BMW M Award 2006 Goes to American MotoGP Rider Nicky Hayden. First prize of a BMW Z4 M Coupé for the fastest qualifier of the current season.

Munich. MotoGP pilot Nicky Hayden from the USA has won this year's BMW M Award
and takes home his first prize of a BMW Z4 M Coupé. BMW M has supplied this
attractive motor car as the prize for the rider in the motorcycle Grand Prix
achieving the fastest average qualifying time over all 18 training heats held
throughout the 2006 MotoGP season. The president of BMW M GmbH, Professor
Ulrich Bruhnke, presented Nicky Hayden with his new BMW Z4 M Coupé at the final
heat of the season in Valencia, Spain.

Not only does BMW M organise the BMW M Award with its two car prizes, one
awarded at the beginning and one at the end of each MotoGP season, but since
1999, it has also been supplying the official fleet of safety cars, in the form
of two 507 bhp BMW M5 and M6 models, a further four service vehicles, and the
staff cars for the MotoGP organisation. The MotoGP races attract an average of
300 million television spectators throughout the world and up to 250,000
spectators watching the events unfold live.

Before Valencia: 6.6 ahead of the next-placed rider in the Qualifier

Nicky Hayden, the Kentucky Kid, as he is often referred to, has had an
excellent season in the MotoGP 2006. Taking all the qualifying rounds into
account, he has ended the year a total of 6.6 seconds ahead of his compatriot,
Colin Edwards. In previous years, the difference between the first and second
placed riders was generally no more than two seconds.

The BMW photograph enclosed shows Nicky Hayden (right/left) being presented
with the keys to his BMW Z4 Coupé from Professor Ulrich Bruhnke, president of
BMW M GmbH.

For further information, please see the special chapter entitled BMW Safety
Cars in the MotoGP, the Motorcycle Grand Prix.