Kenny Noyes Fastest in Dunlop Tests at Albacete, Spain Kenny Noyes, beginning his second year with the Madrid-based Motorrad Suzuki team in the Spanish 1000cc Formula Extreme National Championship, Spain’s premier racing class, was quickest on both days of the official Dunlop tests at Albacete. All Dunlop teams were in attendance and Noyes, who lapped in 1´30.612 on day one, came back on Thursday, March 13th, to do a 1´30.120 on a race tire, dipping below the race lap record of 1´30.267 set last September in the Albacete National. Sergio Fuertes, Noyes´ team mate and a former World Superbike regular, was 5th overall and both Motorrad Suzuki riders tested a variety of new compounds. “We were also quickest at the Dunlop tests in Almería last weekend, but we needed to get to a Spanish Championship track to really see where we are,” said the Spanish-born American who resides in Barcelona. “We were working so hard to tire testing and suspension settings that the day slipped away before we could try the new qualifiers, but our best time on a race tire would have put us second on the grid at the last race, so we should be good on the Q tire too.” The only pre-season favorites not present in Albacete were the Laglisse Yamaha pairing of Carmelo Morales and Javier del Amor, both Michelin riders. Last year’s FX Champion, José David de Gea, who won the title last year for the fourth time riding for BRQ Suzuki on Dunlop, has left the series for World Supersport and has been replaced by former 500 and MotoGP regular José Luis Cardoso. The Spanish Championship begins at Valencia on April 20th, but both Fuertes and Noyes will make wildcard starts at the World Superbike round in Valencia on April 6, Fuertes in the WSBK class and Noyes in the European Suzuki GSX-R 750 Cup. Team owner Manuel Alonso was cautiously optimistic after the Albacete tests: “Last year we had injuries, Kenny at the beginning of the season and Sergio at the end, but this year we are starting strong and coming off good tests at two very different tests where both riders were fast and where Kenny really made a big step forward.” Results from Albacete Dunlop Tests 1. Kenny Noyes (Motorrad Suzuki) 1´30.1 2. Jordi Torres (Honda Merson) 1´31.0 3. Diego Lozano (Darcey Honda) 1´31.1 4. Joseph Sardá (NH Hotels Yamaha) 1´31.5 5. Sergio Fuertes (Motorrad Suzuki) 1´31,6 6. Iván Silva (D´Antin Kawasaki) 1´31.8 7. José Luis Cardoso (BQR Suzuki) 1´32.1 (18 FX riders took part in the two-day tests)