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MONZA

NEWS ARCHIVE - MAY 2005

ALBACETE 8 HORAS 21st MAY

ALBACETE ENDURANCE LAP RECORD HOLDER GWEN GIABBANI
Policeman Gwen Giabbani (Yamaha Austria Rider) has been getting some extra practice on his...er...Police bike...OK, it's his BMW Power Cup bike...

ONE OF THE REASONS WE LIKE ALBACETE...

WILLIAM DUNLOP - UPDATE ON THE NEXT BIG THING
The Road Racing season started at Cooktown on April 30th, William was racing in 3 classes: the 125, 600 and the open race on a 250. In the 125's he finished in a solid 4th place after qualifying 3rd.
There was drama in the 600 he qualified 13th on the grid but was put to the back as the race number on his bike ( his usual ) was different to the race number they had in the programme -  it got worse as he had to retire on lap 2 with tyre problems.
In the open race he qualified 11th and finished in another solid 4th and was the first 250 home...and this was up against 750's, etc!

On May the 7th he was at the second road race of the season at Tandragee, competing in the 125 race. There was no qualifying session as the weather was too poor so he was installed in 6th position on the grid...and finished in - wait for it - another 4th.

He is leading the Irish 125 Championship by a very healthy margin at the moment and is wild carding in the British 125 championship at Mondello Park at the weekend.

BUY WARWICK NOWLAND'S SUZUKI!
Warwick Nowland has his 2001 GSXR1000 up for sale - with the added benefit of matching leathers and helmet!

KEVIN SCHWANTZ BOL D'OR MOTO REVUE TEAM SHIRT
For all those who want to do something for charity while acquiring something unique...
Kevin Schwantz's signed race shirt is up for auction on the Riders For Health website. This is from last years' Bol d'Or, Kevin's first real race since his retirement.

http://www.riders.org/en/auctions/viewitem.php?lotid=1345

Many thanks for the riders and teams who offered items for the Riders For Health Charity Auction at Alexandra Palace. I have finally received information from them as to how much the items raised. Thanks, Wokka, Mandy, Steve and Kevin!...Warwick Nowland Helmet £200, Signed Yamaha Austria team shirt £60 and Steve Plater Helmet £250.

Press Release – Diablo 666 Kawasaki go testing with new bike
1st May 2005
After the season opening round at Assen, where the Team enjoyed its first ever podium, finishing a magnificent 3rd, just behind partner Team, Bolliger Kawasaki in 2nd, it was back to the equally important job of mid season testing for Diablo 666.
Following the Assen meeting, Diablo’s spare machine, an absolutely stock ZX-10 was brought back to the UK for chief mechanic, Geoff Randall, to work on and to turn into the Team’s No. 2 Machine.

Testing...it's a tough job...

The running in of the new bike went extremely smoothly by James Hutchins and Kevin Falcke with no major problems and it will be interesting to compare its performance with the main race bike when the Team arrives in Spain in three weeks time for the 8hrs race at Albacete.
Steve Mizera had unfortunately been unable to fly over from Germany, due to business commitments at the Dresden Moto Park, where he is head of publicity, which was staging an official press open day.
Terry Rymer, Diablo 666 Team Manager, who due to business commitments missed out on the trip and celebrations in Assen added, “The lads did a fantastic job in the wet difficult conditions in Assen. I was so proud of the Team when I heard the news. With this new bike being available for testing between races, I would expect the Team to be even more competitive especially with the rider line up we have this year now with the permanent addition of Steve Mizera into the squad”.

Roll on the Team’s next outing at the 8hrs night race at Albacete on 21st / 22nd May 2005.

Aprilia Attack Albacete
Italian manufacturer Aprilia will be well represented at this months Albacete 8 Horas Nocturnas round of the FIM World Endurance Championship.
The Aprilia Motociclismo Test Team will make their 2005 permanent team debut at the Spanish night race. Their RSV1000 will be ridden by double world motocross champion and official factory Supermoto rider Frederic Bolley, official Aprilia factory test rider Fabrizio Pellizzon and Antonio Calasso, a journalist from leading Italian
motorcycle magazine Motociclismo.
Aprilia’s 1000cc 60-degree v-twin has earned an excellent reputation for reliability in endurance racing, and Calasso qualified in tenth place on the Motociclismo RSV at last year’s Vallelunga 200 round of the World Endurance Championship.
Spanish wild-card entry Marcel Motorsport Box have also entered an Aprilia RSV1000, to be ridden by Alberto Martinez, Javier Delgado and Manel Segarra. The Aprilia Motociclismo Test Team are joining permanent teams representing Ducati (Spring Team) and MV Agusta (Burger King Lust) in challenging the big four Japanese factories. With a very varied roster of wild card machines expected over the course of the season, the World Endurance Championship remains the most technically diverse international championship; 13 manufacturers were represented.

Of course, I'm rooting for Aprilia - I had mine stolen...

World Superbikes
Superbike World Championship - round four: Italy
Track length: 5792m
Year opened: 1922
Superbike lap record: 1'47.434 (Troy Bayliss, 2002)
Last year's winners: Regis Laconi (Ducati)

Monza typified everything that World Superbike stands for - outstanding racing, high drama, a massively passionate crowd, glamour, fun and a wonderful spirit amongst all involved.

The weekend was a true showcase for the millions of fans watching on television around the world as well as the thousands that packed themselves into every corner of the circuit to see some of the best racing of this year. Two very different World Superbike races delivered two very different results at Monza, in front of a weekend crowd of 93,000. In race one World Championship leader Troy Corser (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) scored the win in his accustomed strong front-running form, but had to make do with third in race two, as his fellow Aussie countryman Chris Vermeulen (Winston Ten Kate Honda) took his first win of the year. It was also the first non-Suzuki success, and had Regis Laconi (Ducati Xerox) been able to hold onto his long-term race two lead, there may have been a hometown win for the Italian manufacturer.

An outstanding three-rider race for most of the 16-lap Supersport event was reduced to two in the final couple of laps, with Winston Ten Kate Honda rider Katsuaki Fujiwara holding off his team mate Sebastien Charpentier in an often-physical battle around this classic 5.793 km Monza circuit.
A mistake from Charpentier changing gear after a brave pass at the entrance to the last corner allowed Fujiwara to gain the final advantage.
Gianluca Nannelli (Ducati SC Caracchi) had a magnificent ride to third, only dropping off the leading pace in the last two tours.

The next round of the championship takes place at Silverstone in UK on 29th May.

WORLD ENDURANCE - ASSEN 500  RACE REPORT
HERE - now with pictures.

I'm in desperate need of a haircut...two days after this, Philippe breaks his leg...is it me?