ARCHIVE MAY 2009

WORLD ENDURANCE - OSCHERSLEBEN 8 STUNDE - CLICK FOR LIVE TIMING AND UPDATES PAGE

WORLD SUPERBIKES - ROUND 7 - QUALIFYING

World Superbike rookie American has put Yamaha and Pirelli in the record books by breaking an eighteen-year old consecutive Superpole record, set in 1991 by fellow Texan Doug Polen on a Ducati 888 Superbike and Dunlop tyres. The new Superpole format has worked for the very consistent Spies who has taken the front spot on the grid in the first seven races of the 2009 season. With a time of 1’48.344, Spies was just 0.15 seconds off the Best Lap time of HANNspree Ten Kate rider Carlos Checa time from 2008. His chances of lowering that time were interrupted by an approaching storm, which began to wet the track towards the end of the third 12-minute session. Spies was followed by Carlos Checa, whose double race win last year proved that he is comfortable at Miller Motorsports racetrack. Ten Kate Honda teammate Ryuichi Kiyonari and Ducati Xerox’s Michel Fabrizio complete the front row of the grid.

SUPERSPORT - Joan Lascorz, 24 years old from Spain, scored his first-ever pole position at the US Round of the Supersport World Championship at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. This is the seventh time since 1999 a Kawasaki has started from pole, the last time being the Australian Round in 2007, with Fabien Foret on board. Lascorz's time of 1 minute 51.749 seconds on the Kawasaki Motocard.com ZX-6R was a fraction quicker than Irishman Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda), while points leader Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport) qualified third. Italian Gianluca Nannelli produced a great performance on the ParkinGO 675 machine to give Triumph its first front row position in 2009, while another Italian Massimo Roccoli (Intermoto Honda) was fifth quickest. At the start of the session reigning world champion Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) was taken to the medical centre for slight concussion following a crash on his out lap but it is not serious. In 27th place (out of 29 starters) can be found Melissa Paris, 26 years old from California, who becomes the first woman to start a Supersport World Championship race, while the 28 year-old Canadian Marie-Joseé Boucher failed to qualify.

Eugene Laverty: “It was really good this morning as it was the first time this season that we topped a practice session – despite having won three races. We didn’t make many changes to the chassis, everything is working pretty well. The small changes we did make, along with using a soft tyre, allowed me to cut my lap times. I am learning the circuit and once we have my Parkalgar Honda in the ball-park, it seems the last few clicks and changes are critical to performance – we are bang on the set-up here and will be there for the race. We aren’t sure who has the race pace; maybe we will see in warm-up, it all depends on the tyres the others are using. I think it will come down to three of us – Juan, Cal and I."

WORLD SUPERBIKES - ROUND 7...IT'S MILLER TIME!

The Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship heads for the USA this weekend for the seventh round, which takes place close to Salt Lake City in the state of Utah. The venue is the Miller Motorsports Park, about half an hour away from the state capital, on the Interstate highway road that leads to the famous Bonneville Salt Flats. The circuit, inaugurated just a few years ago in 2006, welcomes the Superbike teams and riders for the second time, and on this occasion they will be accompanied by their World Supersport colleagues, who get the chance to race on what is considered to be the best circuit in North America. The track is unusual in that it can be used by cars, bikes and karts and has various configurations. This weekend’s races will be held on the 4.907 km version, with a total of 15 curves. The circuit itself is rather flat but has several key areas where rider ability comes into play. Last year’s races were totally dominated by Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), who set pole position, new fastest lap and a double win.

DUCATI TAKE CONTROL – The races at Kyalami two weeks ago highlighted in no uncertain way the fact that Ducati Xerox men and machines are currently the ones to beat. Thanks to a double win in South Africa, Noriyuki Haga stretched his lead at the top of the points table, and his closest rival can now be found on the other side of the pit garage, in Michel Fabrizio, who moved into second place. The Japanese rider goes to Miller above all to wipe out the bad memories of his race last year, when he broke his right collarbone in practice. This accident didn’t prevent him from racing however and it was only sheer determination that took him to sixth in the second race after crashing out of the first. After two DNFs for Troy Bayliss, the best Ducati rider was in fact Fabrizio, who stepped onto the podium twice. The young Italian from Rome will be aiming to put one over his Japanese team-mate this weekend in the hope of keeping his title chances very much alive.

SPIES FAVORITE – The two Ducati men however will not have things their own way at Miller, especially because the Utah circuit looks to be particularly favourable to the four-cylinder machines. It is also the home track for Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike), who will not only be aiming to make amends for his DNF at Kyalami, but also to beat off the foreign invasion on home ground.

BEN: "It's awesome to be back home in the USA. This is my first trip home this year, so it's been a bit crazy. After the ups and downs of Kyalami I'm really happy to be home and looking forward to Miller this weekend. It's a great track and one I know well. It makes a big change to be heading towards a race with good track knowledge, this will be the first time this year I've gone to a track I've raced at before, and in front of a home crowd too. The team and I are working hard on the set-up, and I'm hopeful we can bring this one home for the fans here in the states."

Last year the Texan dominated the AMA championship race from his friend Jamie Hacking, who will be taking the place of the still convalescent Makoto Tamada in the Kawasaki team, and who is also an expert at this track. Spies can rightly be considered as the man to beat, and hopefully his weekend will be free of the technical problems that have hampered his title ambitions. And still on the subject of American riders, John Hopkins (Stiggy Racing Honda) is not yet ready for battle and his place will once again be taken by Jake Zemke.

HONDA AND SUZUKI GATECRASH – In the wake of their domination in 2008, Honda will be looking for a similar result this time around. The form of Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing) confirms the British rider as one of the revelations of the season, and then the podium in South Africa of young British talent Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate), the first in his career, have taken the Japanese manufacturer back amongst the front-runners. For the moment Carlos Checa is missing from the top slots, but the Spanish rider aims to capitalize on his good form in South Africa to kick-start his championship on a track where he triumphed last year. Currently without their star rider and leader Max Neukirchner, runner-up in race 2 in 2008, Suzuki Alstare put their faith in Fonsi Nieto once again following his return to SBK in South Africa. The Spanish rider knows Miller and now he has got to grips with the 2009 machine, he will be looking for a top 10 placement, just like his team-mate Yukio Kagayama.

APRILIA AND BMW – The US track will be totally new for Aprilia and BMW, but both Max Biaggi and Troy Corser, back in action at Miller, as well as Ruben Xaus know the track well so this could help the Italian and German machines get quickly up to speed. In South Africa the four-cylinder Italian bike had a few problems but picked up an overall positive result, with Shinya Nakano finally competitive. The intention is to get closer to the top teams and riders, and Biaggi could spring a surprise or two. As for BMW, they want to turn over a new leaf after a double zero result in South Africa, and surely the return of Corser to the team will help redress morale in this so far difficult rookie season for the German squad.

LANZI RETURNS – After failing to obtain a permanent ride for this season, Miller will also see a return to action for Lorenzo Lanzi. The Italian will replace Regis Laconi, who was seriously injured at Kyalami. Lanzi will race the DFX Ducati left free for the time being by the French rider, the right machine to launch his ambitions in a championship in which he is a three-times race winner.

SUPERSPORT – Supersport appears on the Miller event schedule for the first time, and therefore everyone will start on equal footing, except for Kenan Sofuoglu who took part in last year’s Superbike race. The two riders most in form are points leader Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport) and Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda), winners respectively of two and three races.

"I'm really excited about racing at the Miller track," said Cal Crutchlow. "South Africa was a really tough race, I tried as hard as I could but just couldn't close the gap on Eugene once I got clear of the pack. He's now the biggest threat for the championship at this time so I really want to go out there and work hard with the Yamaha team this weekend and hopefully win the race. We've still got some things to work out on the bike but we're getting there."

Eugene Laverty: We’ll see how it goes this weekend, the last lot of races have been won by Cal Crutchlow or myself and I need to reel him back in and close the points gap in the Championship. Everything is working really well with my Parkalgar Honda and we are learning all the time and getting more from the chassis. We caught up with Cal and his bike package at Kyalami and could run the same lap times but we are not resting on our laurels, we are still moving forward. I think Cal will be at the front in the USA and I need to beat him this weekend. I also think the Ten Kate Hondas want to be at the front so will be a force to be reckoned with as well.”

They are the favourites for Miller but all eyes will also be on the two champions in the championship-winning Ten Kate Honda team, Andrew Pitt and Kenan Sofuoglu, who won’t be abdicating their titles easily. Possible outsiders include Anthony West (Stiggy Racing Honda), Fabien Foret (Yamaha World Supersport), Spain’s Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Provec) and Triumph riders Garry McCoy and Gianluca Nannelli. Meanwhile the Supersport race will see, for the first time ever, two women entered for a round of the world championship; American Melissa Paris (Yamaha) and Canada’s Marie-José Boucher.

GWEN GIABBANI - FACTS TO REMEMBER...

2008 IDM POINTS

You've just downloaded the PDF document of the points from last year from the fiercely contested German Superbike Championship, the IDM. The reason? You've just heard that former World Endurance, WCM MotoGP and last years' STP Team MV Agusta rider Chris Burns has secured a ride replacing the injured reigning champion Martin Bauer in the Holzhauer Honda team after Martin broke his hand at the Oschersleben round two weeks ago. The rider from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne will become team-mate to seven times Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher at the leading IDM outfit, which took Bauer to championship glory in 2008. He will pilot the team's CBR1000 Fireblade for at least four rounds, starting at the famous Nurburgring circuit this coming weekend.

Chris Burns: "I only found out on Monday, so I've had very little time to get things turned around. My manager in Germany has been trying hard to find me something, and he spoke to the team at Holzhauer and they said they wanted me...naturally I said yes straight away. This team won the championship last year with Martin Bauer and the bike I will be riding usually has the Number 1 plate so I've got to make the grade when I get out there. They said they want me for four rounds, but this will obviously be reviewed, depending on how well it all goes over the weekend. Nurburgring is a completely new circuit to me, and this will be my first time on a Honda, so I've got my work cut out. I'm not concerned about having a team-mate as high profile as Michael Schumacher, although I imagine it will be strange effectively being his team leader...but it's a new challenge for me, and something I can't wait to get my teeth into. I've got an opportunity with a strong team with a great track record so I'm hoping together we can get some good results this weekend and carry it on for the rest of the season."

It is likely that Burns will be the team's only rider this weekend. Schumacher, who is still recovering from a pre-season crash, is believed to have pulled out of the event to regain full fitness for the next round. Chris is now trying to secure personal sponsorship to help pay his travel expenses to and from Germany over the next couple of months. Anyone who is able to help please contact me and I will put you in touch with Chris.

...hmm...about those points from last year...Martin Bauer on 323 points with Teuchert 18 points behind him in 2nd, Meklau third but 79 points further down. Now, scan down the chart to 7th place. Yup. 2-times Le Mans winner Frenchman Gwen Giabbani...and notice that he didn't even COMPETE in the IDM until the final three rounds - beating EVERYONE in the final race of the year!

Forget the rest, Burnsie, it's not Michael Schumacher, Joerg Teuchert or anybody else you have to worry about...it's GWEN GIABBANI....

BK MACO MOTO EVEN STRONGER FOR OSCHERSLEBEN

If a racing team has been your "baby" for most of your working life (and we ALL know how much is given up for our passions), then it's terribly hard to give up...Christophe Guyot, team manager of GMT94 always dons his leathers at Le Mans for, as he says, "a final check of the set-up for the bike"...when we all know that he's after the Green Armband as back-up rider, and to prove that he's still got it. Who knows, given a chance, even SERT supremo Dominique Meiland would do it if he thought nobody was looking...

But when a team is aiming for the top, the Team Manager/Principal has to make one of the hardest choices of his life - and stop being a rider as well. It looks like Team BK Maco Moto's Martin Kuzma is going through that phase at the moment. Not, by any means, a slow rider, Martin casts a large shadow in the World Endurance pitlane and the Maco Moto team has been his baby for many years. Now, with the world-class talent of Jason Pridmore and Daniel Ribalta on board, Martin has had to step down as third rider for the big Oschersleben 8 Hour race at the end of May and hand it over to ex-Moto Grand Prix rider, Austria's Andreas Meklau. Andy is an extremely experienced rider and has his own racer training school based at Pannoniaring in Hungary, taking the outright lap record there in 2006. Last year he was riding for Suzuki International Europe and finished third in last years German Superbike Championship behind Martin Bauer and Jorg Teuchert...but 4 places AHEAD of Yamaha Austria rider Gwen Giabbani...

DAMIAN CUDLIN SAYS "YES WE CAN"...

Damian Cudlin put in another solid performance at Infineon’s AMA round on the weekend, securing another top 10 finish for the Paradigm Racing Team. In his second appearance aboard the Paradigm R6, Cudlin set out to make his mark in the hotly contested Daytona Sportbike class, at another venue he’d never seen before. In an impressive display of learning circuits quickly, the young Aussie instantly made his presence known in practice before narrowly missing out on a second consecutive Superpole berth. Nevertheless, Cudlin took his 14th position grid slot with a lap time just 1.1seconds from pole. In a chaotic opening lap, an incident between four riders brought out the safety car, ‘freezing’ proceedings for the next 4 laps of the race. As the re-started race got back underway, Cudlin settled into 13th place and engaged in an entertaining battle with Roger Hayden, Chris Fillmore and Taylor Knapp. Gaining track knowledge and experience with every lap, Cudlin stayed right in the hunt, eventually crossing the line in a solid 11th spot.

“The race was tough in that heat but we did pretty well under the circumstances and managed to move up a bit in the race. I’ve been playing catch up all weekend learning the tricks to this place, but my team has done a great job for me and hopefully I can go even further in race 2.”

The Paradigm Team made some adjustments overnight which put Cudlin in a confident mood going into Sunday’s second race. In searing heat, the 22 lap race got underway in front of a boisterous crowd and the pace proved to be hot from the outset. Getting shuffled back to 15th place in the opening laps, Cudlin gave himself some work to do in the race but a determined fight back saw a steady rise up the leader board. Disposing of Danny Eslick with 3 laps to run, Cudlin upped his pace in the closing stages and secured a 10th place finish.

“That race was even tougher than the first, as the conditions made it very difficult, but I came home strong and picked em off at the end. We’re still a bit away from where we want to be, but we’re building on our experience all the time and I think a top 5 finish isn’t far away. These Paradigm guys have been great to work with and I’m really excited to see where this team is going. I can’t wait for Road America.”

Despite missing the Atlanta AMA round, Cudlin now sits 13th in the AMA standings and will continue his chase at the next round of the AMA series in Wisconsin, on the June 5/6/7th.

STEVE PLATER AT THE NORTH-WEST 200 - IT'S GOLD-PLATERED...

Lincolnshire ace Steve Plater extended his record of wins and retained his two lap records at the North West 200 races in Northern Ireland when he rode to victory in the Superbike and Supersport races on Saturday, taking his total of wins to eight around the 8.966-mile Triangle Course that runs on public roads between the towns of Portrush, Portstewart and Coleraine on Saturday. But he was denied the chance to secure further wins because of the inclement weather that forced officials to cancel the feature race of the day, The North West 200 Superbike race and also the second of the two Supersport 600 races. It was a disappointing end to the 80th anniversary of the NW200 with a series of red-flag incidents delaying proceedings from the start of the day followed by heavy showers and a strong cross wind around the course making conditions too dangerous to continue.

The DeWalt Performance Tools Superbike race was delayed for over an hour and reduced to four laps because of problems in the previous event; but once underway Plater, who started from a second row grid position, soon made up ground to take the lead at Station corner on the first lap. But he didn’t have it all his own way as Bruce Anstey exchanged places with him on more than one occasion and he also had the attention of his HM Plant Honda teammate John McGuinness who led the field as they began the second lap. But Plater was not to be denied and made it back to the front and began to make a break, crossing the line at the end of the lap with a lead of half a second over Anstey. The pair battled it out over the next lap, with Plater maintaining his lead but the race was halted because of an incident and a result declared from positions on lap two, which gave the ever-smiling Lincolnshire rider his seventh career victory at the NW200.

“Its not the way you want to win a race and the first thing I want to say is that I hope the riders involved are ok. The wind is unbelievable, even on a Superbike as it’s blowing us around quite a bit. I just got my head down and tried to stay at the front from the word go,” said Plater. “I am very, very pleased for my team, HM Plant Honda and would like to say a massive thanks to Dunlop for coming back onboard and giving us the right tyres.”

The Clinton Enterprises Supersport race also fell victim to the red flag as, on the second of four laps, the rain began to fall making the track surface treacherous. At the restart Plater moved into the lead at Metropole and headed a gaggle of six riders all anxious not to let him get away from them. Plater dictated the pace at the front but Anstey took advantage of the slipstream and forged ahead on the final lap. Plater responded and immediately regained his position which he held to the chequered flag for win number eight.

“That was very pleasing and its fair play to the organisers as they did a fantastic job for stopping it when the rain came down as the conditions were getting very dangerous out there. Thanks to the guys in the garage at HM Plant Honda as they have worked hard with both the Superbike and Supersport bikes.”

With more rain and a strong side wind affecting the conditions the organisers had little option but to cancel the final two races of the day and Plater commented:

“They really didn’t have an option other than to cancel because we were running out of time before the roads were due to open and also the conditions have deteriorated. The track was dry in places but soaking wet in others and it just wasn’t safe to try and race at speed in those conditions. I have picked up two good results today and still have a long season ahead of me. I would sooner go home early today in the motor home than be taken off in a vehicle with blue lights flashing!”

Plater returns to domestic duties at the weekend and turns his attention to the third round of the British Supersport championship scheduled for Donington Park on Whit Monday, May 25th

WORLD SUPERBIKES - KYALAMI ROUND 6

Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio made it a triumphant day for Ducati Xerox in the sixth round of the Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship at Kyalami. On the championship's return to South Africa for the first time in seven years, 53,000 spectators witnessed two 1-2 wins for the Japanese rider and his Italian team-mate. It was a day of misfortune once again for Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike), who had to retire in race 2 after claiming a podium in the first encounter. The races also saw Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) take his first WSBK podium, while Max Biaggi and Shinya Nakano gave Aprilia an overall good result with two fifths and two sevenths respectively.

Race 1
Haga clinched his fifth win this year with a commanding performance in race 1. After two days in the shadows, the points leader came good in the race and from the mid-point onwards ran towards the chequered flag with ease. Fabrizio and Spies had to settle for the other two podium slots, in that order, after a mid-race battle that was decided when the American made a slight mistake, his foot slipping off the pegs. Rea and Biaggi had quite a scrap for fourth place, with the British rider getting the nod over the Italian. Biaggi once again showed he had the speed and the pace to fight for the podium, but he lost contact with the leading trio when he got stuck behind Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) for a couple of laps, the Spaniard eventually finishing sixth overall. Nakano took the second Aprilia to seventh ahead of Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki Alstare), while BMW had a difficult race, with Ruben Xaus crashing out and Steve Martin the final finisher.

Noriyuki Haga: "On Friday and Saturday we had quite a big problem but we tried to fix the suspension and couldn't find a solution. This morning we found a little better feeling but it was not perfect. My feeling was that it would be difficult to win, but in the end I am very satisfied with the victory. During the race my arm was not giving any problems, only my leg! On the last lap I saw a small bird, it looked like a pigeon and I was a bit worried because I didn't want to see any birds here!"

Michel Fabrizio: "It is a pity that the fight with Ben was for second place and not for first. Ben and I for sure lost out to Nori, because when you pass each other a few times you lose a lot of time. When Nori passed me, I lost a bit of confidence in the front so I had to settle for second place. For race 2 we'll have to make a change to the front."

Ben Spies: "We were kind of struggling to hang in there. It was a good race for all three of us and we were all three together. I passed Michel and had bit of a go to get past Nori but made a mistake and had to settle for third. We were really strong in a couple of points of the track, but giving away too much time in a couple of corners, and I couldn't get up there with them."

Race 2
Haga led home Fabrizio to the flag in race 2, giving the Ducati Xerox team a perfect weekend. This time round the Japanese rider led for 23 of the 24 laps and he has now pulled out a large lead in the points table. Fabrizio was again the man on his tail, the Italian livening up proceedings on the final lap with a couple of passes on his team-mate, but twice Haga came back to clinch his sixth win of the season. Lap 3 saw the demise of Spies, whose R1 machine entered the pits with a gear shift problem. The Texan has now been overtaken in the championship by Fabrizio and is 88 points behind Haga. Rea scored his first WSBK podium, the youngster from Northern Ireland ending a positive weekend in third. Rea calmly held off the pressure from fellow-Brit Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda), who had crashed out of race 1 but who in turn managed to keep Biaggi at bay. The Italian RSV4 machine again showed no lack of top speed, Biaggi clocking 255 km/h in the race. Nakano picked up another seventh on the second Aprilia, behind Checa and ahead of Kagayama. A ninth place for Yamaha was earned by Tom Sykes, while South African Sheridan Morais took the leading Kawasaki to eleventh place in front of his home crowd. BMW had a another race to forget, with no points recorded by either Ruben Xaus and Steve Martin.

Noriyuki Haga: "We get some good points this weekend and I really enjoyed battling with Michel in the second race. We changed a little bit the setting from the first race and that feeling was a bit better, but at some point it got worse. On the last lap I saw Michel do harder braking than me, and of course I took the wrong line but I was able to open the gas and get to the line first."

Michel Fabrizio: "It was a very good weekend. Yesterday I was second by one thousandth, today by one curve! The race was really good, I tried right until the very end. Maybe I did the wrong thing by telling Nori where I was strong in race 1 because he pushed harder than me in that sector. On the last lap, if he hadn't been my team-mate I would have given him a push with the shoulder! But I'm happy, I'm second in the championship and that's a good thing."

Jonathan Rea: "It's gone really well. I have to thank all of my crew for making a big effort after the slow start to the season. They upped the development and now everything's fallen into place. I felt very good today and when the bunch behind caught me I thought I had to get third straight away and have some reserve at the end."

STERILGARDA YAMAHA
Ben Spies: 3rd/DNF
"We were struggling to hang in there in race one, it was a good race for all three of us up at the front. When I passed Michel I tried to reel in Nori and then unfortunately made a mistake. I was really strong in parts of the track but giving up too much time in some corners and couldn't get in there. The second race was very unfortunate, I was feeling good and had secured an early lead, then obviously had the technical problem and had to retire, I'm really disappointed about it. I'm looking forward to going home to the USA for the next round and seeing if we can make it up."

(Embarrassingly, the press release from the Yamaha team described the problem and left out a crucial "F" when they said - "...the shift linkage broke..." - it could almost be a quote from Ben himself...)

SUZUKI ALSTARE BRUX
Yukio Kagayama: 8th/8th
"This weekend, I had trouble with the bumps at this race track and we were not able to find a good solution to make the bike easier to ride over these bumps. We tried many things, but it is not so easy to understand the character of this bike and I would like more testing time. This bike is all new this year and so we have had to start to work with it and try and understand it. If we could understand the bike completely, we could improve it quickly and that would mean that I could challenge for the podium in every race. I am hoping that the next round at Miller will be good for us and I am looking forward to fighting for the top spots again."

Fonsi Nieto: 16th/15th
"I am happy to be here, but I am not happy about the results. The team has been great and it's as if I have never been away. The bike is new to me and so is the track, but I don't like this track because of all the bumps. This bike is not working so well with the tyres we have and if we could improve in that area, we would be able to fight for better results for sure. Now I have some time to think about the bike and talk to the team about some ideas for the next race in USA. At least I have raced at that track before, so I will not be starting with such a big disadvantage as this weekend."

BMW RIDERS
Ruben Xaus: DNF/DNF
There’s not much to say when you have only done three laps in two races and I am disappointed for myself and the whole team because we had the potential to get goods results today. I am a bit angry because I know I did a good job this weekend and it’s not good getting nothing back. In race one I think I was nudged off by Smrz and I have got a funny feeling that he was also involved in the race two crash as well. In that race, I was just going into the last turn and suddenly my bike shot out from under me. I am not sure exactly what happened, but it was crash number two and a big shame because the bike is improving and I’m sure I could’ve got a couple of top ten finishes.

Steve Martin: 22nd/18th
It has been a great honour to be on the S 1000 RR this weekend. I never expected to race at the top level in WSBK again but I am very grateful to get the chance. My job this weekend was not to be Troy (Corser), but to try things the team do not normally get the chance to try during a race weekend and give us much info and feedback as possible. The team gave me 100% this weekend and helped me really enjoy the whole experience. Of course, I am not happy with the results, but I’m happy to be on the track in a WSBK race and happy to help the team.

Points (after 6 of 14 rounds): Riders - 1. Haga 250; 2. Fabrizio 165; 3. Spies 162; 4. Haslam 116; 5. Rea 106; 6. Biaggi 103; 7. Sykes 103; 8. Laconi 77; 9. Neukirchner 75; 10. Checa 73. Manufacturers - 1. Ducati 275; 2. Yamaha 203; 3. Honda 170; 4. Aprilia 106; 5. Suzuki 105; 6. Bmw 59; 7. Kawasaki 27.

World Supersport
Eugene Laverty stormed to a third win of the year at Kyalami after a dominating performance on his Parkalgar Honda machine. The Irishman pulled out a commanding four second lead in the early laps and from that moment on could administer his advantage until the flag. With this win, Laverty managed to gain five points in the championship battle on Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport), whose lead has been cut to 13 points. Crutchlow was held up by a six-rider battle in the early laps and was unable to latch onto Laverty, then when he finally broke through he had to settle for second as the two were lapping at the same pace in the final laps. The battle for the final podium place produced a real surprise, as Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com), scrapping for third, obstructed each other at the final corner and were edged out by Mark Aitchison (Honda Althea), who got on to the Supersport podium for the first time. The race saw a number of missed opportunities as first Fabien Foret (Yamaha World Supersport) crashed out when he had third place in the bag, and then Gianluca Nannelli (ParkinGo Triumph) went down while fighting for fifth. The Triumph team had to settle for seventh with Garry McCoy, who finished behind sixth-placed Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), in difficulty in the final laps.

Eugene: “Thank you to my Parkalgar Honda team for giving me a bike that was simply perfect. After warm-up this morning I knew we had the capability to win and that’s down to the team effort. During the race I was aware of the gap between myself and Cal and it wasn’t as easy to maintain as it may have looked. With someone like Cal behind pushing as hard as he does, on the limit to win, you can never relax. The gap went back and forward and it was a hard race – it was difficult to control because Cal had the same pace as me, if he hadn’t been held up at the start then it would have been a fight. It’s nice to keep the 50 per cent win record.”

Points (after 6 of 14 rounds): Riders - 1. Crutchlow 119; 2. Laverty 106; 3. Sofuoglu 83; 4. Pitt 64; 5. Lascorz 60; 6. West 60; 7. Aitchison 50; 8. Foret 44; 9. Pirro 40; 10. Lagrive 31. Manufacturers - 1. Honda 133; 2. Yamaha 119; 3. Kawasaki 71; 4. Triumph 36; 5. Suzuki 28

FIRST QUALIFYING

Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) continued his recent run of positive form as he powered to the provisional pole in the opening qualifying session for the sixth round of the Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship at Kyalami. The 24-year-old Italian, who dominated the pre-season testing session here last December, set a new official benchmark of 1 minute 38.103 seconds around the 4.246 km circuit. Second place went to Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), the British rider four-tenths of a second behind Fabrizio, as he continued his good form of late. Texan rookie sensation Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) moved up from 14th to third in the last few minutes of the session, while Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda) was back up at the front with the final provisional front row slot.

Shinya Nakano was next up for Aprilia, followed by points leader Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), whose arm is still swollen following last Sunday’s incident at Monza. Jakub Smrz (Guandalini Ducati), Tom Sykes (Yamaha World Superbike), Max Biaggi (Aprilia) and Ruben Xaus (BMW) make up the top 10, while South African champion Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki World Superbike Racing Team) caused a few eyebrows to be raised at one point as he was running in an impressive third place before ending the session in twelfth. Suzuki Alstare riders Yukio Kagayama and Fonsi Nieto, in for the injured Max Neukirchner, struggled today, finishing in 15th and 22nd position respectively

During the first lap of the morning’s free practice session, Regis Laconi (Ducati DFX) crashed in the section between Turn 11 and Turn 12. Unfortunately in the crash the French rider, despite not hitting any obstacle, suffered a severe trauma to the cervical vertebrae. Transported by helicopter to the nearby Sunninghill Hospital in Johannesburg, Laconi is reported as being on the danger list. The serious injuries suffered mean that an operation will be required, which will be carried out by a neurological specialist in the next few hours.

Times: 1. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'38.103; 2. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'38.506; 3. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'38.600; 4. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'38.865; 5. Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'38.998; 6. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'39.055; 7. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'39.230; 8. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'39.258; 9. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'39.284; 10. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'39.357; Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'39.370; 12. Morais S. (RSA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'39.388; 13. Lavilla G. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'39.389; 14. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'39.470; 15. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'39.475; 16. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'39.788

World Supersport
There was a spectacular three-way battle for the quickest time of the day in the Supersport category. It looked as if it was going the way of Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport), but then Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) and Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) managed to dip under his time. In the end the quickest mark was set by the 2007 Supersport champion Sofuoglu with a time of 1 minute 41.566 seconds. Fourth place went to reigning champion Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), the Australian almost a second behind his team-mate. Fabien Foret’s positive form is continuing for Yamaha World Supersport, as the Frenchman took his R6 to fifth place, where can also be found the two ParkinGo Triumph Be1 machines of Garry McCoy and Gianluca Nannelli. Season revelation Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Provec) was also on good form in eighth position, while major progress was made by Indonesian rider Doni Tata Pradita (YZF Yamaha), who was eleventh quickest.

Times: 1. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 1'41.566; 2. Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1'41.812; 3. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 1'41.969; 4. Pitt A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1'42.511; 5. Foret F. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 1'42.597; 6. McCoy G. (AUS) Triumph Daytona 675 1'42.735; 7. Nannelli G. (ITA) Triumph Daytona 675 1'42.797; 8. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'42.823.

The Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship is back in action again just a few days after last weekend’s dramatic and exciting races at Monza. On Sunday evening all the bikes and ancillary material used at Monza were crated up and air-freighted to South Africa. This weekend the Superbike and Supersport teams will be getting to grips with the Kyalami circuit on the outskirts of Johannesburg, which will again be the venue for a world championship round for the first time since 2002. The track is situated on the plateau surrounding South Africa’s most important city, and it has always been the scene for some spectacular racing, with a prestigious list of winners over the years. In the five editions held there from 1998 to 2002, Colin Edwards is the most successful rider with three wins to his name, following by Pierfrancesco Chili, Carl Fogarty and Troy Bayliss, the last winner, on 2 each and one for Ben Bostrom.

The layout of the track, measuring 4.263 metres, is technically challenging. It has 11 left-hand curves and 6 right, and a difference in elevation between the various parts of the circuit, that makes it difficult for riders and forces them to remain fully-focussed throughout the entirety of the lap. Back in December all the manufacturer appointed test teams, except for Kawasaki, tested here, and unofficial times were well under the previous records of 1’41”321 for Colin Edwards (Honda) in pole position and the 1’42”178 of Noriyuki Haga (Aprilia) as fastest lap. The quickest rider in the tests was Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox), ahead of Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) and Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), the only men to dip under the 1’40” mark. Haga, Troy Corser (who won’t be present this weekend), Ruben Xaus, Regis Laconi, Gregorio Lavilla and Broc Parkes are the only riders in the WSBK championship to have raced at Kyalami.

With his win at Monza (the first for an Italian there for 9 years) and second place in race 2, Michel Fabrizio can now lay claim to being a true title contender. The win was a weight off the young Italian’s shoulders and after his performance in testing here, Fabrizio now hopes to be able to cut loose in the rest of the season. Two more positive results could help him become the third force in the title battle between Haga and Spies. Haga’s impact with a pigeon at 250 kph in the early part of the race, followed by his crash at the Parabolica, left him with a severe hematoma on his right arm. The points leader underwent physiotherapy but will possibly not be at 100% this weekend, and this could play into the hands of Spies. The Texan missed a big opportunity at Monza to take maximum points after running out of fuel in race 1, but in any case managed to make up 6 points on his rival.

The Italian Round at Monza showed Honda, Aprilia and BMW all making good progress. The Japanese manufacturer was back on form again thanks to two excellent thirds from Ryuichi Kiyonari and a fourth and fifth place from Jonathan Rea, who will be aiming to capitalize on that in South Africa. Aprilia were in the top 6 over the weekend thanks to Max Biaggi, who would surely have obtained a podium had he not received a penalty for cutting the chicane. Positive signs are also coming from BMW, with Ruben Xaus taking two top 10 scores at Monza to make up for Troy Corser’s bad day. The Australian will be replaced by his fellow Aussie and the team’s tester Steve Martin for the Kyalami race. Brendan Roberts, who was also involved in the same incident, will also be absent after suffering considerable bruising but the Australian presents no broken bones. Team Guandalini will replace him with Gregorio Lavilla. South African Superbike rider Sheridan Morais will join the Kawasaki World Superbike Team at the Kyalami round, riding in place of injured regular competitor, Makoto Tamada.  Currently the reigning South African Superbike Champion, 24-year-old Morais is no stranger to Kawasaki machinery as he rides a Ninja ZX-10R in his home series this season, and is also competing in SA Supersport.

Suzuki Alstare probably came off the worst from Monza after losing their number 1 rider Max Neukirchner, who was taken out at the start of race 1 and who suffered broken and dislocated bones to his right leg. The most optimistic of forecasts points to the German being out of action for two months, just in time for the last race before the summer break at Brno. In the four races he will miss, the Alstare Brux team has opted to replace him with Fonsi Nieto. Nieto raced for the team last year and so knows the crew very well, but he has no experience of the Alstare Brux GSX-R1000 K9 and will be starting the first day of practice completely afresh.

Yukio Kagayama:
"When we tested in Kyalami in December, it was only the second time on the new K9 bike, so we had to do a lot and learn as much as possible. The track is very bumpy and so it is very important to get a good bike set-up. Of course, it is important to have a good set-up at all tracks, but bumpy tracks pose more problems. Also, the track is at high altitude, so the engine always feels down on power compared to the tracks we normally race at. This weekend will be a big challenge for the whole team, but everybody is working well and I hope we get some luck and good results."

Fonsi Nieto:
"Firstly, I want to wish Max all the best for a quick recovery. His crash at Monza was not his fault and he is lucky that the injuries are not worse than they are. I am very grateful to Francis Batta for giving me this opportunity to ride for the team again and I will do my best to repay his faith in me. Although I know the team, I do not know the bike because it is a completely new and different bike to last year's model. I will have to learn the bike and learn the track at the same time and that is not so easy, but I will do my best for sure."

SUPERSPORT – Cal Crutchlow picked up his second win of the year at Monza and the British rider is rapidly becoming the man to beat in the championship. His chief rivals before the season start, Andrew Pitt and Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) are struggling. The two champions are however the only riders to have tested at Kyalami and this could give them an advantage. The only man able to keep up with Crutchlow at the moment is Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda), also a two-time winner this season, while Spain’s Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Provec) is making major progress. Kyalami will be an important test for Crutchlow in view of the remaining rounds of the season, while Yamaha, with their R6, have finally produced a valid alternative to the dominating Honda machines after years of trying.

MONZA WORLD SUPERBIKES ROUND 5 UPDATE

Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) and Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) shared the wins in an exciting fifth round of the Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. 118,000 spectators witnessed Fabrizio’s maiden Superbike win in race 1 and Spies making amends in race 2 for his first race disappointment, when his Yamaha ran out of fuel at the final corner. Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) crashed out in race 2 after being hit by a bird but still leads the table with a 54 point advantage over Spies.

Race 1: The first Superbike race of the day saw a thrilling end to one of the best races ever seen at Monza. The race had to have two starts, after two crashes at the first chicane of lap 1 involving Tamada, Hill, Corser, Neukirchner and Roberts led to it being interrupted. The German came off the worst with a broken right femur and dislocated right foot, while Roberts picked up various bruises. The outcome of the race was decided at the final curve. Spies was well on his way towards a fifth win of the season when in the Parabolica his Yamaha ran out of fuel just a few metres from the line. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) capitalized on Spies’ misfortune to take his first win in Superbike. Team-mate Noriyuki Haga finished second to maintain his points lead. The third place battle also saw a thrilling end as Max Biaggi took his Aprilia over the line, but the Italian was penalized 20 seconds for cutting the chicane, leaving Ryuichi Kiyonari (Ten Kate Honda) to take the final podium position after a spectacular mid-race recovery from a poor start. Fourth went to Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki Alstare), ahead of the British pair of Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Tom Sykes (Yamaha World Superbike). Both BMW and Kawasaki placed riders inside the top 10, Ruben Xaus taking the German four-cylinder machine to seventh while a still unfit Broc Parkes fought hard for tenth place.

Race 2: Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) immediately made amends in race 2 by dominating from start to finish. The Texan left everyone standing after just a few laps and went on to win his fifth race of the season. This win, together with the crash at the Parabolica on lap 3 of points leader Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), keeps the championship battle wide open. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) now becomes a credible title candidate after crowning his Italian weekend with an excellent second place. Fabrizio managed to hold off Ryuichi Kiyonari in the final stages, the Japanese rider repeating his race 1 result. A superb fourth went to Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), while Max Biaggi (Aprilia), in fifth place, could have been further up the standings had he not made a mistake while fighting amongst the group and he was unable to make up the gap again. Tom Sykes took another sixth place for Yamaha, while Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda) made up for his race 1 retirement with a seventh place. Troy Corser did not take the start in race 2 after his two crashes today, but BMW honour was held high by Ruben Xaus, who again finished in ninth place. Broc Parkes again scored more points for Kawasaki in thirteenth.

Michel Fabrizio: 1st/2nd
“I am so happy with today’s results. It’s gone well all weekend so I knew I had the chance to fight for the win and at last I’ve done it! Mid way through race 1 I was having trouble with the gears, especially when Ben passed me, but I didn’t give up and fought till the end. It’s a shame for Ben that the race finished as it did because it makes mine a bit of a false win but I’m very pleased of course. Race 2? Well Ben deserved the win in the first race so I’m pleased he took it instead in Race 2. I had to ride the second bike in Race 2 and for some reason I found it tricky at the start, I didn’t have a great feeling and couldn’t push but after a few laps I just concentrated on reaching the podium again and then it became easier. I thank my whole team for giving me such a fantastic bike this weekend. The double win I’ll leave for the next race!”

Ben Spies: 15th/1st
"Race one was a tough pill to swallow, it was a hard one to get by but that's racing I guess. Race two I had a clear strategy and made sure I got into a really good rhythm in the first 12 to 14 laps to build a safety buffer. Obviously we had a problem at the end of race one which I didn't want to repeat so slowed a bit there and short shifted a bit to make sure everything was good to the end. The bike was good and could have run fast times all the way through but I wanted to make sure we got this one in the bag. The Yamaha team did great regrouping after race one and me too I think! Hopefully we can keep going and improving from here. I want to say congratulations for Michel in race one, but I couldn't give it to him so easily in race two."

Noriyuki Haga: 2nd/DNF
“Right at the start of Race 2 I was hit by a bird on my right arm; it hurt a lot and I lost all sensation, with strong pain and pins and needles in my right arm and hand. I tried to continue to race but it was too difficult to ride and as a result I unfortunately fell. Yes it hurts but I should be back in top shape very soon. Race 1 went much better for me of course and I really enjoyed the racing against Ben and Michel. I though at the end that I would surely end third but then Ben’s bike stopped so close to the finish line and I finished in second as a result. I’m sorry for him as he deserved the win and this year me and him will continue to battle it out. Despite the Race 2 result I still hold a 54 point advantage and so I’m satisfied with that.”

Tom Sykes: 6th/6th
"In race one I got away ok, but the problem was getting stuck in that first chicane as I was starting from row three. As soon as it bottled up everything got spread out and unfortunately the lead group spread a long way and was hard to catch. I got past a couple of people and to be honest I thought I was going to catch them but halfway through the race I suffered from some brake fading. It was very unfortunate. In race two I got off the line fairly decently and had good race pace, I was looking quite strong but not able to get that last little bit. I guess it was one of those weekends, I've been fairly fast and consistent but spoilt it a bit with the qualifying. I'm very confident in the bike and the team, especially for Kyalami and hope to have better memories after the race than when I tested there! All in all good weekend, two more scores on the board and moving up to fifth in the championship is great."

Ruben Xaus: 7th/9th
"I am happy to give the team our best result of the season so far and happy that I managed another top ten finish in he second race. My seventh place result is also for Troy and the whole team because everybody has worked so hard for this. My race two result could’ve been better, but I made a really bad start and then got nudged by somebody in the chicane. I recovered and was happy fighting for eighth with Smrz, Parkes and Laconi but I just couldn’t get past Smrz for eighth.
But generally, my race pace was good today and I think our result is also very good considering how little time we have in practice and qualifying. If we continue to make this good progress, we will be fighting for places even further up."

Troy Corser: DNF/DNS
"I am happy that I survived two big crashes more or less OK, but sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don’t. I knew nothing about what started the crash on lap one of the first race. One minute I was going into the chicane and the next minute I was flying through the air. Then, while I was on my knees, I got hit by another bike. It banged into the top of my back, near my neck and the impact was strong enough to thump my helmet on to the floor. I managed to get off the track and fell down on the grass to rest while I got my breath back, but the marshals wanted me out of the way and tried to pull me on to a stretcher. I was lucky that I hadn’t damaged my neck, because they way they handled me would’ve caused further injury for sure. After I while, I got my breath back and walked back to the pits and prepared for the restart. The team didn’t put any pressure on me at all, in fact the opposite.
But, I felt OK and decided to give it a go. This time, I almost completed a lap! I got pulled along in a four or five rider draft and found myself going into the Parabolica a bit too quick. Muggeridge was alongside or came across a bit and I had to choose between hitting him or applying more pressure to the brakes. Of course, I put more pressure on the brakes and down I went. I slid feet first, then did a couple of flips and I was really lucky not to hurt myself any more. My left arm was sore and when I got back to the pits, we made the decision not to start race two. I was a bit dazed anyway, so it was the right choice. It’s a pity because I really felt that we’d get good results today and Ruben's seventh in race one is proof of that. Now, I’ve got to recover and get fit for the next race, so wish me luck."

Points (after 5 of 14 rounds) - Riders: 1. Haga 200; 2. Spies 146; 3. Fabrizio 125; 4. Haslam 103; 5. Sykes 90; 6. Biaggi 81; 7. Laconi 77; 8. Rea 77; 9. Neukirchner 75; 10. Kiyonari. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 225; 2. Yamaha 180; 3. Honda 141; 4. Suzuki 89; 5. Aprilia 84; 6. Bmw 59; 7. Kawasaki 19

World Supersport: Cal Crutchlow is proving to be the man on form in the championship with his second win of the season at Monza. The Yamaha World Supersport rider now has an 18-point lead in the championship over his closest rival, Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda), who finished fourth. The race came to a head four laps before the end, when Crutchlow gradually pulled away from Fabien Foret (Yamaha World Supersport) and Laverty to take the win. The battle for the podium was an exciting one, with Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Provec) powering up through the field to take a superb second place. The Spaniard managed to get the better in a sprint finish, confirming his Kawasaki to be right on the pace. Team-mate Katsuaki Fuijiwara followed this up with sixth place. The two Hannspree Ten Kate Honda men, Andrew Pitt and Kenan Sofuoglu were never in the hunt, finishing fifth and ninth respectively, while Garry McCoy and Gianluca Nannelli took the two Triumph Be1 machines to top 10 finishes.

Eugene Laverty: 4th
“I wasn’t happy at the end of the race because on the last lap I thought I could have caught and passed the pair in front of me. I did all the hard work and then on the last corner was sucked in and ran wide. I simply didn’t have the confidence in my front tyre to brake harder and take the inside line – it had folded a couple of times on me in the race. With hindsight I may have used a different front tyre – the same as the riders around me – but that is down to experience at this circuit. It was nice to go faster in the race than qualifying and that was helped by some changes to my chassis overnight. Foret allowed Cal to get away by trying to win the race on every lap. Still, I am 18-points behind Cal in the Championship and it is not even half-way yet so there is a lot more to come and the team is really stepping up its game.”

YAMAHA AUSTRIA RIDER STEVE MARTIN...A CALL-UP TO WORLD SUPERBIKES WITH BMW!

Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport rider Troy Corser will not be travelling with the team and racing in Kyalami this coming weekend. The Aussie took a severe battering in two hard crashes in Monza last weekend and it was felt that it would be better for him to give the South African round a miss and get fully fit for the USA round at the end of the month.

Berti Hauser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director)
"After the races in Monza on Sunday, Troy and the team sat down together and jointly made the decision that it would be better for him to sit out Kyalami and get fit for USA. Troy suffered a horrific crash at the start of the first race in Monza and was hit in the back of the neck and head by another bike. He then had a high speed tumble in the restart and was probably a little dazed. He was already riding with a cracked bone in his left hand and had to have painkillers and special strapping in order just to compete in Monza.
Kyalami is a very physical track, very bumpy in places and this would’ve not have helped Troy’s hand get any better. So, with everything that happened in Monza, together with the condition of his hand, the decision was made that Troy would give Kyalami a miss. However the team will still have two riders on track in Kyalami as Troy’s place will be taken by BMW Motorrad Motorsport test rider Steve Martin."

YART AT OSCHERSLEBEN

Frenchman Gregory Leblanc joined the Yamaha Austria team for their Oschersleben test, where the team did a full 4-day test, racking up over 38 hours on the engine they used at Le Mans. Rider Gwen Giabbani wasn't at the test, having suffered a broken wrist from a crash in the French Superbike Championship round at Nogaro, although the team are confident that Gwen will be fit in time for the 2nd round of the World Endurance Championship at Oschersleben at the end of May.

A couple of rider changes look on the cards, Patrick Muff is out of the line-up for Bolliger at Oschersleben, racing for the team in the German Superbike Championship and being replaced by Eric Mizera...and there's also a rumour that the injured Jason Pridmore is being replaced in the BK Maco Moto team by Erwan Nigon, the French rider who didn't actually get to ride at Le Mans this year - he was with the much-fancied GMT94 Yamaha Team that suffered a blown engine after only 9 laps...

DAMIAN CUDLIN GETS TO GRIPS WITH THE AMA

Australian Damian Cudlin burst back onto the AMA scene at Barber Motorsports Park on the weekend, at the fourth round of the AMA Daytona Sportbike Series. Having spent the Road Atlanta weekend on the sidelines, Cudlin actively searched for other opportunities inside the AMA paddock, keen to show what he could do in the states. When Paradigm Racing offered Cudlin the chance to do just that, the young Aussie grabbed the opportunity with both hands. At a circuit he’d never seen before, on a bike he’d never ridden, Cudlin quickly got to grips with the Barber layout and instantly posted competitive lap times aboard the Paradigm R6. After Friday’s opening practice session, Cudlin sat an impressive 6th on the time sheets before going on to secure a Superpole berth in final qualifying. In another mature performance in his first Superpole experience, Cudlin claimed the 9th spot on the grid.

Damian - “Qualifying went well for us considering how much was new to me this weekend. Just making Superpole is an achievement in this kind of company and I’m really pleased with the performance of the Paradigm R6. I’ve gelled with the team so quickly that I feel at home already, and I’m really glad that I’ve been given this opportunity.”

Missing valuable track time on Saturday morning due to rain, Cudlin fronted on the grid prepared to make the most of his impressive grid position in the opening race. In another rolling start the Sportbike class is now known for, Cudlin lost initial ground in the opening lap but soon settled into an entertaining battle with Buell’s Michael Barnes and Erion Honda’s Chris Peris. Suffering from lapped riders in the final stages, Cudlin was forced to follow the pair across the line in a solid 12th position. “I’m a little disappointed with the final result but I’m encouraged with the potential we showed in parts of the race today.With some small improvements overnight, I think we can be even stronger tomorrow.”

Sunday’s weather proved to keep everyone guessing, even the local weather authorities when a Tornado Warning halted proceedings temporarily. However when the skies cleared it was back to business for the Paradigm Racing Team and race 2 was soon underway. With a stronger start this time around, Cudlin rose to 7th in the opening stages before engaging in a frantic battle in the drying conditions. With the wet tyres spinning in protest on the drying track, Cudlin rode clever in the conditions and took the Paradigm R6 to the chequered flag in 8th position. “This is exactly the kind of result I needed to get some runs on the board and get some momentum going again. This is a real platform to build on and I think things will only get better from here. I’ve got to thank the people who’ve been so helpful to me in these past months in America, especially Jason Pridmore, and I also must thank Perry, Jim and the Paradigm Team for giving me this chance to race. I hope this could be the beginning of something great for the future.”

Cudlin will take to the track again for the Paradigm Team at Infineon Raceway on May 15/16/17th.

WORLD SUPERBIKES - ROUND 5 - MONZA!

Italian food brand Sterilgarda has joined up to sponsor the Yamaha World Superbike team for selected races of the 2009 championship season. Starting with the upcoming Monza race, the Sterilgarda brand will feature on the bikes and leathers of both Ben Spies and Tom Sykes. Sterilgada are a familiar face in the WSB paddock, having been keen supporters and partners of racing teams and riders for some time. The 2009 Yamaha World Superbike Team has had a strong start to the 2009 season with a new bike and new riders, making it an attractive proposition for sponsors, the team have already won four out of the eight races run so far with rookie Ben Spies who is regularly fighting at the front of the pack for the race win and currently sits second in the championship.

The Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, deep in the heart of the splendid Monza parkland, is gearing up for this coming weekend’s fifth round of the Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship. This classic high-speed appointment has been part of Superbike since 1990 and this year arrives at its 18th edition. With a lap of 5.793 km Monza is the longest circuit on the calendar and its long straights, wide curves and fast chicanes all help to exalt the power of the bikes, which remain at full throttle for over 50% of the lap. Monza has been the scene for many epic slip-streaming battles in the past, and the winners include all the top names in Superbike racing. The most successful rider of all time at Monza is Troy Bayliss, with six wins to his name, followed by a trio on 4 made up of Pierfrancesco Chili, Carl Fogarty and Fabrizio Pirovano. Amongst current SBK riders, the most successful is Noriyuki Haga on 3, followed by Regis Laconi on 2 and Max Neukirchner on 1. In the manufacturers ranking, Ducati leads the way with 17 wins, followed by Yamaha (7), Honda (6), Suzuki (3) and Kawasaki (1).

It is interesting to note that the track has, historically, been extremely kind to the Ducati factory squad, with riders Carl Fogarty, Neil Hodgson, Régis Laconi and Troy Bayliss having tallied up six double wins between them since 1999. In his role as Ducati ambassador, reigning Superbike World Champion Troy Bayliss will also be present at the track this weekend to support both Noriyuki and Michel Fabrizio and meet with the countless Ducatisti who, in turn, can benefit this year from a dedicated Ducati grandstand,  “Ducati Village” and bike park.

NORIYUKI HAGA -  “We did some testing at Monza recently and it was my first chance to rider the 1198 there. Although we had a few problems, I know these will be resolved for the race weekend. I am already really excited about the Monza race. I am not thinking about the possibility of winning the championship, I just think about each race, taking one weekend at a time. Of course at Monza I hope to win again, especially because it is my home circuit!”

In the last two seasons, Noriyuki Haga has won three of the four races held at Monza, but he did so on a Yamaha, which this year is now in the hands of Ben Spies. The two riders have so far dominated the championship, sharing the wins between them (4 apiece) with the points difference coming from Spies’ three zeros. The Monza round offers the Texan a chance to partly reduce the 60-point gap to Haga, but the Japanese rider will also be galvanized by the fact that Ducati have not won at Monza since 2006 and he will be aiming to interrupt that negative sequence. Last year the battle between Haga and Neukirchner set the Monza public alight; the German took his first-ever SBK win by 0.058 seconds in race 1 and Haga then took revenge in race 2 by 0.009 seconds! This year Neukirchner and Suzuki have had a mixed start to the season but the Monza circuit could be the best opportunity so far to show off the power of the Japanese four-cylinder machine and to record Suzuki’s first win of the year.

MAX NEUKIRCHNER - "Last year was a wonderful occasion for me and I will never forget my first win in World Superbikes. They always say that the first win is the hardest and really I should have got it in Valencia when I was on the way to victory when I go knocked off within sight of the chequered flag. It's important to have a fast bike at Monza and know how to play the slipstreaming game. It's easy to be at the front of the pack and lose out on the draft and get beaten to the flag, so it's something you have to watch out for. I like fast tracks and I think our bike will be well-suited to Monza. For sure, my intention is to finish on the podium in both races and if I can repeat my win of last year, I would be very happy."

Honda Europe’s flagship team, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda with its power trio of riders, Carlos Checa, Jonathan Rea and Ryuichi Kiyonari, hasn't had a particularly positive start to the season. But like Suzuki, the Monza track has often been a prestigious showcase for the squad, as demonstrated by Kiyonari’s form and third place finish in race 2 last year. Sheer engine power has always been a trademark of the Dutch team, which will be attempting to redress the balance. Luckily for Honda, Stiggy Racing’s Leon Haslam is producing some great results and the British rider could again emerge as a contender for the podium, if not outright victory. Haslam will be flanked in the Swedish team by American Jake Zemke, who will step in for the injured John Hopkins for the Monza round.

On their home track Italian riders and manufacturers will also be searching for their slice of glory and expectation is especially high to see how well the Aprilia RSV4 will go on such a fast circuit. In the races so far the four-cylinder machine from Noale has demonstrated top speed on a par with its rivals and it could come to the fore on a track where slipstreaming plays such a vital role. On the rider front both Max Biaggi and Michel Fabrizio will be trying to score a first win for an Italian at Monza since Pierfrancesco Chili in 2000. Biaggi is still dealing with the Aprilia RSV4’s teething problems, but the potential is there, while Fabrizio is still looking to make that jump in quality that will take him from being a podium finisher to a race winner. The opening rounds showed that BMW Motorrad are finding it difficult to make their S 1000 RR machine competitive on technical circuits, but Monza will be an ideal opportunity to get the new bike closer to the front-runners. Troy Corser, a previous winner here in 2005, and Ruben Xaus know the track like the back of their hands and their experience will be vital in the team’s attempts to obtain some good results, especially in view of the second half of the season.

SUPERSPORT – A healthy balance continues to reign in World Supersport, with exciting racing and a good dose of old-fashioned ‘aggression’ helping to evoke the golden days of the category when the ‘wild bunch’ fought for the win at every race. Monza is looking to provide more of the same, because the power of the various Supersport machines and the track layout make it difficult for anyone to pull out a commanding lead. In a championship in which the top 3 - Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport), Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) and Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) – are separated by nine points, the Monza round could shuffle the cards considerably seeing as there are numerous other contenders for victory. Starting with reigning champion Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), Anthony West (Stiggy Racing Honda), Fabien Foret (Yamaha World Supersport) and Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Provec), one of the most interesting youngsters around in Supersport. These could be joined by Michele Pirro (Yamaha Lorenzini), the most competitive Italian at the moment. Pirro won the domestic championship CIV race at Monza on Sunday and has fully recovered from his crash at Assen.