Press Release –

Firefly Energy Inc. (www.fireflyenergy.com), the Peoria Illinois-based company developing an innovative carbon-graphite foam lead acid battery for commercial and military applications, said today it was named a co-winner in the energy category in 2007’s The Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Awards. Los Alamos National Laboratory was the category’s other co-winner.

The seventh annual awards competition recognizes technological breakthroughs by individuals, companies and organizations around the world in a wide range of disciplines including medicine, energy, software, hardware, the Internet, broadcasting, the environment and other categories.

In his overview, Michael Totty, a news editor for The Journal Report in San Francisco, said Firefly Energy won for developing a “power supply that replaces the heavy lead plates in vehicle batteries with a carbon-graphite foam. The result is smaller and lighter, yet can deliver as much power as more advanced and more costly technologies.”

Ed Williams, CEO of Firefly Energy, said: “It is truly a unique honor to be selected out of 800 companies as one of the co-winners of this award, and from such a prestigious sponsor as Dow Jones and Company’s The Wall Street Journal. Winning the Journal’s 2007 award is a clear reflection on the talents and ingenuity of our team and their impassioned focus on introducing greater energy storage performance, at lower costs, with greener battery technology.”

Kurt Kelley, the inventor of Firefly’s graphite foam battery technology, added that removing corrosive heavy lead grids and replacing them with graphite foam helps unleash the innate power of lead acid chemistry. “Our battery technology can rival other advanced chemistries in performance, take advantage of an existing manufacturing base, and addresses environmental concerns through the significant reduction of lead content resulting from the use of carbon-graphite foam,” he said.

Firefly Energy is currently applying the first version of its battery technology in several commercial and military markets. The company’s battery technology may also serve emerging applications such as hybrid electric vehicles, which historically haven’t been served effectively by traditional lead acid batteries due to heavy weight and poor cycle life.

Firefly Energy’s “3D” carbon-graphite foam lead acid battery, the first of several innovations from the company’s technology portfolio for lead acid batteries, uses a three dimensional high surface area foam material that unleashes the high power potential of lead acid chemistry which was impossible to achieve in the past.

The technology not only reduces the lead content– making the batteries smaller and lighter–but also enables faster, deeper and more reliable discharges and recharges, significantly extends the battery life, is more environmentally friendly and, is less expensive than lithium and nickel battery chemistries.

The carbon-graphite foam also enables a much cooler overall battery performance – a key feature considering that the corrosion rate of lead doubles for every 15 degrees the temperature rises above 70-degrees Fahrenheit.

Examples of end-use applications of the Firefly Energy technology include lawn and garden care equipment, commercial and military vehicles, and uninterruptible power supplies.

Press Release –

Scott Griffin, formerly of Maxxis, will succeed Mark Wilhelm as Vice President of the motorcycle business unit at Pirelli Tire North America. Mr. Griffin will commence his role at the beginning of October.

“On behalf of Pirelli, I would like to thank Mark for his contribution to our growth and success in North America and we wish him well in his new role in Europe,” commented Chairman & CEO of Pirelli Tire North America, Hugh Pace. “I look forward to Scott Griffin joining our team as his tenure and experience in the motorcycle tire industry is a major plus for our strategy in North America.”

Press Release –

KYMCO USA is once again proud to be a sponsor of the Femmoto Women’s Track Event, October 5-7, 2007 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS).

This is the company’s third year as a sponsor for the event, which last year more than doubled the 2005 turnout by welcoming 330 women from across North America.

KYMCO is expanding its presence by offering on-track, street, and off-road demo rides throughout the weekend. On Saturday and Sunday participants will be able to ride the Venox 250cc motorcycle, Xciting 500cc, People S 250cc and Grandvista 250cc scooters.

KYMCO-sponsored Street Demos on Friday, Saturday and Sunday will feature the same model mix of motorcycles and scooters. And — new for this year’s Femmoto — KYMCO USA will offer Off-Road ATV Demos all three days. Riders will have access to MXU 500cc 4×4 ATVs, Mongoose 300cc ATVs and Mongoose 250cc ATVs.

Femmoto is the creation of Bonnie Strawser, who, along with Monte Lutz, operates the major U.S. track day organization, Sportbike Track Time.

Commenting on the KYMCO-Femmoto relationship, Strawser said, “KYMCO has been a part of our family since 2005, and many of our attendees have had their first experience with KYMCO at Femmoto. The addition of the ATV demo program is very exciting for us and increases the diversity as Femmoto expands to include more riders on every kind of powersports product.”

The company’s Venox 250 motorcycle continues to be a very popular bike with Femmoto participants. Light in weight and easy to handle, this entry-level V-twin machine has the look of a big cruiser and plenty of visual appeal.

“We’re very happy to continue our association with Femmoto, and actually expand our sponsorship with increased demo rides on the track, street and dirt,” said KYMCO USA VP of Sales and Marketing, Bruce Ramsey. “The event has certainly proven its popularity, and we get important feedback on our products from the female riders who participate.”

KYMCO USA Event Coordinator John Stoddart will be on hand with the hauler to provide KYMCO products and support for demo rides.

In addition to promoting women’s riding ability and safety, Femmoto also raises money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Last year the Femmoto donation topped $10,000.

Press Release –

BRP, through its Austrian affiliate BRP-Rotax GmbH, jointly with the Government of Upper Austria, announced today the creation of an advanced research centre, the Regionales Innovations Centrum (RIC).

Located in Gunskirchen, the RIC will bring together a pool of highly qualified and skilled people and provide them with a stimulating setting for the development of new engine technologies.

The RIC project represents a total investment of € 8.5 million ($CA 12 million). BRP will cover 75% of the costs; 24.5% will come from the municipality of Gunskirchen, supported by the Upper Austrian Government, the city of Wels and the municipalities of the Wels-Land district; and another 0.5% by the Oberbank Wels.

“With this project we will be able to develop and train highly skilled employees, which will help BRP remain competitive in its markets and position the Upper Austria region as a good business location to find highly skilled and qualified people,” said Gerd Ohrnberger, vicepresident and general manager, BRP-Rotax.

An innovative platform for the exchange of creative thinking between universities and the industry, the RIC stands for the next generation of technology centres. With construction scheduled to start before the end of 2007, the new building will be built on BRP-Rotax’s premises.

“Our future is research and knowledge. The RIC, a regional innovation centre of the next generation, combines these pillars perfectly: R&D on one side and high-level qualification on the other. That is the clear path for the future, which we set with the economic program “Innovative Upper Austria 2010″ and now consequently realize and steer,” said Viktor Sigl, Minister of Economy, Labour, Youth and Education of Upper Austria State. “The RIC is a major boost not only for the region but also for the whole business community of Upper Austria,” he added.

Over the last two years, BRP has announced investments of approximately € 21 million ($CA 30 million) in research and development and in design and innovation for the advancement of new products and technologies. These investments are BRP’s response to globalization, competition from low-cost countries and a strong Canadian dollar. The company believes that through these investments it will keep introducing new and innovative products to remain the leader in its traditional markets and continue to gain market share in the others.

“The RIC reconfirms BRP’s commitment to innovation in order to maintain its global leadership position,” said José Boisjoli, president and CEO, BRP. “The RIC will work closely with BRP’s advanced technology and design and innovation centres in Canada to develop synergies between Europe and North America and better support BRP’s global needs,” he concluded.

Josef Fuerlinger has been appointed general manager of the Regionales Innovations Centrum. He has been a BRP-Rotax employee since 1990.

A depiction of the project is available at www.brp.com

Press Release –

ATVOntario Tourism Initiatives Inc. announced today that it has released PowerPass Ontario™. The pass is unique in North America and sets a new standard for trail stewardship, sustainability, ease of use and flexibility.

Dual Use

On ATVOntario trail systems a PowerPass Ontario™ subscription card permits holders to ride ATVs other than their own by providing a simple proof of identity. It also allows others to drive any ATV provided the make and license number on the rear of the card matches the ATV make and license plate number.

No Artificial Year Ends

PowerPass Ontario™ permits are valid for one full year no matter when purchased.

On-Line Purchase – Instant Use – Plastic Card

PowerPass Ontario™ is purchased online at atvontario.com and is immediately activated with a printed receipt that serves as validation until the personalized plastic credit card sized pass arrives in the mail.

Affordable and Family Friendly

PowerPass Ontario™ is priced at $120 and a family subscription of up to 5 riders is capped at $240.

Trail Sustainability and Equitability

ATVOntario’s alliance partners and trail systems benefit equally from revenues of PowerPass Ontario™. Each ATVOntario community will receive equal funding regardless of the customer’s home address, thereby ensuring continuous predictable investment in infrastructure and tourism value.

Provincial in Nature – Reciprocal in Practise

PowerPass Ontario™ is a reciprocal trail pass subscription. All 5 ATVOntario communities recognize it as valid for use on their trail systems. Community passes, including daily, weekly and annual passes co-exist with PowerPass Ontario™ in ATVOntario communities.

“We have listened to what ATVers want.” stated Andrew Ryeland, President of ATVOntario. “We received an overwhelming number of emails and telephone calls encouraging us to offer a trail pass that could be used across our partner’s systems. ATVOntario offers several thousand kilometres of signed, mapped and insured trails that traverse the most spectacular geography on the continent. We have been offering world class ATV trails, accommodations, packages and welcoming communities for several years now and it was time to stitch those experiences together. PowerPass Ontario™ is part of our continued effort to deliver compelling destinations to the nearly 300,000 ATVers in Ontario and ten times that number immediately beyond our borders.

PowerPass Ontario™ is available on-line at atvontario.com ATVOntario.com

Press Release –

PIAA Corporation, a leader in Powersports lighting and accessories, has teamed up with the World Off-Road Championship Racing Series to host WORCS’ first ever PIAA 8-Hour UTV/ATV Endurance Race, announced PIAA Powersports Business Unit Manager Gordon Robertson.

The event will be held on Saturday, January 12, 2008, at Speedworld Raceway in Surprise, Ariz., and will feature racing for a variety of UTV and ATV classes.

In addition to brainstorming the concept for the inaugural race, PIAA will be the presenting sponsor, providing financial support as well as offering a lucrative contingency program that will encourage racers to use PIAA halogen and HID lighting products. And, since the race starts at 4 p.m. and finishes at midnight, having a PIAA-equipped vehicle will be a distinct advantage.

“PIAA is excited about helping this inaugural event be a success,” Robertson said. “This is a great opportunity for us to show the ATV, UTV and Powersports industry that PIAA lighting products are indeed the best in the world, proven everywhere from the Daytona 24 Hour sports car race to the World Rally circuit.”

While there are a handful of ATV endurance races held in the U.S. (such as the 12 Hours of ATV America each fall), the PIAA 8-Hour will be the first time an endurance race will include the wildly popular UTV classes. “UTV racers will have the opportunity to prove who is the fastest as well as the toughest,” Robertson said.

“Everyone knows that WORCS races are the ultimate test of man and machine,” explained WORCS owner Sean Reddish. “Teaming up with the industry leader in performance lighting and putting on an UTV- and ATV-only 8-hour endurance race was a perfect fit.”

It will be a standard endurance event with teams racing non-stop for eight hours around a 5-mile loop that starts on the Speedworld motocross circuit then heads out into the Arizona desert. There will be separate overall winners for both divisions, UTV and ATV.

For UTVs, racing classes include Unlimited, Modified, Stock, and Ironman/woman; for ATVs, classes will be Pro A, B, and C; Women’s Pro A and B; Veterans 30+; Masters 40+; and Ironman/Woman.

PIAA’s contingency awards should inspire all competitors: Overall finishers will be awarded $1000 for first, $500 for second, $250 for third. In addition, each class winner will receive $250. To be eligible, vehicles must use PIAA HID or Halogen lamps and run PIAA decals

For entry and class information, plus rules and regulations, visit worcsracing.com, or call 435-635-1597. For details on all PIAA UTV and ATV lighting products, visit piaapowersports.com.

Press Release –

Monster Energy Kawasaki ATV rider Josh Creamer ended the WPSA season with an impressive fourth-place finish at Field of Dreams Motocross Park.

Creamer narrowly missed the holeshot and jumped behind the leader on his Kawasaki KFX®450R. He stayed close for most of the 14-lap race, holding on as long as he could before eventually coming across the finish with a season-best fourth place.

“I got an awesome start,” said Creamer. “I really liked the track. It was probably my favorite all year long. It had a lot of jumps but was also very technical and allowed for some good racing.”

He added, “This year has been great in my eyes. We came in with a new team and a new quad and put out a good showing. Next year will only be better.”

Teammate Jason Luburgh started at the back of the pack and made several passes to move from 14th to eighth by the halfway mark. Baldwin Motorsports Kawasaki’s Josh Upperman and Luburgh got tangled up but Luburgh was able to keep his position. Upperman went down and eventually fought back to finish 12th.

“The season went how we had hoped,” said Team Manager Jimmy White. “With very little testing before the season started, it caused the team to work extra hard. By mid-season, Creamer was consistently in the top-five and Jason made improvements as well. Overall, I was very happy and this was a great way to end the season.”

WPSA, ATV Series Round 10: Field of Dreams Motocross Park –Boswell, Pa.

SuperQuad Pro 450 Class Results

1. Chad Weinen, Galena, Ill., Suzuki
2. John Natalie, Jr., Houtzdale, Penn., Honda
3. Dustin Wimmer, Center Valley, Pa., Suzuki
4. JOSH CREAMER, N. STONINGTON, CONN., MOSNTER ENERGY KAWASAKI
5. Richard Pelchat, St. Romvald, QC, Yamaha
6. Joe Haavisto, New Ipswich, N.H., Suzuki
7. Doug Gust, Salem, Wis., Suzuki
8. JASON LUBURGH, ZANESVILLE, OHIO, MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI
9. John Ragon, Milan, Tenn., Suzuki
10. Harold Goodman, Brownstown, Mich., Honda
12. JOSH UPPERMAN, LOUISVILLE, OHIO, BALDWIN MOTORSPORTS KAWASAKI

SuperQuad Pro 450 Class Standings

1. John Natalie, Jr., Houtzdale, Penn., Honda, 388
2. Dustin Wimmer, Center Valley, Pa., Suzuki, 377
3. Chad Weinen, Galena, Ill., Suzuki, 365
4. Doug Gust, Salem, Wis., Suzuki, 345
5. Keith Little, Spruce Pine, Ala., Honda, 267
6. JOSH CREAMER, N. STONINGTON, CONN., MOSNTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 253
7. Harold Goodman, Brownstown, Mich., Honda, 231
8. Russell Shumaker, Bristol, Wis., Suzuki, 218
9. Joe Haavisto, New Ipswich, N.H., Suzuki, 217
10. JOSH UPPERMAN, LOUISVILLE, OHIO, BALDWIN MOTORSPORTS KAWASAKI, 204
11. JASON LUBURGH, ZANESVILLE, OHIO, MONSTER ENERGY KAWASAKI, 190