Davide Giugliano
Biaggi & Co. make long-awaited Silverstone comeback
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Tuesday, 27th July 2010, 14:58 GMTRound ten of the 13-round HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship will take place at the latest incarnation of the classic Silverstone circuit this weekend, between 30 July and 1 August. The championship has been to Silverstone on six previous occasions, the most recent being in 2007, when only one race took place due to incessant rain that flooded the track before race two could get underway. The Silverstone that WSB returns to this year is a very different venue from previous versions, with massive investment in both a heavily modified circuit layout and infrastructure improvements resulting in a 5.902 km circuit, which owes a lot to the ex-airfield circuit's original reputation as a fast and open racetrack, where speed is a key element. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) and his factory team have been almost immaculate in 2010, winning half the races on offer, finishing every race in the points and having no individual placing lower than eighth. Biaggi has been so consistent he has only had five non-podium finishes all season. No surprise to find that Max is a clear championship leader after round nine at Brno, now having a 68-point advantage approaching Silverstone. Biaggi has not got far to look to see the immediate threat at Silverstone, with the first of seven well-equipped local riders being second placed in the overall WSB rankings, Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare). Haslam could ask for no better current WSB venue to try to make big inroads into Biaggi's points lead, as he will have the crowd firmly on his side for the first time all year, and greater recent experience of at least some of the Silverstone layout than many of his rivals. There are no fewer than seven full time riders in the 2010 line-up who emanate from the UK, and all of them are on either official or well-supported machinery. For this reason alone Silverstone may well provide the best chance of a new name appearing on the 2010 winner's roster since Kyalami in May. So far we have had six different race-winning riders, the roll of honour led by Biaggi with nine victories. Next up, Haslam is tied on three wins with overall third placed rider Jonathan Rea (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda). Rea has been busy of late, winning the first race at Brno last time out before heading to Japan and a podium slot at the Suzuka 8 Hours last weekend. Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) was a winner at round one in Australia and he is now fourth in the points, close to Rea and the following rider in fifth place, Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox). Haga is another with a single win to his credit in 2010, and the most recent rider to enter the 2010 winners' club is Haga's own team-mate, Michel Fabrizio - eighth overall and twice a podium man in the past two rounds. The Ducati 1200cc Vee-twin riders will all arrive at Silverstone with the same regulation minimum weight of 162 kg as the other machines, after once more breaking through the lower threshold of the balancing regulations at the previous Brno round. The seven British regulars looking for hometown glory on Sunday include James Toseland (Yamaha Sterilgarda), a double WSBK champion but a rider still looking for his first win in his comeback season. He has already stated that a British 1-2-3 is very possible at Silverstone and for him the top step of the podium is his overriding motivation this weekend. James is sixth in the current rankings. Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) was unlucky to injure himself at the previous round in Brno, missing raceday, but he is expecting great things from his S1000RR around the fast sweeps of Silverstone, if he comes through a test at Mugello in good condition. Troy is seventh now, two points ahead of a chasing Fabrizio, with the second official BMW rider, Ruben Xaus, 13th overall and improving all the time. One of the ‘magnificent seven' local riders is particularly well known to British crowds, 2009 BSB champion Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia). Already a podium placer on his vee-four Aprilia, Camier is having an intense learning year in WSB, tied on points with a Superpole expert in his first full season, Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda). Briton Crutchlow has scored pole four times so far, and has four podium places to boot. He is tenth in the championship, but tied on the same 138 point total as Camier and British-domiciled Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli (Suzuki Alstare). Shane Byrne (Althea Ducati) sits 12th right now, looking forward to his latest return home to race and another chance to match his sheer speed over a single lap to a race result of equal prominence. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) is the seventh Brit in regular WSB competition in 2010 and he more than anyone will see Silverstone as an opportunity to shine. With his regular team-mate Chris Vermeulen out for the rest of the year through injury, he will have the legendary figure of Akira Yanagawa alongside him at Silverstone, as the Japanese star stands-in for Chris for this race. Series regular Luca Scassa (Supersonic Ducati) who suffered a fracture at the Brno race weekend, has recovered well and will race in England. Jakub Smrz (Pata B&G Aprilia) will be on a vee-four for this round again, with Max Neukirchner (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda) and Honda privateer Broc Parkes (ECHO CRS) out for more points to move up the standings. Lorenzo Lanzi (DFX Corse Ducati) plus Pedercini Kawasaki team-mates Roger Lee Hayden and Matteo Baiocco are also privateers worth watching. Wildcards of the highest quality and equipment levels are set to join the Silverstone party in 2010, as Josh Brookes and Ryuichi Kiyonari (both HM Plant Honda) combine forces to lever points and places from the hands of the regulars. Privateer rider Tommy Bridewell will also be made welcome in the WSB paddock on his Quay Garage Honda. SUPERSPORT: For the fifth time this year the championship lead has changed hands once again with three riders having taken turns to head up the standings even before the last round at Brno. After another win, his third of the year, Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) left Brno at the top of the reckoning and second place in the race gave Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com) second in the rankings also, some 15 points behind Sofuoglu. Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) no-scored for the first time last time and is now third, 22 points adrift but with four races to go - including Silverstone. ParkinGO Triumph BE-1's Chaz Davies is an increasingly impressive fourth, having scored three podium finishes so far. Almost a podium finisher last time out, Gino Rea (Intermoto Czech Honda) is looking forward to his first full Supersport World Championship race at Silverstone. Ronan Quarmby (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) will replace injured regular runner Michele Pirro at Silverstone and there are no fewer than 28 riders on the Silverstone grid, thanks to a wildcard rider influx. SUPERSTOCK 1000: Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia STK) has remained untouchable at the top of the Superstock 1000 standings, winning six from six as his championship carries on relentlessly. He now has a 77-point advantage over Michele Magnoni (Bevilacqua Corse Honda), and a win at Silverstone would give Badovini the championship no matter what. Lesser results would also see him crowned champion, if all his four main rivals have poor weekends. Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Racing Junior Honda) is third overall, while Andrea Antonelli (Team Lorini Honda) heads up the final top five runners, together with Davide Giugliano (Team06 Suzuki). SUPERSTOCK 600: Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Racing Yamaha) is overcoming all obstacles in his way this year in the 600 Superstock division, having won four races and been placed in the other two. He leads his French countryman Florian Marino (Ten Kate Junior Racing Honda) by 30 points after his last win in the Czech Republic. Italian rider Federico D'Annunzio (Martini Corse Yamaha) is still third but looking for his first win of the year. TRIUMPH PARKINGO SERIES: The monomarque Triumph ParkinGO European Series will be back at Silverstone, with riders on identical Triumph Street Triple R machines battling it out for glory in this thrilling class. Fabrizio Perotti is the leader with three rounds to go, 16 points ahead of Matteo Marzotto. THE CIRCUIT: The recent works at Silverstone have now created a multiple use circuit of truly international class, including several initiatives that have been specifically designed for motorcycle use. Riders and spectators have been well catered for in the layout to be used for World Superbike, with the track now shooting to the infield at one key section to allow spectators in that area a closer look at the action, while still meeting all the latest safety requirements. The work at Silverstone is still continuing, to make the classic British circuit even more user-friendly for all. High top speeds and fast average lap speeds will be much in evidence. Read article
Biaggi heads to favourite circuit with points lead
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Wednesday, 7th July 2010, 14:06 GMTThe HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship enters its ninth round this coming weekend, at another firm favourite for riders and fans alike, Brno, in the Czech Republic. A modern era circuit with its roots very firmly in the heritage of the old road courses that have hosted races in this area since the early decades of the previous century, Brno is a classic of its type, with wide chicanes that are still attacked with pace, plus uphill and downhill sections that are a real test of engine power and front end set-up. After winning another two races at the previous round, the experienced Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) now has eight race victories in 2010, and a 37-point championship lead over Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare). Haslam enters the Brno round determined to peg back Biaggi, but the fact that Brno is Biaggi's favourite circuit of all, where he won a race on his Aprilia RSV4 last year, may hamper Haslam's ambitions. But Haslam has been a revelation this year too, which leaves a fascinating battle of nerves all ready to be played out for the benefit of the fans this coming weekend. Like many of their peers, both official Aprilia and Suzuki teams left the previous round of Misano and went directly to Imola for a two-day test. Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) will be ready to go for more wins and podiums on his well-supported 1098 machine, while his team-mate Shane Byrne will be out to overcome the effects of a nasty left hand laceration suffered at the Imola tests. Checa still leads the factory Ducati Xerox duo of Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio, but for Michel in particular, Brno is his ideal venue, one he has enjoyed success at both as a privateer and a factory rider. He scored his first ever podiums in WSBK at Brno, and has scored at least one top three finish there every year since 2006. Curiously, he has never quite taken a win at Brno, however. Brno should be a new track for some riders, but for others it is a well-known venue. Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) has been a rider on the rise this year, and at Brno he has also a strong record, with three of his previous 33 race wins coming in the Czech Republic. His team-mate Ruben Xaus is out to eradicate bad memories of a femur fracture he suffered in 2009 at the base of the uphill section. For local fans the sight of Jakub Smrz racing gladdens the heart at any time and for the Pata B&G team rider a last minute swap to Aprilia RSV4 machinery may well bring him back into the upper echelons of the results sheets. In the official Aprilia team Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) will be out, with the second works Suzuki coming from Sylvain Guintoli (Alstare Suzuki).With seven manufacturers on the grid in 2010, the talent pool is deep and wide, and in the Honda camp Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) is still the man most likely to post the strongest results, despite his team-mate Max Neukirchner and privateer Broc Parkes (ECHO CRS Honda) finding improvements to their respective set-ups during the Imola tests. Yamaha Sterilgarda duo James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow are looking for a step-up in pace to allow them to compete for wins in 2010, a season in which everything has moved forward several steps compared to even 2009. Each is capable and if they qualify well, can be in with a chance on raceday. One squad particularly pleased to have tested at Imola last week is the official Kawasaki Racing Team, and at the Italian venue Tom Sykes and Chris Vermeulen each found a way forward with machine set-up, leaving them more confident of better finishes as the season wears on. The impressive Luca Scassa (Supersonic) and experienced Lorenzo Lanzi (DFX Ducati) will be two more privateers competing at Brno and the pairing of Roger Lee Hayden and Matteo Baiocco will be looking for their best performances of the year on their Pedercini Kawasakis. SUPERSPORT: The championship lead changed hands at Misano as Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) won and Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) scored third, but there are only three points in it. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com) is only 13 points off a share of the lead with five rounds remaining, including Brno. All of the top three have won races so far, Laverty five, Sofuoglu two and Lascorz a single. ParkinGO Triumph BE-1 rider Chaz Davies sits fourth, 33 points up and away from his team-mate David Salom. Davies is 36 away from both Robbin Harms (Harms Benjan Honda) and Michele Pirro, Sofuoglu's team-mate. This will be a home race for the Intermoto Czech Honda team that fields Gino Rea and Massimo Roccoli, and they will also have one of a total of eight one event riders swelling the ranks of this division this weekend, Czech rider Tomas Holubec. SUPERSTOCK 1000: Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) has claimed the 2010 version of the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup as something of his own private realm this year, winning five from five, with another five races still to run. He will have a strong selection of chasers to deal with as usual, Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Racing Junior Honda), Michele Magnoni (Honda), Davide Giugliano (Team06 Suzuki) and Sylvain Barrier (Garnier Junior Racing BMW) just a few of them. There is a Czech wildcard in the shape of Michal Sambra (Automotoklub Masarykuv Okruh BMW), plus two other one-event riders in this popular class. SUPERSTOCK 600: Five rounds gone and five to go in the 600 Superstock class and French youngster Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Racing Yamaha) heads up Florian Marino (Ten Kate Junior Racing Honda) by 25 points, with Federico D'Annunzio (Martini Corse Yamaha) third. The top two are the only race winners so far. THE CIRCUIT: Brno in its most modern guise is a 5.403km track that weaves its way through the forests and the hills above the Czech Republic's second city, Brno. It is the asphalt and gravel embodiment of the idea that a modern, safe circuit does not have to be tight and cramped, and the real proof that Brno worked right first time is that it has hardly been changed at all since it was first built in 1987, despite huge advances in engine outputs and corner speeds in that time. The power sapping last hill takes the riders up a gradient of over 7%, making this a place where the true worth of any engine is proved in the toughest test of all, real racing. Read article
Biaggi leads entering San Marino round
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Wednesday, 23rd June 2010, 7:13 GMTThe San Marino round is the eighth of the HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship in 2010 and will take place at the Misano World Circuit between 25 and 27 June. There will a full card of races at the popular track close to Misano Adriatico, as the championship returns to Europe for the first time since the Monza round on May 9th. Several of the top teams have taken advantage of the long break between the previous Miller Motorsports Park meeting in the USA and the San Marino race weekend to make their own tests, many at Misano itself. New championship leader Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) also leads the 2010 win count with six as we enter the second half of another exciting year in WSBK, all of the four-time 250cc GP Champion's victories coming in twos. Max has scored doubles at Portimao, Monza and most recently Miller. Hot on his heels is long-time leader Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare), now eager to make up for a crash in the USA that cost him his championship advantage. Both top protagonists, plus their team-mates Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) and Sylvain Guintoli (Alstare Suzuki), tested at Misano recently. Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and his talented team-mate Max Neukirchner made their own private tests at their team's home circuit of Assen last week. The Honda duo will be keen to return to Misano in race mode however, as each has taken a victory at the ever-evolving Misano World Circuit, Rea last year and Neukirchner the year before. Rea is currently third in the championship standings, ten points ahead of the desperately unlucky Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) who was forced out of the lead in each Miller race. Carlos will have his usual high level of motivation going into Misano, and like his team-mate Shane Byrne he has tested at Misano as well, as part of the recent World Ducati Week festival. Official Ducati riders Michel Fabrizio and Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) also tested at Misano during that period, and there could be no better place for the talented duo to get back to their very best winning form. It has been a tough year on occasion for Michel and Nori, but they have each taken a race win; Nori in Spain and Michel in South Africa. Two of the fastest riders at the recent Misano tests were James Toseland (Yamaha Sterilgarda) and his team-mate Cal Crutchlow, who are looking to score their first wins of the year. BMW Motorrad Motorsports' Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus were not quite at the level of the fastest riders in the Misano sessions, but Corser in particular was very close on times, and looks to one of his favourite circuits to be able to show his podium quality again on the ever-improving S1000RR. Xaus has put in some outstanding rides at Misano and the most recent of his 11 career race wins came there in 2008. One of the few top teams not to test recently is the Kawasaki Racing Team, but Tom Sykes and Chris Vermeulen are very much up for a fight in Italy, with Vermeulen now getting on top of his long-term knee injury and Sykes having had to rest his body after a heavy crash in America. In the kingdom of the true privateers, Jakub Smrz (Pata B&G Ducati) and Luca Scassa (Supersonic) have been battling it out for the title of most impressive rider so far. Scassa may be nearer to home ground, and have tested at Misano recently (as did the DFX Ducati team) but Smrz can count on memories of being the 2009 Superpole winner at Misano to boost his pre-race hopes. Lorenzo Lanzi returns to action for DFX Ducati this weekend. Four-cylinder private entries from ECHO CRS Honda rider Broc Parkes, and Pedercini Kawasaki riders Roger Lee Hayden and Matteo Baiocco are in place once more, and there will be a wildcard in their midst this weekend as well. Regular CIV competitor Federico Sandi (Gabrielli Racing Team) will join the grid at Misano on his Aprilia RSV4 machine. SUPERSPORT: The intense battle for supremacy in the Supersport World Championship will continue at Misano, with leader Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) on 142 points, second placed Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) only six points behind and Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com) now 14 points back in third. The top three have monopolised the 2010 season wins in this class but others will look to Misano as another chance to secure their first victory. ParkinGO Triumph BE-1 rider Chaz Davies is a clear fourth in the rankings, with Sofuoglu's team-mate and local rider Michele Pirro fifth, on the same points total as Spanish star David Salom. Former 1000c Superstock champion and recent WSBK regular Vittorio Iannuzzo will now ride for the BE-1 Triumph team. A total of nine additional riders will compete at Misano in the Supersport class, as well as the regular competitors. SUPERSTOCK 1000: Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) has been making the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup category his own this year, having taken all four wins so far, the most recent at Monza back in May. Michele Magnoni (Honda) heads up a fabulously tight battle for second with 47 points, Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Racing Junior Honda) has 46, Davide Giugliano (Team06 Suzuki) 45 and Sylvain Barrier (Garnier Junior Racing BMW) 40. SUPERSTOCK 600: In the 600 Superstock division, Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Racing Yamaha) heads up the pack, having never been off the podium so far, collecting two wins on the way. Twenty points behind, his fellow Frenchman Florian Marino (Ten Kate Junior Racing) is second, with Federico D'Annunzio (Martini Corse Yamaha) now third. THE CIRCUIT: The Misano Adriatico circuit, now properly called the Misano World Circuit, is a 4.226km track which has seen many improvements in the recent years, and most radically of all a change in the direction of racing, meaning that right hand corners are the more predominant now. Rain affected the first day of recent tests but the normal characteristics of a Misano race weekend are heat and humidity, which make for very high track temperatures. Located at sea level, Misano will be a complete change from the previous two circuits on the championship trail, Kyalami and Miller, which are both situated at high elevations. Read article
Badovini dominates STK1000 qualifying
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Friday, 7th May 2010, 13:58 GMTAyrton Badovini (BMW) continues to lay down the law in Superstock 1000, as he notched up the quickest time in qualifying. The Italian was unable to get under the two-minute mark on the damp track, but he did end up over half-a-second quicker than Austrian Rene Mahr (Suzuki). Third quickest was Andrea Antonelli (Honda). Davide Giugliano could only manage seventeenth quickest time as he was still in pain from a crash in the morning's free practice session. Read article
WSB back at the ‘Temple of Speed’ for round 5
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Wednesday, 5th May 2010, 10:57 GMTThe HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship returns to the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza from May 7-9 for another classic appointment with the Italian track. Twenty years on from the first edition at the Monza parkland circuit on the outskirts of Milan, the challenge is still the same, but this time with seven different manufacturers competing with the best racing talent from Italy and abroad. On this high-speed track production-based Superbike machines lap at an average speed of close to 200 km/h, and this year expectations are high that the races will produce sparks from lights to flag. For two-wheeled racing fans Monza will offer numerous talking points this weekend: table-toppers Suzuki with Britain's Leon Haslam, the all-Italian combination of Aprilia, Alitalia and Biaggi, the factory Ducati riders trying to shrug off their below-par season start, Honda back at the top once again following Johnny Rea's domination at Assen, reigning champions Yamaha with two talented British stars, BMW on the up and up and Kawasaki who are aiming to finally join the front-running party. On the rider front the 27-year-old Brit Leon Haslam, the son of Ron ‘Rocket' Haslam who graced the 500 GP scene for many years, is currently on the top of the pile. After four rounds Leon leads the way with two wins to his name, and is 20 points ahead of Max Biaggi. Max, for his part, appears to have all the right cards this year to become the first ever Italian to win the World Superbike title and a double win in Portugal is projecting him towards that success. All eyes will also be on another British Lion, 23-year-old Leon Camier who stepped onto the WSB podium for the first time at Assen, while another Suzuki, a GSXR1000 Yoshimura for Yukio Kagayama, also joins the grid in the first of three races slated in for this year. Not everything is going according to plan in Ducati and the Italian manufacturer, which has won 18 of the 36 races held at Monza, is looking to one of its congenial tracks to set things right. Both the Xerox Ducati men, Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio have struggled to regain ground since the opening round in Australia and thousands of fans will be following closely their every move. As well as the factory squad, the Althea Ducati team has brought back Spaniard Carlos Checa to a level of competitiveness rarely seen in the last couple of years, and Checa will receive capable back-up from Shane Byrne, who is still looking for a breakthrough this year. Jakub Smrz is producing excellent form, especially in qualifying, on the Borciani-Guandalini Ducati 1098 machine, while Italian colours are also capably represented by Lorenzo Lanzi (DFX) and Luca Scassa (Supersonic). Much attention surrounds relative newcomers BMW, who after a year of running in the new S1000RR, are now starting to appear in the top positions. BMW hope to continue this positive trend at Monza, a track where the four-cylinder German machine can lay down all of its power and maybe a podium finish is on the cards. The Tardozzi effect is beginning to be felt throughout the team and two-times champion Troy Corser, together with Ruben Xaus, is rapidly making progress. Dutch team Hannspree Ten Kate have taken Japanese manufacturer Honda back to the top after a disappointing start to the year with a dominant double win for Rea at Assen. After the latest modifications the CBR is now a perfectly competitive bike again, and Rea is aiming for further success, while things are a bit more difficult for young German Max Neukirchner who hasn't yet got entirely to grips with his new Honda mount. Monza will also mark the return of Vittorio Iannuzzo on the private Squadra Corse Italia Honda CBR. Yamaha hopes of repeating last year's fantastic American exploit, when Spies took one win at Monza and the title, lie with two British riders, James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow. For Toseland the return to Superbike, after a couple of unsuccessful seasons in MotoGP, has not been easy but his well-known perseverance has rewarded him with three podiums in the last four races, a result that has propelled him into fifth overall. Crutchlow's impact is the result of a spectacular riding style and two Superpoles have earned the Coventry man a front-row place in the eyes of Superbike fans everywhere in his debut season. For Kawasaki the grass continues to be ‘greener' on the other side of the fence. Chris Vermeulen's crash at Phillip Island together with him missing the next two rounds at Portimao and Valencia as he recovered from his knee injury, has scaled down the revitalized team's ambitions. Tom Sykes is doing everything possible to get good results but for the moment there is some way to go. SUPERSPORT: The Supersport World Championship has always offered close competition, but this year Monza is guaranteed to produce sparks, with slipstreaming the name of the game. In the first three rounds there were three different winners, each of the ‘big three' scoring well, with first Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda), then Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), then Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com) scoring full points. At the most recent race Laverty scored win number two, but he had to, as two less than happy weekends in Portugal and then Spain saw him drop way off the leading pace. At Assen he recovered ground, and now only 19 points, cover the top three in the championship. SUPERSTOCK 1000: You cannot get better than perfect, and for BMW Motorrad Italia and Ayrton Badovini perfect is what 2010 has been so far. Three races, three wins, the full 75 possible points on offer and the nearest challenger 30 points behind. The basis of the team is the same one that took Ducati to the championship for the past three years, under the guiding hand of Serafino Foti. Behind Badovini are three riders who have shared the podium with him so far, Davide Giugliano (06 Team Suzuki), Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Race Junior) and Sylvain Barrier (BMW Garnier). Loris Baz (MRS Racing Yamaha) was the champion in the 600 Superstock class in 2008, and has also now scored a top three in 1000 Superstock, in Portugal. SUPERSTOCK 600: French riders continue to dominate the European Superstock 600 championship which comes to Monza for its fourth round. Two youngsters are at the top, 17 year-old Jeremy Guarnoni (Yamaha MRS Racing), who won in Portugal, followed by 16 year-old Florian Marino (Ten Kate Race Junior Honda), winner at Valencia and Assen. They are separated by 11 points. The third interloper could be Norway's Frederik Karlsen (MTM Racing Yamaha), who is emerging as a contender after a fifth place at Assen and having been given back the points he lost at Valencia. Behind can be found the Martini Corse Yamaha pairing of Dino Lombardi and Federico D'Annunzio. THE CIRCUIT: Following the multiple incident at the start of race 1 last year , which involved numerous riders, the first chicane has been slightly modified to give an easier entry angle . As a result the track now measures 5.777 km, 16 metres less than last year. COLLATERAL ACTIVITIES: But Monza is not only about the racing. The parallel activities for one of the most important races of the year also include events that will involve spectators both inside and outside the Paddock. Dedicated Aprilia, BMW, Ducati and Kawasaki grandstands will offer a unique spectacle, while fans can also watch exhibitions by German stuntman Chris Pfeiffer on Sunday during the pit-walk and on two other occasions in the Casa SBK Village, which will also be organizing competitions and prizes throughout the weekend. EXTRAORDINARY EVENT FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY RACE: The fever-pitch expectation for the WSB Round at the legendary Monza circuit and the rise in ticket pre-sales are elements that will surely guarantee the success of the event. Starting the weekend off in style, an SBK Party has been organized for Thursday 6th May at 8pm in the prestigious OLD FASHION club in Via Alemagna, Milan. The event sees the participation of the top riders in the championship, sponsors, journalists, TV and media and sport and show business personalities. The evening will also be opened up to all Superbike fans, who can download the invitation from FACEBOOK at www.facebook.com/sbkofficial to have free access from 11pm onwards by presenting the invitation. Read article
BMW and Ayrton times three
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Monday, 3rd May 2010, 7:34 GMTYou cannot get better than perfect, and for BMW Motorrad Italia and Ayrton Badovini perfect is what 2010 has been so far. Three races, three wins, the full 75 possible points on offer and the nearest challenger 30 points behind. The basis of the team is the same one that took Ducati to the championship for the past three years, under the guiding hand of Serafino Foti. But, despite the proven record of Badovini in this class in the past and the out-of-the-crate performance of the BMW S1000RR, the level of domination has been far from expected. Behind Badovini are three riders who have shared the podium with him so far, Davide Giugliano (06 Team Suzuki), Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Race Junior) and Sylvain Barrier (BMW Garnier). Loris Baz (MRS Racing Yamaha) was the champion in the 600 Superstock class in 2008, and has also now scored a top three in 1000 Superstock, in Portugal. A further victory for Badovini and BMW on Sunday in the CIV domestic series race at Monza puts the Italo-German combination in a good position to repeat the feat in the next round of the FIM Cup at the Autodromo Nazionale in a week's time. Read article
Rea takes the double as spectators win big at Assen
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Sunday, 25th April 2010, 16:23 GMTThe venerable Assen circuit has seen many moments of drama but the latest 4.542km version delivered two Superbike World Championship races today that were right up there with the very best. The local fans enjoyed two partial home wins as well, as Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Jonathan Rea was victorious in each 22-lap race, riding for a squad based in the Netherlands. He had to work hard on a sunny afternoon in Holland to make sure he headed up two podiums ceremonies that featured British riders in each and every place for the first time since 2003. RACE ONE: Rea won a close opening race at Assen with two strong laps right at the end, finishing one second ahead of fellow Britons James Toseland (Yamaha Sterilgarda) and Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia). This was Camier's first SBK podium finish, and it was memorable one. Slow-starting Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) was a good fourth, with the BMW of Troy Corser fifth, having led for much of the race. Leon Haslam (Alstare Suzuki), the championship leader, struggled to 11th with a partial puncture. Suzuki, Ducati, Aprilia and now Honda machines have all won races in WSB so far this year. RACE TWO: The last double win for Honda happened in the UK in 2008 but today Jonathan Rea took a double on his CBR1000RR in the Netherlands, by winning race two by 1.942 seconds. The extent of his final victory did not do justice to the second combative race of the day, with the top six or seven riders frequently riding and fighting as one. Haslam overcame his race one troubles to go second. Third was James Toseland to give the second all British podium of the day. Max Biaggi was a strong fourth, Troy Corser fifth, after another classic race at the classic circuit of Assen. Sixth came Phillip Island race winner Carlos Checa on his Althea Ducati, only just ahead of another Ducati privateer, Pata B&G racing rider Jakub Smrz. Jonathan Rea: "It has been great and I could not have done this without my team. They gave me a fantastic bike. We changed the balance of the bike for this weekend and made it more comfortable. Both races are probably the smartest races I have ever ridden. I never got frustrated in traffic and when it was time to pull the pin I did. I am really happy with the double. It was a clean sweep, so I am proud as punch and I cannot wait to take this result on. I will savour the moment." James Toseland: "To come from tenth on the grid to take a second and a third was a great result for the team and myself. It has been coming slowly but it was nice to get two consistent podium results. I said before the season started there could be some British 1-2-3 results, and there are a lot of British riders out there. But we are all running up the front and doing a fantastic job, so we deserve to be there. It is great for the fans in the UK and I am sure we are all looking forward to Silverstone." Leon Camier: "It was a bit hotter today than the previous days so we were moving around a bit, but it was awesome to get a result for Aprilia. They have put a lot of effort into me, and good faith. It is gradually coming together, and now we are getting some good results." Leon Haslam: "Race one was definitely the hardest race I have ever had, battling against a puncture, bit it is just one of those things. To get back on the podium in race two was great. I had a really great battle with Johnny and it was really good. There was a bit of argy-bargy out there and it was disappointing not to challenge in the last couple of laps. But, my second place extended my championship lead again, so it's all good." HASLAM EXTENDS ADVANTAGE AS REA MOVES UP: In the points table Haslam now has 148, Biaggi 128, Rea 110 and Carlos Checa 103. Rea doubled his career win total to four today, and in going third overall renewed a championship challenge that was waning after some recent disappointing results. Rea left Assen with the Superpole win, the new lap record of 1'36.312 (set in race two) and two wins. He now has his sights firmly set on Monza for the next round, on May 9. BMW JOIN THE PARTY FOR REAL: Troy Corser could not quite get to the fourth place he scored in Valencia at the previous round but this weekend's two fifth places were even more impressive rides, particularly when added to the fact that Corser topped combined qualifying, and was third fastest in Superpole on Saturday. Corser is now overall seventh, on 68 points. Ruben Xaus fell in race one but got a top ten in race two on the other factory BMW. HAGA AND FABRIZIO TOIL IN THE SUN: A troubled time for the official Ducati team continued at Assen, as Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) retired in race two, and was only 11th in race one. His team-mate Michel Fabrizio scored in each race, 13th and 12th respectively. Checa was the highest placed Ducati rider today, fourth in the opener. World Supersport Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) made it two wins in consecutive seasons at Assen, as he also won his second race of 2010 today. In second place today, Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com) now leads the title battle on 85 points, with third place finisher at Assen, Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), second in the series on 77 points. Laverty is now third overall, on 66 points, with nine races to go. Chaz Davies took his Triumph ParkinGO BE1 machine to fourth place, ahead of Matthieu Lagrive's similar bike. Davies is not top Daytona 675 rider overall, fourth on 46 points. Superstock 1000 Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) won his third race in succession today, outpacing pole man Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Race Junior Honda) and Davide Giugliano (Team 06 Suzuki). Three podium places occupied by three different makes of machinery. Michele Magnoni (SCI Honda Garvie Image) was fourth in the race, a second up on Sylvain Barrier (BMW Garnier) after Loris Baz (MRS Yamaha) fell late in the race. After three rounds, Badovini now has 75 points, Giugliano 45, with Berger and Barrier on 40 points each. Read article
BMW man Badovini wins Assen race at full pace
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Sunday, 25th April 2010, 9:23 GMTAyrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) won his third race in succession today, outpacing pole man Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Race Junior Honda) and Davide Giugliano (Team 06 Suzuki). Michele Magnoni (SCI Honda Garvie Image) was fourth in the race, a second up on Sylvain Barrier (BMW Garnier) after Loris Baz (MRS Yamaha) fell late in the race. After three rounds, Badovini now has 75 points, Giugliano 45, with Berger and Barrier on 40 points each. Read article
Rea takes his first ever Superpole win
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Saturday, 24th April 2010, 17:58 GMTThe classic circuit of Assen once more played host to a tense period of practice and qualifying, with the new overall length of 4.542km making for new track bests in each class. Six of the seven competing WSBK manufacturers were represented in the top ten after three sessions of Superpole, with a new track best coming in the very final session, a 1'34.944. TOP WORK FOR LOCAL TEAM: Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) won the first Superpole prize of his career at Assen, after setting a 1'34.944. Rea is the only rider to have gone under the 1'35 mark on the new Assen layout, although Jakub Smrz (Pata B&G Ducati) came close with his second place time of 1'35.062. Troy Corser starts from the front row on his official BMW, the first time a BMW has started this high up in WSBK. Leon Haslam went fourth for Suzuki Alstare, having spent most of practice working on race set-up, but having enough left to make a good job of Superpole. THE OTHER LEON ROARS: Leon Camier made it five different makes in the top five on his Aprilia Alitalia RSV4, as he continues to strive to find a perfect set-up. Behind the leading handful of riders, the second row will be completed for Sunday's 22-lap Superbike races by Carlos Checa, his team-mate Shane Byrne and factory Ducati rider Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox). Each rider had perfect conditions to run in, on the modified Assen circuit, with the top riders getting more and more used to the new 4.542km layout, with a major change at Ruskenhoek and a minor one at the right of Hoge Heide. YAMAHA RIDERS NEARLY THERE: Of the eight riders who did not make the final Superpole 3 shoot-out, Cal Crutchlow was closest to the final session, with his Yamaha Sterilgarda team-mate James Toseland just behind him and tenth on the grid. Struggling to deal with his machine at this round, Max Biaggi was 11th overall on his Aprilia, Ruben Xaus 12th and a late faller in the second Superpole session. Sylvain Guintoli (Suzuki Alstare), Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) and Max Neukirchner (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) rounded out the top 16 places, and the fourth row of the starting grid. VERMEULEN RETURNS AND IS READY: The tense and unpredictable nature of Superpole came to the fore again when Superpole started, with comeback rider Chris Vermeulen crashing his Kawasaki Racing Team machine by highsiding at a fast section of track, but escaping uninjured. He missed out on Superpole 2, as did Luca Scassa (Supersonic Ducati) who was 17th quickest, Lorenzo Lanzi (DFX Corse Ducati) and ECHO CRS Honda rider Broc Parkes (another comeback kid). Only two riders, Matteo Baiocco and Roger Lee Hayden did not make Superpole this weekend, qualifying 21st and 22nd respectively. RIDER COMMENTS SUPERPOLE Jonathan Rea: "I am happy and excited to have won Superpole. I can't quite believe that this is my first ever world championship pole, so it is good to win it. On a serious note, tomorrow is raceday and there will be at least three or four guys who have good pace, so it will be 22 long laps in each race." Jakub Smrz: "Practice and qualifying has gone pretty well, always in the first few places, and we all did a good job. The set-up and tyre choice is good but for sure in the race other guys will be very strong and I think it will be a tough race. A few things will depend on temperature tomorrow." Troy Corser: "This is my best qualifying for BMW so far, so I am pretty happy. The engineers have done a great job away from the track, we have done a fair bit of testing and it has definitely improved the bike. I feel more comfortable on the bike now and when you feel comfortable you push more, and can go a bit faster. I am looking forward to the race." Leon Haslam: "I am happy to have a front row start, because this weekend had been pretty tough and Jonathan has been fast - all the guys in front of me have. It has been a case for us of finding a set-up not just for a fast lap but for the race as well. The positions have been changing in practice but I have been happy with my lap times on race tyres." World Supersport Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) took pole position at a sun-kissed Assen, despite crashing in the final qualifying session. The Turkish rider set a new best of 1'37.908, to hold off Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) who put in a 1'38.421 today. Sofuoglu's team-mate Michele Pirro was third quickest, one place up on Joan Lascorz (Motocard.com Kawasaki). Fabien Foret (Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki) went fifth just up on fastest ParkinGO BE1 Triumph, ridden by Matthieu Lagrive. Superstock 1000 Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Race Junior Honda) took his first pole of the 2010 season with a 1'39.105, ahead of Suzuki rider Davide Giugliano (Team06 Suzuki). Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) could not add to his pole total of two so far, and now starts this race third on the grid. Michele Magnoni (SCI Garvie Image Honda) took the final place on the front row, in a class with 27 riders on the grid. Danilo Petrucci (Pedercini Kawasaki) was the highest-placed Kawasaki rider, sixth. Sueprstock 600 - Race Florian Marino (Ten Kate Race Junior Honda) scored his second win of the year and moved to within 11 points of the championship lead at Assen. He was only 0.154 seconds up on second place rider Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Racing Yamaha) who still leads the championship, on a new total of 61 points. A close fight for third place saw Bernardino Lombardi (Martini Corse Yamaha) take the final podium place, from his team-mate Federico D'Annunzio and Fred Karlsen (MTM Yamaha). Pirelli BEST JUMP FORWARD: Ned Covena (Econocom), from 15th to 7th (8 positions) Read article
Berger steps up to pole for Honda
Source: WORLDSBK.COM | NEWS - Saturday, 24th April 2010, 16:18 GMTMaxime Berger (Ten Kate Race Junior Honda) took his first pole of the 2010 season, ahead of Suzuki rider Davide Giugliano (Team06 Suzuki). Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) could not add to his pole total of two so far, and now starts this race third on the grid. Michele Magnoni (SCI Garvie Image Honda) took the final place on the front row, in a class with 27 riders on the grid. Danilo Petrucci (Pedercini Kawasaki) was the highest-placed Kawasaki rider, sixth. Read article
