The “Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal, will host the first European round of the World Superbike and the first round of the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup. over the weekend of March 26/27/28. Designed to be one of the best and most modern circuits in Europe, the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve will benefit from the best conditions of safety and comfort both for drivers and the public. There are 64 different possible layouts of the circuit, including those that have already been approved by the FIA for Formula 1 and by the FIM for Superbikes World Championship races. The natural relief of the terrain enabled the creation of a unique circuit, with accentuated undulations, making driving a pleasure, since the curves and straights follow each other at an exciting rhythm with accentuated declines. For the public this characteristic will be spectacular, allowing a wide view from any stand. After the start of the Superbike series in Australia, the Pedercini teams is now in Portugal for the second race of the Superbike world championship and the first race of the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup. Roger Lee Hayden and Matteo Baiocco are both declared fit to ride and will fight for the points lost in the Australian first round. For Superstock riders Danilo Petrucci and Chris Leeson it will be the first race of the season on their ZX10R Kawasaki bikes. The technical staff of the team worked very hard in the last weeks to be ready for the Portuguese races. Roger Lee Hayden : “I had a difficult test in Portimao near to the end of January. It was the first time for me on the Pedercini Kawasaki Superbike, but I was able to learn this difficult track and so this next steps will hopefully be easier. The January test supplied us with important information about the bike and now I can only work hard and make progress, My confidence with the Pirelli tire is growing in each outing and I want to improve my performances and to enter the Saturday’s Superpole, that’s an attainable target. I am eager to set some good results for my team and for myself “. Matteo Baiocco : “I have set my target on qualifying for the Superpole. Last race in Phillip Island my results were not that good so I’ll have to put in a lot of effort to improve. I haven’t done the January test here in Portimao, but I raced in the Autodromo do Algarve last year and I know the track so let’s hope that will help me put in a better performance and close the gap with the faster riders”. More, from a press release issued by Team Pata B&G Racing: World Superbikes returns to Europe for the second round, held at the Portuguese circuit of Portimao, where the last round of the previous season took place. Team Pata B&G Racing will line up a second bike as opposed to what had been announced in the preseason. Lorenzo Baroni will race on a Ducati 1198 in the Superstock category. Despite racing in two different competitions, the team will have the same goal: trying to upset the odds. Jakub Smrz posted the fourth fastest time in qualifying last year and seems to enjoy the difficult Portuguese track. The Czech rider, who made a good debut in Australia despite being unlucky, hopes to do well this weekend at Portimao where the Ducati machines generally perform at their best. The 4592 metres long Algarve track has fast corners and blind corners throughout which should make for a great race. The circuit was finished two years ago, just in time for the last round of the 2008 Superbike World Championship. More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport: There are exciting times ahead for BMW Motorrad Motorsport as the Superbike World Championship circus comes to Europe and arrives at the 4.592-km Portimao circuit in Portugal for round two of the 2010 series. If the second round is anywhere near as exciting as last month’s season opener in Phillip Island, Australia, then superbike fans are in for a real treat. With a photo-finish determining the winner of the first leg, and the top four riders finishing within 0.837 seconds of each other in a hard-fought second race, next Sunday’s two 22-lap races at the long, flowing circuit can’t come soon enough. BMW Motorrad Motorsport’s Troy Corser is determined to build on the positive start he made to his 2010 campaign, where he finished in ninth and seventh on the BMW S 1000 RR superbike. “I was really happy with the way everything went in Phillip Island,” said the BMW factory rider, who is currently seventh in the points table. “I have some new team members this year and I was really impressed with the way we gelled and managed the weekend in Australia. We pinpointed a few technical issues from race one and sorted them for race two, which allowed me to ride the bike as I wanted to and push through the field. We are due to try some new components and settings at Jerez on 22 and 23 March, which is a great circuit to test the bikes’ characteristics and usability. Following this test we will head straight to Portimao for round two and I’m confident we can continue our level of progression.” Team-mate Ruben Xaus is determined to make amends for his misfortunes at Phillip Island, where he was ruled out of competing after suffering the effects of four practice crashes. He rates Portimao circuit as one of the most exciting tracks in the championship. “Everything is feeling really good my body is fully recovered and I am now completely focused on repaying the team and my fans with a positive weekend in Portimao,” said the popular Catalan rider. “I was unable to race in Phillip Island following my crashes that left me really beaten up, but now I have had time to recover both physically and mentally and I am ready to race. I have been with the testing team in Valencia and everything went really well. The team is learning all the time and we’re making some real steps forward. I’m just really looking forward to getting back on the bike and putting Phillip Island out of my mind.” For Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport Berti Hauser, having Ruben and Troy fit and focussed on the tasks ahead is a big priority, and the team is now working hard on getting riders and machines ready for the first European-based round of the season. “Obviously from a team perspective Phillip Island had its ups and downs. Ruben was unfortunate to fall in the Sunday practice ruling him out of both races but on the other side of the garage Troy produced a great result in race two, so we were extremely happy to end a tough weekend on a high note. Since Phillip Island we have been testing the S 1000 RR, which should make the bike more useable for Portimao. We have also developed a new engine specification over the winter, which will be ready for Portugal and will hopefully provide the power, torque and usability factors to further enhance the S 1000 RR’s performance.” Practice begins at Portimao on the afternoon of Friday 26 March, with further qualifying and Superpole taking place on the Saturday and the first of two 22-lap races starting at 12noon on the Sunday (GMT+1). This event will also mark the first round of the FIM Superstock 1000cc Cup, where no less than seven riders will line up on the BMW S 1000 RR. More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: TROY RETURNS TO EUROPE AND GETS STRAIGHT DOWN TO WORK Troy and his BMW team began their preparations for the Portimao race weekend by warming up with two days of testing at Jerez circuit this week. Troy started the tests suffering from jet-lag, but was able to quicken the pace on the second day after a good night’s sleep and rest. Now he and the team have two days off before first practice for round two of this year’s Superbike World Championship in Portimao this coming weekend. Troy (122 laps, best lap 1:43.3) If it hadn’t been for these tests, the first time on my racebike since Phillip Island would’ve been first practice in Portimao – a gap of a month. So, it was good to get back in action and try out a lot of different things without having to do it during a race weekend. I only got back from Australia on Saturday afternoon and didn’t sleep well at all that night or on Sunday when we arrived here. I felt a bit tired yesterday, so didn’t really push it at all. We’ve being concentrating here mainly on the electronics, especially the traction control and also engine braking and I feel we’ve improved in all areas. I stayed on pretty much the same tyre, so that we could understand what was going on when we made other changes, and was able to go faster today without any problems or pushing too hard. My right shoulder felt a bit sore after all these laps, but maybe also because of all the training I’ve been doing in Australia. Every day, after breakfast, I’d go to the gym for about two and a half hours of fairly intensive circuit training, but I must say that now I feel a lot better for it! Strangely enough, I didn’t get any of the bikes out this trip and that must be a first! Hopefully all this training will reap dividends next Sunday.