run ahead of tomorrow's crucial qualifying practice.

Rossi was on the pace in both instances, running second fastest in the
morning free practice and stepping up the tempo with a string of fast
and consistent laps in the afternoon. His best time on a race tyre of
1'48.044 was just a fraction outside lap record pace and is a positive
reflection of his potential in Sunday's race. Edwards, meanwhile, was
delighted to follow up his positive progress in Australia with another
impressive practice showing. The Texan topped the timing screens for
lengthy spells in the afternoon as he also lapped in the low 1'48s before
settling for the fourth fastest time overall as other riders also
experimented with a qualifying tyre.
Valentino Rossi (1st - 1'46.981; 44 laps)
"I am very happy with today; we've made a really good start. The track
has a good grip and also Michelin have made great progress since this
race last year, especially with the front tyre.They have a new front
tyre here which gives me much better grip when braking and so I was able
to ride the bike at the maximum straight away today, which meant that I
had great fun!My pace is okay, although there are many riders with a
similar rhythm so I think it's going to be a hard battle on Sunday!My
best time today was done with the qualifying tyre and once again my bike
worked perfectly in this situation, so this is good news for
tomorrow.Colin was fast too today, as he was last weekend, which shows what good
work we've done on our M1 over the last few races. This race is very
important for the championship so it's nice to start off on the right foot
with this good result.Now we wait to see if we can continue in this way
tomorrow."

Colin Edwards (4th - 1'47.581; 41 laps) "We found something in Phillip Island which seems to have made all the
difference; we pulled the bike out this morning and it felt good
straight away. We've basically just softened up the setting and it's since
felt like a completely different bike. Obviously Motegi is a very
different track to Phillip Island but what we used today was pretty much the
same bike with virtually the same setting - just a few modifications
that we thought would help us here. The crew have done a great job and
we've still got another day to work on improving the setting ahead of the
race. We used a qualifying tyre today, which we don't usually do on a
Friday, and I was really pleased with the lap time. Now we have to keep
going, make sure we don't take a single step backwards and head into
Sunday's race with confidence of a top result."
Davide Brivio - Camel Yamaha Team Director
"For a start we are very happy to see Colin on top, more or less
throughout the whole session today, so we have to keep going with him -
improving his feeling with the bike and continuing to give him a good
package to work with. Valentino has also made a good start and it is always
an advantage when both riders feel comfortable from the first moment
because they can push hard and give you lots of valuable data to work
from. It means that we have a good setting now on both bikes so even if it
rains tomorrow, as they say it might, we can be confident for Sunday.
As far as using the qualifying tyre in free practice is concerned, we
had actually already started to do this before Malaysia, to provide some
information for the qualifying session on Saturday afternoon. However,
I don't think there is any doubt that it is in the back of teams' minds
now to set a good lap time, just in case there is a similar situation
with the weather to the one we had at Sepang."


Free Practice

Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time

1, Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, ITA, 1'46.981
2, Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki, JPN, 1'47.315
3, Marco Melandri, Honda, ITA, 1'47.449
4, Colin Edwards, Yamaha, USA, 1'47.581
5, Nicky Hayden, Honda, USA, 1'47.610
6, Toni Elias, Honda, ESP, 1'47.646
7, Loris Capirossi, Ducati, ITA, 1'47.731
8, John Hopkins, Suzuki, USA, 1'47.915
9, Randy De Puniet, Kawasaki, FRA, 1'47.982
10, Kenny Roberts, Team Robert KR, USA, 1'48.002
11, Casey Stoner, Honda, AUS, 1'48.059
12, Makato Tamada, Honda, JPN, 1'48.160
13, Sete Gibernau, Ducati, ESP, 1'48.313
14, Kousuke Akiyoshi, Suzuki, JPN, 1'48.317
15, Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, ESP, 1'48.389
16, Naoki Matsudo, Kawasaki, JPN, 1'48.722
17, Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki, AUS, 1'49.488
18, James Ellison, Yamaha, GBR, 1'49.683
19, Alex Hofmann, Ducati, GER, 1'49.761
20, Carlos Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 1'49.889
21, Jose Luis Cardoso, Ducati, ESP, 1'51.138

 

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Free practice / GREAT START FOR MELANDRI AND ELIAS AT MOTEGI

The Fortuna Honda riders had a positive start at Motegi in the first day of the Japanese GP. With the third and sixth lap time, Marco Melandri and Toni Elias look confident to the race weekend. Marco Melandri, after the incredible race in Phillip Island, started with the set up that last Sunday allowed him to score his third win of the season. Marco worked on the set up of the bike, making only some small modifications. In the afternoon he tested the qualifying tyre in order to be ready for tomorrow qualifying session, finishing with the third best time. Very good start for the Spaniard Toni Elias who finished 6th. Thanks to the work done on the chassis and suspension, the bike was well balanced and Toni could ride with a good feeling.


MARCO MELANDRI (3?, 1?47?449):

?I?m very satisfied of this first day of testing. Despite the track of Motegi presents different characteristics, we started here with the same setting we had last Sunday in Australia. The feeling with the bike was good and I think that we have found a good set up in the final part of the session. In the afternoon I tested a qualifying tyre because this has been so far my weak point. I scored the 3rd time. Honda is helping me to improve the performance of the bike and the team who is doing a great job.?

TONI ELIAS (6?, 1?47?646):

?I?m very happy because today the bike was well balanced and I could ride in the way i like. This morning we worked on chassis and suspensions and we found a good base. We still need to improve my feeling with full tank because I?m still struggling a lot in the first laps because I don?t have enough traction.?

During the Grand Prix of Japan, Marco Melandri?s Honda RC211V will carry the image of Honda Italia?s 35th anniversary as a sign of collaboration and mutual respect.

MARCO MELANDRI:

?It?s a great satisfaction for me to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Honda Italia. When I was a child and I went to races, I was always dreaming of becoming famous. Now I?m the only Italian to ride a Honda MotoGP and I?m proud to represent Honda Italy in this special occasion.?

FAUSTO GRESINI:

?It is a great honour for us to be able to celebrate this 35th anniversary with Honda Itaia ?We are an Italian team and with 3 victories and 6 podiums this season we are delighted to carry the image of the anniversary.?




Solid start for Rizla Suzuki MotoGP in Japan

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP made a steady start to the A-Style Grand Prix of Japan, with all three riders getting through a lot of positive work in readiness for Sunday?s race.


John Hopkins (P8, 1?47.915, 49 laps) was the quickest rider on the circuit during the morning session and found a dry setting that worked well. This enabled him to spend the afternoon?s hour long session to try many other settings on his Rizla Suzuki GSV-R to find additional performance. Hopkins and his crew learnt many things in the session and now have a clear direction for Sunday.


Chris Vermeulen (P17, 1?49.488, 49 laps) is at Motegi for the first time and spent both sessions learning the Japanese track. He improved on his times dramatically over the day and is well placed to take huge steps tomorrow in the final free practice session and qualifying.


Suzuki Wild-Card rider Kousuke Akiyoshi (P14,1?48.317, 34 laps) is competing in his first ever Grand Prix and made an impressive start to the weekend, and his fastest time was ahead of many experienced MotoGP riders. He is convinced that he can go quicker over the weekend and is determined to get in amongst the points on Sunday.


Today?s free practice sessions were held in dry and cloudy conditions with temperatures reaching 25?C. The quickest time was set by reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi.


Rizla Suzuki MotoGP has one more free practice session on Saturday morning followed by the all-important afternoon qualifying hour to decide grid positions for Sunday?s 24 lap race that gets underway at 14.00hrs local time (05.00hrs GMT).


John Hopkins:


?This afternoon we went through a lot of settings and tried a lot of stuff. We tried many things to look for a good race set-up but basically it was one of those sessions where everything we tried didn?t help us go quick, but gave us important information. This meant we could never get into a really good rhythm, but we know we can do the lap times as this morning?s position showed. The Suzuki and the Bridgestone tyres are working excellently around here on this track. The position this afternoon is not really a true one, but in the dry we are ready and I think we can definitely have a good race here.?


Chris Vermeulen:


?This is my first time at Motegi and it is a really good racetrack ? I?m certainly enjoying it. There is a lot of grip here from the Bridgestone tyres and from this morning to this afternoon I made quite a big step. The biggest thing today has been learning the circuit, we made a few changes and tried some tyres but the main thing was finding my lines around here. I learnt a lot today and we have now got enough information to hopefully make the bike and me better tomorrow.?


Kousuke Akiyoshi:


?I am really pleased to be here in my first Grand Prix at Motegi. I have worked hard with my team and we are quite happy with how today has gone, but we also think that we can do better tomorrow and we will be trying to do so.?


Paul Denning ? Team Manager:


?A good steady day with no dramas and the whole team got through a lot of work. Rizla Suzuki and its three riders are very positive about the opportunities over the next few days in Motegi. John?s lap time this afternoon on race tyres wasn?t as good as this morning, but he got through a mountain of work and cleared a lot of things up direction wise ? he is confident he can go quicker when he needs to!


?Chris has stuck to his task of learning the track as quickly as possible. He has none of the experience of his competitors here and I?m sure with a night?s sleep he will come back tomorrow and attack the track with a lot more confidence.


?It?s great to see three Suzuki GSV-Rs out on the track and Akiyoshi san looks like he is having a lot of fun, and he certainly doesn?t look out of his depth in his first ever GP. I am sure he will be riding very hard over the weekend and giving some regular riders a hard time!?


A-Style Grand Prix of Japan Free Practice Classification:


1. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 1?46.981: 2. Shinya Nakano (Kawasaki) +0.334: 3. Marco Melandri (Honda) +0.468: 8. JOHN HOPKINS (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +0.934: 14. KOUSUKE AKIYOSHI (TEAM SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1.336: 17. CHRIS VERMEULEN (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +2.507:

 

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MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2006
KAWASAKI RACING TEAM PRESS OFFICE
22 SEPTEMBER 2006 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PROVISIONAL FRONT ROW FOR NAKANO AT MOTEGI

Shinya Nakano led the Kawasaki charge at Motegi today, storming to a sensational second place on the provisional grid during this afternoon's hour-long free practice session.

A problem with braking stability, so critical at Motegi, meant that Nakano finished this morning a disappointing eleventh fastest, but changes to chassis and suspension settings transformed the 28-year-old Japanese rider's Ninja ZX-RR ahead of the second hour of practice.

Nakano claimed provisional pole just five minutes into this afternoon's hour-long session, and remained top five on the timesheet until the leading riders started switching to qualifying tyres with ten minutes left to run.

Having dropped down to sixth place, as his factory rivals put in fast laps on qualifying rubber, Nakano underlined just how much Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR has improved this season, by snatching second place on the provisional grid with a final flying lap that was almost half-a-second faster than his qualifying time for this race last year.

And the Kawasaki pilot is confident that, with additional refinements to the set-up of his Ninja ZX-RR overnight, he can improve his lap times further ahead of tomorrow's all-important qualifying session.

Randy de Puniet finished the opening day of practice in a creditable ninth place, but like his more experienced team leader, the 25-year-old Frenchman is confident that there is more to come during tomorrow morning's final free practice session.

De Puniet worked closely with his crew to refine the set-up of his Ninja ZX-RR - fitted with the latest specification engine for the first time - during this morning's practice session, before switching his attentions to evaluating two different tyres from Bridgestone. With rain forecast for tomorrow, de Puniet, like many riders, opted to try a qualifying tyre at the end of this afternoon's session, and it was on this tyre that he set his fastest time.

Also riding the latest specification Ninja ZX-RR for the first time was Kawasaki wild card rider, Naoki Matsudo. The 33-year-old Japanese rider made steady progress during both practice sessions, as he and his crew refined the set-up of the new engine, before switching to a qualifying tyre at the end of the afternoon, and recording the sixteenth fastest time.

Shinya Nakano: 2nd - 1'47.315
"This morning we had some problems with braking stability, which made it very difficult to lap consistently. Between sessions we made some changes to the balance of the bike, which was a big improvement, and I was able to find a good rhythm very quickly this afternoon. Having said that, I think it's still possible to improve things further, as I could still feel the rear hopping about when hard on the brakes this afternoon - and you're hard on the brakes quite a lot at Motegi. Having the rear wheel trying to overtake the front on the brakes may look good on television, but it's not so good for a fast lap time. We know what we need to do to improve this, so I'm confident that we can go even faster tomorrow."

Randy de Puniet: 9th - 1'47.982
"Overall, I'm happy with the progress we've made today. This is my first time at Motegi with the MotoGP bike, so I faced quite a steep learning curve this morning, but I think we're almost there now. I tested a couple of different rear tyres from Bridgestone, and one definitely seems to offer an advantage here, but I still need to do more work on the set-up of the bike. At the moment I'm just over a second off pole position, but as we get the bike dialled in tomorrow, I think I should be able to close this gap significantly in qualifying."

Naoki Matsudo: 16th - 1'48.722
"This is the first time I've ridden the latest specification engine, so we knew we would have to spend some time this morning working on set-up. At first I wasn't too comfortable with the engine braking, and the bike had a tendency to wheelie out of the turns, but now the set-up is much better. This is my one and only MotoGP race appearance this season, so this morning I was a little bit nervous to start with. But, once I'd settled into the practice session, and we'd made improvements to the set-up, I really enjoyed myself, and I'm looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow."

FREE PRACTICE - COMBINED TIMES
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Camel Yamaha Team 1'46.981; 2. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.334; 3. Marco Melandri (ITA) Fortuna Honda +0.468; 4. Colin Edwards (USA) Camel Yamaha Team +0.600; 5. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +0.629; 6. Toni Elias (SPA) Fortuna Honda +0.665; 7. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.750; 8. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +0.934; 9. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +1.001; 10. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team Roberts +1.021; 16. Naoki Matsudo (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +1.741

 

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QUALIFYING PRACTICE ? JAPANESE GRAND PRIX - MOTEGI 23/09/2006

ROSSI SEALS FRONT ROW START IN JAPAN

Camel Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi delighted his legion of local
fans with a sensational final lap in qualifying practice for the
Grand Prix of Japan this afternoon. Rossi continued his excellent
progress with another day of hard work on the race setting of his YZR-
M1 before heading out to challenge Loris Capirossi (Ducati) for pole.
Unfortunately Rossi?s first attempt on qualifying tyres was baulked
when a rider crashed in front him, forcing the Italian to make a last-
minute pit-stop. It made for a tense finale as Rossi returned to the
track and beat the chequered flag by just ten seconds, giving him one
last chance to challenge Capirossi?s dominance. The World Champion
responded in typical style with a lap of 1?45.991 - inside last
year?s pole record but not quite enough to topple pole man Capirossi,
meaning he will start tomorrow?s race from second place.

Colin Edwards worked in tandem with Rossi throughout the day to
improve the solid base setting the pair had found in yesterday?s
opening free practice sessions. The Texan was again one of the
leading riders on race rubber, lapping consistently in the low 1?48
mark and even dipping under the lap record of 1?47.968. However, the
Texan struggled to improve on that pace significantly after fitting a
qualifying tyre and he slid down the time sheets in the closing
stages, ending the session in tenth place and setting himself a tough
challenge tomorrow from the fourth row of the grid.

VALENTINO ROSSI (2nd ? 1?45.991; 26 laps)
?For sure I am very happy to be on the front row again for the fourth
race in a row. My M1 has worked well from the start here so we?ve
been able to work on the setting with various different things and
then mix everything together to find the very best race set-up. Now
it seems we?re in good shape. The bike worked very well also with the
qualifying tyre and I had very good grip. Unfortunately I lost one
qualifying tyre when Hopkins crashed in front of me, but luckily my
team did a great job with the pit-stop ? it was even faster than a
Formula 1 team! Fortunately I made a good lap with the final tyre and
now we?re starting from second. I am happy; tomorrow will be a
difficult race but I am quite confident.?

COLIN EDWARDS (10th ? 1?46.726; 26 laps)?I?ve been happier with my qualifying position but I?ve got a good
race pace so it?s not all doom! To be honest, even though on paper it
doesn?t look too great, I?m really happy with the bike right now.
It?s working really well, it?s just we couldn?t quite get it together
with the qualifying tyre and when we put it in today it just
overloaded the suspension a bit and made everything a bit too soft,
so that?s something we need to think about for the next time. Race-
wise our setting is pretty good and I think I?ve got one of the best
rhythms out there. Obviously it?s annoying to be starting from the
fourth row but I think I can come through the pack pretty quickly and
then just get my head down! I need to get a good start, fight my way
past a few people and then just keep pushing. I?m actually pretty
excited about tomorrow and I?m looking for a good result.?

DAVIDE BRIVIO ? CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR?It?s been another very good day for Valentino, it seems things are
working well and it?s nice to be consistently on the front row. It?s
good to be starting tomorrow?s race, which is so important for us
with regards to the championship, from this position. It looks like
he?s in good shape for the race and hopefully he can make the most of
the start to get away in front. Unfortunately Colin wasn?t able to
qualifying in such a high position but he actually has a very strong
race pace so the situation is not too bad. If he can get a good start
then I think he will be able to come through the field quite quickly
and once he?s up front he should be able to stay there. Now we hope
that the weather stays dry and that we can have a fun and exciting
race!



MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2006
KAWASAKI RACING TEAM PRESS OFFICE
23 SEPTEMBER 2006 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SECOND ROW FOR ON FORM NAKANO AT MOTEGI

Kawasaki's Shinya Nakano missed out on a front row start in his home Grand Prix by the narrowest of margins today at Motegi, after finishing fourth fastest in what must rank as one of the most unpredictable and exciting qualifying sessions of the MotoGP season so far.

Nakano's Kawasaki teammate, Randy de Puniet, will start from eighth place and the third row of the grid, after running top three on the timesheet for much of this afternoon's qualifying session.

With rain threatening ahead of this afternoon's timed session, Nakano, like many of his factory rivals, opted to run a qualifying tyre right at the start, claiming pole position with his first flying lap.

The Kawasaki pilot was demoted from the top spot by Loris Capirossi just fifteen minutes later, but the Italian only managed to hold on to pole position for thirty seconds, before he was pushed back to second place by a hard charging Randy de Puniet.

At the halfway point Nakano put in a second flying lap on a Bridgestone qualifier, to move up to take second place behind his teammate, giving Kawasaki their first ever one-two at the top of the qualifying timesheet.

Capirossi bounced back with just ten minutes to go, shattering the previous pole position record to reclaim his place at the front of the grid, just ahead of the Kawasaki pairing.

Capirossi's lap was good enough to secure him pole position, but a flurry of fast laps in the last minute of the session saw both Kawasaki pilots pushed from the front two rows of the grid and, while Nakano was able to retake fourth place with his final flying lap, de Puniet was unable to improve his previous best time on his last qualifying tyre, and was forced to settle for eighth place at the chequered flag.

A mechanical problem with his number one bike forced Kawasaki's wild card rider, Naoki Matsudo, to switch to his spare Ninja ZX-RR for the second half of this afternoon's qualifying session. The 33-year-old Japanese rider was unable to improve upon his previous best lap time aboard his number two machine, but finished the session a creditable sixteenth fastest overall.

Matsudo will start his first Grand Prix for Kawasaki from the head of the sixth row of the grid, in front of MotoGP regulars, Carlos Checa and Makoto Tamada.

Shinya Nakano: 4th - 1'46.291
"I think this afternoon's session must have been exciting for the spectators, because it was certainly exciting for me! We weren't sure of the weather at the beginning of the session, so we put in a qualifier straight away, and with this I managed to take pole early on. At the end we were throwing qualifiers into the bike, and I was riding as hard as I could to try and get myself back on the front row. This was good fun, but, unfortunately, I couldn't quite do enough and I just missed out on a top three spot. Starting from the second row is not such a big disadvantage here at Motegi, but it's critical that I get a good start tomorrow if I am to stay with the leading group. If conditions change for tomorrow, then we might make some small revisions to set-up during morning warm-up, but my lap times have been both fast and consistent in race trim, so I'm confident we'll go to the line with a competitive package tomorrow whatever the conditions."

Randy de Puniet: 8th - 1'46.512
"Yesterday was a bit difficult, but today has been much better. The changes we made to the bike overnight meant I was fast from the off on race tyres this morning, and we were able to improve again in race trim this afternoon. Because the weather looked unsettled this afternoon, we opted to run a qualifier very early on, and with this I was able to take pole position. As everyone else switched to qualifying tyres I slipped back on the provisional grid, but I really thought it was possible to improve my position with my final flying lap on a qualifier. I don't know why, but the last lap didn't come together as I was expecting, leaving me on the third row of the grid. But, my times have been good in race trim, and I'm confident it's possible to put in a strong performance in tomorrow's race, despite my starting position."

Naoki Matsudo: 16th - 1'47.826
"We had a mechanical problem with my number one bike very early on in this afternoon's session, so I completed most of qualifying aboard my second bike, on which I was unable to improve on my previous best lap time. Tomorrow we'll try the number one bike again. Both the engine and tyres are working well, but we might make some small changes to our chassis set-up depending on the conditions for morning warm-up. I've enjoyed myself so far at my first MotoGP event for Kawasaki, and I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's race."

QUALIFYING PRACTICE - FINAL TIMES
1. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team 1'45.724; 2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Camel Yamaha Team +0.267; 3. Marco Melandri (ITA) Fortuna Honda +0.526; 4. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.567; 5. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.592; 6. Toni Elias (SPA) Fortuna Honda +0.602; 7. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +0.765; 8. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.788; 9. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team +0.852; 10. Colin Edwards (USA) Camel Yamaha Team +1.002; 16. Naoki Matsudo (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +2.102


Mixed day for Rizla Suzuki at Motegi

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racer John Hopkins had a day of two distinct halves in Japan today as the morning session saw him as one of the fastest riders on race tyres, but a crash in qualifying saw him relegated to the fifth row for tomorrow?s race.


The 23-year-old Anglo-American has been up with the quickest times all weekend on his Bridgestone race tyres and continued that this morning. Hopkins (P13, 1?47.071) continued to test the tyres he will use in tomorrow?s race whilst other riders chose to use qualifiers in the first session. He showed that he has a good race set-up as he recorded consistently fast laps. The afternoon qualifying session didn?t go to plan and a heavy crash with 10 minutes remaining cost Hopkins valuable time, he was able to get back on track on his second bike but couldn?t better his earlier time.


Rizla Suzuki?s Test Team rider and MotoGP debutant Kousuke Akiyoshi will start from 12th position on the grid tomorrow and the highest placed Suzuki. He used his home track knowledge to the full in the qualifying session to record a time of 1?46.958.


Chris Vermeulen (P15, 1?47.451) continued to improve on his times all day and will start from the fifth row with team-mate Hopkins. He too will be looking for a good start and to get amongst the front pack early on.


The pole position for tomorrow?s 24 lap race was taken by Loris Capirossi on his Bridgestone-shod Ducati. The race will get underway at 14.00hrs local time (05.00hrsGMT) with all three Suzuki racers determined to put on a good show for all the visiting Suzuki management, guests and fans.


John Hopkins:


?I just couldn?t get the front of the bike to work with any of the qualifying tyres this afternoon and I have now made it hard work for myself tomorrow. On race tyres we are one of the fastest out there so a good grid position was important today. I haven?t got that, so I will have to go all out in the race from the start to get up to the front and show that I can challenge for a podium. I will certainly be going for it, of that you can be certain!?


Chris Vermeulen:


?We made a lot of progress from yesterday and I made a lot within myself as well. I feel more familiar with the circuit and we are going quicker all the time. With qualifying I felt I was losing too much time in the first split and that is something I need to work on overnight and in the warm-up. I?ve qualified less than four-tenths behind John ? which is not too bad for my first time here. We still have a lot of work to do in the race, but I think it?s obtainable. The bike?s working really well, and let?s hope that we can move up through the field?


Kousuke Akiyoshi:


?I am very surprised but very happy to be the first of the Suzukis. I got in a good lap behind Rossi and set a good time. I will now start in 12th and try to go higher. The bike is working well here and the Bridgestone tyres are giving me lots of grip and confidence. I now look forward to the race.?


Paul Denning ? Team Manager:


?I think the day went to plan for Rizla Suzuki apart from the last 30 minutes of the qualifying session, when unfortunately ? especially for John ? things just didn?t work out. Congratulations to Akiyoshi san for qualifying as the highest placed Suzuki, and proving his ability in such a strong field.


?John has a mountain to climb tomorrow in terms of his starting position, but he has shown over the weekend that he is amongst the fastest riders on race tyres. So it will all be down to a good start and some aggressive riding early on to see what he can achieve.


?Chris has improved all weekend but it is always tough on a track that you have no experience on. With a few more changes overnight he will be looking to improve his position in tomorrow?s race.?


A-Style Grand Prix of Japan Qualifying Practice Classification:


1. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 1?45.724: 2. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) +0.267: 3. Marco Melandri (Honda) +0.526: 12. KOUSUKE AKIYOSHI (TEAM SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1.234: 13. JOHN HOPKINS (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1.347: 15. CHRIS VERMEULEN (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +1.727:

Qualifying practice / MELANDRI AND ELIAS ARE THE QUICKEST HONDA RIDERS IN QUALIFYING AT MOTEGI

The positive weeekend enjoyed by the FORTUNA HONDA riders continued as Marco Melandri and Toni Elias claimed third and sixth places respectively on the second day of qualifying at Motegi. The Gresini team riders shone as they proved the two fastest Honda riders in the MotoGP class. Melandri lapped with a good rhythm in the morning session and continued that form in the afternoon. Having put on the qualifying tyres, the Italian posted a lap of 1?46.250, five tenths behind Loris Capirossi who claimed pole. With an all-Italian front row, (Capirossi, Rossi and Melandri), Sunday?s race promises to be a spectacular affair. Elias finished up on the second row after another creditable performance on Saturday. The Spaniard will now be hoping for a good result to cap what has been a fine weekend thus far.


MARCO MELANDRI (3rd, 1?46?250 ):

?Things are going really well for me at the moment and it?s been a really good weekend so far. It?s a good feeling to be on the front row, I?ve not been there since Donington Park and it?s down to making use of the qualifying tyre. In the morning I found a good rhythm, but the bike?s grip was not quite as I wanted. However, when I put on the qualifying tyre I made full use of the bike?s potential. It is very important to start the race from the front row and I hope to make a good start. The race is sure to hard and very competitive.?

TONI ELIAS (6th, 1?46?326):

?I am very happy. My obejctive was to get a place on the front two rows and I have achieved that. It is the result of the hard work of the team. It will be important to make a good start tomorrow and not lose contact with the lead riders. I will give my maximum over the first few laps to stay in touch and then do everything possible to get a good result.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

RACE REPORT ? JAPANESE GRAND PRIX - MOTEGI 24/09/2006


ROSSI CLOSES THE GAP WITH ANOTHER HARD-EARNED PODIUM

Camel Yamaha Team rider Valentino Rossi now trails MotoGP World
Championship series leader Nicky Hayden (Honda) by just twelve points
with two rounds remaining thanks to his fourth consecutive podium,
his eighth from the last ten races, in Japan today. Rossi took second
place in a race dominated and won by Loris Capirossi (Ducati), with
Marco Melandri (Honda) completing the podium in a carbon copy of the
front row order. The 20-point reward for Rossi moved him another nine
closer to Hayden, who finished fifth behind Sete Gibernau (Ducati).

Colin Edwards had shown promise of mounting a podium challenge
himself this weekend but unfortunately his excellent practice pace on
race rubber did not translate into the top result he was hoping for.
Despite making a good start from tenth on the grid the American was
forced wide by another rider into turn one and lost several
positions, dropping back to twelfth. However a determined ride from
that point onwards saw him battle back to eighth place ? a position
he also now holds in the championship after moving above John Hopkins
(Suzuki).

VALENTINO ROSSI (2nd; +5.088)
?I?m really happy with this second position today. It wasn?t a great
battle like in Sepang, but my rhythm was really good and my bike
worked very well. We had a few problems in warm-up this morning and,
like always, my mechanics, the Yamaha engineers and Michelin did a
great job to make some last-minute changes to our race set-up. At the
start my M1 was a little bit hard to ride but slowly I found my
rhythm and then bit by bit I started to come closer to Marco. Once I
passed him I started pushing to try to reach Loris and made the
fastest lap, but once he realised I was coming closer he opened the
throttle again and he was just too fast for me to catch. My bike
worked brilliantly since Friday morning and I want to thank everyone
for all their hard work, it seems that when everything is working for
us then it?s hard for the others! 20 points is a great result for me
at this track, which isn?t one of my favourites, and now we?re only
12 points behind in the championship. We have two races left and if
we can continue in this way then it?s possible!?

COLIN EDWARDS (8th; +22.492)
?I got off the line pretty well but then (Dani) Pedrosa pushed me out
a bit on the exit of turn one and I had to chop it. I lost speed and
then about three people went by me so I was playing catch-up from
then on. I had to spend some time getting past (Makoto) Tamada and
(Randy) De Puniet but then I got my head down and just kept going in
the same rhythm. I was doing good lap times, consistent with what we
were doing all weekend, but it wasn?t enough to make up for our grid
position and the problems in turn one. About 15 laps in I hit a bit
of a wall, couldn?t hold the load on the rear tyre and started losing
corner speed, so life was more difficult from then on. Of course I?m
really disappointed; we had a plan but it was messed up by our
starting position and turn one. On the bright side we were able to
run the same good pace we ran all weekend for most of the race, but
it seems a few others, my team-mate included, found a bit extra today
and what we had just wasn?t enough!?

DAVIDE BRIVIO ? CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR
?Today was a very important race for us because we have been able to
reduce the gap by another nine points, which keeps us on target. Our
goal today was to finish on the podium and we did that so we are
happy, even though Loris had a pace that Valentino wasn?t quite able
to follow. Unfortunately Colin couldn?t quite live up to the high
hopes he had raised before the race so we will investigate the
reasons for that. We still have two races left and we want to help
get him back to the front of the pack. The last three weeks have
required a lot of energy, effort and concentration from the whole
team and I am delighted the way every one of them has responded. Now
we need them to keep it going for two more races and hopefully we
will continue to get our rewards.?

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP in the points at Motegi

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP racers Chris Vermeulen and John Hopkins, plus Team Test rider Kousuke Akiyoshi all scored points in today?s Japanese Grand Prix.


Vermeulen and Hopkins finished in 11th and 12th places respectively with Akiyoshi ? making his Grand Prix debut ? just behind them. Vermeulen was racing at Motegi for the first time and gave a solid performance on his Suzuki GSV-R, Akiyoshi was also particularly impressive in his first ever MotoGP race and beat seasoned racers to score a fine 13th place.


Hopkins? result could have been even better but for the fact that he was knocked into the gravel by another rider as he was trying to charge through the field. He re-joined the race in last position but made a spirited comeback to make up eight places by the end. Hopkins keeps up his consistent run of points scoring, which now stretches to 12 races and is only bettered by World Championship leader Nicky Hayden.


Today?s race was held in brilliant sunshine and watched by over 63,000 enthusiastic fans, who were treated to a home victory for Bridgestone, as Loris Capirossi on his works Ducati raced to victory.


Rizla Suzuki MotoGP will now return to Europe for the penultimate round of the 2006 MotoGP season, to be held at Estoril in Portugal, where both Hopkins and Vermeulen will be planning to score valuable points in their quests for top 10 Championship positions.


Chris Vermeulen:


?It was difficult starting from 15th with a lot of very fast guys in front of you. It made the first lap very hard, but we did get a reasonable start and got into a bit of a race with a few guys. Unfortunately the front guys were too fast for us this weekend. Our race pace was not what we wanted it to be and I think we have got some work to do when we get to Estoril to get back up there challenging!?


John Hopkins:


?I had a horrible beginning to the race. I just went out and tried to hard, I was out-breaking myself at nearly every corner. Then I was mixing it up with Dani Pedrosa and he out-braked himself on a right-hander and clipped my front wheel and I went off the track. From there it was a case of seeing what I could salvage and I was able to make up quite a few places. I had a bit of a tussle with Chris on the last lap but I just couldn?t get past him. Not really happy at all and I plan on working harder and finishing off the final two races very strong!?


Kousuke Akiyoshi:


?I have had a very good weekend here at the Japanese Grand Prix and to get points from my first race is very special. I would like to thank Suzuki and Bridgestone for this chance and supporting me all weekend. I hope I can race in another Grand Prix and do even better next time.?


Paul Denning ? Team Manager:


?Although we scored some valuable points this was not what we had hoped for in Japan, especially as the Bridgestone tyres work so well here and the pace John had shown all weekend ? with the exception of the last part of yesterday?s qualifying ? had been very promising. John?s particularly disappointed as he knows what might have been, and but for the fact that he was punted off by another rider, his race pace showed that he was capable of a much higher finish. Every credit must go to him for battling back through the field and getting well into the points.


?Chris and Akiyoshi san will have both learnt a lot from their first Grand Prix races at the Motegi circuit and it was very pleasing to see them both battling with each other and more experienced riders throughout the majority of the race.


?We now have to re-group before we go to Portugal and take forward all that we have been through during this tough and sometimes disappointing three week tour. We know we have the potential to do a lot better and we will certainly be pushing as hard as we can in the final two races of the season!?


A-Style Grand Prix of Japan Race Classification:


1. Loris Capirossi (Ducati) 43?13.585: 2. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) +5.088: 3. Marco Melandri (Honda) +8.378: 11. CHRIS VERMEULEN (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +39.263: 12. JOHN HOPKINS (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) +39.440: 13. KOUSUKE AKIYOSHI (TEAM SUZUKI MOTOGP) +45.595:


World Championship Classification:


1. Nicky Hayden (Honda) 236: 2. Rossi 224: 3. Melandri 209: 9. JOHN HOPKINS (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 101: 11. CHRIS VERMEULEN (RIZLA SUZUKI MOTOGP) 91: 20. KOUSUKE AKIYOSHI (TEAM SUZUKI MOTOGP) 3:



GRAND PRIX OF JAPAN

The race / MARCO MELANDRI: THIRD PLACE ON AN ALL-ITALIAN PODIUM

The Grand Prix of Japan belonged to Italy today as tricolore riders filled the podium once again: Loris Capirossi, Valentino Rossi and Marco Melandri taking the spoils at Motegi. Marco Melandri was one of the stars of a spectacular race, his third place finish handing the Constructors? World Championship title to Honda for the 17th time in the premier-class. Marco made a great start from the front row, moving into second place behind Loris Capirossi, who set a hot pace from the beginning. After a couple of tentative attempts to take the lead, the Fortuna Honda rider then turned his attentions to defending second place for fourteen laps until eventually conceding to Rossi. It was a satisfactory outing for Toni Elias, who took a creditable sixth place today. Toni also made a good start and did his best to stay in touch with the lead group, who were lapping in a sensational pace of 1?47. Toni lost a little more ground as each lap went by but fought bravely in the second group to take a hard-earned sixth place. Marco?s seventh podium of the season leaves him third in the championship on 209 points, 27 behind series leader and fellow Honda rider Nicky Hayden.



MARCO MELANDRI (3rd in the race, 3rd in the championship on 209 points):

?It is nice to be on the podium at Honda?s home race and I?m happy to have given them the constructors? title. Today the pace set by Loris was extremely fast but the balance of my bike was also good and the tyres worked really well. After a tough warm-up, when we struggled a little to get the right feeling with a harder rear tyre, I went for slightly softer rubber for the race. At the start I felt I had the pace to lead the race because the feeling with the bike and tyres was perfect. Then when the tyres started to go off I decided not to take any risks and bring it home in third place. I?m enjoying myself at the moment and now we?re going to two tracks I like. I just have to focus on having fun and giving it my best shot every Sunday.?

TONI ELIAS (6th in the race, 13th in the championship on 81 points):

?I?m happy with sixth place even though I was hoping for better. I started well and tried to go with the lead group but it wasn?t possible because they had a pace that was a couple of tenths quicker than I was capable of. I got involved in the second group with Gibernau, Hayden and Nakano, focused on my rhythm and pushed as hard as I could, even though I was missing a little rear traction. Now I am looking forward to Portugal because we have taken another step forward here.?


Tech 3 Yamaha Team satisfied with Motegi result after difficult
weekend

It wasn't the result that the Tech 3 Yamaha Team desired as Carlos
Checa celebrated his 200th Grand Prix start but the team will come away
from the Japanese Grand Prix at the Motegi Twin Ring satisfied with the
outcome after an extremely difficult weekend of practice and qualifying.

Carlos and his team mate, James Ellison battled as hard as they could
for the entire race mixing it with the factory Suzuki team as Carlos
eventually came home in 14th position and James secured one championship
point to finish 15th in a race won by Loris Capirossi (Ducati)
Carlos Checa (14th, Fastest lap 1'48.992)
"I cannot be really happy but I'm quite satisfied because we did our
best.We must have some satisfaction because we did our best but certainly
we are not happy because the result is quite far from where we want.
After the many tyres we tested over the two days it was a bit of a
compromise on tyre choice but it didn't end up too bad in the end.
The pace has increased a lot this year and this makes it more difficult
to demonstrate the evolution we are doing. I think to keep in the
1'49's all race is not so bad .I did these times last year and finished
fourth but I think Dunlop need a little more time to improve the tyres.
I was with the Suzuki team the entire race and we passed each other
quite a few times then my tyre went off a little and I couldn't go with
them. For me it was quite a cool race to be battling with others.
I know inside myself I did my best and basically the main limitation is
technical. It is good training for me and it is better to be here than
at home as I'm still enjoying what I am doing very much.
We knew that this year would be difficult and we would have different
races where we would be struggling like here and then have other races
like Phillip Island where we would have good results but then the wet
tyre didn't work so well.
Our target is to keep improving - even myself - I think we had a great
opportunity even with all the problems because we fought against the
limitations and the problems we had so we will keep going and we will
keep learning. "
James Ellison (15th Fastest lap1'49.616)
"Truthfully, it's not such a bad end to the weekend after the struggle
we had early on and to finish with a point is quite satisfying although
I'm always hoping for a better result. It is the best race I have had
yet, dicing with people and the one I have enjoyed the most. For the
first time in a few races I really had fun out there today as I was
actually able to race with a few guys and Carlos wasn't really that far in
front of me, but in a way it was frustrating as I know I can go a lot
faster. I was thinking if I didn't have these problems how much higher
could I finish than where we are now? Honestly, I couldn't have tried any
harder to get that one point. It is good because the team are very
happy with the effort we both put in and it is nice to finish this bunch of
races like this after the difficulties we have had. I still I want to
do a lot more but this is where we are at the minute."
Herve Poncharal - Tech 3 Yamaha Team Director
"It was definitely a difficult weekend but at least we had a bit more
of a positive ending as we have been struggling on Friday and Saturday
big time. We were very disappointed especially coming from Australia
with such a good feeling with the bike and tyre package. Fortunately today
both of our riders showed great fighting spirit and determination in
battling from the first to the last lap with both of them in the top 15
getting points. That was something we didn't expect even after the
positive warmup this morning. Sure we are down on performance but it was
also good to see the top Dunlop management here from the chairman to the
general manager and everyone involved in the project for them to see
what was happening here, to see where we are an dto understand what we
have to do in the future if we want to be competitive against our rivals.
Hopefully, this difficult weekend will have some positive outcome. We
have another two races to keep on working and try to improve our best
race result which was a seventh in the USA. There is a possibility that
we can do that. Finally, I want to congratulate Yamaha and Valentino for
their brilliant race here and where they are now in the championship
shrinking the points to the leader."


Race 1 - 24 Laps

Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time

1, Loris Capirossi, Ducati, ITA, 43'13.585
2, Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, ITA, 0'5.088
3, Marco Melandri, Honda, ITA, 0'8.378
4, Sete Gibernau, Ducati, ESP, 0'9.712
5, Nicky Hayden, Honda, USA, 0'11.944
6, Toni Elias, Honda, ESP, 0'18.108
7, Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, ESP, 0'19.937
8, Colin Edwards, Yamaha, USA, 0'22.492
9, Kenny Roberts, Team Robert KR, USA, 0'26.824
10, Makato Tamada, Honda, JPN, 0'30.970
11, Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki, AUS, 0'39.263
12, John Hopkins, Suzuki, USA, 0'39.440
13, Kousuke Akiyoshi, Suzuki, JPN, 0'45.595
14, Carlos Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 0'49.571
15, James Ellison, Yamaha, GBR, 1'9.085
16, Alex Hofmann, Ducati, GER, 1'11.748



Best Lap

Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time

Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, ITA, 1'47.288


Rider Standings 24/09/2006


Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points

1, Nicky Hayden, Honda, USA, 236
2, Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, ITA, 224
3, Marco Melandri, Honda, ITA, 209
4, Loris Capirossi, Ducati, ITA, 205
5, Daniel Pedrosa, Honda, ESP, 202
6, Casey Stoner, Honda, AUS, 119
7, Kenny Roberts, Team Robert KR, USA, 110
8, Colin Edwards, Yamaha, USA, 104
9, John Hopkins, Suzuki, USA, 101
10, Sete Gibernau, Ducati, ESP, 95
11, Chris Vermeulen, Suzuki, AUS, 91
12, Shinya Nakano, Kawasaki, JPN, 83
13, Toni Elias, Honda, ESP, 81
14, Makato Tamada, Honda, JPN, 81
15, Carlos Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 60
18, James Ellison, Yamaha, GBR, 21


Team Standings 24/09/2006

Pos., Team, Points

1, Repsol Honda Team, 438
2, Camel Yamaha Team, 328
3, Ducati Marlboro Team, 307
4, Fortuna Honda Team, 290
5, Rizla Suzuki, 192
6, Honda LCR, 119
7, Kawasaki Racing Team, 114
8, Team Roberts KR, 110
9, Konica Minolta Honda, 81
10, Tech3 Yamaha, 81
11, Pramac D'Antin, 26


Manufacturer Standings 24/09/2006

Pos., Manufacturer, Points

1, Honda, 319
2, Yamaha, 262
3, Ducati, 218
4, Suzuki, 136
5, Team Robert KR, 110
6, Kawasaki, 94