World Superbike expresses solidarity with quake-hit population of Emilia-Romagna Following the recent spate of earthquakes in the Emilia-Romagna area of north-eastern Italy which have caused serious damage to towns near Modena and the surrounding area, Infront Motor Sports wishes to express its solidarity for the quake-hit population. A first quake of 6.0 magnitude struck close to Modena on Sunday 20 May and this has been followed by a series of major and minor aftershocks in the provinces of Reggio Emilia, Bologna, Modena, Ferrara and Ravenna over the last couple of weeks. During this weekend’s seventh round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship, which takes place at Misano Adriatico, 150 kms south of the affected area, two initiatives will be put in place as a gesture of solidarity to the population. A banner (“SBK for Emilia”) will be shown by all riders on the starting-grid before the start of World Superbike race 1. The banner will be held by riders, including BMW Motorrad Motorsport’s Marco Melandri, whose Ravenna home is ‘closest’ to the epicenter area. An auction will also be organized by Infront Motor Sports in support of the population. This will include a number of racing items donated by riders and teams, and the proceeds will be devolved to the quake-hit population. One item set to go under the hammer is a Terra Modena prototype bike, currently on display in the SBK Paddock Show, kindly donated by Infront Motor Sports CEO Paolo Flammini. The auction will get underway at the start of July and further information will become available on www.worldsbk.com in the coming weeks.