FIM Superbike World Championship Monza, Italy May 9, 2010 Race Two Results (all on Pirelli tires): 1. Max BIAGGI (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), 18 laps, 31:07.122 2. Leon HASLAM (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -4.547 seconds 3. Troy CORSER (BMW S1000 RR), -5.469 4. Leon CAMIER (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), -10.267 5. Tom SYKES (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -15.561 6. Noriyuki HAGA (Ducati 1098F10), -15.816 7. Sylvain GUINTOLI (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -15.861 8. Jakub SMRZ (Ducati 1098R), -20.977 9. Shane BYRNE (Ducati 1098R), -21.920 10. Luca SCASSA (Ducati 1098R), -21.974 11. Carlos CHECA (Ducati 1098R), -27.152 12. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Honda CBR1000RR), -29.315 13. Chris VERMEULEN (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -30.858 14. Roger HAYDEN (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -47.160 15. Broc PARKES (Honda CBR1000RR), -48.824 16. Cal CRUTCHLOW (Yamaha YZF-R1), -6 laps, DNF, mechanical 17. Matteo BAIOCCO (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -8 laps, DNF, retires 18. Lorenzo LANZI (Ducati 1098R), -9 laps, DNF, retired 19. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Honda CBR1000RR), -12 laps, DNF, retired 20. Michel FABRIZIO (Ducati 1098F10), -17 laps, DNF, crash 21. James TOSELAND (Yamaha YZF-R1), -18 laps, DNF, crash 22. Ruben XAUS (BMW S1000 RR), -18 laps, DNF, crash 23. Jonathan REA (Honda CBR1000RR), -18 laps, DNF, crash World Championship Point Standings: 1. Haslam, 181 points 2. Biaggi, 178 3. TIE, Rea/Checa, 110 5. Toseland, 106 6. Haga, 100 7. Corser, 92 8. Camier, 72 9. Guintoli, 70 10. Crutchlow, 65 11. Fabrizio, 62 12. Byrne, 58 13. Smrz, 47 14. TIE, Sykes/Xaus, 35 16. Lanzi, 26 17. Neukirchner, 23 18. Scassa, 16 19. Vermeulen, 5 20. Andrew Pirr, 3 21. TIE, Hayden/Josh Brookes, 2 23. TIE, Parkes/Baiocco, 1 More, from a press release issued by InFront Sports: Max Enjoys His Best Day Yet An outstanding weekend of action at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, played out in front of 115,000 people, culminated in a remarkable double win for Max Biaggi and his Aprilia Alitalia team, and pulled Max up to within three points of championship leader Leon Haslam (Alstare Suzuki). Biaggi made some radical changes to his rear suspension after his race one win and eventually ran out the clear winner of race two. This was Max’s second double of the year, the first coming in Portimao. Race One Biaggi scored the race one win with a well-judged front running ride, albeit with several riders for company through all 18 laps. He kept his pace and consistency on his vee four machine to lead Yamaha Sterilgarda duo James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow across the line, finishing 0.247 seconds ahead of Toseland. Leon Haslam was only 0.958 seconds behind Biaggi, in fourth, with Leon Camier, Biaggi’s team-mate, fifth. Ruben Xaus (BMW) was sixth, Michel Fabrizio seventh for Ducati Xerox. Troy Corser went eighth and Tom Sykes ninth on his Kawasaki Racing Team machine. Max Biaggi: “That was a special result, because it is special to win at Monza and because this is a special track with a very high top speed. We worked very hard for this race weekend so it was a perfect performance by all the team. The Yamaha guys running together means they could be quicker than me in the final lap but we held it together and took our first win here at Monza.” James Toseland: “Another second place, it’s a bit frustrating, but it was a good strong race. I want to congratulate the team for getting two bikes on the podium. Congratulations to Max, he didn’t put a foot wrong. On that last lap I was hoping he was going to make a slight mistake to allow me to get alongside but he didn’t. They were strong round here, but we’re getting better all the time, but as I said second and third all the time is a bit frustrating.” Cal Crutchlow: “I felt like I put together a solid race, but we never got the best of starts again, the bike is hard to get off the line, but all credit to Yamaha, we came to their home round and second and third for me and James is a strong result. We knew we would struggle a bit for speed, but to be honest I struggled throughout with gear shifting, I had a leaky engine oil cover. I was struggling to change gear up the box, but I feel I rode well.” Results: 1. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 (C/A); 2. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 0.247 (B/A); 3. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 0.297 (B/A); 4. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 0.958 (C/A); 5. Camier L. (FRA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 4.493 (C/A); 6. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 7.343 (B/A); 7. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1198 7.369 (B/A); 8. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S 1000 RR 9.344 (B/A); 9. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 15.338 (C/A); 10. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 16.761 (B/A); 11. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1198 16.921 (A/A); 12. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR 1000 RR 22.231 (C/A); 13. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1198 22.602 (B/A); 14. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1198 22.742 (A/A); 15. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1198 26.266 (B/A); 16. Scassa L. (ITA) Ducati 1198 26.415 (B/A); 17. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1198 26.968 (C/A); 18. Vermeulen C. (AUS) 36.964 (B/A); 19. Hayden R. (USA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 61.646 (B/A); Race Two Biaggi took his second win of the day in fine style after closest challenger Crutchlow suffered an oil leak and crashed. Max’s eventually clear win, by 4.5 seconds from Leon Haslam, was an important one and sends the WSB paddock to Kyalami confident of more close action between this year’s two most consistently fast riders. Haslam now has 181 points to Biaggi’s 178 as he struggled with a sore wrist from a couple of hairy moments in the second race. Third place for Troy Corser was a historic first podium for BMW in WSB racing, in only the second season of full-on competition for the S 1000RR in the production-based series. Corser is now seventh in the championship. Leon Camier was a lonely fourth for Aprilia in race two and an aggressive fifth from Kawasaki rider Tom Sykes rounded out a day of new high points for many riders and teams. James Toseland was taken to hospital to have a CT scan after suffering concussion in a high-speed crash, with Jonathan Rea spraining his ankle and Ruben Xaus escaping the turn one collision without injury. In contrast to Biaggi’s great day some leading lights suffered in the final analysis, with Carlos Checa 14th and 11th in the races, as he ties for fourth place on 110 points with Rea, who did not score today. Toseland is fifth on 106, Haga sixth on 100. Max Biaggi: “This track is very long and it’s very easy to make a little mistake plus when you have your rhythm you stay with it, and it’s difficult to go faster and easier to go slower. Anyway I’m happy with the result, it was a close race. I’m happy for me and my team. It’s an unbelievable result, it looks like we are achieving our goal. Here there is also the President of our group and it’s been a great weekend for everyone.” Leon Haslam: “We had a few big moments in that race and I’m nursing my wrist because one of them sent me off the back of the bike when I was with Max and Cal at the time. This weekend’s been tough, we’ve been a little bit down on speed, which is unlike the Suzuki, but the boys have worked fantastic. To get on the podium here in Monza is always special so I’m really happy for that. The battle for the title is definitely closing in, we knew Max was going to be strong here, but hopefully we can get back to our winning ways because each race is getting tougher and tougher.” Troy Corser: “I’m so happy, the team has put a lot of hard work into the project not just this year but last year and sometimes it’s been difficult and frustrating. But this weekend we’ve worked really hard and have been progressively getting better and better, just struggling a bit with braking, but we made a change for the second race and it made the bike easier to stop. We had the speed, our bike was as fast as anything out there, and it just took me a few laps to get used to the brakes in the second race. Thanks to all the boys at BMW, it’s been a long time coming, let’s hope it’s not going to be the last one!” Results: 1. Biaggi M.(ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000; 2. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX R 4.547; 3. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S 1000 RR 5.469; 4. Camier L. (FRA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 10.267; 5. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10 R 15.561; 6. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1198 15.816; 7. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 15.861; 8. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1198 20.977; 9. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1198 21.920; 10. Scassa L. (ITA) Ducati 1198 21.974; 11. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1198 27.152; 12. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR 1000 RR 29.315; 13. Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 30.858; 14. Hayden N. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10 R 47.160; 15. Parkes B. (AUS) Honda CBR 1000 RR 48.824 Pirelli Race Tyre Selection (Front/Rear): All riders on same solutions with the exception of Checa, who changed to B front tyre for Race 2. Points (after 5 rounds of 13): 1. Haslam 181; 2. Biaggi 178; 3. Rea 110; 4. Checa 110; 5. Toseland 106; 6. Haga 100; 7. Corser 92; 8. Camier 72; 9. Guintoli 70; 10. Crutchlow 65. Manufacturers: 1. Aprilia 184; 2. Suzuki 181; 3. Ducati 149; 4. Honda 119; 5. Yamaha 113; 6. BMW 95; 7. Kawasaki 37 World Supersport The Supersport race, held over 16 laps, was won by a flag-to-flag show of speed and consistency from Parkalgar Honda rider Eugene Laverty. He won by 2.8 seconds from Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Kenan Sofuoglu. Third, and only just behind Sofuoglu after he made a mistake on the penultimate lap, was Joan Lascorz (Motocard.com Kawasaki). Sofuoglu’s team-mate Michele Pirro was the first Italian rider home, in fourth place, holding off Katsuaki Fujiwara (Kawasaki Motocard.com) and French rider Matthieu Lagrive, who was the first Triumph rider in the classification. In the championship, things are now very tight, with Lascorz still leading, on 101 points, while Sofuoglu has 97 and Laverty 91. Results: 1. Laverty E. (GBR) Honda CBR 600 RR 28’51.936 (192,129 km/h); 2. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR 600 RR 2.817; 3. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 3.043; 4. Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR 600 RR 21.238; 5. Fujiwara K. (JAP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 22.003; 6. Lagrive M. (FRA) Triumph 675 Daytona 22.056; 7. Davies C. (GBR) Triumph 675 Daytona 30.724; 8. Salom D. (ESP) Triumph 675 Daytona 30.730; etc. Points (after 5 rounds of 13): 1. Lascorz 101; 2. Sofuoglu 97; 3. Laverty 91; 4. Davies 55; 5. Salom 40; 6. Rea 40; 7. Harms 35; 8. Pirro 34; 9. Fujiwara 34; 10. Lagrive 30. Manufacturers: 1. Honda 120; 2. Kawasaki 101; 3. Triumph 65 Superstock 1000 Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) secured the race win from pole but only after a fight with early fast man, Sylvain Barrier. The Frenchman was to crash his Garnier racing BMW and lose any chance of points, leaving Badovini ahead of eventual second place rider Michele Magnoni (SCI Honda Garvie Image) second and Daniele Berretta, Badovini’s team-mate, third. In the championship, Badovini has 100 points, Magnoni 47 and Maxime Berger 46. Results: 1. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 21’44.147 (192,848 kmh); 2. Magnoni M. (ITA) Honda CBR 1000 RR 6.101; 3. Beretta D. (ITA) BMW S 1000 RR 6.371; 4. Lussiana M. (FRA) BMW S 1000 RR 6.522; 5. Petrucci D. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 18.222; 6. Savary M. (SVI) BMW S 1000 RR 19.518; 7. Baroni L. (ITA) Ducati 1198 21.971; 8. Bussolotti M. (ITA) Honda CBR 1000 RR 22.147; etc. Points (after 4 rounds of 10): 1. Badovini 100; 2. Magnoni 47; 3. Berger 46; 4.Giugliano 45; 5. Barrier 40; 6. Petrucci 30; 7. Antonelli 28; 8. Baz 27; 9. Bussolotti 26; 10. Tutusaus 25. Manufacturers: 1. BMW 100; 2. Honda 73; 3. Suzuki 52; 4. Kawasaki 30; 5. Yamaha 29; 6. KTM 25; 7. Ducati 22; 8. Aprilia 13 Alfa Romeo launch new Giuletta Safety Car On the occasion of the fifth round of the Superbike World Championship, championship partner Alfa Romeo presented their brand-new race Safety Car: a Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde equipped with a powerful 235 HP 1750 TBi engine, a model that will certainly attract the attention of the general public and which will have widespread visibility for race-going spectators as well as through the distribution network and their clients. Pirelli Official Tyre Supplier “Monza is a historic race, the one closest to home for Pirelli as well as a circuit which tests our tyres to the very limit due to its high-speed Parabolica, long straights and extreme braking. In order to account for warm and cooler temperatures, here at Monza race we have delivered 4630 tyres which included 5 front solutions and 3 rear solutions for SBK, as well as 3 front and 2 rear solutions for SSP. All SBK riders successfully raced the newly developed three-zone 190/65 rear tyre whose central compound is both more durable and higher-performing, much appreciated by the riders especially in braking sections. The most common front tyre choice was the B (SC2) solution, although depending teams’ bike setup, the A solution whose higher grip level or the more durable C solution used by Biaggi and Haslam also worked well at Monza.” – Giorgio Barbier, Racing Director, Pirelli Moto Performance Awards: SBK Race 1 – Pirelli BEST LAP Jonathan Rea (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda), 1’43.031 (Lap 6) SBK Race 2 – Pirelli BEST LAP Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Superbike), 1’42.937 (Lap 3) Total BEST LAP (SBK): Checa C. (Althea Racing): 3, Biaggi M. (Aprilia Alitalia Racing): 2, Jonathan Rea (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda): 2, Haslam L. (Suzuki Alstare): 1, Guintoli S. (Suzuki Alstare): 1, Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Superbike): 1 WSS – Pirelli BEST LAP Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda), 1’47.767 (Lap 7) Total BEST LAP (WSS): Laverty E. (Parkalgar Honda): 2, Pirro M. (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda): 1, Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com): 1, Kenan Sofuoglu (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda): 1 Stk1000 – Pirelli BEST JUMP FORWARD Michaël Savary (Garnier Junior Racing), From 16th to 6th (10 positions) More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Racing: HASLAM HOLDS WSB SERIES LEAD AFTER MONZA PODIUM After a fourth place in the first race, Team Suzuki Alstare rider Leon Haslam fought tooth-and-nail to take a podium in the second race at the Monza World Superbike Championship fifth round in Italy to keep his series lead intact. Haslam was charging after Cal Crutchlow in second place, but then inherited runner-up spot when Crutchlow slid off at the first chicane. Troy Corser (BMW) was in Haslam’s wheeltracks for the last few laps, but the GSX-R1000-mounted Briton held him off to take his seventh podium of the season. Haslam’s team mate Sylvain Guintoli finished 10th in race one, but then improved in race two: He was on course for a terrific sixth place, but the smallest of mistakes in the last turn allowed Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) through. Max Biaggi (Aprilia) won both races today with Yamaha team mates James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow taking second and third in race one. Leon Haslam – Race 1: 4th, Race 2: 2nd: “Today was a hard day and I’m happy to leave Monza still leading the title race. Max was strong here and I knew it was going to be tough pair of races. The podium in race two was very hard work, but I didn’t want to miss out on a podium today and kept battling away. “I had a really big ‘moment’ in race two and was way out of the saddle twice in the space of a fraction of a second. Somehow I stayed on the bike, but it was a very close thing! After Cal crashed, Troy kept me on my toes, but Max was too far in front for me to catch so I just made sure of runner-up spot. I did something to my wrist when I had my ‘moment’ and it felt pretty sore, but I managed to carry one to the end. “In race one, I lost contact with the leaders and then had a bit of a grip problem for the last four or five laps and couldn’t get out of the corners as fast as I wanted. We made some little suspension changes- just a few clicks here and there – for race two and the bike was definitely better to ride.” Sylvain Guintoli – Race 1: 10th, Race 2: 7th: “Generally the weekend has ended not so badly. I enjoyed the second race because I was involved in a really good fight with Nori Haga and Tom Sykes. I managed to pass Nori right towards the end, but then I made a very small mistake in the last turn and he got me back. “Seventh is not so bad after how the weekend began, but I have learnt that I – or me and my team – have to manage practice and qualifying better and get into a good, consistent rhythm as soon as we can. Not doing that means a low grid position and this Championship has so many good riders and bikes that you cannot afford to be way down the grid if you want to be a contender. I think I probably could’ve got fifth today if it hadn’t been for a crash right in front of me on the opening lap. I had to take avoiding action and go straight on at the first chicane and lost time in the process. But I fought hard and caught up the guys ahead, before my good battle with Tom and Nori. I am happy with my performance in race two and now I want to build on that and be much better at the start of a race weekend.” Monza WSB Results: Race 1: 1 Max Biaggi (ITA-Aprilia), 2 James Toseland (GBR-Yamaha), 3 Cal Crutchlow (GBR-Yamaha), 4 Leon Haslam (GBR-Suzuki Alstare), 5 Leon Camier (GBR-Aprilia), 6 Ruben Xaus (ESP-BMW). 10 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare). Race 2: 1 Biaggi, 2 Leon Haslam (GBR-Suzuki Alstare), 3 Corser (AUS-BMW), 4 Camier, 5 Tom Sykes (GBR-Kawasaki), 6 Noriyuki Haga (JPN-Ducati), 7 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare). Championship points: 1 Leon Haslam (GBR-Suzzzuki Alstare) 181, 2 Biaggi 178, 3 Rea 110, 4 Checa 110, 5 Toseland 106, 6 Haga 100. 9 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare) 70. More, from a press release issued by Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: No SBK joy at Monza for Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Jonathan Rea crashed out of both of today’s fifth round World Superbike championship races at Monza in Italy, ending the weekend without a single point but still retaining third place in the 2010 championship standings. His team-mate Max Neukirchner did not enjoy a trouble-free raceday either, struggling with chatter in race one and then having to fight back from last place in race two after being forced off the circuit on the opening lap. Starting from the front row of the grid, Rea got away slowly in the first of today’s 18-lap encounters at the 5.777km Monza circuit, ending lap one in 11th place. The 23-year-old calmly fought his way up to fourth before falling unhurt at the fast entry to the Parabolica turn on lap eight. In race two, the Northern Irishman was caught in a first-corner melée after getting clipped by another rider. Rea was transferred back to the medical centre but n othing more than a sore left ankle was diagnosed. After making a step forward at the final round in Holland, Max Neukirchner was unable to consolidate on improvements to his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR. The German qualified ninth but suffered chatter problems in race one which relegated him to a 12th place finish. Small changes to the bike produced a better package for race two, but Neukirchner was forced into the gravel at Monza’s famous Ascari chicane on the first lap, rejoining the race in last place but fighting back for another 12th place finish. Max Neukirchner 12th and 12th The chatter was really bad in race one but the changes we made improved the bike a lot for race two. Unfortunately, as we went into the Ascari chicane on the first lap, Chris Vermeulen was on the inside and made a mistake which forced me right across the gravel. When I got back on the track I was in last place, b ut the changes to the bike allowed me to brake deeper into the corners, with better grip levels and I could get on the throttle faster on the exit. It was an improvement and we’ve learned some more this weekend but the results were still not good. We need to work on braking even deeper and getting the bike upright earlier, and we’ll try to do that next weekend in South Africa. Jonathan Rea DNF and DNF Well it’s been a bad weekend for our assault on the championship. I made a small mistake at the end of the back straight in the first race when I was trying to avoid Leon [Haslam] and Cal [Crutchlow]. Then race two ended before it had begun when I got skittled off going in the first corner. But I’m not down in the dumps about it. It’s times like these that you can really tell the strength of a team and I know that this team is really very strong. They gave me a good bike this weekend but we co uldn’t really make the most of it. I’m actually really excited at the challenge ahead, because we were able to make up quite a lot of points in the middle and end of last season. We’ll all pull together now and I fully intend to get back to winning ways at Kyalami next weekend. Ronald ten Kate team-manager After the perfect weekend in Assen last time out, we knew that our little Hannspree Ten Kate world would not always enjoy days like that. But we certainly hit the other side of perfect today. We still remain confident, however, because the speed shown by Jonathan this weekend will surely bring him back to the front of the field at the next round. But it wasn’t just Jonathan who had difficulties today. Max had chatter problems in race one and was pushed off the track early in race two. Even so, after the step forward he enjoyed at Assen, we weren’t able to repeat it here in Monza, so there is plenty more work to do. 2010 World Superbike championship round five Monza, Italy (5.777km 18 laps) results, race one: 1. Max Biaggi (ITA) Aprilia 31’07.044s 2. James Toseland (GBR) Yamaha +0.247s 3. Cal Crutchlow (GBR) Yamaha +0.297s 4. Leon Haslam (GBR) Suzuki +0.958s 12. Max Neukirchner (GER) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda +22.231s DNF Jonathan Rea (GBR) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Race two: 1. Max Biaggi (ITA) Aprilia 31’07.122s 2. Leon Haslam (GBR) Suzuki +4.547s 3. Troy Corser (AUS) +5.469s 4. Leon Camier (GBR) Aprilia +10.267s 12. Max Neukirchner (GER) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda +29.315s DNF Jonathan Rea (GBR) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Championship points after five of 13 rounds: 1 Haslam 181, 2 Biaggi 178, 3 Rea 110, 4 Checa 110, 5 Toseland 106, 6 Noriyuki Haga (JPN) Ducati 100 Next round: Kyalami, South Africa 14-16 May More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: THE DUCATI XEROX TEAM BATTLE HARD FOR PRECIOUS POINTS AT THE MONZA CIRCUIT; SIXTH AND SEVENTH FOR HAGA AND FABRIZIO Monza (Italy), Sunday 9th May: the Ducati Xerox team faced two challenging races today at the Monza circuit and at the end of the day riders Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio were satisfied to come away with more valuable points, their best results today being a hard-fought sixth place in Race 2 for Haga and a seventh place finish in Race 1 for his team-mate Fabrizio. Race 1. Michel started from third on the grid but lost a few positions in the first laps, as the two Yamahas and Rea’s Honda got past him. When Rea crashed out mid-race, Fabrizio moved temporarily back up into fifth position but was soon passed by Camier, at an evident advantage on the Aprilia when it comes to top speed. The Ducati Xerox rider subsequently held sixth position until the very last corner of the final lap when Xaus on the BMW sneaked past, with Michel crossing the line in seventh position. Team-mate Noriyuki meanwhile spent the best part of the race battling with Ducati privateer Scassa and then, in the second half of the race, with Guintoli on the Suzuki. From sixteenth on the grid, the Japanese rider immediately made up three positions before moving up to eleventh place when Rea fell. Noriyuki held eleventh position for the remainder of the race; although managing to pass Guintoli on two occasions, the Frenchman quickly regained the advantage to take tenth position ahead of Noriyuki. Race 2 got off to a dramatic start when Toseland, Rea and Xaus crashed out at the first chicane. Michel’s bike, knocked in the ensuing confusion, ran off track, causing Michel to lose a few positions; after this collision Michel suffered from a malfunction with the electronic gear shifter. Fabrizio tried to ride around the gearing problem but found himself in difficulty and at the start of the second lap he slipped, losing the rear of his 1198, and unable to rejoin the race. Noriyuki meanwhile gained, immediately progressing from sixteenth to seventh position, with Michel just behind him in eighth. Noriyuki battled for sixth position against Sykes on the Kawasaki for the remainder of the race, unfortunately losing out to the Englishman in the final stages, although a crash for Crutchlow up ahead of them meant that Haga eventually concluded the race in sixth place. Noriyuki still lies in sixth position in the overall standings with 100 points; Michel is eleventh with 62 points. Ducati remains in third position in the manufacturers classification (149 points) behind Suzuki (181) and Aprilia with 184. Michel Fabrizio (Race 1 7th, Race 2 – DNF) “Race 1 was going quite well; it’s only a shame that we don’t have the top speed to be able to stick with the guys on the straight, with more engine power I could have done a lot better. In Race 2 I ran off when those guys crashed at the first chicane of the first lap and I tried to keep riding but I couldn’t get the bike into gear, and then I slipped. It was tough out there today but at least we take home some valuable points and hope that things go better at Kyalami.” Noriyuki Haga (Race 1 11th, Race 2 6th) “In both races I was having a lot of difficulty turning the bike and didn’t have enough grip at the rear. In Race 1 I was having to put it right down on its side to get it to turn as I wanted and this of course meant that I couldn’t keep pace with those ahead of me. We changed a few things before Race 2 and improved the situation a little. Grip was good in the first five laps or so but from mid-race it was really hard, as the bike was drifting wide and was hard to control. In the end I’m quite satisfied with sixth position, as it was tough here this weekend.” Filippo Preziosi – General Director, Ducati Corse “I’m sorry for Michel because in Race 1 he did really well considering the disadvantage we have here in terms of power and top speed; he was making up in his riding what was lost in top speed, at a track that penalizes us. I’m happy for Nori because in Race 2, in a difficult situation, both technically and personally, he fought tooth and nail and proved what a champion he is.” RESULTS: Race 1 1. Biaggi (Aprilia); 2. Toseland (Yamaha); 3. Crutchlow (Yamaha). Race 2 1. Biaggi (Aprilia); 2. Haslam (Suzuki); Corser (BMW) CLASSIFICATION: Riders 1. Haslam (Suzuki) 181; 2. Biaggi (Aprilia) 178; 3. Rea (Honda) 110; 4., Checa (Ducati) 110; 5. Toseland (Yamaha) 106; 6. Haga (Ducati Xerox) 100; 7. Corser (BMW) 92; 8. Camier (Aprilia) 72″¦. 11. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 62. Manufacturers Aprilia 184; Suzuki 181; Ducati 149; Honda 119; Yamaha 113; BMW 95; Kawasaki 37 More, from a press release issued by Althea Racing: Monza, 9th May 2010 Monza today played host to the first Italian races of the 2010 Superbike Championship. The Althea Racing team’s overall performance was positive, and, thanks to the hard work of riders Shane Byrne and Carlos Checa, the team remains in fourth position in the team standings, just behind Team Suzuki Alstare, Aprilia Alitalia Racing and the Yamaha Sterilgarda Team; Althea Racing is the first Ducati team in the classification. After a thirteenth place finish in Race 1 this morning, English rider Shane Byrne managed to finish within the top ten in the afternoon’s second race, closing in ninth, having made good progress from fifteenth position on the grid. “We knew it would be difficult but in the end, thanks to my team’s hard work in the garage, we took a good result and I had fun, especially in Race 2″, said “Shakey”. “On Friday we were a long way off but today we were not so far behind the competition. I’m sorry for Genesio and for the team because I know they would have liked to do better at their “home” track but I did my best and gave 110%. I know we can do better at Kyalami.” Carlos Checa, on the other hand, finished outside of the top ten, concluding the two races in fourteenth and eleventh position. Thanks to the points obtained today, the Spanish rider now has the same points total as Rea (110). “It was a difficult weekend and probably, if we consider the gap between us and the four cylinders, it’s true to say that I wasn’t very motivated here. The fact that we haven’t managed to find the right balance with the bike has definitely impacted on the results. Fortunately we now go to Kyalami, a track that suits our bike. The engine power doesn’t count as much and we’ll strive to get back on form.” Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager, declared, “It’s evident that at Monza there is a significant difference between the performance of the two and the four cylinders. This regulation means that there is a risk of “falsifying” a show that, thanks to the performances of such talented riders, could be even more spectacular and enthralling. There is a defect in the regulation and something should change, because we have no chance to fight, on a level playing field, with the other bikes. We enjoy to battle it out on track but we must also speak to the FIM and the championship organizers, who need to find a solution. We have two of the strongest Superbike riders but with our Ducatis we have had a disappointing day. This is wrong”¦” The next World Superbike event is fixed for 16th May, when the Althea Racing Team will be on track at Kyalami (South Africa) for the sixth round of the 2010 season. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Highs and lows for Yamaha at Monza With just four hundredths of a second between them, James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow shot out of the legendary Parabolica curve on the final lap of race one today in second and third respectively to deliver Yamaha Sterilgarda’s first double podium of the year. Crutchlow, having qualified second, had initially got off the line in fifth with Toseland two places behind in seventh. They worked their way up as a pair, passing Fabrizio and Corser to take third and fourth by lap three. Toseland then passed his team mate for third on lap four at the end of the high speed start-finish straight, then closed down on Haslam and Biaggi at the front. A brief fight with Haslam with some heart stopping passes saw Toseland take second where he stayed tucked up behind race leader Biaggi. Team mate Crutchlow took second from him briefly on lap 14 having caught up again after a missed chicane dropped him to fourth. Toseland was quick to recover position however and got as far as a look up the inside of Biaggi coming out of Parabolica before settling for second less than three tenths from the front at the chequered flag. Race two was brought short for both riders. Another rider collided with Toseland going into the first chicane on the opening lap, causing a big crash leaving him with light concussion. He was awake following the incident but taken to hospital for a check up to assess if there was further injury. Team mate Crutchlow made a good start and was chasing Biaggi in second place just 0.1 seconds behind the leader. On lap 11 stones from Biaggi’s rear wheel were flicked up, peppering Crutchlow’s helmet, with one piercing his oil cooler. This caused him to low side going into the first chicane on lap 12. He was uninjured in the fall but unable to continue. After the Monza round Toseland remains in fifth position in the championship on 106 points, now just four points away from Rea in third. Crutchlow remains in tenth position on 65 points, just seven behind Sylvain Guintoli in eighth. James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team, (2nd, DNF) ” The first race was a good strong race, I just want to congratulate the team, it’s their home race and to get two of us on the podium is great. Max Biaggi rode a great race, he had a strong bike here and we expected him to go well, he didn’t put a foot wrong. I was hoping on the last lap he was going to make a slight mistake, just enough for me to get alongside but he didn’t so fair play to him. We’re getting better with each race, moving in the right direction and it’s getting frustrating finishing in second and third now!” Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team, (3rd, DNF) “I felt like I put together a really solid first race, we didn’t get the best of starts but made up for it and got stuck in. All credit to Yamaha, they’ve done a good job to give James and I a competitive package so it was great for us both to deliver them the podiums here for their home round. It was a strong result and we rode well so I was looking forward to the second race. I started really well and didn’t take long to get tucked in behind Max, I knew exactly what I was doing and had my strategy sorted to pass him on the last lap. Incredibly some stones flew up off his back wheel, I was so close behind I felt some hit my helmet and unfortunately a big one made a hole in my oil cooler. I made it through another lap, but coming into the first chicane it must have reached my back tyre and I went straight down.” Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager “This has been a really mixed race weekend for us. From Valencia we have been stronger and stronger, it’s clear by the podiums the riders have been delivering and the pace of both of them, especially this weekend and in Assen that we have a very competitive, strong bike. The first race was fantastic for us; to take two hard fought podiums at our home round is very special. The second race was incredibly frustrating; to have both riders out for reasons that were completely out of our control is disappointing when we have been the strongest team here. Following James’s crash and concussion he was taken to hospital for scans as he complained of a pain in his neck. The first scan revealed no injuries, we are waiting for a second for confirmation. We expect to head to South Africa to fight for more podiums.” More, from a press release issued by Team PATA B&G Racing: Team PATA B&G Racing will leave Monza conscious of what they are capable of, despite the incident which heavily influenced the outcome of the race – Jakub Smrz’s crash in Superpole With Monza being a hard circuit to gain back positions, Smrz could only grab one point in race 1, while in the second he fought back and finished eighth, making use of all his skills. Great performance for Lorenzo Baroni as well, who finished seventh despite starting fifteenth in the grid. JAKUB SMRZ | Ducati 1098R | 15th, 8th: “It was a difficult weekend for us but the team did a great job once again. After yesterday’s crash in Superpole, I didn’t practice much in warm up and lost a bit of confidence. I didn’t get a good start in race 1 and I was way behind. In race 2, I started determined to do well and gained a few positions. Unfortunately, Toseland and Xaus crashed right in front of me and I had to brake to avoid them. As a consequence, I lost all the positions I had gained but I fought back and tried as hard as I could to close the gap between myself and the riders in front of me. However, I regret not having had a better starting position. I’m sure I could’ve battled with Sykes and Haga for a slot in top 5”. LORENZO BARONI | Ducati 1098R | 7th: “I had a lot of fun today and I’m very happy with the result as well. Too bad I lost a lot of time passing the slower riders. If I had a better starting position, I’m sure I could’ve battled for the top spots”. Marco Borciani: “Jakub did very well in race 2, when he was also among the fastest riders. Unfortunately, Monza is not very favourable to our bike and so I have to be satisified with the result. Baroni rode a good race as well, I’m confident he’s going to score a great result in the near future “. More, from a press release issued by Honda: Italian World Superbike at Monza Sunday May 9 2010 World Superbike and World Supersport race report 5.777km circuit – attendance 115,000 all weekend – claimed Weather: dry, largely overcast Temperature: 18 to 21 ambient, 20 to 30 track NEUKIRCHNER THE TOP HONDA SCORER AS REA FALLS TWICE Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Jonathan Rea kept hold of third place in the Superbike World Championship this weekend despite suffering two falls in the 18-lap races at the high-speed Monza circuit. Rea’s misfortune meant that the top scoring Honda rider in Italy was his team-mate Max Neukirchner, who went 12th in each race, having qualified ninth. Each Monza race was won by Superpole winner Max Biaggi (Aprilia), the first from James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow (both Yamaha) and the second from Leon Haslam (Suzuki) and Troy Corser (BMW). The first race was one to forget for Rea, as a promising run through to the leading pack from 11th after a bad start ended when he lost the front entering the Parabolica on lap nine, his machine ending up on the trackside tyre barriers. Rea was therefore unable to remount and continue racing. Max Neukirchner was looking for a top ten finish in race one but took 12th after running on through one of Monza’s many chicanes, and neither of the other Honda riders in the race finished in the points. In the second race, Rea was involved in a collision that saw two other riders also fall, Toseland and Ruben Xaus (BMW), and Jonathan hurt his left ankle, without suffering any fractures. Neukirchner was 12th again despite being forced into the gravel at one point, and he scored points twice on raceday for the first time in 2010. ECHO CRS Honda’s Broc Parkes once more found issues with chatter in both practice and the races and despite making progress with his overall setup in only his second full race weekend of the year, he was only able to score points in race two. Squadra Corse Italia Garvie Image entrant Vittorio Iannuzzo had no reason to celebrate at his home race, finishing neither race due to technical issues. In the overall championship standings, Haslam has 181 points, Biaggi 178, and Rea is level with Checa on an unchanged 110 points – but ranked above the Spanish rider as Jonathan has two race wins so far and Checa only one. Laverty Victorious As He Closes Championship Gap Monza delivered the third race win of the year for Parkalgar Honda’s Eugene Laverty, and his second in succession, meaning his maximum points score drew him to within ten points of the Championship leader Joan Lascorz. Second in qualifying, behind pole man Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) Laverty made an audacious and almost immediately decisive overtaking move into the new first chicane, sweeping around all the other front row starters to take a lead he would keep for all 16 laps of the race. Sofuoglu ended up second but almost lost his place in the final couple of laps, when he ran wide into the Ascari chicane. He held off Lascorz to keep his place and move closer to the championship lead. In the overall points’ standings now, Lascorz has 101, Sofuoglu has 97 and Laverty is on 91. Thanks to the combined push of Laverty and Sofuoglu today, Honda now leads Kawasaki by 19 points, 120 to 101, in the Manufacturers’ Standings. Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Michele Pirro replicated his qualifying result of fourth in the race, 21 seconds from Laverty but winning a personal battle with Katsuaki Fujiwara and, eventually, the rapidly advancing Mathieu Lagrive. Gino Rea from the Intermoto Czech Honda team was fighting for seventh in the race, but was ranked ninth after a close finish. Parkalgar Honda’s Miguel Praia had a tough qualifying session but recovered from 13th on the grid to finish tenth, riding without any pain for the first time since his big crash at Valencia. He remains 13th in the overall rankings. The next race is scheduled for Kyalami, South Africa, next weekend, with raceday on May 16. WSBK Rider Comments SBK Rider Quotes Jonathan Rea, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: DNF and DNF – 3rd overall. “Well it’s been a bad weekend for our assault on the championship. I made a small mistake at the end of the back straight in the first race when I was trying to avoid Leon [Haslam] and Cal [Crutchlow]. Then race two ended before it had begun when I got skittled off going in the first corner. But I’m not down in the dumps about it. It’s times like these that you can really tell the strength of a team and I know that this team is really very strong. They gave me a good bike this weekend but we couldn’t really make the most of it. I’m actually really excited at the challenge ahead, because we were able to make up quite a lot of points in the middle and end of last season. We’ll all pull together now and I fully intend to get back to winning ways at Kyalami next weekend.” Max Neukirchner, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: 12th and 12th – 17th overall. “In race one I had a lot of chatter going into corners with the rear tyre. The chatter was really bad but the changes we made improved the bike a lot for race two. Unfortunately, as we went into the Ascari chicane on the first lap, Chris Vermeulen was on the inside and made a mistake, which forced me right across the gravel. When I got back on the track I was in last place, but the changes to the bike allowed me to brake deeper into the corners, with better grip levels, and I could get on the throttle faster on the exit.” Broc Parkes, ECHO CRS Honda: 20th and 15th – 23rd overall. “We were still struggling with lots of chatter. We improved the bike a little bit for the races but in race one we ran through the chicane twice and had to take a ride through penalty. But I stayed out there. We got a point in race two, which was something.” Vittorio Iannuzzo, SCI Garvie Image Honda: DNF and DNF – No ranking overall. “In race one my clutch was slipping from the start and then we changed the bike for race two. In second I had a problem with the handlebar and I could not ride properly, so I had to pull in.” WSS Rider Comments Eugene Laverty, Parkalgar Honda 1st – 3rd overall. “I am delighted to have had two back-to-back wins. I started the year well in Phillip Island, then made a big slip-up in Portimao and crashed. I am still suffering from that weekend, being ten points behind Joan, but I am getting closer. It seems to be the same three riders in contention every weekend, and it is going to be fun all year.” Kenan Sofuoglu, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: 2nd – 2nd overall. “At the beginning of the race I lost too much time behind Lascorz and in the second part I pushed hard until the end. I made a mistake near the end and that allowed Lascorz to catch me. I held him off until the end and I did my best. We wanted to have a better weekend, but I am happy to have made some ground up today in the championship. My bike was good enough to win the race today. Eugene did very well and did not make any mistakes.” Michele Pirro, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: 4th – 8th overall. “I did not have a good start and it was difficult to follow the fastest riders. It was important for me to finish the race because the last two races I have not finished. I am happy to score good points in the championship.” Gino Rea, Intermoto Czech Honda: 9th – 6th overall. “I keep ending up in a good scrap with other riders but in the wrong place, not up the front. I was behind Fujiwara and Pirro and got past them pretty easily, then Harms and Roccoli, but I could not get past Davies on the brakes, where we were struggling a bit. It is good for the championship because I have the same points as the fifth placed rider, but we still have work to do.” Miguel Praia, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: 10th – 13th overall. “Definitely better today. It felt quite difficult in the beginning of the weekend, struggling for lap times, but in the race itself I was different. I improved my lap times by more than a second and finished tenth overall. I am happy about that also because in the race my wrist and ankle did not hurt at all.” Massimo Roccoli, Czech Intermoto Honda: 11th – 11th overall. “I tried to pass Davies in the Roggia Chicane but we started sliding a lot and to prevent a crash between us I went onto the gravel and lost a lot of time. That was on the last lap and I was passed by Praia on the line. We had some problems with set-up today and in qualifying and I feel 11th is not my real position.” More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: TROY TAKES HIS FIRST PODIUM FOR BMW! Troy took his first ever podium for BMW in the second Superbike World Championship race in Monza today. It was a superb performance by Troy and his team and just reward for all the hard work and effort they’ve put in over a year and five races. Recently, Troy has been knocking on the door and this afternoon he was able to give the BMW S 1000 R its first Superbike World Championship podium. After some small problems in race one, which caused Troy to finish eighth, he and team decided to make some radical changes to the bike for race two. It was a bit of a gamble, but it paid off big time! Max Biaggi (Aprilia) started on pole and dominated both races today, winning by just two tenths of a second in race one and by a healthier four and a half seconds in race two. Yamaha teamsters James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow took second and third in race one and Crutchlow was in contention for the runner-up spot in race two before a fall put him out of the reckoning. Leon Haslam (Suzuki) then inherited second place, but had to fight off Troy for the last six laps. Troy – Race 1: 8th, Race 2: 3rd I knew that a podium was possible after Assen. The bike has been working better for me recently and I expected a podium here or at the next round. I’m extremely happy with the bike’s performance today, particularly in the second race. I was able to race the track and not think about what I was doing. The bike was spinning quite a lot in the first race, so we made some radical changes for race two. It’s not the thing we’d normally do, but I felt we had nothing to lose and our gamble paid off! The braking performance was much better today and I felt confident stopping the bike. The only area where we lost out on today is exiting the chicanes. There, some of the other’s can get on the gas a lot quicker than me. This afternoon, my bike was a complete package and I felt in control and could run consistently fast – especially once I got used to the way the brakes were working. For me, race two today was one of my best ever rides. I made a good start and for a moment I thought I was going to get all the way to the front. I was smart going into the first chicane and made sure I got through it safely. Later, when I was behind Leon, I got water on my visor and thought it was raining. I used all my tear-offs before I realised that the water was coming from Leon’s bike! I thought his bike might blow up, so I eased up a little because I didn’t want to get caught up in any crash, but that allowed him to just pull away a little. I chased after him as best I could in the last couple of laps and we had a really good fight. In the end, he just had enough to beat me to the line, but it was pretty close. Today has been a fantastic day for us all at BMW and I want to thank everybody involved, including the people back at the workshop. I knew this bike had potential and now that we’ve taken our first podium, I’m sure that there’ll be more to come.