FROM AFRICA TO AMERICA; THE DUCATI XEROX TEAM PREPARES FOR ROUND 7 IN SALT LAKE CITY Salt Lake City (USA): a busy month for the Ducati Xerox Team that, having already raced at Monza and Kyalami, now travels on to Salt Lake City, where the seventh World Superbike round is scheduled for the coming weekend at the Miller Motorsports Park. The Superbike races, in a change to the traditional schedule, will take place on Monday 31st May, Memorial Day and a national holiday for the American people. The Salt Lake circuit has looked kindly on Italian rider Michel Fabrizio who, in the last two years, has scored four consecutive podium finishes at the American track. Team-mate Noriyuki Haga on the other hand has not been so lucky at Miller; his best result until now a sixth place finish in 2008, with an unfortunate crash during qualifying conditioning his races last year. Coming at the end of an intense month, in which the team have already competed at Monza and Kyalami, the Salt Lake round marks the middle of the 2010 championship, with six rounds already completed and six still to go. The Ducati Xerox riders have experienced highs and lows during the first half of the season, highlights coming at Valencia, with a race win for Noriyuki, and at Kyalami where Michel scored his first win of the season. The Ducati Xerox riders currently lie in sixth (Noriyuki) and eighth (Michel) position in the overall classification while Ducati is still third in the manufacturers standings. Noriyuki Haga (6th in championship, 106 points) Miller is one of only two tracks where Noriyuki failed to reach the podium last year. “I’ve had some bad luck at Salt Lake and so I can’t say it’s my favourite track. Two years ago I broke my collarbone and then I crashed again there last year, hurting my back which made the races difficult. I hope we can do better at Miller this season as we need to make up lost ground at this point.” Haga’s Superbike form at Miller: 2009: Race 1 9th, Race 2 8th 2008: Race 1 DNF, Race 2 6th Michel Fabrizio (8th in championship, 95 points) Four out of four podiums for Michel at Miller so far; the Italian would like to consolidate those results with a race win at the American circuit. “I’m looking for a great weekend at Miller as I like the track and the American crowds and I’d love to be back on the podium there, maybe even on the top step this time! I don’t know why but the track seems to suit my riding style and I’m really looking forward to going back there again. I’m in eighth position but with good points I hope to be able to catch the riders immediately ahead of me in the standings.” Fabrizio’s Superbike form at Miller: 2009: Race 1 3rd , Race 2 2nd 2008: Race 1 3rd, Race 2 3rd CIRCUIT DATA: Country: USA Name: Miller Motorsports Park Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Circuit length: 4.907 km Pole position: Right Race distance: 21 laps = 103.047 km LAP RECORDS: Best lap Spies (Yamaha) 1’48.768 (2009). Superpole Checa (Honda) 1’48.193 (2008). 2009 RESULTS: Race 1 – 1. Spies (Yamaha) 2. Checa (Honda) 3. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) Race 2 1. Spies (Yamaha) 2. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 3. Rea (Honda)