WORLD SUPERBIKES ROUND ONE PHILLIP ISLAND

THE RACES
Team Suzuki Alstare rider Leon Haslam recorded his first ever World Superbike win in the first race of this year’s Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island today. He led the race from start to finish and took the flag, just 4000ths-of-a-second ahead of Michel Fabrizio (Ducati). He and his Suzuki Alstare team mate Sylvain Guintoli then disputed the lead for most of the second race, but Haslam’s dreams of a double were dashed right at the death by Spaniard Carlos Checa (Ducati). Nevertheless, his tremendous win in race one and runner-up spot in the second puts him on the very top of the Superbike World Championship, nine points ahead of his nearest rival. Also encouraging for the team was Guintoli’s ability to run at the front and be in contention: The Frenchman led his team mate eight laps out of 22 and did not look out of place at all. This was his first race of the year, on the new 2010 GSX-R1000 bike, with a new team, but he also showed that he too will be a force to be reckoned with this year. Although he missed out on the podium, he did receive a trophy - for the fastest lap of race two - so he did not leave Phillip Island empty handed.

FABRIZIO, HASLAM AND HAGA - RACE ONE

Leon Haslam - Race 1: 1st, Race 2: 2nd: “The first race was such hard work and it was impossible to relax for a second. I knew that I had Michel and Nori breathing down my neck, but I just kept concentrating on my lines and my braking points and tried to hold them off. I realised that Michel was in my wheeltracks going into the last turn and would try and use the draft to get past me, but I kept my head down and charged to the flag. At the end, I didn’t know if I’d won or not, but when I realised that I had, I was so unbelievably happy and it was such a fantastic feeling. All weekend I knew that a win was possible, but thinking about and it happening are two different things. In race two, I had some problems with rear traction but I still thought I could win. I had a great fight with Sylvain and when I finally got ahead of him and made it stick, I thought he might act as a buffer between me and the rest. Then suddenly, Carlos was there. He dived under me just three corners from the end, on the last lap. I tried to get it back, but he managed to hold me off and take the flag. But it feels good to take a win and a second in my first race with the team and it feels fantastic to be leading the Superbike World Championship.”

Sylvain Guintoli - Race 1: 6th, Race 2: 4th: “I have really enjoyed today and it’s been great fun. I can’t remember the last time I was leading a World Championship race, so to lead quite a lot of race two was a great feeling and now I want to do it again. When I was in front, I felt comfortable and I knew I could keep up a good pace. Everything felt very smooth and it was all going to plan until I made a small mistake and Leon and then Carlos went through. Carlos and I touched in turn 8 when my elbow was in contact with his front wheel and then I tried a bit too hard to get back straightaway when perhaps I should’ve been a bit more patient and that’s where I lost ground. I could’ve made a better result in the first race if I hadn’t had such a bad start. My pace was good, but I was too far off the leaders, but I am learning about WSBK race pace and also the fact that the races are longer than what I have been used to. I am very happy with all the work we’ve done and am enjoying riding this bike so much. It was nice to get a trophy for the fastest lllap in race two and I hope that it will just be the start of many to come. I am looking forward to Portimao and my next trophy.”

Michel Fabrizio (Race 1: 2nd , Race 2 -3rd)
"I had a great battle with Leon in Race 1. In the last four laps I tried to understand where I could attempt to get past him but it wasn't easy so I pushed on right to the finish line and, to tell the truth, I thought I'd done enough! Leon and I were right there together as we crossed the line, and on the big screen I could see my wife celebrating in the box - but the result was decided by the photo-finish and I had to settle for 20 points this time. The great thing about the Superbike championship however is that there are two races. My team did not make any changes to the bike before the second race and I was again able to make a good start but it was a very difficult race. I stayed there with the leading pack but I realized it would be very hard to win, and in the last four laps it became more difficult to fight. I am very happy with today's results, which put me in second place on the leaderboard after round 1. It will be a very long and challenging season but we've made a good start today."

Noriyuki Haga (Race 1: 3rd , Race 2 - 5th)
"My result in Race 1 was really good as far as I'm concerned as I had had a crash during the warm-up and suffered from a bit of arm-pump during the race. I was confident that I could make a good start from 10th position and I did so and then I tried to keep up with Michel and Leon but my arm led me to make a few small mistakes. Anyway I really enjoyed the race and the points I made in the race are definitely a good start for the championship. In the second race my arm played up more and it became harder to brake, I felt very tired physically. But all in all, with regard to the classification and bearing in mind this morning's accident, it didn't go too badly; I finished third and fifth and we take home some good points."

Tom Sykes: (Race 1: 13th , Race 2 - DNF)“In race one we made some changes to the set-up and but it didn’t suit the tyre we used. In race two we got a good launch, but got boxed in and pushed out on to the dirty stuff, along with another couple of riders. So I went from thinking I would be sixth to being 15th. The bike was feeling good but when I went into the final two corners it felt like someone was pushing me from behind. I came back in and checked the bike, then went back out again before retiring. It was just a ten cent o-ring for the steering damper, causing the steering to feel strange sometimes. Otherwise, the bike was very good and giving me a strong race pace in race two. This whole Australian experience has been a good test period for us and I know that we go to Portimao having learned a lot. I would like to thank Kawasaki and the team for the amount of effort they have put in.”

Chris Vermeulen: (Race 1: DNF, Race 2 - DNF)“I was feeling positive for the race after our two-day test and qualifying sessions. In both races I had really good starts but in the first race I lost the front early on when lying 7th and in race two I had a problem that resulted in a high-speed crash. I’m bruised and battered but am feeling OK, considering the speed of the crash. I had heavy impact on my lower right leg and my finger is pretty smashed up. The preliminary X-rays have shown no breaks but for a precaution I am heading to Melbourne for a more detailed MRI scan. I’m glad we have a month before Portimao, so I can ensure that I am back to full fitness.”

RESULTS:
Race 1: 1 Leon Haslam (GBR-Suzuki Alstare), 2 Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati), 3 Haga (JPN-Ducati), 4 Rea (GBR-Honda), 5 Biaggi (ITA-Aprilia), 6 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare).
Race 2: 1 Checa (ESP-Ducati), 2 Leon Haslam (GBR-Suzuki Alstare), 3 Fabrizio, 4 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare), 5 Haga, 6 Rea.

Championship points: 1 Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare) 45, Fabrizio 36, 3 Checa 34, 4 Haga 27, 5 Sylvain Guintoli (Suzuki Alstare) 23, 6 Rea 23.

WORLD SUPERSPORT
Eugene Laverty led from start to finish to convincingly win a re-started opening round of the World Supersport Championship at Phillip Island in Australia with team-mate Miguel Praia taking an excellent career-best equalling ninth for the Parkalgar Honda team. Parkalgar Honda goes home for round two of the Championship to the Parkalgar circuit in Portugal in one month's time on March 28th.

Eugene Laverty: "It was a pretty easy race after a tough weekend trying to match the pace of Lascorz and Sofuoglu. Those guys can put in a quick lap but we knew we had the consistency and this morning we managed to improve the race set-up of my CBR600RR a bit more. Thank you to my Parkalgar Honda team for all its hard work, it has paid off, thank you also to Pirelli for an excellent tyre that worked well for me all weekend and never missed a beat. I couldn't have asked for a better start to the season and am looking forward to going to our home circuit in Portugal as the leader of the World Championship, a first in my career."

Supersport Race Result
1 50 Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 33'37.836 (166,536 kph)
2 26 Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 4.359
3 54 Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 4.500
4 25 Salom D. (ESP) Triumph Daytona 675 11.779
5 99 Foret F. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 17.266
6 55 Roccoli M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 25.034
7 127 Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 27.834
8 40 DiSalvo J. (USA) Triumph Daytona 675 30.102
9 117 Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 31.931
10 4 Rea G. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 31.991.

Championship Positions
1: Laverty 25
2: Lascorz 20
3: Sofuoglu 16
4: Salom 13
5: Foret 11
6: Roccoli 10
7: Harms 9
8: DiSalvo 8
9: Praia  7
10: Rea 6

FIRST QUALIFYING
Scorching weather conditions for the first qualifying session at Phillip Island saw Carlos Checa (Ducati Althea) continue his good testing form with a 1’32.155 lap, leading Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) and Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare). Checa was only 0.007 seconds ahead of Fabrizio, 0.218 ahead of Englishman Haslam. The air temperature in qualifying was 33°C, the track temperature a very high 51°C, which made the hour-long session hard work for all competitors. Checa’s team-mate Shane Byrne went fourth fastest but suffered a fast highside crash at the final corners of his last lap, while trying to improve his ranking still further. Several riders fell in what was an expectedly close and intense period of qualifying.

CARLOS CHECA LEADS THE PACK IN FIRST QUALIFYING

Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) was fifth today, Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing) went sixth fastest but was also a faller in the final session of the day. Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) was top Honda rider in the opening qualifying battle, seventh, with Sylvain Guintoli’s Suzuki eighth. Jakub Smrz was ninth fastest on his privateer Pata B&G Racing Ducati, and the top ten was rounded out by Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Superbike) the top Yamaha rider. Chris Vermeulen scored 12th on his Kawasaki Racing Team bike, Troy Corser, another late faller, put his BMW Motorrad Motorsport S1000RR 16th, but was on course for a vast improvement in lap time before his fall. James Toseland was a faller in the session, while Ruben Xaus crashed three times today, but recovered each time and went 19th in the ranking. One more session remains for riders to try and qualifying for Superpole on Saturday, with Superpole determining the final top 20 grid places. The top 20 riders were all within 1.910 seconds, the top ten within 0.883 seconds today.

Carlos Checa: “I know what I can do. I have to confirm my time tomorrow but I know that I wish we had the same weather as today for the race. The crash in qualifying was not a problem. Ducati’s work very well at Phillip Island and my pace at the moment is very good. I do not know yet if it is good enough for the race.”

Michel Fabrizio: “We tried different tyre solutions this morning and various small things that my engineer wanted to test. I had a fall, losing the front, but without causing myself, or my bike, too much damage thankfully. Then in the qualifying session we sorted a lot of things out and with the tyre solution that may well be the one to choose for the race many riders were able to drop their times. During my fast lap I lost a couple of tenths through the last corner but I’m fairly happy anyway; we’ve worked well and I’m satisfied with the results. We have a good race pace but a lot will depend on Sunday’s weather.”

Noriyuki Haga: "We've tested the different rear tyres that Pirelli make available to us this weekend but we are still undecided as to which will have the best durability in these hot conditions. Tomorrow we'll try a different solution for the setting but overall I'm happy. The lap times have been consistent but today was very hot and although I felt I could have pushed a little more, I didn't want to risk it, also because I saw that several riders crashed."

Cal Crutchlow: "I think we've worked hard and got rid of the chatter problem. The 2009 parts that we've used seem to have helped us in that way. The tank and the seat unit seemed to have stopped the chatter now. If you look at our times, although we're not initially fastest straight away we've got consistency across the sessions. We've got some more areas to work on and I'm looking forward to making the bike even better tomorrow. We've got a good direction to work in, it was just a little unfortunate that the track temperature was so hot today. Even so we were still doing the same times as Ben's race pace from last year. Hopefully it will cool off over the next couple of days and work better for us."

James Toseland: "Unfortunately had a big crash today coming out of the penultimate corner which didn't help things. I did go back out on the other bike but had a pain in my hand so came in as I wanted to make sure it was ok. We're definitely making improvements, we've just had a lot to do in one day to work through the package. We're only a bit over a second off pole now so we'll focus down and keep moving forward tomorrow."

Troy Corser: "At the moment, there is a lot of work to do and we are trying our best to get the bike working the way we want and get the most out of it at the same time. We are sorting out what we need to do to improve grip and this morning we decided to use a different clutch and I preferred the change, though we then had some new problems to solve because the bike turned quicker and so I had to adjust the bike to suit. Obviously a different clutch affects how the bike feels and I was only really happy with the bike in the afternoon qualifying when there was fifteen or so minutes left. Then I felt more confident in pushing, but before that I didn’t. I am definitely feeling more confident with our new brake system, though once again, it is a matter of learning and understanding how it works and this is not a quick process. I feel that the new system is better, but we just need more time with it. I had a little get-off this afternoon, when I lost the rear at the bottom of Lukey Heights. It was on a new tyre and I guess that was part of the reason why I fell. No big drama, though I did bang two of the knuckles of my right hand. I’ll get some ice on it, but I don’t see it being a problem tomorrow, where the first goal will be to make sure we get into Superpole. The track felt more slippery and greasy today, but that’s quite normal when the temperature goes up a lot. I think a lot of people got caught out when they pushed a bit too hard and I just happened to be one of them."

WORLD SUPERSPORT
The first qualifying session of the year proved to be the property of Kawasaki Provec Motocard.com rider Joan Lascorz, who was also fastest man in the official tests a few days ago. Second was the perennially powerful Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda), who left it very late to move up. Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) posted third while another old stager in this class, Katsuaki Fujiwara (Kawasaki) was fourth. Sofuoglu’s team-mate Michele Pirro secured fifth best lap time, while changes in set-up allowed Chaz Davies to jump up the order to sixth on his Triumph BE1 triple, ahead of another Kawasaki rider, Fabien Foret. The top six riders were within only 0.310 seconds of each other.

Eugene Laverty: "It was a really good day and we worked hard on the settings of my Parkalgar Honda from the test earlier in the week. We made a big change to the bike towards the end when we knew we had the right direction, we put more weight on the front, and it worked. I've done my fastest lap time since coming here and I think we have a good race pace although it will be close with Sofuoglu and Lascorz. There is a clear indication on who the favourites are and it will be important to look after our tyre. I got with the Kawasaki on track and it has good acceleration but all three of our bikes are similar in performance. Tomorrow I am going for a front row start and also to put in a few long runs to check tyre life and longevity."�

Miguel Praia: "I worked with Eugene on track and followed him out of the final corner to try and improve my drive down the straight and it helped. I am very pleased to get into the 35s as that was our target today and the temperature was very high so we struggled for grip on the smaller tyre. On the bigger tyre we need to work more on bike set-up for consistency. Second row is my aim for the grid; it is very close between sixth and ninth."

Joan Lascorz: “We had a great test last week, finding little improvements all the time. We continue working on our set-up all the time, but we understand how changes make the bike react. We are starting this season ready in every way, and our bikes have more power. So we are full of confidence after many of our performances last year and good winter tests.”

Katsuaki Fujiwara: “Our preparations have been very good this winter, in testing and in overall machine development. We are much better than we were at this stage last year. We can take the same settings from track to track and just make small adjustments. I am completely ready and happy to be back racing again.”

WSS First Qualifying
1 26 Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'34.629
2 50 Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1'34.634
3 54 Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 1'34.683
4 37 Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'34.783
5 51 Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'34.918
6 7 Davies C. (GBR) Triumph Daytona 675 1'34.939
7 99 Foret F. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'35.233
8 117 Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 1'35.762
9 16 Charpentier S. (FRA) Triumph Daytona 675 1'36.039
10 40 DiSalvo J. (USA) Triumph Daytona 675 1'36.208

NEW PRIZES FROM PIRELLI
Pirelli’s commitment to the growth of the Superbike World Championship has been unwavering since taking on the sole tyre supplier in 2004. As a way of offering additional support, Pirelli announces several performance awards as additional incentives for a faster and more spectacular environment. These new awards increase the existing prizes for podium finishes and final season standings, while at the same time adding three new types of awards to the total prize pool: Pirelli “Best Lap”, Pirelli “Best Jump Forward”, and “Best Lap Winner 2010: Fastest Rider of the Year”. The “Best Lap” awards are prizes extended after each Superbike and Supersport race to riders who have recorded the fastest lap of the race. For the Superstock classes, the performance awards take on a different approach, as Pirelli will offer instead a “Best Jump Forward” award for each race of the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup and European Superstock 600, in order to promote and develop new talents in the two classes. “Best Jump Forward" refers to the number of recovered positions from a rider’s starting position on the grid to his final race standing. The prize-giving ceremonies will be held during the press conference at the Paddock Show after the podium of each race and attended by a Pirelli representative. In addition, a dedicated classification for the “Fastest Rider of the Year” will be updated and displayed on TV and on the official website of the championship www.worldsbk.com. During the Championship prize-giving ceremony at the end of each season, the “Best Lap Winner: Fastest Rider of the Year” awards will be presented to the Superbike and Supersport riders who have captured the most Best Laps throughout the year.

WORLD SUPERBIKES - PHILLIP ISLAND

NUMBERS GAME: Machinery from Aprilia, BMW, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha will power a Phillip Island WSBK grid of 24 riders this weekend, with seven official squads being backed up by privateer teams of great strength-in-depth. In the final pre-season tests at Phillip Island on 21 and 22 February, private riders filled a few of the the top places in the lap time rankings, with Ducati riders in particular enjoying the dry track time. Last year at PI there were wins for Ducati (Noriyuki Haga) and Yamaha (Ben Spies) but in real race conditions few other machines can be ruled out of contention for the podium places.

EUROPEAN TALENT CONTEST: There are over ten previous race winners in the current SBK field, with nine of the top ten riders from the 2009 championship back for more. Last year's Ducati Xerox duo Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio were second and third respectively, making each a potential winner come Sunday's races. Aprilia Alitalia Racing team rider Max Biaggi is teamed with new full-time entrant Leon Camier, one of seven British riders in WSB this year. BMW Motorrad Motorsport once more field Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus, but BMW S1000RR machines will also be ridden by private riders Andrew Pitt and Roland Resch (Reitwagen BMW). A fierce Ducati privateer line-up includes Carlos Checa and Shane Byrne (Ducati Althea Racing) plus Pata B&G Racing loner, Jakub Smrz.

MULTIPLE CHANCES FOR JAPANESE MANUFACTURERS: Leading the Honda effort will be the pairing of Jonathan Rea and Max Neukirchner (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) both proven race winners in Superbike and both keen to make the step up to be genuine championship contenders. Local rider Josh Brookes will replace the injured Broc Parkes in the ECHO CRS Honda team for this round. Kawasaki, with a rejuvenated backroom staff and riding line up, field Chris Vermeulen and Tom Sykes in the official Kawasaki Racing Team, while Pedercini Kawasaki duo Matteo Baiocco and Roger Lee Hayden add new flavour to the category in 2010. Perennial competitors Suzuki have the talents of Leon Haslam and Sylvain Guintoli in the Suzuki Alstare squad, while 2009 champions Yamaha bring former double champion James Toseland and reigning Supersport World Champion Cal Crutchlow into the mix.

SUPERSPORT: A transitional year for the World Supersport Championship sees potential race winners come in two groups - the slightly less experienced and riders with either Championship titles or multiple wins in this category. Honda features the leading talents of 2007 champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) plus the bulk of the field. Kawasaki has proven winners Joan Lascorz and Katsuaki Fujiwara (Kawasaki Provec Motocard.com) and 2002 champion Fabien Foret (Lorenzini by Leoni). Double champion Sebastien Charpentier (ParkinGO Triumph BE-1) returns to the class this year, leading a total of four riders in Triumph colours. There will be two official qualifying sessions for the Supersport riders in 2010, one on Friday and one on Saturday.

SUPERBIKE CONFIRMED UNTIL 2014 IN PHILLIP ISLAND

Today's media conference took place in Melbourne at the Eureka Skydeck in the presence of the Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Tim Holding, Infront Motor Sports CEO Paolo Flammini, Phillip Island circuit Managing Director Fergus Cameron and six top Superbike riders. Tim Holding announced the extension of the contract for the Australian round of the Superbike World Championship, with the series set to stage spectacular racing at Phillip Island until at least 2014. The agreement also sees Phillip Island as the official pre-season test venue for the next two years. After the announcement, Australians Troy Corser (BMW) and Chris Vermeulen (Kawasaki), Britains James Toseland (Yamaha), Jonathan Rea (Honda) and Leon Haslam (Suzuki) and Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) from Japan talked about their recent tests at the fabulous circuit and how they felt they would get on when the season kicks off here this weekend. This is the most eagerly awaited season in World Superbike for many years, and once again Phillip Island is the perfect springboard for a magnificent year of racing in this Championship.

WORLD SUPERBIKES SOARING EVEN HIGHER

WORLD ENDURANCE - ALEX CUDLIN SIGNS FOR QERT

ALEX AND TEAM ALREADY GETTING USED TO THE PODIUM

Team QERT Suzuki (Qatar Endurance Racing Team) has confirmed Australian rider, Alex Cudlin, as one of their team riders in the 2010 World Endurance Championships. Alex will also contest the remaining rounds of the Qatar International Road Race Championships for the team. Cudlin was signed to team QERT in December, but it wasn’t officially announced until last weekend, when Alex was invited by the QERT team to fly to Qatar and take part in the 2nd round of the Qatar championships. This gave Alex an opportunity to become better acquainted with the team and thoroughly test the bike, while officially announcing his participation as a member of the team for both Championships. "I am extremely happy to have signed with QERT for the 2010 World Endurance Championships. The team has only been competing in the World Endurance Championships for the past 3 years, but have been able to win the Superstock category 2 times, which proves their level of professionalism and passion to succeed. Of course our aim this year will be to retain that title"

With no time on board for testing the bike, Cudlin was able to learn the handling capabilities of his new Suzuki GSXR1000 and qualified in a solid 5th position for the two 15 lap races to be held the following day. In the first race of the day, Cudlin was able to quickly move into 3rd spot and was then involved in a tight tussle with World Endurance team mate and Moto 2 World Championship rider, Mishal Al Niami, before finishing 2nd under the chequered flag.

Alex's fortunes changed in Race 2 when he was forced to retire early from the race due to an electrical problem on the bike. “To get a podium finish in my debut race with the new team was exactly what I had hoped for. I knew I could be competetive because I had come to terms with the new bike fairly quickly in testing, but to get a podium finish in the first race felt great. My two team mates in this year’s World Endurance Championships were 1st and 3rd respectively, so to get 1-2-3 on the podium shows that we not only have the speed, but will be a force to be reckoned with in this year’s competition. This year, with this team, I have an opportunity to compete in both World Endurance races in Europe as well as sprint races in Qatar. It’s been at least 5 years since I’ve raced in the sprint race format, so it was fun to take part in them again. The extra riding will help to improve my speed and racecraft, and maybe I can climb up one more step on the podium in the next round” said Alex smiling.

Alex will head back to Qatar for Round 3 of the Qatar International Road Race Championships in 2 weeks time.

WORLD ENDURANCE - TALENT EXCHANGE

If you are a rider in need of a team a team in need of a rider or a mechanic looking for a team, just drop me a line HERE and I'll put you on the web! Include a picture so everybody knows you!

Here is one to start with:

I have been told that, by Austria Law, 25% of a team has to be female, so it looks like good people are having to be let go because of political correctness. Because of this, Patrick Joud, who was working with the Yamaha Austria team as their Physiotherapist is now looking to transfer his talents to another willing team in the World Endurance paddock...contact him at patrickjoud@orange.fr - his full CV is HERE

PATRICK MASSAGING HIS TONGUE AND THROAT

WORLD SUPERBIKES - PHILLIP ISLAND TEST DAY 2

After four tests sessions over two days, Michel Fabrizio posted the quickest time of all at the official pre-season tests at Phillip Island, a 1’31.650, set on the final morning on his Ducati Xerox machine. Shane Byrne (Althea Ducati) was second quickest, on a 1'31.662, while Jakub Smrz (Pata B&G Ducati) was one of the riders to improve in the final session, taking his Ducati to third best time, only 0.030 seconds from Fabrizio. Fastest rider on day one, Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) was fourth overall, while the first of the four-cylinder riders, Jonathan Rea, was fifth in the combined rankings, having set his personal best time this afternoon on his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda.

MICHEL FABRIZIO TAKES PHILLIP ISLAND TEST HONOURS

The top ten on combined times was rounded out by Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare), Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing), Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia Racing) and Max Neukirchner (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). Ruben Xaus was top BMW rider, 11th, and the fastest Yamaha man was James Toseland, 12th. Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) proved quickest of the local riders on show, one place ahead of Lorenzo Lanzi (DFX Corse Ducati) who set 14th best time. Sylvain Guintoli (Suzuki Alstare) was 15th in a field of 24, and top Kawasaki rider was local man Chris Vermeulen, who took his machine to 16th place. The top 20 riders were within just over two seconds of each other.

Michel Fabrizio:¨I'm satisfied with the lap times because we were consistently fast. I found good race pace with one of the tyre compounds in particular and this bodes well for the weekend, but the result will very much depend on the weather. There are several fast guys here, so it will undoubtedly be a tough race weekend, as well as a hard-fought championship. It's a difficult challenge but I'm ready to face it."�

Shane Byrne: "We had a bit of a problem in the afternoon session but it was good to make a fast time this morning. It was a little bit disappointing to get pipped this afternoon. But it is only a test so it is not the end of the world. It's very positive for the team to have both riders high in the rankings going into next weekend. We can't be too upset to finish second today by only a small margin."�

SHAKEY BYRNE IS TOP BRIT

Noriyuki Haga: "Today we concentrated on suspension settings, making various changes during the day, but for some reason I didn't find the same good feeling that I had yesterday. Having said that the lap times were fairly fast. With regard to tyres the difficulties are caused by temperature because an increase of just one or two degrees can make a difference. I can't really predict how the races will go on Sunday; I'm going to relax for two days and then we'll start work again on Friday."

Troy Corser: "I must admit that it has been a bit hard remaining fully focussed these past two days because my grandfather (or ‘Pops’ as he was known) died recently and the funeral service was just before these tests. I would like to thank everybody for their kind thoughts and consideration. I knew that I could’ve got a better lap time if I had pushed harder today, but I wanted to continue to improve the bike and not crash whilst chasing a fast lap. Our bike is very different to what is was when we came here last year and so a lot of the work had to start from scratch. We started pretty much with a set-up we hoped that would give better grip and we did get more grip but the bike became a bit harsh on the bumps. So then we had to try and get rid of the harshness and make the bike more comfortable to ride again.
The couple of race tyres we were given felt quite stiff and so we had to adjust the bike to fit and then get as much data as possible, ready for next week. Sometimes it seems that we don’t get normal reactions when we make normal changes, but the info we got these two days will give the guys lots to work do"

Leon Haslam: “I am not so happy with the final result, regarding lap times, but overall I am happy with all the work we’ve done and the things we found out and this will help us go in the right direction. Today we started with the two bikes set up differently and I preferred some things on one bike and some things on the other bike, so the mechanics will now try and put the best bits of both on one bike and that’s what I will start with during first practice next Friday. We spent quite a lot of time today trying out race tyres, so that we will be in a good position next week, but that meant that we didn’t really go for a very quick lap time. I am not worried about the guys ahead of me today, because I know that things will be very different come the race next weekend. That’s more important than lap times today. I feel good about our prospects - and that’s the main thing.”

Sylvain Guintoli: “Today we did a lot of work on getting the bike working well with race rubber and didn’t concentrate of chasing lap times. I had a small get-off at the tight hairpin after Lukey Heights, but there was no damage to me or the bike. It happened when I lost the front end when I pushed a bit too hard on a tyre that I didn’t really like - and now I like it less!  I have had no problems with jet-lag or tiredness today, but I felt that I just couldn’t find my good rhythm. This sometimes happens to me when we test for a lot of time, like today when the two sessions lasted two and a half hours each. In a normal race weekend, practice lasts an hour and race is about 45 minutes and I always manage to find a good rhythm without a problem, so maybe the sessions today were a bit too long for me. But, we’ve done a lot of good work and now I am looking forward to next Friday and the start of the race weekend.”

Chris Vermeulen: “We improved in every session around here, and it was good to be riding at a track I really knew. We tried out some new linkage and shock components and they really helped with weight transfer. Now we are at the stage of trying to dial the bike in and understand the different race tyres. We still have work to do on race weekend and the times were so close at this test. Another two-tenths and I would have moved up about six places.”

Tom Sykes: “We tried a lot of things and went back to what we knew worked best. The team were very patient with me going through all the stuff that we had to try. It was very crucial that we did this, because we have a much better idea of where to go with set-up for the race next week. That is the most important thing, and this test was just to help us in the races. I feel we can close the gap a bit and I am looking forward to the races.”

James Toseland: “It’s been a solid two days of testing working on the new bike. I still have some chatter problems as does Cal. The guys are going to go through the data and see what they can come up with for us over the next couple of days.”

Cal Crutchlow: “We worked through a lot of stuff, unfortunately it’s not all worked yet. If we can get going in the right direction over the next couple of days for both of us then we can move forward. I’m looking forward to race weekend as always and will do the best job I can.”

Times: 1. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'31.650; 2. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'31.662; 3. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'31.680; 4. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'31.959; 5. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'32.175; 6. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'32.247; 7. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'32.279; 8. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F 1'32.474; 9. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1'32.621; 10. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 1'32.691; 11. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'32.714; 12. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'32.781; 13. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'32.819; 14. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'32.830; 15. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'32.869; 16. Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'32.870

WORLD SUPERSPORT
Spanish rider Joan Lascorz (Provec Motocard.com Kawasaki) headed the field in the middleweight division at Phillip Island, securing the fastest lap of the tests in this morning's session, with a 1'34.374. Only one rider improved his best time in the afternoon sector, as track conditions deteriorated due to high winds and a drop in temperature right at the end of the day. Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) was second in the rankings, 2009 Championship runner-up Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) was third and Sofuoglu's team-mate Michele Pirro fourth. Sebastien Charpentier (Triumph BE-1) proved to be in fine form in his championship return, going eighth from 17 riders after two days of testing. He was the fastest Triumph rider at the tests.

Eugene Laverty: “Altogether it has been a really good test. We got lots of work done and we set the Parkalgar Honda up with the new tyre from Pirelli as well. It was really windy in the afternoon and the direction of the wind was tough – through the fast turns seven and eight I would normally be flat out but had to roll off the throttle as I was being caught by the wind. I am happy though, with the changing conditions and temperature you can need two bikes for this track and if you rush you can get things wrong but we have taken it in our stride. I am confident for the race that it will be between me, Sofuloglu and Lascorz – there could be a few others in there as well with Pirro and Foret posting good times.”

Miguel Praia: “After 134-laps I am pretty tired, it was hard work over the two days with the conditions being so different. In the last session I was the only rider to better my lap time so we definitely improved my Parkalgar Honda. The morning was suited for quick times but I wasn’t ready to go then. The new tyre from Pirelli is taller and seems better suited to warmer conditions although I set my fastest time on a standard race tyre. I finished the last session in eighth which is where I expected and wanted to be so I am looking forward – we have a lot of information from all the laps to analyse and that will help us in the race.”

Times: 1. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'34.374; 2. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 1'34.691; 3. Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1'34.753; 4. Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'34.793; 5. Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'34.994; 6. Foret F. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'35.060; 7. Roccoli M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'35.379; 8. Charpentier S. (FRA) Triumph Daytona 675 1'35.735

WORLD SUPERBIKES - PHILLIP ISLAND TEST

Sunday 21 February 2010

Privateer Ducati rider Carlos Checa set the quickest time of the first day of track action at the official tests in Phillip Island, taking his Althea Ducati to a 1’31.959 lap time. His pace was less than one second slower than the track best in this class, 1’31.050, which was set in qualifying for the 2009 race. The official Ducati Xerox machine of Michel Fabrizio was second quickest in the opening sessions, 0.390 seconds behind the flying Checa around the 4.445km circuit in Victoria. Both top riders set their best times in the afternoon session, when track surface temperatures reached, 46°C, but in the slightly cooler morning session Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare) was still fast enough for third in the combined times, with Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) fourth. Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) pushed his machine to fifth place, just over half a second behind leader Checa, while another British rider, Shane Byrne (Ducati Althea) was sixth.

After suffering many injuries in 2009, Max Neukirchner (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) proved himself fast and focused on day one, going seventh, heading off Max Biaggi, on the leading Aprilia Alitalia machine. A top day for the private Ducatis in general saw Jakub Smrz ninth on his Pata B&G Racing 1098R, while DFX Ducati rider Lorenzo Lanzi rounded out the top ten. Leading Yamaha rider was James Toseland (Sterilgarda Yamaha) 11th quickest while the top Kawasaki lap was set by Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), 13th fastest of 23 riders. Top local rider proved to be Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) and the local favourite was also the highest ranked BMW competitor, in 14th.

XEROX DUCATI:
in very warm conditions (air temperature 26°, track 34°), the Ducati Xerox riders Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio made the most of the track time during this, the first of two days of testing before the championship opens here next weekend. In the first of the day’s sessions both riders were immediately comfortable, setting some very fast lap times right from the start. The team worked with Noriyuki and Michel to find a strong race pace and understand which tyres will work best in the Australian heat. Having completed more than 40 laps each in the morning, Noriyuki and Michel closed that particular session with the second and third fastest laps respectively, followed by the three private Ducatis of Checa, Lanzi and Byrne.

The Superbike riders returned to the track at 3.30, the asphalt having reached 41°. Despite the heat, both riders continued to make fast laps and towards the end of the session Michel was able to improve on his best time set this morning to close day one with the second fastest time overall. Nori spend the second part of the session testing Pirelli’s different solutions, and finished today in fourth place, just two tenths of a second behind his team-mate.

NORI HAGA IN THE SUN

Noriyuki Haga: “It’s been a positive day. We tried various things, making changes to the rear suspension setting and testing the different tyres on offer. The problem is being able to identify a direction during these test days that will also work next Sunday, it’s difficult to predict how the conditions will be in a week’s time. Anyway we’ve worked hard today and made some good progress.”

Michel Fabrizio: “We went quite well but the pace of Carlos Checa was very, very fast. I have a new engineer and we are working well. We made things better as we changed more and more on the bike but we just ran out of time in the afternoon session. We did not so bad, and I am sure we can improve tomorrow if the conditions remain good.”

Carlos Checa: “A very good start, quite positive. We didn’t expect this performance this early and especially not at this track, which is not easy. But we know that the Ducati can work quite well here and we arrived in Phillip Island after a quite good job in testing at Valencia. The team’s understanding of the bike is good, and also they helped me a lot to understand how to ride this bike in the right way. The feeling on the bike is special and so far it is a good experience to ride it.”

Troy Corser: "For sure, I’m pretty happy with what we achieved today and of course I’m also happy to be back at Phillip Island. It’s a fantastic circuit, though I do think it may be a bit more bumpy this year compared to last. The grip level was good in the morning when it was cooler, but we did manage to find some good grip in the afternoon and that together with the higher track temperature affected the bike more and gave us a few things to think about. The bike has improved in some places and not so much in others since we were last here, so we know we still have some work to do. We did some work on the traction control and the gearing and will continue the work tomorrow. The wind got a bit buffety in the afternoon, but it was consistent and the good news is that I didn’t hit any seabirds this time, though I did see a lot near the track. Hopefully we will have a good day tomorrow and get the bike in good shape for the race next weekend."

James Toseland: “A steady day for us today. We’ve been focussing on getting the new chassis set-up right, so not been trying to break any lap records, just solid track time to fine tune the bike. I’m looking forward to getting back out tomorrow and improving on today.”

Cal Crutchlow: “Not the fastest day I’ve had, it doesn’t feel natural to be that low on the times, but I know we’ll improve on that tomorrow. It’s only our first day on the new bike so we’re really working hard to get the set up right so we can hit the ground running.”

Times: 1. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'31.959; 2. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'32.349; 3. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'32.484; 4. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'32.518; 5. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'32.544; 6. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'32.671; 7. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 1'32.735; 8. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1'32.832; 9. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'32.912; 10. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'32.979; 11. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'33.135; 12. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'33.190; 13. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'33.222; 14. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'33.299; 15. Crutchlow C. (GBR)Yamaha YZF R1 1'33.444; 16. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'33.498

WORLD SUPERSPORT
Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Kenan Sofuoglu proved the fastest Supersport World Championship rider on display on the first day of Phillip Island testing, thanks to his morning time of 1’34.691. He was very close to his own track best of 1’34.320 with his opening day time, and has one more day to try and improve his pace even more. Katsuaki Fujiwara’s 1’35.042 was enough for second overall, and also enough to hold off his team-mate Joan Lascorz. Although Lascorz was the fastest rider in the afternoon session, it was run at a slower pace than the morning outings. Michele Pirro was displaced to fourth by Lascorz’s late improvement, but he was still ahead of Fabien Foret, Eugene Laverty and two-times champion Sebastien Charpentier. ‘Seb’ was fastest Triumph BE-1 rider today, as he makes a comeback to the class in 2010. Triumph BE1 rider David Salom improved to eighth, Miguel Praia jumping up to ninth on his Parkalgar Honda.

Times: 1 Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 1'34.691; 2. Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'35.042; 3. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'35.385; 4. Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'35.536; 5. Foret F. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'35.608; 6. Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1'35.641; 7. Charpentier S. (FRA) Triumph Daytona 675 1'35.735; 8. Salom D. (ESP) Triumph Daytona 675 1'36.344

NOW POSTED - WORLD ENDURANCE PROVISIONAL ENTRY LIST

OFFICIAL FIM PRESS RELEASE:

World Endurance is in great shape for 2010! Beating the mellow international economic context, the 2010 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship takes an all-new dimension. The FIM is delighted to welcome this season thirty-two permanent teams: this highly busy starting grid constitutes a new record in the whole history of the Endurance World Championship. FIM President Vito Ippolito added, “Despite the world economic crisis, our Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship is getting stronger day after day”. The FIM commitment towards the championship and all the organiser’s efforts has been rewarded not only by a stronger interest from the teams, but also from bike manufacturers and tyre suppliers. BMW joins the championship with great ambition, as four permanent teams will race on the new S 1000 RR, like the official Michelin BMW team and the semi-official Penz13.com. Amongst permanent teams newcomers and strong contenders for the 2010 title, we are pleased to welcome back two world champions: the SERT, Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and the Yamaha France GMT 94. The Spanish from Yamaha Folch Endurance and newcomers Honda BMP Elf 99 are also great challengers.

The competition will also be on the tyres suppliers’ side, as Japanese manufacturer Bridgestone is joining the battle alongside three other brands, Dunlop, Michelin and Pirelli. The thirty-two permanent team will take part in the full series of the 2010 Qtel FIM Endurance World Championship (Suzuka 8 Hours remains a facultative race), which will start on the 17th and 18th of April in France with the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

2010 Calendar
Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th of April 24 Hours of Le Mans France
Saturday, 22nd of May 8 Hours of Albacete Spain
Sunday, 25th of July Suzuka 8 Hours Japan (only Formula EWC)
Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th of September Bol d’Or (24 Hours) France
Saturday 13th of November 8 Hours of Doha Qatar

32 TEAMS - one of the hardest-fought World Endurance Championships of modern times is about to get underway, with World Champions Yamaha Austria having to defend against all the other great World Endurance teams from the first round, the fiercely contested Jewel In The Crown of endurance, the Le Mans 24hr event 0n the 17th/18th of April. With the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) fielding only one machine this year due to a tightened budget (with Rider Freddy Foray up against his brother Kenny, racing with huge rivals GMT94), nobody can afford any mistakes this season. GMT94 Yamaha now have the services of former World Superbike rider Gregorio Lavilla, whereas Yamaha Austria will be calling on 2009 British Supersport Champion Steve Plater during the season. For the first time, the class of the Spanish Endurance championship, Folch Endurance are contesting the entire season as a permanent team, with BK Maco Moto, top Swiss Kawasaki team Bolliger and an as yet un-named British Phase One entry, threats abound.

...Not the least from QERT Suzuki with a two-bike thrust, RMT21 Honda from Germany, RT Moto Virus and the new Formula EWC teams, BMP Elf 99 Honda, Michelin BMW, RAC41-City Bike Suzuki, Team Flemmbo, Motobox Kremer and more...with the surprise of the Italian X-One team now contesting the Superstock title which itself is shaping up to be a really tight battle.

British, German, Austrian, Swiss, French, Spanish, Italian, Belgian, Slovakian, Serbian and Qatari teams. WOW. Check the entry list and you'll see what I mean...this is going to be an absolutely BRILLIANT year!

WORLD SUPERBIKE & SUPERSPORT ENTRY LISTS

WORLD SUPERBIKE - NEW APRILIA ALITALIA COLOURS

WORLD ENDURANCE - RIDE WANTED

FRED BERNON AND EMILIEN HUMEAU WITH OLIVIER ULMANN (CENTRE)

The highly-experienced Olivier Ulmann is available to ride at the Le Mans 24hr race this year. Last year he was with the famous Joe Bar Team at Le Mans and, as far as I know, this is the first time he has been available outside of the top teams. Without the usual ride with the Diablo 666 team this year, he is free to take a ride with another team. Contact him at olivierulmann@orange.fr

FRENCH TEAM RAC41 CONFIRM ENTRY IN THE WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP

With excellent results in 2009 (7th of 24 hours of Le Mans and 4th of the BOL d'OR) with a very limited budget, the RAC41-CityBike team are aiming for a top tem position in the 2010 championship. The riders are Greg JUNOD (Champion SBK SUISSE 2009), Gregg BLACK (3rd 600 EUROPEAN SUPERSTOCK on 2006) and Olivier DEPOORTER (11th SBK IDM on 2008)

DAMIAN CUDLIN LEARNS GERMAN

Team MRC Austria confirmed Damian Cudlin in its rider line up this weekend, marking the Australian’s return to the IDM series in 2010. Officially announced at the Team’s launch in Linz on the weekend, Cudlin will partner Austrian’s Yves Polzer and Michi Ranseder aboard Fritz tuned Yamaha R6’s in the IDM Supersport class. Cudlin, who suffered mixed fortunes in the AMA in 2009, says he’s excited to join the Austrian squad and return to the series where he enjoyed much success on route to 3rd in the championship in 2008.

“I’m really happy to have secured a competitive ride; finally one that I believe is capable of winning in 2010. Last year was really tough riding for different teams most weekends and it became very frustrating to be honest. I felt I was capable of a lot more than I achieved in the AMA but politics played a big role over there. This year I plan to put 2009 behind me and get my career back on track. I’ve been given a great opportunity by the guys at MRC Austria and I plan to make the most of it. I only have one target in 2010, and that’s the IDM title.”

Team Manager Wolfgang Pernter, former manager of Gerin Ducati’s World Superbike Team between 1999-2001, shared Cudlin’s enthusiasm for the season ahead and is confident his crew can fight at the front in 2010. “We’ve really stepped up our program this year and the addition of Damian to our rider line up is a real boost to our team. He’s a talented and intelligent rider who will be a force to be reckoned with this season, and we look forward to working with him in 2010.” Pernter said.

The team will begin its testing program in Spain this month, followed by further tests in Germany before the IDM season opener in April.

MORE BRITS AIMING TO FILL THE WORLD ENDURANCE GRID

Looking to run a Yamaha in the Stocksport category this year, three British riders, Stephen Thompson, Steven Neate and Graham English are intending to dip their toes into the World Endurance scene, starting at Le Mans on April 17th. Stephen Thompson has been a Macau GP regular and raced with Alf's Kawasaki in World Endurance. Steven Neate is from Milton Keynes, his father raced in some World Endurance events in the past and Graham English, 13 years in racing and usually classics.

WHAT'S PHASE ONE UP TO?

14th February 2010 and still no news on 2010 World Endurance participation by the legendary British Phase One team, everything on the re-launched website is about their involvement with the TT races on the Isle of Man. Along with Carl Rennie, former Phase One junior team rider Ben Wylie has now joined the teams Island effort...here's the press release:

2009 TT best Newcomer Ben Wylie has secured a berth alongside Carl Rennie with the Phase One Team for their roads campaign. Wylie was impressive in 2009 , both in the 600 and Superstock categories, and will move up to the premier class this year on the Team's Superbikes. Yamaha Phase One Manager Russell Benney enthused, "Ever since working with Ben in the Shell Endurance Academy Team in 2005, I have been impressed with his determination and grit. My challenge will be to help him channel that enthusiasm and to focus it on race success . Some of the skills he learnt in World Endurance will be drawn on this season. To be safe and competitive on the roads, he is going to need the ability to maintain extremely high levels of concentration for long periods; just like in the Le mans 24 hours race. He will also need a high level of physical fitness and must be mentally prepared."

Ben Wylie's reaction to his Phase One ride: "I'm delighted to be back with the old team and I'm determined to build on the results I had in my debut year at the TT. Riding the Superbike at the Northwest200 is going to be awesome, I can't wait!" A team insider said, "We were really pleased to hear that Ben was back; ever a prankster and great fun to have around. He will learn a lot from Carl and with no pressure on him , should perform well." Wylie will contest the Senior, Superbike and 600 races on the Team's machines and starts testing at Albacete on 15/16 March.

MISSLER JLC METISS WOWS THE LONDON MOTORCYCLE SHOW

NOW THAT'S A NICE BIKE...