BigM Weekend/FIM Superbike World Championship Miller Motorsports Park Tooele, Utah May 28, 2012 Race Two Results (all on Pirelli tires): 1. Marco MELANDRI, Italy (BMW S1000RR), 18 laps, 32:56.257 2. Jonathan REA, UK (Honda CBR1000RR), -0.195 second 3. Max BIAGGI, Italy (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), -2.137 seconds 4. Chaz DAVIES, UK (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), -4.245 5. Tom SYKES, UK (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -9.534 6. Eugene LAVERTY, Ireland (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), -9.798 7. Davide GIUGLIANO, Italy (Ducati 1098R), -11.891 8. Leon HASLAM, UK (BMW S1000RR), -12.715 9. Jakub SMRZ, Czech Republic (Ducati 1098R), -13.017 10. Sylvain GUINTOLI, France (Ducati 1098R), -13.703 11. Leon CAMIER, UK (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -15.687 12. Michel FABRIZIO, Italy (BMW S1000RR), -21.923 13. Ayrton BADOVINI, Italy (BMW S1000RR), -23.940 14. Loris BAZ, France (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -24.051 15. Maxime BERGER, France (Ducati 1098R), -33.897 16. John HOPKINS, USA (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -38.692 17. Leandro MERCADO, Argentina (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -47.703 18. Jake HOLDEN, USA (BMW S1000RR), -67.223 19. Shane TURPIN, USA (Ducati 1098R), -101.714 20. David SALOM, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -5 laps, DNF, retired 21. Carlos CHECA, Spain (Ducati 1098R), -7 laps, DNF, crash 22. Niccolo CANEPA, Italy (Ducati 1098R), -9 laps, DNF, retired 23. Lorenzo ZANETTI, Italy (Ducati 1098R), -13 laps, DNF, crash 24. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Japan (Honda CBR1000RR), -18 laps, DNF, crash Championship Point Standings (after 11 of 27 races): 1. Biaggi, 160.5 points 2. TIE, Melandri/Sykes, 142.5 4. Rea, 141 5. Checa, 130.5 6. Haslam, 103 7. Guintoli, 95 8. Laverty, 86 9. Giugliano, 64 10. Smrz, 61.5 11. Fabrizio, 46 12. Camier, 42.5 13. Davies, 39 14. Badovini, 34 15. TIE, Berger/Aoyama, 30.5 17. TIE, Canepa/Zanetti, 25 19. Joan Lascorz, 17 20. Baz, 11 21. TIE, Mercado/Salom, 9 23. Hopkins, 8 24. Peter Hickman, 7 25. Staring, 6 26. Mark Aitchison, 3 27. Josh Brookes, 1 More, from a press release issued by Infront Motor Sports: Checa up and down as Melandri wins another Miller Motorsports Park (USA), Monday 28 May 2012 On a sunny race day at Miller Motorsports Park the sixth round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship delivered some great action and two different race winners to the 49,000 strong weekend crowd. In a landmark day for the series, race one saw World Superbike reach its 600th individual race mark. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) and Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) took one race victory apiece, but the weekend winner was the rider who finished third each time today, Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing). With his haul of 32 points Biaggi now leads the series by 18, from Melandri and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team). Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) was the other podium finisher today, second in race two, and after scoring fourth in race one he is fourth overall and only 1.5 points from Melandri and Sykes. It was a truly up and down day for Checa, as he fell in race two. His fourth no-score of the season, coming along so shortly after his fourth race win, puts him fifth overall. Race 1 Checa pulled a controlled win out of the bag, eventually heading home Melandri by 2.313 seconds. Third was Biaggi who had to work hard in the final laps to hold off Rea. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing) finished fifth, with pole man Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert Ducati) sixth. Slowing front row starter Tom Sykes was finally caught by Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Aprilia) with Davies seventh and Sykes eighth. Carlos Checa: “I had a great time and I always enjoy coming to America, spending time around here, and I always feel really well at this track. It is a fantastic moment for me to win again, get on the podium, to take a victory, so some great feelings come back. It is a really special day for all the Americans here as it is Memorial Day so I want to dedicate this victory to you.” Marco Melandri: “I was struggling a lot last year so to get such a good race was amazing for me. I tried to make life not easy for Carlos but when I came back in the end, I tried to come back to him a few times but I made a mistake. So, for the last lap I chose not to try too much because it was easy to make another mistake. Second place was good for me after such a tough qualifying.” Max Biaggi: “It is good to be on the podium and I appreciate the third position. I had a long fight with Rea and his Honda and we got good points for the championship. In the end I could not go faster than that. On the first lap with so many riders there was a battle and I am happy now because we had a good race and finally we got some California-style weather.” Results: 1. Checa (Ducati) 21 Laps/103.047 km in 38’21.283 average 161.201 kph; 2. Melandri (BMW) 2.313; 3. Biaggi (Aprilia) 5.338; 4. Rea (Honda) 5.517; 5. Laverty (Aprilia) 12.201; 6. Smrz (Ducati) 13.262; 7. Davies (Aprilia) 19.662; 8. Sykes (Kawasaki) 21.292; 9. Fabrizio (BMW) 21.450; 10. Haslam (BMW) 23.433; 11. Giugliano (Ducati) 23.696; 12. Guintoli (Ducati) 24.752; 13. Camier (Suzuki) 29.400; 14. Badovini (BMW) 31.222; 15. Baz (Kawasaki) 32.966; 16. Berger (Ducati) 35.409; etc. Race 2 Melandri and Rea went 1-2 in the second race at Miller, which was halted, shortened to 18 laps, and then re-started late after an oil spill following a crash. The wait was worth it for the spectators as the last lap fight was tense and exciting right up until Melandri took his second win of 2012, by only 0.195 seconds. Biaggi was third and Davies fourth, easily the SBK rookie’s best result of the year. Fifth was Sykes, sixth came Laverty, with Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) seventh. Early leader Carlos Checa was unlucky to fall and no score. Marco Melandri: “It was such a difficult race for me, I was lucky for sure when Carlos made a mistake. I was struggling a little bit with a full fuel tank but after 50% of the race it was getting better. When Johnny passed me he was much faster than me, and I lost a bit of concentration, so Max passed me and then Chaz Davies did as well. So I tried to stay calm, take my rhythm and try to get a good feeling to catch Johnny. I was very lucky because my engine was so strong so I could pass him on the straight. Otherwise for me it would have been really difficult to pass him. So a podium in race one and a win in race two is really unbelievable.” Jonathan Rea: “Marco made some mistakes in the middle of the race and then I was making some mistakes at the end of the race. He was really strong but I am just so happy to come out of Miller with a fourth and a second. It is so nice to be here on the podium in America. I grew up watching AMA motocross and it was my dream to come to America and race. My team did a fantastic job. We have been lacking a little bit in a straight line but it is unbelievable everywhere else and I could really push to the maximum.” Max Biaggi: “To come all the way to Utah and finish on the podium twice is not so bad, but my dream was to win a race. But there were some other guys who did a better job than me so third position is not so bad. I am not super happy, but not so bad.” Results: 1. Melandri (BMW) 18 Laps/88.326 km in 32’56.257 average 160.897 kph; 2. Rea (Honda) 0.195; 3. Biaggi (Aprilia) 2.137; 4. Davies (Aprilia) 4.245; 5. Sykes (Kawasaki) 9.534; 6. Laverty (Aprilia) 9.798; 7. Giugliano (Ducati) 11.891; 8. Haslam (BMW) 12.715; 9. Smrz (Ducati) 13.017; 10. Guintoli (Ducati) 13.703; 11. Camier (Suzuki) 15.687; 12. Fabrizio (BMW) 21.923; 13. Badovini (BMW) 23.940; 14. Baz (Kawasaki) 24.051; 15. Berger (Ducati) 33.897; 16. Hopkins (Suzuki) 38.692; etc. Points (after 6 of 14 rounds): 1. Biaggi 160.5; 2. Melandri 142.5; 3. Sykes 142.5; 4. Rea 141; 5. Checa 130.5; 6. Haslam 103; 7. Guintoli 95; 8. Laverty 86; 9. Giugliano 64; 10. Smrz 61.5; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 195.5; 2. BMW 176; 3. Aprilia 171; 4. Kawasaki 148.5; 5. Honda 145; 6. Suzuki 48.5. Official Tyre Supplier “The two overseas World Superbike races held at Miller Motorsports Park offered Pirelli important feedback for its work over the last few months with the new R302 rear tyre, developed from the reference SC1 compound as an alternative for use also under lower temperatures and to prevent cold tearing often encountered with the use of soft compounds in harsh conditions. The R302 solution was first used by SBK riders at the Imola test, followed by a successful first-race showing at Donington Park in mid-May receiving great appreciation from nearly all riders. For this reason Pirelli made available this tyre for the USA round which proved positive: in both R1 and R2 the R302 solution was preferred to the SC1 and SC2 reference tyres by 20 of 24 SBK riders on the grid, and as a demonstration of its excellent adaptability to the various motorcycle makes, in the first 5 positions for both races were seated four different teams. We leave the USA very satisfied with how this weekend unfolded both for how this new tyre performed as well as how it positively contributed to the two very equal and winning races.” – Giorgio Barbier, Racing Director, Pirelli Moto Pirelli BEST LAP Awards: SBK Race 1 Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1’48.867 (Lap 18) SBK Race 2 Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) 1’48.820 (Lap 2) Total BEST LAP (SBK): Checa C. (Althea Racing) 4, Biaggi M. (Aprilia Racing Team) 3, Sykes T. (Kawasaki Racing Team) 2, Guintoli S. (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) 1, Melandri M. (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1 More, from a press release issued by Althea Racing: CHECA (ALTHEA RACING) TRIUMPHS ONCE MORE AT THE MILLER MOTORSPORTS PARK Tooele (USA), Monday 28th May 2012: A spectacular race day for team Althea Racing and the World Superbike fans at the Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City, Utah, which saw Carlos Checa dominate in race one, winning with an advantage of more than two seconds. Race 1 in sunny conditions, Checa started from sixth position on the grid. On the second lap he was passed by Melandri and shortly afterwards both were able to get past race leader Sykes. On lap seven the Althea flagbearer got ahead of Melandri to take control of the race, remaining at the front of the pack until the finish line. Checa managed his race perfectly, keeping Melandri safely behind him and passing the chequered flag 2.3 seconds ahead of the BMW rider. Giugliano had a less fortunate first race. He lost ground in the first laps, citing a lack of grip at the rear. At the end of the first lap he was down in tenth place. Unfortunately he lost a couple more positions on the next lap and then had to work hard to catch up from 13th position. Once past Berger and Badovini, he gave chase to Haslam and on lap eighteen he was able to get round him too, thus closing this first race in final eleventh position. Race 2 This time both Althea riders made a good start and by lap two Carlos was already in front, having passed both Melandri and Sykes, while Davide was in fifth position. Unfortunately a red flag stopped the race on the next lap, after Aoyama crashed, leaving oil on the track. The race was restarted, with 18 laps to run, an hour later. This time Carlos was almost immediately in first position, with Davide behind him in fifth. On the second lap the Spanish rider recorded the fastest lap of the race but, pushing to the limit, he unfortunately crashed out on the fifth lap when he lost the front. After a brief pitstop Carlos returned to the track but had lost too much ground; on lap thirteen his team called him back to the garage. Giugliano, now racing with a softer tyre with respect to race 1, battled first with Rea and then with Haslam, closing in seventh place and taking some important points. His was the first Ducati across the line in this second race. At the end of this sixth round of the World SBK championship, Carlos Checa is now in fifth position in the general standings with 130.5 points, while Davide Giugliano now lies in ninth position with 64 points. Ducati continues to dominate in the manufacturer’s championship with 195.5 points to Aprilia’s 176. Carlos Checa: “Race 1 – a great result, a great race, a great moment! I’ve always had a great relationship with this track and to win here again is just fantastic, especially after some difficult recent rounds. The race wasn’t an easy one and Melandri pushed right until the end, I couldn’t relax for a second! But I was feeling confident with the tyre that we had chosen and was able to make a great race. I had to work hard through the corners as we seemed to be losing a lot on the straights but I am very happy with the result, and happy for the entire team that has worked so hard this weekend. In this second race I was pushing, I was feeling confident with the setting but clearly I pushed a bit too hard and lost the front. I went back on track but there was nothing I could do, I’d lost too much ground.” Davide Giugliano: “In race 1 we made a conservative tyre choice knowing that it was the one everyone was using but it didn’t suit my riding style and I wasn’t able to ride as I wanted to, I just had to control the situation as best I could. In race 2 I was satisfied to be the first Ducati although of course I’m really sorry for Carlos, as the win would surely have gone to him. It’s not an easy track for the Ducati, we were all losing so much along the straight but, considering that we couldn’t even stick in the slipstream of the four-cylinders, I think that seventh is not at all bad and we go towards Misano satisfied, and ready for what is one of my favourite tracks.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: FIM SUPERBIKE / SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 06 MONDAY MAY 28 MILLER MOTORSPORTS PARK, USA Weather: Dry, sunny. Temperature: Ambient 23/20 degrees C / Track 32/42 degrees C Weekend attendance: 49,000 PODIUM FOR REA KEEPS HIM WELL IN THE LEADING FIGHT Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) took a strong fourth and then a fine second place in round six of the 2012 FIM Superbike World Championship, coming to within 0.195 seconds of eventual race winner Marco Melandri (BMW) in what was a shortened and much delayed 18-lap contest in race two. Rea was looking for his most fulfilling visit to Miller Motorsports Park in the USA and he got his wish after starting from fifth on the grid and leading race two for seven laps. Only race one went for the full 21-lap distance, with Rea fourth, in the wheel tracks of Max Biaggi (Aprilia) and only 5.517 seconds from winner Carlos Checa (Ducati). Rea is now fourth in the championship, with Biaggi on 160.5 points, Melandri and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) on 142.5 points apiece, and Jonathan only 1.5 points behind on 141. The first attempt at running race two only lasted for three laps before Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) crashed at the entrance to the Attitude series of corners, his engine’s sump hitting the trackside curbs hard and the subsequent oil leak bringing out the red flags. There was an eventual delay of just under 1.5 hours before the shortened second race could take place. Aoyama was 17th in race one, having qualified 21st, but he did not start the restarted race two. Hiroshi is now 16th in the championship, on an unchanged 30.5 points. The rains that have plagued most of the SBK season so far were evident on day one once more, with only three dry practice sessions available to the riders out of four. Race day was, however, sunny and delivered two close races. In race two the top three riders, Melandri, Rea and Biaggi, were covered by only 2.137 seconds. The next round will take place at Misano Adriatico, Italy, where the Supersport World Championship returns to the paddock, along with the support classes. HONDA RIDER COMMENTS: Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team): Race result: 4th / 2nd Championship position: 4th “A strong weekend for us and it was clear again through the practice sessions that we would not be bouncing of the top of the time sheets. But quietly we knew that we had some race pace. In race one I had a lot of front end chatter, coming from the engine braking, so we actually released the engine braking a bit for race two. We also changed the front tyre as the track temperature went up. I think that gave me the confidence to push the two guys in front. It was good in race two and the team gave me a little bit more power off the turn and it is clear to see how well the bike is working and how much traction I have. Just because of the big long straight here at Miller we have been down a little bit on speed, but I am not dwelling on the negatives. My guys gave me a great bike and I have good confidence now. I do not feel like I am riding on the edge, it is quite controlled, and that is a good thing.” Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team): Race result: 17th / DNS Championship position: 16th “Not an easy race the first one because I had a problem with the front so I could not stop the bike and I ran on two or three times. I was pushing in race two to make a better race than the first one. I pushed too hard and lost the front. I am not sure if I lost the front first and then hit the kerb, or the other way around. I am not happy with crashing and I made the red flag so it is not a nice feeling. I am OK physically so in Misano I want to make a different weekend.” More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport: Salt Lake City Races. Monday, 28th May 2012. Weather conditions: Sunny. Temperature: Air: 20 23 °C, Track: 32 42 °C Number of riders participating: 24 from 14 teams Fastest lap Race 1: Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1:48.867 min Fastest lap Race 2: Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) 1:48.820 min Another victory, another second place, another best race lap, the best ever points result and P2 in the Riders’ and the Manufacturers’ classification of the FIM Superbike World Championship: for Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport makes this “Memorial Day” at Salt Lake City (USA) a memorable one. Factory rider Marco Melandri (ITA) took his second victory on the BMW S 1000 RR in race two at “Miller Motorsports Park” after finishing second in race one. With his team-mate Leon Haslam (GBR) crossing the line in tenth and eighth, Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport collected a total of 59 points from the races today. The previous best result was the 48 points collected at Imola (ITA) earlier this season. At the start of race one, Marco used the long straight and the powerful BMW engine of his RR to catapult himself from ninth into the leading group. Soon he was second, taking the lead on lap five. He was able to build a slight gap, but then it was Carlos Checa (ESP), who approached from behind and overtook Marco at the beginning of lap eight. Checa and Marco remained the leading duo until the chequered flag, pulling away from the rest of the field. In the closing stages of the race, Marco rode the fastest lap time with 1:48.867 min. He stayed on Checa’s tail, waiting for the right moment to pass, but then settled for second behind Checa on the final lap. Leon improved from 13th to eighth in the first laps, but then was suffering from the same issues he was struggling with throughout the weekend. He crossed the line in tenth. In race two, Marco had an even better start, passing the whole field on the outside and being in the lead going into the first corner. He lost the lead, but was fighting in the leading group again when the race had to be red flagged after lap four as the track had to be cleaned after an accident. At the restart, Marco was third on the grid and Leon had improved to ninth during the opening laps before the red flag. Marco again shot off the line, taking the lead, but he was passed by Checa while still on the first lap. When the Spaniard crashed on lap six, Marco was back at the top and a nail-biting battle began. On lap eleven, the BMW Motorrad rider slipped back to third behind the new leader Jonathan Rea and Chaz Davies (both GBR). It did not take long for Marco to regain second position and he started to chase Rea. Before starting the last lap, he caught Rea on the long straight, took the lead and defended it to the finish line. Leon improved one position during the race and came home in eighth. In the Riders’ Championship, Marco improved from fifth to second with 142.5 points, 18 points behind the leader Max Biaggi (ITA). Leon is sixth with 103 points. In the Manufacturers’ Standings BMW improved to second with 176 points behind Ducati (195.5). BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet SBK Team’s Michel Fabrizio (ITA) was ninth and 12th, his team-mate Ayrton Badovini (ITA) 14th and 13th. Marco Melandri: Result Race 1: 2nd / Gap to 1st: 00:02.313 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 1:48.867 min Result Race 2: 1st / Fastest Lap Race 2: 1:49.001 min “It is amazing. My team and BMW did an awesome job. Here in Miller it was my worst weekend last year, and it was the worst for BMW, too. So going home with two podiums, a win and a second place, is like a dream. In race one, I was pushing like in qualifying from the first lap until the end. The tyre was working very well until the end. Yesterday we were struggling a bit too much, but today fortunately the weather was better for us. And I was feeling even more comfortable on the bike with less fuel in the tank. I tried to make the life not easy to Carlos, but in some corners, I could not go his line with the four cylinder bike. I tried to catch him, but on the last lap I tried not to push too much because it was easy to make a mistake, and a second place and the podium was good after such a tough qualifying. In race two, for sure I had a little bit of luck with Carlo crashing. I was struggling a bit in the beginning, and when Johnny passed me I lost the concentration. It took me some time to catch him. But again, when the fuel level dropped down I felt so much better on the bike and fortunately I could pass Johnny on the straight because my BMW engine was so strong. Otherwise it would have been very difficult for me to try to make a pass. I am happy because the bike is working well on different types of tracks. But now we have to be focused, we cannot think that we are going to be on the top every Sunday so we have to keep working. But my team made a great job, thanks to everyone, to all the guys back in Germany. I am so happy and proud to be with BMW. This is the best team I ever worked with.” Leon Haslam: Result Race 1: 10th / Gap to 1st: 00:23.433 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 1:49.728 min Result Race 2: 8th / Gap to 1st: 00:12.715 min / Fastest Lap Race 2: 1:49.492 min “It was a tough weekend. Everything that could have gone wrong did this weekend. Due to electrical issues and other things we missed a lot of track time. In race one we were struggling with the engine brake. For race two we made good steps, the boys had worked very well, but we need to do more. Our lap time was not too bad in race two, but it is not where we should be. The main thing we need to work on is the engine braking. The long break between the red flag and the restart was a positive thing for me because we could reassess the bike and make some more changes after we lost a lot of time over the weekend. I got a good feeling over the first three laps and we made some more changes for the second part which brought another small improvement. Marco rode well over the whole weekend and now I look forward to Misano where I know we can challenge for the wins again.” Bernhard Gobmeier (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director): “What a fantastic day for BMW Motorrad Motorsport! Having in mind the extremely difficult weekend we experienced here at Miller last year, for sure we would not have expected today’s results. We knew that we had made steps forward, but we would not have dreamed of winning here. Marco was with the top from the first practice session on until today. Unfortunately it did not run smoothly for Leon this weekend. He had electrical issues and only had very few laps to set up the bike. To make matters worse, he had a puncture in Superpole. I am convinced that at Misano, Leon will be among the frontrunners again. So far we have been competitive on every circuit we raced on this season. And for Misano we again expect to be fighting for the victory. Tonight we are going to celebrate after our one-two victory at Donington came with a bitter after-taste, the whole team has deserved a real party tonight. A big thank you to Marco and Leon, to the whole team here at the race track and in Stephanskirchen and Munich. Each of them contributed to this great result.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: FIXI Crescent Suzuki racer Leon Camier narrowly missed out on a top-10 finish in today’s second race of the sixth round of the World Superbike Championship from Miller Motorsports Park in America. Camier made a good start and was in 11th position when the race was stopped due to another rider crashing on the track and spilling oil. After a lengthy delay to clean the circuit, the race was re-started with the riders in the positions where the initial race was stopped. – meaning Camier started from row three in 11th place. He again got a good start and pushed his way into the top-10, before getting involved in a long battle with Sylvain Guintoli. Camier eventually had to settle for 11th, finishing just over 15 seconds behind the race-winner – a positive performance considering his initial grid position of 20th. Camier had a good start in race one as well, but got involved in a mid-field battle that eventually saw him bring his Yoshimura-powered Suzuki GSX-R home in 13th. John Hopkins had a torrid race-day on his return to the team from injury. He crashed out of race one after his FIXI Crescent Suzuki GSX-R hit a kerb and slid from underneath him, fortunately he walked away uninjured. In race two Hopkins suffered with a technical issue that caused him to lose power. He battled all the way to the line to try and secure a points-scoring position, before eventually bringing his machine home safely in 16th. He was disappointed with the results, but pleased to have completed such an exhausting race with no ill-effects from his recent injuries and confident of making big steps when the championship returns to Europe. Today’s races were held in bright and sunny conditions with air temperatures pushing up to 20°C. Current World Champion Carlos Checa won the first race on a Ducati, with Marco Melandri taking victory in the second on a BMW. Max Biaggi on an Aprilia strengthened his position at the head of the riders’ Championship by taking third place in both races. FIXI Crescent Suzuki will now travel back to its base in England to ready itself for the next races of the season, which are scheduled for Misano in Italy on Sunday June 10th. Leon Camier: “We knew today would be difficult because of our grid position. This championship is so competitive that you need to be on the first two rows of the grid if you want a shot at the podium. I made good starts and progressed well in both races and rode as hard as I could today. They were a couple of tough races, but I was happy with my race pace and know that I could’ve finished a lot higher up if I had started with a better grid position. I feel we’ll definitely be better at the more twisty tracks – like our next race in Misano – and I am looking forward to qualifying better and fighting for a top-six or a podium.” John Hopkins: “I’m happy to be back with the FIXI Crescent Suzuki team, but disappointed that I was only able to do seven laps in the first race. I clipped the kerb with the generator cover and was flicked off and that was that. Luckily I didn’t hurt myself, but afterwards I was really looking forward to race two and doing better. I started OK but, as the race wore on, my bike began to suffer with a technical problem and I couldn’t push as hard as I would’ve liked. I kept going as fast as I could, but just missed out on the points.” Jack Valentine – Team Manager: “Leon rode as hard as he could and I’m happy because he did everything we asked of him. He kept the bike upright and brought it home in both races. If he had qualified on the first two rows of the grid, I think his race pace would’ve been good enough for a top-six finish. “It was good to have John back and we were all looking forward to him completing two races today and getting back into the groove. Fortunately he was unhurt in his crash in race one and a technical problem in race two meant that he couldn’t fight for a top-10 finish. It was a shame because his race pace in qualifying had been pretty good and I’m sure that he would’ve finished much higher if he hadn’t had the problem. This series is tough and having to start so far down the grid makes life even more difficult. We’re going to have to qualify better and give ourselves a chance of good results, but I am positive we can do that with the quality of the riders we have and the team behind them.”