FastDates.com February 2004 Page 3 • Racing & Calendar News Superbike, MotoGP, Calendar Girls Official Calendar of the SBK World Superbike Championship Home of the official SBK Fast Dates & Team Ducati Corse Umbrella Girls • World Premier of the Confederate "Wraith" retro board track racer    concept bike in the all new Iron & Lace Garage • FastDates.com 1224 Ducati 999S Screensaver with Laura HERE • FastDates.com Ducati 999S Project Superbike HERE • FastDates.com Aprilia Tuono R Project Bike in Paddock Garage HERE • 2004 Cycle World International Shows Coverage Long Beach • Torque the Movie with FastDates.com Calendar girl Jamie Pressly • Neil Hodgsen Interview New 2003 World Superbike Champion • 2004 FIM and AMA Superbike Rules revealed! • New 2004 Aprilia RSVR Superbike First USA track test with Janelle • New 2004 Honda, Yamaha Kawasaki 1000cc Superbikes

"Baby, here's your Valentine."

The sexy new Millona weighs in at a mere $178 per pound. We're talking bets we'll see those gold Poggipolini magnesium case covers for our Multistrada in the next Ducati Performance Parts Catalog.

Stefano Poggipolini's
MILLONA 1000NE
What has an air cooled Ducati DS1000 engine that cranks out 104 horsepower, weighs a mere 253 pounds (115 kg) of titanium and magnesium and will decimate anything in the Battle of the Twins class for a mere $45,000? You're right, it's the new Poggipolini MILLONA. You can read and see more of in the FastDates.com
New Sportbike Index.

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World Superbike Championship 2004

Regis Laconi Quickest at Valencia Tests
with 2 weeks to go before World Superbike Opening Round

FGSPORT Winter Test Day, Valencia 12/02/04: Subtly improved conditions allowed the majority of the top Superbike riders to reduce their best lap times at Valencia, although Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila) continued his good pre-season form to secure the top placing once more. He slashed half a second off his opening day mark of 1:36.538, leaving the track today with a 1:36.016 on his board. With even better conditions and more urgency he is fully expected to dip under the 1:35 barrier on the final day of the tests. Given the rate of improvement for some of the top riders in the series, he may be joined in that bracket by more than one of his peers. Steve Martin made the biggest jump, second fastest on the day, with a 1:36.260. The Australian has been fastest in a previous Valencia test during December 2003 and with a top-flight customer 999RS he could be challenging for top honours this season. James Toseland (Ducati Fila) was third fastest, after his 70 lap long haul, and he was joined in the top four of day two by Noriyuki Haga, who took his Renegade Ducati 999RS to a best time of 1:36.676.

Regis turns up the wick on his 999F04 Ducati, but Martin, Toseland, and Noriyuki haga were hot on his heels.

Troy Corser (Foggy Petronas FP-1) made suspension changes to suit the Valencia circuit and jumped up todayís order to finish fifth on the Thursday timesheets. Leon Haslam (Renegade Ducati 999RS) suffered another fall to add to his injurious day one experience, when he broke a finger on his left hand and badly grazed his calf. He escaped further injury today, and went sixth fastest after 43 laps.

Ten Kate Honda FireBlade rider Chris Vermeulen was sixth fastest, with a Thursday time of 1:37.200 to his credit. Mauro Sanchini continued the development of another 1000cc four-cylinder machine new to SBK competition, as he went eighth fastest on his Bertocchi Kawasaki ZX-10.

Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati 999RS) suffered another crash to add to his opening day spill, as he tried to eradicate weight transfer problems during his relatively early stage of acquaintance with his 2004 Ducati. He was ninth fastest man on the day, with Chris Walker (Foggy Petronas FP-1) tenth. NCR Ducati rider Garry McCoy was 12th fastest on day two.

In World Supersport Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR), continued to be fastest rider on show, although he only matched but did not improve his first day time of 1:37.665. Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) slotted in second on Thursdayís times, with Ten Kate rider Broc Parkes third and Fabien Foret (Belgarda Yamaha) maintaining a top four pace in the absence of his team-mate Jurgen van den Goorbergh. Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany YZFR6) was fifth today. Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Fila 749RS) could not get to the pace of the top four cylinder entries, and went 13th fastest. One day remains for all the entrants to improve their times and make final preparations for the first race of the year at Valencia at the end of the month.

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Andra Cobb Your Valentine Special Treat and our upcoming new 2005 FastDates.com Angel We discovered beautiful 5'8" Andra Cobb by an incredible stroke of fate, and luck. We had booked one of our calendar models for the newt, cutting edge Mikuni Carburetor advertising campaign "Explicit Performace." Everyone showed up for the scheduled ad shoot at our studio... the client, the engine, the photographer and makeup artist... everyone except the model! In a panic we called Brand Model & Talent Agency and asked them to send us the best model they could to save the day, immediately. We had never heard of or ever seen a picture of Andra Cobb, but we booked her sight unseen, only to be totally blown away when she arrived at our studio 2 hours later. Andra is one of the most beautiful models we had ever met and the most fun to work with! Jim Gianatsis enjoyed working with Andra so much for Iron & Lace calendar sponsor Mikuni's ad campaign which came out incredible, that Jim brough Andra back to the studio the following week to shoot and fit her into the already completed 2005 FastDates.com Calendars. Andra will be one of our official SBK Fast Dates World Superbike girls at Laguna Seca World Superbike and our LA Calendar Motorcyle Show the summer of July 2004.

Andra's Portfolio • Andra in Member's Corner

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Left to right: Ducati president Frederico Minoli, team director Claudio Domenicali, rider Troy Bayliss, team manager Dario Raimondi, and rider Loris Capirossi.
Ducati Marlboro Team: From MotoGP Rookies to Contenders
Ducati Introduces its 2004 MotoGP Team & Bike
February 4th, Bolona, Italy: The results obtained by Ducati in 2003, on their debut in the MotoGP category, amazed the entire world. A podium finish in the first race, pole position in the third, second place in the fifth race and a win after just six races. At the end of the season, the Ducati Marlboro Team had accumulated one win (Capirossi at Barcelona), two second places (Capirossi at Mugello and Phillip Island), six third places (Capirossi at Suzuka, Estoril and Valencia; Bayliss at Jerez, Sachsenring and Brno) and three pole positions (Capirossi at Jerez, Assen and Estoril).

Thanks to these superb results, Ducati finished second in the Constructorsí standings and fourth and sixth in the Ridersí championship with Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss respectively. The results were achieved with a totally new prototype bike, the Desmosedici, which took to the track for the first time just a few months before the start of the championship. The result of a project developed entirely within Ducati Corse, the Desmosedici on numerous occasions achieved the highest top speed on the track (it holds the outright record at Mugello with 332.4 km/h), demonstrating a power output that many people consider to be at the top of the category.

Rookies in the MotoGP championship, Ducati did not waste any time in becoming front-runners. Now in 2004 the Ducati Marlboro Team is expected to be amongst the outright contenders, capable of fighting for the podium in every race with both its riders.

The D16 GP4 : Improved from the engine out Numerous changes have been carried out on the Ducati MotoGP bike. More than 60% of the 915 individual components that make up the new bike are totally different and cannot be interchanged with the previous version. The Desmosedici's engine has a new combustion chamberand a number of changes have been made to reduce internal attrition. Further changes have also been made to reduce weight. The result is more power (now in excess of 230 HP at 16,500 rpm, an increase of around 10 HP and 500 rpm on the 2003 version). The airbox is larger than the previous version, thus contributing to an increase in power and a difference in the torque curve. The exhaust system is produced in titanium by Termignoni and has been completely redesigned. It sports two ëtwo-into-oneí pipes, with the vertical cylinder head arrangement terminating under the tail unit, like last year and in the best Ducati tradition. The horizontal cylinder arrangement terminates on the right of the bodywork. The new exhaust lay-out improves power delivery has enabled the fuel tank to be moved to central weight better. Complete GP4 specs and pictures in New Sportbikes

"Last year was a learning season for us," declares Ducati Corse Managing Director Claudio Domenicali. "We had to learn everything about the new bike, which often raced on tracks that we had never seen before. Loris immediately adapted to four-strokes and our working method, and right from the start gave us some great results and real excitement. Troy had to learn numerous circuits and change his riding style to MotoGP power, but adapted quickly and his three podiums are a demonstration of this. The results obtained confirm that the project has solid foundations, on which we must continue to grow, and we feel that we are stronger than one year ago.

Our working group, from Loris and Troy to all the guys in the company, has demonstrated a devotion and professionalism that fills us with pride. All this would not have been possible without the support and the trust of our partners. First of all Marlboro, which believed in us right from the start; Shell Advance, with whom we have a long-standing technical partnership; and Fila and Michelin to name just a few. A warm welcome also to our new partners, including Alice, the prestigious Telecom Italia brand with whom we have also started collaborating on a company telecommunications level. I am sure that the season that is about to get underway will see us contenders in a World Championship that on paper is very evenly balanced and for this reason even more exciting. We are starting the season with the knowledge that we have grown up but aware that the project is still young and in its development phase".

Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss are ready to face up to this new challenge. Last year both confirmed themselves to be at the top of their game and capable of giving 100% on every occasion.

"With Loris and Troy in the team we are sure that we are in a position to obtain important results at every race," declares Livio Suppo, Director of the Ducati Marlboro Team. "Both were chosen not only for their riding skill, but also for their ability to always give their utmost with enthusiasm and determination. They were a fundamental part of the Desmosediciís development process. Their suggestions and sensations were the basis that allowed our engineers to correctly interpret the data acquired. They are both very experienced riders
and I am sure they will again give us some great satisfaction this year. The Ducati Marlboro Team will be taking part in its second season of racing with several changes in personnel. All those involved in 2003 have been confirmed, while four more people have been added to help improve intervention on the bike at the circuit and relations with our partners. It is not an easy task, but everything has been organised for the success of this new challenge".

More details and photos of the Ducati Desmosedici D16 GP4 HERE

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Our official SBK World Superbike FastDates.com Calendar Angels Janelle Perzina, Chandi Mason and Miss Great Britain 2003 Nicki Lane heat things up on Troy Corser's Foggy Petronas Superbike.

World Superbike 2004 Provisional Entry List
January 27, 2004: Here's the current lineup of riders and teams for the 2004 SBK World Superbike 100cc and World Supersport 600cc Championships. The first race takes place at Valencia Spain on February 29th.

Superbike World Championship - Championnat du Monde Superbike Supersport
N° Rider/pilote Nat. Machine Team
4 Troy Corser AUS PETRONAS FP1 Foggy PETRONAS Racing
5 Piergiorgio Bontempi ITA Suzuki GSX 1000R Zongshen Team
6 Mauro Sanchini ITA Kawasaki ZX10 Team Kawasaki Bertocchi
7 Pier Francesco Chili ITA Ducati 999R Team PSG-1
8 Ivan Clementi ITA Kawasaki ZX10 Team Kawasaki Bertocchi
9 Chris Walker GBR PETRONAS FP1 Foggy PETRONAS Racing
12 Warwick Nowland AUS Suzuki GSX 1000R Zongshen Team
16 Sergio Fuertes ESP Suzuki GSX 1000R MIR Racing
17 Chris Vermeulen AUS Honda CBR 1000RR Ten Kate Honda TBA Honda CBR 1000RR Ten Kate Honda
19 Lucio Pedercini ITA Ducati 996R Team Pedercini TBA Ducati 996R Team Pedercini
20 Marco Borciani ITA Ducati 999R D.F.X. Racing Team
23 Jiri Mrkyvka CZE Ducati 996R JM SBK Team
24 Garry McCoy AUS Ducati 999R Team Caracchi TBA ESP Ducati 999R Team Caracchi
25 Alessio Velini ITA Yamaha YZF R1 UnionBike GiMotorsport
41 Noriyuki Haga JPN Ducati 999R Team Renegade Ducati
52 James Toseland GBR Ducati 999R Ducati Fila
55 Régis Laconi FRA Ducati 999R Ducati Fila
91 Leon Haslam GBR Ducati 999R Team Renegade Ducati
99 Steve Martin AUS Ducati 999R D.F.X. Racing Team

Supersport World Championship - Championnat du Monde Supersport
N° Rider/pilote Nat. Machine Team
2 Stéphane Chambon FRA Suzuki GSX 600R Team Alstare Suzuki
4 Jurgen Van Den NED Yamaha YZFR6 Team Yamaha Belgarda Goorbergh
8 Alessio Corradi ITA Honda CBR 600RR Team Italia Megabike
11 Kevin Curtain AUS Yamaha YZFR6 Yamaha Motor Deutschland GMBH
15 Matteo Baiocco ITA Yamaha YZFR6 Team Lorenzini by Leoni
18 Denis Sacchetti ITA Honda CBR 600RR Team Italia Megabike
19 Walter Tortoroglio* ITA Suzuki GSX 600R Celani Team
20 Vittorio Iannuzzo ITA Suzuki Team Alstare Suzuki
22 Stefano Cruciani ITA Kawasaki ZX6RR Team Kawasaki Bertocchi
23 Broc Parkes AUS Honda CBR 600RR Ken Kate Honda
25 Giovanni Bussei ITA Ducati 749 R SL Racing
31 Karl Muggeridge AUS Honda CBR 600RR Ten Kate Honda
37 Katsuaki Fujiwara JPN Suzuki GSX 600R Team Alstare Suzuki
57 Lorenzo Lanzi ITA Ducati 749 R Ducati Breil
76 Max Neukirchner GER Honda CBR 600RR Team Klaffi Honda TBA Suzuki GSX 600R Moto 1
93 Christian Kellner GER Yamaha YZFR6 Yamaha Motor Deutschland GMBH
94 Yaron Salinger ISR Honda CBR 600RR IRT Team
95 Eli Chen ISR Honda CBR 600RR IRT Team
99 Fabien Foret FRA Yamaha YZFR6 Team Yamaha Belgarda
116 Sébastien Charpentier FRA Honda CBR 600RR Team Klaffi Honda
* Only European rounds/épreuves en Europe seulement
2004 models homologation procedure in progress