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There's More!
2006 Pit Lane News
2005 Pit Lane News


Motocourse Race Review Annual 2006 /2007
MotoGP, WSB, AMA, BSB

2007 RACE REPORTS

2007 SBK Superbike
Preview 2007 SBK Season
Feb 24   Qatar Doha/Losail
Mar 4     Phillip Island AUS
Apr 1     Donnington GB
April 15  Valencia ESP
April 29  Assen, NL
May 13  Monza IT
May 27  Silverstone GB
Jun 17   Misano San Marino
July 22   Brno CZ
Aug 5    Brands Hatch GB
Sept 9   Lausitzring, DM
Sept 30 Vallelunga, IT
Oct 7     Magny-Cours FR

2007 MotoGP
Mar 10**  Qatar Losail
Mar 25    Spain Jerez
April 22   Turkey Istanbul
May 6     China Shanghai
May 20   France Le Mans
Jun 3      Italy Mugello
Jun 10    Catalunya
Jun 24    GB Donington
Jun 30** ND Assen
July 15    DM Sachsenring
July 22    USA Laguna Seca
Aug 19    Bruno, Czech Rep
Sept 2    San Marino Misano
Sept 16   Portugal Estoril
Sept 23   Japan Motegi
Oct 14     Australia Phillip Is
Oct 21     Malaysia Sepang
Nov 4 Valencia Valencia
* Only MotoGP class
** Saturday race

2007 AMA Superbike
March 7-10   Daytona FL
April 21-22    Barber AL
April 28-29    CA Spdway
May 19-20    Infineon CA
June 2-3       Road Am WI
June 23-24   Miller MSP, UT
July 21-22     Laguna Seca
Aug 4-5         Mid-Ohio OH
Aug. 18-19    VIR VA
Sept. 1-2       Road Atlanta
Sept 15-16     Laguna Seca

Other 2007 Events
June 8         Isle of Man
July 14-15    LA Calendar                     Bike Show


New Sport/Race Bikes!
Tests & Reviews

New Sportbike Index
Aprilia Index
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Poggipolini Millona
Poggipolini Nera
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Yamaha Index

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Editorial, Bike Tests
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Vyrus Superbike Exotica
Lame Ducks? - Ducati and   Bayliss Too Fast
Edelweiss Alps Challenge
• The Game A Racer's Tale
Troy Bayliss Interview   2006 World SBK Champ
Interview Paolo Ciabatti
  Ducati's Superbike Future
Ducati Desmosedici RR
  World's best Superbike?
Tomb Raider: Legend
World's Fastest Indian
Ducati DRE Track Schools
Ducati Museum Visit
Chris Vermeulen
   Interview & Profile
Fast Dates Calendar   Shoot at Brands Hatch
Edelweiss Bike Trip to   France and Western Alps
Marco Melandri MotoGP's   hottest new star!
Ducati Multistrada S
  2005 Bike of the Year
AMA Pro Racing and the
  Decline of US Roadracing
2005 SBK Superbike   Season Preview
Pirelli 2005 Calendar
MV Agusta F4-1000
   Rockin' Robin's 1st test
Ducati Racing Experience
  Superbike School
Pirelli Calendar 2005   Supermodels get naked in   Rio de Janero
Who is Ten Kate?   
  Private Hondas Kick Ass
Ducati Factory Visit
Ducati 999R05 First!
  Rockin' Robin tests it!
2005 LA Calendar Show
  Now World Class!
Ducati Corse Race Shop
  Exclusive Visit!
World Ducati Week 2004
  Sportbike Heaven
Ducati 04 Desmosedici
   D16 GP4 MotoGP Bike
Torque Movie Review
   with our Jaime Pressly
British Sportbike
   Magazine Review
Neil Hodgsen Interview    Superbike Champion
Aprilia 2004 RSV1000R
   First USA test!
AMA Superbike Rules
Valentino Rossi
  Biography of a Champ.
SBK Fast Dates Girls   
  Our offical Ducati Corse   umbrella girls at Laguna
Paris Motorcycle Show
  Well Worth the Trip

Sportbike Magazines
& Pinup Calendars

A Revealing Expose!

Pirelli Calendar 2006
Pirelli Calendar 2005
Pirelli Calendar Review
Bike Calendar Review
Buy Pinup Calendars
British Bike Mag Review

Chicks That Kick Ass!
INDEX
- Bring These Girls Home to Mom!
Taylor Swift
Kari Kimmel
Lora Croft
Jessica Biel
Kristen Bell
Maria Sharapova
Mila Jovovich
Kate Beckinsale
Fast Dates Kittens



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Rhian Sugden
British Page 3 Tabloid Sex Bomb, Supermodel Rhian Sugden

New Fast Dates Calendar Kittens for Brands Hatch World Superbike 2007
June 1, 2007 - Just in case you were wondering where the best place is to pick up beautiful girls, it is definetly on MySpace.com. That's were we recently found and signed these two extraordinarily beautiful British supermodels, Rhian and Gemma, to shoot with us at the upcoming August 3-5th SBK World Superbke round at Brands Hatch for the next edition of the SBK Fast Dates World Superbike Calendar.

We'd like to invite you to visit the FastDates.com Calendar Page on MySpace.com to meet Rhian and Gemma, many of our other beautiful Calendar Kittens, LA Calendar Motorcycel Show bands and performers, and get a sneak preview of the new 2008 FastDates.com Calendars which go on sale July 1st. And of course, we'd like to invite you to become one of our MySpace Friends! MySpace.com/FastDates.com

Order our favorite
FastDates.com babe music at low discount prices!

(just click on the CD covers to find out more and to order online.

2006 SBK World Superbike Season Review DVD

2006 MotoGP Season Review DVD


Postcards from London
and Brands Hatch England

The front of the Hilton Metropole Hotel where we stayed in downtown London after the race weekend.

The Themes River in the middle of London with Parliment on the left and the London Eye, the world's tallest ferris wheel on the right. The wheel takes a full 1-hour to revole, never stopping, with visitos walking itno the huge gondola cars as they pass by at ground level.

Tower Bridge on the themes with the battle cruiser HMS Belfast, now open to visitors.

View of London Tower prison from the Themes River, where Henry the 8th beheaded his wife Ann Bolynn and anyone else he gre tired of.

A touch of trivia. The origional Queen Mary river cruise boat, buit 4 years before the much bigger Queen Mary ocean liner, now retired in Long Beach, CA, where we now hold our big LA Calendar Motorccyle Show Weekend.

The horse guard at Buckingham Pallace.

The British National Gallery Art Museum at Trafalgar Square. The city hires full-time professional "pigeon shooers" to chase the hundreds of pesky pigeons away from the Square without harmng them. The pigeos flock onto the Museum lawn instead, just 50 feet away.

Downtown London is a stark contrast of Modern and Midevil.


Kari Kimmel
Click to Listen & Buy It Now

What's Hot!
Kari Kimmel
Incredible new singer/song writer
featured on top TV and Movie sound tracks, also performedmusic from her awesome new CD live at our upcoming LA Calendar Motorcycle Show

www.karikimmel.com
http://myspace.com/karikimmel

sportbike Performance Riding Techniques book
Buy Kari at Amazon.com

1970 classic vintage motocross supercross Trans-Am Trans-USA DeCoster Hannah Smith Tripes, DiStefano lackey LaPorte

The Legends of Motocross!
1970's Nationals Trans-USA
& Supercross
Photography by Jim Gianatsis

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© Copyright FastDates.com
All images and information on this website are copyrighted and owned by FastDates.com / Gianatsis Design / Jim Gianatsis and may not be used without permission. Pit Lane News uses authorized press news services with permission. Editorial contributions welcome.
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FastDates.com August 2007
Superbike, MotoGP Racing & Calendar Girl News
Official Calendar of the SBK World Superbike Championship

Home of the official SBK Fast Dates Calendar Kittens


Page 1 - SBK Fast Dates Calendar Shoot at Brands Hatch
All-New Buell 1125R Superbike - from Austria via Milwaukee

2009 Fast Dates Calendar Shoot at '07 Brands Hatch World Superbike
2007 LA Calendar Motorcycle Show Weekend - America's Streetbike Show
2008 World Superbike Technical Rules Ducati gets Weight & Restrictors!
Laguna Seca U.S. MotoGP Casey Stone and Ducati Check Out
Ducati 1098S Tri Colore - Exclusive 1st and Last Test
2007 MotoGP World Championship and AMA Daytona Season Openers
2007 World Superbike Season Opener from Losail Qatar, Phillip Island
Vyrus Hi-Tech Italian Exotica the ultimate Superbike!
LA Calendar Motorcycle Show Video - Marlon Brando and Sexy Models
* Lame Ducks? - Ducati and Bayliss Too Fast for World Superbike?
Edelweiss Motorcyclist Alps Challenge - 5 Counties in 7 Days!
Pirelli Calendar 2007 In bed with with Naomi Watts and Penelope Cruz
Fast Dates Calendar Shoot - Playmate Tamara and a Big Twin Sportbike

• The Game A Racer's Tale of Reality Check
2008 Fast Dates Calendar Shoot at '06 Brands Hatch World Superbike


Rhian Sugden, Gemma Louise Henry

Gemma and British Page 3 Tabloid Supermodel Rhian Sugden rocked our world this month at Brands Hatch World Superbike as we shot the next 2009 SBK Fast Dates Calendar
.

Fast Dates Superbike Calendar, superbike calendar, MotoGO calendar, roadracing calendar, sportbike calendar, motorcycle pinup calendar, swimsuit calendar, Playboy Playmate calendar

LA Calendar Bike Show Hostess and Playboy Playmate Tamara Witmer featured
The NEW 2008 Fast Dates Racebike Pinup Calendar!


World Premier July 1st 2007 - The SBK World Superbike endorsed 2008 Fast Dates Race Bike Swimsuit Pinup Calendar sponsored by Performance Machine and photographed by Jim Gianatsis features all the top factory race bikes of the SBK World and AMA National Superbike Championships together with the beautiful SBK Fast Dates World Superbike / Ducati Corse girls Katie Pugh and Camilla Tranter, along with Playboy Playmates Tamara Witmer and Athena Lundburg.

Featured are all the top factory Superbikes from Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Ducati including double World Champion Troy Bayliss' 2006 title winning Xerox Ducati 999F06 and Troy Corser's Suzuki GSXR1000, as well as Noriyuki Haga's Yamaha R1 and James Toseland's Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR. You can read about all the drama and excitement that went into photographing this year's Calendar at Brands Hatch World Superbike in Fast Dates Calendar News July-August 2006.

Also featured are Biker Build Off TV Show challengers Roland Sands' "No Regrets" American V-twin powered sportbike, together with his contender on the show, 3-time LA Calendar Motorcycle Show winner Jesse Rooke's KTM V-twin retro board track racer. Plus, there's Roland Sand's incredible Kenny Roberts commissioned KR 990cc 5-cylinder 230hp MotoGP engine powered retro board track streetbike. Both bikes are feratured with FastDates.com Calendar Kitten and Playboy Playmate Tamara Witmer, currently featured on the MTV reality dating show Rock of Love.

This is a 16 month clanedar starting September 2007 so don't delay and order now. Last year's 2006 calendar sold out well before Christmas! ORDER HERE

Calendar Kitten and Playboy Playmate Athena lundburg is featured in the 2008 Fast Dates Calendar with this 650 Triumph powered retro board track racer built by Shinya Kimura of ChabottEngineering.com.
Shinya was Best of Show winner at the 2004 LA calendar Motorcycel Show. Below is Shinya with his wife at this year's 2007 Calendar Motorcycle Show with his latest retro race bikes and Calendar Kitten Tiffany Toth.





Misano is the home track for the Ducati factory with their Championship points leader Casey Stoner (27) and for local hero Valentino Rossi (46) who is seconf in points. It should be an epic battle if Rossi has the tires to stay with Stoner.

2007 MotoGP World Championship, Round 13 of 17

Race Preview: MotoGP set for return to San Marino
GP Cinzano di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini , Italy, Monday 27th August - The MotoGP World Championship returns to Misano on September 2nd following a 14 year absence, as the circuit plays host to the GP Cinzano di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini.

The MotoGP World Championship leader heading to the San Marino encounter is Australian Casey Stoner, who currently has a cushion of a massive 60 points over nearest rival Valentino Rossi. The Ducati factory rider has won seven races thus far in 2007, including the last two at Laguna Seca and Brno from pole position.

A dominant figure in the premier class over the entire season, Stoner has established an advantage that will be difficult to overturn. One of the only riders with previous experience of recovering such a deficit is precisely the man behind him in the classification, Yamaha’s five-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi. He came back from 51 points behind current title holder Nicky Hayden last season to lead the standings at the final race, but can he or anyone else do the same to Stoner?

Rossi has won just three of the last sixteen races, something well below his usual haul. The Italian will have plenty of support at the next date on the calendar, with Misano sure to play host to thousands of fans committed to the Rossi cause and create scenes akin to those at Mugello earlier this year.

Dani Pedrosa has an even harder task ahead of him as the only other rider with a realistic chance of catching his former 250cc rival, 78 points behind Stoner in the championship. Whilst a maiden title seems a tall order for the Spaniard, he has Rossi in his sights for second place in his sophomore season.

The Suzuki duo of Chris Vermeulen and John Hopkins are both experiencing their most successful season in MotoGP, with the former having taken his first victory at Le Mans and Hopkins the most recent Suzuki podium finisher with a career best second place in the Czech Republic. The pair are dead level on points after 12 races, and will soon be incorporating a new engine specification on the GSV-R800.

A doubt for Misano, Marco Melandri rounds off the top six in the classification. The Gresini Honda rider missed the race at Brno with a neck injury, and has been undergoing further tests to see if he will be fit to compete after two weeks of rehabilitation. The race is an important one for his team, as their headquarters are located close to the Misano circuit. Team-mate Toni Elias is also on the recovery trail after making his return to action at 60% fitness in the Czech Republic. Both riders used the track to complete a late fitness test this month on streetbikes.

Experienced faces Colin Edwards, Nicky Hayden, Loris Capirossi and Alex Barros complete the MotoGP top ten, all looking to gain points and places in the remaining races of the 2007 season.

Of the MotoGP field, only the aforementioned Gresini Honda riders, Safety Commission members Rossi and Capirossi and one other rider have ridden at Misano. The only additional competitor with experience at the circuit is ironically MotoGP newcomer Anthony West, who took victory on a 600cc bike earlier in the year.

The GP Cinzano di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini takes place on Sunday September 2nd, with practice beginning on the preceding Friday.The schedule for Friday will change to allow riders extra time to get to grips with the circuit. An extra hour has been set aside for 800cc practice from 4.15pm local time, with an additional two rear tyres and one front permitted accordingly to tyre companies subject to new this year’s regulations (Michelin and Bridgestone).

Circuit Information
The Misano circuit is a new challenge for the large majority of the MotoGP riders. Close to the city of Rimini, the circuit was constructed in 1972 and has since undergone an array of modifications. A regular scene for Italian Grands Prix throughout the 80s and early 90s, Misano returns to the MotoGP calendar in 2007.

With updated facilities, track and grandstands, Misano Adriatico will hold a maximum capacity of 60,000 spectators. In accordance with MotoGP safety regulations, the 4,200m track will run clockwise for the World Championship races.



Our British lasses and official SBK Fast Dates Superbike Calendar Kittens at Brands Hatch, (left to right) Gemma and Rhian Sugden.We shot this photo in the Ducati Paddock on Friday afternoon when Ducati personel again reconfirmed to me that Gemma would be the official Team Ducati Corse Girl on Sunday.

126,000 Enthusiast British fans jam pack Brands Hatch
for our 2009 SBK Fast Dates World Superbike Calendar Shoot (and a race)!


2007 Brands Hatch World Superbike Race
Fast Dates Calendar Shoot with Gemma and Rhian

by Jim Gianatsis

Brands Hatch, Kent,United Kingdon August 3-5th, 2007 - With still no SBK World Superbike round taking place in America for 2007, I was still excited to return to the incredible Brands Hatch, British round of the Championship this year. If you remember from our last reports, the historical Brands Hatch Raceway set in the beautiful rolling green farmland in the county of Kent, just south of London, dates back to the 1920s and has host every form of major motorsports events from FIA Formula One and World Championship Sports car rounds, to the world's premier motorcycle races. It is amazing that historic racing venues in Europe, like this one at Brands hatch, just get better with age, while in America, race tracks won't comply to the latest race car and safety standards, and end up being run down club tracks.

The World Superbike starting grid on Sunday at Brands Hatch in front of 126,000 hard core sportbike fans. The track, the facility and British sportbike fans are awesome. This one race in a small country the size of California and with 20% of our national population count, pulls more spectators than the entire 11-round AMA National Roadracing Championship held across America. Next year America will possibly get 2 World Superbike rounds and a chance to redeem itself.

The world continues to change rapidly with the Internet, and this year I found our two newest British models for the Fast Dates calendar shoot , right on www.MySpace.com where you will find them in our MySpace.com FastDates.com Top 24 Friends listing. Rhian Sugden is a Page 3 Girl, own of the sexiest and most popular pinup models in Great Britain. She's the most sexy beautiful 5'7" blond with an incredible petite size 0 body struggling to hold up the most beautiful, natural double-DD breasts.

Rhian's playmate for our Fast Dates Calendar shoot is Gemma, another professional model who just happens to also have a university degree in journalism. Gemma told us she can always get a real job when when gets does get tired of modeling. But with a rich investment banker boyfriend in London, who also has an apartment in Monte Carlo on the French Rivera, that isn't likely to happen real soon.

Rhian is one of the top glamour models in Great Britian

And yet, back at our hotel the Hilton Dartford on Saturday night, we ran into retired World Champion Carl Fogarty in the restaurant with his manager Neil Bramwell (Neil wrote the Carl Fogarty biography), and they invited us to join them for drinks in the hotel bar where we spent the rest of the evening with them. Carl told us they were down at Brands hatch for the weekend, sort of under the radar, to follow up on contacts and meet with potential sponsors for their planned returned to World Superbike next year with the official factory MV Agusta race team. Things were still yet confirmed for a team title sponsor and the $4 million dollar budget they needed to finalize the team and hire the riders. carl and brian mention they were looking for a press officer for the team, and when I mention that Gemma had a degree in Journalism and might be looking forward a part time job on the weekend, Gemma was pretty much hired for the job on the spot.

Particularly when they found out Gemma lived in Manchester, a major British city about 3 1/2 hours north of London, since both Carl and Neil being from Manchester as well. Gemma was planning to ride home by train to Manchester on Sunday night after the races, but now she was to be driven home in style by the World Champion Fogarty and his team manager Neil.

Fast Dates Calendar Kitten, Gemma (right) shares starting grid duties at Brands on Sunday for Alstare Corona European Superstock 1000 rider Xavier Simeon who placed 2nd that race, and is currently 2nd overall in the Championship behind Matteo Baiocco (Yamaha). The grid girl on the left is another well known Fast Dates Calendar Kitten and Miss Great Britain, Nicki Lane.

It also turned out that model Rhian was from Manchester too. But she and Gemma had never met until I brought them together at the hotel on Thursday night, before our big calendar shoot out at the track on Friday after final Superbike practice. They became good friends while working together, and plan to get back in touch back home. Both girls own their own cars in Manchester, but traffic is terrible on the highway down to London, and petrol is extremely expensive at close to $8 per gallon now. An advance booked round-trip train fare from Manchester to London and back - about 250 miles - cost around $220, but it was still quicker and cheaper than driving down by car. Gemma was able to get her boyfriend drive her to our hotel on Thursday night when we first met up and checked into the rooms I had booked before dinner.

But Rhian had to take a taxi the remaining 25 miles down from London to our hotel in Dartford near the track, and that cost her dearly as well. Since Rhian was only available to work for me on Friday, after the shoot that evening we drove her to the local village train station to catch a return train to London, then a train change back to Manchester. Her traveling expenses for the Calendar shoot nearly cancelled out what she made for the day. Here in America where gas is still fairly inexpensive at $3.50 gallon and everyone continues to drive by car, and public transportation is not practical in most major urban areas, we are in for a reality check very soon.

Gemma fluffs her hair as we get ready to shoot Max Biaggi's Alstare Corona Suzuki GSXR1000 World Superbike in front of the Pit Garages at Brands Hatch. Photo by Kel Edge.

As usual, the SBK Fast Dates Calendar shoot weekend wasn't normal without a few dramas to make it even more exciting. Before even flying over to England from Los Angeles, I had been having difficulties for months trying to get the organization staff at FGSport confirm the media credentials me and the models needed to get access to the bikes and work on the starting grid for the race. I finally gave up with just 2 days left, and with a direct E-mail to FGSport president and good friend Paolo Flammini, I got an Email back from his new right hand man and another friend, new FGSport Special Projects Manager Paolo Ciabatti, the former marketing Director at Ducati Corse. All the necessary full Media and Photo Credentials with grid passes, including VIP staff paddock parking would be waiting for us at Will Call.

A winning combination at the Brands Hatch World Superbike weekend, Rhian with James Toselands double race winning Ten Kate SBK Fast Dates Calendar Hannspree Honda CBR1000RR! Click for a Screensaver.

Then on Friday evening after Practice on Pit Lane for our calendar shoot we had the usually deluge of team mechanics lining up their bikes in front of their pit garages for us to come over and shoot. Ducati Corse Press Manager Julian Thomas come over and told me that Troy Bayliss factory 999F07 would be ready to shoot in about 10 minutes. But with my concentration continually being diverted by shooting, directing the models and getting them to change swimsuits and come back to the bikes, other teams lining up and asking me to shoot heir bike next, I could do little more than look over to the ducati garage to see if Bayliss' bike had been pushed out of the garage for me to come over and shoot (as always), but it wasn't. About an hour goes buy and then a storming mad Ducati Press Manager comes stomping over to me an nearly takes my head off, shouting why i wasn't over to their garage an hour ago to get their bike. That I was "...keeping all (9) of the team's crew fromgoing to dinner!" waiting on me (As if all of couldn't have gone to dinner in the Paddock 200 yards away, with just one person lagged behind to help me with the bike and close up their garage when finished). So I went over to get Bayliss' bike next. The entire Ducati race team come out onto Pit Lane while I set it up to shoot, to seats behnd me on the Pit Wall to spectate as the girls did their thing, and begged me to take a team picture of all the Ducati mechanics with Troy's bike and the Calendar Kittens. Then finally, they could all go to dinner in the Ducati Hospitality Tent where the girls and I weren't invited!

Troy Bayliss' Team must not have beenlook too hungry to get to dinner, as they all waited to watch the Fast Dates Calendar shoot with Gemma and Rhian....

But the Ducati Drama didn't end there. As you may know I have been providing our Calendar Kittens to Ducati Corse for nearly 10 years, at no charge to serve as their official Ducati grid girls for Sunday's Race Day. The girls cost me about $1,000 each per day to have them there (including model fees, hotel food and lodging), but I do it because of the PR value, personal ego perhaps, and its nice to be able to base ourselves out of the Ducati Hospitality Tent for the weekend. back in May I had contact Julian Thomas again with my offer of my models for Ducati Grid girls, and Julian confirmed back by Email he would use Gemma for rider Lorenzo Lanzi. But reigning World Champion Troy Bayliss would only use his wife as his grid girl. OK, done, I booked Gemma though the Brands hatch weekend just to work for Ducati on Sunday. That's 2 days at $1,000 per day, $2,000 total for a model I didn't really need for any more calendar shoots. And, oh yes, we weren't allow to come into the Ducati Paddock Hospitality tent this year as it was "too full of sponsors". OK, I'm still glad to help Ducati, the only brand of bike I own.

So Friday morning when we first arrived at the track, I took Gemma by the Ducati Hospitality Area and media room to introduce her to Julian Thomas and Claudia, the woman who manages the Hospitality area and the grid girls to introduce her to them, and again confirm she was working the grid for them on Sunday. And they both confirmed it again.

Then Sunday morning we are out to the track paddock bright and early at 8am to hook up with Claudia and get the Ducati Grid Girl uniform for Gemma. And to our surprise there is Claudia with two of her own Ducati hired grid girls all dressed up and ready to go to work. All Claudia has to say to us is "We don't need her, we have our own girls." No explanation, no apology or thank you. Later that afternoon I walked up to Julian Thomas in the Ducati garage to ask what happen, and all he said was "We changed our mind. We can do what we want."
Knowing that Ducati hires their hospitality / grid girls weeks in advance, they could have told me on Friday morning they had changed their mind to save me the huge expense, but they didn't.

Oh My God! Just to be the mayonase in this Miss Great Britai sandwich with the two hot Alfa girls....

Obviously Julian's word didn't mean much. But the karma came back to bite them. Last year at Brands with our Calendar Kitten Katie Pugh by his side on the gird, Troy Bayliss carded 1st and 2nd places podium finishes in the two races on his way to clinching the World Superbike Championship. Unfortunately this year, Troy would crash out in Race One to loose any chance of reeling in on James Toseland and keep his Superbike crown for Ducati, and then returned for a disappointing 7th in Race Two. And team mate Lorenzo Lanzi with Ducati's 2 hired grid girls by his side, finished his usual mid pack in 9th and 12th behind all the the other factory riders.

On Sunday afternoon before the last race ended, I got Gemma Louise packed up in the car with Carl Fogarty and Neil Bramwell to head back home to Manchester. Then headed off myself back to the hotel before 126,000 sportbike fans clogged up the only 2 roads out of the track . The race would still be waiting for me to watch on TiVo back in Los Angels when I got home.


Introducing Harley's New Superbike - The 146hp Buell 1125R
August 1st, 2007 - The Buell sportbike division of Harley-Davidson has finally done what they've need to do since the demise of harley's prototype VR1200 Superbike some 10 years ago, and that's to find a necessary replacement for the underpowered air cooled Sportster engine that has been used in the Buell sportbike line since the beginning.

The all-new 2008 model year Buell 1125R does just that with an outsourced Austrian Rotax engine featuring modern 1125cc V-twin water cooled, double over head cam sportbike technology, including a slipper clutch, that pumps out a potent 146 HP @ 9800 RPM. That's in the ballpark with the two other Italian class leaders, the 143hp 1000cc Aprilia Mille R and Ducati's 160hp 1098cc Superbike. And price wise, it has them both beat at just $11,995 if you like just the color Black, and some $2,000 less than the Ducati.

Buell claims a dry weight of just 375lbs which also puts it on par with the new Ducati 1098. Where the new Buell looks to fall short, though, is in the looks department with an ungainly wide front fairing and water radiator cowling/scoops that are nearly as wide as the handlebars. And carried over Buell quick's like the fuel carried in the aluminum perimeter frame, and the single front rim perimeter brake with a wacky 8-piston caliper.

Even weirder is the exhaust system which tries to do double duty as a lower fairing and features Buck Roger rocket diffuser cones at the rear. Suspension components are source from Showa, with both the rear single shock shock and forks adjustable for compression and rebound damping, and preload.

Initial press launch and tests rides by magazine testers we're spoken to have described the new Buell 1125R as "A very good engine in a bike that still feels like is made by Harley." Now maybe if Buell could get the entire bike designed and built in Austria....


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Factory Teams Complete 2 days of Testing at Bruno after MotoGP Winner
Stoner inside lap Record, hald scond quicker than everyne else


Aug 20-21st - On the final day of post-race testing at Brno, Ducati Marlboro Team Casey Stoner and Loris Capirossi worked on machine set-up and tested some new Bridgestone race tyres.

Tuesday morning the track was damp after yesterday's downpour but it improved during the day, allowing both riders to successfully complete the work planned for the tests.

Stoner lapped consistently at a very good pace, then bettered his own fastest race lap and broke the lap record which had been unbeaten on Sunday. Capirossi, among other things, tested two new Bridgestone 16-inch rears that he found promising but in need of further development.

Casey Stoner, 27 laps, fastest lap: 1m 57.924s (race tyres)

"I'm pretty happy. Today we made a further step forward on bike set-up, similar to what we did in the post-race tests at Catalunya. I'm also happy with the new fairing because conditions were a bit windy this afternoon but I could still lap fast at a very good rhythm. I think these two days have been really positive for us".

Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards rounded off two days of intensive work at Brno today, following Sunday's Czech Grand Prix. After heavy rain yesterday evening the track was still damp this morning, which delayed the start of action, but conditions improved throughout the day and both Rossi and Edwards managed to complete their planned testing programmes.

Once again both riders concentrated mainly on tyre testing, trying a variety of new material with Michelin. Rossi also put in laps with the new-specification engine, which he tried for the first time yesterday. The team now have a week's break before they head to Misano for the San Marino Grand Prix.

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP has concluded its two-day test at Brno in the Czech Republic with promising results, following on from the team’s excellent GP performance. John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen were both eager to get back on track after their impressive displays in last Sunday’s race, which saw them finish second and fifth respectively, and the pair got down to a lot of hard work to improve their machines in readiness for the rest of the season.

Hopkins and Vermeulen were joined at the test by Team Test Rider Nobuatsu Aoki, as the three of them put the 800cc Suzuki GSV-R through numerous tests and evaluations of engine specifications, suspension settings and a thorough and comprehensive Bridgestone tyre test in preparation for improving performances at specific circuits later on in the season.

The team were very pleased with the test in general and has acquired valuable data that will be evaluated in Japan before the next race at Misano in Italy on Sunday 2nd September.

DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES FOR KAWASAKI AT BRNO
The Kawasaki Racing Team today concluded a successful two-day test at the Brno circuit, with Randy de Puniet and Anthony West both completing an extensive assessment programme despite rain bringing a premature end to testing yesterday.

The focus of the two-day test was on evaluating the latest evolution of the Ninja ZX-RR engine, designed to improve the top speed of Kawasaki's ever more competitive MotoGP machine without losing any of the driveability that is so important to fast lap times in the new 800cc era.

The feedback from the two riders was that Kawasaki's engineers in Japan had achieved their aim, and both de Puniet and West have opted to run the latest specification motor in the next race at Misano.

The two Kawasaki pilots also evaluated a number or chassis component combinations on their Ninja ZX-RR machines, as they worked to improve the overall balance of the bike. The data collected during the two-day test will be utilised by the race department in Japan, where the next generation chassis is already in development.

Bridgestone will also benefit from the test at Brno, with the Japanese tyre manufacturer securing important development data from an extensive tyre testing programme completed by de Puniet and West over the course of the two days.

The Kawasaki Racing Team will return to action in just 10 days time at the revised Misano circuit in San Marino, which is a new track for all the MotoGP teams.

DePuniet Best Time - 1'58.5 (123 Laps) "It's been hard work both days, because we've had a lot of different things to test, but it's been worthwhile. The latest engine specification is definitely an improvement, as is the revised clutch that we also tested. From the tyre test we managed to find a combination of front and rear race tyres that allowed me to improve upon my best race lap time from Sunday, so that is also a positive point. Some of the improvements we've made today won't give us such a big advantage for the next race, because Misano is quite a tight track from what I've seen of it, but I think we'll definitely see an improvement in performance when we get to the fast circuits like Motegi and Sepang. So, overall it's been a positive two days."

Test Times
1. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team
1'57.92
2. John Hopkins (USA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
1'58.40
3. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team
1'58.49
4. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team
1'58.70
5. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP
1'58.74
6. Alex Barros (BRA) Pramac d'Antin
1'58.84
7. Colin Edwards (USA) Fiat Yamaha Team
1'58.86
8. Carlos Checa (SPA) Honda LCR
1'59.13
9. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team
1'59.23
10. Anthony West (AUS) Kawasaki
1'59.28
11. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha Team
1'59.35
12. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team
1'59.62
13. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Dunlop Yamaha Tech 3
2'0.80
14. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Dunlop Yamaha Tech 3
2'1.92

Brno: Lap Record
L. Capirossi (Ducati) 2006, 1'58.157
Brno: Best Lap
V. Rossi (Yamaha) 2006, 1'56.191

Highlights from 2007
Brands Hatch World Superbike

Gemma and Rhian in the paddock on Friday as we head out to the pits give the new 2008 Fast dates calednars to all the race teams

Rhian (above left) and Gemma (right) enjoy lunch and photo opportunities at the Ducati Paddock Hospitality Tent on Friday when We were still confirm to provide the Ducati grid girls to the team for Sunday's races.



Scooter Kittens



Jim shoots Gemma with Max Biaggi's Alstare Corona Suzuki GSXR1000.

Last, but not least, Troy Bayliss' 8-man and 1-girl team finally get to shoot with Rhian & Gemma. Somehow they don't looked to starved. The girl crew member helps with the bike's complex computer system control and diagnostics systems. She stays plugged into the bike with a laptop computer right on the starting line before the 2-minute start warning.

Front row of the European Superstock 1000 race with Yahama's Championship points leader Matteo Baiocco on Pole next to the Alfa Row Girl. At Brands Hatch Pole Postion is on the outside going into the blind highspeed downhill Turn One.

Fast Dates Calendar Kitten and Miss Manchester, Gemma (right) shares starting grid duties at Brands on Sunday for Alstare Corona European Superstock 1000 rider Xavier Simeon

Superbike Pole Sitter at brands, Troy Bayliss hams it up for European TV which gets a one-hout prerace show before the race.

One of the beautiful Alfa Romeo Starting Row Girls.

Gemma did get to stand on the starting line as a free agent SBK Fast Dates Calendar Grid Girl for the Superbike Races.

One of the beautiful long-legged Alfa Romeo Starting Row Umbrella Girls faces down the starting straight between the two Alfa 259 SBK Pace Cars.

Gemma with Nori Haga's yamaha R1 Superbike

Our own FastDates.com Pit Lane News photographer and correspondent Kel Edge, interviews race winner a Championship points leader James Toseland in the Paddock Show interview after his race win.That's Kel's mic hand you see and voice you hear in the WSB post race interviews in the edited down Speed TV race coverage seen in America.



Miss England Georgia Horsley looked royal.

Georgina gets interviewed by British Superbike racer James hayden for the 1-hour SBK prerace show not broadcast by SpeedTV in America.

Oh My God!
The 2 hottest of the Alfa Romeo Starting Line Row Umbrella girls.

Oh My God!
Just to be the mayonase in this Miss Great Britai sandwich with the two hot Alfa girls....

Georgina shares another photo with the the Bennetts' Grid Girls.
Bennetts is a motorcycle insurance company in Britain that has just joined World Superbike as a sponsor/

Troy Bayliss waits for the start.

Max Biaggi.

The World Superbike starting grid on Sunday at brands hatch lines on on the front straight in front of 126,000 hard core sportbike fans. The track, the facility and British fans are awesome.

James Toselands very trick Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR. The bike's swimgarm is made by KR Racing, the suspension is all White Power.

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